act III (part 2)

Remember how I was complaining earlier about having to go around town at night time just to distribute fliers? It seems like my contracting job has actually started. Toujou-chan received two requests, so I had to take care of one of them. Which is... just great.

So now I was back on my bike, pedalling my way to... someone's house. Cause I have a ridiculously low demonic power and, apparently, I can't use a magic circle. Of course, Senpai and Toujou-chan felt the need to poke fun at that. It's NOT my fault I was (re)born as a human (again), for fuck sake. Toujou-chan is especially rude. Pointing fingers at someone is bad manners, brat, didn't your parents teach you?

I wonder what sort of requests they're gonna have. I hope no one's gonna ask me to suddenly get them a harem out of nowhere.

Nah, not everyone's like Hyoudou. Speaking of which, he and that nun seemed to be an item. I don't know what she saw in him, but I guess I can't judge. Each to their own, as it was that saying.

Now, onto more important matters... Being around Prez (she insisted I call her that instead of Senpai for some reason) was just awkward lately. It's not like I was mad at her or anything. It's more like we didn't know what to say to each other after what happened. She would naturally boss me around but I feel like there's some uncertainty in the mix lately. Well, no use thinking about it, I guess.

Apart from Prez, there wasn't really much interaction with any of the other members. Barring Himejima-senpai, that is. And she gave me the chills whenever she'd tease me cause I didn't know whether she was serious or not. Toujou-chan treated me like I barely existed and Kiba was Kiba.

My first club experience was wrong, as I expected. And I wasn't even in the Service Club, damnit.

Anyways, I arrived at my destination. I put my bike away and knocked at the door. And with the best enthusiasm I could muster, I started to speak.

"Devil of Gremory-sama, at your service!"

And it sounded lame as fuck. Ayanokouji's introduction to his class was nice by comparison.

"Who's there?"

The man asked, his voice sounding downright terrified.

"Like I said, I'm a devil. A new one, so this is my first job. I wasn't going to do any work any time soon, but Toujou-chan had two requests at the time. So yours was handed over to me"

My explanation was detailed enough for him to actually open the door and face me. He seemed to be a man in his 20s, with eyebags, long hair and scrawny arms. Definitely a NEET.

"I-Is that so? But devils don't come on bicycles, they arrive in magic circles"

Oh boy, am I gonna live that down like ever? Welcome to my PTSD list. Now embarrassing 1st life middle school moments-kun and simp moments-chan have gotten themselves a friend. I could literally hear them screaming "let's get along". Ugh.

"Apparently, my demonic power is so low that not only I couldn't use a magic circle, but even a child has higher demonic powers than me."

I said that in a deadpan. Let's just say Neet-san pitied me enough to let me in.

"For a devil, you sure look the part. Are you a delinquent?"

Pitied me enough to let me in, picked on my physical appearance almost immediately.

"Maybe. If going around abandoned buildings just so no one would notice that I smoke counts, then yes"

"It totally counts", he said, sweatdropping.

He lit a cigarette, as if to show me he was a smoker too. Yeah, I totally couldn't tell, damn. He then handed me one.

"I appreciate the offer, but I already got one".

I took out a pack of Mild Seven for emphasis, then lit a cigarette of my own. He could've tried to prank me for all I knew.

"Tch. He didn't fell for it"

I'll admit, that hearing part was convenient. There's no mutterings in the world I can't hear now. I'm feeling overpowered already.

Out of a sudden, neet-... Satou-san, was sulking.

"So Koneko-chan picked someone else over me"

I don't think she even cared about him or you for that matter, but sure buddy, whatever ya wanna believe. As long as it (doesn't) help you sleep at night.

"What was your request for her though?"

"I just wanted to play video games with somebody."

Okay, that sounded normal enough.

"Why Toujou-chan tho?"

"I'm a kuudere lover"

Actually, so was I but the reason is pretty dumb. Also, Toujou-chan is the worst possible option. Don't let her cuteness fool you.

"So basically you wanted to see a real life kuudere... to play video games with her."

This is so absurd that I feel like dying again just to move into a medieval fantasy world. I feel like I'll be literally able to start from zero, unlike someone who just returns to a certain checkpoint.

"What else would you do if you had the chance of meeting your ideal girl?"

Tell her I'm sorry for acting like a dumb simp using cheap emotional manipulation cause I was too damn clingy while she kept me at bay cause she knew she'd-... too late for that, I guess.

"I don't know"

I needed to change the subject. I looked around the room and saw a couple of eroge (how unexpected, please lend me some, they look to be good quality), a couple of visual novels and...

FIFA 2008? A Japanese gamer? No way..

"What are you so surprised about? I'm a soccer fan"

It's football, godamnit. Ah, we're sliding into the territory of that eternal debate. You know, whatever, have it your way.

"Favorite team?"

"Barcelona. Yours?"

"Inter Milan"

Man, this was going to be a long night.

I left at around 4am, as Satou-san suddenly fell asleep. So now I was pedalling back home. Man, that was quite a conversation. Though, in the end, I didn't really get the contract. Prez is prolly gon pester me about it later. Just as I wanted to avoid another argument with her. I sighed. Actually, can my first club experience be more wrong than I've expected? That's quite possible now.

I felt chills on my back. When I turned around to look, there was this old man who looked like Koutarou Amon and Kureo Mado if they had a baby. Black wings huh... so he was what the others described as a Fallen Angel.

"How unfortunate. Me running into you, that is"

How unfortunate, your corny lines that is. Man, are y'all so up in your feelings?

I shot him an unimpressed look and kept on walking while carrying my bike.

But it seemed like he was into picking up a fight, after all. Since he flied to appear right in front of me, blocking my way.

"I don't know what this is about, but it's 4am and I'm tired so... mind getting out of the way?"

"Such cowardice. That's why I can't stand lowly beings."

"Crows gon be hoes, aight"

I just stood there motionless. It seems like I can't avoid fighting after all. So I waited for him to make the first step. I'll entertain him for a bit, then run away.

Frankly, I'd kill him, but I'm not confident enough that I can take him on. After all, I got my ass handed to me by that stray.

I couldn't quite explain it, but I wasn't frightened now, even though just couple of days ago I was terrified. Maybe I've given up on life somewhere down the road, just like I did back then. Maybe I'm going insane.

"I don't feel any presence of your Master nor your comrades. I don't see anything that is trying to hide its presence either. And there's no magic-circle appearing here. According to the current situation, you are a "Stray". So it won't be a problem if I kill you.

No, I'm not, but it's not like you're gonna believe me.

"Man, you sure love the sound of your own voice", I replied.

You gotta have a big ego to be able to look yourself in the mirror after all.

"Shut up, fool! Such insolence from a lowly being"

"Chill, bro, take some xanax"

That seemed to annoy him further, as he raised his hand in my direction. Light appeared from his hand and soon it took form of a spear. That was heading my direction.

In a split second, I dodged. My reflexes were the only thing I prided myself into. I played as a goalkeeper in a youth team, after all.

I begin firing icicles against him, but despite hitting their target, they were too low level to do any damage. As I thought, this power is useless...

"A yuki-onoko? Who would have thought"

A what? Let me in on that joke, bro. Ah wait, you're saying that just because I have some useless ice powers that I'm some male version of a yuki-onna? That's rude. Go fuck yourself.

"Your kind is indeed rare. Too bad you're gonna have to disappear here"

I dodged another light spear.

"Big talk for someone who can't seem to land a hit", I chided. Unfortunately, the only thing I could do was dodge. "All that talk about cowardice and you won't even fight at close range"

"Silence, mongrel"

I'd like to say I dodged the next one as well, but with a last second dive, it actually brushed against my shoulder, and sliced through my skin. It was a little deeper than a self harm cut... but it hurt like a bitch. That's what I thought as I collapsed to my knees on the ground.

And it just kept hurting more and more and more and more and more and more and STOP THIS PAIN ALREADY GODAMNIT! AAAAAGH! IT'S LITERALLY BURNING MY SKIN!

"It must hurt. Light is poisonous to beings like you. Getting hit by it will result in fatal damage. No matter how deep the cut is. You did a good job dodging my spears. But you're weakened by that wound you suffered. So, I will hit you with it again now that you can't go around jumping like a monkey. You are done for."

As I looked up to him, I saw another spear of light forming in his hand. In a flash. As the spear was closing in, my whole life was flashing before my eyes. Down to every moment.

Both lives that I remember. A life of being looked down by others, repeatedly. A life of being empty.

I should've just embraced it and be glad it's over. But those images enraged me. So much that I screamed from the top of my lungs.

Smoke. For a second, I couldn't see anything. Then, I saw a wall of ice before me. And the light spear piercing half of said wall.

I got up. Ignoring the pain in my shoulder, ignoring the surroundings before me, ignoring everything. I focused only on the man- no, the target in front of me.

"Go fucking die"

"What?"

The crow was too astonished to move.

I tried picturing a spear. A spear of ice, sharp enough to pierce him. I could feel it forming in the palm of my hand. Then, like an arrow, I released it.

He ducked at the last second but the spear cut through his left arm, just like his cut through mine. Blood started dripping from his wound.

"I commend you for today, servant of Gremory. My name is Dohnaseek. Pray we do not meet again"

The crow- Dohnaseek, said that as he flew off.

"Get the fuck outta here"

I'm standing in front of Prez's desk in the clubroom. I'm flanked by Himejima-senpai from the left and Toujou-chan from the right. Kiba is the only one who prefers to doze off on the couch. Yup, this is really setting up my trial, alright. I get the feeling I'll be judged guilty as charged.

"I'm glad you have awakened your power. But that still puts me in a strange position. I know that it was just an accident that you ran into him, but remember, don't go around fighting them alone. It's disrespectful to the rest of us"

Prez said that as if she was pissed at me for fighting back. It's the second time she acts so condescending and I'm not gonna have any of it, godamnit.

"Oh", I felt my voice becoming lower and colder as I continued. "So I should've just died then? What can I say, it wouldn't be the first time"

Prez flinched at my tone but she retorted anyways. The rest of them were giving me weird looks.

"That's not what I-"

"You know, if you're gonna scold me for recklessly fighting for my life... then you can as well scold yourself for your lack of foresight. You say this town is your territory, yet you allowed enemies to do whatever the fuck they want... in your territory."

I really wanted to avoid an argument, but if she's gonna go around scolding me like this... then I can't just bow my head and say nothing.

Prez was shocked, while Himejima and Toujou were giving me disapproving looks. Yes, these are the eyes that should be directed at me. I feel comfortable starting into those eyes. It's like my existence is affirmed or rather, denied.

"I'm sorry, I'm just feeling tired is all, I'll go home and rest."

Realizing I've said too much, I excused myself and left the room.

[...]

After Kokonoe left the clubroom, Akeno looked over at Rias.

"He's kinda right though. You were exaggerating. He's still a newbie, why you're trying to scare him off?"

"I'm not trying to scare him off, I'm trying to make it so that he doesn't overestimate himself"

"Rather than overestimating himself, looks like it's the opposite."

At that, Rias looked thoughtful.