P.S this story starts a few years before the start of our favorite DXD verse!
AND I DON'T OWN ANY DXD MATERIAL, ALL CREDIT TO THE ORIGINAL WRITERS!
Also, I want to give a huge shout to the people who have favorited the fic and left behind positive criticism. I appreciate all of you.
Along with this, I also wanted to tell you guys that I am planning to make some changes to the update schedule. Since you all know the exam season is coming in, I will be slowing down quite a bit on the update for this story. Don't worry I won't be abandoning it, slowing down the updates so I don't flunk my exams.
Furthermore, I reuploaded the last chapter since I added a small chunk in it. It is nothing major. The new chunk is towards the end of the chapter so I would suggest take a quick read at it before you start reading this chapter.
All the updates regarding the update schedule will be on my profile page. It will tell you when I am planning the next chapter release. Pm or comment for any further questions.
"Talking out aloud"
'Thinking with ones mind'
"Spirits inside the sacred gears talking"
And without further delay, lets begin the chapter!!
Apartment complex near Kuoh
A Gremory circle appeared in a nearby alleyway near an apartment complex which was by the northside of the Kuoh academy. The apartment complex was near the wealthy residential district of the city. It is also where other Devils resided as well.
"Where are we?" Sona asked confused she thought they would be either going to Marids lab or his house for research on Devils sleeping disease.
"We are near my house in Kuoh" Marid mentioned offhandedly as he exited the dark alley, with Sona close behind him.
"You couldn't have teleported us into your own house?" Sona crooked an eyebrow at that.
"I couldn't have for your own sake Sona. My house has an extensive warding system that will never allow unauthorized entry into its domain. And if should something occur, the intruder would be thrown into the gutters of the city of Kuoh" Marid explained proudly since he was the one who created the warding schematics for his house.
"What is your thing with the gutters?" Sona chuckled as she asked Marid about it. She obviously knew how Marid was able to deceive the strongest knight in the world all those years ago, a story that was readily spread by both Souji Okita (underworlds strongest knight) and Sirzech Lucifer. They were extremely proud of what their student and son, respectively, was able to accomplish at such a young age.
Marid couldn't help but chuckle at what Sona was pointing at, "Its more like I like seeing people getting stained by their own shitty plans. It is a way to teach the intruders that I know who and when they are trying to break in. Moreover, this act also acts a warning shot to other intruders, that if they are not careful there will be consequences for their, only next time there will be serious consequences"
"I see" Sona replied with a disapproving look on her face due to the language Marid was using.
The duo kept walking, engaging themselves in idle chat until they both reached the front of the apartment complex. It was a nice building; new, still clean, and had a small wooded area in the block across the street that had yet to be developed. "This is where you live" Sona asked Marid. Her question earned a slight chuckle from Marid.
"This is where I live, Sona" Marid pointed towards the wooden clearing in front of them.
"There?"
"Yes there" Marid replied with a smile before grabbing Sona's arm and walking across the street towards the wooded area.
To Sona's surprise, the wooded area, the undeveloped block across the street, began to shimmer. The illusion of the trees fell, and a building began to take shape in its place. It was a large French city home, built from gray stone that was not indigenous to Japan. It was five stories tall, and the property took up the entire city block. The house itself only took half of the block, but the entire back yard of the property walled in the same gray stone house was built from. When Sona crossed the street, she noticed an ornate gate in front of her which led to what she assumed was the backyard, Through the gate she could see a garden, hedges and the sound of running water which she was sure was a water fountain.
Just before Sona reached the main entrance to the house, she felt sudden dizziness wash over her and she almost lost her balance.
"Careful now. You just walked through the first layer of my wards. You should be good from here onwards. The wards recognize as you a welcomed visitor rather than a nosy intruder" Marid replied with a smile as he held Sona in her arms. Marid felt his face heat up with the sudden unintentional closeness with Sona, something Sona noticed.
"Thank you" Sona replied as she quickly recovered from her own blush.
"Alright then Sona let me be the first to welcome you to Manoir de Marids" Marid welcomed with a warm smile as he opened the door for Sona.
"Thank you" Sona smiled as she stepped into the foyer and marveled at Marids home. As a high class Devil, she was no stranger to luxury and while this home couldn't hold a candle to the luxury and excess of a high class Devils estate, it was beautifully decorated in what was clearly, Marids preferred, vintage French style. The first thing she noticed was that the floor was made of black and white marble slabs, cut into squares; as if the floor was a large chessboard. The foyer was decorated with French tables and pedestals which help various archaeological artifacts on display.
"You have a lovely home" Sona smiled as she continued to look around the foyer.
"Thank you." Marid said with a satisfied smile, "I'm quite proud of it. It took a long time to buy, build, and alter this place. The wards were particularly tricky. When I realized I am going to move to Japan I couldn't part with it, so I decided to bring it along with me. Packing is a chore, even with magic. So I decided not to pack and magically move the entire house and property with me."
"Your mobile home" Sona quipped with a small smile.
"Indeed" Marid replied with a chuckle of his own. "Would you like a tour, or perhaps a drink?"
"A tour would be nice" Sona replied with a smile, wanting to see of Marids house. Perhaps even try and uncover the aura of illusion Marid liked to carry around himself.
"My pleasure" Marid said and offered his arm to her.
He led her out into the hallway where the checkerboard tiled marble was covered by a long hallway rug which formed a path; a kitchen lay down the hall in front of her, and more rooms around the corner to her immediate right. The hallway itself was aligned on both sides with Egyptian artifacts encased in glass in pride of place.
She took time to examine some of the wondrous relics and read a few of the inscriptions aloud, "Sigil of the Den of Lost Souls?", she read from one and then moved to another, "Tomb of the Burning Sands?"
"I never took you for someone who is interested in hieroglyphs" Marid commented, a little surprised.
"More like I used a Devils natural skill in understanding different languages from all over the world. One of the only gifts from the original Lucifer to the Devil kind I am grateful for" Sona replied with smirk. Her reply caused a chuckle from Marid who continued to give her a tour of his abode.
From the hallway he showed her the dining room, still decorated in the house's vintage French style. It was large by human standards, and the long dining room table would seat 8 comfortably. The living room was also well decorated but inviting. It had an ornate chessboard that she couldn't help but touch, a lovely intricate fireplace mantel ready to be lit, and the wall along either side of fireplace hosted two large bookcases. She took the time to peruse the titles, most were written in French, but quite a few were in English as well. They were old, 19th century she'd wager, and seemed to cover topics of Realism, Naturalism, and a few Romanticism.
"I wouldn't mind reading a few of these myself", Sona commented aloud, easily imagining herself curling on a couch beside a fireplace.
"The best are kept in the library on the fourth floor." Marid said with a knowing smile.
Sona couldn't help but smile back in return, her love of books had been discovered and he was teasing her.
"We'll get there eventually." Marid promised with a wink, "But I want to show you some special things first. A few creations of mine that I'm very proud of."
"Please, lead the way", Sona insisted as she hooked her arm through his again.
He took her back down the hallway again, returning in the direction they originally came from, though this time they turned the corner past the dining room and foyer and into the kitchen. It was a nice kitchen, warm and inviting. It held a smaller table for more informal meals than the dining room, an exquisite antique stove, and was filled with the scent of fresh herbs and spices. As beautiful and clean as it was, it was definitely a kitchen that was used and meant to be used; though not the special destination she was expecting.
Marid led her to the backdoor of the house, located at the end of the kitchen. Her eyes widened in surprise once she saw what was before her on the other side of the door. The garden looked splendid and took up half of the property. Without the walls and the gate obstructing her view, Sona could fully appreciate the care such a place needed in order to be maintained. The back yard was divided into three sections, a garden and a small orchid were separated by small hedges. On the far side, furthest from the house, she could make out a pool that was walled off with arches that allowed entry. It wasn't a wide pool, but it was long enough for two or three people to swim laps. In the center of it all, a modest size fountain sprinkled happily adding character to this magical garden. All in all, she felt that it was not only beautifully decorated, but an efficient use of space. The walls and arches held ornate stone bins in which flowers bloomed. She heard bees buzzing around, and quickly found a backyard hive in the garden which were used for the pollination of plants and the production of fresh honey.
"This way", he said as he lead her to the garden area.
Sona was no stranger to plants. While she herself was terrible at tending to them, the Sitri territory was famous for having the most rich and fertile lands in the Underworld, mostly due to their family's inherent talent with water based magic. They were also quite famous for healing, providing medical aid and boasted of having the best hospital in the Underworld, which her father currently ran.
"You have a very impressive garden Marid" Sona couldn't help but comment aloud. She was suitably impressed.
"Thank you" Marid replied with a proud smile. "I wont lie to you, most of this stuff is more out of necessity than an actual hobby" Marid admitted with a sigh.
"What do you mean?" Sona asked confused as the duo continued with their strolls in the garden.
"I grow most of my stuff on my own Sona. Now whether that is something I have to use for alchemy or for personal use. I grow everything on my own" Marid replied with a proud smirk.
"That is quite the claim Marid" Sona asked with a suspicious look on her face. A look that clearly relayed told Marid that she didn't believe him.
"You don't believe me have a look at this" Marid's chuckled as he turned his attention on the plant in front of him, and so too did she focus on the plant.
When she looked at the plant in front of her, it was short, only two and a half feet tall, with large white flowers blossoming sporadically around it. What caught her eye was the white ovoid nestled in every flower at various stages of growth and size. Some ovoid's were small, and some were so large they looked like…
"Eggs?" Sona questioned.
Marid said nothing in return, but simply smiled, plucked one that was nestled within a blooming flower and held it before fer. He then deftly conjured a ceramic bowl, cracked the egg open, and presented the bowl for her inspection.
'Yolk, egg white, and an empty shell', Sona wondered in amazement. "You made a plant that grows eggs?"
"Not just eggs", he said and gestured around the garden.
Sona took another look around garden, inspecting each plant in turn. Some were familiar such as hemlock and aconitum, or 'wolf's bane' as some called it. There was a wide variety of mushrooms, and plants she didn't recognize. One plant even held fruit that looked like it was on fire, though the bush it grew on seemed to be immune to its flame. She walked along the rows of the garden looking at each plant individually. In addition to eggs, she saw a plant that grew cheese and one that seemed to grow steak and ground beef. One row of plants had various species of fish growing out of it, green cups were covering the entire fish heads. She reached out and touched one, only to flinch back when it flapped its tail fin in reflex, as if trying to swim away while still attached to the plant.
"You're growing live fish from a plant." Sona exclaimed in surprise.
"Alchemy requires ingredients and I've learned to grow every type of organic ingredient I'll ever need. All I need is a sample and with it I can create a plant that will grow exactly what I need." Marid stated with pride. "I only need to go to the grocery store for milk and bread. It's too bad they don't deliver fresh milk and bread daily here in Japan." he winked at her.
"Combined with an alchemist's ability to transmute almost any non-organic ingredient you could almost cut the need to resupply completely." Sona observed, quite impressed with his accomplishment.
Marid nodded, "Yes, but transmutation takes a lot of time. Or at least, a lot of time is needed to create the quantities I require for the large volume potions I have to make. I am currently working on a new method to help speed up that process, but I'm not sure if I'll ever be able to grow all types of gems and metals from plants like I can for the organic components, but I did make this one plant… Come on," he gestured, "You'll love this."
He lead her to another row of plants in the garden and removed a fruit from the stalk of a plant she didn't recognize. He then presented it to her for inspection. It was glowing, yellow, pear shaped, and had a halo around its stem.
"What is it?" she asked feeling a bit uneasy at the appearance of a fruit adorned with an actual halo.
"Life Fruit, one of the two forbidden fruits from the Garden of Eden." he explained.
Sona's eyes widened in response. "The Garden of Eden has been sealed for millennia and is protected quite fiercely. How in the nine layers of Hell did you get that?"
"I found one encased in amber during an expedition in Egypt. From that I managed to get a genetic sample and voilà. Here," he said, offering it to her, "taste it. Despite its glow and halo it has no holy or light energy. It's quite good."
Sona's hand tentatively reached out and took the strange glowing fruit with a halo around it. Indeed, she didn't sense any holy or light energy from it. Slowly she brought it to her lips and took a small experimental bite.
"It's delicious" she said, her eyes widening in surprise.
"The best part is its magical properties. If you eat one of these a day, you'll never grow old."
"You're joking."
"No." Marid shook his head, "It truly is the fruit of life. I even created an alchemical recipe with it that is a perfect substitute for the elixir of life. I call it Marid's juice... that sounded so wrong. But rest assured I am still working on a proper name for the recipe" Marid replied sheepishly as he got struck on the back of his head, courtesy of a very bad joke on his part.
"That's quite the admission", Sona remarked, "For someone who was so secretive when we first met, you're awfully forthcoming now."
"I don't often get a chance to show off. Besides I promised you a house tour, didn't I?" Marid explained with an easy smile. "Come on, this way." he said with enthusiasm while leading her out of the garden and into the small orchid which housed only a sickly looking tree.
"My alchemy potions earn me a lot of money Sona, but this right here", he said gesturing to the only other tree in the tiny orchid, "is what I hope to be my real cash crop."
It was almost bare, twisted, gnarly, and had a sickly glowing purple scar that ran up the side of the trunk and pulsed with dark energy. From its branches grew a silvery purple fruit that also pulsed with dark energy. Marid approached the tree and plucked a fruit from its branches, he held it out for her to briefly inspect before taking a knife and cutting into it. Immediately a thick dark red liquid burst out from the fruit and spilled onto the ground, the smell of iron filled Sona's nostrils.
"It's blood." she exclaimed in horror.
"It's blood plasma." Marid clarified, "The juice from this fruit is a perfect blood substitute. With this I hope to one day create an orchid large enough to feed the entire vampire nation."
Sona blinked in surprise and looked at the tree with a new understanding. The implications of this creation were staggering. True, the vampires were a prideful species, more prideful than most Devils in fact. They might not want to stop hunting humans. Still, Marid could possibly start an enterprising business with the Vampire Nation and become the exclusive provider of artificial blood.
"Do you think a vampire would accept such an alternate to human blood. From what I have heard, vampires are very prideful creatures. Even proudful than us Devils" Sona couldn't help but ask her childhood friends over ambitious dreams.
"Of course not. I completely see them banning me from their world and shunning my products. But in time I hope I can earn the trust of one of adult vampire as a taste taster to validate my products" Marid explained much to Sona's shock.
"And what kind of products will you be presenting the vampires with?" Sona asked curiously.
"The plan is to at least have wine, spirits, and juices ready to go once I am ready to make such a deal with the vampire nation. As of now, my products are nowhere near done. I have just mastered the art of creating good spirits and wines for human consumption. By my calculations I am at least a few decades away from creating products viable for vampire use" Marid admitted to Sona. His answer earned him a look of disapproval from Sona.
'Perhaps I should stop mentioning making wines and spirits in front of Sona' Marid thought to himself.
"By the looks of it you have planned a rather busy future for yourself" Sona said as she looked at her friends extra ordinary creations.
"I am sure I would be fine for the time being. I just have to worry about the wines I have to create for the Olympian gods" Marid sighed as he started to walk back towards the house?" Sona asked curiously.
"I have a several barrels worth of wines made. Dad and uncle Ajuka have tasted it and approve of the taste. But I know the wine is missing something. I can't just offer the Gods of Olympus just a wine that they could find anywhere on Earth" Marid replied with frustrations.
"Have you thought about using the Fruit of life when creating the wines you are creating for the those Gods" Sona suggested. To her surprise, Marid cringed at that, not at the fact the idea she was suggesting had no merit, but at the consequences of his actions, if he chooses to use the life of fruit.
"The problem with that idea is that I would first need Heaven's permission to use the fruit in commercial capacity. That raises the whole other argument on the fact on how the Hell a son of the current Lucifer was able to acquire the fruit of life from one of the secured places in the supernatural world" Marid admitted.
"And you fear that the Heaven won't just accept the fact that you found the fruit on Earth. You fear this would cause a big enough stint" Sona asked.
Marid nodded at that, "It will at the very least gain the attention on… of the Bible God. Despite the fact I would love to meet him to understand his own power, I don't think that is something our world needs at this moment" Marid quickly moved on.
Sona noticed his hesitation for not even exploring the idea of using the fruit of life in the concoction. She wanted to ask him about it, but he had already moved on by now, "If we ever achieve peace with the Heaven then I will be more than happy to start adding the fruits to the wines I create. Do you think there would be market for such a concoction in the underworld?" Marid asked curiously.
"Wine made from one of the forbidden fruits from The Garden of Eden?" Sona asked, then answered with some amusement, "I think you'd be overwhelmed at how much a devil might pay for such a thing."
"Especially if a single glass a day could keep you young." Marid remarked with a smile, "I may have to expand my business market out to the underworld if we ever achieve peace with the Heaven" Marid laughed aloud, Sona also joining him in this instant.
"Is that why I'm here, to help expand your business clientele?" Sona teased.
"As I remember you wanted to help me, to go over all the research work done on the sleeping disease" Marid teased back as he started to head back into the house.
"That I did" Sona nodded.
"Its only 4pm right now, we can look over the research for the next few hours. I will order some food" Marid replied with a smile as the duo entered the house and headed straight to the library on the fourth floor.
Elsewhere
While Sona and Marid were starting to go through the research on the Devil sleeping disease, Issie was on his date, and what a date it was for him.
Issei and Yumma began by going to the shopping district, where Issei bought Yumma a purple bracelet. They then continued to the arcade, where they played a few games. They eventually decided to eat a Mcdonald's, much to Issei's surprise. During lunch, Issei couldn't help but make quick glances at Yummas breast, something Yumma noticed and teased him on multiple occasions.
When the sun began to set, signifying the end of their date, the young couple ended up at Kuoh's central park. Yumma let go of Issei's hand only to run towards a fountain stopping in front of it and turning towards Issei.
"What an incredible date it was," Issie said happily as he looked at his happy date.
"I agree. The date also exceeded my expectations," Yumma agreed with a smile that was becoming more wicked by the second.
"Really," Issie asked with a big smile imprinted on his face. He didn't have enough money to treat his first date as well as he wanted to, but he did his best to entertain her.
"Exceeded in being very boring," Yumma laughed wickedly, much to Issie's confusion.
"Huh?!?" Issie asked, confused, not liking where this conversation was going.
"Issei, can I ask you something," She asked, acting cute.
"Yeah, sure," He responded, acting excited.
"Will you die for me?" She replied as her voice changed from one of innocence to glee.
"Sorry, I don't like I heard you right," Issie asked again in confusion, unsure he heard right.
"I said will you die for me" she repeated before she began her transformation. Two black feathery wings erupted from her back; her clothing vanished and was replaced with a skimpy leather outfit.
"Although short-lived, playing innocent lovey-dovey with you was fun. I will take good care of this gift from you," the girl in now the most skimmy and revealing outfit Issie had ever seen replied while motioning to the purple bracelet Issie had bought her.
"Who are you?" Issie asked fearfully. While he was into comic and anime conventions, he knew whatever his date did was no party trick to get into her outfit.
"That doesn't matter, human. All you need to know is going to die now," Yumma said evilly before conjuring a light sphere and impaling it through Issie's abdomen.
"Sorry, but your existence poses a threat to us, so we have the initiative to kill you. If you want to blame someone for this, then blame God for giving you a sacred gear," Yumma replied evilly as she sat by the fountain while Issie went into shock as blood came gushing out of his mouth and the wound on his stomach.
'Sacred what…' Issie couldn't speak aloud due to the immense pain he was feeling at the moment.
"I guess we are equal for giving me such a terrible date" Yumma laughed wickedly as she flew away using her wings.
'Seriously!! Now I am going to die in this tiny little park because of the bizarre thing that just happened? If you were going to kill me, you could have at least let me squeeze your glorious Oppai at least once,' Issie thought furiously as the reality soon dawned on him that he was indeed dying.
Issie then used all his power to raise his hand to look at his hand, 'It's red. Red, just like her hair,' Issie thought of a certain redhead that went to his school.
'My hand is red, no crimson, just like her hair. Man, I would love to see her once more before I die,' Issie thought to himself as his hand collapsed on the ground.
'What am I saying? I am about to die here, and all I am wishing for is to see a girl from my school one more time. Damn, mother was right… I really did lead a pathetic life' Issie laughed bitterly in his head. He felt his energy leave his body completely.
'Now I can't even move my body at all due to this damnable wound my own fucking date gave me. I don't even know why I had to die. If you had to die, at least tell me why did you have to kill me so I at least know what I am dying for' Issie sighed in his head as he felt himself go in and out of consciousness.
'I wish I could be reborn again. Just so I can see Rias-senpai again. I would rather die in the arms of a beautiful woman like her than die for some stupid reason I don't even know,' Issie wished one last time.
As if a god was beside him, his prayers were answered as he saw a red magic circle exploding from his pockets. Out of the magic circle came the very person Issie had been wishing for.
"You called me, didn't you?" Rias said neutral tone as she observed Issie and his surroundings.
'Wow, is that Rias-senpai?' Issie thought to himself in shock.
"If you want to live again, then you will devote your life to me," Rias Gremory said confidently as different kinds of wings sprouted from her back.
'What is everyone's thing with wings' That was the last thing Issie remembered before losing consciousness.
Next morning
'Damn why does my body feel so sore? And what was with that messed up dream?' Issie thought to himself as he slowly stirred from his slumber.
"Issie are you awake now? You are getting late for school" Issie's mother, Miko shouted from the kitchen.
"Yes Oka-san I am awake now!" Issie replied back as he quickly started to dress for the day.
As soon as he arrived to school, he told his two best friends everything about his supposed dream, "You guys don't remember Yumma-chan? I introduced you guys yesterday"
"No Issie you never had a girlfriend and you definitely didn't introduce us to some Yumma chan" Matsuda replied.
"I know what's wrong with you, you are struggling with Oppai deficiency. I have managed to get my hands on this new gentleman's CD. We can watch it at my house after school" Motohama replied excitedly.
While Motohama's reply got the Matsuda's attention, it did nothing to bring Issie out of his stupor since he could have sworn he actually lived through the said dream.
The sound of the school bell shook everyone out of their thoughts, "Oh shit we are late for the class" The trio shouted as they bolted towards their classes. Motohama and Matsuda couldn't help but notice how fast Issie had gotten than them. Even Motohama, who was once art of the schools track and field team wasn't able to keep up with Issie
Elsewhere
"Is there a reason he requested my presence first thing in the morning, Rias? Is it regarding Marid's Bishop or Kiba?" Sona asked as she sipped Akeno's special tea. Since Akeno really didn't receive any significant injuries, she was discharged from Sona's healing facility late last night since she had already recovered enough.
"No, I checked on Kiba and Yumi early this morning; both are doing good and recovering at a steady speed. The doctors believe that they should be good to go home by today's end," Rias replied with a smile. She was thankful and happy about the fact that her peerage members were well on their way to becoming a hundred percent.
"That's good," Sona replied as she took another sip of her tea to knock off any grogginess she felt from being unable to sleep last night. She and Marid were up until 4am, trying their best to read through all the notes they had received, courtesy of Ajuka Beelzebub.
"Sorry I am late, ladies," Marid said as he walked out of his own teleportation circle. "So Rias, why have you summoned me and Sona this early morning? Is there something wrong with Yumi or perhaps Kiba?" Marid asked.
"Like I told Sona, everything is fine with those two. With luck, they should be discharged by the end of today," Rias replied.
"You could have told us over a message as well. I assume there is something more serious you want to inform me and Sona about in person?" Marid asked curiously.
"You would be right in that assumption, Marid" Rias nodded before taking a deep breath, "Issie Hyoudou was attacked last night by a Fallen Angel," Rias replied with a frown.
"The pervert? What did a fallen angel want with the little pervert? Did he perv on one, and she didn't take it too kindly?" Marid asked curiously.
Rias shook her head, "No, apparently, she sensed his sacred gear also and felt it was a threat, and so she sought to eliminate the problem," she explained with a rather saddened tone
"And that's where you came in," Sona asked. Rias nodded, all but confirming her suspicion of last night.
Rias nodded with a smirk, "Correct; I'm eager to see what sacred gear he has, as he took up all eight of my pawns."
Marid let out an impressed whistle, "That's impressive. No wonder the fallen angels wanted him dead, but what if they came after him again? Now that he's a devil, they'll attack without mercy."
Rias had a small happy smile, "That's why I'm bringing him in today at lunch to inform him so he's protected and knows what to expect,"
Both Marid and Sona nodded at that; it was a solid plan, the guy should be prepared, but the thoughtful look Rias saw on Marids face told her that there was something Marid wasn't sure about, "And what of a fallen are they always so bold as to attack a human in your territory, or was this a one-off?" I asked, trying to think strategically.
"Not that I'm aware of, probably just a rogue, nothing to worry much about," Rias started, crossing her arms underneath her impressive bust.
Marid looked at her with a raised eyebrow, "And if it's not? You could have a group of them working right under your nose," I reasoned.
"And what would you suggest," Sona asked, raising her own eyebrow as she crossed her own arms under her chest, which Marid tried to ignore, but his glance was caught by all four of the females in the room.
"Pervert," Koneko muttered something that earned a small blush from Sona and Marid and giggles from Akeno and Rias.
Marid recovering quick from the embarrassing situation, crossed his arms to think for a moment before speaking, "Hold off for twenty-four hours," Marid recommended getting a confused look from Rias until he explained further, "Use him as bait to see what fish come biting, or in this case fallen angels if there's more than one you can be sure there will be more" Marid said with a smirk.
Rias pondered the idea as she slowly nodded before smiling at my suggestion, "A very clever trap, but I don't like using my pawn as bait for anything."
"I am not asking you to leave the poor guy on his ones out there. I am sure we three have enough peerage members among us to keep an eye on the perv for the next few days," Marid suggested.
"That could work. Me and my peerage can look after him during school hours," Sona suggested.
"You want to watch him in a place where we all can keep an eye on him" Marid gave Sona a sour look.
"I don't see a problem with that. As the student council president, it is my duty to ensure the safety of all students on the school grounds," Sona replied with a smart-ass comment causing Marid to stick his tongue out in response, causing Sona and the others to giggle.
"I guess my and your peerage can take the night shifts," Rias said as she looked at Marid.
"Can you and Akeno look after Issie till the evening? I have to train Kenta and check in on Yumi," Marid asked.
"Alright, Akeno and I, can take the first shift after school, and then Koneko and your peerage look after him at night," Rias suggested the plan to which Marid agreed.
The sound of the school bell indicated the end of the meeting, "Looks like someone has to go to school," Marid teased.
"You say as if you don't have anything to do. From what I hear, you will have to present your finished concoction soon. As of last night, there has been a breakthrough in negotiations with the Olympian Gods" Rias smirked at Marid in growing horror.
"Why wasn't I told about this?" Marid practically demanded.
"Perhaps it was because big brother Sirzech wasn't able to reach you behind your wards," Rias replied sarcastically.
"I was researching with Sona in the library," Marid tried to defend himself.
"I am sure Sirzech Oni-sama would love to hear about your research," Rias teased back. Her teasing back earned her blush from both Sona and Marid.
"I am going get you next time," Marid huffed before teleporting away.
"Let me know if anything changes" Sona left the clubhouse swiftly, much to Rias and Akeno's amusement.
"They look so cute when we tease them like that" Akeno giggled at that.
"They were like this during our childhood as well" Rias joined her friend in giggling at what just transpired.
"Do you think they will ever take the next step?" Akeno asked curiously.
"Who knows? Both Marid and Sona like to take their time with things. But I won't be surprised if they end up becoming a thing, you know," Rias giggled at that.
"I can only imagine Serafall reaction if that were to happen" Akeno laughed at that since she knew how protective Serafall was of Sona.
"As much as I would love to discuss that, we need to get to class, Akeno," Rias said as she left for her class with Akeno in tow.
Later
It had been a few hours after the school had ended. The cool breeze had overtaken the city while the sun had set for the day. Rias was waiting for Marid alongside her queen and Rook.
"He should be here soon," Rias said to her servants.
"Speak of the Devil," Akeno giggled as she saw a Gremory magic circle open up, and out came Marid and Kenta.
"I hope I didn't keep you ladies waiting. Our training session took longer than I had expected," Marid apologized.
"It's fine," Rias replied.
"So this is where the perv is at?" Marid asked curiously.
"Yes, he has been with his friends, Motohama-san and Matsuda-san, ever since the end of school" Rias nodded back.
"Is someone from your side looking after Issie with us?" Marid asked.
"Koneko would be watching until midnight; after that, you guys are on your own," Rias replied as Marid nodded at that.
"Alright, then, Kenta, you are up for the first shift from our side. I will look after the perv on my own after midnight. If someone shows up, let us know first before jumping into the fray to protect the perv," Marid told Koneko and Kenta before teleporting away. Rias and Akeno leave soon after, leaving Koneko and Kenta in awkward silence.
"We should hide in the tree up there. The tree should help us mask our presence," Kenta suggested. After receiving a nod from Koneko, the Duo ended up setting up their camp on one of the trees overlooking Motohama's house.
"What are you doing?" Koneko asked as she felt Kenta move on his branch.
"No point in going to a stake out if you can't enjoy the benefit," Kenta replied as he took out freshly baked homemade cookies, "You want some?" Kenta asked. After seeing the gleam in Koneko's eyes after looking at Kenta's cookies, he tossed her one of his bags before ripping his own bag open and grabbing a serving for himself. Koneko did the same after some hesitation.
"They are good…. Very good," Koneko muttered out.
"I know, right? I spent the last few hours I had available to perfect these cookies," Kenta replied proudly.
"You cook often?" Koneko asked quietly.
"Yea, I cook quite often. Keeps my mind off… things," Kenta replied.
"Things like what?" Koneko asked curiously.
"Things similar that keep you from using your Nekoshou powers," Kenta replied with a smirk.
"I have had a very dark past, Kenta-san. It is why I don't use my Nekoshou powers anymore," Koneko admitted while slowly hugging herself, fighting off the fear that kept coming in whenever she thought about using Ki or her other Nekoshou powers.
Kenta, who had observed this before, sighed and buckled up for the confrontation that was going to happen, "Look! I don't know what happened to you to make you forcefully don't use your own powers. I can tell you with a hand on my heart that forcefully blocking out your own Chi flow would do you far more damage than using it," Kenta spoke seriously.
"You don't know what I have been through," Koneko replied angrily as tears started to flow from her eyes. Those were tears of pure fear. Kenta cringed within himself after watching the sight in front of him, but he had to help his fellow Devil, now former Youkai as well, out.
"Look, kid, I used to fight in an underground fighting arena all over Europe for the better part of my life. They treat you so bad that it will make the original Lucifer act like a bloody saint," Kenta spoke tightly, much to Koneko's growing surprise.
"Over there, I didn't fight for money, but rather to get the basic necessity for life, like a meal a day and a place to sleep. If you didn't fight any night, you would be tortured for hours. I lived that life for eight years of my life until my grandfather finally found me. He, unfortunately, died while trying to rescue me. I started to move from place to place to find a permanent place to live. Every pride I came across rejected me. Even the pride I was originally part of denied me my right to live with them. After moving around the world like a bloody stray cat for the last few years, I finally found some money to come to Kuoh in the hopes of earning a passage to Kyoto, where I could seek shelter with Governor Yasaka's blessing. But given my shitty luck, I was confronted and killed by my fellow Lions. The Lions I grew up with. Now I don't want to sound like an ass, but when you say that you have a dark history, I don't know WHAT THE FUCK YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT?!!?" Kenta spoke angrily. Koneko, who could only listen in pure horror at a life her fellow Senjutsu user had lived through, was now white in terror. By the end of Kenta's personal history, Koneko felt like she had been slapped in the face. Even the life she had led, she couldn't fathom how she would have been able to survive the life Kenta had survived.
"I was not always part of Rias-senpai peerage," Koneko spoke slowly, much to Kenta's surprise.
"I used to be in another peerage with my sister, Kuroko. She was the best sister. After our parents died during an accident when I was all but a little kitten. Kuroko took me in; she became my world I became hers. She always used to look after me to make sure I was always fed and protected. But two stray cats couldn't survive the mean streets of Kyoto all the time. So, one day, we were approached by Devil from a high-class Devil family. He offered us to be part of his peerage. In return, we would be well taken care of" Koneko had started to sob now.
Kenta, who was silent the whole time, made no effort to stop the fellow Rook. He knew it was the first time she was opening up like this in front of someone.
"Everything was perfect until that day" Koneko now started to cry as she felt the shiver of pure fear takes control over her body. Despite his own incapability to show emotion, Kenta couldn't stop himself from hugging the shivering Rook.
"That day, everything changed," Koneko continued while sobbing in Kenta's arm. "When I came back from my usual morning exercise, I found out that my older sister had gone insane and murdered my master and his entire peerage. All of the nobility came after me. They demanded justice; they wanted to prosecute me for the crimes my sister committed. They would have done it if not for Rias older brother, Mao Sirzech Lucifer coming in for my defense. He not only had stopped my execution but also vouched for my innocence and gave me a new home with his sister."
"It must have been very hard for you. I am sorry you had to go through all that," Kenta replied with a solemn expression.
"I am also sorry about your grandfather and the life you were forced to live through," Koneko replied tearfully.
"Well, things could always be worse," Kenta replied sarcastically.
"How so?" Koneko asked tearfully.
"We both could have been dead," Kenta replied with a straight face. Koneko couldn't believe for a few moments whether or not Kenta was joking or not. Her shock turned into hysterical laughter once she realized the sheer irony of the situation. Kenta also joined in her laughter as he, too, thought about the ridiculous life both of them have lived through.
"So is it why you don't use Senjutsu and other Nekoshou powers. Due to the fear of losing yourself in power and losing control of yourself?" Kenta asked to which he received a nod from Koneko.
"Well, then, I am glad to inform you that your fear is deeply misplaced," Kenta replied with some amusement. His amusement only increased once he saw Koneko's confused expression.
"What do you mean?" Koneko asked, shocked and confused.
"What I mean is that a natural Nekoshou can't go berserk," Kenta replied.
Noticing the still present confused impression on Koneko's face, Kenta continued, "I don't know what you have been told about Youkai, but all Youkai, in the heart of their powers, are either precise users of Ki or capacious users of Ki, and I can tell you right now Nekoshou is part of the first group I mentioned. Youkai, who are precise users of Ki, have an unnatural control over their Ki to the point it essentially becomes an extension of their own will. Which is why most Youkai who make their ascension to God or Buddha are precise users of Ki," Ketna explained, much to Koneko's shock.
"Does that mean.." Koneko asked in shock.
"It means that there is virtually no way your sister could have lost control of her own powers without outside intervention. So either she was forced to enter her berserk state, which is EXTREMELY rare and difficult to do, or there was a reason why your sister murdered her previous master," Kenta explained to Koneko's shock.
"But she still murdered her previous master," Koneko replied sadly.
"She might have done that, but there is no reason you have to follow that path. You can always forge a path for yourself. You have a good family with you. People who want the best of you. Work with them; I am sure they will be willing to help you out if you ask for help," Kenta replied with a smile. His weird way of talking to Koneko out of her fear worked as she gave him one of her rare smiles.
"Thank you, Kenta-senpai," Koneko smiled back. She felt better than she had in years.
"Your welcome," Kenta replied with a smile as he returned to his branch to eat his homemade cookies. However, this time, he wasn't alone on the branch as Koneko joined him as well sat on his lap while lying on his chest. Kenta wanted to say something, but after seeing the peaceful expression on Koneko's face, he accepted her ask/demand and let her sit on her lap.
Kenta's POV
Just as we were relaxing in the cold breeze, the door of the house opened, and we both looked to see Issei come out and start walking in the direction of the park. We followed from a distance; he looked to be lost in thought, not even thinking about where he was walking.
He stopped in front of the fountain in the middle of the park.
'Well, we couldn't ask for a better piece of bait, middle of the night, and he's out in the open with no one around; if the fallen are going to attack, now's the time to do it.' I thought to myself.
No sooner had I thought that had I felt a familiar aura, is that Akeno; no there's no demonic aura from them; this feels completely holy but twisted.
A man appeared from the shadows with a long trench coat and a fedora; who the hell wears them anymore.
"That aura," I whispered as we watched.
"He's a fallen angel," Koneko replied, not taking her eyes off the scene.
"Go tell Rias and Marid; they're making their move. I'll keep this pervert alive until backup arrives," I said, moving into a squat to move if needed,
Koneko nodded as she stepped back and started to create her magic circle for teleport, "Alright, but be careful."
I smiled at her, "I'll be fine."
With a nod, Koneko disappeared into a magic circle, and I turned to watch events unfold. The fallen angel unfurled his black crow-like wings; that's not something you see every day.
Chapter Ends
I am bastard to end this on a cliff hanger but if I had included the confrontation between the Devils and the Fallen Angel, then this chapter would have been 10k plus words. Considering the amount of information, I pumped into this chapter regarding both Marid and Kenta, I felt like it was best that if I ended the chapter right here.
Lets have a little chapter recap shall we, we get to know more about Marid and his Alchemy. We saw his inventions and what he dreams of doing in the future. On the other hand, we also got to know a little bit more about Kenta's past. More stuff is coming soon on that soon.
Its actually crazy the amount of stuff I got planned for this story. Only if I had time!!!
P.S Keep an eye on my profile page since that is where I will be posting updates regarding my chapters. Like if there is a delay or something. Since we are heading into the exam season, I will be posting less and less for the time being, but once June hits, it's going to be open season people.
Until next time people!
Dragon God Zalama
Word count:- 8451