Beware My Power

Akeno awoke with a gasp in the middle of the night, shooting straight up into a seated position in the cool dark of her room. Her eyes were wide, adjusting to the darkness around her and her breathing was heavy and labored, evidenced by how far her chest rose and fell. It was the same nightmare that always haunted her, back again to wreak havoc on her psyche.

"f.u.c.k!" she screamed into the pillow she had been resting on, m.u.f.fling the sound as much as she could. She felt hot tears glaze her cheeks as they streamed down like waterfalls. As she got her bearings straight, she looked to her side and noticed that Elros wasn"t there. As the memory of her short outburst returned to her, a feeling of deep regret set in her heart. She shouldn"t have reacted that way towards him. After all, how was he supposed to know what happened to her as a child? She knew it was a knee-jerk reaction, but it was too soon for her to be sharing that kind of information with him - especially without knowing what his reaction would be. How would his perception of her change? Considering how long they knew each other, it was barely any time at all (although she admitted that whenever they talked, it felt as though they had known each other for much longer - he was just so easy to talk with). While she trusted him immensely, she wanted to be sure of what the end result would be before divulging that bit of her past to him.

With all the quiet she could muster, Akeno got up and opened the door. As she entered the living room area, she saw Elros"s resting figure on the couch. Gently approaching him, she noted the calm and serene look on his face as he rested - no evidence of a nightmare or anything unpleasant in sight, although she knew that he had has own troubles. He seemed to be at complete ease, something she was extremely envious of right now. For a while she looked at him, questions flooding her mind. What was going through his mind right now? Was he dreaming of what had happened over the last few days? Was he dreaming of her? Or was there something else lurking in his psyche? Was it something pleasant or not?

Akeno sat down next to him, feeling her own eyes become heavier after a while. It appeared that like his att.i.tude, his sleep was also contagious. After the nightmare, however, she didn"t feel like sleeping alone. Doing her best to not wake him, Akeno snuggled as close as she dared and turned her body towards him, comfortably resting her head and hands on his chest. To her surprise, his arms suddenly moved of their own accord, enveloping her in a tight but gentle embrace. Elros unconsciously lowered his head, resting his chin atop her head, as if shielding her from anything that would do her harm. Akeno felt her eyes widen as he did that. Was he looking out for her even as he slept? Her tears once again came to ahead as she noted how warm his touch felt, how gently and totally he held her. Risking it, she leaned in even deeper. As she did so, the familiar feel of his hand weaving through her beautiful hair soon started. Through her tears, Akeno smiled and soon she was asleep as well - without the nightmares this time.

-o-

As the sun began to rise outside, Elros and Akeno awakened at roughly the same time. Elros was surprised to find her resting comfortably in his arms, her breathing gentle and even. He took a moment to admire her soft features, so innocent when she was still partially asleep.

"Hey," Elros whispered as he ran a hand through her hair again, adjusting his grip slightly so that she was comfortable. She smiled up at him as she craned her head back, her eyes only slightly open. Through them, she saw that their lips were only inches apart.

"Good morning," she replied, her tone sleepy.

"Are you ok?" he asked, worried as he saw how red and puffy her eyes were.

"Yeah. I"m sorry about last night. It"s just that it"s a touchy subject for me. I don"t feel comfortable talking openly about it just yet," Akeno said as she buried her face as deep as she could in his chest. She could still feel the streaks of tears down her cheeks and as she looked ahead, she saw that they had seeped through his white shirt.

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for, alright? Don"t worry about it. It"s fine. Only when you"re comfortable, ok?" Elros said as he held her a bit tighter, resting his lips gently atop her head.

Akeno smiled happily at the way he held her. She couldn"t put it into words, but it made her feel as though she was protected from the world, from the very elements that made her youth such a torment. It had been a long time since someone held her with such surety and vigor; it made her extremely hesitant to want to go to school for the day. If it were her choice, this was how she"d spend the day if she could; in his arms, at peace as he kept watch.

She couldn"t help but blush at the thought. Akeno knew that she was extremely powerful; besides Rias and now possibly Elros, she was confident in her ability to the point that there wasn"t anyone in the peerage who could stand up to her in terms of raw power and magical ability. Even other Devils (several Pure-Bloods as well) noted her powers as second only to Rias. For a long period, however, there was no one that Akeno could rely on - no one to watch over her, no one to protect her, no one to tell her that everything was going to be alright. Until Rias came along in her life, she felt abandoned for a while. In the moment that Elros held her, that past seemed so far distant, that it might as well have been another person. Here, Akeno thought, was someone that she could rely on.

"Can… I lean on you?" she wondered, the voice in her mind a bit sad as it pondered the question. She soon decided to brush the thought off, if only for the moment. She wanted only to enjoy this particular moment in time they were sharing.

"I hope you don"t mind, but can we stay like this for a bit? It feels really nice," Akeno asked quietly.

"Of course. As long as you want," Elros whispered back. They held on to each other for what felt like hours, neither moving or saying a word. Akeno couldn"t help but feel more tears come to her eyes again. As they began to trail down her cheeks and seep into his shirt, she wondered how he would react? She didn"t have to wait long for her reply for as soon Elros felt them, he simply held her tighter and began to gently rub her back with one hand while weaving the other through her hair. Slowly, he began to rock in his position, swaying gently with her. Akeno wrapped her arms around his neck as she hugged him as tight as she could, trying to get her tears under control.

"I"m sorry. I didn"t want you to see me like this…," Akeno said through her tears which showed no signs of stopping.

"Hey, you have nothing to apologize for, alright? If you need to cry, then let it all out. I"m here for you, ok? Don"t worry, Akeno. I"m here," Elros whispered. As he finished his sentence, he felt Akeno nod into his chest. Soon, the dams broke and her tears raged on, flowing as the mighty river Isen did through Rohan. Elros rocked her as he held her close, as a parent would do to console a child.

"There, there…," he whispered as he felt Akeno tighten her hold around his neck, almost cutting off circulation. Elros wasn"t sure about what the reason for her tears was. But, the reason was irrelevant; all he knew was that she was in pain and she was crying. She needed him to simply be there for her right now, not to interrogate her.

It was a while before Akeno finally stopped. Elros heard her breathing begin to ease out, no longer interrupted by her choked tears; finally, she was on an even tempo and calm at last. She gently picked her head off his chest and looked on guiltily at how wet it was; one could have a.s.sumed that he splashed a copious amount of water on himself. She couldn"t bring herself to meet his eyes, not wanting him to see her in such a position. However, she felt him cup her chin with one of his hands and tilt her head up to look at him. Akeno saw that he was smiling warmly at her, a twinkle in his kind gaze as he looked at her. He brought both hands up and took her face in them, gently wiping away the remnants of the tears with his thumbs. Suddenly, he leaned forward. Akeno was still a statue as he did so, wondering what his intention was. Soon, she felt him press his lips to her forehead. It took all the willpower that Akeno had to not break out in tears once again as she leaned her head gently forward against his lips. They held that position for a while before Akeno finally got up.

"I"m gonna shower," she said softly.

"Alright," Elros replied.

-o-

Akeno was still as she let the warm water pour over her, her head hanging slightly. She thought about the nightmare that she had - a recurring one that hadn"t stopped for years on end. She thought about how Rias came to save her in her darkest hour, as she was on the cusp of death. She thought of how Elros simply held her and the effect it seemed to have - one of protection from the elements, one of warmth, gentility, and compa.s.sion; one that seemed, at least to her, a message

"I"m here for you, ok? Don"t worry. I"m here," she remembered him say to her not too long ago. The words brought with them indescribable joy. Elros had barely been there any time at all yet his presence was already palpably felt; Gasper and Koneko were smiling a lot more; Sona and Tsubaki were made to blush, Akeno thought with a smile; and she had someone that she could consider her rock.

In all her years, not since she was a child, did someone hold her like that. No one had comforted her from her nightmares, or from the world; no one was there to tell her that everything would be alright and that they would be there for her. Until now, that is.

Akeno couldn"t help but feel another stream of tears come down as she finally found someone that she could lean on - in good times and bad.

-o-

As she exited, she let Elros know that it was his turn. He flashed her a smile as he popped in to get ready while she went over to the stove and put on some tea. She listened as he turned the shower on again and couldn"t help but smile at what she would see if she opened the door and walked in. To think that just four days ago, she knew nothing of how big the universe truly was; and in that short span - less than 96 hours - she had met someone who already impacted her life more significantly than anyone she could think of except possibly Rias.

Elros soon stepped out, fresh and ready to go. He saw Akeno standing by the stove and went over, putting a rea.s.suring hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked at him with a smile, her violet eyes piercing his brown ones. She slowly pulled him into a tight hug.

"Thank you," she whispered as she put her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder, wrapping his short hair around a finger as she did so. Elros smiled and put his arms around her waist, bringing her in as much as he could. He enjoyed spending so much time with her, and after the moment they had shared not to long ago he felt something else: a deep desire to protect.

"You"re welcome. Like I said - I"m here. Whenever, wherever, alright?" he whispered back as he gently rubbed her back.

As she pulled back, Akeno leaned on the tips of her toes and gently kissed his cheek, resting her lips there for as long as she dared. She nodded and turned back to the stove, her smile even wider. They quickly drank their tea in silence and exited.

"Another beautiful day," Elros said as he looked up at the sun.

"It is. Nice and sunny. Odd, because we"re supposed to dislike the sun," Akeno said as she closed her eyes, letting the sun beat down upon her face. Elros took a moment to admire how beautiful she looked in the light. The rays of the sun illuminated her more than any other light could, giving her a sort of radiance that was, he thought, d.a.m.n near angelic if not completely so. As she opened her eyes and looked at him, she found him staring intensely at her. She couldn"t help but blush at the gaze.

"What? What is it?" she asked nervously.

"Nothing. Sorry. You"re just extremely beautiful," Elros told her. Akeno gave him a charming smile as she took his arm in hers and leaned her head comfortably on his shoulder. With that, they began to walk.

-o-

As they walked, Elros was flitting his head from side to side, doing his best to take in all the sights. It seemed like every day, there was something else that popped up that he didn"t remember from the day before and he made sure to make a note of it. Akeno found his behavior to be cute.

"You"re so adorable when you do that. Like a puppy," she said with a giggle.

"This city is just so peaceful and quiet. I love it," Elros replied.

"It must be a far cry from Death Valley or s.p.a.ce, huh?" Akeno asked.

"Oh yeah. But, they have their charm. Death Valley was definitely much quieter. Sand, the sun, and rocks - that"s about all you had. It was just an ocean without any water and even less life. s.p.a.ce… s.p.a.ce is the quietest thing I can think of. Cold. Lonesome. But… it has a certain charm and enthrallment about it. You can keep flying and never reach anything; but just as much, you can reach something that might be the most amazing thing you"ve ever seen. I wouldn"t give it up for anything, I think. There"s so much I still have left to see. It"s the never-ending adventure" Elros said thoughtfully as he turned his head up to look at the cloudless blue sky.

"I"d love to hear some of your stories sometimes," Akeno said.

"I don"t see why not. I"ve got a few," Elros said.

A few minutes later, they ran into the rest of the group. Issei and Asia always walked to and from school together, and this time, they were joined by Xenovia, Kiba, and Koneko. As Akeno and Elros approached, Koneko stood in front of Elros and looked up at him expectantly. Elros smiled warmly at her, knowing what she was thinking. Putting a hand on her head, he began petting and scratching her intermittently. Koneko smiled and closed her eyes as she let him lead her with the rest of the group, who were laughing and giggling at her behavior.

"So Issei, how goes it?" Elros said, turning to his new friend.

"It"s going alright. What about you? Staying with Akeno, still?" Issei asked.

"Yup. Can"t say I"m in a huge hurry to find my own place, really. Might as well already be in paradise," Elros said as he leaned his head gently on top of Akeno"s.

"It"s so unfair… Akeno, can"t I move in as well?" Issei asked desperately.

"Sorry Issei, but no more room. Only have one bed as it stands," Akeno said, a bit of seduction in her voice.

"WAIT! ARE YOU SLEEPING WITH HER EVERY NIGHT?!" Issei asked in shock.

"I"m afraid that"s for us to know and you to never find out," Elros said with a chuckle. Issei was about to press it but he found his ear yanked by Asia, who was tomato-red.

"It must be tough, though - all in a new place by yourself and such a big change. How"re you liking it so far?" Kiba wondered.

"Well, it"s not too bad or different. Earth is Earth, no matter where you go. Honestly, I"m loving it. The town"s nice, people are kind, and the student body is gorgeous. Still have to learn about being a Devil, though. I"m curious, though. As a Devil, shouldn"t I be feeling hedonistic or… you know, evil?" Elros asked.

"Hey, we"re not evil! We"re good people!" Issei said dramatically.

"I was kidding. I don"t think you have an evil bone in your body, man. Just… misunderstood ones, from what I"ve seen," Elros said.

"What"s that supposed to mean?!" Issei asked hotly.

"He means you need to stop looking at girls through the lockers with your perverted friends," Koneko answered to laughs all around.

"Don"t worry, you"re fine. Just because you"re a devil doesn"t mean your personality changes," came Rias"s voice from behind them; she had just caught up with the group.

"Hey, Rias. Good to see you," Elros said. Rias smiled and tried to join him at his side, but Koneko wouldn"t let her. She grumbled as she walked by Akeno, who juts giggled at her ordeal.

"What"re you talking about?! You"re my age, aren"t you? Being hedonistic is what we"re supposed to be about!" Issei said pa.s.sionately. Akeno, Rias, and Asia couldn"t help but smile and sweat drop at that; they knew he meant well, but he was still a major pervert.

"One must learn to temper the mind, body, and soul, my friend. It"s something I"ve developed over the years. Although, I can"t say my thoughts don"t waver from time to time," Elros said as he held Akeno and bit closer and winked at Rias.

"How about using some of your charm to hook me up?" Issei asked, tears streaming down his face comically.

"You don"t need my help, Issei. All you need to do is look to your right," Elros said. Issei did so and his eyes connected with Asia. Both of them blushed deeply and madly, much to the entertainment of the others.

"While teasing Issei and Asia is fun, there is one matter of business I"d like to discuss, Elros. My father would like to meet you sometime soon. Would you mind?" Rias asked.

"Not in the slightest," Elros said.

"You know, I don"t think we"ve ever met your dad, Rias. Just your brother," Issei reflected.

"Yes, my father is often extremely busy as the current head of the Gremory Household. Sirzechs is also usually pretty busy as well, but he"s able to make time here and there. Then again, that might be because he likes to shirk his duties. But don"t worry, my dad"s just really interested in seeing what you can do," Rias said with a comforting smile.

"That"s a relief. I dunno, when I first learned about Devils, it wasn"t a pleasurable experience," Elros said, thinking on that encounter with a frown.

"I"ve been meaning to ask about that. Where did you meet this Devil? There are other Circles of h.e.l.l where the Devils look different, but we don"t have much contact with them. I"ve honestly never even heard of them coming to the surface that often; everything I"ve heard says that prefer to stay in their dimension of the underworld," Rias said.

"It was years ago when I was in England on some personal business. I ran across an occultist who had been working as a detective; helping people with exorcisms, driving out other types of demons - you know, the usual. He"s had a Devil hot on his trail for a long time and it finally came to ahead when I was there. My ring detected some kind of disturbance and I went to investigate. Next thing I know, he"s thrown out a window and this f.u.c.king Devil leaps out and heads straight for me. I managed to swat him before he got to me, after which he high tailed it out of there. The guy and I spoke for a bit when he filled me in on what was going on, though it took some coaxing," Elros said.

"Do you know who the Devil was?" Rias asked interestedly.

"Constantine called him Nergal," Elros said.

"Nergal… Nergal… No, that doesn"t ring a bell, I"m afraid. You could ask my father as he might know a bit more; I believe he"s encountered Devils from other Circles before, but I can"t be sure. Constantine, however… I don"t know why, but I know that name from somewhere. But where…" Rias said as she bit a nail, trying to remember it.

"Blond guy, wears a trenchcoat, always smoking, a.s.shole of the first degree? Liable to find him drinking in a bar, with a girl, or in a fight," Elros offered.

"Hmm… I don"t know. I know that I know the name, but I don"t recall who it"s a.s.sociated with," Rias said thoughtfully.

"He must be important if you know about him, though," Akeno said in slight surprise.

"I suppose so," Rias said with a sigh, giving up.

"Yeah, it"s best to leave him forgotten," Elros lamented with a grimace.

"That bad?" Akeno asked.

"Worse. I love him like a brother, but he grates on most people"s nerves. h.e.l.l, before he hightailed it, the Devil took a bit of time to complain about him. Was pretty funny, actually," Elros said with a short chuckle.

"Can"t wait to meet him if he ever comes around here," Akeno said. Elros turned to face her with a grim expression that she couldn"t help but laugh at.

"Hey, Elros. Question: ever had s.e.x in s.p.a.ce?" Issei suddenly asked, a glint in his eyes. Rias and Akeno couldn"t help bull roll their eyes while Asia blushed deeply. Elros grinned at that.

"Of course, I have," he replied. Akeno and Rias nearly twisted their heads off as they turned them violently to look at Elros who conveniently avoided their gaze.

"What"s it like?" Issei asked, a slight bit of drool coming down his chin. Before Elros began to explain, a pair of green earm.u.f.fs erupted from his ring and placed themselves on Konekos ears. She didn"t seem to notice or if she did, she didn"t care; she was still smiling pleasantly as Elros continued to pet her.

"How can I describe it? Imagine, if you will, being weightless in the middle of an empty sector of s.p.a.ce; all that"s around you is small pins of white, stars in the distance, giving only the faintest bit of light. There"s no Sun; no Earth or other planet nearby; no asteroids or any other s.p.a.ce junk; nothing except for a minuscule gravitational pull and your body just floating along. The ridiculous amount of positions you can try in Zero-G in the cold dark, your focus completely on the person you"re with - makes for quite a pa.s.sionate session. From that, imagine that you"re suddenly on a large, lush planet with a gravitational pull that puts the Earth to shame. Do you know how much work you have to put into it if you"re not a native of that planet, or not used to the gravity? It"s the most intense workout I can think of. Mind blowing doesn"t even do it justice. I still haven"t mentioned the ridiculous amount of races that simply thrive off s.e.x," Elros said, an unknown glint in his eye.

"You"re kidding, right?" Issei asked, his mouth agape as he stopped walking and stared wide eyed at Elros. Asia, still by his side, was as red as a tomato, unable to say anything. Kiba also seemed to be blushing a bit; while Xenovia simply looked on at Elros with a keen interest. Rias and Akeno, meanwhile, didn"t know what to think.

"He sounds like he"s had a lot of… experience," Rias thought.

"I suppose I should"ve expected that," Akeno thought with a sigh.

"Not about this, man. Good G.o.d… I could go on for months about the planets I"ve visited, the people I"ve seen, the absolute wonders of the universe…," Elros suddenly trailed off and stared ahead, his eyes misting over. He seemed not to notice anything as he continued walking mindlessly. What was there to say? Too much; he could converse for the rest of his life about the things he had seen, and it wouldn"t leave so much as the slightest dent in what there still was to see. From the friends he had made with aliens; to the ones he had wooed and seduced otherwise; to the ones that he had fought; to the places he had gone, the tongues he had learned, the wars he had partic.i.p.ated in. It all made him the man he was now.

Suddenly, he saw Akeno snapping her fingers in front of him.

"Earth to Elros…," she said in a sing-song voice.

"Hmm? Sorry. I get like that sometimes," he said with a chuckle as he brought himself down to Earth.

"It"s fine. You know, I think we"d all like to hear some stories you have. It"s not every day you meet a s.p.a.ce cop," Akeno said.

"Sure," Elros said.

"Mmm… can"t wait," Issei said, still drooling.

-o-

Finally, they were at school. As Elros, Akeno, and Rias split from the rest of the group and headed towards cla.s.s, Elros noted that Rias and Akeno were looking at him intently.

"What"s up, you two?" he wondered.

"Hmm?" Rias asked, startled by the sudden question.

"I asked what"s up? You two seem to be staring intensely at me. Unless, of course, I"m not reading enough into this," Elros said as he stopped and leaned in a bit, staring back with just as much intensity.

"Not at all!" Rias exclaimed as she continued walking, Akeno in tow.

"If you say so. By the way, Rias, are you free today during lunch or after school?" Elros asked.

"Yeah. Why?" Rias asked, surprised by the sudden question.

"I was hoping you could explain more about what it means to be a Devil. Azazel told me some things about Chess Pieces and powers and wings and stuff like that. Was hoping for an overview," Elros said.

"Oh my goodness, I"m sorry! I completely forgot everything… wow, I feel like such a klutz," Rias said, facepalming. She was so excited that Elros had joined the peerage, that she really didn"t explain much to him - about his Demonic Powers or about his wings or anything.

"It"s fine," Elros said.

"No, it definitely isn"t. This is really important stuff and I completely blanked out on you. I explained everything on the first day to Issei and Asia and Xenovia. I"m sorry… it just completely escaped me," Rias said, red as all h.e.l.l at her misstep.

"Relax," Elros said as he put an arm around her. As she leaned in, Rias let out a comfortable exhale.

"Sorry. But yeah, yes. But how about we do it after school? You can come over to my place and I"ll give you a run down. Everyone else has their contracts from yesterday to catch up on, so I don"t think anyone will be at the ORC either, Rias said.

"Yeah, that works for me. Let me know when and where," Elros said.

"Sounds good. I"ll text you the details," Rias said with a smile. As Akeno overheard the conversation, she couldn"t help but feel a twinge of envy in her heart. She knew that Elros would be back at her house every night for the foreseeable future; and that she had already spent a ludicrous amount of time with him already. Counting the hours, she figured that she spent more one on one time with him in four days than she had with the others over the course of knowing them. She tried to set the thought out of mind as she saw how happy Rias looked. She figured that Rias also had feelings for Elros; although she deduced, that much like her, both were still coming to terms with them. After all, their relationship was still so recent.

As Akeno pondered that, she couldn"t help but think that it already felt as though they had known each other for a lifetime. She couldn"t describe the exceedingly high level of comfort and happiness she felt when she was around him. Satisfying herself with that thought, she smiled again as she swung Elros"s arm over her shoulders and leaned in.

-o-

As cla.s.s broke for lunch, Elros was about to head over to the ORC.

"If you guys see Koneko, could you ask her to come to the ORC?" Elros asked.

"Sure… but why?" Rias asked.

"I just want to make sure she"s alright with what happened last night," Elros said.

"I see. Sure, I"ll let her know," Rias said, smiling as a look of understanding came over her.

As he was walking towards the ORC, he looked to his right and saw a trembling in the bushes near the back of the building where the Girls Kendo Club trained. Eyes narrowed, Elros walked over with as much silence as he could muster. Crouching low and parting the bushes, he saw the three culprits: Issei, with drool trailing down his chin as usual; as well as two of his friends that Elros knew as Matsuda - a member of the Photography Club and former sports star; and Motohama, a boy who wore gla.s.ses and could pinpoint a girl"s measurements with pinpoint accuracy. Craning his head to look through the windows, he saw that the girls were mid change. With a sigh, Elros retreated without making his presence known. He absolutely loved and adored women; and although he was fine with Issei"s perverted antics, for the most part, no one liked a stalker. With a dark chuckle to himself, he went to the front of the building and knocked.

"I got it!" cried a voice.

As she opened the door, she couldn"t help but gasp in response as she saw Elros standing there looking down at her, a pleasant smile on his face.

"h.e.l.lo," he greeted.

"A guy!" she cried out; the other girls reacted in much the same manner as they scrambled to cover themselves up. The girl that answered the door - a beautiful woman with light brown hair that was tied in twin tails with red ribbons at the bases; gorgeous hazel eyes; and who was currently wrapped in a towel - looked on with a ma.s.sive blush.

"Forgive me, miss. I didn"t mean to intrude on you all at such a precarious moment," Elros said as he turned his back, allowing them some time to change.

"Didn"t you know this is the Girls Kendo Club room?!" the woman asked haughtily as she fastened her towel.

"I did know, and that"s part of the reason I"m here. Might I turn around yet?" Elros asked.

"Go ahead," she replied. As he did so, he was still smiling at her, making her blush a bit more.

"What?" she asked.

"Nothing. It"s just that you"re very pretty," Elros said.

"What?! W-who are you?" she asked.

"Forgive me. My name is Elros Eärendil. I"m the new transfer student here," Elros said as he held out a hand.

"Oh! I"ve heard of you. I think I"ve seen you around as well! You"re always hanging out with Rias and Akeno, right?" the woman said, her voice suddenly excited as she shook his hand.

"That"s correct," Elros replied.

"Yeah! Sorry, my name is Murayama!" she said with a smile. The other girls looked on at the scene, many of them smiling and giggling as they observed with a keen interest.

"The pleasure is mine, miss," Elros said as he gently took her outstretched hand and kissed it. Murayama blushed deeply as she did so while the other girls gasped.

-o-

"Yo Issei isn"t that guy your friend?!" Matsuda asked.

"Elros Eärendil. Newest transfer to this school. Extremely popular amongst the female population, heavily disliked by the male population. Both find him difficult to approach because of that ma.s.sive scar on his face," Motohama commented.

"ELROS?!" Issei hissed, mouth agape as he watched his friends smiling at the beautiful women around him.

"This is so unfair!" he thought.

"What"s he doing there? Don"t… no way. Don"t tell me… it"s an orgy?! He"s going to start an orgy at SCHOOL!" Motohama said excitedly. Matsuda, Motohama, and Issei suddenly started bleeding heavily out of their noses.

-o-

"Please call me Murayama! Or Aya for short, if you want!" she said.

"Aya. I like that," Elros replied.

"I like Elros too," Aya said, blushing.

"I"m glad to hear it. I"m fond of the name myself," Elros said.

"So… sorry, what"re you doing here again?" Aya asked.

"Ah yes. Could you ladies please come here for a second?" Elros asked. The other girls moved forward interested in what Elros had to say.

"What is it?" another woman asked.

"I was walking this way when I noticed three… shall we say miscrea… no, let"s just them perverts - hiding in the bushes behind that wall. I just thought that you ladies would like to know so that you can… take care of business, as it were," Elros said.

"Ugh. Is it those three again?!" Aya hissed.

"I"m afraid so," Elros sighed, slightly apologetic in his friends stead.

"Isn"t Issei like a friend of yours?" one of the members asked.

"He is. His heart is in the right place; same with the other two, I"m sure. I"m positive they don"t mean any ill will. Regardless… it"s important to respect others privacy. So long as you don"t kill him, I"m alright with it," Elros said cheerfully.

"At least someone here"s a gentleman," one of the girl giggled.

"I try my best, miss," Elros said.

"Thanks for telling us," Aya said with a sweet smile.

"Not at all, Aya. It was a pleasure to meet you all as well. Good day, and happy hunting," Elros said as he walked away.

"He"s handsome," Aya"s friend, Katase, said.

"Mhm," Aya replied, a blush still evident on her cheeks.

"How he kissed your hand?! That was sooooo cute!" another one of the members cooed.

"I know," another replied giddily. Suddenly, she turned serious.

"I think we have a little business to take care of, ladies," she said dangerously. The others nodded.

As Elros kept walking towards the ORC, he heard the distinct screams of three perverts.

-o-

Upon arriving, Elros noted that Koneko was already there. She was sitting on a couch with Gasper and both had surprised looks on their eyes when Elros showed up. He smiled at them as he went over, sitting between them.

"Hey. I hope I didn"t keep you two waiting long," Elros said.

"Nope. What"s up?" Koneko asked as she grabbed his hand and put it atop her head. Gasper took his other arm and put it on himself as he leaned in closer. Gasper enjoyed being around Elros; he was strong and cool, two traits that he looked up to quite a bit. Most importantly to him, though, Elros wasn"t even a little bit scared of him. It was just the opposite; he was most excited to learn about what Gasper could do, even more so than Rias.

"I wanted to talk to you guys about the Stray Devil from last night. I don"t want to bring up any unpleasant memories but… it"s important to talk about something like that. You two are ridiculously strong; but the way I see it, you"re still children. Children… shouldn"t have to see stuff like that, but in this line of work, I guess it"s unavoidable," Elros said. Gasper and Koneko were silent as he spoke as both had a flashback to the night before. Gasper whimpered as he tightened his grip around Elros, who, in response, held Gasper a bit closer. Elros leaned Koneko in closer as well as he continued to gently rub her head. Koneko did so without hesitation, as she turned her head inwards toward him and rested it against his ribs.

"It"s hard, you two. It"s difficult to see someone in that kind of position; and if I could, I"d make you forget it and I"d make it so you never have to see someone like that again. There"s a vast difference between… between something who is dead and someone who"s in the process of dying. When you see it, it becomes so much more real and traumatic as opposed to seeing them just gone," Elros continued. As he did so, he felt a sudden wetness on both sides; Koneko and Gasper had begun crying.

"Don"t worry. Just let it all out, ok? It"s nothing to be ashamed of. It"s ok to cry," Elros whispered comfortingly. As he finished his sentence, Gasper began wailing as he tightened his hold on Elros. Elros let him and drew him in as close as he could, doing the same for Koneko. He didn"t think she"d release her emotions as much as Gasper, but he knew that she was going through the same.

"But aren"t we weak? I mean… you stayed!" Gasper cried out.

"Gasper, you and Koneko are most definitely NOT weak. And just because I stayed doesn"t make me any stronger," Elros said.

"But you still stayed. We should"ve as well," Koneko said defiantly.

"You left because I asked you to, Koneko. And I don"t regret it one bit; you"re far too young to be seeing stuff like that. Both of you are. You might be Devils, but I think it"s important that you grow up and experience life as children of your age - at least as much as you can. I can safely say that most people will NEVER see a scene like that. Just because you"re Devils doesn"t make that any different," Elros told them.

"How did you deal with it?" she asked.

"I never had someone who asked me to wait outside. I became a Green Lantern when I was seven. I had my first official mission six months later, and right then and there I saw something like that. I"m never going to forget it. And do you know what I did?" Elros asked.

"What?" Koneko asked softly.

"I cried. I cried until I just couldn"t do so anymore. It was hard. They tried to comfort me as much as they could, but… you can"t explain a scene like that to someone of my age. And you"re barely older than I was then. You"re still developing; and something like that sticks with you," Elros said.

"I want to forget it!" Gasper said.

"I know, Gasper. I know. And if I could, you would… but I can"t. The… the best I can do is help you through it; and if I can, to make sure you don"t see something like that again," Elros said.

"Do you ever get used to it?" Koneko asked.

"Never. It"s something that sticks with you, and it"s something you eventually learn to live with if you see it enough. But you never truly get used to it. I"m thankful for that, I think. The day I get used to something like that… that"s the day I lose myself," Elros whispered.

"Elros?" Gasper asked.

"Yeah, buddy?" Elros replied.

"If we find something like that again… Can I just stand outside next time?" Gasper asked, his voice trembling as he did so.

"Of course, you can. I"ll talk to Rias about it as well. There"s no reason for us all to even go after Strays, I think; a couple of us should be enough," Elros said.

"Thanks," Gasper replied as Elros nodded.

"I heard you talking to that guy," Koneko said.

"Oh yeah?" Elros asked, surprised. Her senses were extremely sharp.

"You… helped him. You made him understand that he was going to die," Koneko said.

"I did," Elros replied.

"How did you make him feel ok with it?" Koneko asked.

"I don"t think he was ok with it. He was writing in pain, you know. At that point, he knew that he just had to accept it whether he wanted to or not," Elros said.

"He asked you to kill him, right?" Koneko asked, her voice small.

"Yes, he did," Elros said.

"Did you want to?" she asked.

"I don"t have an answer for that, I"m afraid. It"s certainly not an unusual request in that position but… it requires consideration," Elros said.

"Were you scared, too?" Gasper asked.

"I wish I was, Gasper," Elros answered quietly.

"Really?" Gasper asked as he finally looked up, surprised.

"Yeah. Fear is a good thing. It helps you avoid making dumb mistakes," Elros said.

"Have you ever made a dumb mistake?" Koneko asked.

"More than I can count, unfortunately," Elros answered.

"What do we do if we make a mistake?" Gasper asked.

"You try to fix it if you can. But if you can"t, I want you two to know that it"s ok to ask others for help. Lean on us when you feel like you need to. You can count on us, alright?" Elros said kindly. Koneko and Gasper both agreed. They sat in silence for a while longer, each mulling over their conversation; reconciling it with what they saw and coupling it with past experiences.

"Looks"s like I have to go," Elros said as he heard the bell ring.

"Could you stay for a while longer?" Koneko asked as she tightened her hold on him. Gasper did the same.

"Of course," Elros said with a kind smile. He made himself comfortable as he let Koneko and Gasper draw strength for him; he"d stay as long as they needed.

-o-

It was another hour before Koneko and Gasper were finally ok with leaving. Giving Elros a tight hug, Gasper headed back to his room. Elros smiled as heard Gasper begin playing his video games again; he was happy that the gruesome sight did nothing to lessen his spirit when he was alone. Resting his hand on Konekos head, they began to walk back towards the school.

"Could you walk me to my cla.s.sroom?" Koneko asked, blushing slightly.

"Sure. Lead the way," Elros replied with a smile.

As they were walking, they ran into Issei - who also appeared to be late to cla.s.s. Upon seeing him, Koneko noticed that he was bruised and beaten all over and sporting a b.l.o.o.d.y nose.

"What happened to you?" she asked, deadpan.

"I… uhh… had a run in with the Girls Kendo Team," Issei replied, tears falling comically.

"You mean you were spying on them?" Koneko asked.

"That"s… not relevant! But Elros! I saw you there as well - you walked in on them while they were changing! Were you hooking me up?" Issei asked with a grin.

"Something like that. You should get to the nurses, though. Even with your Devil powers, doesn"t look like those babies are gonna heal quickly. Perhaps next time, you should stay clear of those girls. They definitely felt like they meant business," Elros said with a smile. Issei nodded and headed off towards the nurses office as quick as he could, nursing some wounds.

"What were you doing with the Girls Kendo Team?" Koneko asked as she looked up at Elros.

"I caught Issei, Motohama, and Matsuda spying on them. Just thought that I"d hook them up," Elros said with a laugh. To his surprise, Koneko giggled as well - the first that he had heard. As she saw him look at her, she quickly turned bright red as she stared off into the distance again. Elros decided not to push it for now; he simply began patting her head again.

"That feels nice," Koneko said glibly as he began to do so.

"I"m happy to hear it. You kind of remind of a cat. Pretty adorable," Elros said with a chuckle. Koneko had no response to that as she continued looking off into the distance again.

Finally, after their short jaunt, they were in front of Konekos cla.s.sroom. Before she went in, Elros got on a knee and looked at her with a kind smile.

"Remember, I"m here for you," he said as he gave her a gentle hug. Koneko smiled at how warm he felt and responded with a tight hug of her own.

As she headed into cla.s.s, Elros began to look for his own room. Unfortunately for Elros however, he noted something: every time he had gone to cla.s.s, it was with Rias and Akeno. As such, his mind was often elsewhere and he usually let them lead him along. Thanks to the vastness of the main building of the school, he was quickly lost.

"Huh. This is a predicament, I guess I should"ve had Koneko walk me to my room instead," Elros said aloud to himself as he looked around, wondering where he was. He knew that his cla.s.s was on the third floor so he began to climb up one of the staircases in the right wing of the school. As he turned the corner and onto another flight, he ran into a familiar face.

As Sona b.u.mped into Elros, she began to fall back - it might as well have been running into a wall. She was about to hit the ground when she noticed a pair of muscular arms had broken her fall. Instinctively, she reached around his neck and took a moment to catch her breath. It took her a few seconds to notice who had caught her.

"Elros!" Sona said in surprise as Elros brought her up, smiling as she still had her arms around him. He moved his own from around her back to around her waist.

"h.e.l.lo, Sona. My apologies for not watching where I was going," Elros replied.

"Not at all. I wasn"t much paying attention either," Sona replied with a gentle blush.

"Is there something on your mind?" Elros asked.

"More things than I can count, unfortunately," Sona responded wryly.

"My offer from before still stands: if there"s anything I can do to lighten the load, you have but to ask," Elros said.

"I thank you for the offer, but it"s fine. I can handle it. But thank you for catching me," Sona said.

"Not at all. This is quite nice," Elros said. Sona wondered what he was talking about when she finally realized what he meant. Her arms were still around his neck and his around her waist. She blushed even deeper as she realized how closely they were touching each other.

"Oh!" she said as she quickly let him go. Elros did the same but kept on smiling.

"Forgive me if I made you uncomfortable," Elros said.

"It"s not that… just that I… well…," Sona trailed off.

"I understand. It"s good that I ran into you. Perhaps you could help with a problem? I seem to be lost," Elros said.

"I"d be happy to show you to your cla.s.s," Sona said with a smile. They began to ascend the stairs, although they were fairly snail-like in their pace.

"You"re a life saver," Elros sighed.

"So how are you adjusting to life as a Devil?" Sona asked.

"Well, I think. I had my first contract last night and it was pretty enjoyable. There"s still a lot of things I have left to learn, but Rias is going to give me a run down after school," Elros replied.

"And how are you liking Rias"s peerage in particular?" Sona asked curiously.

"Loving it, honestly. They"re all pretty awesome. Wouldn"t even be alive if it wasn"t for Asia, and Gasper"s just pretty f.u.c.king cool. Plus, all the beautiful women in the peerage. And out, of course," Elros said as he slung an arm around Sona"s shoulder.

"You seem to be very comfortable around women, it seems. Older sister, perhaps?" Sona asked. She didn"t know why, but Elros made her feel like… a girl - rather than a Sitri or Student Council President.

"Mmm… no, just an older brother. I suppose I have a lot of experience, though," Elros replied.

"Ugh. I hope you"re not another pervert," Sona said with a sigh, flashing back to watching Issei"s Dress Break maneuver against Riser"s peerage during their Rating Game. It was quite nightmarish, and if he ever used it on her, he"d pay dearly.

"Why does everyone think I"m a pervert? I"m a lover. If you"d rather I keep my distance, of course, I will," Elros said.

"No, no. This feels… nice, actually," Sona said as she leaned in a bit.

"I"m glad to hear it," Elros said as he tightened his hold slightly.

"Perhaps you could give Issei some tips on how to interact with women?" Sona suggested.

"Ha. If his antics continue, I might need to. His hearts in the right place, though. I don"t think he intends any ill will… it just seems to work out that way for him," Elros said with a chuckle.

"His signature move breaks the clothing off of women. That doesn"t come off as a bit rapey to you?" Sona asked in a deadpan voice.

"… Point taken," Elros lamented. While it was pretty funny, he admitted that it was also extremely embarra.s.sing for the ladies involved.

"Regardless - yes, I suppose he isn"t a bad person. Although I wish he and his friends would stop disturbing the girls sports teams," Sona said.

"Yeah, I found them spying on the Girls Kendo Team earlier today," Elros said.

"What did you do?" Sona asked.

"I told the girls and heard their screams as I walked away. Pretty funny," Elros said.

"And here I thought you were a good friend," Sona giggled.

"This is me looking out for him. And for women everywhere by proxy," Elros said.

"I suppose it"s for the best if they learn their lesson," Sona said.

"Speaking of friends, where"s Tsubaki? You two appear to be as inseparable as Rias and Akeno," Elros asked, noting she wasn"t there.

"She"s in cla.s.s right now, taking a test. I was excused to run a few errands for the Student Council," Sona said.

"Oh f.u.c.k me… I think I have a test today as well," Elros suddenly remembered, his brain suddenly in a slight panic.

"Slipped your mind?" Sona asked with a giggle.

"That or I blocked it out," Elros said.

"Don"t make it a habit. You"ll have to get through school on your own recognizance," Sona said.

"I"m already years behind, then. This is the first time I"ve stepped into a school to learn something in a decade at least," Elros said.

"You"re kidding!" Sona said, surprised.

"Wish I were. My power ring stores an incredible amount of information, so I"m mostly an autodidact," Elros shrugged.

"That"s pretty incredible. Although, I must admit that I don"t envy the position. School is important for than just academics. You have a chance to build relationships with others, improve your social skills, and hopefully make lifelong friends," Sona said.

"Mmm… point well made and I agree for the most part. I"d say that those things are unique to only schools. I"ve done that one my own without much trouble. I can"t say I regret not going to school. Then again, my case is unique; but, if more people follow it, power to them," Elros said.

"You"ll be going to the Underworld with Rias in the summer, correct?" Sona asked, shifting gears.

"Yup. Why do you ask?" Elros inquired.

"Curious, mostly. I head back every summer as well. There"re several Rating Tournaments scheduled as so many young Devils return home this time of year. I suspect that we"ll be competing with each other during one such tournament," Sona said.

"I look forward to seeing what you and your peerage are made of," Elros responded.

"As do I. With your addition, Rias only has one Piece left as well I believe. I"m interested to see who she adds," Sona said.

"Have you already partic.i.p.ated in Rating Games?" Elros asked.

"I have, but all of them have been unsanctioned. They"ve been helpful in developing a strategy, though; as well as seeing how my team works together. I have a grasp on everyone"s strengths and weaknesses. That said, there"s always room for improvement," Sona said.

"If you understand that, then you"re already on your way to becoming a great leader," Elros said kindly.

"Thank you," Sona said with a smile. Suddenly, she remembered what Rias told her last night.

"I was told that you interrupted the Stray Devil in the middle of a feed. Are you…," she trailed off.

"I"m fine. I was more concerned with Koneko and Gasper, but I had them wait outside for the duration of the fight. Thank you for your concern, however. It means a great deal," Elros said as he gave her a one armed hug. Sona smiled at the gesture and responded by putting an arm around his back, returning the hug.

"I think we"re getting closer," Elros said as he finally removed his arm from her.

"Not just closer - we"re already here," Sona said as she pointed to his cla.s.sroom. Looking inside, Elros saw Rias and Akeno looking back at him with interest.

"I don"t know how to repay you, Sona," Elros said as he turned to face her.

"Please, it was nothing," Sona said.

"Nonetheless, you were kind to show me around. Here, in case you think of something," Elros said as he wrote down his number and gave it to her. Sona blushed as she took the paper but smiled in response.

"Good luck on your test, if you can still take it," she said as she waved and left. Elros walked in, his face paper white - what was on the test, again?

-o-

Finally, the day had ended.

"I already texted you my address. I need to take care of something, so come by in like an hour. Does that work for you?" Rias asked as she, Elros, and Akeno exited.

"Works for me," Elros nodded. As Rias left, Akeno and Elros began to walk around aimlessly.

"What"re you gonna do for an hour?" Akeno asked.

"Not sure. Are you free?" he asked.

"Unfortunately not. I have a few contracts I need to complete," Akeno said apologetically.

"d.a.m.n. Hmmm… guess I"ll just walk around the town, then. Maybe take a nap. All I need now is someone to join me," Elros said.

"I"m sure you won"t have trouble finding someone," Akeno giggled as she nodded to the several stares they were attracting. Elros simply smiled as they continued walking.

"So what were you and Sona talking about?" Akeno wondered.

"Ah. Well, I got lost and I literally b.u.mped into her. She was kind enough to show me to the cla.s.sroom," Elros said.

"You forgot where the room was?" Akeno asked in surprise.

"Of course not. I simply didn"t remember in the first place. How can I when I"m walked to cla.s.s by two beautiful women every day?" Elros asked rhetorically as he put an arm around her waist. Akeno turned to him and smiled as she leaned in, her head on his shoulder, eliciting a few gasps from some people. Elros couldn"t help but deadpan at their reactions.

"You"d think they"d never seen a guy with an arm around a girl before," he said.

"They just don"t know what to make of the new kid getting acquainted with the ladies of the school so easily," Akeno replied with a laugh.

"Don"t they know how easy it is? Just become a Green Lantern and then destroy a house owned by a Devil. So easy, even a caveman could do it," Elros said.

"How is it that when you say it, it actually doesn"t sound that difficult at all?" Akeno asked.

"It"s part of my infinite charm," Elros replied.

"You"re not as charming as you thinking you are," Akeno teased as they rounded a corner.

"You"re mean, Akeno. Taking away my only good qualities," Elros sighed in mock dejection.

"Awww, cheer up. You have at least one good quality," Akeno said as she pinched his cheek.

"Yeah? Like?" Elros said.

"You"re handsome," Akeno said.

"Uh-huh. Go on," Elros said.

"What do you mean? I said at least one. Not more," Akeno said cheerfully. She giggled as she saw his reaction.

"Anyway, I need to get going. I"ll tease you later," she said as she quickly gave him a hug.

"You mean "I"ll see you later,"," Elros corrected as he returned it.

"I know what I said," Akeno said in a sing-song voice as she headed off.

"Huh. One good quality. I have plenty of good qualities, probably," Elros mumbled to himself as he walked away.

-o-

After 45 minutes had pa.s.sed, Elros began to walk in the direction of Rias"s place. Considering that it was broad daylight outside, he thought it best not to risk using his powers - he didn"t want to cause any more trouble for the denizens of the town. He looked around for the address that Rias had texted him and finally let out a sigh of relief when he found it. He took a moment to admire the house from the outside. It was a quaint place, not too big or small but just right. It stood two stories high with a traditional j.a.panese feel on the outside. As the clock struck the top of the hour, he knocked a few times on the door and waited. His didn"t have to for long, for almost immediately the door sprung open and he was greeted by smiling Rias, still in her school uniform.

"Hey, good to see you," she said as she welcomed Elros inside her house. Elros took a moment to admire the decorations. Unlike Akeno, Rias seemed to prefer a more traditional approach. There were several old paintings hung on the burgundy walls. In the living room, there was a large, ornate couch and loveseat with a large coffee table set in front of them. There was a large 60" TV mounted on the wall with news playing. Through the hallway, he saw the kitchen and dining room as well as a large, gilded and wooden dining table with twelve seats. Rias led Elros over to the couch and got him some water before joining him. Rias couldn"t deny that she felt a bit nervous - this was her first time inviting a guy over.

"Likewise," Elros replied as he slung his arm around her and flashed her a smile. Rias put her own around him and paused for a while as he drank the gla.s.s, obviously thirsty. As he put it down, she rested her head gently on his shoulder, happy that he was there.

"How was your talk with Koneko and Gasper?" she asked softly.

"I think it went well. I let them know that we"ll always be here for them and that they"re always welcome to come to me if they need something. They"re still so young… I"d rather them not see those kinds of things if it can be avoided, you know? They might be Devils, but I want them to have some semblance of a normal childhood. Going forward, I don"t think it"s necessary for them to accompany us on Stray Devil hunts. It seems like just a couple of us are more than enough," Elros said thoughtfully.

"You"ve barely been a Devil for a day, and you"re already taking responsibility. It"s really sweet of you. I"ll think about it; some Stray Devils are stronger than others. Plenty of Devils have been killed by them, which is why I"m hesitant to go in small number," Rias said. More so than the others, she was amazed at how easily Elros had ingratiated himself into their tight-knit peerage, breaking down Koneko and Gasper"s walls as though they didn"t exist. In three days time, Gasper and Koneko looked up to him like a hero; every time Koneko was with him, she wanted him to pat her head and every time Gasper was there, he was playing with Elros. It made Rias smile; he was almost like an older brother or father figure to them. She continued speaking.

"They"ve… had it rough. Gasper has always been timid and shy around people, even as a child. He was born to a Vampire Lord and a human mother, but she died just after he was born because of the circ.u.mstances around his birth. Even as a child, he was alone and abused because they were so afraid of him and his powers. Not to mention, they considered him a half-breed. Vampires place as much emphasis on lineage and family as Devils do; it"s disgusting really. One day, he tried to escape the castle but was caught and killed by Vampire hunters. I was in the area at the time and just chanced upon him… and I couldn"t just leave him there, so I used my Bishop piece to reincarnate him. Still… I had to keep him under lock because his power was so immense. And because of what happened when he had tried to escape, he developed agoraphobia," Rias said sadly. She felt a tear trail down her cheek as she explained Gasper"s history to Elros who listened intently. Unknown to Rias, a fury was welling up inside Elros that took all of his power to control.

"They killed a f.u.c.king kid? Are you f.u.c.king kidding me? And they considered him a half-breed… good G.o.d. Poor kid… no child should have to suffer that. f.u.c.k, no wonder he gets so nervous around others," Elros thought. As he saw the tear trail down Rias"s cheek, though, he couldn"t help but smile. Here was someone who took pity and mercy on others; who radiated with power, but also serenity. She used her powers to Reincarnate the boy; and now, he had something to live for. Gently, he picked the tear upon his forefinger, caressing Rias"s cheek gently afterward.

"You"re a wonderful person, Rias," Elros whispered. Rias blushed as he said that but smiled as she leaned a bit deeper. Elros adjusted his position so that he was laying down on the couch with Rias atop him. She certainly didn"t mind; in fact, Rias felt that she preferred the position. She gently rested her head on his chest as she rested her hands at his sides and gently poked him here and there.

"What about Koneko?" Elros asked.

"It"s a similar story, unfortunately. Koneko lost her parents at a young age, so it was her and her older sister. they were both taken in my another Devil, who reincarnated her sister into his peerage. However, her sister"s powers got out of control real soon, real fast. She killed her master and a Stray Devil and went on the run. There was a manhunt for her, but it never went anywhere. Koneko was sentenced to death, but my brother stepped in and protected here and left her in my care. She was severely traumatized and was really depressed for a while; eventually, she just became… emotionless. I"ve helped her out of it as much as I can, but you can still see the effects are present," Rias said.

As she explained her past, Elros felt as though his heart was pierced by an arrow. Koneko and Gasper had been through so much as children; at least as much as he went through, Elros thought. He unconsciously tightened his hold on Rias as he thought about what they must have suffered. The thought was disturbing, to say the least - that they were treated as subhuman and blamed for the actions of others. He felt a surge of anger rush through him in a way he hadn"t felt in a long time. As Rias felt him grip her a bit harder, she looked up in worry and saw the emotions playing across his face. She wondered what he was thinking of - whether he was relating it to his own childhood. She brought a hand up to his cheek, snapping him out of it. As Elros looked at her, he smiled.

"Sorry. Just the thought them being hurt like that makes me… angry," Elros said.

"Likewise. They"re both so sweet and kind; their lives have been harder than they should be. But that brings me back to you. They look like they can be themselves around you. I mean, they certainly have fewer reservations. I"ve never seen Gasper want to play with someone so much so quickly; and I"ve certainly never seen Koneko act like a girl her age unless you"re petting her," Rias giggled.

"I"m just happy that they"re happy. They definitely deserve it, from what I gather," Elros said.

"We all deserve to be happy," Rias whispered, a thoughtful expression on her face. As Elros saw it, he gently touched her cheek, making her look up at him again.

"What"s on your mind?" Elros asked.

"It"s… nothing," Rias said, smiling.

"That doesn"t work on me, I"m afraid. Nothing is always something. Lay it on me," Elros said. Rias bit her lip gently as she looked at him before she leaned her head on his chest again, sighing in displeasure.

"The reason you had to wait was because my dad wanted to talk to me about something regarding my ex-fiancé," Rias said. Elros noted her hands had balled into fists as they rested on either side and felt her body tense up. He brought his own hands to her back and began rubbing it gently. Rias exhaled as she enjoyed the comforting sensation. She took a moment before speaking again.

"The Phoenix family is an old family with a desirable power - immortality. Risers body is made of Phoenix Fire, so whenever he"s injured or hurt he just heals all the way back again. Even if you take a limb off, he"ll regenerate it instantly. Plus, his family is known for something called Phoenix Tears which have tremendous healing properties. It"s made them extremely wealthy. It"s why he thought he was a lock to marry me," Rias said. Elros listened intently. As he heard of the Phoenix Fire, there was a small, sardonic smile on his lips that Rias didn"t notice.

"I told you that Devils place a lot of emphasis on blood as well as status within society. My family receives a lot of suitors for me in particular - in part because the Gremory family itself is quite old; the fact that my mother comes from another old and powerful family; and more recently, because my brother is a Devil King. So every time I go home, I have to look over these guys that want to marry me for my powers or wealth or status. Riser Phoenix is particularly… eager to have my hand. I told him no several times; and then Issei beat him, almost losing an arm, in a one on one duel after we had lost a Rating Game to him. It"s been a few months since that and I thought that that would be the end of it, but now he"s started pressuring my family again. I… just want it to be over," Rias said, a hint of anger seeping into it. Elros listened carefully before he spoke again.

"What will it take to get him to back off? Permanently?" Elros asked.

"Nothing short of an official duel or Rating Game. Devils place a lot of importance on duels and Rating Games; there are those that are sanctioned and those that are unsanctioned. He beat us in an unsanctioned Rating Game and then Issei beat him in an unsanctioned duel. I thought losing in front of all those people would"ve done the trick, but he brought up that it was on a whim and on the spot and under extenuating circ.u.mstances, so it shouldn"t count. He wants to go ahead with marrying me and is trying to use his influence in his family"s fortune to get it done. His father and mine agreed to a deal, but now Riser is threatening to undo it all," Rias said.

"f.u.c.king a.s.shole," Elros said as he considered her plight. There was really just one way out, he thought.

"Seriously. My dad said that I"m going to have to come up with an answer by the weekend, and if I choose a duel or Rating Game, it"s going to be set up quickly. He won"t say it, but I know that if I don"t make a decision, it"ll reflect poorly on my family and I don"t want that," Rias said.

"I understand. Looks like there"s only one thing left to do," Elros said.

"What"s that?" Rias asked.

"Marry me," Elros said. There was a long pause before Rias shot up, pulling a back muscle. She was as red as her hair, to the point that the line between the two just disappeared. She couldn"t believe what Elros had said and when she looked at him, she saw him grinning happily back at her.

"WHAT?!" she asked in shock.

"Marry me," Elros said.

"I-I-I-I can"t do that!" Rias stuttered, fl.u.s.tered as she got off him and rested on her knees. She felt her face tenderly and noted how hot she was getting.

"I can"t believe he just said that so casually! Out of the blue like it"s nothing! We barely even know each other! I-I can"t believe it!" Rias thought.

"Why not?" Elros asked as he leaned forward, closing the distance between them again. Rias leaned back until finally their positions were reversed; now she was laying on her back while Elros had his hands on either side of her head and leaned down. Rias blushed deeper as she noticed the distance between their lips was only a few inches now. She could see his warm eyes piercing through her, a.n.a.lyzing her every move so as to make sure he didn"t take it too far, but just far enough. She finally let out a soft exhale of the breath she had been keeping in. She noticed how it shuddered, likely having to do with the fact that she felt her heart was going at a million beats per minute.

"Because we barely even know each other!" Rias said.

"So you"re saying that if we knew each other better, you wouldn"t be opposed to it?" Elros teased.

"What?! T-that"s not what I said!" Rias said.

"No, but it was implied," Elros said as he moved his head slightly to the side and leaned forward until she felt his breath on her ear and against her neck. She subconsciously put her hands on his chest, not pulling him in or pushing him away.

"I… it…," Rias began but faltered. Soon, however, Elros felt that he had had his fun. He gently took Rias by her hand and guided her up, a pleasant smile once again on his face. He leaned back again, but Rias paused as she stared at him, on her knees. He patted his chest gently and after a minute, Rias finally moved forward again and rested herself on him.

"Sorry, I just had to do that," Elros said with a chuckle.

"You"re so mean," Rias grumbled as he patted her like a little child.

"I"ll find a way to make it up to you, I promise. But back to the matter at hand. I do have another idea unless you want to go with Plan A," Elros said.

"What is it? And if you say Plan B in a suggestive tone, I will punish you severely," Rias said dangerously as she picked herself off his chest and leaned in a bit closer to his face. Elros simply smiled but shook his head.

"Fine, we"ll call it Plan C. I"ll take him on in an official duel," Elros said.

"What?" Rias asked, stunned at the solution.

"I"ll take him on in an official duel," Elros repeated.

"Elros, I can"t ask you-," Rias began but Elros cut her off.

"You didn"t ask me, Rias. This guy sounds like a real p.r.i.c.k and he keeps hara.s.sing you and your family, even after you"ve told him no and kicked his a.s.s. I know plenty of guys like him. There"s only one way to get rid of them, unfortunately," Elros said.

"But… you just… he"s immortal Elros," Rias said.

"So?" Elros asked.

"So?! What do you mean so?! The only reason Issei beat him is because he risked his arm. And with an official duel, each side gets to put limits and factors in place; it"s almost a guarantee that he won"t let you use Holy Weapons!" Rias said hotly.

"Don"t sweat the small stuff, Rias," Elros said as he caressed her cheek.

"This isn"t funny!" Rias said.

"I know. Which is why I"m not joking," Elros said.

"Elros-," Rias began, but she was cut off again.

"Rias. What kind of servant would I be if I didn"t protect my master? More important than that, what kind of person would I be if I didn"t help a friend who so obviously needed it? The way I see it, and the way you explained it, options aren"t in abundance. Either a sanctioned Rating Game or a sanctioned duel, right? He"s trying to back you into a corner; he figures that whatever you choose, he"s already won. If you choose a Rating Game, you"ll have to come up with a whole new strategy exceedingly quick because he"ll already have adapted to what you guys did last time. And unless you agree to his conditions, the match won"t happen which means it"ll reflect poorly on your family. If you choose a duel, again no Holy Weapons - and if he"s really immortal, then you what will you do?" Elros asked.

"But what will you do?!" Rias asked as she cupped his face in her hands, making sure that he looking directly at her.

"I"ll beat him," Elros replied simply.

"How?" Rias asked.

"I just will, Rias. That"s all there is to it," Elros said.

"Elros…," Rias began but trailed off as she looked at him with continued surprise.

"Let me do this for you, alright? There"s no one better," Elros said.

"You don"t have…," Rias began but was cut off.

"I don"t. But I will. Why? Because I want to," Elros said. Rias could sense the pa.s.sion in his voice. She pulled him into a tight hug as she rested on her knees. Elros smiled and put his arms around her as well, rubbing her back gently. To his surprise, he began to hear her sniffles.

"Sorry… it"s just… I want this to be done and over with already," Rias said.

"You don"t need to explain anything to me, Rias. I"m here, regardless of the reason," Elros whispered. Rias nodded as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. She enjoyed being in this position with him. There was no one else around them and little chance of interruption; just her and Elros together. Finally, she leaned back and laid down on him again. Thinking for a moment, she turned her head up to look at him.

"Are you sure about this?" she whispered.

"I am completely sure. Let your dad know that I"ll be your proxy for a duel. Then the tool and I can agree on terms," Elros said.

"You want to negotiate with Riser directly?" Rias asked.

"I think it"s best I see who I"m fighting before I fight them," Elros said. Rias nodded.

"I"ll let my dad know," Rias said. At that she paused. Looking at him, she moved up slightly and pressed her lips to his cheek. She rested her forehead against his for a while, trying to come up with the words. In the end, she could think of just two.

"Thank you," she said in such a way that Elros understood the full weight of what lay behind the words.

"Anything for you," he whispered back.

"I suppose we should get down to business, now," Rias said.

"Ah yes. The minutiae of being a Devil," Elros said.

"What do you want to start with?" Rias asked as she lifted herself off him and took a seat.

"We were so comfortable," Elros commented sadly as he sat up as well.

"This is better done professionally, I think," Rias replied with a smile.

"Well, when I was talking to Azazel last night he mentioned a few things so I thought we"d start there and then you can fill out the details as you see fit. Something about me being a Chess Piece and that Chess Pieces ability; something about powers; and something about wings," Elros said.

"I see. Well, wings are the simplest thing so I"ll get that out of the way. You might not have used them because you"re so used to using your own method of flight. But whenever you become a Devil, you can use a pair of black bat-like wings to take flight. Most Devils - including me - just have a normal pair of wings. But there are some, like the Phoenix Family, who have a special type. For example, the Phoenix"s wings are made of fire and are in an eagle shape; Vali, who is Half-Devil/Half-Human from birth, has four pairs for a total of eight. Angels and Fallen Angels also have wings, but the amount is varied on their power levels. Azazel, for example, has six pairs of black wings, indicating his power level amongst the Fallen Angels," Rias explained.

"f.u.c.king a," Elros whispered.

"Do you want to try them out now?" Rias asked.

"Nah, probably later. Ok, so what about Chess Pieces?" Elros wondered.

"Every time a Reincarnated Devil is created, the High-Cla.s.s Devil has to use a Chess Piece - one of fifteen they receive, excluding the king. Called Evil Pieces, each has it"s own ability that can help buffer a person"s existing ones, or if they lack them, grant them new ones. p.a.w.ns are considered the weakest, but they are the only ones that have the ability to be promoted into other pieces; so this also makes them the most versatile," Rias said.

"How are they promoted?" Elros asked.

"Either with the permission of the King - in this case, myself - or when in enemy territory. Next is the Knight, which is worth 3 p.a.w.ns. Knights get increased speed and mobility - so they can move extremely fast, which in our case plays well with Xenovia and Kiba. However, they do summer from a lower defense, so they"re still vulnerable to powerful attacks. Also, if their legs are injured they lose a lot of their mobility," Rias said.

"Hmm… Good thing I"m not a Knight, I think. High-speed maneuvers aren"t my thing," Elros pondered.

"Bishops are also worth 3 p.a.w.ns. They have enhanced magical abilities, which they can use offensively or on support. Of course, more powerful spells consume more power, which can take a long time to regain. They need to monitor their powers carefully as well as be protected. Gasper and Asia are wonderful at what they do, however," Rias said.

"I can tell. I think it"d behoove them to increase their overall reservoir of magic, if such a thing exists," Elros suggested. Rias nodded in agreement.

"Rooks are worth 5 p.a.w.ns. They have enhanced strength, which leads to a high offense and defense. However, they suffer in speed, so if their opponent is too fast it"s a mismatch. Koneko is exceptional in that she still has a high speed, and is surprisingly much like a tank even with her small stature," Rias said.

"Yeah, I wouldn"t want to p.i.s.s her off. So you still have one Rook free?" Elros asked.

"That"s right. And last but not least is the Queen, which is worth 9 p.a.w.ns. The Queen possess all the characteristics of the other pieces, making it the most powerful and well balanced. I can"t think of a better Queen than Akeno," Rias said with a fond smile.

"No arguments there. So I"m a p.a.w.n?" Elros asked.

"Your case is interesting. I used 7 of my p.a.w.n pieces when I Reincarnated Issei because of his Boosted Gear - it"s a powerful innate power. At first, I thought I might need to use the Rook, but when I applied the p.a.w.n, it mutated. A mutation occurs when a person requires more than one piece to be Reincarnated, but it"s extremely rare unless the Devil in question already owns the piece. In fact, I can"t think of anyone that I know personally with whom it happened. It was… surprising. But I"m glad it happened, so I don"t think I"ll question it. My parents and brother were extremely intrigued as well. They"re pretty anxious to meet you," Rias said with a sigh.

"Yeah, we should probably get that setup. I probably need to get their permission to marry you," Elros said thoughtfully, eliciting a whine from Rias.

"I"m definitely punishing you," Rias deadpanned.

"I look forward to it. But… alright, so I"m a p.a.w.n and I can promote into any of the other pieces by entering enemy territory or at your behest - and that"s the ability that"s a.s.sociated with being a p.a.w.n. What about demonic power?" Elros wondered.

"That"s something that changes from Devil to Devil. You have the standards - extra strength, endurance, enhanced senses, the ability to see in the dark, your wings, translation for any language, and an extended lifespan. Some High-Cla.s.s Devil families have special, innate magical abilities that are contracted genetically; the Phoenix"s have immortality; the Bale and now the Gremory clan have the Power of Destruction, which is mine. There are cases where some Pure-Blooded Devils don"t inherit these powers. They"re often looked down upon, even by members of their families. My cousin is one example. All Devils also have the ability to cast magic spells - such as Issei"s Dress Break and Akeno"s Elemental Magic; the use of magic circles for travel; and the ability to make a contract. The beauty of these powers is that they"re based on imagination, so the magic will take on a form that"s congruent to the person using it. Issei is a ma.s.sive pervert, ergo… taking girls clothes off," Rias sighed.

"Imagination, you say?" Elros asked in surprise.

"Yup," Rias said.

"Interesting. That"s part of what my ring uses to create its constructs. Huh… f.u.c.king a for coincidence," Elros said thoughtfully.

"Have you tried using your demonic powers yet?" Rias asked.

"Nope. Didn"t even know about them until last night. Looks like there"re a few things that I need to learn, and quickly," Elros pondered.

"What"re you thinking?" Rias asked after a few minutes of silence in which Elros was lost in thought.

"Thinking that I might take some time off for myself to get acquainted with these powers," Elros said as he flexed his hand.

"How long do you think?" Rias asked.

"Not too long. A standard day or two should suffice. Would you be alright with that?" Elros asked.

"Sure, that"s fine with me. Just let me know when" Rias said.

"Hmmm… I"ll start tonight; I"ll be back the day after tomorrow," Elros said.

"Alright… so soon, though?" Rias asked.

"Sooner, the better," Elros said with a smile.

"I suppose. If that"s the case, would you mind meeting my father before the weekend? You can give him your answer on fighting Riser in person and my father can arrange for you to meet him as well," Rias said.

"Yeah, that"s fine with me. Do you know what your dad wants to talk about in particular?" Elros inquired.

"No. I just know that he wants to meet you. My mother does as well, but she doesn"t often leave the Underworld. If my dad asks him to come, my brother might also be there," Rias said.

"Works for me," Elros said as he crossed one leg over the other. The business out of the way, Rias moved closer to Elros with a smile on her face.

"You"re not leaving to train right now, right?" she asked.

"Nope. I"ll wait until night falls," Elros said.

"Do you want to take a nap with me?" Rias asked.

"Happily. Lead the way," Elros said with a grin. Rias smiled and led him to the second story. Going through a door at the end of a hallway, they were in a ma.s.sive room. The room was very spa.r.s.ely decorated, Elros noted, with only a portrait of Rias and her friends hanging on the wall. In the middle of the room, against a wall, was a large king sized bed with a pink sheer canopy around it. Elros took off his clothes and put them neatly on a nearby nightstand and smiled as he saw that Rias was doing the same. As he got comfortable in bed, he watched her strip down completely in front of him. Rias couldn"t help but smile and blush as she noticed his eyes on her. As she set her clothes aside and looked at him, she took a moment to admire him once again. As she got in bed with him, as opposed to sleeping next to him, Rias swung her legs to either side as she got comfortable on top of him, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s pushing gently against his chest.

"Those guys trying to marry you are f.u.c.king idiots," Elros whispered.

"Why do you say that?" Rias asked quizzically, slightly offended.

"They"re after your status, your wealth, your power… The f.u.c.k is wrong with them? Why do they care about all that stuff when they could simply just be with you? You"re a person who cares deeply for others, a person that"s trying to change the way a society works so more people have an opportunity. And you"re absolutely stunning. If the world were to end right this instant, I"d die a happy man," Elros said, inducing pa.s.sion into his voice. As Rias heard him compliment her, she felt a chill go down her spine and the hair on her body stand up. No one had spoken to her like that until now. Sure, she often received compliments on her beauty but never in such an intimate manner. As she looked at him, she saw the conviction in his eyes. At that, all the fears that he would lose the fight against Riser just drifted away.

"You"re so sweet," Rias said, unable to think of a response that would do his statement justice. Elros smiled at that as he ran his hand down her back. She shivered again as he began walking a couple of fingers down her lower back. She stared at him intently, wonder how far he would go. Elros seemed to notice what her look meant.

"How far do you want me to go?" he inquired.

"What?" Rias asked.

"I asked how far do you want me to go?" he asked again.

"You know that it"s supposed to be girls who tease the guys relentlessly, right? Not the other way around?" Rias deadpanned.

"Yeah, but where"s the fun in that? Don"t tell me you"re not enjoying the sense of uncertainty," Elros said as he moved from her lower back to the side of her thigh. Rias simply smiled at that. Truth be told, she enjoyed the sensation quite a bit. Elros seemed to deduce that as he leaned in a bit closer to her face.

"What"re you doing?" Rias asked quietly, her eyes going a bit wide.

"Getting lost, as it were," Elros said as he pierced her gaze with his. Rias was surprised at the intensity he was able to conjure up with just his eyes, which seemed to be scanning her soul.

"I think you"ve had enough fun. Come on, let"s get to sleep," she finally said.

"As you wish," Elros said with a chuckle as he shifted his head a bit on the pillow. Rias leaned forward again, resting her head in the crook of his neck. It didn"t take long for both of them to fall quickly asleep, comfortable in each other"s arms.

-o-

Rias woke up ahead of Elros a couple of hours later. She smiled happily as she remembered where she was. Retracting herself a bit, brought a hand up to touch his face gently before sliding it down his chest, as she was wont to do now. What he told her before they fell asleep was playing across her mind.

"Why do they care about all that stuff when they could simply just be with you?" She recalled him saying. The words played heavy on her mind and soul. That"s all she wanted in someone if she was honest. Someone who looked past what she could bring to the table in terms of strength, status, and wealth. She wanted someone who loved her for who she was - as Rias Gremory, the woman and not Rias Gremory of the Gremory Household. She looked intently at Elros"s sleeping features, several thoughts playing across her brain.

"You see me as Rias, don"t you? Just Rias. Not Rias Gremory… or the Crimson Ruin Princess. Not by who I"m related to, but just by who I am. That"s all you care about, isn"t it? That I"m a good person. That"s all I want… someone to love me for me. Do you?" Rias thought. As she stared at him, her eyes traveled down to his lips, slightly parted as they allowed air to pa.s.s either way. Subconsciously, her face started to lean forward and before she knew it, their lips were only an inch apart. One sudden movement would have them kissing, and who knows where that"d lead?

"I…," Rias began but trailed off. Suddenly, she noticed that Elros had his eyes open now, staring back into hers. With a gasp, Rias shot up.

"That"s a h.e.l.l of a way to wake a guy up," Elros said with a chuckle.

"It"s not what it looked like," Rias said as she rested on her knees.

"It looked like you were about to kiss me," Elros said.

"You had something on your face and I was examining it," Rias said.

"Courtesy dictates you just get it off my face," Elros said with a laugh. Rias had no response to that as she got up. She began to pick up her clothes when suddenly, Elros put his arms around her from behind. She blushed as his hands rested softly on her stomach while he leaned his chin on her shoulder, looking sideways at her.

"What"re you doing?" she asked as she put her bra back down.

"Admiring you," Elros said.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked as she turned to face him.

"I love what I see," Elros replied as he pushed a few strands of hair behind her ear, bringing a blush to her cheeks.

"Aren"t you gonna go train?" Rias asked, hoping that he would say no and opt to spend more time with her. Elros sighed at that; he really wanted to stay for a while longer, and was sure Rias wouldn"t mind if he did, but he truly did need to get a feel for his powers.

"Yeah. I"m going to stop by at Akeno"s and then head on out. If you need me, just text or call," Elros said.

"Alright," Rias said. With one more hug, Elros left out the window. Rias stood there, watching as the last bit of green light faded. Sure that he was gone, she brought her hand down to her womanhood. With hardly a touch, she felt herself already getting wet. Leaving the clothes on the table, Rias tossed herself on the bed, burying her face in the spot where Elros had slept and taking in his scent. As another hand gripped her breast, she began to furiously f.u.c.k herself, imagining that it was him doing the honors.

-o-

As Elros re-entered the apartment, he saw Akeno sitting on the couch deep in thought.

"Hey," he greeted, sitting next to her.

"Hey. How was your date with Rias?" Akeno asked teasingly.

"I wouldn"t call it a date," Elros said with a laugh as he sat down.

"So, you find out what you needed to?" Akeno asked.

"I did indeed. I wanted to let you know I"m going to be away tonight, tomorrow, and most of the day after. I"m going to get some training in," Elros said.

"What?" Akeno asked, surprised by the suddenness.

"Well, Rias told me about my wings and demonic power, so I thought that I"d begin training with it. I figure a couple of Earth days is probably enough to get acclimated at the very least," Elros said.

"You"re leaving me?" Akeno asked. The connotation of the question wasn"t lost on Elros. With a warm smile, he brought Akeno in for a hug, surprising her. Did she say something?

"No. Absolutely not. I promise you, I will never leave you. Do you remember what I told you earlier?" Elros whispered as he held on to her. Finally, it hit Akeno - what she said, how it sounded, and what Elros took it as. She couldn"t help but smile warmly at how sweet he was. With a mighty push, she had him on his back and was laying on top of him happily. She simply enjoyed his touch for a minute before responding.

"I remember. I"m sorry for I made it sound; that was an accident. But… thank you. Thank you so much," Akeno whispered back to him.

"Don"t mention it," Elros said as he gently lifted her face with his hands. He brought his lips to her forehead and kissed her gently, eliciting a small gasp from Akeno.

"What was that for?" she wondered.

"No reason. Just wanted to," Elros said gently. Akeno nodded as she took one of the hands on her cheek and kissed it gently. She blushed as she did so; this was certainly a whole new level of intimacy for her and it came so quickly. Yet, there was no doubting the pa.s.sion behind his words.

"Well, there"s another thing you"re good at. You"re really sweet," Akeno said with a giggle as she recalled their conversation after cla.s.s.

"I"ll take what I can get. Anyways, I should get going. If you need me - for anything at all - just shoot me a text or give a call and I"ll come back on the double, alright?" Elros said.

"Don"t worry. Just do your best," Akeno said. Elros smiled and nodded. With that, he made his exit and took flight, heading towards England.

As he left, Akeno gingerly touched the spot where he kissed her.

"I have a lot to think about," she whispered to herself