A Deal

Disclaimer: I own neither High School DxD nor Demon Slayer. This story is purely fan fiction. Please support the official release.

-------------------------------

●Raynare's POV●

"H-How do you know that name?!"

Mind-numbing fear is replaced by astonishment.

The Red Dragon Emperor. One of only two Heavenly Dragons. A dragon who possessed flames capable of incinerating anything to ashes. The gods themselves were terrified of this being able to grant them death while even the original Satans would have to think twice before stepping on his tail.

He, together with Albion, the Vanishing Dragon, plunged the world into chaos every time they fought to determine who was superior.

Destruction was wrought upon the land as the sky itself tore with their every clash.

I had only ever witnessed it from afar shortly after my fall from grace.

I also wasn't present in most of the battles during the Great War, but passing tales were enough to paint the picture of the events that transpired in the long and excruciating fight that took the lives of billions.

It happened right before the war went into full swing.

Even a pivotal war that shaped the fate of the world couldn't break the cycle of the Heavenly Dragons' contest for superiority.

While each of the Abrahamic Factions warred for their own survival, they continued to tear into each other, caring not for the collateral damage

It was at the climax of their fight that they were interrupted, and in anger, attacked the leaders of all three factions, leading to their bodies being destroyed with their souls being sealed into two among thirteen Longinus-class Sacred Gears.

Also known as tools that destroy God.

It is because of such tools that even after their deaths, the true names of the two Heavenly Dragons reverberate among the upper echelons of the supernatural world.

Invoking their names was akin to putting a target on one's back for any who sought their power and would readily commit the most horrible of atrocities just for a chance at obtaining them.

And to say it out loud so casually!

"How? I mean..." With little indication of awareness of his folly, he scratches his nape. "I fought them, you know? Their wielders, I mean. It was a long time ago, though."

...

"Huh?"

More alarms blare in my head as I struggle to process his words.

"Man, just imagine when Albion hears about this. Draigg's got a new wielder now."

Rubbing an index finger under his nose while chuckling lightly, he continues.

"That guy talks all that shit about him and how is better than him and all that, but in reality, he was probably the only friend he ever had. Their bromance was oddly heartwarming."

After my mind halts briefly, a moment of clarity comes to me.

I see. So I didn't even have a chance from the start.

It is utterly laughable how I thought I stood a chance against this... this monster.

Such a thought shows itself as I feel myself get teleported to safety.

-----------------------------------

●Muichiro POV●

There was, in fact, someone coming to help her.

Staring at the empty crater, I feel an inexplicable sense of dismay.

And I was just getting into the meat of the backstory too...

...

Welp, nothing I can do about that.

Maybe I should try to find some method of disrupting teleportation spells.

Or just magic in general. I mean, there isn't anything wrong with just cutting through it, but some spells are trickier and require more than a simple slash to cancel.

I could sense her trying to cast a spell a minute ago, so I stopped that through simple intimidation. It was an error on my part to not consider the possibility of an ally of hers bailing her out.

I was careless to let it happen once in front of me. There won't be a second time.

Patting my knees, I stand up and pull my katana free from the dirt's confines.

"Destroy Demons, huh..." I couldn't resist running my fingers along the engravings on its side.

I just can't catch a break, it seems.

It's quite funny now that I think about it.

I know I died. My death, it is firmly hammered as a pillar into my memories. It's just... I can't remember how. I only know that it was peaceful.

Nonetheless, here I am, battling beings who seek to take advantage of humanity.

Again.

And here comes another...

"I know you're there. You can come out now."

At my provocation, someone materializes from behind the trees and steps into the open.

She had white, long hair tied into two braids and held a cold, regal countenance. Garbed in an outfit similar to that blonde brat from the other night, her grey eyes betrayed no emotion.

"So!"

Flicking the dirt off my katana, I take a swing at the air before leveling it at her.

"How much of that did you hear? And how much more can you tell me?"

"..."

She's the silent type, it seems.

Gray eyes assess me, gauging my strength.

"Good evening." With her hands joined to her front, she greets me formally. "My apologies for the misunderstanding. Please believe that I currently have no intention to harm you."

Hmm...

"Currently, huh? So you mean that if I give you enough reason, you would fight me?"

Harm me, she said. Bold of her to assume that I am incapable of fighting back should she start shit.

In response to my question, her gaze flits to my blade still pointed at her. I could sense the muscles in her arms tense as mana and a weird energy gathers in the air directly behind her to form a glowing symbol.

Feels weirdly nostalgic.

It's as she steps closer that the scent of her body hits me.

Memories briefly flash by my mind's eye.

Yes. It was like back then. Back when they arrived at the shores of Yamato. With wings of leather, they crossed the vast ocean in search of strong candidates to serve them as their subordinates.

No, it would be mistaken to call them subordinates. Effectively stripped of their free will, slaves are more like it.

By hook or by crook, those they deemed suitable, they made slaves out of.

Needless to say, those who sought me out were erased from the face of this world by yours truly.

A flash of blue pulls me out of my recollection.

"Affirmative, if you force my hand, I will respond in kind. However, I believe there is currently a matter of greater importance than a fight at the moment. If you would please lower your sword?" Or so she asks, lowering the temperature throughout the entire park with a wave of the hand.

Tension fills the air around us. The silence turns deafening as we stare each other down.

"I see, that's a shame. It would have been quite fun."

The air was visibly taken out of her sails as I lamented out loud. How amusing. Was she expecting to incite me to fight so easily due to my childish appearance?

"Were you expecting something else there?" I couldn't help the edges of my mouth raising a bit. "Although it is an excellent opportunity to test the limits of my current body against someone as strong as you, I know my manners. It would be uncouth of me to initiate a fight with someone who approaches me amicably."

To prove the truth in my words, I push my sword back in its sheath and rest my left hand on its butt.

Albeit taken aback, she deactivates her spells and quickly regains her poise, placing her hands back to their previous spots to her front.

I strain my senses, spreading them out all around me until they come across a human laying prone in some bushes.

"I sense Issei at the edge of the park. He's unconscious. Was that you?"

"Indeed. I deemed it necessary that the boy be absent for our discussion to take place."

"Hoh... Discussion, you say? What kind of matter are we discussing?"

She took my query as a signal to get back to the meat and bone of the topic.

"As I have said, I come with the intention of discussing a matter of great importance." Clearing her throat, she continues. "My master would like to extend an invitation to you."

"Yeah, not happening." I cut in without missing a beat as soon as I heard the word "invitation".

We share a moment in silence, our eyes not once breaking contact.

"Are you certain with your intention to decline? You have yet to hear the rest of the offer my master wishes to extend."

"I am aware of what it means when a devil extends an "invitation". Scoffing, I cross my arms in my chest. "It isn't lost on me, the implications of when one joins a... what was it called these days? A devil's retinue? A... porridge?"

"A peerage."

"Right, that. Thanks."

Moving on.

Even after such a blatant refusal, her feet remained planted on the ground.

"Won't you please at least hear the details first?" Taking on a more imploring tone, she asks me. "My master isn't lacking in wealth. You won't find anything to be dissatisfactory should you accept his offer."

"How tempting." I put on the driest expression I could. "And may I know the name of your liege?"

"I'm afraid I cannot divulge his name at the moment. The time isn't right yet."

"Or to be exact, your master doesn't trust me, huh?"

The deafening silence told me all I needed to know.

After a moment, she starts the conversation back up.

"You are an anomaly. An unknown entity who appeared in Kuoh Town exactly 33 days prior. What's more, your actions upon your arrival depict no precise goal."

Gray eyes narrow and look into my own.

"Every night since then, you have taken it upon yourself to eliminate every stray devil you come across. Given that, however, there is one thing my master is certain of."

Stray devils? Oh, so that's what those things are called. Good to know.

"Oh? And what would that be?"

"You are searching for something. ...Or someone."

I let out a whistle at her declaration.

There is no trace of uncertainty in her voice. This woman, her words imply that her master was the one who investigated me all this time, but my instincts tell me otherwise.

She is correct.

"Welp, you got me. You've been watching me, right?" I raise up both arms as a sign of surrender. "What else you got on me? Perhaps you've even figured out who it is I'm looking for?"

Though it was barely noticeable, she pursed her lips. She appears quite hesitant about what comes out of her mouth next.

Fuck it, I'll do it myself.

"The two devil heiresses."

The phrase causes her to stiffen subtly before hiding it.

"Oh? Why that kind of reaction? Are they perhaps important to your master?"

Putting a hand to my chin, I tilt my head and ponder aloud.

"Is your master perhaps close to them? A little birdy told me that they are both quite beautiful. One with short black hair and one with long locks as red as blood. From what I heard, the latter is rather well endowed, you see. That's why I came here. Seeing is believing after all."

Her facial expression remains still as stone. She didn't confirm nor deny my speculation, meaning...

"Rather than close, perhaps she is family to him? I mean, what other reason would there be for your master to keep such a close eye on me?"

It means this person is cautious of me. That I am seen as a threat given how they've ordered their servant to make contact with me while ready to kill me if deemed necessary.

I didn't expect to be offered something though...

"I also heard that she's not much older than me, in her mid-teens. A daughter maybe? Or perhaps she's his sister?"

Finally, a different look enters her eyes as her center of gravity lowers slightly. Looks like I hit the nail on the head. Time to stop.

"Hehe, no need to get so nervous. It was only a jest." Placing my hands to my sides, I continue. "Putting that aside though, I have several conditions that need to be fulfilled before accepting your master's offer."

She reacts visibly to my emphasis on the word, before relaxing her stance slightly.

That seemed to have rattled her a bit.

Definitely gonna capitalise on that.

In negotiations, it is best to make the opponent dance to your rhythm. To keep them from regaining their footing.

"And what would those things be?"

I turn my gaze upwards to the stars and list down some things off the top of my head.

"First, I will not be bound in service to him. Second, I require information, history mostly. Starting from the Heian period of Yamato until the modern day. Oh, throw in some information about the different factions in the supernatural world, especially the Youkai, Takamagahara, and the Fallen Angels."

The last part causes her to pause for some reason. I wonder why.

"Third, I would like to be paid for whatever work your master throws at me. I do not consider myself a mercenary, but neither do I believe in free labor." I confirm that she nods before continuing. "Lastly, I would like to know something very important."

Turning back to look her in the eyes, I ask her the deal breaker.

"What are your intentions with Issei-kun? Do you seek to exploit the children born under Amaterasu Ōmikami's Sun once more?"

It wasn't out of mere coincidence that she turned up right after my fight finished.

The one she had been tasked with watching wasn't just me, but Issei too. Or to be exact, she was ordered to monitor the current host of the Red Dragon of Domination while I was just a person of interest by the sidelines.

It was merely a lucky coincidence that I just so happened to be nearby as he was nearly killed.

And this woman, she would have watched it happen.

Even in the fight that ensued, she didn't lift a finger to help me. Either she knew I wouldn't lose or she determined that it wouldn't really affect her mission negatively should I have lost the fight and died.

That makes her suspicious.

Before my death, I remember seeing people brought back from the dead by devils who then promptly made them their servants in exchange for the debt of "saving" their lives.

Said devils were the ones who killed them in most of these cases.

Maybe her master intended to approach Issei-kun from that angle. Perhaps he even planned it so that one of the devil heiresses got him into her peerage?

Or possibly, he even orchestrated this whole thing? Instead of doing it himself, he simply let some Fallen Angels slip into Kuoh Town so that they're the ones who kill Issei while his hands remain clean?

Wait...

Come to think of it, I myself was resurrected.

Does that mean I am currently living in servitude of some devil?

...

Nah, that ain't it. I have no recollection of any such thing. I may not know much about my death, but I sure as hell would a lot sooner dive ass-naked into Yomi than accept such an "offer".

Back to reality.

"So what is your answer, hmm?"

"..."

Silence descends upon the park once more.

---------------------------

A/N: Sorry if the writing style is inconsistent. I figured it was a bit rough to look at, seeing onomatopoeia like "Twang!" floating around.

Once again, thanks for reading!