I

Koneko stalked into her room and slammed the door. She shuffled to the elegant cherry wood nightstand beside her bed and reached for her diary. She flipped to the last page and reread yesterday's entry:

Issei that baka! He managed to get away with walking in on Rias-nee-sama in the bath. I can't understand what she sees in him. He'll never change. Hentai!

She slammed the diary shut and threw it back on the night stand. Turning away from her bed, she leaped backward plopping down hard on her rear before bouncing a foot off the comforter and flopping down once again. She lay across the width of her bed her legs dangling off the edge kicking the frame now and again in annoyance.

Koneko had been lying there simmering, but slowly cooling off for several minutes when there came a knock on her door. Presuming it would be Asia coming to ask her if she was alright or Rias to gently disapprove of her 'being mean to Issei, her senior,' she quietly called, "Come in."

There was a quick flash of light that emanated from the tiny crack beneath the door. Koneko ignored it. The door quietly opened then shut. She heard footsteps approach the bed. Not the soft, unassuming, steps of Asia, nor the slow, deliberate steps of Rias, not even the light, graceful steps of Akeno. Confused, she opened her right eye and lifted her head slightly to get a look at her visitor. The moment she glimpsed Issei, her anger returned twice over. She sat up and leaned forward staring daggers into his eyes.

"Get out." She ordered quietly.

"I won't do that just yet." He returned with unusual determination. He met her eyes unflinchingly. His voice was calm and controlled, though his eyes betrayed his hidden irritation.

"Go aw—" She began again.

But he sliced through her command coolly announcing, "Koneko… we need to talk."

He motioned to the padded, floral-patterned chair beside her desk several feet to the left of her bed. "Can I sit?"

Rias had picked it out for her, it was comfy and reminded her of spring. Every time she sat in it, she thought of her warm, maternal friend. She didn't bother responding. After a minute, he pulled the chair out a ways from the desk and dropped into it with a sigh. Koneko hissed quietly, but didn't comment further.

"Listen," He began. "I get that you don't really like me. Sometimes I say stupid things." He paused waiting for her input.

If he's waiting for me to disagree, it's going to be a long wait. She lay back on her bed again and stared at the ceiling quietly.

When she didn't respond, he continued. "Lots of times, I do stupid things too."

Koneko smirked. Stating the obvious.

"But there's one thing that I never do... Not to Akeno-senpai, not to Asia-san, not to Rias-sama, and… not even to you." 

As much as she just wanted him to go away, she was curious.

He noticed her gaze twitch from the ceiling to his face and back again. "Koneko." He called her name softly, but it wasn't a plea or a request; it was a command for her attention. Something was different from his normal happy-go-lucky personality. She returned to his face meeting his gaze. He carried himself differently too. His eyes were narrowed... soft, but steely. It was unnerving.

"I have never once disrespected you, called you names, or tried to hurt you…" He paused a moment. "Not once." He shook his head seemingly weary and perhaps feeling defeated as though his words would fall on deaf ears…a wasted effort. "I have tried not to jump to conclusions about you, or how you act toward me. I know that I've made plenty of mistakes. I know that sometimes it must seem that all I care about is…is…." He coughed, his cheeks brightened in embarrassment. "…is boobs and—and sexual things. But that's just my way of breaking the ice."

Koneko snorted, but made no further remarks.

"It's hard for me to say the right things, but when I feel awkward, it's easy to turn the attention to how sexy the pres or Akeno is." He chuckled. "Plus… I mean I can't say I don't enjoy the teasing…." Feeling stupid, Issei paused and focused on Koneko's eyes hoping for a little understanding or at least a response.

He received neither.

Koneko's gaze returned to the ceiling. "I have never once, disrespected you, called you names, or tried to hurt you.…" His words echoed loudly in her mind. She tried desperately to conjure a memory of him treating her or any of them cruelly. I can't think of a single time he put me down… or selfishly put himself before Rias-sama. Besides his incompetence… well maybe it's more ignorance than incompetence she admitted to herself. And his obsession with boobs… he's not… all bad.

The seed of guilt was planted in her heart. Still, she didn't respond. She didn't know what to say, nor did she quite know how she felt about him anymore.

"Despite that—" He continued emphatically, drawing her eyes to his again. "You have berated me, insulted me, hit me… even attacked my attempts to get stronger and improve my abilities." He paused. "In short you've disrespected me in pretty much every way possible."

The seed in Koneko's heart sprouted, little leaves of shame unfurling in her chest.

"So." He announced. "I have decided something." He stood up from the chair and approached her bedside looking down at her so that she could not escape his gaze. "You are free to dislike me; your thoughts are yours alone. But you will show me respect, as an upperclassman if nothing else. I won't accept less. Though, I wish you would give me a chance."

Koneko's lips pursed, but she remained silent.

"I want you to apologize for how you treated me just now during the demonstration."

Koneko's eyes widened in surprise, then narrowed in anger. How dare he demand an apology! After all, his big demonstration was to strip poor Asia naked… and accidentally Akeno-senpai as well!

Issei read the spark of defiance in her eyes, but held his ground waiting.

She sat up, closed her eyes, and ran her fingers through her snowy hair. Taking her time, she took a deep breath opened her eyes and coldly narrowed them silently meeting his glare.

"This is not a request, Koneko. I expect an apology and for you to treat me with respect in the future. This is your last chance."

The words echoed ominously.

Last chance, before what? He can't do anything to me. Will he cry to Rias-sama? Probably… coward. I'll endure her disappointment before I utter a single word of apology to him!

She raised her nose to the ceiling and shut her eyes.

"I refuse." She stated simply in a tone dripping with condescension. "Go cry to—H-hey!"

Issei stepped to her left and sat down on her bed just inches away. He turned toward her reaching with his left arm around her upper back he pulled her torso down and slipped his right under her upper thighs effortlessly laying her face down across his lap.

Shock and confusion quickly gave way to terror as she recognized the position she was in. He w-wouldn't dare! R-Rias-sama would never allow it!His left arm tightened around her waist as he shifted her body several inches to the left causing her head and shoulders to dangle off his lap, while tipping her feet slightly into the air. "I tried to reason with you," he reminded her. "I gave you multiple chances, which you as usual spit back in my face."

"Issei… Let me go!" She commanded.

"You're hardly in a position to make demands." He pointed out.

"Go see Asia-senpai. She should be able to heal it." Koneko stated quietly. Without further warning, she wrenched her body to her right tipping slightly onto her right side. She aimed a powerful punch connecting solidly with his elbow.

When his arm didn't give, Koneko froze staring. She blinked several times before looking up at Issei. "W-when did you get so strong?" She asked still amazed.

"You were expecting my arm to snap?" he asked angrily.

Koneko didn't reply, but the look on her face made it obvious that she did.

"I've always been this strong, Koneko. It's not me that's changed. It's you that's gotten weaker."

"Weaker?" She asked still in shock. "What…what did you do to me?" she asked fearfully.

"If you had finished watching the demonstration, you would know." He told her pointedly. "But no, you were so quick to pass judgment!" He paused a moment until he thought he had her full attention. "I've disabled your Evil Piece."

"What!" Koneko's eyes widened incredulously. "H-how is that possible? Give me back my—!" She cut her sentence short as the full realization of what that meant hit her. I wasn't afraid because I knew I could overpower Issei and get out of this. I could teach him a lesson with an injury that Asia could heal. Plus, my defensive power is far too high for him to even be able to hurt me by hitting me…, but… but if he somehow turned off my rook powers….

Issei snatched her arm and folded it against her lower back. Koneko had tried to stop him, but she was weak…his hand moved hers no matter how she struggled. "And now you just tried to seriously injure me too!" He shook his head effortlessly repositioning her. "I suppose I can't blame you for that; you couldn't have been expecting this. But you're no stronger than any other fifteen year old girl, Koneko. There's no point in fighting this. Be a good girl and accept it."

Koneko quickly assessed the situation. Her right arm was pinned behind her; her left entrapped between her side and his body with no space to swing or gain momentum. Her legs and feet were tipped upward and unable to reach the floor or find purchase to push against. He had purposely unbalanced her as well. If she struggled, the best possible outcome she could hope for would be crashing head first onto the floor. Her rook's super strength and super defense were gone. He had her. She was absolutely helpless.

She gulped and tried unsuccessfully to control her body's trembling.

"Why did you have to be so stubborn?" He asked. "I tried to explain; I tried to make you understand. I tried…" He shook his head, resigned to his decision.

A thousand thoughts raced chaotically through Koneko's mind. I can't escape! There must be a way out. He can't do this! Why did I have to be stubborn? He was being sensible for once! I called his bluff… I didn't think he'd do anything himself! I thought he was weak! I thought he'd rely on Rias! How long… how hard! I…I won't cry!

She had never felt so helpless. When Rias had taken her in and made her rook, she became superhumanly strong. She had been stronger than everyone else around her for so long that she'd taken it for granted that it could get her out of any tight spot. Now, her strength was gone; it was terrifying to be at someone else's mercy.

Her face burned scarlet as she felt him grasp the hem of her skirt. No!

Slowly, he dragged her maroon, school uniform skirt up passed her thighs, revealing the slight curve of her bottom.

Koneko frantically struggled fueled by humiliation, but, as she already knew, it was futile.

Only seconds later, her skirt was pulled up completely beyond her waist and laid flat against her back. Koneko sniffled, mortified.

Issei smiled slightly at his prisoner's cute white panties speckled with little blue paw prints as he shifted his right knee up slightly raising her hips and more importantly her rear. As he did, her bottom stuck out stretching the thin cotton tightly across her cheeks.

He felt her body tense, her entire form rigid with anticipation and decided it would be cruel to draw out the wait for her punishment. He formed his hand into a cup, drew it back several inches above her, and swung nearly full force. A deafening clap resounded throughout the room.

A quarter-second later, Koneko let out a high pitched, "Ouch!"

Issei watched his hand collide solidly with the central curve of her right cheek. The impact created a dip in the plump mound that sent a rippling tremor across the entire hemisphere. Even before the dip could reform, Issei's hand had drawn back and plunged into her upper left thigh. The skin on skin collision sounded like a gunshot!

It hurts! It had been so long since anyone had been able to physically hurt her, she had almost forgotten what it was like. Koneko bucked in pain crying out as a partial red hand print formed at the impact site. She gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes shut summoning all her strength to hold back tears. She felt an overwhelming desire to hold onto some sort of dignity if she could only keep from crying.

Learning from the difference in Koneko's cries, Issei quickly returned to her left thigh, slightly lower to maximize the force of a fully bare skin strike. The redoubled sting compounded forcing a yelp from koneko's lips followed by a pitiful mew as his hand crashed next on her naked right thigh.

His next lick came from a side angle and cupped nearly her entire right cheek with such force she felt as though it pushed her forward upon impact. As quick as it had landed his hand was gone and connecting with her left cheek separating it slightly from the central cleft before her skin and tightly stretched panties snapped it back in place.

As his strokes continued to wallop new areas she noticed the spanking's second painful effect. Each impact point blossomed into a small burn that radiated heat. Each time Issei's unrelenting palm hit an area previously smacked, the rate the heat was produced increased exponentially! Worse still, her bare thighs had a mild respite of cool air, but her punished cheeks beneath her panties blazed with trapped heat. Soon amid the sharp pain of each collision a war raged between Koneko's will not to cry and the ever increasing inferno spreading to every inch of her helpless bottom.

Issei's heart cried in time with koneko's squeals. Each new spank delivered well-deserved punishment, but his anger had quickly subsided leaving only justice and the commitment to his word to keep his palm delivering the stinging blows. He steeled himself to weather her cries until his goal was accomplished.

He focused repeated licks to the center curve of each cheek aiming to amplify each blow's effectiveness by capitalizing on the previous.

"Ow…ow! Ow! Ow-ow-how-how!" Koneko cried. Her breathing rapid and shallow as she struggled to control herself.

Issei pointedly spanked the right and left side of her thighs alternating in double cracks. The unprotected skin reddened rapidly. He surveyed his charge's rear noting the reddened skin peeking out from everywhere her panties ended. He felt the heat radiating off her panties and noticed that her plump cheeks were colored pink even through them.

As Issei returned to the centers of her curved mounds, the inferno finally defeated Koneko's stubbornness. With a hiccup and a loud sniffle, tears pooled in her angelic, golden eyes and spilled down her cheeks streaming down her chin and gathering in large droplets to rain onto the floor. Her will shattered; she sobbed uncontrollably.

Issei slowed his punishment dramatically in response.

"P-plea-hic-plea-sssse, Is-s-ssei! I'm s-s-sor-hic-rryyy!" She begged between hiccupping sobs.

Issei's palm stopped striking her poor bottom. It rested lightly across both her punished cheeks as he listened to the apology he had asked her to give him freely what seemed so long ago.

When he finally got it, Issei gently pressed his right forearm behind her knees, and released her right arm so that he could slip his left under her chest. Then he very gently leaned forward shifting her weight and swinging her around to face him supporting her from beneath her knees and around her back. He gently sat her straddling his right knee and guided her shuddering form to his chest.

His arms encircled her, lovingly, protectively, like the older brother he so deeply wanted to be to her.

She in turn locked her arms around him in a death grip that threatened to crush his ribs. Koneko buried her face in Issei's chest soaking his shirt as she cried unashamedly.

Issei stroked her back in big soft circles and rested his head lightly atop hers as he consoled her repeating softly, "You're forgiven, Koneko.... It's all over now…. Let it out…. It's okay now…"

He didn't know if she had recovered enough to understand his words, but he hoped the soothing tone would comfort her.

He held his little Koneko-chan in this way until all her tears were spent, and fatigued, she collapsed against him entirely exhausted. Moments later she fell asleep in his arms.