Tales of the dragon slayer

Chapter 15: Season 1, Chapter 7

Disclaimer.

I don't own High School DxD, or any of the other copy right stuff that may be included in this story.

I don't make any money off of it and only write this for my own enjoyment.

If criticism of religion bothers you, please don't read this story. Also, why are you reading DxD, a story which makes heroes out of devils, if criticism of religion bothers you?

Sona groggily rose with the dawn, her body and mind protesting against waking from the comfort of being in bed with her lover. Nevertheless, going back to sleep was not meant to be as her mind quickly began to catalog everything that the new school week would bring.

"Today is going to be a good day. No fights, no drama. Just a nice party where I can introduce my fiance to my peerage." Sona thought with a smile as she roused her fiance, Ambrose. "It's time to get up."

"Hmm?" He sleepily replied, "What time is it?"

"Early enough for you to leave with out raising Tsubaki's suspicions." Sona said, reminding him that they had to keep up appearances.

"We should just move in together already." Ambrose sleepily replied as he nuzzled into her and began to trail feather light kisses on her neck.

"We can't." Sona said regretfully, referring to both his desire to live together and his morning desire for her. "Officially we've only been a couple for a few days."

Ambrose groaned in disappointment, yet still rose from bed.

"Zut alors, it's early." he exclaimed after checking the time.

"I have to be at school before the other students, and Tsubaki comes early each morning so we can have breakfast before we leave." Sona reminded him, "I suspect she'll be even earlier today in order to brief me on what's been going on in the Underworld since we turned over Diodora Astaroth to the Maōs."

"Give me an update later on that situation?" Ambrose asked as he began to dress.

"Why not come back after Tsubaki arrives so we can all have breakfast together?" Sona suggested as a pleasant compromise. "That way you can be here when she reports to me."

"Sounds like a plan. I'll bring breakfast." Her fiance replied before giving her a kiss and then teleporting back to his home.

"I suppose it'll be alright if Am-chan brings breakfast today so Tsubaki won't have to cook an extra portion." Sona thought, "That way she can arrive earlier for her debriefing."

After texting her [Queen] to let her know of the changes to their breakfast routine, Sona went about her morning rituals. Between her responsibilities with her peerage, school, and her work with Ambrose she realized that lately she had very little time to enjoy herself with one of her favorite hobbies, baking.

"Today's the day Ambrose will officially meet my entire peerage after school. It must be absolutely perfect." Sona thought, realizing that they can now be more public with their relationship, "I think I'll make a few cupcakes for our little gathering."

Filled with a sense of purpose Sona began her preparations on what would surely be at tasty treat for her fiance and her peerage. "They've worked so hard these past few weeks, it'll be nice to give them a bit of a reward."

"Please excuse the intrusion." Tsubaki respectfully said as she let herself into the apartment. Sona had just finished filling the baking cups with the batter as Tsubaki entered the kitchen, unaware of her [Queen]'s eyes widening in shock as she saw what her [King] was was up to. "Kaichō, you're baking."

Sona turned to greet her best friend, pleased that her efforts would be finished in time for school. "Yes, I thought the peerage has earned a bit of a reward for all their hard work. Not only have you all put in a lot of effort in training, but I hear the Maōs are very grateful for all the work you've done for them."

"I see… Um.. thank you… " Tsubaki replied as Sona went to put the last tray in the oven.

Sona closed the oven, turning around just in time to see Tsubaki frantically texting on her phone.

"Something wrong?" Sona curiously asked.

"N-Nothing Kaichō." Tsubaki hastily replied, "Just making sure everyone is prepared for the day."

Sona smiled, satisfied that her [Queen] always took her duties seriously. "Am-chan should soon be here with breakfast."

"I take it your date went well?" Tsubaki asked, changing the topic.

"It was a little more than a date." Sona admitted, feeling a little guilty for having fun while her peerage was hard at work. "We went to a yōkai charity ball for the yukii-onna. While we were there Am-chan managed establish a working trade relationship with Governor Yasaka. I'm hoping it will help strengthen diplomatic ties between the Devils and the Yōkai."

"Sounds like you both have been busy." Tsubaki commented with a small smile, "Did everything go well with Gremory-san?"

"Rias is now the proud master of this generation's Sekiryūtei." Sona informed her [Queen], "He took up all eight pawns."

"That is amazing, but using all eight on a single individual seems like quite the risk; especially for someone like Hyoudou." Tsubaki remarked, "And the nun?"

"Argento declined." Sona replied as she continued to clean up the dishes. "She was inspired by Am-chan who uses his magic to heal other people while still close to me, despite not being a devil. Having her around could prove useful since her [Sacred Gear], [Twilight Healing], can heal devils."

"Oh dear, does my [King] have competition?" Tsubaki teased with a small smile.

"Certainly not." Sona said with far more confidence than she felt the other day. "They have nothing in common."

A knock at the door interrupted their conversation further, "It's probably Am-chan, would you mind getting it?" Sona asked as she finished cleaning the last few dishes.

"Hai." Tsubaki dutifully replied.

"Good Morning Fuku-Kaichō." Ambrose cheerfully greeted the [Queen] while carrying a brown bag.

"Good Morning, Ambrose. Please, call me Tsubaki when we're away from school and the rest of the peerage." Tsubaki requested.

"I'd be happy to. After all, we both have the same job, don't we?"

"Oh, what job is that?" Tsubaki curiously asked as she lead the alchemist into the dining area.

"Taking care of Sona." Ambrose replied with a wink, causing Tsubaki to smile.

"I heard that." Sona playfully remarked as she came out to greet her fiance, still wearing her apron.

"I thought I was making breakfast." Ambrose commented as he sniffed the air. "Y-you're baking?"

"Thought I would do something nice for everyone." Sona said, feeling pleased with herself. "So I decided to baked a few cupcakes for us to enjoy after school. You're invited too Am-chan, you can meet the rest of my peerage after school today."

"Great..." Ambrose said trailing off before clearing his throat. "In the meantime, I've brought eggs, yogurt, fruit, and the pièce de résistance: pain au chocolat."

"It looks delicious." Sona commented as her fiance set the table.

Tsubaki nodded along, though with some reservations.

"Something wrong?" Ambrose asked the [Queen].

"No, it's just I'm more used to a traditional Japanese style breakfast." Tsubaki commented, "Though this does look good."

"I haven't had much time to settle in and learn Japanese cuisine." Ambrose regretfully admitted.

"I could teach you, if you'd like." Tsubaki politely offered.

"Well then, I look forward to your lessons." Ambrose replied with a smile.

"I filled Tsubaki in on what we accomplished yesterday at the charity ball." Sona mentioned as the three sat around the breakfast table and began to serve themselves. "Tsubaki, would you mind if I debriefed you on your weekend during breakfast?"

"Not at all." Tsubaki said in between bites. "Momo, Tomoe, Tsubasa and I successfully arrived in the Underworld and discretely made our way to see Maō Leviathan without attracting attention. After informing your sister of the situation she then called for a secret meeting of the Four Great Satans, where we recounted what had happened. Maō Beelzebub was especially surprised that we had Diodora Astaroth in custody; however, he didn't protest or proclaim his nephew's innocence."

"It took a few hours to explain everything about the Fallen Angels; their attack on the humans, the extraction of [Sacred Gear]s, their attempt to frame both peerages, and discovery of the Khaos Brigade." Tsubaki continued, "We nearly forgot about the fliers and their vulnerabilities until Maō Leviathan read the letter you gave me. That included another round of questions followed by a demonstration. Diodora was then questioned in front of the Four Great Satans and they were able to extract a list of Khaos Brigade members. After a quick discussion the Maōs came up with a plan and conscripted the four of us to help them. Momo was sent to the archives to retrieve summoning fliers from all the different Clans, including the 33 Pillars. After that things became a little disorganized." Tsubaki embarrassingly admitted.

"You see, we've only practiced summoning from within our own peerage and we're familiar with our own magical signatures but distinguishing individuals from other families proved difficult." The [Queen] explained. "While attempting to summon the Old Satan loyalists of the Khaos Brigade we… occasionally got the wrong family member, including the heads of 33 pillars. Still, even when we summoned the wrong individual the Maōs would interrogate that person. If an individual was found innocent they were drafted into summoning the actual target for questioning and were present to witness the interrogation. It was a chain reaction and Diodora proved to be the weakest link; he gave names and those names gave up others. No one, not even those cleared of wrongdoing, was allowed to leave until the Maōs rounded up as many members of the Khaos Brigade as possible. Eventually the general populous became aware that people were disappearing, a few reports of witnesses watching family members being the forcefully summoned made its way to the news. Realizing a potentially dangerous situation, the 33 pillars began to hide behind their wards; however, the fliers are keyed to their family's magic so their wards proved useless. The clans began to panic and the Maōs were then flooded with demands for answers. Still, the Maōs publicly remained silent while they continued their round up, reasoning that they had to grab as many of the conspirators as they could before the Khaos Brigade realized what was going on or came up with a defense."

"How many members did you manage to get?" Sona curiously asked.

"Eighty-six." Tsubaki replied with pride, "The rest managed to elude us."

"How did they manage to escape?" Ambrose asked.

"They ceded from their clans so their family's fliers would no longer work on them." Tsubaki said with a grin before taking a bite of her eggs.

"That's incredible." Sona commented, "Renouncing their family is a huge blow, they're basically stray devils now and can be killed on sight."

"The Maōs have also increased the bounty on strays who are identified as members of the Khaos Brigade." Tsubaki remarked. "It's believed that they're hiding with the three remaining leaders of the Old Satan faction.

"Three remaining leaders?" Sona asked for clarification.

Tsubaki grinned at her [King] and purposefully took an extra long time to slowly chew her food before answering. "We got Shalba Beelzebub."

Sona gasped in delight.

"You couldn't summon or locate the rest of the leaders?" Ambrose asked, remaining focused on the remaining three.

"You wouldn't be able to summon any of the descendants of the original Maōs with the fliers." Sona answered. "The current Four Great Satans, Sirzechs Lucifer, Serafall Leviathan, Akuja Beelzebub, and Flabium Asmodeus are now head of those respected clans through the Rite of Conquest. That means the descendants of the original Maōs are clan-less, they've lived as strays for centuries. Hence, clan magic of the summoning fliers no longer works on the original decedents. That being said, how did the Maōs manage to get Shalba Beelzebub?"

"A little bit of luck." Tsubaki commented, "As it turns out, Diodora Astaroth is a complete toady and was quite familiar with the location and layout of Shalba's hide out. Since we knew where he was, yet couldn't forcefully summon him, the Four Great Satans stormed Shalba's fortress with their entire peerages."

"The four great peerages to apprehend Shalba Beelzebub? That seems a bit like overkill." Sona stated in surprise.

"He did have a number off followers with him, but I believe the original plan was to take him alive." Tsubaki said after finishing a bite of her chocolate pastry, "They wanted to make a strong show of force hoping that he would surrender and give up the location of his co-conspirators. Instead he chose to take his own life rather than allow himself to be captured."

"So they've hit a dead-end as far as rounding up the other leader's of the Old Satan faction." Ambrose reasoned. "What about the other factions involved with the Khaos Brigade? The magicians and decedents of heroes?"

"The Maōs seemed to remained focused only on the Old Satan faction, since an easy solution was presented. We did managed to identify a large number of magicians and several descendants of heroes who are part of the Khaos Brigade; however, the Maōs had us focused on rounding up and interviewing the Old Satan faction."

"Makes sense." Ambrose reasoned, "Magicians and heroes don't fall within the Maō's jurisdiction. Any action against them could be seen as an act of war."

"What about Kokabiel?" Sona asked her [Queen], "Any idea on how they reacted to his involvement and his interest in the Excalibur fragments?"

"No." Tsubaki replied with a shake of her head. "The Maōs were very tight lipped about that. In fact, all information regarding the involvement of the Fallen Angels in Kuoh is deemed classified and we can consider ourselves sworn to secrecy."

"Then it's likely the Maōs are attempting a diplomatic solution with the Fallen Angels." Ambrose concluded. "If the incident with the Grigori in Kuoh became public knowledge then it would sour any potential future relationship between the two factions."

"Onee-sama did say they had reached out to the other factions, but she wouldn't elaborate further." Sona admitted while removing the cupcakes from the oven. "Still, now that the situation has been dealt with, how are the 33 pillars reacting to the Maōs response to the Khaos Brigade?"

"There was surprisingly very little political fallout after everything had settled." Tsubaki replied, "While there was initially a panic when people began disappearing, once Shalba Beelzebub was confirmed dead the Maōs released the news of the potential coup attempt and the subsequent round up of the Old Satan Faction. The Maōs then imposed a nation wide recall for all summoning fliers, making the upgrade to close the vulnerability available to all. After the clans saw first hand how devils could be forcefully summoned they were quite eager to implement the upgrade. With the coup thwarted before it began, the majority of the conspirators apprehended, the flier vulnerability closed, and Shalba dead, the 33 pillars have reacted with overwhelming and unanimous support for the Maōs actions."

"No doubt." Ambrose wryly mused aloud. "There were probably traitors in a few of the 33 pillars clans. Once the Maōs established themselves as the clear victor, the members of the remaining families were probably very eager to distance themselves from any of the conspirators."

"There is that." Sona replied while waiting for her cupcakes to cool, "But remember, devils ultimately respect strength. The Maōs identified a threat, took immediate action and emerged the victor with out endangering the denizens of the Underworld, all while maintaining the stability of the economy and government. Was there anything else to report Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki gave her [King] an uncomfortable look and glanced at Ambrose.

"It's alright." Sona reassured her best friend as she topped her cupcakes with icing.

"The Maōs questioned us extensively on you." Tsubaki said, giving Ambrose a piercing look. "Especially Maō Lucifer."

"Sooner or later they're going to want to question you." Sona thoughtfully reasoned as she boxed up the remaining cupcakes.

"That's understandable." Ambrose commented as he finished his meal. "I show up, almost cause a diplomatic incident with the Grigori, and lay a coup attempt at their feet. They're probably mistrustful of my motives, so I hope I'll have earned some trust by the time they come to question me."

"It's more than that." Tsubaki said as she began to clear the table. "I don't believe I was able to fully convince them of who you are. Or rather, that you're not who Maō Lucifer hopes you to be."

"A problem for another time then." Ambrose said, dismissing the Maō's suspicions as unimportant. "Shall we head off to school?"

The three were then interrupted by Sona's phone, which chimed letting her know she had a text.

"It's Rias." Sona said after glancing at her phone.

"Gremory? What does she want?" Ambrose asked with a frown.

"Here we go..." Sona thought, bracing herself. "I need you to go back to your home and get a few samples of the vampiric juice you make, the non-alcoholic variety. Rias has a dhampir in her peerage."

"Really?" Ambrose asked in surprise.

"I told Rias about your plasma juice the day we introduced Argento and Hyoudou to the Gremory peerage." Sona admitted.

"I see." Ambrose said, giving his a fiance a look which stated he saw through her ruse.

"You do need a taste tester, don't you?" Sona rhetorically asked.

"I need a sommelier." Ambrose asserted, "A vampire with a reputation for having impeccable taste in order to provide assurance to vampire nation that the quality of my product is beyond question."

"But until you find such a vampire Gaspar Vladi can help you. I know you still need to find the right amount of plasma juice for an individual serving." Sona explained as she began boxing up her cupcakes. "This way you can at least get the proportions right and find a fruit blend that might please a vampire's palate."

"I've met Gremory's peerage already, why haven't I met this dhampir before?" Ambrose curiously asked.

"He's been sealed." Sona admitted, "He's rumored to be quite powerful and Rias can't really control him. She's probably taking a great risk just to unseal him so that you can meet him."

"Great..." Ambrose said frowning but none the less acquiesced to Sona. "I'll head home now and see you at school then."

"Here, take this." She said, handing him a cupcake as a peace offering.

Ambrose accepted her gift and with a light kiss on her cheek he teleported away.

"That could have gone better, but it could have also gone worse." Sona thought as she and her [Queen] left her apartment and began their walk to school.

"What was all that about?" Tsubaki inquired as the pair walked down the side walk.

"I'm trying to get Rias and Am-chan to have a good working relationship." Sona replied, "He's created a tree that produces fruit called plasma fruit. Apparently it's a perfect substitute for blood; however, he needs a vampire to taste test it so he can make high quality juices and wines. Since Rias has a dhampir in her peerage, I thought I could use that to get them working together."

"While I understand Ambrose's reservations when it comes to Gremory-san, I don't understand why you would force them to work together." Tsubaki said as the pair continued to walk to school, "Wanting them to establish a working relationship sounds a bit more complicated than than simply wanting your fiance and childhood friend to get along."

Sona glanced at Tsubaki for a moment, "We believe the Fallen Angels were a scouting party, doing reconnaissance for Kokabiel before he attacks us with the Excalibur fragments that he plans to steal."

"With all due respect Kaichō, isn't that information we should have given to the Maōs?" Tsubaki alarmingly asked.

"We don't have proof." Sona replied, unintentionally letting a bit of her frustration for the entire ordeal to bleed through her tone.

"Then don't ask for help officially." Tsubaki replied, "Tell your sister, she'd listen."

"She'd do more than listen." Sona said, frowning at the thought. "She'd come down to earth with an entire batalion if there was a credible threat to us."

"Do you believe the threat is credible?" Tsubaki asked.

"I do."

"Then you may want to put aside your own reservations." Tsubaki said as the pair entered the school gates, "If you expect Ambrose to put his own prejudice for Rias aside for the sake of this threat, can't you do the same for your own pride?"

For the life of her, Sona couldn't find an answer within herself.

The student council had gathered after school as usual. Today, however, was different as Sona's cupcakes and a few bottles of soft drinks were made available for a small informal celebration of the peerage's recent success and to welcome the newest member to the Sitri Clan.

"Everyone, it is my pleasure to officially introduce you to Ambrose Dragon-Slayer." Sona said with pride. "Ambrose and I have agreed on a magician's pact, he is now officially my sorcerer and considered part of the Sitri Clan and a member of my family. Please treat him as you would me."

The Sitri peerage politely applauded, welcoming their newest member.

"Since your introduction to the class of 1-A on your first day was a bit awkward, I think it's appropriate to allow you the chance to properly introduce yourself to my peerage." Sona said, teasing her fiance. "After that, I'd like everyone to introduce themselves to him."

He smiled in return at her good nature ribbing. "My name is Ambrose Dragon-Slayer, and yes I have slayed a few dragons before. I'm a sorcerer and alchemist, most known for creating the cure to lycanthropy. Aside from magic and alchemy, I enjoy gardening, cooking, and learning new things."

"I'm Tsubaki Shinra, Kaichō's [Queen]. I come from a family who specializes in the cleansing of evil spirits. I'm an expert using the Japanese naginata and hold the [Sacred Gear] known as [Mirror Alice] which reflects an attack back at an individual doubling the damage. I too enjoy cooking and gardening."

"Momo Hanakai." The white haired girl said as she bowed. "Kaichō's [Bishop]. Sona and I have known each other since we were children. My father has had a pact for years with Sona's father. I enjoy romance novels, tea ceremony, and flower arrangement."

A brunette smiled eagerly before introducing herself. "I'm Reya Kusaka, Kaichō's [Bishop]. My family can trace their magical lineage back over a thousand years, and I was privately educated in magic by my grandmother. I have a passion for magic and enjoy reading mystery novels."

"Tomoe Meguri." Said a cheerful girl with reddish brown hair, "Kaichō's [Knight]. I'm unofficially Kuoh Academy's gossip, so I pretty much know everything that's going on in the school. Like Fuku-Kaichō, my family comes from a line of Japanese exorcists; however, a vengeful spirit laid a curse on me in revenge for being exorcised when I was still in my mother's womb. My parents made a deal with Kaichō to turn me into a devil in order to break the curse, but were exiled from the clan as a result."

"Sorry to hear that." Ambrose replied. "Still, it sounds like they love you very much."

Tomoe smiled pleasantly in response, "They still do good work but they only exorcise evil spirits, just not any devil that happens to cross their paths. I know you dealt with those rouge exorcists at the abandoned church, so I just wanted you to know that not all rouges are bad. Oh, like sweets, kendo, and making new friends so I hope we can get along."

"Tsubasa Yura." The blue hair girl said, introducing herself while sounding a little hesitant. "I'm Kaichō's [Rook], and am an expert in martial arts. I don't have [Sacred Gear], but I was born with an ability to see and feel supernatural beings or phenomena. Kaichō found me after defeating an oni with nothing but my skill in martial arts and extended an invitation to be a devil. Aside from martial arts, I enjoy soccer and baseball."

"She's a tomboy." Ruruko giggled.

"There's nothing wrong with that." Tsubasa blushing said, crossing her arms in defiance.

"Except all the girls fall in love with your bishounen face." Ruruko teased back.

"You take that back." Tsubasa hotly shouted out. "I like boys, damn it!"

Sona cleared her throat, letting the two servants know that now wasn't the time to bicker though she knew there was no malice behind their words, "They're like sisters, and just like sisters they argue."

"I'm Ruruko, nice to meet you Am-kun." The young pig-tailed freshman said, forgoing formalities. "I'm Kaichō's [Pawn]. Don't let Tsubasa and I scare you, we're actually really close. Tsu-chan has been teaching me martial arts, and I've really been enjoying it. I also enjoy gymnastics and computers."

"Saji Genshirou." The lone male of Sona's peerage said while offering his hand out to shake. Ambrose smile at the familiar gesture shook his hand in response. Saji quickly clamped down on Ambrose's hand, squeezing as hard as he could in an effort to establish male dominance. His face strained at the attempt while Ambrose paid no mind as if Saji's efforts were meaningless.

"Saji..." Sona scolded Saji, disappointed with his antics. "Try to get along. Am-chan is important to me."

While feeling bit disheartened at being scolded and his [King]'s familiarity with the new addition, Saji let go and continued his introduction. "I'm Kaichō's [Pawn] that's worth four pieces. I also have the Black Dragon King Vrita as a [Sacred Gear]. Dragon slayer or not, you're probably no match for a Demonic Dragon." He finished with confidence.

"Actually, Am-chan can use holy magic, which is the antithesis of demonic magic." Sona replied.

"Really? Holy magic?" Tomoe asked in surprise. "Won't you get in trouble with the church for associating with devils?"

"I'm not with the church, nor have I ever been." Ambrose dismissively replied, "It's just a peculiar ability I have, that's all."

"So, does that mean you're going to be joining the student council with us?" Reya excitedly asked, "I'd love to set some time aside to discover what other peculiar abilities you have."

"Unfortunately, he won't be officially joining the student council, his responsibilities for providing the cure to lycanthropy is too important. Despite this, he is considered part of the Sitri Clan, not only because of our pact together but..." Sona paused in embarrassment as a light blush adorned her cheeks, "but because he beat me in chess, officially making him my fiance."

While Momo, Ruruko, and Tsubaki were already aware of this secret, the rest of Sona's peerage didn't disappoint with their reactions. Reya appeared wide eyed and shocked, though she quickly gained a thoughtful look as she processed this new bit of information. Tsubasa was also in shock and it appeared she might have to pick up her jaw off the floor. Tomoe squealed with delight, excited to hear new gossip and happy for her [King]. And Saji…

"No!" Saji loudly shouted, completely breaking the mood. The [Pawn] dramatically fell to his knees and began pounding the floor with his fist. "It was one date, One Date! How can that be?!"

"Like I said, he beat me in chess." Sona explained, unimpressed by his outburst. "You're probably not aware, but I used to be engaged to another devil. The engagement fell apart after I beat him in chess and he couldn't stand the thought of marrying someone smarter than him. I told my parents that I too was dissatisfied with their choice for my husband because I didn't want to marry someone who wasn't at least as smart as I am. Because of this my parents stipulated that I had to marry the next person to defeat me in chess, and here we are."

"That's the stupidest reason for being engaged that I ever have heard!" Saji loudly protested, "If that's the case then I challenge you to a game of chess, Kaichō!"

"Challenging me now won't change anything, besides do you even know how to play chess?" Sona asked, remembering that her future self beat Saji in two moves on their first game.

"How hard could it be?" Saji unsuccessfully reasoned.

"Saji, don't ruin this for Kaichō." Ruruko said, scolding her fellow [Pawn]. "We should be happy for them."

Momo nodded her head in agreement, "Yes, there's no need to be jealous. I'm sure you'll get your own girlfriend someday."

"Some day?" Saji morosely repeated.

"It seems Saji's crush on me started much earlier than I thought." Sona disappointingly realized, "Perhaps it's better this way. Momo and Ruruko seem to be interested in him. Maybe they'll help him get over it."

The meeting was then interrupted when a student burst thru the door. "Kaichō, you've got to help. There's a fight in the locker room!"

The annoyance Sona felt at a student suddenly barging in was quickly replaced by alarm that there was a fight going on in her school. "Tsubaki, Tsubasa, come with me." She said as the three hurried purposefully out the council room and down the hallway, leaving the rest of her peerage and fiance behind.

"Is it another attack? Has Kokabiel revealed himself already?" Sona panically thought as she and her three servants raced down the stairs. She abruptly stopped as she entered the changing room, gazing at the scene before her. "I should have known."

There on the ground were Matsuda and Motohama, foaming at the mouth and passed out. There was a third boy who's face was bruised, beaten, and swollen. It took Sona a moment before she realized she was looking at the newly turned devil, Issei Hyoudou. And there, standing next to the three fallen boys was a small unassuming girl with white hair and golden eyes.

"They deserved it." Koneko emotionlessly replied.

Sona glanced at the two human boys, noting that the didn't have any marks or bruises on them. "Probably passed out in fright when she ripped the locker door of its hinges." she thought admiring Koneko's handiwork.

"Go report to Rias." Sona told the [Rook], "Tell her I'll be by to see her in a few minutes after I've straightened all this out. Tsubaki, Tsubasa, wake the other two up and bring them to the student council room. I want to have a little talk with Hyoudou."

"Hai, Kaichō." Tsubaki replied as the two girls woke the pair of perverts up with a slap to the face and escorted them out of the locker room.

"K-K-Kaichō?" Hyoudou hesitantly asked, though Sona wasn't sure if his uncertainty was due to his situation or if he simply couldn't tell who was in the room due to his swollen eyes.

After confirming that the two were alone Sona grabbed Hyoudou by the collar and hoisted him up, slamming him into the locker as his feet dangled, unable to touch the floor. It was a not so subtle display of strength to let him know that he was dealing with a superior devil.

"If you think your association with Rias gives you 'carte blanche' to behave however you want within this academy, then you're going to be very disappointed." Sona hissed in anger. "While Rias may be your master, your revival comes with a debt; a debt you owe to me. You weren't given a second chance so that you can continue to terrorize the female population of Kuoh Academy. From here on out I expect you to conduct yourself as if you were a model student. Do you understand?"

"H-Hai, Kaichō." Issei choke out while miraculously maintaining control of his bladder.

"Now come with me." Sona said, releasing him for her grasp and marching out of the locker room with nary a word.

"Of all the stupid, irresponsible things..." Sona thought as she lead the newly turned devil up stairs to the student council room. "We just averted a disaster with the Fallen Angels, everyone is still on edge, and now this? Can't I get a break, just for one day?"

Her thoughts were interrupted at the sight of Tsubaki and Tsubasa standing outside of the student council room door with Motohama and Matsuda, all four hesitating before entering. She took a moment to observe her two servants who were both wide eyed and panicked as she approached them.

"What's going on?" Sona worriedly asked, "Why aren't you all in the club room?"

Sona's answer came from Saji's loud voice, echoing out of the club room. "How the hell can you eat those disgusting cakes?!"

"Disgusting Cakes?" Sona incredulously thought as she silently marched into the club room. Inside she saw Ambrose, sitting on the corner of her desk while casually eating one of her homemade cupcakes. Saji was pointing an accusing finger at him with his back was turned away from her. The rest of her peerage watched on, their eyes widening in alarm as they noticed their [King] had silently returned.

"No one can eat those cakes of destruction!" Saji continued to yell, oblivious to Sona's presence. "I have the constitution of a dragon and I can barely choke them down, let alone keep them in my stomach. The last time she made those cakes I was sick for three days!"

Saji's tirade was interrupted by Sona's hand grabbing the top of his scalp in a vice like grip as she bent his neck back in an awkward angle.

"Something wrong with my cakes, Saji?" Sona forebodingly asked while light reflected off her glasses giving her a menacing look.

"K-K-K-Kaichō." Saji startlingly said in disbelief and fear.

"If you don't like my cakes, don't eat them." Sona seethingly stated as she released her grasp on his head. "One day, I just wanted one day to celebrate with my peerage and fiance, and this is what I get."

She looked around as her peerage watched her with bated breath, hesitantly waiting on her reaction. Ambrose continued to sit on the corner of her desk with a bit of chocolate on the side of his mouth. She reached out to wipe the bit off his cheek and licked her finger clean.

"There's nothing wrong with it." She sorrowfully noted, holding back her tears. "Then why… ?"

"I thought it was delicious." Ambrose said with a comforting smile, sensing her insecurity. "It was unfair of him to say such things with out even trying it."

"You girls like my cakes, don't you?" Sona asked the rest of her peerage with watery eyes, looking for assurance.

"O-Of course Kaichō." Momo replied.

"They're delicious." Ruruko said, "I'd have one but I'm on a diet."

Tomoe made a show of grabbing a cupcake off the tray and then taking an experimental bite. "Mmm… It's… it's good." The [Knight] said in wide eyed surprise. "Kaichō, this is really good. The best you've ever made."

"R-Really?" Sona asked, trying to hide the hopefulness form her voice.

"Yes, really." Tomoe said grabbing another and handing it to Reya. "Here, try it."

Reya looked a bit uncertain at first, yet still took a bite; her eyes widened as she chewed. "Oh wow Kaichō, you've out done yourself." She said in amazement.

The rest of the girls quickly gathered around the table, eager to try one of their [King]'s cupcakes. Even Ruruko seemed to break her diet to have one in support for her [King]. Sona quickly turned around and wiped a stray tear from her eye, overwhelmed with emotion watching her peerage enjoy her confections.

"Kaichō." Tsubaki said, with a cupcake in her hand. "What about the perverts?"

"Right, I nearly forgot about them." Sona realized as she turned to the infamous perverted trio. "Care to explain why you three weren't doing your club duties?"

"The club's disbanded." Motohama confidently said. "According to school rules there has to be at least three students in order for a club to be official. Issei's been accepted into the Occult Research Club, hence no more clean up duties."

"Damn it, he's right" Sona realized to her dismay. "That doesn't excuse your actions for peeping again. Report to the boy's locker room for clean up duty, immediately."

"But there's no club." Matsuda desperately whined.

"Saji will be your third member today." Sona said with a satisfied smile. "He'll be cleaning up along side of you for the rest of the day."

"Kaichō..." Saji moaned in disappointment.

"Would you rather I come up with a different punishment for you?" Sona rhetorically asked, narrowing her eyes.

"N-no, Kaichō." Saji replied, paling dramatically.

"Then get going." Sona suggested.

"Can't believe I'm stuck with the two greatest perverts of Kuoh." Saji grumbled as he ushered two thirds of the perverted trio out of the door.

Sona turned her attention to Hyoudou, his face still swollen so his eyes were practically shut, his mouth and cheeks black and blue from the beating Koneko gave him. "Not that I can blame her." She thought.

"When you were human you were protected from certain forms of punishment, mostly because it would have killed you. Be grateful that you're under Rias's peerage." Sona said, warning the pervert. "If you were a member of my house I'd make sure you'd never make the same mistake again. Lucky for you, your punishment isn't up to me, is up to your [King]." She took a deep breath in order to calm herself before she addressed the rest of her peerage. "Tsubaki will distribute your duties while I attend a meeting. Please continue to enjoy the refreshments."

"Hai." Tsubaki dutifully replied, "And Kaichō?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you for the sweets." Tsubaki said, holding up her own half eaten cupcake. "They're the best you've ever made."

Sona smiled in gratitude at her [Queen] before turning to address her fiance. "Might as well come with me since we're going to see Rias. Do you have the drinks you brought."

"Right here." Ambrose said, gesturing to a duffel bag at the side of the desk.

"Let's go then." Sona said as the three left the student council room.

Truthfully Sona had no idea what she wanted to accomplish in regards to Hyoudou. She couldn't allow him to continue his perverted ways, but she had her hands effectively tied when it came to punishing him for his actions. Technically he was a member of Rias's peerage and it fell to her to discipline and manage her own members.

"I just hope Rias doesn't treat this with her usual negligence and lets him off scot-free."

The Occult Research Club was housed in the renovated old school building, out on the edge of the school grounds. Privately, Sona always felt that having a single club take up the entire building was a bit ostentatious. No other club had so much space, especially one with so few members. With the human population in the dark about the nature of supernaturals, Sona could only imagine the image of having a club of "make believe and fantasy" in such a predominate place.

The trio were then admitted inside the club by Rias's [Knight], Kiba Yuuta who escorted them into Rias's office and sitting room where the Occult Research Club held the majority of their meetings. Rias was at her desk as usual while Akeno was busy preparing tea. Koneko sat at her customary seat on the couch, eating a light snack with Asia Argento who immediately rose when she saw the state of her friend.

"Issei, you're hurt." The former nun said in shock as she rushed to heal the pervert's wounds.

"Ara, Issei." Rias said in surprised as she saw the state of her [Pawn]. "Koneko, don't you think you over did it?"

"No." The white haired devil replied in a monotone tone in between bites of her snack, completely ignoring what was going on around her.

"What are you doing here Asia?" Ambrose curiously asked.

"Rias-san said I could join the Occult Research Club, even if I wasn't a member of her peerage." Asia said while healing his wounds.

"Honestly Issei, your first day of school as a devil and you're already causing me so much trouble." Rias disappointingly said.

"Sorry Buchou." Issue muttered between his swollen lips as Asia continued to heal him.

"If you want to see a naked girl so bad you could always ask me." Rias teasingly offered.

"Really?" Issei hopefully asked.

"Issei." Asia grumbled as she pinched his already swollen face.

"Oww, Oww, I'm sorry Asia. Please let go." The pervert desperately pleaded.

"This isn't a joking matter Rias. What do you plan on doing with him?" Sona curiously asked her fellow [King].

"Don't worry Sona, I'll deal with him." Rias said in a placating manner, "As a member of my peerage, he's my responsibility."

"As student council president, I'm responsible for the safety of all the students." Sona reminded her childhood friend, "This isn't the first time this has happened and his actions have already affected other clubs. I had to create a special club just for him and his friends so they would be too busy to cause trouble. The fact that he's now part of your club means that the Kuoh Beautification Club is in danger of being disbanded. I can't have him or his two friends run wild in this school."

"This is a Gremory matter now." Rias firmly replied, "I'll thank you to stay out of Gremory business just as I have stayed out of Sitri business."

"Fine." Sona reluctantly said, yielding to decorum.

"Come on Sona, let's go." Ambrose suddenly spoke up, motioning to the door. "I think we're done here."

"What? Wait." Rias startlingly called out, "Didn't you come here to meet Gaspar?"

"I've recently formed a pact with Sona-Kaichō." Ambrose replied, giving Rias a hard look, "Making me officially part of her clan. As you pointed out, members of one clan typically don't meddle in the affairs of another so I can't imagine that I have any sort of business here."

"Thank you Am-chan." Sona thought with a satisfied smile.

"I see." Rias said in frustration, "Then you both have my word that I will keep Issei busy enough so that he won't have time to peep on any of the school girls."

"And if he does it again, I want your permission to assign him a day of cleaning duty in addition to whatever work you might have planned for him." Sona stated, pressing the matter further.

"Very well." Rias replied, reluctantly accepting the compromise. "If that's all, I'll take you to meet Gaspar."

"Actually, there is one more thing." Sona quickly replied, "Tomorrow is the night of the full moon. I'll be taking Saji to the Familiar Forest."

"I was hoping to take Issei tomorrow." Rias complained with a pout.

"Then I'm calling in one of the debts you owe me." Sona insisted, "Saji's been a devil longer, he takes precedence."

"Fine." Rias replied, frustrated that she wasn't getting her way. "Anything else?"

Sona and her fiance shared a look before she replied. "No, that's all for now."

"Alright then, follow me." Rias said, "Akeno, please take care of Issei for a few hours to ensure he won't bother the student council again."

"With pleasure, Buchou." Akeno excitedly said while licking her lips.

"B-Bu-Buchou, can't I come to meet my fellow club mate?" Issei begged, desperate to delay his punishment.

"Oh, very well." Rias replied as she lead the couple and her peerage upstairs to the second floor. As they walked down the hallway and turned the corner, they came to a room that was not only sealed with magic but also with police tape which read 'Keep Out'.

"Well, that's not dramatic." Ambrose sarcastically commented. "How long have you kept him lock up?"

"It isn't like that." Rias protested against Ambrose's unsaid accusation, "The seal breaks late at night so he can wander around the building while no one is watching. However, he refuses to leave, even when the seal is down."

"So he's a hikikomori." Hyoudou concluded.

"A what?" Ambrose wondered, unfamiliar with the term.

"Someone who's completely shut themselves off from the world, refusing all kinds of social contact." Rias explained. "He still provides service to the peerage, completing contracts with individuals through his computer. In fact, he completes more contracts than all my other members combined."

"Wow, that's amazing. I had no idea computers could do such a thing." Asia observed, clearly impressed. "Issei said he hasn't managed to complete a contract, yet Gaspar can do it without leaving this room."

"It was only once contract." Issei weakly protested, "I'll get the next one for sure!"

Rias approached the door and raised her arms, creating a bright red magical circle that flared around the seal and police tape which then fell away leaving the door bare. "Better let me go in first." Rias said as she opened the door and went in alone.

Soon a girlish shriek echoed throughout the entire building causing the entire group to burst in the room expecting trouble. The room was nearly completely dark; however, a coffin which laid in the center of the room was immediately visible.

"I hope you're doing well today Gaspar." Rias said, ignoring the outburst while addressing the coffin. "I've brought some people who want to meet you."

"No, no, no." A feminine voice cried out from within the coffin. "People are scary, I don't want to meet anyone."

"Come now, don't be rude." Rias replied as she reached down to open the coffin.

Inside was a small blonde haired girl wearing a Kuoh Academy's dress. Her tearful pink eyes fearfully stared at the people who entered her room.

"Hot damn, another cute girl! And this one is a blonde haired beauty." Issei shouted in delight causing Kiba to snicker.

"What's so funny, Kiba?" Issei said, angry that someone might be making fun of him.

"This is my [Bishop], Gaspar Vladi who is a freshman at Kuoh Academy. He's actually a boy." Rias replied while protectively wrapping her arms around the frightened young dhampir.

"He likes to cross-dress." Akeno helpfully added.

"He was born a half vampire and half human before I turned him into a devil." Rias explained, "Gaspar, this is your new peerage member and my [Pawn], Issei Hyoudou. And this gentleman here is Ambrose Dragon-Slayer, Sona's magician. Ambrose came he because he wants to meet you."

"He looks like you, Rias-san." Gaspar observed with tears still in his eyes, causing Ambrose's face to twitch in annoyance at the accusation.

"Oh, you think so?" Rias cheerfully asked.

"But he's kind of scary." Gaspar concluded as he looked at Ambrose's irked face.

Sona gently elbowed Ambrose, causing him let the comment go with out complaint.

"Sorry if I scared you." he contritely said.

"Wait, wait, wait." Issei said, interrupting everyone. "Can we go back to the part where this cute girl is a guy?"

"You think I'm cute?" Gaspar innocently asked.

"What, no!" Issei protested, "Guys aren't suppose to be cute!"

"So, I'm not cute?" Gaspar disappointingly asked with tears in his eyes.

"Gah, listen. You're suppose to be a man. And men aren't suppose to be cute." Issei loudly proclaimed in frustration while reaching out to grab the half-vampire.

"Gaahhh!" Gaspar screamed and everything was suddenly silent.

Gaspar tightly closed his eyes, blocking everything out. He hated these moments 'in between', the moments where everyone and everything was completely frozen. As much has he wanted to be alone, he couldn't take the petrified faces of everyone staring accusingly at him, but most of all he couldn't take the silence.

"Wow, this is awesome." a voice suddenly said, breaking the stillness.

Gaspar turned around, astonished to hear something at all and received a bigger shock to see one of his unwanted guests completely unaffected by his [Sacred Gear].

"You're not frozen like the others." The half-vampire couldn't help but observe aloud.

"Did you do this?" Ambrose asked with a smile.

"I'm sorry, I just got so scared." Gaspar tearfully replied.

"No, no, this is great." Ambrose said while turning his attention back to the frozen group of people, waving his hand in front of their suspended faces.

"You.. you think this is great?" Gaspar asked in disbelief.

"Sure, imagine what you could do with this. You could get all your homework done in an instant, or read an entire book." The older male laughed, "You could even take a nap and no one would ever know."

"I… I guess." Gaspar admitted, having never thought of that.

"You could probably pull off a few pranks with out anyone knowing as well." Ambrose suggested with a smile, "That would be fun, wouldn't it?"

"I don't know, I don't want to get in trouble." Gaspar hesitantly replied.

"Here, let me show you." Ambrose said, walking up to Gaspar's whiteboard and grabbing a dry-erase marker.

Gaspar watched as he walked up to Rias's newest [Pawn] and wrote "Pervert" in kanji on Issei's forehead. The dhampir couldn't help but giggle at the ridiculous look on Hyoudou's face and suddenly he didn't look so scary anymore.

"Here," Ambrose said, holding the marker out to Gaspar. "You try."

"Okay." Gaspar timidly replied and took a moment to look at everyone's still faces before an idea popped in his head. Barely suppressing a grin, he walked up to his fellow classmate, Koneko, and drew a set of whiskers on her cheeks. He couldn't help but giggle at the sight; however, his momentary elation cause his concentration to slip and the spell of his [Sacred Gear] was suddenly broken.

"What the hell?" Issei yelled as he was suddenly left grasping at air.

Gaspar was left staring at Koneko's whiskered face, surprised that his spell was suddenly broken while holding a marker in his hand which made him the clear culprit.

"Please don't get mad Koneko!" Gaspar tearfully pleaded.

"Ara, what just happened?" Asia wondered aloud. "He just appeared in front of Koneko."

"It's the [Forbidden Balor View]." Akeno stated.

"His [Sacred Gear] is dubbed 'The Evil Eye of the Inert World'." Rias helpfully explained. "When he's in distress the world around him stops for a period of time."

"You realize that's an illegal move in Rating Games." Sona observed with a frown, unaware of the [Bishop]'s power before now.

"I know." Rias admitted, "But right now he really can't help it. He's unable to control his power, which is why Maō Lucifer has ordered that he be sealed away until he can learn to master it."

"I hope you're not disobeying Maō Lucifer by allowing me access." Ambrose said, frowning at the thought of upsetting a Maō while they were likely already suspicious of him.

"It's alright. Maō Lucifer has given me special permission so that I could introduce you two." Rias confidently stated.

"That's strange." Sona couldn't help but think. "Why release the seal now if he still can't control his power? Perhaps it's just another instance of Maō Lucifer spoiling his sister."

"Ga-kun." Koneko emotionlessly said, unaware of her new whiskers, "Why do you have a marker in your hand?"

"Issei, your forehead!" Asia exclaimed while pointing at the perverted [Pawn].

"What? What's on my face?" Issei wondered while staring upwards as if he could see his own forehead.

"It says pervert." Akeno giggled, "How appropriate."

"Did you do this?" Issei barked at the young [Bishop] who coward in fright.

"I did that." Ambrose admitted, interrupting the potential argument. "I was having a bit of fun with Gaspar, isn't that right."

The vampire hesitantly nodded in agreement.

"Having fun with Gaspar?" Rias asked in confusion. "You weren't frozen with the rest of us?"

Sona's eyes widened in shock. "He's immune." She realized, "The [Master Key]."

"No." Ambrose admitted, "So I took the opportunity to play a little prank on Issei."

"What did you do to my face? Get me a mirror?" Issei demanded.

"This is Vladi-kun's room." Sona reminded him, "Vampire's cast no reflection, so why would there be one here?"

"Ara, but doesn't Koneko-chan look cute with her whiskers?" Rias observed while hiding her own giggle.

"You drew whiskers on me, Ga-kun?" Koneko accused, narrowing her eyes causing Gaspar to whimper in fear. "Do I have to get the garlic out?"

"I did that." Ambrose convincingly replied, "I just handed him the marker and encourage him to try out a prank of his own."

Gaspar quickly turned his head to Ambrose, surprised that he would take the blame for his actions.

"It's was just a joke." Ambrose said to the small white haired girl. "Sorry if it upset you."

"Oh, but she does look cute with those whiskers." Issei admitted.

"Gross." The [Rook] said, while smudging the marks off her cheeks. "I don't want the pervert's attention."

"Here, let me help you." Akeno motherly replied as she knelt down to wiped the younger girl's cheeks off with her handkerchief.

"So, Gaspar, what do you think about making a contract with me?" Ambrose asked, getting down to business.

"What kind of contract?" Gaspar meekly asked.

"Let me show you." The alchemist replied with a smile as he opened his bag and handed the young vampire a juice box. "Here, try it."

Although nervous, Gaspar reached out to take the white juice box that had the numbers '80/20' written on it and inserted the straw before taking a cautious sip.

"It's… It's good!" Gaspar astonishingly said.

"Really? Do you like it?" Ambrose hopefully asked.

Gaspar didn't answer, but enthusiastically nodded his affirmation while continuing to drink.

"Looks like your hard work has paid off, Ambrose." Rias said with a smile.

"PFFTTTTTT!"

Their observation was disrupted by Koneko, who had grabbed a juice box from Ambrose's bag to take a drink of her own. She apparently didn't care for the taste as she promptly spit out the contents... all over Hyoudou.

"Oh, disgusting." Issei complained, while red juice had stained his white shirt and dripped down on the floor.

"Your face is disgusting, and so is this juice." Koneko groused as her nose wrinkled in disgust. "It taste like blood."

"It's artificial blood, made specifically for vampires." Ambrose explained, "I genetically engineered a plant which grows plasma fruit. From that I made this juice with other fruit blends. I need Gaspar's help to find flavors that a vampire might like, as well as the correct amount of proportions to use so it's still nutritious."

"It's fake blood?" Gaspar asked, looking at the white box. "Why is it's warm?"

"Fire fruit." Ambrose explained, "Since most vampires drink blood from humans I put a bit of fire fruit in it so that it's warm enough to be enjoyable."

"I've never had it warm before. I've always had it cold, from blood bags." Gaspar admitted while pointing at the refrigerator.

"What I'd like for you to do is drink solely from the juice I provide and keep a spread sheet on what you think of it. How it tastes, how well it satisfies your thirst, as well as marking down how often you drink them and how many boxes you consume." Ambrose explained to the dhampir. "Also, if you can think of other kinds of fruits that might taste good with this drink then let me know. Think you can help me out?"

"You mean, I might never have to drink blood again?" Gaspar said in bewilderment.

"Is that a problem?" Ambrose asked with a bit uncertainty.

"This… This is wonderful!" Gaspar said in amazement. "I hate drinking blood! I hate the smell, it's so gross. I only drink it when I absolutely have to."

"Vampire trash." Koneko commented aloud.

"Ah, Koneko's being mean again." Gaspar cried out.

"Gaspar, does this juice smell bad?" Ambrose curiously asked, interrupting Gaspar's weeping.

"Eh?" Started by the question, Gaspar forgot about his tears and took an experimental sniff of the juice. "It smells different, not gross at all. It's kind of sweet."

"This blend you're drinking now is 80% plasma fruit and 20% fire fruit." Ambrose elaborated, "The other juice boxes have different proportions as well as additional flavors like apple, grape, watermelon."

"That sounds delicious. And you sure that I'll never have to drink blood again?" Gaspar happily asked.

"That's the goal, but I'll need your help to get it right." Ambrose explained, "Here, let me show you how the spreadsheet is laid out. We can use your computer."

"I think everything is well in hand here." Sona said as she watched her fiance and the dhampir begin to settle in and go over the details of their contract, "If it's alright, I'd like to return to my peerage so I can oversee their training."

"Ara, I guess that means it's time for Issei's punishment." Akeno giggled in excitement.

"What? Really?" Issei complained while the word 'pervert' was still written on his forehead.

"Come along Issei, don't make me wait or you'll regret it." Akeno promised with a sinister grin.

"I'll come along too and give you support Issei." Asia supportingly offered.

"Issei." Rias called out before they left, "Come report to me when Akeno is finished with you. You still haven't completed a contract of your own."

"Hai, Buchou." Issei replied with his head down in shame.

"Come on Sona, I'll walk you to the door." Rias offered.

As the pair of childhood friends made their way to the door, Rias couldn't help but frown that their relationship has become so strained as of late. They used to get along so well with each other, but now it seems that she has to mentally prepare herself lately since every meeting between the two has become uncomfortable and terse if not boiling down to an argument.

"Not that I'm completely blameless." Rias admitted with a light frown marring her features.

"Did you really get Maō Lucifer's permission unseal Vladi-kun?" Sona asked, breaking Rias from her thoughts.

"Yes, I spoke to him early this morning." Rias replied, "Don't worry Sona, neither you, your fiance, nor I will get in trouble for this."

"I see." Sona commented as the pair reached the door. "Before I go, please do me a favor and try not to antagonize Am-chan. He can always find another vampire to test his product on, you need him more than he needs you."

Rias nodded and watched her friend leave before returning to her desk in hopes that she might sit for a moment and gather her thoughts on all that had recently transpired. Although she hated to admit it, Sona was right; she needed Ambrose, desperately.

At first it was solely about her engagement, and her desire to be free of it. After failing to find a solution for years, Ambrose comes out of no where with clear proof that he was capable of defeating not only a Fallen angel, but also a Phenix. It wasn't until she did her own background check on the Dragon-Slayer did she realize that the egg he held was the remains of the previous head of the Phenix Clan, Saffron. Unfortunately, any effort she made on her part to get on his good side seemed to always backfire, turning Ambrose further and further away from her.

It was after the incident with the stray devil where Ambrose's importance in Rias's life took a distinctively different turn. It happened in an instant, barely a moment, but Rias was certain Ambrose use the Power of Destruction to annihilate the severed hand of the stray devil Visor which threatened to maul her face. Later that night she did something she promised herself she would only do in the most extreme emergencies; she contacted her older brother Sirzechs Lucifer and told him everything.

Although concerned about the presence of the Fallen Angels in Kuoh, Sirzechs reminded her that they had yet to attack any devils. He advised her to remain on her guard but not to start any trouble unless they attacked first. However Sirzech's attitude drastically changed as soon as she told her brother about the alchemist, the holy power he displayed, and then showed him a picture taken during Koneko's reconnaissance. It was probably one of the most difficult conversations she ever had with her normally carefree older brother, who suddenly turned decidedly serious and wanted to know everything about Kuoh's new arrival.

Reluctantly, Rias told him about their first meeting and subsequent misunderstanding, as well as everything else that happened. From the remains of Saffron Phenix, to summoning the spirit of a dead Fallen Angel, and finally the potent holy power that emanated from him as he tortured the spirit and then threaten to use it in retaliation for Rias's own actions against him.

To say that Sirzechs was alarmed to hear of the threats against his beloved sister would be a complete understatement, but he was also very disappointed in Rias's plot to forcefully turn someone into a devil against their will and scolded her fiercely.

He then grew quiet and thoughtful after for a moment before replying, "First thing's first, this information from the Fallen Angels and rouge exorcists is troubling. While I can try to solve things on my end, I can't guarantee to provide a solution before they attack. You should probably be prepared for the worst."

"The Dragon-Slayer has agreed to deal with the problem in exchange for a date with Sona." Rias said with bitter amusement.

"That's good." Sirzechs said with a small nod and smile. "At least he doesn't hate all devils by sheer principle."

The fact that she was the devil Ambrose hated caused her to finch.

"Onii-sama, I'm certain he used the Power of Destruction against the stray devil. How can a single person have both holy and demonic power, not to mention a power held exclusively by our relatives?" Rias asked with confusion. "Holy and demonic energy are not only polar opposites but they annihilate each other on contact."

"I don't know, not for certain." Sirzechs admitted, "I only have theories at this point, but I need more information." he said, giving her a look which impressed the importance of the situation. "Find a way to mend your relationship with him and tell me everything you learn, what's he like, what other powers he has, and most importantly what kind of [Sacred Gear] he has."

"Do… do you think he could be Millicas?" Rias asked in disbelief. "We never did find his ... his body."

"I can't say for certain, but I intend to find out." Sirzechs resolutely replied.

Rias was then left with the task of getting close to a man who not only had absolutely no trust in her, but actually seemed to loathe her. The fact that he could very well be her long lost nephew made it even more distressing. Things were especially complicated as she couldn't approach him until he had dealt with the issue with the Fallen Angels. Even once that was completed Rias knew she would have to get close to him through Sona. It was obvious the two were close, despite Sona being unconcerned that he would be going against three Grigori and an unknown number of rouge exorcists alone.

Rias then hatched a plan to offer assistance when he attacked the abandoned church. They had worked together to defeat a stray devil, so perhaps if she kept things professional between them he might begin to open up, or at the very least he might not be so openly hostile towards her.

"That had backfired spectacularly." Rias recalled with disappointment.

It all began with good intentions. Sona had told Rias of his plans to storm the abandoned church, so she and her [Queen], Akeno, decided to come along in order to offer assistance. Arriving with her entire peerage might put Ambrose on guard but Rias hoped if she arrived with just Akeno they would appear less threatening.

"Less threatening indeed." Rias thought, snorting in dry amusement that she or Akeno could appear threatening to Ambrose given the state they found the church in. The black feathers that littered the ground was evidence enough that he had the situation well in hand. Still, Rias and Akeno weren't willing to let things fall as they may given that there were no sounds of fighting coming from within the church. It was only once they reached the threshold of the abandoned building did a male Fallen Angel emerge from a secret passage under the alter in a blind panic. It was then the entire building was bathed in holy light which radiated from within the church and out of the doors and windows causing the lone Grigori to be completely obliterated. The attack on the Fallen Angel also left Rias and Akeno blind, helpless, and with their skin feeling like it has been scorched from the holy aura on display.

"What do we have here? Two cockroaches looking for corpses?" Ambrose had said at the time, "You'll find no bodies here for you to turn into devils."

"We came to help." Rias pleaded, still completely blind and at his mercy.

"Help offered when not needed is usually no help at all." Ambrose dismissively replied. "Leave now, or I'll start to think it's my corpse you were looking to turn. And we both know what will happen if you try to turn me against my will, don't we?"

Needless to say, both devils made a hasty retreat back to the Occult Research Club, not only to get the blind spots out of their eyes but to calm their nerves. The normally unflappable Akeno seemed especially spooked, given her Fallen Angel ancestry.

"As devils, we have a natural weakness against holy magic. For him to be able to do that to Fallen Angels who can also wield holy magic is incredible." Akeno had said at the time, though Rias also noted that her friend's masochistic side also bled through her tone.

"It seems there's some part of Akeno that is attracted to Ambrose." Rias recalled, "Though her fear is still strong enough to negate any desire she might have for him."

Rias might have even encouraged her [Queen] to continue to develop her interest, if only to have more influence on Ambrose. However, she knew that would be doomed to failure and would not only push the alchemist away but also sour her relationship with Sona even further. Rias couldn't help but notice that despite knowing each other for only two weeks, Sona and Ambrose interacted with each other with a level of understanding that was quite surprising given Sona's reserved nature. Sona's protection of him seemed quite absolute, and judging by how Ambrose was willing to walk away from meeting Gaspar it seemed that he was just as protective of Sona's interests as well. It also didn't escape Rias's notice that the two were able to communicate with one another with a single look.

All in all, Rias couldn't begrudge Sona's relationship with Ambrose, she only wish she discovered the alchemist first. Perhaps if she had then she wouldn't have to rely on Sona so much in order to learn something, anything, about him. She had profusely apologized to Sona after the incident with the Fallen Angels, partially for not heeding her friend's advice but mostly because she knew that Ambrose would never accept her apology in person. Even then, Sona remained a true friend, not only providing her with the Red Dragon Emperor as a new servant but also with an idea on how to improve her own relationship with Ambrose.

"As for Ambrose helping you with your engagement… I do have an idea that might help you two get along." Sona had told Rias the day she introduced her to Issei. "He needs a vampire. He's made a tree that grows a fruit whose juice produces artificial blood. He wants to eventually create a business that feeds the vampire nation so they won't have to hunt humans, but he needs someone to taste test it. Gaspar may be a half vampire, but he still requires blood to survive. If you could unseal Gaspar then they might form a contract."

It was a huge risk, Rias admitted to herself at the time. She had already defied her brother once by going to the abandoned church against his wishes, arguing that it would be worth it if she managed to save Ambrose's life. Unsealing Gaspar was another matter entirely. While the dhampir's shyness and unchecked power was a huge obstacle, the main issue was that seal had been cast by her sister-in-law, Grafia Lucifuge. Grafia would know if the seal was broken as soon as it happened and so too would her brother.

Surprisingly, getting Sirzechs's permission to break the seal proved easier than she had imagine. It began early this morning, before the sunrise, with her Onii-sama contacting her magically on an emergency channel.

"Is everything alright?" Rias had asked, her worry banishing any drowsiness she might have felt.

"No... yes. That is everything is fine now." Sirzechs admitted and began fill her in on the most recent events of the Underworld.

The arrest of Diodora Astaroth, a coup attempt, the discovery of the Khaos Brigade, the near complete round up of the Old Satan Faction using the flier vulnerability, and most importantly the fact that Sona and Ambrose were the catalyst for the entire ordeal. Truthfully, Rias couldn't help but feel a bit resentful that Sona had kept such information from her. While most of the details were now public, Sona had chosen to keep her ignorant of Diodora's arrest and her discovery of a plot to overthrow their respective siblings. It hurt that Sona didn't trust her enough to share that bit, and Rias felt more than a bit of shame that she had to hear about what had happened within her own territory from her older brother.

"If my engagement problem ever gets solved, I'll have to work harder in order to maintain control of Kuoh." Rias vowed to herself. "For now, I'll have to let it go. It would be foolish to antagonize Sona right now since she is my only key to Ambrose, and he is my key to freedom."

"Have you managed to make any improvements with your relationship with Ambrose?" Sirzechs had asked her after he finished briefing her on the current state of the Underworld.

"Not exactly." Rias embarrassingly admitted.

"That's… unfortunate." Sirzechs replied, his disappointment evident by his tone. "We need to be on good relations with him, now more than ever. This goes beyond your plans to use him to end your engagement, and it's even more important than discovering whether or not he is my son."

"Why? What else has happened?" Rias asked.

"Last night Governor Yasaka held a charity ball in order to raise money to research a cure for the Yukii-Onna's infertility. Ambrose was invited and showed up not only with Sona as his date but also with a fertility enhancer designed to work on all Yōkai, perhaps even devils." Sirzechs explained.

"How did you come by this information?" Rias asked in disbelief.

"The Maōs were also invited to this party; however, given the coup attempt we were extremely busy and couldn't personally attend." Sirzechs explained, "Instead, I sent my [Knight], Souji Okita to the charity ball; not only to make an appearance but to see if he could find the location of certain yōkai, magicians, and heroes who are also members of the Khaos Brigade. While there, he overheard Yasaka and Ambrose make a deal for the production and sale of the fertility enhancers. Rias, right now it doesn't matter if he is or is not my son. If this fertility enhancer works on devils then Ambrose holds the salvation of the entire devil race."

"We're still not on good terms." Rias shamefully admitted, "I don't know if I could get you a sample."

"Maō Leviathan is going to coordinate with Sona Sitri in order to get a few samples." Sirzechs firmly stated, "In the mean time, I need you to improve your relationship with him so that he has no excuse not to work with us. Do what ever you can, and failing that, try not to make things worse."

"There is one thing I could do, but I'll need your permission." Rias replied and then began explaining to her brother about the plasma fruit Ambrose had created and how he needed a vampire in order to test his product.

"First the devils, then the yōkai, and next the vampires." Sirzechs privately mused. "He's trying to build alliances, but for what purpose?"

"Onii-sama?" Rias asked, worried about the possible implications of a possible war brewing.

"It's nothing." Sirzechs replied, reassuring his younger sister. "You have my permission to unseal Gaspar, just do whatever you can not to antagonize him and continue to keep a close eye on him."

Rias finished her own private musing of recent events and took a look out the window, only to see that the sun was now setting and that a number of hours had past since Sona left Ambrose in the Occult Research Club. Curiously, she quietly snuck upstairs to discretely peek in Gaspar's room to see how everyone was getting along. Gaspar and Koneko appeared to be playing a video game and enjoying some snacks while Ambrose quietly watched. Rias couldn't help but smile at the normally shy half-vampire who was excitedly explaining the rules and strategies of the fighting game, all while still losing to Koneko.

"I can hardly believe they're getting along so well." Rias thought, both hopeful as to what this might mean to her and her brother's plans and dismayed that Ambrose was getting along so well with her peerage without her involvement. "Still, it appears this plan is actually working."

"Buchou! There you are!" Issei shouted, startling not only Rias but the occupants of Gaspar's room. "You asked me to come see you once Akeno had finished with me."

The peaceful moment was now gone, and Rias could see that Ambrose stood up, preparing to leave for the day.

"Thank you, Issei..." Rias said aloud, though privately meaning it in a different manner.

"Am-kun, Am-kun, Will you come back to visit me again soon?" Gaspar eagerly asked while following Ambrose who had just left his room.

Ambrose looked down at Gaspar and genuinely smiled at the young dhampir and patted his head. "Of course."

"He left his room." Rias thought in astonishment, "It was only the hallway, but Gaspar actually left his room."

"Bring better snacks next time." Koneko said as she marched past the group, making sure to roughly shoulder bump Issei causing him to fall over.

"You're leaving now?" Rias asked Ambrose, disappointed that she hadn't made any personal progress towards improving their relationship.

"If you don't mind." Ambrose replied, crossing his arms stating clearly that he minded being kept here.

"Before you go, there is one thing." Rias said, hoping that he would continue to work with the members of her peerage, even if he wouldn't work with her. "Issei has had a hard time making contracts. I was hoping you might go with him tonight and show him how it's done. Maybe you could give him a few pointers."

"What do I know about making devil contracts?" Ambrose incredulously asked.

"I heard you made a deal with the Yōkai yesterday for fertility enhancers." Rias replied, "Isn't that all a contract is, a deal?"

"How do you know about what I did yesterday?"

"Sona told me." Rias lied, unwilling to mention the Maō's involvement.

Ambrose frowned for a moment, but didn't outright reject. "What do you think, Hyoudou?"

"I've kind of been thrown into the deep end here." Issei embarrassingly admitted, "I'd appreciate any help you can offer."

"Equivalent exchange." Ambrose said turning his attention back to Rias. "What do I get out of it?"

"At least he's willing to help." She sourly thought. "You can have anything the client is willing to pay for the completion of the contract, so long as the client is satisfied with the result."

"Any idea on what the client wants?" Ambrose asked.

Rias shook her head, "No. And I won't be able to teleport you there. The devil magic used to transport people only works on devils within my clan… Also, Issei has been having a difficult time being teleported as well."

"Sorry, Buchou." Issei replied, somewhat shamefully.

"Address?" Ambrose asked, holding his hand out.

Rias smiled gratefully, glad that some sort of progress was being made, and handed him a slip of paper with the client's address on it.

"Come on Hyoudou, first rule is that you never want to be late for a meeting." Ambrose said, leading the way for the [Pawn] to follow.

"Bye Am-kun." Gaspar called out as he waved at the retreating pair, "Come back soon."

Rias watched the two head downstairs and turned to look at her [Bishop]. "I take it you liked Ambrose visiting you?"

"Uh huh." Gaspar said with one of his rare smiles. "I hope he'll be my friend."

Rias couldn't help but sigh. "Me too."

To say that Issei Hyoudou's life had been turned upside down and inside out would be a complete understatement. He had his first date on Friday when he met a beautiful nun and took her out for hamburgers. Despite buying her an inexpensive meal, Asia acted as if it were a rare treat and they then proceeded to have fun at a local arcade. From there the date took a bad turn as they were both kidnapped by Fallen Angels and then sacrificed later that night by having their souls ripped apart on a huge black cross.

"Probably the worst first date in history." Issei depressingly thought.

Both he and Asia were then resurrected on Saturday morning by a magician and a devil of all things, and by Saturday afternoon he had been turned into a devil himself. Despite the excitement of potentially having his own harem at some point in the future, his fortune hadn't improved by Sunday as his new Master had woken him up at 5 in the morning in order to begin his training. The highlight of the last few days thus far was watching Drag So-Ball with a client named Morisawa when he should have been working to complete a contract with the client in question.

"Even my school life isn't the same anymore." Issei depressingly thought, as he was once again woken up at 5 am on Monday morning in order to train.

He just wanted something familiar again, some sort of normalcy he could ground himself to. So when his two best friends, Matsuda and Motohama, offered to show him the 'VIP Room' he jumped at the chance. Sadly for Issei, that ended not only with getting caught (as usual) but receiving the worst beating of both his lives by a fellow devil who had more strength in her loli body than should be possible.

"I just can't seem to get anything right." He dejectedly thought as his dreams of having a harem of women seemed further and further away.

"I'll teleport us to a location near this address." Ambrose said as they went down the stairs of the Occult Research Club, breaking Issei out of his depressing thoughts.

"But Buchou can't teleport me." Issei said in surprise.

"Devil magic requires you to be a member of her family in order to teleport someone. I'm not a devil, so I'm under no such restriction." Ambrose replied before engulfing them both with magical light and transporting them both to a rooftop.

"What are we doing way up here?" Issei alarmingly shouted, eager to get away from the edge.

"We can't teleport in the middle of the street." Ambrose replied while nudging Issei back towards the edge, "Besides, you're a devil. You have wings."

"I still haven't learned to fly yet." He embarrassingly admitted.

"Well, no time like the present." Ambrose said as he jumped off the roof and slowly floated down to the ground, sans wings.

Issei looked over the edge of the roof and gulped. "Okay… here we go."

The result was less than spectacular; although he did manage to get his wings out and accomplish some sort of glide which slowed his decent, he failed at the landing and fell on his ass.

"Owww." He complained while rubbing his sore bottom.

"Oh come on, you're a devil. No way that fall could hurt you."

"It's not just the fall, it's Akeno-san's punishment." Issei embarrassingly admitted, "I think she had way too much fun administering it."

"And here I thought perverts like that sort of treatment." Ambrose joked as he lead the way to a nearby apartment building.

"That's really not my preference." Issei grumbled as they began to climb the apartment steps.

"Could have fooled me, given how all the women in your life react to your perversions. You're practically begging them to punish you, yet you keep coming back for more." Ambrose said with a frown as they reached the second floor and walked down the hall. "Seriously, why waste this second chance? You've got a new life, quite literally in fact. Isn't there anything you regretted before you died?"

"I regretted dying a virgin." Issei honestly replied as they reached an apartment door decorated with painted flowers.

"Here we are, apartment 206." Ambrose said as he double checked the address. "Tell you what, if this girl's wish is to screw one of our brains out, I'll let you take care of it. Deal?"

"Deal!" Issei replied and eagerly rang the doorbell.

"It's Open!" A baritone voice called from inside. "Come On in Nyo!"

Issei and Ambrose both worriedly looked at each other. "Nyo?"

The pair cautiously opened the door only to be greeted by a 2 meter tall wall of pure muscle wearing a form fitting magical girl outfit.

"Nyo!" The dark haired cross-dressing body builder yelled while flexing a pose, though both Issei and Ambrose couldn't tell if it was a magical or muscle pose. "Hey You Sexy Studs, I'm Mil-tan!"

That was the last thing Issei remembered before he passed out in fright.