"Get back here Milli!"
Just before the excitable red head could actually jump into the proffered seat, Koneko's King finally decided to start acting as an aunt. Gripping the child's arm with both a firm and careful hand, she dragged him behind her like some kind of overly aggressive mama bear. Her teeth bared as she glared at the fishing man.
"But…" Millicas, truly showing his age, whined. "Why? He knows Mother and Father, and even fought in the war!"
"We don't know if that's true or not!" Rias scolded the boy, but the edge of concern began to leave a rather strange 'aftertaste'. Like a surprise sour taste after licking through the sweet layer of a lollipop, nothing unpleasant just a bit jarring. "Plus besides, didn't your Mother teach you not to get too close to strangers? That's how little boys like you get snatched up by older Gyarus!"
Both Koneko and Akeno shared a glance at that, both intimately aware of her rather strange phrasing. Their King would be what most people call an Japanophile, someone completely in-love and obsessed with everything involving Japan. From the festivals, to the food, to the historical locations, artifacts, people and literature. Anime and manga being the primary pillars holding up her obsession. To the point where she considered most of those imaginary stories being iron clad law. She once threw a hissy fit as a kid because Son Goku wasn't a real person.
And it seems, she's even throwing around advice and admonishments based on the doujins she probably thought was somewhat sound.
"G-Gyarus?" Millicas looked up at his aunt with wide, terrified eyes. "What is that? Is it some kind of monster or something?"
"Yes!" Rias puffed out her chest in undeserved pride. "They're tall, tanned creatures that prey on little boys like you! Some of them will even go so far as to snatch you off the train if you go alone!"
"...Will my spells work on them?"
"No. Gyarus are a terrifying creature, they'll enthrall and tease you to the point where you'll never have the chance to fight back!"
"S-so terrifying!" The poor red head shivered in place, skin losing a few shades. "Why hasn't Mother or Father done anything to stop them?"
"They disguise themselves as normal humans of course, in a crowd of other humans they're completely impossible to separate them from the general populace. But don't be fooled! They can be anywhere! On the train, walking on the streets, in school, out shopping, anywhere really!"
"...Is he a Gyaru?"
Millicas looked over at the figure that seem to have completely ignored their little play, seeming a bit wary after his aunt's 'advice'.
"No, Gyaru is a term for females." If Rias had her glasses, she would be pushing them far up the bridge of her nose. Maybe with some magic that caused them to flicker slightly….something Koneko had definitely see her do plenty of times in the past. "Gyaruo is the male equivalent."
"So does that mean it's really her in danger?" The young heir tilted his head in the white haired girl's direction, who only looked on with the face of a statue. A very fed up statue. If only he wasn't her King's nephew….if only.
"While this show had been amusing at first, you are scaring away the fish." A deep and annoyed voice stepped into the conversation, the long forgotten man making himself known once more. The red head only coughed into her fist slightly and pushed her nephew behind her with a casual hand, say what you wanted about Rias but no one could ever say she wasn't protective of Millicas.
"I apologize for my display, that was entirely unbecoming of a Devil such as I." She did not bow or even deign to nod her head, that mask of grace back in place. It seems the Devil had gotten herself back on track. Koneko could understand, she really could. Rias was getting pretty desperate, especially with her engagement coming up, even more so. Even to the point where she had her keep an eye on the Perverted Trio. As some kind of whiff began to emit from them...other than the usual smell wafting off of them..
She shivered in disguise as her own sense of smell betrayed her.
'I can't believe they do all...that together..'
"But I do have some questions that I certainly hope you can answer, I'll reward you if you do." There the red head rapidly blinked her large blue eyes, an instant charm on any human or other supernatural race out there. Something they had all seen her practice plenty of times in that exact same mirror. "If what you speak of true, then I must assume you're some sort of powerful Magician? If so, I have a very profitable proposal to present. Become my Contracted Magician and you'll have everything you could ever want or need. Money, women...men? I don't judge. Either way, isn't it better than staying in this territory under the nose of the Yokai? They aren't known to be very tolerant of humans to begin with…"
The classic carrot and stick trick. Throw out an almost unresistible bait to stir their greed while holding out a threat to make them feel a sense of urgency. Because that's what that last part of her word were, a barely disguised threat. Everyone knew it. Refusing her offer would result in her blabbing her mouth off to the nearest Yokai in power and it wouldn't be long before they rip this trespasser to shreds. How he snuck in and stayed hidden for so long, Koneko didn't know. But what she did know was that this little threat wouldn't work on the man before her, especially if he truly was some sort of druid. That ancient tree behind him was enough to at least buy him time to disappear into the endless forest that surrounded Kyoto.
And honestly, if he truly was anywhere near as old as he stated then she truly didn't want to make an enemy out of this man. Less she would need to constant look over her shoulder and keep an eye out for any weird plant-life or creatures paying extra attention to her.
"It's funny," Despite the man's back facing them, the smile on his face was evident. Ridicule dripping from those lips," Your brother, Sirzechs, once offered me something similar all those years ago. He wanted me to join his peerage and offered me anything I could ever want."
"What did you say?" Millicas poked his head from behind Rias's legs. "I don't recognize you from Father's peerage, I thought Mother was the last member? And why would you turn him down?"
"Simple," Here the black hair churned with movement, liquid and inky as a river, leaving grass blades to rustle and roots to untangle. A single azure eye bored into their very souls, weight so heavy that it was like a vile beast was stacking them up for the slaughter," If there's anything in this world I want, who would dare stand in my way?"
There Koneko sensed just a single strand of energy, smaller than even the thinnest of threads. A mere wisp. But that was more than enough for her already pale skin to grow cold and bile to bubbled up from her throat. Every hair on her body stood on end, ears sticking right up and tail standing ramrod straight. Her limbs moved automatically, a long ingrained instinct guiding her movements in that movement.
Embarrassingly, she found herself on all fours with her tail sticking straight up and backing away. Truly like some sort of cat who had their tail stepped on. She was sure a series of hisses would be expelling themselves from her mouth if only her maw wasn't so incredibly dry.
She didn't even need to look around to know none of her party was doing any better. Akeno, had long since fallen on her navy skirt. Something the Perverted Trio would've traded away their own parents away for just a mere peak. Rias looked at least a bit more dignified as to be huddled protectively over the ball that was Millicas, who had turned into a shivering mess.
This was power. True, unadulterated power that none of them had any hopes of resisting in the slightest. Memories flashed behind those yellow eyes as the Yokai accepted her inevitable death. Another pair yellow eyes gazed down lovingly at her, black hair so inky that it made Akeno's seem a bit dull in comparison. Those teasing expressions, the warmth that she had missed beyond anything else. And that night. The night where everything turned on its head.
Hiding underneath that cellar as Nekomata were slaughtered above, forced to do nothing but hold her breath still in hopes of the wrathful Devils from finding her. Those agony filled cries cut short, begging, cursing, it didn't matter. They all turned into an indistinguishable mash of sound. A cacophony of chaos slamming into her psyche.
"Enough."