It was a normal day after school at Kuoh Academy. The sun was shining, birds were singing, and Hyoudou Issei was relaxing on a small hill as he watched the school track team train below. A smile was fixed on his scarred face as he watched the girls stretch and run, their tight shorts and shirts doing little to hide their bodies.

"Oi, Ise!" He heard someone call from the base of the hill. He turned to find his two friends and fellow perverts, Matsuda and Motohama, making their way to him. The two looked down at the track field, taking in the sight of the beauties below, before turning their attention back to Issei. "Wanna come over to my place and play the new eroge in the 'Big Bouncy Hospital' series? I just got it yesterday." Motohama said with a smile.

Issei shook his head as he continued watching the girls practice. "No thanks. I've kind of lost interest in eroge."

The other two members of the perverted trio seemed shocked to their cores. They looked at Issei as though they'd never seen him before. "W-what?" Matsuda stuttered. "Why would you possibly say such a thing?"

Then Motohama gasped, making his two friends turn to him in confusion. "What's wrong?" Issei asked with a raised eyebrow.

"You got yourself a girlfriend!" The glasses wearing boy accused, pointing a finger at the other boy.

Matsuda's head whipped around to stare at Issei in shock. "What the-? Is that true, Ise?"

Issei scratched his cheek thoughtfully, debating his answer, before shrugging, seeing no real reason to lie. "Yeah."

His friends stared at him, gaping in sheer astonishment with their jaws practically on the floor. Issei waited for a minute or so for some sort of reaction before shrugging again and getting up, brushing himself off before leaving them to their shock as he headed home.

The two perverts wouldn't be moving for quite some time.

When Issei got home he walked into his room to find Bell dancing on his desk to his Spotify playlist, singing along with the music as she twisted and girated her body with a wide smile on her face, the sheen of sweat covering her telling him that she'd been at it for a while. Something easily noticeable due to the fact that she was dancing while completely nude. He stopped and watched, a smile on his face, before speaking. "Bell-chan, what are you doing?"

"Getting a good workout in, boss." She said as she bent over double, head practically touching the desk even as her legs remained perfectly straight, giving him an excellent view of her backside. "I'm going crazy with cabin fever, and I haven't been able to get any actual exercise either, so I figured I'd take up dancing." She resumed twisting and gyrating along to the music, showing off her flexibility in a way obviously meant to entice him.

He smiled at her even as he eyed her body appreciatively. "I promise you'll get to go out soon, Bell. You and the others. If the owner of the bat that's watching us doesn't either introduce themselves or call their familiar back within the next few days I'll stop playing the passive game and take matters into my own hands."

The fairy stopped dancing as the current song she'd been listening to finished before grabbing what would be a hand towel to a human and drying herself with it. "Promise?"

"I promise, Bell-chan." He said seriously, though he still had a small smile on his face as he sat on his bed, grabbing the latest issue of Dragon Ball Super he'd been reading so he could continue.

Bell flew over to him without bothering to dress, curling up onto his lap, her head against his chest. She closed her eyes and enjoyed the sound of his strong heartbeat as he began to absently caress her body while he read, the two relaxing together.

It was moments like these that they both lived for, and they'd long ago learned to savor them whenever they could. You never knew when they might be interrupted, after all.

The next day at school Issei was accosted by Matsuda and Motohama as soon as he stepped into his classroom. Apparently they'd managed to get over their shock at some point the previous day, though the disbelief was still there, as was obvious by their first words.

"Y-you were joking, right, Ise?" The Perverted Baldy asked, looking like he desperately hoped the previous day was a bad dream.

"Yeah!" Motohama added. "There's no way you could really have a girlfriend before us!"

At that the noise in the classroom vanished like it had never existed, every head turning to stare in Issei's direction, unable to believe what they'd just heard. Then they began talking amongst themselves again, this time with a different topic thanks to Motohama's words.

"Hyoudou has a girlfriend?"

"That's not possible."

"He's lying, right?"

"You think he might have done something to some innocent girl?"

"What, like blackmail? T-that's a bit much, don't you think?"

Issei's eyebrow twitched as he listened to his classmates' increasingly harsh speculation. He knew he didn't have the best reputation, but really?

Kiryuu Aika sauntered over, an eyebrow raised as she looked at Issei. "What's this about you having a girlfriend, Hyoudou?"

Issei sighed in irritation. "Is that really so hard to believe?"

The loud and resounding "YES" from almost everyone in the class irritated him quite a bit. Aika was the only one that didn't answer in the affirmative. Instead she adjusted her glasses and rubbed her chin thoughtfully.

"Well, not as hard to believe as it used to be. You're still a pervert, but you've calmed down a lot. And there are definitely girls who would like the 'scarred warrior' look." Then she gave a lascivious smirk. "Besides, what you're packing in your pants doesn't hurt."

Everyone in the school knew about the perverted girl's purported ability to tell the size of a boy's manhood with a look, so nobody was surprised by her words. Matsuda and Motohama were quite indignant, however. "There's no way he's better than me!" They both declared thoughtlessly.

Aika's glasses seemed to flash as her golden eyes gave them a look that made them cringe and try to cover their crotches, though Issei simply looked amused. When she turned her gaze to him, studying his lower body he simply stood proudly with his arms crossed, waiting for her to finish her inspection.

Satisfied with the results of her investigation, Aika turned back to the two perverts, still smirking. "Unlike certain people I could mention, no girl will be disappointed by what Hyoudou's got."

As the two boys cringed two other girls approached, eying the perverted boys distastefully. "Let's get back on track." Katase of the Kendo Club said, her friend and fellow club member Murayama standing behind her with her arms crossed. "I won't believe Hyoudou has a girlfriend till I see some proof."

As everyone looked at him expectantly Issei sighed and pulled his phone out of his pocket, bringing up his pictures. Once he'd found the one he was looking for he showed it to the people arrayed around him, all of them leaning forward to get a good look.

It was a picture of a nude, or at least topless, Bell, who was smiling radiantly for the camera. It had been taken to show only her upper chest, shoulders and head, since any more would reveal her wings. Her hair was down in order to obscure her pointed ears so she could pass off as human. The picture was also carefully taken to obfuscate any sense of scale between her and her surroundings, so the observer couldn't tell her actual size.

The three perverts and the kendo duo looked shocked at the sight of the beautiful woman in the picture. "Y-you got this picture off the internet." Murayama refuted weakly.

Motohama shook his head in a daze. "No, that's Issei's room in the background. And it doesn't have any signs of photoshop…"

"She looks so happy…" Katase said, honestly surprised.

Issei turned the phone so he could look at the picture as well, a small, loving smile on his face that surprised those watching him. He'd taken the picture that morning, and the sight of the beautiful smile on Bell's face still made him happy for having been the one to cause it. Right before he'd taken the picture she'd asked why he wanted it, and he'd said he wanted to be able to show off one of the amazing women he loved. The joy that radiated from her smile at those words was breathtaking, and made her ten times more beautiful, at least in his opinion.

"What's her name?" Aika asked curiously and slightly subdued, surprised by the obvious adoration in his gaze.

"...Bell." He said gently as he looked at the picture. "Her name is Bell."

Of course, after a few seconds the moment was promptly ruined by Matsuda and Motohama, who launched themselves at him and grabbed him by his uniform jacket. "Ise, you bastard! How!? How did you get such an absolute hottie!? And where can we get one?"

Having almost dropped his phone when the two idiots shook him he put it back in his pocket and forced them off of him. "Believe it or not, I was just myself. As for where you can find a girl like her…" He smiled at them in amusement. "You'll need to wait for the world to end first."

As the two perverts began to cuss him out the bell rang as their teacher walked in. "Alright boys, break it up. I have a surprise for you." Everyone looked at her in curiosity and more than a bit of apprehension. "Pop quiz!"

The unwelcome news completely removed the previous topic of conversation from everyone's mind as they groaned in despair. Issei let out a sigh of relief before heading for his seat.

As the day ended Issei made his way to his locker, eager to make his way home and relax. The news that he had a girlfriend had spread throughout the school, and people had constantly approached him to see if he was lying. He'd had to show off Bell's picture more often than he'd expected, not that he minded that too much. Even Himejima Akeno had approached him in interest, though she'd at least been courteous enough not to show mocking disbelief at the idea of him having someone to care for. Still, everyone else's obvious denial was grating on his nerves.

Opening his locker and ignoring the looks of the people around him he was surprised when a white and pink envelope fluttered out, his hand quickly moving to catch it before it hit the floor. A hush spread through the gathered students at the sight, shock rendering them silent.

"Is that what I think it is?" Motohama asked in disbelief from where he'd been opening his own locker.

Issei studied the envelope, looking for any clue as to who sent it despite knowing better. He could smell a faint aroma of perfume on it, but nothing else. Opening it he pulled the letter out and read it to himself, keeping it from being visible to the curious eyes of the onlookers. Once he'd read through it twice he slipped it back into the envelope and then into his bag before continuing to prepare himself to head home.

Matsuda apparently couldn't take the suspense anymore after having walked over from his own locker in curiosity. "Ise, answer already! Was that really a love letter?"

Issei shut his locker and picked up his bag before beginning to walk out of the school. As he reached the door he paused and turned his head to smirk at his friends. "Yes it was." Then he laughed lightly as pandemonium erupted behind him, led by the two perverts lamenting their own luck and cursing him out vigorously and accompanied by the exclamations of shock and surprise by the other students.

"A love letter, eh?" Bell asked in interest as she studied said letter, a smile on her face. Reading through it and finding it somewhat minimalist, mostly just saying the girl admired him greatly and wanted to meet him someplace quiet to see if she could become his girlfriend. "You recognize the name? Amano Yuuma?"

"No." Issei said as he got dressed in some nice clothes. "That doesn't mean much though. Kuoh Academy has a lot of students I've never met. And it could also be someone from another school that got the letter to me through a friend in school."

"Well, I hope she's cute." Bell said brightly. "Only the best for my boss, after all!"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Bell-chan." Issei said as he finished dressing. "We don't know if she'll be a good fit for us right now."

"Maybe, but I can still hope." Bell said. Then she spoke a bit more gently. "You need to start moving on from Isa-chan, boss, no matter how hard that might be."

Issei stood silently for a moment, staring at himself in the mirror. "It's only been a few months, Bell…"

Bell flitted over to him and took a seat on his shoulder, resting the side of her head against his. "I know, Ise. But she wouldn't want you to mope. I've done the best I can, but I'm only one girl, especially since you're not letting the others out." She kissed his cheek. "Just… open yourself up to the possibility, like you have before."

Issei sighed softly before nodding. "Alright Bell…" Then he checked his clock for the time. "I should get going. Don't want to keep her waiting."

Bell got off his shoulder and moved back to the bed to pick up the phone he'd bought her so she could continue playing the mobile game she'd been focused on before he'd returned home. "Alright boss. Have a good time. I need to collect more waifus as well." She said with a laugh.

Issei rolled his eyes as he turned to leave. "Don't spend all my money on the gacha." He admonished her, receiving a dismissive wave in return. Chuckling to himself he headed out, interested in what this Amano Yuuma was like.

Akeno served her King some tea as the Occult Research Club sat in their office, relaxing for a bit after school before they headed out to do their normal work.

Kiba was on one of the couches with a book in his hand, reading absently, while Koneko sat on the other side of the coffee table, indulging in some of the sweets she'd procured.

Rias, for her part, brought a hand up to her neck to massage it lightly. "Anything of interest happen today?" She asked her subordinates. She hadn't really been paying attention to the goings on in the school due to a certain issue involving a pompous, self important asshole, so she was curious.

"Two things, both involving Hyoudou Issei." Akeno said as she set some cookies in front of Rias, who gratefully took one to go with her tea. "The first is the revelation that he has a very pretty girlfriend."

Rias looked at her Queen with interest. "Really? How do you know?"

"Apparently it came out during class today." The Yamato Nadeshiko said. "He has a picture of the girl on his phone, and it doesn't seem to be a fake. I studied the picture myself out of curiosity. She's quite a looker."

"I see." Rias said after a sip of her tea. "And the other bit of news regarding him that you mentioned?"

"He received a love letter in his locker today." Akeno said with an amused smile on her face. "It was quite a shock to the student populace to not only find out he'd managed to find himself a girl but also get a love letter from another the same day."

Rias smiled as well at the thought. "Well, good for him then. As long as he treats them right I have no issue with him starting his desired harem." After a moment's thought she sat back against her chair. "I am curious, though. My familiar is still watching him. Perhaps I should take a look to see how it goes?" She closed her eyes and relaxed as she focused on her familiar.

Seeing through a familiar's eyes was an advanced skill Rias had only recently acquired, and even then it was not perfect. It took a decent amount of concentration, especially without some sort of external focus, and doing it too long left her with a headache. She still did so every once in a while, wanting to keep tabs on Issei and see for herself if there was anything special about him without needing to wait for her bat to report back to her.

As she focused the scene in front of her familiar came into focus, showing a well dressed Issei walking into a small park where a pretty teenage girl stood next to the fountain. She wore the uniform of another of the city's schools, and she looked nervous, fidgeting lightly as she watched Issei approach.

Issei, for his part, appeared to be relaxed as he approached the girl, his hands in his pockets and a small, reassuring smile on his face. "Hello. Are you Amano Yuuma-san?"

The girl nodded quickly and nervously. "Y-yes, Hyoudou-kun. I'm glad you agreed to meet with me."

"Well, I couldn't just ignore your request after you went through all the trouble of getting that letter to me." He said gently.

Yuuma smiled nervously but nodded. "Thank you. Like I said in the letter, I've heard a lot about you, and I think you're really handsome, so I was wondering if you'd like to maybe be my boyfriend?" She asked hopefully.

"I don't mind seeing if that's a possibility, but I'd rather we got to know each other before jumping right into it first." He said, much to the surprise of the watching Rias.

Yuuma looked surprised as well, obviously having expected him to jump at the chance. "Yes, I understand. Thank you for the opportunity." She said, bowing slightly. "Could I just make one request first, Hyoudou-kun?"

"What would that be?" Issei asked with a smile.

Yuuma straightened up and smiled at him. There was something wrong with that smile, however, something which was emphasized by the spear of light that appeared in her hand. "Would you please die for me?" Then she threw the spear at Issei at blinding speeds.

Rias was sure, through the surprise she felt at the abrupt attack, that she was about to see Issei die, but to her greater shock the boy's face hardened and he dodged the spear by what seemed like millimeters before turning to glare at Yuuma, who looked just as surprised as Rias felt.

Abruptly Yuuma's form began to shift, her hair lengthening, her clothes disappearing into something more fit for a strip club, and her body becoming more voluptuous, after which two pitch black wings emerged from her back.

The newly revealed fallen angel sneered at the boy in front of her, who was bent slightly as he watched his attacker intently, ready to dodge the next attack. "Well then, seems you're not completely worthless, human."

"Why are you attacking me?" Issei asked with a scowl.

"Why would I explain myself to the likes of you?" She asked as her sneer widened. "Still, if you need someone to blame, blame the God of the BIble for being foolish enough to give you a sacred gear." Then she generated another spear and tossed it with even more speed, prompting Issei to dodge again.

Rias came back to herself with a gasp, quickly jumping to her feet, surprising her peerage and knocking her tea over, not that she cared at the moment. "A fallen is attacking Hyoudou-kun!" She said quickly before making her way to the transportation circle in the corner of the room.

Her subordinates quickly followed her, Akeno looking especially thunderous once she got over her brief surprise, and within seconds they were all teleported to the park Issei was in.

When they arrived they found the park much the worse for wear, the fallen still launching spears of light at the continuously dodging Issei.

"What is the meaning of this!?" Rias called, causing the fallen to stop her actions and turn to glare at the new arrivals, who were spreading out, ready to attack at the slightest hint of further aggression.

"Tch, it figures you devils would interfere somehow." The fallen moved back before turning her gaze to Issei. "You got lucky, human, but don't think it'll last. They can't defend you forever." Then she teleported away without another word.

Once the danger had passed Issei straightened up and glanced down at his now damaged clothing with a sigh before turning to the devils. "This is a surprise. I guess I finally know who the bat belongs to, then."

Rias' eyes widened in surprise. "You knew my familiar was following you?"

Issei nodded placidly, though his eyes were sharp and studying them in case of any trouble. "Pretty much as soon as it first appeared. I can understand wanting to keep an eye on me considering what happened, but it has gotten pretty irritating. I would have preferred if you had simply approached me normally."

Rias flushed even as Akeno began repairing the area. "I apologize, but we needed to find out if there was anything supernatural about you. I would say you could have approached me first to clear things up, but from your words I'm assuming you didn't know you could."

"You're right, I didn't. I only know about the supernatural in generalities, not specifics." Issei explained. "I didn't know who might be the one watching me, or in charge of the area. I have very little useful information."

"Well then, it seems we might be in a position to assist each other." Rias said with a smile. "I want more information on you, along with what you know about what just happened, and I can give you the information you need to navigate the supernatural world."

Issei thought it over before nodding slowly. "That sounds good. Not right now, though. I'd rather go home and relax after what just happened."

"Understandable." Rias agreed with a nod. "Tomorrow after school at the old school building?"

Issei nodded. "Very well. Do you mind if I bring somebody with me? They know about the supernatural too."

Rias eyed him before nodding. "I don't see a problem with it. I'm sure you'll feel better if you have somebody to back you up, no matter how benign I assure you my intentions are. What just happened would make me careful as well."

Issei smiled. "I appreciate your understanding. I'll see you tomorrow then. Thanks again for the assist." With a quick bow he turned and left, heading home.

Kiba waited for Issei to be out of earshot before speaking to his King. "He's obviously not a normal human, considering the fact that he was able to dodge all of the fallen's attacks with only some clothing damage. Not to mention he seemed to be so calm despite having just been attacked. It's like he's used to it. He could be dangerous."

"All the more reason to get in his good graces, Yuuto-kun." Rias said as she gazed thoughtfully after Issei. "Hopefully we can find out more about his capabilities. At the very least he might be a useful ally."

"Hoping to get him into your peerage, Buchou? He might make a good Knight." Akeno said with a smile once she finished repairing the park.

"It's a possibility." Rias admitted. "I'd want to know more about him before I make a decision, however. Unlike you all, he isn't in need of an evil piece for protection or healing, so I'd rather not waste it on someone that might not be worth the investment if it isn't necessary." She turned to look at her last peerage member present. "What do you think, Koneko-chan?"

The white haired loli tilted her head. "...Hiding a lot. Dangerous."

Rias nodded in agreement. "Well, we'll find out soon enough. Let's go back. I need to inform Sona of what just happened."

"She did WHAT!?" Bell screeched after Issei finished explaining what had happened, the game she'd been playing lying forgotten. The small woman looked beyond incensed, and Issei knew from experience that she was one wrong word away from causing a lot of property damage. "How dare that bitch attack you! When I get my hands on her I'll ram a Ziodyne right up her fucking ass!"

Issei quickly moved over to her and picked her up, rubbing her back in order to calm her. "I'm fine, Bell. All she did was mess up some clothes. She caught me by surprise, yeah, but considering the abilities she showed she can't do much to me, even as I am now."

Bell growled angrily for a bit longer before sighing as her body relaxed. "Fine. You're right. Not like she can do anything to you in any case." She moved back to look him in the eye. "That doesn't mean I'm not going to punish her if I ever come across her."

"That's fine." Issei said with a nod, relieved to see that she'd calmed down. "Tomorrow we're meeting with Gremory-senpai regarding what just happened. It looks like we'll finally be getting the information we need, and hopefully permission to let you and the others out."

Bell brightened up at that. "Really?" Flying out of his grasp she began a midair happy dance. "Finally, my house arrest is almost over!"

Issei chuckled as he lay down on his bed, Bell quickly flitting down to curl up on his bare chest, a smile on his face. "I hope tomorrow goes well." She said softly. "I don't want to get caught up in another fight."

He gently caressed her nude body, paying special attention to her favorite spots. "Whatever tomorrow brings, we'll deal with it together, Bell-chan. Just like we always have."

"Yes sir." His fairy agreed.

The next afternoon after school let out the Occult Research Club was gathered in the old school building once again. This time they were accompanied by Sona and her second in command, Shinra Tsubaki, the tall vice-president standing at attention behind her King's seat as Sona drank some of Akeno's tea.

The six were waiting patiently for their guest to arrive so they could finally get some answers to questions that had been vexing them for a while. Sona was especially anxious about that, her natural curiosity and feeling of responsibility having made the situation especially vexing to her.

"He did not tell you who he would be bringing with him, Rias?" Sona asked as they waited.

The crimson haired devil shook her head. "No. Only that they also know about the supernatural. I figured it would be best to allow it in order to put him more at ease. He had just been attacked by a fallen angel, after all."

"Reasonable." Sona agreed. "At least depending on who he brings." Before she could say anything further there came a knock on the door, drawing everyone's attention to it.

"Come in!" Rias called, sitting up straighter, wanting to make a good impression, Sona doing the same.

The door opened, allowing Issei into the room. He glanced around at the occupants before fully entering, his gaze pausing on Sona and Tsubaki briefly before walking in and closing the door behind him. "Gremory-senpai." He said, nodding to Rias before turning his gaze to Sona. "Shitori-kaichou. I wasn't expecting to see you and the fuku-kaichou here as well."

Sona adjusted her glasses. "Rias informed me of what transpired and I believed it prudent to be here as well. You may not be aware, from what Rias told me, but we are joint rulers of Kuoh town, so such issues are things we should both be aware of." Then she pointedly looked behind him. "I was under the impression you were going to be bringing a companion."

Issei smiled slightly. "I did, but I had her wait outside as a precaution. Would you mind opening the window?"

The gathered devils glanced at each other, confused, before Akeno went to do so, opening the window and stepping back just in case.

They were all surprised when a fairy with spiky blue hair and odd armor floated in, quickly making her way to Issei and taking a seat on his shoulder. "Hello everybody!" She said with a smile and a wave.

Getting over her surprise Rias smiled at the fairy. "Well, this is a surprise. Hello. My name is Rias Gremory. Who might you be?"

"Hello Gremory-san. I'm Bell. I work for Ise-kun." Bell said with a smile, though none missed the way she was studying them, obviously ready for a fight.

"You're the girl in the picture Hyoudou showed everyone when he was talking about his girlfriend." Akeno said, obviously surprised as she studied the fairy back.

Bell's smile widened. "Yep, that's me! Took a bit of work to make the picture turn out well, but from what boss said, it was worth it." She kissed Issei's temple as he chuckled. "The fact that he took it after a vigorous time in bed just made it better." She added with a laugh.

"Wait, how does that work?" Kiba blurted in surprise before his face reddened as he realized what he'd just asked.

Bell gave the only boy there other than Issei a saucy smirk. "Wouldn't you like to know…?"

Sona coughed lightly, her cheeks a bit pink. "I believe we're getting off track. Hyoudou-kun, I feel I should introduce myself properly. Shitori Souna is an alias I use here at school. My actual name is Sitri Sona."

Issei raised an eyebrow as he sat down, smiling briefly at Akeno as she served him tea. "Sitri, eh? As in the Ars Goetia, like Gremory-senpai? I imagine you went with that option since you look more Japanese than her, so there's no real reason to hide her name."

Both Rias and Sona looked surprised. "You know about our families from the Ars Goetia?" Rias asked.

"Only what it says in the actual book." He said with a slight smile. Then he closed his eyes and began to recite. "Gremory is a strong Duke of Hell who governs twenty-six legions of demons. He tells all things past, present and future, about hidden treasures and procures the love of women, young and old, but especially maidens. He is depicted as appearing in the form of a beautiful woman with the crown of a duchess tied around her waist and riding a camel."

More than one of the devils who hadn't read of the Ars Goetia before looked at Rias with interest.

"What about Kaichou?" Tsubaki asked, not noticing the look of slight panic Sona sent her, nor Rias' amused smile.

"Well…" Issei closed his eyes again in order to remember what the book said. "Sitri is a Great Prince of Hell, reigning over sixty legions of demons. He causes men to love women and vice versa, and can make people bare themselves naked if desired. He is depicted with the face of a leopard and the wings of a griffin."

Now all the looks turned to Sona's flushed face. Finally Akeno spoke, a teasing smile on her face. "Ara ara, make people bare themselves naked? Is that a skill you possess, Kaichou?" She brought a hand up to her mouth. "Fufufu, what is it they say? It's always the quiet ones?"

"I-in any case…" Sona said quickly, doing her best to retain some dignity as she tried to get the meeting back on track. "If that is your only source of information on our families then I can see that you might need some assistance so you aren't wandering blind." Then she turned her gaze to Bell. "Though I'm surprised Bell-san cannot give you the information you need."

"I don't really know much." Bell said with a shake of her head. "Let's just say I'm from the boonies, so I'm not much help."

"I see…" Sona said as she steepled her fingers in front of herself. "Well then, ask your questions, Hyoudou-san, and we will do our best to answer them. After that you can answer some of ours."

"Alright." Issei said with a nod. "Though I will say in advance that I'm not going to be telling you what happened to me during my disappearance."

Sona's face tightened at that, and Rias frowned in displeasure. "May I at least ask why?" The more buxom of the two asked.

"It's simple, really. It is incredibly private and important to me, and while you've been kind enough to me so far, I'm not ready to share those experiences to someone I can't really call a friend just yet." Issei explained calmly as Bell helped herself to some of the cookies on the table, though she carefully kept an eye on everyone.

Rias let out a sigh but nodded in understanding. "I suppose I can see your point. Still, can you at least tell us if whatever happened to you is likely to cause us any trouble in the future?"

"The likelihood of that is close to zero." Issei said firmly. "The circumstances of what happened are very unique, and considering what I did while I was away the odds of it, or anything related to it, happening again are really small. So no, you shouldn't have to worry about that."

"Good." Sona said with a nod of her own. "We'll hold you to that. Hopefully at some point you will feel comfortable enough to share the specifics with us." She adjusted her glasses. "Now then, ask your questions, Hyoudou-san."

What followed was a basic explanation of the supernatural factions with an emphasis on the three Abrahamic powers, since those were the most relevant at the moment, and the evil piece system was explained, which made Issei uneasy, but after the reassurance of the reincarnated devils there that they were happy and had no regrets he let it go.

"Any further questions, Hyoudou-kun?" Rias asked after sipping her tea.

Issei considered before nodding slowly. "Just one. I have other friends and comrades besides Bell that I've been keeping hidden till we'd established who to talk to. They're all getting rather irritated on not being able to leave the house. Do I have your permission to let them wander about as long as they don't cause any trouble?" Bell perked up at that, awaiting the answer eagerly.

Rias and Sona looked at each other, communicating silently in the way old friends do before Sona turned back to Issei and nodded. "As long as they don't cause problems then they can do so. We don't crack down on migrant yokai and such, after all. Are they like Bell-san as well?"

"If you mean are they high pixies like me, then the answer is no." Bell said even as she pumped a fist in happiness.

"I'm sorry, I probably should have asked before, but you said you're a high pixie? How exactly is that different from a regular pixie?" Kiba asked.

Bell puffed out her chest in pride. "High pixies are much more powerful than normal pixies. We've also got more responsibility, being the ones to command groups of pixies in battle and similar situations. You could say we're officers to regular pixies' enlisted."

Absently wondering why exactly put her explanation into military terms the gathered devils nodded in understanding. "Well then, just in case, perhaps it would be best if your friends each had something that identified them as affiliated with you in order to prevent misunderstandings." Sona said.

Issei nodded in agreement. "Sounds reasonable. We'll work something out." He sat back. "So, what would you like to ask me?"

Sona looked at him somewhat sourly. "Most of our questions are useless as you have already stated you won't be answering them."

"...Sacred Gear." Koneko reminded her King between mouthfuls of pocky.

"Ah yes, thank you, Koneko-chan." Rias said with a smile before turning her attention back to Issei. "The fallen angel you encountered yesterday mentioned you have a sacred gear. I'm assuming that's how you were able to avoid her attacks. May I ask what it is?"

Bell tensed and turned to look at Issei, who looked at Rias intently before his gaze shifted to each of the devils present in turn, making them straighten under his scrutiny. Finally he turned his gaze back to Rias and nodded before holding out his left arm, a red and gold gauntlet with a large green gem in the middle appearing from nothing. "This is the Boosted Gear of the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig."

Rias' eyes weren't the only ones that were very wide at the revelation, the crimson haired devil licking suddenly dry lips as she looked at the gauntlet. She obviously hadn't been expecting to see one of the legendary Longinus gears in front of her. "I see…"

"That explains why the fallen angel was after you." Sona said slowly as she considered everything. "The Grigori are well known to have an interest in Sacred Gears, Azazel especially, and such a rare one would be sure to grab attention."

Issei let his gauntlet disappear before sitting back in his chair. "I'll keep that in mind."

"Hyoudou-kun, would you by any chance be interested in a power boost and increased lifespan?" Rias asked, smiling sweetly.

One of Issei's eyebrows rose, his face amused as Bell giggled at the offer. "I'm afraid that I can't become a devil, Gremory-senpai."

"Any particular reason why?" She asked intently.

Issei shrugged lightly. "Let's just say I have a vested interest when it comes to my humanity."

Rias pouted. "Even if it would help you with your desire to have a harem?"

Ball laughed at that. "He already has one." Then she leered playfully at the girls in the room, making it obvious she was joking around. "Not that new members with all of your particular… attributes… wouldn't be welcome, of course."

The gathered devils blinked at that information. "He does?" Tsubaki asked, surprised.

"Yep!" Bell said proudly. "I'm his main girl, of course, but he has plenty of others. Who knows, maybe you'll meet them soon." She grinned at them with amusement.

"Anything else?" Issei asked, a smile on his face at Bell's antics and the reactions she got.

Rias and Sona once again glanced at each other before shaking their heads. "I guess that's all." Sona said.

"Please let me know if you change your mind." Rias said, hating the edge of pleading in her voice, yet unable to help it.

Issei raised an eyebrow at her, which made her flush at the realization he'd noticed, but he nodded. "It's very unlikely, but I will." He got up and began making his way to the door, Bell quickly flying over to alight on his shoulder. "I'll see you all in school tomorrow. Have a nice day." Then he left after a chorus of goodbyes.

Sona turned to Rias with a sigh. "Well, that was much less fruitful than I'd hoped."

"Yes." Rias said as she sat back, brooding slightly as she gazed at the door Issei had just walked out of. "At least we found out about his sacred gear. I'm very surprised it's the Boosted Gear."

"Surprised is an understatement, I never thought I'd see a Longinus here at school." Sona said with her arms crossed. "I take it you're going to continue trying to get him into your peerage?"

"As much as I can without irritating him." Rias said with a nod. "I need an edge over Riser, and that gear is exactly it."

"Good luck." Sona murmured. "Something tells me it won't be that easy."

As Issei and Bell walked away from the Occult Research Club's building they were quiet for a moment before Bell broke the silence. "Well, that was informative."

"It matched up with what Ddraig told us." Issei said in agreement. "It's too bad he wasn't able to tell us about Gremory-senpai and Sitri-senpai before. It would have saved us time if we could have just approached them ourselves."

Bell frowned and poked his left arm. "Geeze, how much longer is that lazy lizard going to be asleep? It's been ages already."

"Considering what he went through it's not too surprising." Issei said. "Still, him being awake would be helpful."

Bell shrugged. "Well, it's not like anything really big is going on at the moment. He can afford to rest a while longer, I guess. In any case, we have more important things to discuss."

Issei turned to look at the high pixie with a raised eyebrow. "Oh?"

"Yep!" Bell grinned lecherously. "Which of those girls was the hottest?" When Issei started to laugh her grin widened. "I mean, Did you see the breasts on those two!? Hell's bells!"

"There's a reason I used to masturbate to Gremory-senpai and Himejima-senpai all the time." Issei said in agreement.

"But the Sitri girl has this really attractive, svelte look to her that fits her really well. And Koneko has the whole adorable loli thing going for her. Shinra was pretty good too, not too busty, not too flat." Then Bell nodded to herself. "Alright, I've decided. You're gonna seduce all of them. I want them in your bed by next month."

Issei started laughing, though he didn't exactly disagree with the idea, and the two continued discussing the devils on their way home, each wondering how things were going to change now.

Holy hell, I made it just in time!

Ironically, working from home is not conducive to writing for me.

Yes, as you can imagine, my update schedule has been completely upended thanks to the human malware we're all hiding from. I'm now working at home, as stated, but that actually makes writing harder. Not only do I have more distractions, my chair is a piece of shit that I can't lean back against without ending up on the floor, which means I write/work/game hunched over in a way that really screws up my back after only a few minutes. I desperately need a new one.

In any case, I promised that the stories my patrons chose would be updated before the end of the month, and by the skin of my teeth I've kept that promise. I seriously wanted this to be out weeks ago so I could push out another chapter of Brightest, but…

In any case, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. This is still buildup for what comes next, though I have dropped a few hints here that I wonder if people will catch.

I don't want to say much more because that brings spoilers, and I want to surprise you all with what I have planned. Still, I'm pretty confident in what I have cooking. I will say certain things from the original version of this story will stay the same simply because I can't see a way of improving them except in the overall quality and polish.

Also I forgot to tell you all in the last chapter what this story's theme song is going to be. I've had this in mind since before I stopped the original version of this story. The theme song is going to be Pray For Me, from the Black Panther soundtrack. It'll make sense in the future, I promise.

As always I want to remind you all that you have a say in what I write when you donate to my Pat A Ron. Each dollar you donate equals one vote in the monthly poll I put up. So if you want to see this or another of my stories updated more often, head on over and donate. Obviously this is all voluntary and I don't expect you to do so, but it is immensely appreciated, especially during these times we're in. So that's at Pat A Ron dotcom /athanmortis.

Thank you all for reading, please review, and I'll see you next time.