Secret & Truth

Kuoh Academy

"Rias my love, how wonderful to see you again," Raiser greeted her.

Raiser Phenex was looking like a young man in his early twenties. Being a Devil it was of course hard to say how old he truly is.

The way he had greeted Rias seemed friendly... at the first look. But something about his tone seemed off. It was something about the exaggerated manner in which he spoke.

As if he was saying it more for the purpose of being heard by others than actually meaning it.

"Raiser," she returned his greeting formally and in one on her part quite obviously uncaring tone. "What do you want?" she asked the rhetorical question. Grayfia had already informed her about Raiser´s reasons for his visit.

"My dear, shouldn´t that be obvious. I wanted to see you," he replied.

"Oh really? I have heard something a bit different," she countered. "Aren´t you here because you try to fasten up this engagement that our families have decided for us?" She placed the pronunciation on the part `our families´, pointing out that it was not her decision.

"Now my dear," he said, "If we are to marry, why not do it as quick as possible?"

He sat down right next to her on the couch... veryclose, more than it would be considered socially proper in most situation, especially here since she clearly didn´t want him to do it... and layed his arms around her. Rias was just sitting there motionless, visibly stiffer than before. But Raiser didn´t seem to notice that... or he did not care and let his hands wander over her body.

A more than just annoyed expression showed on her face at his behavior.

"Raiser, I have told you this before and I am saying it again. I am not marrying you. I don´t like you. In fact, I despise you," she told him.

"Well, in this case I should remind you that it is not truly your choice. Our families have made an official agreement and as the only daughter of Gremory you will have to follow it," he declared grimly.

Part of his friendly facade was slipping now. But only for a short moment. He put it back into place very quickly and smiled at her again.

Of course nobody in the room fell for it.

Rias was about to reply something else, but before she could say anything. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in. We have been waiting for you," she said loudly.

Raiser looked up in surprise. But the others, Rias servants and even Grayfia of course already knew that she was waiting for someone.

xxx

"You know you don´t need to do this," Gaeriel had said to him a few minutes ago.

"Your agreement was you stay with us for one mission and then you are given a choice to stay or leave... and that mission has been fulfilled," she reminded him. "Both of our direct targets are with us, we have made a positive contact with the Grigori and even more important, we have discovered information about the organization we are hunting for. If you want to, you could just leave now."

"I know this. But the truth is. I don´t want to leave. You should understand... I am not even sure how to say it." He sighed. "Here I have the chance to be something more than just a perverted outsider. And it also allows me to protect people... people like Asia.

xxx

He remembered how he, Asia and Raynare had arrived back at his home after the meeting with Irina and her partner. To say that his parents were a little surprised that there was another girl with him beside his new foster sister `Maia´ would be an understatement.

Of course Raynare, who had taken her human form, introduced herself as Yuuma Amano and once again as his girlfriend... and once again he just stood by, not even able to say anything. Issei knew he had to speak a few words with her soon.

His parents of course were looking at them slack-jawed, before congratulating him enthusiastically after their few moments of shock about her declaration. Why? he asked himself... Why had he not said anything to contradict Raynare?

Right afterwards however his parents had another surprise as they told him that Murayama of all people had been there and asked for him.

A few days ago, his reaction to this would have been to jump into the conclusion that the captain of the Kendo Club could actually be interested in him. That she maybe actually liked it when he was watching her in the locker rooms... and that he could maybe get the chance to get his hands on her breasts.

And he would have spent the rest of the day dreaming about her `oppai´ and the chance to get her into bed.

Now he was thinking about all that a bit different. Of course he was still interested in all of that. But the reason that she was here was most likely that she had noticed that something was off about him. Maybe she had even seen something strange what he was doing. He fully intended to talk with her a well as soon as he would have the chance... and that without trying to hit on her.

If she showed too much interest in him as things were now, she could bring herself into danger and he didn´t want that. So he would do something about it. The times when he had let events just roll over him and people get the better of him were over.

As Gaeriel had said it, `Start using your brain... or others will use you instead.´

xxx

"Besides that, I would miss you if you were no longer around," Issei continued. "You are one of my few actual friends beside Matsuda and Motohama... and I have now the chance to spend time with Irina again. Since she is now an Exorcist, this would be difficult otherwise... and..." he hesitated, not even quite sure what he had wanted to say.

"Ah, does that mean you will be less perverted in the future?" she asked him with a sly grin.

"Don´t count on it," he replied in a very similar tone.

"So part of why you want to stay around me is that you still want to get under the sheets with me?" she remarked lasciviously. She was definitely spending too much time with him, she thought. "As I have said, if you want to have sex with me, we can talk about it. Or maybe, as things are now, maybe we should first ask your `girlfriend´."

Issei froze.

"I see... you would miss Raynare as well, right?" she commented with just a small bit of sarcasm.

"What? Why are you saying something like that?" he said grimly.

"Issei, I don´t need any psychic powers to see how conflicted you are when it comes to her. Not that I would still be able to read your thoughts if you didn´t want it. You have already grown too strong for that."

Issei stayed silent for a few moments.

"To be honest," he finally said, "I am not quite sure what to make of her. She had turned on me and killed me... she had betrayed me... and now she is already back to telling everyone that she is my girlfriend. What the hell I am supposed to think?"

"Have you considered that her actions might be so contradictory because she could be in a similar situation when it comes to you?" she asked.

"Maybe," he admitted. "But I find it just as likely that she just wants to get back into good terms with me. Now that she knows that I carry the Boosted Gear," he stated, "... and hopes to wrap me around her finger again," he said bitterly.

"That might be part of it," she responded. "But believe me, she had already been acting strange when it comes to you long before she found out about Ddraig. As soon as she found out that you are alive again, she started to get... well... emotional whenever you were brought up."

"That doesn´t mean that I have to trust her or forgive her," he said firmly.

"No. But I am getting an impression that you actually want to trust and forgive her. By what I have heard she has still been calling herself your girlfriend twice now and you have said nothing to contradict her."

Issei frowned.

"I... the truth is both times I didn´t get a word out. Whenever I look at her, or when she is talking to me, I can't hate her, not really. But then I always have to think about what she did to me and I am getting so angry that I just want to punch her in the face."

"Maybe you should do that. The both you might feel better afterwards," she retorted.

"That is not funny," he told her.

"No it isn´t," she replied. "What Raynare did had caused a psychotic trauma for you. I would be surprised if it hadn´t. You should talk to someone about your fears - like you are doing right now," she told him, "... and sooner or later you will need to confront your fears. That makes it a good thing that the source of them is right with us, right?" she asked him.

Issei said nothing.

"I cannot tell you if you should forgive her or not. Or what kind of a relationship you want to have with her. Or that Exorcist girl for that matter. Or to Asia," she pointed out. "But what I can tell you is this, if you want to get over your problems, you will have to talk to her sooner or later... and I really mean it. And even if it is only to tell her to go and fuck herself. But if you just ignore her presence, you are only dragging the problem out."

They were now standing in front of the door of the club-room.

"Come in. We have been waiting for you," they heard Rias voice after knocking on the door.

They opened and stepped inside.

xxx

They saw that beside Rias and her peerage were two people were present. The silver-haired woman in the maid outfit only gave them a short look. The blonde young man who was standing in the center of the room however seemed very surprised to see them... and not happy at all.

"Hello Rias," Gaeriel greeted her casually, in a familiar tone. "You wanted to talk with us?"

"What in the world is this Fallen Angel and that human doing here?" he exclaimed loudly, "How do they dare to just walk into our meeting as if they have any right to be here?" he asked. "Why have your servants not attacked them as soon as they entered the building?" he ranted, "... and how can they even have the insolence to greet a High-Class Devil so casually like this?" he hissed.

Issei couldn´t help himself, but he already hated this guy. Despite knowing him only for a few seconds. But his short rant was already more than enough. If he ever met someone who had the word snob written on his face, it had to be him. If he was a typical example of a Devil, he was more than happy that he had not joined them.

To that came the way he spoke to Gaeriel, who was after all his trainer and had quickly become a good friend.

"Rias, throw these two cretins out," Raiser told her. "And you Fallen Angel filth should be thankful that I have more important things to do than to kill you," he said dismissively in Gaeriel´s and Issei´s direction. "Be thankful for it."

"These `cretins´ - Raiser - are two of my associates and they are invited guests," Rias replied. It annoyed her to no end that Raiser dared to give her orders in her own home. "In opposite to certain people who just show up here unasked and uninvited and then make demands," she added with a clear hint to Raiser himself.

"Issei, Gaeriel, welcome... we have been expecting you," she said to them.

Her fiancé glared at her for a short moment.

"Your choice of `associates´," he said the words with distaste, "is very questionable my dear. I will have to correct that after we have been married," he stated. As if the marriage would give him the right to dictate who she can see and can't.

Rias anger at him was not truly taking overhand.

"You think you can just command me around?" she yelled.

But once again they were interrupted.

"Oh, a Devil is throwing insults at me," Gaeriel commented theatrically and in a more than mocking tone. "I am so hurt. I should probably reply with something nasty now. But I think the word Devil alone is already insult enough."

Even Grayfia visibly flinched a little at what Rias guest had just said. But she remembered that she had been told not to do anything... no matter what she heard. The rest of the peerage also looked not exactly happy about the comment, but nobody said anything.

So this was obviously some part of a plan that Rias was in on. Grayfia could only hope that she knew what she was doing.

Raiser on the other hand was exploding now.

"You dare to talk to me like this," he literally screamed. "I am Raiser Phenex, third son of the House of Phenex. A low level Fallen Angel trash like you don´t even deserve to speak to me."

"That you are a high-classed scum doesn´t exactly makes it any better, Devil," she responded.

The members of the Occult Research Club were all listening to the exchange with a bad mood. They heard how her ally was insulting their whole race. But they knew it was all part of the plan.

"That is enough," Raiser shouted. "No matter what my foolish betrothed says, I will kill you here and now. Nobody insults a son of the House Phenex like that and gets away with it."

Issei however stepped in front of Gaeriel and between her and Raiser.

"If you want to attack her, you have to go through mefirst," he said, playing his role.

"You talk like that would be a difficult thing... human," he replied with contempt.

"Raiser, he is not a regular human. Issei is the Red Dragon Emperor," Rias spoke up.

"Is he? And probably an inexperienced and weak one, by the way he looks. Well, maybe then he can provide me with a few minutes of entertainment," he stated haughtily.

"If you want a fight, I am all in for it," Issei told him confidently.

"Stop this right now," Rias interfered this time. "If you really want to fight each other, I won´t stand in your way. But this is neither the time or the place. As you said yourself Raiser, we are in an official meeting. Even if it is one that I had never actually agreed to."

Raiser calmed down... a little bit at least.

"You are right," he agreed reluctantly. "This is not the place for something like that."

"Name one and I will be there," Issei replied.

"I agree, but only under one condition," Raiser said with a grin. "When I win, this Fallen Angel here will become my servant." He pointed at Gaeriel. "She really needs a few lessons to respect her better... and I will be glad to provide them."

"You would make a girl part of a bet?" Issei asked angrily. Okay, he was a pervert and admitted it. But this...?

"Why not? Or are you afraid to loose... vermin?" Raiser responded.

"We will accept," Gaeriel answered in his place. "If you win I belong to you and you can teach me all lessons you want. But we shouldn´t be the only ones who risk something, right? Or is it that your afraid?" she asked him.

"Raiser fears nothing," he stated proudly. "Tell me your conditions and I will accept them."

Rias on the other side wanted to cry out in joy. This was working better than she had ever hoped for.

"Well, to be honest, I don´t like the way you treat women," Issei told him. "So if I win, you will give up on that marriage, that is clearly not wanted on the other part."

"But that..." he wanted to say something. "The marriage is an agreement between the Houses of Phenex and Gremory," he pointed out.

"I see. It seems he really is afraid," Gaeriel commented mockingly.

"Enough. I agree to your terms," Raiser called out. Once again he let his pride and his anger overcome him.

"You mean you accept this as an official challenge to a duel Raiser?" Rias asked him.

"Yes," he answered.

"You have heard it Grayfia," she said. "You should inform my brother and my parents about this when you return to the Underworld."

"You really want to risk your engagement over this challenge Raiser-sama?" the maid asked him. "Remember, if you accept now as a son of the House of Phenex, it will be binding."

"I will," he replied.

At some level he realized that he might have just done something stupid or at least reckless. Any challenge from an outsider would and could normally have no effect on the marriage agreement, since it was made between the two Houses... unless he accepted the challenge in the name of his House. In this case honor demanded to follow the conditions.

But his pride didn´t allow him to back out now.

"I understand," Grayfia replied. "Since Rias-sama is obviously not willing to accept the engagement, I was about to offer you the possibility to resolve this conflict through a rating game. But in this case..."

"We will do that as well," Rias exclaimed.

"Why would you still want to hold a Rating Game?" Grayfia asked surprised.

"It looks like even Rias has no trust in her `friend´," Raiser commented.

"I trust him," she responded. "But I am actually glad about this chance to stand up for myself."

"You talk as if you have actually a chance. You have what, three people in your peerage? I have a full set." He made a gesture and another, larger magic circle appeared on the ground before them...

... and a second later 15 new persons were standing in the room. All of them were young and quite attractive looking women.

"Is this a peerage or a harem?" Issei could not hold himself back from calling out.

"I admit it has a bit of both of them," Raiser downright told them with a smirk on his face. "I have truly some of the most beautiful here, haven´t I? But that doesn´t mean that my ladies aren´t powerful fighters as well. Well, someone like Raiser has of course more success with the women than a nobody like you can ever hope for?"

"Is that why you have to turn them all into your servants to get them?" Issei remarked.

This statement caused Raiser to once again grimace in anger.

"I will show you how much these girls cherish me... Yubelluna," he commanded the blue haired woman in front of his peerage, "come here."

She followed his order and he draw her into a kiss, right in front of all of them. Issei saw in a mixture of fascination and outrage how he and the woman, who was obviously his Queen, actually started to make out, while they all - including Rias - were watching.

Even Issei, as perverted as he was, could tell that Raiser was just using the woman to rile them all up. Would he ever have sunk as low to use a girl like that? a part of him asked himself.

"That is truly enough Raiser," Rias stated, outwardly cool, but with noticeable anger. "You have accepted the challenges for both the duel and the Rating Game. With that I think it is about time for you to go. All what is left is to set a date, right Grayfia?"

"Yes," the maid answered. "Raiser-sama, since your peerage outnumbers Rias-sama´s by far, I propose to hold the Rating Game in two weeks from now on to give her time to prepare... and the duel to follow right afterwards. If your challenger agrees to this terms of course." She looked at Issei.

"I do agree," he said.

She nodded.

"Good... and your name young man?" she wanted to know.

"Issei Hyoudou, the current Red Dragon Emperor," he introduced himself.

"I am sure this name will soon be known to many people," Grayfia stated politely.

"Yes, because everyone will see how I crush him under my boot," Raiser remarked.

But Grayfia just ignored his comment.

"Then we will meet again in two weeks. If you win both Raiser-sama, the preparations for the wedding can start right afterwards."

Rias looked up at the last part of her statement, but stayed silent.

"Now, I hope you will not make it too easy for me Red Dragon Emperor," Raiser said once again confidently. "I am looking out for some fun. And you Fallen Angel." He turned to Gaeriel. "My peerage may be full, but foryou I will especially acquire a new piece. Like I said, you are certainly in need for a few lessons in respect... and I am all too willing to give them to you." A grin appeared on his face for a split second. But Issei had seen it and it made him only angrier.

"So let us go home girls," Raiser addressed the members of his peerage. He joined them and together they vanished inside a new transport circle.

As soon as they were gone, the Gremory heiress showed a reaction nobody would have known or expected from her.

"Yes, yes," she called out loud and actually threw a fist into the air.

Grayfia only raised an eyebrow at this.

"Geez, what an asshole," Issei commented. "I can actually understand that you don´t want to marry that guy," he said to Rias.

"It is good that you understand my situation," Rias replied.

"Yes, he is even worse than you."

"What?" Rias looked at him angrily.

"A few days ago you were willing to let me get murdered, so that you can force me into your peerage. So don´t expect too much sympathy from me," he reminded her.

Grayfia heard this statement as well... and she intended to ask the young lady in greater detail about this later.

Rias frowned. She knew he had a point. She felt the urge to say something else to defend her position, but held herself back. After all he had already agreed to fight for her. Even if she wished he would do it out of actual loyalty to her and not just as part of a deal. But given all what happened that might be too much to ask for.

Still, Issei was her possible card for freedom and all what she had needed to do for that, was to promise to guard Freed Selzen. Something that she would have gladly done anyway, just to get this guy out of her town.

"It had worked better than I had ever hoped for," she only commented.

"Raiser reacted in exactly the way we have expected. I know his type. Just challenge their ego and they will accept any conditions you tell them, only to protect their sense of superiority," Gaeriel responded.

"Was this Rating Game really necessary?" Issei questioned. "Especially since Rias group is far outnumbered anyway."

"It was better to convince Raiser to give us the two week break," Rias stated. "Had it been only you, he might have insisted to fight here and now."

"Exactly," Gaeriel agreed, "and you are still learning to fully control your powers"

"And what about betting yourself as a slave?" Rias asked her. "That wasn´t exactly part of the plan wasn´t it?"

"It was a move born out of the moment to make sure he agrees. Don´t worry, with the speed how Issei improves, in two weeks the only way for this Raiser to win would be if Issei were asleep during the fight."

"Let's hope for it. But like I said, I am also glad about this chance to fight for myself. Besides that, I am not sure I share your complete faith in Issei´s abilities. So I don´t want to rely just on him alone."

"But didn´t you just say that you trust him? A Devil who lies, who would have thought? You realize that Raiser will spank your ass in the contest, right?" she said grinning to Rias, "and he won´t even need to wait for your wedding night for it."

"You... you," Rias growled. Her face had turned nearly as red as her hair. Somehow this Fallen Angel just had to use every chance to insult and annoy her.

"Enough of this." Grayfia stepped up. "I have tolerated your insults and provocations since they were obviously part of this plan you had. But this is now no longer the case...

... And besides that, you are hardly in a position to accuse anyone of telling lies, Lady - whoever you are - If I remember right, you have done nothing else since you have stepped into this room," the maid declared resolutely.

Gaeriel knew she had her here. Everything from the moment she came into this room had been nothing but a single planned out deception. Bringing up the habit of the Devils to say whatever was convenient for them in any situation would only make her look like a hypocrite.

Besides that, she knew who Grayfia was. Despite looking harmless, she was the Queen of Rias Gremory´s brother Sirzechs and one of the strongest Devils of the Underworld. Picking a fight with her wasn´t a good idea unless you were a Fallen Angel leader or Maou.

It seems she let her personal dislike of the Devils affect her judgement here. This entire discussion was completely needless anyway. They already got what they wanted.

"You are right. I was out of line. I am sorry," she said - once again not truly meaning it, but nobody seemed to notice.

Rias also appeared to have overcome her anger.

"It is okay," she replied. "By the way, have you thought about my offer about the building that I have shown to you?" she wanted to know.

"We have indeed," Gaeriel responded.

"We will take it," Issei said.

xxxxxxx

The next day

Issei´s p.o.v

Issei and his group were now sitting together in the recently magically restored living room of their new `base´. That was an abandoned villa at the outskirts of the town.

He and Gaeriel had come to the decision that, aside from his home, they needed an actual base here in the area of Kuoh.

Until a few days ago this building had been occupied by a Stray Devil who had been on the loose in this town. That was at least what the Devils from Rias Gremory´s peerage had told them. They had found and attacked the Stray a few days ago, what caused it to flee and abandon its hideout.

Rias had told them about this as Gaeriel had mentioned their need for a base that was close to the city. Of course it might be that the Devil simply had the motive to keep them at a place that she knows of, where they would be inside her reach and she could have an eye on them.

But this place here was, as they took a look on it, too well located and fitting for their purposes to refuse it.

Gaeriel had also started to train with Raynare. According to her she was strong for a two winged Fallen Angel. That was obvious since was made group-leader. What was lacking were experience in actual combat, not that surprising with the war being in ceasefire for centuries... and innovative training methods. Both of this they could easily provide.

Issei wasn´t quite sure how he felt about the very idea of Raynare getting stronger than she already was. He was not even sure how he felt about her being here. Why? Why of all people, Gaeriel had to recruit her? he asked himself.

He knew of course what she had told him. That she was useful. That she knew Kokabiel. That she knew the Grigori and was, thanks to the circumstances, the ideal connection to them. That she was a skilled, but inexperienced and undertrained fighter. At least by their standards.

And there were of course the other, less practical reasons. She has it in her to be a better person. The Guardians had already turned people around who were far more gone than she was. That she was already changing. He had heard it all from her.

But that wasn´t what was on his mind right now. What was going through his head the entire time was simple the fact that his girlfriend/ex-girlfriend, he wasn´t even sure what to call her... who had betrayed and killed him, was their new recruit.

He knew one thing, Gaeriel was right, he needed to talk to Raynare... about what she had said yesterday, beside various other things.

This was however not everything that happened yesterday. To everyone´s surprise they had two more additions.

Irina and Xenovia had joined them as well.

xxxxxxx

Irina´s p.o.v

Irina Shidou was thinking back about the strange events of the last day. At first she and Xenovia had been send here to take over Freed Selzen from the Devils and a mysterious second group. But then things were beginning to happen that she would never have expected.

The first was that Issei-kun of all people was with that other group, who she had not seen in years. But what was far worse, at least in her view, was that this group consisted of Fallen Angels - female Fallen Angels - very attractive female Fallen Angels who were leading him away from the right path.

At least that was what she had thought at first. Then came the third complete surprise last night.

xxx

With the assistance of one of the two Fallen, they had transported Freed Selzen away. A few hours after they had received him, they handed him over to a small army of Exorcists and church-soldiers.

As soon as they were alone however the Fallen Angel had told them her secret. She and Issei were in truth not members of the Grigori at all, but of a group that was in fact old allies of the Church.

At first it was a bit hard to believe, but the Fallen Angel named Gaeriel had more than enough information to identify herself without a doubt as they contacted their superiors.

And then the next shock followed right away. As the Church officials had confirmed that it was truly the organization commonly known as the Guardians they were dealing with, she and Xenovia had gotten their next assignment.

They were ordered to join Issei´s group and do everything to assist them.

xxx

Not that she wasn´t happy to be in one team with him.

But still, the thought that an organization that was allied with the Church would have Fallen Angels in their ranks. Especially Her, she said to herself... the one who had called herself his girlfriend.

By what she had been told, one of them had even seduced and then murdered Issei-kun, only for them to bring him back to life... and now she was right back to seducing him again... and by what she saw, he was letting it happen. Of course it was Freed Selzen who said this and there was no way she could just believe a word from a man like him.

But that was the problem.

There was also the latest and final surprise of last night. The girl that Issei had called Maia and introduced as his `foster sister´, she was actually the former Nun Asia Argento. This Fallen Angel Gaeriel had told them this completely freely, after she had been informed that they would be working together from now on. This and that Argento was now a member of their group.

Issei had lied into her face, Irina realized... and that to protect an excommunicated Nun of all people. Of course he had a reason. They were simply trying to keep her identity from the Devils that were present. But it still hurt.

Did that mean his Fallen Angel girlfriend had actually tried to protect her when she had claimed to have killed Asia? she asked herself. Maybe she wasn´t thatbad then, for a Fallen Angel at least... maybe.

But that also meant that half of the story that Freed Selzen had told them was actually true. What about the other half? Had this Raynare actually killed him?

Issei had denied it, said that it had never happened. But the way he had said this... it sounded more as if he just wanted to defend his `girlfriend´, as that he truly meant it.

Girlfriend... the word alone had somehow started to feel like acid to her.

No matter what some people might think, Irina Shido was not stupid. Naive, yes. A bit gullible, sometimes maybe, yes. Stubborn and single minded, yes. But not stupid.

She knew she needed to find out the truth. She knew she needed to talk to Issei-kun once again - and this time he would tell her the truth... the whole truth.

And then... what if he told her that he loved the Fallen Angel?

No, she would not simply sit down and accept this... and if she - and if she had to seduce Issei-kun by herself, she thought.

xxx

Asia´s p.o.v

What Irina didn´t know was that she wasn´t the only one who had similar thoughts on her mind. Asia, who was in the moment sitting only a few meters beside her, was thinking about the events as well.

She was also present as her now former master and new team-mate had referred to herself as Issei´s girlfriend... and both times he said nothing to contradict her. Did that mean he accepted it?

She couldn´t help herself but feel a sting whenever she remembered Raynare-sama calling herself that and Issei saying nothing.

Asia of course didn´t know that her thoughts couldn´t be further from the truth. The reason that Issei had not said anything about Raynare´s claims was not acceptance.

No, it was him struggling with his conflicting emotions towards her, the trauma that his death by her hands had caused... and also simple surprise about what she had said. But he hadn´t downright rejected her either.

xxxxxxx

Their combined group was just going through the events of the last days and recapitulating them for Irina and Xenovia. The two Exorcists were sitting on a couch at one side of the room, Raynare and Asia were sitting on the other.

Gaeriel and Issei had just ended their explanation how she had recruited Issei... after her master resurrected him. So that part of the story was really true, Irina thought.

Her eyes wandered to Raynare. The look the Fallen Angel showed as they recapitulated this part of the events seemed to be somehow troubled... and pained. Did that mean that she regretted her actions? That was actually the least thing that could be expected, Irina told herself.

But still, what kind of group was that, that was allied with the Church, but let Fallen Angels and excommunicated Nuns join their ranks? she questioned.

They just came to the point where Gaeriel had copied - instead of extracted, like she had claimed - the Twilight Healing from Asia.

Raynare´s look as she heard this detail for the first time was truly priceless.

"What?" she called out.

Even Irina could not suppress a small grin at the expression of the Fallen Angel as she found out how far she had been deceived.

Raynare send a glance to Asia. Who in return however only smiled at her innocently.

"You," she wanted to growl at Gaeriel. But what she brought out was not far more than a whisper.

She took another short look at Asia.

"Okay - you are right," she finally said. "It is truly better this way," she admitted quietly.

Both Issei and Irina noticed this... and in Issei´s case also how different Raynare sounded from her usual sarcastic and confident/arrogant self.

They all continued to listen as Gaeriel explained the rest of the events that had led them all here. The part she was saying in this moment caught everyone´s attention.

"As I have said," she stated, "my organization doesn´t like or trust the Devil Faction. Their habit to take over entire towns in the human world and claim them as `their territory´ had marked these places as targets to their enemies.

To that comes that they are turning humans and other races into Devil servants. All too often without ever actually asking them or giving them a choice, practically enslaving them. Some of these servants then rebel and become Stray Devils... and the Devils hunt them down and kill them - all too often here on Earth.

As you can probably imagine, all that makes our duty to protect this world only more difficult. So the Guardian´s standing towards the Devils is not exactly a friendly one.

To put it simply, we didn´t want a successful alliance between the Houses of Phenex and Gremory, that would only strengthen the Devils and they would probably cause even more trouble for us - and we especially didn´t want a Devil of Raiser´s known attitude to gain even more influence than he already has. But since none of us is a member of the Devil Faction, we couldn´t interfere in their internal politics... At least not without revealing much more of our organization to them as we were willing to.

But Rias Gremory had provided us with a way to get a foothold into Devil society. I had offered a deal, that she and her servants would hold Freed Selzen for us and in exchange we would assist her in her problem with Raiser... if she invited us to their meeting, to get us into a position where we could challenge him in the first place."

"Do I get this right?" Xenovia asked her. "You got this Devil and her peerage to guard one of the most dangerous Stray Exorcists for you... and in exchange you offered her something that you were planning to do anyway? On top of that you used her as an entrance card into Devil society?

And all that right after you deceived the Fallen Angel leaders into thinking Asia Argento had lost her Sacred Gear and convinced everyone else that she was dead?"

"If you put it in that way - yes," Gaeriel answered, now sounding a bit insecure.

Raynare´s comment said it in the best was what most of the people around were thinking.

"God, and people say I am a lying bitch. But you make me look like a poor amateur," she remarked.

Issei could not even deny it. There was truth about what Raynare had just said. For the first time, he felt how small doubts were rising up inside of him about his friend and trainer.

Gaeriel was doing everything for everyone´s best, he knew that - for the greater good, if you put it that way. But could he really trust someone who manipulated people that easily and often?

`That she has an impressive pair of breasts doesn´t automatically make a girl trustworthy.´ That were her own words.

Rias and her peerage, Raiser, Raynare and her team, Irina and Xenovia, his parents, she had lied to practically every one of them at one point or the other during the last days. He and Asia were the only exceptions.

Really? Was he sure about that? he asked himself. Could there maybe be things she kept from him as well?

xxxxxxx

The evening of the same day, a few hours later

After the two important meetings from the day before, Rias peerage had now returned to daily business that they had failed to complete so far.

In this case it was the hunt for a Stray Devil that they had been requested to eliminate, but who had survived their first encounter a few days ago. The same one who had been hiding in the building that they had now left to Issei´s team.

The Devil Viser had killed her former master, fled the Underworld and had since then been attacking, killing and even eating a large number of humans. The building had been her hideout, where she had brought and devoured her victims, until Rias peerage had driven her out a few days ago.

Right now she was running through the park of the city. Ironically not so far away from the place where Issei Hyoudou had died a few days before. In the moment she was once again in the form of a young woman, instead of the monstrous being that she had become.

She knew the resident Devils had found her. They had been hunting her for days. Viser was clad in a long raincoat that she had taken from the last human she had killed, shortly after their fight with her that she had barely escaped from.

She knew she had to get out of the city and as far away as she could... and that as quickly as possible. The last time she knew she had barely gotten away with her life. Damned Devils, all she wanted was her peace and a few humans to feast on. Was that too much asked for?

For a few short seconds, she actually allowed herself to believe that she had lost them. Moments later she was shown the opposite when she was hit by a burst of lightning.

The Stray Devil was screaming in pain and could barely keep herself on her feet as the assault was over. They did that, she knew. It was one of the servants of this Gremory bitch who had that kind of power.

Moments later they showed themselves. Akeno came gliding down from the roof of a neighboring building with her wings and Koneko appeared from between the group of trees in front of her.

It was only two of them, Viser realized. That meant she had a good chance.

"It seems we have finally found you again," Akeno addressed the Stray Devil. "It wasn´t exactly smart of you to take this short cut, was it? You should have known that we could attack you here without holding back. This time you won´t escape." She smiled at her.

This only caused Viser to attack them in an even greater rage. Her stolen coat was torn to shreds as she once again took her other monstrous form.

The magic that their fight unleashed could of course be detected by other supernatural beings. Much to their bad luck.

xxx

Rias and the others instantly knew their exact location. But they were not the only ones.

xxx

The fight had so far taken only a few minutes. But both Rias peerage members and the Stray Devil were already showing visible damage. Nothing too serious, in first sight just scrapes and bruises.

They all noticed someone else appearing through a magic circle close by. For the first moment Akeno and Koneko weren´t worried. That this was just the rest of their team who arrived.

Until they noticed that the presences weren´t Devils at all. No, they were...

Before any of them could think anything else, they were hit by nearly a dozen light-spears.

The equally surprised Stray Devil was hit through the chest and upper body by three spears at the same time and died near instantly.

Akeno was able to avoid the assault. As she looked around however she saw that her partner had less luck.

xxx

Koneko knew she had been lucky. It was some instinct that told her to move in the last moment... or it would have been her head that had been hit instead of just her shoulder. Injured for the second time, in just a couple of days, she thought.

As they looked upwards they saw a trio of Fallen Angels, standing on the tops of the trees surrounding them. One of them was a man, wearing a dark colored trench coat and a hat, another was a blue haired woman in a very tight... and very short... business suit and the last one looked like a very young girl in a gothic Lolita outfit.

What made it even worse, was that along with them a group of six men had shown up, who seemed to be Stray Exorcists.

"Ah, what do we have here? A few Devils trying to kill each other," Dohnaseek announced. "You know we have been trying to track you down for some time now... and here is the chance for an interesting fight. Even if one of you is already done for," he said, looking in the direction of Viser´s dead body. "Now, how about we take over for her?" he asked.

Akeno and Koneko knew they had problems.

xxxxxxx

About a half kilometer away

Murayama didn´t know what to think. No, that was more than an understatement. Right now she wasn´t even completely sure anymore what goddamn fucking planet she was on.

She knew that the habit she had developed to keep an eye on Issei Hyoudou and follow him around whenever she saw him somewhere was... well, somewhat questionable. Or more than that.

But even in her wildest dreams she would have never imagined to see what she just did.

The same boy she had been trying to subtle... or maybe not so subtle... observe for the last days, had just appeared only a minute ago from an empty street corner, along with not just one but two girls. That alone was a bit strange given his reputation. She saw that they were going in the direction of the park. At night? she asked herself.

Murayama decided to follow him once again. But it was what she saw then what truly blew her mind and made her question her own sanity.

As they had arrived at the park, that was of course completely empty at this time of the day, the two girls suddenly changed... transformed. Both of them were suddenly grewing black feathered wings on their backs and changed their appearance and clothing. One of them was now even wearing something that looked like a strange dominatrix outfit.

What was going on here? She felt as if she had gotten herself into some sort of manga. And Issei? She saw how a bizarre looking device suddenly appeared out of nowhere on his left arm.

"This place, why does it have to be this place?" she heard him saying as he looked in the direction of the park. But of course she had no idea what he meant.

What in the world was going on here? she asked herself again, looking at the strange group who had just managed to shatter her perception of reality.

She felt how she was once again walking after them, as she saw them running... or in case of the two girls actually flying... further into the park, in the direction where she could hear some loud noises coming from.

If she had not been under shock from what she had just seen, if she had her senses still completely together, then they would have probably told her that this was a very stupid idea and that she should have better run in the other direction. But as things were, she couldn´t overcome her curiosity.