The next morning...
Kuoh, Japan
April 13
08:06:27
Blue POV

I wake up in my apartment again. At least this time it makes sense. What doesn't make sense is the fact that myself and my clothing are, once again, undamaged, despite having been cut and stabbed multiple times.

How the hell is that happening?

Whatever. I have a feeling that maybe I'll finally be given some answers. I'm a Warlock, so I don't like not knowing things.

I get up, make some breakfast, eat that breakfast, then head to school. When I get to Kuoh, I notice that everyone seems to be crowding around something. I walk up to the crowd to see what's going on.

"Hey, what's happening?" I ask a random girl.

"Look!" She replies, a hint of worry in her voice.

I look at what it is that everyone is staring at.

It was Rias walking to school with Issei...

"Um... what exactly am I looking at?" I ask.

"They arrived together!" A boy said with tears in his eyes.

"And?" I ask.

"How could she associate herself with that vulgar brute?!" Another girl said.

"Blue, you're one of the hottest guys here! How can you be okay with this?!" Asks another girl.

"Probably because I already have a girlfriend." I said, smiling at the thought of Kurisu.

"What?!" Exclaimed a bunch of girls who overheard me dejectedly.

"Sorry." I said with a sheepish grin.

Well, this just awkward. I then left the area before things got even more so.

As I walk through the halls of the school, all I can hear about are the whispers and rumors going around regarding Gremory's association with Issei. I honestly don't get why it's that big a deal. It's her choice who she wishes to befriend. Now, I will admit, associating with a known pervert is a bit odd, but that's just me-

*THUD*

Ow.

"My apologies!" I wasn't paying attention to where I was going!" The girl apologized.

"It's fine. I'm just as guilty." I chuckle.

We both get up and look at each other, revealing the girl to be...

Gremory? Given that we're both aware of each other's power, this can't be a coincidence. Or maybe it is, and I'm just reading too much into it. Though, given the events that have happened these past few days, the possibility that this is a coincidence is very unlikely.

She suddenly looks surprised to see me.

"Oh, you're Blue, right?" She asks.

"Y-yeah, I am." I reply, a bit thrown off by what I think is an act.

She then hands me a small package.

"I believe this belongs to you. It got delivered to me by mistake." She says.

"Uh, thank you." I say, taking the package.

"Well, see you around." She says with a smile.

She then quickly runs off.

I take a look at the package in my hands. Given that Gremory is the one that gave it to me, it's safe to assume that it has something to do with everything that's been going on these past few days. Luckily, there's a bathroom right next to me. I walk in, and it looks to be empty, but I enter a stall just in case. After entering a stall and closing it, I open the package to find... my pistol? Huh... I guess I'll have to thank Rias for that later... wait, I already did... well then, I guess that saves me the trouble of getting Issei to give it back.

I take the gun out of the package, then I transmat it to my apartment. I leave the stall and toss the box on the way out.

I finally get to class and sit down.

"Blue?"

I look over and see... Issei? Wait, he's in this class?

"Issei? You're in this class too?" I ask.

"Yeah. I didn't know you sat next me either." He replies.

As a Guardian, you'd think my attention span would be a tad better than that, but I guess not... then again, I am known for having a bit of a drinking problem and the fact that I went to what is essentially Guardian rehab for a drug problem I used to have.

And if your wondering what Guardian rehab was like, they somehow managed to get me to stop doing drugs by giving me more drugs. I'll give you a hint as to how that worked: Eris Morn. I'll let you figure out the rest.

I'm getting off track.

"So what happened to you after that... incident last night?" I ask, trying to come up with a word that would arouse the least suspicion.

He then gets a dumb, perverted smile on his face, which scares me.

"You'll never guess what happened to me." He says excitedly.

"Oh Traveler." I mutter, regretting that I even asked.

He then gets closer to me.

"I slept with Rias-Senpai... naked!!!" He whispers excitedly.

The only thing that I can do is sigh.

"Dude, I know you have a thousand perverted fantasies going through your head every minute, but let me give you some advice: please try to keep them to yourself." I mutter, unamused.

"This isn't a fantasy, asshole!" He whisper yells.

Oh, I guess that actually happened then. I mean I guess that would make sense, given tha-...

Wait... WHAT?!?!?!

"Woah, woah, woah! Hold on! You're telling me that the two of you actually...?" I ask.

"Well... no. She's still a virgin." He says disappointedly.

"Somehow, that does not make it better." I reply.

Timeskip

We've been sitting in class for a good long while now. As the teacher droned on about politics (a subject I never had an interest in), Issei explained how Rias said she would send someone to fetch both of us at some point.

He explained that five hours ago.

"She said she would send someone for us, but no one ended up coming." He muttered.

I know if Ghost were here right now he'd make some kind of joke about that.

Well, I guess he's technically-

"SQUEAL!!!"

Ow...

I look over at whatever the hell these girls are squealing about.

Oh, just the school's resident 'hot guy'.

"Heh. It's Prince Handsome, huh?" Issei says with disdain.

Kiba, I believe his name was, politely passes by the adoring fan girls and makes his way to us.

"Hi there!" He greets politely.

"Uh... hey. Is there something you need?" I ask.

"I'm here on an errand from Rias Gremory." He said.

As Issei expresses surprise, I notice that this Kiba guy is exactly like that small girl from a few days ago. He radiates a power similar to Gremory's, only not quite as powerful. A tad stronger than that small girl though. In fact, now that I think about it, Issei's newfound power is similar to Gremory's as well. Why is that? Almost every person who's power I can sense is similar to Gremory's, the only exceptions being those two guys that attacked us last night, Yuuma, and that Sona girl. And that last one was different only by a slight deviation.

"Would you two mind coming with me?" He asks politely.

Issei and I get up, and Kiba begins to lead us outside. As we walk through the campus, I notice that we're getting farther away from the main building. Actually, now that I think about it, this is the way to that old abandoned schoolhouse. The one where Issei and I first saw Gremory.

My suspicion is confirmed when we come into view of the old schoolhouse and continue walking towards it.

Eventually, we reach it, and Kiba leads us inside. Once we're inside, I take a look around at the room, and I gotta say... this place's interior is much more well kept than the outside. Outside, there's tall grass, giant shrubs, and vines growing everywhere. Inside, however, was well kept, smelled nice... though I have to admit that the dark rooms with candles being the only light is a bit foreboding.

But that's not the unsettling part. The part that's a bit unnerving to me is the fact that I can feel the Darkness all around this place...

But it's... different...

I don't know how to describe it... but it's almost as if the Darkness here wants to serve the Light, and even does now and again. Like I said, I don't know how to describe it.

I continue looking around... and I notice that small girl. The one from a few days ago.

Apparently Issei recognizes her too.

"Isn't that-?" He asks.

"That's Koneko Toujou. A first year." Kiba explains.

Koneko... I've heard a few students talk about her. Nice to finally put a face to the name... though, I guess I could make the argument that I already did that.

She then notices us and turns to face us. Kiba then decides to introduce us.

"This is Blue and Issei Hyoudou." He says to Toujou.

"Hi there." Issei says.

"Hello." I say.

Issei and I suddenly hear something beside us. We turn around and see a curtain. A curtain with... steam coming out underneath it. And behind it is a... naked female figure.

"Your clothes are ready, President."

"Thank you, Akeno." Says the figure, turning out to be Rias.

Nope!

While Issei goes on a spiel about how this is the best club room ever, I immediately turn around.

"What a lewd look on your face." Koneko says once Issei shuts up, unamused.

She sounds like she takes no bullshit and she isn't a fan of perverts... I think I'll like her.

"Why are you turned around?" She asks me.

"Forgive me if I understand the value of privacy, unlike my boner-driven colleague here." I reply.

She simply shrugs and goes back to eating.

"Oh my~"

Issei and I turn around to see another girl, one that seems about Rias' age.

If Ghost were here, he'd be playing some smooth saxophone music.

"You're the new club members, right? Pleased to meet you." She says, bowing her head.

Wait, new what?

"Whoah, hold on now-" I begin.

"It's nice to meet you too!" Issei says, a dumb smile on his face.

"I am the vice-president, Akeno Himejima. Pleased to make your acquaintance." She says with a very flirtatious giggle.

Issei, of course, stares at Himejima, likely getting perverted fantasies in that deluded little brain of his. Me, I'm a bit thrown by how much power is emanating from her. As expected, it's similar to Rias' power, but not quite as strong. Though, that said, she seems to be more powerful than everyone in this room, including myself and excluding Rias. Hell, I'd go as far as to say that this girl might be on par with Ikora.

"Thank you for waiting. Sorry about this, I haven't washed up since I stayed over at Issei's place." Rias says.

"D-don't worry about it!/No worries." Issei and I say at the same time.

"Okay, all of us are here now." Rias says.

All of us except for Rias take a seat on two couches.

"We welcome you into the Occult Research Club." Rias says.

When she says 'welcomed into', does that imply that they're trying to induct me as a member as well? I know that the Traveler sent me here to meet Rias, but I don't think that is how it wants me to do this.

"But the club is just an assumed front. Sort of a hobby of mine." She explains.

"'Assumed front'?" I question.

"I'll come right to the point. We are devils." She says.

"Oh wow, that really was to the point." I mutter.

"Those men yesterday with the black wings-- those were Fallen Angels." She says.

Huh... so, this world has it's own type of Fallen...

"They are angels in service to God, who, as a result of possessing corrupt emotions, have descended into the underworld." Rias explains.

They fell because of corrupt emotions? I wonder... is it possible that the Traveler left our Fallen because of something similar? After all, it allowed Mithrax to be welcomed as an ally of The City.

"They are attempting to wipe us Devils out while they manipulate humans. Since the distant past, they have fought for supremacy of the underworld-- the realm humans call Hell." Rias explains.

Ha! You want Hell? Try venturing into the deepest pits of the Hellmouth... Traveler, I hate the Hive.

"There are other Angels besides the fallen ones who come down on orders from God to defeat us Devils. In other words, there's a three way stand off." Rias finishes.

Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils, they all hate each other. Got it.

"Have you understood everything up to now?" Rias asks.

"How could we not? That was probably the most straightforward explanation of the situation you could have given." I reply.

"Actually, I'm having a bit of difficulty following." Issei says.

"Really?" I ask.

He just replies with a sheepish grin.

"Yuuma Amano." Rias says.

I figured that was gonna come up.

"You haven't forgotten her, right?" Rias asks.

It be a bit hard to forget the one that murdered you... well, maybe not in my case. I got no clue how I died before Ghost resurrected me.

Issei didn't appreciate the fact that his so-called "girlfriend" was being brought up, so he gets up to leave. Rias then tosses a picture on the table.

A picture of Issei and Yuuma together. And looking closely at the picture, I think I can see myself in the crowd in the background.

"That's her, right? Yuuma Amano?" Rias asks.

"I-it is. But how did you get this?" Issei asked.

"You're telling me you've never heard of a Polaroid?" I ask.

"Very funny." Issei replies, unamused.

"This girl-- or rather, this Fallen Angel is of the same substance as the beings that attacked you last night." Rias explains.

"But... Matsuda and Motohama don't remember her. And her phone address is gone." Issei says.

"She used her power, much like I did with your parents. She thought her objective was complete, so she erased all memories and records of herself from everyone around you." Rias explains.

"Her objective?" I ask.

"To kill both of you. However, it seems she got cocky and only did half the job." Rias says, smiling at me.

I would tell her that she's wrong, but I have a feeling none of them would believe me.

"She was to ascertain whether or not there was something dangerous within the two of you. Once that was verified, she killed Issei and attempted to kill Blue by being run through with a spear of light." Rias explains.

Spear of Light? Well, how's that for cruel irony?

"Come to think of it, Yuuma did say something about sacred-something-or-other." Issei recalls.

"Oh, I must have missed that." I say.

"Sacred Gear." Rias clarifies.

"It's a non-standard power that dwells within specific people. It is said that many historic figures have possessed this power." Akeno explains.

"Occasionally, there are even those with enough power that they become a threat to Devils or Fallen Angels." Rias continues.

Rias then looks to Issei.

"Issei, please hold up your left hand." Rias says.

"Like this?" Issei asks as he lifts his hand in the air.

"Close your eyes, and think of something you feel to be strongest." Rias says.

Issei attempts this, but keeps making perverted faces, likely due to the fact that Rias' underwear are clearly visible. He attempts one more time... that or he had an aneurysm. Nothing happens, and he falls to the ground in defeat.

"Wow... I honestly can't tell if that was funny or pathetic... bravo." I say.

I then notice that Koneko is giving me an unamused look.

"Oh, come on, like you're not thinking the same thing." I say.

She then looks at Issei.

"You're right." She sighs.

"That's okay. It looks like it's still hard for you." Rias says encouragingly.

"Still, are you sure there hasn't been some kind of mistake?" Issei asks.

"The fact is, that Fallen Angel was fearful and wanted to kill you both." Rias says.

"B-but if that's true, then isn't it weird that we're still alive here?" Issei asks.

For you, yes. For me, it's certainly odd, circumstances being what they are, but not weird. Not by a long shot.

"This." Rias says, holding up a small flyer.

I take a closer look at the slip of paper. It looks familiar...

Wait a minute...

——————

"Please check us out!"

A slip of paper is suddenly placed into my hand. I look at it briefly, then look at the woman who gave it to me.

She smiles, then walks away without saying anything more.

I then realize that I didn't mean to take the slip of paper she gave me, but by now it's too late. I look at the paper again. On it, the words 'We will grant your wish' are written. In the middle of the paper, however, is a sigil. One that I swear I've seen before.

Keeping that in mind, I put the paper in my pocket, as I have more pressing concerns at the moment.

——————

I remember that I still have that flyer. I had completely forgotten about it.

"Just before your life ended, Issei, you summoned me through this flyer." Rias explains.

I subtly look to Issei, who also recognizes the flyer.

"Issei, you have been reborn as a member of the House of Rias Gremory, daughter of the Marquis of Gremory, a high-ranking Devil." Rias says.

So, Issei's been resurrected as a Devil? Heh... just like I was resurrected as a Guardian so long ago.

Gremory then sprouts black wings. But they're not like the black feathery wings of Yuuma or those Fallen Angels that attacked us last night. These are different. Pointy in some places, and almost reminiscent of a bat's wings. These must be the wings of a Devil... I'm just now remembering that she said that she belonged to a big balls House. Wow... this world just keeps getting more similar to mine the more I listen to this. I mean, a faction in a war that's separated into different Houses? Where have I heard that before?

Suddenly, everyone else sprouts wings.

As Rias continues to explain the situation, I can't help but feel relieved. Finally, after six days of bullshit that I couldn't explain, I finally have answers! I said it once, and I'll say it again: I'm a Warlock, I don't like not knowing things.

The whole 'being resurrected as servants' thing makes so much sense, as far as these individuals are concerned. I kept sensing a weaker version of Gremory's power in them, Issei included. But them being her servants would make sense. That said, I notice that each one is stronger than the last. If I had to list them from weakest to strongest, it would be: Issei, Koneko, Kiba, Akeno, and Rias. I wonder why some of them are more or less powerful than their peers? Maybe it's some kind of rank system?

"So, Blue... I imagine you have a few questions of your own?" Rias asked.

I look around and notice that Issei is gone.

"Oh crap, I'm sorry, I was lost in my own thoughts. What's happening?" I ask.

"Well... I have a few questions I was hoping you could answer." Rias says.

"Yeah, I had a feeling that was the case." I mutter.

"By now we all know that you've been aware that we've been watching you with some interest." Rias says.

"Yeah, and while I understand why, I feel like someone should remind you of the value of privacy." I say.

Rias chuckled, then returned to her questioning.

"We had sensed something in you, something that seemed almost holy. At first, we thought you were an Angel. But after watching what happened last night, I must say: I've never seen anything like that." Rias says.

So she did see the Nova Bomb... I was wondering just how long she was watching me last night.

"So, more to the point, that begs the question: what exactly are you? Your aura is unlike anything I've seen, and as I said, I've never seen abilities such as yours." Rias asked.

So... normally, this is where I would explain everything, but there might be a small problem.

"Uhh... you wouldn't happen to have something you need to do soon, would you? Eight hours specifically?" I ask.

"Why eight hours?" Kiba asks.

"That's my record for my quickest time explaining my whole... situation. And that's just the nutshell version." I reply.

Koneko checks a nearby clock, then turns to Rias.

"President, we do have matters to attend to in 30 minutes." She says.

"Oh, that's right. Thank you for reminding me." Rias sighed.

He then looks back to me.

"Well, I suppose that will have to wait for another time. Though, there is one last question I would like to ask." Rias says.

"And that is?" I ask.

"Now that you know what's going on and have seen it for yourself... will you join my House as servant Devil?" She offers.

It takes me by surprise, slightly. I figured she would make an offer like this as she explained everything to Issei and I, but I didn't think it would be this soon.

And now I have something else to mull over for days. It would likely be useful to be part of something like this. One such benefit of being part of such a prestigious group would likely mean protection from those Fallen Angels that wish to kill me.

But, that would mean that I would have to commit to this full-time. And, as Guardian of the last remnants of Humanity in my world, I don't think I can do that.

...

"I... appreciate the offer... however, there are some things that I need to... sort out, for lack of a better term." I say.

The group looks surprised at my response.

"You're... turning this down?" Rias asks.

"No... I just have some things I need to take care of before I make a decision." I reply, somewhat telling the truth.

"Oh... I see." Rias says.

Given that nothing else is said, I assume that our business is concluded for now. I then stand up.

"Well, thank you for the explanations, Gremory. This has certainly been enlightening. I should probably get going, then. I'll... think on your offer. I'll come to you when I make a decision." I say.

"Very well." Rias says.

I then leave the old school house and walk to my apartment.

Timeskip

I know I said that I walked to my apartment earlier, but I ended up just walking around town, processing everything that was explained. But I was mostly trying to come to a decision about Rias' offer.

I know that the Traveler wanted me to meet her, but is that what it had in mind? To be a part of her House? No, that couldn't be it, not with barely ten million humans left in my world. 10 million humans to whom I have a duty to protect.

Not only that, but I have to get back to Kurisu and Yoshimi.

*CRUNCH*

I look down and see that I stepped on a twig. When I look around, I notice that I'm surrounded by trees. Crap, I got lost in my thoughts again. I must have wandered into the nearby park.

I'm about to turn around and head back towards my apartment, but I notice something.

A woman tending a small patch of flowers.

I walk over to her. As I get closer, feel something that I haven't since... actually, I haven't felt this ever. Something about this woman... this isn't anything like Gremory, or that Shitori girl. It's nothing like the Fallen Angels, either.

There's something about this woman... the air around her... it's almost like it's pure Light.

This isn't... she isn't an Angel, is she? I mean, it's possible. So far I've encountered Devils and Fallen Angels, but Rias said that there were also normal Angels who did the bidding of a God.

Suddenly, this woman looks up from tending to the flowers.

"I was wondering when we'd get to talk." She says, somehow sensing my presence.

That voice... I recognize it... but from where? And now that I think about it, I've seen this woman before.

She then turns and looks at me with a warm smile.

Something about this woman... I can't help but be awestruck in her mere presence.

...

Wait a minute... what did she say.

"What... what do you mean?" I ask.

She chuckles.

"I've been watching over you for a long time, Blue. We were destined to meet at some point." She says.

Destined to meet? She wanted to meet me? But if so, how did she know I would be here? And what does she mean when she says she's been watching over me? And most importantly...

"How... how do you know who I am?" I ask.

"I know a lot about you, Blue. You, your old fireteam, your sister, Kurisu..." She says.

"Wait, how do you know about them? W-who are you?" I question.

"And spoil the surprise?" She chuckles.

She then turns and begins to walk away.

"Wait a minute!" I exclaim.

She stops and says one last thing.

"This is just the beginning of your destiny, Guardian." She says.

She then walks away without saying anything more.

How... how did she know about my sister? About my old fireteam? About Kurisu? How did she know that I was a Guardian?

Who was that?