The Protagonist System

03 Occult Research Club

I could almost feel the eyes on me as I waited for the end of the day's classes. I ignored the feeling, mainly because I was pretty sure I knew who was waiting there for me. After rebuffing the Kuoh Prince at lunch to spend it with the normal girls in the Kendo Club, the Occult Research Club would send out the big guns, aka Akeno Himejima's massive mammaries.

After the bell rang, I wasted a few minutes packing up and exchanged a few words with Murayama, mostly promising to repair the various holes that the perverted duo had made in the gym and locker rooms for the Kendo Club. She hadn't believed me at first, until I told her that I hadn't been involved in making them and reminded her of my honor-bound oath to be a better man.

“Issei Hyoudou?” Akeno interrupted as she approached me. “Rias Gremory has ordered you to meet her in the Occult Research Club room.”

I felt a pinch in my chest and hunched a little at her words as I felt the command settle into my bones. I stood up to my full height of five foot eight and looked down at her five foot five inches of height.

“I acknowledge the command in the spirit it was intended.” I spat at her, which made her flinch.

Everyone in the entire class made sounds of surprise.

A quite short girl with silver-grey hair kind of skipped over to us. She grabbed my shoulder and pulled me down to her four foot five inches of height to whisper in my ear. “I called her an idiot.”

I quickly turned to scoop her up into my arms, to everyone's shock. “The school's adorable mascot is here to escort me? I feel so honored.” I said and hugged her close as I kissed and nuzzled the side of her neck like I had done to my mother that morning. “Thank you, Koneko.”

“P-p-pervert.” Koneko stuttered with a blush on her face.

“I'm sorry.” I said with a huge smile as I carefully set her back on the floor. “I can't quite kick the habit of appreciating beautiful girls overnight. I need a few days.”

Koneko looked up at my face and into my eyes to see my sincerity. “You owe me a cake.”

I looked into her eyes and knew she was letting me off a bit too easily. “Well, I'm going to the clubhouse for a meeting anyway. Why don't we make a cake together afterwards? Or better yet, we can make a bunch of mini-cakes so that you won't run out for a while.”

“Those are muffins.” Koneko pointed out.

“Nope! Muffin mix is different than cake mix. They react differently and...” I paused and chuckled. “I'm not arguing over sweets. You'll see the difference soon.” I said and handed her my backpack.

“What is this?” Konko asked about the half-empty package attached to the side.

“Those are flowers I'm giving out to all the girls I offended with my behavior. I was planning on handing the rest out after school while I apologized to them, except now I have to wait until tomorrow because I have to go see Miss Gremory.”

Koneko looked from the flowers, to me, and back to the flowers.

“I don't remember offending you; but, I already apologized to the School Council's President and Vice-President for disgracing the school's reputation. As the school's mascot, you should get one, too.” I pulled one out from the bundle and bowed at the waist, then gave her the exact same apology I gave the other girls and handed her the rose.

Koneko blushed again as she took the rose and I sincerely thanked her for accepting, bowed again, and took my backpack back to sling over my shoulder. With that done, I gave a raised eyebrow to Akeno and then motioned towards the door of the classroom. Akeno took several moments before she sighed and turned around to lead the way.

I took Koneko's hand and followed. Surprisingly, Koneko didn't try to pull away and walked beside me with her nose buried in the rose I gave her. We left the main school building and walked around to the back, part-way across the school's grounds, and entered the old school building that was now the property of the Occult Research Club.

Akeno didn't knock as we entered the official club room on the third floor and Kiba was there and stood by the far wall with his arms crossed. Akeno pointed to a couch for me to sit, so I sat down and dragged Koneko with me. She didn't protest as I laid my arm across her shoulders and she pretty much curled up at my side and kept smelling the rose.

I didn't stare at the free-standing shower in the corner of the room or the naked silhouette that could be easily seen through it. I thought there was either an enchantment on it to let it be partially see-through or there was a small light on the other side to let people see as much as the occupant allowed to be seen. The sound of running water was unmistakable, too.

“Does she do this teasing crap with every male brought to the club?” I asked Koneko in a whisper while Akeno went over to the corner of the room to help Rias finish taking a public shower.

Koneko huffed with a nod. “Told her she was an idiot.”

I smiled and kissed her cheek, then I tucked my face close to her ear and barely breathed out my next words. “I wonder what she would say if she knew I preferred pretty girls like you?”

Koneko blushed and leaned slightly away to look into my eyes.

I looked right back and let her see that I really liked being that close to her.

“P-pervert.” Koneko whispered and leaned back against me.

“Mmm hmm.” I hummed agreement and gave her cheek another kiss. “I can't help how I feel.”

Koneko stayed quiet for several seconds before she spoke. “You owe me two cakes.”

I couldn't stop my snort and coughed to stop the follow-up laugh. “You won't accepting two mini-cakes to complete that obligation, will you?”

Koneko shook her head no.

“Two batches of mini-cakes it is.” I whispered and she looked a little smug.

Akeno helped Rias dry off and get dressed in the female Kuoh Academy uniform. It would have been titillating if I hadn't known the situation had been specifically designed to be that way. She had intentionally taken an unnecessary shower in the club room to show off what being in her peerage could potentially give me access to.

“Just so you know why I'm hard, it was because you gave me an erection.” I whispered to Koneko.

Almost against her will, Koneko's hand darted down to briefly feel that I really was hard for her and she put her hand back on her own lap. Her eyes widened and she turned her head slightly to look at me, only to see I was looking right at her and not at Rias.

“I haven't looked over there yet, so the fake strip show was completely wasted on me.” I whispered and very lightly kissed her on the lips.

Koneko blushed again, turned her head to face forward, and ducked it to not let anyone else see.

I waited until the curtain rattled before I looked away from Koneko and saw the blank faces on both Akeno and Rias. They had noticed I wasn't paying them any attention and Rias didn't like that.

“So, what's this about?” I asked, still pretending I had no idea what was going on. “I've attended school here for over a year and this is the first time anyone from any club has bothered to pay me any attention, besides the necessary beatings from the Kendo Club and Tennis Club.”

Everyone looked surprised by my words, even Koneko.

“Now, on the very day I decided to change my perverted ways and to make up with all of the girls I angered by peeping and perving on them, you sent all three of your club members to bring me here.” I said and pointed at Akeno. “And you had her order me to come here.”

Rias looked a little horrified at my words. “I... I didn't...”

“Don't lie to me!” I barked and she flinched.

“Issei, there's no need to be hostile.” Kiba said as he stepped forward with his hands up to placate me.

“Are we somehow instant friends? Have we ever said one word to each other before today? Did I give you permission to use my given name?” I asked, my voice harsh. “No is the answer to all those questions, so stop being so familiar with me.”

“Issei.” Koneko said as she stood up and stepped away from me.

I didn't try to hold onto her and remained sitting. “I'm sorry I'm angry about being forced to come here against my will and made to sit through Miss Gremory shamelessly showing herself off to a boy she doesn't know.”

Rias winced and Akeno looked both sad and angry. It was kind of fun poking holes in their schemes.

“On the plus side, I got to meet you.” I added.

Koneko didn't say anything and held the rose in a loose grip at her side and not clutched to her chest.

“Issei, I asked you to come here to...” Rias started to say.

“Ordered.” I interrupted and cut her off. “I was ordered to come here and not given a choice to refuse, even though I had much more important things to do than meet the leader of a club I have no interest in joining.”

“Shut up and let her talk!” Akeno ordered as she let her anger override her sadness.

I felt a smaller pinch in my chest and hunched slightly as I felt my mouth seal shut. I couldn't even move my lips, so I did the only thing I could do. I glared my best glare at both her and Rias.

“You are ruining things.” Koneko said.

I didn't shift my gaze to see if she was talking to me, because I didn't want to glare at her.

Rias sighed and sat down on the couch across from me. “Issei, I need to explain...”

I chopped at the air with a hand, shook my head several times, and turned my body enough to rest against the arm of the couch to stare at the wall. When she started talking again, I stuck my fingers in my ears and pretended to not hear anything.

Rias tried several times to get my attention the normal way, then she sighed loudly and ordered me to face her and to listen to what she had to say. I kept the glare up as she told me about Devils, Fallen Angels, Angels, and the supernatural. Since I couldn't talk and was ordered to listen, I couldn't tell her I already knew all that crap. The glare was to stop anyone from seeing that I recognized everything she said.

“Now that I've finally explained everything, you can speak.” Rias said with relief and I felt the restriction on my mouth disappear.

“Let me get this straight. I died from what Yuuma... no, Raynare did to me, and you used all of your Pawn pieces to reincarnate me into a Devil.” I said and Rias nodded, looking pleased. “Then, instead of staying with me to comfort me after dying, or explaining what happened, or what you made me into... you broke into my home, abandoned me in my own bed, and let me think that it was all just a horrible dream because no one but me remembers the girl that killed me?”

The shocked look on their faces was worth pointing that out.

“At least now I know how much you care about me, your so called newest family member.” I said with as flat of a voice as I could. The words alone would hurt enough without me adding any inflections.

Tears came to Rias' eyes and I wasn't moved by them. I also stopped myself from looking at Koneko.

“I suppose you're going to order me to become a member of this fake club, too.” I said.

“It's not fake!” Akeno said as her anger returned.

“Sure it's not. Do you investigate hauntings? Hunt down spirits? Have a library of supernatural books and things to search through when something odd happens around the city or to one of the students? Hmm? Well? Do you?” I asked and none of them said anything. “That's right. All I heard was that you occasionally take out a stray devil after they've murdered dozens of people.”

“We do a lot more than that.” Kiba said.

“Do you?” I asked him. “If you mean your patrols and the contracts you fill, that's not occult research.”

“Who do you think you are to dictate what our club does for activities?” Akeno asked, even angrier.

“I'm apparently no one important, despite needing eight Pawn pieces.” I replied.

“That's not true! You're very important to me!” Rias exclaimed.

I gave her an unimpressed look. “If I was so important, when exactly were you going to admit that you were the one that made me a Devil and explain why I might mysteriously start gaining weird powers?”

Rias gave me a bit of a glare. “Only a few days. Maybe a week. I wanted to wait for you to recover before I shocked you by reminding you about what happened and then I would introduce you to the supernatural.”

I didn't say anything for several moments. “You were going to let me, a brand new baby Devil, walk around the city for up to a week without any protection or any clue about what I was, what killed me, and is definitely still out there hunting me down to finish the job?”

Rias let out a sob and put a hand over her mouth to stop any more from escaping.

“You aren't hunting Raynare down to punish her for killing me, are you?” I asked and tears rolled down her cheeks. “I am really feeling the love and care you have for me. Thank you.”

“Stop hurting her and apologize!” Akeno ordered as lightning rolled over her palm.

I felt the small pinch in my chest and growled out. “I am sorry that pointing out some of the things you did wrong is hurting you, King.”

Rias let out another sob.

“GET OUT!” Akeno yelled at me and a tiny bolt of lightning flashed out from her hand and hit me on the left shoulder.

I didn't let anything but a flinch show that she hit me, then I stood up and quickly strode across the room to leave.

“S-s-stop!” Rias ordered and sobbed. “Akeno, you s-stop, too.”

I stopped mid-stride with my hand reaching for the door handle.

“Issei, please.” Rias said. “Come back and sit down.”

“Only my friends are allowed to call me by my given name.” I said and didn't move. I felt a small hand on my left arm and turned my head to look at Koneko.

“Don't leave.” Koneko said.

“Like I said before, the only way I'll join this club is if I'm ordered to. I wasn't asked about anything. I wasn't told about anything. I wasn't given any choice to come here.” I told her. “None of this would have been a problem if someone... anyone... had helped me after I died. No one did.”

“We want to.” Koneko said.

“Why? Because your King said so? Why didn't she say that last night? This morning? At school when I arrived? Between classes? At lunch?” I asked and Koneko didn't say anything. “No, it was only when I refused her completely out of the blue invitation that she couldn't be bothered to deliver herself.”

“If you hate being here so much, then as soon as I can convince her, Rias will trade you away to the first person that has all of their Pawn pieces free!” Akeno almost shouted.

I turned around to look at her. “Why wait that long? We all know the value of the other pieces. I'm as valuable as you, Queen. Any combination of pieces that add up to eight would do, wouldn't it?”

“Do... do you really mean that?” Rias asked, her crying easing off. “You want to be traded away?”

“How the hell would I know that? She suggested it!” I said and and motioned to Akeno. “Should being traded from a stranger I just met to a complete stranger be my goal in my new life?”

“Please stop.” Koneko said.

“Koneko...” I started to say and felt her hand make a fist with the sleeve of my jacket.

“You owe me a hundred cakes now.” Koneko interrupted. “Can't talk about leaving until then.”

I could tell by the look in her eyes that she really didn't want me to leave. “I'm still not joining the stupid club.”

“As a Devil and a member of Rias' Peerage, you are automatically a member.” Kiba said as the sword he held in his hand dissolved.

I took in a deep breath and let out a sigh. Koneko took that as acceptance and opened her fist and slid her hand down my sleeve. She took my hand and led me back over to the couch. She pushed me down into the corner and then surprised everyone except me by climbing onto my lap and cuddling into me.

I couldn't refuse such a tempting offer and put my arms around her to hold her tenderly. By the looks on the faces of the other three people in the room, today's club activities were going to be a lot more awkward than they already were.