-Third Person POV-
The members of the Occult Research Club and the Student Council were, for lack of a better term...
Confused?
Distraught?
Or as Ren would presume, utterly bedazzled by his incomprehensible goal that would be considered madness only to those lacking in discernment.
He radiated no presence, no Mana. He was in complete and utter control; nevertheless, every syllable of his rant felt overwhelming.
Rias and Sona's minds raced, with each word being uttered only working to further his mystery rather than solve it.
A madman?
A magician?
Both?
A being far beyond their power?
Likely.
As the warm room felt strangely cold, Ren's collected tone demanded attention once more. "Any further questions?" He repeated his prior question, amid the shock, it seemed it flew right past their heads.
How kind of him to repeat it!
Rias and Sona paused for a moment and instantly exchanged looks with one another. An unspoken conversation between them that ended the second it started.
They both turned to narrow their gazes at Ren, whose fist leisurely held onto his chin as he leaned back into his comfortable sofa.
Rias answered with visible tenseness. "We're afraid we don't understand your goal-"
Ren's palm cut her off as he shook his head helplessly. "Ease yourselves, I don't quite appreciate the leakage of your measly power. I believe it is quite rude, isn't it?" His tone was chastising, yet light.
The present members had yet to release their held breaths, and even those familiar with him, like Akeno, could only keep that befuddled look on their faces.
Before anyone replied, Ren did something none of them expected.
He intentionally pointed his finger at the circle where Issei was supposed to pop out earlier. "I believe we are missing a crucial member of this conversation?" His lips curled up to form a knowing, terrifying smirk.
That was the final straw.
Everyone froze with utter astonishment, except Issei, who was too confused to still feel the pain in his crotch.
"...He's sharp, Lady Rias." A frigid feminine tone resounded in the room, as the magic circle flared in a red glow.
Atop it appeared a woman in a strange maid uniform.
"HOLY BAZONGAS!" It need not be emphasized whose reaction that was.
Ren's eyes immediately locked onto the uniformed lady with silver hair, for a moment, an enigmatic, unreadable expression crossed his features with a genuine hint of surprise before being quickly dismissed.
The maid bowed. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance. My name is Grayfia. I am a maid who serves the House of Gremory."
With a strange look, the smile wasn't lost on Ren, yet he tilted his head and inquired. "Likewise, however, are you truly just a maid?"
Her only response was a calm, unhindered gaze straight into his eyes.
Whatever she looked for, it didn't seem the had found it. "That is the case." Was her eventual reluctant answer.
Her actions had not mirrored her calm reluctance, however.
The room had turned glacial, a terrifying weight dropping on everyone's shoulders, as it became hard to breathe for those around Ren, and particularly Ren himself had felt the full brunt of it.
Not a single breath left his lips, as if he were truly... unaffected.
A moment later, it ceased.
Turning around, she mentioned to the assembled party. "Please continue this conversation as if I were not present." Without another word, with a dignified stroll, she moved to the corner of the room, standing steadfastly.
Much to Ren's... current unknown emotional state, her gaze never left his visage, as if ready to strike at a moment's notice.
He finally breathed again, not that anyone noticed. "A shame, then... Back to our talk, I discern your worry stems from the nature of my goals; you seek to appraise whether I am friend or foe?"
Sona took the bait easily enough with a nod; her expression, like everyone else's, was fatigued. "Yes... You clearly know of our positions; we'd like to be amicable if possible, form a line of communication." Her intent was leaking out; no subtlety was left in her speech.
"How would you regard the random pedestrian? Is he friend or is he foe to you, Devils?" Ren answered her question with an inquiry.
Rias was the one to respond, her lips pressing tightly. "Neither. But they can become one or the other depending on circumstances or if they do some-"
Ren's fingers clicked audibly, cutting off her speech. "Exactly so, Gremory-san. That is my position. And only certain things can shift it towards friend or foe, things beyond your capability of understanding."
Sona paused, her expression a mixture of both... cringe and seriousness.
She knew, how could she not?
She was a close friend of... this thing's sister.
"Are those certain things... Aura?" The words left her lips with a most distressing pause; her hesitation in the saying of the term appeared as if she were saying the most blasphemous thing in the world.
In fact, she's almost as likely to say that word as she is to say 'God'.
The term flew over the others' heads.
In the year 2008, being a man ahead of his time, Ren Kobayashi is the savant and coiner of Aura in this world.
Like the biblical Abraham, his epiphany regarding Aura was the only reason the Aura Gods graced him with the Aura System and their attention.
He was the first to discover and believe in their majesty.
Humming, Ren granted a noncommittal answer with a wave of his hand, "It seems Natsuki's been rather loose-mouthed." His tone was clearly displeased.
A loud, impatient huff reverberated in the room. "Come on! We're talking in circles!" Rias bemoaned, turning to Ren with a sharp look from her ocean-blue eyes. "Let's get to the point." She slammed her hand on the table, not lifting her gaze from the unhindered Ren. "Are we to be enemies or not?"
"I'll take it as you seeking terms of peace? Gremory-san?" Ren's tone wasn't all too pleased, but it was lightly indulgent.
For a moment, her confident smirk froze, replaced with an almost honest expression of resignation. "If it'll put this tiresome conversation to an end and bring us to a mutual understanding... yes."
She then turned to Grayfia, who stood on guard, "Could you bring me a contract?"
With a quiet nod, she gracefully approached and withdrew an already prepared paper and what seemed to be a magic pen.
...Or a regular pen, Ren couldn't tell.
It was a quiet few moments as Rias wrote her demands whilst whispering and arguing with Sona about what to add or remove.
In the meantime, Ren sipped on his casual tea, "Thank you for the refill, Himejima-senpai."
"Fufu, you still speak so casually after fooling me all this time. I feel hurt, you know?" How honest her words were was up for genuine debate.
Ren took another sip. "The decision to be fooled was yours, and so was the decision to feel hurt, I fear."
All the meanwhile the other members of the council and occult research club sat with a certain tense air to them, still trying to helplessly understand the anomaly before them.
The smart one was Issei, who sat like a dumb puppy on the floor, still holding onto his shattered legacy, the adrenaline finally running off - the assailant mercilessly ignoring his whimpers as she sat beside the source of anxiety in the room.
A few minutes later, Ren was handed a contract and began to read it, as Rias commented. "If there are any complaints with the terms, do bring them forward, and we'll see if we can adjust in your favor. Of course, in the section below, you will write your own demands and conditions."
Nodding quietly, he gave a read on all the terms with the expert eye of a veteran lawyer.
"It is satisfactory, no small nuances. I would have expected a devil to attempt something foolish." He commented as he regarded the two leaders.
Rias replied simply. "We first have to gain your trust to try something like that."
Ren agreed, "To give and take, is it?"
Sona nodded sharply. "You scratch our back, we'll scratch yours. However, it depends on your demands. We do not know what you want besides... Aura."
What is Aura?
How does one grant or pay someone... Aura?
Is it being an incomprehensible imbecile standing on a closed rooftop for no understandable reason?
Those kinds of thoughts passed through Sona's mind, and she decided to let Ren's demands answer those questions for her.
He huffed, taking the pen and writing his demands with elegant strokes that drew all eyes.
If only they knew he had been taking calligraphy classes since 2nd grade...
A few moments later, as if he had already prepared his demands a long time ago, Sona and Rias's eyes were met with the contract once more.
Their eyes wandered from one end of the paper to the other as the two of them processed it all.
For a moment, they both paused and exchanged perplexed looks for what seemed the umpteenth time this day.
"Is that... all?" Rias murmured with uncertainty.
Ren nodded, his arms raised with the indifference worthy of a man of his stature. "Truly. You have little you can supply me other than that."
Rias admitted innocently enough, "I'm confused, you seem pretty... well informed?"
Ren did all he could to suppress his gleeful grin to remain absolutely calm.
Why?
Because it was time... for Aura Farming Technique #2
"I am." He nodded.
"Then... why are you requesting access to our most advanced means of information?"
"It's not for me." He kept the most composed, unfazed poker face ever witnessed.
Rias repeated, frustration mounting. "Then for who...?"
"You don't have to know yet."
"Yet...?" Sona repeated as a certain glint appeared in her eyes.
A glint of understanding, "Ah... you were being this considerate?" Sona couldn't help but murmur with audible respect, much to Rias's confusion.
"Huh?"
"I'll tell you later," Sona answered her friend's perplexity.
Ren wasn't confused in the slightest. "It is the gentlemanly thing to do."
For a moment, the air lit up as a smile formed on Sona's face. "One way to put it. It's... nice to hear, I owe you one, Kobayashi-san."
Before he could reply, she turned to Rias, "We agree on the terms, correct?"
Her slightly hesitant look questioned Sona's sudden positive confidence, "Are you sure?" She whispered momentarily.
"Trust me. He's far nicer than he likes to admit..." She then mentioned. "After this is done, I have to head out immediately to the college division."
Nodding, they both turned to smile broadly towards the man of the hour. "We'll sign it."
"Then we have a deal, ladies." His smirk put theirs to shame.
As it was being signed and contracted, the maid in the corner couldn't help but feel that the young devil heiresses were scammed.
Physically, mentally, spiritually, and financially.
She couldn't quite tell why, though.
-------------------------------
-Ren POV-
The afternoon had turned into late evening following the procedures, as the setting sun graced my features with an almost dashing glow.
Leaving the premises of my supernaturally inhabited school, I kept my composure and grace as I always had.
But now, of all times, it had been much harder than usual.
It was so, incredibly, excruciatingly, hard... to wipe the grin from my face.
Ah... exactly as planned.
[+400 Aura Points!]
EXACTLY! AS! PLANNED!
Splendid...
Not only did I get to utilize Aura Farming Technique #2 - The Double Down. But I also got a deal far less costly than I expected from the Devils!
I! Scammed! A Devil!
Surely that's worth some Aura Points?!
[+20 Aura Points]
THANK YOU, LORDS!
...
Regardless, all I must do is report once a week regarding any 'suspicious' activities going around or I've been doing, which is easy enough to fool as is.
I then repeated the quote on quote warning. "Any fallacy that will be caught will be punished with the full brunt of the Houses Gremory and Sitri."
Speaking of which, that was one frightening maid I managed to call out using the context clues and conjecture of them preparing something beforehand against someone as formidable as I.
If a bit earlier, President Shitori, or Sitri, could swat me off the face of the planet.
That maid can erase my existence with a glare if she really wanted to.
She almost did; that was a close call.
A Secondary Camera Scene, yet my life was still at risk.
But the fear for my life is only triumphed by the excitement of... how higher can it get?!
My Deception was enough for her, having practiced holding my breath for a whopping 10 minutes straight before the System's arrival, but I must arrive at a stage in the path of strength where I can farm my Aura even against such beasts!
Not to sound rude to a young lady doing her honest work, Mom taught me better.
I huffed out of my nose, "What a simple price."
The value of information cannot be underestimated, any longer that I am in the shadows of the unknown, the less likely I am... TO GAIN AURA!
With the means of information at my grasp? I truly am unstoppable.
A wonderful day, a bountiful day.
-------------------------------
Something was off.
The air had a sweet, sickly taste to it, almost similar to the one there was back in the Occult Research Club's interior.
"...How quaint." I huffed.
Is there truly one of them in my household right now?
All I did was benchpress cars in the junkyard, and one of them decided to visit not so long after our fruitful conversation.
Such impatience.
I turned my head around to find both Mom and Dad in the comfortable clutches of our illustrious sofa.
"If they were hostile, this would have appeared much worse." I had released a sigh of relief at that realization.
Well, they are likely in my room.
With a steady step up the stairs, I ready my instincts for any assault from Natsuki - I'll have to subdue the Anti Aura quickly to not delay the confrontation with our unannounced visitor.
"Hmm?"
Strange, I managed to get past the stairs and the door to her room without any physical or verbal abuse... is she not home?
Shaking my head, I approached with fluid movements, making sure not mask my presence, lest it damage any show of confidence.
My hand extended to the doorknob, turning it with casual ease.
Pushing it open with a careless creak, my Aura-filled room seems to have been invaded by...
"Natsuki? What are you doing here?"
The Anti-Aura sat gleefully on my throne.
The mere sight made my eye twitch uncontrollably, my composure trembling.
She smiled brightly, suspiciously.
Something was wrong.
Her statement had a strange, uncharacteristic seriousness to it. "I've heard some things... You and I..."
This couldn't be good.
And then...
"We've got a lot to talk about, little bro." As her last words left her lips, a sudden, shocking sight appeared before me.
Terrifying, batlike appendages tore through her back... a pair of wings.
My mouth fell immediately.
"T-This is..."
No, no, no...
Surely, it couldn't be, right?
"That's right, I became a Devil."
I was outplayed by Sitri.
[-200 Aura Points!]
My very own blood sister turned into a Devil.
[-800 Aura Points!]
[WARNING! YOU HAVE ENTERED AURA DEBT! AURA REWARDS CUT BY 40%!]
...
A smile I didn't know found its place on my face.
"You know, Big sis. If my life were to be named after a modern Japanese novel... Its title would be - 'My Big Sister Can't Be This-'"
She cut me off, answering cheekily, "Cute~?"
I barked out a dry, pained chuckle.
"MY BIG SISTER CAN'T BE THIS RETARDED! THAT'S THE TITLE! YOU IDIOTIC CRETIN! WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO!?"
She paused, in true befuddlement, "W-What? Sona-chan said you approve-"
"FUCK MY APPROVAL! IT'S A BASIC FUCKING CONCEPT! YOU DON'T MAKE DEALS WITH A DEVIL UNLESS YOU ARE BETTER THAN HIM!"
"WHAT NOW?! YOU'LL GO TO HELL IF YOU DIE!"
"I'll live for thousands of years and-"
"ROCKET SCIENTIST MY ASS! CAN'T EVEN DO BASIC MATH! YOU'LL STILL EVENTUALLY DIE, RIGHT?! THEN WHAT'S ETERNITY IN HELL COMPARED TO A FEW THOUSAND YEARS OF BLISS? DUMBASS! WHERE'S YOUR HUMAN PRIDE!?"
"Hell isn't even bad, she showed me a few-"
"SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUC-"
****
We cut this entry of The Aura Farmer in DxD Chapter 7 due to excessive sibling violence.
A fight Ren had lost, due to his sister's cheat-like sudden enhancement of strength, losing him a further 20 Aura points.
Please stand by for Chapter 8.
Thank you.
To Be Continued!
-Author Note Start-
Never expected to update this, but here we go. You should respect the determination of some of you; they were 100% responsible for this update.
Anyway, Ren has been nerfed, or so to speak, outplayed because his sister exists.
He came with a very clean win with the negotiation, but now his DECEPTION is on shaky ground thanks to her.
LMAO.
Anyway, hope the chapter's been to your enjoyment thus far.
Bu Bye.
See you... eventually?