Devils?

RECAP

I never got close or tried to find out more about them, the aura they radiated made me too uneasy to try. True, I talked to them if th

I never got close or tried to find out more about them, the aura they radiated made me too uneasy to try. True, I talked to them if they started a conversation, but I always tried my best to make it short.

Rias Gremory... Souna Shitori...

Just what the hell are you two?

......

??POV

So that's him, eh?" Rias said as she was staring down at Ise, who was walking home.

"Yep... Hyoudou Issei, the student that has been almost late 56 times during this semester." Sona replied as she adjusted her glasses from window of the Student Council Office. "His magical aura seems quite high, strong enough to the point of being aware that there's something wrong with us, very skilled in Kendo and Archery but stopped attending the clubs for unknown reason, grades high enough to become number six in the whole school, works as an employee at McDonald, is friends with Aika Kiryu and some of her peers..." Sona listed the things she knew about Ise before she crossed her arms and stared at Ise's retreating back. "Due to his reputation he is called the "Lone Tiger" of Kuoh Academy."

"Lone Tiger?" Rias asked while blinking her eyes before a twinkle of understanding appeared. "Ah, you mean that incident?"

Sona nodded at her friend's remark. That incident happened one year ago when Ise was a first year. There was a reason why Aika was so clingy towards Ise who was kind of a loner.

It was during last Spring, when Aika had been going home, she had been stopped by thugs and thieves who were intending to steal her stuff and... do certain things to her. Now, Kuoh City might be a peaceful city, but that didn't mean there were no crimes, thugs or other things like that in this city.

Back on track, when Aika was cornered, Ise coincidentally was on his way back home from his work, and helped Aika by beating the four thugs that were trying to hurt the girl.

The next day those four thugs went to Kuoh Academy along with eleven adult men who were carrying blunt weapons and even some knives.

The result? Issei still demolished them. None of them were dead, but they sure as hell got the message that Issei was someone not to mess with. And afterwards they didn't come back and were never seen again, Sona and Rias also made sure of that since they used small magic to make them leave Kuoh City.

And afterwards rumors began to spread. The whole school began to pay attention to what Ise was doing and discovered that he was actually quite a loner. He still associated with others and talked with everyone who approached, heck, he even would help everyone who asked him.

But he was still quite a loner. For some reasons he couldn't bring himself to make friends as easily as normal people did, no matter how normal he appeared to be.

And thus the Lone Tiger of Kuoh Academy had born...

"Koneko also sensed something inside him. Something powerful... Maybe he possesses a strong Sacred Gear..." Rias said and Sona nodded.

"He most likely does... " Sona agreed and Rias hummed.

"By the way, I still don't get it. Why 'Tiger'?" Rias asked.

"Because he's not wild... He's in control of himself and smart... He's not just some ferocious beast who lashes out at anything. Tigers are calm and smart while hunting their prey, they won't attack you if it is trouble it and you don't bother it. Ise is like that.." Sona explained while adjusting her glasses.

"Hoo... That was quite descriptive..." Rias giggled "You are quite accurate, eh? As expected from you..."

Sona in response merely silenced herself, her expression still stoic when she caught some women were talking with Ise.

"I want him..." Sona said bluntly, making Rias blanch. "He is a good person for my peerage, and for the Student Council. He's smart enough to enter it and we can clearly use a boy in it. His almost-late reputation isn't really a problem and I still have some pieces that I could use for him." Sona told her rival before she sighed. "The only reason why I didn't recruit him already is because of you, Rias. If Hyoudou Issei were to contain a hidden talent, then he would be good for your Peerage against Riser."

Only silence was Rias' answer for that. She actually knew how interested Sona was in Ise. Rias was not the first one that had laid her eyes on the boy. It had, Sona had, even before the event that had given Issei the nickname 'Lone Tiger'. The boy was quite smart and also often helped other students, he even sometimes fixed old school equipment, saving the school the costs of hiring a repair man.

Sona had planned to recruit the boy when he had become a second year, because she had wanted to observe Issei a bit more and to get to know him better after he joined the school. Originally she her plan had been to recruit him in this month, but she hadn't. The reason was because Rias had asked her to.

There was news about her engagement with Riser being hastened somehow. Rias of course was angry and had demanded to know why, but her father hadn't told her and her big brother had been also the same. Then Rias had asked Sona to give her a chance to recruit Issei, if the boy really was that special, then he could become the key for her freedom.

Sona of course was not happy, not one bit. She had been after Issei for over a year already and the only reason she had not invited him before was because she had wanted to observe his growth. In a sense it was Sona was a farmer who slowly and carefully grew her crops and just when she was ready to harvest them, someone else came along and tried to take it instead.

Had it been any other person, Sona would have fought for Issei. Oh yes, she would have fought it. However, Rias was her friend, best friend ever since they were children and they had grown up together... And for that she was willing to give her a chance, one chance for Rias to recruit Issei.

However, if she were to fail then that would be it. There wouldn't be another chance for her.

"Don't worry Sona, when I get Issei I will make sure he's going to spend some times in Student Council..." Rias tried to reassure her friend and Sona inwardly snorted.

'I don't think you will. If there's one thing I'm know about you, Rias, it's that you are very greedy and protective of your peerage.' Sona thought but did not voice it out loud. She was aware that Rias herself actually also knew about that. She even noticed that Rias said 'when' and not 'if', indicating that she pretty much saw it as a done deal. "The fallen have already made a move on him as you've predicted... Hopefully you'll get what you want." Sona simply replied with stoic face.

"I must..." Rias said firmly as she stared at Ise. "For the sake of my dream, I must..." She muttered.