Sacred Gear: Heavenly Crown

Chapter 10: One-Thousand Suns (2)

"So, let me get this straight," Rias rubbed the bridge of her nose as she looked past her desk at a rather...unusual sight. "You've invited the Holy Maiden and an Angel who works under you to come to the meeting with Sirzechs and Serafall? AND you invited two exorcists to stay with you? In our territory?"

"Close," Issei corrected. "I didn't invite them. Michael wanted me to have some backup. One is a childhood friend of mine, so they're staying with me for the time being. They won't bother you as long as you don't do anything to hurt them."

"Ok...and...this?" Rias gestured to him as he sat on the couch. Yuuma was draped over one side, Katase claimed the other, while Asia timidly sat nearby, clearly wanting more attention.

"I gave up trying to get them off me a long time ago," Issei sighed.

"Oh~, don't act like you don't like it, Issei," pouted Yuuma, snuggling more into him.

"Such is the life of the Angel with a harem! Such a tragedy!" Katase added.

"Right..." Rias sighed. "So, Issei, what are the exorcists doing here?"

"I coulda sworn we had this discussion..." Issei scratched his head. "Yuuma, didn't I tell Rias already?"

"No, Issei. Not that you told me at least," she shook her head.

"Right. So, essentially, both you and Sona are targets to serve as powder kegs for the next great war," Issei explained simply.

"WHAT?" she shouted. "You didn't think to tell me this sooner?!"

"Well, I did imply the possibility," he pointed out. "But no, I never confirmed it with you. My bad."

"My bad? That's it? The war could have restarted!"

"Not like telling you would have prevented it. I've been keeping an eye out. So long as you don't go wandering into dark alleyways at night outside of Kuoh, you'll be totally fine."

"That is not exactly...reassuring, Issei," Akeno mentioned. "Why exactly did you keep this a secret from us?"

"It wasn't a secret. Katase knew about it," he shrugged.

"ISSEI! WAY TO THROW ME UNDER THE BUS!" Katase pouted.

"You did the same thing to me with Michael, you don't get to complain."

"B-but I...fine..."

"Before we point any fingers at which some people may or may not have forgotten to tell you about an imminent threat to their livelihood," Issei defended. "Need I remind you that you did exactly the same thing with Katase?"

"They did what?" Katase asked curiously.

"How did you..." Rias dropped her jaw open in shock.

"Look, not that I expected you to know this, but I do have a knack for detective work. Michael usually drops cases off to Lord Raguel and then comes to me. I find it more than a little suspicious that you just so happened to resurrect Katase within ten minutes of her death to a Fallen Angel. Besides that, you said Koneko had informed you of the Fallen's existence previously, and that you'd been keeping an eye on Katase for some time, but hadn't had a real ability to go after her. My belief is that once you discovered there were Fallen in the area, who you figured out were targeting suspicious humans that may possess Sacred Gears by tailing me, you kept a closer eye on Katase. After she was killed, you swooped in and forced her to become a devil. Did I get all of that right?"

"What...RIAS? IS THAT TRUE?" Katase demanded.

"Wha-I-" Rias stuttered.

"Katase?" Issei asked. "I already told you. It's not their fault."