9 9

Once introductions are done, Yahiro takes a seat in the last seat on the opposite side of the class from me, behind a girl I'm pretty sure is from the same anime as Saya, but not one of the main crew. She's one of the only girls in the class not completely grossed out by the perverted trio and even laughs a little at their antics.

Other than the occasional glances sent my way by some of the girls and the glares of some of the guys, you know which three, morning classes went by pretty quickly. When break started, Mio and Yuki are surrounded by the other girls and bombarded with questions. I take the opportunity to head up to the roof, and just like I thought would happen, Yahiro shows up a minute later.

"So, what's your secret?" he asks, first thing.

"That's a tall order," I mutter before responding. "Secret to what?"

"Two smoking hot girls join our class, and before anyone can even blink, they've already laid claim to you. You had to have made an enemy of the entire male population."

"Fortunately, the male population is pretty small here, and there are plenty of beautiful women. I could form a harem with half of them, and that would still leave five for each guy in school."

"It's funny you say that because from where I was standing when that redhead announced you were living together, about half the girls looked a little upset, the rest just curious," he says, stretching his arms back behind his head. "It's pretty incredible that you've already set flags with two pretty girls. Seems like fun to hang out with people who have that kind of luck or other such unseen powers."

"Yeah, I wonder what unseen powers you have," I say, and active Discerning Eye.

[Name: Yahiro Takigawa/Lars

[Lv. 32

[Species: Greater Demon

[Age: 23

[Occupation: Student/Observer

[Skills: [Demonic Physique (B)], [Enhanced Speed (A)], [Magic Spheres (B)], [Magic Expert (B)], [Shadow Clones (B)]

The shrill scream of perverted men being beaten by members of the kendo club interrupts our conversation. Yahiro and I look over the railing and see the Perverted Trio huddled up on the ground, begging the girls' kendo club to stop hitting them. Leading the discipline are the vice-captains, Murayama and Katase, but the one girl to really catch my eye is the stoic purple-haired captain of the kendo club, Saeko Busujima. Another of that crew showing up makes me nervous. It's ridiculous, I know, zombies versus devils and demons should be a no-brainer, but I just have this feeling that if there is a zombie outbreak, it isn't going to be as simple and straightforward as advertised.

Another point of concern is the girl next to her. I don't think I've ever met her, but she looks familiar. She's not a background character. Quite a bit shorter than Saeko, brown hair, too far to tell about the eyes, but the lazy smirk on her face is visible. Her head tilts to the side, and she looks up at me. Was she able to feel me looking at her? It's at the tip of my brain, but I can't remember where I've seen her. I try using Discerning Eye.

[Name: Levi Kazama

[Lv. ?!@

[Species: Human

[Age: 18

[Occupation: Student/?!@#?

[Skills: ?!@#?

"Huh?" I say out loud. What the hell is she doing to block my Discerning Eye? Even Yahiro doesn't have something that can block it, which is honestly surprising, too.

"Does this happen often?" Yahiro asks.

"Those three getting beaten? Yeah, pretty much every day or two. They're idiots, and the girls are becoming less tolerant of their perverted antics."

Yahiro points towards something. "What about that guy? He's pretty popular with ladies. Who is he?"

I take a look where he's pointing to see a guy with a princely presence, blond hair, and a gaggle of fawning girls following in his wake. I'm pretty sure I know who it is, but I double-check with Discerning Eye to confirm.

"Ah, that's Kiba and yeah, he's always surrounded by the ladies," I say, though a thought crosses my mind for a moment before I let it go and continue my original thought. "There's always at least one prince, right?"

"Yeah. What about you?" he asks with a smirk. "Are you a prince, too?"

I frown and shake my head. "No. You don't see a hoard of starry-eyed hormonal girls clinging to me right now, do ya? Maybe some are interested, but most are just curious," I say and hold up my arm revealing a number of scars. "Chicks dig scars, man."

"You do have quite a few. Car accident?"

Nope, combat training and an explosion when I was a kid. "Yeah, a long time ago. Hey, look, Prince Kiba is ditching his entourage to go to his club."

In the distance, Kiba is waving at the girls behind him as he enters an old stone building covered in Ivy. This must be the Occult Research Club. I scan up to a window and am rewarded with the vision I was hoping for. Rias Gremory. She reminds me a bit of Mio but a bit more intense. Mostly in her crimson locks and rocking body. Personality-wise, a bit different, like a rose raised and tended in a greenhouse versus one growing in the wild. Each has its beauty, and they both have thorns, but one is more refined unable to live without the very gardener that locked them up, to begin with, and the other threatens to kill you a hundred times every time she's the least bit annoyed. I still want to pluck them both.

Rias watches the scene below, at the Perverted Trio catching a beating for peeping on the kendo club, but as she turns away, her eyes rise and catch on mine. A moment of strong eye contact, even at this range we connect, and a brief smile solidify my place in her mind. I know they are already looking into me; they have an inkling that I might possess a Sacred Gear, though they don't know which one. She turns, maintaining our stare until the last moment, and disappears back into the club room, closing the heavy curtain behind her.

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Mio's mood had soured after Yuki's now-famous hug, and by the end of the day, when we started walking home, she was just one perpetual scowl.

"Why are you following me?" A ridiculous question when you live with the person.

"Our homes are in the same direction," I say sarcastically.

"Hmph..." she's about to retort, but Maria's voice catches our attention.

"Hey! Mio-sama!" she shouts while waving her arms. I wave back, while Mio increases her pace, walking past Maria as Maria bows like a true attendant. "Well done on your hard work."

Maria immediately notices Mio's shitty mood and waves me over. "Issei-san, Issei-san," she says and leans in to whisper. "She seems as though she's in a really foul mood."

"Well, she kinda is. A lot happened today," I say, watching Mio as she glares at me.

"Oh? That's no good," Maria says, a lewd expression spreading on her face. "You have to use protection."

I roll my eyes at the lewd loli and then walk over to Mio. She looks away briefly and then back up to me expectantly.

"What?"

"You are special to me," I say, locking eye contact with her.

"Issei," a voice calls from behind me. The voice of Yuki, of course.

"Just a moment, please," I say without releasing Mio from my gaze. I hold the contact for two breaths before continuing what I was saying to Mio. "You will always be special to me. It doesn't matter who else is in my life. Understand that."

Mio has been shocked stiff since the first moment I told her she was special to me, and now I hold her gaze for two more breaths before turning back to Yuki and Maria. "Hello, Yuki," I say with a smile and step towards them. "I suppose you have something important to talk to me about... Alone?"

She's a little surprised but still says, "Yes. I- I have something important to discuss. Alone."

"Alright, there is a cafe a few blocks from here. Why don't we head over there to talk."

She nods. "Un."

"Maria, could you see Mio home," I say and lean in to whisper. "You're special to me, too. So, what's with the Issei-san crap. What happened to big brother, my naughty little succubus?"

She blushes. "A-alright, sorry, big brother."

I smile and stand back up. "That's better." I turn and look at Yuki. "Shall we go?"

She nods, and I lead the way. Mio is still in a state of shock as Maria tries to snap her out of it.

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The coffee shop isn't crowded, and we manage to find a table in the corner away from the counter. Yuki is sitting close beside me. "Any closer, and you'll be sitting on my lap, Yuki."

"I don't want other people hearing us," she says, pressing her breast against my arm.

"Well, it's not like I mind being close to you."

She blushes slightly. "Thank you for coming."

"It's been a while, and I missed you and the others," I say.

She looks at me and blinks like she's surprised to hear that.

"I tried to write," I say. Oddly enough, it's true. I wonder who the considerate person in this chimera of a harem protagonist I've become is? They're usually so dense. "Dad said the elders weren't allowing any of my letters to come through."

"You-you did?"

"Yep," I say, nodding. "You've grown up. Changed."

"You too," she says, with a touch of melancholy. "You used to squeeze me back when I hugged you."

"I know."

"You often used it as a chance to touch my butt."

"I know that, too." Both Basara and Issei are pervs.

She frowns a little, though not at my comment, at the subject she's about to bring up. "Issei," she says, all business; the very slight whimsical tone now absent from her voice.

"Yes, Yuki."

"Don't involve yourself with Mio Naruse any further."

I smile. Here we go. "I get it. She's a mid-S-rank surveillance target, right? And you're the one assigned to observe her."

"You knew?"

"As soon as you walked into my class. Dad and I figured someone would show up."

"Then why? You and Jin-san will get caught up in this!"

My turn for a serious expression. "Mio's parents were murdered in front of her by those plotting against her, and now they want her, as well. She's an innocent," I say. 'Less so now,' I think. "She was living her life, like a normal girl, and they took that from her. I WILL protect her."

"But...," Yuki says.

"I know. Most of my power is sealed," I say. What they don't know won't hurt me. Though most of the seals are still in place, they are getting weaker, and I have other powers they don't know about. "But if the hero clan can't, or won't, protect her... If they won't fight for her... Then I will."

"Issei..." Yuki starts but is interrupted by the sound of breaking glass.

"P-pardon me!" a waitress calls. "M-ma'am! Your change!"

Well, there goes Mio and Maria. Foreknowledge of character motivations and actions is helpful to keep things moving in the right direction.

"I understand your concerns, Yuki," I say, following the script again. Sometimes the perceived misunderstandings can help move the plot faster than understanding can. "I couldn't bear everything eleven years ago," I say.

She hunches in on herself a little. "That's not it," she almost whispers. "That wasn't your fault. You were..."

"But, what I've done won't change."

"That's not true at all," she says, her voice strained. "No matter what anyone else may say, you're the one that saved us."

"Not all of us, but thanks," I say, smiling sadly. Real feeling there. Fucking Basara brain hates our previous failure and can't let it go. I need to get his self-loathing under control. It's bullshit that was amplified by the fact that it's childhood trauma. I wish I could use Edit to get rid of that. "But Mio, she's not like me. She is trying to face her past and live the best she can. She's trying to fight. Which makes me want to protect her even more."

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A few minutes later, we finish our drinks and get ready to leave. I buy a cake for Mio, Maria, and I share, like in the anime, and leave the cafe.

Following the script as best I can, I say. "I hope this cheers her up."

Yuki is waiting out front for me. "Hmm? What's wrong?"

"That's not good enough. I can't imagine that you alone will be enough to defeat all the enemies after Mio Naruse."

"Yeah, they want the power lurking inside her, but I don't need to win. I just need to not lose," I say, but really, I plan to win.

"But..."

"Don't worry; I'm not planning to involve you or the village in our fight."

"That's impossible..." she says, pulling her artifact from her soul space, but before she can make a move, I'm already past her. The demon beast that had just crossed over dissolves into the ether, and I return Brynhildr to my soul.

"Like I said. I'm not planning on involving you." I smile. "See," I say, holding up the bag with the cake. "Didn't even make me drop the cake."

"You knew? Low-level demon beasts are being attracted to the power of the Demon Lord. They're growing in number. If her existence starts causing danger to her surroundings..." Yuki says, tone threatening.

"The village will upgrade her to an elimination target," I finish. "I know. I'm working on the problem."

"Once that happens, I won't be able to show mercy," she says as she walks past me to place the sun in a more dramatic position. "Even if that means that you end up resenting me for it, Issei."

"You're so cute when you get serious," I say with a serious expression. "Next time, I'll hug you back properly. Anyway, I'll see you at school tomorrow. Don't worry; I'll work on the problem tonight. The only way there will be an elimination order is if there is some conspiracy in the village. What are the odds they'd try to vilify a person for their own ends, though?" I ask sarcastically. "Again, I mean."

Her eyes widen in shock. "See ya, Yuki," I say and walk off. That should get her thinking.