Hello King of the fake World here. This is my first story here on this site, but not the first I ever wrote.

So, for some tiny things about this story:

This story contains spoiler for Persona 4 Golden, the True Ending and the Social Links.

Also, I reserve for myself the right to slightly change the appearance of Personas so they fit a bit more with with the High School DxD universe.

Oh, right, Disclaimer: I don't own either the Persona series or High School DxD.

Narukami Yu woke up with a start, shaken from his dream by the alarm clock beside his bed. He stopped the alarm with a sigh, but stood up nevertheless.

It had been weeks since his cataclysmic battle with the goddess, Izanami-no-Okami, weeks since he left Inaba, and with it his friends. Weeks in which his parents had decided they would have to go out into the world again, out for some other duty of their job. Weeks since he had been confronted with the fact that he ended the adventure that had been his main driving force for the past year, the adventure that gave him a sense of friendship he had always been missing.

The house he was living in had been bought recently, and he had been left to tend to it when his parents went off on another journey. Really, it was a surprise that they suddenly trusted him to live alone, given a monthly allowance far beyond what he needed. Nearly as much as the idea that they might stay in a single place.

Then again, with all he had done last year, he could see why his parents got the impression he was reliable, especially with what his uncle told them.

He would have preferred to stay in Inaba. Of course, brooding over that fact was a waste, so he instead decided to start the day with a good breakfast. As an early riser, he had plenty of time. Thus, the Wild Card put together a traditional English breakfast all for himself and enjoyed it. The school he visited was Kuoh Academy, a former all-girls school that became co-ed just a few years ago. Yu ate in silence. Shortly after the battle against the goddess, his Personas had become silent and removed, culminating in their presence vanishing from his mind. It was rather disconcerting, to have something so integral to his mind disappear.

Someone else might have been more worried. He, however just accepted it as something that happened, and moved on. Or tried to. Accepting wasn't quite the end of it.

While he could deal with the silence in his mind, the disparity was still incredibly bothersome, almost to a painful degree. Their voices had been a comfort, a help, and a motivation in any situation.

It had been Nata Taishi that urged him to join a Sports Club in Inaba, and Pixie who first helped him understand Yosuke. His Personas had always been there with advice, the facets of his personality were guides in that regard. Yu would freely admit, that before the last year he had been socially awkward at best. Their help had also been a part in his change.

School hadn't been anything special today. Just the same old death glares he received for sitting right beside on of the school idols, glares he ignored.

The Reaper's one-eyed glare was by far worse.

Now, already after school, Yu walked back home. There was something different though. He was being followed. It was just a feeling, but he trusted those. His senses had been sharpened by the other world, and his countless fights against the Shadows.

He frowned. This wasn't good. Yu wondered who could have any interest in him, and came up short. Nobody actually knew about the other world, and his involvement in it. Still, someone following him would most likely mean trouble, and the Wild Card wanted this trouble gone as fast as he could. So, trusting in himself, he made his way to a large and abandoned park. He knew it was potentially dangerous and stupid, but he preferred to confront his troubles this way.

"... I know you're there." He turned to the tree where the presence was behind.

"... So, Mittelt was right. You have some sort of ability." A tall, graceful woman stepped out from behind the tree. Her dark blue bangs were hiding one of her eyes, and she was wearing a half open trench coat with a miniskirt. A rather scandalous outfit. "Now, what am I going to do with you?"

"... Who are you?"

"My name is Kalawarner, and I am a fallen angel." She waited for his reaction.

It was a disappointing one. He just gave her a frown. That was a big claim. While she gave off an odd feeling, it couldn't really compare to his Persona Lucifer. It might have been unfair to compare her to the original fallen, but that was fact. Even then, he he hadn't considered those mythical beings to just walk out and about. "Do you expect me to believe that?"

Her smile wasn't a good one. "No." Black wings sprouted from her back. "It's hard to believe without evidence." Something went over her face, the idea of an expression, even as yellow light gathered into the form of a spear in her right hand.

"What do you want?" He gave the spear a look. It didn't look particularly durable.

"An associate of mine sensed something odd about you, boy. Now we want to know what it is."

"..." He wondered whether they sensed the power of his Personas, or remnants of it. That wouldn't be good.

"Well, if you won't speak..." And her spear was thrown, hitting the tree behind where Yuu had been standing a second before. "Oh? So you can at least run." Another spear was formed and thrown. Again, it was avoided. She gave him a pleased smile.

"So, you don't actually want to talk about it?" He jumped from another attack. The situation was one that may be considered grave. Without his Personas to call upon, or a weapon, he had barely a chance of fighting her, or getting out alive.

Still, he would try. In silence, the Fool wondered why he didn't feel threatened by all this.

"I think a worm like you is more useful dead." Just great. There went that chance.

"Why?" He continued evading her attacks.

She gave him a chuckle. "You should count yourself unlucky. Whatever Sacred Gear you have, we don't need it. Getting out of just what is so odd honestly doesn't appeal to me."

"Sacred Gear?"

"You don't need to know." She threw faster now, her spears coming in larger quantities. "Still, you're keeping up quite well. An ordinary human would have been skewered by now."

Now she was complimenting him. He started to really dislike her.

While avoiding more and more spears, he heard something, something from inside. "... us"

"... or us" Those voices, he knew them...

"Call For Us!"

The words broke his concentration, and as he stopped because of how unexpected they were, a spear of light embedded itself in his stomach. He fell on one knee from the shock, more than any pain.

"You kept up for quite long, boy." Weird. Her words were slowing down, the world was turning monotone.

And then it changed. He was kneeling in an arena, the entire place with a blue sheen to it. And the ranks beyond the pit in which he was were filled. Filled with figures of which he recognized all he could see.

"Is this what you will do, Master of the World Arcana?" Before him, on the edge of the ranks stood a platform, three individuals sitting there on thrones.

On the left was a regal figure in black, piercing golden eyes looking at him from beyond a white mask. His posture was relaxed, but still refined and elegant.

Izanagi. The god that created Japan and fathered myriads of gods.

To the right sat a figure in red, his own eyes burning with anger and hatred. This one was a counterpart to the first, looking less regal and more like a murderer, a depraved creature of destruction. He was leaning forward, impatient and graceless.

Magatsu-Izanagi. The corrupt form of the god, who would end everything he had created before.

They both radiated power. Their presence was awe-inspiring.

Yet the one between them eclipsed their power by far. He was clothed in white, his helmet gleaming silver and the red light of his eyes behind it shining with recrimination. His posture was nothing short of majestic.

Izanagi-no-Okami. The greatest form of the father of Japan and the gods of Shinto.

And then he spoke.

"Is this how you will do it? Defeated by an entity below your station, oh divine human? You, who defeated Izanami-no-Okami, who forged us, ALL. OF. US. from but the possibilities within your soul? Are we to accept this mockery of surrender?"

"... I... I couldn't feel any of you." He was rather shocked by the display.

"FOOLISH WHELP!" Magatsu-Izanagi all but screamed at him. "We are you! What need do you have to feel us, anymore than you feel your organs? Your soul? WE! ARE! ALWAYS! THERE!"

Finally, Izanagi spoke up. "Narukami Yu. I have been with you from the beginning. I have borne witness when first you called for power, and all other times hence. I cannot believe you would fall to such an ignominious foe. Not when our power is within you."

"..." Had it been his fault, that they were silenced? Or had he become deaf to their call?

From Yu's right, another figure strode into focus. He had wings, six pairs of them, and a sword was resting in his hand. The light his presence emitted was Holy. There was no other way to describe it. Only that single word could come close to doing him justice. "I can scarcely believe that you would allow this." Michael, the great Archangel shook his head. "Have I wasted my time on you?" He frowned. "Will you allow that sinner to defeat you? When she is little more than a fly before your power?"

At his left, a large figure descended. He had a monstrous visage, inhuman skin and a number of wings equal to Michael. However, where the Archangel was holy, this one was his antithesis. His wings were demonic. His presence was Dark. Lucifer, the Sinner of Pride, the Rebel sneered at him. "Is this the end, boy? Really? Have you given up? To this... this fledgling, that knows nothing of power?"

"... It's not over." Yu shook it off. He was the stronger one. He was the one that defeated a goddess. He was the one that called for over 200 manifestations of the soul, and when he did, they answered.

"I can't hear you." Lucifer smiled widely. The Fool suspected that the original anarchist wanted this reaction.

"I said, that it's not over. You're me. I'm you. You should know that I won't give in. Compared to a Thousand Curses..." He stood up, back in that park, where Kalawarner was still smiling at him. "...this is nothing." What the fallen in front of him believed a debilitating wound was barely worth noting. Shadows had hurt him worse.

"Oh? You continue to amaze me." Her smile actually widened to the edge of what would be humanly possible.

He felt them again. All of them, instead of just the twelve Personas his mind had been able to hold before. When the card appeared, hovering over where he stretched out his hand, he started to smile. When he crushed it, familiar blue flames enveloping him, his smile grew. When Izanagi appeared, a gust of wind accompanying him, his smile had reached a level where people would start running away from him, as his expression promised pain.

She stared. He attacked.

Izanagi flew at her, weapon ready to cleave her apart. Another light spear was thrown, but as it smashed into the Persona's weapon, it was destroyed. As the fallen angel took to the air, Izanagi was already close, grabbing her before she could fly off, and throwing her hard enough into the ground that it cracked.

"What is that!?" Her words were slightly distorted from the pain.

He walked closer, his hand unconsciously closing around a weapon not there. At least, until the weapon solidified in his grasp. A katana, one he had used often in the other world was in his hands. And within his mind, another link he had thought gone made itself known. "My power."

"You... you..." Her composure was gone in a matter of seconds. Kalawarner stood up again, throwing another spear. He was beginning to think that was all she could do, even as he cut the spear apart with a flick of his wrist. "You filthy little vermin! Don't joke around! Just because you awakened to your Sacred Gear doesn't mean you can win!"

He didn't know what a Sacred Gear was, but he let her believe what she wanted. In line with his thoughts, Izanagi moved to attack the woman, who tried to attack Yu instead, figuring he would be the easier target. She was proven wrong when he blocked her attack effortlessly, following up with a slash against her wing. The fallen scrambled away, but a few feathers were lost to his blade.

Blue lightning descended upon her, summoned by Izanagi and the woman screamed in pain. His smile long since gone, Yu had Izanagi grab the woman by the neck. "Why did you attack me?"

She tried to struggle against the Persona, but it was futile to try. When she tried to create another spear, Izanagi let lightning course through his hand. Judging by her expression, it hurt.

After she stopped biting down on her lips, she answered. "... Don't expect me to tell you. Do as you wish. After all," a mirthless smile showed on her face. "the others will kill you for this. Go on, the more you do, the more you'll suffer."

He looked at the woman. She seemed to be resigned to whatever fate he would have in store for her. Killing her would have been easy.

But he was not a killer. Even though his Personas told him from within how to do it, how to deal with it, he didn't want to kill if he had another choice.

Even if that choice would end up coming back to haunt him. Izanagi let the woman down, who sunk to her knees, strength spent. Yu raised his sword, she closed her eyes, and he hit her neck with the back of the blade. The woman fell to the ground, her consciousness gone in a flash. Izanagi deposited her behind a few bushes. Nobody would find her there, unless they searched.

Yu made to change to another Persona so he could heal, but a voice interfered. "You do not need to do that." Kikuri-Hime, the divine mediator spoke to him. "With your World, you are capable of wielding our powers without summoning us. Concentrate on the healing powers you wish to bring into the world."

He followed her advice, though he did wonder about the timing. Experimenting would be better when there weren't any enemies around. His thoughts were rewarded with pearling laughter.

Focusing on the sensation of a Dia spell, Yu felt... something. Putting that something to use, he felt and saw white energy stream around his hand. He put it to his wounded stomach and felt the spell do its work. "Well, that'll be useful." Izanagi disappeared in a blue flash, and Yu went to pick up his bag. For a second, he felt like someone was still watching him, but then it was gone.

"So," Back home, Yu started cooking dinner. He had to improvise there, since he just used up hours to avoid being seen by anybody. He didn't need someone seeing the blood on his clothes. "we have a fallen angel, the term 'Sacred Gear' and the changes that must have happened to me. Where do we start?" Summoning a Persona here, in this world was not supposed to be possible. Some manner of change would be logical.

"Changes." Satan was the one to answer. "You have become even more powerful. Calling for our power regardless of the situation, having much more energy to fuel it, and a clearer ability to listen to us, if your multitasking means anything. Gaining the power of the World is not some everyday trick, it's a full blown miracle, one that exists solely within the one who does so."

He was more talkative than usual. "Someone is angry." Lucifer laughed. "Sacred Gears. Apparently items a person can have unconsciously. She mistook Izanagi's appearance for one, so they may be a form of summoning device.

"Fallen angel. One who has sinned, and was cast down from heaven. I wonder how this world's angels really are." It was Gabriel who continued. "We, who have come from the Sea of Souls are not always as the world's representations are."

"Not much of anything to work with, then." Yu put his portion of Mabo Tofu down on the table and took a seat.

"With that super boring stuff outta the way," Pixie spoke up. "WHY DIDN'T YOU CALL ANY OF US!?" The sudden outburst caught him off-guard. "I mean, we're kinda you! Just pretending like we're not even there HURTS, you jerk!" A worrying number of Personas agreed with her.

He wanted to argue.

"No! You're not gonna talk! Letting you talk means I don't get to complain, since you're really good at talking! You said it: We're you, you're us. Even if you couldn't have summoned us, you could've talked to us! We've been a damn help to you with all your friends! Ya really don't have to be so cold to us. And don't you even get started on how we faded away! That's your fault, too."

The diminutive fairy sounded so angry, he called her out into the world. She was floating in front of him, arms crossed, a pout on her face. "I'm sorry." He really was. "I don't have a real excuse for that. So, I can only ask you to accept my most profound apologies."

She was silent for a while. "Fine. I'll give you another chance." She stopped for a moment. "We will. Except for Alice. She's really angry." Yu sighed as Pixie returned to his mind. Alice was a tough one. Even though her anger couldn't have any consequences on his combat performance, he called her up regardless, preferring to deal with her now. The Fool sent his Tofu a brief stare beforehand. Not much of a chance to enjoy it.

"..." She just looked at him, not making a sound.

"..." He looked back at her, not making a sound.

"You left us alone." Alice huffed from where she sat, opposite of him. "You actually dared to just leave us alone. Yu,"

"... Yes?" He had a bad, bad feeling.

Suddenly she was smiling. "Will you die for me?"

Yeah, it would be a long night, placating her.

It had been a long night placating her. It took all his knowledge and understanding to comprehend her anger, all his expressive abilities to convey his meaning, and all his courage and diligence to keep going under her withering stare.

It was a greater challenge for him than even the legendary Rainy Day Beef Bowl Challenge.

… She must never hear that analogy. The fallout would be disastrous.

He banished those thoughts on his inner Tsundere, in favor of concentrating on another day of school.

"Good morning, Narukami-kun." It was the school idol number one, one of 'the great Onee-samas' Rias Gremory. A red haired beauty that had many crushed on, and look up to her. She sat beside him in class, an arrangement many students saw as a reason to glare at him, most of them male.

He pretended to not to notice the looks Rias got for sitting beside the 'Transfer Genius'. That way lies madness.

"Good morning, Gremory." He gave her a nod. Really, aside from occasionally talking, they had nothing to do with each other. The greeting was more a matter of courtesy, than anything else.

"That girl..." Ose made himself known. "She is no human."

Yu turned to the window, so she didn't see his frown. He urged Ose to continue, but Decarabia was the one to. "We aren't sure, but her presence feels not even remotely human."

Great, more mysteries. As if a woman attempting to kill him wasn't enough. And now Nebiros added in his two cents. "Her name appears in the Lesser Key of Solomon, the source of our names."

…

"She may be a demon, yes." Nebiros' smile could only be called unnerving.

Yu suppressed his sigh. It seemed adventure wouldn't let him go just like that. "Admit it, you like the adventure." Loki sure knew how to give an infuriating smile.

… He wouldn't comment on that. Even he couldn't win an argument when he didn't have anything to use.

"Sweet, sweet victory."

… Annoying.

"So, Narukami-kun." Something about her smile gave him the shivers.

"Yes?"

"I didn't know you were a Banchou."

Silence reigned. "... I didn't know that either. When did that happen?" There was no change to either his voice or expression as he smoothly asked the question.

"Two days ago, I believe." A glint had entered her eyes. It was the appraising kind, and it made him feel like an animal on the market. Not exactly the best feeling.

"... I see. With the situation, that view might appear reasonable for someone who doesn't know all the facts." He nodded thoughtfully.

"Facts? Narukami-kun, what exactly happened two days ago after school?"

"... Oh, look at the time. Homeroom is about to start." He turned forward and didn't look at Rias for the rest of the class. It was a contrived situation, one that just waited to cause misunderstandings.

"Actually, Narukami-kun," After the classes were over, Rias sought him out, accompanied by her best friend. Himejima Akeno was the other of 'Kuoh Academy's great Onee-samas', a girl with long black hair in a ponytail, and a figure to die for. "would you please accompany us? There's something we would like to discuss with you."

Ignoring the collective sharp intake of air around him, Yu regarded her with an even expression. The timing seemed rather odd, considering what happened just yesterday. "Sure."

The two gave him a smile and lead the way. It went out of the school building, to the back of the property. He hadn't been aware of this old, seemingly abandoned place. "It's the old school building." Akeno told him with a smile. A smile that was always present. "Our club meets inside."

"The Occult Research Club?" He gave her a sidelong glance. The girl seemed focused on him, even if she hid it.

"Yes." Rias took over with a confident smile. "I see you have heard about it."

With a nonchalant shrug he answered. "People talk."

They went inside, going straight for one specific room. The place was furnished nicely. Too nicely for just some club at school.

Within the room they entered, which was rather dark and illuminated only by candles, there were already two other occupants. Both, he recognized. The 'Prince of Kuoh Academy', Kiba Yuuto was a blonde, tall young man, second year student, and the object of many a girl's affection.

The other one, munching on some treat or another, was Toujou Koneko. She was small for a first year student, and her hair was an eye catching white. Add in that she was more stoic than Yu had ever been, and it was no wonder she was considered a mascot of sorts for the school.

They were both sitting on a couch at the center of the room, Koneko giving him a flat look, while Yuuto smiled. "You're Narukami Yu-senpai, right?" He stood up and reached out his hand. "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Yu took the hand and shook it. "Likewise." Yuuto had a strong handshake.

"None of them feel human." Belial whispered in his mind. "Be on guard."

"This is Toujou Koneko, as you may know. She doesn't talk much." Both Yu and Koneko looked at each other, then nodded. He knew the silent type, it was still a fitting description of him, after all.

"Well!" Rias was sitting down at a desk at the end of the room, a sign of her position as Club President. "With introductions out of the way, Narukami-kun, do you know why we asked you to come here?" There was something in her voice, something that made him think of a teacher testing a student secretly.

"... Unless you want me to join your club too, not really." Except for the possibility that this may end as a fight.

"Ah, you've already been asked by a lot of clubs to join, haven't you?" She gave him a mischievous smile.

"Ara, ara. It seems Narukami-kun is rather popular." Akeno joined in.

"... Yes, so?" Stone-faced, he waited for them to get to the point.

"Well, Narukami-kun," Rias leaned forward, resting her chin on crossed fingers. "what do you know about mythology?"

"Oooooh, the Gendo pose. Classics are classics." It was oddly disturbing to hear those words from a demon like Abaddon.

"... Quite a bit." Yu wondered just where this was heading.

"I see, I see. Now, what if I told you," She seemed rather fond of dramatic pauses, he noted. "that all those myths and legends were based on truth?"

…

The myths and legends in his head were all laughing in one way or another. Even Mot. Mot just didn't do laughs. It was wrong on a fundamental level. He played along with her, regardless of the amusement of his Personas. He had learned to not let them influence him, unless there was a good reason to.

"... I would expect proof."

For a split second, there was a triumphant smile on her face. Then every member of the club sprouted wings, like a bat's. "Very well, Narukami-kun. I'll introduce myself. I am Rias Gremory, and I am a devil." He wondered whether there had been some hidden command, or if they had talked about when to do this.

His Personas had gone silent, most of them observing the situation. The angels were on edge, the demons were sneering. "... I see."

Her smile widened. "I believe I best start at the beginning. There are three factions, you see. Us devils, the angels, and the fallen angels. These factions were once fighting each other in what is today known as 'the Great War' to those involved. However, that war decimated us all so thoroughly, a truce was made. The devils had been hit so hard, that natural reproduction just wasn't feasible anymore." She stopped at that point to see if he kept up.

Yu reserved judgment until she finished. Lucifer wasn't so kind. "It seems fallen and devils are different here. Where is my place in all this?"

"So, high-level devils, like myself, are given so called Evil Pieces." She took out a red chess piece, a knight. "With them, we can convert humans into devils, members of our peerages. This method allows us to repopulate our species."

"That item has the same taint about it as those three." Nebiros metaphorically pointed at the Occult Research Club, sans Rias.

"..." Yuu waited for her to continue, or ask a question.

"... Have you understood so far, Narukami-kun? You're rather quiet there."

"I understand." He wondered when she would drop the bomb. There had to be a bomb, otherwise she would just cut to the chase, and he had a good idea of what she wanted from him now.

"Good. By the way, this town is my territory, the area under my control. Now, you are an exceptional student, popular and witty. And of course, there is that Sacred Gear of yours." That was probably supposed to be the bomb, if it wasn't so wrong.

He raised an eyebrow. "What is a Sacred Gear?"

"Sacred Gears are something humans are sometimes born with. They are items created by the God of the bible." She had wanted that question, waited for it. That much, he could see.

Michael frowned in his head. Lucifer sneered. "... What makes you think I have one?"

"We have methods to determine it." Her response could mean a thousand things. "Until today, we weren't so sure whether you had a Sacred Gear or some sort of lineage, but now we know that it isn't the latter."

"How?" Again, she looked triumphant. Why?

"The feeling of power about you is unlike anything I have heard about. Lineages of notable humans are easily identified, if one digs deep enough. You however, give off a feeling that is nearly impossible to describe. Thus, the most logical conclusion is a rare Sacred Gear. And it has become much more intensive between yesterday and today." She nodded in satisfaction.

"Hmmm. From her point of view, it makes sense." the Sabbatic Goat, Baphomet growled. "If you can, let her believe that. You don't know whether you can trust them."

That sounded reasonable for someone so grumpy. "... I don't know what that Sacred Gear would be." Not even a lie. Personas were something any human could gain, not a present from some deity.

Yuuto, who had been silent until now, interfered. "Sacred Gears can take many forms. Some are weapons, others express themselves as abilities. Even then, they can be a way to heal others, or conjure fire. Some rare ones even call up a familiar of sorts, or a magical construct." Something about the boy's smile changed.

… Something didn't add up. They knew something they didn't tell him.

"So, I would like to formally invite you into my peerage, Narukami-kun." Rias looked downright smug. Although that may have been just his impression. On a side note, this was exactly what he had been expecting when she explained the Evil Pieces.

…! He had an idea. There was a possible reason why they would tell him only half the truth. Now, how to make them slip up...

"First, shouldn't you tell me about the benefits? Right now, all that means to me, is that I would be your servant." It was a start to see what they would do.

"I suppose." She was pursing her lips now. It was almost a calculated expression. "Well, as my servant, you would be considered part of the Gremory family." The devil stopped when he held up his hand.

"Gremory, as in Ars Goetia's Gremory?"

"Ah, you know that one. Yes, the devils mentioned in that book are derived from the 72 pillars, the oldest families with the largest influence in devil society. Devils are stronger than humans and we have a much longer lifespan than you. Well, apart from that, if you gain enough prestige for yourself, you can become a high-ranking devil yourself. You can get your own peerage that way. "

... So in short, he could gain power of all kinds. It didn't interest him particularly. His power had come through necessity, and for that very same reason he nurtured and strengthened it. And more importantly, devils were not humans. There was a good chance that his World Arcana would be compromised by something as drastic as changing his species.

He would say no. The offer wasn't nearly as good for him as she, they seemed to believe. But he could use the chance to gain as much information as possible.

"What might be more important to you," Rias pressed on, unaware of his thoughts. "joining my peerage will grant you a measure of protection. The fallen angels do not like Sacred Gear users, and depending on what your Sacred Gear can do, even the angels may very well scorn your existence."

The message was 'I'm your best bet'. It must have been what she had been working up to, showing him the immediately most important benefit last.

As far as tactics went, it wasn't bad. Without actual pressure of any kind, she had shown him what to many would have been a sensible course. But she wasn't showing her whole hand, something he intended to remedy.

For that, he allowed the silence to continue on. She wanted him to reach his own conclusions, hoping and perhaps expecting him to accept the offer. Sadly, her expectations were doomed from the get go, simply because one of one specific assumption.

Simply because she expected him to need protection, an idea his less polite Personas were making fun of.

"... Yesterday, I was approached by a fallen angel, who tried to kill me." The narrowing of her eyes wasn't surprise, even if she tried to make it look that way. "I was told I was an unlucky person."

"See?" She nodded, just a bit too fast. "What she did and said is a clear proof that you will be targeted."

Checkmate.

"I never said anything about the assailant being a woman." Yuu then smiled at Rias, whose eyes widened at her own mistake. "... So, you were watching. When would you tell me that?"

The atmosphere in the room changed. Before, it had been casual, without any real problems, but a certain tension entered now.

"... My bad. It seems I underestimated you, Narukami-kun." She seemed disappointed.

"You went about it in the wrong way. It makes you seem a bit pushy now. I won't hold it against you."

"I see." She nodded primly. "Very well. I assure you that I told you the truth, however. With that Sacred Gear of yours, you would be a boon to my peerage, especially since it's strong enough to defeat a fallen so soon after awakening."

… Now, should he tell her? Where she was wrong, where her assumptions were simply incorrect?

"I think you should." Izanagi told him. "This misunderstanding could easily get out of control." His advice ran contrary to Baphomet's. Both Personas had a point there.

On the one hand, Rias had tried to guide his thoughts in a specific direction. On the other hand, she wasn't forceful about it, and hadn't lied. It also seemed as though she wasn't particularly good at manipulation, if he saw through it that easily.

He knew she would ask for a demonstration of what he could do anyway. So, he would at least correct her mistakes, but not elaborate. As far as he was concerned, they were even with that. The Fool was quite sure she had left out parts in her explanation, too.

Slowly, Yu walked to the other end of the room, uncaring of how the tension rose. Then he called for the Tarot card, and their eyes followed it as it flew down to his waiting hand, where it was crushed, as had happened so often before.

In a whirlwind of blue flames, Izanagi appeared once more, hovering behind the Wild Card.

The silence was interrupted by Akeno. "Ara, ara. Your Sacred Gear takes quite the manly form. Ufufufu."

Somehow, those words sent a shiver down his spine. They weren't the good kind.

"I will say this once. First, I have no interest in joining your peerage." Rias didn't like that. "Second, I do not have a Sacred Gear." That elicited a number of frowns. "This power," he gestured behind him, at Izanagi. "is something entirely human. Under the right circumstances, anyone can call on one of those. And what I know about this power is above doubt." He recalled the Persona and made for the door. "Thank you for telling me all this. However, I can look after myself. See you tomorrow." And he was out of the room, leaving behind a number of perplexed devils.

King of the fake World: Hello again, everybody! Welcome to 'Fake World' a small part at the end of the story, inspired by the Taiga Dojo from Fate Stay Night. After every chapter there'll be one. I'll use it for answering reviews, some at least and bringing in trivia. I'll even take a character from the story to help me. This time we have Narukami Yu, silver-haired protagonist and banchou in spe!

Applause

Narukami Yu: ...Hello. What do you mean with 'Banchou in spe'?

King: Subplot.

Yu: ...I see. What was Satan so angry about?

King: He's the SMT Satan.

Yu: Oh. You mean he's a servant of god. Why?

King: It amused me.

Yu: Why is Alice a Tsundere?

King: It amused me.

Yu: Why didn't we see any Dere from her?

King: It... Wait, no. It would have been amusing for her to be all dere-dere about you. I'll see what I can do about that. By the way, I won't be shy about it: You're kinda powerful, what with defeating a goddess. Deities by DxD standards are something of a nightmare to fight, so I'll put your power level appropriately high, even if she probably held back. So, nothing the ORC faces in the first two volumes can so much as scratch you, if you're halfway serious.

Yu: ...I see. So, you left a lot of questions open, and explained others rather half-assed.

King: Now, now. It's the first chapter. Not every explanation may be all that accurate, and more will be explained as time passes. Yeah, eh, would you?

Yu: ... Dear readers, please review. Tell us what you think, good or bad. Also, please ask for someone else to help in 'Fake World'.

King: Hey!