Reluctance

After calming her down and relocating someplace less public, Asia and Vahn got to experience their first taste of fast food before she confided in him and Issei what the Stray Exorcists and Fallen Angels had planned for her. She was the possessor of a rare and exceedingly useful Sacred Gear known as Twilight Healing, granting its owner the ability to treat virtually any non-fatal injury or illness, so the Fallen Angels were preparing a ritual to extract it from her body, one which would invariably result in her death.

Understandably, Vahn and Issei were incensed to learn the truth, but the former couldn't help remarking, "That doesn't make sense..." with a deep, contemplative frown.

"What do you mean...?" asked Issei, staring at Vahn as if he had lost his mind.

"The Sacred Gear System was developed by God and has been around for thousands of years, evening the playing field between humans and the supernatural..." reminded Vahn. "If bad guys could just extract them from their original wielders to use as their own, there wouldn't be much reason for Devils, Fallen Angels, or Angels to recruit or kill them. They could just kidnap anyone they suspect to have a Sacred Gear, extract it, and entrust it to one of their existing subordinates..."

"Oh...when you put it like that, it is kind of odd..." muttered Issei, recalling his interaction with the Fallen Angel, Raynare. If she hadn't revealed what she was and tried to kill him, he could have easily been persuaded to side with the Fallen Angels. If what Asia was saying was true, he was basically killed for no reason...

Smiling wryly, Asia conceded, "Well, if I'm being honest, I don't know the specifics. That's just what they told me before letting me go, telling me I should enjoy my final day on Earth and prepare my heart to meet with the Father..."

"And is that something you want...?" asked Vahn, his expression stern and focused.

Shaking her head, Asia lowered her head and smiled shyly as she replied, "What I want is to make friends and share wonderful memories with them. But my—"

"Then that's what you should do," said Vahn, leaving Asia no room to offer excuses or somehow justify allowing herself to be sacrificed to further the aims of people she knew to be cruel and wicked.

"Vahn's right," appended Issei, his expression serious and his brown eyes blazing with passion as he asserted, "You and I are already friends, Asia. I won't just stand and allow you to be sacrificed. I would rather die fighting to prevent it than live with the knowledge I didn't even try..."

"Issei-san...Vahn-san..." muttered Asia, her mouth forming a deep, chin-wrinkling frown and her eyes, once again, becoming moist as a precursor to tears. She didn't feel she had done anything to warrant their kindness and consideration, but she was deeply touched, compelling her to clasp her hands together in prayer. Issei felt discomfort due to his existence as a Devil, but he still managed to smile despite the cold sweat breaking out across his body.

"That said, why don't you come to Kuoh and join Rias-senpai's Peerage?" proposed Issei. "If you become her Bishop, we'll be able to fight together and protect you a lot easier."

"Peerage...?" repeated Asia, leading to a brief explanation of the Chess-like system Devils used alongside the standard intrapersonal hierarchies. Unfortunately, while she felt it would be a lot of fun to join such a group, Asia shook her head and asserted, "I'm sorry, Issei-san, Vahn-san. While I appreciate your invitation, I could never abandon my faith and become a Devil. The Church might have abandoned me, but I know in my heart that the Lord has not. Were that the case, the three of us would not have been able to meet like this."

"I think you're misunderstanding something," said Vahn, prompting Asia to stare at him as he revealed, "I am not a Devil," before turning to Issei and adding, "Also, you shouldn't advise people to join Rias's Peerage. That is a decision only she can make."

Surprised by Vahn's firmness, Issei asked, "But isn't that the best way to keep her safe? If we sheltered her normally, the Church might try to force us to hand her over..."

"And we can just say no," appended Vahn. "More importantly, while Rias has decided to fill her remaining positions in her Peerage with girls, she also expects me to...you know..."

Though he was briefly confused by Vahn's words, Issei's eyes eventually widened in realization, his hands and forearms forming a cross as he said, "Yeah, okay, let's just consider that idea scrapped. Either way, you should still come to Kuoh Academy, Asia. If Vahn and I ask her together, I'm sure Rias-senpai will agree to shelter you. And if you enroll as a student, a kind girl like you would have no trouble making friends."

"Is that really okay...?" asked Asia, directing the question to Vahn since he appeared to have more of a level head and superior position to Issei. That made her curious about his identity, but since she could learn more about him later, she didn't ask right there and then.

"You need to make decisions like that for yourself," said Vahn. "And even if it doesn't always work out, you need to be able to ask for help. Waiting for it to come almost always ends in tragedy..."

"You're right..." affirmed Asia, adopting a radiant smile that caused both Vahn and Issei to feel a little taken aback as she stated, "Please take me with you. I may not be able to become a Devil, but my Twilight Healing should prove useful to you and your friends."

Seeing Vahn and Asia staring at each other with clear eyes and varying degrees of a smile, a sense of urgency swelled within Issei. Asia wasn't his girlfriend or anything. In fact, they hadn't even known each other for three full days. However, since Vahn already had Rias, presumably Akeno, and ostensibly even Koneko in his harem, Issei felt it wouldn't be fair if he claimed Asia alongside them...

Feeling like he needed to make a better impression, Issei adopted his best smile and expressed, "You shouldn't worry about things like being useful. It's enough just being willing to help. If the only reason someone keeps you around is because you're useful to them, they're either bad or not really your friends."

"Right!" replied Asia, holding up her hands and balling them into tiny fists as she beamed even more radiantly. Fortunately for Issei, Vahn, thanks to Sis, quickly realized the former was attempting to make himself stand out and keep Asia's attention, so instead of affirming what he had said with a supplementary assertion, he just nodded approvingly...

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"I see...so that's what they were planning..." muttered Rias, sitting back in her chair behind her desk with her arms crossed as Vahn, flanked by Issei and Asia, both explained the latter's situation and asked if they could help her.

Seeing Vahn staring at her with his characteristically earnest expression, trusting that she would do the right thing, Rias closed her eyes, exhaled a faint sigh, and answered, "Very well..." before opening them to meet Asia's gaze as she articulated, "By my decree as the heir of House Gremory, the excommunicated sister, Asia Argento, shall henceforward be in the care and under the conservation of the Occult Research Club. That said, there is no such thing as a free lunch. You will work and study diligently so long as you retain your protected status..."

"I will do my best and make myself useful, not because it is expected of me but because I choose to..." responded Asia, offering a courteous bow and smiling as she recalled Vahn's and Issei's words.

"That's a good attitude to have," said Rias, nodding approvingly before looking to her left where Akeno was standing, observing the scene play out with a sleepy-eyed, amused smile.

"Akeno, Asia will be your understudy from today onward," decided Rias. "You will teach her everything she needs to know to be a proper servant of House Gremory. Teach her well."

"It would be my pleasure," responded Akeno, offering a bow of her own before peering at Asia with a smile that caused the former nun's body to tense, though she couldn't understand why.

"Does that mean Asia will be living here...?" asked Issei, elated that Rias had agreed to shelter and protect her but concerned about what it meant to be a proper servant.

"Well, where else would she stay?" asked Rias, raising her right brow in realization as she added, "Need I remind you that you can barely protect yourself, Issei? Even if Asia were willing to stay with you and your family, it would only increase your chances of being targeted together..."

"Oh, no, I would never impose on Issei-san like that...!" exclaimed Asia, raising and waving her hands from side to side. He had already done so much for her; there was no way she could burden him and his family with her care.

"Any objections...?" asked Rias, directing the question at Issei, causing him to deflate, his hands limp and shoulders drooping as he defeatedly responded, "None..."

"Good," said Rias, nodding approvingly before shifting her gaze to Asia, stating, "It's good that this is happening on a Saturday. I will have Akeno take you to get fitted for your various uniforms. Once you return, she will show you around and acquaint you with the kitchen. You will coordinate with her and our Families to prepare lunch before being introduced to the remaining members of the ORC this afternoon."

"Yes, I understand," responded Asia, instantaneously submitting to Rias's authority. She was used to being told what to do, having been required to follow and obey instructions her entire life, so now that she was under the care of the ORC and House Gremory, she understood that Rias was, for all intents and purposes, her Mistress.

"Well then, let's be on our way~" hummed Akeno, prompting Asia to take one final look at Vahn and Issei, offering each of them a smile before she departed alongside her newly acquired Senpai.

Waiting until the duo had departed, Rias surprised Issei, causing him to startle and stand at attention as she asked, "Issei, do you desire to take Asia-chan as the inaugural member of your harem?"

"I...that's...I-I just didn't want to see her getting taken advantage of by those evil Exorcist bastards...!" exclaimed Issei, unable to admit that he was hoping that Asia would choose him despite Vahn and Kiba being far more handsome.

"Despite knowing she's a former member of the Church and an ardent follower of its teachings?" asked Rias, leaving Issei confused until she smiled playfully and reminded, "You know, beliefs such as no sex before marriage and, more pertinently, no polygamy. Are you absolutely certain you want to date such a girl~?"

"Say it isn't so..." muttered Issei, falling onto his hands and knees with a look that made it seem like he was experiencing an existential crisis. He wanted to believe things would just conveniently work out, but since Asia had made it clear she still believed in God and the Church's doctrine, she likely wouldn't abide the creation of a harem. Heck, she might not even be opposed to the very notion of being romantically involved with a Devil...

"Well, don't give up just yet," said Rias, throwing Issei a lifeline by pointing out, "She has already been excommunicated from the Church and has just joined hands with one of the most powerful and influential Devil families in the Underworld. I'm not encouraging you to corrupt her or anything, but it is obvious she trusts you. Be a good friend to her, and who knows? Love is a mysterious thing. It can blossom unexpectedly and make even the most rational people do senseless things..."

"Kaichou..." muttered Issei, bouncing to his feet and staring at Rias as if she were the hand of God himself, offering salvation amid the turbulent waves of pubescence. What he didn't know was that, while she wouldn't mind if he ended up with Asia, viewing it as a convenient means to keep him leashed, Rias was concurrently thinking of ways to get her to accept becoming her Bishop, a scenario that would all but assure she ended up in her and Vahn's bed rather than his. She was, after all, a Devil...and the temptation of having the wielder of Twilight Healing as her Bishop was great indeed...

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