This chapter is cut into multiple parts for better reader retention. Please leave Power Stones if you enjoy.
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"Nervous for your first day?" Tying the laces of his shoes, Issei stood up with his bag.
"Very nervous..." The ex-nun appeared to grow more worried by the question, having been anxious all morning. The dreaded day had arrived and Asia struggled to find any courage in her timid heart. "I don't know the language very well... I'm scared I won't be able to communicate properly..."
He rested a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder, smiling down encouragingly. "It'll be alright, trust me. Rias-senpai said you'll be assigned to my class and you won't be called on for anything. Just give a small introduction and you're in the clear."
"I don't know... is going to school really a good idea?" She hesitantly asked, shyly pressing the tips of her fingers together. "What if I mess up? What if no one likes me?"
"If no one likes you, then I'll give 'em something not to like." Issei palmed his fist hard, the mere thought of someone picking on Asia had him ready to throw down. He'd even chokeslam a chick if she so much as looked at Asia wrong. His aggressive response immediately backfired, causing the innocent girl to inhale sharply and bring her hands over her mouth in unexpected shock. He dropped his tough act in the blink of an eye, laughing it off. "J-just kidding. But I got your back, so don't think you're alone in there."
Her hands came down, giving him a gracious smile. "Thank you, Issei. And..." She played with her fingers again, rolling them over each other as a demure blush formed on her face. "N-never mind... P-please continue looking after me."
"Of course. That's what friends are for." Routinely throwing his schoolbag over his shoulder, Issei glanced back into his home to find their other companion walking over towards them, licking icing off her thumb. He gave her a dry look, this one much less subtle than the ones during breakfast. "Did you seriously use magic on my mom to get her to make donuts?"
"I didn't," Koneko responded simply, a small sigh leaving her as she licked the last bit of sweetness clean.
Hot. Wait, no. He was supposed to be questioning her. "Then how the hell did you convince her to do that?"
"I didn't," She replied again, kneeling down to slip her school shoes on.
"You're mother is so nice, Issei," Asia clapped her hands together, thinking over her interactions with the older woman fondly. "She's always so considerate and checks in on me often. It's only been a couple days and I already feel at home." It was all thanks to his mother that she adjusted so well. Both of Issei's parents had embraced Asia into their home with open arms without any need of magic. After a heavily abridged version of her story, they simply couldn't turn the girl away.
"She may be nice to you two, but she's mean to me," Issei grumbled, opening the front door as Koneko slipped her own schoolbag on like a backpack.
"That isn't true. She loves you." Asia was quick to come to the woman's defense, the tiniest of pouts on her lips.
"Not enough to make me donuts in the morning," He complained, ignoring the fact that all of them had gotten some of that delicious glazed dough, only that Koneko had gotten more than a couple of extra helpings. Hearing slight ruffling from the short junior next to him, he turned to see said sugarholic with a see-through plastic cup filled to the brim with bite-sized chocolate chip cookies inside. "Are you serious?! She gave you that, too?!"
"Yep." The loli didn't wait a second longer cracking the lid off the cup, digging into her second sweet treat of the day.
"Why?!"
"Light snack."
"Light snack?!" He felt himself growing crazy with all this preferential treatment she was getting. "And you're eating them right now? You're not going to save them for lunch?"
Easily finishing the tiny cookie, Koneko tapped one of the straps on her shoulder, gesturing towards her bag. "I got another one."
Issei sputtered, indignant as he was unable to formulate a coherent response to the baffling revelation. Asia's reaction was the total opposite as she beamed positively at the smaller girl. "Isn't Mrs. Hyoudou such a sweet lady?"
"Mhm," Koneko agreed, popping another cookie into her mouth. All the while Issei silently fumed as they continued making their way to school.
The walk was as ordinary as it always was. Rather, as ordinary as it had became. After a girl like Koneko had been following him along for the past week, his walk to school couldn't come much more bizarre. A second person as meek as Asia didn't change a whole lot. Her worry was still clear as day painted across her face, but the casual way he and the cookie-crumbler behaved seemed to let her know that she was overthinking it. Agonizing over it excessively wouldn't do her any good, so the cherubic girl tried remaining optimistic as the building to Kuoh Academy came into sight.
Other students were appearing as they too approached the school. Whispers and looks were sent their way and Asia shriveled up under them. Keeping her calm, Issei made sure he was close enough to be in her line of sight. "Those looks aren't for you, Asia. Sorry, I forgot to mention it earlier, but I'm not the most popular guy around these parts."
"You got that right," Koneko chided.
"Shush!" He hushed the white-haired girl, not liking the fact she so readily agreed.
"W-what do you mean?" Asia wasn't happy to hear that. Issei was a good person. Why didn't people like him?
"He's a pervert," Koneko answered too quickly for him to do anything about it. "Remember all those pictures strung up on his bedroom walls?"
It didn't take long for Asia to get what she was referring to, a blush quickly coming to her face. Issei wanted to rebuttal and defend himself, but surrounded by the student body who were all vastly aware of his proclivities... he couldn't.
At the very least, he still appealed to the blonde. "A fresh start means you're already more popular than me. And unlike me, a lot of people like Koneko. I'm sure once people know you two are friends, they'll like you in no time."
"Y-you think so?" A hopeful look crossed Asia's eyes before she frowned. "But I want people to like you, too..."
"They'll come around. They all will, once they acknowledge that I'm the Harem Ki-"
"Hyoudou-san." A feminine voice called out from nearby. Having just passed the front gates, the three of them turned to see two bespectacled women staring at them. The one who had spoken being the shorter of the two in front with a bob cut hairstyle.
"Sitri-san? Err, Shitori-san?" Quickly correcting himself, Issei was surprised to hear her call out to him. She hadn't done that in a bit.
A couple quiet gasps left a couple students who were nearby the gate. Sona's power within the school always had students on high-alert, getting them nervous when she addressed a person. When they saw it was Issei she had called out to, a few subtle grins spread over their faces as they waited to see how the pervert got in trouble this time. One narrowed look from the student council president had all their bodies lock up and hurry away, not wanting to be on the receiving end of her wrath.
Rid of their eavesdroppers, her violet eyes temporarily glanced behind him at the new student transferring in, then back into his own. "I'd like to speak to you in the student council room. There are a few things I wish to discuss."
"Again, huh?" A part of Issei expected something like this. Now that their acquaintanceship had changed from being punisher and punished to more friendly terms, and the fact he'd inadvertently entered the supernatural world, they would naturally speak to each other more. The swift change in the way she interacted with him still felt weird and needed some getting used to. His instinctive thoughts were to plead forgiveness for the stunts he may or may not have pulled.
Koneko's gold orbs narrowed ever so slightly, wondering just what the other King in the area was trying to pull, before concealing it once she felt the Queen's eyes on her. Whatever this was, it likely wasn't good for Rias.
What a pain. She knew she was going to have to speak up about this later in the club.
"Yes. In fact, there are a few questions I would like to ask you now. It'll only take a minute," Sona said, inwardly berating herself. Her head turned towards Koneko and Asia. "You two please move on to class."
Lips twitching downward, Koneko wanted to defy the woman. Her contract with Issei would permit her to do so, but creating strife with the King wasn't a good move. She had already been in enough trouble following along with the boy's plans. Making a move that would only cause more between their parties without any permission to was a hard pass.
With a blank, reluctant nod, she tugged on Asia's sleeve. "Come. I'll show you where your class is."
Maybe if she had a few more donuts in her she could spare the energy to interfere, but it is what it is. Telling Rias was all she needed to do, anyway. No need to walk extra miles she didn't need to.
"B-but Issei..." Asia looked more nervous now that she was being separated from the boy.
"I won't be long. He'll have enough time to make it to class." Sona made a quick gesture to her Queen standing beside her. "Tsubaki, please go along with them. Help our new student feel more accustomed."
"As you wish," Tsubaki bowed her head lightly, stepping next to the girls. "Hello, Argento-san. If you would please follow me."
Her straightforward greeting unnerved the newcomer, but she agreed with a shy nod and gave Issei one last look, herself and Koneko towing behind the taller senior towards the school building.
"Right then. Let's move over here, away from the gate." Sona led Issei away from the front, avoiding any more attention from other students. Any onlooker would just think he was getting scolded again. As they moved under a lush tree, she eyed the three girls walking away, making sure they had entered the building. She knew the Rook had adept hearing capabilities.
She had unintentionally made a mistake earlier - having been too forward in her approach when she addressed Issei. Though she hadn't caught any expression on the servant, Sona knew that Rias wanted the boy and her peerage members would be made aware of that. Her intervention could be considered undermining, which was true in its own right. They both wanted Issei for their own peerages. However, these methods could lead to the destruction of their alliance and one of them would be forced to leave through a Rating Game; that was something she didn't want.
The main crux was that Sona could undermine Rias, but she couldn't do so blatantly. If Issei chose her instead out of his own volition, there wasn't anything Rias could do. She may have complaints and be upset with her, but that was the extent. That little Rook would definitely alert her King that something was up. She had to make more inconspicuous moves to coerce the boy to choose her.
Two can play at that game. Sona had her own suspicions about the white-haired devil following Issei around. "I've noticed that you and Rias's Rook are around each other a lot lately. I take it this isn't mere friendship?"
The boy blinked in confusion, before a blush formed across his face. "N-no, we're not dating or anything. Heck, I wish!" He laughed awkwardly, clearing his throat as he realized he shouldn't have confessed that. "We're just friends."
"Just friends... You mean the two of you are not bound by a contract?"
"Hey, how'd you know?" His eyelids raised upward.
Knew it. Her suspicions were right on the money. She knew Rias was keeping him protected, but not that they had formed a contract to do so. Of course Rias would have made it to have one of her lackey's follow him around under the guise of protection - a mere ruse crafted to link a line of connection with him. Smart, but shortsighted. If her plans hinged on that alone, she would still have issues convincing him to join. He could just find another devil to contract with after his expired. Someone like herself, who would absolutely take that opportunity.
No, there had to be more to it. Issei already seemed to be fearful of the supernatural. Though they've discussed devilkind, he didn't have extensive knowledge of what could be out there to get him. Rias might've fearmongered or sneakily pressured him about the dangers surrounding him, instilling greater fear and sprouting a desire to join her peerage permanently. He was already in her club - something she easily ascertained by watching him head to the old school building after school for the past week. There were already fallen angels searching for him. A week was more than enough time to convince him that the rest of the world was out for his neck.
The Rias she knew wasn't very underhanded, but Sona refused to be outplayed. Letting her guard down and being hands-off like she had wasn't going to cut it anymore. If she was going to get him, she needed stronger moves. Just like in chess, that was the only way to win.
Leaning inward, Sona closed the gap between them and took his hand in hers, only a couple of inches separating them. The boy immediately blushed like crazy, naturally jolting away in surprise. She held him in place, careful to use the correct level of force so their hands remained linked without injuring him. Her experimental squeezes confirmed her worry was misplaced. "You've gotten much stronger... is this Rias's doing?"
Issei stumbled over his words like a crackhead having an episode. He didn't expect her to get so close. "N-no, uh... I've been doing some training with Koneko. You know, uh... try'na get jacked?"
"So it is Rias's doing..." Sona mumbled more to herself than him. Giving a few more squeezes, her fingers linked into his own while her other hand brushed under his sleeve to grasp his wrist. She could feel him squirm and his body turning warm, and she actively had to fight to keep her own composure. Something like this usually wouldn't bother her at all... if her feelings towards him hadn't been changed ever since that day.
Feeling up his wrist and forearm, Sona was given a fair grasp of his strength. At a point, the body no longer externally showed the power it held within, but it was still a decent measure for humans who recently received power. Issei didn't need to get 'jacked' as he put it, because he already was. His physical strength was much more than a simple week of training should have afforded him.
Just what was going on? Was this boy truly that special?
...Maybe he was.
Letting the boy go, Sona placed a hand on her hip, cocking it slightly. "Very impressive, Issei-san. You've done phenomenal work getting stronger," She complimented, in which he showed his appreciation with a second mess of jumbled up words. "I'll let you go off to class, but I must remind you to come by the student council room during lunch period. I'll have food prepared for you, so do be quick. There is much to converse over."
"I-I'll do that, thanks." Accepting her request, Issei turned and made off like a rabbit. As he headed for the front doors, he could feel the devil's eyes following him until he went in. He totally made himself look like a fool, but he just didn't expect that kind of proximity from the stern, no nonsense girl.
Pathetic. How could he rule over women if that was his response when one touched him? He had to get better at that.
There was some concern with Sona about asking him questions, especially someone as clever as she was. But after having plenty of these conversations by this point and getting the ability to brace himself for it, he wasn't too worried. Whatever it was, he would talk exactly like how he did with Rias. In fact, he was excited to meet up with her after she mentioned food. Last time had been far too excellent. He felt hungry just thinking about it.
Oblivious to any of Sona's intentions or the cunning moves being made by each of the peerage leaders, Issei went off to his class.