DxD : Emiya Shirou

When I first heard that the Occult Research Club room was located in the old abandon school building, I admit I had expected to see an old broken down wooden building that was one step away from being condemned. 

I mean, it was an Occult club, filled with actual Devils, it's only naturally the place would have been creepy as hell.

...

I should have known better than to expect Devils to live in anything less than opulence. I gotta admit though, I was kinda disappointed. I had really been hoping for some kind of haunted mansion.

As we made our way to the entrance, I decided now would be a good a time as any to broach the subject, as I doubted I'd get another chance to speak to him alone after we reached the club room.

"So...how are dealing with the Trait?"

He actually stopped in his tracks at my words, one foot hanging in the air halfway through his step, while he gapped at me in surprise. Now that I thought about it, this was the first time I saw him without that pasted-on smile of his.

It only took a moment for him to regain his composer before he carried on walking.

"So you noticed?" Even with his smile set firmly back in place, it was obvious how uncomfortable the topic was making him feel.

I just gave him a shrug in return, "It's kind of hard not to notice with how those girls keep following you around like little ducklings."

"I, I didn't...I mean, I don't...ahh," Poor kid kept fumbling over his words in his panic.

Feeling kind of bad that I reduced him into such a state, I decided to throw him a bone. "I know," I told him firmly.

"You do?" He asked, seeming genuinely surprised by that.

"Anyone can tell that you hate being chased by those girls. It doesn't take a genius to tell that there is no way you're going to abuse that Trait of yours. It wouldn't even surprise me if you wanted to get rid of it if you could."

His relief was almost palpable. I couldn't honestly blame him, if our situations were reversed I would have been worried what other people may have thought of me too.

Poor bastard, I mean what are the odds that he ended up with a Devil's Trait.

Worse, he ended up with the Charm variety. It caused any girl that even glances at his face to become instantly infatuated, even if they were already in a relationship. No wonder all of the guys hated him, they probably thought he was actively trying to steal their girlfriends.

Thankfully Traits only seemed to affect humans, or at least nonmagical variety of humans, so none of the girls in his Peerage should have been affected by it. The only upside of the situation was that the Trait ended up manifesting in someone like Kiba. 

I shudder to think about what would have happened if it ended up in the hands of a more unscrupulous Devil.

The slight squeaking of hinges made me realize that we've reached the front entrance and that Kiba had already opened the doors and was motioning me through.

Again I felt the telltale signs of a Bounded Field wash over me as I stepped through the entrance. These, however, were much better than the ones that circled the forest; they actually had some defensive capabilities. 

It acted as a simple warning system that will allow anyone tied into the Field know whenever someone enters its range, and it also prevented anyone not recognized as part of the Gremory Clan from teleporting in.

It wasn't much but it was better than anything I had expected. For a second there I was worried that neither Sona nor the Gremory had put up any defensive measures. I knew that Sona's home was well protected but she neglected to do the same for the school.

I planned to talk to them about it and see if I could convince them to set up more defences. If that didn't work, I could always follow Serafall's advice and start pranking them until they start setting up strong enough wards to protect themselves from me.

According to her that how she trained Sona how to Ward her room properly. Apparently it only took stealing Sona's diary three times and reading it out loud during dinner for her to throw herself into studying every warding type of Bounded Fields she could get her hands on to find a way to keep her sister out of her stuff.

In a little over a week, she had her room warded up so well that no Middle-class Devil could have broken into it without her permission. It wasn't enough to stop Serafall of course, if she really wanted to it wouldn't even slow her down, but that was never the point.

"Have you considered simply using some form of compulsion spell to keep the girls away?" I asked Kiba, more for something to talk about as we made our way through the building rather than genuine curiosity.

He shook his head as we started to climb up the stairs. "I've never been good with mind magic. It always made me uncomfortable using it except to prevent knowledge about the supernatural from spreading. 

Besides Buchou would hate it if the girls suddenly started ignoring me. She has some kind of competition going on with Sona on who has the most popular Peerage."

"Really?" I asked, surprised. "They'd compete over something like that?"

"You'd be surprised. According to Akeno, they used to compete over everything as children. They still do now that I think of it." He halted before a large wooden door. "We're here."

He stretched out a hand towards the doorknob but seemed to hesitate for a second before he turned back to face me.

"About Buchou, I'd like to apologies if she acts inappropriately." He seemed to feel really awkward about the topic, "It's just that with you and her brother..."

Ah, so that what it's about. "Don't worry, I get it," I assured him, "If I was in her shoes I would probably be a little bit hostile as well." Well, maybe not me, but Illya would sure as hell hold a grudge on anyone who managed to hurt me, even if it was in a fair fight.

He flashed me a thankful smile at that before turning back towards the doors again and swinging it open.

"Buchou," he called out as we walked in, "I'm back and I brought Emiya-san with me."

The interior of the Occult Research Club's main club room was completely different from the rest of the old school's design.

It had rich wooden-panelled walls that would have gleamed if the room hadn't been so poorly lit. As far as I can tell the place had no functional lights and the only source of illumination came from the lit candles that were scattered across the room. 

Victorian-style coaches and chairs were arranged into on the left side of the room while the right side was cleared of furniture to make room for the large magic circle carved into the floor. On one side of the wall across the room from me was covered by a thin silk sheet that concealed a-

-Is that a SHOWER?

"Holy shit, Sona was wrong. You're not a nudist, you're a bloody exhibitionist." I blurted out the words before I even realized what I was doing, even as I found myself pointing an accusing finger towards the silhouette of the figure that I could see through the curtain of the still running shower.

"What!" The figure, who I presumed to be Rias, squawked. "What has been Sona telling you? And I'm not an exhibitionist, I just enjoy taking showers."

"Then why do you have a semi-transparent shower curtain that everyone in the room could see instead of a door like a normal person!" I retorted, unable to comprehend why there was a shower installed right in the middle of the room. 

"And you knew I was coming! You just sent someone to come and get me, and I know you must have noticed me crossing the Wards. And yet you still decided to continue showering instead of getting dressed. Did you want me to catch you showering or did you just not care?"

The embarrassed silence that filled the room told me far more than I wanted to know.

"What is wrong is with you Devils?" I asked, finally putting to word the questions that had been haunting me ever since I arrived in this dimension. 

"You have a Maou that cosplays as a Magic Girl, another one that apparently a nudist while his wife likes to dress up as a french maid and now I find his little sister is an exhibitionist. Is every Devil out there a pervert or just the ones that I keep running into?"

"What –no – I – Argh!" She finally just yelled out in frustration, and I could see her silhouette tossing her arms up, "Just-just wait right there. I'm coming out." I heard a small metal squeak before the sound of the shower tapered off.

While I waited for her to appear I looked around the room and immediately spotted Koneko lounging on one of the couches with her usual blank face in place. It disturbed me far more than it should have to see that expression on such a young girl, it felt far too doll-like than a child should ever act. 

Along with her hair, it brought to mind far too many similarities to the Einzbern's homunculi that I decided to act a little out of character in an effort to get her to react in any other way than that blank expression.

Giving her my best-deadpanned look I said, "Please don't tell me you're secretly a pervert too?"

When her face flushed and she shot me an angry scowl, I counted it as a win.

That was much better.

Children her age should never have to wear such an empty expression. They should laugh when their happy, yell when their angry and cry when they're sad. Not sit there expressionless like a doll the entire time no matter what they were feeling.

"Now, now," a voice called out as the final occupant of the room made her presence known, sounding thoroughly amused, "don't be mean to our little Koneko."

A figure who I failed to notice until now stepped out from one of the corners of the room.

This must be Himejima Akeno, the Gremory's Queen.

She was a young girl, though a rather tall one, with a shapely figure and long dark cascading hair gathered up in a ponytail. Out of all the Devils in the Peerage I've met so far, she was the only one who could have passed as Japanese at first glance. 

Her violet eyes appeared to sparkle with barely concealed amusement, something that reminded me a little too much of Serafall that it immediately put me on guard. The teasing smile she had on her face and her following words didn't do anything to dissuade me of that impression.

"Besides, she may not be a pervert but I certainly am." The way her smile turned predatory told me that she was being entirely serious.

...I honestly had no idea what to say to that.

Fortunately, I was spared from thinking up a reply because at that very moment the shower curtain was pushed open to reveal another young girl.

The unmistakable crimson of her hair marked her as a Gremory. It fell down her back and ended just past her waist and though she had just stepped out of the shower there wasn't even a hint of moister on them. 

Like Akeno she had a full-figured body but with pale skin and blue eyes that were the exact same shade as Sirzechs. Even without the red hair, I would have no trouble believing that they were siblings.

As she stepped into the room a wave of power followed her, one that was notably higher than any of the other Devils I had met so far. Even Sona's. Yet as I took measure of her strength instead of impressing me all I felt was a mild sense of disappointment.

I had been expecting...more.

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