chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own HighSchool DxD

Chapter VIII – Just Another Day

In a café near the Mandarin Oriental, the Sembikiya, Raynare was sitting comfortably in one of the tables outside of the café.

The young woman was wearing a simple blouse with jeans and high heels. She wore a coat and had a pair of women's sunglasses on. And Raynare was getting her fair share of unwanted attention because of her beauty.

Despite all that, she was just enjoying the fresh breeze coming in from the morning air while also sipping on a nice hot cup of coffee.

While it was true that Raynare did not like humans, but even she couldn't deny that they make good coffee and cuisines. It was actually refreshing to taste for the fallen angel.

But she was not here to just admire the scenery or even for the cup of coffee. No, she was here because of one reason only.

Kyuren.

That name made the fallen angel seethe with anger, but also shirk in fright. A human that possessed an incredible amount of strength and one of the most masterful hand to hand combatant Raynare has ever seen and she had seen her fair share of fighters.

Two days ago, she had come to the Mandarin Oriental Hotel looking for him. Raynare had intended for the two of them to have a little talk because...well...he was actually good looking and the fallen angel thought that it couldn't hurt to know his name.

That Kyuren was actually quite charming, that much Raynare would admit. She tried to suppress a small blush coming along; Raynare wasn't going to give him the satisfaction.

Well, despite all that, their chat was mostly civil until she tried to intimidate him to not interfere in what she was planning. Kyuren essentially caught her threats and threw it right back at her face.

Raynare didn't know how, but he somehow correctly guessed what she was truly after. The fallen angel wasn't after Issei Hyoudou, but another Sacred Gear wielder.

It came as a shock to her because the raven haired boy had seen right through her and basically laid out her intentions on the table.

Then Kyuren took it one step further and even told Raynare that she was doing this for recognition. She was completely baffled. How can a mere human see right through a fallen angel?!

The fallen angel furrowed her brow, clenching her hands in agitation. Yes, Raynare was doing this because she wanted recognition, not from just the entire organization, but from Azazel.

Azazel was Raynare's idol and she was fiercely loyal to him. The young fallen angel would do anything for him and wanted to prove herself in his eyes.

Coming to this country wasn't even her idea in the first place, Azazel ordered her along with Karwarner, Donasheek, and Mittlet to keep an eye on Issei and report back anything they deemed suspicious or interesting.

Well, Raynare did what she was ordered for a while but then she thought why not just give Azazel what he wanted? Give him a Sacred Gear that he would be certainly to have and recognize Raynare as just not another fallen angel subordinate.

'I guess that was what I wanted after all...to step out of the shadows and be recognized.' The fallen angel muttered to herself somberly. But she couldn't be blamed for trying to strike out on her own.

Back when she was in the organization, Raynare was often ridiculed by other fallen angels because she was weak compared to most. And she followed Azazel like a lost puppy begging for attention.

It finally caught up with her, and Raynare decided to do things her own way. But what she didn't count on were the consequences of her actions.

Like what Kyuren had said to her, the fallen angel would definitely be recognized all right...but for reigniting a war.

Raynare didn't took that scenario into account because she figured that Issei was just a human. But after turning into a devil and being under the servitude of the Gremory Clan, Raynare still ordered hits on him.

She may not have foreseen this, but she knew just how protective the Gremory Clan of their servants, even going so far as to resorting to direct retaliation.

If that went on and Raynare did manage to kill Issei a second time, then Rias Gremory would want revenge. Not only that, but the fallen angel was also encroaching on devil territory. Worse case scenario, Rias tells the devil kings that the fallen angels were invading their territory and declare war.

War was something Azazel DID NOT want to happen at any cost. And if Raynare's plan failed, she would be remembered for reigniting a war that lasted thousands of years and costed millions of souls.

Raynare didn't care about the other factions and the human, but she definitely cared about what would happen to her faction.

And if she succeeded, then she would be hailed as a hero.

That was something Raynare wanted to happen, bit after the talk she had with Kyuren, she wasn't so sure now.

Even if her plan did succeed, there was no guarantee that she and the rest with her would be hailed as heroes. If anything, they would be accused of disobeying direct orders from the Governor-General and probably be executed.

And that was excluding the possible re-ignition of the Great War.

Suffice to say, Raynare was conflicted. One, she could just abandon her scheme all together and report back to headquarters. She and the rest of her team would be laughing stocks. Second, she moves forwards with the plan with two possible scenarios.

First, she succeeds and manages to get away with the Sacred Gear. The most likely outcome would be the devils demanding retribution for breaking the treaty and reigniting tensions and before long, conflict. Second, her plans fails and she and the rest of her teams dies.

But there was also another choice and Raynare was inclined on not picking that one if she valued her life. And that was getting Kyuren involved.

Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted what she had been waiting for. There he was, Kyuren. Quite possibly the most powerful human Raynare has ever seen.

Kyuren was in his usual outfit for school with his own taste to it and walked to his car. It was so confusing to Raynare to think about. How can a human be so powerful? The first thought that came to mind was that Kyuren was a magician, but if he was, the fallen angel would've known.

No, the raven haired boy held no magic in him. Then the next possible way was that he trained, but what kind of training did he underwent to get him so strong?

Raynare rubbed her left cheek softly, remembering the strength in the punch Kyuren gave her. It was astounding; she felt like her head was about to cave in. Then there was his combat proficiency.

She might not know a lot, but Raynare had seen some fallen angels back at headquarters doing some martial arts training and Kyuren may very well give them a good run for their money. Hell, the raven haired boy may even beat them with no powers involved.

And somehow...Raynare wondered if he was holding back...

Their second meeting...when he glared at her...Raynare felt afraid. They say the eyes are he windows to the soul that can be the same with seeing one's power. The moment she looked into his eyes, Raynare couldn't help but shiver.

It was as if she had pissed off a sleeping monster and was this close to being ripped apart.

Then there was that underlying power. Raynare gulped. What she had experienced in the park, the strength he showed her there...was but a fraction of his full might. Kyuren was hiding it and showed her a glimpse.

And that was enough for Raynare to not get Kyuren involved no matter the what.

Halting her thoughts for a moment, the fallen angel watched as Kyuren sped away into the roads. 'Probably on his way to school.' Raynare thought before she took a sip from her coffee.

Kyuren was a force not to be reckoned with, that Raynare was sure of. But she couldn't help but be interested and confused.

When they talked, it was like Kyuren was trying to convince her to walk away with her life. Like he was trying to spare her from death.

It was true that Raynare didn't plan this ahead, but Kyuren was seemingly trying to help her so that she could live in his own way.

That, or her was just playing her for a fool.

Raynare gave out a sigh and rubbed her temples. Her situation just got a whole lot more complicated. Each choice had its own drawbacks, and Raynare couldn't choose.

'What have I gotten myself into?' She asked herself before finishing her coffee and departing.

For the most part, class was about as normals and as boring as it could get. Sona listened to her lessons in earnest, taking it all in stride, but she couldn't help but think back to yesterday.

It was obvious that Kyuren was powerful, but where this that oppressive force came from? It was nothing she had felt before.

Turning her head slightly, Sona used her peripheral vision to gaze at Kyuren. He was paying attention, if only slightly. In fact, the raven haired boy looked bored and was just barely able to stay awake with the slight droop in his eyes. Not that she could blame him; even she was a little bored.

Despite all that has happened, the Sitri heir just had this feeling that Kyuren was hiding something. It was obvious that he was still hiding the majority of his power, but what Sona was interested in was his origins.

It goes without saying that everything the Sitri heir had witnessed from Kyuren this far should have been impossible for a normal human to do. For a human to posses such strength was unheard of.

She had witnessed him block and even take three very lethal strikes from Rias' rook without even flinching. Not only that, but he took on a fallen angel and won.

Granted that some do posses incredible strength, but they were so few and almost all of them were descendants of heroes and other supernatural beings.

But Kyuren?

The Sitri heir had wondered if the raven haired boy was a descendant of heroes and other mythological figures. Cain, Faust, King Arthur, Hercules, Gilgamesh, or even gods like Thor.

But if that was true, then Kyuren should have some minute traces of their life force. A kind of marker that tells that someone is descended from someone originating from the supernatural.

Sona, however, found none. No markers, no signs of anything. Kyuren was a hundred percent human.

If so, then that raises the question that was plaguing her mind. How did he get so powerful? There was no question about it, he was indeed very strong. Combine that with his keen mind and combat abilities, Kyuren was not someone to fuck with.

The Sitri heir remembered that he was trained, he said so himself. But for the life of her, Sona didn't know what kind of training her underwent! 'Who are you, Kyuren, really..?'

Kyuren was a mystery to her. Like with every answer she uncovered for one question regarding him, another ten pops up. It was infuriating, but also interesting.

Sona had never met someone as enigmatic as Kyuren. He was like an open book, but at the same time, closed as well. Every page was coded and had to be deciphered accordingly.

But one thing was for sure, the Sitri heir wanted to find out more about Kyuren. She wanted to know how he got his strength, and who he truly is.

Facing front, Sona let out a silent breath. 'You really are something, Avynzen. You really are something.' She thought to herself before refocusing on the lesson at hand.

"Okay, class. Before we wrap up our lesson, I just want to remind you all that in the next few months, we're going to have our annual Science Fair." Their teacher, Sugai Fumiya, said.

Well, as is expected, most of the students didn't really want to join that kind of event. It was boring and they didn't want to work on it.

"So, is anyone willing to join?" She asked. While most didn't raise their hands, a select few did. These were the bright ones who took learning seriously. Or who just wanted some extra credits.

Sona and Tsubaki were among those who raised their hands. The Sitri heir had always entered a competition if her time allowed it. The physical department was okay, but her forte was in the brains. Science quizzes, spelling bees, and all other things.

All in all, there were about five students who raised their hands and Sugai nodded with a smile. But there was one hand she was missing.

She looked over to the raven haired boy and sighed. "Kyuren-san, why didn't you raise your hand? Aren't you the least bit interested?"

Kyuren took a few seconds before shrugging. This science fair was a little amateuristic for him. But what the hell, he didn't have anything better to do with his time.

"All right, I'll do it." He said and raised his hand. And besides, Kyuren really wanted to get started on his greatest invention yet.

Sugai smiled and nodded. "Yosh, that counts six students who'll be joining this year. Now, next class, I will be giving you your assigned partners. Until then, dismissed."

The students began gathering up their belongings and placing them in their bags before leaving.

Kyuren was the last one still there in the classroom cleaning his things and couldn't help but release a silent sigh. 'Ah, for en dag.' (Ah, what a day.)He meant in a day where things were normal again.

Of course, knowing that devils, angels, and basically all of the supernaturals were true would probably make one question the word reality.

But the raven haired boy had really no intentions of being dragged into those kinds of affairs. He was already having way too much of a headache understanding the ever growing complexity of human affairs, Kyuren didn't need or want the extra baggage.

Oh, and Raynare was kind enough to pay him another visit.

He wasn't blind at all. The moment Kyuren set foot outside of the hotel, his instincts were telling him that someone was watching him. And it turned out to he Raynare...in rather fashionable clothing.

Well, if the fallen angel wanted to watch him for anything, then so be it. As long as she didn't involve him, then Kyuren would gladly keep out of her way.

This was between her and that Hyoudou boy after all.

But he didn't want to think on this further. Shouldering his bag, Kyuren made his way out of the door and was ready to take his much deserved break...that is, until a certain couple of she-devils called for his attentions. "Kyuren."

'Oh, hva nå?!' (Oh, what now?!) He groaned to himself before turning to the said devils who called him with impassive stares. "Yes, what is it?" He asked , sounding a little annoyed.

Sona stared at him for a few seconds before readjusting her glasses. "I want to talk to you about something. And to remind you of our chess match."

Hearing this, Kyuren let out an amused chuckle and smirked. "I swear, you're obsessed with chess." The Sitri heir narrowed her eyes at him but stayed her tongue. "Fine, but let me eat first. I still have..." He looked at his watch. "An hour and forty minutes."

The Sitri heir nodded and walked away with Tsubaki by her side while Kyuren headed for the cafeteria for something to satisfy his hunger.

"You seem to be growing quite fond of him, Sona-sama." Came the even voice of Tsubaki.

Sona peered at her queen with the corner of her eye before returning focus forward. "Kyuren is an interesting individual. A human that possesses such strength and power is not unheard of but most of them are descended from mythical figures."

Tsubaki nodded her head. Most humans that have that kind of power were, in one way or another, descended from heroes, and other figures. But seeing a pure human posses such power? If that wasn't interesting, then Tsubaki didn't know what was.

"Yes, but there's another reason, right?"

"Well, other than that, he's the only one who can give me a decent fight and win consistently. Kyuren is a worthy adversary." Sona said and Tusbaki just gave a nod.

"Of course."

After finishing his meal in the cafeteria, Kyuren was walking towards the Student Council. It was the normal routine now, the raven haired boy would come up to the council, have a quick game with Sona, and laze around before his next class rolls in.

Well, that was the case until Sona had requested him to come and have a little chat.

Kyuren sighed as he climbed up the stairs. Don't get him wrong, the Student Council are quite the nice company...well, except for Saji and his big mouth, but other than that, they were all right in his book.

Coming up to the door, Kyuren gave it three knocks and waited for a response. "Come in." He heard from the other side and opened the door.

Closing the door, hanging up his coat and scarf, the raven haired boy went towards the coach where Sona was waiting with a chessboard set up. "Hey, everyone." He greeted.

The rest gave acknowledgments of their own before returning to their business. By all intents and purposes, Kyuren was a regular now and they had no problems with him being here.

After all, it was on Sona's insistence.

"I see you've set up the board." Kyuren said, sitting down opposite the Sitri heir and gave her a challenging smirk. "Ready to lose again, Ms. Shitori?"

Sona just gave a smirk of her own and met Kyuren's eyes with her own burning competitive fire. "Not today, Avynzen."

"Then as the old saying goes." The raven haired boy chuckled and motioned his hand towards Sona. "Ladies first."

At his insistence, the Sitri heir made her first move and Kyuren followed through quickly. A few moments passed and as the two sharp minds played, they took the time to talk.

"So, what is it you want to talk about?" The raven haired boy asked as he took out one of Sona's pawns from the board.

The Sitri heir made a move to compensate for the loss but remained calm. "Kyuren, I won't beat around the bush here." Tearing her eyes from the board, she looked into his eyes which held mild interest. "Just who are you?" Her question gained the attention of her peerage.

They too were curious in his mysterious origins.

Kyuren blinked once in bewilderment and slightly tilted his head. "Forgive me, but you're going to have to be more specific."

"What I meant was, what is your origins?" Sona clarified before sighing. "Let's be honest, Kyuren. No human in existence possesses that strength you do. And those that do are descendants of other mythological beings or have Sacred Gears."

"And you're asking me if I am, at least, one of those." Kyuren filled in the blanks and Sona nodded.

Tsubaki came in and gave her own thoughts. "It should be impossible for a normal human to have that much power. You have the strength to rival or even surpass Rooks."

"Yeah, man." Kyuren turned his head and looked at Saji who was walking towards them. "I mean, it's cool and all, but we're kind of scratching our heads here."

Kyuren leaned back and sighed. "Listen, as far as I know of, I don't have any ancestors of the sort. I'm just human." He shrugged before gaining a smirk. "But it would be cool to be related to Thor though."

"Yeah, it would be cool." Saji agreed. Well, it was true. The Norse God of Thunder? Who wouldn't want to be descended from that guy?

The Sitri heir shook her head slowly with her eyes closed. "I find that hard to believe."

"It's the truth, Souna." The raven haired boy said. "I've no reason to lie about that. Besides, shouldn't you have sensed some…I don't know…something that tells you I'm a special case?"

After a few moments, Sona shook her head. She had tried sensing anything from Kyuren. Anything that would tell her that he was one of the few descendants of heroes…but there was nothing. No even a minute trace of magic was in him.

He was completely human.

"I'm sorry, it's just…hard to believe it."

Kyuren shrugged. "The world's filled with mysteries, Ms. Shitori." He gave a light laugh. "How do you think I felt when I learned that the supernatural actually exists. Your move, by the way."

Sona and some of her peerage gave small laughs of their own and nodded before making her move. "I guess you're right." She was just too intrigued by Kyuren and wanted to know. And what he said was true, there were still mysteries out there that even they couldn't answer.

'I suppose that Kyuren is one of them.' Sona thought and decided to drop the issue for now. He may be human, but in this world, nothing was impossible.

And in front of her was a living example of it.

Of course, she still had her suspicions, but the Sitri heir decided to let it slide for now. She'll get her answers sooner or later.

"If you're done asking question, I've got a few of my own." Kyuren said. He had a few things that he wanted to know about and now was the ideal time to find out.

The Sitri heir figured that it was only fair. He had answered her questions without any hints of deception, the least she could do was to answer his. "All right."

"Well, I'm curious about the Underworld. Is it really the place of infinite suffering and the perpetual inferno the bible and priests always spews on about?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"In some respects, yes. It's true that some places of the Underworld are meant for the wicked. But it's not the case." Sona said.

Tsubaki and the others decided it was time to give their own input as this was not that serious. "The Underworld is roughly the same size as the human world but has far more landmass. And is also home to the Fallen Angels."

Though it was a cause for concern, Kyuren was not worried about it. After all, the devils and fallen angels were able to coexists for a long time with hopefully small incidents.

"Well, you said you were the Sitri Clan heiress." Kyuren pointed to Sona who nodded. "How many clans are there?"

The Sitri heir made another move with her chess piece and cleared her throat. "Once, there were seventy-two clans that inhabited and governed the Underworld."

"Seventy-two clans?" Kyuren furrowed his brow before gaining a smirk and chuckled. "Let me take a wild guess and say that those seventy-two clans refer to the seventy-two demons of the Ars Goetia."

Once again, Sona had to congratulate Kyuren's intelligence. "Hai, that's correct." She nodded her head in approval. "You are a very learned individual, Kyuren."

Giving out a shrug, the raven haired boy waved her compliment off. "Well, thank you. I'll be sure to remember that one."

"Has anyone ever told you that you have an ego?" Saji asked with a snicker which Kyuren returned with a grin.

"We all have pride in us, Saji. Some misplaced, and some rightfully proven. I am the latter."

Saji rolled his eyes. "What an ego you have then."

Sona just shook her head at her pawn and Kyuren's antics, but she was not going to deny that his company was not welcome. When they weren't doing anything important, Kyuren would hang out with them from time to time.

Tsubaki had even admitted that despite their initial thoughts of him, Kyuren was an okay guy and Sona was inclined to agree.

'For someone who is a bit of a loner, he can be quite sociable and friendly.' She thought to herself. And the Sitri heir could attest to that one.

Then Sona decided to continue her say. "But at the conclusion of the Great War, over half are now extinct."

"Unfortunate, but it was to be expected."

Saji appeared to take offense to that. "Excuse me? You mean you expected almost half of the devil population to become extinct?" He asked incredulously.

The raven haired boy looked at him. "Use your head, Saji. The devils were fighting a war on two fronts against the angels and fallen angels, their sworn and natural enemy. Of course, they're going to lose more than either factions."

By his logic, Saji and pretty much everyone had no retort. Looking at it in a logical way, there was really no stopping the extinction of thirty-nine families.

"If you still don't believe me, the look at Nazi Germany. On the west, they were up against the Allies. The east, the Soviet Union. Each one had a vast amount of men and resources, but two put aside their differences against a common enemy. And we all know what became of Germany as a result."

It slightly peeved the Sitri heir that Kyuren when he compared the devils to Nazi Germany, but she couldn't deny the truth behind his words.

Germany in those times was a powerhouse. They had the technology and resources to back it up. But even though they had the better equipment, the combined might of the Allies and the Soviet Union were just too much as wave after wave of attacks gradually destroyed them.

The same could be said for the devils in this regard with a few exceptions.

"I have to agree with you on that one." Sona mumbled. It was the truth, and she had long accepted that.

While it was hard, Saji had no choice but to accept it as well. "Fine." He conceeded and sat back down. Saji knew history himself, but he never thought about it that way.

Two against one was unfair. Sure one could hold out, but it was only a matter of time before it was overwhelmed and destroyed.

Kyuren, seeing that this was a little touchy subject, decided to change the subject. "So, who is your leader? The Devil King or something."

Sona silently thanked Kyuren for changing the subject. "Actually, there are four leaders. They are called the Four Great Satans."

"Four Great Satans? Well, that's new." Kyuren commented offhandedly. "And who are these Four Great Satans?"

"There is Sirzechs Lucifer, Ajuka Beelzebub, Serafall Leviathan, and Falbium Asmodeus." Tsubaki supplied and Kyuren was quick to deduce where those names came from.

"Four of the Seven Princes of Hell."

"How do you know all this stuff?" Saji asked.

Kyuren gave him a wry smirk. "You should read more, then. It'll do you good." In response, Saji just threw up his hands and went back to his work. Chuckling, Kyuren turned his attention back towards Sona and moving one of his pieces. "Tell me more about these evil pieces. What do they do exactly? What do they grant?"

"Evil pieces are almost like a game of chess. High class devils are given evil pieces not only to replenish our numbers but also to create their peerages." Sona explained. "The pawns are the foot soldiers. Ruruko and Saji are my pawns but he took up four pawn pieces."

Kyuren turned to Saji with a smirk. "Nice."

The boy, in turn, gave him a two fingered salute. "I'm just awesome like that."

Sona decided to continue. "The next are the rooks. They have tremendous strength and durability, but are vulnerable to fast opponents. Tsubasa is my rook."

The aforementioned girl gave a nod and Kyuren returned it before motioning for Sona to go on.

"Bishops are capable of magical attacks such as healing, but the drawback is that they are extremely vulnerable to attacks." The Sitri heir pointed to her two bishops. "Momo and Reya are my two bishops."

Reya and Momo gave the raven haired boy kind smiles.

"Knights are granted enhanced speed and agility but have low defensive capabilities. Tomoe is my knight." Sona motioned towards the girl.

Tomoe gave a wide grin and made a peace sign. "I know you knows us already, but nice to meet you."

Kyuren gave out a small smile. "The pleasure's all mine." He replied amusedly before nodding towards Tsubaki, already having an understand of where this was going. "Then I am correct to assume that Tsubaki-san is the queen."

Both Tsubaki and Sona nodded. "Hai, I am Sona-sama's queen. I have all the capabilities of the rook, bishop, knight, and pawn." The queen of Sona's peerage said.

The raven haired boy then gave a laugh. "And then we have the king." He motioned towards the Sitri heir. "Am I correct to assume that you are the most powerful piece?"

Sona doesn't mean to brag about it, but she nodded her head. Well, it was only the truth seeing as she was a high class devil and the heir to the Sitri clan.

"So to put it in simpler terms. The Pawns are your grunts, your front line combatants. Rooks are the tanks as they have the big punch and the armor, but can be worn down. Knights are your Special Forces as they excel in hit and run tactics, but would not last long in prolonged combat with someone their equal or greater. Bishops are more suited for the support role as medics and long ranged magical attacks, but would be easily taken out in a face to face confrontation. The Queen has all of the previous pieces' abilities but none of the weaknesses so it's safe to say that they are the second in command. The King is the one who calls the shots and coordinates everything. Sounds about right?"

After his rant, everyone with the exception of Tsubaki and Sona in was looking at him wit bewildered expressions. Kyuren noticed this and grew curious about the looks he was getting. "What?"

"...Damn, dude. How do you know all this stuff?" Saji asked.

"I'm a bit of a war enthusiast." Kyuren shrugged. "Also, I play a lot of shooter games."

"Really? Have you played Call of Duty Infinite Warfare?"

Kyuren made a so-so gesture. "I have, and it's not that good. It's kind of lacking, really. The sci-fi setting is a new thing, but it all feels stale now. The story is just not that engaging anymore; it's gotten predictable."

Saji nodded, contemplating if he should buy it or not after hearing Kyuren's views on it. "What about the multiplayer? Is it at least good?"

"Hai, it's a step up from the last one." Kyuren nodded. "But I wouldn't get my hopes up. It's just an over glorified version of the Advanced Warfare one. Not really a game I would recommend buying now." Kyuren sighed in disappointment. "There goes a great video game franchise."

After hearing this, Saji sunk back in his seat in deep thought. 'Or in other words, the new game is shit.' He thought to himself in sadness. 'There goes my hopes and dreams.'

"Do you have any more questions?" Sona asked after a few seconds of looking at her saddened pawn.

Kyuren thought about it for a second before shaking his head. He could not think any more things that he wanted answered for now, but he was satisfied with what he got. "No, I'm done with asking for now." Out of habit, he looked at his watch and saw that he had about thirty minutes left. "Forgive me, but could we hurry this up. My break is almost done."

The Sitri heir nodded and the two shifted their focus on the board.

Fifteen minutes later, the chess game was over with Sona Sitri as the victor. Making the score eight to seven in Kyuren's favor.

"Good game, Ms. Shitori." Kyuren complimented as the two shook hands as a sign of sportsmanship. "And thank you for the talk."

"Thank you as well." Sona said, letting go of his hand. "You should go before you miss your class."

"Right." Kyuren stood up from the couch and grabbed his bag, overcoat, and scarf before bidding farewell to the devils and leaving without another word.

Saji then stood up and made his way to the door. "Hey, uh, I just remembered something. Can I go out for a bit?"

Sona just nodded. "Very well."

The pawn smiled his thanks and went out of the door.

The Sitri heir sighed as she cleaned up the chess board. Even though she believed what Kyuren had told her - had told them - she still had her doubts.

Somehow, someway, Sona just had this feeling that Kyuren Kaizer Avynzen was hiding something.

Saji was out of the door and was looking around for Kyuren. He wanted to talk to him about something...it was about Sona.

He was in love with her, she was just that amazing. But then came in Kyuren. Saji held nothing against him, but Sona had begun to show interest in him and wanted to know just where he stood on it.

The pawn knew that when compared to Kyuren, he was nothing special, but he still wanted to talk to him about it.

Finally, Saji's eyes landed on Kyuren's back as he was walking down the hall and went to catch up to him. "Oi, wait up, man!" He called out, jogging towards him.

Kyuren heard someone shout and turned around before raising a brow. "Saji, what are you doing?" He asked as the boy came in front of him.

"Eh, nothing much." He shrugged while scratching the back of his head. "I...I just want to talk about something. From man to man."

The raven haired boy looked at him for a few seconds before shrugging and motioned with his head for Saji to walk with him which he did. "All right, what do you want to talk about?"

"Well, it's about Sona."

"What about her?"

Saji gained an embarrassed look and cleared his throat. "Well...what do you think of her?" He asked timidly. Besides Kyuren being a very good looking dude, he was also a very dangerous one. He didn't want to piss him off like what Issei did.

Kyuren looked at him strangely, briefly wondering what this was all about before deciding to humor him. "Ms. Shitori's a very beautiful young woman, that I will say. She is also very smart though a bit strict if you ask me."

At that, Saji chuckled. "Yeah, she's one strict woman."

"Now, I ask you." Kyuren stopped and turned to Saji. "Why are you asking me this? Do you harbor feelings for Sona?"

Saji was taken by surprise at Kyuren's assumptions."W-What? No, I don't." He rejected weakly, but the blush on his face was a dead giveaway.

"Your tone and cheeks betray your words." Kyuren smirked as Saji shuffled uncomfortably. "But if you do have feelings for Sona,then I won't stop you."

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me, I won't get in your way." Kyuren clarified. "Truth be told, I'm not looking for a relationship just yet. If and when I do, it'll be for keeps."

Saji was surprised at what he was hearing. Kyuren just told him that he won't be getting in his way for Sona. "Wow, uh...thanks...appreciate it." He stuttered out. "But I'll be honest with you, I don't think I have a chance."

"Why's that?" Kyuren asked.

"You." He pointed towards Kyuren. "I mean, look at you. You're a hunk compared to most boys here! And Sona's been spending more time with you since you beat her. I just don't think I have a chance."

Kyuren chuckled. "You won't know until you try. And if she's not interested then you, then so be it. Besides, you have other admirers looking at you with interest."

Saji's head snapped towards Kyuren in surprise. 'Admirers? What admirers?' He asked himself.

"What admirers?"

The raven haired boy looked at him. "You didn't know?" Saji shook his head and Kyuren sighed. "I don't know if this is accurate, but two of your peerage mates seem to be interested in you."

Now Saji wanted to know who they were. "Who?"

"You know, most people say that you have to find it out for yourselves." Kyuren said in a sage like tone. "But I always considered that to be a pile of nonsensical hest dritt."

Not knowing what Kyuren just said, Saji tilted his head in confusion. "Huh?"

"Norwegian, horse shit."

"Ah." Saji nodded, slightly grateful that Kyuren didn't go for the whole find out for yourself bullshit. "So...who is she?"

Kyuren smirked and chuckled. "Actually, there's two." He aid making Saji's eyes widened in surprise. "Sona's other pawn, Ruruko, and her bishop, Momo."

"Wha- are you serious?" Saji asked in disbelief.

"Yes." The raven haired boy nodded his head. "For some time since I started hanging out with the Student Council, those two were casting you quick glances. Believe me, Saji, I know what I'm talking about. They're interested in you. Though the exact reason is lost on me."

Saji gave Kyuren a sour look. "Hey, I'm a good guy!" He whined.

Kyuren chuckled. "I don't know about that, but you're better than that Hyoudou boy."

"...You don't like him, do you?"

Almost immediately, Kyuren shook his head. "No, I don't like him. He's a fool and an idealistic fool at that. And then there's the fact that he's a pervert."

"You don't like perverts, in general?" Saji asked.

"It is only right to appreciate a woman's beauty." Kyuren gave. "But there is such a thing as too much appreciation. Women are not toys to be discarded when used up."

"Well, I know my limits." Saji conceded. "Besides...do you really think Momo-san and Ruruka-san are interested in me?"

"My friend, in Norway I was hounded by hordes of fangirls trying to get me as their boyfriends, I guarantee you they're interested." Kyuren said with a shiver. Oh yeah, he just hoped there won't be any here...

Saji was still confused by all of this. He had his eyes set on Sona, but her focus was on Kyuren. It wasn't romantic in any way, more like intrigue but there was a high possibility. Then Kyuren tells him that two of his friends had a crush on him.

Momo and Ruruka.

Don't get him wrong, they are very pretty girls and any guy would be lucky to have them as a girlfriend. But with Saji and the two of them? He just didn't know what to do.

Seeing that the boy was in a bit of a rut, Kyuren decided to help him out on his little dilemma. "Do you want some advice?" He asked and Saji nodded. "Confront the two first. Find out if they really are attracted to you and maybe give them a chance."

"But what about Sona?"

"I can't answer that one." The raven haired boy shook his head. "If I had to guess, she may have already known about them being attracted to you. She's a very intelligent young woman after all."

Saji was conflicted. His eyes were on Sona but there were two girls that had their eyes on him. He couldn't just ingore Momo and Ruruka's feelings now, but how was Saji going to deal with this?

"Buddy." Kyuren said, placing a hand on the troubled boy's shoulders. "If you want my advice, this is it. If you want to go after Sona, then that's fine, but talk to the two first. It's better to spare them the heartbreak."

At that, Saji readily agreed. Those two were one of his closest friends and Saji would never forgive himself if he caused them pain.

"Arigato, man." Saji said, holding out his hand. "I appreciate it, really."

Kyuren grabbed the offered hand and shook it. "No problem. But I got to run, I'm almost late. See you around, Saji." He said before taking off to his next class, leaving Saji to his thoughts.

'I like Sona...but Momo and Ruruka likes me.' He said to himself before giving a groan and walking back towards the Council room.

'High school's bullshit.'

*Two Days Later - Saturday*

In a nearby park was Issei Hyoudou in some workout clothes. He had skipped school today because he had more inportant things to do.

Last night, he supposed to get another chance at completing a pact. But what was supposed to be just a routine thing turned into a fight for survival when a deranged priest came after him. Issei almost died if it weren't for Asia.

It looked like that the fallen angels had already got to her, but before Issei could get her out of there, Freed shot him the in leg.. The poor girl was almost raped by that damned priest if it weren't for Rias and the others.

After that incident, Issei realized how truly pathetic he was. He was the weakest out of all of them, the most useless servant Rias had and Issei hated that.

When he was human, he was weak, but even after turning into a devil, he was still too weak!

Hell, even Kyuren was much much MUCH stronger than him and he was a human! He saw him tank three hits from Koneko like they were nothing.

Kyuren, that bastard just up and said that this wasn't mean shit to him. That Asia's life was nothing but a number. He may be strong but his heart was cold.

But Issei won't be weak anymore.

'I can't be weak forever. I got to train my ass off and then I'll show them.' He said to himself as he tried to do some pull ups by the monkey bars.

Issei made a valiant effort but thanks to already pathetic physique, he fell down on his ass without even making one.

"Aw, shit. Why the hell am I so weak?" He growled to himself in frustration. If he had just been stronger, then he could've gotten Asia out of there and made Freed eat his own dangling tongue.

Giving out a tired sigh, Issei opted to try it again, but stopped when someone called out to him.

"Issei-san?"

He looked to his right and there she was. The two stared at each other for a while before Issei called back to her.

"Asia."

AN: Slow pace story if you haven't already figured it out. Also, can anyone guess who Kyuren really is and whose he descended from?

And here's a list of Kyuren's abilities this far: Superhuman strength, speed, durability, high intelligence, and expert martial artists.

Strength - Able to reduce a boulder to dust with a single hit, and stop a Rook's strike with relative ease. Upper limit, unknown.

Speed - Able to perceive threats faster than the normal human. Upper limit, unknown.

Durability - Has withstood three full powered strikes from a Rook without injury. Upper limit, unknown.

Intelligence - Has engaged Sona Sitri, one of the brightest young devil minds, in a game of chess and won numerous times. Studied at NTNU as a top student.

Physical Prowess - Through an unknown method of training, Kyuren has mastered multiple forms of martial arts and his body is conditioned to beyond peak human physicality.

Current level of power: SUPERHUMAN