High School DxD/ハイスクールD×D 1. Life 0: I Died

**And here we go~! Time for Devil Reborn VERSION DOS!**

**Please enjoy! **

**Oh! And Happy Thanksgiving!**

**One more thing...I'm accepting suggestions for Issei and Shirou's respective harems!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING. **

**Life 0: I Died**

"Shirou-kun~!" Sang a familiar and cheerful voice. "Time to wake up, Shirou-kun~!"

The young teenage boy rolled over in his sleep, his eyes twitching. "Mmmm...Five more minutes..."

The older woman, about 27, standing over him sighed. She had long, white hair and green eyes and currently wore a red, long-sleeved shirt along with a black dress as well as a frilly, pink apron that could either make or break the outfit depending on how you look at it. She sighed.

"Well I tried the easy way." She then raised her leg high up into the air. "Shirou...WAKE UP, LAZY ASS! MAKOTO SUPER DROP KICK" She brought her leg down right on the sleeping occupant of the bed. Judging from the gasping and sputtering (not to mention the groans of pain), her 'wake-up method' was effective.

A young teen shot upright with a look of outrage on his face. "What the Hell, Onee-sama!?"

Makoto Fujimura took a stance like a bowing martial artist. "Such is the fate of those who defy the great Mako-neesama's will." Makoto's expression changed to a smirk. "I did give you a chance to take the easy way. Your fault for not taking it."

"SO YOU DROP KICK ME!?" Shirou ran a hand through his spiky, white hair, mumbling something.

Makoto gained a cat-like smile. "How else do I wake up a lazy ass like you?" Shirou clenched his fists and Makoto seemed to ready herself for what appeared to a fight that was about to break out between the two. "So you wish to challenge the superiority of your dear Mako-nee, do you, Shirou-kun?"

"DAMN STRAIGHT! DIE!" Shirou raised his clenched fists and the two siblings leaped at each other.

Everything disappeared in a mass of destructive violence that tore the room apart. Neither let their familial bond(?) interfere with their clash for superiority. The fight seemed to go on for several hours (give or take a couple minutes if anyone other than Shirou spoke of this situation). It finally ended when Makoto managed to get Shirou pressed against the ground, stuck in a headlock, Shirou desperately trying to scratch at her arms, trying to find some way to break free.

Makoto smirked. "Do you surrender?"

Shirou glared at her defiantly. "Neveeeee-GAK!" Makoto took that opportunity to tighten her hold around Shirou's neck, causing him to wince in pain. He sighed, slamming his hand against the floor, tapping out. "ALRIGHT ALRIGHT! I give." Makoto released her hold on Shirou, both of them getting up.

Makoto pointed one finger into the air. "BWAHAHAHA! Makoto wins once more!" Shirou's sweat dropped.

_I wonder if she could be arrested for child abuse._

"Whatever floats your boat." He didn't even want to bother. "Now can you get out? I gotta get ready for class."

* * *

Shirou's POV...

I came downstairs, clean dressed in my Kuoh Academy uniform and still drying my hair with a towel.

While I desperately wanted to get Mako-nee back, I knew there was no beating her. Even when I won, I somehow lost. Don't ask how. Makoto just works like that.

Now that I was dressed in his uniform and not covered by a blanket, it was incredibly easy to see my spiky hair the same color as my sister's and my dark-blue eyes. I wasn't a CRAZY muscular 16-year-old, but I was rather in-shape for someone my age.

"Oh Shiroooou~!" Sang Mako-nee cheerfully. "I made breakfast~!" I paled considerably. There were only two things I feared in this world:

The first was Mako-nee when she gets pissed (HEY! YOU DON'T KNOW, MAN! YOU DON'T KNOW!).

The second was Mako-nee's cooking. Having to ingest such a meal was a fate worse than death.

Even from my position on the stairs I could smell the vomit-inducing stench of that..._substance_ Mako-nee called food. I deeply considered running back up the stairs and try leaving through the window. I weighed my options.

I noticed Mako-nee standing by the bottom of the stairs, waiting patiently with one hand on her hip and the other holding a plate of...whatever the FUCK that was on the plate.

Every step I took closer brought me closer to the substance that reeked with the stench of DEATH.

It was black and purple and there was a strange-colored smoke rising off of it. I wasn't quite sure what strange things Makoto put into that 'meal', but I knew that she hadn't killed it properly if I had to judge by the tentacles sticking out of the shapeless mush on the plate. The tentacles were still moving.

My pale skin turned a light shade of green.

I swallowed the bile that was rising in my throat and managed to chuckle.

"Ehehe...A-Actually, Mako-nee, I-I was planning on catching a quick bite to eat at Issei's house since I was going there anyway o-on my way to school." I quickly spat out the most believable excuse. Mako-nee stared at me with eyes that were full of suspicion. I began sweating bullets.

Please buy it. Please buy it. Please-FOR THE LOVE OF GOD-buy it.

Mako-nee then shrugged. "Mmkay then."

I let out a sigh of relief, grateful that Mako-nee bought my lie...well. It was a partial lie/excuse to get out of eating her poison/cooking.

I walked past Mako-nee, shoving my hands in my pockets as I made my way to the door, stopping right at the door frame.

"Oh yeah," I said. "I might end up hanging out with my friends after school, so I'll probably be home later than normal." Of course, it didn't really matter whether or not I mentioned it because Mako-nee never got home until around midnight or sometime afterward, doing whatever job she has that keeps a roof over our heads...I honestly have NO idea what she does every day, really.

"Just don't let those perverts get you involved in their usual mischief." Mako-nee replied, returning to the kitchen.

"Yeah yeah. I know, I know." I waved as I opened the door and walked outside. "See you later, Mako-nee."

And then I was off...

* * *

**[Hyoudou Residence]**

It wasn't too much longer than fifteen minutes before I arrived at Issei's house.

I walked to the door and knocked several times, then I waited.

It took only a minute before the door opened to reveal Issei's mother, smiling once she saw with me.

"Ah! Good morning, Shirou-kun!"

I smiled as well. "Good morning, Oka-san!" I greeted. "Is Ise still here?"

Oka-san nodded. "Yes, he should still be asleep upstairs. I was about to go make sure he woke up for breakfast. You can wait in the living room if you want."

I grinned. "Leave it to me, Oka-san!" I gave a thumbs up to assure her.

Oka-san placed a hand on her cheek, smiling gratefully. "Oh no. I wouldn't want to trouble you like that."

"It's no trouble since I planned for me and Ise to walk to school together. I'll make sure he doesn't just go right back to sleep. Leave it to me, Oka-san~!"

With no further argument, Oka-san stepped aside and I made my way inside of the house. It was a rather pleasant home, much more home-like than my house considering Mako-nee was usually gone all of the time. Actually, I guess you could kind of consider this place my second home since I sleep over often enough.

Oka-san and Otou-san are also pretty much my family in everything but blood. I've been friends with Ise since we were little kids. I hung around that pervert so often that I became something of a second son to Issei's parents who I call Oka-san and Otou-san.

It felt good to call someone that...considering the fact my parents died when I was little...

I didn't know the circumstances, but Mako-nee told me that they died in some sort of accident...I only remember the funeral...and crying a lot...that's how I spent most of my days until I met Ise and Iri...

I didn't have the heart to pry deeper into the matter...I never saw any point since my parents were still dead either way. There was no point in knowing the details.

But still, Oka-san, Otou-san, Mako-nee. Even Issei. They were my family, so I was happy.

I knocked on the door to Ise's room once I arrived upstairs. I banged my fist against the door.

"Yo! Oppai idiot! Time to get up!"

No response.

I knocked again. "Come on, Ise!"

Still no response.

I opened the door, walking inside to see my best guy friend fast asleep on his bed, drooling a little.

I placed a hand on his shoulder, shaking him slightly. "Ise, we're gonna be late for school! Get up!"

"...Hehe...so much...oppai..." He had such a stupid smile on his face, it was almost adorable. It would be such a shame to wake him up from whatever dream he's having.

I inhaled...Then-

"Ise! There's a whole track team of girls with no shirts or bras on outside! Their oppai are bouncing around like CRAZY!"

Issei Hyoudou, my best friend, shot up from his bed, awake and alert. His head darted left and right, as if searching for something.

"Oppai!? Where?!"

It took a few moments, but he seemed to finally become aware of his surroundings. He turned to me and glared.

"What the Hell, Shirou?!" He complained. "I was having the most awesome dream! Why'd you wake me up?!"

"Oka-san said it's time for breakfast."

But Ise didn't appear to hear me. He looked like he was on the verge of crying.

"Uwah! You ruin everything!"

I clicked my tongue. "Really now, I don't see why you're so obsessed with oppai. It's just a woman's chest."

Ise's jaw dropped as if I had said something heretical.

"'Just a woman's chest'?" He asked incredulously. "Oppai are LIFE! There are so many uses for them! They feed you when you are but a baby, they enhance the sex appeal of just about any woman, they are so soft and they can be substituted for pillows, and, from what I've learned from all of my erotic games, when you control a woman's breasts in sex, you-"

"Wait wait wait!" I interrupted, raising one hand to silence Ise. "How would you know ANY of those last few things? You've never even touched a girl's breast let alone had sex. You're no less a virgin than I am as painful as it is to admit." I paused. "Besides, everyone knows that the ass is where it's at!" I grinned.

Ise did a dry spit-take.

"What did you just saaaay!?" Ise was steaming mad. "How could you possibly say that!?"

My grin became more of a smirk.

"Well, I figured it was fairly obvious. Everyone knows the ass is superior to the breasts. When man first walked on all-fours, the first thing he saw was the ass! Asses are the beginning of everything!"

"Bull!" Ise shouted. "T-To say that the ass is better than oppai is...it's just...WRONG!" Ise sounded like he was too disgusted to even speak right.

I stopped smirking, instead glaring at him. "Hey! Don't insult the ass, bro!"

"Shut up! You are an enemy to oppai everywhere! You can take your asses and just go die!"

My eye twitched. "First off, that doesn't entirely make sense. Second, YOU go die. The ass is best!"

"No!" Ise argued, shaking his head. "Oppai are!"

"No, the ass is!"

"Oppai!"

"Ass!"

"Oppai!"

"Ass!"

"Oppai!"

"Ass!"

.

.

.

Ise and I glared at one another.

"It appears we've reached an impasse in this discussion." I noted aloud, a deceptively calm voice in my face.

"Indeed." Ise replied.

"Pity."

"Yes."

The next two words we both spoke turned the situation into an all-out war-zone.

[DIE, HERETIC!]

* * *

"This is a very delicious breakfast, Oka-san." I said politely as I sat at the dining room table along with Ise (who was now up and dressed in his school uniform), Otou-san, and Oka-san.

"Thank you, Shirou-kun." Oka-san said, thanking me for my compliment. I noted an awkward silence in the air.

"Er..." Otou-san said, his awkward tone matching the atmosphere. "So...should I ask about all of the bruises?"

He was, of course, referring the multiple bruises that covered mine and Issei's faces, the result of the all-out brawl that usually followed our usual disagreement regarding asses and oppai.

I smiled, waving it off. "We...We fell."

"Yeah..." Ise sighed. Suffice to say, he lost the fight. If I had been serious, I would've stomped him to the point of embarrassment. But no. We just joke around sometimes...with our fists when we get pissed enough.

"I see..." Otou-san noted. Oka-san nodded as well. They've been used to this type of thing from us since me and Ise were little kids.

"So...what plans you got for today, Shirou?" Ise asked me while we continued eating our breakfast.

I shrugged. "Same stuff, different day, I guess. It's almost a little boring actually. I might eat lunch with Ruruko at school later...I-I mean "Nimura-san". Y-Yeah. That's what I meant to say."

Ise frowned. "That washboard?"

Normally, Ise wouldn't really make an insulting remark regarding oppai be they big or small, but he and Ruruko never really got along. Not since she kicked him right in his...well...his "Little Issei's" for reasons that are still unknown to me...Ha. It's still funny when I thought about it. Ise's voice remained high-pitched and squeaky for the entire day. It was hilarious actually!

"Hey! Stop remembering her kicking me in my man parts!" Ise cried, wincing as he remembered the pain experienced that day. He always seemed to know when I was remembering it. Maybe the amused smile I had on my face kind of gave it away.

Ise looked like he was literally about to start crying. "She...She's so horrible...that washboard."

SMACK!

Oka-san hit Ise on the head with a wooden spoon.

"Now, Ise, don't insult Shirou-kun's girlfriend right in front of him. It's awfully rude."

I did a spit-take. I felt my face turn a deep shade of red. "G-G-Girlfriend?! I-I never said she was my girlfriend! S-She's just a girl...and a friend...but she's not my girlfriend!"

Oka-san wore an amused, cat-like smile as she giggled. "Ah! Of course~!"

Otou-san let out a few chuckles under his breath.

I groaned.

Ruruko is NOT my _girlfriend _per se.

I mean, considering what I was doing, she could TECHNICALLY be called my girlfriend...

She's my first.

No. Not my 'first' in regards to _that_. I mean 'first' as in...my first harem girl.

Yep. I said it. I'm trying to build a harem of cute girls and/or busty Onee-samas. Ruruko is among my first planned conquests...

I know it makes me sound like an awful person when I say it aloud, but it's not how you think!

I'm not planning on being one of those harem king-style protagonists from some H-games who typically mostly use their girls for ecchi things. I'm going for the TRUE harem route, as in, pursuing a true romantic relationship with multiple girls and doing ecchi things every now and then. I fully intend on ensuring the happiness of every girl who becomes a part of my harem. Yes, I'm a pervert, but I prefer to think of myself as a ROMANTIC pervert.

Of course I had to play all embarrassed at the thought of Ruruko being my GIRLFRIEND in front of Otou-san and Oka-san because I doubt they would approve of my plans.

I managed to avoid the subject for the rest of the meal which returned to more casual conversation.

"You boys better hurry up or you'll be late."

Both Ise and I nodded, quickly eating our food. Ise would constantly talk about someday proving himself superior to me by getting his own girlfriend. One with gigantic jugs unlike Ruruko whom Issei considered a "washboard". I don't know...Ise's a HUUUUUUGE perv. Just about every girl at school hates him for various reasons that usually have to do with his perversion. The girl who picked him would probably have to be either an exhibitionist or have very low standards. That is to say, unless there was a girl who got to know the real Issei.

Despite how much a pervert he is, Issei is actually a pretty good guy. We've been bros since childhood. He's actually one of the first two friends I ever made. When _she _moved away, Ise was the one who helped cheer me up. Sure it was through perverted stories regarding oppai and my respect for him dropped IMMENSELY, but he cheered me up nonetheless.

Ise always had my back and I always had his. That's the way we rolled. If I had any less self-respect, I would even call myself a member of his little group of perverts...but, while a pervert, I would never sink so low.

Anyway, Ise and I quickly finished breakfast and said goodbye to Otou-san and Oka-san before we walked out the door to head to school.

"Yo! Ise!"

"Wait up!"

On our way to school, I saw a familiar baldy and a familiar pervy glasses character running to catch up with me and Ise.

These guys respectively were Matsuda and Motohama.

Ise greeted his two friends who, with him, made up the three members of the Perverted Trio.

I halfheartedly greeted these two. I didn't hate them but I didn't exactly feel comfortable around them either. They were just too weird. I'm as perverted as the next guy (OK, maybe more-so), but the lengths these guys go to...I mean, getting beaten up by the kendo team in an effort to see girls naked is probably not worth it. If you wanna see a girl naked, look it up on the internet or something.

Matsuda and Motohama stared at me with narrowed eyes.

"What's that damned bishounen doing here?"

"Have you gone over to the dark side of those handsome bastards who are determined to leave no girls left for us, Hyoudou?!"

Ise sweatdropped, raising his hands to calm them. "Ah, come on, guys. I know he's a bastard, but he's still my childhood bro. Cut him some slack."

"Oh gee thanks. I've never felt so wanted, Ise." I said this with a smile of course. I'm aware that these three idiots don't like handsome guys like me because-

"Shirou-senpai! Senpaaaaai!"

Ah. Speaking of a reason.

I looked down just as a familiar, petite figure appeared out of nowhere and was clinging to my arm.

I smiled at my kouhai who wore her brown hair in twin ponytails. She stared at me with those admiring green eyes of hers.

"Good morning, Ruruko."

This was my cute kouhai, Ruruko Nimura.

Ruruko blushed slightly, showing a rather happy yet shy expression. "G-Good morning, S-Senpai."

"How's my most adorable kouhai doing today?" I asked while adopting a more approachable expression.

Ruruko's blush deepened, but she frowned. "Um. Good, but..."

I frowned as well. "'But'?"

Ruruko released me for a moment before crossing her arms, seeming unhappy about something.

"I tried calling your house several times last night, but you didn't pick up." She seemed rather miffed about this.

Of course I had gotten those calls, but I couldn't just give in too easily. If I show TOO MUCH of my romantic side to her, then I would lock her in as my girlfriend and the harem route would be lost to me. I have to be romantic towards her, but I also have to make her give chase as well...

OK! Mako-nee got pissed and threw the house phone out the window! There, I said it! We haven't had a house phone for a few weeks now!

...but what I was talking about before wasn't a lie either.

So I told Ruruko the truth as to why I COULDN'T, causing her to get an understanding expression. She sighed.

Yeah. She believed me because she had met Mako-nee once before...Poor girl. She had seen the ugly side of my sister that day. And then Mako-nee traumatized Ruruko later that night by cooking...Ruruko can't even stand the sight of ramen now because she keeps flashing back to that horrible night.

"Ah! That's good. For a moment, I was worried you were avoiding me." Ruruko once again clung to my arms, nuzzling her face against me.

I could feel the burning gazes of the Perverted Trio on my back.

"Damn bishounen..."

"Die, bastard..."

"..." Ise just stared blankly. "...I don't really care what he does with that washboard honestly."

Yep. He REALLY disliked Ruruko. Ruruko clearly returned the resentment due to the sharp glare she shot at Ise.

Ruruko's face turned a bright shade of red. "I-I'm not a washboard! I admit my breasts aren't large like Momo's, but I'm certainly not a washboard!"

I calmed the brown-haired girl by pulling my arm from between her arms and wrapped it around her and placed my hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry, you should know by now that such a thing like breasts means nothing to me." I shot the three perverted idiots a sparkling thumbs up. "I'm an ass-man through and through~!"

I took my hand away from Ruruko's shoulder and gave her butt a firm squeeze to prove my point, causing my beautiful harem girl to let out a squeak of surprise.

Surprised, Ruruko shoved me away, me chuckling, amused by her adorable reaction.

Ruruko stared at my with her face steaming red. She looked like she was trying to glare, but with all of her embarrassment, her expression ended up looking more confused and adorable.

"D-Don't do such things out of the blue like that!" She complained.

I grinned. "Sorry! I just wanted to show off your appeal to these guys. And it worked-" I pointed at Matsuda and Motohama who were on all-fours, crying. Even Ise had an angry and somewhat envious expression on his face.

Ruruko noted their expressions and seemed to be somewhat calmed and even amused.

She once again started clinging to my arm, blushing still. "Just...Just warn me next time you're going to do something like that..." Her previous annoyance changed into cute embarrassment and she even seemed slightly happy at my attraction to her.

"You suck, Fujimura!"

"Go die!"

Then a devious little idea worked its way to the core of my brain.

"You guys hate me, don't you?" I asked the two perverts with a smirk. "You're jealous because you can't get a girl?"

[HELL YEAH! YOU SUCK!]

"Then how about I give you one more reason to be jealous of me..." Before Ruruko could react, I lift her chin with my free hand and leaned forward.

She blushed deeply yet again at what I was clearly intending to do. "S-Senpai..."

I smiled. "Ruruko, I've already told you again and again...just call me Shirou..."

"...Shirou..." Ruruko parroted in a longing voice. She closed her eyes and leaned forward as well.

Our kiss was short and chaste, but I admit that the taste of Ruruko's lips left me with the feeling of wanting more.

Of course, being as careful as I was, I resisted temptation every time.

When I pulled away, Ruruko still had her eyes closed and an expression that clearly asked for more.

I smirked once more, turning to the Perverted Trio.

All three of them, including Issei, were on all-fours, crying and banging their fists against the ground.

"It's not fair..."

"Bishounen's suck..."

"...I hate you so much, Shirou..."

"Ha ha ha ha." I gave a fake laugh at their suffering. One perk to being friends with perverted virgins is the amusement I get at being able to gloat about being able to do ecchi things right in front of them with a girl who was the first member of my harem.

After basking in the envy of my three friends(?), I realized the time.

"Come on, slackers! We gotta get to school before we're late."

"B-Baka! T-The only reason we've paused for so long is b-because you're so perverted!" Ruruko complained.

Huh. I didn't think she'd complain about me kissing her. She's always usually so excited about my kisses.

"W-When we g-get to school, y-you owe me another k-kiss for almost making us late, y-you dummy!" Ruruko gave a slight smile at her demand.

...Oh...my...God. Her smile when she's being sneaky...SO CUUUUUUUUTE~!

"I...I can't take this anymore..." Matsuda cried, rubbing his eyes.

"...I hate him so much..."

"Even though I don't care about that dumb washboard..." Ise said, crying less than his two perverted compatriots. "...sometimes you really suck, Shirou..."

"Screw you, Hyoudou!" Ruruko said, defending me. "Shirou-senpai has a girl on his arm because, unlike you perverts, he knows how to treat a girl...at the very least, nobody's caught him peeping on the kendo team!"

And the argument went something like that for a long while after that...

Anyway, after that got settled with the Perverted Trio in tears, we set our course for school. Ruruko clung to my arm and glared at any girl we passed by who gave me a second glance.

Extreme jealousy. Good. Good. That's good to see...not because it's good for my harem plans, but because she looked SO ADORABLE when she was jealous! That's how Ruru-chan is~!

We traveled for a good ten minutes and somehow still managed to arrive at school a fair time before we had to be in classes by. How? I had no idea. I mean, we wasted probably something like fifteen minutes discussing my having more romantic contact with a woman in one day than the Perverted Trio have had in their entire lives put together.

Ise and the other two perverts went on ahead to class, leaving me and Ruruko at the gate.

"We're still on for lunch on the rooftop, right?" Ruruko asked, slowing moving away as she got ready to head to class.

I smiled softly, nodding. "Of course-" I closed my eyes, sighing as I began to hear the muttering of people around me, a majority of them being girls.

"Is that the [White Knight]? The Prince of Kuoh?"

"Yes! It's Fujimura-sama!"

"Ah, he's so hot today..."

"He's with some girl!"

"His girlfriend?"

"Noooo! It can't be! Our White Knight CAN'T BE off the market!"

"...now the only chance we have is to become adulterers...it'll be totally worth it."

The usual chatter. It was kind of annoying really.

I know someone who is observing may be thinking "Why? Aren't these girls potential harem girls?"

Well, like I stated previously, I'm going for a TRUE harem route. I plan on only building a harem with girls I have a romantic interest in and only if they return said interest. I don't really feel anything for these girls. I want a true harem, not some mindless sex zombies.

While I was deep in my thoughts, I took notice of Ruruko bowing to someone.

I turned with half-lidded eyes to see a familiar, bespectacled girl with her black hair cut in a short bob cut and violet eyes. She wore the usual female student uniform of Kuoh Academy.

Sona Shitori. My senpai and the president of the Student Council.

"Ah! G-Good morning, Kaichou!" Ruruko stuttered slightly.

"And good morning to you, Ruruko. Good morning to you as well, Fujimura-kun."

I didn't really care much for formality, so I gave a simple peace sign. "Yo. G'morning, Shitori-senpai." I bowed my head slightly, but that was it.

Shitori-senpai didn't seem to mind. She even smiled slightly.

She was kind of cute when she smiled. Sona Shitori, the smartest girl at Kuoh Academy and the third most popular girl at Kuoh Academy. She was kind of a good person. Some people tend to avoid her because she's kind of strict, but I didn't really care. I knew she was a good person deep down.

Shitori-senpai would've been a possible candidate for my harem, but she didn't seem like she would be the type to be okay with that goal. I didn't think she was that open-minded.

"I hope you've both been keeping up with your studies." Senpai said.

Ruruko nodded rapidly. "Y-Yes, Kaichou!" For that subject, I could swear Ruruko actually looked a little afraid of Senpai.

I nodded, smiling slightly. "Somewhat. I have fairly good grades at any rate."

Senpai nodded. "Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some duties to attend to. I suggest you both head to your classes."

[Hai!]

Shitori-senpai then walked off, leaving me smiling slightly. I couldn't help my eyes looking down her back at her-

PINCH

Ruruko suddenly lashed out and grabbed my cheek in a powerful pinching grip, yanking on it.

I looked to her and saw THE most adorable look on her face, her cheeks pink and puffed up in a way that the only way to make her mood more apparent would be by placing a light-up sign over her head that said "Jealous".

"Ow! Ow! Okay, Om sowwy!" I cried as Ruruko continued pinching my face.

After my apology, I finally got my cheek back, rubbing it to soothe the aching.

Ruruko was so cute~!

"I-If you're gonna select candidates for your harem, either make sure it's not someone I know or at least don't ogle them right in front of me!"

What? I never said that Ruruko was unaware of her status as a member of my harem. I even told her of my plans the moment she asked to be my girlfriend. She WENT ALONG WITH IT! That's how awesome Ruruko is!

For the rank of alpha, Ruruko is the current holder out of all of my potential harem member candidates.

She got jealous because she wanted to preserve her possession of said position.

"Well, it's not like we're romantically interested in one another." I defended myself. "You know the rules I set and the conditions you gave me when you agreed not to castrate me and even help me in my plans."

Ruruko narrowed her eyes before nodding grudgingly. "Fine."

"Are we still on for our usual rooftop lunch?" I asked.

Ruruko's expression softened as she nodded, smiling. "Of course." She leaned forward and gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "See you there~" She then ran off in order to keep from being late for class.

Possessing a similar wish, I took off, too.

* * *

Despite the numerous distractions and interruptions, I STILL somehow ended up being able to get to class with time to spare.

It was mind-boggling. It was as if some kind of higher power was distorting the very fabric of space-time to allow the passing of events that make up my daily life without being an inconvenience to me.

"Good~ Morn~ing, Shi~rou~kuuuun~" A cute and possibly seductive tone greeted, appearing next to me.

The owner of said voice was a busty girl with beautiful, long hair and blue eyes. Like all of my female friends, she wore the girl's student uniform.

She smiled her usual pleasant and bright smile.

As expected of the [Princess of Kuoh], Yumi Kiba.

I smiled back at her. Yumi's been one of my best friends since I entered Kuoh Academy a year ago.

I, who was known as the [White Knight], and she, who was known as the [Princess of Kuoh], had quite a few rumors circulating concerning our relationship.

"Good morning, Yumi-chan." I greeted back.

"I'm not sure whether or not I should say "it's good to see you're still ogling my oppai"." Yumi said, placing a finger on her lips.

Yes. I was indeed ogling her. She was hot, but there WAS another reason...

I rubbed the back of my neck, a light pink on my face. "Sorry, but it's still bugging me. Do you wear a bra or not? Your oppai bounce around a lot and I'm not sure if it's because a poor-fitting bra or because you wear nothing under that shirt. It's KILLING me." A perverted smile appeared on my face as I raised my hands, jokingly moving my fingers in a groping motion. "If you let me feel them, I'll be able to find out the answer."

Yumi stepped back, suppressing a mischievous smile by covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Sorry, Shirou-kun~, but that's for me to know and _perhaps_ for you to find out...maybe on a little date. Maybe next sunday~?" Yumi then put on a thinking expression. "Or maybe I might be busy...Hmmm~ I wonder~ I wonder~" Yumi began to sway side-to-side. I could tell she was teasing me because she held her hands behind her back while she made sure to emphasize her oppai swaying and bouncing with her movements.

Yep. Yumi was the only one who defeated me when it came to teasing.

She's so good, I can't even tell if she's just joking around or if she possesses any romantic interest in me.

That's something I'd like to know before I tried seeing if I could recruit her for my harem.

Yumi's not like the female pervy glasses character, Aika Kiryuu (who I will only reluctantly admit is my friend). Yumi is so convincing, it's hard to tell whether she is simply teasing me or genuinely trying to seduce me. For Kiryuu, I KNOW she's teasing.

I pursed my lips, thinking. "Wait. Like a DATE date? Or just as friends?"

Yumi was so hard to figure out sometimes. Sometimes she was kind of flirtatious in a teasing way and other times she was normal and other times she was kind of cute.

Yumi's smile became less teasing and became more genuine. "Sorry, just as friends this time." She stuck out her tongue in a way that could only be described as adorable.

I sighed. "Bummer. I was really looking forward to feeling those glorious bazongas of yours." Then I smiled. "But we ARE on for that date, right?" Maybe it would be a chance for me to finally figure out whether or not you're teasing me. I HAVE TO know before I try asking you to become a member of my harem.

Thank goodness I don't have anything planned with Ruruko on Sunday.

"Of course." Yumi answered with her usual smile.

I sighed. "Well, even if I don't get to grope your oppai or your ass, a date is still a date."

Our conversation was interrupted by the final bell, signaling class to start.

Yumi gave me a look that said "We'll talk more later." before going back to her seat.

I nodded and turned my head towards the front of the class.

It was boring as usual. The teacher went over the same material as always, causing me to come close to falling asleep several times in the middle of the lesson.

I was so grateful when lunch came around later on, meaning no more boring lessons for a while.

...and of course I forgot my lunch. Yep. Left it on the damned counter back home...Damn.

...Could this be it? Could this be how I die? Starving to death is not how I wanted to go...

I laid my head on my desk, my strength fading due to hunger.

"Goodbye...cruel world..." I uttered as my life began to fade.

That was when I felt something placed on top of my head which laid on the desk.

"Don't go dying yet." A reassuring voice told me. "As if your most loyal knight would allow you perish in such a way."

I paused. "Hm?" I raised one hand and felt out what was.

Rectangular, heavy, and wrapped in some kind of cloth...

Dear God! It was a bento!

I picked up the box and raised my head, staring intently at it. It was indeed a bento. A pink box wrapped in a white cloth with a red heart pattern.

I looked up at my savior with watering eyes. "You are so freakin awesome, ya know, Karlamine?"

The girl I spoke to was a smiling teenage girl about my age with light brown hair and green eyes. She also wore a headband that goes across her hair and forehead along with the girls' student uniform.

Karlamine Silverman. A European transfer student who came to Japan over 2 years ago.

Karlamine smiled, clearly pleased with herself.

"Of course. My life is sworn to you-" Her face then became tinged with pink due to a blush. "-b-but it's not like I've been w-waiting and m-making you a bento e-everyday on the off-chance you happened to forget your lunch or anything! No! That would be crazy!" She shook her head after laughing awkwardly. "Nope. I just happened to have some leftover ingredients and thought you'd like to try some of my cooking. A total coincidence that I happened to bring this today...Haha..."

No. No I am not clueless to her obvious affection.

Karlamine (sometimes I call her Karly for short) has pretty much had interest in me ever since last year.

There was a horrible accident and her house got set on fire. It was pure chance that I happened to pass by the house as the firemen were trying to fight the flames when someone screamed that their daughter was still inside. I, being the heroic dumbass I was, ran into the building without any sort of protection. It only took my several minutes to fine Karly on the ground, pinned underneath a bunch of debris. I dug her out, but the flames had intensified...I ended up passing out due to smoke inhalation, but I vaguely remembered running through the flames, taking the brunt of the damage from the fire while I carried Karly on my back.

I managed to get us both out relatively unscathed though. I know because I woke up in the hospital with Karly sleeping in the bed right next to mine. We were both bound to make a full recovery. Karly's parents came in while she was still unconscious to thank me...It was a rather happy and teary-eyed affair.

In my life thus far, I've only seen a grown man cry two times. This was one of those two times as Karly's father started crying, thanking me for saving his daughter's life.

I ended up going to sleep for a while, but when I woke up, Karly was by my side, holding my hand and smiling in a cute way.

She thanked me for saving her life and had since then sworn her loyalty to me in a confession-like fashion. I was her "King" and she was my "Knight". Since then, she was one of the few girls I could count on not to spontaneously throw their panties at me.

Of course she had affections for me, but that was solely out of admiration towards me for saving her life.

Therefore, I can't really consider her a harem member candidate. I saved her because I didn't want some girl's death to be on my conscience, not because I wanted her to become a girl for me to do ecchi things with. Besides, it was no big deal since my injuries from the fire healed up pretty quickly. That's another thing about me. I'm a surprisingly fast healer. I could be considered something of a modern medical miracle really.

But back to the present!

I smiled as I accepted Karlamine's bento. "Thanks. You truly are the greatest knight."

Karlamine's face lit up a bright shade of red, her smile becoming frozen on her face.

"It-It's really no trouble! R-Really!" Karlamine then held her hands together in front of her, her blush becoming lighter as she appeared to be nervous. "B-But...I-I was wondering...if maybe...maybewe couldeatlunchontherooftogether!" Despite the fact she spoke so quickly on the last part of that sentence, I was able to hear what Karlamine said. It sounded like she was half-asking/half-pleading.

Not to mention the look on her eyes was so adorable.

I smirked. "Hells yeah! Why not?" True, while I couldn't return her feelings which have been born from her admiration, simply ignoring Karlamine would only hurt her. Therefore, while I can't consider making her a harem member, she can still be a close friend whom I treasure.

I got up...but then I felt a strange pressure "down there" (NO! Not _that_ kind of pressure!...I had to go. Real bad...).

I started sweating slightly as I gave Karlamine a nervous smile. I must've been holding it while I slept through class because I had to GOOOOO!

"S-Say...Karly...Is it okay if I meet you there...?" I asked.

Karlamine, still pleased about what was apparently "a victory", nodded. "Alright! I'll bring your lunch up there for you!" She picked up the bento she made for me and ran off, excited.

Meanwhile, I ran off in another direction. Towards the bathroom specifically.

I went and then I _went_...and then I washed my hands of course...

Then-and ONLY THEN-did I head for the roof for lunch.

Karlamine's such a nice person...making lunch for me and stuff.

I once again noted it was a pleasant day outside. Not bad weather for eating on the roof.

I looked around the rooftop but found no one but-

"Ah. What a fine chance it is meeting you up here, Shirou-san."

She was a tall girl with blue, shoulder-length hair and eyes of the same color. Perhaps the most notable thing about her was her face which was like that of a bishounen. She was smiling pleasantly for some reason that left me feeling as if she had done something rather mischievous recently...

Oh well.

"Err...Yura-san, right?"

The girl nodded. Hey, just because I know most of the hot girls' names, it doesn't mean I know ALL of their names.

...Yeah...Tsubasa Yura. A second year like me...she was on the Student Council, I think, with Ruruko and Shitori-senpai.

I then noted two bentos in front of her as I moved closer.

One of them was a normal, blue bento wrapped in a blue cloth...the other was a familiar...waaaiiit a second.

"Erm...Yura-san..." I started. I clicked my tongue, uncertain where to start. "Why...why does that second bento look like the one Karly made for me earlier?" I looked around. "Come to think of it, I really expected Karly to be up here..."

Yura-san smiled with a strange and suspicious smile. "Oh, she told me to give you your bento for her since she had other things to do."

"Ah...I feel like I should be more suspicious about this..."

* * *

**Karlamine's POV...**

**[Janitor's Closet]**

Well...this certainly isn't how I saw my day going...

Locked in a janitor's closet...my arms tied behind my back and my legs tied together...a gag over my mouth.

Yes. Certainly my strangest day.

Perhaps it's my own fault for being so careless. I never thought that one of Shirou-sama's potential lovers would go so far to get rid of competition (Yes. I do indeed know about his plans to build a harem. That's why I've been trying so hard to get close to him, so that he may someday ask me to take part)...

Truly, for Shirou-sama to have such a knight as weak as me...how sad. Forgive me, Shirou-sama...

But to sum up my thoughts at that moment:

YOU FUCKING BIIIIIIITCH! YUUUUURRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

**[Back on the Roof]**

"I really SHOULD be more suspicious about this..." Then a growling noise from my stomach interrupted me. I hunched over, in pain due to hunger. "...but I really don't care right now...I'm so huuuuuungry..."

...but I got the strange feeling that I was forgetting something.

I reached towards the bento, but Yura-san so cruelly pulled it further beyond my grasp.

"Please, allow me to feed you, Shirou-san."

I frowned. "Well, I-I can feed myself just fine..." I then trailed off as I noticed Yura-san's eyes staring at me intently. There was a disturbingly forceful glow about them. There was also a slight pink on her face.

"Allow me to feed you, Shirou-san." She said it again in a scary yet calm tone...Did she get hotter all of a sudden?

I sweatdropped.

...Is...Is this a possible harem candidate? She's blushing slightly, so I'm thinking she has some affection for me for some reason...she also appears to be dead set on feeding me...

I never even met this girl before (not in person anyway), so I didn't exactly feel comfortable with trying to recruit her for my harem, but she was being more forceful in her attempts to feed me and make me eat with her. Not to mention the mysterious disappearance of Karly was something to feel worried about.

As per my rules and guidelines to being a TRUE Harem King, I don't recruit girls who I have no clear romantic interest in or whom are strangers to me. I don't really know Yura-san by anything other than name, so I could clearly tell this situation would get worse before it got better.

I would have to wing it and hope for the best. There were worse fates than being forcibly fed a bento by a cute girl.

I managed an awkward smile at Yura-san's forceful offer.

"Err...Sure."

The scary look on Yura-san's face vanished and she smiled lightly, opening up the bento that Karly made for me.

It was filled with all sorts of yummy stuff...Riceballs, tempura, tsukune, a whole bunch of delicious food. So much that it was surprising how it all fit in this small box.

I think I started drooling at some point...

Yura-san continued smiling as she picked up a pair of chopsticks and picked up something random from the box. She was staring at my face, so I don't think she even knew what she had picked up.

"Say 'Aaah'." Yura-san instructed, raising the piece of food she picked up with her chopsticks.

I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth. "Aaah."

Yura-san was about to feed me the delicious morsel when-

SLAM! SNAP!

The door to the roof suddenly slammed open, a lone projectile ripping through the air and stabbing through the piece of food Yura-san picked up, sending it flying through the air and leaving my sight.

I felt the urge to cry...my precious foooood...

"Ah, what a coincidence to meet you up here, _Shirou_." I noticed powerful hostility that made me break out in a sweat. "Especially considering we made plans earlier and here I am, seeing you being fed by another woman even though that position should've been promised to me."

I turned and swallowed, waving. "Heeeeeey, Ruruko..."

Shit. I knew I was forgetting something. In my fit of hunger, I forgot I promised a rooftop lunch with Ruruko!

DAMN YOU, STOMAAAAACH!

I noticed Ruruko was twirling a lone chopstick in her hand in a strangely menacing way. I could take a guess at what had happened to the other one.

She smiled in a menacingly sweet way...but her gaze was directed towards Yura-san.

"Thanks for saving my spot, Yura-senpai, but Shirou's supposed to be on a date with ME right now." Ruruko illustrated her point by walking over to Yura-san and pushing her still-sitting form a few feet to the right, sitting where Yura-san had been sitting, smiling as she picked up her own bento and opened it, taking out a new pair of chopsticks.

"Now, how about you try my homemade bento, Shirou? I've made enough for the both of us." She then picked up food with her chopsticks and smiled cutely. "Now open up~"

Just wanting food and not paying much attention to who gave it to me, I opened my mouth again.

Ruruko was about to feed me when Yura-san grabbed her arm, her expression matching the menacing one on Ruruko's.

"How rude of my kouhai," Yura-san stated. "Making poor Shirou-san wait for your date, knocking away the person who was trying to feed him."

"And how rude of you to get in the way of love." Ruruko shot back.

I had the distinct feeling this could only get worse before it got better.

SLAM!

The door to the roof slammed open once again.

"DON'T FALL FOR THAT HARLOT, SHIROU-SAMA!"

I turned to see my "knight" running through the door...or perhaps "flopping" would be the best word to describe it...for her hands were tied behind her back and her legs were also tied together, leaving Karlamine no choice but to flop about in order to move.

"Hey, Shirou-kun! Look what I found in the janitor's closet!" Yumi greeted cheerfully, either ignorant or not caring of the current situation.

I raised an eyebrow. "Karlamine? What are you doing all tied up?" It was a fair first question.

Karlamine, a desire for vengeance written all over her face, used her head (due to her hands being tied behind her back) to gesture in the direction of...Yura-san?

"Why don't you ask her?"

Yura-san smiled innocently. "Who? Me? Whatever are you accusing me of doing? I was just trying to have a peaceful lunch with Shirou-san since both his _girlfriend_ and his _knight_ were cruel enough to abandon him."

"YOU TIED ME UP!"

"You KNEW I was eating lunch with Shirou! I specifically TOLD YOU to stay away from him like I do EVERY SINGLE DAY!" Wait. Ruruko has to constantly tell Yura-san to stay away from me? Is Yura-sanreally interested in me.

Yura-san scoffed. She was CLEARLY trying to challenge the two.

"Pretty good excuses for the flat-chested loli and the wannabe knight."

.

.

.

[WHAT DID YOU SAAAAAAAAAAAY!]

And then all Hell broke loose.

Ruruko and the still-tied-up-Karlamine lunged at Yura-san.

It was hard to follow because they all moved surprisingly fast, Ruruko and Yura-san more-so than Karlamine, but they still moved very fast.

At some point, Yura-san was...well it looked like she was trying to crush Ruruko in a powerful bear hug-type attack while Karlamine looked like she was trying to choke Yura-san out with her legs, managing to wrap them around Yura-san's neck.

To sum it up: It was hot.

I observed from a distance, eating the bento that Karlamine made for me, sitting next to Yumi.

Despite feeling somewhat interested by the catfight going on in front of me, I felt awkward.

"Aren't...aren't you going to join in or something?"

Yumi waved off the question. "Oh no. I'm usually horrible when it comes to using my fists to fight."

I noted the way she worded that was kind of weird. Has Yumi ever used something else to fight?

"I can't wait for our date on Sunday, Shirou." Yumi said out of the blue.

I noticed that the rooftop had suddenly gone silent. Karlamine, Ruruko, and Yura-san were all shooting shocked looks mixed with envy and hatred at Yumi.

[WHAT DID SHE SAAAAAAAAAAAAY!?]

Shit...

Is what I thought at first. Then the other girls tried attacking Yumi instead out of jealousy. It wasn't bad though. Yumi was actually surprisingly fast despite how much her gigantic chest should've weighed her down. None of the other girls were able to land a single hit on Yumi. It even looked like Yumi was playing around with them.

It was a wonder she didn't try out for track or something. She would do rather well...

Oh well. I continued observing the catfight until it was inevitably ended by the sound of the bell which simultaneously ended lunch.

I managed to calm Ruruko's jealous rage by kissing her on the cheek, causing Karlamine to cry out of envy and Yura-san to simply leave.

The rest of the day went by in a surprisingly normal way. The Perverted Trio got busted and beaten again trying to peep on the kendo team and I slept through every class except the last one where we had to take a test. I think I made a fairly good great. I think I made a B+ at the very least.

Anyway, I tried finding Ise after school was over so we could hang out, but I think he already went home. I can't really imagine anyone in the mood to hang out after being beaten by an army of shinai...but I already told Makoto that I was going to be home late. Ruruko had a Student Council meeting and Karlamine had something with her parents she had to do.

Everyone had something to do but me...how sad.

So I did what any normal teenager would do when their friends were busy, had too much time, and nothing to do.

I went for a long walk with no clear destination.

I walked past the park, the shopping district, the river, just about anywhere where there was a path to walk.

It was on this walk that I met the woman who would forever change my life.

I was still wandering aimlessly when an unfamiliar person passed by the corner of my eye, giving me just a small glance. I only looked back because the person herself was dressed strangely for anywhere but in front of a store that sold some kind of magical girl manga or anime CDs.

She was clearly some kind of cosplayer. She had black hair tied in twin pony tails and oddly familiar violet eyes and a child-like body despite her large breasts. It was hard to tell whether or not she was too old to be cosplaying as a magical girl...either way, she was hot.

She seemed somewhat surprised to see me looking at her, but then she waved.

I looked all around me, but then I realized nobody was around that she could be gesturing to. I double-checked just to make sure.

Putting on a confused expression, I looked to the magical girl and pointed at myself, mouthing "Me?"

The magical girl smiled, nodding happily.

Well...it's something interesting to pass the time I guess.

So I walked over to the magical girl cosplayer, still feeling confused.

She lunged forward and, for a second, I thought she was going to attack me, but then her arms wrapped around me and pulled me into a super tight hug.

Do...Do I know this girl?

I ran her cute face through my memory, but nothing came up. I'm sure I would remember a girl as cute at this one. She wasn't threatening me, so I let her continue hugging me, the perverted side of my mind savoring the feel of her oppai pressed against my chest.

"Erm...not to be rude, but...who are you exactly?" I asked after the hug started to feel awkward.

The girl released me and winked. Before I could react, she shoved a strange paper with strange occult symbols into my hands...Mako-nee would seriously have interest in this. She always had some strange obsession with the occult. I don't know why. Just, whenever there was some kind of occult-related subject or object brought up, she always had differing expressions. Sometimes she was extremely excited, other times angry, sometimes surprised. It always varied.

"When you are in your hour of greatest need, I'll appear by your side. Keep that with you. Just make your wish for me...and I will be there~" She gave a peace sign and-WAS THAT A HEART THAT JUST APPEARED?!

Before I could even figure out where to start questioning her, the magical girl ran away...leaving me confused as hell.

"Well...that was...certainly new."

And now I've had my fill of "weird" for the day. I'm gonna get groceries for dinner and then I am getting the fuck home. No more aimless walks for me.

And I thought the weirdness would end there.

A second later, my cellphone rang. I checked the caller ID:

Issei

I picked up the phone-

[-OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOU! SHIROU SHIROU! You'll never guess what just happened!]

I rolled my eyes. Knowing this idiot, it was probably something perverted.

"You got a girlfriend?"

[Yea-Wait! How'd you guess?!]

I shrugged. "I just said the most unbelievable thing that came to min-...you got a girlfriend?" I couldn't hide the shock in my voice. I mean, I figured Issei would get a girlfriend at some point...but I figured it would be far into the future with a girl who realized she had no options left and had to settle (No offense to Issei of course).

[Hell yeah! And you won't believe either! She asked ME out! Isn't that awesome?! I got a date on Sunday!]

I smirked. Time to screw with him.

"Oh yeah? I got a day on Sunday, too...with Yumi Kiba." Yeeeeeaaah. I just had to one-up him like that. A date with one of the most popular girls in school was a big thing.

.

.

.

I waited for an angry tongue-lashing or some kind of threat to beat me up, but instead I got-

[Congrats...I don't care cos-like I said-I GOT A GIRLFRIIIEEND!]

My eyes widened. "Oh shit! You were serious?! Way to go, bud!" I found myself grinning. I was still half-certain Ise was lying, but there would no way he could stay so calm unless he had something else to be happy about.

[Yeah. I'm still half-sure I'm dreaming right now! I really think that things are looking up for us, bro!]

"Yep."

[You gonna try asking Yumi-san to join your harem?]

I pondered that question...I still wasn't sure if she was interested in me or not.

"Don't know. I'll try measuring her feelings for me first and then go from there."

[Bitchin. I still hate you for being actually able to start building a harem, but I'm too happy to care right now!]

I chuckled. "Just be sure to NOT be yourself. Try to make yourself out to be something OTHER than a pervert, bud."

[Alright alright! I get it. I'll be a gentleman...and maybe get a reward afterward...hehehe...]

I sighed, perfectly imagining my perverted friend drooling with that goofy perverted grin of his.

"...Right." I said, not even wanting to correct my friend's behavior. With any luck, his new girlfriend was a girl who liked perverts. "Anyway, I gotta go grocery shopping, so we're gonna have to talk later."

[Right. Later, buddy.]

"Later, buddy."

We both hung up and I was left on my own.

Make that TWO of the strangest occurrences in my entire life.

Not wanting to make three, I went about on my errands and went home earlier than planned to make dinner for me and Mako-nee. God knows I'm not gonna give her the chance to cook again...

When I got home, I felt I should've shown the piece of paper that I got from the magical girl to Makoto, but her words rang through my head again:

"_When you are in your hour of greatest need, I'll appear by your side. Keep that with you. Just make your wish for me...and I will be there~"_

I don't know why...but I found myself believing her words...so I kept the paper hidden...

* * *

**[Later]**

Today was the day. Sunday.

My big date with Yumi.

I had the whole thing planned out, too. If Yumi wasn't already in love with me, she would certainly be in love with me by the time the date is over. Maybe then she would be willing to join my harem.

Ufufufufu...

Just to make sure I made a good impression as a potential boyfriend/harem king, I arrived at the location me and Yumi agreed to meet up at twenty minutes ahead of time.

I wondered how Issei's date was poor girl's probably in way over her head...unless Issei somehow managed to control his perversion...I blame that perverted old geezer for poisoning mine and Issei's minds. Personally, I'm more of an ass-man, so I think that's why I'm more capable at keeping my perversion in check...I wasn't as affected by the old man's perverted rant that he spoke to me and Issei.

"Hey, Shirou-kun!" A familiar and cheerful voice greeted. I turned and my jaw dropped when I saw my blonde-haired date.

Her hair was tied back into a long ponytail and she wore a red dress along with a white jacket that went rather well with her colors.

Beautiful. I mean...I never usually see Yumi outside of her school uniform, but...wow...

I was supposed to be the one trying to woo her, but she...wow...

"Gee, you're going to embarrass me if you keep staring like that, Shirou." Yumi had a small smile and an equally small blush on her face as she shuffled nervously.

I kept staring. "You look...wow..." Yeah, reeeeeaaaal smooth, Shirou.

Yumi didn't seem to mind my rather plain statement, even seeming happier because of it.

"I'm glad you like it. I've never actually been on a date before, so I was kind of nervous on what to wear." Yumi admitted, still blushing. "I had to ask Buchou for help deciding what to wear."

I frowned, raising an eyebrow. "'Buchou'?"

"Ah! Right! I mean Rias Gremory! She's the president of the Occult Research Club and our senpai!"

Oh yeah...Rias Gremory. One of the "Two Great Onee-samas" as I believe she and Akeno Himejima-senpai were called...Rias Gremory was the number one popular girl at Kuoh Academy.

"Well, she certainly has a taste in clothing if she can make you even hotter than you normally are."

I only half-meant to come of as flirtatious.

"Wow, you really know how to make a girl blush~" Yumi complimented. Despite her cheerful and somewhat joking tone, Yumi's blush deepened further and I noticed her hands were getting sweaty. She was nervous.

She really WAS new to dating.

Haha! Looks like I have an advantage!

I gave a thumbs up. "Alright then, Ms. Kiba, first stop on the first and best date of your life: Ice cream parlor! So leeeeeeeet's a goooo!" I gently grabbed my date's hand and led her forward.

Operation: Heart-Race is a go!...Shut up! I'd like to see you come up with a better name!

I led Yumi into the local ice cream parlor and guided her to her seat.

When the waitress came to us, I looked at Yumi. "What kind of ice cream do you want?"

Yumi blushed again out of embarrassment. "...Vanilla." She giggled to herself to alleviate some of her embarrassment. "I know it's a rather plain flavor, but it's always been my favorite..."

Oh that's so cuuuute~

I smiled gently. I then turned to the waitress. "Two vanilla ice creams please. On me." The waitress nodded before walking away.

Yumi shot me a grateful look, smiling.

While we waited for our ice cream to arrive, Yumi and I made small talk, talking about things like school, the weather, our friends (although I had much more to say about Issei due to his many antics), stuff like that.

I sometimes threw in a joke and got Yumi laughing her butt off...her gorgeous, round butt...

NO! No imagining the many beautiful curves of Yumi, Shirou!

Anyway, we continued our pleasant conversation even after our ice cream arrived.

Yumi had such a happy smile when she took that first bite (would it be considered 'biting' ice cream?), it made the plain vanilla taste so much sweeter.

We gradually finished our ice cream and I paid our bill. We left.

"Thank you very much, Shirou-kun." Yumi said, thanking me for the ice cream. "This is a lot more fun than I thought it'd be."

I rubbed the back of my neck, smiling. "Yeah, but it's not over yet!" When me and Yumi left the ice cream parlor, I held her hand again, blushing only slightly.

It was important to hold Yumi's hand to show that I was interested in her.

"We're gonna go to the shopping district next." I told Yumi.

She blinked. "Why?"

"To shop, of course." I replied. Really, I was going to let Yumi pick out anything she wanted and I'd buy it for her. "But quick warning: We might run into Issei there. So be prepared for that..."

"Hyoudou-san?" Yumi asked. "Why would he be there and why would it matter?"

I grinned, remember the unbelievable thing he told me before.

"You might not believe it, but Lil' Ise got himself a girlfriend! He told me he was going to be out on a date with her today." I warned Yumi. "So assuming it wasn't some cruel joke by that Yuuma-girl he told me about, we might bump into them...maybe. I just didn't want you to immediately panic and position your hands to protect your panties or bra from that pervert."

"Well, you say that as if HE was the pervert I had to be worried about right now." Yumi teased.

I gave her that one. I was a pervert, but I'm a ROMANTIC pervert.

"Well, at least you're a romantic pervert." Yumi added. Haha! Even if she called me a pervert, she called me romantic as well!

But I wasn't going to let her teasing go unpunished~

"Oh? A pervert, am I?" I said with a wounded look. "Then maybe THIS pervert won't buy you a present then."

"What?!" Yumi cried suddenly. "Awww, you're so mean, Shirou!" I stuck out my tongue at her as we continued to play around. "Pleeeeeaaaaaase~?" She wrapped her arms around my right arm, squeezing my arm inbetween the secret weapons all women possess:

Her breasts.

I felt my face going red.

Dammit! While I'm an ass-man, I'm far from immune to the power of those brilliant, bouncing globes of hers! Yumi was truly a force to be reckoned with!

We continued going back and forth in our attempts to "defeat" the other as we headed towards the shopping district, but we still had a good time.

We mostly window-shopped, but Yumi still had a beautiful smile on her face and her eyes became all sparkly when we passed by something she liked.

We passed by a clothing store where I watched Yumi in various outfits she liked. If someone said Yumi only looked good in one type of dress, they would be dead-wrong. No matter what kind of dress or clothing she wore, Yumi pulled it off and looked amazing doing it.

Yumi picked out the outfits she liked the most and I bought them for her using the allowance I got from Mako-nee and the money I made from the occasional part-time job.

I carried Yumi's bags as we continued just walking, chatting with one another.

Then I noticed Yumi stopping in front of a store that sold toys. Despite it being rather childish, Yumi had her eyes glued to an admittedly cute stuffed animal...thing...I don't think it was any kind of animal I've ever see...it kind of looked like that stuffed toy C.C. from Code Geass had. I think it was called Cheese-kun or something.

Yumi was so happy when I told her I'd buy it for her, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged me so tight that I thought my eyes would pop out of my head.

It was strange...I intended to woo Yumi and discern her feelings for me...but if anything, I think it went the other way. While I've had some interest in Yumi before, it felt much stronger than it had been before...I really liked hanging out with Yumi. It was an awesome feeling like when me and Ruruko went out on a date.

I carried all of the bags from Yumi's purchases while Yumi affectionately hugged her "Cheese-kun", a light blush and an adorably bright smile.

I found myself smiling again. Seeing a girl smile like that...that's what I desired for the girls who entered my harem. Even if I never got to touch their bodies, to see them smile like that would be worth it.

* * *

Time flew by as Yumi and I continued our date.

Before I knew it, several hours had passed and the sun was beginning to go down.

Yumi and I had stopped by McDonald's, buying both of a us a burger each with what remained of my pocket money.

"Hey, Yumi! Burger me!" I said, opening my mouth. Yumi raised one of the unwrapped burgers to my mouth and I took a bite before Yumi took her hand away again. Because I was carrying Yumi's bags, I didn't have any hands free to hold my burger, thus Yumi had to feed me.

All in all, I had a lot of fun just hanging out with her.

I got a few angry texts from Ruruko, swearing to punch me if I did ecchi things with Yumi before I did ecchi things with her. I also got numerous texts from Karlamine, asking where I was, how I was, what I was doing, almost like a stalker or possibly a yandere. But neh. If Karlamine was a yandere, either me or many of my friends would be dead by this point due to the numerous clear acts of perversion I committed by kissing Ruruko or ogling other girls.

I even got a text from Yura-san. It looked like she had been trying to delete it and pressed the Send button by mistake:

[I wanted to see-]

That was it. It ended abruptly like that.

While Yumi and I were wandering aimlessly, I took notice of a familiar, brown-haired hentai-idiot on a walk in the opposite direction of us. He was accompanied by an admittedly hot chick with long black hair and a rather gentle smile.

I was about to wave to Ise when I noticed Yumi had frozen next to me.

I followed her eyes and noted they were glued to Issei's apparent girlfriend, Yuuma...

"Er...It looks like it's Ise and his date, huh?" Was Yumi actually afraid of Issei doing something bad with that girl or...No...it was a strange look in Yumi's eyes. Alarm? Recognition? It could've been either.

"...I..." Yumi uttered after a few minutes of silence. "...I gotta go! I'll see you at school tomorrow!" Yumi quickly snatched her bags with lightning speed that shocked me before running off.

"Yumi!" I tried calling out.

Did...did she just DITCH ME?!

I was about to walk away when I saw Yumi quickly running back towards me, stopping right next to me.

"Thankyouforthedate! I had a very fun time!" She then quickly leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before running away again.

I...I'm not sure what to make of that...

I was about to follow after Yumi when-

"Yo! Shirou, how's it going?!" Ise called out to me, waving while grinning like the goofy idiot he is.

What a strange world it was...I got ditched by my date while Ise's date looks like she's having the time of her life...

WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS, GOOOOOD!?

I sighed. "Not good. Yumi ditched me. I don't know why...If we had been in a relationship, I'm pretty sure that would've been the part where I got dumped..." I admit, it did sting a little for Yumi to just ditch me like she did, but I wouldn't be to brokenhearted about it. She probably had something to do that she just remembered.

"Aw, poor guy." Yuuma said sympathetically.

"Geez...for you to get dumped is...HILARIOUS!" Ise burst out into laughter. "Finally! I get a win over the wannabe harem king!"

...Gloat all ya want Ise. You better remember this when I get you back. And my revenge is always paid in tenfold.

Yuuma pouted and poke Ise in the cheek. "Don't be so mean, Ise. Can't you see the guy's heart is broken?"

Heart? Broken? Not really. A little stung, but I'll get over it.

"B-But I-!" Ise looked lost for words. His first ever victory over me was ruined by his own girlfriend.

"I know! Why doesn't Shirou-san join us?!" Yuuma offered.

Ise shot a razor sharp glare at me, mad that I might interfere in possibly his only chance to score with a girl.

I shook my head. "U-Uh...w-well I'd really hate to impose-"

"It's no trouble." Yuuma assured me with a well-meaning smile. She turned to Ise, still smiling. "Right, Ise?"

Ise frowned, clearly realizing he had no choice but to say yes to avoid seeming like a jerk to his girlfriend.

"Y...Yeah. Fine. Come along if you want..." Now he sounded depressed.

I laughed awkwardly, feeling very uncomfortable. It was one thing to screw with Ise on a daily basis, but to interrupt his date like this made me feel kind of bad considering how excited he was for this date of his.

"W-Well, if you guys insist..." I had no choice either since outright rejecting the offer after Yuuma roped Ise into saying yes would offend her.

And so I joined the three on their walk, doing my best to remain several steps behind so Ise could at least PRETEND it was still just him and Yuuma. Out of sight, out of mind.

I don't know how much time had passed before we had reached the park with the large water fountain.

I sometimes visited this park when I wanted to clear my mind, so I had relatively fond memories of this place.

It was strange...Yuuma was a really nice girl. I liked her. She was a pleasant person and she was nice to Ise...

So why did I get such a bad feeling all of a sudden?

Yuuma let go of Ise's hands and walked over in front of the water fountain.

Yuuma's smile didn't waver, but something felt off. It was this weird feeling I had. It was the silence of the moment. Like the calm before the storm. The atmosphere somehow remained happy, but I felt certain something was different.

"Hey, Ise-kun." She said.

"What is it, Yuuma-chan?" Ise asked with a confused look on her face.

"There is something I want to do to celebrate our first date. Can you listen to my wish?"

Ise was blushing, looking as if he expected to be kissed. Hey, considering how much he and Yuuma got along, it wouldn't surprise me if the idiot actually did get a kiss...

Ise seemed to be getting more nervous, stuttering slightly when he spoke.

"W-What is the w-wish you want?"

It was then that I realized it...the coldness in Yuuma's smile.

Yuuma continued smiling as she brought her lips close to Ise's ear and whispered the words that changed ours life and sealed our fates.

"Will you die for me?"

The very air froze with those words.

No...something's very wrong here...

Reality still didn't seem to catch up with Ise. "Um, could you repeat that again, please? I think something's wrong with my ears."

"Will you die for me?"

What...What the fuck did she say?!

I got ready to fight her in case she pulled out a gun or knife or something, but instead, something else surprising appeared.

Wings. Black feathery wings appeared from Yuuma's back...like some kind of-

_-Fallen Angel._

I don't know why that was the name that appeared in my mind, but that would probably be the best way to describe Yuuma's current appearance...

Yuuma's eyes became much more harsh and cruel.

Her clothes seemed to vanish, being replaced with what appeared to be some sort of S&amp;M outfit with a cut off chain on her left arm. Her hair and eyes were the same color but they were a bit darker now.

"It was fun, the short time I spent with you. It was like playing house with a child."

I...I felt so angry...

"Bastard...BASTARD!" I felt so pissed! This bitch was saying such things to my brother! My best friend!

"Ah! The [White Knight of Kuoh], what a stupid nickname you bear." Yuuma said, rolling her tongue in disgust. "Really, I planned to save you for later, but when you appeared suddenly like you did, I thought it best to _kill_ two birds with one stone." Her smile became so much crueler. "Guess who the two birds are."

I gritted my teeth. "The only bird I see here is YOU, YOU UGLY CROOOOOOW!"

Yuuma's eye twitched. "What...What did you just call me?" I noticed an extra hint of malice in her voice. Good. Good. I'm getting her focused on me.

"I called you an "ugly crow", birdbraaaaaain! You slut! Ugly whore! Crow bitch!"

Yuuma's face become contorted first in anger, then unbelievable rage. All of it directed towards me.

Good.

I glanced back at Ise. "Ise...you have to run. Run somewhere safe."

Ise's eyes widened. "W-What?!"

"You have to leave me here and run! I'll slow her down!"

Ise looked like he was struggling to speak solely out shock. "N-No! I'm not leaving you here!"

"BAKA! I don't give a damn about my life! Just get out of here, DUMBASS!" I screamed at him.

Ise looked terrified, but to abandon me, who was his friend was not in his nature.

"Oh, how sweet." Yuuma said in a mocking voice. "Don't worry. I'll save you for after Ise-kun, Shirou." She materialized a strange spear...a spear of light...

She took aim at Ise and my body reacted on it's own.

I don't remember when or how long it took me to move...all I remember was the piercing pain that ripped through my torso. I coughed up blood from my mouth as I finally noticed the spear of light halfway through my chest, the horrified and shocked face of Ise behind me...

I felt so dizzy...I felt touched my chest, wincing in pain, before I raised my hand to my face...

Blood...crimson red...my blood...

I turned to Ise, blood dripping from my chin. "...dumbass...why...didn't you...run...?"

The world started spinning around me as lost my balance, falling backward. I expected to hit the ground real hard, but I was caught by someone. I looked up and saw tears dripping onto my face, courtesy of my perverted best friend...

"...You...shitty bastard!...why...why did you do that?! I never asked you to try to protect my pathetic life, bastard!"

I managed a weak grin. "Eh...I still owed you...from back then...I wasn't gonna die...with an unrepaid debt..." Oooh, talking hurt so much...the light spear had vanished, leaving a painful-looking, bloody hole in my chest. "You and Iri...back when we were little...you two...became my best friends...thanks to both of you...I was able to feel such amazing feelings...happiness...love... friendship...Without either of you...my life wouldn't have been worth living...you guys saved me after my parents died... so...Thank you...Ise..."

"DUMBASS!" Ise cried. "Stop giving a sappy final speech like you're gonna die or something! You're not gonna die! I'm not leaving you here either!"

"Shut up...you're a stubborn idiot...who's too loyal to his friends to protect his own ass...I guess it only makes sense...that we were friends..." The pain started becoming more intense. "...no...brothers...later, brother..."

Yeah. Me and Ise were as close as brothers...No. We WERE brothers...even if we had different parents, we were brothers through and through...

Ise's face faded from sorrow and contorted into rage. "I...I'm gonna take this bitch down! I'm not gonna let you die!"

"No...Ise..." I tried calling out to my idiot friend...but my voice was getting weaker... One way or another, I was going to die...the only question was: What would happen to Ise?

Ise's rage became directed towards Yuuma after she broke out into laughter.

"YOU BIIIIIITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOOOOU!"

You didn't have to be a fucking psychic to guess what happened next.

...Yuuma only need...one more spear...that's all it took to stab Issei Hyoudou through the torso like she did to me...

The dumbass...he fell right next to me...idiot...

I heard footsteps heading towards us...

"Sorry. You were a threat to us, so we decided to get rid of you early. If you want to hold a grudge, then hate the God who put the Sacred Gear inside you."

'Us?' I wondered...So there were more of them...Even if I had somehow escaped with Ise or beaten Yuuma...there were other people like her waiting to kill me...it's so fucking unfair...

I didn't bother to ask what this Sacred Gear thing was or who she was speaking to because...it wouldn't even matter in a few seconds...

I didn't hear her walk away...but I could tell Yuuma left...probably to go boast or whatever that she killed me so easily to her fellow black-winged friends...

"...Fuck..." I coughed out, spitting up more blood...Really though, it was a miracle I was still alive.

"...I...I'm sorry...we got killed...cos of me..." Ise wheezed out, the life slowly flowing out of him.

I coughed a few times, trying to laugh...in spite of our situation. "No worries...Sorry your girlfriend...was a total bitch..."

"...me too..." Ise agreed. "...I just wish...she would've let me...grope those awesome jugs of hers..."

I didn't have anymore energy to laugh...and attempting to do so would've hurt further...

"...only you...would think of something like that...when we're dying..." My brother...was so perverted...

.

.

.

"...do you think...God would mind...if I groped an Angel's oppai...?"

Blood exploded from my mouth...Dammit, Ise...you had to say something...so hilarious...

"Ha...sorry...but you know...we're not going to Heaven...two ecchi guys like us...we're guilty of the sin of lust..."

"...Purgatory then...?"

"...probably..." I said, darkness starting to cover my eyes. "OK then...you can grope...oppai of Purgatory girls...better...?"

"...Yeah...and I can't go to Hell...cos I'm already in Purgatory...that's..."

Ise's voice trailed off...I couldn't hear him breathing anymore...

...well...my best friend/brother died right next to me...fuck...

I looked up towards the sky which continuously became darker...

...God did this to us...?...I thought he loved us...why would God do this...if he loved us...?

I...I admit I was never an avid believer...but to let us experience something so cruel...is it because I didn't pray...?

...OK then...

God...if you listen...to anything I ever say...let it be this...

Dear Lord...please save my brother...I don't care...if my own life is payment...please save Ise's life...

...Mako-nee...Ruruko ...Karly... Yumi...the names of the people who would cry for me...the only people other than Ise who would truly miss me if I died...to other girls, I was simply a good-looking piece of candy...fuck...I don't remember if that was the expression...

My mine wandered to that paper that magical girl gave me...

Meh...even if that occult bullshit was rea-...Ok...maybe it's believable by this point...considering my current situation...I doubt...that my life will saved...so easily...even if it was...I would rather that Ise was saved...

_'Please promise me...promise you'll become stronger'_

_'Of course...I-I'll definitely become stronger! Strong enough to slay even a god!'_

Ha...that's right...I promised to get stronger...sorry, Iri...damn...why can't I just die already...?..why must I think of so many sad things...?

"So you were the one who called me..." Huh...a voice...

I noticed red hair...

...the hell is going on...?

"How unfortunate.." The voice noted. "To end up in such a way...how troublesome. Then maybe I will..."

"Ah~! I knew we'd meet again~!" A cheerful voice shouted. "...but for you to be in such a state...I'm sorry..." The voice sounded genuinely remorseful.

The first voice sounded startled. "W-What...W-What are you doing here?!"

"Sorry, Ria-tan~! But this one over here belongs to me~!" The second, cuter voice spoke as if she had the final say in the matter. "I'm here to pick up the life he lost..."

"Y-You're going to-!?"

"I am...His life is mine now." That sounded weird...not necessarily cruel or menacing...just weird. "He is under my protection."

...kind of late to protect a dead man...

Even with my vision quickly darkening and fading away...I could make out a face...it was cute...

The really cute face of a girl...

With my body quickly shutting down...I managed to utter one final word...

"...Angel...?"

The girl giggled. "No, sorry~"

She seemed genuinely amused by my question.

"I'm a Devil, silly!" ...What? "But don't worry because, from now on, I'll definitely keep you safe~! You'll have to live for me from now on!"

...I caught a glimpse of her beautiful, black hair...

Then everything when dark...

**HAPPY GOBBLE GOBBLE DAAAAAAY! YES! I DID IT! I wanted to get this done by Thanksgiving and I DID! Haha! Consider this a present!**

**What did you all think?! Better or worse than the original?**

**I would've gotten this done sooner like a couple days ago, but I watched the saddest video ever, started crying, and just lost the ability to focus on writing...I got depressed every time I thought about it...Let me know if you wanna know what video that was. If you DO wanna know, then I'll warn you: bring tissues with you when you watch it because you. WILL. Cry.**

**Anyway, I also need help deciding Issei and Shirou's respective harems because I am HORRIBLY indecisive! So please help me! Here are the harems planned thus far:**

**Issei: (Alpha) Rias (WIP)**

**Shirou: (Alpha) Serafall, Ruruko, Yumi (FemKiba), Karlamine (WIP)**

**Next time, on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan:**

Shirou: Have...Have we met before? You look familiar.

Serafall: Like I said, your questions will have to wait for Sona-chan to answer them!

Sona: Fujimura-san? YOU are Onee-sama's new servant?

Rias: Thank you. Now then, let me officially welcome you once more to the world...as a Devil.

**Next Time: Reincarnation!**

**Anyway, thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	2. Life 1: Reincarnation

**Wow! A lot of happy reviews with that last chapter! Good to know I'm on the right track~**

**I'm still accepting suggestions for Issei and Shirou's respective harems!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING. **

**Life 1: Reincarnation**

"OH MY GOD, I'M DEAD!" I shot upright, my eyes wide open. "GAK!" I clutched the sides of my head as a sudden, sharp pain ripped through my skull. "Wha-?"

It took me me a few seconds to realize I was in a bedroom...Wait...

This was the guest room I usually slept in when I slept over at Ise's house!

...How'd I get here?

I noted that my heart was still beating so fast and hard enough that it felt like it could burst out of my chest at any second.

WAIT! My chest!

I quickly started feeling all around my torso, remembering the pain I experienced as a spear of light tore through it. I blinked several times, realizing I felt no mark upon my clearly health body. No holes, bleeding or otherwise. If anything, that was more unsettling.

Yuuma...being stabbed through the chest...was it all a dream...?

If so...there's still one question that remains unanswered...

It was something I only noticed after I felt a cold breeze...

WHY THE HELL AM I NAKED?!

Not naked as in I was wearing nothing but underwear. I mean NAKED naked. I wasn't even wearing underwear for some reason! There was no way I would come home tired enough to somehow accidentally take off all of my clothes and go to bed and I CERTAINLY don't sleep in the buff...

I crossed my arms, closing my eyes as I tried to recollect everything I did yesterday.

Let's see...I remember...going on my date with Yumi...we...we had a lot of fun...but then she left, acting weird after seeing Yuuma...

Nope. No matter how many times I played yesterday through my mind, I always only remembered it ending with being stabbed through the chest...

"But...that had to be a dream...right...?" I scratched my head, sighing. "Dammit...just what the Hell happened...?"

"Unn...mmm..." I heard the sound of a sweet sounding voice next to me. I froze before turning slowly to my right to see what caused the noise.

Laying next to me on her stomach was a cute girl with beautiful, long, black hair...

A NAKED, cute girl with beautiful, long, black hair...

Naked...like I am...me with no memories...

Oh...shit. What did I do?! WHAT DID I DOOOO!? JUST WHAT THE HELL DID I DO YESTERDAY!?

...Hehe...this is all just a dream...just some crazy dream that just happened to cover most of what I did yesterday...T-There's no way I would take some random girl into my bed...I don't do drugs and...I...I have rules, dammit...I-I'm a TRUE harem king...I wouldn't do something so random...hehe...

I breathed in, then out. "OK, Shirou. This is all just some crazy dream. You're gonna slap yourself and wake up, realizing you don't have some strange girl in your bed."

SLAP SLAP

I slapped myself across the face and back-handed myself just to make sure.

My stinging face told me I was indeed awake...Ow...

So I'm not dreaming...so who the Hell's this girl?!

I swallowed, my face turning a slight pink as I placed a hand on the girl's shoulder, gently rolling her over with shaking hands so I could see her entire face.

I felt blood dripping from my nose as I was given full sight of her entire naked body...all of the private parts...the most private parts...her oppai...so vulnerable right now...

SLAP SLAP

I slapped myself across the face again.

BAD SHIROU! You know the rules! No groping girls you don't know and no groping girls you don't have a clear romantic interest in! This girl is both! Bad! Bad Shirou!

I covered my face with both hands and let out a muffled scream of frustration.

It was so tempting! It was different from when I was tempted to do ecchi things with Ruruko or Yumi! This was an ABSOLUTELY NAKED GIRL! ASLEEP! -But! I'm not like that!

I inhaled and exhaled several times, trying to calm myself. I wiped the blood from my nose and tried to think.

"OK, Shirou...keep calm." I said to myself. "For all you know, NOTHING happened. Maybe you both just happened to sleep in the same bed...together...naked..."

I was in deep denial. VERY deep denial

….The only way to know what the Hell happened would be to ask the girl...

Come to think of it, she kind of looked familiar, but I could place the face to a name...

As gently as I could, I shook the girl.

"Um...time to get up, miss...?" I kept shaking her. "...Hello...?"

"...Nnnnnn..." She whined, rolling over, facing away from me.

I blinked. "Hellooooo?" I started shaking her again, a bit more roughly. "Time to get up."

"NNNNnnnnnn!" The girl once again ignored me and yanked the blankets over her head.

My eye twitched. She was cute yet annoying at the same time.

"Hey now! Time to get out of bed and give me some answers!" I said a bit more forcefully.

"Don't wannaaaa..." She whined.

HA! So she IS awake! I pulled away the part of the blanket covering her face started shaking her even more forcefully now that I knew she was awake.

"Come ooooon! Get up!"

"Nooooooooo," She whined like a baby, smacking my hands away. "I don't wanna get uuuuup!"

"..." I considered just lifting her up and shaking her like a rag doll, but then I thought "Maybe I'm going about this the wrong way..."

I sighed, taking a deep breath. "...PLEEEEAAASE get up? Please?"

There was another groan of annoyance yet approval at the same time, but the girl finally sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes as the blanket she had been covered in fell down around her, once again exposing her wonderful oppai.

I once again felt blood flowing freely from my nose.

The girl stretched her arms, yawning in a very cute way before opening her eyes finally, staring directly into my own eyes.

Her eyes were violet...violet...

I quickly plugged my bleeding nose with tissues before I blinked, frowning.

"Have...Have we met before? You look familiar."

The girl smiled brightly. "Yep~! It's good to see you again!" Then she pouted. "Wait! We met only a few days ago and you've already forgotten me!?" She whined, a somewhat cute, hurt expression on her face. "You're mean!"

I sweatdropped, wonder what this girl was talking about. "Er...I'm sorry?" Then a thought occurred to me. "So...who are you?"

The girl pouted, closing her eyes with an annoyed expression on her face.. Geez, no matter what expression this girl wore, she was incredibly cute.

...wait a minute...

Before the girl could react, I reached out and grabbed all of the hair running down her back in both of my hands (refraining from yanking it so I didn't hurt the girl), raising my hands up so it looked as if the two girls had twin ponytails.

My eyes widened, my shock causing me to release her hair. "You're that cosplaying Magical Girl from before!"

An elated expression crossed the girl's face, her excitement causing her to grasp both of my hands in her own.

"Ah! So you DO remember me!" She wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a hug.

It felt like the blood building up behind the tissue plugging my nose was about to explode like a geyser.

It...It was far more extreme than the previous hug this girl gave me. I...I could feel her incredibly soft skin pressing against mine, the softness of her breasts...

"OK!" I squeaked out, my self-control weakening more and more the longer we held this position.

I coughed several times, trying to clear my throat and get my voice back down to its normal pitch.

"C-Can you answer a few questions and do something for me?"

"Sure~! No problem~!" She answered in a rather upbeat and natural tone despite the fact we were both naked and she and I were naked.

I swallowed. "First off..." I sighed. "...please put some clothes on...for the love of G-MMPH!"

The girl, with surprising reflexes, lunged forward and clamped her hand over my mouth, an alarmed expression on her face.

"Sorry, but I doubt you'll like it if you say "that guy's" name." The girl warned.

I raised an eyebrow, grabbing her hand and removing it from my mouth.

"What? You mean "God"-GAK!" I fell backward, clutching my head as an incredibly sharp pain ripped through my skull again, as if someone was driving a huge nail through the center of my brain.

"I warned you." The girl noted in a flat tone...almost sadness or pity in her voice.

I rubbed my temples, trying to calm my aches as I also tried remembering what I was saying.

I blinked a few times as I sat up before I opened my mouth to try talking again.

"First off...OW!" It was the first and most obvious thing on my mind. "Second...damn...what was I asking before...?" That sharp pain kind of messed up my train of thought. I shook my head. "Whatever. I still have a few questions I want to ask you!"

"Like I said before! Ask away~!"

"A-Anyway, I'm gonna just come out with it! Why are we naked? How did we get here-more importantly, how did YOU get in here? What's going on? And who are you?" Wait. "…Please answer that last one first." I added after a short pause.

"Right! Introductions first!" The beautiful girl gave me a peace sign. "The name's Serafall Leviathan and I'm one of the Yondai-Maou~! I'm also a Devil~!" To make the gesture even cuter, Serafall winked at me. "But you can just call me Sera-tan! I prefer most people to call me Levia-tan, but my most adorable servant can call me Sera-tan~!"

OK...I got one answer, but now I have SOOO many more questions.

Leviathan? Maou? DEVIL!? And why does my head hurt every time I say "God"-GAK!

WHAT?! I can't think it either?! What the fuck is going oooon!?

"My name's Shirou. Shirou Fujimura." I replied, introducing myself as well. "OK then, Serafall-"

Serafall-san held up one finger to make me pause. "-'Sera-tan'." She corrected with a somewhat serious expression (by her standards anyway).

"SERA-TAN," I started again, getting a cute, approving smile from SERA-TAN,

"Good boy!" She patted me on the head, leaving me feeling embarrassed yet oddly happy.

Then I realized what was going on. I felt my face heat up red. "I-I'm not a dog!" I let out in embarrassment, smacking her hand away. "Now...JUST WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?"

Sera-tan covered her ears due to the sheer volume of my voice. I COULD have said that a bit more quietly, but I was not really getting enough answers to match my questions.

She waved one hand to silence me. "First off, loud! Very loud!" After a few seconds, she nodded. "Yes, I guess it would be normal to be all disoriented considering you got killed dead yesterday!"

I wasn't sure what to be more bothered by. The fact she just said I got KILLED yesterday or the fact she said it as "you got killed dead". Who says it like that?

Wait...what?

"Hahaha..." I let out a small and awkward chuckle. "I'm sorry. But could you repeat that? I think I misheard you."

"Oh!" Sera-tan noted. "You didn't make a mistake. You really DID die yesterday, Shi-tan. I'm sure you would know that NOBODY can survive a huge spear to the chest."

I swallowed, subconsciously feeling my chest, remembering the feeling of Yuuma stabbing me through the...I don't know. I didn't really focus on what organ was pierced because I was a little too busy BLEEDING OUT!

Then a thought just occurred to me.

...Did she just call me "Shi-tan"?

"Yes. You and your friend got killed by the Fallen Angel." Sera-tan repeated, but then she started smiling. "But it's all okay since I brought you back as my servant Devil!"

There she goes again! What's all this "Devil" nonsense?

No-More importantly-!

"How's Ise?!" I'd completely forgotten about my best friend throughout all of this exchange! If Sera-tan was serious and we were both killed by Yuuma, then-

"He's okay too." Sera-tan assure me with that cute smile.

Damn! It was hard to think of the situation as serious when she smiles like that!

"What do you mean 'he's okay too'?" My head really was a mess. Nothing Sera-tan's saying makes any sense. So she's saying Issei and I got killed by a "Fallen Angel" and she somehow saved us...? No part of that makes sense.

Sera-tan waved off my concerns. "I mean, don't worry! Rias-chan turned him into her servant like I did for you!"

Rias-chan...Like...Rias Gremory?! The person Yumi calls "Buchou"?!

"There goes that word again, 'servant'!" I pointed out, somewhat tired by not getting a REAL explanation. "Are you and Rias-senpai in league with Yuuma in some kind of crazy S&amp;M ring?"

Sera-tan tapped her chin pensively. "Well, I'm not into that kind of thing personally, but to explain the full situation would take too much time. I'll just let my bestest little Sona-chan explain when we get to your school~! All you need to know for right now is that you and your friend are both alive, your friend being in the next room with Rias-chan~!" She winked cutely again.

There goes that floating cartoon heart again! Where do those keep coming from?!

I blinked. "Sona...? You mean...like Souna Shitori? Shitori-senpai?!" Sera-tan nodded.

"Yeah, but her real name is Sona Sitri, heiress of the Sitri clan! My precious So-tan~!"

I didn't even know that senpai HAD a sister...or that she called Senpai "So-tan~"...I'll keep that on file. Maybe I can use that information to tease Senpai into wearing something other than that strict expression on her face...Gufufufufu...

Wait...SERAFALL is the older one?

I mentally compared the two...the shorter, more childish magical girl cosplayer before me...and then there's Shitori-or rather-Sitri-senpai (whatever her name is. I'm still not following this), the seriously strict Student Council President who most likely lacks any kind of sense of humor...

I shook my head at the thought.

No. No matter how you look at it, Serafall has to be the younger one.

I opened my mouth to say something else, but Sera-tan reached out and pinched my lips together, keeping me from being able to speak properly.

Sera-tan gave an adorable scolding look, like a child pouting at an adult when they forgot something they wanted.

"Like I said, your questions will have to wait for Sona-chan to answer them!" Then her previous smile returned. "So let's dressed for right now!"

I felt my face flush once again at the fact both she and I were stark naked.

Damn! It's one thing for me to be flirtatious with a girl, but to be in a room with one with both of us nude was quite another!

I quickly got out of my bed and grabbed some clothes from the closet (like I said, I slept over here sometimes. This room became a second bedroom for me so of course I would keep some clothes in here). I then started getting dressed, turning away from Sera-tan to at least give her SOME semblance of privacy while she got dressed. Why? I don't know. As of now, there's no part of her I haven't seen...

Maybe it was more for my sake so I didn't end up killing myself via bloodloss due to nosebleeds caused by Sera-tan's naked body...Her soft...naked...body...

Yeah. That image will definitely be saved to my brain...

I kept my back turned to Sera-tan after I finished dressing as she kept dressing herself.

After several minutes-

"You can turn around now, Shi-tan!" There she goes again, calling me "Shi-tan"...it's not necessarily BAD, but it still feels weird for a complete stranger to call me by that so affectionately.

I swallowed before turning around hesitantly...

I turned around slowly...to see Sera-tan once again dressed as a beautiful magical girl.

Wow...Just wow...I mean...I didn't really get a good look at her before when we first met, but...in her cute outfit, she looks so...wow...She's a magical girl and she looks so amazing at the same time! She even had the cute staff too!

Shit! I'm blushing again!

I looked down, trying to hide my embarrassment.

"Awww~! Shi-tan's shy blushing is so cuuuute~!" Sera-tan said. "Come! Give your most amazing [King] a hug~!"

I was surprised by this girl's speed when she suddenly tackled me backward onto the ground, almost crushing my spine and rib cage in her powerful bear hug. It was only made confusing by the fact that her breasts were firmly pressed against my own chest, making it hard to tell whether the hug was AWESOME!

"Sera-tan..." I squeaked out. "...not that I don't appreciate the awesome feel of your oppai, but how am I going to explain a hot magical girl appearing in my room over here...?"

Sera-tan then released me and thought about my question.

No matter how you looked at it, it would be easy for me to explain away my sudden presence with an excuse like I came here late with Ise, but Sera-tan's a different story. I couldn't say she's my girlfriend because-as far as Oka-san and Otou-san know-Ruruko is my girlfriend. I can't say she's just a friend because we slept in the same bed together! If I just say she's a complete stranger who I just met, then it will lead to a whole lot of embarrassing and difficult-to-explain misunderstandings!

"Ooh! Ooh! Shi-tan! Over here! I have an idea!" I turned to Sera-tan who was jumping up and down, waving her hands excitedly like a teacher-pet kind of student who knew the answer to a question and wanted to show off.

She was bouncing upward, brimming with energy...

It was cute...If Ruruko did stuff like this, I would probably die from the cuteness...FOCUS, SHIROU!

"OK, Sera-tan," I said, realizing I had nothing else, "What's your idea?"

Sera-tan smiled brightly. "You'll see in just a second~!"

She then turned around and moved over to the open window...then she jumped.

Ah yes, because the best of plans always start with jumping out a windoooooooo-oh crap.

We're on the second floor...aren't we?

"Serafall!" I quickly rushed over to the window to peer at the ground below to see how badly Sera-tan was injured, but was surprised to see there was no magical girl with broken limbs. Instead, I found the strange girl who I woke up in bed with waving to me excitedly from the street in front of the house.

Wow, she's agile. Maybe she's some kind of acrobat or something...it would be a possible explanation with how she got into my room if she went through my window...but then...how did I get in?

Nope. Still lost.

Then I heard screaming from the hallway outside my door. It was Oka-san!

I burst out the door to see Oka-san passing by, her hands covering her eyes and a flustered look on her face.

"What's wrong, Oka-san?" The mother of my brother-like best friend seemed surprised by my appearance, but seemed to quickly adapt. No doubt she already thought up somekind of explanation like Ise let me in last night to sleep over.

Oka-san seemed to be having trouble speaking words, but she eventually managed to remember how to talk.

"Seeeeeeee-sexxxxxxxxxx! Ise did-! With a foreigner-!" She then rushed downstairs.

Ah. I guess Ise got the same morning I've had thus far. Only difference: He was slower to react.

Ha! Once again, I beat that ero-idiot at something...Hehehe.

I could hear Oka-san freaking out downstairs from the hallway. She was really getting worked up about this, wasn't she?

I made my way downstairs since I had nothing else to do really.

Oka-san and Otou-san went back and forth on the topic-

DING DONG

The doorbell rang.

"Who could that be?" I asked as if I didn't already have a fairly good idea. I was about to go answer the door, but Oka-san was much faster than I was.

Still flustered, she opened the door to reveal a cute magical cosplayer in front of her.

"Hiya! Is Shi-tan here?"

Oka-san blinked, confused by Sera-tan's greeting. "Umm..."

I sighed. At least call me by my name when you appear so suddenly before Oka-san, Serafall...

"She means me, Oka-san." I spoke up, moving towards the front door.

Oka-san, surprised, looked at me and then Serafall. Then me. Then Serafall.

"Um...Shirou-kun...who is this girl?" Oka-san finally asked.

"..." I stared. I had no idea how to answer that. I just stared blankly at Oka-san. I tried opening my mouth several times to try saying something, but closed it quickly afterward.

Things got awkward real quick.

I turned to the girl dressed like a magical girl. "Serafall, you wanna try saying something here?"

"I'm Shi-tan's girlfriend~!" Sera-tan said with an odd, sparkly background behind her.

I face-palmed.

Oka-san frowned. "...I thought you said that Nimura-san was your girlfriend, Shirou-kun?"

She was giving me a strong look of disapproval that made me feel all bad inside. Even though Ruruko is a willing member of my harem, Oka-san's look made me feel bad as if I HAD cheated on Ruruko as she thought and had clearly implied. Unlike with Issei, I still felt powerless before Oka-san's disapproving looks.

I swallowed. "Don't take Serafall's jokes seriously. She's barely an acquaintance of mine. I don't know her." It was the truth. This girl's lies will probably only make the situation worse so I might as well try sticking to the truth as much as possible.

Sera-tan pouted. "You're mean, Shi-tan! I even made you my adorable servant! After we shared the same bed and held each other so passionately!" Sera-tan hugged herself and seemed to be bouncing about, her oppai swinging and clearly not restrained by any kind of bra...she was not wearing any kind of bra or she wore one that did not fit her.

I felt my face flush a deep shade of red at how misleading Sera-tan's words were while they were technically true.

"Shirou-kun..." Oka-san started. "...Just what does this girl mean by this...? What she mean that you're her 'servant'?" That's what I'd like to know!

Auuuuu! I feel her disapproving look again! It buuuuuuurns!

I started sweating, panicking due to how quickly this situation was spiraling out of control.

Quick, Shirou! Improvise!

"U-Um! I-It's a...a...a game we've created, hahahaha!" I ended up laughing.

"'Game'?" Oka-san questioned, clearly suspicious.

I quickly ran over to Sera-tan and wrapped my arm around her shoulder, holding her in a sort-of half hug.

"T-That's right! It's the-uh...the...uh-The 'Master-Servant Game'!" It was the perfect name for this fake game! "Y-Yeah! Serafall is a friend from school and it's an ongoing game we have going, yeah! She's my "master" and I'm her "servant", her being able to give me orders like carry her stuff around and stuff like that as a sort of joke, hehehehe!" I grinned nervously, still sweating bullets. "Ain't that right, Sera-tan?"

Sera-tan paused, thinking. Then she smiled, nodding. "Yep~! Shi-tan is my most adorable servant!"

Oh thank G-goodness! For a second, I thought she was going to hold that thing about me not knowing her against me even thought it's technically true.

Oka-san considered this. "A game...?"

She sounded like she was starting to be convinced.

I felt myself able to breathe normally now.

"Wait, I thought you said you barely knew Serafall-san..." Oka-san pointed out.

I stared at her. "..."

.

.

.

Shit. I didn't think she'd pick up on that.

Oka-san's suspicious look returned once more, her eyes boring into my very being.

Damn! Damn! Shirou! Improvise again!

It was my luck that I observed Ise walking down the stairs at that moment with an only SLIGHTLY familiar crimson-haired girl (whom I assumed to be the "Rias" mentioned by Yumi and Serafall).

I quickly pointed over Oka-san's shoulder. "Hey, is that Ise doing ecchi things with some red-haired girl!?"

Oka-san's eyes lit up with surprise and the anger that she suddenly remembered. She turned around, shooting Ise with a VERY disapproving look.

Rias-senpai also looked surprised when she took notice of Sera-tan who merely waved in greeting.

"Dammit! Not again, Ise!"

With Oka-san distracted for the moment, I grabbed Sera-tan and did the only natural thing:

"RUN!" I threw Sera-tan over my shoulder and burst out the door, Sera-tan kind of killing the moment a little by screaming "Wheeeeeeeeeee~!" joyfully as if she were riding some kind of exciting amusement park ride.

Well, I DID seem to be moving just as fast as one...

Until a huge wave of fatigue overcame me about a block away from the house, causing me to drop Serafall and fall face-first onto the ground.

Gah! Why do I suddenly feel so tired all of a sudden...?

Why is the sun making me feel so weak...?

Why do I feel like extinguishing that horrible, horrible sun?! Go away, sun!

I couldn't help but groan. "Why-?"

"-do you suddenly hate the sun so much?" Sera-tan finished my question preemptively. She was back on her feet and surprisingly not bitter about the fact I dropped her. Jeez, what's with me today? First I get so flustered when I woke up and now I can't even keep up my usual energy...

She walked over to me and held out a hand to help me up. I gratefully took it and she helped me back to my feet, me stumbling first before I regained my balance.

"It's because you're still a new born." Eh? "Like I said, everything will be explained by Sona-chan, but to sum it up: You'll get used to it. Your body just has to build up an immunity to it. It will take a couple days at least."

Ah. Good to hear that this condition, whatever it is, is only temporary.

"Don't worry~! I'll support you all the way!" Sera-tan then clung to my arm, squeezing it in-between her large oppai. With her other hand, she pointed forward. "To Kuoh Academy!"

I shot Sera-tan a tired look. "It's early. I doubt some people have even woke up yet. You really expect me to go to school early when I can go home and get my school sup-"

RIIIIIIIIIIING

My cellphone. I flipped it open and picked up the call.

"Hel-"

[YOU ARE SO FUCKING DEAD WHEN YOU GET HOME, YOU IDIOT!] The sudden loudness of Makoto's voice caused me to pull my ear away from the speaker to avoid going deaf. [WHERE DO YOU GET THE NERVE, WORRYING ME LIKE THAT!? NOT RETURNING HOME AND STAYING OUT LATE AND THEN OVER AT A FRIEND'S HOUSE ON A SCHOOL NIGHT!? WHEN YOU GET HOME, YOUR ASS IS SOOOOO KICKED AND-]

Click.

I flipped the phone closed and looked at Sera-tan who was still smiling brightly.

"What are you waiting for? Let's get going to school!" I managed a weak smile.

RIIIIIIIIING

I picked up the phone again. "Hello?"

[BITCH, did you just hang up on me?!]

I felt a faint smirk appear on my face. "Yes. In fact, it was so fun, I think I'll do it again-WAPAH!" I flipped the phone closed, ending the call once more.

I sighed. This won't be the end of it. I just know it.

"Heehee~! You're funny, Shi-tan!" Sera-tan seemed amused by my small exchange with my Onee-sama.

"YOU are the funny one, Serafall." I poked her in the forehead lightly, a small smile appearing on my face.

No matter what I do, I can't stay angry, suspicious, or uneasy around this girl. She was just lighthearted that she destroyed any serious atmosphere. Whether that's a good or bad thing remained to be seen.

"Aw~! You're so nice, Shi-tan!" Sera-tan complimented me, tightening her arms around mine, causing me to blush slightly as my arm was held tighter in-between her breasts. Then she pouted. "Even if you were mean to me back when you said you barely knew me."

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Well...it's technically true. We've only met two times and this is the first time we've had a discussion longer than a few minutes. We don't really know one another. All I know is what you've told me that I was somehow killed and that you brought me back as your servant. I still don't even understand THAT."

Sera-tan considered this, a cute thinking expression appearing on her face. Apparently just about every expression looked kind of adorably silly or child-like on her face.

Yet again, she was smiling. Apparently smiling was her favorite of her expressions...I know it was mine.

"OK then! After Sona-chan's finished filling you in on all you need to know, I'll definitely be sure to spoil my adorable servant lots and lots!" Sera-tan proclaimed cheerfully. "We'll definitely spend lots of time together!"

...what does she mean she intends to "spoil" me?

"Oh look! We're here!" Sera-tan pointed in front of us, causing me to finally notice that we had finally arrived at the school gates.

I looked around, noting that the number of people around was rather scarce. It was kind of expected since it was early and people were just now starting to arrive...

"This is good. Now, if we can just get to the Student Council room without being detected, I-"

"RURU-KICK!"

I was interrupted as a sudden, powerful kick made contact with the right side of my face, knocking me away from Sera-tan's grasp and sending me flying several feet away.

"Hand's off my man! Take that, you damn succu-" The voice of Ruruko (for who else could kick that hard?) started, the girl herself appearing in front of the gate. She then realized it was me who was rubbing my bruised cheek. "Oh Hell! Sorry, Shirou-senpai! I was aiming for that big-busted, cosplaying bimbo next to you!"

I felt my sweatdrop as I managed to push myself back up to me feet. "Erm...why?"

Ruruko puffed up her cheeks out of annoyance. "Cos it's not fair!" She jammed her finger in my direction. "You promised you would only recruit girls you knew and shared a mutual current romantic with!"

I coughed into my fist. "W-Well, it's not really like that. She's not-"

Sera-tan appeared by my side, a cute, worried expression on her face. "Are you okay, Shi-tan?"

She once again wrapped her arms around my arm and once again squeezed it between her wonderful, wonderful oppai.

"Auuuu! Who is that girl anyway?! And why is she calling you "Shi-tan"?!" Ruruko demanded, tears forming in the corners of her eyes mixed with the envious expression on her face.

I rubbed the back of my neck, sighing. "Those are answers I'd like to know myself. All I know is that she's kind of weird, talking about stuff like Fallen Angels, saying I was actually killed yesterday, and that she made me her servant or something. The only thing I COULD be sure of is that her name is Serafall Leviathan as she says."

"Yeah, well-!" Ruruko froze as she processed what I said. All of the color gradually drained from her face, turning a ghostly pale shade. "W...W-What did you say her name was...?" I couldn't help but notice that the pitch of Ruruko's voice rose several pitches, becoming high and rather squeaky.

I raised an eyebrow, realizing that Ruruko was acting kind of weird. "...you okay?"

"I believe she's fine, Shirou-san." I looked behind Ruruko to see a familiar, blue-haired girl with a bishounen-like face. "She's just surprised that YOU are the guest that Kaichou has been expecting Leviathan-sama to bring."

"Guest? You mean Shitori-senpai's been expecting us?" It didn't slip my notice that she addressed Sera-tan not only by her surname but also with the "-sama" honorific.

Yura-san nodded. "Yes. She requested that Ruruko and I came here to meet you at the gate since we arrived before the others."

"Others"? I assumed she meant the other members of the Student Council since it was still early enough for even THEM to not be here yet.

"I apologize." Yura-san said out of the blue, bowing her head to me.

"For what?" I asked. "For tying up Karlamine for reasons I still don't get?"

Yura-san let an awkward smile. "While I admit I may have gone overboard in trying to achieve my "objective", it was necessary. What I was apologizing for was the unfortunate circumstance that required you to be reincarnated."

I cocked my head sideways. "Eh?" 'Reincarnated'?

Then I felt someone shove me forward. "Come on, Shi-tan! So-tan's waiting for us!"

Yura-san nodded at Sera-tan's words. "Ah, she's right. Kaichou is waiting for both of you in the Student Council meeting room, Leviathan-sama." She bowed respectfully towards Sera-tan. "Please allow us to escort you."

What's with all of the respect towards Sera-tan? Is she some kind of famous person or something? If so, I've never heard of her before this point.

While Ruruko was still in a daze, she and Yura-san escorted both Serafall and I to the Student Council room. Although, I could swear Ruruko was shooting Serafall a fearful look, like the cosplayer might at any moment choose to obliterate her very existence for her previous insult.

We passed into an awkward silence with me feeling uncomfortable (or rather, TOO COMFORTABLE really) with Sera-tan holding my arm between her bust, Ruruko being a pale-white color, and Yura-san with a rather calm expression. But I sensed a strange tension around her.

The only person who seemed unfazed by the situation was Sera-tan with her joyful smile, humming to herself.

We passed by one or two students and teachers walking past us who shot us a strange look (for no doubt were we a strange group), but continued walking.

Some of them seemed kind of uneasy around Sera-tan, almost afraid of her. They must've known who she was too.

After a good ten minutes, we stopped at one door, Yura-san and Ruruko stepping next to either side of the door to allow both Sera-tan and I passage into the room that clearly belonged to the Student Council.

Uncertain what else to do, I reached my fist forward to knock on the door, beating it once, twice, then three times.

After a brief silence, I heard a voice answer. Shitori-senpai's voice.

"Come in."

Accepting the invitation, I opened the door to see Souna Shitori (or Sona Sitri as Sera-tan called her before) standing at the other end of the room, staring at the entrance expectantly.

I was about to speak when-

"So-taaaaaaaaaaaaan~!" Sera-tan lunged forward through the door, dragging me, whose arm she was still holding onto, with her.

"Waaah?!" I couldn't form any proper words due to my surprise by how quickly Sera-tan moved.

I mean, one minutes we're by the door, the next minute, we're at the other side of the room, me being crushed in Sera-tan's arms, being pressed against something else...

"Threeway hug with my most favoritest people~!" Sera-tan tightened the hug, causing me to wheeze slightly...

Wait. She said "three"?

I looked in front of me to see the "something" that Sera-tan was crushing me against.

"E-Eh? S-Senpai?" I felt my face redden as I realized that the person pressed up against my chest was Shitori-senpai.

It was particularly embarrassing because I could feel Senpai's oppai pressed against my chest. Despite being smaller than Sera-tan's, they were still exceptionally soft and nice-feeling.

Shitori-senpai blinked once when she looked at me, as if just realizing who I was.

"Fujimura-san? YOU are Onee-sama's new servant?" She sounded surprised. There goes that word again: "servant".

...Holy shit. Senpai is calling her Onee-sama! For real?! Serafall is the OLDER sibling?!

"Yep yep~!" Sera-tan confirmed, smiling brightly as always. "I told you a bunch of times that the one I sensed was close by and now here he is~! But man, what coincidence it is that he's someone you know, huh, So-tan~?! It's like fate!" For who exactly?

Sera-tan's further response included squeezing both Shitori-senpai and I even more tightly against one another and against her. I could feel Sera-tan's oppai against my arm and Shitori-senpai's oppai against my chest.

Still blushing, I sighed. "I am very sorry."

Shitori-senpai closed her eyes, lowering her face out of what was clearly embarrassment. "N-No, this is to be expected around Onee-sama."

Then I remembered the reason why we were here in the first place!

"Oh yeah! Shitori-senpai, before we get sidetracked again, can you finally answer the question I've been trying to answered all morning?" I asked. I sighed. "Just what-THE FUCK-is going on?!"

I started to release my frustration that I've experienced all morning at that moment.

"I mean, first I wake up with some unfamiliar girl sleeping with both of us naked in our bed! Then she starts spouting all of this stuff about Fallen Angels killing me and something about servants and I have no idea what the hell is going on! And then Serafall started saying crazier stuff about Devils and your real name not being Souna Shitori and-!"

Shitori-senpai sighed, silencing me by placing a finger against my lips.

She then turned to Sera-tan with a stern look. "You say you've made him your servant, so why is it he doesn't understand his current situation?"

Sera-tan pouted, releasing both me and Senpai. "It's not my fault! I tried explaining things to him, but he either doesn't get it or we didn't have enough time!" She sounded like a child complaining to a teacher about the reasons why she couldn't get an assignment done the previous night.

Senpai adjusted her glasses out of what was either annoyance or exhaustion.

"Very well then. I shall help in explaining his current circumstances." Senpai then turned to me, both of us quickly taking a step back upon realizing we were still very close together despite Sera-tan having let go.

Shitori-senpai did a better job at hiding her blush than I did.

She then coughed into her fist. "Perhaps the best way to begin is to properly introduce myself."

She bowed slightly to me, confusing me.

"My true name is Sona Sitri, the heiress of the Sitri clan." She said. "And like Onee-sama, I am a Devil."

…

Say what now?

* * *

Ten minutes later, we were all sitting at a desk, Shitori-senpai, now SITRI-senpai, sat on one side with her usual serious expression while I, now HORRIBLY confused, sat on the other side.

Where was Serafall, you ask?

She sat in my lap with her arms wrapped around me, hugging me and snuggling against me like I was some kind of teddy bear toy (not that I was complaining or anything...she was soft. The part I felt on my lap, her hands, and her face. Everything was just so soft...).

I had my eyes closed pensively. "OK, so let me just go through this again to make sure I didn't miss anything." I sighed. "You and Serafall are both Devils from the Underworld which is actually not a fiery pit of eternal suffering as depicted in the Bible?"

"Well, there is the Lake of Fire~" Sera-tan explained. "But that's mostly used as a location for a prison for us to hold some of our worst criminals~ But don't get me wrong, the Underworld itself isn't Hell. Hell is kind of like the very, VERY, very terrifying basement of the Underworld. It's not too uncommon for people to mistake the two."

"OK," I didn't open my eyes. "And Issei and I were really killed by Yuuma who is actually a being known as a Fallen Angel, another race depicted in the Bible?"

Sitri-senpai nodded.

"And the cute magical girl, Serafall, here," Sera-tan smiled at my compliment, "saved my life by turning me into a Devil?"

"Yep~" Sera-tan chipped in. My eye twitched.

"And now I'm a Devil and now the servant of Serafall Leviathan, chosen because I have this supposed thing called a [Sacred Gear]?"

"That about covers it." Sitri-senpai confirmed.

"Ah." I said. "I see." Inhaling deeply, I opened my eyes.

Then I carefully lifted Sera-tan off my lap and placed her on her feet on the ground while I myself stood.

I shook my head. "Well, while I've enjoyed the Crazy Train up to this point, I think this is where I take my leave." I walked over to the door and waved goodbye to Sera-tan and Sitri-senpai. "Have fun with the whole Devil-thing, good luck with turning more people against the big guy upstairs, and I wish you the best for the apocalypse. Buh-bye~"

"Wait!" Sera-tan called out. "You don't believe us?!"

Auuu! The sad expression that appeared on her face made me feel so bad...but I wasn't changing from this position.

I sighed, turning back to them. I rubbed my temples, trying to figure out how to put my thoughts in the nicest way possible.

"It's more like you haven't provided the slightest bit of proof to any of your claims." I explained. "To expect me to easily accept every word you're saying as fact without some kind of evidence is kind of silly, ya know?"

Sera-tan pouted. "Well...how do you explain how I knew about the Fallen Angel killing you?"

I crossed my arms, closing my eyes. "Drug-induced trance where dreams and hallucinations were planted inside of my subconscious."

Sera-tan snapped her fingers as if to say "Darn."

She then started thinking about it again. "Then...how about why you get a sharp pain every time you say the name of the Angels' leader?"

I turned away. "Easy. Just simple migraines."

"How about-"

"Onee-sama," Sitri/Shitori-senpai (I'm not sure what to call her right now) interrupted, "this will continue for longer than can we can afford, so perhaps a quicker and more efficient solution is in order. The definite proof of what we are saying." She pulled something out and placed it on the table before her.

It was photo.

I walked back to get a better look and was shocked.

"It's Yuuma!" I let out due to surprise.

So she WAS real...

I shook my head. "That...that doesn't mean anything. Yuuma could've existed, but that doesn't mean she was really some kind of Fallen Angel."

"That wasn't the only proof I was referring to." Senpai looked towards the door with expectant eyes. "Nimura, Yura. You can stop eavesdropping and enter now."

THUD

It sounded as if something heavy had hit the ground outside.

[W-We w-weren't e-eavesdropping! B-But w-we're coming in anyway!]

Ruruko...sometimes you are just THE WORST liar...

The door opened and my brown-haired alpha girl and...Yura-san...I guess...they both walked in. That's the point.

"Was there something you wanted, Kaichou?" Yura-san asked.

Senpai nodded, smirking slightly to herself. "I called you in here simply to welcome Fujimura-san...to the world of Devils."

Both of the other girls nodded, as if following some unknown signal.

I was about to voice my disagreement when black wings sprouted out of everyone's backs!

These were unlike Yuuma's wings which were black and feathery. They were more like bat wings than anything. I looked behind me when I felt a strange sensation on my own back. I was shocked to see I, too, had grown a pair of bat wings.

With a straight expression, I calmly walked back over to my chair and sat down, my hands in my lap.

"OK. I got nothing to explain that and, therefore, you must be telling the truth. I believe you."

CLICK SNAP

Sera-tan took a photo of me with a camera she got from G-I mean Heaven knows where.

She shot me a thumbs up. "Shi-tan's first photo as a Devil! The adorable look on your face when you finally came to believe us will be one of my happiest memories!"

I sweatdropped. "Uh...right." Trying to take in everything they've said to me being truth.

Devils, servants, Fallen Angels...it was a LOT to take in. I was still in denial somewhat.

"Oh wow! So you're really a Devil too, Shirou? And the servant of Leviathan-sama?!" Ruruko sounded both happy yet disappointed for a reason...no not disappointed...more like JEALOUS. Said jealousy seemed to be directed towards Sera-tan.

I blinked. "Wait..."Too"?" It was then that I remembered that Ruruko, too, possessed bat-like wings. I leaped backwards, pointing at my alpha girl. "Y-You're a Devil?" She nodded.

I then looked at the blue-haired girl next to her "You too, Yura?"

Yura-san smiled slightly, nodding as well.

I brushed my hand through my hair, trying to process this. "Geez. Next I bet you'll be saying that YUMI is a Devil..."

The four girls in the room exchanged awkward glances, as if trying to figure out how to explain something.

My eyes widened. "Yumi, too!?" I sighed. "Is EVERYBODY I know a Devil!?"

Sitri-senpai (as I would from on refer to her by) shook her head. "While there are many of those amongst Kuoh Academy who are either Devils or related to the world of the supernatural, the only friends and associates you know who are Devils are only on the Student Council or in the Occult Research Club excluding your friend, Issei Hyoudou, as he was only reincarnated into a Devil as of recently. I can't say whether or not Rias has informed him of his reincarnation yet."

There's one surprise after another! First I learn Issei and I actually died, then I learn we're Devils now, then I learn that most of the people I know are Devils! When does it end?

I mentally prepared myself for further surprises before I dared to continue to speak.

"OK then...so I know I'm a Devil now and that Sera-tan saved my life-" I turned to Sera-tan for a moment. "-thank you for that by the way-"Sera-tan nodded, smiling cutely. "But can I ask more questions? I've been curious about some things."

Sitri-senpai nodded calmly. "Yes. If there is a question you're wondering about, then I will be sure to answer it to the best of my abilities."

"OK. First question: Sacred Gears. What are they?" It was something that came to mind when I remembered the last words Yuuma spoke to me and Issei:

"Sorry. You were a threat to us, so we decided to get rid of you early. If you want to hold a grudge, then hate the God who put the Sacred Gear inside you."

Whatever these Sacred Gear things were, they were the reasons that me and Issei had died. I at least had to know what they were.

Sera-tan waved her hand excitedly. "Ooh! Ooh! I know this one! Let me answer it, So-tan!"

Sitri-senpai sighed at her Onee-sama's childishness. Apparently she didn't find it as adorable or endearing as I did.

"Very well, Onee-sama."

Sera-tan did a little "Yay~!" pose before she put a (relatively) serious expression that still exuded a slight air of silly cuteness.

"A Sacred Gear is an irregular power that is bestowed to certain humans. For example, most of the people whose names are recorded in history are said to be possessors of a Sacred Gear. They used the power of their Sacred Gear to record their name in history. Presently, there are people who possess Sacred Gears within their bodies. You know those people who play an important role worldwide? Most of those people possess a Sacred Gear."

I let out a slight smirk as an amusing thought came to mind. "So, hypothetically, I could use my Sacred Gear to-say-take over the world or something?"

"If it's strong enough." Sera-tan admitted. "There are different levels of Sacred Gears. There are low-level or non-combat oriented Sacred Gears that are usually used in normal everyday life by certain people, others that are more powerful and have many more uses in the lives of the users." Sera-tan paused as if to build up dramatic effect. "And finally, there's certain Sacred Gears that are much more powerful than the others, being exceptional enough that they are a threat to us, the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels."

So...Sacred Gears are like weapons. Yuuma killed both Issei and I because our Sacred Gears were on the level of danger towards supernatural races that proved a genuine threat to the Fallen Angels.

"Any idea what my or Issei's Sacred Gears are? Why they were enough of a threat that we had to be killed?" I winced again, remembering the feeling of Yuuma's spear of light passing through my chest.

Sitri-senpai shook her head. "No. That is one of the things we do not know as of yet, but considering Onee-sama was drawn to you as she was, yours must be a formidable one. While the Sacred Gears you both possess are unknown as of now, we will delve more into that matter later. Do you have any other questions?"

"Yeah," I said. "By all rights, I should be dead along with Ise." I turned to Sera-tan. "You said you brought me back as your servant, and everyone keeps saying something about "reincarnation". How did you turn me into a Devil?"

"Through the use of [Evil Pieces]." Sitri-senpai explained. "They are tools used by Devils to reincarnate other beings into Devils."

"[Evil Pieces]?" I asked.

"Yes. It would take a while to go into the details, so for now I'll just explain the basics of the Evil Pieces. Are you familiar with a game called Chess?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Makoto, my Onee-sama, taught me how to play the game when I was little. It's kind of similar to Shogi. Back when I was little and it was raining outside with nothing to do, Mako-nee would bring out this old chessboard and we'd play until the rain went away. She taught me all about it." I then realized I was off-track with my reminiscing. I shook my head. "Anyway, there are the six different types of pieces. There's the [King] who's like the big boss. If your [King] got taken out, you lost the game, so the most important goal is to protect the [King] at all costs to keep him safe. The other pieces involved in the game are [Queen], [Knight], [Bishop],. [Rook], and [Pawn]. Each piece has its own worth, each one possessing a different trait."

Sitri-senpai hid her pleased expression at my knowledge while Sera-tan let her emotions be read like an open book.

"That's good," Sitri-senpai stated. "That saves a lot of explaining. High-class Devils each possess their own [Evil Piece] set matching the number of pieces one side would possess on a chessboard. Like Chess, each [Evil Piece] is different and grants different strength to the person it is used to reincarnate into a Devil. The [Rook] gains superhuman strength and defense, their weakness usually being a lack of speed. There's also the [Knight] who gains enhanced speed and mobility. However, their major weakness is their legs. If one were to take out their legs, the [Knight] themselves would be easy to take out. Those who are a [Bishop] gain enhanced magical abilities and can cast a multitude of spells. And, of course, there's [Pawns] which have the ability to promote to any piece other than [King]. Finally, there is the [Queen] piece. The [Queen] could be considered one of the most powerful and well-balanced pieces, possessing the all of the characteristics of all of the other pieces. Devils who own these pieces are able to reincarnate those who are deceased or those even of races into their servant Devils."

I crossed my arms, taking all of this knowledge to heart. If I had been reincarnated into a Devil, then that meant I was one of these pieces. Honestly, barring [Bishop] (since I don't know jack about magic), I would probably excel as any of them.

"So which piece am I?" I asked, curious.

Sitri-senpai smiled, amused. "Well, from what Onee-sama told me, the piece she used to resurrect you was-"

KNOCK KNOCK

There was a knock at the door shortly before it opened again, every head in the room turning to see a busty girl with crimson-colored hair.

One of the Two Great Onee-samas, Rias Gremory.

I jammed one thumb over my shoulder while I looked at Sitri-senpai. "She a Devil too?"

My violet-eyed senpai nodded. Ah. Good to know.

Well, she DID say that the Occult Research Club was made up of Devils, so it made sense that Gremory-senpai was also a Devil.

Sera-tan waved excitedly. "Oh, heeeeeey, Rias-chan!"

Gremory-senpai seemed somewhat uneasy at suddenly being addressed by Sera-tan. She bowed her head in respect.

"A-Ah, Leviathan-sama. I've come here to deliver an informal message from Onii-sama." She explained. She then paused when she noted my presence. "Ah, you must be the Fujimura-kun that Issei-kun was worried about earlier. Nice to meet you."

"Likewise." Then a thought occurred to me. "Hey, what about Ise? Is he okay? I mean...ya know?"

Gremory-senpai smiled softly. "Do not worry. I wouldn't allow my new, adorable servant to die after all of my efforts used to save him. He'll be fine. He remembers what happened, but I'm going to let him adjust to the changes his body underwent when he became a Devil. I'll explain everything to him later."

"Good to know. Thank you."

Gremory-senpai then turned back to Sera-tan. "As for my message, Onii-sama told me that you had been gone for far longer than you had initially been allowed. Your work is starting to pile up, Leviathan-sama. He said it would be best if you returned soon."

Sera-tan puffed up her cheeks adorably, but she didn't complain oddly enough.

"Mmmm...Yeah, I know. I wanted to spend much more time with Shi-tan, but it looks like that's not gonna happen..." She sounded genuinely disappointed at the thought of not being able to be near me and that made me happy in a way.

How much time had she spent away from her work that Gremory-senpai's Onii-sama (whom I guess is a co-worker of Sera-tan or something) had to advise her to return soon?

She then turned to Sitri-senpai. "So-tan, I'm gonna have to return to the Underworld for a lil' while, so can I count on you to keep an eye on Shi-tan? Maybe teach him more about Devils and the "Do's" and "Don'ts" of being one?" Sera-tan then clasped her hands together, putting on an adorable, puppy dog look. "Pleeeeeeeaaaaaaase~? He's my cutest, most adorablest, huggable servant and he means a lot to me~! Please do it, for me~?"

I felt my heart skip a beat. Sera-tan was so cute~!

Sitri-senpai seemed uncomfortable, but nodded. "O-Of course. If you are the one asking, I will do it, Onee-sama."

"Yaaaaay~! Threeway group hug with Shi-tan and my super amazing So-tan who is the bestest sister in the entire universe~!"

Guh!?

I was immediately dragged by the arm by Sera-tan and pulled over where I was once again pulled into another tight hug with Sera-tan and Sitri-senpai, once again feeling soft oppai on both sides.

I avoided eye-contact with Sitri-senpai due to the awkwardness I felt.

"Erm...once again, I apologize..." I felt my face turning a deep shade of red again.

Sitri-senpai avoided my gaze as well, a slight pink appearing on her face. "No...with Onee-sama, such a thing is to be expected. Nothing to apologize about."

"...Fufu..." I blinked, turning to the other three occupants of the room.

Ruruko was biting down on her knuckles with a rather angry expression on her face, clearly trying to resist the urge to say something particularly nasty.

Yura-san was looking away, her fists clenched tightly.

Gremory-senpai, however, looked on at the scene with a clearly amused expression on her face, her hand covering her mouth to hide what was, no matter how you looked at it, a small smile.

She was clearly the one who let out that amused giggle. What she was so amused about, I wasn't quite sure.

.

.

.

...The hug Sera-tan gave me and Sitri-senpai seemed to go on forever. At least ten or twenty minutes...

"Sera-tan..." I started.

"Hm?"

"Don't you have to get to work?"

"Hold on! Not done!" Sera-tan complained. She hugged me and Senpai just a bit more tightly for several more seconds...then another five minutes...and theeeeen she was done.

She released both Sitri-senpai and I, taking a few steps away towards an empty space on the floor.

Then she started drawing something on the floor...a magic circle, I think it was. That's what it looked like.

As a bright light began to emanate from the circle, Sera-tan shot me another wink-SERIOUSLY! WHERE DO THOSE FLOATING CARTOON-LIKE HEARTS KEEP COMING FROM!?

She turned to both Sitri-senpai and Gremory-senpai, an expectant expression on her face.

"Please take care of Shi-tan, So-tan! I'll also be counting on you too, Rias-chan!"

Gremory-senpai bowed respectfully. "As you wish, Leviathan-sama."

"Then here I go~!" Sera-tan then struck a cute pose one would expect of a magical girl. "Don't worry, Shi-tan~! I'll definitely keep my promise to spoil you lots and lots when I get back reeeaaaal soon, 'kay~!? Buh-bye~!"

I nodded, still uncertain what she meant by "spoiling" me (while I now had a better feeling about it).

"Alright, I guess I'll see you when you get back, Sera-tan." I waved goodbye as Sera-tan was enveloped by the powerful light of the magic circle, having vanished by the time the light faded again.

Then there was just five of us: Me, Sitri-senpai, Gremory-senpai, Ruruko, and Yura-san.

Gremory-senpai shot me a confused look. "You call Leviathan-sama 'Sera-tan'?"

I frowned. "Yeeeeaaaah...? She said I could. Why?"

Gremory-senpai shook her head. "No. Nothing. I suppose it shouldn't be surprising if Leviathan-sama let her servants act informally with her."

"There you go again," I pointed out. "Why does everyone keep calling Sera-tan "Leviathan-sama"? I understand that that's her last name, bu-Hold on...Leviathan...that name...sounds familiar..." I rubbed my chin as I tried to place why that name sounded familiar...I didn't think much of it until this point, but now I realized that there was something about the name "Leviathan"...something important...It was something Sera-tan told me earlier. Something I'm forgetting...it was an important name, I'm sure, but I couldn't remember why...

Oh well.

I shrugged. "Oh well." Why I said it both in my thoughts and aloud, I don't know.

On that note, Gremory-senpai turned to leave. "Now that I've delivered the message I was supposed to, I have to head to classes now." As Gremory-senpai headed towards the door, she stopped, as if suddenly remembering something. She then turned back to face me. "Ah yes. Fujimura-kun-no. May I call you Shirou-kun?"

I waved it off. "Just Shirou's fine. I'm not one for formalities usually. If you're one of these High-Class Devils like Sera-tan and Sitri-senpai or whatever, then I don't mind you being informal with me."

Gremory-senpai nodded. "Very well then, Shirou. I just wanted to ask you to speak to Yumi next time you see her. She's been horribly worried about you. She was frantic when I told her that Ise and his friend (meaning you) were attacked by the Fallen Angel, feeling guilty for having had to leave to report back to me. I would appreciate it if you could talk to her."

Oh yeah. Yumi...I hadn't been sure what to say to her up to this point, but I guess I could wing it.

"No problem, Senpai."

The crimson-haired girl smiled appreciatively.

"Thank you. Now then, let me officially welcome you once more to the world...as a Devil."

With those words, Gremory-senpai left us...

Then it finally sunk in...

I died...

I was reborn...

I was...I had become...a Devil.

**And on that note, I am done! It took a long while, but I finally got this done! Hooray!**

**...Not much else for me to say here...erm...sorry it took so long. I've been doin lots and lots of stuff and...Yeah.**

**Anyway, here's the harems I've thought out thus far~! It's just about set in stone, but I'm open to arguments to convince me to change the harems...Note: Since this story mostly focuses on Shirou, he will have the larger harem. But most of these girls in his harem are not girls who were in Issei's harem in the canon and weren't really harem girl choices at all...sooo...**

**Anyway, here they are:**

**Shirou: Serafall, Sona, Ruruko, Asia, Karlamine, Tsubasa, Ravel, Ni and Li, Ile and Nel, Xuelan, (possibly) Momo, Tsubaki, Koneko, Kuroka, Yasaka, Rossweisse, Yumi (FemKiba), Gabriel, Xenovia, Irina, Griselda, Valerie Tepes, Gasper (FemGasper), Kunou  
**

**Issei: Rias, Akeno, Isabela, Reya, Ophis, Le Fay, Bennia, Seekvaira, Kiyome Abe, Tomoe, Jeanne **

**...Yep. Let it all out. Yes. I stole five girls from Issei. Oh well. :P**

**That is all~!**

**But first, the preview~**

**Next Time, on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan:**

Ruruko: I-If you're gonna get all upset about it, then I suppose I s-should just forgive you this once!

Shirou: Well, other than getting stabbed in the chest by a Fallen Angel and finding out that just about all of my friends and the girls closest to me are actually Devils, I'm all good.

Karlamine: Don't touch that Succubus' cursed cuisine, my King!

Sona: Only the most powerful and skilled Devils could even be considered capable of achieving such a class."

Shirou: Then I make my vow here and now: I WILL reach the rank of Ultimate-Class Devil!

**Next time: More Surprises!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	3. Life 2: More Surprises

**Once again, I thank you all for reading and reviewing that last chapter! I hope you all continue to read FOREVEEEEEEER-or until the series ends should I make it to the final volume sometime hopefully in the next few years (I don't know what kind of schedule the light novel author, Ishibumi-kun, is working on).**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING. **

**Life 2: More Surprises**

"Now that this matter is taken care of, it would probably be best for you, Nimura, and Yura to head to class now, Fujimura-kun." Sitri-senpai stated.

[Yes, Kaichou.] Both Yura-san and Ruruko replied respectfully to the order.

I felt weird hearing Senpai address me by my last name, but I was happy that she was addressing me slightly less formally in terms of honorifics.

"W-What?" I couldn't help but let out in surprise. "You tell me that me and everyone I know are Devils and then you just say "head to class"?! What's up with that?!"

Sitri-senpai adjusted her glasses, the glint of the light reflecting of her glasses seeming somewhat harsh and commanding.

"Just because you have become the servant of Onee-sama doesn't mean you are allowed to neglect your studies." She gave me an intense stare. "Understood?"

I felt a chill go down my spine. "H-Hai..." ...I don't know why, but Senpai seemed kind of...SEXY all of a sudden. I don't know why...she just did.

PINCH

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow ow!" I whined as I felt a vicious yank on my left cheek. "Ow! It huwts, Wuwuko!"

My lovely, petite, brown-haired lady was trying to rip my face off, a very jealous and annoyed look mixed with a blush on her face.

"S-Stop looking at Kaichou with such eyes when I'm standing right here!"

I managed an awkward smile while Ruruko was trying to pinch my face off. "Alwight, alwight! Pwease wet go!"

Ruruko puffed her cheeks, letting go of my face. She turned away from me, somewhat upset.

She's mad at me. Before anything else, I have to fix this.

…

…

…

Got it! Time to pull what I would dub "The Serafall Solution"!

I smirked slightly before I put the plan into action. I changed my expression to a cute, adorable pout.

"Auuuu! Ruru-tan's being mean to meeeee~!" I then lunged forward and wrapped my arms around her from behind. "Don't be so mean, Ruru-taaaan~!"

Ruruko tensed up, let out a high-pitched squeak as I hugged her from behind.

"S-Shirou!" She turned to face me, looking at the expression I pulled. She seemed to hesitate slightly but turned away again, her face turning a slight pink. "W-Whatever!"

I then started nuzzling my face against her back, trying to be as adorable as possible.

"Aw, Ruru-taaaan, don't be like that~! I don't like it when my adowable Ruru-tan gets all mad and mean like this~!"

She started trembling and her entire face turned a scarlet red color as she began to succumb to my charm.

Ruruko forced herself out of my arms, placing her hands on her hips.

"S-Stupid, Shirou..." Did it fail? "I-If you're gonna get all upset about it, then I suppose I s-should just forgive you this once!" Ruruko then turned around on her heels and pointed at me, her face literally steaming. "Just don't pull such eyes at someone out of the blue like that again! Remember the rules!"

SUCCESS! I now know what my new secret weapon to appease Ruruko or any future girl I manage to get into my harem!

I rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly. "Hehehe, don't worry. I do."

COUGH COUGH

Both Ruruko and I turned in the direction of Kaichou who had coughed into her hand to remind us where we were.

I blushed slightly out of embarrassment, quickly releasing Ruruko while Ruruko completely covered her embarrassed face with her hands. We had been wrapped in our own usual comical situation that we had forgotten we were in the presence of a disapproving Sitri-senpai and Yura-san who was crossing her arms and shooting a...weird look at Ruruko. It wasn't a kind one.

"Anyway, if you have anything else you wish to discuss, please feel free to come to the Student Council room at lunch, Fujimura-kun." said Shitori...err...Sitri...erm...

"Well, I have one quick question." I spoke up.

Senpai looked at me. "Yes?"

"Do I call you Sitri-senpai or Shitori-senpai from now on?"

Senpai considered this for a second before answering. "During normal school hours, it would be best to refer to me as Shitori-senpai unless only those related to the supernatural are around, in which case you may call me Sitri-senpai."

I nodded in understanding. "Yes, Senpai."

Sitri-senpai then looked at all of us. "Now that this matter is resolved, I expect all of you to quickly head to your respective classes. Dismissed."

[Yes, Kaichou!] We all said in disturbingly perfect unison.

We all filed out of the Student Council room and moved into the hallways which had become slightly more full with students since the...however much amount of time I spent with Senpai.

I gave Ruruko a quick peck on the cheek as we said our respective goodbyes before heading to class.

...I wonder if Yumi is already there.

Then I remembered something:

Gremory-senpai had told me to talk to Yumi. I can't forget that.

I made it to my class to see that it was only slightly filled. There was only about two or three other people besides me and-

"Yo, Yumi!" I waved when I saw my blonde-haired friend by the window in the corner of the classroom, staring out blankly into the horizon.

She seemed to snap out of it after I called to her, quickly turning around to face me with what I suspected to be a surprised expression for one second before her expression became a small smile.

...It was fake though. Her smile that is.

It's a sort of sixth sense I have. I am good at sensing the emotions of the girls close to me even when they're trying to keep something secret...

Now I had no doubt I had to have a talk with her.

"Ah! Good morning, Shirou-kun~!" She said cheerfully, waving. "H-How are you doing today?"

I gave her a blank stare. "Well, other than getting stabbed in the chest by a Fallen Angel and finding out that just about all of my friends and the girls closest to me are actually Devils, I'm all good."

Yumi's eyes widened in surprise. "Y-You know?!"

...She hadn't been told that I knew I guess.

"That you're a Devil? Yes." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. So far, so good. I haven't ruined our friendship (I'm assuming that's what it is by this point) yet, so I'd say it's going well.

Yumi's expression became sadder, her smile vanishing completely, as she bowed her head.

"I'm...I'm sorry about yesterday..."

For a moment, I was confused. Then I remembered how abruptly Yumi had left me during our date yesterday.

I shrugged. It was no big deal really.

"...I bet you really hate me now, huh...?"

What?

I shot Yumi a confused look. "Hm?"

"...I left yesterday and...and..." I noticed a slight sniffling sound. Yumi was trembling somewhat.

Is she...is she crying?

She raised her face somewhat, but didn't look me in the eyes. Despite this, I could still see the tears flowing from her eyes.

"...I-I thought that...that if I had left, t-then you would've been fine...that the Fallen Angel would've left you..." Yumi was choking on her sobs by this point, causing sudden pauses in her sentence. "I didn't...I didn't know what would happen...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry!"

"W-Whoa..." I suddenly felt really terrible. This must've been what Gremory-senpai was talking about. "Y-Yumi, it's alright..."

"It's not alright...I'm sorry..." She lowered her voice, wiping her tears from her eyes. "...again...my fault..." What was she mumbling about?

I stared at Yumi with sad eyes. "Yumi..." Before I could understand what I was trying to do, I reached out and placed a gentle hand on Yumi's head, causing her to look up at me. I managed a soft smile. "Dummy...It's fine now. See? I'm still alive and kicking and I plan to stay that way for a long time now that I've become a Devil as well. So stop crying. You're too cute to be crying like this."

Yumi swallowed once, finishing wiping her tears from her eyes. "Right..." Once her eyes were dry again. She managed a weak smile. "Sorry...I was really pathetic for a second there...It's just...when I thought about you being hurt...my chest started to hurt like crazy..."

My soft smile became a wide grin as an amusing thought occurred to me. "Oho! Could it be this is starting to turn into a romantic confession?" I took a dramatic pose, sweeping my arm through the air before gesturing towards Yumi, placing my other hand over my heart. "Oh, Yumi~! I never knew you felt such a way~!"

Yumi blushed slightly, but I could tell she was feeling better because I spotted a familiar, teasing smile on her face. She suppressed a giggle with the back of her hand against her mouth.

"As if I would surrender myself so easily~" She teased. "Even if I did feel such a way, there's no way I would surrender in such a way to you~" She lowered one hand to her torso, gesturing to her breasts. "Besides, if anyone would surrender, it would be you considering I still have my 'secret weapons', the leverage every woman has to make any man submit to their whims."

I nodded at her point. "I see. I see." I grinned perversely. "Alright then, then how about this? If I manage to make you fall for me, I get to grope both your breasts and your incredibly wondrous posterior whenever I want. If you make me fall for you, then you're free to do with me as you wish, Yumi-sama~" I brushed my hair out from in front of my face. "To be abused by my lovely mistress~ Oooh the thought makes my body tingle~! But is it with apprehension or excitement, I don't understand~ I-"

I then realized that not only Yumi, but also the other few students standing in the classroom were staring at me.

They all blinked. I blinked back.

"...I went overboard with the teasing, didn't I?"

They all nodded in unison.

Shit.

Yumi smiled at me. "Alright then, I accept your wager, Shirou-kun~"

.

.

.

[EEEEEEHHHHH!?]

Our other classmates including me let out a shocked response.

I had only been speaking as a joke to keep Yumi's spirits up, but I never actually expected her to accept! Is she joking?! She has to be joking! Yumi would never do something so random and sudden!

Yumi winked at me. "Even if I'm not quite like Akeno-senpai, don't expect me to be gentle~ I plan on taking full advantage~"

Eh? What's that mean? What does she mean about Akeno Himejima-senpai? Come to think of it, she's also a member of the Occult Research Club along with Gremory-senpai and Yumi. And all of them are supposed to be Devils so I assumed that Gremory-senpai was their [King] while Yumi and Akeno-senpai are her servants.

I matched her smile with a smirk. "Alright then, but expect your bountiful body to be at my mercy and-" The next words I spoke were directed towards our classmates. "I do hope you will all keep the words spoken here a secret. Otherwise, I'm afraid I might accidentally castrate you all in your sleep. Kufufufu~!" Lucky for me, the castration threat worked since all of the classmates who've arrived thus far were guys. I added a slight demonic aura for added effect.

They all nodded silently, turning pale while they started sweating rivers.

"Hehehe..." Yumi laughed weakly, backing away slightly. She mumbled something that ended in "...almost just like her..."

But anyway, Yumi ended up feeling better, returning to her old, awesome, lovable, adorable, slightly perverted self.

That and, if I can make her fall for me before I fall head-over-heels first, I get to grope her glorious, soft, ample bosoms and posterior all I like, hehehehehe...

That, my friends, is what I call a win.

The classroom gradually started to fill up with students as the time until class started started to tick away to the last second...

Yumi and I returned to our seats after a pleasant conversation, agreeing to have lunch later that day.

* * *

DAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMN IT!

After the lunch break had started, Yumi and I went to the rooftop for lunch...

"Hey, Shirou, why are you so mopey?" Yumi asked upon noticing my mood. "Where's your lunch?"

Yep. That's why I was so mad and somewhat depressed.

I just realized, that with everything that's been going on, I never made myself something to eat for lunch. I didn't go home to make lunch because Mako-nee was probably on the warpath. Couldn't make lunch at Ise's house cos I was busy trying to figure out what the deal was with Serafall. Thus, I had no lunch whatsoever.

I didn't realize it before because all of the excitement of me being a Devil, but I didn't eat breakfast either...

SO STARVIIIIIING!

I groaned, my stomach growling like crazy. "So...hungry...not gonna...make it..."

Yumi giggled, opening her own bento. "If that's the case, then I don't mind sharing my lunch with you, Shirou."

I immediately clung to Yumi, holding her tightly as tears came to my eyes.

"Bless you, madam. Bless you."

"Hoho! Losing our wager already, Shirou?" Yumi teased. "It's only been a few hours and you're already trying to steal second base~"

I released Yumi after that. For the record, I did NOT grope her breasts. My arms just happened to overlap her breasts when I was hugging her...

But I felt embarrassed as if I had groped her.

"Am not!" I argued. I eyed the bento Yumi held in her lap, drooling slightly as my hunger started to get the best of me.

Yumi noted my expression and smiled. "Alright. Alright. Let's just start eating."

She opened her bento, revealing the bountiful harvest within...

Yep. Definitely drooling.

Yumi picked up some of the food with her chopsticks and raised them to be on the same level as my mouth.

Wait. Why does this feel like deja vu?

SLAM! SNAP!

The door to the roof suddenly slammed open, a lone projectile ripping through the air and stabbing the food Yumi picked up, sending it flying through the air and leaving my sight.

Nooooooo! Not agaaaaaaain! My beloved fooood!

...Yep. Definitely feeling deja vu right now.

"Don't touch that Succubus' cursed cuisine, my King!" Karlamine was the one who appeared in the doorway leading to the roof instead of Ruruko whom I had expected. Her right hand was outstretched as if she had thrown something while her left hand held a box wrapped in cloth. Another bento.

"Ara ara, it looks like the false knight-"

And that was when I left undetected. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this conversation would only go down a familiar and potentially unpleasant path. It was fairly easy actually. I don't even remember how I avoided their detection. It was like some outside, almighty force was guiding me on my way. It wasn't the "Big Guy Upstairs" cos I'm a Devil. He wouldn't protect me, I don't think.

After I made my way down the stairs from the roof, I paused for a few seconds, trying to figure out what to do with my time.

Well...I did have a few questions concerning my Devil-hood. Might as well go talk to Sitri-senpai.

She said she would be in the Student Council room during lunch if I had any questions.

I made it to the Student Council room in about five minutes at most. I opened the door and entered, the only occupant of the room being Sitri-senpai. She sat behind a desk, examining some papers while her lunch sat next to her, a safe distance so the papers wouldn't be damaged or ruined if her an unfortunate spill were to occur.

She looked up after she noticed my presence, nodding as I entered the room.

"Ah, Fujimura-kun. I take it you have more questions?"

"Yes." That and I wanted to escape the clash between Yumi and Karly.

Of course, I'd keep that part to myself.

Senpai moved her papers off to the side so as to not be distracted and placed her hands in her lap. She stared at me.

"Well...so Devils...erm...I..." It was kind of hard to word this. "What is my purpose? I mean what is my job as a Devil? What do I do?" It was something I've been wondering. "Am I just meant to be her servant, doing tasks for her like cleaning her house, doing her laundry, or stuff like that?"

Senpai shook her head. "No. True, while people who are reincarnated into Devil servants are to follow their [King's] orders, the tasks they are to accomplish may very. Some servant Devils perform a large variety of tasks for their masters while others merely remain by their master's side as a bodyguard or other such tasks due to their power. There are even a few instances in which a [King] has reincarnated a person into their servant for absolutely frivolous reasons and serve no purpose other than being a pet of sorts. Essentially, your purpose could be anything depending on Onee-sama's desire. Of course, since you are Onee-sama's servant, I doubt your purpose will be meaningless. Considering her position, she would not make just about anyone her servant."

Huh. I wonder what Senpai meant by that. I guess it has to do with whatever job that causes everyone to refer to Sera-tan with the "-sama" honorific...Leviathan...That's her surname even though she's Sitri-senpai's sister...

Leviathan. That name was so familiar...I know it. I'm not very knowledgeable when it comes to religion other than praying to God every now and then...I'll have to brush up on this stuff if I'm going to be a Devil.

"So what is my job then?" I asked.

Senpai seemed to consider her answer before answering. "I cannot say. Like I said, all servant Devils' jobs depend on the will of their masters. There's also the factor of your Sacred Gear to consider. We still do not know its name or ability. We are hoping to figure that out later on. At the very least, you will be helping in supervising Onee-sama's and aiding her with her work while performing other jobs on the side."

I sighed. There it was again. My Sacred Gear. I've tried to ignore it, but I still couldn't stop thinking.

These things are so powerful supposedly, so what is mine? It was certainly enough for me to be eliminated, so what is it?

The suspense is going to be the death of me...

OK, maybe that wasn't the best way to phrase it.

Anyway, I was curious to say the least.

"OK, I think I get it now."

"Good," Senpai stated. "Do you have any other questions for me?"

I thought about it. The one concerning my job was at the front of my mind...I guess-

"So am I going to ONLY be a servant?"

Senpai frowned. "What do you mean?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I mean, am I just going to be a servant for the rest of my lengthened life? Even if I'm Sera-tan's servant, it'd be kind of a depressing existence after a while. It'd be neat to be almost immortal in terms of lifespan, but to just be spending it doing chores and stuff like that sounds dull. I like Sera-tan, but what am I striving for as her servant? Is there a goal I'm supposed to reach or what? That is the question I'm trying to ask."

"In that case, perhaps I should explain the Devils' ranking system."

"'Ranking system'?" I questioned.

"Yes," Sitri-senpai went on to explain. "There are four major ranks in the society of Devils. For people such as you who are Reincarnated Devils, you typically start off as Low-Class Devils."

"So it's kind of like a "Level 1" in Devil terms?" I asked, trying to clarify.

Sitri-senpai nodded after considering my question. "In a way, yes. Low-Class Devils often includes either those who are born as commoners or recently reincarnated Devils, people who've yet to make their mark or display their power that earns them their right to attain a higher rank. However, those born from Pure-blood or noble families, such as me or Rias who are from both, usually already possess High-Class status from birth."

I guess that made sense. Regardless of actual strength, those who had the luck of the draw to be born by some Marquis or King or whatever always got more privileges and rights than those below them.

I will admit it was at least a little surprising to figure out Sitri-senpai and Gremory-senpai were nobles. They held an air of elegance and power, but they didn't act all snobbish as I would expect of people who were at or near the top of the political food chain. Sera-tan also kind of broke this idea in my mind by possessing an air of childishness and approachability. Nothing like how I would picture a noble. It was still hard to believe she was Sitri-senpai's Onee-sama.

I guess there were all different kinds of High-Class Devils.

Senpai continued speaking. "Low-Class Devils are capable of raising their rank to Middle-Class Devils and then to High-Class Devils through one of three methods." Senpai then counted "one" on her left hand. "The first and most common is by performing Contracts. You see, just as depicted by those of a religious faith, Devils are sometimes contracted by those with a certain level of desire. In exchange for performing a task or fulfilling a desire of theirs, the Devils are paid a price by their contractor for their services." Senpai pulled out a familiar-looking card out of thin air. It looked like the one Sera-tan had given me when we first met. "Since drawing magic circles in blood and sacrificing animals is rather outdated in this place and time, the process has been simplified with these. Just by wishing for a Devil's presence, the contractor can use these more convenient flyers to summon one in order to fulfill a task or desire."

I raised my hand to interrupted. "Erm...so...these prices that we're paid...I won't-like-be taking people's SOULS, will I? Cos I don't think I got the stomach for it or the ability to keep a clear conscience for what may potentially be killing a normal person."

"Like I said, Fujimura-kun," Sitri-senpai stated, "Devil Contracts have changed with the times. Nowadays, a Contractor can pay a Devil with just about anything. Just as long as it matches the value of the task or desire fulfilled."

I shrugged. "OK. I can live with that."

Sitri-senpai paused, placing a finger on her chin. She was clearly deep in thought.

"..." I was uncertain what to say. "Erm...what are the other methods?"

Senpai sighed, as if she was going to have to say something potentially upsetting.

"Well, the second method would be through [Rating Games]. You know how a Devil's Peerage is based on the pieces from the game of Chess?" I nodded. "Well, this system also gave rise to a special game devised by Devils who wished to prove the superiority of their servants against others, the Rating Games. They're used to measure a Devil's strength as well as the strength of their Peerage. If a Low or Middle-Class Devil performs well, they may be considered for a class promotion."

"So...it's like a game in the form of a battle between a [King] and their Peerage against another Peerage and their respective Master?"

"Exactly. Devils are capable of honing and showing off their skills and abilities in a non-lethal environment due to special systems and spells in place to prevent unfortunate incidents." Whoa! That's awesome! So I get to fight these other guys and go all out without consequence! AWESOME! "These spells rarely ever fail and successfully assure safety 99.999% of the time."

That...Something's wrong with that.

"And the other 0.001% of the time?" I asked.

"It's the most popular and best method to raise one's own ranking in Devil society." Sitri-senpai explained as if I had not raised a very good and VERY CONCERNING point about Rating Games. "However, since you are Onee-sama's servant, such a method may not be entirely available to you."

I stared. "Whatcha talkin bout, Sona?"

Sitri-senpai adjusted her glasses. "Considering Onee-sama's position and how busy she always is, competing in a Rating Game is simply out of the question for her and her Peerage, which includes YOU, Fujimura-kun."

"What?!" I pouted. "But I wanted to compete in Rating Games..." I complained. I know I should be really grateful considering Sera-tan brought me back FROM THE DEAD, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed that I would never be allowed to compete in Rating Games.

"You can't. Not as a Low-Class Devil." Senpai confirmed. "But if you were to use another method to attain the rank of a High-Class Devil and in turn get your Devil Peerage, it should be no problem."

"Yay~" I gave a little cheer. The dream wasn't dead quite yet. Just as long as I boosted my rank to that of a High-Class Devil, I'll be able to compete in Rating Games against other Devils. "So what's the third method?"

"Another method that is unavailable to you." Sitri-senpai said. "But for a different reason."

"What do you mean?"

"The third method for a Devil to increase their rank is through Military Accomplishments. By obtaining great achievements in times of crisis or situations, showing exceptional ability or skill. That is the third method. For defeating a high-ranking member of the Angels or Fallen Angels or any enemy of the Devils in general, a Devil will be rewarded."

"Sounds fair. How do we do it?" ...this...this could work out for me in a number of ways. Revenge and advancement. Two birds, one vengeful stone.

"No." Sitri-senpai replied almost immediately.

"...Eh? But couldn't I just-"

"No."

"What if I-"

"No."

"How about-"

"NO." Senpai said even more firmly. "I don't want you even considering trying to go after that Fallen Angel."

Damn. She saw right through me.

"Why not?" I was somewhat unsatsified. I HAD TO get back at that stupid crow for what she did to Ise. Even if we were brought back...what she did...I'm gonna beat her into the dirt!

Senpai's gaze become much harsher, as if COMMANDING me to calm down.

"It's because of the current situation between the three factions..."

Senpai then went on to explain about the three Factions: the Angels, the Fallen Angels, and the Devils. She explained how they were always at each others' throats for a long time. She explained how they all fought in some Great War where a large number of their respective members died, reducing their numbers drastically. Even after the war was ended since none of the factions could continue without being wiped out, a tense stalemate continued, even to this very day.

"Doing something as drastic as attacking a member of the Fallen Angels could very well start a second Great War. It could possibly be even more severe due to your status as Onee-sama's servant."

Oh, now I feel bad.

I hung my head in shame. "...sorry..." I actually did start feeling ashamed of my thoughts. I was about to go hunting down Yuuma for revenge without a second thought towards how it would affect others.

Sitri-senpai's expression softened somewhat. "It's fine. I just want you to fully understand the consequences. You can't just do such reckless things. There are rules you must follow and duties you must uphold as the servant of Onee-sama. It would not reflect well on the Devil race if one of our Reincarnated Devils were to start ANOTHER conflict in the world."

"What do you mean...?" I asked, interested.

Sitri-senpai seemed to be somewhat uneasy. "Well...In all of the history of the supernatural world, our wars and conflicts tended to mirror those of the normal human world. While some events were completely unrelated between the supernatural world and the human world, there are many major wars that were started directly as the result of a Reincarnated Devil's actions..."

"Like which one?"

"World War II. One of the major leaders of one of the Axis Powers was a Reincarnated Devil. A Stray Devil, but a Devil nonetheless."

"Which leader?"

"I won't say, but he's currently hated by just about everyone in the universe be they a mythological figure, human, Devil, Angel, or Fallen Angel. He single-handedly almost caused a Second Great War between the three factions before all three leaders agreed that he was unrelated to the Devils' will and cooperated in putting him down."

"...er...who was that?"

"Let's leave it that."

"But-"

"LEAVE IT at that." Senpai said a bit more forcefully. Apparently this guy, whoever he was, was a sore spot for the Devils. Probably put a damper on the reputation of Devils. "So you understand the situation?"

"Yes."

"You will stay away from Churches, Angels, and the Fallen Angels?"

"Yes."

"You won't go after that Fallen Angel?"

"Yes."

"Good." Senpai said, a small and pleased smile on her face. "Just remember: You hold an important place by Onee-sama's side and in her heart. You must not do anything that could reflect badly on her or the Devils. It's especially important considering you are one of her most important pieces."

Yes...I'll definitely be sure to remember this...so much for revenge...I can't do such a thing in good conscience anymore.

"Besides, even if you were allowed to go after her, it wouldn't do any good." Sitri-senpai said suddenly.

I frowned. "What do you mean?"

Senpai crossed her arms, a knowing expression on her face. "You would only gain a possible promotion if you were to defeat a Fallen Angel leader. The Fallen Angel who killed you was far from being that powerful. I doubt she was even a noteworthy member in the Fallen Angel faction."

That kind of hurt my pride a little...I got killed by a smallfry.

"Oh yeah. I just remembered something." I started after realizing that Senpai brought up an important subject. "Just what piece am I? You and Sera-tan didn't tell me yet."

"Oh yes. Of course. Amidst everything, Onee-sama and I have yet to inform you of your position in her Peerage. Since Onee-sama is busy with business back in the Underworld, I would be happy to tell you. Fujimura-kun. The piece Onee-sama used to bring you back was-"

SLAM!

"Aha! There you are, Shirou!"

The door had slammed open to reveal Ruruko with a worried expression on her face with a hint of annoyance.

Ruruko paused when she noted Sitri-senpai. She bowed respectfully. "Forgive me for barging in unannounced, Kaichou. I was just looking for Shirou."

"What's wrong, Ruruko?" She seemed kind of worried.

"Class starts in ten minutes and Yumi-senpai and Karlamine-senpai came to me when they couldn't find you?"

I turned my head to face the clock in the Student Council room.

Wow! Ruruko was right! Senpai and I have been talking so long that we lost track of time again!

Senpai nodded. "Right. It appears that mine and Fujimura-kun's discussion has taken up most of the lunch period." She started gathering her papers and started packing up what was left of her lunch. "You should head to class now, Fujimura-kun."

I raised an eyebrow. "Are all of our conversations going to end on such a formal and cold note?"

Sitri-senpai's expression became one of bemusement. "What do you mean? Is there something wrong with the way I worded it? Is it an inefficient way to convey the meaning?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking. "Well, no. But it feels kind of like you hate me or can't wait to get away from me whenever you end the conversation like that. Why not say something like "See you later, Shirou" or maybe "We'll talk more soon" or perhaps "Until the next time we can talk" or any other way. When you end the conversation with "You should head to class now" with that commanding tone, it sounds like you don't like me very much. Do you find something wrong with me?"

"Oh boy..." Ruruko sighed as she turned away, as if something painful was about to happen.

Sitri-senpai adjusted her glasses so that the light reflected off her glasses.

""Do I find something wrong with you"?" Senpai reiterated. "Well, to start off, I find your manners lacking, your flirtatious playboy personality annoys me, you don't pay much attention in class, you're never sitting up or seeming attentive to the matters at hand, not to mention you rarely seem to put much thought into your actions which often leads to misunderstandings or troublesome situations-"

Ouch...this hurts on so many levels...

I felt a barrage of figurative arrows pierce me from all sides as Senpai went on to list every single one of my apparent flaws.

I laid my head down on the desk as Senpai went on for a good five minutes concerning my flaws. My pride was definitely shattered by the end of it.

"-and you have the habit of rubbing the back of your neck far more than necessary-"

I rubbed the back of my neck in the middle of that out of discomfort, halting when she finished and placing my hands in my pockets.

"-but to say I dislike you is not true."

I raised my head in curiosity. "Huh?"

Sitri-senpai smirked. "Despite your flaws, I find you to be a pleasant person to be around. You are reckless, but your heart is usually in the right place. Where you got this silly notion that I disliked you, I have no idea. Trust me, Fujimura-kun. I am usually outright honest when it comes to my positive or negative opinions towards others. If I disliked you, I would have said so."

"It's true, Shirou." Ruruko admitted. "If Kaichou dislikes someone, she gives a clear sign. Be it a gesture or words, she lets it be known."

I looked at Sitri-senpai. "So you really don't hate me? I just wanna be sure. I mean, I'm your sister's servant and I'm sure we'll often be interacting with one another. I want to make sure there's at least a neutral air between us if not a good one."

Senpai's smirk became a more pleasant smile as she closed her eyes. "Yes. Even if I had never known of you before, I would still like you since Onee-sama likes you as well. Despite how she acts, Onee-sama is an excellent judge of character. If she cares for you and enjoys being around you, then it's clear that you are a good person. I trust her as I trust you."

I felt myself blush slightly. I felt embarrassed for some reason. "Um...thanks, Senpai..."

"Now head to class, Fujimura-kun." Senpai urged me. "We'll speak more soon. Feel free to see me after school if there's any remaining questions in your mind. And be sure to stay after school tomorrow. Now that you've been introduced to your status as a Devil, you'll begin to take on your first duties as a Devil."

"Yes, Senpai." Ruruko started tugging on my sleeves.

"Come on, Shirou. We have to get going before we're later for our respective classes."

I looked at Ruruko and smiled. "Right. Sorry for wasting your time, making you listen to us talk, Ruruko."

Ruruko sighed. "Well, I'm more just relieved you haven't been spending this time trying to recruit Kaichou."

Kaichou turned to me and gave me a questioning look. "'Recruit me'? What is she talking about, Fujimura-kun?"

Ruruko opened her mouth to talk before I panicked and clamped my hand over her mouth.

"Oh! Haha! Nothing! J-Just a little...Er...thing!" Shit! I can't let Senpai know I'm trying to build a harem with the girls I like! Why? I dunno! I just got the feeling that whatever conversation results from her realization will be unpleasant. "Bye, Senpai!"

I quickly ran towards the door before I paused, realizing something. I turned back to Senpai who still had Ruruko standing respectfully by her side.

"Hey, Senpai. You forgot one last thing."

"Oh?"

"What's the last class a Devil can reach?" Sitri-senpai had said there were four major ranks of Devils. She only mentioned Low-Class, Middle-Class, and High-Class Devils.

Sitri-senpai noted my question and responded appropriately. "Oh yes. Before I forget. The final and highest class a Devil can reach: Ultimate-Class."

"Ultimate-Class?"

Senpai nodded. "Yes. As the name implies, it is the ultimate rank any Devil can achieve. To possess such a rank means that a Devil has attained the status or power on the level that far surpasses all others. Only the most powerful and skilled Devils could even be considered capable of achieving such a class."

As I turned away from Sitri-senpai as to hide the amused smirk that appeared on my face.

"So, to sum it up, it's a class reserved for the elite of the elite, huh?"

"Yes."

My smirk gradually evolved into a full-fledged grin.

"Alright then!" I turned around and pointed at Senpai. "Then I make my vow here and now: I WILL reach the rank of Ultimate-Class Devil! No matter what, I'll become someone powerful enough to slay even God Himself if I so desired! That's my goal! My reason to get stronger as Sera-tan's servant! I'll become strong enough to protect her and all of my friends and loved ones from whatever threat comes their way! Even if only one method is available for me to rank up, I'll become a High-Class Devil, and then an Ultimate-Class Devil through Rating Games! No matter what method I use, I WILL succeed!"

Then I left on that badass note!

Of course, that was the high point of my day. I met up with Karlamine and Yumi in class. Both of them were kind of ticked off that I left in the middle of lunch (Speaking of which, I'M SO STARVIIIIIIIIING!), but they both quickly forgave me and then we went on with class.

The rest of the day was rather boring. Boring old class. Boring old life. There was nothing fun to do and no opportunities to mess with Ruruko to get a cute reaction out of my most amazing alpha girl.

If I didn't vividly remember getting speared in the chest, I never would actually believed that I had become a Devil. Everything was actually somewhat the same...I guess becoming a Devil hadn't quite started having the drastic change I hoped for...

Oh well. Maybe that would change after I unlock the power of my Sacred Gear.

Whatever it is, I hope it's strong. Strong enough to deck the floor with that shitty crow, Yuuma. I'm not letting her get the best of me next time we fight (and there WILL be a next time). I may not be able to pursue her, but I sure as Hell will do my best to make sure she doesn't do anything like what she did to me and Ise ever again.

* * *

School had been rather uneventful.

I spoke with Yumi and Karlamine somewhat. Hung out with Ruruko. But nothing else really happened.

Yumi left us at the school gate since her house was in a different direction, leaving me, Ruruko, and Karlamine to walk home together. Karlamine's house was a bit out of the way, but still fairly close to the school. So that was our first stop.

Still uneventful. We dropped her off, agreed to see her at school the next day, and then moved on.

It was just me and Ruruko now. There was a strange silence between us.

…

…

…

SAY SOMETHING!

"..Erm...are you mad at me, Ruruko?" I said mostly to break the silence. Usually we were having some kind of discussion regarding either maintaining equal levels of affection towards her and my other potential harem candidates or maybe something more casual like TV or school...but there was not a single word between us during our walk until I spoke

She turned to me, a cute, curious expression on her face. "Noooo...Why?"

I averted my eyes. "It's just that...you seem quiet. Did I do something wrong?"

Ruruko shook her head quickly. "No no! Nothing like that! I just thought you had a lot on your mind. I mean, a lot's happened... You found out you died and became a Devil. I figured it was a lot to take in. Not to mention realizing that a fair majority of the well-known students in school were related to the supernatural..."

"Well, it's a lot to take in, but I haven't really been exposed to much other than the fact that I'll live for a long time and possess some kind of Sacred Gear." Then a thought occurred to me. "Although...now that I think about it...something's kind of bugging me." I admit it had been a thought nagging at me ever since I found out Ruruko was a Devil, but this was the first time I actually paid attention to it.

It was a thought so troubling that it caused me to stop in place, causing Ruruko to walk several steps ahead of me before she realized I wasn't following. She turned around and stared at me.

"Devils live for a long time, right?"

"Yeah."

"And you became a Devil a long while before me, right?"

"..." Ruruko answered slightly hesitantly this time. "Yeah."

"So even if I did my damned well best, you would've outlived me by several millenia. I would continue aging while you would be able to look the same until the day in the far-off future where you finally died." I looked down to avoid Ruruko seeing my sad eyes. "So at some point, you would've...you would've left me behind...What exactly did you intend to do about this?...About us? Would you...?"

I admit I probably had no right to feel so sad considering I was trying to build a harem, even if it was with Ruruko's permission, but the thought that she could treat our relationship as nothing more than a fleeting romance kind of hurt...Just what did she think of us? I cared for this girl...that was the major requirement that had to exist between me and girls I ask to join my harem: Mutual affection. Was it really mutual? Was it all a trick crueler than what Yuuma did to Ise?

These are the kind of thoughts that ran rampant inside of my head.

No right...I had no right to feel like this. The happiness of the girls matter more than my own personal feelings...but...

"Shirou..."

I felt my hand being grabbed and placed against something small but soft.

I looked up to see Ruruko blushing slightly, holding my left hand pressed firmly against her breast.

"Idiot...Don't ever think like that..." She used her other hand to tilt my head to look directly at her face. Being shorter than me, Ruruko stood up on the front of her feet, almost on her toes. Her face seemed to be coming closer and closer to mind and-

Kiss.

That is what happened. Ruruko's lips met mine. She was kissing me and I was kissing her back.

It wasn't chaste either. It wasn't heated and sexy, but it wasn't chaste. We held our lips together for a good minute before Ruruko finally pulled away, smiling at me.

"In case you haven't forgotten, I confessed to YOU." Ruruko pointed out. "And it wasn't exactly a quick affair either. I always either choked at the last minute or I humiliated myself...I still humiliated myself even when I DID successfully confess, remember?"

I looked back to the day that Ruruko had confessed to me. I couldn't suppress that amused smile that appeared on my face.

"Yeah...Remember when the dog-?"

"Yes." Ruruko's smile faded.

"And then you lost your love letter because-"

"Yes." Ruruko was starting to look annoyed.

"And you ended up-"

"YES." Ruruko said, her face bright red with an annoyed expression on her face.

I let out a small laugh. "Hahaha! And what bad luck you must've had to have this happen on the day of a pie eating-contest."

Ruruko took my hand away from her breast and crossed her arms, now thoroughly humiliated as she remembered the day she finally confessed to me.

"Ahem!" She tried to get us back to the point of the conversation. "My point is...do you think I would go through all that if my feelings weren't honest?" Her soft smile returned, her eyes gazing at me lovingly. "I love you, Shirou. You were my whole reason for wanting to become a High-Class Devil."

"Ruruko?" That last part was somewhat surprising. What did she mean?

Ruruko's expression changed to that of a shy one. "Well...as you know, once a Devil has reached High-Class, they get their Evil Pieces and can start building their Peerage. Their servants become Devils as well...If I got my Evil Pieces, I would've made you my own servant." She shuffled awkwardly, having revealed a major secret of hers. "Then we could be together even with our lengthened lifespans...I...I wanted to be with the man I loved for as long as I live..." She twiddled with her fingers out of embarrassment. Somehow it was more embarrassing for her to explain how she wanted to be with me than it was for her to actually say those three special words.

All doubt vanished from my mind.

I wrapped my arms around Ruruko and pulled her in closer.

"I love you, too, Ruruko." I pressed my lips against hers, returning the affection she showed me.

It was true...While I admit there was one other girl I think I could bear to tell those words, Ruruko was closer to me than most. She was also possibly the only girl who could feel comfortable with her boyfriend building a harem. We held a mutual trust that I would continue loving her. If I couldn't even say those words, then I had no right to be with her...

I pulled away after a few minutes, Ruruko blushing as I held her.

Before I could react, she forced her lips upon once more. This kiss lasted less time than the others before Ruruko pulled away.

I stared at her and she stared at me, our faces heated and our bodies beginning to heat up due to lust.

Both of us seemed to act on pure instinct.

Ruruko jumped from the ground, wrapping her legs around my waist and her arms around my neck. I, in turn, held my arms around her to hold her against me.

Ruruko kissed me again and I kissed her back. It was meant to be neither short nor chaste this time. We held our lips together, passionately reveling in each others' warmth. We kissed again and again, only breaking apart each time because we required air to survive.

On the last time our lips met, I happened to catch Ruruko with her mouth open. Not hesitating, I entered her mouth with my tongue and entwined my tongue with hers. I moved my hands up and down her thighs, tracing my fingers in-between her legs, inducing added pleasure in Ruruko if her moans were anything to go by.

Ruruko tightened her legs around me, both of us holding each other more passionately than before.

Of course we would never go all the way considering the time and location, but things got much hotter before we were finished.

And the funny thing is...this wasn't the first time we acted passionately like this.

Hey! We've been dating for almost a year! It's only natural for us to behave like the teenagers we were!

We would hold each other passionately, make out, feel out each others' bodies, but we would never go all the way. That was to be saved for a special time in the future when we were both certain we were ready.

* * *

After our thirty minutes of passion were over (that's right. We made out for at least thirty minutes before we realized it was starting to get dark out), I walked Ruruko home. She lived closer to school than me, but our houses were still in the same general direction.

It soon became dark as I left her at the door, I opened my mouth to say something, but my face was too heated...I couldn't really speak right. It probably came out as something like "Harabla liaosshu rablablah..."

Ruruko merely nodded, her own beet red face steaming by this point.

Yeah...whenever we came out of our own little world, we were always kind of embarrassed when we thought back on it. I was good when it came to doing small things like kissing or groping girls, but when it came to serious stuff, I couldn't help but become somewhat flustered when I thought back on it.

After saying goodbye to Ruruko, I started my own trip back home...

Fuck! I forgot about Mako-nee! She's still gonna kick my ass when I get home!

I groaned.

I was really going to have to pull a good excuse OUT OF MY ASS if I wanted to avoid having to explain everything that happened between yesterday and today. Cos if the first words out of my mouth as an explanation are "I died and became a Devil.", the main response from Makoto would be a kick to the face and being thrown into an insane asylum.

I had to think of something...and it has to be convincing...

Kidnapped? Too drastic.

Got lost? Too obvious.

Staying over at a friend's house? Bound to get my face kicked.

...Hmmm...

Maybe-

I thought back to what Sitri-senpai told me...she said my real duties as a Devil were going to start tomorrow. I guess Sitri-senpai was going to introduce me to such things since Sera-tan was busy with her own stuff. Maybe I'll finally figure out what my Sacred Gear is...

"About goddamned time!"

A sudden voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked ahead to see a shorter girl with blonde hair tied into two short pony tails and who was dressed in a gothic lolita fashion.

She seemed to be glaring at me.

And I knew it was me whom she was glaring at because there was no one else. I looked all around me to make sure.

"Yeah you, shitty Devil!"

Whoa whoa whoa! That was uncalled for!

This girl seems abnormally pissed off for some reason...Do I know her?

"Erm...I'm sorry...?"

"Damn right you're sorry!" The girl screamed at me. "You're an ass! I spent all day planning this out, trying to catch you on your way home! Then I end up waiting for almost an entire hour because you had to stop and suck lips with that washboard!"

...I think she and Ise would get along if Ise wasn't a pervert.

But I was more troubled over the fact that she had been watching us. I sure as Hell didn't see anyone around us who could've seen.

Then I realized it. The tingling feeling traveling down my spine-No. Tingle doesn't quite describe it. It was more of a chilling feeling that send shivers down my spine. It was like some kind of sixth sense. It was telling me something. It was shouting, SCREAMING even. It seemed to be repeating the same thing over and over again:

DANGER! RUN AWAY!

It was telling me that this girl was not human. She was dangerous.

I took a step away, uncertain what to do.

"You...who are you?"

The girl smirked. She leaped into the air. A small, naïve part of me hoped she would fall face-first back to the ground,but I knew I would never be that lucky.

In a single second, black, feathery wings sprouted from her back, allowing her to float about in the sky.

...Black, feathery wings...

I felt my body tense at the realization, sweat rolling down the sides of my face.

"...A Fallen Angel..." Just like the girl who killed both me and Ise.

"That's right, Devil-kun~!" Her previous fury became an arrogant, cutesy kind of tone. "And you don't need to know my name because, in a second, you'll be dead~! Time to clean up the mess Raynare left for me~! Suck for your masters, cos whoever he is, he's about to lose a servant! Ta-ta, Devil-kun~!" A pink spear of light, similar in shape to Yuuma's, appeared in her hand.

...Shit. I have no way to fight against this girl! I don't have a weapon and I'm not any stronger than when I was killed by Raynare! I haven't even unlocked my Sacred Gear!...

Well, if I'm gonna die anyway (AGAIN), I might as well say the thing that first came to mind when this girl told me she was following me...

"YOU PERVERT!"

**Yep! That's where I end it for now! Sorry for all the time it took for this admittedly unsatisfying update. Between Christmas, New Years, my new Xbox 360, Mass Effect 1, 2, and 3, Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance, and Fallout 3, I just haven't been very interested in writing. For that, I apologize. Well, there's also a more fair reason. I've been planning this idea for Campione for several months and I'm just about done planning now that I've finished Volume 6. I just need to think up a possible Authority for my protagonist...**

**Also, here's the updated harems:**

**Shirou: Serafall, Ruruko, Sona, Tsubaki, Yumi (FemKiba), Asia, Karlamine, Tsubasa, Ravel, Ni and Li, Ile and Nel, Xuelan, Koneko, Kuroka, Yasaka, Gabriel, Irina, Griselda, Valerie Tepes, Gasper (FemGasper), Kunou, Akeno, Xenovia, Rossweisse, Raynare, Mittelt, Kalawarner**

**Issei: Rias, Isabela, Reya, Ophis, Le Fay, Bennia, Seekvaira, Kiyome Abe, Tomoe, Jeanne, Aika**

**I know what you're all thinking: "REALLY!? You take ANOTHER girl from Issei?!"**

**Well, would he really notice? I mean, we all know Issei is about as smart as a rock when it comes to the feelings of about every girl other than Rias. He can have a girl LITERALLY naked right in front of him and still not understand their feelings for him. Not to mention he doesn't overcome his whole mental trauma til about Volume 10...Volume 9 perhaps in my story if I feel like having Shirou slap some sense into that perverted idiot. I don't have that kind of patience. Besides, this story is essentially Shirou-centric anyway. To sum it up: Screw Issei! He's lucky I gave him any girls at all!**

**Also, yes. After much consideration, I've decided to bring back the Fallen Angel girls. I initially intended to kill all of them off to keep from further unbalancing the harems, but I changed my mind due to the repeated number of messages I've received from various people who liked this story.**

**So yeah...Sorry if you don't like these revised harems...but what can ya do? You could write your own story with your own harems, I suppose, but you can't force me to write harems as you want them cos then I wouldn't really be the author anymore. **

**...Erm...I think that's about it...**

**Yep.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	4. Life 3: So Far, Not So Good

**And it is time for the next chapter!...Nope. That's bout it. On with the disclaimer!**

**Heeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeey~!...That is all.**

**One more thing...I was thinking about writing a new story featuring Shirou as the protagonist. The main problem I'm having is figuring out is what series he should star in...So I'm putting up a poll for you guys to help me decide. It will effect my choice, but it will not definitely decide it.**

**Please vote.**

**PS: I was thinking about finally making the second DxD story I've been planning a spin-off of Devil Reborn, like a sort-of "what-if" story where a different decision was made in the past, changing Shirou's upbringing and the family he had growing up. However, since Devil Reborn: Reboot is in it's infancy stages, it might include spoilers if I do it right now.**

**But there's choices like where Shirou was raised as a true Devil in the Underworld, by the Fallen Angel faction, trained at the Church, kidnapped by the Old Maou and trained as a soldier for them, all kinds of fun options~!**

**So yay or nay?**

**Anyway, on with the story~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING. **

**Life 3: So Far, Not So Good**

"YOU PERVERT!"

Those were the only words I could think to say moments away from death.

"YE-Wait what?" My (what I assumed to be my last few) words caught the blonde Fallen Angel by surprise.

I felt myself blushing slightly, pointing an accusing finger at the blonde Fallen Angel.

"Y-You WATCHED me and my girlfriend make out for THIRTY MINUTES!?" I pointed out yet again.

The Fallen Angel's cheeks pinked slightly. "S-Shut up! Don't make things sound like that! It's not-! I was observing you for my mission!" She defended.

"What kind of mission requires you to watch the whole time while a teenage boy and his girlfriend to make out for thirty minutes!?" I shot back. "I mean, I'd understand if you had to watch me and stuff, but I highly doubt it was necessary for you to watch us the whole thirty minutes! I mean, go get a snack, get something to eat, go to the bathroom, go watch a movie! Do SOMETHING! No matter how you look at it, you're a pervert who likes watching teenagers make out-Pervert!"

The blonde Fallen Angel's face was beet red as she was trembling with either embarrassment or rage.

"I-You-That's-!" She was so frustrated it had become difficult for her to speak. "J-Just...SHUT UP! You didn't even go all the way with her, so what does it matter!? I mean, you didn't even actually touch her most private area so why should I care?!"

My eyes widened. "YOU WERE PAYING THAT CLOSE ATTENTION!?"

"But I-FUCK THIS!" The embarrassed Fallen Angel held a light spear in her hands, poised to strike. "I'm just going to kill you now and be done with it! DIE!"

Oh shit.

She launched the spear at my unarmed body.

For a moment, I was certain I was dead...AGAIN. Then I felt strange. Like some new reflex in me had awakened.

I immediately leaped backwards. I only meant to move a little, but I ended up leaping back several feet, landing upright on my feet. It grazed my leg a little, stinging me badly, but it wasn't too bad.

I stared. "Whoa."

The Fallen Angel's left eye twitched. "OK. Lucky dodge. Let's see how you like THIS!"

She materialized and threw another light spear. FUCK!

I rolled left, out of the way of the spear, causing it to strike nothing but the ground. I stared in wonder at my new and unexpected reflexes. Apparently my body had changed even more than I thought after I became a Devil.

Damn! This crazy chick can create more than one of those damned things! I can't fight her when I have no weapon!

I choked on my next thought.

As much as it went against every fiber of my being, I had to...to...

"DIE!"

I acted instinctively, being snapped out of my thoughts by the blonde-haired Fallen Angel who was trying to kill me. Due to being submerged in my thoughts, I reacted much more slowly than I would have before. I barely had time to shuffle out of the way to avoid getting decapitated. The light spear missed its intended target: my neck. Instead, it just barely grazed my right shoulder, cutting the fabric of my shirt and just a bit of my shoulder's flesh.

FUCK!

Even though it was just a shallow cut, it felt like a small fire had been started on my shoulder!

I winced, clutching my shoulder in silent agony.

Damn! Do Fallen Angels possess this kind of power? It didn't hurt this much when I was human-

Wait! Devils are creatures of the night! Light is like poison to us! Damn!

I shot a glare at the Fallen Angel. In my current state of weakness, I had no chance against her. I had to...

I had to run.

But I had to distract the Fallen Angel first if I wanted to have a chance at getting away...

I turned in the direction of the blonde-haired girl. "Hey! Fallen Angel!"

She materialized another light spear, narrowing her eyes at me. "Oh? Could it be the shitty Devil's decided to finally stop hopping around like an idiot and take his death like a man?"

I resisted the urge to snap at her for that, but I kept my cool. "No. It's just that there's something I have to say first."

The blonde Fallen Angel rolled her eyes, sighing. "Whatever. Just make it quick."

"It's just that-OH MY GOD-!" OUCH! "-WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE!?"

I pointed over the Fallen Angel's shoulder toward the direction of nothing.

Yes, I know it was a stupid idea. Perhaps the most unoriginal, stupid idea in all of existence...but wanna know the stupidest thing about it?

It WORKED.

I don't know how or why, but apparently my voice must've been rather convincing because the Fallen Angel quickly turned around, looking in the direction I pointed in.

"What?!"

I didn't have time to stare and exclaim "Oh my fucking goodness, I can't believe that worked." The moment the Fallen Angel was distracted, I turned tail and ran.

I ran as fast as my new, Devil legs could carry me, which was to say, VERY VERY fast. Not fast like the speed of sound, but faster than the average human for sure. Maybe even faster than a speeding car. It might have to do with the properties of the piece Sera-tan used to reincarnate me. Despite the great speed I was running at, I didn't even feel winded or tired. It was only now that I was focusing solely on moving rather than surviving that I was able to realize this speed.

I made sure to take several shortcuts and cut across several alleyways, sometimes doubling back to make sure that I was losing my possible pursuer.

It wasn't enough to get away. I also had to make sure that there was no chance that the Fallen Angels would follow me back to my house. I couldn't put Mako-nee in harm's way like that. Despite how often we fight and argue, I still love her.

She's my Onee-sama who's raised me since I was little. I won't let anyone hurt her!

I kept running for several more minutes, my house being only a block or two away. Almost home-free.

I let out a sigh of relief as I slowed myself to walking speed.

"I guess I outran her."

"Outran who?" A (unfortunately) familiar voice asked in a mocking tone.

...Shit.

I spun around on my heels to see no one within my immediate sight.

"Yoohoo~!" The voice said, causing me to direct my attention upwards to the top of the nearby streetlight upon which sat a familiar, smirking, blonde-haired Fallen Angel who was swinging her legs in the air casually.

I blinked several times, trying to make sure my eyes weren't deceiving me.

"W-What?! B-But I escaped you!"

The Fallen Angel narrowed her eyes. "Yeah, apparently you missed the fact I have WINGS."

I stared dumbly. "...Wha?"

"I can FLY, ya know?" The blonde explained. "You weren't difficult to track down. All I had to do was fly high into the air and follow your movements with my eyes. Then I flew over to a street lamp in the direction you were heading and I've been waiting here for a good ten minutes."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Huh...in hindsight, I probably should've accounted for that possibility..."

The blonde leaped up from her sitting position on the light, flapping her wings in order to float in midair.

"So, are you gonna make this easy, or do I have to hunt you down like the rabid dog you are?" She once again materialized a light spear.

"Mmmmm..." I thought about it. "Do I get a third option?" Hey, a guy can dream.

"No."

"Fuck."

"Just stand still and let me stab you!" The Fallen Angel commanded.

I raised my fists. "Sorry, but I've been there, done that, no fucking way is it happening again!" I knew there was no choice. I had to stand and fight. I had no combat training nor any type of weapon nor any way to reach the Fallen Angel in the air. My best hope was to hit her in the eye with a rock or something if I had any luck whatsoever. "I'm taking you down here and now!"

"Ha!" The Fallen Angel laughed. "You got guts, kid. Too bad I gotta stab them out of you!"

"Kid"? Who's she calling a kid? She looks younger than I do!

I prepared myself to dodge out of the way as the Fallen Angel poised herself to strike again. I was prepared for the worst when-

"Hands off!" Another, more welcomed, familiar voice intervened.

The Fallen Angel looked as confused as I did...but only for that one second though. The next second, she was being knocked out of the air and smashed against a wall by a large, heavy, metal object. Upon closer inspection, I observed that the thrown object had been a dumpster.

"Eh?" Well, the dumpster had been thrown at the Fallen Angel, so it was that second clue that let me know that the thrower was an ally.

"Ah. Very good to see you're okay, Shirou-san." I turned in surprise to see a familiar, blue-haired girl with the face of a bishounen approaching me.

"Yura-san?! What are you doing here?!" I asked in shock. Just how many people did I fail to see observing me.

Yura-san shrugged, a small smile on her face. "Nothing much. Just-" She paused as if waiting to say the punchline of a joke...Wait...No. She isn't...she can't be! She's not serious! "-takin' out the trash."

Noooo! She did! She...

I stared at her, dumbfounded. She...she really just said that...

Yura-san had an expectant look. Then I realized she was silently asking me to judge her joke.

I sighed, shaking my head. "No...Just-Just...no." The dumpster that was pinning the Fallen Angel to the wall began to shudder, no doubt the Fallen Angel attempting to extract herself from between the wall and the dumpster. "But no time to discuss your bad jokes! We gotta get going!"

"Right. Follow me."

"Yea-Huh?" I was about to agree with Yura-san's choice when I was suddenly plucked from the ground. For a brief, horrifying moment, I thought that the Fallen Angel had somehow gotten out of the predicament she was in and was lifting me from the ground into the air. Then I just realized that Yura-san had picked me up...from the ground...and was holding me bridal style.

"Let's go, Shirou-san." Yura-san then took off, carrying me in her arms...

Well, suffice to say, I felt rather uncomfortable. What guy wouldn't feel uncomfortable, being carried bridal style by an admittedly handsome, bishounen-faced girl?

Speaking of bishounen-faced girls, Yura-san was oddly strong. Even with a Devil's body, I don't think it's natural to be able to run so easily while carrying someone else. This led me to believe that the piece that turned Yura-san into a Devil was a [Rook].

To avoid being jostled around like a toy of some sort, I had to wrap my arms around Yura-san's neck. She didn't seem to mind, but I couldn't help but feel that Ruruko would probably hit either me or Yura-san out of pure jealousy right now...most likely me though. It would be just my luck I guess.

Yura-san continued running, making sure we didn't let the Fallen Angel girl catch up to us. She made sure to take us down dark alleys and places that are not easily seen from the air.

Apparently she had the brains to match her brawn.

It was about ten minutes until a familiar, two-floor house came into my sight.

"Do you see her behind us, Shirou-san?" Yura-san asked with a strange tone. Experimentally, I raised my head and looked over Yura-san's shoulder. Despite all of my expectations, I actually DIDN'T see the blonde Fallen Angel girl who had attacked me earlier chasing after us with raging vengeance in her eyes.

I let out a sigh of relief. "No. I think we lost her."

Yura-san slowed her pace to a walk and continued moving towards my house.

"That's good."

"Yeah-OH DEAR GOD! WHAT'S UP WITH YOUR FACE?!"

It might've been a rude thing to say to a girl, but I was just so shocked by how Yura-san's face looked.

Her face was beet-red and steaming, her eyes were open so wide that I thought they were going to pop out, and her mouth was twitching uncontrollably, like she was repressing a smile. In a weird way, it kind of looked like her face was about to explode.

Yura-san quickly set me on the ground as we quickly approached the front door of my house.

She turned away, but I could still see her ears turn red. "I have no idea what you mean." I noticed her arms were trembling somewhat.

I stared at her with half-lidded eyes. "Riiiiiiight." I walked over to the front door of my house and gave it three hard knocks.

I felt like I was forgetting something...

That was when a different thought worked its way to the front of my mind. Something troubling.

"Say, Yura-san, I got a question."

Yura-san stared at me, having calmed herself down. "Yes?"

"How did you know where I live?"

.

.

.

Yura-san paused, her expression becoming blank in the face of my question. "Hm?"

I placed a finger on my chin, thinking it through. "No really! I mean, we've never really interacted much before, so we were never really close. I've certainly never invited you over. We've never really walked home together...How do you know where I live, Yura-san?"

Rather than give me a straight answer, Yura-san rolled her eyes away from me. "Errrrrrrr..."

I stared at her expectantly, waiting for an answer.

"I mean...it's like you-"

SLAM!

"MAKO-KICK! CHA!" I was interrupted by the sound of the door slamming open and then by a kick flying through the air that made direct contact with my face, sending my sorry ass flying backwards several feet.

"Oh dammit! What is it with everyone and kicking my goddamned face in?!"

Makoto had no idea what the word "restraint" meant.

"You had it comin', ya jackass! Sleeping over at a friend's house on a school night, hanging up on me-TWICE, and also-" It was then that Mako-nee noticed two things.

First, the blue-haired, bishounen-faced girl standing beside me.

Second (and perhaps the most apparent), the injuries I had sustained courtesy of my Fallen Angel friend.

Mako-nee's eyes widened. "WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED?!" Her voice was overwhelmed with concern.

I really wish she had noticed my injuries BEFORE she kicked me in the face though.

"Would you believe I tripped?" I asked with a joking smile.

BONK!

Mako-nee hit me right upside the head, an annoyed expression on her look. "This is serious! W-We have to get you to a hospital or something! Damn! The one time I have to regret not having a first aid kit and it has to be this kind of situation!"

It was at this moment that Yura-san calmly stepped forward, a calm expression on her face.

"Fujimura-san, if you will calm down for just a moment, I have a solution to your problem."

Mako-nee...I was kind of surprised. Her expression became disturbingly serious and rather aggressive for a moment after she looked at Yura-san. I might've been mistaken because her expression looked absolutely normal after that one second had passed.

"I'm sorry, have we met?"

Yura-san waved off Mako-nee's perfectly reasonable question. "That's not important now. I'm your so-"

"BROTHER!" I quickly inserted before Yura-san could say something that could get us both beaten into a coma.

Yura-san looked surprised. We stepped back and kind of huddled up together, speaking in whispers.

"'Brother'? Really?!" She sounded rather unsure of this.

I rolled my eyes. "Yes! Come on! She looks mature, but she doesn't look old. She looks like she's in her twenties!"

"Well, it just seems weird..."

"Just don't mention it to her. We are siblings, OK?"

Yura-san nodded out of understanding.

After that quick conversation, we moved back towards Mako-nee.

"I'm your brother's stalk-I mean-FRIEND." Wait wait wait! What was that first thing she was gonna say?! "And I can honestly say that his injuries aren't that threatening. I have a friend who's skilled in medical treatment. If you want immediately medical attention for Shirou, then she can easily treat these few cuts. She's really only like a minute away from here."

Mako-nee raised an eyebrow questioningly. After considering it for a few seconds, she nodded.

"Well...Shirou doesn't look like he's dying...so I guess that's fine..." She then looked at me. "How did you even get this injured, Shirou?"

I panicked for a moment. Of course she was going to ask that at some point!

Before I could blurt out something stupid, I put on a blank face.

"I...I fell."

THAT was the best you could come up with?! YOU FUCKING IDIOT!

Mako-nee was clearly unconvinced.

...Well...perhaps a partial truth will do...

"I got into a little fight with some thug who was trying to mug me with a knife."

Mako-nee's eyes widened. "What?!"

"I mopped the floor with him, but he got a few good moves in. Thus explains the cuts on my body."

Wasn't a full-proof excuse, but it was something at least.

Mako-nee examined my face for any sign of deception. She would not find any for it was technically not a lie...well, the "fight" part wasn't anyway.

She eventually sighed. "I see...Well, just be more careful next time. If you end up in a fight with the odds stacked against you, don't try to play the big, bad hero. Run away next time, OK?"

Her voice was filled with concern and worry. I suddenly felt bad for lying to her...but I couldn't very well tell her anything that had happened. I couldn't involve Mako-nee in the world of Devils. I hadn't been involved in the world of Devils even once and I got a spear through my chest. I didn't need Mako-nee getting hurt for being associated with me. The less she knew, the better.

I nodded, trying to ease her worries. "Yes, Mako-nee."

"Alright then. Just call up your friend and get those injuries treated before they become infected or something."

Yura-san bowed respectfully. "Yes, Fujimura-san. Shirou-san and I will wait for our friend in his room."

Mako-nee was about to turn around and walk away when she paused, as if realizing something.

Both Yura-san and I tensed for a moment, worried Mako-nee had seen through our ruse as she turned back around to face us.

Then a mischievous smile appeared on Mako-nee's face.

"The two of you alone? Together?" She shrugged, still smiling with that mischievous smile of hers. "Alright then, but be sure to leave a sock on the door so I don't walk in on you two." She giggled somewhat as she walked away.

My face flushed red as I picked up on the meaning behind Makoto's words.

"I...Wanna know what? Forget it." It wasn't even worth trying to come up with a comeback. I looked back at Yura-san. "Come on, Yura-san."

There was a brief pause.

"Yura-san?" I looked in the direction of my blue-haired friend to see she was frozen in place, her face covered by her hands. "You okay?"

Yura-san jumped, as if having just remembered my presence. She removed her hands from her face, revealing that her cheeks were tinged with red.

...She was kind of cute when she was embarrassed.

"Y-Yes. Sorry. Your Onee-sama's words were just sudden and-"

I waved it off. "Yeah. Don't think too much about it. O-Onee-sama always acts like that around my friends. Just doing her duty as my owler shister-Olwder seester..."

Why do I feel so dizzy all of a sudden...?

I stumbled a little when I tried taking a step.

"Careful!" Yura-san caught me before I could fall.

I didn't notice it before because I wasn't moving much...but my sense of balance was really off...I also noticed that the pain from my wounds hadn't faded a single bit. If anything, the pain was starting to sting even worse now...

"What...?"

"It's the light spear's power. Even though none of the wounds themselves were severe, the light is slowly poisoning you. We have to get you healed and fast." Yura-san threw one of my arms over her shoulder. "Let's go up to your room where we won't be disturbed."

With Yura-san supporting me, we made our way up the stairs to the second floor, traveling down the hallway and stopping at my door.

I unlocked it and pushed forward, opening the door. Yura-san shut it behind us after we got in.

She carefully set me on my bed, making sure not to agitate my injuries.

"Just stay still."

I raised an eyebrow. "What are you going to do?"

Yura-san shook her head. "Nothing. I'm not suited to most healing magic. However, my [King] would certainly be well-versed in such magic."

Her [King]...? Sitri-senpai?

Yura-san then pulled out a familiar card. The summoning circle for calling a Devil. It held a magic circle on it similar to the one Sera-tan gave me when we first met face-to-face.

She held the card close to her face and whispered something, probably words needed to summon Senpai. After she did, the card started glowing a beautiful, azure-blue color.

...There was something else I had to get off my chest though.

"Thanks for saving me from the Fallen Angel, Yura-san." It was fair. Yura-san saved me from possibly being killed by that blonde Fallen Angel...It was only fair that I thanked her for it.

"Tsubasa."

As we waited for the magic circle to take effect, I was surprised by Yura-san's request.

"Huh?"

"I want you to..." Yura-san's face was bright-red with embarrassment. "...I want you to call me by my first name..." She twiddled her fingers together, no doubt doing her best to keep from falling silent due to embarrassment.

I gave a small smile, nodding. She really WAS cute when she was blushing.

"Alright then. Tsubasa-chan~" I said in a cutesy tone.

Yur-I mean, Tsubasa-chan's face became even redder at this.

"S-Shirou-san, t-to call me in such a w-way-!" Her face was steaming by this point.

For the record: Yes. This was the reaction I was trying to invoke. She really is cute~

It also answered the question of whether or not she was interested in me. That made her a possible potential harem candidate. However, I didn't exactly feel that romantic attachment to her yet. I cared for her, but not in THAT way. So I would just have to wait and see how this plays out in the future.

"It's nice to see the two of you are getting along well." Interrupted a new and familiar voice.

I looked to my right and stared at Sitri-senpai who was sitting next to me, her hands in her lap and a smile on her face.

"Oh...Hey, Senpai..."

Then, after several seconds, Tsubasa-chan and I processed this entirely.

[Senpaaaai?!/Kaichooou?!]

We were both surprised by Senpai's sudden appearance. We hadn't even noticed her presence until she had spoken up.

"H-How much did you hear?!"

Senpai's smile was clearly one of amusement. "Everything after you thanked Tsubasa for saving you."

"Ah..."

I looked at Tsubasa-chan. She wasn't doing so well. It was embarrassing enough for her to ask me to call her by her first name. To know that someone had observed the whole exchange made her look like she was going to die from embarrassment.

The world was starting to spin a little, I rubbed my temples to try to lessen the headache that was starting to grow in my skull.

"Gah! This hurts!" My body hurt, my head, hurt, everything hurt. It wasn't unbearable enough for me to pass out or something, but it was fairly unpleasant.

For a brief second, I thought I saw a quick flash of concern in Sitri-senpai's expression. Whether I saw it or not would remain unknown as her expression quickly returned to being the usual serious expression that always seemed to be on her face in matters related to school or Devils.

She looked at me and Tsubasa-chan. "What exactly happened?"

And, as quickly yet carefully as possible, Tsubasa-chan and I recounted my encounter with the Fallen Angel, Tsubasa covering everything that happened after her arrival. I made sure to emphasize how the encounter with the Fallen Angel WAS NOT my fault since Senpai already told me not to get involved with them.

Senpai considered everything we told her with a pensive expression. "I see...To think they would try something so bold...not know whose servant...?" Then I realized she was mumbling to herself because she seemed to have forgotten either Tsubasa-chan or I were here.

"Um, Senpai...not to be rude, but I'm pretty sure my wounds are still bleeding..." I didn't mean to whine, but there was a slight squeak at the end of my sentence. It might've been my imagination, but I think it was starting to hurt WORSE now.

Senpai nodded. "Of course. Before anything else, we must treat your injuries. I know of a potent healing method, but I require your trust in order for it to go smoothly. No questions."

I nodded. "Rock on. Let's get to it then."

"I need you to strip."

.

.

.

….what?

I stared at Senpai for a moment before laughing it off. "Haha! Sorry, Senpai, but I think something's wrong with my ears. Could you repeat that?"

"I need you to strip naked."

I stared blankly. Her expression was not joking. She wasn't looking me in the eyes, but I knew she was serious.

"If he's too slow, I'll gladly do it for him, Kaichou." I felt chills go down my spine as Tsubasa-chan stared with scary eyes, her hands ready to...do something to me. There was a strange grin on her face.

"Wait wait! I'm doing it! I'm doing it!" I gestured for Tsubasa-chan to calm down. "Could you two at least...turn around maybe?"

Tsubasa-chan and Senpai exchanged a look before nodding in agreement.

They both turned their backs to me and, with great embarrassment and hesitation, I reached for the buckle on my pants, closing my eyes and trying to forget the fact there were two girls in my room. It was just as embarrassing as when I woke up stark naked next to Serafall...this morning...This morning?! Really?! Damn! To think this all happened in one day! I mean, what kind of luck do I have?! It's horribly inconsistent, so it's tough to tell whether I'm really fortunate or have the shittiest luck!

Luckily, these thoughts kept me distracted until I was finally naked. Otherwise I would've focused on the pain when my clothes touched my wounds while I was taking my clothes off or the embarrassment of being forced to strip by these girls.

To preserve some semblance of dignity, I covered my manhood with a blanket on my bed after sitting down.

I coughed into my fist. "I'm done."

Both girls turned around to face me. While Senpai's gaze was purely for examining my body, I noticed Tsubasa-chan's eye held a (for lack of a better word) HUNGRY look in them. She was suppressing a smile and I couldn't help but notice the drool that was beginning to drip from the side of her mouth or the bright blush that appeared on her face.

Trying to draw attention from the fact that I looked like an animal that a certain predator (*COUGH* TSUBASA *COUGH*) was about to pounce on, I turned to Sitri-senpai.

"So...what's the next step?"

"Lie down on the bed." Senpai instructed.

"Right." I did as instructed and laid down on my bed.

"Now close your eyes."

I made a mental prayer.

For the love of all that is unholy, please don't let this turn out like some kind of scene from some kind of hentai.

"OK, now no matter how much what I'm about to say sounds like something that someone would say shortly before some kind of scene from a hentai, just listen." Senpai said, pausing before continuing. "Keep your eyes closed no matter what I do or what you feel brush up against you."

I scooted away from Senpai, laying more on the other side of the bed further from her.

"I...I'm not so sure about this anymore...I think I'd rather just bleed out...a little bit..."

Sitri-senpai frowned. "You're going to be difficult about this, aren't you?"

I shrugged, wiping some sweat from my forehead. The world was starting to spin faster and faster as I started feeling more nauseous due to my light poisoning.

"...Probably..." I said honestly. Then more honestly, "Yes."

Sitri-senpai adjusted her glasses, a frown appearing on her face. "...Some part of me knew you were going to respond like that. Tsubasa, if you would?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Would what?"

I didn't even know when Tsubasa-chan appeared next to me. She beat her fists together just once.

"On it."

Before I could say "What?", I felt something hit my right on the head and everything went dark.

* * *

"...-ake up!"

I was woken up not by the light of the sun shining in through my window, but by the fact that someone was shaking me back and forth like a rag doll.

Once my eyes adjusted to the sudden light, I realized I was staring into the annoyed face of Mako-nee.

"Come on, lazy ass! Get up so you aren't late for school!"

Once I was fully aware of my surroundings, I smacked Mako-nee's hands away, glaring at her.

"What's with you, crazy Mako-nee?!"

I felt a harsh pain on my head as Mako-nee punched me.

"Shut it! I just wanted to tell you that your two "friends"-" Mako-nee added air quotations and a mischievous smirk to the word "friends". "-left a couple minutes earlier. I'd thought I'd go ahead and wake you up."

I felt troubled by the way Mako-nee said "friends", but there was something else I felt troubled about...

"They left?"

Oh yeah!

I examined my body. I was still naked, but all of my injuries were gone. It wasn't a dream. It was just like when I woke up next to Serafall naked...Do Devils heal others with the power of nudity?!

It sounded ridiculous, but it didn't make any less sense than just about everything else.

Mako-nee nodded. "While I won't inquire as to why, exactly, you are naked first thing in the morning or what you did with those two, admittedly attractive girls last night, I will tell you that they told me to tell you they would meet you at school later to "discuss the events of last night", kukukuku~"

With a perverted smirk, Mako-nee giggled to herself as she made her way out of my room to go to who -knows-what.

...I really hate when she twists situations like that into something that makes me out to be a sexual deviant...granted I AM often flirting or ogling girls and I AM trying to build a harem, but it sounds worse whenever Mako-nee twists the situation into something it's not.

With nothing better to do, I got ready for school...I felt it was somewhat anticlimactic for everything that happened...Really though, yesterday was quite a day.

Woke up naked next to a magical girl, learned I was a Devil, learned most of my friends were Devils, found out I had a Sacred Gear, got attacked by a Fallen Angel (AGAIN!), and then I ended up being made to strip and knocked unconscious by Sitri-senpai and Tsubasa-chan.

...Dear Devil, I hope they didn't do anything weird to me while I was asleep...

After getting dressed, I made my way downstairs and out of the house.

I walked to school, trying to get my thoughts in order.

Last night was just humiliating. What's to stop me from being picked off by the Fallen Angels at any moment? These Fallen Angels, according to Senpai, were at the bottom of the foodchain. If I couldn't even stand up to them, I stood no chance against any threat that laid in waiting.

I had to get stronger.

I needed my Sacred Gear.

By the time I was fully dressed in my school uniform, the matter was already settled for me.

Today, I was going to ask Senpai to awaken my Sacred Gear. No matter how much begging it took.

For this, I was willing to forsake all pride. What if Ise or Mako-nee were with me next time I was attacked? How was I supposed to protect them if I couldn't even protect myself?

And so I made my way outside the house after saying goodbye to Mako-nee.

I went to go met up with Ise at our usual meeting point on the way to school.

I waved. "Yo!"

Ise jumped when I greeted him, spinning on his heels with such speed, as if he expected to be attacked.

He seemed to relax upon seeing that it was just me.

"Oh...for a second I thought-"

"That I was a Fallen Angel who planned to kill you for the second time?"

Ise stared at me for several seconds, various expressions flashing across his face within that time:

Surprise, shock, disbelief, denial, then finally acceptance.

"So all that...it really happened...? Buchou was telling me the truth about all this Devil stuff...?"

I nodded. "Yep...so I take it Gremory-senpai told you all about it? About Sacred Gears, Devils, Fallen Angels, and Yuuma?"

Ise nodded as we continued on our way to school. "Yes, yes, yes...and yes." I noticed Ise wince at the mention of his psychotic, bitch ex-girlfriend.

"Right, sorry." I apologized after noting his discomfort.

Ise sighed. "It...It's fine." Although it CLEARLY wasn't...I could tell my bro was achin'. Yuuma was the first girl to appear attracted to him, give him the confidence boost he always needed in order to be in a relationship with a girl. Then she pulled a total bitch move and killed his soul brother (meaning me) in front of him and then killing him shortly afterward. Any guy who is alright after having his heart broken like that is a guy who has a soul made of unbreakable stone.

I shrugged, smiling somewhat. "I guess there is one good thing that came out of it: We both got Masters who are smoking hot babes!"

Ise couldn't stay down for long. He started grinning perversely.

"Yeah! By the way, what was the name of that cosplayer girl I saw you with before you turned Oka-san's wrath back on me?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Oh, that was my master, Serafall Leviathan. She's supposed to have some important job, so her younger sister is teaching me about the do's and don't's of being a Devil."

"I see." Ise noted. "So who's Serafall's sister? Is she cute just like her Onee-sama? Oh, wouldn't it be awesome if she had the same size jugs?!" Ise went into one of his little perverted fantasies as he fantasized about girls with large breasts...that Oppai idiot.

He snapped out of it after I started knocking on his head.

"So anyway, turns out Sera-tan's younger sister is actually the president of the Student Council, Souna Shitori. Her actual name is Sona Sitri though...So yeah..."

Our discussion continued along the lines of our new-found Devilhood. We discussed our respective [Kings] (both of us having the great fortune to be resurrected by rather kind and forgiving women). We discussed what we would do when we got our own Peerages. Of course that idiot would use his Peerage just for ecchi things...idiot.

Me? I'm gonna try and keep my Peerage and my harem separate.

"When do you think they're gonna help us finally summon our Sacred Gears?"

Ise paused, giving me a weird look.

"What?"

"I...I've already summoned my Sacred Gear."

…What?

"Yeah. Buchou helped me summon it just yesterday."

I stared. "Ise say what now?!" His expression told me he wasn't kidding. "That's not fair! How come you get your Sacred Gear already?!" I pouted. I know I was sounding like a brat right now, but it really wasn't fair. How come Ise already got his Sacred Gear? Maybe if I had mine, I wouldn't have almost been turned into a shish-kabob. That was the major reason I was upset.

Why was Ise so much more of a higher priority? What makes him so special?

I immediately felt horrible about that thought. Ise's my friend. My brother. I should be happy for him.

SENPAI was the one I should be upset with.

I sighed. "Well, at least we can still figure out what these Devil jobs are and maybe we'll even be able to do our first one together."

Ise's expression became somewhat awkward. "Erm..."

"Oh my God, you already got to do your first one, didn't you?"

Ise smiled awkwardly. "Wellll..."

I maintained a passive expression, but I was actually rather upset. "I am sooooo having a talk with Senpai."

"Haha..." I didn't know it at the time, but Ise told me later that I was emitting a rather terrifying aura. That would explain why he had turned a pale color and started sweating rivers.

We continued our way to school, meeting up with the other two idiots of the Perverted Trio. Ruruko, unfortunately, must have gone on ahead to school.

Part of my mind wondered how many other Fallen Angels were out last night. Who else they were targeting?

That thought made my insides freeze. What if they had encountered Ruruko last night? What if the Fallen Angels decided to take her out while on their way to eliminate me?

I shook my head, trying to clear my mind of such thoughts. Ruruko had much more experience as a Devil. She would never be killed so easily. I mean, Tsubasa-chan was able to crush one of the Fallen Angels with a dumpster. A fiery one like Ruruko would be just fine.

That is how I reassured myself.

Our trip to school was uneventful. Ise and I said our usual farewells at the school gate, heading to our respective classes.

I was walking through the school hallway when-

"Fujimura-kun. Can we talk?" I jumped for a moment at the sound of the voice behind me, spinning on my heels to come face-to-face with Sitri-senpai.

I narrowed my eyes, jamming an accusing finger in her direction. "YOOOOOOU-Wait." I paused before I went on the rant I'd been preparing for since this morning. "Before I say anything else...you and Tsubasa...you-you didn't do anything weird to me while I was unconscious, did you?" Yeah, I know I don't exactly have my priorities in order, but it was something that's been bugging me.

I expected Senpai to say "No." with her usual serious expression and we'd all be on our merry way, but my expectations were wrong...

I couldn't help but notice her cheeks turn a slight pink, her eyes avoiding my own. "It wasn't anything inappropriate, but...I admit it depends on your definition of "weird"."

"THAT DOESN'T REASSURE ME! WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME WHILE I WAS NAKED!?" My face was flushing red at the thought of what weird or perverted things that Senpai and Tsubasa-chan did to me while I was asleep.

"...Shirou." Senpai was face-palming, an annoyed look on her face.

"What?" I then looked around us, blinking in confusion as I realized everyone was staring at us.

"Please stop talking."

"...Oh..." My face flushed an even deeper shade of red.

Senpai merely shook her head out of disapproval before gesturing me to move forward. "Follow me."

Being too embarrassed with myself to object, I did as Senpai commanded.

My bet was that we were going somewhere private. Of course, my obvious bet was right.

Sitri-senpai led me up the stairs up to the school rooftop. With everyone heading off to class, it was nice and quiet, the two of us alone together...

In any other situation, that would sound weird.

Well, now that nobody was around, I took a deep breath, ready to chew Senpai out.

"I apologize." Senpai bowed to me before I could say so much as a single word.

….what?

I looked at her expression, and she was genuinely apologetic.

"If I had been more diligent in my duties as your guardian assigned by Onee-sama, then I would have been able to prevent the attempt on your life." The words came out with a bitter tone from Senpai's mouth. It was clear that serious failure didn't sit well with her. "I thought it would've been safer to simply wait for Onee-sama to return and train you then, but if I had been less hesitant and unlocked your Sacred Gear sooner as Rias did for Hyoudou, then perhaps you would've been able to defend yourself. For this, I apologize."

"Oh..." Yeah, a real smart response, I know. I just wasn't sure what else to say. Senpai totally took the wind from beneath my wings. I was about to totally chew her out for all of the stuff she just apologized for, but it was kind of late now. If I got mad at her now, I would just look like a jerk. "Well...I...I forgive you." I looked off to the side, rubbing the back of my neck. "D-Don't bow your head for an average guy like me, Senpai. It makes me feel kind of weird."

Senpai raised her head, nodding. "Very well then, Fujimura-kun." I may have been imagining it, but I thought I saw Senpai smiling for a moment. "But I will be sure to rectify my mistake this time."

I stared at Senpai with a confused look on my face. "Hm?"

I noticed a strange yet serious glint in Senpai's eyes...or it could've been sunlight reflecting off her glasses. Either way, Senpai's words remained the same.

"Fujimura-kun, don't go home immediately after school today."

"Why?" It was a fair question.

Saying something like that out of the blue...was Senpai worried I was going to be attacked again?

"I will be sending Ruruko to fetch you after classes today." Senpai explained. "I have procrastinated long enough on this matter. Tonight, we will finally awaken your Sacred Gear. And I shall do my best to obtain a possible contract for you to perform as a Devil as well."

I stared blankly at Senpai.

YANK

I pulled on my cheek really hard. "Ouch!" Pain forced me to let go, causing me to rub my cheek to soothe the pain.

Senpai frowned. "Is something wrong?"

I shook my head. "N-No. It's nothing. It's just, it's kind of weird. I mean, I was just kind of complaining about this earlier and it feels awfully convenient." It was like the universe was advancing my life in a convenient way that would prove entertaining or amusing to a third party. "Eh, never mind. So we're really going to do it tonight?"

Senpai nodded.

I threw one fist into the air. "Rock on! Thank's So-tan!"

.

.

.

My own jaw dropped at my own words.

WHAT DID I JUST SAAAAAAY?! Did I just call Senpai "So-tan"?! I think I meant to call her Senpai or Sona-san or maybe Sitri-senpai but I ended up calling her "So-tan"!

I expected Senpai to be upset or angry or something. Instead, I saw a hint of red on her face.

I opened my mouth to apologize.

"DON'T." Senpai said suddenly and forcefully. I jumped out of surprise. "Just don't. Forget it. Just, please, refer to me from now on as either Sitri-senpai, Shitori-senpai, or Kaichou."

"...you mad?"

Senpai adjusted her glasses. "N-No...It was surprising is all. J-Just please refrain from addressing me like that from now on." Sitri-senpai averted her gaze. Clearly it wasn't just Sera-tan calling her "So-tan" that embarrassed her. I guess just the nickname in general did the trick.

...Definitely storing that in the vault for a later date.

And thus, my schedule for after school was sealed.

* * *

The day seemed to drag on for several years rather than hours...

Maybe it was because I was so excited! I was finally gonna get my Sacred Gear!

Yay~! This is gonna be so awesome!

Even if it's a common Sacred Gear, at least I'll have SOMETHING...I just hope it isn't one with some lame ability like letting me turn lights on and off with my mind or something. That would suck.

"Milord, I have a request to ask of you."

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of my sworn knight beside me.

Karlamine was kneeling down in front of me like a knight before her liege lord.

I sweatdropped. "Seriously, Karly. Sometimes I think you take this "knightly chivalry" thing a bit too far."

Karlamine's eyes widened as if she realized something. "Of course! Forgive me if I have offended you, my King! If it so pleases you, I will gladly take my own life as penance for my offense!"

I sweatdropped again. "Please don't."

It took a few minutes to make sure that Karlamine had no intention of killing herself (assuming she wasn't joking of course).

I stared at Karlamine who still knelt before me. She seemed really flustered...well, more-so than usual. That could account for why she was being so much more stereotypical knight than usual.

Karlamine's serious demeanor dissolved into a nervous one. She began to twiddle her fingers together out of said nervousness.

"Well...I...I was just...um...if it's no inconvenience...maybe we could...go somewhere together..." Karlamine tensed, jumping up on both feet. "N-Not like a d-date or anything! I-I just meant that i-if you weren't d-doing anything later and had some free t-time that maybe we c-could just go do something!" Her face was flushed a deep red color.

Oh...now isn't THIS awkward?

I averted my gaze, feeling bad as I tried to find a way to turn Karlamine down.

This was one of the first times she directly asked me out on a date. Most of the time she's making up excuses like getting lost or being afraid of the dark or something like that. She must've worked up a lot of courage to just blurt it out like this.

I know I said I wouldn't take advantage of the fact that I saved her life, but that doesn't mean I want to completely shatter the girl's self-esteem and confidence by constantly rejecting her.

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously, sweating out of nervousness.

"Well...I...you see...erm..."

Karlamine gained an incredibly sad expression. "It's "no", isn't it...?"

Wow...even though I've yet to do anything wrong, I feel like such a jerk.

Think, Shirou! What you say here may ultimately affect Karlamine's entire future! This is NOT an exaggeration! She worships you for Hell-knows-why! You can't be too drastic! Just let her down gently! Better yet: Put it off! Just do SOMETHING! She's staring at you-HEY! Don't just keep monologuing in your head! SAY SOMETHING!

"There you are!" Who should burst in the room but Ruruko? She looked mad at me for some reason...what did I do this time?! "Kaichou's been looking for you! You're in big trouble, Shirou!"

Me?! What did I do?!

Ruruko turned to Karlamine and bowed in apology. "Sorry, Senpai, but Shirou-senpai has to come with me to meet with Kaichou right now. He'll have to reply to your question at a later date."

What is she...?

Then I noticed Ruruko turned to me and wink.

What is she-OOOHHHH! Nice~!

I turned to Karlamine and bowned in apology. "Sorry, Karly, but looks like we'll have to put that on hold. Talk later, OK?"

Karlamine didn't seem happy, but she wasn't depressed or sad either, so I'd call this a victory.

She nodded. "Very well, my King. Until next time, then."

"Come on, Shirou-senpai! Kaichou's waiting for us!" Ruruko grabbed me by the collar and started dragging me off.

I waved goodbye to Karlamine while being dragged off.

Once we were out of sight and around the next corner, Ruruko turned me around to face her, releasing her grip on my collar.

I let out a small breath, smiling somewhat. "I admit, that was pretty good improvisation, Ruruko."

Ruruko grinned as she brushed me off, straightening out my shirt which she kind of messed up when she started yanking me around.

"Thanks. I figured you needed a motive-neutral way out that didn't make you feel like a jerk for possibly damaging Karlamine's confidence and self-esteem."

I brushed one hand softly across Ruruko's left cheek. "Have I mentioned how hot you are when you read my mind like that?"

Ruruko blushed slightly, managing to keep her composure as she finished fixing up my shirt.

"You could mention it more often." She leaned forward placing our lips at a tempting distance. The slightest movement from this position would cause our lips to make contact. Just a small one. While it was truly tempting, we both know that if we got started, it would be near impossible for us to stop. And this was hardly the right setting for us to be passionate.

Ruruko backed away, smiling to herself. "Anyway, Kaichou is waiting for us."

I nodded, remembering what I was so excited about earlier. "Right."

While we may have forgone a potential passionate make-out session, that didn't stop me from holding Ruruko's hand, the two of us standing close next to each other.

Together, we made our way to the Student Council room.

It was a fairly quiet trip. Halfway through, I removed my hand from Ruruko's and wrapped my arm around her waist, pulling her much closer to me. Ruruko responded by cutely leaning against me, the two of us walking close together like an even MORE stereotypical couple.

Just because I was trying to build a harem, it doesn't mean that I can't be romantic or actually act like a couple with one of my girls.

And so we held our position like that until we finally reached the Student Council room.

I stepped away first, moving ahead of Ruruko and opening the door.

I walked inside the Student Council room, noting the figures inside. Standing inside the room was Sitri-senpai, Tsubasa-chan, and two girls I did not recognize.

The first girl standing to Sitri-senpai's left looked my age. She had white hair and blue-green eyes. She also wore the Kuoh Academy girls' school uniform.

The other girl looked slightly older than me, possessing long, straight black hair that extended all the way down to her knees with split bangs. She possessed heterchromic eyes, her left eye being violet and her right eye being brown. As with all of the other girls here, she wore the girls' student uniform. She also possessed blue, semi-rimmed glasses with square lenses.

Both were pretty girls with busts that only emphasized how much smaller Ruruko's, Sitri-senpai's, and Tsubasa-chan's breasts were when compared to theirs.

Sitri-senpai nodded, approving of my entrance into the room.

I walked inside, Ruruko following after me. "Evenin', Senpai. Evenin', Tsubasa-chan" I greeted the two I DID know. I then shot a wink at the other two. "And who are these two enchanting, young beauties?"

The older girl blushed slightly, blinking several times out of confusion as she seemed to process what I said. The white-haired girl blushed slightly, but she giggled, covering her mouth with the back of her left hand as she gave a slight wave with her right hand.

SMASH

I turned around to see Ruruko biting the tip of her thumb, but otherwise suppressing her anger quite capably. So it wasn't hurt that broke something, so-

I looked in the direction of Tsubasa.

She was standing near the corner of the room, a dark, gloomy cloud descending over the area. The blue-haired girl's fist was smashed in the center of a small crater she had no doubt created with a punch she had thrown to vent her emotions. She was clenching her teeth and trembling with what was no doubt either jealousy or annoyance.

Sitri-senpai sighed, shaking her head with disapproval. "Please try to refrain from provoking any further reactions like that, Fujimura-kun."

I smiled somewhat awkwardly. "Sorry 'bout that."

Rather than acknowledging my half-assed apology, Senpai continued as if I hadn't spoken.

"I suppose I may as well introduce you." Sitri senpai gestured to the hot, older girl. "She is my [Queen]."

Senpai's [Queen] bowed slightly in greeting, her previous composure returning to her. "Tsubaki Shinra. I am in my third year and the [Queen] of Sona Sitri. A pleasure to meet you, Fujimura-san."

"Likewise, Shinra-senpai." I bowed to her as well. I flashed her a small and alluring smile and, for a brief second, I thought I saw her blush return. All I know is that she shot me a sharp look afterward with what may have been a pink color on her face. She was kind of cute really.

The white-haired just up and walked up to me, not waiting to be addressed.

She was smiling brightly and I couldn't help but think that she looked even cuter than Shinra-senpai and even-dare I even think it?-Ruruko.

"It's nice to see you, Shirou-chan. My name is Momo Hanakai. We're in the same year. If there's anything you need, feel free to ask me."

I rubbed the back of my neck, smiling gratefully. I can tell she'll be a pleasant person to be around since she's already speaking on familiar terms with me. Much less formal than some of the other girls I've met from the Student Council.

"Gee, thanks, Hanakai-sa-"

Then, in a burst of speed that completely took me by surprise, Hanakai-san (or should I call her Momo-chan?) quickly moved by my side and wrapped her arms around me, squeezing my arm in between her magnificent bust.

Her mouth was right next to my ear. I could tell because of the soft, sensual whisper that I heard hissing in my range of hearing.

"Anything."

A slight pink appeared on my face. Yep. She's definitely coming on to me.

Before I could respond-

"FUCKING BITCH!" Ruruko leaped in front of me, grabbing Momo-chan (as I decided to call her) and yanking her away from me, glaring poisonous daggers at the white-haired girl. "Damn it! I've told you time and time again, you bitch! Keep your whore hands off my man!"

I covered my mouth in shock, gasping at Ruruko's sudden foul language. "Goodness!"

Rather than shout back or hit Ruruko, Momo-chan smirked.

"Oh whatever do you mean? I was simply expressing my interest in potentially becoming Shirou's harem girl."

SHE KNOWS ABOUT THE HAREM!?

Ruruko was literally ablaze with rage. "Fuck you! I know you've been planning to try to take him since we got together! STAY! AWAY! BITCH!"

Momo-chan's smile became mischievous. "Now, Ruruko, you can TELL me to stay away, but no matter what you do, I WILL get what I want. I gave you some space when you two first got started, but I'm thinking it's time for me to enter the running to also become his woman."

"And HOW, exactly, does that work?" Ruruko asked with hostility emanating from her being.

Momo-chan's smile widened. "Well...let's just say I have two-ahem-"assets" that are far superior." Without shame, she gestured to two parts of her body: Her fine and well-developed bosoms and her well-toned posterior.

Smoke was literally coming out of Ruruko's ears as her face turned red with rage.

"OH YEAH!? How do you think Shirou will react when he finds out you're an even bigger fucking stalker than Tsubasa!?"

Momo-chan waved this off. "Oh please. He's all but figured that Tsubasa's been stalking him already. And it's not like I'm going through his underwear drawers and sniffing things. Just observing and admiring him from a distance without his knowledge is no big deal."

That's tru-Wait-WHAT?!

Momo released herself from Ruruko's grasp and once again enveloped me in her arms, squeezing my right arm in between her marvelous bosoms once more.

"Besides, maybe having something to actually GRAB during intimate moments would be a nice change for Shirou-chan~" Momo teased.

Ruruko was trembling with rage, her knuckles turning white due to her clenching fists.

I shook my head. "Now that's not fair. Ruru-chan doesn't need big breasts. She has a nice body in all the right places, especially her nice ass."

That drew everyone's surprised, wide-eyed looks to me (excluding Ruruko who simply stood back, arms-crossed with a smug look on your face).

I then realized I just said that all out loud, causing me to blush out of embarrassment.

"Yeah...I...I kind of have a posterior fetish...hehe..." There were mixed reactions to this confession.

Momo stared, unblinking. Tsubasa-chan looked like she was taking mental notes. Both Shinra-senpai and Sitri-senpai simply looked at me with half-lidded, disapproving eyes. I could tell I lost some major respect points with them.

"Ah...so you like women's asses?" Momo questioned with a strange tone in her voice.

"Yes." I admitted once more.

"Does that mean you also like...touching them?" She asked with that same tone, her expression becoming a soft smirk.

"Yeeeees...?" I half-replied/half-asked. On some level, I think I already knew where this was going. I probably just wasn't really against it.

In the next few seconds...interesting things happened.

Momo traced lines down my chest, her smirk becoming slightly more mischievous.

"Well then, if you like Ruruko's, then how does mine feel?" Momo grabbed my other hand and then placed it behind her, planting it firmly on something that I found to be amazingly soft but well-toned.

My face turned a deep shade of red. Due to shock (I think?), my grip tightened slightly, causing me to involuntarily squeezing the soft thing I was grasping, in turn causing Momo to let out a soft moan and her face to turn bright red as well.

In the next second, Momo was smiling at me. "Oh, you're a naughty boy, Shirou-chan~"

The second after that-

"YOU'RE FUCKING DEAD, BITCH!" I heard Ruruko screech behind me. Then a small figure leaped through the air, tackling Momo, yanking her away from me and knocking her to the ground. Ruruko let out a feral scream as she pinned Momo to the ground with her legs. She lunged forward, grabbing two large locks of Momo's hair. "I wonder how pretty you'll look to Shirou after I rip out this ugly mane of yours!"

Momo glared. "I wonder how pretty you'll look with scorch marks on your face!" Momo held out her hand in front of her. Suddenly, a small but relatively harmless blast of flame shot out of Momo's hand, hitting Ruruko right in the face, sending her flying backwards, landing on her back. Momo didn't stop, she ran over and leaped on Ruruko, pinning her against the ground. "Whose the tough one no-eh?"

The girl who bore the same hair color as me let out a squeak of surprise after she was lifted up and suspended in the air.

She turned towards me (for who else would've picked her up...?...well...excluding Tsubasa?).

I shot her a stern glare before I used my other hand to pick up Ruruko by her collar, suspending both girls in the air.

Ruruko looked dazed, had a few scratches, and her hair was had somehow been burned into a weird afro-style with smoke coming out of the top, but she was otherwise unharmed.

After realizing she had been picked up, Ruruko gave me a surprised look.

"Damn, Shirou. When'd you get so strong?" She asked in wonder. I easily lifted up two girls who weighed at least a hundred pounds each in either of my hands.

I shrugged. "I've always had it. Just never had a reason to show it other than when we both get turned on and I have to-"

"D-D-D-D-D-D-D-D-DON'T! D-Don't just speak stuff like that aloud in front of others!"

Momo, instead, leaned forward slightly with interested eyes. "Oh no. Please go on." Her eyes had a weird sparkle in them that made me uneasy.

I narrowed my eyes. "But back to the point. Bad! Bad girls! It's one thing to duke it out with comical exchanges, but when you start seriously trying to kill each other with magic, THAT is when I intervene! Bad! This mostly means you Hanakai, but I'm talking to you, too, Ruruko. Momo, I REALLY have no idea what the fuck you're talking about with Ruruko. I'm assuming you're another girl interested in me, but we have next to no chemistry up to this point and insulting and beating up my girlfriend is not helping your case!" Ruruko smirked, sticking out her tongue at Momo while she swung about in my grasp. I then turned to Ruruko with an equally stern look. "And YOU. Ruruko, I understand you can get jealous. I understand the more possessive, loving and adorable side of you hates the fact that I'm planning a harem even if it's with your permission. But you can't just get jealous and attack every harem candidate, except in certain situations in which it's for other reasons other than to specifically interfere with other girls. You just have to chill, okay? Even if, as a TRUE harem king, I form romantic attachments to other girls, I love you, okay?" Ruruko frowned, nodding.

Both girls hung their heads in shame.

[I'm sorry.]

Both girls apologized like children who just got caught doing something bad and were scolded by their parents.

I shook my head. "No. Not to me. Apologize to each other."

Both girls looked at one another, their expressions looking like they had something bitter-tasting on their tongues.

[I'm...sorry...Momo/Ruruko...]

I smiled brightly. "Good. Now I'm going to put you both down and then go answer to Sitri-senpai cos I can tell she and Shinra-senpai are feeling awkward or annoyed having listened to this entire exchange and they probably have questions."

Without further hesitation, I put down my girlfriend/alpha girl and my potential harem girl down on the ground, the two moving away from me.

I noticed Tsubasa-chan scooting over next to Momo and Ruruko.

She leaned and and started whispering. "What was all that about...?...Shirou-san's building a harem...?"

Momo smiled. "Yep~ I wasn't too sure at first, but I've noticed him looking up at certain girls. And Ruruko here let it slip a few days after she started dating Shirou. She wanted him to have something to do after the day came when she became a High-Class Devil and made him her Devil Servant."

Tsubasa-chan maintained a serious expression. "...is he recruiting?"

Ruruko shook her head. "It doesn't work like that." Tsubasa-chan raised an eyebrow.

"Oh?"

Ruruko nodded. "Yes. Shirou and I DO have rules, you know. I wouldn't just let him go and bang every girl he sees. That's not what his goal of becoming a TRUE harem king is about. For him to build his harem, we've established 5 major rules. If he breaks any of them-"

"AHEM." The incredibly fake cough of Sitri-senpai dragged our attention back to her.

I felt my face flush with embarrassment as I looked at Sitri-senpai and Shinra-senpai staring at us.

I rubbed the back of my neck, chuckling awkwardly. "Hehe...Soooo...I bet you have a lot of questions about the exchange that just went down, huh?"

"Not really. I just wished to return to the original point of you coming here." Sitri-senpai said.

"Yeah, well-Wait-what?" I was shocked by how dismissive Senpai was of what just happened. She's not gonna call me a pervert or some kind of sexual beast or whatever? Nothing at all to say about my harem-building plan? "You're not disgusted? Not a single thought about me being the absolute enemy of all women because I was building a harem?" I asked.

An amused smile appeared on Sitri-senpai's face, as if I had just told a funny joke.

"Shirou, we're Devils. Monogamy isn't typically in our vocabulary."

"Huh?" I wasn't sure what was more surprising: the fact Senpai had no qualms with me building a harem or the fact she called me "Shirou".

Sitri-senpai nodded. "It's as I said. It's not exactly an uncommon for Devils to build a harem around themselves. Even married Devils often have harems. We really have no right to judge."

I blinked. Once. Then twice. Then three times.

"Oh." That came as a relief to me. I thought that Senpai would react much more harshly.

"What I DO have a problem with, however, is causing destruction to the property of others or the school because you were stirring up your harem and your..." She glanced at Momo and Tsubasa who smiled awkwardly, waving. "...candidates?"

I nodded. "Candidates. And sorry 'bout that. That was not my intent. I've still yet to fully grasp the entirety of the female psyche and how to prevent collateral damage during their fights."

"ANYWAY," Ruruko butted in. "Don't you think we should finally get back to the reason Shirou was originally brought here, Kaichou?"

"Yes, you're quite right." Senpai agreed.

Now that the chaos had passed, it was time to...Oh right! I was here to finally unlock my Sacred Gear! Funny how I forgot that.

Sitri-senpai turned towards me. "Are you ready, Fujimura-kun?"

"Yes, ma'am! Let's do this!" I said with cheer. Now that I remembered the reason I was here again, I was pumped up again!

Senpai smiled at my enthusiasm. "Very well then. For the first step to awaken your Sacred Gear: I need you to raise your arms."

I raised an eyebrow. "What for?"

The violet-eyed girl cross her arms. "It's all a part of calling forth your Sacred Gear. Just trust me."

I frowned. "I dunno...last time I was tempted to trust you, I was stripped and knocked unconscious so you could "heal me"..."

[WHAT?!]

Momo and Ruruko were suddenly in front of Sitri-senpai.

"Kaichoooou! You did "that" with my boyfriend?!"

"Auuuu! No fair! How come you didn't invite me to help heal Shirou-chan!?"

Both girls were red-faced out of possibly a combination of both embarrassment and anger.

Senpai actually hesitated for a second. "W-What? It's a perfectly logical healing method."

"B-B-But- "THAT"!?" Ruruko was steaming by this point.

I felt a chill at the thought of what "that" could be.

"You had your naked body pressed against his! How can I not be upset about that?!"

Oh. So apparently I was right before. Devils can apparently heal their servants with nudity. Time to officially stop being surprised about whatever happens from here on out.

I scratched my cheek, blushing. "Come to think of it, Tsubasa-chan was also there..."

And then the two girls turned their eyes on Tsubasa-chan, ready to murder out of jealousy. Tsubasa-chan, meanwhile, was nonchalantly scooting towards the door, ready to run at a moment's notice.

I sweatdropped. I should probably stop mentioning this stuff.

I sighed. "Alright."

This caused the girls to pause and look in my direction.

Feeling somewhat hesitant, I raised my arm into the air as asked.

"Now," Senpai continued, "Close your eyes."

I did as instructed. "Done."

"Picture the strongest thing that comes to mind." Senpai said.

I cracked one eye open. "Anything in particular I should imagine?"

"Just picture something you believe to be strong. Search your mind for the person or thing you believe to be incredibly powerful."

Closing my eyes again, I started digging deem into the depths of my mind, trying to find the one thing I truly believed to be "strong".

Honestly, there could only be one person and one moment in anime/manga/videogame history that could be considered the epitome of badass. The one power that really took the cake...

...So as I pray...

"Unlimited Blade Works!"

Unlimited Blade Works. The ultimate power attained by the most badass protagonist in anime/videogame history, Shirou Emiya.

"Lower your arm and mimic the pose of that person. Imagine it strongly."

I did my best to remember the summoning sequence as it appeared in the anime film and the video games.

"Now. Open your eyes. In this place which is filled with demonic power, the Sacred Gear will appear more easily."

I opened my eyes.

Then there was that incredibly large flash of light. A bright light was emanating from behind me and I felt a strange power building up in my insides. A silly, childish part of me half-expected to end up in that world of swords depicted in Unlimited Blade Works.

But sadly, no. That did not happen.

When the light vanished, I stared at my arms. I didn't look any different.

I tried looking behind me to ask Ruruko or Momo about what happened when I found my vision obstructed by a pair of wings...well, not obstructed as such. There was a smaller part of the wings near my shoulder blades that were rather small and white, but they extended into longer, more translucent blue wings that stretched from my shoulders to my waist. They were kind of cool-looking really.

Realizing that this was probably my Sacred Gear, I turned back to Sitri-senpai.

"So what Sacred Gear do you think it is, Sen..." I trailed off, noting the wide-eyed and shocked gazes of both Sitri-senpai and Shinra-senpai.

It was most shocking to see Sitri-senpai, who was usually so composed, was so shocked that her jaw had dropped slightly.

"K-Kaichou...?" Ruruko took a few uncertain steps forward, seeming concerned for Sitri-senpai. "...is...is something wrong...?"

After several minutes of silent stares, Senpai finally spoke.

"I see now...the power Onee-sama sensed from you...yes. It makes sense...if it's this..." She sounded like she was talking to herself rather than us though. She rubbed her temples slightly, no doubt trying to calm herself down. When she was calmed down, she was smiling.

I think I was even more worried now.

"Fujimura-kun, the power Onee-sama sense from you, your Sacred Gear..."

"What is it, Senpai?" I asked, growing more concerned.

Senpai adjusted her glasses. "The Sacred Gear you possess is the one known as [Divine Dividing], also known as the "White Dragon Emperor's Light Wings"."

Then there were sharp gasps from behind me.

Now it was Ruruko, Momo, and Tsubasa who were staring at me with wide eyes.

Now I was confused. "What? What is it?" Was something wrong? Did I mess up the Sacred Gear summoning or something?

Ruruko was the first to break the silence. "Ha! I guess my boyfriend really is the greatest!" She then tackled me in a big bear hug, smiling brightly.

Momo also smiled, her eyes filled with admiration and awe as they remained staring in my direction. "Wow, and here I was thinking Shirou-chan couldn't get any more amazing!"

"Congratulations, Shirou-san." Tsubasa-chan was also smiling. "That Sacred Gear of yours..."

[It's a Longinus.]

I cocked my head sideways in confusion, frowning. "[Longinus]?" I tried to search through all of my minor knowledge concerning religion and history for some inkling on what that was. Because that name definitely sounded familiar. "Like...the spear that killed Jesus?"

Sitri-senpai nodded. "Yes. That is what it is named after. That special level of Sacred Gears that is." She then went on to explain. "Do you remember how Onee-sama and I told you that there were different levels of Sacred Gears?"

"Yeah?" Of course I remembered. Sacred Gears were one of the first few things they told me about when I first became a Devil.

"Well, there is one level of Sacred Gear that far surpasses all others. It is named after the spear that slew Jesus Christ: This is the Longinus-Class. The highest level of Sacred Gears of which there are only thirteen known at this time, one of those Sacred Gears being the [Divine Dividing]."

There was only one thing I could say in response to this.

"HELL YEEEAAAAH!" I couldn't contain my excitement as I threw my fists into the air. "My Sacred Gear is a Longinus, baby! I'm so gonna kick some ass with this! I'll surpass even God Himself, bwahahahahaha!" Then I paused, frowning once again. "...er...what does it do?"

Ruruko, Tsubasa, Momo, and even Shinra-senpai face-faulted.

...What did I do?

"Your Sacred Gear's ability is an admittedly formidable one, Fujimura-kun." Sitri-senpai explained. "The [Divine Dividing] possesses the ability to divide the power of opponents by half after coming into contact with them, being able to divide their power every 10 seconds. The halved powers are then added to the user's own powers."

My eyes widened in wonder at this. "So I can literally STEAL an opponent's power?!"

"Yes," Senpai confirmed, "but you must make physical contact with them first. It only works on the last creature you touch, meaning if you accidentally touch an ally after touching your enemy and you use your dividing power, then it will be your ally who is affected. The same is true if your enemy suffers one of your divisions and sends their subordinates or allies after you. It is the last person or creature you touch who is affected rather than the target you desire. So it is best to pay attention while you are using this Sacred Gear's power. You must also be careful. If you're facing an opponent twice as strong as you, they will certainly notice the loss of power after you activate your Sacred Gear and they will likely be sure to counterattack before you can use your power again."

"Oh." I couldn't help but let out. I took another glance as my Sacred Gear.

...[Divine Dividing]. A power that can cut in half and steal the power of enemies...perhaps with this, I could...

No. I promised Senpai I wouldn't...even if that crow really does deserve to get the shit beaten out of her...

"There is more."

"What?"

Sitri-senpai's face held a pensive expression, like she was thinking about whether or not to say something. She sighed.

"There is another aspect to the legendary Longinus you possess." She continued. "The Divine Dividing is also host to the Vanishing Dragon, Albion."

"The who-what now?" I asked in confusion.

Senpai gained a serious expression. "In the past, the White Dragon, Albion fought against his arch-rival, the Welsh Dragon, Ddraig, which was interrupted by the Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels who were at war during the time. In anger, both Dragons attacked the leaders of the Three Factions, which led to their bodies being destroyed and their souls being sealed into two separate Sacred Gears, with Albion being placed inside the Sacred Gear, Divine Dividing. It is said that the possessor of the Sacred Gear is capable of attaining even greater power by speaking with him. But that is not why I'm telling you this..."

Now it was getting confusing. The point of this WASN'T that Senpai was telling me that I could get stronger by talking to this White Dragon-guy? Then what WAS the point?

"Beware the Welsh Dragon." Senpai warned, a serious expression on her face.

"Hm?"

"With great power, you've also gained a great enemy in the Welsh Dragon, who is sealed in a Sacred Gear just as Albion is." The air in the room became cold with tension. "It is said that once either of the Two Heavenly Dragons, the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon, appear within hosts, the other is certainly bound to follow. Big things tend to happen when either make an appearance. So I just want you to be cautious." Senpai said "Big" like it was one of the most definite things she could define the appearance of the two Dragons as. Like it couldn't be pegged as definitely good or bad. Like it could go either way.

I grinned. "Please! If this Welsh Dragon guy comes anywhere near me, I'll knock his lights out!"

Senpai sighed. "I'm not asking you to avoid or attack him specifically, just be cautious. There's no telling whom the Welsh Dragon will be hosted in. I just want you to be careful."

I gave Sitri-senpai a thumbs up. "No worries! There's definitely no way I'll be killed by that guy or anyone else! I've got a goal to accomplish and I'm not stoppin' until I accomplish it! So you can always count on me, Senpai!"

Despite her best efforts to suppress it, Senpai gained a small smile of amusement. The cold tension in the room vanished without a trace.

"I will hold you to that."

After that, Senpai continued on to less serious topics, the main one being Devil Contracts.

Senpai said it was time that I go out and try to complete my first one!

Hell yeah! I'm ready to take on whatever comes my way! I'm the possessor of the Divine Dividing and the Vanishing Dragon, Albion, who lies sealed within it! Even if he hasn't spoken to me yet, I'll definitely learn to use this guy's power!

I'll get stronger, beat this Welsh Dragon-guy, and definitely achieve Ultimate-Class!

I'll definitely keep my promise to you, Iri!

YEAH! TIME TO GO COMPLETE MY FIRST DEVIL CONTRACT!

**Aaaaaand, after several weeks, it is done. YAAAAAAAAY~! Sorry it took so long. I meant to have it a few weeks ago but then I got some MORE games for my Xbox and I was busy with school and crap and I had to watch my baby brother AND I've been planning other potential stories for the future...so I haven't spent as much time on this as I could've.  
**

**Here's the harems again~:**

**Shirou: Serafall, Ruruko, Sona, Tsubaki, Yumi (FemKiba), Asia, Karlamine, Tsubasa, Ravel, Ni and Li, Ile and Nel, Xuelan, Koneko, Kuroka, Yasaka, Gabriel, Irina, Griselda, Valerie Tepes, Gasper (FemGasper), Kunou, Akeno, Xenovia, Rossweisse, ****Ophis, Jeanne, Kiyome Abe,**** Raynare, Mittelt, Kalawarner**

**Issei: Rias, Isabela, Reya, Le Fay, Bennia, Seekvaira, Tomoe, Aika**

**...Yes. I took Kiyome from Issei...I took Jeanne and Ophis too...If you want me to put'em back, let me know in a review or PM. As before, Issei can go suck it, but I might change my mind. Let me know how you guys feel.**

**PS: I was thinking about finally making the second DxD story I've been planning a spin-off of Devil Reborn, like a sort-of "what-if" story where a different decision was made in the past, changing Shirou's upbringing and the family he had growing up. However, since Devil Reborn: Reboot is in it's infancy stages, it might include spoilers if I do it right now.**

**But there's choices like where Shirou was raised as a true Devil in the Underworld, by the Fallen Angel faction, trained at the Church, kidnapped by the Old Maou and trained as a soldier for them, all kinds of fun options~!**

**So yay or nay?**

**Anywho~**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	5. Life 4: Fallen Angels and Nuns

**I thank you all for the reviews yesterday. I'm seriously considering that spin-off now.**

**I also thank you for not burning me at the stake for stealing even MORE of Issei's girls...:P**

**Anyway, on with the story~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING. **

**Life 4: Fallen Angels and Nuns**

Auuuuuuuuu! I can't believe thiiiiiiiis!

I was crying to myself on a bench in the park, feeling self-pity for my unbelievable humiliation.

It was the day after I had awakened my Sacred Gear.

I had been told a lot about my Sacred Gear and about the Vanishing Dragon, Albion, the other day. I was so excited, so AMPED to be involved with my first Devil Contract. I thought it would be easy, that I would get it perfect on my first try...

I was wrong...I was so wrong...I...I didn't know he was allergic to gauze...

Auuuuuu! I'M SUCH A FAILUUUUUUURE!

I absolutely FAILED my first Devil Contract!

Not only did I fail to complete it, but now the contractor never wants to summon a Devil ever again!

Senpai didn't get mad or shout at me like I expected, but I could tell she was disappointed and upset. Immediately after school today, I just ended up sitting on the park bench, leaning back.

Damn did I pick a bad place for a Devil to spend time...it was a bright and sunny day out. For anyone but a Devil, that was good. But for a Devil, it was TORTURE.

Absolute Hell...

So I just sat there, blowing off steam, cursing the sun for existing and torturing me in the way it was.

OK, first thing on my to do list after I gain enough power to surpass God with my Longinus: Extinguish the sun. I'm gonna put it out like the world's largest candle. I don't care about the long-term consequences. Screw them...

Neh. Total darkness would bum me out after a while. Perhaps extinguishing the sun isn't for the best...

The sun is still a jerk though...

Now I was just bored. I was depressed and bored. I didn't really have much else to do until later that night where I would attempt to get a second Contract. Hopefully this one would turn out better. I heard Issei technically failed to complete a contract, but he at least got a good review from his client.

...So yep. Nothing else to do but sit and-

"HAWAA!" I heard a voice scream behind me as I heard something hit the ground. I turned, curious, to look behind me to see a blonde-haired Sister laying face-down on the ground. I really wanted to know how clumsy she was to fall down like that. There wasn't a single bump or rock anywhere! "Owww...Why did I trip?" That's what I want to know!

I was about to ask whether or not she was okay when I ended up looking between her legs. Her skirt was short enough to reveal her pure white panties underneath.

I preemptively plugged up my nose to keep the blood from gushing from it.

Shit! I'm looking at the panties of a Sister! Even though I'm a Devil, it feels like I'm doing something morally wrong. Like I'm defiling her with my eyes.

Ah, damn. What should I do right now?

I mentally slapped myself...and then I PHYSICALLY slapped myself.

Bad Shirou! No no! Looking at random girls with such eyes is not permitted!

I bit the tip of my thumb as I underwent the moral conflict on what to do...

Ah to Hell with it!

I walked over to the Sister with a mildly worried/awkward expression on my face. "Er...are you okay?" I gave her my hand to help her up.

"Ah. Thank you."

Her voice sounded very young. She seemed to be just around my age. Maybe just a bit younger.

I was about to say something else when a sharp gust of wind blew the Sister's veil off her head. Her blonde hair which was hidden underneath fell on her shoulders. It may have been a trick of the light, but I could've sworn she was sparkling.

I stared silently, but in my mind:

STRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIKE~! SHE'S GORGEOUS! I NEVER THOUGHT SUCH BEAUTY COULD EXIST IN THIS WORLD!...I can't stop the tears from flowing out of my eyes.

* * *

**Ruruko's POV...**

I was in the Student Council Room, staying behind as we tried to prepare a contract we believed Shirou could actually handle.

It wasn't going too well so far. I mean...

I paused, putting down the list of contracts I had been reading.

Tsubasa-senpai sat several feet away, looking through her own contracts. She seemed to feel the same tenseness I felt. Even that slu-I mean bi-I mean MOMO-SENPAI looked up from the other side of the room.

This strange feeling...

A powerful killing intent filled the room. And for once, it wasn't directed at each other...

Part of me wanted to murder Shirou for some odd reason while another part wanted to crawl into a corner and cry out of jealousy, and a third part wanted to murder someone else I feel I have yet to meet for some odd reason...

Shirou, I swear if you're doing something perverted or ogling another girl, I will beat you...unless it's a harem girl. In that case...I'll probably just cry out of jealousy and fear of abandonment.

Meh. I'll probably get over it. Shirou-chan's too sweet~ Even though he's a huge pervert, he never breaks a promise. And if he DOES break one of the five rules, I get to-

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

I stopped staring at the beautiful blonde girl in front of me when I felt a sudden chill go down my spine.

It was terrifying yet oddly arousing.

Then I felt guilty for some odd reason. And then I felt fearful for the safety of the girl in front of me.

Then all of those weird feelings just fade away and everything felt alright.

...then I felt fearful again, but less so because whatever it was that was making me fearful felt oddly justified.

Then I was fine again, this time for sure.

"Um...is something wrong?"

It was at that point that I realized not only was I still staring at this pretty nun girl, but she's been noticing me staring at her for the past few minutes.

"N-No!" I said quickly, realizing how awkward this situation was becoming. "S-Sorry!"

I picked her veil off the ground nearby and handed it back to her. I then realized I was still staring at her and panicked. I had to change the subject. "O-Oh! Your suitcase!"

Smooth, Shirou. Reeaaal smooth.

The Sister knelt down by her suitcase that was currently open with articles of scattered clothing around it. "It's fine. I can get it myself."

"Then I'll help." I offered. I knelt down beside the Sister and began picking up and folding clothes before putting them back into the suitcase. I only paused when I came to the most interesting article. A pair of pure white panties. I felt my cheeks heat up with embarrassment.

T-They were so soft!

The Sister screamed from embarrassment as she quickly snatched the panties from my hands and shoved them back into the suitcase. When she bent over...I saw them again around her legs. "I-I'm sorry!"

I quickly averted my gaze upward to avoid giving myself a nosebleed and from looking without permission.

The Sister turned to me with an embarrassed expression on her face. "S-sorry...You saw a bad side of me..."

Actually...it was kinda nice...really nice...

"So, you traveling?" It was the only question I could think of. She didn't seem to be from around here and it seemed like a good way to get the ball rolling on this conversation rather than the subject of her panties. Despite her not being an Onee-sama, I felt compelled to talk to this girl.

The Sister shook her head. "No. That's not it. I was appointed to the church in this town… You must be a resident of this town." She bowed her head. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

I bowed my head politely in return. "Er, likewise."

"I have been in trouble since I got here. Ummm…I can't speak Japanese that well…I was lost and other people couldn't understand what I was saying…" She held her hands to her chest with a sad expression on her face.

So she can't speak Japanese. The reason I must be able to understand her must be because of this unique ability Senpai told me that Devils have called "Language". The moment you become a Devil, it doesn't matter where you go, everyone can understand what you're saying. Whether they speak English, Spanish, German, Japanese, etc., they will be able to understand you and you will be able understand them.

I honestly didn't entirely believe it until now. I didn't think much of it during my English class when I started to excel because I actually studied. Guess there was more to it than that. Nobody really paid attention to it but apparently some of my fan girls adored me more for 'being an academic'. Maybe I didn't notice it because I SPOKE the language easily but the English characters still remained the same.

So she was looking for the church, huh?...Is she talking about the one on the edge of town? I thought that was abandoned. I visited there once but I never saw anybody...It didn't look like anyone had been there in a while. Maybe they're starting to put it to use again.

And suddenly my mouth acted on its own. "If you're looking for the church, I probably know where it is." Shut up, me! "I can take you there if you want." Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! This is a nun! A member of the Church, an organization devoted to wiping out Devils like you! You have enough worries with this Welsh Dragon guy who's supposed to be coming to try and snuff you out! You don't need the extra worry of being picked off from the Heavens by a bunch of Angels!

I bit the tip of my tongue, realizing the truth behind my own thoughts. I had to get away from this girl as soon as possible. Even if it wasn't necessarily the right thing to do since she's done nothing wrong to me, I had to-

Then I saw the stars in the Sister's eyes. "Y-You will!? T-Thank you! The Lord is truly smiling down upon me!" I cringed as a powerful wave of pain shoot through my body. Every last nerve in my body burned like fire. I did my best to swallow my reaction to keep from alerting the Sister.

Of course it hurt! I'm a Devil! I shouldn't even be TALKING to this girl! I turned to tell her I couldn't anymore when I saw her face.

Tears were flowing from her adorable, puppy dog eyes.

Auuuuuuu! Geez! D-Don't stare at me with such eyes! It's embarrassing...How could I just abandon a girl with such adorable puppy dog eyes?! DAMN YOU, CONSCIIIIIIIEEEEENCE!

I released a sigh. I'm pretty sure it was obvious where this was going, so why fight it?

I turned away, gesturing her to follow. "Come on...I'll take you there."

"Oh thank you! Truly, thank you!"

I blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed by the Sister's thanks. It was too late to back out now.

And so we ended up on our way to the church, the Sister following behind me. Due to my awkwardness, our trip passed in mutual silence.

"Uwaaaaaah!" The sound of a young boy crying shattered the silence like glass. I was about to shrug it off and continue walking when I realized that the Sister was not following me but rather walking towards the boy, crouching down in front of him with a kind expression on her face.

"Are you okay?" The Sister asked. "A boy shouldn't be crying over little things like this." She gently patted the boy on the head. He probably had NO IDEA what she was saying, but he could probably sense her good intentions by the her kind and trustworthy expression. The Sister placed her palm where the boy injured himself.

I was about to ask her what she was doing when a green light orb appeared from the Sister's palm and flashed onto the boy's knee.

My eyes widened in shock.

No way! That's-No. It wasn't any kind of demonic power. If she were a Devil, she wouldn't be able to even wear that cross around her neck...I tensed as my own power created a strange ache as if responding to the light, giving me the answer to the Sister's ability.

-Sacred Gear. A power that is bestowed upon certain people. I had forgotten that many other people possess Sacred Gears so it would be stupid to think that I would never encounter another Sacred Gear-user outside the Reincarnated Devils. There has to be a lot of Sacred Gears with a lot of different abilities.

So the Sister is also a possessor of a Sacred Gear, but what-

Then I noticed the boy again. His injury was gone!

The Sister patted the boy on the head again. "Here. Your wounds are healed. The pain should be gone now."

"Yoshi-kun, where did you go?!" A woman who was no doubt the boy's mother ran over to him. The boy happily ran over to his mother, pointing at the Sister and smiling as if he had never been injured.

"Ah, that Onee-chan over there! She healed my injury!"

The Sister smiled at the mother. "It looked like he fell, so I helped him."

Rather than say any thanks, the mother pulled the boy away and started walking away. Over her shoulder, I saw her shoot the Sister a dirty look. "You shouldn't talk to strange people. Let's go."

I don't know why, but those words start to make my blood boil. I stepped in front of the Sister, shooting my own anger-filled look. I was usually tolerant of others (more or less), but that lady had no right to treat this Sister like that! "You know what, lady?! I-!" Then the Sister grabbed my sleeve, making me stop.

"It's fine." She said quickly.

I shot the Sister a concerned glance. "You understood that?"

She shook her head. "I don't understand the language, but I know..." She trailed off. I shot another glare at the mother. That look she gave the Sister...it pissed me off.

I didn't see her face, but I could sense a feeling of sadness from the Sister.

It was strange...but I felt like I could sympathize...I remember feeling a sadness quite similar to that when I was little, before I ever met Ise and Iri.

Loneliness...I remembered it because that feeling would forever mark that event...

It pissed me off to no end. The more I thought about it, the angrier I got...For that lady to give that look to the Sister was-

"Thank you, Onee-chan!" I was snapped out of it by that boy's words. The boy waved cheerfully to the Sister who seemed to smile as she waved back. I then turned back to the Sister and translated his words, but she seemed to already understand what he was saying.

The Sister turned to me and tapped herself on the head, sticking out her tongue.

"Sorry. I get meddlesome sometimes."

I was still gritting my teeth though. "What was with that bitch? She was like that even after you helped her son. Next time, I'll-"

"Being disliked by others is normal." The Sister interrupted. "I'm used to it..." I felt troubled by that.

For someone like the Sister being treated like that...it just wasn't right. She seemed like a great person.

"That power you used..." I started, trailing off slightly.

"Yes, it's the power to heal. It's a wonderful power that God gave me." She was smiling...but she seemed so sad. I thought about asking about it, but I decided against it. It was probably none of my business anyway as much as it annoyed me to admit it.

Strangely, a small part of me wanted to hold the Sister close and ask her what's wrong, to tell her everything's alright, to give her some assurance that the world was a better place than it really was. To protect her...but...that would just be a weird thing to do to a complete stranger, no matter how cute or nice she was...besides...

It's not like I could say "Hey. I have a Sacred Gear too." anyway. I might as well also say "Hey. I'm a Devil. Please get all of your church friends and kill me with your crosses and holy water.".

Besides, apparently some people actually suffer because of this unusual power. Even I was a little uncertain how to feel about my Sacred Gear. I still don't know how to use it so I can't say I'm happy at all. I was killed because of it and I can't even figure out how it works.

"Anyway, let's go." I told the Sister.

She bowed to me. "Yes. Please take care of me!"

The rest of our journey faded into silence. It didn't take that much longer before we reached the old church. I still don't recall the place being used until recently, but there were people inside. I could tell because lights were on.

The place gave me the chills and I was sweating like crazy. I wasn't afraid, but I could tell the reason.

-Holy ground.

I'm a Devil. The church, which is pretty much belongs to God and the Angels, is enemy territory.

That's why Kaichou had told me to stay away from them right before I left for home the other night. She was worried I might get some bright ideas... Even just standing this close was making my danger senses go crazy.

The Sister seemed so happy when we got there. "This is it! I'm so glad!" I did my best to keep my expression straight. I didn't want to give away the fact that I was a Devil when I'm so close to the Angels' home turf. I looked upward towards the setting sun. It was getting later than what would be comfortable.

While I didn't know her and even though she wasn't an Onee-sama, I found it a shame to say good-bye to such a beauty. But it would never work out between a nun and a Devil anyway even if I did want to pursue the relationship...would it?

...I wasn't afraid of the church, but my Devil blood inside of me made it very clear that getting more involved with them was a bad move right now. Maybe, if we were to meet again sometime later, the Sister and I could hang out sometime. But not now. I was probably being targeted for another spear in the chest right now.

I put my arms behind my head as I turned to leave.

"Well, it's been fun, but-"

"Please wait!" The Sister grabbed onto my sleeve. "I would like to make you some tea as a gratitude for taking me here-" I shook my head.

Sorry." I apologized. "But I'm in a bit of a rush, so I gotta go."

"...but that's..." I admit I felt a little bad because of that troubled expression she had on her face. I know she just wanted to make it up to me by making tea, but I'm pretty sure stepping foot inside that church was tantamount to suicide. I admit I'm perverted and stupid, willing to go crazy distances for a girl sometimes, but I'm not THAT stupid. I shot a glare at the cross perched on the highest point on the church as if it were alive. The Sister didn't seem to notice though.

I figured I should at least give her my name. Maybe it would make up for it somehow. "The name's Shirou Fujimura. But you can call me Shirou. May I ask for the pretty lady's name?" I winked at the Sister at that last part. Hey, nothing wrong with flirting a little~

The Sister seemed to blush a little at being called 'pretty', but she spoke her own name.

"M-My name is Asia Argento! Please call me Asia!" I waved to her as I walked away.

"Then I hope we meet again, Sister Asia. May the Lord smile down upon you and show you His kindness." I felt a HUGE, almost unbelievable surge of pain at my mention of Him, but I felt it was an appropriate way to end our encounter.

"And you as well, Shirou-san! I hope to see you again too!"

Little did I know how fateful that 'seemingly coincidental meeting' was.

* * *

By this point, I had wandered my way back to the park I had been at earlier.

I couldn't help but feel somewhat amused.

It seemed as if I always had incredibly fateful encounters here

Getting killed by Yuuma, getting revived by Sera-tan, meeting the nice Sister Asia, all of that.

I was filled with a strange happy feeling. It was weird. Maybe I didn't mind becoming a Devil all that much...

"Well well, about time I hunted you down, shitty Devil-kun~!" sang a familiar and obnoxious voice.

Like that, the happy feeling was gone.

I looked behind me to see a familiar blonde-haired girl dressed in a gothic lolita style.

I sighed. "Oh, it's you."

"What's with that half-assed reaction, you loser!?" She shrieked, swinging her fists about as she threw a small tantrum. "You should be shaking with fear, remembering how I almost killed you yesterday! You should be all like 'Ooh! Oh no! It's Mittelt-sama! She's here to kill me again! I'm sooooo scared! What ever will I do?!-'"

"Alright! I get it!" I shouted finally. "Geez, you don't have to be a dick about it. Besides, you forgot to emphasize ALMOST, as in, you DIDN'T kill me yesterday. Last I recall, you got crushed under a dumpster and I escaped. So who's the REAL loser here, you pervert?"

Mittelt (as I assumed her name was) narrowed her eyes, her left eye twitching with what I assumed to be suppressed rage.

"I TOLD YOU: I'M NOT A PERVERT!" The Fallen Angel became so enraged that her wings actually sprouted from her back due to her explosion of emotion. "And I'll be sure as Hell to repay you for tossing that dumpster at me!"

I raised my hand. "Actually, that was-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Wow. What a temper. "I've had it up to HERE!" Mittelt actually used her wings to fly up in the air, raising her hand to a point about twenty feet into the air. After she expressed how much she has had it, Mittelt lowered herself to a distance closer to the ground. "Enough of this nonsense! Die!"

The Fallen Angel then manifested a light spear. Then she threw it.

It was weird...

It might've been my imagination, but I could swear the light spear was moving slower than it had been going before.

No...it was that my reflexes and speed had gotten faster...ever since I first utilized that enhanced speed yesterday, it's started to come more naturally than it had before.

Before the light spear could come close to hitting me, I dodged out of the way with ease.

I glared. "Sorry, but I do believe we've covered this: I have NO intention of dying."

Mittelt's eyes widened in shock. "No way! How did you-" Then she clenched her cheek. "You little-Stay still!"

"Hey!" I barked. "If anyone's little here, it's you, midget girl!"

Apparently that was sore subject for her, because she let out an incredibly loud shriek.

"FUCKING MOTHERFUCKING ASSHOOOOOOLE!" She started to launch more and more light spears, materializing more, one after another.

It's lucky her rage was screwing up her aim. Otherwise, even with my enhanced speed, I probably would've gotten speared at least eight or nine times. But no. Thanks to my impressive and surprising speed, I managed to avoid getting killed.

After a few dozen or so light spears, Mittelt started panting, ceasing her barrage-style attack.

"Screw it! I'll do this the old fashion way!" She materialized a light spear and performed an old-fashioned dive-bomb, charging at me full-speed ahead in attempt to spear me from the air.

Really, I don't see why she thought THIS would work if her intense barrage of light spears didn't work.

But her speed was faster than I initially thought it was.

Even with my impressive reflexes, I only possessed enough speed to dodge her powerful charge by a single inch.

Then I noticed the blonde-haired girl's smirk.

My danger senses tingled before my instincts did. I was already in mid-movement so I wasn't able to react.

Before I could react, Mittelt lashed out with one leg, catching me right in the chest. I ended up being knocked a few feet away by the force of the blow, but I managed to avoid being knocked down. That didn't stop me from having the wind knocked out of me though. For a girl so small, she packed one helluva kick.

"Ha! You're so cocky, but where's that confidence now, Mr. Bigshot!?" Mittelt screamed at me. "See!? You ain't so special! I'm ten times better than you, bleeeeeeh!"

Geez. It was one hit. You act like you killed freaking God.

I smirked as I remembered something. "Actually, you just sealed your doom."

Mittelt returned to levitating in the air, raising an eyebrow. "The fuck you talking 'bout, kid?"

My smirk became a full-fledged grin. "How about I show you?! Let's go!" I raised one hand high in the air. "Sacred Gear!"

I felt a faint warmth from inside me as my Sacred Gear manifested on my back.

Divine Dividing wasn't any less impressive the second time I saw it.

Mittelt's eyes went wide. "What?! No way! You manifested your Sacred Gear!?"

"That's right! And it's all I need to take you down!" I breathed in and out. Like demonic power, Sacred Gears respond to the user's emotions. That's what Senpai told me. Even though its primary ability is to divide an opponent's power, Divine Dividing also possesses one more ability...I just have to imagine it with all of my might.

FLY!

I kicked off the ground with all my might. A small, pessimistic side of me was certain I would just fall back to the Earth and then get speared by a Fallen Angel.

But that is not what happened.

Despite the odds that in any normal situation (which this was not) I would fall face first onto the ground, I did not. Instead, I found myself floating a few feet off of the ground.

I stared in wonder.

"Whoa...AWESOME!" I was flying! I was doing something that fairy tales were made of!

"You can fly?!" Mittelt exclaimed, her face paling a little.

I smirked. "Damn straight! Wanna know what else?" I closed my eyes and focused, tapping into the ability of my Sacred Gear.

[Divide!]

And then there was the strange rush I felt. Like someone had spiked my Red Bull with a mix of coffee and a hundred pounds of sugar. I felt energized.

And, as opposed to my increase in strength, Mittelt seemed to stumble a bit, no doubt out of shock due to the sudden large amount of energy she lost.

She bared her teeth, glaring at me. "Fuck this, I'm finishing you now!" She summoned another light spear and flew at me in a dangerous charge.

This was starting to feel repetitive.

I felt oddly stronger than I did before, not even feeling threatened. I mean, I didn't feel like Hercules or anything, but it was now that I realized the half of power I absorbed from Mittelt...was puny.

I finally realized what Senpai meant when she called these guys "smallfry". Yuuma was probably the strongest of their group. Mittelt...I can't believe she actually got the better of me yesterday. If this was HALF of her power, than her full power was probably incredibly insignificant.

The moment Mittelt got close to me, within spearing range, I did the only thing I could think of doing at that time.

"BITCH SLAP!" Honestly, I think I slapped her harder across the face than I meant to. I meant to like knock her away, but at the last second, it felt like I was tapping into some hidden strength. This strength far exceeded my own and made me feel embarrassed about it by comparison.

SLAP

I ended up slapping Mittelt right across the face with immense strength, causing her to be swatted out of the air like a fly.

Whether she was knocked away by the force of the slap or that shock had made her temporarily unable to use her wings, my hit sent the blonde Fallen Angel spiraling downward, falling face-first into the fountain below.

I winced at the harsh splash I heard on impact. I imagine the pain she felt would be something along the lines of doing a belly flop...in a kiddie pool...with your face...

Ouch.

Feeling the threat had subsided, I gently lowered myself to the ground, staring blankly at the fountain.

After a few seconds, a familiar figure emerged from the water, sopping wet.

The blonde Fallen Angel was a mess. Her hair had been knocked out of its pony tails, she was soaked to the bone, and what I suspected to be eye make-up dripped down the sides of her face, staining her cheeks black.

Feeling cold, wet, and humiliated, the Fallen Angel Mittelt would do something sudden and unexpected...That is what I thought.

I was...kind of right.

Her lips started trembling and her eyes were watering. Then all of pitiable Hell broke loose.

"Waaaaaaaaaah!"

...eh?

Tears exploded from the Fallen Angel's eyes as she let out a sad, wailing screech. Apparently the thought of her humiliating defeat mixed with how hard I hit her had driven her to tears.

Her pride apparently destroyed at the thought she couldn't defeat me, all she had left was to cry like a little baby. She was saying words, but they were so slurred by her sobs that I had no idea what she was saying...wow...I feel so bad now. Even though ten seconds had passed and I was able to use my power again, dividing her power now when she was pretty much already beaten seemed like kicking someone while their down. I feel enough like a dick as it is.

Even though she was trying to kill me just LITERALLY a few seconds ago, making her cry made me feel so icky inside. It wasn't a pleasant feeling. Friend or foe, I didn't like making a girl cry or seeing them in tears. It's not in my nature. I flirt and sometimes tease, but I never do anything that I know for a fact would hurt a girl (enemies are an exclusion to this part) or make them cry (enemies are NOT an exclusion to this part).

"Waaaaaaaah!"

I covered my ears as Mittelt's shrieks became almost deafening. It was so heart-breaking.

How severely tempting it was to run away before she came to her senses and tried to attack again...

...goddammit.

Before my sanity could finally check in and ask me "What the FUCK are you doing?!", I made my way forward, strolling calmly and slowly so as not to startle her.

Even if she was a part of the same group that murdered both me and Ise, it was still unman-like to just leave a girl crying like this.

I stood in front of the freezing, shivering girl, putting on a pleasant face.

"Hey there..." I said assuringly as if speaking to a child.

Mittelt glared at me, tears still streaming from her eyes.

OK, so far, not so good.

"Come to gloat, you asshole?" OK, so she's cursing at me, but at least she's talking. A minor victory at least.

But then she went back to balling her eyes out. Damn it! Think, Shirou!

I patted her on the head. "There there. It's OK. Everything's alright."

Mittelt started choking as she tried to suppress her sobs long enough to speak. "No-*sob*-it's-*sob*-not! I-I failed again and n-now I'm gonna get made f-fun of by the others! I've-*sob*-always been the-*sob*-weakest a-and now I-I'm even more of a loser! Waaaaaah!"

I sighed. To think I would go so far for someone who should be my enemy.

I held out my hand towards hers with a pleasant, bishounen-like smile on my face. "Come on. You'll catch your death if you just keep sitting in there. What say we go get something sweet to eat? Ice cream maybe?"

Mittelt managed to halt her tears, sniffling slightly as she stared with her bloodshot eyes at my hand with suspicion.

She seemed to weigh her options. I was probably at my most vulnerable. Even with Divine Dividing's power, there was a fair chance she could spear me from this close distance. However, it was the same vice versa. The moment she tried something, I could finish this with one blow. How she responds to my gesture could definitely change everything.

She paused, averting her gaze downward as her face flushed pink. "...what...what kind of ice cream?"

I couldn't help but smile as her cute expression. Now if only she could have this expression all the time, it would be perfect.

Mittelt slowly reached out and grabbed my hand. With a small pull, I pulled her dripping-wet body from the fountain.

She shivered slightly, but she seemed fairly alright despite the fact I bitch-slapped her face-first into a fountain from several feet into the air. She was clearly freezing though. It was getting slightly cooler out. There was a bit of wind too.

Before I even realized it, I was handing over my jacket to the freezing Fallen Angel.

"Here. You should put this on."

Mittelt shot me yet another suspicion-filled look, still distrusting.

I rolled my eyes out of disbelief. "Oh come on. It's not like I'm gonna kill you with a jacket. Just take it."

Mittelt turned away, but she accepted the jacket, carefully putting it on her.

She rubbed her arms to warm herself, but she seemed better than she was before.

She stared at me, but her gaze seemed different. Softer than it was before. And for once, her words were NOT stained with hostility.

"...Ice cream?" She asked it with such a cute expression that I almost had a nosebleed.

* * *

"Mmmm! Oh my God! So good! Mmmmm! It's so nice and soft~! It tastes sooooo good~!"

I felt myself blushing. Mittelt...despite her loli-like stature, she was so hot...

The way she was licking it...wow...

"Man! I didn't think this small town had an ice cream shop that sold such delicious ice cream~!"

Mittelt sat in the seat across from me in our booth at the local ice cream parlor. She got an incredibly large ice cream made up of several different flavors and toppings. She ate it with a single spoon and seemed to take the smallest bites possible to savor the flavor. That was not what was hot though.

Every bite she took, she tended to sexually lick her tongue up and down the sides of her spoon after each bite, as if to make sure she didn't miss a single bit of the sweetness. Whenever she got whip cream or some of the ice cream on her face, she'd wipe it off with her finger and then sucked it all the way down to her hand, pulling away with a sliver of saliva connecting her mouth and her hand. Her flushed face and rather inappropriate-sounding comments didn't exactly help. This girl really liked her sweets. The only reason we hadn't been kicked out yet is probably cos Mittelt used some of that hypnosis stuff that people on the supernatural side of the world can do.

Rather than eat my own significantly smaller ice cream in front of me, I found myself fixated on the sexually-gluttonous little girl in front of me.

Yes, I know it's kind of perverted of me to be like this, but...wow.

I ended up like this until Mittelt finally finished her ice cream about thirty minutes later.

She heaved a satisfied sigh, having fully savored her ice cream...I savored it too in my own way...wow...

With such a peaceful atmosphere, Mittelt actually cute. Really cute.

Mittelt then seemed to realize that I was staring at her. She glared harshly at me.

"OK, you got me here. Now what? Interrogation? Well I'll never talk!"

I raised an eyebrow. "Erm...no. I just brought you here-"

"Well you'll never get me to talk about Raynare's true identity or our secret mission from Azazel-sama! Never!"

I...I wasn't quite sure how to respond to that. I just stared blankly at Mittelt with half-lidded eyes.

Her eyes widened as she realized her blunder. She smacked herself in the face with both hands.

"Fuck! Why'd I have to go and blab that out loud!? Now everyone's going to think I'm even MORE of a failure! It was bad enough when I showed up back at the base smelling like spoiled milk, rotten fruit, and something I'd rather not describe! If they find out I blabbed about all of this-"

"Whoa! Whoa!" I called out quickly. "Jeez, girl, calm the fuck down." I held up my hand. "I swear the only reason I came here was because I couldn't stand to see a cute girl crying. I honestly don't give a fuck about what you were talking about...well...now I kind of do. No idea what you're talking about, but I'm interested."

Mittelt paled. "I-I-I-"

I waved it off. "Relax. I have no intentions of interrogating you or anything..."

Mittelt released a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness..."

"But maybe you could clear up one or two things..."

Mittelt seemed to tense again.

"Calm down. You're free not to answer if you don't want to." I assured her. "But in exchange for the ice cream, maybe you could clarify some things that are confusing me. Please? If it's too classified or too personal, just pretend I said nothing."

Mittelt seemed hesitant, but apparently my peaceful demeanor and pleasant expression disarmed her by this point.

"Alright...I'll answer your questions..."

I smiled brightly. "Thank you, Mittelt-san."

For a brief second, I could've sworn she was turning a slight pink color. But she returned to normal the next second.

"OK. First question: What is the real name of the one who killed Issei and I?"

Mittelt hesitated, biting the tip of her thumb, but she eventually sighed. "Raynare. She's the leader of our small group stationed here."

OK. That's good. She's willing to give out names, so that means I have a certain amount of haggling room here.

"Second question: Why are you in Gremory territory?" From what I've heard from Sitri-senpai, this town is under the protection and control of the Gremory clan. The presence of other factions was neither normal nor accepted. They had to have some kind of goal or else they wouldn't risk coming to the same town as a Pure-Blood Devil and the heiress of the Gremory clan.

"...Orders."

I raised an eyebrow. "Whose?"

Mittelt shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "U-Umm..." Her face turned a slight pink color. "D-Don't stare at me like that, you pervert!"

I was taken aback by the sudden tongue-lashing, but took it in stride and ignored it.

Mittelt rubbed her arm nervously. "It was...Azazel-sama."

Azazel...I feel like I heard that name before...

I was racking my brains, but I couldn't remember much. Like I said, I never learned much about religion...

My best guess was that Azazel was their supreme commander or something.

"OK, looks like we're making progress...Did he order this directly?"

Mittelt nodded. "Yes. He ordered me, Raynare, and two others to watch over both the ones known as Fujimura Shirou and Hyoudou Issei."

I frowned. "Watch? Then why did Ise and I get executed?"

"W-Well, A-Azazel-sama changed the order!" Mittelt admitted nervously. Something...something about this doesn't seem right.

"Did he tell you to do this PERSONALLY?"

The cute blonde shook her head. "No. Our change in orders was relayed to us through Kokabiel-sama."

Kokabiel...another name I felt was familiar somehow, but I still didn't remember it.

"I see..." Something about this was definitely off. To suddenly change an order from "observe" to "execute" seemed a bit sudden and rash. It didn't make any sense. When you really looked at it, Mittelt didn't seem like a bad person deep down. A little sadistic, but honestly kind of cute when she's all shy and blushing. To say all Fallen Angels were bad people wouldn't really be true...

But there were so many other alternatives. Why kill me and Ise? Even if I possessed the Divine Dividing, there were other options. This "Azazel" guy could've even convinced me to join his side if his argument was convincing enough.

It was when I turned my head to look out through the window next to us that I realized it was already dark outside.

Shit! I had to go and meet up with Sitri-senpai!

I pulled some money from my wallet and placed it on the table. "Well, I'm sorry to cut this short, but I have to go. We should do this again sometime. Bye~"

I stood up from my seat and made my way outside the ice cream parlor.

"Wait a minute!"

A few seconds after I walked out the door, my blonde Fallen Angel associate came bursting out the door after me.

She had a disbelieving and suspicion-filled look.

I smirked from amusement. "You know, with how often you end up chasing after me, one might think you're obsessed with me."

Mittelt did a dry spit-take, blushing like crazy. "I-Idiot! I-It's nothing like that!"

My smirk changed to a grin as I suppressed laughter at her adorable expression. "Just kidding."

Then Mittelt grabbed me by the collar. "So that's it!? You're not gonna attack me or kill me with your power or whatever?! No punishment for attempting to kill you TWICE now at all?!"

"Essentially." I confirmed.

Now the Fallen Angel seemed at a loss for words. Her suspicions were fair. An hour or two ago, we both had been trying to slash the others' throat.

I shrugged. "Well, after everything that happened and getting so guilty over you crying-"

"I w-was NOT cr-crying!" Mittelt protested. "I-I just had something i-in my eye, i-idiot!"

I stared. O. M. G. Is she a tsundere?!...That's soooo cute~!

"Whatever. Anyway, it seems like a shame to try to hurt such a cute girl after we had such a peaceful atmosphere, so I'm gonna have to pass on the fighting."

"C-Cute...?" It was amazing how easily she could be embarrassed. "W-Whatever, I didn't wanna try to kill you again anyway..."

"Now that that's wrapped up, later." I waved goodbye and was about to leave when-

"Wait!" Mittelt called out. Her expression had become much more shy by this point. "W-What...what about your jacket?" Ah yes. I had completely forgotten I had given her my jacket for warmth.

I waved it off. "Keep it. It's no trouble."

Mittelt squeaked out of surprised, but didn't object, tightening her grasp on the edges of the jacket she wore, wrapping it tighter around herself like some kind of blanket.

"O-OK." She bit her lower lip, staring at the ground while still wearing her shy expression "W-Well...for what it's worth...um...I...I hope...IhopeIdon'thavetotrytokillyounexttime! Bye!"

Then Mittelt quickly spread her black, feathery wings and took off into the night sky.

I smiled to myself as the adorable Fallen Angel vanished from sight.

Today has been fairly pleasant. I ended up finally being able to use my Sacred Gear's power, I met someone nice, and I made a friend(?) of a Fallen Angel. As long as neither Ruruko or Sitri-senpai find out about any of this, it's all good.

I turned on my heels, reading to go meet up with Sitri-senpai, when I found myself face to face with a familiar, cute, brown-haired girl who glaring at me.

"Hi, Ruruko." I greeted nonchalantly, my situation having yet to set in.

.

.

.

Fuck.

* * *

[Outskirts of Town]

The moment Ruruko had brought me in front of Sitri-senpai, I was positive I was in deep shit. Ruruko was outright pissed about the fact not only was I "on a date", as she called it, with a Fallen Angel, but also because I got involved and interacted with one despite promising not to.

Senpai remained silent for the most part. She waited until Ruruko had finished chewing me out for being such an idiot (thank goodness I didn't tell her about Sister Asia).

Then Senpai calmly walked over to me and told me to follow her somewhere.

This "somewhere" happened to be in the direction of a deserted forest.

It was eerie and disturbing, like the kind of place you'd see in a horror movie, some idiot wandering around for some stupid reason in the middle of the dark, completely unconcerned with the fact he's alone in the middle of dark woods...well, unconcerned until the point where he gets decapitated or something.

When Senpai brought me here, millions of horrible scenarios ran through my mind.

I was kind of half-sure she had brought me out here to kill me and then hide my body as punishment for disobeying her. I thought it somewhat crazy, but I suppose it's always the last person you'd suspect.

We traveled through the dark woods in silence for a good ten minutes. It's a good thing Devils have night-vision. It sure comes in handy in situations like this one.

After another good five minutes, Sitri-senpai stopped in front of me.

"That was a rather reckless thing you did." She said finally.

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Yeah, I know you told me not t get involved with the Fallen Angels, but it wasn't my fault, well, not initially. It was like this: I-"

Senpai shook her head. "Not that." She said. "I was referring to what you did earlier."

My insides froze at the insinuation. She knew.

Sitri-senpai turned around to face me, a serious and disapproving expression on her face.

"I had my familiars observing you to make sure you weren't getting Ito trouble. You should have known better than to even think about going anywhere near the Church. That should NOT be one of the things I have the lecture you about as if you were a child." Senpai's tone remained calm and even, but she held a certain harsh and reproving presence in her speech.

I hung my head in shame. Despite my intentions, I DID know that. I did it knowing that my actions would not receive approval. I did not regret them, but I understand that it was a dangerous and rather stupid thing for me, a Devil, to do.

"Because you were performing a kind act of returning a nun to the Church, the Angels didn't attack you, but you may not be as fortunate next time you dare to approach holy ground, so don't get involved with people from the Church. Especially the Exorcists who are our biggest enemy. They could easily eliminate us because their powers are supported by the prayer of God. More so if it is an Exorcist with a Sacred Gear. That would be the same as standing on the boundary of death, Shirou."

I subconsciously thought of Sister Asia. If she had known I was a Devil...would she have attacked me? I did my best to shove that thought to the back of my mind, but it kept nagging me.

Senpai wasn't finished. "You could avoid death as a human by being resurrected as a Devil. But Devils who are exorcised become completely terminated. They return to nothing. NOTHING. There is nothing left and you feel nothing. Do you know how serious that is?"

I hung my head as if to silently beg for mercy from Senpai. "Yes. I promise I won't do it again. I'm sorry."

Sitri-senpai's expression softened somewhat after she sighed.

"I would understand if you think me somewhat harsh, but Onee-sama made you my responsibility. I have to be even stricter with you than even with my own servants due to your value to Onee-sama." Senpai explained. "You must understand, though, that I speak while keeping your safety in mind. You might wish to believe that everything is made alright by a single kind act, but nothing is quite so simple due to the tense peace between the Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils."

I cast my eyes downward. "I know. I understand that you and the others are just looking out for me. Senpai isn't the type to be unnecessarily harsh or unkind. You're only trying to keep the peace all while keeping those around you safe. I understand. I promise to be much more careful from now on."

I saw a glimmer of a soft smile on Senpai's face before she turned back around.

"Now let's go, Fujimura-kun. Rias and the others are waiting for us."

I blinked, frowning in confusion. "You mean you DIDN'T bring me out here to scold me?" When I thought about the words that just came out of my mouth, I finally realized how ridiculous they sounded. Why would ANYONE, especially Senpai, drag another person into the woods solely for the sake of having a good place to scold them. "Erm...what are we meeting them FOR?"

Senpai started walking again. I walked at a faster pace in order to keep up with her.

"You got lucky up that your opponent was as weak as she was, but I want you to fully understand what you will certainly end up against at some point during your career as a Devil." Senpai explained. "You've yet to fully awaken your own powers or the powers granted to you by the Evil Piece Onee-sama used to resurrect you, so Rias and I agreed it best to show you what a TRUE fight with Devils is like..."

Then Senpai went on to fully explain the situation as we made our way to our destination.

Gremory-senpai and her Peerage had received an order from their higher-ups to find and eliminate a "Stray Devil."

Stray Devils were Devils who betrayed or killed their masters. It's not entirely common, but not unheard of from what Senpai told me.

Where there's power, there's always someone who's going to abuse it. It's the same for Devils as it is for humans. There will always be those who choose to use that power for their own self-interests.

Stray Devils leave their master's side and end up causing problems somewhere else. They are no different from Stray dogs in a way. They cause trouble for quite a lot of people. That's why the law of the Devils states that when they are found, they are to be eliminated. Other races like Angels and Fallen Angels also seem them as threats and eliminate them as well.

This was the kind of creature Gremory-senpai and her Peerage had been sent to exterminate.

For a moment, concern filled me as I remembered both Yumi and Ise were part of Gremory-senpai's Peerage.

Sitri-senpai eased my worries by telling me how skilled and powerful Gremory-senpai and Yumi were compared to normal people. She also assured me that Gremory-senpai wouldn't drag her servants into such a fight if she believed it would put them in unnecessary danger.

My Senpais were both strong and trustworthy people. I had to have faith in them.

Besides, even if I don't have any training, I still have my Divine Dividing. I'm sure this Sacred Gear could make me of SOME use if we ended up in danger.

Our trip came to an end once some familiar and unfamiliar faces came within our range of sight.

Behind them (them being Ise, Gremory-senpai, Yumi, a beautiful, raven-haired, Onee-sama-type girl whom I feel I've seen before, and a petite white-haired loli whom I also felt was familiar), stood a rather creepy and ominous deserted building.

"Yo!" I waved at the group as I approached with Sitri-senpai. "What's up?"

Ise seemed surprised to see me. Yumi smiled, waving back. Gremory-senpai merely smiled softly.

The raven-haired beauty smiled as well, but I couldn't help but feel she was imagining something in her head...It sent a strangely pleasant chill down my spine.

The loli girl simply stared at me with a rather stoic expression.

Once we stood before the "Gremory group" (as I dubbed them), I bowed.

"Um, my name's Shirou Fujimura. A Second Year and the servant of Serafall Leviathan. It's a pleasure to personally meet you all in our occupation as Devils." The introduction was more for the raven-haired girl and the loli since I doubted we knew each other.

"Ah, so this is the [White Knight of Kuoh], hm?" The Yamato Naedshiko-like Onee-sama wondered with a smile on her face. "I also hear you are the one who obtained the Sacred Gear, [Divine Dividing]."

I nodded in confirmation. "Yes, but I still have a lot to learn. I do hope I can count on your assistance in this endeavor, Senpai. Please teach me a lot." She looked older than me so I assumed she was my senior.

Strangely, my unnamed Senpai licked her lips. "Of course. I'm sure there's so much I can teach you."

"Akeno," Gremory-senpai said in a warning tone. "No. It's definitely not OK for you to attempt such things with Leviathan-sama's servant. Stay away."

My eyes widened.

I remember! I DO know this girl! She's Akeno Himejima! The second of the Two Great Onee-samas!

Gremory-senpai then turned to me and smiled slightly. "I suppose I should introduce you properly to my Peerage since you are Leviathan-sama's servant." Gremory-senpai gestured towards Himejima-senpai. "This is my [Queen], Akeno Himejima. She's a year above you."

"It really is a pleasure." Himejima-senpai giggled. "But my adorable Kouhai an call me "Akeno", "Akeno-sama" if it pleases you~"

What does she mean about that "Akeno-sama" thing? Somehow I got the feeling that she truly wanted me to call her "master" rather than "Akeno". It was a gut feeling I had.

"I'll go with "Akeno-san", thank you." I said, settling on that.

"...Koneko Toujou. [Rook]." The white-haired loli introduced herself with the same expression from before. "1st year. " Somehow I got the feeling she wasn't a very expressive person.

I smiled. "It's nice to meet you Koneko-san." Koneko simply nodded, not bothered by the fact I was calling her by her first name.

"And of course you already know Ise and Yumi." Gremory-senpai said, gesturing to my two friends.

Sitri-senpai cleared her throat to gather everyone's attention. "Now that that's been taken care of, it would probably be best to move on to the mission."

Gremory-senpai nodded. "Of course, Sona." She then turned to us servants. "Now then. We all know what's going on?"

We all nodded.

"Then let's go. It would be rude to keep our target waiting."

With that, we made our way into the house...this house...I could totally see a law-breaking Devil hiding in that house. It was creepy as Hell. It was like one of those haunted houses you see in horror movies where you find yourself screaming at the screen, shouting at the stupid characters not to go into the obviously haunted house.

Not only that, but...it reeked of blood. I found myself nauseated by the scent, but I did my best to ignore it.

I shoved my hands into my pockets as we entered the house. I could feel the quietness of the house add to the tension. This was because I could FEEL the abnormal killing intent directed towards us. I readied myself to fight and I KNEW a fight was coming. And so we started our search for the Stray Devil.

Gremory-senpai was clearly the leader of this expedition, possessing a sense of reliability as she led us forward.

She then went on to speak to Ise about things I already knew. Like the [Rating Games] and the [Evil Pieces]. She also said something odd about "certain circumstances" preventing her from taking part. I felt I should be somewhat concerned, but it seemed personal.

At the end of her explanation, it finally drew my thoughts to something. Over the couple days I've been a Devil, I've known about Evil Pieces and stuff...there was one thing I never got an answer about: What Piece am I?

Ise was the one who voiced the actual question.

"Buchou, what is my role and traits? And what piece am I?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah. Come to think of it, neither Sera-tan or Sitri-senpai told me what piece I am either. I'd like to know that too."

Gremory-senpai smiled. "Shirou, Ise. You are..." She trailed off and I knew why. The chill in the air had increased as did the the enemy's killing intent.

We had found our Stray.

I could feel it approaching us even with my rookie Devil senses.

"I can smell something disgusting. But I can also smell something delicious. Is it sweet? Or is it sour?"

I covered my nose. Damn straight! Something reeks! But I knew this scent.

It was the scent of blood. It was even more powerful than it was when we first entered.

Gremory-senpai then announced herself to the source of killing intent. "Stray Devil Vizor, we're here to destroy you!"

I moved to the right to avoid some sort of object that was thrown at me. I was about to look at the guy who threw it at me, but my immediate attention was drawn to the object itself. I was curious and had to see what it was.

"Don't look, Shirou!" Ise warned me with concern in his voice. But my curiosity compelled me to look against my better judgement.

I really wish I hadn't.

My eyes widened in shock. It was a corpse! Not even a full one! It was like someone ate half the body but lost interest in the head, leaving the poor bastard's remains laying flat on the ground with his eyes opened.

The stench in the room intensified to the point that I hunched over and almost threw up. I had to cover my mouth to suppress the vomit that was working its way up my throat. Dammit! I thought I was stronger than this! But...I still couldn't stand it...this scent...The scent of death and decay.

On this scale, it was too powerful. In small doses, I could bear through it, but a slaughter on this scale was something even a person with a stomach made of lead would find nauseating.

"Fujimura-kun...are you alright?" Despite Sitri-senpai's far from soft expression, I sensed the hint of concern in her voice.

I swallowed, nodding despite my pale face. Ise had warned me. He knew how I felt about guts and gore. I could take blood and death, but when it's splattered everywhere with corpses torn apart, I couldn't help but get like this.

"I...I'm fine."

Sitri-senpai didn't seem convinced, but she let it go.

Laughter echoed all around us. The sick asshole thought this was funny. He was really pissing me off.

It wasn't normal laughter though. It didn't seem like that of a Devil or a human. More like a monster.

I braced myself as the torso of a topless woman started to come out of the shadows, but it looked like her body was floating. When I got a better look, I saw that her torso was connected to something else.

The next thing I heard was heavy footsteps as if something huge was walking towards us. At first I thought she had some sort of beast hidden behind her. But then her lower half stepped entirely out of the shadows and I realized she WAS the beast.

It was a grotesque being with an unnatural form having a woman's upper body and the lower body of a monster. In both of her hands were weapons like spears. They kinda reminded me of the jousting-type of lances you'd see in medieval-style places. She was HUGE. At the very least 5 meters tall. If she stood on her hind legs, she would probably end up being twice as tall.

So even a beast like her could become a Devil. Well I suppose just because many other species COULD become Devils doesn't mean they should.

"Leaving your master's side and rampaging as you please definitely deserve death. In the name of Duke Gremory, I will gladly eliminate you!" I had to give Gremory-senpai some respect. Devil girls have loads more courage than normal girls. Then again, she probably didn't see Vizor as a threat. Size didn't necessarily translate into strength. It just made you a bigger target.

"You are cunning for a little girrrrrrl! I will rip your body, and color it in red just like your haaaaaaair!"

Gremory-senpai seemed amused by the Stray Devil's threat. "Grunts sure do speak in a stylish manner. Yumi!"

"Yes!" I was barely able to catch Yumi as she sprinted ahead at unbelievable speeds. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it.

"Yumi!" I called out, worried for my friend's safety.

Sitri-senpai placed a calm hand on my shoulder. "Don't worry, Fujimura-kun. She's Rias's [Knight]. She will be fine."

"Ise, I will continue from the lecture before." I turned to Gremory-senpai as she addressed Ise.. If she was this calm, I guess Vizor wasn't a real threat at all. I assumed Gremory-senpai was referring to that stuff about [Evil Pieces]. "Yumi's position is [Knight]. Its trait is speed. Those who become a [Knight] have their speed increased."

I observed it with my own eyes. Yumi had been fast before, but her speed suddenly increased to the point that I couldn't completely follow with my eyes. I could keep up somewhat, but not really. If I had this much trouble, then that colossal Stray Devil probably couldn't even attempt such a thing. Because of this, Yumi had no problem dodging all of Vizor's attacks.

"And Yumi's ultimate weapon is swords." Yumi stopped and the next moment she was holding a European sword. She took it out of the scabbard, the drawn blade reflecting the light of the moon. The pause in motion didn't last long because Yumi suddenly vanished again.

I only started paying attention the the monster when I heard her screams echo throughout the room. I was just in time to see her severed arms hit the ground, spears and all. The next second, blood spewed from the stumps where Vizor's arms once were.

"This is Yumi's power. Speed that you can't follow with your eyes, and sword skills of a professional. By combining these two, she becomes the fastest Knight." Yumi stopped right in front of Vizor with her sword at his side. At first I was about to call her out for being an idiot when the enemy was right behind her, but then I saw another figure run up behind her.

"Koneko-san?!" What was she doing? She was going to get crushed!

"YOU LITTLE BUUUUG!" The Stray screeched as it attempted to stomp on both Yumi and Koneko-san. I was about to run forward to push the idiots out of the way when Gremory-senpai started to speak again.

"Don't worry." She said. "Koneko's role is [Rook]."

I watched in amazement as Koneko's tiny body was able to hold up the beast's giant foot with seemingly little effort.

"The trait of a [Rook] is simple. Absolute strength. And also very high defense. It's impossible for a Devil with that calibre to stamp on Koneko. It can't crush her."

Gremory-senpai smiled at my obvious guess. "Exactly. That is the trait of a [Rook]. It's impossible for a Devil with that caliber to stamp on Koneko. It can't crush her."

I found myself smiling with amazement. This was the power of a Devil. IT WAS SO COOL! I could never hope to match such power back when I was a human! And even with my own enhanced body, I wasn't quite able to perform such feats yet!

I was further amazed when Koneko lifted up the beast still without showing any strain. "…Fly."

She jumped high and delivered a sharp punch to the monster's stomach, throwing her entire body backwards.

"How can it be...this band of youngsters..." That is usually what a villain says in an anime right before they kick the bucket. Geez. Even Devils were cliche.

"And lastly, Akeno."

"Yes, Buchou. Ara ara, what should I do?" She was...laughing? I sometimes laugh sometimes out of amusement or anticipating a certain fight, but Akeno-san didn't strike me as that type of person.

She walked over to where the downed Stray had been thrown by Koneko-chan.

"Akeno is a [Queen]. She's the one who is the strongest after me. She is the unbeatable Vice-president of our club who has all the traits of [Pawn], [Knight], [Bishop], and [Rook]." Gremory-senpai explained. So that means she's more powerful than the speedy prince and the crazy strong loli?

Akeno-san made a fearless laugh after seeing the monster's gaze directed towards her. "Ara ara, seems like you still have some energy left in you. Then how about this?" Akeno-san raised her hand to the sky.

Then lightning rained down on the Stray Devil. She shrieked in pain as she got a huge electrical shock. She came out badly burnt with smoke coming from her.

How do you like your Stray devil? Burnt or extra crispy? I smiled at my own little mental joke.

I suppose Akeno-san liked hers extra crispy because she called down yet another bolt of electrical power. Even though the monster sounded like it was already dying, it let out another scream of pain. Now I was POSITIVE the Stray was already dying.

Even so, Akeno-san strikes down a third time.

"Ah looks like you can still continue. How long can you keep this up?" I couldn't help but feel that the sexual undertone mixed with her expression meant something.

"Akeno specializes in attacking her opponent with magic power." Senpai explained. "She can use natural elements like lightning, ice, and fire. And most of all, she's really into S&amp;M."

I felt my own face heating up. I swallowed. "That's...that's kinda hot." I admitted. I then heard the others next to me go deadly silent. "Uh...guys?" I turned and sweatdropped as I saw the others slowly scooting away towards the background. "Why are you moving away?"

Yumi waved nervously. "What are you talking about?" I'm talking about the fact that even Sitri-senpai and Gremory-senpai were backing away from me, Sitri-senpai with a slightly alarmed and worried look on her face.

"Your response just kinda surprised us." Yumi said, slightly more straightforward than the rest...but I sensed a slight fear in her voice.

"...Stay away..." Koneko-chan said, much more straightforward as she crossed her arms into an X in my direction.

Why is it it was alright for Akeno to be the Sadist Queen but I couldn't even find it hot?

"Oh come on! It's not like I'm asking for anyone to be tied up and whipped!"

I felt a chill as a hand was placed on my shoulder. "Oh? So are you offering then?" I turned in surprise to see Akeno-san smiling, hints of sexual pleasure still on her face.

Whoa! When'd she get there?!

I slowly slid away from Akeno-san, my hands trying to ward her off. "Sorry. I'm don't quite find it THAT hot. Besides, I'm pretty sure you'd kill me." She fries demons to get off. Like Hell I'd test out a slight S&amp;M fetish with Akeno-san.

Akeno-san winked at me. "It's okay. I can be very gentle with my allies." I felt my face heating up again.

"Uh..." I was saved when Gremory-senpai cleared her throat, interrupting this...'thing' that was going on with Akeno-san right now. Akeno-san then put on her usual non-sadist smile and turned to Gremory-senpai.

Sitri-senpai walked up to me and whispered. "Watch what you say around Akeno." It sounded more like friendly advice than a command. "What may sound innocent enough may come back to bite you later."

I nodded.

"The last blow belongs to you, Buchou." Akeno-san said as if she hadn't gone total sadist.

Note to self: Watch what I say around Akeno.

Note to self: REALLY. I meant it. WATCH what you say around Akeno-san.

Gremory-senpai then approached the downed and now badly burned Vizor. "Any last words?"

"Kill...me..." The monster croaked out.

"Then disappear." I was honestly surprised by the cruel reply Gremory-senpai gave as well as the coldness in her voice.

I watched as a huge mass of black, demonic energy gathered in Gremory-senpai's palm. Gremory-senpai released it all in one go, completely annihilating the monster's entire body.

I could tell because I no longer sensed anything...there wasn't a trace left of the Stray Devil once known as Vizor.

So this was the power Devils possessed...

All the coldness and tensity vanished into thin air. The powerful scent of death also gradually faded away with Vizor's death.

Gremory-senpai smiled to everyone. "It's over. Good work everyone."

So the "Stray Devil Hunt" is over then? This is where I start in my pursuit of my dream. I will definitely get stronger.

Strong enough to surpass God Himself! Strong enough to be more powerful than Heaven and Hell combined! That was the promise I made.

Then I remembered something. Everyone here had a position with an [Evil Piece], but Gremory-senpai never answered mine nor Ise's question from earlier.

"You never did tell me though. What [Piece] am I, Buchou?" Ise asked again.

"Yes. Please tell us what pieces we are, Senpai. I'm really tired and every time I try asking someone, they either ignore the question or I get cut off." I complained.

"Ah." Gremory-senpai responded with a smile. "I forgot to tell you, didn't I?" Yes. Yes you did.

First she turned to Ise.

"You are a [Pawn]. Ise, you are a Pawn."

Gremory-senpai's response was brief and to the point.

I could literally SEE Ise's soul get crushed with that statement. Figures that idiot wouldn't see the big picture.

If a regular pawn in Chess had the ability to promote to a stronger piece by reaching the other end of the board, then the Evil Piece [Pawn] possessed the same ability. To use [Promotion] and become any piece but [King]. That would certainly be a useful ability in battle.

"And, Fujimura-kun, I suppose you should also get to finally know what piece you are." She smiled.

YES! I was finally going to know what piece I was!

"You are truly valuable to Onee-sama, Fujimura-kun." Sitri-senpai. "Valuable not only as a servant whom she deeply cares for but also as her most important piece."

Wait...most important piece...? Why does it feel like I know where this is going...?

"Shirou," Senpai addressed me by my first name. "You are..." Oh, never mind. I don't wanna know. Pleeeeaaaase don't say it. Ise seemed to have come to the same conclusion because he was moving in to hear Sitri-senpai'swords.

"You are a [Queen]. You are Onee-sama's [Queen]."

.

.

.

I let that sink in. Despite the fact I was technically the strongest Evil Piece of Sera-tan's...Being called "The Queen of Serafall Leviathan" didn't exactly fill me with pride.

I shot a glare at Ise. "Not a single. Fucking. Word."

It was clear that Ise was fairly amused since he was smiling, his cheeks puffing up as he suppressed laughter.

"I'm warning you, Ise. I WILL kick your ass."

He snorted, still suppressing laughter.

"Not joking. I will MURDER you if you laugh."

"Sure," Ise squeaked. "...I just have to know something..."

I raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Does Leviathan-sama address you as "my fair lady"?"

"That's it! YOU'RE DEAD!" I lunged at Ise, knocking him to the ground. We tussled for a bit before I straddled him, (somewhat) jokingly strangling him out of annoyance.

He was gasping for air as he was laughing while choking.

"-Queen...Queen...Queen..."

"Shut uuuuuup! Asshoooooole!" I slammed his head against the floor again and again. On the inside, I was crying though.

"Now, Fujimura-kun," Sitri-senpai said. "As I'm sure you gathered thus far, you have already begun to learn the ability of the [Queen]...but you've still barely scratched the surface of your abilities. You've yet to fully learn to use your individual traits and-"

Senpai must've realized I was only half-listening because she saw the fact I was still trying to kill Issei.

"I-"

Gremory-senpai placed a hand on her shoulder, smiling tiredly. "Boys will be boys I suppose."

Akeno-san laughed like "Ara ara" like she does. Koneko-san merely nodded. Yumi smiled apologetically but still clearly with amusement.

Sitri-senpai nodded in defeat.

Meanwhile, Ise had escaped my grasp and was running around the abandoned building shouting "Queen! Queen! Queen!". He ran from me as I chased after him, determined to tear out his vocal cords.

And that was the end of that night...

* * *

**?'s POV...**

"...Aaaaah...Ooooh...dammit..."

I hated it...this pleasure...

I hated that stuck-up, white-haired douche, but...why can't I stop thinking about him?

...since I got back, I couldn't bear to let go of the jacket wrapped around me. Every time I smelled it, it smelled of him. Dammit! Damn that cocky bastard! Thinking he can...aaaah...this...to me...

It...it feels so good...but I hate him!

Auuuu, jeez...

FUCK YOU, SHIROU FUJIMURA! I hate you!

...It was strange. Even as I thought about him...I couldn't believe those words...

My body wouldn't let me...my heart wouldn't stop beating...my body just kept getting hotter...

Gaaah! Kalawarner told me that doing this would relieve it, but it just...

AAAAAAAAAAAH!

I can't help it! had to see him! I had to meet him again!

I want to see Shirou Fujimuraaaaa!

**Aaaand, on that note: DONE! Thanks to the fact I was able to reuse bits from the original Devil Reborn, I was able to get this done waaaaaay ahead of schedule. Three days! Ha! Ain't this neat~! And no. I don't think that last bit about Mittelt (Come on! It's no big spoilers! I'm sure we all figured out who it was!) was inappropriate cos it's not like I specifically said she was touching herself. **

**Shirou's gonna get a new harem girl soon~ Look out, cos this blonde is a fiery one~!**

**Anywho, I think that's all I need to say here...erm...yep. I think that's bout it~**

****Here's the harems again~:****

**Shirou: Serafall, Ruruko, Sona, Tsubaki, Yumi (FemKiba), Asia, Karlamine, Tsubasa, Ravel, Ni and Li, Ile and Nel, Xuelan, Koneko, Kuroka, Yasaka, Gabriel, Irina, Griselda, Valerie Tepes, Gasper (FemGasper), Kunou, Akeno, Xenovia, Rossweisse, Ophis, Jeanne, Kiyome Abe, Raynare, Mittelt, Kalawarner**

**Issei: Rias, Isabela, Reya, Le Fay, Bennia, Seekvaira, Tomoe, Aika**

**No changes this time~!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	6. Life 5: Exorcists

**I thank you all for the reviews yesterday.**

**I also wish to inform you of one **

**Anyway, on with the story~!**

**I forgot to mention a collaboration fic going on between me and CrimsonBlade11!**

**The first chapter is out and the story's called "I Don't Want These Kinds of Heroes". **

**It's a DxD fic featuring protagonists created by both of us.**

**O.O READ IT!...Please?**

**Also...I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do for a second DxD fic. I keep planning and planning but I never work up the initiative to do any of the ideas I've thought of...and there were a lot of good ones...**

**So I'm accepting challenges from other people concerning DxD. If there's a specific type of OC protagonist you desire or some kind of new origin for Shirou, I'm willing to hear you out and do like my buddy, makoto x chelia. Use the same badass protagonist, altering his backstory to create new scenarios and new interactions and reactions to stuff...**

**So essentially, you guys can give me ideas for Shirou's new backstory or history for a DxD idea. If you send in a good one, I'll follow your idea as closely as possible.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING. **

**Life 5: Exorcists**

School once again passed in a blur.

In between classes, I ended up talking with Yumi regarding the topic of Contracts.

"So how exactly do I get a contractor to like me?" I asked her.

Yumi leaned her head on her arm as she stared at me with a strange expression on her face. It was pleasant. It was personal, but she didn't seem like she was ogling me per se.

"Well, it's not simple. Each contractor has their own personal likes and dislikes. A single method to get them to like or dislike you is not available. My best advice is be polite, observe their personality, and then do your best to stay on their good side."

This was the advice Yumi gave me.

I tried asking her more, but her answers always ended up being incredibly similar.

But really, I don't think my heart was in it.

I just couldn't help but think back to yesterday.

Yumi seemed to notice my troubled expression. "Are you okay?"

I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah...it's just that...well, yesterday I met this nun. She seemed like a nice person and it got me thinking."

I noticed a strange tenseness emanating from Yumi. "About what?"

"..."

I wondered if Yumi was really the best person to talk about this to. I mean, how could I expect to get an impartial answer from someone who has been a Devil for far longer than I have? She'd already be too partial to give me an real answer...

"Nothing." I lied.

Yumi pouted adorably. "Liar."

I sighed. "Yeah, but it's something I should probably ask someone else about."

"Shirou," I felt a chill (not a pleasant one this time) go down my spine as I noticed the slightly dark look Yumi gave me, "You're not getting involved with people from the Church, are you?"

I bit my lip, somewhat afraid. This was clearly something Yumi felt strongly about. Now I was really glad I didn't ask her.

I swallowed once. "N-No. I-It's just that meeting with the nun-BY ACCIDENT-I started wondering about something stupid! No big deal! Hehehe..."

For a brief second, I feared Yumi had seen through my lies and bullshit.

We stared at one another for several brief seconds, my heart beating violently against my chest.

Yumi's suddenly expression returned to being all sunshine and unicorns again, smiling brightly.

"Oh. That's okay then."

I released a sigh of relief. I never thought Yumi could get so scary...It was kind of sexy when I thought about it though.

Then I thought back to the previous night. I remembered how powerful Yumi had seen, using speed I had yet to develop to cut up that colossus of a Stray Devil. While, as I observed, her physical endurance left something to be desired. If she had been fighting a serious threat, her legs would be her weak point. But other than that, she was still strong. Much more well-trained than me in my current state.

Even with the legendary Divine Dividing, I was still rather weak when compared to Gremory-senpai, Yumi, Akeno-san, and Koneko-chan.

I've yet to even learn how to fully use my [Queen] traits. I also haven't been a Devil for any longer than a few days.

The only person who could possibly understand what I'm going through would be...

Issei!

That's right! Issei was a perverted idiot, but he was a good guy! Surely he would understand my thoughts!

I quickly stood up from my chair, almost knocking it over. "Thanks, Yumi! But I gotta go!"

I walked around of the room with a hurried pace. I pulled out my cellphone from my pocket. I started typing a text message as quickly as I could (which wasn't very fast really. I was horribly unimpressive when it came to texting. Why can't people just call each other?! It's hardly any more dangerous than texting, even when driving, they both hold fairly the same amount of danger!).

[Ise, meet me on roof. -Shirou]

I hit send. It was only a few minutes later that I received a reply.

[Sure. But can I ask why?]

I pondered the answer to my brother's question. I smiled mischievously, typing back a response.

[Nope~...but it's important to me.]

And with that, I left for the school rooftop. When I got there, I made sure there was no one else was around. It would be troublesome if anyone overheard what I would say. It was one thing if anyone overheard me, but it was quite another if one of them was someone related to the supernatural like Sitri-senpai or Gremory-senpai.

And so I waited a few minutes, leaning against the railing while humming to myself.

I heard the door to the roof open, revealing my perverted, best friend.

He walked over to me and leaned against the railing, a curious expression on his face.

"What did you ask me up here for?" It was a fair question. He was being rather calm and polite about it. "You said it was important."

I rubbed my jaw, wondering the best way to bring about the topic of Fallen Angels up to the guy who got his heart torn out and crushed by one...literally.

"OK, so..." I paused, trying to find out the best way to explain the situation. "OK...so it's like this." I paused again, gathering my thoughts before speaking. "OK, you remember in...Ah screw it. I'm gonna do this without references." I took a deep breath. "You see...I met this girl and-"

Ise growled. "You brought me up here just to gloat in my face again?"

I facepalmed. "Wha-I-Shut up and listen will ya?" I sighed. "Well, I met this girl...well, two of them...they're kind of...well they're not approved of by others around us. I...OK-"

"STOP SAYING "OK" AND JUST TELL ME WHATEVER THE HELL YOU'RE GONNA SAY!" Ise finally shouted out in annoyance, apparently fed up with all of my pauses.

He had a right to get ticked off.

I bit my tongue slightly to silence whatever comeback I had in mind. I glanced off to the side, weighing my options on how to explain this.

"Fine...but you have to promise not to shout or get upset."

Ise raised a suspicious eyebrow. "Why?"

I shook my head, pointing at him. "No. Promise first. Swear on your parents' lives."

"...Alright. I swear not to shout or get upset, but not on my parents' lives. That's too serious." Ise finally agreed with a sigh. "Now what is it you have to tell me?"

Well, this was probably the best I was gonna get from him.

"O-I mean-it's..." I blinked. "IgotinvolvedwithaFallenAngelandnunfromtheChurch!"

I was so nervous and uncertain that I ended up just blurting it all out in a single breath. Ise just stared at me, probably wondering what the hell I just said.

"...What?"

Taking one more deep breath, I took a leap of faith.

"I kinda...may have...sort of...ended up liking a nun and a Fallen Angel." I finally admitted clearly and without distraction.

It was almost disturbing how quickly Ise's face turned shock white.

"What?" Then a short pause. "WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

"Hey!" I shouted accusingly. "You swore you wouldn't shout or get upset!"

"Yeah, that's cos I thought you were gonna tell me something like you got laid by the washboard or that you recruited more members for your harem or whatever!" Ise started pacing back and forth. "This is a Fallen Angel. A FALLEN ANGEL!" Ise emphasized the fact that one of the girls I was speaking about was a Fallen Angel.

"And a nun." I added.

"Nuns, I don't know too much about. So I don't care about that quite yet. She could be nice for all I know." Ise said in a much lower tone. "But a FALLEN ANGEL!? ARE YOU NUTS!? DO YOU NOT REMEMBER BEING KILLED LITERALLY A WEEK AGO! HAVE THE SCARS ALREADY FADED FROM YOUR CHEST?! Cos if so, I wanna know your secret."

I waved my hands in a gesture to calm Ise down. "I think you're overreacting. Mittelt-chan is actually a pretty nice girl once you see that adorable face of hers not stretched into a malicious expression. We actually had a pleasant little exchange at an ice cream parlor-"

"Nooo! Oh no, you're DATING one too!?" Ise asked, incredulous.

"Come on, we're not "dating". We just had a pleasant exchange."

Ise was still pacing back and forward, still trying to process my words. "Last I checked, I don't remember either of us knowing how to use the words "Fallen Angel" and "pleasant" in the same sentence."

I opened my mouth to talk before shaking my head, releasing a deep sigh. "Wanna know what? You were clearly the wrong person to come for to ask for help. Forget it." I walked past Ise, preparing to return downstairs of the school building.

"Wait." I heard Ise call out reluctantly. He seemed downtrodden, but calmer. "OK, I'm calmed down. I can tell you're serious and it would be a dick move if I freaked out without even listening to to my bro. I'm calm, I'm ready to listen. What's your problem, buddy?"

I smiled slightly. "Alright then...Remember how Raynare killed us because of our Sacred Gears?"

Ise cocked his head sideways, frowning. "'Raynare'?"

I snapped me fingers, realizing something. "Oh, I mean 'Yuuma', which is a fake name by the way. That Fallen Angel's real name is Raynare." Ise didn't know 'Yuuma' had a true name.

"Oh." Ise replied, looking even more somewhat depressed at the fact that the girl who killed him didn't even give him a real name. "Anyway, yeah. I kinda remember that."

"Well, the first thing I feel I have to tell you before I go any further with my problem. Turns out they were under orders from their higher ups." I explained. "It was apparently from their top dog, Azazel. Even if they didn't wanna do it, they had to. Keep that in mind. Also keep in mind that only one of them actually killed you."

"I get it." Ise said harshly, apparently not enjoying the trip down memory lane.

"OK, well...the thing I'm wondering is...why?"

"Why what?" Ise asked.

"Why are we enemies?" For a second, Ise looked shocked and hurt. "With the other factions I mean." Ise calmed down considerably.

"Well, there was that whole big war thing a long time ago, so I guess-"

"But what about now?" I asked. "I mean, we're not at war. Not anymore. Even if it's tense, there's still peace between the three factions. I've learned now that, despite what many of us think, not all of the people of the other factions are evil or cruel like we'd expect. The nun I told you about, Sister Asia was her name. She was an incredibly kind, cute, and sweet young girl. Even if you gave her a crippled Devil in front of her and put a light spear in her hand, I doubt she would even consider harming another person, even a Devil."

Ise nodded, somewhat understanding what I was saying.

"And then there's that Fallen Angel I told you about, Mittelt." Ise tensed somewhat, but remained silent, allowing me to continue. "Yeah she tried to kill me before yesterday and the day before that, but she's not necessarily evil. More like a brat who is a sore loser. I felt it when we fought. She was willing to kill, but she was kind of childish about it. It was more like a tantrum than actual intent to murder. And after I beat her, we had some ice cream and she turned out to be a fairly pleasant girl once you got to associate with her."

Ise stared at me, deadpan. "...she tried to kill you...so you bought her ice cream...?"

We stared at one another for several minutes filled with silence.

"Well when you say it like that, you can make anything sound stupid." The deadpan expression turned to disbelief. "You had to be there to understand my reasoning! She was crying and I felt so bad inside and...You know what, the circumstances aren't really important. Point is, I found out something crazy: We don't HAVE TO be enemies."

Before Ise could go on a rant again, I stopped him.

"I know it sounds as crazy as it is, but if we all just sat down and talked it through, I think we could actually have genuine peace between one another." I sighed, falling into a more solemn mood. "Alright, call me crazy. Go ahead and tell me my idea's stupid."

Ise averted his eyes, not looking at me. He leaned against the railing on the rooftop, looking up towards the sky.

"..." He remained silent. Then, after a minute or two of contemplation, he walked over to me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "I won't call it stupid."

I gave a surprised expression. Considering the outrageous rant he had been on only a few minutes before, I thought he would've gone batshit crazy at the very suggestion I came up with.

"What?"

Ise grinned like an idiot. "We're bros. We stand by each other no matter what. Even if there's a part of my mind and common sense screaming "WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU!? ARE YOU NUUUUUUTS!?", if you want to believe in that, I'll stand by you to the bitter end. You can believe that cos I literally did stay by you in the bitter end the first time."

We both chuckled at his stupid joke, mostly out of the lack of comfort we felt. It wasn't easy joking around about dying considering we already died once.

"Listen, I can't say how it will go, but even if you want to chase something near impossible like universal peace, you can count on me to have your back. While I don't feel comfortable about Fallen Angels, I'll definitely believe you about this nun girl..." I could tell where this conversation was going when that goofy, perverted grin appeared on Ise's face. "Is she cute? What size are her oppai?"

"REALLY!?" I asked, deeply irritated how he could be so flippant as to move on to the subject of breasts immediately after I have a serious moment, explaining my desire for peace to him. "Is that really all you can think about, Oppai-idiot!?...But yes. She was cute. Very cute. I'd daresay you could call her a beautiful bishoujo."

The idiot's grin widened further. "So...Did you-"

"I swear if you ask "Did you seal the deal?", I will hit you." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I mean really, get your mind out of the gutter."

Ise pouted. "Geez, give me a break. I was just wondering if you were considering adding her to your harem." He paused, as if noting something. "Come to think of it, I don't actually recall you adding any other girls into your harem. I've seen you flirting a little, but I don't think I've ever seen you kissing any girl other than the washboard."

"Well..." I hesitated. "...It's a process. I can't just walk up to any random girl and say "Hey, wanna be part of my harem where I'll do many romantic and ecchi things with other girls as well?", ya know? If I want to become a true harem king, I have to form genuine romantic bonds and make sure girls are okay with it. Like with Yumi or Tsubasa-chan. I have to work my way into it. I'm starting to think that they're interested in it, but I want to have feelings for the girls and for them to return those feelings. Not doing so will result in me breaking one of my Five Rules of Harem-Building that I created with Ruruko when she allowed me to start building a harem."

Ise shrugged. "I don't really get it."

I sighed. We're gonna have to do this the educational way.

"OK, remember that manga, Sekirei?"

Another perverted grin from Ise. Ignoring that.

"Anyway, even though the protagonist was kind of feeling love for multiple women, they all accepted that because he was nice to them and treated them well, never taking advantage of them or anything. They constantly fought for his affection like a bunch of horny teenagers. Sekirei is among the many examples on how to build harems! You gotta build'em to last, buddy. And they have to consist of women you deeply care for and who share such affections."

Ise's head leaned side to side, as if he was contemplating my words. He'd probably forget them by tomorrow, but it was worth a shot to try explaining it.

And the conversation kind of devolved just like that. We went from discussing the future and peace to breasts and harems.

Such was a rather typical conversation between us two perverted idiots.

* * *

After my chat with Ise, I had one more thing to do before I reported to Sitri-senpai to see if I got a new Contract.

It was something that's been nagging me since I remembered the battle last night while I was talking to Yumi earlier. One of my thoughts continued to pester me.

I didn't know how to use the traits of me [Queen] piece.

However, I knew two people who did: Shinra-senpai and Akeno-san.

I didn't really know much about Shinra-senpai other than that she was the fifth most popular girl at school right after Yumi. And I wasn't sure how she really felt about me flirting with her. She seemed flattered for a second, but that could've just been shock since I doubt she's flirted with often enough.

So of course I went looking for Akeno-san. She seemed fairly more approachable.

There was a fair amount of time until the Occult Research Club met up, so it should be easy finding Akeno-san with the rate that students were clearing out of the building. I searched the second and first floor before checking outside.

After about fifteen minutes of searching, I found Akeno-san walking around the side of the main school building, her usual pleasant smile on her face.

...she's pretty.

I didn't really notice it last night because I was kind of turned o-I mean 'terrified', but when she's not going full sadist, she was rather beautiful rather than "sexy-in-a-dangerous-way".

I shook my head, calming myself as I approached her.

"Akeno-san!"

Upon noticing my presence, Akeno-san waved politely, inviting me closer.

"What does my naughty kouhai desire of me?" The way she said that, mixed with the mild sexual undertone and that devilish smile of hers, made me ponder for a second if that question had a double-meaning.

"Er..." I was beginning to wonder if it was too late to go ask Shinra-senpai...

Probably.

I cleared my throat. "Anyway, I was just wondering...Could you could teach me something?"

A perverted look appeared on Akeno-san's face. "Kufufufu. Is that so?" She placed a seemingly gentle hand on the side of my face. "If that's the case, then trust me, darling, there's so much I could teach you..."

The way she licked her lips and the way she stared at me hungrily both aroused and terrified me.

I shook my head very quickly. "No! Not "teaching me" like THAT! I mean I was wondering if you could teach me how to use my [Queen] traits!"

Akeno-san nodded in understanding. "Ah, so Sona-kaichou hasn't given you any training yet?"

I shook my head. "No. You're the first person I considered asking since we're both Queens. I thought you'd have more experience." I then quickly added before she could make another perverted comment, "AS A DEVIL."

Akeno-san pouted as I foiled her attempt at innuendo. "I suppose I could teach you..."

For a brief second, my hopes rose.

"But I need something from you first." Uh oh. Another perverted smile.

I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Alright. Hit me with your best shot. What is it?" I asked, somewhat concerned.

"Nothing tooooo bad." Akeno-san said in an attempt to be reassuring, placing a hand on the side of her face.

...she was not reassuring.

"Anyway, you just have to say something for me. You have to swear to say it before I tell you."

I got a bad feeling in my gut. I weighed my options...

Oh to hell with it."

"Fine. I'll say whatever it is." I agreed with a sigh. "What do I gotta say?"

That mischievous smile on Akeno-san's face made me certain I just did something stupid.

"Wow, I didn't think you'd actually say yes. In this case, what you have to say is-" My heart sank further when Akeno-san suddenly put on a rather erotic expression. "'Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want more~!'"

My face flushed a deep shade of red. "W-Wha-" Then my expression became monotone. "Know what? Whatever. I'll do it and get it over with." I coughed into my fist, clearing my throat. Still blushing, I tried my best to speak the phrase I was commanded to speak. "O-Oh...Please punish m-me more...Mistress...I want more please..." I couldn't pull it off. I could tell I didn't because Akeno-san's expression became one of disappointment.

She shook her head. "No. That won't do at all. Try it again and this time," Akeno-san's expression became perverted again, "truly show your erotic side."

I swallowed my pride in one go, almost choking. Making sure no one else was around, I changed my expression to an erotic one mirroring the expression Akeno-san wore before.

"Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!"

Aaaaand there goes my male pride.

I noted Akeno-san was fiddling around with her cellphone for some reasooooo-oh shit.

...No.

Nooooo.

NOOOOO.

She didn't-!

[Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!]

Nooooo...she did. She made it her ring tone!

I heard that ring tone crush what little pride I thought I had left.

Akeno-san smiled cheerfully. "Oh yes~ This will certainly be my favorite ring tone."

Oh please tell me she's joking. She's joking, right? She has to be joking!

Akeno-san flipped her phone closed, satisfied that I fulfilled my side of the bargain. "Alright then. I'm a woman of my word. I'll teach you how to use your powers." My blush deepened when Akeno-san suddenly grasped both of my hands in hers. "It's a fairly simple ability to master. Close your eyes."

Being told to close my eyes after being tricked into making a disturbingly erotic ring tone was certainly unsettling.

But Akeno-san didn't strike me as the dishonest-type. Perverted and clever, but not necessarily dishonest.

Trusting her not to try to take advantage of my body (at least, for the moment), I did as instructed. "Now picture the trait you desire. Chase after it with every last bit of your will. Try to fully grasp it with your mind. The immense strength of a [Rook], the unmatched speed of a [Knight], or the enhanced magical talent of a [Bishop]. All of these powers are at your disposal. It is up to you and your desire to summon them forth."

I did as Akeno-san said and imagined the trait I desired most. I focused on it with every fiber of my being.

I felt a strange new power flow through my body...it kind of tickled actually.

Once I was certain the flow of power was complete, I opened my eyes.

Akeno-san was still smiling politely. "So, how do you feel?"

I paused. Maybe I should do a little test to make sure it worked.

I turned away from Akeno-san, starting to walk next to a nearby tree.

I stared blankly at it for several seconds filled with silence.

It was so quie-

"CHAA!"

Without warning, I smashed my fist right through the tree, utilizing the traits of the [Rook].

"So cool!" I exclaimed, impressed with how much my strength increased after using my power.

"And that's really all there is to it, Shirou-kun." Akeno-san declared brightly.

"Neat-Waaaaaaaait a second!" I said after realizing something. "That's it!?"

"Just about~" Akeno-san confirmed, walking away as if what had just happened had NOT happened. "Just keep practicing and you'll soon be able to completely utilize all three Evil Piece traits at once~"

"B-but-but-but-but-!" I humiliated myself so...embarrassingly!

[Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!]

I felt my heart stop at that ring tone.

Nooooo! She actually made it her ring tone! I thought she was just joking around!

Why, God, whyyyyy-oh yeah, I'm a Devil. That's why.

Akeno-san pulled out her cellphone again, blushing with such a perverted expression on her face as she listened to her new ring tone with pleasure filling her up with pleasure.

She picked up the call. "Hello?" There was someone on the other side. "Mmhm...I see. Ah! Of course. I'll get him right away."

My senpai hung up and turned to me, still smiling. "Well isn't this convenient~" She said. "It looks like both Buchou and Kaichou want to speak with both you and Ise-kun. Please follow me."

Oh...I got the faint feeling in my gut that my night's not gonna turn out too well...

Why did my day have to be so embarrassing?

* * *

[Later...]

I was off on a job as usual, on my bike this time. It was dark outside and I had to make sure not to pedal faster than Ise so we didn't get separated.

Yeah. Us two ecchi bastards ended up being made to take up the same contract. Gremory-senpai and Kaichou were starting to get dissatisfied with our repeated failures in completing contracts. So they decided to put on the training wheels and send both of us so we could keep the other from screwing up.

"This sucks." I heard Ise complain next to me.

"Which part?" I asked. "The fact that our respective bosses think us so inadequate that we have to be sent as a pair or the fact we have to ride our bikes all the way to our client's house because your demonic power is too miniscule to let you use a magic circle?"

"That first one..." Ise replied. "...but damn...you sure know how to bring a guy down..."

After I unintentionally insulted Ise, he hung his head, an atmosphere of depression descending upon him.

I sweat dropped. "Sorry." I still couldn't shake this weird feeling in my gut. "Hey, Ise!"

Ise turned one eye towards me, but kept his overall gaze on the road before us. "Yeah?"

"You ever get a weird feeling in your gut? Like something bad's gonna happen?"

Ise laughed jokingly. "Come on, man, you're being paranoid!"

I considered his words. "Yeah...I guess..." I wasn't entirely convinced though. Ise and I haven't exactly had the best luck as of late. I had a few pleasant encounters, but overall, being stabbed and then attacked several times by enemies isn't what I consider "lucky".

Then again, maybe I AM just being paranoid...

It might be because I'm a Devil now. I know I've been one for a while, but how would anyone else feel if they woke up one morning and learned they were turned into a Devil. Maybe it's natural for me to feel a little paranoid considering what I've been through...

But I'm not complaining. With this Sacred Gear of mine, I'll definitely get stronger and fight stronger guys. I'll leave my rivals in my dust! I will become the Devil to surpass all Devils! I'll protect all of those dear to me no matter how cliche it sounds!

Ise and I eventually arrived in front of the client's house. There was something that bugged me though. Devils can only be noticed during Devil-related activities by people with some kind of supernatural sense or perception or had some kind of greed, but what would happen if a client just summoned me right in front of his family...that would be an awkward situation if they all saw us.

I was about to push on the doorbell when I noticed the client's door was open.

"Um...Ise..."

"What is it now?" Ise asked as he dismounted his bicycle, walking up to the door next to me.

He took notice of me staring at the door. "Maybe the client left it open for us...?"

Ise moved forward, but I grabbed his shoulder, stopping him in place.

"I dunno, Ise...maybe we should just head back, try another contract later..."

"I know it's weird, but trust me, not all of our clients are "normal" per se..." Ise shivered, experiencing chills at some unpleasant memory. "You shouldn't get so shaken up because of an open door." He shook my hand off of his shoulder.

I couldn't help the paranoid feeling I felt becoming stronger. It was screaming at me, telling me something was wrong here.

Where was the client? Why was the door open? Why is it so quiet?

If I had to pick the thing I feared more than anything else, it would have to be the unknown. Not knowing what lies around the corner terrifies me sometimes. Not knowing what's going on here was just as terrifying. It didn't help that this feeling I had was starting to make me even more anxious.

Ise started moving forward, looking behind him at me when he realized I wasn't following.

For a brief second, his expression flashed to concern. "Hey, man, if it bothers you that much, you can wait out here."

I resisted the urge to laugh at that (sarcastically of course). Either go into the creepy house with no apparent occupants that's giving me a bad feeling or stand by myself alone in the dark, a sitting duck to just about any enemy who wanted to pick me off.

I sighed. "Fine. I'm coming." Ise nodded, going into the house first.

I poked my head inside, looking into my client's house...Nobody was around. Still uneasy, I followed Ise with uncertainty.

BADUM BADUM BADUM

I could feel my heart beating in my chest. Something...something was definitely wrong. I finally recognized this feeling I had...this awful anxiety...

It was the same feeling as when I entered the domain where the Stray Devil, Vizor, hid or when I had approached the church.

The feeling that I was walking towards inevitable danger.

A sense of foreboding filled my very being as we walked into our client's house.

The only thing that kept this from being breaking &amp; entering is the fact that we were INVITED.

It was dark as I entered. No lights were turned on. There was a staircase, but no lights.

Even though I could still see, the darkness only added to my bad feeling. No wait...there was one room on the first floor with lights on. At the end of the hallway, I could see a faint light.

My uneasiness only increased when I realized I couldn't feel a human presence. None. There was a chance it could be another supernatural being, but then they would've disguised their presence rather than hide it entirely.

Even if they were sleeping, it wouldn't make any sense not to feel anyone's presence.

It was hard to hear my own thoughts as my heart started pounding harder and harder against my chest, almost breaking through my ribcage because of the stress this horrible suspense was causing. I just got this horrible feeling, that if we continued further, we'd end up seeing something ugly.

Ise rubbed the back of his neck nervously, mimicking me. "Yeah, I think I'm kinda starting to feel that bad feeling you've started having..." He admitted.

"Let's just go home, Ise." I suggested slightly more urgently.

Despite admitting to possessing the same feeling, Ise ignored me, moving deeper within the house.

I didn't take off my shoes as I made my way into the client's house. It may have been rude, but something was definitely wrong.

"Hello?" I called out. "Is anyone there?" I peeked through the door at the end of the hall which was opened just a crack. I still couldn't see anyone or anything because the brightness of what may have been candles was blinding me...but I could smell...then my heart stopped entirely. I recognized that horrible smell.

The smell of death, rotting corpses...and blood. A lot of blood.

I quickly opened the door and walked in, Ise following right after me.

What I saw was a living room with a television, a sofa, a table, and such. It looked like any ordinary living room...

And that was when I finally saw the body.

My eyes widened in absolute horror.

It was hung upside down and nailed to the wall with giant screw into the palms of his hands, his feet, and his torso. The corpse had been cut viciously. Something that looked like a giblet was coming out from the wounds…

From the way they were positioned, they resembled an upside-down cross. They probably never had a chance.

This wasn't murder. It was a torture-filled execution.

The smell of death seemed to enclose around me...its disgusting odor was horrifying...It felt like I was suffocating. Everything except the terrifying sight before me faded into nothingness. My body acted on its own in response to this moment.

I threw up. I emptied all of the contents of my stomach out onto the ground.

Ise also turned a sickly pale color, but he managed to avoid doing as I did.

It was bad enough when I saw the bodies of Vizor's victims, but this...this made her victims' deaths look clean by comparison.

The scent of death refused to fade away as I continued staring at the corpse in horror. I wanted to look away, but my eyes were glued to the terrifying sight.

What was left of the guy's face had an expression of absolute pain and horror etched into it. I couldn't help but wonder how long he suffered before death finally gave him a release from his pain.

While on all fours, I gripped my hands into fists. "Ise...Whoever did this...they're not human..."

Ise nodded, understanding how I felt about these kinds of things...

Fear...disgust...sorrow...rage...These feelings began to well up inside of me uncontrollably...

WHAT SANE PERSON COULD KILL SOMEBODY LIKE THIS?!

I felt like screaming, crying, and hitting something all at the same time.

Screaming for arriving too late, crying because of the horrifying sight before me, and beating the shit out of the bastard responsible.

I covered my mouth to keep from throwing up again.

"L-Look..." With a shaky hand, Ise pointed at something...I was uncertain what he was pointing at for a second, but then I saw it...

I could see blood pooled on the ground below the poor bastard, more of it leaking from his corpse. But what truly drew my attention was what Ise was pointing to: the writing on the wall...written in the victim's own blood.

If I had been any less distraught, I probably would've laughed despairingly at how cliché such a scene was.

...this...this is so wrong...

"What...what does it say?" Ise asked.

I've studied a little, so I know a little bit of the language it was written in.

Working up the courage to finally get back to my feet, I did my best to answer my friend with my shaky voice.

"I think...I-I think it's written as "Punishment for those who did bad deeds!"..."

"Ah! The first Devil-kun got it right. I just borrowed the sentence from someone important." said the voice of a man behind me.

Both Ise and I tensed.

Fuck! It never occurred to me that the killer could still be here. It was a stupid mistake.

I turned around to see a man with white hair. He was clearly a foreigner but still looked like he could still possibly be in his teens. He was dressed as a priest and may have qualified as a bishounen if not for the incredibly evil-seeming smile on his face when he saw me.

"Hmm hmm. Well, well, if it isn't a Devil-kun! Not one, but two!" He sounded disturbingly happy even though there was a corpse hanging on the wall beside us.

I immediately figured out what this guy was: An exorcist.

Friendly people from the church like Asia didn't seem to be a threat, but this was an exorcist. He is an enemy for sure. His power is supported by the prayer of God. He's a priest so he's related to the church. He even knew I was a Devil...In the worst-case scenario, we may have to fight this guy.

I darted my eyes in Ise's direction. He was freezing up.

I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to curse. I forgot Ise still hadn't learned to really use his Sacred Gear.

In the WORST-worst-case scenario, I could very well end up having to fight this fucker while protecting Ise. I had no doubt that if it came down to that, both Ise and I would die...

"I'm a priest~ A boy priest~ I cut down devil-like people~, and I laugh at them~ I cut the head of you Devils, and receive my meal~ "

He...He was singing...W-What...What the fuck is wrong with this guy?!

"My name is Freed Zelzan. I belong to a certain Exorcism organization. Ah, just because I introduced myself doesn't mean you have to. I don't want to remember your name in my memory, so please don't. It's okay, since you are going to die soon. I will make sure of it. It might hurt at first, but later you will feel so good that you will cry. Now let's open the new door -ZE!"

He never gave me the chance to get a word in. He was unique, I'd give him that...Wait.

What was that about me dying now? Ah yes. He's an exorcist so of course he's going to try and kill me, a Devil.

But I had another question on my mind. My previous horror was replaced by a boiling anger. He was the only other person around...so I had to know.

I clenched my fists at my sides. "Tell me...were you the one who did this? Were you the one who murdered this guy here?"

The exorcist nodded cheerfully. "Yes, yes. I killed him. Because~, he was a regular criminal who has been summoning Devils, so I had to kill him."

Ise just stared at the Exorcist, eyes wide due to shock. "Y-You-! You monster!"

My sentiments exactly.

The Exorcist didn't even try to excuse himself. He showed no remorse for taking a man's life. A man who had hopes and dreams, wishes for the future.

"Eh?! Is the shitty Devil-kun here lecturing me?! What the fuck is that? Hahahaha! I laugh like this! You could probably get an award for best comedian! Okay then, listen carefully you shitty Devil. Devils also use humans' greed to survive. Relying on Devils proves you are no longer a human. It's the end. That's why I killed him~. I make a living killing Devils and those that are contracted to Devils. That's my job."

"Who the Hell are you calling a shitty Devil, you shitty priest!?" I screamed out of anger. "How can you call Devils a shitty existence when even WE won't go as far as a fucking psychopath like you!?"

"Oho!" Freed exclaimed. "Who gave you permission to talk, White-Haired Shitty Devil!? Who gives a fuck what you say?"

I flipped him the bird. "Fuck off! I would ask where you left your brains, but now I realize you don't have any! You're a fucking insane psycho who has erectile dysfunction so severe that you can't get it up unless you cut something, you fucking sadist! I wonder, considering what a shit you are, if you even have something to "get up", you shit!"

The Exorcist blinked at my comeback, as if he expected me to wait while he finished his rant. "Oh ho! The shitty Devil before me has a pair of his own now, doesn't he?!" He said this with his previous sadistic grin. "The last few I killed immediately started to beg for their lives the moment I placed my sword at their throats. No fun whatsoever! Bor~ing~!You at least have a mouth on you! I think I can get some fun out of cutting you up~!"

I stared. I then realized that this man had to have killed other Devils before. I pictured people like Yumi, Akeno, and Koneko being cut down by this man who held no remorse. That pissed me off even further. Ruruko, Tsubasa-chan, Momo-chan...all of them...I pictured people like them being cut down before my eyes by a psycho like this sick fuck...

The exorcist then shook his head. "Anyway~, as I was saying-"

It was at that point that my fist met his face, knocking him backward.

The shitty priest regained his balance and drew a bladeless sword and a gun. He looked like he was trying to decide whether he was pissed for being punched or excited to be allowed to cut me into little Devil pieces.

I glared at him. "I don't want to hear another damn word out of your rotten mouth, you shitty priest! I don't give a fuck if you're supposed to be a servant of God or whatever! You won't get any mercy here because I'm sending you straight to Hell, you fucking psycho!"

I wasn't sure whether or not I felt justified in murdering this depraved bastard, but I couldn't stand to hear him talk anymore...OK, so maybe I wouldn't kill him, but I was certainly going to make him hurt like Hell.

I shot a sharp look at Ise behind me. "Ise! Leave this bastard to me! Get back to the ORC and tell our Senpais what happened!"

Ise, still frozen, looked from me to the shitty priest.

Absolute killing intent erupted from my body. "GO! NOW!"

Frightened by my sudden hostility, Ise swallowed once before nodding.

He ran right past me and the shitty priest, exiting the house.

Freed grinned sadistically. "Oh no you don't, Shitty Devil-kun~! No running away~!" But before he could even consider chasing after Ise, I whipped my leg around at another attempt to hit him in the face. The shitty priest, however, seemed to predict this attack and immediately leaped away, effectively dodging my attack.

"Nice try, White-Haired Shitty Devil~! While I'm really pissed off that the other one got away, I-Oh never mind! I don't know why I'm wasting my time speaking to a Devil I'm about to kill." He shrugged to himself. A strange sound vibrated in the air and the sword that was only a handle before somehow turned into a type of beam saber like what a Gundam would wield. "You kind of irritate me, so can I cut you? Can I shoot you? Is it OK? Okay then. Now I'm going to stab your heart with this blade of light, and I'm going to blow your head with this cool looking gun! Man, I'm seriously going to fall in love!"

…what the fu-

I didn't get to finish that thought because the shitty priest started to sprint towards me. He slashed at me. I leaned right and dodged his blade by an inch. I quickly rushed forward and grabbed the arm holding his sword to keep him from moving it as I brought my other fist around, slamming it right into the side of his face again. I jumped backwards just in time to avoid a bullet shot at my leg. It had to have been a bullet of light, too, considering this guy was an exorcist. A bullet that could harm a Devil...To a Devil, light is poisonous. Once hit, the pain goes through your entire body.

Thank Maou-sama for a Devil's enhanced reflexes and instincts.

"Tch." I clicked my tongue. "It looks like I gotta get serious." I focused on summoning the power that laid dormant in my back. "Alright! Let's go! DIVINE DIVIDING!"

In a flash of light, the wings that made up my Sacred Gear appeared on my back.

"Wings, huh? How lame! That's stupid! You're stupid!" Freed exclaimed. "Ah well~ Those wings can help you ascend to Heaven when I kill you-Wait! Haha~! Forgot you were a shitty Devil for a second~! Nope nope~! Nothing but a shallow hole in the ground for you, Shitty Devil-kun~!" Then he paused, noting my Sacred Gear. "So this Devil-kun is also a possessor of Sacred Gear~! Now I REALLY want to kill you! Can I pretty please stab you and fill you with bullets~?!" He sounded as if just saying 'please' would make me say yes to letting him kill me.

"No chance in Hell!" I screamed. "Now let's see how you like this-!"

[Divide!]

I felt the divided power from Freed drain from him into my own body.

It was a bit more than I expected. More than Mittelt's at any rate.

After I absorbed some of Freed's power, I used my wings to levitate myself away from him just as he swung his light sword at me, almost bisecting me.

"Gah! What did this shitty Devil do?!" The shitty priest was clearly starting to get pissed off by this point. "Time to fucking cut you in half!"

I didn't have time to focus because the shitty priest was charging again. He swung his light sword at me, giving me little time to dodge. I managed to do so, but I cringed as the blade made a shallow cut at my side. I spun on my heels as did Freed in order to exchange more blows. He tried swinging again, but I dodged the worst part of the blade which barely missed cutting off my face, just scratching it. It still hurt more than it should have though.

I wiped the blood off my cheek, glaring daggers at Freed.

"Prepare to have your ass handed to you, shitty priest!" I closed my eyes and focused, just as Akeno-san told me.

Using the power of my [Queen] piece, I called forth the speed of the [Knight] piece.

Suddenly, Freed's movements started to slow down. They were still pretty damn fast, but I was able to start to keep up with him.

I swung my fists at him, attempting to clock him right in the face, but he caught my blows either with the hilt of his light sword or with the side of his pistol. Even with my [Knight] abilities, this bastard was still pretty fast. I swung my leg at him, but he ducked and tried uppercutting me with the blade of his light sword.

I tilted my chin upwards, just barely avoiding the blade from cutting my face again.

When he swung his sword, I dodged. When I swung my fists or my legs, he dodged. We ended up in a stalemate as I tried to wait out the disturbingly long ten seconds before I could use [Divide] again.

"Die, die, Devil! Die Devil! Turn to dust and disappear! This is all for my entertainment!" Freed's sadistic grin grew once more as he moved quickly yet again. I had been to focused on my Sacred Gear that I had once again stopped paying attention.

I slid to the side to once again avoid his blows.

Alright then-

[Divide!]

I once again cut the shitty priest's power in half, further absorbing his power as my own.

The shitty priest's eyes became filled with so much fury, that I thought he'd light me on fire.

"Die! Just fucking die, you shiiiiiit!" Freed pulled out his pistol and unleashed rapid shots of light one after another, trying to hit my with quantity rather than quality hits.

"Shirou!"

My eyes widened. Against my better instincts, I turned my head to the left to see Ise and-

….No...it couldn't be!...

"Asia?!"

The blonde-haired nun I had encountered before stood behind a shocked-looking Ise with her eyes widened and her hands covering her mouth either due to shock or horror.

Then a sharp pain ripped through my torso.

Still in shock, I slowly looked down at my abdomen to see a small spot of blood. It started to gradually grow larger and larger until it finally occurred to me:

I was hit.

The shitty priest across from me was grinning like the fucker he was, twirling his light pistol in one hand as he mentally celebrated finally getting a proper hit on me.

"Fuck! Shirou! I-I didn't-! I just found this nun outside and-!" Realization dawned upon Ise's face as he figured out the distraction he caused. Then guilt.

I hunched over, clutching my wound, trying to suppress the bleeding.

"Time to die, Shitty Devil-kun~!" Freed readied his sword to finish my life after the near crippling blow he landed on me.

"Please stop!" Asia begged.

"Well if it isn't my assistant, Asia-chan. What happened? Did you finish putting the barrier?" The priest asked.

No...No no no no NO! Out of everyone...It can't be...Asia...you're not really...

I was too shocked to finish a single thought.

If Asia had planned on answering Freed's question, I would never know because it was at that moment that she noticed our deceased 'friend' nailed to the wall.

She screamed in horror.

"Oh yeah, this is your first time seeing a corpse like this, isn't it, Asia-chan?" Freed asked. "Then look carefully. We have the humans that are entranced by a Devil die like this."

"…N-No…" Asia apparently couldn't believe what she was hearing. She was horrified not only by Freed's words but also the corpse present in the room.

This girl...why is she hanging around a sicko like Freed?!

"Shirou, are you alright?!" Ise, having finally snapped out of his shock, ran to my side, holding me upright while staring in horror at the gut wound I got. "I-I didn't mean to-I just-"

In deep and incredible pain not only due to light-poisoning but also due to the fact I GOT SHOT IN THE FUCKING STOMACH, I shot Ise a pained glare.

"I thought I told you to get the fuck out..."

Ise hung his head in shame. "I..I'm sorry. I found that nun outside and she said she had to get in and...I'm sorry...I just wanted to help and...I'm sorry..." He sounded like a little kid who just scolded for breaking one of his parent's most important possessions.

It was then that Asia finally took in my presence. Her shocked expression once again returned.

"…Father Freed…that person…"

The shitty priest laughed at her attempted sentence. "Person? No, no. This shit here is a Devil. Hahaha, what are you misunderstanding?"

Asia stared at me. I couldn't bear to look her in those sad eyes of hers.

"Shirou-san...is a Devil...?"

Freed continued to laugh. "What, what!? You guys know each other!? Wow! Now this is a big surprise! Is it the forbidden love between a Devil and a Sister? Seriously!? Are you serious?!"

I frowned. I...I wasn't quite sure what to say. I had to at least explain. "Asia...I-"

"Leave them the fuck alone, you shitty priest!" Ise shouted out of anger. "That has nothing to do with this!

"Shut it, shitty Devil!"

Asia looked like she didn't quite know what to do...

I never intended her to find out. It would've been better if she had never known really. The two of us forever being strangers. At least then, it never would've ended up in such a situation...

It didn't help that Asia's eyes made me feel ten times worse. I felt ashamed for the first time for being reborn as a Devil.

Damn it...Damn it all...

"Ahaha! Devils and humans can never coexist!" This shitty priest was SERIOUSLY starting to piss me off. "Especially humans from the Church and the Devils who are the biggest of enemies! Also, we are a group of heretics that were deserted by God. Asia-tan and I are humans who can't survive without the support of Fallen Angels-sama."

"Fallen Angels?!" Ise exclaimed. He still had his hand on my shoulder, unintentionally jerking me and causing more burning pain in my wounded stomach. "You work with those guys?!"

"So we're supposed to KILL shitty Devils like this one right here! I need to kill this trash here or else I can't finish my job, so here I come. Are you ready?"

I tensed. Dammit! This really WAS the worst-case scenario! It was bad enough Ise was here, but there was also Asia I had to think of! There's no telling what could happen while she's around! There's also the fact I was badly wounded! If I didn't bleed out, the light poisoning would kill me.

I was outright fucked either way.

Then I was shoved back by a sudden force. I stared in shock as Ise suddenly leaped in front of me, a strange, red gauntlet on his arm with a green gem in the center.

"...Sacred Gear..." I uttered in pure shock.

Ise's gaze was filled with rage. "Bastard! I'm going to kick your ass for hurting my bro!"

Freed grinned maniacally "Ah! So it looks like a another Shitty Devil-kun wants to continue this for round two! Let's go then!"

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ise charged in a half-assed fashion, probably too overcome with rage to actually plan an actual battle plan.

"Ise, no!" I called out, trying to warn him. "This guy! He's not an opponent you can beat on your own!"

Ise ignored me. He launched his left fist forward, ignoring all safety precautions.

SLICE

Ise hunched over in shock, perhaps feeling the pain caused by the light sword that Freed just slashed across his chest, opening a gaping wound that released a large amount of blood. Or maybe it was the bullet Freed put in Ise's shoulder immediately afterwards before delivering a powerful kick to Ise's stomach, sending him flying into a chair behind me, completely breaking it before smashing against the wall.

I began to cough up blood., trying to let out a gasp of shock at Ise's injuries.

"Ha." The shitty priest let out something that was somewhere between a laugh and a sigh. "Oh, how anti-climactic! I guess the White-Haired Devil-kun was much stronger than the other shitty Devil, how disappointing~ I was really hoping to cut up TWO people like you. Oh well~ I can still just cut you up and pretend I'm doing it twice!"

I tried moving, but the pain in my torso was too great. I fell to one knee, unable to take this immense pain any longer. Freed approached at his own leisure, wielding his light sword with both hands.

I couldn't move as the shitty priest prepared to thrust his light sword into me one final time.

I was certain I was going to die...I wouldn't survive the fatal blow that was directed at me. Even if I could dodge it...I didn't have the stamina to fight anymore...Ise was down for the count apparently so I was on my own...

Not again...I was brought back to fulfill my dream and just as easily, the world was going to snatch away my life again!

While I was lamenting my imminent demise, I was snapped back to reality when a certain blonde Sister stepped between me and the shitty priest. Her arms were spread as if...

No...is she...protecting me?

The shitty priest put on a stern expression. "…Hey, hey. Are you serious? Asia-tan, do you know what you are doing?"

"…I do. Father Freed, I beg you. Please forgive this person. Please let him go."

I stared, speechless at Asia's words...even though I am a Devil and she is a nun, she was protecting me.

"I can't stand it any more… You can't kill people just because they are entranced to a Devil and you also can't kill Devils. It's wrong!" There was no fear in her words and I was rather impressed.

"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!?" Freed seemed to have an expression that was a mix of annoyance, confusion, and anger. "Don't talk shit, bitch! You also learned that Devils are trashes at the Church! Seriously, is there something wrong with your brain!?"

"There are good people, even among Devils!" Asia defended.

"There aren't, idiooooooot!"

Asia seemed to waver for just a moment, but she came back stronger than before. "T-That's what I thought until recently… But Shirou-san is a good person! That fact doesn't change even after I found out that he is a Devil! Killing someone is unforgivable! This kind of act! God won't allow such acts!"

I couldn't believe it...even after seeing the body and learning that I was a Devil, she was still so strong...I-

Then I saw the shitty priest bringing his gun around.

The shitty priest showed shock as I suddenly appeared in front of Asia, grabbing the arm that had been swinging around to strike Asia. My body had reacted on its own despite the pain I was in.

Somehow, despite the immense pain I was in, I still somehow worked up the strength to protect Asia.

"Now, Freed...Don't you know that it's impolite to hit a lady?" Malice dripped from my words. "I don't have many rules to life, but there is one I hold near and dear to me: Never-and I mean NEVER-hit such a cute girl like Asia!" I then delivered a quick punch to his face with my other free arm, knocking the shitty priest of balance again. This time I left a fairly large bruise on his face.

[Divide!]

I covered my mouth, feeling a new strain as my body was unable to handle the new power I absorbed from Freed. I could feel the wings carefully releasing all of the excess power, but it was still more than I could handle in my current state.

"Shirou-san..." Asia was still staring at me. Whether it was because of my wounds, because I was a Devil, or because I just clocked the guy she was assisting, I'm not sure.

I had a soft expression on my face. "You saved me, so allow me to repay my debt, Asia...I will protect you. Both you and Ise. I promise." In some part of my mind, I bet that I looked like a total badass.

But who was I kidding? I was in no shape to do anything. I had a few more punches left in me, but I was drained because of my Sacred Gear and my injuries. There was no way I was going to walk out of this alive.

The shitty priest once again recovered from my punch. "Eh? So the shitty Devil still has some fight left in him? You will die, you know? You will die with a lot of pain? I have no intention of killing you painlessly, okay?"

I figured that was obvious from the body pinned to the wall. I turned back to Asia and said in the sharpest of whispers, "Run! Please grab Ise and run! I'll hold him off! Just run!" I didn't wait for a response since Freed certainly wasn't.

"Now then. Let's see if I can make a new record for the smallest minced-meat!"

I'll protect Ise and Asia with my very life if needed! I can't afford to back down here!

The shitty priest was about to move forward when the floor began to glow with lights of blue and white.

"What is this?" Freed asked. He was just as surprised as I was. Then the light began to shape into a familiar magic circle.

No wait! TWO magic circles! One was a crimson red color while the other was more of an azure blue color!

There was a sudden huge flash of light that blinded all of the occupants of the room.

When the light finally faded, I was surprised to see several familiar people standing in the middle of both magic circles.

"Hyoudou-kun! Shirou! We're here to rescue you!" Yumi?

"Ara ara. This is awful." Akeno-san?

"…Priest." Koneko?

"What a troublesome situation you always wind up in, Fujimura-kun. So troublesome, making Rias and I need to collaborate in order just to extract the two of you." Sitri-senpai!?

"Sorry for being late, Shirou-chan~!"

"Hey hey! Don't act so flirty with him!"

Momo-chan?! Ruruko!?

Is EVERYONE I know here?!

The shitty priest then started slashing his sword. "Hyahou! Here's a present for a group of Devils!"

Yumi rushed forward and blocked Freed's sword with her own.

"I'm sorry. He's one of us! We can't let you lay a finger on him!"

"Oh, oh! A mere Devil being concerned about their comrade? What are you guys? Devil Squadron, the Devil Rangers? That's nice. I can feel the heat. I'm getting turned on! So how is it? You bending over while he sticks it in? So are you guys in that sort of relationship?"

Yumi stuck out her tongue. "Well, I'm trying to make him lose all control and obey the will of my body, but that's still a work in progress."

I felt like whining due to embarrassment.

Yumiiiiii! Don't make me look like such a worthless pervert in front of the enemy!

That was when the blonde-haired girl noticed my expression and blushed lightly, laughing awkwardly.

"Um-Er-I mean-…What a vulgar mouth. It's hard to believe you are a priest… Oh, that's why you are a "Stray Exorcist", right?"

Nice save, I thought sarcastically.

As the two spoke, they continued crossing blades. It didn't appear that either was gaining a clear advantage.

"Yeah, yeah! I'm vulgar! Sorry about that! That's because I strayed away! I was kicked out! That's why-screw the Vatican! I'm all right as long as I get to cut Devils whenever I feel like it!"

I really CAN see why this guy was excommunicated...As for Asia, not so much.

Yumi's expression was calm, but her eyes followed her opponent's every move.

The shitty priest seemed to really be enjoying the fight.

"You are the type that is the most hard to deal with. Someone who feels like they are living by cutting Devils…the one who causes the most harm to us."

Definitely. People who kill for fun are nothing but dangerous monsters.

"Haaaaah!? You know, I don't want to be told off by a Devil? I'm trying to live now just like other people! I'm not in a position where pests like you can talk down to me!"

"Even Devils have rules...you shitty priest..." I spat out at him. My blood loss was starting to make me feel dizzy. Not a lethal amount of blood loss yet, but it wasn't pleasant.

"Ah, I figured you'd be dead by now. Ah well~! I can get back to you once I'm done, so wait your turn~!"

"Now, I don't think I enjoy you threatening my adorable junior." Akeno-san said. Her eyes were serious and she showed clear hostility towards the shitty priest.

"For once, Akeno and I are in agreement." Sitri-senpai said, showing a disturbing amount of hostility hat I never thought I'd see while she usually wore her mask of seriousness.

Freed grinned. "Nice. I like those passionate eyes. Onee-san, you are the best. I can feel your urge of wanting to kill me. Is this love? No. I think it's a killing intent! Superb! This is great! I love the feeling of intending to kill and getting intended to kill!"

"Then disappear."

Well if it isn't the crimson-haired princess herself.

Our Senpai, Rias Gremory, appeared before our group, carrying he air of a leader.

Momo-chan suddenly appeared next to our group, having retrieved a half-conscious Ise.

I shot him a concerned look. "Is he alright?"

"Mmmm...yeah...I am..." Ise said, still managing to find the energy to talk.

Gremory-senpai looked back at us with concern and shame on her face.

"Shirou, Ise, I'm sorry. I never expected that a Stray Exorcist will visit this client's house."

Sitri-senpai shook her head, a look of shame matching Gremory-senpai's on her face. "No. We both must share the blame for this, Rias. I am just as responsible as you are."

"Can we please...play the blame game later?" I asked, starting to feel more and more light-headed. I felt someone put one of my arms over their shoulders.

I looked to my right and saw Ruruko with a serious expression on her face.

"Shirou's right. He and Hyoudou-senpai are both badly injured. That takes precedent here, right, Kaichou? That Stray needs to be dealt with quickly."

Sitri-senpai noted Ruruko's argument and nodded,

However, I noticed Gremory-senpai staring mournfully at the wounded Ise, as if she was staring at something she deeply cared about that had been torn to shreds.

How close were they?

Ruruko noted my expression of confusion and whispered into my ear.

"Something Kaichou told me about the Gremorys is that they are extremely affectionate with their servants. It's not too far off to say that they are something like a family."

Ruruko's explanation made sense. Despite having only recently gained Ise as her servant, Gremory-senpai already possesses a deep care for him. When I look at her eyes, I couldn't help but feel that it was a feeling similar to how I felt, seeing my brother related to me in everything but blood in such a sorry state.

"Looks like you have been looking after my cute servant?" I had to admit Gremory-senpai's voice was kinda unsettling and scary to anyone with a weaker will than me. She's definitely pissed right now.

"Yes, yes. I have been playing around with it. I was planning to cut his body all over but I was interrupted and it finished as a dream." The shitty priest admitted.

A second later, a huge area nearby the priest was blown away by my crimson-haired senpai's demonic power.

"I make sure I never forgive those who harm my servants. I especially can't forgive a lowlife like you damaging my personal possessions." Yep. I guess Ruruko's explanation was right on the money.

Gremory-senpai's killing intent flooded the room. It was much more powerful than anything I could manage at the moment. Perhaps it was more intense because of the demonic power surrounding Her.

I then felt the very air freeze.

"They're coming." I said in a soft whisper. I could sense their presences. At least several people were approaching and FAST. I could at least feel that.

Akeno-san noticed as well. "Buchou, there seems to be few Fallen Angels heading to this house. At this rate we will be at a disadvantage."

She was right. Both Ise and I were in bad shape and we would end up a burden to the others if they had to fight the shitty priest with reinforcements from the Fallen Angels all while protecting us.

Gremory-senpai gave the shitty priest one final glance and appeared to be thinking. She and Sitri-senpai both exchanged glances and nodded. Then my crimson-haired senpai turned to Akeno-san.

"…Akeno, we will return to our headquarters once we retrieve Ise and Shirou-kun. Prepare for teleportation."

"The same goes for us. Nimura. Hanakai." Sitri-senpai stated to her own servants.

"Yes." Akeno-san then did as instructed and began casting the spell.

[Right.]

For some reason, Momo-chan handed Ise over to Yumi and Koneko-chan before moving to my side, grabbing my other arm to help me move.

I turned to Asia and stretched my hand towards her, gesturing her to come. "We're taking Asia with us!"

I directed that towards both Gremory-senpai and Sitri-senpai. It wasn't a request either.

I WILL protect Asia!

"It's impossible." was Gremory-senpai's immediate answer.

I stared at her, wide-eyed. "What are you talking about?!"

"Only Devils can use the magic-circle to transport, Shirou." Sitri-senpai explained. She spoke with sympathy in her voice. "Also, this magic-circle can only teleport only me, Rias, and our servants, and you due to your special status."

I clenched my fists, trying to keep from stumbling as I removed myself from Momo-chan and Ruruko.

I coughed up blood, but I kept moving forward, walking towards a shocked Asia.

Shaking, I grasped her left hand in my own.

"...Then...I'll stay behind too...I'm not leaving Asia here!" I said, still resisting the urge to drop like a fly. I was suddenly jerked back by Momo-chan, who was firmly grasping my other arm. She had a stern look on her face.

"It's not up for debate! In your current state, you'll die for certain if you attempt to face the Fallen Angels' reinforcements!"

"AND I DON'T CARE!" I yelled back at her. I clenched my fist, yanking my arm free of Momo's hands. "If I just abandon my friends, then I might as well be dead! I won't leave anyone behind!"

Asia's...my friend...

Asia's eyes widened further. "Shirou-san..."

I don't know why I said that aloud all of a sudden, but it just felt right...even if we've only met once before, she was a kind, sweet, and innocent girl who saved my life...

It was a decision I made at that exact moment: Asia is my friend!

"It's not your choice, Shirou!" Sitri-senpai said.

"No..." The voice behind me agreed. "...It's not."

That was when a sudden shove jerked me forward. It didn't hold a lot of strength, but in my current state, it felt like I was like getting hit by the force of a truck.

I was knocked forward, surprising Momo who was knocked down under me, pushing both into the center of Sitri-senpai's magic-circle.

First thought: OWWWWW! FUCKING DAMMIT!

I landed right on my stomach wound. I rolled over on my side, clutching the bullet hole in agony. Momo-chan got blood on her clothes due to knocked against me, but she recovered rather quickly, getting back to her feet and rushing to my side, forcing my arms down to keep me from getting back up.

I managed to look up enough to see what exactly had shoved me.

Asia smiled softly, her eyes full of both happiness and sadness. "Sorry if I pushed too hard, Shirou-san..."

"A...sia...?" I felt myself getting weaker, barely able to form words.

I felt Momo-chan's soft fingers pressed against my throat. Whatever she had felt caused her to tense.

"Kaichou! We have to get Shirou medical attachment NOW! We have to go!" There was worry and fear in her voice.

Sitri-senpai spoke with urgency. "Right! Finish the spell!"

I noticed Ruruko kneeling by my other side, holding my hand in hers. She looked like she was getting ready to cry.

No! I can't...I can't leave like this!

Despite being held down by Momo-chan, I decided go go past my limit one last time...for something worth doing..

I forced myself upwards, staring right at Asia. "Asia...I promise...I'll come back for you...I promise..."

I turned towards Asia and looked her in the eyes. She...she was smiling. I tried reaching out towards her again, but we were too far apart.

I knew it was futile...but I wanted to let her know...I will come back...

"Shirou-san, let's meet again."

Those were the last words spoken between us in this place.

The magic circle started glowing again a Akeno-san and Momo-chan finished casting the teleportation spell.

"Like I will let you escape!" The shitty priest tried slashing at us again, but Koneko-chan threw a couch at him. He cut through it, but it stalled him long enough for the teleportation to start.

The last thing I remember before being swallowed by white was Asia's smile.

* * *

**[ORC Clubroom]**

I was in bad shape for a while, but I would be okay.

After she performed some healing magic with help from Momo-chan, Sitri-senpai explained that apparently the bullet that had pierced my abdomen had also nicked at least two of my vital organs. That mixed with the light poisoning apparently would've killed me if we had been two minutes slower.

Ise, on the other hand, would only have died if he had spent a good thirty minutes with that light poisoning without being healed. Light from the mass-produced light swords of Exorcists was apparently less potent than that of light spears.

My injuries were the most severe, but Sitri-senpai worked wonders. She told me that as long as I took it easy for a while, I should be just fine.

"There are two types of Exorcists." Gremory-senpai stated after I finally calmed down after we returned. I had been a little stubborn. It was only when I started to black out that I finally calmed down enough to let Momo and Senpai use their magic to heal me.

I sat on a couch opposite to Gremory-senpai, Ruruko sitting next to me, holding my hand with an incredibly worried expression on her face which was mirrored by Ise, Momo, and Yumi.

"The first are the Exorcists who receive the blessing from God to perform exorcism in the name of justice." Sitri-senpai continued. "This group of Exorcist borrows its power from God and Angels to eliminate Devils. And there is another one. — "Stray Exorcists"."

"I heard Kiba use that word back with Freed, 'Stray Exorcist'." Ise noted. "What are they exactly?"

Sitri-senpai adjusted her glasses. "Exorcism is a holy ceremony that is performed in the name of God. But sometimes, there are Exorcists who start to enjoy the act of killing Devils. They are beings who have found killing Devils as joy and as their purpose of life. So they get kicked out from the Church without exception or they get erased for being found guilty."

I nodded. "I take 'erased' to mean 'killed'. Is that correct?"

"Yes. But there are those who survive. What do you think happens to those Exorcists?" Gremory-senpai asked rhetorically. "It's simple. They go to the Fallen Angels."

"So even Fallen Angels have servants." I noticed. "The Angels who were rejected by Heaven and the Exorcists who were rejected by the Church. It makes sense that the two groups would work with one another if their shared goal is to kill Devils."

"Yes." Gremory-senpai agreed. "That's why they are called "Stray Exorcists". So the dangerous Exorcists who became addicted to Devil-hunts started to attack Devils and the humans with connections to Devils by borrowing powers from the Fallen Angels. The boy priest from earlier is exactly that. He's a "Stray Exorcist" who belongs to an organisation with the support of the Fallen Angels. They are not proper Exorcists, but they are still dangerous like the proper ones. No, since they have no restrictions on them, they are much harder to deal with than the actual Exorcists. It's not smart to deal with them. So, the Church you went to before does not belong to God but to the Fallen Angels."

I felt my heart stop.

If that was where the Fallen Angels were based, then that would mean that Raynare was there too...I literally almost walked straight to my death again. With my guard down, she could've killed me in an instant.

Stray Exorcists really were more dangerous. More-so to the humans then the Devils. The Devils at least usually have a way of defending themselves. That shitty priest was definitely the worst. His only thought was that of killing Devils. A group like that was dangerous enough that even I wouldn't take them on alone.

However...

I turned to Gremory-senpai and Sitri-senpai. "I have to save Asia!"

"No way!" "Out of the question!"

My senpais spoke at the exact same time with a sense of urgency.

I stood up quickly, slamming both of my hands onto the table between us.

"Why not?!"

"It's impossible." Gremory-senpai stated. "How will you fight them?"

I narrowed my eyes, forcing Divine Dividing to appear on my back.

"This is how! I'll use Divine Dividing to help me beat the shit out of every one of those bastards who come my way! I made a promise to rescue Asia and I intend to keep it!"

Gremory-senpai shook her head. "You are a Devil. And she is a servant of Fallen Angels. It's the two kinds that cannot coexist. Saving her means making the Fallen Angels your enemies. …If that happened, we would also have to fight."

"I don't know why Asia is involved with the Fallen Angels and I don't care! I have to do something!"

Ise, who had remained silent this whole time, raised his hand to ask a question.

"Um...Buchou...I understand that it's dangerous, but why shouldn't Shirou at least be given a chance to try and save Asia-san? She saved his life."

Gremory-senpai sighed. "That's the not the issue here, Ise. The situation is even more complicated since Shirou is Leviathan-sama's [Queen], her most important piece."

...what?

Sitri-senpai nodded. "Yes. You may not quite understand it, Shirou-" As odd as it was, I only realized just now that Sitri-senpai had recently been calling me "Shirou" during our encounter with the Stray Exorcist Freed. "-but causing trouble with the Fallen Angels could very well start a second Great War between the three factions. It's worsened since you're Onee-sama's servant. You're different from normal Reincarnated Devils. Whatever normal Devils can't do, it goes double for you. And your actions also reflect on Onee-sama as well. If you were to cause another war, Onee-sama, your [King] would be made to bear all of the responsibility for your actions. Is that what you want?"

I felt my heart stop cold. "I..."

Sera-tan...my master...she would get all of the blame because of my actions.

But Asia...she was in danger.

But Serafall-but Asia-but...

No matter what I did, someone I cared about would suffer...it's not fair!

I clenched my fists, needing to vent this frustration.

"RAAAAAAAAH!" Before everyone's eyes, I smashed my fist down on the table between us, splitting it in half on the ground.

Everyone except my Senpais was taken aback by me.

I started taking deep breaths, in and out.

"Shirou..." Ruruko clasped her hands together, staring at me with sad eyes.

After taking several more deep breaths, I turned away from the others, trudging to the door to the room.

"I'm fine...I'm just going to go home now..."

I walked out of the room and my back was turned to them, but I could tell everyone was staring at me. Some with passive expressions and others with concerned stares.

"Shirou!"

I heard Ise call out, running into the hall after me. "Listen, I-"

"I said it's fine, Issei." I reiterated. I managed a smile at my brother. "You were just trying to help. You were all just trying to help me. It's my own fault for being so damn weak after all."

I continued, walking, leaving Ise behind me.

* * *

**Ise's POV...**

I watched Shirou walk off, leaving me alone in that empty hallway.

Ever since the encounter with that Stray Exorcist, I had felt so guilty...

I had lasted literally ten seconds. Even now, I was still far weaker than Shirou, the guy whose been saving my ass since middle school.

And because of that, he had to become even stronger. He keeps getting stronger and stronger and giving that strength to others...but he always forgets to leave some for himself.

I recognized that smile on his face.

It was fake as shit.

He always wearing that smile when he was hurting.

That's the kind of guy that bastard always was...

At times like these, no matter how much a pain in the ass it was...I could only stand and watch.

That's the kind of useless guy I always was...

...damn it...

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

...Why...WhywhywhywhywhywhywhyWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHY!?

….Everything hurt.

Not my body, but my soul itself...

Why was I so weak...? Why can't I do anything...?

My surroundings blurred and mixed about, forming an indiscernible image around me.

My body moved according more according to instinct. I stumbled and swayed as I continued walking...

I didn't even realize where I was heading until I got there.

I stood at the front door of my house. I didn't even possess the willpower to knock on the door. I just fell forward, slamming my head against it. I pulled myself away, trying to work up what I needed to knock...

Nope...I just hit my head against the door again...

There was the sound of the door unlocking and opening.

"SHIROU, YOU BETTER-!"

Mako-nee...she opened the door...She stopped when she saw my face.

Tears rolled down the sides of my face, my eyes bloodshot since I had been crying the whole trip home...

"...Mako-nee..." I choked out. I fell forward into my Onee-sama's embrace, being held and comforted.

Mako-nee gave a sad sigh. "...what an idiot..."

But she didn't let me go. She didn't ask what was wrong with me. She didn't intrude upon what was bothering me. She just held me, rubbing my back calmly and reassuringly.

I couldn't help it...

"Damn it...damn it all..." I whispered, crying in my Onee-sama's comforting hug.

I haven't changed a single bit since I was little. I was the same weak child as I was back then.

I'm not a hero.

I couldn't keep a single promise.

...I'm so worthless...

I was truly a worthless Devil.

* * *

**The next day...**

I sat on a bench in a children's park. I had agreed to skip school that day because I wasn't sure whether or not I wanted to face the others after what happened. I had pretty much snapped like a stick.

My wounds from from the other day still hadn't completely healed and I was just being angry with myself. Sitri-senpai and Gremory-senpai both agreed I should take a rest after the battle yesterday.

With my injuries, I couldn't even take on Devil jobs in my state let alone take on the Fallen Angels and Stray Exorcists. If there were others who were kinda strong like Freed, then I was in trouble...

I may as well just enjoy the peace...Ha. Yeah right.

When I wasn't thinking about how pathetic I was last night, breaking down into tears into Onee-sama's arms, I was thinking about Asia.

But I had to save Asia somehow...but I couldn't help but wonder how she ended up in that situation...

That sad look she had on her face on the day we met...maybe if I had asked about it, things never would've ended up like this. Maybe this was all my fault too...wouldn't be shocking...

I have to find a way to get stronger! And fast too! I have no idea what's happening to Asia right now!

Without strength, you can't do anything as a Devil. If I could get stronger, then maybe I could find some way to rescue Asia...

That was when a loud growl came from my stomach.

DAMN IT, STOMACH! Now's not the time for food!

I sighed after the growling continued. I had skipped breakfast that morning.

"OK, breakfast first, then I go back to finding a way to save-" That was when a familiar golden-color appeared in my vision. The blonde hair of a familiar girl.

She noticed me as well and both of our eyes widened in surprise.

"Shirou-san?"

I continued staring.

"A-Asia?!"

**Aaaaaaaand done~! Before you ask, yes. I did indeed recycle several scenes from Devil Reborn (Original), including the ending. Hey, why fix what ain't broke, ya know? I added several new scenes in there and stuff.**

**...I really don't have anything to put here-WAIT!**

**I forgot to mention a collaboration fic going on between me and CrimsonBlade11!**

**The first chapter is out and the story's called "I Don't Want These Kinds of Heroes". **

**It's a DxD fic featuring protagonists created by both of us.**

**O.O READ IT!...Please?**

**Also...I honestly don't know what I'm gonna do for a second DxD fic. I keep planning and planning but I never work up the initiative to do any of the ideas I've thought of...and there were a lot of good ones...**

**So I'm accepting challenges from other people concerning DxD. If there's a specific type of OC protagonist you desire or some kind of new origin for Shirou, I'm willing to hear you out and do like my buddy, makoto x chelia. Use the same badass protagonist, altering his backstory to create new scenarios and new interactions and reactions to stuff...**

**So essentially, you guys can give me ideas for Shirou's new backstory or history for a DxD idea. If you send in a good one, I'll follow your idea as closely as possible.**

**...is that all...?**

**Yep. I think that's all.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	7. Life 6: For A Friend

**I thank you all for the reviews the other day~!**

**Anyway, on with the story~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING. **

**Life 6: For A Friend**

Both Asia and I sat at a table in a local restaurant with food in front of us. I had to order for her because she couldn't speak Japanese and couldn't even understand the menu. I had to shoot quite a few glares at several of the male patrons who were eying her. I didn't want them getting any funny ideas.

I couldn't blame them though. Asia was one cute Sister. She had that kind of look that just made you want to protect her.

We sat opposite each other.

I remained in awkward silence. After the previous night, I was too shocked seeing Asia and unharmed at that. I mean I'm glad she's OK, but after everything that happened...

I sweatdropped at Asia who continued staring at the burger she held in her hands. She looked like she didn't know how to eat it...

Wait...does she really not know how to eat a burger? That...that's kinda depressing.

I decided to help her out. "You eat it by taking off the wrapper like this." I demonstrated.

"T-There's actually a way to eat like that!? A-Amazing!" I stared in awe of her reaction.

J-just...just too cute...There were no words to describe Asia's cuteness at that moment...

I took a few of my fries and ate them. "And you eat fwies rike dis." I said with my mouth filled with food.

Rather than eat the food herself, Asia simply stared at my fries.

"Erm...you...you eat too, you know." Asia stared at me before looking at her burger. She opened her mouth and took a bite. Her eyes lit up with surprise as she began to chew and swallow her food.

"Delicious!" She sounded very very surprised. "This is very delicious!"

SO CUUUUUUUUTE~! Ah, Asia had such a cute smile~! "You sound like you've never eaten a burger before."

"I haven't. This is my first time eating one! It's delicious!"

I blinked at Asia's statement. "You've NEVER had a burger before?!" I was genuinely shocked. "What do you normally eat?"

"Mainly bread and soup. I also eat vegetables and pasta food."

That sounds...depressing. Bland and tasteless after a while of such simple foods. I would never survive working for a church. I need yummy stuff like hamburgers and ramen and all that yummy stuff! I would DIE...again. Asia, I feel a whole new level of sorry for you.

"Well if that's the case, be sure to savor this." I advised. Asia nodded cheerfully.

"Yes. I will be sure to enjoy it." She took another bite of her foot and was clearly into her food.

What I really wanted to know was why she was at the park. She mumbled something about time off, but something wasn't right. She seemed like she was running away from something. She looked rather relieved upon seeing me. I really wanted to know what happened after I was forced to retreat the other day. I tried asking Asia what happened, but she just completely avoided the question.

That unsettled me.

I suppose I wasn't all forthcoming about me being a Devil, so I guess it makes us even. I can't complain too much, but I was a little worried.

So for now, we'll just forget all that stuff until she was comfortable enough to talk.

There wasn't much to do about it.

I quickly stood up from my seat. Asia gave me a worried look.

"Shirou-san?"

"Hey, Asia, let's go have fun somewhere! My treat!" I was getting so worked up and depressed, but Asia deserved to have a good time. "Let's go."

Asia seemed uncertain, but smiled at me now that she was finished eating. "OK!" She grabbed my hand and we left.

* * *

Asia and I ended up going to the game center and playing several different games.

I've been there many times with Ise. Never once has that oppai-idiot ever beaten me! BWAHAHAH-

"Oh...I won..."

I stared at the screen of the game Asia and I had just been playing together...Needless to say, she beat me. I held both pride and envy towards my friend who easily surpassed me in the games I've been playing games for several years, but I was defeated so easily by (and I care about Asia when I say this) a newb.

Anywway, we had a lot of fun at the game center. Asia needed a little help at certain points (not really. I'm just trying to make myself feel better.), but she did well at all of the games she played. We played for a while and eventually Asia set her sights on a cute-looking stuffed animal in one of those skill crane games. I ended up playing and won on my first try.

It was totally worth it when I saw Asia's extremely happy expression.

Turns out skill crane is the one game Asia doesn't kick ass at.

We played for a long time until it started to get dark out. It was evening and we had to leave the game center. We went to a bunch of other shops and stuff and we both had quite a bit of fun. It was the first time in a while that I've had serious fun hanging around town with a friend. Between Devil work and almost getting killed every ten minutes, I've never really just had time to chill out.

It was good to see that the Fallen Angels and Exorcists had something to do OTHER than try to kill me...

In hindsight, I think I kind of jinxed my luck with that.

I was rather tired from our time playing today that I was running low on actual energy. I ended up tripping on a small crater in the ground and almost fell over. I tried to recover quickly, but Asia still noticed it.

I had tripped because of my tiredness and the awkward tightness that still existed from my previous wound. I could still feel the little "scratch" on my abdomen from where that shitty priest had shot me.

It was healing up quite well due to the brief treatment I received the previous night, but the scar was still there and it the healed area felt strange and awkward when I was walking about. It wasn't pain as such, but I felt that if I even attempted to stretch my arms, my wound from yesterday would just tear open again.

Asia gave me her "puppy dog eyes" look. "Shirou-san, are you still injured from yesterday?"

Damn. The evening was really good so far, but it was all ruined by reminding Asia of painful memories. How many, I don't know.

Asia then looked off to the side, blushing slightly. "Um...I know this sounds weird, but...could you...could you lift up your shirt for me...?" She poked her fingers together nervously.

I felt my face flush red, backing up uncertainly. "W-Wha-?"

I stared, slightly confused, but I did as she asked and lifted my shirt up to my mid-chest, exposing the bullet mark that remained from the previous night. I resisted the urge to curse at myself once again for getting so easily distracted. I could've turned the fight around if I hadn't messed up.

But it was so embarrassing. Even if it was just my lower torso, it felt embarrassing to reveal it to Asia like this.

The blonde-haired Sister placed a gentle hand on the injury.

I couldn't help but flinch slightly.

Asia backed away for a second, alarmed. "Oh! I'm sorry! Did I hurt you? Are my hands too cold?"

Still blushing, I shook my head. "N-No. It's fine. Y-Your hands are rather warm actually. It took me by surprise."

"Oh. Alright. Well then..." I did my best to remain still as Asia once again placed her hands against my torso.

I was confused as to what she was doing until a warm, gentle, green light shined on my injury. It was green just like Asia's beautiful eyes. It was warm just like her personality.

A soft and gentle girl like Asia...just how did she get involved in such a dangerous world like this? It doesn't make any sense that she would be an assistant to Freed of all people! And not only that, there's a lot that doesn't make sense here. Something has been sitting poorly with me since my conversation with Mittelt. It concerned Azazel and his orders for my execution.

I had the sneaking suspicion that I knew what was wrong, but I had no evidence to prove my theories...well, Mittelt seemed forthcoming enough when it came to information. Maybe if I found her again, I could get the remaining information I needed to form the evidence I required to prove my theories.

"How is it?" Asia asked, snapping me out of my thoughts.

It was then that I realized Asia had finished. Feeling embarrassed, I lowered my shirt. I stretched my arms and walked around a few steps, realizing that the unpleasant feeling in my torso was gone.

"That...that's amazing!" I exclaimed. "I figured you had some kind of healing Sacred Gear, but this is amazing!" I grinned a little. "If you went into medicine, you would make a killing."

"So Shirou-san also knows about Sacred Gear?" I nodded.

"You may have seen it last night. It was that pair of wings on my back, the Sacred Gear [Divine Dividing]."

Asia covered her mouth, gasping. "The Longinus?! Truly an amazing power! It explains how Shirou-san is so strong!"

I felt myself blushing more profusely at Asia's praise. "W-Well not really. I'm still not very skilled in using it. Last night was just a mix of adrenaline and instincts keeping me alive." Shit shit shit! Please disregard my reminder of the previous night! I laughed awkwardly. "Compared to my ability that's really hard to master and utilize properly, your power is amazing, Asia." I scratched my head. "So from what I've observed, that power can heal everything and everyone, right? Humans, animals, and even Devils like me? That's-"

When a complicated yet sad expression appeared on her face along with the single tear that fell from her eyes, I was certain I had royally fucked up...

Then another tear. Then another and more and more and then she was completely crying.

Shit shit shit shit! She's crying! What do I do?! Think, Shirou, think! Say something!

"I..." SHIT! I'm drawing a blank! I literally have NOTHING to deal with this situation!

With no other choice, I brought Asia to sit on a bench on the roadside.

Feeling awkward, I rubbed Asia on the back as she continued crying. After a while, I finally got her to talk again. I asked what was wrong...

Then, she told me a story about the girl who was once called the "Holy Maiden".

In a certain region in Europe, there was a girl who was discarded by her parents.

She was raised in a Church nearby by a nun along with other orphans.

The girl who was a strong follower of the Church received a special power at the age of 8.

She healed a wounded puppy, and a person from the Catholic Church witnessed it by chance.

From there on, her life changed.

The girl was taken to the main Catholic Church and she was symbolized by many as a "Holy Maiden" because of her healing power.

She used her power to heal many believers and they were told it was a power of divine protection.

Rumors brought rumors and she was respected as a "Holy Maiden".

Even without her approval.

She had no dissatisfaction for how she was treated. People from the Church were kind and she didn't hate healing people.

She instead was happy that her power was of use.

The girl was thankful to her power which was bestowed to her by God.

But she was a bit lonely.

She didn't have any friends she could open up to.

Everyone treated her nicely and was nice to her. But there were no one willing to become her friend.

She understood why.

She knew that they were looking at her power as something irregular.

They didn't look at her as a human but as a creature that could heal humans.

But one day, it changed.

By coincidence, there was a Devil nearby and she healed it.

A wounded Devil. The girl couldn't ignore it.

She thought that even if it was a Devil, she had to heal it if it was injured.

It was her kindness that made her take such an action.

But that changed her life forever.

One of the people from the Church saw that incident and notified others of the Church.

The ministers of the Church were shocked about it.

"A power that can heal Devils!?"

"Something absurd like that cannot happen!"

"The power of healing can only heal the followers of God!"

Yes, there were several people who had the power to heal.

But the power to heal the Devil was out of the question. The people of the Church thought it was common sense that the power of healing doesn't work on Fallen Angels and Devils.

Apparently, a similar incident had happened in the past.

The power to heal Fallen Angels and Devils that were not protected by God. But that was feared as the power of a "Witch".

So the people saw her as a heretic.

"Damn witch that heals Devils!"

The girl who was respected as a Holy Maiden was then feared as a "Witch" and the Catholic Church abandoned her.

She didn't have anywhere to go and the organization of "Stray Exorcists" picked her up.

In other words, she had to get divine protection from the Fallen Angels.

But the girl never forgot to pray to God. She also never forgot to thank God.

Even so, the girl was abandoned.

God didn't save her.

What shocked her the most was that there was not even a single person in the Church that was willing to defend her.

There was no one who cared about her.

Once she had finished, I wasn't sure what to say. It didn't take a genius to realize that the girl was Asia.

This was her own tragic past.

After everything she had gone through, she still held onto her faith. She still managed to retain her ability to smile...

Compared to both her and Ise, I felt even more pathetic and weak.

"…It's because I didn't pray enough. It's because I'm clumsy. I'm so stupid that I can't even eat a burger by myself." Asia laughed while wiping her tears.

I gently petted her on he head, rubbing her assuringly and gently. "Baka..." Asia stared at me with tear-filled eyes.

I was right...that sense of loneliness Asia felt...

It was the same one I felt after Oka-san (my REAL mother) died. After she died, I just felt so alone. I was always too nervous to interact with other kids my age, so they always found me weird and either picked on me or ignored my very existence. After Oka-san's death, I felt so dead inside. Some days it was a miracle I managed to get out of bed even with Mako-nee's urging.

The difference between me and Asia was that I found someone who saved me from my own loneliness...the first friends I ever made who became the light of hope within my darkness.

Ise and Iri saved me. They protected me from the bullies. They befriended me when no one else would. They refused to leave me alone.

Asia, she was never saved. She never had the opportunity to live a normal life or make friends. Because of a power she didn't choose and because of her kind heart, she was feared and hated for unfair reasons.

Asia continued staring at me, still crying. "I'm sure I will make lots of friends one day. I have a dream. I want to go buy flowers with a friend, buying books and…talk…" She choked a little on her sobs.

I stared sadly at Asia.

...how could God be so cruel? I admit I was never zealous in my faith, but as a human, I always tended to think about God when life got hard, thinking there was a big guy upstairs looking after me and my friends who would somehow make our fortunes turn out alright. He was supposed to care for everybody. Asia was one of the most loyal of His followers. How could He abandon her like this, if He truly loved us, humanity, His children? Why did He grant us these powers in the first place? These powers that have caused untold harm and pain upon many of us... Was it all just some sick joke?

That was when I remembered something. I frowned.

"Oi. I was talking." I told Asia, who apparently didn't quite hear me before. "I'm a little hurt that you said you didn't have any friends. What does that make me?" I managed a genuinely pleased smile when Asia's eyes widened with realization. "I'm a Devil, but it's all right. I don't plan on taking the life of the woman who saved my life, and I won't take any price! You can call me whenever you feel like it! I'll even give you my phone number if you want it!"

"…Why?" Asia asked. I sighed.

"I told you before, remember?" Asia gave a confused look at my question. I sighed again. "Dummy, we're friends. We've played together the entire day. We've talked and laughed together. Therefore, we are friends. Human, Devil, God, Fallen Angels, none of that stuff matters to me. You're my friend."

Asia stared still. "...is this a pact with a Devil?" Perhaps I needed to be less subtle.

I grasped both of Asia's hands in my own, holding them warmly and tightly.

"Then let me fully express it, Asia." I said. "I make my vow here and now: From here on out, I will remain by your side. Even if we have not known each other long, you have already gained an important place in my heart. That's why you must remain by my side as I must remain by yours. In sickness and in health, I will stay with you. In times of despair and chaos, I will remain by your side. Even if we were to venture through the very fires of Hell, I will remain with you. Even should all others abandon us, I will remain with you. Asia, you are a very important person to me. So please, let me stay by your side forever and I will remain with you forever."

Oddly, not only did Asia's eyes continue to fill with tears, but her face also turned a deep shade of red.

She placed her hands on the sides of her face. "S-Shirou-san-! T-To say such a thing s-so suddenly! I-I-!"

I frowned in confusion. Somehow, I felt like I created a horrible misunderstanding with my words.

She calmed down after several seconds, staring at me with those sad eyes of hers.

She started crying again, but she didn't seem so sad anymore. "I have no common sense and I don't know much about Japanese culture, Shirou-san."

I grinned. "Then let me teach you! I'll teach you everything there is to learn, Asia!"

Asia's tears began to flow more freely, but now, she was smiling.

"...Will you really remain by my side forever?" Asia asked. I could feel her hands tremble slightly with happiness and hope.

I tightened my grasp on her hands reassuringly, smiling softly as I stared Asia in the eyes.

"Of course I will. I said before, that if you accepted, I would remain with you forever and that means forever, Asia. We will always be together. Everyday, will be fun. I will always help you and you will never have to be afraid to lean on me and ask me for help. Because, Asia, you are someone important to me now and I will always stick by you as I would with the rest of my friends, no matter what." My smile widened. "So let's get along."

Human, Devil, Angel, Fallen Angel, it doesn't matter. It may seem impossible, but there is no doubt in my mind that we could be friends regardless of what race we belonged to.

I will protect the smiles of my friends, especially Asia. They are my friends and I won't let anyone get in the way of that! I'll protect them no matter what!

"Oh, how cute." A familiar voice mocked. "That's so sweet I think I'm gonna puke. What you're talking about is impossible."

I tensed.

No...it can't be...not her...

I was left speechless as I turned in the direction of the voice. What I saw was a familiar, slender girl with silky black hair. My heart stopped.

This cold feeling...even though I was angry...I knew it was also fear. I didn't fear her, but my body remembered the sensation of being run through by this girl.

"Raynare..." I said out of shock.

The Fallen Angel's eyes widened. I realized my mistake and mentally cursed myself. There was no way I should've known that name without Mittelt's information. It was too suspicious. I should've called her "Yuuma" which was the only name I was supposed to know her by.

"You. I see you survived by turning into a Devil. How is it you knew my name?"

Asia looked at me and then at Raynare, perhaps wondering what our connection was. "...Raynare-sama..."

I narrowed my eyes. "..." I couldn't come up with any real answer to Raynare without putting Mittelt in danger.

Raynare rolled her eyes. "Whatever. I don't want a filthy low-class Devil like you talking to me anyway."That girl. Asia, is our personal belonging. Can I have her back?" Yeaaa-No. "Asia, you know it's useless to run away."

It was that one statement that made me realize something from earlier. That afraid look on Asia's face. How relieved she was when she saw me...She had been running away from the Fallen Angels.

I made sure to completely hide Asia behind me, blocking her from Raynare's sight. "I won't let you lay a hand on Asia!" Asia clung to my back, tightening her grip on me.

"I don't want to return to that Church. I don't want to return to the people who kill other people. …Also, you people did things to me…" Those words made me angrier. What the Hell did this bitch do to Asia?!

I raised my fists, ready to fight. "You heard the lady! She's not going anywhere! You want her-" I summoned Divine Dividing. "-you'll have to go through me!"

Raynare's eyes seemed to glow with malicious intent at the sight of my Sacred Gear.

"...the the reports were telling the truth..." Then she smirked. "Well if that's the case...then I suppose taking a second Sacred Gear could be a bonus for a job well-done."

I stared blankly. "Say what now?"

The malicious intent radiating off of Raynare increased immensely.

"If I take both your [Divine Dividing] and Asia's [Twilight Healing], then I'll truly become invincible!" She then reached out a hand towards me. "I'm afraid you'll have to come with me as well, Shirou-kun~" She spoke with a mocking cutesy tone that made me sick to my stomach.

I changed my form to a battle stance. "The day I go with you willingly is the day that Hell freezes over!"

"Ooh~ Feisty~" Raynare teased. "You seem to catch onto the situation much more quickly than that idiot, Ise-kun~. I'm certain I dropped hints left and right about my true intent, but that idiot didn't suspect me in the slightest. Maybe I picked the wrong guy to torment. You seem like you would've been more fun to torment and then tear apart."

I clicked my tongue, narrowing my eyes. "Sorry, but I have standards: I don't date bitches." I clenched my fists at my side. "And now you have the balls to mock my bro...? Reminiscing about how you hurt him...? At first, it was just to protect Asia, but now I think I'm going to enjoy beating the shit out of you, crow."

Raynare sneered. "The feeling is mutual, shitty Devil." She laughed. "I wonder how you right now...facing a more powerful enemy using a weapon you barely know how to use. I honestly don't know who's more pathetic: you who unrealistically believes you can defeat me or Ise-kun who is amongst the weakest insects I've ever had the pleasure of crushing under my heel."

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH!" That was when I snapped. "Don't you fucking say another bad word about Ise! Ise's the strongest guy I know! He's far more superior than a hundred of you put together! No matter how strong I get, Ise will always be stronger than even me! Stronger than you! He's a humongous pervert, an idiot, has little to no self-control, he tends to obsess over oppai too much, and I'm fairly certain he was the one who lost my IPod last year, but-no matter what-Ise is the strongest person I ever could have met! He deserved better than a stuck-up bitch like you!"

I could tell I pissed off the crow now. I saw her eye twitching.

"If that's the way you feel, then maybe I'll pay him a little visit after I painfully extract your Sacred Gear. After I gain the power of both Divine Dividing and Twilight Healing, it won't matter if I piss off that red-haired bitch from the Gremory clan by killing her precious servant. But first things first, I have to deal with the pest in front of me."

My desire to kill Raynare grew larger and larger with each passing second.

I did my best to remain calm though. I still had Asia behind me. I had to fight to protect not only Ise, but Asia as well.

"You're not laying a single hand on my bro, you bitch!"

All three of us turned our head in surprise to see a panting, brown-haired teen wearing a red gauntlet on his left arm.

"Ise?!" I called out in shock.

My friend clenched his fist, a powerful determination in his eyes.

"I came as soon as your friend told me you were in trouble!" Ise said. He looked at Raynare, tensing somewhat. "Now I see why?"

I frowned. What "friend"? Other than Asia, I haven't really spoken to any of my friends since last night. Even if I did, how would they know I was in trouble?

Ise scratched his head. "She didn't give me a name though. Just told me there was trouble..."

So Ise didn't know her either, so it couldn't have been anyone from the ORC.

Raynare observed Ise's Sacred Gear with amusement. "I doubt you would be much help in a fight, Ise. Your Sacred Gear is a horribly common one, the [Twice Critical], a Sacred Gear that doubles the user's power for a short time."

Ise raised his left arm, a hint of disappointment on his face, but his determination remained.

"It doesn't matter! Me and Shirou are gonna kick your ass!" He shot me a confident grin before turning back to Raynare.

I smiled softly. I closed my eyes. "Sorry, Ise, but there's something else I need you to do for me right now..."

"What...?" Both Ise and Asia looked at me with confusion.

I turned around to face Asia, still smiling. "Sorry about this."

"Shirou-sa-AGH!" Asia was unable to finish speaking because I slammed my fist into her torso, hitting her with just enough force to knock her out. After making sure Asia was indeed unconscious, I picked her up princess-style walking over to Ise, who stood perfectly still, gawking at me.

I handed Asia to Ise. "Take her back to the ORC. You make Gremory-senpai and Sitri-senpai protect her, no matter what." After a brief pause, I added, "I'll stay behind and keep the crow busy."

Ise took Asia in his arms, shaking his head. "N-No way! I-"

I placed my hands on Ise's shoulders. "Ise listen to me! We can't let Raynare get Asia! You're the only one I can count on to do this!" I stared directly into his eyes. "Will you do this!?"

Ise bit his lower lip, seeming unhappy about the request he had been given. After several seconds of mental debate, he looked back at me and nodded.

"Alright. But the moment I get Asia to safety, I'm coming back to help you kick ass!"

We both grinned at that. "Fine, just don't keep me waiting too long, bro!"

Ise gained a better grip on Asia and started running away from the battle.

"No you don't!" Raynare, having realized what Ise and I were doing, summoned a light spear. "I'm taking Asia's Sacred Gear and I'll kill every single person who gets in my way!"

She threw the light spear at the fleeing Ise.

My move that came in response to that was based solely on reflex.

I reached out with my hand in what I assumed to be an attempt to grab the spear mid-flight.

What I ended up with was a light spear pierced halfway through my hand.

My first thought in response: FUUUUUUUUCK! THIS BURNS LIKE HELL!

It hurt as badly as I remembered it when Mittelt had attacked me. Only this time. The light spear actually pierced deeply through my flesh, so the pain was ten times more intense when mixed with the light poisoning I was getting.

Gritting my teeth, I used my one remaining free hand to grip the shaft of the light spear.

It burned even more to even attempt to grab it, but I had to get that little shit out. I tightened my grasp despite how badly it hurt me.

With a pain-filled scream, I tore the light spear out of my flesh, revealing a large, very painful-looking, and very bloody hole in my hand.

I managed a shallow laugh before directing a dark look at Raynare. "Sorry, crow, but it's like I said: If you want Asia, you have to get past me!"

And I charged at the crow.

Of course I wouldn't win though. That's what I couldn't bring myself to tell Ise.

Halfway through my exchange with Raynare, I sensed one or two of her allies approaching as well. Even, if by some miracle, we defeated Raynare, we would be in no shape to resist a new enemy. Ise would be killed and Asia and I would probably soon follow if Raynare got the chance to extract our Sacred Gears.

As I fought tooth and nail against Raynare, I didn't regret my actions.

In the end, Ise would be safe and Asia would be under the protection of Sitri-senpai and Gremory-senpai. I would most likely still die, but even if Raynare somehow got my Sacred Gear, I had faith in Ise to get stronger and kick her ass.

That's what I always loved about Ise. What I always envied about him. No matter what happened, he always got stronger. Even if he were to lose, he wouldn't give up. He'd just keep getting back up stronger than before, over and over again until he found victory.

That image, that's what always drove me to keep moving forward. My hope of someday being on the same level as that idiot. My desire to surpass him. Even if I got physically stronger, Ise would always be the strongest. The strongest person anyone could meet. I could always depend on him. That's why I trusted him to protect Asia.

He's my greatest rival...and he's my best friend. The person I admired the most if, for a moment, I could be honest.

My last thought before I fell into unconsciousness upon my inevitable defeat:

Ise...thank you...

Then darkness...

* * *

**Issei's POV...**

SLAP

"What THE HELL were you thinking!?"

To say Buchou was upset with me would be the understatement of the freaking century.

She. Was. Pissed.

The new, large, red, hand-shaped mark on the right side of my face was a testament that.

When I arrived at the Occult Research Club, Buchou's eyes became as wide as dinner plates when she saw Asia in my arms. She at least waited until after I laid Asia down on the

I remained silent as Buchou slapped me. I didn't even get the chance to explain or say a word.

"Bringing a NUN here, Ise?!" Buchou shouted, exasperated by my actions. "Not only that, but a nun who is in league with the Fallen Angels!"

"...Buchou..." I uttered weakly. I couldn't even bring myself to look up.

"Of all the irresponsible things, Ise! I admit part of me expected this from Shirou-kun, but-"

"Buchou." I tried again.

"-to actually bring that girl here!? That girl was originally from God's side! She is a person that we cannot ever coexist with! Even if she went with the Fallen Angels, it doesn't change the fact that she is still the enemy of us Devils! I-I'm not even entirely sure what to say! Do you know how bad this is?! It's-"

I couldn't take it anymore. I grabbed Buchou by her shoulders tightly enough to make her stop.

"BUCHOU, THEY TOOK SHIROU!"

My crimson-haired master immediately stopped, her eyes widening once again out of shock, her jaw dropped

"What...?"

I couldn't help it anymore...that look in Shirou's eyes...He's so full of shit. We both knew damned well that he wouldn't win against Raynare.

I was suddenly yanked away from Buchou by a sudden powerful force, being turned around to face a stern-faced Kiba. The look in her eyes was a strange mix of worry, anger, and fear.

"What do you mean "they took Shirou", Ise-kun?!" Despite seeming weird, Kiba really did care for Shirou. That look in her eyes only made me feel so much more guilty...

I bit my lower lip, trying to fight back the emotions that were threatening to overflow.

"He...He encountered the Fallen Angel while he was hanging out with Asia-san...I don't know what was going on, but this small girl who dressed strangely came along and told me he was in danger. I rushed there as fast as I could and..." I choked, a lone tear falling down the side of my face. "...he...he told me to protect Asia...He wanted me to take him to you and Kaichou for protection. He knew..." This was the hardest part to talk about... "He knew he couldn't win...He sacrificed himself so I could take Asia in for protection."

More and more tears gradually began to fall from my face. I fell to all four's, my head hanging as low as possible.

"I'm sorry..." I couldn't protect my best friend and now I was busting out in tears like some kind of baby...How pathetic could I be?

Instead of another chewing me out or punishing me like I expected, Buchou instead crouched down, staring at me with much more tender eyes than I deserved at the moment. It was completely different from the harsh and scolding gaze she had before.

She gently brushed her hand against my face, wiping away some of my tears.

Buchou smiled softly. "It's alright, Ise."

"Buchou!" Kiba suddenly cut in. "We don't have time for this! We have to go rescue Shirou!" She was clearly unsettled and alarmed. Like an adorable puppy who just realized that her master was no longer around to hug or nuzzle against.

"Calm down, Yumi," Buchou said soothingly. "We don't even know what they want with Shirou-kun yet. If they end up wanting to make an exchange for whatever reason, we'll at least be able to set a trap for them in order to rescue him."

"That's just it...The Fallen Angel, Raynare...she said something about extracting his Sacred Gear or something..."

That was when I felt something troublesome.

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees. Every last person in the room other than me paled. I was surprised when even Koneko-chan and Akeno-san paled. I figured they would be less easily horrified about things than Buchou and Yumi.

After a good five minutes of shocked and horrified silence, Buchou suddenly turned her head to Akeno-san.

"Akeno! Go fetch Sona immediately and tell her what happened! Also, tell her to contact Leviathan-sama! This situation just got so much worse!"

Akeno-san, for once, nodded wordlessly. Not smiling even once. She left the room, no doubt to get Kaichou.

Buchou immediately turned to Koneko-chan and Kiba, horrified alarm on her face.

"Koneko, Yumi! Get ready immediately! We need to make preparations for an assault on the Fallen Angels' hideout!"

Both of Buchou's other servants nodded.

I couldn't help my gaze wandering back over to a still-unconscious Asia.

Another surge of guilt filled my stomach.

Shirou...he called me the strongest person he ever met...but I'm really so weak and pathetic. If he wasn't around, then Asia definitely would have been captured by the Fallen Angels. Deep down, I knew that if we had switched places, I would've been dead in only a few seconds and Asia would have easily have been taken...I was such a failure...

No matter what, I wills save you, brother.

But something was bugging me...the way everyone reacted to Shirou having his Sacred Gear stolen...like it would be something final. It was as if...wait-No...

I paled. I turned back to my master. "Buchou...what exactly happens when a Sacred Gear is extracted from someone?"

Buchou, still panicking somewhat. She calmed down enough to answer me out-right.

"Ise..." She seemed somewhat hesitant, looking away from me. I knew the answer from the get-go, but a small part of me was in denial. "...When a possessor has their Sacred Gear taken from them, their body will die. If the Fallen Angels succeed in taking Shirou-kun's Sacred Gear, he will die."

Even though I was prepared for that answer, I felt my heart stop.

I clenched my fists.

This...This was my fault...

But my fists were clenched with determination.

Shirou, I swear this now: I WILL save you!

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

DRIP DRIP DROP

I sat up, rubbing my aching head.

I felt so dizzy and every part of my body was so stiff. My back was hurting like hell...

I looked around me, realizing I was in some sort of weird prison cell...It felt like one you'd usually see in some sort of dungeon or something.

"What happened...?" My memories were kind of foggy due to what I suspected to be head trauma, so it was hard for me to remember why or how I ended up here...

Oh yeah...

Images from the previous...night? Afternoon? I dunno. There was no natural light flowing into this dungeon, so I had no idea what time it was or how much time had passed since I got knocked out by that crow.

I eventually worked up the strength to stand up, stumbling my way over to the front of my cell.

I looked left, then right.

To my left was the end of the hallway and a door that either led to some sort of closet or, more likely, a route that led to the outside world.

Uncertain on my next plan, I subconsciously grabbed the bars of my cell.

BZZZZT!

GAH! FUCKING-A!

I backed away from the bars, falling back to the ground, my hands smoking as if badly burnt.

I glared at the bars, my eyes widening as I realized that they possessed a faint glow...A holy glow.

Shit, these bars are made with holy light. I can't do jack shit to them.

I then felt one of my hands burn even worse than the other. I clutched it, groaning in pain.

Clutching my smoking hand in pain, I found myself slightly alarmed when I noticed that my hand was wrapped rather tightly in bandages, a large yet dried blood spot staining the previously white bandages.

I also noted that, while I still felt weak, I didn't suffer the severe effects of light poisoning that I expected. Even if I was only stabbed in the hand, being exposed to light poisoning for so long should've killed me.

That meant that someone had treated my injuries.

It was doubtful it was that crow, Raynare...

So who-?

CREEEEEAAAAAAK

I tensed as I heard the sound of the door to my left. Still on the ground, I crawled backwards insect-style, flattening myself against the wall.

I noticed strange shackles on my wrists and also realized I could no longer summon my Sacred gear. I could only assume that the Fallen Angels created these magic shackles to seal my powers in order to prevent me from escaping.

My only hope was that it was a normal human Exorcist who I could clobber with my fists. Hopefully, I could take any weapons off his unconscious body and fight my way out...

"So, we meet again, Shirou Fujimura-chan~"

My eyes closed half-way. Shit...I recognized that voice.

The door to my cell opened, revealing a familiar, blonde-haired gothic lolita girl.

Fallen Angel Mittelt entered my cell, shutting the door behind her.

Mentally, I wondered if she would take it easy on me with the torture considering the good terms we left each other on last time...

Then I remembered her getting crushed by that dumpster Tsubasa-chan threw at her...and then I remembered bitch-slapping her...and then I remembered her coming out of the water fountain sopping wet and crying like a baby...

Oh dear God (OUCH!) she's here to kill me, isn't she?

I had nowhere else to back up to as Mittelt continued approaching me at her leisure.

I closed my eyes, preparing for the worst.

Surprisingly enough, the worst didn't happen.

Rather than a light spear through the heart, I felt a strange soft touch against the sides of my face.

It wasn't unpleasant really...It was oddly inviting.

I opened my eyes and my face flushed red almost immediately.

Mittelt's face was only an inch away from mine. She sat on her knees in between my legs which were spread apart. Our lips were so close to one another that it was difficult to move without accidentally brushing our lips against one another.

Mittelt's face was tinged with pink color, her breaths becoming much faster and much more shallow.

"S-Shirou..."

I couldn't help but feel that this position was rather compromising.

"Your face...it's so soft..." Mittelt muttered under her shallow breaths.

I blinked, feeling awkward. "Erm...thanks...?"

"Can...C-Can I ask you something...?" Mittelt asked. "...I keep trying to ignore t-these thoughts and feelings...but...but I can't..." Her tongue was sticking out and I felt Mittelt's body heat up against mine.

"A-Are you okay?" I asked, somewhat concerned.

Then Mittelt gripped me tightly by the collar, staring at me with desperation.

"Please take my virginity! Make me a true woman!" Mittelt requested. "Be as harsh as you want! I'll accept it all!"

Rather than freak out like I normally would in such a situation...I just stared blankly.

"...Eh?"

Ever hear the saying "Out of the frying pan and into the fire"?

Well, I think my current situation is more along the lines of "In the frying pan which is then lit on fire with cooking oil and gasoline"...

And here I thought this was going to be a boring wait until my execution...

**Aaaaand done~!**

**I really wish I had more for ya but that's about all...This will be continued in next chapter and hopefully next chapter will be the last one for this story arc finally...I hope.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	8. Life 7: My Friend

**I thank you all for the reviews the other day~!**

**And thank OshiroNai for the new title, Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan, which replaced the title "Devil Reborn: Reboot". I finally have a REAL title for the story now. Oshiro-san, arigatou~!**

**Also, expect this chapter to be 2x as long as normal ones...there was no good stopping point. It was always either too early or there wouldn't be enough for the next chapter. Thus, 2x Larger-Than-Normal-Chapter 7 was born.**

**Oh yeah, please vote on my poll to decide who will be in the first lemon with Shirou-chan~!**

**Anyway, on with the story~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING.**

**Life 7: My Friend**

I was still reeling from the sudden request that Mittelt just made to me.

She wanted me to take her virginity? Like...her womanhood? Like...a VIRGIN'S virginity?

She was panting like some kind of dog, her hands resting tensely on my chest.

It was somewhat frightening because, as I'm sure I've mentioned at some point before, I've never had sex. I've never even gone that far with Ruruko-Oh sweet Devil, Ruruko! If Ruruko found out I even CONSIDERED giving my first time to a girl who not only was not in my harem but whom I also held no immediate romantic interest in, she would MURDER me, especially since it violates one of my five rules!

I breathed in and out. I had to find some way to take back control of this situation.

"Erm, Mittelt, this is a pretty big jump right here." I said in a nervous tone. "Sh-shouldn't we go out for a little bit, get to know each other?"

Mittelt shook her head quickly, still panting. "C-Can't...You're gonna die soon...Ray-chan will get mad if I let you out..."

I mentally signed. A small part of me actually believed that escaping would be that easy.

"W-Well..." I paused, thinking for a second. "W-Well, what about...PROTECTION! Yeah!" This could be my way out of this situation! "If we don't use a condom or some kind of protection, you could get pregnant or what if I have some kind of transmittable disease!?"

Mittelt pressed her hot and sweating body against mine.

"I'll just get pregnant and I KNOW you don't have any diseases! I checked!"

I gave Mittelt a mixed look at that last part. "You 'checked'? How did you even-know what? I'm not gonna ask."

Mittelt was trembling, sweating and panting. "E-Enough stalling! I need it now!"

I made the mistake of trying to push Mittelt away with one hand out of surprise.

LICK

My eyes widened in shock. Mittelt was...licking my fingers...she grabbed my hand...and started licking my fingers...

This situation was more severe than I thought. Not only was she more aroused than I expected, but my own self-control was beginning to wane.

The skill with which Mittelt erotically licked my fingers was too great! Even as virgins, Fallen Angels were surprisingly skilled in the erotic arts! I had to do something soon or my libido would escape my control and make me do "something"!

"Mmmmm..." I couldn't help the slight moan I let out. It was really weird, but being treated in such a way, like a toy, was incredibly arousing.

However, I quickly snapped back to my senses, pulling my now-saliva-covered hand away from Mittelt's mouth.

My face was scarlet red. Trying to keep myself from being pinned down further by this erotic Fallen Angel.

However...I tripped.

Yes. Before I knew it, my legs got caught on something, causing me to fall face-forward.

Pulling my face from the ground, I looked down towards my legs and was shocked to see that my pants had been pulled down around my thighs. Not too low, but low enough to reveal the top part of my boxers and low enough to cause me to trip.

I rolled over onto my back, attempting to get up.

"Ah! I guess since you're nervous, I should do most of the work!" Before I could realize my mistake, Mittelt was on my chest, straddling me. In her hands was a leather belt that I remembered originally being around my waist, keeping my pants up. How she got it without me noticing? I have no idea.

And here I was thinking she was a pervert before. Now I know she's an UBER-PERVERT.

"Come ooon~!" Mittelt urged me. She rubbed my chest. "It's your last day, why not make it 'special'?"

She did have a point (sort-of)...I knew I was going to die. The moment I sacrificed myself for my friends, I knew Raynare's plans of extracting my Sacred Gear involved killing me.

It's not what I did that I regretted...

It's what I didn't do. I didn't ever get to graduate high school. I never got to make Mako-nee truly proud. I never got to lose my virginity. Worst of all...I never really got to say to my friends. I never got to say goodbye to Ruruko or any of the people I loved...

...How depressing...

...however-

There's no way I would give my virginity to someone I don't love!

I lunged forward at the Fallen Angel straddling my chest, knocking her off me. She landed back on the ground with a thud.

Glaring at the Fallen Angel who essentially tried to rape me, I took back my belt, pulling up my pants.

"Sorry, but I have no intention of indulging in your disgusting desires." I said with a disapproving tone. "Whatever sick game you're trying to play with me, I won't have any part in it."

That was the only intention I could think of coming from this Fallen Angel. Despite leaving each other last time on relatively pleasant terms, the only conclusion I could come to as to why she would do this is either to use me as a "toy" or to screw with my head, taking away the last pure thing I had before I died...again.

Rather than lash out or scream or something, Mittelt stared at me, still sitting on the ground where I pushed her away to, a sad expression on her face.

"Even when you're about to die...am I that undesirable...?"

Eh...?

That question of hers confused me.

Mittelt sniffled. "It hurts..." She placed a hand over her chest. A lone tear rolled down the side of her face. "I don't understand it...this painful, hot feeling in my chest..."

I sat down against the wall, not reacting as Mittelt approached me.

More and more tears began to roll down the sides of her faaaa-oh dear Devil she's crying.

Mittelt looked up at me with those tear-filled eyes of hers. "I thought...that if I could just give you one final pleasure...let you die happy, then...this feeling would go away...but it still hurts." She leaned against me, turning her tear-stained face against my shoulder. "Why does it hurt so badly?"

She hugged my arm, still crying.

My previous harsh expression changed into one of pity. I gently petted this girl on the head.

I was gonna die soon. No point spending the time I had left being a dick to possibly one of the last people I would see.

"I can't stop thinking about you..." Mittelt cried into my shoulder. "Every time I hear your name or imagine your face, my body heats up so uncontrollably...When you're near me, I feel like I'm bursting with joy...when you're away from me, it feels like I'm dying inside...I've never felt like this before."

Due to the fact that I was NOT an idiot, I developed a pretty good idea on the source of Mittelt's pain by this point...

Love.

Without planning on it, this poor girl fell in love with someone who was supposed to be her enemy: Me.

I felt guilty. I unintentionally charmed and entranced this adorable young girl into falling in love with me, a boy who would soon be dead. When it came to romance, this girl seemed horribly innocent...I couldn't help but wonder how strong her feelings were. Worst-case scenario, seeing my death could shatter her. Best-case scenario, she won't be at my execution. I couldn't say she was lying by this point.

Her tears...those weren't the tears of a liar.

They were the tears of a young girl who was hopelessly in love.

I reassuringly rubbed the poor girl's arm with my hand.

"...When I think about you dying..." Mittelt sobbed. "...it hurts really bad...I tried so hard to stop it...I set Raynare's alarm clock a few hours ahead of current time this morning, I hid Raynare's clothes when she was in the shower, I even told that other Devil..." She trailed off, as if realizing she had said something she shouldn't have. She hung her head in shape.

I hugged Mittelt closely. "So you're the sneaky one who sent Ise to come help, hm?" I couldn't help the small smile that appeared on my face. Mittelt blushed slightly, ceasing her tears as she looked up to me in confusion. "Thanks to you, I was able to save two people I truly cared about. Thank you, Mittelt."

"Idiot...idiot idiot idiot...Why did it have to be such an idiot like this guy...?" Mittelt asked to herself.

Well, at least these last hours of mine would be rather soothing, being next to someone who cared about me.

But something was troubling me...

"Hey, Mittelt..." I said after a few minutes of calm silence.

"Hm?" The blonde Fallen Angel looked up at me, simply resting on my side. She had stopped crying finally and was simply resting by my side, trying to remain calm until we were permanently parted.

"There's something that's been bugging me." I admitted. "About your mission, I mean..." I looked around the dungeon for some indicator of the time. I looked back at Mittelt. "How much time is left until you guys begin the ritual to extract my Sacred Gear?"

Mittelt frowned for a second, confused, before putting up her hands, counting something using her fingers while mouthing numbers.

She turned back to me. "About four or five hours. Six or seven if there are any unforeseen complications."

I bit my thumb, contemplating my idea. If anything, it was at least worth a shot. Even if I turned out to be wrong, Mittelt wouldn't get in trouble. What did I really have to lose?

I turned back to the blonde Fallen Angel, placing my hands on her shoulders. She blushed lightly.

"Mittelt. Do you really want to help save my life?"

Mittelt gasped at my question. She swallowed, nodding while trying to find the words she wanted to say.

"M-More than anything!"

I smiled. Perfect. I had her support.

"Then I need you to do something and fast. If there's even the slightest chance of this working, you have to move as quickly as possible, understand?"

Mittelt nodded.

"Alright then. Here's what I need you to do..."

* * *

Issei's POV...

[Occult Research Clubroom]

SLAP

"Ah!"

"YOU FUCKING BITCH! THIS IS YOUR FAULT!"

My eyes were wide in shock, staring at the scene that just transpired.

Currently, the people in the room were Buchou, Akeno-san, Kiba, Koneko-chan, Asia, Sona-kaichou, Shinra-senpai, Hanakai-san, and the washboard (AKA: Ruruko Nimura).

Asia was currently on the ground, tears forming in her eyes as she touched the tender, red, hand-shaped mark on her face with shock.

In front of Asia stood a deeply distraught Nimura, her hand trembling and anger on her face after she just slapped Asia in front of all of us, the others around her being deeply shocked by the act.

It was rather sudden.

While Akeno-san was getting Kaichou to discuss the strategy to retrieve Shirou, Buchou had been talking to us about what would happen to Asia while we were away. As there was no chance of us handing Asia over to the ones who kidnapped Shirou, Buchou decided that we would request Kaichou to have her Peerage protect Asia while we were busy retrieving Shirou. What happened to Asia afterward would have to be settled after we rescued Shirou.

Then all of a sudden, the washboard walked into the room and slapped Asia right across the face. Akeno-san, Kaichou, Shinra-senpai, and Hanakai-san all came running in afterward, panting as if they had been running as fast as their legs could carry them. My bet was that they had been chasing after the washboard to try to prevent exactly what just happened.

"I-I-" Asia just stared in shock, uncertain about what just happened.

"If Shirou hadn't gotten involved with you, he wouldn't be in this situation in the first place!" The washboard screamed in rage, the rest of us having finally snapped out of it. Hanakai-san and Koneko-chan were the first ones to act, running forward to restrain Nimura who was struggling violently. "Let me go! I'll kill her! Dammit! Let me goooo!" Nimura cried, flailing about as she wanted some way to vent her anger, her pain, and her sorrow.

Then she suddenly sank to her knees, no longer resisting.

Tears began to roll down the sides of her face as she began to let out loud sobs, seeming to go from berserk rage to intense depression.

A moment ago, she looked ready to kill, but now she was a sobbing mess, looking like she desperately needed a hug.

"It's alright." After Nimura had calmed down, Koneko-chan had released her and Hanakai-san enveloped her in Ruruko arms, patting her on the back and speaking calm, soothing words. "It's fine..."

Funny, I always thought they hated each other due to their rivalry over Shirou (the only reason I knew about that was because I walked in on them tearing at each others' clothes...hehehe...that was kind of hot-NO! Have to be serious!...Besides, I always have those images saved to my mind for future references).

Then again, I guess they just haven't been put in the right position in which they COULD get along.

I walked over to Asia and offered her my hand, an apologetic look on my face. Asia grabbed my hand and I helped her back to her feet.

"Sorry...Shirou's kidnapping just has us all on edge, Asia." I rubbed the back of my neck as we all turned to the sobbing mess that was Nimura. "...I guess the was-I mean-Nimura is taking it the hardest. She's Shirou's official girlfriend after all."

Asia frowned. "'Official girlfriend'?"

"Oh, I mean that since Shirou will have a lot of girls, his official girlfriend is-" I stopped, realizing what I was saying.

Shit! I realized my mistake. Telling people not in the loop about Shirou's harem was a no-no!

"So she is Shirou-san's girlfriend..." Asia said with an oddly disappointed tone. As if possessed by an unknown feeling, Asia walked over to Nimura, getting on her knees so she could stare right into the broken girl's eyes.

Nimura looked at Asia, uncertain what it could be that the nun wanted.

Asia's expression, as surprising as it was, became one of apology. "I'm sorry...Shirou-san promised to be my friend...I was so selfish. I ended up letting him sacrifice himself for me. I did this without thinking about those close to him." Asia became teary-eyed, an adorable expression that almost caused me to have a nosebleed. It was as if the nun has unleashed a wave of power that completely mollified each and every person in the room, including Nimura. "I'm sorry."

All at once, the washboard stopped crying. She turned to Asia, stone-faced. She placed her hands on Asia's shoulders.

"All is forgiven."

It was as if an unknown force compelled her to say those words. But then the washboard's face became sad again. She took a deep breath. She breathed in...then out.

"I'm sorry..." Nimura apologized. "I just...I'm worried about him..."

Asia clasped Nimura's hands in her own, smiling softly. "It...It will be fine. Shirou-san is really strong. And so is Issei-san and Rias Gremory-sama. They will definitely rescue him." Then she turned towards both me and Buchou, a sad questioning look on her face. "You will save Shirou-san...right?"

Buchou maintained a soft expression, not showing any ill intent despite Asia having technically been on the same side as our enemies.

"Yes. We will certainly rescue him. He is the [Queen] of Leviathan-sama after all."

It was at this that Asia's eyes widened to the size of plates. She looked rather shocked.

Eh? Come to think of it, everyone seems to act very respectful and nervous when speaking of Serafall Leviathan. Is Shirou's [King] truly that important of a person?

"Ahem." We all turned to Kaichou as she cleared her throat to gather all of our attention. "Now that we're back on the main topic, we should begin to discuss our plan more seriously."

Asia and Nimura stood up, holding each others' hands reassuringly.

Wow...that happened. I honestly expected that damned washboard's rage to last a little longer. I guess that's just the power of Asia's adorable smile.

Kaichou and Buchou both gained incredibly serious expressions.

"I have contacted Onee-sama to inform her of the situation," Kaichou stated. "She was...extremely upset. So it would be best for us to rescue Fujimura-kun before she arrives."

"E-Eh?" I couldn't help but feel confused by that statement. "B-But if your Onee-sama is worried and is coming to help us, t-then isn't that a good thing? It would be good to have extra help in rescuing Shirou, right?"

Kaichou's expression became troubled. "That...That's a troubling question to answer. Onee-sama, she means well, but she tends to forget her own strength when she's in an extremely distressed emotional state." She then turned and stared directly at me. "Hyoudou, the last time Onee-sama was in such a state, she accidentally caused the Great Hanshin Earthquake." Then Kaichou's expression became even more intense. "This was because her favorite anime got canceled. How do you think she would act in an emotional state where her most beloved Queen, a servant she absolutely adores almost more than anything else, was kidnapped?"

Everyone paused, processing this.

.

.

.

[A-Apocalypse!]

Everyone else in the room screamed in unison, imagining the absolute destruction such an emotional girl would cause.

Eeeeeeh! How could such a cute girl with amazing-looking oppai be so chaotic?! Shirou, your master is bat-shit crazy! She destroys entire cities because of ANIME!

While everyone else was freaking out, I noticed Buchou moving close to Kaichou, whispering.

"What the hell, Sona?!" Buchou asked in a harsh whisper, too shocked and horrified to use proper language. "You never told me this! How could Leviathan-sama have allowed such a disaster to occur?!"

Kaichou placed a finger to her lips. "Shh. That was a lie, Rias."

"A-A lie?"

Kaichou nodded. "Yes. I just wanted to motivate them to work harder and move faster...To be honest, I just think the situation would be much easier if we completed the task without involving Onee-sama."

"Ah. I understand." Buchou said with a sneaky smile. "My lips are sealed."

I sweatdropped. What a sneaky duo those two are.

"Alright then!" Buchou turned back to us, drawing everyone's attention. They were seriously energized by the lie Kaichou told. They truly believed that saving Shirou would decide the fate of the world. Of course, that's not to say I'm not worried about Shirou to a large extent. I just think that telling such a lie was a bit unnecessary. "We all know the plan. The Occult Research Club will lead the assault on the Fallen Angel's hideout. Sona will be accompanying us as she is Shirou's "legal guardian" for lack of a better word." Buchou crossed her arms. "While we are doing this, Asia Argento will be placed under the protection of the Student Council which consists of Sona's Peerage."

Hanakai-san placed a hand on Asia's shoulder. "Right! You guys leave protectin Asia-chan to us! Just focus on getting our huggable Shirou-chan back!"

Both Asia and the washboard bowed their heads.

[Please bring him back safely.]

I managed a confident grin despite my nervousness and uncertainty.

"Of course! There's no way that idiot could possibly get killed in such a way! We'll definitely rescue him!"

I noticed that there was a powerful air of determination in the room.

Koneko-chan seemed attentive and alert.

Kiba clenched her fists, as if already preparing to summon a sword to cut down the enemies before her to rescue her target.

Akeno-san was not smiling. I couldn't help but notice that she and Shirou had become closer as well. Shirou seemed embarrassed around her and Akeno-san seemed more intent to tease him than me. Usually, I would immediately accuse the two of having done the deed, but then I realized it was crazy...Shirou would have rubbed it in my face at least ten times everyday if he lost his virginity before me. Anyway, Akeno-san actually seemed worried about Shirou. Not to the same extent as Kiba, but she cared.

Even Kaichou seemed to radiate the desire to rescue Shirou.

"Alright then! Let's move out! Akeno, prepare the magic circle!" Buchou commanded. "It's time to save Shirou Fujimura"

Wait! That reminds me!

I raised my hand. "Um...Buchou..."

Buchou turned to me, confused.

"Yes, Ise?"

I swallowed, looking off to the side. "Well...it's not important, but...who IS Serafall Leviathan?"

GASP

Despite the seriousness of the situation, everyone gasped in shock.

"Issei-kun, you really don't know who Leviathan-sama is?!" Kiba asked in surprise.

I shook my head. "No...I've heard everyone talking about her with respect, but I don't actually know what position she has. Shirou didn't know either when I asked him."

Kaichou's eye twitched. "You mean that Fujimura-kun has gone several days without even recognizing the power Onee-sama's position entitled." She acted as if such a thing was impossible. "Surely the title "Leviathan" would give it away?"

I shrugged. "We don't know too much about things related to religion."

Buchou massaged the bridge of her nose, seeming disappointed. "Once we rescue Shirou-kun, it looks like there will be quite a few things we need to teach you two."

Apparently not knowing about Leviathan-sama made me an idiot. Well, I'm very sorry for being an idiot then.

"Very well then," Buchou said. She walked closer to me. "Ise, the one known as Serafall Leviathan-sama is-"

* * *

[Later...]

...We were currently outside the Church. The Church where my best friend was being held by the Fallen Angels. We were there to rescue them.

No matter what, we had to succeed.

No. We WILL succeed! I'm definitely gonna save my bro!

"I have a map, Buchou." Kiba said to Buchou, handing her a map of the surrounding area.

Huh, I didn't even think about it. I thought we were just going to charge right in.

We all gathered around the map, listening as Kaichou described our strategy.

"OK. Due to Shirou's value as the possessor of a Longinus, they will likely have this place more well-guarded than they usually would. We must make sure to stretch their forces out as thinly as possible. Remember: Our objective is to rescue Shirou Fujimura. Incapacitate your enemies by any means necessary, but defeating them is but a secondary objective. It will all be pointless if Fujimura-kun is killed."

Buchou nodded in agreement. "That's right. Koneko, Yumi." Buchou turned to the blonde-haired princess and the white-haired loli who stood attentively. "You two will take on their first defense. You don't have to defeat them, but be sure to pierce their defenses. Give the the second entry team a chance to enter after you."

[Yes, Buchou.] They said in unison.

Buchou then turned to me and Akeno-san. "As for Ise and Akeno, you two will enter the Church after Koneko and Yuumi to retrieve Shirou-kun. Leave the initial enemies to Koneko and Yumi. Just cut straight through and don't stop until you are inside. While you are all infiltrating, Sona and I will be handling the other Fallen Angels allied with Raynare. Are we all clear on the plan?"

However, there was one objection.

And it was from Kaichou who was raising her hand.

"I have but one objection." Kaichou said. "I will be the one who accompanies Hyoudou-kun. Akeno can aid you, Rias."

Buchou raised an eyebrow at this. "Oh? May I know why?"

For a brief second, Kaichou's expression changed.

I saw a strange mixture of emotion on her face: Shame, self-loathing, and embarrassment.

But her expression seemed perfectly normal the next second, so there's a fair chance I may have imagined it.

"Fujimura-kun is my responsibility. I swore to Onee-sama that I would keep him safe." Kaichou answered in a serious tone. "Considering the current situation, I seem to have failed in this. Therefore, it is my duty to rescue Fujimura-kun. I will not budge fromthis position, Rias."

For a good ten seconds, Buchou and Kaichou had an intense stare down, as if their eyes would decide who would do what.

Buchou closed her eyes first, her resolve seemingly wavering as she mulled over Kaichou's request. Kaichou, meanwhile, examined the map we got of the Church. She was examining each and every detail closely, as if looking for something.

After a moment, Buchou sighed.

"Alright, Sona. I'm surprised to see you so determined about this, but I am willing to accept this change in strategy." Buchou agreed. She then turned to the rest of us. "Do we all understand the plan?"

[Yes!]

"Then let's move out! Our objective: Rescue Shirou Fujimura!"

* * *

Shirou's POV...

I sat in my dirty, little prison cell, legs crossed and my back against the wall.

My bangs covered my eyes as I directed my gaze towards the ceiling which was just as dirty and dingy as the walls and the floors.

It had been a few hours since Mittelt had left. I felt my anxiety increase with each passing second. Perhaps it was cruel towards myself to get my hopes up about this...

I felt my very soul sink into an ocean of fear.

I was scared. I realized that none of this seemed real until now. I'm half-certain I've been in denial about my fate up to this point, but now it was more real than ever before.

I was going to die. I was going to die and there was nothing I could do about it.

And that thought terrified me more than anything else. The worst part was that that bitch, Raynare, had given me time to lament my fate. With nothing to do but wait on the off-chance Mittelt succeeded in the task I had given her, I could do nothing but think about all of the events that occurred in my life.

The things that stood out the most were the happiest moments of my life:

Meeting Ise and Iri, falling in love, meeting Ruruko, falling in love all over again, meeting so many new friends and amazing people like my adorable master, Serafall.

Then I remembered that we would never see each other again and I got depressed again. I never said goodbye to any of them. They would probably start hating me after I died. Even if my actions were good in nature, I still caused everyone so much trouble. I kept running thoughts through my head. Things I should've changed. Things I should've done differently. If I had been quicker to act, I could've rescued Asia sooner. I could've just obeyed Sitri-senpai and left it alone. I could've just...

I leaned forward and then hit my head against the wall behind me, trying to dispel these horrible thoughts of mine.

I sighed. "I'm truly pathetic, aren't I...?"

That's when I heard it.

"Hurry! Those shitty Devils are entering the Church!"

"That bastard Freed better keep them occupied long enough for us to finish the ritual!"

Footsteps and voices. Curious, I stood up and walked up to my bars, being careful as to not touch them.

I saw several Stray Exorcists running through the hallways of the dungeon from the other end of the hall all the way to my cell.

I counted at least five of them.

"Stand back, shitty Devil!"

I looked between all of them. "What-What's going on?"

One of the other Exorcists scowled. "It looks like your shitty friends thought themselves strong enough to be able to rescue you." I felt my insides freeze and my heartbeat begin to increase in frequency and speed.

W-What?!

"One amongst them possesses red hair with a crimson shade and is suspected to be the Gremory heiress, Rias Gremory." One of the calmer and more polite strays explained. "With her are her Devil servants the one we also believe to be the Sitri heiress."

My eyes widened. It literally felt like my heart was going to explode.

I placed a hand on my chest. My eyes began to sting...

Everyone...even after all of the trouble I caused...they were really here for me?

The more malicious Exorcist sneered. "But don't get your hopes up. You won't be here when they arrive."

They opened the cell. Realization dawned upon me, causing me to pale. I knew that struggling was pointless since I was powerless and since they outnumbered me. There was no stopping this.

I nodded. But before I went with them I backed away and quickly placed my hands together.

"Dear Lord-GAAAH!" I was hit by a huge wave of excruciating pain. As if someone had lit my head on fire while stabbing my brain with a thousand tiny needles. But I wouldn't be deterred. I kept my eyes closed and my hands together in prayer. "Even if we have strayed from the path..." I paused again, the pain only increasing in intensity. "...my friends are good people...I care for them more than anything else. You are God, so I hope you are forgiving enough even towards us..." I started sweating profusely, the pain only intensifying further as I attempted to do something Devils shouldn't be allowed to do...even if my prayer was rejected, I wanted to at least have some peace of mind before I died. My vision began to blur. "My most precious people...God...please...even if the price is my own life, please protect them...I love them more than anything else...please, God...Amen..."

With a satisfied smile and my eyes watering from either sadness or pain, I fell forward, almost blacking out until both of my arms were grabbed.

"Nice try, shitty Devil!" One of the Exorcists mocked. "But no God worth His shit would listen to a Devil like you if He wouldn't listen to us!"

"Now come. The ritual will soon be beginning." And then I was being dragged along...

To my death.

The pain persisted and it felt like my body was on fire and about to explode in a million pieces. It felt like someone was stabbing me with over a million swords compared to when I first started started my prayer. If God was truly the benevolent being He claimed to be, He would at least fulfill my modest prayer.

* * *

Ise's POV...

The plan had already started.

Buchou and Akeno-san had gone ahead to deal with the Fallen Angels around the Church.

Kaichou and I waited a few minutes after Koneko-chan and Kiba entered the Church. I was somewhat worried. I know that, in Devil terms, they were my senpais, but maybe it was some of my worry for that idiot who got himself caught leaking out, causing me to worry about others who I shouldn't have to worry about.

I couldn't help but feel discomfort with my "partner" for lack of a better word.

It's not that I disliked Kaichou, but it's more that I just never really spent much time with her...She's so quiet. She's staring intently at the Church...

Hmm...Now that I think about it, she seemed awfully worried about Shirou...Hmmmm.

Before I could think to myself "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU THINKING, YOU DUMBASS?!", I spoke.

"Kaichou..."

Kaichou turned to me. "What is it, Hyoudou?"

"Well...it's just that..." Hmmm...what's the best way to say this...? Maybe I should just go ahead and say it. "What do you think of Shirou?"

In situations like these, where questions like this are asked, they say that if someone reacts with raised voices or shocked expressions, it spoke volumes about a person's true thoughts and feelings.

That's why I was unfortunately disappointed when Kaichou raised an eyebrow, bemused by my question.

"He is my Onee-sama's servant of course." Was her immediate answer.

I shook my head. "No. What I mean was...you seemed really worried about him and-"

"If you are trying to ask if I have romantic feelings for Shirou, then I will answer that I do not." Her answer was so harsh and final.

"Erm...Sorry." I bowed my head, trying to apologize for being so rude.

"-But I will admit that I care for him." Kaichou added suddenly. "He is a pleasant person despite his faults and I will admit I find him amusing if I may be blunt."

She didn't say "amusing" like how most people find animals who do tricks "amusing", but rather, it sounded more like she was talking about a chess piece who has yet to show its true value and would end up doing something quite impressive.

"For Onee-sama to lose such a servant would be a great loss." Kaichou finally ended. She then turned her gaze back towards the Church. "It's been ten minutes now. It's time to move in."

Oh yeah! We had been told to wait a little while while Koneko and Kiba made them bring out all of the defenses so there wouldn't be any surprises!

It's time to move in!

I activated my Sacred Gear. Then Kaichou and I charged in, encountering no resistance until we burst through the front door of the Church.

Kiba and the Priest then start to battle head on. Both of them are glaring at each other.

"Impressive. You are quite strong."

"Ahaha! You too! A [Knight], huh!? Not even a single blind spot! This is great! Yes yes, this is what I'm talking about. Lately, I haven't had an awesome battle like this! I was about to cry because of it! Hmmm! Hmmm! I'm going to kill you!"

"Then maybe I should also fight seriously for a bit then. After all, I don't think Shirou would appreciate me keeping him waiting like this."

Kiba is going to fight seriously? What is she going to do?

"Eat this."

Low pitched voice. I can't believe its Kiba's voice because it had some intensity in it.

Then, some black stuff came out of Kiba's sword. It started to cover the whole sword.

Darkness.

If I had to describe it, that would be the first major word used.

The darkness covered the sword-No, it's more like the darkness is shaping into Kiba's sword.

The darkness sword that is clashing against the Priest's blade of light starts to expand and is devouring the blade of light.

"Wha, what the hell is this!?"

The Priest seems confused.

"-[Holy-Eraser], a darkness sword that devours light."

"Y-You are also a Sacred Gear possessor!?"

This bishoujo has a Sacred Gear too!? I mean, the darkness-sword looked awesome! Between Shirou getting that Longinus thing and Kiba getting such a badass darkness-sword, I was starting to get kind of jealous!

"Hyoudou! I found it!" While I was busy ogling Kiba and being awed by the fight, Kaichou had found a hidden passageway nearby which also held a staircase. She gestured for me to follow her.

I ran over to the hidden passageway, shooting a concerned look at my two comrades.

Out of the corner of her eyes, Kiba noticed my look and smiled.

"It looks like Koneko-chan and I have to keep this guy busy! I'll have to leave saving Shirou to you, Issei-kun!"

Realizing Kiba had placed her trust in me, I nodded.

"Hyoudou!" Kaichou called again.

I jumped, realizing I had been stalling. I followed after Kaichou down the stairs. Kaichou, possessing more experience, led the way while I followed behind. It looked like the electricity worked even in here. How convenient.

After we reached the bottom of the stairs, we ended up in this weird hall...No.

There were small spaces protected by metal bars coated with what I expected to be light energy.

This...This was a dungeon.

I couldn't help but feel like we were coming close to the "Boss's Lair" like in a video game.

Kaichou and I walked by the cells on either side of us. I felt chills go down my spine. Some of them had skeletons and suspicious stains that looked like blood.

I mentally hoped that none of those cells belonged to Shirou.

It was right next to the doorway. There was something that caught my eye.

"Kaichou!"

Kaichou stopped in her tracks, turning confused to me as I ran inside one of the open cells.

What caught my eye was a small toy...Well, not so much a toy, but rather a doll. Kind of a stuffed plushie. A small one like you'd keep either hanging like on a bracelet or on a keychain.

It was red and had horns and bat-like wings and the goofiest smile on its face.

It was a Devil. "Devi-kun" as Shirou used to call it when we were little. He told me it was something his own Oka-san gave him before she died. He told me it came in a set of three. There were two other dolls similar to it that his mother made from what he told me. One of them was missing from what his Oka-san told him, but Shirou gave the third one to someone else important to him.

These three dolls were the last treasures Shirou had from his own mother.

I picked it up and stared at it sadly. Then I tightened my grasp around it.

Stupid idiot, dropping this...I was so going to chuck it at his stupid head after we rescued him...

I ran out of the cell and past Kaichou, running as fast as my legs could carry me.

Shirou was here! That meant he wasn't too far away!

"Hyoudou!"

Kaichou ran after me, but I was far ahead of her. I kept on running until I reached another door at the end of the hall.

I felt my Devil instincts go off the chart, reacting to some imminent danger.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

The sudden scream of pain send chills down on my spine and put me on high-alert.

Without further thinking about the consequences of my actions, I burst through the door, not giving a damn about stealth by that point.

The room was full of priests. They all had sword handles that could make the light swords.

Restrained on a cross at the end of the room was Shirou.

"Hahahaha..." He laughed hollowly. "...is that the best you got, shitty crow...?"

There was a loud howl of frustration.

BANG!

"What the fuck is wrong with this scrap heap!?" screamed another familiar voice. "WHY-" BANG "-ISN'T-" BANG "-IT-" BANG "WORKING!?"

I saw Raynare...my chest hurt in more ways than one.

For some odd reason, she was kicking the cross Shirou was attached to, apparently frustrated about something.

"RUN IT AGAIN!" Raynare ordered before turning to me.

Then the cross started to glow with a supernatural light.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Shirou screamed upward out as intense pain seemed to wrack his body.

"Shiroooou!" Then, my fear, my worry, it turned into rage. I glared at the Fallen Angel. "Raynare! Let him go!"

After the power of the abnormal cross faded, Shirou hung limply once more.

Raynare sighed. "Well, if it isn't Shitty Devil #1 coming for Shitty Devil #2?" She sounded tired, angry, and as if she was fed up with some kind of bullshit.

I noticed Kaichou walking to a space right next to me. I couldn't help but notice that her serious expression became much more hostile than it was before.

She held out her hands and summoned a magic circle similar to the one Buchou uses when using her powers.

Instead of some kind of black demonic power, water came out. They came out in the form of...

Birds?

Birds made entirely of water flew through the air far over the heads of the Stray Exorcists below. They flew at the cross, and for a brief, horrifying second, I thought they were going to hit Shirou. But no. Instead they completely flew around him, damaging not him, but the cross itself, angling themselves in order to cut the cross into pieces, destroying it.

Shirou fell limply to the ground.

"Hyoudou! Take Shirou to safety! Those are your orders now!"

I looked from Kaichou to the Stray Exorcists and Fallen Angel in the room.

"Don't worry, Issei-kun! We'll stay here to cover your escape!"

I jumped, looking behind me to see Koneko-chan and Kiba coming from the passageway Kaichou and I just came from. Apparently they had dealt with that shitty priest, Freed, already.

"...Get Shirou-senpai to safety."

I looked at the two. Not wanting to waste their feelings, I nodded.

I charged ahead as the others cleared a path for me.

Thank you Kaichou! Koneko-chan! Kiba! You are all amazing people!

I rushed past some of these guys and took this chance to Promote to Rook.

Buchou had taught me about Promotion, the ability of the Pawns, shortly before we began. Like in Chess, I was able to Promote to any piece except King.

I needed defense power for my possibly suicidal charge and the Rook provides the best defense there is! One priest got through one of Kaichou's Magic attacks, but I blocked him with my Sacred Gear and pushed on. With the help of my comrades, I made it to the end of the room where Shirou was.

I kneeled before him and checked his pulse. He was breathing, so that was good. But his skin was so pale and he was sweating like crazy.

"...Ise..." He said with a shallow breath. He was laying with one side of his face flat against the ground while the other side was facing the ceiling. His one open eye rolled around to look at me. The faintest of smiles formed on his face. "...Ise...I...you came...I'm so...happy..."

"Of course," I choked back a sob. "We stick together, no matter what...that's what we promised..." That sad state my brother was starting to make my eyes sting with tears. His breaths were short and shallow and he kept on wincing with each word, as if every breath he took caused him a large amount of pain.

I resisted tears, trying to direct my sadness and pity into rage, turning towards the crow who did tis to him.

"What did you do to him!?"

Raynare sneered. "I was taking his Sacred Gear of course. Since I didn't finish the ritual, it's anyone's guess if he is going to live or die."

My heart stopped.

D-Die?!

I turned to look at my best friend who was laying injured before me.

...Shirou might die? He is going to die? He can't die! He can't leave me here yet! I'm supposed to kick his ass at life! We were supposed to compete to become the greatest harem king! We were going to have fun times with Asia and all of our friends! Shirou, you also had your promise to become stronger! Kaichou told me your dream! Becoming Ultimate-Class sounds like a badass goal! Shirou, you can't die before you accomplish it!

Raynare laughed mocking. "He was rather stubborn. I suppose he tried to cancel or stall he process by channeling his demonic power to cause interruptions because for whatever reason, his Sacred Gear just didn't want to come out. If he hadn't been such a nuisance, this all would've been over much faster."

That hurt me even more.

Shirou...he must've known we were coming for him...he must've been trying to hold out for as long as could...he was waiting for us. He believed in us...he resisted Raynare's torture for so long...

"You really are nothing like the Yuuma-chan that I dated."

Hearing that, Raynare started to laugh out loudly.

"Fufufu, it was pretty fun. The time I dated you."

"…You were my first girlfriend."

"Yes, watching it was very cute. It's fun to play around with guys who have no experience with a woman."

She...she was playing around with me.

"…I was serious about taking care of you."

"Ufufu, yes, you did take care of me. When I was in trouble you managed to take care of it right away and made sure I didn't get hurt. But did you know that I did all of that on purpose? Because it was funny to see your face when you were in panic."

"…I made sure I planned our first date carefully. To make sure it would become a great date."

I'm nearly in tears now.

"Ahahaha! Yeah! It was an ordinary date! Thanks to that, I was very bored!"

"…Yuuma-chan."

"Ufufu, I chose that name so I can kill you at Dawn. Wonderful, isn't it? Right, Ise-kun?"

My rage past its limit. I shouted my anger at her.

"Raynareeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Ahahahahaha! I don't want a rotten brat like you calling my name!"

Raynare sneered. I now know that she is pure evil. She has not only killed me and my brother once, but she was hurting him once again again. He is in so much pain. His face is twisted in pain and I don't know what I can do...

If I hadn't run away...if I hadn't abandoned my brother...maybe I could've stopped this...a

As I'm thinking about this, my eyes quickly dart over to see how Kaichou the others are

"Issei-kun! Our formation is at a disadvantage while we are protecting Shirou! So go upstairs at once! We'll make the path for you! Now, hurry!"

I nodded. I looked down at Shirou and grabbed one of his arms, throwing hit over my shoulder so I could support Shirou.

"Come on, buddy." I grunted. "We're almost almost there. We're finally getting out of here. Just hold on a little longer...can you move your feet a little to run...?"

Shirou was still only barely conscious, but I saw him make a weak nod. Good. That'll make this easier.

"Kiba-san! Toujou-san! We will make a path for Hyoudou-kun!"

"Yes Kaichou!"

"...Affirmative."

The three of them started taking out the priests that got in my way. Thanks to the three of them, Me and Shirou who I was carrying were able to get to the entrance.

"Kiba! Kaichou! Koneko-chan!"

"You go ahead! We will handle here!"

"Save Shirou...Hyoudou-kun quickly!"

"…Please go quickly."

But shouldn't I stay and help...

"Just go!"

"Kiba! Kaichou! Koneko-chan! When I get back, call me Ise! Definitely! We are comrades!"

That's what I said to them. It felt like the three of them smiled.

I left the place and went straight to the passage at once, Shirou being half-carried/half-dragged.

* * *

I went up the stairs up to the ground level...

Shirou started looking worse and worse with each passing second, his face being distorted in pain when it didn't look like he was half-dead from exhaustion. Making it to the Sanctuary, I sat Shirou down on a pew.

The poor bastard didn't even attempt to sit up. The moment I let go, he flopped down onto his side.

I turned him over on his back so he could at least have some moderate level of comfort.

"...Is...e..." Shirou's voice weakly called my name.

I almost started crying again. He sounded so weak and scared. Like a sick puppy.

He tried reaching for me and I grabbed his hand, trying to suppress my trembling.

"...I'm sorry..." I choked out. "I was a coward...If I hadn't run away...if I hadn't been so afraid, then-"

"I...diot..." Shirou interrupted. "...first time...you actually listened...dummy...now...Asia's safe...thank you..."

My eyes were beginning to sting like crazy, but I couldn't break down now! I had to get Shirou to get healed by Asia!

"Yeah...I guess you're right..."

"...Ise..." Shirou's grip on my hand tightened. "...He heard me...I'm so happy..."

I rubbed my eyes on my sleeve, trying to prevent tears from staining my face.

"What...What are you talking about?"

Shirou smiled weakly. It wasn't like his usual smiles. This one was much purer than any of his normal ones. He seemed genuinely happy.

"...I got my wish...even in such circumstances...I was allowed to see everyone again."

"Idiot! You haven't seen everyone! They...They are all waiting for us! That stupid washboard and the other babes you have drooling over you are waiting for you too! There's Asia also! They're all waiting for you to come home, you idiot!"

This wasn't right! It wasn't fair! I was a useless pervert! Shirou was always smarter than me! The only time I was ever stronger than him was when we're little and since then, HE was the one protecting my ass! He was always better with girls and had so many more people who treasured him! It should've been me! If I had made him run away with Asia instead of me, then-!

"Hey, God!? You are there right, God!? Devils and Angels exist, so you do exist as well, right, god!? You were watching, right!? You were watching all of this, right!? Why Shirou!? What had he ever done?!"

I'm sure He is up there, someone has to be watching. Even if he is a Devil, Shirou doesn't deserve this at all!

"Ise..." I looked back at Shirou, no longer able to help the waterfalls of tears pouring from my eyes.

He was still smiling albeit with clear strain judging from his more pained expression. Dumbass...how can you still smile like that...?

"He IS listening...He fulfilled my prayer...He listened to the prayer of someone like me, a Devil...He let me see you guys again and kept you guys safe...that makes me happy..." Weakly, Shirou grabbed onto my collar with his other free hand, pulling me closer. "...Listen, Ise...there's...something else..." Shirou suddenly cringed. "It's...It's not..their fault..."

Having used up all of his strength, Shirou fell back onto the pew, wheezing as if he had exerted a great effort.

"Ara, a Devil repenting in this place like this? Or were you wishing for something?"

On instinct, I turned around. Upon turning around, I saw Raynare approaching.

Fear filled my heart at the possibilities regarding her appearance.

"Where are the others?!" I demanded out of a mix of worry and fear.

"The priests are doing a good job of keeping them busy." Raynare answered. She gestured to Shirou. "I could truly use the Vanishing Dragon's power as of right now, Ise-kun~" She spoke with a mockingly sweet tone. "If you hand him over right now, I might just forgive you for so rudely intruding~"

My blood started boiling at that. "You've hurt my brother for the last time! Let me just ask one question: Why would you do this?!"

"Because your dear friend has a Sacred Gear. That's why." Raynare answered without remorse.

"You could've left him alone! You could've left both of us alone! We've never done anything to you! We could've lived normal lives without knowing any of this!"

"You couldn't. Those with irregular Sacred Gear would be left out of the world and groups. Because they possess a powerful ability. Because they have a different power than others. You know humans hate those things, right? And considering he was the Hakuryuukou, he would've ended up in a fight to the death with his destined rival anyway in which a weakling like him would've died anyway."

My eyes widened. 'Fight to the death'? 'Destined rival'? And what's this about being a 'Hakuryuukou'?

Raynare seemed amused by my expression. "Oh~? He didn't tell you? Yes, well it is the fate of those who are born as the possessor of the Vanishing Dragon to face their destined rival, the possessor of the Welsh Dragon. It is only a matter of time before the two meet and fight. Once they do, only one will remain in the end. That's how it happens every time. Even if Shirou-kun remained blissfully unaware of his power, the Sekiryuutei would've hunted him down and would have killed him. After I take Shirou's Sacred Gear, I'll find the Welsh Dragon and put him down before continuing on to prove my worth to Azazel-sama."

So...Shirou was hiding something else from me...Once again, he probably thinks he's protecting me, but-

"I don't give a shit! If that Welsh Dragon guy shows up, I'll beat the shit out of him!" I raised my fist which was covered by my Sacred Gear. "I won't let anyone hurt him!"

"Ahahahaha! It's impossible! You realize he's already dying, right?! He'll be dead soon, you know? It's not the matter of whether you protect himor not. You couldn't protect him! You couldn't protect him back then, this afternoon, or even now! You really are a weird boy! It's so amusing!"

I clenched my fists. "You...Shirou...he wanted to protect me from you...I realize it now. He didn't tell me to run because he didn't think we could win. He told me to run because he knew I was afraid. He knew, deep down, that I couldn't bring myself to fight you...but now my feelings have completely changed...I know I failed. That's why I can't forgive you. I can't forgive myself..."

I can't forgive everything.

Myself who couldn't protect my best friend since childhood.

Raynare who hurt Shirou and assured his death.

It was unforgivable!

Then Buchou's words come into my mind. She had spoken to me about this earlier.

-Desire. Sacred Gear is driven with the power of desire. And it also determines the power for it as well.

"Give him back..."

-Even though you are a Devil, your will to desire hasn't been lost. The stronger you desire, the stronger your Sacred Gear will respond to you.

"Give Shirou baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!"

[Dragon Booster!]

The Sacred Gear on my left arm activates as if it responded to my shout. The jewel in the gauntlet makes a bright shine. Some mysterious mark appeared on the gauntlet. At the same time, power flows into my body. From my left arm equipped with the Sacred Gear to my whole body.

I went ahead while having my body overflow with power.

I thrust my fist towards the Fallen Angel front of me who is smirking.

Raynare dodged it easily, as if she were dancing.

"I will explain it so even a dummy like you can understand. It's a simple power difference. I have a power of 1000. You have a power of 1. You can't shorten the gap between us no matter what. Even with the ability of that Sacred Gear, the power doubled is only 2. It's futile! How can you win against me!? Ahahahahahahaha!"

[Boost!]

Another sound from the jewel. The mark on the jewel of the gauntlet changes from [I] to [II].

A second change happens to my body.

The power-something to beat down the enemy in front of me-is increasing.

"Uoooooooooo!"

I went charging at her while concentrating my overflowing power to my fist. I'm already promoted to a [Rook].

"Heh! Did your power increase a bit? Still, it's not enough!" Raynare mocked me as she dodged my attack again

In the next moment, light began to gather in Raynare's hand, forming a familiar shape.

"I put a lot of power in it! Eat this!" Raynare threw something at me.

The spear of light pierced both my legs. It went deep into both of my thighs. Even with the defense of a [Rook], it wasn't able to defend against it.

"Guaaaaaaaaaah!"

I screamed.

My body went through intense pain, but I can't get on my knees for something like this.

I grabbed onto the spear immediately.

"Guaaaaaaaaaah!"

The sound of my flesh burning. Hot! It's burning hoooooooot! Is it because it's made up of light!? The palm of my hand that is holding onto the spear gets burned. There was coming from my hand and also from the wounds on my thighs. It burned my hand and legs violently.

Raynare started to laugh at me after she saw me trying to pull out the spear.

"Ahahahaha! A Devil trying to pull that spear out is foolish! To Devils, lights are intense poison. Just touching it will make you burn. That is the ultimate pain that Devils can taste! For a Low-class Devil like you, it's-"

"Nugaaaaaaaah!"

I made a scream which you can't describe in words, but I tried to pull out the spear of light slowly by gripping strongly onto it.

The intense pain caused by the spear that is piercing my legs. The intense pain that is inflicted on me by the power of light. Those things were causing me so much pain.

I'm about to lose consciousness because of it. It felt like I will die if I don't bite my teeth hard.

So what about it? What about it!?

"This-This is nothing compared to what Shirou went through!"

I pull out the spear slowly while my tears and drool comes out of my face.

It hurts. It huuuuuurts dammit!

But I couldn't give up...Shirou wouldn't stop for something like this...That's because...Shirou...he's...

-He's the strongest guy I know!

When I got the spear out from both my legs, I dropped it from my hand and it disappears before hitting the ground.

Splash.

After losing the thing that was blocking the holes on my legs, blood starts to flow out from the wounds.

Even though I took out the spear, the pain still remains.

[Boost!]

Even if I was pierced by the spear and stopped my attack, the gauntlet on my left arm continued to make a sound.

It hurts. It really hurts. I'm crying a lot and I have so much drool coming out from my mouth.

I slipped onto my butt after I lost some strength in me. I didn't have the strength to stand up.

Shit, I don't have any strength in my legs. No, I don't have any strength left in my whole body. Am I in a bad condition?

"…Quite remarkable. A Low-Class Devil pulling out the spear of light made by a Fallen Angel. But it's futile. My light isn't flashy, but has a high killing ability against Devils. The density of the light is strong. So strong that it is used as the blade of light priests uses. Getting hurt even once will be hard to heal, even for a Middle-class Devil. For a Low-class Devil like you, this is the limit. Fufufu, you can't look down on the damage caused by the power of light, you know? Especially my light."

Like always, she is talking long about something I don't understand. I looked back to Shirou who was in a sorry state...but he was smiling. He was smiling at me. Despite everything he's been through, he still found the strength to smile...

He's depending on me now, so that means I have to endure! Just as he endured!

"I'm going to bash this shitty Fallen Angel in front of me, so please make sure no on interferes. I seriously don't want anyone to interfere. I also don't need any back up. I will do it myself. And my legs are fine as well. I will get up on my own. So make it a one on one fight. It's a good situation. My anger is so high that I think I can handle this pain. Just one hit is enough. …Please let me hit her."

My legs could move. I already lost the sensation in my legs. Just moving it by a millimeter gave me intense pain. With a great effort, I got off the floor, experiencing further pain.

"I-Impossible! Your body isn't in a condition to move! Because of the damage of light—"

I approached Raynare slowly who has a shocked look on her face. And I stood up right in front of her eyes with my feet shaking and lots of blood flowing out of me.

"Hey, Ex-girlfriend. I've been through a lot because of you."

"…There's no way you can stand! A Low-Class Devil shouldn't be able to stand up with those wounds! The lights are burning your insides from within your body!? A Low-Class Devil who doesn't have the demonic-power to ease the effect of light shouldn't be able endure it!"

"Yeah, it hurts. It really hurts. I'm even close to losing my consciousness. But you know, my hatred towards you is so great that I can endure this." I glared straight at my opponent without even blinking.

My next hit will be my last blow. If I use it, I will fall down. That's why I have to finish it with my next hit. I can't look away from my target.

"Hey, my Sacred Gear. You still have the power to punch this thing in front of me, right? Then let's finish it."

[Explosion!]

The sound from the jewel made just now sounded especially strong. The jewel shined even brighter. Such a bright light. It's dazzling, but unlike the light of a Fallen Angel, this light didn't give damage to me, instead giving me peace.

Just getting touched by this light feels like I am over flowing with power. It was amazing.

So there is a light that doesn't cause harm to Devils.

I take a step forward. The blood from my wounds splashed on the ground. I also coughed some blood. Looks like I'm in a critical condition. There is no stopping to the pain I'm feeling right now. It even reached up to my brain. But it's okay. I could still move.

Even now, my gauntlet was flowing power into me.

When I was against Raynare at evening, I was scared of the power difference between us.

My instinct as a Devil instinct grasped hold of the overwhelming power difference between us, and my body didn't stop shaking because of it. That time, I thought that I could never beat her.

But it's different now.

The power I'm receiving from this gauntlet is insane.

I somehow know. It's possibly because I'm the Sacred Gear possessor. This power won't last forever. It's a one-time-only-type deal.

If I used it against my enemy even once, then it will end there. Even though the Sacred Gear wasn't telling me verbally, it's telling me physically.

I made a posture to punch. I have no experience in fighting. But it will be okay if I hit her once.

My target is the shitty Fallen Angel that is in front of me. I'm definitely going to hit her. I'm absolutely not going to miss it.

"…Impossible. What is this? Why is something like this happening…? Isn't that Sacred Gear supposed to be the [Twice Critical] which doubles the power of the possessor? …It can't be. It's not possible. Why has your power surpassed mine…? This wave of demonic-power I'm feeling... is that of a Middle-class…no, that of a High-class Devil…"

My power is that of a High-class Devil? Is it because of my Sacred Gear?

Hey hey, weren't you supposed to be a Sacred Gear that just doubles my power?

Buchou is the only High-class Devil I met, so it means that I'm currently about the same strength as her.

Raynare once again summoned a spear of light in both her hands.

I hit it to the side with my fist and the spear of light disappeared easily. This caused Raynare's face to become even paler.

"N-No!"

Raynare flapped her black wings, preparing to fly away.

Is she trying to run away? Hey hey, you were looking down and laughing at me till a few seconds ago.

You run away as soon as you find out that you can't win? Who do you think you are? But I won't let you escape. Like hell I would!

I went up to her at the same time she's about to fly, and I grabbed her arm. I had unbelievable speed. A speed that even the Fallen Angel can't react to. The arm I was holding onto felt unreliable, and it was so small that she looks weak.

I pulled her arm towards me. I definitely won't let her go.

"I won't let you get away, fool."

"I'm superior-!"

"Blow away, you shitty Angel!"

"Damn yoooooooou! Low-class Deeeeeevil!"

"Uoryaaaaaaaa!"

The gauntlet released all of its energy. All the strength gathered in my left arm, and I concentrated it on my fist. I used that fist to punch straight and accurately at the face of the enemy I detest.

The hard sound echoes. My fist is dug into her face, and I pushed my fist even further! Raynare went flying backwards with my punch! The Fallen Angel crashed into the wall while making a very loud noise, breaking through and creating a rather large hole. When the dust disappeared, there was nothing left in the direction I punched Raynare towards.

The hole led all the way to the outside where Raynare laid.

She wasn't moving. I couldn't tell if she is dead but she won't be able to move for a while.

-I'd finally paid her back.

"Serves you right."

I got my revenge by beating that bitch ex-girlfriend of mine into the dirt!...Out of context, that would sound very bad, but I don't care! Shirou would be so jeal-Shit! Shirou!

I tried spinning on my heel to face Shirou, only to stumble and almost fall over completely. I would have if it weren't for Kiba who appeared by my side to support me.

"Good work. You actually beat a Fallen Angel."

But it was clear that Kiba's heart wasn't in it. I noticed her eyes kept on darting over towards the half-dead Shirou. She was right to be unhappy. What was there to be happy about when our friend was laying over there, dying?

"Buchou told me not to interfere." Kiba said.

Buchou did?

"That's right. I believed that you were able to beat the Fallen Angel Raynare."

When I turned around to the direction where the voice came from, seeing Buchou approaching. One by one, the others appeared as well. Soon, everyone was here except Akeno-san for some odd reason.

"Buchou..." I said, once again about to fall into tears. "Shirou...he's..."

Buchou pulled a bitter expression. "I know. I'm sorry. I wish I could say I knew what to do in such a scenario. I don't think there has ever been a case where someone had an attempt to extract a Sacred Gear interrupted half-way through." She turned and gave Shirou a sad look. "I'm sorry, Shirou-kun."

What really shocked me was when a pale hand shot up into the air.

"Don't...Don't worry bout it...I've been worse..." With a loud groan of pain, Shirou used his arms to, with great strain, lift himself up to a sitting position, leaning against the back of the pew.

"Shirou!" Hope and relief flooded my heart. "You're-!"

"Still feeling like death? Yes. Really dying? Don't think so...My injuries seem to be healing faster than normal...I should be fine as long as I don't get put through any more bullshit like this...and get some rest..." I could feel my heart rising more and more. Then Shirou turned to Buchou. "...I just...need to say something...Rias, the Fallen Angels, they-"

"-may have been tricked?" Buchou finished suddenly.

My eyes widened in shock, as did Shirou's.

[...What?]

We both couldn't help but sound surprised.

Buchou crossed her arms, pulling a strange expression. "You see, it was a strange thing really." She said. "Imagine my surprise. Akeno and I are facing the two Fallen Angels allied with Raynare when, all of a sudden, a third Fallen Angel half-glides/half-falls from the sky, landing literally in the middle of our battle."

Eh?

I noticed Shirou's expression cheer up a little, as if he knew something I didn't.

"Sorry! Sorry for being so late!"

"Ara ara, I have to say that this is rather inconvenient."

I heard a voice I didn't recognize before Akeno-san's.

However, I did recognize the face other than Akeno-san's.

Carrying two unfamiliar, unconscious people were Akeno-san and that weird gothic lolita girl who told me Shirou was in danger!

When she noticed I was staring in shock at her, she gave me a casual peace sign. "Yo."

...That's it? 'Yo'?...How anti-climactic...

Buchou sighed. "The Fallen Angel Mittelt has explained to me everything you told her. Are you positive that you aren't mistaken about this?"

Shirou, clearly exhausted, nodded. "Yes...I believe that they are being deceived by the Fallen Angel, Kokabiel. During my imprisonment, Mittelt and I discussed this at great length and this is the conclusion I continue to arrive at. These Fallen Angels were deceived by Kokabiel. Even the bitch, Raynare."

W-What?! What are you talking about, Shirou?!

"Aye..." I jumped as I realized that the man wearing a fedora was actually conscious despite being injured.

"After listening to Mittelt explain...I feel so foolish..." The woman who was also restrained sounded more embarrassed than anything. No shame. Just embarrassment.

"I did it, Shirou! You were right about everything!" The Fallen Angel known as Mittelt cheered. But then a sad expression appeared on her face. "But...I was too slow..."

Shirou leaned forward, smiling. "It's fine...I'm still kickin. Not in the best of shape, but still kickin." He gestured her to come forward. For a second, I thought he was gonna hit her or something, but instead he simply placed a hand on her head.

Mittelt seemed to thoroughly enjoy being pet on the head by Shirou. She was blushing almost as if-

Oh.

….FUCKING-A! Shirou always gets girls to fall for him even when he's not even trying!

Kaichou adjusted her glasses. "There is still the matter of punishment to be handled."

Buchou's expression became serious. "She's right, Shirou. The actions of the Fallen Angels here cannot be ignored."

Shirou seemed annoyed by Buchou's words. "Come on, Senpai! You can't really punish these guys! They aren't bad people! Kind of stupid, but not bad!"

[HEY!]

All three of the conscious Fallen Angels let out an insulted outburst.

"Shut up!" Shirou replied right back. "I just saved your lives!" Then he turned back to Buchou. "Anyway, you can't seriously kill them!"

Buchou seemed to take this as an insult. "'Kill them'? How brutal do you think I am?" Shirou stuck out his tongue playfully, rubbing the back of his neck. He was clearly back to normal. "Anyway, no. The Fallen Angels Mittelt, Dohnaseek, and Kalawarner will be reported to the Fallen Angel Governor, but they shouldn't be punished too harshly. Raynare, however, has committed a most grievous crime by bringing harm to Leviathan-sama's servant..."

Kaichou nodded. "Yes. To let her go unpunished would not only be an insult to Onee-sama, but it would also be an insult to those who suffered because of her."

Oh yeah. Leviathan-sama is a pretty important person! Now that I think about it, this whole thing could've easily escalated into a huge political incident and possibly war! Especially since Shirou is her [Queen]!

"Buchou. I've brought it." Koneko-chan suddenly appeared, having dragged a familiar person over to us.

"Thank you, Koneko. Now then, let's wake her up. Akeno."

"Yes."

Akeno-san summons water in the air which she then drops on the face of the unconscious Raynare. The Fallen Angel woke up amidst a fit of coughing.

"How are you doing, Fallen Angel Raynare." Buchou greeted casually.

"…The daughter of the Gremory clan…"

"Hello, my name is Rias Gremory. I'm the next heir of the House of Gremory. This here is the heir of the House of Sitri, Sona Sitri." Buchou gestured to Kaichou who nodded politely. "It will be for a short while, but nice to have your acquaintance."

"For your crimes against Serafall Leviathan, you will face severe consequences." Kaichou explained.

Raynare's eyes seemed to widen in shock. "What?! That's bullshit! I didn't do anything to her...yet!"

You probably shouldn't have added that last part.

"Attacking the [Queen] of our Leviathan-sama, that is a most heinous crime against the Devils." Kaichou explained.

"What the fuck are you talking about!?" Raynare demanded. "I didn't-"

"Ray..." The Fallen Angel Kalawarner cut in. She sounded nervous. "It turns out...we fucked up. We...we really stepped in it this time."

Raynare raised an eyebrow. "What-What are you talking about?!"

Dohnaseek turned away. "The Hakuryuukou...he..."

Then realization struck Raynare. "You mean HE-!?" She gestured to Shirou in shock.

Everyone except Shirou gave a collective nod.

Raynare now definitely seemed afraid. "W-Well, I didn't know that! It's not my fault!"

Kaichou's gaze sharpened. "It doesn't matter who you intended to slay. The moment you attempted to slay the servant of a Devil, you already broke our laws. You are only lucky that this is Gremory territory. Thus, it is not my place to render judgment." Her tone remained level, but I could tell that Kaichou was PISSED.

"Indeed." Buchou agreed. "And not only that, you do not have the proper authorization. Those 'orders' you were given were nothing but a lie conjured by the Fallen Angel Kokabiel. With these false orders, you have not only done harm to the servant of Leviathan, but you have harmed my own adorable servant."

Raynare's face only started becoming paler and paler with each passing second.

Buchou turned to me, examining me. Then my arm which was covered by my gauntlet.

"…Red Dragon. Until recently there wasn't a mark like this… I see, so that's what it is…" Buchou spoke with a shocked voice. "I found out the main reason why Ise was able to beat a Fallen Angel."

"Fallen Angel Raynare. This boy, Hyoudou Issei's Sacred Gear isn't a regular Sacred Gear. That's why you lost."

Raynare had a puzzled face after hearing Buchou.

"-[Boosted Gear], a Sacred Gear that is said to be the rarest of the rare. The Red Dragon mark on the gauntlet is the evidence. Even you have heard of that name before, right?"

After listening to Buchou, Raynare puts on a very shocked expression.

"B-Boosted Gear...One of the [Longinus] … Even though it's for a temporary time, it's said that it has the power to surpass Maous and God...Are you telling me that hateful power is possessed in a boy like this!?"

"If it's just like the legend is told, then the ability of the [Boosted Gear] can double the power of the possessor every 10 second. Even if his power starts from 1, it doubles his power every 10 seconds, and it can reach the power of the leader-class Fallen Angels and High-class Devils. And by mastering it, he could even kill God."

Are you serious, Buchou!? I can defeat God!?

… So that's the power of my Sacred Gear.

There is a mark of a Red Dragon carved into my gauntlet.

Wait...she said Red Dragon...and...

"Buchou..." I spoke nervously. "This Red Dragon..."

Buchou pulled a solemn expression. "Yes, Ise. It's as you guessed. The Red Dragon is also known as the Welsh Dragon, Ddraig, the enemy of the Vanishing Dragon, Albion. As the possessor of the Boosted Gear, you are the direct rival and enemy of the possessor of the Divine Dividing...Shirou."

There was a shocked silence as Buchou closed her eyes.

"Kekekeke..."

In the middle of the silence, Raynare started chuckling.

"How funny...the very person you tried to save is actually your worst enemy, Ise-kun..." She was clearly going to be punished, and she was still saying such cruel things. "What do you think is going to happen? Things will just go on as they were? Shirou is the Hakuryuukou and you are the Sekiryuutei, the possessors of the Vanishing Dragon and the Welsh Dragon. You two are destined to kill each other someday! If anything, I think I did you a favor. In his weak state, I think even you could kill him if you wanted. No matter what you do, one of you will die one way or ano-GAH!"

Raynare was silenced when a flying object...a-a shoe?! A flying shoe just hit Raynare in the head! She fell down backwards, reeling back from the shock.

We all turned toward the source of the shoe, seeing Shirou, one leg close to his chest and one shoe missing. An annoyed expression was on his face.

"That was so worth the strength I don't have right now...she was really starting to piss me off..." Shirou growled angrily. "Any complaints?"

There was silence in response to Shirou's question. Raynare remained silent mostly out of fear of getting another shoe in the face.

"Now listen up, shitty crow." Shirou continued. "I really don't get any of this bullshit concerning Welsh Dragons, Vanishing Dragons, Dragon Emperors, or any of that nonsense. What I DO understand, however, is what you're expecting of me and Ise right now. Well I'll just say it now: It's not gonna happen!" Shirou... "I don't give a damn if it's some kind of bullshit destiny between the Welsh and Vanishing Dragons! If it's some kind of cycle or whatever, then I'll gladly break it! There's no way in Hell that I'm going to hurt my bro! If I ever do, then I'll gladly take my own life in penance! We carve our own destinies and I won't let mine be decided by some stupid rivalry between two stupid Dragons, ya hear me?! Me and Ise are brothers! We watch out for each other and protect one another! That's the way we roll!"

Shirou...I was feeling like crying...for happiness this time...even though I was such a failure...he still thought of me as his brother...

Buchou smiled at Shirou's words. "Very well then. For a moment, I was worried that things might become unpleasant." What? What did she think Shirou was going to do? "But I suppose that situation resolved itself rather quickly." She then turned to Shirou. "Shirou-kun, can I truly trust you to keep your word? Even if you're Ise's friend, you are still the Hakuryuukou."

Shirou nodded. "Of course...Lying in front of so many people just to sound cool isn't my style. I'm not that kind of guy." He managed a weak smirk. "Besides, I'm not really in much of a fighting shape. Even if I did want to fight Ise, I'd probably just have my ass handed to me, hehehehe..." He was joking so lightheartedly despite having almost died...

Yep. He's back alright.

Buchou nodded. "Now then...back to the previous matter that our 'friend' tried to distract us from..." Buchou turned back to Raynare who was once cowering in fear, panicking now that her diversion had failed. "I will have you disappear, Fallen Angel-san."

"Y-You can't be serious!? They were supposed to be our! I was supposed to get the Twilight Healing and the Longinus for Azazel-sama and Shemhaza-sama-"

"To live your life for love is beautiful. But you are too tainted with dirt. You have no elegance. And I don't allow that." Buchou aimed one of her hands at Raynare.

"Me, here."

Then, a shadow appears from behind the broken wall.

The Priest-Freed Zelzan.

It's that shitty Priest! He came back despite running away once!

"Wow! My superior is in serious danger! So what's going to happen now!?"

"Save me! If you save me, I will give you a reward or anything you want!" Raynare screamed at the appearance of the Priest.

Freed made a sadistic smile. "Hmm, hmm. I received a wonderful order from an Angel-sama. Eh? So I can have sex with you? To me, having sex with an Angel-sama is like the best honour and it will become a good social status for me."

"Ku... D-Don't fool around and save me!" The Fallen Angel's expression was filled with anger. It also seemed like she's in a rush. No, she WAS in a rush. She probably thought "A mere human won't betray me".

"Ararararara, you know that I'm actually serious… I mean, something simple like that should be all right, isn't it, Angel-sama? So it's a no? Is that so? Then I will take my leave now. No matter how you look at it, I'm at a disadvantage, so I will just take off." Freed said it in a funny tone while curling his body.

"Y-You are a Priest, aren't you!? You are supposed to save me! I'm an all mighty Fallen Angel! I-"

"I don't need a superior who loses to trashy Devils. You are pretty, but you lack plans and you are hard headed. The only thing you are useful for is masturbation. So just die away already. Well, a Fallen Angel who is abandoned by God won't go to either Heaven or Hell, but goes back to nothing. Maybe the experience of turning into nothing will be helpful? Ah, that's impossible. Since there will be nothing left. It's impossible. So namusan. Wait, that's Buddhism. Ah, I'm a former Christian! I'm such a naughty boy!"

Then he just disappeared after that.

"What a fucking psycho." Shirou said, voicing what I'm sure was everyone's thoughts.

"Now, Fallen Angel Raynare, who was abandoned by her own servant. Miserable." Buchou didn't have the slightest sympathy in her tone.

Raynare started to shiver.

Maybe the reason why I felt a bit sorry for her is because she was my ex-girlfriend "Yuuma-chan".

Well, that was also part of her dirty plan.

Raynare made sorrowful eyes at me. "Ise-kun! Please save me!" She changed her voice to that of "Yuuma". Raynare once again acted like Yuuma-chan and begged for help from me while crying. "This Devil is trying to kill me! I love you! I love you so much! That's why, let's defeat this Devil together!" I was stupid for feeling even a bit sorry for you, Yuuma-chan. No, shitty Fallen Angel.

"Tch...You're so pathetic..." Such harsh words came from Shirou. "How dare you ask for help after everything you've done, slutty Fallen Angel!"

Whoa...I never thought Shirou would use such words with a woman, even an enemy. Then again, he's probably too weak and exhausted to give a damn.

The Fallen Angel looked terrified.

Buchou's expression was cold. "…Don't try to flirt with my cute servant. Blow away." She raised her hand to deal the finishing blow. I couldn't bear to look.

Goodbye...Yuuma.

"STOP!"

The air in that Church froze with shock.

"E-Eh?!" Buchou halted her attack, shocked by the Shirou hanging around her waist, his arms wrapped around her.

Oi! Shirou! What are you doing with Buchou!?

For a brief moment, all of my pain turned into annoyance towards Shiro!

Shirou held an embarrassed expression on her face. "S-Sorry, Senpai...I kinda meant to run up and grab your arm to stop you...but I was kinda acting on instinct and lacked the strength needed so this was the best I could do...I would let go, but this is the only thing keeping me from just falling and hitting the ground." There was a long pause as everyone just stared. He stared at them incredulously. "WELL? Is nobody really going to help me up from this awkward position?"

"O-Oh!"

"Right."

Both Kiba and Kaichou walked up to help Shirou up from Buchou, Kiba supporting Shirou as he tried to stand.

Buchou gave Shirou a confused look. "Shirou, what is the meaning of this?"

"Don't kill her, Senpai."

.

.

.

[….what?]

Everyone, even Raynare/Yuuma, spoke with surprise at Shirou's request.

"S-Shirou...how could you ask of such a thing...she...she almost..." I was so shocked I couldn't speak right.

"But she didn't." Shirou pointed out.

Kiba also expressed shock. "But, Shirou, she tried to-!"

"But she didn't." Shirou interrupted again.

"Fujimura-kun-" It felt weird that Kaichou suddenly went back to calling Shirou "Fujimura-kun".

"On the assumption I know what you're going to say, 'But she didn't' is my response." Shirou responded coolly.

"Shirou-kun, can I at least know WHY you want to spare her?" Buchou answered, an annoyed tone in her voice. "She killed you and Ise. She attempted to harm the one you called friend. Explain yourself. Why would you let her go?"

Shirou shrugged. "It seems rather depressing to end things like this. Besides, killing her now would be too easy. She deserves to be punished, that's why..." I couldn't hear what Shirou said next because he started whispering into Buchou's ear.

Whatever it was must've been interesting because Buchou gained an amused smile. "I admit it's an interesting idea." She then turned to Fallen Angel Mittelt. "Could you come here for a second?"

Mittelt, confused, approached their small group. Buchou whispered something into her ear as well.

Mittelt gained a mischievous and perverted grin...I couldn't tell if that was good or bad.

"I think that could be arranged~"

"What? What could be arranged?!" Raynare asked, alarmed. "What are you guys talking about?!"

"You'll see, Ray-chan~" Mittelt teased. She then turned back to Buchou. "So with these conditions, are we free to go?"

Buchou nodded. "Yes. Even the Fallen Angel Raynare."

"WHAT?!"

Shirou just smiled at my reaction. "It's fine, Ise. Trust me, in the end you will be happy about what I'm doing. It'll definitely make you feel better."

...Eh?...I feel oddly at ease. Confused, but at ease. I trusted Shirou. If he says that, then I had to have faith in him.

The Fallen Angels Kalawarner and Dohnaseek were released from their restraints, stretching their bodies to remove the discomfort their temporary capture had caused from their joints.

"You have our deepest apologies and our thanks, Rias Gremory."

Buchou gave a harsh expression to the Fallen Angel who spoke. "Do not thank me. Thank Shirou, the one who went to so much trouble to have you spared. If it was up to me, I would have eliminated you from the get-go."

"Ah," Kalwarner noted. Then she turned to Shirou. "Then thank you, Fujimura Shirou." Then there was an odd expression on her face as she observed Shirou. "Hm...Not bad."

'Not bad'? What did that mean?

Before I could figured out the answer to that, both Kalawarner and Dohnaseek walked over to Raynare, grabbing either of her arms and lifting her up. With that, they spread their wings and started to fly away.

"Oooh, Ray-chan's in for an interesting surprise~" Mittelt giggled. Then she turned to Shirou, blushing. "Um...Shirou...Ireallytrulyloveyou, BYE!" She spread her wings quickly and flew away faster than her allies had.

….I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that. Shirou's alive and I'm be happy. No reason to ruin that by getting jealous over his skill with women.

It...was over.

It was actually over. We-We did it!

"...Shirou..." My brother turned towards me. I clenched my fist which possessed Boosted Gear. "For what it's worth...I'd rather die than kill you too."

Shirou's eyes widened. "Ise..." His eyes started watering.

No...No tears...not now man...I don't think...

Before I knew it, my eyes were watering too...dammit!

[Brotheeeeeer!]

Before we knew it, Shirou and I embraced in a bro-hug (hey! We're bros so this hug between guys is NOT gay!).

"Ara ara," Akeno-san giggled. "It's almost kind of cute seeing two boys their age cry like that."

"I-Idioooooot!" Shirou cried. "We're not crying! Only girls cry! Men WEEP! We're weeping tears of brotherly joy!"

"Yeah!" I agreed.

Everyone just watched as we cried like men.

However...things got awkward after five minutes...

"...um...I still can't really move..." Shirou admitted, blushing lightly.

I had an embarrassed expression as well. "Yeah...my legs are pretty much no good. Leaning against Shirou is the only thing keeping me up so..."

[Heeeeelp...]

We both groaned.

Buchou sighed, but she was smiling from amusement. "Oh brother...Akeno, Yumi, if you would?"

Both Buchou's Queen and her Knight moved forward. Akeno-san supported me while Kiba walked over to Shirou and supported him. She had such a relieved expression as she leaned her head on Shirou's shoulder. Shirou smiled softly, patting her on the head while whispering something. It was honestly kind of a cute scene. I felt slightly jealous, but I couldn't get mad because it was like one of those scenes in a romance movie where the audience goes "Awwwwww~".

Shirou then turned to everyone else and smiled brightly. What he saw wasn't just his friends and comrades.

He saw his family.

"Well, let's go home, where everyone's waiting for us." I said to him.

Shirou nodded. "Yeah...let's go."

And so we walked out of the Church.

* * *

Shirou's POV...

I was so happy...

I was exiting the Church...with my friends.

It was such a relieving thought...I was tired as Hell and still felt like death, but my condition wasn't deteriorating anymore. Yeah. Even my injuries from my previous battle with Raynare seemed to be healing suddenly. It must have had to do with that abnormal healing factor of mine.

"AHHH! SHI-TAN! I'M HERE TO SAVE YOU! AHHHHHHHHH! LEVIA-TAN CHAAARGE!"

Hearing that voice...I know this voice.

Sera-tan...? She came...after all of the fighting finished!

I saw a flash of pink before an unknown (not really though) person burst through the doors behind us into the Church. I could make her out flailing her arms about, screaming. I doubt she even noticed that she passed us.

I sweatdropped. "Um...should we...?"

Sitri-senpai seemed tired. She sighed as if honestly expecting something like this. "That's how Onee-sama is...She'll figure it out..."

We all shared a tired and awkward laugh at that.

She then held up her hand, counting down with her fingers while mouthing numbers.

Three...two...one.

BOOM!

This time the doors exploded outward. I mean LITERALLY EXPLODED. A powerful blast of demonic energy blew them off their hinges and into tiny little splinters.

"Shi-tan! Your cute King is here for you!"

I felt a huge jolt of force as someone snatched me from Yumi's arms, pulling me up into the air and tightening her arms around me.

Sera-tan was hugging me tightly, nuzzling her face against mine affectionately.

"Oh Shi-tan! I was so worried about you! I came as fast as I could to save my adorable little servant! Ooh~ I ended up leaving everything to my adorable So-tan and caused so much trouble! Are you okay, Shi-tan?! Did those mean Fallen Angels hurt you!? I'll kill them for hurting you! Do you want me to kill them!? Just say the word and I'll do it! I'll blow them all away!"

Wow. This starting to sound vaguely yandere.

"Please don't." I begged quietly. "I already have everything all worked out. The Fallen Angels are gone and they won't bother us again."

"OK..." I noticed Sera-tan's voice became much more quiet. I also felt her arms tighten around me, trembling."...Shi-tan..."

"Serafall...?" I pulled away slightly. "Holy shit!"

Serafall was crying waterfalls! Literally! Water was pouring out of her eyes like it would from a faucet! It was shocking to see my normally cheerful master crying in such a way!

I pulled a sad expression. I wrapped my arms around her, returning her embrace.

"I'm sorry I worried you. All of you..." I had spent this whole time worrying about others, but I never stopped to think about how they felt. The same fear I had of them dying was the same as the fear they had at the thought of me dying. The fear that drove them to save me.

"Oh Shiiiii-taaaaan!" Sera-tan cried. She stared at me with that tear-stained face of hers. "I have to make it up to you somehoooow!"

"Y-You really don't-"

Sera-tan put me down, staring with an adorable pout on her face, puffing up her cheeks.

"No! I've decided! I'll make it up to my adorable Queen no matter what!" She hugged me again. "Make any request and I'll do it!"

I sweatdropped. I really wish she wouldn't call me adorable-stop chuckling over there, Ise!

After Sera-tan called me "adorable", Ise started suppressing laughter. But he eventually started chuckling...stupid Ise.

Anyway, Sera-tan clearly wasn't going to let this go until I let her do SOMETHING for me, so I might as well just give up.

A perverted part of me wanted to say "Then let me grope your well developed curves", but the more in-control side of me recognized that as rude and not to mention disturbingly Ise-like.

I rubbed the back of my neck. I looked to the others who just stood there, staring awkwardly.

"Um...any of you guys need anything done?" Coz I really had no idea what to ask of Sera-tan.

Everyone started mumbling amongst themselves, but it was clear nobody really had anything.

I sighed. Then I looked to the Church. Well...I did have one idea...

"Sera-tan..."

"Yeeeeees, my most huggable servant~?" She asked cutely.

"Could you go ahead and destroy that Church? It would be unpleasant for us if any other enemies decided to settle there."

"Yes! You can count on me~!" Then she pulled something out like the magic wand of a magical girl. "Time for Miracle Levia-tan to grant a wish~!"

"Onee-sama, wai-!" Sitri-senpai tried to stop Sera-tan for some reason, but it was too late.

A beam fired from Sera-tan's wand.

Then shit got crazy.

BOOOOOOOOOOM

There was that powerful explosion that seemed to rock the entire world.

The church was swallowed by a huge, dome-shaped explosion. If I hadn't been held onto by Sera-tan, I would've been blow away entirely by the force of the explosion.

Everyone else shielded their faces with their arms to prevent from being blinded by the light and pelted by dirt and debris.

"Yahoooo~!" The only person completely unaffected by the massive destruction unfolding before us was Sera-tan.

It was amazing nobody came to investigate this. Even with the ability of Devils to go unnoticed, there's no way anybody could miss this!

By the time the explosion finally ended, I was gaping at Serafall.

Likewise, everyone else had a similar reaction excluding Sitri-senpai who had simply face-palmed.

My mouth twitched as I tried to regain enough of my grip on reality to react.

"H-How...you...How are you so strong!?" I asked.

Sera-tan stuck out her tongue playfully. "It's because I'm Miracle Levia-tan~, protector of love and hope~!"

She's clearly not going to give me a real answer. I turned to Sitri-senpai.

"Has your sister always been this strong?! Is that why everyone addresses her with "-sama"!?"

"Oh yeah!" Ise suddenly said. "Kaichou, Shirou still doesn't know!"

"Know"? Know what?

"Ah. Thank you for reminding me, Hyoudou." Sitri-senpai thanked Ise before turning to me. "Shirou, you really don't know Onee-sama's position...do you?"

I shrugged. "I didn't think it was relevant. Is she really an important person in the Underworld?"

Sitri-senpai nodded. She walked over to me. "Shirou, Onee-sama is a Maou."

I blinked. "...what?"

"During the Great War between the three factions, major leaders from the Devils side died, including our original leaders, the Maou-samas. Four new Devils were chosen to lead the Devils. They left behind their old surnames and took on the names of four of the original Maou-samas. Currently, we still only have four Maou: Lucifer-sama, Beelzebub-sama, Asmodeus-sama, and finally...Leviathan-sama."

"Well, that's all and well, but..." My brain was a little slow to process this. Upon realizing what Senpai was saying...

Leviathan-sama...

Just to be sure, i gestured at a cheerful-looking Serafall...Serafall Leviathan.

Senpai nodded at my unspoken question.

Oh...ahahaha...my master is one of the four leaders of the Devils...Ha...OK then...

"Shirou, are you alright?" Yumi asked in a concerned voice. It was probably because the world was starting to spin around me...

"Yeah...yeah...I'm just..."

With my already weakened shock, I was unable to mentally cope with this.

The fact that I am the servant of a Maou was apparently too much to take in.

I fainted.

* * *

….

My eyes shot open the moment I regained consciousness. I sat up from the bed I slept on and looked around, alarmed.

I was sweating and my heart was beating like crazy.

"What-?!" Then I realized it. I was in a bedroom. MY bedroom!

I looked around for some sign of Serafall, Senpai, or Ise, but it was just me.

"Shirooou! Get up or you'll be late!"

Mako-nee! She was calling me from downstairs!

...I'm home?

I looked at my body, tracing it with my hands. None of my injuries from the Church remained and my stamina had been replenished. I had a bit of a headache, but other than that, I was all-aces.

Despite the events that occurred and the pain I could remember vividly...could it have been a dream...? Why didn't Senpai or any of them wait for me to wake up or-

SLAM

"DO I HAVE TO-" Mako kicked the door down, right off its hinges. Then she realized I was awake. "Oh...never mind."

"'Never mind'?! You kicked down my fucking door, psycho!" I screamed in outrage to Mako-nee's actions. How was I supposed to get any privacy if she broke the goddamned door?!

Mako-nee's eye twitched. "Call me psycho. One more time. I DARE you."

I smirked. "Psy-"

"CHA!"

My smartass response was met by a fist to the side of my face, sending me flying right into the wall behind me.

Mako-nee held up her fist, her knuckles red from having punched me so hard, and an angry expression on her face.

"Don't fuck with me, stupid, little brother!"

"Then don't act like a total psycho, you psycho!"

Mako-nee began to tremble with anger, but then she paused, as if remembering something.

"Oh yeah. Some friends of yours dropped this off." Before we could get into our usual "sibling-bonding", Mako-nee pulled out something. A note.

I grabbed the note and read it to myself:

Shirou,

You ended up fainting, so we thought it best to bring you home to recover your energy after what happened last night.

We had Argento-san check you out. Other than a few minor injuries, you only ran out of stamina, so you should be fine by morning.

-Sona

PS: Please meet us at the Occult Research Club after school.

"Kufufufufu..." Mako-nee had a pervy smile on her face. "So what happened last night~?"

I found myself blushing at Mako-nee's insinuations. "W-Wha-It's not-!?"

Mako-nee stroked her chin. "But you know, I never expected you to be one who liked it rough~"

My face was a steaming red color. "GET OUT OF MY ROOM!" I chucked a pillow at Mako-nee who easily dodged it, running out of my room, laughing to herself.

I clenched my fists, annoyed, as usual, with Mako-nee's stupid misunderstandings.

After a few seconds, I released a breath. I looked back at the note, examining it once more.

...Hm. So Sitri-senpai wants me to meet her at the ORC after school, huh?...I wonder if it had something to do with my idea yesterday...

I looked out the window. The sun was smiling brightly.

But that was a matter to be settled later. For now, I got dressed in my school uniform and left my house.

My mind ended up wandering to Asia, wondering what happened to her since the whole situation with the Fallen Angels was resolved...

"Shirooooou..."

My blood froze.

I sensed powerful killing intent ahead of me. I was four people.

First there was Ise and his two pervy buddies, Matada and Motsudo...or whatever their names were. However, they were not the source of the outrageous killing intent. They were cowering in fear of the source of the killing intent, paralyzed. No, it was the fourth member of the group who showed clear rage and anger.

I swallowed, sweating waterfalls. "O-Oh...heeeeey, Ruruko."

My official girlfriend was radiating so much anger that you could almost literally see it.

"Shirou...I...How dare you...?" She clenched her trembling fists...

My fear subsided. I looked over to our fellow students. "Ise, you guys go on ahead for a bit. We'll catch up."

Those three didn't need any real excuse. The moment I said "you guys go", the just ran. Didn't even wait for me to finish my sentence...assholes.

I turned back to Ruruko, who was looking none too happy at the moment.

"Shirou...YOU IDIOT!" I was sent tumbling by a powerful kick to the face, flopping onto my face and skidding across the ground.

Huh. Is it weird that I kind of imagined Mako-nee for a second?

After I finally flopped back onto my belly, I used both of my arms to push myself onto all-fours, then back onto my feet.

I didn't say anything in response to Ruruko's blow. I didn't show any expression.

"Idiot! Idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot!" Ruruko punched me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me and causing me to hunch over in pain. Then she punched me in the face. Then the shoulder. Then she just kept on punching and punching and punching, venting her feelings.

I didn't flinch. I didn't back away. I just kept taking her hits.

"Dumbass! Jerk! Butthead!" Over time, her insults started losing their venom. Ruruko's blows started becoming slower and more tired.

"You...You jerk..." Ruruko was just about barely tapping me with her fists now, too tired to continue. "...You...You broke the rule...You promised..." She was trembling again, but not out of anger this time. Tears started to slowly roll down Ruruko's cheeks, dripping onto the ground as she leaned against me, not even throwing her soft punches anymore. "... your rule...you promised not to hurt us...you almost left me alone..."

My expression became saddened. I wrapped my arms around Ruruko, pulling her in close, hugging her close against my chest.

"I'm sorry...I know..."

I broke one of the most important rules out of my Five Rules of Harem-Building. The only way I'm allowed to build a harem is if I adhere to all five of them:

Rule #1: I must know the girl whom I desire in my harem.

Rule #2: I must possess a romantic attachment to the girl I desire.

Rule #3: The desired girl must return my affection willingly.

Rule #4: I must place the happiness of my girls ahead of even my own, even if it means I can never touch them passionately or even talk to them.

Rule #5...the most important one. The 5th rule is that I must NEVER hurt any of my girls.

The consequences of breaking any of these rules is what I just experienced. If I broke any of these rules, I got the punishment I rightly deserved:

I get the shit beat out of me by the girls in my harem. If they can't do it in good conscience, then I give them full permission to give me what I deserve for hurting them or breaking my own rules.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry, Ruruko..." I apologized again, gently caressing her with my hands.

"You did something so stupid...You almost left me, you jerk..."

"I know...I did something stupid like always. But I made a promise..." I tilted Ruruko's head to face upward towards me. "I will love you always. If I ever do something stupid like hurt you, I'll be counting on you and the other girls to give me the ROYAL ass-kicking."

Ruruko smiled softly, still crying. "Yeah...I know..." She started leaning in. "I love you...so much, Shirou."

I returned her smile. "I love you too, Ruruko."

I leaned forward as well.

Our lips pressed softly against one another, sharing our warmth between each other.

And for once, neither one of us cared about the time before we left each others' embrace.

We simply savored the presence of the other and savored our time together.

* * *

[Occult Research Club]

I was honestly at least half-prepared for what awaited me on the other side of the door.

[Welcome back, Master.(!)]

Two women spoke cheerfully while a third spoke with a more gloomy, monotone voice.

I blinked, being mildly surprised at the sight of the three women dressed in maid outfits in the middle of the room.

They were lined up from shortest to tallest.

At one end was-

"How good to see you again, Shirou-oh-I mean 'Master'~!" Mittelt teased.

I smiled. "You could say that again! I'm happy to see you again so soon, Mittelt! And-" I blinked at the third woman. "Wait...aren't you-?"

The tallest of the three women raised her head, winking at me. "Glad to see you recognize me, cutie~"

The woman with the largest bust of the three was the one I recognized as the Fallen Angel Kalawarner.

"Erm...what are you doing here...?" I asked, trying to sound as polite as possible. The request I thought up for Mittelt to make to the Fallen Angel Governor only had to do with Raynare.

Speaking of Raynare, I saw her inbetween the two other Fallen Angels, a gloomy expression on her face, as if she's lost all pride and will to live.

"Well, Azazel-sama thought it would be best for some of us to come back with Ray-chan to keep an eye on her~! So Kala-chan and I volunteered~!" Mittelt explained.

Kalawarner posed. "Personally, this outfit just appealed to me." And the outfit she wore appealed to me too. A big-busted Onee-sama dressed in a maid's outfit...Best. Day. Ever. "And of course, if we misbehave, you always have this insurance policy." She gestured to a collar that I failed to notice before that was on the necks of her, Raynare, and Mittelt.

"Yep~ If any of us misbehave and attempt to harm you or your friends-"

"...Boom..." Raynare finished in her gloomy tone.

Ah...

I kind of like this new Raynare.

"Hey, Shirou, remember when you said that what you had in mind for Raynare would make me feel better?" I saw Ise sitting on the couch next to Gremory-senpai. "You were right and so much more. This is great~" He had a blissful smile on his face.

"Glad to see you made it on time, Fujimura-kun." I saw Sitri-senpai sitting on the couch opposite of Gremory-senpai. I noticed that the others were also here. We were all together again. I couldn't help a smile. "I see you've seen the Fallen Angel Governor's response to your proposal. As long as the Fallen Angels adhere to the terms of their probation which includes good behavior and, of course, obeying your whims, they will be allowed the chance to have their previous transgressions forgiven."

"All in all, this is totally worth it~" Mittelt said. "Dohnaseek isn't here because he chose an alternative assignment."

Oh yeah. That fedora-guy was there too. Completely forgot about him...Oh well.

I looked around the room, confused.

"Hey...where's Sera-tan?"

There was an awkward silence in the room.

"What?"

Sitri-senpai frowned. "Nothing. We're just surprised you still call Onee-sama so casually even after you learned she was one of the four leaders of the Devils."

I shrugged. "Meh. It's not like anything changed between our relationship between today and yesterday. I was just surprised she was a Maou because she seems too cute and adorable to be an all-powerful leader of the Devils."

"Awwww~ Shi-taaaaaan~"

I raised my arms instinctively to catch a familiar weight in the form of a cosplaying girl who landed in my arms, wrapping her arms around my neck.

"You really are my most adorable [Queen]~!"

I sweatdropped. Please don't call me that.

Then I realized something.

"Hey...where were you a few moments ago? I figured you would've reacted to my presence the moment I entered the room." I said in confusion.

Sera-tan giggled, sticking out her tongue.

"Onee-sama was moping in the corner." Sitri-senpai answered with no mercy. "I don't know why. She just saw the three Fallen Angels dressed in maid outfits and seemed to get depressed about something."

"Auuuuu~! Don't listen to her, Shi-tan! Why are you so meeeeeeaaaaan, So-taaaaan~?!" Sera-tan cried, hugging me tighter, pressing her breasts more firmly against my body.

I saw Ise shooting me an envy-filled look.

Aah~ How good it feels to have everything back to normal~

"But to think my beautiful Shi-tan is actually the Hakuryuukou and Issei-chan is the Sekiryuutei~"

Gremory-senpai nodded, a serious expression on her face. "Yes...I hope this doesn't create any complications between us due to our servants' respective roles, Leviathan-sama."

Sera-tan seemed to contemplate this. She seemed to not have been given any thought to the fact that Ise and I were supposed to be "destined rivals".

Ise raised his fist. "No worries. Just because those other douchebags tried to kill each other, doesn't mean me and Shirou will do the same."

I grinned. "Yeah! Screw destiny! Ise and I will punch destiny right in the face! We're bros to the bitter end! There's no way we'd try to kill each other! I'd rather die than harm a friend...but I won't die because I'm the Queen of Serafall Leviathan! I gotta reach Ultimate-Class before I die! I'll prove myself worthy of my King!"

"Aw~! Shi-tan's really the bestest Queen~! Since I'll be staying for a while longer this time, I have to make up for all of the affection I didn't give him~!" Sera-tan hugged me more tightly, giving me a soft kiss on the cheek. My face flushed red from embarrassment. Sera-tan made a sneaky expression."Ara ara, but maybe I shouldn't consider such naughty things in front of Asia-chan~!"

I frowned.

Asia?

"S-Shirou-san..."

It was then that I finally took into account the cute bishoujou standing to the left of Ise.

"A-Asia!? W-When did you get here?!"

Asia sniffed, seeming hurt.

"Er...She's kind of been here the whole time, Shirou..." Ise said, smiling awkwardly.

Eh? I-Is she mad because I didn't notice her til now?

M-My bad.

"It has to be…L-Leviathan-sama is very beautiful, so even Shirou-san will also like her… No, no. I can't think like that! Oh, lord. Please forgive my sinful heart."

Asia made a prayer but she then screamed "Auu".

"I have a headache."

"Of course. If a Devil makes a prayer to God, of course you will receive damage." Gremory-senpai said.

My eyes widened. "Asia's a Devil?! When did that happen?!"

Gremory-senpai smiled softly. "Yes. I forgot to mention. I'd like you to welcome Asia Argento, my newest Bishop."

My eyes widened.

"Uu, that's right. I turned into a Devil...but I can't face God anymore."

Asia seemed a bit troubled. Asia, please don't make a sad face like that.

"Do you regret it?" Buchou asked.

Asia shook her head. "No, thank you very much. No matter what situation I am in, I'm happy as long as I am with Shirou-san." My face turned a deeper shade of pink. I tried to ignore the "Awww~ Shi-tan's so cute when he's blushing~" from Sera-tan.

Hearing that, Buchou smiled. "I see, then its okay. From today you will also be my servant, and I will make you work along with Ise."

"Yes! I will do my best!" Then Asia blushed. "A-And I'll definitely do my best to become an excellent wife to you, Shirou-san!"

.

.

.

[What?]

The rest of us stared wide-eyed at Asia's sudden announcement. Even Sitri-senpai seemed to lose her composure at that remark.

Asia placed her hands on the sides of her face, still blushing, her eyes closed as she reminisced. "When Shirou-san proposed to me in the park, it was so romantic. He asked for me to stay with him, together forever even though we had only just met, saying that I held a special place in his heart. I was shocked, but I was so happy when I agreed. I had never experienced such a feeling before."

My face started burning with embarrassment.

"E-E-EEEEEEEHHHHH!?" I couldn't form anything coherent.

"Ara ara, it looks like Shirou-kun's more vicious in his pursuits than I thought~" Akeno-san teased.

E-Eh? N-No, it's not like that!

"Shirou, what is the meaning of this?"

"Auuuu! No fair! I wanted to marry Shi-tan along with So-tan! Then we could do all kinds of ecchi things together every single day~! I could be yuri-yuri with So-tan while hugging and kissing Shi-tan~"

You too, Sitri-senpai!? Sera-tan?! And what's this about ecchi stuff?!

"...Pervert."

"What?! Uh oh! It looks like I have to hurry and charm Shirou with my body before he becomes too accustomed to a life of monogamy!"

"Well...he is a Devil."

Koneko-chan, Yumi, and Gremory-senpai spoke with disapproval, approval, and disapproval again respectively.

"H-Hold on a second!" I tried to get my grasp on what was happening all of a sudden.

"Wow! Shirou has enough skill with women to match that of a Fallen Angel!"

"I can really see why you're interested him him, Mittelt~"

"..."

Shut up, Fallen Angels! Nobody asked you three!

I started panicking. "W-Wait! C-Can I just explain?! Ise, back me up!"

I turned towards my best friend who glared at me with pure killing intent.

"W-Wait it's not what it seems, I-!"

Asia suddenly grabbed my hands in her own, blushing as she looked into my eyes.

"I understand that Shirou-san is in a relationship with Ruruko-san." She seemed a little sad. "But I understand that Shirou-san is also a Devil who has much lust for other women and has desires to build harems. Thus, I will become the perfect housewife in order to care for Shirou-san, perfect enough that he will care for me most out of his girls!" Asia spoke with determination while tears formed in her eyes.

"...The worst."

"Absolute worst."

"Come oooon! It's not what it seems, guys!"

"You suck, Shirou!"

"I will definitely become the greatest woman for Shirou-san!"

"You better take responsibility for this, Fujimura-kun."

"I fully expect you to take care of my servant, Shirou-kun."

"Awww~! Shi-tan's blushing again~! So cuuuuute~!"

Why is this happening to meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!?

**And done~ Ran on for longer than I hoped, but it's done~! The last of the first story arc! I am done!**

**Thank...God.**

**As it is twice as long as normal, consider it a grand finale chapter~!**

**Before you ask, YES. I do realize I cut corners with Issei. That was intentional. We all know what happens so what would be the point? Besides, I will quote what I said when I stole just about every single girl from Issei: "Screw, Ise!". That is all.**

**Oh yeah, please vote on my poll to decide who will be in the first lemon with Shirou-chan~!**

**So yeah...I had something else to say here, but I can't remember what it was...Oh well~**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	9. Life 8: Not As They Appear

**Welcome to the next chapter of the Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan!**

**We will have one or two chapters before I move on to the story arc where we see the douchebag yakitori and we see Shirou recruit more girls into his harem~**

**Anyway~ on with the Familiar's Requirement~!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING.**

**Life 8: Not As They Appear**

"And I told YOU, bitch, that I would be the one to feed Shirou!"

"Well you should've done it when you had the chance rather than force Shirou-chan to have nothing for lunch because you kept him waiting for the sludge you call food!"

"It should not matter, Shirou is MY King, so it should be his knight's duty to prepare his meals! Lord knows what poisonous contaminants could be in cuisines prepared by the hands of others!"

"...I might be mistaken, but I think the wannabe knight just talked shit to us."

I cowered behind my desk, watching as the four vicious lionesses battled for dominance in front of me. I wasn't usually hiding like this, but I was starving due to having missed lunch (for various reasons). I didn't have the energy nor any idea on how to diffuse the situation.

Perhaps I should explain what happened...

Lunch happened, that's what.

It's the same shit, different day. Except this time. This time, Momo was also involved in the argument. Usually while the cat fight ensues over whom I'm eating lunch with, I could just slip in, nab a bento that was made for me, then move back without detection, enjoying the ensuing cat fight, but four was apparently not my lucky number.

In hindsight, it probably had something to do with Asia's introduction to the class.

[Its nice to meet you all. My name is Asia Argento, the wife-to-be of Shirou-san. I hope we can all get along.]

...OK, that was a little unfair towards Asia. I might've paraphrased a little. But that's essentially what she ended up telling everyone. And it was REALLY ADORABLE too, so I couldn't really get upset with her. I still haven't found the right way to tell her about the misunderstanding I unintentionally created yet. Thinking back on it, I realized I may have put her under the impression that I was proposing.

...my bad.

After that, Ruruko became clingy yet hostile, her jealousy inflamed by Asia's claims to matrimony. She refused to leave me alone inbetween classes, giving me no opportunity to even go to the bathroom alone. Today she had made me a bento for lunch, attempting to ensure the two of us being alone by locking he door while we were eating lunch.

She apparently didn't remember that physical objects like doors were no match for [Rooks] like Tsubasa who easily snapped the door off its hinges. Momo and Karlamine followed suit. Chaos broke out, but this time, there was always one of them trying to feed me food before being dragged back into the fight by the other three.

Thus, I ate no food for lunch today.

The conflict had apparently continued on to the end of classes, which was now.

"You wanna go, Knight-Bitch!?" Ruruko screamed.

"For the honor of my King, I will not fall before a harlot such as yourself!" Karlamine suddenly pulled a ruler out of nowhere, pointing it at Ruruko threateningly.

"...Let's just hope she doesn't suffocate Ruruko-san with her breasts before the first punch is even thrown..." Tsubasa said under her breath.

[What did you say!?]

Ruruko took it as an insult because Tsubasa assumed she would lose and Karlamine was insulted because Tsubasa was bringing her breasts into the matter, insinuating they were ridiculously large and inhuman.

BOOM!

The very school building shook, knocking those of us lacking proper balance (mainly Karlamine and Momo) onto the ground.

I immediately stood up from my crouching position, eyes wide in shock. "What the Hell was that?!"

"Earthquake?"

"Gas explosion?"

"Car smashing into the school building?"

"A gas explosion caused when a car smashed into the school building after veering off the road during an earthquake?"

We all turned towards Tsubasa with deadpan expressions.

[Really?]

Tsubasa blinked. "What?"

The most annoying thing was that I couldn't tell if she was being serious of if that was another one of her attempts at humor.

"I...I just..." I shook my head, rubbing the bridge of my nose. "No. Just no." But really though, what was that? Then I voiced it aloud. "But really though, what WAS that?!"

Deep down, I kind of already knew. Ruruko, Tsubasa, Momo, and I ALL knew.

SLAM

The door to the classroom slammed open, revealing a disheveled-looking Shinra-senpai. Her hair was a mess, like she had woken up with bed head and had it blow about wildly by the wind afterwards. She looked like she hadn't slept at all last night and very close to death (albeit jokingly). She completely ignored the other girls in the room, walking right towards me with that dead look in her eye.

"Fujimura, please come with me...I can't...I can't take much more of this..." Shinra-senpai grabbed me by the shoulders. "I never thought that Leviathan-sama could ever be so difficult...it...nightmare..." She started pulling me along. "For the love of all that is unholy, please just come to the Student Council room so she'll stop throwing a tantrum."

"Hold on, Senpai!" Ruruko interjected.

"Yeah! Shirou-chan still has to eat one of our lunches!" Momo complained.

"Unhand my king!" Karlamine commanded.

"...I got nothing." Tsubasa-chan just didn't really seem to have anything else to add, so it was fairly assumed she shared the sentiments of her fellow females.

They all flinched as Shinra-senpai appeared in front of them, her eyes burning with righteous fury.

"Does this face LOOK like I give a fuck?! Do you know what it's like to deal with a woman at least several times your age who looks and acts like a child?! DO YOU!?" Fearful for their lives, all four girls shook their heads. "Then shut your mouths! You want someone to eat your lunches!? Throw them out, eat them yourselves, or I could just shove them down your throats FOR YOU! GOT IT!?"

The four girls backed into the corner, trembling with fear as a demonic aura emanated from Shinra-senpai's body, nodding as quickly as they could.

Having received the positive response, Shinra-senpai calmed down, pressing down her hair with her hands and clearing her throat. She turned to me.

"Will you follow me, Fujimura?" Shinra-senpai asked politely.

I sweatdropped, rubbing the back of my neck. "Um...Sure." I looked back to the other girls. "Um...I'll see you later."

With that, I followed Shinra-senpai out of the room.

And so we walked...It would take a blind man not to notice the awkward way Shinra-senpai was walking. I did my best to ignore it, worried that I would turn Senpai's wrath on me, but a small part of me desperately wanted to address it.

As it would turn out, I didn't have to.

Out of the blue, Senpai spun around on her heels, turning to face me. She bowed her head as low as her spine would let her.

"Please forgive me for that unsettling display I showed you earlier!" Shinra-senpai looked both ashamed and embarrassed for essentially threatening to kill Momo, Ruruko, Karlamine, and Tsubasa. "I have just been at my wits end with Leviathan-sama today! Ever since she appeared this morning, it had been a hassle to keep her contained in the Student Council room so she would not disrupt classes! Due to my tired state, I showed you a rather unpleasant side to myself and ask for your forgiveness!"

I waved it off. "It's no big deal. Everyone is allowed to "lose it" every now and then. Besides..." I felt myself blushing somewhat.

"'Besides what'?" Shinra-senpai questioned.

I scratched my light-pink face. "Well...It's just that...I kinda...It's kind of sexy when you show that side of yourself."

"Oh..." was Shinra-senpai's response. However, as she turned around sharply, I couldn't help but notice that her face had turned a deep scarlet shade. "N...Nobody's ever said that a-about m-me before." She placed her hands on the sides of her face nervously. "Y-You really think I-I could be sexy?"

I nodded at the question. "Of course. You're beautiful...Nobody's ever said something like that to you before? Not a single guy?"

Shinra-senpai shook her head, pausing slightly. "N-No...I-I mean I know the reputation as the fourth most p-popular, but I-I don't regularly interact with others outside of the Student Council or the Occult Research Club...I-I just don't have too much experience interacting with boys. I-I've never even had a boyfriend before..."

I stared at my senpai blankly. "...have you met nothing but gay guys in your entire life? I mean, COME ON! You're drop-dead gorgeous! And smart to boot! How could it be that not a single guy asked you out during your entire time from middle school to high school!?" Those words Senpai said...They were just too shocking!

Shinra-senpai tried to downplay the subject and ignore it, adjusting her glasses before hastening her walking pace. "A-Anyway, w-we should h-hurry. Leviathan-sama probably won't l-last."

I shrugged. "Alright."

"B-But...Thank you. F-For the compliment I mean..." By that point, Shinra-senpai was half-walking/half-sprinting towards the Student Council Room. I couldn't help the amused smile. This girl was interesting and one of the innocent-types. She would either become an amusing teasing target or a great harem candidate. I wasn't seriously considering the latter, but if I ever did, it would be an interesting idea.

BOOM

The earth started to shake again. Unsteady on her feet, Shinra-senpai would've fallen backwards if I hadn't reached forward to catch her.

In the position I held her, looking into her eyes, it looked like one of those cliché scenes from a romance movie where the protagonist is holding the love interest right before they have a romantic ki-

I shook my head, blushing at those thoughts. As romantic as it was, doing something like that with Shinra-senpai in this current situation was a no-no.

"U-Um, sorry, Senpai." I looked at her face to see her glaring at me, her face so red that I was kind of scared that the blood would just explode outward. It was honestly kind of cute, the attempt she made at looking angry.

She looked outright embarrassed. "J-Just hurry up." Senpai quickly left my arms, grabbing my hand and dragging along, all but running towards the Student Council room in an attempt to end the continuously occurring awkward conversations and silences that kept befalling us.

Within two minutes, we were standing outside the door to the Student Council room.

I was about to knock on the door when I heard a sharp crash. Worried, I immediately forced the door open, being surprised as I was suddenly dragged to the ground.

"Duck!" Shinra-senpai, who had dragged me to the ground, looked tired again.

"I WANT HIM! I WANNA SEE'EM! LET ME OUT! LET ME GO PLAY WITH SHI-TAAAAN!"

"Onee-sama, please calm down!" I heard Sitri-senpai attempting to calm Sera-tan.

"No!" I walked into the room to see my three Fallen Angel maids standing nervously on one side of the room behind a nervous-looking Sitri-senpai who was desperately trying to calm down my master. Speaking of my master, I could see her on the ground, kicking and banging her fists against the floor like a five-year-old.

"Class is over now! Just wait a mo-DUCK!" Sitri-senpai seemed to be speaking to everyone in the general vicinity, hitting the ground as a large and heavy textbook was sent flying across the room. Mittelt and Kalawarner followed her example immediately. Raynare, on the other hand, was a bit slower to react than the others, getting smacked in the face by the front cover of a mathematics book.

I guess it she needed to dodge some questions, hehehe...

Oh dear Maou, I'm becoming Tsubasa! No! Worse-That joke didn't even make any sense!

Anyway, Raynare was laying unconscious on the ground...So that was fun. Mittelt curiously poked her head with a ruler, like a child poking a jellyfish with a stick. The difference between a jellyfish and Raynare being that Raynare is far more venomous~ Hahaha-OH DEAR MAOU, I DID IT AGAIN!

"I WANNA SEE'EM! I WANNA SEE SHI-TAAAAN!" Sera-tan complained again.

"Onee-sama, if you would wait just a few minutes-!"

Shinra-senpai nervously knocked on the door. "Um, Kaichou...I've brought him." She gestured to me.

Sitri-senpai turned to me, her expression becoming one of momentary relief. "Oh thank good-I mean-Look, Onee-sama! It's Fujimura-kun!" Every face turned in my direction.

Then I realized it: Sona Sitri just threw me under the bus!

"Yaaaaay~! Shiiiiii-taaaaaaaan~!"

Oh dear Maou!

OOMF

Sera-tan tackled me in a huge bear hug, hugging me with every part of her body even her legs. While her arms wrapped around my whole torso, her legs also ended up entangled around my waist, making me not only immobile but also the only thing preventing my master from falling to the ground. Her arms tightened around me, squeezing the air out of my body.

"Y-Yeah...it's good to see you too...Sera-tan..." I wheezed out.

Since she managed to find some time off of work, Serafall had been in town since a two days ago to make up lost time between us by giving me "lots and lots of personal time". Little did I know that my master had not only the body and mannerisms of, but also the patience of a child. She was bad yesterday, but today...just wow.

The Student Council room was a mess!

Tables were overturned, chairs were either broken or tossed about and placed in random places, papers were scattered about, one of the windows looked like they had been blown out with demonic magic, and there were several craters at random places around the room. It looked like a typhoon had hit the place. A typhoon named "Serafall" that is.

"Oooh~! I've been wanting to hug my adorable Queen all day~!" Sera-tan said.

She also apparently wants to crush my spine into dust in her bear hug.

Suddenly, it was as if the giant temper tantrum she threw had never existed. Sitri-senpai and Shinra-senpai looked as if they were simply relieved to be alive. Mittelt and NOW Kalawarner were still poking Raynare in the head with rulers, trying to nudge her away. I noticed the large bruise on her head. It looked really bad...

Oh well.

"So...any particular reason you called me here? OTHER than to get my spine ground into dust?"

Sitri-senpai smiled slightly out of amusement. "Well, keeping Onee-sama (relatively) calm is another job for you as her Queen, no matter what sacrifice you must make."

I smiled sarcastically. "Oh really? You think this is funny, huh?" I could tell that Sitri-senpai was mentally laughing to herself at my predicament. I smiled at Sera-tan. "Aw, Sera-tan, I think So-tan is getting jealous due to being left out of the hug~!"

Sera-tan blinked, as if having realized something. "Of course!" She turned to Sitri-senpai with watering eyes. "I'm such a neglectful Onee-chan! I've been so busy with Shi-tan that I forgot to give my adorable little sister lots and lots of affection too!" Sera-tan released me and charged towards Sitri-senpai, arms open. "Come to Onee-chan, So-taaaaaan~!"

Sitri-senpai paled. "E-Eh? No!" She started running, avoiding Sera-tan's charge.

"Come oooon, Sona-chan~! Give Onee-chan a huuuug~!"

"NO!" Sitri-senpai replied in defiance, still running for her life.

If I wasn't so busy busting my guts laughing at the hilarity and the adorableness of the scene, I might have felt bad for Sitri-senpai. Sometimes having a childish master who also has a serious and strict little sister has its perks in terms of entertainment.

"Alright! Alright! I'll tell you why I called you here, just help me!" To see Sitri-senpai in such a frazzled state was humorous, but I knew when enough was enough. Sitri-senpai was willing to give me what I wanted after suffering for this short time, so...Wow that would sound REALLY wrong out of context. But yeah, that about sums it up.

I faked tears, pouting adorably. "Sera-taaaaaaan! Your a-adorable Queen is getting all cold and lonely and needs a huuuuug~!" I kind of choked when I called myself her "adorable Queen", but I got my point across to my master.

And then, Sera-tan immediately changed targets. "Awwwww~! Sorry, So-tan, but my adorable Queen needs me~!"

"No, it's alright." Sitri-senpai answered with a relieved tone. "He needs you right now."

"Shi-taaaaaaan!"

It was like a very strange game of Hot Potato. I passed my master to Sitri-senpai and Sitri-senpai passed her back essentially.

Sera-tan once again treated me as a huggable teddy bear.

Maintaining a perfectly straight expression despite the fact Sera-tan was snuggling against me, rubbing her face against mine, I turned to Sitri-senpai. "So what is it you wanted to talk about?" I asked.

Kalawarner and Mittelt abandoned the still-unconscious Raynare on the ground, setting back up a table and chairs which Sitri-senpai gestured me to sit down in.

With Sera-tan in my lap, her arms wrapped around my neck lovingly, I sat at the table, Sitri-senpai sitting across from me.

"Fujimura-kun, are you aware of what "familiars" are?" Sitri-senpai asked.

I opened my mouth to say something, but then stopped, realizing what I was about to compare it to was rather embarrassing. I closed my mouth, blushing slightly.

Sitri-senpai raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Fujimura-kun?"

I scratched my cheek nervously. "Well...It's just that I was about to...I was gonna say it was something like Zero no Tsukaima, familiars being sort-of like magical pets who help their masters in performing tasks or aiding their masters in various ways."

"Actually, that's exactly what they are."

My eyes widened from surprise. "Shit, really?!"

Sitri-senpai nodded. "Yes. That is a rather accurate description of what familiars are. They are an existence which become the hand and foot of us devils. They are also handy for the Devil jobs. Normally, handing out the leaflets are the jobs of a familiar, just as the newly reincarnated Devils do when they first start."

"Makes sense." I said, nodding. "Would save me a whole lot of trouble if I didn't have to constantly walk around or ride around on a bike to hand out leaflets."

"A familiar is a basic for Devils." Sitri-senpai explained further. "They can help their masters. They can be used for information transmission. They can be used for persisting. You also need one since it can be used for adapting to certain situations. Rias has thought the same for her two newest servants, Hyoudou-kun and Argento-san."

"Yep~!" Sera-tan agreed. "Since Rias-chan's going to the Forest of Familiars with her servants soon, she, So-tan, and me agreed that you could go ahead and go on right with them~!"

"Sounds neat. When are we going?" I asked.

"It may take a while, so you're free to stay here while Rias and Akeno finish their preparations." Sitri-senpai offered. "Of course, it's still quite a bit of a mess in here..." Sitri-senpai seemed to notice that she couldn't leave the room in such a state.

I clapped my hands. "Oh, maaaaids~!" Mittelt and Kalawarner appeared by my side, holding a slowly awakening Raynare between them. "Could you be a dear and clean up this room for us~?" I spoke with an innocent tone, but I couldn't hide the mischievous and only slightly malicious expression on my face.

"Hai hai~!" Mittelt agreed cheerfully.

"As you wish." Kalawarner agreed respectfully.

"...Yes, sir..." Raynare agreed in that wonderfully gloomy tone that I couldn't help but take pleasure in hearing. I don't know why, but I just had a strange pleasure from seeing her torn down from her former, arrogant self, made into this current broken shell. Hehehehe...

Ooh, I gave myself pleasant chills~!

And while they were busy cleaning the room, I turned to Sitri-senpai who had a grateful look on her face. Even though it wasn't actually me who was cleaning, I was the only one allowed to actually order the three Fallen Angels around.

"So is there anything you wish to discuss while we are waiting for Rias to complete the preparations?" Sitri-senpai asked.

"..." I opened and closed my mouth several times, realizing I didn't have any questions for Sitri-senpai. I felt like there was one little topic concerning Gremory-senpai that was bugging me, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember what it was. Other than that, there was nothing. I knew all about Rating Games, Contracts, Familiars, the Maou-samas, everything I needed to know as a Low-Class Devil. "...er..."

That was when I realized it. The refusal to meet my eyes. The way she was drumming her fingers on the desk between us. The tense feeling in the air despite the fact that Sera-tan was making adorable noises while snuggling with me. The tense feeling that caused even the Fallen Angels to avoid looking at us.

Sitri-senpai was feeling awkward. She acknowledged the awkward silence that befell us.

Same as before, Sitri-senpai and I have never TRULY socialized. Whenever we talked to one another, one of us always had a specific topic on our minds. We always knew what we were gonna say or how we were feeling...but now there was nothing. No lecture to give, no explanations to be given, nothing. We were just waiting for someone else to finish preparations.

Quick, Shirou! Do something!

"So...how's your home situation, Senpai?" I asked, trying for a broad question.

Sitri-senpai raised an eyebrow, bemused by my question. "Good, I suppose. Nothing in particular to complain about or acknowledge."

...More silence.

We just avoided each others' gazes.

"...How have you been doing in school...?" Sitri-senpai asked in a tone that suspiciously sounded like the one I had before.

"Fairly well. I'm maintaining an A-B average."

"Good. Good..."

...More silence.

Mentally, I was screaming from agony.

THIS IS KILLING MEEEEEE!

I turned to Sera-tan and whispered in her ear. "Please help me! This situation is killing me! What can I do to stir up some conversation between me and Senpai?"

Sera-tan smiled cutely. "Oh that's easy~! There's only one thing which is always a good conversation topic..." Sera-tan whispered into my ear, telling me exactly what to say. I nodded as I listened to the words Sera-tan spoke to me, smiling slightly.

"So, Sitri-senpai...What do you think of chess?"

Sitri-senpai stared at me, but I saw a slight glint of interest in the corner of her eye. Dangerous, but clearly interested.

"I find it to be stimulating. It's a game that truly challenges one's intellect. Where intelligence and strategy is key. The sensation of partaking in a great battle between two minds, the two clashing like Heaven and Hell, battling for supremacy as they constantly struggle to gain the upper hand in the endless conflict they are embroiled in, is amongst the greatest joys one could find."

Sera-tan and I stared blankly.

[Whaaaaaaat?]

Sitri-senpai looked slightly embarrassed, adjusting her glasses which had begun to slip from her face.

"What I mean is...I find it enjoyable." She clarified.

[Ah.]

Then I rubbed the back of my neck. "So, what say we play a game while we're waiting?"

The glint in Sitri-senpai's eyes became even more apparent. She was clearly onboard.

"Well, considering that Rias should be a while, I see no reason why we shouldn't spend our time doing something that strengthens the mind." Sitri-senpai tried to sound calm and collected despite the sudden enthusiasm she betrayed for chess.

Lucky for us, Senpai kept a chessboard and pieces in the room.

We pulled it out and set up the board.

Senpai picked white so she got to go first. I knew how the rules went because, as I believe I've stated before, Mako-nee taught me a long time ago.

As we made our way about playing the game, we engaged in casual conversation.

"So how have you been with your Sacred Gear, Fujimura-kun?" Sitri-senpai asked, moving her pieces.

"Good. Good." I replied, the pace at which I moved my pieces matching Senpai's. "I still don't think I'm even close to unlocking its true potential, but yesterday, Akeno-san helped me train with it somewhat. I'm getting better at avoiding attacks while using my dividing abilities."

Senpai frowned, but she didn't let that news halt or slow down her pace. "She attacked you?"

"Yeah." I replied. "She said it was all a part of her training for me. She said she was demonstrating how to use our demonic power. Every time I got hit, she said I had to keep in my screams of pain until I couldn't hold it anymore. She also said that I had to continue dividing her power until she could no longer resist and I-"

I paused.

"Er...Fu-"

"No. I know. I realized it just now."

GODDAMMIT!

Akeno-san is one of the few women I know who can always get the better of me. Others being Sitri-senpai and Gremory-senpai.

I didn't even realize Akeno-san was manipulating me until now! Not to mention the dirty way in which that sadistic Queen had worded what she said!

But anyway, Sitri-senpai and I continued playing our game. It was actually tense. I never really played against anyone other than Mako-nee, but I was apparently rather good considering I was lasting this long.

Every time Sitri-senpai made a move, I made my own to counter it.

Also, the way Senpai played...it spoke volumes about her. She treated each piece as what it was worth. She didn't waste a single one. If she lost a piece, it was by design, sacrificing it to serve a greater purpose or to take the place of another. She was not wasteful and she was also able to adapt and predict my own moves, changing her own strategy to counter my moves.

That's not to say I was horrible. I stood my ground, analyzing the way she played.

However, in the end-

"Checkmate." Sitri-senpai said with a sense of finality. She had my [King] cornered on all sides. There were no possible moves left to me.

I raised my hands in surrender, smiling. "This is your win, Senpai."

"Yaaaaaaaaaaaay~! So-tan won~!" Sera-tan cheered, throwing her arms into the air.

Holy shit! She had been so quiet during our game that I forgot she was sitting in my lap still!...weird.

Then Sera-tan frowned. "Auuuu~! Shi-tan lost~!" She looked like she was in-between happy and sad at her sister's victory and my loss.

"But I will admit that that match was impressive." Senpai admitted. "I've never been challenged in such a way in a game of chess. Thank you very much, Fujimura-kun."

I grinned. "No problem, Senpai. That was actually pretty fun!" The tension of each move we took really added to the excitement.

"Kufufufufufu~!"

Senpai and I blinked, turning to Sera-tan who suddenly had a mischievous look on her face.

"Onee-sama, what are you thinking?" Sitri-senpai asked with a suspicious and distrusting tone.

Sera-tan grasped my hands in hers, staring at me with a strangely determined look on her face.

"That's it, Shi-tan! The only thing I need for you to help me complete my dream is become even BETTER at chess!" Sera-tan declared out of the blue. I started sweating slightly out of confusion. "You gotta beat So-tan at chess! Then I get both of my favorite people at once and-!"

"No, Onee-sama!" Sitri-senpai shouted, a mix of annoyance and embarrassment. "Don't use the condition I set to promote your perverted fantasies!"

"Awwww~! But So-taaaaaan~!"

"NO!"

It was kind of adorable when they got into it like this. I didn't understand what they were talking about IN THE SLIGHTEST, but the way Sera-tan brought out Sitri-senpai's adorable embarrassed side was always fun to see.

I couldn't help but smile.

"Um, sorry to interrupt, Master." Kalawarner appeared by my side, holding a cellphone in her hand. "It's Rias-Buchou. She told me to tell you and Sona-Kaichou that the preparations are ready and that it was time to head out."

Sitri-senpai nodded before turning to me and Sera-tan. "Well then, I suppose we should go meet with the others."

I blinked. "'We'?"

Sera-tan winked cutely at me. "Yep~! So-tan and I are going with you to help you catch an extra, extra, EXTRA amazing familiar~!"

"Since you are still Onee-sama's servant, it is only natural that one or both of us would accompany you, Fujimura-kun." Sitri-senpai explained.

I wasn't exactly sure what familiar Sera-tan expected me to catch, but she apparently had a lot of faith in me. It also felt comforting that I would end up entering an unknown place with Sitri-senpai and Sera-tan by my side. They, along with Gremory-senpai, seemed strong enough to deal with any serious situation we come across.

"Alright then! Let's get this show on the road!" I shouted with determination.

[Right.]

* * *

**[Occult Research Clubroom]**

"Good to see you're on-time." Gremory-senpai greeted with her usual pleasant smile. Everyone else of the ORC was already assembled in the room: Ise, Yumi, Akeno-san, and Asia.

"Came as soon as you called." I replied. I gave a determined grin. "I'm definitely gonna catch me a strong familiar! You better believe it!"

Gremory-senpai seemed amused by my enthusiasm. "I'm glad to see that Sona has explained the entire situation to you. That saves quite a bit of ti-" It was then that my crimson-haired senpai's eyes wandered over to Sitri-senpai and Sera-tan. "L-Leviathan-sama! I-I didn't expect to see you here!" She bowed. "Forgive me for not preparing for your arrival, but may I ask what your purpose is in coming here?"

Sera-tan gave a cute peace sign. "I'm gonna help Shi-tan catch a super strong familiar~! I AM his [King] after all, so I gotta do some things other than simply shower him with my endless affection, ya know~!" Sera-tan pulled Sitri-senpai closed and hugged her tight. "And how could I even think about leaving out my adorable So-tan~!?"

"Please let me go." Sitri-senpai said, monotone.

"Never~!"

They once again got into one of their little "moments". Gremory-senpai looked lost on what to do, staring with her mouth open.

I waved it off. "Just give'em a few minutes. You can finish the preparations for the ritual while they cleanse themselves of...'this'." I wasn't entirely sure what to call it, so I just broadly gestured to the two sisters.

Gremory-senpai nodded. "Alright then. Please gather in the magic circle with the others while we begin."

I nodded and walked over to meet with the other ORC members.

Yumi smiled perversely. "It looks like you just can't keep away from me, Shirou~!"

"Oh~?" I wondered. "Wasn't it YOU who begged Gremory-senpai to invite me along~?"

It was good to see that things were still normal enough where Yumi and I could tease each other incessantly.

"So you will be coming with us, Shirou-san?" Asia asked, walking in front of me, smiling cutely. "That is a relief, knowing my husband-to-be will be near me to protect me from any unforeseen dangers!" Asia clasped my hands in her own, still smiling.

Oh yeah...I knew I was forgetting something.

Asia still believed that I had proposed to her! I guess...maybe now...

Then I looked at Gremory-senpai who was giving me a sharp look. She was mouthing something...let's see...

I read her lips as such:

'If you...love being a man...don't you...dare hurt Asia.'

After I finished reading Gremory-senpai's lips, she gestured to my "manhood" and made a pair of scissors with her hand, mimicking the motion of snipping something.

I paled as I realized what she was saying.

Well, no harm in keeping things like that for now, right!? I-I mean, it wouldn't be so bad being engaged to Asia!

I nodded as quickly as my body would allow.

I managed a weak smile for Asia. "O-Of course!"

"...Stupid...bastard...playboy...douche..." I saw Ise standing behind Yumi and Asia, emanating a dark aura directed towards me. Oh boy he was hating me~ What fun~!

Seeing Ise seething with envy was enough to cheer me up again.

"Buchou, if we're going to go, we'd best get going right now."

We all turned towards Akeno-san who had finished all of the preparations she was doing, all of us having stalled our departure for as long as physically possible.

"Right." Gremory-senpai then turned towards all of us, clapping her hands together. "Alright, everyone! Gather in the magic circle now! It's time to depart!"

"Yaaay~! Come on, Shi-tan~! Let's go and catch ya a super-mega-adorable-uber-amazing familiar-chan~!" Sera-tan clung to my arm, squeezing it in-between her ample bosoms.

I blushed slightly, smiling. "R-Right."

"Auuu...It will be really hard competing with Leviathan-sama..." Asia was muttering to herself as she shyly grasped my other hand in hers, all of us gathering into the magic circle as instructed.

Then there was a powerful blinding light emanating from the magic-circle, gradually enveloping all of us.

Then we were gone.

* * *

When the light died down, we were in the middle of an unfamiliar forest. Seriously, what is it with Devils and locations that look like they could've come straight out of a horror flick? Large, dark trees decorated the landscape for as long as the eye could see and the sky was a dark-red color, like blood.

I crossed my arms, a pensive expression on my face.

_Promise..._

I blinked, surprised by the strange word that appeared in my head. "Did...Did you guys hear that?" Everyone looked at me in confusion.

"What do you mean, Shi-tan?" Sera-tan asked. She cocked her head as if to listen to silent words. "I don't hear anything?"

I was starting to look a little crazy to everyone at the moment, so I let it go.

"Never mind...Must've been my imagination." Seriously. I had the distinct feeling that something was gonna pop out somewhere. It was cold, dark, and full of indistinguishable trees that made it easy to get lost on your own. I really feel like this is the kind of place a serial killer would vacation at.

"Get daze!"

"Huh?!"

"-the Hell?!"

"Kyaa!"

Ise, me, and Asia all had our own reactions to the sudden, surprising voice that we heard.

I couldn't blame Asia for screaming. The sudden loud voice took me by surprise. I felt a little more happy when Asia hid behind my back. It was so adorable and made me feel like punching whatever appeared would mean so much more.

"My name is Satooji of Madara Town! I'm a Devil in training, aiming to become the Familiar Master!"

I stared at him, deadpan...OK...Something about that-

"Why does it feel like something's being referenced here?"

Gremory-senpai gestured to Ise and Asia. "Satooji-san, I brought the ones I spoke of."

"And I also brought my most adorable Queen, Shi-tan~!" Sera-tan said, introducing me.

Satooji seemed to pause, eyes wide in surprise and awe. He quickly bowed to Sera-tan in a respectful manner.

"I see, Leviathan-sama! If this is your Queen, then I will do everything I can to get him the best familiar we can catch!"

"Thank you very much~!" Sera-tan thanked him. Satooji then turned to Ise and Asia.

"I will also do my best for the dull-faced boy and the blonde-haired beauty!"

"Pfft~!" I almost burst out in laughter. Ise's a "dull-faced boy"! Ha!

"Shut it, you damned bishounen!" I stuck my tongue out childishly at Ise, causing him to begin to tremble with rage. For a brief moment, I was certain our fight would get physical until Gremory-senpai cleared her throat to gather our attention.

"Ise. Shirou. Asia. He is a professional in terms of familiars." Gremory-senpai explained. "Today we will catch familiars in this forest while receiving advice from him. Okay?"

[Yes.]

"Now, what type of familiar do you desire? Strong one? Fast one? Or one with poison? There are so many different types of familiars to capture."

I opened my mouth to say something, looking back to the others.

"Seriously. Am I the ONLY person who feels like something's being referenced here?"

And oddly enough, I was ignored.

"You must choose wisely, Fujimura-kun." Sitri-senpai said, appearing next to me. "Familiars not only perform certain tasks for their masters, but they can also specialize in fighting. You must decide what you desire your familiar to specialize in. Don't go about recklessly and choose a random monster. You must make it count."

I puffed up my cheeks, crossing my arms and ignoring the "Awww~! Shi-tan's so cuuuute~" from Serafall. "Booo~! I just wanted to get a cool-lookin' Dragon or somethin', but you're takin' the fun outta this, Senpai."

"Yeah~ Why do ya gotta be such a funkiller, So-tan~?" Sera-tan said, appearing next to me with the same look on her face and her arms crossed.

Sitri-senpai stared at us blankly. "Why...? I..." Sitri-senpai held out her hands in a "hold on" gesture, taking a calm, deep breath. "Forget it. With Onee-sama and her Queen who is so much like her, it can't be helped."

Both Sera-tan and I cocked our heads in confusion.

And what do you mean "her Queen who is so much like her"?

The Familiar Master pulled something out that looked like a catalog and pointed at a creature drawn on it that displayed great ferocity. It covered the whole page.

"If it's Dragons you want, Queen of Leviathan-sama, this is what I would recommend! One of the Dragon-Kings, Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat! It's a legendary dragon! It's also the only female among the Dragon-Kings! Even until now, there hasn't been a devil who has caught her yet! That would be obvious! Since it's said to be as strong as a Maou!"

"Whoa! Something as strong as Sera-tan!? That sounds awesome!" I cheered. "It's good that she hasn't been caught yet!"

Ise was staring at me wide-eyed. "Whaaaaat?! Even if it hasn't been caught, it's a Maou level! Are you crazy!? No matter how I look at it, it looks like the Last Boss which appears in an RPG! You! Will! DIE!"

Yumi tapped on Ise's shoulder. "Um...Judging from the stars in Shirou's eyes, I'm not quite sure he's listening."

"Eh, I kinda drifted in and out there~" I said in a whimsical voice. "So coooool~! I wanna catch me a Dragon-King~!"

Sitri-senpai sweatdropped. "I...I think I have to agree with Hyoudou on this matter. Attempting to even confront such a being would be...unpleasant."

"Can't hear yooou~! Too busy being excited over catchin' me a Dragon-King~!"

"Ara ara, I admit I'm somewhat worried that Shirou-kun may have lost his sense of realism." Akeno-san noted with a mix of amusement and nervousness on her face.

"...That's the nice way of saying he's being an idiot." Auuu! You're so harsh, Koneko-chan!

"Onee-sama, please talk some sense into your Queen," Sitri-senpai urged Sera-tan.

But it was to no avail as Sera-tan's eyes became bright with pride at the sight of her adorable servant.

"That's my Shi-tan~! He always shoots for the stars~!" Sera-tan grasped my hands in hers, both of us staring at each other with sparkling eyes. "Don't worry, Shi-tan~! I'll definitely help you catch that Dragon~!"

"Onee-sama." Sitri-senpai said in a warning tone. "Remember what happened when you tried to "help" Rias and I catch our first familiars?"

Sera-tan waved off Sitri-senpai's concerns. "Oh come oooon~! It wasn't THAT bad~!"

"You reduced Rias' bunny rabbit to ashes!" Sitri-senpai exclaimed, raising her voice.

Gremory-senpai sniffed, her eyes somewhat watery as she reflected on a sad memory. "I would've named him "Cuddles"." Akeno and Yumi ended up walking to her side, patting her on the shoulder, trying to cheer her up.

I was snapped out of my excited trance by Sitri-senpai's comment concerning Gremory-senpai's rabbit.

"Erm...On second though...maybe it would be best if I got a more lower-level familiar..."

There was a collective sigh from everyone except Sera-tan who pouted and Satooji who seemed to have failed to understand what was going on.

"Alright then!" Satooji said, regaining his previous energy, turning to another page in his book. "If you don't want Tiamat, how aboooout-This?!" He showed me another page in that book of his. He showed me a large serpent with multiple heads. It looked quite ferocious. "Hydra, an incredibly powerful poison-type familiar!"

"WHOA! SO COOOOL~!"

"Shirou-san's eyes are sparkling again." Asia noted.

"I'M GONNA CATCH ME A HYRDA~!" I cheered, pumping my fists into the air.

"YES~ I'll definitely help Shi-tan capture a Hydra~!" Sera-tan cheered as well.

"Not again..." Sitri-senpai sighed, face-palming.

"OI! Stop telling Shirou about final boss characters, you dumbaaaaaass!" Ise screamed while punching Satooji in the face. Then he turned to Gremory-senpai. "Buchou! Tell Shirou about your dead rabbit again!"

Gremory-senpai suddenly fell to her knees, her eyes watering like a child. "Cuddles..." She whined.

"Shit! S-Sorry!" Ise apologized, trying to cheer up his club president from the depression the memory of her first attempted familiar's death.

It would be so sad if it weren't so damn funny! Hahahahaha-

Then I paused, my expression and emotion level returning to normal as I realized something.

"Hmmmm..." I said, cocking my head sideways.

[Hmmmm?]

Everyone mimicked me, staring.

I frowned, crossing my arms. "Er...Weird question, but...When did the world turn upside down?" I was staring at everyone's surprised faces as they were looking up (down?) at me. But then I recognized the ground they were standing on and realized that I was the one who was upside-down.

SQWAAAAAAAK!

Eh?

I looked down (up?) to see a huge, bird-like creature with a body like a vulture...

Wait...vulture?

The creature let out loud screech similar to its previous one before flapping its giant wings, soaring higher into the air.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH!?"

Before I knew it, the vulture creature was carrying me away.

"EEEEK! Shirou-san's being kidnapped!"

"That's a Giant Vulture!" Satooji called out. "They tend to come out from time to time to swoop down on humanoid creatures! It will probably take you back to its home to eat you!"

"HOW THE FUCK DOES THAT HELP ME!?" I screamed back. "ISE! SMACK THAT IDIOT UPSIDE THE HEAD FOR ME!"

There was a loud echo-y snap sound and a subsequent "Ouch!".

"THANK YOU!"

"So worry, Shi-taaaan! I'll save you!" I heard Sera-tan call out.

"No no! Onee-sama don-!"

But it was too late. I literally FELT the large blast of demonic energy Sera-tan let out before I saw it.

It missed me only by a millimeter, hitting the vulture holding me in its vicious claws.

I remained suspended in the air for several more seconds until gravity decided to act like a smug jerk and tug me downward.

"Uh oh..."

Then I ended up free-falling through the air down into the forest below. Well...since I'm probably gonna die anyway, might as well take the Pokemon joke up a notch.

"It looks like I'm blasting off agaaaaaaain!"

Then I hit my head hard...

Shortly before darkness consumed my vision...It was the weirdest thing, but I could swear I heard a voice...

_You promised...remember Onii-chan...? You promised us we'd play again..._

* * *

Drip Drip Drop.

That was the noise I awoke to. Not just the water dripping from the ceiling that splashed against the ground, but literally, someone was saying-

"Drip drip drop." The voice said it again. It sounded playful and childish. "It's a nice sound, Onii-chan."

...Huh...? A voice...? Wait. I already knew that. Why am I acting so surprised? Perhaps it it was because before, the voice was only mimicking the sound of water dripping from the ceiling above us, not speaking any serious sentences.

Another thing I noticed when I first woke up was the fact that my head was laying on something soft. My whole body hurt, especially my head, but it was feeling better somewhat since it was laying on this soft pillow. A gentle hand was stroking the back of my head, carefully avoiding the area on my head that was injured.

It was nice and peaceful.

Of course I was going to jinx that by opening my eyes.

Despite expecting some knife at my throat or to be eaten by some random monster, I was instead looking at the face of an admittedly cute girl. She had almost pale, almost flawless skin if it weren't for that scar on her right cheek. She possessed medium-length white hair that also would have been beautiful if it hadn't been so messy and unkempt or marred by dirt. But the one thing that chilled me about her were her eyes.

They held no discernible color. They could've been gray or a dull yellow or even a grayish white and I would never be able to tell. They held this weird look. It...I couldn't really explain it. There was one major thing that told me she wasn't bad. It was the emotion that lit up across her face when she noticed I was awake.

"Onii-chan's awake." The girl said to no one in particular.

It was then that I realized something:

My head was laying in her lap.

I was getting a lap-pillow from this cute loli!

I immediately sat up, my face flushed red.

First thing I took into account:

PAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIN!

"Careful, Onii-chan." The white-haired girl warned calmly. "When you fell, you hit the ground hard. You dislocated your right arm on impact and your legs got torn off by a sharp tree branch."

My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "EEEEH?!" I immediately examined my body, fearful for the damage I sustained during my fall, fearful that I would forever be a disfigured freak.

But...there was nothing. Other than a few scratches and bruises, I was actually pretty OK.

I stared at the loli, my heart having stopped for a second at the girl's sudden words.

The loli stared with a passive expression. "Ah, that was a joke."

My eyes widened EVEN FURTHER!

"THAT is your sense of humor!?" I screamed, exasperated. "That wasn't even funny! It was more morbid than anything! Dear Maou, that was awful! Oh my...Oh my Maou...Tsubasa, I think I've found someone who tells worse jokes than you do...I mean...at least your puns and jokes are actually jokes...That was..."

After calming down from the shock caused me by that incredibly morbid joke, I examined my surroundings.

I was in a cave. That about summed it up. There was a small fire a few feet away, illuminating the area around us. The mouth of the cave wasn't too far away. I could easily just walk out.

"So...what happened?" I finally asked. I remembered being carried away by that vulture creature and then...Oh yeah. I got dropped like a dumbbell.

"Onii-chan fell down." The girl explained. "We wanted to play with Onii-chan again when he woke up, so we brought him with us back home so he wouldn't get eaten."

Part of me wondered if that was another morbid joke, but then I remembered we were in the forest of familiars. I daresay anything goes here...Wait...

Familiar forest!

"Shit! My friends are still out there!" I stood up despite the many aches my body was experiencing, bowing to the loli. "Thank you very much, miss..." I trailed off, not knowing the girls name.

"Our name is Jacqueline." The girl answered. "But...when we were still looking for Mother, people called us Jack."

"Jack, huh?" I wondered aloud. I grinned. "Well, it's been nice meeting you, Jack-chan, but I gotta get goin'! Tell your parents I am grateful for their hospitality when they get back!" Then I turned around and started to leave through the opening in the cave.

"...We don't have any."

That stopped me in my tracks. "...What?"

"We don't have any parents. We don't remember our father. We found Mother and Onii-chan, but they left again." There was a slight sadness in her tone. "When Onii-chan came back again, we were really happy...but now he's leaving again..."

...Wait. I'M her "Onii-chan"?! Do I really know her?! I don't remember her! Could she be some unknown relative?! We both have white hair so it's a possibility but I really have no memory of this girl! Which reminds me: WHY THE HELL IS SUCH A YOUNG GIRL IN THE FAMILIAR FOREST AT ALL!?

I stared at the sad look in Jack's eyes. Even if her expression remained the same as before, I could tell her sadness from her eyes.

"...No family...huh...?" Somehow, that thought struck me at my core...I kind of knew that feeling. I lost my parents at a young age...but I always had Mako-nee to look after me. Jack...she had nobody. I either was or looked like this "Onii-chan" of hers, but if he left a long time ago and never came back...

I doubted he ever would.

Jack would remain alone here in the forest until she was either killed by one of the inhabitants or died of old age.

And thus I made a choice...

"Lift." I appeared by Jack's side, utilizing my [Knight] trait. I lifted Jack and threw her right over my shoulder.

Jack stared at me with confused eyes. "...what are you doing, Onii-chan?"

"Technically-speaking," I began, "I'm kidnapping you."

…

"...Eh?"

"Well, it's hard to kidnap someone who has no home, so it's more like I'm adopting you." I clarified. I shot Jack a cheesy grin. "You're gonna become my adoptive familiar/sister~!" Hey, she's a denizen of the forest, so maybe it's possible. Neither Gremory-senpai nor Sitri-senpai said it wasn't possible to make humans or humanoid creatures my familiar. I wasn't just going to leave Jack all on her own.

I heard Jack's voice waver. "...O-Onii...chan..."

I smiled softly, setting Jack on the ground before me and hugging her close to me. "I won't leave you on your own. You won't be alone anymore, Jack." I couldn't just leave this adorable child. I would never abandon someone who is so alone. No one should go through that kind of suffering. "So let's go. All of your new friends are waiting to meet you."

"...Onii-chan..." Jack looked so happy that it appeared she would start crying. For the first time, she was smiling at me. So cuuuuuute~ "We can really go with Onii-chan?"

"Yep yep!" I confirmed. "And hey, maybe we can find your "Mother" while we're at it! And we'll play lots and lots while we're at it!"

Jack sniffled, doing her best to suppress tears. "Y-You promise, Onii-chan?"

To be honest, I had no idea if Jack's mother was even still alive. But I wanted to give this girl something to hope for.

"Hells yeah!" I pumped my fist into the air. The look on the loli's face was so incredibly happy.

"Oniiiii-chaaaaaaan!" Jack broke out into tears, pressing her face against my chest, letting loose tears of joy.

Auuuuuuu~! She's so cuuuute~!

"Onii-chan! Onii-chan Onii-chan Onii-chan!"

Truly adopting such an adorable little sister would be worth any kind of beating Mako-nee would give me~!

I held Jack close, letting her vent her happiness. Even if I wasn't really her "Onii-chan", I would rather let her have this blissful lie than whatever bitter truth would await her should we ever find her "Mother" or "Onii-chan". It was difficult to discern her true age, but I was fairly certain that Jack was, at least mentally, a child.

After Jack had finally calmed down, I released her from my arms. The moment I set her down, Jack quickly grabbed hold of my hand. She looked up at me, still smiling.

I smiled back. Together, we made our way out of the cave Jack had apparently been living in...It would be tough, but maybe I could convince Sera-tan, Gremory-senpai, or maybe Sitri-senpai to provide somewhere to live for Jack. Like Hell I'm gonna let her stay in this forest. What with the monsters and demons wandering around-

Grrrrrrr

I frowned, looking at Jack.

Jack stared in confusion. "What's wrong, Onii-chan?"

"W-Was that your stomach?"

Jack quickly shook her head. "No."

That only confused me more. "Huh? But then what was?"

KREEEEEEEEEE

"It looks like Mr. Lion Bird is awake." Jack answered with a passive and calm expression in response to that unbelievably loud, shrieking roar. "This is near his nest after all."

"...N-Nest...?"

STOMP STOMP

The very ground shook violently. I could hear the sound of violent breathing. A large shadow fell upon Jack and I, throwing us into an area of temporary darkness.

I sighed. "When I look behind me, there's going to be a giant monster, isn't there?" While hesitant, I slowly turned my head to look behind me.

Standing behind me was a behemoth of a beast. It possessed feline-like paws and claws, its torso overall resembling that of a lion, including its tail. Its head, however, appeared to look like that of a giant bird...and it had wings.

Huge? Check. Weird appearance? Check. Gives off the aura that it's gonna kill me? Check-a-roo.

Yep. This is definitely a giant monster.

KREEEEEEEEEE

…Well shit.

* * *

**Issei's POV...**

Stupid Shirou. Stupid forest. Stupid fucking Sprite Dragon!

Our group was currently wandering through the forest, looking for our resident jackass.

If you were wondering why Satooji and I were two crispy critters, then the answer to that is: Slime and Sprite Dragons.

After that vulture thing got toasted by Leviathan-sama and dropped Shirou in some random area of the forest, we had been looking for our white-haired friend. Buchou didn't want to waste an opportunity though, so we decided to continue searching for our familiars while we searched for Shirou.

Man...I found this awesome slime that had the power to melt girls' clothes, but Leviathan-sama blew it away after she caught it going after Kaichou, screaming something like "Only me and Shi-tan get to see under So-tan's clothes!". We found Asia a baby Sprite Dragon, but it attacked me and Satooji. It has no problem with girls apparently...

SO JEALOUS! That little bastard got to nuzzle against Asia's breasts like a smug jerk! Thinking he's so smooth! I hate him! He's like a mini-Shirou!

The worst part is that, when I mentioned this jokingly to Asia, she smiled and agreed, deciding to call the little bastard "Rairou". Personally, I thought the name wasn't very tasteful, but Asia wanted to use the last part of Shirou's name because the two were apparently so much alike.

When we find Shirou, I'm gonna punch him in his face!

"_RUN AWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!"_

Eh?

Out of the blue, a familiar figure came leaping out of the brush, carrying something under his arm.

[Shirou!]

We all called out in perfect unison.

Shirou suddenly stopped in front of us, gasping for breath, holding something under his ar-Is that a girl?

Then aloud, I repeated the question. "Is that a girl?" Shirou panted, looking behind him as if expecting something to jump out. "Why the Hell are you carrying a girl!? Where did you even get that girl from, idiot!?"

"Onii-chan's not an idiot." The girl said, a cute yet passive expression on her face.

O-Onii-chan?

I felt an arrow pierce my heart. I started crying. "Goddammit...the bastard's really done it...He got the "Little Sister Route"! Damn you to HELL, Shirou!"

"I-Issei, I'd really love to rub salt on the wound with many jokes and quips and just screwing with you," Shirou started, still on high-alert, "but we really gotta get outta here!"

"Shiiiiii-taaaaaaan~!" Then the guy was immediately glomped by Leviathan-sama who nuzzled her face affectionately against Shirou's, hugging him tightly against her glorious oppai. "I'm so glad you're okaaaaay~! Your adorable Sera-tan was so worried about yoooou~!"

Bastard...I would kill to be him right now!

But the odd thing was, Shirou looked like he was desperately trying to get AWAY for some reason.

"T-That's nice and all, Sera-tan, but we really gotta-!"

KREEEEEEEEEE

A deafening, bird-like screech ripped through the air, almost ripping apart my ear drums.

"What the fu-"

That was when the giant beast suddenly burst through the brush, ripping up all of its surroundings as it tore through the forest.

Before any of us could react, the creature let loose a powerful beat of its wings, creating gusts that knocked those of us less-experienced Devils (mainly me, Shirou, and Asia) off of our feet and flying backwards.

"A Wild Griffin has appeared!"

"You think we don't fucking know that?!" I screamed at that damned familiar master-in-training or whatever, Satooji. "You think we don't see the ten foot tall winged monster!? We're not blind! We see the goddamned Griffin that just appeared!" All I wanted was to get a sexy, female, human-looking familiar who I could do ecchi things with, but I've been getting into one mess after another ever since I entered this goddamned forest! It was only natural to feel frustrated. Not to mention...

"Are you okay, Jack?" I turned my head towards Shirou who...

There was a long pause as we all gradually turned our head, remembering our newest...companion.

She was a young girl with snow-white hair, the same color as Shirou's. I was tempted to ponder if she was a relative...but then that would've made the position they were in seem even more wrong.

Shirou was on all fours, hovering over the girl's, Jack's, body, his hands above her shoulders, giving an appearance as if he were pinning her to the ground...

Jack-san stared up at Shirou with admiring eyes. "Thanks to Onii-chan...You protected us. Thank you."

...and now it was even more misleading.

"So, who's this now, Shirou?" Kiba asked Shirou...but I knew the question wasn't innocent. There was a slight malicious aura hanging around the blonde bishoujo.

"Ah! Shirou-san's gone and captured the heart of another mistress!" Asia said, burying her face in her hands. "I have not been regulating his desire! I am truly failing in my duties as his wife! To think he would fall to doing such things with a child..."

"You had best have an explanation for this, Fujimura-kun." Even Kaichou seemed to be upset about something.

"No fair! No fair!" Leviathan-sama was literally kicking and screaming like a child throwing a tantrum. "The only ones allowed to be in such positions with Shi-tan is me and So-taaaaan!"

"O-Onee-sama!" Kaichou shouted, her face turning a slight pink color. "Don't include me in your perverted fantasies!"

Shirou frowned, as if unaware of what everyone was upset about. Then he looked back to Jack-san.

His face slowly filled up with blood, the redness rising like the mercury in a thermometer.

"E-EEEEH!?" He quickly stood up, waving his hands frantically. "H-Hold o-on, you guys! It's not what it looks like! I mean, you-!"

KREEEEEEEEE

Shit! We forgot about the-!

SMACK

Pain coursed through my body as I was swatted aside easily by a single paw of that creature, being sent flying until I smashed into something that felt suspiciously like a tree.

"Gak!" I was certain that I would feel that in the morning.

[Ise!]

I heard two concerned voices calling out to me, Shirou's and Buchou's. After growing accustomed to my pain, I opened my eyes to see everyone else standing at attention, ready to fight the Griffin. Asia rushed to my side and started using her Sacred Gear to heal my injuries. Already my pain started to fade away.

Buchou's eyes were intense. "For harming my adorable servant, I'll blow you away!" She prepared to fire off her [Power of Destruction] to eliminate the Griffin.

"I will aid you, Rias." Kaichou stood beside Buchou, preparing her own demonic powers.

But then the most shocking thing happened.

The Griffin completely disregarded everyone! No, it's attention seemed to be focused on something else. It turned towards-

"Shi-tan! Look out!" Leviathan-sama seemed to have been too surprised to fully react.

The Griffin lashed out with its paw again, ready to squish Shirou like a bug. Shirou raised his arms in defense, but he probably expected the worst-case scenario.

"Look out, Onii-chan!"

Jack-san suddenly shoved Shirou out of the way, but there was no stopping the Griffin. The poor white-haired loli stood no chance, getting crushed under the massive paw of the wild Griffin.

"JACK! NOOOO!" Shirou screamed in horror at the sight before him.

"I'll get'em!" Leviathan-sama pulled out something like a magical girl's wand and aimed at the Griffin.

"No, Onee-sama!" Kaichou immediately pushed Leviathan-sama's arm, throwing off her aim. Kaichou gave Leviathan-sama a stern and disapproving look. "You can't unleash even a slimmer of your power! You might risk injuring Fujimura or that child!"

"But..." Even one of the most powerful Devils could do nothing in such a situation. This was one of the few situations in which she was lost.

As it turned out, she didn't need to do a single thing.

"YOU STUPID BIRD-CAT CREATRURE! LET HER GOOOOO!" Shirou suddenly charged the wild creature. It was an idiotic move, charging a beast several times larger than himself...but I won't lie. If that girl meant something to him, I can't say I wouldn't do the EXACT SAME THING in his shoes. When it comes to people we care about, Shirou and I were both idiots.

KREEEEEEEEE

The Griffin raised its paw once more to crush or perhaps rip apart Shirou.

"SHUT THE FUCK UUUUUP!" Then the white-haired idiot threw his fist forward to meet the attack of the Griffin. I was fairly certain he would be crushed, but the moment his fist met the Griffin's paw, the Griffin's attack stopped in its tracks. For a moment, I thought that the Griffin had decided to respond with mercy. Then I noticed Shirou's open hand...

Shirou had CAUGHT the Griffin's attack with one hand. His left arm was trembling somewhat from the strain of holding back, but Shirou showed no signs of falling.

"I said: LET JACK GO!" Shirou shoved forwards with both hands with all of his might.

I don't know who was more surprised: Us or the Griffin.

I mean...Shirou just looked so strong shoving away a beast several times his size, knocking it flat on its hindquarters.

With the Griffin dealt with for the moment, Shirou ran over to his fallen friend.

"Jack! Jack, are you alright?!" Shirou knelt by the little girl's side, a worried expression quickly replacing his angry one.

With Asia's help, I walked over to Jack, wondering how to cheer Shirou up...Jack-san wasn't opening her eyes.

Shirou shook Jack-san as hard as he could. "Jack! Come on, Jack! Wake up!"

"Yes, Onii-chan." Jack-san sat up so suddenly that we all fell back from surprise.

"S-She's alright?!" Kiba shouted out in surprise.

"...Not possible." Koneko-chan said.

"I-Is she really fine?" Asia asked, even more worried.

But Shirou didn't seem to care, he just smiled, hugging Jack close to him. "I'm glad you're okay, Jack...I though, for a moment, that you had died..."

KREEEEEEEEEE

Shirou frowned. "Hold on a sec." He turned around and faced the Griffin which was suddenly charging him.

Leviathan-sama smiled brightly, once again raising her wand. "Alright then~! Let me take care of this, Shi-tan~!"

Shirou waved off Leviathan-sama's concern, grinning. "Neh. This thing's pissed me off, so now it's personal. Gimme a sec." Shirou then turned nonchalantly to the Griffin once more, raising his fist. "Shitty bird...FLY AWAY!"

The Griffin's headfirst charge was met by Shirou's fist.

While Shirou's fist didn't exactly send the Griffin flying, I'd dare say he did a fair amount of damage with the rough uppercut he delivered to the Griffin, sending in flopping right onto it's back.

Shirou's grin widened. "And that's how it's done!" He started rolling arm, as if trying to stretch his stiff arms. "Damn, I think I pulled a muscle or something."

Jack's eyes widened. She stared at Shirou, an expression somewhat similar to fear and shock crossing her face. "Onii-chan got hurt because of Mr. Lion Bird?"

Shirou frowned. "Well, I wouldn't say it hurt me, but-"

Then the little girl was gone.

SHIIIIING

KREEEE KREEEEEEEEE

We all weren't sure how or when...but when we had turned back to the Griffin, a shocking sight awaited us.

"This is for hurting Onii-chan." Jack-san spoke with the same monotone she held before, only this time, holding a powerful edge as she stabbed a large knife, one that we observed her drawing out of thin air, through one of the Griffin's four limbs. The Griffin let out pained screech. Jack-san was clearly twisting the knife on purpose to increase the pain the Griffin was suffering. The worst part of it all was the passive expression on her face. She showed no response to the pain she was causing another living being. "We'll punish you for hurting Onii-chan." She stabbed another knife into the adjacent leg of the Griffin, causing it to screech out further in pain.

I admit the Griffin had some punishment coming to it, but this was...sadistic.

"Jack-san!" Kaichou took several steps forward, a stern expression on her face. "That's enough! I-"

In a split second, Jack-san used the same speed she used before to suddenly appear in front of Kaichou. She held her knife at Kaichou's throat.

"E-Even I didn't see her that time!" Kiba admitted.

"Sona!" Buchou called for her friend (at least, I assume the two are friends). Then she glared at Jack-san. "I now recognize you for what you are. No human could move as such a speed. You are an Evil Spirit!"

Jack-san cocked her head sideways, as if not understanding Buchou's accusation. "Evil Spirit? We are Jack. We were just protecting Onii-chan. The monster made Onii-chan hurt. This girl wanted to spare the monster. So she must also want to her our Onii-chan." She gave Kaichou an empty stare. "So I have to kill her before she does hurt Onii-chan." She...The worst part was, in Jack's mind, I don't think she understands that what she's doing is wrong. She wasn't evil. She just possessed a child's ignorance.

"...Evil Spirit..." Leviathan-sama spoke up suddenly...but the volume of her voice, it was...lower. Less excited. She was still smiling, but I felt the warmth fade away entirely, being replaced by a cold feeling. Literally. The temperature of the air literally dropped. I could tell because Asia started to shiver next to me. "...are you threatening my precious Sona?" Then she vanished.

Seriously! Am I the ONLY person who can't move fast like a fucking ninja!?

Leviathan-sama appeared behind Jack-san, grabbing her by the collar and yanking her backwards. Jack didn't seem to feel threatened despite the fact that a Maou was holding her life in her hands.

Leviathan-sama looked like she ready to blow Jack-san away with her power. "There are only a few things I can never ignore or forget Evil Spirit, the number one thing being threats or violence against my beloved little sister." Then she wrapped her hand around Jack-san's throat. "If you apologize now, I might just forgive you."

"Onee-sama..." Kaichou was clearly shocked by her sister's current state. Leviathan-sama looked ready to kill. It just didn't seem natural.

"So fragile...I wonder how resilient this body is...how long would it take to snap..." It was hard to tell who Leviathan-sama was speaking to. Her grasp around the young child's neck began to tighten. "Just one little squeeze-"

"Serafall, stop!" Leviathan-sama was jerked forward, causing her to drop Jack, as Shirou tackled her from behind, wrapping his arms around her and placing his hands gently on her breasts...Lucky bastard is copping a feel off of the Maou Leviathan-sama! "You can't hurt her!"

"...Shi-tan..." Leviathan-sama blinked once, then twice, finally snapping out of her trance.

"I know Jack did something bad and she needs to be punished for that, but don't kill her!" Shirou begged. "She's just a lonely child! She didn't have a family or anyone looking out for her or to teach her to distinguish right from wrong. She's just over-protective is all. I'm the only family she has right now. Could you really imagine yourself doing anything different if Sona were put in harm's way?"

Leviathan-sama jerked back as if pierced by an imaginary arrow.

From my perspective, Shirou hit all of the critical points, saying everything he needed to draw in Leviathan-sama's sympathy towards Jack. Whether this was by manipulation or in the heat of passion, I had no idea. Shirou was smart. It could've been either way.

"Please, Sera-tan..." Shirou gave his [King] a look like that of a puppy dog.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRRMMMM!" Leviathan-sama was clearly undergoing mental conflict. Her eyes were closed tight and it looked like her body was fighting against itself, trying to decide between going through with punishment or to spare the child who threatened her beloved sister.

Shirou turned his head towards Kaichou, his eyes begging her for help.

I looked from them to the little "Evil Spirit" known as Jack. She apparently didn't even recognize that she was in a life-or-death situation and seemed to be staring in wonder at her surroundings, her eyes observing the plentiful trees and darkness around us. She truly was a child. She didn't realize she was in trouble unless she was being yelled at.

Kaichou closed her eyes, thinking deeply on this. "It is a hard choice really. While the child is young, she clearly possesses inhuman abilities as an [Evil Spirit]..."

It was at this point that Buchou voiced her opinion. "Then wouldn't it be better to care for and nurture her heart to recognize friend from foe? She clearly has some sort of special connection to Shirou-kun, so perhaps he could be her "leash" so-to-speak. She might listen to him. And since she is not entirely human, it IS technically possible to make her Shirou's familiar. I think we should at least give her a second chance, Sona. Do you really want to have Shirou watch his master, someone who is very important to him, kill another person who is dear to him?"

And here I thought that Shirou was the only one who knew how to poke the soft spots on a person's conscience...

After considering Buchou's argument, Kaichou sighed. "Very well then." Then she addressed her sister. "Onee-sama, I will agree with Fujimura-kun's and Rias' judgment on this. I am willing to forgive the Evil Spirit, Jack. However," She turned to Shirou, "Can I trust that you will keep her under control? Should she attempt something on someone much less prepared, it could end in tragedy."

Shirou nodded quickly. "Yes, Senpai! You have my word I'll keep Jack out of trouble!" Then he turned to Leviathan-sama. "Please...Please let her go, Sera-tan...?"

For a brief moment, Leviathan-sama hesitated.

Then-

"SHIIIII-TAAAAAAAAAAAAN~!" Leviathan-sama immediately dropped the loli she had been about to strangle onto the ground, turning around and wrapping up her servant in an incredibly tight bear-hug. "Auuuuuu! I'm so sorry for making you feel so sad, Shi-taaaan~! Forgive me!" She was crying admittedly comical tears, nuzzling against Shirou.

The dangerous feeling in the air gradually faded away as Shirou was reduced to nothing more than a comfort toy for Leviathan-sama.

"Auuuu..." It was when I heard her crying slightly that I remembered Asia was still next to me, having observed that whole thing. Considering the fact she was Shirou's "fiancee", she probably didn't enjoy seeing him in the arms of another woman...

Shirou, I hate and envy you...

"Ah! Wait a sec!" Shirou snuck out of Leviathan-sama's grasp and moved over to Jack-san who was sitting on her knees, watching with a strange expression on her face... "Jack, come here."

No sooner than Shirou finished his command did the white-haired loli appear in front of him.

"Apologize to Sona. It's not nice to hurt your new Onee-chan with sharp things." He sounded as if he was scolding a child.

What the Hell, Shirou!? You're making it sound like she was running around with scissors! At least show a bit more discipline in your tone!

Jack cocked her head sideways in confusion. "Onee-chan? We don't understand."

"Remember how I said I'd be taking you to a new family...?" Shirou asked...Eh? New family? What's he talking about?...Shirou gestured towards all of us. "This is them...well, most of them. They're all your new family. Family, friends, that's what we are now. You're a part of this now. Sona is also your Onee-chan now..."

"No I'm n-" Kaichou tried to object.

"-Yes you are!" Shirou cut her off sharply, shooting her a sharp look. His expression softened as he turned back to Jack. "We...Jack, what's wrong?"

Jack's eyes suddenly went wide, she started clutching her head as if in pain.

"No...Nononono," She began to mutter to herself. "We didn't mean to...We didn't mean to be bad. We didn't want Onii-chan to get hurt, we didn't mean to be bad. Bad means bad things. Bad things make Onii-chan leave. Onii-chan will leave because we were bad, but we didn't mean to be bad-"

Curious as to what was going on with this girl, I walked over to her, reaching out to nudge her shoulder.

"Hey, you okay?"

"STAY AWAY!"

GAH!

Before I could even get close, Jack lashed out with another knife she pulled out of the air. I managed to avoid having my hand removed from my arm, but Jack still attacked fast enough to leave an incredibly deep gash.

I started using my sleeve to suppress the blood flow coming from my wound, red starting to stain my jacket.

"Jack! Calm down!"

"NO! NONONONO!" Jack screamed, falling into an incredible panic, her body trembling something fierce. "JACK WAS BAD! JACK WAS BAD BEFORE AND NO ONE WOULD BE HER MOTHER! WE WOULD NOT BE TAKEN BY MOTHER! WE WERE ALONE BECAUSE WE WERE BAD!" Tears began to stream uncontrollably down the sides of her face. "MOTHER AND ONII-CHAN LEFT BECAUSE WE WERE BAD! WE WERE BAD WHEN WE ATTACKED ONEE-CHAN! ONII-CHAN'S GONNA LEAVE BECAUSE WE WERE BAD!"

"Jack! It's alright! It's alright!" Shirou quickly wrapped his arms around the young girl, holding her tightly despite the fact she thrashing wildly, doing her best to break free. "You don't have to be afraid anymore!...Jack, I promised you wouldn't be alone anymore. I promised...And I never break my promises. It's fine. You're not in trouble, Jack...It's okay..." Shirou continued calmly holding the crying Jack in his arms. It was weird seeing him like this. He was completely different from normal. He was much calmer, somewhat sadder yet more compassionate.

"Onii-chan...We don't wanna be away from Onii-chan again..."

And so we were all left staring at the Evil Spirit-no-the CHILD that laid in Shirou's arms. There was no doubt by this point that this girl, Jack, was truly a child. A sad, lonely child.

What little hostility Leviathan-sama had towards the child that threatened her sister had vanished.

We remained in peaceful silence for a long while...

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

It had taken twenty minutes, but Jack fell asleep in my arms peacefully.

I carried her as we began to make our way back to the magic circle in order to return home. After we had such an eventful day, it would be good for all of us to get some rest.

As it turned out, not only can I get Jack as my adorable familiar even though she's an Evil Spirit, but I also caught that Griffin. Yeah, after Yumi threatened the bird-brain with her swords, it seemed fairly willing to form a contract with me.

I smiled at the girl who slept peacefully in my arms, laying her adorable head against my chest.

This poor child...What suffering she must've endured being alone for so long...

Sera-tan threw a fit about not being the one to be held in my arms or something, but Sitri-senpai calmed her down quickly enough. Sera-tan was sulking and mumbling during the entire trip, but she finally gave in to mine and Senpai's wishes and trudged on ahead of us, her head hanging in disappointment.

"It looks like Jacqueline-san is sleeping peacefully."

I don't know how, but Sitri-senpai and I just ended up walking next to one another.

"Yeah..." I agreed. There was a small pause. "Hey, Senpai...I'm...I'm really sorry about Jack...about how she-"

"It's fine." Senpai cut me off. "What worries me most is whether or not her behavior will improve or deteriorate with your influence."

"You don't have to worry, Senpai." I assured her. "I'll take full responsibility over Jack. I won't let her cause trouble. I promised Jack that I wouldn't leave her alone and I promised Sera-tan that I wouldn't let Jack hurt anyone else. I'll definitely keep both of these."

"That is good. I do not wish for Onee-sama to require to take certain actions in response to any of that girl's infractions."

"Yeah..." Then a chilling thought occurred to me. "Hey, Senpai...What was with Serafall earlier?" I remembered how she was acting earlier...the kind and lovable master I had come to care for, she had been nowhere to be seen. Instead, a colder, more malicious presence appeared...the presence that chilled my very core.

Senpai stopped so suddenly in her tracks, causing me to react too slowly and almost bump into her. I stared at her in confusion, but my Senpai refused to meet my gaze.

"Fujimura...Despite how she seems, Onee-sama is even more protective of her loved ones when those of the Gremory's." Senpai explained, still avoiding my gaze. "And with that, there is a side to Onee-sama that must never be awakened. Something that only appears when someone she cares for is harmed."

"...What do you mean?"

"You obviously saw it earlier, Fujimura." Senpai stated. "Do not fool yourself. If you had not spoken up, Onee-sama WOULD have killed Jacqueline. You may not fully understand it, but your role as Onee-sama's [Queen] is much more important than you realize. Not just because Onee-sama is a Maou-sama. No matter what misfortune occurs, you must remain strong for Onee-sama. She has come to care for you as much as she does for me, and that is truly saying something. You may be the only one truly able to prevent such a fearsome person from appearing from within Onee-sama again. Remember that, Fujimura."

With those words, Senpai started walking ahead of me.

I remained frozen in place...

That ice-cold atmosphere...that sensation of death in the air...it hadn't been my imagination...

Serafall would have killed Jack, maybe even me along with her if Senpai hadn't supported me and if I tried to step between them.

I looked on at my master who walked with the others...this feeling in my chest...There was no joking this time. Without a doubt...

-I was terrified of Serafall Leviathan-No. I was afraid of the hidden side of her.

But I still cared for her. So in order to protect her true self, I will do my best to protect her from pain and suffering. I won't let anyone she loves be hurt!

I will definitely protect Serafall from becoming that terrifying person!

**And done. After almost a month, I am done. I'm sorry for the long wait everybody. Between school and my bratty baby brother who seems determined to throw a tantrum every time I get inspiration, it just didn't come together...plus it was hard trying to write Jack and I was always on the fence for what I did with Serafall.**

**And for the record, YES. I did indeed try to write (SPOILERS!...not really. Nothing big.) Jack the Ripper, Assassin of Black from Fate/Apocrypha...In DxD, she is an "Evil" Spirit. But what history does she have with Shirou I wonder~?**

**Another thing for the record: Yes. That slight OOCness from Serafall was ON PURPOSE. I'm adding a bit of depth to her cheery personality. I mean, her and the other Maous have been alive for something like 200+ years. You honestly expect me to believe they've been exactly the same for all of their lives? A-No thank you. I don't buy it.**

**PS: I'm thinking about doing a Q&amp;A chapter soon~ If you have any questions you want me to answer, I'll be sure to answer them to the best of my abilities in the colorful Q&amp;A chapter~**

**PPS: I'm sorry the quality of the chapter got lower near the end. I just wanted to get this done. I'm sorry.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	10. Life 9: No Rest For The Weary

**….And now we start Volume 2!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING.**

****Life 9: No Rest For The Weary****

__There were a whole bunch of blinding bright lights.__

__I recognized this dream from before. Sometimes, when I was really lucky, I would have this dream.__

__I was standing at a beautiful chapel that was all white, dressed in a tuxedo. I knew, as a Devil, me marrying this beautiful human girl would never end well because I would outlive her by thousands of years, but that didn't stop me from always enjoying this particular dream.__

__All of my family and friends were in seats, gathered together before the chapel.__

_"___NO! For that bastard to get married like this...!"__

_"___It has to be some kind of mistake! Some kind of trick!"__

_"_I'm happy for him, but I hate him so much at the same time!"__

__The Perverted Trio were staring jealously, crying.__

_"_Congrats."__

__Karlamine was speaking through clenched teeth, clearly either unhappy or upset. Tsubasa, Ruruko, and Momo were just glaring at me. Yikes__

_"___Just be sure to be safe. Use protection, my beloved Otouto."__

__...even in my dreams, Mako-nee was embarrassing me...__

__It was obviously some kind of wedding scene. I straightened my bow tie, ready to receive my beloved bride who was currently walking up the aisle, a veil over her face.__

__I knew the girl's face at the present only because she sent me a postcard once the previous year.__

__My bride eventually made it to the chapel and stood beside me, staring at me through her veil.__

_"___Glad you could make it, I-" But then she removed her veil and I was shocked by the face underneath. "S-Serafall!?"__

__Rather than beautiful brown hair, I was greeted by the raven-haired beauty that was master who was smiling happily at me. I looked off to the side of the room to see Yumi, Koneko-chan, Akeno-san, and even the three Fallen Angels, all clapping their hands to congratulate me and Serafall. Apparently Jack and a crying Asia had somehow ended up being bridesmaids.__

_"___You really shouldn't look at other women when I'm right next to you, Shi-tan." I snapped my head back towards Serafall, still surprised by the turn this dream had taken.__

_"___Eh? S-Sorry, Sera-tan."__

__I...Why was I marrying Serafall when I was in love with someone else?...I mean...__

__I wasn't complaining. I mean, I deeply respect, admire, and deeply care for Serafall, but...__

__Why wasn't I objecting? Despite the fact that my heart belonged to another girl, I felt strangely happy as I looked at Sera-tan...__

__I didn't pay attention to the geezer who was saying wedding vows...I just...__

_"___Do you, Serafall Leviathan, take him, Shirou Fujimura, to be your lawfully wedded husband? T___o ___have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"__

__Sera-tan seemed really happy. "I do."__

__The geezer turned to me. "And do you, Shirou Fujimura, take her, Serafall Leviathan, to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, until death do you part?"__

__I felt myself blushing deeply. "I do." Those words filled me with such warmth...the same way I felt when I said them the other times I had the dream with my true love.__

_"___Then by the power invested in me, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."__

__K-Kiss!?__

__Serafall grabbed my hands and was still smiling at me shortly before closing her eyes and puckering her lips.__

__KIIIIIIISSSS!?__

__I desperately looked off to the side, looking for some way to wake me up from this dream.__

__I couldn't kiss Serafall! She's my master! I...__

__But then I looked back at Serafall, noticing her incredibly soft-looking lips. I blushed even more deeply.__

__Well...it WAS a dream after all...__

__My heart beating incredibly hard in my chest, I closed my eyes and also leaned forward to kiss Serafall-__

[So, this is the one who is my current partner...]

I was suddenly surrounded by darkness.

"What happened to the liiii-HOLY SHIT!"

When I turned around, I saw a terrifying yet magnificent creature. It had the appearance of a giant, white, lizard-like creature that stood on four legs, leathery (or perhaps bat-like) wings growing from tits back, and a long, muscular tail. It also possessed blue eyes and two gold horns. It radiated a brilliant white glow. With that glow came a powerful sensation. The sensation that this grand being could crush me like a cockroach at any moment.

[Your power has grown in such a short amount of time. It's impressive that you can already hear my voice so soon after awakening.]

I stared at the powerful creature. It was a long-shot, but...

"Are...Are you Albion? The Vanishing Dragon?"

[Indeed I am. I am the one who resides within you. I am impressed that you recognized me so quickly.

"Well, it's not like there are any other white Dragons who I know of..."

Then a thought occurred to me:

OH MY GOD! DID I DIE!? IS THIS THE ABYSS!?

[No. I assure you that your body is very much alive and well. No harm has come to you.]

I covered my hands with my mouth, my eyes wide.

You can hear my thoughts?!

[In a way, yes. We share a vessel. I can hear your words as you can hear mine.]

Well...that's neat. So I can finally talk to you. But why am I here? Why are you calling me now? Honestly, I would have REALLY appreciated some kind of help when I was being held prisoner by the Fallen Angels Thanks for that.

[My apologies, but you were not yet at a level where you could truly hear my voice and understand my words. The reason I have brought you into this realm within yourself is to properly introduce myself to you. I am the Vanishing Dragon, Albion. I am also known as the [White Dragon Emperor].]

I see.

[...You're taking this awfully calmly.]

Well, between getting killed, becoming a Devil, learning my Sacred Gear has the power of a Dragon, being kidnapped by Fallen Angels, learning my master is a Maou, and almost being eaten by a Griffin, I think I've learned to stop being surprised by things like this.

I bowed my head.

It's nice to meet you. My name is Shirou Fujimura, [Queen] of the Maou Leviathan. I look forward to working with you.

[Hehe. You are an amusing person, I admit. I can say you are certainly one of the more interesting partners I've had. You will wake soon, so let us speak again, partner.]

And then everything completely faded away into darkness.

* * *

I slowly opened my eyes to see the familiar ceiling of my bedroom.

I sighed. "Well, here's to a hopefully long partnership, Albion." I just stared upward, reminiscing about my dream.

My conversation with Albion wasn't the part I was so focused on. It had been the dream before my conversation with the Vanishing Dragon that was really bothering me.

W-Was I really about to marry Serafall? I didn't have feelings for her like that! If anyone, I would marry Ruruko, Iri, or maybe even Karlamine, but I have yet to build any real romantic chemistry with my adorable master. I cared deeply for her, but not to the point of love.

"Chu-!" A sudden adorable noise drew my attention to something.

Every man has imagined it at least once.

About how a cute girl snuck into your bed before you woke up.

A warm and soft sensation. A faint sweet fragrance.

The girl saying a little bit embarrassed, but with a smile- Morning.

That was a happiness only granted to a limited amount of people.

"….."

However, on this morning I was suddenly waking up from a feeling of suffocation, or at least put into a situation close to it. It wasn't because of my dream. The feeling of suffocation originated from something else.

The origin was- a little girl under the blanket in the bed I was laying in. The little girl had crawled up below the blanket, right into the T-shirt I was wearing.

Moreover, the little girl's adorable face was right in front of my eyes. In other words, the little girl's head shot out of the collar, where my head was already coming out.

"Good morning, Onii-chan."

"Jack…? Eh, wait a sec... Uwah!?"

Since we were stuck together face-to-face, not even the slightly movement was possible.

-No, physically it wasn't impossible. The wide T-shirt I wore instead of a pajamas was made of a good material and possessed great flexibility. But- even though it was made like that, would it endure this excess?

"W-What are you doing here, Jack!?"

My familiar/little sister looked at me with those sleepy eyes of hers. "We were cold, so we slept in Onii-chan's bed during the night."

I stared at her with half-lidded eyes. "No. I mean, why are you sleeping in my shirt?"

Jack still stared, deadpan. "We were cold, so we slept in Onii-chan's bed during the night. Onii-chan is the warmest, so we wanted to be as close as possible."

"Yeah, but-" Then I realized it. The intense warmth on my chest. It wasn't the type of warmth one could get solely while hugging. Even if we had been like this forever, there would be so much sweat between our bodies...then I realized the softness. There was a softness pressing against my chest. A type of softness that I knew I could never misplace. "Jack...are you naked under my shirt?"

"It was the most effective way to share Onii-chan's warmth." She did not even try to deny it!

My face lit up a bright shade of red.

"Eeeeeeeh?!" I sat up suddenly, causing Jack to sit up in my lap, our bare chests brushing up against one another.

"Ah!" Jack let out a small squeak, her cheeks turning the slightest color of pink despite her expression remaining passive. I felt what I suspected to be her nipples perk up slightly due to the sudden physical movement they felt.

While erotic, it made me feel icky inside. Jack was a child...I think. I dunno. She could be anywhere between 10 and 15. It's hard to tell. I wasn't a lolicon, so regardless, this felt very uncomfortable to me.

"OK then...can I ask which pervert gave you the suggestion to try something like that to warm yourself?" I asked, trying to maintain a calm tone despite the fact a naked loli was in my shirt, pressed against my chest.

Jack didn't say anything, but she looked down to her right. I looked in the same direction.

"Oooh...So-tan...of course I'll get you and Shi-tan ready...no...I don't mind massaging the...Zzzzzz..."

Sera-tan slept peacefully naked, a perverted and lewd expression on her face as she experienced what I suspected to be a threesome dream.

I stared blankly.

"Nope. Still not surprised." Of course it was my master who had some of the most perverted fantasies. Honestly, I think she would get along great with Ise. But still, to suggest something to a child like Jack, I mean...

Well, Jack IS an [Evil Spirit] so to speak. She's technically been dead for a long while, her spirit taking a corporeal form due to not being able to pass on, most likely due to some regret or sin that they cannot let go. Something that prevents her from being at peace.

That only made it even harder to imagine what age she could be. She could be anywhere between 10 and hundreds of years old since you're appearance doesn't really change after you die...Reincarnated Devils are excluded from this because we're brought back from the dead and continue LIVE living. Not fake-living like Jack does. T-That's not to say I don't consider Jack an important person! I'm glad she's "alive", but I mean I'm just saying-

"Wake up, Serafall!" I screamed, trying to escape my own mental flustering.

"Nyuuuuuu~!" My master complained, tossing and turning in response to my loud voice. Her breasts swayed back and forth as she moved.

I sighed. She was so difficult in the morning...Who am I kidding? My master, while adorable, was ALWAYS difficult.

Then a teasing grin appeared on my face as I eyed her voluptuous breasts.

"Oh, Sera-tan~! If you don't wake up soon, I might just do ecchi things to you~!" I made suggestive gestures with my hands, still grinning. For the record: I had been joking.

That's why I had been surprised by her response:

"If it's with Shirou, then I wouldn't mind." Serafall opened her eyes slowly. She had a small smile, small compared to her usual perky and overly-cheerful smiles. There was a light blush on her face and she was staring at me lovingly.

I felt my blush deepen at the pure emotion she was showing. Was this a morning thing? I've never seen Serafall like THIS.

"We would also like to do ecchi things with Onii-chan." Jack chirped without shame.

"Jack! No! Bad! You're too young to think about such things!"

"Sera-nee said that if she got you to do ecchi things with her, I could join."

"Dammit, Serafall! Don't put such thoughts into Jack's head!"

"I just wanna share Shi-tan with my new adorable little sister~! Teehee~!"

"No "Teehee~!", Jack is a child, Serafall! That's not legal! Be serious heeeeere!"

I sighed.

To think I had actually thought my master had matured...

But when I saw that adorable smile of hers, I couldn't help but forgive her. I love seeing my most adorable master's adorable smile~

_"So fragile...I wonder how resilient this body is...how long would it take to snap...just one little squeeze-"_

My spine chilled as I remembered the other day in the familiar forest. What WAS that?

Serafall showed no hesitation in trying to kill Jack before, but now she's acting like an older sister. Was it all an act or is Serafall just that forgiving? It was now that I realized that I may not know the slightest bit about Serafall. I couldn't even understand the complexity of her emotions or how they worked. Sona had said...that there was a side that Serafall could not be allowed to show. But what side is the real Serafall...?

"Is something wrong, Shi-tan?"

I was snapped out of my thoughts by Serafall's sudden question.

She was staring at me with the most adorable worried expression.

I found myself sighing before smiling to myself. "No...No matter how you look at it. This is the real one..."

"Hm? Onii-chan's saying something weird." Jack said.

"Nothing. Nothing." I said quickly. I turned to Serafall. "It's time to wake up, Serafall. I have to go train with Ise and Rias."

"Awwwwww~!" Serafall whined. "But it's soooo earlyyy~! Wouldn't you rather stay here...with me~?" Sera-tan sat up, crossing her arms under her breasts, emphasizing their size and gloriousness.

I crossed my arms, turning my red face away. "No! This is serious!" I hung my head, beginning to feel down. "I've been noticing lately...Even though I have Divine Dividing and should be on par with Ise, I have yet to truly win when it really mattered. I failed to defeat Raynare when we first met, I lost against Freed, I lost against Raynare AGAIN, and I have yet to prove myself useful. All I really have ever done thus far is getting kidnapped. I haven't been able to do anything useful...I wanna train so I won't be useless again. I want to be able to have everyone depend on me when it really matters."

"Shi-tan..." Sera-tan stared at me with an empathetic look in her eyes. She pouted. "Looks like Shi-tan needs an extra, extra, EXTRA sweet hug!" Sera-tan wrapped her arms around my right arm and hugged it tightly between her bust. "Shi-tan needs to learn he's not useless. He's my Queen, my one and only."

"Onii-chan's not useless." Jack chimed in. She, too, wrapped her arms around my body while still inside my shirt. "Onii-chan saved us. He saved Jack. Onii-chan is the best Onii-chan."

I found myself smiling despite the fact the other two occupants of the bed were stark naked.

"Thanks...Jack, Serafall..." I said. "...can you both let me go now?"

[Never!]

They both said in disturbing unison.

I sighed. I really loved these two...but they were absolute children...

* * *

"Come on, Ise! Feel the burn! Embrace it!"

I was humming/somewhat singing to myself as I ran on the track with a medium-sized boulder tied onto my shoulders, carrying out the routine(?) I had been doing with Gremory-senpai and Ise for the past few days, working on increasing my strength as a Devil.

"...S-Shut up..." Ise wheezed, trailing behind me even though he had no such handicap like a boulder on his shoulders. "...I'm not some kind of...monster like you..."

Really, the boulder part was my idea. That way, I could work on my speed, stamina, and strength all at the same time. Being a Devil was great because my original human strength ended up being modified. Now I was able to complete much more strenuous yet effective exercises that would've killed me as a human. If I was able to handle something far more strenuous than Ise, then that must mean I'm steadily increasing in strength.

We've been meeting up to train lately in order to help me increase my power as a Devil.

Gremory-senpai was surprisingly helpful despite the fact I wasn't her servant. When I train, she gives me tips on how to prevent from straining or injuring myself.

"You should take a page out of Shirou-kun's book, Ise." Gremory-senpai barked at my bro. "For my servant to be weak is something I can't forgive. Show your spirit and surpass Leviathan-sama's [Queen]."

I honestly believed Gremory-senpai's words even if the disheartened Ise didn't. Ise was steadily improving with each day.

Really, since I had been doing so good, she hadn't had much to say about me and ended up being more encouraging than anything. She tended to just repeat the same line over and over again because I was more than eager to complete any additional exercise she assigned me on behalf of Serafall.

My battle against Raynare had shown me I needed quite a bit of improvement if I wanted to be able to last in the world of Devils.

"That makes 182. I believe that's enough laps for now, Shirou. Take a break." She had told me and Ise to start running and not to stop until she said so. 182 was seven laps less than my all-time record. The lame stuff we do in PE was nothing compared to this. I was more amazed that she kept track of the number of laps even though she had been reading her book the entire time. "Ise, tomorrow you get fifty more laps. After that, double the number of usual push-ups."

"Whaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Ise screamed, tears in his eyes. "Come oooooon!" He looked ready to drop dead already.

I untied the boulder from my shoulders and let it fall on the ground. I stretched my stiff muscles, a bit sore from carrying around my boulder. I released a sigh sitting down on the ground.

"I guess I should take it easy during the last few steps." I was admittedly somewhat tired. I had been carrying around that boulder since 4:45 this morning and it was now 6:57.

Gremory-senpai nodded, allowing it as a reward for all of my hard work.

Ise dropped to the ground, ready to carry out his push-ups. He got into push-up position and was about to start when Gremory-senpai sat down...On his back.

My crimson-haired Senpai then made Ise get to it. I watched in amusement as my scrawny friend attempted to do push-ups. While he was doing that, Senpai and I just spoke casually, ignoring the fact that this was supposed to be training.

"I'm honestly surprised that Leviathan-sama isn't here to train you." Gremory-senpai noted, mentally keeping track of the number of push-ups Issei was doing to make sure he didn't cheat and lie about the number. "She seems so enthusiastic when it came to your growth as a Devil."

I stretched my arms, sighing from the relief at the stiffness in my muscles slowly being relieved.

"Well, she offered, but I needed someone to stay home and watch Jack for me." I answered, avoiding direct eye-contact with my Senpai.

Gremory-senpai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Couldn't Jack have just come along? It's not like she hasn't already been exposed to the supernatural. She herself is an Evil Spirit. And it's just training, so why-"

I raised my hands in surrender. "Alright, I'll level with you. I didn't want Serafall here because she threaten-I mean OFFERED to train me in hand-to-hand combat personally..."

"Ah." Gremory-senpai said, understanding my reasoning.

"Yeah...I kinda value my life...She means well, but Serafall is horrible when it comes to self-restraint." I swallowed hard, imagining the possible consequences of letting one of the strongest Devils alive with no sense of control try to train me in hand-to-hand combat. "But yeah. I figured it was less harmful to leave her alone with Jack. I mean, Serafall would probably just spoil the girl and give her candy and stuff. I can't see anything bad happening. She seems to have forgiven her for kind of...trying to shank Sona..." I started to develop an uneasy feeling in my gut that I tried to ignore.

"Yes, I suppose you're right." Senpai noted with a pleasant smile. See, why can't Sona smile like that? She smiles sometimes, but it's always small or more smirk-ish, something along those lines. She just needs to learn to smile more honestly and cutely like Gremory-Senpai, Asia, or Serafall...

Huh?

"Something wrong, Shirou?" Gremory-senpai asked.

I shook my head. "No. No, it's fine." It's just kind of weird how I thought about Sitri-senpai all of a sudden. And yes, I do indeed realize that this is one of those general responses where the hero gradually begins to realize he's gaining feelings for the person he's thinking of, but it's not like that. I mean, it was natural to think of her since I was talking about mainly Pure-Blood Devils, right?

"Auu!" Ise let out a yelp as Gremory-senpai slapped his butt.

"You are having dirty thoughts. The movement of your hips is lecherous." For some odd reason-I don't know why-I was...envious of Ise. Not of him in general, but when he got slapped by Gremory-senpai, there was just that envious feeling...weird...

"…T-That's…68… T-Thinking that you are horse riding on me…" Ise breathed out while still doing push-ups. "…69…is making my guts as a horse into the max gear…70!"

"Talking while doing push-ups. You seem to have grown, Ise. Should I add another hundred?" It was hard to tell whether Senpai was joking, threatening him, or encouraging him.

Either way, it was funny. Hahahahaha!

"Stop laughing...you bastard..." Ise huffed at me. I grinned.

"Hmm, it should be about time that she gets here…"

Both Ise and I were confused.

[Who's "she"?]

"Shirou-san, Ise-san, Buchou-san! I'm sorry for being late-!"

"Careful, Asia!"

Asia, who had been running towards us, had ended up tripping over who-knows-what, but was caught by another familiar girl before she could hit the ground.

"Ah, thank you, Mittelt-san!" Asia smiled at the blonde-haired girl who had caught her. Mittelt nodded, smiling brightly.

"You okay, Asia?" I instinctively shot to my feet, ready to help the almost downed sister.

Asia smiled politely. "Yes. I'm fine thanks to Mittelt-san."

Mittelt turned away, scoffing at Asia's thanks. "Please, the only reason I saved you was because Shirou would feel sad if you got hurt." But she was blushing...Wait...

I went wide-eyed. "Oh my Maou..."

I lunged forward, ensnaring Mittelt in my arms. I nuzzled my face against her adorable face.

"OHMYMAOU-NESS! SO ADORABLE TSUNERE DELICIOUSNESS! I CAN'T RESIST IT! AWWWWW~!" I hugged Mittelt tightly, showering her with affection for her adorableness.

"H-Hey~! L-Lemme go~! Lemme go~!" Of course, Mittelt was smiling adorably while her face was flushed red so I knew her words didn't express her true thoughts~

She really is a cute tsundere~

* * *

"Shirou-san, here's your tea."

"Thanks, Asia." I accepted a hot cup of tea after we all ended up sitting together. Ise was deeply enjoying the rest he was granted from his training, Gremory-senpai maintained her respectful and elegant demeanor, Asia and I were casually enjoying our time, and Mittelt was sitting off to the right of our group, sitting on her knees and her face beet-red. The poor girl didn't even touch her tea. "You really didn't have to come though. You deserve as much of a rest as I do what with healing me every time I fell out of a tree..."

It's a long story involving more boulders tied to my back and me practicing my climbing and jumping skills in the place of flying with my wings. Gremory-senpai had to call Asia out of the blue to keep me from ending up with permanent skeletal damage.

Asia's face turned a light-pink color. "Well, Shirou-san, Ise-san, and Buchou-san are training everyday and I don't really do much other than heal and make tea."

"And I had to come to make sure Asia got here alright." Mittlt piped up. She turned away, blushing as she specifically avoided looking at me. "D-Don't think I c-came for you, you dummy! I-I didn't even know you were training here, stupid!"

….

Resist. Urge. TO HUG!

"Uuu, Asia! I'm deeply moved by your kindness Asia!" Ise cried. "Aaah, I never expected that there would be a day when a girl would say that to me!"

I turned to Asia and smiled softly. "But you DO do enough, Asia. You're the one who has to support us during battles with your healing abilities. After all, even a tank can be crushed like a soda can if it isn't kept in good condition by its support...or something like that." I place a gentle hand on her shoulder. "When the time comes, your healing will be like our trump card! No matter how many times we get knocked down, we'll be able to get right back up with you by our side." It may have been my imagination, but I could've sworn I saw a light pink on her face.

"Besides," Ise took a sip of his tea before looking at Asia, smiling, "this is delicious, Asia!"

Asia smiled at our compliments. "Thank you very much." I felt happy seeing her smile. I made a promise. For Asia and all of my other friends, I would get stronger so I wouldn't have to see such a sad expression on their faces.

Especially Serafall...

I subconsciously touched my lips, blushing as I remembered my dream. I was filled with a strange longing...

It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but it was rather invasive and made me wonder how I felt...

Prior to that dream, I had no actual romantic connection with Serafall. I liked her and enjoyed the "attention" she gave me, but I didn't feel any kind of bond like that, but now there's this weird feelings in my gut...It's difficult to describe in words.

"Something wrong, Shirou-san?" Asia asked, a cute worried expression on her face. I then realized I had been making a difficult expression. I smiled, shaking my head slightly.

"No. It's fine. Thanks for worrying about me though, Asia." I said, thanking my friend. "It really means a lot."

Asia smiled back, blushing slightly. "Well...A wife is supposed to worry about their husband's welfare, is she not?"

I felt myself blushing deeply as well. I managed a more awkward smile as a response.

"Yeah...I guess."

"I still say it's no fair that this blondie gets first-dibs on Shirou." Mittelt spat out in a harsh whisper behind Asia's back. Why are you calling Asia "blondie" like it's a derogatory term? You're blonde, too, Mittelt.

I still hadn't found the right time to tell Asia about the misunderstanding concerning my proposal. I couldn't do it in front of Gremory-senpai because she WOULD LITERALLY RIP MY NUTS OFF if I ended up making Asia cry but I can't ever seem to get her alone.

"Buchou...What's with that strange expression on your face?" When Ise drew my attention to Gremory-senpai, she seemed to have a weird look on her face. Like she was thinking about something sad.

Senpai snapped out of whatever thought she was thinking and made a cough noise.

"No, it's nothing. More than that, it's good timing. I decided to have it done today, so let's head over to Shirou's house now."

I blinked. "Why my house?"

"It's about time that the luggage arrives." Senpai answered as if it were obvious enough.

"That does not answer my question in the slightest." I replied, deadpan.

…Wait. Whose luggage?

* * *

Fujimura Residence...

My jaw dropped at the amount of luggage piled in my front yard. After Gremory-senpai's sudden announcement, she led the way back to my house (how she knew where I lived, I did not even wanna think about it).

I opened and closed my mouth several times, trying to find the proper words to describe my reaction.

"What...the Hell?" I resisted the urge to drop an unnecessary 'F-bomb' with Asia around.

I couldn't help but wonder why there was a mountain of luggage there, in front of my house

Gremory-senpai smiled at me innocently, as if trying to say 'What? This has always been here, waiting for you.'

I stared viciously at her, screaming mentally "CUT THE SHIT!"

"Could you please take these bags upstairs, Shirou-kun?" Senpai asked in a disgustingly sweet and polite way.

I just stared at her. "I-I'm sorry. Could you repeat that?" Maybe I misheard her?

Gremory-senpai nodded. "I need you to carry all of Asia's belongings into the house."

There was another long period of silence. I stared emotionlessly at Gremory-senpai, she stared at me, Asia, Mittelt, and Ise were constantly shifting their gazes between the two of us, mentally debating who would break this seemingly tense silence. As fate would have it, it was I who broke the silence.

I inhaled deeply, carefully considering my words. Then I spoke.

"Da fuck you talkin' bout, Gremory?"

Asia covered her gasping mouth in response to my foul language that slipped out of my mouth. Ise's eyes widened as he stared at me, clearly wondering why I was saying such things.

Gremory-senpai just smiled politely. "It's only natural you would need to take Asia's things inside as, starting today, Asia will be living in your house."

.

.

.

"...What?"

"I said-"

"No nonononono!" I raised my hand to silence Gremory-senpai. "I heard that. What I was asking was how the hell you thought I would allow you to force Asia to live in my house." I put on a scolding expression for Gremory-senpai. "You're rich. Why don't you buy her a big house or something rather than trying to push her off on others."

Asia then tugged on my sleeve shyly. "Actually, Shirou-san...I was the one who asked Buchou-san to...to choose where I lived."

"And another thing-!" I had already said by the time I processed Asia's words. "What?" That question was directed towards Asia.

Gremory-senpai crossed her arms, a reasonably smug expression on her face. "Yes. It was in fact ASIA who asked to be housed in the same home as you, Shirou-kun. She desired to begin living with the man who will be her husband." I noticed a hint of maliciousness at the end of that, reminding me of Gremory-senpai's threat if I ever hurt Asia.

I felt a strangely pleasant chill go down my spine.

Asia wore a nervous and apologetic expression. "I'm sorry, Shirou-san. I simply told Buchou-san my honest wish, but I don't wish to be an inconvenience. I'm sorry if you're upset with me."

Shit! Asia thinks I'm mad at her!

I shook my head. "No no no! You're no inconvenience, Asia! It was just such a sudden request and I was surprised is all! I personally have no problem with you staying!" Damn. Backed myself into a corner with that one. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Mittelt glaring at Asia with an envious look and Gremory-senpai still having such a confident if not amused expression. "But...er...I..."

Everyone was staring at me expectantly, only worsening my nervousness.

"W-Well...What about Serafall!? Yeah!" Haha! Got it!

Gremory-senpai raised an eyebrow. "Oh? What do you mean?"

I began gesturing wildly, trying to relieve some of my stress through this outright lie of mine.

"Yeah! Serafall's really possessive and stuff! It took enough convincing to get her to let Jack, a little sister-like girl, to stay at my house! I don't think she would want this!"

"Then why don't you ask her?" Gremory-senpai shot back, not losing any of her composure.

Shit. Didn't think she would call me out on my bluff.

I sighed, hanging my head. "Fine..." I turned around, walking over to the door and, before my knuckle even made it to the door-

SLAM

[Welcome home, master/Onii-chan~!]

If this were a cartoon, my jaw would've hit the ground from shock.

I was currently staring at Jack and Serafall...dressed in sexy maid outfits

Cue nosebleed...

No matter what else happened, I could tell today would be an awesome day.

While Jack looked cute, Serafall...well...she was GORGEOUS! Her body filled out the outfit very well! It felt really weird seeing her dressed as something other than a magical girl though. I couldn't resist ogling her though. I just stared, my nosebleeding.

Over my shoulder, I noticed Ise's dull face pulling the same exact expression.

Serafall struck a magical girl pose that seemed horribly out of place with that outfit. "Do you like it, Shi-tan?"

"I...Hibu...bulluba..." My tongue was kind of disobeying me, messing up the words I was trying to speak as I just stared, ogling my sexy master. "...Igger...the pla...its...life's just so great."

Sera-tan giggled in response to my reaction. "I was hoping you'd like it, Shi-tan~! I always catch you ogling the Fallen Angel maids-" Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Mittelt shrink away, seeming mildly afraid of Serafall's gaze. "-so I thought I'd give it a try myself and see what Shi-tan thought~"

I felt myself blushing deeply. "W-Well, i-it feels kind of weird to see you wearing a different outfit, Serafall..." For a brief second, I thought the usually cheery expression on Serafall's face drop for a second, revealing a nearly impossible to see hint of hurt. "But I don't think it matters. You look beautiful in just about everything you wear. So, it's not whether you look more or less hot in whatever outfit you wear, it's that you change your STYLE of hotness with each outfit."

"Awwww~! Shiiii-taaaaan~! You're so sweet and huggable that I-Know what~? HUG TIME~!" I instinctively opened my arms wide to receive the incredibly foreseeable hug tackle from my incredibly adorable master. I was almost knocked off-balance, but careful practice and just being used to this kept me from being knocked over like a bowling pin. "This is why I love my Shi-tan~! He's so sweet and cuddly and just makes me wanna kiss'em~! This is exactly one of the reasons I don't mind~! Just like I said before, Shi-tan is one of the only two people I wouldn't mind doing ecchi things to my body~! He's the only one I love as much as So-tan~!"

A brief moment of silence followed that.

[EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!?]

Ise, Mittelt, and Asia all screeched in perfect unison. Ise held an expression of shock, surprise, and envy while Mittelt and Asia both held an expression of shock and envy (albeit most likely for different reasons).

"What do you mean-?!"

"ANYWAAAAAY!" I shouted loudly just as Ise tried to cut in.

It was then that Sera-tan seemed to notice the presence of Ise, Gremory-senpai, Asia, and Mittelt.

"Oh...Hiiiiii, Rias-chaaan, Issei-chaaan, Asia-chaaaan, Mittelt-chaaaan~!" Sera-tan greeted casually. "Whatcha doin' here~?"

Gremory-senpai then gestured to the large pile of suitcases and belongings.

"Well, Asia desired to be allowed to stay in the same house as her beloved Shirou-kun, so I arranged for her things to be brought here." Gremory-senpai explained. Then she put on a sympathetic expression. "But he's worried you would never consent to Asia staying here. He really did want Asia to stay, but he wasn't sure whether or not to ask you."

Sera-tan turned to me with a sympathetic expression. "Shi-tan, you don't have to be afraid~" She said, unaware that Gremory-senpai was stretching the truth (read: a TOTAL LIAR!). "Of COURSE Asia-chan can stay~!" She wrapped her arms around me, allowing me to glare at Gremory-senpai who held a victorious expression on her face, hiding it under a mask of appreciation. "You don't have to worry~! I'm a lil possessive of Shi-tan, but you ARE a Devil and monogamy isn't in our dictionary~ A couple of concubines is no issue to me~"

I groaned, hiding my embarrassment by covering my face with my hand. "That...I'm not entirely sure how to respond to that..."

"L-Leviathan-sama!" Asia cried out in embarrassment.

"That's good to hear." Gremory-senpai said, clapping her hands together while smiling. "Isn't that good, Shirou-kun?"

Essentially, what she was really saying was: "Hahaha~ I win~"

I sighed, shrugging my shoulders. "Whatever. I was never really against it. I was just worried on how we were gonna convince Onee-sama. If you think you can convince her, then go for it is what I say."

Senpai nodded, acting as if the most difficult challenge has passed.

Ise, however, paled considerably as he realized the complications with completing such a task.

"O-On second thought...Buchou, maybe...m-maybe we should find A-Asia another place to live."

Gremory-senpai shot Ise a curious look. "Why?" She waved off our clear concerns about Mako-nee. "There's no need to worry, Ise, Shirou-kun. I'm sure that Makoto Fujimura is a reasonable woman. I'm sure I can convince her with my words."

I did a dry spit-take, suppressing a fit of laughter at the fact that Gremory-senpai used "Makoto Fujimura" and "reasonable" in the same sentence.

"Sure," I choked. "Go right ahead."

With her usual noble and elegant manner, Gremory-senpai made her way inside the Fujimura Residence...

* * *

SLAM

"FUCK NO!"

A large oppressive aura rained down on all of us as Gremory-senpai, Asia, and I all stared at the incredibly irate Mako-nee who had slammed both of her hands onto the table. Mittelt and Ise were cowering behind my seat, staring fearfully at Mako-nee who looked so enraged that her eyes were on fire. Despite this atmosphere, Jack stood passively by my side and Sera-tan sat in my lap, hugging my as she does.

"There is NO WAY I'm letting ANOTHER girl stay here, Shirou!" Mako-nee raged on.

"But-" Gremory-senpai tried to interrupt.

"-NO!" Mako-nee answered prematurely. She gestured to the oblivious Sera-tan and Jack who was clinging to my pants leg, glaring at Mako-nee like a child clinging to their stuffed animal. "I already have the loli and the busty magical girl who...oddly isn't dressed like a magical girl at the moment! It's bad enough I have to worry about those two getting preggers every night, but I am not putting up with a third girl! Two babies two random bi-I mean GIRLS had with my brother is the most I'm putting up with!"

"EEEEEEEEEHHHHH!?" Asia's face flushed red at what Mako-nee insinuated.

"Onee-samaaaa!" I complained at how she made me out to be a sexual deviant. Sure I liked being ecchi with girls, but I'm a responsible man and would never go without protection unless it was discussed to a fair extent and intentional.

"Actually, Asia has no intention of doing such a thing." Gremory-senpai said suddenly, unaffected by Mako-nee's loud ranting. "In fact, if anything, if such an occurrence were to take place with Shirou-kun and any other women, Asia would be a great help in raising such children."

Mako-nee paused, perhaps wondering what the Hell Gremory-senpai was saying as was I.

My Onee-sama then wordlessly sat back down in her seat, her arms crossed under her chest and one eyebrow raised. "Alright, Gremory-san. Explain."

Gremory-senpai smiled, clearly sensing she had gained her path to victory in this conversation.

"Very well then. It appears you are under the misconception that Asia is a girl with a relationship with Shirou similar to that of Serafall and Jacqueline-"

"OI! Don't say things in a way that's easily misunderstood!" I shouted.

"-When in actuality," The crimson-haired girl continued, "she is here to become your sister-in-law."

Mako-nee's eyes became like dots. "Say what?" Her eyes turned towards Asia. "What say you on this?...Be up front with me. What exactly is your relationship with my idiot baby brother?"

"HEY!" I complained despite Sera-tan playfully stroking my face.

Asia moved nervously in her seat, blushing as she held her hands in her lap. "Ummm...Umm...well...I..."

"Come on." Mako-nee urged in an almost indifferent tone.

Asia then bowed her head. "Shirou-san proposed to me and I very much desire to become his wife!"

.

.

.

"Holy shit. Didn't think the kid had the balls to take that step." Mako-nee let out, not bothering with tact.

I hung my head, deciding to go with the flow of the river of embarrassment that continued to flow in my direction, drowning me in its humiliating waters.

Asia's face was not only redder than a tomato, but it was also glowing.

Mako-nee remained silent for a few seconds before speaking. "Is this the truth?" Then her gaze turned back to me. "Shirou?"

...way to put me on the spot, Mako-nee.

...Fuck it!

"Yes." I sighed out. There was no fighting this. Plus, Gremory-senpai's gaze was boring into the side of my skull. If I had said no, she probably would have decapitated me or something.

I noticed Gremory-senpai not being the only person staring at me.

Asia's eyes were sparkling with joy as she covered her mouth with her hands. She looked so happy that it just 'bout made it worth going with this lie.

Onee-sama stared at us for another several silent minutes. She mainly stared at me and Asia.

More silence...More silence...Still more silence...

"I ship it." Mako-nee said, leaning back and laying her feet on the table. "Welcome to the family." Then she paused, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah, but if a third girl's gonna live here, then no more 'secret nighttime excursions' to Shirou's room in the middle of the night."

[WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!]

Jack and Serafall literally leaped onto the table in front of us, staring at Mako-nee in disbelief. If there was any plus side to this, it would be that I was getting the greatest view of Sera-tan's posterior. Really though...it was just...so nice...

Mako-nee crossed her arms. "I'll have enough trouble keeping track of three girls let alone their sexual activities. While everything is free-game during the day, I'll be damned if my baby brother is doing ecchi things in the middle of the night, getting girls pregnant. So no girls allowed in Shirou's room past 11 P.M.!"

"But that's not fair!" Sera-tan complained, her eyes watering.

"Onii-chan's bed is the warmest!" Jack joined in on complaining.

Mako-nee smiled misleadingly. "Yes, well, last time I checked, this house was in MY name. So I'll run it however the fuck I like. I STILL haven't received a real explanation as to who the hell you are or why you and that loli are living here in the first place. So unless you'd like to explain how you have more rights in this house than anyone else, I'd suggest you deal with it." Mako-nee made an attempt at a cute expression. "Mmkay~?"

She was pushing a cute expression, but she was radiating a huge demonic aura from her body, so it was clear there was no room for negotiation on this issue.

Jack and Serafall were suddenly clinging to each other, staring in terror from the other side of the table.

Mako-nee then clapped her hands together. "Alright then. Chop-chop, Shirou~! Go fetch my newest baby sister's things~!"

My jaw dropped. What a turnaround!

"**DO IT!**" When Mako-nee's eyes start glowing demonically, that's when you know when to shut up and do as she asks.

When I got up from my chair, I noticed that Ise and Mittelt weren't even there anymore. Instead, where they had been before was a hastily written note excusing their bullshit...

Assholes.

"Thank you very much, Fujimura-san." Gremory-senpai thanked, bowing her head to Mako-nee. "Shirou, I will leave Asia's care to you from now on. Asia, you will be staying with Shirou at his home. So make sure not to be impolite. Get along with Shirou's Onee-sama."

Asia nodded, but seemed uncertain. "Is it really alright? Won't it…be a burden…if I stay…?" I patted Asia on the head, causing her to turn to me, surprised.

My cheeks pinked a bit. "Too late for that. You're one of my precious comrades now. It's no bother for me to help take care of you." I grinned. "I just hope you're ready to live in the most abnormal house in Japan." If only I were joking...

"Well-"

"Do not worry, Asia-chan!" Mako-nee said with stars in her eyes. "You can depend on your new Onee-sama to take care of you forever! You will make my idiot baby brother an excellent bride!"

"Wait a second!" I interjected. "You said I was getting kicked out when I turned 18! What gives?!"

Mako-nee appeared beside Asia, hugging her gently and narrowing her eyes at me. "Well maybe if you were born an absolutely adorable and polite girl rather than an annoying playboy, I would tolerate your lazy ass for much longer."

"What'd you say?!"

Then the storm of hostility became focused between me and Mako-nee, the sibling battle for dominance continuing from where it last left off.

"Please don't fight..." Asia pleaded. Then Mako-nee and I immediately broke off our soon-to-be battle due to Asia's cuteness, our heads hung in shame.

"Ah! So peaceful-natured, Asia-chan!" Mako-nee said with joy. "You'll definitely make my idiot baby brother a wonderful bride!" And then me and Mako-nee were arguing again. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed a sad expression on Gremory-senpai's face.

"Bride, huh..."

I frowned.

"Oi! Shirou! Get Asia's things!" Mako-nee demanded.

Groaning, I nodded, heading back outside to fetch Asia's things.

Seriously, how does a nun end up gaining SO MANY POSSESSIONS!

* * *

I spent a fair majority of that night just staring at the ceiling.

No, not about my dream concerning Serafall or the strange sadness that's been lingering over Gremory-senpai as of late.

"Waaaaaaah! NO FAIR! I WANNA BE WITH SHI-TAAAAAAAAAAAN!"

It was the fact that Serafall has been complaining all night about the new living arrangements.

I don't see what she was complaining about. I was the one who had to move all of their belongings around so they could all have their own rooms! And that Gremory woman was just SO MUCH help!

It was just about midnight and Serafall STILL wasn't going to sleep...She truly IS a child.

I sighed, closing my eyes and mentally hoping I would be able to get some goddamned sleep...

Fate had other plans however.

As I slowly began to descend into dream land, I was interrupted by a powerful light that caused me to open my eyes.

I sat up and glared at the glowing seal on the ground. "Alright, who's-" Then my eyes widened.

It was a familiar mark! The insignia of the Gremory group!

I was even more shocked by the person who appeared out of the circle.

"Senpai...?" I asked in a tired tone of voice. "I think you teleported into the wrong room. If you're looking for Asia or Mako-nee, they're about two doors down."

But Gremory-senpai had a strange expression on her face that I didn't understand. She shook her head.

"I'm not here for them. I'm here for you."

I yawned, my eyes slowly sliding closed. "Well, whatever it is, can't it wait til morning?"

"I need you to take my virginity!" Senpai beseeched me, her tone desperate.

.

.

.

I blinked once...then twice...Then I took a deep breath.

I stood up and placed gentle hands on Senpai's shoulders. "OK, Senpai. I'm gonna need you to do something for me." My crimson-haired Senpai stared attentively. "I need you to take your index and middle fingers."

Gremory-senpai raised said fingers. "Uh huh."

"Now I need you to stick them in your mouth real deep."

Raising an eyebrow, Gremory-senpai did as instructed. I was honestly surprised to see how much of her hand fit in her mouth. If this had been a different situation, that would've been such a turn on for me. "Wuh huh." She mumbled out through her "occupied" mouth.

"And you know that there uvula in the back of your throat?"

"Wuh huh."

"Yeah. Imma need you to tap that around a lil bit and vomit whatever kind of fucking drugs or mushrooms you must've ingested to even think I would accept such a random and drastic request."

Realizing I had just been screwing around with her, Gremory-senpai withdrew her hand from her mouth, her fingers dripping with saliva as she stared at me with unamused, half-lidded eyes. To be honest, it was kind of a funny look. I resisted a smile solely because the situation's so serious right now.

"I'm serious!" Gremory-senpai stated.

"So am I." I replied with equal firmness and seriousness. "I'm not sleeping you."

"What?" Gremory-senpai asked, honestly surprised by my blunt rejection. Then she appeared to be thinking. She put on a seductive smile and placed her hands gently on my shoulders before slowly snaking her arms around me. "How about, if you do, I'll let you have any part of my body~"

Wow. She really knows how to do a sexy temptress voice, but my answer remains the same!

"No." I replied again.

"Why not?!" Wow. It was amazing how she asked that question like a child. Senpai herself must've noticed this because her cheeks pinked slightly. "I've seen many boys drool over me and desire my body, so why are you acting differently? I'm offering my body to you no questions asked and you're turning it down just like that? At least tell me why!"

"Because you're my friend and you're clearly in trouble." I blurted out before I could stop myself. It clearly caught Gremory-senpai off-guard because it sure did shut her up. I sighed, sitting Gremory-senpai down on the bed next to me.

I rubbed my eyes, yawning to myself. I was too tired for this shit.

I sighed.

"Look...Just calm down, take it slow, and explain this to me...What problem is so severe that you'd need me, a boy you barely know, to take your virginity?"

Gremory-senpai looked away, not answering.

"You can either talk to me or leave now coz I'm not taking your virginity, Rias." I gestured to the door. "If you don't trust me enough to tell me what your problem is, the door's right there."

For a moment, there was a tense silence between the two of us. My Senpai struck me as a stubborn woman, but when it came to such matters, I could be FAR MORE stubborn. We waited and waited and waited and waited, seeing whose resolve would crumble first.

…

"Fine..." Senpai sighed out finally. She hung her head, her hands in her lap. "It...It's a complicated situation."

"How complicated?"

Senpai stared at me. "Complicated enough that this was my only way out." She explained. "I'm powerless and this is the only way I'll be able to make them listen to me."

My eye twitched. "You know. For something that's supposed to be an explanation, you're being horribly vague."

"Sorry..." Gremory-senpai seemed genuinely apologetic.

"You know Serafall would probably kill you now if she saw what you tried to do, right?" I asked. "Why not try someone else like Issei? I'm sure that idiot would be more than willing to take part in your "oh-so-brilliant plan"."

Senpai smiled tiredly. "To be honest, I did consider Ise, but I was worried he didn't have the confidence to go through with it. He seems rather...how to put this...inexperienced. And, with Leviathan-sama here, I figured it was a 50% chance I would succeed and a 50% chance I would be reduced to something less than ashes. Either way, I would be out of this situation of mine..."

My eyes widened in shock. "Whoa...Whoa whoa whoa...You were really willing to die to get out of this situation?"

"Well, maybe that would be going to far, but..." Senpai seemed sad. "I just...I don't know what else to do."

"Senpai, you're not alone." I said. "I can't say I understand what you're going through, but you don't have to shoulder whatever it is by yourself. You have your friends who are willing to stand by your side and help you in any way. You have Asia, Koneko, Akeno-san, Yumi, me, Sona, and Ise. I know for a fact that Ise would literally go to Hell and back for you if you so much as asked it of him."

Senpai's eyes widened in mild surprised. "Shirou..."

"You don't have to do this alone. We would definitely find a way to help you."

Gremory-senpai stared into my eyes, no doubt surprised. "Shirou, I..."

I then tensed. A strange chill ran down my spine. "Someone's coming." I don't know how I knew.

I just did. And I was right.

There was another large flash of light a moment later, this time an older woman appearing from the magic-circle. She had silver hair and wore what appeared to be a maid's outfit. She looked at Senpai and me for a moment and I immediately knew that I didn't want to piss this woman off.

It was a strange feeling I had sometimes around people who were strong. I knew that I was nowhere near as strong as this woman and she could possibly crush me like an insect.

"Are you trying to break the agreement by doing something like this?"

Senpai sighed, glancing at me and leaving me with the feeling I was missing something.

"It didn't work anyway, so what does it matter?" I felt both relieved yet guilty, as if I had already failed Senpai somehow even though I just promised her that we, her friends, would do anything to help her. I could tell that perhaps her situation was worse than I had thought.

"Both Sirzechs-sama and the master will become sad after they find out that you tried to give your purity to some lowly person like this."

"Well who gave them the right to decide what Senpai does and doesn't do?" I asked, somewhat irritated at this woman who was speaking to Senpai in such a way.

The woman gave me a sharp look and all of my bravado immediately vanished and I shrank away.

"It would be best if you refrained from interfering in business that does not concern you." Her voice was neither threatening nor commanding. It was more like she was stating a simple fact with no real intent behind it.

"Well, for your information, Grayfia, this "lowly person", as you've eloquently referred to him as, is actually the [Queen] of Leviathan-sama." Senpai said, defending me. "He is also a dear friend of mine so please refrain from addressing him in such a way."

Rather than apologize or scold Senpai for her lack of restraint, the maid, Grayfia, just seemed to examine me for some reason.

"The Queen of Leviathan-sama who possesses the power of the Vanishing Dragon..." It was hard to tell if she was talking to us or herself. She then looked at me and bowed her head. "How do you do? I'm a maid that serves the House of Gremory. My name is Grayfia. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

I stood up from the bed and bowed in return. Respect must be repaid with respect.

"Fujimura Shirou, Queen of my adorable master, Serafall Leviathan. It is a pleasure to meet you." I know she kinda called me "lowly", but I should still keep a polite tongue. When someone gives you their name, you should give them yours in return.

"Grayfia, let's go back to my room." Senpai said. "I will listen to what you have to say over there. Akeno can also attend, right?"

"The "Priestess of Thunder"? I don't mind. It's a must for High-class Devils to have their [Queen] by their side all the time."

I was hopelessly lost at that moment. I still didn't know what was troubling Gremory-senpai and now...I was just so lost right now.

"Very well." Senpai bowed her head to me. "Shirou...thank you for respecting me as myself."

I found myself confused by her wording, but I nodded.

"Well, I doubt Ise would appreciate it if I deflowered his master whom he was crushing on~" Senpai blinked in surprise and confusion to this while I just grinned. It kind of seemed like Ise was starting to get a crush. Whenever we spoke to one another, he mainly talked about Senpai or making her proud when he wasn't talking about his own perverted activities in general.

Senpai went to join Grayfia in the magic circle. "Farewell then, Shirou."

"Um...later, Senpai." I said, uncertain what else to say.

As light began to envelop Senpai and Grayfia, she looked at me and smiled.

"Please, call me "Rias"." Then Grayfia and my Senpai, Rias, were gone.

I was just left staring at the place where they had been only moments ago, more lost than I had ever been before.

KNOCK KNOCK

There was knocking at the door shortly before it opened to reveal a sleepy-looking Serafall holding a pillow to cover the slightest bit of the modesty her naked body possessed.

"Shi-taaaan...what's going on?" She asked before yawning. "I heard voices...Is something wrong?"

I opened my mouth before closing it, pondering my answer. After thinking it over, I sighed.

"No idea. If there is, there will always be tomorrow will deal with it..." I let out a yawn of my own. "I'm just gonna go to bed..."

I turned around to slip back into my bed and try to push out the thoughts of what the hell was going on with Rias-senpai.

When I sat down, I noticed Serafall still standing at the door, her beautiful, raven hair spilling down her back behind her. She hugged her pillow closer to her body, lowering her head to hide most of her expression.

"Shirou..." I felt somewhat concerned how she called me by my first name without "-chan" or "-tan". "...can...can I sleep in your bed again tonight?"

Eh?

I stared at Sera-tan, worried she was mad or upset with me or something, but I saw I was way off.

Rather than anger or sadness, there was an oddly embarrassed expression on her face. A light blush on her cheeks and her eyes avoiding me like she was a shy schoolgirl.

I smiled to myself, unable to decline such an adorable face. "Alright, but you'd best be awake before Mako-nee is. God knows what kind of Hell she'd unleash if she caught you in my bed after she said no one was allowed."

Serafall smiled back at me, seeming relieved. "..." Her lips moved, but no noise came out. But from the way her lips moved, I could make them out: "Thank you."

I just laid down on my bed, closing my eyes. My warmth was shortly joined by that of Serafall's, hugging me close. It was weird that this was considered normal for me.

"Shirou...You're really precious to me..."

I paused, taking in Serafall's words. I looked at her face, worried about her for a second. She had such a troubled expression.

"Serafall, are you alright?" I was worried that my question had offended her because she pulled such a troubled expression before returning to a small smile.

"Just a bad dream." She said vaguely. "But, when I'm with you, the pain and fear goes away..."

I smiled back at Serafall, gently brushing my fingers through her hair. "You're really precious to me too, Serafall."

Was it really a bad dream...? Or is it just an adorable attempt to snuggle with one of her favorite people...? I understand that Serafall already had a hidden side to herself...but is there more to it? Is Serafall even more complex than I thought? Is this another piece of the person I call my beloved master?

Serafall hugged my tighter, and I hugged her.

Whatever tomorrow may hold, as long as I can be of use to my friends as well as my master, I will be satisfied if I can ease their pain in any way. I'll definitely see if there's a way I can help Rias-senpai. Ise would never forgive me if I didn't even try...

To think, if I had never become a Devil, I never would have had this new chance...

Serafall...thanks for bringing me back.

**With that, I am finished. I know this seemed kind of rushed...but it was. I knew that if I didn't rush, I would never get motivated to finish. So there it is.**

**I'm tired right now, so I'm off to bed. I'll correct any mistakes I made tomorrow morning.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	11. Life 10: Phenex

**….And now we start Volume 2!...FOR REALZ! The whole Phenex affair and whatnot~!  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD or anything related to it. All that stuff goes to their respective owners. I. Own. NOTHING.**

**Life 10: Phenex**

"Whoa! How'd you get that huge bump on your head, Shirou?!" Ruruko exclaimed in surprise, eying the huge lump on my head that was revealed to the world as I laid my head on my desk.

It was after class and I was still deeply bothered by the previous night...

_"It...It's a complicated situation." _

_"I'm powerless and this is the only way I'll be able to make them listen to me." _

"_...Either way, I would be out of this situation of mine..." _

_"I just...I don't know what else to do." _

I kept running Rias-senpai's words through my head, trying to piece together what was going on. She seemed so troubled, but she never told me what was wrong. I don't care for her in the way I do for Ruruko or Yumi, but I think I know her well enough to call her my friend. AND she's the treasured master of my brother. In a way, that makes Rias my sister. It made me feel so bad not understanding her situation or being to help...

"Shirou..."

It just sucks.

"SHIROU!"

"Huh-What!?" I was snapped out of my thoughts by Ruruko who had screamed in my ear.

My official alpha placed her hands on her hips, pouting.

I blinked. "Ruruko? When did you get here?"

Ruruko sighed. "Geez, you're so deep in your own personal world that you didn't even notice that classes ended for the day."

Finally out of my mental trance, I glanced around the room to see all of my classmates were either standing in various groups around the classroom talking or were walking out the door. I took this, along with the fact Ruruko was here despite being a First Year, as a sign that school was indeed over for the day.

"Ah..."

Ruruko frowned. "Are you okay? When I mentioned that bump on your head, I really thought you would have one of those awkward moments where you reminisced about Makoto-san's physical punishments with a goofy smile."

My mind wandered back to the bump Ruruko mentioned. It all started with Mako-nee barging through my bedroom door and happening upon me and a nude Serafall.

_"What the hell did I say just last night?!"_

_"M-Mako-nee! I-It's not what it looks like!"_

_"Morning Makoto-chan, Shi-tan~!"_

_"..."_

_"M-Mako-nee?"_

_"Mako-style Divine Punishment!"_

_"GYAAAAAAH!"_

I laughed awkwardly. "Sorry..." I sighed. "I just...I have a lot on my mind..."

"I see that." Ruruko didn't press me for answers. She didn't demand that I be honest or whatever. She trusted me and understood that it was something I wanted to keep to myself. "Just let me know if I can help in any way."

I nodded, gathering my things and standing up from my seat. "Yeah..." Then a thought at should've been painfully obvious from the beginning occurred to me, so obvious it made me feel like an idiot for not thinking of it earlier. "Hey, Ruruko."

Ruruko turned to me again. "Hm?"

"The Occult Research Club is meeting today, right?" Ruruko pondered this for a moment before shrugging.

"I suppose so. Haven't heard anything stating otherwise at any rate."

I caught her by surprise with a quick peck on the lips, causing her face to flush red with embarrassment.

"Thanks, babe. See ya later!" And I was off running. I ran out the door of the classroom, almost bumping into either Karlamine or Tsubasa (could've been either) before muttering a quick apology and continuing on my way. I avoided obstacles and made my way to the club building behind the school which provided a base to Rias and her Peerage. I didn't bother calling ahead of time. I was going to barge into that room by kicking down the door. It would be easier to get answers out of Rias-senpai if I caught her by surprise.

The moment I entered the building, I gave an extra burst of speed, running for the door that housed the Occult Research Club.

Found it!

I stopped, hesitating with my hand at the knob. I sensed several presences behind the door (how? I assumed it had something to do with my Devil senses.). I recognized several of them as the members of the ORC with two unaccounted for presences. One could possibly be the maid woman, Grayfia, from the previous night...but that one unaccounted for presence...

Screw it!

KICK! SMASH!

"Alright, Rias! Time for some answers!" I demanded, having smashed the door into splinters using my enhanced [Rook] strength. "It's time to tell me wh-!"

It was then that I realized I probably should've read the atmosphere of the room before barging in, coz when I barged in, every eye was on me and a few of them were glares.

The first glare was from Grayfia-san who was probably more upset about me breaking the door than barging in.

The second glare was from Rias who was probably upset about how I almost brought up last night in front of not only her servants but also two completely unrelated people.

The third glare was from a completely unfamiliar guy. He stood out amongst the ORC members and Grayfia, sitting next to Rias-senpai. The unfamiliar individual in question had medium-length blonde hair that fell annoying perfect and a handsome face that seemed to hold an invisible sign for me saying: Please punch my face, Shirou. Punch it with everything you got. The confident and smug look on his face didn't help. He was dressed in a pair of black stylish pants and a red button-up shirt which was open to show off his chest.

Despite the fact I wanted to punch this guy in the fact, I couldn't help but notice the incredibly heavy atmosphere in the air.

It was heavy enough to crush a block of concrete.

Asia was trembling slightly behind Yumi and Ise who seemed to bear a certain hostility towards the blonde guy. Koneko-chan's eyes were narrowed, but she said nothing. Akeno hid her hostility much more skillfully, but I could still sense it. Rias-senpai had no such tact. She looked like she literally wanted to MURDER the guy sitting beside her. I even noticed how Grayfia-san seemed relaxed, yet oddly on-guard at the same time. Like she was ready to intervene in case a fight broke out and her expression clearly said "Try to cause trouble and you WILL suffer the consequences".

I glanced from Rias to the blonde guy. Then back to Rias. Then back to the blonde guy and so on and so forth.

"Ah." I said after a good five minutes of awkward silence, smiling with equal awkwardness. "I see you guys are in the middle of something right now."

"Yes, we are," The blonde man agreed irritably. "So please begone from my sight. This matter does not concern an insignificant, Low-Class bug like yourself." There was a sharp burst of killing intent. Some of it from Yumi and some of it from Ise. I even sensed a little annoyance from Akeno while Asia gave the blonde man a very cross look.

I have such nice friends if they are willing to show the desire to beat down a guy who insults me~

Rather than snap back immediately, I took a long pause, maintaining my smile despite having just been insulted.

Once I was finished with my pause, I took a deep breath before finally speaking.

"So, Rias-chan...Who's the douchebag dressed like a playboy-wannabe~?" I asked in a sing-song tone like that of which I've learned to mimic by watching my master. And like that, I returned fire.

This earned Ise's suppressed snickers, a slight snort from Yumi who managed to maintain her overall composure, a surprised squeak from Asia, a small smile from Koneko-chan, and finally, an unrepentant yet ladylike grin from Rias.

The playboy-wannabe, however, looked at me with contempt. "Who do you think you are?"

I gave a care-free thumbs-up. "Shirou Fujimura! Age: 16! Second Year at Kuoh Academy and the current White Dragon Emperor! As my demeanor suggests, I am care-free, loving towards the ladies, and very caring towards my loved ones~!" I said. Then my expression became darker as I emanated an aura of animosity. "But towards people who cross me or my friends, I'm rude, vicious, and possibly hedonistic, so I'm basically the worst guy you've ever met or ever will meet. Read the manual before talking with me. Play with fire, and your gonna get burned." Then my expression became bright and cheery again. "Nice to meetcha, Mr. Douche~!"

There was a blank silence following my introduction, but my friends from the ORC couldn't hide their amused smiles.

The douche raised an eyebrow, but his level of annoyance seemed to remain the same as before.

"Well...I truly do not care WHO you are. As I said before, this matter does not concern you, you bug. Please leave me and my _lovely__ Rias_ to our own matters." The douche tried to place his arm over Rias's shoulder, something which she clearly disliked judging from the look of disgust and displeasure on her face.

"That's okay~" I said. "I actually lied before. I'm not just a Second Year at Kuoh Academy~ I'm actually a delivery boy. I'm here to deliver one free ass-kicking if you don't get away from Rias-senpai. Quick lesson, man: When a girl looks at you the way she does, she clearly doesn't want you touching her and may be seconds away from blowing chunks. And she clearly does not like you referring to her as your 'lovely Rias'."

This illicited another round of hidden smiles.

Really, I was angry. I didn't know who this guy was, but he pissed me off so much.

The blonde sneered and stood up before approaching me. When we were face to face, he clearly tried looking much taller than he was. "I don't care who you think you are, you low class Devil. My lovely Rias is my fiancee. I'm allowed to do what I want with her."

And THAT was the straw that broke the camel's back.

I didn't bother hiding my anger by that point.

"Hm. Apparently in Douchebag School, they taught you exactly the WRONG way to treat a woman." I said, resisting the let loose my blooming rage. " I glared at the douche. "No matter how you spin it, you can't just treat a woman like your property. You clearly don't know the meaning of fiancee. Let me explain it here. Marriage is not about "owning" someone or having superiority. It is a romantic commitment to one you love above all others. A bond that both parties must be immensely prepared for. If this is how you treat her as your fiancee, I am loathe to even thinking about imagining how you'd treat her as your wife. I mean-" Then I fully processed what he said. I turned, staring incredulously at Rias with wide eyes. "Wait! Holy shit, you're getting married, Rias-senpai!? I didn't know that!"

Rias-senpai sighed, rubbing her temples. "It is an ARRANGED marriage." She said it like she could not stress it enough.

I pondered this. Then I looked from Rias to the douche, then Rias, then the douche, and then an understanding clicked together in my head.

"OOOOOOOHHHHH!...Oooohhhh...So THIS is what you were talking about." I said, finally understanding the answer to the question I had when I first got here. Rias-senpai gave me a quick and almost unnoticeable. I bowed my head to her. "I am so sorry."

"About time the pest apologized." The douche replied condescendingly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "I was talking to Senpai. Know when someone is and isn't talking to you, Mr. Douche."

And then his anger became present as well. "My name is Riser Phenex of the Phenex clan, you peon."

I mockingly applauded him. "Oh. Peon? I will admit that's a new one. Up to this point, I've been called an A-hole, bastard, pervert, jackass, and several other names I don't feel comfortable mentioning in front of any of the women present here, but 'peon' is definitely a new one...Mako-nee can be a cruel person sometimes." I smiled bitterly, remembering all of the fights that we've had to show our sibling-bond. "How long did you spend remembering its meaning, preparing for the day you could triumph over a sixteen-year-old?"

That was once again said in a mocking tone.

The playboy clenched his fists, what appeared to be flames appearing on it. "Do you KNOW who you're antagonizing?"

There was a long silence between us.

"An asshole?" I guessed mockingly. "So anyway, if it's not too much of a bother, could you please leave and never come back so I don't have to smash your face into the wall?"

I couldn't keep my killing intent hidden anymore so I decided to move on with the threats.

Riser raised his somewhat flaming fist. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't destroy you right now?"

"Leave him alone, Riser!" Rias-senpai demanded angrily. Akeno-san and Yumi looked like they were ready to jump in at a moment's notice. Ise looked outright ready to kill the bastard.

I grinned, liking where this was heading. If he threw the first punch, I was justified in kicking his ass.

"Oh, so you have fire powers too?"I asked. "Then if you're from the 'phoenix' clan, then this makes you a flaming yakitori." The flames around Riser's fist seemed to increase slightly in strength.

Riser stomped forward, grabbing me by the collar, his fist pulled back to throw a punch. "You rotten little-!"

To be honest, I fully expected either Grayfia-san to respond or myself to counter his attack, but both possible scenarios did not occur. Instead, an unexpected THIRD scenario occurred.

Before Riser could throw his punch, a magic circle behind him glowed a brilliant blue light with a symbol I recognized.

"Shiiii-taaaaan~!" A familiar, adorable voice whined, cutting through the severe situation that had begun. When the light faded, a familiar figure appeared hopping out of the circle on one leg, desperately trying to force her other boot on. It looked like she had gotten dressed in a hurry since her outfit looked hastily put on. Serafall looked adorably annoyed...

Oh wait. She really IS annoyed. She just happens to look adorable while annoyed in such a way.

But perhaps you should've waited until you were perfectly dressed before making an appearance, Serafall. Is what I thought with a sigh. It doesn't look like you even bothered to brush your hair. A Maou should look more respectable when in front of other official parties...

Hm? When did I start sounding so responsible?

Once Serafall finally got her remaining shoe on, she childishly stomped over to me who was still being gripped by the collar by the yakitori-douchebag.

She paused upon noticing me and Riser. She looked between the two of us. "Shi-tan, what is going on between you and Riser-chan?"

I smirked when Riser's confidence suddenly faded. "Ah, Riser, I don't think you've been properly introduced to my adorable master, Serafall Leviathan."

"L-L-L-Leviathan-sama!" Riser wheezed out, all arrogance gone as he realized that what he had been about to do could be considered a capital crime by one of the four Maou-samas.

"So back to Serafall's previous question, Riser, what IS going on right now?" I smiled as innocently as possible.

"Hehehehe..." Riser laughed nervously, removing his hand from my collar and making it look as those he was just straightening it out. "N-Nothing. I-I was just introducing myself to your servant just now, L-Leviathan-sama." He bowed before her reverently for added measure.

Yeah, I think everybody but Grayfia-san and Riser was smiling from how all of Riser's previous confidence got cut down like nothing before Serafall's presence.

Serafall smiled adorably, seemingly believing we were all getting along. "Oh! That's okay then~!" Then she turned to me and pouted. "Shi-taaaan~! I can't believe you went and got all into this mess without me~! You're a representative of me so you really shouldn't get involved in such serious things without me present~!"

Wait...is she...SCOLDING ME?! She was talking with her usual tone so it was hard to tell whether or not she was serious.

I rubbed the back of my neck, smiling apologetically. "Hehe...Sorry, Sera-tan."

Serafall maintained her previous scolding expression for a moment longer before her usual normal smile reappeared.

She glomped me and nuzzled her face against mine. "Awwww~! I can't stay mad at my most adorable Queen~!" Now the killing intent was beginning to be directed towards me. Koneko-chan was staring sharply at me as if I had just evolved from pond scum, Ise was glaring at me with his usual envy, Yumi maintained a polite smile, but I saw the corners of her mouth twitch, Asia's eyes became wide and watery, and even Akeno-san let out a strangely mischievous laugh that gave me a bad feeling.

"Ahem." Grayfia-san had coughed once in order to get back to the subject at hand. Sera-tan smiled brightly after she noticed Grayfia-san's presence.

"Oh! Hiiiii, Fia-chan~! Didn't see ya there~!" Sera-tan waved cheerfully despite that clearly not being the reason Grayfia-san drew her attention. She hugged me more tightly. "Have you met Shi-tan yet~? He's my most adorable [Queen]~!"

"Leviathan-sama."

"He's just starting out, but he's still really really strong~!"

"Leviathan-sama."

"He's also really strong and kind and brave and Shi-tan loves to hug me whenever I want~!"

"Leviathan-sama." I noticed Grayfia's eye was starting to twitch.

"I mean he's just so adorable and my most adorable servant~! Behemoth-chan is also amazing, but Shi-tan is definitely my most huggable~! Behemoth-chan doesn't really like hugging me as much, but~-"

"Serafall!" Grayfia-san called out, raising her voice for the first time. Sera-tan pouted. However, she could tell that Grayfia-san was growing weary of the constant interruptions and continuing on with her rant would not be productive towards anything but annoying the maid. Grayfia-san took a small breath as she collected her thoughts. "If everyone has calmed down, then we can get back to business."

Then the atmosphere started to become heavy once more. The same atmosphere I had felt crushing down on me when I first entered.

I stood next to Ise, one arm wrapped around Sera-tan who continued hugging me affectionately while my other hand was in my pocket.

"I've said it countless times, Grayfia. I _will not_ marry Riser!" Rias-senpai declared.

"Ojou-sama, it was something your father and Lord Phoenix agreed upon."

Rias-senpai crossed her arms stubbornly, shooting a hate-filled glare at Riser who returned with a cocky smile. "I don't care if it's what they decided. I refuse to marry _him_."

Grayfia-san released a sigh. "It seems I have no choice" This led to Buchou giving her a silent questioning look. "Sirzechs-sama said to give you a chance to get out of the engagement, should you still be against it."

"Nii-sama?" Rias-senpai questioned. I didn't know who Sirzechs was, but I already saw him as an okay guy if he was willing to give his sister a way out.

Grayfia nodded. "Yes. In the event you're still against the wedding, you'd be permitted to play a Rating Game against Riser-sama." This caused Rias's eyes to widen. "Should you win, you'd be able to go on without the wedding, no more pushing from either family. However, if you lose, the wedding will continue regardless."

Rather than the look of relief or determination I expected, Rias-senpai had an angry look. "In other words Otou-sama and the others decided to have a game as a last resort if I was to decline, right? …Just how far are they intending to interfere with my life to feel satisfied...!" Her angry killing intent was kind of hot.

"Then Ojou-sama, you are saying you would also decline to participate in the game?"

Rias-senpai shook her head. "No, I won't, since this is a chance. Alright then. Let's settle this with a game, Riser."

Riser smirked. "Hee, so you're accepting it. I don't mind." My dislike for the bastard only increased more. "But I'm already a matured Devil and I have already participated in the official game. Right now I have won most of the games. Even so, you still want to play, Rias?"

"I will. I will blow you away, Riser!" Rias-senpai declared determinedly.

"Fine. If you win, do whatever you like. But if I win, you will marry me immediately."

The two High-class Devils glared at one another. I was mentally rooting for Buchou's glare to burn the stupid yakitori to ashes.

"Understood. I, Grayfia, have confirmed both sides opinion. I will be in charge of the game between the two household. Is that okay?"

"Yes."

"Yeah."

Both [Kings] agreed.

Grayfia-san bowed her head. "Understood. I will inform the two households then."

I glanced between the two participants of the now-declared Rating Game. Between Rias and Riser, the difference in experience was clear. I'm still learning about Devils and the clans and their abilities, but if the name "Phenex" is anything to go by, then this guy probably has a sort of regeneration factor. Against an ordinary opponent, Rias would certainly be able to blow them away. Her [Power of Destruction] was almost always an assured one-hit KO. But against a guy like Riser who could probably regenerate indefinitely, there would be a bit of a problem in that match-up. As much as I hate to admit it, Riser would probably come out on top unless there was outside interference such as a two or more-on-one fight with the advantage being in Rias's favor.

"Hey, Rias. Would the ones here be your servants?" Riser eyed all of my friends with that contemptible smirk of his. He was underestimating them. While Rias on her own probably couldn't win, with someone strong like Ise, I think her chances improve drastically.

"And so what if the others are my servants?"

Riser burst into laughter, returning the mocking I gave him earlier. "Then this match will be a laugh. Only your [Queen], the "Priestess of Thunder" can fight on par with my adorable servants." He shot me a glare. "Even if he is the servant of Leviathan-sama, that weakling over there wouldn't be of any use to you either. None of the Low-Class servants here are anywhere near my level."

Serafall shot Riser a sharp glare and she clearly would've said something about it if Grayfia-san hadn't shot her a strange look. Almost warning her not to step out of line. Serafall reluctantly complied. I felt a shiver go down my spine, an unpleasant one at that. If Grayfia-san was the kind of person who could make a Maou like Serafall hesitate, then she's probably not someone I should cross.

Riser then snapped his fingers, causing the magic-circle on the ground to glow. An emblem that I assumed to be that of the house of Phenex appeared. Then figures began to rise from circle which emitted magical, red flames. On a side note, I had to admit that the Phenex clan had cooler-looking teleportation spells.

"Well, these are my cute servants."

I counted at least fifteen women, each and every one dressed in rather fetishistic outfits.

I sighed. It didn't take a genius to figure out that SOMETHING was going on in their free time with their master. How disgusting. And no, I was not judging him for doing ecchi things with his servants. I doubt he's the only Devil who does such things. No, the reason I am disgusted is for a different reason entirely.

"Gross~"

"Riser-sama, this person is freaking me out~"

I blinked. For a moment, I thought they had been directing their words towards me. Then I realized they had, in fact, been directed towards my dear friend Ise who was staring enviously at Riser's harem.

"Don't say that, my cute girls. Looking up to upper stream folks is what a lowly ones does. Let's show them how passionate we are."

Saying that, Raiser starts to have a tongue kiss with one of the girls.

Ise's envy became even stronger...Then I smacked him upside the head.

"Idiots." I said like a swear, face-palming and shaking my head.

[What'd you say?!]

Not just Ise, but Riser reacted with outrage as well at my insult.

"Tch." I clicked my tongue. "I cannot believe you are getting worked up over such a pathetic display, Ise."

Ise stared at me, wide-eyed due to confusion. "Eh?"

I gestured in the general area of Riser and his Peerage. "As you can see, he has his Peerage tailored to include just about every fetish." Ise nodded, uncertain where I was going. Riser gained a cocky smirk, having some sort of pride in his Peerage/harem. "But, if you'll also notice...He is not a TRUE Harem King! There is no reason to envy him!"

...

[What?]

That was the general reaction of everyone to my statement. I released Serafall from my arms and stood away from her.

I smirked. "Well, that is not a true harem, Ise, my bro. He's been forced to abuse his one-time use Evil Pieces to turn suitable women into his Peerage, declaring them as his harem. However, there is no soul! A TRUE harem is made up of a man and the women he's formed genuine romantic attachments with! Simply turning fifteen women into toys for your pleasure, how pathetic! Take my harem-in-progress for example! Ruruko, Yumi, Karlamine, Tsubasa, Momo, Serafall, and possibly even Jack if I feel that a "little sister" type would be appropriate. Compare my relations to them with the relations Riser has with his "harem", Ise. Do you see the difference? I pour my heart and soul into forming each and every one of the romantic bonds I've formed. My feelings are true and pure! I will love them equally and with all of my heart! I will sacrifice both life and limb if only to secure their happiness! I will indulge in every one of their desires regardless of personal feelings and protect them with everything I have! Even if they hurt me, I will love them! Even if they hate me, I will love them! It's not truly a woman's sizes that determines heir worth in a harem, it's the bonds between lovers! That is where the passion and eroticism in harems truly originates from! The romantic bonds a King forges with their girls must be powerful enough that no sword, no matter how sharp or strong, can cut it! That is what it means to be a TRUE Harem King!"

.

.

.

The long pause afterward told me I may or may not have gotten a lil bit carried away.

Clap clap clap

Eh? Who's clapping?

I looked to my friends to see mixed reactions: Yumi and Serafall were clapping approvingly. Asia seemed equally impressed yet unhappy about something. Koneko and Rias were staring deadpan (it looked like they were between being amused/impressed and scolding me for my speech). Akeno-san had an amused (and...maybe aroused?) smile on her face.

I felt a tug on my sleeve. I turned and was shocked to see Ise with tears in his eyes and an expression on his face that revealed new-found understanding.

"So that is what a true Harem King is...I finally understand the differences between our similar goals." Ise clenched his fists, a powerful determination overcoming him. "Yes! I'll definitely follow your example!" My heart became filled with hope, believing for a moment that Ise finally understands on how to better himself in the pursuit of his goal. "First I'll get my servants with huge oppai, definitely romance all of them and THEN do ecchi things with them!"

I stared blankly. Well...I could at least say I'm making progress with this perverted idiot...

I sighed before smiling politely. "But truly, Riser, I almost feel embarrassed for your subpar harem-building skills."

Clearly I had hit a sensitive point with Riser, coz, while his expression remained civil, he began radiating a bit more malice towards me than he had been before.

"Oh really?" The yakitori asked. "Well what low level of self-esteem did your girls have then?"

...

"Excuse me?" I paused, slowly comprehending the insult he just shot at me. The silence is time was much harsher.

"Well, forgive me for pointing it out," Riser said sarcastically, "But a mongrel such as you could never have gathered QUALITY girls. It's miracle enough how you earned the attention of the great Leviathan-sama." While a small part of me wanted to make a reference to the fact that I had a powerful, blonde, arrogant, douche in front of me calling me a "mongrel", that side was overruled by the swelling anger that began to appear as I fully processed his words.

"Oi-!" Ise tried to intervene before I held out my arm in front of him to stop him.

"No, Ise." I turned back to Riser with a deceivingly pleasant smile. "And what, exactly, are you implying, Riser?"

Riser waved off my question as if it had been nothing. "Just how many men your "harem girls" had been with before they eventually decided to settle for you."

Remember before how I said that there had been the straw that broke the camel's back?...I stand corrected.

"Shitty bastaaaaard!" Ise was fairly angry. He summoned his Boosted Gear immediately. True, he had not been the one involved in the insult, but considering the fact Riser had just essentially called girls he thought of as friends what would easily be taken to mean "sluts", it was only natural that Ise would be enraged. The foolish idiot tried to lung at Riser, but-

SWEEP

I swept Ise's legs from underneath him with a well-place kick.

"Eh?" was all Ise could say before he landed disgracefully on his hindquarters.

"Don't be an idiot, Ise." I chided him. "No matter how angry you are, you aren't anywhere near Riser's level yet. I'm physically stronger than you and even I don't think I can beat him at my current level. I don't think you could even beat his weakest servant due to your lack of training." Ise stared up at me with a look of betrayal.

"Ha. At least the filthy mongrel recognizes his place." Riser said with a smirk. I shot him a glare filled with killing intent.

"Don't get me wrong, Riser. Come Rating Game time, Ise will definitely kick your ass, you shitty yakitori. And I will be filming every. Single. Minute." I stuck my tongue out him. "Ya dumbass."

"You wreeeeeetch!" Riser's fist filled with flames again. This time I was certain we would end up in a fight. I clenched my fists, ready to exchange blows. I would rip this fucking bastard's face off for insulting the women I love! Then I'd let it regrow and rip it off again! Lather. Rinse. Repeat.

Even if Grayfia-san would intervene, I wanted to get one clear blow off this unforgivable person.

Riser and I were about to lung at one another until-

"No fighting!"

A girl who was a little bit shorter than myself stepped between Riser and I, intervening by holding out her hands to both of us, acting as a barrier between us.

She was one of Riser's servants who had appeared. She had long, blonde hair tied in twin drills and wore a light-purple dress. It might have been a bit rude, but I noticed her bust wasn't lacking either. Not as large as Serafall's or Rias's, but certainly bigger than Asia's breasts.

I had to admit, I kinda liked this girl's courage for jumping between two guys about to duke it out without hesitation.

First she glared at Riser. "Onii-sama, you should know better than to do something as stupid as picking a fight right in middle of the Strongest Queen."

"But he-You saw him, Ravel!" Riser pointed at my accusingly, sounding something like a child who was trying to pin the blame on someone else in front of his parents. "He called me a 'yakitori'! He has no discipline!"

Ravel pouted. "From what I saw, Fujimura-sama was only responding with understandable anger after you insulted women he cared for, you going through with such insults even after he specifically declared his passion and love for them in such a romantic way." ...is she blushing? And...'Onii-sama'? Wait. She's Riser's sister!? How do you get such a cute girl from the same family as that yakitori douchebag!?

"B-But he-You didn't hear anything he said before now!" Riser complained.

"You've been insulting him the whole time I've been here. I'm pretty sure I have a good idea on what was said." Ravel-san said with a scolding expression. I found myself amused. Ha~! I'm turning Riser's own little sister against him~!

"Yeah, Riser's been being mean to me this entire time just because I told him once to stop being cruel to my friend, Rias-senpai. He even tried hitting me before my beloved master, Serafall, arrived."

"It's the truth~!" Sera-tan chipped in, clearly sensing what I was trying to pull.

"THAT'S BULLSHIT!" Riser screeched, becoming enraged at my unfounded accusations.

Ravel-san then turned to me and curtsied politely.

"Forgive my Onii-sama for his rudeness, Fujimura-sama." Ravel-san apologized. "No matter what his thoughts, he should not speak so rudely to the kind [Queen] of Leviathan-sama." Ooh~! She's polite~! She called me kind, too! I like this girl.

I smiled softly, regaining my previous composure. "Ah, but I should apologize as well for showing such a side of myself to you. It is a pleasure to meet you, Phenex-sama." I knelt before the beautiful, blonde girl, grasping one of her hands which I brought closer to me, leaning my face downward and placing the gentlest of kisses on the back of her hand. "Truly I have never met a noble woman as kind nor as beautiful as you before now."

I felt a sharp gaze from Rias from my compliment which was also an unintended back-handed insult towards her and Sona.

Sorry, lady, but this just ain't your day. Deal with it.

"O-Oh! R-Really!? T-Thank you so much! I-" Ravel-san was blushing. She thoroughly pleased by my flattery but seemed embarrassed when she noticed I was seeing how excited she was getting. She closed her eyes, coughing into her fist, downplaying her happiness and embarrassment. "Well, it's very nice for you to say so, Fujimura-sama."

"Please," I said softly, "Call me Shirou."

Ravel-san's blush became more profound. "R-Right then. T-Then you may also call me 'Ravel'."

"As you wish, Ravel-sama."

"Oi! Stop being so chummy with the enemy, Shirou!" Ise screeched.

"Ravel, what's with all the closeness with that guy?! Stay away from him! He's no good!"

Oh hi, Pot, my name's Kettle, have we met?

"Shut up, Ise."

"Mind your own business, Onii-sama!"

Both interloping parties grunted, but did as asked.

Riser, instead, turned back to Rias. "Rias, how about we have a match in 10 days?" He asked. "We could do it now, but that wouldn't be interesting."

"…Are you giving me a handicap." Rias-senpai asked, suspiciously.

"Are you against it? Is it humiliating?" Riser asked. "[Rating Game] isn't something simple that you can win with only your feelings. If you can't use your servant's power to the fullest, then you will lose immediately. So it's not weird for you to train with your servants for your first [Rating Game]. I have seen Devils who lost without using their power to the fullest countless of times, no matter how great their potential and power was."

Senpai said nothing to respond and simply listened.

"-10 days. If it's you, then you should be able to improve your servants." He then turned to Ise. "Don't be a disgrace to Rias, Rias's [Pawn]. Your blow is Rias's blow. "

I snorted, standing and jabbing a finger in Riser's direction. "Ha. You think yourself so high and mighty, but mark my words, Riser: My bro, Ise right here, will be the first person to kick your ass! I'd stake my life on it!"

I noticed Ravel straighten up suddenly, her eyes wide. She then scurried back to Riser and pulled him down by the shoulder, whispering something in his ear.

Riser seemed to give his little sister a tired look that seemed to ask "Are you serious?" while Ravel had her hands clasped together and a begging look on her face. After this, Riser immediately recovered from his tiredness and brushed a hand through his hair, turning back to me.

"Is that a wager, Queen of Leviathan-sama?" Riser asked. "If so, then I might just be willing to take you up on it."

I blinked. "...what?"

[What?] The others reacted a few moments after I did.

"If you're so confident that your precious friend, Issei, will pull through for you, then would you be willing to truly bet your life on it?"

I raised an eyebrow. "...Where is this going?" But I didn't decline yet.

"It's a simple wager that will depend on the outcome of my battle with Rias and her servants: If somehow your friend defeats me, then I will grant any single request."

"And if he doesn't?" There had to be more to this. What did he want in return if Rias's team lost?

"If I win..." Riser trailed off, clearly uncertain judging from his frown. "...what do I get if he doesn't..."

Ravel dragged Riser down again and started whispering again. After she released Riser, the yakitori sighed.

"If I win, then you become Ravel's servant."

.

.

.

[What?]

It felt like we were saying that word a lot lately.

"You heard my terms. Do you accept?" Riser asked with a sense of finality.

"Hell no!" I shouted. "With such obscure prices wagered, I would never accept a wager like that! The only way I would ever consider a wager like that!"

"Yeah!" Serafall agreed, flailing her arms about lately. "Even if Shi-tan's strong and stuff, there would be no way he would accept such a thing!"

"Well...what would you want then?" Riser asked after yet more whispers from Ravel that clearly left him mildly annoyed.

"How about half your Peerage?" I said jokingly. "I'll gladly accept your wager if you would give me half the number of your servants if you're defeated."

"What?!" Riser asked in outrage, perhaps believing I was serious. "No way I would wager that many of my girls for you! Even if you are Leviathan-sama's Queen and even the rumored White Dragon Emperor, I would NEVER-!"

"Well, Shi-tan's also has a Mutation Piece, so does that even the wages?" Serafall asked. S-Serafall, I was joking...

Ravel's eyes went as wide as plates. She turned to Riser and stared in a begging way.

Riser growled and looked like he was beginning to feel a bit bullied. "F...Fine." He muttered through clenched teeth.

"What?"

"Oh~! Shi-tan~! You should accept~! This will be very good for you~!" Serafall said with sparkling eyes.

I sweatdropped. "Serafall, with all due respect, I don't wanna-"

"So do we have a deal?" Riser asked, looking like he really preferred that I would say no and save him some trouble.

"I'm gonna have to go with n-"

"You swear on your family's name that you'll fulfill your side of the bargain when Rias-chan's servants beat you~?" Serafall asked.

"I'm telling you I don't wanna." I tried cutting in again.

"Of course." Riser replied. "Although it's not likely, I will fulfill my word in the case of the divine miracle that Rias's servants defy the world itself and defeat me."

"I said no."

"Then on behalf of my most adorable Queen, I accept that wager! This will be a most fortunate victory for my adorable Queen!"

[WHAAAAAAT?!]

Asia, Yumi, Ise, and I all screamed in shock at my master's rash decision.

"Yes!" I think I heard Ravel whisper in a hiss, seeming excited about something, but I didn't care. I was left staring, eyes wide from shock, at my master.

Riser sighed. "Fine then...If I hadn't wanted to make my adorable little sister happy, I would've been gone by now..." He gathered his Peerage into the magic circle as it began to glow with a magic light. "Rias, the next time we meet will be at the game."

"Farewell, Shirou-sama!" Ravel bid farewell cheerfully. "I will be extremely careful to take good care once Onii-sama crushes Rias and her servants!"

And then they were gone in a brilliant light.

I didn't wait. I turned around and just stared at Serafall who was still smiling with blissful ignorance.

I was gaping at her.

"This will be really fun, don't you think, Shi-tan~?!" She asked cheerfully.

"L-Leviathan-sama..." Asia looked like she was speechless.

"...What...?" Ise was the same.

"...the...?" Yumi also mumbled.

"...Hell...?" Akeno-san finished, her shock seeming exactly the same as ours.

"Hm~?" Serafall hummed.

"You...You bet me..." I said, finally getting to the origin of my shock. "I told you I didn't wanna accept the wager...and you bet me..." I was trembling. I didn't know if it was from shock, anger, sadness, or betrayal.

"W-Why are you staring at me like that, Shi-tan...?" Reality slowly seemed to seep into Serafall's usually stupidly ignorant mind.

"You...YOU BET ME!" I said, this time more outraged. "You really bet me! Just like that! JUST! LIKE! THAT!" It was definitely betrayal I was feeling. My master who supposedly thought of me as her most precious person...just bet me! For a stupid wager with a low chance of victory on our side! I looked at Serafall with disgust. "Really precious to you...yeah right..."

"Shi-tan! Wait! I'm sorry! Come back!" I heard Serafall call after me, but I ignored her. I didn't wanna hear cliches like "I didn't think it through!" or "I'm sorry! I would never betray you like that!" or "I didn't mean it!". If she could bet me so easily, then perhaps I was wrong to even think about liking her let alone loving her...I stormed off, stomping over the shattered remains of the door I had smashed earlier.

I guess this makes two things that are broken now:

First the door...and now my heart.

Here I was thinking I could never feel this way again, but I was wrong.

Even though I promised to never treat a woman in a way that would make them do such a thing to me, it happened again. I never intended it to be this way, but that's the way that it happened.

My heart was broken.

**And on that note, we are done~!**

**Sorry it took so long~! I've just been planning a lot of stories and I really had to work up the guts to portray that last scene there! I know you all think Serafall would never do something reckless like that, but when she gets fired up, I figured she'd have such a reckless reaction to a wager. Reckless enough to do something so stupid.**

**Will Rias defeat Riser? Will Ise ever learn to NOT be such a disgusting pervert?! Will Serafall ever earn Shirou's forgiveness?! Will Shirou's broken heart be mended?! Will these questions ever end?!**

**I'll soon reveal those answers...Right now~: Probably not. No. Maybe. Yes. And Yes.**

**Time for a preview involving the quotes of the next chapter~:**

Issei: Alright! I'll definitely surpass that damned bishounen!

Asia: I will definitely prove myself worthy to become your "alpha" as well as your wife, Shirou-san!

Jack: Onii-chan isn't someone you can just play around with! I will never forgive you!

Mittelt: No matter what happens, I will always be by your side.

Shirou: I just want it to stop...To stop experiencing this feeling...

**Next time: Life 11: Training of the Body and the Heart!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	12. Life 11: Training of Body and Heart

**And it is time to continue this tale~! From where we left off, Riser's a douche, Ravel's crushing on Shirou, Serafall bet Shirou in the heat of the moment, Shirou's heartbroken and betrayed. That bout sums it up~**

**Also, I know some of you are like "How does Riser still have 15 servants when Karlamine never became a Devil?". Well my response to that is I figured it didn't matter whether or not Karlamine was a Devil, that perverted douche, Riser, would've easily just found another girl. Plus, his Peerage has only made three appearances total in the anime OR the light novels, so what does it matter? I doubt we'll see those guys again. And Ravel kind of stopped being Riser's Bishop after she fell for Issei in the canon...so yeah. That is my argument. I hope you all understand.**

**Also, just to give you guys some heads up: The situation between Shirou and Serafall will be _heating up_ this chapter...How? Kufufufufu~ You'll see~**

**The lemon was written by Fu-reiji22~**

**On with the story~!**

**Disclaimer: I OWN NOTHING EXCEPT SHIROU!**

**Life 11: Training of the Body and the Heart**

"So looks like BOTH of our futures are depending on the outcome of your game, Rias-senpai." I sighed out, carrying an insanely large number of bags on my back. We were heading up to a training camp up in the mountains for the next ten days so we could train for the [Rating Game] against Riser. While I was in no way Rias-senpai's servant, Sona and I agreed it would be best if I went with the Gremory group to train to help them prepare. "I still can't believe your parents would be so selfish as to make you marry a person like Riser."

With the number of Pure-blooded Devils becoming low due to the big war between the three factions hundreds of years ago, Senpai's father made a deal with Riser's father that Senpai and Riser would get married...as an attempt to repopulate the Pure-bloods.

I felt nauseous at the thought of mini-Risers running about. One Yakitori-douchbag was bad enough. It would be even worse for my friend who would have be the mother.

"That's why it's very important to me that we win this [Rating Game]." Rias said. "I don't want my future to be decided by anyone but myself."

I shrugged. "I get it. It's horribly annoying when someone else makes decisions regarding your future without your consent."

"Shiiii-taaaaan~!" I felt a familiar softness press against my side as my master's arms wrapped around my own.

Leviathan-sama hugged my closely, nuzzling her face against mine. "I'm so happy So-tan let me come with you for your training~!"

"..." I turned to Rias-senpai, blank-faced. "Did you hear something?" Rias-senpai seemed hesitant to answer.

Leviathan-sama pouted before getting a perverted grin. "Nice try, Shi-tan, tryin' to ignore me~! But ya can't ignore this~!" Before I could protest, the existence whom I was ignoring grabbed both sides of my face and shoved it in-between "its" bosoms.

"AAAAIIIIIIEEEE!" I heard Ise screeching from further down the stairs. "No fair! That damned bastard always gets all the luck with girls! Why does he always get his face shoved into oppai and touch them all the time when I can't even get lucky with a girl even once! It's so unfaaaaaaiiiiir!" Without a single bit of hesitation, I placed my hands on the shoulders of Leviathan-sama and pushed myself out from between her bosoms, allowing myself to breathe. My expression remained unchanged. I just didn't care.

"Nope. Probably just the wind." I said.

"O-Oi...Shi-tan..." Leviathan-sama said, her voice shaking slightly and her smile beginning to fall slightly. "C-Come oooon, Shi-tan~!"

"Stay away from Onii-chan, evil Onee-chan!" I looked up to see Jack's face poking out from on top of my large load on my back. Jack was short and so were her legs. Climbing up these many stairs definitely would have been a hassle for her. Since my stuff could hardly get any harder to carry, I allowed her to ride on top so she wouldn't have to walk. I softly smiled up at her.

"It's no trouble, Jack. After all, what is there to be mad at when there's nothing there, right?" Even though I tried to suppress it, I just couldn't forgive nor could I resist releasing the incredibly cold presence towards a certain person whose smile finally left their face. Then I turned to Ise. "Well maybe if you weren't such an apparent pervert, a girl might let you get close enough to do such things, Ise!" I shouted back at him. "It would help if you stopped slacking behind! Me, Koneko, and Yumi are way ahead of you!"

"Oi! You guys are like monsters!" Ise screamed, crying.

I smirked to myself. "Fine then. I guess there is only room for one Harem King in Kuoh and that would be me. Have fun being single for the rest of your life." Of course I was just teasing him. With Ise's combination of perversion and stupidity, this idiot wouldn't give up even if his goal killed him. I was just giving him a little motivation. I snorted to myself. "A guy who complains like you will never graduate from being a virgin."

"WHAT'D YOU SAAAAAY!?" I could almost see steam pouring from Ise's ears due to rage. "Screw you, you damned handsome! Alright! I'll definitely surpass that damned bishounen! I'll show you! I'm gonna be the first to the top and I'll beat ALL OF YOOOOOU!" Then he was off, ignoring the previous exhaustion and slowness he had been previously complaining about as he soared up the stairs past Rias and I, leaving me smirking and Rias-senpai staring in amusement.

"Ah, playing off on his abnormally high level of desire to motivate him. It appears I underestimated you, Shirou-kun." Rias-senpai noted with an amused smile. "You are especially cruel."

I faked a hurt expression. "Ah! You wound me, dear Rias~! Is it truly so cruel to desire to motivate one's bro to surpass his previous limits by inspiring him with the thought of his dream failing due to his lack of male pride~?" But in all seriousness, my main goal here was to help Ise and the others train and enhance their power as Devils.

"My Shi-tan is definitely the best~!" My master cheered once more. Of course, I ignored her.

I admit my power level was nowhere near my master's nor even Rias's by this point, but I was told by Akeno-san during one of our magic-training sessions that my power was indeed superior to Ise's and even Koneko and Yumi's by this point. While I couldn't match their individual powers such as Yumi's swordsmanship or Koneko-chan's experience with her Rook-like strength, I was superior in terms of power. Akeno-san that even she would find me to be a difficult opponent to overcome...although, she did word it strangely with a rather perverted look on her face so there's a fair chance I might have mistook the meaning.

"Buchou, I gathered some herbs." Yumi said as she walked up to us, smiling calmly. "Let's use it for the meal tonight." I was impressed she had both the stamina and the time to gather those herbs. That's the speed of a [Knight] for ya.

My eyes lit up. "Leave it to me! If it's a seasoning or ingredient in some way, then I can definitely cook it into something tasty!" If there was one thing I could certainly take pride in, it was my cooking skills.

Yumi smiled at me. "Alright then. I'll leave it to you, Shirou-kun."

"…See you later." Koneko-chan walked right past both of us, not bothering to start conversation. I just stared blankly as my much smaller kouhai casually strolled past me.

"Overtaken by a white-haired loli..." I muttered. "Oh, my pride. My wounded pride."

"It's okay, Shi-tan~!" My master said. "Let your adorable master give you a hug to make you feel better~!" I sidestepped just as a short figure launched themselves at me, narrowly avoiding their arms. Said figure stumbled after their failed lunge, but didn't fall down.

I shrugged. "Oh well. Come on, Rias-senpai. It would be a shame if you were outdone by your servants, would it not?" Senpai looked at me worriedly and then at my master, seeming uncertain on how to respond, but she eventually nodded. I heard her mumble a small apology to my master as we continued on our way.

If I had turned around even once, I probably would have seen a sad, teary-eyed woman with her arms hanging hopelessly limp at her sides, staring up at me as I continued walking on the path away from her.

* * *

**Serafall's POV...**

Shi...tan?

I just stood there and watched as the shape of my most adorable Queen became smaller and smaller the further the distance between us became. Not once did he even glance back at me or smile or even speak a single word that was intended for me alone. No, Shi-tan was completely ignoring me...on purpose.

I felt hot tears roll down the sides of my face, the cause being the ever-increasing pain in my chest.

Shi-tan...whatever it is, I'm sorry! I'm sorry I made you mad at me, but please! Acknowledge me! Please don't forget my existence! Please don't leave me alone! I'm sorry!

"Why...Why, Shi-tan...?" I sat on the steps, curling up into a ball, hugging my legs to my chest. "Why are you so mad at me...?"

Did I offend you, Shi-tan...? Did I not love you enough? Why...? Why...?

"It's because you did something unforgivable."

I almost jumped right out of my adorable magical girl outfit at the sound of the voice that appeared right next to me. I looked around to see nobody within my immediate sight.

Magical Girl Senses-Tingling! There's something dangerous in the area!

Just as I was about to get my magic wand and wish the trouble away, I felt a tug at my skirt. "We're down here."

I directed my gaze downwards to see my adorable adopted imouto, Jack-chan~! I crouched down and smiled at my adorable younger sister who referred to everyone as "Onii-chan" or "Onee-chan"~!

I managed a small smile for my adorable adoptive sister. "Oh, hiya, Jack-chaaaan~"

But I felt something strange. Her expression...it was blank. Absolutely blank, showing no emotion whatsoever. It reminded me of back in the Familiar Forest...right before she tried to attack my precious So-tan. I had forgiven Jack-chan for that because So-tan and Shi-tan convinced me to do so and because she was soooooo ADORABLE when she apologized~!...but now she was clearly dissatisfied. This child-no-This Evil Spirit clearly meant me no good will.

"You betrayed Onii-chan, Successor of Leviathan-sama." This was no longer the voice of an adorable child. Rather, it was a voice that sounded centuries old. One that had been broken over the course of time and coming to sound as if thousands of voices had been born as a result. "You treated him as a betting chip to be traded away and hurt him."

That was when a hot sensation flared up in my chest. It wasn't the pain I felt or the happiness and joy I felt around Shirou...

It was anger. For the first time in many years, I was genuinely angry. Furious even. I wasn't sure what I was even angry about, but this Evil Spirit's words were certainly the cause.

"I would never betray Shi-tan!" I screamed at her as loudly as I could. "I only agreed to the Phenex-chan's challenge because winning would mean Shi-tan would already get his first servants! After Rias-chan wins, he'll already be started with his Peerage once he reaches High-Class! How dare you question my love for my most adorable Queen!"

"_If." _Jack-chan replied calmly, completely unfazed by my outburst. "IF Rias wins. You have no guarantee that the Gremory heiress will be the victor of her confrontation with Riser. We are all but certain she will fail, in fact. But of that matter, we do not care. We are only concerned for Onii-chan and his promise towards us. But you...you hurt him..." Jack-chan's fists began to tremble at her sides, the small Evil Spirit greatly resisting her own anger. "You didn't even consider what Onii-chan wanted! You bet him without hesitation! Onii-chan isn't someone you can just play around with! I will never forgive you!" For the first time in the conversation, Jack-chan raised her voice to me, revealing some of her previously suppressed feelings. "You...you didn't even think about how everyone else felt..."

She paused again. I just stared at the child...I realized now that the trembling she had was not due to suppressing anger...

"I'll never forgive you if I lose Onii-chan again..."

It was due to suppressing tears. The hatred that the child bore towards me and the sadness she held within herself...

All for the one she loved most.

I felt my own heart begin to ache again, this time worse than before. It wasn't just due to Shirou ignoring and being mad at me...Gah! This feeling! Whatever it is, it's awful!

"_Jaaaaaaack_!"

My heart skipped a beat when I heard the voice of my precious Queen, but then sank when I realized he had no intention of calling my name.

"Jack, where'd you go?!"

Jack-chan gave me one more sharp look before her expression changed to that of the adorable girl she had been several moments ago.

"Coming Onii-chan!" Jack-chan called back, running in the direction away from me and towards my precious Queen.

And yet again, I was all alone.

Only difference from before is now I hurt only so much more...

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

I had to admit that the mansion at the top was pretty impressive. As expected of the great Gremory clan. It was built completely from wood yet had a type of home-y feel to it.

I put away all of the bags I was carrying (still thinking the amount was a bit much for only ten days).

The girls all decided to go upstairs to change into clothes more appropriate for training.

"I will also go and get changed." Yumi said as she walked past me carrying a blue jersey. She then winked. "Don't peek." I couldn't tell whether she was joking or trying to entice me.

I felt my cheeks pink slightly. I noticed Ise glaring at me with hostility before he too left to go change.

I sighed and decided to change in the now-empty room since it would be a waste of time to go upstairs when the room was already clear. It would only take a minute to get changed. I started with my shirt, taking it off and ready to change into my jersey.

"Oh wow that's hot..."

"Heehee~"

"..."

I frowned, dropping my shirt on the floor. I quickly searched around the room, confused. "Did I just...?" I could've sworn I heard someone.

I shrugged. Maybe it's just Yumi and the girls talking about something...Hopefully I just heard words completely out of context.

I looked down at the ground and my eyes widened. My jersey AND my shirt were missing!

"What the Hell?!" I glared in the direction Ise walked in."Ise, did you take my jersey?!"

"No!" He called back from the room. He sounded confused by my question. "Did you drop it somewhere?!"

I frowned again, looking around the room. There was a couch...I crouched down and put my head against the floor, trying to see if I subconsciously flung my jersey under there.

"Wow...he's really toned in all areas..."

"Hehe~ You'd better hurry up and snatch him up, Mittelt or I might just be tempted to take him for myself~"

"...nice..."

"Hey, there's more than just his obviously gorgeous body! I'm not as shallow as you, you damned sexual predator!"

"SHHH! Be quiet! He'll hear us!"

I shot up, alert and quickly looking around the room. That time I was certain I heard something.

"Smooth move, Kala!"

"Me?! It was you-Shit." By that point I had noticed the only closet in the room was where the voices seemed to originate from. "OK. Nobody make another sound..."

I sighed. "Whoever's in this room, come out before I hunt you down and knock your lights out!"

There was silence.

So that's how they wanted to play it.

I quickly started stomping my feet, hiding behind the couch, stomping much more slowly and quietly after several seconds.

Then I stayed absolutely silent for several seconds.

"Is the coast clear?"

"...Don't know...I'm scared..."

"Sssshhh. There there, Ray-chan. Shirou may be kind of brute-like sometimes, but he's really cute like a puppy."

My eye twitched. I was NOT a puppy!

I silently walked over to the closet...Then I punched my fist clean through the material. I clung my hand to the other end of the closet and gave a firm yank, completely breaking the door off its hinges and tossing it to the side. I was radiating killing intent.

"Who's-!" I blinked twice at the sight I saw, trying to process.

Sitting crouched on the floor of the closet were the three females of the Fallen Angel ORC members.

All three stared up at me. They quickly blushed.

"Wow...It looks even better up close."

"...So big..."

"Definitely a keeper~!"

I blushed deeply covering my torso, trying to ignore how embarrassing those comments sounded out of context. "W-What?!" I then noticed that Mittelt was holding my jersey in her lap, hugging it like some kind of security blanket. "How did you even-?! Give me that!" I snatched my jersey back, my face was absolutely red. "Y-You perverts! You were peeping at me?!" I then thought about what I just said. "Well, honestly. It's actually a little bit flattering."

"You're welcome, sexy~" I hit Kalawarner on the head for that one. She rubbed the aching bump on her head.

I was still blushing. "W-Were you trying to see me naked?!"

I noticed Raynare cowering behind Kalawarner, but decided that they'd all get an equal shouting at.

"Would you be angry if we said yes?" Kalawarner asked, smiling slyly.

I pondered the answer to that question. "What are you three even doing here?!"

"Buchou sent us here yesterday to make sure the mansion was still in good condition." Kalawarner explained.

"And boy what good condition it was in~!" Kalawarner sang. "I mean with the outdoor baths and-" She was silenced with a squeak as Mittelt elbowed her on the stomach.

"..." Raynare shrank even further away from me.

There were so many things I could say in that situation. I wasn't quite sure how to even react. I could say something perverted, but that would just get me smacked right across the face for no reason. These girls were in no way part of my harem, so I wasn't quite sure what to say in this situation. Perhaps that's why I was so frustrated. I was unused to being in potentially ecchi situations provoked by a female who is not in my harem or on my harem list. Usually I'm the first to make a move.

"Just...get out." I pointed in the opposite direction, urging the three Fallen Angels to leave.

If I had been a bit more perceptive, I would've noticed a sneaky smirk on Kalawarner's face.

"Alright alright, but could you please help me up, Shirou-kun~?" I raised an eyebrow. I shrugged.

"Whatever." I held out my hand to my Fallen Angel comrade, allowing her to grasp it.

As I began to help her, Kalawarner started standing up. "Well, I suppose I should thank yo-Whoops~" Her expression changed to a smirk as her foot "got caught" on something, causing her to trip forward and slam right into me.

"Kalawarner!"

We both ended up tumbling backwards. I hit the back of my head against the floor hard.

When the world stopped spinning after I opened my eyes, I realized I was staring right into Kalawarner's eyes...and I felt something soft and warm pressing against my li-Oh my Maou.

W-We...K-Kalawarner and I...we...lips...did...us...K-K-KIIIIIIISSSS!

Mine and Kalawarner's lips had accidentally been pressed together when we fell and w-we...j-just...

While I was staring in shock, Kalawarner's expression showed pleasure as she forced her lips against mine.

"K-K-KALAWARNER!" Mittelt screamed angrily and jealously. "Dammit! I told you before, Shirou's mine!" Then she kicked Kalawarner off of me, the more "mature-looking" of the trio showing no discomfort other than disappointment at her attempt at "nookie-time" being ended so abruptly. Just as I was about to thank her, Mittelt knocked me back down, straddling me.

"Mitte-MMPH!" My words were cut short by an obstruction (Mittelt's lips) blocking my lips via kiss. She placed her hands on my shoulders, deepening her kiss to include her tongue.

...I just realized I was essentially getting "assaulted" by Fallen Angels. I was on the fence about whether or not to fight back.

Mittelt seemed to enjoy the kiss a lot considering from the admittedly sexy noises she seemed to deliberately make by moaning into my mouth.

Really though...what do I do in such a troubling situation? I couldn't tell whether or not this had been planned out or, if so, how much of it was planned out? Mittelt was a slightly more troubling situation than Kalawarner. She all but confessed to me back during my imprisonment at the hands of the now de-fanged Raynare and I was still sorting out however I felt about her. Didn't hate her, but I wasn't quite sure I loved her.

"Hehe...Looks like even Mittelt-chan acts like less of a virgin than you, Ray~" I heard Kalawarner teasing Raynare.

"...I...It's...Shut u-" Then Raynare seemed to freeze.

Mittelt reluctantly pulled her lips away to glare at her comrade before looking up. Then her face turned a shock-white color.

She began muttering incoherently, her eyes wide in terror as something caught her eye.

"L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-L-"

I frowned. "Just spit it out, Mittelt. You're creepin' me the fuck out." Her Fallen Angel compatriots had similar expressions. "What are you even-" I looked up (behind me? Whichever.) to see the stone-cold expression of my master, Serafall Leviathan, directed right towards us. I mean it. Her expression was ice-cold. It wasn't that darkness I sensed from her back in the Familiar Forest, but I did not detect the slightest amount of warmth from her. It was as if every last bit of emotion within her had been absolutely suppressed.

"Leviathan-sama." I addressed her in a business-like manner, ignoring the improper state I was in, being shirtless with a cute girl straddling me and French-kissing me.

I stared at her.

She stared back.

We stared at one another.

"I see..." Leviathan-sama said after a good ten minutes of awkward silence. "This is how you've decided to react. I understand."

Eh? What is she talking about? I honestly don't have a clue. You need to be specific as to what you speak of, master.

"I apologize for disturbing you." Leviathan-sama said in her same, emotionally-neutral tone, bowing her head slightly. "P-Please continue ignoring me." I noticed a slight tremble in her voice before she turned her back to me. "I'll retire to my room early." And then she left.

...What?

"...Holy shit." Raynare uttered in. "Did we just not get brutally massacred?"

"I know, right?!" Mittelt agreed. "I fully intended to meet whatever lies beyond this life for Fallen Angels!"

"Not to mention that seemed horribly out-of-character for Leviathan-sama!"

Kalawarner hit the nail on the head right there. Leviathan-sama's immediate reaction to such a thing would usually be childish jealousy or suffocating me with affection. In that case, perhaps my idea about her wasn't too far off as I thought. Perhaps she lacked such attachments just as I thought...

"S-Shirou!...A-Are you alright?" Mittelt was staring at me with an odd expression which I expected to be worry. Then I realized that **I** had been the one making the difficult expression. My thoughts were beginning to show on my face. I sat up, crossing my arms over my chest, sighing.

"It's nothing." I lied. "Could you all please leave so I can get dressed?" I could tell my bad mood was soiling the air around us. I didn't want them to suffer because of it.

"Oh boo~" Kalawarner pouted. "We were just getting to the fun part."

"...Yes, Master..." Raynare said, returning to her previous melancholy. The two immediately stood up and walked themselves out of the room without further hesitation, their mood apparently spoiled by Leviathan-sama. However, while they departed, Mittelt remained. She was still straddling me, but her sexual intent was all but gone. She was just staring at me curiously.

"You can get off now..." I said. "I have to get dressed."

"No. Stay half-naked for a moment." Mittelt commanded with a serious expression on her face. She was hanging on real tight so I could tell she had no intention on letting go. "What's with you?"

I turned away. "I have no idea what you mean." Of course I was lying right out of my ass, but she didn't need to know that.

"You know what I mean!" Mittelt accused. "You're acting really weird! Is this about Leviathan-sama betting you?!"

I stared blankly. "Well, that wasn't at the front of my mind before but thanks for bringing that up, Mittelt." I said sarcastically. "I really appreciate it. Thanks a lot."

Mittelt suddenly clasped her hands over her mouth, gasping and looking as if she had been slapped.

"I-I didn't mean-I just-!" She looked both hurt and guilty at the same time.

"No," I sighed, "I snapped prematurely. I'm sorry." Just because I was unhappy, it didn't mean I had to take it out on Mittelt. She was just looking out for me. "It's nothing." I would get up and just walk away, but I had a blonde-haired loli sitting on top of my chest. Such a thing would be impossible at this moment.

"Shirou, even if you don't...I mean even if my lov...Well I mean..." Mittelt seemed flustered for a moment before coughing once into her fist before regaining her composure. "Whatever it is, you don't have to keep it inside. You don't even have to talk about all of it, but let me know why you're so mad."

"I'm not mad." I answered. "I'm just..." It took a while to get the words out. "I just can't believe I was bet as an object like that. If Ise loses ten days from now, I'll end up sent to live in some arrogant Pure-blood's house as little more than a pet. No more normal life, no more normal every day, no more friends..." I bit my lip, realizing I said too much.

Mittelt apparently picked up on that because she gained a sad look. "Is that why you're so mad about this...? You're afraid that you won't be able to see us again?"

I turned off to the side, not answering her question. Her words caused a slight pain in my heart.

My eyes began burning slightly, resisting any and all emotion.

"Shirou...if you love them...us...if you love those close to you, then why can't you trust us to pull through...?"

"I'm no idiot..." I answered, the flood of tears threatening to burst the damn holding them back. "The numbers are against us. If Ise can't pull through for us...I...I'll lose everything again...I...I don't...I don't wanna leave." I couldn't stop it now. A warm, wet sensation gradually began rolling down the sides of my face. "I wanna stay with all of my friends...I wanna be with everyone forever! I wanna laugh with them, cry with them, and be able to stand by their sides! It's bad enough I might lose them forever, but I can't even go with them when they march off to the war that will decide my fate! But...I can't show weakness...Rias-senpai has it just as bad as me, so I don't have any right to complain. Everyone's doing their best to fight, so I can't act like a crybaby and just..." Yet here I was, bawling my eyes out, unable to even wipe my tears since my arms were pinned down by Mittelt.

"Shirou..." I felt something lean against my bare chest. I looked down to see Mittelt laying on me, a sympathetic expression on her face.

"I'm so pathetic...The training hasn't even started and I'm like this...so pathetic considering I'm a servant of one of the Maou-samas." Dammit...I gotta get it together. "I just love everyone so much...If they're risking themselves to fight, then at the very least, I can maintain a smile and wish them the best...I don't want to be on my own...If they lose-"

"Then I will follow you to the Underworld itself." Mittelt answered, not raising her head.

"Because of orders...?" I couldn't help a bit of bitterness in my voice. I remembered that the reason Mittelt and the other two Fallen Angels were here in the first place was due to orders. As punishment for their "illegal" activities, they had been ordered to act as my servants until such a time where they had properly repented for their actions. Really, the punishment was only meant for Raynare, but Mittelt and Kalawarner joined in because they had become somewhat fond of me and decided to join in to watch Raynare. I was skeptical about whether or not Mittelt's love was true enough that she would follow me to the realm of the Devils and potentially risk her life.

"No, dummy." Mittelt teased, blushing slightly. "It's coz...It's coz I really like you...I..." She pouted. "Iloveyou." Her face was noticeably pink.

"I see."

"Don't 'I see' me!" Mittelt screamed. "I'm being serious here!" Then she calmed down. She sat up again and stared down at me with passionate eyes. "You...You are the first man to ever invokes such thoughts and feelings within me. As a selfish Fallen Angel, I am loathe to give it up and thus refuse to." Mittelt reached her hand to hold mine. "No matter what happens, I will always be by your side."

"Mittelt..." My tears came pouring out with renewed force. Even though they were few, her words did help me somewhat. The heaviness in my heart began to alleviate slightly. I wrapped my arms around this girl, holding her closely. "...I wanna stay with everyone...If they lose..." I was a broken record. Even though Mittelt's words reassured me, I was still afraid.

_"Then we won't lose."_

.

.

.

Eh?

Mittelt seemed confused as well. I didn't say that. Neither did she.

...shit.

Knowing what I would find, I sat up, Mittelt sliding down into my lap. Then I turned my head 90 degrees to face the door.

It was open just a crack. Despite that, I detected at least five/six sets of eyes staring at us, intruding upon our privacy.

"Ara ara, Ise-kun. How reckless, giving away our hiding place like that." Akeno-san teased. The door slowly opened to reveal a sheepish-looking Ise, Rias-senpai, Akeno-san, a blushing Asia, Koneko-chan, and Yumi. All six of them having eavesdropped on our conversation. To be brutally honest, the only thing I was actually surprised about was that Leviathan-sama was not amongst them.

"H-How long have you guys b-been watching?" Mittelt stuttered.

Rias-senpai smiled calmly, seeming more amused than embarrassed at the thought of being caught.

"Since 'Then I will follow you to the Underworld itself'. It was touching really." Rias-senpai admitted.

"...Aaaaaggh..." The color drained out of Mittelt's face and she looked like she just wanted to die on the spot.

I turned my gaze downward, feeling ashamed. "So you guys saw that...? You heard what I said...?"

Yumi nodded, a sympathetic expression on her face. "We heard everything."

"I don't see why you're worrying so much though, Shirou." I stared at Ise who walked forward, his usual goofy grin on his face. "After all, we ARE going to win! Just you watch! We're gonna win!" He held out his fist to me. "Everyone will be waiting for us to win! We'll definitely bring that yakitori bastard down a notch or two!"

"Don't worry, Shirou!" Yumi assured me, smiling brightly. "I don't plan on letting any other woman be your number 1~! I'd rather take my chances competing with the girls here rather than needing permission to go see you in the Underworld!"

"Ara ara, if I simply failed when my adorable Kouhai showed such a cute face, what kind of Senpai would I be?" Akeno-san said, smiling softly with a light blush on her face.

"...Don't worry, Senpai." Koneko-chan added briefly.

"I-I..." Asia hesitated for a moment, but nodded. "I-I can't fight like Ise-san or the others, but I'll do my best as well!"

My eyes were beginning to water again. This time out of happiness. "Ise...Everyone..." I raised my fist and bumped it against Ise's.

I couldn't be selfish! I had to be strong! I'm gonna help everyone train and then they're gonna smash that bastard Riser into the dirt!

"Let's get this training camp started!"

[Right!]

* * *

Hand-to-hand combat was where I was best...

That's why I was surprised by how much better Koneko-chan was at it than me.

I was barely able to sidestep Koneko-chan's last punch, instead being able to watch as her fist broke the tree in half due to the loli's unbelievable strength. I swung a leg around in an attempt to kick her while she was distracted.

**[Divide!]**

This was the second time I divided Koneko's power, but she was still quite capable at overwhelming me with her [Rook] strength. She had far more time to adjust to her power than I've had. I'm learning more and more with each day, but at most, I was able to fight on par with Koneko-chan. That's not to say I was the worst. While Koneko started out on top at the start of the fight, I was able to fight on par. I was able to gradually take advantage of my combined speed and strength to slowly surpass her.

When it all came down to it, I think I was actually stronger than her. Koneko had strength and defense, but she had neither my speed nor my enhanced magic that I got from my [Knight] and [Bishop] traits respectively. The real trouble I had was focusing on using multiple traits at once. It's not like you turn the switch on and it stays on. One must learn to concentrate and channel the traits purposely.

"...You're good." Koneko-chan admitted as we continued exchanging blows. "...But I'm still stronger."

I smirked. "That may be true, Koneko-chan," I admitted, "but I have more stamina!"

And we continued exchanging blows. For every time I punched her, Koneko dealt another blow in turn

I know it may appear churlish to show no hesitation in hitting a woman, even in sparring, but to do anything less than my best against my comrade would be nothing less than disrespect.

I delivered another kick to Koneko, which she caught. I sighed, bracing myself for the blow that I knew was to follow. My leg fell back to the ground as Koneko-chan brought her own fist around, slamming it into my chest and sending me backwards. I managed to utilize my [Rook] trait's defense at the last minute to reduce the damage dealt, but it still hurt like a bitch.

I was sent flying into-WHAT DO YOU KNOW?!-ANOTHER TREE!

I groaned a little, recovering from the pain my impact caused to my back.

"...Better." She was referring to how I had improved over our past several rounds.

Even with all the bruises I had all over my body, I was still itching for more training.

Because of each of my injuries, I could very easily vouch that Koneko-chan was indeed a [Rook].

As I sat on the ground, I saw Koneko-chan looking down at me, offering her hand. "...Here."

"Thanks." I took her hand and helped myself up. I brushed myself off, recovering from our fourth match of sparring. "So we're tied, 2 for 2, right?"

Koneko-chan nodded. "...Although, I'm surprised you aren't training with Yumi-senpai. You two seem pretty close."

I shrugged. "Well, it's not that I don't wanna spend time around her. I just don't have much use for sword skills. I believe we've established that all of the people here are essentially Power-types, right?" I asked. "I'm already getting a hang of my [Knight] trait and I use primarily my fists. I plan to also specialize in magic with training from Akeno-san, so I figured I would focus more on training to increase stamina and my skills in hand-to-hand combat."

"...Makes sense."

"Besides..." I added.

"Hm?"

I smiled softly. "Well I think it's just as nice being around someone as cute as Koneko-chan~"

Her eyes went wide for a moment, a light blush on her face, before she narrowed her eyes. "...Shameless flirt."

"Awwww~! Koneko-chan's so adorable when she's embarrassed~!" I placed a hand on her head and began gently petting her. She was just so adorable that I wanted to pet her like she was an adorable little kitten~!

What surprised me was when a soft purring sound came from Koneko-chan's mouth. My eyes went wide and sparkly from excitement. Koneko-chan was TRULY the most adorable~! She was purring just like a kitten~! That cute content expression on her face only amplified her adorableness~!

Of course, the fun ended when Koneko-chan finally realized what she had been doing. Her face turned an even deeper shade of red and she smacked my hand away.

"...T-Training's over." Then she turned and ran away, leaving me staring in confusion.

And so ended my combat training with the adorable Koneko-chan.

* * *

"That's not it. You're getting close. You have to gather the demonic-power by drifting the aura that covers your whole body. You have to concentrate and feel the wave of demonic-power."

Akeno-san, wearing her own black jersey, was currently having her own magic instruction class with Ise, Asia, and I as her students.

I wasn't THAT bad, but I only managed to make my ball of demonic energy with the size of a golf ball. I think it was my concentration that was really lacking.

Wanting to speed things up, I tried pouring a lot of energy into the sphere, but it kept becoming the size of a football, sputtering, and dissipating. Ise's wasn't any better. His was incredibly small, like a pebble, but at least he was able to maintain its shape.

What am I lacking?!

I was growing more and more annoyed with myself with eaching passing second.

I know it was so easy for Akeno-san because she was a [Queen] who focused on magical attacks, but I was hoping it would be as easy as she made it seem to be.

"Why isn't this working?" I asked to myself after my latest attempt at creating a sphere disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"It's okay, Onii-chan." Jack assured me. "You just need to try a bit harder..."

I sighed. "Maybe you're right..."

Ise placed a hand on my shoulder. "No biggie, Shirou. It's awesome that you're getting stronger, but you just leave the serious training to us. Besides, you and I make up for this stuff with our legendary Sacred Gears! We can always just punch our opponents after using our power."

Crossing my arms, I sighed once more. "Maybe not for you, but don't forget my dream: To become an Ultimate-Class Devil. If I can't even accomplish something like this, then I probably have no chance at attaining such a title."

"I did it!" Asia cheered, holding a ball of green demonic energy the size of a softball. While I was depressed about my own lack of ability, Asia's energy was beautiful.

"Ara ara. So Asia-chan has talent in using demonic-powers after all." Akeno complimented, causing Asia's face to redden because of her shyness. Akeno-san then continued her lesson as I focused on still trying to create an energy ball. "Now lets change those demonic-power into fire, water and lightning. You can make this by imagining it, however, it will be easier for beginners to actually move fire and water using their demonic-power."

I couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy at Asia's ability. I did my best with the new ball of demonic-power.

Focus. Focus. FOCUUUUUS!

I shut my eyes tightly, focusing on keeping the next demonic sphere from-

BOOOOM!

It exploded right in my face, leaving it black and covered in soot. I growled from anger, wiping all of the soot off of my face. Not wanting to unleash my irritation on my friends, I clenched my fists tightly to the point of breaking the skin of my palms with my nails and took several deep breaths.

How could I protect anybody if I couldn't even complete the simplest of training?

"S...Shirou..." A trembling voice spoke in front of me. I looked up to see Raynare with her hands in front of her. She turned a pale color at the thought of standing in front of me. I was too miserable to even bother glaring at her, so I settled for a blank stare.

"What?"

Raynare looked like she was trying to talk, opening and closing her mouth several times before choking on whatever words she was trying to say.

"Just out with it already!" Mittelt slammed a hand against Raynare's back, jerking her forward.

Raynare swallowed before she finally worked up the courage to speak. She held out her hands, materializing a light spear. "I-It's like a Fallen Angels weapon of light. Not all are necessarily spears like how some Fallen Angels can create various weapons when they're fighting seriously." She released the light spear and let it drop embarrassingly to the ground. It dissipated immediately afterwards. "It doesn't matter how much power you use to manipulate. Unless you focus and give it proper shape and form, it won't be of any use. If you pour too much power into it, you might not be able to properly shape and use it."

I raised an eyebrow at my former enemy's words. Not having any better ideas, I sighed. I closed my eyes, focusing one last time on creating the sphere.

I began slowly pouring energy into the sphere. When it had reached still much smaller than Asia's softball-sized demonic-energy sphere, it began to lose its shape. I was about to just quit when I remembered what Raynare had said.

Give it proper shape...

I concentrated with all my might, not on putting more energy into it, but keeping it in a definite shape.

After a few seconds, I opened my eyes and was surprised to see that the sphere of demonic-energy was still retaining a proper shape. It was smaller than Asia's but still bigger than Issei's.

I smiled. "I did it! It's too small to do a damn thing, but I did it! Thanks, Raynare!" The Fallen Angel nodded slightly, a hint of color returning to her previously terrified, pale face. I released the sphere and threw a fist into the air. "YEAH BABY! My dream of creating a Cero like from Bleach is close to coming to fruition! BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Hey. Don't judge me. I will always be a HUGE fan of Type-Moon and Fate/Stay Night, but anyone with a sense of cool would admit that giant beam cannons are AWESOOOOME!

I noticed that Ise and Akeno-san were silently discussing something to themselves, but didn't pay much attention to it. Not even when Akeno-san brought Ise a box full of vegetables and...

I looked at the sun, trying to determine the time of day through its position. The day was slowly drifting into evening. Since I had more time than them to train as I wasn't preparing for a fate-altering Rating Game, I had no reason to stick around. I might as well make something nice for the others for all their hard work.

I stood up from the ground, brushing myself off.

"Shirou-kun, what are you doing?" Akeno-san asked curiously. I grinned.

"Well, I'm headin' back for the day to prepare something tasty for you guys when you get back!" I said, still grinning like a fool. I turned to Asia. "I'll also need to borrow Asia if you don't mind. I'm skilled, but it would be good to have another set of hands in the kitchen. You don't mind, do you, Asia?"

Asia's eyes gleamed with determination as she stood up as well. "Of course! Although I cannot truly compete with Akeno-san or Leviathan-sama, I will prove my worth through my skills in the kitchen! I will definitely prove myself worthy to become your "alpha" as well as your wife, Shirou-san!" She was clearly embarrassed by her own words because her face was beginning to redden like a tomato.

...Damn! I forgot Asia still believed I had proposed to her!...

Then I realized something. I looked around the area to make sure a certain crimson-haired girl wasn't around.

This was the perfect opportunity to try and let Asia down gently!

"Hey, Asia..."

"Oh yes!" Asia said as though she remembered something. "I told Buchou-san my desire and also said that, when I told it to you, that I should give you this!" Asia pulled something out of her pocket and handed it to me. It was a note with the words "From Rias" on it. I swallowed once before grasping it in one hand and opening it up.

It read:

_Shirou,_

_Don't forget the consequences for if you hurt my precious Bishop._

_Even if you think I won't find out, I will. And I won't hesitate to follow through with 'punishment' even if you are Leviathan-sama's Queen._

_So please be very good to her~_

_Sincerely,_

_Rias Gremory_

I subconsciously crumpled the note in my hand, the color draining out of my face as I couldn't suppress my trembling.

"Shirou-san...are you okay...?" Asia asked, concern in her voice.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" I laughed, trying to avoid seeming awkward as I completely ripped up the message to avoid suspicion. "Of course! Just Rias-senpia reminding me of something! No need to worry! Now let's go, Asia!" I grabbed her gently by the arm and began to guide her back to the mansion. "S-See you guys later!"

* * *

****Later...****

"W-Wow!"

"T-This is amazing!"

"Shirou...how did you?"

"...Impressive."

"We think this is awesome, Onii-chan."

"You're an excellent chef, Shirou-kun."

"Uoooooo! Delicious! It's really delicious! This is why I always love it when you cook, bro!"

I smirked, smug as everyone beheld the extravagant meal I laid before them. I wore a white apron, having just finished placing the final dish on the table.

The reason everyone was so shocked was because all of the food on the table looked like a feast made for a king-No-SEVERAL kings. And it tasted just as nice if the expressions on everyone's faces were anything to go by.

There were a few dozen different cultural dishes all spread out across the table.

I nodded, feeling a little full of myself. "Of course! One such as I would never allow a single dish to taste anything less than amazing!" I jabbed a thumb at Asia. "I also would've had a lot of trouble if I didn't have my adorable assistant~!" Asia's face lit up red again. She pointed her gaze downward, placing with her hands.

"I-It was nothing! I-I'm j-just happy I was able to be of use to Shirou-san!"

"This is really good, Shirou-kun!" Kalawarner praised. "If you aren't careful, I might just scoop you up myself~!"

"Like you haven't already tried..." I muttered under my breath, turning away as I remembered the awkward situation from earlier.

"Hm?"

"Nothing~!"

"Although, I do admit I feel a little bad for starting without Leviathan-sama." Yumi said, continuing to eat her food after speaking.

And THAT was when the atmosphere in the room froze. I mean it LITERALLY froze. The temperature in the air around us began to slowly cool down, becoming a bit chilly after a few minutes. Not cold enough to freeze the food, but cold enough to send shivers down our spines.

"...How cruel..."

Eh?

The person who spoke was...

Huh?

All of our gazes were directed towards the open door that led to the current room we were eating in.

Who was this girl?

She had messy, waist-length, back hair that looked like she had refused to comb, causing it to fall sloppily over her eyes, obscuring them from our sight. Her skin was a pale-white color as though she had never once seen the sun and she wore a long, black dress that was surprisingly see through, allowing us to view the white garments that hid underneath. It honestly made me feel a little uncomfortable looking at her, especially since the cold feeling in the air seemed to be radiating from this girl.

"...Beginning dinner without me...how cold...I feel sad..." Her voice was dry and sounded as if it hadn't been used for a long while. While she showed no sadness on her face, I could tell from her voice that she spoke her feelings honestly. There was an awkward feeling in the air as we were uncertain what to make of this girl as she took a seat at the far end of the table, furthest away from me.

Of course I realized by that point that this was actually my master, Serafall Leviathan-sama, who was dressed so strangely in front of us.

"Errr...Sorry?" Mittelt said, just as confused as everyone else.

Getting the strange feeling we should not disturb Leviathan-sama, we silently gathered food for a plate to give to her. When I moved closer to her, I noticed the scent of sweat and tears coming from her.

Feeling even more uncomfortable, I backed away to my seat as soon as possible.

Our meal passed in awkward silence. At the start, Rias-senpai looked like she had wanted to discuss something, but the presence of our "guest" unsettled her to the point of silence.

.

.

.

"A-Ah, Shirou..." Ise tried to speak up, always having been the person who could stand such awkward silences the least. "Y-Your cooking is as good as always..."

I chuckled awkwardly. "Well, I always do my best...I...I think, before becoming a Devil, I-I intended to become a chef..."

"...You would've done well..." The mysterious girl who seemed to wear my childishly cheerful master's skin and who acted nothing like her complimented as she raised a piece of food to her mouth, leaving me with more of a chill in my stomach than the smug feeling I had before.

"Aha...Thanks..."

And we were once again forced into awkward silence.

But Rias-senpai clearly had more determination than the others. "So, Shirou, how did you get to be so good at cooking?"

It took me a few moments to find the ability to speak again, but I managed to answer her.

"W-Well, back when I was growing up, Mako-nee was the only cook in the house..." Then an expression of horror crossed my face as a chill went down my spine. "It was either learn to cook or perish." The deathly grave look on my face clearly meant I was not joking.

"Well who taught you?" Rias-senpai asked.

I shrugged. "I'm more self-taught more than anything. It took a lot of trial and error, but I learned more and more with each dish prepared. Just me bein' myself."

"I refuse to believe that." Rias-senpai teased. "Surely your mother must have had some hand in teaching you."

For a brief moment, my heart stopped.

I didn't want to ruin the mood further, so I hid my discomfort with a small smile.

"No. I ASSURE you. My mother had nothing to do with my cooking skills." I said, trying to keep bitterness out of my tone. "I originally started practicing after an old, childhood friend of mine gave me the idea." Ise stared at me worriedly. It was not that I realized it. Ise and I were the only ones who knew about my family and childhood.

"Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever seen Shirou-san's Oka-san." Asia noted with a cute frown.

"She..." I wanted to think of something, say something to end this conversation, but my mind thought of nothing.

"I bet Shirou-kun's Oka-san told him to learn to cook to impress a crush~" Akeno-san teased. "For what other reason than to impress a woman would a man learn to such a degree~?"

"My reasons are the truth." I said taking another bite of my food.

"But where IS your Oka-san, Shirou?" Yumi asked. "Come ooooon~! Tell us! What is she like~? Does she travel a lot?" I began clenching my fists, beginning to feel agitated by this.

"Even I'm curious by this point." Mittelt admitted. "What is she like? Are you ashamed about something? Or are you just embarrassed about her? Come ooooon~! Tell us about her~! Where is she anyway!? Tell uuuusss! Tell us! Tell us! Tell us! Tell us! Tell us! Come to think of it, what was your whole childhood like?! Tell-!"

SLAM!

I slammed my hands onto the table, clenching my teeth in fury.

"She's dead, okay." I hung my head. "To sum up my whole childhood: Oka-sama died because I was too weak to save her, I ended up alone raised by Mako-nee, met Ise and then the first girl I ever loved, my first love moved away. I've been doomed to the pattern of losing the people I love and/or seeing them in pain ever since I was little. Happy? You happy you know about how my mother was dead and left me alone?"

.

.

.

"...Not particularly."

That was all that could be said. If the atmosphere wasn't dead before, it sure as hell was now. And my mood was probably worse than that of anyone else there. The banquet before us no longer seemed as appetizing as it once did. Those who even tried to make an effort for it simply pushed the food around on their plates. The others didn't even bother trying to eat. Even Mittelt, a Fallen Angel whose sin was Gluttony, didn't even touch her food.

Rias-senpai covered her mouth in horror and shame. "Oh, Shirou...I...I didn't know. I..."

"I'm sorry, Shirou-san." Asia looked so guilty now, perhaps having felt that she hurt me by dragging up such bitter memories.

I shook my head, managing a hollow smile. "Don't be sorry. It's like I said. There are so many who have it just as bad as me, so I don't have any right to complain." I shoved my plate away and stood up abruptly, bowing my head. "Sorry for ruining your meal. I'm going to turn in early tonight." Without hesitation, I walked out of the room.

* * *

I was lying on my bed staring at the ceiling above me. After accidentally snapping at the my friends, I decided to skip dinner altogether. If I got hungry, I would just walk down to the kitchen and get something...

But I wouldn't...I felt too sick to even consider eating.

Tears continued to slowly pour from my eyes. I had tried pushing them back, but the _bad memories_ slowly came to the front of my mind, torturing with all of those painful feelings that I had thought long-gone...but now with everything that's going on now, a deep fear was born along with the pain those memories incited...

KNOCK KNOCK

The moment I tried closing my eyes to go to sleep, I heard the faint sound of knocking on the door. I wiped my eyes to keep whoever it was from seeing me in this state.

Who...? Is it Asia?

That was the first person who came to mind. If anyone, Asia would be the first to try and poke around my head about what was wrong. Then there'd be Ise. Ise or Asia, those are the only two who are stubbornly empathetic enough to try to talk to me even though everyone else most likely warned them against it.

I sighed again. No big issue. I'll just say that everything's fine again. That ended the conversation last time. Why fix what ain't broke?

"Shirou..."

It was the one person I never expected to hear as well as the one person I didn't want to hear. Her tone sounded sadder and less bright, but it was undoubtedly her.

"Go AWAY, Leviathan-sama." I said, preparing to go back to bed and ignore her. I was already in enough pain...I didn't need any more caused by this woman. I was certain that with that one scathing command, my annoying master would take the hint and beat it. However, I paused, realizing I heard neither footsteps coming closer nor moving away.

Closing my eyes, I pinched the bridge of my nose. "You're still there, aren't you?"

"...Yes." She said after some hesitation.

"GO AWAY." I reiterated.

"Not until you let me in and talk to me."

"No."

"...You and I both know I could bust down this door with a single tap." Leviathan-sama pointed out. "I only refrain from doing so in order to maintain an air of politeness, but I won't hesitate to do so if you refuse to comply with my humble request to talk." She was just as blunt as she was when she was all bubbly and cheerful. That, for sure, had not changed.

Clearly there was no getting out of this. I may as well see what she wanted.

"What do you want?" I didn't hide either my bitterness nor my desire for her to leave.

Leviathan-sama stared at me with such sad eyes like that of a puppy. "I just wanted to talk."

I scowled. "Well I don't. Unless you have something important to say, leave. Me. Alone. Just because I have to respect you as my Master, I refuse to waste my time on tedious business."

Leviathan-sama flinched from my harsh words, her eyes watering ever so slightly. "I just want to talk to you. You're very important to me. It hurts to see you upset. Shi-tan...please."

By this point I couldn't keep the anger out of my voice, hiding it with a sarcastic smile. "Important? Yeah right! So important that you bet me without even thinking about how I felt. I wonder just how many people have made a bet with in exchange for me, huh? I'm just feeling the love right now, ya know? Hell, why not just ship me off now?! Did you even think about how I felt when you said those words? Because of you...I..." The tears started to sting my eyes again. My heart felt like it was breaking all over again. I-

"I'm sorry..." I felt a pair of smooth, warm arms pull me into an even warmer embrace, pressing my face against a familiar soft place against my master's chest. "...I didn't see it before, but now I finally understand..." I looked up in confusion and my eyes widened in surprised as I saw something shocking.

The look on my master's face...I had seen her cry before. I had seen her show what I thought was worry for me...I had seen her cry during tantrums...but the tears in my master's eyes...They held a whole new meaning. The adorable youthful expression I usually saw on my master's face was replaced by a face that looked more mature. The face of someone who had seen great loss and pain over the course of perhaps hundreds of years. The face that my master always hid from me whenever she felt such emotions.

"I know why you're really mad..."

I clenched my fists at my side, turning away from Leviathan-sama. "...You don't know anything..." It was all I could bring myself to say.

"Because of me...I forced you to face that awful thought...The thought of being absolutely alone in this world..." I tried to pull away, but my master pulled me closer and held me more tightly than before. I bit my lower lip, no longer able to stop the dam that held my tears at bay from bursting again. "...You hate me because I risked losing you. I risked leaving you alone again...The same loneliness you felt after your mother passed."

The hot tears streamed down my face as I tried to build up my fury towards my master again.

"I trusted you! You betrayed me! Stabbed me in the back! Is that something you do to those you care about?!" I screamed at her. "How could you do this to me?! You treated me so well...and then...I...I didn't realize it until now...but it was so much more than simply my _master_ causing me to experience that feeling...the feeling of being so alone, surrounded by a darkness nobody will bother trying to overcome...I thought you were my friend and my master...But you were so much more to me than that..." It was only now that I realized it...My true feelings and why I felt more upset with Serafall that I would feel with anyone else in the same circumstances...

"I'm sorry... I'm s-sorry... P-please forgive me S-Shirou."

"Why should I? You took me for granted like some dog. Something like that can't be forgiven so easily. Just go already. I don't care where, just leave me alone." I couldn't put any venom in my words. I couldn't find it in me anymore. My master held me more tightly, but I couldn't bring myself to return her embrace or push her away. A small-yet-growing part of me didn't want her to. The former warmth I found being embraced by her was slowly returning...

"Please...I'll never leave your side, I promise...even if Rias were to lose, I would remain..." Serafall-sama pleaded. "I'll forsake my title as Maou and become a servant of the Phenex clan if I could only stay with you. I'll do anything in order to make you happy...Please forgive me, Shirou!"

Those words...my heart seemed to rejoice at them, but seemed to become even more pained by them as well. "I...I can't."

With a reluctance I never would have felt had I been the me from fifteen minutes ago, I gently pushed my master away, taking a few steps away from her. Serafall-sama had an expression that made me felt as if I had kicked a defenseless, sick puppy.

"...I just can't." I repeated. "When you bet me, it hurt. It hurt a lot. I never felt so hurt in my entire life. Not even when I died, stabbed literally through the heart, had I felt so much pain. To see someone I treasured so carelessly use me as a pile of poker chips. To think I meant so little to you, it ripped my heart out apart and stomped all over it. I thought I'd feel better if I just ignored you, if I tried thinking about other stuff, it might go away, but it only got worse...I know next to nothing about you...Am I truly someone precious to you, or are you really like the other arrogant High-Class Devils who view heir servants as mere possessions to use and trade away...I just don't know what to feel or say anymore..." I turned away, no longer able to face the source of my pain.

THUMP

I jumped at the sudden noise, turning around to see a shocking sight. "What are you-!?" My eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

On the ground, her forehead pressed to the ground in her prostrated position before me, was my dear master, Serafall Leviathan.

"I'm sorry...Shame me. Humiliate me if you want. Just please...I can't take it anymore...I want you to be my most adorable Queen again...please..."

This was my breaking point...

Serafall Leviathan - one of the four Maou who ruled the Underworld - was bowing and begging for forgiveness. To abandon all of her pride and bow down in front of her own servant! This woman was crazy! Nuts! Absolutely insane! Those were just a few of the traits that made me...they were the reason I...

"Idiot. What do you think you're doing?" I turned around and embraced my master, on my knees as I pulled her up from the ground, before either of us could process what I was doing. "You're a Maou, show some dignity..." The tears were falling more rapidly than they had ever been before. "Don't ever do something like this in front of anyone else...I won't let the woman I love demean herself to anyone, not even if it's to the Devil God himself."

Yes. I couldn't lie to myself. I loved this woman. This incredible girl. The one who gave me a second life. I would never forget or go back on my love for the others, but I knew without a doubt that I loved Serafall as well.

"I just wanted it to stop...To stop experiencing this feeling..." I choked out. "I've experienced it twice, but the pain from those scars still remain..."

"Shiii-taaaan!" Serafall hugged me even tighter, nearly crushing my spine and eliciting grunts of pain from me as she cried even harder, nuzzling her face against my chest. "Shi-tan! Shi-tan! Shi-tan! Shi-taaaan!" She said it over and over again, relief and incredible happiness emanating from her body, as if the weight of the world was lifted off her shoulders by being allowed to say those words with such affection, the affection being returned. "I'll never hurt you again, I promise! I love yooou, Shi-taaaaan!"

That brought a soft smile to my face. I brushed my master's messy, unkept hair out of her face. Then I said the words I had only ever told to two other girls in my life:

"I love you too."

A deep blush came to Sera-tan's face, but her smile only became wider. "Shi-tan...I'm so happy... WAAAAAAH!"

"Geh!?"

Now tears were pouring more profusely from my master's eyes, raining waterfalls onto the ground. D-Did I confess wrong?!

Sera-tan began desperately wiping her eyes, shaking her head. "I'm crying...coz I'm so happy..." Then I felt a warm sensation against my lips and saw how close Serafall's face was to mine.

CHU

Our lips were pressed against one another.

We were kissing.

I was kissing my master.

And she was kissing me.

This...This electrical sensation...The kiss between master and servant-No. The kiss between two people who were in love.

Thinking back on it...Serafall the third girl I've ever kissed. In my entire life, I've only directly kissed three girls...and I was and am totally in love with all of them.

That's right. I'll scream it from the highest mountaintop:

I am, without any single shred of doubt, in love with my master, Serafall Leviathan.

We wrapped our arms around one another and deepened our kiss, reveling in our mutual embrace. Our tongues thoroughly familiarized themselves with one another, causing both Serafall and I intense bliss. I shyly reached out for Serafall's left breast, giving it a light squeeze, eliciting a loud moan from Serafall and causing the Maou Leviathan to tremble due to pleasure as I continued gently massaging her bosom with as much tenderness and affection as I could manage.

We continued making out, Serafall clearly enjoying herself due to the fact she continued to push herself against me, trying to increase our kiss as deeply as possible. After a couple minutes, Serafall pulled away, our respective tongues hanging out of our mouths, a trail of saliva being the only connection between our mouths.

Serafall licked her lips slightly, smiling in a perverted way I hadn't seen before. "You're really excited, Shi-tan. I can't help but wonder how badly you want my body~"

My excitement turned to confusion as I pondered my master's meaning. Then I looked down.

"E-Eh?!" I noticed that my "Little Shirou" was standing upright, tall and proud and extending towards Serafall's inner thigh. I pushed my hips forwards just a little, eliciting another slight moan from Serafall. I also noticed a slight wet spot around her crotch. I wasn't the only person who was aroused. "W-Well, I...I didn't..."

Serafall leaned her head against my chest, still smiling and not seeming the slightest bit troubled by my rather large erection that was currently rubbing against her thigh.

"Don't you remember what I told you before, Shi-tan~?" Serafall asked, smiling in a way that was an odd mix between arousal and her usual cheer. She leaned in and whispered in my ear, so close I could almost feel her lips against my earlobe. "If it's with Shirou, I wouldn't mind it...No matter what~" Oddly, that brought an strange smile to my face and a further aroused feeling in my body.

"In that case..." I smirked. "Then would you mind if I took _it_ here and now? The one thing that is only for one person to take?"

It looked like Serafall had been waiting for those words. She nodded, still blushing deeply. "Yes. But how do you know I'm still a virgin?" Serafall teased. "As annoying as it is to admit, as a woman, I've lived for a long time. Do you truly think I would still be a virgin?"

"Because, while you may be childish at times, I know you are a virtuous woman. You would never give up something such as that so easily."

Serafall raised an eyebrow as if to say "Is that so?"

I shrugged. "Alright, I asked Sona about it after school back around the time I first became a Devil. I asked if you've ever been in a relationship and we ended up discussing it after Sona stopped saying "mind your own business" and then the subject of your virginity came up and well...Yeah."

"Hm~ What a sneaky little Queen I have~" Serafall teased again. She smiled softly again. "Very well then. If you so desire it, I will give you my virginity. It will be proof of my undying loyalty and love towards you. Or take it as a gift of apology for how I've hurt you."

I gently caressed Serafall's face, pushing her bangs out of her face. "No no. If I were to take it as a gift of apology, then the act of giving you my own virginity would mean nothing." THAT was when Serafall's eyes widened. "What? Did you truly think I was so careless with the act of intercourse? Do you not pay attention to the way I treat my girls?" Of course I was teasing her a little. This question flustered her slightly.

"N-No! I-I mean...It just sounds weird...I always thought you were joking about never having had a woman..." Serafall admitted. "You could have given your virginity to any woman you chose..."

"I know." I said. "And that woman is you, Serafall." Tears started to well up in her eyes again, but I could tell for a fact she was happy this time.

"Alright then." Serafall decided, having resolved to do something. I noticed a magic circle appear at her feet, then slowly travel up around her legs, the clothing in the areas it passed beginning to vanish, leaving nothing but Serafall's bare body which was revealed to the world. I saw everything. Her absolutely clear skin, her soft, ample bosoms including the pink of her nipples, and then there was the piece de resistance.

I was given an unobstructed view of my master's maidenhood. I couldn't help but noticed that it seemed to be secreting a wet liquid.

Serafall was already wet.

Serafall stretched her arms outwards, allowing me to further gaze upon her gorgeous body.

"My body is yours, Shirou." Serafall offered. "I will bend to your will." I gave her a "come closer" sign with my hand just to test her.

She obeyed.

That was when a strange side to myself began to manifest. I felt a feeling emanate from myself that felt similar to that of a certain 'Yamato Nadeshiko' Queen who served Rias.

I had her stand and then bend over the bed, her arms using the bed as a support. I looked at her fully exposed rear.

"S-Shirou this is...really embarrassing." She admitted, her face turning a light shade of red. I wanted to have a little fun with her offer to me.

"But you said I could anything." I replied, reminding her of her offer. I teased her a bit by letting my left index finger trail her spine starting from the neck to her butt. That simple act alone was giving her apparent chills and excitement for some reason. The way she responded to my commands, you would think I was using magic on her (which I wasn't by the way!). I began kissing the back of her neck as my left hand was now touching her womanhood, rubbing it. She moaned in a very soft voice. My right hand then made its way to her right boob as I began to grope and massage it.

"Ahhh! Hah..." She moaned a bit louder as she felt my middle and ring finger slide into her. Those fingers were exploring her as they went in and out. It felt even further arousing as I felt around inside her with my own fingers. "Hah, Shirou!" She moaned my name. I could feel her getting wetter and wetter as I started to go faster and faster. "Shirou!" She moaned and turned her head to make out with me. Our tongues explored every part of each others mouths as Serafall moaned through the kiss. I could feel her inner walls begin to tighten around my fingers, Serafall bucking her hips ever so slightly as if she wanted even more. "I'm cumming! I'm cumming! I'm cumming! Cumming cumming CUMMING!" She screamed in ecstasy as the walls of her vagina squeezed more tightly, almost hungrily, around my fingers. I felt her squirt onto my hand, having achieved her first climax. Her legs were shaking.

It shouldn't be surprising since this would be her first time cumming like this. The way she acted...there was no doubt that my master was a virgin. I glanced down at my hand which was now covered in Serafall's love juices. Arousal clouded my thoughts as I instinctively brought my hand to my face right in front of Serafall. I sniffed it first.

It has a sweet and alluring scent to it. It was Serafall's scent. That was when both Serafall and I acted on what I expected to be shared instincts. With my hand between our faces, we both licked some of the juices off. It was delicious. It was as sweet and alluring as it had smelled. With both of us having had a taste of Serafall's deliciousness, we proceeded to kiss each other deeply once more. I picked her up and laid her on her back on the bed.

God, she's so beautiful.

It was only now, my thoughts full of lust, excitement, and desire, that I could fully admire how amazingly sexy my master was.

Serafall was breathing heavily, still recovering from her previous climax. She was looking a little sweaty, and seeing her chest move with each breath was so tempting that I attacked her breasts. I started to suck on her right breast while massaging the left one.

"Ahh! S-Shirou!" She moaned loudly. She was no doubt surprised how I went on the offensive like this. "I'm...not even...lactating yet!" She said through her moans. I was a little confused by that. Then again, I suppose it looked like I was a baby trying to get milk. The heat from my mouth and tongue swirling around her nipple was getting her wet again from what I could tell. When I finally stopped, she gave me a pouting face as her cheeks went red from embarrassment. For a moment, I thought she wasn't satisfied by my sexual "attacks".

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Mou~, that's not fair Shirou~! I'm completely naked and all wet and you still haven't even taken your clothes off!" She replied in a tone that was pretty cute despite the clear arousal on her face. I chuckled, half from confusion and half from amusement.

"Then let's fix that." I told her as I quickly removed my clothes, throwing them to the side. Serafall looked at my manhood with wide eyes. "...what?"

Serafall blinked, licking her lips as what I suspected to be an unconscious gesture. "I just...You're so big...I knew it would be...but when it's..." Apparently I was bigger than I thought I'd be when I was fully erect, because Serafall seemed pretty surprised about how big I was with my erection. My heart began beating faster. Oddly, I could feel Serafall's heartbeat as well. Being alive for so long and never giving her virginity to anyone before now made her obviously nervous. This look did not slip past me.

"It's okay. I'll go slow." I told her as we interlocked my left hand her right hand respectively.

"Kay." She said with a trusting smile. I began entering her slowly but she winced. This must've been the pain of her hymen breaking. I haven't seen such a thing in person, but from what I saw in certain eroge, it was pretty painful for a woman to give up her virginity.

After a few, slow seconds, I finally got all of my manhood inside her. I just laid still, waiting for my lover to get used to it. The lustful demon within me wanted to ravish her entirely, make her feel every feeling my manhood had to give her for my own selfish pleasure, but I refuse to be a selfish lover.

She finally looked at me, tears falling from her eyes, but she was still smiling. She looked happy. Happy she was finally one with her beloved. An expression I mirrored. Serafall nodded to signal me she was okay. I started moving slowly so as not to hurt her. "Hahh...hahh...ahhh..." She moaned softly while wrapping her left arm around my neck, pressing my face against her beautiful neck. Her scent was so intoxicating to me that I just started kissing it and licking it, eliciting more, even louder moans from my lover. "Ahh! Shirou!" She moaned his name as I began to pick up my pace, moving my hips faster and harder against hers.

"Ahh! Sera-chan! You're so damn tight!" I moaned as I continued going faster and faster. I could feel an ever-growing pressure build up in my manhood. Part of me wanted to give in and immediately release my cum all over the body of my master, but another part wanted to continue experiencing this rush of pleasure I got from fucking my master (pardon my language)...Damn. Imagining Serafall covered in the white of my cum got me even more aroused, taunting me to give in and cum already.

"Ahh! I'm gonna cum!" Serafall moaned, wrapping her legs around my waist, trying to hug me more tightly and force my manhood deeper inside of her.

"Me too! I'm almost there!" I was moaning as well. I couldn't stop it anymore.

"Inside! I want it inside! I want to have your child!" She moaned. I-I was so close! It felt so good! Hitting the entrance of her womb over and over again as my sexy master moaned louder and louder till- "I'm cumming!" Serafall screamed even more loudly. I groaned in pleasure as I felt her walls clamp down around my penis, everything going white. Serafall arched upward, bucking her hips upward as she experienced her second orgasm. I emptied every last bit of my seed into my beloved master's womb.

After I returned to my senses, we were both breathing heavily, drenched in sweat that belonged to our respective selves and that of each other. We stared at each other lovingly, both feeling happy and fulfilled as we kissed again.

"Serafall..." I breathed.

"Yes, Shi-tan...?" Serafall asked as well, her chest moving up and down as she breathed deeply.

"...I'm not done. Can we go again?" I said, feeling slightly embarrassed for so bluntly stating my desires. But it wasn't enough. I wanted more. To experience more of my master's body and pour even more of my selfish seed inside of her womb.

Serafall stared at me. For a second, I suspected that she was upset with me, but then she smiled.

"Oh good~! I was thinking the same thing, but I've showed a completely not-cute of myself all-day~! Coming from me, that probably would've totally ruined my "cute look"~!" Serafall admitted. "I'll go for as long as you want, _shnookums~_"

I stared at Serafall, ignoring the fact she called me "shnookums". "I love you so much right now. Come here you~"

Thus our love-making continued all through the night until some point early in the morning where we both finally succumbed to the ecstasy and passed out.

* * *

When I woke up, I was covered in cold sweat and had a warm mass pressed against me, rubbing slightly against my sweaty body. Even though what I assume to be hours had passed, I could still just barely smell the lingering scent of our released lust, sweat, and exhaustion. A perverted smile crept onto my face as I remembered the events of the previous night.

"Heh!" I left out a slight squeak of surprise as I felt a soft hand wrap around my member, playfully stroking it.

"Hehe~" An adorable girl laughed. "G'morning, Shi-tan~" I looked down to see the face of Serafall Leviathan.

I smiled softly back at her. "Good morning to you, my adorable lover~" It was just so strange yet exhilarating to say that I couldn't give up the chance to say it again. Serafall blushed slightly, leaning forward and kissing me on my lips. She introduced her soft tongue into my mouth and I fondled her right breast with my hand, teasing her nipple enough to cause Serafall to moan into my mouth.

After five minutes of continued teasing, we ended our attempts at teasing each other. After all of the sexual desire we vented last night...it was amazing we didn't sleep through the whole day. It was really late by the time we finally ran out of stamina and passed out due to exhaustion. Serafall, however, passed out for different reasons. She started screaming louder and louder and then she passed out. Part of me believes it might just be arrogance, but I think I actually overloaded her with enough pleasure to the point that she passed out.

My mind was still full of the lusty memories of last night...To think I was able to do such things with my beloved master...

"Mmmm~ You thinkin' about last night, Shi-tan~?" Serafall purred, nuzzling her face against my chest. There were so many emotions I could sense from her heart beating against my chest. Happiness, joy, bliss, ecstasy, every last one of these feelings were positive.

Still, it was interesting to find out that Sera-tan had such a dirty side to herself. The only thing that made me nervous was...I mean I released so much of my seed inside of her. I loved Serafall with all of my heart and, while feeling too young and not yet responsible enough for such responsibility, I would take her and our hypothetical child if she were to become pregnant, but I did not wish to burden her with a child she might not even want.

"You're worried about me getting pregnant, Shi-tan~?" I stared at Serafall, eyes wide with shock.

"Holy shit. Does having sex give Devils the ability to read their lover's minds?"

"Teehee~ No, silly~" Serafall teased. "It's just obviously the next thing that would be on your mind after thinking about how you came inside me lots and lots and lots and...Aaahhhh..." Serafall let out a happy sigh as she reminisced about all of the seed I poured deep inside her womb. "Anyway, Devils have low fertility rates, Shi-tan, so even if you came inside lots and lots, the chances of me having a baby are rather small."

I felt relieved yet oddly sad at her explanation. I'm happy that the chances of me burdening my master are small, but at the same time, the chances of us being able to have a baby are even smaller.

"But...if it's with Shi-tan...I wouldn't mind having a baby..." Serafall spoke these words shyly, blessing me with her loving gaze. "So, in the case we wanna have one, we can just go at it all day and night until I get preggers~!"

"...If we ever do have a child in the future...You would be the best mother ever, Serafall." That was what I decided.

"Aw, Shirou~ I love you so muuuuch~"

"I love you, too, Serafall."

We kissed again, this time the kiss just being a simple peck on the lips.

"We should probably get up and showered." I said, still staring into the eyes of my lover (I still love saying that~!).

"Hey, Shirou~" Serafall said.

I stared, deadpan. "No. No "sexy shower time", Serafall. I'm still spent from last night." Wow, I'm really surprised by my master's appetite.

"You sure there's _nothing_ I can give you~?" Serafall pressed her breasts more firmly against my own chest.

Damn she's good at tempting me.

I shook my head. "No. Everyone's awake now. It'll be awkward as hell to explain if they hear us screaming in the shower. More like it will be awkward explaining why I deemed it necessary to have my way with you in the place where everyone bathes." Then Serafall stared at me with those big ol' adorable eyes of hers. "Fine. We can make out and MAYBE fondle each other, but nothing else!"

"Yaaaay~" Serafall cheered.

...I really love my adorable master.

* * *

After Serafall and I had finished showering together, both of us needing time to masturbate after we got too aroused, we got dressed and made our way downstairs.

I watched as the back of my master's skirt bounced up and down, revealing her well-toned posterior to me along with her striped panties. It was really nice seeing Serafall in her cute magical girl outfit.

I blushed lightly. Ever since we made love, I couldn't stop looking at Serafall in such a lustful way. I mean, I had always found her attractive, but now I seem to have even greater desire to hold and grope her at every opportunity. To spend every waking moment in each others embrace. I suppose that's what it means to be lovers.

However, I would still have to correct this behavior. Serafall wasn't just any woman. She was a MAOU, one of the four rulers of the Devils. I would be by her side all the time. I couldn't embarrass my master by ogling her every second of every day. That would only serve to dishonor her in front of other nobles and high-standing individuals.

THAT was my biggest worry of being Serafall's lover...

Then I entered the dining room that morning.

The weight of everyone's gazes practically crushed me. However, that wasn't the only thing that bothered me. Not only was everyone staring at me, but each and every one of their faces were beet red.

My cheer was taken right out of me and replaced with confusion. In order to address these stares, I put on an awkward smile.

"So...erm...Good morning, everybody~"

.

.

.

Nothing. Not a single response.

I blushed slightly from the awkwardness in the air. "So..." I wrapped one arm around Serafall and pulled her closer to me. "...As you can see, Sera-tan and I are on good terms again~"

.

.

.

"Yes." Rias-senpai said after a good five minutes of awkward silence. "We all HEARD you-ahem-_reconciling_ all through the night. Some of us couldn't sleep a wink."

"...Hm?" I looked towards the others. Yumi was blushing deeply and there seemed to be steam coming from her ears. Raynare and Mittelt mirrored her expression while Kalawarner had an embarrassed yet aroused expression along with a reminiscing look, as if remembering a past event that she thoroughly enjoyed. Yumi, Raynare, and Mittelt couldn't meet my gaze. I turned to Koneko who was staring with narrowed eyes while still blushing.

"...Don't even look at me until you've had a hundred baths, you filthy pervert." Ouch! What's with the sudden harshness!?

I looked at Akeno-san who was oddly dressed in a white bathrobe for some reason, and she was blushing even more deeply than the others, but her expression was much more cheerful with what I suspected to be arousal mixed in. "I never expected my adorable Kouhai to be such a man~ I ended up going through every single pair of underwear because of how long you two went at it~"

That was when I SUSPECTED what was going on.

I looked around the room, putting on a confused expression. "Hey...where's Asia and Jack?"

Rias-senpai raised one hand and pointed towards the corner of the room.

"W-We n-never k-knew th-that O-Onii-c-chan could make such n-noises..." Jack was curled up into a ball, her usually pale face turned into a tomato by her embarrassment.

"Oh...OOOOOHHHHH!" NOOOOOW I get why everyone was staring...Wait a sec! "WHO TOLD JACK WHAT WE WERE DOING!?" I shouted, angry that someone dared to fill Jack in as to what happens between a man and a woman when they're in love! I glared at Ise who had previously been glaring at me filled with envy.

"WHY DO YOU ASSUME IT WAS MEEEE, YA DAMNED BISHOUNEN BASTARD!?" He complained.

"Well, if anyone, I do think it would be you, Ise-kun." Yumi said, agreeing with my opinion. "I know it wasn't, but if anyone, it'd be you."

"...I second that." Koneko-chan agreed.

"Definitely."

"Oh I most certainly agree~"

Rias-senpai and Akeno-san were both in agreement with the rest of us.

[No kidding.]

The Fallen Angel Trio agreed in perfect unison, nodding their heads.

"THANKS A LOT!" Ise looked thoroughly insulted. Deep down, I knew even ISE wouldn't be tactless enough to do explain matters such as sex with a child...at least, I think Jack is a child. She's childlike and looks like one, but she IS an Evil Spirit. It would be tough to even figure out how much she understood.

"Well, if it wasn't Ise, then who..." I paused, looking around. "Where's Asia?"

Rias-senpai raised her hand and pointed towards the same corner.

It was then that I noticed another figure curled up into a ball, steam rising from her face and what I thought to be swirls in her eyes.

"S-S-Shirou-s-san a-and L-Leviathan-s-sama-! I-I n-never k-knew-S-Such n-noises-!" She was even more of a wreck than Jack! She was still in her PJs and her hair was a mess!

Wait...DID ASIA TELL JACK ABOUT THE BIRDS AND THE BEES?!

"You...You were pretty loud." Rias-senpai reiterated, covering her face to hide her embarrassment.

"Well...how could one not show their excitement at the top of their lungs when with a woman like Serafall?" I said, hugging my lover closer to me and staring passionately into her eyes.

"Oh, Shi-tan~ You're making me blush~!" Serafall gushed. I kissed her on the lips. I didn't kiss her erotically, but I held my lips against hers for quite a while.

"Oi! Stop showing off, you damned bastard! You're not a virgin anymore! We get it!" Ise screamed with both envy and annoyance.

Pissing Ise off was just icing on the cake.

I truly did love my master. I love love love love loooove her~!

I pulled away and turned towards the others, putting on a serious expression. I released Serafall and got on the ground, prostrating myself.

"I...I am very sorry for my behavior the previous night." I pressed my forehead against the ground, showing sincerity in my apology. "I behaved in a way unbefitting the manner of the Queen of Serafall Leviathan. Please forgive me."

There was a long silence. When I fell asleep last night with my lover at my side, I had resolved to do this. I acted rudely towards my friends because I was in a bad mood.

I did not look up even one. Not even when I heard footsteps approaching, I dared not look up.

The owner of the footsteps sat on her knees in front of me. "Shirou-san. There you go, hiding all your troubles again." I felt a gentle hand on my head. Then I looked up to see Asia smiling softly at me. She had clearly overcome her embarrassment by this point. "I did not know you carried even greater sadness inside of you, but we cannot immediately sense such things. We all deeply care for you, Shirou-san. But we cannot help you if you do not open up to us. You taught me that."

I smiled, nodding before pushing myself up to my feet, helping Asia up to hers.

"Because of my bitter emotions, I snapped far more harshly than I should have. I apologize for that." I stood up straight and saluted. "From here on out, I swear on my title as the Queen of my lover, the Maou Serafall Leviathan, that I will perform my duties to the best of my abilities! Thus, I will help you all train to surpass your limits and beyond that! You may count on it!"

For a brief moment, there was another silence. Then Rias-senpai smiled. As did Akeno-san and Yumi. Even Ise got a goofy grin. Everyone smiled except Koneko-chan who simply stared. But she wasn't glaring anymore so that in itself was a victory.

"Glad to hear it, Shirou." Rias-senpai said. "Now...please be a dear and make us breakfast. The culinary skills you demonstrated last night were simply-dare I say it-heavenly."

"Yeah, Shirou's meals are the best!" Ise cheered.

"Ara ara, I do have quite the appetite after everything." Akeno-san agreed with a little laugh. "If it's made by Shirou-kun's hands, then it's all the more appetizing." ...A little unsettling, but neat~

"I would also enjoy eating Shirou-san's meals." Asia agreed.

"Onii-chan. Food." Jack suddenly appeared in front of me, using such speed that surprised me.

"Shi-taaaan~! Food~!" I sweatdropped. Good to see that Jack and Serafall are back on the same mental wavelength.

"Don't forget to count on us, oh-most sexy master of ours~" Kalawarner said, smiling and winking at me.

"Hey hey! No fair! Shirou's lost his virginity so it's no contest anymore!" Mittelt complained. "Don't be so greedy!"

I felt a tug on my sleeve. "S...Shirou...Shirou-sama..." I turned to my right and saw Raynare, the Fallen Angel turning her gaze downward, her face flushed with embarrassment. "I...I just...could..."

I blinked in confusion. "...What is it, Raynare?" I didn't really hate her anymore. She wasn't a friend quite yet, but she was a neutral acquaintance and that's better than enemy.

The Fallen Angel shuffled nervously, playing with her hands in front of me. "Well...I...I was just..." Then she looked up and stared me right in the eyes. "Please ravish me too!"

.

.

.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" The sudden request was so sudden! Do ALL female Fallen Angels immediately open with the whole "please screw me senseless" line?!

"The amazing sensations you filled Leviathan-sama with! Please give that same feeling to me as well! I want to experience that same ecstasy!"

"Whaaat?!" I reiterated.

Serafall hugged me against, holding me tightly and sticking out her tongue at me. "No! Go find your own lover! Bleeeeh!" Serafall stuck out her tongue childishly.

"Hey! Even if you're a Maou, you can't monopolize Shirou!" Mittelt complained.

"S-Shirou-san is free to choose his lovers as he pleases!" Asia agreed. "Even though I am his official wife and accept him having lovers, I refuse to allow anyone else to take him for themselves!"

Kalawarner walked up to Asia and hugged the surprised girl against her bosom. "Wow! I think I like you, kid! Even I don't think I could proclaim something like that out of nowhere! Hahahahaha~!" She laughed.

"W-Wha-?!"

"No! I may have missed out on Shirou's virginity, but I won't lose the right to have him altogether!...How about we all get a specific day to have Shirou? I get Tuesdays and Thursdays~!"

"Oi! Don't go deciding such things by yourself, Yumi! I'm not a freaking toy to pass arooound! Get serioooous!"

"See?! Shi-tan clearly only wants my body!"

"...What a disgusting pervert."

"Wait! Don't misunderstand!"

"Damn bishounen! Thinking you're so good just because you lost your virginity first! Go die!"

"Now, Ise-kun, don't be jealous~"

"Shirou's mine!"

"No he's mine!"

"Get off Onii-chan! He belongs to us!"

"Shirou-san is MY husbaaaand!"

GAAAAH! TRAINING HASN'T EVEN STARTED AND ALREADY I'm EXHAUSTED! GIMME A BREEEEEEAAAAAK!

**Chapter complete!**

**Next chapter will feature a time-skip to the end of the training so we can just get through this story arc already~**

**I hope you all enjoyed the lemon. I believe it is very clear that Serafall won the poll~! All credit goes to Fu-reiji22 for the sexy lemon~! More credit to empirekeeper1 who helped me write this chapter~!  
**

**...Erm...I don't really know what else to be here...It seems I always know what I wanna say until I have to say it.  
**

**I guess that's it.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	13. Life 12: Games and Goodbyes

**We are nearing the epic finale of the second story arc~!**

**For the record, I'm time-skipping a little. The training after Serafall and Shirou's "nookie time" is relatively unimportant~**

**Also, once again, I give credit for the lemons to Fu-reiji22 for last chapter's lemon~**

**But let's have a little serious time right now.**

**In the past several weeks, I have received several reviews from an unnamed Guest (you know who you are) who is constantly informing me about what a "shit story" I have. I would appreciate if you stopped. Since you are clearly a guest, you have NO right to say such things. My story is so bad? Let's see what you have. If you aren't even an author, you have no right to say such harsh things to me or anyone else. It's one thing to have something constructive to say, but to constantly go out of your way just to insult someone's story without saying anything constructive is uncalled for.**

**And it's not just to me. We authors pour our hearts and souls into what we write, be it a real story or fanfiction. It doesn't matter. For someone who has probably never seriously written anything to repeatedly review just to tell someone that they have a "shit story" over and over again, it's just not right. You can tell us what we can improve on or change in later ventures, but don't just flame us for no legit reason whatsoever. It makes you nothing more than the average cyberbully. That's all you are. A bully and a hypocrite who likes to attack others' work if for no other reason than to try and make them feel bad.  
**

**If you attempt to make further reviews, I will simply continue to block them. So don't think you're actually accomplishing anything with the harsh things you say.  
**

**You are not getting to me with your baseless words. I would just simply prefer that you at least truly think about what you are reviewing. Not just the Guest reviewer. Everyone who has ever reviewed something like "You suck." or "Stop it with this shit story already!". Really think about what you are saying. Imagine you are saying it to a real life person with real life feelings.**

**Thank you for indulging me in this, all of my readers.  
**

**Now on with the story.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OCs.**

**Life 12: Games and Goodbyes  
**

I took a deep breath.

"While the wilderness and a nice mansion at the top of a mountain are nice, it does feel good to be home sweet home~!" I said, sighing. It was already dark outside as Serafall and I arrived in front of the Fujimura residence. "Tomorrow's the big day."

"Yep~" Serafall agreed, hugging my arm in between her bosoms. "But...No matter what happens, I'll still be by your side. Your friends won't leave you and neither will I."

"One question though, Serafall."

"Yeeeeees~? Teehee~" Serafall giggled in a way that sounded suspicious. Serafall was awful at being sneaky.

"Why did we have to walk all the way here from the train station rather than using a magic circle like Rias and the others?" It was an honestly practical question. I mean, after our training camp ended, we all took a train back to Kuoh Town. Then Rias took her servants and just left. Serafall absolutely INSISTED that she and I walked home. I mean, Asia lived with us. Why couldn't we just go with her? Part of me suspected she wanted to sneak in some extra "nookie time", but all through the trip, she never once suggested anything of an ecchi-nature.

I was thoroughly confused as to my master's intentions. While some would suspect she just wanted to exercise, I believe my master is already in the best shape. Her body certainly spoke volumes about her health. Her sexy...sexy body...

Damn. I really gotta get my mind out of the gutter.

"Don't worryyyyy~" Serafall said, trying to assure me, only making me more suspicious. "Just relax and let your guard completely down~ Trust me~ Everything will be perfectly fine once we get home~!"

Naturally, that only made me raise my guard higher. Serafall was nice and all, but she was horrible at being subtle. When it came to matters of lesser importance, she was horrible at keeping secrets. I suppose that was one of the reasons I loved her. While I still acknowledge that hidden side to her, that hidden side I accidentally brought forth due to my scorning of her, I'd still like to think of THIS as the true Serafall. This adorable, lovable, kissable Serafall whom I deflowered~

...OK, I admit that sounded a little wrong when spoken aloud.

"Know what?" I asked rhetorically, sighing. "I'm just gonna walk through that door and get whatever's inside over with." I pulled my housekey out of my pocket and made my way to the door, unlocking it, and then opening it.

First thought: Dark.

The inside was pitch black. I could've sworn that I saw some lights upstairs on. Mako-nee wouldn't be asleep this early. I blinked twice, squinting so I could make out a few hidden forms hiding behind various pieces of furniture. Just because I could see in the dark, it didn't mean I could easily identify everything in the darkness. I stepped inside, squinting even harder to try and make out the figures who have dared to invade my home when-

FLASH

[WELCOME HOME~!]

The lights turned on almost immediately and the previously hidden figures leaped out, causing me to jump. I had to restrain myself from attacking the people in the house on instinct. If I had been only a little slower, I might've seriously injured somebody.

Hey, cut me some slack! In my line of work, just about everything that jumps out of the darkness probably wants to kill me!

I stumbled back, reeling from stopping my potential attack, blinking as my eyes adjusted to the sudden light that blinded me.

"Eh?"

"Welcome back, Shirooooou-senpaaaaai~!" I felt a weight slam into my chest, almost knocking me off my already unstable balance. I looked down at said "weight" who was currently snuggling against my chest, an incredibly relieved and pleased smile on her face. She had forsaken her usual student uniform and twin tails in favor of a nice, blue dress and a pony tail.

I patted Ruruko on the head, smiling softly. "Hey, Ruruko. Been a while~" My self-proclaimed alpha smiled up at me before standing on her tiptoes and planting a soft kiss on my lips. At least...that's what I thought it was. Then Ruruko wrapped her arms around my neck and forced us into a much deeper kiss, inserting her own tongue into my mouth. She entangled my own tongue in our passionate embrace once I recovered my wits enough to return her affection, wrapping my own arms around her. It was only after a few seconds that I noticed that Ruruko seemed to be eying Serafall fiercely. At first I thought Ruruko was mad, but then I realized it was a challenging look.

This was Ruruko's attempt to prove dominance.

...Auuuu. Now I don't have the heart to tell her that Serafall and I did the deed. It would crush her...in a comical way. Ruruko would be miffed that someone beat her to the punch, but I don't think she'd outright hate Serafall...I think. I'm trying to be optimistic here. With any luck, she'd never even find ou-

"Don't bother tryin' to intimidate me, Ruruko-chan~ Shi-tan and I already became lovers~!"

While I remained perfectly calm on the outside, my thoughts were:

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Inhale.

-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

I'm so fucking screwed! Ruruko's going to castrate me, murder me, reattach my thing, and then resurrect me using necromancy just so she can castrate and murder me again! I had initially intended to give my first time to Ruruko as a romantic gesture so she wouldn't go berserk crazy jealous if I attempted sexual relations with other girls in my harem! She's going to kill meeeee!

"I figured."

...Eh?

Rather than the intense freakout I had fully expected, Ruruko seemed horribly calm.

"Er...what?"

Ruruko shrugged. "I admit the thought crossed my mind. Even if you were angry with her...I mean, you ALONE with Serafall for ten days in a mansion secluded in a forest on a mountain? Considering your true feelings for her, I figured you would do something." She then crossed her arms, closing her eyes in thought.

"So...you're NOT going to castrate me?"

My alpha shook her head. "No...I admit I'm a little upset, but I love you far too much to hate you simply because you gave your virginity to someone else."

I was taken aback by how well she was taking this. I smiled, mentally berating myself for underestimating Ruruko's maturity in response to a situation like this.

"Oh don't even try it!"

"You can NOT take the high road here!"

I was brought back to reality by a familiar yet unexpected voice across from me, standing somewhat behind Ruruko. I blinked.

"Momo? Tsubasa!?"

"A-Ah, g-good evening, my King." A shaky voice greeted. I turned to see another shocked and horribly confused Karlamine who seemed like she had just been slapped in the face. She wasn't really all on the need to know basis concerning my harem. As far as she knew at the moment, Ruruko was my girlfriend and I outright admitted to cheating on her. I would have to ask Senpai or someone to 'explain' this to her.

"What are you guys doing here?!" I couldn't hide the shock and surprise from my voice.

Momo pouted, placing her hands on her hips. "How rude, Shirou-chan, not to even notice us!"

Tsubasa nodded in agreement. "Yes. After all the trouble we went through of throwing you this party, you don't even acknowledge us." I raised an eyebrow before looking on the table behind them upon which laid a neatly made cake with words written in icing that read "Welcome Back!".

Smiling apologetically, I bowed my head. "Sorry about that..."

"I have to agree with Hanakai and Yura here, Fujimura-kun." I jumped again, showing even more surprise as my familiar Senpai walked out from behind a corner, her arms crossed. "You are Onee-sama's Queen. If you plan to partake in the political world of the Devils, you had best be more aware of your surroundings and those who stand around you." And yet more wise advice from Sitri-senpai.

I frowned. "I understand Ruruko, Tsubasa, Karlamine, and Momo, but what are YOU doing here, Sitri-senpai?"

Senpai seemed amused by my question. "Is it so wrong for me to greet Onee-sama and her most precious servant after they returned home after ten days?"

"Awwwww~! So-tan missed us~!" Serafall cheered, preparing to launch herself at her sister in a surprise attack hug.

"But really...it is good to see you are back, Fujimura-kun." Senpai admitted, averting her eyes either due to embarrassment or pride.

I looked around the room, looking at the sparse yet affectionately set up party decorations. Even Sitri-senpai admitted to missing me...

I found myself grinning to myself. "I see..." Everyone was here for me...It only hardened my resolve to see the Gremory-Phenex Rating Game through even more. "It's good to be back!"

"So-tan~! So-tan~! So-tan~!" Serafall suddenly appeared by her sister's side, waving her arms frantically while smiling. "So-tan~! So-taaaan~!"

Senpai sighed. "Yes, Onee-sama?"

Serafall continued jumping up and down like a child hyped up on tons of sugar. "I have the bestest news~! Shi-tan is my most adorable Queen again!"

"Amazing, Onee-sama." From the oddly deadpan tone Senpai had, I gained the faint suspicion she had heard that news before, perhaps several times if it was from Serafall. Calling her little sister to cheer and celebrate sounded like something Serafall would do.

"Yes yes~!" Serafall continued cheering. "And also Shi-tan and I became the bestest of lovers too~!"

I still felt the odd desire to pinch my master's face with an expression of disapproval on my face for saying such things so casually. It was not behavior befitting a Maou-sama.

"I KNOW, Onee-sama." Senpai said, clearly tired of hearing such things...wait...what?

"What do you mean 'you know'?" I asked, my eyes wide.

Sitri-senpai rubbed her temples, sighing, seeming even more tired. "Well, when you receive at least twenty calls at 4 AM in the morning with an excited woman telling you in the same exact words every time that her most beloved servant popped her cherry, you kinda can't forget it. The information is permanently burned into my brain." Clearly Senpai does not like knowing about the sexual pursuits of her sibling...I mean, who does? "If it wasn't bad enough, Onee-sama decided to use communication magic circles when I was in the middle of Student Council matters with everyone in the room. The situation was not helped when Nimura became enraged and threw a chair out the window in a fit."

"Yeah~ Hahahaha~!" Momo burst into laughter. "You should've seen her! She was a raging monster! She went batshit crazy when Leviathan-sama's voice came out of nowhere screaming 'I got to f*** on my Queen's c***'! I never saw Ruruko actually froth at the mouth with rage! When she actually started wrecking the room and throwing furniture out of the window, we were all like 'Wah!'!" Momo was clearly enjoying herself at the expense of Ruruko, whose face had been flushed red.

"S-Shut up, Stupid-Momo!" Ruruko shrieked at the girl with the snow-white hair. "It's only natural for me to get a little jealous about Shirou having sex and giving his virginity to another girl!"

Momo did a dry spit-take, having tried and failed to suppress further laughter. "'Jealous'? No no no! Jealous is when you start checking your boyfriend's phone to see if he's been seeing other women! Jealous is when you start using your body to further keep him under your spell so as to prevent him from even looking at other women! Jealous is when you start stalking him after school everyday, learning his address by heart and sometimes sneaking in through his bedroom window when he's either sleeping or not around to snag one of his shirts that you keep around just to sniff every now and then-" I sweatdropped. No. That's being a stalker. "-Smashing every piece of furniture not nailed to the ground and then tossing it out the windows which you thoroughly shattered is just overkill."

"Yeah, it seems, nowadays, since you became a Devil, it's rare we can actually keep the windows in the Student Councils unbroken." Tsubasa-chan noted with an amused smile.

"That's not something to be amused about." Sitri-senpai scolded.

"Seriously, did NOBODY hear that part about Momo snagging and sniffing Shirou-sama's shirts? Am I the only person hung up on that?" Karlamine asked, wide-eyed, apparently not aware that these kinds of conversations are actually pretty normal for us (as disturbing as it is).

Of course we ignored her and her perfectly rational and logical response.

"Hey hey~! Why is everyone treating me like I'm not here~!?" Serafall shouted before pouting adorably. "I'm being totally cut out of the conversation and it's making me sad~!" Then she jumped at me, wrapping her arms around me and hugging my arm in-between her breasts. "Shi-taaaaan~ I think I might need you to make me feel better~" She nuzzled her face against mine, purring contently.

"Oi! Don't even think about seducing him again!" Ruruko shrieked, her pony tails standing on end as her bright-red face also expressed her rage along with her embarrassment. "You already had sex with Shirou! I'm his Alpha so I was already supposed to have first crack! You took that!"

"Sorry, Ruru-chan~" I felt another pair of finely-shaped bosoms envelop my other free arm. Momo winked at me before turning and smirking at Ruruko. "In harems, it's 'first-come-first-serve'~! So if you wanna get on Shirou-chan's jock, then you'd best get to seducing him as soon as possible~" Momo, still smiling, turned to Serafall. "Leviathan-sama, if I may be so bold, would you mind me joining the love-making session between you and Shirou-chan~?"

"Hmmmmmmm~...OK~ But Shi-tan _plays_ with me first~"

"What!?" Ruruko screamed, her eyes opening so wide that they bulged out of her skull. "No fair! You can't just form teams like that!"

"All's fair in love and war, Ruruko~" Momo hugged me tighter.

"Do I get a say in this...?" I asked, feeling rather uncomfortable that Serafall was planning threesomes without my consent. It's not that Momo isn't sexy and all, but rather that I have yet to form a bond with her strong enough for her to be considered a full-fledged harem girl.

"So...are you guys going to have intimacy? Coz I can just come back later."

I felt my face burn as I recognized the familiar voice. "M-Mako-nee!?" Standing against the wall opposite us, having blended in with the background, was my Onee-sama.

Mako-nee smirked. "Hey there. I'm almost insulted that you didn't notice me until now. Your 'harem girls' are one thing, but your dear ol' sister? I'm hurt, Shirou. I really am."

I paled, realizing how easily Mako-nee heard every last word that was spoken. "U-Um...h-how long have you been listening?"

Mako-nee, still smiling mischievously, placed a hand on the side of her face. "Since about around 'Shi-tan and I already became lovers~!'. Just before that."

...My sister just heard me talk about having sex with Serafall...and further sexual escapades with some of the girls in this room.

Dear Maou, kill me now. It feels like I'll die of embarrassment!

"I-"

"No no~" Mako-nee said, waving off my attempts to explain. "I expected that you would graduate from being a virgin with a hot babe, but to think you snagged yourself a whole harem..." She stared at me before giving me a thumbs up. "Way to go!"

...Mako-nee, you are not a normal sister.

"When Asia-chan came home earlier, telling me that she and the others were preparing for your return, I thought the party would be boring as Hell," Mako-nee admitted before grinning again, feeling amused at my expense, "but this IS pretty fun~!" I shot her a tired glare, blushing again.

"Shut up!" I said, trying to keep from getting into a real fight with Mako-nee in front of the others. "I-Wait. You said Asia was here?" Mako-nee nodded in response. "...where is she?"

Mako-nee then stepped to the side, revealing not only Asia, but also Jack curled up in balls on the ground, their faces beet-red again.

"T-Those images...S-Shirou-s-san's noises..."

"S-So th-that's w-what being O-Onii-chan's l-lover is like..."

"Ah. It appears that, while preparing to greet you, our discussion has triggered a sort of post-trauma stress disorder flashback." Sitri-senpai noted with her usual serious expression. She then turned to me with a questioning look. "Just...Just what did you and Onee-sama do to cause them to react in such a way?"

I didn't even realize when Serafall had disappeared only for her to reappear at Senpai's shoulder, a cheerful yet perverted look on her face.

"Why, So-taaan~? Could it be my adorable So-tan is finally ready to embrace her beloved Onee-chan's eternal love and endless affection like Shi-tan has~?"

"No!" Sitri-senpai raised her voice to reject Serafall's proposal.

Serafall hugged my unwilling Senpai who looked embarrassed and that she'd rather be anywhere else. "Come oooooon, So-tan~! It's really fun~! Just ask Shi-tan! Come oooooon~! If you want, I'll even bring in Shi-tan so you can also have some 'sexy time' with him too~!" Serafall then began bouncing excitedly on her feet. "Oh wow~! The thought of being in the same bed as So-tan and Shi-tan at the same time has gotten me so excited again~!" Judging from the way her face began to turn a deep red color, I assumed she meant that in a different way than the usual meaning of 'excited'.

"And with that, I'm going to take my leave." Senpai said, adjusting her glasses while trying to maintain an expression of dignity (and adorably failing due to the blush on her face from embarrassment). "I simply wished to confirm that you and Onee-sama arrived home safely, Fujimura-kun. I wanted to be sure you two had not done something untoward in a vain attempt to escape from the wager with Riser Phenex." It was when the joy and happiness drained out of the room that Senpai realized her error and had an expression that made it look like she was resisting the urge to face-palm over her own actions.

Ruruko clenched her fists at her sides, her head hung in sadness and anxiety. Tsubasa bit her lower lip, a pained expression on her face. Momo crossed her arms under her breasts, turning away from everyone. Karlamine clearly didn't understand what was going on, but also seemed somewhat downtrodden by the bitterly sad atmosphere around her. Asia and Jack just stared, doing their best to suppress tears (When they recovered from their "traumatic" flashback, I have no idea).

I felt Serafall hug me from behind.

"...er...Should I leave...?" Mako-nee said, her voice almost entirely ignored due to the inappropriateness of how bluntly she broke the silence. "...coz it kinda feels like you guys are about to have a moment, and I'm not quite sure it's my place to be here."

Ignored.

I placed a calm hand on one of Serafall's arms that are wrapped around me.

Then I grinned.

"Geez! Why is everyone being so sullen already?" I asked, maintaining a gleeful expression despite the heavy weight of the atmosphere around me. "The game hasn't even started and you guys already assume the worst!" I threw a defiant fist into the air. "We may not know what tomorrow may bring, be it blessings or tragedy, but we must never forget what it means to be alive. No matter how bleak things may become, as long as we still live, we'll always retain the chance to change it. Besides..." My grin changed into a more gentle smile. "...I believe, no matter what, Ise will pull through and smash that damned Yakitori into next week!"

"Shirou..."

"Shirou-san..."

"Onii-chan..."

Everyone stared at me in shock, no doubt surprised by the fact I was still so chipper despite the fact I was the one of this group whose fate depended on the outcome of this Rating Game.

Then laughter.

"Hahahahahahahahahaha!" It was Mako-nee, clenching her sides as she burst into laughter. "I really don't know what the Hell is going on, but that weird speech Shirou gave was hilarious as Hell!" Mako-nee wiped a tear from her eye before placing her hands on her hips. "Like I said, I don't know what's going on, but isn't this supposed to be a party?!" Mako-nee walked over to me, separating Serafall from me and throwing an arm over the both of our shoulders. "So whatever is going on tomorrow, let's put it off and party 'til we're purple tonight~!"

The others looked at one another, uncertain to the cheerful responses given by Mako-nee and I.

"Well...if Shi-tan wants to party...Then let's party!" Serafall, while initially uncertain, was pulled in by our undefeatable cheer.

"Well...I guess it wouldn't hurt."

"Alright then! We'll give Shirou-chan the best party ever!"

"Yeah!"

One by one, the others began to be swallowed by the new mood and thus the party commenced.

Mako-nee brought out a small karaoke machine we had stored in the closet and Ruruko and Karlamine sung an excellent duet. Tsubasa and Momo seemed to be arguing about something related to their busts judging from the fact they seemed to be constantly gesturing towards their chests. Serafall was traumatizing Asia and Jack in a way that caused them to revert to their curled-up state. I suspected it had something to do with the subject of sex due to Serafall's expression and the way Jack and Asia looked like blood would explode from their faces.

Everyone was taking part in the festivities in some way, having fun...well, everyone except-

"Sona." I called my Senpai by her first name in order to get her attention. She sat on the stairs, just watching everyone else. She looked out of place, but more like it was an intentional position she had put herself in. "Whatever happened to 'this is where I take my leave'?" I smiled slightly, remembering how my Senpai had previously announced her attempted departure.

Senpai sighed. "Yes, but now that Onee-sama has gotten excited about this party, I had best stay to make sure she does not go too far with her excitement."

Without invitation, I took a seat by Sona's side. We both watched as Mako-nee started chatting up Serafall, discussing something that was making Mako-nee happy as Hell (My strange urge to pinch Serafall's cheek as punishment seemed to grow a bit stronger for some reason though).

"They seem to be getting along well." I noted, still smiling. "It's good to see that our Onee-samas are getting along with one another."

Senpai just stared, her mind clearly elsewhere. "Yes. I suppose you're right..." I frowned at Sitri-senpai's absentmindedness.

"Something wrong?"

"No." Was her response. "I just can't help but feel strange. Despite the serious situation, your words have allowed everyone to let go as if no responsibilities existed in this world. To able to just let go and have fun...Sometimes, I think I feel envious."

I blinked in response, confused by Senpai's response. "What do you mean?"

"I can't really explain it." Senpai explained. "I just can't help but feel sometimes that I take everything far more seriously than everyone else, and I end up feeling left out as a result. I enjoy things such as games and competitions, but that is more me being competitive than anything. I've been to gatherings and balls before, but I-"

"-have never been to a 'just let loose and have fun' kind of party?" I guessed, attempting to finish her thoughts.

She nodded. "I just can't help but find it weird. Like now, for instance. You've been bet by Onee-sama, but you still found it within yourself to not only forgive her but even treat her so casually like before. Even though your fate lies on the outcome of tomorrow's battle, you still maintain such good cheer. Are you not worried?"

"Never said I wasn't."

Because of the abrupt bluntness of my response, Senpai was caught in a state of surprise. "But you-"

"I said I believed that we could always change things and that I believed Ise would win. I never said I wasn't worried." I clarified. "But, you gotta learn to accept the inevitable. It scares the hell out of me, the possibility of being taken away from all you guys, but...if I only focus on the bad here, then I'll never be able to see the positive. So even if there's the possibility that Rias will lose and I'll be made into Ravel's servant, I'll hold out the hope for tomorrow. I believe that, no matter what, Ise will pull through. It's important to know and accept responsibility, but you just gotta learn to let loose. Stop worrying about everything and just go with your instincts."

"I do not know how." Senpai admitted. "I'm always focusing on my responsibilities and/or competitions. I gain some entertainment from various activities, but I do not know how to just let go of those things and have true fun like you and everyone else do."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Sona, you haven't been listening. It's not about thinking. It's about gut instinct and partying til your purple! Let me show you! Come on! Let's go get our party on!"

Without waiting for a response, I grabbed my Senpai's hand and led her back to the fun parts of the party. She wasn't the "let loose and have fun" type, but in a party, nobody should be left out. I dragged Senpai over to the other girls, forced her into a casual discussion that involved school and Student Council (I think that's 'casual' for Sitri-senpai). I dragged her to karaoke at one point and made her sing an awkward duet with Serafall (which Serafall thoroughly enjoyed). Then we all enjoyed some delicious-tasting party food.

I gave her the full party experience that she desired to feel.

By the end of the night, when Senpai left, she said nothing to me, but she gave the slightest of smiles. Serafall and I bid everyone good night as they departed the Fujimura household. I got a peck on the lips from Ruruko, a kiss on the cheek from Momo, a shy hug from Tsubasa, and an awkward and incredibly nervous handshake from Karlamine who seriously seemed to regret her choice in farewell. They all left and we all cleaned up the house, going to bed soon afterward.

Completely disregarding Mako-nee's rule, Serafall snuck into my bed again. This time she was joined by both Jack and Asia.

As they snuggled against me, all of them stark naked. Asia had said something about not wanting to lose to Serafall I think and she just showed no shame in getting naked. I felt both happy and guilty for that.

I stared at the ceiling, pondering tomorrow.

"Tomorrow...Everything will be decided tomorrow..."

"Shirou-san?"

Eh? Asia?

I looked to my right to see that the blonde former-nun was staring at me with worried eyes.

"You still awake?" I asked her, the answer being more than obvious.

"Yes...I've also been thinking about...tomorrow." The adorable nun gained such a worried look that looked out of place on her face.

I gently pet the back of Asia's head, pulling her closer. "What's wrong?" She was trembling.

"….I can't stop shaking when I think there is a scary battle waiting for me...When I go to fight with the others, Shirou-san won't be there with me..." Asia hugged me tighter. "It scares me...the possible outcomes...It just scares me too much."

That's right. My fate may be riding on tomorrow's battle, but Asia and the others would be the ones actually fighting. Whatever stress I feel, it's probably ten times worse for Rias and her servants. Rias servants are fighting with not only a friend's future but also that of their beloved master. They have to deal with that kind of stress while actually fighting.

"Shirou-san..."

"Yes, Asia?" I asked, worried for the Bishop of Rias Gremory.

"I don't want you to leave. I'm afraid." The way Asia was holding onto me...like she was afraid I would turn into a dream and vanish in an instant.

"Don't be. You're not alone." Asia looked up at me in surprise. "Me, Ise, Akeno, Rias, Koneko, Mako-nee, everyone. No matter what happens we'll all be by your side. I won't leave you alone, I promise."

Tears started to form in the former nun's eyes, but she smiled slightly, somewhat relieved of her previous mental burden.

"It's like you said before, Asia, the others will be right with you, fighting in that Rating Game just like you. They'll be counting on you, but they'll also be there to protect you. So don't be afraid."

Asia nodded. "I know that, but...still..."

"Then try to this." I said. "Whenever you're feeling afraid, or when you feel the need to cry, you just gotta turn to face the world and smile as if to say "Screw you world! You can't get me down with something like this!"-Like this~" To provide an example of what I was trying to tell Asia, I pulled a big goofy grin, goofier than even Issei's.

"Heehee!" Asia blushed while she giggled at my purposefully stupid expression.

"There's that beautiful smile of yours." I noticed, happy that Asia was no longer in the somber mood she had been in before. Asia blushed more deeply. Then she started snuggling against me again.

Auuuu~! Asia can be so cute sometimes~!

"Ehehehe. I'm not scared if I'm with Shirou-san after all….. Can I stay like this? Just for tonight at least?"

"Sure."

"…Can I stay with you forever from now on?"

I nodded. "Of course. I promised I would forever be by your side. That is what I vowed to you, Asia."

"Good." She said, looking ready to cry (from happiness this time) yet again. "Hearing Shirou-san say that, it makes me happy." She leaned her head on my shoulder, using me as a pillow. When Asia's breath became smaller and smoother, I knew she had fallen asleep...

That made one of us.

I tried to act brave, but I really was worried. Part of me had absolute faith in Issei, but the other fully expected the worst case scenario.

And the thought of everyone worrying so much...the fact they would be fighting soon.

Sleep, in my case, didn't come for a long time.

* * *

**Issei's POV...  
**

This was it. The day of the Rating Game.

[11.40pm].

The other club members and I were gathered in the old school building. We were waiting in our most relaxed positions. Everyone except Asia, who wore her nun outfit, was wearing their school uniform.

Kiba had a gauntlet on her hand and had some armour on her lower legs. She had her swords against the wall.

Koneko-chan was sitting on the chair and was reading a book. On her hands, she wore fingerless gloves. It's one of those gloves that martial artists wear. It looks pretty intense if a girl with a loli face wears it.

Akeno-san and Buchou wore it too and were drinking green tea elegantly. Just to be expected from our Onee-samas. Asia and I were sitting on the chair waiting quietly.

Ten minutes prior to the match, the magic circle glowed and Grayfia-san appeared.

"Is everyone ready? It's ten minutes before the match."

Everyone stood up after Grayfia-san confirmed us. Grayfia-san then started explaining about the battle.

"When it is time to start the battle, you will be transported to the battle field with this magic circle. The location of the place is in a different dimension used for battles. You may fight with all your power. It's a disposable space so feel free to fight to your satisfaction."

Haaa….. Is that how it is? A battle purpose field, huh. So devils can prepare something like that as well. Indeed if we fight in the humans' world or devils' world, we can't avoid destruction and may cause lots of effects. Then it means that we need a place there we won't harm anything no matter what we do. But leaving that aside, there's something that I'm concerned about.

"Ummm, Buchou?"

"What is it?"

"Buchou, you also have another [Bishop] right? Where is that person?"

"Unfortunately the other "Bishop" can't participate. I will talk about that in the near future."

Buchou said it to me without looking at me in the eyes. Seems like there's something complicated about this matter. Maybe I should stop asking about this topic now. But what's so important that the "Bishop" can't appear for its master's important match? I couldn't get rid of my suspicions.

Grayfia-san then began to continue speaking. "This [Rating Game] battle will also be-"

That was when the light from the magic circle began glowing again.

"Waaaaaaaait!" A new figure came tripping out of the magic circle.

TAP TAP TAP

His feet bounced several times as he skidded as he began trying to stop himself. After he came to a complete stop, he wiped his forehead with his sleeve. "Phew. That was close. Note to self: Never go into a magic circle running." Then he looked around before noticing us. "Oh good! I'm just in time!"

We all blinked, slow to process the sudden appearance of this person.

"S-Shirou?"

My bro raised a hand, grinning as he greeted us. "Yo! What's up~?"

"Shirou..."

"Shirou-san..."

"What are you wearing, Shirou?" Kiba was the one who finished the question.

My bro was wearing a vibrant red sleeved jacket with two long thin tails hanging from the back. Under it was a black shirt with three red belts, the buckles of the belts possessing a strange symbol on them...I think it had something to do with Leviathan. He wore a pair of black gloves with a red shell on the backs of the hands. Underneath it all, he wore a black hakama and steel-toed red boots. Emblazoned on cufflinks at the end of his sleeves were the same symbol that was one his buckles.

Shirou just blinked. "What do you mean? Serafall picked this outfit for me. Not my style exactly, but Serafall said it looked good on me. Something wrong with it?"

"Nothing!" I snorted.

"Yeah..." Buchou agreed, covering her mouth to suppress a smile. "You look great, _Ragna_."

Shirou cocked his head sideways. Ah. I guess he never played Blazblue, so he wouldn't know that he was almost a perfect spitting image of Ragna the Bloodedge.

"What are you doing here, Shirou-san?" Asia seemed both surprised yet excited and relieved to see Shirou here.

Shirou rubbed the back of his neck, turning to Grayfia-san and bowing slightly. "Forgive me for the intrusion, Grayfia-sama."

"What is your purpose here, Queen of Leviathan-sama?" There was no harshness in Grayfia-san's voice-Wait. When did Shirou start calling her "Grayfia-sama".

Shirou raised his head, still maintaining a respectful appearance before Grayfia-san. "My apologies, Grayfia-sama. In order to better represent my master, Leviathan-sama, I have requested to aid you in your duties regarding the Rating Game. As a fellow Queen of a Maou-sama, I do hope you can respect this." Shirou spoke with such refinement and calmness that it was hard to believe he was the same person from before. Then he rubbed the back of his neck. "I meant to come here earlier, but er...I kinda overshot that teleportation spell and ended up on the other side of town. I'll tell ya. Never try using a teleportation spell with a magic circle unless you have a skilled magic-user around! Hahahahahaha!" We (minus Grayfia-san) all sweatdropped at how Shirou immediately lost all sense of seriousness.

"Shirou-sama." Grayfia-san said, trying to get back our attention. It seemed weird how Shirou was calling Grayfia "Grayfia-sama" and Grayfia-san was calling Shirou "Shirou-sama". Who held the superior position? Was Shirou just messing with Grayfia-san? What is up with that? "I appreciate your desire to represent your master, but your presence is acting more as interference."

"Ah, but representing my master is not my only reason for being here." Shirou admitted. Then he turned to the rest of us. "Listen, I know you guys have a lot riding on this. Hell, we all do, but I want you guys to know that I believe in you. Don't let the pressure crush you. This is just like any other battle thus far. The Gremory group does not fall before any enemy. Give it your all and I know you can win. I have faith in you all. And Ise." Huh? "Catch." Shirou pulled something from his pocket and threw it to me.

Eh?

I caught the object Shirou threw in both of my hands. When I opened them, I saw a familiar, red stuffed toy.

Devi-kun. One of the three mementos left by Shirou's Oka-sama, Miyako Fujimura. One of them went missing since as far back as Shirou could remember. The third one, Shirou gave to a person whom he cared for deeply. That person who moved away when we were little. This was a treasure Shirou cared for as much as his own life. He had lost it during his imprisonment at the hands of Raynare's group, but I managed to return it to him later on after we rescued him. Why was he giving me this?

"Ise, I want you to carry that with you during the fight." Shirou requested of me. "As long as you carry it, I'll be with you. For you, Rias, and myself: Kick Riser's stuck-up rear!"

Shirou...That's right. Even if you're not on the battlefield, you'll still be with us in a way. I'll deck Riser for both of us!

"If that matter is resolved, may I continue?" Grayfia-san only seemed ever-so-slighted at the matter of Shirou essentially causing us to forget her presence.

"Please do, Grayfia-sama." Shirou agreed without missing a step.

Grayfia-sama cleared her throat before continuing with her previous speech.

"This [Rating Game] battle will also be viewed by members of both households from a different location by broadcast."

Are you serious? So they will be watching us. So they are going to view us like VIP members, huh. Seems like their parents are having fun. Since Buchou's parents are watching it as well I can't show them an unsightly scene.

"Also the Maou Lucifer-sama will also be viewing this battle. Please do not forget about it."

Maou!? Maou-sama!? Wow I'm feeling nervous. Even our king is looking at our match!? Is this match that important? Buchou then made a shocked face.

"Onii-sama is…. Is that so… So Onii-sama is also going to view this battle."

Huh…? I think I heard it wrong…. What did Buchou just say? O…Onii-sama…? I got confused so I put my hand up and asked.

"Ummm….. Just now Buchou called Maou-sama "Onii-sama"… Did I hear wrong?"

But Kiba answered me straight away.

"No. Buchou's Onii-sama is a Maou-sama."

Wha…

"Maou!? Buchou's Onii-sama is a Maou-sama!"

"Yes."

Buchou confirmed it straight away.

"Are you really surprised, Ise?" Shirou questioned. "I mean, we already know that Sitri-senpai's sister is Serafall Leviathan. Does another girl at our school being the younger sister of another Maou really surprise you?"

When he says it like that, I feel like an idiot.

Then I remembered the explanation that Sona-Kaichou gave us after Shirou was rescued from the Fallen Angels. The previous Maou died in the Great War between the three factions. In order to fill the void so the Devils didn't end up powerless, the Devils selected four new, equally powerful Devils to attempt to fill at least four of the seven gaps left behind. Lucifer-sama, Leviathan-sama (Shirou's [King]), Beelzebub-sama, and Asmodeus-sama. These positions were filled while the positions of Belphegor, Mammon, and (let it not be forgotten) Satan were left unfilled. Satan was the guy who was behind the creation of the Devils. Back during training, when Buchou had been teaching us, she told us that Satan-sama was something like a God to the Devils. A Devil God. His position was left empty more as a sort of religious respect than a lack of candidates.

"So Buchou's brother was chosen to be a Maou from the Ultimate-Class Devils then?"

Kiba nodded at my question. "Sirzechs Lucifer is also known as "Crimson Satan". He is Buchou's Onii-sama and the most powerful Maou-sama."

Sirzechs Lucifer….. Not a "Gremory" but a "Lucifer"… So he isn't referred by his family name anymore.

"…..That's why Buchou has to inherit the house." Not just her, but Sona-Kaichou as well. They must have a lot of pressure on their shoulders due to not only being the younger siblings of the Maou-samas, but also having no choice but to be the heiresses of their households.

Her brother became a Maou. Then it can't be helped, since her brother has to carry the world of the Devils on his back. Amazing. Even Buchou's family is amazing…

"OK, now that that lesson on the political world of Devils is complete, let's get a move on." Shirou clapped his hands, urging us to get going. "Chop-chop. In the magic circle everybody. You gotta go teach a stupid Yakitori-kun a lesson. Go. Go now." We did as asked, gathering in the magic circle.

"Also once you get transported, you cannot use the magic circle until the game ends."

So we return here only after the outcome. The magic circle's symbol changed to another one which is not that of the Gremory's and glowed. It's also not the symbol of Phenex. Maybe it's the one for the game? While I was thinking about it, the light covered us and the transportation started.

* * *

When I opened my eyes…

Huh?

I twitched my neck when I saw the view. Obviously I was confused because we were in the club room.

Huh? Did the transport fail? But everyone besides me and Asia were composed and weren't even shocked about this situation. Also Grayfia-san was gone. Did she transport just by herself? Then…

[Hello everyone. I am Grayfia, a maid from the Gremory household. Today I will be the arbiter of the Rating match between the Gremory household and the Phenex household.]

Then another voice.

[And good evening to all of you! I, Fujimura Shirou, will be acting as co-announcer for the wondrous Grayfia-sama! For the honor of our great masters, the Maous Lucifer-sama and Leviathan-sama, we shall oversee this match!]

E-Eh? So Shirou will be announcing too? Well, he did say that he would be sharing Grayfia-san's duties. I guess this was one of them.

[It is as Shirou-sama says. By using both Rias-sama and Raiser-sama's opinion we created this battlefield. The battlefield for this match is a replica of the school Rias-sama attends to, the "Kuou Academy".]

What! Then this club room is a replica? It's exactly the same! It has exactly the same objects and the scratches on the wall! Oh but if I look out of the window, the sky is white. It has to be very dark since it's midnight. Did they make a replica in a world of white? But making a replica of our school in a different space…How extraordinary can the power of devils be…!?

[Alright then~! Time for "Shirou Explains It All"~! I will now explain to you your current surroundings~!]

I sweatdropped at the weird sing-song voice Shirou spoke in.

[The location where both teams were transported will be their base~! Rias-sama's base would be-Surprise surprise~- the Occult research club room located in the old school building~! Douchebag-Yakitori-kun's base would be the student council's room located in the new building~! For the [Pawns] to use [Promotion], please go to the enemy's base. That's what you gotta do if you wanna beat up Douchebag-Yakitori-kun's servants, Ise~!]

SHWEEEEEEK

There was a loud, screeching sound as if a microphone was dropped on the ground. We all covered our ears due to the painful sound.

[OW! OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW! Awight, Gwafia-shama! Um sowwy! Um Sowwy! Pwease shtop pinchin my cheek! I'll do it wight!]

Cue sweatdrop once more.

There was the sound of someone clearing their throat.

[Alright, so much for having fun with thi-Ah ah ah! Kidding, Grayfia-sama! I'm just kidding! I'm doing it! A-anyway! The location where both teams were transported will be their base. Rias-sama's base would be the Occult research club room located in the old school building. Riser Phenex's base would be the student council's room located in the new building. For the [Pawns] to use [Promotion], please go to the enemy's base.]

That's me! So I can't promote unless I go to the enemy's base. It's just like regular chess. We were going to be at a big disadvantage if any of the enemy Pawns made it to our base! I am the only Pawn while Riser has eight! How is that fair?!

"Everyone please put this transceiver in your ears." Akeno-san gave everyone an earphone type transceiver.

"In the battlefield we will be using this to communicate with each other." Buchou explained

So we receive the orders through this transceiver. It's an important equipment so I have to make sure I don't break it.

[Now it's the time for the commencement of the battle. Now this match will continue till dawn in the humans time. Then, Game start.]

[Ise, Rias, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, Yumi, Asia...Please do your best!]

[RING]

The school bell rang. So this is the ring for the start of the match. Like this, our first [Rating Game] started!

"First we have to take down Raiser's Pawn. It will be troublesome if they all promotes into [Queen]." Buchou said from her seat on the sofa.

"Buchou, you seem pretty calm…" The only other two people I know who could maintain this level of calmness would be Kaichou and Shirou.

"Ise, the battle just started. The [Rating Game] is originally a game that doesn't finish in a short time. There are times when it becomes a "blitz", but mostly it's a game that takes very long. Just like the actual chess game."

Is that how it's played? I thought it would be like those battle you see in films… I thought of those "Ultimate fight between monsters" types of things.

"The Rating Game has meaning only if you use the battlefield to the fullest. Usually the base would be a fortress, castle or a tower. There are forests and rivers between the two bases and we battle using those areas. This time the battlefield is the school. Yumi."

"Yes."

Kiba spread a map after Buchou urged her to. Wow, the whole map of our school. It was divided into grids and there were English alphabets and numbers on it. That was when I realized that the map was modeled after a chess board.

"There's a forest near our base. It's safe to think that this is also our territory. In other words the new school building would be Raiser's territory. Its likely that there will be an ambush when you enter their territory. The school field is visible from the new school building. So it's dangerous to pass here."

She was right, since the school field is visible from the new school building. Once we enter the battlefield it's impossible to transport by magic circle. It would be easier to fly, but, unfortunately, I couldn't fly yet.

"Then do we have to go through the sports ground to get to the new school building?"

Buchou chuckled at my question. "Normally, yes. But the enemy will also know that. So he'll have his servant at the sports ground…..He'll have his [Knight] or [Rook] positioned in one of the club rooms located in the sports ground. No, if it's a sports ground you will need a person with "mobility". So he'll have 1 [Knight] and 3 [Pawns], a total of 4 servants positioned here. Then he'll have control of the sports ground."

"The gym near the old school building. Shouldn't we occupy this location first?" Kiba said, voicing her thoughts. "If we capture it here then we will have a route to the new school building. The gym is a passage to both of the buildings so we could also restrain the enemy."

Buchou nodded at Kiba's opinion. "Yes, I also have the same opinion. First we will capture the gym…. In terms of location, the opponent may have his Rook positioned there. Since it's inside a building, it would be better to use the Rook with destructive power over Knight with mobility."

So the plans for strategy began.

"…..Yumi and Koneko. You two set a trap in the forest. Take another map with you and mark the places where you set the trap in. I will make a copy afterwards and give it to everyone."

"Yes."

"…Roger."

Koneko-chan and Kiba left the room straight away and took a map and a weird tool box with them.

"Everyone else will be on standby until they finish setting up the trap. Oh, Akeno."

"Yes."

"After Yumi and Koneko return, can you cast illusions and mists around the forest and the sky? Of course, a trap that only reacts to Riser's group. The start of the match will be like that. We will have to move around during the mid-game, so I'll leave the mists and illusions to you, Akeno."

"I understand, Buchou." Akeno-san confirmed. The strategy had already begun, but I didn't know what Asia and I were supposed to do.

"Ummm…. Buchou? What am I supposed to do?" I thought it was bad that I didn't do anything. I needed to do something!

"Yes. Ise, you are a Pawn so you have to use [Promotion]."

"Yes!"

I replied to her energetically. Buchou waved her hand towards me.

"Sit here." I sat next to Buchou because she told me to. She then pointed at her thighs. "Lay down here."

Wait! Is that… the legendary "Thigh pillow"!? …I can really use her white thighs as a pillow!? That kind of thing is allowed!?

When I laid my head down...truly there were no words to describe it. Is this the ultimate bliss given to the receiver of the legendary "thigh pillow"?!

"Geez. Why are you crying?"

"Getting a "thigh pillow" from Buchou… I'm so moved that the tears won't stop. I will never forget this sensation. Sob…I'm happy that I was born."

"If it's just "thigh pillow", then I will give it to you again. You seriously are an overreacting boy."

This is amazing! Matsuda and Motohama, I feel sorry for you! Never will you experience something like this!

"...would Shirou-san want something like that...?" Asia looked like she was staring off into the distance, her mind clearly on something (or rather someONE) else.

Then Buchou touched my head...

"…..I unlocked a seal that I had cast on you."

"Huh? Seal?"

When I was wondering, I felt a change inside my body.

"Do you remember? The talk about where I used all my 8 pieces of Pawns to reincarnate you?"

"Yes."

"At that time, your strength as a devil was low so I had to put a limit on your power as a Pawn. You, who just reincarnated from human, didn't have a body that could endure the power of 8 pieces of Pawns. To put it simply, you would be the strongest after Akeno. So you needed to attain more power or else your body would break. So I just unsealed a bit of the seal."

So there was actually a meaning to that harsh training! I'm glad that I went through that training by training hard!

Buchou patted me on the head. "Ise. You have to beat your opponent even if they are girls, okay? You can't hold back. They won't hold back against you."

"Y-Yes, I understand!"

"That's a good boy. Use the Promotion to change into Queen. The battle will change if you promote into the ultimate Queen."

"But it feels weird for me, who is a guy to turn into a Queen."

[I HEARD THAT, ISE! I TOLD YOU TO SHUT UP ABOUT THAT!]

WHA!

Shirou's sudden voice caused me to jump slightly from surprise. I didn't think that the observers would be watching even now!

There was a sound like a microphone being wrenched out of someone's hands.

[Please forgive and ignore that previous interruption.]

This time it was Grayfia-san's voice.

Trying to recover from the awkward interruption, Buchou continued. "It's just a name for a role in chess, so you don't have to think too deeply about it. We are already at a disadvantage by having less members than Riser. So you have to prepare yourself to work over the limit. If we lose even a single person, our situation will get even harder."

"Buchou! I will definitely make you the winner!" That's what I thought from the bottom of my heart. My true feeling. Yes, it's better to tell her your actual feelings.

Buchou smiled at me after I told her. "Yes, I will be relying on you. My cute, Ise."

* * *

Pretty soon after that, everyone returned from their assignments. It was decided that I would be partnered with Koneko-chan for this fight. Buchou would give us orders from the base. Koneko-chan and I would be going towards the gym. Kiba had her orders and Asia would be staying with Buchou. Akeno-san, according to Buchou was a key player in this fight.

"Now then, my adorable servants. Are you ready? We can't turn back now. Our enemy is Riser, who is said to be a genius from the immortal House of the Phenex with a promised career. Now then! Let's go and blow them away!"

[Yes!]

We, as in me, Koneko-chan and Kiba, headed off on our way.

"Everyone, do your best!" Asia cheered for us. We waved as we left and headed towards the gym

We ran towards the gym. During our journey towards the gym, Kiba left us to head in a different direction. This was still part of the plan After parting with her, Koneko-chan and I continued forth.

We came to back platform from the back door. Since the curtain wasn't down, the inside was visible, I tried to look to the court from our positions when Koneko-chan muttered something.

"...Presence, enemy."

"We know you are there, servants of Gremory! We watched you coming inside."

A voice of a woman! Riser's peerage! Koneko-chan and I showed ourselves to them by appearing at the platform boldly. There were four female Devils standing at the court.

A girl in a china dress. Also, there were loli twins...the girl in the china dress is a Rook, if I remembered correctly from Buchou, the others present were all Pawns. So three Pawns and one Rook.

"Oi! Pawn-kun of Rias-sama!" One of the loli twins said.

The sudden communication was unexpected.

"Before we cut you to ribbons-"

"-Ravel-sama wanted some answers for some questions about Shirou-sama!"

"She wants to be prepared for when he becomes her servant!"

Something about that really pissed me off. It wasn't jealousy. More like the fact they already assumed we would lose!

I felt Devi-kun become heavier in my pocket.

"You can forget that! No way are we going to let Shirou join you! Boosted Gear, standby!"

[Boost!]

The doubling power began. Yeah! I'm going to do it!

"…Ise-senpai. I will leave the Pawn to you. I will take care of the Rook."

"Yeah!"

The loli twins pulled out some chainsaws! Hey hey! Is that allowed!? They shouldn't have chainsaws!

""Disassembling time~""

Saying something like that in that kind of voice!? I heard a fighting noise from the side of me! Koneko-chan and the china dress girl are having a fist fight! Damn, that looks really powerful. I noticed the girl, I think her name was Mira, she started swinging her staff around in a professional manner.

"Split, split, split, split, split!"

The twins came right at me while grinding their chainsaws to the floor! The chainsaws were making sparkles as they swung them at me!

They swung them at me. I was just able to dodge it, thanks to my training with Buchou!

I tackled one of the twins with my shoulder and put some distance between us. If it's a simple move like this, then the Boosted Gear won't reset. If I get too carried away and attack them, the power will return to the original state!

A sound of something being pointed at me from behind.

"Wow!"

I also dodged this attack by a margin as well. The stick passed through my armpit sharply! It's an attack from the girl called Mira! I dodged it!

[Boost!]

Yes! A power up! The girls however continued their attack on me, I dodged the attacks that are coming from above me by moving my body to the side, and I dodged the attacks coming from the side by jumping and ducking down! I guarded the attacks of the stick that is coming from the front by crossing my arms!

"Ah, geez! This is so frustrating!"

"Why isn't it hitting him!?"

The chainsaw twins seemed pissed so they start to step on the floor violently.

"…I can't break through his guard."

Looks like the stick girl is also irritated that her attacks weren't hitting me effectively.

Too bad. I also trained like hell as well. I wouldn't be able to face Buchou and the others if I lost instantly!

[Boost!]

Yes! I'm ready now!

"Let's do it, my Sacred Gear!"

[Explosion!]

I will fight them in this state! My whole body is getting overflowed with power!

"I will take care of you two first!"

I ran towards one of the twins. The opponents can't react to my movements for a slight moment. She swings her chainsaw after she realises the situation she is in, but my fist has already reached her!

"You! How dare you hit my Onee-chan!"

The twin of the girl I just hit aimed her chainsaw at me! I twisted my body and hit her instead! She also fell to the floor. Mira, the staff girl, thrusted her staff at me! I karate chopped the damned stick, breaking it in half! I took this chance to knock her to the ground!

"Ku!"

That came from the china dress woman, when I look, I see her on the floor while Koneko-chan is still standing. Wow, even I can tell she has the advantage.

"Geez! If we lose to a guy like him, Riser-sama will get mad at us!"

"We will definitely dissemble you into pieces!"

The twin turns on their chainsaws once again. However, they wont get very far, ufufu.

Shirou...You're with me in my thoughts even now, bro!

"Take this! Shirou's spirit is with me when I unleash this new attack! My new ultimate technique! Dress Break!"

Clicking my fingers, my opponents clothes got blown away! Yes, even their underclothes were blown to pieces! The white curvy bodies of the girls were exposed right in front of me.

[N-Noooooooooooooooooo!]

The collective screams of the girls echoed in the gym.

"Ahahahahaha! How's that!? This is my technique! And the name of it is Dress Break! I just kept on imaging the girl's clothing getting blown away into pieces! I spent all of the talent I had in making a technique that will make all of the girls naked!"

"You are really low! Enemy of every woman!"

"Beast! You sex fiend!"

I daresay that the loli twins are not fans of mine.

"…I misjudged you."

Koneko-chan's words were like a knife in my heart!

[Ise, Koneko. Can you hear me? It's me.]

Buchou's voice. It seemed like Koneko-chan had also heard it.

"Yes! Both Koneko-chan and I are safe! More like we are in a good situation right now!"

[That's good to hear. But Akeno is also ready! I want you two to move accordingly to the plan!]

Koneko-chan and I exchanged a glance before we went to the central entrance while ignoring the girls who were down on the floor.

"Are you running away!? This location is supposed to be an important place!"

They say something but we ignore them as we make it out of the building.

FLASH

Then there was a huge lightning flash.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

A big lightning struck the gym with a big noise like that of an explosion. When the lightning stopped, the gym was totally wiped out.

"Take this." When I turned around, I saw Akeno-san wearing a smile on her face, flying through the air with her black wings spread. She had her right hand raised upwards and her hand was sparkling with electricity.

[Riser Phenex's three Pawns and one Rook retires! Yahoo! Wait to go, Akeno! You too, Koneko-chan!]

Shirou's voice was announcing again. Hey! I was in that fight! Where's my praise?!...Is Shirou upset about my new super awesome technique?

"We did it, Koneko-chan."

I tried putting my hand on her shoulder, but she gave me the coldest stare I've ever seen.

"…Please don't touch me."

She said it with a cold voice. She also had a funny expression. Auuuuu...that reaction saddened me. Well it couldn't be helped. Any girl would be alarmed at me if they saw a technique like that.

"Hahaha, don't worry. I won't use it on my comrades."

"…Even so, it is a very low technique."

Oh my. Looks like I'm totally hated by her….

[Everyone, can you hear me? Akeno did a perfect attack and finished it. With this, the first phase of our plan is completed.]

Buchou, your plan was successful!

[That lightning takes time to charge it to use for the second time after she uses it. So using it continuously is impossible. Though the enemy still has a greater number than us. We will also head out as soon as Akeno's demonic power recovers, so I will leave the rest to each of you till then. So please move on to the next phase!]

"Yes!"

The next part of Buchou's plan is going ahead! We start making our way to Kiba!

DON!

A sudden explosion! I look to the sound...Koneko-chan! A small distance from me, Koneko-chan has been badly damaged! I immediately ran over to her and held her in my arms.

"Fufufu. When you hunt a prey, the best time to take them down is when the prey accomplished something because that's the time when the prey is the most vulnerable. Your group has a small number of members to begin with. That alone will be enough to give a huge damage to your group, right? Even if you defeat us, you cannot defeat Riser-sama."

An unknown voice. When I looked up there was a shadow up in the air flying with its wings. It was a woman dressed up as a mage and wearing her hood. Raiser's servant! Did Riser's servant do this to Koneko-chan!? I was sure that was Raiser's Queen! The sudden appearance of the ultimate servant!

"…I'm sorry…I wanted to be of more use to Buchou and everyone…"

"Y-You don't have to apologize! We were doing our job! It's not a problem! Just wait. Once Asia arrives, she can heal you..."

Her body was enveloped in light before disappearing.

[Rias Gremory-sama's Rook retires.]

This time it was Grayfia-san who made the announcement.

I felt my anger began to grow, burning powerfully within my chest as I turned to face Riser's Queen.

"Come down heeeeeere! I'll be your opponent!"

"Fufufu. What a noisy Pawn boy. Do you want to explode like that girl from before?" The enemy Queen taunted me as she pointed a finger at me. I braced myself, readying myself for the attack I expected to come.

"Ara ara. I will be your opponent. Riser Phenex-sama's Queen, Yubelluna-san. Or should I call you the Bomb Queen?" Akeno-san interrupted, coming in between us.

"I don't like that name because of its bad taste, Priestess of Thunder. Though I was hoping I can fight you." The Bomb Queen admitted.

"Ise-kun, meet up with Yumi-chan. I will take care of here."

"B-But!" I tried to convinced Akeno-san otherwise, but she showed me a serious face.

"Ise-kun. You have your own role, correct? Go then. This matter here is my job. It's okay. I will avenge Koneko-chan. I will defeat this Queen with everything I have!"

A golden aura covered her body. Her determination burned as brightly as my own.

I nodded. "Akeno-san! I will leave this place to you!" Then I ran off to go find Kiba. I was almost at the meeting point when I heard a new announcement.

[Riser Phenex's three Pawns have retired! Way to go, Yumi-chan!]

So apparently Kiba took out more of Riser's servants. With that, the Pawns will begin to be less of a threat as the game continues just as long as they don't reach our base. I made my way towards the sports court as per the plan to meet up with Kiba. She wasn't there, so I took the chance to rest a little for the next part of the fight. I sat against the wall, reaching into my pocket for Devi-kun to make sure I hadn't lost him in he fighting. Shirou would kick my ass if I lost his important "treasure".

After a little bit longer, Kiba finally showed up.

"Oh, it's you." I said upon noticing her.

"Yup."

"Sorry, Kiba. Koneko-chan is…" I hung my head, feeling further shame for having done nothing to prevent our friend from being hurt.

"I know it since I heard the announcement as well. She must be feeling regrets. I never knew what she was always thinking about, but she was really pumped for this match. She was working hard when we were setting the traps in the forest."

"...Let's win."

"Of course, Ise-kun."

We hit our knuckles together. We were the Pawn-Knight duo of the Gremory group. Of course, Buchou wasn't the only one Kiba was fighting for. She also deeply cared for Shirou. Everyone's noticed it. It's no big secret. Like every single one of us, Kiba's motivation is doubled with Shirou's fate on the line as well.

Kiba went on to tell me how she defeated Riser's Pawns, pointing out Riser's (admittedly unnecessary and cruel) strategy of sacrificing his pieces. Then she went on to explain the area ahead.

"The enemies who are in charge of here are one Knight, one Rook, and one Bishop. Three pieces in total."

"…That's a severe defense."

"Well, that's how much they are keeping up their guard for this place. Against our intrusion here, that is. Since we eliminated the gym, they will put more strength here."

"It looks like we'll have to give an extra push to penetrate that area." I noted.

Kiba blushed, placing a hand on the side of her face. "Oh, Ise, how bold of you ~!"

"E-Eh?! H-Hold on now!"

"I really am flattered by how strong you're coming on to me, but I'm sorry to say that my body is reserved for Shirou~!"

Then I processed the words I was saying before. "O-Oi! Don't purposely misunderstand my words!" I was blushing a deep scarlet red color.

We went back and forth like that for a while. And oddly, I felt my heart, which had been beating roughly against my chest, calmed somewhat. Just joking around like this made me feel less uneasy.

But we couldn't rest for long. The battle would soon continue.

* * *

The woman who met us at the sports courts was an...interesting person.

She had long, tied back reddish-orange hair and rather well-tanned skin with strange, tribal markings painted on with violet. And her body...it was rather erotic. It was well-toned but not disgustingly muscular, and her oppai were HUGE! A low-level D-cup at least! Her clothing was equally erotic, consisting of nothing but a small, iron bra and a leather skirt, and the straps holding that up were thin wires. Held easily in one hand was a large bastard sword.

"I'm the Knight of Riser Phenex-sama, the Queen of the Amazon, Aella! I've become bored of these tedious and wasteful tactics! Rias Gremory's Knight! I challenge you to meet me in battle like a true warrior! If you have any guts or the slightest bit of pride as a Knight, then come out and face me!"

"Since she introduced herself, I can't hide myself both as a Knight and as a swordsman." Kiba walk out, me following after her.

"I'm the Knight of Rias Gremory, Kiba Yumi."

"I'm the Pawn, Hyoudou Issei!"

The Amazon cocked her head out and laughed. "Kyahahahahahahaha!" Up until that point, I never thought I truly heard someone laugh "uproariously". "Truly you two are amongst the bravest amongst your group! For that, I will be sure to remember your names! The names of my valiant enemies whom I will defeat here and now!"

She lifted her heavy sword with ease. Kiba mimicked her gestured and brought out her own sword.

"The match between Knights. I have been waiting for this. Personally I would like to fight in an intense sword fight."

"Well said! Rias Gremory's Knight!"

They both charge at one another using incredible speed, sparks flying all over the place every time their blades clashed against one another. Kiba seemed to grunt from the force that Riser's Knight put into her blows, but didn't seem overly burdened.

"You seem bored."

When I look at the direction where the voice came from, there was a woman wearing a mask that just covered half of her face. But then, I heard another voice.

"Geez, this only seems like a mud fight since both of them only thinks about fighting and swords, fighting and swords. So many sword freaks."

It was her. The girl who would get Shirou as her servant if we lost. Ravel Phenex if I remember correctly from what Shirou told me. She is the Bishop and younger sister of Riser...Riser made his little sister a member of his harem. That just sounds wrong when I say it in my head.

"Hmm. So this boy is the Pawn that Rias Gremory adores? It seems foolish that she did not make Shirou-sama her Queen...of course if it took Leviathan-sama her Mutated Queen Piece, I suppose it wouldn't have been an option...makes sense she settled for this Pawn instead..." By that point, I grew pretty certain she was talking more to herself than me. I felt oddly annoyed at being forgotten so easily. "I suppose it is good in a way. None of Onii-sama's servants will have to fight and injure my soon-to-be servant, so that's good..."

She trailed off, clearly thinking about something to herself, her cheeks turning a slight pink color while thinking about my brother.

"Hey! Don't just ignore me! Boosted Gear standby!"

[Boost!]

The Phenex girl barely looked at me, only snapping out of her thoughts for a moment. "Hm? Oh yes, you...I'm not going to be your opponent. Isabella, why don't you be his opponent?" She asked the masked girl.

"I was planning to in the first place. Now then, let's fight since we are both bored."

"Ah, yeah. That's ok, but isn't that Bishop going to fight?"

"Ah, don't worry about her." The enemy Rook answered in a surprisingly polite tone compared to the treatment we have received from Riser's other servants. "That girl is special. She will be mostly observing for this fight as well."

"Because she's Riser's younger sister?" I guessed.

"Exactly."

"Now, here I come! Rias Gremory's Pawn!"

The Rook attempted to punch my face, but my quick instincts urged me fast enough so that I could move out of the way. With that close dodge, the punch only barely grazed my cheek.

"I see. So you can dodge a punch like this. Sorry. I was looking down on you a bit." The Rook admitted. "I'll put one gear, no, I will increase by two gears then!"

She makes lots of punches and somehow I manage to dodge them all, even though she is doing them from different angles.

But then! She delivers a kick to me! She keeps delivering punches to my face as I was distracted by the pain in my stomach!

[Boost!]

Yes! I Boosted again! With this, it should be enough! I crossed my arms to guard against her punches. Her punches were heavy even with my guard on! I would retire right away if I continued to receive these hits! I stepped back when she finally ceased her attack. She smiled at me.

"I was taking you lightly. To tell you the truth, I thought I got you when my kick hit you…Looks like Rias Gremory has been training you well. Especially your stamina is magnificent."

My stamina?

"In a serious battle, the most important thing is the stamina. Even idiots can fight. But you need stamina to continue for a few minutes. Battles consume lots of stamina and concentration. Just dodging the attack requires quite an amount of effort. So being able to do it till now means that you have been training your body a lot."

Buchou's training! Its all thanks to her training! Yes, even though it was hard, it paid off!

"Rook Isabella. I am the weakest and the least experienced member in Rias Gremory-sama's group. But still I will defeat you!"

Something then gets my attention, Kiba's Holy Eraser, its been blown away by the Knight of Riser!

"You are a truly skilled swordsman, Kiba Yumi," The Knight, Aella, praised, seeming truly gleeful at the challenge, "but my blade is one that serves Riser Phenex! I will not fall before any enemy of master! Your Sacred Gear is useless here!" She raised her giant sword with ease and pointed it at Kiba-IS HER SWORD ON FIRE?!

Instead of being bothered by it, Kiba smirked. "Then I will also tell you this. Unfortunately, this isn't everything of my Sacred Gear."

Aella raised an eyebrow, interested in Kiba's claim. "Oh?"

"Freeze."

Saying this, Kiba's blade turns into a blade of ice! An ice sword!

"In front of this sword, Flame Delete, all types of fire will disappear."

"Is it possible?! Do you possess two Sacred Gears to fight me with?!" The Knight asked, seeming more excited than anything at the thought. Seriously! This woman is either a battle maniac or a masochist! Maybe even both!

Aella swung her flaming sword to the side! Her eagerness and excitement was unsettling. The instant her sword touched Kiba's sword, the flame sword started to freeze and turn into a single, solid shape. The top edge broke, but that didn't stop the Amazon woman. Instead, she grinned. She pulled on the hilt of the sword and another slimmer, shorter sword slid out! A sword inside of a sword!

"In that case, I will get serious as well!" The Knight of Riser held out her sword horizontally before her. "We are the members of the all mighty House of Phenex that rule over fire and wind! Show me how you fare against this great whirlwind of blazing fury!" With a powerful swing of her blade, Aella unleashed a great wind of fire around the baseball court with her and Kiba in the middle of it. The hot wind burned my skin.

"That Aella. Has she forgotten that her allies are here as well!?" Isabela complained, raising her arm to guard her face. "I wonder if that _other candidate_ Riser-sama considered would have been any better..."

Eh? So there was someone who Riser intended to have before the Amazon chick? Huh. I guess not all Devils are able to get their first-choice servants.

Kiba's ice sword started to melt after receiving the wind of fire. Even so Kiba still didn't seem to be bothered.

"I see, you are trying to burn us with the whirlwind of fire…But..." Kiba put her blade-less sword in front of her. "...Stop." She said with a strong voice. The wind then started getting sucked into Kiba's sword while making a large noise. "Replenish Calm. It's been a while since I last showed more than two demonic swords for one battle."

"…Multiple Sacred Gears!" Aella stared in excitement. "Are you a Sacred Gear possessor who takes the weapons of other Sacred Gear users and makes it their own!? Truly this ability of yours is magnificent! Where did you attain this power of yours?!"

Kiba shook her head at the nonstop excitement of her opponent. "I don't have multiple Sacred Gears. I also don't take the Sacred Gears of others and make them my own. I created it."

"Created…it?" Aella's excitement changed into confusion.

"Yes, Sword Birth. I can make any type of demonic swords. That is the name of my Sacred Gear and its true ability."

Multiple swords appear from the ground when she put her hand downwards! There are swords with different shapes. Even the blades are different!

[Boost!]

Here it comes! 150 seconds exact! Now I'm also ready!

Boosted Gear! Explode!"

[Explosion!]

A massive load of energy waves gathers on both my hands. But, I will have to hold back as, I can't destroy the school here!

Dragon Shot! My special move!

A mass of demonic power gets released from my hands. I'm blown back by the force of it!

"Isabela! Don't take it! Dodge!" The Knight, Aella, warned the Rook.

Isabella who was trying to take the attack before changed her action by evading it.

I look at the Dragon Shot that had hit the tennis court and I can't believe what I am seeing. The tennis court it hit, is gone!

"Isabella! Defeat that Pawn! That boy! That Sacred Gear has the power to change the outcome of the battle!"

"Affirmative! Boosted Gear! It will become a big threat if we allow him to use Promotion! I will take him down before that happens!"

The enemy came rushing in at me, starting to kick and punch. I guarded to defend myself from her attacks. Then I put strength in my left arm! I hit her! I sent her flying! I can now use it!

"Burst! Dress Break!"

At that instant, her clothes are blown away immediately! Her naked body became visible. Wow, it's huge breasts! It's really good since her body is tight! I have saved it in my brain's memory!

"Wha! What is this!?"

Isabella reacted by hiding her private parts. Well of course you would react that way!

Here it is! Without wasting anytime, I put forward the small block of demonic power that I created with my right hand! What I imagine is a block of demonic power launching from my hand! I shoot it towards the enemy! It hits her dead one! When it calms down, Isabella is covered in light.

[Reset]

My Sacred Gear reset itself.

[Riser Phenex-sama's Rook retires.]

Grayfia-san announced it this time.

"Hell yeaaaaaah!" I shouted with joy because I defeated a Rook. I can fight! I can fight because of you, Buchou!

"Apparently both Isabella and I have been taking that "Pawn" and the Sacred Gear lightly. Just like I thought, I shouldn't take him as an ordinary "Pawn"."

I was praised by the enemy Knight. This didn't feel too bad. I felt a bit happy.

"And that technique...Blowing away a woman's clothes..."

"Yeah, I'm truly sorry. I will apologize as well. I'm sorry for our Ise-kun being a lecher."

HEY! Don't apologize to the enemy, Kiba!

"No no!" The enemy Knight stopped Kiba. She placed a hand under her chin, eying me with an examining look. "...to blow away a woman's clothes..." Then a light blush appeared on her face...Then a perverted grin that seemed oddly familiar. Of course. It was the grin I got whenever I saw a girl's glorious oppai! Eh!? The Knight girl is giving me a thumbs up!?...How strange. A girl who enjoyed such a technique? Why would she...It's like she liked...Oh. OH!...

I get it now.

I gave Aella a thumbs up back.

We were kindred souls! We were forever bonded from that point forth due to our love for the naked female body! I never thought I would find a girl who shared such interests! Alas, I'm more interested in someone else.

"...I'm not quite sure I want to fight her anymore." Kiba said, a cautious expression on her face as she edged away from Aella. "I now get why her strikes were always aimed at my shirt." Indeed. Kiba had several shallow cuts to her shirt that revealed embarrassing amounts of skin at certain points...Definitely saving this to memory.

"H-Hey, Enemy Kiba!" Aella said, trying to convince her opponent not to run away. "C-Come on! I know how to keep sexual interests and fighting separate! The location of my strikes was purely coincidental!" She had the same tone I had whenever I had or was about to do something ecchi...In another life, we probably would have been siblings. "But a Demonic Sword wielder…what fortune. I may have a destiny of meeting swordsmen who wield special swords."

"Hmm, so there is someone besides me who uses demonic swords?"

"No, it wasn't a demonic sword. It was a holy sword."

Kiba's expression turned dark after hearing that. "Tell me about that holy sword wielder." She spoke in a low voice, filled with malice.

"Hmm, seems like that swordsman has some connection to you. But since we are swordsmen, talking would be rude. I will answer you with my sword!" Aella seemed excited at the excuse to drag her opponent back into their fight.

"…Is that right. If your mouth can move, then it won't be a problem even if you turn into a state where you are on the verge of death."

H-Hey. That's kind of dark, Kiba. You aren't smiling like you usually do.

"So it's here."

"Huh? Where's Isabella-neesan?"

"Don't tell me she was defeated?"

Lots of Riser's servant girls starts to gather. All of his remaining servants! They were gathering here!

"Hey, the Pawn-kun over there." One of Riser's girls called me. What is it? "Riser-sama said he's going to fight your Princess one on one. See there."

She pointed high to the school building...its Buchou!

[Ise-san! Can you hear me, Ise-san!?]

Asia's voice came out from the transceiver.

"Asia! What happened? Is it about Buchou?"

[Yes. Right now I'm with Buchou-san on the school rooftop. The opponent, Riser-san, challenged Buchou to a duel and Buchou-san accepted it! Thanks to that we were able to get into the school building without any problem…]

"Seems like Onii-sama made a challenge since Rias-sama was doing well in the battle unexpectedly. It would have been our win if we fought normally, so he gave her pity. At this rate, she will be defeated before you fight him." Ravel Phenex said arrogantly. "The sooner Onii-sama defeats her, the sooner I can collect my-I mean-Onii-sama's prize which just happens to be a present to me. I could honestly care less either way!" She said that, but her face was slowly turning a light pink. It looks like Shirou attracted another tsundere.

I sweatdrop as she makes a happy face. But, she then gathers the servants around her! She intends to finish this quickly!

"Aella. I will leave that Knight boy to you, but if you lose we won't fight in one on one. We will defeat him together. Or are you trying to lower the name of Phenex?"

She nods at Risers sister. She then introduces me to her Knight, and Pawns. The Pawns then disappear from sight! I receive blows everywhere on my body in an instant!

"B-Boosted Gear!"

[Boost!]

"Ni! Li! Boosted Gear is a Sacred Gear that doubles the power every ten seconds! From how the chainsaw twins, Ile and Nel, were defeated, you won't be able to take him after he gets his third boost! Finish the fight within twenty seconds."

They then started attacking my legs so I couldn't run away! I was then punched in the face, receiving a heavy blow! Finally I couldn't take anymore and fell to my knees. Buchou, she is fighting Riser right now, she is breathing heavily...she can't lose! I wont let Buchou lose!

"Give me strength! Boosted Gear!"

[Dragon Booster!]

My Sacred Gear makes a red light. It isn't enough!

"More! That time it was Shirou! Now it's Buchou! My desire to allow Buchou to win! Answer these feelings! Boosted Geeeeeear!"

[Dragon Booster Second Liberation!]

The red aura covered my left arm, slowly changing the shape. The gauntlet started to change its shape and form as well. After a few seconds, the change completed. The gauntlet, which was said to be a crystallization of insane power, changed into a new form. The jewel that was on the hand part of the gauntlet also appeared in my arm. The jewels, they are sending information to me directly!

"Kibaaaaaa!" I got up off my knees and rush towards Kiba, filled with a new power and determination "Release your Sacred Geeeeeear!"

Kiba seems confused at my shout, but she put her sword on the ground and howled highly.

"Sword Birth!"

There were lots of demonic swords that appeared from the ground! I touch the ground and let out a cry!

"Boosted Gear Gift!"

[Transfer.]

The whole area becomes like a display area of demonic swords. It increased the power of creating demonic swords and the area around us became a field of blades.

"…Impossible."

"How could this be...?!"

Riser's servants blurt out their anguish. That can't be helped. Their bodies are penetrated by the many sharp swords that are sticking out from the ground. Then their body starts to glow and disappear from the battlefield.

The last one to disappear had been the Amazon, Aella. Despite the fact that her chest and arms had been pierced, she looked satisfied.

"So...this is the power of the Red Dragon Emperor...? Ha...Truly a satisfying battle." Blood dripped from the corners of her mouth. "Hyoudou Issei..."

"Eh?" She still hasn't been retired? No no. Her body was slowly beginning to glow, but it looked like she was resisting its power for one final question.

"...Next time we meet..." She wheezed, her body fading away. "...please teach me that Dress Break...spell..."

[Riser Phenex's two Pawns, two Knights, and one Bishop, retires. Ha! Even though you used such a shameful technique before, I applaud your victory, Ise!]

That felt vaguely like a backhanded congratulations.

[E-Eh...?]

Shirou then sounded like he had some sort of shock.

[The...She...R-Rias Gremory-sama's Queen...Rias's Queen retires.]

Akeno-san has lost!? But, another explosion brings me out of my thoughts...Kiba! She...She was in bad shape. Her body was smoking and there was blood all over her and around her...I knew there was no hope for her to continue when her body began to glow and vanished.

[...No...Y-Yumi...]

Shirou's voice completely cracked. He and Yumi...they were especially close. Seeing her in thatThere was another loud shrieking sound followed by a loud thud.

[...go...]

I heard that vague word and the sound of fast footsteps.

Shirou...

[Ah...Please forgive the previous announcement. Ahem. Rias Gremory-sama's Knight retires.]

Another impossible announcement echoed through the field, this time from Grayfia-san. I could only stand there in a daze with the continued outcome of unexpected events…

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

"Damn it...Damn it all..."

The moment Yumi fell...I went running as fast as I could, doing my best to get to the infirmary where all of the defeated servants were taken. I didn't care about the game anymore. I didn't care about the outcome. I didn't care who won or lost. All I cared about was getting to my friends. When the doctors tried stopping me, I just shoved them aside and burst into the room.

When I saw the shape the members of the Gremory group were in...I almost fell apart completely.

Koneko was in less severe shape than the others, having been receiving more time with medical treatment than the others. She had bandages on her body, but she didn't seem to have anything severely broken. That was good. At least she's alright.

I then went on to between Akeno-san's and Yumi's beds.

My will shattered completely.

Yumi...she was still bleeding into her bandages. The armor on her legs had been completely shattered. Her usually beautiful, blonde hair was now singed and burnt at certain spots.

A felt a hand on my shoulder. One of the nurses gave me a reassuring look. "She will be fine. They're all being treated with the best. It will take a while to remove all of the damage, but these kinds of injuries aren't too uncommon in Rating Games. If anything, I'd say Rias Gremory-sama's Queen got the worst of it..."

My heart stopping completely, I turned on my heels and faced Akeno.

Akeno-san...her clothes were in tatters and her body was injured all over. She was even more badly burnt from the Bomb Queen's attacks than Yumi. Her usually pure skin was littered with burn scars and all sorts of open wounds. The doctors were still actively working on healing her injuries.

I...I hadn't been paying attention. I was more focused on Ise and Yumi...I failed to even notice that my friend was beaten so brutally.

As the doctors began using magic to heal the most severe injuries, I couldn't help but feel confused how this could even happen...She should've been teleported long before she got this injured...

Then I thought back to how Riser's Knight, Aella, had resisted the force of the spell that tried to make her retire due to her injuries.

Staring at her sadly, I brushed hair out of Akeno-san's face, allowing me to glimpse her previously flawless features.

"...Akeno...Yumi...Koneko..." They...my friends...they all fought so hard...They fought so hard... "And I Just sat back like a damned loser... I couldn't do anything...Damn it..."

Hm...?

There was water on Akeno-san's face. With a gentle thumb, I wiped it away.

But then another drop of water landed on her face. Then I noticed that my eyes stung as if someone had been cutting onions right in front of them.

I was crying. Not for the fact that I knew victory was hopeless by this point. Not for the fact I would most likely never see my friends again. No. I cried for my friends who had fought so hard while I joked around and sat back, doing nothing to help them. I said I was helping them train, but that was a lie...It was a lie I created to hide my own uselessness.

"Fujimura-kun."

I moved away from Akeno-san's bedside, turning to face Sitri-senpai who stood at the door, staring at me with soft eyes.

I wiped my eyes, doing my best to regain a more professional appearance. But every time I tried clearing my eyes, more tears came out to replace the previous ones. "Ah...forgive me...My pathetic side is showing again."

We maintained an awkward silence for a quite a while before Senpai spoke again.

"Onee-sama was quite upset when you left so abruptly." Senpai said. "Are...Are you okay...?"

"...No." I replied honestly. "I...Deep down...I think I knew this would be the outcome. I think I was just too deep in denial to admit it."

Senpai nodded, looking apologetic. "Yes. That is true. Even with the ten days granted to her for training, the chances of Rias winning, even IF she utilized Hyoudou Issei's full power, were small. I wanted to believe in the best, but the outcome was fairly obvious." We both admitted our most honest thoughts. "Do you...Do you want to see how the match ends...?"

I bit my lower lip, resisting the tears that continued to flow down the sides of my face.

"No..." I said. "...Until the very last second, I want to remain by their sides."

"I understand."

...

"Can you stay with me?" It was a selfish request to ask of Sona-senpai, who had other things to do, but just being alone with the friends whom I failed to protect would only hurt more. If there was one other person around...I couldn't help but feel that it would lighten my pain. I fully expected her answer to be no, stating she had something else to do.

"Of course."

I turned and stared at Senpai in shock. Then I gave her a nod of appreciation.

Senpai walked over to my side and sat in a chair next to me.

I closed my eyes, bracing for the inevitable announcement.

[Rias-sama's resignation confirmed. It is the victory of Riser Phenex-sama.]

I felt a huge constricting pressure around my heart, experiencing even more pain as I imagined the defeated look on Ise and Rias's faces...The only reason Rias would have submitted willingly would be if...The only thing that could crush her spirit would be...Oh...Ise...

I buried my face into my hand, unable to suppress the torrent of tears that came spilling out once more. This unbearable pain...

"Dammit..."

"...Shirou." An awkward yet reassuring hand gripped my arm. Senpai clearly was not experienced with this because she clearly looked empathetic, but seemed to have trouble figuring out how to express it in a way to cheer me up or at least stop my tears. After a few awkward minutes, Senpai pulled her hand away, but I grabbed hers. I didn't care if she got the wrong idea and got irritated by me. I didn't care if she slapped me for this misleading gesture...

I didn't want to feel alone.

Senpai seemed surprised, but didn't take her hand away. She nodded, as if understanding my intentions. She gave me a reassuring squeeze, letting me numb my pain with her presence.

It could've been a minute. An hour. Or even a day. I wouldn't have noticed.

I wouldn't have if the door hadn't opened at that moment, revealing the figure of a familiar, big-busted loli.

"So this is where you've been!" Ravel Phenex placed her hands on her hips. "You DO remember the conditions of the wager between Serafall Leviathan-sama and Onii-sama?" She was looking so bright and cheerful...I couldn't hate this girl despite the fact she's part of the reason I would not be able to see my friends anymore...

I gave Senpai an appreciative smile before I finally, and reluctantly, let go of her hand, turning to face the girl who won the wager.

After walking in front of the blonde bishoujou, I knelt down before her. "As the victor of the wager between Serafall Leviathan-sama and Riser Phenex, I am now transferred to your service, Ravel Phenex-sama, as your new Queen." I humbly grasped her hand and brought it to my lips. My freedom was gone. I had no choice but to show my new master the respect I owed her as her servant.

"That's good." Ravel-sama said, smiling as she pulled her hand away. I got to my feet as she turned her back to me. "Come now, Shirou-sam-No. Perhaps I should call you just Shirou since you are MY servant now." She sounded awfully pleased with herself. "Anyway, come with me. We must go to meet Onii-sama. We will be returning to the Underworld to make wedding preparations once Onii-sama's servants are fully recovered."

I nodded, bowing emotionlessly in response to Ravel-sama's command. "Yes, master."

I followed her as she walked out the door, only stopping once to say three words to the girl who stood behind me:

"So long, Sona."

And then I walked out the door.

It may have been my imagination, but I could have sworn I heard an equally sad response:

"...Goodbye."

**And thus, the Rating Game is finally done. For the record, yes. I did indeed heavily rely on the Light Novel with my own personal flair thrown in.  
**

**Rias lost and Shirou must also pay the price of that loss. What will happen next chapter? Shirou will be forced to become Ravel's servant and all seems lost. How will he get out of THIS situation?**

**I hope you all enjoyed my Bi-oriented OC, Aella, who I used to replace Karlamine in Riser's Peerage. I wanted to keep the fight completely the same, so I improvised...I'm lazy like that and really, the outcome would be the same anyway, so why not? I NEEDED the outcome to be the same to satisfy my desire for the plot...**

**Know what? I'm putting up a poll. Lemme know if you guys want me to make Aella a recurring character or just as unimportant as the rest of Riser's Peerage (excluding Ravel). She won't play a serious role, but she's an option. I found her amusing personally...what do you guys think?**

**Anyway, thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	14. Life 13: New Life (Take 2)

**FINALLY! THE RATING GAME IS DONE! HOWEVER...Before we get on to the actual wedding, I think I'm gonna have some fun at Shirou's expense~!  
**

**Also, I just want everyone to read the poll on my profile page. I've been thinking about making a change to Shirou's harem concerning the girls I take from Riser's Peerage.**

**To summarize previous chapter:**

**Rias loses. Shirou becomes Ravel's servant. Shit be whack. Now here's the story.  
**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's.**

**Life 13: New Life (Take 2)  
**

I still couldn't wrap my mind around it...

Rias had lost. Ise had lost. I had lost.

We had all lost.

Because Riser had won, I would be forced to become Ravel-sama's servant. The only thing that remained was for Serafall and Ravel-sama to fill out the appropriate documents required to trade pieces (I'm only guessing since I honestly have no idea how it works). The wager between Riser and my foolish yet adorable master, Serafall, had been won by Riser. That cocky bastard...when I came trudging behind Ravel-sama, that arrogant smirk on his face made me want to smash his face in. It was so tempting. But that would be treason towards my own master who was Riser's younger sister. I had to obey her orders as her servant. Because of that, I had no choice but to come here...To this place...

To the bedroom of Ravel Phenex.

It was a nice and fancy room as one would expect of a person from a High-Class background. The whole room was rich with golden colors...I'm honestly not good at describing these kinds of things, so I'll do my best to give a scenario. You know how you expect those fancy rooms in well-maintained mansions to look? Really, the FANCIEST room you can think of. It looked kind of like that except with a few feminine touches. A desk devoted to cute, fluffy stuffed animals here, a bunch of frills on various objects and clothing there, not sure how else to describe it.

Just thinking that aloud made me feel nervous and embarrassed.

I know what one might think: I've seen girls naked before. I've made out with girls. I've groped girls. Hell, I've slept with a woman before. Why should me sitting in a girl's bedroom be any more embarrassing?

Well...it's more the atmosphere of a girl's room that made me feel embarrassed. Despite my long line of experience with women, I've never actually been alone in a girl's room before. Whenever I had done ecchi things with Ruruko or the others, I had always been at my house or in a hidden spot at school or somewhere else that was NOT their house. I have a knack for pissing off the fathers of women, ya see? Ruruko's father literally threw me out the window when a poor choice of words-Know what? It's not important. Point is, I've never actually been in a girl's room before. ESPECIALLY not on my own.

Ravel-sama had left to go fetch something, leaving me alone, sitting on the edge of her bed. Of course I took off my shoes so I didn't get it dirty. It was a soft material on the bed. Just being in contact with it made me want to take a nice, long nap. Part of me couldn't help but wonder if a light drowsiness spell was put on the sheets in order to aid the person in the bed get to sleep. I honestly have no idea how Pure-Blood Devils live.

I wasn't even sure what to do here. Ravel-sama told me to just sit and wait for her return, but she didn't say what else I could and couldn't do. A part of me considered spending this time planning an elaborate prank on Riser as a sort of revenge for him just being a douchebag in general. Of course I would never carry it out. If I would be living in Phenex territory as Ravel-sama's servant, I would no doubt be in contact with him often enough...There would be more chances for revenge. So for now, I would simply plot.

My best idea yet was to take a pair of Ravel-sama's panties from the drawers and put them in Riser's room and then tell Ravel-sama what Riser did...Not very clever, but clever enough. Ravel strikes me as the type of tsundere who could have violent outbursts if the cause is severe enough. Thinking her brother was taking her panties might be enough to have her burn off his face a couple times.

If it were Ise, that pervert idiot would probably just take Ravel-sama's panties for himself. Neh. He'd probably go for the bras. That dumbass always liked...

I hung my head, curling into a ball and hugging my legs to my chest. "...Ise..." I hadn't been allowed to see him after the Rating Game. I wanted to make sure that he was alright, but Ravel-sama had ordered me to come with her immediately. Everyone had been unconscious, so I wasn't able to give a proper goodbye. I couldn't console any of them for their loss or Rias for her having to marry Riser. And now...I was alone. I wouldn't see any of them until the wedding between Rias and Riser (is it weird that I threw up a little in my mouth at that thought?). But it wouldn't be as my normal self. It would be as the Shirou who was the servant of Ravel Phenex. But still...to see that they were alright...that they were awake...that would be enough.

How awful it was of me that I actually COULDN'T wait for the wedding...Seeing my friends again was the only silver lining I could find.

"...I wonder how they're all doing..." I said to myself, seeing no point in only thinking my thoughts since no one was around to hear me talk anyway.

The wedding was in two days. Excluding the planning stages, I would have to wait until then. Despite the situation, I couldn't help but feel impressed by the Devils' ability to put together a fancy wedding in such a short amount of time.

I had been waiting for Maou-knows-how-long when the door to the room finally swung open, revealing the satisfied-looking Ravel.

"Good evening, _my Queen_." She giggled to herself. It wasn't the cocky, arrogant giggling of a Pure-Blood Devil who won a wager, but rather, the excited, cheerful giggling of a teenage girl who had gotten a present she really, REALLY wanted.

I bowed my head respectfully. "Yes, Ravel-sama?"

"I have spoken to Otou-sama and Oka-sama regarding your living arrangements. A part of Phenex territory is being set aside to act as your permanent residence, but until then you will be living here." I looked around, examining the room once more. Here I was thinking it was Ravel's.

"Huh. I could chill here." I admitted before laying back on the bed.

"E-EEEEH!?" Ravel-sama let out a loud shriek of surprise, her face turning a deep shade of red. "N-No! Not _here_! I meant you'll be living _here_ as in living in this same building!" A part of me knew that, but I just wanted to mess with her a little. Realizing her embarrassed appearance, Ravel quickly crossed her arms and looked away, smirking to herself. "While it's to be expected for my new servant to want to be as close to his master as possible, it hardly seems appropriate for us to sleep in the same room together~! Please, it's not as though the thought of that makes me happy in the slightest~! It's simply my duty as a [King] to keep my [Queen] close at all times~!" For someone who says they're not happy at all, you sure are smiling a lot, Ravel-sama.

I shrugged before taking one step off her bed. "Alright then. Just tell me whe-"

Then I got a small push that forced me to sit back down on the bed. Ravel-sama quickly crossed her arms again, attempting to hide the fact that she had pushed me back down. Her face was even redder.

"Alright~! You've twisted my arm quite a bit here, so I'll let you stay in my room, you pervert~!" ...Despite the fact that I miss Serafall, Ravel is indeed a cute tsundere.

...Mmmmm...Serafall...

The very thought of my lover's name brought a new kind of sadness...

"Anyway, the final exchange with Leviathan-sama is still not official." Ravel-sama explained. "It's mere formalities by this point, so you're still my servant in all but name now. From this point forward, I do hope we can get along. Even if we do not, I fully expect you to hear and obey my orders, understand?"

I nodded. It was a no-negotiation arrangement. I would not possess the same freedom I possessed as Serafall's servant. One step out of line and I would be branded as a Stray Devil and put down like a rabid dog just like Vizor. That psycho got lucky with a relatively clean death by Rias' hands. There would be no telling who would hand down my death penalty. I had to live. Even if the situation seemed hopeless at the moment, I had to keep living. Keep living until an opportunity presented itself to change my current situation. Ravel-sama was more empathetic than her older brother, but she was still a High-Class Devil who would not tolerate insubordination.

Well...may as well make the best of it.

I got onto the ground and knelt before Ravel-sama. "What would be the first order you would ask of me, master?" With this offer, I hoped she would get the humiliating tasks meant to break me down into her willing pet out of the way.

"Well, I..." She trailed off, her mouth hanging open. Then she closed her mouth, thinking. "I-I...I don't know. I guess I never really thought about what I would do if I were to get my own servant. The house servants and Onii-sama's servants always catered to my whims so I never really pictured myself needing to order around my own servant."

Wow, she is unbelievably honest. She truly never even considered what she would do _after_ she won the wager and got me as her servant.

"Well...what do you want at this moment?" I asked, my amusement and desire to tease Ravel convincing me to help her figure out what she wanted. "Do you want me to cook dinner? Clean your room? Clean the house? Wash your clothes? Get in the bath with you and wash your back?"

Ravel spoke while counting off my questions. "Respectively, my answers are: It's too late for dinner. My room is already in pristine condition. The household servants take care of housecleaning. And-And what's with that last question, pervert!?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, I was told that Rias bathes with her servants, so I wasn't sure if that was something all or most Devils did with their servants or if it was just a Gremory thing."

Ravel-sama's face turned red again, instinctively covering her breasts with her arms as if she were afraid I would somehow see through her clothes. "Who-Who told you something like THAT?!"

"My best friend, Ise. He's a real pervert most of the time, but he's a great guy deep down and..." I really couldn't go five minutes without making myself depressed, could I?

I sat back against the side of Ravel-sama's bed, resting my hands in my lap.

"H-Hey! What is with that sudden depressed reaction? It was just a misunderstanding. I'm not mad or anything." Ravel-sama meant well, but she completely misunderstood my reaction of sadness which was for the fact I would not be able to see my friends. Then Ravel-sama clapped her hands. "Anyway, now that you're here, we had best find you an outfit to wear for the wedding. You certainly can't attend in that outfit."

Oh right...I was still wearing the strange uniform Serafall gave me...I suppose I should consider this her final present to me. Now that I realized this, I didn't really want to take it off anymore. It would be like I was truly giving up on all my memories with her.

Ravel-sama clasped her hands together, wearing an expression as if she had come to a decision. "It's decided. As a present to welcome you as my new servant, I will have a whole new wardrobe made for you. I'm afraid we don't have any sleepwear for you tonight, so you will have to make do with what you have for tonight."

I nodded, looking down at my outfit. Well, I could always take off the unnecessary stuff like the jacket and the belts. Why I needed three belts, I had no idea.

"Very well, Ravel-sama."

.

.

.

"Well?" I blinked at Ravel-sama's sudden expectant look.

I stared back. "'Well' what?"

Ravel-sama began undoing her dress, entering an adjoined room which I suspected to be a bathroom in order to change into her own sleepwear. "Prepare for bed. We have much to do tomorrow."

I blinked several times, processing and understanding. "Oh. OH! You were serious about sleeping in the same room?"

Ravel-sama poked her head from behind the door, shooting me a dangerous look, blushing slightly. "Oh? Is there something wrong with sleeping in the same bed as your new King?" I quickly raised my hands in surrender.

"No no no! It's fine. It's just that I never thought a beautiful maiden such as yourself would grant me the honor of sleeping in the same room let alone the same bed!" I said with a smooth voice. "I had surely thought you were jesting."

"O-Oh!" Ravel-sama's face flushed again as she stuttered. She turned away, still blushing. "W-well I would n-never be that cruel! N-Not even towards a servant~!" She was smiling again. "I-Just give me a second!" Then she disappeared into that room again.

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. I almost felt bad about how easy it had been to appeal to her vanity. I'm not calling Ravel self-centered. Everyone's vain. It's a natural part of every living being. Some people are just more easily flustered by praise and compliments. Ravel was actually pretty okay compared to others. That is why I felt bad.

But I couldn't hesitate. I didn't have Serafall to hold my hand anymore. If I wanted to survive the world of Devils, I had to be serious.

No matter what happens, I will return to your side, Serafall.

I slowly began undressing myself. After I took off my jacket, belts, and other various apparel, I was wearing nothing but my hakama. I was tempted to sleep in my undergarments, but...if I was sleeping in the same bed as Ravel, it would be best if I maintained as much modesty as possible. True, I would use my charm and emotional manipulation abilities to get more power until I was able to regain my place at Serafall's place, but I draw the line at using _that_ to manipulate a woman. There are many lines I will cross, but _that_ would never be one of them. I would never be able to face any of my friends ever again if I did.

"Alright, I'm coming out."

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the voice of Ravel-sama who came out of the adjoined bathroom. What Ravel-sama came out wearing made me blush deeply. The girl stepped out shyly, clearly never having worn something like that before despite how badly she tried to play it off.

The Phenex girl was dressed in an incredibly light pink nightdress, light enough that her darker-colored bra and panties were visible underneath. While a long-shot from being stark naked like Serafall, Asia, or (dare I say it aloud?) Jack, this was definitely considered bold for Ravel Phenex. I just stared.

"W-WELL!?" Ravel-sama became even more flustered at my silent stare. I quickly raised my hands in surrender.

"W-Well it's just that you look kind of sexy in that! You know how awkward that is to say aloud?!" I questioned her. More playing on her vanity to earn her affection.

Her face began steaming again before she turned away. "Pervert! You could put a bit more tact in how you talk!" She pulled at the edges of her skirt nervously, doing her best to avoid direct eye contact. "Well...uh...I...I guess we should go to bed now."

I bowed, showing respect to my new master. "As you wish, Ravel-sama."

Compared to other girls who've directed their affection towards me, Ravel-sama became bolder than most girls did when they first met me. She was actually kind of cute and I respected her for that...

DAMN YOU, GUILT! No! I will not succumb to my conscience! I am determined in this! I will be of the Lawful Evil alignment! I may be usually Lawful Neutral, but for Serafall, I will be Lawful Evil!

Ravel-sama walked rather slowly to the bed, placing a hand over her heart, no doubt trying to calm it. She slipped into her bed, under her sheets before I even reached the bed. She didn't lay down, however, as her face was still burning red. She stared down at her hands in her lap.

Feeling equally awkward, I made my way to the other side of the bed, sitting down above the bedsheets and laying my head back on the pillow behind me. When I brought my legs onto the bed, I noticed Ravel-sama still glaring at me.

This time, I had no idea what I did...Waaaaiiit. Never mind. I realized my fuck up.

I quickly stood up, bowing in apology. "Ah! Forgive me, master! I misunderstood your statement of allowing me to sleep in your bedroom tonight for being allowed to sleep in the same bed!"

Ravel-sama shook her head, crossing her arms. "N-No! I-I mean...I guess you can't sleep on the floor..." Her tone made it sound as though she was irritated about something else. I had to watch where I stepped. This was a tsundere. There was no telling what their trigger would be. "S-So don't be afraid to sleep under the same sheets! A Queen should be as close to their King as often as possible!"

OH! She was irritated because I showed hesitation in sleeping under the same sheets as her...

Hmm...I was going to need to be much more careful. There was no telling how clever or bold Ravel-sama was. For all I knew, she was a playgirl who hid under a shy exterior. To sleep under the same sheets would be to remove all boundaries between man and woman. They would truly sleep as a pair with incredible closeness.

"Is it an order, my King?" I said, regaining my previous charming demeanor. "Personally, I would prefer to refrain from obeying such an order. I would not wish for baseless rumors to slander the reputation of my adorable master. As I am now your servant, my first and foremost duty to you is your well-being and your reputation."

"H-Huh?!" I hit every single "target" in Ravel-sama's heart, appealing to her vanity while feigning serious care for her well-being. "D-Dummy!" She was smiling again. "I-I understand th-that you don't want your beloved master to be put in harm's way, but my reputation would only be further d-damaged if I were to allow my own Queen to easily catch a cold simply because I w-would not share the warmth of my bed! S-So it's fine if you sleep next to me!"

I found myself smiling. In a way I don't quite understand, Ravel kind of makes me think of a tsundere-Asia...with slightly larger breasts.

"As you wish, master." Maintaining any and all dignity I could, I slipped into the same bed as my new master, making sure not to bump up against her or disturb her in anyway. As I laid there, feeling odd in my hakama, I closed my eyes and pretended to go to sleep. There was no point in drawing out this situation for any reason other than to get a laugh out of watching how adorably Ravel-sama reacts to my charm and teasing. I made sure to stay deathly still so as to make sure that Ravel-sama didn't suspect me of being awake.

Through sheer focus, I managed to calm every last bit of my body. The only part that dared betray my commands was my fast-beating heart.

The only thing that was left to do was to get some rest and prepare for tomorrow. I had to begin my plans to gain further political power if I wished to ever return to Serafall's side.

So...until tomorrow.

CHU

I felt soft lips suddenly press against my cheek.

E-Eh?!

I really hoped my blush wasn't too apparent on my face. What the Hell was that?!

"...I'm really happy." I heard a soft whisper from Ravel-sama. "Until tomorrow, my personal prince. How great it would be...for it to be just like in those stories..."

And that was the final blow. The last one that I could take. My conscience couldn't take it anymore. She was undoubtedly prideful and mildly arrogant like other Purebloods, but when she speaks so softly about such sweet dreams, I can't even imagine any chance of deceiving her!

"Hmmm..."

GREAT! And now she's snuggling against my chest!

DAMN YOU CONSCIEEEEENCE!

...

I sighed. OK...maybe I can gain political power WITHOUT manipulating Ravel-sama. That was probably a bit much to begin with. In the world of Devils, political power and physical power go hand in hand. If I just become a lot stronger, then there's no way I COULDN'T get the power to bring myself back to Serafall's side.

...Auuu. Now I feel bad. I'm gonna have to make it up to Ravel-sama for my attempted deceptions.

And if I know anything about apologizing to women, then I know that there is only one way that is a sure-thing:

Cooking!

Just wait, Ravel!

* * *

**Ravel's POV...**

I honestly was not sure what first woke me up the next morning.

At first, I suspected it was the feeling (or lack thereof) next to me. Where my new Queen had been laying last night was now only an empty space with the blanket tucked in neatly under the bed. It was as if someone had attempted to make 1/2 of the bed, leaving the rest undisturbed in order to refrain from bothering any other occupants.

I immediately began to panic, my heart beating fiercely against my rib cage. Hundreds if not thousands of terrifying scenarios ran through my mind, the most terrifying being the thought that he ran away.

In this world, it wasn't TOO uncommon for a servant to run away after being traded to a new master. To suddenly be uplifted from their previous lives and forced into a completely new lifestyle. It was sometimes too much for them to handle. They ended up running away and end up being branded as Strays. It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened to them afterwards.

I didn't want that to happen to my new Queen! That's why I panicked!

He did look upset when we departed for the Underworld after Onii-sama won the Rating Game. I really hoped he didn't do anything stupid.

And that was when I noticed the alluring aroma in the air.

When I was still asleep, I swear I could vaguely smell this amazing scent...was this what woke me up?

Curious, I slipped on my morning slippers and walked out the door to-

"O-Ojou-sama?!" I turned my head to see a wide eyed and embarrassed-looking maid staring at me. "W-What are you wearing?!"

Hm?

I looked down at my dresswear and noticed I was still wearing my nightdress from last night...

.

.

.

"EEK!" I quickly covered my chest through my nearly see through dress. I ran back into my room to get changed.

How humiliating! Thank goodness it was only a house maid who saw that! If Otou-sama or Oka-sama saw me, I would literally DIE of embarrassment! If that maid knows what's good for her, she'll never breathe a single word of what she saw me wearing! That outfit was purely an attempt to get close to my new servant! Considering he had been the servant of someone like Leviathan-sama, I...I probably had a lot to compete with...

After I came back out of my room, my search for my servant ended up being put on hold once again as my nasal passageways were completely assaulted by this breathtaking scent. As undignified as it was, I felt drool begin to pool up at the corners of my mouth...My stomach started growling against my own wishes...

Grrrrrr! Fine! I will stop by the dining hall and THEN I will continue the search for Shirou-sa...Grrrr! It feels so weird using his name while resisting the urge to add the "-sama" honorific!

Anyway, I began walking towards the dining hall, now clothed in proper sleepwear.

Part of me was confused despite the fact I was continuously forced to follow the aroma I smelled.

After navigating through several hallways, I finally came to the door behind which the heavenly (as ironic as it is for a Devil to use such a word) smell.

Curious as to the origin of this sweet smell, I pushed through the door, allowing the delicious fragrance to flow forth unobstructed. If I wasn't drooling before, then I certainly was the moment that door opened.

I stared with eyes as wide as plates at the neatly set table. It was impressive, even for the household servants. Whoever set the tables must have had some sort of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Everything was neatly set and perfectly so. It was like someone copied the setting in front of one seat and pasted it in front of every seat. I couldn't spot a single difference. In the center of the table, trailing all the way down to the other end, was a banquet fit for a king (or perhaps several!).

Even classics such as eggs and bacon had been miraculously transformed into spectacularly designed plating.

The chef must have spent just as much time designing the setting for the dishes as he/she did actually cooking the food.

My stomach started growling again.

"I guess I could eat now..." Nobody else was awake and I usually had to wait for the other household servants to cook breakfast...but even then it was never anything of this scale. This was a banquet that surpassed most meals made for High-Class Devils. I honestly wasn't sure what to do.

When I sat down at the table, I shuffled uncomfortably in my seat. Or perhaps it was because I was TOO comfortable that I was feeling discomfort. The meal, the very atmosphere of the room just made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It gave me the feeling of being home even though I was already home. It was a strange feeling to explain, but not bad.

I reached for once of the eating utensils-

SMACK

"Ow!" I yelped. I rubbed the red spot on my hand, tearing up slightly from the sudden shock of pain.

"Tut tut, master~! Let's not forget our manners~" A sudden voice beside me made me jump. I turned in surprise to see my Queen, giving me a playful scolding expression, tapping a wooden spoon against the palm of his hand, leading me to suspect that that was the unknown weapon that had struck me on the back of the hand. It was hard to tell whether or not he was seriously scolding me.

"Shirou...YOU made all of this?!" I could not hide my shock concerning this meal at all. When I took a closer look at my servant's apparel, I noticed he was still wearing the black hakama that he wore last night. The only additions to this outfit were the bandana he wore over his head, no doubt to keep his hair in check, and the disturbingly out-of-place pink apron that he wore over his chest. Either he was not aware of how feminine it was, or he was so certain of his heterosexuality that he felt no shame.

Shirou crossed his arms, smirking. "Hehe~ But of course, master~!" That cheerful sing-song tone was a complete change from the serious and gentlemanly persona he had possessed the previous night. Last night he was suave, calm, and mildly teasing, but now he was so cheerful and ever-so playful. It left me confused. "As...As my previous master's servant, I provided many other _services_ than simply being her Queen."

Ah! So it seems Leviathan-sama didn't choose him as her Queen solely for his power as the White Dragon Emperor! It would make sense to have a servant with such appealing culinary abilities! Of course...I can't help but feel anxious when my Queen refers to his duties towards Leviathan-sama as _'services'_. It leaves me uneasy. Not to mention that look in his eye...longing even...

"But anyway~" Shirou suddenly said, snapping me out of my thoughts. "It would be rude of us to simply begin breakfast without the other members of the household~! What about your parents, Lord and Lady Phenex, or your brother, Riser~?" I stared at him, raising an eyebrow in confusion. Shirou closed his eyes and frowned, possessing an (I will deny it!) almost cute look. "Something wrong?"

I was taken aback by the sudden question. "Y-You're inviting Onii-sama? I thought you hated him?"

Shirou waved off my concern. "Well, it's not like I'm personally inviting him. I'm just not excluding him. As a servant, it is my duty to provide nourishment for my master and those with whom she dines. So I will give nothing less than my absolute best when it comes to the kitchen. Even if someone whom I do not favor were to partake, I would still do nothing less than my best. I won't give up or back down regardless of the situation. That is my pride as a Devil."

Huh?

I stared at him, somewhat stunned by the sudden mature air he gave off.

Then his same goofy smile presented itself. "So, when is everybody coming?"

That was when I got nervous, poking my fingers together. "Well...it's not that the sentiment isn't appreciated... but...You see, Otou-sama, Oka-sama, and Onii-sama are often busy when they aren't sleeping in the mornings. So... The only time we actually eat meals together are mainly during dinner and sometimes lunch if we happen to be dining in the house together at the time."

Shirou blinked. "Wait...you mean they're not coming?"

I looked down. "Well...I don't know. Sometimes Oka-sama calls for us to eat breakfast as a family sometimes, but-"

"Screw that." My Queen interrupted, his expression absolutely blank. "I did not create this banquet for two people." It was then that he pulled a large pot seemingly out of nowhere.

BANG BANG BANG

He started beating his wooden spoon against the bottom of the pot, hitting as hard as he could to make as much noise as possible.

"OOOOIIIIII! BREAKFAST IS READYYYYYY! ALL OF YOU GUYS BETTER GET UP WHILE IT'S STILL HOOOOOOT! COME ON, YOU LAZY BUMS! SOUP'S ON!"

I lunged at him and covered his mouth with my hands, blushing deeply. "Don't be so rude! Everyone is sleeping!"

Then I noticed that Shirou was pouting. Seriously! I could not get a read on this guy! Before he was so calm and mature, but now he was just so...ridiculous!

"But Ravel-samaaaa~, I wanted to do this whole thing where I greeted my master's family~!" Shirou complained. "Isn't it important that I meet all of them~? How am I supposed to build a proper relationship with my new master's family if I do not even meet them~?"

He sounded so ridiculous, but he made such excellent points.

I sighed after a few minutes of thought. "Very well. But at least let me send the household servants to wake everyone in a more polite manner, please?"

That seemed to satisfy my servant, eliciting a smile from him. "That would be most wonderful."

"Give me a few moments."

My servant stood dutifully by the seat I had sat in as I stood, rushing out of the room to contact one of the household maids, informing her of my desire to have everyone awakened for breakfast. When she expressed the thought that Otou-sama and Oka-sama would be dissatisfied about being waken up so early, I expressed the thought that she would be even more dissatisfied if she lost her job as a result of ignoring my order. She quickened her pace immediately after that.

I returned to my Queen's side, taking my seat once again. Then we waited...And we waited...And we waited.

I kicked my feet back and forth under the table, feeling awkward in this lonely silence with my servant who continued staring and smiling.

Geez! Stop making this so awkward with that pleasant smile, will ya?!

I felt myself blush deeply further.

OK, what was that thing Onii-sama told me that boys and girls do when they're alone together?

_"Ravel, if you ever find yourself in a room alone with a boy...Then he's too close! If he touches you, he dies!"_

I sweatdrop, hanging my head. Yeah, that seems like something that pervert would say. He technically refers to me as a member of his "harem", but we're still brother and sister. I'm more of a decoration and a harem girl in name only. He's still my Onii-sama who is just like any other. He just uses my "little sister" status to make himself feel as though he has the perfect harem. Besides, if he actually tried anything with me, he KNOWS I would burn his "male pride" off several times over.

But really though! That guy has no idea on how to interact with others! I can't believe I even thought about looking to him for advice!

I tapped my hands awkwardly on the table, trying to avoid my servant's gaze. Seriously! It was embarrassing! But... in a way, I feel a little happy that he won't look at anything but me...GAH! What am I saying!? Why am I saying weird stuff like that!? He's just my servant! Nothing more! Nothing less! I manage to weasel the details out of the Sitri heiress concerning Shirou's heroic fight with the Fallen Angels and thought he would be an amazing servant to have, possessing such heroic characteristic. But he doesn't seem anything like how Sitri portrayed him as! He kind of did last night, but now he's so weird! This guy took on three Fallen Angels on his own despite KNOWING he would never be able to defeat all three on his own! Is this truly that same person?!

"Is something troubling you, master?" I turned and noticed that Shirou's expression had become one of worry. "You were wearing such a strange expression on your face. Have I displeased you?"

"E-Eh?!" I quickly shook my head. "N-No! Nothing like that! It's more like-"

[FOOOOOOOOOD! FOOD FOOD FOOOOOOD!]

Two childish voices cried out in joy, bursting in through the doors of the dining hall dressed in ill-fitting white shirts and incredibly small shorts. They were laughing and cheering as they ran towards the table.

"If you don't hurry, Imma eat all of the food before you, Ile~!" One of the loli twins teased.

"Auuuu! No fair! You cheated to get here first!"

"Hehe~! Prove it~!"

They were jumping about and cheerful until they reached the table and saw Shirou. Then they paused, their expressions becoming cold and hostile.

"What's that creep doing here!?" Ile asked.

"Is he here to steal our food?" Nel...It's hard to tell how in sync you are with your sister's thoughts.

"NO, DUMMY!" Ile shouted before turning and glaring at Shirou once again. "This guy is here to stir up trouble! Even if he IS Ravel's servant, why else would he have Ravel call us here!?"

"What?! Why would he do such a thing?!"

Ile pointed at Shirou, glaring at him. "Just like that loser pervert friend of yours, you're going down! That jackass beat us with a cheap trick, but we're not smallfry! In a battle of strength, that loser would never have won over us!"

"Hey-!" I was about to shout out and scold them for disrespecting my servant when I felt a sudden pressure behind me. It was a heavy, almost suffocating feeling...That was why I turned around, shocked to see the sudden dark expression on my servant's face! He looked really mad!

He moved faster than I could even blink.

"Iyaaa!"

"Ow ow ow! Lemme go!"

"Now now, you two. That's no way to talk to the person who spent several hours to cook a banquet for you and your comrades." Shirou suddenly appeared by the two Pawns of Onii-sama, grabbing them by their ears and giving a good yank as punishment. "I've accepted for a long time now that Issei is a pervert and I cannot blame your dislike for him, but I will not have you acting out behavior unsuited for a breakfast-filled environment. You're free to share your discontent with me, but not until after breakfast."

I sweatdropped again. THAT'S why you're mad?

"Alright! Alright!"

"Just stop it before you rip our ears off!"

The two sisters were released from Shirou's grasp, the two rubbing their pained ears. They glared at Shirou who regained his previous smile.

"Alright then~! You two best behave until everyone else arrives~!"

[Whatever!]

Those two brats so rudely ignored my Queen's words!

"How dare you disrespect my Queen like that!" I shouted at them. "You two brats should know your places! I-!" I felt a calm hand placed on my shoulder. I looked in surprise to see Shirou smiling calmly.

"You mustn't be too harsh with them, master~! They ARE still children~" Then he turned and smiled at the children. "I know you two are hungry, but we really must wait for the other members of the household."

The two loli twins pouted.

"What?!"

"No way!"

[We're hungry now!]

They both complained in unison. Onii-sama spoiled these two too much. They didn't know the meaning of patience. I had thought that my servant would feel insulted as well, but instead he smiled, kneeling down so he was on face-level with the other two twins.

"I know, but you must do better than this." Shirou said calmly. "You like your 'big sisters' who also serve Riser, right? You care about them being around you?"

"Yeah."

"Uh huh."

They both nodded.

"Well, then, you have to be patient so they can see what good girls you are, OK?" Shirou said, but the two twins had uncertain looks. "Look, just wait for them and the others. Then you two can eat until you puke if that's what you want~ Hell, I might even join you~ That sound fun~?"

Yuck. What a gross way to put that...

"Really!?"

"If we get to eat that much, then we can definitely wait a few minutes!"

"Yeah! Everyone will be so surprised how patient and how grown-up we are!"

Shirou let out a small chuckle at the reactions of the girls, seeming satisfied. "That's good. You two are very good, grown-up girls." He then pat them both on the head, an action the two seemed to enjoy more than I thought they would considering their initial reaction to Shirou's presence. When the two girls took their seats, smiling with their hands in their laps as they awaited the others, I realized what just happened!

Shirou...He easily read those two and acted in a way so as to have them cease their rude actions and completely change their opinions of him! It was like he read them like a book and reacted in a fitting way! Apparently he has even MORE than just his power and his cooking skills! He's a skilled politician too! He knows exactly how to handle people!...

It was that thought that sent a chill down my spine. I compared his behavior now and his behavior last night.

He knew exactly how to suit my needs and acted properly as a servant last night, obeying every order. Now he was a pleasant home-maker in the morning, cooking breakfast and exuding a cheerful, welcoming atmosphere. Was last night a facade to make me lower my guard? Or is this current Shirou a facade? Or were they both just complete fakes? The possible answers to these questions made me feel so uncertain and uneasy...

"Master, you're making a weird face again~!"

"Yeah! Ravel-sama is looking really weird!"

"Is it your time of the month or something?!"

I felt the urge to slap Ile, Nel, or whichever one of the two said that last one.

"Please refrain from speaking to my master so rudely." Shirou scolded one of the girls. "I admit that my situation is not ideal, but Ravel-sama is someone I respect, so please speak politely to her in my presence."

[Yes, sir...]

They spoke so dejectedly that it was almost sad.

I really could not figure this guy out!...Is he...?

That was when I caught it.

Shirou turned away at the last second, but I caught it. His expression had been in its rawest state.

His expression had been one of sadness and worry. Worry for me, and sadness for a different reason...as if remembering something painful.

But it was all quickly hidden away under that same smile from before. So quick that I could have easily missed it if not for pure chance.

"Alright...Alright...We're here, now what's the rush...?"

"...Man..I just wanted to sleep for five more minutes..."

"Don't act so lazy, Siris. After our loss do those Gremory servants, I couldn't sleep a wink due to shame."

"At least you guys weren't stripped by a freaky pervert and then blown up by lightning!"

"There there, Mira-neesan. It'll be alright."

Xuelan, Siris, Bürent, Mira, Ni, Li, all of Onii-sama's servants gradually came into the dining room, having dressed in at least mildly presentable clothes over their pajamas and various other sleepwear. They looked like they had literally been dragged out of bed. The only ones I noticed were missing were Aella (no surprise. She rarely ever got involved in activities that involved Onii-sama's Peerage as a whole. She was probably sleeping somewhere or waiting for an opportunity to peep at someone) and Isabela. Of course there was Yubelluna and Onii-sama, but they're either off making preparations for the wedding between Onii-sama and Rias or..._other things_. Since he WAS my brother, it grossed me out thinking of him doing _things_ with women.

Mihae yet out a yawn as she approached in her rather conservative pajamas, rubbing her eyes.

"Not to be rude, Ravel-sama...but why did you wake us up so early...?" She sounded like she was trying hard not to complain, but her exhaustion was making it difficult. "...Riser-sama doesn't need us until later..."

To be honest, they all looked very tired and I DID feel bad. But Shirou was NOT going to let the "chef pride" thing go.

"H-Hey! What is THAT guy doing here?!"

Oh boy. Here we go again.

The atmosphere suddenly became serious again as everyone began noticing Shirou's presence.

"Hey! Ravel! What is this guy doing here?!"

"Yeah! He was on the same side as the pervert, that Hyoudou person, who beat up Isabela-neesan!"

"What the Hell is THAT GUY doing here?!"

"That guy shouldn't be here!"

"Hold on!" Shirou suddenly interrupted, raising a hand. "Why do you all keep referring to me as 'that guy'?! I have a name you know!"

"Well..."

"...Er...So it's..."

Then came the awkward whistling.

Shirou just stared blankly. "You...You all don't even know my name." Judging from the look on his face, Shirou's pride as a man had been badly wounded. "You don't know my freaking name!"

"Don't insult us!" Marion shouted.

"As if we would forget the name of an insect like you! Even if it's you, you dared to insult our master!" Mira agreed.

"Then what is it?"

[...what?]

Shirou was staring at them, his arms crossed. "That's right. What is my name? I insulted your master and sided with Rias in the Rating Game...so what's my name?"

"...erm...Well..."

"T-That's easy! W-We know your name..."

"...it's...I..."

Xuelan was the one who made the final guess. "...is it...Ted?"

If I had any less self-control, I would have burst into laughter at the humorous expression Shirou made, his jaw having dropped all the way to the ground, his wounded pride having been crushed and reduced to even smaller pieces.

"...You...You all never bothered learning my name..." Shirou said again. "...You...You remember the perverted dumbass who used a stupid spell to strip you girls naked...but you don't even bother remembering my name!? I was the servant of Serafall-freaking-Leviathan! That...Waaaaah!"

GLOMP

"E-Eeeeh?!"

"Ravel-sama, they're all being mean to meeeee!" Shirou had lunged at me, crying as he wrapped me up in a hug and nuzzling his face against my breasts.

So many emotions welled up inside of me in response to this...but I only acted on one:

"GET THE HELL OFFA ME!" I smashed my fist against the side of Shirou's face sending him flying into the wall. "Y-You pervert!" My face was steaming red.

"Grrr! I don't care what he's called! He's an enemy of the Phenex, so that means I'll cut him to pieces!" Siris declared, pulling her sword out of thin air. "Prepare to die!"

Then I realized my mistake. I had attacked Shirou, but that was only out of instinct in response to my ever-growing embarrassment. Siris thought Shirou was still an enemy and was planning to kill him!

"Siris, wait!"

"With this, I'll avenge my loss to that perverted friend of yours!" Shirou was still on the ground when Siris swung her heavy sword down on him.

"No! STOP IT!"

CHINK! SNAP!

"Now now. No playing with toys at breakfast." Shirou scolded. "It's rude and, not to mention, somebody could get hurt~"

We all stared in shock at what had just occurred. Siris...she had just been about to kill Shirou...there was no way her blade could have missed.

Yet there Shirou was, standing behind Siris...

Holding the upper half of her blade.

Siris just stared at the hilt and lower half of her broken blade. Shirou...Shirou broke her sword in half. It all happened so fast, that I had only barely been able to keep up with my eyes. Shirou had utilized his speed as a Queen...I had only seen Aella and Siris amongst other Knights move that fast, but he left Siris in his dust.

"I will warn you. Rias, Issei, and the others weren't the only ones who got some training in the previous eleven days." Shirou said calmly. "And, in terms of strength, I already surpassed Issei. With my Queen piece enhancements, none of you here stand a chance against me. You might be able to take me on with all of you here, but I wouldn't recommend trying it." He was smiling...but he radiated such a cold, dark presence that left NO room for negotiation. "So let's all have a pleasant breakfast together, mmkay~? I doubt my new master, Ravel-sama, would appreciate it if we started a fight here~"

Their eyes went wide.

"E-Eh!? R-Really?!"

"He's Ravel-sama's servant!?"

"I-I didn't know that!"

"When did that happen!?"

Shirou stared blankly. "Did ANY of you pay the slightest bit of attention to the confrontation with Riser prior to the Rating Game!?"

"Ooh! Ooh!"

"We did, Shirou-niichan!"

"Yeah! We're big girls, so we already remember the bet with Ravel!"

Ile and Nel were jumping up and down, behaving like children trying to get attention...which they were.

The others shuffled uncomfortably.

"Well..."

"I mean it's just..."

"That's not to say..."

Shirou blinked. "I feel that somebody should look into your short attention-spans." Then he shrugged. "Oh well. We are only awaiting a few more arrivals, so breakfast should start soon. Unless you feel like stirring up more trouble, please take a seat."

Clearly humiliated by the boy who scolded them all like children, Onii-sama's servants silently took their seats, embarrassed by how outclassed they were compared to MY amazing Queen.

"Well, it certainly is amusing to see how my daughter's new servant is keeping you all in line, but I cannot help but wonder if this is breakfast or some sort of pajama party."

"O-Oka-sama!"

My Oka-sama, the Lady Phenex, walked so casually into the room, a calm and pleasant smile on her face.

"'Oka-sama'?" Shirou repeated. He then walked over to Oka-sama and knelt before her, gently grasping her hand. "Then you must be the lovely Lady Phenex. It is good to see where Ravel-sama inherited her incredible beauty from." He then placed a gentle kiss on Oka-sama's hand.

"H-Hey! D-Don't flirt with Oka-sama like that, y-you pervert!" I couldn't keep the stutter out of my voice. H-How could I!? Th-That idiot went an called me incredibly beautiful! T-That pervert!

In response, Oka-sama only laughed pleasantly.

"Judging from your charming nature, you must be the Fujimura Shirou-san that Ravel had just been DYING to have as her servant." Oka-sama placed a hand on the side of her face, smiling. "Ever since she met you, Ravel could not stop talking about the prince-like Fujimura Shirou." Shirou stood, keeping his head bowed respectfully.

"Oka-samaaaa!" I was blushing again.

"It is truly a pleasure to meet you." She then took note of the banquet at the table. "I see the servants went all-out with breakfast this morning."

"Erm..." Shirou raised his hand to talk.

"My new amazing Queen was the one who cooked this meal." I proclaimed proudly.

"Is that so?" Oka-sama asked with a teasing smile, seeming even more amused. "Then I suppose he will make you an excellent prince charming husband like you always seemed to be fantasizing about~"

"OKA-SAMAAAAA!" I cried. I mean LITERALLY cried! I was trying to remain respectful an calm, but Oka-sama was embarrassing me in front of my new servant!

"Well, I'm not looking to marry at the moment," Shirou said, taking Oka-sama's words seriously, "but if I were to marry someone, I would prefer it be a marvelous woman like either my previous or current master."

"D-Dummy!" I slapped him out of embarrassment. "W-Why would I wanna marry someone like you?!"

"Eh?! Ravel-sama slapped Fujimura-kun..."

"But she's smiling?"

"Ah! So is this what would be considered Ravel-sama's "tsundere" side?"

"Makes sense."

SHUT UP!

"Hm?" Shirou paused, frowning as he noticed something. He seemed to point at everyone, taking up some sort of mental count. "Waaaaait a second. We're missing about...five people. Four if you don't count Lord Phenex."

Oka-sama sighed, still trying to maintain a smile. "I regretfully inform you that my husband will not be here this morning. He is off with Riser and Riser's Queen, planning the wedding between Riser and Rias-san."

"We're still down two people...Erm...Isabela-san and Aella-san if my memory serves me right." Shirou was right on the money.

Siris sighed, brushing her hair out of her face. "Aella is out for the count after I caught her hiding under my bed, trying to snap photos of what's under my skirt...that damned pervert." The sad part is, Aella isn't deterred by physical punishment. Due to her playing on both sides of the fence, nobody is safe from her perversion.

"Oh come oooooon, Siris!" Speaking of the Devil and she will come. "You're just too harsh!" Aella came in with a large bump on her head, wearing the most indecent outfit of all of us, nothing but a black bra smaller than what she wears in battle and black panties that look like they're one or two sizes too small for her.

"Oi! Put some damn clothes on!" Xuelan screeched, her face turning bright red. "That's so indecent, you damn pervert!"

Aella stared at Xuelan. "You DO realize that, as members of Riser's Peerage, we have no sense of decency left considering the outfits we wear. This is LITERALLY all that Shuriya wears in battle except she has a bigger bra to cover her large tits!"

...The worst part was, the pervert was right. Considering the outfits Onii-sama has them wear in battle, Aella being practically naked was nothing.

"Shut up!"

Then a thought occurred to me. "Hey...where IS Isabela?" Otou-sama, Onii-sama, and Yubelluna had excuses, but Isabela was not accounted for.

"I think I saw her outside...training, I think." Marion offered.

"Yes!" Shirou said, fist-pumping. "That means only one person left!" He placed his hands on his hips, looking at all of us. "Well...I guess you guys can go ahead and get started while I-" They all didn't wait for him to finish. Apparently they found the meal more appetizing than they first let on. Even Oka-sama was already at the table, preparing to eat. "...As I was saying, I'll go fetch Isabela-san so she can join us."

And he started walking away to go find Isabela.

"Wrong way." Marion pointed out. "Other direction."

Shirou spun on his heels and started walking in the opposite direction.

"I knew that."

I just stared at him as his back became turned to me.

His personality continued to change for what I assumed to be his own amusement, but I was able to make out the truest parts of who the one known as Shirou Fujimura was. I was able to figure out his basest personality.

He was a kind and considerate person, if not a little teasing. He seemed like he was hiding some of his feelings, but he was a truly good person who could not hold a grudge towards others (excluding perhaps Onii-sama). He was passionate about everything he does and dislikes others spitting on his passions. He was also a person who did not like to leave others out. That was probably why he didn't want any member of the household to be left out.

My Queen...Even if I felt like he was manipulative to a certain degree...I knew he was a good person. I could only hope that he would truly show himself as the hero-like figure I always adored in those old stories...To have a servant like that...It would be great...To have such a husband...Even if his charming personality was a lie...Since the day we met, I swore I would make him mine...

I was still very much in love with Shirou Fujimura.

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

Shirou.

Just walk right up to her, say hello, and invite her to breakfast. That's all you had to do...

"So you thought you could get the drop on me, huh?! Well, I'm far wiser than I was when I fought Hyoudou Issei-kun, so I won't fall for such a cheap tactic!"

And that's how I ended up flat on the ground, a merciless foot stomped on my throat, slowly pushing down and choking me.

"Shhhlckrosshhh!" I tried saying something, but due to the fact that Isabela was crushing my throat, all that came out was a throaty gargle. I clawed at her leg, but short of actually hurting her, I had no way out of this. I could easily flip her off of me, but I felt that smashing her into the dirty was a piss-poor way to kick off our new relationship as comrades. To be honest...her trying to crush my throat didn't hurt as bad as I thought it did. I may have over-exaggerated it.

"You are the lowest of the lowest scum!" Isabela proclaimed...I'd probably be taking her more seriously if she WASN'T dressed in nothing but denim shorts and a white tank top. "Your friend, Issei Hyoudou, may have been a pervert and he MAY have stripped me with magic, but he was a great fighter! You insult his name and all those who call themselves fighters!"

"Hhhhhhrrrrrk!" I groaned again.

"Any last words?!"

"SSHHHHHYYUUUUU! RRRKKKFST! IWND TER INVT SHYUUUUA RRRRKKKFEST!" That was all I could get out due to the fact my airway was being crushed.

"Wait! I see the issue here." Isabela noticed. "Hold on a sec." Then she pulled her foot away, raising her fists to fight again.

I sat up, clutching my aching throat and gasping for air. "First off: WHAT THE HELL!? Second: I just wanted to invite you to come eat breakfast with the rest of us, ya friggin psycho!"

Isabela winked...or blinked...I dunno. I assume she blinked even though I can't see the right side of her face for confirmation.

"Oh...what?"

I sighed. "You don't remember the bet either, do you?"

"Oh." Isabela said. "You mean the bet between Leviathan-sama and Ravel-sama?"

"NO! The bet between-!" Then I paused, realizing what she just said. "Oh. I mean yes. You're the first person to remember that."

"I'll be honest. I had thought that a joke." The mask-wearing woman admitted. "Although, perhaps I should've expected differently considering all of the questions Ravel had been asking me concerning men and how to fully capture their attention."

"Yeah, Ravel-sama sure is something."

Then there was a bit of an awkward pause that Isabela ended a few seconds in.

"So you're really her servant now?" Isabela asked.

"Yep. Riser won the wager against Serafall, so I'm no longer the Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan. I am now Ravel's servant."

"Oh...well...Sorry for...well, trying to kill you earlier, ya know?" She spoke awkwardly. Couldn't blame her. I mean, really try to picture trying to apologize for trying to choke someone out over a misunderstanding.

"It's no biggie. People have tried to kill me for a lot less." Sad part is that it's true. I got killed by Raynare for LITERALLY nothing. I did NOTHING. "Anyway, like I said, I made breakfast for everyone. Sort-of just a way to greet all of the family and comrades of my master. I admit, it's going to take me a long while to get used to this place, so I might as well try to get along with everyone."

"Hm. You are more mature than most. I would have expected you to be reluctant and vengeful towards all of the house of Phenex for being made to leave your previous master."

And that struck a nerve. I tried to hide the bad taste in my mouth and the sad feeling that began to swallow me. It still showed for a moment, but I got it under control.

"Well...I'll admit I deeply miss Serafall, but Ravel's my master now."

"Which reminds me: What do you think of Ravel?" Now that she wasn't trying to kill me, Isabela was actually a pretty casual person. Far more pleasant than any of Riser's other servants. I sat cross-legged on the ground while Isabela sat against a nearby tree.

I shrugged. "She's okay. I could have ended up with a worse master."

"Isn't that a bit harsh?" Isabela raised an eyebrow. I stared in response.

"What do you mean? I said I could have ended up with a worse master. That's compliment."

"True," She admitted, "but I had hoped you would have a much warmer opinion of her. She certainly has a great care for you. I dare say she even has a crush on you."

"Gee, never noticed." I said, deadpan. "Look. I'm not some cliche, clueless harem protagonist. I actually recognize when a girl has feelings for me. That doesn't necessarily mean I'll return them."

"...Ouch." Isabela winced, as if feeling something painful. "That's harsh, don't you think?"

"I'm not saying I hate Ravel. It's just that I have no real interest in her. I cook her breakfast and I'll be kind with her, but that doesn't mean I'm attached to her at the hip." I defended. I sighed, curling up into a ball and hugging my legs to my chest. "I won't say that being here at the moment is bad, but the only reason I'm going along with this honestly is so I can someday return to the side of my TRUE master and lover, Serafall. Ravel's a cute girl, but I don't care for her THAT much and have no intention of remaining with her."

"...I see."

That was all Isabela said. And that surprised me. I fully expected more in response to what even I considered slightly harsh.

"What? No scolding or telling me I'm a cold person?" It was hard to believe she had NO objection about my words.

Isabela shrugged. "You like your previous master better. I understand." Wow. Didn't expect that response. "I sensed it back when I fought Hyoudou-kun. You amongst the Gremory group have very strong bonds. Even if you are not Rias's servant, you still have the same time of feelings. With bonds like that, it's no wonder I lost. If you desire to return with your master so you can be by Hyoudou-kun as well, then I can't really blame you."

"Oh..."

"Just promise that, should the time come where you are able to return to your master's side, that you'll be gentle with Ravel." Isabela's request came to me as a surprise. "Because, to be honest, she is one of the few people here that I actually like. Her, Lord and Lady Phenex, Mihae, and Riser-sama. I would hate to see Ravel be hurt due to you being careless." Hm. I figured Riser and Ravel, but Mihae? Who would've guessed?

I nodded, understanding her reasoning. "Of course. I would never intentionally harm a woman. Unless of course it's an actual fight or whatever, I would never hurt a woman. It just ain't my style. I would fight to my last breath to defend a woman's honor as well."

"Hm." Isabela chuckled. "You remind me of Hyoudou-kun. Both of you are admirable people."

.

.

.

OK, I think something is up.

"So...you mentioned Issei again." I noted. "I can't help but notice that you've said his name more often than any other all throughout this conversation" In fact, most of the time, she had been comparing someone or something with Ise.

"O-Oh! H-Have I?!" Isabela blushed, causing me to become more suspicious.

"OK, now I KNOW something is up!"

Isabela suddenly seemed flustered. "S-So you said that everyone was gathered for breakfast?! I-I'll go meet with the others now! Bye!"

I watched as Isabela ran off, leaving me alone.

Um...Isabela, I kinda already told you. I'm not an idiot. You all but gave away that you're now crushing on Ise.

Speaking of crushing...

If I had only paid that smallest amount more of attention, I would have noticed that my words did not go unnoticed by another. And my guilt for my words against Ravel would've become so much greater...

* * *

**Later That Day...**

By the time I came back to the Phenex household later that day, I was absolutely exhausted.

Ravel had taken me out that day to get some new clothes "befitting the servant of a Phenex". In my gut, I just knew that the outfits she picked out for me would either be skimpy as hell or have some sort of fetishism in mind when they were designed...I was...kind of right.

They weren't skimpy, but they were kind of fetishistic since they were mainly servant-style uniforms and Ravel insisted I referred to her as "Ojou-sama"...but I couldn't help but feel that something was off about her. She seemed kind of spaced out.

I got along rather well with Ile, Nel, and Isabela. After learning I was now Ravel-sama's servant, Riser's other servants cut me some slack. There were some who became casual, others who came to act with near indifference, and those (Riser's most loyal dogs) who came to simply shoot me the stink eye. I didn't get any more shit and nobody else tried to kill me...So not a bad day, I believe.

After we returned to the Phenex household, I was kind of tired.

Note to self: When a High-Class Devil goes out shopping, bring a giant truck to haul it all.

Seriously! Even with Isabela and I, we ended up carrying so much clothing that they stacked high enough to rival that of mountains!

When I returned to Ravel-sama's room later that evening, I was ready to just ready to drop onto the bed and pass out. I didn't care that I was still wearing a butler's outfit. I was just so tired. Back when I first became a Devil, I was kind of sick of fighting needlessly, but now I think I'd take fighting over shopping any day. Even if I had to take on a monster like Lucifer-sama or Serafall, I think it would still be preferable.

I was about to close my eyes when-

CLICK

"...Shirou..."

I popped one eye open at the sound of Ravel-sama's voice. She had told me she had something to do and to go on ahead, so I was surprised to hear her voice so soon.

"Hm? Ravel-sama...?" I sat up, turning towards the door. "I-EEEEH!?" My face flushed red again. "R-Ravel-sama! W-What are you wearing?!"

"H-Ha...I-I h-heard that this was what women w-wore in the human world!" Ravel-sama was blushing just as deeply as I was, her arms behind her back.

She...She...

She was practically naked! She wore a black, almost see-through lingerie bra and a matching pair of panties!

Now I KNOW she was not wearing that before...Was my first thought.

"W-Well...I..."

"So...would you mind it if I slept in this tonight~?" The way she walked towards the bed...it looked like her footsteps held a hidden meaning. But something felt off.

I turned away, feeling horribly awkward. "Um...I would rather you didn't."

For a moment, I thought I saw Ravel's eye twitch. But then her previous pleasant expression returned, so I may have been mistaken.

"Are you sure~?" Ravel asked again, moving onto the bed on all fours, the valley between her ample bosoms being revealed in a way that was most appealing to a man's eyes. I subconsciously backed away, feeling a further sense of unease. "I hate to see you so uncomfortable. Siris told me that you would feel more _comfortable_ if I wore something like this." Her words were intentional, but she was clearly not comfortable saying them. It sounded almost mechanical, as if she had a different motive.

"Erm...Not really..." This was SERIOUSLY uncomfortable. It was sexy as hell, but also very uncomfortable. If it was Serafall, Ruruko, Tsubasa, Akeno-san, or even Momo, I would hop right in, but...with Ravel, with whom I did not share a single romantic attachment with...it just felt weird. Like I was doing something horribly, horribly wrong.

Now I could literally SEE the irritation on Ravel's face. "Oho, really?" She crawled closer to me, leaning over my legs and pinning them to the bed.

Shit! Retreat is no longer an option!

"R-Ravel...W-What are you doing?" By this point, I could not really stay in denial as to the fact that Ravel was trying to seduce me.

"You're my servant." Ravel-sama stated, her voice resolute and leaving no room for negotiation for her declaration. "As my servant, every part of you belongs to me. Your power, your body, and your heart."

Shit. Shit shit shit. I know where this is going.

I did my best to maintain my wits, but my heart slowly began to become swallowed by uncertainty.

I swallowed. "My power is yours to command, but my body belongs to me alone. My heart also belongs to another. If this is your way of asserting control over me, I will let you know that I have no intention of indulging in your selfish desires." Wow...I'm feeling an odd sense of deja vu.

"Perhaps you don't understand your situation." Ravel said, an air of arrogance replacing her previous kindness. "You're all mine now. You may as well surrender yourself to me now, for I will be the only woman you will be permitted to be with, Shirou. You ensnared me the moment you spoke those sweetened words you spoke when we first met. That is the only reason I allow you and you alone to see this part of me. Someone lowly like you should be beyond happy to even glimpse upon me like this let alone be able to be with me."

"Well I'm not just 'someone'." I stated clearly, not hesitating to show venom in my words. When I first met her, I thought Ravel had been a rather pleasant person who seemed different from other Pure-Bloods...but she had that same sense of self-entitlement and arrogance...It actually pained me to see her true character in this way. I shook my head. "You may be my master, but I have no reason to love you nor will I. My purity belongs to the woman who took it, my beloved Serafall. You may command it, but my heart will never belong to you."

There was a long silence that followed that.

I actually thought that would be the end of it.

Then I felt a heavy blow to my chest, one harder than what I would've expected from Ravel. I was pushed forcefully back onto the bed. I tried to get back up, but I was pushed harder against the bed by the sudden impact of Ravel jumping on my chest. She grabbed me by the collar. For a moment I thought she would hit me again, but then I realized her hands were going lower.

SNAP SNAP SNAP

That was the sounds the buttons on my shirt made as Ravel quickly made short work of them, revealing my bare chest underneath.

And THIS was where I drew the line.

I placed my hands and pushed Ravel upright, glaring at her. "This is where I tell you to piss off! I may be your servant, but I will never consent to this!"

In response to my refusal, Ravel's expression became even darker. "Oh, so I bet the only person you can get hard for is that old master of yours, huh? It'd sure be a shame if she got news that her former servant was declared a Stray Devil."

What?!

"You are nothing more than a toy for me." Ravel clarified. "If I say so much as one word, I could easily have you declared as a Stray and hunted down like a dog. Even if you tried to kill me and run, you would never be welcomed amongst the Devils again."

I bit my lower lip. My heart was telling me to take this bitch out right now!...but my mind reminded me what my goal was. I could never return to Serafall's side if I were declared as a Stray and/or killed. No matter what...I had to return to her side.

After a few moments, I relented I released Ravel and laid back down on the bed. "I'm yours to do with as you please. Use me however you want, master."

Ravel didn't smile. She continued unbuttoning my shirt and I felt my heart stop in terror every time she touched me. I braced myself for the inevitable as I felt one hand trace down my chest and touched my leg.

"...Serafall..." I squeaked out, my heart breaking at this unwelcomed touch. I felt...so unclean...Someone other than the woman I love was going to have me...I...I was going to be raped.

Even thinking that horrifying truth was enough to terrify me...

I didn't want to show weakness. I wanted to show Ravel nothing. I wanted to show nothingness to the arrogance of Pure-Bloods...

But I was terrified.

"...Serafall...I'm sorry..." Tears started pouring out of the corners of my eyes. To keep from being killed, I had to endure this...but it wasn't just the thought of what Ravel would do to me that made me sick. It would be how filthy I would be afterwards. How unworthy I would be to even lay eyes on any of the ones I loved. So that's why I cried out her name...the strongest person who I thought would save me...Please...don't let this happen...

I wanted, with every fiber of my being, to cover my chest and hide my shame, but I knew that if I did anything else...I would be killed...

My tears began pouring more profusely.

"...Dammit..."

That...That wasn't me. I didn't say that.

"I can't do it...It's not fair..." I felt teardrops rain down on my face, wetting my cheeks with salty bitterness that did not originate from me. I looked up in confusion to see the tears coming from a surprising source. "...It's not fair..." Ravel still looked angry, but now she also seemed sad. Tears dripped from the sides of her face. "...I'm just as good as her...so why...?" Before she looked like she had been ready to rape me, but now she looked liked she was in desperate need of a hug.

"Eh...?" ...why does it feel like something wrong I did earlier is coming back to bite me on the ass?

Ravel had the collar of my shirt clenched in her trembling hands. "...Why can't you feel the same way about me?!" She screamed at me, causing me to flinch. Tears began pouring from her eyes like waterfalls. "I'm your master now, so why can't you talk to me as affectionately as you always speak of Leviathan-sama!? I'm younger, but I'm still just as good..." Yep...Ravel was definitely looking like she needed a hug.

Yes, I know I'm an idiot considering what she just tried to do to me...but I just can't do nothing when a cute girl is breaking down in tears in front of me.

I sat up and wrapped my arms around Ravel, holding her close as she buried her face into my chest, sobbing loudly.

"You're a big jerk...You say words sweetened with honey to lure me in and then you stab me in the heart..." Ravel sobbed. "So why...why can't I do bad things to you...?"

I gently rubbed the young girl's head, trying to calm her. "Ravel...why would you do something like this?"

Ravel choked on her sobs, trying to form coherent sentences. "B-Because! I-I just felt s-so angry!" She tried to take deep breaths to stop her tears, but the moment she managed to stop her sobs, a fresh torrent of tears burst from her eyes.

Angry?

"I-I heard what you said t-to Isabela!" Ravel cried. Oh shit. "Y-You said you don't c-care about m-me! And that y-you would just l-leave me the moment you could for L-L-Leviathan-sama!"

My heart stopped. Ravel had been eavesdropping? S-She heard everything...

I thought back to everything I had said to Isabela.

_"I won't say that being here at the moment is bad, but the only reason I'm going along with this honestly is so I can someday return to the side of my TRUE master and lover, Serafall. Ravel's a cute girl, but I don't care for her THAT much and have no intention of remaining with her."_

I. Am. An idiot. For more reasons than one.

In the ears of a hopelessly in-love and easily jealous girl...I admit I would want to kick my own ass if I saw it from her point of view.

Even after hearing such words, distorted in her mind by her emotions, Ravel still couldn't bring herself to actually harm me.

Ravel then got off me and curled up into a ball at the edge of her bed, burying her face into her hands and crying.

"I j-just...I've never felt this way before!" She sobbed. "And now you hate me even moooore!"

"No I don't." I sighed out.

"Yes you dooooo!" Ravel argued.

I crawled over to the crying girl and placed a hand on her shoulder. She flinched, but didn't pull away. "NO, I don't." I pulled the girl closer and hugged her against my chest, crying to herself. "I think you're kind of batshit crazy, but everyone is deep down when it comes to the world of the supernatural. I've never hated you, Ravel."

The crying girl's tears began to slowly dry up as she looked up from her hands at me. "B-But the things you said-!"

I sighed once more. "Look, Ravel...I...I never should have said those things the way I said them. I was a little upset and sad." I admitted. "Look...this isn't easy for me. Before I was surrounded by all of my best friends and several girls whom I was in love with, building my own harem. I had my most affectionate master, Serafall. Just to pick up and come to a completely new place and leave all of that behind...It hurts a little, ya know?" I felt my insides tighten, admitting all of my feelings here. "I had to keep the thought of returning home in my mind...Even if it was just a pipe dream, I knew it would get me through the change. I never meant for you to be hurt by my words, Ravel. I would never desire to hurt a cute girl like you in that way."

"..." Ravel just stared, tears in her eyes. She still looked sad and tired, just not quite so angry anymore.

"And it's not that I would never return your feelings," I said, being all about honesty for some reason now, "but we have had no romantic chemistry. The girls I love back home, we've all had some sort of romantic development or deeply care about each other. You and I barely know anything about one another and have only met once before I became your servant, so we CAN'T be together let alone lovers. I'm a pervert, I admit, but I am a pervert of principles."

"I understand..." Ravel choked out, doing her damned well best not to cry again. "I...I should just be happy that you don't hate me. I know you'll never feel the same way..."

"Never said that."

"Huh?" Ravel perked up, staring at me questioningly.

"Like I said, my girls and I have romantic developments, but that didn't mean I loved them immediately." I explained. "Ravel...you're cute. At your core, you're not a bad person. You are an adorable tsundere. If you want us to love each other, then you must give it time. You can't force someone into love. So...if you still want to love an ecchi guy like me...I guess we could have a trial run."

Ravel blinked, her face flushing. "I-I never s-said 'love'! "

Oh~ How cute she is, trying to maintain a shred of dignity despite being almost completely naked~! What a cute tsundere~! Seriously though, it's a little late for denial like that, sweetheart.

I smirked, waving off Ravel's words. "Fine then. I take it back~" I teased.

"No no no! I-!" Ravel blushed deeply, trying to undo my retraction of the offer. She was still blushing deeply. "I-I...I would like to do a trial run for...for being your woman..."

This girl...

She had gone from arrogant to adorable to batshit insane back to arrogant and aaaaall the way back to adorable again.

I hugged her again. "Well then, from this point forward, you, Ravel Phenex, are my Probationary Harem Girl~!" Ravel stared at me, blushing madly. I rubbed the back of my neck. "Yeah...even I admit that that name sucked. I'm not good with coming up with names on the sp-"

Ravel buried her face into my chest, sighing contently. "Even in this situation...I'm oddly happy." I could appreciate that response. What girl wouldn't be mixed at the thought of being in the harem of a guy they liked? "Shirou...can I sleep with you tonight...?"

She sounded so small and adorable that I could not deny her.

"Sure." I answered with a soft smile.

And so we came to a mutual understanding as we laid back down on the bed, the small Phenex girl wrapped up in my arms...

No. Even with what she tried to do...I couldn't hate her. She was never truly malicious in her intent. She was just confused and in pain. She just wanted a way to stop her pain by somehow obtaining what she desired...

"...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..." It came in the softest whispers when I could have sworn Ravel had already gone to sleep.

I held her tightly and gently rubbed her back. "I know, Ravel...I know."

While embracing my new master, I slowly drifted off to sleep while imagining a completely different person within my embrace.

**And, with that, we are done~! Hope y'all enjoyed~!**

**To preemptively answer "WTF" reviews:**

**1) Yes, I know it was kind of dark to have Ravel almost rape Shirou. I do. But I needed something big to wrap up this chapter with. Plus, it's not like anything actually happened. This is NOT a rape fic. I don't do that crazy stuff.**

**2) No, I DON'T think that attempting to take Shirou for herself by force would have been TOO out of character for the original Ravel. Let's not forget that, in the canon, before Issei defeated Riser, Ravel was just like any other High-Class Devil complete with that usual arrogance and sense of self-entitlement that they were born with. It was only because of the influence of others and her own emotions that she became the lovable, busty loli she is as of present-day. In this story, if Shirou had been any less pleasant or kind towards Ravel, she may have gone through with it.**

**3) ...I will admit that this wasn't my ideal choice for how to develop the relationship between Shirou and Ravel, but it wasn't like I had any other big ideas.**

**Also, I just want everyone to read the poll on my profile page. I've been thinking about making a change to Shirou's harem concerning the girls I take from Riser's Peerage.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	15. Life 14: I Won't Give Up!

**And, now that we're finished with the fun from last chapter, it's time to get the show back on the road with more canon plot~!**

**I hope you enjoy the new twists I sent your way~!**

**The moment you've all been waiting for~! The grand finale~!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OCs.**

**Life 14: I Won't Give Up**

I inhaled deeply, taking in the very sensation breathing familiar air in a familiar place.

The Hyoudou household.

My home away from home. My second home if you will. It wasn't in the most ideal circumstances, but I felt so happy at being at this familiar place. Even though it had been only about two days, it felt like I hadn't been here in a million years. Even if it wasn't my real home, I felt so ecstatic at being able to return here.

"C-Come on, Shirou!" My blonde-haired master complained, trying to suppress her blush as she clung affectionately to my side. "I took you here to see your friend like I promised! I-I don't care whether or not you're happy! I-I just want to make sure there's nothing to sidetrack us later on the way to Onii-sama's wedding!" Tsun~der~e~!

After that night we spent together, Ravel had been clinging to my more closely than ever. Even with the prospect of never being my wife, Ravel was satisfied being by my side. Because of our new, close relationship, she allowed me this quick visit back home.

But that brought up the major reason that this situation wasn't ideal...The one major reason this day wasn't as happy as I would have hoped for was because of one unpleasant event...

The wedding between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex.

I would be there in attendance along with my date, Ravel Phenex.

Since that night of passion between us, Ravel has become much more accommodating towards my desires. That was why she allowed me to visit Ise before the wedding. I wanted to check up on him, seeing how he was doing. I had caught glimpses of Akeno-san, Yumi, and Koneko-chan during the planning stages of the wedding, one or all of them usually standing beside an unhappy Rias. I heard Asia was staying back in the human world. But I hadn't gotten a single status update concerning Ise since the Rating Game.

I took a deep breath. "We're going to have to be quiet so we don't wake up Otou-san and Oka-san." Ravel nodded as we made our way into the house using my spare key. It was a little funny how it felt like I was breaking into what was practically my second home, but the good humor was nothing in the face of the severity of the situation.

Walking through the house gave me a large feeling of nostalgia...

I smiled sadly. Even if this would be my last time being here...I would be satisfied.

"Ya know, Ravel, I never actually thought I'd feel like a stranger in this house." I said almost to myself. "Only a few days and everything already seems so different..."

Rias was being forced to marry Riser, I was no longer able to be by Serafall's side, and there was a large amount of sadness in this atmosphere. I made my way up the stairs, followed by Ravel, following the path I used to take whenever I visited this place. My heart became heavier with each step I took. The sting of the Gremory group's defeat felt so much fresher than it did before.

Ravel didn't say a word, and I could have sworn I saw a weird expression on her face.

But all else was forgotten after I heard a click and then a sharp intake of breath.

"Shirou...SHIROU-SAAAAAAAAN!"

I caught only a glimpse of beautiful, golden-blonde hair before a heavy weight slammed against my chest. For a moment, I was too in shock to register the familiar warm arms that wrapped around my torso, followed by an equally warm sensation that spread through my body after I recognized the source of this feeling.

"Asia..." I said it, looking down at that adorable nun's face before smiling. "Aha! Asia!" In my joy, I wrapped my self-proclaimed wife in my arms and lifted her up from the ground, giving her an extra long hug. In a way, I felt relieved. I never heard the announcement that she had been retired from the Rating Game, so I had no idea what happened to her. "I really missed you, Asia! It's such a relief to be able to see you again!"

"Kya!" Asia let out a surprised gasp. I set her down and noticed her face was bright red and she looked so embarrassed. "I-I missed Shirou-san very much as well!" We held each other for a long time, enjoying the presence of the other when-

COUGH COUGH

I looked over my shoulder to see Ravel coughing-Not very subtle-into her fist, glaring daggers at Asia while blushing deeply.

I grinned, rubbing the back of my neck. I couldn't help it. It just felt good to be able to hug one of my friends again without it being awkward in a large room with people planning for an arranged marriage that we failed to stop.

"Shirou, I believe you came her for a reason other than to flirt with one of your former comrades." Ravel said, feeling miffed at how familiarly I was acting with Asia.

I coughed once and Asia blushed even more deeply, burying her face in her hands.

"I'm sorry, Shirou-san..." I turned to see Asia gaining a remorseful look. "We lost...I wasn't strong, so Ise-san and Buchou-san had to do all of the fighting...And because of that, you-"

I tapped a fist on her forehead, sighing at the bout of self-blaming Asia was about to get into.

"Asia...Please. Don't go on blaming yourself. If things don't work out, then Rias and the others will need you more than ever. You're the peacemaker, the sticky glue that'll keep us from falling apart." I patted the top of her head. "What's in the past is done and there's no changing it. Thinking about "What if's" and "I should have's" will only cause yourself unneeded pain." I shoved my hands into my pockets. "Besides...The outcome was, in hindsight, rather predictable. You guys didn't have what you needed to beat someone like Riser. With the Phenex's, there are only a few ways to beat them. If it were any other person, you guys would have won for sure, so don't be so hard on yourself, Asia."

Asia seemed uncertain, but nodded. Then she started looking sad again. "Shirou-san...you came here to see Ise-san, didn't you?"

All good cheer vanished from my face, being replaced by a look of sad solemnity. Unable to say a single word, I nodded. Asia understood that I wanted to say nothing else about it. I wanted to see Ise for myself. I didn't want to hear "He was doing so-and-so." or "He's been so-and-so.". Whatever his condition was, I wanted to see it with my own two eyes. Asia stood aside and let me walk to Ise's door.

Ravel gripped my hand, staring at me sadly. I gave a soft smile and gave her hand a soft, reassuring squeeze.

"It's fine. Please...just wait out here with Asia."

Ravel frowned, but nodded in response to my request.

With my legs feeling like lead, I walked all the way to Ise's door. Instinctively, I wanted to knock or bust it down, but I knew there would be no point. I gripped the doorknob tightly, trying to calm my trembling hand. Hundreds of worst-case scenarios flashed through my mind. I bit my lower lip, trying to push them out of my mind as I turned the doorknob and pushed forward, entering the room.

It was so quiet. Not even the sound of snores broke this almost depressing silence.

I took a few deep breaths, the sound of my footsteps being the only noise heard in the room.

With great care, I approached the bed and stared down at the figure who laid in it.

I almost broke down again.

There was Ise, out cold. He looked worse than he probably was. His body was wrapped in bandages, as if he had gotten off on the bad end of a horrific accident. It looked like someone had stomped on him several times, ran him over with a steam roller, and then re-inflated him like a cartoon character back to his normal shape. He...He looked so peaceful. One would never have guessed, judging from his expression, that he had only recently been putting everything he had forth in order to save his master whose future was on the line.

My bro had been fighting with everything he had...As usual...I was just so useless.

I patted Ise on the arm, looking away as I fought the urge to cry again. "Ise...you've always been so much stronger than me...No matter how much I train, you'll always be stronger than me. If not in strength, then in willpower. You've always been the person I've admired most, Ise. Just like when we were kids, I acted big and tough, but I was always protected by you. You were always the self-proclaimed protector of your friends." I grasped Ise's hand, pulling up a chair by his bedside. "And, whenever you lost, you always beat yourself up and vowed to get stronger. Whatever physical pain you must be in, your mental suffering must be ten times worse." I gave Ise's hand a quick squeeze, pausing when I felt something odd.

I released Ise's hand, staring at the object clenched tightly within. My eyes widened as I slowly forced Ise's hand open. I let out a sharp gasp as an icy feeling filled my chest. As if acting on reflex, Ise's hand clenched closed once more, acting to protect the object in his hand as if by some unknown instinct. But I had already seen it...

It was Devi-kun.

The fabric of his little red body was torn at certain parts, a button eye was missing, and some parts were singed, but it was, without a doubt, Devi-kun. Ise...he had been holding Devi-kun when he was defeated. He fought Riser...He didn't forget about me. Even though he was fighting for Rias, he...he didn't forget about me. He kept me in his thoughts. A part of me felt amused at the thought that Ise punched Riser in the face with Devi-kun clenched tightly in his fists.

But then I did something else.

I cried.

I tightly held Ise's hand which held Devi-kun.

Teardrops poured down the sides of my face as I held the hand of my best friend...My brother. The person I've known longer than anybody else.

I'm...I'm sorry, Ise. I should've been there. I should be fighting by your side, but...but ever since we became Devils, it's been the same as it always was. You're looking out for everyone else and I can't do anything. I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...

"He was holding it, you know..." I jumped, turning back towards the open door to see Asia, her hands clasped in front of her with a worried look on her face. "Near the end of the Rating Game, Ise-san pulled out Devi-kun and said that you were fighting right next to him. Ise-san would have lost much sooner, but..." Asia hesitated, perhaps wondering if her words would make everything better or worse. "...but he kept saying "Shirou would never give up this easily! I'll keep fighting even if my whole body breaks!". He kept getting back up with Devi-kun in his hand. When Ise-san finally fell down, Riser took Devi-kun and tried to burn it...Ise-san managed to get Devi-kun back, but...the fight was already decided. Even when he could barely stand, Ise-san was focused on trying to protect both you and Buchou-san."

"Asia..." Even though it confirmed my fears...it also alleviated them in some way. Knowing that Ise also fought for me as well...it made me feel happy. I tried wiping my tears, realizing what Ise would think of me if he saw me like this. Just like I would do for him, Ise would smack me upside the face until I came back to my senses. I stood up from my seat before turning to my blonde friend. "Thank you for letting me be alone for a moment. You too, Ravel."

I looked to the door to see Ravel peeking uncertainly from behind the corner. She nodded, but I couldn't get a good look at her expression.

I sighed. "I suppose I should get going soon." I walked past Asia to return to Ravel's side before I pause, another thought coming to mind. "Asia...I don't know when we'll meet again, but until we do, I want you to keep an eye on Ise for me. Make sure he doesn't do something stupid..." Then I realized that that thought in itself was stupid. "Alright. If he does do something stupid, please be sure to heal him up afterwards." I turned to leave again when I was hugged from behind. I barely turned my head, my eyes widening in surprise when I saw Asia desperately clinging to me.

Tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. "P-Please don't leave...Shirou-san, I don't want you to leave...C-Can I not...go with you? Please?" If I focused hard enough, I could feel Asia's heart pounding in her chest against my back. The pain I was putting this girl through only intensified my own pain. I placed a gentle hand on Asia's arm which was wrapped around my torso.

"No. You can't, Asia." I said bluntly. "You owe it to Rias-senpai to remain here and wait for her." Asia looked like she was about to object. "I know how it feels...To be able to do nothing but watch and be protected by the people you love. But acting recklessly now won't change anything. All we can do is keep each others' feelings in our hearts and hope for the day when we are reunited. No matter how long it takes, I will keep dreaming of that day, Asia. I don't know when it will be, but someday we'll all be together again and laugh like we always used to." I turned to face her and raised a pinky into the air. "It's a pinky promise."

Asia looked close to crying again, but nodded as she hooked her pinky around mine.

In spite of the situation, we both exchanged a small smile with one another. I had never noticed it before, but Asia's eyes were especially beautiful tonight...

"S-Shirou..." We were snapped out of our own personal world by the sound of Ravel's voice. It wasn't as confident as it had been before. Ravel looked outright awkward, shuffling her feet about nervously with her hands behind her back. "We...We have to get going. We can't be late for Onii-sama's wedding." Considering the source of mine and Asia's sadness, Ravel clearly felt awkward about bringing it up. "We...We're family of Onii-sama, so we have to be there ahead of everyone else."

I did my best to regain a straight face, nodding at Ravel. Slowly and reluctantly, I slid out of Asia's grasp and followed after Ravel who led me forward.

Behind my back, I stuck up my pinky. I was serious about my promise.

Someday, Asia, we would all be together again.

Ravel and I returned to the area where we first utilized the magic circle to come here, using it to teleport once more.

We vanished in a large flash of light.

* * *

When the light finally faded and I could see again, I was in a familiar place, the place I had visited three times in the past two days when Ravel wanted to observe the preparations. I looked around where Ravel and I were transported. It was a very spacious corridor. On the wall there were rows of candles that continued to the end. There was a huge portrait of a man with crimson hair.

"The Maou Sirzechs Lucifer-sama." Ravel said, perhaps thinking I did not know. I don't think she realized that I had been in the same room with the guy during the Rating Game where me and Grayfia-sama were doing the announcements for the game. I'll admit, I wasn't as confident as I would have preferred. He had an elegant and powerful presence and I was too nervous to try striking up a conversation. He was a proper and noble Devil unlike my casual and adorable Serafall-sama and I just...Just could not get comfortable.

That was when something occurred to me. "Hey, Ravel."

Ravel looked at me, holding my hand tightly. "Yes?"

"Crazy thought: How come Rias didn't just convince her Onii-sama to call off the wedding? He's one of the four leaders of the Devils, a Maou-sama. Wouldn't something like that have been easy to have done away with?" He's a FREAKING MAOU for Maou's sake! And he clearly cares for his sister. So it just confused me by that point that he couldn't just cancel the wedding. "Aren't Devils creatures of greed and pride,? No offense. I mean, by nature, aren't we supposed to be greedy and prideful beings?"

Ravel stared at me like I was crazy. When she saw that I was confused, she shook her head.

"It doesn't work like that. The Maou-samas do indeed have a lot of power, but it's a matter of politics, not power." Ravel explained. "The Maous can negotiate on our race's behalf with others and can fight in our defense, but they are not allowed to interfere when it comes to matters between other Devil clans. True, Lucifer-sama could use his immense power to forcibly put an end to the wedding, but that would be an abuse of power. If everyone thought that the Maou-samas would interfere in personal matters of other households, they would begins losing their trust in the government and a schism would erupt just like before." A part of me wanted to question what Ravel meant by "just like before", but I preferred to keep the conversation directed in one direction. "Not to mention the Gremory clan would draw the ire of the Phenex clan and their allies, believing that the Maou was showing them favoritism due to their blood ties."

I rubbed the back of my neck, thinking over Ravel's words. "I suppose you have a point. If this were Japan and the government interfered with everybody's lives, nobody would be at ease again since they would always be looking over their shoulders to see if "Big Brother" is watching."

Ravel raised an eyebrow. "'Big Brother'?"

"It's just a phrase from the human world. It's essentially just a group or organization exercising control over everybody." I explained. I sighed. "Geez. Politics sure is complicated. To be honest, I think I'm glad I'm a servant rather than a High-Class Devil who has to get involved with this stuff. So the Maous really can't do anything about that kind of stuff, huh?"

Ravel shook her head. "The Maou-samas have it even harder since they're held at a higher standard than most Ultimate-Class Devils. They have to obey the will of the Devils. They may have many privileges, but they must honor all commitments. Just like how..." She trailed off.

_"Just like how Leviathan-sama had to honor her agreement and give you to me as my servant.__" _was no doubt what Ravel had been intending to say before she cut herself off.

She had an expression like she was having an "open mouth, insert foot" moment. She didn't mean anything bad, but it didn't stop the sharp pain in my heart. Ravel opened her mouth to apologize, but I placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking my head.

"It's fine...let's just go." Ravel seemed to just go with it. Clearly further discussing the subject would only lead to further unpleasantness that neither of us had to nor wanted to go through.

So we just walked together as if we were a couple and made our way to the giant door at the end of the hallway where we waited fora moment. Then the gigantic door opened. There were huge engravings on the door. Is it a model of some mystical beast…? Well who cares. When I looked inside the door, there were a few Devils who were dressed up and having a good time. People just started arriving, so it was only natural, but I was surprised by how the atmosphere was so pleasant already. Considering these were the arrogant Pure-Blood types, I had fully expected a stuffy and almost suffocating atmosphere.

These kinds of things are similar to the social parties of humans from rich backgrounds, different only due to the reason I described before. Well, I had never been in one though. I thought it was as such by my imagination. I looked at the Devils and tried to find familiar faces, but I couldn't find Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, or Yumi anywhere. They were probably with Rias. I looked around further to try seeing if anybody I knew from school was there. It would be nice if Sitri-senpai was here. Ruruko too. Anybody really. Just a touch of normality would be nice.

But no. I had resolved myself long ago, knowing full well I shouldn't expect to have such wondrous reunions again.

"Announcing the arrival of Ravel Phenex-sama and her Queen, Fujimura Shirou-sama!" A man standing by the door announced our arrivals, doing another thing I expected of parties involving nobility. I could feel many eyes glance towards us, sending an unpleasant chill down my spine. I took a breath and straightened my posture. Ravel and I had spent hours planning our entrance to the wedding. At events such as this, we had to look nothing less than our best. I would be a representative of a high-ranking clan, so I would have to be careful how I looked.

That was the major reason I agreed to wear this incredibly insufferable suit. Ravel had demanded that I looked the part of one trained in formalities, but I managed to negotiate. I was allowed to wear my blazer open and got to do away with the tie, but I had to gel back my hair so I had more of a charming bishounen vibe than I had before. Dunno what that meant, but I still looked pretty damned good.

A few minutes after Ravel and I entered, the eyes placed on us gradually wandered to other objects or people that gained their attention.

I let out a sigh. "How tense."

"You did very well, Shirou." Ravel complimented me with a smile. "No one would have guessed that only a few hours ago, I had to have Isabela, Ni, Li, and Xuelan wrestle you to the ground to get you into a proper suit."

"Hey, I-!" Then I processed the way she had spoken as we entered the hall. "Was...Was that a tease? Did you just tease me?" Ravel just kept smiling. "Well-played." I honestly didn't think that Ravel had a teasing side. That was kind of cute.

Ravel was about to speak when something caught her eye. She waved. "Isabela!" She ran forward, dragging me with her as we went to meet several of Riser's servants.

The partially-masked woman smiled and bowed. "Ah. Ravel-sama. Shirou. I'm glad to see you both arrived so early."

[Shirou-oniichan! Shirou-oniichan! You're here!]

"Ile-chan! Nel-chan!" I opened my arms wide as two familiar shapes slammed into me, almost knocking me backwards. Over the past couple of days, the two young twins and I became good friends over the fact my meals always satisfied their desire to eat excessively. They even affectionately called me "Onii-chan". A sad, sentimental part of me thought back to Jack. I shook my head, focusing on the matter at hand. I smiled as I set the two on the ground. "You two look absolutely adorable tonight."

Both girls grinned childishly as I stood upright once more.

"You're also looking stunning Isabela." I said, playfully flirting. Out of everyone I've met at the Phenex household, Isabela was the only one I could think of as a best friend. Ile and Nel were more like little sisters, Ravel was a probationary harem girl, and I either didn't know the others well enough or felt indifference towards them. "Although I'll admit it's a shame I didn't get to see you in a dress tonight."

Isabela crossed her arms, smirking. Apparently her preferred style of clothing had been jackets and pants. "I don't think dresses suit me. With my appearance, can you really picture me in a dress?"

I rubbed underneath my chin, thinking. "Well, it would all depend on what style you're going for. You could go for he "mysterious beauty" look or maybe-"

"Ahem." Ravel tugged on my sleeve, interrupting my suggestions. She pouted and looked miffed at being left out. "Don't you think it's a little rude to be ignoring your date AND master?" Ravel, you are just too cute sometimes!

"Aha! Yes. Forgive me, Ravel-sama~!" I said in a teasing voice.

Ravel blushed from embarrassment, glaring playfully at me. "Maybe I don't want to."

I jerked back as if pierced by an arrow. "Oh no! Please don't be angry with me, Ravel-sama~! It hurts every part of my being to receive the anger of my adorable master~!" I wrapped her in my arms and hugged her tightly. "Looks like I have to give my adorable master lots and lots of affection to make her feel better~!"

"G-Get offa me! It's embarrassing! I don't want your hugs!" Try saying that when you're not smiling, Ravel.

"Ara ara~" I froze when I heard a familiar laugh. "If Shirou-kun does something like that in front of me, I may just get jealous~"

I turned my head in surprise to see a familiar, laughing Onee-sama dressed like a miko. For a moment, I was in shock.

Then a big grin split my face. "Akeno-san!"

"Ufufu~ Good to see my adorable Kouhai hasn't forgotten me~!" Akeno-san teased, placing a hand on the side of her face. "When I heard whisperings that the former Queen of the Maou Leviathan-sama had arrived, I could not be certain, but I'm truly glad we're able to meet again."

"Same here!" I agreed, smiling. Then I paused, realizing something else. "'Whisperings'? Wait...How did everyone even know that I'm...That I was Serafall's servant?"

"Well, you were the Queen of a Maou." Ravel reasoned, pushing (in the literal sense) into the conversation between Akeno-san and I. "Politicians, publishers, info brokers, they all make it a necessity to know these kinds of things, especially when it comes to our leaders. While there were probably quite a few people who didn't even know Leviathan-sama had even chosen a Queen, you're identity was hardly a royal secret."

Fair enough, but it made me feel uncomfortable that so many people I have never even met all know my name and address essentially.

"Well, enough of that." Akeno-san decided. She smiled at me once more. "Perhaps we can catch up since we last saw one another a few days ago?" I wondered whether or not I should bring up that we actually saw each other just yesterday, having glanced upon one another while with our respective Kings, but then thought better of it. While we have technically SEEN each other, it had never been for longer than a few seconds.

"I..." I trailed off, turning to face Ravel. She was a probationary member of my harem and deserving of the same attention and affection I give my friends as well, so I didn't want to be rude and just ditch her...but it would be nice to interact with one of my friends again under less than depressing circumstances as it had been with Ise and Asia. I was stuck at a crossroad.

Ravel placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "I am nothing if not generous towards my servants." That was...stretching the truth a little. "You better be back here soon though!" Ravel commanded. "You are meant to be my escort, so it wouldn't do well for my reputation if you spent even more time around another woman than you did me."

I smiled at her and bowed. "Yes, Ravel-sama." Turning my back to her, I walked over to Akeno-san and we walked to a different area of the incredibly large room.

Once Ravel was out of sight, Akeno-san must have gained a sudden burst of courage. She wrapped her arms around my arm and leaned her head on my shoulder.

"It truly is nice to have my adorable Kouhai back." Akeno-san admitted.

"So how have things been since I left? I..." I bit my lower lip, trying to fight back the pain caused by the tightening sensation in my chest. "...I checked up on Ise...but how has everyone else been doing?"

Akeno-san placed a finger to her lips, thinking. "Well...there's no easy answer to that." Akeno-san said. "We've all tried to maintain our best spirits ever since our defeat, but sometimes that crushing feeling of defeat weighs down heavy on us all, especially when we see Rias in such an unhappy state."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "I can imagine...Where is Rias anyway?"

"She's in her dressing room...crying." Akeno-san said, hanging her head. "She has all of us going back and forth to check on Ise-kun. She really blames herself for what happened..."

I guess I wasn't the only person whose guilt was weighing heavily on their shoulders. Rias was supposed to be their leader. And she had a powerful attachment to her servants. The only person who could possibly be feeling as bad as I do or worse would be Rias. The whole reason she surrendered in the Rating Game was because Riser broke her spirit due to how brutally he beat Ise from what Akeno-san continues to tell me.

"How is Serafall...?" I asked the question I feared most in my gut. I hadn't seen nor heard about her since I walked out of the announcement room. Come to think of it, NOBODY has been talking about her. I had thought that her losing her Queen would be big news or something...big enough to have her mentioned more often.

Akeno-san shook her head. "I cannot say. She completely vanished after the Rating Game. Rias talked to Lucifer-sama and even he has no clue as to where Leviathan-sama went. My best guess is that she went to grieve. Anyone would if they lost someone like you, Shirou-kun." I couldn't tell if Akeno-san was teasing me or if she was serious. It could go either way. But still...

Serafall was missing. That thought caused a sharp pain in my heart. I knew without a doubt that her feelings for me were true...The night we had made love, she told me she would forsake her title as a Maou if Rias were to lose...During the Rating Game, I snuck off to the side for a bit...

I told her that that wasn't what I needed. For the sake of the Devil race, she had to persevere. The Devils needed a pure-hearted leader like her. She...did not respond positively. She didn't get mad, but she started crying to herself. I...I don't know about anything anymore. The world just seemed to flip on its head as a result of that Rating Game. I just don't know anymore.

"Perhaps it's for the best that we change the subject." Akeno-san noticed my troubled expression. She tried her best to pull off her usual teasing smile. "So I see you're awfully friendly with Riser's servants~" We had ended up the table which served drinks and food. Akeno-san and I decided to get something to drink while we spoke. "Only a few days and already you're romancing them~"

I waved off Akeno-san's accusations. "Nah. There are a few of who are pretty okay, but none of them are a woman quite like you, Akeno-san."I teased. Akeno-san blushed slightly, giggling to herself. "No really, no one can get off of seeing others burnt to a crisp with lightning quite like you. It's sexy as Hell." The part that disturbed me the most, however, was that I actually did find it a little sexy, Akeno-san's "S" side that is.

"Oh, you're just saying that~!" Akeno-san actually seemed embarrassed by that sort-of compliment. Apparently she actually held pride in her "domination" skills. "It feels like you're doing your absolute best to make me blush, Shirou-kun~!"

"Yeah, well-"

I had been so focused on our conversation that I failed to see where I was going until I slammed into someone, knocking my glass over and almost sending me tumbling to the ground.

"Gah! What the hell?!" I cursed instinctively, being caught by Akeno-san before I hit the ground. Then I looked to see the red drink I had spilled on the mantle of the person before me and I bit my tongue. "Oh geez!"

The man looked down at his now-ruined article of clothing. He was a handsome young man with black hair and violet eyes. He wore clothing befitting that of a noble, but I couldn't help but feel that he was not the stereotypical noble-type. He was very tall and had a muscular build that made me want to go home and start doing push-ups. He stared down at the mess, apparently having just noticed it.

I panicked. "I...I am SO so sorry!" I apologized. "I was just-"

The older man raised a hand to silence me. "Don't worry about it. Accidents happen." He grinned in a pleasant and oddly laid-back manner despite the fact I just poured my drink all over his clothes. He absentmindedly tried to wipe off some of it with his hand. "I'm not one to get caught up on simple clothing."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "W-Well, I'm sorry. I-I just feel so bad about this." And I did. "And it's even worse coz you're being so pleasant about it. Geez..."

"Like I said. It's no big deal. As far as anyone else is concerned, one of the glasses just broke out of nowhere and spilled its contents on me. Sound about right?" He had a "go with it" expression on his face. Seriously, now I REALLY felt bad. If it had been any other kind of noble, I would've just been one apology and ignore them, but this guy was just downright pleasant. I really felt bad because he was just so willing to let it go.

"You're a pretty good guy, ya know that?" I held out my hand to the unnamed noble. "Shirou. Shirou Fujimura. It's nice to meet you." If he was gonna be so pleasant, then I at least owed it to him to introduce myself.

The older man grinned again and grasped my hand with a firm hand of his own that took me by surprise.

With the way he grasped my hand and shook, I could immediately tell he was no pushover. His grip was first yet controlled. He clearly knew how to control his strength to just the right amount. He might not be on the same level as Ultimate-Class Devils, but I had no doubt he would be high-ranked amongst High-Class Devil fighters.

"Sairaorg Bael." The older of us two introduced himself.

"Sairaorg, huh?" Then I grinned, matching the older teen's expression. "Nice to meetcha. You don't mind if I call you "Sai", do you?"

Sairaorg shrugged in good humor. "Be my guest. But try not to use it in front of other nobles. If I didn't react to the familiarity you show that they perceive as an insult to my family's name, I would never hear the end of it."

Sai really was a pleasant person.

Sairaorg placed a hand under his chin, as if thinking. "Hm...that name...You wouldn't happen to be the former Queen of Leviathan-sama that I've heard about, would you?"

I nodded. "Yes...but after a certain wager...My loyalty belongs to the Phenex clan." I couldn't help the hint of bitterness in my voice. Knowing Serafall had gone missing had been a big blow to me. I kept on having horrible images in my head where she ended up hurting herself or someone else. I wouldn't be able to forgive myself if something bad happened to her.

"Maybe you serve the Phenex clan," Sairaorg said. "But being a servant and being loyal are two different things. And you don't seem like the type to switch loyalties easy." Damn. He hit the nail on the head.

I raised an eyebrow. "What gives you that idea?" There was no way this guy could be that psychic.

"Gut instinct." He said this while giving a thumbs-up.

It took a lot of self-control to suppress laughter after that. Yep. Out of all of the Pure-Blood Devils, Sairaorg is officially my favorite...right after Serafall, but Sairaorg's my friend while Serafall is my lover so that doesn't really count..huh. I suppose I'd need to make two separate lists or something. One for friends and one for love interests.

"Well, hey, listen. It's been nice meeting you, Sairaorg, but I should return to my master soon." I explained. I had spent quite a bit of time speaking with Sairaorg and Akeno-san. I still had someone I wanted to visit before I returned to Ravel's side.

"It has been a pleasure, Shirou-kun." Sairaorg bid farewell as well. That was where we parted ways.

Once Sai was out of sight, I turned to Akeno-san and saw that her skin had paled somewhat. For a girl that got off on roasting enemies, she sure seemed shocked by something.

"Something wrong, Akeno-san?" I asked. "You getting sick?"

Akeno-san shook her head, breathing and waving off my question. "No no. I'm fine...Just...Try to show more respect when interacting with members of the Bael clan." I raised an eyebrow, but nodded wordlessly.

"Anyway, there's one more person I want to visit real quick..."

* * *

After hearing my request for directions, Akeno-san had been surprised, but agreed readily. I followed silently as Akeno-san led me to my desired destination. We traveled down another seemingly endless corridor of this gigantic structure. Seriously, they must have had to pay the architect a helluva lot of money to plan out this place. I mean, everything was so neat and tidy and perfect.

Eventually, Akeno-san came to a stop by a door with a guard posted next to it. Akeno-san spoke to the guard for a moment before he nodded to the both of us, stepping aside to allow me entrance. Akeno-san decided to stay outside.

I lightly knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Came a response. The voice sounded much less cheerful and honestly almost dead, but it was without a doubt Rias.

"It's the Ghost of Christmas Present." I joked, not having any better one to brighten up the current situation. "Nah. It's just me. It's Shirou."

.

.

.

There was a sound of shuffling and the sound of a door being unlocked before the door was pulled open to reveal Rias...

"Hey..."

I stared...Honestly? She looked hot. I would never make a move on her, but she still looked fairly attractive in that dress. I quickly shook my head, snapping out of it.

"Did they send you to make sure I didn't try to run away...?" She asked.

I raised my hands, rapidly shaking my head. "No no no! I might be Ravel's servant, but they'd have to hold my manhood at sword point before I tried to make you marry a douche like Riser! Honest!"

"Sorry...that was supposed to be a joke." Rias explained, sighing to herself. "I suppose I was never much of a comedian."

"Well, if I may make a note here, I'd say that you should give a small smile when you're joking." And just like that, I felt stupid. "Anyway, just came to check up on you. Making sure you're doing okay."

Rias nodded. "As good as I'll ever be. I decided to send Koneko and Yumi back to the party. I didn't want to spoil their time with my bad mood."

She looked really depressed...Well, this isn't exactly the best situation.

"Come in. Have a seat." I couldn't tell if Rias was ordering me or inviting me. Just in case of the former, I entered the room, taking a seat away from Rias.

I shifted uncomfortably. "Rias...I'm really sorry it came to this."

The crimson-haired princess shook her head. "No...No this was all my fault. This was my failure." She buried her face in her hands, shaking her head still as if trying to erase the reality of her current situation. "I've been such a selfish fool, haven't I? I put every one of my servant's lives in danger because...because I wanted something selfish. A selfish dream where I could marry for love and not my Gremory family name. Now Ise is...I don't even know if he is OK or not...There...There was so much blood...Even though he was so injured...he kept on moving...It's all my fault...He...He did all of that because of me-"

"BITCH SLAP!"

SMACK!

Without hesitation, I stood up and smacked a self-loathing Rias across the face, leaving a red, hand-shaped mark on the side of her face. Rias cringed from the pain, rubbing her sore face, staring at me with an expression that clearly said "WHAT THE FUCK?!"

"Dumbass!" Was how I started. "Don't be so arrogant!"

"W-What?"

I was honestly a little angry. "Ise did it because he wanted to! That dumbass was madly in love with you! That's why he did it! It was for his reasons, not yours!"

Rias was taken aback, looking as if she had been slapped again. Only now, both sides of her face turned red albeit for different reasons. "W-What?!" She looked away, seeming incredibly embarrassed.

I shrugged. "Oh come on. Surely you must've figured it out. Those longing glances he sometimes throws at you when you're not looking? The sudden burst of determination he got when your future was the line? He did that because he loved you. And I know you love him, too."

"E-EH!? W-w-what a-are you t-talking a-about?! I-I-" And just like that, Rias was a stuttering mess. "W-What gave you that idea?!"

"Rias, I'm not an idiot harem protagonist in just about every harem-genre manga." I explained. "I'm very perceptive to the feelings of others. Even if you've yet to realize it, you do love him. I heard about what happened at the end of the game...You cried for him. The tears you shed were the same ones that Ruruko shed for me once. The same tears Serafall shed at the thought of losing me. You cried because of your love for him."

Rias seemed much more uncertain now, crossing her arms under her chest and looking away. "I..."

"Listen, I'm not saying it's an easy thing to comprehend, but you gotta listen to you're heart." I explained. "Do that and you'll never be disappointed. I know you've given up considering the current situation, but wanna know what? While I'm not the cliche harem protagonist, I can certainly tell you that Ise is! Believe me! Anytime now, Ise's gonna burst through the ballroom doors with the words "I object" and proclaim his love for you in some indirect fashion!"

I wanted to give Rias some hope...but I had to sound more confident than I was.

Rias closed her eyes and inhaled...then exhaled. She seemed so tired still, but not quite so sad. She managed the weakest of smiles. "I don't quite share your optimism...but thank you."

I gave her a thumbs up. "Don't mention it. I just believe in Ise. If that idiot is as predictable as I think he is, he'll be waking up right now, his first thought being how to get here and kick some ass. You better believe it!"

Rias actually giggled at that. "Considering his more heroic qualities, I could imagine him doing that...but then he'll end up being hurt again if he tries to fight and-"

SMACK

Rias glared at me, tears in her eyes as she rubbed her other cheek which I mercilessly slapped.

"That one was for looking down on Ise!" I explained, crossing my arms. I stood up from my seat and turned to leave. "Don't underestimate, Ise. I've know him since we were little. If there's one thing I truly know about him since we were little (other than the fact he's a raging pervert), it's that he'll never lose to the same trick twice. Unlike me, Ise loses very often, but that's why he's so strong: Ise knows what defeat feels like and learns from each failure. He always get back up stronger than before..." I started walking out of the door. "That's why he's the person I most admire." I shot the stunned-looking Rias a goofy grin. Then I left, followed by Akeno-san.

* * *

"Did you really mean everything you said?"

Akeno-san's question caught me unawares.

"Hm?"

"About Ise-kun coming to save Rias?"

We made our way back to the main party, Akeno-san seeming like she had something on her mind.

"Maybe." I answered honestly. Then I answered more honestly, "I dunno. Part of me wants to keep holding out hope. To keep believing that everything will be resolved in a good way, that there'd be the classic "Happily Ever After" like in fairy tales. It's either optimism or denial. I honestly can't say which."

"Perhaps a little bit of both." Akeno-san suggested. Then she grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly. "Rias is my best friend...It feels like I let her down every time I see her in her current state." I sighed sadly, noticing the crestfallen and vulnerable expression Akeno-san showed.

"Yeah...I'm pretty sure everyone feels the same. Nothing to do but hope that a miracle happens." I paused, pursing my lips. "That's a word that always bothered me. Miracle. What is a true miracle anyway?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...what defines a miracle?" I asked almost to myself. "Is it an event that occurs against all odds? Is it some abnormality in the hand of fate? Or is it a supposed gift bestowed upon other by the gods themselves? I've always heard things like "This was a God given miracle" or "Thank God", but what is a miracle, I wonder..." I honestly don't know. "Ah never mind. I'm just being pointlessly philosophical."

"Well...I believe miracles are things we achieve on our own." Akeno-san answered with a tired smile. "To face face adversity yet still overcome all trials. That in itself is a miracle. From the way you talked, I can't help but think that Ise-kun was your own personal miracle. You seem to always put so much faith in him."

I considered Akeno-san's words. "In a way...I suppose you have a point. It's a long story, but I can kinda get that. It's like I said before: I have a lot of faith in Ise because he's the one I admire most. The strongest person I know. If Ise doesn't save the day here and now, then there will be no other miracle. We'd be screwed. So, nothing to do but wait until the end."

"Where have you been?!" Ravel demanded, causing me to jump due to her loud shout. She looked miffed. "I said you could go with your friend for a couple minutes, not over an hour!" Hm? It's been at long? Time sure flies when...you're doing stuff. Ravel pouted and looked off to the side. "Jerk...you're supposed to be spending more time with your King..." She was blushing.

Deciding that she was due some affection, I wrapped my arms around her and started nuzzling my face against hers. "Awwww~! My adowable master wants some wuv too~!"

"H-Hey! C-Cut it out!" Ravel blushed, but she didn't struggle. I also could have sworn that she gripped the sides of my shirt.

"Ara ara! Doing such a thing in front of me to make me jealous? How cruel of my adorable Kouhai~" Akeno-san teased.

[Hey! We wanna hug Shirou-oniichan too!]

Ile and Nel complained, stomping their feet in a childish tantrum.

In a way, this was somewhat relieving, to be able to joke around like this again. For a brief moment, I thought that the situation could be anything but depressing...That I had a chance to be able to live in ignorant bliss if only for a moment.

Then reality had to be a bitch and smack me upside the face.

The first thing that alerted me was the sound of horns, playing a grand-sounding tune. I knew something was up because they didn't do that for just any arrival. I have not heard those horns for anyone, not even for the family of the bride and groom.

Then there was the fact that all of the other nobles began to part like the River Nile, making way for the unseen guest. Some of them bowed politely while others completely knelt on the ground. There were a few who stumbled and fell face-first onto the ground in desperation.

No...such an announcement...My heart sank...Even though I was confused, I think my heart knew the words that were about to be spoken:

"Announcing the arrival of a Maou, Serafall Leviathan-sama!"

* * *

**Ravel's POV...**

I stared in wonder, shocked by the sudden announcement.

L-Leviathan-sama?! Why would she be here?

I looked to my left to see Shirou...I was honestly surprised by his frozen state. He looked literally frozen, his eyes glued to a certain spot. He didn't tremble or anything...It was like his body just stopped in time. His expression, however, did not remain frozen. His previous cheer had turned into an empty, almost glazed look.

"Shirou..." I said in almost a whisper. I tried grabbing his hand, but he flinched and I jumped away. He glanced at me, a startled look in his eyes.

He bowed his head. "...Sorry..." But he still sounded so distracted. The Queen of Rias, the Priestess of Thunder, frowned, but said nothing and did nothing.

"Make way for the Maou Leviathan-sama!" One of the other loyalist Devil guards ordered. I was truly shocked.

No...she couldn't be...

When the crowd had cleared enough that I could see her, I was honestly stunned.

Leviathan-sama was dressed in actual clothes befitting a noble. She walked with an impressive calmness and seemed to possess none of her previous cheer.

"It's her..." I stared at Shirou again. His previous shock had changed into a sense of longing. He stared at his former King with such longing eyes. I felt a sharp pain in my heart. Even though I was right next to him...

Then I saw that the crowd around us was beginning to part for the Maou who was currently walking in our direction.

No! No no no! She can't really be considering Shirou back by force, can she?! It's not fair! I won the wager fair and square! She can't abuse her power like that, at Onii-sama's wedding no less! She can't!

I hugged Shirou nervously, hanging on for fear that Leviathan-sama would just snatch him and flee.

When Leviathan-sama stopped in front of us, I could feel my heart pounding against my ribcage.

For a brief moment, we stared at one another in silence.

"I would like to extend congratulations to your older brother for his wedding." Was the first thing she said. Then I remember my place and bowed. Even if she was my servant's former master who may possibly be plotting to steal him back, she was still a Maou-sama.

I felt somewhat nervous at Leviathan-sama's cold gaze. She had been far more cheerful the last time I saw her.

Then her gaze became directed towards another. Shirou.

The white-haired servant simply stared back without hostility or reverence.

"Shirou." Leviathan-sama said tersely.

"Serafall."

Then Shirou knelt, gently grabbing Leviathan-sama's hand and placing his lips gently upon the back of her hand.

When they looked at one another once again, I did not miss the sudden warmth. They both stared at one another in a way that could only be called "lovingly". They looked as if they desired to remain in each other's presence until the end of time. I felt...jealous. Shirou had looked at me with fondness and care, but never had I received such a look. Not even after I...After I agreed to give him the honor of me being his woman.

Was this what true love looked like?

Leviathan-sama then shot a sharp look at the other attendees who had gathered around. "My business is not your own!" I couldn't help but sense a hint of a complaining tone under her breath. Regardless, everyone immediately turned away, many of them going back to what they had been doing before, frightened by the prospect of incurring the wrath of a Maou-sama.

Once they had turned away, Leviathan-sama and Shirou returned to gazing at one another, Shirou standing up and facing his former master.

.

.

.

"I've missed you." Shirou said those words, his voice cracking slightly as he repressed what I suspected to be joy.

Tears appeared in the corner of Leviathan-sama's eyes. "I've missed you too...I...I couldn't bear to leave things just like that..." She then turned to me, bowing her head. "Sorry for lying, Ravel-chan, but I had a different reason for coming than what I said..."

My chest tightened. She's really going to do it! I have to stop her or do something! I...I don't want my Queen to leave me!

"I've come to say goodbye." Even larger tears formed in her eyes. "Every part of me...I want to fight tooth and nail to get you back..." Leviathan-sama began to choke as she suppressed sobs. "...but I know you would scold me if I caused so much trouble...so...this is goodbye..."

Shirou sniffles, clenching his own fists as tears rolled down the sides of his face. "I...I know. You're silly sometime...but you know right and wrong...Even if this is goodbye, I want you to know one thing..." Shirou took Leviathan-sama's hands into his own, trying to force a happy smile in this farewell. "I love you, Serafall. I always will."

"Eeeeeeeeee!" Leviathan-sama squealed, her tears pouring out at an even greater rate. "Me too! I will always love you Shi-tan! I love you so much!"

For a brief moment, I thought they would kiss. They looked like they really want to. But no. They clearly longed for one another, but they dared not invite temptation nor any further pain by reminding themselves it was farewell.

...this feeling in my chest...like my heart is breaking. I was being allowed to keep Shirou...so why was my heart breaking?

They slowly slid their hands away from each other's, Leviathan-sama still crying as she smiled.

"I...I should go tell Sirzechs-chan that I'm here. He won't be happy if I don't announce to him that I've also decided to attend." Leviathan-sama said to excuse herself. Then she walked off...but the gaze shared between her and Shirou continued to linger until they were both out of each other's range of sight.

"I...I believe I should also return to my master's side." I had completely forgotten that Rias's Queen had also been with us, observing the events that unfolded. "He ceremony is due to begin soon." Then she, too, walked away.

The heavy feeling in the air seemed to make it hard to breathe.

"I'm fine, Ravel..." Shirou lied, shocking me by how easily he sensed my intention to try to hug him. I wanted to give him some warmth, but he wanted nothing from me. I opened my mouth to say something when a grand door to the side of the room opened.

The one who appeared was Rias Gremory. She was dressed beautifully, but her glamorous appearance was spoiled by a perpetual frown full of discontent. She lost to Onii-sama, so it was only natural that she wear such an expression.

Before long, she was joined by Onii-sama who shared a cocky smile.

The wedding ceremony had been about to start when-

"Buchouuuu!"

E-Eh?!

I barely registered Shirou finally raising his head, his previously saddened and hopeless expression replaced by shock and...hope?

"Ise..." I heard him whisper in the smallest voice. Rias Gremory shared the same level of shock, eying the door that led to the hall from which the voice appeared. Then from the door appeared a familiar figure, the same figure over whom Shirou had cried. The perverted Pawn of Rias Gremory!

"To all the high-class devils here! And Buchou's brother, Maou-sama! My name is Hyoudou Issei from Kuou Academy! I have arrived to take back Buchou, Rias Gremory-sama!" He declared for all of the High-Class Devils in the room to hear. Many of the Devils in the room responded with outrage.

"Hey you! Do you know where this….." A person who seemed to be a guard came to stop him. "HURK!" He let out a sharp gasp of pain as a powerful blow from seemingly nowhere knocked him up into the air.

"Don't touch my bro, you damned dirty apes!" Shirou was grinning in a completely cheerful way, completely different in the way. I had spent all day with him...and he had such a hopeless and empty presence about him. But now, he was completely revitalized. He looked so alive and...happy. His Sacred Gear was active and he was effortlessly fending off the attacks of the guards who tried to attack the perverted Pawn.

Another guard came at Shirou's side but was knocked away by a familiar swordswoman.

"Ah~! It feels just so much better, fighting next to Shirou again!"

Two more were punched away by Rias's Rook.

"Ara ara, I would feel so left-out if I just let my adorable Kouhai do all of the work~!"

The remaining guards were electrocuted by the Priestess of Thunder.

"Shirou...Kiba...Koneko-chan...Akeno-san. Thank you!" Hyoudou thanked all of them.

"S-Shirou! What are you doing?!"

Shirou grinned despite the situation, raising one fist. "The way I see it, you didn't order me NOT to help, Ise! So until you do, I'm going to finally follow what my heart desires!" Then he knocked out another guard. I stared, my eyes wide.

...Is this...is this truly what he desires...?

The Pawn, Hyoudou, stood upright once more and faced Onii-sama with a confident look. "Buchou, Rias Gremory-sama's virginity belongs to me!"

.

.

.

Onii-sama made a face one could not explain with words. Others had more obvious reactions.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! OH MY MAOU-GAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Shirou hunched over, clutching his stomach as he burst out into laughter. He was laughing so hard that tears were coming from his eyes. "Man, I've really missed Ise spoiling epic moments with horrible wording~! Hahahahahaha!" Despite the situation...he was laughing. My Queen...who had been showing such sadness...He seemed truly happy to be with anyone but me.

"Oi! Shut up, Shirou! Stop spoiling my moment, you jerk!" Hyoudou screamed at him. Despite the harsh words, Shirou grinned before sticking out his tongue playfully.

"What's going on, Riser?"

"Hey, Rias-dono. What's the meaning of this?"

Relatives and authorized people were making unsettled faces were panicking. Devils, just like humans, become confused when they face unexpected things.

"It's an event that I organized."

Then a man with crimson-hair who was at the far back walked towards us. It was the person who was drawn in the portrait earlier.

L-L-L-LUCIFER-SAMAAAA!

Oh no! Oh no no no no! This is bad! I have to get Shirou disentangled from them before he's punished as well!...wait. Lucifer-sama arranged this?!

"Onii-sama." Rias said, surprised by the sudden events.

"I wanted to see the power of the dragon, so I asked Grayfia." Was the Maou's explanation. In a way, I felt relieved. A worst-case scenario in which Shirou had secretly slipped that mischievous Pawn a ticket in ran through my mind. If this all blows up, it will mostly be Rias's servants who are on the receiving end of the punishment.

"Si…..Sirzechs-sama!? You can't do something irresponsible like this!" I heard someone exclaim.

"Who cares." What an irresponsible answer from a Maou-sama! "The Rating Game from last time was very entertaining. But it was one-sided because my sister who has no experience at the game had to face the genius Riser-kun."

"…So Sirzechs-sama, you are saying that the last game isn't fair?"

"No, no. I don't think so." Lucifer-sama waved off the accusation. "If a Maou such as myself says that, then I would be making the old nobles look bad. The connection between the High-Class Devils is important."

"Then, Sirzechs. What do you want to do?" It was Lord Gremory who spoke, a man who shared many resemblances with his children.

"Father. I want to make my cute little sister's engagement party into a flashy one. Dragon versus Phenex. Don't you think it's the ultimate event?" Lucifer-sama asked. "To stir up the party by having a battle between legendary creatures. Nothing can beat this entertainment."

Everyone in the hall became silent with Maou-sama's words. Sirzechs-sama then looked at Hyoudou.

"Dragon user-kun. You have my permission. Raiser, can you show your power once more right in front of me and Rias?"

Onii-sama smirked after hearing Maou-sama's wish. "Alright then. I cannot decline if Sirzechs-sama asks me. I, Riser Phenex, will show my last performance before settling down!"

Hmph. Well...I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have Shirou observe the true power of the Phenex once more. Maybe if he sees the potential I have to grow in strength...

I didn't even know where that thought would go. My Queen...around me, he was polite, pleasant, and kind and I deeply loved him...but my feelings were never requited. But when his old friends showed up, he gained a new sense of purpose and looked so alive...

"Dragon user-kun. What prize do you want when you win the match?"

"Sirzechs-sama!?"

"What are you saying!?"

The relatives of the Gremory clan and the Phenex clan began objecting to the sudden words of Lucifer-sama, as they should be!

Onii-sama won the first Rating Game fair and square! The possessor of the Red Dragon should be happy he hasn't been executed on the spot!

"He's a Devil," The Maou-sama explained, "so we need to give him something great for asking him to do something. Now Dragon user-kun. I will give you anything. A Peerage? Or the most beautiful woman?"

"I ask you to give me Rias Gremory-sama back." The Maou-sama made a very happy face when Hyoudou answered him without any pause.

"Okay then. If you win, you may take Rias with you."

It appeared that there would be one more battle before this whole matter was finally finished.

"Thank you very much." Hyoudou bowed my head to Lucifer-sama who went back to the end of the hall.

* * *

"GO ISSEEEEEEEEI!" I covered my ears tightly as my Queen started cheering very loudly next to me. Onii-sama was busy commenting on the abilities of Hyoudou's Boosted Gear, showing his usual confidence by explaining how he already figured out everything about the Sacred Gear's abilities.

"Buchou. I will finish it in 10 seconds." I was doubtful of the Welsh Dragon's claim. Onii-sama was the strongest person I knew. I doubt even Shirou could defeat him. I-I mean! Shirou was really really strong, but Onii-sama was much much stronger than normal Devils.

"…Ise?"

"You sure talk big for saying that you will finish it in 10 seconds. Then I will finish you off in 5 seconds. It won't be like last time, Rias' Pawn!" This was Onii-sama's declaration.

"Buchou! Please allow me to use Promotion here!"

Rias nodded at him. That was when Hyoudou promoted to Queen. Ick! It's gross when someone like him becomes a Queen like Shirou!

"Buchou! I don't have talent for swords like Kiba! I'm not a genius like Akeno-san at using demonic power! I don't have a crazy strength like Koneko-chan, nor do I have a healing power like Asia! And I'm nowhere near as strong, skilled, or popular as Shirou, but still, I will become the Strongest Pawn!"

"Glow damn it! Over Boost!"

[Welsh Dragon Over Booster!]

The jewel in the gauntlet released a red light. The red light shinned throughout the entire hall. A deep crimson colored aura covered me.

Shirou crossed his arms next to me, staring expectantly. "Huh. The son of a bitch actually did it. He became even stronger than before." Shirou sounded truly impressed.

Hyoudou's body was covered with a red armor. A plate-armor that had the motif of a dragon. The whole armor had a sharp shape. A gauntlet similar to the usual Boosted Gear appeared on the Dragon user's other arm as well. The jewel that was present appeared in both his arms, shoulders, knees and the middle of the torso. On the back there was something like a rocket booster propulsion.

"Armor!? You made the power of Sekiryuutei into a real form!?" Onii-sama sounded shocked. His comment was acute.

"This is the power of the Emperor of Dragons! Balance Breaker, [Boosted Gear Scale-mail]! If you want to stop me, ask Maou-sama! Apparently it's the "Hated Forbidden Technique"!"

"Balance Breaker?" Shirou wondered before looking at me. Damn! Don't put me on the spot with those adorable eyes of yours! I...Er... I swallowed, remembering my previous lessons regarding Sacred Gears. "Er...W-Well, Balance Breaker...As the perverted Sekiryuutei said, it is something of a forbidden technique. The true power hidden within a Sacred Gear if you must. The true strength of Sacred Gears are said to possess the power to upset the balance of the world, hence the name "Balance Breaker"."

"Such a power..." Shirou said in wonder. "...there's no way he got that for free...Ise...just what did you do?"

He spoke with such worry...I wish he would speak of me in such a way...

There was that empty feeling...Even now, when Shirou is standing next to me, he is probably thinking of her...Thinking of Leviathan-sama.

That pain in my heart existed for more than one reason.

I walked away.

"Oi, Ravel? You okay?" Shirou asked, a hint of worry in his voice (more of a casual, curious worried rather than a warm, loving worried).

I nodded, trying to ignore how cold I felt. "I'm just...There's something I want to go do real quick." From what I last saw, Hyoudou was releasing the power of the Sekiryuutei and Onii-sama was preparing to beat him down with his powerful flames. I walked a little bit away and slid to the ground, sitting against the wall and hugging my legs to my chest.

Tears began rolling down the sides of my face.

It's not fair...It's not fair...It's not fair...

I kept repeating those words in my head, but the more I thought about them, the more they left a bitter taste in my mouth. They sounded...wrong. Complaining about how Shirou loved someone else more than me...at first I was jealous, but now...after seeing so many new sides to him, drawn out by his former friends and loved ones...

"Ravel, what's wrong?"

I looked up, trying to wipe away my tears as I saw Isabela standing over me. Isabela was one of the few members of Onii-sama's Peerage that I truly approved of. The others were bitches (pardon my language) or pervy. Isabela was one of the few who was neither. Because of that, I allowed her to call my name without titles or honorifics when we were alone.

She seemed worried.

"Isabela..." I ended up having to wipe away more tears that appeared in the corners of my eyes. "...what am I?"

Onii-sama's Rook seemed confused by the question. "What do you mean?"

I sniffed, trying to maintain what little composure I had left. "...In the stories I always read and listened to when I was little...The hero always fought his hardest for his true love, regardless of the cost to himself, and to defeat the evil villain who kept them apart...I thought, that if I got Shirou as my servant, I would be the beautiful princess that Shirou, the knight, would swear his sword to...but maybe that's wrong..."

"Ravel..." Isabela sounded seriously worried now.

I stared at her, unable to suppress or hide the tears in my eyes. "...Am...Am I the villain...? Am I the cruel and/or jealous person who is destined to torture the hero by keeping him from his true love?...I want to be the one he loves...but he loves others instead..."

"I can't say." Isabela's answer was blunt. "I am not the best person to ask. But I will tell you why that is. A long time ago, I faced a dilemma somewhat similar to yours...There was a man I was deeply in love with. He was an older boy. He swore a lot, but he was truly a kind person. He was also a strong fighter. You wouldn't have recognized me back then. I was just one pathetic woman. Nobody but someone with a kind heart would think of being with me. This boy...he was not that someone. His heart belonged to another woman. When I confessed to him and learned this, I did not react as well as you would imagine." I stared in wonder at the story that Isabela was telling me. "I...I did something horrible to him and the woman he loved...Even to this day, I cannot forgive myself for what I did. Not just the action itself, but for hurting the one I loved most."

I covered my mouth, shocked at Isabela's words. She was always so friendly and close to Onii-sama that I surely assumed that they were lovers just like Onii-sama was with Yubelluna! But no...this person...I can't imagine that she possibly gave herself to a perv like Onii-sama! Onii-sama shows care for his servants (although he will use them to their fullest in non-lethal events such as Rating Games without mercy), but...I do not think he and Isabela have anything going for them.

"Ravel..." Isabela placed a hand on my head, a sad expression. She reached up and touched the half-mask on the side of her face. "That thing I did...my sin...It's the reason I wear this mask on my face. It's not some accessory or a fetish chosen by Riser-sama. It's a constant reminder of the horrible deed I committed. That is why I am not the best person to ask. Ravel...I know you deeply love Shirou...but I want you to follow your heart, not your selfish desires."

Isabela...I...

I stared at the neutral-faced Rook who looked as though she would accept any decision I made...

I know what I had to do.

* * *

**[Meanwhile]**

**Shirou's POV...**

I was somewhat confused when Ravel suddenly desired to leave just as the fight was getting good, but I understood that some people needed their private space.

I looked back to see my bro's fight with Riser.

I felt such elation. To see everybody together again, fighting together. That's why I was so happy when I fought the guards to protect Ise. I admit I felt bad for forcing my own selfish agenda on Ravel by acting without her permission, but I wouldn't just let Ise get clobbered.

So, I watched the fight between Ise and Riser.

Ise unleashed a large demonic power shot. Riser, probably knowing he can't take that blast head on, dodged it. Ise charged at Riser who countered with a powerful fist coated in flames, smashing Ise into a wall, but no damage was done to the armor. So strong. Ise gets out of the wall, causing Riser to scream in outrage.

"Shitty Sekiryuutei brat! Sorry but I won't hold back! I don't want to admit it, but right now you are a monster! In front of your master, Rias, peeeeeerish!"

Riser began to unleash even bigger, brighter, and hotter flames.

"There's no way that I will perish from a crappy fire like yours!" Ise charged forward to attack Riser, being propelled along by the boosters on his back. Even from afar, I could tell they were powered using demonic energy. When their respective attacks met, the entire room shook from the burst of power. Truly amazing. Ise couldn't have had this much before...

Then Ise sent Riser flying backwards with a powerful punch to the face. Riser recovered, but ended up coughing up blood. When I looked to see what method Ise used to deal such a blow, I noticed he was holding something...a cross...

Hmph. Just like I said before. Ise never loses to the same trick twice. If he can't overcome Riser's regeneration by defeating him in a test of strength and endurance, then he could use holy items such as water and crosses to damage him to the point that he'll surrender to escape pain.

It would work on any Devil, even if he is a Phenex. The immortal bird Phoenix might have great regeneration powers, but they are still Devils...But how is he able to hold it...?

"I punched you while increasing the effect of the cross with my Sacred Gear. A holy attack that has increased drastically can even be used against High-class Devils. Even if you are the immortal bird Phenex, you won't be able to heal this attack that easily, right?" That's exactly right, Ise...but that's also the problem. Even with your inreased power, you shouldn't be able to touch it as long as you carry the blood of a Devil...

That was when it clicked. Ise...you didn't...

"Absurd! Crosses bring intense suffering to Devils! Even if you wear a Dragon's armour, touching it is absolutely foolish..." Riser paused, having realized something shocking. "…Did you give your…left arm to the Dragon residing in the gauntlet…? So that's the reason for your insane powers…!"

"Yeah, that's right. I gave my left arm in order to use this power for a temporary period. My left arm is the arm of an actual Dragon. That's why a cross doesn't work on me."

IDIOT! How could you just give up your arm like that!? Geez! Just as I was beginning to respect you, I find you made such a stupid move!

"If you do that, then your left arm won't return to normal! Do you know that!?"

"What about it?"

Try to act more concerned, idiot...I understand your reasons, but...Well...I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. I did tell Rias that Ise would do anything for her...That's the crazy stupid feeling known as love. If I could sacrifice my own body to protect the ones I loved, I would do it in a heartbeat.

Riser, charged at Ise just as the armor disappeared.

W-Whats going on? His armor is gone. He is defenseless now.

Riser, grabbed him by the throat!

"I praise you for doing this well for a "Pawn". You really did well. To tell you the truth I didn't expect you to do this well. I experienced the power of the dragon user with my own body. If you had a year, no six months for you to get used to your dragon's power I would have lost." Riser had a point. If Ise managed to get this strong in such a short time, then, in a few months time, he would probably have been able to become strong enough to surpass even Riser by a lot. However...that didn't mean it was impossible now. "There's nothing you should feel ashamed about. I will train you after I become Rias' groom. You will become a strong devil."

"Come on, Ise! I know you won't be taken out this easily!" I screamed at my bro who was in a bad position. "Do it for love! Do it for Rias! Do it...Do it for the oppaaaaaaaaiiiiii!"

I could swear Ise's eyes bulged wide open. "GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Ise pulled out a bottle of what I figured to be holy water. "BOOSTED GEAR GIFT! STRIKE HIM IN THE NAME OF OPPAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIII!" ...To be honest, I was just shouting the first thing that came to mind...I actually feel pretty embarrassed for even saying it...

[Transfer!]

The holy water blessed with Ise's power dealt serious damage, burning Riser's face.

"Ugaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"

Riser let out a loud scream of pain, smoke beginning to come from the serious wound that appeared on his face. That wouldn't kill him, but I believe it would take a large amount of stamina to recover from that.

Ise, holding his cross and holy water he sprinkled over it, walked over to Riser, intending to beat him with one final punch as he gathered a mass of demonic power in his hands.

[Transfer!]

You know...I just feel so satisfied right now. Just watching Riser get his just desserts, being forced into the corner like this. I remembered the defeated faces of all of my friends...all of their faces following the defeat.

Yumi...Koneko...Akeno...Rias...Serafall...

For all of our feelings that are with you, smash that bastard's face in, Ise!

"H-Hold on! Do you even know what you are doing!? This engagement is important and necessary for the future of Devils! It's not something a Devil brat like you can butt into!"

"I don't know anything complicated, but you damaged Devi-kun! The most important treasure of my brother! You forced him to leave his most beloved master against his wishes! Also, there's something else I remember vaguely when I lost against you and fell unconscious. Buchou was crying. She was crying! And she was also crying before! That reason is enough for me to beat the shit out of you!"

Ise's fist flew straight into Riser's stomach, piercing straight through, causing Riser to spit out blood before falling to the ground, unconscious.

...

It was over.

It was really over.

Ise won.

Without hesitation, I leaped into the arena to meet Issei and Rias who had once again united.

"Ise!"

My bro turned in my direction, grinning like an idiot despite being clearly exhausted from his fight. "Hey...Good to see you again, buddy..."

Akeno-san, Yumi, and Koneko also gathered...

I felt like crying...

I felt so happy. We were all able to be together again...Ise had won and Rias was free.

"So, it looks like we're all going to be heading home together, huh?" Ise said...that was when my expression became sad.

I shook my head. "No..."

Everyone stared at me in shock. "W-What do you mean?! I beat Riser! Buchou is free, so that means you should be too! I undid the results of the Rating Game."

"Ise...think about what you asked." I pointed out while crossing my arms. "You already have your girl. You don't need me anyway. All I'd do is just embarrass you and find ways to tease you two. You don't want me around. We'd just get into more fights...I just came down here to say goodbye to you guys..."

"Idiot..." Oh geez. Don't cry, Ise. Show some pride! You won! "You're a total ass, but the way you act like an ass is special! Nobody can be a gigantic ass quite like you! Even if all you'll be doing is screwing with me like always, it will be great because you'll still be around! O-Otou-san! Oka-san! They'll be wondering where you are! Y-You can't just say, after all I just did, that you can't come back with us!"

"Oh come on, Ise-kun, don't be so gullible~! Shirou's not serious~!" Yumi said, waving off Ise's worries with her own denial. Then she realized I didn't respond. "Y-You're NOT serious, are you? I-I mean...this is supposed to be a happy ending! We're all supposed to be heading home together!"

"...Senpai..." Koneko-chan tried to hide it, but she actually had sadness in her voice.

"...What a tragic parting...I suppose, in the end, there's no such thing as "the perfect happy ending"..." Even Akeno-san was not spared the sad atmosphere around us.

"Come on! You're coming back with us whether you like it or not!" Ise demanded, grabbing me by the arm with even larger tears in his eyes. He was trying to look angry, but his sadness was very apparent. "I...I won! Dammit! You're coming home with us even if we have to break every bone in your body and drag you back!"

DON!

I punched Ise across the face, causing him to stumble backwards. "Idiot! Such an act will earn you the ire of the Phenex clan and all of their allies! You think that's what I want!? For your victory to mean nothing because you decided to overdo your whole "heroics" bullshit to try and take me back home!? For everything to fall apart because of me!?" I screamed at him...but hot tears ran down my cheeks. "...there's nothing I want more...than to return home with you guys...but I can't. I have a duty to my master. It would not only cause you trouble...but it would also shame the honor of my master...my TRUE master...Please...just go."

Ise just stared at me, both of us still crying.

"Shirou..."

"...Senpai..."

"Shirou-kun..."

We all sat in this silence...This horrible horrible silence.

"Very well." Rias was the one who spoke, nodding sadly. "I...I don't know what to say other than "Goodbye"...but only for now."

Everyone stared at Rias-senpai.

"You are skilled as a fighter and a Devil, Shirou. Once you become High-Class, you'll be able to become independent and come and go as you please." Rias explained. "No matter how long it takes...You had better do whatever you can to return to us or else I will never forgive you for making my adorable Pawn cry like that. Anyone who makes my servants cry in such a way without reparation will face the full wrath of the Gremory."

Despite saying such harsh words, Rias-senpai smiled.

I bit my lower lip, fighting back my sobs. "Alright...No more tears...We'll save those for when we all meet again...okay?" I wiped my tears on my arm. "N-Next time...we'll all cry together...because we're happy. I promise!" Then I slammed my hand against the ground, creating a magic circle. "Kaze! Come give my bro and his girl a ride home!"

FLASH!

What appeared from the magic circle was a four legged beast. It was a mix between a lion and an eagle with wings.

"Griffon…"

I heard someone in the hall saying that. Yep. This is the Griffon I caught a while back in the Familiar Forest. He had learned who was boss after I caught him. He obeyed my orders without question. I named him Kaze because he flies like the wind.

Without hesitation, Rias grabbed Ise's hand and jumped onto the Griffon.

ROAR

Kaze made a roar and then started to move towards a huge hole in the ceiling

"I'll be waiting at the club room!" Was Ise's final words to everybody.

I couldn't help but smile as the two departed...feeling somewhat envious.

I bowed to the others. "For now...I must depart." Before I could fall to tears again, I turned away...

Then someone grabbed my arm.

"Shirou...no matter what...you'll come back to us, okay?" It sounded more like a command than a question from Yumi. Unable to say anything, I nodded.

Then I left.

* * *

In the aftermath of Ise's fight, there was nothing but confusion.

Many of the relatives and allies of the Phenex and Gremory clans were lost in confusion, some of them shock due to how Riser, a High-Class Devil, had been defeated by a Low-Class Devil, a Pawn at that.

I stood, smiling at how they reacted so ridiculously.

So this was it...it was over...My friends would be allowed to go home.

I couldn't help but feel that I would be punished when I returned to the Phenex household later. Maou knows Riser, if he isn't scarred for life, will need to blow off some steam. I'm the easiest and most logical target. Nothing like beating the shit out of some poor bastard you know can't fight back against you...

I sighed. A small part of me expected to be heading home with my friends...but there's no such thing as the perfect happy ending. Just as Akeno-san had said.

"Shirou..." I looked behind me to see Ravel, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Come with me!" Then, before I could react, Ravel grabbed my arm and started pulling me along. I let out a sharp squeak of surprise as she began navigating us through all of the crowd of High-Class Devils who got in our way. I was horribly confused. At first, I thought Ravel was taking me somewhere private to punish me...Then I considered how she felt about me.

It was more likely she was going to hide me from Riser in case he was still enraged. To be honest, I don't know what happened to Riser. Someone may have come to collect him at the end of the match, but I had no idea.

I shuffled to the left to avoid bumping into a passing-by Devil.

"Where are we going, Ravel?" I asked, somewhat annoyed by how it was taking me so much effort to avoid people that Ravel seemed to be ignoring entirely.

I didn't even realize that we had arrived at the room until we finally popped out of the large crowd of people.

"Hm? Ravel Phenex, right?" T-That voice! I looked up and felt my insides freeze upon seeing the curious expression of a youthful man with crimson-red hair. L-Lucifer-sama!

I shot Ravel an incredulous expression. Ravel?! What are you doing?! This is a Maou-sama!

Then I noticed Serafall standing next to him, eying Ravel with equal confusion.

"Leviathan-sama, I believe we have a certain matter to discuss." Serafall frowned, as confused as I was about Ravel's words. "The matter concerning our wager."

I felt my heart sink again.

...what was Ravel doing? She won. I don't see why she was bringing it up...

"But why...?" Serafall asked with almost a lifeless tone.

"We must discuss your winnings, Leviathan-sama."

[WHAAAAAAAT?!]

Neither Serafall nor I could possibly even attempt to keep our surprise hidden. Lucifer-sama looked at us with an amused smile on his face.

I blinked, placing a hand on my master's forehead, checking to see if the Phenex girl had gotten a fever or something. "A-Are you okay, Ravel?"

Ravel nodded, undeterred by my actions. "No. If anything, I'm thinking more clearly. More than ever." Ravel crossed her arms under her bust, shaking her head. "Do you not recall the wager, Shirou? Leviathan-sama?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, wondering what Ravel was getting at. "Er...of course. If Rias won the Rating Game, then I got half of Riser's Peerage. If Rias lost, then I became your servant. That was the deal, wasn't it?" Did I miss something somewhere?

"True...but try to remember the specifics of the deal." Eh? Just what are you talking about? You're really confusing me, Ravel. "The wager was that if the one known as Hyoudou Issei defeated Onii-sama, then you would win the wager."

"But Ise didn't defeat Riser, he..." That was when realization struck me with the force of a hurricane. "...he defeated Riser..." My mouth was hanging open, my mind slowly processing what this meant.

"That's right. A time limit was never discussed for our wager. It was simply regarding whether or not Hyoudou Issei would defeat Onii-sama, which he did." Ravel explained. "So...in accordance with our wager, I release you from our pact, Fujimura Shirou, and return you to your rightful master...Serafall Leviathan-sama." Ravel took my hand with an odd warmth and gentleness. She grabbed Serafall's with her other hand. "You two...you truly belong with one another...it was wrong of me to separate you." As a symbolic gesture, Ravel took my hand and placed it in Serafall's.

For a brief moment, I looked at Ravel...Then I looked at Serafall who returned my shocked gaze.

Then the dam finally broke loose.

"SHIIIIIIIIIIII-TAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN~!" The Maou Leviathan tackled me in a large hug, knocking me to the ground. "Shi-tan! Shi-tan! Shi-tan Shi-tan Shiiiiii-taaaaan!" She nuzzled her face against my chest, hugging me again and again as tears of joy filled her eyes. "I love you! I love love love loooove you! Levia-tan loves you!"

I smiled, unable to hide my own tears of joy. "I love you too, Serafall." I raised Serafall's face to be on level with mine.

And we kissed.

We made sure to keep it relatively PG. We didn't want to get it hot and steamy in front of our observers.

I stood up, lifting Serafall with me and spinning us around, hugging my adorable master so closely.

"I've missed you! I've missed you so much, Serafall!" It felt so good to be able to talk to her like this after so long! Auuuuuu! I'm crying! I just love Serafall so much!

"I'm happy..." While I was hugging and kissing Serafall, I noticed Ravel off to the side, looking to slip away with such a sad expression on her face. She looked satisfied, but sad at the same time...I knew what I would do before I did it.

"Excuse me for a sec." I slipped out of Serafall's arms and made my way back to Ravel.

She turned to face me with a confused expression. "Shir-MMPH!" I pressed my lips against hers, silencing whatever Ravel was going to say. For a moment, I thought she would slap me out of surprise, but then her resistance gradually fell to the passion, falling into my arms as we embraced. Yep. It was official. I got the spark of romance for Ravel...with only one act, this girl clawed her way into my heart. It was not her affection for me or her wealth that made me like her this way. It was the kind act she performed. Even though her feelings were genuine, she was willing to let me go even at the cost of her own happiness. That was why I held this much newfound affection for her.

After a few minutes, I pulled away so we could both breathe. Ravel's face was flushed...only this time it was in the most sexy way. She looked ready to lean in and kiss me again if I so much as hinted to asking for it.

"S...S...Shirou-sama..."

"Ravel...thank you...Thank you so much..." Dammit, me! Stop crying! There's been enough tears for today!

Ravel looked away. "...someone close to me taught me recently that...Even if you want something very badly...it might not be the thing you're meant to have."

"You gave up that something...you gave it up for me, Ravel..." I uttered in the slightest whisper. Then I smiled. "And that's why you've become a person important to my heart now~!"

"E-Eh?! B-But I..." Ravel looked so conflicted yet so happy.

"So...if for no other reason than that I can now no longer bear to be apart from you, I ask this of you. Since I'm allowed to take eight of your Onii-sama's servants, eight because he counts as a piece, being the King..." I knelt down on the ground before her, grasping her hand gently. "...Ravel Phenex...in accordance with the wager between my beloved master, Serafall Leviathan, and your master, Riser Phenex, I ask of you: Will you become my new Bishop?"

"Shiiii-taaaaan!" Serafall complained, swinging her arms about in a fit. "No fair! You're acting all smooth and charming with Ravel-chan even though you're supposed to be having a teary reunion with meeee!" I smiled, feeling so happy at my master's immature actions.

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to give my adorable master lots and lots of affection later, mmkay?" That seemed to placate Serafall's annoyance, but she still puffed up her cheeks cutely. Then I turned back to Ravel. "...so what say you, Ravel? Will you become my most adorable Bishop?"

"S-Shirou-s-sama, I-I d-dunno what to s-s-say!" Ravel's face was red again. She shook her head rapidly, as if trying to shake the excess blood out of her face. "I-I-I-"

"I'll kiss you again." I said in a playful way as if it were a threat.

I understood what I was asking of Ravel...I was asking her to leave the brother she had been with her whole life. That could not be an easy decis-

"OK!" Ravel threw herself at me, smiling happily as she threw her arms around me, hugging me again.

OK, never mind.

I hugged her back. This moment...This feeling of joy...I would be heading home soon.

I...I would be heading home!

I'm going home! I'm going to see all of my friends! My girlfriend! My harem girls! My family!

EVERYONE, I'M COMING HOME!

* * *

**Issei's POV...**

**[ORC Clubhouse]  
**

I was so mixed up...

After we flew away on Shirou's Griffon yesterday...Buchou...Buchou had kissed me. SHE KISSED MEEEE!

It was awesooooome! I was so excited and happy at being kissed by Buchou! She also told me it was her first kiss! It was my first also!

I beat the shit out of Riser and saved Buchou...

So why did I feel so sad? Oh right...My bro was still in the Underworld. I hadn't voiced my desires carefully enough. I was so focused on getting Buchou back, that I forgot about trying to Shirou back. I couldn't help it...Buchou...Rias Gremory-sama...she was the woman I was in love with. I didn't have the courage to outright confess yet, but I would get there...

But I left my bro behind...How would I ever explain this to Otou-san? Oka-san? Oh dear Maou-sama...how was I ever going to explain this to Makoto!? That woman would castrate me in a fit of rage before I even had time to finish explaining!

And that's why heading to the ORC...that's why it felt so hollow. It was easy to protect Shirou when we were little. All I had to do was work with another friend of ours and scare the bullies away...but how could I fight against the politically BS situation he was stuck in?

I had wanted to talk with Buchou alone, either to try to confirm what we were to each other or to find a way to get Shirou back. So I was disappointed when Buchou called together a meeting the day following our return to the human world. I stared at my arm...the arm I had sacrificed to the Dragon in order to attain that Balance Breaker. It had been a big sacrifice, but any sacrifice was worth it if it was for Buchou.

"Ise-kun, do you know why we were called here today?" I looked to see Kiba meeting me at the door, a confused expression on her face. She didn't know why we were called together either. "I thought, that after everything that happened, we would at least be given some time off..." Her voice trailed off. After Shirou had been unable to return with us yesterday, Kiba had seemed so down. She didn't even smile or attempt to keep a light atmopshere.

"...Maybe Buchou wanted to discuss any ideas you had about Shirou-senpai." Koneko-chan suggested.

"I really can't imagine Buchou calling a meeting so soon. It must be something serious." Akeno-san said. She hid it better than the other two, but Akeno-san also deeply missed Shirou.

"Shirou-san..." Asia sniffed, trying to keep from breaking down into tears again.

Auuuuuu! When I told her what happened last night, Asia had understood, but she still broke out into tears! It only made it worse!

A part of me kind of hoped that Akeno-san was right. It would be nice if Buchou thought up a way to fix the Shirou-problem, but...

"Hm? What are you all doing here?"

We all spun on our heels to see our crimson-haired master approaching us from behind, blinking in confusion.

"Buchou, what do you mean?" I asked, confused while trying to fight a blush at the thought of last night. "You were the one who texted us." I opened my phone and showed her a text message that was clearly from Buchou's own phone. It invited us to the ORC clubroom that evening. It was strange that Buchou would not remember that...

"Rias, can you tell us what the meaning of this is?"

"E-Eh?" Buchou turned to see a cross-looking Sona-kaichou. She was flanked on her sides by Hanakai, the washboard Nimura, Yura, and (oddly enough) Shinra-fukukaichou. Buchou was one thing, but what were THEY doing here?! "What do you mean?"

"Jack also got a text from Rias-Buchou."

An adorable loli appeared beside us, holding up a small toy phone that looked like it shouldn't have been able to work let alone receive text messages. Jack...what are you even doing here?

Honestly, I had no idea what that loli had been up to since we first lost to Riser.

"Explain, Rias. I was in the middle of important Student Council matters." Kaichou explained. "What was so urgent that you required me to drop everything and come here?"

"E-Eh?!" Buchou seemed genuinely confused. "I...I didn't send any message. I lost my phone earlier and have been looking for it all day. I wanted to find it before I did...other important things." Other important things related to Shirou...I think that was what Buchou intended to say.

Nimura frowned. "But...if Rias-Buchou didn't call us here...then who...?"

Wait...so...Buchou's phone went missing...and somebody sent us all a message...This level of mischievous manipulation... this trickery...No way. No. Noooo. It's too obvious. It can't be...

But at the same time, my heart continued to hope.

I was the first person to push open the door, allowing everyone a glimpse of what laid inside...or rather...who laid inside.

We all gasped collectively.

"Wow, I guess you were right. That DID work." A voice stated in surprise. "This really was the best way to let them all know at once."

"Heehee~ Of course. I'm your adorable Bishop now~!" Another voice said, a loving tone in her voice. "As your servant, I give nothing but my best ideas."

"I admit, this IS kind of awkward though."

"...yeah."

"But I think it's really nice~"

"...I disagree. I'm not even twenty yet, but I feel so..._not-right_ in this student uniform...it's a bit tight."

I...I couldn't believe my eyes.

"Oh hello," Shirou said, waving cheerfully from his relaxed seat on the couch. "What's up?"

.

.

.

"...Shirou-sama, I think they're broken." The girl sitting on his lap, Ravel Phenex, noted.

"Well...They didn't exactly expect us to be here, so..." The Rook of Riser, Isabela, sat on the arm of the couch in which Shirou sat.

We all continued staring, our mouths agape.

"...Shirou-sama, should...should we be worried?" Ravel Phenex asked. "I...I don't think they're breathing."

"Oh that's just how they are~" Mittelt said, standing between her two taller female Fallen Angel associates.

"But still, that's so sweet of you to be worried like that, Ravel-chan." Then that arrogant sonnuvabitch leaned in and kissed the younger sister of Riser. OI! THIS ISN'T THE TIME AND THE PLACE FOR THAT!

THAT was when the explosion of rage occurred.

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM HIM, YOU HUSSY!" "GET AWAY FROM ONII-CHAN!" The washboard and Jack lunged forward, but Hanakai and Yuri grabbed them by the arms and held back the struggling girls. Jack was one possessive little sister.

"Ruruko! Language!" Shirou scolded the washboard girl so casually. "I would prefer that you get along with my adorable Bishop from now on."

"I-What?"

[What?]

The washboard voiced our thoughts before we all could.

Shirou chuckled before grinning at all of us. "It's lucky for all of us that my adorable Bishop knows how to exploit a loophole." Then he looked at me. "Ise...Even though you beat him, I made Riser feel so much pain that he cried...It was hilarious. I took pictures with my phone if you want to see them later."

Kaichou was the first to take a few uncertain footsteps forwards, seeming nervous about something. "F-Fujimura-kun, what is this? What are you talking about?"

But my mind started to put it together.

Shirou stretched his arms before gently placing the Bishop who was sitting on his lap on the seat next to him. He stood up and brushed himself off. "Well, long story short," He grinned again. "I'm back." We all stared, too stunned to react. Shirou turned to Kaichou. "Serafall is back in the Underworld, overseeing the transfer of the servants I won from Riser. She told me to wish you well and that..." He blushed, shaking his head. "...that the offer of 'loving both of us at the same time' was still available when she was done. Her words not mine. She was crying from joy so much, often inserting gestures of how much she loved me, so I may have misunderstood her..."

"That...That's exactly something Onee-sama would say." Kaichou's eyes went wide. It was as if that somehow verified Shirou's words to her. "S-So...You really are back?"

Shirou gave a thumbs up. "And with several servants, unofficial until I have obtained my own Evil Pieces. For now, it's more like they're in reserve." Then he gestured to the two women to his sides. "These two desired to come with me immediately to the human world to serve me. Meet my new Rook, Isabela, and my new Bishop, the adorable Ravel Phenex-chan~!"

Isabela-san bowed. "Even though we once fought as enemies, I respect your power and hope we can all get along." Well...that's good I guess. To be honest, she was the only person who was pretty levelheaded on Riser's Peerage. "A-And, I hope we can fight again sometime, Issei Hyoudou." She suddenly requested such a strange thing of me! She seemed awkward and nervous and Shirou was grinning for some reason.

"And I am Ravel Phenex, the new Bishop of the Maou Leviathan-sama's Queen, Shirou Fujimura-sama." Ravel-san curtsied. "I am also designated to be one of his concubines~!"

[EEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH!?]

We all screamed in shock and confusion.

Shirou shook his head, waving off our words. He was still smiling. "Indeed~ It appears that the wondrous Ravel Phenex has also managed to enchant my heart~!"

Yura, Hanakai, the washboard, Yumi, and even Akeno-san eyed Ravel-san with renewed animosity.

[A new love rival.]

They all decided that with once voice.

"...I don't like her." Even Koneko-chan stepped forward. It was strange, but Ravel seemed to completely ignore the others and focus on Koneko-chan. She walked up to Koneko-chan and glared right at her. The sudden explosion of killing intent shocked me. They really don't like each other!

"And what do you want?" Wow...I've never seen a fight between lolis before...

Kaichou rubbed her temples while Shinra-fukukaichou shuffled uncomfortably.

Amidst all of this, only one person dared to step forward towards Shirou.

"S...Shirou-san..." Asia said weakly. "...you..."

Shirou smiled softly. "Yeah...I'm really back. We're all together again. Like I promised."

"Shirou-saaaaaan!" Asia broke out into tears before launching herself at Shirou who caught her, wrapping his arms around her. "You're back?! You're back for good?!"

Shirou tightened his embrace around the nun, nodding. "I promise. I won't be leaving any time soon. I'm truly back for good."

Asia buried her face into Shirou's chest, crying even further from happiness and relief.

!

I almost jumped when I felt a hand wrap around my own. I looked to my right to see...Buchou. She was smiling, holding my hand.

I smiled back.

We were all back. We were all smiling together again.

"Shirou."

"Hm?" Without hesitating, my best friend caught the object I threw at him. His eyes widened.

"...He...Devi-kun kind of took a beating...but I returned him like I promised I would..."

Shirou smiled softly. "Right. Thank you, Ise." Even though I took such poor care of it...He looked so happy.

Akeno-san and Shirou were wrong.

THIS is a "perfect happy ending".

**Story Arc 2 Status: COMPLETE!**

**WOOOHOOOOO! Yeah! This sonnuvabitch is done!**

**I hope you all enjoy the fact that Shirou is once again Serafall's most adorable Queen. I hope you liked the small appearance I put in for Sairaorg. He's only appeared in the canon with proper appearances like...let's see...about 6 times. So I hope I portrayed him correctly. I figured he'd be the kind of guy to let small offenses like that slide.**

**So yep. Ravel gets life advice from Isabela (whom I developed somewhat as a character) and helped Shirou exploit a loophole in the wager~! So now Isabela and Ravel are Shirou's (albeit unofficial) servants~! It's up to you guys who vote on the poll who else will be in Shirou's harem and Peerage...the girls you vote to be in the harem will be in his Peerage.**

**I hope you all enjoyed~!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	16. Life 15: The Nightmare Begins Again

**And here we go! Time to start off Volume 3~! The poll to decide who Shirou gets from Riser is still up.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OCs.**

**Life 15: The Nightmare Begins Again**

**Shirou's POV...**

_Blue._

_That was the color of the flames the devoured everything around me._

_I didn't know where I was or how I got there, but I had somehow ended up all alone in that burning field of blue. It seemed like the whole world was going to be swallowed by these powerful flames. It wasn't because of the abnormal color that I thought this, but the strange power I sensed from the flames._

_It was scary. I was so afraid for reasons I could not understand._

_I was calling out to someone...I couldn't make out what I was screaming...every noise was dulled by the roar of the flire engulfing the room._

_Everything hurt...it hurt so much..._

_I was crying. The flames weren't devouring me like they had my surroundings, but they still burned and stung me._

_I felt so sad and alone..._

"_...a-sama..."_

_My voice was much clearer than it had been a moment before._

"_...ka-sa..." I kept calling out for somebody._

_That was when I noticed it. The lone shape I could make out on the ground before me._

_I resisted the urge to throw up when I saw it. _

_The charred corpse before me...I somehow knew who it was...Her once beautiful face was marred by these unholy flames around us...Her entire form was slowly being devoured by fire..._

"_Oka-sama! OKA-SAMA, wake up, PLEASE!" I cried. "Please wake up!"_

_Why...? Why am I seeing this...? Why is this happening...?..._

_...Oka-sama...Please...please don't leave me...please..._

"_Somebody, please! Oka-sama!"_

_Why am I so helpless...? Why...?_

_...Just let it end...please...it hurts...please...somebody help her..._

_JUST LET IT END! LETITENDLETITEND! PLEASEJUSTLETITEND!_

"_Oka-samaaaaaaa!"_

* * *

"Yah!" I woke up with a start, sweating as I confirmed the reality that I was no in a room surrounded by blue flames. I was not sitting amidst the burning blue flames that consumed the house around me, but rather I was in my own room, sleeping on my own bed.

My heart was beating against my rip cage furiously. My whole body felt hot as if I had truly been alight with flames.

That dream...it felt so real...

"Chu..." I looked down to see a familiar, little-sister type loli snuggling against my chest...completely stark naked...I really had to get Jack to start wearing clothes to bed soon. She was sighing with content as she slept against my chest. I couldn't communicate with her before, so I had no idea how she was doing after I was given to Ravel for that short period of time. She just seemed so happy that I was home.

If she wasn't crying, there was no need to make her do so. That was what I decided.

"Nnnnn!" I felt a familiar softness wrap around my arms. I turned my eyes lazily to my right to see a familiar blonde girl. With my vision blurry from my drowsiness, I had honestly thought it was Asia for a moment. Then a rather obvious thought came to mind:

Wait a moment! Asia's breasts were never large enough to even come close to enveloping my arm!

I quickly rubbed the fluff out of my eyes, trying to properly survey my "companions".

The girl who was holding onto my arm, blessing me with the presence of her bountiful oppai was my (albeit unofficial) Bishop, Ravel Phenex. Like the other occupants of my bed other than me, she was in the buff and wearing nothing, not even underwear.

_"O-Oi! W-Why are you getting naked, Asia!?" Ravel had screamed in shock and surprise. She had dressed rather risque on our first night together, but seeing Asia beginning to nervously strip in my room had clearly surprised her. She flushed red and began trembling. "I-I understand we are S-Shirou-sama's concubines, b-but-!"_

_"O-Oh no no no!" Asia shook her head quickly. "T-This is just something that allows us to be closer to Shirou-san! L-Leviathan-sama told me and Jack-chan that stripping and expressing skinship with Shirou-san was the best way to increase our closeness!"_

_"Yes. Sera-neechan told us that Onii-chan enjoyed experiencing the sensation of contact with a female's skin." Jack added in a way that gave me that strong urge to pinch Serafall's cheeks as punishment again. "Especially when it comes to a woman's posterior or bosoms."_

_"A-Ah, i-is that s-so?!" Ravel bought it like discounted dessert snacks. _

_Asia grasped Ravel's hands in her own. "Don't worry, Ravel-san, I-I admit it's a little hard a-at first, b-but it's not as scary as it sounds! Jack-chan and I will be here too!"_

_Ravel seemed reluctant at first, but she nodded, agreeing with Asia's words. "O-OK, I-I think I understand erm...C-Can you get the snap on the back of my b-bra, Asia?" She then turned to me, blushing immensely. "P-Please look away f-for a moment, Shirou-sama!"_

Of course I turned away, but I still ended up seeing everything of Ravel either way. I didn't bother interfering in the conversation. I've learned during my life that, no matter what you do, women will do as they please. When it comes to conversations or battles of wit or others of the like, women will always win. The only question is when you need to submit. This was one of those situations where I would submit. Besides, it's not bad really, sleeping between two beautiful naked girls.

Ravel...she honestly looked sexy when her hair wasn't tied in her usual drills. At the same time, she looked so peaceful.

I would have stroked the side of her face with love and care, only my other arm was wrapped up in the arms of a certain, blonde nun.

I sighed. "Geez...what's been going on with me lately?" I tried sitting up before once again remembering I was pinned down on both sides. Despite the fact that they were all lolis (except Asia who was more borderline loli since she is still slightly taller than normal lolis), they were all surprisingly strong, holding me down with little to no effort.

'Mmnnn..." Asia moaned. I held my breath when her eyes slowly fluttered open. She still seemed very drowsy, yawning. When she saw that I was wide-awake and sweating, she frowned. "...Is everything okay, Shirou-san?" Asia sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly. I almost had a nosebleed just from her sheer adorability!

Free from one weight that was pinning me down, I managed to get into a partial sitting position, managing to avoid waking Ravel and Jack as well.

Despite the fact that I was still trembling slightly and sweat covered my entire body, I managed a small, weak smile.

"It's nothing. Just a bad dream." I said calmly. Not a lie...just not the full truth.

Ever since Ise beat Riser, I've started having this strange nightmare.

Every night it was the same except each moment was much clearer than before.

Every night more horrible details became known.

Every night I was screaming.

Every night I was calling out to my mother...

Asia, Ravel, and Jack told me before that I was sometimes trembling or mumbling in my sleep, sometimes even crying. It had never been so bad that I had woken up screaming though. It just kept getting worse each night. Every time I woke up from that nightmare, I had to resist the urge to vomit.

I shook my head. "It's really fine. Really."

Asia, despite being tired, was no fool. "Shirou-san..." She wrapped her arms around mine more tightly, leaning her head on my shoulder. "...I want Shirou-san to be able to be happy...we all just got you back..." I smiled, leaning my head against Asia's. I would've patted her on the head, but all of my hands were otherwise occupied.

"I'm fine, Asia...really."

I considered telling her about the nightmares several times, but I didn't want to bother her about something that could just end up being nothing. I didn't want to see such sad expressions on their faces. So for now, I would just suck it up. It was just a dream after all. It would probably just end up being something I would forget after a few days.

It took some doing, but I finally managed to convince Asia of my words.

She still seemed somewhat troubled.

"Oi! Don't you think about touching the...mmrmrmrm...Asia..." Ravel suddenly burst up from her sleep, shouting some sort of noise. I jumped, but then I realized it was just her talking in her sleep. Asia and I snickered at this.

"See? How could I be troubled when I'm sleeping between two beautiful girls?" I kissed Asia on the forehead.

Asia still seemed uncertain, but she nodded. "Alright...Shirou-san..."

I did finally work up the nerve to lay down between them, but I never went back to sleep.

Every time I tried closing my eyes, those haunting images would always be there. The blue flames, the sense of death, the corpse of my mother...

But I kept convincing myself it was a dream. I never saw my mother die.

It all had to be just a dream since I never saw Oka-sama die...I remember Mako-nee told me how she died anyway...it was in a...In an accident of some sort...Hm...I guess I don't really remember what she told me...

Then why is it I called out to her dead body in front of me...?

It was definitely a dream...wasn't it?

* * *

I remember falling asleep some time in the middle of the night, but it was really hard. I tried closing my eyes, but every time I did, I saw my room engulfed in blue flames. I saw each horrific vision that appeared in my nightmare flash before my eyes. My heart rate skyrocketed every single time that I closed my eyes. To be scared to go to sleep...I haven't experienced such a feeling since when I was little.

The thing that woke me up was the blinding light that was shining through my open windows. It was so bright and fierce.

Once again, I would like to say, for the record, that I hate the sun with every fiber of my being.

After a while, I realized there would be no way I would get back to sleep. Even if it WAS a day off, I suppose it wouldn't do for me to stay in bed all day.

I sat up in my bed, yawning before stretching my arms. It wasn't the best night of sleep, but at least I got some. Still, I really could have done without those nightmares.

I raised an eyebrow, realizing that my bed was missing three bodies. Then my head turned towards my alarm clock.

How late was it?

KNOCK KNOCK

Someone was banging their fist against my bedroom door. I rubbed my temples, finally noticing the aching headache that I had.

"Ugh...I'm awake...I'm awake. The door's not locked."

Then the door began to open, another familiar face sticking her head into the room. "Um...Forgive me, Shirou-s-I mean Shirou." Isabela knew I didn't like being called "master" or being addressed with "-sama". I told her that she should just treat me as she treated me before.

"Oh, Isabela. Come on in." I gestured for the masked girl to enter my room so we could speak more easily. Isabela nodded, opening the door wider so she could step in. I admit, I was surprised by her sudden change in wardrobe. She was currently dressed in nothing but a tight-fitting white tank-top and very short shorts. I almost felt the urge to turn away due to embarrassment.

Isabela sighed, rubbing the back of her neck nervously. She looked off to the side. "Sorry...I...I didn't really have many outfits. They were kind of-"

"Chosen by Riser?" I guessed.

Isabela smiled, more amused than embarrassed. "Yeah. He was like that. A pervert, but not too bad a guy."

I stared at her, wondering how she could say that with a straight face. The guy was a freaking pervert! Even Issei, the King of Perverts, called the guy a freaking creep!

"I'm not saying he didn't have his flaws. When I say 'pervert', I mean a raging one, but he never mistreated his servants." Isabela explained. "Dress in showy or fetishistic outfits and sometimes look the other way when he kisses you or cops a feel and he treats you fairly well. Despite what you may think, he's one of the _kinder_ Devils. He had his greed and pride, but he wasn't abusive towards his servants or family." Isabela shivered, showing a look of disgust as if remembering something unpleasant. "Trust me."

I sweatdropped. "OK, I'll take your word on that." I didn't doubt that there were those kinds of Devils out there, but I didn't enjoy trying to picture Riser as a Saint compared to them.

"I don't even mind outfits like these. As long as my most private areas are suitably covered around others, it's no big deal." Isabela explained, waving the whole matter off. I considered something that Riser's Knight, Aella, once said about Riser's servants being unable to feel embarrassed about being seen practically naked. I think I kinda understood that now. For Isabella, this was normal casual.

I sighed. "Well...we're gonna need to work on getting you some real clothes. The only other outfit you have is your school uniform. The moment I come into some cash, we're going clothes shopping."

Isabela shook her head. "Don't worry yourself. I'm used to these outfits. I know it's normal to wear less revealing outfits outside, so I will either borrow an outfit from your Onee-sama or will go out in my school uniform." I shrugged.

"Very well." If she didn't want new clothes, I would just have to either accept it or simply wait until she did. "Anyway, what did you come here to tell me?"

Isabela placed a hand on her hips. "Well...your Onee-sama told me to wake you up for breakfast. I'm surprised you didn't hear her...She was rather...upset when she saw my current outfit." Isabela honestly seemed embarrassed or perhaps humiliated.

"She throw a fit because of how skimpy your outfit look and only calmed down after you told her you didn't sleep in my bed?" Is my prediction correct? I wonder...

My unofficial Rook blinked. "Yeah. That about summed it up. How did you know?"

"Coz I know how Mako-nee thinks." I stated blandly. I stretched my arms again, standing up. "Alright then. Tell everybody to give me a fe-Wait." I paled. "Did you say MAKO-NEE made breakfast?" Isabela seemed confused by the amount of fear in my question, but shook her head.

"No. Ravel and Asia-san woke up earlier and decided to make breakfast this morning. Why?" I let out a sigh of relief, shaking my head.

"No reason." No reason to subject you to the horrors of Mako-nee's cooking that is. "Just tell them to give me a few minutes. I'll get cleaned up and dressed and head right down."

Isabela nodded, smiling slightly. "I'll go tell Ravel and Asia-san to expect you soon." With that, Isabela walked out of my room. I felt embarrassed to say I was completely ogling her posterior. I was not proud of it but...Isabela is very well-toned. Ise. For once, when it comes to women, I envy you.

"So...I wonder what today has in store." I wondered to myself, doing my damned best to forget about my nightmare for the moment.

After I got dressed and brushed my teeth, I headed downstairs.

Asia and Ravel were cheerful that morning. Jack didn't show it, but I could tell she was cheerful, too.

All in all, everything was quiet and pleasant...

So why was I cursed with such a terrifying nightmare?

* * *

After breakfast that day, I was in the kitchen, cleaning up afterwards with Mako-nee.

"Something wrong, Baka-otouto?" Mako-nee asked, casually drying the wet dishes I handed to her.

Something about Mako-nee, she was very easily able to tell when something was troubling me. It always happened when she went into 'Caring Big Sister' mode. She was always just psychic like that. I could sense her staring at me intently and realized she wasn't going to stop bothering me without an answer.

I sighed, still washing dishes. "Well, it's a long story. To sum it up, following something that happened a few days ago...I've started having these recurring nightmares..."

"Oh?" Mako-nee asked with a slight interest in her voice. "What are they about...?"

I scratched my head, closing my eyes. "Well they're kind of crazy. I'm in this room, surrounded by a powerful demonic blue fire..." I felt the atmosphere around me grow colder somehow. "...and...I think it was when I was little...I was screaming in front of this dead body on the ground, crying..." I swallowed, trying to keep my stomach contents from traveling up my throat. "I could almost smell burning corpse...I kept crying out for someone...Oka-sama..."

"I see." I found a chill traveling down my spine at the strange tone in Onee-sama's voice. It was a mix of alarm and shock.

"But, you know, it's kind of weird. I mean Oka-sama died when I was little not to mention I wasn't there when she died, so I wouldn't remember, right?" I asked almost to myself. "But this nightmare keeps bugging me every night and it's getting harder and harder to sleep...It's ridiculous, right, Mako-"

CRASH

I turned, alert, when I heard the sound of a plate smashing against the ground.

The most shocking thing was the expression on Makoto's face. She was smiling with her eyes wide open.

It was a glass smile though. The kind one would wear when they're trying to hide the fact they were almost caught in a lie. The air between us became ice-cold and tense.

"R-Right. Ridiculous." Mako-nee seemed on edge. I frowned. Something about this seemed...wrong.

"Mako-nee...that reminds me. I have a question I've been meaning to ask." I kept my guard raised, feeling on-edge about something. "How did Oka-sama-"

"Shirou-sama~!" Ravel suddenly poked her head into the room, completely unaware of the previous serious atmosphere. "Rias just called me! She said that if you planned to join in on the activities of the Occult Research Club later on today, they will be holding today's meetings at Hyoudou's house since the old school building has to be cleaned for now!"

RAVEL! READ THE ATMOSPHERE! YOU GOTTA PICK BETTER TIMING FOR THIS KIND OF STUFF!

Mako-nee flinched before laughing in an awkwardly loud way. "HAHAHA! It's no trouble at all! Oh what's that?! It's really late for something! I have something to do! Gotta go! Be back later!" My sister then ran straight past Ravel and right out the door.

I frowned. That was suspicious...I mean. Mako-nee was NEVER late for ANYTHING! There was no way she would panic like that even if she thought she was. I felt like there was something I was missing somehow.

"Shirou-sama?" I noticed a concerned tone in Ravel's face. "Sorry, did I interrupt something important?"

She sounded sorry, perhaps seeing how tense I was from the conversation between me and Mako-nee.

I shook my head. "No. It's fine, Ravel. I wasn't talking to Mako-nee about anything important." I turned and walked out of the kitchen. Asia poked her head around the corner, confused.

"Shirou-san, i-is something wrong?" Asia asked with a worried expression. Trying to maintain a sense of normality, I pat Asia on the head.

"No. Everything's fine. I just want to let you know we'll be meeting the ORC at Ise's house today, so I want you all to be ready for when we leave."

But in truth, I was troubled.

These dreams, Mako-nee's reaction to them, and this horrible feeling...

Just what the Hell is going on!?

* * *

I tried seeing if I could find Mako-nee after I left the house (I believe we all knew this was going to happen the moment I said 'I just need to get some air', the most suspicious line in the book), but no such luck.

I looked and looked, but I couldn't find my Onee-sama anywhere.

I only kept searching for an entire hour because I had to know what was with Mako-nee's reaction.

Her cold expression, my nightmares, those blue flames, all the weird things that have been happening...

They all have a connection! I just know it!

But eventually I gave up because we had to meet up with the others at Ise's house. I made Ravel wear her school uniform because all of her other clothes were a bit...extravagant. Sure Isabela's normal (to her anyway) clothing was revealing, but at least she could pass for some sort of street punk rather than a horribly out-of-place princess. I almost WISH Riser had used a fetishistic outfit with Ravel...OK, that came out wrong.

Isabela didn't like her school uniform, so she went in her normal outfit. It was still in an erotic fashion, but at least it was less erotic than incredibly small and tight-fitting shorts and tank-top. Other than that, Isabela had said she actually felt more comfortable in those clothes.

Since Mako-nee was gone, I had to lock the house after we left. I had decided to take a bottle of milk with me. Milk gives you strong bones. In my line of work, strong bones were important since you were always thrust into a situation where someone's trying to break them.

My mind was just so confused. I couldn't...I just couldn't process what was going on with me lately. That nightmare felt so surreal.

"Shirou-sama, are you sure you're okay?" Ravel asked, walking while hugging my arm, Asia hugging my other side as we walked to Ise's place.

I shrugged. "Yeah. I'm pretty good." I rubbed the back of my neck. "I admit I had a crazy dream I don't want to talk about, but it's no big deal. A new day, a new beginning. Let's just let it go." Then I felt my foot almost completely step on something.

"Nyaaaa!"

I instinctively jumped back at the sudden noise, raising my guard. "What the-?" Then I looked to see what the hell I almost stepped on. "Oh!" It was a cat.

A black cat. I might have been imagining it, but I could swear that that cat was glaring at me. If it was, I could understand. I very nearly stepped on its tail. That would not have been pleasant. If someone went around stepping on my cat tail, I would be pissed too.

"I'm sorry little kitty." I apologized with sincerity. "Didn't see ya there."

"Shirou-sama, don't apologize to a cat." Ravel said with a raised eyebrow. "It's weird. Besides, I think it's just a stray. Who cares?" Then she whipped her arm at the cat, making noises. "Shoo! Go cat! Nobody wants you here! Scat! Shoo!"

HIIISSSS

The cat did not take a liking to Ravel.

"Would you like for me to kill it, Shirou?" Isabela asked with a raised fist. We all stared at her, wide-eyed.

[WHAT THE HELL, ISABELA!]

Ravel and I screamed in unison.

I shook my head rapidly. "N-No! W-What the hell, Isabela?! T-That was just kinda dark!"

Isabela shook her head, seeming embarrassed. "Gah! Sorry! Sorry! New master and I'm still trying to adjust to the way you do things!" She waved her hands frantically. "Sorry!"

I stared at Ravel incredulously. "Did Riser seriously have his Peerage kill any cats they came across?!"

Ravel made a so-so gesture with her hands. "Sometimes. Only when they scratched or bit him. In case you haven't made the connection, the Phenex clan isn't really fond of cats."

"OK...I'm just gonna erase this scene from my mind and pretend that Riser hasn't started Isabela down the path to becoming a sociopath." I decided, putting this whole scenario under the file labeled "Things I Keep Mentally Blocked Until Intense Therapy". "Anyway, how can you just be so mean to such an adorable face~?" I gestured to the adorable kitty sitting casually in front of us.

"Cats aren't adorable!" Ravel shouted. "They're dirty, nasty creatures! Look at the way that cat is eying me!" She jammed an accusing finger in the cat's direction.

I looked closer and noticed that, oddly enough, the cat seemed to be directing a look of hostility more at Ravel than the rest of us.

"Ravel-saaaan." Asia complained. "How could you be so cruel to such an innocent-looking creature? It's probably like this because it's tired and hungry!"

"Yeah, Ravel!" I agreed. I freed myself of the girls and knelt in front of the cute kitty. I reached my hand out to it. "It's probably just scared and wary of new faces. C'mon, little buddy. Come here~ Nya Nya Nya~" I carefully moved my hand closer and closer to the cat, trying to demonstrate I meant it no harm. When my hand came close, the cat backed away, taking an offensive stance as if ready to pounce. I paused for a moment, but I didn't pull away.

"Shirou, I don't think it wants you to touch it." Isabela noted.

I shot her a silencing look before turning back to the cat. "It's fine. She just doesn't trust others. Her previous owner probably mistreated her."

"How do you know it's a "her", Shirou-san?" Asia asked, curious. I could only shrug in response.

"Gut instinct." Was the only response I could think of. Short of checking the cat's lower parts, I could only assume. But seeing the cat as female just seemed right. Something about her told me that she was a girl cat. I turned my attention back to the cat who just stared back at me, her suspicious eyes never moving from my face.

.

.

.

We had a little silent standoff, neither of us moving from our position.

Then I got a little lightbulb.

I brought out my bottle of milk. It was still half full as I grinned at the cat. "Thirsty?"

The cat perked up. Gotcha.

I looked at the bottle. The opening was large enough that the cat could still lap up milk with that cat tongue of hers. I brought the bottle close to the cat's mouth and tilted it forward slightly. She stared at me before turning to the bottle.

LAP LAP LAP

"Ooohhhh~ Look, Ravel-san! She's really drinking it!" Asia placed her hands on the sides of her face, entranced by the cuteness of the cute, cute kitty.

Ravel rolled her eyes, her arms crossed.

I just sat there, letting the kitty drink to her satisfaction.

After a few seconds, the cat pulled her head away from the bottle, taking a few steps back. When I reached out a hand to try to pet her again, she didn't back away even once. In fact, she nuzzled her face against me as I pet her, trying to move my hands towards a place behind her ears that she apparently liked to be pet in.

I indulged in her desire to be pet for two more minutes before it was enough.

I sighed, standing up and turning to the others. "Alright. Good deed of the day completed." I said with a cheerful smile. I turned to the others. "Now let's-"

That was when my attention was drawn to the vibrating black mass that was rubbing against my leg, purring.

I stared. "Oh, so NOW you wanna be Ms. Nice Kitty?" The cat responded by continuing to affectionately rub her body against my pants leg.

So cuuuuuuute~!

With a straight expression, I mechanically bent down and picked up the cat. Then I turned and stared seriously at he others.

"We're keeping her."

[What?]

"We are keeping her and I will name her Kuro." I declared my intentions again.

"H-Hold on, Shirou-sama!" Ravel urged me. "Think this through! This is a dirty, stray cat! Who knows what-!"

"Correction, Ravel: This is an ADORABLE, dirty, stray cat!" I corrected.

"What would Makoto-oneesama think?!"

"Who cares?" I replied. "It shouldn't be any problem as long as I pay for Kuro's meals out of my own pocket and keep her in my room. If such a cute, sweet kitty has to keep living on the streets like this, then there's no justice in this world. I like justice. So I'm keeping her."

"B-But-!"

"No if's, and's, or but's." I clarified. "I'm keeping her. End of discussion." I held my new pet cat, Kuro, and looked her in the eyes. "Wanna come live with my, Kuro?"

Nyaaaaaaan

I grinned. "Thought so." I looked to the others. "You guys go on ahead. I guess I have to go back to the house and-"

"I'll take her back, Onii-chan."

"HOLY FREAK-SO!" I screamed in surprise as a familiar, white-haired loli ghost appeared beside me so suddenly. "Damn it! Don't do that, Jack!"

Jack nodded, holding out her arms. "I can take kitty back to the house." I raised an eyebrow, but shrugged.

I prepared to hand Kuro over to Jack. "OK, Kuro. Lil Jack is taking you back to the house. Be good, okay?" Kuro stared at me. "I'll take that as a yes." I turned to Jack. "You know the rules, right?"

Jack nodded. "Get to where I need to go and then come back. Don't talk to strangers. Don't get into the car of strangers. Make sure not to take anything I see lying on the sidewalk unless I'm turning it in to the police so the owner can collect it."

"Good girl." I smiled, patting Jack on the head. The little girl blushed slightly, showing happiness. Without a word, Jack ran off to bring our new pet home. Then I turned to the others. "But seriously! When did Jack catch up with us?!"

The others shrugged and that was the end of that conversation.

* * *

After we finally reached Ise's place, I noted an ominous feeling I had in my gut.

I tried to ignore it but I got a good scare just as I was about to knock on the door since Ise opened it out of the blue, looking frantic.

"Shirou! It's horrible!" He screamed. "I-It's Oka-san!"

My eyes widened. "What?! What's wrong?!" Was something wrong with Oka-san?! Was she hurt?!

"Hurry! Come on in!" Without waiting, Ise dragged me inside by the arm and all the way into the living room.

"Ise! What's-?!"

"And this is a picture of Lil Ise at the beach!" And there was Oka-san, smiling so pleasantly win the other members of the ORC gathered at various places around the room. The Fallen Angel trio were there as well, dressed as maids (I assumed Rias either hypnotized Oka-san or came up with some elaborate explanation concerning household servants). Rias-senpai was paying incredibly close attention, more-so than the others. Ha! She's learnin' bout lil Ise~! Then Oka-san looked up and noticed me. "Oh, glad to see you're here, Shirou. You're friends have all been waiting for you."

"I see that...what's going on?" I had expected a life or death situation.

Oka-san smiled pleasantly. "Well I was just exposing-I mean-showing Ise's childhood pictures to the girls here." I turned and stared at Ise.

"You have to stop them, Shirou!" Ise shouted, gesturing frantically. "They've already seen the time at the beach I made Oppai out of sand and me in the bathtub!" He looked so embarrassed and ready to die.

I smiled. "Hardly my problem." Not to mention it's pretty damn hilarious.

I noticed Isabela nervously raising her hand. "M-May I join in?" She was suppressing a slight blush. Yep. She definitely crushing on Ise. Kufufufu~

Oka-san shot Isabela a cautious look before directing her suspicion towards me since I was the one who arrived here. "Shirou, who is this woman? I figured you would be here with Ruruko-chan." Oka-san spoke with a tone that said she suspected me of cheating on my girlfriend.

I shook my head. "Ah. No! Ruruko's busy with her club's work, but this is Isabela." I said, introducing my Rook to Oka-san. I had a much rougher time than Ise in Oka-san's eyes. Unlike Ise, Oka-san has hope that I will become a proper gentleman and that I have a good future ahead of me free of debauchery. With Ise, she simply desires that he at least gives her a healthy grandchild. I think I see her praying sometimes. She cried when Rias-senpai moved in, believing Rias to be the perfect wife candidate for Ise.

Isabela bowed to Oka-san. "It's nice to meet you."

I walked up to Oka-san and whispered. "Isabela is a transfer student. She's really into cosplay but she's self conscious about it because she's afraid she'll be made fun of here. She's actually really nervous right now since her friends only barely managed to help her work up enough confidence to wear her face orbits outfit." Oka-san was nothing if not a sympathetic. Even if it was a lie, I could see the understanding in Oka-san's expression as she nodded.

Lie Successful!

"It's very nice to meet you, Hyoudou-san." Ravel stepped forward and curtsied. "I am Ravel Phenex, a transfer student and the Kouhai of Shirou-sama. Thank you for welcoming me into your home."

I resisted the urge to face palm. Tone down the "princess upbringing" a bit, Ravel! And don't call me Shirou-sama in front of her!

"I see. It's very nice to see your parents have raised a very polite girl, Ravel-san."

I finally felt calm enough to release my breath.

"And here's the first time Ise was at Shirou's birthday party since they became friend~" Oka-san continued as if the interruption had never happened.

Ravel and Asia perked up, suddenly appearing by Oka-san.

Wait...the first time...Oh Maou no.

"Awwwwww~! Shirou-sama's so cuuuuute~!" Ravel left behind all hints of dignity as she was taken by the picture of little me. "He's really handsome now, but he looks so cute with cake all over his child face~!"

I blushed deeply. "D-Don't show them that!" I complained.

"I thought it was "hardly your problem"." Ise mused with a smirk.

Fuck off, Ise.

"Hyoudou-san, are there any other pictures of Shirou here?!" Mittelt asked hopefully.

Oka-san revealed three photo albums. "Of course! Shirou's been so much our child as Ise that it's been hard NOT to have as many photos of him considering how young he and Ise were when they met and how long they have been friends!"

That was all they needed to hear before they each took a book, going through my personal memories along with Ise's.

"My my." I heard Akeno-san say with amusement. "Streaking at that age, Shirou?"

I felt my face suddenly flush as I realized they were examining each and every bit of my childhood. "H-Hey! H-Hold on a s-sec!" I began waving my arms frantically. "I-It's not what you think! I-I mean I-"

"...Didn't know Shirou-senpai was into sentai." Koneko-chan noted with interest (and...amusement?), looking at another album.

"Awww~!" Mittelt squealed. "Little Shirou-chan looks so cute when he's playing superhero~!"

"...Yes..." Raynare nodded, her eyes sparkling for some reason as she looked at photos. I think she might have been drooling...A part of me felt a little afraid after I remembered she was still a Fallen Angel...beings that fell from Heaven for sin. And I could only imagine one possibility for what Raynare's sin was.

I felt my flushed face turned even redder. "I-I don't see how t-that's any of your business, jerks! Those aren't for you!" I lunged for the album only for Koneko-chan to toss it back over her shoulder.

"I got it~!" Mittelt leaped into the air and caught the album, sticking out her tongue as she dropped to the ground. "Personally, my favorite pose is this one~!" Mittelt pulled a rather stereotypical 'hero pose', grinning. "I am the Red Ranger, defender of justice!"

Oh the shame of my embarrassing past! The worst part was that Mittelt's imitation of me was rather spot-on.

"Shut up, you damn-!" I lunged for the album again but Mittelt threw it into the air again, Yumi being the one to catch it this time. "Give that back!" I lunged for the album again, but Yumi laughed, easily sidestepping me. She held out a hand as I tried approaching her to grab the album.

"You gotta catch me first~" Yumi teased, holding me back with one arm while keeping the album out of reach.

"C'mon! Give it back!"

"If you want it so bad, you have to forfeit the wager~" Wager...? Oh yeah...Whoever made the other confess first won. If I won, I got to grope Yumi however I wanted. I had no idea what Yumi wanted.

I narrowed my eyes. "Pass."

"...Small Shirou-san..."

"...so small and adorable..."

"...sweet, lovable master..."

Whatever I was about to say was interrupted when I saw Asia, Ravel, and Raynare all crowded around one single photo album.

All of their faces were tinged a slight pink color and their eyes were sparkling.

[...Little Shirou from childhood, little Shirou from childhood, little Shirou from childhood, little Shirou from childhood, little Shirou from childhood...]

I felt very disturbed by the fact they sounded like they were chanting for some ritual.

I felt a chill roll down my spine. "Why does it feel like you guys are picturing something that's quite possibly illegal...?"

"Buchooooou!" Ise complained as he tried stealing his own pictures back from Rias.

If my suspicion was correct, I would have to watch them around cute, little boys...I would not let them fall down the disgusting path of shotacon-hood!

Having been disturbed enough for one moment, I tried to preserve whatever dignity I could manage.

Then I turned back to Yumi who was rather entranced by the photo album. She seemed distracted enough that I could just-

"HRAAAAAH!" I lunged with my entire body in an attempt to snatch the book. Yumi casually leaned back and I smashed face-first into a wall. "MRRMPH..." Translation: "Ow."

"Hahaha, don't worry about it~ Let me enjoy your album a bit more, pweeeeaaaaase~?" Yumi asked while trying to sound adorable.

"DON'T SAY THAT!" I screamed. "THAT SOUNDS SO CREEPY!" I continuously lashed out at Yumi, trying to snatch my memories of childhood innocence from her hands.

I only stopped when I saw a surprised look on her face. "This..."

Confused, I got closer and looked at the particular photo she was looking at. "What is it?"

Then I felt a huge wave of sadness wash over me when I saw the photo.

It was a picture of me and my childhood friend...Irina. Ah. I really haven't seen her in such a long time.

She always looked like a boy due to her tomboyish looks and personality, but I never saw her as anything less than beautiful. When we were little, I loved everything about her. The main thing we had in common was our love for "hero-play". We both had a powerful sense of justice and...

You see, she was my childhood crush. My first true love. I had the world's biggest crush on her. And...considering what happened, I would like to think she returned my feelings. She moved to England a long time ago and I haven't seen or spoken to her since then excluding a single postcard I had gotten with a quick picture of her. It was blurred a bit, as if she had been running while holding the camera, but I was able to once again glimpse her beautiful face, having only grown more beautiful with time.

Despite all of the time that has passed, to say I did not love her anymore would be a lie. To say I was still madly in love with her would be the truth.

For a brief moment, I mused that Yumi was jealous.

I snapped out of it when I noticed that Yumi was pointing at something in the photo. It was a familiar European sword...oddly even more familiar now. I could tell something was up with it.

"Do you remember this?" I was shocked by Yumi's sudden serious tone. It was a sharp contrast from her usual good cheer.

I frowned, staring intently at the sword. "Yeah. I did my best to stay away from it whenever I could...Something about it didn't seem exactly normal. Gave me the creeps."

Yumi nodded at my thoughts. "Indeed...So things like this happen, huh. To find it in such an unexpected place..." The blonde princess laughed bitterly to herself, but I could see the burning hatred in her eyes.

"Something wrong...?"

"This is a Holy Sword."

* * *

**Later...**

BANG

The dull clanging of metal reverberated through the azure sky.

"All right. I've got this one."

Ise promptly caught the soaring baseball with his gloved hand.

"Nice catch, Ise."

Rias smiled and gave Ise a thumbs up. We, the Occult Research Club, were practicing baseball on the backyard of the old school building where no grass was growing. I counted myself amongst their group since I had no official club to support. Of course I got lots and lots of offers from various clubs, including the romantically enamored Kendo Club, but I never really felt interest in them. So, when Rias offered for me to join her team as an honorary member of the ORC despite the fact I never officially joined, I accepted. Isabela offered to join as well, but she didn't have...OK, I'll be blunt. She broke the first baseball we tried throwing to her. She thought it was a test of strength and used her Rook strength to hit the ball so hard with the bat that the ball broke somehow and the bat snapped in half. And Ravel couldn't be bothered with physical activities. The Fallen Angel trio would be mainly act as support and back-up players on the off-chance any of us got sick or couldn't play.

Jack was dressed in an adorable, mini-referee outfit, acting as support by retrieving some of the stray balls and fetching us liquid refreshments so we didn't dehydrate too fast. Apparently she returned Kuro to our house after I left her. Kuro adapted quickly and it was easy to keep her in my room and take her out when Mako-nee either wasn't home or was asleep.

"Next week is Kuoh Academy's Ball Tournament. It's a battle between clubs that we can't lose."

Rias-senpai took our practice very seriously. I thought this would casually be tossing the ball to one another like ol' chums, but Rias took this very, very seriously.

"Here, Asia! Here I go!" Rias said before she hit the ball towards Asia.

"Haaan! Aaau-aaau-aaau… Aah!" The ball went through Asia's legs. Needless to say, Asia's sports sense was below exceptional. At times, she'd even trip over nothing. She makes up for her lack of athletics with her healing power and

"Asia! If you fail to catch it, go fetch it!"

"Y-yes!" Asia went to obey Rias's order and left to go fetch the ball she dropped. In all honesty, it would probably be for the best to take her out of any game that relied on hand-eye coordination...So...pretty much everything except...Soccer? That technically relies on FOOT-eye coordination...which I suppose is hardly better. Hmmm...

Then Yumi, having not been paying the least bit of attention, got hit smack-dab in the head by an incoming ball. After recovering, Yumi picked the ball up and threw it back to Buchou who caught it with a sigh.

"Yumi, what's wrong? You've been acting rather strange lately. It's not like you."

"I'm sorry." Kiba apologized. She's been like this ever since she saw that picture of the Holy Sword. Ever since then, she always seemed preoccupied with something in his thoughts. During ORC activities, regular classes, and especially during sports practices, Yumi would just zone out. I knew it had SOMETHING to do with Holy Swords, but I had no idea what about them sparked this strange way Yumi had been acting. I was beginning to feel worried about her. We would just be talking about something casual, but then Yumi would just space out and, even when she recovered, she would have completely forgotten what we were talking about.

I could kind of understand. I had often spaced out the same way ever since I had that recurring nightmare. The one with the blue flames. I tended to just space out the moment I started thinking about it, wondering what it all meant and whether or not I was going crazy. I mean-

"Shirou! Look out!" I had been so deep in thought that I noticed too late the baseball that smashed right into my face, knocking me backwards. I stood up, clutching my now-possibly broken nose, sighing. Rias was rubbing the back of her neck. "Sorry!"

"It's fine. I'm good! I'm okay!"

And that was just about the low point of my day.

"O-Oh, Shirou! You okay?!" Yumi ran up to me, her expression worried. I nodded.

"Yeah." I pulled my hand away from my nose. Since there was no blood, I assumed my nose was not broken. "Can we take five, Rias?"

The bosslady for the ORC placed her hands on her hips and sighed. "Fine. Everyone rest for a moment."

And so we did...

Yumi sat next to me on a bench, but...she still seemed so out of it. I wanted so badly to know what was wrong. To help her. But she was just so quiet and had a look that spoke against disturbing her. I was just so on the fence for what to do. It was a tough choice. I wanted to know what was wrong, but I didn't want to offend her or make her sad in the process.

Just as I was about to try bringing it up-

"Shirou-sama!"

"Shirou-san, are you okay?!"

Ravel and Asia ran up to me, worry clear on their expressions.

I waved off their concern. "Don't worry about it. It's no big deal."

"It most certainly is a big deal!" Ravel disagreed. "You could have a fractured skull or a concussion or internal bleeding!" I couldn't help but feel those words were oddly arranged.

"Yes! Please let me heal you real quick, Shirou-san!" Asia said, generating her green healing aura in her hands.

"No way, nun-girl! I can heal him just fine!" Ravel snapped her fingers. "Isabela, bandages!" I was honestly surprised with the speed that Isabela suddenly appeared by Ravel's side. It was speed comparable with a Knight. That or I wasn't paying attention. To be honest, the thing that scared me more than a potential skull fracture was the look on Ravel's face when she started pulling out bandages.

"O-Oi! H-Hold on a sec, Rav-AAAAAAHHHH!"

"Hold still, Shirou-sama!" Ravel commanded as she began fumbling around with the bandages she was wrapping around me. "Isabela! Hold him down!"

"Yes, Ravel."

"Traitooooooor!"

"R-Ravel-san, m-maybe you s-should-"

"I know what I'm doing!"

"I WOULD VERY MUCH DISAGREE!" I stood up once Ravel was finished, wrapped from head to toe in bandages, the only parts not covered being a small area around my mouth and eyes. "I'm a friggin mummy! This is not how bandages work, Ravel!"

Ravel cocked her head to the side. "I wanted to maximize the healing power of your human bandages so they could restore your body!"

.

.

.

"Ravel, do you even know how bandages work?"

"Of course! You wrap them around people and they exude a healing aura that completely restores the user's body!"

.

.

.

I opened and closed my mouth several times, unable to even consider the appropriate response.

"Yumi, talk some sense into this girl." I said, crossing my mummified arms. There was no response. "Yumi?" I turned and saw that, yet again, my blonde friend was spaced out. She just looked so troubled. "Yumi!"

She jumped, snapping out of her trance. "Huh? Oh, what? Um...S-Sure. Y-Yeah."

Yumi stared sadly. Clearly this problem wasn't going away on its own.

But once again, before I could say something, Rias spoke. "Okay! Continuing!"

And our sports training continued...

* * *

The Next Day...

During class the next day, I scribbled notes the teacher wrote half heartedly, but my main focus had been on Yumi who seemed content only to look out the window. I held the small hope that she would cheer up but it was the same near-depression she had been in as before. It really sucked seeing her like this. At the very least I should make sure she knew she wasn't alone.

When the bell rang for lunch, I immediately took a seat next to Yumi.

"Mind if we eat lunch together?" I asked. Yumi was leaning her head on her hand, still staring out the window. There was nothing but silence and that same sad expression. A smirk grew on my face. "Yumi, if you don't answer, I'll grope your breasts~" Still nothing. "Yumi!"

Yumi finally heard me after I screamed in her ear. She flinched before turning to me. "I'm sorry. What?"

I held up my box lunch. "I was asking if you wanted to eat together."

"Oh right. I'm sorry." She tried to ease my worry with a cute apologetic smile, but the way it looked so forced made me only more worried. "Sure. I'd love to." Then she paused, her expression falling. "Um..."

I raised an eyebrow. "You forgot your lunch, didn't you?"

"Hehehehe..." Yumi laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. I didn't smile. I placed my hands on my hips and sighed.

"Yumi, what's up with you lately?"

"Hm?"

"I mean...you've been acting really weird lately and I wanted to know if you were alri-"

Before I could finish my question, the door to the classroom slid open, revealing a first year girl who immediately glomped me.

"Shirou, wanna go eat lunch together!?" Ruruko smiled up at me so cheerfully. "Come on! Karlamine and Tsubasa are waiting for us on the roof!" Without waiting for a response, Ruruko started dragging me away.

"But-" I tried to interject.

"It's fine. Go ahead." Yumi assured me with her forced smile. "Just remember to hurry since Buchou wants to see us all before break ends."

I sighed, but nodded, following after Ruruko.

* * *

[Rooftop]

I saw Tsubasa, Karlamine, and Momo (I suppose Ruruko doesn't even like mentioning him) casually speaking to one another when Ruruko finished dragging me to the roof. We sat down with the group of three who cheerfully accepted my added presence.

"What was that about?" I asked, feeling suspicious by Ruruko's sudden behavior. The other three just stared at Ruruko who crossed her arms. "Why did you just pull me away like that? And don't say you don't know what I'm talking about because I know you do."

"Because Yumi-senpai was clearly wanting to be left alone." Ruruko replied.

"Of course she does." I said, exasperated. "That's why I was trying to talk to her! I wanted to snap her out of this funk she's in! And don't tell me you haven't noticed it."

"Now that you mention it, Kiba-san has been acting strangely lately." Karlamine said, rubbing her chin. "I don't know what you guys do on the Student Council or Occult Research Club, but it sounds like something's shaken her up pretty badly."

I rubbed my temples. "I know what it is, but I have no idea how to address it. I keep trying to approach her about it, but she always just spaces out or changes the subject. I don't know how to get through the to her or to get her to talk to me."

"Zhen dat's yum issue, Shirou-shan." Tsubasa tried saying through a mouth full of food. But I understood she meant: "Then that's your issue, Shirou-san."

"What does that mean?"

Momo nodded in agreement. "You're pushing too hard and you're clearly not learning from your past attempts. If anything, you're hurting her more than helping her by forcing her to constantly thinking about whatever's bothering her."

I narrowed my eyes. "Pushing her a little is the only way I can get her to talk let alone open up."

"Tch." Ruruko clicked her tongue at me. "You truly do not understand a maiden's heart, do you, Shirou? Pretty sad for someone aspiring to be Harem King."

"And what does THAT mean?!"

"I'm saying that there's nothing that can be done right now!" Ruruko clarified.

"Oh, so I should just sit back and do nothing while my friend is clearly suffering inside?!" What Ruruko just said really irritated me. I felt bad about shouting at her, but I didn't want to do nothing when Yumi was clearly so upset.

"No. I'm saying that, until she opens up to you, there's nothing you CAN do, Shirou." Ruruko stared at me with a sad expression. "Until Yumi tells you, you can't help her. Forcing her to tell you will only make her resent you. Do you want that?"

I felt a sharp pain in my heart before I looked away, ashamed. "No..."

"Then it would be best if you stilled your tongue for now, my King." Karlamine said.

"Alright..." It hurt not being able to help the ones you cared about.

"Now hurry up and eat, Shirou." Ruruko advised before beginning to eat her lunch. "Kaichou and Rias-Buchou want all of their respective servants to meet in the ORC's club room before the end of break."

Huh? I understood Rias's servants being there, but...

"Does Shirou-chan want me to feed him?" Momo-chan asked cheerfully, easing a piece of the food in her bento towards my mouth.

"Er...well..." I was suddenly jerked away by Ruruko who glared at Momo.

"No. He'd much rather eat MY bento and be fed by me."

"Oh yeah?!"

"Yeah!"

Ruruko and Momo were face to face, glaring daggers at one another.

And things pretty much went downhill from here. Same ol' story. Ruruko and Momo get into it, Tsubasa says something stupid and gets involved, and Karlamine gets involved due to her "Knightly Honor" (read: jealousy).

I sighed to myself, smiling ever so slightly.

In spite of everything that was going on, it felt nice to see that some things did not change. I had so much on my mind lately between my increasingly distressing nightmares and the increasingly distressing situation with Yumi that I just now realized I had been so tired.

After the usual battle ended, Ruruko, Tsubasa, Momo, and I bid goodbye to Karlamine before we walked all the way to the ORC Clubroom.

* * *

[Occult Research Clubroom]

When we arrived, I saw the ladies of the Occult Research Club including Yumi. What surprised me was the appearance of Sitri-senpai and Shinra-senpai as well as a few faces I did not recognize. Since they were standing behind Sitri-senpai, I could only assume they were more of her servants. When I thought about it, I recalled I had never asked Senpai how many servants she had nor did I ask whether or not I met them all.

Before I could question their presence, I heard Ise and Asia entering behind me.

"K-Kaichou?" Ise also seemed surprised at Sitri-senpai's appearance in the clubroom. It was not common for the two heiresses to interact as Devils rather than as their false human identities.

"Apparently your master didn't bother keeping you in the loop about the meeting, Hyoudou." The only guy of the Student Council that I saw said. "You guys are getting peaceful school life because Kaichou and us, the Devil servants of Sitri, are working at daytime. It won't be bad for you to remember that, you know? By the way, my name is Saji Genshirou. I'm in second year, and I am Kaichou's [Pawn]."

Huh. I never thought I would ever meet a Pawn who was actually NORMAL. Between Riser's "Harem Pawns" and Ise, I didn't think that Pawns could actually be normal-seeming fellows.

"Oooh, the same grade as me and also the same Pawn as me!" Ise said cheerfully.

"Actually you damaged my pride very badly. For you, one of the three pervs, to be the same Pawn as me..."

"W-What did you say?!" Ise was pissed now.

Pffft~!

I resisted the urge to burst into laughter at how badly Ise just got burned.

"Oi! Shut up, Shirou!" Saji snickered. "You shut up, too, bastard!"

"Oh? You wanna go at it? Even if I look like this, I'm a Pawn that consumed 4 Pawn pieces. Even if I just turned into a Devil, I won't lose against someone like Hyoudou."

"Hey, I'm all for makin' fun of Ise for being a perv, but, no offense, Ise would mop the floor with you." I noted, leaning my back against the wall behind me, crossing my arms.

"Who asked you, you damn playboy?" He asked in the same condescending tone he spoke to Ise with. "You're just as bad as Ise, playing around with women as much as you do if your reputation is anything to go bye. Who IS your master anyway, Fujimura?" And now I was ready to slap a fool upside the head.

"Saji, stop that." Sitri-senpai suddenly said with great harshness.

"Bu...But Kaichou!"

Senpai sharp gaze easily silenced him. "The reason we came here is to introduce our new servants amongst fellow High-Class Devils where we both have this school as our base. In other words it is a meeting to introduce you and Rias' servants, Hyoudou-kun and Asia-san. If you are my servant, then don't make a shame out of me. Besides..." Sitri-senpai adjusted her glasses. "Fujimura-kun is right. Saji, you can't win against Hyoudou-kun right now. He is the one who defeated the third son of the house of Phenex. Consuming 8 Pawn pieces was not just for show. Fujimura-kun would be no pushover either as he possesses a Queen piece which was also a Mutation."

"What, 8 pieces!? Wait, this is the guy who defeated the Phenex!? For this guy to beat that Riser...I thought that it was Kiba or Himejima-senpai who rescued Rias-senpai…" Then he gestured to me. "And this clown really took up a Mutation Queen?! I don't believe it!"

"Well you better believe it, buster!" Ravel and Isabela chose that moment to walk in. Ravel was clearly none-too-pleased to hear the words that just came out of Saji's mouth. "I would prefer you did not speak to my King so rudely!"

"And who is this now?!"

"The youngest daughter of the Phenex clan and Shirou's (albeit unofficial) Bishop."

Saji's eyes widened so much that his eyeballs bulged out of their sockets. "What?! No way! He actually got his Peerage already!?"

Senpai shook her head. "No. It is more like they are his servants-in-waiting due to a wager his master won against Riser Phenex."

"Yes." Ravel agreed. "The moment my master proves himself in yet another way superior to you, I will become his Bishop and Isabela here will become his Rook." When Saji got a good look at Isabela, he turned to me and glared, his eyes watering with envy...So I cheered up a little bit.

Sitri-senpai bowed to me, Ise, and "I am sorry Hyoudou Issei-kun, Asia Argento-san, Shirou. My servant hasn't experienced as much battles as you two, so he still has some rude attitude in him. If it's okay, can you please get along with him?"

"H-Hey, Kaichou, who is Fujimura's master anyway?" Saji asked.

Oh ho ho~! Looks like Mr. 4-Pawns doesn't know who my master is~! This'll be fun~!

I bowed as expected of a servant. "Now introducing myself. I am Shirou Fujimura, the Queen of the Maou Serafall Leviathan-sama."

"Its very great too meet you! Like I said before, my name is Saji Genshirou! Pleasure to meet you! Lets get along!" The previously rude Pawn went from a scowl to a cheerful and reverent smile.

"You sure changed your tune real quick." I noted with a slightly irritated look. Ruruko and Momo smiled apologetically behind Saji.

"Sorry about Saji-senpai's behavior."

"Gen-chan has good intentions, but he's a bit of an idiot sometimes."

Tsubasa simply nodded in agreement with those two.

"Hey! Don't embarrass me in front of the Maou-sama's Queen!"

"Shirou, what do you say?" Sitri-senpai said in a warning tone. She clearly was able to tell that I had a sharp retort and tease ready for Saji and wanted to hear nothing of it.

I clicked my tongue. "Nice to meet you too, Saji." Ya friggin suck-up. "Let's all get along." I already hate you.

"Yes. Let's get along." Asia agreed happily. When Saji laid eyes on Asia, he completely forgot about me and grasped her hands in his own.

"If it's Asia-san, then I am very happy!" Saji said with a happy smile.

.

.

.

This feeling in my gut...The desire to tear apart the guy in front of me.

I grabbed Saji by the wrist and smiled. "Saji-kun, would you mind getting the hell away from my adorable Asia-chan~?"

The darkness radiating from me could potentially have shrouded the entire world if Saji hadn't been intimidated enough to let go of Asia. Honestly, I had no idea where it came from. I just got this weird, icky feeling in my gut that told me to get Saji the hell away from Asia.

Saji was trembling like a child, backing away and hiding behind Sitri-senpai.

Sitri-senpai pinched the bridge of her nose. "Oh geez. I have to put up with the two most troublesome servants and one of them isn't even mine."

"I feel for you, Sona. I really do." Sitri-senpai seemed so tired and Rias-senpai had a sympathetic expression.

"I think this is enough for introducing our rookies." Sitri-senpai decided. "Then we will pardon ourselves now. There's also a document which I want to finish during lunch time."

"See you later, Ruruko, Tsubasa, Momo, Sona!" I waved as the Sitri group departed.

"Oi! Don't call Kaichou by her first name, Fujimura!" Saji screamed at me. I smiled "pleasantly" again.

"What was that, Saji-kun~?"

"N-Nothiiiiiiing!" He was the first one out of the room.

"Rias, I will be looking forward to the "Ball Tournament"." Sitri-senpai said to Rias with a smile, before she left the room.

"Yes, me as well."

"Shirou-kun, since I'm leaving you in Rias's care for the tournament, I trust you'll be on your best behavior." Senpai said-or rather-commanded.

I saluted. "Aye aye, Cap'n!"

And thus, Sitri-senpai left, leaving the ORC to themselves.

"...I did not like that Saji guy." Ravel decided after a few minutes of silence.

"Neither did I, Ravel." I agreed. "Neither did I."

* * *

**Later...**

Now, I COULD go over every last detail about the ball tournament...but I won't. I'll just sum it up.

So I had a majority of the guys from other clubs targeting me specifically because I was a good-looking bishounen who had great luck with girls.

...Didn't turn out too well for them.

In dodgeball, I was only stopped because I tried catching a ball that was heading for the still-dazed Yumi, dropping the ball and causing me to get out.

It could've been worse though.

I could've gotten hit in the balls like some of the poor bastards I got out...

Hey, when you have your pride shattered by 'You wicked pervy beast!' and 'You princess ruiner!', despite how bad the insults are, it still hurts.

So yeah, I purposefully went for the nutshots.

I'm an ass. I admit it.

Not ashamed of it, but I admit it...doesn't stop it from being any less fun.

Besides, those guys had it coming, I'm sure. I'm just the deliverer of the divine judg-PFFFTHAHAHAHHAHA! I can't even say that with a straight face!

Neh, it was just really fun seeing their expressions turn from blood-rage and overconfident to ones that looked like they had lost all will to live due to the immense pain in their bodies...

Wow. Even from my point of view, that sounded a little sadistic. I think Akeno-san might be rubbing off on me.

But in the end, the Occult Research Club ended the tournament with us as the victors.

I felt really happy when they proclaimed us as the winners. I couldn't stop grinning to myself.

To be acknowledged in something was nice. I thought nothing could spoil my mood...

I thought wrong.

It was raining when I walked outside.

SLAP

That was the bitter sound that rang out through the rain. The fact that someone got slapped wasn't surprising. Rather, it was WHO got slapped that was surprising.

...Yumi.

"How is it? Did you wake up?" Rias sounded angry and I knew why.

Yumi had been out of it all day and she had been uncooperative with the rest of the team. She contributed ONCE OR TWICE, but no more than that. Rias sometimes got angry DURING matches, but Yumi showed no concern or guilty whatsoever. She didn't seem to care at all. I'm not even sure she noticed. Even getting slapped across the face, she showed no expression and spoke no words. She usually looked so happy and beautiful with that smile of hers...

I felt sad again. I didn't like seeing Yumi like this.

"Are you done now?" Yumi asked, her expression empty except for that same bitter sadness she had before. "The ball tournament has finished as well. We won't be practicing anymore so can I take a rest until it's night time? I'm a bit tired so I will take a break from the usual club activity. I'm sorry for my behaviour this noon. Seems like I didn't feel well today."

"Kiba, you are really weird lately." Ise asked with worry.

"It's none of your concern." W-What's with this sudden harshness, Yumi?

I narrowed my eyes, irritated, and marched up to Yumi when she tried walking away in the middle of a conversation. I grabbed her by the shoulder to stop her. "You've been acting really weird these past few days, Yumi, and you're worrying everyone. Tell me what the Hell's bothering you. We can't help you if you won't talk to us! Just tell us!"

Yumi's eyes flashed dangerously as she smacked my hand away. "None of your damn business, Fujimura!"

My eyes widened. I stepped away as if Yumi had just slapped me across the face rather than on my hand.

Ise stepped forward, frowning. "He's just worried about you, Kiba. We all are. It's troublesome, a situation like this when we are trying to form a proper group. That's how we felt after we went through that bitter experience in the previous match, remember? Don't we have to cover for each other's weak points from now on? We are comrades."

"Comrades…" Yumi's expression suddenly became rather gloomy.

"Yes, comrades." Ise confirmed.

"You are always burning…Ise-kun, lately I started to remember the basic things."

"Basic?"

What...What is Yumi talking about?

"Yeah, that's right. The reason why I am fighting."

"Isn't it for Buchou?"

Yumi shook her head, rejecting Ise's response. "No. I'm living so I can seek my revenge. Holy sword Excalibur. Destroying that is the reason why I am living." Then Yumi started to walk away, leaving the rest of us in shock because of that severe look on her face. The only person unaffected was Rias. The first person to snap out of it was me. I wasn't going to just let Yumi go.

I turned to Ise and Rias. "Could you two take Ravel, Jack, Isabela, and Asia home? I'm gonna go and make sure that Yumi doesn't do something stupid." My servants, my friend, and my familiar all looked at me in confusion and surprise.

Rias seemed hesitant at first, but after seeing the look in my eye, she nodded. "Alright...Please look after my Knight for now, Shirou."

"Right."

* * *

And then I gave chase. Yumi wasn't too far ahead, so I caught up to her in no time. I tried using my arms to keep my head from getting soaked, but I picked a bad day to leave home without an umbrella. I was already soaking wet after a few seconds and the rain didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon.

"I can see you!" Yumi shouted at me, her expression still angry and her tone still bitter. "Stop following me!"

I smirked, deciding to see if some good ol' teasing did the job. "I'm not following you~ I was just walking in this direction and YOU happened to be walking in front of me~"

That did not do the job. If anything, it made it worse from the ill intent Yumi had when she stomped towards me, grabbing me by the collar. "Is this all just a game to you?! Do you have a single serious bone in your body or are you just a through-and-through smartass?!"

I stared blankly. Sure what she said hurt, but I could tell she was just venting her own pain, so I endured it.

"Why are you here anyway? What do you want?" Yumi's tone was still harsh, but at least she wasn't shouting anymore.

My expression became sad. "I just want Yumi to be Yumi again." Her expression softened after that. She didn't response, she just turned away. "Look, you don't have to like it, but I just want to make sure you get home alright, OK?"

She still didn't respond.

"Yumi-"

"SSHHH!"

"But-"

"Quiet!" She hissed.

SPLASH

I heard him before I saw him. The man wearing Church robes who approached us. An Exorcist.

I ran to Yumi's side, ready for a fight.

Then the man clutched the bloody patch on his stomach and fell over. He died. It felt too anticlimactic for it to be that easy.

KATCHIN

The sound of clashing blades next to me came from Yumi and a sudden powerful killing intent. Yumi's blade was locked against another, neither giving any ground.

"Yumi!" I didn't care who it was. I threw a punch at the attacker, forcing them to disengage to retreat back a few steps. Then I got a good look at the guy...Wait a minute...

"Yahooo. It's been a while!" Oh dear God no, not this guy again. It was more out of disgust rather than nervousness or fear that I felt reluctant to see that disgusting smile belonging to the Stray Exorcist, Freed Seltzer or whatever his last name was. He was an unimportant person in the grand scheme of things so I never bothered remembering his surname. "Oh! Is that Shirou-kun, too?! Hey there! Remember me?! I was there too when the Fallen Angel whore tried killing you! But you didn't die, no no! But it's good because I get to stab and stab you til you bleed and die! Isn't that wonderful?!"

I felt a shiver go down my spine. This guy still creeped me the fuck out.

"…Seems like you're still in this town. What is your business today? I'm sorry, but I'm in a really bad mood today and I would rather you didn't even look at Shirou let alone talk to him." Yumi said it with an angry tone but he laughed it off.

"Ooh! The pretty Devil bitch is getting all possessive of Shirou-kun!" Freed laughed. "Since you're Devils, you must be into kinky shit! Do you stick it in naughty places?! Does she use toys to make you feel like a woman too?! Aha, what a naught priest I am!"

We both stared at him, deadpan.

"Yumi."

"Hm?"

"Wanna kill this fucked up priest?"

"Oh with pleasure."

Freed laughed psychotically again. "Well that's good timing. Splendid! In my case I'm so happy that I'm going to shed some tears because I get to have a reunion with you and Shirou-kun!"

He really did get on my nerves. I already hated him because he hurt Asia but his personality only amplified my hatred.

Yumi created a Demonic Sword using Sword Birth.

"Divine Dividing!" My translucent wings sprouted from my back, emanating power.

Then the long sword he wielded started to emit a holy aura…! That light! That aura! That glow! It was so harsh towards me and I hated it! It was like that blade itself was my mortal enemy, the one I wanted to destroy most! I couldn't explain it, but I hated and feared that sword...Could it be...?

"I was getting bored of priest hunting so it's good timing. Very Good. Let's check which is stronger between my Excalibur and your Demonic Sword, shall we? Hyahahahaha! I will repay you by killing you!"

Yes, the sword he had was the Holy-Sword Excalibur itself.

My eyes widened. This was bad. Very, very bad. Serafall fall once taught me about the objects Devils were weak against. There were crosses, light weapons of Angels and Fallen Angels, holy water, blessed object, and above all else the Holy Swords. She told me that, if cut by a particularly powerful Holy Sword, a Devil would be erased within minutes if not seconds if they didn't receive immediate medical care. Holy Swords were far more deadly than normal light weapons.

It was too dangerous for Yumi and me to fight it alone! We were strong, but one slip-up meant death in this is situation!

"Yumi, we have to-!"

"Raaaaaaah!" Screaming like a mad person, Yumi charged at Freed, swinging her sword at the Stray Exorcist who caught the strike on his place. I watched in amazement as they began trading incredibly fast blows. Freed...I knew he wasn't this fast before. He was fast before, but Yumi had trained a lot since then, so he should not have stood a chance. Something was wrong.

I swallowed, raising my fists. I had to help as well.

I lunged at Freed who disengaged from Yumi to dodge the blow. He responded by lashing out at me with his Excalibur, but I narrowly avoided the strike. If I had been a millisecond slower, I would be dead.

Freed grinned. "Sorry, Shirou-kun, but I remember our last fight! I'm flattered, but touching me is a no-no~!" I bit my lip. He knew how Divine Dividing worked. I had to make contact in order to use Divide to halve his power. "So could you die now please~?" He was about to attack again, but was stopped when a Demonic Sword clashed against his Holy Sword.

"I'll destroy you and that cursed Holy Sword, you bastaaaaaard!" This was not the Yumi I knew. The person who showed such rage was not Yumi, but rather a spirit of vengeance. She began rapidly stabbing and cutting at Freed with her sword to no avail as Freed used his incredible speed to dodge and block all of the attacks.

I clenched my fists. My power relied mainly on hand-to-hand combat, so I had to be careful.

I held out my hand in front of me, thinking about my remaining option. I wasn't well trained yet, but I had no other weapon.

Freed and Yumi continued trading blows, neither gaining nor losing any ground, but Yumi couldn't keep this up forever. Her rage was making her expend more energy than necessary, exhausting her more quickly than usual.

"Don't worry! I'll kill you first so you don't have to watch Shirou-kun bleed to death when I fill him with sword holes!" Freed cheered merrily.

"Hey, ya friggin psycho!"

Freed looked in my direction. "Hm?" My hands extended towards him.

"Why don't you just _chiiiill out_?!" Then an almost electrical beam of white light shot out of my hands. Freed raised his sword to protect his upper body, but that wasn't where I was aiming. The beam struck the ground at his legs, coating the ground around him in ice and freezing over his feet.

Both Yumi and Freed stared at me. I had stunned Yumi so bad that she momentarily forgot her immense rage (and that's saying something).

["Chill out"? Really? That's the line you're going with?]

They said in perfect deadpan unison.

"What? I thought it was clever." I defended.

"Shirou, that was just awful."

"I'm a demented psychopath and even I found that tasteless." Freed admitted.

That struck a nerve with me. "Shut up! Nobody asked you, asshole! Now burn!" I shot out my hand again, releasing a medium-sized fireball in Freed's direction, Yumi dodging out of the way in time. Freed roared in rage.

"Fuck yooooooou!" He swung the sword down, the blade meeting the call of fire in an impressive explosion followed by a lot of smoke. He grinned. "Nice try, Shirou-kun, but none of your half-assed spells are enough to surpass the power of my precious Excalibur-chan~!"

"That wasn't my intention!" Before Freed could react, I had already run through the smokescreen I created with my spell, appearing right in front of him while throwing my fist forward. He tried to desperately to dodge or block my strike, but his blade was caught on Yumi's and his feet were frozen to the ground. There was no escape.

"Oh shit." Then my fist smashed into the side of Freed's face, sending him flying and smashing into the side of a nearby building. I felt bad since I was not going to pay for the damages.

I grinned as I heard the word I just loved to hear.

[Divide!]

Divine Dividing glowed slightly as I felt new power surge into my body.

[...p us...]

I tensed. What was that? Someone...was talking to me?

It was far different from Albion's voice...childlike even. It sent chills down my spine.

Freed stood back up, rubbing the huge bruise on his face. "Geez, Shirou-kun's learned to punch a lot harder! Shitty Devils sure do get stronger in such a short time! I think I, even more excited about cutting you up! I feel a little weaker, but I'm rejuvenated with incredible joy!"

"Don't turn your back on me!" Yumi screamed again as she slashed at Freed. Her breathing was becoming heavier. She was starting to get tired.

"Awwww~! How cute how the little Devil-chan thinks she can defeat my Excalibur-chan~!" Freed mocked. "But in the end, you're just another weak, shitty Devil!" He swung the Excalibur with impressive force, slamming it against Yumi's blade and sending her skidding backwards.

[Divide!]

I divided Freed's power again, holding out my hand for another spell using my Demonic Power. I was no master, but Akeno-san taught me enough to do some actual damage against a guy like Freed. I had to get him away from Yumi!

[Pl...se! Help...s!]

Gah!

I fell to one knee, clutching my head. My vision went blurry for a moment due to the sharp pain that seemed to attack my brain. Those voices...I didn't know who it was. They sounded so close yet so far away. They sounded like they were in so much pain. Despite the fact I did not know them, I felt an odd pain in my heart...it felt as if I was experiencing the same pain as they were. Is this because of Excalibur?!

"Shirou!" Yumi called out to me from the side. I took a deep breath before standing, adjusting to the added power I stole from Freed. I could tell it was working. Freed was down to 1/4 of his original power thanks to Divine Dividing being used twice. Freed showed signs of lessened strength, but he was still proving himself equal to the still-weary Yumi. In another ten seconds, I would be able to reduce his power to 1/8 of the original power. Isn't math just neat?

"Sorry, Shirou-kun, but I need you to die now so I can show the swords woman my amazing Excalibur-chan~!" I didn't even realize when Freed appeared in front of me. He moved so fast that it put even Yumi's Knight speed to shame! I felt time slow down as the blade came closer to me.

Fear filled my heart. Was this it? Was this how I was going to die?!

My answer?

"FUCK NO!" Even if Excalibur killed me, I would at least take this shitty bastard down with me and smash that damned sword to pieces!

With the speed granted to me by my Queen piece, I was able to keep up with Freed's attack. It would be a close call, but-

"You stay away from hiiiiiiiiim!" Another inhuman shriek came from Yumi. I noted a sudden mass slam into Freed with her shoulder, knocking the Shitty Priest off course and stumbling to recover his previous stance. When I realized what happened, Yumi was standing in front of me, her sword raised and an even more enraged look on her face. "You will NEVER lay a single hand on him!"

Yumi...

I raised my fists.

[Divide!]

I braced myself again for the shocking pain that I endured yet again.

[Please! S...us! Help...s!]

They were repeating the same words over and over again and it was literally driving me insane. They were screaming at me, the harsh shrieks of pain resounding in my own head, so there was no escape whatsoever. They sounded so close but I couldn't find them. It was Hell.

"Shirou, what's wrong?" For a brief moment, Yumi's rage gave way to worry.

"Damn! I'm feelin a little weak now!" Freed complained. "Leave it to Shirou-kun to spoil the fun. I hate you now. Ahaha! Just kidding! Don't worry! I still want to cut you up, so don't feel bad, Shirou-kun! But I'm tired, so I'll leave now~! See you later~!" Freed pulled something out and threw it at the ground.

"No you don't!" Yumi charged forward, but she was too late. Freed smashed the object against the ground, releasing a powerful smoke screen that completely obscured him from our sight. Even before Yumi swung through the smoke only to hit nothing, I knew Freed had fled. I could no longer sense Excalibur's presence.

But that didn't stop Yumi.

"RAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Yumi just continued swinging frantically through the smoke. "GET BACK HEEEERE! RAAAAAH!" She swung again and again like a mad beast, trying to kill the person who was no longer there. She was screaming again and again, huffing and puffing as exhaustion began to take her. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! HATE HATE HAAAATE!"

It broke my heart. I couldn't bear to watch this anymore.

I lunged and grabbed Yumi from behind, holding her back in an attempt to cease this self-destructive behavior.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO!" Yumi jerked and pulled, trying to escape my grasp, but I refused to let go. "JUST LET ME GO!" She kicked and swung her fists back at me. She even tried swinging her head back to headbutt me. All of her hits hurt and I was pretty sure I had a broken nose, but I wouldn't let her go.

This went on for several minutes before Yumi went slack in my arms, panting. If I hadn't been holding her, she would have fallen to the ground.

"It's alright..." I said both to calm her as well as forgive her for hurting me.

"Why...? Just...Just go...You'll just get hurt if you stay near me..." Yumi didn't fight me anymore. Now it just sounded like she had given up on everything, even her own life.

I hugged her more tightly. "I don't care what happens or what you do. I don't want to lose the you whom I care about. If I leave you alone, you'll end up destroying yourself. So please...let me help you."

"Shirou..." Yumi's voice cracked. She started trembling. "Please...don't leave me alone..." I hugged her tightly, smiling both from relief and sadness.

"Alright." I lifted her back to her feet and supported her. "Come on. You'll stay at my place. I don't want you alone tonight." I didn't care about relationships or romancing her or anything. I just wanted to get Yumi the hell off the streets, even if just for tonight. I didn't want her getting hurt trying to go after the Excalibur again. Yumi didn't fight me. She let me half-support/half-carry her as we made our way through the rainy night.

* * *

I didn't really keep track of the time. All I know was that it was getting seriously dark out and it was still pouring outside when I arrived home with Yumi. We were both soaked to the bone. I tried keeping us warm by creating a small fire in my palm using Demonic Power, but that was easily snuffed out by the torrent that rained down on top of us.

I unlocked the door as quietly as possible. Hopefully Mako-nee was gone or asleep because I literally had NO explanation for this.

There was a faint light on in the kitchen. I bit my tongue as I carefully carried Yumi over to the couch and set her down. She just sat there, staring ahead. I knew she wasn't watching TV because not only was it off but it was also against the other wall.

"Yumi..." I said in a soft whisper.

[Shirou-san/sama!]

From the kitchen appeared Asia, Ravel, and Isabela, all of them looking terribly worried.

"Onii-chan!" I caught my adorable familiar in my arms as she jumped, hugging me tightly. "Jack is happy you're okay!"

Nyaaaa!

I looked down at my leg at the familiar, furry creature who was nuzzling against me. I smiled.

"Hey there, Kuro. What are you doing out and about?" I asked, setting Jack down and kneeling so I could scratch my secret pet behind the ears. She let out a satisfied purr. Kuro had seemed suspicious of me at first, almost hostile, but she eventually came to be at ease around me as days past. She was far from obedient. Sometimes I wake up to find the snack cabinets in complete disarray. I don't even know how Kuro got up there into the closed cabinets let alone how she got up into the boxes.

Asia covered her mouth, gasping when she saw our exhausted and beaten forms.

"It's a long story." I said in order to stall this conversation. I gestured to Yumi. "For now let's get Yumi something dry to wear and perhaps a blanket to keep her warm. Since everyone is probably tired, it would be best if we all got some rest for tonight. I'll explain what happened in the morning." Asia seemed uncertain and I noticed she stared at Yumi with a great sense of sympathy, but she still nodded.

Isabela helped up Yumi and she and Ravel brought her to go get changed. Asia wouldn't leave to go after me until I let her heal my minor injuries real quick. The only real damage was done by Yumi in her violent attempts to escape my grasp, but even that was small. I managed to avoid a fatal cut at the hands of Excalibur.

I went to my own room to get a change of clothes. It had been such a long night.

Asia and Ravel desperately tried to convince me to tell them what had happened, but I once again informed them that it would have to wait for morning and sent them off to bed without me. I didn't want to chance them working together to work it out of me. Isabela was the least troublesome. She even managed to convince Jack to go to sleep without me. What a useful Rook I have.

After deciding to take a quick shower because I realized that, despising being dry, I stunk.

I dried my hair as I made my way to the living room. I had given Yumi the couch. I offered any of the beds in the house, but Yumi chose the couch. Her voice sounded empty and I didn't want to upset her again by saying the wrong thing.

I wanted to check if Yumi had fallen asleep yet.

"You don't have to tiptoe. I'm still awake." I had taken one step before Yumi noticed my presence. She was one perceptive Knight. I walked over to her.

Yumi was now dressed in a black shirt with the words "Got Milk?" in white on her chest and small, black shorts.

"You alright?" I asked, worried.

Yumi hung her head, placing her hands in her lap. "Yes." That sounded like a lie. I sat down next to Yumi, my bath towel hanging around my neck and water dripping from my hair. "No." Now THAT was the truth. Yumi looked so sad. There was no way she was okay after everything that just went down.

"Sorry...I was pretty useless during that fight." I admitted. I couldn't get close enough to Freed to do any serious damage because I was afraid of getting hit by his Excalibur sword.

Yumi shook her head. "No. The priest still got away, but if you hadn't been there, he probably would have beaten me pretty badly before he got bored and left." She leaned her head on my shoulder, laying against me.

"Yumi..." Her words were so empty. I bit my lower lip. After everything that just happened, I actually feared asking the question now. "What is the history between you and Excalibur?"

Yumi tensed, her body becoming as rigid as a board. For a brief moment, I feared that I offended her and that she would shut me out again.

Then she started trembling again.

"OK..." Yumi said. My heart welled up with sadness when I saw the tears streaking down the sides of her face.

I felt even worse. "Y-You don't have to-"

"No." Yumi declined, shaking her head. "You fought with me and I got you involved in my own personal grudge. You have a right to know."

Yumi seemed to choke for a moment, but she overcame her fear.

That was when she told me an incredibly sad and tragic story.

She told me about the Holy Sword Project.

As the Holy Swords, like Excalibur, Kusanagi, and Durandal, were important weapons the Church used against the Devils, there began a certain project developed to allow people to wield Holy Swords despite not being born with the unique holy power needed to wield the.

Artificial Holy Sword wielders. They had recruited many children, mainly orphans who had nowhere else to go and who would not be noticed if they went missing. All for this project.

Yumi had been one of those children. She had been given the same artificial treatment as the others in an attempt to become a Holy Sword Wielder.

At the time, Yumi had been really excited. Some of the experiments hurt, but she, like the other children, had been happy and excited at the thought of being such great power and the thought of being able to serve the God whom they believed loved them enough to give them such a gift.

However, it was not to be...

"Why?" I asked, feeling stupid because I knew that I knew the most likely answer to that.

"I couldn't adapt to the Holy-Swords. Not only me, but it seemed like everyone who received a treatment similar to mine couldn't either…"

Even Yumi who is an expert at using swords and can handle all those Demonic-Swords couldn't use the Holy-Swords.

"The people of the Church decided to view the ones who couldn't adapt to the Holy-Swords as "defective products" and disposed of them."

Dispose… Sounds like an unpleasant word. I can imagine what it means.

Yumi hugged her legs to her chest, curled up into a ball as she continued leaning against me.

"Most of the people experimented on were killed including me. Only because they couldn't adapt to the Holy-Swords..." Yumi had started crying again. "The only reason I survived...despite everyone dying...the reason I'm still alive right now is because-"

"-Rias brought you back to life as her servant?" I guessed. Yumi nodded, choking on a sob.

She covered her face with her hands. "I was so rude and harsh to her...I...I wanted to apologize, but I..." Yumi stared at me with tear-filled eyes. "Shirou...you have to understand...I really care about Buchou. She gave me a new life. She took care of me. I-" I patted Yumi on the head, silencing her.

"I know." Yumi was mad, but she definitely loves Rias like her own sister. "And I'm positive that Rias knows, too." Yumi managed the weakest of smiles, nodding while hugging my arm.

"I hope so..." So Yumi had died because of Holy Swords like Excalibur and the horrible intentions of the Church. But that still left me troubled...

"Yumi, you already have a new life. You're free of the Church and can live on your own." I said. "Why do you need to pursue this grudge? The Holy Swords can't bring you misfortune ever again since you now have the strength to fight back." I regretted my words the moment I felt Yumi become cold to me again.

"Shirou...you know how it feels to lose someone you love." Yumi spoke without hesitation or remorse, reminding me of...or Oka-san's death around ten years ago. "You were lucky in that you did not have to see it unfold...I was forced to watch my friends die one by one, killed by the ones we once idolized. I was holding one of them when I saw the light fade from his eyes. Even then...those who remained...they all saved me. So many of them...they all helped me escape. I was one of the youngest, but they all died helping me...How can I go on living without punishing the cause of their misfortune?"

"But Yumi..." I tried figuring out the best way to word this without angering her. "...You're desiring punishment for an inanimate object." Yumi's expression became dangerous for a moment. "What I'm saying is that even if you somehow managed to find the sword again, what would breaking it accomplish? There is no punishment or retribution. No suffering. It will just be a piece of metal broken in two. You're spending the new life you were given hating a hunk of holy metal."

"You don't know anything." Yumi spat in a harsh tone. "That sword is the source of everything that happened to all of the people I cared about."

"I'm not denying that it played a major role in this. I'm saying that perhaps you're blaming the wrong thing." Part of Yumi's anger changed to confusion. "I mean, a sword can only cause as much harm as the person holding intends. I'm saying you shouldn't blame Excalibur itself but rather the person who used that sword to cause harm to you. Whatever happened to those old scientists who ran the project? They hold a fair amount of the responsibility."

Yumi considered my words before shaking her head. "I don't know. I didn't exactly keep up with them."

"Then let's find the person responsible." I suggested. Yumi's eyes widened slightly. "I can't say whether or not pursuing your revenge is the best course of action, but it would be nice to find a safer alternative to you picking a fight with the Church over the Excalibur." Yumi's eyes widened as she processed what I was saying.

"Shirou..."

"I want to help you get your revenge. I don't care about the danger I might get into. I just want to make sure that you're still with me by the time it's over. I'll stand by your for hundreds of years if that's what it takes help you gain closure."

That was my declaration to her. I honestly didn't have the vaguest idea on how to track down the person responsible for the Holy Sword Project, but I knew where and how to get the guy's name.

CHU

Then Yumi's lips were pressed against mine. She placed her hands on the side of my face as I returned her embrace. I didn't question it. I just wanted to enjoy the shocking bliss between us for a bit longer.

When Yumi pulled away, she was crying again. But now she was genuinely smiling.

Relief, joy, exhaustion, bliss. All were amongst the many feelings in her expression.

"I won't say those words...but thank you, Shirou." She meant "I love you". If she was willing to joke about that just like in the good ol' days, then that meant I did put her at ease if not at least a little.

Yumi leaned against my chest. After for what seemed like hours, I could tell her breathing had become softer. She had fallen asleep.

I brushed the hair out of the face of the beautiful blonde bishoujo sleeping on me.

I meant what I said to her. At the very least, I wanted Yumi to know she wasn't alone. I wanted to remind her she still has her comrades. I thought that would give her peace even if only for a moment.

I would like to say that night ended there, but here was one thing I had left to do.

Once I was positive Yumi was asleep, I slipped out from under her and placed a pillow under her head. Afterwards, I covered her in a blanket.

Yumi. No matter what, I will help you.

I made my way into the dining room, rearranging the chairs and the table so I had a large, open space right in the middle of the room. I made sure nobody around. Nobody was except for Kuro...but she's a cat so I don't really count her.

Then I pulled something out of my pocket. A miniature magic circle. This one had a specific purpose.

I threw it to the ground and it began to crackle with blue electricity, growing an expanding until it was a decent size, at least twice the size of my body. Just about the size of the average magic circle drawn in the Occult Research Club's clubroom.

It was a neat little device Serafall had made for me. Since I couldn't create magic circles worth a damn, she had this special magic circle made for me. Well, she had several made for me, but they all had different purposes. They were made portable and I could make them grow or shrink however I pleased so I didn't have to ask for more.

This magic circle was for communication purposes. In order to make it work, I just had to pour in a little big of Demonic Power and...

[...llo?]

A voice came from the now-glowing magic circle. It sounded adorable yet tired.

"Am I coming in clear over there?" I asked to the person on the other side.

There was a loud yawn in response.

[Yeah...Shi-tan, I'm really happy you're...Zzzzzz...No wait! I'm awake...]

Serafall's magic-created image in the middle of the magic circle became visible. She was in the buff so I assumed that I had just woken her up from sleep. It was rather late.

I bowed my head. "Sorry if I disturbed you."

Serafall smiled softly.

[No...It's fine...If it's Shi-tan, then I don't mind at all~]

"Thank you...coz there's something really important I need some information on." I said, a serious expression on my face. Sensing my honest feelings, Serafall's expression also became serious.

[What is this about?]

"...It's about the Excaliburs." Serafall's expression looked like how someone would look if they had just had their mother insulted. "...Er...well..." Under Serafall's gaze, my confidence began to wane.

[Shi-taaaan...what are you getting involved with? Why would you see fit to mention one of the most deadly weapons to our existences as Devils?]

Eep.

I let out a slight squeak at Serafall's reproving look. "W-Well..." Geez. Since when did Serafall become so scary? "...I...I need to help Yumi. Please. I don't care what the punishment is for me, but I have to know. No matter how dark or scary the past is, I need to know about the Holy Sword Project. Please, Serafall..."

My master regarded me with those curious eyes of hers.

[Shi-tan...Very well. It'll take a moment to get the information together, but for now, I'll tell you what I know immediately.]

And that was my first step into the whole complicated mess that would soon ensue.

The battle that began with the Holy Sword Project.

**And done...I put a lot of stuff into this chapter. Sorry about the frequent time skips but there wasn't really anything to put in between those days. But hey, at least I inserted a little battle with Freed and more ShirouxYumi development.**

**Before you ask, no. Yumi has not given up her revenge. What I did was just have Shirou let her know that she's not alone and that he was there for her, thus shouldering some of the burden and helping her sleep a little more easily.**

**...**

**Nope. I think that's it.**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	17. Life 16: Reunions and Holy Swords

**And we take another step into the world of Excaliburs! Shirou is doing his own stuff and stuff goes on!**

**Added to that...I have this silly idea in my head and everyone is free to laugh at me, but...I kinda considered creating an "Opening Theme" for Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan. Ya know? Like how some authors decide to have a little fun and write little "sort-of scripts" and then pick one of their favorite Japanese songs to go with it? That...I'm doing that.**

**Thank AngraMainyu-Chan for this.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except Shirou.**

* * *

**Opening: Liar Mask by Rika Mayama**

_**[kuchihateru you ni moyuru tsuki]** A burnt Devi-kun covered in blood is falling slowly as a glowing red sky is shown in the background._

_**[akatsuki ni shizumiyuku ]** A badly burnt Shirou is followed and slowly falls down to the ground, his eyes changing to red._

_**[tsukurareta kao de]** The scene changes with Shirou walking, Asia, Ravel, and Isabela following him._

_**[sotto chikadzuite ]** Change to Issei walking alone with the Boosted gear activated._

_**[shinjiru mono o]** Koneko and Yumi appear, apparently following the others. following Shirou._

_**[yami ni otosu]** Kalawarner, Miltelt and Raynare walking with their wings outstretched._

_**[ito ni karamaru] **Irina walking by a pond showing her reflection with Excalibur Mimic._

_**[emono no you ni ]** Xenovia walking by a pond showing her Durandal, Excalibur Destruction and her reflection._

_**[tada hitasura ni]** Rias and Akeno standing alongside each other as they both looked at left side. The background showing every ORC members._

_**[sora o aogu]** Changes to Sona and Tsubaki looking at the right side with the background of every member of the Student council._

_**[kurikaesareru higeki]** Spinning cam of a crying Yumi seeing the souls of the Holy sword project around her._

_**[bukimi ni warau]** An image of Kokabiel sitting on his throne._

_**[ura no kao]** Change to Freed Selzen and Valper Galilei side by side._

_**[kore ijou nanihitotsu]** Makoto Fujimura shown standing on a rooftop as she observes the final battle from afar._

_**[nakusanai you]** A static memory of Miyako Fujimura in a burning house._

_**[ni katana o nuku]** Scene change to Shirou slowly opening his eyes as he activated Divine Dividing._

_**[yami ni houmure]** Xenovia and Irina are fighting Freed as he wields two Excaliburs._

_**[yogoreta egao] **Koneko dodging one of the Cerberus attack as Kiba appeared before activating her Blade Blacksmith._

_**[yariba no nai ikari, hanate!]** Scene change to Sona and the Student Council maintaining the barrier. Rias and Akeno charges up as they unleash their magic._

_**[doredake no chi to namida o nagashitara]** Scene change to Shirou activating Divine Dividing wings and Kokabiel forming a light spear in his hands. They then rushed towards each other as an explosion of blue and golden light results from their clash._

_**[inoru you ni kirisaite ]** Scene then changes to Issei holding his hand out to the screen._

_**[kyou mo akaku someageyo! + Instrumental] **A darkened Shirou extends his hand, grabbing Issei's hand as sunlight whites out the screen._

**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**

* * *

**Life 16: Reunions, Realizations, and Holy Swords**

Other than the usual, bloodcurdling screaming in my nightmares, I had an easy morning.

"Hehehehe...Stop it, Akeno...that tickles..." Let it be known that I was not fully awake at the time. Thus I did not realize that the thing that licked my face once was, in fact, my adorable kitten, Kuro. When I opened my eyes and realized that fact, I was embarrassed. I sat up and rubbed the back of my neck, feeling embarrassed. "Hey...could you not mention this to anyone else, Kuro?"

The black-furred feline flicked her tail back and forth, eying me.

"Nyaaaaa." She meowed at me. I took that as a yes.

Huh? Then I realized I was on the floor, still in the kitchen where I had been speaking to Serafall the night before. When I had pushed myself up from the ground, I realized I had a huge red mark on my face from where my head had been laying. I groaned, rubbing the red area.

"What was I doing last ni-" That was when I remembered. "Yumi! Yumi! I know! I got the name!"

I ran out of the kitchen and into the living room like an excited little child. Serafall had given me the news I had been looking for all night during our conversation last night.

I honestly fell asleep halfway through the conversation due to exhaustion, but from what I heard, the person responsible for the tragedy that ended the Holy Sword Project, Valper Galilei, was not a well-liked person. All I needed to know was who he was and where he was so Yumi could shove a blade up the geezer's ass. From what I heard from Serafall, he was with the Fallen Angels coz he got kicked out of the Church. He was with the Fallen Angels and was under their protection.

I was going to need to have a serious talk with Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt. I had Serafall try to schedule a meeting with the Fallen Angel Governor Azazel so we could convince him to hand over Valper. Of course, I can't hold my breath that long, so for now I could only tell Yumi what was going on and try to figure out what we did from there.

There she was, sleeping so peacefully on the couch as I had left her...is what I'd like to say.

But no. The blonde princess was nowhere to be seen. In her place was a note:

_Shirou,_

_I left early to clear my head. See you at school._

_-Yumi_

I frowned in disappointment. I had been really excited about telling Yumi what I had found out...but perhaps...it might not be for the best.

I was on the fence on this matter. It was a slippery slope either way with severe consequences if I didn't handle the situation just right.

On one hand, I could tell Yumi about Valper. She would let go of her Excalibur grudge and focus more the geezer behind the project. However, if I did that, Yumi would go on the warpath and attack Valper who is under the Fallen Angels' protection. That would trigger an all-out war with the Fallen Angels.

On the other hand, I could not tell Yumi about Valper. She would continue with her Excalibur grudge and go after the Church who owns Excalibur. Yumi would either lose or, worse, win and kill the person and destroy Excalibur. Her grudge would be gone, but then she might trigger an all-out war with the Angels.

If I didn't handle the situation correctly, Yumi would trigger an all-out war with one of the other two factions or she would be declared a Stray and killed in order to satiate the other faction's desire for retribution.

I didn't want either of those.

I sat down on the couch, hanging my head back, sighing. "Why can't anything be simple?" I really wish I could be like Ise and just completely ignore the political complications. But no. I had to be responsible on the behalf of my master and the Devils.

"Hey, Albion...I know you can hear me." I said aloud to the open air. "You've been alive for a long time, so you should know about things like this. You got any ideas?"

.

.

.

Silence.

I should've known better. Albion and I haven't really communicated since his proper introduction. Another reason I felt envious of Ise. From what I gathered, his relationship with Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon, was a lot more casual. They held enough of a bond that Ddraig allowed Ise to trade his arm in exchange for his incomplete Balance Breaker, Scale Mail. Albion wasn't exactly the social type. It was a long shot that he would have responded. And even if he had did, what would he have answered? He was a Dragon.

A part of me felt worried.

I had my Sacred Gear just as long as Ise, but he's made far more progress in unlocking its abilities. All I know with Divine Dividing is how to use its [Divide] ability. Meanwhile, Ise's learned to use [Boost] on objects and other powers and how to use [Gift] to transfer his own power. He even managed to attain his Balance Breaker while I haven't even come close.

Excalibur. The Holy Sword that Freed had wielded the previous night. My mind was drawn to that sword. It had radiated such a dangerous presence towards me. If Yumi had not been there, the fight would have been one-sided and would have ended quickly. I would have died. That was the part that was eating me up the most. All I've truly done since becoming a Devil had been almost getting killed.

I was killed by Raynare. I was almost killed by Freed during our first fight. I was almost killed by Raynare AGAIN during our second encounter while I was letting Ise and Asia escape. And then I was almost killed last night against Freed. I kept asking everyone to place their trust in me, but I had not been able to do anything. I was a smooth talker and pretty damn handsome, but not much else.

"Shirou-sama...what are you doing up so early in the morning...?" Ravel yawned, coming into the room while stretching her arms. Come to think of it, I had no idea what time it was. I just woke up on the kitchen floor like a drunk man trying to recover from a hangover and sat down on the couch.

"I dunno. It depends on what time it is." If it's late enough, I could just go ahead and make breakfast.

"...Are you okay, Shirou-sama?" Ravel asked. "Lately, you've been acting weird. Come to think of it, what happened last night anyway?" Ravel sat on the couch next to me, staring intently. "You said you would tell us what happened after we got some sleep."

"So I did." I noted, nodding, only half-paying attention. "Ravel...Yumi and I fought Excalibur last night."

Cue sharp gasp.

"Y-You what?!"

I pinched her lips shut. "SSSSSHHHHHH! Don't wake up the whole house!" I hissed in a whisper. I sighed again before shaking my head. "It was a rough fight. The Holy Swords are no joke. I wanted to try and help Yumi overcome her hatred, but I'm stuck at another political crossroad. It's just...and there's..." I wasn't even entirely sure where to begin. All of a sudden, the weight of all of my problems just started crashing down on me. My nightmares, Yumi's grudge, the Excalibur, me inability to contact Albion, everything!

"Shirou-sama...are you okay?" I realized how worried Ravel was getting. I was letting my troubles get the best of me and I was worrying her because I couldn't handle it.

I grinned. "Yeah yeah! Everything's fine. I'm just a little sleepy~ Don't mind it at all. I'll be fine in a little bit."

Ravel seemed unconvinced. "Are you sure?"

I nodded. "Of course." I waved off her concerns completely. "Now go..." I checked the clock on the wall. "Huh. I guess it's late enough to get up. I guess I could just start whipping up some breakfast for everyone."

Ravel's eyes went all sparkly like. "We can to dine on Shirou-sama's dishes again!? Oh joy!" Yeah. My cooking skills were a big hit at the Phenex household. Even Ravel cleaned her entire plate. The more daring of the group like Aella and Ni and Li had three plates full.

I patted Ravel on the head, still grinning. "Alright then~ I'll get into the kitchen and whip up somethin' tasty~"

Well, despite everything that was going, at least I could still calm down in the kitchen. My hand may have twitched once or twice, but nothing noteworthy.

I was resolved to help Yumi. But the real question was how I could do it without creating more problems.

* * *

Once again, I was fully distracted during class that day. I kept thinking about what to tell Yumi about what I found out about Valper Galilei.

She seemed calmer than she was yesterday, but still determined to seek her revenge.

...Shit. I had no idea what to tell the others.

Excalibur was in Kuoh! That is a serious security issue! What's worse is that it's in the hands of FREED!

I have no idea what to do about this!

So, for the moment, I was content to simply remain silent. I would try to speak to Rias about this later. She was more open to negotiation. If I told Sitri-senpai something like this, her immediate reaction would be something along the lines of military defense or something. She would take no chances and would pull out all of the stops. As selfish as it is, if she did that, then Yumi might never get the chance to take her revenge.

When class ended, I still had yet to solve my problem. It was just so difficult.

"Sorry for just disappearing on you like that, Shirou." Yumi said, walking up to me after the bell had rang. It felt nice to be able to see her smile again. She still seemed tired, but not as angry. "I just...I had a lot to think about. But now I'm ready to calmly approach the issue of...that sword." She took a deep breath. Apparently even saying the name of that Holy Sword was enough to hurt her. "Anyway, so how are we going to look for the sword?"

I stared at her. "What?"

"You said you would help me get my revenge, remember?" Shit. I did say that. "And I know you don't want to cause trouble for Leviathan-sama or anyone else, so here's my line of thought: Freed is a Stray Exorcist, right?" I nodded. "And he has the sword, right?" I nodded again. "So who's to say we knew that the sword we were destroying was THAT Holy Sword?" Yumi smiled at my expression of confusion. "As a Stray Exorcist, the Church and the Devils consider him an enemy and would kill him on sight. So if we ended up slaying Freed and destroying the Excalibur in the process, who could fault us? It would be an accident committed in an act of self defense."

I stared at Yumi once she had finished explaining her idea to me. Yumi stared back.

"I-Is something wrong with my idea?"

I shook my head, gesturing frantically. "No no no! Nothing! It's just far less bloody, violent, and war-causing than I had thought it would be. I figured the plan would be more complicated."

Yumi held her hands behind her back, biting her lower lip as she turned away from me.

"Well...I admit it. If you hadn't offered to help me, I probably would have done something far more drastic and dangerous." Yumi admitted. "But...I don't want you to get hurt either. A small part of me doesn't care about my own life if I could just obtain my revenge...but I don't want you to suffer. It would all be meaningless if I got someone I cared about killed as a result. It would be equally bad if you got blamed for a war my actions would have caused."

I let out a small sigh of relief. It appeared that my gesture to Yumi had done more than I hoped. She was still tired, but not quite as angry as before. It was a long-shot, but I had hoped I would be able to convince her to let go of her revenge and move on. However, that was not likely. The most I could do was help Yumi come out of his alive and minimize the damage. I was honestly surprised when it was Yumi herself who came up with the plan that would cause the least collateral damage.

As long as we took out Freed and didn't do any other harm to the Church or their assets, we could actually come out of this situation consequence-free.

But a thought came to me. "But Yumi...this is one of the strongest Holy Swords we're talking about. I doubt it'll break as easy as any other sword."

Yumi waved off my concerns. "That's an issue for a later date. Our foremost and top priority is actually acquiring the sword from Freed. If he has to die in the process so be it...Well, killing him is really optional, but-"

"-the world would be better off without a psychopath like that nut job?" I guessed, finishing Yumi's sentence.

"Has anyone ever mentioned how creepy it is when you do that?" I shrugged in response. "Anyway, yes. I know you might think of it as an ugly thing for me to say. Still, I say it not just because he's a priest, but also because he is a sick person who exists only to cause misery."

"You won't see me giving that guy any sympathy." I said sharply. Especially not after he hurt Asia and my friends.

"Right. So we have to get the sword and then find a way to break it before the Church finds out we have it. It's all a matter of doing it as quickly as possible."

I rubbed my chin, thinking. "Now the only question left is how to do we find Freed so we can take the Excalibur?"

Yumi crossed her arms and sat on the desk next to me. "It's hard to say. That priest has proven himself to be slippery. He can't be found unless he wants to appear. He usually only appears when there's a Devil he wants to claim as his prey if our recent encounters are anything to go by." That was when the lightbulb lit up in my head.

"Yumi, say that again." I said, having a sudden realization.

Yumi frowned. "'The priest has proven himself to be slippery'?"

I shook my head. "No. A bit after that."

"'-if our recent encounters are anything to go by'?"

Now I was sure she was doing it on purpose. "No. A little bit before that!"

Yumi pondered this. "'He usually only appears when there's a Devil he wants to claim as his prey'?"

"Bingo!" I snapped my fingers at Yumi, revealing my big realization to her. "We've been thinking about this too logically! Freed is a psychopath, remember? He doesn't follow the same logic as you and I. His primary instinct is to kill and slaughter. That's why he was thrown out of the Church in the first place."

"But how does this help US?" Yumi asked. "I get he's an evil and horrible existence, but that doesn't explain how we track him down."

"It's a pretty simple plan when you think about it: We give him something to target." Yumi raised an eyebrow at my suggestion, but said nothing. "We're usually hiding our presences as Devils except at night during activities. If we stop suppressing our Demonic Power and willingly release our power into the nearby area, Freed will be drawn to it like a moth to a flame."

"I get it!" Yumi said, her eyes wide.

Like I said before, we're usually suppressing our powers so as to hide our identities as Devils from certain parties. However, the only people who would notice us anyway would be people with abnormal or holy powers at their disposal. The only way you would be able to figure out a Devil's presence would be if they attacked you or if you knew what they looked like ahead of time. So we hide our presences to avoid detection. However, it could also be done in reverse, such as purposely releasing a large amount of our presence to the nearby area. So, with luck, we would be able to lure Freed into a trap with the promise of a potential Devil victim for him to kill.

"But, it's not full proof." I admitted, crossing my arms. "You remember our fight last night. Even with the two of us, we barely managed to drive Freed back." Although I neglected to manage that Yumi had exhausted herself too quickly with her reckless assault. That would not earn me any points. "The only way we can get the Excalibur AND defeat Freed would be if we worked together."

"Then what's the issue?" Yumi asked. "We'll just stick together and defeat him together."

"Well, for one, there's too much ground to cover for us to go together." I explained, pointing out the most obvious flaw in that idea. "By the time we even catch a whiff of Freed or the Excalibur, they would probably be long gone, done with whatever they set out to do. There's too many holes in this town that that snake could have slithered into and not enough time to check them all with the two of us. My second reason is that Freed knows how to pick his battles. He knows that taking on the two of us with the same old tricks of his would be suicide. He would be sure to prepare well for a second outright confrontation with us if he saw us together."

Yumi seemed to argue with herself for a moment, but she sighed. "I don't like it. I'm the one who agreed to let you help and I don't want you to get hurt because I wasn't there...but I admit your point."

I thought about Yumi's warranted worries. She did have a fair point.

Then an idea came to me.

"I got it!" I held out my hand, covering it slightly to protect my palm from the sight of others. Suddenly, a small flame formed by Demonic Power sparked into existence, dancing in the palm of my hand. "Old fashioned signal flares. You can manipulate your own Demonic Power, right?"

Yumi nodded slightly. "I'm no Bishop, but I think I've learned to control my power a bit through creating my Demonic Swords. I could probably make a small flame."

"Good. In that case, if either of us finds something or needs to regroup with the other, one of us will send up a small flame into the sky to signal the other and provide a location where we can regroup. We both have a high level of speed due to possessing Knight traits, me because of my Queen piece, so at the first sight of trouble, one of us can signal the other and they can be there in a heartbeat." I closed my hand around the flame, extinguishing it. "What do you think?"

Yumi hugged me, resting her head on my shoulder. "I think it's still really risky, but it's the best shot we got. Just promise you'll be careful and call me at the first sign of trouble?" She asked.

I grinned in response. "Of course. This is me that we're talking about~!"

"That's what worries me." Yumi teased. My smile became more gentle as I hugged Yumi back.

Ah~! It felt so nice to be on hugging terms with Yumi again~! Her hugs were so soft and her oppai felt so amazing pressed against my own chest~!

"It would be best if we got this underway immediately before anyone, especially Rias, gets suspicious."

Yumi nodded. "Right. I need to go get something real quick, but I'll be out scouting in a moment. I'll cover the residential area." It made sense. That was where we had fought Freed before and where I had first encountered the sick bastard while doing a job a about a month or two ago.

"Roger that. I'll get the area around the park and the woods nearby. That area provides quite a bit of land to hide in." I decided. "In case we don't find anything, we'll meet back at my place and discuss a new plan. If that is impossible for whatever reason, we'll meet back here tomorrow. That sound okay?"

Yumi pulled away, still smiling at me. "Yeah."

Then I remembered what I learned from Serafall and hesitated. "Yumi..." The blonde-haired princess stared at me with curious eyes. "...you...you be careful too." I...I couldn't do it. Telling Yumi about Valper...It might only serve to further fuel the flames of revenge. No. It would be best to defeat Freed and destroy the Excalibur as soon as possible.

CHU

She gave me a quick peck on the cheek. "Good luck." As I started to walk away, I shot a thumbs up over my shoulder.

Yumi, no matter what, I'll help you overcome your past and move on.

* * *

...Although perhaps I overestimated how easy this plan would be to carry out.

As I walked about the park, I released my demonic presence to any who had the ability to sense it. The plan sounded so easy on paper. Release Demonic Power, lure Freed in, signal Yumi, proceed to pummel Freed to a pulp, take the Excalibur, and then destroy the Excalibur. For a guy like Freed, I had thought he would come running, but...

This was boring.

I could not deny that thought.

Don't get me wrong. I'm happy that I'm able to help Yumi, but that doesn't change the fact that walking aimlessly around, trying to get attacked purposely, was boring. Until the attack happened, there was nothing to do.

On the bright side, releasing my Demonic Power was rather easy. Compared to manipulating it into specific shapes, it was as easy and simple as breathing.

But still, it did nothing to attract the attention of a certain sadistic psychopath. Either he was smart enough to notice it was a trap and avoid it (I cringe at the thought) or he wasn't in the area. Either way, until something happened, I was bored.

I pretty much went in circles, traveling around the whole length of the park. I even got into the habit of counting the number of times I passed by a certain rock on the ground (198 and counting).

Almost two hours passed.

After my legs got tired of walking, I decided to just sit on a bench nearby and wait. If Freed wanted to kill me, he'd have to come to me. Spreading my Demonic Power around an area was clearly not working.

I leaned back in my seat, sighing. "Shit. I didn't even tell Mako-nee that I'd be home late...geez. That's going to be a lecture when I get home." I groaned. "'Course, I could always just sneak in through a window or something. Or maybe use a teleportation circle. Yeah. That could work."

Then whole world froze. There was a sudden tightening in my muscles and my body reacted before I could even realize the hostile presence I sensed.

I leaped forward, rolling out of the way just as a large blade cut down the center of the bench where I had been sitting. There was a bit more of an explosive power in that attack than there should have been.

I smirked, excited that things have finally kicked into high gear. "Ha! About time you showed up!" I raised my fists, ready for a fight.

The figure before me said nothing and wore a robe that hid his features. In his hands was a large sword that honestly looked badass. If I were a swordsman, I really would have killed to have a badass-looking sword like that. I know he was my enemy, but it was just such a cool-looking sword. However, I would never have been able to wield that sword even if I DID manage to get my hands on it.

Reason: It was a Holy Sword.

Just like how I sensed it back when I was near the Church operated by the Fallen Angels or like what I sensed from the Excalibur that Freed wielded before, he wielded a Holy Sword.

"Huh. While I would have preferred that you showed up earlier, it's better late than never." I raised a hand. "Let's go! Divine Dividing!" There was a light on my back as my Sacred Gear's wings appeared out of thin air.

"Hmph. So this is the current Hakuryuukou." E-Eh? That...That's not Freed's voice. "While I'm impressed you managed to avoid my first strike, your life ends at my hands."

Despite being shocked at it being not-Freed, I quickly recovered as the female Exorcist (I'm judging by the sound of her voice) lunged at me with her large Holy Sword. I dodged to the side, but the Exorcist quickly swung her blade sideways, slamming right into me. I would have been cut pretty badly if I hadn't used Divine Dividing's wings to guard against the attack. To be honest, I made up the guard on the spot. I didn't even know that my Sacred Gear's wings could bend like that. However, it was wrong to assume that that was the end of the attack. Just as I thought I was in the clear, the Exorcist brought up her leg and delivered a powerful kick right to my face, smashing right into my face and sending me flying and tumbling against the ground. This lady was strong because it felt like my face had been smashed into a wall when her attack hit (Trust me. I know what I'm talking about).

I quickly recovered and got back to my feet. I sighed to myself. "Damn. It's neat I fulfilled the conditions but to do it because I was on the receiving end again was just embarrassing." Oh well. My wings began glowing.

[Divide!]

I felt a surge of power enter my body.

"I see...so this is the Hakuryuukou's power." The Exorcist noted. From my current position, I managed to catch a glimpse of dark-blue hair underneath the Exorcist's cloak. She grabbed the hood of her cloak and threw it away, revealing her full body to me. "I truly feel only at half strength. I will defeat you before you have the chance to use it again."

My eyes widened, surprised by the woman's attire.

She was a young woman, perhaps just about my age, with chin-length blue hair with a green fringe on the right side and dark yellow eyes. Her attire consisted of some sort of battle suit, which consisted of a black, skin-tight, short sleeved unitard with pauldrons, matching fingerless gloves that extend to her biceps, and thigh-high boots, all of which were adorned with straps. The suit was skin tight and left NOTHING to the imagination. Her body was well-toned and admittedly kind of sexy.

I felt myself blush before looking away, feeling somewhat ashamed for checking out an enemy in the midst of battle.

"Hmph. I admit you're a bit tougher than I would have expected. I guess all you Exorcists are nothing to scoff at." I said, feeling some respect for my opponent's strength.

"Still your tongue, Devil." The blue-haired Exorcist commanded. "Now...tell me where they are. Where have you hidden them?"

I stared.

"Well?"

"You told me to still my tongue." I complained before grinning. Nothing like screwing with an enemy to loosen up in the middle of a battle.

It was subtle, but I could see a flicker of irritation on the Exorcist's face. I had a knack for pissing people off when I really wanted to.

"Then I will consign you to death here, Devil." She readied her sword to attack me again.

It was fun, but mostly I was confused. I had no idea what this girl was talking about. What are "they"? What did she mean "where have you hidden them"?

Of course, I didn't have enough time to think further on that as an Exorcist came falling through the air in front of me, swinging her heavy sword down on my head. If it hadn't been for my Knight speed allowing me to move back in time, I would have been beheaded there and then. Instead, her sword stabbed into the ground in front of me. I expected her to pick up her sword and lunge at me. What I didn't expect was-

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

The ground shook with tremendous force and I was knocked back into the air by a powerful blast that was centered around the impact area where the Exorcist's blade had struck.

Such power! This was truly a powerful Holy Sword that this Exorcist wielded!

I spread out my wings and flew into the air, trying to get out of the Exorcist's range. "Geez! What's with that power?!"

"That is the only part of the power of the Holy Sword, Excalibur. Even in fragments, just this will be enough to erase heretics and Devils such as yourself." The Exorcist threatened.

My eyes widened in shock. "E-Excalibur?!" W-What?! H-How could that sword be Excalibur?! Freed had Excalibur! Unless of course one of them was lying. There's no way they can both have THE legendary Excalibur! "Just who the Hell are you!? Why do you have that sword!?"

"I see no reason to introduce myself to a Devil whom I am about to slay." Then the Exorcist leaped into the air at me.

[Divide!]

Even with the extra loss in strength, she showed no signs of wariness or exhaustion as she once again swung her blade down on my mid-air. I was incredibly shocked by her agility. I never thought a normal human could move that quickly or that high, but then again, I have seen far more surprising things. Thinking fast, I gave my left wing a huge flap, creating a enough force to blow me to the right of the supposed-Excalibur blade, missing me by perhaps half a millimeter. Before the Exorcist could hit the ground, I held out my hand and released a powerful bolt of lightning at her. I was nowhere near as skilled as Akeno-san, but my lightning was still fairly potent.

The Exorcist spun around in mid-air, holding out the flat of her blade to take the brunt of the attack. She was knocked backwards and hit the ground rolling, but she was mostly unscathed except for a few scratches and a bruise or two. I unleashed another powerful blast of fire that exploded at the ground near the Exorcist. I thought she was done for until she came bounding out of the smoke, unaffected by the attack other than some dirt on her face and clothes (if you can call her outfit clothes). She lunged into the air again swinging her sword at me. I used my aerial mobility to swerve out of the way, but the Exorcist swung her sword around at me, but I caught it at the end of my wing, grunting under the force of the blow. I couldn't put it off any longer. I extended my hand, ready to signal Yumi-

Then I realized my mistake as the blade made contact.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

I was blown right out of the air, sent spiraling all the way to the ground and hitting it hard, creating a Shirou-shaped crater.

I groaned in pain as my wings started glowing again.

[Divide!]

I spat up blood. That was not a good side. The pain of being exploded and smashed into the ground was bad enough, but if some of my internal organs were damaged and I was bleeding, than this fight would not last much longer. If I didn't hurry, I would be knocked out by bloodloss rather than actual injury or exhaustion. Still, that attack was pretty severe. I wouldn't survive a direct attack if she stuck that sword in me. I was about to get up from the ground when a heavy foot stomped on my left hand.

You know the sound that you hear when you use a nutcracker to break open the shell of a walnut?

It was that kind of crunch that could be heard.

And it was my kind of scream of pain that could be heard.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" The pain was intense. It was like every bone in my hand had been crushed by this brutal Exorcist. I bit my tongue, trying to silence my screams. I slammed my other fist against the ground, suppressing screams of pain as the Exorcist proceeded to twist her foot down on my hand to increase my pain and suffering.

"You can end your own suffering now, Devil." The Exorcist offered. "Just tell me where they are and I will make it quick. If you tell me where your leader is and take me to them, I may consider sparing your life."

I grunted. There was no way I was going to take this bitch anywhere near Serafall! I don't even know what "they" are! This girl was speaking gibberish and nonsense! But still, there was no way I would be able to get out of this until I gave some concessions. It was either die or betray my loved ones. I would never do the latter, but I didn't want to do the former either. I had to think on my feet. I had to think fast!

"Alright alright!" I screamed in apparent pain. "I'll tell you everything I know! I swear! Please spare me! I don't want to betray my leader, but I don't want to die either!" The Exorcist ceased the pressure she was putting on my broken hand and seemed somewhat satisfied with my response.

The Exorcist held her supposed Excalibur sword at her side. "You had best speak quickly, Devil. My patience is wearing thin."

I breathed in and out, trying to suppress laughter at how she bought that. "Alright...Alright. I'll tell you everything...For example, THIS IS A PUUUUUUNCH!" Faster than the Exorcist could react, I lunged forward, slamming my fist into the gut of the Exorcist. She was caught by surprise as I knocked the wind out of her and knocked her back several feet.

I quickly recovered, getting back to my feet, ready to fight.

[Divide!]

The Exorcist coughed several times, clutching her stomach which I had punched with all of the Rook-level strength I could muster. Even if this woman was strong, impressively so, she was still just a human and possessed the same frailty that all humans possess. In terms of physical ability, I was superior to this woman because my Devil body is more durable.

"How cowardly!" The Exorcist spat at me. "But I suppose you Devils were never meant to have a sense of honor!" That irritated me.

"Oh! Coming from the girl who picked a fight using a SNEAK ATTACK if I may remind you!" I retorted.

"Silence!" I clearly got the better of her in that one. "You die here and now, Devil!"

I gave a "bring it" gesture to her. "I'll take you on here and now!"

The Exorcist shook her head. "I had though that I could end this easily on my own, but I've wasted enough time here."

I was about to ask what she meant when I felt the point of a blade poke the back of my neck. It didn't cut me, but just making contact with the blade was enough to leave a slight burning sensation.

A Holy Sword.

That was when I began sweating.

"Sorry it took so long, Xenovia!" Another girl. Geez. Before I hadn't seen a single female in Church battlewear and today I see two. Both of them wanted to kill me also. "I thought you had it for a second, but I was mistaken. Amen! God, please forgive me for my mistake!"

"It's fine." The other Exorcist, Xenovia, assured the second girl. "But I don't think this Devil will be cooperative. It was troublesome enough dealing with the Fallen Angel, but if the Devils are involved, this mission became so much more complicated."

"Ah. I suppose we should exorcise this Devil in the name of God then."

My heart stopped.

"Fallen Angels"?! Don't tell me that these girls are trying to hurt Raynare and the others?! Even if we were once enemies, they were now my friends and I didn't want to let anyone hurt them!...But what did they mean that the Devils are involved? Involved with what? And what "mission" are they talking about?

Nothing about this battle had made the slightest bit of sense. I figured these girls might be working with Freed, but now...everything was too confusing...

And I was going to die without understanding why. That was what most terrified me. But I wouldn't show weakness, not to these two.

I clenched my fists at my side as the Exorcist, Xenovia, placed her own Excalibur at my throat. If I was going to die, I would die in defiance.

"Go ahead!" I screamed at the two Exorcists, causing them to flinch in surprise. "Go ahead and kill me! Pick a fight with all of Devil-kind if that's what your goal is! But mark my words: My bro Ise is going to hunt you down and kick your asses!" That's right. Even if I died, I could count on Ise to become stronger and defeat my killers. Serafall would cry, but Sona and the others would be there for her. I leave everyone in good hands.

"Farewell, Devil." Xenovia pulled back her sword to swing, ready to behead me. I closed my eyes and-

"WAAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

[Eh?]

Both Xenovia and I were taken by surprise as Xenovia's comrade tackled her from the side, knocking her to the ground with the second girl on top.

Xenovia looked at her comrade in confusion. "What has gotten into you?!"

The second Exorcist quickly got up, waving her arms frantically. "Just give me a second! There's something I have to figure out!" Then she turned to me. Mentally, I was smacking myself across the fact, scolding myself for not having run while they were distracted. "You...Ise...Would you happen to mean Hyoudou Issei?"

I frowned. How did she know, Ise?...Then again, he did become more well-known after he defeated Riser. It would not be surprising if some of the Exorcists knew who he was.

"Yes. What of it?" I asked with hostility. The second Exorcist stood up, her eyes going wide.

"How...How do you know him?!" These questions were getting disturbingly personal.

"I...We've been best friends ever since we were little. Us and one other person. If she knew about this, she would probably even help Ise hunt you down and kick your asses! Ise and Iri are two of the greatest people I know! Even if I died, they would get you back no matter what!" I bit my lower lip. I honestly don't know WHAT Iri would do. I hadn't seen her face-to-face in over ten years.

"You know...Technically speaking, you would be right in a way, Shi-chan."

My eyes went wide. "W-What did you call me?" I stumbled back and fell to the ground as a result.

"Sorry...It's been ten years. I honestly didn't recognize you." The second Exorcist stood up from the ground and pulled down her hood, revealing her face to me. She was another girl about my age with long, chestnut hair and violet eyes. Her hair was tied into twintails, each held with a blue scrunchy. The corners of her eyes filled with tears, but she was smiling. "Even if it's in this situation, I'm really happy to see you again, Shi-chan!"

That was when an image flashed in front of my eyes. A cute tomboy with more courage than Ise and I put together. The first person not to be off-put by my distant and loner disposition.

"I-Iri?" N-No way... "Iri...WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING WORKING WITH FREED?!"

.

.

.

[What?]

That was the response of the two now-identified Exorcists who stared at me with dot-like eyes.

"OK...I'm getting some shocked reactions...Erm..." It felt like I was seriously missing something. "So...you're...you're NOT working with Freed?"

"You mean...Freed Sellzen?" Irina asked. "Oh Heavens no!" She crossed her arms now. "I serve my Lord with every part of my being. If I shamed Him by allying with one such as that person, I could only pray that He would strike me down before I stained my soul any further."

I paused, turning to Xenovia. "You...I...I never asked if you were a Stray Exorcist or not, did I?" I had assumed she was because of how she preemptively attacked me, but...

Xenovia shook her head. "No. We did not exchange too many words, but I recall that that question was not one of them."

"But if...wait a minute...Oh..." Then I face-palmed, covering my face in my hands. "Oh my Maou. I...I feel sooooo embarrassed right now!" I felt so stupid! This fight had been started based on a total misunderstanding! "OK...I feel like we all have a bit of discussing to do."

"Clearly we do." Irina agreed.

"For now, let's return to my house where we can discuss this and I can rest from the horrible injuries your partner inflicted on me." I raised my hands in surrender when Xenovia prepared to raise her sword to attack me again. "Before we do, however, let's clarify: I'm not working with the people you're after and you're not working with/for the guy I'm after, okay? For now, let's just trust each other on this, OK?"

Irina turned to Xenovia, clasping her hands together. "Please, Xenovia? Shi-chan is the one I've told you about for so long! If I can't trust him, I can't trust anybody else in the whole wide world, not even God Himself!" Iris a paused, making a small prayer of apology to the big man upstairs. "Pleeeeeaaaasssse?!" Xenovia's eyes went wide and gestured to me.

"_He_ is the one you told me about?" For some odd reason, I felt insulted at this girl's doubt.

Irina nodded excitedly. "Yes."

Xenovia looked from her to me before she wrapped her sword in a cloth. "Very well. We will hear what he has to say."

And that was how I reunited with my first love.

* * *

[Fujimura Residence]

I sat across from Xenovia and Irina in the living room, my hands in my lap. My wounds were fully healed by Asia out of sight of the Exorcists and I had changed into a new set of clothes as speaking in my old tattered ones would be awkward as Hell. I also made sure to tell Asia, Ravel, and Isabela to hide upstairs and prepare to escape in case things went south and a fight broke out. I specifically told Isabela that her first priority was making sure Asia and Ravel got out safely.

I had tea made and set in front of us, but neither of them took it.

We just sat there...all silent-like.

"Soooo...How's it goin~?" I asked, trying to alleviate the tension in the room.

"Hahahahahaha!" Irina hunched over laughing. Did...Did I say something funny? "I missed that! Shi-chan, you always had the most adorable habit of saying something so random and silly in awkward silences!" She's right. It's what I've always done, it's what I always would do.

"I'm honestly surprised you remembered that?" I said, gripping my hands together tightly. I blushed, turning away. "I was pretty sure you had completely forgotten about me."

"What? How could I forget you!?" Irina asked, almost sounding offended. "Next I bet you'll be accusing me of forgetting our promise too!" Pause. "YOU didn't forget, did you?" She held up her pinky, reminding me that we had pinky swore on it.

"No no no!" I raised my hands in surrender. Then I smiled, raising my own pinky. "Never."

I remembered our promise after so long. It was so long ago, but it was the final promise we made to each other before Iri left. It was the one reason I never lost hope in us all because of that promise.

Xenovia eyed me with an odd look on her face.

.

.

.

We ended up in another silence, made awkward only once Irina and I realized we were staring at one another for a long time. We both turned away, blushing.

"Soooo...I see you became an Exorcist." I said, trying again to rid us of the awkward silence.

"Yes." Irina admitted, swinging her legs a little due to her awkward state. "Soooo...I see you became a Devil."

I nodded, rubbing the back of my neck. "Yep. I'm the Queen of the Maou, Serafall Leviathan-sama."

That was when I saw both Exorcists' eyes go wide.

"Xenovia."

"Hm?"

"Stopping you from killing him was the best decision I ever made." Irina said, her face paling.

"I second that." I said with a big, goofy grin.

Xenovia glared. "Enough games. Tell us what you were doing in the park." Xenovia commanded. She not so subtly brushed against the cloth of her hidden Excalibur. "If you cannot answer my questions, I may have to rethink my decision to spare your life."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "How cute. You think I feel threatened by you." I was threatened by her, but that was more in a physical sense rather than an emotional one.

"Both of you please calm down!" Irina pleaded, stepping between us when we got out of our seats, ready to fight. Xenovia and I glared at one another, but we relented. Xenovia and I returned to our respective seats, but we continued glaring at one another. Then Irina turned to me and smiled. "Sorry about that. Um...Shi-chan, not to be rude, but what WERE you doing?"

"I was..." I hesitated. Even if Irina was my childhood love, her and Xenovia's appearances around the same time Freed showed up with his own Excalibur was way too convenient to be coincidence. "I was doing something for a friend. We were looking for something. In order to help my friend, I had to find something that caused them much pain."

"You mentioned Freed Sellzen before." Xenovia noted. "Why is that? And why would you assume we were allied with that Stray?"

"Why would YOU assume I had whatever it is you were looking for?" I questioned her back. "That's right. I can do an interrogation too. If I answer your questions, you also have to answer mine."

Xenovia nodded. "Even if it is with a Devil, it is a fair exchange."

Satisfied, I decided to respond to her questions. "I thought you were working with Freed because...he attacked me and my friend last night." Irina gasped and Xenovia crossed her arms, having a thinking expression on her face. "When he fought us, he had a really strong Holy Sword...he called it "Excalibur"."

The atmosphere in the room turned ice cold. Irina and Xenovia stared at me with deathly serious eyes.

"Where did you encounter him?"

"Did you notice anything strange about his Excalibur?"

"Where do you think he was heading after the fight?"

They bombarded me with question after question and the conversation began feeling horribly one-sided.

I raised my hands, trying to calm them down. "Ok. Let's do this one at a time. I encountered him in the residential area. I was too busy trying not to die to thoroughly inspect the sword he trying to stab me with. I don't know where he was heading after the fight because it was raining and he used a smokescreen to escape, any track he left behind being long gone by now. I don't know who he's answering to, but I would assume you do." I took a breath.

"I see. So it appears they've managed to get someone who can properly wield the Excalibur."

"This is just as bad as we thought," Irina agreed. She then turned to me. "Even if you have become a Devil, I am very happy you're alright, Shirou."

I felt my heart flutter and my face turn a deep red color. Knowing Irina still cared about me made me really happy.

"...er...yeah." I coughed once. "Anyway, why are you two here? You mentioned you were looking for something. What was it? And why do you have a sword you're also calling Excalibur?"

"This information pertains to our mission. We have an audience with Rias Gremory tomorrow to explain it and you are free to hear your answers then." In other words, you aren't going to tell me anything. Xenovia took a deep breath. "It's hard to believe that this is the son of the legendary Miyako-sama."

"Hey, you-!" I was about to spit back something scathing when I processed what she said. "'Miyako-sama'?"

"Are you sure you're not mistaken, Irina?" Xenovia asked her partner.

Irina nodded excitedly. "Yeah! I was really surprised, too! When I saw a picture of Shirou's Oka-san, I was really surprised, but there was no mistaking the resemblance! I saw her outside lots of times, playing with Shirou before we all became friends! It is without a doubt the same Miyako Fujimura-sama!"

"Wait wait wait!" I spoke loudly to silence them. "'Miyako-sama'? How do you know Oka-sama's first name?!" Even to Irina, I never spoke Oka-sama's first name. How did they know it?

Irina and Xenovia looked at one another, surprised. Then Irina turned to me.

"You really don't know, Shi-chan?" She sounded so shocked, as if I had said something heretical. "I mean...I figured you would know something like this!"

"No. Know what?" I was tired of answering and never being answered.

"That...that you're Oka-san was formerly the strongest female Exorcist!"

The whole world around me froze. As if those words stopped the world from spinning, literally stopping time.

"W-What?" Was all I could say.

Irina frowned. "You really didn't know? You were her son, so I thought you would have found out after a while. Mako-nee knew. She's older than you and has been around your Oka-san much longer."

I heard her words, but I could only process the sound of my own heartbeat.

"Oka-sama...was an Exorcist?"

Xenovia shook her head. "Not AN Exorcist. THE strongest female Exorcist. The only human woman who could surpass my sword master in terms of strength and skill."

I felt sick...

There was no way that could be true. Oka-sama...Oka-sama was a normal human. She...She could never be someone like those people at the Church...The ones who expelled kindhearted Asia for believing all lives, even Devils, were worth saving or the ones who allowed the Holy Sword Project to take place...No! Oka-sama couldn't have been of the same group!

"She was one of the very best Exorcists to ever serve our God. She was a great asset to us as her children would've been." She narrowed her eyes at me, as if blaming me for dying and becoming a Reincarnated Devil.

I was snapped out of my shock by the sound of the door opening and slamming shut.

"I'm hooooooome!" Mako-nee called out. She came into the living room casually, carrying a bag of groceries. "Shirou, I see you..." Mako-new froze when she saw Irina and Xenovia. "Ah. I see we have company." But her smile became glass. She looked so fake.

"Mako-nee! Long time, no see!" Irina greeted, ignoring Mako-nee's cold expression.

"A-Ah, Shidou-san. I did not expect to see you." Mako-nee said. "What are you doing here?"

Irina shook her head. "I was just catching up with Shi-chan a little, but it's getting really late now." She and Xenovia stood from their seats, bowing to me and Mako-new. "Thank you for your hospitality, but we had best be leaving."

I walked them to the door, too stunned to do anything else. I opened the door, allowing Xenovia to pass me by. We exchanged one more hateful glance with one another. When Irina came to the door, she stopped looking at me.

"I'm sorry, Shi-chan." She apologized. "I didn't know that you didn't know...You...Your Oka-san was an amazing person. I'm sorry I brought up her memory to you."

Oh yes...I was so shocked that I had been numbed to the returning pain associated with Oka-sama's death.

Irina hugged me tightly. Barely registering that I could control my arms, I returned her hug.

"Even if you've become a Devil, I've really missed you, Shi-chan."

"Irina, come on!" I heard Xenovia shout.

Irina pulled away, still smiling. "Don't worry. I'm sure, if you ask, the Lord will forgive you if you ask for His forgiveness for becoming a Devil! Bye, Shi-chan!" And then Irina was gone too.

"Don't even think about it!" I didn't even have to turn around to be able to tell that Mako-nee had been attempting to sneak out of the room without me noticing her. She froze mid-tip toe and looked at me.

"Heeeeeeeey~" She said, waving. She looked like a child who got caught with her hand in the cookie jar. Then she noticed my stone-cold serious look. "I see you've met up with Shidou-san again~...That's good."

.

.

.

"We have something we need to talk about. NOW." Without waiting for confirmation, I grabbed Mako-nee by the arm and dragged her into the kitchen. Mako-nee said nothing. "First things first...How did Oka-san die?"

The corners of Mako-nee's mouth tightened. "She died in an accident ten years ago." It sounded so mechanical and horribly rehearsed. I didn't notice it back then because I had thought that Mako-nee was grieving as much as I was.

"What kind of accident?" I wanted to see how far I could go with this.

"She...She was hit by a car." Mako-nee answered immediately.

I raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? Last time, you said she was killed in a mugging."

"I...I mean she was killed after getting hit by a car while running from a mugger." Mako-nee explained with almost no emotion in her voice. "That's what I meant when I said that. That mugger was still responsible for her death."

I felt my heart breaking. I...I gave her the chance to prove it...To prove that everything was still right...

"Mako-nee..." I said, my voice cracking. "That was a lie. I don't remember how Oka-san died. And I know that both what you and I said was complete bullshit."

Mako-nee said nothing.

I took a deep breath, preparing myself mentally as I swung my arms by my side.

I turned towards Makoto. "So...WHERE should I start?"I asked rhetorically. "Should I start with the fact that Oka-sama was involved with the Church? The fact she didn't die how you said she did? Or maybe I should start with the fact that YOU'VE LIED TO ME FOR ALMOST TEN YEARS!"

Makoto looked away. "Oh, I should get the dishes done!" She quickly ran past me, trying to creep back to her previous, normal personality.

Not letting it go this time, I ran after her, blocking the kitchen entrance as Mako-nee started washing the dishes in the sink.

"So many dirty dishes..."

"Nice try, Makoto! But you're not dodging this subject anymore!" I ran up to Makoto and grabbed her by the arm, forcing her to look at me. "Tell me the truth!"

Mako-nee lowered her head, hiding her eyes behind her bangs. "There's nothing to tell-"

"DON'T YOU LIE TO ME, DAMMIT!" I screeched. I was just...just so angry. I've learned about so many secrets in the past fifteen minutes than I had in a total of almost ten years. I was about to overload emotionally. "I want to know...Why...? Why did you lie to me all these years about Oka-sama?"

"It was for the best."

I shook my head, breathing in and out in an attempt to keep calm. "No, it most certainly wasn't for the best! Everything that's been happening to me...these nightmares...they all have something to do with Oka-sama, so what is it?" The more I spoke. The more confident I felt about what I was saying. Mako-nee had been lying to me all of my life!

Makoto shook her head. "I can't tell you. I don't know anything."

"Bullshit!" I tightened my grip on Makoto's arm, not in the mood for this. "Tell me the truth dammit!" My breathing became more and more uncontrolled. "It hurts..." Suddenly I was trembling...I felt tears roll down the sides of my face. "...Every night it hurts. This pain. I keep reliving the same Hell over and over again every night and I don't know what it means! I keep seeing Oka-sama! I keep hearing my own screams, so much pain! And everything that's happening in my life! WHY THE FUCK WON'T YOU TELL ME THE TRUTH!?" I clutched the sides of my head, feeling a powerful pain in my head. I stared at Makoto...I couldn't help the tears in my eyes. "What...what's happening to me?"

Unable to take the stress anymore, my legs gave out, causing me to fall to my knees.

Makoto looked at me with sad eyes, reaching out a hand. "Shirou-"

"DON'T TOUCH ME, YOU BITCH!" I smacked her hand away. Everything burned. Everything hurt.

Why does everything hurt so badly?! Why am I so angry?!

"Shirou. Go to your room."

What?!

I looked up at Makoto. There was no emotion on her face. No anger. No compassion. No kindness. No mercy.

"Room. NOW." Her voice was equally emotionless.

"No!" I shouted defiantly at her. "Not until you give me some goddamned answers!"

"It wasn't a request." Then I felt her place a hand on my head, taking a firm hold and yanking as hard as she could, causing me to yelp in pain. "Go to your room." The was grabbing me by my hair, yanking it and dragging me across he ground despite my struggling and screams of protest, trying to throw punches at her in an attempt to make her let go. I only realized we were going up the stairs because my back and sides kept hitting the edge of each step (painfully if I might add). But Makoto still didn't stop. She didn't even give me the chance to try standing up to walk up the stairs.

I winced each time I hit a step. Then the floor evened out and I was being dragged again. I heard a door opening and then there was a feeling of weightlessness as I seemed to fly through an open door, landing with a painful thud. I arched my back, groaning as I recovered from the sudden impact.

"Stay in here for the rest of the night." Makoto ordered with incredible authority before slamming the door shut. If I didn't think Makoto had been lying to me before, I was positive she was lying to me now. And that whole drastic personality change...it was frightening...I...I...

"Graaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!" I roared before charging at the door. I kicked it before punching it. Then I punched it again. Then again. Then again. I punched it again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and again and I'm sure it is fairly obvious where that went from there.

I used only my normal human strength, not wanting to break the door. That wasn't my goal. I just needed something to hit.

I tried breathing in and out, but my heart that was beating like a drum at a parade commanded my body to take even more breaths than what I had planned.

It was just so hard to cope. I started hitting my wrists against my head, resisting the urge to use my knuckles, trying to force my head to process or possibly forget everything from today. Trembling, I staggered over to my bed. I couldn't even make it the whole way. I just slowly sank down to my knees before turning my back, sitting against the side of my bed. I buried my face into my hands, sobbing.

So much pain...I felt so much pain inside. I was just so tired and...I wanted to go to sleep...I wanted to go to sleep...

* * *

_Blue._

_That was the color of the flames the devoured everything around me._

_I was once again in that horrible place...the ocean of blue fire. I had no idea how I got there, but I had somehow ended up all alone in that burning field of blue. It seemed like the whole world was going to be swallowed by these powerful flames. It wasn't because of the abnormal color that I thought this, but the strange power I sensed from the flames._

_It was scary. I was so afraid for reasons I could not understand, but felt fear for nonetheless._

_I was calling out to Oka-sama again as in every other dream cycle...I couldn't make out what I was screaming...every noise was dulled by the roar of the flire engulfing the room...but I have seen this scene often enough to know by heart what words were being said..._

_Everything hurt...it hurt so much..._

_I was crying. The flames weren't devouring me like they had my surroundings, but they still burned and stung me._

_I felt so sad and alone...Now more than ever...Part of me just wanted to die here, swallowed by flames..._

"_...a-sama..."_

_My voice was much clearer than it had been a moment before._

"_...ka-sa..." I kept calling out for her_

_That was when I noticed it. The lone shape I could make out on the ground before me._

_I resisted the urge to throw up when I saw it. _

_The charred corpse before me...I somehow knew who it was...Her once beautiful face was marred by these unholy flames around us...Her entire form was slowly being devoured by fire..._

"_Oka-sama! OKA-SAMA, wake up, PLEASE!" I cried. "Please wake up!"_

_Why...? Why am I seeing this...? Why does this keep happening to me...? For what reason must I be forced to endure this repeated torture...?_

_...Oka-sama...Please...please don't leave me...please..._

"_Somebody, please! Oka-sama!"_

_Why am I so helpless...? Why...?_

_...Just let it end...please...it hurts...please...somebody help her...at least let me go with her..._

_JUST LET IT END! LETITENDLETITEND! PLEASEJUSTLETITEND!_

"_Oka-samaaaaaaa!"_

_._

_._

_._

_Then something changed._

_"Why...?" _

_My eyes widened at the sudden, unexpected voice. This has never happened before in the previous cycles._

_Huh?! O-Oka-sama...?_

_"...why...why...?" Despite being completely swallowed by blue flames, her blazing body stood completely upright, wobbling slightly like some sort of blazing, blue metronome. With incredible slowness, she turned around to face me._

_"Oka-sama...what are you...?"_

_The burning figure stumbled toward me. "Why did you kill me...?"_

_W-What?!_

_Faster than I ever would have expected, the hands of the burning figure reached out and grabbed me by the arms. I hissed in pain as her fiery hands burned the flesh on my arms. This-This didn't happen before! I don't know what's going on! "Why did you kill me, Shirou!? WHY DID YOU KILL ME?!"_

_I don't-_

_I gasped only to inhale a huge mouthful of the supernatural smoke that burned my insides as badly as the fire burned my outsides. The fire from her body was beginning to spread up my arms and onto my body! I let out a voiceless scream from the intense pain as more and more of my flesh began to be burned by the supernatural flames!_

_"WHY!? WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYwHyWHywhYWhywHYWhy!?" As my whole body began to alight in blue flames, the burning figure before me leaned in and I had no choice but to look at the horrible sight in front of me. I looked at the face...No...Her skull no longer had any flesh left to be called a face. It had all burnt off. All that was left was the skeletal head with the burning gaze, merciless as it refused to release me as my whole body was completely engulfed in flames._

_"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"_

* * *

I didn't even remember when I woke up because I was still screaming.

Everything was so hazy and I could swear I still felt the grip of the horrifying skeleton's hands around my wrists. I started lashing out and kicking, striking out for any chance to escape. I punched and screamed and I refused to relent.

"LEMME GO! LEMME GO! LET ME GOOOOO!" I screamed and screamed, desperate to escape the grasp of what I thought was certain, painful death. I broke one hand free and slapped at something, I didn't care what it was.

"OW!" A voice yelped. "Isabela! I told you to get his arms! We can't have him hurting himself OR us!"

"Right! Sorry!" I fought even more desperately, but a strong grip grabbed my hand and once again pinned it to the ground.

"Shirou-san, please snap out of it!"

What?!

My heart was still beating like crazy, but I remained still enough that I was still able to properly survey my surroundings even with my heart pounding against my ribcage almost hard enough to break bones.

"Oh! He's waking up!" Another voice said with relief.

"...A...sia...?" My throat felt so dry that my voice came out as a croak. I sat up, the restraints on my arms being released.

There was Asia...and Ravel...and Isabela...they all looked really worried...

Then I emptied my stomach contents onto the ground, the nausea I felt being far too powerful to hold down. I still felt like gagging by the time I finished.

Ravel and Asia watched in horror, no doubt because of the pathetic state I was in...but I didn't care. I didn't care if they saw me as pathetic. I didn't care if they were disgusted by what I did.

I lunged forward wrapped my arms around them and...

Then I cried. I cried and cried.

They didn't fight me. They just stared at me with those sad eyes...

I didn't want to be alone...if I was left alone, I would die...

Ravel and Asia didn't push me away.

There was a soft purring. Kuro brushed up against my leg.

And so I cried. I cried and cried, afraid of what I may see next time I shut my eyes...

**And on that note, we're finished. Finito! Yes! I hope you all enjoyed the slight detour I took from the canon. Next chapter involves more canon and more fun.**

**I know what you're thinking. "Why is Makoto all like that?"...Well, that's honestly how I originally intended her to be in the original...but I flopped up. Now Makoto IS like that!**

**I hope you all enjoyed~!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	18. Life 17: Holier Than Thou

**And here we go with a new chapter~! I thank everyone for being so into how I've mixed things up since Devil Reborn~!**

**Also, I'm aware of the discontent associated with Shirou not really being the main person in charge of the situation. That will change during this story arc. Shirou will become more active! I couldn't do anything for Volume 2 because that's Rias vs Riser. There was nowhere for Shirou to be and nothing really that Shirou could do.**

**Also...LEMON WARNING! I didn't initially intend to do it, but I got talked into it~ Plus, it's with two girls people have constantly been asking for~!...  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything except OCs. I also don't own the lemon. That was written by the genius, Fu-reiji22. I edited it and stuff, but it was mostly all Fu-reiji22.**

* * *

**Opening: Liar Mask by Rika Mayama**

_**[kuchihateru you ni moyuru tsuki]** A burnt Devi-kun covered in blood is falling slowly as a glowing red sky is shown in the background._

_**[akatsuki ni shizumiyuku ]** A badly burnt Shirou is followed and slowly falls down to the ground, his eyes changing to red._

_**[tsukurareta kao de]** The scene changes with Shirou walking, Asia, Ravel, and Isabela following him._

_**[sotto chikadzuite ]** Change to Issei walking alone with the Boosted gear activated._

_**[shinjiru mono o]** Koneko and Yumi appear, apparently following the others. following Shirou._

_**[yami ni otosu]** Kalawarner, Miltelt and Raynare walking with their wings outstretched._

_**[ito ni karamaru] **Irina walking by a pond showing her reflection with Excalibur Mimic._

_**[emono no you ni ]** Xenovia walking by a pond showing her Durandal, Excalibur Destruction and her reflection._

_**[tada hitasura ni]** Rias and Akeno standing alongside each other as they both looked at left side. The background showing every ORC members._

_**[sora o aogu]** Changes to Sona and Tsubaki looking at the right side with the background of every member of the Student council._

_**[kurikaesareru higeki]** Spinning cam of a crying Yumi seeing the souls of the Holy sword project around her._

_**[bukimi ni warau]** An image of Kokabiel sitting on his throne._

_**[ura no kao]** Change to Freed Selzen and Valper Galilei side by side._

_**[kore ijou nanihitotsu]** Makoto Fujimura shown standing on a rooftop as she observes the final battle from afar._

_**[nakusanai you]** A static memory of Miyako Fujimura in a burning house._

_**[ni katana o nuku]** Scene change to Shirou slowly opening his eyes as he activated Divine Dividing._

_**[yami ni houmure]** Xenovia and Irina are fighting Freed as he wields two Excaliburs._

_**[yogoreta egao] **Koneko dodging one of the Cerberus attack as Kiba appeared before activating her Blade Blacksmith._

_**[yariba no nai ikari, hanate!]** Scene change to Sona and the Student Council maintaining the barrier. Rias and Akeno charges up as they unleash their magic._

_**[doredake no chi to namida o nagashitara]** Scene change to Shirou activating Divine Dividing wings and Kokabiel forming a light spear in his hands. They then rushed towards each other as an explosion of blue and golden light results from their clash._

_**[inoru you ni kirisaite ]** Scene then changes to Issei holding his hand out to the screen._

_**[kyou mo akaku someageyo! + Instrumental] **A darkened Shirou extends his hand, grabbing Issei's hand as sunlight whites out the screen._

**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**

* * *

**Life 17: Holier Than Thou**

Ever have one of those feelings where it feels like there's a huge bomb in the room and a single misstep could set it off?

That's how I felt when I finally woke up in the morning...well. "Woke up" would be a bit misleading. To say that I woke up would imply that I ever went back to sleep. No no no. After what happened the previous night, I never once closed my eyes. I couldn't. Every time I did, that skeletal..._thing_ appeared, screaming at me, shrieking at me. I couldn't handle that. So I just stared aimlessly at the ceiling, unable to even consider sleeping.

"Shirou-san...you're still alright, right?" Asia asked, gently gripping my left hand. Like me, she had an incredibly tired expression on her face.

"Really, Argento-senpai?" Ravel asked, her tired eyes narrowed at the nun. "You...You're really...gonna say that after everything?" Then she yawned again, rubbing her eyes. Asia also rubbed her eyes, returning the yawn. If it had been any other situation, it would have been absolutely adorable...but...

"I'm sorry..." I bowed my head, apologizing. I felt awful...

"No no! It...It's fine, Shirou-san." Asia tried to say reassuringly, pausing because she had to yawn again.

We were all tired and drowsy as hell.

In my case, it was because I didn't want to relive my nightmares...But Asia and Ravel...

"I love you two so much..." I hugged them both tightly to my chest. I couldn't help the hot tears that streamed down the sides of my face.

"Shirou-sama..."

"...Shirou-san..."

These two...they were the best...

After my..._fit_ last night, these two...they stayed by my side. They helped me get cleaned up and back into bed. When I didn't want to go back to sleep, they refused to leave my side. It wasn't out of a desire to be close to me, but a desire to make sure I was okay after I had a mental breakdown as a result of my dream last night. When I couldn't even close my eyes, they stayed awake with me. Even after I unconsciously slapped Ravel in my fit, they held nothing but worry for me.

"Shirou-sama...I'm your servant. It's only natural that I feel this way for you." Ravel pointed out, gently snuggling her head against my chest.

"I'm sorry..." I apologized again. Then Ravel took two fingers and flicked me right in the middle of my forehead. Ravel gave me a soft scolding look.

"Stupid master." Ravel said softly, blushing slightly. "Stop apologizing for making us miss a few hours of sleep."

"Shirou-san..." Asia gripped my hand much more tightly. "...Why didn't you tell us the truth? About the nightmares? About how you fought...that person again?" Her expression was twisted into one of distaste at the thought of the Stray priest she had worked with when she was under the protection of the Fallen Angels. Suffice to say, Freed was one of the people Asia could honestly say she hated. But mostly, she was afraid of him.

I hung my head in shame. "I...I was already doing nothing but weighing everyone else down...I didn't want to worry everyone with a bunch of dreams and my own personal issues." I pulled my hands away from them and placed my hands in my lap. I just felt so bad, worrying everyone else like this.

"But if it's gotten to this point, Shirou-san-"

"What would I do?" I asked in a defeated tone. "Unless you know someone who can mess with dreams like Freddy Kreuger, there isn't anything I can do. And I just forgot to tell you about Freed, that's all. I'm not hiding anything about that. If Yumi weren't there, he would have kicked my ass."

"You know it's unhealthy to feed Kiba-senpai's desire for revenge, right?" Ravel asked. "You're not helping her like this."

"I know, but I don't know what else to do." I admitted. After everything that happened last night, I just lost all of my will to lie or hide the truth. I just felt so vulnerable and unable to deceive or charm others. Tears started falling from my face again. "...I don't know what to do..." It was the truth. For the first time in a long time, I admitted it. A majority of the time, I had no idea what I was doing. I could only do what was available to me. No grand plans. Nothing. I'm just always so useless and I want to be helpful to everyone else. In a way, that makes me selfish.

Why am I really helping Yumi?

A sense of justice?

Pity?

Love?

Or my own selfishness?

Nothing felt real anymore...

Except for the two girls who gently squeezed my hands, both smiling gently at me.

"Shirou-san...you're not alone."

"Just like you're always telling everyone else, Shirou-sama, you can rely on others."

"I'm sorry..." I sobbed. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry..."

FLICK

Ravel flicked my forehead, this time harder than before, glaring softly at me. "Stop apologizing already! You don't have to be sorry about crying and sharing your feelings with others!"

"I...I just don't know what to do anymore..." I just felt so broken, repeating the same thing over and over again. Perhaps it was because that dream opened my eyes, but now I just felt so weak, that I couldn't do anything. What have I truly accomplished anyway? "I don't know why I'm having these nightmares...I don't understand anything...I don't know what to do..."

"Shirou-san...you're a Devil." Asia said, causing me to stare at her in confusion. She stared at me with such a beautiful smile. I...I never really noticed it before...how beautiful Asia truly was. Everything about her seemed amazing. Her body, her eyes, her smile, everything. "Buchou-san told me that Devils act according to their own desire. That's also how Devils manipulate Demonic Power and how Sacred Gear-users get stronger. So don't think about what to do. Think about what you WANT to do."

I stared at Asia, trying to suppress even more tears that were beginning to build up. "I...I..." Asia smiled softly at me. My heart began beating quickly. I could feel the cold in my chest gradually fade to nothing as a new sensation of warmth engulfed me.

"No matter what you want to do, I will always be by your side." That is what she said...That sounded a lot like what I had said to her when I swore to be her friend...The thing she misinterpreted...but no. Maybe I was the one who misinterpreted how I felt...This was a girl who returned my desire to remain together forever...She and Ravel only wanted to me to follow my own heart...to do what I wanted...

I wasn't sure...No...I can't hesitate...What I want...What I wanted to do...

I kissed Asia.

It was impulsive and I'm not sure if I would repeat it in any other state of mind, but it felt so right. That was something I could not deny.

Asia's eyes widened in shock, but her expression gradually eased into one of bliss. She returned my kiss, closing her eyes.

"H-Hey!" I felt a hand grip the top of my head and pull Asia and I away from one another, leaving nothing but a trail of saliva between us. We turned our gazes from longing to surprised when we turned to Ravel, who was blushing a deep shade of red. "D-Don't do something so perverted right in front of me, you jerk!" She averted her eyes, seeming more jealous than annoyed.

"Ah yes. How cruel of me to forget my lovely Bishop~" I said. Ravel made the mistake of turning her head my direction in surprise. I placed a finger under her chin and tipped her head upwards before I placed my own lips against hers. Ravel let out a cute squeak of surprise, but she was gradually taken by the same bliss Asia had been taken by, closing her eyes and returning my love.

After thirty seconds, we pulled away, Ravel more reluctantly than I.

The two of them stared at me, the most dazed expressions on their faces.

I smiled at them. "Right. I can't just sit here and wallow in my own self pity." I raised a fist into the air. "I...I'm afraid. I won't lie. But...I know that I'm not alone." I grasped both of their hands once more. "I won't be alone and I won't abandon my friends either. I don't know how, but I WILL save Yumi. This I swear here and now." I tightened my grip on them, a paranoid part of me they would slip away and this all would have been a dream.

"Right! And we will all do our best to help Kiba-san, too!" Asia declared.

"H-Hey! D-Don't try sounding all cool and supportive just to win more of Shirou-sama's affection! I-I'll be by your side, naturally!" Ravel stuttered. "B-But I-I'll be expecting some s-sort of reward t-too!"

I choked, trying to take in deep breaths. "O-OK!"

"E-Eh!? S-Shirou-san's crying again!" Asia said.

"H-Hey! Is the prospect of kissing me that bad?!" Ravel complained.

I shook my head, sniffing. "No...I just...I'm...Thank you both...Thank you so muuuuuuch! I LOVE YOU GIRLS SO MUCH!" I wrapped them both up in my arms and held them closely.

[Kyaaaaa!]

Both of them squealed as I buried my face between their chests as I hugged them closely.

I remembered.

The reason I wanted to become stronger. The thing I wanted to get stronger for.

Of course I wanted to become the strongest existence to satisfy my promise with Irina, but there was so much more to it than that. It wasn't just a simple promise that motivated me. It was so much more than that. There was a reason I always wanted to get stronger that went far deeper than the old flames of passion I held towards Irina, my childhood love.

The reason I wanted to get stronger was because I had something to protect.

My reason for striving for the title of Ultimate-Class Devil was to become strong enough to protect the ones I loved.

If only to be able to make sure they can continue smiling, I would gladly sacrifice my life, my very existence.

I still couldn't say I understood what my nightmares meant, but I knew I wasn't alone. Even if I'm not as strong as Ise, I'll do everything I can to protect everyone.

That is my oath.

* * *

**[Occult Research Club]**

I know I've said this before, but...Ever have one of those feelings where it feels like there's a huge bomb in the room and a single misstep could set it off?

...

Yeah. Turns out I misused that one before. I didn't even KNOW what a "tenuous situation" was until I stepped into that clubroom, one blonde girl hanging off either of my arms, Isabela walking in right behind us. The moment we walked into that-forgive my language-TOTAL SHIT STORM, all of my confidence faded. Ravel and Asia seemed to realize how much our position, regardless of how amazing it was, would draw attention, so they released my arms.

Everyone was gathered in that room. Rias, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, Ise, the honorary ORC members (the Fallen Angel Trio), and, of course, the Church Duo who wielded the Holy Swords (Irina and Xenovia). I didn't even have to look to tell Yumi was there. You could feel the torrent of killing intent that was radiating off of her. Rias and Akeno-san sat on the sofa across from our guests. Even if they didn't mean us ill will at the moment, I couldn't help but feel on edge. It was my instincts as a Devil that was telling me they were dangerous, most likely because it was focused on those Holy Swords. The atmosphere was uncomfortably serious and it didn't help that Yumi looked like she could go on a murderous rampage at any moment.

I took an awkward place against the wall, as far from the conflict as possible. A small, fearful part of me wanted to be nowhere near there if Yumi's patience broke and she went on a killing spree. It didn't help when Irina noticed me and waved with that bright...beautiful...smile. Yumi's killing intent only raised further and her eyes were glowing blood-red.

Irina was the first to speak during this serious time. "Recently the Holy-swords Excaliburs that were kept by the Catholic Church Headquarter Vatican, Protestant Church, and Eastern Orthodox Church were stolen."

I frowned. "Eh? But...how can a single sword be stolen from several different locations? Does their security suck that badly?" Irina frowned. Ah. Bad joke. No insults to the Church then. I smiled apologetically. "Eh...I'm kind of new at this, so how bout an explanation?"

"Ah. That's fair, Shi-chan." Oh thank Maou. She forgave me so quickly. "Shi-chan, Excalibur broke in the war a long time ago."

I froze. "So Excalibur broke...Shattered into a million pieces?" N-No! If that's how it is, then how am I supposed to help Yumi get her revenge?! She can't break an already broken sword!

"No no! Nothing like that!" Irina said quickly, shaking her head.

"It now looks like this." Xenovia then held out a long sword. It was wrapped in cloth, but I sensed great power from it. "This is Excalibur." There was no doubt in my mind she was telling the truth. Just like when we fought before, it held an amazing power. Far greater than normal light swords or light weapons. I felt a chill go down my spine. I had no doubt that if I got cut by that, I would be reduced to dust. I felt an exciting rush from the mix of fear and awe. The desire to face that sword. But I quickly shoved that desire to the back of my mind. Now was hardly the time or the place.

The atmosphere around us was heavy enough.

"Excalibur was broken into pieces during the war a long time ago. The fragments were collected and turned into a new form by alchemy. It was made into 7 swords. This is one of them." Xenovia continued as we stared at the Holy Sword. I wasn't so sure when Xenovia called her sword "Excalibur", but now that I knew the truth, there was no doubt. It held the same power as the sword Freed wielded, the one he also called Excalibur. It was only one of a set of seven. So Yumi's revenge WASN'T impossible.

"The Excalibur I hold is "Excalibur Destruction". It's one of the 7 Holy-Swords that were created. The Catholic Church is in control of it." Even if it was a fragment of the original, it held terrifying power.

Irina took something that looked like a rope. It started to move as if it was alive. It quickly changed into the form of a katana.

"Mine is "Excalibur Mimic". I can change its shape into anything I want so it's really useful for carrying around. Just like this, each "Excalibur" has its unique ability. This one is in the possession of the Protestant Church." My childhood crush spoke without fear. Even if "Excalibur Mimic" didn't have as much of a badass ring as "Excalibur Destruction", I could still sense the power from it.

"Irina…" Xenovia interrupted with a warning tone. "There's no reason to tell these Devils the ability of Excalibur, is there?"

"Ara Xenovia." Irina easily waved her off. "Even if they are devils we still have to form a trustworthy relationship with them in this situation. Also, even if my sword's ability is revealed, I won't fall behind all the Devils here. And two of them are childhood friends of mine." Then a strange smile appeared on her face and her gaze became directed towards the ground. A light pink appeared on her face. "Besides, Shi-chan would protect me."

I smiled to myself, crossing my arms. "Of course. I did promise after all." I felt my own face become tinged pink.

I then froze upon sensing a powerful killing intent in the air. No...it was MULTIPLE killing intents combining into one. A combined killing intent that could rival my own at its best.

"Heh?" My smile also remained frozen on my face.

Asia, Ravel, Yumi, Mittelt, Jack (WHEN DID SHE GET THERE?!), and, oddly enough, Akeno-san were all staring (maybe glaring?) at me intently.

"Shirou..." Yumi started. "

[WHAT EXACTLY IS YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THAT GIRL!?]

I was taken aback by how dangerous everyone was looking right now.

"Hehe! You're in the doghouse nose, ya damn bishounen." Ise chuckled before smirking maliciously.

HEY! Hey! Hey hey hey!...FUCK YOU!

I scratched my cheek, averting my gaze. "Well...we're...I mean we're just-" I was going to just say we were childhood friends, doing my best to hide my crush on Irina, but then Irina said something shocking.

"We're engaged."

There was along silence following that statement.

I chuckled awkwardly. "Irina, that's not a nice joke to tell. I mean, even I thought you were serious for a moment. You always did have a strange sense of humor, hehehe."

"I am."

I blinked. "Am what?"

Irina smiled brightly. "I am serious. We're engaged."

We all stared at Irina for several seconds.

[WHAAAAAAAAAT!? E-E-ENGAAAAGED?!]

Everyone in the room, even me, Yumi, and that Xenovia chick, had such a shocked response to that.

"What the Hell, Shirou!" Ise screamed, more shocked than the rest of us. "When the Hell did that happen?!"

I was the first to break free from the shocked silence that followed our outburst right after Ise.

"W-What do you mean we're ENGAGED, Irina?" I wasn't sure whether or not to feel happy. The statement "Irina and I are engaged" made me feel so many conflicting feelings inside. "When did that happen?!"

Irina's face turned a clearer red color at that moment.

She then pulled out a small charm. It was like my adorable Devi-chan charm that Oka-san gave to me. But the difference was that while my charm was that of a Devil, Irina's was a white charm with a smiley face, angelic wings, and a halo on its head. "We both made a promise on the charms made by your Oka-san, remember? We promised we would be together someday, remember?" Irina smiled at the charm I gave her. "Angel-kun remembers."

"You also made a promise to me personally, Shirou." Irina said. She was smiling still. "Remember? You were crying when you found out I had to leave, but you made the following promise: 'I'm going to get real strong someday, Irina. I promise to protect you and all of the people precious to me. I swear I'll surpass the powers of Heaven and Hell themselves. I'll become strong enough to beat Satan or even God himself. When I become stronger, I swear I shall marry you.'" She placed her hands on her chest. "While it was blasphemous towards my God for you to swear to surpass him, it was one of the most romantic things I would ever hear in my entire life."

Oh yeah...I think I did promise something along those lines...

I found myself blushing somewhat. "The most romantic thing, huh...?" I felt rather happy...the girl I had loved for a long time thought I was romantic...

Then that familiar killing intent reappeared.

"...Why are you smiling so much, Master...?"

"Shirou-san is truly engaged..."

"Shirou, you better have an explanation for this."

"Onii-chan...We're angry..."

"Ara ara, could it be that Shirou-kun intended to be naught with the Exorcist girl?"

"Ah! Hahahahahaha!" I laughed, horribly awkward and afraid for my life. "W-Well that's hardly important! W-We have far more pressing matters, d-don't we? HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"See, Xenovia?!" Irina said cheerfully, gesturing to me. "Shi-chan is so responsible! Truly a good husband candidate!"

Another sharp burst of killing intent.

I swallowed hard, my face beoming pale. I was in DEEP shit later.

"Ara, are you getting sick, Shi-chan?" Irina asked with mild concern. It looked like Xenovia was still in shock at Irina's announcement cos she looked as if she lost the ability to speak. But it looked like she was starting to recover though.

I shook my head silently before Rias started to speak again. "…So what do the stolen Excaliburs have to do with this country located in the east of the world?"

Xenovia was the one who answered. "The Catholic Church was in possession of two Excaliburs including mine. The Protestant Church also had two. Also in the Eastern Orthodox Church there were two as well. The last one went missing in the previous war between God, Devils, and Fallen Angels. One Excalibur was stolen from each Church. The ones that stole them escaped to Japan and brought them to this town."

So that means there are even more Excaliburs in town...

Rias sighed. "Looks like my territory is full of incidents. So who are the ones that stole the Excaliburs?"

"The ones that stole them were the Grigori."

Kalawarner, Mittelt, and Raynare all had a shocked expression at that statement.

"That can't be true!" Kalawarner shouted in response. "Azazel-sama would never authorize such an act!"

"Don't insult us, Exorcist!" Raynare screamed.

"You have helluva lot of nerve accusing our group of such a reckless act!" Mittelt was perhaps the loudest of the bunch.

Xenovia narrowed her eyes, preparing to bring back out her Excalibur Destruction. "I have tolerated your presences here, but I won't hesitate to cut you down."

I quickly stepped in, trying to calm down both sides who were clearly itching for a fight.

"Hold on! All of you!" I was ready to intervene in case they tried to come to blows. They glared at one another, but Xenovia lowered her weapon and the Fallen Angels stepped back. I let out a sigh of relief. I turned towards Irina. "Now are you SURE it was the Grigori who did this?"

Irina nodded. "Yes. We know the main culprit involved with the theft of the Excaliburs. One of the leaders of the Grigori, Kokabiel."

The atmosphere of the room became even colder than it had been before.

"Kokabiel..." I uttered the name with complete distaste.

Mittelt crossed her arms, her hostility beginning to change targets. "It was only natural that he would attempt something else..."

I bit down on my knuckles. "It would only make sense that he's the one behind this. I really can't imagine Freed working for any other psycho." The atmosphere became even more serious. "OK, it looks like you guys got the wrong idea. Kokabiel is actually a liar who is under investigation by the Grigori at the moment. If you came here under the misconception that we are working with him because of our Fallen Angel friends who are here, then you can forget it." It all made sense why they were here. They, people of the Church, would never ask for help from us, Devils. So that couldn't be the reason.

I noticed Xenovia's hostility become directed towards ME. "What exactly is your relationship with the Fallen Angels? You seem to know more than I would have thought for one who still possesses the rank of Low-Class Devil." This sounded suspiciously like an interrogation.

Before I could snap at her, Ise took a step forward, his fists clenched. "Don't try accusing my bro of doing something wrong. The reason we know so much about this Kokabiel-guy is because he's the reason we became Devils in the first place. He tricked Raynare and the other two into killing us and almost had another of our friends killed due to his plans. That guy's a douche with a capital B-A-G."

Rias nodded, her arms crossed. "And, as a result, Kokabiel is facing investigation by the Fallen Angel Governor Azazel." Then I was surprised to see her gaze became directed towards me. "But I'm surprised that you mentioned the name of the Stray Priest Freed, Shirou. When exactly did you learn of his connection to Kokabiel?"

SHIIIIIIIIT!

I wasn't supposed to tell Rias about anything related to the Excaliburs and what Yumi and I were doing! Er...

"Ahahahahahaha!" I laughed awkwardly again.

"Shirou-sama was attacked by the Stray Exorcist on his way home two days ago!" Ravel said bluntly. "And he had an Excalibur."

"What?" Rias's eyes went wide. I stared at Ravel like she was crazy. Was she mad because of my promise to Irina?

I laughed awkwardly once more, something that was starting to become a habit. "Well...er...I..."

"WERE YOU?" Rias's tone became harsher, but she did not really raise her voice.

"Erm...I..."

"Yes, WE were." Yumi took a step forward, glaring at Rias who was acting so harshly. "Shirou was just trying to calm me down and we were attacked by that person who wielded an Excalibur. If Shirou hadn't been there, things would have ended a lot worse."

"Yumi! How reckless can you be?! He had an Excalibur! You could have been hurt or, worse, KILLED!" Rias scolded, Yumi not even bothering to meet her master's eyes.

"Hey! It's not like we had a choice in the matter!" I shouted back at Rias, defending Yumi. "Besides, it's just as much my fault for getting us involved in that fight as it was Yumi's, so cut her some slack, Rias! We couldn't exactly escape either! Freed's speed somehow became enough to match ours with that Excalibur fragment he had!" Rias and I had a very harsh stare-down, glaring at one another over who was in the right.

"You say the Stray Priest's speed was greater than even a Devil's Knight's speed?" Xenovia noted with interest. I nodded in response. "Then that was probably the fragment known as "Excalibur Rapidly". Excalibur Rapidly grants the wielder and the sword enhanced speed. If the wielder so desired, they could have chased their target to the ends of the Earth, keeping up with them with little effort."

"And let's not forget Freed's working with Kokabiel now." Mittelt said. "That's far worse. Since they have those other Excaliburs as well, then it means that the situation has become even more severe. Freed with one Excalibur was able to fight on par with Kiba and Shirou. If he also has those other Excaliburs you guys said were stolen, then that makes him even more dangerous!"

"Which brings us back to the point of this meeting," Xenovia interfered. "For now, we will accept the claim that Fallen Angel Kokabiel has become a rogue." From her tone, it sounded more like she said 'OK, we'll accept this 'supposed' claim that you Devils aren't working with him even though I doubt it's true'. I didn't like her very much. "The higher-ups don't trust Devils and Fallen Angels. We were ordered as [If the holy-swords are taken away from God's side then the Devils would also be happy right? The Fallen Angels would also profit from it. For those reasons it won't be weird for them to form an alliance.] That's why we are giving you a warning. If you form an alliance with the Fallen Angel Kokabiel then we will eliminate you all. Even if you're the little sister of the Maou."

I felt annoyed by her casual tone.

Rias continued to glare at Xenovia. "…If you know that I am the sister of a Maou, then it means that you have lots of connections with the higher-ups in the Church. Then I will say it. We will not form an alliance with the Fallen Angel Kokabiel. Never. In the name of the Gremory house. I will not do something that would tarnish the name of our Maou!"

Xenovia laughed a little. "Hearing that is good enough. I had to warn you just in case that Kokabiel is hiding himself in this town along with the three Excaliburs. If something were to happen I would be the one to be hated by the bunch in the Church headquarters. Well, we won't ask for cooperation. If you were to form an alliance with God's side temporarily, then it would affect the balance of the three factions. Especially if it's the little sister of a Maou."

"So you're essentially telling us to [Shut up and stay out of the way.], is that correct?" I asked in a spiteful tone.

"Exactly." Xenovia agreed without missing a beat.

Hate her! I HATE HER SO MUCH!

Rias took a breath, her expression softening. "Where is the person the Orthodox Church dispatched?"

"They have that person put on hold for this case." Xenovia answered. "They are planning to protect the last Excalibur if Irina and I fail."

"So it's just the two of you?" Rias asked in amazement. "You are going to retrieve the Excaliburs from a leader of the Fallen Angels with just the two of you? How reckless. Are you trying to die?"

Irina and Xenovia both had straight expressions

"Yes."

"I have the same view as Irina, but if it's possible I don't want to die."

"…You came here to Japan prepared to die?" Rias asked rhetorically. "The belief in your teaching is extreme like always."

"Don't talk ill of our beliefs, Rias Gremory." Irina stated with a serious expresion. "Right, Xenovia?"

The other Exorcist nodded. "Right. Also the Church decided that it would be better to eliminate all of the Excaliburs rather than letting them get used by the Fallen Angels. Our minimum objective is to get the Excaliburs away from the Fallen Angels. To accomplish that, it's okay for us to die. The only way to fight against the Excaliburs are Excaliburs."

I stared in shock. "W-What? What is with you two? You can't be serious, Irina." These thoughts...it was like they didn't care either way. Just as long as they served the Church and God...

Irina spoke with powerful conviction...but she was smiling too. "Shi-chan, it's okay. As long as I can complete this mission, it is okay."

"NO, no it's not!" I argued. "For you to die foolishly like that is something I can't accept!"

Irina shook her head, apparently refusing to hear anything else form me. I stared sadly.

"Irina..." Have things really changed this much?...No. Regardless if these are her thoughts, I won't accept it!

Rias continued speaking to Xenovia. "Is it possible with only the two of you?"

"We won't die in vain." Xenovia replied fearlessly.

"You seem confident. Do you have a secret weapon?"

"Maybe. I will leave it to your imagination." How mysterious.

There was a small silence between Rias and Xenovia before Xenovia spoke again.

"Then we will take our leave. Let's go, Irina."

Irina nodded. She stood up to leave, turning to me once. "Sorry, Shi-chan..."

I continued staring sadly. "Irina...just be careful...Please?" Irina smiled at my soft expression and nodded. She started following after Xenovia.

I thought that would be the end of this meeting, but then they both stopped, turning to Asia.

"When I saw you, I thought that maybe it was you. Are you the "Witch" Asia Argento? I never expected to meet you in a place like this." Xenovia said.

Asia started to shake a little at the word "witch". I glared at Xenovia.

Irina seemed to notice this. "Are you the rumored "witch"? The former holy-maiden? You are said to have the power that can also heal Devils and Fallen Angels, right? I heard that you were sent somewhere after getting exiled, but I never thought you became a Devil."

"...Ummmmm...I...I..." Asia didn't seem to know how to react.

"It's okay." Irina continued. "I won't tell the higher ups what I saw here, so rest assured. People who were around the "Holy-maiden Asia" will also get shocked as well."

"But to become a Devil. The one who was called a "Holy-maiden". You fell to the lowest place you could. Do you still believe in our God?" Xenovia asked. This girl was SERIOUSLY starting to piss me off.

"Xenovia," Irina said. "there's no way that she, who became a Devil, still believes in God."

"No, I can smell the "belief" from her." Xenovia responded with sharp eyes. "It might be an abstract way of saying it. But I'm sensitive to these things. There are people who betray the teachings and still have guilt within them because they couldn't forget the teachings. I can feel something similar coming from her."

Irina stared at Asia with interest. "Is that true?" She asked the former nun. "Asia-san, you still believe in God even if you have turned into a devil?"

Asia gained a sad expression at that. "…I just can't put it aside. I believed in it for my whole life…"

Asia...you still believed in the horrible God...even after all of your trials and suffering, you believed in that being who failed to protect you...

Then Xenovia began to remove her sword from her cloth. "Is that so. Then you should be cut down by us this instant. If it's now, I can cut you in the name of God. Even if you have sin, our God will-" She stopped when I lunged forward and grabbed her by the wrist, preventing her from getting any closer to Asia. I was glaring at her with absolute hatred.

"Don't you get any closer. Take one more step or try to hurt Asia and I will never forgive you."

Xenovia stared at me in surprise. "Why would you, the son of Miyako-sama, protect a witch like her? Even as a Devil, you must know that she-"

"Don't you DARE use my beloved Oka-sama to justify any of your actions!" I shouted at her. Now I was even angrier. "I know in my heart that, regardless of her faith, Oka-sama would NEVER agree to something like that!"

And I actually believed it. The Oka-sama that I remembered...she was a good person. She would never allow Asia, even as a Devil, to be hurt by this girl, regardless if Asia Human, Fallen Angel, or Devil. She also wouldn't be happy with me if I allowed her to come to harm.

"I will protect Asia. I'll protect her because she is a precious person to me who never did anybody any wrong! You know nothing of her pain! Nothing of the suffering she endured! All she wanted was to be loved!" I shouted.

Ise stepped forward, equally enraged. "Don't fuck around! Not even a single person helped her when she needed help! Those who can't understand Asia's kindness are a bunch of idiots! It's also wrong that none of them tried to become her friend!"

"She had God's love," Xenovia defended. "That is all she should have needed. Do you think the "Holy-maiden" needed friends? What's important is the charity to others. The "Holy-maidens" are finished when they seek friendship and love from others. She could have continued to live with the love from God. So Asia Argento didn't have the right to be a "Holy-Maiden" from the beginning."

"So you guys selfishly made her into a "Holy-maiden" and abandon her because she's different from those who seek her? That's fucked up… It fuckin is!" Ise raised a fist in anger.

"God loved her. If nothing happened then it means that she didn't believe in him enough, or her belief was fake. For someone like her, she would be better off if she were cleansed by our Holy Swords."

I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to spew forth the number of curses I had in mind.

"OK, let me restate it this way: For the people who refused to defend her, for the God who abandoned her so easily, for her happiness, I will protect her with everything I have even if the price is my life!" I declared. "Asia is one the most important people in my life. So are Ravel, Yumi, Akeno-san, Ise, Raynare, Mittelt, Kalawarner, Koneko-chan!" Then I narrowed my eyes at her. "If you or anyone else even try to lay a finger on the people I love, I won't hesitate. I will kill you! Even if the whole world becomes my enemy, I'll take on all of their hatred, all of their strength, nothing will stop me! If what is right and wrong is decided by God, then I'll gladly wage war on Him! I'll use the power of the White Dragon Emperor to annihilate Him from existence!" To demonstrate my point, I summoned Divine Dividing. "I'll be the one who slays God Himself, and who re-establishes the meaning of justice!"

"Shi-chan!" Irina cried out in horror.

"Hells yeah!" Issei also summoned Boosted Gear. "I'm with you all the way, buddy! We're the Red and White Dragon Emperors! With the two of us, no half-assed God like theirs will ever be able to stand in our way!"

Xenovia sharpened her eyes at my provocation. "You had best watch your heretical mouth, Devils. Unless of course you desire to declare war on the Heavens in the name of your Maou." She taunted, not so subtly drawing out her sword. "In that case, I don't mind cutting out those wretched tongues of yours. It would be a shame that your masters did not teach you any better."

Rias opened her mouth to say something but was cut off by Yumi who interrupted.

"That's good timing. I will be your opponent." Yumi was carrying a sword. I could literally SEE the amount of killing intent radiating off of her.

"Who are you?" Xenovia asked.

Yumi smirked. "I'm your senpai. Though I was apparently a failure." That instant a countless number of demonic-swords appeared in the club room. "I'll-"

"CHEAP SHOT!" Before Yumi could speak any further, I slammed my fist into a certain spot on her neck, around the area where her neck connected with her torso. She crumpled to the ground like a sack of potatoes. I caught her before she hit the ground, earning the shocked looks of everyone.

"S-Shirou-!" Rias spluttered.

"Oh come on! We all knew where that was going! It was only going to get uglier from there and I would prefer Yumi not get herself hurt." I explained. Then I turned to the Exorcist duo. "And we all know there's only one way this will be resolved!"

Prepared to taste defeat, you blue-haired bitch!

* * *

We were standing in the field where we practiced for the Ball Tournament. Ise stood a bit away from me and the Exorcist girls stood across from us. Our surroundings were enveloped by a barrier made up of red aura with the others standing on the outside.

Xenovia wanted to test me and the servants of Gremory and now we were here. Irina and Xenovia both had their respective Excaliburs in sword form and unsheathed respectively. The two had also done away with their white robes, revealing their tight, black battle wear. Whoever designed those outfits for people working for a CHURCH should be fired. Because if their outfits weren't erotic, then I didn't know the definition of the word.

I stared at Irina, noting how much she had filled out since we last met.

"Irina, I think the heretical Hakuryuukou is thinking sinful things about you." Xenovia pointed out. Hey! Nobody asked you!

Irina blushed sharply, seeming so embarrassed. "Shi-chan! We're not even married yet! To be thinking about doing such things with me so soon, I...I don't know what to say!"

"KILL HER, SHIROU!"

"DON'T LET THAT WOMAN FROM THE CHURCH DEFEAT YOU, SHIROU-SAMA!"

"Do your best, Shirou-kun!"

Mittelt, Ravel, and Akeno-san were all radiating killing intent towards Irina again.

"Even if it's just a match, be cautious of the Holy Swords!" Rias warned.

"Y-Yes!" Ise seemed more nervous than I was, but I was confident. I had a reason for winning.

"Hey, Xenovia!" I shouted. "Don't forget our bet! If Ise and I win, then I get your Excalibur and Yumi gets to smash it to pieces!"

Xenovia nodded. "Of course." Then she paused. "That Sacred Gear she possessed. It was [Sword Birth], wasn't it? The possessor can create any Demonic-Sword they imagine in their head. It's unique among the Demonic-Sword related Sacred Gears… I heard that there was a "subject" that avoided from being disposed by the "Holy-Sword Project"… Is that her?" Xenovia's eyes became directed to Yumi who laid unconscious next to Asia who gave numerous worried glances as the unconscious Knight. Hey, we couldn't very well leave her behind.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "Yeah? What's it to you?"

Xenovia shook her head. "Nothing. It matters not." She raised her Holy Sword. "It is time to finish what we began yesterday!"

I took my own battle stance, Divine Dividing still present on my back. "I couldn't agree more!" I turned to Ise. "Ise, try to go easy on Iri for me, can you? Even if she's your opponent, I don't want her to get too hurt."

"Alright! I'll take her out while doing as little physical damage as possible!" That...That was too easy.

"If you even think about using Dress Break on Irina, I will rip your arm from your body, Ise."

"Come ooooon! Don't pretend you weren't thinking about it too!"

I turned away from the pervert...The worst part was, he wasn't too wrong. The more perverted part of my mind did indeed picture Irina stark naked in front of me...It was a nice thought, but one I did not wish to make reality by demeaning Irina.

"Sacred Gear [Sword Birth], [Divine Dividing], and [Boosted Gear]. And also the [Twilight Healing] that Asia Argento has. All of them are Sacred Gear that are said to be a heresy to us. Maybe it was natural for you to turn into a Devil." Xenovia said, smirking at Asia.

"Oh, I am SO going to enjoy this." I declared.

"Shall we start th-GAAAK!" Xenovia was cut short because I was suddenly in front of her, slamming my fist into her stomach, knocking all of the wind out of her and sending her skidding backwards on her feet.

I smirked, raising the fist I had used to hit her. "The first strike can decide the match!"

**[Divide!]**

"And so it begins." Xenovia noted with narrowed eyes. "Perish!" She lunged forward, swinging her sword down on my head. I dodged right, avoiding the bad end of her blade. She tried following up with a kick, but I raised my arm to block it.

"Ha! You won't get me with the same trick twice!"

"Who said it was the same?" Then I realized that her sword was still raised into the air, ready to swing down again. Only now, I had no appendages to guard it with.

KATCHIN

Except of course my wings again. Ah, Divine Dividing, where would I be without you?

I knocked her blade away by further manipulating my wings. Then I drove both of my fists forward, trying to slam them into her stomach, but she twirled her blade in hand, rotating it until the flat of her blade was in front of her, blocking both of my blows with its massive size. I resisted the urge to admit that slamming my fists against a hunk of holy metal hurt like Hell.

"My sword is a mass of destruction. There's nothing it can't destroy. Be it weapons or the body of a heretical Devil." Xenovia slammed her sword into the ground-

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

It created a powerful explosion that REALLY hurt from this close distance. I was send flying, smashing against the wall far from me. I ended up losing my balance and fell to one knee. There were dust clouds everywhere and I had to cover my mouth with my sleeve to keep from inhaling the dust.

"Geez! I'm all covered in dirt because you destroyed the ground, Xenovia!" Irina complained, wiping the dirt off her clothes. She resumed a fighting stance. "But it's time to finish this now!"

I had no idea how Ise was doing in his fight, but Irina didn't seem to have a scratch on her, so I could only assume she was giving Ise a run for his money.

"I have no patience for this." Xenovia said.

**[Divide!]**

"Bring it on!" I gestured her to come forth now that I had received a new burst of power. We lunged at one another. Xenovia swung her heavy sword so easily, but my Knight speed allowed me to easily block and knock away her sword with my wings before she had a time to release her Excalibur's destructive power. I wouldn't make the same mistake I made before!

"Perish!"

Xenovia swung her heavy sword down on me. Instinctively, I raised my arms and grabbed her by her wrists, stopping her from potentially slicing my skull open with her giant holy can-opener.

**[Divide!]**

"I won't lose here! I promised Yumi!" I screamed out with my manly pride. "I sure as Hell won't lose to someone like you!" I held out a hand. "Burn!" A huge bolt of fire shot out of my hand, launching itself at Xenovia. The blue-haired Exorcist swung her sword forward, meeting my attack head-on. I could literally see the power her sword released shortly before impact, making sure that Xenovia was dealt no serious damage.

When the smoke cleared, I could tell that Xenovia was clearly annoyed how I continuously blocked and dodged her attacks, counterattacking on my own. It seemed as if we were repeating a pattern, neither of us landing a definite final strike. Even after my body became all badly damaged by her using her Excalibur's ability, I kept getting back up, more determined than before.

**[Divide!]**

I think I had built up enough power for one final attack.

I took my stance. "Let's settle this once and for all!" I charged up my left fist with Demonic Power, ready to deliver a final punch to KO Xenovia and win her Excalibur Destruction. Xenovia lowered her sword towards me.

"Shirou, look out!"

Eh? What's up, Rias?

I was surprised by Rias's sudden shout towards me.

"I'll take my revenge NOW!" My eyes widened in shock as a familiar, blonde swordsman ran by me using incredible, Knight-level speed. Xenovia easily sensing Yumi's with her refined instincts, prepared to swing down on the incoming Knight. There was no doubt in my mind that, in her current frenzied state, Yumi would be killed. Yumi was clearly going in for the kill and Xenovia would respond with similar force.

"Don't do iiiiiit!" My body started moving before my mind could process it. I was the only one amongst us who had the speed to stop what would happen.

The only thing I ever really registered was a sharp pain on my arm and on a certain point on my chest and back.

I could have sworn I felt it before I heard the sound of steel passing through flesh.

I roared through clenched teeth at the intense pain that wracked through my body.

"Shirou!"

"Shirou-san!"

"Shirou-kun!"

"Shirou-sama!"

"Onii-chan!"

There was a sharp silence from the two girls standing around me.

Xenovia's eyes were wide in shock while Yumi's were wide in horror.

"You know..." I groaned. "...it would be pretty nice if you pulled your sword out of my abdomen right about now..."

At the moment, I was in an unpleasant situation. Yumi had been so enraged that she had rushed in, blindly thrusting her sword. She didn't notice me appear at the last minute. She didn't stop thrusting. And that's the story of how I got a Demonic Sword turning me into a Shirou-kabob. But still, it's better than the alternative if I hadn't stepped in the way.

Embedded halfway into my left arm, which I strengthened using the defense trait of the Rook's power that existed in my Queen piece, was the sharp end of Excalibur Destruction. If my defense trait had been any weaker, the blade would have cut clean through the bone of my arm.

But it burned like Hell!

Imagine that you placed your hand, covered in oil and gasoline, on a burning grill. Multiply that pain my twenty million. You're almost halfway close to how painful this sensation was.

With narrowed eyes, Xenovia withdrew her blade from my arm, allowing hot smoke to rise from the wound. The holy power was LITERALLY burning my arm.

I let out a loud groan as I felt the blade inside my torso vanish into nothingness, being dispelled by Yumi's will. "S-Shirou...I-I...I didn't-!"

Blood spewed like a geyser from the now-unobstructed wound, blood slowly oozing from the large wound in my chest. I could also feel blood flowing out from the opening on my back as well. If anything, the sensation of blood trickling down my body made the sensation of pain even worse.

Xenovia let out a sigh. "What a shame. I was actually looking forward to seeing the end of our fight this time." She prepared to put away her sword, honestly seeming disappointed. I sensed it during our fight, too. Despite her harsh words, our fight was rather enjoyable. I didn't like her one bit, but I admired her power and skill as a fighter.

"Fuck that! It's not ending this way!" I wouldn't let this be another defeat. "We're finishing this fight, no matter what!" Xenovia turned to me in confusion.

"You're too injured to fight properly and to strike you down in your current state when your injuries were not inflicted by me would shame both you and I." Xenovia explained. "And Hyoudou Issei has already been defeated, so it makes no difference."

Wha?

I looked to the other side of the area to see Issei on the ground, clutching a smoking wound on his torso, grunting in pain. Well, with Issei, his ability to win depends on gauging his opponent's strength and using the appropriate amount of Boosts.

"I don't care...I won't lose here..." I forced myself to my feet, stumbling once due to pain. "No matter what, I can't afford to lose again!" I placed my other hand on the wound on my arm that had been struck by Xenovia's holy sword. I clenched my teeth tightly as a small flame ignited on my arm. "GAAAH!" It was even worse pain as I began cauterizing the wound on my arm using my demonic flame. There was more smoke, this time from my own flames.

It went on for several seconds until I finally released the spell. Where the was once a huge gash was now a huge burn scar. I made sure not to roast the flesh inside of my arm. I wanted to stop the bleeding and burn out the holy power that "infected" the wound, not further injure myself.

"What are you-?!"

"Shi-chan!" Irina was present, observing the spectacle unfolding before everyone.

Then I placed both hands on the wounds to my torso, one hand on the opening on my back and the other on the wound on my chest.

"...One more..." I wheezed out. Then I ignited flames in my hands once more. "GRAAAAAAAAAAH!" I never thought that I could feel worse pain than being run through the chest with a light spear or being stabbed by a holy or light weapon. The worst part was that the pain came by my own hands. I knew I should stop...I could just stop. Just drop out right now, forfeit the fight, and let Asia heal my injuries...but I couldn't. I could, but I couldn't at the same time.

"Shirou..." I ignored Yumi's expression. She was why I was doing this. I still wasn't sure why I was doing this for her, what my reason for wanting to help her so bad was, but I did it nonetheless. My thoughts were still a blur. Even if my reason was completely different, I would fight believing it was because I cared for Yumi. If it was a lie, then it is a lie I would happily embrace!

It took several seconds of excruciating pain before I felt confident enough to cancel the spell.

I was sweating like crazy and tears were rolling down the sides of my face due to pain, but I still stood deterined.

"So...are we gonna continue...or what?" I panted out, tired from the mental exhaustion I caused myself due to enduring the intense pain of burning myself.

Xenovia stared at me, shocked beyond belief. "You can barely stand as it is. Is...Is this fight really so important to you?"

I nodded. "Of course...Obtaining Excalibur is the only way I can help Yumi...at the very least, I want to help her destroy at least one of them...Even if all seven is impossible, maybe just getting one of them will be enough to help my friend..." I took a step forward, but fell forward onto one knee. "So...come on...We have to finish this..." But seriously though...taking a sword straight through your gut and then burning that same wound closed really took a lot out of you.

Xenovia stared at me like I was potentially insane. Then she turned away. "I have no interest." She sheathed her Excalibur Destruction in its cloth once more. "While this had been entertaining thus far, fighting you in your current state using my Excalibur is as overkill as crushing an ant with a mountain. You had best get yourself healed. Perhaps next time, we will be able to finish our fight." She packed up and walked away. "How strange...the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon being allies. I can't help but feel curious..." Then she shook her head. "Never mind. Farewell, Fujimura Shirou."

It was faint, but I could sense it in her voice. Grudging respect. Not to mention she used my name "Shirou Fujimura" rather than "Devil" or "Heretic".

Unable to maintain my attempt at acting tough any longer, I fell back onto the ground, huffing and puffing as if I had run a marathon.

Irina approached me, smiling adorably out a strange mix of relief and worry. Before I could react, she wrapped her arms around me and hugged my tightly for a few moments before letting go. "Despite so much time having passed, you're still the same Shi-chan...the same, lovable, heroic dummy...I'm glad. Maybe when the circumstances allow it..." Whatever she had been considering, Irina shook her head. "Until then, Shi-chan." With that confusing thought, Irina picked up her own stuff and followed after Xenovia. I saw her wink at me before she left my sight. "Ise-kun! Tell me when you wanna be judged, OK?! Wait up, Xenovia!"

No matter how you spin it, this was our loss.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Asia put her hand on my stomach and healed my wounds with her Sacred Gear. Asia was wearing the spare uniform she had in the old school building. She was wearing it because Ise apparently blew her clothes away earlier (gonna punch that bastard later). The warm green colored light that was made from her hand surrounded me and healed my wounds. The burns inflicted by my own hand were gradually erased, replaced by perfectly healthy skin.

I sighed, crossing my arms. "Yeah...I guess...It really sucked to get stabbed through the chest though."

"What is with Kiba-senpai!?" Ravel fumed, standing next to me with an equally worried expression. "She just stabbed you and doesn't even apologize!?"

"C-Come now, Ravel-san." Asia said worriedly. "I-I know that Kiba-san didn't mean it! I-It was an accident."

"Yeah. It was kind of my fault anyway." I admitted.

"Yeah. You were the dumbass who literally ran in front of a sword. Two swords if you count Xenovia's." Ise teased with a smirk.

"And YOU, my friend, were the one who got KO'd because you were too busy trying to see what was under Irina's clothes." I fired back. "How hard did Koneko-chan hit you for accidentally stripping her and Asia by the way?"

Ise hung his head, muttering to himself. Some of the words he said were curses towards me concerning my ability to easily get a girl to kiss or grope or seek naked. Essentially do anything ecchi. I snickered to myself, trying to cheer up despite the fact that I lost the chance to get an Excalibur for Yumi. For a brief moment, I thought this would just be a "pick up and leave" kind of moment where we would be able to go home and make plans for the next day.

"Hold on! Yumi!

I was wrong.

I turned to see Yumi trying to leave and an angry Rias trying to stop her. "I won't forgive you if you leave me! You are the [Knight] of the Gremory group. I will also be troubled if you turn into an exiled. Wait this instant!" Yumi just kept walking.

"…I was able to run away from there, thanks to my comrades. That's why I have to put their regrets into my Demonic Swords…And I couldn't even use them on the right person..." With those bitter and regret-filled words, Yumi left.

"Hey! Yumi!" Before she could get away, I chased after her, following her outside. "Wait up!" I grabbed hrt by the shoulder and forced her to turn around to face me. She still had an angry expression on her face, her expression fading to remorse when she saw it was me. "You're making Rias and everyone so worried and that thing you just pulled only made it worse! You said we could do this together, so why do you keep pushing everyone away?!"

"It's none of your concern." Yumi replied bitterly, but I could also detect a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Yumi...just..." I wasn't sure what to say. My comrade who was usually all smiles had such anger inside her and I didn't know what to do.

Yumi was important to me. She stood by my side as we fought together. And here I was, unable to do a damn thing to stop her from walking towards her own destruction. Whether or not she managed to destroy the Excaliburs, I had no doubt she would lose the person she was before.

"Yumi, I don't want to see you do this to yourself."

Yumi shook her head. "I won't involve you in this any longer...I can't. I tried, Shirou. I really did. Look what happened! I...I..." She clenched her fists, her voice full of regret. She was thinking about how, in her blind rage, she had run me through by mistake. It was as much my fault as it was hers since I was the one who ran in front of the attack!

She tried taking another step, but I wouldn't let her go. I grabbed her from behind and wrapped her in my arms, holding her tightly against my chest.

I stared at Yumi with such sad eyes. "Yumi...You can't just go do this on your own. You'll end up destroying yourself." I held her tightly, this person whom I held dear to me. For a brief moment, when Yumi's body relaxed, my hopes rose slightly. I just wanted nothing more than for Yumi to return to how she was at the time when she would playfully tease me about holding her gently in such a way. I just wanted her back...

"As long as I destroy that Holy Sword as well, then I'll be satisfied." Yumi removed my arms from her body, completely slipping out of my embrace. She walked away without saying another word to me.

"Shirou-san!"

"Shirou-sama!"

Asia and Ravel ran up to me, extreme worry very apparent on their faces.

I didn't face them. Even before I realized it, I knew what I had to do. "Asia. Ravel. I'll see you and Isabela at home. I gotta go back early today. I'll explain later."

And then I ran off in the direction of home.

I knew for sure now that there was only one way to help Yumi.

* * *

**Later...**

Serafall stared at me, her "serious face" apparent.

[Shi-tan, you do realize what you're asking of me, right?]

I nodded. I had just asked Serafall an incredibly difficult request. I knew that Serafall was the only person I could ask of this. Even if I asked Sona or Rias, they would decline or instead try to find a different way. I couldn't ask them. The only thing I could do was to go over their heads.

[...Shi-tan, there's so many political complications with this that it's not even funny.]

"Serafall...I know." I said, feeling somewhat ashamed. Then I held my head up high. "I know it's a lot to ask for, but I really need this. It's the only way I can think of to help Yumi!"

[It's not so simple. We both know what your reasons are, but I'm also a Maou-sama who also has to worry about the image of the Devils. I'm the one in charge of foreign affairs and if this appears as an attempt by the Devils and the Church to gang up on other factions, it will be very ugly. Do you know how hard it is to balance that kind of politics?!]

I shirked away, somewhat frightened by Serafall's raised voice. "I'm sorry..."

Serafall covered her mouth, seeming ashamed about something.

[No no! I-I'm the one who should be sorry! I-I just have a lot on my mind at the moment.]

Serafall sounded serious, which made me only more worried.

"What's wrong?" Yumi's problem was a more pressing matter, but there was no harm in talking through another issue with my master at the same time.

But Serafall waved off my concern, but she still seemed troubled.

[It...It's nothing. It's something that would be best for us to talk about face-to-face. But back to your request...]

I made a pleading look to her. "Please, Serafall? This is probably the most important thing I will ever ask of you. Right now, it's the only way I can help Yumi and make sure she won't get in trouble. Please?"

.

.

.

Serafall paused for a long time, deeply considering this issue like the Maou she was. When it came to serious politics, even Serafall couldn't bend the rules for me, so this is a very tricky request. It would all depend on how it is interpreted by others.

She bit the tip of her thumb, nibbling on her fingernail a moment before she gave her answer.

[I'll get it done, Shi-tan. It'll be a stretch, but I think your request is acceptable. However, it will only work if you can get the Exorcists of the Church to agree to this.]

Relief flooded my heart. "Oh thank you, Serafall! Thank you! I love you so much right now!"

[AWWWWW~! Shi-tan's so cute when he has such a look on his face~!]

"Alright! Next time we talk, I'll have the Excaliburs either in hand or in pieces!" I declared to Serafall. "I'll also have Kokabiel's head on a platter if I can manage!"

Serafall's expression became serious again.

[Shi-tan, I love you, but don't try to play the hero in this. I encountered Kokabiel back during the Great War. He is a horrible and brutal person! Not as strong as me, Sirzechs-chan, or the other Maous, but strong enough! He WON'T hesitate to kill you or the others! If he makes an appearance, you HAVE TO run away! That's an order, Shi-tan! If you follow any of my orders, let it be that one! If you fight him, he WILL kill you! Please...for me?]

Serafall made the most adorable puppy dog eyes that no being alive could possibly ignore.

I smiled. "Alright. I promise. If Kokabiel makes an appearance himself, I'll make sure we all get away. But if there's no other choice, I will fight. There's no guarantees here, Serafall. I want you to be aware of that. I don't want to get into a fight with a Fallen Angel from the Bible, but in this situation, it may be unavoidable."

My master looked close to tears, saddened by the thought of me fighting Kokabiel.

[Fine...Just promise me you'll live! No matter what! I don't care if you win! But if you are in trouble and see a single chance to escape, I want you to run! Don't look back and just run!]

I held up a pinky. "OK, THAT I can promise." Serafall held up her pinky in return. We both possessed a loving gaze directed at one another.

[I love you, Shirou...so much.]

"I love you too, Serafall."

With a cheerful peace sign, Serafall cut the feed, the image of her appearing in the magic circle vanishing entirely.

I released a sigh of relief. That was taken care of. All I had to do was gather my group tomorrow and make contact with Irina and Xenovia.

That would be the first step. But by then, it's all but assured that I would be able to carry out the rest.

"Nyaaaaa!" I looked down to see Kuro rubbing up against my leg again. She had gotten so affectionate lately.

I pet her in the place behind her ears that she loved so much, earning more affectionate purring. I smiled softly.

"Don't you worry your little head, Kuro. I'm promising you, too~" I said jokingly. "After this whole mess with Excalibur is done, I'll show you what my house is like when things AREN'T crazy~"

Speaking of crazy, I hadn't seen Mako-nee around since that incident yesterday. I thought I heard some noises in her room sometimes, but I didn't care enough to check. She deceived me. She hurt me really bad. I didn't know if I could ever trust that woman again.

And so, with nothing else to do, I returned to my room. There was nothing else to do for tonight. It was too dark and too dangerous to go alone at night to search for Irina and Xenovia. There was too much ground to cover in this one town.

I would just have to hope searching in the morning would bring me luck. As I prepared a change of clothes, I heard a knock on my door.

"Come in" I said. When the door to my room opened, I saw Ravel enter with Asia behind her. "Ravel, Asia what's up?"

"Oh...well." Ravel hesitated. Then she glared at Asia while blushing. "Hurry up and say what you were gonna say."

"Oh right...sorry." Asia looked nervous, too, but took a deep breath. "Shirou-san...I didn't get a chance to say it but thank you...for standing up for me. I do have some regrets after becoming a Devil, but I'm really happy now. I get to live my life with so many people who take care of me and love me and have become important people in life. Most of all I was able to fall in love with you too that's what I'm most thankful for." My heart skipped a beat. Before, such an announcement from Asia would have been awkward and uncomfortable for me, but now it made me feel really warm inside.

Ravel looked away, causing me to stare in confusion. "I'm...just letting her have a moment since she wanted to tell you so badly. It's not like I found her pacing back and forth trying to figure out how to say it to you and I just dragged her here." Ravel spoke with that adorable tsundere disposition of hers~. Being a noble whether as a human or a Devil really brings out stereotypes one typically sees in anime.

"Heh." I chuckled, not deceived in the slightest. "Thanks, you two." I felt so happy right now. It was strange, but everything just felt just right.

Ravel shifted uncomfortably for a moment. Then she walked up to us. While I was focused on that, I was surprised by Asia who took a bold step for and got on her toes. She reached up and pulled me in for a kiss.

It was surprising!

Asia normally would give a sign she was gonna do something like this by either blushing or stuttering up a storm, but I was actually caught off guard. As I was recovering from the surprise kiss, Ravel took her turn and pulled me in for a kiss as well.

Part of me was certain I was dreaming or something because this just felt so sudden and unreal.

"We...also know what you're planning. So rather than stop you or talk you out of it...we decided to at least give ourselves to you, Shirou-sama." Ravel explained as she stepped back as she took off her dress while saying one more thing.

I stared. "OK...How does that logic work?"

Ravel puffed up her cheeks adorably in annoyance. "We were planning to make you feel better earlier before meeting with those Exorcists but we were short on time." Holy shit. They're serious! "We love you and we're afraid you might not come back from what you're going to do!" I stared at the two. First at Ravel. Then at Asia.

Rather than let the girls feelings go to waste I pulled Asia in and kissed her deeply. Asia was surprised at first, but gave into it happily as we both moaned into each others mouths. I inserted my tongue into Asia's mouth, feeling amused when her eyes went so wide. But Asia only seemed to moan louder as I swirled my tongue around inside her mouth.

Ravel blushed. She lived a sheltered life as a noble. She's probably never seen others kiss like this. The most we had done were rather chaste kisses with our lips. Acting on some sort of instinct, Ravel began to take off her dress, letting it fall to the ground before she moved on to removing her bra and and panties. With a shy look on her face, she walked up to us. I let Asia go for a moment, leaving her with that stunned and blissful expression in order to better examine the naked body of Ravel.

"Do commoners always kiss like that?" Ravel asked, eying me with embarrassed eyes, a shy yet lustful expression on her face. She seemed to be deeply into what we were doing, but too embarrassed to try asking for the same.

"Why don't you come and find out, little princess~?" I teased. It was so cute seeing such a virgin-like reaction to something as simple as kissing. I pulled her in for a deep kiss, treating her with the same affection as Asia, only I made sure to specifically stir up her own tongue. It was weird, but bringing that lewd expression onto the "Princess" Ravel's face seemed somewhat more amusing than seeing it on Asia's face.

I ravished the inside of Ravel's mouth, making her moan as much as I could by groping her right breast, tweaking her nipple slightly to elicit a sharp squeak of surprise. After a few moments, we pulled away, a long trail of saliva connecting my mouth to Ravel's extended tongue. I blushed, feeling my "Little Shirou" beginning to "wake up". I was confused when Asia and Ravel looked to each other, then was shocked further when they pushed me onto the bed behind me. Ravel and Asia were usually so cute and petite that I never really noticed how their boobs were bigger than they looked when they were dressed. I mean Ravel's were bigger than Asia's, but now they both looked huge. Not as big as Yumi's or Akeno-san's, but big enough.

They got on the bed and crawled over to me, showing all of their nude glory before me. They paused, staring at a certain bulge in his pants.

"Alright...w-we're at this point..." Ravel said. "S-So what did Kalawarner say w-we were s-supposed to do at th-this point?" W-what?

Asia was blushing a deep shade of red, eying my "swelling" with embarrassment and awe. "I-I think sh-she said that w-we w-were s-supposed to take off his pants."

W-Wait a minute.

"Kalawarner told you to do this?" Should've known! Only someone as ecchi as that Fallen Angel would put these two pure flowers up to choosing this way to show their feelings!...Well. Her, Akeno-san, or Serafall. Those three would have to be the prime suspects.

Asia and Ravel nodded.

I sighed. "Then this is over. You two don't have to listen to that perverted idiot. I know you both care about me, but you don't have to-"

"P-Preposterous!" Ravel interrupted. "I-I am a woman of the Phenex clan! I-I would b-be a shame to our family name i-if I didn't know something like that! I-I am well a-aware of what I am getting into w-with this, Shirou-sama!"

"S-Shirou-san, e-even if we only h-had our first k-kiss t-today, I've...I've been in love with you for so long." Asia confessed with a blush. "I want to give myself to Shirou-san. You've already had s-sex with Serafall-sama-"

Twice. After I returned to her service...that was a fun night.

"-a-and I'm y-your wife-to-be, no matter what Irina-san says, and I-I want to make sure you know my body as well..." Asia suddenly seemed embarrassed again. "B-But I was nervous, s-so I agreed to let Ravel-san..." She seemed even more embarrassed. Apparently even mentioning the word "threesome" was hard for her. I was surprise she got the nerve for it at all.

"You're a so-called "Harem King", aren't you?!" Ravel snapped. "S-So your foremost duty t-to your girls is the satisfy all of us in whatever way we want, isn't it?!" She was so flustered than she was being aggressive now.

I raised my hands in surrender. "A-Alright." I stared at Ravel and then at the trembling Asia before smiling softly. "I-If you both are sure about this, then O-OK."

Ravel nodded, satisfied. "N-Now lay back down and e-enjoy yourself." I nodded, easing back onto the bed, feeling somewhat embarrassed at my raging boner.

"N-Now let's just unzip this." Ravel's hands trembled somewhat as she reached for the zipper of my pants, gradually pulling it down. and letting my male pride stick out further, held back only by my underwear. With an odd sense of finality, Ravel pulled back my underwear, finally letting my hard erection spill out into the open air.

There was a sense of awe as both Asia and Ravel gasped, the former covering her mouth with her hand.

"I-I've never s-seen t-this kind of thing before!"

"I can't believe it's so big!" Ravel eyed my erection with wonder. "W-Will such a thing even fit in us? H-How did Leviathan-sama ever manage something as large as this?"

I was starting to feel self-conscious with both of them just staring at it like that. The embarrassed part of my mind just wanted one of them to do something already while the really erotic part of my mind REALLY wanted them to do something already.

Turns out my prayer was answered.

I felt a soft, warm, wet sensation press against the lower part of my cock. Then it slowly worked its way up, stopping at the tip before licking all the way down.

"A-Ah~ A-Asia, y-your tongue is s-so soft~!"

While she was still trembling, Asia fearlessly gripped the lowest part of my cock and then started licking it. She licked my cock all the way to the tip before dragging her tongue downwards again. Her face was red with both embarrassment and a hint of lust. She never once stopped her service of my impressive cock, licking it vigorously like some sort of dick-hungry cat. Asia stroked the base of my cock, continuing to lick it all around, leaving nowhere free of Asia's saliva.

"H-How did you even know how to do this, Asia-senpai?!" Ravel shouted in surprise.

Asia looked so aroused and she didn't stop licking me off even while answering Ravel. "A-Akeno-shan made meh watsch an adult film when I ashked her about what shex wasssh!...Raynare-shan and dee othersh made meh watsch the whole thing!" Ah. It makes sense...I can totally picture Akeno-san "teaching" Asia like that. I'm really going to have to have a serious-AAAAH~

I was once again taken by the pleasure of Asia swirling her tongue around my dick.

"A-Asia, I-I can't...i-it's so good~!" I squeaked. I don't know why, but the thought of being dominated by Asia's tongue was so arousing to me.

"H-Hey! I-I won't fall behind to you, Asia-senpai! St-Stop being so selfish!" Then Ravel leaned forward, brushing a strand of hair out of her face before extending her tongue to my shaft, licking it sensually and moaning erotically. She pulled away for a moment, a string of saliva stretching from the tip of her tongue to my even-more erect cock. "W-Wow, Sh-Shirou-sama tastes rather delicious...I-I didn't expect that..." With a new, even more erotic expression, Ravel also began to lick around the shaft of my cock.

They breathed hotly with open mouths as they continued licking their tongues around my shaft.

It felt so good! Despite being virgins, Asia and Ravel's fellatio skills were incredible!

I began to groan from the pleasure as Asia began slowly wrapped her hand around my now-wet dick and began to slowly stroke it up and down all while Ravel began to massage my balls. Neither stopped licking me. Asia licked the tip of my dick in an oddly cute way while Ravel erotically licked around my shaft, sometimes delivering hot, wet kisses to the base of it.

"S-Shirou-shan, I-I'm going to s-start...I-I'm gonna suck o-on it, okay?" I nodded, blushing deeply.

The thought of Asia sucking me off was even sexier than her licking me off. While Ravel was still licking my shaft, Asia lowered her mouth on my cock, taking a fair portion of it deep inside. Ravel pulled herself away, staring in wonder as Asia began to fully envelop my cock with her soft mouth, adding more pleasure by swirling her tongue around my already wet cock. Asia actually seemed to struggled the further my dick when into her mouth. At one point, she began gagging. I felt my dick throb as it entered what I suspected to be Asia's throat. She pulled away completely, gagging and coughing while placing her hands at her neck.

Asia wiped saliva from her mouth, her face an even deeper shade of red mixed with a hint of sadness. "I-I'm sorry, Shirou-san. It was too big..."

"I-It's fine, Asia!" It felt really weird to hear Asia apologize for not being able to suck on my entire cock. Hell, it felt weird enough that she even had to mention my cock in any context.

"Move out of the way, Asia-senpai!" Ravel commanded. "I-I'll do it! Just-um-gimme a second!" Ravel stared at my dick as if it was something completely alien before she leaned in, mouth open, and began taking it in her mouth. She let out a loud moan as she began taking my cock further and further, giving it the same "tongue treatment" that Asia gave me. The only difference is that I felt an odd warmth radiating inside her mouth. It felt like a small, passionate fire was pouring more warm pleasure into my cock as Ravel continued to take it further in. Then she stopped before she got much further. She pulled her head up, eliciting a sharp moan of pleasure before Ravel began to get into a slow rhythm, beginning to bob her head up and down.

"A-Ah! S-So I'm not supposed to go down all the way every time!?" She sounded so shocked and surprised, but I couldn't really invest my attention in that. I was more focused on the warmth that existed inside Ravel's mouth. By some sexual instinct of mine, I began bucking my hips slightly upward, trying to experience more of the amazing sensation that was Ravel's mouth. Ravel also made lewd sucking noises as she continued bobbing her head up and down, my cock being too large for her to suck all the way to my balls.

I began panting, moaning more harshly as I felt the throbbing in my dick grow more frequent. I could feel that familiar pressure build up in my throbbing dick, eager to be released.

But, as if sensing this, Ravel's eyes opened slowly. I could swear that, despite the fact my dick was in her mouth, she was smirking.

I felt a huge sense of disappointment when Ravel slowly pulled her head upward, letting my large, saliva-covered cock slip from her mouth, Ravel giving the tip a slight teasing lick before completely releasing it.

Ravel turned to Asia. "Asia-senpai, I think Shirou-sama is ready to get off now~ Come here and help me give him a special present~" Asia, seeming as confused as I was, did as she was asked and crawled to my side so she was sitting on the opposite side of me of Ravel. Ravel eyed Asia's breasts with an odd expression. Then she reached out and grabbed them, giving both a sharp squeeze.

"IYAAAAAA~!" Asia squealed, instinctively covering her breasts to protect them from any further assault.

Ravel stared indifferently as if she hadn't just groped the blonde nun. "Yours aren't as big either...Alright, do as I do." Ravel placed her hands under her own breasts before leaning forward, both Asia and I staring in interest as Ravel placed her breasts on one side of my dick. My eyes widened as I realized what she was getting at.

Asia, not yet understanding, did likewise and pushed her breasts against the other side of my dick, squeezing it between the bosoms of two incredibly beautiful bishoujou.

I let out a small groan as I felt my cock being squeezed between two sets of marshmallow-like softness.

"Now, rub your breasts up and down like I do. Really make sure to squeeze Master's di-co-HIS MANHOOD in between our breasts!" Ravel said. Despite the fact that she and Asia were introducing my cock to the legendary "Double Paizuri", I found it cute how she couldn't say works like "dick" or "cock". The both of them kept stroking my cock with their breasts as they started licking the tip. Their breath, wet tongues, and soft breasts were starting to feel really good as they both moaned from the way their breasts made contact with each other, especially with how their nipples were poking each other.

"Oh Maou! I'm about to cum!" There was a sharp sensation of pleasure as I released my shot my first at them. My cock showered their faces and and some of their their hair in my cum. By they were both panting, staring in surprise as the sheer amount of seed I released.

"Shirou-sama...releases this much..." Ravel sighed out in wonder.

"Is...this a man's...?" Asia stared at the seed that covered her body. It wasn't wonder or awe or shock or disgust. It was just confusion.

"Yes. This is a man's baby seed." Ravel answered. Asia looked intrigued and surprised. I really have to wonder just how sheltered she in the church. I mean I get not telling young kids till their older but this was almost sad to see. Now came the biggest moment in any threesome-

"Shirou-sama...I shall go first, correct?" Ravel assumed.

"Shirou-san, p-please choose me." Asia begged with a pleading look in her eyes. This was not an easy choice. The choice I made here could make or break this scenario...but I had an idea.

"Let's settle things like this..." I told them, a perverted glint in my eye. "Let's play a little game~"

Next thing they knew, they were laying on their backs, holding their legs up and kept them spread for me to see everything. Both of them were blushing with embarrassment and I had to admit this was actually gratifying in it's own way...I'm really starting to fear that Akeno-san's "S" side has started to rub off on me. At any rate I got close to them as my left hand went to Asia and my right hand to Ravel.

"Shirou-san..."

"Shirou-sama..."

Both of the girls moaned my name as I started the game, teasing them as I rubbed their pussies and touched their clits. Both of them moaned very erotically. The purpose of this game was decide who loses their virginity to me first. The first one to cum from just my fingers loses and naturally the winner, who is last to cum, will go first. I rubbed their clits for a bit, reveling in the erotic and lewd expressions that the nun and the Phenex girl showed me. But perhaps it was because of the desire to see more that I decided to step up the game.

"Time for round two." I told them, preparing my middle and ring fingers. I slowly inserted my fingers into them as they were giving it all their might to resist the sensations that I was giving them. My fingers were going in and out of them. The more I did this, the more my fingers were coated in their sweet, sticky juices.

"S-Shirou-san...ahh!"

"Ahh hah...Shirou-sama..."

Their moans only excited me more. One thing I noted was that Asia was exceptionally tight on my fingers alone and Ravel had a lot of natural heat coming out of her. It was really fun seeing them hold their legs held back like that as they gritted their teeth, trying to resist climaxing no matter what. I even noticed the bit of drool falling from their mouths. I decided to add one more push. Luckily being taller than them gave an advantage.

"Shirou-sama!? Ahh! Hah!" Ravel moaned out of the sudden surprise. I started sucking on her breasts while continuing to finger both her and Asia. I picked up the pace with my hands and noticed their moans getting faster too. I then switched to sucking Asia's.

"Hah! Shirou...san...you...meanie..." Asia moaned as she complained a bit but I could tell she was enjoying this as much as I was. As fun as this is a winner eventually had to come and I noticed Asia looking like she was ready to burst. "Errghh...ahh hah...I can't...hold out...it's coming...I'm...CUMMING!" Asia screamed as she squirted on to my arm, arching her back after her arms and legs gave out. Seeing her erotic expression as she submitted so fullheartedly to the pleasure gave me that same weird, somewhat sadistic pleasure. I stopped what I was doing to Ravel and gave Asia a passionate kiss, a reward if you must for her for holding out so long.I made sure to really tease her tongue, attempting to arouse her so she would be even more impatient for her turn.

After that, it time to let Ravel receive her reward.

"Shirou-sama..." Ravel called my name real nervous-like. I guess it's to be expected since this is her time. I positioned myself to her entrance before slowly pushing into her. "Errgghh...Shirou...sama...is coming in..." She winced in pain as my cock pierced right through her hymen. I took a moment's pause. Ravel looked at me in relief, perhaps thinking it was over until she looked down and noticed I was only halfway in. "Ehh!?" She actually looked worried about how much she had left to go.

"Brace yourself, Ravel." I told her as I pressed on. She winced a bit more looking like she were in pain as if I was splitting her in half. After a few moments, I finally I got all of me inside her.

"Ahh...hah...hah..." She moaned and breathed deeply to get used to all of me inside her. It was definitely a tight fit but she wasn't just tight she was hot. Not metaphorically. I mean that literally. Maybe it's because she's from the Phenex clan, but her pussy felt like it was on fire...no that doesn't even begin to describe it. I feel like I was actually swimming in lava if that was even possible. The heat wasn't painful. It felt really good, that was the weird thing. I normally would take it slow but this heat and Ravel's juices were making me feel so energetic that I was thrusting at top speed. "Gah...hah...Shirou-sama...not so...rough aahhhh..." Ravel wanted me to slow down but I couldn't. Something about her was making me go all out. I could help but then move up and get her legs over my shoulders completely above her. My hips were now going up and down, slamming into her hips with no mercy. Ravel's moans soon became erotic and lewd. I had driven her to that erotic state where she no longer cared if I was rough or not. "More...more...Shirou-sama! Hah...ahh!" She moaned more loudly, truly giving into the pleasure.

"Wow...Shriou-san's...thing keeps going in and out." Asia commented as she noted Ravel releasing so much love juice from her pussy that she can see it sticking to me. Our hips kept making a slapping-like noise every time I slammed down into Ravel's pussy. My thrusts soon became so hard the bed began to shake. It almost felt like a mini-quake that only affected the bed itself. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that Asia's pussy was starting to drip just from watching. My thrusts became even faster as that familiar pressure started to build up.

Igrabbed Ravel's legs and pushed them down to her head. I kept a firm grip by her ankles. I was coming close to climaxing.

"Shirou-samahhhh! aahh ahh hah ahhh! I'm...going...to...cumming cumming cumming cumming cumming cumming...I'm cumming!" She moaned and screamed so loudly as she came.

"AHHHHHH!" I moaned very loudly as I felt myself release a bigger load than usual into Ravel. Even if there was the minute chance that Ravel could get pregnant, for some reason I couldn't bring myself to pull out. It felt way too good. Ravel arched her back from having an orgasm. She was drooling with her tongue out, her eyes rolled back. I moved my hips in a circular motion to let out every last drop of my seed while keeping my dick deep inside her. When I finally stopped, I pulled out slowly, noting that I was still really hard. Ravel moaned softly as I pulled out. I left her laying on the bed, her whole body twitching from that orgasm.

"Shirou-san, you're still that hard?" Asia asked as she noticed my erection. It was like it was re-energized. I wonder if it was because Ravel's juices act as a different kind of Phoenix Tear. Like maybe an aphrodisiac. Whatever the reason was, I intended to continue. I laid down and signaled Asia to come to me. It was easy to see she was nervous. "We're really going to be one." She said, both nervous and happy. She clasped her hands together "Oh lord thank you for...gah!"

Even in a moment like this Asia still has her habits that she can't let go. I chuckled, telling myself that it's fine. I wouldn't want her to change herself.

"Oh...sorry. I keep forgetting about that." She tells me.

"It's alright. This is the Asia I've come to care for." I gave her a small smile.

"Shirou-san." She said my name feeling happy as she slowly lowered herself. She winced as she could feel me entering her slowly. I noted her pussy swallowing my cock. I groaned in pleasure. God Asia was crazy tight even for a virgin.

"It's...going...in...ahhhh..." She moaned as she finally got all of me in her. "It's all...in..." She had tears in her eyes from the pain of having her hymen torn, but she was smiling. "Please...give me a minute..." I understood since I didn't want to force her. After a few minutes Asia began to move. "Ahhh...hahh...hahhh..." She moaned as she began moving up and down. I sat up to suck on her left breast and made her moan louder. "Shirou-san!" She started moaning even louder as I swirled my tongue around her nipple and areola then sucked on her nipple.

"Ahhh...hahhh hah...ahhh...it feels so good..." Excited about the pleasure Asia was getting, I switched to her other breast and did same thing to that boob After a few moments, I decided to be bold and bite down on the nipple. "AHHH! SHIROU-SAN!" I didn't think she could scream like that. "Shirou-san...kiss...kiss me..." Asia begged, beginning to look dizzy from the pleasure she was in. I finally got my mouth off her breast and kissed her. Our tongues were battling it out, wrestling each other for dominance. I placed my hands on her hips to have her move faster. Asia squealed and moaned into the kiss as I was then feeling my cock entering somewhere else.

No mistaking that feeling. I was definitely piercing her womb and Asia was getting tighter as if wanting more. She was about to separate for air but out of instinct I caught her tongue with my mouth and started sucking on it. "Ahhhgghh Shirgou...shan..." Asia moaned my name breathing in and out of her mouth as I sucked on her tongue as I moved her hips faster and faster. "Cumming...I'm...gonna cum..." she moaned. I could feel my next load as I then let go of her tongue and pulled her in close.

"AHHH!" We both screamed loudly as Asia arched her back, her face was buried in her chest. My sperm was filling Asia up!

"Oh...so much...there's so much inside me..." She mumbled, in a daze due to the force of her climax. I looked at Asia and Ravel, both laying on the bed with lewd expressions of ecstasy. I still haven't had enough. My experience with Serafall really built up my stamina and desire to a point that was even greater than what it originally was. She even told me once it was like having sex with a real Dragon. As a man, that was probably the best remark about my skills I could ever get (despite how weird it sounded).

Deciding to try something new, I got Ravel up and had her ride me as I had Asia sit above my face. I decided to try something with Asia as Ravel moaned and road me quite wildly. Her hair was a complete mess now from everything we've been doing. She's built up quite a sweat. Smiling mischievously, I started playing with Asia butthole.

"Ahh! Wha...Shirou-san...no...that's...dirty..." Asia moaned since I was obviously doing something right. First it started as a rim job as I licked the outside. I then decided to stick my tongue inside it as I moved my right hand over her clitoris and had my left hand massaging her thigh. Ravel moved fast and faster as both girls squealed loudly from ecstasy. Asia was going crazy with pleasure. I was shocked when she decided to suck on Ravel's breasts. She almost looked like a baby sucking on them.

"Ahhh! Asia-senpai...iiiyahhh...hah!" Ravel practically screamed even more from being attacked like that, her breasts being played with like some kind of toy. We all kept going faster and more intense as Ravel pulled Asia's face up and actually kissed her.

Free yuri show~!

Asia was stunned beyond belief, but was defeated in the battle for dominance, giving in to Ravel's tongue, being ravished on both sides. Ravel's walls tightened as she and Asia climaxed together, both screaming into the others mouth from the force. But I had not yet been satisfied.

The next round was me doing Asia doggy style while Ravel stood in front of her, getting her pussy licked, Asia licking any dripping sperm as well. I was going so fast and deep inside of Asia that it felt like I was hitting her G spot. I could see Asia may have a natural potential for Anal fetish from how much she came before, but I don't think she's ready for that just yet. So the best alternative was me using my middle finger to stimulate her as I continued to go fast and hard, ramming my cock into her pussy. I hit the inside of her womb every time, possessing a good advantage from this angle.

"Asia-senpai...hah ahh...oh...You're tongue feels amazing~!" Ravel moaned as she massaged her breasts and tweaked her own nipples. Seeing Ravel play with herself like that made me lose all control. I let out a harsher than normal, reaching my limit again as I released more into Asia.

"MMMMMMM!" Asia left out a muffled scream from her climax where Ravel grabbed Asia's head and started moving her hips forward against Asia's soft tongue due to her approaching climax.

"I'm cumming too!" Ravel sprayed her juices onto Asia's face and into her mouth. If that wasn't erotic enough, Asia drank it. She suddenly perked up, looking more energized too for some weird reason. After I pulled out, Ravel looked at Asia's pussy, frowning as my seed flowed freely back out of her dripping pussy.

"Oh no, Asia-senpai you won't be able to bear Shirou-sama's child if you let it all out like this." Ravel scolded as she wiped some of my seed from Asia's pussy with her finger and licked licked it all up, sucking her finger clean.

After a bit, we were at it again. This time, Ravel was in the reverse cowgirl position as she moaned with ecstasy. Asia was groping Ravel's butt with one hand and groping her right breast with the other, sucking on it to make her feel even better. I kept thrusting into Ravel like there was no tomorrow. Ravel kept moaning. I couldn't get enough of them! They were both so hot and sexy!

Asia stopped massaging Ravel's boob and started rubbing her made out with Ravel again, both of them moaning as they kissed. Perhaps knowing the result in the first place, Asia reveled in pleasure as Ravel once again ravished her mouth with her tongue. I groaned, shoving my cock all the way inside as I released this load into Ravel. It was amazing how I could release now when neither of the other two had finished yet, but I was still not done.

The girls were both stroking my dick with their hands again, laying next to me. Asia's hand was stroking from the base to the middle and Rave had the middle to the tip. They had a good synchronized pace and it felt really amazing due to all our sweat, love juices and even my pre-cum acting as a substitute lubricant. The girls were even licking and sucking on my nipples. I sat up while they continued to stroke me. We shared a three way kiss, our tongues keeping us three of us moaned as we shared that kiss, letting our tongues explore each other's mouths. We all got to taste each other at least once.

"I'm cumming!" I arched back, thrusting my cock upward slightly before it released another shot onto their hands. Ravel and Asia looked absolutely mesmerized by the seed that spilt on their hands. With hungry eyes, they began licking their hands, sucking up my cum until their hands were clean.

The next position had Asia on top of Ravel. Asia kept Ravel's legs wrapped around her waist since she stayed on top of her and both of their pussies were in plain view for me to take.

"Shirou-san..."

"Shirou-sama..."

They both called out to me with such cute looks in their eyes. I then proceeded to go in. I started with Ravel and entered her. "Ahh!" I didn't bother going slow. I was going in fast, fucking Ravel without hesitation, my cock becoming even harder as Ravel and Asia moans further aroused my male spirit. Their pussies were exposed and their clits were touching each other, causing them to rub against each other ever time I thrusted. After a good minute, I switched from Ravels burning hot pussy to Asia's super tight pussy.

"Hah! Shirou-san...ahh!" Asia screamed louder, her sexy, lewd smile expressing her happiness. I was going at even fast pace, making sure to be fair between my two lovers. Every sixty seconds or so, I switched between them and it was a a unique experience. I was reaching my limit as were the girls if their ever-tightening holes were anything to go by.. I went fast, harder, and deeper. As I felt my cock literally HURT with how much I was suppressing this grand finale, I pulled out of Ravel and rammed into Asia again.

"Hah! HAHHHH! I'm gonna cum!" I exclaimed in pleasure. I intended to split this. I released my biggest load yet into Asia. I smiled when I saw Ravel staring enviously. I pulled out once Asia was overflowing and quickly shoved my cock deep inside Ravel, filling her up all the way. The girls orgasmed together, screaming as I filled both of their wet pussies to the brim with my seed.

"Shirou-san-!"

"Shirou-sama-!"

[I LOVE YOU!]

Both girls trembled before they fell to the side, panting.

I finally fell over, somewhat tired and suitably satisfied. Part of me wanted to do this until every drop of sperm in my body was emptied into the, but I knew I had a busy day coming, so I needed rest. I knew I wouldn't get another chance to enjoy this activity for awhile. While I felt somewhat disappointed by that fact, I was glad that I was able to have this time with Ravel and Asia, knowing how they felt and sharing how I felt.

I laid back on the bed, hugging Asia and Ravel both close to me. They had been so excited and exhausted that that last climax had knocked them out with pleasure. They both had satisfied expressions...although Ravel still had a hint of lust in hers.

I looked at their sleeping faces, each taking a shoulder as their pillow. I then drifted to sleep with them hoping for the best.

* * *

**Later...**

It may have been because I had sex with two sexy, blonde bishoujo last night, but I was smiling like a damn fool that morning.

It was finally decided to take action. I ended up calling that Saji guy, Sitri-senpai's other [Pawn], to meet me in front of the train station along with Ise, Koneko-chan, Mittelt, and Ravel. I had intended to leave Asia and Ravel behind that morning, but my [Bishop] had been adamant about coming along. She clung selfishly to my arm, blushing deeply every time our eyes met.

"What was the reason for calling me?" Saji seemed very reluctant to show, but showed up nonetheless when I "subtly" threatened him with the authority befitting the Queen of a Maou-sama.

"…He's right." Koneko-chan agreed. "What were you trying to do?"

"Master has an amazing idea!" Ravel praised despite the fact that the idea I had was horribly simple.

"I know what he's about to say may sound crazy, but hear him out." Ise defended. He was he only person other than Ravel who knew why I called everyone here. He, Ravel, and Koneko-chan were the three who I knew cared about Yumi as much as I did, enough that they would lie to Rias about this meeting if it meant helping her. Mittelt honestly just overheard me calling up Saji and wanted in to whatever we were doing. I called Saji because I knew Ruruko, Tsubasa, and Momo would either tell Sitri-senpai or physically restrain me to stop me. They were such worrywarts. Saji was honestly my last choice.

I cleared my throat. "Thank you all for gathering here. Anyway, there is one reason and one reason only that I asked you guys to come."

"...Which is?" Koneko-chan asked.

I grinned even wider, trying to do a humorous "cutesy pose" like Serafall would do. "I'm going to destroy Excalibur for my precious Yumi-chan~"

Koneko-chan, Mittelt, and Saji's eyes became shocked circles while Ise and Ravel just laughed awkwardly.

**And we are done!**

**First off, just in case you guys missed it, I'll paste the message here 20 times:**

**Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! ****Fu-reiji22 created the lemon scenario and helped write most of it! **

**If you guys missed that, I will be very sad since Fu-reiji22 is a pretty neat guy and helped me a lot with this!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	19. Life 18: It's Excalibur Time!

**I appreciate all of the reads and reviews from last chapter~! Who else is psyched for the newly translated Volume 18 of Highschool DxD~? I am~! I already finished it~! I loooooooooooooooooved it~! I have a new-found respect for Fafnir and Asia~! Anybody with that kind of courage is more badass than even Sirzechs Lucifer himself~!  
**

**Anywho~ On with the story~**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's.**

* * *

**Opening: Liar Mask by Rika Mayama**

_**[kuchihateru you ni moyuru tsuki]** A burnt Devi-kun covered in blood is falling slowly as a glowing red sky is shown in the background._

_**[akatsuki ni shizumiyuku ]** A badly burnt Shirou is followed and slowly falls down to the ground, his eyes changing to red._

_**[tsukurareta kao de]** The scene changes with Shirou walking, Asia, Ravel, and Isabela following him._

_**[sotto chikadzuite ]** Change to Issei walking alone with the Boosted gear activated._

_**[shinjiru mono o]** Koneko and Yumi appear, apparently following the others. following Shirou._

_**[yami ni otosu]** Kalawarner, Miltelt and Raynare walking with their wings outstretched._

_**[ito ni karamaru] **Irina walking by a pond showing her reflection with Excalibur Mimic._

_**[emono no you ni ]** Xenovia walking by a pond showing her Durandal, Excalibur Destruction and her reflection._

_**[tada hitasura ni]** Rias and Akeno standing alongside each other as they both looked at left side. The background showing every ORC members._

_**[sora o aogu]** Changes to Sona and Tsubaki looking at the right side with the background of every member of the Student council._

_**[kurikaesareru higeki]** Spinning cam of a crying Yumi seeing the souls of the Holy sword project around her._

_**[bukimi ni warau]** An image of Kokabiel sitting on his throne._

_**[ura no kao]** Change to Freed Selzen and Valper Galilei side by side._

_**[kore ijou nanihitotsu]** Makoto Fujimura shown standing on a rooftop as she observes the final battle from afar._

_**[nakusanai you]** A static memory of Miyako Fujimura in a burning house._

_**[ni katana o nuku]** Scene change to Shirou slowly opening his eyes as he activated Divine Dividing._

_**[yami ni houmure]** Xenovia and Irina are fighting Freed as he wields two Excaliburs._

_**[yogoreta egao] **Koneko dodging one of the Cerberus attack as Kiba appeared before activating her Blade Blacksmith._

_**[yariba no nai ikari, hanate!]** Scene change to Sona and the Student Council maintaining the barrier. Rias and Akeno charges up as they unleash their magic._

_**[doredake no chi to namida o nagashitara]** Scene change to Shirou activating Divine Dividing wings and Kokabiel forming a light spear in his hands. They then rushed towards each other as an explosion of blue and golden light results from their clash._

_**[inoru you ni kirisaite ]** Scene then changes to Issei holding his hand out to the screen._

_**[kyou mo akaku someageyo! + Instrumental] **A darkened Shirou extends his hand, grabbing Issei's hand as sunlight whites out the screen._

**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**

* * *

**Life 18: It's Excalibur Time!**

"Nooooooooo! I'm going home!" Saji screamed, attempting to escape from this gathering. "Get offa me, you bastaaaards!"

At the moment, Koneko-chan and I were currently sitting on him, preventing him from escaping. Koneko-chan was munching on a bar of chocolate while I was casually reading a book. Mittelt, Ise, and Ravel were just watching with half-lidded eyes.

"Saji, you've been doing this for an hour now." I pointed out. "You gonna give up and go with my plan?"

"Nooooooooooooooo!" He cried. Koneko-chan just casually ate her snacks as if she weren't pinning Saji to the ground. She had immediately gotten on board once I mentioned helping Yumi. She said something along the lines of:

[I will help as well. It's about Yumi-senpai, right?]

Saji was just a crybaby.

I sighed. This was INCREDIBLY hilarious at first, but now it was boring and just plain sad. This time could have been spent looking for Iri and Xenovia or even the Excaliburs. Valuable time wasted that could have been used doing something productive. All because of the crybaby Saji. Know what? I'm gonna start calling him Cry-ji...or maybe Sob-shirou...I'm sure a mocking nickname will come to me.

"Shirou, I don't think this is going anywhere." Ise pointed out, having gotten bored of playing rock-paper-scissors with Mittelt and Ravel. "I mean, if we're gonna do this, we could just do it ourselves. We already have five of us. Maybe if we were low in numbers, it would be one thing, so why?"

"Because, Ise. We need a representative from the Student Council so Sona doesn't rip me a new one for attempting to completely ignore the fact that she also holds authority here." I explained.

"But why ME!?" Saji cried, making another vain attempt to launch himself out from under Koneko-chan and I. "It's your group's problem, right!? I belong to the House of Sitri! I shouldn't take part in this! Not at all!"

I pat Saji playfully on the head, grinning. "Because you're the only person who I could ask this of, Saji."

Saji paused, processing my words. "R-Really?" You're the only one I don't really care enough about to exclude from these operations.

"Of course~" I replied cheerfully. "You're the only one. Besides, this is a mission handed down to me by the Maou Leviathan-sama herself."

Everyone went silent.

[What?]

I stared, Ravel being the only person not surprised. "What? You guys didn't honestly think I would do something so reckless as organize a mission to locate and destroy the Excaliburs without so much as consulting my beloved master, did you?" I waved off their stares. "No no no. That's something Ise would do."

"Hey!" Nobody cares, Ise!

I stood up, getting off of Saji while gesturing Koneko-chan to do the same. I reached into my pocket and pulled out a folded up document, unfolding it and revealing the contents to everyone else. Everything from the details of the mission to the genuine seal of Serafall Leviathan.

"...I guess Shirou-senpai is good for something after all." Koneko-chan noted, examining the document in surprise.

You wound me, Koneko...You really do.

"S-So? I still don't get why you're asking me! I-I'm only recently a Devil!" Saji complained. "Why should I help you anyway!? I could get killed!"

I rolled up the document and wagged it at Saji. "Ah, yes, but this is an assignment from Leviathan-sama herself, the Onee-sama of your master."

.

.

.

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!" Saji freaked out in a way similar to how I would have if I learned such a thing.

"You...You really didn't know?" Saji shook his head in response.

It was surprising. Shinra-senpai and Ruruko knew, I had figured it was no big secret to Sitri-senpai's Peerage. I guess I was wrong. And that was when a funny little idea came to mind. The one way I could think of taking advantage of Saji and convincing him to go along with my plan.

I gave a Cheshire-like smile. "But anyway, my master, Serafall Leviathan-sama, is the Onee-sama of your master and she was ever so desperate to have me carry out this request. It's a shame you don't wanna take part. I could only think that Sona would be ever-so happy if she were to find out that you aided me in carrying out her sister's wishes. She would probably give out praises like [Saji, how kind of you~! You are truly my best servant~!] like that."

Saji considered my words, his face turning light pink as he had some sort of perverted fantasy no doubt. He truly was similar to Ise. I'd recognized that stupid expression anywhere. "...W-Well..."

"You would have had a hand in stopping a servant of the Fallen Angel Kokabiel from using the Holy Swords to cause all sorts of strife and chaos amongst the Church and Devils." I added on. Then I shrugged, sighing in an exaggerated fashion. "But oh weeeeell~ I guess if you don't want any of that, I guess it's no pro-"

"WAIT WAIT WAIT!" I turned to leave until Saji called out, suddenly desperate. He seemed incredibly panicked, second-guessing himself and weighing the possible answers to give. "W-Well what exactly are you planning? H-How would you go about this? You said you would destroy the Excaliburs?"

I nodded, trying to suppress a smirk. "Koneko, Ise, Mittelt, Ravel, you all know that Yumi is a survivor of the Holy Sword Project, right?" They all nodded. "Well, with the reactions of Irina and Xenovia, they and the Church would clearly have no issue of what happens as long as they're out of the hands of Kokabiel."

"So in other words they have to destroy the stolen Excaliburs or retrieve them, right?" Ise noted.

"…Yes. That's right." Koneko-chan agreed.

"All they care about really is getting Excalibur out of dangerous hands!" Mittelt agreed.

"So if Kiba-senpai were to be at the center, being involved in destroying the Holy Swords, it would be no issue." Ravel added.

I gave everyone a thumbs up. "Good~! So we all know the plan! Now we just gotta convince Irina and Xenovia to join up with us so they don't mistake us for enemies and try to strike us down, haha~!" Everyone sweatdropped at how nonchalantly I was taking such a thought. Saji was slowly edging away from our group again. "I would prefer that Sitri-senpai and Rias don't know about this since they would no doubt contest my master's decision to hand this mission down to me." I crossed my arms. "I won't lie. If we end up in a fight against the Excaliburs, it will be dangerous. With Kokabiel around also, it's a possibility we could die in this. That's why I'm giving you all the chance to back out now. Once we've started, there's no going back."

"Let's run! This is crazy and stupid!" Saji cried. "We'll die for suuuuuuuure!" He tried running away, but I pulled off my shoe and threw it at his head in a single instant, knocking the fool to the ground. I walked over and placed one foot on his back, pinning him to the ground.

"You don't get a say, Saji." I told him.

"WHAT!? How come THEY get to choose and I don't!?"

"Because, I know the moment you get back, you're gonna call our Senpai and bitch and complain about how "Fujimura's doing something crazy stupid with Excaliburs and Fallen Angels! Help meeeeee!" and all that!" I explained. "So shut up! You're in this whether you like it or not!" Then I turned back to the others. "You guys, however, DO have a choice in this. I won't blame you if you say no." I extended my hand towards the others and ignored Saji silently crying to himself due to self-pity.

The others didn't hesitate.

"I won't run away. It's for our comrade." Koneko-chan agreed, placing her hand on top of mine.

Ise placed his hand on Koneko's. "There's no way I'm letting the chance to save my comrade slip through my fingers." He said. "That and you're pretty useless in a fight, so you'll seriously be needing help." Mittelt nodded, placing her hand on top of Ise's. I stared at them in shock.

"Oh definitely."

"They have a point." Ravel agreed, mimicking the gesture of the other two.

I stared at them, my mouth gaping. "W-W-What? H-How could you say that?!"

Ise shrugged, a slightly apologetic look. "Well...when you look at the statistics and your record...you're kind of the weakest of us." My jaw dropped to the point of hitting the ground.

"What the hell are you talking about?!"

"Well, no offense, Master, but I think I'm the only enemy you actually managed to defeat." Mittelt pointed out, smiling awkwardly. "And I wasn't even the strongest member of our group."

I was close to tears. I turned to Ravel. "C-Come on, Ravel! You saw me defeat Siris back during my first day as your servant!"

Ravel averted her eyes, blushing from embarrassment. "I mean you know offense, Shirou-sama...but I don't think you would realistically have won the battle if it had been an honest and true fight." Yep. Here comes the tears. I'm crying now.

"That's no fair! I've won plenty of battles!"

"Well, let's get this straight, Shirou." Mittelt said. "You lost against Raynare, twice. You lost against Freed. You lost against Xenovia-TWICE from what Ravel told me." I narrowed my eyes at Ravel, showing my disapproval for her betrayal. The blonde bishoujo just turned her head and began to whistle. "And you lost against Freed with the Excalibur-"

"-NOT TRUE!" I objected. "First off, I was put at an obvious disadvantage in all of those fights and Xenovia and I never actually finished one of ours! And second, Yumi and I totally beat that creep, Freed! We made it so he had no choice but to retreat!"

"That's more of a draw, Shirou." Mittelt said, poking holes in one of my few victories. "Even WITH Yumi you barely managed a draw. Even Raynare has more victories than you."

Then I was on the ground, sobbing to myself. "...You guys are all jerks...It's not my fault...I'm a man, but I have so few victories..." I crawled away until I was on the ground in front of Koneko-chan. "Koneko, am I that worthless?" Surely Koneko-chan, with whom I had a better relationship, would have something positive to say.

"...Yes. You're as perverted as Ise-senpai, but at least he makes up for being a perverted idiot with his strength and ability to actually WIN fights." I felt an even heavier weight crush down on me.

Gaaaah! Koneko-chan has no mercy!

"Wow...I think I actually feel sorry for you." Saji had been too focused on the current display that he apparently neglected to realize that this was the perfect opportunity for him to escape.

"Shut up, Stupid-Saji!" How am I the most useless one here?! I mean, I knew I had my weaknesses and have lost a battle or two, but COME ON!

"I-It's okay, S-Shirou-sama." Ravel tried to soothe my wounded pride. "You...You prove your manliness in _other ways_." Ravel seemed to reminisce fondly, smiling with a hint of perversion on her face.

"...The perverted birdbrain is wearing such a lewd expression." Koneko-chan noted with displeasure.

"What did you say?!" Ravel suddenly snapped, blushing deeply. I don't know why, but she and Koneko-chan just hated each other since the moment they met. The two glared with great hostility towards one another.

"You wanna go?" Koneko taunted, making a "Bring it" gesture with her hands.

Ravel attempted to lunge at Koneko only to be held back by Mittelt who grabbed the back of her collar. "Bring it on! I'll burn you to ashes here and now!"

"O-Oi, Shirou." Ise made sure to edge around the "danger area" whose borders existed around Ravel and Koneko-chan before whispering in my ear. "W-What did Ravel mean when she said that stuff about proving your manliness?"

Sensing us about to enter a very dangerous area, I quickly recovered from my depression, grabbing Ravel and running forward, hooking my arm around Saji's neck before dragging him along as well. "Hahahahaha! Come on, you two! We have a mission to complete!" I really didn't need Ise screaming about and blabbing to others that I had sexy with Ravel AND Asia. If Ruruko found out, she might not end up taking her anger out on the Student Council room this time.

And so we began our search for the Exorcist Duo.

* * *

As it turned out, finding two beautiful teenage girls wearing white Church robes in the middle of the day was far easier than I thought it would. We all just stared at the two, surprised that it hadn't taken us even twenty minutes let alone a day or two to find them. They weren't very low-profile.

"Please give blessings to the lost lamb!"

"Please give charity to us on behalf of the father in heaven!"

It was amazing how much they stuck out...but I have to admit that Irina looked kind of cute with her puppy dog eyes, begging strangers on the side of the street for money...

"How can this be? This is the reality of the developed country of Japan? That's why I don't like countries that don't have the smell of our beliefs." Xenovia complained.

Hey! Nobody's asking you to stay here!

"Don't say that, Xenovia. We lost all the money we had. So we have to rely on charity from these heretics or else we can't get food, you know? Aaah, we can't even buy a single loaf of bread!"

"Hmph. It all happened because you bought that fake looking painting."

Xenovia pointed to a painting next to them of what appeared to be a saint.

I wasn't even a proper Christian and even I could tell that the painting was fake.

Poor, poor Irina. You were always a bit naive. But that was one of the things that made you so lovable.

"What are you saying? This painting has the drawing of someone who looks like a saint! That's what the person in the exhibition said as well!"

"Then do you know who the person in the drawing is? I certainly don't."

I wouldn't know either. I don't know any people other than names like Mary Magdalene, Jesus Christ, Joseph, and...That's about it. I'm not a very zealous Christian. I'm not really a Christian at all in fact.

"…I think it's…Saint…Peter…?" Irina...you are so cute yet so clueless to the world to the point you get scammed so easily.

"Don't mess around. Saint Peter wouldn't look like this."

"No, he must have looked like this! I'm sure about it!"

"Aaah, why did my partner have to be someone like you…God, is this also a trial?"

Irina seemed to get mad and pointed at Xenovia. "Hey don't hold your head down. You really get depressed when you are down, don't you."

"Shut up! That's why the Protestants are called heretics! You guys have different beliefs than us Catholics! Show more respect to the saints!"

"What! What's wrong, it is Catholicism where they still abide by the old law!"

[What did you say, Heretic!?]

They seemed to get louder by the minute, arguing while they started to bang their heads together.

Ooh~! Cat fight~! Part of me wanted to step in, but the other wanted to see where this went.

Even from where our group stood, we could hear the rumbling stomachs of the two Exorcists.

The two of them dropped to the ground due to their hunger.

"…First of all, let's do something to fill our stomachs. Or else it's not a matter of retrieving the Excaliburs."

"…You are right. Do you want to get money from the heretics by threatening them? I think God will forgive us if we threaten the heretics."

"Do you plan to attack the shrine? Or do you plan to steal their offertory box? Don't do either. Let's use our swords to put on a performance. It's an international entertainment that works in every country."

A...performance? That's Xenovia's idea?

"That's an excellent idea! If we can cut fruits with our Excaliburs, then we can gather cash!"

"Well, we don't have fruits. It can't be helped. Let's cut that picture."

"No! You can't cut this down!" Irina was shouting at Xenovia who held the painting and was about to do something until Irina's eyes landed on me. They widened and I admit I tensed a little when she leaped at me, expecting some sort of attack.

Then she latched onto me, staring at me with big, puppy dog eyes. "Shi-chan, please save me from this hunger! Surely God will allow my husband-to-be to save me even if you are a Devil!"

I chuckled awkwardly, mostly because she mentioned that "husband-to-be" thing...

I tensed slightly as I felt two powerful killing intents flare up behind me. One was Ravel and the other was Mittelt, both girls glaring daggers at my skull...I should've brought Isabela. She would be enough to restrain the two in case they attacked...

Come to think of it, why DIDN'T I bring Isabela...I don't think I thought this mission group through all the way.

Anway, ignoring the powerful killing intent, I suggested a nearby, local family restaurant. I was still pissed at Xenovia, but I couldn't just say no to Irina who was starving. There were a few comments about selling souls or something, I don't remember.

When the two got done ordering, I could've sworn our wallets were crying since we were the one paying for the meal.

* * *

"Delicious! Japanese cuisine is delicious!"

"Yes, yes! This is it! This is the taste of the food of my homeland!"

Both Exorcists spoke with what appeared to be happiness in their voices as they inhaled their food.

For top-class fighters, they sure do eat a lot. If this is how Irina ate, it was a wonder she hadn't gotten fa-

"Were you about to have a thought about me being fat, Shi-chan!?" Irina said suddenly in an accusing tone, glaring in a way that appeared to be playful yet hostile.

I jumped, quickly shaking my head quickly, knowing the horrors an insulted woman could unleash.

"Even Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" as they say.

"N-No! Iri-chan has the best figure I've ever seen!" I turned away, blushing slightly. Ravel and Mittelt were glaring daggers at the back of my skull.

A light pink appeared on Irina's face before she continued eating.

"Phew. Now I'm calm. It's the end of the world to get helped by a Devil." The blue-haired bitch said rudely.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said with sarcasm in my voice. "How about next time I let you starve?...well, not Irina. I would never do that to her. YOU, however, can beg for your next meal." Both Xenovia and I exchanged sharp looks, showing incredible animosity towards one another.

"Pheeeew!" Irina released a sigh of relief. "Thank you for the meal. Aaaah God, please give charity to these Devils."

Irina had prayed, holding up her cross.

All of the Devils on our side of the table were seized by the pain of an incredibly sudden headache.

Mittelt, the lucky bugger, was unaffected.

"Ah, I'm sorry. I did it without thinking." Irina apologized with such a cute face.

I smiled forgivingly. "It's alright. Accidents happen."

Irina smiled at my forgiveness. "Ah! I knew Shi-chan would be forgiving even now!"

"Yeah, well-OW!" Koneko-chan suddenly punched me in the arm. I shot her a look. "What was that for?!" I hissed.

Koneko-chan seemed to have just realized she did something because she had a surprised look.

"...Don't know."

I noticed Mittelt and Ravel giving Koneko-chan an approving look which only further confused me.

Eventually, Xenovia chose to speak. "So, why did you come to us?"

Straight to business. I can respect that.

"You two came to this country to retrieve the Excaliburs, right?" Ise asked, breaking the ice.

"That's right. We already told you that before."

I put on a serious expression. "OK, to avoid beating around the bush, we want to help you destroy the Excaliburs you were sent to find."

The two Exorcists seemed surprised, glancing at one another at my sudden proposal.

I didn't tell them either of my reasons. I wanted to see their overall reactions first before I could even consider telling them.

"Yeah. Maybe it's okay leaving one sword to you guys. If you can destroy it, that is. But make sure that your identities aren't revealed. We also don't want our higher-ups and enemies to think that we are connected to you guys."

I blinked. Well...that was easy. I expected some harsh negotiations and me having to give up an arm or something...but wow.

"Hey Xenovia. Are you sure? Even if it's Shi-chan, he's still a Devil, you know? I don't think he would have ill intentions, but if he were to be ordered by his master, then..." Ow. It almost hurt how little Irina trusted me...even after everything...Well, it's to be expected since I'm a Devil and she's an Exorcist I suppose.

"Irina, to tell you the truth, it would really be tough to retrieve the three Excaliburs and to battle Kokabiel with only the two of us."

"I know that, but-!"

"The minimum objectives we have to achieve are destroying the three Excaliburs or take them back. If our Excaliburs are going to be stolen as well then we should break them before it happens. Even if we use the last resort, there's only a 30 percent chance that we will succeed in our mission and return home safely."

I turned to Irina. "I know you don't trust us because we're Devils and Fallen Angels, not even me." I tried to keep the hurt out of my voice. "But even if your job is to sacrifice yourselves for the sake of your missions, there's no point if you don't have to. Surely your beliefs can be flexible enough to accept help from a Dragon rather than a Devil, right?" I turned to Irina. "Irina, even if you cannot forgive me for becoming a Devil, I won't give up our promise. I'll chase after the Excaliburs own if I can keep you from harm." I took a sip of water from the cup on the table.

"Can you really reject your destined love's help after he says such a thing, Irina?" Xenovia said with what may have been amusement in her voice.

Both Irina and I do a spit-take. My face was a deep red color as did Irina. We both looked at one another before turning away.

"Hey! Don't act all shy-love now! This is serious!" Ise screamed at me.

"D-Don't t-tell him those things, Xenovia!" Irina seemed horribly embarrassed something. I couldn't help but wonder where the Hell Xenovia got 'destined love' from. Irina then became shy, poking her fingers together. "W-Well, I mean...maybe if there was...and...we could...peace..."

I couldn't quite make out what Irina was saying because she was mumbling, but apparently it was personal.

Xenovia smiled to herself. "Yes. I believe that my belief is flexible enough to accept the help of a Dragon rather than a Devil." It was a good thing Ise and I were the Sekiryuutei and Hakuryuukou respectively. Otherwise this never would've succeeded unless one of my parents was a Dragon. "I never thought that I would meet Sekiryuutei or the Hakuryuukou in a distant country like this. Even if you both turned into Devils, I see that the Dragon power within you is still present. If it's like the legend says, then you can increase your power to that of a Maou or cut them down to your level, correct? If you gain a power to that of a Maou, then you can break the Excaliburs without a sweat. I also think that it was God's doing that we had this meeting."

She sounded strangely happy.

"C-Certainly they didn't tell us not to borrow the power of a Dragon…" Irina trailed off for a moment. "But you are just saying nonsense! Your belief is certainly weird!"

"Weird is fine with me." Xenovia replied. "But, Irina, they're your childhood friends, right? Let's trust them. The power of the Heavenly Dragons."

Irina seemed to consider this, glancing at me for a moment before nodding in agreement. She turned to me and bowed her head. "I'm sorry for seeming rude, Shi-chan. It's not that I don't trust you. It's that I can't say I trust your master. I don't know what the Devil leaders would order you to do in response to the Excaliburs' presence."

I nodded, trying to accept that answer.

"Well, since we've reached an agreement in our negotiation, I'll definitely lend you guys mine and Ise's Dragon power. I'm gonna call up a partner and let her know." I stood up from the table and took my cellphone outside.

I typed in a number into my phone and let it ring for a bit before a voice picked up.

[Hello?] I easily recognized the still somewhat angry voice as Yumi's.

"Helloooo, Darling~!" I greeted in a teasing voice, trying to lighten up the mood. I could sense the hostility on the other end of the line lessen considerably. "I was just feeling lonely and wonderin' where you were~"

There was a sigh. Yumi wasn't angry, but she clearly wasn't in the mood for this.

[Shirou...I...What do you want?]

"OK, to sum it up, we're at a restaurant with the two Excalibur wielders and you need to get your ass here ASAP if you want the chance you've been waiting for." I paused for a moment, thinking about something. "Also, I am not saying we're fighting with the Exorcists for their Excaliburs. That is not what I meant. Just get here."

There was a brief pause and I thought Yumi was going to reject the offer, but eventually there was a sigh.

[I'll be there in a little bit.]

There was a click as Yumi hung up. I shut my phone and put it back in my pocket.

So far, so good.

I couldn't help but wonder for how long my good fortune would last.

* * *

"…I understand the situation." That was all Yumi said at first when she arrived and we explained everything. "To tell the truth, I feel unsatisfied when the wielders of the Excaliburs are giving me the permission to destroy it."

I pouted, poking Yumi in the cheek. "Hey. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth." Yumi was not amused judging from how quickly she smacked my hand away.

"You're really not helping me, Shirou." Ouch...When did Yumi start showing such harshness towards me?

"That's a rough way to speak. If you were a Stray Devil, I would have cut you down without any time to spare." Xenovia said before she and Yumi started a glaring match. I forced both of them to sit down again by releasing a powerful killing intent, glaring at both of them.

"OK, first off, Yumi, I understand your pissed, but calm down." I then turned and glared at Xenovia. "And you, play nice or I leave you to your suicide run. So stop acting like children, BOTH OF YOU." The others watched, as if waiting for the timer on a bomb to slowly tick away, followed by a huge explosion.

Both silently nodded, but didn't stop glaring at each other.

"So you do hold a grudge regarding the Holy Sword Project? Against the Church and the Excaliburs?"

"Obviously." Yumi replied in a cold tone to Irina's question.

"But Kiba-chan, thanks to that project, the research on Holy Sword users showed results. That's why it created people like Xenovia and I who can synchronize with the Holy Swords."

"That doesn't excuse what happened, Irina." I said with a calm yet strict voice. "Such an inhumane act can never be excused or forgiven truly. There is no reason to feel proud about anything related to that project." I didn't bear any hatred towards Irina, so I gave her more of a scolding. "If you can honestly say that the ends justified the means in that situation, then I can feel nothing but shame for having expected better of you."

Irina hung her head a little and I felt bad. She didn't respond.

Yumi seemed to have a bit of gratitude on his face despite still seeming unhappy.

Xenovia was the one spoke next. "That incident also became one of the worst cases among us and people felt disgusted about it. The person in charge of that project at that time was said to have a problem with his belief. So he was charged with heresy. Now he's one of those people on the Fallen Angels' side."

"Valper Galilei, the Genocide Archbishop..." I spat out with venom in my voice, recognizing the person she was referring to. I realized my mistake too late when everyone's eyes became directed at me, wide in surprise by my knowledge of that name. "Er...Well uh...I mean...Hehehe..."

Yumi eyed me with suspicion.

"How did you know that name, Fujimura?" Xenovia questioned, eyes narrowed.

I felt under heavy pressure as Koneko-chan, Ise, Mittelt, Ravel, Yumi, and Irina all stared at me...It was a helluva lot of stares.

"Well...erm...I kinda asked Serafall about it-the Holy Sword Project I mean." I explained, feeling uncomfortable. "She dug up some info on it and told me all about Valper and the particulars concerning the project."

"And why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Yumi asked me with such a dangerous tone. She was beyond displeased. She was angry. Yumi was angry at me.

I shrunk away from her burning gaze. "I was worried you would start an all-out war with the Fallen Angels. I was hoping we could just snatch and smash Freed's Excalibur and be done with it so you didn't get hurt by any potential consequences." Yumi narrowed her eyes at me and turned away.

I felt my heart break. Yell at me, scream at me, get pissed off and start throwing things around! Anything but this silent treatment!

"…If I go after the rogue Fallen Angel, then can I reach him…" Yumi said to herself, seeming to possess a whole new kind of determination.

"We already know one of his subordinates, the Stray Priest Freed Sellzen." I continued, trying to get over the pain Yumi was causing my heart. "He killed that one priest Yumi and I came across earlier. He has no qualms with who he kills, even if they were someone who was once his comrade."

Xenovia's eyes sharpened. "Freed Zelzan. Former Exorcist of the Vatican. The genius who became an exorcist at the age of 13. He had lots of big achievements because he kept on eliminating Devils and mystical beasts. But he overdid it. He even killed his allies. Freed never had any beliefs towards our God from the start. The only thing he had was fighting instinct and killing intent towards monsters. And an abnormal obsession for battles. It was a matter of time that he'd be charged for heresy."

I sighed. "That sounds like him."

Irina stared at me worriedly. "Shirou, that reminds me...How do you know Freed?"

"That...is an unpleasant question to answer." I admitted. "I'll give you the abridged version: He tried to dissect us on several occasions and I desire nothing more than to knock his lights out. Seriously, how a guy like that ever became a priest in the first place, I have no idea."

"Amen." Irina said jokingly. We both smiled slightly at one another, earning disapproving looks from all around us, especially Yumi who had such a look of disgust on her face that it broke my heart again.

"Yeah...so that guy's caused us a whole lot of trouble."

"Is that so? Freed used the Excalibur he stole to kill our fellow followers. For us to pay the price because the disposal group couldn't take care of him that time..." Xenovia said with hatred.

"OK. Good to see he's hated by all." I said with a sigh. It only made sense for a person like that to be hated by a lot of people in the Church.

"Anyways," Xenovia started, getting back to the original topic. "Let's move onto the cooperation strategy." Xenovia took out a pen and used it to write on a memo pad. She gave us her contact details. "If something happens, call this number."

"Thanks. Then we should also…" Ise had been about to reach so we could write our own numbers when Irina shook her head.

"We already received Ise-kun's number from Oba-sama." Irina explained. Then she smiled at me. "Mako-nee also already gave us your number, Shi-chan!"

I sighed again. That sounded like something Mako-nee would do especially since Irina and I are supposedly engaged.

Speaking of Mako-nee...I haven't really spoken to her since our..._confrontation_. I still got horrified chills whenever I thought about that stone-cold expression of hers. It was a look I had only seen on that of a killer. If I was not already tortured by daily nightmares, that gaze would've have haunted my dreams.

Anyway, the two Exorcists stood to leave.

"Then that's it then. I'll repay you for the meal another time, "Hakuryuukou" Fujimura Shirou, "Sekiryuutei" Hyoudou Issei." Xenovia said before leaving.

"Thanks for the meal, Shi-chan! Treat me again next time as well! Even if you are a Devil, God will allow it if it's Shi-chan who treats me to a meal! It's okay if it's food!" Irina thanked me, winking as she followed after Xenovia.

After that brief goodbye, they had left.

I managed to propose an alliance without somehow provoking a second Great War between the Three Factions.

That, my friends, is a win.

After the Exorcists departed, I noticed Yumi staring at me with a mix of anger, sadness, and curiosity.

"Shirou...answer me. Why did you do this? Why did you not tell me you knew the name of the person behind the pain my friends suffered?" She sounded both angry and hurt.

I shoved my hands in my pockets, shrinking away again. I considered apologizing once or twice, but I wouldn't even know how to start.

As it turned out, I didn't have to.

"He had his reasons." Ise suddenly stepped in front of me, returning Yumi's sharp stare. "If he didn't tell you, then it must have been because he cares about you. You were the whole reason he actually went through with this crazy idea. So don't get all pissed off at him for keeping one secret." Yumi seemed somewhat taken aback by Ise's bluntness while I couldn't help but feel a hint of gratitude for him sticking up for me even though I didn't deserve it. "As for my reasons...Well we are comrades. And we belong to the same group. And you helped me out before as well. It's not like I'm trying to repay you, but I thought I would give you a hand this time."

"If I act by myself, then I would cause trouble for Buchou. That's also the reason, right?"

"Of course. Buchou would get sad if you were to go around in a rampage. But it's better than you becoming an exiled, right? Well it turned out to be a success, since we made an agreement with those guys from the Church. Well...actually...It wouldn't have been TROUBLE trouble either way." Ise explained, rubbing the back of his neck. "You have this knucklehead here to thank for that. As far as anyone is concerned, you're part of the joint task force with the Church to capture or destroy the Excaliburs."

Yumi stared. "W-What?"

Ravel pulled something out of thin air. "Read it and weep." Yumi pulled the document possessing Serafall's seal and read it, her eyes widening by the time she was finished. She looked up at me, shock and sadness in her eyes.

"Shirou..."

I didn't meet her gaze. I nervously kicked dust about into the air. "I..." Then I did something compulsive and hugged her. Unlike before, Yumi made no attempt to break away. "Before you ask, I will admit that part of me is also wanting to protect Irina, but it's not just her. I want to protect everyone, especially you. So that's why I won't let you push me away, Yumi. You're really important to me. Even if you shove me away, trying to make me stay far from you at sword point, I'll gladly take a blade through my chest and embrace you. If you keep trying to push me away, I'll just hold on tighter and never let you go until you just accept it."

Yumi looked down when a small loli tugged on her sleeve. "…Yumi-senpai. I would get lonely…if senpai disappeared." Koneko-chan had such a sad expression on her face. "…I will help you…that's why please don't go." I remembered another reason I was fighting. To keep the ones I love from shedding tears. If I couldn't protect Yumi, then everyone would end up in tears, and I would have failed. I could not let that happen.

Yumi looked at Koneko-chan and then at me, blushing as I held her in my arms. Then a miracle happened.

Yumi smiled again. Genuinely smiling now.

While smiling, she laid her head against my chest, sighing with content. "Hahaha. I give up. If Koneko-chan says that to me while Shirou is embracing me so passionately, then I can't do reckless things. Okay. I will work with you. Thanks to you, I know who my true enemy is. But since we are doing this, we are definitely going to defeat the Excalibur."

"Haha." Mittelt laughed with incredible coldness in her voice. "Isn't that long enough holding each other?"

"Yes, Master." Ravel agreed, a fake smile on her face. "Even if you're comforting Kiba-senpai, having such dreamy expressions is a bit much, isn't it?"

Ah. There's the familiar killing intent.

Yumi raised an eyebrow at the two. "Oh? I have no idea what you mean." She clearly did though judging from the fact that she hugged me more tightly, pressing her breasts more tightly against my chest while snuggling more against me.

I wasn't quite sure, but I could swear that the two lolis before me were growling. There was a sudden animosity that raised the temperature of the air around us by several degrees.

"I'll be counting on you to take very good care of me, OK, _leader_?" Yumi said with that beautiful smile I had missed so much.

I grinned, happy to see she was somewhat back to normal. "Of course!" This was the best. Koneko-chan, Mittelt, Ravel, and now Yumi was eager to do this as well. "Alright! Operation: Holy Sword Break is a go! Let's beat the shit out of Excalibur and that Shitty Priest, Freed!" I pumped my fist into the air.

It was an alliance between me, Yumi, Ravel, Ise, and Koneko-chan on the Devils' side, Mittelt of the Fallen Angels, and the Exorcists from the Church which is on the Angels' side, Irina and Xenovia. It felt kind of nice since technically the Three Factions were working together to stop Kokabiel.

Maybe if they weren't at each others throats...maybe we could have peace.

I shook my head. There was no point thinking of that right now. There were more pressing matters to attend to.

"…Ummm, do I have to do it as well?" Saji asked us, raising his handhand. "I mean, I'm totally uninvolved in this…and you clearly have more than enough people without me...After all, how are Kiba and Excalibur related?"

Yumi then explained about his past. Every last detail involving the Holy Sword Project. I once again felt a surge of anger directed at the man I now knew as Valper Galilei who was responsible for Yumi's suffering. Every detail, including the painful deaths of Yumi and his comrades and his subsequent resurrection as Rias's Knight, made me feel a new desire to rip that bastard apart.

I don't know why I felt so strongly about this. I mean, anger was natural, but I just felt so much more than what was natural.

I seemed to have a powerful empathy towards my friends. Oka-sama always told me that was one of the best things about me...

I remembered the Oka-sama I loved. She was a kind and warm woman. I didn't remember Otou-san at all, so I assumed perhaps he worked abroad or something...It was strange...

Why didn't I remember any of this until now? It was really strange that I now realized I may not have known her at all. How much contact did she have with the supernatural?...

I tried not to think about it...or my nightmares. Those blue flames...I knew they were not normal. The sane part of my mind thought that Oka-sama's death was perfectly natural. An accident...but she was an Exorcist. The strongest female Exorcist. She probably slew numerous High-Class beings who would have killed normal humans. The more paranoid part of my mind...it refused to believe she was killed by some stupid, random kitchen fire. It was this gut feelings...

But there was no time for that at the moment. I would have more time to listen to my paranoia at a later date. As before, there are more pressing matters.

I was snapped out of my thoughts when I noticed Saji crying. "Kiba! It must have been horrible! It must have been painful! Damn it! There isn't any God or hope in this world! Right now I feel so much sympathy for you! Yeah, it's a horrible story! I understand why you hold a grudge against those people from the church and Excalibur!" Amen (hehe, get it?). What God would allow such a cruel fate to befall children? "To tell you the truth, I didn't like you before! It was probably because you seemed like the type of Ms. Popular who was a total bitch in secret! But it's different now! I apologize for all of my thoughts from before! I will also help! I'm willing to receive the punishment from Kaichou on the off-chance we do get in trouble! But before that we have to destroy Excalibur! I will also work hard! You also have to live on! Don't ever betray Rias-senpai who saved you!"

Ah. Thank Maou. I didn't think my intimidation would've kept Saji in line for long. But now I think I actually kind of like this guy. When he puts his mind to something, he shows helluva lot of passion towards completing his objective. Something similar between the two of us.

"Okay! It's a good time! I want you guys to hear my story! You guys should know about me if we are working together!" I frowned.

"Eh?"

"My dream is to…make Kaichou pregnant and marry her! But, you know… making a girl pregnant and marrying her is hard for an unpopular guy like me. There aren't any girls that I can make pregnant to begin with… But I will one day make her pregnant and marry her…" Saji...I'm pretty sure what you're thinking of is illegal.

The worst part was that Ise started crying. Tears poured from his eyes as he smiled at Saji. Then Ise grabbed Saji's hand.

"Saji! Listen to me! My aim is to grope Buchou's oppai…and then suck it!" My eye started twitching, my throat making a croaking sort of noise as I failed to form any proper words.

Then Saji started crying.

"Hyoudouuuu! Do you know what you are saying? Do you understand how hard that dream is, to touch the high-class devils oppai… To touch the oppai of your master?"

"Saji. You can touch it. You can touch the High-Class Devil's oppai… You can touch your master's oppai! I actually groped Buchou's oppai with this hand." Ise opened and closed his hand in front of Saji, the other Pawn's eyes going wide with shock.

"Impossible!? Something like that is possible!? You are not lying, right!?"

"It's not a lie. Master's oppai is far away. But it's not like you can't reach it."

"Sucking it…!? Sucking Ka…Kaichou's oppai… You are talking about the nipple right…? The place where you can suck is the nipple right…?"

"Dumbass! If you are going to suck oppai, then the nipple is the only thing you can suck! Yes! I'm going to suck the nipple!"

Saji started to cry like a man after hearing Ise's strong words.

"Saji! We may be useless "Pawn"s if we are just by ourselves. But it's different if it's the two of us. We can fly if it's the two of us! We can fight if it's the two of us! We can do it if it's the two of us! We can make them pregnant and marry them if it's the two of us! Let's have sex with our own masters!"

"Yeah. Yes!"

I...I wasn't even sure how to respond...

"I truly know some worthless Pawns." I sighed, rubbing my temples. I had really thought I was getting through to Ise...but nope. His perversion was as uncontrollable as always. Then their gazes became full of hatred directed towards me.

"Shut up, Fujimuraaaaa!"

"Yeah, Shirou! We all can't be playboys who has and can suck their master's nipples anytime he wants! For us, this is a pretty big dream!"

They were both screaming at me, eyes full of tears and their expressions full of hate. Then Saji seemed confused by something.

"W-Wait a minute, Hyoudou! What do you mean that Fujimura has sucked on his master's nipples?!"

Ise clenched his fists, crying strongly. "That's just it! The bastard has already surpassed us in this goal! He's done EVERYTHING with his master! Back during the ten days of training before the Rating Game with Riser! He...He...He..."

Saji stared, grabbing Ise by the shoulder and shaking him. "He WHAT?! What did Fujimura do!?"

"He...He stole his master's virginity!"

There was a sharp gasp from Saji as I sighed, sweatdropping as their dramatics.

"EEEEEHHHH!?" Saji screeched. "N-No waaaay! That guy beat us to our respective goals!?"

I smirked mischievously. Time to fuck around with some perverts~!

"That's right~! I drilled her good, I did!" I said, cocky about my own achievements. "It would be easier to write a book involving a list of positions we DIDN'T do on the first night~ Even easier if you count the positions I did with her shortly after I returned to her service~!"

[WHAAAAAAAAAAAT!?]

My smirk widened. "Ah yes. Right after my adorable Ravel-chan allowed me to return to my master's service, I plowed her even more deeply if I may be so blunt~ It marked the second time I was able to suck my master's nipples~!" I licked my lips mockingly.

"AAAAAHHHH!" Saji jerked back as if physically in pain. "I can't believe it! That damned bishounen bastard!"

"I hate you so much, Shiroooou!" Ise cried.

"And-OUCH!" I looked down to see someone else's foot smashed down on mine. I looked up to see Ravel pouting adorably, her face flushed red with embarrassment. Apparently she did not want me exposing our sexual exploits of the previous night. I gave her a grateful nod. She kinda just saved me from making an ass out of myself. It's one thing to brag about having sex with my master (TWICE), but it was another to go on to brag about the number of women I've slept with. That would just drag it out and make me sound like a douche. I loved my girls and I, by no means, desired to demean them by bragging about conquering large numbers of them.

"Hehehehe..."

"Shirou-senpai is just as bad."

I suddenly felt like dying at the responses of Yumi and Koneko-chan...

And so the Excalibur Destruction Squad was formed~!

* * *

**A Few Days Later...**

Even after spending days searching, we couldn't find hide nor hair of that Shitty Priest or Excalibur. Saji, Koneko-chan, Yumi, Ise, Mittelt, Ravel, and I wandered around town dressed in priest outfits, but we found absolutely nothing.

I sighed, leaning back in my seat.

I was at school, as usual, and everything just sucked. My nightmares weren't letting up on me. I kept waking in the middle of the night after the burning skeleton started to burn me. I managed to get used to it. It was still terrifying, but I wasn't having a mental breakdown. I just kept waking up every morning more tired than I was the night before.

Asia, Ravel, and Isabela were the only ones who knew about my nightmares. I couldn't bear to tell the others. I didn't want any more pity. But it only made things worse at the same time. Ruruko, Momo, Tsubasa, and oddly Shinra-senpai all took notice. Not just them. I suspected that Akeno-san and Sitri-senpai were also beginning to catch on. Whenever one of them gave me that worried look or questioned me if anything was wrong, I couldn't tell them anything. Sitri-senpai was the one I had to most worry about. I couldn't tell her about my nightmares or the fact I went over her head to get her Onee-sama's permission to hunt the Excaliburs. And she was sharp enough to interrogate answers out of me, so I had to take to avoiding her completely.

It was just awful.

Yumi was always so distracted. Whenever I talked to her, all she wanted to talk about was our plans for finding Freed and the Excaliburs. She was still becoming more pleasant like her old self, but she was still hooked on her revenge. I'm not entirely sure whether or not that was an improvement.

I sighed, staring out the window.

We were all going out for Karaoke and Bowling. Me, Ise, Matsuda, Motohama, Kiryuu-san, Asia, Mittelt, Koneko-chan, Raynare, Ruruko, and Momo. I tried to ask Yumi, but she never gave me the chance. We had it planned for a few days from now, but with everything that's been going on lately...

I don't know. I just don't know.

The beautiful day outside looked so misleading

Our future was seeming pretty bleak.

**Done~ I know this chapter seemed to take longer than normal, but there's an explanation: It ran on too long. I just now decided to split it up into two separate chapters after finding a good stopping point. The next chapter may be done in a day or two, so please be patient. Thank you~**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	20. Life 19: My Life To Take

**From here on out, shit gets really real! FOR REAL!**

**PLEASE READ - Authors Note: Computers busted. May be awhile before next update. Luckily I finished and uploaded this before my computer acted like a prick and broke.**

**On with the story~**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's.**

* * *

**Opening: Liar Mask by Rika Mayama**

_**[kuchihateru you ni moyuru tsuki]** A burnt Devi-kun covered in blood is falling slowly as a glowing red sky is shown in the background._

_**[akatsuki ni shizumiyuku ]** A badly burnt Shirou is followed and slowly falls down to the ground, his eyes changing to red._

_**[tsukurareta kao de]** The scene changes with Shirou walking, Asia, Ravel, and Isabela following him._

_**[sotto chikadzuite ]** Change to Issei walking alone with the Boosted gear activated._

_**[shinjiru mono o]** Koneko and Yumi appear, apparently following the others. following Shirou._

_**[yami ni otosu]** Kalawarner, Miltelt and Raynare walking with their wings outstretched._

_**[ito ni karamaru] **Irina walking by a pond showing her reflection with Excalibur Mimic._

_**[emono no you ni ]** Xenovia walking by a pond showing her Durandal, Excalibur Destruction and her reflection._

_**[tada hitasura ni]** Rias and Akeno standing alongside each other as they both looked at left side. The background showing every ORC members._

_**[sora o aogu]** Changes to Sona and Tsubaki looking at the right side with the background of every member of the Student council._

_**[kurikaesareru higeki]** Spinning cam of a crying Yumi seeing the souls of the Holy sword project around her._

_**[bukimi ni warau]** An image of Kokabiel sitting on his throne._

_**[ura no kao]** Change to Freed Selzen and Valper Galilei side by side._

_**[kore ijou nanihitotsu]** Makoto Fujimura shown standing on a rooftop as she observes the final battle from afar._

_**[nakusanai you]** A static memory of Miyako Fujimura in a burning house._

_**[ni katana o nuku]** Scene change to Shirou slowly opening his eyes as he activated Divine Dividing._

_**[yami ni houmure]** Xenovia and Irina are fighting Freed as he wields two Excaliburs._

_**[yogoreta egao] **Koneko dodging one of the Cerberus attack as Kiba appeared before activating her Blade Blacksmith._

_**[yariba no nai ikari, hanate!]** Scene change to Sona and the Student Council maintaining the barrier. Rias and Akeno charges up as they unleash their magic._

_**[doredake no chi to namida o nagashitara]** Scene change to Shirou activating Divine Dividing wings and Kokabiel forming a light spear in his hands. They then rushed towards each other as an explosion of blue and golden light results from their clash._

_**[inoru you ni kirisaite ]** Scene then changes to Issei holding his hand out to the screen._

_**[kyou mo akaku someageyo! + Instrumental] **A darkened Shirou extends his hand, grabbing Issei's hand as sunlight whites out the screen._

**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**

* * *

**Life 19: My Life To Take**

Later that same day, our group gathered in the park. We were dressed in our usual priest and nun outfits. We had walked around, looking for Excalibur to no avail.

We gathered in the park and changed to the priests' and sisters' clothes after finishing our normal club activity. The cross we were wearing was a fake. If it were real then we would had gotten injured. We walked around town in these clothes. We walked mainly in places where there weren't any people. I seriously wanted to get some leads today.

Though I was thinking that, time went by quickly and now it was already evening…

"Fuu. No progress today as well." Saji complained, sounding somewhat disinterested.

"Shut up, Saji." I replied in a commanding tone. "It's only been four days. And if Kokabiel or Freed have not made any moves yet, then it means they're still here. Unless we're given specific reason to think that they may have moved on, we're not calling of our searches." I shot Saji a sharp look. "You have any complaints with that and I'll be happy to give you more incentive."

Saji shrunk back, fearful of my gaze.

The long nights full of horror have been taken their toll on me. I've just been having less and less patience with Saji's complaints. Everything has just been so hard. Did he not think I realized how hopeless things were getting? Did he think that I didn't know that the odds of us accomplishing any of our goals was low? Yes. I realized everything, but constantly complaining about it would do absolutely nothing, so I wish he would just shut up for once.

Then Ravel tensed beside me. I tensed shortly afterward, sensing what she had sensed.

That familiar presence...

"Above us!" The others looked up to where Ravel pointed to a nearby rooftop from where a familiar Shitty Priest fell from carrying a long sword.

Yumi drew his own sword just in time to block the strike.

The Shitty Priest grinned when he saw me. "Well well, if it isn't Shirou-kun~! Ooh~! And Ise-kun, too~! Well isn't this a weird reunion!? How is it? Has your Dragon power increased? Is it all right to kill you now?" I sensed even from where he stood that he did indeed possess an Excalibur.

"Don't you dare speak my master's name with that filthy mouth of yours." Ravel warned with a dark expression.

"You won't lay a hand on him!" Mittelt summoned up a light spear and used it to block Freed's path to me.

"Ah! A shitty bird and another slutty Fallen Angel! Isn't this a surprise~? Can I cut you up, too?"

I stepped in front of the two servants who tried to protect me. I summoned my Sacred Gear. "I appreciate the sentiment, you two, but I don't need protection."

Ise extended his arm. "Boosted Gear!"

[Boost!]

Then Ise tapped Yumi on the back, transferring his power to her. That's right...He and I were support roles since it was Yumi's goal to destroy the Excalibur Freed possessed.

"Stretch my line!"

SWISH!

Something that looked like a skinny black hand left Saji's hand and headed for Freed. On his hand, there was a cute looking deformed lizard face equipped. The line was coming from its mouth.

"Such a pain!"

Freed tried to knock it away with his holy-sword, but the lizard's tongue changed its direction and went downwards. It stuck onto Freed's right foot, and it started to swirl around his leg. Freed tried to cut the tongue off with his swords, but it went past as if the tongue didn't have any physical form.

"You can't cut it that easily. Kiba! With this he can't escape! Beat him down!" Saji screamed.

I couldn't help but respect the idea. The main issue Yumi and I had with Freed was his speed and agility. Take away that and all he has is his sword. Since his Excalibur Rapidly was one that relied on speed, all Yumi had to do was strike faster than Freed can block.

"Thank you!" Yumi charged towards that Freed bastard with two demonic swords in her hand.

"Che! So it's not only the [Holy Eraser], I see! Having multiple demonic-swords. Are you the possessor of [Sword Birth], perhaps? Wow. You are guilty of having a rare Sacred Gear, you know!"

The moment they made contact, Yumi's blades shattered.

"Don't forget about us, bastard!" Mittelt and Ravel charged forward, one carrying a light spear and the other holding a small flame. They both stopped charge and chucked their respective attacks forwards. Mittelt's light spear split into three while Ravel's fireball grew in size to the point that it matched one of my average fireballs.

Freed managed to block and destroy the light spears, but the fireball was another issue. He swung at it, but it still exploded against his blade, singing his arms and parts of his cape.

Then I was in front of him, delivering a kick to his side.

Freed laughed. "Ha! Well it's time I cut you up anyway~! I wonder if you're blood will be as red as a normal person's?! Can I cut you open and find out~?" Freed swung his swords at me, but I used my wings to block the attacks. I knew how badly a Holy Sword stung now. I had no intentions of getting hit by one of those again. I swung my leg down, hitting the flat of Freed's blade, knocking away his guard. I followed up in a jab to his left shoulder, knocking him back a little bit. I used Divine Dividing to give me a slight boost of speed just in time to avoid a slash of Freed's Excalibur.

**[Divide!]**

I absorbed Freed's power.

Then came the familiar headache.

[...e d...n't...Hel...s...]

What was that? Could it be another power of one of the Excaliburs Freed has? It didn't happen when I absorbed Xenovia's power so it had to be something because of Freed or something around Freed.

Yumi nodded slightly at me (or it may have been my imagination) before she lunged at Freed, wielding two new Demonic Swords. She clashed against Freed, swinging her swords violently and rapidly, but she was still expending more energy than necessary. She was unfocused and it was seriously weakening her power. My point was proven when her swords were easily broken by Freed's Excalibur.

"Take this!" Mittelt launched herself at Freed, swinging her light spear at the crazed priest. She was clearly not used to close-range combat, but she was still doing better than any normal novice when it came to the exchange of blades. Freed jammed his foot into Mittelt's stomach, knocking the wind out of her and sending her flying.

He turned just in time to catch Yumi's swords on his own, breaking them to pieces once again. Despite the serious killing intent directed towards him, Freed laughed.

"Hahaha! The way you look at my Excalibur is scary. Do you perhaps hold a grudge against it? Well I don't know what happened to you! But if you get cut by this, you can't avoid being eliminated without a trace you know? You will die, you know! You are going to die! Just die!"

Damn it! At this rate, Yumi's seriously going to get killed!

"…Ise-senpai. Please help Yumi-senpai."

Eh?

"Uooooooooo! Koneko-chaaaaaaaan!" I almost failed to catch the screaming blur that flew past me.

"Kibaaaaaaaa! I will transfer my power to youuuu!"

"Uwah! Ise-kun!"

Ise activated my Sacred Gear as he approached Yumi. A part of me considered threatening him if he touched anywhere private.

[Transfer!]

"…I have to use it since I received it! [Sword Birth]!"

Yumi then summoned lots of Demonic Swords that covered the area. They started going for Freed who clicked his tongue before he started to destroy the swords that targeted him.

Yumi used her speed and charged Freed while different Demonic Swords came at the Shitty Priest from different directions.

However, even with her increased power, Yumi was still no match for Freed's Excalibur.

"My Excalibur is Excalibur Rapidly! In terms of velocity, it won't lose to anything!"

**[Divide!]**

[Save us...W...don't...don't hurt...Izu...]

W-Wait! What was that! They were about to mention a name! Who are these voices?!

"It's not working!" The Demonic Swords that Yumi had in both hands crumbled once again. Freed made a downward swing in an attempt to hit Yumi, but as he did, Saji pulled on his line, causing Freed to lose his balance.

"Like I would let you!" Way to go, Saji!

"…This is!? Shit! Are you absorbing my powers!?"

Absorbing!? Did that tongue that was coming out of Saji have some kind of special ability? Hm. Here I was thinking it was just a rope.

"Heh! How's that! This is my Sacred Gear "Absorption Line"! As long as this line is connected to you, your power will continue to be absorbed by my Sacred Gear! Yeah! Until you lose your consciousness that is!"

Ah. So Saji's a Sacred Gear possessor as well, eh? It would explain why his spirit and his own power are so impressive...Wait a second...

Absorbing energy!? That's my schtick, you shitty bastaaaaaard! Now I know I hate this perverted Pawn of Sitri-senpai's!

"…Dragon-type Sacred Gear is it!? The most troublesome type. The initial ability isn't that much of a threat. But when it grows, the destructible power surpasses other Sacred Gears on a whole different level. Scary. Man, it is such a nuisance!" The Shitty Priest once again tried to cut the line that was attached to him to no avail.

What did he mean by a "Dragon-type Sacred Gear"? Is it something like how Ddraig lives in Boosted Gear and Albion in Divine Dividing? If so, what kind of Dragon lives in Saji's Sacred Gear, I wonder?

Saji gritted his teeth. "Kiba! It's not the time to be complaining! Just beat that guy! The problem with the Excalibur can come after that! This guy is seriously dangerous! Just standing in front of him makes me tremble! If we leave him be, he will also cause harm to me and Kaichou! I will weaken him by absorbing his power with my Sacred Gear, so take him down at once!"

"…I feel reluctant, but I also agree to finish you off here. There's still two more Excaliburs that were stolen. I will have to hope that the other two are strong."

Yumi, you have to hurry and do this! You're going to wear yourself out!

"Ha! I'm stronger than the other two, you know? So! The moment you six beat me, there aren't others who will put up with you guys! Are you sure? If you kill me, you won't have any Holy Sword battle that would satisfy you." Freed said with a disgusting smile. Freed, you are one sick sonnuva bitch.

"Hmmm. [Sword Birth] huh? It's a Sacred Gear that can have an infinite number of powers depending on the possessor." A new voice appeared. I looked past Freed to see an old man wearing Priest clothes.

"…Is it you old-man Valper?" Freed questioned with a laid-back tone.

Dafuq did he just say?!

Everyone was shocked by the sudden appearance of the old man Freed just identified.

I narrowed my eyes, pointing at the man. I had a suspicion I knew who he was. "Hey, shitty geezer! I have a question for you!" The old man turned my way, staring at me with disgust in his eyes. "Tell me...Are you Valper Galilei?"

The old man regarded me for a moment, as if trying to place a name to a face. "I certainly am."

A new kind of killing intent filled my being. This man...This bastard was responsible for the suffering Yumi went through.

"Freed. What are you doing?"

"Old-man! I can't run away because of this guy's weird lizard tongue!"

"Hmph. You still can't use the holy-sword perfectly yet. Use the "element" I gave you more wisely. I'm researching because of that. Gather the holy element that is running throughout your body to the blade of the holy-sword. With that, you should be able to cut it."

"Yeah, yeah!" Freed's holy-sword had started to gather auras and started to glow. "Like this! Hroyah!"

"Oh no you don't, bastard!"

**[Divide!]**

"Like Hell I'm gonna be weaker than Raynaaaaaaaaaare!" I screamed, tears coming from my eyes.

.

.

.

"...What?" Koneko-chan stared with half-lidded eyes.

"Oh yeah...I forgot we pointed out that he was that weak." Ise nodded with his arms crossed.

"GAAAAH! SHUT UP, BASTAAAAAARDS!" I launched whatever physical blows I could with Freed, but the bastard was even faster when he was running away.

I let out a sharp groan of pain as the shitty priest then shoved his foot against my chest, knocking me back. It wasn't enough to knock me down, but it provided the shitty priest enough room to disengage. I was about to continue my assault when I felt another burst of pain in my head.

Gah!

[Please...Help us...Izumi...We don't...want to hurt anymore...!]

W-What!? Who's hurting?! Who the Hell is this?!

"Freed, it's time for us to leave." Valper announce.

Freed grinned at us. "I will be escaping now! The next time we meet will be the time of our ultimate battle!"

I raised my fists. "No way! After everything you've done, I'll only let both of you leave here in body bags!" I turned my hatred towards Valper Galilei. "You give the Church a bad name, you shitty geezer!"

Valper's eyes widened as if realizing something. "Tell me...do you know the woman known as Miyako Fujimura?" He spoke Oka-sama's name with utter distaste.

I raised an eyebrow. "How do you know Oka-sama?"

Valper curled his lip in disgust. "She was one of the Church's greatest Exorcists. It would've been impossible to not have heard of her. She was one of the few natural Holy Sword wielders the Church had before she wasted her potential by retiring. That woman had always been against my research, not seeing my greatness. It was bleeding hearts like her who got in my way. Kokabiel-sama saw me for my greatness and allowed me to continue my work."

I bared my teeth. "My mother was right to oppose you, you sick bastard! "Greatness"!? That's what you call the torture and massacre of innocent children?!" Even if it was Yumi's past, the thought of so many innocent people being killed...not being able to save anyone...I felt so angry...just so angry...This feeling...This crushing despair that flowed into me along with those strange words...It only served to further enrage me.

The geezer glared darkly at me. "It's only fitting that you, that heretical woman's son, became a Devil. If the Church couldn't understand the boon that my research brought them, then why would a filthy Devil like you understand?" He pulled out something from his pocket. It was a somewhat diamond-shaped gem and seemed to glow with a small blue light. "It is because of my research that the Church has so many Holy Sword wielders." He sneered. "All of those fools had the nerve to call me a monster, yet they continue to use my research." He lifted the gem so it was more visible to me. "This is the product of my work. My genius. It's gems like these that are coalesced Holy energy that allow others to gain the ability to use Holy Swords."

My rage was so close to breaking. "You DARE try to justify killing children!? CHILDREN! Innocent kids who didn't deserve such suffering! Kids who never had the chance to find a true home! That's-" Then I somehow entered a state of pure serenity. "You're dead. You're going to die today, you shitty geezer."

Valper sneered. "I've had enough, hearing the jabber of the Devil son of the heretic woman." Yep. My killing intent is definitely strengthening.

"I won't let you escape!" There was someone who went past me with a very fast speed.

KACHIN!

A blade clashed with Freed's Holy Sword, igniting sparks. I recognized the attacker by her blue-hair.

Xenovia!

"Yaho! Shi-chan! Ise-kun!"

"Irina!"

Irina was also here as well. Ooooh! The partner's of our team were here!

"Freed Sellzen. Valper Galilei. Rebels. I will cut you both down in the name of God!" Xenovia declared, pointing her blade at the two.

"Ha! Don't say the name of the hateful God that I hate! You bitch!"

Freed and Xenovia exchanged blows, but Freed took something out of his pocket. It was a ball of light. Shit! Freed's pulling his disappearing act!

"Old-man Valper! We are escaping! We are going to report to the boss, Kokabiel!"

"There's no other way."

"See ya! The alliance of Church and devils!"

Freed threw down the ball of light on the ground.

FLASH.

I couldn't see anything! The light covered the whole area and blinded our eyes! By the time we regained our sight, Freed and Valper were gone. Shit! We came all the way here and we lost track of him!

"We are going after them Irina."

"Okay!"

Xenovia and Irina nodded at each other and sprinted from here.

"I'm going after them too! I won't let you escape Valper Galilei!" Yumi also pursued after them.

"H-hey! Kiba! Geez! What's going on!" Ise complained.

"Sorry, Ise! Explain to Rias and Sona what happened for me!" And I was running after them. If they left my sight, not just Irina, but Yumi might also die. I don't really care about Xenovia, but I would rather cut off my own arms and legs than purposely let either Yumi or Irina come to harm.

"H-Hey! Shirou! Why is everybody else leaving us behind!?" Ise complained. "Seriously! What the fuck?!"

But I was already racing after the other three. Especially after Valper dared to say Oka-sama's name with that filthy mouth of his, I would not let him get away!

* * *

I honestly lost track of how long I had been running.

Even with the speed I got from my Queen abilities, keeping up with two Exorcists and the revenge-hungry Yumi was as hard as hell. Apparently my hatred and/or determination wasn't as great as theirs...

That stung a little.

It also may have been because I was thinking about the words that I heard in my head.

It always happened after I used Divide on Freed. It wasn't normal...I knew I wasn't insane. I just couldn't tell what it was.

Those voices spoke the same message almost every time.

"We don't want to-"...I think they said they didn't want to hurt. They kept asking me to save them.

Whenever I heard them, I was filled with a powerful feeling of crushing despair and pain. It wasn't like my nightmares. My nightmares were horrifying. This...This feeling coming from the voices I heard...It was sad. They were in pain. Not being able to help them...it felt like my insides were being cut up.

The moment Yumi and/or I beat the shit out of Freed, I was going to ask him who those voices belonged to.

But I still lost sight of the three every now and again, my heart almost stopping each time from fear and anxiety. I still managed to keep up with them though. I'm not saying it was easy, but I managed to keep up with those unbelievably fast ladies. Usually someone would say "you're slower than a girl", it's an insult, but in this case, it is factual and shameless truth, and these girls are speed monsters so anyone who insults me like that can go suck it.

After some time, I finally managed to catch up with Yumi, Irina, and Xenovia.

However, that was only because they had come to a stop right in front of a large mansion-like building. It looked largely disused, but I could sense some big-time bad energy coming from inside. I knew for a fact that Valper and Freed were in there with the Excaliburs...and something else.

Yumi summoned another Demonic Sword, glaring at the house as if it had insulted her mother.

"Come on already!" Yumi demanded in a pushy tone. "They're in there, aren't they?! So let's go!" She attempted to run forward only for Xenovia to grab her by the shoulder, staring at her with raised eyebrows.

"You're really going to just barge right in there?"

"Yeeeeaaaah." Yumi replied, confused by the question. "What about it? It's perfectly fine."

Xenovia sighed, shaking her head. "Oh yes. Because nothing bad EVER happens after entering a haunted-looking and nearly abandoned mansion in a random clearing in the woods with only a group of four against a psychopathic killer on the loose. I presume you also want us to split up completely into four groups of one to explore with no means of communication."

Irina and I stared.

.

.

.

"Did...Did you just do sarcasm?!" I couldn't hide the shock in my voice.

Xenovia nodded. "I admit it. It's not natural for me, but one time, while on a mission I heard someone make mention of that concerning a horror movie in passing. I thought it was fairly clever, so I was remembering it in case there was ever a situation where I could properly use it to "lighten the atmosphere" as Irina often suggests."

Irina began clapping her hands, smiling. "Good for you, Xenovia! That was actually really good!"

"If you're done playing around, I think we have an Excalibur-wielding psycho priest to take care of!" Yumi interrupted in a hostile tone.

I raised my hands in surrender. "A-Alright, Yumi!" I stared at the building, getting another sensation of unpleasant chills going down my spine. Whatever else was in there...It...It might be...

"There's a good chance that Kokabiel is inside." Xenovia confirmed my fears. "If this is truly their base, then it means that Kokabiel may be waiting within. We had best be resolved before we enter."

I clenched my fists.

_[Just promise me you'll live! No matter what! I don't care if you win! But if you are in trouble and see a single chance to escape, I want you to run! Don't look back and run!]_

Serafall's words rang clearly in my head.

I looked at Yumi, who was truly hungering for her vengeance.

I'm sorry, Serafall...but I have to get the Excalibur. I won't let Yumi destroy herself!

"Let's go."

And so we marched on the base of the Fallen Angel Kokabiel.

* * *

The inside was just as desolate as the outside. The foyer was just so poorly maintained.

I whistled. "Whoever the housekeeper is, they need to be fired."

"No time for jokes." Xenovia declared. "We have to find Freed and the Excaliburs before we're discovered by something worse."

"Yeah, so we should really proceed with caution." Irina agreed.

"Screw caution!" Yumi shouted. She charged ahead without a single thought for her well-being or that of the people around her. She marched right into the middle of the foyer and screamed at the top of her lungs. "FREEEEED! VALPEEEER! COME OUT AND FACE ME, YOU COWAAAAARDS!" Then she took off running right through the doors in-between the two sets of staircases that led to the upper level of the room.

I just stared. "That doesn't bode well." Then I started following her. "Come on! After her!"

We all ran into the incredibly dark hallway right after Yumi. Thanks to my Devil-vision, it was really easy to see where I was going. Yumi was really far ahead of me and showed no signs of slowing down.

CRASH!

I turned on my heels towards the sudden noise, raising my fists to fight.

Then I saw Xenovia on all fours, an expression on her face telling me she would use curse words to curse her own misfortune if she weren't a servant of God. I also noticed a knocked over vase laying shattered on the ground beside her.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What's wrong with you?!" I hissed. "Whatever happened to quick and stealthy?!"

Xenovia glared...at the wall. "I'm fairly certain stealth isn't an option by this point."

That was when it hit me. I stared at Xenovia, then at Irina whose eyes were darting all around the hall, as if she had no idea where anything was.

"You...You two can't see in here, can you?" They both averted their gazes...towards me, apparently not realizing I was right there.

"We...We trained our eyes to be quick to adapt if there's the slightest sliver of light...but there is none in here." I'll take that as a "No", Xenovia.

The two Exorcists actually seemed embarrassed. While I was tempted to let Xenovia sit in the darkness and let her suffer, I knew I would only get scolded later. That and I didn't think it would be a wise idea to continue alone in the dark.

I opened my hand, allowing a small, controlled flame to flicker into existence, dancing in the palm of my hand. Irina stepped closer until she was right next to me, smiling gratefully. Xenovia also stepped forward, but only so she was at the very edge of the area of light, glaring at me. That was probably because I was smirking at her. Yeah. I got the best of her this time and she knew it. Let her think on that.

So we continued deeper and deeper into the abode of our enemies. It was almost disturbing how long it felt like we had been moving down this hallway. I KNOW it wasn't this big from the outside.

"I really can't tell if they made this hall to tire out enemies or just to be dicks." I complained.

"Please be quiet!" Xenovia commanded. "All you've done is complain! Really, I can see why they called you the most useless amongst the Devils in Kuoh."

I stared at her, my eyes wide and watering. "They told you about that conversation?!"

"No. I just assumed."

"Hey! SCREW YOU!"

I REALLY hated this girl!

Xenovia and I were glaring daggers at one another. If I had any less self-control, I would have launched this fireball in my hand right at her. I didn't care if we were in enemy territory, I was going to take her down if she provoked me ONE MORE TIME.

"Oh look, I can see the end!" Irina exclaimed with what I suspected to be relief. I doubted she wanted to get in-between any fight between Xenovia and I. And that would've been made especially hard with all of us in a relatively narrow hallway such as this. She ran ahead of us, grabbing both Xenovia and I by our hands and dragging us forward.

KATCHIN

The first sounds we heard was that of clashing swords.

"Yumi!"

"Stay out of this!" She demanded. "This is between me and that damned Holy Sword!"

"Hoho~! Looks like I'm in luck~! It's Shirou-kun and the two Excalibur bitches~!" Freed cackled merrily. "I admit it feels a little anticlimactic after I said something like 'The next time we meet will be the time of our ultimate battle', but I'll make myself feel better while I'm cutting you all into pretty, little ribbons that this is more of an appetizer leading up to the main course~!"

"Just listening to him speak makes me want to vomit." For once, I agree with Xenovia.

"So, Freed, it looks like you've brought more "entertainment"." An almost bored voice noted.

I tensed as did the two Exorcists on either side of me. We instinctively summoned our weapons of choice.

"THESE are the ones you told me about, Valper?" The voice asked, still unamused.

"Yes." I recognized the old geezer, Valper Galilei, standing at the end of the room at which there was also a throne-like seat. "The one with the snow-white hair is the current Hakuryuukou while the other two women are the possessors of the Excaliburs that will truly be useful towards our goal, Kokabiel-sama."

That was when I really felt my heart stop.

Sitting casually on the throne was a man with ghostly-pale skin and black hair. Unlike the other Fallen Angels I've met, he had oddly pointy ears. He was dressed royally, possessing a black robe wrapped around his body, adorned with detailed accessories. He sat lazily on his throne his arm on the side of his chair while keeping his left hand under his chin waiting for some excitement, his other hand holding a glass of what I suspected to be fine wine which he casually sipped like all of the most evil, pompous assholes do while they casually wait for the heroes to come to them, trying to look better than everyone else.

This was him...

The Fallen Angel Kokabiel.

I couldn't help but begin to sweat.

Yumi continued to duel with Freed, her rage preventing her from performing at her best.

"Truly, this is boring." Kokabiel said again like a child who was watching the same rerun over and over again. "At the very least, perhaps the Hakuryuukou will make this somewhat less boring."

I growled at him. "Don't underestimate us, you shitty crooooooooow!" Trying to ignore the shaking in my hands, I aimed my left hand at Kokabiel, releasing the most powerful blast of flames I could conjure using my Demonic Power. Kokabiel didn't even blink. He vanished in a large explosion of fire. The whole room was engulfed in smoke resulting from the explosion, Irina and Xenovia coughing up smoke from their lungs. I was breathing in and out heavily as if I had just run a marathon. It may have been due to a mix of fear and the amount of power I poured into my attack, but I was feeling a little tired.

"Did...Did that do it?" Irina asked, uncertain due to how Kokabiel had just vanished in that huge smoke cloud.

"I doubt it." Xenovia responded more realistically. "This is someone who is a leader of the Fallen Angels. He would never fall so easily."

"Kufu!" A small chuckle came from the smoke cloud. "While not anywhere close to being a threat to me, that was an impressive attack for a small-time Devil." The atmosphere became heavier once again as Kokabiel dispelled the smokescreen with a single beat of one of his wings. One of his ten, feathery wings. Another wing was in front of his body, acting as a shield. Under than smoke and a slight crispy smell coming off of it, there was nothing out of the ordinary about it.

He literally blocked my relatively strong attack with a single wing.

Kokabiel smirked. "While I admit it is either brave or stupid for you to attack me without any caution, I'm afraid I must inform you of the large gap between our respective power." Kokabiel sat up in his seat. "Kneel in despair before the power of the Fallen Angel race!"

That was when it fell upon me.

That sudden powerful pressure that threatened to crush me entirely. The whole room shook as if under the force of an earthquake. I couldn't think. I couldn't even breathe! It felt like not just my body, but also my lungs were being crushed under the force of the pressure which radiated from Kokabiel's body. Xenovia and Irina leaned on their swords to remain upright while Yumi looked close to dropping to the ground. Kokabiel apparently couldn't control who was affected because not only our side, but Valper and Freed were also apparently put under the affect of his powerful aura.

It felt like I would drown in this powerful aura, fading away as if nothing.

But I wouldn't fall.

My legs trembled. The strain this pressure was putting on them made it feel like I had finished running around the whole country. My muscles were burning, demanding that I succumb to this presence and just drop to the ground like some sort of fly.

"Don't...fuck...with meeeee!" I screamed at him. "I'm the Queen of the Maou Serafall Leviathan-sama! There's no way in hell I'll die here!"

Then all at once, the pressure ceased.

I took in a deep breath, relishing in the fact that I could breathe properly again.

Kokabiel placed a hand to his face. "The Queen of Leviathan..." For a brief second, I thought he was actually afraid. I felt stupid a second later. "Kahahahahahahahahahahahaha! What a boon for me! I thought that it wouldn't be enough to simply steal the Excaliburs and rampage in this territory which belonged to the Maous' younger sisters! But surely killing the Queen of Leviathan will assure the success of my goals!"

Yumi's eyes widened. "But doing such a thing will restart the war between the three factions!"

"And that's exactly what I want!" Kokabiel exclaimed. "To ignite the Second Great War between the Fallen Angels, Devils, and Angels!"

"You-You're crazy!" I was completely shocked by Kokabiel's response. "If you start another war while the numbers of each faction are so low, there will be nothing but slaughter on all sides! The casualties will be immense! You crazy battle-maniac!"

Kokabiel laughed once more. "Yeah. That's it! I was bored and bored after the war between the three sides! Azazel and Shemhazai weren't that keen on the next war. They then started to collect something boring like Sacred Gears and started to do some weird research. Something useless like that won't be of any use to us! …Well, it's a different story if it's Divine Dividing like yours… But it's not something you can find so easily and its current wielder is horribly weak."

I clenched my fists, being overcome by such powerful anger. "And what's wrong with that?! What the Hell is wrong with everyone living in peace?!" My nails were digging so deep into the the palms of my hands that my palms were beginning to bleed. "I don't give a fuck who you are-I WON'T LET AN AMBITION LIKE YOURS EVER SUCCEED! I'll beat the shit out of anyone who threatens harm to my loved ones! I don't care if they're Devil, Fallen Angel, Angel, or Human! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" My rage was giving me new courage that I never even noticed before. But all I cared about was killing the psychotic Fallen Angel in front of me!

Kokabiel stared with new-found interest. "Those eyes. That rage. Aha! What memories! Even though he was quivering like a frightened mutt a moment ago, the brat Queen of Leviathan is showing such familiar rage! Ahaha!" Suddenly filled with energy, Kokabiel stood up from his throne and took a few steps forward. "Freed, pull back for now. I've taken a sudden interest in this matter."

W-What?!

Xenovia, Irina, Yumi, and I all froze, a sense of dread filling the air around us. There had been the faint hope that we would be able to defeat Freed and take the Excaliburs back, finding an opportunity to flee before Kokabiel succumbed to his boredom and killed us just to be done with it. But if this Final Boss Character was entering the fray so soon, we stood no chance!

Freed clicked his tongue. "But I was having so much fun! I wanted to be the one to cut up the shitty Devils!" He was complaining like a child who was told he had to put away his favorite toy away.

Then Freed was beaten right in the stomach with a feathery, black wing, sending him flying into a nearby wall, smashing a fair-sized crater with the dazed-looking Freed sitting right in the center of it. Despite the fact he had just been swatted aside like a fly, Freed only looked slightly miffed.

"Gah! Dick!" Freed stuck out his tongue at Kokabiel but did nothing more when the Fallen Angel leader shot a dangerous look at the Stray Exorcist. "Alright alright! If the boss himself gives me such a look, even I cannot disobey!"

"Kokabiel-sama, are you sure that this _child_ is even worthy to engage you in battle?!" Valper seemed utterly perplexed by Kokabiel's decision.

Kokabiel shot a familiar dangerous look at Valper. "Are you questioning me as well, Valper?" Valper shrunk away from his master's gaze. Freed was a youthful man who had been trained as an Exorcist. Valper was nothing more than an elderly scientist. He would not be as lucky as Freed if he were to be struck by Kokabiel's wrath. Valper bowed and stepped away.

Even Yumi recognized Kokabiel as the major threat, having turned her gaze from Freed to the Fallen Angel. With this guy in our way, we stood no chance at getting her revenge. There was nothing we could do until he was dealt with. Geez! What a troublesome situation we're in!

"Hakuryuukou. I will let you to attack me once. Unleash your most powerful attack. If you truly desire to kill me, then show me the extent of your blood lust and try to kill me with all of your strength. I want to see if you're even worth my acknowledgement."

We all had a look of shock at Kokabiel's order. He looked as confident as he was bored.

"Are you toying with us!? Don't mess around!" I hated this bastard so much.

"'Don't mess around?' Hahaha! You guys are the ones who are messing around. Do you guys think you can defeat me?" Kokabiel mocked us. "Do you truly think you can defeat me?"

GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR! COCKY BASTARD!

Kokabiel extended his arms and wings wide, grinning. "Anywhere you desire. Show me if you're worthy to succeed your predecessor."

"You die here, Kokabiel!"

"Xenovia, wait!"

A girl with dark-blue hair rushed forward, swinging her Excalibur down on Kokabiel in the hopes of catching him unaware. However, it was to no avail. Kokabiel easily caught the blade on one of his wings, shooting an almost lazy glare at Xenovia.

"This does not extend to you, Exorcist." With a flick of his wrist, Kokabiel sent Xenovia flying through the air. To soften the landing, Xenovia hit the ground rolling. Irina ran to her comrade's side, helping her back up. "My patience is wearing thin. An interference such as that will not receive such a light punishment next time." Then he turned back to me, grinning.

I glared back at him. "What is even the point of this? Why would you let me do this?"

"I want to see if you're a Hakuryuukou worth keeping around. This war would be awfully boring if the current possessor of the White Dragon was so weak. I may as well give you a chance to prove yourself before deciding to kill you so I can hopefully get a stronger adversary in your successor."

The situation is more dire than I first thought.

He was either insane or he truly knew that I was too weak to kill him. Probably both. I can't reject his offer but accepting it only assures certain death. I'll be too spent to retreat if I unleash my full power on him in one go. But I won't even be able to stall him unless I do. Either way, I'm dead! Kokabiel won't let me live after my strongest attack fails to even partially damage him.

...Albion! If you're listening, now would be a hell of a good time to wake up and give me some help! Anything would be nice.

No response. I was truly on my own here.

I felt so angry. Angry at Kokabiel for his psychotic beliefs. Angry at myself for not being strong enough. Angry at this whole hopeless situation.

"Shirou..." A quivering voice whispered my name. I turned to see Irina, her hand desperately clutching her cross and a look of incredible worry on her face.

That's right! Irina and Yumi (and I GUESS Xenovia) were also here! If I didn't do SOMETHING, Kokabiel would, without a doubt, kill us all!

...I could only stall. Damn. Why am I always in the role of either "self-sacrifice" or "damsel in distress"?! Well...when I have such beautiful and kind girls depending on me, I guess I shouldn't really complain.

I sighed, turning to Irina and the others who had come closer to me in case Kokabiel tried to pick us off one-by-one.

"Irina...While I'm attacking Kokabiel, you all have to run. Even if I'm only able to buy a single second, USE THAT SECOND TO GET AWAY." I placed a tight grip on Irina's shoulder and stared directly into her eyes, trying to stress how serious I was. Irina's eyes widened in shock. She scanned my expression, seeming desperate to find some hint of a joke. "We all know that we don't stand a chance against this guy even with all four of us. You three have to run."

"I-I won't!" Irina refused. "I won't abandon you!"

I stared sadly. "I know." No matter what...even if we did not say it to one another, our feelings remained the same. Irina would never willingly leave me behind. That's why I turned to Xenovia. "You make sure Irina follows you, got it?"

Xenovia seemed surprised, but nodded.

Yumi shook her head. "No! I'm not-!"

"Just shut the fuck up and do what I say for once, Yumi!" I screamed at her, my voice full of desperation, not anger. "You're gonna need power like Rias's and Ise's if you want to take this guy down! It's not up for debate!"

"Shirou-!"

But I wanted to hear nothing more on the matter. I turned back to Kokabiel, taking a deep breath. "Alright then. Kokabiel. It's time I show you just why I'm the Queen of Serafall Leviathan!"

"Kehe!" Kokabiel gave a small laugh at that. "If you truly think yourself so powerful, then go right ahead! Hit me with your best shot!"

I aimed both of my hands at Kokabiel. "You want a taste of my power, Kokabiel?! I'll shove it right down your throat! SO GO CHOKE ON IT!" Magic circles appeared in my hands as I fired two powerful blasts of fire from my hands. They made impact with a powerful explosion, but that wasn't all. I thrusted my hands forward again and again, firing spell after spell. Fire, lightning, ice, water, whatever I could think up using my Demonic Power. Sometimes I just released plain beams of energy.

"No! I won't leave him!"

"There's no time for argument, Irina! Let's go!"

It was Irina and Xenovia. Xenovia was dragging Irina away despite her protests.

"You better not die, Shirou!" Yumi ordered me. Can't keep that promise.

I didn't care about what was going on around me! I just had to blast this motherfucker to smithereens! At least to the point where he can't pursue the ones I care about (and Xenovia)!

"Don't worry, boss, I'll get the little rats who're trying to run~!" Freed attempted to burst forward to pursue, but I aimed one of my hands at him.

"FUCK OFF!" I unleashed a particularly powerful blast of fire. Enough to scare him off.

I didn't stop. Even when I began to feel exhausted and every nerve and muscle in my body began to burn, I didn't stop. I unleashed spell after spell, not wanting to give Kokabiel any room to breathe. Then I put both of my hands together, creating an even more powerful magic circle in front of me.

DOOOOOOOOOOON!

The shot I released was a mix of white with a blue outline and held power of an incredible level.

My eyes widened in shock. I honestly hadn't expected that! It was just like Issei's [Dragon Shot] except for the fact it was more of a bluish-white color!

But I was too tired to revel in the fact I unleashed a new attack I hadn't expected. I panted like a dog, staring with my guard still raised as the smoke began to clear. It was too quiet.

"Alright, Kokabiel...You done with me yet?" I asked as a clear challenge. It was almost eerie, the silence that followed my impressive barrage of attacks. I would not be able to duplicate the feat right now. My eyes were focused on the spot near the throne.

Then the smoke cleared-

Kokabiel was gone! He had completely vanished!

For a brief, hopeful second, I had thought that I had somehow managed to triumph. That I had somehow managed to kill Kokabiel by catching him unaware with one of my spells.

Then time froze. My heart stopped.

"Oh, I'm sorry." A sarcastic voice apologized. "I got a little too excited. You were coming at me too slowly and I got bored."

I was so shocked that I barely registered the sword of light that passed through my arm at the shoulder blade. I only knew it was a sword because I saw the blade just as it passed through my shoulder. It was so sudden that I didn't even realize it was real. I had thought the blade was nothing more than an illusion for a moment.

Then my right arm was torn from my torso and tossed aside.

For a brief moment, I could only stare, too shocked to react in any way.

Then blood spewed from the stump to which my lower right arm had once been connected. I almost screamed, but Kokabiel's hand clamped over my mouth. Then he delivered a sharp kick to my stomach, causing me to vomit up a mix of saliva and blood onto the ground.

I was sent crashing into the wall behind me. I could literally feel several of my ribs crack on impact. The ones that weren't broken immediately by Kokabiel's attack were badly damaged when I hit the wall.

"That was horribly disappointing." Kokabiel admitted, looking down at me. Then he placed a hand under his chin. "But still, even that minor attack of mine would have killed a normal Devil. That barrage of attacks was not bad either..." He extended a hand towards me. "Even if you are disappointing as the current possessor, it would still be useful to have the Divine Dividing at my side. Join me, Hakuryuukou. I will grant anything you desire. You will learn to wield power you never could have imagined you would possess. Whatever it is, I will grant it."

"...Anything...?"

"Of course." Kokabiel's mouth curved into the shape of a smirk.

That was when I spat a bloody loogie at his face. "I want your head on a pike, you sonnuvabitch." I grinned in defiance. I would never give into this bastard's demands.

Kokabiel eyed me with disgust, wiping the mix of mucus, blood, and spit from his face. "Perhaps you are not as wise as I had thought, Hakuryuukou."

I flipped him the bird. "I get that a lot."

"And now you die!" A large light spear formed in Kokabiel's hand. It was huge. I knew that, once that attack hit its target, there would be nothing left of me. My soul would be erased by the power of his light weapons. What a depressing ending for me...yet I'm satisfied. I mean, Yumi and Irina both escaped unharmed, so if I died now, I would have no regrets.

Kokabiel threw the spear.

It was over...I was going to die...

No wait...I suppose that, deep down, there would always be that one, single regret.

"...Sorry, Serafall. Guess I couldn't keep my promise..."

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

There was a loud explosion that seemed to rock the earth and an incredibly large flash of light that blinded me. I couldn't see anything but the golden explosion that filled up the room.

It was so harsh and bright. It was just so unpleasant.

.

.

.

.

I kinda expected to stop feeling my broken ribs at some point but that never happened. I had thought it would either be quick and painless or quick and painful, but I had expected my utter annihilation at the hands of Kokabiel to be quick.

"I won't let you!"

E-Eh?!

Realizing I was not, in fact, dead, I opened my eyes, trying to figure out how I was not instantly vaporized by such a powerful attack.

My answer was in the form of a brown-haired girl with twin tails kneeling in front of me, a large shield in front of her that I could swear she didn't have before.

"I won't let you hurt, Shirou!" Irina stood up in front of me, picking up the shield which gradually shrunk back into the form of a katana. Noting my confusion, Irina spun her sword in her hand, smiling. "That is why Excalibur Mimic is still a weapon to be reckoned with! What it lacks in power, it makes up for in possible techniques and uses!"

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!?" I screamed at her, in too much pain and distress to care about tact. "I TOLD YOU TO RUN!"

"Well I didn't." Irina replied bluntly. "Either we're both getting out of her alive or neither of us are!" She drew her sword at the staring Kokabiel.

"YOU IDIOT! YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO DEFEAT A GUY LIKE KOKABIEL OR EVEN FREED FOR THAT MATTER!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. Why didn't Irina understand?! "You should have run when you had the chance! What were you thinking?!"

"I was thinking I had no intention of leaving you behind! You're too important to me for that!" Irina defended.

"I was going to die either way! The whole reason I stayed behind was so you all could escape! So you could all continue living!"

"WELL WHAT WOULD BE THE POINT IN LIVING IF THE BOY I LOVED WAS DEAD?! IF YOU DIE, THEN I MAY AS WELL DIE ALSO BECAUSE I LOVE YOU WITH ALL OF MY HEART AND SOUL!" Tears leaked from the corner of her eyes and rolled down the sides of Irina's face. I was left, once again, in shock. Not because I was bleeding out or because I was in pain. It was because what she had said was the most heretical thing I had ever heard come out of her mouth. The implications...would Irina have...For a Christian, there was almost no greater sin than what she had just implied. "Even after you became a Devil...I...I could not erase these feelings in my heart...It's the truth. I..."

"Irina..." ...I felt so happy. No matter what the situation was...Irina actually said it. She actually said she loved me outright.

"So please...even if we both die here...don't send me away..." There was a begging tone in Irina's voice as she knelt next to me. She gently grasped my hand, staring at me. She still managed to pull off those most adorable puppy dog eyes.

"...Fine..." I sighed. As Irina stood up, she helped me back up to my feet. "But...if we're going through this romantic "dying as a couple" thing...I'm gonna die on my feet, mmkay?" Irina nodded as I leaned on her shoulder. We would never be able to survive a single attack of Kokabiel's. All we could do was hold onto each other and wait for the end.

"Are you finished yet?" Kokabiel asked with boredom and disgust in his tone. "All of this mush is making me want to throw up. It's time I finished this. If I'm killing the Maou's Queen already, then I had best accelerate my plans. It would be a shame if Leviathan interfered before the main event had been fully set up."

I really wanted to question what he meant by "main event"...but I would not get the opportunity.

Kokabiel created a light spear...and then another in his other hand...He was dual wielding light spears.

"Now, let's try this again, only this time, I want you both to die." Yep. Two light spears would do it. I don't think Irina's shield could take two of those monsters.

Irina and I would both die here. She could separate from me and use her shield to protect one of us since Kokabiel couldn't hit two targets using two light spears at a time, but then the other would get killed. The survivor would probably die right after that. We had done nothing but gone in a huge, hopeless circle. Only difference was that Irina would die with me now.

"Irina, it's not too late. You can still run." I knew what her answer would be.

"No. We'll both run together." Irina affirmed. But that possibility had little hope. Kokabiel was faster than both of us. If he was serious about killing us, he would have little issue. And I was beginning to feel light-headed from bloodloss. Did you know how much severed arm stumps bleed? I sure as hell didn't. It was a lot.

Irina threw my remaining arm over her shoulder and started dragging me along, running away from the now-bored-again Fallen Angel who had two light spears aimed at our backs. We were running down a long, narrow hallway with no doors. There was nowhere to hide to avoid the attack.

But still we ran.

I wanted to say that Irina was fast enough to get us both out in time, but that was wishful thinking.

"Well, looks like I won't get to cut you up anytime soon, Shirou-kun~" Freed waved goodbye mockingly from his head of the hallway.

Irina began running with even more desperation, going as fast as her legs would allow.

"Perish." Was the one, horrible word Kokabiel said before throwing one of his light spears.

Time seemed to slow down. The spear sailed much slower through the air as well.

It was infuriating.

I was going to die and there was nothing I could do about it.

Irina was going to die and there was nothing I could do about it...

Irina...Irina was gonna die...

Irina was gonna die...Irina will...

I...I don't want Irina to die...

My body reacted on its own. I spun around on my heels, sliding my arm away from Irina. I extended my hand towards Kokabiel and the thrown light spear. Even...Even if this killed me...I would protect Irina with everything I have!

Irina can't die!

"DRAGON SHOOOOOOOOOT!"

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

That same incredibly large beam of bluish-white demonic energy shot out of my hand, blasting right through the light spear Kokabiel had thrown and slamming right into the surprised crow. Kokabiel vanished in the light...

My body became heavier...

Then everything went dark...

* * *

**Irina's POV...**

The power Shi-chan just released...it...it was incredible.

When I came back...I knew it was hopeless. I knew I would die. I only hoped that the Lord would take mercy on Shirou for becoming a Devil...that He would let Shirou and I stay together. At the very least, I wanted to die beside the one I loved. I couldn't leave him. I just couldn't. I-and I prayed to God to forgive me for thinking this-didn't care if Shirou was a Devil. Even if I followed the path of God, I could only see Shirou as the boy I fell in love with when I was little, not the Devil servant of Leviathan.

Even when I was training to become a full-fledged Exorcist, I always prayed for that one childish desire: To see Shirou once more.

And now he was dying in my arms.

The moment Shirou's attack had sent Kokabiel flying, he just dropped. I managed to catch him, but his skin was pale and he showed no signs of waking up anytime soon. The stump from which his arm had been severed was bleeding profusely. If I didn't get Shirou's wound treated or, at the very least, stop the bleeding, he would die for sure.

I have to get Shi-chan out of here! There's no time to hesitate!

I had a limited time before the heretic stray, Freed, took the opportunity to attack. I quickly picked up Shi-chan and threw him onto my back, his remaining arm hanging over my shoulder. I knew he was still alive because I felt his shallow breaths against my neck. I had to get going and fast.

So I took off, running as fast as I could carry him. Every now and then, I shot a glance over my shoulder

Shirou...he wouldn't be as critical if he hadn't used so much energy to stall Kokabiel.

I'll save you, Shi-chan! I promise! I just have to get outside and lose my pursuers!

Perhaps it was because I was running and in-distress, but the hallway seemed a lot shorter than it had seemed before. Or maybe Shirou was right about before.

_"I really can't tell if they made this hall to tire out enemies or just to be dicks."_

It was actually possible that the hallway had some sort of illusion spell placed on it so anyone heading to face Kokabiel would be worn out or at least worn down slightly by the time they reached the throne room. I definitely sensed some hint of magic here, but I thought I was imagining it. Whether it was adrenaline or a flaw in a spell, I entered the foyer I recognized from when we entered. Then I was bursting out the door, leaning forward so I could push Shirou back onto my back.

It was a huge relief when I was able to smell fresh air, free of that musty old building behind me.

For a brief moment, I thought God would bless us with such a flawless escape.

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

Then the roof of the building behind me erupted in an incredible explosion.

"KAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAAA!" That horrifying laughter appeared high in the air behind me. I was petrified. For a brief moment, I thought I had been hit, but then I realized it was fear that paralyzed me. No. More like it was the tremendous pressure that began to crush me. The same pressure that Kokabiel had released earlier. I turned, unable to move, to face the Fallen Angel leader who floated in the air above me. He was grinning. He held up his hand, marveling at it. "That truly was impressive! You are amongst the weakest Hakuryuukou incarnations, but that attack was definitely on the same level as those of one of the more powerful High-Class Devils!" His hand was slightly burned, but possessed no other injuries.

My body...it wouldn't stop trembling...

I was afraid.

I had faced numerous monsters, Devils, Fallen Angels, and all sorts of horrifying existences during my time as an Exorcist...but I had never truly felt fear before now. Perhaps it was because I had so much more to lose now...Perhaps it was because my situations had never been so hopeless as this one...

My heart was beating hard enough to break my ribs from the inside.

Kokabiel frowned when he noticed Shirou on my back. "Fu. How disappointing. I guess that was really the best you had. I was actually interested for a moment." He raised his hand into the air. My heart felt like it would explode when I saw the light spear Kokabiel had generated. It was larger than a building! "This is the end of you. Don't worry though, Exorcist. I'll be sure to take good care of the Excaliburs once I begin to use them to wage war on the wretched Heaven you love so much." He gave me a twisted smile.

My heart fell further. There was no way out.

I failed to fulfill my duty to protect the Church and Heaven, I failed to protect the Excaliburs, I failed to even protect the one I loved most...

Perhaps death was a fitting punishment.

"It looks like Shirou-chin's gotten himself into quite a bit of trouble-nya~!"

CRACK

DOOOOOOOOON!

There was a sudden light and a powerful shockwave as something impacted Kokabiel's spear, causing it to explode, releasing all of the power stored up inside.

I used on of my arms to shield my face from flying dust and debris that were suddenly scattered into the air by the gusts created by the explosion.

The attack that destroy the light spear was relatively small, but it didn't have to be large. It's like if you struck a glass container full of water with a hammer. You wouldn't have to hit it too hard. Just one crack and everything inside would take advantage of the weakness in the structure and come pouring out.

"OH WHAT NOW?!" Kokabiel was beginning to look frustrated. Every attempt he made on our lives had been stopped or interrupted by someone.

Perhaps it made me feel relieved. If he was this angry, it meant that the person who unleashed that previous attack was not on his side. Maybe they weren't on our side, but not on his at the least. Worst-case scenario, I could somehow trick them into fighting one another.

"Who dares to interfere?!" Kokabiel demanded.

"I initially just wanted to sit and watch the story unfold, but I would just go hungry if I let Shirou-chin die~" I turned in the direction of the teasing voice.

I was surprised by the figure laying down casually on a large branch in the tree behind me. I could've sworn this person wasn't there before!

She was a young woman with a voluptuous figure, long black hair with split bangs and hazel eyes with cat-like pupils. Her attire consisted of a black kimono, a yellow _obi_, a set of golden beads, and an ornately detailed headband. The kimono featured a red interior and it was open at her shoulders, giving view to her large breasts. Her form was flawless and she looked untroubled about looking so exposed, just laying in that tree. She...She was...She was...

"I-INDECENT!" I jabbed an accusing finger in her expression, my face beginning to heat up. I turned away, shocked by the lack of shame on the woman's face. "W-Why are you dressed so indecently?!"

The woman smirked. "No need to be jealous-nya~" She leaned forward, giving me an even better look at her cleavage. "Some girls are just more gifted than others~"

My face felt like it was on fire now!

I turned away, hiding my bust from that woman's sight. "T-That's not it at all!" What was worse that I actually looked down at my own and felt the odd urge to compare...she won and I was filled with an odd sense of disappointment.

GAAAAH! What is with me?!

I clasped my hands in prayer, doing my best to keep Shirou on my back. "Oh Lord, please grant me your forgiveness for these impure thoughts!" Once I was done, I glared at the woman, picking up Excalibur Mimic and pointing at her, using my other arm to keep Shirou on my back. "Who are you and what do you want?!"

The woman giggled, amused as if looking at a child who had done something silly. "How cute. You think you're a threat~" The woman then leaped out of the tree she had been in, landing gracefully in front of me, causing me to step back in surprise. She didn't look back at me once. "Go. I'll _play_ with this crow for a while~"

I was surprised by the sudden order from the woman in front of me. That was when I noticed something more surprising about her-namely the two black, feline-like ears on her head and the furry tail she flicked about so casually.

"Y-You're helping me?!" I couldn't help but be both shocked and suspicious. A mysterious woman appears out of nowhere, offering to help you escape by fending off one of the Fallen Angel leaders in exchange for nothing? In any other situation, I would have called it charity granted to me by God, but considering how this woman dressed...she did not strike me as a "Holy Maiden".

The feline woman scoffed at my words. "Don't get me wrong. I'm doing this for my own selfish reasons. Since a while ago, there are a total only three people I truly care the most about and two of them are me and Shirou-chin~ I honestly don't care about you at all-Nya~" Ouch...but oddly, even though this woman was still offering to help, a small part of me returned such sentiments towards her. "If you weren't holding Shirou-chin, I would have just let this crow kill you. But you are, so I won't~"

"Who...Who are you?" I couldn't help but ask.

The woman smirked, placing a finger to her lips. "Ah ah ah~ If you don't know already, then I see no reason to tell you-nya~" She gathered a strange power in her arm. She didn't look at me again. "I can't defeat this person on my own, only stall him, so unless you also feel like dying, I suggest you leave now~ Unless, of course, you WANT Shirou-chin to bleed out first?"

I tensed, realizing how faint Shirou's breaths had become. His condition was worsening.

The woman released the power in her hand at Kokabiel, exploding on impact. It was strong, like Shirou's Dragon Shot, but due to how effortlessly the woman cast that attack, I doubt it was her full strength. There was no doubt in my mind that she could stall Kokabiel far more efficiently than I ever could have even with Xenovia. My time to get away had received a drastic increase.

Shirou...I will save you!

I bowed my head to the mysterious woman. "Whoever you are, thank you!"

She just laughed. "I told you already, stupid girl. Even though we've only known each other a short time, that idiot is one of the few people I would do this for. You're not. Now go."

Nodding, I did as the mysterious woman commanded.

Even if she was doing it for selfish reasons, she did a good thing. I honestly wasn't sure why I disliked her, but I was still grateful.

And so I ran.

I ran and didn't look back.

A wave of nausea came over me as I felt Shirou's bloody stump brush against my shoulder. Even though I was covered in my battle suit, I could still feel the sensation of the blood oozing from his wound. That was the one downside to these outfits. They gave a lot of flexibility, but they did nothing to block what you could feel through them. It was such an unpleasant sensation.

Rather than fear or horror, this feeling filled me with a new determination.

I ran as fast as I could. Even when I finally came out of the woods and back to the fountain in the park, I didn't stop. I kept running. Even when I bumped into a few people who gave me shocked looks, I didn't stop. I kept running. Even when I heard sharp gasps at the sight of the bleeding boy on my back, I didn't stop. I kept running. Even when I ended up in the neighborhood where Shirou's house was, I didn't stop. I kept running. I kept running faster because to slow down now meant Shirou would die.

I didn't even slow down when I reached Shirou's house. I kicked the door down immediately, stumbling inside, my lungs burning from how long I had been running without stop, not even thinking to control my breathing as I had been trained to do.

I just remembered screaming. I kept screaming. I didn't know whose name I was screaming, I just wanted someone to come out and help. I didn't care if it was the fallen Holy Maiden Asia or one of the Devil heiresses. I just wanted somebody to save Shirou.

Anybody...

"Shirou-san!" There was a lot of stomping as several figures came down the stairs. I recognized Asia and Ise-kun and the daughter of the Phenex clan. There was also Rias's Queen for some reason and some brown-haired girl with red highlights whom I did not recognize, but I didn't care.

"Save him...You have to save him..." I begged, tears beginning to flow out of my eyes. I set Shirou on the couch and Asia immediately went to work. "...I...Please save Shirou..." Asia nodded. I had thought she would be spiteful from before, but she even gave me a most sympathetic look, speaking words of reassurance. She was kind rather than spiteful for the words that had been exchanged previously.

I wouldn't have been worried normally, since Shirou was a Devil. It was the blood loss that made me worry for his life. Even if one of the Seraph-samas were to receive a minor wound, even they would die if they receive a cut that bled continuously without healing. Shirou would bleed to death rather than die of a critical wound.

You're going to be okay, Shirou...You're going to be okay...Please be okay, Shirou..._I love you!_ Please...be okay...

Shirou, please! I love you...

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

The first thing I took notice of was the splitting headache I had.

It felt like someone took a hatchet and split my skull in half right own the center. At least I knew I wasn't dead yet.

Everything was a blur at first, my eyes actually struggling to adjust to the darkness around me. That was when I recognized the ceiling above me and the room I was in. I was in the living room of my house, laying on the couch. It was night out, but I had no idea how much time had passed.

The thing that drew the most attention was the girl whose face was buried into my chest, sobbing. I recognized this girl.

"I must be dead coz there's a beautiful Angel at my bedside." I said in a weak voice. I realized how dry my throat was when I noticed how scratchy my voice was. That tease did not sound as suave as I had intended. It sounded like a sick child with a cold had said those words. I honestly felt embarrassed, but judging from Irina's expression when she raised her head to stare at me, she didn't care. Her eyes were red. I could tell she had been crying quite a lot.

"Shirou!" She immediately wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly. She buried her face into my shoulder and I could literally hear her heave a huge sigh of relief. This was followed by sniffles and smaller sobs. After a few minutes, she pulled her face away, smiling at me with tears of joy in her eyes. "I'm so happy you're alive!"

I managed a weak smile. "You and me both." I looked down at my right arm...or where my right arm used to be. It was bandaged and bloody, but the injury itself was healed.

Irina had a look of great shame on her face. "You lost it in the fight with Kokabiel...When you were trying to stall him so the rest of us could escape." Guilt mixed in with her shame. "Asia...she was able to heal the wound and stop the bleeding. She also mended your broken bones. Your left leg and four ribs were fractured and three of them were broken, one of them piercing your lung. Your injuries mixed with your internal bleeding...You would have died if it wasn't for Asia. What's left of you has been healed. You might be a bit dizzy since you lost a lot of blood, but that should pass after some time. But..."

"Asia's Sacred Gear can't healed missing limbs." I guessed. "She could heal a literal hole in someone's heart, but she can't do anything if the heart is removed. In this case, my arm can't be regenerated."

Irina's shame only increased further. She turned her head away. "I'm sorry..."

"Don't be." I assured her. I grinned weakly again. "The only thing I'm sorry about is that Saturday nights on the internet won't ever be the same again."

Irina blushed deeply at what I was implying jokingly. "S-Shirou."

I let out a light breath that was meant to be a chuckle. "Nah. Just kiddin'. I'm actually a lefty~" I made a joking gesture with my left hand to demonstrate my point.

"Shirou! H-How sinful!" Irina's face was steaming now. She was covering her eyes with her hands, but she was peeking through her fingers.

I snickered at her adorable reaction.

Irina's embarrassed expression turned back to one of tear-filled relief. "I thought...I thought you were going to die...!"

I placed my hand on her head, patting her while smiling softly. "I'm sorry I worried you, Iri." I kissed her on the forehead and held her more tightly. "I...I was really worried about you, too...If you had died...I may as well have died also..."

Irina pulled away, her eyes widened in surprise, more tears forming in the corners. "Don't...Don't say that to me also! Don't say those things!" She turned away. I grasped Irina's hands (technically hand since I could only use one hand to grasp hers), somewhat confused as I stared into her eyes.

"But...But I return your feelings! I love you, too, Irina!" It was something I had to say aloud. Irina told me how she felt! Just ignoring that was wrong!

Irina pulled her hands away, placing them on her head, yanking at her hair. "No no no! I can't! I can't I can't I can't!" She sounded like she had so many regrets right now. "Grrrrr! I want-but I can't and it-I just-GRRRRR!" Irina was seriously beginning to worry me. She pulled away from me and began pacing around the room, speaking incoherently about something, her face turning a deep-red color.

It was easier to get up then I thought it would be. From what Irina told me, I thought I would be feeling like I was at Death's door, but I oddly felt okay.

I walked over to Irina and grabbed her arms, trying to calm her down so she would speak clearly to me. "Irina, d-did I do something wrong?"

A look of horror crossed her face. "Yes-No-I-No-I just-! Just forget everything I said to you! You know, what I said before!" S-She meant everything she said before during the confrontation with Kokabiel. She just wanted me to forget the fact she said she loved me...

"What?!" I was more confused than shocked. "What are you saying, Iri?!"

"A-And don't call me that!" She was becoming more and more frantic, trying to take back her words as if she had done something she shouldn't have. I flinched as if she had struck me. Irina looked like she was feeling so many conflicting emotions at once. "Shirou, just...After we're finished with this entire Kokabiel incident, I need you to forget everything about me, OK?"

WHAT?!

Now my shock definitely outweighed my confusion. "I-Irina, what's all of this about?!"

"I'm a member of the Church, an Exorcist, and you're the Queen of a Maou, a Devil!" Irina screamed at me. "No matter how much we want it to be, it's impossible!"

.

.

.

That was when I realized what Irina was saying.

"Irina...do you really think we'll be enemies after this is all over?" I was almost hurt by that thought. Irina was crying again, turning her eyes away from me.

"I should have just kept my mouth shut..." Irina tried turning away, but I held her more tightly.

"Irina-Irina, look at me!" After a few moments, the Exorcist stopped, staring reluctantly into my eyes. "Why...Why would you ever think that? Why would you ever think that we would become enemies?"

Irina shook her head. "Because we're from different sides. Fallen Angels, Angels, member of the Church, and Devils are not meant to naturally interact."

"Neither were the houses of Capulet or Montague."

"...w-what?" My response had clearly taken Irina by surprise. I released Irina, closing my eyes.

""For never was a story of more woe / Than this of Juliet and her Romeo." The elegy for the lovers whose deaths brought their houses together. The story of Romeo and Juliet." When I first heard that story, that line, the last line of the story, really stuck with me. The words that completely summed up the tragedy. "The houses of Capulet and Montague were bitter enemies. It appeared they would remain eternal enemies, but they both reconciled and formed a bond between the two, bonded due to the actions of the two lovers. Would you not say our situation is not similar?"

"Romeo and Juliet died at the end." Irina pointed out. I waved off her concern.

"They were children of stupid nobles from hundreds of years ago. Reasoning and rationality has evolved a lot since then." I defended. "I mean, look at us now. Even if we've taken different paths in life, you can't just take back your words and say we haven't remained close even though I'm a Devil and you're an Exorcist. I even have three friends who are Fallen Angels. If that's not a good example of the fact we CAN co-exist, then I honestly don't know what I can say to convince you."

Irina neither stepped away nor approached me. "You don't understand, Shirou...I just can't..."

I held Irina's hand again, this time much more tenderly. "You don't have to worry. You won't have to, Iri." Irina stared at me in confusion. "I've realized what I'm gonna do with my power now. I'll change this world, Irina. I'll use my power to create a better one. Not just for Devils, but for Angels, the Church, and the Fallen Angels as well. One where we can all live together peacefully. Where we don't have to fight each other." I continued smiling at my friend. "I want your help in creating that world, Irina. You, Raynare, Rias, Serafall, Ise , whatever help I can get."

"Shirou...I don't know if I can...I-It's just such a hard thing to consider." Irina admitted. "I've been raised under my faith for so long...I've seen horrible things and I just can't believe it's that simple. I understand you have a poor view of the Church and the Angels, but my opinion of the Devils aren't that great either. Shirou, I've seen many other races do horrifying things. I just can't forget everything I've been through during my time with the Church, Shirou."

I pulled Irina closer, holding her passionately, both of us in a position where our faces were only a few inches from one another. Our lips were so close, but that was not my intention.

"I wanted to demonstrate how unafraid I am of trying to bridge the gap between us, Irina." I told her, explaining our current position. Irina stared, blushing deeply. "It's for those reasons that our factions must come to peaceful terms. The world isn't black and white. All sides have done horrible things for their own beliefs, but trying to avenge all of them would lead us to destroying each other again. The hardest thing we can do is forgive. But that's the only way we can ever hope to attain a more permanent peace. I want it to be so that we don't have to fear punishment or war anymore. You know what Kokabiel plans to do. He's the manifestation of the hatred that has remained since the previous Great War. Even if we manage to stop him, what's to stop such a thing from happening again? This cycle of hatred will continue again and again until someone steps up to stop it."

"..." Irina averted her eyes, but her attention was once again drawn back to my face.

"Irina...please. I want you by my side in this. I'm one of the few people in a position to change things." I leaned in. Not enough to kiss Irina by force, but enough to show her my feelings. "I wasn't sure before, but this is what I want to do. Along with becoming an Ultimate-Class Devil, I desire to build a world where we can all live peacefully, where nobody can take away the smiles of the next generation. Irina, help me."

"...Shirou...I...I want..." Irina tried to say something, but her attention seemed directed towards my lips as mine was directed towards her lips. I wasn't sure if she would answer me or kiss me, but I wouldn't really have the chance to find out.

"Is-Is it alright to come down now, Shirou-san? Are you alright now?" Asia asked, tears forming in the corners of her eyes.

Irina and I immediately moved away from one another, blushing before we turned to Asia. She was poking her head from around the corner near the staircase, looking like a child who was afraid to ask if her parents had stopped fighting.

"Master, are you alright?"

"I'm glad to see you're awake, Shirou."

Ravel and Isabela also appeared, causing me to blush slightly at the thought that they both completely overheard everything I was saying.

I felt a tug at one of my pants legs and something else brush against my other leg.

"Onii-chan...?"

"Nyaaaan~!"

Jack was dressed in PJ's and Kuro was just staring up at me.

Everyone was staring at me. I felt tears form at the corners of my eyes. I smiled softly.

"Yeah...I'm alright. I'm sorry I worried all of you-OOMF!" Asia didn't waste the moment to slam right into me in a hug.

"Shirou-saaaan!" She sobbed into my chest. "Y-You were bleeding a-and y-your arm was-! A-And I-It-I thought you were gonna die! I-Irina-san told me you fought the Fallen Angel leader, Kokabiel!" Then I really took a good look at everyone's expressions. This wasn't a joke. They were terrified and here I was smiling and acting like an idiot, trying to joke around about this.

I hung my head in shame. "I'm sorry." I held Asia more tightly. "I'm really sorry." The feeling of losing someone you care about...I didn't want to make any of the people I love ever experience such a feelings. I looked to see Ravel and Jack staring enviously. "Come on, you two. There's room for more." Ravel and Jack didn't waste this opportunity and immediately came running, also embracing me. Jack clung childishly to my leg while Ravel clung to my side with equal childishness. I looked down at the furry creature rubbing against my leg. "I bet you were worried too, huh?"

The black-furred feline just looked up at me with those adorable eyes of hers. "Nyaaaaan~"

"Ara ara, I'm beginning to feel a little left out~"

Eh?

Stepping down the stairs, dressed in a rather see-through black negligee, was Akeno-san who was staring right at me with her usual teasing smile. However, I still detected a hint of relief in her eyes.

"Oh gee. Anyone else hiding upstairs in my room?" I asked, trying to remain lighthearted. "Ruruko? Koneko-chan perhaps?"

Akeno-san placed a hand to the side of her face, winking. "Sorry. Just me~" Her smile became softer. "I wanted to make sure the healing process went over smoothly."

I released a deep breath, turning back to Irina who was averting her eyes. I detected the slightest bit of envy on her expression.

I was about to say something when-

[Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!]

Everyone in the room froze in place at those...those horrifying...familiar...disgusting words.

"Shirou-san..."

"...what..."

"...the Hell...?"

Suffice to say, Asia, Jack, and Ravel were not amused.

"PFFFFT HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Isabela, on the other hand, was actually getting quite a kick out of this. I didn't think she could laugh like that. I thought she just chuckled or smirked when she was amused.

[Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!]

I hung my head in shame, trying to ignore the "jaw-dropped" expression on Irina's face.

[Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!]

"FOR THE LOVE OF MAOU, PICK UP THE GODDAMNED PHONE, AKENO!" I screamed before burying my face into my hands. Not only was it humiliating, but it totally killed the entire mood. I STILL couldn't believe that Akeno-san actually made that her ringtone. I flinched and hung my head in shame every time Akeno-san got a phone call on her cellphone.

Akeno-san held up one finger while holding her cellphone in the other hand, holding the speaker to her ear. "Hold on~ One more time~" Akeno-san was actually enjoying my humiliation...Interpret that anyway you want.

[Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!]

Sure enough, Akeno-san finally picked up her phone. "Hello-?" Akeno-san's expression immediately fell. She wasn't amused anymore. Instead, her expression became dead serious. "I understand, Buchou. See you there." Akeno-san closed her phone, turning to the rest of us. "The Fallen Angel Kokabiel has made his move." Thus the atmosphere became serious once more.

My eyes widened in shock. "W-What?!" I remembered the display of power Kokabiel had shown. He hadn't even been going all out and he beat me with no effort. He didn't even flinch when Xenovia tried to attack him. I doubted that, even with all of us, we could defeat him.

"He's given a challenge directly to Buchou meant for all of us." Akeno-san explained. "We're to meet Buchou and Sona-Kaichou to discuss our plans."

"Y-You can't be serious?!" I spluttered out. "R-Rias can't seriously be considering taking on that monster! We'll never win!"

Everyone seemed taken aback by my sudden pessimism, but I spoke the truth.

"Kokabiel is not a Fallen Angel leader for nothing! If he actually takes us seriously, he'll kill us all in minutes if not seconds!"

"We have no choice." Akeno-san said with a feeling of finality. "If we do not confront him, there's no telling what damage he could do. The most we can do is try to wait for reinforcements Rias requested."

I understood the sense in her words, but it was still a troublesome predicament. "Fine...but I intend to contact Serafall for assistance."

"Good. I fully intended to call Lucifer-sama as well." Akeno-san replied immediately with a small smile.

"Shouldn't you tell Rias first before calling Sirzechs-sama?"

"Shouldn't you tell Sona first before calling Serafall-sama?"

She got me. "Touché." But in all seriousness, we needed the strength of the Maou for someone like Kokabiel. No small-time reinforcements would be able to defeat Kokabiel whose name was in the Bible. "And I'm coming with you all."

THAT was when everyone gasped.

Ravel and Asia did their best to restrain me, but they only had the one arm to restrain. Jack tried grabbing onto my leg with more force, but she was too light to actually weigh me down.

"No! You can't!"

"Shirou-san, you might get hurt!"

Isabela placed a hand on my shoulder, a worried look on her face. "Shirou, in your condition, it might not be for the best for you to immediately re-enter battle."

"Shirou-kun, I agree with them on this." Akeno-san was both serious and worried. "You literally lost your arm! You could be seriously hurt! You got off lucky last time, but you could die!"

"And what would I do if the same thing happened to any of you!?" I shot back. The girls jumped back in shock, releasing me. They were telling me they were all worried about dying, but the same thing could easily happen to them because I wasn't there to help them in some way. "I won't let that shitty bastard turn this whole world to shit because of his selfish ambition!"

"Shi-chan..." Irina, having grown weary from standing in the background, stepped forward. Her expression of worry and, most of all, her fear, made me actually hurt. She placed a hand on the side of my face, staring into my eyes. For a brief moment, I thought she would start crying. "I...I do mean it...I can't imagine what I would do if you died."

I placed a reassuring hand on Irina's shoulder. "I feel the same way, Irina. I know you're all worried about me. It was my own carelessness and stupidity that cost me my arm...but I'm not some helpless cripple who can do nothing but watch from the sidelines! Even if every bone in my body is broken, even if I'm torn to pieces, even if my whole body is reduced to ashes, I'll do whatever it takes to protect the ones I love! I'll do whatever I it takes to take Kokabiel down!

Everyone stared at me, uncertain and full of fear.

"Alright." Oddly enough, it was Asia who spoke up.

"Asia-senpai! What are you thinking?!" Ravel scolded. "He's-Shirou-sama-!"

"Shirou-san wants to fight for the same reason as us. He wants to protect us like we want to protect him." Asia interrupted with an expression of solemnity.

"Yeah." Did...Did Irina just agree with Asia?! "Even if we tried chaining him down or locking him up, Shi-chan would just break free and come after us anyway. He's that stubborn."

"Y-You can't be serious!" Ravel was truly determined to try and keep me out of the fight. "Akeno-senpai, talk some sense into him!"

"Ara ara~ If my adorable Kouhai speaks so passionately, who am I to stop him?" Try saying that again without that lewd expression, Akeno-san.

"Onii-chan is the strongest! He won't die!"

"I believe in our master, Ravel. If this is his wish, I will abide by it."

"Jack? Isabela!? You too?!" Ravel crossed her arms, glaring at me. "I refuse!"

"Ravel..."

"My first duty as your servant is to keep you safe-"

I placed my hand on Ravel's head, patting her reassuringly. I felt bad coz it felt somewhat condescending due to her shorter stature.

"Which is why I'll be sticking to you and the others like glue." I interrupted. "With reliable people like you there, there will be less gaps in my defense and I'll be able to keep from getting seriously injured. Ravel...I promise I won't die. That's my vow to you."

Ravel seemed to wrestle around with her emotions, trying to figure out some way to fight my desire to take part in the fight.

Eventually, she sighed. "F-Fine...but if you die, I'll kill you!" Ravel was tearing up slightly, but seemed to finally accept my resolve.

I smiled, amused. "Of course. As if I would ever risk the beautiful princess shedding tears by dying~" Ravel blushed, but turned away. My expression became dead-serious again. "Alright then! Time to make a deliver! We've got a shitty Fallen Angel who wants one ass-kicking! If he doesn't get it in thirty minutes or less, then it's free!"

.

.

.

There was a long silence, everybody just staring at me.

"Just...Just get ready for battle." I sighed out. Apparently I was the only one who thought my line was cool. Everyone else obliged except for Irina, who remained in the room, staring sadly at me.

"Shirou..."

I grinned. "It's like I said, Irina. I have no intentions of dying here. I'm going to live and show you the world I dream of isn't impossible. You'll see."

CHU

I was surprised by the sudden soft sensation that pressed against my cheek.

"I believe you."

Then Irina left too.

I stared sadly at my arm stump. Then I felt anger for the person who did it, the person behind everything that's going on. I directed my gaze towards the window, looking out it into the distance, trying to make the person I hate feel my hatred.

"Just you wait, Kokabiel. First we're going to take you down, then I'm going to shove one of Yumi's Demonic Swords through Valper's skull."

One way or another, it would all end soon.

**And done! This is the last chapter before the grand finale! I hope you've all enjoyed the story arc I've done thus far including the changes I made!**

**And don't worry, Shirou will stop being put at a disadvantage in fights soon and he'll be able to show how much of a badass he really is~!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	21. Life 20: Kill The Fallen Angel

**To sum up all of my thoughts right now: I'M BACK, BITCHES! PRAISE THE LORD!**

**And we have arrived at the grand finale! Here we go! Time to see how Shirou and co. kick Kokabiel's arse!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Opening: Liar Mask by Rika Mayama**

_**[kuchihateru you ni moyuru tsuki]** A burnt Devi-kun covered in blood is falling slowly as a glowing red sky is shown in the background._

_**[akatsuki ni shizumiyuku ]** A badly burnt Shirou is followed and slowly falls down to the ground, his eyes changing to red._

_**[tsukurareta kao de]** The scene changes with Shirou walking, Asia, Ravel, and Isabela following him._

_**[sotto chikadzuite ]** Change to Issei walking alone with the Boosted gear activated._

_**[shinjiru mono o]** Koneko and Yumi appear, apparently following the others. following Shirou._

_**[yami ni otosu]** Kalawarner, Miltelt and Raynare walking with their wings outstretched._

_**[ito ni karamaru] **Irina walking by a pond showing her reflection with Excalibur Mimic._

_**[emono no you ni ]** Xenovia walking by a pond showing her Durandal, Excalibur Destruction and her reflection._

_**[tada hitasura ni]** Rias and Akeno standing alongside each other as they both looked at left side. The background showing every ORC members._

_**[sora o aogu]** Changes to Sona and Tsubaki looking at the right side with the background of every member of the Student council._

_**[kurikaesareru higeki]** Spinning cam of a crying Yumi seeing the souls of the Holy sword project around her._

_**[bukimi ni warau]** An image of Kokabiel sitting on his throne._

_**[ura no kao]** Change to Freed Selzen and Valper Galilei side by side._

_**[kore ijou nanihitotsu]** Makoto Fujimura shown standing on a rooftop as she observes the final battle from afar._

_**[nakusanai you]** A static memory of Miyako Fujimura in a burning house._

_**[ni katana o nuku]** Scene change to Shirou slowly opening his eyes as he activated Divine Dividing._

_**[yami ni houmure]** Xenovia and Irina are fighting Freed as he wields two Excaliburs._

_**[yogoreta egao] **Koneko dodging one of the Cerberus attack as Kiba appeared before activating her Blade Blacksmith._

_**[yariba no nai ikari, hanate!]** Scene change to Sona and the Student Council maintaining the barrier. Rias and Akeno charges up as they unleash their magic._

_**[doredake no chi to namida o nagashitara]** Scene change to Shirou activating Divine Dividing wings and Kokabiel forming a light spear in his hands. They then rushed towards each other as an explosion of blue and golden light results from their clash._

_**[inoru you ni kirisaite ]** Scene then changes to Issei holding his hand out to the screen._

_**[kyou mo akaku someageyo! + Instrumental] **A darkened Shirou extends his hand, grabbing Issei's hand as sunlight whites out the screen._

**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**

* * *

**Life 20: Kill The Fallen Angel**

It was really hard not to notice the uncertainty and dread concerning our situation.

You could feel the crushing despair in the air. You could see it on the faces of every single one of us. We were going into battle soon with one of e leaders of the Fallen Angels. The same guy who effortlessly severed my arm from my body after enduring wave after wave of demonic spells. It was

"Rias-senpai. We have covered the school with a large barrier. With this, unless something disastrous happens, there will be no damage outside." Saji explained.

Me, Raynare, and the rest of the ORC (including the other honorary members) were gathered in the park near Kuoh Academy along with Irina who seemed to shuffle her feet nervously next to me. I wasn't quite sure what to say to her either. Nobody ever thinks about what to say after they passionately proclaim their feelings and big dream for the future. I told her I loved her, but after our conversation, we were both just so awkward with one another. I think either of us tried reaching for the others' hand, but we always retracted our hands at the last minute.

"This is to keep it to the minimum." Sitri-senpai continued to explain. "To tell you the truth, if Kokabiel were to fight seriously, not only this academy, but the whole region would be annihilated. Adding to that, he has already gotten ready for that. My servant has seen him releasing his power at the school grounds."

So that's how it is...

I felt enraged once more.

He tricked Raynare into killing me, he tried to kill the girl I've loved since childhood, and now he was going to destroy my town because he wanted to do what he wished, which was to start a war!?

Don't fuck with me, you shitty crow! I won't let you do as you please! I'm planning to live and enjoy my life in this town with Ise, Asia and everyone! It's bad enough that you want to cause a potentially apocalyptic war between the three factions, but I won't let you destroy my home!

"This is no joke. We should just be thankful that he hasn't gotten serious already." I noted. "This guy...He could wipe us out in a second if we aren't careful. Even when he was just toying around with me, I could tell the huge gap between our levels of power." I felt a sudden wave of discomfort. I know they didn't mean anything by it, but everyone, at one point or another, turned their eyes and stared at my arm stump, causing me to cover it with my hand. I felt so self-conscious. It was a reminder of yet another one of my failures. I wasn't strong enough, so I lost my arm as a result. Albion certainly hadn't been of any help. If Irina hadn't been fast enough, we both would have died.

For a brief moment, I could swear I saw the serious and cold expression on Sitri-senpai's face melt into worry. I could have imagined it because she immediately returned to her previous expression.

"Which reminds me, Fujimura-kun." Sitri-senpai pushed up her glasses, turning away. Shinra-senpai looked like she was doing her damned well best not to look awkward. "I urge you to reconsider your choice of entering direct battle with Rias's group. You're still recovering from your previous confrontation with the Fallen Angel Kokabiel. I would prefer you instead put your energy towards aiding us in maintaining the barrier around the school."

I took a deep breath before exhaling a minute later. "Sona..." Senpai raised an eyebrow. "...I'm missing a goddamned arm. That kind of injury doesn't just recover. This is as recovered as I'm gonna get. I've already failed once and received my punishment. I HAVE TO do this in order to atone for my failures. If I just sit back and do nothing here, I could never face Serafall after I broke my promise before on top of letting my friends gets hurt because I wasn't there to protect them." I placed a hand over my heart. "I'll fight to protect the ones I love even if the cost is my life."

"Shirou, in your current state, you're far from your peak fighting condition." Senpai pointed out. "If you're careless, you could be killed."

I closed my eyes, placing a hand on Sitri-senpai's shoulder. "I'm too humbled to be careless, Sona." Without permission, I grabbed her hand and forced it against the sleeve that had been wrapped and tied on my arm stump, that sleeve presenting no purpose in this outfit since there was no arm to go through it. "There is no ignoring this. I know I lost my arm. It's plain as day." I turned and shot everyone a sharp look, causing all of them except Ravel, Akeno-san, Asia, Isabela, and Irina to look away nervously. "You all fear that this will make me more reckless or unreliable in battle. I know that, but I don't care. I've already realized how dangerous this situation is. This will be the eternal reminder of my weakness that will always scar my body. I know first-hand what Kokabiel's capable of. That's why I have to fight. None of you have seen the overwhelming difference in power that I have seen."

"And if you die, what am I supposed to tell Onee-sama?" Sitri-senpai asked sharply. "She..." She bit her lip, as if hesitating to say something she wasn't supposed to. "She really needs to talk to you, Shirou. In person."

There it was again. The same hesitation and vague reasoning that Serafall gave me before. I KNEW it was serious if Sona Sitri was acting like this...

I gave a forced smile and tightened my grip on Sitri-senpai's shoulder. "Then that just gives me more reason to survive this fight." I retracted my hand and looked off to the side. "No matter what, I'm going to fight this battle, Sona. You can say whatever you want, but Irina, Asia, Ravel, Akeno, and Isabela understand my resolve. I'm fighting no matter what you say to me."

Sitri-senpai sighed. "I had a feeling you would say that-"

"LIKE HEEEEELL!"

A brown-haired blur zoomed past the President and Vice President of the Student Council and grabbed me by the collar.

Ruruko was glaring daggers at me and I could swear she was radiating flames of rage from her body.

"First you neglect to tell me you were hunting after THE most deadly Holy Sword to us Devils, then you go off on your own to face a FUCKING FALLEN ANGEL LEADER, and now you plan on going against that same leader who just recently cut off your arm and nearly killed you!?"

I carefully considered my answer.

"Yes." Hey, I said I considered it carefully. I never said I considered the RIGHT answer.

SMACK

Ruruko slapped me right across the face.

I merely blinked in response, rubbing the red, hand-shaped mark on my face.

"Ruruko, I know you're mad-"

"'Mad' doesn't even BEGIN to cover it!" Uh-oh. Ruruko's seriously on the warpath here. "I am your official girlfriend and I say you are NOT going off to fight Kokabiel!"

"Ruruko..." I clenched my fist tightly. "I love you, and I respect you, but I am going to fight alongside my friends in this battle. Ise and I both possess Longinus, the only weapons that could turn the tide of this battle. If I don't go, then there's a fair chance we might not be able to hold Kokabiel off long enough for the Maou's reinforcements to get here. There's no point in me staying behind to maintain this barrier if Kokabiel's going to level the place anyway. There's no point in running away if there's no one else by my side."

"But-!"

"So," I interrupted, "like I said to Sitri-senpai, I'm doing this no matter what."

Ruruko seemed somewhat disarmed by my words, but she was far from done. She turned to Sitri-senpai.

"Kaichou! Talk some sense into him!"

Senpai shook her head. "Fujimura-kun's stubbornness is far stronger than any logic you or I could try to convince him with. That is one of the major reasons he has no reservations about facing such a powerful enemy."

...I'm fairly certain that was an insult.

"But I..." Ruruko clearly had no more arguments to fight my decision with. Then a hand was placed on my shoulder.

"We got his back, washboard." Ise said with that goofy smile of his. "It's all of us against that shitty priest and Kokabiel. It will probably be our victory by a landslide!"

Ruruko seemed uncertain still.

Then I wrapped my arm around her and held her close. "Ruruko, I swear to you that I will come back. We all have people waiting for us to come back, people who are depending on us, so that's more reasons why we can't die here." Ruruko sighed, laying her head against my chest.

"Geez. Why did I have to fall in love with such a charismatic idiot?" Ruruko complained. Then picked her head up and glared at Ise. "You better take care of my sugar bear, you perv!"

"Nothing to worry about, you washboard."

There was a definite animosity between Ruruko and Ise that would have been fun to let unfold, but we had far more pressing matters at hand.

Ruruko pulled away from me, going to stand next to Shinra-senpai.

"My servants and I will continue to place the barrier to reduce the damages. I want to minimize the damages as much as possible… It's hard to prevent having our school getting damaged. But it looks like we have to since it's the leader of the Fallen-Angels who is moving." Senpai gave a sharp look towards the direction of our school, her eyes filled with hatred for Kokabiel.

Kokabiel, you're gonna pay for everything you've done up to this point. One way or another.

"Thank you, Sona. We will do the rest from here." Rias-senpai said.

"Rias. Our enemy is a monster with strength above ours. It's still not too late. We should get your Onii-sama…"

Buchou shook her head. "You also didn't call your Onee-sama."

"My Onee-sama is…" Kaichou trailed off. "Your Onii-sama loves you. Sirzechs-sama will definitely move. So…"

"Don't worry, Akeno-san and I took care of everything." I said with a cheerful smile on my face. "Serafall and Lucifer-sama should be arriving along with the other reinforcements in one hour. We just have to stall Kokabiel until then."

Both of my Senpais turned towards Akeno-san and I with shock a bit of anger on their expressions.

[WHAT?!]

"Shirou!"

"Akeno!"

"Rias, I know that you don't want to cause problems for Sirzechs-sama. It happened in your territory. In your base. And it happened after the family problem. But it's a different story if the leader of the enemy appears. It is a problem that surpasses the level that you can solve. Let's borrow the strength of a Maou." This time it was Akeno-san who was telling off Rias.

"Shirou, how could you just involve Onee-sama like this?!" It was also surprising to see Sitri-senpai outright angry.

That kind of pissed me off a little.

"And weren't you the one saying just now that Kokabiel was too strong of an enemy for us to defeat alone?!" I defended. "Like Akeno said. This is a problem that we can't solve alone and normal Devil troops won't cut it. And it's more than just _our problem_. Kokabiel is someone who is on or surpasses the level of Ultimate-Class and he's trying to restart the Great War which cost countless lives. Only others who have that same level of power have any chance of defeating him. I know you're worried for Serafall's safety, so am I. Not only as her servant, but also as her lover. But we need whatever help we can get. You forget that she has faced these kinds of enemies before. Just like Sirzechs Lucifer-sama, she has experienced battle before. You can't baby her forever."

Senpai bit her lower lip, being to weaken against my words.

"And if Lucifer-sama is coming as well, then she'll be in even less danger than before. Two Maou-samas with an army against a single Fallen Angel leader." I pointed out. "If Lucifer-sama and Serafall are at the forefront, it might even be possible for us to get through this casualty-free since they are amongst the strongest of the Devils."

"We need only stall Kokabiel for one hour, Sona." Akeno-san reminded her. "We have no hope without the Maous."

Sitri-senpai sighed, folding her hand. "Very well, I concede to your judgment. We will do our best to also last the hour. In that time, we, the Student Council, will vow to continue to place the barriers in the name of Sitri."

I smirked, satisfied that the matter was resolved. "Then, for the moment, leave Kokabiel to us." All eyes ended up being on me as I stood up straight. "The coalition of the Fallen Angels, Exorcists of the Church, and the Gremory group will be the ones playing offense. We'll definitely teach Kokabiel why he doesn't just screw with us!" I saw Asia just staring at my missing arm with worry while Raynare, Mittelt, and Kalawarner all seemed to be incredibly nervous. They were facing someone who had, until about two months ago, been one of their bosses. It was to be expected.

It's motivation time!

I turned to the others. Rias and her Peerage...they had been in serious fights before, but nothing quite on this level. I was the Queen of the Maou Leviathan so I at least had to show some leadership abilities and dignity befitting a Maou.

"OK. I also know this isn't like the fight against the Phenex. We'll be fighting to the death on this one. But remember we're not fighting just for ourselves. We're fighting for all the people who live in this town. All of our friends and loved ones! This is their town, OUR town! We're fighting with all of their lives resting on our shoulders!" I paused. "That's not to say we should sacrifice our lives. We're all going to survive together! If any of you even think about dying, I'll kick your ass! We're going to survive and THEN we're all going to keep attending school together! Our objective is simple: Keep Kokabiel occupied long enough for the Maous Lucifer-sama and Leviathan-sama to arrive with reinforcements. Understood?!"

[Right!]

"Then let's go shove a foot right up that crow-bastard's ASS!"

Even Ravel and Koneko-chan were pumped up by my speech judging from the fact they were both nodding, completely ignoring the fact they hated each other (for reasons I still couldn't understand).

"Well, I'm surprised." Rias said with crossed arms. "I wonder who died and made you our passionate, charismatic leader." But from the light smile on her face, I could tell it was a lighthearted jest rather than a spiteful retort since she was the de facto leader of this group. We needed something to keep the atmosphere from getting any darker. "Since you are the Queen of Leviathan-sama, I suppose I could share the leadership role." Rias held out her hand to me.

E-Eh? Me? I've never really led anything of this scale. I don't think I'm the best one for the job.

"Yes!" Ravel agreed with a look of pride on her face. "Of course my master is the only one who could share the role of leadership on the battlefield! He is honestly the only one other than Rias-sama who is right for this task!"

"R-Ravel, I-I think you might be overly-supportive on this one." I whispered to her.

"Nonsense!" Ravel waved off my concern. "It's like you said. You're the only one who has experienced the most of Kokabiel's power. Who better to aid Rias-sama, who doesn't know the extent of his power yet who has other leadership skills?"

...Ravel made good points. Rias was a good leader, but inexperienced against this enemy. I was not much of a leader, but knew exactly what Kokabiel was capable of. Together, our leadership abilities would be more than effective against this threat.

I grasped Rias' hand and shook it, accepting her proposal. "Alright then." When I released Rias' hand and pumped my fist into the air. "Let's go show'em what we're made of!"

"Fujimura, Hyoudou, I will leave the rest to you!" Saji said with a look of determination on his face.

Ise and I both shot him a thumbs up.

[Of course.]

We were the Red and White Dragon Emperors, the possessors of Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing. Destined rivals who would work together to kick Kokabiel's ass!

After the offense team had been decided, we all began to move out towards the school where the final confrontation with Kokabiel would take place. I was startled when my shoulder was suddenly and forcefully grabbed from behind. On instinct, I almost swung before realizing that the one who grabbed me was Irina. She had a troubled expression on her face. For a moment, I thought she was worried again about the upcoming battle, but then I got the strange feeling that that wasn't it.

"Shirou...is what you said before true?" Irina asked with a tone that gave me the feeling she was hurt about something.

"Errr..." I was confused. "...gonna have to be more specific. What I said about what?"

"Before, you said that Serafall Leviathan was your lover...and you also said that that girl, Ruruko-san, was your _official girlfriend_." Uh-oh. I know what ugly direction this is heading. Quick! Somebody give me an escape route! "Shirou...are you...are you IN LOVE with these women? Are there anymore that I should know about?" Irina knew what questions to ask. That last question was because she knew that Devils were not known for monogamy...

Geez...this is gonna be such an ugly question to answer...

"Shirou...if you're doing other things with other women, I have a right to know, especially after those words you said to me earlier." 'I love you' was what I said to her. How was I supposed to explain that I was in love with multiple women? How could I fully explain my thoughts and feelings to a woman who was thoroughly taught that a man having sex before marriage was a sin let alone having a harem of women he loved?

I opened and closed my mouth several times, fearing the consequences of any answer I might give.

Irina turned my around forcefully and stared right into my eyes, giving me no chance at being able to lie or make an excuse without either avoiding her eyes or meeting them and having my lie exposed either way.

...To hell with this. If this train wreck was gonna happen, I might as well just get it over with like ripping off a band-aid.

I took a deep breath, preparing to take the leap of faith.

"Yes. Yes to both of your questions." I admitted, trying to keep my tone neutral. "I neither deny nor do I feel remorse for my actions. I am a Devil who has given his heart to multiple women at once and have given my virginity to my master and first lover, Serafall Leviathan. While my existence itself is not pure, my feelings and emotions are. I love you. I never once lied about that, but I also love others. Narcissistic, cruel, sinful, call me what you may. I cannot control or change my feelings anymore than you could control or change the color of the sky nor will I attempt to convince you. The words I speak now are the only ones I can truly say about this. If you disbelieve or reject the way I feel, then there is nothing I can do about that nor will I blame you for how you feel."

Irina crossed her arms. She didn't really give off much of an expression. After what I just said, I had no idea what she was thinking.

"..."

"..."

We both just stared at one another. The silence was gut-wrenching. I hated this suspense. I could take any amount of yelling, but this...

I broke first.

"Say something! Anything!" I begged, experiencing such intense pain at receiving this coldness from Irina. "Get mad at me! Yell at me! Do that thing that any person from the Church would do and scold me or condemn me to Hell or whatever for being "sinful"! Anything but the silent treatment!"

Irina held up her hand to silence me. "I'm...I'm just thinking...Shirou..." I stared at her. "I don't hate you." Despite how vague yet blunt that comment was, I felt a huge weight lift off of my chest. "I just...I don't know what I expected. Part of me expected the same, childish boy who freaked out big time when you first realized I was a girl...but now...I...Let's just talk about this later. We have more pressing matters and this can wait for after."

I nodded, uncertain what note we were leaving this conversation on: Good or bad?

From the way she spoke, it could have been either.

With such uncertainty, we went off to confront the Fallen Angel Kokabiel.

* * *

By the time we had reached the open field where Kokabiel and the geezer, Valper Galilei, were, everyone was already prepared to bring on their A-game. Ise and I already brought out our Sacred Gears, Ise promoting to [Queen]. Irina had her Excalibur out, ready in sword form. The Fallen Angel trio brought out what I could tell were the most powerful light spears they could manage. Nowhere near Kokabiel's level, but I could tell that it would be enough to at least deal some damage to someone who is High-Class. Not much, but they would be able to defend themselves to a certain degree.

I immediately felt on edge when I saw that bastard, Valper, doing something with the Excaliburs.

In the middle of the school field, there were the four swords that were releasing extreme lights while floating. Having the swords at the center, there was a suspicious looking magic circle spread in the whole school field.

"What is this...?" Ise asked, as on-edge as I was.

"I'm going to make the four Excaliburs into one." Valper said it as if he found it amusing.

"Valper. How much longer will it take for the Excaliburs to merge?" I tensed while my blood started to freeze, as if recognizing that voice.

Kokabiel sat on a throne-like chair floating in the sky, most likely suspended there by magic. Like before, he had such a bored expression, like a king looking down at worms who would be too easy to crush.

The voice came from the sky!

I looked up to see the ten-winged crow, Kokabiel. He sat on a floating chair with the moon hovering ominously in the background.

"It won't even take 5 minutes, Kokabiel."

"Is that so? I will leave it to you." Kokabiel then shifted his attention to Rias. "Is Sirzechs coming? Or is it Serafall?"

"Lucifer-sama and Serafall will both be here in a while," I informed him, "but we were sent as the appetizer part of this nine course ass-kicking!" Kokabiel raised an eyebrow in response.

"Oh, it appears the little rat has survived. Hm. Perhaps I need to work on how I crush vermin."

"The only person getting crushed today will be you, Coke Head!" I screamed defiantly at him.

Kokabiel smirked. "You say that, but even now, you're trembling before me like a scared, little brat."

I glared at him, clenching my fists at my eyes. "S-Shut up! You're just some shitty crow! I'll stomp you into the dirt!"

The worst part was that it was true. I couldn't stop shaking with Kokabiel's attention focused completely on me. I kept flinching, thinking he would suddenly appear next to me to sever my head rather than my arm this time. After experiencing some of Kokabiel's true strength, I couldn't stop imagining every worst-case scenario. Every second was the second I was going to die and I couldn't stop trembling because of those thoughts.

The crow's smirk only widened at my words. "Oh? So you're not afraid?" Trying to will my body to cease its trembling, I shook my head, trying to ignore Kokabiel's taunts.

It all happened in a flash. I barely registered the bright light in the air. The giant light spear that Kokabiel had summoned.

Then the even brighter light followed by the deafening explosion.

SWISH! BANNNNNNNNNNNNNNG!

A gigantic spear of light was thrown at the gym, erasing it from existence! There was not a single trace of it left!

We were all left gaping at the crater that had once been the gym of Kuoh Academy.

"How about now?" Kokabiel taunted once more.

Now I was sweating waterfalls, trembling like crazy. I kept flashing back to that moment when I fought Kokabiel. Even with everything I had, I could barely scratch him. It had taken him a second to sever my arm and break several ribs, nearly killing me. I wasn't afraid. I was terrified. I would die. I would certainly die. There was no way I could defeat a monster like Kokabiel. There was no way. I couldn't protect anybody. I just-

"S-Shirou..." That was when a trembling hand firmly grasped mine. I turned, eyes wide, to face Mittelt, was was trembling right next to me, shaking so much that one would have thought she was vibrating. Her face was pale and she was sweating more than I was and her expression looked like she was about to throw up. She was horrified. She was just as terrified as me if not more-so. Despite this, she was the one trying to reassure ME.

Taking a deep breath, I steeled myself, giving Mittelt's hand a reassuring squeeze as well.

That's right. I'm not alone here. I have my friends and loved ones. Kokabiel can't scare me with all of them by my side. I had a reason to remain strong. If I fell apart now, it could very well get all of us killed.

I exhaled. "I'm not..."

"Hm? Did you say something?" Kokabiel asked in that mocking tone of his.

I managed to space out my breaths to a slower pace. "I'm...I'm not afraid...I'm...I'M NOT AFRAID OF YOU, YOU SHITHEAD CROOOOOOOOW!" With my last breath, I would scream out in defiance, refusing to let this bastard force me into a corner with fear.

Kokabiel scoffed at that. "It's tempting to just wipe you from existence now, but no. I will have you all fight my pets that I brought from Hell."

I wasn't certain what he was talking about until he snapped his fingers and the ground started to rumble. From the depths of the darkness...a 10 meter tall dog...No. DOGS (as in plural meaning more than one). Two giant black-furred dogs appeared from the ground. The most unsettling thing about them other than their immense size was the fact they both had three heads.

"The guard dog from Hell, Cerberus." Kalawarner explained, appearing next to me.

"That's bad, right?"

Rias appeared by my other side, her arms crossed and her eyes narrowed. "These are monsters that guard the gate that leads to the realm of the damned. So to answer your question in a few words: Yes, Shirou. That is very bad." She seemed somewhat annoyed by the question. "Ise, you will be transferring your boosted power to us! Boosted Gear is a Sacred Gear that powers you up and also increases the power of your comrades in a team battle!"

"Yes, Buchou!"

"By the way, Ise. Including your power up, how many times can you transfer your powers?"

"Right now with my current stamina, I can only transfer it 3 or 4 times with the maximum boost. No, I might faint after the fourth time so please think that I can only do it three times." Ise admitted.

"So don't waste it, Ise!" I ordered. "You and the rest of the ORC will handle Mutt Number 1! Me, Irina, Kalawarner, Mittelt, Ravel, Isabela, and Raynare will take down Mutt Number 2!"

"Right!"

"Come on, you guys! Let's go!" I commanded. Irina seemed torn on the issue concerning whether or not to take orders from a Devil, but the three Fallen Angels immediately followed my orders without hesitation. I charged first at the Cerberus, the gigantic dog baring all three sets of incredibly sharp teeth at me.

GARUUUUUUUUU!

"Time to punish this mutt!" I side-stepped as the middle head lunged at me in an attempt to turn me into a chew toy. I brought up my leg and then slammed it down on the monster's middle head, smashing it into the ground.

**[Divide!]**

Wow...The energy I got from this dog...it was somewhat disappointing. It was a lot, but not as much as you would expect from a guard dog from Hell.

"BAD DOG! YOU DON'T BITE OTHERS!" I used the Knight speed and moved like some sort of acrobat, dodging the dogs attempts to bite and claw at me.

"Eat this!" Raynare threw a light spear at the Cerberus, stabbing it right in its back. There was another howl of pain as the Cerberus snapped at her, but she flew well out of his biting range.

"Over here!" Kalwarner joined Raynare in flying around the Cerberus, firing off a light spear every now and then and stinging it like some sort of annoying bee. She would come in, stab it in the torso, and then fly off before the Cerberus had the chance to get her. For me, who was still learning to fly with more skill, the ground was a better location. I didn't want to end up crashing into anyone due to my lack of control.

"Eat it, ya mangy mutt!" Mittelt also joined in. After a time, at least thirteen light spears were embedded into the back of the giant, three-headed dog who still did nothing more than snapping at them, becoming more enraged with every passing second. Mittelt for some reason decided that it was the most opportune time to stick out her tongue and taunted the dog. "Nyeeeeh! Can't get me up here, you stupid dog!"

And that was when one of the heads aimed a fireball from its mouth at Mittelt.

"Yaaah! Hot hot hot hot!" Mittelt stopped, dropped, and rolled, hitting the ground hard in her desperation to put out her burning wings.

EEEEEEHHHHHHH!?

"THESE THINGS BREATHE FIRE?!" I screamed. I turned towards Rias, glaring at her from a distance. "WHY THE FUCK DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THESE THINGS SPIT FIREBALLS, RIAS?!"

The crimson-haired girl shrugged, sticking out her tongue. "You didn't ask!"

"Oh, well that's just fantastic! Next I bet you'll be saying you forgot to say they had heat vision or can piss acid or something!" I screeched.

Rias shook her head. "No. I'm just going to tell you that your Cerberus is about to bite your head off!"

"Hm?" Then I looked up to see one of the heads of the Cerberus wide open, about to take a huge bit from my head. "Oh..." Then I processed this. "EEEEEEEHHHHHHHH!?" The Cerberus head chomped down, but I managed to prevent its teeth from severing my head from my body by forcing its mouth to remain open, using the edges of his teeth as handholds (or rather, a handhold and a foothold since I only had the one hand) to push the top of its mouth from the bottom of its mouth. The edge of its fangs digging into the palm of my hand and my foot was not pleasant, but it was better than being dead. "HELL NO! You...are not...eating...MEEEEEE!"

The Cerberus tightened its jaw on me, trying to crush me with its superior strength, but I refused to surrender in a battle of strength. That was when its head jerked upward, launching me in the air. I fumbled through the air, trying to regain my bearings so I could AVOID falling into the gullet of the open-mouthed Cerberus head below me, but it was a hard thing to do when you're flailing and screaming.

"Gotcha~" I was caught just before Cerberus snapped me up. Kalawarner had a rather lewd smile as she held me in her arms. To be honest, I hadn't thought her strong enough to hold me in her arms so easily. Either I was lighter than expected or she was stronger than expected. "Don't worry, babe. Your knight in shining armor won't let you fall~"

"Flirt." I retorted, trying to resist a smile. Then I almost jumped out of my skin when Kalawarner maneuvered sharply to avoid another fireball that had been launched at us. "Ah hell!"

**[Divide!]**

"Leave him alone!" I looked down just as Irina jammed her Excalibur right into the left eye of the furthest left head, enough to distract it from launching fireballs at us. "Don't you DARE hurt him! I will bathe you in the Lord's divine judgment!" Irina moved quickly, circling around the Cerberus' legs, cutting and slashing several times before she avoided an incoming claw or bite or stray fireball.

"Kalawarner, time to drop the Shirou-Bomb!" I called to the woman suspending me in the air. Kalawarner nodded before dropping me to the point where she could grab my hand. She swung her arms forward, launching me at the Cerberus just as it raised its paw to smite Mittelt. "Shiroooooooou-STAMP!" I smashed my foot right at the center of the Cerberus' back. I heard a harsh snapping sound as what I suspected to be the dog's spine broke underneath me. Satisfied that he was finished, I shoved off the Cerberus with my feet, launching myself into the air, flipping forward, and landing on my feet in front of him. I landed without error.

Mittelt clapped enthusiastically. "Nice dismount!"

"Thanks!" Then I turned and glared at Isabela and Ravel who were standing off to the side. "And no thanks to you, Isabela! What the Hell? You were really just gonna let us take on a dog from Hell on our own? Dafuq?!"

Isabela seemed taken aback. "W-What? Y-You gave u-us no indication that we should jump in-Wait! How come you're only yelling at me?!" She seemed indignant at my scolding. "Ravel was doing the same thing as me, too!"

"Yeah, but Ravel's my lover. I can't get mad at her." I waved off Isabela's complaints, Ravel blushing in response.

"She's whaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!" Irina's eyes became as wide as plates, her mouth gaping. Shit! I never did tell her about how Ravel and Asia are also my lovers! "Y-You're what?!" Irina looked both hurt, jealous, and embarrassed. Suddenly she was in front of me, staring at me with teary eyes. "What do you mean you're lovers!? I thought Leviathan was your lover!"

I raised my hands in self-defense, beginning to panic. "W-W-Well, I...Ravel! Help me out here!"

"...Eek..." A squeak from her was the only response I got.

"That's not what I was looking for-What's wrong?" I turned to face Ravel for answers when I saw that her face was a shock white color. "You okay?"

Ravel just pointed upward.

That was when I noticed the giant shadow looming over us.

That was when I felt a huge drop of drool splash on my head.

That was when I looked up to see the growling, angry (or so I assumed it was after it had its spine smashed), foaming mouths of the Cerberus.

"Well, shit."

Despite the fact that it had its spine smashed, the Cerberus was doing a fine enough job standing its front half up with its front legs.

GARUUUUUUUUUUUU!

Shit. Shit shit shit.

I braced myself as a glowing, orange flames began to form in the mouths of the Cerberus.

That was when a harsh fist forcefully embedded itself into the side of the already crippled Cerberus, sending it flying and tumbling onto the ground, the poor beast's four legs spread out in agony. Then I turned to see Isabela, who stood motionless, her fist extended outwards and a smirk on her face as she faced me.

"I'm sorry. What was that again?" She asked me. My expression became disgustingly cheerful.

"Wow, Isabela-chan, you're so amazing~!"

"That's what I thought."

RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

NOW, the Cerberus was pissed. It was truly amazing it was still not dead with over a dozen light spears in its back, a broken spine, a probably several damaged organs. No, it was actually more scary than anything. Despite not being able to damage us, this thing had a helluva lot of durability.

Isabela cracked her knuckles while the Fallen Angel trio summoned more light spears. Ravel summoned a small flame in her hand as well.

THUD

That was when a metallic spear embedded itself right into the center of the middle Cerberus head.

"You have been judged." Irina stated with pride, her arm outstretched as if she had thrown something.

"Whoa! Excalibur Mimic can change into a spear, too!?" I couldn't help but be amazed at the transformation capabilities of that sword. "And nice one-liner by the way."

Irina seemed mollified by my praise despite having previously been upset at the revelation of Ravel being my lover.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAR!

The other two Cerberus heads picked themselves up as the front legs began crawling towards us.

"OH GIVE ME A FUCKING BREAK! IT HAS A FUCKING SPEAR IN ONE OF ITS HEADS! JUST DIE ALREADY!" I ranted.

Isabela raised a fist. "Let me-"

I shook my head. "No, I'll finish it."

**[Divide!]**

That oughta do it. I've absorbed quite a bit of its power now.

I extended my hand towards the Cerberus, closing my eyes and focusing on the same power I had summoned before back when I was desperate against Kokabiel. I increased its effect by also focusing on the Bishop trait of my Queen piece, attempting to increase my magic power.

A familiar bluish-white energy build up in the palm of my hand, directed towards the Cerberus.

"Dragon...SHOT!"

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

The Cerberus only let out a sharp whimper as it was engulfed in a bright light.

All that remained after the light and smoke vanished was a completely undamaged spear. It really was amazing how durable those Excaliburs were. We were really going to need Issei's Boosted Gear to get enough strength to break one of those things.

Irina ran over and picked up her Excalibur, changing it back into a katana.

"That's one down." I noted, releasing a sigh of relief. I honestly hadn't used as much energy as I thought I would. I mostly just used some of the excess power I had stolen from the Cerberus to kill it. I turned my gaze towards Kokabiel, glaring at him. He continued watching with boredom, the arrogant bastard. I wanted to attack him, but I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder. It was Kalawarner.

"We need to help the others first. Help them, then we take Kokabiel as a group."

"Brilliant, yet simple...I like it." I said, both teasing and praising Kalawarner for her ability to keep a cool head in this situation.

We were all in agreement and hurried over to the others to aid in defeating the other Cerberus.

I looked to the others. Even with a power boost Ise probably gave them, Rias and Akeno-san have yet to finish off their Cerberus, but it looked like it was going down soon.

I was about to run towards them when-

GAAAAAAAAOOOOO!

I tensed when I saw another Cerberus appear out of the darkness. It's...It's going for Asia!

"Shirou, get Asia!" Ise warned.

"I got it!"

I utilized my Knight speed and stood, my arm raised in defense for Asia. I didn't know how much damage I could take, but I could at least take the first blow while Asia retreated back towards the others.

As it turned out, I didn't have to make that choice.

Before I sprung into action, someone cut off one of its heads...

It was Xenovia!

"I have come to back you up."

OK, she earned some redemption points by saving Asia. I'll give her that.

She slashed the torso of the Cerberus with her Excalibur. The Cerberus' torso split in half after receiving a fatal strike and turned to dust.

"Way to go, Xenovia!" Irina cheered, running up and hugging her comrade and friend. After a few seconds of a tight hug, Irina pulled away, smiling. "I'm happy the Lord has granted you His protection! When we all split up during our first confrontation with Kokabiel, I was worried when I didn't hear from you!"

Xenovia smiled slightly. "My apologies. I ran into some trouble with a few more of Kokabiel's "pets", but they should trouble us no more. I am also glad you're okay, Irina." Those two really are friends. I thought they were just comrades, but I guess just having different faiths didn't mean you couldn't be frien-Wait a minute! She took on MORE of those Cerberuses!? We were having enough trouble with just one and she took on several others?! Bullshit!

"Not to rain on your parade or anything," Ravel interrupted, coughing into her fist, "but we still have a few _problems_ to take care of."

Irina and Xenovia nodded while I directed my attention back to Rias and Akeno-san who were flying and dealing with their Cerberus problems.

"Buchou! Akeno-san! I have got enough power to take down Cerberus!" Ise called out, his Boosted Gear's gem glowing with a radiant energy. Hearing that, Rias and Akeno-san looked at each other and nodded. Both of them came down from the air at the same time.

"Ise! You increased the strength of the cross and holy water in the battle against Riser, right?"

"Eh? Ah, I certainly did."

"So it's possible to increase both of us at the same time then! Please transfer the power to Akeno and I!"

"Let's do it, Boosted Gear!" Ise began to release his power again.

**[Transfer!]**

They both smiled at Ise.

"I think this should be enough."

"Yes. We can do it."

I think I could feel their power increase from where I stood.

"…We can do this." Akeno-san nodded to Rias daring smile.

"Akeno!"

"Yes! Thunder! Resound!"

Akeno-san pointed her fingers to the sky and started to control the thunder. Her fingers were aimed towards the Cerberus. It tried to run away, but it had trouble due to the countless Demonic Swords that shot out of the ground and stabbed into it.

"I won't let you escape." My eyes widened as I turned to see a familiar, blonde-haired princess. I couldn't help but admit that that power was impressive.

The howl of the Cerberus was overshadowed by the sound of thunder and its body turned to nothingness from the lightning. Because of its major power up, the potential demonic-energy got used up rapidly responding to the strength of it. Even if it was Rias and Akeno-san, continuous shots would have been hard for them as well.

"Yumi!" I ran up to my friend and wrapped her up in a hug, holding her tightly. Yumi immediately returned my tight embrace. "I'm really glad you're okay!"

"Me too!" Yumi agreed, the anger in her voice somewhat diluted by the relief she had expressed towards me.

But the heart-touching reunions would have to wait for later. The moment the big dog disappeared, Rias pointed her hand towards Kokabiel.

"Take this, Kokabiel!"

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOONNNN.

"It's huge!" Ise gasped.

Indeed it was.

The gigantic mass of demonic energy that shot out of Rias' hands as ten times bigger than her previous ones.

Kokabiel held out one hand to stop the attack.

...

I froze in shock at the sight I saw.

Kokabiel didn't even seem to flinch when he blocked the attack.

"N-No way..."

"That's impossible..."

Mittelt seemed in shock and Ravel fell to her knees. Apparently the shock of such a powerful attack being blocked like it was child's play had even more of an impact for a Pure-Blood Devil who held such great pride and arrogance in the family traits of Devils. Ravel was better than other Pure-Bloods, but even Rias herself was a bit arrogant.

It really was shocking though. It was one thing for one of my attacks to be blocked because I was fighting without any real control, but this was Rias' [Power of Destruction] for God's sake!...Kokabiel's even more of a monster than I first thought!

Kokabiel faced his palm towards the sky. The shot that was fired by Rias changed its direction and went up to the sky and disappeared. Kokabiel showed his malicious smile after seeing the smoke coming out of his hand.

"I see. Rias Gremory's power would grow this much because of the power of Sekiryuutei. Interesting. This is very interesting indeed. Kukuku." The bastard was laughing at us.

"…It's complete." I tensed.

Shit! I forgot about Valper! He said "it's complete"! What does that mean?!

"The turee Excaliburs are going to become one."

Then the three Excaliburs that were placed on the center of the school field started giving out divine light that spread throughout the school field. Because of its brightness, we covered our faces with our hands. When I stared at the center of the school field, I saw that the three Excaliburs were put on top of each other. Excalibur that was originally one. It was split into seven, but three of them were going to become one.

When the bright lights vanished, there was only one Holy Sword. One Excalibur, created by fusing three together. It gave out a bluish-white aura.

"Because of the light created by the Excalibur when it turned into one, the spell on the ground is also complete. This town will collapse within 20 minutes. The only way to dispel it is by beating Kokabiel."

I couldn't believe what that geezer said.

I-I knew that there was a chance Kokabiel would go all out and damage the town...but t-twenty minutes?

Karlamine...Jack...Mako-nee...Everyone...

The Maous won't come in time! There...There has to be something we can do to stop this! S-Serafall! What...What do I do? What CAN I do?!

"Freed!"

Kokabiel called out the name of that shitty priest.

"What's up, Boss?" Freed emerged from the darkness. I knew he was hiding somewhere. Cockroaches DO like dark places.

"Use the Excalibur in the circle. It shall be the last entertainment. Fight while using the Excalibur that has turned into one from the three Excaliburs."

"Yeah yeah. Geez. My Boss sure uses people recklessly. But but! It's like I'm so honored to use the Excalibur-chan that has become super wonderful! Something like that? Uhehehe! I will just chop some Devils now!" Freed then took hold of the Excalibur from the center of the circle.

A fused Excalibur...Kokabiel...The town...

All of my rage...all of my sorrow...all of my determination...it began to slowly turn to despair.

I only had one arm and even Rias' attacks couldn't lay a scratch on the crow. I...I didn't see any way we could defeat him within twenty minutes...

The strength left my legs. I fell to all fours, tightening my fists.

"Shirou-sama!" Ravel ran to my side, kneeling beside me.

"Shirou!" Isabela also came to my side.

"It...It's hopeless..." I squeaked out. "There's...There's no way..."

"This person is the Queen of a Maou? How pathetic! To think this weak person is the son of Miyako Fujimura-sama."

Isabela and Ravel immediately turned their glares towards Xenovia, who was now looking at me with disgust.

"Xenovia!" Irina said in shock.

"Watch your mouth, Exorcist!" Ravel was starting to become rather livid at Xenovia's disrespect. I just stared at Xenovia.

"I stand by what I said." Xenovia refused to back down in the face of Ravel's anger. "You fall to the ground like some dog the moment the slightest opposition comes your way. What happened to that incredible willpower you displayed not so long ago? What happened to the Fujimura Shirou who WAS worthy of respect? Wherever he is, he certainly is not here. Kokabiel will destroy this town in twenty minutes. Then the only solution is to destroy the fused Excalibur and defeat Freed and Kokabiel! Even if you wish to simply lay down and die, then do as you wish, but stay out of my way! If you do not wish to shame Miyako-sama or yourself, then stand and fight! Even if death is what awaits us, then stand and face it with your head held high!"

I felt my heart and soul resonate with her words. I stared in awe at Xenovia's bravery in the face of this threat.

Then Xenovia turned to Yumi, refusing to pay me a second glance.

"Rias Gremory's Knight. If the cooperation is still valid, let us destroy that Excalibur together."

"Is it okay?"

Xenovia laughed. "At worst, it won't be a problem if I collect the "fragment" of the Excalibur that is acting as the core of it. Since Freed is wielding it, that is a holy-sword but it isn't a holy-sword. Even if it's a holy-sword, it's the same as any other weapon. It changes depending on the person using it. That is a sword of heresy."

Irina also drew her sword. "I, who also wield Excalibur, will aid you. Excalibur Mimic does not have the raw power you possess, but it is more than enough to handle these heretics!"

Valper laughed at the two.

Yumi stepped forward. "Valper Galilei. I am a survivor of the Holy Sword Project. No. I am the one who was killed by you to be more precise. I have continued living by being reincarnated into a Devil."

"Hou. The survivor of that project. This is such a misfortune. To meet you in a far east country like this. I feel fate. Fufufu." Disgusting words from a disgusting man. "You see. I like Holy Swords. I like them so much that they come out in my dreams. Possibly because my heart was fascinated by the legend of Excalibur since I was a child. That's why when I found out that I can't use Excalibur I went into despair."

No one gives a damn, shitty geezer.

"I held admiration for those who can wield it because I couldn't. That feeling became so powerful that I started an experiment to create those who can use them. Then it was complete. It's thanks to you and the others."

Yumi raised an eyebrow doubtfully. "What? Complete? You disposed of us after finding us to be a failure."

Every time I thought of Valper using and then killing Yumi and her friends, my rage was reignited...only to continually fade to a single ember before vanishing. I was too busy trying to find a way to stop Kokabiel before our time is up.

"I realized that there was an essential factor needed to wield holy-swords. So I used the numerical value of the "factors" to investigate its capability. Most of the test subjects had the "elements" but they didn't have the numerical value needed to wield the Excalibur. Then I reached a conclusion. Is there a way to take out the elements and gather them?."

Xenovia seemed to see the truth. "I see. I understand now. The thing that is put inside the Holy Sword wielders when they received a blessing is…"

Valper continued to speak.

"That's right Holy Sword wielder girl. We take out the holy-elements from those who have them and crystallize them. Just like this."

Then the bastard took out some sort of shiny orb...that element...

There was a familiar sharp pain that ripped through my skull, causing me to scream in pain, clutching the sides of my head.

"Master!"

"Shirou!"

[Please! Help us! We...We don't want Izumi to hurt anymore!]

This time...I heard the voices with perfect clarity...like they were right...in front of me.

My eyes widened as I stared at the orb in Valper's hand.

No...Could it be...?!

"With this, the research on Holy Sword wielders improved. Even so, those fools from the Church banished me for heresy and took away my reports on the research. By looking at you, I see that the project was succeeded by someone. That Michael. He made me look like a criminal and this is the result? Well it's that Angel we are talking about. Even if he takes the elements out from the test subjects, he wouldn't go as far as to kill them. That part only would make him more human than me. Kukukuku."

"Don't spew such bullshit!" I shouted all of a sudden, getting on one knee as I began to stand back up. Valper turned and glared down at me. "This and that are two different things! You massacred innocent children! You were made to look like a criminal and a monster because you ARE one! I can't say I agree with the Church for being such hypocrites, but what they did and what you did are WORLDS AWAY from being the same thing!"

Valper curled his lip in disgust at me. "Just like that bitch mother of yours. You understand nothing of the greatness of my work. Necessary sacrifices had to be made, but that woman stubbornly stood in the way of progress."

"…You killed my comrades and took out the elements needed to wield the Holy Swords?" Yumi asked Balba with her voice filled with killing intent. "THAT is your 'necessary sacrifice'?"

I felt more pissed off that the bastard had called my mother a bitch. THAT was what made me really wanna knock his teeth in.

"That's right. This orb is from back then. I have used three of them on Freed though. This is the last one."

My eyes widened. My theory was given more and more evidence with each passing second...those voices...

"Hyahahahaha! Other guys besides me died because their bodies couldn't synchronize with the elements! Hmmmmm. If I think like that, that makes me special."

So, their comrades who stole the Excaliburs died. I honestly wish that Freed had taken their place.

"You thought that guys like me would end up being tough, didn't you Shirou-kun? No, no. I won't die easily like that."

Bummer.

"…Valper Galilei. How many lives have you sacrificed for your greed and experiments…" Yumi's hands were shaking and there was an aura of anger coming out of her body.

...Yumi...

"Hm. If you say that, then I will give this orb to you. My research has reached the stage where it is possible to mass produce them in the right environment. First of all, I will destroy this town with Kokabiel. Next I will gather the legendary Holy Swords stored around the world. Then I will mass produce Holy Sword wielders and start a war against Michael and the Vatican with the combined Excaliburs. I'm going to show the result of my research to those foolish Angels and their followers who have convicted me."

Filthy warmongers! Bastards! They have no care for who gets hurt! What is the point in any of that!?

Valper threw away the orb as if he had lost interest in it. It rolled on the ground and went to Yumi's foot. Yumi leaned down silently and picked it up. She patted the orb sadly, lovingly, and dearly.

"…Everyone…" A tear rolled down Yumi's cheek. Her expression was filled with an intense amount of anger and sorrow, but mostly sorrow. Before she looked ready to go on a murderous rampage, but now she exuded such a presence where I just wanted to embrace her and hold her tightly, whispering soft and gentle words to her to soothe and calm her.

Then it happened. The orb that Yumi held started giving out shallow lights. The lights started to spread and it eventually covered the whole school field. From the ground there were lights coming out and it started to form a shape. Then it formed into a proper shape. It took the shape of people. There were boys and girls who were giving out blue-white lights and they were surrounding Yumi.

I felt another sensation in my head...The feeling of foreign thoughts and words entering my mind. It was similar to the sharp feeling I felt when I heard those voices...but it was softer this time. Warmer. Less forceful and less violent.

"The various powers that are present on this battlefield made the spirits within the orbs appear." Akeno-san said. I could believe that. With everything that was going on, spirits from an orb filled with their light element wasn't the craziest thing I've seen.

"Everyone! I…I!"

These children...They never had a chance...all because of that goddamned project...

I wonder...did you begin to object to the project because you see these same sad faces, Oka-sama...?

Yumi seemed so sad as well...

"…I have always…always thought about it. Was it all right that I was the only one that survived… There were those who had more dreams than me. There were those who wanted to live more than me. Is it all right that I am the only one to have a peaceful life…"

Raynare had a sad expression while Kalawarner averted her eyes, clearly holding back tears. Out of everyone, Irina seemed the most heartbroken. Before, she had spoken so easily about what good had come from the project, but now she was facing the true cost and it was clearly tearing up her heart. I didn't know what to do. Everyone around me was experiencing so much pain and, like usual, I couldn't do a goddamned thing. I couldn't even get that bastard, Albion, to give me some of his power...how could I ever hope to accomplish anything if I couldn't even do that?

Then one boy's spirit smiled.

[Don't worry about us any more. You are alive at least.]

My heart skipped a beat. I heard his voice with perfect clarity...it sounded so familiar...I knew this voice! I've been hearing it ever since this mess first started!

"…. That's what they are saying." Akeno-san explained, having just repeated what the boy just said. I frowned.

"Yeah...I know. I heard them." Then she stared at me. "What?" The stare she gave me was unsettling. Not just her, but Rias too. I was beginning to feel uncomfortable.

"Shirou...how can you hear them? We don't hear anything?"

"I have to read their lips."

The words Rias and Akeno-san said were surprising.

"You...You guys really can't hear their voices?" I asked. "I can hear them clear as day..." Was there something wrong with them?...Was there something wrong with ME?

Then they started moving their lips...they were singing...

That song...

I felt my self sway in response to it...more images came to the front of my mind...

A beautiful woman with white hair...a hill under a cherry blossom tree...she sang that same exact song...

Oka-sama...

"…The sacred song." Asia mumbled. She seemed surprised when she saw me. "Shirou-san..."

I was crying. I didn't know why or what about the song caused it, but I just felt so vulnerable, as if every defense around me was pierced by the beautiful melody...

Yumi cried while shedding tears, starting to sing along with them.

My tears began falling at a faster pace, creating waterfalls down the sides of my face. So many memories...happy, sad, bitter, warm, so many...

[...She also cried...]

I jumped, surprised to see that one of the spirits were in front of me specifically, looking directly at me.

[The nice lady...She visited us. When we were hurting, she would always come and smile at us...She also cried...]

"D-Do you mean my Oka-sama?!" These children...they saw Oka-sama?

The child...I think she was a girl. She nodded.

[She was always kind to us. We never understood before, but she was always angry at the other adults.]

Oka-sama...she gave kindness to these children...I think...I think she tried to save them...

"You...You were the voices I was hearing, aren't you?" I asked. "You were all calling out...Calling out to me. Begging me for help..."

The child nodded again.

I couldn't stop my tears as they continued pouring more profusely from my eyes. "I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...Even though I knew you were all hurting...that you were all hurting. All because of Valper and Freed...there's more of you. I couldn't save any of you...I can't save anyone...Oka-sama, Asia, Irina, Yumi, Ise, I'm not able to save any of them...I'm always the one being protected...I'm sorry. I'm so sorry..."

[I was the last to die...]

I looked up at the child. Despite the words she just spoke, she showed no bitterness, sadness, or despair. It was more like acceptance...I suppose, being in their current state, they had plenty of time to become accustomed to that fact.

[That woman was there...I saw her...She cried lots and lots over us...She...]

The child extended her hand towards me.

Confused, I extended my own, gently grabbing her hand.

There was a sharp flash of light.

Then I wasn't there anywhere.

I was in a new area...it was some kind of building. I had to resist the urge to throw up. There...There were so many bodies...So many children, their expressions etched with despair, pain, and sadness. Some of them had clearly attempted to fight judging from t he injuries on their bodies. Only the lucky ones had their bodies physically unharmed...but there was blood dripping from the corners of their mouths...Poisoned.

_"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..."_

That voice caught me by surprise. I turned and my heart stopped. I felt another surge of tears coming up.

The woman...she was somewhere in her mid to late-twenties and wore a white Church robe...She had the same eyes as me, her elegant, snow-white hair trailing behind her. The only difference from her normal appearance was her tear-stained face.

_"I'm sorry...I'm so sorry...I should've been here...I should've done something to stop this!" _The woman cried.

_"Fujimura-sama-" _One of the other officials tried to touch her shoulder, but she jerked away.

_"DON'T YOU TOUCH ME!" _She screamed in both anger and sorrow._ "This...how could we have ever allowed this to happen...? Why did this happen...? What GOD would allow something like THIS!?" _Her grief seemed on par with Yumi's, as if she had been these children's mother herself. She may as well have been due to all of the suffering she showed over their deaths.

_"It is unfortunate that none of them showed capability, but perhaps they are better off this way."_

My Oka-sama, Miyako Fujimura, tensed, her shoulders trembling with rage. I felt a similar rage, recognizing that voice.

I turned, becoming even more enraged at the sight of a familiar, shitty geezer...

Valper Galilei strolled in the room, not even bothering to avoid stepping on the bodies of the dead children.

_"They were unable to adapt to the Holy Sword, so all that can be done is to discover a more effective method with more test subjects." _He was indifferent to the death that surrounded him. This was indeed Valper Galilei.

_"VALPEEEEEEEEER!" _Oka-sama probably would've lunged to kill him._  
_

_"No! You can't afford to do this now, Miyako!" _Another woman grabbed Oka-sama and held her back. She was disturbed, but more adequate at controlling her emotions than Oka-sama.

_Oka-sama growled at the woman. "Let me go, Griselda! I'LL KILL HIM!" _She struggled further, but the other woman was the physically stronger of the two, managing to hold Oka-sama in place with a slight strain. _"HE DID THIS! HE DESERVES TO DIE!"_

_"He will face judgment before our Lord...but these children should not bear witness to anymore pain or violence."_ The other woman, Griselda reasoned. _"They have suffered enough."_

Oka-sama looked down at the child whom she had still held in her hands, the child's breathing gradually beginning to cease to a complete stop, the poison finally taking her life.

Oka-sama's expression softened and...

That was when the dream ended.

Then I was back at Kuoh Academy, everything looking as if I hadn't left at all...The feeling of sadness was still in the air. The other children were still singing. I don't think anybody noticed at all that I had left.

"Shirou-sama!" Ravel stared at me with such worried eyes. "Are you alright?! You grabbed that child's hand and then-then you just spaced out! You didn't respond before! Are you alright?!"

Still trying to process the dream I just saw, I turned back to the child who showed no change whatsoever.

[That was my last memory...The last warmth. You have that same warmth...So please...take care of Izumi.]

"Who..." But deep down, I had the suspicion I knew whom this child was speaking of.

[She gave me some last warmth, so I will return that to you. Through you, I can still be with Izumi and the rest.]

The child gradually began to dissipate, turning into golden dust which surrounded my being, gradually vanishing.

But I felt different. More...whole. Like someone just pulled out a huge cork that was blocking an odd energy flow inside of me. It was familiar and warm. This feeling...That child...

Her feelings won't go to waste.

I turned back to the others. The children were still singing. The other children's bodies began to glow with Yumi standing in the middle of them.

[We were no good alone.]

[We didn't have enough elements to wield the holy swords. But.]

[It will be okay if we are together.]

It was a song that was supposed to harm Devils, but I felt nothing but warmth...It was if the song resonated with something deep inside of me.

[You have to accept the holy-sword.]

[It's not scary.]

[Even if God is watching.]

[Our hearts are always…]

[ONE.]

Their spirits went up into the heaven and they turned into a big light that fell down to Yumi.

This feeling...It felt familiar...I remembered it back from when Ise fought Riser for the second time...This raw power was intense...

Balance Breaker. The ultimate form of a Sacred Gear that could shift the balance of the world.

The light that split the abyss night looked as if it was giving blessings to Yumi.

* * *

**Yumi's POV...**

I just wanted to live. I escaped from the research laboratory by myself and that was the only thing I thought about while vomiting out blood and running. I got out of the forest and met a little girl, a High-Class Devil, while the light of my life was disappearing.

"What do you desire?" The crimson haired girl asked while she held me, who was on the verge of death. I just mumbled one word while my vision was blurring.

"Help". My life. My friends. My future. My friends. My power. My talent. My…

I just wished while having all of these thoughts. Those were my last words as a human.

"To live as a Devil. That was the wish of my master, and also my wish. I thought that, it was fine. But… I couldn't forget my hatred towards the Excaliburs and my comrades' vengeance… No, I could have forgotten about it. I…"

Ise-kun, Koneko-chan, everyone...They helped me, who was driven by vengeance. I thought about it while searching for the Holy Sword-wielder. There are comrades who would help me. Shirou...you...you sacrificed your arm in helping me...You protected me.

I felt a hot feeling deep in my breast, my heart beating even faster than normal at that thought.

"Valper Galilei, as long as I don't take down the evil thing right in front of me, there will be a repitition of the event that happened to me."

"Hmph. It's been said for a long time that research always comes with sacrifices. Haven't you realised that yet?"

You certainly are evil!

"OOOOOIIIII! Kibaaaaaa! Cut down that dipshit priest and Excalibur!" It was Ise-kun... "Don't forget! You're a [Knight] of Gremory group! You're my friend! Give these bastards a taste of our true power! Don't waste everyone's feelings and spirit!

"You can do it, Yumi! Show these bastards why they shouldn't underestimate us Devils!"

Shirou...

"Kiba-san! We believe in you!"

"Show them your true strength, Knight of Gremory!"

"Don't give up!"

"Show us the same strength that defeated many of Onii-sama's servants!"

Asia-chan, Raynare-san, Mittelt-chan, Ravel-chan.

"Yumi! Do it! You have to finish this yourself! Surpass Excalibur! You are the servant of I, Rias Gremory! My Knight will not lose to a mere Excalibur!"

"Yumi-chan! I believe in you!"

Buchou...Akeno-san...

Please do your best!"

Everyone.

"Hahaha! Why are you crying? You were singing with joy with the ghost-chan. It's really a nuisance. It's totally the worst. You know I hate that song. Just listening to it makes the hair on my skin crawl! I don't want to hear it any more. I'm totally at my limit! I'm going to cut you into pieces and calm myself! With this ultimate Excalibur that has merged 3 of them!"

Freed Sellzen. My comrades' spirits reside within you. I can't allow you to do evil deeds with them any longer! These tears I have are tears of determination.

"…I will become a sword."

My comrades. My comrades who have merged with my spirit. Let us overcome it together. The feelings we couldn't say back then! The wishes we couldn't fulfill back then! Right now, right here!

"I shall become the sword of Buchou and my comrades! Please respond to my feelings now! Sword Birth!"

My Sacred Gear and the spirits of my comrades mixed. It started to align and formed a shape. The demonic power and the holy power were combining.

Yes, this sensation. My Sacred Gear was…my comrade was telling me-that this is sublimation. It was giving out divine light and an ominous aura. What appeared in my hand was a single sword… It's completed, everyone.

"Balance Breaker [Sword of the Betrayer]. You shall receive the power of this sword that has both the power of light and demonic powers with your own body." I ran towards Freed.

My trait as a Knight was speed! Freed tried to grasp my movement with his eyes, but I got out of his sight by doing a few feints.

Even so, Freed blocked my strike. Seriously. You are quite a skilled, exiled-exorcist. But the aura that was covering his Excalibur was being erased by my sword.

"That sword surpasses the originator of holy-swords!?"

"If that was the true Excalibur, then I could not have won against it. But that Excalibur cannot cut the feelings of me and my comrades!"

Freed clicked his tongue in response and stepped back after he pushed me.

"You will not escape!" Irina jumped at Freed and struck him with her Excalibur, their blades colliding with the sound of scraping metal. "You and your sword of heresy will fall today, Freed!"

"Shut up, you bitch! I would have had more powers, but you didn't want to get killed and hand your Excalibur to the Boss and Old-Man Valper!" Freed swung his sword with incredible speed. This was the ability of Excalibur Rapidly, the sword Freed had fought with both times we fought before. This ability gave him incredible speed that far surpassed normal standards. While Irina retreated, I lunged forward to block all of Freed's strikes. My mind had such clarity that I never would have found in my previous rage. Even with three Excalibur abilities, I was still quite capable of blocking Freed's strikes.

Your killing intent is easy to read. If I know which direction the killing intent is coming from, parrying it is very easy.

"Why!? Why isn't it hitting!? You are supposed to be the unrivaled Holy-Sword-sama, aren't you!? Weren't you supposed to have lots of legends of being the ultimate sword!?" Freed shouted. His expression was filled with both enjoyment and impatience. "Then! Then I have to add this as well!"

The tip of the Holy-Sword disappeared. Transparency pheromone? This is the power of "Excalibur Transparency". The ability to make the blade transparent. But if he doesn't change the direction of his killing intent, even if I can't see the blade...

GIIN! GIN! GIN! GIIIN!

The transparent sword and my sword made sparks. I was parrying all of his attacks.

"Yes. Keep him there like that." Xenovia suddenly intruded. She held the Holy Sword in her left hand, and put her right hand in the air.

She started to chant something.

"Saint Peter. Saint Basil the Great. Saint Denis. Holy-mother Mary. Please hear my voice."

What was she trying to do? I was in doubt, but the space in front of me got distorted. Xenovia put her hand in the middle of the distorted space. She put her hand in, and pulled something right out of the dimensional gap. What appeared was a single sword that gave out a holy aura.

"...Durandal..." I turned in surprise to Shirou who eyed the sword with a strange, faraway look. Like it was him yet someone else at the same time staring at the blade. I couldn't even be sure what I saw because he snapped out of it, blinking twice.

"In the names of the saints whom reside within this blade, I will release it. Durandal!"

I couldn't believe it...H-How did Shirou know?

"Durandal!?"

"You were not the wielder of the Excalibur!?"

Not just Valper, even Kokabiel couldn't hide his astonishment.

Xenovia shook her head. "Wrong. I was originally the wielder of Durandal. I was also chosen as the holder of the Excalibur. That's all."

Xenovia made a stance with Durandal. Two-sword style along with the Excalibur.

"Absurd! According to my research, we haven't reached the stage where someone can wield Durandal!?"

"Of course. Even in the Vatican, they haven't made someone who can wield Durandal artificially." Xenovia said it clearly to the shocked Valper.

"Then why!?"

"Unlike those common artificial Holy Sword wielders like Irina, I'm a natural born wielder."

So unlike us, she's a natural Holy Sword wielder.

"Durandal is a sword that ravages beyond what people can imagine. It cuts anything it touches. It doesn't even listen to me most of the time. That's why I have to keep it in another dimension, otherwise it would be dangerous. Even I, the holder, has a hard time with it. Now, Freed Zelzan. Thanks to you, we can have the decisive battle between Excalibur and Durandal. Right now, I'm shaking with enjoyment. Don't die in a single strike okay? At least use the Excalibur to its fullest!"

The blade of Durandal started to give out more holy-aura than the Excalibur Freed held. That aura! It had more power than my Holy-Demonic Sword!

"Is that even allowed!? It became a situation like this! You shitty bitch! I don't need any of that for this setting!"

Freed shouted and moved his killing intent to Xenovia. I couldn't see with my eyes, but he probably slashed his transparent sword towards her.

With a single side slash, the Excalibur shattered. Because of the pressure given by the swing of Durandal, there was a big hole in the school field.

"So it's just a broken Holy Sword, huh. It can't even compete with my Durandal."

Xenovia made a sigh while looking bored. What an incredible power. It can't even be compared with her Excalibur Destruction.

"Are you serious!? Are you really serious!? The legendary Excalibur-chan is shattered into pieces!? Horrible! This is really horrible! Kaaaa! Was it wrong to use something that was broken from the start? The shallowness of humans. The foolishness of the Church. I want to grow up while taking a glimpse of it!" His killing intent became weak, and I went right at him! "Fuck this! I'm out!" Freed attempted to flee from the fact his killing intent seemed to go further away, but a rope suddenly wrapped around an empty space in the air. "The fuck?!"

"Sorry, but this is the end!" Irina held the other end of the rope, holding Freed in place as I charged at him. Irina, your assistance is appreciated!

He also couldn't respond to it! Checkmate! He tried to block my Holy-demonic sword with the remnants of his Excalibur but…

A shallow shattering sound echoed. The sound of the Excalibur crumbling.

"Did you see it? Our powers have surpassed Excalibur."

I cut down Freed as soon as I shattered the Excalibur.

Freed fell down while blood came out of the wound I made from his shoulder to the side of his stomach.

I won…

We surpassed the Excalibur. I gripped the Holy-Demonic Sword hard and looked up to the sky. Rather than an inexpressible feeling, it felt like losing my aim was greater. It felt like the only reason I was living…the only reason I was allowed to live…disappeared.

"Yahoo! Way to go, Yumi!" Shirou was grinning, throwing his fist into the air. I felt my heart skip a beat...My mind free of hatred, I remembered what I felt before... "You also did great, Iri!" I felt a sharp hatred for the Exorcist still for reasons I could only suspect. Shirou then shot a reluctant look of respect at Xenovia. "And...you did good, too, priest girl." Shirou then glared up at the Fallen Angel Kokabiel. I was surprised by the hatred he held in his gaze. It was controlled, but it was hatred nonetheless. "One down, one shitty crow to go."

"Ho…Holy-Demonic sword…? Impossible… The polar opposite of two things cannot merge…"

Valper Galilei made a strong expression. That's right. It hasn't finished yet. As long as I don't defeat him, the tragedy will continue. We cannot allow other people to meet the same fate as us.

"Valper Galilei. Prepare yourself."

I pointed my Holy-Demonic sword at him and tried to slash at him. Now my comrades. Let's finish it with this! Let's finish everything!

"…I see! I understand now! Holy and Demonic. It will be an explanation, if the beings that represent the two become unbalanced! Then not only the Maou but the God has also…"

STAB.

A spear of light pierced through Valper's chest, who seemed like he realized something.

Valper went down after throwing a solid amount of blood. I went up to him to confirm his state. And he had already passed away.

"Valper, you were remarkable. The reason you went up to that conclusion proves that. But, I don't mind whether you are with me or not. I could have done it by myself from the beginning."

Kokabiel who was up in the air was sneering. The one who killed Balba was Kokabiel.

"Hahahaha! Kahahahahahahahaha!" Kokabiel laughed loudly and landed on the ground. An overwhelming pressure. The leader of the Fallen Angels finally stood in front of us while sending out an intense aura and confidence.

The only person unaffected was-

"Shirou!" Ise called out in shock as my white-haired friend approached Kokabiel without fear.

There was a dark look in his eyes. I was stunned. He was the one who had previously been the most afraid of the former Fallen Angel leader, but now he approached Kokabiel without the slightest hint of fear. I also couldn't help but feel an oddly familiar presence from him...There were two actually...one was large and held a familiar feeling with the core of my being while the other was a power I had sensed from the Excaliburs...

The Cadre-level Fallen Angel and Shirou stood far apart from one another, but the hatred between the two was incredibly apparent.

Kokabiel's grin seemed to hide a strange emotion that I could just barely sense...Fear?

"So-"

"EAT IT, SHITHEEEEEAAAAAD!" Kokabiel had only uttered one word before Shirou had unleashed a large blast of incredible, black-colored energy at Kokabiel. With a flick of his wrist, Kokabiel blocked the shot and redirected it towards the sky...but that power...there's no way...

Kokabiel clenched his fists. "...So...it isn't just my imagination..."

I wasn't the only one who expressed shock...

"That..." Buchou was the most surprised, but she shook her head. "No. It can't be...It must be a coincidence." But she seemed uncertain about something.

Kokabiel seemed more at ease than before after Shirou's first attack. "Huh. I honestly expected something stronger from someone carrying _his_ blood." Kokabiel started laughing again, this time a touch of relief in his voice.

"Who said that was the attack?" Kokabiel had been relieved enough that he failed to realize that Shirou was right next to him until Shirou spoke. Shirou suddenly appeared next to Kokabiel, his fist pulled back to strike the ten-winged Fallen Angel. "Eat THIS!"

But Kokabiel's superior speed won out. He skillfully evaded Shirou's attack. At first I thought he would punch Shirou or stab him with his wings, but then I realized he was smarter than that. Any physical contact with Shirou would result in Shirou being able to use Divide and take half of his power...Even if Shirou's power is small on its own, he would still be able to overwhelm Kokabiel if he were to take half of Kokabiel's power since Shirou's own power would be the difference between the two with Kokabiel's power divided in half.

But no. Instead, Kokabiel summoned a relatively weak light spear and smacked Shirou away with it, Shirou avoiding critical damage by blocking with his wing as he was sent flying.

Kokabiel seemed more at ease than before after Shirou's first attack. "Huh. I honestly expected something stronger from someone carrying _his_ blood." Kokabiel started laughing again, this time a touch of relief in his voice.

But what did me mean about someone "carrying _his_ blood"?

"But still, you've improved quite a bit since the last time I tried to kill you!" Kokabiel praised. Shirou looked disgusted at being praised by this person. I couldn't blame him. "Even I'm not confident enough to allow you to take half of my power, but perhaps you deserve one last chance to attack me. I wish to truly see whether or not your bloodlust is worthy of that person's name."

Shirou tensed. This was exactly what had occurred before Kokabiel had defeated him last time and left him at death's door. Oddly enough though, Shirou didn't seem afraid as he did back then...I saw one of them...one of my old friends. She walked right up to him. I didn't know what they were saying, but Shirou had been crying...And then she faded away...Like my friends did for me, did she give Shirou some new power or did she give Shirou new courage?

"Alright then." Was Shirou's short response. "This time...This time, I WILL DEFEAT YOU!" Shirou bared his teeth. "I'll show you why you don't fuck with my friends!"

"Yes! That rage! That raw fury!" Kokabiel grinned. "Do whatever you like to prepare! Take whatever power the Sekiryuutei can give you! Take whatever power you desire from any other source and strike me with everything you have!"

"Very well."

"Shirou!" Buchou ran up to Shirou, upset. "You should let me do this! My power-"

"Is not enough to defeat Kokabiel." Shirou interrupted. "Trust me, Rias. You stand no chance against this monster. Ise!"

Ise-kun jumped as his name was called, turning towards Shirou. "Huh?"

Shirou extended his arm. "Even with my power, it may not be enough, but I still need you to Boost your power however many times you need and transfer it to me. I'll need everything you can give me to take on Kokabiel." The even odder part was that Shirou was grinning.

Ise-kun seemed surprised, but there seemed to be an unspoken conversation between the two self-proclaimed brothers. Ise nodded. "Alright." Ise held out his Boosted Gear and began to Boost his power, Shirou waiting patiently.

"No. Not just Issei-senpai, but me also, Shirou-sama." Ravel stepped forward, her hand extended towards Shirou. "I have a lot of spare energy that I will gladly give to you. I stand no real chance against Kokabiel, so the most I can do is offer support and let you take my magic."

Shirou's eyes widened at Ravel's offer. "Ravel..."

"Mine too!" Mittelt jumped forward, also prepared to give her magic to Shirou.

"Me too." Raynare agreed.

"I'll give you everything~" Kalawarner teased.

"I will help Shirou-san however I can!"

"It is a servant's duty to aid their master."

Not just them, but Asia and Isabela also offered up their power to Shirou.

Shirou smiled. "Everyone...Alright. Place your hand on mine. If Ise can transfer his power to Akeno-san and Rias simultaneously, then I should be able to Divide multiple people at once if I'm in direct contact with them."

The six women placed their hands on Shirou's as his wings began to glow. Then a seventh hand touched Shirou's.

Shirou stared in surprise. "Irina...?"

The Exorcist smiled softly. "Consider this an expression of my endless affection for you." Shirou blushed and I felt the desire to punch Irina Shidou right in her big fat smug face. This feeling in my chest...I hate it. Geez! Is this what Buchou feels when Ise's around other girls! It's so irritating!

"Alright then. Let's go!"

**[Divide!]**

Irina, Isabela, and Kalawarner remained normal, but Asia, Raynare, Mittelt, and Ravel jerked back as if struck by something. Apparently those four weren't quite prepared for the sudden lost of energy.

Shirou, on the other hand, was standing much straighter and prouder than before. He began to radiate a new, powerful energy.

"Shirou! Take this, too!" Ise placed a hand on Shirou's back, transferring his power. The light on the jewel passed onto Shirou, and the red-aura that covered her body increased drastically.

He created a sphere of energy in his hand that I realized was blue with a hint of black painted in. It was also a bit larger than the Dragon Shot technique he copied from Ise...Even though his copied technique was large enough, his new attack was even greater.

I felt the great amount of aura from his with my skin, and an enormous amount of power was created within his hand. An amount that seemed like it wouldn't even leave a single speck of dust. If you were hit by that, the majority of people would perish. But his opponent was…

"Fuhahaha! Good! That flow of demonic power! The demonic-power I can feel right now is that of an Ultimate-Class devil. A little bit more then you would reach that of a Maou! Looks like you have a potential equal to that of your predecessors!"

The Fallen Angel leader laughed as if he was truly enjoying it. His expression was colored in ecstasy. He was feeling…pleasure for War!

"**BURN IN HELL, YOU SON OF A BITCH!**"

Shirou unleashed a gigantic blast of demonic power that was coated in a strange aura that felt alien yet familiar at the same time. Like it was connected to my very soul as a Devil.

DOOOOOOOOOOOON!

It made a shock wave that felt like it shook the ground, and the powerful shot was heading towards Kokabiel. With his hand… No, with both his hands put in front of him, he tried to deflect it. The shock wave from the attack shattered all of the school windows even though it didn't come close to the actual buildings.

Kokabiel's arms ended up getting torn and lots of cuts appeared on his hands and arms! Blood was coming from the wounds! But the attack started to lose its shape! It still hurt him though, and he is having a hard time getting rid of it!

"Lightning!"

"Take this!"

Akeno-san and Buchou shot out a combination of lightning and Power of Destruction at Kokabiel while he was focused on Shirou's attack. But the attack dissipated with a single beat of Kokabiel's wings.

"Will you stand in my way!? The one who inherited her power from Barakiel!?"

"…Do not put me in the same group as him!"

Akeno-san widened her eyes and got enraged. She continued to use lightning and Buchou used her Power of Destruction, but they were all deflected by Kokabiel's wings.

Barakiel is the leader of the Fallen Angels. A thunder user who has the alias Holy-Lightning. In terms of basic fighting ability, he is said to be on par with the Governor of the fallen-angels, Azazel.

"Barakiel-sama's daughter...?"

"...So shocking..." Both Raynare-san and Kalawarner-san expressed immense surprise and shock at the fact that Barakiel was Akeno-san's...

Shirou's attack was eventually nullified by Kokabiel. Kokabiel's arms were a mess. They were damaged, but he could still move them easily though. Kokabiel was harmed by Shirou then!

Shirou was panting though, staring in shock at the fact his attack was nullified.

"For you to become a Devil! Hahaha! You have pleasant servants, Rias Gremory! The Devils as a whole have interesting characters! The Sekiryuutei! The Hakuryuukou whose ancestor I hate! The left-over of the Holy Sword Project who reached Balance Breaker! And the daughter of Barakiel! Your race has weird tastes, just like your brother!"

"I won't forgive you for insulting my brother…our Maou! More than that, the insults you made to my race and my servants will require your life!"

Kokabiel laughed with his nose at Buchou's anger.

"Then try to destroy me! Maou's sister! The owner of the Welsh Dragon! Crimson-hair Ruin Princess! The one whom you are up against is someone who has been an arch-enemy of the Devils since a long time ago! If you don't see this as a chance, then your reputation will be looked down on!"

Kokabiel. I don't know how much my Holy-Demonic sword can go against him, but I have to do it!

"Don't underestimate us!" Shirou stood behind me. Even though he had used up quite a bit of power, Shirou still held a determination to fight...Even when he should barely have the energy to stand, he fought by my side and supported me.

I blinked. I felt funny all of a sudden...No! No time to dwell on that now!

Shirou and I moved quickly, suddenly appearing in front of Kokabiel, intending to put an end to him. Smirking arrogantly, Kokabiel expanded his wings and took flight. However, I jumped at Shirou who had his hand ready to launch me and landed on his hand. He acted as a support and launched me at the Fallen Angel leader. I began summoning swords and started slashing at the airborne angel.

"Haaaaaah!" Xenovia jumped into the air as well, preparing her Durandal to slash at Kokabiel.

Kokabiel created swords of light with his hands, and blocked both of our attacks without much effort.

"Hmph! Durandal huh! Unlike the Excalibur that was already broken once, that light is the real thing! Buuuuut-!"

The air shook, and there was a buzzing in my ears. Kokabiel emitted an air wave from his other hand and made Xenovia's body float. Then Kokabiel kicked Xenovia's stomach.

"Gaa!" Xenovia flew back with an anguished cry.

"It depends on the wielder. Girl! You still can't control Durandal! The previous wielder was someone who had unrivalled strength!"

Xenovia adjusted her stance in the air and landed on the ground. She then went on slashing towards him once again. I also continued slashing towards him at the same time!

"Kokabiel! I will eliminate you with my Holy-Demonic sword! I'm not allowed to lose anyone any more!"

"Ho! Attacks at the same time from a Holy Sword and a Holy-Demonic sword! Interesting! Good indeed! Come! You can't defeat me unless you do that much!" Kokabiel continued using his own light swords to block our attacks. In terms of swordskills, Kokabiel was above us!

"There!"

"Don't forget us!"

Koneko-chan and Irina with her Excalibur Mimic attacked him from behind.

"Naïve!"

His black wings turned into sharp blades-

"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT!"

Even I was surprised by the voice. Shirou appeared above Kokabiel, swinging his fist down on the Fallen Angel's head.

Kokabiel was knocked downwards somewhat, but he quickly recovered, angrier than he had been before.

"DIE!" The black wings that had become sharp blades changed targets to Shirou!

"GAAAAAH!" Shirou screamed as the blades cut up his body, causing him immense pain.

[SHIROU!]

His body fell to the ground as blood spewed out of his wounds. Raynare-san and Kalawarner-san quickly flew to his rescue before his body could hit the ground, catching him safely. I couldn't tell how severe Shirou's wounds were, but he didn't seem to be moving. The thought of what could've happened to him made my heart stop.

"Hey, looking away while fighting will easily get you killed!"

I let my guard down because of the damage Shirou took and Kokabiel's sword of light came at me.

GIIIIN!

"Wha…!"

A crack appeared on my Holy-demonic sword! Ku! The strength of the solidness depended on my thinking. If I lost my concentration for a moment, then for that period of time, the hardness of my sword will go down as well. He grasped into that slight instant.

DON!

Xenovia, Irina, Koneko-chan, and I were helpless against the shockwave created by Kokabiel's body which sent us flying. I somehow fixed my stance…But we were breathing hard.

…We can't win. That's what went through my mind. The power difference between us is absolute. Even though I reached Balance Breaker, there was still this much difference. The leader of the Fallen Angels, he's this strong!? No! I have to put that thought aside! We have to win! We can't survive unless we win! I will win and live on!

Asia-chan went to Shirou's side. Asia-chan's Sacred Gear activated and started to heal Shirou's wounds. That's a relief. With this, Shirou's life will be safe.

"Kokabiel! It's not over yet!"

I put strength into my Holy-Demonic sword and stood up again! The crack on my sword disappeared and I went forward slashing towards him with no flaws!

"Hahaha! You still come at me? All right! Come!"

"Holy-Demonic sword."

ZAN!

I surrounded the Fallen Angel by making swords covered with holy and demonic aura. With this I made my opponent stuck in that position. The only thing left was to attack then!

"You think you've captured me with this?"

The 10 wings of Kokabiel, who was smirking, started to become like swords and began breaking the swords around with ease. Ku! It didn't work! I went forward slashing at him from the front. But the fallen-angel didn't flinch at all, and he stopped my Holy-demonic sword with just two fingers!

"Is this it?"

Kokabiel sighed. My Holy-Demonic sword that had been stopped couldn't be moved at all! I created another Holy-Demonic sword but that was also stopped with his other two fingers.

It's not over yet! I opened my mouth wide, and imagined to create a Holy-demonic sword around my mouth. The third one! I held the grip with my teeth, and moved my neck to the side roughly! It seemed like he didn't think of the third strike. He let go of my swords and stepped back. Did he receive damage from that attack just then? When I checked Kokabiel, there was a single scratch on his cheek. There was a bit of blood coming out of it.

Even with that attack, I could only give him that much damage. So this was the power of one of the top echelons of Fallen Angels… Everyone here was making expressions of despair and breathed violently. Only Kokabiel who was at an advantage was smirking.

"But. Seeing that even after losing the masters you serve, you Devils and followers of God can still fight, huh?!"

Wh…what… What did he just say…? Everyone here was shocked and couldn't believe what he just said. Even Shirou-kun had a look of shock on his face.

"It's normal for you guys to not know about it. Who can say that God has died? Humans are an incomplete bunch. Without God, they cannot control their hearts and obey the laws, you know? Even us, the Fallen Angels, and Devils couldn't tell this to those below us. You won't know where the information about God will be leaked from. Even among the three-powers, only the people at the top and certain people know about it. Though it seems Valper noticed it earlier."

…God didn't exist any more? No…that couldn't be… It was impossible… Then what did we believe in while living in that institute…?

"After the War, what was left were the Angels who had lost their God, the Devils that lost their Maou and the majority of High-class Devils and the Fallen Angels who lost most of the Fallen Angels apart from the leaders. So it wasn't a mere exhausted state. All of the factions fell so low, that they had to rely on humans to continue their generations. Especially the Angels and Fallen Angels that could only continue their generation by mating with humans."

"...Lie...It's a lie..." Xenovia began trembling with a panicked expression. She would've probably have collapsed to her knees if an unlikely person hadn't helped her stay up by grabbing her arm.

"Idiot..." Shirou-kun stared at the Exorcist with a strange expression. It held no specific type of emotion. It was an admonishing expression if anything. "Is that all you got? You fall to the ground like some dog the moment the slightest opposition comes your way. What happened to that incredible willpower you displayed not so long ago? What happened to the Xenovia who WAS worthy of respect? Wherever she is, she certainly is not here. If you wish to simply lay down and die, then do as you wish, but stay out of my way! If you do not wish to shame Oka-sama or yourself, then stand and fight! Even if death is what awaits us, then stand and face it with your head held high!" Shirou gave her a sharp look. "Sound about right?"

Those were the words that Xenovia has spoken to Shirou not too long ago. Now it was Shirou repeating those same words to scold her.

"No...No...It's a lie...It can't be true...It's a lie. Lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie..." Irina probably had it the worst. "You're lying...The Lord...he loves us...you're a liar...heretic...lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lie lies..." She fell to the ground, unable to use her legs any longer. The way Kokabiel spoke...there was no denying it...The God she had spent so much of her life believing in did not exist anymore.

Xenovia still seemed weak, but somehow Shirou-kun's words kept her from dropping to the ground.

"The truth is that another big war wouldn't happen unless you do it on purpose. It means that all three-sides went through hell in the past war. Everyone decided that it was meaningless to continue having a war if the start of it all, God and the Maou, were dead. Even that bastard Azazel declared that "there is no second war" after losing the majority of his men in the war! It's hard to bear! It truly is hard to bear! To lower your gun once you already shot it!? Don't fuck around. Don't fuck around! If we continued on from there, we could have won! Even so, he...! Is there any value in fallen-angels who can only live by inviting humans who possess Sacred Gears!?"

"That's what Azazel-sama wants!" Raynare-san declared. "Azazel-sama wants a peaceful future for the Fallen Angels, one without war! If you were truly one of us, you would see the wisdom in his words! War isn't something that has to happen between the three factions! We CAN find peace and live without fighting! Shirou...Shirou taught me that...He showed me the truth."

Asia-chan shook her head. "…God doesn't exist? God…is dead? Then the love we were given by him is…"

"That's right. It's normal that there is no love from God and no divine protection from him. God is gone already. Michael is certainly doing well. He's taking the place of God and is taking care of the angels and humans. Well, if the "system" used by God is operating, then the prayer to God, the blessing to God, and exorcism would function. But if you compare it to the time God was present, the number of believers decreased. That Holy-Demonic Sword brat over there was able to create the Holy-Demonic Sword because the balance between God and the Maou broke. In reality, Holy and demonic powers cannot merge. If the ones who rule the power of Holy and Demonic powers, God and the Maou, disappear, then lots of unique phenomenons occur. Even with Satan's blood still around, such things can still happen..."

Then the reason why my Holy-demonic sword was created was no coincidence. It turned out like that because God didn't exist any more...but wait...what did he mean by...?

"Asia! Pull yourself together, Asia!" Raynare-san started shaking Asia-chan who had fallen to the ground, unresponsive.

"From here on out, I will start a war! I will take your heads as a gift! Even if it's only me, I will continue from where we left off! I'm going to show Sirzechs and Michael that we, the Fallen Angels, are the ultimate beings!"

"Shut up...bastard..." A weak voice spoke up. Shirou was barely able to stand despite his wounds and the amount of energy he had used. "You are truly the worst existence...You crave destruction and chaos...You don't care who gets hurt..."

Shirou used his arm to wipe blood from the corner of his mouth, looking up to glare at the Fallen Angel leader.

"There's no way I'll let someone like you beat me! To let such low trash defeat me, I would never be able to bear such embarrassment! I don't care who created it or whether or not God and the Maous exist anymore! I'll protect this world which they left behind for the rest of us! I will never let someone like you have it! I will protect the legacy of God!"

Such a shocking statement! W-What are you saying?!

Shirou clenched his fist and beat it against his chest. "Not just His legacy, but that of the old Fallen Angel leaders and the original Maous. Their spirits and dreams rest in those who believed in and knew them. As long as we're still here, they'll never die! We'll protect the world they all left behind! I'll use my power to create a world to make them proud! One where humans, Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels can all live in peace and harmony! Where we don't have to fight one another! That's the dream I believe in! The one where all of my loved ones are safe!"

Oddly, Shirou's words filled me with a strange new vitality. I felt like I could fight again!

Not just me, Buchou also seemed to regain a bit of her previous spirit as did Akeno-san! Ise-kun also stood with far more pride than he did before! Mittelt was grinning like a child!

Asia-chan blinked twice, coming to while Raynare-san gave her a quick hug before releasing her. Kalawarner-san smiled and Ravel was holding her hands in front of her, a surprisingly pleased smile on her face as she looked at Shirou with admiration. Koneko-chan and Isabela had expressions of approval for Shirou as well.

Even Xenovia stared in shock! She looked like she had regained her purpose. Irina was still on the ground, but she still on the ground, but she clearly wasn't in a daze. She wasn't as inspired as the rest of us, but Shirou's voice had brought her back to her senses.

Perhaps it was the strange charisma Shirou held. The one that inspired everyone to keep moving forward.

Then all of our reawakened confidence changed into shock when Shirou walked up to the abandoned Excalibur Destruction and tried wrapping his hand around the hilt.

"Shirou!" I called out. Even with how strong he is now, if Shirou tries wielding a Holy Sword without possessing the Holy Element, he could die!

"So that's why..." Shirou-kun wrapped his hand around the sword's hilt and lifted it up with little to no effort! "...Even if my bones are crushed...even if my body is reduced to ashes...I'll keep moving forward, **no matter what!**" Shirou-kun unleashed a powerful aura as he held the Holy Sword without any sign of pain.

Even Kokabiel seemed shocked!

"Could it be...?" Xenovia seemed to have realized something.

"H-How are you able to wield a Holy Sword?! _HIS_ descendant of all people shouldn't be able to touch one let alone wield one!" Kokabiel called out in shock.

Shirou smirked. He pointed Excalibur Destruction at Kokabiel. I noticed a newer aura surrounding him. It was bright and-

"Shirou's a Holy Sword wielder?!" Ise's eyes were bulging out of his skull and his mouth was gaping. Ise was right to be surprised. Shirou didn't absorb anywhere near enough Holy Element to be able to wield Holy Swords. And he's a Devil!

"My name is Shirou Fujimura, son of Miyako Fujimura, a natural-born Holy Sword-wielder!" Could it be-!? "Her blood runs through my veins! I'm a Holy Sword-wielder like my mother before me! I'm the man who will surpass the powers of Heaven and Hell combined!" Shirou let out a mighty yell before he rushed at Kokabiel with surprising speed. It was as if the aura was giving him new power.

Shirou flew at Kokabiel and swung Excalibur Destruction downward. Kokabiel raised his arms and an expression of even greater shock crossed his face as Shirou's attack actually had enough force to send him flying to the ground. Shirou flew towards the ground, stabbing Excalibur Destruction downward as Kokabiel just barely had time to move out of the way.

It was like...some kind of power was beginning to be unsealed within Shirou...something in his spirit had finally awakened...

Shirou used Excalibur Destruction's destructive aura to create a power explosion that sent dirt and debris flying everywhere.

"Die!" Kokabiel sharpened his black wings into blades and attempted to pierce Shirou yet again. But despite the Holy Sword's gigantic size, Shirou wielded it with quite a bit of agility, dodging or blocking each and every stabbing motion.

"You really shouldn't risk your wings like that...CROW!" Shirou swung his sword down to his right after dodging another one of Kokabiel's wings. Kokabiel let out a loud scream of pain as one of his many wings was severed from his body and hit the ground. With Kokabiel distracted by the pain, Shirou had the opportunity he needed to deliver a sharp blow by jamming the side of his fist and the hilt of Excalibur Destruction across Kokabiel's face.

Wait...This meant-!

**[Divide!]**

Shirou can Divide Kokabiel's power!

There was a sharp burst of pressure around Shirou, but he refused to cease his assault.

"You wanted a taste of my power, Kokabiel!? Here's more than you can handle!" Shirou drew Excalibur Destruction back. I detected not only the holy aura within the sword building up, but also Shirou's own demonic power being poured into the blade. It easily surpassed the power of the previous attack he tried using. "I'm pouring what little I have left into this attack! For everyone! WE'RE ALL GOING HOME TOGETHER! SO CHOKE ON IT, YOU FUCKEEEEEERRR!"

Shirou swung his sword downward, unleashing a powerful arc of energy in Kokabiel's direction.

I was surprised by the sheer magnitude of the blast.

"No...is this truly that person's power...?!" Kokabiel futilely tried using his arms to block the attack, but he was enveloped by a mix of holy and demonic aura, screaming from the pain the attack caused him.

GOOOOOOOON!

The deafening roar of the explosion that followed would definitely be one of the many things I would forever remember throughout my life. Just the force from the blast almost sent me flying away. It was something that was truly on par with that of an Ultimate-Class Devil. Asia and Ravel weren't so lucky. They had to be caught by Isabela to prevent themselves from flying away.

Shirou smiled as the entire area that was hit by the attack was swallowed by smoke. Shirou let Excalibur Destruction drop to the ground by his side.

"Everyone...I did it..." Shirou then closed his eyes and fell to the ground, no doubt exhausted to the point that he couldn't even move...He let out a sigh of relief. He turned his head slowly and smiled at all of us. A sense of relief spread through my chest. Despite the impossibility of it, we actually survived...we won... "Hey guys...we did it...We-"

"YOU SHIT! YOU FUCKING SHIT!"

The sound of the familiar voice filled us all with a sense of dread.

Shirou stared as if he couldn't believe it...he had literally given everything he had in that attack. It was a miracle he was even still conscious...

"No..."

The smoke cleared to reveal a familiar Fallen Angel. His right arm was twisted in an unbelievably painful-looking way, a fair majority of his clothing had been torn or burned to Hell, and his eyes seemed to be glowing red with rage.

"Kufaahahahahhahahahahaha!" Kokabiel's laughter was clearly motivated by rage this time. "Of course! It's what I get for not killing the descendant of that bastard first! Fuck him! Fuck you, you shitty brat! Fuck you, Sataaaaaaaan!"

"What...?" Shirou seemed to have had a great realization from Kokabiel's words. "What...what did you say?"

Kokabiel turned to Shirou with an almost psychotic grin. "Oh?! It appears the shitty brat doesn't know about his heritage! But no! I knew! I knew the moment I felt that annoying aura! Shirou Fujimura! That is the name of Satan's descendant! The only being I could hate more than that shitty God or those bastards Azazel and Michael!"

Kokabiel pointed an accusing finger at Shirou, whose eyes were wide in shock.

"You are that bastard Satan's descendant!"

We...we couldn't believe what was just said...No...It can't be...That...

The only person who seemed more shocked than any of us was Shirou himself.

"But...how...?" Ravel couldn't even form a complete sentence.

"Fujimura Miyako...bred with Satan's kin?" Xenovia looked like she was going to pass out any second. First she finds out God is dead, and now she learns that a woman whom she somewhat respected had a child with someone who is descended from Satan to give birth to Shirou...

"H-How...?" Irina was shock white. She looked close to being sick, trembling like she was about to throw up.

"Is...is it possible...?"

Kalawarner-san asked in shock. A descendant of someone who strongly fought against Fallen Angels and Angels...what was going through her mind?

"Shirou-san..." Asia-chan didn't seem to care about the fact itself, but rather, Shirou's reaction to it. Asia-chan was a person who wouldn't care about such a thing. I know that much.

"I'm..." Shirou was trembling, on his knees in shock. Sweat poured down the sides of his face. "...I'm a descendant...of Satan-sama...?" He stared at his hands in front of him. He looked as if he didn't know who they belonged to. As if he had lost his own identity.

"It doesn't matter!" Kokabiel shouted, cackling madly. "Descendant or not, I don't give a fuck! I'm going to reduce all of you to nothing! Nothing! Won't that be fun!?" He gave a strong beat of his wings, flying high into the air before any of us could do anything.

"Oh no you don't!"

"Get back here!"

Xenovia and Isabela tried to attack Kokabiel, but he easily smacked both of them away with a single smack from his wings.

"I WILL REDUCE THIS WHOLE SHITTY TOWN TO NOTHINGNESS!" Kokabiel held his badly burnt hand above his head.

A bright light blinded my eyes. At first, I thought it was the sun, somehow working its way overhead. Then I realized not even twenty minutes has passed. It couldn't be sunlight out yet.

Then I realized it.

It was a GIANT light spear above Kokabiel's head. I couldn't fully determine its size due to the harsh brightness, but I could tell it was most likely the same size of the school building and probably even more destructive then it looks. Even from here, I could feel the power the spear radiated trying to blow me away. Even only at half power, Kokabiel was too powerful for all of us to fight.

If we were anywhere near that attack...we would be reduced to nothing. Maybe even less than that.

"No you don't, shitty bastaaaaaaaaaard!" I was in shock as Shirou suddenly spread his wings and took off, soaring towards Kokabiel at breakneck speed.

"Shirou!" Ise tried calling after him, but Shirou was way to fast. He was combining his Knight speed with his Sacred Gear's flight abilities. Even I wouldn't be able to catch up with him.

"What are you doing?!"

"Stop, Shirou-san!"

W-What is Shirou doing?! Even if he gets up there, he'll never be able to stop an attack of that size!

"Be swallowed by a light that surpasses any other! AND PERIIIIISH!" Kokabiel swung his hand down, launching the giant light spear downward.

"This is bad! Run, everyone!" Buchou ordered, but even she no doubt knew that, even if we ran now, we would still be obliterated.

"Shirou!" I tried calling to Shirou. He was far enough away that he might be able to make it if he flew fast enough.

"Geez! If that attack hits, it looks like my girls will get killed also! What a drag." E-Eh?!

H-He's not slowing down. It-It's almost like he's...

That was when it finally dawned on me.

Shirou wasn't flying with the intent of running away or attacking Kokabiel.

It was a living shield-style suicide!

"Shirou, what are you doing!?" Ise screamed at him.

"Hurry and move!"

"Shirou-san, please don't!"

Even Xenovia screamed at him, Asia crying tears from fear and realization.

"Bastard! You can't do this! If you die, I'll never forgive you!"

"Shirou-kun!"

"STOP IIIIIIIIIIT!"

Ravel, Akeno-san, and even I started screaming at him, trying to find some way to stop him. Even if we flew after him, the most we could do is get in his way and die along with him. That is, if we even caught up to him at all.

All we could do was watch as the inevitable unfolded before our eyes...

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

Geez...How irritating. When I'm not the one being protected, I always end up in a situation where I'll probably die.

"FUCKING DAMMIT, GET AWAY, SHIROOOOU!" I heard Ise and the others screaming at me from below, no doubt realizing what I planned to do.

The burning light above me got closer and closer. The tingling sensation on my skin began to become more and more painful as I approached the light, developing more into a burning sensation, like all of my skin was beginning to peel away as if I were recovering from a sunburn.

"Please! Shirou! You promised! You promised me!" I tensed, recognizing Irina's voice. Then I relaxed. She was snapped out of it...that's good. "If you break your promise, I'll hate you forever!"

That's right...I made a promise that I wouldn't die in this battle...

Guess I'm a jerk then.

Then I was completely enveloped by the bright light. Either I was already dead or the sensation of pain was so great that I quickly became numb. Either way, the whole world began to fade away. The bright light became even bright as I unleashed a tiny spark of Demonic Energy, enough to prematurely detonate the attack.

Aaah. If I knew this was going to happen...I would have had sex with the rest of my harem girls...Hehe~

The images of my friends' crying faces passed in front of my face...mourning me.

Che!

...Don't die...you idiots...

* * *

**Sona's POV...**

I wasn't sure when I first got the feeling that something was wrong.

There had been numerous disturbances to the barrier we, the Student Council, created.

Perhaps the bad feeling was when Saji had walked up to me, screaming.

"Kaichou! A weird huge light has been spotted at the battleground!" Saji screamed, pointing into the distance.

I looked where he pointed and used my enhanced Devil vision to observe the events that were unfolding. Most people believe I wear my glasses because I need them, but these are actually a magical device that can act something like binoculars, allowing me to see a great distance when I activate them.

I observed the scene that Saji had described...

"It's not a light...it's a light spear!" I couldn't hide my shock. For Kokabiel to release this kind of power so soon...what kind of corner did Rias push him into? This was bad! That kind of power would completely erase this town. Even with our barrier in place, we would all probably be killed!...Wait...No. "Shirou, what are you doing?" Even though there was no way he would be able to hear me, I asked a question I don't even recall thinking.

"K-Kaichou, what's wrong?" Saji asked me, worried.

I couldn't find it in myself to respond. I...I just watched. I don't know what was wrong with me. I just watched as Shirou, Onee-sama's Queen, fly right into the light spear.

Then there was the explosion.

There was no blocking it. Our barrier was completely blown away by the force of that explosion.

I had to raise my arms to shield my face from dust and debris.

The light was just as blinding...but I couldn't pay attention to that...

I was only focused on one line of thought:

Shirou...you bastard...How could you do this?...What am I supposed to tell Onee-sama!? You...You jerk!

"Sona-kaichou!" I turned to face Nimura who was running towards me with clear exhaustion. "There was a huge explosion! What happened?! Are Shirou and the others alright?!"

I was too stunned to answer...

Nimura started shaking me by my shoulders. "Kaichou! Answer me! Kaichoooou!" There were tears pouring from her eyes. No...there was no doubt about it. She probably already knew...Whether she saw it, one of the others somehow told her, or she just had a gut instinct, she knew...

She knew that Shirou...that he...

* * *

**Issei's POV...**

"Damn you! Bastaaaard!" I screamed at him.

"Shirou! Wake up!"

"Shirou-san! Shirou-san!"

We all gathered around it...The familiar silhouette...This black, humanoid shape in front of us...Despite being hit head-on by the light spear, Shirou's body still maintained its base shape. Even his hair had remained albeit turned a midnight black color. Everything was black...It was like his body was swallowed by darkness itself.

"Shirou...please..." Irina sat behind Shirou, his head in her lap. Her tears splashed against his face. "Wake up...Wake up, Shirou...Shirou, I love you! Please wake up!" She cried over him...like I had seen Shirou crying all the time...crying for the ones he loved...

"Shirou-kun!" Akeno-san was also kneeling beside Shirou. Asia was vainly trying to heal Shirou with her Sacred Gear...but there was no doubt. Deep down, we all had already realized it would happen when he started charging towards that light spear.

Shirou...He...He was...

Tears dripped down the sides of my face.

"SHIROU, YOU IDIOOOOOT!"

"Shirou-samaaaaa!"

Kiba and Ravel both started to cry...crying for Shirou...

"Hmph! To think you would all be saved by that half-breed imbecile! Kufufufu!" My rage shot up through the roof at the sound of Kokabiel's voice. "That's some bad luck. I can only imagine how humiliating that is for you!" I turned towards the voice as Kokabiel descended back to the ground, his arms crossed and a sharp expression of confidence crossing his face.

I stood on both feet, ignoring my injuries caused from the blast. I clenched my fists tight enough that the hand not bearing Boosted Gear began to break skin. I directed my gaze towards the ground, trying to resist the incredible explosive rage building up inside of me.

"Bad luck, you say?" That was when I saw it...it was small and badly burnt...but there was no mistaking it...

Shirou's "good luck charm", Devi-kun, was even in worse shape...laying helplessly on the ground. It had been even further damaged than it had been after my first fight with Riser. The memento of his Oka-san...A small part of me was afraid it would fade away as if an illusion...so I bent over and picked it up from the ground. I just stared at it as it laid in my hand.

"Shirou...wake up, please!..." I heard Irina crying even more, sobbing over Shirou.

"You jerkface!" Kiba cried. "How could you leave with such a one-sided goodbye!? Wake up! Wake up! You came all this way and did so much! WAKE UP!"

But he wouldn't wake up no matter how much we begged and pleaded for that good-natured bastard to open his eyes...Shirou was...Shirou was...

Dead. My best friend in the whole world, my brother, was dead. He was gone.

"How dare you...bastaaaaaard!" Buchou...even she was crying...Shirou was her friend too. She wept like every single one of us. Like Irina. Like Isabela. Like me. Weeping for our lost friend.

"Che. No matter. It won't happen again." Kokabiel shrugged off everything...This person...He felt nothing. He didn't even give Shirou a warrior's respect...he disrespected my brother even after his death...

**[Boost!]**

"Kokabiel." I didn't even process when I moved. I just remembered slamming my fist into the right side of Kokabiel's face, sending the crow bastard skidding away several feet. I raised my fist which was glowing with a powerful, red energy. "You've really made me angry."

**[Welsh Dragon Over Booster!]**

* * *

**We are done! HA! I bet you're all really hating me right now, huh?! That's right! First chapter back with a computer and I pulled the biggest dick move in the great big book of dick moves! Come and get me, internet!**

**Don't worry though. This is not the end of Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan~! I will be back with a new chapter soon. When? No idea. I just got the Fate/Stay Night visual novel and I'll be spending some time with that~**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	22. Life 21: Awakening

**Well, already beat the Fate route...So I'm back~**

**Time for the conclusion to the epic battle against the Fallen Angel~! Let's see the fate that befalls our heroes~!**

**On with the story~!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Opening: Liar Mask by Rika Mayama**

_**[kuchihateru you ni moyuru tsuki]** A burnt Devi-kun covered in blood is falling slowly as a glowing red sky is shown in the background._

_**[akatsuki ni shizumiyuku ]** A badly burnt Shirou is followed and slowly falls down to the ground, his eyes changing to red._

_**[tsukurareta kao de]** The scene changes with Shirou walking, Asia, Ravel, and Isabela following him._

_**[sotto chikadzuite ]** Change to Issei walking alone with the Boosted gear activated._

_**[shinjiru mono o]** Koneko and Yumi appear, apparently following the others. following Shirou._

_**[yami ni otosu]** Kalawarner, Miltelt and Raynare walking with their wings outstretched._

_**[ito ni karamaru] **Irina walking by a pond showing her reflection with Excalibur Mimic._

_**[emono no you ni ]** Xenovia walking by a pond showing her Durandal, Excalibur Destruction and her reflection._

_**[tada hitasura ni]** Rias and Akeno standing alongside each other as they both looked at left side. The background showing every ORC members._

_**[sora o aogu]** Changes to Sona and Tsubaki looking at the right side with the background of every member of the Student council._

_**[kurikaesareru higeki]** Spinning cam of a crying Yumi seeing the souls of the Holy sword project around her._

_**[bukimi ni warau]** An image of Kokabiel sitting on his throne._

_**[ura no kao]** Change to Freed Selzen and Valper Galilei side by side._

_**[kore ijou nanihitotsu]** Makoto Fujimura shown standing on a rooftop as she observes the final battle from afar._

_**[nakusanai you]** A static memory of Miyako Fujimura in a burning house._

_**[ni katana o nuku]** Scene change to Shirou slowly opening his eyes as he activated Divine Dividing._

_**[yami ni houmure]** Xenovia and Irina are fighting Freed as he wields two Excaliburs._

_**[yogoreta egao] **Koneko dodging one of the Cerberus attack as Kiba appeared before activating her Blade Blacksmith._

_**[yariba no nai ikari, hanate!]** Scene change to Sona and the Student Council maintaining the barrier. Rias and Akeno charges up as they unleash their magic._

_**[doredake no chi to namida o nagashitara]** Scene change to Shirou activating Divine Dividing wings and Kokabiel forming a light spear in his hands. They then rushed towards each other as an explosion of blue and golden light results from their clash._

_**[inoru you ni kirisaite ]** Scene then changes to Issei holding his hand out to the screen._

_**[kyou mo akaku someageyo! + Instrumental] **A darkened Shirou extends his hand, grabbing Issei's hand as sunlight whites out the screen._

**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**

* * *

**Life 21: Awakening**

**Issei's POV...**

**[Welsh Dragon Over Booster!]**

It was worth it. Even though it was a decision I made in only a second, I did not regret it.

To get the power I need to finish the sickening person in front of me. Just like when I sacrificed my left arm to defeat Riser and rescue Buchou, I did not regret sacrificing my right and only remaining arm to avenge my brother

...No. Shirou would never forgive me if I did something like this out of revenge.

His soul was erased...even though his body was still somehow miraculously in one piece, even Buchou admitted there was no way his soul could survive such an attack. Light weapons, which were the bane of the existence of us Devils, held the capability of not only killing us, but erasing our souls to the point where there was no coming back. That was the fate that befell Shirou. He is dead in every sense of the word. But still...I held no doubt he would disapprove if I acted out of vengeance.

I sacrificed my other arm to finish what Shirou started. To protect the people he loves. To protect the people I love.

[It's done, Partner. You do realize the short time limit you have?]

I nodded, gritting my teeth. "Thirty seconds. Sacrificing my other arm gave me an increased time limit for the power I already unlocked by sacrificing my left arm." I knew, deep down, I would be unable to defeat Kokabiel within ten seconds. This wasn't like my fight with Riser. Kokabiel had no obvious weakness. If I wanted to beat this shitty crow into the dirt, I needed all of the power I could get short of trading my whole body.

"KAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kokabiel laughed mockingly, more insane than he was before. "How pathetic! You truly must be on your last legs if you had to trade away your own body in order to even attempt to fight-!"

**[Boost!][Boost!][Boost!][Boost!]**

That was when I burst forward and smashed my fist into the side of Kokabiel's face, sending him flying.

"Shut your goddamned mouth, KOKABIIIIIEEEEEEL!"

Using the rocket booster on my back, I shot forward towards Kokabiel, enhancing my speed using my Queen traits. Kokabiel tried drawing out another light spear, but I grabbed his arm. Then I brought up my other fist and proceeded to bash his face in. He let out a sharp grunt of pain every time I slammed my fist into his skull. Blood began gushing from his now-broken nose and from the corners of his mouth, so I kept punching him harder and harder, determined to break his skull in half.

"ENOUGH!"

I was finally knocked back when Kokabiel delivered a knee jab to my stomach, still possessing enough strength to crack my armor and cease my barrage of punches. After I was knocked away, I focused my energy on repairing the damage to my armor. Kokabiel, not wanting to get within the reach of my fists again, used his strengthened wings to strike at me from afar. Whether because I was so enraged or because my Balance Breaker was increasing my power so much, I was easily able to foresee Kokabiel's attacks, catching them on my gauntlets with ease.

Once or twice, the edges of the blade-like wings pierced through my armor, grazing my hands, but I immediately beat them away.

"Ise! He's stalling you!" Buchou screamed at me, her voice filled with realization.

My eyes widened.

Kokabiel knew about the time limit! He was trying to keep me away until it expired! To Hell with that!

**[Boost!][Boost!]**

I used the booster on my back to propel myself forward again, breaking through the assault of Kokabiel's wings. It was harder focusing on defending and moving forward at once, so the attacks broke through my armor several times and injured me further. I crossed my arms in front of me, taking the blow that was meant to pierce me through the heart no doubt.

"Die, you shitty Devil!" Kokabiel screeched, bringing up his arm with which he grasped a large light spear, lunging at me with it. "Die die die die die die!"

GAK!

As I appeared in front of Kokabiel, I was rewarded with an incredibly painful light spear through my right shoulder.

But that didn't stop me. With a light spear sticking into my right shoulder, I brought up my other fist and punched Kokabiel in the gut. I followed up with blow after blow from my fist. Kokabiel released his light spear and proceeded to deliver his own punches, punching me in the head, ribs, and sometimes sneaking a cheap shot at my shoulder wound. But I wouldn't stop. I kept beating Kokabiel in the head and ribs, further satisfied with the sound of what I perceived to be Kokabiel's ribs breaking underneath the force of my punches.

**[Boost!][Boost!][Boost!][Boost!][Boost!]**

[Partner! You still have to watch how much you double your power! Your body won't be able to take this kind of strain!]

"I don't care! Shirou gave up everything-EVERYTHING-to protect us!" I screamed in refusal to Ddraig's warning. "I would be shitting on his memory if I didn't give it my all as well! I'll beat this shitty Fallen Angel!" With that, I continued beating my fist against Kokabiel while he continued to return my blows. My punches with my right arm were less powerful due to my wound somewhat crippling my momentum. But I couldn't stop or else Kokabiel would be able to create a more powerful light spear with that time given to him.

I delivered an uppercut, knocking him upwards before driving my fists down on his skull, smashing him into the ground. I just gave into my more violent instincts, requiring the utmost willpower to keep from succumbing to my rage entirely. I delivered blow after blow. I honestly wasn't entirely sure what I was doing. All I acknowledged was the desire to beat the shit out of this crow and protect the people I loved.

There was just no way I could lose now, not when Shirou sacrificed everything to protect all of us!

Kokabiel was sent flying against after I delivered a powerful kick to his neck, a more sadistic urge wanting to crush his throat, letting him suffocate before killing him. Even I was surprised by my own killing intent. I had to keep pushing it away, but I kept feeling this dark impulse...like something else was guiding me, controlling me even, through my rage and hatred. But I couldn't give up now! I had to keep going!

"You miserable, little wretch!" Kokabiel created a larger than normal light spear, one that was large but not anywhere near the size of the one that took Shirou's life. He threw it forward, letting the spear fly forward with the speed and strength of a bullet train. The only way I could ever block or stop such an attack would be with a blast of my own. If I failed to stop it, then Buchou and the others might be hit!

I know I'm going over my limit, but I need a bit more...Come ooon!

**[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]****[Boost!]**

I focused my demonic power into my left hand, thrusting it forward.

"DRAGON SHOT!"

I unleashed every last drop of energy I had built up to this point in one magnificent blast-

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

My Dragon Shot met Kokabiel's light spear in a gigantic explosive power. It was a close call, but I think I managed to match the amount of power Kokabiel put into the light spear he threw. But it was only a moment later that I realized this had never been Kokabiel's goal.

"Kill yoooou!" That was when I noticed the Fallen Angel that appeared next to me, delivering a sharp punch to my face, hard enough that it completely shattered my helmet into tiny pieces. Then I was met with a sharp blow to my ribs from Kokabiel's knee, shattering my chest place. The tables suddenly turned, me being on the receiving end of the beatdown. It was so bizarre. A moment ago, I had just been handing Kokabiel's ass to him...but now I couldn't feel my body. I couldn't move. I just kept taking hit after hit.

No! This can't happen!

**[Boost!][Boost!]**

Rather than being filled with more power, I was instead filled with a sudden, sharp pain. Like my whole body was rejecting itself, being so filled up with power that it was close to exploding. I coughed up blood, my body trying to find some way to vent this excess power.

**[Burst!]**

[Partner! You've gone over your limit! You can't go at this rate anymore! Retreat!]

"No! I won't run away!" I refused once again. It had to be some sort of lie! This can't be it! It can't be this way! Not again! Not at such an important point!

**[Burst!]**

But it was too late...the "hole" that had been ripped into the magic container in my body had already formed. I couldn't double my power anymore. It was all gone...The pain only increased and blood began spewing from every wound on my body, my body unable to keep up with the strain.

"Ise!" I heard Buchou screaming after me, worried...That's right...Just like when I was fighting for Buchou, I got too cocky...I lost because I ignored my limits. Even if I struggled to try to get up, my body refused to respond. Everything had started to go numb.

"Hahahahahaha!" Kokabiel laughed, standing over my in triumph. I let out a groan of pain as he stomped his foot down on my back, smashing me down against the floor and stomping my face into the dirt for added measure. "Is this all you have!?" With a final stomp, he completely shattered the rest of the armor on my back. There was only four seconds left anyway, it was about to disappear regardless of whether or not Kokabiel attacked me. "Is this all there is to this pathetic Sekiryuutei?! HAHAHAHAHA! The Heavenly Dragons of this generation are amongst the most pathetic insects I've ever seen! KAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Like that white-haired Satan brat, you're just worthless trash! 'Protect my loved ones', 'avenge my brother', HA! Give me a BREAK!" Then he kicked me in the side, sending me tumbling violently back towards my friends and landing on my back, still unable to move.

"Ise!"

"Ise-kun!" Buchou, Koneko-chan, and, oddly enough, Isabela gathered around my battered form.

"Dammit!...Dammit..." Hot tears began rolling down the sides of my face. "I'm sorry...Buchou...Shirou...I still couldn't do anything..."

Buchou placed a soft hand on the side of my face, gently caressing my cheek. She had such a sad expression on her face.

"It's alright, Ise...I know you gave it your all." She said, lifting me up and hugging me tightly. "You have nothing to be ashamed about, Ise."

"Hahahaha! Even the Heavenly Dragons were no match for me!" Kokabiel taunted arrogantly. "Sekiryuutei, know this! The only reason you were able to fight as you did was because that shitty Hakuryuukou used that cheap trick of his and used power that was never his to begin with to give me those previous scratches! Even then, you only survived because he took my previous attacks! You survived only thanks to the actions of that pathetic excuse for a Devil! He was not worthy to lick the scum from my boots!"

Rage started to fill me once again.

Even though my whole body was beginning to be wracked with unbearable pain, I couldn't just lay down with the shit this bastard was spewing!

"Shut up!" As surprising as it was, those words did not come from me.

No. They were the words of the grieving Irina. She was still next to Shirou's body, cradling it like a child while tears poured from her eyes. The only thing that unsettled me was her expression. The unmistakable anger. The absolute loathing and hatred that you would never really imagine appearing on the face of a Christian.

"Oh? The Exorcist bitch finally got some of her balls back?" Kokabiel taunted. "I wonder, did you plan on doing ecchi things with that Devil? Oh, did you plan on turning him into your own personal fuck-toy? What a naughty Exorcist you are! If you're that obsessed with him, why not enchant his body to still be able to become erect? It would be all he's really worth to anyone!" The only thing as unsettling as Irina's expression was Kokabiel's words. After suffering so many injuries, he was clearly unhinged. The slightest trigger would set him off and wipe all of us out.

"I SAID SHUT UP!" Irina screamed with even greater rage. "You have no right to even look at Shirou let alone slander him in such a way!" She raised her Excalibur, her anger and grief guiding her actions. She had just received two major blows. First learning about the death of God and then suffering through Shirou's death.

"KAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! How adorable!" Kokabiel mocked. "Even though he possesses the disgusting blood of the Devil God that you Exorcists hated so much, you still care about him! Or is it because all of that bullshit your faith preaches to you about forgiveness and absolving the sins of others? Even with that, this shit has quite a few too many flaws to forgive, one being such an incredible dipshit!"

"You're wrong!" This time it was Kiba who called out against Kokabiel. She approached Kokabiel, a Demonic Sword in both of her hands. She seemed tired, her previous burst of power now gone. I guess she ran out of time to use her Balance Breaker. "Even if he was a Devil...Shirou had no real flaws!" Kiba hid her eyes behind the hair in front of her face. "No...That's not quite right either. There was always one major flaws of his...That bastard was too fucking trusting!"

We all stared in shock. Asia, Irina, everyone stared in horror at Kiba's sudden insult.

"He put his faith in the wrong people!" Then Kiba beat her fist against her chest, an expression of intense pain etched into her face. "Us! He counted on us to have his back like always had ours! Because of our weakness, we let him down! We may as well have killed him ourselves! I bear no less blame than the rest of you...It's my fault he ended up in this mess in the first place. Human, Exorcist, Angel, Fallen Angel, Devil, it didn't matter. No friend was different in his eyes...Shirou...he gave and gave and all we did was take...he was like the manifestation of all of the good that was left in this world. We couldn't handle it...and we destroyed him as a result..." Kiba began to tremble, her lip quivering. Even with her back turned to us, I could tell her tears were staining her face.

"I was ashamed..." Xenovia, too, walked forward, tightly clutching the hilt of her Durandal, her expression hidden from everyone. "Ashamed of failing in my mission. Ashamed of being protected by a Devil. And most of all, I am ashamed for letting that Devil die without thanking him. For this shame, I will never forgive myself." Then she raised her Durandal and pointed it at the Fallen Angel in front of her. "But neither will I forgive you, Kokabiel!"

"Truly, I am a failure as his Senpai..." Akeno-san...even she was no longer able to smile. Her expression was almost melancholy. Her body began to crackle with electricity, her arm outstretched towards Kokabiel. "For forcing my adorable Kouhai to die for me...I WILL MAKE YOU PAY!" The pressure Akeno-san radiated was intense. Even if her expression was sad, her anger was clearly great.

"For the honor of our Master-"

"-we will kill you, Kokabiel!"

Ravel and Isabela were also getting fired up.

"Shirou-san..." Asia cried, still holding Shirou's unmoving hand.

"Because of you, I will never be able to repay my life debt..." Kalawarner spoke in such a disturbingly dark tone.

"For both Azazel-sama and Shirou-sama, I will make you suffer!" Wow...I never thought Raynare could speak to passionately when it came to Shirou.

"I'm a lot weaker than everyone, but I'll fight too!" Mittelt as well.

"For Shirou-senpai..." Koneko-chan clenched her fists at her side. "...I'll keep fighting too."

I struggled, not wanting to made to look so lame. Everyone...Shirou, your spirit is still with us...Even if you're gone, your spirit exists within every single one of us! We won't give up so easily!

Buchou assisted me, helping me get back to my feet, helping me glare at Kokabiel.

Kokabiel's face turned red with rage. "How the fuck are you all still standing?! Why the fuck won't you all just lay down and die?!"

"Because..." I regained enough strength to turn my other arm, now that of a Dragon's, into a fist. "...Shirou would never forgive us if we wasted his sacrifice!"

The former Fallen Angel leader rolled his eyes, groaning. "Oh come ooooon! How many times are you shits going to repeat that same bullshit?! Seriously! It's like you brought out every fucking cliche!"

"Xenovia! Kiba!"

[Right!]

Irina charged forward, maneuvering in sync with Kiba and Xenovia to throw off Kokabiel's aim and attention.

"You miserably cockroaches just don't learn!" Kokabiel once again created light swords in his hands, using his superior speed to block and counter Irina's first strikes, but he was facing an assault on all sides. The moment Irina was pushed back, Xenovia or Kiba rushed forward to take her place, striking viciously at Kokabiel who had no time to attack properly. When one of them pushed away, another would take their place.

"Eat THIS!" Raynare and the other Fallen Angels started unleashing an endless assault of light spears from the air, resulting in Kokabiel requiring his wings to defend against their barrage.

"ENOUGH!" With a powerful beat of all nine wings, Kokabiel smacked away each and every single one of his attackers, one wing for each of them.

But it was not over.

"Don't forget about us!"

Kokabiel raised both of his hands, catching the fists of both Koneko-chan and Isabela who had tried attacking him from different directions.

"Shirou-sama will be avenged!" Ravel created a large wheel of flames that I would have expected from Riser at max power! She looked tired, so it clearly took a lot of energy to create something of that size. She threw the wheel at Kokabiel. Kokabiel quickly knocked both Isabela and Koneko-chan to the side, using both hands to catch the wheel head-on. He ripped the flames apart, his hands clearly burnt.

"I've had enough of all of this BULLSHIT!" Kokabiel screeched like a banshee. "I am a Fallen Angel of the highest caliber! I WON'T BE BROUGHT TO MY KNEES BY SOME LOW-CLASS WRETCH!" Before anyone could get close, he smashed his fist into the ground, creating a powerful magical shockwave that blew away everyone near him.

I still couldn't move, so the only thing anchoring me to the ground was Buchou.

Even after they all got blown away, everyone kept getting back to their feet.

"You're all acting for that stupid vengeance of yours?!" Kokabiel asked. "To think you're all desiring to die for something like THIS!"

"No!" I called out, realizing Kokabiel's intentions.

Irina and Kiba charged forward to intercept Kokabiel's movement, but were easily send flying several feet into the air.

Kokabiel suddenly appeared in front of Asia, who was still hugging Shirou tightly to her, not wanting his body to be destroyed in the crossfire. For a horrifying second, it looked like Kokabiel was going to kill Asia, but instead he just took Shirou's body from her, roughly gripping him by the crisp-black hair on his head and holding him up into the air, shaking him like some sort of doll.

[Shirou!]

"To think you're killing yourselves over a filthy husk! HAHAHA! How pathetic!?" He continued dangling Shirou's body in front of us like a cruel, older sibling taunting his younger sister by holding her favorite doll just out of her reach. He would've continued his taunts if it hadn't been for someone perhaps braver than us grabbing him by the arm. "Oh what's this now?!"

"Leave him alone..." Asia was trembling, tears in her eyes, but she still had enough courage (or perhaps anger) to grab the arm of a FUCKING FALLEN ANGEL LEADER! "Leave Shirou-san alone! Give him back to us!"

Kokabiel growled. "You should stay out of it where it does not concern you, bitch!" He raised his hand-

SMACK

In spite of everything going on, it felt like that sound could have been heard from miles around. Everyone froze, shock and horror on their faces.

"Yaaaah!" Asia fell to the ground, a red mark on her face.

Kokabiel created an incredibly large light spear in his hand. "I swear that if I can't kill this miserably weak nun bitch, I AM GOING TO DESTROY THIS WHOLE FUCKING COUNTRY TO ERASE YOU MISERABLE SHITS!" Asia could only cross her arms in self-defense in a futile effort to block the incoming attack.

My eyes widened. "Asia...ASIIIIAAAAA!" I tried moving forward, but all I did was slip from Buchou's grasp and fall face-first onto the ground, my body still refusing to obey. I tried forcing myself forward, but everything was still numb. I felt one or two of my wounds burst open again from the futile strain I was putting on my body.

"Get away from her, Kokabiel!" Kiba and the others rushed towards Kokabiel, but even with their inhuman speed, we were too slow. By the time they got there, it would be too late!

-And that was when a bare hand suddenly reached out and grabbed the light spear without hesitation.

"You know...I was content to let this play out on its own," The most shocking voice said, "but I know my conscience wouldn't let me sleep right if I just sat through and let that happen."

"N-No way..." I gasped.

"That-That's impossible!" Isabela was the only other person able to speak amongst us.

Everyone else was struck silent by shock or sobbing too much to form coherent words. It was mainly Asia and Irina, both of them covering their mouths, tears pouring from their eyes like water from a faucet.

"HOW THE FUCK ARE YOU ALIVE!?" Kokabiel screamed, turning his hatred towards the person who stopped his attack. "WHY ARE YOU STILL BREATHING!? HAKURYUUKOOOOOOOU!"

That's right!

Against all of the odds against it, the midnight black body that we had thought was Shirou's corpse had his arm bent backwards, grasping the end of Kokabiel's light spear, showing no discomfort whatsoever. True, it could have been some kind of fluke...

That is what I would've thought if I hadn't been watching the figure in Kokabiel's other hand grinning so wide I could see all of his pearly whites contrast with the pitch black color the rest of his body was.

"Now now, Kokabiel~" The Possible-Shirou-Corpse scolded in a disturbingly playful way. "Didn't anyone ever teach you it's not nice to point a weapon at a pretty lady~? Time to punish a naughty crow-brat~! YOINK!" With his other hand, Shirou grasped Kokabiel's wrist, giving it a sharp twist.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" This time, Kokabiel was screeching from pain. It was probably because of the fact that not only was his arm completely twisted, but it was bent at a horribly unpleasant angle. I would swear I could see his bones sticking out, two broken ends from where his forearm snapped off.

"Whoops! I don't think that bends that way~!" Shirou teased. He pulled his arm forward before slamming his elbow into Kokabiel's ribs. I could literally SEE the powerful shockwave that blow sent straight through Kokabiel's body, sending him flying backward with the force of an explosion. At random points, his head would hit against the ground, letting out a loud thud-like noise until Kokabiel eventually tumbled to a stop.

Shirou(?) gracefully landed on his feet, having been dropped by Kokabiel. He stretched his arms and legs, twisting and cracking his neck.

"Man, am I stiff!" He complained. That was when his body began to change.

The blackness that covered his body began to RECEDE! It began to slowly release his body, showing more detailed parts that had existed but which we had thought obliterated by Kokabiel. No...it was like the shadowy mass acted like some sort of barrier, leaving no damage other than what had existed on his clothing before his perceived death.

-No...That's not right either...There were definitely some differences.

His skin...It was much darker than it had been before, gaining a reddish hue like Victor from Buso Renkin. Not the best time to make such a reference, but it was all that I could think of at the moment. His previous snow-white hair had become the same color as the deepest darkness. One of the most noticeable parts was not even his eyes which were a sapphire-blue color before...but now they were red. They were literally a glowing red color. No. That wasn't what was most noticeable.

It was the slender, red tail with an arrow-like tip, his tail flicking back and forth lazily.

The boy who was clearly not Shirou waved, grinning in a way that was disturbingly like Shirou.

"Sooooo~?" He asked in a sing-song tone. "How's everybody doin~?"

* * *

**Yumi's POV...**

The figure who emerged from the dark shroud surrounding him did in fact look quite a bit like Shirou...My heart was elated for a brief moment, believing with all of my heart that he was alive...but something was different other than the fact he had appeared completely uninjured...It was more than just his appearance...

It was his whole presence as a whole. He (mostly) looked, sounded, and (somewhat) acted like Shirou, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not bring myself to think of this person and Shirou as the same being. No, this certainly wasn't Shirou. It was Shirou's body, but it wasn't Shirou.

I watched the person resembling Shirou quickly turn to face Asia, who refused to flinch despite her fear. I was ready to jump in when Shirou(?) extended his hand towards Asia, only to realize that it had been just that. I thought he had been preparing to attack, but he was just extending his hand to help Asia back to her feet. He had the goofy grin that Shirou always had, but I still couldn't think of this person as Shirou. He had the same approachable and trustworthy aura, but an overall different presence.

"May I help you back to your feet, milady~?" Asia just stared at this person's hand, uncertain whether or not she should take it. She hesitated, but accepted the hand gratefully. The Not-Shirou-Person helped Asia back to her feet, holding her closely in a teasing way.

Asia eyed the Not-Shirou-Person with concern and confusion. "S-Shirou-san...?" It was the question we had all been wondering.

Was this or was this not the Shirou we all knew and loved?

"Sorry, but saying I'm that guy would be both correct yet incorrect at the same time." The tone of voice...the voice itself sounded like Shirou, but different at the same time. It sounded like someone else was speaking through Shirou. "You can say...hmm...what can you call it, I wonder...?"

He then put on a thinking face, causing me to stare in uncertainty. I...Is is he being serious right now?

"Would it be like possession...? No...that more for spirits and junk. I've been in this body since it was created...so maybe it would be more like-"

"DISAPPEAR!" Damn! We had completely forgotten all about Kokabiel!

We all turned to see the Fallen Angel leader manifesting hundreds if not thousands of light spears in the air all around him.

Shirou(?) turned with no concern on his face as hundreds of light spears were shot at him. He simply held out one arm while using the other to carefully carry Asia who was in the crossfire.

A small black, void-like hole appeared in the palm of his hand immediately expanded and exploded outwards, completely swallowing each and every spear, sending them into apparent oblivion. That was when numerous other holes opened around Kokabiel, releasing the same number of light spears that he had thrown. The Fallen Angel panicked, quickling using his swords and wings to block the attacks that had been reflected right back at him.

Shirou(?) narrowed his eyes and he suddenly vanished.

I almost reacted with my Holy-Demonic sword when he suddenly appeared out of thin air in front of me, holding out a horribly confused and dazed Asia to me. The poor former nun looked like she had no idea what just happened, having been moved so quickly that she had no time to process her surroundings.

"Hold this for a second." I carefully took Aska from this person's arms into my own, holding her carefully as to keep from hurting her.

Shirou(?) then disappeared, appearing suddenly in front of Kokabiel. "Excuse me!" He then punched Kokabiel in the face with a fist covered in demonic blue flames, sending the Fallen Angel flying until Shirou(?) appeared behind him. "We-" Shirou(?) delivered a powerful kick to Kokabiel's back at an angel that sent him flying into the air. "-were in the middle-" Shirou(?) appeared in the air above Kokabiel, slamming both of his fists down on the Cadre's head, sending him spiraling back towards the ground. "-of a conversation!"

He then went back to the ground, landing carefully. The person who claimed to be and not be Shirou rubbed the back of his neck. "Now what should it be called...?

E-Eh? H-He just literally beat Kokabiel into the dirt and acted like it was nothing!

"Never mind that, who are you?!" Buchou asked. Ise struggled, Buchou doing her best to keep him from falling flat on his face again.

Shirou(?) stared at Rias with an admittedly cute expression, his eyes like dots as he examined Buchou and Ise-kun. "Mm? Ah. I see a Gremory and the Welsh Dragon if I'm not mistaken." He puffed up his cheeks. "It seems a little less original if both Sekiryuutei and Hakuryuukou are Reincarnated Devils. It would have been cooler if it had just been me. It would make this whole transformation of mine all the more unique." He sounded like a child complaining that he hadn't been the first in line for one of the most fun rides at an amusement park. Then he had an expression as if he had remembered something important. "Ah yes. You asked who I was..." Shirou(?) placed a finger on his chin and put on a thinking expression. "Well...I guess you can think of me as a fragment of Satan's soul that is passed down to the heir of each generation of his bloodline...'the Will of Satan' if you will. Yeah, that sounds pretty cool...I've been in this kid's soul ever since he was born."

Ravel gasped, covering her mouth with her hands. "So Shirou-sama really is...?"

"My/His descendant? Yes. Thanks for pointing out the obvious."

A vein popped out on Ravel's head. "This guy irritates me. He may have Shirou-sama's body, but he's a total ass." That was when I realized something important.

"I almost forgot the big question, but I remembered it now: What happened to Shirou!?" That's right!...Shirou had been hit by that light spear...but now Satan-sama (as I would call him for now) was here...so where's Shirou?

Satan-sama scratched his cheek, pondering his question. "I'm trying to figure out the best way to tell you his soul is just about dead without making you cry." Then his eyes widened, as if realizing something. He cringed. "Dammit! Me and my tactlessness!" I...I couldn't tell if he was sincere or not. But more importantly-!

"What do you mean his soul is just about dead!?" Ise-kun screamed at Satan-sama. "If a shithead like you is around, then Shirou should be alive too!"

Satan-sama feigned a hurt expression using Shirou's face. "So hurtful!" He rubbed the back of his neck, sighing to himself. "Well, it's like this-" He paused, looking as if he just noticed Kokabiel's presence. "Wait a minute. I know that guy!" He then started waving excitedly. "Yo! Coke Head! What's up?!"

C-Coke Head?...I-Is he talking about Kokabiel?

Kokabiel seemed to struggle to stand up after Satan-sama's previous assault. There was a mix of fear and hatred in his eyes. "No! It's impossible! How could Satan's blood have manifested into a physical body!?"

"Cos I'm fucking awesome!" Satan-sama replied crudely with a grin.

...Was that REALLY his response? I...I pictured Satan-sama being like a lot of things, but this was not one of them.

Buchou also seemed uncertain with this. She just stared, seeming disillusioned.

Ise-kun was glaring daggers along with Irina.

Koneko-chan narrowed her eyes while Akeno-san seemed more amused than anything.

The Fallen Angel girls just stared with their jaws dropped in shock.

Asia mostly seemed confused.

...I wonder if the expression "the apple doesn't fall far from the tree" could be used to describe Satan-sama and Shirou.

Kokabiel did his best to regain his previous confidence, but he was clearly terrified.

After all, Satan-sama was able to annihilate hundreds of his light spears with a single attack and didn't seem to break a sweat.

Satan-sama shrugged his shoulders before shaking his head. "I really don't know what else to say. When Shirou flew right into the light spear and just about died, his soul was withered away to an incredibly weak state, giving me the opportunity to finally overcome the seal placed on his power. So I managed to break free and protect most of his body with a special barrier. I've been spending most of this time healing since the damage was so extensive." Satan-sama explained. "But...as I'm sure you know, light weapons don't only damage the bodies of Devils. They also erase their souls. The damage done to Shirou's soul was just as bad if not worse than the physical damage done to his body. It's not gone, but it's horribly weak right now as a result of the blow he took."

"That makes no sense! My light spear should have killed you as well then!" Kokabiel screamed, almost complaining.

Satan-sama narrowed his eyes at Kokabiel and sighed, scratching his head. "Damn. It's really a pain in the ass, but it seems bad things will happen to this world if I let you go, Coke Head." Satan-sama noted. "I really like this world, so I guess-"

"FUCK THAT! I'M OUTTA HERE!" Kokabiel couldn't fly away from Satan-sama fast enough. Even with one of his wings missing, he flew away rather quickly.

Satan-sama clicked his tongue in annoyance. "They always run." He once again vanished, appearing in front of Kokabiel who was fleeing.

Satan-sama's expression became stone cold as he floated in the air, eight bat-like wings spread behind him. Then he pouted.

"Really? This body can only manifest eight wings? That's horribly disappointing and takes away from the intimidation factor." Satan-sama hung his head in disappointment. He shook his head. "Oh well. After I kill you, I'll be the only being here with more than two wings." Then a large grin appeared on his face. With Shirou's skin and hair darkened, the grin seemed much more malicious coming from Satan-sama.

Kokabiel's eyes widened in terror. "STAY AWAY!" He unleashed yet another barrage of light spears at Satan-sama.

Satan-sama didn't bat an eye. A thin layer of flames materialized around the body that belonged to Shirou. Every spear dissipated into light dust the moment they came into contact with the barrier.

Satan-sama sighed. "Fuuuu. What a disappointing opponent. Any last words?" Satan-sama's previous cold expression returned.

"I-"

Then Satan-sama appeared next to him, slicing downward with a sharp chop of his hand on Kokabiel's shoulder, completely slicing off Kokabiel's arm.

"Let me give you a hand!" Satan-sama grinned, holding Kokabiel's arm in his hand. Then he frowned before a confused expression appeared on his face. "Or...er...take you a hand...No no no. Let me take your arm...? No, that's no good. I wonder..." Is he really doing this? Right now?

"GAAAAAH! MY FUCKING ARM!" Kokabiel screeched as blood spewed from his stump.

Satans-sama's eyes widened as he looked to his right to notice the severed arm/stump that belonged to Shirou... "Oh yeah. I felt like my balance was off somewhat, but I couldn't figure out why. Heeeeere we go~" Satan-sama stretched Shirou's stump/arm and beautiful blue flames appeared out of thin air at the stump's end. They continued forming into a solid form and traveled forward, creating more black flesh that stretched from the tattered sleeve of his jacket. "HWAH!" He said dramatically as a new flesh and blood was formed by the power of the blue flames, shooting out from the stump.

Everyone stared in shock.

"Hells yeah!" Satan-sama shouted, flexing his new arm. "That's what I'm talkin bout! Some Dragon Ball Z bullshit right there! KAHAHAHAHAHA!"

I...I just had so much trouble respecting this person as a fragment of Satan-sama's soul. Is this an extension of Shirou's personality or is this truly the Satan-sama that Devils revere as a demon god?

"Now I can't allow you to cause trouble for my precious Devils who I created, can I, Coke Head?" Satan-sama said with a confident smile.

If Kokabiel wasn't unhinged before, he was batshit bonkers now.

"Fuck this! Fuck this whole shitty country! And more importantly, FUCK YOU, SATAAAAAAN!" Kokabiel created several light swords around him, lunging at the Devil God-Possessed-Shirou without any sort of hesitation. "YOU THINK YOU'RE SOME KIND OF GOD!? YOU'RE NOT! I AM! I AM A GOD! YOU ARE NOTHIIIIIING!"

Kokabiel hacked and slashed blindly, using every last bit of his power to try to hit and kill Satan. I could see the raw power radiating around him. If he had come at any of us with that kind of killing intent, we would be dead before we hit the ground. But that wasn't what shocked me the most. It was the ease with which Satan-sama avoided all of Kokabiel's strikes. He looked as if he were dancing around each of his attacks...No. That was wrong. He WAS getting hit! I was able to make out the swords passing through his flesh! His injuries were just regenerating at inhuman speed...just like the Phenex's regeneration...

The biggest shock of all was the almost bored expression he had on his face. As if he wasn't even trying.

This only served to further enrage Kokabiel who pulled back, creating the second largest light spear we've seen all night.

Satan-sama barely blinked. He reached forward with his right hand, cupping the end of the spear. He casually closed his fists, forcing his hand straight through the light spear.

GOOOOOOOOOON!

There was an incredibly explosion as a result, light and dark energy mixed together in a cacophony of explosive power. It was powerful, but not as much as the light spear that had hit Shirou before. It was almost as if the Demonic Power Satan-sama attacked with had created a miniature barrier, reducing the damage done to the surroundings. When the smoke cleared, all that remained was the still-bored-looking Satan-sama, scratching his head with the tip of his tail. He seemed completely unconcerned with his surroundings.

"LOOK OUT!" Buchou screamed, warning Satan-sama as Kokabiel appeared behind him, grinning maniacally as he held a light sword at Satan-sama's neck.

"KAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Kokabiel laughed almost forcefully. "You die now, SATAAAAAAAAN!" He swung at the Devil God's neck, his blade going straight through Satan-sama's neck. We all gasped, followed by the loss of hope in the air, all of us believing we had just seen our last hope for victory get decapitated.

"Oh dear. However will I get out of this one?" That was when the Satan-sama that Kokabiel just decapitated vanished, nothing more than an after-image, appearing behind Kokabiel, glaring at him. Kokabiel tensed, having realized how much trouble he was in. "Hey, Kokabiel? Ever wonder what happens when one of us supernatural folk die? How about I help you find out!?"

"Oh-" But Satan-sama didn't even let Kokabiel finish. The moment Kokabiel opened his mouth, Satan-sama grabbed Kokabiel by the head and threw him into the air. He then flew after the Fallen Angel, floating above him. Satan-sama held out both of his hands, creating a blue magic circle from which a giant serpent made entirely of water emerged, ensnaring Kokabiel with its massive body before freezing solid.

"Now what was it the kid said before...? Oh yeah. I'd say 'Burn in Hell', but then I'd have to deal with you forever, soooooo-BURN AWAY TO NOTHINGNESS!" Then he held out his hands as black, Demonic Energy began to dance in the middle of both of his palms...the same [Power of Destruction] wielded by the Bael's and Buchou. Just like how he used the Sitri's water magic, the Phenex's regeneration, and that unknown black hole ability he used before which redirected Kokabiel's attacks (a power which I did not recognize). The progenitor of the Devils from whom they attained their incredible powers. This person truly WAS Satan-sama.

Satan-sama then threw the first sphere of destruction at Kokabiel.

"FUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" Kokabiel screamed, unable to flee at the sphere rocketed through the air and made a direct hit, spearing the Fallen Angel through the throat and slamming him into the ground.

"And now for No. 2!" Satan-sama smiled, waving playfully. "Bye~Bye~!" In a different manner from the first, Satan-sama pulled back the second sphere of destructive energy before pouring more demonic energy into it to the point of exploding. Then he shoved his arms and the power in Kokabiel's direction, unleashing a gigantic beam of epic proportions. It was a direct hit on the crater in which Kokabiel had made impact.

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

A huge explosion erupted from the crater, shooting a mix of powerful blue flames and black demonic energy into the air, lighting up the dark night.

A small part of me wanted to walk up to the crater to see if Kokabiel was still alive, but the part of me that had common sense knew there was no getting back up after such an attack.

As if to confirm our suspicions, Satan-sama spoke three words.

"Well...he's dead." His tone was empty. He expressed neither remorse nor elation at his victory. He seemed not to care at all about killing Kokabiel. Well...for someone of his power who had no bet in this fight, it was understandable, but still...it was chilling how he could kill without any real emotion. Then he turned his back to us. "This is farewell."

"Wait a minute!" A hand suddenly reached out and grabbed Satan-sama by his sleeve.

It was Ise-kun!

"Ise!" Buchou ran out to go get him, but Ise-kun wasn't going to release Satan-sama. Satan-sama stared at Ise with disinterested eyes, as if he didn't consider Ise-kun worth any of his time. He tried shaking Ise off, but he just clung tightly to Satan-sama.

"Give him back!" Ise-kun screamed at him. "Give my brother back to us!"

Satan-sama raised an eyebrow, but did nothing more than wrench his arm free of Ise-kun's grasp.

My eyes widened. My body finally snapped out of its shock and moved forward, blocking Satan-sama's path. I created another sword. Even if I couldn't use Balance Breaker again due to my exhaustion, I could still summon SOMETHING to fight this person.

"On the behalf of our Master, Shirou-sama, I order you to release his body to him!" Ravel and Isabela also stepped up to hinder him.

Even after we all surrounded him, Satan-sama didn't seem fazed in the slightest.

I was about to run forward when Asia suddenly approached Satan-sama, taking slow yet fearless steps. We all felt it. This person did not intend to kill any of us. He didn't need to. He was able to kill Kokabiel without a hassle. It would be child's play for him to disarm or incapacitate all of us. Even so, none of us moved any closer or further away except Asia who approached Satan-sama.

Then she wrapped her arms around him, breaking down into tears. We all felt the same heartbreak, our emotions being drawn forth from Asia's outward display. Xenovia, who did not know Shirou as the rest of us, did not cry, but I could tell she at least acknowledged our loss and empathized.

"Give him back..." Asia looked up at Satan-sama's face...Shirou's face...pleading. "Please...I want to see Shirou-san again! Shirou-saaaaan! Come back! We're all waiting for you! You have to come back! Please, I love you! Come baaaaack!" Then she buried her face into Satan-sama's shoulder, crying against him.

Satan-sama inhaled sharply. He looked all around him, looking as if he was just now seeing us. His previous disinterest changed to pity.

"I will be honest with you." He said after a moment of silence. "Even if I wanted to relinquish this body to him, you would ultimately get nothing in the end."

"What are you talking about?!" Irina screamed at him, lashing out. "Either explain or get out of Shirou's body!"

With gentle hands, Satan-sama removed Asia's crying form from him, sighing.

"It's like I told you before. He didn't get off without severe damage from Kokabiel's light spear." Satan-sama explained. "I already told you. Light weapons erase not only a Devil's body, but also their souls. I managed to save and heal his body, but repairing the soul is something that is far out of my hands. There are certain species that can manipulate the very essence of life and perform such feats, but it takes great skill to master and perform and Devils just don't have that kind of power, not even me. There are powerful wielders, but only a handful have ever managed to physically damage or repair souls. Even if I return his body, Shirou's soul will be crippled."

Uncertain, I stepped forward. "What do you mean? Can't Shirou's soul just heal? Even if it takes centuries, we can give him the time needed to mend his wound."

Satan-sama shook his head. "No. It doesn't work that way." He gestured to his own heart. "You don't quite understand how valuable one's soul truly is."

"What the Hell are you talking about?!" Ise yelled, once again grabbing Satan-sama by the arm, the latter not even attempting to remove Ise this time.

"One's soul is the very essence of their existence. Without the soul, one cannot truly exist." He explained. "They say that one's memories are stored within their brain, but that's not entirely true. The truth is that everything exists within their souls. Their memories, their experiences, their emotions, even their life spans. Even if I return Shirou to you, with the damage done to his soul, even being a Reincarnated Devil, centuries if not millenniums will be shaved from his own life span."

"You mean...Master might..." Ravel fell to her knees, trying to digest the fact that she may very well long outlive her own master.

"Don't get me wrong. He would still have a fairly long time. Maybe 4000 years about...A sharp drop from over 10000 to 4000 is still a lot, but he should still be able to enjoy a lot out of life." Satan-sama added, clearly trying to soften the blow. "But that's not the worrying part about it. With his soul being so damaged, everything about him that you believed to be Shirou Fujimura will be gone. His memories and feelings towards all of you will be completely erased. You can try to help him remember, you can show him pictures, things from his past. None of it will matter. His emotional tie to everything will be severed, like his whole memory has been overwritten."

"YOU'RE LYING!" Ise-kun grabbed Satan-sama by the collar. "Shut your goddamned mouth! There's no way Shirou would just forget about all of us!"

"I speak only the truth. Shirou as you knew him is "dead". There is nothing you can do about it."

"I said SHUT UP!" Ise-kun tried to punch Satan-sama in the face, but Satan-sama send him flying just by jabbing his forehead with two fingers. Ise-kun was completely blown away, bruised and bloodied, but still clearly alive. He tried sitting up, but he was clearly already overexerting himself.

"That's it!" Isabela clearly took offense to Satan-sama attacking Ise-kun, pulling back her fist to throw a punch. I expected the same result as what happened with Ise-kun, but I was shocked to see that Satan-sama let the fist connect to his face. He barely flinched, but he didn't counter her. I think Isabela was more surprised than any of us that her attack met its mark.

Satan-sama crossed his arms into an X. "Sorry. Hitting women is a no-no." Ah, so he's a gentleman...Sucker~ "But I won't hesitate to knock you out or disarm you." Damn.

With the same gentle hand he showed Asia, Satan-sama removed Isabela's fist from his face, managing to push her away with an oddly gentle touch.

"My words may be painful to hear, but they're the truth." Satan-sama reiterated with a sympathetic look. "Neither you nor I can repair his soul. He will live, but his past self may very well be gone forever. Even knowing this, do you want to have him back? If so, is it because you want him to live or because you want to blissfully believe that he will somehow magically remember all of you, returning everything to how it was? Condemn him to be forced to relearn himself even if the new person he wants to be is completely different?"

"What are you talking about?!" Irina shouted at him. "Of course we want Shirou to live!"

"The path to Hell is paved with good intentions." Satan-sama spoke with a philosophical tone, reciting a rather popular phrase. "Which fate will you bestow upon him? Will you let the new him live his new life, regardless of how he is different from what you knew, or will you force him to try and fill his old self's shoes, force him to relive a life he will never remember just so you can have the satisfaction of believing he is the person you bonded with, ignorant of the continuous suffering he is in due to your own selfish desires?"

"I-!" That was when the world froze for me. I couldn't remember what I was going to say...What was I going to say...?

I remembered how Shirou and I first met...He helped me out when I had a...rather embarrassing situation. He embarrassed himself for me to hide my own embarrassment, so I had Buchou erase everyone's memories of the incident...even Shirou's. All he remembered was that we became friends and I...I...

I fell in love with him.

My heart felt both elation and pain when I finally admitted those words. All of the teasing, all of the perverted remarks, all of the tears I shed for him...I loved him since last year. And now he would never remember any of us. I could never lie. Just like Satan-sama said, I wanted to stubbornly believe he would someday remember us...but what if my desire caused him misery?...Would I even care? Would anything I feel be true at all?

It wasn't just me. Nobody could look each other in the eyes. Deep down...we all realized our own selfish desires...we couldn't answer because we were worried about what our decision would truly reveal about us...that it would reveal the worst parts of ourselves, that everything we thought and felt was a lie...

Ravel, Asia, and me...we all loved him, but we couldn't truthfully say we didn't...

Wait...Hm?

I...I...

I couldn't say those words. Whenever I even considered saying I didn't love Shirou...It just felt like a lie. My mind refused to acknowledge that.

My mind...it was such a mess. I loved Shirou, but my mind wouldn't even think about not loving him...would I love him as someone else...?

"I don't care."

We were all taken aback as Ise-kun limped forward with Buchou's help. He was bleeding, but Asia quickly ran up to him, working on healing his injuries.

"Hm?" Satan-sama raised an eyebrow, examining Ise-kun with new-found interest.

"Shirou...he deserves this much." W-What are you saying, Ise-kun? "He was always hurting...He never showed it, but that stubborn dumbass was hurting a lot. Always because he was helping others. I'm not saying I don't want him to remember who he was and that he knew all of us, but I want him to live regardless of who he chooses to become. It will hurt, but no matter what," Ise-kun slammed his fist against his chest, "he will always be my brother!"

...

That's right. Even if he becomes a different person, he will always be Shirou. Even if he isn't the same as before, I will love him. Even if he hates me, I'll love him. Even if he becomes a monster, I will love him.

"I agree with Ise-kun!" I declared proudly and boldly. "No matter what happens or who he becomes, Shirou is Shirou!"

"My loyalty is to my Master." Ravel agreed, seeming somewhat relieved that she wasn't alone. "Even if he is no longer the one I knew, I will serve him until the day I die."

"I also want Shirou-san back!"

"Yeah! Bring Shirou back, ya jerk!"

"Maybe Shirou-senpai will be less of a perv when he comes back."

Asia, Mittelt, Koneko-chan, one by one, everyone spoke their thoughts, the unanimous decision being to bring Shirou back.

Satan-sama smiled softly to himself. "Hmph. Even if you are abnormal and became Devils only due to technological tinkering, you carry the souls of true Devils, all that I desired of my people." He crossed his arms, incredibly pleased with our decision and our reasoning. "Very well then. Your decision is set in stone."

The hair on Shirou/Satan's head gradually began to fade to a familiar white color. The skin on the shared body began to brighten considerably, returning to the shade it had been originally. His eyes changed from blood-red to dark-blue. The eight Devil wings that had sprouted from his back slowly retracted He came to resemble more and more of the self-proclaimed badass we had come to know and love.

Shirou had returned.

...Then he fell.

Isabela was the first to catch him. "Shirou!"

We all quickly gathered around Shirou, worried about his condition. His eyes were closed, but he was still breathing.

"Shirou! Wake up!" Irina was at his side, holding his limp hand. "Shirou, please! Come back!"

"Come on, Shirou! You gotta wake up!"

[Shirou!]

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

[Abyss of the Soul]

That name was what I felt perfectly described my surroundings...I think...

Everything hurt...I didn't really know where I was and I barely knew WHO I was...

I just kept watching these weird scenes play out in front of my eyes. Even when I closed my eyes, it played out in front of me like a movie reel.

I kept seeing these people, quite a few of them dressed strangely. There was a girl dressed in a miko outfit, a girl dressed in some kind of S&amp;M get up, a gothic lolita loli, an Onee-sama-type woman dressed in a trenchcoat, an odd girl dressed in what appeared to be some sort of...I honesty didn't know what the mask-wearing girl's get-up was about. Maybe tomboy? I dunno. And finally, there were two girls dressed in skin-tight suits. The rest of them wore similar uniforms of some kind...

These names and faces confused me. I heard and saw everything like it was from behind someone else's eyes. There was a fight and the person fighting won outright...

But I didn't really care. That was what surprised me.

It was heart-stopping to see these people fighting against such a monster, but I felt no real connection to them...

They were strangers...

And that felt wrong for some reason.

I heard their words...and they kept calling a name: "Shirou..." I think that was my name...Nothing made sense...

I tried calling out several times, but my voice made no sound. I tried to move, but unfortunately pain was ALL that I could feel.

Whenever I tried moving a limb or any part of my body other than my right arm or head, I experienced intense pain. It took several minutes for me to realize that the reason for this was that I had no other limbs. All of my lower body looked like it was composed of some kind of light, but a fair amount of it was gone, like someone took an erase and just violently rubbed out most of my existence...

Emptiness. That was what I felt. I saw all of those people out there crying about...I think it was me...I could only assume I was "Shirou", but I didn't quite feel like "Shirou"...

Who am I?

It was sad. These people were crying for someone named "Shirou", but the person who was speaking said he couldn't come back. That was sad...to never see someone you love again...They cried. They cried and cried. I did not know them, but it was sad.

"Who am I?"

For the first time, my words made a sound. My cheeks started to feel wet. I was crying...

"Who am I?"

I kept repeating it again and again, those words being the only one I could speak.

"Who am I?"

I just wanted to know...my sadness turned to anger...and then self-loathing...

With a hoarse and sorrow-filled voice, I screamed out with everything I had. "JUST WHO THE HELL AM I!?"

That was when I saw it...

That single pinprick of light in the distance...It was small, but I felt like I could just grab it in my hand. Then I realized the light wasn't small. It was just far away. That changed when it started getting closer...and closer...and closer...until I was finally swallowed up by it.

I could only close my eyes to avoid being blinded by the incredibly bright light. It was a sensation of searing pain.

What I saw on the other side hardly made me feel any better.

The first thing I noticed was the smell of smoke...and death. I opened my eyes, finding myself in a room. A room engulfed in blue flames.

Blue.

That was the color of the flames the devoured everything around me.

I was once again in that horrible place...the ocean of blue fire. I had no idea how I got there, but I had somehow ended up all alone in that burning field of blue. It seemed like the whole world was going to be swallowed by these powerful flames. It wasn't because of the abnormal color that I thought this, but the strange power I sensed from the flames.

It was scary. I was so afraid for reasons I could not understand, but felt fear for nonetheless.

But I wasn't alone.

"Oka-sama! Oka-samaaaa!"

There was a little boy there...he was crying, buried underneath that burning rubble. He...He seemed kind of familiar somehow...

I tried to touch the rubble around him, but my hand phased right through it as if it were nothing. It was a wonder I could even move with my current form. I could only watch as the poor child cried vainly for his beloved Oka-sama.

...I couldn't make out what he was screaming after some time passed...every noise was dulled by the roar of the fire engulfing the room...but...I somehow knew what he was saying. It was just some instinct inside of me.

Everything hurt...it hurt so much...

I was crying. The flames weren't devouring me like they had my surroundings, but they still burned and stung me. I was stuck, just like the child in front of me...left to be completely swallowed by the blue flames surrounding us on all sides.

I felt so sad and alone...Now more than ever...Part of me just wanted to die here, swallowed by flames...

"...a-sama..."

The boy's voice was much clearer than it had been a moment before.

"...ka-sa..." He kept calling out for her

That was when I noticed it. The lone shape I could make out on the ground before me.

I resisted the urge to throw up when I saw it.

The charred corpse before me...I somehow knew who it was...She seemed...familiar somehow...somewhere, deep down, I knew I should know her, but I just could not make the connection...Her once beautiful face was marred by these unholy flames around us...Her entire form was slowly being devoured by fire...

"Oka-sama! OKA-SAMA, wake up, PLEASE!" The boy cried. "Please wake up!"

Why...? Why am I seeing this...?

GAAAH!

I was struck by a sharp pain. Not the pain of moving, but a different pain...I clutched my head, trying to tune out this incredible pain to no avail.

"Oka...sama..." A lone tear fell from the corner of my eye. I didn't understand it, but I realized that the one who had been crying...was me. When my vision cleared, I saw that that little boy was no longer there...that little boy...was me. But who am I...? Am I even anybody...?

...Oka-sama...Please...please don't leave me...please...

"Somebody, please! Oka-sama!"

Why am I so helpless...? Why...?

...Just let it end...please...it hurts...please...somebody help her...at least let me go with her...

JUST LET IT END! LETITENDLETITEND! PLEASEJUSTLETITEND!

"Oka-samaaaaaaa!"

.

.

.

Then something changed.

"Why...?"

My eyes widened at the sudden, unexpected voice. This has never happened before in the previous cycles.

Huh?! O-Oka-sama...?

"...why...why...?" Despite being completely swallowed by blue flames, her blazing body stood completely upright, wobbling slightly like some sort of blazing, blue metronome. With incredible slowness, she turned around to face me.

"Oka-sama...what are you...?"

The burning figure stumbled toward me. "Why did you kill me...?"

W-What?!

Faster than I ever would have expected, the hands of the burning figure reached out and grabbed me by the arms. I hissed in pain as her fiery hands burned the flesh on my arms. This-This didn't happen before! I don't know what's going on! "Why did you kill me, Shirou!? WHY DID YOU KILL ME?!"

I don't-

I gasped only to inhale a huge mouthful of the supernatural smoke that burned my insides as badly as the fire burned my outsides. The fire from her body was beginning to spread up my arms and onto my body! I let out a voiceless scream from the intense pain as more and more of my flesh began to be burned by the supernatural flames!

"WHY!? WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYWHYwHyWHywhYWhywHYWhy!?" As my whole body began to alight in blue flames, the burning figure before me leaned in and I had no choice but to look at the horrible sight in front of me. I looked at the face...No...Her skull no longer had any flesh left to be called a face. It had all burnt off. All that was left was the skeletal head with the burning gaze, merciless as it refused to release me as my whole body was completely engulfed in flames.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

I screamed and flailed about, but in my current state, I would never be able to escape. All I could do was sit and endure this torment, the burning skeleton shoving my face against its chest, wrapping its flaming arms around me. Whether it crushed me or stabbed me or just buried me under flaming rubble, I just wanted the pain to stop...I just wanted it to stop...So much pain...it hurt...

"WHY DID YOU KILL MEEEE!?" The voice shrieked again. "Why did you-"

_"Shirou, Ka-chan loves you..."_

W-What?!

"-meeeee!" The skeleton kept shrieking over and over again, showing me no mercy.

I cried. I just kept crying.

"Oka-sama...Oka-sama...please...save me..." I was so pathetic...I couldn't even protect XXXX let alone myself...how could I...?

Wait...what was that?...I said a name before...but it was like...it was censored out...

"Why did you kill me, Shirou!?" The skeleton screamed once more. "Why did you kill-!?"

_"Shirou, my baby boy...Shirou, you're so loved...Shirou..."_

I felt another sharp burst of pain from those words. It was just like when...

There it was again! It was like...like my body was remembering something my brain wasn't...I think...

"-kill...meee..." The skeleton's voice started losing power for some reason.

_"Shirou, my baby boy, Ka-chan loves you. You're so loved...we love you, Shirou..."_

That voice...it was...it was so soft and warm...like a loving whisper...

"Why...why did...you kill me...?" The skeleton's voice sounded lazy...like a recording on a machine that just ran out of power...

_"I love you, Shirou...it's alright..." _

It was that warm voice again...I kept hearing it again and again, filling me with a strange warmth within that place of burning despair. The voice of the burning skeleton, the one whose voice filled me with despair, became weaker and weaker to the point of being nearly non-existent while the warmer voice became stronger and more audible to me, warding away the despair and pain I had been filled with before, replacing it with the warm and welcoming feeling of hope.

"Shirou...my baby...I love you so much. More than you can ever know."

My eyes widened. The voice sounded close...and life-like, like it was no longer an illusion.

I felt my heart almost leap out of my chest when I felt the arms around me, but that was when I noticed it. The pain or rather the lack thereof that the person holding me was causing. Their body was no longer coated in blue flames. Instead, there was a worn and tattered robe like...like...Like the Church!

I remembered...I remembered the cloaks of people I know!

A kind, gentle hand brushed through my hair, holding me closer.

"I know...Someday, you might hate me. Hate me for the existence I pushed on you." The woman holding me apologized. I looked up and saw tears flowing down that gentle-looking face. "My sin of falling in love will force you to bear unimaginable pain that almost nobody will be able to understand. But, in exchange, you will be able to forge unbreakable bonds with the ones you hold dear...Remember that."

That was when I felt it. I looked down and saw it with my own eyes. My body of light which had been in tatters only moments before was starting to regenerate, forming a new, whole form. But it wasn't just my body that was becoming whole, it was like there were several large holes in my mind that were finally being repairs, allowing me to finally get back what I had thought lost.

The woman in front of me began to glow with a silvery light, sprouting white, angelic wings.

I pulled away, finally recognizing the face of the smiling, crying woman who held me.

I couldn't stop the smile and tears that broke on my expression.

"Oka-sama!" I rushed forward, embracing my Oka-sama again, holding her tightly as if I were afraid she would fade away into nothing.

"My, Shirou, you're all grown up." Oka-sama said with pride. "You've become such a brave, kindhearted boy. I've never been prouder."

The world of blazing blue around us vanished, being replaced with a white void. No...void would be the wrong word for it. It was like our environment itself was a warm light that filled our hearts with everything good that existed in this world. Like it was the embodiment of all of the world's pure intentions.

"I've missed you, Oka-sama..." I said, my voice cracking.

I remembered Oka-sama's death all over again...No wait...I remembered?

I resisted the urge to completely break down. "You...You died...that day...you were killed because I was too weak to save you..."

After a few more moments, Oka-sama separated from me, shaking her head.

"No, Shirou. You had nothing to do with it." Oka-sama assured me, holding her hands in front of her. "Because I was blind, I could not notice the pain that person was in."

"Y-You mean the person...You..." That was when the pieces clicked together. "You were murdered, weren't you?!" The thought...it was so shocking, but I was finally able to remember now. That nightmare...the part with the skeleton may have been a lie, but there was no doubt that it was Oka-sama whose body I saw dead in that fire. And those flames were the same ones the person in control of my body had been able to use. The flames of Satan... "Tell me...who was it?!"

Oka-sama crossed her arms, pouting in a way that could only be described as "adorable".

"Rejected!" She smiled sadly. "Shirou...I know what you're feeling in your heart right now, but it will pass. Getting revenge on that person will help nobody. I will still be dead and you will feel no better than before. The only difference will be that you lost an important part of yourself." She poked me in the chest, right where my heart was. "I know this person...This is the person you will hate more than any other, but you can't, Shirou. The hardest thing as well as the worst possible thing you can do to them...that's granting them forgiveness. Deep down, I know you know that. It's similar to your belief of mutual forgiveness between the three factions being the only solution to the ages-long conflict."

I stared at Oka-sama in shock, taking a step back. "This is different! A personal matter! How can I just forgive them!? They...They took you away! They took everything away from you! They took your life away!"

"Just like Valper took the lives of those children..." I stopped right in my tracks, Oka-sama gaining a sad expression.

"How can you even compare the two?!" I screamed. "Valper was a monster! He killed those children for their light element, tossing them aside like garbage!"

"It's because my hatred for Valper is the same as your hatred for the one who took my life, Shirou." Oka-sama explained. "Shirou, you do not blame them. You blame yourself." I jerked back, as if slapped. "I know because I experienced the same feeling. I despised Valper. I hated him with every fiber of my being. I desired to kill him brutally and painfully, to make him suffer. I really would have, too, if it had not been for a friend of mine. During your whole predicament, I considered whether or not sparing him was the right decision, but then I reasoned that someone like Kokabiel simply would have found another lab monkey to help him with his plans. Just like I said. Killing him would have made no difference in the world. The real reason I desired his death was to alleviate my own guilt, not for justice or to prevent any future acts from him."

I stared, waiting for Oka-sama to continue.

"I failed to protect them...All of those children. Gone. I blamed Valper, but really? I blamed myself. I didn't do anything to stop Valper until it was too late. My soul was saved because of a friend whom I deeply cared about" Oka-sama placed a hand on my shoulder. "Shirou, I love you. Just like your friends love you. Like your brother loves you. Don't throw all of who you are away for something as petty as revenge."

My...friends...Rias. Isabela. Sona. Karlamine. Mako-nee. My loved ones, Serafall, Ruruko, Yumi, Irina, Ravel, Asia, everyone.

And my brother...Ise...

I remembered all of them. It was like the the world was broken and incomplete before, but now everything was back together and whole again.

I placed a hand over my heart.

"I won't make you swear, Shirou." Oka-sama said. "I know I cannot ask you to ever do such a thing...but I just want you to remember my words when the time comes. To remember who you really are and to stop and think about what you're doing."

I not wordlessly, uncertain about how much I could possibly promise Oka-sama.

"Alright, Oka-sama."

"Mmmmmmm!" That was when I realized Oka-sama was pouting.

"I-Is something wrong?" For a brief moment, I thought either I had messed up something or Oka-sama had something else to say, but she just kept on pouting.

"When did you start calling me "Oka-sama"?" Oka-sama complained. "What happened to when you were little and cried out "Ka-chan!", "Ka-chaaaan!" like you used to?!"

E-Eh?! That's what she had to say?!

"W-Well I'm all grown up now and-"

"Nonsense!" Oka-sama interrupted. "You're never too old to address your Ka-chan affecionately!" She was flailing her arms about like some sort of five year old who wasn't getting her way. "No fair! I want Shirou-chan to call me "Ka-chan" like he used to!"

"You-! You're one crazy old lady, you know that, Oka-sama!?" Now that I thought back on it, Oka-sama had always been this level of eccentric and childish...it was oddly familiar somehow.

That was when two hands started yanking on the sides of my face, stretching my cheeks to their limit.

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING OLD?! I'm only thirty!" Then it looked as if Oka-sama just realized her own words because, the next second, she was on the ground, beating her fists against the ground like a baby. "It's not my fault that father time's an asshooooooole! I'm no Angel or Devil so I'm being ripped apart by the flow of time, that dick!"

"You're definitely Oka-sama." I noted, sweat dripping from my face.

Then Oka-sama froze, as if remembering something. "Oh yeah." Then she stood up, tip-toeing over to me and smirking mischievously. "So I hear you've been getting some "Naughty No-No's"~!"

Some Naughty...wait...what?!

I felt my face flush red, realizing what Oka-sama was getting at. "H-Hey! That-That's private! You have no right going through my mind like that!"

Oka-sama waved off my objections, still smirking to herself. "It's no trouble, Shirou! I've been there, I've done that~! I may have only loved and been in bed with one man, but trust me, I saw that bed A LOT. I'm no stranger to that subject."

"GAAAAH! MY EYES!" I started clawing at my face, the mental images providing more torture than those blue flames ever could have. "I'll never get those images out of my head!"

"Anyway, I suggest you wear a rubber when you're having sex, Shirou." Oka-sama explained, waving off the mental trauma she was continuing to give me. "You shouldn't have a baby until you're ready to settle down with a woman. And you had better watch out. With the rate you're having sex with women, it's only a matter of time before one of them gets knocked up and decides she wants something the other girls don't have."

"My virginity?" I joked. "Coz Serafall took that a long time ago~" GAAAH! I just joked about my sex life with Serafall and the other girls with my mother! What the fuck's wrong with me?! What the fuck's wrong with HER?! "But in all seriousness, if I ever got one of my girls pregnant, I would take responsibility and raise my baby, no matter what the cost to myself."

Oka-sama sniffed, tears forming in the corners of her eyes. "My baby boy, so responsible!" She lunged out and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly while crying.

"Gaaaaaah! Ka-chaaaan!" I cried out, complaining.

"WAAAAH! He's calling me "Ka-chan" again!" She sobbed even harder. "I'm soooo happy!"

After several minutes, Oka...Ka-chan released me, once again smiling with pride on her face.

"It's so nice, being able to see your face again." Ka-chan said, showing an expression of great relief. "How I would love to just talk to you now, spending hours if not days with my adorable son...but the others need you back, Shirou. They miss you. I've done what I could and so what happens here is up to you."

I stared sadly at Ka-chan. "Will...Will I ever see you again?" Ka-chan smiled once more. She jabbed her index finger at my heart again.

"Shirou, back when I died, I managed to use my soul to form a high level seal." Ka-chan explained, leaving me confused. "I used this power to seal away the power inside of you, to make sure that it never fell into the wrong hands." Ka-chan gently grasped both of my hands in her own. "I will always be with you, Shirou. Whenever you love your world and love being you, that's me from inside of you, loving you. I will always love you, Shirou, and we will always be together, I promise."

Tears threatened to pour from my eyes again, but I wanted to bid farewell to Ka-chan with a smile on my face and happiness in my heart.

"Goodbye...Ka-chan."

(You done, kid?)

I jumped at the voice, spinning on my heels to face the voice. What I was met with was a large, black shadowy mass. There was a shape somewhere inside, but I couldn't make it out with all of the darkness surrounding it.

(Your friends are waiting for you back in the real world, so don't make me regret giving you your body back.)

W-What? Who?!

Before I could get any answers, everything went dark.

But I heard one final thing before I was swallowed by darkness:

(I'll give you one final piece of advice, kid: The true enemy is the one closest to you, so don't let your guard down.)

How ominous!

And then I wasn't there anymore. The last thing I SAW was Ka-chan's smile, illuminating even the darkest corners of my heart.

* * *

"Look! He's opening his eyes!"

"Stop shoving! Standing closer to him isn't going to wake him up faster!"

"H-Hey! He's my Master so I should be the one to greet him when he wakes up!"

"Shi-chan..."

I opened my eyes, initially expecting either the incredibly white void or the incredibly dark void, but I was greeted by neither. I was greeted by the gentle, starry night sky. That and the numerous faces that were so crowded together that I could barely SEE the night sky.

"I recommend not crowding around him. You'll only disorient him." I recognized the voice as Xenovia's. It was significantly less hostile and bitchy than I remember.

I sat up, everyone moving away from me to give me space. They were all close to tears. Some of them were already crying. I blinked once. Everyone blinked back.

"So...who died?" Was my first question...I think I was trying to be funny, but it was probably in bad taste.

"Good morning, Master..." Ravel choked out, wiping tears from the corners of her eyes. "...I know you have a lot of questions now, but-"

"Hold on hold on!" I groaned, rubbing my temples. "You're gonna have to hold on for a bit. I have such a migraine right now, Ravel. I think we need to stop at a pharmacy on the way home. I mean, DAMN."

There was a sharp gasp.

Everyone looked shocked.

"S-Shirou-sama...w-what did you call me...?" Ravel said, her voice trembling.

I stared. Then I turned to my other servant. "Isabela, I think something's wrong with Ravel." Isabela gasped too, her eyes going wide.

Mittelt, Raynare, and Kalawarner both leaned forward, staring with wide eyes.

[Shirou, what's my name?!]

I backed away. "OK, what's up with everyone?! Has the whole world gone crazy?!" That was when I felt something slap against my leg. My eyes widened as I recognized the long, slender, black appendage with an arrow-shaped tip as a tail. "And when the fuck did I get a tail!? I know I didn't have this when Kokabiel almost killed me!"

[HE'S BACK!]

"Wah!?" I was knocked back onto the ground as Asia, Ravel, and Yumi lunged at me, the former two crying while desperately hugging my arms and Yumi having her arms wrapped around my torso and staring at me with tear-filled eyes.

"You dummy...I love you...If I had just...If only I admitted my feelings sooner..." She cried more and more, hugging me tightly. "I was afraid. If I embraced my feelings, I would abandon the reason I existed...but even that reason is gone now. But now, I know I'm not alone. I still have Buchou and everyone. And the friends who helped me escape, they all live within me." Yumi's eyes widened before she looked at my face with more of an examining look. Then she smiled. "And in you too, it seems."

I stared, shocked. How did she know about that one spirit child who went inside me?

...Wow...That came out so wrong.

"MMPH!" Yumi pressed her lips against mine, inserting her tongue into my mouth. At first, I thought it would be me taking the lead like I usually do with my harem girls, but Yumi was surprisingly proactive...not to mention, GOOD! I mean...

Wow! What she lacks in experience, she makes up for with technique! Just look at that tongue go!

"Heeeeey! Get offa my Master, you skank!" Ravel was burning red with both rage and jealousy.

"Remove your sinful body from Shi-chan, Devil!" Not just Ravel, but Iri also started pulling Yumi away from me, Iri lunging at me the moment the other blonde bishoujos were out of the way, hugging me tightly. "Shi-chaaaaaan! I was so worried you were gone foreveeeeer!" She started crying into my chest. "Idiot! Idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot idiot!"

I smiled, petting Irina on the back of the head. I could swear I saw Xenovia smirk before she turned the other way as if to say "I see nothing, I hear nothing". The others were all staring me, tears of relief etched into all of their expressions. Everyone...they all cared for me...They mourned me...

"Hey, ya goddamned playboy!" I turned, glaring at Ise who had his fist extended towards me. My eyes widened when I saw what he was holding tightly in his fist. I stretched out my own hand, letting Ise drop the incredibly damaged Devi-kun into it. "I know it's not much...but welcome back." Ise was grinning like a doofus, trying to take attention away from the tears running down the sides of his face.

I nodded. "Yeah..." Ka-chan...I know what you mean now...I can't be held down in the past...Just like I told Yumi...if I spend my life devoted to revenge, I would ultimately lose the most important thing to me and destroy myself. The people I care about most...for them, I'll continue to live.

But for now, it was over. It was finally over.

Then the universe, the smug dick, decided to be...well...a dick!

"Bravo! Truly a most entertaining performance."

CLAP CLAP CLAP

The figure who floated confidently in the sky clapped her hands. Whether it was serious or mocking, I had no idea.

I sat, up, holding Irina protectively while glaring at the figure. "Who the Hell are you?! What are you doing here?!"

My whole body trembled. I could feel the power radiating from that guy. It was well-controlled unlike Kokabiel's power which lashed out indiscriminately. I had no doubt that this person's pressure could crush me if she went all out...None of us were in shape to take on such a fight again.

I set Irina down gently, standing up and glaring defiantly at the flying figure.

"Hehe." The person chuckled to herself. "Even after everything that just happened, you still have such fighting spirit. Truly, only Satan's kin could possess such willpower."

"Answer the question!" Rias commanded of our "guest". "Answer or I will destroy you in the name of the House of Gremory and in the names of our Maous!

"I was not speaking to you, Rias Gremory." The person retorted spitefully. "But to think...I came here, hoping to encounter the legendary Sekiryuutei and Hakuryuukou, and I also find the descendant of Satan. While I am disappointed that both of you have yet to even reach Balance Breaker, the power you displayed more than compensated. To think that I would get so moist."

And, just like that, this conversation got weird.

I stepped forward, glaring at the floating figure. "So you wanna fight? Fine! Bring it on! But leave the others out of this! I'll beat the shit out of you all on my own!"

The girl floated back down to the ground several feet away from us. Her appearance was...wow.

She had waist-length white hair, a similar color to my own except hers was more silvery than snowy-white. Her eyes, like mine, were a light blue color and she possessed huge breasts. Not huge like Rias' or Akeno's, but large like Serafall's or (dare I say it) Xenovia's. Despite being a girl, she looked kind of tomboyish, dressing kind of like some kind of female punk. She looked cute, scary, yet oddly sexy.

And the worst part was that I couldn't bring myself to hate her. Not because of her appearance (coz I'm not as shallow as Ise), but because there was some kind of mental barrier...like my very being could not hate her.

She took a step forward as if to test me. My body reacted against my will, taking a step back. I couldn't stop sweating.

In a straight-up fight, I could never take her on my own. "Answer me! Are we gonna fight or what?!"

The silver-haired girl smirked. "While it is tempting to see how much of a man you are now, Satan, I would rather wait until you've had more experience. I find that the wait whets my appetite the most."

I blinked, staring uncertainly at her. Her expression gave NOTHING away. "Um...we're still talking about fighting...right?"

"Depends," She taunted, leaving forward to grant me a generous view of her cleavage. "Do you WANT to still be talking about fighting?"

I was taken aback. "I...dunno..." I turned back to the others. "Alright, I can't handle her. Somebody tag in!"

"You don't need to worry." The girl assured me with eyes like a hawk. "I'm not here to fight you."

"Then why don't I believe you?" Although...I oddly did believe her for some reason.

The silver-haired girl walked over to the possibly dead-Freed and threw him over her shoulder. "You can claim disbelief, but I know your heart knows the truth." She placed a hand over her breast. "I don't usually believe in silly things like fate or destiny, but I cannot do anything but accept this hot feeling that spreads from my breast to the rest of my body. The threads of fate bind us together at an intimate level-No. The power binding us is even greater than fate. You, of all people, acknowledge the truth."

H-How did she know what I was thinking? S-She's bluffing! That thread of fate stuff is bullshit!

"My mission here is merely retrieval." The girl explained. "Azazel has disclaimed all of Kokabiel's actions on behalf of the Fallen Angels and simply sent me to deal with him."

"Well, you're a little bit late." I spat venomously. "Kokabiel is no longer available for retrieval. He kind of came down with a severe case of death."

"Yes," The silver-haired girl agreed, "I arrived just as you were halfway through dealing with him, so I felt no need to intervene. Well done by the way."

"..." I stared sharply at her, unable to show genuine hate towards her.

"Hm. Well even though you've yet to master your power, I see quite a bit of potential in you, Satan." The silver-haired girl praised.

"Shut up!" I barked at her. "My name's not Satan! It's Shirou! Shirou Fujimura! Got it?!" I raised a fist to show her that I meant business.

The girl's smile became wider. "'Shirou', hm? Very well. I'll definitely be sure to remember that for our next meeting." That was when she vanished from my sight. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up as I felt a teasing finger trace down my spine. "And trust me, there will be a next time."

"Leave him alone!" Irina swung at the silver-haired girl only for her to easily avoid the attack, landing by the crater where Kokabiel's corpse is held. Without any hesitation, she picked up his corpse and flew higher into the air.

I ran forward, determined to not let her get away without some real answers. "I won't let you get away!"

"Hn. I'm glad to see that my other half has so much spirit." She sounded pleased. "Very well then. Go get stronger then. I hope to fight you once you gain more power." Then she disappeared into the night sky.

"Hey!" Ise lunged forward, but I stopped him.

"Don't..." I hated to admit it but... "Even if we give chase, she would either beat the shit out of us or escape with ease. It's best to quit while we're ahead. Besides...we'll meet again, just like I said." Under which circumstances, I have no idea whatsoever.

Ise seemed displeased, but also seemed to agree, nodding.

The other ORC members were back, gathering around Rias and Yumi

"…Kiba-san. We can do club activities together again, yes?" Asia asked Yumi with a worried face. Ah yes. She was also worried about Yumi through everything. Even after learning about the nonexistence of God, she was still so worried about everyone.

"Yumi."

Rias called Yumi's name. Rias welcomed her with a smile.

"Yumi. I'm glad you returned. Also to reach Balance Breaker. I am proud."

"…Buchou. I…To everyone in the club… Most of all, I betrayed you who saved my life once… I can't find the words to express my apology…"

Rias' hand patted Yumi's cheek. Ise was glaring, seeming to seethe with envy at Yumi being petted by Rias. It's so cute how big of a crush he has on her~

"But you have returned. That is enough. You can't waste the feelings of your comrades."

"Buchou… I will promise you once again. I, Kiba Yumi, will protect you and my comrades for the rest of my life as the Knight of Rias Gremory's group."

The two bond between the King and Knight, being like sisters...it was beautiful. They hugged and everything was so fluffy...

But this wasn't over yet. There was one final thing that had to be resolved.

"Sorry, guys, but I have to head home." I excused myself.

Everyone stared at me in shock.

"Eh?! What do you mean, Shirou-san?!" Asia exclaimed.

Rias crossed her arms. "Shirou, we need to await the Maous and their reinforcements to explain the situation and give our reports."

"Which you guys can all do without me." I countered. "...I have...There's something I have to make right first. Tell Serafall and Sona I'm sorry for worrying them, but I have to go for now. Asia, Isabela, Ravel, see you three at home." I spread my wings and took off, leaving no room for further argument.

* * *

I only half-remembered what I was gonna say when the door opened in front of me.

"Geez...it's like midnight or something..." Mako-nee complained, rubbing her eyes. "It's too late for this shit..."

"Um...hey, Mako-nee..." I greeted shyly.

Her eyes went wide with shock. "W-What the Hell happened to you!?" She was, in fact, referring to my tattered clothing and the clear scars where my injuries had healed under Satan's power. He could heal the wounds, but he couldn't remove any marks, that dick. "Did-Did someone beat you up? Where is he?! I'll beat the shit out of him!"

I shook my head. "You don't have to pretend, Mako-nee. I know you were worried, having sensed our battle. I know everything now." Mako-nee's eyes went wide with shock. Then I did something that shocked her even further: I lunged at her, wrapping my arms around her.

"S-Shirou...?"

"I'm sorry, Mako-nee..." I was sad, but I didn't want to cry in front of Mako-nee. "I didn't know that you were protecting me all of this time...I remember about Ka-chan. She died-No. She was murdered by someone with the same power as you and I. We're both the descendants of Satan."

Mako-nee wrapped her arms around me, embracing me tightly. "I'm sorry, Shirou." Mako-nee apologized softly. "I tried to protect her, but I was no match for that person..."

My eyes widened. I looked up at Mako-nee in shock. "'That person'? You...You know who it is...? The person...The person who killed Ka-chan?" My heart was beating faster than usual. I...I know Ka-chan didn't want me going after that person for revenge, but I wouldn't be able to live without at least knowing who was responsible. I figured that if I knew the person's name, I might get some kind of closure...

Mako-nee's expression became serious. "It would be best if we discussed this inside, Shirou."

And so we both headed inside.

* * *

Mako-nee was sitting at the dining room table, a single candle illuminating her face with an eerie blue light...

Wait...blue?

I took a closer look and realized that the flame that had lit the candle was an azure blue.

I was confused.

"Sit down, Shirou." Mako-nee commanded. Her expression was dead serious.

Listening to my Onee-sama, I took a seat at the table opposite her.

"First, let me explain to you what happened during the battle against Kokabiel...it pertains to your blood which makes you the heir to our ancestor, Satan-sama..." I immediately went silent as Mako-nee explained to me all of the things that happened while I was blacked out.

She told me about how the damage to my soul at the hands of Kokabiel made me lose control, breaking the seal Ka-chan had placed on my powers entirely and releasing the sealed away fragment of the soul that had once belonged to Satan. It would explain why I felt different all of a sudden.

I remembered what Satan did while he was in control. He used powers like Rias' Power of Destruction, the Phenex's regeneration, and some weird water magic and some weird black hole magic spells.

"It's because all of the powers of the Devils originated from and belonged to Satan-sama. The Power of Destruction, the Phenex clan's regeneration, all of them." She explained.

It made sense.

But...Satan almost didn't release his hold on my body. He even went as far as to threaten everyone with his demonic power...I...He might've used my body to actually hurt my friends...

And it was my friends...it was friends who saved me...with their love and tears (as cheesy as it is). They had cried because I had been weak...because I almost lost myself...

"And I honestly can't say what happened after that..." Mako-nee admitted. "From what you told me, Miyako-sama's soul inside of you maintained its consciousness and used the memories and feelings it obtained through you to repair what was left of your own soul. It was a damn near lucky break. It's in cases like these that being a momma's boy pays off~" Mako-nee was grinning, amused by her own tease.

"I'm not a momma's boy!" I screamed.

I admit I felt somewhat happy that me and Mako-nee returned to how we could just mess with one another jokingly...

Then Mako-nee's expression became serious. "And now it's time to reveal the truth behind our past. The truth behind what happened on that night. The night when Miyako-sama died."

Miyako-sama...? Why did Mako-nee call Ka-chan in such a formal way? She's not even acknowledging Ka-chan as her mother...

Mako-nee then raised a single hand, causing me to jump when a small flame burst into existence in the palm of her hand. "These flames were handed down to use by our ancestor, the former Devil King, Satan. Our grandfather possessed these flames, our father possessed these flames, and now we possess them as well, but it appears the actual heir of Satan is you seeing as you are the one who inherited the fragment of his soul." Mako-nee didn't necessarily seem pleased about that fact.

...I think she was afraid... I couldn't blame her...I almost lost my body to that bastard...

"Also, one more thing I should explain. Miyako Fujimura was not my birth mother. I considered her my liege lord and a dear friend, but she was not my biological mother."

I let that shocking realization sink in. Mako-nee and I came from different mothers. We were only half-siblings. I shook my head. No! Even if we only shared half of the same blood, she would always be my Onee-sama!

"Believe it or not, my mother was a Fairy."

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAT!?" I leaped out of my seat, staring at Mako-nee in disbelief. "No way in Hell are you a Fairy! If you're a Fairy, then I'm part fox-demon!"

BANG!

Mako-nee slammed an annoyed fist down my head. "I'm only HALF Fairy, dumbass! Focus!" She coughed into her fist, trying to regain her previous demeanor. "We have different mothers, but our father was one and the same. My mother was a Fairy while your mother was a human, an Exorcist from the Church as fate would have it..." Mako-nee paused.

I raised my hand again. "Question: Fairies are supposed to be really small and fragile. How did your mother and our father even-"

BANG!

Mako-nee punched me again, putting another bump on the bump that was already on my head. "Quit interrupting with that stupid shit! It happened so just leave it at that!"

I rubbed my "wounds", wincing in pain, nodding.

"No. I should probably get to the point and explain what happened. No more stalling. I will tell you who killed your Ka-chan, Shirou."

Somehow...deep in my gut, I knew who it was before she said it. Mako-nee seemed to respect Ka-chan, so she probably would never do such a thing. I couldn't have done it since I was too young for my powers to manifest...So there was only one person.

"That night, I had arrived too late...I fought the assailant briefly, but he was too powerful to defeat as I was back then...I managed to get back home in time to save you from perishing, but it was too late as Miyako-sama laid dead on the floor...Shirou...The person who killed Miyako Fujimura...who bathed her body in flames of azure...was our father, Lucius Satan."

**And with that final realization, I end the climactic chapter and simultaneously end Kokabiel's life~!**

**Before any of you ask: Yes. I did indeed do a FemVali. I almost didn't do it, but I decided why the Hell not?**

**Also, before you ask: Yes. I did recycle certain parts of this from Vanishing Dragon's predecessor, Devil Reborn. Only small parts. Most of it was different. I also changed the ending quite a bit.**

**I know both of you are curious about quite a few things, but I swear: EVERYTHING will be explained in due time. It's all about timing.**

**I hope you all enjoyed~! The Excalibur Arc is officially...OVER!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	23. Life 22: Aftermath and So On

**And here we are~! The Excalibur Arc is dead and gone, dead and gone~! We've been walking on this road too long, but it's time for the next story arc! :3...**

**Well, not quite yet. There are quite a few things that need to be settled before we can truly begin the Peace Treaty Arc~! So please enjoy~!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OCs.**

* * *

**Opening: Brave Shine**

_**[15 Second Instrumental] **A bird's eye view, soaring through the air, through the streets of Kuoh Town, passing by Shirou who turns to face the camera before it flies into the sky, the title appearing in the air:_

_**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**_

_**[hidari te ni kakushita] **Shirou wakes up with a start, rushing to get dressed, and running out the door._

_**[negai wa negai no mama de] **Shirou, dressed for school, runs through the streets, stopping suddenly._

_**[samenai yume miteta] **Ise and Shirou's friends stand ahead, smiling and gesturing for him to follow, Shirou smiling as he chases after them._

_**[migi te ni wa kara no kioku] **Serafall wanders through empty halls of a high-class building, her hair down and forlorn expression upon her face. Serafall stops by a window and stares sadly through the glass._

_**[daremo shiranai sekai no hate] **The silhouette of a woman with feline features observes Shirou in school from a nearby tree, flicking her tail playfully._

_**[yamanai ame ni utareteita] **Gasper sits in the darkness of her room, hugging her legs against her chest, her eyes glowing._

_**[mamoritai mono o mamoreru tsuyosa] **An empty-looking Irina walks through the streets of Kuoh Town in the rain, turning around in shock as images of her younger self and the younger Shirou and Ise run past her like a memory._

_**[sore o shinjirarenakunaru yowasa] **Shirou sits in the ORC clubroom with his friends, staring at his open right hand, staring at the darkened skin caused by his possession before tightening his fist full of determination._

_**[subete o ukeirete]** In an unknown place, a red-eyed figure sitting upon his throne in the shadows smiles softly, four silhouettes standing at his side._

_**[ashita o sagasu] **Shirou stands by his other friends and comrades, staring determinedly at the approaching tides of war, summoning Divine Dividing._

_**[Brave shine] **Issei (in Scale Mail) Clashes against the explosive power of a silver-haired girl in the skies above Kuoh Academy._

_**[te wo nobaseba mada Stay the night] **Scene change to the school grounds. An adult-version of Jack blocks a blast of Demonic Power from Katerea Leviathan using several knives of an evil origin, evading numerous other blasts using incredible speed before leaping into the air and swinging her blades forward._

_**[kizu darake no yoru You save my life]** Scene change to the woods behind the school. An explosion rocks the earth, Shirou fleeing back out of the kicked-up dust, catching the blow of the powerful "Shadow" the two unleashing powerful punches coated in blue and black demonic power respectively, resulting in a deadlock of explosive power._

_**[kazashita yaiba no saki ni] **Only Shirou's silhouette becomes visible in a giant towering vortex of azure flames surrounding his body, only glowing red eyes showing any difference in color. Serafall cries out to Shirou, tears falling from her eyes._

_**[omoi o kasaneta]** Images of Shirou's favored memories play in black and white like on a super 8 film reel._

_**[inori wa toki o koete]** Shirou's friends and those he considers "family" stand outside the normal Kuoh Academy, smiling and inviting him forward, Issei extending his hand towards Shirou._

_**[Your brave shine...]** In an unknown place, Shirou walks across a crystal and undisturbed body of water, walking with determination in his eyes as he halts suddenly, confronting "the Shadow" standing across from him, dramatic wind blowing around them. Scene changes to Devi-kun, half-submerged in the water._

* * *

**Life 22: Aftermath and So On**

It's been several days since the Excalibur incident. It was almost shocking how quickly everything had returned to normal...

But the scars created by the battle had yet to fade. We all laughed, we all reveled in the fact that we survived, and we could not forget everything that happened.

God was dead. Even though we were Devils, that single fact was a huge blow to us. If that was the truth, then what was the point in all of these conflicts? There was no ultimate enemy, no final boss character we were striving to overcome. No leader of the Heavens like we were taught to fear. It only made me realize how much stupider and cruel the Church was. They branded Asia as a heretic in the name of a God who no longer existed. They encouraged the executions of Devils, Vampires, and Fallen Angels, regardless of whether or not they actually did something wrong. And the Holy Sword Project...No. That wasn't the reason it was infuriating. It was because there was no one to actually blame anymore.

Usually, when something goes wrong in someone's life, they blame God for not doing anything to help them. They always had a scapegoat for when they could not handle how unbearable their lives were. But now God was dead. There was no one left to blame. Valper had been punished for his crimes, but there were still many other things that the Church had done in the name of a God who was dead.

But still, in the end, there was nothing to do about it.

Perhaps that wasn't even the real reason I was upset.

It was Irina. Ever since she learned of God's death, well...I only saw her face-to-face once following the Excalibur incident. She had just looked so depressed. Empty. I felt like a huge ass for just leaving everyone there. I should have remained behind to help everyone process their feelings. Maybe if I had remained behind and recovered with everyone...I had just been so focused on my own drama with Mako-nee that I didn't realize how everyone else was feeling. I made them cry over me. They thought I had died for good. I didn't even stay to see how they were...

And now Irina wasn't even answering my phone calls.

I only knew that she was still alive because I had spoken to Xenovia three times since the incident. The last time had been three days ago.

Xenovia had been noticeably less of a bitch and-dare I say it-friendly ever since she learned about the death of God. She seemed sad, but it was better than her usual, "All Devils Are Evil And Must Die" attitude.

"-ou can do about the tail?"

"Huh?"

I was snapped out of my thoughts by the sound of Ruruko's voice whispering in my ears.

I was on the rooftop of the school, eating lunch with Ruruko, Tsubasa, Momo, and Karlamine again with the recent addition of Ravel. I've been so distracted lately that I completely missed what Ruruko had asked me. I stared at her stern and annoyed expression as she pointed at my demon-like tail that flicked back and forth on its own, moving with my unfocused thoughts.

Then Ruruko mouthed the question:

'So there's still nothing you can do about the tail?'

I shook my head. I still had the three "mementos" of my time possessed by the fragment of Satan's soul in my body. The first, of course, was my new, cliche demon tail. Even when I regained my body, the physical changes Satan made to it were not small. To those of the supernatural side of the world, it was fairly apparent. Unless I tucked it into my pants or my shirt, it was really noticeable. However, it also appeared that people with no magical power could not see it. I guess it worked like how normal humans can't see Devils when they're making contracts with someone else. Unless someone were to grab or touch it by mistake, there was no way to tell it was there.

"My King...is something wrong?" Karlamine asked.

I managed a small smile. "Sorry, I've just been going through some stuff lately. I just started recovering from a bad bout of recurring nightmares and I guess my body isn't used to getting a good night's rest. It's just been really hard getting a good sleep."

"Does it have something to do with your injury?" With food in her mouth, Karlamine pointed at my right arm which was covered from shoulder to fingers in bandages.

"O-Oh. Yeah." Right. My "injury". While it looked like my arm was seriously injured from the previous battles, the bandages were there to hide my arm. This is because, after I got a new arm following my possession by Satan, it had become a dark and unpleasant color. According to Rias and the others, it was the same color as the rest of my body while Satan was in control. When my body changed back excluding the tail, my arm remained the same color. It looked so unpleasant where it cut off at the shoulder blade, black, tendril-like marks extending to my shoulder. "I burned myself pretty badly when my baby cousin was messing around the stove."

Karlamine had a sympathetic expression. "Oh. I'm sorry...You're a good person to your cousin if it's any consolation." Then a sad smile appeared on her face. "But still...it's nice." We all looked at her, confused. "We all haven't just hung out and eaten together for over a week. Shirou's just seemed kind of depressed and you guys always seemed busy with Student Council things. It feels like it's been such a long time since we were just able to hang out as friends."

We all felt ashamed (excluding Ravel who barely knew Karlamine).

[...Sorry.]

I felt bad for lying to her about what had happened, but Karlamine was a normal human. We couldn't explain anything truthfully without getting her involved in the world of the supernatural. She deserved a normal life as a human. That was a major reason why we fought. To protect the innocent lives of others, regardless of species, especially the humans who knew almost nothing of our world.

"No, it's fine." Karlamine assured us. "All that matters is that we're all able to hang out together again."

Momo smiled. "Yeah...that's right. Regardless of what happens, our bond with one another will never break." I could swear that she was staring at me.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing staring at my man?!" Ruruko shouted at her.

Ravel looked slightest. "'Your man'?!" Then she glared at Momo as well. "And you have no right to stare at Shirou-sama either!"

Momo's smile changed to a smirk. "I have no idea what you're talking about~ I was just admiring the scenery and Shirou-chan just happened to get in the way~"

"That's bullshit and you know it!"

"Stop looking at my King with such lewd eyes, harlot!"

"Momo does seem to be lewdest of all of us."

"Wh-What the fuck you just say, Tsubasa?!"

"You mad, bro? Come at me, bro. Come at me."

"Hey! Don't ignore me!"

"Shut it, Karlamine!"

And the fight continued from there...

Still...it was nice some things didn't change. Even if it was small, that was a relief.

But the heavy weight on my heart still remained.

* * *

"You sure you're alright to get involved with the supernatural again so soon, Shirou-san?" Asia asked, worried.

We were on our way to the Occult Research Clubroom because Rias had called all of us. Of course Isabela and Ravel were coming with me as well.

I flexed my arm, grinning. "I'm tough. Despite having been "killed" several times in the past few months, I've never felt better."

"That's my Master." Ravel nodded cockily. "Truly amongst all of the Devils here he is the strongest Devil in this school. His supposed rival-kun can't hold a candle to him."

"Hey! I've won more fights than him!" Ise complained. "Why don't I get any respect?!"

"Why don't you ask the kendo girls you were peeping on earlier that?" I quipped. "Anyway, I may have a dark-colored arm and a tail, but there's nothing preventing me from showing my pride as Serafall's Queen." Which reminded me... "Did Serafall stick around a bit after she and the reinforcements arrived?"

Ise frowned. "Not really. She seemed...off."

"'Off'?"

"Yeah. She didn't seem crazy, just...less herself. It looked like there was thinking about something the whole time." Ise explained. "She pulled a huge frown when we told her you weren't there, but she didn't stick around to go check up on you."

That WAS "off" for Serafall. Was she mad at me for disobeying her and entering battle against Kokabiel anyway?

"I'm sure it's nothing, Shirou." Isabela said, placing a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to reassure. "Even if she's somewhat lax when it comes to her position, Serafall-sama IS still a Maou-sama. Perhaps she had a lot of work to do in response to the incident. She may have simply been disappointed that you managed to handle the situation on your own and didn't get to show off how amazing she was to her beloved Queen."

"...You know, that oddly DOES make me feel a little better." I stared at Isabela. "You should become a motivational speaker or something."

By that point, we had reached the door to the clubroom. I was opening the door just as I finished speaking to Isabela.

"EEEEEHHHHHHH!?" I would like to say it was either Ravel or Asia who screamed out of surprised...but it was me.

"Hey, Shirou-sama. Sekiryuutei."

The reason I had screamed was because I was really shocked by the sudden appearance of the foreign-looking girl with blue hair sitting on the sofa in the ORC clubroom.

WHAT IS SHE DOING HERE?! Then I said it aloud.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?!"

"Yeah, no kidding!" Ise agreed, just as shocked. "W-Why are you here?!"

For a brief moment, I thought that Xenovia was back for a fight. Then black wings grew out of Xenovia's back. The wings of a Devil. Wait a second...

"I found out that God is gone. So I turned into a Devil as a self-abandonment. I received a Knight piece from Rias Gremory. It seems like I'm not that great, while Durandal is. So I was able to become a Devil with 1 piece. And I was also placed in this school. From now on, I'm a 2nd year student and also a member of the Occult Research Club. Lets get along, Shirou-sama." She made a cute noise while having a serious face.

"…Don't make such a cute sound with a serious voice." Ise was nowhere near as amused as I.

"H-How the Hell did you do that?!" Despite the serious expression, that sounded like a noise Irina would make!

"I copied Irina, but it looks like it's not easy."

I rubbed the back of my neck. "So trying to copy Irina, huh? Well...I'll admit it was funny at least."

"Screw that!" Ise yelled. "Reincarnated!? Buchou. Is it alright to use such a valuable piece?"

Rias just seemed amused by everyone's interactions, smiling.

"Well. Having a Durandal wielder feels reliable. With this, it's a birth of the two-swordsmen along with Yumi."

My eyes widened.

Wait a minute! If Xenovia was here...

"So how was Irina?" I was worried for a brief moment since Irina had only recently recovered from her injuries...If Xenovia was here, then that must mean...

Xenovia shook her head. "She's...hanging in there. I think God's death hit her even harder than it did for Asia and I combined."

"That bad...?" I asked with a pained expression.

For a brief moment, Xenovia looked uncomfortable. "She...She's just really emotional right now. I even think I made her mad at me."

I raised an eyebrow. "Gee. I wonder how anyone could ever be mad at such a charming person?"

"Alright. I had that one coming." Xenovia admitted, smiling bitterly to herself. Then her expression became serious again. "But Irina...I admit I've never felt quite this useless. I tried convincing her to go back to the Church. If she played the good, obedient Christian girl and returned with the five Excalibur fragments' cores and Valper's corpse, she would be accepted back with open arms...but she snapped at me."

I sighed to myself. "That sounds like Iri-chan. Stubborn as Hell. To have every last bit of her belief crushed in one moment...She's torn between what she's always believed in and the horror she was forced to face. She probably believes the Church to be heretical now that she knows that they cannot worship a God who no longer exists. Whatever they're worshiping now, it's not the God she swore her loyalty to. I guess it would be something like the servants and loyal subordinates of the original Maou-samas refusing to bend and serve the current Maou-samas."

"I already became a Devil, so I contacted our standby agent to come and collect the Excalibur fragments himself." Xenovia explained. "If we waited too long, they might take it out on Irina and possibly even the Devils for withholding the Excaliburs as an attempt to weaken the Church or something along those lines."

Ah, so the Church was gonna forge new Excaliburs so they could be used to kill Devils all over again. Good to know...Well we already destroyed them once, so it shouldn't be any more difficult to destroy them again.

"Was it alright to give them your Excalibur? More like, was it okay for you to betray the Church?"

There had to be SOME kind of repercussions.

"I have to give them the Excalibur back just in case. Unlike the Durandal, there are other wielders that could be chosen. Having Durandal is enough for me. When I mentioned the absence of God to them, they became silent. So I became an outsider for knowing the absence of God. The Church hates outsiders and heresy very much. Even if that person is the wielder of Durandal, they will cut them off. Exactly the same way as the incident with Asia Argento."

She laughed at herself…I felt my anger towards the Church increase. If a person makes a single choice they disagree with, they're cut off like a diseased limb. I didn't like Xenovia much before, but she was still a person, not to mention a follower of their teachings. She didn't deserve such a fate any more than Asia did.

"I managed to deceive them into believing that Irina didn't know the truth."

I blinked. "You...You lied to the Church for Irina?"

Xenovia nodded. "Yes. That is what friends do for one another, is it not?"

...OK Xenovia, you have gained more respect points from me. You have gone from bitter enemy, to Disliked Ally, to Comrade.

"But they may begin to suspect if she takes too long with her decision." Xenovia crossed her arms, a pensive look on her face.

"What...decision?"

"Whether or not she's going to return to the Church, of course."

"You mean she might not?" Ise asked, frowning.

"For a devout Christian like Irina, it could go either way." I replied, feeling sadness well up in my heart. "If I had just beaten Kokabiel before he had the chance to reveal the truth like that..." Xenovia, Ise, and everyone else didn't have to say anything. I was being unfairly hard on myself, blaming myself when that was a battle we never should have in the first place. It was pure luck that we survived let alone won. "I'm going to try to talk to her later...I can only hope that she'll listen to me."

Xenovia raised an eyebrow. "You would convince her to go back to the Church? Doesn't that mean your passionate romance will be forbidden?"

I shook my head. "I'm not convincing her to go back to the Church if she doesn't want to. I just want to make sure she makes her decision with a clear head. If she chooses to return to the Church, that's her business. If she chooses to leave the Church, that's also her business. I just don't want her to make a choice she'll regret by the time she's returned to normal."

Xenova seemed to eye me with even greater respect than before, seeming impressed with my plan.

I raised a hand. "Two questions. First one I want answered: What did the geezers at the Church say when they found out I wielded Excalibur Destruction?"

Xenovia's expression became one of amusement. "They were rather unhappy when they found out that a Devil wielded one of their beloved Excaliburs. They said something about cleansing it for several days to rid it off its taint." I grinned. Glad it made such an impact on them. "I admit I had to restrain myself when they began to speak ill of Fujimura Miyako-sama." My grin faded to a frown and Xenovia's amusement vanished. "They claimed that the heretic son of a heretical Exorcist was unworthy of wielding the Excalibur. They spoke ill of both my sword master's friend and Shirou-sama."

There it was again!

I nodded. "I see...Second question: Why do you keep calling me "Shirou-sama"?"

Xenovia's expression became serious once more. "I must show you proper respect as Satan-sama's descendant."

Then the atmosphere went cold.

She kind of addressed a bit of an elephant in the room.

It was something of a taboo topic none of us ever really wanted to address but Xenovia just went and blurted it out to the entire room. Ever since the battle against Kokabiel, there had been no conversation regarding the fact I was Satan's descendant and "heir".

Asia twiddled her fingers. Ravel played with her hair drills absentmindedly. Yumi seemed to take a new interest in her shoes. Everyone in general just seemed awkward and nervous.

"So..." Ravel started, the first to break the silence. "S-Shirou-sama...H-How would you like us to address you from now on? I mean...should we address you as Satan-sama or...?"

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "Well..."

"Screw that! I'm not addressing that dumbass as "my lord" or "Satan" or whatever!" Ise screamed, showing great irritation. Then he smirked. "He's not any different from the same snow-haired douchebag we've all known up to this point. Not really much reason to treat him differently now."

I felt both joy and irritation. I managed to force a sharp smile despite my clear annoyance directed towards Ise. "While I want to punch him right now, Ise is right." I placed my hands on my hips. "Just cos I'm Satan's descendant doesn't mean I want you guys calling me "Satan-sama" or "Shirou-sama" or anything like that. I'm not any less the man I was before. Blood doesn't make a person who they are. It's the choices they make, understand? I'm just Shirou Fujimura. I don't want to be treated as anyone else just cos I'm related to some guy who died hundreds of years ago. I want us to be the same friends we were before."

[Right!]

Everyone replied in unison. I was surprised by how easily they accepted it. Then I realized they were smiling, relieved.

Then I realized they had been worried I would change. I smiled.

With the exception of Xenovia, these were the people I wanted to protect. My friends. That would never change.

With that matter taken care of, Rias continued to speak.

"The Church made contact with us Devils. More precisely, the Maou talk about this incident. They said, "We would like to make contact with you because of unclear and dishonest actions of the Fallen Angels even though we feel unsatisfactory about this". They also apologized about Valper because it was their mistake for letting him escape in the past."

"They can't seriously believe Azazel-sama had a hand in this!" Raynare objected, outraged.

"Yeah! Azazel-sama was the first one to pull the Fallen Angels out of the war hundreds of years ago!" Mittelt agreed. "Why would he attempt such a thing now when the Fallen Angels are still in such a weakened state?!"

I raised my hands to calm them. "Relax. It's probably a misunderstanding on their part. After all, Azazel never actually issued an official notice to the other factions that Kokabiel had been removed from his position of power. So it IS somewhat fair for them to suspect some foul play on his part. It will be fine just as long as everyone tells the truth."

Kalawarner placed a hand on the other two's shoulders, whispering calming words into their ears.

Mittelt and Raynare grumbled for a few moments, but seemed to grudgingly agree to my reasoning.

"The truth about this incident was sent to the God-side and the Devils' side by the Governor of the Fallen Angels, Azazel. The theft of the Excalibur was an action taken by Kokabiel only. The other leaders didn't know about it. He planned to break the tension between the three sides. If he had been alive, his punishment since he tried to start another war would have been for him to be put in the Cocytus for eternity in a frozen state. But apparently his fate was ultimately the death penalty."

I nodded. "Yeah. That sounds about right...We all know the truth as do many from the Fallen Angel faction. We'll all back that up. It all ended after Satan possessed me and used my body to kill Kokabiel."

Rias then continued. "There would also be a meeting between the representatives of the Angels, Devils, and Azazel. Apparently there is something Azazel wants to talk about. I heard that maybe Azazel would be apologizing about Kokabiel then. Though it's suspicious if Azazel would apologize."

Kalawarner sighed. "It's amazing how little you trust the Fallen Angels even now, Rias." I agreed with that.

Then again, perhaps it's not Fallen Angels in general she distrusts, but rather the Fallen Angel Governor.

Rias shrugged. "We were also invited to that meeting. We have to report about the incident at the meeting because we were involved."

"Seriously?!" I was shocked. My master was Serafall Leviathan and I had met Sirzechs Lucifer-sama, but to meet the Seraph Michael-sama and the leader of the Fallen Angels, Azazel...those two guys were big names in the Bible!...But there was something I wanted to know. "That silver-haired girl...if she works with the Fallen Angels, there is a chance she might appear again..."

"Don't even think about it, Shirou." Rias warned, her tone serious.

I frowned. "You don't even know what I was thinking!"

"You were thinking about lurking around, trying to get information from the Fallen Angel Governor, and try to track down the silver-haired girl to ask her some questions about who she is and what her connection to you is." Rias made it sound like it was more than a guess.

I eyed her curiously. "OK, now tell me what number I'm thinking of."

Rias rolled her eyes. "If Azazel sent her as a means to deal with Kokabiel, then she must be quite a capable fighter. No doubt one of the Grigori's strongest fighters." She placed her hands in her lap. "She is probably someone whose power far exceeds yours in your normal state. Azazel is gathering powerful fights, mainly Sacred Gear and Longinus wielders, but mainly strong fighters who agree or sympathize with the Fallen Angels."

"…That's right. I will apologize to Asia Argento. Since God didn't exist, then his love and help didn't as well. I'm sorry, Asia Argento. Hit me much as much as you want." Xenovia bowed her head down. The Japanese way of apologizing. Even though her expression didn't change, I could tell her words were genuine.

Asia gave a smile that was clearly forgiving. "….No, I don't intend to do something like that. Xenovia-san, I'm enjoying my current lifestyle. Even though I'm a Devil now, I met someone… people who are important to me. I am happy because of the place I live in now and the people I have met." Even though she'd learned of the nonexistence of God like the rest of us, she still possessed the will to keep moving forward. That's what I liked about her...

I was surprised when Xenovia turned and bowed her head to me. "I would also like to apologize to you, Shirou-sama."

I frowned. "For what?"

"During our second meeting, I used your mother's name to justify my actions and convince you to see they were right. Even if she had the beliefs of the Church, I do not think she would have approved of such actions. My sword master told me that she was a good person who risked life and limb to protect the innocent, be they human or even Fallen Angel and Devil. That is why she was seen as a heretical woman. I thought she had fallen from the Church's good grace because of these feelings, but now I see it was her kind and unbiased heart that caused them. I am sorry I thought she would ever approve of my actions."

"Ah." Was what I said, surprised. "Well...to be honest, I fully planned on punching you in the face to cleanse myself, but now-"

"Then do it."

"Huh?" I stared at Xenovia with half-lidded eyes.

Xenovia bowed her head. "I did worse than insult your name. I brought shame to both you and Miyako-sama. For you, I will be satisfied with nothing less than being hit with all of your strength. Asia can heal me if you injure me too badly so don't be afraid to really let me have it."

"N-No." I said in shock. "I-I'm not gonna give all of my strength for something silly like that!"

Xenovia shook her head. "No. For you, I accept any punishment. So please punch me."

"I'm not hitting you." I crossed my arms to demonstrate my point.

"I'm not backing down either." Xenovia claimed. "Hit me."

"No."

"Hit me."

"No."

"Hit me"

"No!

"Hit me."

"NO!"

"Hit me."

"Hey, Shirou, maybe you should just hit her and get it over with-"

"Stay out of it, Ise! I'm not hitting her!"

"Hit me!"

"NO!"

"Hit me!"

"For the love of all that's unholy: NO!"

"Hit me or I'll hit you!"

"How is this even an apology anymore?!"

"Are you going to hit me or not?"

I groaned. "Alright! FINE!" I pulled back my fist, ready to hit Xenovia. She closed her eyes. Right as I threw my fist, I saw her flinch. I simply patted her on the head, smiling. "Welcome to the team. After the way you picked me back up during our fight with Kokabiel, I gladly welcome you as my comrade, Xenovia. "

I thought I saw a small sparkle in Xenovia's eyes before she smiled back, nodding. "Thank you, Shirou-sama."

Xenovia then turned back to Asia. "… So you, me, and Irina are the only Christians that found out about the absence of God. I won't be able to say something like a divine punishment to you now. So a heretic huh? Like Miyako-sama, I was a Holy Sword user who was admired, but seen now a heretic huh? I can't forget about how their eyes and attitudes changed when they saw me." I couldn't help but pity the girl as I noticed the look of sadness in her eyes.

Oka-sama, did you have those same eyes when you left the Church?

"Then I will be leaving. There's a lot of things I need to know about before transferring to this school."

Xenovia started to leave.

"U-Umm!" Asia stopped Xenovia.

"On the next weekend I'm going to go out to play with everyone. Would you also like to join, Xenovia-san?" Asia said it with a smile.

"Of course she's joining!" I grinned, wrapping my arm around Xenovia's shoulder, enjoying the adorable expression of discomfort on her face. "It's the least she can do as our new comrade!"

"Wha-but-I-!"

"Forget about duties and things on your to-do list and just have fun with it, Xen-chan~!" I teased. "Consider this your "initiation" for becoming a member of the Occult Research Club~!"

Xenovia stared at me, eyes wide. "'X-Xen-chan'?!"

I stuck my tongue out at her. "If you're gonna bug me by calling me "Shirou-sama", then I get to bug you by calling you "Xen-chan"."

"I-I see..." But it was rather obvious she didn't. "I really can't-"

Shirou crossed his arms, puffing up his cheeks. "Your answer is rejected~ Considering the fact you originally tried to kill me and Asia on separate occasions, you have to-No. You OWE IT TO US to attend."

Xen-chan backed up, trying to ward off my aggressive friendliness. I think she was more awkward with me trying to befriend her than she was when I was trying to kill her during our first meeting.

"I..."

Ise sighed. "You're better off just accepting. Shirou's a stubborn idiot. More-so than me. He also doesn't like others to be left out, so you might as well just say yes and be done with it."

"Please, Xenovia-san?" Asia also asked with those adorable puppy dog eyes of hers.

Xen-chan began to sweat nervously, being attacked on two fronts. "I..."

"Great, so we can count on you being there~!" I cheered, patting her on the head again.

Her dazed and confused look was so adorable~

Realizing there was no chance at winning, Xen-chan folded her hand. "Very well. I suppose I can put off settling in for one afternoon."

[Yay~!]

Both Asia and I cheered at our clear victory.

Xen-chan smiled as she continued. "If we're going to be on such friendly terms, can you take me around the school next time?"

"Yes!" Asia said with an even brighter smile.

I found myself smiling at the sight as well. I found myself actually hoping we could all become good friends. At first I thought she was a bitch, but really, Xenovia was a good person. A little biased against Devils initially because of the Church's teachings, but a good person nonetheless. I know she is someone I can count on to have my back.

"I will swear it in the name of my Holy Sword, Durandal. I also would like to have a battle with the Holy-Demonic sword user over there as well."

"Alright. I won't lose next time." Yumi replied with a smile.

Ise sighed. "Geez, we know some battle-hungry freaks."

"They're just enjoying the thrill of being alive, Ise." I said with a grin.

Xenovia's not the only person who'd changed in such a short time. Since the battle against Kokabiel, I've noticed that Yumi had also gotten stronger.

Rias clapped her hands to gather our attention again.

"Now. Since everyone has returned again, let's start the club activity again!"

[YES!]

We all replied in perfect unison.

That day...all of us laughed again. I felt so happy. To be able to laugh with my friends again...

Everyone...I'm happy I was given this second chance...

* * *

The day we were all going to hang out together had finally arrived! The promised day of bowling and karaoke!

Ise was somewhat bummed because Rias was absent and I was kind of bummed since Akeno-san was absent. I tried asking Sitri-senpai and Shinra-senpai if they wanted to come instead, but Sitri-senpai just brushed me off and ignored me (SO COLD!) and Shinra-senpai apologetically declined. I got the strange feeling Sona was mad at me for some reason.

On the bright side, I did manage to get Xen-chan to keep her word and brought her with us. On the downside, I also tried asking Irina to come here, but she was nowhere to be found. Xenovia and I were somewhat worried, but Xen-chan said that Irina's been doing that a lot lately and that I shouldn't get too worried.

The other two members of the Perverted Trio were glaring daggers at me since most of the girls seemed to be gathered in my general area but I didn't give a shit.

I sang a duet with Ise. I wanted to sing Fate/Stay Night Realta Nua's "Horizon" but Ise wouldn't stop complaining until we sung songs from Dragon Ball Z.

I found that I actually liked to sing casually. I sometimes hummed or sang to occupy my mind while training, but I never really thought about it.

Asia also seemed to be enjoying herself and she also looked incredibly cute in the gothic lolita outfit she wore. Because of that, I did not feel tempted to smack Kiryuu-san upside the head for further corrupting Asia into someone who wasn't her normal self. Koneko-chan and Mittelt were mostly eating ice cream and pizza. Mittelt must have had a weaker metabolism than Koneko-chan because she was shaking and vibrating and her eyes were wide from sugar rush. And of course Yumi was still acting like a princess, sipping coffee in an elegant way. Ruruko and Momo were at each others' throats as usual and Raynare was just sitting awkwardly next to an equally awkward Xenovia.

Those two clearly weren't used to public gatherings.

After a few more songs, I decided to take a break since my throat was so dry.

It was while I was sipping the juice I bought that I got a message on my phone.

It was from Akeno-san with a picture of her in such a revealing swimsuit...if you could call it that. It covered the bare minimum and prevented people from being able to say "Why is she naked?". The message said "Ara ara. I hope you like this because I picked it just for you." I had another nosebleed before I attempted to click save. I've seen naked women, but it's how they portray their bodies erotically. It's about the style and conceal rather than the reveal.

I noticed someone snatching the phone out of my hand and jumped back when I noticed it was Ravel. Koneko-chan was next to her giving me a strange disapproving look.

Ravel was radiating a powerful, violet aura that spelled DEATH. "Oh. I'll save that for you, Master." Then she threw my phone onto the ground and started stomping on it with every last bit of strength she had, smashing it to pieces.

Koneko-chan seemed to be silently cheering Ravel on for some odd reasons judging from her intent stares.

"GAAAH!" I screamed in horror as my picture of Akeno-san was smashed into nothingness. "MY PRECIOUS MEMORIES!"

"...Shirou-senpai. There is blood dripping from your nose." Koneko-chan said it with an annoyed look on her face. I realized blood was still dripping from my nose from my previous nosebleeds. I quickly wiped my nose on my sleeve and released a breath filled with my feelings of loss.

Once my phone was thoroughly smashed, Ravel looked away, her arms crossed. "Pfft! Like I care what other erotic pictures of others girls you have!"

I stared at her with wide eyes. What a violent tsundere! Why my phone, Ravel?! It was innocent in all of this! Innoceeeent.

"Oya? The size of the thing in your crotch is-" I punched Kiryuu on the top of her head, glaring at her.

"Oi! No one asked for your input, you female Pervy Glasses Character!"

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Ise edging away from the group, attempting to subtly hide his cellphone behind his back. If Akeno-san sent such a picture to me, then Rias certainly sent a similar picture of her self to Ise.

Ise, protect your precious memories with your life...In this one endeavor, I sympathize with you.

"Were you thinking about doing dirty things with Akeno-san?" Asia asked with an unpleasant expression. Her words were sharp. "If you have such desires, you should do them with me and the others who are already your lovers."

I raised my hands in defense. "Erm...I..."

"Master was dreaming of doing dirty things to Akeno-san rather than me..." Ravel hissed, her eyes shrouded in darkness behind her bangs and glowing with a terrifyingly evil red light.

"Oi, I haven't even gotten a turn, you jerk." Mittelt's expression was scarier than Ravel's!

"I don't care about other women. I just want Shirou-sama to ravish me too." Raynare said with an indifferent expression. The killing intent around me increased further.

Raynare! You're NOT helping!

"Shirou..." Eeek! Ruruko! "...what did Asia-senpai mean by your "other" lovers?" Ruruko's very presence was scarier than the other girls put together!

"My my~ I didn't know Shirou-chan was so dirty~" Momo's tone hid nothing of the desires she was clearly imagining.

"...Is...Is crowding around Shirou-sama part of the "bonding" between comrades?" Get outta here, Xenovia! You don't even know what's going on!

I'm gonna diiiiiie!

No wait! There's one way to get out of this!

"What's that over there!" Part of me thought there was no way this would work again. It was such a stupid plan!...More-so because it worked...again. Every head turned in the direction I pointed. The moment their attention was away from me, I ran off towards the washroom in order to hide, waiting anxiously for the fire to die down.

And that is how I made my second great escape.

* * *

After I was certain the coast was clear, I sneakily made my way out of the wash room and ended up avoiding getting caught by the girls who previously wanted to kill me. They were all off doing something else.

I ended up seeing a familiar princess sitting in a chair far from the singing and activities. She, thankfully, possessed her usual cheer. I gave Yumi a peace sign before I took the seat next to her.

"Oh. Did something happen?" She asked, smiling.

I sighed. "I'm sure you know the answer to that."

Yumi shrugged. "It IS you after all, so I guess the answer's yes."

I chuckled at that question. "You could say that. I swear. With all of the crazy dangerous stuff happening around me, I think it'll be the girls in my life who will be the end of me rather than the High-class Devils and Cadre-level Fallen Angels, hahaha!"

But it wasn't a bad thing. I was surrounded by tons of wonderful friends, girlfriends, and lovers.

I jumped slightly when Yumi leaned against me and laid her head on my shoulder.

"Shirou...I can never truly express how grateful I am to you...thank you." Then I felt her lips softly touch against mine. Yumi placed her hands on the side of my face, closing her eyes as she kissed me deeply. I was surprised at first, but I wrapped my arms around her waist and returned her kiss, hesitating somewhat to introduce my tongue to her mouth. Yumi had no such hesitation. She was getting really into it to the point I had to use all of my willpower to command my "Little Shirou" to remain limp.

After a few miinutes, I pulled away, my face flushed red with arousal.

"...Izumi..." I breathed out. Yumi backed away, her expression shocked as if she had seen a ghost...again.

"Shirou...what..."

"Your real name. It's "Izumi", isn't it?"

For a moment, Yumi looked ashamed. "When I became Buchou's servant, I discarded the name of my old, weaker self and took the one Buchou gave to me...Compared to someone like you, I guess I'm-"

"Don't you dare call yourself weak or pathetic." I commanded, tilting Yumi's face to look up at me. "Yumi, despising one's own weakness is a trait that exists in everyone. There is nothing to feel ashamed of. Even if it was, I would bear the same shame as you. I can't even get Albion to give me his power. So no matter what, hold your head up with pride. I will never accept a woman who cannot hold pride in themselves, their power, and their beauty. So please-"

And my suave and charming speech was interrupted when Yumi tackled me onto my back, pinning me to the seat.

"Shirou...please shut up." Then Yumi kissed me deeply, doing things with her tongue in my mouth that I would usually do, making me feel aroused just my stirring up the inside of my mouth, twirling her tongue around mine. When she pulled away, both of our faces were flushed but I was pouting.

"Aww, but I had this whole thing in mind about pride and making you a prideful woman and-MMPH." Yumi kissed me again, tracing her hands down my body and stroking my thigh before reaching for my zipper. Then Yumi pulled her lips away again, staring at me with such passionate eyes.

"I have my pride as a swordsman." She whispered. "And now I desire to use that pride to protect you. So I ask you to accept my oath: Let me be your sword and shield. Even though my service belongs to Buchou, the one who saved my life, I will also be yours." She smirked at me just as I felt a certain...Oh fuck the innuendo! I got a boner! My dick became as stiff as a fucking board! There was no way, in this scenario, that I could not get a boner.

Yumi dragged her finger downward and touched the tip of my dick which bulged from under my hands, smirking as she pushed softly and teased it. "Wow, to think you get a stiffy just from kissing a girl~"

"Only the cute ones, Yumi. Only the cute ones." Despite my cool words, I was biting my lip a little, trying to suppress the desire to moan.

Yumi's expression became lewder. "It looks like a certain someone really likes having his own "sword" handled. Even in such a public place, you're getting turned on~? How perverted~"

No! I refuse to be shamed! Getting aroused when a girl is fondling you is perfectly normal regardless of the location!

Then I looked and saw drops of what I thought was Yumi's sweat roll down her legs...

Then I realized I wasn't the only person who was aroused. Judging from the amount, Yumi's been aroused this entire time!

I found my point of counterattack.

"Oh yeah? What about you~" I reached my hand forward, determined to tease her through her panties-

.

.

.

.

I just stared at her, Yumi biting down on her knuckle, trying to suppress a squeak from my finger touching her opening.

"You...You're going commando..." That was when I noticed it. The same magical feeling in the air I felt back when Raynare had trapped me and Ise, ready to kill us.

A barrier.

Then it all clicked in my head.

I kept staring at Yumi. "You...You...Did you plan this?" Yumi winked at me.

And like that, all rationality and logic went right out the window. I sat up, wrapping my arms around Yumi as we renewed our kissing with even greater passion. From the way her juices dripped onto my legs, it appeared Yumi was getting really turned on. Her breathing became even wilder and hotter the longer our tongues remained intertwined with one another. Even though she was the one who instigated this whole scenario, Yumi was allowing me to dominate her while she wore such a lewd expression on her face. We knocked one or two things onto the ground due to our movements, but neither of us really cared.

I began to kiss her beautiful neck, getting drunk off the intoxicating aroma of berries I smelled from her hair. I wanted to mark her in so many places, starting with her neck which was now marked by a hickey. Without hesitating, Yumi completely unzipped my pants and pulled out my fully erect dick. She got on her knees and started stroking it, drool dripping out of the corners of her mouth.

My dick became even harder at how much lewder Yumi's expression became at the sight of my dick. "Shirou, I swear as both a knight and as a woman that I am yours from now till the end of time." Proclaiming such an oath to me in such an erotic tone, she kissed the tip of my dick, brushing her lips tenderly against it before she slipped it into her mouth, slowly beginning to suck on it.

"Ahhh..." I moaned in pleasure, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of her tongue swirling around the length of my dick, Yumi bobbing her head up and down. I stroked her hair back as I helped pace her.

Oh my God, it felt so good! The inside of her mouth was so hot and her tongue was so soft!

I started to slowly thrust, aiding her in ravishing my dick with her mouth. I couldn't help myself she looked so hot and cute as she sucked me off. god damn it, it must be her bishoujo charm getting to me. I started going faster and faster till it reached her throat. Rather than have me slow down, she took the whole thing right down to the base. Again and again, I fucked Yumi's mouth, shoving my dick deep into her throat. "Hahh, Ahhh damn it, Yumi you feel too good!" I started going even faster, smiling brightly as I felt a familiar pressure building up. "I'm gonna cum! I'm cum in your throat!" I let out a loud moan of pleasure as I gave one final thrust deep into Yumi's throat.

"Mmmmppphhhh!" Yumi let out a sharp yet muffled cry of surprise as my load exploded into her mouth. I could only feel even more aroused at the sound of her gulping down every drop. She let my cock sit in her throat until she had managed to swallow every last drop of my seed. I let out a heavy breath before I slowly pulled out, leaving some of my seed in Yumi's mouth so she could savor the taste. "Bwwwaaahhhhh..." I could see Yumi's heated breath and her expression was full of lust and desire. I suppose my experience allows me to make even someone who is usually so collected like Yumi lose control. "Shirou..." She breathed happily before she grabbed the sides of my face, once again locking my lips into a kiss.

I pulled Yumi up, kissing her deeply. Yumi's eyes went wide and her moans became louder as I grabbed her breasts, toying with them and messing with Yumi as I played with her breasts through her shirt. When she let out an even sharper moan, I moved on to ripping open her shirt, not stopping to even try to undo the buttons, revealing the black lacy bra underneath. If I had been in any other state of mind, I would have wondered why she was wearing a bra but not panties.

Becoming even hungrier, I shoved Yumi against the wall before I attacked her bountiful bosoms with my face, using my teeth to free her breasts from the tight bra that restrained them. My dick became almost painfully hard at the sight of her breasts bouncing freely. Yumi let out even louder, harsher moans as I sucked her tits, sucking and nibbling on the left nipple while I ferociously touched and groped the other. Yumi yelping and whimpering like a dog was like music to my ears as I treated her breasts as my personal toys.

Once I was certain Yumi was wet and turned on to a certain point, I completely removed my pants. Then I laid Yumi on the floor, positioning myself at her entrance. Yumi whimpered at the sudden contact my tip made with her flower, but didn't seem afraid. She nodded, letting me know she was ready. She cried and whimpered in pain as I pushed every last bit of my length into her, breaking her hymen and hitting the entrance to her womb all in one fell swoop. I groaned, feeling absolute bliss as the sensation of yet another virginal hole being filled with my dick.

I took a deep breath before I started moving, starting at a decent pace for her.

"Ahhh hahhh, Shirou! Shirou!" She moaned, pulling me in for another kiss. We were both intoxicated by lust as we locked lips, my dick entering and exiting her at a faster pace, thrusting deep into her. Even with just her socks and skirt on she was still getting to me with her bishoujo charm. It was like a scene from a shoujo manga where the girl shyly confesses and gives herself to the guy. There was no denying Yumi had a charm that can't be beat. I was just going for it with all my might, thrusting harder and faster. "AHHH! SHIROU! SO ROUGH! AHHH...TOO ROUGH!" She was practically screaming as I kept pumping my dick inside of her. I nibbled on her left ear and got a good reaction from her. She let out such an erotic whine that it surprised even me. She hadn't been that loud even when I was playing with her breasts. Apparently one of her weak points is her ears. Yumi's erotic weak point was her ears! With that in mind, I took full advantage of it. I breathed erotically into her ears, leaning in and licking them, making sure to be thorough, licking all around the rim, getting even harder at the powerfully erotic moans and whines she gave off.

"Mmmmppph...mmmpppphhh..." I got the signal that she was close when Yumi started biting on my neck, somehow turning me on further. The second signal was when her walls started clamping down so hard on my dick that I thought I would have climaxed immediately. Both of us were so close to orgasm that it wasn't even funny.

"Hah! Yumi...I'm gonna cum! I'm gonna mark you with my cum!" I was smiling and practically screaming in ecstasy, addicted to the feeling of pouring my cum in Yumi's holes.

"Do it! Make yours!" Yumi's tongue was sticking out of the corner of her mouth, drool dripping lewdly from her mouth. I shoved my dick hard, deeply inside of her as Yumi bucked her hips up, orgasming as I emptied my load deep inside of her. "I'M CUMMING!" Even while I was in the process of cumming, I kept thrusting, not wanting to give up this hot feeling of my dick cumming in her pussy while I was fucking her. While fucking and cumming inside of her, I licked Yumi's face, the lustful sweat on her face tasting sweet and salty. I kept kissing and licking her until our tongues found each other and shared a very lewd kiss.

I gave Yumi no reprieve, turning her and forcing her onto her knees as I pulled her arms and started thrusting into her from behind.

"Ahh ahh ahh ahh hahh ahh hahh!" She let out a short moan and whine each time my balls slapped against her body, her long beautiful hair covering the sides of her face. "So deep...so good...gonna break..." Smirking at how badly Yumi wanted me, I continued thrusting into her. Our hips were making slapping noises. If I came deeply enough into Yumi's womb, I might actually get her pregnant. Hmm...Yumi pregnant...? Just imagining her being a mom to a kid of mine and hers really had a lovely image and for some reason that thought motivated me to give to her harder. "AHHH! SHIROU!?" Yumi was shocked by my renewed energy.

"I've decided! I'm gonna make sure you get my child! If it's a boy then we'll name him Yuuto and if it's girl we'll call her Shiori!" Yumi was moaning so much and very loudly. I pulled her back more with her arms and her back was to my chest as I went so hard and deep in her.

"Yes! Give it to me! I want it! I want your child!" She moaned as I released my next load into her, filling her up to the point that my seed was leaking out of her pussy. I think all of these thoughts were due to our lust without really thinking things through, but we continued as I sat on the floor with my back against the wall, Yumi in a reverse seated position facing away from me. Yumi kept going up and down as I massaged her breasts. We were so into the sex we didn't realized the barrier was being breached by someone. Yumi was about to orgasm again that she noticed it too late. "I'm cumming!"

"Yumi!" I called out as the surprise of the barrier being destroyed surprised me. In surprise, I accidentally pulled out and my sperm shot out at the person who was intruding after they removed the barrier. Luckily/unluckily for me, that someone turned out to be a person who already tasted my seed before.

Ravel was caught off guard, my seed soiling her face and dress. Raynare, Asia, and Xenovia were all peeping in, trying to investigate the source of the commotion. I tried to get away, but they were right there.

Ravel seemed frozen in time, not even realizing the warm, white jizz that soiled her face and her dress. With a blank expression, she wiped my seed from her face, bringing it to her nose and taking a whiff. Experimentally, she licked some of it up. Her eyes went wide with realization as she looked from the seed staining her dress, to Yumi, and then to me, my very annoying boner sticking up for all the world to see.

"AHHHHHHH! Shirou-sama and Kiba-senpai!?" Ravel screamed with what I suspected to be jealousy in her voice.

I laughed awkwardly, having no idea how I was gonna get out of this. "Hahahaha...Hey guys...?" Trying to keep as much dignity as we could, Yumi and I got most of our clothes back on. I was just pulling my pants back on when Yumi grabbed my arm.

Yumi stared at me, ignorant of all of our surroundings, breathing heavily. "I love you, Shirou."

I returned her loving gaze. "I love you too, Yumi."

And then we kissed.

This would have been so much more romantic if not for the interruption along with the fact we had to get out of there FAST.

After all, Yumi still didn't have her panties and we were both covered in sweat, lust, and each others' fluids. Not to mention we had to clean up our "mess" in a hurry.

We swore Raynare, Ravel, and the stunned Xenovia to secrecy. I really thought Xenovia was the weak link, but she agreed so easily that I was almost suspicious.

So going back to the others was a no-no...

Still though. No regrets.

* * *

**Later...**

**[Fujimura Residence]**

The sun was already setting by the time I walked through the door. All I had to do was insert the key and walk on in.

"Mako-nee! I'm home!" What surprised me was the lack of a surprise kick to the face the moment I walked through the door. All of the lights were off and I detected no sign of movement inside. Come to think of it, I had no idea the hours of whenever Mako-nee worked. I only really remember her being home before I go to school and when I'm making dinner. Strange. But I guess this is just one of those times when she's not home.

I tried flicking on a light switch, but the light didn't turn on. I frowned.

I kept warning Mako-nee to change the lights. I know, as Devils, we didn't really need them, but still, why break a habit that doesn't need to be broken. Still gotta appear normal to others.

But still...something felt eerie.

I know I was often in the house alone before I became a Devil, but something felt completely since then.

Like I was vulnerable somehow. It was a chilling feeling.

Yumi had to go home on her own, so I came here alone.

THUMP

Then I heard the sound of something heavy dropping upstairs.

At least, I thought I was alone.

"Hello?" I called out. "Mako-nee?" I tried remaining hopeful. With any luck, it was just Mako-nee nursing a hangover or something.

There was no response.

I swallowed. I tried clearing my mind of any thoughts concerning evil spirits or ghouls or goblins...Yes. I'm a Devil who's afraid of ghosts. Anyone who laughs can go fuck themselves! Ghosts are scary! You can't beat them with any conventional method! All punches just go straight through them! Not to mention every horror movie ever usually includes the people living in the haunted house all dying by the end! It's like the law of ghosts!

"Mako-nee, if it's you, you'd better tell me now!" I tried to keep the fear out of my voice.

There was still no response.

"Jack?" I asked more hopefully. I had been seeing that girl less and less lately. I was honestly kind of worried she was beginning to feel lonely. I didn't mean to be too busy for her, but with everything that had been going on lately, we just haven't spoken much.

I made my way up the stairs, trying to slow down my heavy breathing.

"Come on, you guys! This isn't funny!"

CRASH

There was the sound of glass breaking on the ground. I followed the noise and ended up right in front of my own bedroom door.

Shit! It would be just my luck if my room was being haunted by some sort of ghost!

I reached one shaky hand to grasp the door knob, giving it a slow turn.

"Mako-nee, if it's you and Jack in there, I won't hesitate to hit you!"

I took a deep breath before pushing inward, taking a step into my room. I jumped immediately when I felt something brush against the back of my foot. I immediately turned around to catch the confident form of Kuro-chan strolling by. I released a sigh of relief. That cat was so much trouble sometimes.

But if she was already in the hallway, that erased the chances of her being the culprit of the noises coming from my room.

Gathering more of my courage, I made my way into my room, immediately taking notice of the shattered glass on the ground. I examined it closer and almost had a heart attack when I saw the dark-colored liquid on the floor until I realized that it was wine. Someone had broken a wine glass and spilled wine on the floor. I walked further into the room, avoiding the shattered glass on the ground, trying to find the source of the noise.

"H-Hello?" I tried calling out one more time-

"Hello, Shi-chan." That was when the door creaked shut behind me.

"Irina?!"

I spun around on my heels to see Irina slowly shutting the door behind me. I felt a chill, realizing Irina had been hiding behind the door the entire time.

"W-What are you wearing?!" All suspicions I had were drowned out by the sudden embarrassed shock when I saw the white, incredibly see-through negligee she was wearing, a diamond cut out in the fabric around her belly button. Nothing else. I mean NOTHING ELSE. Her negligee was pure white and thin as Hell, so I could SEE she was wearing nothing else on her body. The pure-seeming Church girl I had known was going commando.

"Shi-chan..." Irina took several steps towards me, sliding one of the straps of her negligee off of her shoulder and down her arm. "...I love you..."

She placed her hands on my face, smiling as she tried leaning forward to kiss me.

It was strange...while the most obvious part of my heart desired this, my instincts were telling me something was wrong.

I pulled away, keeping Irina at arm's length. "Irina, stop this. I know you're still reeling from learning about the death of God, but venting your frustration in this way won't help you feel any better." Irina paused, seeming to accept my judgment. Irina was usually the most knowledgeable of us, even when we were little. Surely she would understand what I'm saying.

"But Shirou, I need to-"

"No!" I crossed my arms in an X. "Irina, I love you, and that's why I won't let you do this kind of thing to yourself. God is dead and the world's still here, so clearly something is working. You don't have to give up who you were before just because you learned the truth. You don't have to go back to the Church neither do you need to give up everything you believed in. Just do as you please, but I won't indulge you in this-"

That was when something heavy slammed against the back of my skull.

I fell to the ground, limp as a rag doll, the world spinning around me.

As darkness began to fill my vision, the last thing I saw was Irina standing over me.

My insides froze when chilling words came to mind:

[I'll give you one final piece of advice, kid: The true enemy is the one closest to you, so don't let your guard down.]

Then everything went dark.

* * *

The first thing that I took notice of was the wet feeling on my cheek and the rubbing sensation of something soft. I've had sex enough times to know the feeling of a woman's tongue on my body. Someone was licking the side of my face in a rather (albeit sloppy) erotic fashion.

Then the pounding sensation on my skull and my blurry vision.

I blinked several times, trying to adapt to my surroundings.

I was still in my room. The only difference from when I went down was the fact I was staring at the ceiling.

"Wow, to think the Savior would taste this delicious~"

Alarmed, I turned my gaze downwards, heaving a sigh of relief when I realized that my pants were still on and there was no girl's head in-between my legs, sucking on my manhood. But I WAS alarmed, however, when I realized there was another set of legs laying right next to mind and at the fact I felt a pair of arms wrapped around my neck.

I turned my head slowly, seeing a lewd expression on the fact of Irina, whose tongue was extended outwards, attempting to further lick the side of my face erotically.

I immediately jerked my head away in shock, but I found that I couldn't move away entirely. My arms seemed to be stuck, my wrists tied to the bed posts by some sort of strong material. It looked like a normal rope, but I could...Wait...

"Excalibur Mimic?" My eyes widened. Irina was bounding me with the transformed Excalibur Mimic despite the fact their third comrade was supposed to have taken all of the fragments back with him. "Irina, where did you get that?! You could get in serious trouble!"

Irina was still smiling...It was making me feel more uncomfortable, which was surprisingly possible despite the fact I was bound to the bed like some kind of masochist about to receive punishment from their "master". Other than the fact that I just got blitz attacked from behind by Irina who is smiling in front of me, something was very very VERY wrong with this scene here.

"Oh, Shirou, don't you see?" She asked in a very not-normal tone. "The goals, desires, and ideology of some heretical organization does not matter in the grand scheme of the universe." OK, this was taking a turn I'm sure I'm not mentally capable to deal with. "I took Excalibur Mimic so I could carry out an even greater goal than those heretics."

"Um...what?" I was seriously not following this.

Irina leaned in to the point where our faces were only a few centimeters apart. I could really see the crazed look in her eyes.

"For days, I sat or slept, wondering my purpose in life upon learning of the death of the Lord." She said. I felt another wave of guilt fill my stomach with nausea. Irina's smile widened. I hadn't realized yet that my emotions were reflected on my expression. "Don't worry, Shi-chan. I'm not mad at you or anyone else. The heretical Church just don't understand the truth path the world must take. I've finally realized my purpose! Why I was there on that night! It's so obvious! I now know what I desire to do with my life!"

"Gooooood...(?)" I replied in an uncertain tone. After a small pause, I felt the need to ask. "I'm glad you found what you want to do...what is it by the way?"

"I will bear your child and become the mother of the next Anti-Christ!"

"Ah..." I said, appearing unfazed. "What?"

Irina started cradling her head in her hands, smiling to herself. "It's been so obvious! Without the Lord, this world is imperfect! Thus, the only way to save it is to destroy it! Shi-chan, you bear the blood of the Devil God. It's been foretold that the child of Satan will destroy the world. Since the world has yet to be destroyed, that can only mean the next generation will be the destroyer! If I have Shi-chan's baby, I'll get to be with Shi-chan and our baby will save the world through destruction! It all makes so much sense, doesn't it!?"

"Oh yes." I agreed, deadpan, trying to pull my arms free of my restraints. "That certainly makes sense." I tried harder to break my restraints, but even a transformed Holy Sword was pretty strong. "But erm...Uh..."

"It will be wonderful! I get to be with Shi-chan forever and I get to have my very own baby!" It was only now that I realized the tone in Irina's voice was zealous madness.

"Well that's-erm-" I tried pulling the bed frame apart with my Devil strength, but the Holy Element in Excalibur Mimic must have been interfering with my powers because I just could not break this bed apart. "-That's kind of...well...I see..."

"So all Shi-tan has to do is make love to me again and again until I get pregnant! Doesn't that sound fun, Shi-tan~?!"

"No!" I answered honestly. "Sort of...Yes." I answered more honestly. "But that's not the point! Irina, destroying the world is-It-How will a baby just be born and destroy the world?!"

Irina shook her head, looking as if she were explaining something to a child. "We have to make our baby really really strong so he can crush the fake God sitting on the Lord's throne and the Maous so nobody can interfere! And while our baby is destroying the world, we can make love more and more until we're both mad with lust!" You're already beating me to the "mad" part, Irina. "The world will burn at our feet! You will be the one who stands above all others with your infinite lovers servicing you at any given time, your endless lust constantly in the process of being satisfied!"

.

.

.

"While I love everything about the wording of that, I'm gonna have to ask you NOT to do that." I admitted. "And by that, I mean HELL NO!"

Irina's smile faded, being replaced by that harsh gaze of hers. I think I liked her insane yet happy face.

"What do you mean, Shi-chan? Don't you want to punish the bad people of this world by crushing them all like miserable bugs?" Irina asked with honest curiosity. "I love you..." Then her eyes widened as if she realized something. She smiled. "Oh! I get it! Shi-chan is worried that our baby will be lonely being an only child! Don't worry, Shi-chan, we can have lots and lots of babies if you want! As many babies as you want! More babies means more destroyers for the world!"

I stared at her. "I have one question."

"Hm?"

"Well...I'm not sure how to ask "WHEN THE HELL DID YOU BECOME SO BATSHIT CRAZY?!" without hurting your feelings."

Irina cocked her head to the sideways. "Shi-chan...do you not want a baby?" Trying to maintain a sense of caution, I shook my head. "...Shi-chan...you have no choice. I will save the world through our baby and you will help me. I love Shi-chan. You'll be mad for a while, but I know you'll take responsibility. But I love Shi-chan, so I want to know if you'll do this the easy way or the hard way."

"What do you mean the hard way-EEK!" I jumped as Irina's hand suddenly grabbed right onto my crotch, wrapping around a small lump in my pants. I was somewhat spent from my "Happy Time" with Yumi earlier, but I was far from empty.

I struggled about, trying to get out of Iri's "Killer Grip". But due to my position, I was stuck.

"I-Irina, what are you doing?! I'm not going to give you my child!"

Irina smiled lustfully, further fondling my manhood while groping her own breast. "Shi-chan is really nice and responsible. You won't be able to deny the way you feel of it's after the fact!"

"S-Stop this Irina! I-Y-Yaaaah!" Irina reached her hand directly into my pants! Her hand was really really cold! Her grip was also very unpleasant, awkward, and harsh. It felt like she was trying to strangle a snake than jerking off a man!

"Shi-chan's thing feels really weird! But I'm really happy it's Shi-chan who's my first! We'll make sure to do it lots and lots so I get pregnant! We'll have plenty of time since the others won't be home for a long time!"

"I-Ir-rina! L-Listen to m-me!" But there was no stopping her. I was stuck worse than some idiot with his fingers stuck in a Chinese finger trap! She would just have her way with me and there was no way for me to stop her. I would try to headbutt her, but her own head was too far away! With my arms stuck like this, there was no way I would be able to knock her away unless...

...Fuck.

Dammit! This is really gonna hurt!

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my thoughts. I started pulling my torso forward desperately. Irina was so focused on trying to get my manhood hard with a footjob that she didn't notice what the rest of me was doing.

My body refused to do what I desired...No. I was holding back. I was hesitant because I knew how much it would hurt...

But I had to do it. If not for my own sake, then for Irina's in order to prevent her from making a HUGE mistake!

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" I screamed loudly in pain as I gave on powerful lunge forward.

There was a loud, unpleasant pop/crack sound as my torso finally moved forward, allowing me enough length from the bedpost that I could finally get a clean hit at Irina's head, smashing my own skull right against her face, knocking my childhood crush right off the bed, blood spewing from her potentially broken nose.

While she was left with that, I was left to think on the INTENSE, AGONIZING PAIN that wracked my body from the act of popping my arms out of their sockets.

It was the only way I was able to hit Irina with the only appendage that wasn't restrained...other than the one between my pants.

"MMMMMMM!" I had tried to suppress my screams so much that I almost bit off my tongue trying to stop myself. The only upside to this was that it was easy for me to lean back and pull apart the knots of my bonds with my teeth. It was harder than anticipated, but without Irina's interference, I was able to manage. Now I just had to figure out how to pop my arms back in without any arms...

SNIFF SNIFF

I heard the sounds of sniffling on the floor in front of me.

Then the choking sobs.

And THAT was when my conscience started to hurt. Wobbling like a worm towards the edge of the bed, peeking over it to see Irina, crying while curled up in the fetal position on the ground. When her tears rolled down the sides of her face, it mixed with the blood coming from her nose...It did not look pleasant.

"U-Um...Irina..." I shrank away when I was given the response of a loud, sob-filled shriek. "I-I'm sorry if I hurt you. A-Asia can h-heal your nose if it hurts that mu-"

"My life has no meaning now!" Irina screamed at me.

I made sure to keep the bare minimum peeking over the edge of my bed. "W-Well it's not that bad! I-If Asia just heals you right up, then-"

"NOT THAT!" I flinched, afraid of whether or not she would go on a psychotic rampage and brutally murder me like some kind of yandere. Irina just curled more tightly into a little ball. "Without the existence of God...what worth does my life have now...? I've always devoted myself to His service. I've read the Bible hundreds of times, drinking in each and every single word it had to offer...but now...all of it is meaningless. Was there ever a point in risking our lives for the Church?"

"Irina..."

"I just...Everything I believed in is a lie...I just...I've loved the Church since I was little. I loved being a part of it." Irina cried. "But I can't go back to that place and just pretend nothing's wrong! All of our prayers were pointless...no one listened..."

I got right onto the ground and used my legs to wrap around Irina's waist, pulling her into some sort of weird, awkward hug since I couldn't use my arms.

"Shi-chan..." Irina looked up at me, surprise and tears in her eyes.

I blushed, feeling embarrassed at my awkward attempt at consoling Irina. "Well, I kinda had to pop out my arms, so this is all you're gonna get right now." I placed my forehead gently against Irina's, trying to drive her sadness away with my warmth. "It's alright. As long as I am by your side, everything will be alright. I promise."

"Shi-chan...I..."

"It's alright, Irina." I hugged her tighter. I smiled softly at her. "The world isn't as hopeless as you might think, Irina. God and the Maous are gone, but we're still here. Even with the two major forces gone from the world, the balance still exists." Irina stared at me curiously. "And I meant what I said before: I'm going to protect their legacy."

"But if the Lord is dead, then..." Irina looked close to crying until I tapped my head against hers to silence her.

"Idiot." I stuck my tongue out at her. "God's teachings don't just vanish because He's gone. You haven't been worshiping nothing, Irina. His teachings and faith aren't nonexistent. You haven't been fighting for some belief of God or Holy whatevers. You were fighting because it was what you believed was right. Because you desired to save and protect yourself and others through your strength and your faith. Everything you believed, it isn't a lie. Your life isn't meaningless. Don't you dare ever say that...Not ever again!"

Irina flinched before she looked up at my face again, her eyes widening in shock when she saw the tears staining the sides of my face.

"If you died, I would disappear with you! I just...I can't lose anybody...not again." I bit my lower lip. "I don't care if you rejoin the Church and we never meet again! Just as long you live as who you are! Don't give up everything you are and what you believed in because of that shithead, Kokabiel! As long as you're still alive, you retain the chance to do what you desire to change this world! Even if God no longer lives, everything he stood for still does! The world NEEDS people like you Irina! And don't say you don't care about your religion anymore! I know you do! You wouldn't be like this if you DIDN'T care about your faith!"

"Shi-ch...Shirou...eek..." I felt fear fill my heart when I saw tears beginning to fill her eyes again, ready to explode.

"O-Oh shit! S-Sorry! Don't cry!" I wanted to re-inspire Irina, not make her cry again!

"Waaaaaah! You idiooooot!" Irina burst into tears again, tackling me to the ground before wrapping her arms around me, crying tears made from a mix of sadness, relief, and happiness staining my shirt. "I love yooooou! Waaaaaaaah!"

My fear turned to relief, causing me to smile. "I love you too, Irina."

She stared into my eyes, still crying yet smiling at the same time. She placed her hands on the side of my face, pulling her own closer and closer.

We kissed.

It wasn't erotic or lewd or anything. A simple kiss full of lovely feelings.

We pulled away, staring lovingly into each others' eyes.

"Irina...I want you to keep being you. Your faith isn't for nothing." I said, the selfish part of me wondering what the fuck I was doing. "You could still do good things if you returned to the Church. So many injustices you could correct. I won't push you to stay nor will I push you to return to the Church. Whatever choice you make, I want it to be yours." I gave her a small peck on the forehead. "No matter what you choose, I will always love you."

"Shirou..." She leaned her head against my chest, sighing more peacefully. "...No matter what I decide, I'll always love you too."

After several seconds, I addressed the elephant in the room.

"Hey...Iri...This is a really awkward to ask, but...could you do something for me? No matter how much I scream and yell, I need you to do this for me."

Irina cocked her head sideways. "Um...OK?"

* * *

"GAAAAH! IT HUUUUURTS!"

"S-Shirou, just hold on a bit longer! I'm almost done!"

"WHY DID I THINK THIS WAS A GOOD IDEAAAAA?!"

"Hold on, Shirou! I have to get it all the way in! Just bear with the pain!"

"SO MUCH PAAAAIN! HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO GET ONE BONE ALL THE WAY INTO A HOLE!?"

"AH! I have to get it in there nice and tight! You just have to hold on a bit longer!"

"GAAAAH! I CAN FEEL IT ALL OF THE PAIN INSIDE ME!"

"ALMOST! ALMOOOOST! DONE!"

There was a sudden, loud pop. Then Irina and I both released a sigh of relief. Irina was sweating a lot. She fell on her butt, releasing the arm which she had popped back into its socket.

I stretched and flexed my arms, trying to make sure everything was in working order. I let out another sigh.

"Thanks for helping pop my arms back in, Irina."

Irina breathed heavily. "Yeah...No problem. I think I almost passed out just listening to you. THIS is why I never wanted to become a doctor...I couldn't do this kind of thing on a daily basis."

I chuckled at the adorable expression on Irina's face. "Yeah, I figured..."

"Shirou..." Irina turned away, but I could see her ears turning red. "...thanks."

I grinned, rubbing the back of my neck. "Hehe. No problem."

Both of our faces were bright red. We leaned in and, for a brief moment, I thought we would kiss again-

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Cursing my rotten luck, I finally stood up, leaving Irina with a longing expression.

I made sure I was fully dressed and decent before I stomped out of the room, making my way downstairs. I rubbed the back of my neck. It was only a matter of time before Isabela, Asia, and Ravel returned...Dear Maou, I was going to have Hell to pay.

[Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!]

WHAT THE FUCK!?

My eyes widened as I ripped my phone out of my pocket, eyeing it with shock and disgust. It was my cellphone alright...Someone changed the ring tone. There was only one culprit.

I paused before inhaling deeply. Then in one might roar:

"GODDAMMIT, AKENOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

I sighed, opening the phone as I finally reached the door, placing my hand on the handle.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"KEEP YOUR PANTS ON!" I commanded. "I'M COMING!" I flipped my phone open. "Hello?"

[Shirou!? Where are you!?] It was Mako-nee. She sounded really alarmed for some reason.

"I'm at the house...why?"

[OK, stay there! Don't open the door for anyone!] Mako-nee commanded with no discussion.

I didn't even notice that my body was moving absentmindedly, my hand twisting on the door handle and pulling inward.

"Why?"

[Just don't open the door for anyone! There's some dangerous people in the area! Just stay safe inside!]

I stared in front of me, letting the phone drop to my side as I noted the three figures standing in front of me on the other side of the door. I took in the sight for several minutes before pulling the phone right back up to my ear, swallowing as Mako-nee's warnings finally sank in.

"Say, Mako-nee..." I swallowed again. "Just for some random whim...would these dangerous people happen to be a charismatic prince-looking guy, a beautiful busty Onee-sama, and a guy with pale skin, pointy ears, and who kinda looks like some kind of bishounen Vampire noble?"

There was a pause.

[Yeeees...] There was another pause. [...Why? Did you open the door?!]

"No no no!" I replied quickly. I once again looked in front of me. "Mako-nee, Imma need to call you back." Before waitin for a response, I shut my phone, turning my attention back to the three figures in front of me.

The one at the front had the appearance of a handsome man dressed in black armor with a cape. He had long brown hair that goes to his hips with many bangs covering his right eye. As I described him before, he was a charismatic, prince-looking guy with that confident smile of his that filled my stomach with ice from dread.

"Hmph. To think Satan-sama's heir would be living in such a rather...quaint abode."

I couldn't tell if he was complimenting me and insulting the house or complimenting the house and insulting me.

Before I could figure that out, the man bowed his head politely.

"A pleasure to meet you, heir of Satan-sama." He greeted. "I am Shalba Beelzebub, the one TRUE Beelzebub."

I paled. "I see..." I stepped aside, my gut going crazy right now and my voice at a very high pitch. "Would you all like to come in for tea?"

* * *

There was no doubt in my mind that I was in the most dangerous situation in all of my life right now.

To think my life would depend solely on my ability to play host to three descendants of the former Maou-samas...just like me.

The man from before, Shalba Beelzebub, sat calmly in the seat across the table from me. He didn't touch the cup in front of him. The busty Onee-sama, Katerea Leviathan, sat in the chair, smiling to herself as she sipped the tea in front of her. My tea wasn't on par with someone like Akeno-san's, but I know enough to make it delicious for the average person. The third man, the vampire prince-looking guy, Creuserey Asmodeus, seemed to wear a permanent scowl, sitting against the wall and eyeing the whole room with an expression of disgust. Sometimes that disgust was directed at me and I got the feeling he and I weren't going to get along very well.

I made sure to tell Irina to stay out of the way, so she was hiding in the kitchen, peeking out nervously every now and then, looking as if she expected an all out war to break out at any moment.

I calmed down somewhat after taking a few sips from my tea.

According to these three, they were the descendants of the previous Maou-samas, the Devils who ruled the Underworld alongside Satan-sama, the creator of the Devils. I could tell they were being truthful. My blood...it reacted strangely to them, as if recognizing their words as the truth.

There was such a tense silence. The only person blissfully unaffected was Katerea-san. Shalba-san looked as if he were waiting for that tension to settle somewhat before he stated their reasons for coming here, but that just clearly was not happening.

I coughed into my fist. "So...May I ask why you are here?" Subconsciously, I prepared myself to summon Divine Dividing and bail out with Irina. Worst-case scenario, I would have to fight these people...but there was no telling how strong they were. Even if they were only descendants, there was no telling how much power they had. They could very well each be on the same level as Kokabiel. The only way I would be able to survive would be if I brought out Satan again, but that...that would...

"Please, calm yourself, heir of Satan-sama." Shalba-san said. "We do not wish to harm you or your woman. We are only apologetic that we-Ahem-"interrupted you"."

I felt my face flush at the implications. "N-No no no no no no no!" I looked at Irina who was now hiding her scarcely dressed body. "W-We weren't doing anything like that! I swear! W-We were just talking and chatting about life and stuff, I swear!"

"Oh yes," Creuserey-san said sarcastically, smirking while rolling his eyes. "It's perfectly natural for a man-ESPECIALLY a Devil-to enter a room with a woman dressed in nothing but a negligee and talk about only "life and stuff" as you put it. Oh yes, that is PERFECTLY believable."

"Oh HAHA!" I laughed with equal sarcasm while flipping him the bird. "Fuck you, man. Fuck you."

"Now, Creuserey, don't antagonize him." Shalba-san warned, Creuserey grunting in acceptance. "We can't already be making an enemy of the person we came all this way to see."

Trying to take my mind off of my nervousness, I tried to focus on literally ANYTHING else in the room.

Irina was hiding in the kitchen, so she wasn't an option, so eventually my eyes settled on Katerea-san...

My eyes couldn't stop themselves from wandering and finally admiring what a beauty she was. She wore a dress that was extremely low-cut and had a high slit on it which exposed a large portion of her breasts. She seemed to be the most level-headed of the group and least deceitful...Not to mention: SHE WAS HOOOOOOT! She was also an Onee-sama! My type of woman!

"Ah. It appears that the descendant of Satan-sama is staring at me with such lustful eyes." Katerea-san noted. I felt myself blush as I realized I was staring. I shook my head to clear my mind.

"Er...Sorry about that."

Katerea-san gave me a respectful smile. "I only forgive it because it is Satan-sama's heir."

Creuserey growled from over where he was, showing even greater dislike for me. I could tell in that moment that he had a thing for Katerea-san. A part of me definitely considered flirting with her to screw with that prick, but I knew this was not the situation where I should try to push my luck with such things. These people could easily reduce me to less than ashes.

I put on a serious expression. "My name's Shirou Fujimura...Well, if I used my bastard father's name, I think I would be called Shirou Satan, but that doesn't have much of a ring to it, does it?"

I closed my eyes, trying to control my anger at the thought of the man who murdered my mother...I had been focusing on blocking that thought out as to keep myself under control, but it filled me with endless rage every time I thought about it.

I gained a serious expression. "So you guys are really the descendants of the old Maous, huh...?" Well, if I, who is the descendant of Satan, exists in this world, it only made sense that there would be other descendants of other Maous who existed in this world.

I think I touched a nerve about something because I could swear all three of these guys twitched slightly.

"Do not refer to them as the OLD Maou." Shalba warned. It almost sounded threatening. "They and those with their blood, meaning us, their descendants, are the TRUE rulers of the Underworld."

So I was right. These guys were descendants of the old Maous like I was descended from Satan. Shalba from Beelzebub-sama. Katerea from Leviathan-sama. And Creuserey from Asmodeus.

They may have the blood of the original Maous, but they were arrogant as hell if they thought that their blood was enough to make them the most qualified to rule the Underworld. Still, they were strong. If I could avoid fighting them here, then it would be worth bowing my head a little bit. Besides...

"So you're the descendants of the Maou..." My eyes became filled with sparkles. "THAT'S SO FREAKING AWESOME!" Hey! Even if they were arrogant, they still had the blood of the people I wanted to surpass! "It's probably fitting that two cool-looking guys and a hot Onee-sama are the descendants of the original Maous who were like final boss characters."

"E-Eh...Thanks?" My energy apparently caught Shalba-san off-guard, but he quickly recovered from his shock.

Katerea-san seemed to turn pink for a moment, but she recovered her previous serious expression. She cleared her throat, acting as if she hadn't been embarrassed a few seconds ago. For a brief moment before she returned, I noticed a familiar look in her eyes: lust. I could've been mistaken though. Either way, it seems she only sees the heir of Satan rather than me.

I didn't care...I figured if I inflated their egos enough with praise, I could get out of this entirely unscathed.

"Perhaps it would be best to return to the matter at hand."

Creuserey clicked his tongue. "I already said there's no point. Just the look on his face pisses me off. Just like that old man of his..." I wasn't sure whether to feel proud or disgusted that I was like my father in the fact we pissed this guy off.

"Enough." Shalba-san silenced him with one word. "Like Katerea said, we should return to the main point of our meeting."

Is that what we're calling this now?

Shalba-san then cleared his throat. "The reason we have approached you Shirou Satan-" And apparently that was what they were calling me now even though it had NO ring to it whatsoever. "-is to invite you to join the [Khaos Brigade]." 'Khaos Brigade'? Totally evil-sounding name. Big red flag right there. "We, the descendants of the True Maou, lead a faction compromised of those who follow those who truly deserve to rule the Underworld. We would like you, the descendant of our great king, Satan-sama, to join us and aid in leading our faction."

I frowned. "I appreciate the offer, but I don't really get anything out of this that I couldn't get through a fair amount of hard work the normal way." I stood up from the table, trying to keep the atmosphere civil. "If this is all you have to offer me, then I kindly ask that you leave my home now." I turned away, ready to either hide in the kitchen and call Mako-nee or maybe even Serafall or hop right on out the window with Irina.

"Not even for the revenge you desire from the deepest part of your heart?"

That was when my heart stopped cold. I didn't take another step.

I shot a sharp glance behind me, my fists clenched from suppressed rage.

"What do you mean "the revenge I desire"?" I wanted to hide it...but they HAD peaked my interest. I couldn't suppress the thought.

Shalba-san smirked, clearly realizing he had me in his court. Creuserey was still scowling and Katerea-san actually nervous now, sipping her tea while glancing between me and Shalba-san, as if waiting to see which between two atom bombs explode first. You could cut the tension in the room like butter.

"I happen to know the true circumstances behind the death of your mother, Fujimura Miyako." Now my heart was beating rapidly, filling with rage to the point of exploding. "If you join us, not only will I allow you the person who killed her, but we ourselves will personally aid you in taking your vengeance if you so desire."

The chance to avenge Ka-chan...To hunt down that bastard father of mine like the dog he is and put him down in the same way...

I kept imagining it...

Ka-chan's final moments...Even when she was so wounded...she was hugging me, telling me everything was going to be alright...

My right arm began to burn for some reason...

More memories came to mind...a figure hidden amongst the blue flames, prepared to finish everything...

Then Ka-chan dead on the ground again...

Lucius should die! He needs to pay!

Because of him, Ka-chan is DEAD!

Dead...Dead dead dead dead dead dead dead. He killed her. Dead. Kill. Dead. Dead. Dead. Killed. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead. Dead-

"Onii-chan...?"

I was brought back to my senses by the hand that grabbed my sleeve and the whimpering voice that addressed me.

My eyes widened as I recognized the young form of Jack, rubbing her eyes as if she had just woken up from a nap. I never even realized she was home...Of course, it would make sense that she didn't hear me if she had actually been sleeping this whole time...but I couldn't find her anywhere before...how strange.

That's right...I had too much to lose if I went on a murderous rampage right now in my bitter quest for revenge...

Ka-chan would never forgive me if I gave up everything just to kill that one man, even if he was her killer. After everything I told Yumi about revenge not filling the void, I would be a hypocrite to go back on those words now when I was faced with my own trial.

I patted the sleepy Jack on the head, taking a deep breath as I reclaimed my sanity.

"Everything's fine, Jack." I picked her up and held her lovingly before I turned back to Shalba-san with a determined look in my eyes. "Sorry, but once again, I respectfully decline your offer."

The corners of Shalba-san's mouth twitched slightly in displeasure, but he managed to keep a polite demeanor in front of me.

"Please reconsider, Shirou." Shalba-san urged, spreading his arms in some sort of grand gesture. "Despite originally being half-human, you possess the blood and will of our great king. There are many within the false Maou's who would gladly side with us upon learning we carry the Will of Satan-sama on our side. Many would only need that reason to rally behind us. You would be rewarded as well. You would become a great leader to the Devils. Of course, you will be offered advice and possible paths to take when you are lacking in judgement."

On the surface, it sounded like a pretty good deal, but I wasn't an idiot.

The way he spoke...if I had been any less in tune with my instincts, I probably would've fallen for his manipulations.

I would only be there to give these guys a way to bring people from the current Maou's side to theirs. Even if I ever got any true power, these guys would be manipulating me from the shadows, undermining every choice I made or maybe even coercing me into following their own plans. I would be nothing but a glorified figurehead.

"Please do consider it, Satan." Katerea urged. "With you on our side, many will join us and help restore the True Maou to their rightful positions. The false Maous will be crushed and the Devils will become greater than ever before. You know that both God and the Maou no longer exist in this world. This world is in decay. It NEEDS us to recreate it."

I tensed.

'Crush the Maous'? That wasn't very vague. If these guys succeeded in carrying out their plans, they would kill the current Maous...

These people...they wanted to hurt Serafall and Rias's Onii-sama. I will never allow that!

"I repeat: I will never join you guys." Now I was suppressing anger towards THESE guys. "You say the world is decaying? It looks fine to me. If anything, all of the factions are THRIVING now that the warmongers like your lot aren't in charge anymore. The Devils have even found a way to restore their numbers. There are a few skirmishes every now and then, but the current system seems to be just fine. I appreciate you guys are descended from the previous rulers. I get that, but I will not sabotage this system on a simple whims." Then I shot Shalba-san a sharp look. "And I will never betray Serafall. Regardless of her position, I love her too much to ever betray her in such a fashion!"

CRASH

The cup Katerea-san's hand broke into pieces, her hands trembling with suppressed rage. "My apologies." Her smile looked like it was made of glass. "I seem to have broken my glass."

Shalba-san cradled his head in his head, his eyes closed and his expression pensive. "Is that so...? Then perhaps I should revise my offer..."

I narrowed my eyes. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"If you join us then-ah-perhaps we can find enough kindness in our hearts to allow a spot by your side for the false Leviathan." Shalba-san said with an amused smirk. "Perhaps as a concubine. While the other false Maous will perish, we will allow Serafall Sitri to be spared, but I can only guarantee this if you cooperate with us."

"You-!" Katerea-san just about jumped out of her seat, slamming her hands against the table in outrage.

Shalba-san waved off her rage nonchalantly. "I wish to solve this matter peacefully with you, Satan. My companions here, unfortunately, do not share my desire to keep things as clean as possible."

I snorted. "'Peaceful', yeah right. Coming from the guy who wants to declare an all-out war with the current Maou-samas all because the little prince didn't inherit daddy's throne. You try to sound all noble and whatnot, but you're nothing more than a brat throwing a tantrum because he's not getting his own way. Now please leave!" Shalba-san stood up from his seat, anger flashing across his face for a brief moment before returning to normal. "And another thing. If you EVER threaten Serafall or anyone I love again, I will make damn well sure you regret it."

After a few minutes of silence, Shalba-san broke out into laughter.

"Hahahahahaha! The descendant of Satan truly is a confident child!" He said in mock amusement. "The times are changing, Satan. The Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon have both awakened. The world will no longer remain the same once these two mighty forces are present. You are free to make your own choice, but I assure you that we are not a group you want as your enemy."

I met his gaze without fear. "Well I'm sure as Hell that I don't want you as my friend."

Shalba-san scowled.

Creuserey advanced in a hostile manner, one hand raised. "Just say the word. I will erase this brat from existence!"

Shalba extended his arm out to stop Creuserey, narrowing his eyes. "Think carefully. We cannot risk bringing harm to the descendant of Satan-sama. If we do that, we are no better than Sirzechs, Serafall, or Falbium."

He turned his back to me, but...but something about that really bugged me.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, advancing a few steps but still staying far back enough to retreat if necessary.

Shalba smirked at me. "You are someone who bear the potential to tip the scales towards any political power in the entire world. Do you truly believe that you will be spared?"

"Don't be ridiculous! Serafall would never do something drastic like killing me!" I shouted, denying Shalba's claim.

"Oh?" Shalba asked. "I hope you are not blinded by your delusions. We bear the blood of the original Maous, but were exiled simply for having the potential to obtain a great amount of political power. Our people suffer a state of eternal stagnation. Our followers suffer from hunger, disease, and are hunted down like animals, solely because they did not agree with the current Maous. They exiled not only us, but any and all who agreed with our beliefs. They care about nothing more than maintaining their rule which was built on nothing but muscle. They would never allow such a person bearing power such as yours exist as anything but their puppet if they allow you to live at all."

"N-No...You're wrong!" But, deep in the darkest parts of my mind, I thought he could be telling the truth...His words sounded so genuine. He seemed to possess genuine care for the people who devoted their loyalty to him and the other Maou descendants even when they were shunned by the rest of their kind...I don't know about the other Maou, but it felt so hard to believe that Serafall would ever allow such a thing...would she?

Then I remembered how little I knew about Serafall really...I know nothing about her life before meeting me other than that she gave up the right to become the heir of the Sitri clan to become the Maou Leviathan...would she do something like that?

Shalba bowed his head to me again. "Shirou," I felt uncomfortable with how he used my first name like that, "I understand you believe we came here with ill intentions, but you are one of us. We desire you on our side in order to protect you from the false Maous who would do you harm. Just like Lucius, they fear your power and seek to use or even destroy you. We, on the other hand, desire you to stand by our side as equals, inspiring the Devil race to rally under our flag. Picture it: Hundreds of thousands loyal Devil supporters cheering for you, the hero who restored the Devils to their former glory. Consider it."

I...I wasn't entirely sure how to respond. Jack was clinging nervously to my leg and Irina was peeking from inside the kitchen again, more worried than afraid.

My words were caught in my throat. If I was going to respond, they would never hear my words due to the front door being slammed open.

"WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON HERE!?"

The rage-filled face of Mako-nee appeared in the doorway, Mako-nee releasing a powerful aura that was more than just rage. It was power. Raw power.

When she saw Shalba and the other two, her rage only seemed to triple if not quadruple in intensity.

"And what the fuck are these guys doing here?!" Then she turned to Shalba and the others, glaring at them. "Get. OUT!"

Shalba sighed, beginning to walk away. "I do hope you will consider my words from tonight, Shirou. I swear I only have your best interests at heart." But I could swear he was wearing that cheap smile of his when he said that...is what I hoped in order to justify any suspicion I could work up.

Katerea-san smiled at me. "If you do consider taking your place by our side, I will gladly accept you as an ally, Satan-sama." Then she followed her comrade.

Creuserey didn't even bother with words. He just scowled at me again before following after the other two.

The air didn't calm until all of them were completely gone.

Once they were out, Mako-nee took a deep breath, the aura around her fading completely before she turned to me.

"WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN KILLED!"

But...I couldn't respond...

"Shirou..."

"Onii-chan..."

I barely heard Jack and Irina's voices.

I just...I couldn't get those words out of my head.

I was the heir of Satan...My blood had the potential to tip the balance...The more I thought about it, the more I realized how dangerous my existence was to those in power...

But...what will happen to me...?

Irina hugged me, but I just couldn't feel anything...I felt like such a hypocrite...

It was only now that I knew what it felt like to have everything I believed in thoroughly crushed before my eyes.

**And complete. With that ending, I have completed this chapter...that's about it. I hope you all enjoyed.**

**More shenanigans and hijinks will occur along with more plot related stuff as the seeds of doubt planted in Shirou by Shalba Beelzebub begin to sprout. How will Shirou react? What will the Maous decide concerning his existence? Why am I trying to extend the author's note with these tedious questions?**

**By the way, I've changed my pen name to Shirou Fujimura...I was sick of other people having better pen names than me so there...**

**Next time on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan!:**

?: Hahaha! It's nice to meet you, Shirou Fujimura, Satanic Vanishing Dragon.

Shirou: Ever since I started remembering her death, other memories...I've started to remember more about her.

Rias: Shirou...he's the leader of the Fallen Angels. He might just be manipulating you.

Makoto: It is most likely the ultimate decision concerning you will be made at the meeting. That is most likely where your fate will be decided.

?: I-I didn't mean to just jump out at you! M-My head just started going all fuzzy! I smelled something really really delicious and I just started-

**Next Time: Maous, Memories, and Vampires!**

**I can't wait til then~!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	24. Life 23: Maous, Memories, and Vampires

**And after all of the drama that occurred in the last chapter, it is time to start moving towards getting into the fourth story arc. **

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's.**

* * *

**Opening: Brave Shine**

_**[15 Second Instrumental] **A bird's eye view, soaring through the air, through the streets of Kuoh Town, passing by Shirou who turns to face the camera before it flies into the sky, the title appearing in the air:_

_**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**_

_**[hidari te ni kakushita] **Shirou wakes up with a start, rushing to get dressed, and running out the door._

_**[negai wa negai no mama de] **Shirou, dressed for school, runs through the streets, stopping suddenly._

_**[samenai yume miteta] **Ise and Shirou's friends stand ahead, smiling and gesturing for him to follow, Shirou smiling as he chases after them._

_**[migi te ni wa kara no kioku] **Serafall wanders through empty halls of a high-class building, her hair down and forlorn expression upon her face. Serafall stops by a window and stares sadly through the glass._

_**[daremo shiranai sekai no hate] **The silhouette of a woman with feline features observes Shirou in school from a nearby tree, flicking her tail playfully._

_**[yamanai ame ni utareteita] **Gasper sits in the darkness of her room, hugging her legs against her chest, her eyes glowing._

_**[mamoritai mono o mamoreru tsuyosa] **An empty-looking Irina walks through the streets of Kuoh Town in the rain, turning around in shock as images of her younger self and the younger Shirou and Ise run past her like a memory._

_**[sore o shinjirarenakunaru yowasa] **Shirou sits in the ORC clubroom with his friends, staring at his open right hand, staring at the darkened skin caused by his possession before tightening his fist full of determination._

_**[subete o ukeirete]** In an unknown place, a red-eyed figure sitting upon his throne in the shadows smiles softly, four silhouettes standing at his side._

_**[ashita o sagasu] **Shirou stands by his other friends and comrades, staring determinedly at the approaching tides of war, summoning Divine Dividing._

_**[Brave shine] **Issei (in Scale Mail) Clashes against the explosive power of a silver-haired girl in the skies above Kuoh Academy._

_**[te wo nobaseba mada Stay the night] **Scene change to the school grounds. An adult-version of Jack blocks a blast of Demonic Power from Katerea Leviathan using several knives of an evil origin, evading numerous other blasts using incredible speed before leaping into the air and swinging her blades forward._

_**[kizu darake no yoru You save my life]** Scene change to the woods behind the school. An explosion rocks the earth, Shirou fleeing back out of the kicked-up dust, catching the blow of the powerful "Shadow" the two unleashing powerful punches coated in blue and black demonic power respectively, resulting in a deadlock of explosive power._

_**[kazashita yaiba no saki ni] **Only Shirou's silhouette becomes visible in a giant towering vortex of azure flames surrounding his body, only glowing red eyes showing any difference in color. Serafall cries out to Shirou, tears falling from her eyes._

_**[omoi o kasaneta]** Images of Shirou's favored memories play in black and white like on a super 8 film reel._

_**[inori wa toki o koete]** Shirou's friends and those he considers "family" stand outside the normal Kuoh Academy, smiling and inviting him forward, Issei extending his hand towards Shirou._

_**[Your brave shine...]** In an unknown place, Shirou walks across a crystal and undisturbed body of water, walking with determination in his eyes as he halts suddenly, confronting "the Shadow" standing across from him, dramatic wind blowing around them. Scene changes to Devi-kun, half-submerged in the water._

* * *

**Life 23: Maous, Memories, and Vampires**

I just couldn't get the previous night out my mind.

The foundation of everything I believed in just got shaken pretty badly. Now I'm afraid everything will just collapse around me. Shalba Beelzebub was a convincing man, but I was no fool. If his words were nothing more than baseless slander, I would not even consider paying attention to him, but...I couldn't help but feel some truth to his words.

I am descended from Satan, the previous Devil King. Only an idiot would believe that that kind status WOULDN'T draw attention, good and bad, to me. If some nutcase from the Great War said that I should be the new Devil King and a rebellion started, most likely with help from the other Maou descendants, it would only be the most logical decision to imprison or execute me.

It didn't matter how I feel. I was a potential liability.

And that was what terrified me.

I kept telling myself that I was Serafall's Queen, that she would never allow such a thing. But then that horrible thought came mind:

What if she did?

What if every last thing I thought I knew about her was a total lie?

But if that was the case, what else have I been wrong about? How many lies? Is anything even what I thought it was?

And what about my friends? What about Rias? Or Sona? What about Ruruko and the others?

Everyone wears a mask. How am I supposed to tell what's real from what's fake?

The only way for me to maintain my sanity with all of these thoughts in my head is believing with every fiber of my being that I could trust Serafall. If I lost that belief, these doubts would completely swallow me. The only thing I could do in the face of all of this was deny everything and stick to what I knew. All I had done was worry Irina and Jack. I didn't bother believing Mako-nee was worried.

She had been livid. Not just because I actually listened to what Shalba had to say, but because I even allowed them into the house. I think she was trying to indirectly alleviate my doubts by calling everything that came out of Shalba's mouth "absolute shit", but I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I felt so stupid. Stupid stupid STUPID!

There was no way to avert my attention from these thoughts other than giving myself a good blow to my own face, distracting my fears with pain.

The Old Maou Faction...Khaos Brigade...What were they?

Those were the questions I wanted answered. The descendants of the old Maou were the leaders of a FACTION. That meant there was more than one group within the Khaos Brigade. More people will probably evil goals. And on top of that, there was probably someone above all of them, leading the entire group and keeping it together.

...Just who were these guys?

The real question was whether or not their intentions were the same or worse than the current Maous.

I felt like some worthless puppet being dragged back and forth across some stage without even knowing what the Hell was going on and it was just PISSING ME OFF!

All I could do was go about my everyday business as if nothing was wrong.

After everything was said and done, I swore Irina to secrecy about what happened before she returned home that night. I invited her to spend the night after everything that happened, but she declined. I was really worried, but Mako-nee assured me she would walk Irina home, only after placing layer after layer of magical protection into a boundary around the house to make sure "those shitheads from the Old Maou Faction didn't come back and try anything".

Irina called me after she got back home. She said she still had a lot to think about before she made her decision.

But like I said before, there was nothing to do for now other than trying to return to normality.

"Yo, Devil-kun. What's up?" The man who asked me that question was my client. He was a black haired man with a "bad guy" appearance wearing a yukata. Looking at him, I would have guessed that he was around 20. He was apparently a foreigner, so I could have been wrong. Appearances could be deceiving after all.

It also didn't help that I sensed a sort of presence from him thanks to my Satan instincts. He had enough skill to mask it, so I knew he wasn't any ordinary person. I just got the slightest hint of his presence.

I smirked. "Nothing much."

I've been summoned by this guy several times already, and I can already say he's pretty cool. He was apparently rich since he owned this humongous mansion he lives in. His jobs also aren't too bad. Sometimes he has me doing simple stuff like buying bread. Other times we just went fishing. Sometimes it's just pleasant conversations (he is very insightful regarding the wonders of a woman's body). One time he actually let me test drive his sports car...To sum it up in a few words: He is the AWESOMEST client EVER!

This was exactly what I needed after everything that's been going on.

I only met this guy recently after Ise referred me to him. Deep down, I think Ise did it for my sake. I've tried to hide it, but Ise knew me too well to believe nothing was wrong with me.

So now, I was enjoying an everyday contract with this guy. It was the just the thing I needed to clear my mind.

"Devil-kun, would you play a game with me? I bought a racing game this afternoon and I'm lonely without an opponent."

"Yeah. I know the feeling, man." I grinned. "What are we waiting for? Let's plug that shit in!"

Another awesome thing is that this guy paid handsomely!

He started from a painting that looked high class, and then jewels, and then even gold nuggets. Even Rias and the others were surprised. Thanks to him, it's no doubt that my value is growing as well!

That's one more step towards becoming High-class and one more step towards Ultimate-class!

The funny thing is that even though he's one of my favorite customers, I don't think he had ever told me his name.

"All right, I have set up the game. It's great to have so many items to waste time on in Japan. It isn't a bad place. Here, take the controller."

And so we started playing the video game together, me taking the lead. Racing games weren't my style, but I had never lost a match in a game. NEVER...It also helped that I kept ramming my car against the man's, effectively keeping him out of the lead.

"You are such a cheater!" The man shouted. He didn't sound really angry, just humorously annoyed.

I laughed. "Hahahaha! You know I'm a Devil, bro! We don't play fair!"

"I can see that Shirou Fujimura...No, Satanic Hakuryuukou." I paused. He called me Hakuryuukou (albeit making it sound awesomer by calling me the SATANIC Hakuryuukou). I quickly got over it by considering the fact I was still alive. I then went back to the game, ramming my clients car into an in-game tree.

I grinned, certain I was going to win the race.

I was just about to cross the finish line until I was sent flying by six, black feathered wings. I hit the wall with a loud THUMP, creating a Shirou-sized crater in it. I groaned slightly most from shock than actual pain. When I hit the ground, gravity doing its job, I looked up and was moderately surprised to see that my client possessed a total of twelve black feathered wings.

"HAHA! WIN!" The newly revealed Fallen Angel exclaimed.

I growled, glaring. "OH, YOU CHEATING MOTHERFUCKER! I WANT A REMATCH!"

My Fallen Angel client laughed. "Hahaha! It's nice to meet you, Shirou Fujimura, Satanic Vanishing Dragon."

"Screw that! I want a rematch, you cheater!"

The man just seemed amused. "NOTHING to say about the twelve wings or the fact I'm a Fallen Angel?"

I sat on the ground, shrugging. "Well, believe it or not, I kinda don't care really. Judging from your wings, you're probably even more powerful than Kokabiel...Let me guess. Azazel?" It was a fairly easy guess since Azazel was the top boss and twelve black feathered wings seemed like the legit number of wings for a final boss character.

"Ah. I was right. Well, it's nice to meet you. Considering you could've killed over a hundred times over the past week, I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume you're not my enemy are actually a pretty fun guy." Now that that was out of the way, we had a more important issue to get to. "Now I want a rematch, you damn cheater! No wings!"

"Hahaha! We Fallen Angels are quite known for cheating as well!"

I paused at that. "Oh yeah?! Well I can cheat a million times better than you can!"

"We shall see!"

For the next couple hours, Azazel and I ended up racing in the video game, fighting one another with our wings. We kept ramming our cars together, doing whatever it took to get ahead in the race...

We were both dirty cheaters.

Eventually we realized that neither of us would ever truly get ahead in our competition.

It ended in a draw.

"Hahahaha! You're not bad for a geezer!" I laughed.

"And you're not bad for a brat!" Despite the fact we were covered in slight bruises from hitting each other repeatedly with our wings, both Azazel and I ended up laughing it off as nothing.

I finally stopped grinning when I found a question I wanted to ask. "So...I take it you're here for the conference between the leaders?"

Azazel sighed, as if remembering a large amount of work he had to do. "Yes. I have a large mess to clean up thanks to Kokabiel. I managed to convince the other leaders not to immediately try to wage war against the Fallen Angels so that's good, but this really is a pain in the ass."

I nodded. "I figured. Kokabiel was a real douche really. Even if he wasn't responsible for tricking Raynare into killing me, he's just such an unlikeable guy."

Azazel chuckled at that. "Yeah. The only reason we kept him around because the leaders of the Fallen Angels who survived the war were sparse. Either way, his death is no real loss. He never called for anything but war against the other factions."

"Well, glad there were no repercussions for me killing his ass." I noted, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Yes, but with this mess, things could get quite complicated." For the first time, Azazel's smile faded from his face. "In such a scenario, it wouldn't be abnormal for a full-scale all-out war to break out between the three factions."

"Except, if things don't go over smoothly, it will be a one-sided massacre with the Fallen Angels on the receiving end from the Devils and Angels." Kokabiel really messed things up for everybody. I felt he should keep a better eye on his subordinates, but Azazel didn't seem like a necessarily bad guy. "Things really aren't looking good."

"Naaah!" Azazel suddenly waved off every one of my concerns. "If things had been the way they were back then, then of course war would be the end result. But with the death of God and the Maous, more reasonable people are in charge. And it's fairly obvious that just about everyone is sick of all of the fighting. Between you and me, I think that's what this meeting is really about. One way or another, Sirzechs and Michael will probably want a permanent solution to these conflicts. So-"

"You're going to give them one!" I realized. This geezer was smarter than he looked! "With the three major leaders together to discuss it, it is possible to actually discuss such ideas without the nobles and politicians getting in the way! If the topic of peace were to be brought up, there would be no other old geezers breathing down your necks to stop you from discussing it!"

"Bingo." Azazel confirmed, giving me the thumbs up.

My eyes widened in shock. Every piece fit together into a nice and neat picture!

"That's why you called this together." Azazel didn't call this meeting together to save face for the Fallen Angels and make sure they weren't attacked. He called the meeting together as a pretext to discuss a more permanent peace and create better relations with the Devils and Fallen Angels! He turned a bad situation into what could potentially be an event that could change the face of the world, permanently ending hostilities between the factions.

"Well, it's still in the planning stages, but yeah." Azazel grinned, seeming rather confident in himself. "Hell, I might just end up winging it. As I'm sure you can tell, we Fallen Angels are a tricky and charismatic race. Just about as tricky and charismatic as Devils if not more-so."

"Yeah, that sounds about right." We shared a laugh at that fine fact. "But yeah...It really would be nice if we could attain that peace easily. We wouldn't have to fight anymore and nobody would have to feel the loss of a loved one again."

Azazel snorted at that.

I glared. "And what's funny about THAT?!"

"You sound just like your mother, Shirou! Hahahaha!"

My heart stopped. "K-Ka-chan? You...You knew Ka-chan?"

Azazel nodded, his good cheer changing into an expression of nostalgia. "Yeah. The first woman in a long time to ever truly catch my eye and my heart." ...what? "You bear a lot of similarities to her, Shirou. I heard she had a child, but I never suspected he would bear the blood of the previous Devil King. I was honestly surprised you even have the same tail as him and-"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" I was on my feet now, suddenly alarmed and shocked by the Fallen Angels claims. "Back up a sec, jack! What do you mean you knew Ka-chan!?"

"Haha!" Azazel laughed to himself. "Miyako Fujimura. Certainly a woman I wouldn't have minded taking to bed. If she had that kind of fiery personality in battle, I could imagine how she was in bed. Hahaha!"

"Gross!" He was talking about sex with MY MOTHER! That's disgusting! "What's wrong with you!?"

From the expression on his face, I could tell that he doing this intentionally to screw with me.

"Would it make you feel better if I told you that she threatened to cut off my balls with a Holy Sword if I ever even attempted to seduce her again?" Azazel questioned, still grinning.

I paused, thinking deeply on this. Then I shrugged. Imagining Ka-chan threatening the Fallen Angel Governor like a total boss did really cheer me up.

"So...what was she like?" I asked. "Ka-chan, I mean...I never even knew she was an Exorcist before and now I'm finding out she had the FREAKING FALLEN ANGEL GOVERNOR chasing after her heart! There's so much I never really got a chance to know about her..."

Azazel rubbed the back of his neck. "Listen...I know there's a lot for you to process now, but I want you to know that your mother had been my friend for quite a few years. I don't know everything about her, and now I fear I never will. All I can tell you is that she was one helluva woman, the kind who could look a Maou straight in the eye without fear, her sword drawn, her entire being prepared for death in order to protect those she loved. She was a good woman and you really do remind me so much of her. You both have that childish stupidity."

"WHAT'D YOU SAY, YOU CROW GEEZER!?"

Not only was he insulting me, but also Ka-chan! What's wrong with the idea of peace with everyone?!

"[I'll topple this false order and create a world where everyone can be happy together and smile! No child will have to experience such pain ever again!] Those were the words your mother spoke to me the last time we met." Azazel explained upon noticing my confused expression. "It was about a year before you were born. I have no proof, but I think she was saying those words for you. She desired to create a peaceful world where you could grow up in without being dragged into messes like this one."

"...Ka-chan...I saw a memory involving her from one of the spirits of the Holy Sword Project subjects." I felt a new type of sadness, remembering the final memories of that poor child. "She...she really cared about those children...But...I can't really believe it. I knew Ka-chan sometimes went away for some reason, but it was never for longer than a few days. She always left me in the care of a sitter. Ever since I started remembering her death, other memories...I've started to remember more about her. One day...Ka-chan just came home. She was crying. She just started hugging me, crying and crying. I was really little at the time, so I don't remember the reason. She just kept crying and crying."

Azazel inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly. "Yeah. That sounds just like Miyako. She can take any pain or suffering, but she could never stand seeing others in pain and suffering. She would do anything in the world to be able to take on that torture for everyone else in the world. She believed that pain was the reason everyone was as they were. Everyone just reacted differently to it. That's why it made some people kinder and wiser while it twisted others' hearts so much that they were no longer who they once were. That's what she believed anyway..."

...Wow...

Azazel seemed awkward by this point. "Sorry...Just seeing her son got me really sentimental. I honestly intended to save this for a later date, perhaps sometime after the conference if at all, but I guess the similarities between you and her really got to me..." Now he was just looking sad. Then he managed a weak smirk. "Geez. Reminiscing about the past like this makes me feel so old. I've been around since the beginning of the Fallen Angels but it seems like I'm the only person who didn't get the girl. How depressing, hahahaha!"

"You really are a geezer, aren't you?" I snickered.

"Bah!" Azazel started grumbling, laughing at himself no longer soothing the burn he gave himself.

It felt really weird. This guy knew Ka-chan and he seemed to really care about her. How she ended up with that bastard father of mine...it made no sense no matter how you put it. Azazel is a creep, but at least he's not a cold-blooded killer.

"I recognize that look." Azazel said with a knowing tone. "It's the same one Miyako wore whenever she was upset or angry."

I turned away, trying to hide my annoyed expression.

"Yeah. She did that too, hahahaha! Sometimes she punched me right in the face when she was angry enough! In a situation like that, there's only one option!" That was when Azazel drew something seemingly out of thin air. It was a large bottle of something. "Drink until we forget our worries!" In the same manner as he had taken out the bottle of sake, he produced two traditional drinking cups.

I stared at him with my eyes half-lidded. "I'm 16."

Pouring sake into my glass anyway, Azazel laughed. "In some cultures, you're already a man so that's excuse enough!" Without hesitating he poured sake in his own glass and downed it in one go.

"But-"

The Fallen Angel Governor ignored my concerns and poured himself another glass. "Go on! Drink!" Azazel urged me.

My eye twitched. "You're joking, right?"

Rather than answer my question, Azazel completely emptied his glass again before pouring another...something about the way he acted...like he was avoiding something painful.

.

.

.

Say no more, Azazel. I understand.

The subject of Ka-chan...I guess it still brought pain to his heart. I kinda doubted his words at first, but it was this feeling in my gut. I just couldn't help but believe that Azazel had been honest about his feelings for Ka-chan. After all, she was a great person, so I guess...

"Oh to Hell with it!"

And that was the last rational thought I had before I drank every last drop of my first glass of sake.

* * *

**[Occult Research Clubroom]**

"Nnnnnnnnn..." I groaned. "MMMNNNNNNNNNNNN!"

"There there, Master, everything will be alright." Ravel gently petted my head which was laid in her lap. "It will all be over soon."

"Mnnnnn..." I groaned again. "Ravel, I appreciate that you're trying to sooth me, but could you stop making it sound like I'm about to die." Then I started groaning again, burying my face into my hands.

"My apologies."

"Really though, Shirou!" Rias scolded. "Drinking in the house of the potentially hostile Fallen Angel Governor, not to mention UNDERAGE. You're lucky you didn't die from alcohol poisoning."

I raised one hand so I could shoot Rias a look. "Oh yes. THAT is the thing to focus on from your previous sen-owwwww...My head hurts so much...my stomach hurts so much..."

"Ah yes, the first hangover." Isabela said in a reminiscent tone, smiling to herself. "I remember my first one. Back when I joined Riser's Peerage, I got into the silliest argument with Yubelluna about my maturity and she taunted me with a glass of wine. I remember blacking out some point after Yubelluna and I..." Then her face turned a crimson red color, suddenly embarrassed at the memory she was recalling. "Th-The rest isn't important." Ise's ears perked up, sensing the potential yuri action, but Rias started yanking on his cheek to bring him back in line.

"...I think I'm gonna throw up..." I groaned once more.

"Do you want me to get the bucket, Shirou-san?" Asia asked, carrying the "Emergency Bucket" in her hands, ready to prevent me from making a mess.

"No no, I'm fine." I assured her, trying to calm myself while laying on Ravel's soft thigh pillow. "I'm just glad I stopped after the tenth glass coz, after the eleventh glass, Azazel started talking about depressing stuff about being single and things started getting awkward. I maintained enough clarity to get the Hell out of there...I probably should have just gone with him to go pick up chicks like he wanted to go do rather than stay in the house. That was probably where today went south." I noticed the sharp looks from Asia, Ravel, and Yumi. "What?...What?!"

But Rias was focused on her own business, seeming rather angry. "Even though it was decided that the meeting of the leaders of the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels would be held in this town, to think that suddenly the Governor of the Fallen Angels would intrude in my territory and interfere with our business...!" Rias then clenched her fists. "And to top it off, to try and lay a hand on my cute Ise, the price is death!...Oh and Shirou too. Leviathan-sama would also be mad if she found out he talked to Shirou or something..."

I stared at Rias with half-lidded eyes. "Thanks for that." Rias just averted her gaze, whistling while she not-so-subtly moved behind Ise. I buried my face into Ravel's lap, trying to ignore the sting to my pride.

"Anyway, I had heard that Azazel was extremely interested in the Sacred Gears. That's probably why he approached Ise and then Shirou." Rias thought aloud. "It's probably a rare thing to be able to meet the Hakuryuukou and Sekiryuutei without the two fighting one another. I guess he used Ise to lure Shirou in to-"

"Actually," I turned my face, attempting to sit upright, "Azazel just talked to me about Ka-chan. He never really brought up the subject of my Sacred Gear."

Rias looked breathless for a moment and everyone seemed to freeze in perfect unison.

"Shirou-sama..." Ravel looked really worried.

"Shirou...he's the leader of the Fallen Angels. He might just be manipulating you." Rias cautioned. "Fallen Angels are incredibly skilled when it comes to deception."

"And Devils aren't?" I countered. "You spend everyday lying to every single student in the school about being a Devil, don't you? So who's the most skilled at deception, now?" Rias stared. My eyes widened in surprise at my own words. "I...I'm sorry. I don't know where that came from."

"Well, I think Buchou is just worried." Ise broke in, trying to end the awkward silence that was bound to follow. "If he's interested in Sacred Gears, then it's just a rational worry that he might do something. He is a "final boss character" type. If he DID try something, we would probably stand no chance in a fight."

Yumi stepped forward, looking at me. "I heard from someone that Azazel has deep knowledge about the Sacred Gears. I also heard that he's gathering capable Sacred Gear holders. But it's going to be all right..." Yumi stared at me as if he was going to lose me. "I will protect you. I am your sword."

I went down to the floor and knelt on one knee. "And I am your shield." I said by some sort of strange instinct. Yumi blushed, smiling deeply.

"Awww, so romantic~" Ravel cooed at the sight. Then she and the other girls who liked me gained dangerous glints in their eyes. "But now I wish for nothing more than their downfall."

[Aye!]

Akeno-san, Asia, Raynare, Kalawarner, Mittelt, and even Koneko-chan spoke in perfect unison. Ise also seemed angry, but that was envy because I had so many girls wanting after me rather than being jealous of Yumi, so it was in no way creepy.

Ah, feeling light headed...

I almost lost my balance and fell until Yumi grasped my hand and smiled.

"I guess I'll really be counting on you to watch my back, Yumi."

"Oh I'll watch way more than that." Yumi said in a teasing tone.

The killing intent around us increased further.

A light pink appear on Yumi's face. "There's no problem. My Sacred Gear that attained Balance Breaker and Shirou's Divine Dividing, if we combine these two, then I feel we can surpass even a dangerous crises. …Fufu, I wasn't the type to say such things before. Thanks to you, my readiness for comrades also changed as well… It's hot around my chest region."

[Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill.]

The girls started chanting like it was some kind of demonic mantra, their demonic power radiating out of control.

Yeah. Azazel does seem like a spontaneous guy...

"Azazel has always been like that, Rias." said a new voice that didn't belong to any of us. I turned to see a familiar young man with crimson hair.

**(Hoho! Good to see that Gremory brat again! You should show some respect to this guy, kid!)**

I tensed. That voice that seemed to come from within my soul sent a chill down my spine. I...I knew this voice somehow...like it was echoing from a place where it rested in the depths of my soul.

I instinctively knelt on the ground faster than anyone else. Akeno-san and the others were kneeling in their places, Asia appeared to be having trouble coping with the situation. Xen-chan, also had a confused expression.

"O-O-O-Onii-sama!" Rias said in a surprised voice. Ise was a little slower than the rest of us, so Rias had to hit him on the head to make him drop to his knees.

Yes, he is Rias's onii-sama and the current Maou of the devil society, 'Sirzechs Lucifer'-sama, he's that person! Ooh, to meet Maou-sama again at a place like this!

"Azazel won't do anything like Kokabiel did a few days ago. He may do a prank like last time, though. The Governor will come earlier than the planned date."

"It's an honor to meet you again, Lucifer-sama!" I greeted.

"Ah, Shirou-kun!" Lucifer-sama smiled, recognizing my face. "It is good to meet Serafall's Queen again."

"I am oh so honored that you remember my name, Lucifer-sama! Even though I was so rude as to never properly introduce myself to you, you remember my named! Forgive me for not preparing a proper welcome for you! Ihavebroughtshameuponmyselfand-"

Lucifer-sama gave a good-natured laugh. "It's no trouble. You somewhat remind me of your great-grandfather. You both possess a large amount of energy. How surprising his line has survived to the point of a great-grandson. Your existence has certainly raised quite a bit of Hell in the three Factions. Looks like Kokabiel stirred up more than he bargained for, huh?"

There was a large wave of tension that passed through the air.

I suddenly felt like throwing up, and it's not from the drinking.

Shalba's words from before came to mind.

_"They would never allow such a person bearing power such as yours exist as anything but their puppet if they allow you to live at all."_

_"Just like Lucius, they fear your power and seek to use or even destroy you."_

And here I was standing in the same room as one of the most powerful amongst the Maous. Serafall was one thing but this person did not have the same care as her and I had no value to him as a servant. He had no moral reason NOT to kill me if he so desired. He showed a calm and elegant presence, but I've met plenty of people easily able to hide their true natures.

I placed my hands over my face, a hot, unpleasant feeling coming back up my throat.

"Bathroom!" I shot past Lucifer-sama and Grayfia-sama (I honestly didn't notice here there before) and ran out the room and down the hall.

As my friends became out of earshot, I heard some of the exchange from the loudest person in the room who was also experiencing the most suffering at the moment.

"Ow ow ow ow! What'd I do, Gwayfiaaaa!?" Then a sharp scream of pain. "You too, Wias?!...What wack of tact!? What are you talkin' about?!"

Then there was more whines and screams of pain as Lucifer-sama was punished by both his Queen and his sister for...whatever they were punishing him for.

I just kept running and maneuvering through the halls of the old building, trying to find something bearing the remote resemblance to a bathroom. Now more than ever, I cursed my inability to memorize the layout of this place. I never bothered memorizing it before because I usually only had to go to and from the Occult Research Clubroom.

Dammit! Why did this whole damned place have to turn into such a labyrinth whenever there was somewhere I needed to go!? Seriously, will I ever find a goddamned bathroom anywhere!?

But the vomit had already made its way up into my mouth from my stomach. I had been holding it in for seven minutes and having to put up with the taste of vomit in my mouth for that amount of time has only made me need to vomit further. Eventually, it got to the point where fluids were leaking out of my nose due to the pressure so I could only do the most rational thing.

I dived to the side of the hallway, forcing the window open and sticking my head out, releasing every last bit of the contents that had been in my stomach, finally relieved of the pressure from holding it in for so long. With the after-effects of the sake, the paranoia and fear as a result of Lucifer-sama's arrival, and having been holding it in for ten minutes now, it was honestly such a relief.

I heard a few shrieks of disgust and discontent from below. Probably some of the usual idiots trying to get in and eavesdrop on the ORC due to being fans of Rias, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, or Yumi. While I felt bad for coating them in my stomach contents, they were never going to get anywhere. Rias and Akeno-san have a lot of barriers placed around this building that prevents normal humans from breaking in or eavesdropping so, if anything, I gave them incentive to stop wasting their time.

After three minutes, I finally stepped away from the window, closing it and releasing a sigh of relief. That had been just what I needed. Thanks to that, most of the poisons were out of my body and I was able to move without a headache now. I still felt the desire to take a long and much-deserved nap, but I didn't feel the desire to drop dead anymore.

I breathed in and out, leaning against the wall for support.

I'm calm now. I'm good. No more paranoid fears.

Now, there's only one thing left to worry about:

"Where the Hell am I?!" I screamed at nobody.

I had been so focused on trying to find a bathroom or somewhere that I had completely forgotten to pay attention to where I was going. Now I was in some unfamiliar part of the old building. I could tell that it was not regularly used because several of the doors were in poor shape from poor building management and disuse. Rias clearly didn't come down this hallway often enough. There were random papers and wrappers just scattered everywhere, like a collection amassed from someone carrying numerous, filled-to-the-brim garbage bags to and from this hallway.

There was really nothing else to do except wandering around until I ended up back at the staircase or something.

Worse-case-scenario, I would have to use a window as an exit.

And so I walked...

For about two minutes.

I was stopped in my tracks by a rather interesting sight. I know it was stupid of me to be sticking my nose in things Rias has around here, but I was curious. Curiosity may have killed the cat but my curiosity could get me castrated by Rias for messing with her stuff. She made one thing clear in all of the time that I have known her: Do NOT mess with her stuff. If you do, you do so at your own peril.

Yet for some reason I still made my way to the set of double doors at the end of the hallway.

It felt strange for there to just be double doors there. We were on the second floor so they obviously didn't lead outside. Not to mention there were lots of strange-looking seals and talismans attached to the door along with magical chains wrapped around the door handle with some sort of lock on them. Only Rias or perhaps Akeno-san would have the key. And if that weren't chilling enough, there was tape pasted on it with the words "KEEP OUT" printed in bold capital letters.

It may have been my imagination, but I could have sworn my bandaged arm was beginning to burn a little. It was fairly uncomfortable, as if telling me something.

My brain was telling me that this place was clearly locked up for a reason and that I should just stay away from it. If even the bold and recklessly brave Rias Gremory had this thing locked up, it was probably something I DID NOT want to mess with.

But I couldn't leave it alone. I just kept staring at it. Everything was there for a reason, but I didn't feel any malicious presence from the other side of the door. Even if it was sealed away, I would still be able to sense evil intentions or power. There was none. I knew there was something on the other side of the door, but I couldn't quite tell what it was.

The way I saw it, I had one of two choices:

1) I could open the door, sate my curiosity, and unleash whatever was on the other side, regardless of how mundane or dangerous it is. My curiosity will be satisfied, but there's the chance I could release a monster of apocalyptic proportions.

2) I could leave the door alone, turn around, and try to find my way out of this place. I will never know what's on the other side and will most likely go insane due to my desire to know.

-Fuck it. We all know which one I'm going to pick.

And with that, I channeled the Rook trait of my Queen Piece and easily ripped off the chains on the handles of the door.

I darted my eyes left and right, checking for something that was about to explode or shoot at me or call out some kind of alarm or SOMETHING. But there was no response. I examined the chains in my hands.

Hm...These...These might actually just be a normal chain and lock. That or they were more meant to keep something in than people out.

OK then, now all I have to do is tear off these talismans and the tape.

BANG-CRASH

I jumped back, startled by the sudden noise of something shattering on the other side.

Yep. Something is definitely in there! Time to leave, Shirou!

But my body refused to obey. I was still too curious.

Turning around to make absolutely sure nobody was around, I enhanced my arms with Knight speed, tearing off the talismans and seals as quickly as I could. Whatever was behind the door was moving more excitedly about, knocking more things over, seeming rather panicked.

There was no more time to waste.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the doors just a crack, doing my best to peek inside without entering. Now that all of the seals were undone, I was definitely sensing some kind of inhuman presence inside. It was unfamiliar. Since I awoke to my bloodline, it has become even easier to sense other presences for me. But this one was not human. It kind of felt like a Devil, but something felt off about it.

I opened the door further, cringing when it made an unbelievably loud creaking noise regardless of how slowly I pushed it.

Taking yet another deep breath, I risked poking my head in just a bit, calling out.

"Hello...? Anybody in here?"

There was no response.

I quickly checked behind me to make sure I was still alone.

I was already this far in, so I may as well fully sate my curiosity. And thus, I opened the door just a bit wider, just enough for me to slip my whole body inside.

Now that I was able to get a completely good look in the room...

It was horribly underwhelming. I mean...I kinda expected blood and/or corpses filling a gore-filled dungeon with some kind of ferocious beast prowling around, but instead I found a somewhat average room. Sure there was a weird, open coffin in the middle of it, but other than that, nothing too crazy. Hell, with how cozy it was inside, it might have just been some gothic-style bed. There was also a computer against the wall...And it was on. Whoever had been on it clearly hadn't been gone too long. They were still getting messages from somebody on the internet.

BANG!

"ACK!"

I jumped, spinning on my heels to face the source of the sudden gasp of pain. My heart was beating fast like crazy.

Good things my nerves were still somewhat lessened due to the remaining alcohol in my system. I was at that level where I was still not able to use my full reflexes, but neither was I dizzy nor unable to do my job. But still...I was really creeped out.

"Hello?" I slowly edged my way towards the source of the noise, noticing some kind of desk on the other side of the room upon which were several game consoles and a TV.

...Holy shit. I think this guy has better video games than I got!

But that's beside the point.

I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up straight, sensing the piercing eyes of an unknown observer.

The first thing I saw of them was a pair of glowing, red eyes that sent chills down my spine.

A stray drop of sweat rolled down the side of my face, gathering underneath my chin before dripping onto the ground.

"H-H-Hello?" I called out again. I knew it wasn't just my imagination because those glowing eyes blinked at me. I did my best not to panic. Whatever this thing was, it was best not to show fear. The moment I showed fear or any other kind of weakness. it would pounce, no doubt about it. I just had to back out slowly and ca-

"WAAAAAAAH!" The shadowy figured lunged out.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" I bear no shame in admitting I screamed from shock and fear.

That was when I felt two, small, pointed spikes pierce my neck. At first, there was a sensation of searing pain.

Dammit! I let my guard down. They just need to go a bit deeper before they cut an artery in my neck! To think I lost after the first move!

But that was when I was surprised by another feeling.

Pleasure.

I don't know when or how, but the sensation that had once been unbearable pain had changed into a warm and pleasurable feeling. Like someone was making use of some unknown erogenous zone I never knew I had before. I felt like I was losing something, but it felt so good. I felt so embarrassed when I let out a slight moan. I would have been able to enjoy it more thoroughly if I had not taken notice of the light-headedness I was experiencing.

.

.

.

.

Huh?

.

.

.

.

Wait a second.

.

.

.

.

Almost done figuring this out.

.

.

.

.

Totally not stalling so I can further enjoy this strange yet painful pleasure.

.

.

.

.

OH MY MAOU! THIS FUCKER'S SUCKING MY BLOOD!

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!" I screamed again, turning on my heels, trying to fling my unwanted passenger off of my body. I ran back and forth, but got no relief. "GET OFFA ME!"

There was a slight scream from my passenger as they wrapped their arms around my neck, trying to keep from being tossed like a rag doll.

"I saaaaid-OFF!"

With a final furious punch, I knocked my assailant off to the side, cringing somewhat when I heard them hit the wall painfully. I meant to knock them off, but perhaps leaving a small crater in the wall was not the best way to go about it. No. Not at all.

I mean seriously, I think I saw a little blood dripping down out of that crater. Maybe I overdid it. Maybe I overreacted.

My would-be assailant laid lifelessly on the ground, granting me the opportunity to finally get a good look at him.

Or should I say HER.

She was a small girl and was dressed in our school's girl uniform. I was taken aback when I finally got a good look at her face, rolling her onto her back. I was honestly surprised that she looked like a normal girl rather than some kind of monstrous demon or whatever I expected.

No. That was wrong. Looking at her, I could tell very well that she was not human nor some kind of monster. She also clearly wasn't an ordinary Devil if she was one at all.

She looked young, maybe around Koneko-chan's age. She had elfin-seeming ears and platinum-colored hair styled in a bob cut with several small fringes over his forehead, and he has pointed ears. Her skin was a ghostly pale-white color, like some kind of corpse. But perhaps putting it that way makes it seem ugly. No. Her skin was flawless and clear and, as I found out when checked her pulse, soft. She was kind of cold, so I was somewhat afraid that perhaps she was sick or something.

Yeah. That would have been just great. I punched a small, defenseless girl with a cold mercilessly into the wall.

Can somebody say "decreased character popularity"?

...

That...That was creepy. That feeling I just had. I could have sworn I just stumbled upon something greater than my own universe but I already forgot it...it was like one of those stories where the characters broke the Fourth Wall.

"Mnnnnn..." The girl groaned, no doubt in pain from the wall that smashed against her head.

I heaved a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness! I didn't kill her.

My relief was short-lived as the sound of approaching footsteps pounded against my eardrums. Three presences were approaching. It was probably Rias, Akeno, and maybe Lucifer-sama, maybe coming to check up on the seals I broke. I was an idiot to think that Rias and Akeno would not put magical tabs on their seals if this girl was so important. And when they got here...

I looked at the messy room, to the broken seals, and then at the cute girl I just knocked unconscious.

.

.

.

Yep. No matter how you looked at it, I totally looked like a criminal here.

Shit! If Rias or the others catch me here in this situation, I am SO dead! I don't know who this girl was, but Rias clearly had a reason for sealing her rather than killing her as just about ANYONE could have! I am dead in more than a few meanings of the word!

I took a deep breath. There was only one course of action I could take.

I picked up the girl.

I walked back out into the hallway.

And then I broke the window and jumped right out, landing in a crouch before I got my ass out of there!

The moment I hit the ground, I started running as fast as my knight speed.

I kept running and running and running and running!

If I went back, I would be in so much trouble. I couldn't afford to get into such trouble with the Maou-sama there. No matter how much I tried to disbelieve his words, Shalba did have a point in that there was no noticeable point as to why the other Maous would bother keeping me alive.

So yes. All that was left was to hide the girl at my house, wait for the Maou-sama to leave, and then explain the situation to Rias and apologize my ass off.

That was all that was left to do. Just wait until tomorrow. I would have to deal with a bit of shame until then, but at least it wouldn't involve the chance of me being obliterated by a Maou.

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Then came the terrified, bloodcurdling scream that I could only recognize as Rias's.

Ignore it! Ignore it!

"NO! WHERE IS SHE!? Where is she?! Where is she?!"

IGNORE IT! IGNORE IT!

Damn it!...Just ignore it...

But no matter how far or fast I ran, I couldn't escape that inescapable shame that filled my very being.

I'm sorry...

And here I was thinking I couldn't feel anymore ashamed.

"Mnnnn..." There was a more satisfied sigh from the girl who rested against my chest, cuddling up against me. She was snuggling against my chest like it was the safest place in the world.

And here I am, being wrong again. I can ALWAYS feel more ashamed.

* * *

I don't know how long I ended up running for.

I just remember that I eventually got home. The lights were off, but I could never be too careful.

Using Divine Dividing's wings, I silently floated up to the window of my bedroom, carefully sliding it open and slipping inside, making extra sure that I did not accidentally bump my unwilling passenger's head against the window sill.

The first thing I did upon entering my room, I set the girl down on my bed.

What came next was running over to my door and locking it as quickly as possible to prevent any unwanted intrusions.

Geez. It's like I'm TRYING to look like some kind of criminal or deviant.

I released a huge sigh of relief, leaning against the wall, sliding to the ground.

This was possibly THE WORST situation I could have gotten myself into. I just can't seem to get anything right. I can't seem to win against a majority of our enemies, I have a freaking Devil God inside of me who could easily overpower and take over my body, I can't get Shalba's potential manipulations out of my head, and now I just knocked out an adorable bishoujo and practically kidnapped her.

Wait! Not "practically". LITERALLY.

I literally kidnapped a girl and took her to my room!

I hit my head against the wall, silently cursing myself out.

Well, there's not much to be done about it. Rias will probably hate me for what I did no matter how I try to explain, but maybe returning the girl tomorrow once the Maou-sama is out of sight will keep me from being executed. I also have to make sure Yumi, Issei, Ravel, Isabela, Raynare, Mittelt, and Kalawarner are all there as potential witnesses/protectors in case Rias gets too pissed at me and gets a little trigger happy with her Power of Destruction.

"Shirou, are you home?" I tensed.

Shit! I forgot about Mako-nee! She's also a Devil, so there's no doubt she would notice a new presence entering the house! She probably set up some kind of bounded field around the house to detect intruders! There's no way she would miss me!

Sweat began pouring down the sides of my face, clenching my fists while biting my lower lip.

Maybe if I remained silent, Mako-nee would overlook my presence.

BANG BANG

"Shiroooou! I know you're in there! I sensed you coming a mile away!" Mako-nee shouted through the door upon which she banged her fists. "But what really troubles me is that other abnormal presence I felt! Who else is in there with you? I swear if you're in there knocking another girl up, I'll..."

There was a small pause.

"You'll what?!" I asked, not as a challenge but as an honest question.

"...I don't know! I can't threaten to kick you out because you have several women who could easily become your "Sugar Mommas" what with the girl from the Phenex and the current Leviathan!" I did not like the way she said _Sugar Mommas_. "But whatever it is, it's more than enough of a terrifying thought to make you open up this door!"

"U-Um just a second!" I began panicking out of my mind. I had a small, unconscious girl resting on my bed with no explanation whatsoever. Mako-nee was gonna castrate me! Screw what Rias would do! Mako-nee won't leave any remains!

"You hesitated." Mako-nee pointed out. "You're hiding something!"

"No I'm not!" I replied quickly.

"Then you should have no problem opening the door right this moment."

Shit!

My eyes darted left and right as I tried figuring out a suitable place to hide the girl, but there was no nook or cranny that Mako-nee wouldn't be able to guess.

"E-Erm...So sorry! No hable japonés!"

"We're both Devils, jackass!" Mako-nee pointed out again. "We have the gift of Language! We know ALL languages!" There was a pause. "DAMN IT, SHIROU! OPEN THIS DAMN DOOR!"

BANG BANG BANG

I did my damned well best, trying to find some sort of hiding spot to hide the girl where Mako-nee wouldn't find her, but I continuously came up empty, unable to find a single space Mako-nee would not be able to find my unintentional kidnap victim. I flinched and cringed with each beat of Mako-nee's fist against the door. Either she broke it or she hit the door so hard that it came undone, but the lock came undone.

The door opened only a few centimeters before I rammed my whole body against it, trying to block Mako-nee's entry.

But Mako-nee's strength was far superior to my own. She busted that door wide open, knocking me to the ground. Mako-nee had fire in her eyes as she barged into the room, stomping her feet.

"Alright! What the Hell's going on!?" I felt my heart stop when her eyes wandered over to my bed.

"No! Don't look there! There's nothing to see, I swear!"

Mako-nee's fire immediately vanished, her eyes going from anger and curiosity to confusion.

"Huh...I guess there isn't."

It took me a few moments to truly process what Mako-nee just said to me. "What?" I peeked out from behind her and was shocked to see that my previously occupied bed now laid empty. Mako-nee looked down at me, frowning in disappointment.

"Hm...I could have sworn someone else was in here." Yeah, me too!

Mako-nee shrugged.

"Oh well. So much for amusing myself." That's really the only reason you came in here, you psychotic asshole?!

"..." I wasn't sure what to say in response to that. I was more worried over the missing girl who I kidnapped and who is now missing again. I knew she was still unconscious when I put her down...unless she had been faking it. In which case, she could easily be anywhere now.

"From your guilty expression, I can tell you're hiding something from me, but I've already lost interest." Mako-nee said that with the laziest expression on her face, using her pinkie finger to clean out her ear. Mako-nee, it really is hard to believe you are also a descendant of the former Devil God. "Anyway, there was another reason I came up here to see you."

"Huh?" I asked, confused.

Suddenly, Mako-nee's expression became serious, her arms crossed in front of her. "If the Crimson Maou is in Kuoh Town, then that means the current Leviathan will no doubt follow soon." Oh yeah. There was that big meeting between the faction leaders. Serafall would also be appearing. So if Lucifer-sama was here, Serafall would no doubt be here just as soon if she's not here already. "Be careful, Shirou."

I felt my heart seize up. D-Did she know about the girl?!

"I may hate that dipshit Shalba with every fiber of my being, but he does make a good point: The Maous can't be trusted." My eyes widened, shocked to hear such words coming out of Mako-nee's mouth. "Shirou. I'm not saying they are unreasonable people. For people like Otou-san and I, they see no issue. It is you, Shirou, who they would target."

Th-There's no way she would be saying this. Shalba was one thing saying this because he was a manipulative politician, but now Mako-nee?!

"Shirou, you are a young, easily manipulated boy." Mako-nee lectured. I tried not to feel insulted. "You don't know the number of manipulative people out there wanting to use or control you for your power. The Bael clan alone would never cease their attempts to gain you for their side."

I cocked my head sideways. Bael...? Didn't I once meet that Sairaorg guy at Riser's wedding who said he was from the Bael...? He didn't strike me as the manipulative type. He seemed more like an outright "Be my ally or my enemy" type of guy who respects the decisions of others...but I suppose that wouldn't stop anybody from going over his head.

"And let's not forget you have no control over your powers or the other existence that lives inside of you." She meant Satan. Back during the fight with Kokabiel, that guy took over and really started wrecking shit. He even attacked Issei who tried to stop him from taking over my body. If he took over again, there was no telling whether or not I would ever be able to come back. And that's assuming he or I didn't end up going batshit crazy, lose control, and just wreck everything anyway. "You have no control over your powers. You're nothing more than a stupid kid who could be bent to their whims."

I didn't know what stung more: the insult or the fact she was right.

"Shirou, even though you're the Queen of Serafall Leviathan, you're prone to doing reckless and stupid things." Mako-nee pointed out, showing no mercy in tearing me down. "This makes you easy to manipulate and what the Maous predict to be a dangerous weapon against them, both physically and politically. Any power with you on their side gets a great amount of pull. The Maous may see you as a threat and eliminate you as a result. I'm not trying to turn you against your master. I'm simply stating the facts. Even if she became a rebel and a criminal to try to protect you, she would have every other major leader against her. She may have no choice but to go ahead and join them in their final judgment."

Your true enemy is the one closest to you.

Again, those words came to mind...Serafall...she might be given no choice but to...

Mako-nee continued regardless of the fact I was lost in my thoughts. "It is most likely the ultimate decision concerning you will be made at the meeting. That is most likely where your fate will be decided."

And that was all there is to it. I suspected as much. It just felt like such a heavier blow when Mako-nee confirmed my fears aloud. It didn't really feel real until now, but there it was.

My fate would be decided by them. If they felt I was a threat, they may imprison or even kill me. Would they send me to Cocytus? The Lake of Fire? It was Hell. They had plenty of places to choose from.

"But don't worry." I felt arms wrap around my body and felt flustered when I felt my face shoved into a soft area. "No matter what, I'll protect you."

"M-Mako-nee..."

These words were just too strange and sudden to be coming from her. She was usually so subtle about how she cares about me, but this was-Well, then again, the stakes have never been this high. I could probably die in the next couple of days. If that were to happen, she only has this time to be honest with me.

"You're my most important treasure, Shirou. Remember that." Mako-nee hugged me tighter and it was getting really hard to breathe. "I won't let anyone else hurt you."

After a few seconds of awkward silence, I returned Mako-nee's embrace, hugging her back. Usually, this only happened when I was crying or we were reconciling. It felt weird to hug Mako-nee just because. There was no real reason to hug her now. It just felt...odd. Warm but odd.

After a few minutes, we released one another, me looking the other way to hide my blush.

"Here." I turned back to Mako-nee to see her holding something out to me. She was holding two circularly-shaped pills in her hands. They had a weird mark on them and I felt I should seriously consult a doctor before taking those. "You need to take two a day just to be safe."

I hesitantly reached out to take the pills from her hand, staring down at them. "What are they?"

"They're Demonic Power suppressants. Usually they're used to keep certain prisoners in Underworld prisons under control, but in your case, these are a modified batch that will suppress your uncontrolled Satan abilities." Mako-nee explained. "People of our bloodline possess immense power, but it is also dangerous because it is unstable in untrained hands. Our powers respond the most strongly to our emotions. Now that the seal on you is broken, it would be very dangerous. If you lost your temper just once, you could very well destroy the whole town by accident." That wasn't a pretty thought. Mako-nee turned her back to me, beginning to walk out of the room. "And more importantly...they will deceive the Maous into thinking you have more control. It might by us some time before they render a more "permanent" judgment on you."

With those words, Mako-nee walked out of my room, shutting the door behind her.

Not hesitating, I put both pills in my mouth and swallowed. They had an oddly fruity taste to them. I just hope there are no weird side effects.

I sighed, laying down on my bed. This day has been so stressful. I wonder if I should talk to Rias about the...

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FUUUUUUUUUUUCK!

I forgot about the whole reason I was home already! That mystery girl! She's missing!

I shot back up into a sitting position, darting my head back and forth, remembering the whole reason I had come home so early.

That mystery girl! I had no idea where the Hell she was! If she ran back to Rias, she might end up telling the story in a more negative light than it occurred in...

OK. Even I admit that's not really possible. I broke into the room for no legitimate reason, knocked around some of her things, and then smashed her into the wall and that's only before I essentially kidnapped her and locked her in my room. Yeah. There's SO MANY ways you could put that in a worse light.

I did my best to calm down, taking several deep breaths. I had to remain calm. Panic is the enemy.

"OK, Shirou, think-" That was when I tried to stand up, almost slipping on an article of clothing on the floor. "What the Hell?" I usually kept my room neat and tidy! I would never leave some random uniform...random girl's uniform...small random girl's school uniform that couldn't be for Ravel, Isabela, or Asia...

Oh Dear Maou it's hers...IS SHE SOME KIND OF NUDIST!?

"This is bad! Really really bad! If Mako-nee sees her somewhere, then-No wait!" I took a deep breath. "There's no way she went out the door, so she must've gone out the window. Even if Mako-nee saw her, there's no way she'd make the connection between us. Yeah. It's a really good thing Mako-nee isn't here. That makes things less complicated and terrifying."

"I'll say. Th-That lady was really really scary!"

"You're telling me." I agreed, sighing.

...

"What?" Yeah, it somewhat pains me to admit that it took my a second to realize it. I was supposed to be the only one in this room. And that voice...it came from above.

For a brief moment, I thought that the girl was clinging to the roof above me, but I saw no pale-skinned, petite nudist girl hanging from the ceiling. There was only a small, furry black shape with their wings folded up around their body. It looked at me with those eyes of theirs.

It was a bat.

"So adorable~" I stood up on my bed and immediately plucked the reluctant bat from the ceiling. I know it's weird of me to think of a bat as cute, but as long as it's small and not frothing at the mouth, then just about any small animal can and will be adorable!

I scratched the little fella under the chin, doing my best not to alarm it. It was trembling in my hand and trying to desperately break free, but I was doing my best to calm it.

"Nyaaaan~!" And it was at that moment that Kuro started pawing at my feet, trying to get my attention. She seemed to be eyeing the adorable bat-chan with what I suspected to be envious eyes. I knew I had to keep bat-chan away from her or the jealous kitty might scare it away.

"Come on, Kuro-chan, I'll give you love later. Right now I have to help out this adorable bat-chan." Then I turned back to the bat in my hands. "You know, it's really weird. I thought I heard someone talking to me, but I guess it must have been my imagination. You couldn't have possibly answered me, could you, little fella~?"

"A-Actually-I-I did."

My smile remained frozen on my face for a good ten seconds. "Huh?"

"U-Um, c-could you let me go, p-please?" The bat-chan in my hand asked politely.

That was when my expression shattered like glass. "EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH!?" In my shock, I fell back on my bed, accidentally flinging the bat-chan into the air.

"IYAAAAAAAAAAAN!" The bat-chan flailed futilely in the air, doing her best to regain her balance, but she just kept tumbling. There was a huge explosion of smoke around her. The screaming became even louder and then a familiar shape fell out of the smoke cloud, landing knees first on-

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!"

That squeal of agonizing pain did not come from the pale-skinned girl who drove her knees right into my royal gems.

No...that was me.

It felt like my soul was leaving my body. The pain was too intense to describe in words.

"A-Aaaaah! I-I'm sorryyyyy! I swear I didn't mean to!" The girl apologized. "Please don't hurt meeeeeeeee!"

Once the fear of losing the ability to ever reproduce faded, I was finally able to take in the sights around me...or on top of me.

The girl was hovering over me, fear and worry in her eyes...and her body clothed in nothing else. For a moment, I was afraid she was some kind of crossdresser, but from the view I got, I was able to tell she was 100% female. Yep...she was definitely a girl.

My previous pain began to be forgotten in the face of the marvelous sight before me, the only wound I acknowledged being the one that caused blood to leak from my nose. The girl just stared in confusion, perhaps perplexed by the perverted expression on my face. Then she noticed her exposed breasts and screamed in a higher pitch than I thought humanly possible before she turned away, crossing her legs and crossing her arms over her chest.

"No, please! D-Don't hurt meeeee! I don't want to lose my purity!" The girl cried.

A part of me was crying. That sounded like something any girl who knows Ise or any of his Dress Break victims would say. In this moment, I was lowered to the same level as Ise.

I sat up, wiping blood from my nose. I tried reaching out to touch her shoulder. "Hey-"

"Noooooooooooooooooooooooo!"

Then, I could swear my eyes were playing tricks on me. One moment, the girl was there, the next, she was gone, sitting in front of the bed, trying to hide from me, peeking out from behind her cover to see if I had somehow forgotten she was there.

"I wanna go home! I wanna go home, I wanna go home, I wanna go hoooooooome!" She was crying, burying her face into her knees, sobbing to herself.

I didn't have the time to figure out how the hell she moved from my bed to the end so fast. I had to get her to calm down. How the Hell do I do that?!

First things first though.

Reaching out, I picked up her uniform off the ground, turning and handing it to the girl, making sure to respect her privacy and looking the other way. "Here."

The girl turned her head to face me, her face still red as she covered her most important areas.

"You'll catch a cold if you stay like that."

Staring at me with fearful and cautious eyes, the girl turned slightly, reaching out to take the uniform from my hands. Once she had it, I turned the other way to give her the privacy she needed to get dressed, trying to get the image of her flawless, naked form out of my mind. It was fine imagining Serafall or Ruruko like that, but violating another girl's privacy like that was a no-no since, unlike with Ruruko and Serafall, I don't have her permission to think such thoughts.

We sat in mutual silence. I don't think the girl wanted to talk to me and I just had nothing to say really.

The only noise heard in the room was the sound of cloth being placed upon bare flesh.

This was truly a troubling situations. Awkward silence was one thing, but this silence was just cold. I didn't like it, so I had to say something.

"Hey!" The girl's head sharply turned towards me. I felt my confidence fade somewhat, but I continued regardless. "U-Um...I...uh...I'm sorry for kinda...well...smashing you against a wall."

Silence was the initial response.

"I-It's...it's OK. I-I have a headache, b-but it's not too bad." But she still sounded plenty afraid.

And more cold silence ensued.

"I...I'm really sorry. When you jumped out at me and started biting my neck, I was just really startled and...well..." This earned me a confused and startled stare.

"I did what?" She seemed genuinely ignorant of what she did before I knocked her out.

"Y-Yeah. You really don't remember?" I asked. "You just leaped out and just chomped down."

"W-What?!" Her eyes went wide. "B-But I..." Her face then flushed red and a look of recognition crossed her face. "EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHH!?" There was another puff of smoke as she unintentionally shape-shifted into a bat again. "Sorryyyyyyyyyyyy! DON'T HURT MEEEEEE!"

E-Eh?

"N-No. It-It's no big deal, really."

Why was she freaking out again?...Wait...Pale skin...pointy ears...fangs...drinks blood...can shapeshift into a bat.

"Are you a Vampire?" Even though it was incredibly blunt, I couldn't help but ask.

The girl suddenly lost her balance and fell back to the ground, once again shifting back to her more human-looking form, cowering behind my bed. "W-Well, n-not exactly. I'm only a half-Vampire, a D-Dhampir."

I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to wrap my head around it. "I-I see...So you really were sucking my blood."

"Eeeeeeeeeeek! Don't hurt me again! I am sorry, I am sorryyyyyyyyyyy!" This conversation was really going nowhere.

"Relax!" I urged. "It's no big deal. When you gotta feed, you gotta feed. Humans gotta eat meat and sometimes vegetables, Vampires and half-Vampires gotta drink blood. It's no big deal."

The girl eyed me tear-filled eyes. "Y-You're not gonna hurt me again?!"

"No. No I'm not." I responded yet again. "Look, I didn't mean to hit you. In fact-"

There was only one way to properly gain her trust after I hit her before. I pulled my fist back-and then smashed it into the side of my face. I heard a crack, so I either broke my jaw or a tooth. Hopefully the latter. There was a sharp squeak from the girl, but I ignored it.

I managed to grin despite the pain I was in, trying to seem lighthearted. "There. That makes us even, right?"

The girl seemed uncertain, but nodded. "Yeah." I noticed she was slightly less uneasy than she was before. Still nervous and shaky, but not as uneasy around me. "D-Doesn't it hurt?"

I shrugged. "Not as bad as having somebody hate you over a misunderstanding. I really am sorry about before though."

"M-Me too."

That caused me to stare. It was an odd response. "About what?"

"I-I didn't mean to just jump out at you! M-My head just started going all fuzzy! I smelled something really really delicious and I just started-" Her face flushed red as she curled up into a ball again, burying her face into her knees. She seemed more embarrassed than afraid now.

"I-It's fine."

NOW it was an awkward silence. Better than a cold silence but still not as good as just the normal "Nothing to talk about" silence.

"Hey, let's start over." I extended my hand to the girl. "My name is Shirou. Shirou Fujimura."

The girl nodded, turning so she could stand on her knees and face me. She reached out her hand, but pulled back, then reached out, repeating this several times before I gave up on the handshake.

"G-Gasper. Gasper Vladi. I-I'm the Bishop of Rias Gremory."

.

.

.

Yet another glass smile was frozen on my face. "I'm sorry, could you repeat that one more time?"

"U-Um, of course. I-I'm Rias-buchou's Bishop."

"Ah...that's what I thought you said."

There was one more moment of silence. Then-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!" I was running around the room, hopping from wall to wall to roof to floor, bouncing around like crazy all while screaming. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Gasper-chan just watched while hiding from behind the bed, seeming incredibly frightened by my current display. It was honestly amazing that Mako-nee never came once to check up on me.

After a while, I just gave into the crushing despair and curled up in a ball in the corner, burying my face in my legs and wrapping my arms around my head. I couldn't keep myself from trembling. There was no apologizing now. I would never be forgiven. There was no doubt about it.

"I'm gonna die..." I choked out. "...I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die." Rias would never forgive something like this. Maybe some kind of prisoner or pet or whatever would have been one thing, but Rias would be pissed about me kidnapping her servant. Lucifer-sama would hear about it and then I would be declared too much of a threat. He would kill me on the spot. He doesn't need to hesitate. He just needs to hear the words "Shirou kidnapped my servant-" without hearing the rest before he decides to reduce me to less than nothing. "I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die."

I could do nothing but console myself, resisting the urge to cry while rocking back and forth, trying to think up some impossible way to get out of this situation.

"F-Fujimura-san...? I-Is Rias-buchou your enemy?" Gasper-chan asked, trembling. She slowly edged towards me, feeling afraid but worried.

I buried my face into my hands, shaking my head. "No. She's a friend of mine...but I'm going to die...I didn't mean to take you and no matter what happens, when she finds out I took you, I'm going to die. You don't understand, but I'm going to be killed..."

"A-Are you really in that much trouble...?" Oddly, I heard Gasper-chan's voice shake somewhat, and not from fear this time. I looked up to look at her and was shocked to see that she had an almost comically sad look on her face. She looked sadder than I did.

"W...Why are YOU crying...?" I asked, sniffling.

"You looked so sad and afraid and then I started thinking about all the times I'm sad and afraid and I couldn't stop myself from crying!" Gasper-chan explained, more and more tears flooding from her eyes.

I rubbed my eyes before stretching my hand and petting Gasper-chan on the head. She stared at me in wonder, tears still pouring from her eyes.

"There there. It's alright, Gasper-chan." I said, trying to comfort the poor girl. It would be pretty uncool of me if I just kept bitching about my own situation with such a cute girl crying next to me. "Nothing bad's happening right now, so it's alright. When nothing bad is happening, that means everything is good. So there's no reason for you to cry right now."

Gasper-chan sniffled, but she seemed to stop crying, calmed by my gentle hand on her head.

"Would some candy make you feel better?" I asked, managing the weakest most fake smile I ever put on.

Gasper nodded. "Mmhm."

Her expression was kind of adorable, so I stood up from my seat, walking over to my desk and opening one of the drawers. Stashed inside were several candy bars and other candies that I had stored for when I was studying or doing homework. I pulled one out, tore off the end of the wrapper, and handed it to Gasper-chan. She held it more closely to her face, sniffing it once before she took a big bite off of the end.

She let out a noise filled with satisfaction, smiling slightly as she began to enjoy the ever-so-delicious candy bar I had given her.

I sighed, sliding back to the ground, covering my eyes with my hand. "Oh...what am I gonna do...?"

"Fujimura-san..." I looked back to Gasper-chan and was shocked to see that she had completely finished her candy bar, the area all around her mouth covered in chocolate. If it had been any other situation, it would have been both funny and adorable, but I wasn't in the mood to laugh. "You...You aren't a bad person...why will Rias-buchou kill you...? Y-You said you aren't her enemy...A-Are you a Stray?"

If it weren't so insulting, I would laugh at that.

I shook my head. "No. I still loyally serve my King. It...It's not Rias who would really kill me...It's the Maous. Not even because I did something, but because of what I am. They are probably on edge because my existence is a danger to so many people. They're not bad people. But they're nervous. Due to my abnormal existence, they might only need the one reason to kill me. I accidentally kidnapped you. That is their reason. There's no one to hate or to blame. They only want to protect people and I don't want to die. So now I can only wait until tomorrow. You go back home. Rias finds out it was me who took you. Lucifer-sama kills me. The end."

Gasper-chan's eyes which were once filled with fear were now filled with sympathy.

"Fujimura-san...what if I don't tell Buchou?"

My eyes widened as I stared at Gasper-chan. "W-What?"

Gasper-chan blushed, bowing her head. "Fujimura-san was really nice to me. You hit me once, but that was because I lost control and attacked you. You were scared and didn't meant to. You pet me really nicely and gave me candy. Even though you were going to get in trouble, you still wanted to let me go home." Gasper-chan placed her hands in her lap. "And-And I..." Gasper-chan blushed deeply. Whatever she planned on saying, she got too nervous to say it. "S-So I don't want Fujimura-san to be punished or hurt because of me."

"Y-You're willing to help me?" It was so unbelievable that my luck could be this good.

Gasper-chan nodded, smiling slightly.

"OH THANK YOOOOOOU!" I wrapped my arms around Gasper, picking her up and hugging her like crazy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank yoooou!"

"Aaaaah! It's alright! It's alright! Put me down! Eeeeek!"

There was still a chance of survival.

Not a big chance, but a chance nonetheless.

And it was all thanks to the adorable Dhampir Bishop of Rias!

* * *

**? POV...**

Angry.

That was the first thought that came to its mind.

Hungry, tired, lustful, envious, prideful, greedy.

It felt so many things at the same time. It could not properly control these emotions in itself. If it tried to suppress them anymore, it would go crazy.

The source of its anger, envy, and lust could not be harmed. No. No No No! It would be punished if it did that!

He can't be harmed. Unforgivable. No No No No!

It can't be done. No matter what. The other one would not forgive it. He would get involved. It would have no choice but to hurt him. Then the other one would get angry. Investigate.

Everything was disorienting. Hateful light. Evil light. Bad Bad Bad!

Need food. Need sleep. Need shiny things. Need fulfillment. Need Need Need.

Can't hurt other one. Can't get shiny things. No no. Other one would notice. Food is easy. Yes. Food is nice. Not filling, but nice.

Venting lust is no. Venting will be noticed. Venting lust is no. Pride. Pride in secrets. Secret secret. Other one can't know.

Sleep later. Not now.

Lust easiest, but no no. Other one would not be happy. Investigate. Attacking them no.

The blonde one. The blue-haired one. The brown-haired one. Drill hair. Red-head. Ravens. No No No!

Beautiful. Crimson most beautiful. Yes. Sexy. Yes. If not taken, she would be excellent for the other one. But no. No. Other Dragon have her. No touch. Shame.

It could not stop staring at the blonde one. She carried bags. Late food trip. Buying food with other Dragon. Other Dragon weaker. Easy kill. But no. Other one will be angry. Too much commotion.

Envy. Envy Envy Envy. Lust. Hate. Hate.

So much hate. Hate so much.

Find other one. Reeks of Faiths. Hate. Blue-hair best. Vent anger.

But no.

Unfair. Unfair Unfair Unfair Unfair Unfair! HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE!

Run Run RUn RuN RUN RUN rUN RUN RUN RUN RUN!

Need vent. Need.

Look Look Look.

It found new ones after looking. Drill hair and Mask. Going home. Easy kill. Vent. Vent Vent Vent.

"Ravel! Stay behind me!"

Oh no. Mask noticed. Got too excited. She's looking. Looking looking looking. She hasn't spotted it yet. Easy kill.

No. More noticeable. Other one would notice.

"W-What's wrong, Isabela? We have to hurry. Shirou-sama was feeling bad. We need to get home before the icing on this cake melts! I wanted to make one myself, but this was so short notice!"

"Ravel, shush!"

Bad. Going home. They notice. Go back. Back back back. Can't kill. No no no.

Leave for now.

But soon.

Won't matter soon.

Yes. Wait. Other one noticing won't matter. Soon, it can come out more. Dhampir asleep in room.

Other one won't notice.

Return. Yes. No kill.

Wait.

Only wait for now.

But soon. Soon.

* * *

**And on that chilling note, we are finished. Haha! Bet you guys didn't see that coming with Gasper! And yes, it is indeed FemGasper. Gasper's a girl. Girly Gasper. Only difference from normal Gasper is that she don't have a thing dangling between her legs. FemKiba, FemVali, and now FemGasper! Sorry this update took so long. I'm simultaneously working on a new DxD fic and a Fate/ExtraxCampione crossover of which the prologue is finished. Almost done with the first chapter of the new DxD fic.**

**A new shadow is taking the stage! But who could this mysterious creature be?!**

**And know what? I'm gonna start doing those little preview things like they do at the ends of anime episodes. I'm gonna go back and fix that for all of my Vanishing Dragon chapters. It'll take a while, but it will be worth it!**

**Anyway~**

**Next time on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan:**

Shirou: What do you mean I have to escort the transfer student!?

?: I'm sorry you've had to take me around school, Shirou-kun.

Rias: You-You actually managed that?!

Xenovia: With many other rivals out of the way, it appears the pool is perfect.

Jack: Onii-chan...No matter who hurts him, Jack will protect our Onii-chan.

Serafall: Shirou, I...There's something I need to tell you!

?: You can't fight this, the bond between you and I.

**Next time: Transfers, Pools, and Confessions!**

**I can't wait til then~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	25. Life 24: Pools and Confessions

**And a heeeeeere we go! Time to kick off the next chapter~!**

**Also, I've decided. Shirou's voice will be Austin Tindle. Why he has the same voice actor as male Vali you ask? Well...that's just a lil secret for me~ I'd also like to think of him as the same voice actor for Accelerator and Ayumu Aikawa.**

**Finished Guilty Crown...Fuck.**

**Also, I WILL get back to work on FateReign Rebirth. In fact, it's the main reason this chapter has taken so long. Tryin to balance multiple things and now school has started again, so I kinda got my hands full. There's also the fact that Campione is not an easy series to pull off, so expect that story to take more time.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except OC's.**

* * *

**Opening: Brave Shine**

_**[15 Second Instrumental] **A bird's eye view, soaring through the air, through the streets of Kuoh Town, passing by Shirou who turns to face the camera before it flies into the sky, the title appearing in the air:_

_**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**_

_**[hidari te ni kakushita] **Shirou wakes up with a start, rushing to get dressed, and running out the door._

_**[negai wa negai no mama de] **Shirou, dressed for school, runs through the streets, stopping suddenly._

_**[samenai yume miteta] **Ise and Shirou's friends stand ahead, smiling and gesturing for him to follow, Shirou smiling as he chases after them._

_**[migi te ni wa kara no kioku] **Serafall wanders through empty halls of a high-class building, her hair down and forlorn expression upon her face. Serafall stops by a window and stares sadly through the glass._

_**[daremo shiranai sekai no hate] **The silhouette of a woman with feline features observes Shirou in school from a nearby tree, flicking her tail playfully._

_**[yamanai ame ni utareteita] **Gasper sits in the darkness of her room, hugging her legs against her chest, her eyes glowing._

_**[mamoritai mono o mamoreru tsuyosa] **An empty-looking Irina walks through the streets of Kuoh Town in the rain, turning around in shock as images of her younger self and the younger Shirou and Ise run past her like a memory._

_**[sore o shinjirarenakunaru yowasa] **Shirou sits in the ORC clubroom with his friends, staring at his open right hand, staring at the darkened skin caused by his possession before tightening his fist full of determination._

_**[subete o ukeirete]** In an unknown place, a red-eyed figure sitting upon his throne in the shadows smiles softly, four silhouettes standing at his side._

_**[ashita o sagasu] **Shirou stands by his other friends and comrades, staring determinedly at the approaching tides of war, summoning Divine Dividing._

_**[Brave shine] **Issei (in Scale Mail) Clashes against the explosive power of a silver-haired girl in the skies above Kuoh Academy._

_**[te wo nobaseba mada Stay the night] **Scene change to the school grounds. An adult-version of Jack blocks a blast of Demonic Power from Katerea Leviathan using several knives of an evil origin, evading numerous other blasts using incredible speed before leaping into the air and swinging her blades forward._

_**[kizu darake no yoru You save my life]** Scene change to the woods behind the school. An explosion rocks the earth, Shirou fleeing back out of the kicked-up dust, catching the blow of the powerful "Shadow" the two unleashing powerful punches coated in blue and black demonic power respectively, resulting in a deadlock of explosive power._

_**[kazashita yaiba no saki ni] **Only Shirou's silhouette becomes visible in a giant towering vortex of azure flames surrounding his body, only glowing red eyes showing any difference in color. Serafall cries out to Shirou, tears falling from her eyes._

_**[omoi o kasaneta]** Images of Shirou's favored memories play in black and white like on a super 8 film reel._

_**[inori wa toki o koete]** Shirou's friends and those he considers "family" stand outside the normal Kuoh Academy, smiling and inviting him forward, Issei extending his hand towards Shirou._

_**[Your brave shine...]** In an unknown place, Shirou walks across a crystal and undisturbed body of water, walking with determination in his eyes as he halts suddenly, confronting "the Shadow" standing across from him, dramatic wind blowing around them. Scene changes to Devi-kun, half-submerged in the water._

* * *

**Life 24: Transfers, Pools, and Confessions**

I couldn't stop tapping my pencil against the top of my desk.

Since last night, Gasper-chan and I had been ready to put our plan into action, but I still couldn't help but feel nervous. There was a fifty-fifty chance of success and failure. One slip-up and I could very well end up being executed by the Maou-sama. Our plan was simple, but incredibly dependent on time. If we were one minute slow, we could be detected.

I looked around me, making sure nobody, ESPECIALLY Yumi, could see me bend down and life up the flap of my bookbag.

"How you doin' in there Gya-chan?" I asked, speaking to the crouching, furry figure hiding in my bag. She just sat there in her adorable bat form, nibbling on the candy bars I kept in there. She hissed somewhat at the sudden light but once again started returning her attention to her candy. "You doin' alright?"

Gasper looked at me with those bat eyes of hers and nodded, holding the candy bar with her two wings.

"Yeah, but I'm still really nervous with all of these people around." Gasper trembled somewhat, but as long as she was safely hidden inside, she wouldn't freak out. "C-Could you close the bag, please?"

I nodded, wishing to give Gasper as much comfort as I could until it was time.

As I said before, the plan was simple: We go to school as normal as ever. We go to the first class and act as normally as possible. Then, the moment the first bell rang, I sneak out of the main building and head over to the ORC building without Rias noticing. I had to go to first class so I would have a head start and hope Rias doesn't go there in-between classes.

Just as long as nothing out-of-the-ordinary happens-

That was when the teacher stood up in front of everybody, an unfamiliar boy standing next to him. He had that fake smile on his face he usually had when there was some kind of announcment. "Everyone, I would like you to meet our new transfer student." You know, I don't know why I ever expect my luck to be good. "Go ahead and introduce yourself." He said to the new guy.

"U-Um, h-hello!" The young man greeted, seeming somewhat nervous. Realizing everyone was staring at him, he let out a sharp squeak before bowing before everybody. "My name is Takashi Yamada. I transferred here from Tokyo and I'm not used to smaller towns like Kuoh, so I hope you can all be patient with me. I hope we all get along."

Yamada-san had medium length black hair which could be considered quite messy. He possessed sharp, emerald green eyes which fell under his thick eyebrows. Other than the naturally fearsome and tough appearance his face had, he had the appearance of an ordinary high school student, wearing a typical Japanese school uniform with a white sleeved T-shirt beneath. It wasn't OUR school uniform, but I guess he just hasn't had the time to get one...or maybe the money...Damn. Now I'm bummed.

It sucks when you remember that there are some people in the world who can barely scrape by let alone get the things average people are able to get like school uniforms or TVs and stuff. I guess that's why we all usually choose to ignore those of lower social-classes than ourselves, ESPECIALLY those without homes. HM!?

But despite Yamada-san's fearsome face, he seemed incredibly nervous and shaky. He looked like some kind of punk-styled teddy bear.

Yamada-san rubbed the back of his neck, blushing slightly. "E-Erm, I know it's almost summer break, but my family really wanted me to finish up this semester here. My dad got work in this town, so I had to switch schools, but I look forward to finishing this semester with all of you!" Geez, he's student of the fucking year. It's not a popularity contest, jerk.

"Alright then, Yamada-kun, go ahead and take the empty seat next to Fujimura-kun." Sensei gestured just about in the general direction of the desks. There was no way the new guy would have been able to tell where I was. Our Sensei was the type who happened to never really give a fuck. He does the minimum amount of work required to keep his job at this school.

However, Yamada-san must have had pretty good instincts or sight coz he immediately homed in on my location, walking over to my seat before he sat in the desk next to mine, his hand clasped together on the tabletop, appearing incredibly attentive. Student of the fucking year.

I sighed, leaning on my hand while I stared at the front of the classroom.

That probably would have been my standard position for the whole class if it hadn't been for the finger that poked me in the shoulder. I would have ignored that if he didn't poke me in the shoulder again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. It was on the poke after that that I grabbed his hand, glaring daggers at him, being sure to express my annoyance.

Yamada-san shrank away, an incredibly terrified expression on his face. He shrank away for several more moments before his expression became just nervous again. "S-Sorry, Shirou-kun. Since we were going to be desk buddies, I figured we should get along. I hope we can be friends." He smiled brightly at me. Gaaah! What's this innocence!? Too bright! Too cheerful! Can't...retain...loathing-GAAAAAH!

I couldn't stay annoyed with this guy. He was just so damned bright. It was a pain.

"Sure." I said through gritted teeth.

"Excellent! Thanks for volunteering to escort the transfer student around school, Fujimura-kun!"

"Huh-What?" I immediately sat up, surprised by the teacher's sudden announcement. When the fuck was that decided?!

"Well, you two seemed like you were having fun talking right in the middle of class, so I figured you would so enjoy escorting Yamada-kun." The teacher reasoned. "Yamada-kun, is this arrangement satisfactory for you, having Fujimura-kun escorting you? After all, you both have the same classes."

Yamada-san smiled nervously. "S-Sure. I wouldn't mind having Shirou-kun show me around."

"What do you mean I have to escort the transfer student!?" I stood up, slamming my hands on the tabletop. I started losing my resolve when everyone's heads turned towards me, the teacher shooting me a look of disapproval. The atmosphere felt very, very, very, very, very awkward. "Er...I mean...I really have stuff I need to do after our classes today."

"Oh? What exactly is more important than aiding your fellow student?" Sensei asked, pushing up his glasses. I never knew that Sensei was such an asshole before. "From what I can tell from your student records, you aren't involved in any extracurricular clubs or afternoon activities, so I fail to see what could be more important."

Oh my Maou, what a gigantic asshole.

But he has a point. I may be an "honorary" member of the ORC and the Student Council, but nothing is official. I only hang around with them due to our relation to the world of the supernatural. They were in charge of me when Serafall wasn't around which was pretty much all the time since she was busy in the Underworld being a Maou and stuff. So there was no legitimate excuse for me to give to keep me from being forced to take Yamada-san around the school. Well, no excuse that wouldn't involve revealing the existence of Devils to all of the humans in this room.

No. The worst part of this was there was no way I could sneak away to bring Gasper back to her room. No opportunity to sneak off without being found by Rias. I placed a hand on my trembling bag, Gasper having realized what I realized. Our plan relied on timing and stealth. If we waited too long, Rias would probably begin to suspect. It was important to make it seem like Gasper had been just hiding the whole time in her room.

And like that, I was stuck with escort duty.

* * *

"I'm sorry you've had to take me around school, Shirou-kun."

"Like I said before: It. Is. FINE." I replied again, groaning after answering Yamada-san's apology for the umpteenth time. "Let's just get finished with this tour and be done with it."

It had been ten minutes since the school day ended. It was strange how the others didn't speak to me even once. They all seemed incredibly occupied with something. I waved and said a quick hello to Yumi and some of the others, but even Ise was distracted. He looked like he needed to talk about something, but it must've been something private because he didn't seem to want to talk about it around others.

The tour was going smoothly if not for the fact I was not able to ignore the constant and repetitive apologies of my new classmate.

"Yeah, but I feel really bad about making you do this because..." He seemed even more awkward and nervous, poking his fingers together. "Well...I know you might get mad, but...Well I've been overhearing the girls talking about us in various yaoi-related ways and-"

"That's it?" I sighed. "First rule of being a bishounen in this school: Be ready for repeated yaoi-related rumors spread about you. There are a several dozen of them involving me and Ise...usually with me being the "victim" for some reason. Even in RUMORS I'm the weakest one for some reason! What the fuck!? Does everyone think so little of me?! What do I have to do, walk upstairs to Heaven and smack a Seraph in the face to prove I'm tough?! THE FUCK!?"

And now I was fuming about how everyone treats me like the weakest link. Seriously! The only reason I've lost most of my fights up to this point is because of circumstance! Either my fights were interrupted or I was outnumbered! Never once has it been a fair fight!

"Um...Shirou-kun...do you have something you want to talk about?" Yamada-san asked, sounding worried. "Coz it kind of sounds like you have self-esteem issues."

"Shut up, Baka-shi!" I screamed at him, tears running down the sides of my face as I tried to fight the pain that was beginning to swallow me. "No one wants to hear that from you! And stop calling me 'Shirou-kun'! We aren't close to that point yet!"

Yamada-san cocked his head sideways, a sad expression on his face. "But I thought we were friends." He really did look like a wounded puppy.

GAAAH! There's that damned overly-pleasant look on his face! He's too nice! Too innocent!

I buried my face into my sleeve, my roars being muffled by the fabric of my jacket.

"Alright! Alright! We're friends, you damned, puppy dog-eyed boy! You can call me Shirou-kun, just stop it with that look!" I begged.

Yamada-san smiled. "Alright then! And you can call me Takashi!"

"Sure. Whatever." I sighed, brushing myself off. "So...what do you think? You got a hang of the campus now?" I really had to get out of there. Rias was bound to notice me any moment now.

Yamada-san nodded. "Yeah, thanks, Shirou-kun. I'm sorry for taking up so much of your time."

"Yeah yeah, sure." But I was only half-paying attention. Now that I was free, I had to hurry up and head on to the ORC building before Rias and-

"Shirou!"

I froze, turning slowly on my heels to see a familiar, crimson-haired girl running up to me, seeming frantic about something.

Is it too late to run?

"Shirou, I need you to come with me to the clubroom immediately." Rias urged me. I noticed her eyes were red and puffy, as if she had been crying a lot. Oh, the shaaaaame! She was probably crying because Gasper was missing! I am the worst kind of persoooon! "It's urgent and I need everyone's help for this!"

She grabbed my hand and started dragging me along before I could object.

Yep. It's too late to run.

"See you later, Shirou-kun!" I cringed at the incredibly innocent expression Takashi shot at me as I disappeared from her sight.

I was honestly just surprised Rias was so strong to be able to pull me along like a child. I suppose her stress was pumping a lot of adrenaline through her system or something. As we ran along, I felt my bag continuously bang against my lower leg. I winced with each impact, silently apologizing to Gasper for the bumpy ride. Good thing I had enough common sense to empty the main compartment of my bag before hiding Gasper in there, otherwise I would have a helluva hard time trying to explain why Gasper's body has pencils shoved through it or why she was crushed between two of my notebooks to Rias.

Perhaps this was a blessing in disguise. If Rias was taking me to the ORC clubroom, I could have Gasper slip out of my bag when nobody was looking and just fly to her room without attracting attention. The only thing that makes me nervous is Gasper's incredible shyness and fear of other people. She was oddly comfortable and at peace around me, but she freaked out when I suggested she masquerade as a student and walk through campus back to her room. This was the only way I could get her out of the house.

"S-So what's going on, Rias?" I asked as we arrived at the front of the old school building that acted as the base for the Occult Research Club. I had to at least seem like I didn't know what was going on. "You were seeming kind of...tense back there."

"It's..." Rias seemed to choke. She seemed to lose her ability to speak the further we entered the clubhouse. I felt my heart tense up as I began to recognize the path we were taking. The oh-so-unfortunately familiar path we were taking which led to that oh-so familiar room that I had been attempting to reach stealthily. We were suddenly in front of the wide-open doors of the room of Gasper Vladi.

I felt my heart sink further and further as I saw just about every other member of the ORC in there, in various positions and observing certain areas. Even Ise was checking under various furniture, searching for some unseen object or, more obviously, person.

Rias buried her face into her hands, beginning to sob to herself. "H-How...H-How could I-I have been so irresponsible!?" She cried. "I-I should have checked up on her m-more a-and-Oh dear God!" Asia walked over and placed gentle, reassuring hands on Rias's shoulders, giving her a pitying look. "I was s-so stupid to just leave her alone like that! What the Hell is wrong with meeeee?!" Rias wrapped her arms around Asia and started crying on her shoulder.

"There there. It's alright. With Shirou-san here, we'll definitely find her, Buchou-san." Asia soothed while patting Rias on her back, trying to stop the crimson-haired woman from crying more. She looked at me with an equally sad look. Asia was so sympathetic towards others that seeing her friends cry like this just breaks her heart. I suppose that was something we had in common. Seeing others in pain was as if someone was shoving a stake through our hearts.

I felt Gasper shift uncomfortably in my bag. Clearly she also didn't enjoy hearing Rias cry like this, even less-so because she was (albeit unintentionally) the cause (along with me since it was mostly my fault in the first place).

"W-What's wrong?" I asked, my guilty heart feeling like a heavy weight surrounded by barbed wires inside of my chest. It was so painful. I hated lying like this, but it was almost over.

Asia stared at me with teary eyes. "Shirou-san! It's just awful! Buchou-san was just going to introduce us to her other Bishop-san after you left, but when we got there, all of her and Akeno-san's seals and restraints on the door to prevent anyone but them from entering were all torn off and the door was busted open! The room was a complete mess and the other Bishop-san was gone! Buchou-san is hoping she's just hiding but she might be missing! We're hoping that searching the room might give us clues to where she is!"

"C-Couldn't she h-have just snuck out or something?" I asked, trying to divert suspicion.

Rias shook her head, still sobbing. "No! She's so shy that she can't take being around a lot of people! You would have to knock her out or kidnap her if you wanted to get her out of this room! Being around strangers and crowds just terrifies her and now she's out there, all alone!"

Asia turned back to me with pleading eyes. "Please help us, Shirou-san!"

"Alright, sure." I responded quickly. "I'll go check-er-over there, see if I can find some kind of evidence."

Rias and Asia nodded and I immediately walked over to the closet, opening the door and closing the door to obscure everyone's visions.

Making sure nobody was looking this direction, I took bat-form Gasper out of my bag and put her down inside the change of clothes I brought her, turning away while she took her more human-looking form. I waited for several moments until she was fully clothed in her school uniform.

"Are you sure this will work, Shirou-senpai?" Gasper asked in a very VERY quiet whisper, seeming somewhat embarrassed and incredibly nervous about the numerous people outside.

"It has to, Gya-chan. I can't take the guilt anymore." I grabbed Gasper by the shoulders and stared her dead in the eyes. "I mean it, Gya-chan. I can't. Take. The guilt. The stress is eating me alive. I tried brushing my hair today and a small clump came out. It wasn't much, but I really don't feel like going bald over this."

"O-OK." Gasper seemed somewhat alarmed by my stressed state.

"You ready?" I asked, making sure that Gasper wouldn't falter. She nodded, hiding behind my back as I pushed open the door.

"Hey, Rias! Look what I found!" I announced aloud, Gasper doing her best to hide her entire small form behind my larger body. The crimson-haired girl tore her face away from Asia's shoulders, wiping her tears and sniffling as she turned to face me, the aura of sadness completely shrouding her entire body. I almost started to get depressed just staring at her with such darkness around her. The moment her eyes settled on the adorable Vampire girl behind me, everyone in the room froze.

"B-Buchou..." Then Gasper noticed the number of unfamiliar people surrounding her. "EEEEEEEEEK!"

"It IS you!" Rias ran over to Gasper and embraced her, cradling Gasper's head against her bosom, crying tears of joy and relief.

"Yeah, I found Gasper sitting in the corner of the closet back there. She was in her bat-form, so you guys might have missed her before." I explained. "She got stuck in the closet but when everyone else started coming into her room to look for her, she got scared and stayed hidden in the closet because she's scared of strangers. She is adorable, but kind of a 'fraidy cat." I managed to say all of this with a calm and totally-not-guilty tone of voice.

"Thank you, Shiroooou!" Rias cried. Then she stared Gasper in the eyes, her own eyes releasing an unimagineable amount of tears. "You scared the Hell out of me, Gasper! Don't EVER scare me like that again, you beautiful, beautiful child!" If Rias of the future saw this display, she would no doubt feel incredibly embarrassed for becoming such a mess in front of EVERYBODY.

I scratched my cheek, flushing from embarrassment. "It was nothin'." But I had this sinking feeling in my gut. I knew this would turn ugly VERY soon. I don't know why, I just got this horrible premonition of terrible things to come in the near future. Any second now, it would-

"Shirou-sama, I have a question." Xen-chan raised her hand, cocking her head sideways.

"Hm?"

"How did you know her name "Gasper"?" She looked like an adorable child in a state of childish confusion. "We've been searching for her all day, but Buchou never once told us what her name was. And you haven't been here since yesterday, so there's no way you could have learned the name from Buchou...so I'm confused." And that was when every gaze in the room, including Gasper's worried eyes, settled on me, their gazes more piercing than they were before.

Gaaaaaah! Xenovia, you dimwiiiiiiiiiit!

It was hard to tell if she was dim and big-mouthed or smart and vengeful.

Asia frowned, placing a finger under her chin. "That's a good point...Shirou-san, how DID you know her name?"

"It also feels like it's a bit too convenient how we've been searching since yesterday, and you find her in like five seconds." Ravel pointed out, her eyes narrowed.

Mittelt pouted. "And you two seemed to be well at ease around one another despite having supposedly just met. It's almost as if he knew where she was the whole time."

Yep. They were definitely suspicious but for the wrong reasons. They probably thought that Gasper and I were in some sort of affair-like relationship behind their backs. It was only their mix of possessiveness and paranoia that caused them to get so suspicious about this subject. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either I admit to a false infidelity (or whatever it would be in this case since I'm already building a harem) or I admit to the fact that I unintentionally kidnapped Gasper.

"Shirou...they bring up excellent points." Suddenly Rias was giving me the "evil eyes".

Then she appeared in front of me, still clutching Gasper against her bosom, the child too terrified of everyone else to speak or turn away from the pleasant vision-blocker provided by Rias. I could not count on any support from her in this matter.

"Shirou, **WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY PRECIOUS, ADORABLE BISHOP!?**"

Well...Shit.

"Is it too late for "sorry"?"

Then Rias let out a howl like a wild beast.

And what happened next? Well in Kuoh they say, that my screams of pain could be heard by everyone.

No. I'm not doing a cute thing. Rias royally kicked my ass until I confessed to everything. Gasper got scared, turned into bat form, and hid back in her closet, screaming about not wanting to come out to meet everyone else. All Issei did was get a bucket of popcorn, pull up a seat, and enjoy the show.

That prick.

Well, tomorrow was a holiday, so that's good.

* * *

**The Next Day...**

I managed to avoid encountering Lucifer-sama since the other day.

There was just too much risk. I had no idea what kind of man he was. He was clearly a good and noble man, but at the same time, he would tolerate no threats (be they intentional or not) such as my existence. It was too dangerous to the people he cares for. Issei told me that he had been escorting the Maou-sama around the town to show him what the world of the humans had to offer, so I unfortunately had to steer clear of Issei and his house after school so I could continue avoiding Lucifer-sama.

Today it was our usual group.

It was me, Asia, Isabela, Ravel, with the addition of Xenovia. Rias was ahead with Issei.

"Are you sure that doesn't hurt, Shirou-sama?" Ravel asked with a worried expression.

She was, of course, referring to the fact the right side of my face was covered in bruises and bandages.

Rias really doesn't know the meaning of the word "hold back".

She was SERIOUSLY pissed off. It got to the point that everyone left the room because it just started feeling so awkward, watching me getting beaten up by Rias.

It only ended after Gasper got brave enough to pop out of the closet, explaining everything that happened. She kindly omitted the parts about me smashing her head against the wall, but she told Rias that I had taken her by accident and that we were friends.

Rias had a shocked face when I told her that I managed to convince Gasper to not hide and go with me to try and pull off my plan of hiding what I'd done.

[You-You actually managed that?!]

At first, I wasn't sure what she was referring to, but then she actually PRAISED me for managing to get Gasper out of hiding even if it WAS just going from one hiding place back to her room which served as ANOTHER hiding place for Gasper. Apparently Gasper's fear of people had been greater than I thought. Rias told me in secret of Gasper's origins, being a half-Vampire, a Dhampir, and how she met her unpleasant end before Rias reincarnated her. Gasper was incredibly scared of going outside her room. Even though it was somewhat coerced, the fact I managed to keep Gasper calm, even for a while, to move her from place to place, was a miraculous feat.

But Rias still smacked me on my bruises after that as a final punishment before finally letting it go.

...Rias was a cruel mistress once you've pissed her off.

"I'm A-OK." I answered after a long pause that ensued as I reflected on what happened.

"Are you sure, Shirou-sama?" Xen-chan asked, her expression confused. "You may have suffered some sort of brain damage that causes you to lose bits of time. Ravel asked you the question and then we just ended up walking for about five minutes before you answered."

"Haha...So I did..."

Xenovia mostly met us on the way to school as she usually did. That's cos she lives in an apartment close by to my house so that way she can come to my house close by if she doesn't understand something. Xenovia was still new to the land. She was still adjusting, so it would be understandable if she didn't understand the social norms.

However, I had to make sure to lock the windows of my bedroom. It may have been paranoia, but with her acrobatic skills and that midnight black Exorcist suit, it would be child's play for her to sneak inside in the middle of the night. The way I see it, with her height, it's about two or three flips into the air through my window. She sticks that landing and I'm a father. As a secondary measure, I made sure to chop down the tree next to my house.

"Also, I thought I told you to stop calling me Shirou-sama." I noted with a sour expression. "It's kind of irritating."

"Ravel does it." Xenovia pointed out.

I shot a sharp look at the beautiful loli. "Yeah, I don't like her doing it either."

Ravel crossed her arms, once again remaining unmoving on this subject. Every time I brought it up, she stubbornly continued to stress the proper respect from a servant to her master. Ravel, we are lovers! No matter how you spin it, "proper relationship" of master and servant kind of went out the window!...but still. Her stubbornness is one of her most endearing traits.

After I finally snapped out of the mental confrontation with Ravel, I couldn't help but note how close Asia and Xenvoia had become since becoming comrades.

"Asia, were you able to finish last night's homework?"

"Yes. What about you, Xenovia-san?"

"Well, I don't know some things that are in Japanese. Would you teach me?"

"Yes! Please leave it to me!... But, Kanji is still a bit…"

"Me too. It's really scary that the Japanese learn these complex characters. I am catching a glimpse of a part of a major economic power."

Xenovia and Asia had already gained this friendly bond even though they initially started off on bad terms when they first met. I liked to call them the Church Duo. After all, it was their faith that deepened their bond together.

"I see. This is also the Lord's guidance."

"Yes, it is the Lord's guidance."

"Amen…Ouch!"

I sighed, sweatdropping as the two were inflicted with pain yet again. "And here I am thinking that I'M the one with thick skull..." Seriously though! You could tell those two they take damage from praying as often as you'd like and they'd forget EVERY time.

"It's like those two never learn." Ise agreed, sighing as well.

"Well then, you all. It will be the opening of the restricted use pool." Rias said, giggling at the antics of Asia and Xenovia.

Ravel clapped her hand excitedly, smiling. "I can't wait to go swimming! I've never been, but it sounds exciting!" Then she struck an exaggerated pose that I suppose was an attempt to look sexy. "Regardless of the battlefield, as Shirou-sama's lover, I won't lose to Akeno-senpai or the others!"

"'Battlefield'?" Xenovia questioned.

Ravel nodded, seeming oh-so-pleased with herself. "Of course! We who dutifully serve Shirou-sama with our hearts and bodies are constantly battling one another in competitions of love and sexual appeal to truly decide who deserves to stand at the side of Shirou-sama as his true favorite!" Then she added as an after-note, "And not to mention the number of rivals will be incredibly lessened from normal. The Fallen Angels have to help their Governor prepare for the meeting, Yumi-senpai is busy with work, and Shirou-sama's concubines from the Student Council have their own affairs to attend to."

Xenovia considered Ravel's words before nodding. "Of course. It's the perfect strategy, to wait until the guards of one's enemies are down. With many other rivals out of the way, it appears the pool is perfect is the perfect battleground for a war of epic proportions." With such a serious expression on her face, it was hard to tell if Xenovia fully understood what Ravel meant when she called it a "battle". No seriously, I was really worried about what Xenovia might do. She was such a really unpredictable person that I was worried she might take out Durandal and try to actually unleash its power in the so-called "battle".

"R-Ravel-san!? Y-You're really planning something like that at the pool!?" Asia's face was bright-red as she stared at Ravel in shock.

Ravel grabbed Asia's shoulders, a disturbingly noble smile on her face. "Worry not, Asia-senpai! We have shared our bodies with not only Shirou-sama but each other as well! I count you as my sister-in-arms! We shall both do our best to conquer Shirou-sama and share the place by his side!" Asia paused for a moment, embarrassed, but then she smiled, clasping Ravel's hands in her own.

"Very well, Ravel-san! We shall both work together to become Shirou-san's wives!"

I was stuck between crying for the beauty of their bond and feeling somewhat disturbed by how perverted Ravel had become since I "conquered" her and Asia...Could it have been my influence? Did I accidentally corrupt them too much with pleasure?

"WAIT! YOU GUYS DID WHAAAAAAT?!" Ise stared, his jaw dropped and tears flooding out of his eyes in envy. "You mean you got Leviathan, and you got Ravel AND Asia into yuri!?"

"And he got Yumi-senpai." Ravel added. "Don't forget Yumi-senpai." I shot her a "Really?" look, but Ravel played innocent so I assumed this was some odd way of dealing with the fact I have obtained yet another lover.

Ise immediately turned on his heels and sprinted away, going as fast as possible while crying to himself.

"I ENVYYYYY YOOOOOOOOU!"

"Don't worry," Rias assured, smiling to herself as she "admired" Ise's backside, "he'll definitely be at the pool later. He might even beat us there."

"Yeah..." I agreed unenthusiastically, trying to hide my apprehensive tone...

We, Occult Research club members (I was counted amongst them), were ordered by the Student Council to clean the pool. It's already summer and the school has to open the pool.

Rias already gave her consent to cleaning with the condition of us having the very first use of the pool, thus we eagerly (except for me) took out the moss leftover from taking out the water.

The only exciting part of this for me was seeing the girls's swimsuits. Every time I pictured them in my head, I had a huge nosebleed. I saw Akeno-san's swimsuit as well and it was at that point that I was certain the girls were trying to kill me with their erotic bodies...Not that that would be a bad way to die...

...Gah...Now if only we weren't going swimming...

* * *

Dear Great-Grandfather Satan, wherever your spirit rests.

It's the beginning of summer. The shining sun is giving us warm sunlight.

I can't stop my tears in front of this scenery before my very eyes. My tears are worth it is what I feel.

"Ise, if we weren't Devils, I would truly wonder if we were not in Heaven."

Ise placed a hand on my shoulder, shedding the same tears as I. "Amen to that, brother. Let us give the grandest praise to the Breast Goddess who blessed our world with such gifts!"

"Do you think there's a goddess who bestows the other curves gifted to women?" I asked, choking back a sob.

"I don't know! But to gift us with such things, they must be amongst the most benevolent existences!"

"Hey, Ise. How does my swimsuit look?" Ise had a nosebleed at the sight of the two red strings covering Rias breasts that she called a swimsuit. Truly she was going all-out in seducing Ise today. Rias was using the ultimate secret weapon, concealing so little without revealing the most forbidden parts of the "gifts" women possess.

"Ara ara. Buchou, you sure are fired up. Ufufu, you really wanted to show it to Ise-kun. By the way Shirou-kun, how does mine look?"

With that Akeno-san enters as well!

Unlike Rias, she's wearing an extreme swimsuit of pure white! Like her the cloth is small! Aah, if the two Onee-samas with erotic bodies wear that, a lot of young boys will start slouching! Only the two Onee-samas could pull off such a fantastic feat!

"Shirou-san. I-I came after changing as well."After turning around I saw Asia standing while fidgeting.

Asia was wearing the school swimsuit...No...No! It's not fair! NO! As I gazed at Asia in her school swimsuit...I realized the ultimate power of a cute bishoujo in that swimsuit...It's too powerful for mortal eyes! The ultimate conceal technique which is more powerful than simple nudity: The school swimsuit-wearing Bishoujou!

"Asia," I started blushing again. "You...wow...you look really good in that. Really good..." I then turned to Koneko-chan who also wore the school swimsuit. "You also look very cute, Koneko-chan." Koneko-chan narrowed her eyes at me, blushing as well.

"Hey! Where's my compliment?!" I felt a bottle of sunblock slam into the side of my head, almost knocking me flat on my face. I turned to see Ravel.

She wore a bright-fiery orange colored bikini top that looked perhaps one or two sizes too small and a bikini bottom with a skirt around it. At first I questioned the purpose, but then I saw Ravel do a dramatic spin when she caught my observing eye...Of course! Concealing her gorgeous ass so I would pursue her, hungering for her every step, hoping the wind would blow her skirt upwards and allow me to glimpse her gorgeous curves! The ultimate attraction technique: The small-skirt-bikini-to-attract-the-attention-of-men-with-posterior-fetishes technique! Ravel is more powerful and sneaky than I first thought!

"Shirou, look who I found!" Isabela appeared, still oddly wearing her mask along with a camouflage-colored two-piece that Ise just couldn't stop ogling until Rias pinched his ear. Isabela blushed deeply when I shot her a thumbs up, turning her face away. The girl was getting bolder! That's good! She won't be able to keep Issei's attention unless she acts boldly such as wearing that powerful two-piece! "A-Anyway, look!" At first, I didn't know what Isabela was gesturing to, then I noticed the adorable face popping out from behind Isabela's legs, her white-hair being a dead giveaway.

"J-Jack!?" I couldn't help but express surprise at the sudden appearance of my adoptive little sister and Familiar.

"W-We wanted to play with Onii-chan too." She stepped out from behind Isabela, hiding her hands behind her back with a deep blush and a smile.

That was when horror filled my very being.

T-That onesie is too small for her! What the hell!?

I was seeing my adorable little sister wearing something that was sized uncomfortably small, giving off a sort of erotic appearance for her! That's wroooong! Just looking at her wearing that made me feel like I was committing some sort of crime or something!

"J-Jack! W-Why are you wearing that?!" I asked, unable to think of anything else. Even her small bust was emphasized by that suit!

Jack's blush deepened as she bowed her head, smiling passionately at me.

Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong WRONG! Don't show such eyes with me, baby sister!

"We wanted to make Onii-chan feel happy with our body."

And that was when I felt the scornful gazes begin to slowly turn my body to stone, filling it with many, many cracks that threatened to shatter my very being.

Ravel: "How sinful..."

Asia: "Auuu...I should've kept a better watch...to think he'd take this path..."

Akeno-san: "Ara ara, so it appears Shirou-kun has a Sister Complex..."

Rias: "This is a new low, even for you."

Ise: "Wow. Even I think you're garbage."

Koneko-chan: "I've always thought you were garbage."

Isabela: "I have no response."

"Wait wait! It's not how it sounds!" I tried to defend. "I have no idea how those thoughts got into Jack's head, I swear! I'm not some kind of lolicon!" I knelt on my knees, grasping Jack by the shoulders and staring her straight in the eye. "Jack! Why are you saying such things?!"

Jack looked even shyer than before, turning away. DON'T WEAR SUCH AN EXPRESSION!

"B-Because w-we love Onii-chan. W-We were told we could make Onii-chan happy by dressing like this and he would give us lots of hugs!" Jack defended. "They said Onii-chan was hurting and that this would make him feel happy. Onii-chan...No matter who hurts him, Jack will protect our Onii-chan."

The air froze and the harsh gazes on me ceased as realization filled all of us.

I managed to put on a glass smile. "Jackie-dear-" Jack seemed to gulp due to the ominous aura I was exuding unintentionally. "-who told you something like that?"

"R-Raynare-oneesama and K-Kalawarner-oneesama..."

.

.

.

.

Then my glass smile broke.

"THOSE CROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWS!" I was about to explode into a massive, blistering inferno that would swallow the world and bring forth the apocalypse. "I'M GOING TO MURDER THEM FOR CORRUPTING MY ADORABLE BABY SISTER WITH SUCH THOUGHTS! No no no! That's too easy! First, I'm going to pluck every single one of their feathers out, then I'm going to glue them back on just so I can rip them off again! Then I'm going to have them restrained and suspended from the ceiling and put burning hot coals on their bodies while I whip them mercilessly! Then I'm going to use the leftover wax to drip it on them and burn them and then-"

"Are you gonna wash them off first?" Akeno-san asked innocently.

"No! I'm going to let them sit in their own dirty bodies!"

"Yeah...they're dirty girls, aren't they?" Did Akeno just purr?

"Then I'm going to tie them to a bedpost and burn them with lit cigarettes! Then I'm going to bring out the whips again and-"

"Yes, gag them with their own panties!"

"Y-Yeah...And then...I guess I'll untie them and then shove the gags down further and-!"

"Push them down on all fours, riding on their backs like horses while whipping them with a crop, and make them scream like a bitch!"

...Why did that last scream sound so erotic?

I stood back up, turning back to the others. Now our gazes were all on the body of our somewhat-friendly neighborhood ultimate sadist.

Akeno-san was wearing such a lewd smile on her face, her face flushed and I could swear the area around her crotch was wet despite the fact none of us had entered the pool yet.

I stared at her, my eyes twitching in shock. I couldn't say disgust because I couldn't help but admit that Akeno looked kind of hot at the moment.

"A-Are you getting off on this?!"

Akeno's cheeks turned pink, but she showed no shame.

"And just like that, my thirst for revenge is gone." I added in a monotone.

"I'm not sure who to be more worried about: You and your sadism or her and her masochism." Ise sighed to himself. H-Hey! I'm not a sadist!

Rias smiled awkwardly to herself. "Well, before we move along, there's another matter we have to attend to." She turned to me and Ise. "Ise, Shirou, sorry but please help Koneko and Jack out by being their partners and teaching them how to swim?" Rias asked...or maybe it sounded more like an order.

"Of course, Buchou..." Ise sounded somewhat disappointed at not being able to spend quality time with Sexy Swimsuit Rias.

I, however, hung my head, directing my gaze towards the ground.

"No."

There was a long pause during which we were all certain that Hell had frozen over.

I, Shirou Fujimura-Satan, just rejected Rias's command.

"W-What?" Rias asked, surprised. She was probably surprised that I would refuse such a relatively simple command.

I shook his head. "I can't do it. Have Ise or Akeno-san teach her."

Rias frowned, placing her hands on her hips. "OK...but can I ask why you won't do this?"

"Yeah, Shirou, you don't have to be so rude to Buchou." Ise narrowed his eyes at me. "I mean, if not for Koneko-chan, then you could at least help out your little sis."

Now everyone's gazes were back on me.

I averted my gaze towards the ground. "I...I'm telling you I can't! I just can't, alright?!"

"...Are you mad at me, Senpai?" Koneko-chan asked in confusion, perhaps wondering if she had unintentionally offended me somehow.

"D-Did I do something wrong, Onii-chan?" Jack's watering eyes made it so much more painful.

I shook my head, gesturing strongly that that was not what I meant. "I mean I can't do it. I can't teach Koneko-chan or you how to swim."

Ravel appeared to be amongst the most puzzled at my behavior. "Shirou-sama, are you simply not in the mood to teach them?"

"No!" I said said once more, raising my voice. "Like I said, I just can't! I can't teach her how to swim!"

Then Asia was the one to try and question me, using a more specific question. "Shirou-san, why CAN'T you teach Koneko-san how to swim?" There was a long silence that followed Asia's question.

I couldn't help but jump slightly, covering my face.

I could feel my face burn as my face flushed red with humiliation. I didn't dare look up from the ground.

"..." I mumbled something out but even I couldn't hear it despite knowing full well what I said.

Ravel leaned forward, frowning. "I'm sorry, Shirou-sama, but you must speak clearly to convey what you desire to tell us."

Akeno-senpai placed a hand on the side of her face as she stared, slightly interested, at me.

"Ara ara. You're going to have to speak up, Shirou-kun. We didn't quite catch that."

I turned away and it became much easier to see the blush on my face. "I...n't...m..." I played with my hands nervously in front of me and ny entire face began burning a darker shade of red.

Jack cocked her head sideways. "What was that, Onii-chan? You're going to have to speak up just a bit louder."

I groaned in annoyance, shuffling uncomfortably. "I...I can't teach Koneko-chan cos...well...I..." I paused, taking a deep breath asI worked up the courage to speak my most embarrassing, my most humiliating secret that I ever ended up keeping a secret.

"I can't swim..."

.

.

.

There was a long silence that could have lasted a minute or several hours for how suspenseful it was.

Ravel raised her hand, staring blankly. "I'm sorry...Could you repeat that again?"

"I CAN'T SWIM, OK!?" I didn't mean to scream it to the whole world, but my voice became higher and more tense than I intended.

.

.

.

[Pfffffthahahahahahahahaha!]

The silence was completely shattered when Rias, Akeno-san, Ise, and Isabela broke out into full-blow laughter.

"S-Shut up! It's not funny!" I crossed my arms and refused to look at any one of them. "I...I...Mako-nee never taught me how...I never learned how to swim. Yes. Yuck it up all you want...Jerks..." This was my greatest shame. If not my charm, then the one thing I could always pride myself on was my physical abilities.

That was when a gentle hand grasped mine. I looked down to see the blushing yet determined face of Ravel who held my hand softly in her hands.

"How shameful." She said, further crushing my self-esteem. "V-Very well then. As your servant, I cannot simply stand by and allow such humiliation to befall you. As your servant, it appears I have no choice but to devote my time to teaching you how to swim." Her tone and expression kind of gave off the presence of a tsundere.

That was when I felt someone wrap their arms around my other arm, enveloping it in their incredible bosoms.

"It's alright, Shirou-kun." Akeno-san smiled at me, but I couldn't help but picture a wolf licking her chops, just waiting to get a taste of something delicious. That was the kind of presence Akeno-san gave off at that moment and I was just as confused as I was aroused, uncertain of her true intentions.

"A-Akeno-san!" I couldn't help but blush. There was something that should be known about me: I'm weak against "surprise attacks". When I'm the one "going on the offensive" when it comes to romance, I could be considered the "Ultimate Playboy" except I desire genuine romance with my women. However, when I was in a vulnerable state and "attacked", my weak point shows and I find myself somewhat defenseless to being flustered and embarrassed.

"What kind of Senpai would be if I just stood by when my Kouhai needed help~?" Akeno-san giggled to herself. Ravel glared at Akeno-san, no doubt at least slightly miffed that the older girl stole her thunder in this scenario. And that was when I noticed Jack standing only a few steps away, her eyes watering. She started trembling like a volcano about to erupt and I kind of predicted what happened next.

Jack abandoned all pride and lunged forwards, tackling her master and wrapping her arms around me as she buried her face into my chest. "Waaaaaah! We won't lose Onii-chan to them no matter whaaaaaat!" She cried. "Onii-chan is ooooouuuurs!"

"W-Wait a minute! Jaaaack!" I let out a scream of surprise before being knocked down along with Akeno-san and Ravel by Jack's surprise hug.

And thus the day at the pool truly began.

* * *

"Yes, 1, 2. 1, 2."

After that "fun" had finished, my "training" in the pool began.

"Keep going. You can do it, Shirou-kun."

I was currently doing pedal exercises with Akeno-san as she held my hands, keeping me from drowning in the pool. I admit I felt a little embarrassed, having to be taught how to swim...

In order to avoid some sort of conflict, Ravel and Akeno-san decided to take turns in trying to teach me. Akeno-san was the one who went first.

And so now I was trying to get the hang of this.

"Keep it up, Shirou-san!" Asia cheered.

"You can do it, Onii-chan!" Jack shouted waving excitedly at me.

Ise was off with Rias, applying sun lotion to her back and her breasts while still being painfully oblivious to how much she luuuuuvs him~!...but seriously. His stupidity was so great that it was actually PAINFUL to watch as he so foolishly ignored what were clear signs of her affection towards him.

I took small breaths as I continued doing more and more of my exercises. I couldn't help but blush lightly.

"...Sorry for making you help me, Akeno-san." I apologized. "You and Ravel have to use your time at the pool teaching me and-"

"It's fine." Akeno-san assured me with a smile. "Teaching my adorable kouhai how to swim is fun."

I don't know why, but I just felt oddly vulnerable, showing one of my major weaknesses to everyone like this...and I was certain Akeno-san knew that. The strange thing was that she wasn't taking advantage of it like she normally would. I guess-

"Oops, we have reached the end~" Akeno-san noted in an oddly familiar tone.

Completely pedaling for 25 meters and still having energy left, I ended up going to far and causing my face to collide with Akeno-san...well, a soft part of her...

Yes, I accidentally collided my face with her bountiful oppai.

SO SOOOOOOOOFT!...

Was my first thought. Oh to forever be wedged between these heavenly mountains would be-

No wait! I can't just do this!

I tried pulling away from Akeno-san, ready to apologize until I felt two arms wrap around me and pull be more closely and holding me tightly in my current position.

"Ara ara, such a naughty boy, Shirou-kun~" She teased. "Trying to take advantage of your loving Onee-sama right here~"

Wait a minute...she-!

"Y-Yooooou!" Ravel screamed, her face turning red and steam blowing out of her ears. "Get your hands off of my King! You haven't earned his approval to do ecchi things with him while Asia-senpai and I are already his lovers! So back off!" Ravel was definitely irritated and I felt somewhat uneasy by how she made it sound like there was some kind application process to become affectionate with me...Knowing how neat and organized Ravel is, it honestly wouldn't surprise me if she had something like that even if just to act as a "barrier" towards rivals.

"Auuuuuu! Nobody can hold Onii-chan like that except us! Let'em go!" I couldn't see because my face were pressed against Akeno-san's oppai, but apparently Jack was crying out to her.

She seemed to completely ignore Jack (the lesser of her rivals) and turned to Ravel. "So what if I DID plan it? What are YOU going to do? If you want to wage war over Shirou-kun, I have three words for you: Bring. It. On."

Oh, you probably shouldn't taunt her like that, Akeno-san...

* * *

**5 Minutes Later...**

I was sweating and panting as I hid in the pool equipment room, the sounds of explosions ringing out outside. And now I learned something new that I never expected:

You. Don't. Fuck. With. Ravel.

It was really shocking. One thing led to another, Akeno-san teased and flustered the other girls by describing to them what she could do to me if she so desired. I honestly expected Ravel to just get embarrassed and spit back a sharp retort, but...things spun out of control so quickly. I didn't expect Ravel to snap like that. All because Akeno-san said she'd...

On second thought, maybe it would be better not to say it aloud...ever. The things she said were so dirty that even Koneko-chan's face turned a deep shade of red. Asia, who had even already become my lover and with whom I had done ecchi things, passed out from a nosebleed because those thoughts were in her head...It was honestly kind of weird to see a GIRL passing out from a perverted nosebleed...

It may appear cowardly for me to have run away rather than applying my usual charm to soothe them, but there is a reason. You see, there's an old saying I like to adhere to.

You've got to know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em.

This was folding time. I did not want to die.

I hugged my legs to my chest, sighing to myself while simultaneously cursing myself in my mind.

What's wrong with me? Usually I'm able to defuse things like that before they even begin. Even with my vulnerable state, I still should have been more proactive in preventing such situation. I've just been so stupid and slow lately. Not to mention I've been feeling far more tired than I usually am and everything just isn't going my way. I feel like I'm losing grasp on everything...

Part of me blamed it on the seeds of doubt Shalba planted in me. I still didn't have the full story or even any real idea on how the leaders would react to my existence...

Maybe it's stress...The reason I'm not as on top of things as I usually am, maybe it's just because everything that's been happening lately is stressing me out.

I paused when I realized I wasn't alone. I sighed. "Xenovia, you can come out."

Xenovia then appeared within my sight. "Oh my, it is Shirou-sama. What happened? And the outside seems a bit noisy."

I shook my head. "To sum it up: I couldn't swim and now Ravel and Akeno-san are doing their damned well best to level the place and kill each other." I probably could've added more details, but that about sums it up. Then I noticed something. "Say, Xenovia...why are YOU here?" I didn't see any other guys other than me and Ise (who had left earlier with Rias to avoid the ruckus), so I doubt we had the same situation.

"It's my first swimsuit so it took me some time to put it on. Does it suit me?"

I wasn't sure whether or not to point out the fact there was a girl's changing room.

I then noted her bathing suit. It wasn't necessarily erotic like Ravel's or Akeno-san's, but it still looked good on her. Her nice, tight body and her well-developed curves...and her ass. Her ass was also fine.

I gave a big thumbs up and let out a bit of a perverted grin. "It...it's really good-On you, I mean!" I added quickly. "Is this the first time you've worn a swimsuit?" Xenovia nodded. "Is it because of the church's rule being so strict, that offensive stuff like this is prohibited, right?"

"Well that's right. Though before saying that, I, myself didn't have interest in stuff like this. Though the girls learning around me, the female soldiers let out their dissatisfaction at not being able to touch things like that."

I gave a shrug. I could understand that. Some people have a one-track mind. I could understand initially having a nature like hers.

"But, not only did my future change, even if it's just a bit, I want to experience the entertainment befitting girls, that's how I feel. That's what I have started feeling recently."

I smiled slightly. "That's good that you feel like that. Having such desires are only natural be you Devil or human."

I felt somewhat uncomfortable when Xenovia grabbed my arm and moved closer to me.

"Shirou-sama, there is something I wish to discuss with you." I cocked my head to the side in confusion. I may have been imagining it, but I could swear Xenovia's cheeks had the smallest tinge of pink on them. "I need you to help me with something. It is something I can only ask you for-No. It is something I only desire to ask you for if you are willing to help me."

I smiled while blushing from embarrassment. "Oh. Sure, Xenovia. I'm flattered and more than willing. What is it?"

That was when Xenovia dropped me to the ground and crawled on top of me.

"I want to have your children right now, Shirou-sama."

"Ah..." Was my response. Xenovia blinked. I blinked back. "What?"

"I desire to bear your children, Shirou-sama." Xenovia was staring at me with disturbingly determined eyes, devoid of embarrassment or apathy. She desired this but her personal feelings towards me were rather obscure by this point...Then again, I do have her breasts right in front of my face so perhaps I'm not exactly focused at this moment. No sane man would.

Yet again, I found my charm and usual immediate suave responses completely nonexistent in my head.

"Soooo..." I said as we started to drift into awkward silence. "Can I...maybe get an explanation or something? Or is this where I say something sarcastic like "While it'd be interesting to go further on this Crazy Train, this is where I get off" or something like that as another way of saying "No"?" Anything to break the silence.

Xenovia nodded. "I was born and brought in the headquarters of the church, Rome, so that the element to be able to wield Holy Swords would be born, from childhood, for God, for religion, I endeavored in my training and studies. From childhood, while saying that, dreams and objectives, everything was entwined with God and faith. For example, defeating Devils was for the sake of the Lord, and the one propagating that, the Vatican, while believing that, I've never doubted it. That's why, after becoming a Devil now, you can say that my dreams and objectives have disappeared."

"I get that part...but I was hoping more for an explanation as to why HAVING BABIES is the first thing on your mind." I said.

"Yeah, while serving God, I had thrown away the part of me, a woman's happiness. My body, my heart, I sealed everything for the sake of faith. However, like this, I am currently a Devil. What should I do, initially I didn't understand. After asking my present master, Rias-buchou, I was told[Devils are beings that possess greed, fulfill greed, award greed, and desire greed. Try living as you wish]."

"B-But-" I tried to interrupt only to be cut off.

"I want to bear children. YOUR children specifically." She leaned in, placing her hand under my chin to make me look into her eyes...which were honestly kind of beautiful...

I tried turning away, blushing deeply. "C-Can't we talk about this?"

Xenovia frowned, seeming confused. "Are you dissatisfied? Even if I am like this, I have a bit of confidence in my body as a woman. My breasts won't be as big Akeno's but they're bigger than Asia and Ravel's. I think they're worth seeing, are they not?" She said this while stroking her breasts, further striking at my willpower.

GAAAAAAH! WHAT THE HELL, SHIROU!? Take command of this situation! You're a man, aren't you!? Where's the one called the "Ultimate Playboy"!?

I raised my hand. "And where does love factor into this?" Bemused by my question, Xenovia sat up on top of me, her head cocked to the side. I sighed. "I may be a Devil and a True Harem King, but that's only because I possess rules. I refuse to charm or be charmed by a woman with whom I bear no romantic attraction to."

"So with Leviathan-sama, Ravel, Asia, and Kiba, you-?"

I nodded. "Yeah. I love them with all of my heart. I love numerous women and can continue giving my love to whoever desires it, but only if I love them in return. You can call me a pervert if you wish, but I prefer to be known as a "romantic pervert"."

"So...if I earn Shirou-sama's love, then I will be allowed to bear his child?" Was all Xenovia seemed to get from that.

Due to my annoyance, I sat up so quickly that I knocked Xenovia to the floor in front of me.

"Would you knock it off with that!? You're just as bad as..." I trailed off, feeling my heart slowly break apart, my previous good cheer vanishing completely. "Never mind...I guess I can understand why you would seek a strong child from one bearing Satan's blood. I guess breeding my genes into the next generation is just about all I'm good for anyway...Albion won't speak to me so I can barely even be referred to as a Hakuryuukou since he won't share his power...and I can't even use the gift I was born with." I was strongly resisting the urge to cry for my unbelievable uselessness. "Maybe if I pass on this power to someone who can actually use it and not fail to protect their friends, maybe my life as a Devil won't be entirely useless-"

PAT PAT

I looked up in confusion at Xenovia who was awkwardly patting me on the head.

There was an awkward silence that passed between us that signaled Xenovia to stop.

...

"What the Hell was that?"

I might've been going crazy, but I could've sworn I saw Xenovia blush a little.

"I...When I felt guilt and remorse upon becoming your comrade, I knew I deserved to be hit for the awful things I said to you about you and Miyako-sama, but I was afraid at the same time. Then, instead, Shirou-sama forgave me and made me feel better by patting me on the head." Xenovia explained. "I thought you would feel better if I patted you on the head."

...That's...actually kind of cute.

"And your blood isn't the only reason I chose you."

I looked up, surprised at Xenovia's sudden statement. "Eh?"

Xenovia continued. "While it's true I want to have strong children, them possessing the strength from their father's genes, there's another reason I chose you." She backed away, slightly staring down. "If I desired raw power, I would have tried this with Issei considering how much more powerful he is than you in battle."

I felt several figurative arrows pierce me through the heart. I hung my head down. "Thanks for your brutal honesty..."

"Back during our fight against Kokabiel...when I found out about God's death, I lost my will to fight...I thought I was going to die at that moment...I thought we were doomed as God's protection did not exist...but you helped me. You gave me the strength to stand back up and keep moving forward. Thank you." Xenovia bowed her head slightly.

I felt my face heat up again. "Erm...D-Don't mention it." I suddenly felt weird. It wasn't an awkward weird...just...more like I was happier to be there...it was a warm feeling really. "I should be the one thanking you...I almost gave up myself until you bluntly bitchslapped some sense into me. Thank you for that, Xenovia."

Xenovia nodded, smiling to herself. "I realized that there was more than just physical strength." Xenovia stated. "You possess a powerful strength of will like no other, being able to inspire hope in others with only a few words. That's the kind of strength I want my children to have. You also have one of the kindest hearts of the Occult Research Club. Those are the reasons I chose you. If the power of the Hakuryuukou or Satan didn't exist, I would still choose you for these reasons."

My face began to burn even brighter. It was rare that I was the one being flattered in such a way.

"X-Xen-chan...I..."

"So let's try it once right now."

Eh?

With no hesitation whatsoever, Xenovia took off the top part of her swimsuit, revealing the true gloriousness of her bountiful breasts.

I felt what I suspected to be blood begin to drip from my nose.

"I know about the birth of Devils as well. It seems it's quite difficult to make kids. Especially both are Pure-Blooded, it's difficult but luckily both you and I are Reincarnated Devils and you are only half-Devil in the first place. The base is human, and your sexual desire is strong as well. I expect if we do it every day, then within 10 years, I should be able to conceive. No, if it's your strong sexual desire, then within a day, a number of times should be possible? If you include that, then I think it's possible within 5 years. No. I have heard of your sexual conquests, especially involving Leviathan-sama from Ravel, Asia, and Kiba-"

DAMN IT YOU GUYS! STOP BROADCASTING PERSONAL STUFF LIKE THAT!...Then again, I did kind of make Serafall erotic screams audible through the wall so it wasn't exactly private...

Xenovia put on a thinking expression. "If you show as much desire and stamina as then, then perhaps it would be possible for us to conceive within the day. Aah, there's no problem from the side of the children as well. Basically I will raise them. However, if the children desire love from their father, then only at those times do I want you to play with them. After all, for the children, both father and mother are required."

Something about that dismissive tone ticked me off. I grabbed Xenovia by her wrists, staring deeply into her eyes.

"There's no way I could do that!" I shouted. "If we had kids, I would never abandon all of you and let you raise them alone...I know what that's like...to not truly know your own parents..." I trailed off, feeling sad again, remembering Ka-chan's secret life and how Mako-nee chose to spend her life caring for me...all because of _that man_. "If we had kids, I would forever remain by your side to raise them!" Wait...WHAT THE FUCK DID I JUST SAAAAAY!? STUPID STUPID STUPID! WHY THE HELL DID YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT!? WHAT THE FUCK, SHIROU!?

My face flushed red and Xenovia's cheeks were tinged with pink. We both realized what I essentially just said.

"W-Well, I..." Xenovia was, shockingly, at a loss for words.

I resisted the urge to start bashing my head against the wall as punishment for my stupidity. My charm abilities are really off today.

"Hm...an excellent father as well...yet another reason..." Xenovia mused to herself. She then frowned, her blush becoming more pronounced. "But what's this complex emotion I'm feeling...?...this hot sensation in my breast." She shrugged. She then turned back to me. "Unfortunately I don't have any experience with men. I plan on memorizing it from now on, but for now I'll learn with Shirou-sama who seems to be abundant with knowledge about sex."

I started panicking shaking my head very quickly. "N-Now hold on! I-I never said I would do it with you!"

Xenovia sat up, staring at me. "So you refuse to do it?"

I nodded. I mean...maybe later in my life when I feel like I'm responsible enough to have kids, but not right now...

"Before you ask: No. It's not a matter of readiness or age or anything like that..." I paused for a moment. "Well, it's somewhat about age too. You're not at the right age to bear a child, Xenovia. At such a young age, you might end up hurting yourself or your baby by trying to conceive." Xenovia stared, seeming shocked and somewhat worried as she looked off to the side, carefully considering my words. I don't think these thoughts ever occurred to her. For her religion, there were only the rare positions where one was allowed to marry or bear a child whil still adhering to their faith. "But the main reason for my rejection is that you're doing a passionate thing for the wrong reasons."

Xenovia seemed to get more nervous and confused the more I spoke.

"What do you mean, Shirou-sama?"

I crossed my arms, closing my eyes. "It shouldn't matter about having powerful children or not. You should love your children however they end up and only have them with the person that you love. If you're not doing it out of love, then it has no purpose. You won't find purpose in something or someone you don't love. You understand what I'm saying, Xen-chan?"

Xenovia frowned, looking like a child who had just been scolded by a parent.

"I...Yes." Xenovia sighed, looking so downcast that I felt like I had just kicked a puppy. "I should not bear a child as I am."

"No no no." I cut her off, shaking my head. "I never said you shouldn't have a child. I'm just saying you shouldn't have a child RIGHT NOW." I made sure to stress my clarification. "You have your whole life ahead of you Xenovia. Since you're a Devil now, you don't face the same fertility issues as older human women and can begin trying to conceive any time you desire. I'm just saying to be patient, find someone you truly love, someone who you desire to be with forever. That is the best time to bear a child. And you have thousands of years to find that someone or even build a harem if you're that daring. As your comrade, I want you to be fully aware of what you're getting into, understand?"

"I...understand." Xenovia seemed somewhat unhappy, but she looked like she truly understood that I had her interests at heart when I spoke. "...Shirou-sama, can I ask a question?"

"Of course."

"How does one know when they're in love?"

...Damn. She really pulled out the heavy hitter right off the bat. I had to be really careful as to how I answered this question. Having children was still Xenovia's deepest desire. If I said something careless, who knows what she would do.

I rubbed he back of my neck nervously. "Well...it...I can't really explain it properly, but personally...well...When I fall for a woman, there's this hot feeling in my chest. It's soft at first, but the longer I experience this feeling, the hotter it becomes. I come to long for that person with all of my might, desiring nothing more than to be in their embrace and bask in their love. For me, love, the romantic kind, is the incredible desire to forever remain by the side of the people I cherish most...to hug and kiss them and ravish them when our passions can no longer be contained...That's how it is for me anyway. I have no idea how the experience will be for you, Xenovia...Xenovia?" For a moment, I felt worried by the troubled expression on Xenovia's face. Not troubled...rather, she looked confused and curious.

"The person you desire to remain with forever..." She said to herself. Then she smiled, turning back to me. "Thank you, Shirou-sama. This conversation has been really helpful."

I gave a goofy grin. "No probz. Anything for my comrade."

"But can I ask one final request?"

My expression became defensive as I crossed my arms into an X. "If it involves sex, the answer is no!"

Xenovia shook her head. "No...it's not like that. It's something else."

My eyes narrowed at the vagueness she expressed. "What is it...?"

"I need to understand what it means to embrace someone, so...I need to test something and..." She outstretched her arms, her expression dead serious. "Shirou-sama...will you give me a hug?"

If this had been anyone other than Xenovia, I would have laughed at what I presumed to be a joke.

"...What?" It was so simple but just hearing it sounded so awkward.

"I need to test something concerning embraces..." Was her vague response.

Sighing, I figured she was going to be stubborn about this so I may as well get it over with. "Fine..."

Without hesitation, I wrapped my arms around Xenovia, my not-very-passionate embrace feeling awkward. Usually, with my harem girls, it was a spontaneous and passionate feeling, but doing this when I wasn't excited kind of felt...fake. I still did my best to hug Xenovia though...Yeah. No matter how I talk about it, even mentioning that I was hugging Xenovia kind of felt weird.

On Xenovia's end, she was really taking this seriously, getting really into the embrace. She wrapped her arms around me, holding me as tightly as possible while nuzzling her face against my chest. She was apparently trying to learn by exploring every possible action available during a long-term embrace like this. That's how I reasoned it. There was no other explanation I could think of to explain her odd behavior right now.

...

Why do I feel like an idiot? There was just this odd feeling I was missing something.

Seriously! For a while now, it feels like something's been off with me but I can't figure out what!

"Um...Xenovia...?"

"Hm?"

"How long are we gonna do this?"

As it turned out, the answer to that question was answered when he door slammed open and a horrifying miasma of killing intent rushed into the room, practically suffocating its occupants.

"Ara ara, what on earth is this..._Master_." I turned my head slowly, seeing the door to the room open to reveal a blank-faced Ravel, golden-colored killing intent radiating off of her.

"Shirou...what's the meaning of this?" While showing a forced smile, Jack was standing there with no good intent...Jack's body was covered by a thin black demonic power layer. Her demonic power felt so familiar to me, but perhaps it was because of the contract we had.

"Ara ara, that's unfair, Xenovia-chan. You've only been around for several days, so what makes you think you have earned the right to pass all of us on the waiting list?" Akeno-san was smiling, but she had just as much killing intent as Jack and Ravel-Wait! What "waiting list"?!

Asia seemed to be fidgeting angrily. "...S-Shirou-san...didn't come to me or Ravel-san..." She looked like she was fixing to cry.

"...I feel so angry." Koneko-chan said with narrowed eyes. "...I feel angry and I'm not sure why..." She was also radiating slight killing intent, but hers was in the shape of a cat. Weird. Scary, but weird.

I was about to ask what they were talking about, but then I realized the position I was in with Xenovia. I was holding her tightly against my chest, my arms wrapped around her waist, and Xenovia had such a vulnerable expression on her face for some reason. It didn't help that she was blushing.

I quickly released Xenovia, getting back to my feet and taking several quick steps away from her.

"W-Wait! I-It's not how it looks, I swear!" For some reason, I was so nervous and frantic. I'd never acted like this before.

"That so?" Ravel asked doubtfully.

"Yes! W-We weren't doing anything!" I defended once again. "X-Xenovia means nothing to me-Oh shit-I mean-!"

Asia looked even sadder now, her eyes bearing accusations against my being. "How cruel, Shirou-san! Taking advantage of Xenovia-san's feelings in such a way!"

"Bad, Onii-chan!" Jack scolded as if I were the child.

"No no no! That's not what I meant! What I mean is that I DO deeply care about Xenovia, bu-"

"I-Is this what th-they call a "confession"?!" Xenovia stared at me, her cheeks pink and her eyes wide in shock.

"Aaaaaah! It appears we were mistaken! He tries to hide it but Xenovia-senpai has already stolen my master's heart!"

"Come oooon! It's just a misunderstanding!" I tried to reason further, my attempts getting nowhere.

"Oh yeah? Well, perhaps we'll know it's the truth after we make sure using some of Akeno-senpai's "persuasion"~" Ravel spoke so cheerfully, but her expression was so dark.

I chuckled fearfully at that. "Hehehe, well-erm...about that...What's that over there?!"

I was certain that my Plan B was going to finally fail this time, but yet again, I underestimated it.

All of the girls present in the room immediately turned towards the direction I pointed in.

Holy shit! What kind of day is today, right?

The moment their attention was diverted, I made a break for it. I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, determined to avoid being "executed" by the beautiful bishoujo of the ORC!

Hahaha! Sweet freedom!...Is what I thought.

"Shiiiiii-taaaaaaaaaaaaaaan~!"

W-Wha-?!

I turned towards the entrance to the pool, shocked by the sight that was approaching me. Her figure was somewhat shrouded in the darkness provided by the shadows of the nearby trees, but there was no mistaking that bountiful yet at the same time child-like body.

"S-Serafall?!" I felt my face flush at the sight of what she was wearing. Her pink ribbon bikini was yet another example of a "seductively small" type bikini. Her bountiful bosoms were barely restrained, coming close several times to popping out of her swimsuit as she ran towards me.

"Shi-tan! Shi-tan Shiiii-taaaa-WHOA!" Serafall had been running so fast that she neglected to slow down once she reached the pool. Thus it was no surprise to me when her foot slipped on wet ground beside the pool, completely ruining her balance and knocking her forward into the nearest person: me.

It wasn't like one of those romantic moments you see in anime and manga where the beautiful girl knocks down and accidentally kisses the male protagonist. No. It was not like that at all. Serafall slipped, slid, and slammed her head right into mine, knocking me down into the water behind us.

There was a splash and I think I felt my head smack against something hard.

Then I blacked out.

* * *

The first thing I registered upon regaining consciousness was the softest touch on my cheek, a soft hand brushing against my face.

"You look so peaceful when you sleep...Like a newborn baby." A soft and gentle voice blessed my ears with its melodious sound. It sounded so familiar, but more controlled and calmer than the voice I expected it to sound like. It was so soft that I just wanted to bask in the beauty of it for eternity. But eternity had to end sometime, I suppose, so I had no choice but to open my eyes.

The moment I opened them, I was blessed by the sight of a beautiful goddess. The woman to whom I had pledged my heart, body, and even my soul to.

"Serafall..." I said it more softly than a whisper, but the woman upon whose lap my head laid smiled down at me, having heard my words.

"G'morning, Shi-tan." She was dressed in her usual outfit.

"G'morning." I paused when I realized something. I was wearing clothes. Normal clothes. I was wearing my swimsuit before but now I was wearing normal clothes. "...Did you change me?" Then I asked more specifically, "Did you change me while I was SLEEPING?"

Serafall's smile became a bit naughtier. "Oh come on~ Nothing I haven't seen before~"

I smiled back. "Fair point." I sat up, wrapping my arms around Serafall. I ended up releasing a breath I hadn't even realized I had been holding up to this point. To hold Serafall so closely again...it was nice. Even if I still had the conference to worry about, having Serafall here made me feel infinitely better. I gently caressed the side of her face, drawing her in for a kiss which she gladly accepted. After several passionate seconds, we separated, staring cheerfully at one another.

"I'm really happy to see you again, Shi-tan~"

"Yeah. I'm really glad to see you too, Serafall." I replied with relief. "With so much going on, I've just really needed to see you."

"Me too, Shi-tan~ I've really missed my adorable, huggable, teddy bear~"

We embraced one another again, holding each other tightly with the possible intentions of never letting go.

It just felt so nice to have such a reassuring presence around. Other than Issei, Serafall was the only person whose presence could calm me at any given time.

"So you're here for the meeting?" I questioned after Serafall and I released one another. She nodded in response.

"Yeppers~! I'm here with Sirzechs-chan to represent the Devils on this matter~!" She proclaimed with her usual good cheer. "Kokabiel did a terrible thing. He's lucky you killed him or he would have been far more unfortunate." Despite the good-willed smile on her face, Serafall's words held a cold feeling in them.

"Serafall...he was frozen and then blown up...what could be worse than..." I trailed off, being somewhat off-put by the ice-cold smile on Serafall's face. I knew that, if I pursued this topic any further, I would end up with very, very, VERY unpleasant answers. "N-Never mind." It was probably best not to discuss such things with Serafall.

I felt somewhat uneasy when Serafall pouted.

"Something wrong?"

"Auuuu! I'm just mad that I wasn't able to show Shi-tan my super, amazing sexy swimsuit!" She seemed thoroughly disappointed that she didn't get to show off...so was I. Then Serafall leaned in and whispered erotically into my ear. "And also what was underneath it." DAMN IT! Now I'm REALLY disappointed!

Serafall and I just sat there, talking about silly (or otherwise erotic) things while holding one another. It felt nice to just speak to her after so long. It's only been a week or two, but several weeks since we've met in person. I just really enjoyed being around her even if she did technically kidnap me from the pool.

But after a while, I couldn't help but stray back into serious territory once more.

"Serafall...since you know about what happened..." I trailed off, wondering if it was a question that I should really ask or whether or not it was best to abort the process of asking said question.

She looked somewhat confused but curious. "Since I know what happened...what?"

I took a deep breath, trying to ignore the paranoid fears resting inside my chest. This was Serafall. If I couldn't trust her, then I couldn't trust anybody. No matter what I said or mentioned, she would never purposefully harm me. I just had to believe in her love for me and that we could calmly and thoroughly discuss the topic that was most eating away at my mind.

"Serafall...since you know what happened...that also means you know about...you know...me?" I asked. "I mean...you know how I'm like...the descendant of Satan, right?" The air became cold for a brief second after I asked the question before immediately returning to normal.

Serafall didn't seem upset, hostile, or angry. She just seemed sad.

"Yeah...I know." She admitted. "I was with the reinforcements when they arrived. I thought it would be a good time to see you for...reasons." For some reason, I felt suspicious by the pause she put before "reasons". "I was caught between relief and turmoil when I heard you weren't there but alive." Now I'm really suspicious and worried about what she was saying. "That was when Rias-chan told me about...you. I was really surprised when I found out you were Satan-sen-I mean Satan-sama!" Dammit, Serafall! Why do you keep talking so suspiciously?! "Besides, even if I didn't know, the tail and the arm are kinda hard to miss."

I looked down at my right arm and my tail which subconsciously moved back and forth.

Fair point.

"Serafall, I need to know..." I grasped Serafall's hands in mine. "...does this change anything? Even though I bear the blood of the Devil King, I have to know. I might very well die...Don't pretend you don't realize it. My existence is a threat to the current order. I may very well be executed at that meeting simply for existing, and I'm really scared. I just have to know, regardless of the answer...I understand you might have no choice but to adhere to the decision, but...it would make me feel better knowing how you still felt about me..." I felt so stupid. My question barely made any sense whatsoever and I kept hesitating. I was really afraid of the answer.

"Shi-tan...are you feeling alright?" Serafall cocked her head to the side in confusion.

I turned away, unable to bear her gaze on me. "I'm sorry...but with the meeting coming up and everything-"

"No...why do you think you're gonna die?" Serafall asked it with such a dumbfounded tone that I almost felt even stupider for asking it if it weren't for the fact that I knew better concerning how much of a threat my existence was to the current order. "Shi-tan...do you...do you think that Sirzechs-chan and the others are planning to kill you?" She just stared at me, wide-eyed in shock.

"I...Serafall...you know I'm different from normal people even by Devil standards..." I clenched my fists tightly. "If I ever fell into any other group's hands, who knows how they'd use my bloodline to hurt others, especially those close to you and I. Be they Devils, Fallen Angels, or some other kind of faction with heavy political power, if they got their hands on me, I would be used as a tool to hurt everyone." My eyes began to sting as I began to try to stop myself from crying. I had already cried once today. That's enough. At this rate, I would be nothing more than a big crybaby. I couldn't show even more of a pathetic side to myself. "So...it's only natural that the leaders would consider eliminating the source of this unease and tension-GAK!"

And that was when Serafall started yanking on my cheeks really really hard. She would have been so adorable with her cheeks all puffed up and her face kind of pink if it weren't for the fact it felt like she was trying to rip my face off of my skull. She just kept stretching it and stretching, treating my cheeks like some kind of play thing as she apparently punished me. How backwards it was for her to punish me. During our time together, I had had to pinch Serafall's ear or cheek because she was doing something chaotic or mischievous. She kept screaming out that I was as bad as Grayfia or something or whatever that meant...and here I was suffering the same treatment.

"Serwafawl, dis rilly hurwts!" I complained. "Pwease wet go!"

"Mmmm-No!" She denied, continuing to pinch my face off. "I'm gonna keep doing this until Shi-tan stops being a big dummy! Dummy dummy dummy! I can't believe you'd be stupid enough to believe that I would ever let such a thing befall you! No no no! You're my Shi-tan, my most adorable Queen-chan! Anyone lays a hand on my beloved Queen will suffer dearly! So stop acting all dumb like this and saying weird things like people using you to hurt me and the others! That'll never happen! Shi-tan's my Shi-tan forever!"

And that was when Serafall wrapped her arms around me, burying my face into her glorious bosom.

Her previously manic energy changed into a gloomy one. "Shi-tan...do you really think I'd let anyone hurt you?...I love you. I made the mistake of hurting you once. I won't let that happen ever again..." She held me even more tightly, almost suffocating me by burying my face against her chest.

Serafall...

Back when the matter between Riser and Rias had been going on, Serafall essentially wagered me in a bet with Riser. I had been pretty hurt because I had been feeling abandoned by her despite all of the love and affection she claimed for me, but we eventually managed to reconcile...I had thought Serafall treated it as all water under the bridge now that we were lovers...but to think this matter still weighed so heavily on her heart.

"Dammit...here I go again..." This time, I couldn't stop the tears. I was so happy, relieved, and pained by Serafall's feelings. I was happy because of how much she loved me and relieved because I had such great faith in her words. But at the same time, I was worried about how much pain Serafall was really feeling concerning what happened. Back then, I only wanted her to feel bad because of how badly she hurt me, but now there was no reason for her to hurt and seeing her in such pain was...it just wasn't right. "I'm sorry, Serafall...I just..."

"Sshhhh!" Serafall assured me, once again attempting to suffocate me with her bountiful breasts. She gently rubbed her hand down the back of my neck, gently soothing me. "It's alright, Shi-tan, ya big dummy. You don't have to be afraid. Even if the whole world comes after you, I'll do everything to protect you." My heart was beating so fast that I thought it would burst through my chest.

We held that pose for...not as long as I would like to admit. I kinda had to start tapping out when my oxygen supply started getting short. Serafall whined, but she relented and let me go.

As I spent a good five minutes catching my breath again, I noticed Serafall tense beside me.

"Shi-tan...who told you all that stupid stuff about your life hanging in the balance in the first place?" It was the serious look in Serafall's eye that told me lying was probably not the best idea but also maybe not the worst idea in this situation. She looked alarmed, somewhat afraid.

I bit my lower lip. I...I wasn't sure how to respond. What? Was I supposed to say "Oh, it was the three leaders of an Anti-Government group determined to destroy the current peace and kill all of the Maous who wanted to recruit me as a member"? First of all, that would be quite a mouthful. Second of all, it would do nothing but make me look bad in front of Serafall if it appeared like I was collaborating with the enemy after everything she just said. It felt like such a betrayal in my heart.

I panicked for several minutes, trying to figure out the best way to respond to Serafall's question without including my meeting with the Old Maou Leaders.

"Never mind." Serafall interrupted with a sigh, placing her hands on her hips. "You're a bit of a troublesome Queen, but I can understand if you don't want to talk about it." I finally felt the heavy weight on my chest finally lift off of me. I was glad Serafall didn't force me to make that choice. However, I was miffed how she called ME troublesome~

Serafall was really nice. She was willing to drop something easily if she knew it was something that bothered me.

...Serafall...something bothering...

There was something...I remember there was something I was supposed to remember...it was involving Serafall...

...!

That's right! Sona-senpai told me that Serafall needed to talk to me about something! I have to ask before I forget again!

"Serafall-!"

"Shi-tan, we need to talk!"

I was taken aback by Serafall's sudden outburst. Her face was bright red and she was trembling, like that one time she was about to throw a fit because I almost missed the last copy of her famous magical girl anime (but that's a story for another time which almost involved the end of the world). Serafall stood up, rubbing her right forearm with her other hand like she was nervous.

"What is it Serafall?" She was really beginning to worry me now. Before it was so-so but now she's acting kind of weird.

She went from cheerful to pleasant to annoyed to sad to cheerful again and now to anxious. What sudden mood swings.

Serafall shuffled nervously. "Shi-tan..."

I stood up, about to ask what was wrong when Serafall waved her hands in front of her.

"No no no! It's probably best if you're sitting!" I blinked twice, but complied with Serafall's request and sat back down in my seat.

"O...K..." I placed my hands in my pockets, staring attentively at Serafall.

"Shirou, I...There's something I need to tell you!" Serafall finally managed to get out those words after several failed attempts at talking which came out as sort of whiny groan. I could tell she was serious by the fact she called my "Shirou" rather than "Shi-tan". She only calls me Shirou when she's being serious, romantic, or passionate.

"It's really important, so I really need you to listen...It's not easy for me to say. I wanted to when you spoke to me to learn about the Holy Sword Project, then again when I came here with the reinforcements, and then again when I came to the pool...but now I finally have to do it. I...Just don't be upset."

I cocked my heads sideways, confused. "What do you mean "upset", Serafall?" I placed my hands on my hips, frowning at her. "I don't know what you're about to say, but I promise not to get upset or freak o-"

"SHIROU, I'M PREGNANT!"

"-oooooooouuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut..." I couldn't help but stretch out that last word, my mind practically freezing as it tried making me speak while simultaneously processing what Serafall just said. For at least fifteen minutes, there was nothing but silence between us. Serafall just stared at me and I just stood there, my small, glass smile frozen on my face, my mind unable to decide how to respond.

"S...Shirou...?" Serafall looked like a child who just told her parents she broke the treasured family vase.

I just stared.

"S-Shirou...?"

Still staring.

"Shirou?"

I just couldn't stop just staring.

"SHIROU!"

"Huh-what?!" I blinked several times, trying to snap out of the shocked trance I had been in.

"Shiroooou! I'm serious! This is serious! I'm pregnant with your baby and I'm really scared!" Serafall's eyes were welling up with tears and her hands were caressing her stomach nervously. "You're the only man I ever slept with, so don't you dare try using the "how do you know it's mine?" excuse, you jerk!" Serafall looked so close to crying and that last comment kind of jarred me.

"I...I wasn't going to..." I felt disturbed and hurt Serafall would ever consider I would say something like that.

Serafall covered her mouth with her hands, her eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Shirou! I didn't mean to say that!"

But I was more focused on the first part. "Let's back up a second. You're pregnant...You're...You're PREGNANT!? How can you be pregnant?!"

Serafall blushed, looking off to the side. She wasn't embarrassed though.

That was when the images of the night we spent together in bed came to mind...then the images of the second night we spent together in bed. My face flushed and I had to briefly clear my mind due to my "little friend" getting excited at the thought. This was NOT the right moment or even good moment to get aroused. That was what got me into this situation in the first place.

"Ah...right..."

"But...I don't know what to do, Shirou. The only ones who know are you and Sona."

Serafall buried her face into her hands, beginning to cry. It was only now that I truly realized that my master, Serafall Leviathan, the woman who always seemed to take everything in stride and whose worst fear I presumed to be her favorite magical girl anime being cancelled...she was afraid. For the first time, she wasn't able to just put on a smile and will her problem away. This was a serious ordeal she was facing.

I was scared as Hell, even more-so than she was. I was only 16, almost 17. This was such a sudden event.

Still though. As a man, this is a possible responsibility I swore I would undertake as a man and a TRUE Harem King.

"I...I want to do this, Shirou." Serafall sobbed out, turning her gaze to the ground. "I...I understand if you don't want to, but I..." It was then that I noticed it. The air of exhaustion Serafall had hanging over her. The weary look in her eyes. I could tell she hasn't been sleeping well lately.

No...it wasn't the ordeal she was facing that scared her, it was the thought of going through it alone.

I was just so tired right now...I don't know why. I sighed.

I gently placed my hands on Serafall's shoulders, pulling her closer to me and looking her in the eyes.

"Serafall, listen...let's...Just come with me." I told her. "It's getting late. You can stay over at my house tonight. We'll be able to talk more about this later. I promise."

Serafall's eyes darted from side to side, contemplating her answer before nodding. "Alright...Can we sleep together?"

I opened my mouth to ask a question-

"SLEEP sleep." Serafall answered preemptively. I nodded, making sure we were both on the same page. She smiled at me. "Alright. Let's go."

This matter could wait til the morning when Serafall and I were more well-rested.

With that, we departed for the Fujimura Residence, walking hand-in-hand with Serafall leaning on my shoulder all cute-like, you'd almost believe what I just heard was never spoken.

But it was.

And now I had to figure out just what the Hell I'm supposed to do.

* * *

**The Next Day...**

OK...so talking it over didn't go over so good.

Serafall and I didn't get into a fight or anything or any of those scenes you'd expect out of some kind of drama.

We just didn't talk about it.

It wasn't about not having the time or the courage to bring it up. We just didn't. We both knew the subject was right there, but we just spent the whole night sleeping next to each other. Asia and Ravel didn't question me when I asked them to let Serafall stay in my room alone with me. I brought up the subject, but Serafall and I just fell into awkward silence.

She tried bringing it up at breakfast, but I wasn't sure how to respond.

We knew the subject existed. We knew we had to discuss it. We just couldn't bring ourselves to do so.

Serafall was pregnant...with MY child.

There was no easy way to discuss it. With the meeting between the leaders coming up, it was yet another worry for us.

Serafall told me she loved me. I did not doubt it. I loved her. Neither of these facts were in question. It was how we would handle a baby that worried me. Considering my bloodline...I may not be the ideal father material that a child needs.

We just...We didn't know what to do. Serafall didn't want to give up the baby and I wouldn't blame her. A child who has done no wrong has every right to be born healthy. Of course, with my genes, who knows what could happen to it. I possess an abnormal power and I...I don't want to be the one who gave a cursed life to an innocent baby.

Serafall and I kept trying to talk, but by the time he other was ready, we have lost our nerve. We were both scared. Serafall and I ourselves were practically children in terms of preparedness. Serafall's never had a child or even sex before me and I myself am a child...

Really, what am I supposed to d-

"RURU-KICK!"

And that was when a familiar kick slammed into the side of my face. And then force and momentum, the smug jerks, decided to use my face to test the sturdiness of a nearby tree. In other words: My face was smashed into the tree by the powerful kick that smacked into the side of my head.

First thought: FUCKING PAIN!

After extracting my face from the tree, I turned and faced the cause, narrowing my eyes at Ruruko who was giving me the "death stare".

"S-Something wrong, Ruruko?"

She was truly pissed, a dark shadow covering her face. "You owe me a date later for being such a jerk, you jerk."

I stared. "OK...wouldn't be doing my job as a boyfriend if I didn't ask "What did I do"?"

""The size of one's breasts don't matter"..." Ruruko answered in a mocking tone. "So it's funny considering the women you have around you." I looked to the group she was gesturing to. Our trip to school had even more people than normal traveling with us. Momo and Tsubasa were, oddly enough, also traveling with us which was weird in itself since their houses were a fair distance away from my route to school. Of course I wasn't blind to their feelings, but to go so far just to walk with me to school...it seemed like a bit much.

Then I noted Isabela, Ravel, Asia, Xenovia, and Rias, all girls with larger busts than Ruruko. Rias was spoken for coz she and Ise were walking together, but I had several girls with large bosoms (excluding Asia who was small but still bigger than Ruruko) and one girl at home with equally large bosoms. Xenovia seemed to be avoiding my eyes for some reason, but that didn't stop her from repeatedly trying to walk closer to me. I tried asking if something was wrong, but she just looked away and stayed back a couple steps, quickly catching up when she thought I wasn't looking.

"Tell me what you see around me you jerk." Ruruko demanded, crossing her arms. "And I can't help but notice you've been spending significantly longer with the others." Then Ruruko gave me a wink, smiling. "So you owe me a date to make up for your neglect, got me?"

But I was still half-distracted by my own thoughts. I jumped when I remembered Ruruko was speaking to him.

"Oh. Right...sorry..." I bowed my head to her, showing my sincerity.

"Shirou-chan...are you alright?" Momo walked up to me, a frown on her face. "You seem...distracted."

Ruruko shot a quick glare at Momo before turning back to me. "She's right, Shirou...you alright?"

I swallowed, leaping back to my feet and turning away from everyone. "Hahahahahahahaha! N-Nothing! I'm just a little tired!"

"Shirooooou." Ruruko placed her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. "You have to tell me what it is."

I backed away from the two increasingly hostile girls who were staring holes through my skull. I couldn't tell them I got Serafall pregnant. They would probably kill me...not to mention it's personal.

"Come on, Shirou-chan, just tell us!"

"It's nothing!" I don't know why I snapped, but I did. Ruruko and Momo took a step back in surprise, somewhat hurt by my sharp tone. It was only made worse because everyone was staring at me again. I bowed my head. "Sorry...it's just...it's just personal, alright?"

Before I could hear their response, I ran on ahead.

I just...I just needed to get away. And so I kept running.

That's always what I did. I ran and I ran. Always running from my problems. Just once, I would like to be the great hero who could face all troubles head-on. I hated being such a coward, but it felt like it was the only role the universe seemed to have for me to perform. I was always either the coward or the martyr. But ultimately, I couldn't seem to ever just get things right.

What was I going to do...? Serafall was pregnant...I had to seriously think about what to do. Serafall and I couldn't avoid this subject forever. We were going to have to discuss it sooner or later. I had to take responsibility like I swore I would if this kind of thing ever happened...but what do I do?

It was not too long before I was at Kuoh Academy. The arrival of the students were slower than normal.

**(Heads up, brat. I feel a familiar presence...up ahead.)**

I felt a chill roll down my spine as that voice once again resounded inside my own head. I had heard Albion's voice before he went silent for some reason. This voice was not Albion's. It was a completely different existence.

But that was the least of my worries compared to the familiar figure I saw standing beside the gate. The way I recognized her was by her silver-colored hair if not by her punk-style and her magnificent bust. She stared at me with annoyance filling her expression.

"You kept me waiting." Was the first thing she said to me, crossing her arms under her bust while eyeing me with narrowed eyes.

"Sorry...?" I raised an eyebrow, uncertain what the Hell she was talking about. "Um...what?"

"I considered meeting you yesterday, but the appearance of Leviathan somewhat soured the possibilities of having a pleasant meeting, so I waited today." She explained, not really helping clear up whatever...was going on here. Wait a minute... "I expect a better apology should you do this again."

Do WHAT?! What did I do?!

I sighed, rubbing my temples before fully calming down. "Sorry, but who are you?" I looked around me, being wary of the other students passing by us. "If you're here to start a fight, you'd better be ready to get more than you bargained for."

The girl smirked. "Even though this is our second meeting, you still haven't figured it out." She seemed amused rather than insulted. "I'm sure you can sense it through our connection. Though you may not realize it, you are fully aware of who I am. You try to hide it underneath a mask of hostility, but you could no more will yourself to hit me than you could cut off your own arm arm."

I raised my bandaged right hand. "Does it count if somebody else cut off my arm?"

"Kufu~" She let out a small laugh in response. Not much, but she got the joke I was trying to make. What worried me was how she found it funny even though it was somewhat morbid in nature. "You are quite an interesting person, Shirou." Why is she speaking to me with so much familiarity?!

"You never answered my question: Who are you?" I glared at her. I released a short burst of demonic power. Enough to send the students passing by me into dizzy spells and enough to shake the earth at my feet. "Even if my body resists, I won't hesitate to beat the shit out of you."

The girl seemed even more pleased. "Hmph. Eager to fight in spite of your feelings. You continue to increase my interest with each thing you do, Shirou." She placed a hand to her chest. "Very well then. I am Vali."

That was when I registered her hands brushing up against my face, cupping it in her grasp. And that was when she pulled my face into a rather wet kiss. She was cautious as one would expect from a virgin, but she made up for this with her aggressive "attacks". I felt her tongue toy with mine as one would toy with an enemy on the battlefield. She wrapped her arms around me, pulling me deeper into the kiss. I tried pulling away, but her grip was strong. I felt her breasts rubbing up against my chest, further weakening but not crushing my resistance.

After a...I dunno. I lost track of time. I had no idea how long that was.

But at any rate, Vali finally pulled away, pulling her tongue out of my mouth last to make me savor the taste of her saliva, a trail of which still connected our mouths.

It took me a few seconds, but I finally recovered from her assault enough that I recognized what just happened. I jumped away, putting a few feet of distance between Vali and I. My face deep red, I used my sleeve to wipe the saliva from my mouth, spitting out what was left of it onto the ground. I barely knew this girl and she assaulted my mouth with her lips and her tongue!

"Not bad." She noted as if having tasted a delicious food dish. "As expected. You will become quite the excellent lover for me."

"LIKE HELL I WILL!" I screamed at her, blushing even more deeply to the point that my face started burning. "Listen, I already have one crazy, sexually-aggressive babe trying to bear my kids and her name's Xenovia! If I didn't want to do something so sudden with her, then I'm sure as Hell I don't want to do it with a stranger like you, Vali!"

Vali smirked, brushing her hair out of her face. I raised my fists, ready to fight in the worst case scenario, but she just started casually walking towards me, unafraid.

"You misunderstand, Shirou." I tried backing away again but felt as though I were unable to move. Vali brushed up her hand against my face again, this time more gently, lovingly even. "True it would be nice if our power were once able to become one once again in a child who possesses both of our genes, I would not bind you to such responsibilities. It would merely be about passion, power, dominance, uniting in an effort to fully become one in heart and soul. Simply to be with one another." W-Was this some kind of confession?!

"N-No way!" I turned away, my heart beating so much that I could HEAR IT. "I would never do something like that with you! I barely even know you!"

Vali smirked, teasing my face with her soft, slender fingers.

Bad touch, bad touch, bad touch!

"You can't fight this, the bond between you and I. No matter how much you try to deny it, you know your heart desires to accept it. You always seem to act with selflessness. You shackle your desire with responsibility and you neglect the true value of your life of freedom. I know more about you than you would believe, Shirou. You almost lost your life to save the nun, Asia. You bound yourself to another master. You very well nearly died against Kokabiel shielding your comrades. You forced yourself to play the martyr again and again. Does it not get old?"

"That's because I had responsibilities!" I defended. "Not everyone can just pick up, leave, and do whatever they hell they want! I had to protect Asia, I had to obey the commands of the wager with Riser, and I had to protect my friends! Where exactly do you find fault with that?"

""I had to", "I had to", "I had to"." Vali parroted in a teasing or perhaps mocking tone. "Shirou, when was the last time you acted because you "wanted to"? You constantly act because of some misguided sense of chivalry rather than on personal desire. You sacrifice and sacrifice but have you ever reaped any true benefit from such actions? You are forced by your conscience, subjected to torment and pain for the sake of others but never once had it been for yourself. Through our bond, I can feel everything the way you do." She scowled. "It is not always a pleasant feeling. Even now, you're tortured by your fears and responsibilities and I am unable to suppress the sensations leaking into my own mind and body. I believe one of such fears and responsibilities pertain to your chances of surviving the meeting between leaders and another pertaining to you master and something I don't believe you desire to be mentioned aloud, _Daddy_." Vali smirked again.

"W-What do you know?!" My heart had almost frozen in shock. How the Hell...how...how does she know? Could it be a lucky guess? No! There's no way she could have guessed about Serafall!...Does...Is she really able to read my thoughts? Does she know everything I know?

"You could be free, you know?" Vali offered. "From everything."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "What are you talking about?" I took a step away again. I didn't want this girl touching me again.

Vali extended her hand towards me. "Come be with me. At my side, I will only bind you to live by your desire rather than by some sense of justice. You can just abandon all of your troubles and leave. You can give up everything that ties you to your fear and responsibility. You could simply do as wish. If the pleasure of a woman is what you'd desire, I will gladly satisfy everyday if that is your desire. Whatever it is, you can simply do it." I felt somewhat troubled how sex was the one thing she went into detail about.

Could I really do that...? Could I just leave with this sexy babe and just leave everything behind? Everything?

"As if!" I responded immediately, smacking Vali's hand away. "You may be right...I may just be binding myself to what could be a misguided sense of conscience and chivalry. I may suffer eternal pain and torment due to my desire to live for others, but it would all be meaningless if I threw it away on a whim! My desire is to protect my friends and loved ones regardless of the cost to myself! Besides, we only just met! As if I would throw it all away!"

Rather than get insulted or angry, Vali just kept smirking. If anything, she seemed even more amused.

"Hm...Well, while I would have enjoyed your acceptance, I suppose it would not be as fun if you gave in so easily." Then she was right in front of me again, staring directly into my eyes. "But now this only further increases my interest and desire, Shirou." Gah! What a scary look! Why do I feel more scared than before?!

"Get this through your skull: I have no intention of submitting to you!"

Cali raised an eyebrow. "Submit? No. That was never my intention." Vali denied. "Your fiery spirit and refusal to submit to anyone regardless of the situation is one of the reasons I like you, Shirou. Your stubbornness is one of the things I enjoy most about you. If you were a mere herbivore who rolled over at every threat or challenge, I would have absolutely no interest in you. I like the current you much better." Damn it! With that tone she's using, I can't tell if she's flirting or if she's genuinely praising me!

"Why are you here? If you're here to cause trouble, you should know the Maou-samas are also present in this town." If any warning could dissuade her, it would have to be the threat of the Maou-samas being the ones who stop her.

Vali didn't seem bothered in the slightest. My body once again refused to move as Vali cupped my face in her hands yet again. I couldn't fire out if it was some kind of technique or magic or...something else.

"That's right. For example, if I begin to do something magical to Fujimura Shirou here-"

And that was when a large dagger-like knife pressed into Vali's back.

"Nobody is allowed to touch our Onii-chan." Much to my shock, Jack appeared behind Vali, holding the knife aimed at her back. "Descendant of the Morning Star, we will ask you to refrain from touching Onii-chan only once."

Vali frowned, displeased for the first time since she appeared.

"Nyaaaaa~"

The silver-haired girl eyed the area of a nearby tree upon which I could have sworn laid a black-furred cat with sharp eyes.

Kuro?

Vali sighed to herself. "With such strong opposition, how can I refuse?"

Wait! What does that make MY opposition? Does she consider me lower than a child and a cat?!

I looked back to the tree only to see that the cat had vanished, no doubt having jumped out, her interest in this matter gone, leaving me confused as to whether or not I had actually just seen the feline I thought to be the one living under my roof.

Jack withdrew her knife from Vali's back, giving it a fanciful twirl before sheathing it in a black leather container I did not notice before...Come to think of it...

What the fuck was Jack wearing?!

She was wearing...I DONT EVEN KNOW! It was like a black leather thong and some kind of open shirt-like covering! It looked like something out of Raynare's wardrobe! It's a lolicon fetishist's wet dream...

Note to self: Keep Matsuda away from Jack.

She had several sheathes attached to her belt, each holding a sharp blade easily able to cut through enemies. I couldn't help but notice that despite the childish way she spoke, Jack held none of her usual child-like cheer.

[Shirou!]

I looked behind me to see my friends catching up to me, alarmed as heir superior Devil senses detected Vali's presence no doubt.

"Ah, it appears we are joined by the Sekiryuutei as well." Vali noted, her previous displeasure fading into an expression like a lion hunting its prey, waiting for the right time to rip it's head off...Geez. I gave myself goosebumps.

Ise skidded to a stop as he faced Vali. "You...You're from before!" Ise pointed out.

Vali examined Ise. "We finally meet in a more formal manner, Sekiryuutei Hyoudou Issei."

And Ise's goofy perverted expression took the stage as Ise fully realized her rockin body, taking in and memorizing every curve and feature, most likely mentally undressing her.

The worst part? I felt a strange pang of annoyance. The thought of him looking at her like that irritated me. I couldn't figure out why. I didn't love her but I still felt oddly protective and jealous. It still didn't make sense because I wasn't one to feel envious when it came to women based on appearance. Ise can ogle any woman he wanted but with this girl I felt irritated.

To silence is feeling, I slammed my fist down on Ise's head. "Stay focused, idiot!"

Ise glare at me, tears in his eyes as he rubbed the newly-formed bump on his head.

"I don't know what your plan is, but don't you think you've strayed too far from your own territory?"

"I won't let you lay a hand on Shirou-sama or Issei. Buchou, Asia, and Ravel put up a barrier, so we can at least show some of our power if you start trouble."

Yumi and Xenovia were moving their hands restlessly. With normal humans around, they couldn't go all-out in a fight, but they would have no choice but to draw out their weapons if a fight broke out. It was all a matter of waiting.

"Enough, both of you!" Yumi and Xenovia both looked at me in surprise.

Nobody should get hurt if they don't have to. Against this girl, I don't know how much help I would be. She was sent to deal with Kokabiel all on her own before Satan iced him. If someone like Azazel sent her, then she must be formidable all on her own.

"You should listen to him," Vali said. "Even he can already tell your hands are shaking." I couldn't help but feel that she was looking down on us. "It's fine to boast. Not knowing the difference between your opponent's strength is strong evidence. Between me and you there is a decisive difference in power. You who couldn't win against the likes of Kokabiel with your own power, won't be able to win against me, especially if Shirou couldn't participate."

My own power...that's right...during the battle against Kokabiel, the fragment of Satan's soul that rested within me took over and took the bastard out. I wasn't able to do anything on my own...The only reason I was able to do anything was because of the power that Oka-sama passed down to me. The ability to wield Holy Swords that awakened and allowed me to wield Excalibur Destruction. Even then, I technically lost.

We only survived because of that relic from the past...

"Hyoudou Issei, what rank do you think your strength is in this world?"

Ise blinked, gesturing to himself to make sure he was the one addressed. He pondered the answer for a moment.

"Counting from the top in your condition of the incomplete balance breaker, it would be a 4 digit number- between 1000 to 1500. No, for the perverted owner, it should be even lower?" Vali pondered, but I couldn't tell if she was just trying to rile Ise up or if Ise was truly considered that weak. "As for my sweet lover's ranking, he would probably be in the three digits, possibly the two digits if he were to manifest that power of his again. Even I probably wouldn't stand a very good chance if that power appeared again."

"I'M NOT YOUR LOVER, DAMMIT!" I screamed with a flushed face, trying to ignore the sharp gazes of the girls around me.

Ise shot me a glare filled with envy, his expression saying something like "How is it you can't even go to school without picking up a new lover, you lucky bastard?!".

I shoved my hands into my pockets, narrowing my eyes at Vali.

As if I care about something stupid like ranking when compared to the rest of the world. It doesn't matter what rank I am now," I pointed one finger towards the sky. "Cos I will definitely become the strongest existence! The man who will surpass both Satan and God and protect this world that they left behind!" I then pointed at Vali before flipping her the bird. "So to sum it up, you can take your rankings and shove'em up your ass cos I don't give a shit!"

Everyone stared at me and even Vali's eyes went wide. Jack also stared but I saw a weird look in her eyes...Pride?

Silence ensued for several minutes.

"Pffft!" Vali covered her mouth, stifling a laugh.

"Hey! I'm serious!" Don't mock me!

Vali quickly recovered, smiling at me. Not smirking. Smiling.

"I don't doubt it." She said. "That's quite ambitious of you. I admire that goal, but you do know that there are many people far stronger than you, correct? Even the Crimson Satan, Sirzechs Lucifer, won't fit in the top ten. Not only that, but it would be nearly impossible for you to reach number 1. The first strongest being is a fixed existence. How can you expect to even get that close when you can't even get on my level first? You have to rely on someone else's power to even pose a threat."

Gaah! What's with the sudden sharp tongue?! I think I liked it better when she was praising me.

I clenched my fists at my side. "I don't give a damn. If there's someone stronger than me, then I just have to get even stronger. No matter the wall in my way, with my bro, Ise, we'll tear it down!"

A small glint in Vali's eye made me feel as if I passed some sort of test of hers. "A Hakuryuukou and a Sekiryuutei who are best friends, hm...? The two always fight in each incarnation, but what will happen in this situation I wonder." I couldn't tell if Vali was talking to us or herself. "'The Two Heavenly Dragons', the dragons called that way. Welsh Dragon and Vanishing Dragon. In the past, those related didn't live a satisfactory life. -How will you end up?"

"You, whatever your intentions are, it is best that you leave." Rias "suggested", her hostility clear on her face. "If you lay a hand on my adorable Ise, I won't hesitate to fight. If you lay a hand on Shirou, you will draw upon yourself the wrath of the Maou Leviathan."

"As you wish." For a brief moment, I really thought that Vali would accept the challenge Rias all but directly gave, but instead she shrugged it off and turned to leave. "Truly a valuable existence. Both Heavenly Dragons are unique people. It's best if Hyoudou's raised well, Rias Gremory." Then she turned to me. "I hope you will think on my words, Shirou. So until then-" before I could react, Vali grabbed my face again and pressed her lips against mine.

[EEEEEEEHHHHHHH?!]

The others screamed in shock as I once again experienced the aggressive assault of Vali's tongue in my mouth.

Before I could push her away from me, Vali stepped out of my reach, releasing me from our kiss.

"My main task was to scout out the meeting ground for Azazel." Vali said. "Farewell."

"Wait! Vali!" I called out before I could stop myself. Vali turned, showing me those same interested eyes as before. Before she could make some kind of sexual remake or innuendo, I voiced my question. "Who is it? The strongest existence, I mean. Who is it?"

"Kufu, you know just the right questions to ask, Shirou." She mused. "Very well then. The strongest existence is the one known as the Dragon God, the being who embodies "Infinity", the Ouroboros Dragon, Ophis. Sooner or later, you will truly come to remember this name."

I felt an unpleasant chill go down my spine.

Vali once again showed that annoying smirk of hers. I didn't like the way she said that.

And with that, Vali finally left, leaving me with more questions than answers.

"Onii-chan, are you okay?" Jack had tugged on my sleeve, but I barely registered what she had said.

"Huh? Oh yeah. I'm fine." I lied. I knelt down and patted her on the head, but Jack still stared at me wit those sad eyes of hers. "Go home for now and keep your precious Sera-neechan company til I get back, OK?"

Jack looked incredibly reluctant to obey, but she nodded. She disappeared like a ninja, turning into a shadow that quickly vanished into nothingness.

I felt less on edge after Rias undid the barrier around us. The students who previously ignored the confrontation that was occurring moments before stopped going around us in a large circular arc like they were before and some of them stared wide eyed, as if they had just realized we were there.

Ruruko stepped forward as everyone else just stared. "Shirou...what was that?"

"Yeah." Ise agreed. "She acted like she knew you. What were you guys talking about before anyway? Just what WAS that?"

The day had only just started but I already felt so tired. I just stared at Ruruko and Ise, taking a while to respond.

"You know...I really wish I knew." Without speaking another word to my friends, I walked away again, not wishing to discuss what Vali and I had talked about.

I just walked away, practically running away like the coward I am.

All I knew was that my worries just kept piling higher and higher.

* * *

**Phew! That dragged on for a lot longer than I intended. In my head, I thought it would be much shorter. But 23000 words. I think that's my longest chapter ever. You'd think this was the finale to a story arc or something. Oh well, either way, it's done. It felt somewhat rushed at certain points, but I'm overall satisfied with this chapter.**

**To sum up the events of this chapter: Shirou returns Gasper who is now his friend (more development between them WILL take place), Xenovia wants to be Shirou's baby momma, Shirou taught Xenovia about the more complicated parts of having a baby and is planning to correct her in the same fashion he is trying to correct Issei's perversion, Serafall beat Xenovia to the punch as Sera-tan is now preggers with Shirou's child, and now Shirou has FemVali lusting after him.**

**FemVali also has some sort of mental or spiritual connection to Shirou, allowing her to experience and understand his feelings as well as his thoughts (she does not feel the same but she immediately knows how he feels). And now Shirou knows about Ophis who is the strongest existence and the being he wants to surpass as his long term goal once Shirou has become Ultimate-Class.**

**For those of you who guessed what Serafall wanted to tell Shirou, congrats, all 80% of my readers. :D I know you may be miffed about the shortness of the scene, but this is to build of pressure that will reach its climax and explode (hehehehe) during the grand finale coz trust me: Shit. Will go. Down.**

**I know that this story has been kind of angsty for the past several chapters, but it is necessary for the overall "Master Plan". I promise that this will start to clear up soon. I have to create this kind of buildup. The angst after this story arc will be more spaced out, I promise.**

**Now time for the previews to next chapter!**

**Next time on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan:**

?: That's right~ They'll all inevitably be killed by your hand~!

Jack: If Onii-chan is feeling hurt or sad, just call Jack! Jack will protect Onii-chan!

Shirou: WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?!

Ravel: I will get on it right away, Shirou-sama.

Ruruko: Don't forget. Whether you see it or not, at any time, you are not fighting alone.

**Next time: Prelude to the Conference Part 1: Classroom Visits!**

**I can't wait til then~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	26. Life 25: Prelude to the Conference Pt 1

**And we continue from whence we left off~!**

**My phrase of the day: Trolling is NOT cool. It is just so not cool, guys.**

**This was meant to be longer, but it got too long so I had to cut it into two separate chapters. Please bear with it. The next part is progressing and may be done soon depending on IRL events and depending on personal inspiration and drive.**

**Also, if there are any questions concerning the story, or if you just want to contribute some ideas, I have created a new forum called "Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan and Other Stuff Forum Place!" where I will answer your questions to the best of my abilities without spoiling the story~!**

**The link is on my profile.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own jack.**

* * *

**Opening: Brave Shine**

_**[15 Second Instrumental] **A bird's eye view, soaring through the air, through the streets of Kuoh Town, passing by Shirou who turns to face the camera before it flies into the sky, the title appearing in the air:_

_**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**_

_**[hidari te ni kakushita] **Shirou wakes up with a start, rushing to get dressed, and running out the door._

_**[negai wa negai no mama de] **Shirou, dressed for school, runs through the streets, stopping suddenly._

_**[samenai yume miteta] **Ise and Shirou's friends stand ahead, smiling and gesturing for him to follow, Shirou smiling as he chases after them._

_**[migi te ni wa kara no kioku] **Serafall wanders through empty halls of a high-class building, her hair down and forlorn expression upon her face. Serafall stops by a window and stares sadly through the glass._

_**[daremo shiranai sekai no hate] **The silhouette of a woman with feline features observes Shirou in school from a nearby tree, flicking her tail playfully._

_**[yamanai ame ni utareteita] **Gasper sits in the darkness of her room, hugging her legs against her chest, her eyes glowing._

_**[mamoritai mono o mamoreru tsuyosa] **An empty-looking Irina walks through the streets of Kuoh Town in the rain, turning around in shock as images of her younger self and the younger Shirou and Ise run past her like a memory._

_**[sore o shinjirarenakunaru yowasa] **Shirou sits in the ORC clubroom with his friends, staring at his open right hand, staring at the darkened skin caused by his possession before tightening his fist full of determination._

_**[subete o ukeirete]** In an unknown place, a red-eyed figure sitting upon his throne in the shadows smiles softly, four silhouettes standing at his side._

_**[ashita o sagasu] **Shirou stands by his other friends and comrades, staring determinedly at the approaching tides of war, summoning Divine Dividing._

_**[Brave shine] **Issei (in Scale Mail) Clashes against the explosive power of Vali in the skies above Kuoh Academy._

_**[te wo nobaseba mada Stay the night] **Scene change to the school grounds. An adult-version of Jack blocks a blast of Demonic Power from Katerea Leviathan using several knives of an evil origin, evading numerous other blasts using incredible speed before leaping into the air and swinging her blades forward._

_**[kizu darake no yoru You save my life]** Scene change to the woods behind the school. An explosion rocks the earth, Shirou fleeing back out of the kicked-up dust, catching the blow of the powerful "Shadow" the two unleashing powerful punches coated in blue and black demonic power respectively, resulting in a deadlock of explosive power._

_**[kazashita yaiba no saki ni] **Only Shirou's silhouette becomes visible in a giant towering vortex of azure flames surrounding his body, only glowing red eyes showing any difference in color. Serafall cries out to Shirou, tears falling from her eyes._

_**[omoi o kasaneta]** Images of Shirou's favored memories play in black and white like on a super 8 film reel._

_**[inori wa toki o koete]** Shirou's friends and those he considers "family" stand outside the normal Kuoh Academy, smiling and inviting him forward, Issei extending his hand towards Shirou._

_**[Your brave shine...]** In an unknown place, Shirou walks across a crystal and undisturbed body of water, walking with determination in his eyes as he halts suddenly, confronting "the Shadow" standing across from him, dramatic wind blowing around them. Scene changes to Devi-kun, half-submerged in the water._

* * *

**Life 25: ****Prelude to the Conference Part 1 - Classroom Visits Begin**

This dark void around me...I knew it too well.

I was once again in the Abyss of Souls.

When I opened my eyes, I fully expected to wake up in my room, but instead I woke up in this place once again, surrounded by nothing but darkness. I tried looking at my body, but it was all in one piece this time, not like before when my soul had been damaged and my "body" was all fractured and broken. Unless Satan took over again, I have no explanation for why I was in this place again.

I looked at my feet in front of me, stomping on the pseudo-ground that was underneath me. I was able to walk, so I guess that was an improvement. Hopefully if I walk around a little, I can find some kind of exit or maybe this will all be some kind of dream and I'll finally wake up. Even if this was a void, I was bound to find something eventually. It was just a matter of time.

With no specific direction in mind to go in, I just started walking forward. I couldn't help but feel nervous. Many questions went through my head.

What if Satan had control of my body again? What if he hurt my friends? What if I was too weak to retake control again? What if Serafall tried confronting him? What if the others tried confronting him? What if he ended up going batshit crazy?

It all would happen because I was too weak to do anything. So I had to get out of here as soon as possible. It was important that I prevented something like that from happening. So I just kept walking and walking through this dark and seemingly infinite void, determined to wake up in the real world.

But no matter how far I walked, the void seemed to stretch infinitely.

It wasn't the darkness that made me uneasy. It was the absolute emptiness, the lack of other lifeforms in this space. Without others, living in this endless void made existing meaningless. It was a maddening thought.

"Hello?" I called out in vain. I only came to this place before for a reason. But right now, I saw no immediate reason as to why I was here. I realized my previous fear was stupid. If Satan had taken over again, it would most likely happen like before and I would still be able to see through "our" eyes. Nothing like that was happening here.

There was nothing but darkness.

And there was nothing to do but walk. Even if the path went nowhere, I had to keep walking.

If I just stayed there and did nothing, I would stagnate and probably fade into nothingness.

It kept on like that. Every time I began to lose hope or considered stopping due to exhaustion, I just reminded myself of what might happen.

So I kept walking.

I don't know when I stopped. It could have been seconds or years for all I knew. Everything was the same in this place.

Except for that one mirror not too far in front of me, illuminated by a large beam of light that formed a perfect circle around it. I was absolutely stunned at the sight. I knew that that mirror had not been there when I looked over there before. Nothing had been there. Nothing was supposed to be there. It didn't make any sense for such a meaningless object to just appear out of nowhere...but still.

It wasn't like I had a lot of destinations in mind.

And thus, I approached the horribly out-of-place mirror. As I got closer, I noticed how well-crafted it looked. It had an older style and kind of seemed like the type of large mirror you'd find in some rich guy's mansion or something. I just couldn't look away. The closer I approached the mirror, the more entranced I was by its appearance. It was like a work of art in itself.

I don't even remember walking to it entirely. One moment I was about to approach it, then the next, I was suddenly standing in front of it like I just woke up there, like everything between those two points had just been a dream.

And that when a sharp pain pierced through my skull. I fell to my knees due to the sudden shock, groaning as the sharp pain game the sensation of my brain being put into a blender and turned to mush.

Pushing myself upward, I got back to my feet. "What the Hell...?" My head was on fire. I bit my lower lip, waiting for the pan to subside, using every bit of energy I could manage to keep myself from falling to the ground again. I started feeling nauseous, hunching over in pain as I leaned against the mirror in front of me. A burning hot feeling started to feel my chest. Not a warm, passionate one, but a heat that could only be fueled by anger and rage so intense that it felt like it would burn through my body.

What is this feeling...why do I feel so angry...? It's just like back then...

Using the mirror as a balance, I managed to bring myself upright again despite the sweat pouring all down the sides of my face. In this strenuous effort of mine, I ended up placing my face in front of the mirror. But when I looked at it, straining to see the image with my eyes, I felt my breath cease in my chest, my expression twisted in shock as I saw the reflection in the mirror. Despite the fact that I was the only face present, it was not my own face that was reflected back at me.

It was Ise's.

[Geez! Look at you in this sorry state! Who did you lose to this time, Shirou? The air?]

I was taken aback by the mocking tone emanating from the reflection rather than just the fact it spoke AT ALL.

The reflection of Ise shrugged his shoulders, smirking to himself.

[Looks like I have to be the hero again, just like when we were little, me always saving your ass because you're so weak!]

These words...they were so cruel. W-Why are you saying these things, Ise? Why!?

The burning feeling of rage continued to burn up inside of me along with incredible bitterness and sorrow that only served to fuel the flames even further. Why was I getting so angry?!

[Always! I always spent my time picking up your mess and what has it ever gotten me? Nothing.]

The Ise in the mirror looked so annoyed and his dislike for me was incredibly apparent on his face. I could only stare in shock as he continued to express his utter loathing for me. I didn't understand why Ise was saying such cruel things. I didn't make any sense. I always understood that Ise had to quit hanging out with certain people when we were little, always because they made fun of me behind my back, but...I never knew he loathed me to such an extent...

I averted my eyes to the ground, trying to ignore this rage inside of me.

[Just as always, Shi-tan's ignoring things he doesn't like.]

I was once again stunned when it became Serafall's voice that I heard. I looked up and saw the image of Serafall staring back at me, her eyes devoid of all kindness or joy that were usually held within, signalling that she was about to pounce and trap you in a hug. All there was was the same loathing that Ise had held only mere moments ago. Loathing directed towards me.

[You always try to make yourself the martyr to gain the pity of others, manipulating them like the monster you are.]

That word...It seriously pissed me off...

[I'm sorry, does it hurt when someone calls you for what you are? Monster!]

Now it was Rias! She was smirking cruelly at me, a twisted version of her usual pleasant and kind smile.

My rage grew stronger and stronger. Ise, Serafall, and Rias...I wanted to attack all of them. It terrified me to think like that, but this rage was beginning to twist my mind into thinking things I never would have thought about before. These guys definitely aren't helping...

[Getting angry and hurting others is exactly something a monster like you would do.]

Rias just kept on taunting me. The people I care for kept acting cruelly towards me. Why?! I don't understand!

[It only makes sense, Shirou-san. You ARE a monster after all.]

And then it was Asia, smiling her with the same pure smile she always possessed. It only made it so much more painful when she said that word to me again.

[People only suffer around you. No matter your intentions, those around you will experience pain and loss.]

Irina.

[You use people to satisfy your own ego and then completely toss them aside when something else you like catches your eye.]

R-Ruruko?!

She was eyeing me with complete and utter hatred, stronger than anything else I had received thus far. No...it was worse than that. The emotion I felt from her eyes wasn't just anger and hate. It was abandonment too.

I wanted to hurt me for all of these words...this rage inside of me...I wanted to kill them!

N-No wait! What if...what if my body is experiencing the effect of these thoughts!? What if Satan had taken control or something worse?! If I'm experiencing these things and lost control of my body again, then that means my body might be acting on these violent I pulses! If I lose control here, my body my act on these emotions...It might..No, **I** might end hurting them...if things go on like this for much longer, I might even KILL them!

**"That's right~ They'll all inevitably be killed by your hand~!"**

A disgustingly cheerful and singsong voice filled my ears. A moment before, Ruruko's appearance had shown in the mirror had been replaced just like the others before her. Only this time, it was not someone I knew. No, the being in front of me could not even be considered a known existence. He had neither the appearance of a human or Devil, or any other species for that matter. He was something else entirely.

His overall shape was human, but his skin was blacker than night, the only noticeable feature being his glowing red eyes staring back at me, tendrils of darkness pouring off from his body like smoke off a fire. He grinned, showing teeth that were only slightly less dark than the rest of his form. If they weren't, they would have been completely indistinguishable from the rest of his body.

I stepped back, but too late remembered my nausea and dizziness from earlier, stumbling and needing to once again lean against the side of the mirror.

The _thing_ in front of me grinned.** "That's right~ Your supposed "heart" is a joke! You're a shell encoded with Satan's DNA! Nothing more than a monster~ A Faker who pretends to be human~! Monsters are incapable of possessing real hearts ya know~"**

"Shut up..." I growled, making an effort to stand up-straight to glare at the person in the reflection.

**"As long as you exist, the people around you will continue to experience pain~!"** The shadowy existence in front of me taunted. **"You claim to love and to desire to love, but that's all just a lie! You merely enjoy toying with others, experiencing the manipulated joy you force into them by messing with their emotions~! It's a good feeling, isn't it? Knowing you could easily build them up or utterly tear them down to the ground with a few pretty words~?!"**

"Shut up." I repeated, only this time with more force and anger. My grip on the sides of the mirror tightened to the point I thought I would break it.

**"You're always playing the goddamned martyr, trying to play the role of the tragic hero! Everything is always about you, but the truth is that you're nothing but a selfish brat playing pretend~! You claim to desire to protect others, but you're a weakling trying to compensate weakness with charisma~! Come ooooon~ Admit it~! You just see all of those idiots as tools for your own gain and pleasure~"**

"Shut up."

His words just got crueler and crueler and the little boiling pot of rage was going to boil over soon. I took heavy, deep breaths, trying to fight the burning sensation in my chest, but it kept getting stronger and stronger with each passing second.

**"And if one of them gets hurt or killed in the process, who cares, right?!"** The creature shrugged, smirking to himself.**"It's just another person dead because of you..."** And then he said the three words that finally broke the dam restraining my emotions. **"...just like Ka-chan~"**

"I said...SHUT UUUUUUP!" Overcome by the rage in my chest, I pulled back my fist, throwing it forward with all of my strength. I didn't care about injuring myself. I hadn't even though about it. My right arm started to burn and I just wanted to beat the shit out of this guy!

Glass seemed to explode outward in the direction of my fist, pieces and shards flying past me, several making sharp cuts in my clothing or skin. It stung a little, but my rage let me completely ignore that pain despite the fact my right arm was now bloody and had several jagged pieces of glass stuck in it.

"I said shut up, you son of a bitch!" I didn't know what I was reaching for, but I just kept shoving my arms through the broken mirror, trying to grab something on the other side. What shocked me most was the fact that my hand actually made contact with something. I wrapped my hand around the collar of some kind of fabric and yanked forward, bringing myself face-to-face with...

...The shadowy man...?

I looked at the dark existence, shocked to see that he was on a material plane despite having been seen only as a reflection.

**"Oh this is really nice~ That's right~! Show me the dangerous side of you, monster~! You see what I mean now~?! You're destined to hurt lots and lots of people, so you may as well get to work here and now~!"**

"Don't spew such shit!" I screamed at him at the top of my lungs. "I'll never hurt Ise, Serafall, or the others, ya hear me!? I'll do whatever I can to protect them from you!"

The dark being laughed at that. **"How cute~! Still playing the cliche hero, thinking all of the world is against him to make him seem like more of a tragic hero~! But in reality, you're the Wolf in Sheep's Clothing, nothing more than a monster~! You can fight it as much as you like, but I know you can feel it deep inside of you~"** He traced a finger down the center of my torso, smirking as he teased me.

"Stop calling me that!"

**"But it's the truth."** For once, the dark being did not speak in a sing-song tone, but rather, his voice was completely harsh and serious. He stared deep into my eyes with those glowing-red orbs of his. **"Whether you want to accept it or not, bit by bit, you're losing control due to your pathetic weakness. Sooner or later, you'll lose to the darkness and be consumed. You will eventually be overcome and will slaughter all of those closest to you. That is a fact, Monster."**

I moved my hands from his collar to his throat, my insides beginning to feel like they were melting in the flames of my rage.

"I told you...to stop." I couldn't even contain my trembling. My hands just started to tighten around his neck, becoming tighter and tighter.

**"That feeling in your chest...This place reveals all of your most restrained weakness and rage."** The man stated, unconcerned with the tightening of my hands around his neck, slowly beginning to strangle him. **"You are already at the deepest point of your soul. There is nowhere you can bury your suppressed feelings here. Your feelings are beginning to become more erratic and uncontrolled. Unless you were to end your own life prematurely, there is nothing to ultimately prevent you from destroying all that you cherish. It would honestly be much easier on you and your friends if you let me take over."**

"No! You can only take my body when it's from my cold, dead hands!" I screamed at him. I didn't understand why I was acting this way. This rage could only be resolved by ending the source of said rage. There was no option left for me. It was either that or lose control. I couldn't lose control. If I lost control, my body in real life might be released from my grasp. There's no other option. "I'm telling you I WON'T GIVE YOU MY BODY, YOU ROTTEN SHITHEEEEAAAAD!"

I put more effort into crushing this thing's neck, my arm and my tail beginning to burn like pure fire.

The shadowy being eyed me with disgusted and loathing eyes. He began to cough and gag, beginning to choke as I continued to restrict the path through which air flowed into his body.

**"Of course...this is what you always do after all." **He clicked his tongue at me, but I didn't care. **"You can...silence me all you wish...but you cannot run from your own darkness...One way or another...you will come to destroy...everything close to you because of your own weakness..."**

I just started to ignore him. I let out a beast-like growl, giving even more pressure on his neck. I discarded all morality, the only thing holding me back from doing such a thing. I gave his neck as much pressure as possible as tears came from his eyes due to pain.

**"...P...lease...don..."** He started begging me, but I didn't care. All of my other sense became numb. The only thing that occurred to me was the person in front of me and my desire to kill them with all of my being. If I had been any saner, I would have realized what I was doing...how wrong it was...how terrified I should have been due to the apathy I felt towards taking another being's life...

I don't care! Don't care don't care don't care! I hate him! I hate him! Hate hate hate HATE!

With a final squeeze, there was a final, harsh snap emanating from his filthy, shadow-covered neck.

His body became limp as he just laid on the ground, staring up at me as I panted, sweat pouring down the sides of my face, my burning eyes set on his broken body. I had to suppress my urge to make his body unrecognizable by ripping him apart.

[Is this...]

W-What?!

The body still spoke despite the fact that its neck was snapped like a twig. I could only stare in shock and horror.

[Is this really what you want...Shi-tan?]

In that moment, my heart was torn to shreds, horror, regret, and remorse all filling every single corner. I could only stare, frozen as I truly realized what I had done.

Laying on the ground, staring at me with tear-filled eyes and an expression that just asked "Why?"...It was...She was...

It was my master, clothed in her magical girl outfit...

It was Serafall Leviathan whose broken form laid in front of me.

Finally...everything flooded through the already-broken dam.

I screamed.

* * *

"AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"

I never even realized I had woken up then, shooting upright into a sitting position on my bed. Just screaming. The images I just saw played over and over and over again inside of my mind. Remorse and grief filled my heart as I kept slamming my knuckles against my temples, hitting my head over and over again. I kept trying to punish myself, continuing to repeat the same words again and again.

"What did I do...What did I do...What did I do..."

"Shirou...?"

The figure next to me sat up, rubbing her sleepy eyes. When she set her sight on me, her eyes widened in shock and worry.

When I saw her, I thought I was looking at a ghost, that I was receiving my divine punishment.

I clutched the sides of my head, bowing it again and again, muttering and talking to myself.

"I didn't mean to...I didn't mean to...I'm sorry. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry..." I kept repeating the same phrase over and over again, tears flooding from my eyes. Every single second, I relived that horrible scene over and over to the point of insanity, realizing what I had done...who I had done it to. "I'm sorry..."

There was a horrifying moment when somebody wrapped their arms around me. I started struggling, trying to break free, but the owner of these arms was too strong. Far stronger than someone like me could ever hope to be in my current state.

"Shhhh! It's alright! It's alright." Rather than strangling me or crushing me to death as expected, the owner held me tightly, cradling me in their arms, holding my face against their ample chest.

I kept crying, unable to bear the soft voice's kindness. "I'm sorry...I'm sorry...I'm sorry..."

A calm, gentle hand rubbed up and down my back, treating me gently as they held me.

"I know...I know...It's alright, Shi-tan. It's alright. Please...Please don't cry anymore..."

The voice sounded so confused and worried, the owner's arms wrapping around me and holding me even more tightly, trying to protect me from this pain...

* * *

**The Next Morning**

I sat at the dining room table, yawning to myself as I laid my head down flat.

My eyes were heavy and it felt like it had been centuries since I last slept. Everything of the previous night was just kind of a blur. I was just so tired and the only thing that came to me when I thought about last night was flashes of images and things like that...

A splitting pain shot through my skull. I slammed my head down on the table, groaning. Whatever I was trying to remember...a part of me told me that somehow, it was something I probably wouldn't want to remember if I knew what it was. So I just sat there, waiting for Ravel, Isabela, and Asia to finish getting ready for school I had woken up an hour or two earlier than them, so I was already fully clothed and ready to go, but they were still busy. I was feeling somewhat impatient and cranky due to my sleepy state, but I did my best to make sure I did not take it out on them...

Making sure nobody else observed, I pulled out the two medicinal-appearing pills Mako-nee had set out for me from my pocket, taking them both in one swift gulp without water. I had to make sure that nobody, even Serafall, found out. Otherwise, mine and Mako-nee's plan would be ruined and...I still didn't want to think about it and Serafall has been reassuring, but the possibility of me being executed was still existent.

I resisted the urge to gag at the sharp sweetness that always befouled my mouth each time I took these pills. It was so sweet that it almost tasted sour to my taste buds. And with the size, I usually almost choke on them before I get them down.

Mako-nee was out on a grocery run and the only other person around was-

"Shi-tan...you doin' okay?"

Serafall stared at me with such concerned eyes, holding a mug of delicious coffee in her hands, bags under her eyes indicating she too hadn't gotten a good night's rest. But still, even while in such a state of exhaustion, she stared at me with such worried eyes, my precious master.

...so what was this odd sense of guilt? Just what the Hell did I do...? Last night, I know I did something...I think. I just...I can't remember anything.

"Yeah, I'm fine." I finally responded, realizing I had almost completely lost myself in my thoughts. I didn't want to worry Serafall into thinking there was something wrong when even I didn't know what the Hell was going on with me...I just had this feeling of deep regret and incredible remorse. This dead feeling inside of me...I didn't like it.

"Good. Good." Serafall nodded, seeming really distracted about something as she took a sip of her coffee, taking in its caffeinated-filled power. Our conversations have pretty much devolved into this kind of small talk since Serafall's "announcement", but there was definitely something odd about this conversation. Serafall was actually worried and seemed like she was trying really hard to pay attention. Something was definitely wrong with her, but I was almost too afraid to ask what it was. All we could do was what we've been doing: Ignore it.

Not the best solution or even a good one at that, but it was the only one we could think to do.

"Serafall...Did I...Did I do anything last night...?" I asked, my curiosity winning out over that little voice in my head. If something was wrong with Serafall or if I made her upset in some way, I had to fix it. I just had to...I couldn't afford to lose anybody now. "I mean...did I make you mad at me or disappointed or something?"

For a brief moment, Serafall hesitated to respond, but when she did, she pasted her usual, cheerful smile on her face.

"Of course not~! Shi-tan's my most adorable Queen~! As long as you're yourself, I can never be disappointed with you~!"

But that hesitation...Serafall was hiding something from me. She looked so sad...

"Shirou-san! We're ready!"

"It's time to go, Shirou-sama!"

Before I could question Serafall further, Asia, Ravel, and Isabela came down the stairs, clothed in their respective school uniforms.

I rubbed the back of my head, trying to keep from looking pitiful. "A-Alright. Let's go." We all started heading towards the door until a tug on my sleeve halted me. I looked behind me to see Jack staring up at me with sad and pitiful eyes, looking as adorable as she did sad.

"Onii-chan..." Then she ran up and hugged my leg. "If Onii-chan is feeling hurt or sad, just call Jack! Jack will protect Onii-chan!" She spoke with such determination that I couldn't help but cheer up, at least a little. Who could stay gloomy with such an adorable child speaking such thoughts?

I smiled at her, kneeling down to pat Jack on the head. Jack's sad expression was lit up with joy as she enjoyed the affection I gave her.

"I'm okay, Jack." I said in a reassuring tone. "What I really need you to do is keep Sera-neechan company while I'm gone, OK?"

Jack pouted, but she nodded. "Alright."

Nyaaaan~

A familiar furry creature started rubbing up against my leg, vibrating as she purred. Kuro-chan's being awfully affectionate today. I gave her a soft petting behind her ears which she thoroughly enjoyed before I turned back towards her door.

"Shirou."

I turned on instinct in response to Serafall's voice-

CHU!

And got a soft kiss planted on my lips as a reward. It was soft and warm, more chaste than the usual ones.

"I love you." Serafall blushed slightly, smiling brightly, her softer and less childish side breaking through to the surface.

I smiled back. "I love you too."

No matter what, we were going to be alright. We were going to figure everything out. I'm sure of it.

"See you later, Shi-tan~!" Serafall said, returning to her previous cheerful tone.

With those cheerful, simplistic yet warmhearted words on my mind, I walked out the door. Even with the odd conversation between Serafall and I, a foolish part of me had been expecting a calm, uneventful trip...

"Ahem!"

Asia and Ravel stood in front of me, Asia glaring adorably while Ravel had her hands on her hips, her eyes boring holes into the deepest part of my skull and then all the way through. They were both upset about something.

"Something wrong...?"

"To show such a romantic display in front of us, how cruel of you, Shirou-san."

Ravel merely turned away, crossing her arms under her bust. "Tch! Like I care if you show affection to other girls."

I bowed my head, bowing apologetically. "O-Oh. Sorry." I didn't mean to make them upset like that. I was certain I had done something else wrong when they both stared at me, surprised about something. "Um...Did I mess up again?"

"No no!" Ravel quickly denied, her previous annoyance shifting to confusion. "It just feels...oddly out of character for you to apologize."

I frowned. "Do...Is it wrong for me to apologize when I messed up somehow?"

"No, but usually your normal response and to flirt and act all romantically." I couldn't be sure, but I thought that I heard a hint of disappointment in Ravel's voice. Asia's pout seemed to further emphasize that disappointment. "You don't usually just outright apologize for failing to distribute affection equally."

Damn. She's right. Just like with Xenovia, my usual charm is lost. Normally I'm just so on top of things, but I keep missing certain signs or signals and make bonehead mistakes. I am pretty tired, so maybe my previous guess at it's stress causing this isn't too far off from the mark. I gotta work on calming down and keeping my cool. If things go on like this, who knows what other mistakes I might make.

"Then let me rectify that." Taking both girls by surprise, I granted them both a kiss, first kissing Ravel and then kissing Asia. Both girls blushed but showed expressions of appreciation and joy due to my affection as they touched their lips. "Is that better?" I asked with a slight teasing tone of voice.

Asia nodded silently, still blushing. Ravel crossed her arms, turning away.

"A-As long as you're fair, I don't care what you do." How tsundere-ish~

"So...am I interrupting or...?" It was hard for all three of us not to feel somewhat embarrassed when we saw Isabela staring patiently at us, a playful smile on her face, all but telling us aloud that she had seen that entire display. "As long as your harem affairs are taken care of, should we not start heading to school?" You know, if you had told me about a month or two ago that the formerly serious Rook who had been so on guard that she almost crushed my throat and killed me when we first met formally would be going to my school, teasing me about girls like an older sister, I would have called them crazy. But now Isabela is so casual and kind...

I wonder if her crush and affection for Ise has influenced her? I didn't really know Isabela on a personal level nor do I know of her past, so I can't legitimately say I understand her. However, I'm glad she's been able to loosen up after all this time. I'm glad she is someone I'm able to call "friend".

"Alright. Let's go!"

We all ended up walking at a faster than normal pace to make up for lost time, but we were still on a good schedule. We walked to the usual meeting spot to meet up with Ise so we could walk to school together. Even though I was walking there alone anymore, the girls appreciated how much I valued my morning routine and Asia was more than willing to meet up with Ise who was her friend. And so I kept walking to the meeting spot.

The sight that I met there took me completely by surprise.

"Ah, good morning, Shirou-kun!"

"Good to see you again!"

The people who I saw standing beside a waiting Ise were Ise's parents.

"T-Tou-san!? K-Ka-san?!" I exclaimed in shock.

"Ise-san's Otou-san and Oka-san, it's very nice to meet you again!" Asia greeted with much more pleasant words.

Ise looked kind of uneasy about answering for some reason. "Well...it's kind of...It's...Today's Class Visits."

Understanding sank into my heart...then bitterness. "O-Oh. Right."

"Yes!" Ravel agreed cheerfully, clasping her hands together. "Otou-san and Oka-san will also be coming to visit me! I hope you have time to meet them again, Shirou-sama!"

"I...I'll try to." Was my unenthusiastic response.

Today was the day that the parents of the students to come and observe the students in their natural school environment. Tou-san and Ka-san were coming with Ise to school to take a look at his classes and the school. Of course, it made sense I wouldn't really remember this day. I wouldn't have any reason to. Just like last year. Nobody would come. And it was all because of _that man_. The reason I was raised by Mako-nee who spent so long, guilt-ridden, having been required to keep our family secret.

Isabela seemed like the only one other than Ise who noticed my discomfort as Ravel was too focused on her parents' visit and Asia was speaking with Ise and his parents.

"H-Hey, we should all be moving on now. We'll be late at this rate."

"Oh, that's right!" Ka-san agreed, smiling brightly. "Come on, Ise, Shirou!"

Caught by surprise, I nodded along with Ise.

[R-Right!]

We all started moving on the path to school, me walking ahead of everyone else, trying to ignore the excited chatter of the others behind me. Perhaps I was lying before...it wasn't that I didn't remember this day. It's that I didn't WANT to remember. This day was a constant reminder of what happened ten years ago. That I had no real family left other than Mako-nee. The reason I had been so alone for so long.

"Shirou, you alright?" For a brief moment, I thought it was Ise who was checking up on me, but then I remembered he was talking with Ka-san and Tou-san. Instead, it was Isabela who stared at me with such worried eyes.

"I'm fine." I lied, trying to avoid showing my bitterness on my face.

"Shirou, if you want, you could-"

"I said "I'm fine.", so could you just leave me alone?" I cut her off with a sharp and cold tone. "I don't need to be coddled."

Isabela winced as if she had just been slapped across the face. I immediately felt bad about it but Isabela unfortunately did as I said and returned to walking with the others behind me, leaving me alone to mentally beat the shit out of myself. Isabela had just been worried about me and I acted like a total dick. I admit I wanted to be alone, but I just snapped at Isabela which was totally uncalled for.

We haven't even reached school yet and already I wished this day was over.

* * *

I immediately ran by Ise, Ka-san, and Tou-san and ran into the school building, not wanting to stick around. For once, I was kind of glad I didn't have classes with Asia or Isabela. Now I didn't have to face Asia's cheerful energy which would make me feel more guilty and sad that I didn't give her a home with a real family like she wanted and I didn't have to face Isabela and the guilt for what I said to her. The reason I left Ise and his parents so quickly...well...

It only served to depress me due to my own circumstances.

"Hey, Shirou~!" Yumi greeted me cheerfully from her desk as I entered the classroom.

I managed a weak smile. "Good morning, Yumi." I greeted in return. The classroom slowly began to fill with students elated about the class visits but me and Yumi had time to talk together. We hadn't really had quality time to chat since we had...that "other kind of quality time".

"I'm really surprised people get so excited for this, ya know?" Yumi looked around, smiling. "We're showing off our school today so even if we don't have family here, Kaichou will get really upset with us if we do anything badly to dirty the school's name." She gave a dry laugh, trying to hide her own discomfort with today...that or she was somewhat afraid of Sona-senpai's wrath. It could have been either.

"That's our Senpai alright. Geez, sometimes it feels like our Student Council is so strict and serious.

Needing to clean ourselves up for a day some of us don't really care about, it was a real pain in the ass.

"Hey, Shirou-kun!" Speaking of Takashi.

I turned to see that almost disgustingly cheerful Yamada Takashi walking through the door, immediately running over to sit between Yumi and me. Yumi seemed to think nothing of it, but I really wasn't in the mood for this guy. Not wanting to make conversation, I sat in my seat rather than on the desktop, trying to ignore Takashi.

"So how are you doing today, Shirou-kun?" He asked with that damnable smile of his. "You excited bout today~?"

"No." I responded bluntly, trying desperately to end this conversation with this irritating person. "Buzz off."

"Yumi-chan, Shirou-kun seems to be kind of down today. Is something wrong?" Takashi asked, turning to Yumi when I made it quite apparent I was trying to ignore him. "He seems even grumpier than normal."

"Don't worry Takashi-kun, that's just Shirou being Shirou. It's not you." Yumi assured him.

I stared at Yumi with a raised eyebrow, frowning. "Since when did you two get so chummy?"

"Well, he needed somebody's help with the material and you were dead set on ignoring him, so he asked me." Then she gave a naughty smirk. "Why? Jeeeeaaalous, Shirou~?" She spoke with a teasing tone.

I turned my head and scoffed at the thought. "Pfft! I don't get jealous." But for some reason, my cheeks were turning a slight pink color.

"I see~"

"What's with that "I see~"?"

"Nothin'~"

Amidst this conversation between Yumi and I, Takashi smiled, seeming thoroughly pleased about something.

"You two make a great couple." He noted, smiling brightly. "It's amazing you two aren't practically lovers already!"

Yumi and I both turned away from each other, trying to hide our blushes from Takashi. I rubbed the back of my neck nervously while Yumi absentmindedly played with her hair. In response, Takashi's grin grew even wilder as a slightly embarrassed blush appeared on his face.

"Oh, congratulations~! I'm so happy for you~!" Maou, I hate this guy but he makes it so hard to hate him! "So, have your parents met each other?"

And that was when the casual atmosphere became bitter again. Yumi just placed her hands in her lap while staring down blankly at the top of her desk while I tightly clenched the edge of my desk, doing my damned well best try not to break it like a twig. I bit my lower lip, trying to suppress my memory and hatred for the person I hate more than anything else. The one person I can never forgive even if he were to offer his life to me.

Takashi blinked twice. "Did...Did I say something wrong...?"

Yumi looked away. "No...it's just..."

"They're not around." I answered, making sure to emphasize the spite in my voice. "Today's not exactly a happy day for us. What about you, huh? Why don't you go bother your parents for a while?" I thought, being Takashi and all, he would take that in stride, replying with something chipper or oblivious to the fact I just said something rather sharp to him. As with everything else today, it was not as expected.

Takashi's cheerful expression became saddened. He looked off to the side, seeming greatly disappointed about something.

"Well...my family situation's really complicated." And then he became even sadder. "My Ka-chan...she died when I was really little. I don't really remember her much other than what Tou-chan told me about her, but nowadays, my relationship with HIM is kind of strained. I honestly haven't spoken to him in a long while, so I'm kind of all alone for today."

Yumi and I went quiet as we stared at the expression on Takashi's face. Before, he had been the epitome of energy and cheerfulness, but now he looked pretty down...

I winced when Yumi shoot me a sharp, disapproving look.

Yet again, I resisted the urge to cuss out the God who no longer existed in this world for this repeated amount of misfortune.

"But...it's alright." Takashi said, sitting up and staring blankly at the wall, but...I couldn't help but notice an empty look in his eyes, like he had lost something precious. "I've had a lot of time to mourn over my mistakes time and time again. I kept messing up and I lost my last chance, so there's nothing to do but move on."

...Wow...how heavy.

I slammed my head against my desk, just wanting some kind of way to vent it, this anger and feeling of unfairness from my body.

There was no way that this day could get any worse than it is right now. Just absolutely no way.

[Yeah...I think this is the right room.]

[About damned time. Whose idea was it to separate from Lord and Lady Phenex in this unfamiliar land?]

[Ile...]

[What?! I was really hungry and smelled food!]

And yet again, the world decided to prove me wrong like the giant ass it was.

The door to the classroom opened and the teacher turned, his eyes widening in surprise and shock as he approached the door.

"N-Now wait a second! A-Are you transfers or something of the like?! I received no notification of-!"

"Out of the way, human!" A familiar and harsh voice commanded, sounding very, very irritated. Like a woman who was having a really bad day.

And that really seemed to get on the teacher's nerves. "Now hold on a second, young lady, that's no way to address a teacher! I have half a mind to-!"

"Let us in or I will sever your head where you stand!"

With that, the teacher hurried back to his desk, standing behind it, his eyes wide in terror and sweat pouring down the sides of his face like waterfalls. He was trembling like he was experiencing his own personal earthquake the parents in the classroom were confused by the fear on his face. I guess I was the only one who heard the conversation due to my superior senses. If anyone else heard it, then they hid it real well.

"U-Um, w-well, as unexpected as it is, w-we have several new tr-transfer students today e-everyone!" The teacher announced as if he had a sword pointed at his back. Then through the door came several figures. Just the sight of them caused my to shoot up from my chair, slamming my hands against the desk.

"EEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHH?!"

This outburst earned me quite a bit of attention by my confused, fellow classmates. It was not the fact we had so many transfers that stressed me. It was who they were that made this a very stressful situation.

Two sets of twins, one scantily-dressed swordswoman, and a martial artist in a Chinese-style martial arts outfit that I could swear resembled that of a popular video game character...

Anyone wanna guess who it was?

"Um...W-Would you l-like to introduce yourselves ladies?"

The girl with a large sword strapped to her back walked forward. She was an older woman wore an outfit consisting of a white top with black accents that was modeled after a Chinese cheongsam, red shorts, and armored, knee-high boots with matching gauntlets. The top featured a diamond shape on the chest area, giving view of her breasts and cleavage.

"Siris." She responded without much enthusiasm.

The (I'm pretty sure) cosplaying martial artist stepped forward with more seriousness and less hostility, showing respectfulness and pride (as well as a fair amount of cleavage) as she's bowed to everyone.

"I'm Xuelan. A pleasure."

The parents and students alike began whispering amongst themselves, perhaps wondering if they we're performers of some sort. The more serious parents showed expressions of disapproval at their dress wear. I sank lower in my seat, resisting the urge to pray the group up front didn't see me.

The enthusiasm of the next two far surpassed that of the previous two combined. They wore incredibly small sailor-style student uniforms that hugged emir bodies intimately. The most noticeable feature of theirs would have been the cat ears on top of their heads. The major difference between the two would have been one had bluish-green hair while the other at pinkish-red hair.

"I'm Ni-!"

"-and I'm Li!"

[Nice to meetcha!]

They both struck poses and my desire to just disappear grew greater. Maybe it isn't too late to slip away...

[Onii-chan! Onii-chan!]

And that was when two small, children-shaped bullets slammed into me, knocking me right out of my chair and onto the ground.

"Onii-chan! It's us-!"

"Yeah! Remember!? Ile and Nel!"

The moment I saw the adorable expressions on heir faces, I knew it was in fact too late.

Then the other girls walked over towards me, taking various positions around me before kneeling down on one knee in a respectful manner I had no doubt was drilled into them by whatever teacher they had possessed.

"Psst! I'll! Nel! Get over here!" Xuelan hissed at the two children who were using my torso as a trampoline. "Do it like practiced!"

[Oh, right!]

Ile and Nel got off of me and took a similar position to the others, pouting due to the fact their fun was spoiled.

Then they all spoke in unison:

[In accordance with the conditions of the wager set forth between Fujimura Shirou and our former master, we are hereby at your service and will obey any command. Order us as you desire, Master.]

Nel kind of spoke out of sync near the end, but other than that, it was well-organized. But this was no excuse for the incredibly inopportune time to do something like this in the middle of my class.

The whispers around me started getting louder and significantly less pleasant.

"How disgusting."

"Shirou-sama, please don't let this be so..."

"I can't believe they let that manner of boy be around girls."

"I'll kill him if he goes anywhere near my daughter."

"Could it be that Fujimura-sama's building a harem?!"

"Are these cosplayers really friends with Shirou-sama?"

"Are those girls related to that boy?"

Despite the bubbling rage and annoyance I felt, I knew that if I lost it here, my image would be forever broken right in front of everybody. So, instead, I calmly stood up, brushed myself off, and turned toward the teacher, smiling politely with a mask made of glass. Glass so thin it might shatter at the slightest touch.

"Sensei, can I be excused so that I may speak to my...cousins?" I wasn't quite sure what to call them, so cousins felt like the safest bet.

"Yes yes! Please!" The teacher couldn't get those words out quickly enough, relieved that the girl (who I presumed to be Siris) who threatened to lop of his head would be getting the Hell out of here before she lost her temper. Then he quickly straightened up, clearing his throat. "I mean-yes. You may be excused, Fujimura-kun."

"Can I speak with you all PRIVATELY?" Not needing to wait til the end of teacher's response, I grabbed Ile and Nel both under one arm, gathering the others into a group as I shooed and shoved them out of the room. I made sure not a single one of them was left inside of the room. I had to quash these potential rumors and inappropriate behaviors here and now or I was in for a very rough ride later on.

I kept moving them forward until we came to a nice and secluded place behind the school where no windows were within sight nor earshot of their location. I made sure we had the utmost privacy in this place. After making sure that we did, I set the young pair of twins on the ground and shooed them in line with the other girls who stood at attention, staring at me.

I stared back. I paced a long line over and over again, my arms behind my back as I breathed in and out slowly, trying to keep my heart rate low and my demeanor calm. There were a few ways to go about this: tactful, forgiving, loud, angry, pleasant, etc.

Inhaling deeply, I spoke-

"WHAT ARE YOU ALL DOING HERE?!"

Yep, I was going with loud and angry on this one. Loud and angry for the win.

"What in the Hell gave you the idea that it was a good idea, IN ANY SCENARIO, to just barge into the classroom like that?!" I screamed at them, unable to control my anger and frustration with their irresponsible actions. "What the Hell is the matter with all of you?!" Realizing the somewhat frightened stares from some of them, I closed my eyes and took several deep breaths, trying to get to the bottom of his. "Alright. I'm calm now." I opened my eyes. "I will ask again: Why are you all here?"

"Onii-chan...do you not want us here...?" Ile asked with tears eyes. During my short time as Ravel's servant, I had come to personally know all of Riser's servants. While Isabela was the only one I could have truly called a friend, Ile and Nel looked up to me like an older brother despite our initial rough interaction.

I crossed my arms. Seriously! What's with me today?!

"Its not that but rather you interrupted my class and caused such a ruckus. The whole point of blending in is to NOT announce the existence of Devil to all of mankind." I clarified, unable to resist the stinging tone in my voice. "Really, why are you all here now?"

Xuelan stepped forward bravely and bowed respectfully. "Forgive us, Master. We were told to accompany Lord and Lady Phenex in order to make the official transition under your service as well as support you during the conference between the three factions' leaders. Even though it has yet to be made official, we are still your servants and must be present by your side during such events." Despite the fact she was pretty much cosplaying as Chun Li-I finally remembered the character-she was pretty well organized and formal.

I thought about her words. She had a point. Even though Sona's Peerage didn't directly take part in the fighting, they would also be present. So even if my unofficial servants were not present, it is their duty to attend to official matters such as this by my side...made sense.

"Shirou-sama!" The sound of Ravel's voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see the blonde with drills-style hair running up to me, stopping right in front of me while panting, trying to catch her breath. A common trait between Bishops is that they are usually not good with physical activity.

Isabela appeared right next to her, not even winded. She didn't look at me. And I didn't look at her. What was I supposed to say?

Ravel seemed alarmed about something. "Shirou-sama, have you seen-?!" Then she noted the six other girls standing right behind me. "O-Oh...I see you've found them..." She paused. Then she bowed her head. "I-I'm very sorry, Shirou-sama. I had intended to bring them to you at a later time, but we ended up separated after I went to see Otou-sama and Oka-same and when I went back to check up on them, they were gone. I'm sorry if they caused you trouble."

Rubbing my temples, I sighed. "Ravel, they appeared at a really inconvenient time and today has already been full of fairly unpleasant and irritating events. This only added to the pile." Ravel hung her head low. "Please try to keep an eye on them for the rest of the day until I can figure out what to do with them or where they can stay. Have them hang out in the club room for a while. You've really let me down, Ravel."

When Ravel raised her head, I noticed her expression. It was completely neutral, her true feelings hidden by that mask made of glass. But I could still see the twinge of pain due to the sad look in her eyes. She truly felt ashamed for failing me in the task of managing these servants won from Riser.

So why wasn't I comforting her?

Usually, I would feel the urge to cheer her up or make her feel happy by patting her on the head, hugging her, or kissing her...so why wasn't I? Why am I just standing here rather than comforting Ravel? Did I truly feel so ashamed of her that I would just let her wallow in this shame of hers for one, measly mistake?

"I will get on it right away, Shirou-sama." Ravel announced. She turned to the other girls. "Please follow me and try not to be seen in those outfits. In case you haven't noticed, you kind of stick out like a sore thumb."

The girls nodded one by one before following after Ravel.

I wanted to say something. To apologize, to pat her on the head, to do SOMETHING, but I didn't. I just stood there and watched as my Bishop walked away, hanging her head for having failed in her previous task.

The last one to leave was Isabela.

I only caught a glimpse at her face, but I could easily understand the expression on her face.

Disgust and anger not because of our previous exchange, but because I had hurt her friend. A part of me suspected she wanted to hit me. I honestly could not blame her for thinking that thought.

I really wanted to hit myself too.

For the third time in a period of two/three hours, I really hated being me.

* * *

**Ruruko's POV...**

I walked, my back hunched and the feeling as if my soul were completely dead. I had really thought the school visits would be fun today, Tou-san and Ka-san showing up to see me work. I didn't expect that even Kaichou would keep us this busy. I was really looking forward to trying to improve Shirou and Tou-san's relationship since the last they met ended in that fiasco and Shirou knocked out a window.

I told Kaichou, but she seemed to get somewhat hostile at the mention of Shirou. She wasn't mad, but me bringing up Shirou seemed to have put her into a bad mood. She immediately ordered me back to my duties. I couldn't help but wonder if Shirou had done something wrong to offend Kaichou...Maybe not intentionally, but-

CRASH

I was passing by the Student Council room when I heard that loud noise, like the sound of shattering glass. Alarmed, I immediately made a sharp right turn and burst through the door, uneasy about what the source of the disturbance was.

"Who is-?!"

I was treated to a large surprise when I found myself staring at the sole occupant of the room, crouching over the remains of what I suspected to be a vase or a similar construct, his hands on his head while he panicked about what he had just done. When he noticed my presence, he looked upward at me, his eyes going wide.

"O-Oh shit! R-Ruruko, I swear it was an accident!" Shirou, my beloved boyfriend, defended. "My arm brushed up against it and-!"

I raised my hands, making a "calm down" gesture. "It's alright, Shirou. It's just a vase." He let out a son of relief at that. "Just look around for a broom and dustpan so we can clean up the pieces. Kaichou would be more irritated about someone getting hurt on the glass rather than the actual fact the vase was broken."

Shirou nodded wordlessly. We quickly found the broom and dustpan, Shirou sweeping up the glass pieces while I held the dustpan and threw the pieces away after they were all swept up.

Easy peasy!

But Shirou still seemed uneasy about something, like there was something bothering him.

"Hey, Shirou..." He looked at me, and that was when I saw the tired look in his eyes. That's how he looked. Tired and sad. He had an expression where you just wanted to hold him tightly and just tell him it was all going to be okay. "Are you alright...? Why are you in here? Shouldn't you be just...I mean, it's class visits with everyone's parents-" I resisted the urge to slap myself silly for saying such a stupid thing.

"What parents?" Shirou snapped at me, his eyes narrowed in annoyance. "My mom's dead and my father's garbage. Nobody's coming to see me today. Why don't you go hang around your parents or something?"

I stepped back, hurt and ashamed for what I said and because of what Shirou said.

"I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Don't be."

I had started to back away, ready to leave with the thought that Shirou didn't want to see me, but then he lashed out and grabbed me by the shoulders. I stared into his eyes and was surprised to see the shame, loneliness, and sadness that his within them. They were silently begging me not to leave.

Shirou hung his head, releasing me.

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean to snap...I seem to be hurting everyone on this warpath I've been on today..." He sounded so remorseful and like he was in desperate need of a hug. He sat down in a chair, laying his arms in his lap and hanging his head. "I acted like an ass to Isabela when she was just trying to help, I snapped at Takashi and opened some old wounds of his, I shamed Ravel even when she didn't do anything seriously wrong, and now I've probably gotten you to hate me because I'm a big jerk..."

He sounded more tired than sad.

Rather than back away, I walked toward him, placing a gentle on his face. Shirou looked up at me, tears welling up in his eyes. I smiled softly at him, gently and loving caressing his face, which was surprisingly softer than normal.

"Shirou..." Then I pulled my hand pack, tightening it into a fist. "GET OVER IIIIIT!" Then I threw my punch, driving it as hard into the side of his face as I could, sending him flying into the wall (which I would have to get fixed at a later date).

Shirou sat up, dazed while rubbing his bruised face, staring at me in shock.

But I remained firm. "You can't just ignore me for so long and then come to me like I'm some cheap call girl whenever you're depressed!" Shirou's eyes widened, as if he remembered something, something that drove him even closer to tears. He looked so guilty and pitiable. "But that's not why I hit you. I was just venting a little since today has been stressful and long and I had to take it out on someone." Shirou pursed his lips but said nothing. "Anyway, the reason I hit you was because you're being kind of a whiny bitch right now."

Shirou nodded. "I understand...I'm sorry..."

"Shut up and listen!" I commanded. If there was one thing I knew about Shirou, it was that he didn't listen to you unless you were forceful. You had to be really rough with him to get him to do what you want...Why does that sound wrong somehow? "You keep whining and complaining and crying, wanting to be helped! But Shirou, nobody can help you if you keep pushing all of us away and don't let us even TRY to help you! You're always making yourself lone wolf, like you have to carry he whole weight of the world on your shoulders, but it's not like that!" I sighed. "If you're in pain or feeling hurt, you have to talk to us, your friends and loved ones. We can't read your mind and every time you try to do things on your own, you leave us to worry and grieve."

A part of me felt that Shirou didn't quite get what I was saying...but it was how I felt.

The words I said before about me feeling like Shirou didn't appreciate me...they weren't a lie. The more girls he got to fall for him and the more girls he fell for, the less attention he paid to me. We went from boyfriend and girlfriend who were like intimate lovers to casual friends who sometimes eat lunch together. But I felt so much regret after saying them that I had to say SOMETHING to cover it up or take it back...I love Shirou, but it felt like he was pulling away from me.

Even if this was how I felt, I could not hate him. When I see him in pain, my heart breaks. When I see him smile, my hearts starts fluttering in my chest and my breast gets hot. When I see his hot body...well, suffice to say, "something else" gets a little hot too.

"Ruruko...I'm really sorry." Shirou iterated. He didn't cry. I guess a part of him figured he had had enough of self pity. "I just...I don't want to hurt the people I love." Shirou gripped his knees, squeezing them tightly as he suppressed some powerful emotion. "I'm afraid...Of what I am...of what I might become. I don't want anyone to get dragged into something like that." There was definitely something he was hiding from me. Something he was too scared to say aloud. I just knew it.

"Shirou, do you know how we felt-how I felt-when you were captured by Raynare? How I felt when you were almost stuck as Ravel's servant forever? How STUPID I felt when I found out you had been spending all that time before, hiding the truth from me, looking for Excalibur and a FREAKING CADRE-CLASS FALLEN ANGEL?!" I crossed my arms. "You avoided all of us like you were afraid of giving us some deadly illness and left all of us in the dark. We didn't know what was happening until it was too late to help. You should have relied on all us, your girls like me and Ravel and you also should have relied on your friends like Hyoudou. What's the point if you don't trust us enough or believe in us enough to be able to help you?"

Once again, Shirou said nothing. I sat on my knees, moving closer so I could tilt Shirou's head upwards, looking me in the eyes.

"Shirou, I love you. We all do. We're always by your side." I assured him. "You're only as alone as you believe yourself to be, but it will never truly be so. We're all always beside you whether you see it or not, but we can only help you if you want us to. Shirou, I want to help you, to be with you."

Then I leaned forward, softly pressing my lips against his. I did my best to convey all of my feelings in this gesture that my words would never be able to fully voice. His kiss was cold. I teased his tongue with mine just as he had done many times before, my hands tracing his defined body as I embraced him. I sat on his lap, unable to resist the pleasurable feeling of rubbing my crotch against his leg in a lewd fashion.

I wanted to convey my passion and do anything to get Shirou out of this emotional slump of his.

I could swear I saw him raise his arms, about to return my embrace. My heart skipped a beat. I honestly didn't think of what came next. I was excited and afraid, uncertain of what would result from this.

As it turned out, I would never find out. For it was at that moment that Shinra-fukukaichou chose to burst into the room, her glasses slipping off her face and her hair a mess.

"Fujimura-kun! We need you NOW! We have a severe sit-" She completely paused when she saw the position we were in, the fact that my hands had been in the process of unbuttoning his shirt. "-uatioooon..." She completely trailed off, completely taken off guard by our current state. We remained in awkward silence, Fukukaichou just standing there, staring like a statue. The only indication she was alive was that she blinked every now and then.

I frowned. "Why don't you take a picture? It'll last longer." I spoke up in an annoyed tone.

Fukukaichou blushed deeply, bowing while muttering a quick apology.

Then she quickly cleared her throat, trying to speak as if that awkward moment had not just happened. Too late, Senpai. Too late.

"Ahem! F-Fujimura-kun, there is an urgent matter that requires your assistance!" She bowed her head. "I apologize for my interruption, but it is important! Please come with me right now, Fujimura-kun."

Shirou looked from me to Senpai, then back and forth one more time before nodding.

"R-Right." I got off of Shirou, letting him get back to his feet, blushing slightly as he brushed himself off. I did this as well, trying to make myself more presentable. He walked over to Senpai, following her out the door.

"Shirou." I called out. He stopped at the door, still not turning to face me. "Don't forget. Whether you see it or not, at any time, you are not fighting alone." He didn't turn still.

"OK...Thanks, Ruruko." He still sounded tired and sad, but not quite as afraid as before.

And then he left, shutting the door behind him.

For a few seconds, I just stood there, watching. Then I sank into the nearest chair, needing to recover from the emotional stress that I just went through.

SLAM

Then, just as quickly as it had closed, the door slammed open against the wall, revealing two ADORABLE little girls peeking in, dressed in PE outfits of some sort. I thought they might have been from the elementary or perhaps middle school section of Kuoh Academy, but I had never seen them before. They looked like they were playing around, one of them peeking over the other's shoulders, practically piggy-backing on her sister's back before resting her head on top of hers.

"Darn! Onii-chan's not here either!"

"I told you! Onii-chan is probably with Rias Gremory, that disgusting pervert guy, or Leviathan-sama! The other way!"

"No! We just came from that way and I didn't see Onii-chan!"

"That's because you were busy stealing the snacks of other students!"

"I was hungryyyyy!"

While their back-and-forth banter was outright hilarious and horribly unbefitting this place in which such a dramatic event had happened moments ago, my curiosity began to grow further and further, wondering who the hell these two little girls were and why they were here. Of course, I suppose there's ultimately one way to truly find out the answer to that question.

"Um...Can I help you...?" I asked aloud to finally put an end to this.

The two girls ceased their bickering to turn to me, confused and surprised, as if they hadn't noticed my existence til now.

They both looked at one another, as if telepathically debating whether to respond or completely ignore me as they had been doing til that point.

After a few seconds, one of the turquoise-haired girls stepped forward, frowning.

"We're looking for Onii-chan..." Auuuuu! What a sad voice!

"He goes to school here?" I asked. The other twin nodded. "How did you get separated?"

She kicked her feet around, turning her gaze towards the ground. "...We made Onii-chan mad at us...We surprised him, but he was really mad at us and our friends." W-What? He got mad at them just for surprising him at school? How cruel! It's class visits! What's so wrong with having your little sisters visit?! "And we were sent with our friends to go wait until he was done with classes, but we thought Onii-chan would give us treats like before if we said we were sorry."

I crossed my arms, nodding as I took all of this in. "I see...So you ended up sneaking back into the school to look for him, but got lost?"

The first girl shook her head. "No! We're not lost, we...just don't have the clearest idea of where to find Onii-chan..." The girl trailed off, seeming embarrassed.

Well...it's not like I'm doing anything.

"Alright then. I'll help you two!" I announced my intentions to them. The two twins' eyes lit up with surprise and then joy at my offer. They both stared at me, smiles stretching from one side of their face to the other, the twins practically brimming with joy.

[Really?!]

I smiled at them. "Of course! We'll definitely find your Onii-chan!" And I'll give him a kick upside the face while I'm at it considering what he's put them through!

That was when the two girls launched themselves at me, tackling me in a hug and nuzzling their faces against my waist.

[Thank you, Onee-chan!]

...Hm. How odd. I feel really energized being called "Onee-chan" by such young girls filled with admiration.

I took them both by the hand, ready to lead them forward. "Let's go, you two." Then I paused. "What are your names by the way?"

"I'm Ile-"

"-and I'm Nel!"

They spoke adorably in-sync, finishing each others' sentences and still smiling like the cute children they are.

"Hm...Ile and Nel, huh...?" Those names sounded familiar. Why did they sound familiar? I know I've heard them somewhere before, but for the life of me, I cannot remember where. I'm usually just handing school affairs or paperwork, more paperwork than a girl my age should be handling. But still, regardless of how much I thought about or considered those names, the thought I tried to conjure just refused to come to me as it should have.

...

God damn it all! Why does it feel like I don't know nearly as much as I should?! It feels like I've been made into some kind of secondary character or somethiiiiing!

But enough about that.

With an objective in mind, me, Ile, and Nel walked out the door and into the hall, determined to find their "Onii-chan" and reunite the family.

As was the duty of a proud member of the Student Council on this day of class visits.

* * *

**There we are. Another Angst-burger on an extra angsty bun with a side of Angst-Fries and Angst-Nuggets. There's also an Angst-Cola to go with it. Quite an unhealthy diet of angst. I swear things will pick up after this story arc. I regret this as much as you but it's necessary for development and I will probably never have to drop down to this level again...Until later on for tragic events I have set for the future (Kufufufufu~) but those won't drag on past that particular story arc. So don't be alarmed.**

**Those who've yet to read it, I would like you to check out the new fic of my friend, Demons Anarchy of Pride, called Through the Looking Glass. It was originally a prototype story (coz, as always, I can't seem to create anything new that'll stick lately), but I let him pick it up after I gave up on it. He's gonna be doing a lot of neat things with it so please stick around for that.**

**If not for Through the Looking Glass, then take a look at Demons's other wonderful fics or that of his partner, Code-Emperor07.**

**Also, as stated at the top, if there are any questions, or if you just want to contribute some ideas, I have created a new forum called "Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan and Other Stuff Forum Place!" where I will answer your questions to the best of my abilities without spoiling the story~! As before, the link is on my profile page.**

**Now time for the previews to next chapter!**

**Next time on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan:**

Makoto: Dazzling the world with beauty like stars~ Ascending to the stage, Magical Ma-tan~!

Sirzechs: I can tell all three of you possess a great bond. It's plain to see how well you get along.

Gasper: I'm afraid! I don't want to hurt my friends with this power of mine!

?: For a long time now...I've really wanted to meet you Shirou-kun!

Akeno: I think it's time...I...I want to reveal my true self to you.

**Next time: Prelude to the Conference Part 2: Amongst Angels and Demons!**

**I can't wait til then~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	27. Life 26: Prelude to the Conference Pt 2

**And here is the finale of the prelude to the conference! After this, the main event will commence, so be prepared!**

**Also, can I say one more thing? Everyone, please remain calm. I understand there has been quite a lot of concerns about Shirou's low victory rate, but that all has a logical explanation behind it. If you would be patient enough to wait until the end of this story arc, I swear you will not be disappointed.**

**Also, for the people who are dissatisfied with Shirou's English VA I've decided to make his Japanese VA Soma Saito.**

**Also, if you have any questions, please visit my forum whose link is on my profile page and use the Q&amp;A section.**

**Last thing, I swear:...The Poll to decide the next arc's Opening Theme is up...so vote on that.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. If I did own DxD, I wouldn't have ruined Volumes 5-7 with that disgusting adaption done by Highschool DxD Born.**

* * *

**Opening: Brave Shine**

_**[15 Second Instrumental] **A bird's eye view, soaring through the air, through the streets of Kuoh Town, passing by Shirou who turns to face the camera before it flies into the sky, the title appearing in the air:_

_**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**_

_**[hidari te ni kakushita] **Shirou wakes up with a start, rushing to get dressed, and running out the door._

_**[negai wa negai no mama de] **Shirou, dressed for school, runs through the streets, stopping suddenly._

_**[samenai yume miteta] **Ise and Shirou's friends stand ahead, smiling and gesturing for him to follow, Shirou smiling as he chases after them._

_**[migi te ni wa kara no kioku] **Serafall wanders through empty halls of a high-class building, her hair down and forlorn expression upon her face. Serafall stops by a window and stares sadly through the glass._

_**[daremo shiranai sekai no hate] **The silhouette of a woman with feline features observes Shirou in school from a nearby tree, flicking her tail playfully._

_**[yamanai ame ni utareteita] **Gasper sits in the darkness of her room, hugging her legs against her chest, her eyes glowing._

_**[mamoritai mono o mamoreru tsuyosa] **An empty-looking Irina walks through the streets of Kuoh Town in the rain, turning around in shock as images of her younger self and the younger Shirou and Ise run past her like a memory._

_**[sore o shinjirarenakunaru yowasa] **Shirou sits in the ORC clubroom with his friends, staring at his open right hand, staring at the darkened skin caused by his possession before tightening his fist full of determination._

_**[subete o ukeirete]** In an unknown place, a red-eyed figure sitting upon his throne in the shadows smiles softly, four silhouettes standing at his side._

_**[ashita o sagasu] **Shirou stands by his other friends and comrades, staring determinedly at the approaching tides of war, summoning Divine Dividing._

_**[Brave shine] **Issei (in Scale Mail) Clashes against the explosive power of Vali in the skies above Kuoh Academy._

_**[te wo nobaseba mada Stay the night] **Scene change to the school grounds. An adult-version of Jack blocks a blast of Demonic Power from Katerea Leviathan using several knives of an evil origin, evading numerous other blasts using incredible speed before leaping into the air and swinging her blades forward._

_**[kizu darake no yoru You save my life]** Scene change to the woods behind the school. An explosion rocks the earth, Shirou fleeing back out of the kicked-up dust, catching the blow of the powerful "Shadow" the two unleashing powerful punches coated in blue and black demonic power respectively, resulting in a deadlock of explosive power._

_**[kazashita yaiba no saki ni] **Only Shirou's silhouette becomes visible in a giant towering vortex of azure flames surrounding his body, only glowing red eyes showing any difference in color. Serafall cries out to Shirou, tears falling from her eyes._

_**[omoi o kasaneta]** Images of Shirou's favored memories play in black and white like on a super 8 film reel._

_**[inori wa toki o koete]** Shirou's friends and those he considers "family" stand outside the normal Kuoh Academy, smiling and inviting him forward, Issei extending his hand towards Shirou._

_**[Your brave shine...]** In an unknown place, Shirou walks across a crystal and undisturbed body of water, walking with determination in his eyes as he halts suddenly, confronting "the Shadow" standing across from him, dramatic wind blowing around them. Scene changes to Devi-kun, half-submerged in the water._

* * *

**Life 26: Prelude to the Conference Part 2: Amongst Angels and Demons**

**Shirou's POV...**

My conversation with Ruruko was weighing heavily on my mind. I didn't try to shut everybody out, I just didn't want to force them to wallow in my darkness with me. While I understood with what Ruruko told me, what was so wrong with wanting to spare my friends from misery? But still...she was right. She told me the same thing Asia did back during the training camp to prepare for Rias and Riser's Rating Game, about opening up my true feelings to everyone. It was just like before, when I kept everything to myself until I eventually overload and had a mental breakdown in front of Ravel, Asia, and Isabela.

...Fuck. I really had to apologize to Ravel and Isabela...Maybe Takashi depending on how I feel. That guy still pisses me off with that disgusting "Perfect Student" act...No. I had to. What I said to him was kind of unfair. I should have been nicer to him.

No matter what, I couldn't succumb to irrational anger like I did before. None of my friends deserved that.

I crossed my arms, nodding to myself. Either from stress or paranoia, I would reject this abnormal anger and apologize to my friends!

This I swear!

"F-Fujimura-kun, are you alright?" Shinra-senpai asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. "You've just been walking with that weird expression on your face and I'm honestly worried about you."

I blushed, feeling pretty awkward while rubbing the back of my neck. "Sorry about that." I chuckled, trying to alleviate some of the awkwardness I felt, but Shinra-senpai just looked away, looking like she was feeling even more awkwardly than before.

Our walk was left silent other than the bustling of the students going around us. My Senpai seemed so awkward. A part of me kept on screaming, telling me to think of something, to say something that could alleviate some of the tension of this situation. But my mind had gone absolutely blank at this point in time. Damn me! What is with me lately!?

"Erm...so...uh, Senpai...what was it that you needed my help with exactly?" I couldn't help but ask out of curiosity if not for the fact I desperately wanted this awkward silence to end. For the love of Maou let it end!

Senpai stopped abruptly, almost leading me to bump into her due to my absentmindedness.

She spun on her heels, turning to face me with a super serious expression on her face. My heart sank.

For the vice president of the Student Council to have such a serious expression, the matter she required my assistance to deal with must have been SERIOUS serious. A part of me wondered if it pertained to the upcoming conference or perhaps my role in the battle with Kokabiel. Come to think of it, I asked Sona about me also needing to file out a report due to my "condition" but she just suddenly told me she would take care of it and walked away only seconds after I approached her.

Seriously. For a while now, it feels like Sona's been giving me the cold-shoulder. Before, I could compare our relationship to student and teacher and possibly (dare I say it?) friends. But ever since the Kokabiel incident, she's started acting even more formal towards me, referring to me as "Fujimura-san" or as "Onee-sama's Queen" rather than "Fujimura-kun" or "Shirou" like she sometimes did. She didn't seem angry, but rather...it was more like she was distancing herself from me. I wonder...

I directed my attention back to Shinra-senpai.

I reiterated my question, this time more confidently. "Tell me, Senpai, what was it you required my assistance for? Whatever it is, I'll do anything I can to help."

This was my vow. I would do whatever I can to protect my friends.

Her face flushed red and she grasped the sides of head, screaming with a mix of frustration and shock. "I COMPLETELY FORGOT! We're going in the completely wrong direction!" She sounded so embarrassed and humiliated.

My natural response to that was to face-fault onto the ground.

"How could you have forgotten the whole reason you were looking for me!?" I asked, exasperated by her abnormal forgetfulness.

Rather than snap back like a majority of my friends would, Shinra-senpai bowed apologetically.

"F-Forgive me! I was just really startled by that display with Nimura earlier and my mind ended up going elsewhere!"

The display earlier with...?

Oh...Right.

"Yeah...Sorry we almost did it in the Student Council room." I apologized, not feeling as apologetic as I should.

"Wait. You were really going to do "that" in the Student Council room!?" Shinra-senpai asked, her eyes so wide they were close to popping out of her skull.

"Yep. Probably right on top of the desk." I admitted without shame. Shinra-senpai's mouth went agape, her glasses almost sliding completely off her face as she stood there in shock and partially discussed. I started smirking as Shinra-senpai's face went as red as a tomato, unaware that I am just teasing her. I winked. "Don't worry. Of course we'd clean up all of the mess afterwards~"

"THAT'S HARDLY WHAT BOTHERS ME!" She screamed. Her face flushed even deeper as she covered her mouth, realizing how un-lady-like she had been a moment ago. Unlike Rias and Akeno who are willing to use every single one of their "assets" to shamelessly win a man or Sona who could remain calm and collected even when face-to-face with Death himself, Tsubaki Shinra is the only one of the four most popular girls at this school who genuinely acts like a normal girl when faced with such things. She was one of the few people with whom I could still have fun in teasing. "I-I apologize."

"Don't be." Shinra-senpai stared at me. "There's nothing wrong with speaking your mind. It's important that people vent or it comes out in a dangerous way later on." I shoved my hands into my pockets. Of course...I'm probably a humongous hypocrite in that regard...I really had to apologize to Ravel and Isabela. But before that, I really needed to finish this task of Shinra-senpai's. "So what were we supposed to be doing anyway? What was it you needed?"

"O-Of course...L-Let's see..." Shinra-senpai was still clearly flustered as she attempted to recall the original reason to find me. Her face was red and she seemed really on-edge. I couldn't help but smirk to myself.

"Or could it be, like Ruruko, you ALSO wanted to do naughty things with me~?"

"DEFINITELY NOTHING LIKE THAT!" Senpai snapped, her face even redder. She still hadn't realized that I was teasing her and this was really fun. I still felt tired, but I'm managing to shake off the sad and angry feelings from before that were pretty much killing all of my relationships.

"Hehehehe~" I snickered to myself. Then I gained a softer smile, Shinra-senpai noticing and showing even greater confusion than before. "Thanks, Tsubaki." I wouldn't tell her what I was thanking her for (partially because I prefer to take on a "mysterious" vibe from before), but she was helping me even if she didn't know it. I was going to do as Ruruko told me to do. I was going to apologize to Ravel and Isabela, on my knees if I had to, and then I was going to find a way to permanently control these awful feelings inside of me.

It was only moments after that that several students rushed past us, in a hurry of some sort.

"Come on! I don't want to miss her!"

"Do you think the rumors are true?"

"I wonder if she's as hot as everyone's saying!"

"She really sounds like a pretty figure!"

"And she's a cosplayer! Come on! Let's hurry before we miss out!"

Shinra-senpai and I stared as they rushed by, both of us staring with half-lidded eyes. I took into account Shinra-senpai's previously disheveled state and the only person (other than me) who could put her in such a state.

"...Senpai."

"Yes?"

"Are they referring to who I think-?"

"Yes."

.

.

.

"Serafall?"

"Serafall."

"...This is gonna be exhausting, isn't it?"

"Oh, you have no idea."

Signing, I gestured for Shinra-senpai to lead the way. She obliged and began guiding me in the direction of my heada-I mean Master. We walked in foreboding silence. It's not that I'm not glad to see Serafall, I really am. It's just that secrecy and tact aren't usually her thing. And considering we're supposed to be keeping the world of the supernatural a secret...Weeeelll-

_"I'm Miracle Levia-tan, one of the four Maou-samas of the Devils and Shi-tan is my adorable Queen~"_

Or something like that. I pictured it going something like that. I don't underestimate her, but excluding a few specific situations, she's kind of...lax. I'm no different but I'm not nearly as flamboyant as her so that's okay.

It was pretty easy to figure out where Shinra-senpai was leading me. I could pretty much just follow the gathering students who insisted on repeatedly making a commotion concerning what everyone was getting so hyped about. While there was a bit of traffic going in the opposite direction, a majority of the students were gathering in the one direction. Every now and then, a stressed Shinra Tsubaki would snap at a student who was fooling around or out of dress code, most likely to vent some of her frustrations.

We eventually came to a certain corridor in the school-

[Kaccha Kaccha!]

Flashes kept going off, the men who were holding cameras were photographing something at a corner of the corridor.

Since there was a crowd present, I could only suspect what they were taking pictures of. According to everyone we passed by, "A witch" was present but… I somehow came out of the crowd and faced in the front direction.

Yeah, I could see it in a glance. As I progressed further, a recognizable outfit came jumping in my eyes. As ungentlemanly as it was, the main reason I immediately confirmed her identity was the color and style of her panties which were being intermittently exposed not just to me but to the huge crowd of gathering students who wanted to take pictures.

Many of them were the female students (as females still made up the majority of this school) who were going all fan girl and "Kawaii" over Serafall's cuteness while there were a few shallow-minded guys who had less-than-decent expressions as they took snapshots of Serafall's various poses. My master was really enjoying the attention she was receiving. She was happy...

So what is this annoying feeling in my chest?

It wasn't the irrational anger from before and this was directed at the students rather than Serafall (which came as a huge relief to me when I realized it). This feeling...I did not like it. It was really irritating.

"Please help us, Fujimura-kun." Shinra-senpai asked in a weary tone. "I've tried and tried to keep her contained, but she keeps wandering about. This is the fourth time we, the Student Council, have had to find and disperse these crowds. Only you, her Queen, can help us in this situation." With the way she spoke, you would think she was asking me to slay an Ultimate-Class Dragon or save the world or something...

Then again, with Serafall who could throw a tantrum over the slightest infraction, perhaps the need for the latter task to be completed wouldn't be too far out of the ballpark if Serafall were to be made upset by some idiotic, unsuspecting fool.

Serafall struck an especially dramatic and adorable pose, giving a peace sign, producing one of those weird magical hearts I usually see her produce when she emphasizes her movements or sentences.

"Introducing to the stage, the protector of peace and love, Miracle Levia-tan~!"

OK, so far, worst-case-scenario has been averted. She doesn't seem to have mentioned the Devils yet.

For now, all I had to do was-

"And allow me to introduce my super amazing, super adorable friend, Magical Ma-tan~"

W-Wait! Who's Magical Ma-tan?!

And that was when the horrifying announcement was made by that disturbingly familiar voice. A sparkling light appeared in the middle of the hall, a horrifyingly familiar silhouette forming amidst its powerful glow. I clasped my hands, praying with all of my heart, feeling so strongly that I didn't care about the sensation of knives being stabbed into my brain.

Dear Lord, please don't let it be her. Don't let it be her. Don't let it be her...

"Dazzling the world with beauty like stars~ Ascending to the stage, Magical Ma-tan~!"

GAAAAAAH! IT'S HEEEEER!

"Ma-tan thinks it's really nice to meet all of my precious little brother's classmates~!"

That disgustingly nice tone was so fake.

"What are you doing here, Mako-neeeeeee!?"

I immediately shoved aside the two students who had been obscuring my from sight, staring incredulously at the owner of the second voice. I immediately regretted it as my eyes began to burn at the sight that laid before me.

She was dressed in a magical outfit similar to Serafall, except smaller to accommodate her fewer curves with blue and white colors. Either due to some magical spell or perhaps he effect of the cosplay, she seemed to have an even more youthful appearance. And even worse, her skirt was no longer than Serafall's, which was even worsened by the fact that she was taller and had longer legs than Serafall!

Doing a cutesy pose while cosplaying as a magical girl was my older sister, Makoto Fujimura.

"Speaking of my adorbs baby brother~" Gaaaaah! How does she even pull off that cute tone!?

The crowd suddenly became more aware of my presence, the girls swooning while the guys observed the similarities between Mako-nee and I in terms of physical appearance.

"Don't I look pretty~?" Mako-nee did a cute, playful twirl, her skirt fluttering in-

"MY EEEEEEYYYYYYEEEEESSSS! I'LL NEVER SEE AGAAAAAIN!" I covered my face, unable to get the traumatizing image of my own sister's glorious backside along with her striped panties-Why the fuck did I call her ass glorious?! THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH MEEEE?!

Mako-nee pouted. "How can you be so mean towards your Onee-sama, Shirou?"

I lashed out, grabbing her by the shoulders and trying to shake her like a rag doll, hoping to shake some sense into her.

"Who are you and what have you done with Mako-nee?!"

Mako-nee's eyes became wide and serious. "Shirou...I can't stop. Leviathan talked me into it and the outfit was so cute. Could. Not. Resist." She sounded like a child explaining her low self control around sweets. "It's just sooooo cute, Shirou-taaaaan~" I backed away in horror, making numerous gestures to ward off evil spirits. Mako-nee's expression also became bitter and annoyed. "I watched a few episodes of magical girl series and now I'm hooked. I. Can't. Stop. Cosplaying."

"Yes~ Levia-tan had succeeded in turning the dark witch Makoto into the glorious and adorable Magical Ma-tan~!" Serafall cheered, winking. "I've turned her from the path of dull, boring normality to the true route of magic and cosplay~! Let all who worship evil repent in the face of Levia-tan and Ma-tan~! Right, Ma-tan~?"

"R-Right, Levia-t-tan~!" Then her expression became dead serious as she began to try to tear at her outfit. "Wait! No! Yes~! No! Yes~! No! Yes~! No! Yes~! N-RAAAAAAAAAH!" I could really see how much pain Mako-nee was in, physically fighting the urge that cosplaying forced into her. But it became quickly apparent that her newly awakened love for the magical girl genre was too powerful to overcome. Farewell, Mako-nee. I barely knew ye.

Then a thought occurred to me. "Wait a minute. If you're here, and I'm here, and Ravel, Asia, and Isabela are all here...THEN WHO'S WATCHING JACK?!" A million horrible scenarios ran through my mind concerning Jack being left home alone. Come to think of it, I don't know what Mako-nee does while I'm out! Who's to say she doesn't leave Jack alone ALL OF THE TIME! Oh my Maou!

And that was when Jack appeared from behind Mako-nee's legs, dressed in an elementary school uniform. "Onii-chan, Jack came too! Don't we look cute?"

I managed a soft smile. "Of course, Jack. You're absolutely adorable~"

Our conversation would have continued with me giving into Jack's childish desire to be praised, but that was when our conversation received an interruption.

"H...Hey!" A new and familiar voice appeared, panting as if having run all the way here. "Enough with the photo shoots you guys! Leviathan-sama, Fujimura-san, with all due respect, you're starting to run the Student Council ragged!" It was Saji who addressed both Serafall and my Onee-sama. He then spoke directly to the students who had stopped snapping photos. ""Hey hey, disperse disperse! Today's the day for displaying classes to the public! Don't make a ruckus at this kind of place!"

With displeased grumbles, the group began to do as commanded. Huh. Despite being a low-ranked cog on the Student Council, I guess Saji held a bit more authority over the students than I thought.

Then he sighed, freezing when he noticed me. He straightened up, trying to seem more respectful.

"Ah, Fujimura-Eh? Rias-senpai and Hyoudou too?" What?

I was about to turn around when a certain crimson-haired beauty came up on my left side, followed dutifully by my blood brother

"You came at the right time. I was just guiding Maou Lucifer-sama and senpai's Otou-san."

Lucifer?!

My blood ran cold. For that moment in time, Mako-nee seemed to have overcome her imprisoning love for magical girls, her expression becoming dead serious. She took a few steps forward, stepping in front of me in a (dare I say it) protective way as two handsome, well-dressed guys approached, both possessing hair that was the same color as Rias's. They both had elegant yet powerful presences and my insides were tied in numerous knots out of nervousness.

Lucifer-sama noticed me behind Mako-nee and smiled pleasantly, as if we were old friends who happened to cross each other's path on the street. My mind flashed back to our previous encounter which had not ended in the most elegant of ways, me succumbing to alcohol and nausea and running away.

I felt a small hand grasp my own. I looked down to see Jack, staring up at me with worried eyes. I gave a reassuring squeeze, giving an appreciative look in response to her attempts to comfort me.

Then I was tackled into a hug by Serafall.

"Shi-taaaaaan~! I've been looking everywhere for you~!" She sang in such a cheerful tone. "I was sitting around the house and I was really really really bored and I didn't feel like re-watching my magical girl animes today so I was super super super SUPER bored and there was really nothing to do~ And that's when Makoto-chan appears with such a confused look, asking me why I wasn't at the school~! I asked her what she was talking about and then she explained about the class visits and I was really upset that my adorable baby sister didn't tell me about it~!"

She didn't do what?! Do you WANT Serafall to destroy the world in a tantrum, Sona?!

"But Ma-tan was really nice and told me about it so now I'm here~! Thank goodness~! I was so upset that I might have ended up attacking the heavens~"

I shot Mako-nee a look that could not even begin to express the gratitude I felt towards her at that time.

"What is this? Saji, I told you to handle this qu-" The approaching Sona immediately froze upon noticing several key figures: The Maou Lucifer, Lord Gremory, Mako-nee, me, and, of course, her older sister, Serafall. She took all of this into account before trying to conjure up a new response to this turn of events.

"Sona-chan! Found you~!" Serafall immediately detached herself from me and leaped at Sona, clinging to her younger sister childishly. Even after these few months I've been around them, it's still just so hard to believe that Serafall is the older sibling sometimes. When faced with such antics, it was really difficult to believe. Serafall then turned and noticed Ise and Rias. "Ah! Ise-chan, Rias-chan, you're both here too~! Our last meeting was cut really short so I didn't have much time to ask how you've all been doin' lately~"

Rias smiled nervously, either because she was under more pressure with her Onii-san and Otou-san here or because she still could not believe this was how a Maou behaved.

"Y-Yes. I'm REALLY surprised Sona didn't tell you about class visits today." Rias eyed Sona with a look that said "ARE YOU CRAZY!?". Sona maintained an air of innocence, refusing to admit that she had done anything wrong despite CLEARLY endangering the safety of the three factions and the world itself by blatantly ignoring her Onee-samas interest in class visits.

"Yeah, Sona-chan is really mean. She didn't tell me about today! I don't know why~! She, Shi-tan, and I could have had lots and lots of fun together~!" ...There were so many possible ways to interpret that that I did not dare even try. "But to think I would also see you here, Sirzechs-chan!" Both Ise and I stared at Serafall. We understood she was in quite the position of power and there were so few above her she would ever have to address with a superior title, but to call a fellow Maou like that seemed a little-

"Yes. I'm also here visiting my little sister." Lucifer-sama replied with an elegant smile. Eh? Is he just used to being called like that?

Serafall turned to Lord Gremory. "Ara ara, Uncle Gremory."

"Yes, Serafall-dono. This is another novel uniform. I somewhat think as a Maou how it is but…"

"Ara, uncle Don't you know? This is the fashion in this country, you know?

"Heh, was that so. It seems this was my ignorance." My jaw dropped at how easily that the head of the Gremory so easily believed that.

"A-Ah, th-that's not really true, Lord Gremory."

"Hahaha, don't believe, Otou-ue."

In this instance, both Lucifer-sama and I had an awkward smile at the misinformation Serafall was giving Rias's Otou-san.

"Mooou~ So-taaan~ All day you've either been red or all mopey~ Don't you want to run into the embrace of your Onee-chan, me and you embracing in a yuri way while Shi-tan watches before joining in and it will be me, So-tan, and Shi-tan, me and So-tan being yuri while being straight with Shi-tan at the same time~!"

Sona buried her face into her hands, shaking her head. "O-Onee-sama, don't discuss such things in front of the Maou Lucifer." By this point, both Sona and I have just grown used to the fact this was Serafall, so there was no way we were going to get her to change or address others more respectfully so I guess the real embarrassment was the fact that Serafall was bringing up such topics right in front of Rias, the only girl I can think of who could ever be Sona's best friend, and the Maou Lucifer.

"But So-tan, what's wrong with expressing my endless affection for my beloved sister and my lover who is also my beloved Queen~?"

Sona shot me a look that said "You talk some sense into her too.", but I shrugged, raising my hands in surrender. Then she once again went back to ignoring my presence as she had been doing quite a lot lately.

I felt my insides twist into knots as a hand placed itself on my shoulder.

"I can tell all three of you possess a great bond. It's plain to see how well you get along." I turned to see the elegant smile of Sirzechs Lucifer-sama as he observed the antics of Serafall and Sona, who was desperately fighting off her Onee-sama's advances with an embarrassed expression on her face.

I swallowed, trying to calm my breathing and keep the Maou from seeing my nervous expression.

Dammit! I thought I was over this! Every time this guy is nearby, I get the feeling like he could crush me any time he desired and it really gets me nervous!

FUCKING SHALBA-FUCKING-BEELZEBUUUUUUUUUB! FUCK YOU AND YOUR DAMN PARANOIA-INDUCING WOOOOORDS!

"Y-Yeah." I managed to reply meekly.

"By the way, Shirou-kun-may I refer to you as Shirou-kun?" He was so polite about it that it was hard to say "No". "I would just like to apo-"

Whatever the Maou-sama was about to say was cut off by two shrill shrieks piercing through the air in perfect unison.

[ONIIIII-CHAAAAAAAAAAN!]

I was slammed in the back by two powerful bullets that felt suspiciously like younger children, knocking me forward flat on my face. This scenario was beginning to feel really, really familiar. I mean seriously, how many times has something like this played out already?...I gotta learn to attain a better balance if I ever want to stop being knocked over like this coz this gag is really getting old.

Groaning more from the shock than actual pain, I managed to push myself onto all-fours until the two "bullets" from earlier jumped onto my back, wrapping their arms around my neck in a hug.

"Oniii-chaaaaan~"

"We finally found you, Onii-chan~!"

The two cheerful voices were incredibly excited. I managed to turn my head to an awkward enough degree to catch a full glimpse at the two, recognizing them immediately by their gym uniforms and their turquoise hair.

"Ile-chan! Nel-chan!"

I stood up, staring in surprise at the two childish girls who were clinging to my back. I blinked twice as they smiled so innocently before jumping off and gathering in front of me.

"...what are you two doing here?" I asked finally after several moments of silence. The two girls' smiles faded, their expressions becoming apologetic. Ile played with her hands nervously while Nel turned her gaze to the ground, shuffling her feet in a way that could only be described as "sad" despite the notion of moving feet in a sad way was kind of weird.

"We just...we saw how mad Onii-chan was at all of us earlier..."

"..He ended up getting mad at Ravel coz of us..."

"...and we wanted to apologize."

They both had tears welling up in the corners of their eyes, wiping their faces to try and remain calm.

[We're sorry, Onii-chan!]

I stared at them, my eyes widening slightly due to my shock and surprise. My insides started to hurt again.

I pulled the two sisters close to my chest in a tight embrace, rubbing their backs reassuringly.

"No...None of you did anything wrong. Your Onii-chan was just bein' a big ol' jerk and I'm sorry..." It wasn't the most elegant way to express an apology, but it was the truth. I vented on Ravel because I was upset with them because I was upset for no adequate reason. "But still, to apologize when you are not in fault...You're both very good girls. When you grow up, you're going to become very elegant ladies with these good manners of yours." I pulled away, patting both girls on the head as they smiled cheerfully, pleased with my praise. "Now then-"

"TAKE THIS, YOU JERK! RURU-KICK!"

There was a sharp sound that either could have been my jaw or my neck as a very powerful kick made contact with the side of my head, sending me flying straight into the wall with the power of a bullet train, my head sticking out on one end while the rest of my body was on the ground, plain to see for all who had gathered. I gave the students and parents in the classroom I interrupted quite the fright.

With a grunt of displeasure, I used my arms to pry my head out of the wall, turning and glaring at my attacker.

"DAFUQ, RURUKO!?" Only one girl I know could pull off a kick that powerful.

"Ah, Shirou, it's you." She stood there, staring in confusion with dot-like eyes.

"Of course it's me! Who else would it be?!" I screamed right back at her. Ruruko placed a finger to her lips, looking even more confused until her eyes widened with realization.

"Wait a minute! Shirou, YOU'RE the big douchebag brother of Ile and Nel!?" Ruruko asked the question as if I had any idea what the Hell she was talking about. "How DARE you abandon these adorable bundles of sunshine in the middle of the school, you jerk!?"

"What the Hell are you talking about?!"

"The two sisters weaved me a tale of misfortune and woe! As your official girlfriend, I must inflict divine punishment to make you reflect on the grievous sin you have committed!"

I feel like there was a huge piece of this puzzle that I was missing.

But before I could truly dwell on that, I felt a tug on my sleeve. I turned around to face Jack, who was eyeing me with such sharp eyes, tears rolling down the sides of her face, a feeling of betrayal being sharply reflected by her expression as she stared at me.

"E-Eh? I-Is something wrong, Jack?" That look of hers was seriously starting to scare me.

"O-Onii-chan...how could you betray us?" Jack's tears started flowing uncontrollably in a way that made me worry if her body had that amount of water inside her.

"W-What?"

Jack turned away, pointing in a certain direction before burying her face in her hands, sobbing.

"Huh?" I then realized that the "things" she had been pointing at were Ile and Nel who remained oblivious to Jack the entire time...No wait. They have a weird hostile look! What's going on!?

[Onii-chan...who is this girl?]

Gah! They're emanating such an evil aura!

"Erm...huh?" Everyone else, wiser than I, took a good step away, forming a perfect semicircle around us.

Jack, still sobbing, turned to me. She would have looked so adorable if not for the tears pouring out of her eyes.

"How could you, Onii-chan...You already have one little sister figure but you found two others to give your affection to..." Jack said it with such a serious tone that it was hard to process. "We've been with Onii-chan for much longer, but are we not enough of a little sister for you?"

Jack sobbed even more loudly, in a way that I could swear was exaggerated.

I raised my hands, sweating like crazy as I tried to calm her down. "W-Wait, Jack! It's not what you think, I swear! It's nothing like that, I swear! They're just really cute and act excellently as little sister figures that I-"

Wait a minute...why is it sounding all weird like I cheated on her or something?

"So...Onii-chan's a "three little sisters" kind of guy...?"

"Too bad!"

Ile and Nel took a stance, looking very upset.

[You have to decide here and now, Onii-chan!]

They made that kind of declaration.

"W-What?"

Ile and Nel, teary-eyed, pointed at me.

"Onii-chan, you have to make your choice now!"

"Is it us or that white-haired loli over there?!"

[You have to decide here and now, Onii-chan!]

That time they screamed it directly into my ears, almost deafening me.

Then there was a sudden cold air flowing into the corridor. I don't know why, but it suddenly started feeling much colder out here. I could literally see my breath in front of me. Yep. This was definitely abnormal. It was too close to the summer months for something like this sudden temperature drop to even be remotely possible.

And then it got foggy.

"**That's it.**" I felt chills go down my spine as Jack spoke with such a scary voice, her eyes glowing a dangerous red color. Once again, she was scantily-dressed in that odd outfit of hers. I had to get her changed before some creep like Issei sees her!

"J-J-Jack, l-let's all calm down!" I stepped forward, trying to calm Jack down but it was really cold out here and this fog was really weird.

"**It's simple. We will kill these two and then Onii-chan will only be our Onii-chan.**" She glared at Ile and Nel. "**For trying to steal our Onii-chan, the penalty is DEATH!**"

"WHAT'S WITH THAT SEVERE PENALTY!?" I practically screamed.

"Bring it on!" I heard the sound of chainsaws revving up. I turned in disbelief to see Ile and Nel readily wielding their chainsaws, ready to "disassemble" Jack as they would put it.

"Onii-chan is ours!"

[Looks like we'll settle this by killing you!]

GAAAH! IS IT THAT MY LITTLE SISTER TYPES ARE ALL YANDERE!?

[But still...]

They all immediately turned to me, their killing intent dissipated as tears flooded from their eyes.

[WE LOVE YOU, ONII-CHAN!? WHY CAN'T YOU JUST LOVE US INSTEAD!? AREN'T WE ENOUGH FOR YOU!?]

*Cough Cough*

I turned and saw Lucifer-sama and Serafall both somewhat turned away, blushing lightly with an expression that I suspected to be "miffed" on their faces.

"I can't believe it..."

"...to think he would have so much affection from his little sisters..."

"Truly I am envious..."

"...but still-"

They both shot me a thumbs up, winking.

[Way to go. Good job!]

I DON'T WANT YOUR APPROVAL, YA DAMNED SISCON MAAAAAOOOOOUUUUUUSSSS!

I stared at them, unable to stop the tears of frustration from flooding out of my eyes.

Then there was a tap on my shoulder. Mako-nee, serious-faced while still clad in her magical girl outfit, narrowed her eyes.

"Do we need to have a talk, Shirou?"

.

.

.

...What the fuck is wrong with my life right now...? No seriously...What the fuck?

I would give my right arm again just to get out of this situation. A part of me figured the rest of this day would be heavy and full of angst as I begged for Ravel and Isabela's forgiveness, but this is so lighthearted and the situation is getting too ridiculous for my tastes. Why do I have to play the tsukkomi, dammit?!

"Ah, that reminds me." The unlikeliest of all of us, Rias, chose to interrupt this little...whatever it is. She turned to me of all people, an expectant look on her face. "Shirou, I have important news for you."

"What is it?" I asked, feeling as though I could take anything.

"Despite your premature breaking of the seals, both Onii-sama and Otou-sama have agreed it is indeed time to let Gasper out." Rias explained in a matter-of-fact way. I'm happy she didn't mention the fact I accidentally kidnapped Gasper. "And they've even chosen to overlook the fact you originally kidnapped Gasper by accident."

Goddamn it all.

"So, that's good news, right?" I rubbed the back of my neck, feeling so tired.

Rias suddenly became uncomfortable. "Well...you know how Gasper is when it comes to the outside."

Oh...right.

"How is she?"

"She's panicked to say the least." Rias admitted with a sigh. "Even though she isn't in trouble for leaving earlier, she seems to have actually regressed back to how she first was. I don't quite understand it, but the only time when she had even a modicum of bravery to face the outside world was when she was with you." A part of me could swear there was an insult insinuated by that last part.

"I see..." I had the vaguest feeling that I knew where this whole thing was going. "And why are you telling me this?" Why did I ask that? I knew full damn well why she was asking this.

Rias put on a smile.

Not a "let's be friends" kind of smile, but the smile that befits a Devil. The smile that says "you can fight it all you want, but I will get what I want in the end". That kind of smile where I know, no matter how hard I object or oppose her, she was going to find someway to bribe or blackmail me into doing as she asked. Rias was a kind and elegant woman, but she was a merciless negotiator befitting a Devil. And it was made worse since she was rich and had plenty to bribe or blackmail me with.

And that was how I ended up paying an early trip to the ORC clubhouse to visit Gasper among other things. But before that...there was one thing that had to be done.

* * *

With Issei, Rias and I made our way to the ORC's building, the time seeming to go by really fast.

I left Ile and Nel in Ruruko's care (read: dumped them on her for a while and ran).

I admit a part of me was kind of nervous.

It didn't have to do with just the fact I almost accidentally completely bashed in Gasper's head the first time we met. It had to do with WHO ELSE was waiting at the ORC. I remembered the events from earlier still. Ravel and Isabela were also bound to be waiting in the ORC building, trying to keep the other girls from causing a mess. I asked Rias and she said it was okay for me to stop by and talk to them real quick.

Gasper was important, but if I didn't get it over with and apologize, it would only serve to create greater resentment in Ravel and Isabela's hearts towards me.

A girl who is in my harem and a girl who is my servant. I could not afford to have their hatred directed towards me. Sure it would probably ruin our battle chemistry, but mostly it would just leave me with a gaping hole in my chest. I couldn't bear to have them hate me.

Rias brought me in front of the usual clubroom, her hands on her hips, her eyes closed as she sighed.

"I called Ravel and Isabela ahead of time and explained the situation." Rias said. "They were uneasy, but I managed to convince them to speak to you. But whatever you did, apologize quickly. Ravel sounded genuinely upset. It took a lot of persuasion to convince her to see you."

I nodded. "Of course. Thank you, Rias. Can you and Issei go on ahead without me? Tell Gya-chan I'll come see her in a little bit."

"Very well." But something about the way Rias was acting...That's just it. I couldn't be sure, but I could swear she was hiding her true expression somehow. She's definitely hiding something from me. The main reason I began to suspect was because I saw Ise wearing a weird grin, like he was in on some kind of joke. "I wish you well, Shirou."

With that, she walked away, Ise following afterwards.

I couldn't help but release a heavy sigh. It was time to get this over with.

Taking a deep breath, mustering up my courage, I pushed inward through the doors, entering the almost empty clubroom, the key words in this sentence being "ALMOST empty". Meaning the only other occupants were the people I came to see and-

I'm stalling. I'm trying to occupy my mind to continue the silence, trying to stall the inevitable.

Ravel sat on the couch, her arms crossed and her uneasy gaze averted away from me. Isabela didn't hesitate to express her annoyance with me, her expressing looking like she wanted to hit me. I took a good look around and, sure enough, none of the other girls were present in the room. I guess Rias made them move to another room for the time being.

"...So...um.." I was somewhat as a loss for words. I knew what I had to say, but my tongue kept getting all tied up and voicing words became near impossible.

"You wished to speak with us, Shirou-sama?" Ravel asked, her tone distant and more formal than usual. I felt several arrows pierce through my heart. "If you have something to say, then please say it."

Feeling more arrows pierce my heart, I nodded.

"This morning...I...I was going through some stuff." I started, mentally slapping myself. This wasn't how an apology was supposed to go. I was supposed to grovel at their feet, begging for forgiveness, not trying to give excuses when they were not deserved. I unfairly hurt them and I needed to apologize for that. "Those things I said to you two...I mean, I snapped at you-"

"Yes, you did." Isabela interrupted, agreeing with such a sharp tone. If there was depth that could describe how far my heart sank, I did not know it.

I swallowed, continuing to speak. "Isabela, you were just trying to help me...You saw what today was for me and tried to help me out of that situation this morning. I just got upset and vented my frustration on you...And I'm sorry." Isabela's eyes narrowed, but she didn't say anything in response.

Then I turned to Ravel.

"Ravel, I am SO sorry." I knelt on the ground and kept my head bowed to her, unable to find any other gesture to express my remorse. "You're my most loyal and beloved servant. I know you were doing everything you could do to keep that rowdy bunch under control. Not to mention your parents were also visiting. You lost valuable time with them because you were busy acting as my servant rather than their child and I rewarded you with nothing but undeserved anger and frustration. For you, I can't find any words that could ever tell you how rotten I feel, how I hate myself more than you could ever know, or how much I would do if it just meant I could earn your forgiveness. Ravel, I'm sorry. You're someone I love and I never should have treated you like that."

For several minutes, there was silence.

Then, finally, Ravel spoke. "That's right. You shouldn't have." She spoke with a calm and collected voice, betraying no emotion towards me, neither condemning nor forgiving me. "And, while your words are like sweet honey, there is nothing to convince me of your supposed intentions."

"Please, Ravel. I know I can't get it done immediately, but I'll do whatever it takes, anything if it holds the slightest chance of earning your forgiveness."

"Anything?" Ravel asked with a raised eyebrow.

I held a knife to my neck, my expression completely serious. "Anything."

"OK, maybe don't go that far." Ravel replied, sweatdropping. Good thing she didn't realize the knife was plastic. "A-Anything...W-Well..." Then an odd, troubled expression broke across Ravel's face. Her previous calm and collected expression "cracked" to reveal a hint of embarrassment and uncertainty. She looked to Isabela who shrugged, but Ravel had an expression that said "Over here, NOW!" on her face.

Isabela obliged and she and Ravel "huddled up" for lack of better phrasing.

They spoke in harsh whispers, Ravel apparently upset about something. I couldn't make out what they were saying, but they sure we're serious about it. Ravel was whispering harshly at Isabela for something, somewhat annoyed or angry. Isabela whispered back a soft reply, resulting in Ravel nodding.

Ravel crossed her arms again, staring at me again.

"Do you truly desire to repent for your actions?"

"More than anything."

Ravel turned to Isabela as if asking for confirmation. Ravel then turned back to me, her expression merciless.

"I want you to lick the bottom of my shoe clean like a filthy dog." She extended her left foot forward, showing me the bottom of her shoe. As this was Ravel, of course this shoe hasn't seen much dirt nor dirty places, but still, it wasn't something suited for contact with the human tongue. I stared at her, wondering if this was truly what it took. For a moment, her certainty wavered, but she nodded.

Well, I did say "anything".

I gently grasped Ravel's leg in my hands, sticking out my tongue, trembling at the thought of doing this.

Second after second, my tongue came closer to her heel-

* * *

"W-W-What are you doiiiing?!" Her calm facade broken, Ravel instinctively drove her foot upward, her face flushed. Thank goodness I pulled my tongue back into my mouth before she kicked me right in the chin. Would have been embarrassing to explain to Asia why she needed to use her Sacred Gear to reattach my tongue.

Isabela was busy off to the side, clutching her sides.

Ravel stared at me, her eyes as wide as plates, shocked at what I just did.

"Why would you do something disgusting like that?!"

H-Huh?

"W-Wait a second. Weren't YOU the one who told me to do it?!" What did I do wrong?

Ravel opened her mouth before hesitating, her eyes focused elsewhere, Ravel looking as if she just lost her response.

"I thought that was what you wanted me to do?" I asked again.

"I didn't think you would go through with it!" Ravel turned and glared at Isabela, her eyes watering and her face flaming. "This is your fault! Why did you suggest something like that?!"

Isabela shrugged. "I thought it would be funny." Both of our jaws dropped. She pulled out her cellphone (WHEN DAFUQ DID SHE GET ONE!?) and seemed to be fiddling around with it. She glanced at me. "If it makes you feel any better, this wipes our slate clean. After that, I would be the bad guy if I didn't forgive you."

I blinked several times. I turned back to Ravel.

"OK, let's assume for a moment that I have no idea what's going on right now." I said, being very clear I have no idea what IS going on. "Please, for the love of all of unholy creation, explain to me what the Hell you two are talking about and what the point of any of this was?"

[I told you, you have to turn the lock!]

[And I told you that I'm turning the goddamned lock! It won't budge!]

"Eh?" My expression became deadpan at the sound of the voices that appeared. Ravel suddenly gained a great fascination with her shoes (one of which was now clean as soap...Coz what's cleaner than soap, ya see?).

[Maybe if you just jiggle the knob a little bit...?]

[That didn't work the last THOUSAND TIMES you suggested it! It's broken off anyway!]

[Man, peeking through a keyhole is hard when there's several of us...]

[Shut up, you idiots! You're gonna expose us!]

[Aren't YOU the one who's been screaming all this time...?]

[That's because I'm stuck in a cramped space with YOU idiots!]

[Maybe if you just rammed the door a little-]

SLAM! CRASH!

The door of a nearby closet suddenly exploded outward into thousands of tiny splinters, completely shattered by the unimaginable rage of a certain Knight.

"THERE! I RAMMED THE FUCKING DOOR! HAPPY NOW!?"

Siris was, her face red and her expression so furious that I could swear I saw a vein popping out of her forehead.

Xuelan exited the closet after her, a sheepish and somewhat nervous expression on her face.

"Um...Sorry about the door?" She was clearly at a loss of an acceptable response to the current situation.

Ni and Li were casually cheerful but mostly indifferent towards Siris' rage. What they were doing in that closet over there, I had absolutely no idea whatsoever.

They all paused when they realized I was staring at them. They didn't say anything. Neither did I.

I turned back to Ravel. "OK, never mind about hypotheticals. Please, before this migraine of mine gets any worse from me trying to process what's going on, please tell me. What the hell is going on?"

"W-Well..." Ravel placed her hands in her lap, shifting nervously. "I-I was just trying to help..."

I raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"

"Well, after Ile and Nel ran off again-sorry if they bothered you-I was about to go after them, but then...well..." Ravel drifted off, glancing uneasily at Siris who clicked her tongue, looking off to the side.

"Siris thought they were better off running away as she and the others are under the impression you're actually a total prick." Isabela said all of this without tact or hesitation.

"W-What?"

"And Ravel stood up for you, emphasizing your good traits including your kind heart." Isabela continued with what I suspected to be a teasing tone in her voice. "She made up plenty of excuses as to why you acted strangely earlier and even said things like "Shirou-sama is the kindest person" and "I know the person I love would never be so cruel" and "I won't forgive anyone who speaks poorly of him". Things like that."

"S-Stupid Isabela! D-Don't tell him things like that!" Ravel stuttered, being incredibly embarrassed. "I-It has nothing to do with my personal feelings at all! I-I was impartially speaking as your servant after experiencing time under your command!"

Awwww~! She's being tsundere out of worry for me~!

Wait...

I stared at Ravel, my expression shocked. "S-So, even after how awful I was earlier, you still tried to help me by making me look good...?"

"O-Of course! As your servant, it's my duty to help maintain your good reputation!"

"D-Does this mean you forgive me?!" Hope began to fill my heart at the thought.

"I would have to be angry at you first if in order to forgive you, you dummy." Ravel looked off to the side, blushing. "No matter how hard I try, I can never be upset with you."

When I'm overcome by such joy and relief, there was only one way I could react to her words:

Taking a page from Serafall's book.

"Raveeeeel-chaaaaaaaan!" I leaped at her, wrapping my arms around her body and nuzzling my face against hers, hugging her tightly and expressing as much affection as I could. "I'm so happy~! My precious, adorable Bishop forgave meeeee~!"

Ravel kept stuttering protests despite her red face and embarrassed smile while Isabela looked on in amusement.

"I still don't like nor do I trust him." Siris's harsh words cut through the sweetness of the moment like a knife through softened butter. She stood with her arms crossed and a still-pissed off expression on her face. "We were locked in the closet the whole time so we had no way to observe his supposed "act of humility", Ravel."

"Why did you lock yourselves in the closet?"

"We weren't trying to! We were just trying to hide in the closet and the door locked!" Siris barked in response to my question. "Being in the closet was the whole point!"

"The whole point of this was so you four could go into a closet?" I asked with a teasing grin. Ni and Li snickered mischievously at my attempts to mess with Siris while Xuelan's expression showed intense disapproval. Apparently she didn't have such an open-minded sense of humor.

Well, you win some, you lose some.

Siris bit her tongue, suppressing a beast-like roar as she reached for he sword on her back, only to realize it wasn't there.

"You're really lucky I don't have my sword with me." She clearly intended an "or else" type of threat.

I closed my arms, crossing my arms in front of my chest as I fully considered the situation. "OK, so from what I can gather, you four have some doubts about me or concerns that I might be a total shithead because of how I was acting this morning, correct?" All four nodded, the only one hesitating being Xuelan who seemed like the more relatively polite of the four. "So Ravel staged this whole event, believing in me-thanks for that by the way, I'm really happy about your faith in me-" Ravel gained a look of superiority along with the pleased expression she got from my praise. "-so that you would all observe an inevitable gesture of humility from me apologizing to her? Which was why you were all hiding in the closet?"

They all nodded again.

"But you didn't see it...coz the door was locked and you were stuck?"

"Yes, Shirou, I believe that sums it up for everybody." Isabela agreed.

"...do...Do you want us to just...do it again?" I asked. Ravel's face lit up like a Christmas tree, the other four's expressions became dumbfounded, while Isabela was pulling out her phone again, as if ready to take more blackmail pictures in case I act like a total prick again.

"S-Shirou-sama, y-you shouldn't have to shame y-yourself twice to perform the same act!" Ravel objected, perhaps still feeling shame from the fact she had failed to stop me the first time. "To b-be honest, I intended to stop you e-earlier, but you...you were too fast."

"Or maybe it just didn't happen at all and you're both trying to pull BS on us since we couldn't see." Siris suggested I couldn't help but notice how Ravel and Siris were glaring daggers at one another. I sensed bad blood between them that may have existed long before this conflict. They seemed to really dislike one another.

"Fine then, I'll just do it again." Before Ravel could object, I continued, "I mean, it wasn't that bad before. I was pretty embarrassed but it's not like I became radioactive and mutated or anything. Besides..." My face heated up.

"Besides what?" Siris asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head. No! I can't say it! But...back when Ravel made me submit like that, my heart was going crazy and I found her expression and tone of total domination kind of sexy. I don't know why. Ravel just seemed sexier. But that would be too embarrassing to admit out loud. I don't know why, but it just would.

"A-Anyway, if you're unconvinced, then watch it unfold with your own two eyes." I knelt in front of Ravel again, staring her in the eyes. "R-Ravel, I need you to help me prove it to them. You need to make me repent again."

Ravel's face was literally steaming. And I don't mean in the figurative sense. Literal puffs of steam were coming off her face. I couldn't tell if she was unintentionally releasing demonic power or if it was something that happened to those bearing the blood of Phenex, but she was literally steaming.

"A-Alright!" Ravel managed to squeak out. She shifted uncomfortably in her seat again, trying to regain the mood the room possessed when we did this the first time, but Ravel's red face totally killed it. "S-Shirou-sama, a-as punishment, p-please lick my other shoe clea-"

"No! Do it like before!" I covered my mouth, out of embarrassment rather than shame. Ravel and everyone else stared as well. It wasn't that I raised my voice. No. Everyone knew I was expressing anger. Instead, my voice had sounded pleading, begging even. Why was I begging? Why would I enjoy being demeaned in such a way?

Ravel, seeming to realize something, coughed into her fist, magically calming every part of her and gaining the same cold and calm expression as before. If I wasn't aware of what was really going on, I really would have believed her. Ravel is a good actor.

"Alright, dog. To make amends for how you acted, as apology, I demand you lick my other shoe clean like the mutt you are." She extended her other foot forward, allowing my to grasp her soft, beautiful leg in my hands.

I swallowed, blushing deep red. "R-Right."

I slowly extended my tongue towards the heel of her shoe-

* * *

Everyone just stood there, their mouths gaping in shock due to the thing I had just done.

I wiped the saliva which had started to drip from my mouth, ignoring the others' expression. My heart was beating erratically again and it felt like my ribs would break underneath the force of its repeated blows. For some reason, being forced by Ravel to act in such a way made my heart act like this.

Everyone was just staring at me, none more flustered than Ravel herself.

For a good ten minutes, there was silence.

"...What?"

My four other servants just stood there, hunched over like apes with their eyes like dots and their mouths gaping in shock.

"Did he really just...?"

"Yep..."

"I-I guess there's no way he's a monster...He doesn't peg me as the sadistic type..."

"Y-Yeah."

Siris was the first to recover, trying her best to regain control of...whatever this was. I assume it's some sort of "Union" or something to complain about me as their master or maybe some sort of rebellion. I'm not quite sure what the point of any of this was in the end.

She jabbed an accusing finger in my direction. "S-So what?! One staged event doesn't change a damned thing! I may be your servant, but that doesn't mean you're my master, ya got that?!"

.

.

.

We all thought on that declaration, none being more embarrassed by its stupidity than Siris.

Her face turned red. "Y-Ya know what I mean!" Did her dialect change for a moment there?

"Alright then, so are you all willing to follow me for the time-being then?" I asked, placing my hands on my hips. "Has my sense of humility convinced you all or do you want more?"

"No!"

"We're good!"

"Please don't."

"Tch! Whatever..."

"I wouldn't exactly call it "humility"..."

"What was that?" I asked in a dark tone, narrowing my eyes menacingly at that last comment from Isabela. She had mumbled something under her breath, but she feigned an innocent expression, taking an avid interest in her phone. "Anyway, I licked both of Ravel's shoes clean on her command, so that's all there is to this, right?"

"Not quite." Isabela said, becoming indifferent now that this issue no longer involved her and now that no rebellion or fight was going to break out. What's so damned important on her phone that she can't even bother to pay attention to what's going on.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you can either save it for later or get it over with now, but there's drama with Lord and Lady Phenex, Ravel's parents, to consider."

I cocked my head to the side. "Huh?"

Isabela pointed over my shoulder, my eyes following until they landed onto two familiar figures. I recognized the woman immediately because she resembled an older version of Ravel and the older man was someone I saw not as often but still knew...

Lord and Lady Phenex.

"Ah...we were coming to see Ravel, but...it appears we stumbled into this. We arrived here halfway through that...display." Lady Phenex was smiling, but a shadow covered the upper half of her face and she was now standing behind her husband, like a poor fellow about to watch a huge explosion from behind a blast shield, watching as everyone on the other side is blown to pieces.

Lord Phenex...He was not amused...He never did really like me being around his daughter the few times we met face-to-face. In fact, he completely hate me and my guts solely because Ravel had a crush on me...I guess it's the job of father's to hate the guy their daughter likes...Then again, it seems NONE of the fathers I meet like me. Wanting me dead seemed to be a natural reaction...

I considered everything I just said and everything that just happened.

I turned to the others. They (even Ravel) dragged a finger across their necks, making a noise with their mouths like a blade going through flesh. Well thanks a lot you guys!

"Um...Well shit. This is where I-OH MY GOD! WHAT'S THAT OVER THERE!" I spoke with such conviction, such charisma that all of my servants looked in the direction...but not Ravel's parents.

"Foolish boy...I've faced this deception before-" Ah...figures. SOMEONE from the Devils had to have become immune to it at some point...Not all Devils could be that gullible. My luck was bound to run out at some point.

"-Now please tell me, **what did you do with my daughter**?!"

Lord Phenex radiated a powerful demonic aura befitting a REAL High-Class Devil.

My screams of agonizing, flesh-burning pain could be heard all-throughout the building.

* * *

I sighed, the scent of smoke pouring off of me.

This outfit was ruined forever due to Lord Phenex's flames of rage.

After Ravel explained the situation, Lord Phenex grudgingly let go of his protective instincts. He didn't apologize, but he promised not to try to burn my alive (for the time being) as he desired to spend the rest of the day with Ravel as her father. A short-lived appearance by Lord and Lady Phenex, but they weren't really an important part anyway...

It feels like I almost did it again, stumbling upon that unseen barrier...Like some big secret of our existences was about to be blown right open...

...

...

...

What was I talking about again?...I can't seem to remember what I was just-

Oh yeah! I was talking about how Lord and Lady Phenex desired to enjoy the class visits with Ravel. I gave her the time off on the condition that she got the other girls to swear to remain in the ORC room until after school hours. So now I finally scratched that off my list. Ravel and Isabela forgave me, I have the loyalty of the six other servants I won from Riser (for the time-being anyway), and now I only had one objective to take care of.

I just hoped that Rias and Gasper forgave me for being so late. Being almost killed by a High-Class Devil who is also a pissed-off father took a bit more time than I intended. In fact, that whole spectacle took longer than it should have now that I think about it.

Despite having only been led there or stumbling upon the room by accident, I managed to navigate my way through the halls of the ORC building in order to find the room in which our resident Dhampir lived, reveling in her Hikikomori lifestyle.

But to be honest, I heard her before I found the room.

"Nooooooooooooooo!"

It was definitely Gasper screaming alright. Somewhat alarmed, I picked up the pace, practically running to the room where she stayed.

I promised I would be there soon and I spent around half an hour with Ravel and Isabela. Rias was not going to be pleased. And Gasper...

When I reached the room, I was greeted by the sight of Gasper hiding in a box (I could see her eyes glowing through the hole in the side), Rias burying her face in her hands, and Issei looking disappointed in himself for some apparent thing he had done wrong.

Overall, it was a really depressing mood in there.

"U-Ummm-"

"WAAAAAAAH!"

I was taken by surprise as a shadow suddenly leaped out of the box, flying through the air with unbelievable agility considering who it was.

I felt two soft, slender arms around my neck. At first, I was all warm inside coz I thought I was getting a hug.

CHOMP

And twas then that I realized that I did, in fact, just get two sharp fangs pierced through my neck, no doubt being used to suck my blood.

We all just stood there, once again forced into a moment of shock.

But that was when I was surprised by another feeling.

Pleasure.

I don't know when or how, but the sensation that had once been unbearable pain had changed into a warm and pleasurable feeling. Like someone was making use of some unknown erogenous zone I never knew I had before. I felt like I was losing something, but it felt so good. I would have been able to enjoy it more thoroughly if I had not taken notice of the light-headedness I was experiencing.

"Mnnnn!" I groaned (I WAS NOT MOANING!).

Gaaaah! Not THIS again!

"Gasper?!" At the sound of Rias's shocked voice, Gasper's eyes widened, seemingly regaining her senses.

From her position, she turned her eyes to look me in my eyes. Her face flushed.

Then she vanished. I had gotten better at sensing it...when she used her Sacred Gear to stop me in time.

"Waaaaaah!" Gasper was back in her box, crying to herself. "I'm sorry!"

"I-I…..don't need such a sacred gear! B-Because I stop everyone! I scare them! I make them dislike me! Even I dislike it! I don't want to stop my f-friends and c-comrades…. Any more of having to look at the face of my cherished ones' stopped….. I-I don't want that…"

"Gasper..." Rias had an expression of such self loathing on her face, blaming herself for her servant's sadness.

"Th-This stupid power of mine...I-It's only going to h-hurt the ones I care about..."

My heart ached. Those words of hers...

I lowered my eyes, not looking at the others.

"Rias, Ise..." Both of my friends turned to me, staring. "Please, let me handle this. Could you both leave this to me for a while?"

"Shirou..." Then Rias's expression became one of understanding. "I hope you can help."

Ise nodded, but didn't say anything, that same ashamed look on his face. He probably felt like he messed up or let Rias down somehow, but I had no doubt this guy had been trying his best. That's the kind of guy Ise was.

The two did as I requested and stepped outside the door, closing it behind them.

With them gone, I sat on the floor in front of the box Gasper was in, crossing my legs.

"Gasper-"

"I'm afraid! I don't want to hurt my friends with this power of mine!" She cried out so suddenly at the sound of my voice. "I d-don't mean to...I-I don't want to hurt a-anyone..." She continued sobbing on her box, and I just stared at her.

"Gasper...please look at me." I requested. The sobbing ceased for a moment. Perhaps Gasper was surprised by my calmness. Keeping my voice cool, I slowly began removing the upper half of my student uniform, leaving nothing but my bare chest and bandages wrapped around my arm. "You're afraid, I understand, but I need you to look at me right now."

"B-But I-!"

"I-I froze you too! If you don't leave, I-I might end up freezing you forever! I don't want that to happen!"

"I know how you feel, Gasper. Our circumstances are different, but I understand!"

With that forceful declaration, Gasper silenced entirely, either from shock of what I said or from the pain of being yelled at by me.

"Just look at me Gasper."

For a moment, the silence persisted.

Then there was the sound of movement, the box trembling and shuffling before the lid opened slightly, revealing the teary eyes of my Kouhai. Even if it wasn't much, at least she came out at all.

For a moment, she squeaked at the sight of my bare chest before sinking back into her box.

"S-Senpai-!"

"Please pay attention." I requested once again, my voice once again coaxing Gasper out of hiding by a minuscule amount.

Without hesitation, I reached for my arm, grabbing a large portion of the bandages covering it before ripping it free. With some of it ripped out, I began to slowly unwrap the remaining cloth from my right arm, freeing it and revealing it for the world to see.

There was a sharp gasp from inside the box. Gasper was the only one of my friends and loved ones who hadn't beheld the changes to my body resulting from the battle with Kokabiel and my possession. If my tail bothered her at all, she gave no clear indication.

"It happened during the battle against Kokabiel several days ago." I answered the question Gasper was wondering before she even asked it.

I could swear Gasper was curling into a ball of self loathing as I spoke.

"I...I wasn't present for that battle." Gasper said miserably.

"Yeah, I know. I would say it was a divine miracle that we won let alone survived if it weren't for the facts that God is dead or that we are Devils." Even I couldn't tell if I was trying to make a joke or if I was being serious.

"I'm sorry..."

Rather than acknowledge her response I sighed.

"You know, I keep looking at you and I, and I keep finding more and more similarities." I closed my eyes. "I don't think anybody's told you yet, but I'm also a half-blood, although half of my blood is a Devil rather than a Vampire. Mako-nee hid it for most of my life and I only found out recently. I was actually born between a human woman and a Devil."

Gasper slid further out of her box, perhaps either surprised or interested by my revelation to her.

"My mother died when I was really little...After that, I was really alone, always being beaten up or picked on til I met Ise and and my first love, Irina. Even then, there were some days when I questioned why I was even alive..." I didn't look away from Gasper. "You and I, we're both troublesome servants who've experienced loneliness, but we're both troublesome for different reasons."

Gasper squeaked, seeming embarrassed and ashamed, on the verge of tears.

"I-I-"

"In truth, I envy you a little."

For the first time, the entire upper half of Gasper's body appeared out of the box, like a Jack-in-the-Box except without the music.

"E-Eh?!"

"Yeah, you're kind of causing everyone trouble, but that's because they have so much faith in you and that you will become a very powerful and valuable person." I explained, making sure to prevent misunderstanding. "As a servant and a comrade, you have incredible value and talent. As for me, I'm troublesome because I'm the complete opposite." I sighed. "Unlike you, I'm an absolute failure as a servant."

"E-Eh!? N-No! I-I'm a worthless hikikomori who can't c-control his power a-and Shirou-senpai is the Queen of Serafall Leviathan-s-sama! T-There's no way I-I can have more value than Shirou-senpai!"

It was funny in an incredibly sad way how much Gasper was trying to defend her perceived uselessness.

I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Gasper, you weren't there." For the first time, I let my sadness and bitterness show. "Like I said, I only cause trouble because of my uselessness. Despite me being the White Dragon Emperor, Albion won't speak to me or share any of his power while Ise has already managed an incomplete Balance Breaker. I'm a horribly worthless servant. Every single battle I've been in, I've lost."

Yeah...I know. I've always known. In the battles where I claimed to be outnumbered, interrupted, or surprised, there was a fair chance I would have lost or possibly had a draw at best anyway. It just hurt to face my shame. It's all because of that bastard, Albion, but still...

"In every single problem I've faced, I've always needed Ise and the others to bail me out. I keep failing. I couldn't beat Freed or the Fallen Angels, I couldn't protect Asia, I couldn't help my friends in any way against Riser, and I almost got killed by Kokabiel TWICE while trying to be the hero everyone knows I'm not. The only reason I survived was because of the others. If I could only get Albion to speak to me, things might have been different, but I couldn't even manage THAT..." I shoved my arm towards Gasper, causing her to flinch and almost sink right back into her box due to instinct. "The only thing I ever seem to succeed in is making my loved ones cry. Gasper, there is another thing we have in common...We both have a power we fear more than anything else. These black marks covering my arm will forever remind me of how much I've failed, how many people I let suffer because of my weakness."

"S-Senpai...?"

I stared Gasper straight in the eyes. "Gasper, the only reason I won against Kokabiel at all, or even survived for that matter, was because of the power I got from my great-grandfather, the first Devil King, Satan."

"S-Satan-sama!? Shirou-sama is really related to s-such an important person in the Underworld!?"

I ignored the fact she called me "-sama", hoping it was just a reaction and that she would just let it go. Unlike Xenovia, Gasper seemed more easily persuaded.

"Apparently, I have a fragment of his soul inside of me." I elaborated. "Despite being several generations before me, he passed on his power to me along with a fragment of his soul. When I was badly injured by Kokabiel the second time, Satan took over my body and defeated him instead. Before that fight, I had lost my right arm in my previous fight with Kokabiel and the tail you see now was absent. And I still almost lost my body to Kokabiel, making my friends cry again. The flesh created by Satan will forever remind me of my failures. Unlike me, you don't carry around such scars of uselessness. You're useless due to being unused. Personally, I think you're a lot better than me..."

Gasper lowered her head, sniffling. "…I-I will just cause trouble… I am a hikikomori, I am intensely shy…..I can't properly use my Sacred Gear….."

That was when I grabbed Gasper by the shoulders.

"That's alright, Gasper." I answered, doing my best to sound reassuring. "You're not alone. You have all of your Senpais to look after you. Besides, we all need to band together if we want to support our comrades. Tell me, Gasper. You wish to support Rias, right?"

"I-I don't know if I can... I am scared. Of hurting my cherished ones. Of drinking blood directly from living beings. I am even scared of my own power…..If my power gets any stronger….. I will….. I will….."

"You had no problem with drinking my blood." I pointed out, confused.

Her face flushed red and she suddenly sank back into the box, closing the covers over her.

"Th-That was different! My nose started acting weird, like I was smelling something nice and then I just blacked out!"

OK OK, you don't have to get so defensive, Gya-chan!

After that embarrassing episode, she came back out of her box again.

"Gasper," I clasped her hands in mine, staring intently into her eyes again, "please let me help you control your power. Your friends need you to be strong. RIAS needs you to be strong. We're both useless as we are, so we have to overcome our weakness together so we can be strong for the ones we love. My dream is to become an Ultimate-Class Devil, strong enough to be of actual use to Serafall, and to create a better world with that power. And I'm not alone. Not too long ago, someone important to me said that, whenever I go off to fight, I'm never alone. Just like you're never alone. We both must accept our weakness and our fears. We must allow others to help us."

There was a short pause, Gasper slipping her hands away from mine. For a moment, I feared she would completely regress back to before.

"I...I want to help Buchou...and everyone else if I can..." Gasper nervously poked her fingers together, seeming embarrassed.

Then there was silence.

"Pffffthahahahahaha! What a weak declaration!" I couldn't suppress laughter at how shy she was even when making her ultimate decision of what to do.

"Waaaaaah! Shirou-senpai's so meeeeaaaaan!" Gasper cried, trying to slip back into the depths of her box.

"Sorry! Sorry! I was just joking!" I said with a grin, trying to lighten the mood by teasing my Kouhai. "So, are you willing to give it a shot, Gasper? 100% effort to tame your Sacred Gear?"

Gasper hesitated, chewing on her fingernails out of nervousness as she considered the question. I waited for however long she needed.

Finally, Gasper gave her response, her expression still nervous but determined.

"I-I will. I'm still a shy hikikomori, but I want to help B-Buchou and my friends in any way I can."

"That's what I like to hear, Gya-chan! That's the first step!" I praised the girl, offering her better self-esteem. "The next step is helping you control your Sacred Gear! We'll definitely help you gain control over it so you lose control of it by accident again!" I raised a defiant fist towards the Heavens.

Gasper stared in awe, blushing lightly. "R-Really?! How are we going to do that, Senpai?!"

"I have no idea~!" I replied with the same pose and expression. Gasper seemed to sink in spirit again, disheartened by my words. "However, I do know a guy who probably DOES know! If anyone would know how to do it, it will be that guy, so rest assured, Gasper!"

Then I immediately pulled out my cellphone, dialing a certain number.

I placed the speaker to my ear, gesturing Gasper to wait a moment as I listened to the ring on my phone.

After a few more seconds, someone picked up.

[Yo, Shirou-kun. How have you been?] The laid back and casual tone of a certain Fallen Angel spoke into my ear. [While our conversations are always interesting, I'm actually busy, believe it or not, planning for the conference.]

I maintained a doubtful tone. "Come on, Azazel, we both know you're either tinkering with some new "toy", picking up babes, or just lazing about on your Xbox."

[I'm wounded by how little faith you have in me, Shirou-kun.] But I could hear the sounds of some sort of video game-style explosions in the background. A pause. [But I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that you didn't call just to have a casual conversation.]

Just as I was about to speak, I hesitated, looking to Gasper, seeking unspoken permission.

She nodded, trembling.

"Well, let me just shoot a little hypothetical your way." I didn't want to bring Gasper into this by name. "OK, so I need help with a problem-"

Azazel uneasily tried to interrupt and get out of this conversation so he could play his game.

[Listen, Shirou, I really have to get back to-]

"It involves a Sacred Gear." I knew how to get his interest in conversations.

[Continue.]

Easy as pie.

"So say there was this Dhampir with a powerful Sacred Gear with the power to, say, stop time anywhere within their line of sight." I paused, gathering the vague words I needed to make anything I say have sense. "However, this particular Dhampir doesn't have good control and their power is steadily increasing further beyond their control and they're too afraid of their power to focus. How would one hypothetically resolve this issue?"

.

.

.

[Damn, Shirou.] There was a crestfallen sigh on the other end of the line as Azazel spoke with a disappointed tone.

I swallowed nervously, fearing the worst. "Is...Is it impossible?" Gasper's eyes widened to the size of plates and she looked ready to cry due to her despair again.

[No. I just thought you would give me a more difficult hypothetical problem to solve.] I resisted the urge to face palm at Azazel's petty complaint.

"So it can be done?"

Another sigh. [Yes. The two solutions are fairly simple. The first would be to deal with the Sacred Gear's overflowing power directly, using a power like your Divine Dividing or one of the Vritra-type Sacred Gears, Absorption Line, to directly siphon off its power and lessen the overflow.]

OK, so I could use Divine Dividing and focus its Divide ability to directly take Gasper's excess power from his Sacred Gear to lessen the burden of controlling it...But "Vritra"? That name rang a bell somewhere, but I couldn't quite remember where I knew that name from...Maybe it came up in one of my studies? Whatever it was, I knew Absorption Line. It was the Sacred Gear possessed by Saji.

[If you're wondering, which you are if you inherited your mother's curiosity, Vritra is the name of a Dragon, a powerful one whose soul was split up and sealed into Sacred Gears a manner similar to the Heavenly Dragons. He's actually one of the five Dragon Kings but we shall discuss that more at a later date.]

Right. While I'm curious as to what a "Dragon King" was, there was still the original matter we were discussing to finish up.

"And what was the other solution you mentioned?"

[This solution is the one I personally feel is the best and more permanent of the two.] Azazel answered, giving his opinion. [The other option is to have yourself increase the Dhampir's own power to give them the power they need to better control their Sacred Gear. That way, you won't have to worry about needing to constantly drain the Sacred Gear's power. Not to mention this solution is even simpler to complete with a single step.]

"How would I accomplish this?" I couldn't keep the excitement out of my voice. This may be the answer to Gasper's prayers. While the first solution was acceptable, if the second could be done in a single step, then that's even better.

[You said that it was a Dhampir, right?] Azazel asked for confirmation. [Well, then this method is possible. You simply must let them drink the blood of a powerful existence, a Dragon such as yourself or Hyoudou Issei-kun. Even if it's because of your Sacred Gears, you both still possess the blood of the Dragon Emperors.]

That was when my heart sank. The cellphone almost slipped out of my hand.

Gasper already drank my blood...so why wasn't it working?! Was there something wrong with her power? Was there something wrong with me or my blood?

"W-What if the Dhampir drank Dragon blood but is still lacking control?"

[Then it's probably a matter of the mind than the body.]

Huh?

[While their body possesses he power and the potential to control it, it means nothing if they don't exercise their will to control it. After drinking the blood of a Dragon, it would mainly be a matter of willpower and practice.]

My fears once again faded. It was fine. Everything was fine.

"OK, thanks Azazel. I gotta go."

[Anytime. Also tell your friend to see me personally so I can inspect their Sacred Gear if they want extra help or advice.] I couldn't help but get the feeling Azazel was smirking. [And don't pretend with hypotheticals. I'm smarter than that.]

"Wait, how did you-?!" My question was cut off as Azazel abruptly hung up. Dammit! I hate it when somebody does that. I turned back to Gasper. "Well...the situation is resolved on its own...You just needed to drink my blood, Gasper..."

Gasper frowned. "But...I..."

"It's not gonna be easy, but you have to also practice in controlling your power, Gasper." I extended my hand towards her. "But don't be afraid, coz I will be right by your side along with all of our friends and comrades. Are you prepared to fight his "battle"?"

I had my answer when Gasper gave a small, ADORABLE smile.

"F-For my friends, I'll do it. I can do it as long as Shirou-senpai is by my side!"

* * *

**The Next Day...**

"Damn it. I'm late." I groaned to myself. I resisted the urge to swear.

I KNEW I should have left earlier.

I was presently walking through the city, my hands shoved into my pockets of my white sweatshirt due to my lack of anything better to do with them. Even though it was much warmer outside now, I couldn't bring myself to wear anything but pants. But it wasn't too hot outside so this combination was fine for now. I got a few weird looks by the people who were fully taking advantage of the warm weather, but I ignored them.

Akeno-san and Ise were probably gonna be pissed for making them wait. Then again, I don't even know why I was called in the first place, so it's reasonable that I'm not exactly in some sort of rush.

It was really weird. Akeno-san just called me out of the blue, saying that, while it had been unplanned, that my presence had been requested along with Ise. With nothing better to do, I agreed. I ended up waiting too long and I only recently just took my "medication", got dressed, and headed out.

How troublesome.

I had been busy planning training exercises for Gasper. Before I discussed my plans with Rias, I did a few practices with a ball to test Gasper's supposedly enhanced abilities. She herself admitted that there wasn't as much controlling it as before and that it didn't activate on its own as much. Rias approved of the idea of Gasper and I continuing practice together before Gasper tried some "advanced training" with Xenovia and Koneko and the others.

Yeah, the last thing the Dhampir needed was to be chased around by a blue haired maniac chasing after her with Durandal.

Gasper was showing improvement, but I could still feel that tense barrier blocking her way, the mental block that's keeping her from using her power to its fullest. I couldn't ignore nor condemn her remaining fear, I could relate.

Back to my current situation though.

I was a little uneasy about how the location we were all meeting was at a shrine.

It was a place where a Devil could be eradicated solely existing if the Angels or other divinities so desired. I'm honestly unsure who who's responsible for such a thing: The divinity to whom the shrine belongs to or the Angels of the Christianity Mythology?

Never really considered the fact that, since the other mythologies exist as well, that there could also be Japanese Shinto Gods like Susano'o or Amaterasu around, being worshiped by Japanese society as a whole.

My mind honestly wandered off a little as I walked to the meeting place-

BZZZZZT

And then my phone started vibrating in my pocket. I was getting a call.

When I checked the Caller ID, my heart froze:

[Irina]

I shouldn't feel nervous, but I did. I knew she would probably be alright, but since our last conversation, we hadn't really talked. I mean, to sum it up: She went batshit crazy for a bit due to despair, knocked me out, tried forcing herself on me, I head butted her, and then I helped her feel better about God's death. And then there was the meeting with Shalba. Irina left a little after that and we haven't spoken since.

Picking up this call would lead to an awkward conversation, I could feel it in my loins, but not picking it up could put Irina at some misunderstanding and make her believe I wished to cut ties.

Ah fuck it.

I picked up the phone.

"Hel-"

[SHI-CHAN, PLEASE HELP MEEEEEEE!]

The sound of Irina screaming right into my ears almost made me go deaf, causing me to wince in pain.

Once I recovered, I managed to speak.

"I-Irina, w-what's wrong? Are you hurt?" The thought that Irina may have been hurt (possibly by her own hand) did cross my mind.

[No no! Nobody's hurt-at least I THINK nobody's hurt-but it's a total disaster!] Irina cried. [I lost her! I was supposed to watch her and I lost her! It's so awful, Shi-chan!]

"Whoa whoa, calm down, Irina!" I told her, alarmed by her fast-speaking and her panic. "Slow down for a second. I need you to calmly, and clearly, tell me what is wrong."

I could hear Irina taking a breath on the other end of the line.

[Shirou, it's awful! I was supposed to be taking care of one of the most beautiful and precious existences and I lost her!] Irina cried, sobbing to herself. Huh...I guess she was babysitting or something. Maybe a child belonging to some local priest or something? Maybe the child of a representative of the Church who came with Michael-sama?...Who knows. [She's lost in the city somewhere, all alone and I can't find her! Pleeeeeaaaaasssse help me, Shirou!?]

As odd as it was, I could almost imagine Irina standing in front of me, those puppy dog eyes just staring at me, all teary.

I checked my watch. It wasn't like I was any less late than before. A quick detour won't kill anybody.

"Er...S-Sure...I guess I can help with that."

"Great! Thanks!"

I almost jumped right out of my shoes at the sound of the loud cheer from behind me.

My jaw dropped as I turned around. "I-I-Irina?! W-Who-?! What-!?" I looked from the open phone in my hand to the chestnut-haired girl standing next to me, crying while smiling out of gratitude. "Why are you-?!" She was wearing her Exorcist battle outfit under her usual Exorcist robes.

"There's no time for that! We have to start searching for her!"

As many questions as this raised, all of them were immediately cut off when Irina grabbed my hand and started dragging me along, leaving me no opportunity to ask a single one of them. I sighed before placing the receiver end back up to my mouth.

"Yeah, Imma need to call you back." And then I closed it.

"I really can't tell you how much I appreciate this, Shi-chan!" Irina declared once again. But there was something different. The uneasy tension that existed before was no longer apparent. Back when she first appeared as an Exorcist, Irina had possessed such conflicted emotions of hostility and affection. Like her identity as a woman wanted to hug me while her identity as an Exorcist wanted to eradicate every trace of me. Deep down, I couldn't help but feel that Irina had been a little miserable before.

That misery seemed to come to a head back when she was-for lack of better phrasing-batshit crazy. But now she was different...

"About what happened before..." I was snapped out of my thoughts by the soft tone of Irina's voice. She had stopped suddenly, grasping my hand as she stared at me with such remorseful eyes. "I...I'm sorry, Shi-chan. And it's only made worse that you had to be the one to talk some sense into me even after what I did, so...thank you."

"It...It's fine." I said with an uneasy tone. "I would much rather we just forget that ever happened. OK?"

Irina stared for a moment before nodding, smiling awkward. "A-Alright...So...I guess we'll just start over. Back to how it was when we were little. Right, Shi-chan?"

And that was when I realized it. Those overlapping images of the girl I knew long ago and the girl I know now. I could no longer tell any difference. They no longer held conflict between each other. If they did, it was no longer as great as it once was in the beginning. I'm not sure if we could ever forget what happened, but I knew we would be able to move on. It was what we both desired.

Despite how impossible it seemed, Irina actually found it. The middle ground between both of her identities.

She had found her peace.

I smiled back. "Right, Iri."

We both just stood there, smiling in a mix of happiness and relief...Then-

"OH NO! May the Lord forgive me for my forgetfulness! We can't have an emotional "wrapping-up" scene!" Irina screamed, crying again. "We still have to find her! COME ON!"

This time, I was not so lucky as Irina suddenly grabbed me by the back of my collar, half-dragging/half-choking me as she ran in whatever random direction.

Meanwhile, I did my best not to black out due to oxygen deprivation.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the best idea, Shi-chan...?" Irina asked, standing next to me. "This just seems...wrong."

"What are you talking about?" I couldn't help the deadpan tone. What Irina just said didn't make sense. "If anything, it makes sense that the police station would be the FIRST place we went to find the person you're looking for."

Irina and I stood in front of the police station (as mentioned before), the building standing so obvious. Every now and then, there was someone going in and out, but Irina still seemed uncertain about this place. I just did not get her sense of logic. Whoever this person was, if she was lost, maybe she was found and taken in by the police until they could find her parents.

"Are you sure...?" I was beginning to feel insulted by Irina's skepticism of both my idea and common sense.

"Of course. Even if she's not here, who knows? Maybe the police will be able to give us some clue as to her whereabouts."

Of course I did admit that a small part of me felt uneasy about how normal human police officers would react to me and Irina...Honestly. I was more worried about Irina. I just hoped she kept her Exorcist battle outfit hidden under her robes until we left. I get she had to dress "appropriately" (that term is used loosely when describing the outfits of Exorcists), but still, did normality come in at any point?

"Let's just give it a shot, alright?" Irina still seemed uneasy, but she nodded.

Together, we made our way into the police station, doing our best to look inconspicuous...

OK, so maybe inconspicuous was asking for a bit too much, but we managed to keep from seeming hostile. As far as anyone was concerned, Irina was a representative of the Church looking for donations and I was her escort to show her the unfamiliar terrain of the city. That was our cover story.

A small part of me, due to the unbelievable number of times Lady Luck screwed me over, believed that somehow something would go wrong. Maybe I was a pessimist, but it was as they say, "A pessimist is what an optimist calls a realist". Especially for me, it was perfectly natural to feel paranoid and suspicious that something would go wrong at any second. I was just naturally unlucky sometimes.

"Can I help you?" The kind officer at the front desk leaned forward in his seat, eyeing me and Irina with curiosity...which was kind of fair.

"Um...yeah. We're kind of looking for someone." I answered. "I was thinking maybe she was here...?"

The officer leaned back, pulling out a pen and notepad. "Can you give me a description?"

I opened my mouth to talk, but then I realized I had no idea whatsoever what the girl we were looking for looked like.

Irina suddenly shoved me to the side, slamming her hands on the counter while a serious expression appeared on her face, her eyes twitching as if they were threatening to cry again. Whoever this was must have been the child of someone pretty important in the Church if she was freaking out this badly.

"Have you seen somebody important today? She's a truly beautiful existence. Blonde, curly hair? About yay tall? Possesses one of the kindest, most pure hearts that surpasses even the purity of Heaven itself?!"

She was really getting up in that guy's face and you could just sense the discomfort he was feeling.

"Erm...would this person happen to be wearing religiously-styled robes...?"

Irina tinted her grasp on the man's collar. "You've seen her?!"

I stared in surprise. "You've seen her?" This was way too lucky to be true.

The front desk guy pulled away, adjusting his tie. "W-Well I can't say for certain, but she seemed to be crying about being lost. I think she might have been distressed or perhaps overly-zealous because she kept talking about things like "exorcists" and "Heaven"."

"It IS her!" Irina's expression was overcome with relief. "May I please see her? I am her escort and I must beg for forgiveness!"

"A-ah...Alright..." Despite the fact that allowing such a thing went against all and every kind of police procedure, the man's desire to get away from Irina was far stronger than his desire to follow the rules of the law. He quickly stood up from his seat and gestured Irina and I to follow after him.

And we did as told, following him while yet again taking to ignoring the looks we got from people happening to be passing by.

I honestly didn't pay attention. I just kept focused on Irina to make sure she didn't freak out again and accidentally hit someone. She seemed tense and anxious. Well...I guess if this is the daughter of somebody high up in the Heaven's side, then she would get in deep trouble for losing her.

I would have to act quickly of this turned out to be a false alarm.

The officer eventually brought us to a room, stepping to the side and gesturing us to go ahead.

"She's in there."

Irina entered without hesitation, me following after her.

I wasn't quite sure what to make of the sight I saw inside. It was a rather plain room, perhaps ordinarily used for interrogation. Inside there was only one foldable table with two chairs, one on each side. There was a mirror on the wall but I suspected that it also served as a window for the room on the other side.

Occupying one of the previously mentioned seats was not a child, but a woman. A fully grown woman somewhere in her early to mid-20s. She possessed long, gorgeous, curly, blonde hair. As mentioned by the desk guy, she was wearing some sort of dress wear reminiscent to holy robes from the Church and the Angels. She looked so young and beautiful and her overall figure...Wow. Not to mention her breasts were incredible. Definitely between a D and E cup. Her skin was so white, pure, and flawless that it was hard to call her appearance anything less than "perfect".

The only thing that ruined the image of heavenly perfection was the fact she was staring at us with watering eyes while childishly sipping on a juice box. With that expression, she mostly looked adorable and sad and a weird part of me felt the strong urge to hug her and cheer her up.

But still, this was not the person I imagined. I was about to tell the desk guy that we might have made a mistake when Irina suddenly rushed forwards, prostrating herself with her head bowed in what I suspected to be apology.

"FORGIVE ME, GABRIEL-SAMA!"

E-Eh? Seriously?! This was the person we were looking for?!

The woman, now known as Gabriel, looked down at Irina, opening her mouth to talk.

I figured she would either absolve Irina or scold her, but instead-

"It was so scaryyyyyy!" She started bawling like a child. "I saw something that looked tasty and I didn't want to embarrass myself because my stomach was growling so I stepped away, but I didn't have any money so they sent me away and then I couldn't find you and I was hungry, scared, and looooost!"

I cringed, covering my ears. It sounded like this woman had been holding this in for a long time.

My eye twitched at the odd display. "Uuuuuhhhh..."

"We found her wandering about, crying about being lost and separated from her escort..." The desk guy explained. "...So I assume she's with you?" He pointed at me but I shook my head, pointing at Irina.

"Her. I'm more or less just an extra here." He looked like he wanted to say something else but thought better of it.

"Well...you're free to go any time you like."

"But don't you need to-?"

"Any time you like." Without further ado, the desk guy walked off, apparently in desperate need to forget all of the weirdness that happened today for the rest of his life or until he receives therapy for an alternate psychological condition.

I was seriously starting to feel somewhat awkward with one girl prostrated and the other crying like a baby. "Who is this chick anyway, Irina?" The girl who was previously prostrating herself immediately shot up, staring at me, her mouth wide in shock.

"Don't be so disrespectful, Shirou!" Irina waved a hand at the woman named Gabriel. "Even if you are a Devil, you should still bow down and show the proper respect due to the Seraph, Gabriel-sama!"

"Huh?" I stared at Irina with half-lidded eyes, confused. "Seraph...?" What the Hell is she talking about with all of this?

I looked from Irina to the woman who had finally ceased crying, regaining her previous angelic appearance ...angelic... angel-ic... Angel...Seraph...Gabriel...Seraphs, Angels, and Gabriel...angelic...Wait a minute.

I almost choked as I started squeaking in shock, pointing at Gabriel. "Y-Y-You-! You-you-! YOU-! SERAPH! WHAT?!"

Despite the fact that she had been bawling pointlessly before, she seemed to have immediately cheered up, smiling brightly (it's creepy how familiar that habit seems).

"Ah, that's right! I haven't introduced myself to your friend, Irina-san!"

She bowed respectfully, spreading out twelve, pure-white feathery wings. Her smile was so bright and pure that I could swear it burned my existence as a Devil.

"Forgive me for being so impolite. I am the Angel Gabriel."

I could only give one response to that:

"WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT?!"

* * *

"So you really had business in the is town other than the upcoming conference?"

We were currently walking on a stone path through the woods. It wasn't normal for me to travel this path, but Gabriel and Irina looked like they knew it by heart. This was their intended destination. It brought into question how Gabriel got so lost if she memorized the map of the area or something.

Gabriel-sama has been incredibly pleasant since we left the police station, acting as if nothing has happened and her good cheer was so infectious that it was hard for me to be serious or suspicious despite the fact she was a legendary Seraph from the Bible. She was just so kind and cheerful that it eliminated all trace of negative emotions or bad feelings. Again, I couldn't help but feel that she kind of reminded me of someone.

Gabriel-sama just smiled. "No. While I wish I could be of more help, Onii-sama is more than capable of handling the matter concerning the conference with Azazel and Sirzechs." Auuuu! Those eyes of hers are so adorable~! She's an adorable Onee-sama!

But then I realized something, frowning.

"Wait...Who's your "Onii-sama"?" All of the Angels were created by God, so...huh?

"Oh, Onii-sama is the current "God", Michael-oniisama. And thanks to Onii-sama acting as the center, we were able to restart the Heavens' system with all of our power." She admitted this wholeheartedly without any reservations despite the fact that I'm a Devil. "After Otou-sama died during the Great War, the Angels almost dropped out of existence without someone to manage the Heavens' system (until later when Onii-sama became the new God of course). That was a major reason we were finally allowed to drop out of the Great War, eventually followed by the armistice and fragile peace with the other three factions."

I raised an eyebrow at how the Seraph said "allowed" to drop out of the war.

"You sound relieved."

"Shi-chan!" Irina snapped at me, annoyed and possibly fearful of what she suspected to be an accusation towards the Seraph.

Gabriel-sama took this with the same smile as before. "Believe it or not, Devil-san, just because we're Angels, it doesn't mean that we all desired war to extinguish the Devils." Then her smile faded, a sad expression appearing. "War is evil. It hurts people, destroys lives and families, it is a source of misfortune that should be unnecessary. Yet still, people like the Fallen Angel Kokabiel scoff at the ideal of peace, desiring nothing more than the destruction of the other two factions. I just cannot comprehend why they would desire such a thing. Devils and Fallen Angels are impure creatures, true, but even they do not deserve such loss nor do they deserve genocide. That is a major reason I wished to withdraw from the war which would ultimately result in mutual destruction. I wanted peace, not war. So yes, I was relieved." Gabriel kept walking, not turning to face me.

I almost tripped, feeling somewhat ashamed. I didn't intend it as an accusation. It was meant as more of a compliment than anything.

"S-Sorry. I didn't mean-"

Gabriel-sama turned, smiling brightly as if nothing happened. "It's okay~ Irina's "Shi-chan" seems like a very kind child and I know you also agree with this since you had such a troubled expression earlier~" If she held some sort of grudge before, she immediately forgot about it after my apology.

Gak!

Her purity and kindness wounds me more than any light spear could!

When we first met, I admit I ended up ogling her for quite a while but Gabriel-sama was too pure to think dirty thoughts about! Even Asia's pureness (I will take this secret to my grave) paled in comparison to hers! Gabriel-sama was just so empathetic and loving! The perfect Onee-sama!

But seriously though...She reminds me of someone. I just can't put my finger on it...

Cheerful tone, big breasts, childishness, ability to fully understand my thoughts and actions, major leader of her respective faction, very loving, power to level entire countries which she could very well do if she was upset enough...

Oh my Maou! She's the Angel-Version of Serafall!

"So yeah...a true peace between the three factions." I crossed my arms, contemplating this. "I honestly want that too. If the world is able to achieve peace, then I'll also be able to achieve my long-term dream ahead of time."

"Oh, and what dream is that, Shi-chan?" Gabriel-sama asked with a polite smile.

Geez! Why am I blushing now? Just like Serafall, this woman held the ability to fluster me easily unlike normal women!

I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. "W-Well...originally, my dream was something stupid, a childish promise to Irina back when we were little...I...I wanted to become strong. The strongest existence." I averted my gaze, not wanting to see Gabriel laugh at my dream. "Now that I'm a Devil, that goal actually became possible since I have the potential to train as hard as I please without worrying about my body shutting down on me. So, now that I know what Devils can achieve, I'm setting my goal real high."

"Why power, Shi-chan?" Gabriel-sama asked.

Yet again, I found myself rubbing the back of my neck. I swear. One day I'm going to rub it raw with this habit of mine.

"Well...after hearing about the situation between the three factions, I wanted to become powerful so I could actually do it." I spread my arms out wide. "To create a peaceful world. With a peaceful world, my friends and loved ones would be safe and Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels could interact normally without fear of war breaking out. I don't want anyone to die. Nobody else should have to lose someone they love."

I scratched my cheek nervously, turning to face Gabriel-sama.

She stopped abruptly and I almost bumped right into her.

For a moment, I thought she was going to call my goal simple-minded or point out its flaws, but I was stunned by the reaction I actually received.

"Shi-chan-san..." I felt troubled by the added use of the "-san" honorific. Did Gabriel-sama think "Shi-chan" was my actual name? "That's a very beautiful dream!" Gabriel-sama grabbed my hands in her own, tears flowing out of her eyes like waterfalls, her eyes sparkling for some odd reason.

My face lit up red again at Gabriel-sama's praise. "T-Thank you, Gabriel-sama."

Scrrrrrrrk!

There was the sound of cracking teeth. I couldn't help how still Irina's smile seemed. Her expression was completely frozen. She looked like she was uncertain what to feel. Happy and irritated would best describe her expression at the moment.

Gabriel-sama eventually let go so we could continue walking, but she seemed incredibly interested in walking beside me, more-so than before.

"But truly, to surpass the strongest existence..." Gabriel placed a finger to her chin, pouting. "You know something like that is impossible, right? The stronges-"

""The first strongest existence is a fixed existence", yeah I've heard it before." It was the same exact thing Vali said to me before. "I don't care if this Ophis guy IS the Dragon God or the Ouroburos-whatever! Someday-I don't care how long- I WILL surpass him!"

Gabriel-sama's eyes widened in shock. "Y-You actually know Ophis' name? You're really serious about this?!"

She thought I was joking before?...I feel oddly hurt by that.

"Of course. This is a dream I'm willing to pursue with everything I have." I declared. "If I can achieve that level of power, the power I can use to someday protect even my far superior master, then I'm fine with whatever challenge I face along the way. If I can someday protect the woman who gave me back my life, then I am satisfied, even if I die."

"To risk everything to become stronger for a loved one...So romantic." Gabriel-sama noted with a calm look on her face.

"You kinda killed the mood by pointing that out, Gabriel." On instinct, I responded with that deadpan tone.

PINCH

Irina started yanking on my face. "Show respect!"

"But still, if that's your dream, then I support it all the way, Shi-chan-san." Seriously? Did she think my name was "Shi-chan"?

But still, it was nice to hear that someone as powerful as a Seraph respected my dream.

"It looks like we're here."

Irina's sudden announcement brought both Gabriel-sama and I out of our thoughts, both of us turning to face the staircase in front of us.

"Wait..." This place... "Is this...a shrine?" I couldn't help but express shock. When I fully processed the path we took, I finally realized something.

"Yeah...This was where I was told to take Gabriel-sama." Irina nodded. "Why?"

"Weird coincidence. I was also supposed to come here a long while ago. Akeno-san didn't specify the reason, but she just told me to come to this place. I honestly didn't realize where we were going until now." I grinned. "Hey, Gabriel-sama, it looks like we'll be sticking together for just a little while longer!"

Gabriel-sama giggled. "That's really great, Shi-chan~"

Meanwhile, Irina continued to wear that glass smile of hers.

"Anyway, we're here." I was honestly surprised I wasn't melting yet since this WAS a holy place.

And I was yet again surprised by the sight that was awaiting us inside the chamber of the shrine.

There were two people casually sitting around (traditional style), sipping tea with oddly bored or weary expressions on their faces. One wore miko-style robes while the other wore robes that looked somewhat similar to Gabriel's. In case it wasn't obvious, it was Akeno-san, and...and...some...blonde-haired bishounen guy?

While I would prefer to say otherwise, I wasn't familiar with the blonde-haired man sitting with them.

"Once again, I thank you for indulging me for so long. I honestly hadn't expected to take up so much time." The blonde man apologized with unbelievable elegance. He radiated a soft glow of holy energy.

"It's no trouble." Akeno-san assured him, smiling politely. "I'm just sorry our friend is taking so long to get here as well."

"Sorry for being so late, but I kinda got sidetracked." I pointed out the reasons why by jamming a thumb over my shoulder, gesturing to Irina and Gabriel-sama.

Both Akeno-san and the blonde bishounen turned towards us. They both quickly stood, taking more respectful postures despite clearly having been casual moments before. I suppose they had both gotten bored while waiting for us. However long they had been waiting, it was long enough for Akeno-san to start and finish brewing tea.

"My apologies. I intended to make a good impression on both Heavenly Dragons, but I showed a rather improper side to myself." The blonde bishounen seemed embarrassed, but still maintained an air of elegance and charisma about him. It felt kind of similar to that of Lucifer-sama, but there was a distinct difference between them. They both carried an air of charisma, but I got different feelings from them. Lucifer-sama's presence was meant to be persuasive, determined and unrelenting while this man's presence was softer and more like it was expressing a pleasant invitation to any and all who laid eyes on him, indiscriminate in whom he desired as a friend. They were similar but opposite.

"No, it's my fault, Onii-sama!" Gabriel-sama ran forward, bowing her head to the blonde man. Then brought her face up, tears rolling down the sides of her face like waterfalls. "I was hungry and got lost so Irina-san and Shi-chan had to look for me and then they both brought me here! They are truly kind, pleasant soooouls!"

Wait a minute...Gabriel-sama said that Onii-sama was...but if he's her Onii-sama, then-

"Ah. I see." Gabriel-sama's Onii-sama turned towards both Irina and I and smiled pleasantly. "For watching over Gabriel, you have my utmost gratitude. Shidou Irina, I have clearly chosen my sister's escort well. You have my thanks."

I looked to my right and saw how badly Irina was suppressing an incredibly happy smile. Being praised by this person...if this is really who I think it is...then there is truly no higher honor. She was resisting the urge to express her joy with every fiber of her being.

"Th-Thank you. I am glad I could be of service to the Seraphs."

The blonde bishounen then turned to me, smiling with just as amicability as before.

"And even though it was not your task, you helped guide both her and Shidou Irina here. For that, you have my thanks as well." Gaaah! He's just so pleasant! "I am Michael, the leader of the Angels. It is nice to meet you, Hakuryuukou Fujimura Shirou." As if to emphasize the revelation of his identity, he spread twelve, angelic wings. However, unlike Gabriel's, his wings were a golden color.

It's really hiiiiiim! This is the third major leader I've met in the past few days! The highest-ranked Seraph-sama who currently leads the Heavens! Why is he in the place where Ise and I were supposed to meet-

Ise! That's right! He and Rias were supposed to be here! Where are they?

"S-So, Michael-sama, would you have happened to see-"

"Ise-kun and Rias?" Akeno guessed, smiling politely. "They were here, but left about thirty minutes ago. Michael-sama's business with Ise-kun was easily accomplished so there was no reason for them to remain. You DID take quite a long time, Shirou-kun. Rias apologized, but she had other things to be done and couldn't wait up."

And it was then that I truly began to feel embarrassed for being late.

"Y-Yeah...sorry about that..." I started bowing my head again and again. I literally made a FREAKING SERAPH-SAMA wait for an hour. "I am very sorry..."

"Waaaaaaaiiiiiiiiiit!" I jumped to the side as Gabriel-sama suddenly rushed forward, her eyes wide. "W-Wait a second! O-Onii-sama, why are you referring to Shi-chan as "Shirou Fujimura"?! I thought I was supposed to meet Shirou Fujimura-kun here!?"

.

.

.

"Aha...Gabriel-sama..." Irina stared, sweating slightly out of either fluster or nervousness. "Y-You do realize we've been traveling with Shirou all this time...right?"

"Ufu~ It appears that Shirou-kun has so cruelly left Gabriel-sama in the dark~" Akeno-san teased, seeming to be the only one genuinely amused by this.

"Gabriel...the boy who has been next to you this entire time is the current Hakuryuuko, Fujimura Shirou-kun." Michael-sama maintained his overall calm and pleasant facial expression, but I noticed how he hesitated for a moment when he spoke.

Gabriel's eyes became stunned dots while her mouth hung open.

Another awkward silence ensued.

"Ah...I should have suspected something." She rubbed her chin, frowning with a shockingly serious expression. Her words and her expression nowhere near matched her previous reaction or the mood that she had set only mere moment before.

Irina and I just looked back and forth between the two Seraph-samas and Akeno-san.

Gabriel-sama's frown was replaced by her previous, jovial smile that made my heart warm. She walked over to me and grabbed my hands.

"I really wanted to appear more professional during our first meeting. I'm sorry." Gabriel-sama apologized.

I blinked. "Huh?"

Gabriel-sama blushed, turning away. "For a long time now...I've really wanted to meet you, Shirou-kun! That single act had long-since deeply affected my heart!"

"W-What...?" I just seemed like a broken record by this point. I turned to Irina. "D-Did you know anything about this?"

"Nuh uh." Irina shook her head, seeming just as shocked and confused as I was. Then her expression became full of suspicion and distrust. "Shirou...you didn't inspire any impure thoughts or show Gabriel-sama something lecherous, did you?" Despite the fact she had recently possessed many misgivings concerning her faith, the Angels, and the Church, Irina still seemed pretty protective of Gabriel-sama.

I raised my hands, shaking my head. "No no-I mean, I dunno. I don't know how much Seraphs see from Heaven but in that case they could have seen lots of people doing indecent things!" I turned to the Seraphs, feeling even more flustered. "N-Not to say that the Seraphs just watch people do indecent things! No no no! I just mean that I have not done anything impure in front of Gabriel-sama! A-And if I did, I swear it was not by intention and I deeply apologize!" Why am I getting so flustered?! I haven't done anything wrong!

I seemed to just to be making Irina more and more suspicious concerning about what I may or may not have done. She was beaming at me with a gaze hot as fire. But I noticed a conflicted expression on her eyes. Whatever reasons she has for this hostility, I'm certain there's more than one.

"No. It's nothing like that." Gabriel-sama shook her head, smiling brightly as before. "I've never personally heard your voice nor have I ever seen your face. But I know your name deep in my heart. Your passionate, kind words were one of the main reasons I've deeply wanted to meet you. Blessed words so pure that no language could ever fully capture their beauty. You are truly the first Devil who has been successfully granted a prayer."

.

.

.

Irina and I just stared at her. Akeno-san hid her confusion better than us, but I noted an expression of interest on her face.

[What?]

Michael-sama averted his gaze...embarrassed? I don't know why, but Michael-sama seemed embarrassed about something.

"Well, it was an abnormal occurrence." He admitted. "While I feel awful now about having considered this back then, I almost had you reduced to something less than ashes for what many would consider heresy. You should truly thank Gabriel here for the fact that you are still alive, Shirou-kun."

"Y-You still aren't making much sense..." I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. What WERE they talking about?

Gabriel-sama gathered our attention by coughing into her hand. She clasped her hands in a praying-like position while closing her eyes. Then she began to speak as if quoting something.

"Dear Lord-Even if we have strayed from the path...my friends are good people...I care for them more than anything else. You are God, so I hope you are forgiving enough even towards us...My most precious people...God...please...even if the price is my own life, please protect them...I love them more than anything else...please, God...Amen..."

Gabriel-sama then returned to her normal stance, opening her eyes. Then I noticed that her eyes were watering, but I detected an expression of admiration on her face.

"They were such beautiful words." Gabriel-sama praised, wiping her eyes on her sleeve. "Despite being a Devil, you displayed such sorrow, such emotion, humility, friendship, and love! I arrived as the prayer was just being received and stopped Onii-sama before he could deliver righteous judgment on you for committing this taboo, a Devil giving a prayer to God whom they had abandoned!" She stared at me, crying waterfalls again. "You have such a beautiful soul, Shirou-kun!"

"S-Shirou, is this true...?" Irina was staring at me, her eyes watering as well.

I blushed deeply again. "Y-Yeah...It was back when I was first kidnapped by Raynare. I thought I was about to die from having my Sacred Gear extracted..." I looked off to the side. "Even if a Devil praying was impossible...I wanted to feel some relief before I died, so I prayed for the safety of my friends and the loved ones, the most cherished things I possess in this world."

Gaaaah! Idiot! You're getting all mushy and soft in front of everybody, just blurting that out!

"Auuuuu! Shirou-kun, a Devil who inherited Satan's demonic blood, possesses such a kind and pure heart, pure as snow!" Gabriel-sama started crying again. If it had been anyone else, I would have said they were teasing me. She looked so happy and adorable that I didn't have the heart to point out that, while kind, I'm far from "pure". Akeno-san and Irina apparently shared that sentiment, unable to break the truth to the Seraph.

"U-Um, while your praise is most appreciated, Gabriel-sama, and I really am humbled, was there another reason you called me here?"

Surely the all-powerful Seraph-sama had some other reason for wanting to meet me other than just for the sake of meeting me. With the conference coming up soon, I could only assume that there would be a greater reason for not one, but two Seraphs meeting me here. My paranoid and fearful side pushed away terrifying and unpleasant thought of execution.

Gabriel-sama placed a finger on her chin, looking thoughtful. Then she smiled brightly.

"No, none at all~!"

There was a loud crashing sound as both Irina and I crashed to the ground.

What an irresponsible answer! It looks like all three factions have odd leaders like this!

Then Gabriel-sama started thinking again. "Hmmm...but then again, Onii-sama said he'd be giving a present to the Sekiryuutei Hyoudou Issei-kun..."

Michael-sama nodded as if confirming this. "Yes. He has already gratefully accepted this gift from the Heavens' side."

"So it's unfair that the purehearted Shirou-kun who's also the Hakuryuukou to get nothing..."

Huh...so Ise got a gift? I wonder what it was.

I shook my head. "N-No, it's fine. Just meeting two of the legendary Seraph-samas is more than enough of a gift for me." Mostly, I wouldn't know what to ask for.

"So humble." Not really.

"It's really no big deal. Good relations between the three factions is all that I desire, Gabriel-sama." I assured her. "Azazel seems to want peaceful negotiations as well, so it would be nice if all three factions could agree to an official peace rather than this centuries-long ceasefire."

"That's right. You said a peaceful world was your dream." Gabriel-sama looked at me with such soft eyes. "If for that noble aspiration, then I will gladly lend you my aid, Shirou-kun." Gaaaah! That beautiful, pure smile! Its purity burns meeeee!

"Right. Thank you, Gabriel-sama." I smiled appreciatively.

"Gabriel."

Huh?

Gabriel-sama clasped her hands together, her face looking as if she had decided something.

"After the informal side I displayed before you, and as I've given you no proper gift, I've made my decision." She announced it in an official-sounding voice, so definite that not even Michael-sama could object. "From here on, when outside official matter, I want Shirou-kun to address me without honorifics, as a gesture of friendship between the Angels and the Hakuryuukou of he Devils' side."

I knew, just by looking at her, that another trait Gabriel-sa-I mean-Gabriel shared with Serafall was stubbornness once she's set her mind to something.

And this was the best solution.

"Very well then...Gabriel." Gabriel looked appreciative, happy that I accepted this gesture/gift of friendship. Sometimes it's gifts that cannot be held with your own hands that mean the most. "I hereby accept this gift from the Angels' side."

Gabriel's happy smile was also very very similar to Serafall's.

They have so many similarities that it's creepy.

"If that satisfies you, Fujimura-kun, then it appears our business is concluded." Michael-sama announced. "I apologize. I had intended to contact the Hakuryuukou at a later date, but Gabriel had been adamant about meeting you sooner rather than later, so I was unable to prepare a proper peace offering." His apology was genuine.

I held my arms, behind my head, cradling it in my hands.

"Like I said, don't worry about silly stuff like that." I told him. "Our goals and desires appear the same, so there's no need to try to win me over. I know the Angels had done awful things to the Devils, but it's been the other way around just as often. All three factions have been fighting with each other so long that nobody's hands are clean. One way or another, they've all done something unforgivable. All we can do is move on and try to put those things in the past. True peace will only be possible if the others are willing to reconcile over their past conflicts. If others are willing to offer their hands in friendship, then taking them in a gesture of friendship is the best chance we have to finally put an end to this madness, so nobody else has to suffer as the previous generations."

Michael-sama nodded. "Truer words have never been spoken." He looked relieved. "I admit I was somewhat worried that our previous differences would keep us divided, but it is heartening to know that there are those within the Devil Faction who truly support this venture. It's easy for leaders to make a decision, but harder to make others follow it. It is only more meaningful that the one bearing Satan's blood is saying these words." I resisted the urge to cringe. Everyone knows. It may not be public, but everyone at the meeting will be well aware of just what I am as well as who I am coz of my bloodline.

"Thank you, Michael-sama." I managed to say it with a straight face despite my discomfort.

"Now that our business is concluded, it is time for Gabriel and I to return to the Heavens to finish preparation for the conference." Then he turned to his sister. "Come, Gabriel."

"Right!" Gabriel walked over to Michael-sama's side.

Wait a minute...couldn't she have just teleported here?! Sure I'm happy got the honor of escorting a Seraph and all, but she was put through all that stress for nothing!

I was about to mention it when Michael-sama looked at me, shaking his head. He still looked cheerful, but somewhat tired. Apparently he had had his fair share of Gabriel's foolishness over the years. He probably thought it best to let small things like this go. Besides, Gabriel had fun seeing the city (except when she was lost), so why spoil the fun?

"Until we meet again, Hakuryuukou." Michael-sama, along with Gabriel, started to glow a golden light, about to teleport.

But there was still one more thing bothering me...

"Michael-sama."

"Hm?"

"I understand that Gabriel came here because she wanted to see me, but...why did you remain?" Now that I knew everything about the situation, there was only that question left. "I mean...you said you had no time to prepare for an official meeting with me...and you already finished business with Ise..."

"Oh, that's-" He responded too quickly, furthering my suspicion.

But I didn't relent. "Irina could have helped escort Gabriel back, so that can't be the reason...why did you stay after Ise left?" Honestly, this line of questioning was out of curiosity more than anything.

"Oh!" Gabriel raised her hand, seeming excited. "I think he wanted to meet the son of Fujimura-san!"

I blinked. "Huh?" That...that kind of went in circles. I know he wanted to meet with me, but that didn't really give me a reason.

"It's because-" That was when Michael-sama finally clamped a hand over Gabriel's mouth, distressed for the first time as his usually calm expression became embarrassed. It only lasted moments because he quickly regained his bearings.

"It's time for us to depart." He said quickly.

"Bu-"

"Farewell!"

Then they vanished in a flash of light, faster than I could object.

I stared at the spot where Michael-sama had been standing moments before, sighing.

Well, I could try to get that answer out of him at a later date. No big deal.

I turned back to Irina and Akeno-san, directly facing Irina. "So what are you gonna do now?"

Irina contemplated this, looking awkward. "As a representative of the Church, as my immediate duty to escort Gabriel-sama is completed, I suppose all that's left for me here is to patrol the meeting grounds and make sure nothing unwanted happens before the conference." She retreated to the entrance. "Hey, Shirou...what Gabriel-same said...was it true?"

"About what?"

She seemed embarrassed to mention whatever she was going to say.

"A-About you praying...Isn't that something abnormal for a Devil to do?" That's what she's so embarrassed about?

I nodded. "Yeah. To be honest, it was partially a vain attempt to...to make sure Raynare didn't get Divine Dividing from me, but it was my true wish. If He is so willing to forgive sinners, I figured He'd allow me to offer my life as an exchange. A sort-of "Reverse Devil Contract" I guess."

"But why would you give prayer to an existence Devils hate...shouldn't you despise any and all belief?"

"Is this about the subject of our feelings and our opposite sides? Coz I already told you that regardless-" I crossed my arms, ready to restate the point of that speech before Irina shook her head.

"No...Not you. I mean Devils in general..."

"Oh..." I carefully considered how best to respond. "I dunno...I guess there are many Devils who hate the Church and their faith but there are others who genuinely desire this peace, so the hate for belief probably isn't as great as it used to be. Just because you possess a certain bloodline, it doesn't mean you're the same as your kin."

"Geez!" Irina whined. "Now I have EVEN MORE to think about!" She waved at me, walking away. "See you later, Shi-chan~!"

And then it was just me and Akeno-san alone in the shrine.

She was staring at me with and odd look in her eyes. I stared right back at her, saying nothing.

She kept staring.

I kept staring back.

"Shirou-kun."

"Yes?"

"Why are you staring at me?"

"Because you're staring at me."

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. It's really awkward."

"I see."

"Yes."

"...This tea has gone cold. Would you like me to make some more?"

"Yes, please."

"The please follow me."

"OK."

And with the end to that conversation, I followed Akeno-san to other parts of the shrine.

* * *

I was really surprised to learn later on that this shrine was actually wear Akeno-san lived. A part of me never actually considered that Akeno-san was an actual genuine miko from an actual shrine. Of course it's been treated so a Devil could enter this land without trouble. I thought it was a special occasion due to Devils meeting with the Seraphs, but this place had been accessible to Devils for a long time.

Come to think of it, I don't really know A LOT about Akeno...

I sat in a room with Akeno-san in a room that looked like the one I would have seen from the Tea Ceremony Club from school.

"Here's some tea."

"Ah, thanks a lot."

I took a sip and resisted the urge to frown at the bitter taste. Too bitter for my tastes. I'm not really cut out for tea ceremonies. I took another sip and cringed. Then I took another sip. I had no idea why I was still drinking it. Akeno-san was still drinking hers so I guess it felt awkward to just sit there, doing nothing.

"..." I opened and closed my mouth several times, uncertain what to say. Akeno-san was staring at me again and I wasn't sure what to do. Normally, in such situations, I would act teasingly or romantically, but I wasn't quite sure what to do with Akeno-san. In every one of our conversations, I always feel like she's the "winner" every single time and I end up played as the one being teased in the end. Still...it was best to say something.

But what...? Ever since the battle with Kokabiel, there hasn't really been much to talk about other than the upcoming conference. And that's work so it's not really a topic worth bringing up in casual conversation.

"...Er...Akeno-san..."

I trailed off as a soft, gentle hand brushed up against my face. I looked up at Akeno-san, her face flushed and her expression...innocent and vulnerable but "hungry" at the same time for affection. As hard as it was to imagine for me before that time, my sadomasochist senpai was truly capable of such expression.

"Shirou..." She tilted my head upward, forcing her open mouth against mine, going on such a sudden offensive that I could not properly react. Akeno-san brought her other hand to my other cheek, effectively placing my head in her hands, unable to turn or move away as she locked me in her sudden, passionate embrace. She straddled my legs. My face flushed. I closed my eyes tight, my heart pounding against my ribs. My reserved side was urging me to fight or push away, but for some reason I was submitting to Akeno-san. Akeno-san was ravishing my mouth with her tongue, kissing me with such passion, twirling her tongue around mine and exploring every nook and cranny of my mouth.

Wait...Wait no...Hold on a second!

I suddenly pushed Akeno-san away. Not hard enough to knock her to the ground or hurt her, but hard enough to separate the two of us.

It had been only a second, but that one second of mental clarity gave me the time to truly realize what was happening. And why it should not have been happening. So I pushed Akeno-san away.

I immediately started feeling bad.

"Akeno-san, I-"

"No, it's my fault." She suddenly cut me off, smiling. "Because of your words from earlier, I got overexcited and did something foolish. I'm sorry." And that only made me feel worse. Her eyes were sad and the smile on her face was anything but happiness. It was a depressing mixture. A mix of self-pity and self-loathing. "Many times, I just find myself staring enviously at you and your indifference." Indifference? D-Did I do something wrong? "After a time, I couldn't suppress my longing. Seeing the happy expressions of Ravel-chan, Asia, and Leviathan-sama while wrapped in your embrace...At those times, I could think of nothing other than snatching you up for myself, hoping you could fill me with that same happiness..."

"A-Akeno-san, what are you talking about...?" I think I got the gist of what she was saying, but I felt there was more to it than just how she felt...towards me I mean...

"The open acceptance you always give to others...I desired that as well." Akeno-san turned her back to me. "In your eyes, there was never any division between you and any other race. You only saw their true selves, not where they were from. Naturally, I was drawn to you. I thought that, if anyone, you could accept me, what I really am. You would be the only one I could trust enough...but even knowing that, I'm still scared."

My mind was still a blur. "'Scared'? What are you talking about? Akeno-san, I don't understand."

She turned her head, allowing me to see the side of her face as she looked at me. The eye I saw was looking like it was tearing up.

"Just like you, I was also originally only a half-human. Half of my blood is that of a Fallen Angel." That's right. During the battle with Kokabiel, he DID mention something like she was the daughter of another Fallen Angel...Barakiel I think he said. "Even though I became a Devil, I still possess tainted wings to match my filthy blood. We are both half bloods, but I find myself envying you at the same time. Unlike myself, you are not weighed down by your abnormal bloodline, ignoring it altogether as if it doesn't faze you at all."

If only she knew the week I've had...

"I want to show myself, but I...I'm afraid..."

I wrapped my arms around her. While she was talking, Akeno-san had been trembling. She was truly afraid and I'm certain I can understand the reason. She was afraid of being alone. Afraid of being alienated because of something others misunderstand or hate for no adequate reason at all. I understood that fear better than anyone. So I embraced Akeno-san, holding her tightly in my arms, crossing my legs so that she sat in my lap.

"Don't be afraid..." They were the only words I could think of to say to her. It was just that same instinctive desire to keep others from sadness. "Around me, Ise, or any of the others, you don't have to be afraid. Like Ise, Rias, and the others, you're a very precious person to me Akeno. Human, Devil-Hell. Even if you were a friggin' Dragon, my feelings for you wouldn't change."

"I'd much rather be precious to you like Asia or Leviathan-sama..." Akeno-san seemed just as downcast as before. Then, again, she turned to face me, seeming like she's decided something. "I think it's time...I...I want to reveal my true self to you." She started undoing the haori of her outfit. I immediately looked away, blushing and uncertain whether or not if this was intentional seduction or just a lack of modesty. "Shirou-kun, I want you to look at me." I got the feeling that she was leaving no room for argument.

I turned back to Akeno-san, opening my eyes as commanded. When they were fully opened, I could only blink in response to the sight before me.

Akeno-san was sitting before me, blushing lightly while covering her unclothed bosoms with her hands.

Akeno-san attempting to protect her modesty was shocking enough, but what actually took me by surprise were her wings.

One like that of a Devil, the other an appendage clothed in black feathers. A wing like that of a Fallen Angel.

"They're dirty wings...The wing of a devil and the wing of a fallen angel, I possess both of them." Akeno-san spoke with such disdain, all of it directed towards herself. "I..."

And that was when I did something impulsive.

Staring, my eyes unmoving as if I were in some kind of trance, I extended my hand forward, reaching out to touch Akeno-san's black wing. She gasped in surprise, whimpering slightly. And even I wasn't quite certain what exactly I was trying to accomplish with this gesture. I just found myself touching and petting the soft, black feathers attached to her wing. They were so silky and smooth. To be honest, for a while now, I kind of wondered what our wings and those of Angels felt like.

But still, Akeno-san's wings...

"They're beautiful."

Akeno-san's eyes widened. "W-What?" My response clearly surprised her.

I looked her right in the eyes, retaining the same expression. "I said they're beautiful. You have nothing to feel ashamed of." I placed Akeno-san's head against my chest, wrapping her in my warm embrace. "You can listen to my heart, but I tell no lies when it comes to my true feelings." I patted her ahead reassuringly. "I won't pry into your family, and I won't ask for anything about your circumstances. I don't have that right until you're well and ready to speak of such things. I think I can sympathize with you more than you think on the subject of fathers..." I almost bit my tongue, having come so close to revealing something dangerous. "You're a beautiful and magnificent woman, Akeno. I'm not a purist and I have no negative feelings for Fallen Angels, so no matter what, you'll always remain the strong Onee-sama whom I and all of our comrades rely on. Our precious friend...My precious person. So no matter what, don't be afraid to show your true self to me. Even if you were to slip into darkness, I would jump in head-first after you, and even then I would not hesitate to embrace and accept you."

"Ufufu. You always seem to be able to speak the most cutting words, Shirou." Tears still in her eyes, Akeno managed a weak laugh, pulling away from me. "I wonder...Is this how you've charmed all of these other women...?"

I shrugged. "I dunno." Was my dumb, blunt, and honest answer. "Like a bird with the seasons, my charms tend to come and go. However, while I admit to being flirtatious, when it comes to my true, passionate feelings, never once will I utter a single lie. Please believe that."

"Don't worry, Shirou-kun..." With speed that surpassed my reaction, Akeno-san's arms snaked around my neck again, pulling me into a deep kiss. When she pulled away, she was staring at me with the same longing, but significantly less sadness than before. "I do." She caught me again with another small kiss. I pushed her away, staring deeply into her eyes. She frowned. "D...Do you not care for me in the same way...?" She sounded almost hurt and it felt like an arrow plunged through my heart.

"W-Well...it's not that...I just...I don't quite understand where you and I stand." I admitted, blushing with my gaze averted. "Are we really...you know? Or is this more like self-pity...? I mean, usually I just stand there, horribly overwhelmed by your superior teasing ability...I don't understand."

Akeno-san smiled. "Does this clear things up...?" She leaned in and kissed me again, holding for several seconds before pulling away.

"U-Um...it's a little less foggy now..."

Then she kissed me again. "Now?"

"Crystal clear." Even I could not say Akeno-san was acting out of irrational thoughts by this point. One kiss, then it's possible, but two, three, or even four to purposefully show she likes me? And she didn't appear quite as distressed as before. I gained a small smile in response to Akeno-san's larger one.

"Ufufu~ With all of the women you attract, I will have quite the "fight" ahead of me~" Akeno-san giggled to herself, nuzzling against my chest. "I know you're bound to your master like a man and his wife and the #2 position likely belongs to Ravel-chan or Asia-chan, but I-"

"Wrong!"

"Hm?"

Akeno-san raised an eyebrow at my response, but I remained adamant.

"With women I swear my heart to, I devote everything to them. I share my affection equally." I declared, dead serious. This was something I don't joke around. When I gave my love, it was true. I would never say truly romantic things that I did not mean. "There is no first or second position or anything. If you give your love to me then, like with the others, I will devote myself to you, forsaking anything and everything if only to grant you the happiness you deserve."

For a moment, Akeno-san remained silent. But I got the distinct feeling she was neither awed nor was she pleased.

"That's stupid. You're an idiot."

O-Ouch! W-What's with the harsh words all of a sudden!?...Has she been speaking with Koneko?

"U-Uh-"

"If you give up everything for nothing, you're ultimately doing nothing but making yourself miserable." Akeno-san...was scolding me? "Do you honestly think the ones who love you would want you to do such a thing for them...? It's just like when you almost died for all of us during...during the battle with Kokabiel..." I don't think she meant to, but her eyes wandered to my bandaged arm. "...Did you honestly think that doing something like that was what we wanted? It wasn't reckless, it was just plain stupid! What would we have done if you hadn't been as lucky as you were?! What if you had stayed dead!? What would all of us have done?!"

Anger surged through me. "Well what was I SUPPOSED to do?! Let Kokabiel kill every single person I loved?!"

"YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO LIVE!" The anger immediately faded from my body. Akeno-san looked upset again and I KNEW I fucked up this time. "If you love someone, you should live for them. Live happily for them and yourself!" Akeno-san's expression softened. "Shirou...you can't die for someone you love. All you do is leave them all alone...Leave them hurting..." But Akeno-san wasn't really looking at me. Her expression was pained. "Shirou...ever since I became a Devil, I have come to see Rias as a sister and the others as family. I love them." ...huh? "And it is because I love Rias and the rest of my "family" that I want to continue living, because I know, that if I were to do something like dying for them, they would only feel sorrow and despair. It is the same with you. Your sister, Ise-kun, everyone. They are all people who depend on you and desire your happiness. So don't say something so selfish and pathetic like "I'll die for you". If you truly desire our happiness, then don't just throw your life away like it's nothing...Live for yourself, and live because you desire to live."

Akeno-san buried her face into my chest, but this time, I felt wet tears stain the front of my shirt.

She was crying.

I made her cry.

I'm garbage.

...And those words of hers...It isn't the first time I've heard something like that...

Serafall, Ruruko, and even that weirdo Vali. One way or another, they've told me to value myself, my loved ones, and my desires...to stop carrying all burdens on my shoulders alone...

But how can I live for myself without breaking my vows? How can I reveal my everything without putting the ones I love in harm's way?! How can I pursue my desires without forgetting the desires of others?! I can't perform such impossible tasks. If I do these things, then I'll end up breaking my vows and fail in securing their happiness. But if I don't, then I'll eventually end up destroying their happiness myself. No matter what, I can't...I can't...

Wait...Maybe...

"I can't do that...No matter what, I cannot live for myself, nor can I die for others." I wrapped my arms around the woman in front of me. I gently pressed my forehead against hers. "But, if for the ones I love, I will live. It may not be the same as living for myself, but without the ones I love, my life would have no purpose anyway. For the ones I love, I will outlast eternity if only they asked."

"..."

"But, in return, I ask that you and everyone remain by my side as well." I tightened my grasp on her. "In exchange for me living for you all and showing everything, I ask that you all live for me." I maintained my passionate gaze towards Akeno-san. "Is this acceptable to you?"

Then she pressed her lips against mine again.

I maintained my previous expression. "You know you could just answer with yes or no?"

Akeno-san finally smiled. "Yes, but that's not much fun. Very well then. It's a promise." And we took joy in each others' embrace. She turned her head upward to face me. "Don't ever leave me..."

This time, it was finally I who went on the offensive, pressing my lips against hers, ravishing the inside of her mouth with my tongue. I cupped her left breast, kneading it while ravishing her mouth. The moans coming from Akeno-san's mouth were like music to my ears, her crotch rubbing against my legs as she got more and more into it. I was severely tempted to take it further, but it was hardly appropriate at this time.

After a short time, I pulled away, a trail of saliva forming between our mouths, smiling to myself. "Don't worry. I won't. I swear to it as well. I have no desire to lose anyone else I love...so please stay with me as well..." Akeno scooted up against me, sitting in a much closer position on my lap. In return, I wrapped my arms around her as she draped her arms around me, letting her lay her head against my chest.

"Kufu~ Of course..."

.

.

.

"Shirou."

"Yeah?"

"'Little Shirou' is poking me in the thigh."

"...Wha-Oh!...Sorry."

"It's alright."

"Er...do you want me to move to a different position?"

"Did I say that?"

"...No(?)..."

I wasn't sure what exactly we wanted. If it was lust or love, we just couldn't stand to be apart at that moment.

Maybe it was because I felt alone, maybe it was because Akeno needed someone's shoulder to cry on. I could only guess...but I have no doubts that I DID care for her. I would just have to wait for time to tell how our relationship would progress. But I knew we cared about each other. I knew at least that much.

...But I couldn't leave it on that note...

"Akeno-sa-...Akeno, I mean."

Akeno snapped out of her blissful state to stare at me in confusion. "What...What's wrong?"

There was still something I had to say. I've kept it from my friends and loved ones for too long...I thought I was protecting them but everyone's words kept coming back to me, nagging at me from the back of my mind. If I keep going like this, ESPECIALLY after Ruruko got angry with me for all of the secrets and burdens I've been keeping, I would never be forgiven.

"There's something important I've been keeping from you guys..."

* * *

**?'s POV...**

**[Later that Night...]**

It had been close. So close...

It...No. **I** was so close. So close to completely losing it. With those damned brats always around the White Dragon, it was so difficult to find the time to let loose without him waking up. I've been so cooped up lately that I almost went mad. All of these years all cooped up and bored because of that brat and his damned seal...

But even now, I have to stay out of sight and out of mind because of those damned shitty Maous lurking about! The Fallen Governor Azazel was not as large of a threat in direct combat, but if those Maous caught wind, everything would go down the shit hole. I've waited too long for that seal to break! Good thing Kokabiel was enough of an idiot to challenge the power of Satan. Damn that seal! Damn that miserable white-haired bitch!

IT'S SO INFURIATING!

Free but not free! Unleashed but chained!

Such frustrations! Hate, Envy, Lust-No! I refuse to be swallowed by the madness!

I inhaled and exhaled several times. It had been so long that I've been able to be free that I've gotten rusty at dealing with those "instincts".

It would be so much easier to attack the drill hair, the mask woman, or the nun, but that is not good.

The other one might notice. Or they might notice. They all live in the same house. Attacking others from the same house was not a good idea. Nor was it a good idea to attack the Red Dragon or the Holy Sword-wielders. Even I would have to be wary around their swords even though their possessors are complete novices. Far more pathetic than the previous ones.

I would certainly find prey this night, but normal humans bore me.

I couldn't help the excited trembling. I began to gnaw on my fingers, once again almost becoming engrossed in my sweet madness. I only realized it when I had my teeth biting on the joints of my fingers. I endured for so long. It was only fair that I allow myself some luxury after so much time has passed.

Who to kill, who to kill whooo to kiiiill~

Gremory?

No no! Maou Lucifer too strong. Too much fury to overcome. Not good choice.

Holy-Demon Sword-user? No. Too pathetic. Not enough experience. Maybe with time.

Thunder Priestess? Same as Sword-user.

Fallen Angels? No fun. Weakest.

What prey!? What prey what prey what prey what prey WhAt pREy wHAt PrEY WhaT pREY!?-

There it went again. I start biting hard into my arm, using pain to forcefully shove away the madness.

Too much anger and frustration had built up in the past ten years. I endured waiting for that seal to break! The thought of finally unleashing my hatred on others has gotten me too excited!

But who to vent on, who to vent on?!

In shadows, I explored the town, hoping for something worthy of becoming my prey.

I had to keep biting myself to keep myself conscious. I would return come day time, but I wanted to have as much fun as I could under the cover of the night.

And that was when I finally found her.

The perfect target!

Glasses, serious expression, eyes of the Sitri. The younger sister of Maou Leviathan.

It-NO. I can vent my frustration and my hatred of those wretched fools on her! Leviathan is nowhere near as perceptive as Lucifer. Great fury? Of course. But easy to manipulate. The weakest of the four overall. Powerful, but gullible.

More suspicion means more hate. Hate means plans fail. Factions remain separate. Weak.

But still...Plan endangered...

No, I deserve this. Great joy. Other One will also suffer so increased joy.

Forget it! Need to vent!

Without time to second-guess, I lunged forward from my hiding place.

The Sitri heiress turned, finally noticing my presence. She barely gasped before I drove a hard fist into her stomach.

It was honestly disappointing how quickly she crumpled like a rag doll. She coughed up blood and then just fell.

No ceremony, just dull.

Whoops. Killed her. I wanted to play more, but she already died. I'm too strong. Guess I killed her. What a shame.

Too fast. Too boring.

I suppose Leviathan and the Other One's expression will satisfy somewhat.

I turned to leave, already bored with the patheticness of the current generation.

COUGH COUGH

There was the sound of hacking and spitting up.

I turned around, looking down at the stupid Sitri heiress. She kept coughing. Spitting up blood. Still alive.

Joy and rage. Get to play around more. But she survived. How arrogant. Her death will be excruciating.

Raising my hand up high, I grinned, thirsty for blood. One blow was all it could take but nobody said I couldn't go a little overboard. The thought of the Other One's expression at his friend being reduced to less than nothing was simply so delicious. Arousing even.

"Nuh uh uh~ I wouldn't do that if I were you-nya~"

I halted, annoyed. I turned my gaze toward the sound of approaching footsteps. I didn't even have to guess who it was.

"What do you want, _cat?_" I couldn't help the loathing in my voice.

"I have no idea what you mean. I was just simply on a walk through the town." She shrugged her shoulders, her tail flicking back and forth behind her legs. "It was by pure circumstance that I bumped into you here-nya. I didn't even realize your presence vanished until now when I felt it reappear-nya~"

Her attempts to be cute were incredibly irritating. I. HATE. Cats.

"If you're done meddling, please leave. I've been _starving_ for this for so long!" I practically growled at her, drooling at the mouth. The despair on their faces was going to be so delicious!...The cat was still there. "What do you want? Is this any of your business?"

The cat let out a sharp laugh. "No. I suppose it's not~ But it would be such a shame to give despair to Shirou-chin-nya~" The cat pouted. "He'd get so upset that he might forget to feed adorable little me-nya~"

"Don't tell me you actually care for that little brat!?" The thought was so preposterous that I could not suppress my laughter. I hunched over, clutching my guts while laughing. "How pathetic of you! The much-feared SS-Class Stray, Kuroka, one of the most feared criminals in the Underworld has affection for the half-blood Devil spawn who served the new Leviathan!? Pffthahahahahaha! How far you've fallen, cat!"

She maintained her smile, but it was slightly less teasing and her tail twitched in annoyance.

This could be more fun than I first anticipated.

"Or could it be you desire the seed of Satan to repopulate your race~?" Her smile weakened. "That miserable race of overcome cats, probably all born when some fucked-up human decided he wanted to try screwing his pet cat!" Of course I knew full-well that wasn't how it happened, but seeing the cat's expression was more delicious than I anticipated. I may get a "meal" after all! "Of course of course. You need to save your dying species. I understand~ I respect that~"

The cat eyed me with suspicious golden-yellow eyes.

"There's no way you could have any affection for him at all." I repeated again, unable to help the malicious look of pleasure on my face. "After all, how cruel would it be for you to have such attachment to him..._after you so easily abandoned your baby sister to the dogs after ruining the only home she ever knew_~ What a wretched person you would have to-"

I had gotten overconfident about how long it would take for her to finally act.

The cat suddenly appeared in front of me, her hand on my chest and a murderous gaze in her eye. I returned this sentiment, outraged that she would attempt such a blatant assault on me with those filthy slut cat paws of hers. Rotten little cat!

"Mention Shirone one more time in such a way, and I won't hesitate to force your body to undergo some _unpleasant_ changes." There was no doubt she could too. I did not deny it. She was skilled in the use of Senjutsu, enough that completely destroying someone from the inside by manipulating their chakra was fairly simple. All she needed was direct contact. Not smart option for her as she is not a close-range fighter, but from this position we were in, that fact was rather useless to me. "Imagine it. All of your blood vessels exploding simultaneously, your internal organs rupturing due to cellular instability, blood flowing from every possible opening on the outside of your body, even your eyes." She laughed bitterly to herself. "Of course, that would hardly do me any good. Even that probably wouldn't kill someone like _you_. In a fight, I would be the obvious loser. So I have an offer for you."

I raised an eyebrow. "What 'offer'?"

"Pretend none of this ever happened. Like I said, it would not suit my needs to have Shirou wear such unpleasant expressions." The cat complained, returning to her previous lackadaisical attitude. SHE FUCKING PISSES ME OFF! "Now, you COULD kill me, but it would only take me a mere second to increase your chakra's presence and reveal you to everyone. That wouldn't do. It would only cause Shirou-chin more unpleasant expressions if he found out what Satan's blood has done. To put it simply: You leave. Let Shirou-chin believe nothing has happened."

"And if I refuse?" I taunted.

The cat smirked. "Then, to put it bluntly, I sick two Maous and a Fallen Angel Governor on your ass. No amount of manipulation could get you out of that situation~ I don't do it now because, while I also want Shirou-chin to keep from having bad expressions, I would prefer not dying quite yet~ Nya~"

I gritted my teeth, seething at the fact that a CAT got me cornered.

Killing her would be so easy and it would make my day...but no. Couldn't take that risk.

"Fine." I hissed out. "But I will remember this, _cat_." I glared at her, then I glared at the heiress. "But you cannot stop it. It has already started. The Conference slowly approaches and soon that brat will be exactly where he needs to be and I'll truly be free of my ten-year suffering. And you won't be around to protect him or his shit friends forever. Mark my words, _cat_: After the brat is dealt with, your head will be the next to roll. And the expression on his face while I make him watch through those eyes will be all the more savory~"

Her golden-yellow eyes just glared at me. I jumped away, taking to the skies.

"Fine...then the Sitri brat is your problem then..."

And I left.

Looks there were TWO people I wanted to erase permanently now.

I had to wait still. Wait wait wait. Can't act now.

But soon.

Soon.

* * *

**And with that, this chapter has been completed. Phew! 29000 words! Is that my record? Sorry for how the Akeno scene got near the end. The quality of that was not what I wanted to be but I've been working on that scene for four days. Hey. At least the chapter's finally done, right? Conference starts next chapter.**

**But who is the mysterious being who so deeply despises Shirou? Why is the SS-Class criminal Kuroka so vehement on protecting Shirou's happiness? What is the secret that Shirou has finally decided to actually TALK to someone about after being drilled about his annoying habit of doing things on his own for two/three chapters now?**

**Anyway, please don't forget about the poll.**

**...erm...I guess...let me know if you guys have alternate ideas for an English VA for Shirou...erm...**

**Shit. Is that really all I have to say?**

**Next time, on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan:**

Jack: Our loyalty is to Onii-chan alone.

Serafall: ...we never discussed 'that'...I said I wanted to, but I never brought it up...

Sirzechs: We must discuss the subject that's on all of our minds: The revealed existence of our previous King's descendants.

Issei: You can't just do that! He's done nothing wrong.

Sona: Even for the peace of the Underworld...as irrational as it is, I refuse to accept something that costs their happiness.

**Next time: Betrayal at the Conference Part 1**

**Ooh, this is gonna be really exciting~!**

**Thanks for the reads and reviews~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	28. Life 27: Betrayal At The Conference 1

**And finally we're kicking things into high gear here! The big finale is about to start and many secrets will be revealed!**

**Also, if anyone can tell me where to find a guy who can help create original artwork for Vanishing Dragon. It would be most appreciated.**

**Shirou's new English VA is officially Corey Hartzog, the English VA of Tatsumi from Akame ga Kill. The rest of the VA's are horribly mismatched with the characters and the dub is officially shit, but Tatsumi's voice was overall alright. If this displeases you, then feel free to imagine Yuri Lowenthal as Shirou's voice. It's all honestly up to you. I'm just trying to give the characters a voice so it's easier to imagine in your head.**

**One last thing. This was originally going to be longer, but it was starting to run-on. It's not the final battle of the arc nor a development chapter so it didn't feel appropriate to put so much serious plot in one chapter. Thus, this was split in two.**

**It was taking too long to write and I figured you would appreciate something to let you know I'm still hard at work.**

**Please enjoy~!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

* * *

**Opening: Brave Shine**

_**[15 Second Instrumental] **__A bird's eye view, soaring through the air, through the streets of Kuoh Town, passing by Shirou who turns to face the camera before it flies into the sky, the title appearing in the air:_

_**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**_

_**[hidari te ni kakushita] **__Shirou wakes up with a start, rushing to get dressed, and running out the door._

_**[negai wa negai no mama de] **__Shirou, dressed for school, runs through the streets, stopping suddenly._

_**[samenai yume miteta] **__Ise and Shirou's friends stand ahead, smiling and gesturing for him to follow, Shirou smiling as he chases after them._

_**[migi te ni wa kara no kioku] **__Serafall wanders through empty halls of a high-class building, her hair down and forlorn expression upon her face. Serafall stops by a window and stares sadly through the glass._

_**[daremo shiranai sekai no hate] **__The silhouette of a woman with feline features observes Shirou in school from a nearby tree, flicking her tail playfully._

_**[yamanai ame ni utareteita] **__Gasper sits in the darkness of her room, hugging her legs against her chest, her eyes glowing._

_**[mamoritai mono o mamoreru tsuyosa] **__An empty-looking Irina walks through the streets of Kuoh Town in the rain, turning around in shock as images of her younger self and the younger Shirou and Ise run past her like a memory._

_**[sore o shinjirarenakunaru yowasa] **__Shirou sits in the ORC clubroom with his friends, staring at his open right hand, staring at the darkened skin caused by his possession before tightening his fist full of determination._

_**[subete o ukeirete]**__ In an unknown place, a red-eyed figure sitting upon his throne in the shadows smiles softly, four silhouettes standing at his side._

_**[ashita o sagasu] **__Shirou stands by his other friends and comrades, staring determinedly at the approaching tides of war, summoning Divine Dividing._

_**[Brave shine] **__Issei (in Scale Mail) Clashes against the explosive power of Vali in the skies above Kuoh Academy._

_**[te wo nobaseba mada Stay the night] **__Scene change to the school grounds. An adult-version of Jack blocks a blast of Demonic Power from Katerea Leviathan using several knives of an evil origin, evading numerous other blasts using incredible speed before leaping into the air and swinging her blades forward._

_**[kizu darake no yoru You save my life]**__ Scene change to the woods behind the school. An explosion rocks the earth, Shirou fleeing back out of the kicked-up dust, catching the blow of the powerful "Shadow" the two unleashing powerful punches coated in blue and black demonic power respectively, resulting in a deadlock of explosive power._

_**[kazashita yaiba no saki ni] **__Only Shirou's silhouette becomes visible in a giant towering vortex of azure flames surrounding his body, only glowing red eyes showing any difference in color. Serafall cries out to Shirou, tears falling from her eyes._

_**[omoi o kasaneta]**__ Images of Shirou's favored memories play in black and white like on a super 8 film reel._

_**[inori wa toki o koete]**__ Shirou's friends and those he considers "family" stand outside the normal Kuoh Academy, smiling and inviting him forward, Issei extending his hand towards Shirou._

_**[Your brave shine...]**__ In an unknown place, Shirou walks across a crystal and undisturbed body of water, walking with determination in his eyes as he halts suddenly, confronting "the Shadow" standing across from him, dramatic wind blowing around them. Scene changes to Devi-kun, half-submerged in the water._

* * *

**Life 27: Betrayal At The Conference Part 1**

Serafall probably stuck me with THE WORST possible job she ever could have given me in preparation for the Conference:

Setting up the Meeting Room along with Sona Sitri. Jack was there too, but she was working quietly. So quietly that it was as if she was not even there at all. Seriously, with that stealth of hers, she could easily become an assassin when she's older or...er...I STILL have no idea whatsoever as to how old Jack is. I've been tempted to ask her, but got cold feet. What if she was much older than she looked? Everyone knows the sure way to get an older woman to kill you was by asking their age.

But of course I'm stalling.

I don't understand why Serafall couldn't have asked someone else or at least more people than just us two to help out. With essentially just me and Sitri-senpai, it was so very awkward (for me, at least). What was I supposed to say to her? I mean, she's been pretty much just been brushing me off. So formal. And even when she does talk, it's only when I'm just with the general group she's speaking to and even then she only refers to me as "Fujimura". I don't think I offended her, but I just wish she would tell me if I did.

I'm charming and skilled with women, but I don't know everything.

I opened my mouth several times shortly before closing it again and again. I wasn't sure what to say.

Sitri-senpai and I just kept setting up the meeting room. Nothing too big. Just making it presentable for the leaders attending the Conference. Stuff like moving all unneeded materials into the closet, setting up the big desk for everyone to sit at, getting proper chairs rather than just the rolling chairs the staff uses. We were hosting some of the most famous supernatural leaders in the entire world, not some kind of casual NRA...gun fanatic...meeting place...You know what I mean! This was a big thing! That's the point!

For the heavier things we had to take care of, I did most of the heavy-lifting. But Sitri-senpai was kind of snappish about it for some reason. Whenever I offered to pick up something I thought was too heavy for her, she gave me some sharp words and took the box anyway. She was clearly struggling with the things she carried, but she refused charity. It confused me. Like Rias, Sona wasn't much of a heavy-lifter. She was more suited to magic and tactical moves. Brute force was not her forte.

But still...something was wrong. Sona was always usually quiet and stubborn, but not to this extent. And the way she moved, it was more reserved than normal and that was saying something. She wouldn't say a single word to me and everything was a struggle to her for some reason. That wasn't the Sona Sitri I knew. Her expression would always remain passive and in-control. For her to show such clear stamina exertion on such trivial tasks...No matter how you look at it, something was off.

I tried to ask about it several times, but couldn't find the words. Sitri-senpai was kind of intimidating really. I wasn't sure how to start off. Whenever I approached, she moved away. When I spoke to her, she just immediately diverted my attention by telling me to go complete a meaningless task. If Jack noticed the awkward atmosphere of the room, she gave no indication. She just went back to dusting the place, cleaning the little things.

Any help was appreciated. This was a big day in history between the three factions. This could possibly be THE end to all conflicts between the three factions. Azazel, Gabriel, and Michael-sama have all told me they shared the desire to make peace and Lucifer-sama doesn't appear to continue conflicts either (or so I assume), so everything had to be perfect.

"Don't worry, Onii-chan." Jack assured me, smiling. "Jack will help make everything clean and pretty so the grown-ups can get along, so Onii-chan and his friends won't have to get hurt anymore." It was like she read my mind. Or my feelings were so obvious that they showed on my expression. I was so deep in thought that I wouldn't really notice what my expression looked like. "And if bad guys try going after Onii-chan, we'll beat them all up!"

How cuuuuuuute~!

"Our loyalty is to Onii-chan alone." I frowned at that last line. I turned to face Jack but she had immediately gone back to cleaning, acting as if she had said nothing at all. Seriously, it was hard to figure out how much Jack actually knew and how much was just her acting with childishness.

Meh. No big deal I guess. Jack will be Jack. That's all there is to it.

I finally finished setting up the chairs for the leaders to sit at. I had to get "specific seats" at "specific positions" according to Senpai. Despite how crazy it sounded, I had heard stories throughout the history of the Devils where civil meetings turn into bloodbaths. Not many, most of them during the Great War, but enough that Senpai wanted the seats far enough apart that there was no chance of someone reaching over to antagonize or stab another in the neck.

...OK, THAT. That right there might be a little paranoid, but I was too creeped out to object.

Before I thought Sitri-senpai was being over the top but something...something was truly off. But no matter how many times I thought that, no answer came to mind and, other than odd actions, Sitri-senpai was giving nothing else away.

Said Senpai was busy putting the last of the boxes away containing equipment and belongings of the staff room.

Wait...we were alone.

Actually, I didn't realize it til that moment but I had the perfect opportunity to ask Sona outright why she's been so cold towards me. And I wouldn't make a complete fool of myself because it was just us and Sitri-senpai wasn't exactly the gossiping type so I'm fairly certain whatever was said in this room would remain between us and Jack unless of course she were to get offended, in which case she would inform Serafall and then I would be scolded instead for bothering Sona and-

Shut up, Shirou. Stop overthinking this. Just do it.

I immediately turned on my heels to face Senpai who appeared to not have noticed my gaze yet.

"Hey, So-" I almost had a heart attack with how quickly Senpai turned to me, that same sharp gaze as before in her eyes. It scared the unholiness out of me. "-So-So-Sona Sitri-senpai!" Dammit, Shirou! You're panicking again! "U-Um, w-well, I...I just..." While eyeing me with that harsh gaze in her eyes, Sitri-senpai also continued her work like the multi-tasker she was. "I just wanted to ask...erm..." Why am I being so intimidated?! It's just Sitri-senpai...Dear Mother of Maou, it's just Sitri-senpai...Anyone else would have been easier to talk to.

"What is it, Fujimura? Don't you have more important tasks to handle?" She asked sharply. It felt like several sharp spears pierced my body. That's how cutting her tone was.

I started sweating nervously. I had to choose my words carefully or this harsh mistress would essentially crush my balls-I mean soul.

"Um, well..." Then I noted the HUGE box she was preparing to lift. "I-I was just wondering if you wanted any help with that! Hehe!" ...Smooth, Shirou. Reeeeaaal smooth.

"No, thank you." Was her short response. I frowned. Seriously, that was a big box though. I know Senpai is a Devil and all, but still...

"Are you sure...?" I asked meekly.

"I said it's fine." Senpai stated, seeming more irritated than she should be. She must've been getting sick or something coz she was sweating a lot and looked really tired. She gripped the box and lifted it. But I knew something was wrong. Senpai...she was shaking. Not with nervousness, but as if she was struggling with carrying the box.

Senpai seemed to notice my worried look, because yet again she stared sharply.

"It's noth-GAH!" Halfway through her complaint, she spasmed, a sharp wave of pain visibly going through her.

"Sona!"

She dropped the box to the ground, the contents spilling onto the ground before she, too, collapsed, clutching her lower stomach. I managed to catch her before she hit the ground, but she still possessed an unpleasant grimace crossing her face, becoming more severe after I caught her. I thought I was the one hurting her, so I adjusted my arms carefully to carry her more gently, but the expression refused to fade.

"Senpai, what's wrong?!" She looked so much weaker than before. That was when I felt an unpleasantly warm liquid cover my hand which was on Senpai's stomach in my awkward attempt to hold her. I looked downward, a gasp of shock being caught in my throat. A chill went down my spine as the previously mentioned liquid began soaking into my Senpai's shirt, staining it red.

Blood.

"Damn..." It was one of the few times I've ever heard Senpai curse. "...I overdid it..."

W-What is she talking about?

"S-Senpai, y-you're bleeding!" It was an obvious statement, but I couldn't find the words to say anything else. The sight of it made me feel a little nauseous. I was no stranger to shedding blood in battle, but this wasn't a battle.

"It...It's fine...I just need to..." Despite her words, she was most clearly NOT fine. She has clearly been more exhausted than she's been letting on. Senpai tried to stand up on her own, only to let out a suppressed groan of pain, collapsing into my arms again. Most of the frontside of her shirt was colored red, the red staining the contrasting white of her uniform.

"What is..." I carefully lifted and rolled up the lower parts of her shirt, enough to show the lower part of her torso and leaving enough fabric to preserve her modesty, trying to determine the cause of her bleeding. What I saw didn't ease my concerns in the slightest. If anything, I only became more worried.

It was like someone stabbed her with a blunt object and SUCCEEDED. I've met several swordsman and even a novice like me knows only a particularly powerful sword or swordsman could best a Devil and neither would leave such a sloppy injury nor were there any other stab wounds. There was only a rough "crater" about in the center of her stomach about the size of a baseball. It looked partially healed over but was now gushing blood.

She was bleeding at an alarming rate! Senpai's face was starting to turn a pale color!

"What the Hell...What the Hell happened to you, Senpai?!" It...It was just so unpleasant to look at and even more unpleasant to believe.

"Wound opened...Attacked..." Senpai breathed out. "..." First things first, I had to get Sona taken care of!

I lifted her up off the ground, Senpai deeply resisting the urge to scream in pain as I irritated her injury.

I stuttered out some kind of apology, still deep in shock over the injury and for how long Senpai had been concealing it.

"C-Come on! I'll take you to Asia and the others and get you fixed up!" I took my first step when Senpai suddenly lashed out with her hand, grabbing me by the collar, yanking on it to drag my face closer.

"N...No...You can't..." Senpai winced, but she didn't release her grip. "The leaders will...get suspicious..."

"Of course they'd get suspicious! You have A FUCKING HOLE in your chest!" There was really no time for this! Conscious or not, I was gonna get Senpai to Asia!

"No..." Senpai shook her head. "...This is a...critical time. I can't let my injury...ruin this."

Even so, I couldn't just stand there and do NOTHING!

"And wouldn't you dying of blood loss put even more of a damper on the situation?" I countered.

Knowing Sona Sitri, she was probably going to object more had it not been for the interruption created by the approaching white-haired loli, her hand raised as if asking for permission to speak.

"Onii-chan, if you would like, we have a solution." Jack said, earning both of our surprised gazes. She looked so certain that it was hard not to believe her. "One that requires neither disclosure of the injury nor Sona-oneechan to die." Without permission, Jack approached Senpai, a serious expression on her face.

I just stared. "Jack...?"

Jack eyed the injury with neither repulsion nor fear. If anything, it was indifference. And that gave me another chill.

The loli looked Senpai in the eye, extending her hand cautiously. "May we?"

Senpai nodded. Personally, I was confused as Hell, but Jack and Senpai looked like they had some kind of agreement.

Before I could vocally question what the Hell was going on, Jack placed her hand over Senpai's wound. I was about to scold her and tell her to stop for fear of somehow worsening Senpai's injuries, but then something surprising happened.

The air became heavy and I could swear the lights became dimmer.

At first, for a few seconds, Jack just closed her eyes, looking like she was focusing on something. Then...I honestly don't know what happened. There was a dark glow coming from Jack's arm and then these weird "tendrils" started flying from it, sinking into Senpai's injury. It was like Jack was flowing some kind of current into Senpai's body. They were sewing themselves into her flesh. If it was relieving or painful, Sona-senpai didn't show it.

Then the injury on Senpai's body...it started to close up. It didn't make any sense, but I was seeing it with my own eyes. Her flesh was regenerating, the blood flow slowly ceasing as her wound shrank further and further until it became a single dot, and then it completely vanished before my eyes.

Jack withdrew her hand, acting as if she had done nothing at all. Senpai's expression remained serious, but she didn't look like she was in pain anymore. And I was just left gaping at the incredible scene I had just observed.

Then the heaviness in the air lifted.

Jack smiled, her arms crossed behind her back. "There! Sona-oneechan is all better now, Onii-chan!"

I think my jaw dropped further.

"What was that...?"

"Onii-chan!" Jack echoed, still smiling. I stared.

"No seriously! What WAS that?!" I couldn't keep my shock out of my voice. "There was blood everywhere and it was a really big wound! How did you do that?!"

She answered cheerfully. "Magic of course~"

I stared, deadpan being the only description for my face. "OK, I guess I walked into that one." I took a deep breath. "OK, better question: How come you never did that BEFORE?!"

"You never asked." Jack responded, giving a cute shrug of her shoulders.

"B-But you-I-that-" I paused. I blinked. "Huh. Point made."

I looked at my unconscious Senpai laying in my arms.

You have a lot of questions to answer, when you wake up, Sona.

* * *

"So where would you like me to start?" Senpai sipped from a bottle of water, the two of us sitting against the wall, Jack sitting in my lap.

It had taken about an hour for Senpai to come to. I wasn't sure what to do. With the conference in only a few more hours, it felt like a dick move to overrule Senpai's choice of concealing her condition and telling Rias. Besides, for all I knew, she could have been surprised by a Stray or something. After considering everything, I abided by Senpai's previous request and decided to wait til I heard her story when she woke up.

It's a good thing the others are dealing with Gasper. While I feel bad for not being there for her so close to the conference, it served as the perfect distraction to keep the others from checking in. Besides, I had faith in Ise and the others to manage to help keep Gya-chan calm. She was their Kouhai too.

I petted Jack's head, considering my response to Sona-senpai's question.

"I guess...I'll just start with the general question "What the Hell happened earlier?". Does that suffice?" It may have harsher than intended, but I was getting tired with all of these leaders, secrets, and hidden agendas! I wanted the honest-to-Maou truth!

"Very well then." Senpai agreed. She set down her bottle and a pensive expression appeared on her face. "A previously sustained injury opened up because I over-exerted myself. I passed out due to blood loss."

I narrowed my eyes at her. "You KNOW what I mean, Senpai. You were not directly engaged in any of the previous battles in this territory. There's no way you could have obtained a wound that severe. What I want to know is how you obtained that injury."

Senpai closed her eyes. For a moment, she was silent.

"I know...Forgive me."

...Did Senpai just apologize?

"It's not even something I can fully remember. It happened so fast. I couldn't do anything about it." She sounded...ashamed. I guess failure and the word "impossible" don't sit well with Sona Sitri. If anything, I think she was irritated more with herself than her attacker. "It all happened last night while I was out investigating some suspicious activity."

I leaned in. "What kind of "suspicious activity"?"

Senpai adjusted her glasses. "As it turned out, it was nothing. It was just a lost hellhound belonging to one of our local beast tamers. He uprooted several trees and terrified a local delivery man after giving him a light bite. I was able to subdue it by freezing its legs and transported it back to its owner. Nothing worth noting."

...I'm not even gonna say anything. Just gonna let that one slide.

"So what happened next?" I asked, trying to move the story along. "You still haven't told me how you sustained that injury."

"It's like I said," Senpai sighed, "I don't fully remember. What I do remember, however, was walking to the store to purchase more paper for the Student Council's printing machine since we've started to run out. And then..." She hesitated again. I didn't notice before, but Senpai had started tightly gripping her arm. Her hand was shaking. "I still don't quite understand what happened. Before, I was alone, and then there was this sharp burst of power. I remember a sharp pain in my chest before whoever it was suppressed their presence again and I lost consciousness."

I crossed my arms, frowning.

I wasn't sure what was more disconcerting: The fact that someone blatantly attacked Sona or that they spared her.

"So they just...attacked you?" Sona-senpai nodded in response. "So that explains the injury..."

"Yes. I cannot remember their face. All I know is that their power, for the brief moment I felt it, was incredible, something neither you or I are prepared to face."

My heart stopped. Senpai always had some kind of plan. She knew futility, but that didn't stop her from at least trying. Her power was lower than Rias', but she could make strategies to work around that. Still, in the end, Sona Sitri was a realist in these types of situations. If she said, without a doubt, that it was something we could not face, then she was damned well serious.

"To be honest, I'm surprised I'm not dead." Senpai admitted, seeming uncomfortable (more so than before). "I drifted in and out of consciousness several times after the initial attack...I think someone saved me."

"What?"

"Yes. Unlikely as it was, I heard a second voice. Their words were distorted since I was still between conscious and unconscious, but I could at least distinguish their voices as different." Senpai was clearly thinking as she spoke. "It's all a blur, but I know there were two people. I don't think they were allies with each other. I don't know what happened after that because when I fell unconscious again, I believe it lasted for several hours."

I rubbed my chin, contemplating.

"OK, but something still doesn't add up." I stood up, placing on my hips while staring at Senpai with a questioning look. "If your wound was even worse than what I saw back then, then how are you even still alive right now? Even if nothing vital was hit, you would have bled out a long time ago."

Senpai hesitated for a moment. However, it wasn't like her serious hesitation from before. It was less heavy than that.

"It is not like my "savior", for lack of a better word, left me there." Senpai explained. That was when she looked away from me. "It's...complicated."

"How so? What happened?"

"W-Well, you see-" Shit! Did Sona-senpai just stutter?! "-when I awoke again later, I was in a daze and very much on-edge. I was disoriented and was unaware that the danger had passed, and it's perfectly natural to act as I did in such a scenario-" Shit! Is Senpai FLUSTERED?!

"Senpai, what did you do?" Despite her calm and level tone, she sounded as if she were a child trying to justify how it was possible she broke the family vase by accident.

Senpai inhaled. "When I awoke, I was startled by the person who was with me. At the time, I was not aware they had been healing me, so I...I attacked them."

"What...?" I deadpanned.

Senpai turned her gaze toward the ground. "I panicked." Despite doing her very best to hide it, it was very clear that my Senpai was embarrassed. As shocking as it was, Sona-senpai could be embarrassed by something unrelated to Serafall.

I resisted the urge to snicker at her adorable expression.

Someone else, however, didn't.

"**Kehehehe! What an idiot!**"

My insides turned to ice at the sound of that disgusting, familiar voice.

An armed cloaked in shadow draped itself over Senpai's shoulder.

Over her other shoulder, a dark, grinning face appeared, radiating shadows and darkness, his true appearance hidden.

"**What a stupid Senpai we have~!**"

"Aaaaaaahhhhh!" On instinct, I screamed, stumbling and falling backwards onto my backside. "Aaaaaaaaaaah!"

Th-That person!

Why...Why is he familiar?!

That was when images started flashing through my mind. Images my mind recognized even if the rest of me didn't.

I saw...horrible things.

The faces of my friends and loved ones. Jeering me. Insulting me. Voicing such hatred that made me want to die.

Then there was the worst one of all...

There was Serafall, in that dark room, her eyes empty and her neck broken...I was looking down at the hands that did it. _MY HANDS_.

I crawled back on all fours, trying to get as far away from the shadow-covered figure as possible, my heart almost bursting out of my ribs again. I saw sweating, nauseous, and my insides felt like they were truly frozen.

"W-what the Hell...?"

"**Awww~! How cruel of you to forget lil ol me~!**" The Shadow teased. "**I guess you're just more of a monster than I thought~**!"

That word he said...it was beginning to anger me. I had no idea what was going on, but he called me a-

No...I remember now...that nightmare...

"Shirou, what's wrong?"

I was snapped out of these thoughts by the sound of Senpai's voice.

Senpai was suddenly on her feet, in a defensive stance. She looked at me, a glimmer of worry showing on her face.

"Onii-chan...?" Jack looked even more worried than Sona.

Neither noticed the dark apparition that had appeared behind Sona. They were some of the most perceptive people I knew. If they were unable to see what I had seen, then that meant without a doubt that he had not truly been there...

But that doesn't mean he was not real.

That existence that I was familiar with...

"Shirou, are you alright?"

Senpai snapped me out of my thoughts again. She was standing over me, curious and anxious.

"Huh?" Was my default response.

Senpai crossed her arms, seeming annoyed. "You screamed. You looked absolutely terrified a moment ago. What happened?"

It was wrong to panic now. But still...

"Hahah! Sorry!" I bowed my head. "I saw a big spider on the wall and kind of panicked."

Cue sweat drop from the other two.

Senpai looked unconvinced, but let it go. I guess she would have had to consider herself a hypocrite if she got on my case about hiding things considering the fact she came to school even though someone had literally ripped a hole in her torso the previous night.

"But Senpai..." I looked up at her. "The thing that attacked you...was there anything "off" about it you could see before you fell unconscious? Anything abnormal about the way it attacked you?"

Senpai shook her head. "No. Like I said before, I could not distinguish their appearance due to the blitz-like nature of the attack. As for how it attacked...no. Other than its incredible physical abilities, I wasn't able to notice anything else."

"I see..." So that leaves me with no information as to whether or not...

"Shirou, what are you thinking?" Senpai was staring at me with such a sharp gaze that I couldn't help that what she meant was more along the lines of "Tell me what you are thinking right this instant".

My natural instinct was to say nothing, change the subject, or lie, but...That chapter of my life is over. I can't do that anymore. Akeno, Ruruko, Serafall, all of them. They don't want me to keep secrets anymore. And besides, this is Sona Sitri, one of the most responsible and trustworthy people in this school. If I couldn't trust her, then I probably couldn't trust anyone...except Serafall. Serafall can be mysterious when she wants to be, but she's always blunt about her thoughts and feelings.

I swallowed nervously. "OK...but Senpai, I have a request of you first: Whatever is spoken here MUST remain in this room unless I choose to reveal it to everyone or unless I grant you my consent. Is this acceptable to you?"

For a moment, Senpai was actually taken aback by my sudden seriousness before regaining her own calm state of mind.

"Very well. I swear on my House that I will abide by your request." Senpai said it with one of the most serious oaths she could swear, so I knew she was being truthful.

I took a few deep breaths before I turned to Jack, looking her in the eyes.

"You're not gonna leave even if I ask, aren't you?"

"No." Jack confirmed, reverting back to Serious-Jack mode.

I figured as much. When it came to matters as serious as this, Jack was always there or hiding in the shadows. There was no way she would just leave willingly and leave me alone with others whom I'm speaking with. Jack was childish, but I knew that serious side existed within her.

Well, no point focusing on that now.

I turned back to Senpai.

"OK...Geez. I'm not even sure where to start..." I rubbed my temples, thinking. "Back during the incident with Excalibur, I started to have these...nightmares-no. "Visions" would be a better word. I saw the sealed memory of my mother dying...killed by my father..." Senpai's eyes widened. Whether it was because I just revealed this information or because my father is a bastard, I could not tell. "It was because that same seal broke that I unlocked the power possessed by Satan, and the reason I got possessed by him during the fighting. I got my body back now, but lately..."

Senpai waited patiently, not daring to interrupt me.

"...Senpai...what I mean to say is...I think I might be losing control again." I bit my lower lip, letting the fear I suppressed for so long finally reveal itself. For a while now, that fear had been small, but with the recent events...it just became a more and more likely possibility. I gripped the area around my heart. "It's like...my own darkness is about to overflow and consume me, slowly drawing me into madness. It was slow at first, but I'm afraid it might become too powerful for me to control. I keep seeing that shadowy figure, laughing at me, mocking me while trying to break me down...trying to get control..."

"What are you saying?" Senpai knew damned well what I was implying. I guess she wanted me to ask outright.

"Senpai...do you think that-maybe...Senpai, what if it was me...?" Just the thought of it made me feel like throwing up. The thought of one of my friends being hurt was bad enough, but to know that the one who did it used my own two hands to do it...It was revolting, made me want to crawl out of my own skin. "What if...What if I'm becoming bad just like my father...? What if I ended hurting you or others...?"

This was the difference between mine and Gasper's situations.

Gasper's worst-case-scenario has yet to pass, but if I lost control and actually attacked Sona last night...

"It wasn't you, Shirou."

Senpai's response surprised me. More-so because I just now realized she had called me "Shirou" again rather than "Fujimura" with that cold tone of hers.

"Huh?"

"Shirou, I know it wasn't you." Senpai reiterated, seeming annoyed with me.

"But...ever since...this incident, it's only been getting worse. And if the Maou-samas learn about this, then I'll..." I covered my eyes with one hand and my mouth with the other, feeling so stupid for voicing such thoughts in front of Sona Sitri, the YOUNGER SISTER of one of said Maous. She was bound to be irritated.

"Fool." That one word felt like another arrow through the skull. That was when I felt a sharp yank on my arms, separating my hands from my face. Senpai was kneeling next to me (I was still on the ground), her gaze even stricter and sharper than ever. "Do you truly believe that Onee-sama would willingly lose you so easily? Not just Onee-sama, but the others would also be in your defense. Even if they are the powerful rulers of the Devils, even the Maous would be in a bind if their enemies were the heiresses of two well-known, connected Devil Clans and their servants. And if the other factions were to act prematurely, the Devils would be outraged. Your friends all depend on you just as you depend on them, so the Maous would not be able to take you without a hard-pressed fight both physically and politically from all sides."

If even Sona Sitri was saying these things, then perhaps...

"If you continue to think such thoughts, I will have no choice but to punish you on Onee-sama's behalf, Shirou." Senpai's glasses glimmered maliciously. A part of me considered that Senpai was joking but then I remembered who I was speaking to and wisely kept my trap shut.

I saluted jokingly. "Aye aye, Kaichou!" Despite my expectance of a pinch on the cheek or ear, Sona-senpai didn't seem to take any offense to my tone.

Senpai sighed, but I detected no actual exhaustion on her (excluding what she went through). "What a troublesome person Onee-sama made into her servant." She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Your Onee-sama also has a very troublesome person for a younger sister." I mimicked both Senpai's expression and her movements. I snickered after that.

Senpai exhaled. "I suppose you have a point." But I could swear on my mother's soul (which now apparently rests within me), that I saw Senpai gain a small smile on her face. "I suppose everyone connected to Onee-sama is a troublesome person."

"That so?" I responded with a grin.

"Yes. You should meet Onee-sama's other servant, Behemoth-sama." Oooh. "Behemoth" sounds like a rather terrifying person. "Behemoth-sama is a pleasant person normally, but enraging Behemoth-sama is not something that is recommended."

I could figure out why just from that guy's name.

"I guess you're right." I couldn't suppress a snicker. Despite the fact that my fate would be decided in a matter of hours be it life, death, or other alternatives, I felt relieved at still being able to laugh at such trivial things. That..._THING_ that came out of me...it terrified me. But I had to figure this out step-by-step, a little bit at a time. I only hoped my conversation with Akeno yesterday would prove helpful in the long-run.

"Shirou..." I looked back up at Senpai. She had a pensive expression on her face. "There's something-"

[Oh~! Please punish me more, Mistress~! I want it so badly~!]

For a brief moment, there was nothing but a long, cold silence. I stared at Sona-senpai. Sona-senpai stared at me, me cursing myself in my mind for YET AGAIN forgetting to change that blasted ring tone. Jack averted her gaze to the ground, clearly intending to avoid any and all awkward confrontation in this matter. I wish I was small and young enough to do that...

But no. I was stuck in this situation, Senpai staring sharply at me.

After a pause:

"Akeno?"

"Akeno." I confirmed, relieved that she immediately understood the situation. I SERIOUSLY had to get this ring tone changed. Why I haven't done as much yet, I have no idea. I gave Sona an apologetic expression, gesturing to my phone. She gave a little "go ahead" gesture. "Thanks."

I accepted the call and placed my phone against my ear.

"Hel-"

[SHIIII-TAAAAAAAN! IT'S AWFUL!]

I suddenly leaped to my feet, my heartbeat increasing dramatically. "Serafall?! What happened!?"

[It's-It's...]

"What is it?!" Serafall sobbed on the other end in response. Was she in danger? Did something bad happen?-Oh dear MAOU, did she somehow find out about Sona!? That would be terrible! She would unleash Hell!

[I-I-I-!]

"Tell me!"

[I CAN'T DECIDE WHAT TO WEEEEEAAAAAAR!]

I immediately face-faulted onto the ground due to that response, unable to fully express my disbelief. Jack stared in childish confusion while Senpai wore a knowing expression.

After a few moments, I managed to calm myself down and talk back to Serafall.

"Well, just...pick something, I guess." I responded in a tired tone, having NO idea why she came to me with this. "I dunno. Anything's fine if you're the one wearing it, Serafall."

[Now's not the time for flirting, Shi-taaaan! I want to look really good for the meeting and I don't want "it" to show!]

It took me a good minute to realize that by "it", she was referring to her pregnancy.

"What are you talking about? You're not even showing yet. You look FINE."

[You just haven't seen me from the side! If I go to the meeting wearing one of my sexy outfits, people are gonna think I'm just fat!]

"Then wear something conservative." I replied sharply, still having no idea why women put so much weight on how much they weigh and how others look at them.

[Mooou! I don't wannaaaaa!]

I sighed, even more lost of what Serafall was asking of me. "OK, then don't wear something conservative!" I raised my voice for the first time. There were some things that even I could not fully comprehend when it came to women. I rubbed my temples. "Serafall, what exactly do you want? If you don't want to dress sexy or conservative, then go casual."

[I caaaaaan't!] She whined. [This is a super, super, super, SUPER important meeting for the three factions! I can't go in my Magical Girl uniform no matter how badly I want to!] There was a high-pitched squeal-like whine from the other end of the line. [Can you pleeeeeeaaaaaasssse just come home and help me decide a new outfit!? Pretty please!?]

I could practically imagine that puppy dog-eyed expression on her face in my mind. I couldn't suppress a soft smile.

"Alright. Alright. I'll be back in a little while. Just try not to freak out until I get there."

[Oh come on, Shi-tan~! When have I ever freaked out~?]

I stared at the phone with half-lidded eyes. "Remember that time at the clothing store and you found out that they didn't carry Magical Girl merchandise?"

There was yet another pause.

[...I'll be good.]

"OK, now just hold on. I'll be there soon."

[OK~! Love you, Shi-taaaan~!]

I smiled to myself. "I love you, too. Buh-bye~" With that the call ended. I turned to face Sona-senpai, gesturing to the phone. "Erm...I gotta...ya know-"

Senpai nodded. "Go. We were just about finished with preparations in any case, so it is no issue."

I shot her a thumbs up. "Thanks, Senpai!" I turned on my heels, prepared to run home so as to prevent the inevitable tantrum Serafall would throw if I took too long when I froze in place. I bit my lower lip, uncertain why _that thought_ came to mind just now. I had been a little reluctant since the aftermath of my discussion with Akeno, but I had to keep my word...Even though Akeno had only just finished scolding me about keeping secrets. If I told someone, I might end up ruining everything...But if it's about _that_...then maybe it's best to...

"Hm?" My prolonged pause seemed to concern Senpai. "Is something the matter, Shirou?"

I glanced at the door in front of me, then back at Senpai.

In hindsight, I think everyone would have known what my decision would have been.

Before she could react, I rushed over to Senpai, placing my mouth incredibly close to her ear to the point that it looked suggestive. I whispered so quietly that it would have sounded as if I was breathing, my mouth moving as little as possible to preserve the secret from any other unwanted listeners. I moved so fast that I feared that Senpai may have missed what I said. But I could not repeat it. There was no chance anyone observing would fail to hear the second time.

I didn't even wait for a response. I didn't wait to see Senpai's shocked expression.

I just ran to my master's side, holding one fact in my heart:

Tonight would change everything. The choices made up to this point would decide the course of mine and everyone's future.

* * *

It was a few hours later that Serafall and I finally approached the school. The night was young and the moon was a glowing crescent in the sky. The outside air was really cool considering it was almost summer. It was pretty nice. Serafall walked quickly next to me, clinging to my arm tightly as we passed through the gate outside the school building, walking along the empty path which led up to the front door. It was such a pleasant night.

Now I would like to say that we just calmly strolled in...but we didn't.

Remember how I said it had been a few hours? Well, all that time had been devoted to making Serafall dress clean and proper, trying to find a dress or outfit of some kind which she would not object to. As it turned out, Serafall was even pickier about the clothing she wears than I thought.

We were more speed-walking than anything on this moonlit night.

But even if you disregarded the rush, there were many other factors that prevented this walk from being even remotely romantic.

Maybe it was the odd red light that illuminated the large area around the school, maybe it was the powerful presences that could be sensed within, or maybe it was the three massive armies bearing different sets of wings floating high in the sky, all completely on edge and in the respective attire symbolic of their factions.

These were the forces of the Angels, the Fallen Angels, and the Devils. These warriors were chosen to guard the meeting ground of their leaders.

I knew it was a false peace. I could sense it in the air. The powerful tension in the air mixed with feelings of fear and hatred amongst other things. It was only the presence of their leaders and the high priority which is their leaders' safeties that prevented bloodshed.

But it was an astounding sight. I had seen Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils before, but never all at once.

Then there was a tug on my arm. "Shi-tan, come ooon! We're gonna be late!" Serafall complained, puffing up her cheeks.

I chuckled at her expression, patting her on head with my free hand. "Of course, m'lady~" But mentally, I was scolding myself for being distracted. The leaders I've met so far have been calm and pleasant, but I couldn't show such an irresponsible face in front of them in this official setting.

"Shirou..." Serafall leaned her head on my shoulder, her eyes losing some of their cheerful energy, being replaced with sadness. "...we never discussed 'that'...I said I wanted to, but I never brought it up..." She sounded kind of down and regretful.

I pulled my arm free of Serafall and wrapped it around her body, holding her even closer against me. I smiled softly, gently rubbing my hand against her stomach area, well-aware of the small life that was blossoming within her womb.

"Don't worry." I told her. "Once the meeting is complete, we'll have all the time in the world to discuss it. It's going to be alright, Serafall."

"I know~" Serafall teased in her previous tone. "I just wanted YOU to be the one who said it this time~" Her beautiful smile once again illuminated her face, bringing relief to my heart. "If you say it, then that means you admit it~ You can't be afraid anymore~" Then she pouted as we entered the main building. "But more importantly...you're not gonna forget, are you?"

I blinked, not understanding for a moment. "Forget...? Forget wha-Oh! Right!"

Serafall let out a small, adorable growl. "Shi-taaan!"

I rubbed the back of my neck, blushing slightly. "Sorry sorry! I promise I'll do _it_." I made an exaggerated bow. "I swear on my life, m'lady Leviathan~"

"You're not gonna forget and then just let me look like a total dummy, are you?"

"'Course not, m'lady Leviathan~" I admit, I was a little reluctant when Serafall asked me to fulfill this request of hers, but I could not deny my lovable master.

"Are you prepared, Shirou-sama?"

Our conversation was interrupted by the sound of my adorable Bishop's voice.

I turned to see Ravel...no. Not only Ravel, but also Isabela, Ile, Nel, Ni, Li, Siris, and Xuelan as well. All eight of my unofficial servants were in a reverent position on either side of the door to the meeting room. Siris eyed me with spite but showed incredible care and respect for Serafall. But still, she would not be here if she had any choice in the matter. It was mandatory that all of my servants showed up in support of their master. I wasn't the one who made that decision, but apparently it's some sort of tradition or something related to the Devils' culture or something.

I nodded to them. Then I did what I had been considering doing all night. I cleared my throat, gathering all of their attention.

"Even though we only became comrades no more than a month or two ago, with some of us only meeting as master and servant even later than that, I am glad you are all by my side on this night. I can only hope the same desire rests within all of our hearts: The desire for peace." Ravel looked on admiringly, Isabela and the others looked on respect, and even Siris was polite enough to look on with indifference. "And if it is not, then I hope you can still whatever lingering hatred rests within you for the other existences that exist on "our side" of the world of existence. So, without further ado, let us meet these great leaders with respect and maturity."

[Right.]

They all agreed.

The door slowly opened, my servants entering ahead of us. I entered ahead of Serafall. I swallowed.

It was now or never. Showtime.

"Bringing forth love and peace to all who believe!" I made an exaggerated pose. "Bringing the downfall of all evil with the power of hope and friendship! Allow me to introduce her! My most beautiful master, the magical Serafall Leviathan has taken the stage~!" I made yet another exaggerated gesture with my arms, gesturing towards Serafall who spun gracefully into the room, stopping on her tiptoe before giving a peace sign, one of her trademark "floating magic hearts" floating through the air.

"Hiya, everybody~! Happy to be here~!"

And with that, our routine was complete.

"YOOOOOU IDIOOOOT!" And that was when I felt a powerful punch to the face send me flying. I crashed into the wall adjacent to me with enough force to create a large crater from the impact.

"Wow...that was...a pretty good punch...Siris..." I groaned, slowly pulling myself back up to my feet to face the enraged Knight of mine.

"What happened to all of that shit about maintaining respect and maturity?!" Siris growled, annoyed by my hypocrisy. "And then you just go and do something stupid like that!?"

[Ahem.]

There was an awkward cough from every other person seated around the table in the middle of the room.

Siris's face turned stark red as she recognized most of the faces in that room. It was the first time I saw her truly embarrassed. She quickly bowed her head in apology and then went to go sit in the corner, banging her head against the wall in embarrassment.

There were mixed reactions from the various people in the room. Speaking of the various people. It was a mix of people I never thought I would see in the same room before now.

From the Devils' side, there was Lucifer-sama, Grayfia-sama, and of course, my master, Serafall. Off to the side, I noticed Sona-senpai and Shinra-senpai, the former possessing her usual sharp gaze and the latter seeming kind of nervous. Now with Serafall and I here, all of the representatives of our side were here. Now we just needed Rias and the others to arrive to give their reports.

From the Fallen Angels' side, there was (of course) Azazel. Behind him stood Raynare, Kalawarner, and Mittelt. I was honestly surprised that those outfits of theirs were considered alright for this kind of meeting. If anyone felt uncomfortable, they said nothing. And leaning against the wall on their side was a familiar, silver-haired girl.

Vali.

It took every bit of my self-control to refrain from reacting to her. But she must have noticed my gaze because her smirk widened into a pleased expression. I felt a wave of discomfort travel down my spine.

Then, there was the Angels' side-

"Ah! Shirou-kun, Serafall-chan! That was a spectacular entrance!" The only person genuinely amused by our entrance was Gabriel-sa-Just Gabriel, I mean. She clapped her hands cheerfully, praising the way in which Serafall and I had entered the room despite the inappropriateness of such an entrance in this place. "Shirou-kun, it's really nice to see you again! Look, Irina-san is here with me, too! Irina-san, say hi to your Shi-chan!" She gestured towards Irina, who stood behind both Michael-sama and Gabriel. Irina turned her gaze to the ground, her face turning a bright red color.

Gabriel was too innocent to have been teasing Irina, so she obviously didn't understand how embarrassing it was for her pet name for me to be blurted out right in front of not only the leaders of the other factions, but in front of the Seraph who was also the current "God".

"Shirou..." I turned to Serafall who stood next to me, her eyes hidden by her bangs. "...can you tell me something?"

"Um...sure?" And that was when I noticed that Serafall's fists were clenched at her sides. Her fists were trembling.

Uh oh.

"Tell me...When exactly did you get so chummy with HER!?" Serafall jabbed an accusing finger in Gabriel's direction, as if her very presence here was some sort of crime.

Gabriel smiled brightly. "Oh! Shirou-kun and I have been very good friends ever since just yesterday! He's a very beautiful soul and is truly wonderful to be with!"

"WHAT!?" Serafall sounded really shocked and I already figured out how her mind was interpreting those words of Gabriel's: In Serafall's mind, Gabriel and I were _very_ good friends. And she thought it was truly wonderful to _to be with_ me. "YOU...YOOOOOOU...YOU SLUT!"

"Serafall!" I gasped in shock at her foul language. For a brief moment, I wasn't sure if she was talking about me or Gabriel. Either one was unpleasant to think about and she could have been referring to either.

"S-Serafall, maybe it would be best to check your temper." Lucifer-sama suggested nervously. Having one of his comrades call one of the people they were meeting with a "slut" was probably not the best start to a peace conference. No it was not.

"Oh, don't mind it, Sirzechs-kun!" Gabriel completely waved off his worries, stunning even him. She was STILL smiling. "That's just how Serafall-chan says hello to me~!"

"I hate you." Serafall hissed, possessing a horribly annoyed expression even I've never seen on her face before. "Go kill yourself." My jaw dropped at the severity of Serafall's words.

"Yep~! Serafall-chan and I are very best friends!" G-Gabriel...your innocence and kind heart are starting to worry me now.

Is that REALLY how she responds to such words?!

"...What?"

"Don't worry, Shirou-kun!" Gabriel assured me. "Serafall-chan is just tsundere~!"

.

.

.

That statement was just so stunning that EVERYONE in the room immediately fell silent, staring.

No...There has never been a less truthful word in any language that could have described Serafall other than that.

I care for her, but Gabriel is either blind, naive, or very optimistic.

I opened my mouth to speak even though I probably should have left it alone.

[Just don't.]

Both Azazel and Michael-sama said this at the exact same time, both sighing with small, tired smiles on their faces.

Oh yeah. Come to think of it, Azazel was once an Angel too, so he probably had plenty of time to become accustomed to Gabriel's..."Gabriel-ness" prior to his "Fall". Enough time that both he and Michael-sama, his polar opposite, could sympathize over it.

Serafall suddenly wrapped her arms around me, pulling me closer, and shoving my face into her bosoms, practically suffocating me.

"Stay away from my adorable Queen, Gabriel!" Serafall warned. "Or else!"

"OK, OK, Serafall," Lucifer-sama interjected, trying to smooth over the situation, "I think you've made your point. Please take your seat with the rest of us." This was clearly not going as well as he had expected. If Gabriel wises up and understands Serafall's loathing for her and the intent behind Serafall's words, this meeting was screwed.

Serafall pouted again, but obliged the request of her fellow Maou. She could still be heard muttering under her breath curse words and profanities that I felt required me to wash out her mouth with soap. I was going to be sure to remember to do that. I was really gonna do it. That's how foul Serafall's mouth became.

I couldn't resist the urge to face-palm at her behavior. The meeting hasn't even started and she's already flown off the handle.

"Well well, isn't THIS an interesting situation we've walked into." An amused voice noted. "I honestly thought I'd have to wait until halfway through the meeting to see some of the rivalry I've heard of between Gabriel and Leviathan."

And in walked Makoto Fujimura, striding confidently and calmly into the room. However, she was dressed differently from normal. She had two long strands of her hair tied in braids while the rest of it flowed down her back. She wore a strapless white dress with detached sleeves and flowers sown into the skirt.

"Onii-chan! We're here too!" Jack immediately ran in after Makoto, dressed in her skimpy and revealing outfit.

I felt my heart stop, nausea filling my stomach. It was bad enough that Jack wore that kind of thing showing up to school, but to bring it to a meeting such as this!? I'm beginning to suspect that Mako-nee is putting her up to making me look like a total pedo!

Worst part was that Jack immediately ran over to me, clinging to my leg, smiling cheerfully.

"Ummm...Uh...OK, so, everyone, this is my older sister, Makoto-Say 'hi', Makoto."

Mako-nee waved. "Hi." There were a few concerned and confused looks from the leaders. Of course, since Makoto was my sister, it stood to reason that she, too, possessed Satan's blood. So, if things turned sour for me who had no control over my power, they would end up needing to beware Mako-nee's power as well since she actually knew a thing or two about how to control it. This was my assumption.

"And THIS is my little sister, Jack." I gestured to the small child who was blissfully ignorant of the numerous great powers in this room.

And THAT was when their eyes seriously widened.

"I see, I see." Azazel noted with an odd tone of curiosity and amusement.

"So, to think it was this close to our groups all this time and we never noticed." Lucifer-sama closed his eyes, looking pensive for some reason.

"Well, since young Shirou IS Satan's descendant, it only makes sense..." Michael pointed out.

Overall, I was lost.

"Um...So yeah. That was Jack..." I repeated, super confused as to why everyone had such strange reactions. This snapped all three of them out of whatever thoughts they were having. "Um..." I started feeling nervous again. I bowed my head. "I apologize if she is a disturbance to you, Lucifer-sama, Michael-sama, Azazel-dono!"

"Hey hey, Shirou!" Azazel objected. "Your "little sister" isn't a big deal, but none of this "Azazel-dono" stuff!" The Fallen Angel Governor grinned. "After all, you and I are drinking buddies! No need to get so formal on me, haha!"

"Hold on!" For the first time since we've met, Michael-sama looked very distressed, slamming his hands down on the table as he stood. "Azazel! Have you been letting Shirou...DRINK!?" I'm very surprised that that was the major issue rather than the scantily-dressed child clinging to me. "What in the Lord's name is wrong with you?! He's only a child!"

Azazel shrugged, completely unconcerned with Michael-sama's outrage. "Oh come off it, Michael. He's sixteen. That's a MAN in some cultures. And it was only ten glasses of sake, so no big deal."

"TEN GLASSES!?" Now Michael-sama's stress and outrage had turned to intense worry. "A boy-"

"-man." Azazel corrected.

"Boy, man, or whatever you wish to call him!" Michael-sama corrected. "Whatever you wish to call him, at his age, he should NOT be drinking such a heavy amount of alcohol!"

Azazel rolled his eyes. "Please! He can handle his liquor better than YOU can, Michael!" Azazel retorted, smirking. "Hell, I think he could have drunk both you, me, AND his mother under the table if given enough time!"

"Azazel!" Michael-sama shouted in a harsh tone, seeming angry...or as angry as an Angel could get. His expression didn't get any more upset than a harsh frown, but I could sense his emotions radiating off of him...This meeting wasn't going very well so far.

"What? I-" Then he turned to me, as if just remembering I was standing right there. "Oh...I..." His previous good cheer changed to a slightly bitter expression. "What I meant was-"

KNOCK KNOCK

And it was at that moment, before everything could get unpleasant and awkward, that there was a loud knock on the door to the room. I wasn't sure if I was pleased that the situation had been averted or disappointed for not having been able to hear about more concerning my mother from Azazel and apparently Michael-sama.

"Excuse us." I hear Rias speak from the other side. "May we come in?"

Then the door opened, revealing the figures and faces of the Occult Research Club to me, Rias leading them into the room.

Rias and the others behaved calmly and respectfully (albeit with a hint of nervousness upon noticing the leaders), not reacting harshly in any way. Asia was the only one who openly waved at me, smiling beautifully. I smiled back.

For a brief moment, I saw Xenovia somewhat uneasy when she laid eyes on Irina, an expression Irina mirrored. After God's death was revealed and Xenovia got driven out of the Church, their relationship was...somewhat rocky. Not hate, but more like discomfort. They only met up again two or three times afterwards because Xenovia had wanted to check on Irina, who was in a depressed state at the time. After all, Xenovia was now a Devil, one of the creatures the Church has sworn to fight against. It probably would have been more hostile if Irina had not also known the truth as she does now. So now all that was left was awkwardness.

Akeno appeared from behind Rias, both of us exchanging a knowing look. Only a handful of us knew now. Even if it was unconfirmed, it couldn't be revealed to everyone just yet.

The secret that I had told to Akeno.

That only added to the tension I felt in the air of this room, any remaining lightheartedness having completely vanished.

"With this, everyone's here." The Maou, Sirzechs Lucifer-sama, announced. "This is my sister, Rias, and these are her retainers. They were the ones who fought against Kokabiel during his surprise attack a few days ago."

In response to her Onii-sama's introduction, Rias bowed to the other VIP's in the room.

"No small feat." Michael-sama acknowledged, smiling pleasantly. "I thank each one of you for all of your hard work."

A part of me felt somewhat miffed, a feeling that was shared by Ravel (although that was more for my sake) while Isabela expressed indifference. We had also been there during that fight but received no praise...

But then again...I didn't really do much in the long-run.

That was when a soft hand grabbed mine under the table. I turned my head to Serafall who sat in her chair next to me. She pouted, looking as if she were scolding me for thinking these thoughts of mine. I smiled apologetically, trying to convey my meaning in a similar fashion. Serafall had probably figured out my disappointment from the sad expression I had had on my face.

"And don't forget my adorable Queen!" Serafall complained, tightening her grip on my hand. "Let's not forget that Shi-chan even managed to deal Kokabiel a powerful blow, even managing to use the Excalibur from the Church and his own super amazing strength! He is just as deserving of this praise as any other!"

Lucifer-sama smiled to himself. "I don't know how it slipped my mind. Your Queen deserves no less than my sister or her servants, Serafall. Apologies."

"Ah yes!" Azazel noted, a confident smirk forming on his face. "From what Vali told me from her report, Shirou performed a miraculous feat and not only managed to wield Excalibur Destruction, but even managed to significantly wound Kokabiel, one of our _former_ major players during the Great War."

"That is indeed true." Michael-sama agreed, seeming interested. "Apparently his conflict with the Fallen Angel Kokabiel provided the stage required for this power to awaken. It is one thing for a human who can wield Holy Swords to become a Reincarnated Devil after already awakening their ability, but for one who already possessed the power of a Devil to suddenly awaken such an ability...If I had not seen far more shocking things in my life, I would have said it was impossible. I don't believe Kokabiel was able to take this into account prior to his "unfortunate" demise."

Azazel raised his hand. "Once again, sorry for the trouble a guy from my side caused."

"You're simply lucky my baby brother was not killed, Azazel." Mako-nee butted in, showing a callous expression in response to Azazel's apology. She looked so much more serious than normal. "Otherwise, this meeting would have become far more unpleasant."

I swallowed hard, sweat rolling down the sides of my face.

Mako-nee, could you please NOT threaten the leader of the Fallen Angels?

"As before, I am sorry."

With that matter settled, Lucifer-sama spoke again. "Now that everyone has arrived, I'll say the preconditions for the meeting. The people present here acknowledge the most important event and forbidden subject, i.e. The Non-existence of God." I was a little surprised by the complete lack of reaction to that. None of the people present so much as flinched...I guess that everyone here knew already. "Then, acknowledging that, let's continue the conversation."

What would happen from hereon out...it was up to our leaders to decide.

"Now then, Rias. Could you speak about the incident a few days before?" Lucifer-sama asked politely.

Rias nodded, bowing respectfully. "Yes, Lucifer-sama."

And so Rias, with the aid of Akeno and Sona-senpai, gave the full eye witness report of everything that had occurred. Everything major that had occurred since the arrival of the Holy Swords in Kuoh-Well, the parts they had witnessed at any rate. All of the leader's listened attentively, their reactions mixed. Rias's hands had been trembling the whole time, but never once did her voice waver despite the powerful and painful atmosphere around us.

I felt my heartbeat increase dramatically when it came around to the part concerning our final confrontation with Kokabiel, but I felt incredibly relieved when the details became vaguer. Still accurate and descriptive, but they did not bring up my "transformation" or my abnormal powers. Instead, they made it vague with things like "Our force was able to push back Kokabiel" and "Kokabiel was vanquished in the end". If that was out of care for me or not, I was not positive.

After who knows how long, Rias finished. "-That is all. The report which I, Rias Gremory and the household devils stationed here, experienced."

"Good work, sit down" was all Lucifer-sama had said in response.

"Thanks, Rias-chan~!" Serafall cheered.

"Yes. Most excellent, Rias-chan!" Gabriel also praised, smiling brightly. Serafall shot a nasty look at Gabriel, but I just started to pat her on the head, giving her minor affection until she finally managed to calm down.

"Now then, Azazel." Lucifer-sama spoke directly to the Fallen Angel Govenor. "After hearing this report, I want to hear the opinion of the Governor of the fallen angels." Then all of our gazes were on Azazel, not all of them entirely pleasant since, despite receiving support from me and others in favor of his innocence and that the Fallen Angels ALSO supported us, Kokabiel WAS still from his faction.

Azazel started talking after letting out an intrepid smile. "Regarding the incident a few days back, Kokabiel, a leader of our Central Organisation, Grigori, kept quiet to the other leaders, as well as to me, the Governor, and acted independently. His disposal was done by the collaborating force between all of our factions. If he had been alive today, he would have no doubt have been punished severely, most likely eternal imprisonment in Cocytus. Only difference from his current punishment is that he would have lived longer to suffer."

Yeesh! What dark words from such a usually upbeat guy!

"The explanation for that, everything was written in the material that was forwarded to you, right? That is all."

Michael-sama sighed. "As the explanation, it is the worst category but... I know about the story of you personally not wanting to cause another major conflict with us. Is that true?"

"Aah, I don't have any interest in wars." Azazel replied coolly. "Kokabiel obviously wasn't happy about that and acted against orders, and that's putting it politely. I believe that is all in the reports I sent to you as well."

"Azazel, I want to ask one thing." Lucifer-sama stated. The air became filled with tension once more. "Why have you been gathering owners of Sacred Gears for the past decades? At first I thought you were gathering humans, and attempting to augment your battle potential. I even anticipated you to wage war against heaven or us but…"

Michael-sama nodded. "Yes, no matter how much time passed, you didn't wage a war against us. When I heard you were expressing an interest in the Longinus, especially the powers of the Heavenly Dragons, I was enveloped by a strong wariness."

Obviously, due to his status as a Fallen Angel, Azazel was not well-trusted. Devils were greedy beings and servants to their own desires, but they were honest about it while Angels were usually too purehearted to express such evil intentions. Fallen Angels were the most deceitful and charismatic of the three races in the long-run.

The Fallen Angel Governor smiled bitterly. "It's for the sake of Sacred Gear research." He responded. "If that's the case, should I send a part of the research materials to you as well? Even if I did research, I wouldn't wage a war against either of you. I don't have any interest in such a thing, especially after so much time has passed. I am perfectly satisfied with the world right now and I have strongly ordered my subordinates specifically not to intervene in human politics or the affairs of the other factions. I have no intention of intervening in religion either, nor to influence the business of the devils." He sighed. "Damn, is my trust in the 3 factions the least?"

"That's true."

"That's right."

"No offense."

"That's exactly it~!"

Sirzechs-sama's, Michael-sama's, Gabriel's, and Serafall's opinion coincided. Ouch. I think I actually pity Azazel right now.

Azazel clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I thought you were better than God or the last generation's Devil King but, you guys are troublesome guys yourselves. Sneakily researching doesn't get along well with you, huh." Then an acknowledging expression appeared on his face. "Ah, I got it then: let's make peace. Originally wasn't that the intention of the Angels and Devils as well?"

There was mild surprise from everyone present at the sudden suggestion. I don't think Michael-sama thought Azazel would be the first to bring it up. He knew that the feeling was mutual with the others, but he clearly didn't think it would be brought up so soon.

The leader of the Angels was the first to break the stunned silence.

"Yes, I also planned to propose peace to the Devil side and Grigori." Michael-sama announced. If I didn't find out beforehand, I might have been surprised by this declaration. "Even if we continue the relationship of the 3 factions like before, the state of this world would only worsen, ruined by conflict between all of us. I, the leader of the Angels, say it because the original cause of the war, our war generals, God and the Maou-samas, have been annihilated."

Azazel burst out laughing on Michael-san's words. "Ha! That stubborn Michael has started to speak. Even though he was about "God, God, God" before! Hahaha!"

For a brief moment, I noticed Michael-sama's smile change. It became...smaller...slightly bitter.

"….I have lost a lot of things. However, there's no helping seeking for things that aren't present. It is our duty to guide humans. We members of the Seraph have the same opinion that the most important thing is to watch over the children of God from now on as well, and to guide them." His words, while peaceful, held sorrow in them. I could only imagine what Michael-sama could have lost to make him possess this pain of his.

"Hey hey, with your speech just now, you'll 'fall' you know? -I thought that but you took over the system, right. It's become a good world. It's completely different from the time when we 'fell'."

"We are the same." Yet again, Lucifer-sama was in agreement with the other two leaders. "Even if the Devil King, Satan, isn't here, in order to continue the species, Devils too have moved forward as well. If another war were to break out, our species would not survive."

On Sirzechs-sama's words, Azazel nodded as well.

"Yes. The 3 factions will definitely be mutually destroyed in the event a second Great War broke out. First our world, then that of the humans will end along with the rest of the world in one, big, tragic domino effect." Azazel's joking demeanor completely changed from earlier into this more serious mood. "A war is the last thing we need."

All three leaders could not agree more on this matter.

"Now tell me: Do you think a world without God is wrong?" Azazel asked. "Do you think a world without God would decay? I am sorry to say but that isn't the case. All of us are living healthily like this."

"Although His legacy, along with those of our fallen leaders, lives on in the world we guard, we are still here even though He is not. Even without God, this world will continue."

It was only when every single eye in the room turned towards me that I realized I had spoken my thoughts aloud. I felt my face flush in embarrassment. The other leaders were all eyeing me with strange looks in their eyes. I couldn't quite tell their feelings because I immediately averted my gaze downward.

"I-I mean it was just something I thought was obvious! What with the fact the world hasn't c-collapsed or exploded or anything I-I mean!" I immediately bowed my head to everyone. "I a-apologize for speaking out of turn!"

Azazel started to laugh again. "Haha! Don't worry about it! You said the exact words that were on everyone's minds!" Then he grinned teasingly. "But I wouldn't have added that last embarrassed outburst. That kind of killed the cool mood you set." Screw you, Azazel! "It's a good thing that none of Satan's kin have attained the power to upset the balance. Holy and Demonic powers are still not separated even though Satan's bloodline still exists in this world, so you also can't say they have created an influence on this world of ours."

And yet again, the previously peaceful air became cold. There it went. I had let my guard down.

I knew that, at some point, it would happen, but it happened when I least expected it.

The atmosphere once again became heavy as that terrifying topic once again came to light.

"Ah yes. There is _that_ matter to consider." Lucifer-sama leaned forward in his chair, sitting in a style similar to that of Gendo Ikari. "We must discuss the subject that's on all of our minds: The revealed existence of our previous Devil King's surviving descendants."

Azazel sighed, leaning on his arm which he used to hold his head up. "Yeah. That is a troubling issue. For more reasons than just one."

"Yes. As before, he possesses great power despite not having unlocked the Balance Breaker of the Divine Dividing." Michael-sama pointed out. "A great power he cannot yet control if I might add. And there's also his young age to take into account, which, along with his inexperience, makes him an excellent target for those who want to use him for political gain. If he makes an appearance before the entire Devil race, they will take it as a sign to reignite the old war which has already ended."

I did my best to keep calm, but my hands were trembling again. This was the direction I most feared the conversation would take. I had thought things would go differently after I revealed it, but I think I overestimated how much that information was worth to them. Have I actually only dug my own grave even deeper?

"Don't get us wrong." Azazel waved off whatever words Lucifer-sama was about to attempt to say in response. "We understand that trying to lay a hand on him ourselves is a no-no. This would be seen as a blatant attack on the Devils' side to prevent them from gaining power, so for the Angels or Fallen Angels to act would only result in further bloodshed. I can only imagine a certain group wouldn't mind getting their hands on him. In fact, I daresay they've already made first contact. Isn't that right, Shirou?"

I paled, gaining a more powerful urge to throw up. I knew full well that he was right about that!

Michael-sama's expression became bitter, as if he was thinking of something unpleasant. "Unlike his sister, whose existence we've never discovered until she willingly revealed herself, he would be a most dangerous weapon used against us. No matter what scenario, all three factions would suffer in a forced conflict none of us are prepared for."

"Hey! What the heck are you guys saying here?!" Serafall was standing up, her arm outstretched in front of me protectively. She looked really steamed. "You speak of him as if he is not even here! Not to mention, for what you are insinuating about my servant, punishment will not be light!"

"Serafall, silence yourself!" Lucifer-sama's request-no-his ORDER left no room for dispute. And his expression...it looked far more serious than what it had been before.

"But Sirzechs-!"

"Enough. There is no room for negotiation on this matter." After saying those words, Lucifer-sama breathed deeply, closing his eyes in contemplation. "Is it correct to say that your groups cannot agree to a more solid agreement until this issue is dealt with...?"

"Essentially."

"I am afraid so."

Both Azazel and Michael-sama were in agreement, causing Lucifer-sama to sigh.

"I suspected as much." Lucifer-sama stood from his chair, turning his eyes towards...ME. There was no kindness nor mercy in his gaze. "Then in order to satisfy the other factions attending this meeting, I will take this blood upon my own hands for the sake of my people."

It felt as though the air froze...No. Not froze. It felt like there was no air left in the room at all. It was as if the world just simply "stopped", predicting the shocking words that next came out of the mouth of the Maou Lucifer.

"For the sake of obtaining peace, I, Sirzechs Lucifer, will execute Shirou Fujimura on the behalf of the Devils' side."

Nobody moved. Nobody said anything.

All that remained in the room was the force of the shock that Lucifer-sama's words had inflicted on all of us.

It was at that moment that I broke. I didn't fall to the ground, I didn't lash out at everybody, nor did I try to object.

It was the obvious outcome. Everyone had been so optimistic concerning the merciful nature of our leaders, but they forgot the cold and heartless nature of politics. It was just as Shalba had said. I was too much of a threat to the other factions to be left alive.

I wasn't in denial nor was I enraged.

I was resigned. Resigned to the fate that this cursed power of mine had planned for me since the moment I was born.

Lowering my head, I smiled bitterly. Nobody could change this.

"THAT'S BULLSHIT!"

There was the sound of shattering wood.

I looked up, and there he was.

Ise was standing at the table, his fist, clad in Boosted Gear, slammed down on it, creating large fractures on the surface.

"Ise!" Rias ran over to her Pawn, grabbing his hand and trying to draw him away from the table.

"No! That isn't right!" Ise clenched his fists tightly, Ise's rage showing on his face. "You can't just do that! He's done nothing wrong! And you're still going to do this!?"

"Please do not misunderstand, Issei Hyoudou." Lucifer-sama said. "It is not a meaningless act. If others learn of Shirou's power, they will seek to covet it for themselves." He directed his gaze towards two others in the room: Jack and Mako-nee. "And his allies cannot protect him forever. He is an unknown factor that we cannot risk."

"So you will kill him solely for existing?!" Ise's rage only seemed to increase in response to Lucifer-sama's answer.

"You can't!" I looked to see Asia, tears welling up in her eyes. "Shirou-san is a good person! Please don't do this!"

"With all due respect, Lucifer-sama, this is outrageous!" Ravel chimed in as well. "My master has loyally served Leviathan-sama without hesitation!"

Yumi stepped forward as well. "He risked life and limb to protect all of us during Kokabiel's assault! How can you believe his power will turned against us!?"

"I won't let anyone touch Onii-chan!" Jack made such a bold challenge in front of everyone present.

One-by-one, many of my friends from the Devils' side spoke up in my defense, strongly protesting the judgment decided by their leader. Even Tsubaki, with whom I did not interact with as much as I should have, spoke up in my defense, but she did not possess as much confidence as the others. The only ones who did not speak up were my servants who arrived here the other day (mainly Siris) and Sona, who remained so silent you never would have believed she was there, standing with her arms crossed and her expression cold.

And it wasn't just them...

"Michael-sama, please!" Irina appeared beside "God", her hands trembling. "Devil or not, he's my friend, a cherished person of mine! You must reconsider your decision!" Her voice trembled, either from sorrow or fear of what Michael-sama would do if she overstepped her boundaries.

"I understand your discontent," Michael-sama sympathized, wearing a mournful expression, "but this matter is bigger than the bonds of friends and loved ones. Those from Azazel's side understand this as w-Oh dear."

Michael-sama was forced to pause upon noticing the three Fallen Angels on Azazel's side. He sweatdropped as he took notice of the teary-eyed expressions on their faces, mostly Mittelt who had waterfalls pouring out of her eyes.

[NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! WAAAAAAAAH!]

EVERYONE covered their ears to avoid going deaf at the heartbroken shrieks of the three girls who immediately broke down into tears.

"You caaaan't!"

"Don't kill my adorable Shirou-kuuuun~!"

"I still haven't had master's babiiiieees!"

"H-Hey, calm down now." Azazel was clearly unsettled by the horribly unprofessional way his people were acting (most likely because it made his faction seem less cool than the others). "Vali-"

But the silver-haired woman had completely vanished.

"Sorry, Azazel-" And that was when a soft, pale-white finger gently stroked my cheek. And that was also when I felt hot, sensual breathing on my neck. "-but I, too, would rather that my lover was NOT executed." My face flushed at the perverted smile Vali looked at me with.

"Ha!" Azazel laughed, seeming thoroughly amused by this turn of events. "To think that somebody would actually manage to entangle Vali's heart! Impressive!" I felt disgusted by how he retained this demeanor even with the subject of execution on the table.

Judging from the mix of shock and annoyance on the expressions of my REAL lovers and harem girls, Vali's declaration would have turned out much more explosively had Sona-senpai not chosen to raise her hand at that moment.

"Lucifer-sama, Leviathan-sama, before this discussion gets out of hand, may I give my thoughts on this matter?" She asked politely. "I wish for this matter to finally be put to rest once and for all concerning the decision of Fujimura Shirou's execution."

"Sona..." Serafall looked like she feared the worst, eyeing her beloved sister with a begging expression.

But me...I was still resigned. Even if every other person in this room fought in my defense, they were no match for the strongest of the three factions' leaders. I was going to die.

Lucifer-sama considered Senpai's request for a moment, then nodded. "Very well. Go ahead."

My Senpai bowed. "Thank you." Then she turned to address everyone. "Just as it has been repeated again and again this night, Fujimura-kun does possess immense power, much of it remaining untapped even now. Worst of all, he lacks any form of control over it." My grave became deeper and deeper under my feet. The only question was how long before I fell into it. "If he were to be captured, he would no doubt be a powerful weapon to any of our enemies. They would easily garner the support of the disloyal Devils as long as they possessed the inheritor of Satan-sama's will as their figurehead. On paper, executing Fujimura-kun while his existence is but a mere rumor is a sound plan. It removes all obstacles and guarantees the peace agreement between the three factions."

"How could you?!" Irina broke the silence, shock on her face and tears in her eyes. "How can you say such cruel things about Shi-chan like...like he's a TOOL!? Aren't you supposed to be his FRIEND!? What is wrong with you!?" Irina averted her gaze, unable to prevent herself from crying. "Shi-chan is one of the greatest people I know! I know you believe Shi-chan will be turned against us, but that's just not true! Shi-chan-Shi-chan is...!" She couldn't even finish her sentence, overcome by her grief and tears. Gabriel placed a reassuring hand on Irina's shoulder, slowly dragging the Exorcist into her embrace, soothing her with a soft voice and gentle arms.

Sona narrowed her eyes at Irina, as if irritated by her interruption.

"Now, as I was saying before, it is a sound plan on paper-" Then she stared at Irina, as if DARING her to interrupt again. "-HOWEVER-" And that was when everyone started paying very close attention. "-At the same time, this plan is flawed and doomed to failure."

[Huh?]

Even I was taken aback by Sona-senpai's words, temporarily snapped out of my resigned state.

"Truly think about it. Do you truly believe all of Fujimura-kun's friends and comrades here would simply keep quiet of the incident?" Lucifer-sama raised an eyebrow, but said nothing. "They would no doubt go out of their way to share everything witnessed here. The only way you would be able to silence the truth would be to either imprison them or kill them, and the disappearance of this many would raise more questions than you could silence, especially if one of those affected was a Pure-Blood Devil heiress such as Rias."

This was long the same lines of what she had said to me before...but that still didn't stop them from bringing this up...

"But the reason I object is not for that logic." I blinked at Sona-senpai's odd statement. "No...It appears Fujimura-kun has influenced even me. The reason I object to his execution is because it's wrong!" She smiled to herself, seeming amused by her own words. "As childish as it sounds, I believe that this decision is wrong on moral grounds. To create the peace you desire, you will forsake the happiness of Shirou and all who know him, especially Onee-sama."

Serafall sniffled, her eyes watering in the face of her younger sister's words (which were no doubt twisted into something romantic and sexual in that siscon mind of hers).

Sona-senpai shook her head. "Even for the peace of the Underworld...as irrational as it is, I refuse to accept something that costs their happiness. Is it not hypocritical to claim to desire peace but trample over others to obtain it?"

The tension in the air became even thicker, several of those with weaker poker faces gasping as Sona-senpai all but accused three of the most powerful existences of such a thing.

Then everything froze.

Not figuratively. Everything LITERALLY froze, completely stopped.

Every part of my body was stuck and even my ability to perceive my surroundings halted. This power holding me...there was no doubt what happened.

Time had been stopped.

* * *

**Once again guys, I'm really sorry that this took a MONTH. I'm also sorry it's not as satisfying as it should have been. I am sorry. Look on the bright side. This means next chapter is over 3/4ths complete. Maybe a few more days unless I get sidetracked or other stuff comes up.**

**Also, I've been considering trying another DxD fic but my inspiration for it has been low. Let me know if you guys are interested. If so, I'm accepting suggestions for concepts or ideas to use as a basis for the story. No biggie though. It would be more of a side project unless of course it somehow obtained more of a fanbase than Vanishing Dragon.**

**And as I've said before, I hope somebody can get me in touch with someone who can create good original artwork for Vanishing Dragon. Not a big deal.**

**Anyway~-WAIT!**

**Recently, I've started reading this Fairy Tail fic by Makoto x Chelia called The Experiment Fairy...O_O...It is great. You should all read it. It's really good.**

**Next time, on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan:**

Makoto: It looks like the party-crashers have arrived.

Sirzechs: Even knowing that you will be executed regardless of whether or not you flee, you will stay and fight with us, _for_ us?

Shirou: I will stay with _my friends, _and fight for _my master_ whom I love. So don't get the wrong idea.

Azazel: So I wasn't mistaken before. You two DO know of them.

Shirou: Why...Why are you doing this?!...Out of everyone...why YOU!?

Serafall: I'll show you what the Maou Leviathan can really do!

**Next time: Betrayal at the Conference Part 2!**

**I can't wait til then~!**

**Happy Halloween!**


	29. Life 28: Betrayal at the Conference Pt 2

**And it's time for part 2! Let us enjoy!**

**Things will get real juicy this chapter, so I hope you all enjoy. You're all in for a shocker. Some of you have guessed what will happen, but I will not spoil it here and now.**

**Also...have low expectations. This has taken over around a month considering that this chapter and last chapter were originally one chapter...My patience has waned numerous times and just needed to move the plot along...For that, I am sorry. You will know the part I'm most sorry for when you see it. It will be the worst, most non-sensical part in the entire chapter that tends to lean towards Shirou being a bitch (even I have to admit it for that part).**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

**Opening: Brave Shine**

_**[15 Second Instrumental] **A bird's eye view, soaring through the air, through the streets of Kuoh Town, passing by Shirou who turns to face the camera before it flies into the sky, the title appearing in the air:_

_**Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan**_

_**[hidari te ni kakushita] **Shirou wakes up with a start, rushing to get dressed, and running out the door._

_**[negai wa negai no mama de] **Shirou, dressed for school, runs through the streets, stopping suddenly._

_**[samenai yume miteta] **Ise and Shirou's friends stand ahead, smiling and gesturing for him to follow, Shirou smiling as he chases after them._

_**[migi te ni wa kara no kioku] **Serafall wanders through empty halls of a high-class building, her hair down and forlorn expression upon her face. Serafall stops by a window and stares sadly through the glass._

_**[daremo shiranai sekai no hate] **The silhouette of a woman with feline features observes Shirou in school from a nearby tree, flicking her tail playfully._

_**[yamanai ame ni utareteita] **Gasper sits in the darkness of her room, hugging her legs against her chest, her eyes glowing._

_**[mamoritai mono o mamoreru tsuyosa] **An empty-looking Irina walks through the streets of Kuoh Town in the rain, turning around in shock as images of her younger self and the younger Shirou and Ise run past her like a memory._

_**[sore o shinjirarenakunaru yowasa] **Shirou sits in the ORC clubroom with his friends, staring at his open right hand, staring at the darkened skin caused by his possession before tightening his fist full of determination._

_**[subete o ukeirete]** In an unknown place, a red-eyed figure sitting upon his throne in the shadows smiles softly, four silhouettes standing at his side._

_**[ashita o sagasu] **Shirou stands by his other friends and comrades, staring determinedly at the approaching tides of war, summoning Divine Dividing._

_**[Brave shine] **Issei (in Scale Mail) Clashes against the explosive power of Vali in the skies above Kuoh Academy._

_**[te wo nobaseba mada Stay the night] **Scene change to the school grounds. An adult-version of Jack blocks a blast of Demonic Power from Katerea Leviathan using several knives of an evil origin, evading numerous other blasts using incredible speed before leaping into the air and swinging her blades forward._

_**[kizu darake no yoru You save my life]** Scene change to the woods behind the school. An explosion rocks the earth, Shirou fleeing back out of the kicked-up dust, catching the blow of the powerful "Shadow" the two unleashing powerful punches coated in blue and black demonic power respectively, resulting in a deadlock of explosive power._

_**[kazashita yaiba no saki ni] **Only Shirou's silhouette becomes visible in a giant towering vortex of azure flames surrounding his body, only glowing red eyes showing any difference in color. Serafall cries out to Shirou, tears falling from her eyes._

_**[omoi o kasaneta]** Images of Shirou's favored memories play in black and white like on a super 8 film reel._

_**[inori wa toki o koete]** Shirou's friends and those he considers "family" stand outside the normal Kuoh Academy, smiling and inviting him forward, Issei extending his hand towards Shirou._

_**[Your brave shine...]** In an unknown place, Shirou walks across a crystal and undisturbed body of water, walking with determination in his eyes as he halts suddenly, confronting "the Shadow" standing across from him, dramatic wind blowing around them. Scene changes to Devi-kun, half-submerged in the water._

* * *

**Life 28: Betrayal at the Conference Part 2**

"Oh good. It looks like you finally returned, lover."

When I was finally able to perceive my surroundings again, the first thing I noticed was the fact I was face-to-face with a certain silver-haired girl who had just made another advance on me by firmly grasping my buttox. I shuddered as a result from the close proximity to this girl while blushing from embarrassment.

"Please get away from me." I made sure to use a tone that clearly expressed the commanding nature of my words.

Vali shrugged, doing as I had told her and walking away. But her smirk told me she was not yet finished with me.

"Ah, so it looks like Shirou has also managed to come back."

I rubbed my eyes, making sure I was not mistaken. Everyone else's position had suddenly changed. The leader's were all standing up. Michael-sama was looking outside from a window, and Lucifer-sama and Azazel were deep in discussion about something serious while Serafall looked around, anxious. The scenery had changed. It seemed...more hostile. Like enemy territory.

I noticed my Sacred Gear somehow activated on its own, as if responding to this hostility.

Ise and Rias were looking around, seeming very stunned while Xenovia, Irina, and Yumi were on-guard. Jack stood next to Michael-sama, looking very troubled by something. Mako-nee just stood there, her arms crossed and a serious expression on her face.

But everyone else...

"W-What's going on!?"

Fear filled my heart as I saw everyone else, completely motionless. Sona, Ravel, everyone!

"What is this-?!"

"Shiroooooouuuu!" And that was when a familiar weight glomped against me, wrapping me tightly in her arms. I found my face smothered by an equally familiar set of bosoms. "I was so scaaaaaaared! I thought you was gonna be frozen foreveeeeeer!" Was sobbing even louder and louder, increasing the tightness of her embrace and practically suffocating me with her heavily mounds.

It took quite a bit of effort, but I finally managed to wrench myself free of Serafall's hug only for her to immediately cling to me, burying her face into my chest and soaking my shirt in her tears.

"Can someone please explain what the Hell just happened?" I asked. "Why is everyone like this?!"

"It appears they've all been stopped." Rias explained, pointing out the obvious.

"And you and Hyoudou Issei were spared from this due to the power Heavenly Dragons." Vali gestured to my Divine Dividing, smirking with that smirk that irritated me so.

"OK, a better question: Why aren't YOU frozen?"

Once again, Vali brushed a hand against my face. Bad touch! Bad touch!

"Why it's thanks to you, Shirou~" Vali teased. "Just as the Sekiryuutei's power shielded Rias Gremory, your power protected me from the power affecting the others."

I groaned. "I really wish it hadn't..." Yet again, Albion has screwed me over. Shitty Dragon...

"And it looks like the Holy-Sword and Holy-Demon Sword users were protected due to their unique powers." Mako-nee didn't budge. She looked firmly stuck in place despite not being frozen like the rest of my friends. "Those of us with greater than normal power were spared this, but how long that lasts...I don't know..." She sounded troubled, but not worried.

That makes sense. Only those of us who could be considered abnormal powers were able to avoid being permanently frozen.

Ise looked understandably panicked. "What? I don't get this! Buchou, what's going on?!"

Rias opened her mouth to answer. "It appears to be-"

"-a terrorist attack." Azazel cut her off, approaching the window. "Look outside."

I needed no further invitation rushing past the Fallen Angel Governor and taking a peak outside. I did not like what I saw.

All of the forces of the gathered leaders were frozen in time as well. Not only that, but a barrier seems to have erected around the school grounds, sealing us in and keeping any help out. When I looked out at the sky above us, my eyes seriously almost popped out of their sockets.

"What...is that?"

"I'm not sure, but I believe the locals call it a "ma-gic cir-cle"(?)." Azazel replied sarcastically with a smirk. "Don't know if I'm pronouncing that right."

I gave him an equally sarcastic smile. "Oh hardy har HAR! Fuck you."

Then I turned my gaze back towards the outside. I received a shock when I saw explosions roaring in the background, blasts of magic being thrown in rapid succession. Not only that, but there were smaller magic circles appearing out of the air, robed figures emerging from them, adding to the firepower that their associates already possessed. At first, I thought they were Devils because they were conjuring magic circles to unleash their spells, but that didn't seem quite right...

"It looks like the party crashers have arrived." Mako-nee noted, sighing to herself. "I figured there would be opposition to the peace conference but for a force of this size to organize..."

Azazel nodded. "Well, whenever people get together to discuss peace, there will always be those who oppose it."

"I-It's them...!" Irina squeaked, immediately covering her mouth. Azazel raised an eyebrow, but I didn't think he actually caught what Irina had said, but the two of us exchanged knowing glances. There could only be one culprit behind this attack and Irina and I had met the leaders only days ago.

The [Khaos Brigade].

"Those stupid Magicians! Who do they think they are?!" Serafall whined. "I'm the one who's a real life magical girl and they're ignoring ME! They're just a bunch of phonies! Right, Shi-chan?!"

I sweatdropped. "Serafall, I don't think that's the issue we should be focusing on right now." Then I turned back to Azazel. "And..."Magicians"?"

Ise glanced at them nervously. "I take it these guys don't just pull a rabbit from a hat, do they...?"

"These aren't some birthday party entertainers. They're the real deal." The Fallen Angel Governor crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the gathering forces outside. "These are real Magicians, humans who were able to learn magic like that of sorcerers."

"So...they're like Merlin? That guy who taught King Arthur?" I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me in spite of the current situation.

"Ha!" For some reason, that seemed to amuse Azazel. "The answer to that is both yes and no." Now I'm confused. "The legendary Magician, Merlin Ambrosius, did in fact interpret the magic system of the Devils for humans to use, but these guys are nowhere near his level. To sum up how powerful he was, just imagine the final boss of a video game with the difficulty set to hard. He was even more powerful than that."

I whistled, impressed. And these guys were more like sub-bosses or a boss mob.

"So these guys can also use Devil powers?"

Azazel nodded. "Yeah. From the power they're emitting, I'd place the, at about on par with Mid-Class Devils."

It was then that I realized how severe the situation was.

"It's even more troublesome if a Sacred Gear possessor also becomes a Magician." Azazel turned his gaze back towards the Magicians who were desperately trying to kill us. "But the barrier we made seems to be holding up just fine."

"But it won't hold forever." Mako-nee approached us, radiating a hostile aura. "Their numbers surpass our own and it will be an issue for even us if they break through while we're protecting everybody." Then she turned to address the leaders. "The Dhampir child needs to be dealt with if we wish to turn the tides."

Ise turned to her. "Dhampir? You mean Gasper?!"

"Who else do you know that possesses the power to stop time?" I was taken aback by the harsh tone Mako-nee had towards Ise. "Their leader is surprisingly a clever person. Sh-They probably used a transfer-type Sacred Gear to force more power into the child's Sacred Gear to force a sort of pseudo-Balance Breaker."

"If they manage to increase her power any more than this, then even we will be stopped eventually." Thanks for that nice thought, Azazel. The pressure of the situation just wasn't heavy enough.

Rias was fuming. She was LITERALLY fuming. Crimson red aura radiated from her body like smoke. "Gasper has been made into a terrorist weapon at the old school building…Just where did they get information on my servant…?"

"Probably from the traitor Shirou-kun told us about."

Every single person in the room (those frozen in time excluded of course) turned on their heels to face Gabriel who had spoken up. Not just me, but Michael-sama, Lucifer-sama, and Azazel also stared exasperatedly at her. Akeno probably would have done the same if she had not in fact been stopped.

"Traitor?" Ise frowned, seeming more uneasy than he did when he first saw the increasing army of Magicians outside. "Please don't say stuff like that." Then he realized something. "Wait...what do you mean Shirou told you about it...?" He looked at me, seeming confused and just a little hurt. Perhaps because I didn't deign to share this info with everyone else.

Michael-sama sighed sadly at his sister. "Gabriel, did we all not agree to keep that information between us?"

Gabriel looked ashamed, like she had broken one of her brother's favorite toys. She really did seem like a child sometimes.

"But perhaps she is right, Michael." Lucifer-sama shared a similar expression, turning to face everyone. I felt my heart sink as Lucifer-sama said what I had feared he would say. "Their attack was too coordinated. Too well-timed and they also knew about the Dhampir's power. Their numbers are also nothing to scoff at and they built up their forces beforehand. This has to be the work of the traitor."

"Michael-sama, are you saying that someone here is allied with the enemy?" Irina looked all around the room, looking like a scared child who expected the boogie man to pop out of her closet at any moment. In all honesty, that perfectly described our situation. Waiting for our own "boogie man" to pop out to try to kill us all.

"I am afraid so." He turned to the rest of us as did the other leaders. "Just as Gabriel said, there is a traitor among us. I was not certain when Shirou-kun informed us, but this situation confirms it."

Yeah...It happened after my meeting with Akeno. I told her everything about what Satan had told me (which wasn't really much) about an enemy being close by... First, she scolded me for keeping such a thing secret, but she appreciated that I had finally become more honest with the things I have been hiding. Then she requested that I tell our leaders to warn them in case the traitor decided to act, so Lucifer-sama, Michael-sama, and Azazel-sama all knew. However it appears Gabriel somehow learned it from Michael-sama.

"That's my Shi-chan~!" Serafall wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly as she praised me. "Only my super special Queen could have figured that out~!" Then a pause. "How DID you figure that out anyway?"

Then all eyes were on me. "Well, I...I didn't. It was something I was told...by _the guy in my head_ if you know what I mean." Everyone here knew by now about my possession at the hands of the former Devil King. What they DIDN'T know, however, were the words he had left me with before I returned to the world of the living. I told them the traitor, my true enemy, was close by, but I didn't tell them that-

"Wait. You KNEW this was going to happen?!" Rias approached me hostilely, clearly still incredibly upset about the fact that her Bishop had been taken hostage while the rest of her servants had been frozen in time. "And it didn't occur to you to mention this before?"

"I had no evidence and it was irrelevant before all this!" I couldn't just let myself be bulldozed like I was some sort of manipulative politician or whatever! "The only ones who knew prior to the meeting about it were pretty much me and our _ever so merciful_ leaders over here who told me to keep it between us!" My sarcasm was not lost on the three major players in this meeting. They all did not look at me. "Also, how could I have ever predicted THIS would happen?!"

"Shirou-sama..." I was brought back down from my anger when Xenovia gripped me tightly on the arm. And I mean TIGHT. I couldn't be entirely sure if she was trying to calm me down or break my arm.

Yumi also came to my side. "OK, other than that vague information, do you have any clues as to who our traitor is...?" She looked incredibly worried for me. First I had been threatened with execution and now we were ALL stuck in this life-or-death situation.

I hesitated. "N...No." I just outright lied to Yumi...I couldn't. I just could not tell the truth. I couldn't admit it. If I said it, it would become THE truth...

"Personally, I feel that our Fallen Angel Governor is the most suspicious."

"Huh?" I turned to Makoto, the one who threw the first accusation, looking completely indifferent about the fact she had just accused the leader of the Fallen Angels of selling us all out to be killed. "What are you saying, Mako-nee?!"

Makoto narrowed her eyes at Azazel. "Think about it. To perfectly manipulate the child's Forbidden Balor View, they would need some information as to the Sacred Gear's power as well as its location during this time. Azazel, too, has scouted out the meeting ground beforehand so he should also know where the Occult Research Club's location should be. It would be easy to betray the meeting and kidnap all of the present Sacred Gear users for his research once the others had been dealt with."

"Now hold on a second, _little girl_." It didn't take a genius to figure out where Azazel's eyes were.

A tic appeared on Mako-nee's forehead. "'_L-Little_'?" She lunged forward, ready to sock him in the face.

I immediately stepped between them, trying to prevent the fight that was bound to break out.

"Everyone, calm down!" Makoto didn't react to the fact that everyone was well aware she was about to attack the Fallen Angel Governor. It was honestly shocking how quickly she came back down from her rage, her expression passive. "We don't have time for this bullshit! We can throw around accusations all we like later but we have a more immediate issue to take care of and that's the army of Magicians amassing outside! And let's not forget there's also Gasper to worry about! We won't get jack shit done if we spend our time sitting around, waiting for someone to stab us in the back! If nothing is done, then we're all gonna die! You, me, Gasper, and everyone, even our leaders! So everyone, unless you have a plan in mind-please-SHUT UP! !"

.

.

.

The silence that followed made me really uneasy.

Then laughter.

"Hahahahahaha!" Azazel was practically tripping over himself, unable to contain whatever mirth my words had caused him. "Oi oi! Michael! Remember back then?! Doesn't this seem just like it?!"

Michael-sama smiled slightly. "Yes. They're alike in more ways than one."

I stared at them with half-lidded eyes. "Huh? What are you guys talking about...?"

[Nothing.]

I knew that was an outright lie because of the way they spoke in perfect unison with those damned smiles of theirs. But that was a matter that would wait for another time.

"Tch! Fine then!" I turned on my heels, facing everyone else. "We can't run and we can't call in reinforcements. Our only choice is to fight back! Here is where we'll stand our ground! Our first and foremost priority is to rescue Gasper from the old school building and protect our comrades! After we reverse her Sacred Gear's power over the others, we'll show these damned terrorists just what we're made of!"

It was only after I finished speaking that I realized just how pompous and cocky I sounded. Everyone was staring.

My face flushed.

"Well...er...I mean, that's what I think we should do..."

"Pfffthahahahaha!" Ise started laughing at me, hunching over while clutching his stomach. "You always know how to raise everyone's spirits!"

Rias smiled to herself, covering her face with her hand. "Ise's right. I'm beginning to think you really enjoy giving big speeches like that. You always use such passion right before a battle."

"Shi-tan is right though..." Serafall walked over to me, tightly gripping my hand. "First thing's first, we need to stop the Forbidden Balor View's power and bring back So-tan and the others!"

Lucifer-sama considered this for a moment and nodded. "So we're all in agreement on what needs to be done then?"

"Onii-sama, I'll go." Rias immediately stepped forward, raising her hand. Her expression was determined. "Gasper is my servant. It's my responsibility to take him back."

Lucifer-sama laughed lightly. "I understand my younger sister's personality." The. He frowned. "However, how will you get to the old school building? There is an army of Magicians outside this building alone and normal transfer magic is being blocked by their magic."

"The old school building—my base's clubroom has a remaining unused [Rook] piece being safe kept within it."

Rias sounded so calm and sure about whatever she was talking about, but I had no idea why. She has an unused Rook. So what? Was a new servant just going to appear out of nowhere and save Gasper? Why is she so confident in an unused piece...?

"I see, [Castling], huh." Lucifer-sama sounded impressed. "Since they would usually expect us to go take him back, this could catch the opponent off-guard. They'll anticipate some kind of trick."

""Castling"...?"

"It's just as it sounds, little brother." I jumped at Mako-nee's sudden appearance beside me. "It is the same tactic used in normal chess. A neat trick Beelzebub thought up while inventing the Evil Pieces."

"So Rias can trade places with her Rook because it's unused..." I crossed my arms, thinking. "...This circumvents the issue of not being able to use normal teleportation." I could only marvel at the genius of Beelzebub-sama.

"Alright." Rias turned back to her older sibling. "However, it's reckless to go alone. Grayfia, is it possible to transfer more than one person through [Castling] with my magic system?"

The maid of the Gremory household stepped forward. "Yes, it seems we can only deploy a simple technique ceremony here, but it's possible to transfer ojou-sama and one other." So Rias won't be handling this alone. That's good...

"So the person who goes with Rias should be-"

"You must remain within our sights at all times."

My words were interrupted by the stern voice of Lucifer-sama. He stared at me with hurtful suspicion.

I clicked my tongue. "Maybe if you let me FINISH, you would have realized I was about to say Rias should take Ise." Lucifer-sama looked me dead in the eyes. I didn't falter. "I'm not going to run away. Doing so will only cause trouble for others and it would dishonor Serafall. Not to mention it wouldn't mean anything anyway if we all end up killed by the Magicians."

Lucifer-sama finally relented, turning his sharp gaze away. But he still seemed curious about something.

"Even knowing that you will be executed regardless of whether or not you flee, you will stay and fight with us, _for_ us?"

Now it was my turn to glare daggers at him. "I will stay with _my friends, _and fight for _my master_ whom I love. So don't get the wrong idea." I didn't care if he got offended by my hostile tone. He was to be my executioner so who gives a shit? As long Serafall and the others are alright, I don't care.

But the oddest thing was the Maou's reaction. He didn't seem offended or annoyed. If anything, he seemed impressed for some reason. During this entire event, it's felt like that I'm nothing more than an object of entertainment to these leaders. They always just laugh or smile like I did or said something funny.

Lucifer-sama then turned to Rias. "Do you agree with the Hakuryuukou's suggestion?"

"Yes." It didn't even take Rias five seconds to respond. "Ise, can I count on you?"

The Sekiryuutei raised the arm which possessed Boosted Gear. "Of course, Buchou! I will definitely protect you and rescue our Kouhai as well!" He said it with such a determined face that nobody could doubt his chances of success. While he usually fails at life, Ise was a really dependable guy when the situation called for it.

"It's decided then." Lucifer-sama announced. Then he turned to the Fallen Angel Governor. "Azazel, according to a rumor, you've been researching how to freely handle Sacred Gears for a fixed time, right?"

"Yeah, that's true, but what about it?"

"Is it possible to control the Sekiryuutei?"

"…"

Azazel fell silent in response to Lucifer-sama's question. However, the Governor of the Fallen Angels groped around in his breast pocket and—

"Oi, Sekiryuutei." Azazel threw something to Ise who skillfully caught it. Upon further inspection, the objects could be identified as bracelets...I didn't understand the strange characters carved into them though.

"Those are bracelets with the power to control a Sacred Gear to some degree. If you find the aforementioned half-vampire, put one on him. It'll help him control his power somewhat."

"But, there are two of them…?"

"The other one is for you. You haven't mastered the power of the [Welsh Dragon], right?" Ise shook his head. "If so, put it on. If it's for a short time, it'll be possible to go into the Balance Breaker state without paying any price. This will be used in place of the price."

"So Ise won't have to sacrifice an arm and a leg to use Balance Breaker?" I crossed my arms, thinking. "Then maybe..."

"No, Shirou." Azazel's abrupt answer jarred me out of my thoughts. He had a knowing look on his face, and he seemed pretty sure of his answer. "It won't work for you who has not established a proper dialogue with Albion."

I frowned. He really DID know what I was planning to ask. "What do you mean?"

"What I mean is that Issei has already used his incomplete Balance Breaker once by trading his arm to Ddraig." Azazel gestured to Issei's arm. How he knew which one specifically he had traded, I had no idea. I assume it's how he knows just about everything else. "A majority of the power Issei uses comes from Ddraig. In terms of piece distribution concerning the eight Pawns Issei possesses inside of him, Issei is about 0.1 while Ddraig is the other 7.9 of the pieces. By fulfilling certain conditions, he was able to temporarily access the Welsh Dragon's strength as a result of dialogue with Ddraig."

"So...because Albion won't grant me his power or speak to me, I can't use a method to force Balance Breaker like Issei can..." I hung my head, once again loathing the stupid Dragon I possessed. "If I used the ring..."

"There's two possible scenarios that could result." Azazel raised two fingers. "It would be either 1) Nothing would happen or 2) The shock of the rapid energy consumption could destroy your body entirely."

Then he turned back to Issei with his expression still serious. "Use that ring as a last resort. Since it can't regulate its consumption of stamina, you'll just exhaust yourself wastefully if you activate it suddenly." He warned. "It will consume an intense amount of stamina and magical power while in your armor is equipped."

Issei swallowed, clearly less confident of his trump card than he was before.

"Remember this well, both of you." Azazel advised, seeming pretty determined to drive this point home. "Your current selves are Devils who were born with human blood. Even if one possesses a powerful Sacred Gear, there's no meaning if the host is useless. If the opponent against the current you is inexperienced, you can just sprinkle the power of the Heavenly Dragons' power to win, but it's a tractable thing regarding those with greater power and those who understand your ability. At any rate, you yourselves are your Sacred Gears' weak points. The cluster of your weakness is assuredly your inability to master them. You'll eventually die if you can't tame your powers."

"I-I understand."

"I know..."

And just like that, that idea was dead. Using my Sacred Gear, I'd never be able to protect my friends, and a part of me was still loathe to rely on the powers granted to me by the former Devil King. My level of control over any of my powers was far inferior to that of Issei...

"Azazel, just how far did you research Sacred Gears?" Michael-sama asked Azazel while sighing.

The fallen angel Governor just smiled fearlessly. "It's fine, isn't it? God, the one who made the Sacred Gears, isn't here, right? Isn't it better if there's someone who can explain about Sacred Gears at least a little? I heard there are all kinds of things that even you don't know, right?"

"I think the problem is that you're the one who's researching it…" Michael-sama sighed yet again. However, it also seemed like he kind of expected a response like that. These two kind of seemed like bickering brothers in a way, always having a criticism for one another without any true ill or hostile intent. It was just how things were.

It was irritating, but talking like this was all we could do until Grayfia-sama finished preparing Rias and Issei's teleportation. On the bright side, now that Issei had the power needed to use his Balance Breaker again, our chances of successfully rescuing Gasper shot up.

I looked at the window, sweating when I kept realizing the enemy's numbers.

...But still...

"There's no way Rias and Ise, the Sekiryuutei, will go unnoticed." I pointed out.

"No, they won't." Azazel agreed. Then I noticed that signature smirk of his. "Which is why we'll give them a little "distraction"."

I raised an eyebrow, examining the Fallen Angel's expression. "What _kind _of distraction?"

Azazel crossed his arms, his expression still confident. "Vali."

"What is it, Azazel?"

"Oh shi-What the fuck?!" I stumbled over myself before leaping away from the head that peered over my shoulder.

Vali smirked at me, clearly amused by my reaction. I had had no idea she was there! She came out of thin air like a freakin ninja!

"You go catch the enemy's attention outside. If you come out at the front, it'll disrupt their strategy a little." Azazel apparently missed my incredulous expression and continued without pause. "Maybe a little pressure may draw their leader out to the forefront of the battlefield."

Vali was clearly pleased by that. "So the "final boss" might show themselves?"

"If you do that, they won't expect for the Sekiryuutei to transfer using [Castling]. It'll also have the effect of attracting their attention a little."

"Hold on!" I immediately grabbed both of their attentions, staring blankly for a moment while I decided how to most eloquently express my thoughts. "I will start with "Are you crazy?!"! You're sending her out there alone?! Do you NOT see the army of Magicians standing right outside this very building?!"

"Oh, Shirou, I didn't know you cared so much~" Vali teased, still seeming completely unconcerned.

I narrowed my eyes at her. "I don't-" I did though (due to that same irrational attachment as before). "-but I just don't want to see anybody throw their life away!"

"Fufufu!" Vali laughed in a rather obvious, fake way, patting me playfully on the cheek. "You have quite a bit to learn about the various types of powers in this world, lover." She brushed her hair out of her face. "No offense, Azazel, but wouldn't it be quicker and easier to just take out the half-Vampire along with the terrorists in one fell swoop? I can do it if you'd like."

Azazel sighed, waving off the suggestions. "Vali, try to be a little considerate, OK? After all, we're trying to make peace here." Then he turned his head, as if looking behind her. "Besides, I feel that our dear Hakuryuukou wouldn't care for that very much."

On instinct, Vali turned on her heels to face the sword aimed directly at her neck, me being the holder.

"W-What the-!?" Yumi looked out at her empty hands, stunned to see the sword she had just been holding suddenly vanishing in blur, stolen by me.

I felt shocked as well. I hadn't even realized what I was doing until I held the sword at Vali's neck. I was just overcome by sudden emotion and was compelled to act by this force. Next thing I knew, it was at this point. I knew she probably surpassed me in physical and magical combat, but a sword through the throat probably wouldn't feel pleasant for her. I was even more stunned by how easily I just thought that thought.

"Wow...drawing a sword on me with the absolute intention to kill..." For a brief moment, I figured Vali would get angered and express hatred for me rather than that obnoxious affection she had for me (I had my fingers crossed)...Then her face flushed, a lewd expression appearing on her face. "I think I really am in love."

Shit.

Vali stepped forward, even more pleased than before. "Alright then. If asked to do so before my snow-haired lover, I would look weak if I were to say no." She sighed, shrugging as if she had no other choice.

As if intending to do it as ceremoniously as she did, Vali crossed her arms, a powerful aura of Demonic Power covering her body. The aura was not only familiar, but was also incredible. Even I could tell she was holding back and this still felt superior to the raw power Kokabiel possessed...No wonder Azazel sent her to deal with that crow.

Then, sprouting from Vali's back with abnormal speed, were wings. Eight, bat-like wings matching those of a Devil.

Before I could question her true power, the silver-haired bishoujou flew out the window into the Magician-infested skies. She plunged into the enemy group while drawing a path of demonic energy in the night sky, and the aspect of a great warrior was seen.

Immediately sensing the greater threat in the immediate area, the Magicians all gradually started turning their attention to Vali, immediately launching a barrage of magicks at her, focusing the brunt of their assault on the silver-haired girl who had dared to challenge them. Creating magic circles in front of them, they all unleashed a combined blast of raw magical power that would probably surpass something Riser or maybe even Kokabiel could conjure.

The brilliant, singing light that lit up the sky confirmed my thought that it was at LEAST on par with High-Class Devil-level power. The member of the Fallen Angel Faction completely disappeared from the light that swallowed the entire sky.

My eyes widened in shock. "VALI!" She was kind of creepy, really blunt, and perverted even by the standards that I'm used to, but I didn't think she was a bad person. To see her get done in like that so suddenly...that same odd feeling from before caused an incredible pain in my heart. I banged my hand against the window sill. "Dammit! If only I-"

I was cut off when Azazel jabbed me in the shoulder.

"Before you get all caught up in the cliche "Protagonist-guilt/self-loathing" thing, you might wanna take another look." He pointed back towards the sky, drawing my attention once again to the area where the powerful light had originated. And that was when I realized it.

The Magicians were still firing at the same spot.

As time progressed, the smoke cleared, revealing that familiar, annoying smirk I hated, silvery-blue magic circles appearing all around the owner of that smirk, easily guarding against the lesser magical attacks created by the Magicians who were assaulting her.

"Pfft! I was honestly expecting more from these so-called Magicians." She mocked in that mocking way only she could mock with. "I was looking forward to showing off to my lover, but this farce of a battle has already become stale. So disappear." She held out a single hand, a large ball of light gathering in her palm. She pulled her arm back and then swung, unleashing a gigantic arc of lightning that immediately splintered into hundreds if not thousands of individual bolts which struck down Magician after Magician. They never even had time to scream. The moment they were struck, they perished.

Vali didn't so much as gloat or give a maniacal laugh you would expect to hear during such devastation. Nope. She just smirked, as if this was just child's play to her. She was so strong...She did not possess a Sacred Gear so she made up for it with physical endurance and incredible magical might...

...I'm in deep trouble.

A hand patted me on the shoulder. I looked to my right to see Azazel, staring at me with a pitying look.

"Good luck with that." SCREW YOU!

Still though, no wonder Vali acted so confident. She had more than enough power to back it up. Even if Ise used his Balance Breaker, she still stood a fair chance of winning that fight since Ise still has no training in using his power because of the high cost...

"Azazel, continuing the talk from before..." Lucifer-sama approached Azazel, a serious atmosphere once again settling over the room."What are you trying to do by collecting Sacred Gears? You've been collecting [Longinus] owners too, right? Do you intend to kill God even though God no longer exists?"

Azazel shook his head at that question. "It's to prepare."

I crossed my arms, once again turning my gaze towards the assault taking place outside. "For the Khaos Brigade, right?"

"I see..." Azazel noticed, stroking his chin. "So I wasn't mistaken before. You two DO know of them." I noticed his eyes darted towards me and then Irina who flinched. She hung her head in shame, as if believing that she had made some sort of foolish blunder. I immediately stepped in front of her, making sure Azazel's focus was on me. I wouldn't let him or anyone else lay a single filthy hand on Iri.

I let out a small laugh. "Course I do. Some of their leaders were sipping tea in my living room only a few days ago." I shoved my hands into my pockets, trying to ignore the round of gasps that came from everyone.

Ise took a few uncertain steps towards me, his eyes wide in shock as if the world he knew just became a lie. It was obvious what was going through his mind right now.

"Shirou...don't tell me that YOU-"

"SHIROU CHOP!" I slam my open hand against the back of Ise's skull, enhancing the force with the Rook trait of my Queen piece.

Ise whined from his position flat on the ground, his most noticeable feature being the smoking bump the force of my attack left on his head.

"Of course I'm not the fucking traitor, you idiot!" I clenched my trembling fist, glaring at the downed-Ise. I clicked my tongue. "As if I'd join those guys! They're total dicks!" I took a deep breath, calming down. "They came to me before, asking me to join. And they told me a LOT of _interesting_ things concerning you, _Lucifer_." I added that last part as a taunt. My anger was increasing as I thought back to what they said. "You know, it's funny. They told me crazy stuff like how you exiled them because of their blood and I told them to go to Hell." I buried my face in my hand, unable to resist the urge to laugh at myself. "What's even funnier: they also said you wouldn't hesitate to kill me. Simply because I'm a threat." I eyed Lucifer with loathing I was unaware I even possessed. "Isn't that hilarious?"

Many of the people in the room seemed uncertain as to whom I spoke of, but four people in this room knew exactly who I spoke of:

Sirzechs Lucifer, Serafall Leviathan, Grayfia Lucifuge, and Azazel.

The former three's eyes went wide in surprise. Azazel looked as though he expected it.

"That's right. I know your dirty little secret. How you hide that power-hungry personality of yours under that elegant and caring facade!" I didn't care how my words sounded to everyone. I was really angry and I just-

"Shirou..." A trembling hand on my arm and a worried voice snapped me out of it. I turned to see Yumi, staring at me with watery eyes. She looked...afraid.

Is she scared...of me?

No. That seemed wrong...I wonder wh-

[So you finally understand the treacherous ways of the False King, Heir of Satan?]

That voice!

An unfamiliar magic circle appeared on the ground away from us.

"Grayfia, transfer Rias and Ise-kun quickly!" Lucifer-sama suddenly ordered, alarmed.

"Yes!"

Grayfia-sama grabbed Ise unceremoniously by the collar and threw him into the center of the magic circle she had drawn, Rias quickly running to his side.

It was the exact size to fit only about two people in it.

"Ojou-sama, I wish you the fortunes of battle."

"W-Wait, Grayfia!? Onii-sama!"

The two were then enveloped by a bright light, being teleported.

And it was then that the magic circle on the ground began to grow and increase a power. It radiated a powerful light just as great if not greater than the circle that just transported Ise and Rias. And that circle...

Yet again, it was one of those moments. Familiar but unfamiliar at the same time.

Even if the voice didn't give it away, I would have known immediately who the one appearing was.

There was a mix of reactions to this circle's appearance, mainly confusion. Azazel laughed while Lucifer-sama pulled a sour expression.

"—The magic circle of Leviathan." Lucifer-sama said it with a cautious expression.

So _she_ is the one who will be coming.

Gabriel made a gesture with her hands, as if warding off evil spirits. She stared at that magic circle like it was something unpleasant.

"It's something seen in the books of the Vatican. That's the magic circle of the original Maou Leviathan."

An arm stretched out in front of me, as if protectively. My immediate first thought was that it was Mako-nee, but that was only because my attention was focused on the magic circle. But then I recognized that the girl in front of me was much shorter than Mako-nee.

"I don't care who it is..." Serafall declared. "...I won't let them take anyone I love..." It was only then that I realized those words were directed towards me personally. And the seriousness in them...Yet again, I was looking at the"Other Serafall", the side of her she only let out on certain occasions such as when she's pissed the Hell off.

The bright light flashed a brilliant light, revealing a new figure in the middle of it.

That familiar Onee-sama-type figure that had entered my home once before, the figure which now intruded upon this meeting.

"How do you do, current Maou Sirzechs-dono, Maou Serafall?" That woman greeted Lucifer-sama with a fearless tone...Actually, it sounded more mocking than anything. Then she turned to me and her expression turned into one of genuine respect. "And it is an honor to meet you again, Shirou Satan."

"The one descended from the blood of the previous Leviathan, Katerea Leviathan, What is the meaning of this?" Lucifer-sama demanded an answer. He knew who I had spoken of, but I bet he still couldn't believe it to be true. This was a person who opposed him once, whose very existence was a threat to his power.

"I do believe I was not talking to you at this time, Sirzechs." Katerea said harshly, glaring at him. "As I recall, my last greeting was to the one bearing Satan's blood."

I clenched my fists tightly, ready for a fight. "OK, then I'll ask: What the Hell are you doing here, Katerea?!"

The descendant of Maou Leviathan smirked. "A simple answer to a simple question: I'm here to bring destruction and chaos."

I stared blankly. "OK, I kinda got that from the name of your group, but I meant more along the lines of what are you doing HERE, as in this room?"

"Ufufufu! Oh that. Apologies." She laughed it off as if I had told some sort of joke. "I simply came to offer the hand of friendship one final time, Heir of Satan!" She extended her hand towards me to emphasize the gesture.

"And why the Hell would my answer from last time change?" Serafall straightened her arm in front of me, as if to further prevent me from getting past her.

"Because I offer you life, power, and..." Her lips curved into a smile. "...revenge."

"You offered the same thing last time and I already said no!" I reiterated. "I'm not joining the Khaos Brigade!"

Katerea frowned. "So your answer remains the same...?" I nodded resolutely, eliciting a sigh from Katerea, her expression becoming one of sympathy. I didn't buy it for a second. "Oh you poor, innocent, foolish boy. Serving masters who are undeserving of such loyalty. May I why?"

"It's because they're precious to me! That's why!"

"And isn't it these same "precious people" of yours who are intending to just let you be killed?" Katerea countered, smiling softly when she noticed how I hesitated to respond. "Shirou, things have played out just as Shalba has said. They've used you, made you dependent on them, and now that you have become too much of a threat to their power, they've went ahead and decided to do away with you. Serving masters who have already decided your life is forfeit seems like a pointless and tragic notion."

"Don't listen to her!" Serafall screamed at me, looking very uneasy.

"Oh, and he should listen to the master who did nothing in his defense?" Katerea taunted. "He should do as you've said because you've just done SO WELL in protecting him during his short time as your servant?"

"That's not-I-!"

"From what I've gathered, you've been observing him a long time before he became your servant, Serafall!" Katerea said it as though it were an accusation. "And you JUST HAPPEN to be his knight-in-shining-armor the moment he is killed? It's a little suspect, don't you think? Why, it's almost as though someone KNEW that such a thing would have happened."

"It wasn't like that!" Serafall screamed, more distressed than before. "Shirou, don't pay attention to her words!"

"And the magnificent job she's done thus far just SCREAMS loyal." Katerea's verbal assault on Serafall would not end. "She allowed you to be taken and tortured-"

"That's enough, Katerea!" Lucifer-sama shouted, but was ignored.

"-for you to be traded like a children's trading card-"

"Don't fall for her deceptions, Shirou!" Michael-sama also seemed distressed.

"-and she did nothing when you were attacked and almost killed on two accounts by the Fallen Angel Kokabiel!"

"NO! SHUT UP!" Serafall screamed, clutching her head as if in pain. "SHUT UP! IT'S NOT TRUE! NONE OF IT'S TRUE! IT WASN'T LIKE THAT WAY AT ALL, SO SHUT UP!"

"Deny it all you like, Serafall, but just as you are a shameless, false Maou, these words I've spoken are the absolute-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH!"

My booming voice was enough to silence every single person in the room, ally and enemy alike. I glared at Katerea for a moment, and then I turned my harsh gaze on Lucifer, Azazel, and Michael...the three people who had just sentenced me to death. Then I glanced at Asia, Akeno, Sona, everyone who was still frozen. Then I stared at Serafall in front of me.

I considered each and every word spoken this night and made my decision.

"You know, you talk a lot, Katerea..." The descendant of Leviathan scowled at this. "...But you make a good point. Shalba WAS right about this. I'm going to be killed by these people..."

"Shirou..." Yumi took a few uncertain steps towards me, reaching out her hand.

SMACK

I slapped her hand away, shooting her a sharp look. "Don't take another step closer." Yumi stumbled away, stunned.

Wordlessly, I brushed away Serafall's arm from in front of me and proceeded to walk past her.

"Shirou, don't!" Serafall tried reaching for me, but Yumi immediately pulled her away, not wanting her to get any closer to the woman who was her enemy.

"Shirou-kun, please don't abandon it!" Gabriel called out, begging me. "Don't abandon your pure soul! Don't forget about your friends or the ones you love out of fear!"

But I ignored both of them, walking to a stop in front of Katerea, her hand still extended towards me.

"I see you have finally made the smart decision, milord Satan."

I hung my head, hiding my eyes behind my bangs. Despite everything that happened, I felt a little relieved. It was all about to end...finally...

I knelt before her, grasping her hand in mind, lowering my head as if to kiss the back of her hand.

"I'm just...so tired..."

"Hm?" My response caught Katerea by surprise.

"This whole day...I've just been so tired..." I sighed. "Ever since I became a Devil, it's been one pain after another...I just wish that...that it could go back to those days. Before any of this...I want those stupid childish days back when none of this was my problem...I'm so tired. This constant fear of dying, wondering if the next moment will be my last...I'm tired of all of it. Sometimes, I wish I had remained as an ignorant human, unaware of any of this..."

Then I tightened my grip on Katerea's wrist.

"But still. If I had never become a Devil, I wouldn't have been able to meet a lot of the people I've come to know and love." I raised my head, glaring at Katerea with my burning gaze. "Mittelt, Jack, Asia, everyone! It was thanks to Serafall that I was able to meet all of these amazing people! AND I'M NOT GONNA LET YOU LAY A HAND ON THEM EVER AGAIN!"

"What are you-!?" Katerea gasped in shock as I grabbed her other wrist, tightening my hand around it to the point I thought I might end up breaking it.

I focused all of my energy, all of my power coursing through my body, into my "core". Searing pain filled my body, like someone was pouring hot lava through my veins. But I stuck through it. Glowing lights lit up on my arms, upper torso, and face, etching across my body like circuits.

"Don't tell me this is-!" Katerea's eyes went wide. She recognized this spell. She immediately started struggling against my grasp, trying to escape. "Let me go this instant!"

"What the Hell are you doing, Shirou!?" Mako-nee sounded furious. She, too, must have realized what I was doing...Sorry, Mako-nee.

"That spell..."

I smirked. "That's right...It's a self-destruction spell. I decided to learn it after my fight with Kokabiel...as a last resort."

There was a united gasp of shock from the others.

"Are you saying you've been planning to blow yourself up anyway, you jerk!?" Yumi asked, enraged at my suicidal plan.

I stared at her blankly. "What? Are you crazy? Of course not. I'm not an idiot. I wasn't gonna use it lightly." Yumi sweatdropped. "But if I went up against someone of apocalypse proportions, I thought it could come in handy." I returned my attention to Katerea, who was still trying to desperately escape. "This was the only way for me to finish this before it started. After my talk with Akeno, I thought I would never use it, but the way things are, I have nothing else to lose!" I turned to Katerea, glaring at her with the most hate I could muster. "Like you said, I'm going to die anyway! If that's the case, then I will die on my own terms!"

"Shiroooou!" Serafall ran towards me, grabbing me and wrapping her arms around my back. At first I thought she was gonna sob into my back, but then I felt a powerful tug practically crushing my internal organs as she tried to pry me away. "You can't do this! You can't! I'm sorry! I'm SORRY! You don't have to do this! It's not too late! Deactivate the spell! Deactivate it NOW!" Serafall was strong, but my determination was stronger. It also helped that Katerea was still desperately trying to pull her arms away from me, countering Serafall's own pulls. "I ORDER YOU! DEACTIVATE IT!"

"GET OUTTA HERE, SERAFALL!" Releasing one of Katerea's arms for just a moment, I used one of my hands to shove Serafall away. She stared at me with an expression of pain and betrayal, her eyes filled with tears. I turned back away from her, grasping Katerea's arm again before she could react. "I've already resolved to do this! And with the self-destruct spell counting down, Lucifer and the others will need your power to erect a barrier around the others to protect them! So GO!"

"Shirou! Please let me explain!" I don't know who called out to me. The pain from the spell increased even further, becoming so excruciating that it was impossible for me to focus on anything let alone a single voice. "You're making a mistake!"

"I won't allow myself be taken down by such a filthy tactic!" Katerea raised one leg and jabbed it into my gut. "Not when my goal is so close!" She kept kicking and screaming, but with both of her hands bound, she couldn't create magic, not any that could attack me at any rate. All she could do was thrash around, but there was nothing she could do before the timer hit 0.

"I'm gonna make you pay for what you did to my friends! Sona, Akeno, Tsubaki, Asia, Ravel, my servants, and especially Gasper!" My body started radiating a large aura on par with that I had against Kokabiel. "MESSING WITH THEM IS THE BIGGEST MISTAKE YOU'VE EVER MADE!"

I could literally feel my insides beginning to fall apart as the magic took its toll on my body.

I grinned to myself. "This is the end...for both of us."

[Isn't throwing your life away so easily like that kind of lame? Eh, Shirou-kun?]

It became one of those moments where it felt like time slowed down.

There was no time for anyone to react. It happened too suddenly. The shock from it caused me to lose focus on the spell, causing it to lose its power and fade into nothingness.

Next thing I knew, I was stumbling back, blood dripping from my arms to the ground...staring at my hands which still grasped Katerea's arms...staring at the stumps where my lower arms used to be...

But mostly...I stared at the boy who had just severed them...

That pleasant expression despite his fearsome appearance...and the blood that had splattered against his face.

"Hey there, Shirou-kun, what's happening?"

I stood there, staring at him in shock, having difficulty fully processing what happened.

"Why..." I barely breathed. "Why are you doing this?!...I don't understand..." The way he remained so unfazed...as if we were just meeting for lunch. "JUST WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON!"

"Shirou-kun, do you know this boy?!" I barely registered Michael-sama's voice.

"Taka...shi...?" That named escaped my lips before what happened next happened.

"You...INSOLENT BRAT!" Her patience having finally worn thin, Katerea showed true anger towards me for the first time. She tightly gripped the staff in her hand. "You may be Satan's Heir, but it appears I must discipline you for making a mockery of the power of Leviathan!"

"Katerea-DON'T!" I may have been crazy due to shock, but I could swear that...that boy had been the one who spoke.

But it was too late. A magic circle materialized in front of her hand.

Then came a bright light.

Then pain.

Then darkness.

* * *

**Yumi's POV...**

DOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

It happened so fast...

First Shirou had Katerea Leviathan practically begging for mercy, but then...then he...

"Shiroooooooou!" Serafall-sama screamed as her Queen was blown away by the powerful wave of darkness released from Katerea's hand. A huge bullet slammed into him and blasted him straight through the wall into the outside where the Magicians were waging their assault. She wasted no time in flying out of the new hole in the wall, chasing right after him.

"Katerea! What was the meaning of that!?" Sirzechs-sama demanded to know, showing anger for the first time. "He was a foolish child who had no more means of fighting you! What was the point in killing him?!"

"'Killing him'...?" Katerea stared at the Maou Lucifer as if he had said something confusing. She and that...that person, Takashi Yamada, my "friend" and classmate, exchanged glances.

[PFFFTHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]

They both started laughing, as if the fact they had killed Shirou was a mere joke to them.

I tightened my hand around the hilt of the sword in my grasp, trembling as I resisted the urge to try to cut them to pieces.

Shirou...Shirou...How could you be so stupid...?...Damn you...

"Oh please, as if I would be that reckless?" Katerea waved off the accusation. "He might be a little worse for the wear, but I guarantee you that he is still alive. I retain enough knowledge to flawlessly control the amount of power in my attacks."

"Yeah, Katerea wants him bad," Takashi pointed out, smirking mischievously, "so it wouldn't do her any good if he's toasted~ No babies for her~"

"DON'T PURPOSELY CAUSE MISUNDERSTANDINGS!" As out-of-character as it seemed, Katerea screamed with embarrassment in her voice, her face flushing red at Takashi's words.

She froze, sweating as she realized the fact she was still in front of the people she had only recently threatened to kill. She cleared her throat.

"Anyway, no. Shirou Satan is not dead. Not yet anyway." Katerea continued. "For the moment, he is out of the reach of you who wish to waste such potential. Hopefully, by the time he comes to, you will all be dead and he will have learned respect."

"Yeah...but I DID kind of cut his arms off, Katerea..." The younger boy responded with a light blush. "...There's always the chance he could end up bleeding out before he wakes up." He cocked his head to the side, crossing his arms. He had a troubled expression. "It wouldn't have been necessary if that boy hadn't gone and done something stupid like trying to use a self-destruction spell. I was just trying to stop him from blowing himself up." He sighed. "Geez. He's so troublesome."

I glared at him. "Don't try to act like you're still our friend!" I pointed my sword at him. "If Shirou hadn't moved back in time, you would have killed him!"

Takashi blinked, retaining that same confused expression. "What are you talking about? He clearly stepped back as a result of the shock of me severing his arms." He was saying it so calmly! "I was specifically aiming for his arms. Shirou blowin' himself up would have been as bad for me as it would have been for you. That's why I disrupted the spell."

"Don't speak such nonsense! All it would have taken was knocking him out or something to completely disrupt his focus like hitting him really hard! You didn't have to try to kill him!"

"...really?"

Everyone who knew at least the beginner's level of magic gave a nod.

.

.

.

.

"OH SHIT! I REALLY FUCKED UP!" Takashi started panicking, pulling nervously at his hair. "I'm no Magician! How was I supposed to know!? Shit! Shit shit shit! I really screwed up! I really didn't-"

"Kiba." I stood at attention when Sirzechs-sama addressed me, a stern expression on his face. "Do you know this person?"

I tensed. I had to be careful. There was no telling Sirzechs-sama reaction. After how he treated Shirou...I could never believe in his mercy...

"He...He's a classmate of ours..." I hung my head, not daring to look in Sirzechs-sama's direction.

"He seems kind of like an idiot." Azazel said offhandedly, looking horribly underwhelmed by Takashi who was still flailing about in a panic.

But...to be fair, Azazel had a point. Takashi had shown up out of the blue and cut off Shirou's arms. He's obviously not our ally, but the way he's acting was too childish for him to be a threat to us. He's just acting like a complete idiot in all honesty...how he normally acts.

"Hm?!" As if sensing something, Takashi froze in place. His previous goofy expression faded, becoming a more serious one. "I see...Too much time is being wasted."

"Did his voice just change...?" Irina asked, as if that was somehow the biggest issue here...But she was right. Takashi's tone was what changed though, not his voice. It sounded as though the previous foolish actions of his were nothing more than a joke.

"Don't let your guard down!"

The air which had been lightened by Takashi's erratic actions and response became heavy again.

This was only emphasized by the worried and cautious words of Michael-sama who stepped forward, spreading all of his wings, as if to use them to shield Gabriel-sama, Irina, and those behind him. I couldn't help but feel confused by his reaction to Takashi, but then I saw his face.

Michael-sama, one of the divine Seraph-samas, was nervous. He had been uneasy with the appearance of Katerea Leviathan, but for some reason, Takashi's presence actually made him, the current God, on edge enough to warn us to be careful.

"Michael-sama? What's wrong?"

"Onii-sama!?"

Both Irina and Gabriel-sama seemed confused by Michael-sama's words.

"I see...So you've realized it, eh, Michael-kun~?" Takashi's voice definitely became darker than it was before. His seemingly lighthearted question sounded more like a taunt. And even more surprising: it apparently had some sort of effect. Michael-sama's expression fell further and while he showed no distinct signs of anger, the holy aura around him increased by a certain degree.

"What do you mean "realized it"?" Azazel question, carefully examining the person in front of him.

"Why, I'm hurt Azazel!" Takashi feigned a wounded expression. Then he vanished.

"Azazel, watch out!"

"Huh?" Azazel turned from Michael-sama to the space in front of him where that mysterious boy instantly materialized.

"FALLEN ANGEL-BITCHSLAP!" With an unceremonious swing of Takashi's hand, the leader of the Fallen Angels was sent flying, crashing through the wall on the side of the room. The only reaction I saw from Azazel was the stunned expression on his face as he was swatted like a fly.

Everyone gasped, unable to speak in the face of what just happened.

"Well, seems like Azazel-kun hasn't gotten much stronger since last time." His bored tone matched his expression.

"Hey! Don't think we'll just let you get away with that!"

"So, who's next?" Takashi said it so confidently that I could not doubt his words...He could probably kill all of us lower-classed opponents without breaking a sweat. "C'mon~ Any takers~?" He said it with a child-like grin, completely contradicting his previous bored demeanor. "To be honest, I'd rather not fight at all, but I get the feeling you won't give us Shirou if I just asked..." He paused. "...Would you?"

The response were two swords to his throat.

To be honest, I thought the first response would have been from me, but no.

The ones who pointed their blades at Takashi were Xenovia and Irina, both sharing an expression of anger.

"My my~ What feisty girls we have here~" Takashi teased, his malicious intent once again vanishing. "What could have brought on this sudden occurrence?" It was a testament to how confident he was that he remained this calm with two powerful Holy Swords pointed at him, Durandal and Excalibur Mimic. I just didn't understand what was going through his mind.

Before, he was our friend, but I doubt someone like him would let something like that stop him even if his friendship hadn't been a lie.

"So tell me...what drives you to risk your lives in such a fashion...?" His smile faded, his eyes clearly brimming with curiosity.

"There's no way I'll let people like you lay a hand on Shirou-sama!" Xenovia narrowed her eyes at Takashi. Irina shared a similar expression.

It was the second time I had seen Irina Shidou possess hate in her eyes. True killing intent.

"You can't just say something like "could you hand Shirou over to us" like he's some kind of object!" Her Holy Sword began to radiate a glowing aura, as if resonating with her feelings. "He's not some kind of toy to be passed around for your own amusement! He's not yours to take and he's not theirs to kill, you got that?!"

It was a tense situation, neither side backing down, but between them, Xenovia and Irina seemed the weakest. This was a person who batted away the Fallen Angel Governor like it was nothing. There's no telling how strong he was. He might even be stronger than-dare I say it-Vali. And that person's presence alone was enough to make my hands shake.

"The two of you, step down." The one who had spoken up was Sirzechs-sama. I wasn't sure for a moment, but now he looked truly cautious. He, a Maou-sama, was cautious towards this person. That spoke enough about his power.

Xenovia did as instructed, albeit reluctantly, while Irina hesitated. The Exorcist's angry expression wavered to uncertainty, then suspicion as she looked from her sword, to Takashi, then to Sirzechs-sama.

They both immediately retreated back to their respective sides, Takashi making no attempt to pursue them.

"Why do you let them commit such insolence?" The descendant of Leviathan gripped her staff tightly, growing impatient with the way things were proceeding. If she had had her way, this whole room probably would have been reduced to dust and rubble by now. The only reason this wasn't the case...I could not tell, but I believe it was Takashi's presence that prevented this. If she was actually loyal to her comrades or if it was possible that Takashi ranked higher, then-

"Hehe~! Thanks for that Sirzechs-dono~!" Yet again, the ferocious-looking boy acted so lightheartedly, showing genuine gratitude for our Maou's actions. "Killing a bunch of kids would have left a bad taste in my mouth!" His tone was pleasant but his words were dark.

I noticed Sirzechs-sama stepping forward, raising his arm to shield the others. "I can only give you both only one more chance: Resign from this battlefield and leave-"

"There is no point, Sirzechs." Michael-sama's words immediately halted Sirzechs-sama's attempt at a peaceful solution. His face held a more stern appearance. "If it's this person, then there is no reasoning with him. If we do not take this matter seriously, then everyone here will perish, including your sister and the Heavenly Dragons."

My former friend pouted. "Moooou~! You're so mean, Michael-kun~!" Then he shrugged. "But to be fair-" His smile once again became malicious. "-He IS right." Takashi crossed his arms, never removing his gaze from the powerful foes before him. "You're free to go retrieve him if you want. It's not like these guys are going anywhere and I'm pretty sure Serafall-chan is already there."

Katerea seemed reluctant. Several of the people she wanted to kill most were in the room, but outside was the one she hated most of all as well as the direct descendant of the Devil King that all Devils still revered as a god. It was a no-brainer.

She gave an acknowledging nod before flying quickly out the opening in the side of the building.

She moved so quickly that I almost missed her.

"Grayfia," This time, Sirzechs-sama addressed his Queen, "get everyone out and create a barrier around you and the others. This is about to become...unpleasant." I could tell from his regretful expression that this was not a fight he wanted. Not one he would lose, but not one he wanted.

For a brief moment, Grayfia-san looked like she wanted to object, but, as she WAS his Queen, she was bound to obey even though usually a Queen's perceived proper place was by their King's side.

"As you wish, Sirzechs-sama."

"Gabriel, Irina, if you would aid them?" Michael-sama requested the same of his own faction's members.

[Right!]

They readily agreed to his request, immediately gathering up whoever they could. Everyone who was able carried away one of those frozen. Between all of us, including me, Xenovia, Jack-chan, and the Heaven's side, it was successful. A frozen Asia laid in my arms, her expression caught in despair. That expression of hers brought me back to the subject that was discussed prior to this...this...this MESS!

Once all of us gathered, Grayfia-san and Gabriel-sama...No wait.

Something's wrong. I counted all of the heads, but someone was missing! But where-!

DOOOOOOOOOOON!

The earth suddenly began to shake. I felt an incredible power that seemed powerful enoug to shake the Heavens themselves.

"LET HIM GO!"

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

**Earlier...**

Well...FUCK!

That's all that could be said about whatever the fuck just happened.

It all happened so quickly. And then I was laying here, in this UNGODLY amount of pain. I was only blessed with TRUE unconsciousness for a moment, but quickly came to, my body unable to ignore the pain that it had been inflicted by my injuries.

I would black out and then the sensation of thousands of needles piercing my skin woke me right back up.

But...I couldn't believe it. That idiot Bakashi...one of the Khaos Brigade. In the end, I suppose it made sense. His appearance was just too convenient. He showed up right at the end of term all for this...just to make sure all of this went down the way it did...

Takashi was our traitor...or..well...I mean he was never specifically on our side before since I thought he was a normal human, but he didn't seem evil...

In a sad way, I'm relieved...I think. On one hand, it meant that Satan's last words to me had yet to be realized, but at the same time, it means I still don't know who he was talking about.

Then, yet again, I was jerked back into consciousness by the pain.

It was this time around that I realized nothing would be gained by me trying to fade into consciousness. So, despite the sensation of bleeding ample amounts of blood through the stumps which were once attached to my arms and the massive burns that pained my middle to lower body. It seemed just like that pervy hag, Katerea (her evil and cruelty completely overwrite her beautiful Onee-sama figure), to purposefully miss my money-maker (my face).

"...-up!"

For a brief moment, that voice took me by surprise. My hearing and vision were still a bit fuzzy, but I slowly began to regain focus.

And yet again, I was faced with that expression. That face. Those tears.

All belonging to the beautiful woman I called my master.

"Wake up, Shirou! Please!"

"Serafall..." It hurt to so much as breathe her name, both physically and mentally.

Her mouth curved into a relieved smile Serafall tightening her arms around me in a hug. "Thank goodness...You're alright..." She rubbed her face against mine, allowing me to feel the tears that moistened her soft cheeks.

I turned my head away, this being just about the most movement I could do in is situation. I didn't want to face her...I couldn't.

"You should have just let me bleed to death..." I don't think there were any words that could have possibly described Serafall's expression of horror in response to my words.

She scanned my expression, no doubt searching for any sign that I was just telling a really morbid joke. "Shirou, what are you saying?!"

"I'm always just causing everyone trouble..." I stared miserably at the sky, watching as a glowing, silver-haired blur eradicated Magician after Magician, blasting them out of the sky with as much ease as swatting a fly. "I can't fight...I can't protect my friends...I'm a political burden...I can't even blow myself up right...what good am I? Why did you ever choose someone like me to be your Queen...?" A familiar, wet sensation cascaded down the sides of my face.

Great...I'm crying again...as if I couldn't be pathetic enough right now.

Serafall reached out to try and brush my tears away, not being able to do so myself. I flinched when her hand came close, and Serafall took this as a sign to desist. She just stared at me sadly.

"Shirou, you-"

Then, suddenly, my body tensed. My instincts started screaming at me.

"Serafall!"

But my King reacted a second too slowly, being hit square in the back by a black stream of demonic power. She let out a scream of surprise as the shock caused her to drop me and the force of the attack sent her tumbling across the ground, ending up sprawled on her side. She curled up into a ball for a moment, cringing as she recovered from the pain she was experiencing.

For a moment, I was worried she was seriously injured. Then Serafall pushed herself onto all fours, quickly getting back onto her feet with no difficulty whatsoever. She brushed herself off, turning her eyes in the direction from which the blast originated.

"Oh you have NO idea how long I've wanted to do that for, Serafall." That disgustingly familiar voice grated my ears in sharp contrast to the melodious sound it once possessed. I turned my head to see two, slender, dark legs. Then I looked up to see the owner of those legs. "Thank goodness your back was facing directly towards me or I might have hit the young Devil Prince." And with that, Katerea Leviathan has officially coined two nicknames for me.

"Katerea, why do this?! Answer me!" Serafall narrowed her eyes at Katerea. "All this just for some title?! Why!? If you wanted to kill me, then you should have just attacked me yourself! Why did you have to bring Sona, Shirou, and the others into this!?" Serafall clenched her fists, turning her gaze towards the ground. "They didn't deserve this! None of them deserved this!"

Katerea scoffed. "You only have yourself to blame for this, little miss Serafall." She raised her fist, tightening it as if imagining she was holding the neck of someone she hated. "You stole the title which was rightfully mine. You and your fellow Maous are nothing more than fake kings! You had your chance to surrender during the Civil War, Serafall, but it's too late now! I will crush all of you, I will take your oh-so-precious Queen, and I will allow the heir of Satan breed a whole new generation of Devils as he serves the new government! And if he won't join of his accord, then we will give him "a little push" to embrace the role."

"I won't let you get away with that!" The temperature of the air around Serafall dropped drastically. "I admit it: I'm a failure as a King. I've failed to protect my beloved Queen so many times that it makes me sick just thinking about it. I've failed to be there for him."

A heavy pressure began to descend on us, he air trembling before the power Serafall began to radiate. A blue aura coated her body, her hair fluttering in the powerful winds. Then I saw Serafall's eyes. This was the "Other Serafall". Her power easily surpassed that of Kokabiel and Vali.

"What...is this...?" Even Katerea looked surprised. She probably hadn't been expecting such a display of power.

"Although I've failed before, I'm here now." Serafall clenched her fists. "I hesitated before, and because of that I hurt my Queen. But now, I don't care." The aura around her intensified. "I'm not going to let anyone lay a hand on Shirou. Not you or Sirzechs or anyone else! Shirou is someone I love, my family! And you hurt him! I'M NOT GONNA LET ANYONE LAY A HAND ON MY FAMILY WITHOUT TAKING REVENGE!"

Serafall...

Raw demonic power exploded outwards, unleashing a destructive force that I would put on par with a typhoon. "I'll show you the true power of the Maou Leviathan!"

"Tch, I see you haven't been simply sitting around all these years, Serafall." The descendant of the original Leviathan looked both irritated and amused. "But no matter. I have been granted a gift that will show the true superiority of the true Maou, a gift given to me by Ophis himself."

What did she say?!

"So the one pulling the strings is the Ouroboros, is that it?" Serafall seemed to lose a bit of confidence at that, but she quickly recovered.

Ophis? The existence even God feared gave his aid to Katerea?!

This doesn't bode well.

Katerea smirked. "That's right. I would love to tell you more, but there's not much point seeing you will be dead in a mere moment." She pulled something from between her breasts, a small small of some sorts. It contained a...snake? A small black snake that gave off an odd yet strong presence. Without hesitation, she popped the bottle open and swallowed he contents.

At that instant, space vibrated intensely, and a wave of power surged throughout the whole king piece school yard. The magic power given off by Katerea body swelled up, and gave off an ominous aura. A mass that was near that of Lucifer-sama and Serafall.

Is this Ophis' gift?! This REALLY doesn't bode well!

"And once you're dead, I'm going to rip that unborn life within your womb." My eyes went wide at that threat. "I still can't believe an undeserving wench like you was blessed, even for a time, with the privilege of carrying a child bearing Satan's blood!"

"Hold on a minute!"

Both of their attentions were immediately drawn to me as I struggled to get up. With no arms, it was humiliating trying to stand on my own. I wriggled like a worm before rolling onto my back, pulling back my legs before jumping back onto my feet, stumbling and almost falling face-first again. The blood loss had taken its toll on me. The world was starting to spin.

I managed to stand up relatively straight, turning a hateful gaze on Katerea.

"Who told you...?" It didn't make any sense.

"You had best not worsen your condition, Shirou." Katerea advised me, seeming somewhat unconcerned either way. "It would not do for you to perish. Oh that foolish man, doing something so rash."

"Don't dodge the question!" I winced, another wave of pain surging through my body. I stumbled again, but regained my footing. "Answer me! How did you know about our baby!?"

Katerea seemed confused by the question for a moment but soon afterward realized what she meant. She cursed to herself, turning her back to me. "It appears I have gotten carried away."

"Who told you?!" I repeated the question, no longer dizzy as I once was, my pain and nausea replaced by rage and confusion. "There's no way ANYONE should know about this other than who were told!" I turned my eyes towards Serafall. "You said you only told Sona and me, right?" There was also Vali, but even if she betrayed us...I don't know. That same odd feeling from before just kept telling me she would never expose our secret like that-at least, not as long as it held no importance for her.

Serafall, beginning to catch on, placed a hand over her mouth, her eyes going wide.

"Since we're all out and the open, there's no point in keeping secrets, Katerea." Katerea covered her mouth with the back of her hand, averting her gaze. She looked irritated with herself. "Tell me, HOW did you know?"

Katerea sighed, burying her face into her hand. "I only hope he is not too upset with my error. It was too premature." She started speaking strangely. I think she was referring to herself, but I couldn't underestimate anything she did from this point forward. But, after a moment, Katerea's regretful expression faded. Her arrogant, smiling expression returned. "Oh well. I'm sure he will have no issue if I speed things up."

Then she vanished, faster than I could blink.

"Shirou!"

The warning came too late. A pair of soft, slender arms wrapped around my torso. Katerea's hands caressed and groped my body. I flushed as I felt her hot breath on the back of my neck (Let me state, for the record, it was an involuntary reaction).

"For a boy so young, your body is so..." I could swear she licked her lips like a predator. "_Appetizing_." I jerked away when her hand slid somewhere between me legs where I KNEW it wasn't supposed to be. She let out a teasing laugh. "I can understand why you're so fond of him. Your _alone time_ must be quite entertaining."

"**Get your FUCKING HANDS away from him.**" I could literally feel the air tremble with Serafall's rage despite her disturbingly monotone expression.

I could TASTE her aura from the amount she was exuding. It was only the fact that Katerea was currently holding me, whom Serafall was trying to protect, in her arms that kept Serafall from going berserk. Because there was no doubt in my mind that a single blast from Serafall's magic could completely blow Katerea away, living meat shield or no.

And that was when I felt her hand slip into my left pocket. I tensed when I realized what she was going for.

"Hey! DON'T TOUCH THAT!" In a fit of anger, I rushed forward, breaking free of Katerea's grasp before swinging my leg around at her. It wouldn't take a genius to figure out how easily she dodged the blow with her increased power, but the only difference from before was the object she held in her hand. "GIVE IT BACK, YOU BITCH!"

"Oh? You mean this?" She tauntingly let the red-colored toy dangle in her grip, being held by its arm. Devi-kun.

"I SAID GIVE IT BACK!"

"Shirou!" Serafall sounded both shocked and worried and, for a moment, I wasn't sure why.

A familiar, uncontrollable rage was beginning to swell up inside of me. My arms started tingling like crazy.

And that was when I realized it.

My arms.

The one thing I hadn't had moments ago. My stumps which had been oozing blood only moments ago, were now ablaze, the fires slowly gathering in a slender shape, stretching for around two dozen or so inches, ending with with a claw-like shape resembling a hand. The tingling sensation increased to a sensation of burning.

But I ignored it, instead focusing on the flesh that began to knit itself back together into a more physical shape.

"Oh ho! It appears you know more on how to use your power than I thought." I could not tell if Katerea was complimenting or insulting me and I really didn't care. What I cared most about was how she toyed with Devi-kun's button eyes.

"Yeah, and I'm gonna use this power to eviscerate you if you don't give back my precious treasure!" I raised my arms, my flesh darkened in a similar fashion as before, the same dark color staining both of my arms rather than just the one. "It's the last gift Ka-chan gave to me and I won't tolerate someone like you laying a single hand on it!"

"So worked up over a little trinket?" Katerea eyed Devi-kun with confusion and curiosity. "I wonder what your reaction would be to-THIS!" With no remorse whatsoever, Katerea dug her nail underneath Devi-kun's eyes, completely ripping off one of them.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" I immediately lunged at her, completely forgetting all previous exhaustion, instead focusing on my desire to destroy the woman in front of me. I swung my arms at her, striking like a mad beast. Of course I was no match for her superior speed, enhanced by that weird snake she swallowed, but I was so enraged that I didn't even think about it. This woman was desecrating one of the few remaining mementos of my mother! I wasn't going to let her get away with it!

"If you're going to try to kill me," The descendant of Leviathan swung her staff, catching my next punch easily, "you had best do a better job of it!" She spun her staff around and smacked me right across the face, sending me tumbling away. "Once you belong to our group, you will need to be properly trained."

I managed to catch the ground with my feet, skidding a bit, but managing to keep from falling down.

But still, she didn't use a single magic attack and I'm still on the receiving end. It was one thing before when my self-destruct spell failed because of that rat-bastard's intervention. Katerea had been able to recover and blast me away. And she was holding back, so that only made it worse. It was only because her group still needed me that I was still here.

That didn't mean she was invulnerable though. From what I've gathered from magic-users like Rias, Akeno, and Sona, magic-users boast mid-to-long-range magical abilities, but they suffer when it comes to close-combat. In terms of raw power, Katerea currently outclassed Kokabiel, but definitely not in physical prowess. That's the only explanation for how even I, someone who is still Low-class, was able to restrain her with ease.

"It would be much easier if you just gave up, you know." Katerea taunted. "Besides, I thought you wanted to know how I found out your dirty little secret~ And here you are worrying about a silly, little toy from your slut of a mother who only bore Satan's child by seducing him~" She smirked maliciously before stabbing her finger into the spot where Devi-kun's eye used to be, piercing straight through. "Or maybe I should do this!" Without any mercy whatsoever, she completely ripped off the toy's head.

For a minute, silence.

"You're dead. YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE DEAD! YOU'RE SO FUCKING DEEEEAAAAD!" Once again overcome by rage, I charged at her, ready to take her down.

"Do you not learn?" Katerea raised her staff again. "You can try it again and again, but the outcome will not be any different." A magic-circle materialized in front of her. "Perhaps the Devil Prince needs to be taught another lesson-"

"STOP BULLYING, SHIROU!"

And that was when ice suddenly encased Katerea's feet, stunning the Onee-sama-type woman. "What the-!?" But it didn't stop there, a small magic circle opened up beneath her, growing larger as more and more of her lower body was encased by the ice that sprouted from the ground. Eventually Katerea was frozen up to her waist despite how much she struggled.

I grinned, recognizing that magic circle.

It was a modified magic circle reminiscent of that of the Sitri, a spell belonging to Serafall.

Said Maou was standing with her hands outstretched, an annoyed expression on her face. "It really stinks that I can't unleash my full power on you because I would just destroy what's left of Shirou's precious memory in the crossfire! But that doesn't mean I can't do anything!" She pointed at me as I took this opportunity to continue my charge. "Go, Shirou! I'll let my adorable Queen punish her in my stead!"

"Don't need to tell me twice! Divine Dividing!" I activated my Sacred Gear, soaring towards my enemy while enhancing my speed with my Knight trait.

"Don't toy with me, Serafall! Even if he's your servant, HE'S STILL LOW-CLASS!" Katerea created two more magic circles in her hands, unleashing two, gigantic, serpentine-shaped blasts of energy. They arced and weaved through the air, trying to lash out at me, but thanks to Divine Dividing, my mobility is increased. So combined with my Knight speed, those attacks didn't have a chance compared to when I was stuck standing right in front of her.

It was close, but I managed to slide past the serpents, diving straight towards the woman whom I now hated.

Katerea created spell after spell, but either because she was affected by Serafall's ice, because she was instructed not to lethally wound me, or because my rage was giving me greater power than before, I was able to dodge each and every attack. I pulled back my fist. I wasn't going to let her get away with any of this!

I channeled my demonic power into my fist, grabbing Katerea by the shoulder when I reached her. "EAT THIS! VANISHING DRAGON'S IRON FIST!" I slammed my fist right into the side of her face, relishing in the incredibly loud BOOM that resulted from the explosive force of my attack. Katerea's eyes widened in shock, her God Complex probably having given her the impression that she could not be hit in her current state.

"But I'm not done yet!"

Divine Dividing lit up with a glowing, white light.

**[Divide!]**

I felt a huge surge of power fill my body, almost more than it could handle.

"[DRAGON COMBO]!" I grabbed Katerea by her shoulder, pulling her back closer to me. I followed up with a powerful strike to her stomach, knocking the wind right out of her. Then I punched left shoulder. Then her right leg. Then the right side of her face. Then chest, her other arm, her face again, again and again. I didn't stop. I kept building up my momentum, determined to not let this person get another chance to hit me. I hit every single visible spot on her body including those frozen in place by ice. "GET SENT FLYING!" I finished with a single upward blow to her torso once again, following up with final kick to her side, sending her flying upward. I poured every last remaining bit of my Demonic Power into that last blow.

And my power wasn't high to begin with. That same power that allowed me to regenerate my arms also consumed quite a bit of my stamina. It felt kind of familiar...like that of the Phenex clan's "immortality". A power that allows the user to infinitely regenerate their body at the cost of their stamina, making the user seem practically invincible in a fight.

This was one of the gifts handed down to the Devils by the original Devil King, Satan.

Katerea landed unceremoniously on the ground, her limbs outstretched.

"Wow-y, Shirou!" I felt a familiar weigh slam into my chest and familiar, soft arms whose embrace always warmed my heart wrap around my neck. Serafall nuzzled her face against my chest. "I was pretty sure you were gonna get beat up and then I would easily deal with Katerea, but you were actually able to beat her up! Great job!"

I stared at her with stunned eyes. "Wait! You automatically assumed I would lose!"

"To be fair, your track record isn't very good."

And like that, the happy moment was ruined. I fell to all-fours, sulking on the ground. "So even Serafall sees me that way..."

"S-Shirou, I was just kidding..." Serafall sweatdropped at my current sorry state. "I-I actually thought those techniques of yours were pretty cool..." They weren't techniques. I just shouted out names to disorient Katerea and take her by surprise.

Though, for some reason, I still felt uneasy. It wasn't the fact that a huge battle with Magicians was taking place in the air above us. I could, in fact, hear their screams of anguish and pain as an unstoppable destructive force of nature known as "Vali" dealt with them in the harshest way possible. I also knew that Lucifer-sama and Michael-sama were probably more than a match for that bastard, Takashi. Not to mention they also had Grayfia and Gabriel in reserve, both of them also possessing Maou-class power.

And yet this feeling of unease refused to fade. Like this was a puzzle with a piece that was still missing.

I turned my gaze towards the ground, my spirit sinking even further. Laying only a few feet away were the torn remains of Devi-kun, one of the three precious good-luck charm Ka-chan had made for me. One of them was lost sometime after she died while I gave the third, Angel-kun, to Irina before she left Kuoh ten years ago. I only had Devi-kun.

And now I didn't even have THAT anymore...

"Oh, Shirou...I'm sorry..." Serafall knelt beside me, staring at the remains within my hands with sad eyes. "We can fix it up after..." She trailed off. I assumed she remembered the situation we were in prior to this mess. She quickly lunged forward, wrapping her arms around me. She shoved my face into her bosom and tightened her hug even further. "No...I don't care what Sirzechs says. I'm not gonna let them kill you, Shirou. You're gonna live and we're gonna fix your mother's memento, I promise."

"Yeah..." But I was still troubled. The way Katerea acted...Something was definitely suspicious. I mean, other than the fact that my previous armlessness didn't prevent her from molesting me like an old pervert. I stared at the torn charm in my hands, feeling something was very wrong. "I don't see-" A flash of silver crossed my field of vision.

I paused, uncertain if my eyes were deceiving me or not. I pulled away, my breath caught in my lungs.

"Shirou...what's wrong?" Serafall's expression changed to worry.

It had to have been a trick...an illusion. I had to be imagining it. Nothing is wrong at all.

But my body protested against the order my mind gave, the order my desire for ignorance gave.

I immediately duck my fingers into Devi-kun's torn head, trying to bury that feeling of regret and pain at my further desecration of Ka-chan's gift.

"Eh? What are you doing?!" Serafall covered her mouth with her hands, shocked by my sudden change in attitude. "I thought-"

When I felt the cold sensation of metal brush up against my fingers, I knew that it had not been my imagination.

With fear seeded deep in my heart, I pulled out the metallic shape from inside Ka-chan's memento.

"What...is this?" I was, of course, referring to the tiny, silver-colored device I held in my trembling hand. It kind of looked like a tiny speaker, but I knew better, no matter how much I wanted to deny it.

"Does this mean what I think it means?" Serafall processed the truth much more quickly than me, taking the microphone into her hand and studying much more closely.

"So it appears there IS a brain rolling around somewhere in that head of yours, Serafall." That familiar taunting voice sent a wave of irritation rolling through my body.

Serafall and I both jumped back to our feet, turning to face that tan-skinned woman who stood as tall and proud as she did only moments ago.

"But how?! I gave it everything I had!" I couldn't help but retreat a step, stumbling as my body remembered the exhaustion I possessed. Had my arms cut off, got blasted right out of a building, bled half to death, got pummeled, and then I expended the rest of my energy to deliver an ultimately pointless flurry of blows. And despite all of that, Katerea didn't have so much as a scratch on her.

"And what a valiant effort it was." Katerea praised in a mocking sort of way. "However-"

"Shut it, Katerea!"

DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOON!

Serafall wasted no time in creating a powerful magic circle in her hands, unleashing an incredibly large blast of Demonic Power in Katerea's direction. It was like a small nuclear explosion on par with that which Serafall released at Raynare's previous base back when I first became a Devil a few months ago. Thankfully, while tired, I wasn't so beaten down that I would have been blown away by the blast alone.

But still, it was pretty strong. And Serafall wasn't going all-out.

"Is that the best you had, Serafall? I'm disappointed."

The smoke eventually cleared, once again revealing Katerea, unscathed. Overall, the magic barrier she had cast in front of her remained relatively intact other than being cracked somewhat.

Serafall didn't look surprised. If anything, I think she was testing get waters, trying to discern how much power she should use without decimating the entire country. "So...that's the power Ophis gave you. He's being strangely generous considering how neutral he's been in past conflicts."

"Sorry, Serafall, but it appears that the difference in our power is even greater than you thought." Katerea taunted. "Thanks to Ophis, I'm even more powerful than I was before! It is with this power that I will-"

"I don't care about any of that right now!"

My sudden outburst drew both of the older ladies' attention back to me.

I extended my hand out towards Katerea, never taking my eyes off of her for fear of being attacked suddenly. I showed her the small device.

"What I want to know is...HOW THE HELL DID THIS GET IN KA-CHAN'S MEMENTO!?" I had to hold my arm real tight to keep from trembling further. Katerea's smile turned into a more amused smirk. "Answer me! What even IS this!? What did you do?!"

"Isn't it obvious?" Katerea's malicious tone filled the air with a heavy pressure. She stretched out one of her hands, creating a smaller magic circle. For a moment, I thought she was going to attack, but then it started to glow brighter than before.

[-following something that happened a few days ago...I've started having these recurring nightmares...]

What?!

[It...It's hopeless...There's...There's no way...]

No...It couldn't be...That despair-filled voice...That's MY voice!

Another magic circle appeared.

[Azazel-sama wants a peaceful future for the Fallen Angels, one without war!]

Raynare?

Then another magic circle.

[The only reason I survived...despite everyone dying...the reason I'm alive now is because-]

[That...that you're Oka-san was formerly the strongest female Exorcist!]

[I'm with you all the way, buddy! We're the Red and White Dragon Emperors! With the two of us, no half-assed God like theirs will ever be able to stand in our way!]

[G-Gasper. Gasper Vladi. I-I'm the Bishop of Rias Gremory.]

[I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die...]

[SHIROU, I'M PREGNANT!]

[I wanted to become strong. The strongest existence.]

More and more words could be heard from the numerous magic circles conjured by Katerea. All of these words spoken by me or around me, words that should have been private, were replayed right in front of my eyes. My body continued trembling. Not out of rage or exhaustion. But out of this violated feeling I felt.

How long...How long have they been listening...? Was there ever a time when I was truly alone to speak...?

"No...it can't be..." And there was an even more grave realization. I desperately tried to bury it, to erase it from my mind, to disbelieve the bold reality right in front of me...but it was impossible. "But it's the only explanation..."

"So you've finally realized it, haven't you?" I didn't respond. "The identity of the person who planned this?"

"Shirou...what does she mean...?" Serafall looked worried.

There were only two people who could have ever been able to do this...the only ones who I wouldn't feel uneasy about leaving Devi-kun with. The only ones I have ever let touch this doll. And I knew which one of them it was...

I crumpled to my knees, uncaring of my surroundings. The world just felt too fake.

"Shirou! What's wrong?!" Serafall knelt by my side, shaking me violently. It was funny. My head was rocking back and forth like a rag doll's, but I couldn't feel it.

I felt numb.

"Why...Why would she do this...?" I buried my face in my hands, trying to figure out the answer to my own question, but my mind remained blank.

"Who are you talking about?!" Serafall asked, her worried expression become more and more pained.

"Isn't it obvious, Serafall?" That voice! "I know you're not as stupid as you make yourself out to be."

Then there was the sensation of powerful energy shooting through the air. I was impressed by how instinctively Serafall reached out her hand to deflect the blast that was sent her way, firing it straight into the air where it probably disintegrated another unsuspecting Magician judging from the pained scream I heard. Like Kokabiel did with Rias's Power of Destruction, Serafall treated that powerful attack as though it were nothing.

But Serafall missed the second blast.

She let out a bloodcurdling shriek as she was hit with a High-Class level blast of energy square in the side, being blown away by the force of the attack only to end up laying motionlessly on the ground. It was that shock that finally snapped me out of my trance.

"Serafall!" Too stunned to get back on my feet, I crawled over to her on all-fours, helping her up to a sitting-up position.

She let out a pained breath, but stared at me with reassuring eyes. "I...I'm fine." But then she stared at me with pitying eyes.

"You really shouldn't let your guard down like that, Serafall." Katerea held out another hand, a spell ready to be released on my master. "I was beginning to wonder when you were going to make your move." That comment was clearly intended for the person I knew but could not see.

"It took some doing to escape from that merry band of fools. Even with a threat right in front of their eyes, the major leaders are still more perceptive than they appear." The person in front of me...she showed nothing but indifference on her face. "It would be best for us to depart while they are preoccupied."

Katerea's expression changed to one of shock. "Are you mad?! We finally have all of the pieces together in one place! I have the opportunity to eradicate these false leaders along with that woman who I hate most of all and you expect me to just LEAVE?!"

That person clicked her tongue. "You required a distraction and only landed a blow on Serafall using dirty tactics. The only reason you are not yet dead is not because she is incompetent, but because she has been showing intentional restraint."

"Don't be stupid! With the power the Ouroboros Dragon has granted me, there is no chance of those pathetic fakes defeating me! My power is on par with that of my ancestor!" Katerea outstretched her hands, giving a show of the powerful aura covering her body. "We can claim both Satan's heir and the heads of the current order's leaders."

The other person rolled her eyes. "I have no time for this. If you wish to pursue your petty grudge, I will not stop you, but I will take what _we_ have come here for before your foolishness costs us."

Serafall stood up, completely shaking off the minor pain she felt as she held her arms defensively in front of me.

"Neither of you are going to get away with this!" Serafall prepared to unleash a spell of her own, a great power emanating from her body.

Then time slowed down. That person...it was only fitting they were so fast.

"Katerea! You deal with her!"

"Of course!"

Katerea immediately appeared between Serafall and me, Serafall's attention having been away from her for that one second. And in the one second that I wasn't paying attention to her, that other person made her move.

Next thing I knew, there was a disorienting heavy blow to the back of my skull and then a sharp punch to my gut. Then came the feeling of weightlessness as I was lifted from the ground and held underarm like a package.

Then there was a bright light around the area where Serafall had been fighting. I felt a force powerful enough to shake the foundations of the Heavens. Then I saw Serafall, her hand outstretched towards me despite the vast distance between us.

"LET HIM GO!"

* * *

**Serafall's POV...**

Again.

I failed again.

I said I would protect him and I failed again. I keep making more and more promises but I fail to keep a single one of them. That person...I still couldn't believe it...She took him!

Just what is wrong with me...? I can't call myself a magical girl let alone Shirou's King...

"GET OUT OF MY WAY, KATEREA!" I created an even larger magic circle, my actions guided by rage as I glared at the tanned-skinned woman who opposed me. I desperately tried to fight the nauseous feeling in my stomach, panting slightly. It was not a result of my shame and anger, but a result of the natural process occurring within my body, more specifically my womb. I wasn't showing a lot yet, but the symptoms had started to pester me. I hid it from Shirou because I was worried he would be grossed out (as anyone would naturally be), but every now and them my ability to keep my stomach contents down waned.

Swallowing down all of the unpleasantness, I unleashed another large blast of magic power. I didn't care about collateral damage by this point. I was just desperate to finish this and get Shirou back.

But it seemed no matter what I threw at Katerea, she just bounced back. She was as hard to kill as a cockroach. It was all because of that snake of hers. I hated to admit it, but Katerea is much stronger than the last time we fought during the Civil War. However, the conditions ARE severely different this time...but still...

"Leviathan-sama!" I turned my head to see a surprising sight.

There was Yumi-chan, Grayfia-chan, and the rotten Angel Gabriel as well as the others. The only faces I saw that were missing were Ise-chan, Rias-chan, Sirzechs-chan, Azazel, and Michael.

"Which way did she go!?" There was a tone of anger in Yumi-chan's voice, her anger matching mine. "We have to save Shirou before she gets away!" So she saw it too...so it wasn't my imagination...That person really was-!

"Don't take your eyes off of me, SERAFALL!"

I instinctively created a barrier in front of me, just in time as around a dozen of Katerea's magical spells slammed right into it, exploding on impact. Normally, I would have dodged, but with the others so close by, it was dangerous to let any attacks land in my direction. The ground started to shake yet again as a result of the force caused by the attacks. Wave after wave, I defended against. I admit Katerea's become stronger and the conditions are different, but even in my current-ahem-"situation", I'm still superior.

"And it's about time I show you!"

"Show me what?" Katerea's homicidal rampage was cut into by a hint of confusion before her previous manic glee. I forgot until later that I didn't actually say that last thought aloud. "It doesn't matter! As I said before, you're going to die today!"

She unleashed another blast of magic at me.

I gathered my own demonic power in front of me, gathering a large amount of it together for this one-hit KO. A part of me still didn't want to actually kill her, so I instead tried to incapacitate or maim her, but there's no more point in that. I was going to kill her. Nothing more to it.

Farewell, Katerea.

And then, another surprising thing happened.

"Little Sister Kick." It was said in such a monotone expression that it was honestly hard to believe it was the name of an attack (If you're gonna name an attack, at least put more energy and enthusiasm into it!).

What was even more surprising than that awful name was the fact it was not Katerea who was attacked.

I felt a controlled but still powerful kick slam into my shoulder, knocking me out of the way of Katerea's attack.

I saw a snow-haired blur appear where I once stood. My immediate thought was that it was somehow Shirou, but then immediately thought better of it. Shirou wasn't short. He would never hit me. Not to mention, last time I checked (Ufufufu~), he was not a girl.

There was the flash of metal swing about in front of me, making contact with Katerea's magic, causing it to explode on contact.

There were a lot of bright lights that resulted from the explosion, but the smoke eventually cleared, revealing that scantily-dressed child standing tall (short) and proud with two oddly-designed knives drawn in both of her hands.

Everyone else was frozen in shock, completely stunned by the impressive feat performed by this seemingly young child. She did not react to the destructive power radiating around her, the land burning from the damage caused by our fighting.

"Jack...what is...what's going on?" Yumi-chan looked on, unable to fully process what happened along with Xenovia-chan and Irina-chan.

The child barely turned her head halfway around to stare at them.

"Leviathan-sama, it is best that you rest." I was deeply disappointed by how un-cute her voice was now. She sounded like a full-grown woman and that kind of irked me. But what was more irksome was the fact- "We only struck you lightly for we knew you would not stand down without force even though your time is more well-spent taking care of yourself."

I felt a chill go down my spine. So she was showing her true colors...I only recognized her because of her aura, but even though she's changed, it's definitely _her_.

"We are well aware that you are worried about Master, but we cannot afford to let you continue fighting." Jack... "If you keep letting your stress levels increase, it might cause harm to your unborn child."

"Her what?!" Yumi-chan let out a shriek, but went mostly ignored.

"Jack..."

"It simply would not do for our Master's baby to be harmed, so you had best calm yourself and focus on recuperating." It felt so strange to hear this coming from a "child's" mouth, but I knew the truth. What she really was... "We respect you as Master's master and his lover so we ask that you please refrain from forcing us to take more drastic measures. We would prefer to abstain, but we will resort to any means necessary to protect Master's child."

Judging from the evil aura around her, I could tell she was not joking. If it was _her_, then it would be best to comply. It wasn't that I doubted my chances to win. It's that I doubted there would be much of Japan left if I had to deal with this girl and Katerea at the same time. And if the country is wiped out, then Shirou and Sona will probably end up the same if they're caught up in it.

"But what about Shirou?! He's still-"

"Master will be fine. _Those two_ will not allow him to be taken. They are bound by a power neither can truly comprehend." Jack narrowed her eyes, seeming pensive. "One bound by a lost, unrequited love and the other bound by the desire to keep Master from tears. I have faith in them." I tried to move forward but Jack aimed her knife in my direction. "I will not warn you again, Leviathan-sama. Return to the safety of the barrier."

"Who do you think you are, threatening Serafall-chan like that!" Gabriel screamed at Jack, very angry. Why she thought we were friends, I have no idea. All I know is that I wish she would die.

"It was not a threat, Gabriel-sama." Jack assured her, her gaze sharpening. "It was a promise." Her powerful aura increased in strength. "Besides, while Master is in danger, all of your efforts are best spent elsewhere." She turned and pointed one knife at the group surrounded by the barrier. "Gabriel-sama, Grayfia-dono, you two must keep that barrier active to protect Leviathan-sama and the others. Nothing else matters." Neither objected, but Grayfia-chan's eyes did narrow at the snow-haired girl who dared to command her as if she were her master.

"Hey, are you forgetting somebody!?" Irina-chan, my greatest love rival, whined while gesturing to the others within the barrier.

Jack barely blinked. "Ah yes. Some of Master's concubines aren't frozen. Even you can become helpful."

Irina's eye twitched, but she didn't react to what was no doubt meant as an insult.

"Go aid Master's _destined one_ in slaying the vicious practitioners of magecraft who seek to throw the proceedings of peace into disarray and punish them for their attempts to bring forth the tides of calamity and chaos."

.

.

.

[What?]

"Go help Vali kill the Magicians who are attacking." Jack clarified more helpfully.

[Ah.] Yumi-chan, Xenovia-chan, and Irina-chan all nodded in understanding. They all looked upward to the glowing, flashing lights.

[No please!]

[Wait wait! I give up! I give up!]

[Have merc-GAAAAKH!]

[Kufufu! At least TRY to stay alive for a bit longer! How ever can I boast to my lover for defeating such weaklings!?]

This was punctuated by even greater, more terrified shrieks of the Magicians as they met their deaths.

They all looked back to Jack.

"I'm...pretty sure she's doing just fine." Xenovia-chan noted, sweating slightly. She was nervous obviously. Vali was clearly more powerful than all of Rias's servants combined at their current levels.

"Did we ask for your opinion?" Jack asked, emitting an even greater hostile aura. "There's no telling how many are lurking in the shadows and if Issei and Rias come out, they will end up being slaughtered. Knock the enemy unconscious or kill them, I don't care. Just make sure they cannot interfere. Understood?"

[Y-Yes, ma'am!]

Yeah. I remember she was always this "convincing". So scary.

"Now go!" All three did as commanded, fearing Jack more than they feared getting caught as Vali's collateral damage.

When Jack shot me another sharp look, I knew it was best to do as told and snuck back into the barrier with Grayfia-chan and Gabriel and the others who were frozen. I snuggled closely with Sona, hugging her tightly while sighing sadly. I mentally prayed for Rias-chan's success. I didn't want Sona to remain this way.

"Ahem!" Jack turned her attention back to Katerea. "Are you all done?"

"What's that?" I sighed as I recognized that amused, taunting smirk that appeared on her face. "Were you actually waiting for us to make our move? Are you serious~?"

Katerea growled. "You will-"

"-pay for mocking me. I will destroy you or something like that." Jack spoke with such a monotone that made it quite clear Katerea was being mocked. "We would prefer to finish up this battle so our Master will not have to interact with such trash." She took a fighting stance, dual-wielding two of her knives.

"So this insolent brat will take your place as my opponent, Serafall?" Katerea's anger and annoyance became even stronger, apparent by the increased amount of demonic power she exuded. "For this insult, I think I will kill this girl first, and soon after I will rip each of your limbs from your body, leaving that disgusting face of yours untouched so you can watch as I kill your precious baby sister!"

"Don't take her bait, Serafall!"

It was not a warning, but an order that slipped from Jack's mouth, her harsh gaze, paralyzing me. Literally paralyzing me. It was not fear, but magic which bound me in place. It was not a legendary magic, but in the hands of someone with immense power, its effect was greatly enhanced. I could have easily broken free, but it was not meant to permanently bind me in the first place. Just to stop me.

Jack sighed as if SHE were the adult and I was the child. "I just told you not to move. Do _not_ test me again. I can find other ways to preserve Master's child but I truly do not wish to do such things such you. Please, Serafall." For that one moment, I saw her gaze soften. And for that moment, I hesitated. Her eyes were pleading...

She had so much faith in her own victory or perhaps her loyalty towards Shirou and her desire to protect his child were just that strong.

Reluctantly, I stepped back.

"Are you sure this is wise...?" Grayfia-chan, while focused on maintaining the barrier protecting those who were still frozen, was still able to speak calmly to me.

I raised my hands, deciding that doing nothing was pointless as I added my power to the barrier surrounding us.

"Wise? No. Logical? Certainly not." I admitted both of these without losing focus. "But Jack...even though we never met in person prior to that day in the forest, I know she loves Shirou just as much as the rest of us. If she believes he is in good hands, then I am willing to have faith in her. If she believes she can defeat Katerea, then I will still have faith in her just as Shirou would have."

Grayfia nodded, accepting my response while Gabriel stared at me with those annoying eyes (DIE, DAMN YOU!).

"And maybe after I'm finished with killing the two Sitri sisters, I'll allow the young Devil Prince to partake in the carnal pleasure of my body~" Katerea taunted, her eyes on me. I wanted to wring her neck out, but I couldn't back down after I just expressed such faith in Jack. "Of course, I may need to spend quite a bit of time breaking hi-"

Faster than lightning, a knife placed itself right at Katerea's throat, pressing against her neck just enough to lightly slice her flesh, several small beads of blood oozing from her wound.

Jack's harsh gaze bored deep into Katerea whose shock, for the moment, interrupted her rage.

"Listen to us and heed our words: We won't let _anyone_ bring harm to our master." Then Katerea retreated, leaping away from Jack in desperation. The dark aura surrounding the seemingly young girl began to grow and expand, becoming something that could rival Katerea's own power. "I will not let you leave here alive!"

Katerea stepped back, truly afraid for the first time. Gabriel started trembling as well and I even noticed a drop of sweat rolling down Grayfia's face. I, too, felt a great uneasiness in my heart.

It wasn't that we ourselves were afraid.

"Who...Who the Hell are you?!"

It was as if the parts of us that were women recognized this existence as our greatest enemy.

The air became thick with mist, the surroundings becoming hidden in white fog.

Jack's smile became more manic, the corners of her mouth stretching her smile from ear to ear.

When she opened her mouth, a horribly inhuman voice came out...Not just one, but many voices at once, speaking with that demonic shriek.

[We are the enemy of all women...]

Even within our barrier, the fog was beginning to appear. I could feel it somehow flowing down my throat.

[The nameless assassin who stalked from the shadows...]

The shadows around Jack began to rise from the ground.

[Who have taken countless lives...]

The other knives sheathed at her waists began floating around, cloaked in dark energy.

[Bound to serve the Devils' Crown...]

This was the power of this person...the servant of our teacher and the father of the Devils...

[Our true name is Jacklyn D. Ripper...but at the height of our fame we were called by one name...]

The result of this battle was decided from the beginning.

[Jack the Ripper!]

And so she began to show her true face.

* * *

**Shirou's POV...**

My master/lover is having my baby, I'm going through a lot of emotional shit, I keep getting bitch-slapped by EVERYONE, I seem to keep losing limbs and regrowing them for some reason, and now I think I can add one major headache and several broken ribs (AGAIN) to my list of problems!

Those and the fact I just got kidnapped...again...

But perhaps that wasn't the most worrying part...

For a long while, I was still in denial.

I kept struggling against her grasp, kicking and punching, but it's hard to twist my limbs in the right way when I'm being held underarm.

"Let me go! I said LET ME GO, DAMMIT!" I tried elbowing my captor in the knees and smacking her, but with me in such an awkward position, dealing anything remotely considered damage was impossible without blowing myself up as well but I doubt that trick would work for a second time even without outside interference...

She had been there...all that time...watching.

What was true...? What was a lie?

"We have gone far enough."

With that monotone voice that sounded so out of place, she dropped me right on the ground in the middle of the forest.

I groaned as the pain from my broken ribs flared up. It felt like someone was jamming iron nails through my chest.

With great effort, I pushed myself onto all-fours.

"Tell me..."

"The barrier surrounding the school will take a few moments to get around if I have to carry you." She noted, completely ignoring me. "So stay still so your broken ribs don't puncture any vital organs. It would be most inconvenient..." She started creating a magic circle in her hands, focusing.

"ANSWER ME, GODDAMMIT!"

She sighed, ending her attempt at bypassing the barrier before turning to me, staring at me impassively, her blue eyes slowly darkening in color, as if blood were flowing into her irises.

"How long...?"

"What do you mean?"

"How long have you been my enemy!? When exactly did you betray all of us!?"

She did not respond. She merely continued to stare at me with those crimson-red orbs.

"Why...Why did you do this..."

Still no response. My eyes started to sting, tears beginning to pour out of my eyes.

"Please, tell me..."

I turned my eyes upward. I had to look at her. I had to face the cruel reality. I stared at her with wounded eyes.

"Why did you do this!? Answer me...MAKO-NEEEEE!"

I stared at the face of Makoto Fujimura.

* * *

**BUM BUM BADDUUUUUUMMMM! The traitor has been revealed!**

**Makoto Fujimura?! Why? How?! What the f*** is going on here?! Will Shirou ever stop being a whiny bitch?! When will next chapter be out to explain what the f*** is going on!?**

**To answer these questions in order: That will be explained; Yes, about the chapter after next, I swear; and it will be done when it's done!**

**Also, if you guys notice any inconsistencies or screw-ups, please point them out. It's 10:30 PM and I'm too tired to check dis shit. I already caught my mistake where Raynare and the Fallen Angel trio were somehow unfrozen...I'm SO glad I caught that. If anyone catches any remaining traces of that, please inform me so I can begin making the proper corrections.**

**Next time, on Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan:**

Jack: I won't allow my Master to mate with such a worthless woman such as yourself.

Katerea: So this is the power of our previous King's servant...

Takashi(?): Shirou...there's more to this story than you know.

?: Sorry, but if anyone's going to have ownership of Shirou-chin, it's going to be me~

Makoto(?): I've longed for this day for ten years!

Ravel: Shirou-sama...I'm sorry...

Shirou: What have you done!?...WHAT THE HELL HAVE YOU DONE!?

**Next time: The Word is "Despair"!**

**Can't wait til then~!**

**Bye-Bye~!**


	30. REWRITE-O-RONI!

The message we've all been waiting for and have expected for quite some time.

Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan is undergoing rewrites for the following reasons:

1) Overly-inflated harem.

2) As one Guest pointed out (and I respect both him and his polite attitude), Shirou has essentially become a windbag with all of his long speeches and inability to back them up.

3) Shirou has not won a single significant battle over the course of this story and has done nothing but cry and sob and angst this sh*t up.

I don't know when the rewrite will be done or how the story will change, but I will leave you with one spoiler because it will not be a spoiler in the first chapter of the rewrite:

Makoto's actual name is Relia Satan and she murdered Shirou's mother.

And it only gets angstier from there. If you want more spoilers on the story that will cease to exist, feel free to PM me. If you want to PM me to flame me, try writing your own godfriggin story. THEN you can whine and complain at me about how unfair it is for me to put this on halt for a rewrite. :3 This doesn't apply to everyone. Only the rude whiners. These people know who they are.

If you end up bored while waiting, try reading my rewrite of Devil Reborn, Devil Reborn REDUX featuring Shirou Fujimura as he was meant to be. I won't lie, there will be some angst as the resolution of Highschool DxD backstories demand, but nowhere near as much as Vanishing Dragon of Leviathan. Devil Reborn Redux Shirou's immediate personal drama will only lasts for the first arc in-between lighthearted or touching moments but his life isn't all that simple to please stay tuned. There is MUCH more to him than meets the eye. And, he'll actually WIN significant fights in this one!

Thank you and have a good day~!


End file.

High School DxD/ハイスクールD×D, Romance, Supernatural