Chapter 2
Issei grumbled tiredly as his anime girl themed alarm rang. He weakly reached out and turned it off, not even bothering to look up. The anime themed girl was that of a yandere, a one eyed girl with a chainsaw spewing curses at him indirectly. "Man, that alarm gives me the weirdest dreams…" Issei muttered as he rubbed his head. He sat up in his bed and yawned before widening his eyes. The memories from the day before were a blur, but the so called 'dream' that came to his mind felt very real. That's impossible, right?
He suddenly heard light snoring from the corner of his room, causing him to jump in surprise. He blinked as he realized that Josuke was sitting against the wall in the corner of the room, his head leaning over and his arms crossed. Issei tilted his head in question, having no memory of seeing his best friend the previous day. He kicked his feet off his bed and slowly got up, walking over to Josuke and shaking him awake.
"Josuke, wake up." Issei said tiredly, lightly gripping his shoulder as he continued to shake him a bit. Josuke slowly blinked his eyes awake, yawning as he did so. He glanced up at Issei for a moment before his eyes widened in shock.
"Issei!" Josuke cried out happily, jumping up and grabbing the pervert by the shoulders and shaking him in return. "Are you feeling okay? How's your gut feel?"
"Wh-whoa, dude! Calm down! What's wrong with you?!" Issei asked in shock. Josuke blinked before his expression became firm and serious.
"Do you remember what happened to you last night, Issei?" Josuke asked gravely, causing the brunette to widen his eyes at his friend's mood change.
"Last night…?" Issei muttered as he tried to bring the night to thought. Images of his 'nightmare' flashed through his mind, and caused him to gain a headache. He groaned in pain, holding his forehead.
"You alright?" Josuke asked in concern.
"Yeah, just… having trouble remembering yesterday. I remember going on a date with Yuuma-chan, but after that…" Issei trailed off, trying to recall the rest of the day. Josuke grabbed his shoulder, shaking his head.
"Don't worry about it. Today, after school, there's someone we have to see. You'll get some answers then." Josuke explained before turning to leave the room. "Go ahead and throw some clothes on, we've gotta go to school."
"O-oh, okay then." Issei said, nodding tiredly.
"What?! You guys don't remember Yuuma-chan?!" Issei gaped. When he arrived at Kuoh Academy with Josuke, he had gone straight to Matsuda and Motohama. Even Josuke was shocked at this revelation, but had remained quiet throughout the conversation.
"I'm telling you, dude. We've never met a girl named Amano Yuuma and you've definitely never had a hot girlfriend that you introduced us to." Matsuda stated dryly, crossing his arms behind his back. The four were hanging out in one of the staircases of the school during lunch.
"That's impossible! Her email address and phone number are right here!" Issei exclaimed, pulling out his phone and searching through it. His eyes widened in shock as he discovered that all the information on the girl was gone. "That's so weird… her contact information and everything is gone…"
Josuke narrowed his eyes in suspicion, unsure of what could have happened as well. He suddenly felt a presence watching them, and glancing up the stairs he saw Rias Gremory at the top. Issei and the others soon caught on as well.
"W-whoa, Rias Gremory at twelve o'clock." Matsuda muttered quietly. Josuke only narrowed his eyes at the girl, making no comment as she started to descend toward them. The praises of admiring girls could be heard through the halls, showing the crimson haired girls popularity with both boys and girls. Josuke tightened his fist in frustration as she passed him, while she merely glanced at him seriously. As she passed Issei, though, she gave a small smile before continuing forward quietly. The brunette couldn't help but blush as he looked upon the school's princess.
"I'm saving that image for later." Matsuda said with a slightly dreamy expression.
"There's just something about her that makes her seem like some sort of goddess…" Motohama added as he watched her leave.
"The opposite, actually..." Josuke muttered quietly, causing the three to turn to him. He looked quite tired and irritated, causing the others to glance at each other in question.
"Is everything alright, Josuke?" Issei asked curiously. While things had been a bit strange for Issei himself, he couldn't help but notice Josuke's sour mood all day. The taller teen glanced back at Issei and forced a smile with a nod.
"Just tired, I guess. I'm fine, don't worry." Josuke said waving him off. Issei of course didn't look convinced, for he knew that whenever Josuke was hiding something or was upset, he didn't talk about it. That was a strange thing, in fact, for Josuke was always upfront with how he felt about something or someone.
"Well, back to Issei's imaginary girlfriend…" Matsuda teased, wrapping an arm around the brunette's shoulders. "I think you've been watching too much porn lately, it's starting to make you go crazy."
"Wh-what?! No, I'm telling the truth! I'm not crazy, I know what happened!" Issei immediately retorted defensively.
"Relax, man. Come by my place after school today, and we'll watch my treasured collection… of DVD porn!" Matsuda declared rather loudly, making several passing girls crinkle their noses in disgust.
"Geez, don't those guys do anything aside from jerking off?" One of them commented.
"So disgusting…" The other said. As they passed the group, they spotted Josuke and blushed slightly in nervousness. "H-hi, Josuke-kun!"
"Yo." Josuke said, waving politely as they walked by. The girls giggled in response before walking away. When the pompadour teen looked back at the pervert trio, Matsuda and Motohama were glaring daggers at him. "What?"
"Damn you, mister popular… you're not invited to watch porn with us." Matsuda grumbled bitterly, causing Josuke to roll his eyes.
"Oh yeah, because it's not weird for several guys to sit in a dark room together and watch porn, right?" Josuke asked with taunting smile. Matsuda and Motohama opened their mouths to protest, but after thinking about it for a few seconds, the two immediately clammed up. Josuke glanced at Issei, who looked fairly put off by the fact that no one remembered his girlfriend.
"Anyway, Issei can't join you after school. We have plans afterwards." Josuke spoke up, causing the brunette to turn to him in realization.
"Oh, man. Really? Oh well, I guess you're just going to have to miss out on some great porn, brother." Matsuda sighed, shaking his head in disappointment.
"It's still really weird that you guys do that…" Josuke muttered with a sweat drop. The lunch bell suddenly rang, signaling the beginning of the passing period.
"Alright, I guess we'll see you later then, Josuke. Come on, Issei. We can at least talk about some good tits during class." Motohama declared, patting the rather down looking Issei on the shoulder. The brunette sighed, turning to leave until Josuke grabbed his shoulder.
"She's real, Issei." Josuke suddenly said, causing the pervert to widen his eyes in shock. "Make sure you meet me at the old building after school, got it? You'll know everything then."
"J-Josuke, what are you…" Issei started, but looking at the teen's serious expression, he could tell Josuke was telling him to trust him. "A-alright then, I'll make sure to come by."
Josuke nodded before finally patting him on the shoulder and offering a smile. "Glad to see you're still yourself." The pompadour teen declared before walking off to his class. Issei raised a brow in question, unsure of what he meant by such a statement. Issei scratched his head, deciding to let it go and head to class.
"Josuke." Issei greeted as he arrived at the old school building. The taller teen had arrived before him, and was leaning against the building.
"Oh good, you're here. I was afraid tweedle dee and tweedle dum would convince to go with them or something." Josuke joked, standing up and uncrossing his arms.
"You seemed really serious about this, so I made sure they didn't drag me off." Issei chuckled a bit forcefully, his mood still a bit damp. In fact, neither boy seemed to be in a very good mood, but for good reason. Josuke only nodded before turning and opening the door to the old school building.
"Come on, we're meeting the Occult Research Club inside." The pompadour spotting teen declared, holding the door open for Issei to enter. The brunette nodded, going in first before being followed by Josuke. The hallway was a bit dark, but at the end of the hall a single door was lit by a faint reddish light. Issei couldn't help but wonder where they were heading, but Josuke seemed unfazed.
"That light seems kinda… bright, don't you think?" Issei asked, his eye twitching as they moved along.
"Bright? What are you talking about, it's pretty dim." Josuke asked, blinking in question. "In fact it's kinda dark in here."
"Is it?" Issei asked, glancing around the hall. "It's weird… it's as if I can see better in here then I did outside…"
Josuke went to a full stop, glancing back at Issei. His eyes were shaded by his hair, his expression hard to read, but he looked quite serious. It was very rare to see Josuke so serious, save for when someone insulted his hair. It surprised the brunette slightly, but suddenly Josuke continued forward again.
"Come on, she's waiting for us." Josuke said without looking back. Issei blinked for a moment at his reaction before slowly following after him.
"Wait, her…?" He muttered in question, but not audible enough for Josuke to hear, or at least he gave no answer. As the two were about to reach the door, it opened on its own, causing the two to stop. A young man appeared before them. He had short blond hair and pale skin with handsome features. Under his left eye was a small mole that many would say makes the boy look even more handsome. Both boys immediately recognized him as Yuuto Kiba, the most popular boy in school.
"Oh, good. It looks like you two were able to find your way here on your own. President just wanted me to go and fetch the both of you." Kiba stated with a kind smile.
"Wait-Kiba?! You're here too?" Josuke asked in shock, blinking in question. While he was not close friends with Kiba like he was with Issei, the two shared several classes together. "You're one like her?"
"Wh-what's the Casanova doing here?" Issei asked slightly bitter. While Josuke was popular with girls, Kiba was almost twice as big with girls.
"The President will see you both now, please come in." Kiba declared, standing to the side and letting the two enter. Issei glanced at Josuke in question, but the pompadour teen only shrugged. The two walked into a nice candle lit room, with several couches and a living room set. Issei immediately recognized a small white haired girl sitting on one of the couches. Her hair was short, barely reaching past her shoulders save several bangs. She had a small black cat like hair clip on the top left side.
"Oh! Please pardon the intrusion!" Josuke quickly said, bowing low to Koneko. The small girl paused from eating to look at Josuke before quietly bowing back to him.
"Welcome." She said blankly before continuing to nibble on her chocolate. Josuke immediately rose up, her word giving him ease to do so.
"Wh-whoa, is that who I think it is?" Issei asked dumbly, watching the petite girl eat a small plate of chocolate.
"You know her?" Josuke asked, unfamiliar with the girl himself.
"Why, that's Koneko Toujo. She's a first year and a valued member of the Occult Research Club." Kiba explained to them, causing Josuke to raise a brow in question.
"Oh, then how do you know her?" The pompadour teen asked, glancing at Issei.
"Hey, Koneko. It seems that Issei here says he might know you." Kiba declared, making the brunette blush with embarrassment. Koneko only nodded in greeting toward the two newcomers before resuming with her snack.
"U-uh I might have been mistaken." Issei said laughing sheepishly. He quickly turned around and grabbed Josuke by the shoulders and pulling him into a huddle. "How do you not know who she is?! She's one of the most popular girls with an amazing slender body in the school! Girls hate her because a lot of guys want her!" he whisper shouted loud enough for only he and Josuke to hear.
"Oh, right. I forgot you know just about everything involving the girls at this school…" Josuke sighed with a sweat drop.
"Man, what I would give to be that chocolate bar she's eating right now…" Issei said, laughing with a dirty expression on his face.
"Oi, keep it together. We're here for serious business." Josuke grumbled, shaking his head in disappointment. The two suddenly heard the sound of running water, making them turn back around to see that there was a shower curtain at the side of the room. On the other side, there was an outline of a female body, causing Issei to gape.
"I-is there a shower in this room?" Issei asked in awe, drool slightly dripping down his mouth.
"Okay, that one's not even fair to you…" Josuke deadpanned with his eye twitching unconsciously.
"I really don't know what this is about but I love this club~!" Issei cheered aloud, the emotion and words bursting out uncontrollably and causing the pompadour haired teen to scoot away from him for a moment.
"It's not polite to spy." Koneko's quiet voice suddenly said, causing both teens to glance at her in question.
"It's also not polite to take a shower when you know you're expecting two male guests, don't you think?" Josuke asked with a sweat drop. Koneko made no sound or motion to retort, only continuing to eat her chocolate.
"Your clothes are ready for you, president." They heard another voice. Another girl came into view in front of the shower curtain, her appearance being a large contrast to Koneko's. She was not only taller, but far more voluptuous and curvy. She had long black hair held up in a ponytail by a yellow ribbon that reached down to her knees. She turned to Issei and Josuke and offered a kind smile. "Oh, hello there. I didn't see you two come in!" She said as she approached them. Issei was quite intimidated by the beauty and popularity of the girl in front of him, recoiling as she came closer.
"Get a hold of yourself, man. And you say I'm shy around girls." Josuke whispered back to him with his hand cupped.
"Don't worry, I don't bite." Akeno chuckled with a smile. "I'm Akeno, it's nice to meet you both. And don't worry, everyone here is super nice. I hope we can get along well." She said as she bowed politely. Josuke immediately bowed back as he usually did.
"Thank you for having us, ma'am! I'm Josuke Higashikata, it's nice to meet you!" The tallest teen said formally.
"U-uh, I'm Issei Hyoudou. I promise that I'm not always this awkward." The brunette said bowing his head only slightly as he was still quite nervous.
"Ara ara, no need to be so formal. You can relax." Akeno said chuckling mostly at Josuke's introduction. The tallest teen immediately stood up straight like with Koneko, slinging his bag over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry about showering at this time. I was up quite late last night and missed the chance to do so this morning." Josuke and Issei heard from the shower curtain again. Out walked none other than Rias Gremory, who was drying her still wet hair with a towel.
"N-no way, Rias Gremory is the one who called us here?!" Issei asked excitedly, glancing at Josuke in question. He immediately calmed down as he realized the taller teen seemed quite serious again, his eyes shaded by his hair. "Josuke?"
"Well, now that you're both here, we can start explaining everything to you, Issei." Rias said suddenly, causing the brunette to turn back to her. She walked to a rather large desk and took a seat on top of it, crossing her legs over. "Please, both of you, take a seat. We have much to discuss."
"O-oh, of course." Issei said nervously, walking up to the couch and taking a seat next to Koneko. Josuke followed him quietly, taking a seat on the opposite side of him.
"First, Issei, I would like to ask how you're doing. Are you feeling okay since yesterday?" Rias asked kindly, making the teen blink.
"Oh, um, yeah. I just have a headache today. And for some reason, my eyesight has been kind of weird." Issei explained before stopping in his tracks. "B-but why do you ask?"
"Well, you did go through quite the ordeal yesterday. It's only natural that you would be having some problems." Rias declared, causing Issei to slightly exhale.
"Y-yesterday?" Issei repeated dumbly. The crimson haired girl raised a brow in question.
"Do you remember what happened yesterday?" She asked curiously. Issei tried to mull over it in his mind again, holding his chin in thought. Immediately the weird dream of Yuuma came to his mind again, and only served to give him a headache.
"W-well, not really to be honest. I mean, I thought I was on a date with a girl named Yuuma Amano, but… no one seems to remember her." Issei explained, his mood taking a turn for the worse. "It's almost as if the past few days were a dream. Especially last night. What I remember is so crazy that… there's no way it's true."
The room was quiet for a moment, the atmosphere a bit heavy. Josuke could only watch his best friend with sympathy, knowing that he went through quite a difficult time today thinking it over in his head.
"I see. Well then, let's start with last night." Rias said, standing up from her seat and crossing her arms. "Know this, Issei: yesterday, you were killed by the girl you call Amano Yuuma."
Issei immediately widened his eyes and glanced back up at Rias in shock. "Wh-what? Killed?"
"Yes. You were killed by that girl. Because of that, the only way to save you was to turn you into a devil, like the rest of us." Rias declared firmly, causing the brunette to immediately hitch his breath.
"A… devil…?" Issei repeated before immediately laughing sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "O-Okay, I get it. This is some kind of a joke, huh? You had me there for a second…"
"It's completely true, Issei." Josuke suddenly spoke up, causing the brunette to snap his head toward the pompadour haired teen. Josuke's expression was as serious as it had ever been, and Issei could tell his friend was not lying or joking. Josuke liked to make jokes and go back and forth, but never before had he made such an elaborate joke that it would go this far. Finally, after debating it in his mind, he finally decided to listen.
"Well… if Josuke says it's true, then… I'm willing to listen." Issei declared with a sigh, glancing back at Rias. The crimson haired girl smiled, nodding in acceptance.
"I see that you both trust each other above anything. That's very helpful, because we have quite a bit to go over." Rias started, leaning back against the table. "I had wanted you to learn about us through experience in truth, but your friend Josuke insisted that we tell you as soon as possible."
"Waiting for him to run into another one of those things would just put him in danger again. Even if you were watching him closely." Josuke retorted calmly, but his gaze was rather stern. Rias was unfazed, nodding in agreement.
"Which is why we decided to bring you here today. Issei Hyoudou, starting last night, you are now a devil like myself and the rest of the club." Rias declared as the rest of the Occult Research Club stood up, a red energy glowing around them. Immediately a pair of bat like wings sprouted from their backs, causing Issei to gasp in shock and stand up. While Josuke had seen it the night before, he was still amazed by the display in front of him and even started to sweat.
"Welcome, Issei-kun. You're now one of us." Akeno chuckled with a smile.
"Those wings… they're just like…" Issei mumbled, dumbfounded by the display before him. "Wait, no… they're a bit different. Hers were like a crow's…" Without warning, a pair of wings sprouted from Issei's back, causing him to jerk forward slightly in shock. "W-what?!"
"As I said, you are now a devil, Issei." Rias chuckled with a smile. Issei couldn't help but look at his wings in a panic, unable to explain what just happened. He suddenly looked at Josuke, who was still seated with his arms crossed.
"What? I'm not a devil. Don't expect me to start sprouting wings out of nowhere." Josuke shrugged, placing his hands behind his head.
"Last night, you were killed by the girl you call Amano Yuuma. Trust me when I say that she was real, Issei." Rias said, grabbing his attention again as she tossed several photos onto the table. The brunette hesitated for a moment before finally picking them up, widening his eyes in shock as he realized that it was a photo of him and none other than the girl he once called his girlfriend. At that moment, many emotions raced through his mind, causing him to feel a pang of sadness churn his heart. He had enjoyed his time with Yuuma greatly, and so seeing this rendered all that time a lie.
"Can we stop now? This is a lot to take in…" Issei muttered, gripping the photo in his hand and closing his eyes. Rias looked at Issei with sympathy and nodded.
"I will cut our introduction short, then. Just know that last night when you were killed, I brought you back to life as my devil servant." Rias said simply, making the brunette open his eyes and glance back up at her.
"Y-your devil servant?" He repeated dumbly.
"That's right. From now on, your life belongs to me." Rias explained with a sly smile. Though Issei didn't notice it, her words made Josuke, who had been sitting quietly through the conversation, grip his arm anxiously.
"B-but if I was killed last night, then how did you make me your servant?" Issei asked before blinking and turning back to Josuke. "And… how exactly are you involved in all this, Josuke?"
"You had summoned me through this." Rias started before Josuke, who was planning to let her go first. The crimson haired girl held up a single leaflet with a magic circle drawn on it, making Issei blink in shock. "You summoned me through deep yearning to live, and so I appeared. I was able to bring you back to life by turning you into a devil."
"The reason I'm involved on this is because I showed up at the park after she was summoned." Josuke declared, finally speaking up again. "I tried to use Crazy Diamond to heal you, but… I guess I can't bring back the dead even if I heal the body." Josuke explained, his gaze becoming downcast. "And so because I couldn't save you in time, the only alternative was turning you into a devil… I'm sorry for failing you, Issei."
"Josuke…" Issei muttered, seeing that his friend was truly hurt by what had transpired. The brunette was quiet for a moment before walking over and placing a hand on Josuke's shoulder. "Hey, man. It's alright. How were we supposed to know that my girlfriend would turn out to be some crazy devil lady, right?" The brunette tried to joke. Josuke looked up at him quietly before giving a small smile and a nod.
"That's actually another thing we need to talk about." Rias started, but Issei held up his hand.
"Wait, no more for now. I believe everything you say, but… it's a lot to take in. I just… I just need some time to think." Issei explained, giving a long tired sigh and rubbing his head. Rias watched him for a moment before nodding in acceptance.
"I understand. It's a lot to learn and accept in so little time. Why don't you go take a walk and clear your head? We can finish our discussion later tonight, okay?" Rias offered, to which Issei nodded.
"Yeah, that sounds good to me." He mumbled, heading for the door.
"Hold up, I'll go with you." Josuke said, standing from his seat. "The last thing we need is you getting in trouble again."
Issei nodded tiredly, not bothering to wait for him as he exited from the room. Josuke was about to follow until he heard Rias call out to him.
"Hold a moment, Josuke. I would like to speak to you for a moment before you go." Rias declared, causing the tall teen to stop short. He glanced back at Rias in question before looking back at Issei.
"Go on ahead, I'll catch up with you in a bit." He said, the brunette nodding before walking away. Josuke watched him stalk away for a moment and sigh, knowing that it would take him some time to come to terms with what had happened. He soon turned back to the red haired devil, stuffing his hands in his pockets and looked at her with moderate interest.
"What do you need?" He asked stiffly, something that did not go unnoticed by Rias.
"I get the feeling that you resent me, Josuke. I would like to know the reason why." Rias said rather bluntly, causing her peerage to glance at the tall teen in question. Josuke was quiet for a moment, his hair shading his eyes.
"I'm really grateful that you were able to bring back Issei, I really am." Josuke said, finally speaking. "But the fact that he became a devil and your servant to do it doesn't really sit well with me.
"Are you afraid of what we are?" Rias asked curiously, knowing that many would be in a normal situation. It was odd for a human to be speaking to her like this in the first place with full knowledge of what she was, and so she wouldn't be surprised if Josuke was as well.
"I'm not. I was afraid that becoming a devil might change who Issei is as a person." Josuke explained, causing her to raise a brow in shock. "But… after seeing him today, I guess that was just me being cautious. He's still the same old Issei, so I can't complain about that."
"Yet you still seem a bit reserved." Rias said knowingly, to which Josuke nodded.
"I'm happy to see that he's still himself, but the fact also remains that he's not his own man anymore." Josuke explained further. "I don't know how you might treat your servants or whether they're important to you or not. There's no use in crying about him being your servant though, what's done is done. What I'm afraid of is that you might use him for whatever purpose and then throw him away."
Rias was quiet for a moment, her eyes shaded by her bangs as his were earlier. Finally, she sighed, leaning back against her desk. "I understand your reservations then. He is an important friend to you, and so I will not hold it against you for being as cautious as you are." Rias said understandingly. She then stood up, putting a hand to her chest. "But understand this, Josuke Higashikata. All my servants are important to me, and I would never do anything to hurt them, nor would I toss them aside!" She declared confidently, her stern, strong gaze meeting Josuke's, causing the large teen's eyes to slightly widen in shock.
"It's true. The president is quite kind to all of us." Kiba suddenly said, causing Josuke to glance at him now.
"She has cared for us when we all were in need." Koneko's quiet voice added.
"You can entrust Issei into our care, Josuke. President will care for him like family." Akeno added this time. Josuke glanced around at the group in front of him, seeing the loyalty and love between all of them. It was something he was rather familiar with, for it was something he shared with Issei as well. The pompadour spotting teen was silent for a moment before finally sighing and rubbing his neck.
"Well, great. You guys are pretty convincing, at least. I'll entrust Issei to you then, for now." Josuke said as he turned around and headed for the door. "Just know this, though: Issei's my best friend. If he's going to be mixed up in all this, then so am I. As a human." The large teen declared, jerking a thumb at his chest. "No matter what, you can't stop me from watching out for my best friend."
"I suppose that's only fair. But be warned that this road is very dangerous, Josuke. Even with your powers." Rias explained to him before a sudden realization came over her. "Which reminds me, I would like to talk to you about your powers."
"Another time." Josuke said, waving his hand dismissively. "I need to go check up on Issei. This all is a lot for him to take in, after all."
"I understand. Please do as you wish." Rias said, nodding in acceptance. Right as Josuke was about to leave, he suddenly stopped. For a moment he hesitated, causing the redhead to raise a brow in question.
"I don't think I said it last night because of all that happened, but…" Josuke started before swiftly turning around and bowing his head low. "Thank you for saving Issei's life!" He proclaimed rather loudly, surprising the group of devils. For a moment it was quiet until Rias finally smiled and nodded.
"It was no problem at all. Thank you for being patient with us." Rias said as she bowed in response. The tall teen stood up again and smiled, nodding before finally leaving. Josuke had been filled with a newfound reassurance. He wasn't completely sure whether to trust them or not yet, but he was able to tell that Rias herself wasn't a bad person. That was good enough for him, at least for now.
"Now where did Issei go…?" Josuke mumbled to himself as he exited the building, now seeing that it was nightfall.
"They certainly are an interesting pair of friends, aren't they?" Akeno giggled, now standing at Rias' side.
"It's a friendship that is incredibly hard to find. Very few have the bond that they have, one that transcends blood. They're interesting as individuals, but together they are even greater." Rias declared, standing from her seat and smiling. "A boy with a Sacred Gear and another with a Stand. brought together by coincidence or not, they are bound to the same fate by their brotherhood. I am truly excited to see where they go from here."
Issei walked through the park that he last remembered seeing Yuuma in. He intended to wait for Josuke originally, but his thoughts carried him off. Much weighed on his mind, and so recalling the previous day's events was all he could do. It hurt to think about her, but with all that had happened, there was nothing that could distract him. He tried thinking of girls, of Rias and her club, but it did nothing to make him feel better. In fact, thinking of the crimson haired girl only reminded him further of his situation. He was now supposedly a devil, and the servant of Rias Gremory at that. His normal life was now gone. In truth, though, his perverse mind didn't mind so much being Rias's servant.
He soon arrived at the fountain at the center of the park. The very spot he had died at, and the last time he had seen Yuuma at. He felt a rising surge of power in his chest, heating up like nothing he'd ever felt. He gripped his chest in pain, doing his best to push through it.
"She wasn't kidding when she said that I'd feel some changes." Issei half joked to himself, slightly sweating as the surfacing power started to fade.
"Well, well. Look what we have here." Issei suddenly heard a voice, making him quickly turn around in surprise. A middle-aged man in a black trenchcoat and fedora was standing several meters away from him, a dark smirk plastered on his lips. "You have some bad luck, devil. Running into me here."
"Wh-what? What are you talking about?" Issei asked in confusion, taking a step back as the man slowly approached him. The man suddenly raised his head so that his eyes were in view, a killing intent pouring out of him and filling Issei with terror. Issei went to take another step back, but found himself jumping over the fountain and onto the other side, much to his shock. I-I only meant to take a step back, but I went really far!
"Trying to run, kid? It's too late for that." The man chuckled darkly.
Issei stood there for a moment, considering his options. Obviously, the guy was trouble and no doubt wanted to kill him. Thinking he had no other choice, Issei quickly turned on his heel and rushed away. He didn't want to stick around to bother seeing if he had a chance. He had just become a devil, and had no idea on whether that made him stronger or not. Damn it, I should have stuck around for the whole discussion after all! What kind of luck do I have to have this happen to me twice?!
Suddenly Issei started to see black feathers float down in front of him, immediately reminding him of a certain girl. "Yu-Yuuma?!" He muttered in shock, but his attention was quickly drawn to a figure above that flew by at incredible speeds. He skidded against the ground to a stop as the man from earlier landed in front of him, large black feathered wings spread out behind him on his back.
"What cowardice. And here I was expecting a decent fight." The man scoffed, tilting his hat over his eyes. "It seems you're a stray devil. No master has been called and no magic circles have formed to call reinforcements." He mused, forming a light spear similar to the one Issei had seen Yuuma use against him the day before.
No, not again! If I'm gonna die like last time, I really wouldprefer it to be a hot girl, at least! Issei mentally groaned as he turned around to run again. The Fallen Angel soon threw the Spear of Light, hoping to hit Issei head on through the gut until-
DORA!
With unseen speed, a large pink and silver armored figure quickly appeared beside Issei and deflected the light spear, redirecting it straight into the ground and creating a large crater. "Wh-what the-?" Issei managed to say before covering his eyes from the dirt kicked up. He waved his hand around to clear the cloud, and soon a familiar pompadour came into view. Josuke stood there, the large figure of Crazy Diamond floating a little bit above him with its fists gripped.
"Jo-Josuke!" Issei cried out in shock. He looked at the figure above his friend and gaped. "Wh-what is that thing?!"
"It's Crazy Diamond, duh." Josuke said, smirking back at his friend.
"Since when did it have an entire body, though?!" Issei asked in disbelief, gazing up at the large form that kept its focus on the Fallen Angel.
"Interesting power, human. I've never seen anything like that before." The black winged man said before narrowing his eyes. "But you're just a human. Get in my way again and I'll kill you."
"Why don't you come over here and try?" Josuke taunted with a wry smile, causing Issei to flinch.
"Josuke! Don't make things worse!" Issei cried out in panic.
"You're ballsy, human. But being ballsy will just get you killed!" The Fallen Angel growled before rushing forward. Suddenly a ball of black energy exploded in front of him, causing him to stop and fall back. "Now what?!" He growled. Josuke and Issei glanced to the side as a red glowing magic circle appeared, Rias Gremory at the center.
"Keep your hands off of him." She declared sternly, her intense gaze falling on the Fallen Angel.
"R-Rias-sempai!" Issei cried out in surprise.
"One after another, you all keep appearing." The black winged man growled as he turned his attention to Rias. "I'll teach you for interfering!" He said as he formed another spear of light and launched it toward the crimson haired girl. Rias didn't make a move, for a small blur appeared in front of her and knocked the spear away. Koneko came into view, shocking Issei and Josuke with her display.
"N-no way, Koneko-san is here too?" Issei gasped.
"They weren't kidding when they said they were watching you…" Josuke muttered in surprise himself.
"Damn all of you!" The Fallen Angel cried out as he caught the deflected Spear of Light, deciding to rush in closer to attack. Suddenly a bolt of lightning appeared from the sky, again stopping him short. Akeno floated down with a taunting smile, electricity surrounding her hand.
"Now I get it, you're a devil from the house Gremory." The fallen angel declared, raising himself up and dusting off his hat.
"That's right. I am Rias Gremory. Who might you be, Fallen Angel?" the crimson haired girl asked with a confident smirk.
"No one of significance. So I'm guessing this boy is one of your servants, then? You should keep him from strolling so freely. You never know if he'll run into someone far less cordial than myself." The fallen angel chuckled darkly, placing his hat on his head.
"Thank you for the advice. But just so you know, if something like this happens again, you will feel the wrath of House Gremory." Rias declared with a dark smile that made Issei gulp in fear.
"The same could be said for you, devil. You better hope we never meet again." The Fallen Angel laughed, spreading his wings to fly away.
"Wait a sec, where do you think you're going?" Josuke suddenly spoke up, turning all attention to him.
"Jo-Josuke, what are you doing?!" Issei asked as the pompadour haired teen approached the black winged man slowly.
"Josuke, please stay out of this. This man is dangerous." Rias warned, but Josuke didn't seem to be listening to anyone at this point.
"You really are ballsy, human. I was ready to leave, yet it looks like you're still ready to challenge me to a fight." The fallen angel chuckled, turning fully toward the tall teen. "But what does a human have to do with devils? You're definitely not one of her servants."
"That's right, I'm not." Josuke agreed simply, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "My best friend became a devil because one of you killed him. I want to know where that specific Fallen Angel is."
"Oh, is that so? Well, no matter how determined you might be, boy, I won't be giving out any information." The black winged man scoffed, crossing his arms.
"That's fine, too. I also want to beat the shit outta you for trying to kill my friend. And to deliver a message for me." Josuke declared sternly, narrowing his eyes into a glare. This caused the Fallen Angel to finally break his calm demeanor and growl, a Spear of Light forming in his hand.
"You stupid brat…"
"Josuke, enough! Making enemies with them is unwise!" Rias warned him in fear, but the pompadour haired teen didn't make any move of retreat.
"Sorry, Rias. But this has nothing to do with you. This is between me and the Fallen Angels." Josuke declared, jerking a thumb at his chest.
"You wish to fight all of us, boy?!" The black winged man growled, flying toward Josuke finally to attack.
"Damn straight." Josuke said calmly.
"Josuke, run!" Issei cried out. The man was now only feet away, raising his Light Spear to pierce Josuke in a quick attack.
"I'll show you for getting cocky!" He growled in anger. Rias and her peerage seemed ready to move in and help, but that quickly was stopped as Crazy Diamond appeared at Josuke's side.
DORA! The silver armored Stand growled, punching the Fallen Angel across the face with great speed and force before he could even react. The black winged man gasped in pain, not expecting to be hit so ferociously. He was launched far from Josuke, but was able to use his flight to keep himself from crashing into a tree.
"Y-you brat. What the hell is this power..?" He growled, feeling his jaw and was unsure whether Josuke had broken it or not.
"What's wrong? I thought you were gonna teach me for being cocky?" Josuke taunted with a confident smile, serving its purpose of infuriating the Fallen Angel.
"Don't you dare mock me!" He roared in anger, forming two Spears of Light in both hands. He kept his distance this time, and launched them as hard as he could, and continued to form more and continued to throw them.
"Josuke, move!" Issei cried out in fear, but the tall teen did no such thing. As the Light Spears approached, Josuke only took several steps forward to close the distance slowly, Crazy Diamond taking the lead in front of him and started to launch a barrage of punches.
DORARARARARARARARARARARARA! It roared as it deflected each Light Spear with ease. Josuke continued his approach, letting his Stand do the work as he did so.
"You damn human!" The Fallen Angel growled as he tossed one last spear. This time, though, Crazy Diamond caught it in its grip. It flipped it around and quickly launched it back at the Fallen Angel with greater speed than even he was throwing them at. He had no time to react, and was quickly pierced through the gut, causing him to spit out blood and fall toward the ground.
"I-impossible, how can a human have so much power…?" He asked in shock before finally crashing down. Josuke wasted no time as he walked over to the Fallen Angel's location, his Stand dismissed for the moment.
"I'll give you this chance to surrender and tell me what I want to know. If you do that, I won't attack you again." Josuke declared, standing over the Fallen Angel who had rolled onto his stomach.
"You… you think you've won?" The black winged man said, laughing weakly. In his hand, he quickly formed another Spear of Light before spinning around and launching himself at Josuke. "You can go straight to Hell!"
Josuke didn't move or flinch as the man approached, his eyes shaded by his hair.
"Wrong answer."
(Ending theme: Roundabout)
Before Josuke could be impaled by the Spear of Light, Crazy Diamond quickly formed at his side and pierced through the Fallen Angel's chest with its fist. The Fallen Angel was stopped short, blood pouring from his chest and mouth.
"Well, if you're not gonna tell me what I want to know, then I'll tell you the message I want you to deliver." Josuke stated calmly, pulling the black winged man closer. "Tell that bitch Raynare that my name is Josuke Higashikata. You tried to kill my friend. Now: I'm going to kill you."
Crazy Diamond quickly launched the Fallen Angel off of its arm and crashing into a tree. The black winged man fully expected to be dead soon, but suddenly felt as if he had not been hit. He raised himself up slowly to see that the wound in his chest was gone, and even his clothes were repaired. "Wh-what?! The wound is gone?! H-how?!"
"Get the hell out of here and deliver my message!" Josuke exclaimed fiercely, pointing a finger at the Fallen Angel. "And tell her this is war!"
(Theme ends)
"Yo-you bastard… I'll make you pay for this!" The Fallen Angel growled as he spread his wings. He launched himself into the sky and flew away, going out of sight. Josuke watched him for a moment before sighing and relaxing.
"Well, it looks like I got my point across." Josuke chuckled, turning back to walk to Issei. When he saw the entire group staring at him in shock, he blinked in question. "What?"
"Josuke… that was awesome!" Issei laughed, rushing up and grabbing the taller teen by the shoulders. "But still, don't ever scare me like that again! I thought you might get killed!"
"Hey, man. Remember, I've always been the tough one between us." Josuke teased, causing the brunette to laugh and push his shoulder jokingly.
"That was an incredible display of your power, Josuke." Rias complimented, but her face seemed quite irate. "But you just declared war against the Fallen Angels in this area. That's going to cause quite a lot of trouble for us."
"No, no, see. I thought of that. I didn't want to cause you guys any trouble, so I made sure they knew it was just me declaring war against them, and not all of you." Josuke explained with a confident grin before bowing in apology. "Sorry if my actions might have caused you some concern."
Rias opened her mouth to berate him further before only sighing and shaking her head. "I would like to scold you further, but seeing as how you're not my servant, I suppose I can't control your actions."
"And don't worry, Josuke. No matter what, I'm here for you." Issei declared, patting him on the shoulder.
"Actually, I don't think you can. You might end up causing trouble for Rias here." Josuke explained thoughtfully, causing the brunette to widen his eyes in realization.
"I won't let you fight the Fallen Angels on your own, Josuke. If they come for you, you can expect an ally in me." Rias explained.
"I appreciate that, sempai. But in all honesty, I don't want to cause you guys trouble." Josuke explained, making her widen her eyes in surprise. "This is my fight with them."
"Josuke…" Issei muttered, looking at his friend with respect.
"Ara ara, such a strong will." Akeno chuckled lightly, holding a hand to her mouth.
"He's pretty cool." Koneko added quietly, despite the fact that her gaze remained blank.
"Well, I suppose I can't convince you now. Why don't we head back to the school so we can finish our talk?" Rias offered, to which Josuke and Issei nodded. The girls took the lead and Josuke followed behind. As they walked though, the pompadour haired teen realized Issei wasn't following, and quickly turned around to glance at him.
"Come on, Issei. Let's go." He told him, motioning for Issei to follow. The brunette's gaze was downcast, and his fists tightened.
"I guess there really is no denying it anymore, huh? I'm definitely a devil…" Issei laughed weakly. "I wonder what that means for me…" He muttered, glancing at his hands. A lot was on his mind now, and he couldn't help but feel uneasy. He suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder, and glanced up to see Josuke smiling at him.
"Don't make such a depressing face, man. I could care less about you being a devil or not." He declared, causing Issei to slightly gasp. "You're my best friend, no matter what. I'll have your back to the end of time, brother."
"Josuke…" Issei muttered, manly tears forming in his eyes.
"Issei…" Josuke muttered back, his own eyes welling up as well. Suddenly an oddly romantic atmosphere started to form around them, almost as if they were about to kiss.
"Oh, so that's how you two really are with each other, huh?" They heard Rias tease, making them jump in surprise before glancing at the girls who were now watching them.
"Ara ara, I think they make a cute couple." Akeno giggled lightly.
"Yaoi style." Koneko stated simply. The two best friends glanced at each other for a moment before quickly backing away from each other and laughing sheepishly.
"G-girls! Don't make weird assumptions like that! We're both totally into chicks!" Issei quickly dismissed, waving his arms around. "Huge tits are what I love!"
"I'm not a pervert like him, but yeah. I'm not into guys!" Josuke quickly added, the idea of the two being a couple grossing him out.
"If you two say so~." Rias chuckled as she turned away and headed out of the park. "Come on, you two lovers. It's getting late."
"We're not!" They both protested desperately, only receiving a laugh from Akeno and Rias in response before following them begrudgingly.