20

Yuki and I made plans to spend Saturday together. If I'm not mistaken, this is also the time that the hero clan would send Yuki's sister, Kurumi, along with Takashi and Shiba, to eliminate Mio. Despite the fact that we've suppressed the hell out of the demon beasts and demon beast attacks are lower than they were before Mio got here. It was never about protecting anyone. It's about power plays and destroying what they can't control.

Together, Yuki and I start walking towards the school. About halfway there, a soft cry and a thump draw our attention to a girl, face down on the ground with the dress up over her hips flashing her panties to the world. Of course, I knew immediately who it was.

"How did I manage to fall down?" a sweet voice calls out. She rolls onto her back and sits up. Her adorable face, golden blond hair, and wide innocent green eyes confirm her identity. The habit doesn't hurt either. Not many eighteen-year-old nuns walking around Kuoh. I step over and reach out a hand.

"Are you alright?" I ask.

She takes my hand, and I help her to her feet. "Thank you very much."

I smile. "No problem at all."

"Um... I seem to have lost my way, and I don't know what to do."

"Well, where are you going? Maybe I can show you the way."

"Issei. We have to get to school," Yuki says.

"I can't leave the poor lady lost in an unfamiliar place. Why don't you go on ahead and let the teacher know where I am, and I'll head there after I've gotten her to where she's going."

Yuki looks between the nun and me before sighing and nods. I see her off and turn back to my new friend. "So, visiting on business or pleasure?"

"Um. I've been assigned to the church in this town."

"Ah, so that's what you're looking for then, huh? By the way, I'm Issei."

"Yes. Oh, my name is Asia Argento. Please call me Asia. It's nice to meet you."

"The pleasure's mine. Alright, follow me. I'll get you to the church on time." We finish repacking her bag and head towards Raynare's lair. A local abandoned church.

"I'm glad I ran into someone so kind. It must be the Lord's guidance," she says, swinging around innocence and cuteness like they're weapons.

The sound of a crying child catches Asia's attention, and she rushes over. I grin and follow after her.

"A big boy shouldn't cry over a little boo-boo like this," she says to a small boy with a skinned knee. Glowing green energy surrounds her hands, and the wound visibly closes. This is her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing. The very thing that causes so much trouble for her and leads to her being reborn as a devil. As the wound heals, I can feel the energy in my Sacred Gear responding.

"There, your boo-boo is all gone. You're okay now," she says. Looking back at me, she smiles. "Sorry, I couldn't help myself."

"It's fine. I always like to see people helping each other. Gives me a little hope in human nature. It's quite the ability you have."

"It's a wonderful power that I received from God. Yes... Wonderful," she says, her upbeat nature slightly subdued. Considering she was excommunicated for having the power to heal even creatures of darkness, she sure kept a good front—another reason to disdain the church of this world.

She looks up, and her smile brightens once more. "Ah, there it is!"

"Yep, that's the only church in town. There are shrines and the like, but that's the only church."

"Terrific. This is a big load off."

"It doesn't get much traffic, though. Not many churchgoers in this town."

"I would love to thank you somehow. Would you mind coming up with me?"

"I should really be getting on to school, but here's my phone number. Maybe I can show you around town sometime soon."

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I forgot that you were on your way to school. I'm so blessed to meet someone as nice and kind as you, Issei, so soon after arriving in Japan."

"It's a pleasure, Asia."

"Please, if you have time, come see me at the church. Promise me."

"If I can. When you get a phone, give me a ring. I know a great barbeque place. Until then. Be safe, Asia."

"Yes, I will see you later."

.

.

.

By the time I arrive at the school, I've already missed two and a half periods, so instead of interrupting class, I decided to skip the rest. The person I wanted to talk to wasn't in there anyway. According to Sage, they are up on the roof. I should have guessed that anyway.

Pushing open the door to the roof, I walk out and see Yahiro looking out over the city. He turns back with a smile. "Hey, Ise. Is it okay for someone who just recovered to be skipping out?"

"I'm not missing much. Anyway, I wanted to talk to you."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, how are you feeling?"

"Hmm? Oh, you mean that night? What happened there? You suddenly elbowed me in the sternum and ditched me." I'm pretty sure I didn't, but he's stuck in the script probably.

"I mean after that. You took a pretty nasty shot when we were up here. Nearly got cut up by Yuki. Honestly, I wouldn't have taken it that far, but I don't like people filling Mio's head with that self-defeating bullshit."

"What are you talking about?"

"Oh, cut the shit, Lars. I've known about you since day one. You might have the devils fooled, though I doubt it. Sona Sitri is pretty sharp, and Rias is more cunning than people give her credit for."

"When did you notice?"

"Literally the first day of class. I know you don't want to hear that, but it's true." Actually, I knew years before that when I first watched the anime, but that wouldn't make much sense to him, so we'll go with this.

He looks confused for a moment. Then, like something reset in his head, says, "So? What are you going to do, Ise?"

"Nothing right now. In fact, I'd like us to be allies. What do you think?"

"Allies?"

"You're the observer for the Demon Lord, among other things. So, you're probably trying to awaken her power while keeping an eye on her. When she's ready, I'll help with that. Going for the explosive mental and emotional breakdown will only endanger innocents, and that's not your style."

"I thought I could push her that night, but you surprised me."

"So, you failed. If the Demon Lord finds out, he might pull you from the assignment and send someone else. I don't really want to have to deal with that. I like you, and I can't guarantee that I'd like your replacement. Better the demon I know than the one I don't."

"So, either pretend nothing happened and continue observing her, or you and that succubus can tell the Acting Demon Lord I screwed up."

"It's not a bad deal."

"You and I are enemies. there's no telling when I might betray you."

"Lars, I told you I knew about you from the beginning. Maria has been out by herself several nights. You could have easily set a trap for her, but you didn't. I'm going out on a limb and saying you're not going for blood. And if I wanted you dead, I would have just walked up next to you and sucked you into the trash compactor of the gods known as Banishing Shift. Look, I get it. You're a badass trickster demon, and you like to lay it on thick, but we both have a common enemy, and as long as you aren't trying to hurt the people I care about, I won't fuck your day up."

'Heh. You've got quite the imagination. But, well, things have gotten difficult for me after what happened. For now, I'll play along, Ise, with that idea of yours."

He turns and starts walking toward the door. "Now, I need to be heading back."

"Cool, one more thing."

"Hold on now. It's not fair to expect information without anything in return."

"I was going to ask if you wanted to go hunting for the douche that killed yours and Mio's foster parents. They did run the orphanage where you grew up, right?"

That did it. He froze Lars.EXE has encountered a critical error. "H-how do you know that?"

"I have my sources. Give me a couple of weeks to get my ducks in a row, and we'll play whack a goat with Zolgia's head. Wait, is it Z-O-L-G-I-A or Z-O-L-G-E-A-R? My sources are conflicting about the spelling. I want to be sure we get it right on his tombstone."

He just blinks at me. "Relax, Yahiro, think about it, and we'll work something out soon. We'll do lunch one of these days."

Lars, in a bit of a daze, continued walking over to the door to the inside. As he got there, the door opened to reveal Mio poking her head through. Seeing me, she passes Yahiro with barely a nod and walks over to me.

"I can't believe you two are up here skipping class," she says.

"I just got here and didn't want to interrupt class. I figure it's better to show up after lunch. Less disruptive."

"What were you talking to Takigawa about?"

"Lots of things. I'm okay with telling you, but I'd like to wait until we're home. Some of it is... sensitive."

"Hmm. Mysterious," She says. She pauses a moment, and her cheeks flush a little. "H-hey, listen, I haven't thanked you for saving me yet, have I?"

"We're family; that's what we do."

"S-so, so, um..." she stutters out and then leans in and puckers up.

She really does have a sexy set of lips. Too bad this kiss is about to get interrupted.

"No," Yuki says, pulling me back away from Mio.

"N-Nonaka?! Why?!" Mio says.

"I can't let my guard down at all. Don't use your sex appeal on Issei," Yuki says.

"I-I wasn't using any sex appeal!" Mio shouts. Well... maybe a little.

"Issei, I was hoping you'd eat this," Yuki says. Unfortunately, she was holding a bento and wasn't talking about herself.

"Oh, that's nice of you, Yuki. I remember you always liked to cook when we were kids. I have a couple of cupcakes leftover from last night. Maybe you'd like one of them?" I say. Turning back to Mio. "Would you like one as well, Mio?"

"A-are those the cupcakes you made yesterday?" Mio asks, a bit of saliva gathering in the corner of her mouth.

"They sure are—the last six. I'll make something else for the desert tonight. Maybe cheesecake."

She shakes her head and frowns at Yuki. "H-hold on. I was planning to have lunch with Issei after this, too!"

It looks like I almost broke her out of the script for a second there, but it dragged her back in.

Yuki, who had been looking at the cupcake curiously, frowns and looks back at Mio. "While empty-handed?"

"Leave this to me, Mio-sama," Maria yells as she runs through the door with a pink heart-shaped bento in hand. She runs up to Mio, who is taken aback. "I've got your lunchbox all set. Now Mio-sama, you mustn't lose to this expressionless childhood friend! Do that thing with big brother!" she's very animated. "The 'aah, aah' thing!"

"S-stop joking around!" Mio says, embarrassed. "Why do I have to do that with him?!"

As she says that last line, the tsundere in her activates the curse, and a pink glowing mark appears on her neck.

I sigh. "Again, Mio?"

Maria leaps forward. "It's too late now. In that case, big brother, you'll have to go 'aah' for Mio-sama!" she says excitedly. Her eyes tell me she's entered her full-on succubus delusion mode. She's practically salivating at all the scenarios she's creating in her mind. "NO! Make Mio-sama say, 'aah'!"

Yuki is just staring at her like she's insane, and Mio is ready to burst with embarrassment. Somehow, Maria has managed to open the bento and pulled a sausage out. "Now, big brother, take this super thick frankfurt and go rough on Mio-sama's cute little mouth!"

"Pfft!" I snort. "She does have a cute little mouth, doesn't she, but if I'm going to be rough on it, I'd rather use something else."

Maria's record skips a little. "I-it's too late to say that. You, me, and Mio-sama have already done way worse, haven't we?" the frantic little imp says. "Just the other day, we enjoyed some cake play in the bathroom naked together. No!"

A crimson cheeked Yuki frowns at me. "What's she talking about?"

Maria jumps in. "You didn't know? Big brother has been Mio-sama and my master for some time now."

"Th-that's not right!" Yuki exclaims, losing her implacable calm. "I'll never allow it!"

"Mio-sama become big brother's servant in heart and body. Right before my eyes," Maria coos.

"H-hey, what are you talking about, Maria?! I'll kill you a hundred times!"

"Will you two cut it out already?!" Yuki shouts. "Issei belongs to me!"

I lean back against the railing to enjoy the show. Although I'd rather harmony in my harem, it is nice to see them a little possessive sometimes. It boosts one's confidence a little. Of course, having a harem also boosts one's confidence, and I shouldn't get too cocky. This weekend should be the turning point for Yuki.

"Huh?! When did he become yours?!"

"Since forever!"

"What are you saying?"