Hyoudou Residence
Asia woke up in an unfamiliar room, blinking in confusion as she glanced around. *(Where am I?)* At that thought, the memories of yesterday returned, bringing a small smile to her face.
She headed downstairs, the smell of breakfast guiding her, and found Miki Hyoudou at the stove stirring eggs.
"Good morning, Mrs. Hyoudou," Asia greeted politely.
Miki turned, surprised, then her expression softened into a warm smile. "Oh, good morning, sweetheart. Why don't you call me *mom*? No need for honorifics here."
Asia flushed lightly, fumbling over her words. "O-okay… m-mom."
"That's better," Miki chuckled. "Would you like to help with breakfast?"
Asia brightened. "Yes! Can I?"
"Of course. You can start with the bacon."
A few minutes later, as they worked side by side, Miki glanced at her again. "Asia, could you go wake up Gorou and Issei?"
"Okay, I'll be right back, mom."
Her smile widened at the word, and she made her way upstairs. She knocked on Gorou's door first.
"I'm awake, I'll be down soon," came his groggy reply.
Asia then hesitated before Issei's door. He hadn't answered her knocks, and her worry grew. "Issei? Issei?" Still nothing.
Miki's voice drifted from the kitchen below: *(Ah… I forgot to tell her Issei isn't a morning person…)*
Asia opened the door in a rush—and froze.
Issei was sprawled on his bed, shirtless, snoring. Her cheeks turned crimson.
Issei groaned awake, rubbing his eyes, only to see Asia blushing at his bedside. His gaze darted nervously around his room—anime figures, posters, and all sorts of merchandise cluttered every corner. *(Great, she saw everything. Now she knows I'm a hopeless otaku…)*
But instead of recoiling, Asia's eyes lit with curiosity as she studied the colorful collection.
*(That's right… she grew up in the Church. She probably never got to enjoy things like this…)*
A manic little glint sparked in Issei's eyes. *(Yes… this is my chance. I'll corrupt her with culture. I'll start with JoJo's…)*
"What did you say?" Asia tilted her head.
"Ah—don't worry about it," Issei stammered, quickly standing.
"Breakfast is ready," Asia reminded him softly.
"Oh. Okay."
At the table, the family ate quietly until Miki broke the silence. "So, what are you two planning for today?"
"We're going shopping for Asia's clothes," Issei said. "Then I'll be meeting up with my club later."
"Oh, so you'll be home late?" Gorou asked with a knowing smirk at Miki.
"Ew, Dad, don't say it like that," Issei groaned. "But yeah, maybe."
Streets of Kouh
The first half of the day was spent with Issei proudly introducing Asia to the legendary series *JoJo's*. They walked together afterward, chatting as they made their way toward the mall.
"So, are you going to school with me?" Issei asked.
"Yes. I would love to."
"I'll ask Rias then. Hopefully we'll be in the same class."
"I hope so too. But… why would your classmates dislike you? You're such a nice person."
Issei sighed. "Because… I used to peek on the girls' changing room. Since most of the students are girls, they all kind of… hate me."
Asia blinked. "Why would you do that?"
"My Sacred Gear was… messing with my emotions before it awakened," he admitted sheepishly.
Her expression softened, Twilight Healing faintly glowing around her hands. "Are you okay now? Is there anything I can do to help?"
Issei smiled, gently holding her hands. "It's more manageable now that I'm a devil." He shifted their hands, intertwining her fingers with his. *(She doesn't seem to mind…)*
Asia only nodded, though a faint sadness lingered on her face. "I just wish I could do more to repay your kindness."
Kouh Mall
They wandered through the clothing stores, with Asia browsing outfits and Issei offering input where needed. But when they reached the lingerie section, trouble arrived.
Two of Issei's female classmates spotted him, glaring and whispering.
"Hey, it's the pervert."
"He's probably here to peek again. Is he forcing that girl with him?"
Issei's chest burned with anger, but before it could boil over, Asia squeezed his hand tightly.
The fierce look in her eyes stunned him. It was a side of her he never expected.
He exhaled. *(As long as I have her… I don't care what they think.)*
"Let's go," he muttered, pulling her past them. Asia didn't stop glaring at the girls until they were gone.
Later, at checkout, Issei was buried beneath a mountain of clothes.
"You're sure you don't need help?" Asia asked.
"Y-yeah, I'm good," Issei grunted from behind the pile.
When it came time to pay, both spoke at once. "I'll handle it."
"No, Issei, you've already done so much for me. The Church gave me some money before…"
"Don't worry about it. I got this," Issei insisted.
He swiped his card, smiling on the outside while crying internally. *(That's… almost all the money I saved over the past two years…)*
Abandoned Church – Later That Evening
The devils stood together outside the ruined building: Rias, Akeno, Yuuto, Koneko, Issei, and Asia.
"Tonight," Rias declared, "we end this."
Inside, Freed's manic laughter rang through the hollow chapel. "Well, well, well! Looks like we don't need to go hunting—those filthy devils came right to us!"
"Shut up, Freed," Raynare snapped, her voice laced with irritation. She was the only one who seemed to grasp the weight of the situation.
"I'll finally get my revenge on that brat!" Dohnaseek growled, his three metallic wings clashing noisily behind him, his eyes burning with madness.
Kalawarner leaned lazily against the wall. "I wonder if any of them are cute."
Mittelt hovered silently above, her expression unreadable.
The battle for Kouh was about to begin.
---