The streets of Kuoh were mostly empty now, bathed in the soft blue hues of dusk, but Yuuji Hoshino's shoulders burned with effort.
"Damn, Hyoudou… how are you this heavy?" he grunted, Issei slumped on his back, unconscious but breathing. One step at a time, Yuuji trudged forward, arms hooked beneath Issei's legs and torso.
It had taken all of his strength to lift him up at the park, but Yuuji had somehow made it back to his neighborhood. His mind was still racing from what had just happened—the voice, the light, the healing… his chest still faintly tingled from where the strange energy had bloomed.
After several more minutes and a lot of awkward maneuvering, Yuuji kicked his door shut behind him and dragged Issei into his bedroom. He collapsed forward, letting the other boy fall onto his mattress with a soft thump.
"Okay," Yuuji muttered, breathing hard, "you're not dead. That's good. I think."
He stared down at Issei, whose face was peaceful now, even with blood still dried on his collar. It didn't make sense. None of this made sense.
Yuuji sat cross-legged at the foot of the bed, wiping his brow with the sleeve of his jacket. Then he glanced at Issei's hand—the one that had glowed earlier. He leaned closer.
"Hey. Voice-thing. You still in there?" he whispered.
Nothing.
"Ddraig, was it? You seemed real chatty earlier. Wanna explain what the hell just happened? Because I'm very confused right now and very not qualified for this magical nonsense."
Silence.
Yuuji sighed and flopped onto his back. "Of course. Figures."
He stared at the ceiling, fingers tapping nervously against his chest.
"What even was that power…?"
—
A few minutes later, Yuuji sat at his desk, scrolling through his phone for any clue about "Ddraig," "magic healing," or… anything supernatural really. No luck. Just online fanfics and fantasy wikis.
That's when a groggy voice behind him muttered:
"…Where… am I?"
Yuuji turned just as Issei sat up, eyes wide with panic. "What—?! I—I'm alive?!"
Yuuji stood. "Hey, take it easy. You're okay. Barely."
Issei blinked hard. "Wait… Hoshino?"
"Yeah. You kind of collapsed half-dead in the park."
Issei's eyes flicked around the room. "Your place…? How…?"
"You bled all over my hoodie, so I figured I earned the right to drag you home."
Issei slumped back on the bed, still clearly disoriented.
"I remember… her… that girl… she had wings. Black ones. She called herself Raynare…" His voice grew distant, then bitter. "Guess I really know how to pick 'em."
Yuuji folded his arms, frowning. "You're telling me you got stabbed by a girl with wings? On your first date?"
Issei groaned. "Yeah, pretty much. Best night of my life turned into the worst real quick."
"Damn," Yuuji said quietly. "That's rough, man. I mean… I kinda rooted for you."
Issei managed a half-smile. "Thanks."
There was a beat of silence between them.
Yuuji scratched the back of his neck. "You wanna… go to the police or something?"
Issei shook his head quickly. "No way. No one's gonna believe we got attacked by a flying chick with black feathers. They'll think we're high—or insane."
Yuuji raised a brow. "Fair point. Not sure I believe it and I was there."
He opened his closet and tossed Issei a clean T-shirt and sweats. "Here. Unless you want your guts hanging out again on the way home."
Issei caught the clothes. "Thanks. Seriously."
Yuuji shrugged. "Don't mention it. You owe me, though."
As Issei stood to change, something slipped out of his pocket—a crumpled piece of paper with a strange circular symbol inked in red. It shimmered faintly under the bedroom light.
Yuuji raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"
Issei picked it up slowly, staring. "Oh… I got this at the café I went to with Raynare. It was part of the menu or something. I don't know. She said it was a cute souvenir…"
His voice dropped.
"I thought… for once, someone actually liked me. Someone saw me and… didn't care I was a loser."
Yuuji frowned, sitting back down beside him. "You know… maybe someone better will come along. No lies. No knives. Hopefully not a psycho bird-woman."
Issei laughed weakly. "Yeah. Hopefully."
He stared at the paper again, more solemn now. "When I was bleeding out… right before I passed out… I remember looking at my hand. The blood… it was red. But it reminded me of her."
"Her?"
"Rias Gremory."
Yuuji blinked. "The Occult Club girl?"
Issei nodded, dazed. "Her hair. That crimson color. It's weird. I barely even know her, but… in that moment, I wished I could see her one more time."
The moment felt oddly… poetic. Until—
"I also really wished I could've fondled her funbags," Issei muttered solemnly.
Yuuji deadpanned. "Seriously?"
Issei looked sheepish. "Old habits die hard?"
Before Yuuji could reply, the paper in Issei's hands began to glow—its red symbol pulsing like a heartbeat.
"Uh…" Issei panicked and tossed it across the room.
It landed near the corner—and then ignited. A large red magic circle expanded outward, glowing brighter and brighter, the air pulsing with energy. The room shook lightly, a low humming vibrating through the walls.
Both boys backed up toward the wall.
"Okay! This is new! What do we do?!" Issei yelped.
"I don't know!" Yuuji shouted. "You're the one who brought cursed café coupons!"
Then—a figure emerged from the circle. A girl, clad in Kuoh Academy's uniform, stood with elegance and poise. Her crimson hair flowed behind her like fire, her eyes cool and intelligent.
Black bat-like wings unfurled from her back.
She looked between the two boys, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
"Well," she said calmly, "which one of you summoned me?"