Danger in Kuoh

Underworld, Satan Territory, Capital City, Lilith.

The next day, the members of James, Rias, and Sona's peerages made their way to the exam site first thing in the morning accompanied by their [Kings] and Scathach. While the ten young devils chosen to take the promotion test, James, Rias, Sona, and Scathach spent the three or so hours of free time that they found themselves with sightseeing, mostly because Scathach had never had the time to see the sites of Lilith.

Around the time they felt that the test should be over, James and the girls made their way back to the exam venue. And just as they thought they would, they found the ten test takers waiting for them outside of the exam venue.

"Where have you all been?" Mizore asked in a spoiled tone as she latched onto James' left arm. "We've been waiting for, like, ever so we could go and eat."

"Don't pay her any mind, James." Moka said with a smile as she wrapped her arms around James' other arm. "We've only been out here for, like, five minutes."

"Oh, really?" James said with a smile while looking down at Mizore.

In response to James' teasing question, Mizore pouted and turned her face away.

"Why do you always ruin my jokes, Moka?" Mizore asked, while maintaining her pouting expression.

"Because your pouting face is cute." Moka said as she pinched Mizore's cheek.

"We're the same age, stop treating me like I'm younger than you." Mizore snapped back.

"Until December 7th, you're sixteen, and I'm seventeen already." Moka said with a smile. "So, we're not the same age, right now."

"Argh!" Mizore growled. "I hate you so much sometimes!"

While Moka continued to tease Mizore relentlessly, Rias and Sona approached the members of their own peerages.

"So, how did it go?" Rias asked the group.

"No problem." Akeno replied.

Koneko, Yuuto, and Gasper answered in similar ways.

"I probably passed the written test." issei said in an unsure tone. "But why were the people we had to fight so weak?"

"Don't say that, Issei." Rias replied with a smile. "You're just used to fighting stronger opponents. But don't' forget, this is only a Middle-Class advancement. Most of the people taking it have just advanced into the middle-rank."

"I guess that makes sense." Issei said while scratching the back of his head.

"So, what are we gonna do for the rest of the day?" Reya asked.

"How come you're not asking how your peerage did, Kaichou" Issei asked curiously.

"Buchou only asked us because she was worried about you passing or not." Koneko replied while rolling her eyes. "There was no doubt that the rest of us would pass, perverted idiot."

"Really?" Issei asked as his head snapped back toward Rias.

"*Sigh* Koneko is right." Rias replied. "Your scholastic ability isn't the best, after all."

"I already knew I was dumber than everyone else, but it still hurts to hear someone say it." issei said.

"I say it all the time." Koneko said bluntly. "Mio, too."

Issei felt as if he had been pierced by an arrow after Koneko's comments. Meanwhile, everyone else laughed at their back and forth. After the laughter died down, James was the next to speak.

"Anyway, I'm sure you guys are hungry." James said while he pulled Mizore and Moka away from the exam venue. "We'll go to the place where my parents took me after each time I took one of these exams"

With that, the group walked to the restaurant where James and his family have eaten after each of James' promotion exams and enjoyed their time. Then, the test takers who had never had the time to explore the capital followed their [Kings] to some of the more interesting places in the city. Meanwhile, the rest returned to the hotel to rest up.

Human World, Japan, Kuoh.

Late afternoon of the same day, Mio and Maria were walking home with Flora and Shuna after spending the time after school at the MMA Club.

"That's right" Flora said with a nod. "And when they come back, they'll all be Middle-Class."

"Maybe they'll all be Middle-Class." Mio said with a frown. "I wouldn't be surprised if that perverted idiot failed the written test."

Flora, Shuna, and Maria could not help but giggle when they heard Mio's jab at Issei.

"You know, he's really not that bad." Flora said. "I mean sure, he's a pervert, but he's still a good guy."

"I know..." Mio said with a frown. "I just don't like the way he looks at me. Only..."

Mio began to mumble the latter part of her sentence. As she did, her face began to flush.

"Oh, what was that?" Maria asked with a smile as she wrapped her arms around Mio. "It sounds like there is someone you don't mind looking at you like that."

"Get off of me Maria!" Mio shouted as she struggled to free herself from her half-sister. "Let go, or I'll kill you a hundred times."

Flora and Shuna could only continue to giggle after seeing the sisters' antics. However, after a few moments, the three of them froze in their tracks.

"We're in an anti-recognition barrier." Shuna said with a frown.

"But why?" Flora asked.

"Are they coming for us?" Mio asked as she began to flare her demonic power.

"If they are, then they're in for a rude awakening." Maria said as she took her fighting stance.

Silence fell over the quartet for a few minutes. Eventually, the sounds of two sets of footsteps could be heard from in front of them. After a few moments, the owners of those footsteps came into view. The first, a tall man with white hair, pointy ears, and purple eyes wearing a red jacket with yellow padded shoulders.

And the second, a beautiful, tall, tan-skinned woman with white hair, gold-green eyes, a slim, yet curvaceous figure, a rabbit tail, and rabbit ear-shaped horns. She wore a tight-fitting, black dress that was open in the front showing off much of her breasts and cleavage as well as most of her abdomen, black shoulder pads with gold accents, white stockings, also with gold accents and black boots that reached just above her knees. She followed just behind the man she was accompanying, much like a servant would.

"I've finally found you, daughters of Wilber." The man said with a lascivious smile on his face.

"Zolgear!" Maria growled with hatred in her tone.

"Zolgear?" Mio asked curiously, hatred leaking into her tone as well. "He's the one that killed my family?"

"If you're talking about those pitiful humans that raised you, my dear." Zolgear said as he licked his lips after seeing the hatred the two girls were displaying. "Then, yes that would be me."

After hearing Zolgear admit to what he had done, the gravitational force in the area skyrocketed. Then, Mio, without hesitation, unleashed as many magic spells as she could at Zolgear. Before they could hit him, however, the woman who, a moment ago, was standing behind Zolgear, appeared in front of him and swatted away the spells Mio fired.

"Ha! What were you, a middle-rank being, expecting to be able to do to me?" Zolgear asked disdainfully. "Instead of fighting me, you should have followed me from the beginning. I've been looking forward to tasting you for quite some time."

Once again, Zolgear licked his lips. At the same time, Mio and Maria's hatred grew.

"You'd really kidnap a member of Rias Gremory's peerage?" Flora asked. "Are you that confident in hiding from House Gremory?"

Finally taking a look at the other two girls who were walking with Mio and Maria, Zolgear's eyes lit up when he took in the sights of Flora and Shuna.

"Zest, I've decided." Zolgear said, ignoring Flora's question. "Bring all four of them with us."

Flora and Shuna were taken aback. At the same time, Mio and Maria's hatred continued to grow.

"Is this guy out of his mind?" Flora asked.

"It looks like he thinks more with the little head between his legs than the one on his shoulders." Shuna said with a disgusted expression.

"Understood, Master." Zest, the tan skinned woman, replied.

A moment later, Zest, with pure speed, flashed behind Mio with her hand raised. As she prepared to knock Mio unconscious with one strike, Flora positioned herself between the two and blocked the chop aimed at the back of Mio's neck. Catching the strike, Flora turned and threw Zest with an over the shoulder throw hard enough to crack the pavement below them.

As soon as Zest's back contacted the ground, Maria leapt into the air with her right fist drawn back. At the same time, Mio increased the gravity around her, causing her to fall with greater force. When Maria's fist connected with Zest, the cracked pavement was forced to crater, as Zest was forced into the ground.

However, Zest had received no damage from Maria's fist. Instead of the fist hitting her body, Zest had caught Maria's punch with one hand. And, unfortunately for Maria, she had no intention of letting go, yet.

"What the hell? Let go of me!" Maria shouted as she struggled to free her hand from Zest's grasp.

"Hurry up, you worthless slave." Zolgear shouted from where he had been standing from the beginning. "I don't have all day to waste watching you screw around."

"Yes, Master." Zest replied as she raised her hand once again in an attempt to render one of the girls unconscious.

And like last time, Flora flashed to stop the incoming strike. Unlike last time, however, as soon as Flora caught the attack, Zest's other hand reached out and latched around Flora's neck.

Surprised at how quickly things had changed, Flora began throwing every strike she could think of to free herself from Zest's grasp. Unfortunately, nothing she did worked. However, out of nowhere, Zest released her and vanished from her spot, and she fell to the ground. A moment later, Maria was by her side, assisting her to stand up.

"How dare you, you damn whore!" Zolgear shouted from the distance.

"What do you think happened?" Maria asked as she and Flora made their way out of the crater.

"I don't know, but I'm lucky that something happened." Flora said in a tired tone.

A few moments ago, while Zest was about to render Flora incapable of fighting, Shuna launched a barrage of her blood-red fireballs at Zolgear. Fortunately, Zolgear had not been paying attention to her since she had yet to do anything during the battle. He had assumed that she was a non-combatant and would just stand off to the side and be an easy target.

Oh, how wrong he was. Caught completely unprepared, he could feel the heat from the fireballs on his skin when he realized that the attack was headed in his direction. Lucky for him, Zest had been monitoring the entire battlefield. Just before the attack could make contact, Zest appeared in front of Zolgear and deflected or destroyed all the fireballs.

"How dare you, you damn whore!" Zolgear shouted once he realized he was safe. Then, he struck Zest on the side of her head as hard as he could before speaking to her in an angry tone. "And what were you doing? You are useless. I can't believe you almost allowed me to be harmed."

"My apologies, Master." Zest said while bowing her head.

"I don't need your apologies!" Zolgear shouted. "Go, show that bitch her place. Teach her how a good slave should behave."

"Yes, Master." Zest replied, then disappeared from her spot.

The next moment, Shuna flew back from where she was standing coughing up a mouthful of blood while her body flew through the air.

"Shuna-Senpai!" Mio shouted, before she too was struck by Zest.

Unlike Shuna, however, Mio lost consciousness immediately and fell to the ground right where she stood. Then, Zest turned her sight back to Flora and Maria. And once again, like ablur, she appeared in front of the last two standing girls. Then, with a punch to each of their abdomen, they were knocked to the ground.

Just as she was able to struggle back to her feet, Shuna realized that all her comrades had been defeated by Zest. And now, she, injured and out matched was the only one left who was still conscious. With that realization, all she could do was watch as Zolgear, with rage and sadism marring his expression, walked toward her slowly.

"Hahaha!" Zolgear laughed uproariously as he approached Shuna. "You dare to attack? Attack me? Oh, I'm going to enjoy training you into an obedient slave."

Just as Zolgear finished speaking, he reached Shuna. Looking at her with his eyes filled with lust, he slowly reached out to touch her face. However, with her gaze unwavering, Shuna stared into Zolgear's eyes, clearly having not given into fear, yet.

"I don't like the way you're looking at me." Zolgear said with a frown. "Perhaps if I remove one of your eyes, that look will change."

And just as he said, Zolgear began to reach toward Shuna's left eye. Even so, Shuna showed no sign of fear. Why? Because she could feel reinforcements coming. And he was pissed.

Just before Zolgear could put his fingertips on Shuna's skin, his hand stopped.

*Crack!*

"Gahh~~~~~!" Zolgear stopped as the bones in his wrist were shattered.

"You made one hell of a mistake targeting my people." James said after rushing here from the Underworld.

Luckily, after the two attempted kidnappings of Yasaka and Kunou, James and Scathach devised a method so that the two of them would be signaled when one of the people he cared about was in an abnormal situation. Scathach had marked each of them, James' peerage, Rias' peerage, Sona's peerage, Yasaka, Kunou, his parents, Rias' parents, Sona's parents, and Millicas, with a runic sentence that would constantly monitor the state of the energy in the bearer's vicinity. Then, when energy levels spiked, for whatever reason James and Scathach would be alerted with the bearer's position.

Because of those runic sentences, James put down the cutlery he was using to eat dinner with the group in the Underworld. Then, without a word, he created a magic circle and teleported back to the Human World. Unfortunately, he could not teleport directly into the barrier that Zolgear erected, so he teleported to his house and ran with all his might toward the location where his senses were disturbed.

"Who the hell are you?" Zolgear shouted with rage. "Zest, kill this fucking brat!"

Before Zolgear could even give his order, Zest was already charging toward James ready to strike him in the back of the head. However, James simply turned his body to the side and caught her fist with no problem.

"Peak ultimate-rank, huh?" James said with no emotion in his tone. "Now I understand why everyone was so easily taken out."

Then, without changing his expression, James slammed Zest into the ground. After that, he stomped her sternum, rendering her unconscious. Naturally, Zolgear was terrified after seeing Zest defeated so easily.

"I have to say, you're pretty lucky, man." James said, turning his attention back to Zolgear. "I really, really, really wanna torture you right now. But I need to get these girls some medical attention. So, you get a quick death."

"No, please don..."

*Swish!*

*Click!*

Faster than anyone could follow, James drew Mangetsu no Shita de, decapitated Zolgear, and sheathed his sword. Then, he released Zolgear's arm, and rushed to check on Shuna's condition.