Chapter 30: Hmmm, spooky. It looks B*o Haz**ish

Part 1

3rd Person POV

Directing a stern gaze at a certain place, a figure was looking at several people wearing hakama and haori going out of a certain abandoned building.

"This was a surprise, to think that while looking for the Ame-no-murakumo and its owner we would find a clue about the disappearance case that started months ago. It is uncanny that there was such a thing under our noses all this time me." The figure muttered in a bitter tone.

"Suzaku-sama, we found a Youkai roaming about the area, he is not even trying to hide his characteristics so we found him easily. He is being followed by a young girl in a maid outfit, what should we do? Do we apprehend him?" A man reported in a respectful tone.

Like the rest of the people going in and out of the building, he was wearing a haori and hakama, but the design was more intricate, making him look more important, however, he still had to act like a subordinate in front of the other figure, Suzaku.

Pondering for a moment, the girl recalled receiving a message just a minute ago.

"He is someone I called, let him-." Suzaku stopped mid-sentence. "He is not alone? He is with a girl? She also has a maid outfit?"

With her head tilted, Suzaku was extremely confused. She recalled that the boy had a black-haired girl and a white-haired girl hanging around him the last time they met.

"Did that girl have black hair or white hair?" Suzaku asked.

Shaking his head, the subordinate gave a negative answer.

"The maid has light brown hair." He responded.

It made Suzaku wonder if they had found someone else.

"Lead the way; I will confirm it with my own eyes." Suzaku decided to go in person.

...

...

...

Arriving at the place where they had detained the youkai, Suzaku confirmed that he was indeed the person (youkai) she was looking for. The normal people had been driven away from the streets so there was no way to miss the sight of a boy leaning on the wall of a building while looking at the night sky, who for some reason had a small cat curled on his head, he had a black hooded jacket and blue jeans. Beside him, a young girl wearing a French maid outfit patiently waited with her eyes closed. It made a very odd picture given that they were surrounded by a bunch of people who stared at them warily, some of them even had their weapons (such as swords, bows, and even naginatas) pointed at them.

"Everyone, he is not an enemy so lower your weapons!" Suzaku commanded in a stern tone.

In a normal situation, she would use a milder tone given that the people under her were doing their job correctly, but they had raised their weapons at someone who Suzaku owes a great debt. He was also her friend so she was not pleased.

Looking at each other, her subordinates hesitated for a moment before following that order.

"Suzaku-san, they were only doing their job, please, don't be too strict on them. It is a fact that my party looks suspicious after all." The boy reproached with a wry smile on his face.

Carefully, he lowered the white cat from his head and kept it in his arms. It looked to be asleep as it allowed itself to be handled without putting any resistance or perhaps it was very obedient.

Thinking about her words, Suzaku noticed that she had gone a bit too far, these people were the ones with whom she shared ideals to change the clan, they were comrades that entrusted themselves to her and followed her orders, not only because of her position but because they sought to change the clan.

"My apologies, I can't blame you for what you were doing. Meeting my friend after so long makes me feel rather emotional." Suzaku apologized.

Awkwardly looking at each other again, they smiled wryly.

"No, you don't need to apologize, Suzaku-sama."

"We are the ones who are sorry, to think it was a friend of Suzaku-sama."

"If we had known, we could've given them a warmer welcome."

"Suzaku-sama, I request permission to touch the ears of that boy."

Smiling at the words of her subordinates, Suzaku furrowed her eyebrows at that last request, and she sent a glare in the direction of the person who spoke. The subordinate was a younger girl who immediately left the scene after being glared at.

Feeling a bit bashful about their words, Suzaku didn't know where to look. Her eyes matched with the boy's for a moment, and he gave her a warm look.

"You are quite loved huh." The boy, Nora, muttered. "Long time no see, Suzaku-san, well, we do chat a lot using the phone."

Smiling brightly, Suzaku spoke in a sweet tone.

"Yes, it's been a while. I am glad we meet again." Suzaku said in a gentle tone.

...

...

...

Walking side by side, Nora and Suzaku did not say anything. The small cat in Nora's arms remained asleep and Marion walked a few steps behind despite Nora telling her that it was not necessary. The subordinates of Suzaku all excused themselves and when to take care of their duties.

Glancing to the boy, or rather to the small cat he carried, Suzaku slowly extended her hand to pet it, only to be bitten when her hand got close enough.

"...Is this small cat, the white-haired girl from before?" Suzaku asked tearfully.

Carefully moving her hand away, she started to rub the place where she was bitten. Noticing what happened, Nora grabbed her hand and a whitish glow covered Suzaku's hand until she no longer felt any pain.

"Sorry about this child, for some reason she bites people other than me and Kuroka-chan sometimes" Nora muttered with a wry smile. "Here, the pain is gone and there was no wound, to begin with, she doesn't do it out of malice."

Nodding, Nora released Suzaku's hand. The red-eyed young girl opened and closed her hand.

"As always, your abilities impress me." Suzaku exclaimed. "Could it be that I am disliked by her?"

"That is not possible; if she disliked you she would get as far away from you as she could." Nora raised the small cat to match his eye level. "She just likes to play around."

Looking at Suzaku, Nora seemed to hesitate for a moment.

"Suzaku-san, can I take a look at what you told me about?" Nora asked.

Nodding, the young girl took them to a certain place.

...

...

...

Parked near the building her subordinates were going in and out, a large truck was being used to store whatever they got out from the building.

"It is this box. We gathered as many documents as we could, but not everything is in perfect shape." Suzaku explained. "There was a commotion so one of the clan members patrolling nearby called for support as he went to check what happened. There had been signs of fighting on the street as you can observe. However, we couldn't find the culprits. Fearing for the safety of regular people, we checked the building but it had been abandoned years ago. Despite that, we found traces of people going in and out of it constantly. Further investigation and we found a secret passageway that led to more underground floors. There, people wearing black cloaks attacked us. They had gloomy and eerie appearances, their auras were similar. We couldn't subdue them, and during the fight, many things were destroyed... included documents located inside. There are a lot more spaces to explore, but for now, we are focusing on recovering those documents. I had read a few of them and I judged that it was more important."

Listening to Suzaku's every word, Nora had his eyebrows furrowed. Putting the papers he had taken from the box down, he inspected Suzaku from up close.

"I am glad you healthy, that said..." Nora stared at Suzaku's outfit closely. "I thought that Shrine Maidens had to wear hakama and haori all the time, well, you would look beautiful no matter what you wear, although I liked the other one as well."

Nora commented about Suzaku's outfit, which was a red blazer and a matching skirt. The girl in question was happy about his compliment and his interest in her well-being, however, the last part made her blush.

"Please forget about that." Suzaku muttered in a shy tone.

"Never." Nora said with a smile before focusing on the papers again.

...

...

...

Taking a deep breath, Nora stored the documents in the box again.

"It is like you told me. The person described in these documents is Kaa-san." The boy muttered crestfallenly. "Unfortunately, the documents were damaged in many places so the information is confusing. It appears to be a simple report about her attacking a group of these people, the date is not exactly clear but it was stated to be something that happened years ago, and not recently."

"My apologies, it is our fault, be faced them without paying attention to the documents." Suzaku apologetically said.

"There was no way to know what you would find there. Just calling me here and letting me read this is enough." Nora directed his gaze to the abandoned building where people went in and out. "Suzaku-san, have you confirmed the safety of that place?"

Shaking her head, Suzaku followed the boy's example.

"There is a barrier that separates the floor we had reached before, we are not able to see or hear anything from below, that said… We believe there is something down there. Those guys were guarding the way down basically until they died. We added a barrier too, and we are taking whatever we can find to help us find out a clue about those people and what we might find down there." Suzaku narrowed her eyes. "They are dangerous, that much we were able to assert after one encounter, so I don't want to risk anyone's life by recklessly charging in."

Suddenly, a commotion occurred and the people started to flee the building. Nora glared at the area below and clicked his tongue. Marion, who was waiting nearby to give him some privacy, got closer to the boy and scanned her surroundings. Stirring inside Nora's jacket, a head appeared from his collar. Shirone (cat form) looked left and right with only her head outside.

"Suzaku-sama! The barrier inside the building is starting to break apart, the one we created is still intact, but we are not sure how long we will be able to maintain it if a strong enemy attacks." One of the people who left the building reported.

Suzaku pondered for a moment, but she still took a step forward.

"Have everyone leave that place, I want you to erect a barrier around the vicinity, and innocent people must not walk in under any circumstances." Suzaku spoke in a serious tone. "We are still unclear about what we will face, but that does not mean we will cower in fright. The Himejimas is one of the Five Great Clans, our job is to protect the helpless civilians from the supernatural and maintain peace. We will face that enemy, and we will defeat it."

Her voice was heard by many who stopped running around and got their bearings back. Nodding at Suzaku's words, everyone started to follow what she said, the guy who reported to her included.

"Sorry, Nora-" Suzaku tried to speak but her voice was interrupted by a certain someone.

"Who do you take me for? Do you think I could run and leave you behind?" Nora muttered.

Despite his words, he pulled Shirone (cat form) from his jacket and handed her to Marion who had her hands extended.

"Be a good kitty, ok? Nora-kun will fix this in a jiffy, and before you say anything, no, you cannot stay here." Nora spoke to Shirone, and then he directed his gaze to Marion. "This girl is very important to me, take her away and don't let her come back here. You take care of yourself as well, now, go."

Acknowledging the boy's words, Marion nodded and started to walk away. Despite her wish to stay, Shirone obediently lets herself be carried away.

After watching them leave, he glanced at Suzaku.

"Listen to me, what will come out is not something you should face alone. That said, we should hurry and deal with it, there is someone in there, fighting it, the barrier is breaking most likely because it couldn't hold them." Nora advised.

Suzaku could only stare at him suspiciously, they had been trying to see inside the barrier and there were no successful attempts, despite that he just gave her detailed information without even going inside the building.

She decided to take his words into account; he wouldn't joke at a time like this.

...

...

...

Minutes passed and Suzaku was finally informed about the barrier-breaking. Instantly, the sounds of fighting could be heard, along with an eerie aura that gave her goosebumps spreading around them.

The floors below the building we built sturdily, but the thunderous sounds that could be heard made her wonder if the building wouldn't fall given that its base was being destroyed.

After a long wait, there was finally some movement. The door of the building was broken, and a figure flew off. It was a human-sized figure and Suzaku did not feel any signs of the scary aura so she could only catalog it as the one fighting inside the barrier until now. A beat later, she was able to appreciate the scary aura's owner.

It was only about two meters tall, but it was black all over, it stood on its two legs. Walking slowly, it had troubles moving, perhaps because it's body proportions, on his left side it had two arms growing, a combination of one right and left arm going by the hand at the end of them; on his right side, a long tentacle grew and it continued to wriggle with each step, however that was not all, where you would find the head, another tentacle grew, but this one had two vertical slits, one containing an eye, and the other one was filled with sharp teeth that the creature opened and closed as it walked.

"Hmmm, spooky. It looks B*o Haz**ish." Nora muttered at one side of Suzaku.

His words were nonchalant, but he already had an arrow nocked on his bow. Without waiting for anyone else to tell him, he shot one arrow in front of the creature to get its attention.

"Hey, how are you? Would you be so kind to stop in place? I will shoot you if you insist on moving forward." Nora warned.

He tried to be considerate, but the creature had no interest in talking or listening to others.

"DDDDDDIIIeeEeEEE!" The creature uttered in a broken and hard-to-understand tone, although it changed its course from the figure that flew away from the building to Nora who taken some distance from Suzaku.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Suzaku passed her judgment.

"Do not hold back, attack at full power from the beginning, however, do not engage alone." Suzaku ordered.

From the sleeves of her blazer, she pulled several Ofudas (paper talismans) and threw them in the air.

"To you who reside in my body, I respectfully request you to lend me your strength, I seek your fire so I could defeat my foes." Suzaku swiftly chanted in a low tone with one hand on her chest and eyes closed.

When she opened them, the Ofudas got covered in crimson flames and took the form of firebirds. Her subordinates did not remain standing there watching her, each of them made preparations before the fight broke out so they swiftly got in position. The ones who relied on shikigamis summoned them; those who relied on long-range weapons were already assisting the ones who fought in close combat. However, it didn't matter if it was a spell or any other means of long-range attack, the most threatening attacks came from Nora's arrows. They contained a great deal of Ki contained in them, and every time they landed the creature screamed louder than when Suzaku's people, the Himejimas Clan members, attacked.

The creature screamed and tried to swing its arms at people fighting it at close range, but several attacks rained down on it.

Joining the fray, Suzaku sent her firebirds to harass the creature too, making it focus on the birds.

"BBbbBbbOOoTtHHHHeRrrR!" The creature yelled angrily, and its body started to wriggle ominously.

"Get away from it!" "Be careful!" "Throw yourself to the floor!"

Three different voices sent warnings for those near the creature, some of them instantly followed the advice but not everyone was lucky taking their distance.

Suzaku had a bad feeling so she immediately sent a warning. Nora had a hunch after finding the creature's aura to be similar to something he faced in the past. However, the last voice belonged to none other than the figure that was sent flying before, Suzaku and Nora turned their eyes to the figure, but that person was covered with a white cloak, and from the inside, and priest-like uniform could be seen.

From the creature's body, spikes grew. Most of the Himejimas Clan people were able to evade it, but some of them got caught in the attack and were pierced.

"GUUHH." "AHHHG." "HELP."

Different yells and shouts of pain were heard.

The creature used the opportunity when they couldn't evade swinging its tentacle at them, but before the attack could connect, an arrow hit the tentacle, followed by the firebird throwing themselves at it and blowing up. This gave enough time for the ones pierced to receive help.

"It won't last long, keep it from getting close to you and he won't be able to attack you again soon." The voice from before warned.

The white-cloaked figure had stood up at some point and started to walk closer to where the creature was. Picking a katana that one of the Himejima dropped, the figure took a stance of raising the katana high in the air, it got covered in great amounts of golden aura, and then the figure swung the down the katana, sending off the aura in a vertical slash that struck the creature.

"AhhHHHHhhgGGg!"

A terrible sound was heard from the creature's mouth; it was loud and made the surrounding people dizzy.

Despite the attacks it received, the creature swung its tentacle wildly. It had lost itself in a rage so there was not a set pattern. The first hit landed on the street, breaking apart the asphalt.

"Forget about engaging at close range, if you get hit by that, you won't get a simple scratch." Suzaku yelled.

The red-eyed girl did not remain idle, extending her hand a crimson flame was fired at the creature, forming a circle around it.

"Immolate my enemies, Fire Barret" Suzaku chanted and fireballs were shot from her hands like bullets.

Spell after spell rained onto the creature, but it still moved away from its position.

Nora who had abstained from attacking at some point nocked an arrow in his bow; however, it broke when he tried to add too much Ki.

"*Tsk* I need to grasp the limits of these arrows. It looks like it has not received any damage, no; it is simply covering it up." Nora clicked his tongue.

Trying once more, he charged his arrows with large amounts of Ki, and when it looked like it would break, he stopped. Calmly waiting for a chance, Nora shot the arrow when the creature opened its mouth.

When the arrow hit its target, that was it.

"WwWhHHyY? WwwwwHhY? IIiI HHHhaaVeee aAALLLl thHHIis PpOweRr." The creature shouted. "WhHy CaAaan Iii nNott KkkkKiLL YyoOOu? ThHe TiMmmme-."

Before it could spout more words, its body started to wriggle and it hugged itself. When everyone thought that it planned another attack, it started to fall apart. The blackened parts turned into strings of black smoke and evaporated, and what was left was the disfigured form of a human that was partially covered with a black cloak.

It was not until that the black smoke stopped coming out of the former creature that the surrounding people started to get close to inspect the body.

...

...

...

"Hmmm, the guy is as dead as someone can be." Nora commented.

No signs of life could be detected after he inspected the body.

"Once... they receive... enough damage... or when too much time passes... it wears off..." The white-cloaked figure muttered. The voice sounded a bit muffled due to a white mask covering its face.

Using the Katana as a walking stick, the figure had arrived with some difficulty to move.

"You seem quite informed about them, do you mind sharing some information regarding this creature?" Suzaku spoke in a stern tone.

Some of her people had been hurt so she was not in a good mood, she was aware that it was not the fault of anyone, but a tiny part of her hoped that the white-cloaked figure had given that information sooner.

"I am... afraid not... *cough* I need to... leave... I have to... find... *Cough*" The white-cloaked figure tried to mutter but it started to wobble and fell to the ground.

"Hey! Are you ok?" Suzaku worriedly asked. "Nora-kun, could you-?"

The first one to move her body to aid the fallen figure was Suzaku, who did not hesitate to lend a hand despite the dissatisfaction she had.

Before her words were finished, Nora had arrived beside her.

"Let me take a look, also, have your people give me some space." Nora muttered.

His eyes were on the white-cloaked figure and his hands started to glow. It was a whitish color, and it gave a warm feeling.

"This is pretty serious." Nora furrowed his eyebrows.

Using one hand, he started to physically inspect a wound.

"This one is the most severe one, after I roughly patch this one, I need some help to move this guy somewhere else." Nora spoke as he glanced at the outfit of the white-cloaked figure. "He didn't warn us about another creature but we can't risk another attack with injured people nearby."

"Could you help my people too? I know that I can't order you, but consider this a favor that I will owe you." Suzaku requested.

*Sigh*

Shaking his head, Nora sighed. Suzaku felt a little hurt when he did that but she did not want to push the matter anymore.

"You are silly, I would've lent you a hand even if you did not ask me or exchanged my help for a favor. I would've done it free of charge, you know?" Nora said with a wry smile, however, his hands were focused on healing. "However, I will gratefully accept that favor, heh."

A grin that made Suzaku regret her actions formed on Nora's face, however, she was not the type to take back her words. She also did not want to since she was happy about his words. He would help her even if she did not offer something back.

"Everyone, seal that building. No one comes in. Also, erect a barrier around it just in case and request help. Let the Clan know about a rough summary of what happened. Carry the injured people-." Suzaku started to give orders.

...

...

...

Nora had just left a tent that the Himejimas had set up a few blocks away. Given the status of the white-cloaked figure, they had set up one for the figure wearing priest clothing.

A little distracted, he walked with his head down and he did not notice Suzaku who had arrived.

"Nora-kun, are you done yet? Hmm? Nora-kun?" Suzaku, who had come to pick the boy to guide him where her clan members were waiting for, called to him in a concerned tone.

Furrowing his eyebrows, Nora shook his head when he heard the voice of Suzaku.

"Ah? Oh, Suzaku-san. I am on my way; I finished treating... that guy, yeah... that guy. For now, he lost consciousness after waking up in the middle of treatment. That stubborn guy tried to leave despite his state so gave him a sedative to make him calm down. If you have any questions, wait for him to wake up, I used a small dose so it won't make him sleep for long." Nora explained as he pointed behind him with his thump.

The tent was set at a relative distance from the injured Himejima Clan members for security reasons. There were also some people watching over from some distance.

"*Sigh* I see, I wanted to start asking a couple of simple questions, but I have no other choice than to wait. I will take you to where the others are, I have already sent someone to look for Shirone-chan and THAT girl in maid uniform." Suzaku said.

Her words sounded a little thorny at the end.

"Oh, uh, thanks? I will go to them at once so lead the way." Nora replied.

He could tell that Suzaku had some things in her mind regarding Marion, but he decided to wait for her to sound calmer to ask her about it.

Part 2

Shirone's POV

Just as she was asked by Nora to wait for what she thinks will be a fight, Shirone was carried by the girl Nora brought home recently.

She was worried about him, but she might get in his way if she stayed. So she decided to do what her Onee-sama, Kuroka, had asked her to do, to pay attention to any women that got close to Nora.

Shirone was a little confused when her sister said that they needed to be careful of women, but she understood when Kuroka said that it was important to know their enemies so they could beat them because Nora belonged to them. It was the truth that she would be sad if Nora got taken away so she always kept her eyes open.

For now, she has her eyes on the girl who called Nora here, Suzaku, and the girl who suddenly appeared one day, wearing a maid outfit, Marion. There are other people to be wary of, such as Akeno. Shirone could tell that the girl had a deep interest in Nora and the way she stared at him was similar to the way her sister does. Rias is a little suspicious too, although she does not look at him like that, she likes physical contact a lot. There was one last girl that was close to him, but her danger levels are low since he has not met her since the party of that time, Sona, she is not very honest, but she is very friendly to him too.

Shirone must remember to take note that Nora liked girls wearing that kind of costume, She had seen the way he sometimes would stare at similarly dressed women, like Grayfia for example. It is something worth considering, but the mother of Akeno mentioned that Grayfia was suspicious, more observation was needed.

That said, the most dangerous ones were Kasen, who had a strong attachment to him despite knowing him for such a little time, and Yasaka, whom Nora always had been interested in. The only good (?) news was that she was not reciprocating his level of interest, otherwise, it would be difficult to beat her.

The white-haired girl (cat form) had such thoughts in her mind when she felt some discomfort.

"Hmmm, wait." Shirone spoke.

Following her words, Marion stopped her steps.

"Is there something wrong?" Marion asked.

Jumping from the maid's hands, Shirone changed into her human form. Her attire consisted of distressed blue jeans and a white tank top, along with a blue jean jacket and sports shoes, there was one last thing that she carried, the pouch that Nora gave her which he had modified to look like a cat-shaped purse. When Nora took her around Urakyoto to buy clothes, she had taken a liking to the outfit, and he did not hesitate to buy it for her. Shirone felt apologetic when she asked about the price, she had been careful to not allow Kuroka to spend all the pocket money that Nora usually gives them so she learned to save money whenever necessary. Despite her worries, Nora just patted her head and told her to leave it to him; he will always take care of them so that was nothing. It made her extremely happy, but it also made to realize one thing, Nora is too soft. Shirone decided to watch over him so a bad girl doesn't take advantage of him.

Her thoughts were on this morning's events, but her body was already walking to a certain place.

"Shirone-sama?" Marion called to her as she followed her.

The white-haired girl ignored her and continued to stride forward. She walked one block, two blocks until she found the source of her discomfort.

A black crow perched on top of an electric pole was staring in the direction that Nora was fighting.

Shirone wouldn't normally find such a thing strange, but the crow gave an eerie feeling. It made the fur on her tail stand.

Before it saw her, she used the street corner to hide.

Turning her body around, she put a hand on top of the maid's mouth just in case she spoke, however, Marion did not even mutter a word. The girl started to signal Shirone something with her hands, but the white-haired girl had no idea what she was trying to say.

"...What?" Shirone whispered in a hushed tone.

Marion wryly smiled at her question but still spoke.

"We should be careful; this area is part of the barrier that the Himejima's put. That creature you saw is not a regular crow. Its aura feels ominous and I doubt that one of the Five Great Families watching over Japan would use something like that." Marion explained in a low tone.

Shirone half understood what was said, in summary, that black bird was bad news.

"This is the worst." Shirone whispered.

A scary bird was watching Nora, and she didn't like it.

"That is most likely a familiar or something along those lines." Marion said. "What do you want to do?"

Pondering for a moment, Shirone reached for her pouch and pulled the camera that Nora had gifted her. In no time at all, she took several pictures of the bird.

"What will bring fewer troubles for him?" Shirone inquired.

"It is up to you what to do." Marion replied. "I can help you to take it down if you want, or we could leave it like that. If we take it down, it must be done in one strike or it might focus on us. There is the option to leave it alone in case it alerts the one behind it and makes that person come here."

Marion pointed at the crow's location as she spoke.

"Take it down." Shirone said. "I feel like it is dangerous to leave it alone."

"Are you sure?" Marion asked.

Shirone nodded in response.

Acknowledging Shirone's words, Marion got into a better position, she didn't want to miss.

"Stone Bullet." Marion chanted the name of the spell in a low tone and a small magic circle appeared on her hand.

Aiming it at the crow, Shirone saw how a small stone flew off at an incredible speed.

She was not watching the crow when Marion attacked, but Shirone judged that the attack was successful judging from how the maid did a small guts pose with both hands.

"We must leave just in case the master of that familiar shows up." Marion muttered.

The maid turned her head to look for Shirone but she couldn't find her until she lowered her head and found her standing on her cat form. Shirone was waiting to be carried.

Wryly smiling, Marion carried Shirone before taking off.

3rd Person POV

In a location where everything was pitch black, and light could not reach. A group of black-cloaked figures was kneeling in front of another figure with the same attire. Their face could not be seen, but their eyes shined in red.

The kneeling figure who was in front of the others started to speak in a hushed tone.

"We are sorry, after that annoying guy barged into the building, people notified about the ruckus to those from the Himejima's. We left the place after taking the most important things, but we could not finish cleaning up our traces. The ones left behind couldn't finish the job. I was observing what happened using my familiar, but it seemed they had to use one of the precious seeds. Even though they did that, they seemed to have a hard time. Unfortunately, I could not confirm further details after my familiar got killed." It explained.

The gender could not be determined from the tone of voice.

The only black-cloaked individual standing remained there without speaking a word, and that made the kneeling figures fear for their safety. If they angered this individual, he would make them wish they were dead. They didn't want to become one of the guinea pigs from his experiments, if their lives were to be used for something, they would prefer to be used as sacrifices for bringing out more of their Gods from their cages.

"...I am not angry. At some point they would discover it anyways, it only happened earlier than anticipated." The standing individual spoke. "It is a shame that the seeds were used for such a useless matter, but those were of the lowest quality, so you don't need to be apologetic about it."

After hearing those words, the kneeling figure sighed in relief.

"Prepare to change the routes we currently have for the new ones. New clients have requested our services, people who seek to create Sacred Treasures are getting desperate after their lack of success." The standing figure ordered and turned around to leave.

"Wait, u-uh, S-sir... what should we do about our contract with the group who asked us to kidnap the purple-haired girl who owns that sword?" One of the kneeling figures asked in a fearful tone.

Without stopping, the leaving individual continued to stride away.

"Our contract only required that we secured the girl and that broken sword, providing a hideout was considered a bonus on our part. We left very clear that point when we started collaborating so you can leave without problems. That said, I was not the one who made the deal so you are free to do as you please." The individual said.

When that figure was no longer in their lines of sight, the ones kneeling dared to stand up again.

"W-what should we do?"

"If we could corrupt the wielder of that sword and fixed the broken state of the Ame-no-Murakumo using the power granted by our God, we will gain plenty of things. We might even be graced with the opportunity to carry a piece of it. No matter how small it would be, we could be closer to it."

"It is decided then. We should leave right away, who knows when the Himejima's or the rest of the Five Clans will find that place. If they analyze our last hideout, they will find a way to track and find the other places."

"However, we cannot forget what we were asked, so not everyone should focus on that girl. We should divide the group in two."

The group discussed among themselves what their actions should be.

Part 3

MC's POV

The wounds that the Himejima's sustained were less threatening than I originally thought, and that is probably the reason why the usually sweet and protective of her people, Suzaku, did not rush me when I started to heal that, uh, etto... uh, the guy first.

There is much to retort regarding what I heard from... him, but I don't have the whole story yet. The guy fainted just as he tried to leave, something that proved his poor condition. From what I have seen so far, his state was not that bad because of the fight against that thing, in particular, those places were wounded for other reasons.

"Thank you for taking care of my people." Suzaku-san said.

I had left the tents where the injured were and had moved to a place where there were no many of her clansmen walking. I was waiting for Marion-san and Shirone-chan to come back when Suzaku-san came and spoke.

I shrugged my shoulders in response. Those guys were lucky that they received such light wounds. To be honest, that was one of the easiest battles I had been part of, given the number of people involved, I could stick to give support from beginning to end. However, something bothered me, I feel like the demonic magic power still tried to gather in my eyes during the fight, even if I have that bracelet, Murmur's abilities still try to make themselves known. As proof, I could see strange things leave that creatures' body after we took care of it.

"No need for that, just... don't forget about your promise." I muttered with a slight smile.

However, for some reason, Suzaku-san looked scared all of sudden, no, there is a bit of anticipation too. What the heck? Am I that scary?

"*Cough* Anyway, thank you for the information you gave me. As soon as Shirone-chan and Marion-san arrive, I will take my leave for today. I can't just get in the way of your work." I said.

For many reasons, the fact that I appeared here could become a problem for Suzaku-san. It might be different in this world, but in Slash Dog, I recall that the Five Great Clans disliked when other people got in the middle of their duties.

"You are not a bother, but I guess you are tired so you want to go back home as soon as possible." Suzaku spoke.

"Ah, I am not going home; I rented a suite in a hotel nearby. I took the last train to come here." I muttered in a tired tone.

One of those is tiresome so I am kind of grateful that I can't ride one until tomorrow.

You are reading story Highschool DxD: A new opportunity at novel35.com

"One suite? For that girl, Shirone-chan and you?" Suzaku murmured. "Isn't it bad for a girl of that age to sleep with a boy? Eh… How about I offer you a room? We prepared several places for us to sleep and we have some extra rooms."

If I tell her, 'as long as I sleep in the same room as you', will she get angry or embarrassed? I am tempted to test it but I am honestly too mentally tired to joke around. Nevertheless, I can't accept it. No matter of much I might trust her, her people are another matter entirely. When those people greeted us, no, even after Suzaku-san explained that we were friends, many accept it easily, but some faked their smiles.

"No, no. I can't do that. Don't worry, maybe another time." I replied.

My cat ears twitched just as I said that, I could catch the sound of footsteps getting closer. I had not spent a long time with her, but I made sure to remember the sound of her footsteps given that she will be following me for a while.

"Mur-ughhh!" Marion had arrived and tried to speak but I covered her mouth.

Suzaku-san aside, there are too many people around I don't trust. Zekram told me to not let anyone know about it, but apparently, he did not tell her that.

"I am Nora, call me that." I whispered in a low tone, but the girl shook her head. "Shiki, use Shiki then. Don't use Murmur."

I added something she seemed to agree with. Why are certain people against calling me by my name? Shizuku-san was the same, and now I got Marion-san. I felt a stinging gaze from Suzaku-san but I decided to not mind it.

"Shiki-sama, we have arrived. First of all, let me express my relief of seeing you in perfect health." Marion-san bowed as she greeted me and then turned to Suzaku-san. "I have not introduced myself before, my name is Marion."

Her perfect manners made it hard for me to reproach her for what she almost said, or it could be that my love for maids made me want to forgive her.

Wait, just a moment. She is currently raising her skirt for a courtesy greeting. That is nice and all, but I can't see Shirone-chan. Spreading my Ki to locate her, I found her in a certain place. What is that girl doing there? How envi- I mean, I am jealou- no, argh, I am both envious and jealous alright.

Just like I expected, there was some movement around the area of Marion-san's chest, and the head of the white cat appeared, she looked left and right until she found me.

"Shirone-sama found the weather a little cold so she just made herself comfortable in there." Marion-san explained when she noticed my stare.

What a sneaky child.

"Are you not cold?" I asked.

Her outfit does not have sleeves, and she is a human so her body is not as durable as mine. Suzaku-san is wearing a blazer so she is doing ok, but I wonder if Marion-san is weak to cold.

"I am perfectly fine, Shiki-sama." The maid replied.

She tried to keep her body in check but there was a slight trembling.

*Sigh*

What a troublesome child.

I pulled a sweater from my pouch. Nora-kun had decided to never fall into a situation where he had no change of clothes so he prepared himself.

"This is mine, but the size should fit you." I muttered as I handed the sweater to the surprised maid.

I ignored Suzaku-san's vexed mutters, 'Even though I am his friend, why is she getting a present? I gave him a phone too'. I wanted to retort that my sweater will most likely not fit her due to her, ehem, size in a certain area, but I decided otherwise. It will end up in a comment with the sexual harassment vibes.

Mental note, I must buy a gift for the red-eyed Shrine Maiden, and I must carry clothes for others than me, women clothes of all sizes should be prepared at all cost. This world had an ecchi light novel based on it, girls lost their clothing easily so I have to be wary of that happening to Kuroka-chan or Shirone-chan.

Slightly hesitating, she wore it in the end.

"Thank you for this gift, Shiki-sama." Marion-san muttered.

She sounded apologetic but she still looked content so I will take it as a good thing. Wait, gift? She plans to keep it?

"Suzaku-san, we will take our leave. If you need anything, just give me a call." I said.

Suzaku-san looked downcast, but I couldn't stay here. The white cat needs to go to sleep already.

"Let's hang out another time." I left after saying that.

...

...

...

I had rent a VIP suite that had different rooms so there were no ecchi developments, it was a tad expensive but it was a place that belonged to an acquaintance so it was cheaper than usual. I had chosen this place for two reasons, one was the reason I explained, however, the most important reason was that it was located in a high place. Along with my ability, I planned to use a bit of my time to check the surroundings. Since my situation with Naberius and when I went to jail, I have this urge to learn about the layout of places. It can always come in handy to know everything about the terrain.

That said, my words still stand, 'I planned', I now have some other things to think. The little kitty handed me her camera with a smug look so I checked it and found several interesting pictures. I praised her for getting this useful piece of info, but I also scolded her for being reckless. That one was shared with the maid who looked the most crestfallen about my reproach. There was something about her actions that reek at a plot, but I had my kitty first in my mind. I was torn between leaving things at a scolding or praising, but I decided to simply thank her for taking care of me. I did not want her to feel bad for not being of use. Kuroka-chan probably felt like that, and she ended up leaving for training. While I knew that she would come back, I was still lonely so I wanted Shirone-chan to feel my appreciation. I decided to scold her more at a later date.

Sending the girls to sleep, I had to tug them in their beds because they planned to remain awake as long as I stayed up, which I was not going to allow.

Now, I was alone, lost in thoughts.

That creature was different from the black hounds back then, however, they gave similar feelings of wrongness. I can vividly recall the dread I felt back, in this case, the creature was stronger, but the eerie aura was weaker.

That said, I had heard that the black hounds left youkai's remains after being killed. This one left human ones.

From the words of that, eh, guy. He said something about a time limit, and in the end, the creature died on its own. Our attacks were mostly useless. Only that guy's slash, Suzaku-san's stronger attacks, and the arrows I imbued with more Ki seemed to have some effect on it. Is there a way to kill it more easily? If those people are responsible for Kaa-san's disappearing, I will have to face those creatures again. I won't have the same support as today every time so I need to find a way to deal with them.

*Sigh*

I had lost count of how many times I had sighed tonight, I decided to go and sleep. My mind just kept going in circles. The battle was constantly replaying itself, but even if I found the places I could improve, I was too mentally tired to think of a better way to go around it.

Part 4

The first sinking rays ended up waking me up, that, and my phone kept ringing.

Checking it, I saw a large number of messages from Suzaku-san. My first thoughts were along the lines of 'damn, she got yandere on me', but I was only half asleep when I took my phone, so a lot of nonsense was unavoidable.

The normal ones were about having a good night, and how they had found some clues regarding those people, but the places had been cleaned up. The only thing left was the remnants of their aura.

I frowned in response. Just from the hour of the messages, I could tell that they found those other buildings fairly quickly. I had disclosed what Shirone-chan found just in case because I wanted her to be careful, but it proved that they reacted pretty fast. How annoying.

She is asking for a meeting as well, what to do? I wanted to go and have a heart-to-heart talk with Yasaka-san and solve the issue with Marion-san first, but if Suzaku-san is trying to deal with those people, I could learn more with her help.

For now, I guess I could hear what she has to say.

...

...

...

Shirone-chan was tired so she didn't budge when I tried to wake her up so I left her in Marion-san's care after telling her that I would be back soon.

The meeting place was a coffee shop that Suzaku-san chose. It had a few rooms that allowed private conversation on the second floor so I think she decided on the place because of it.

The waitress led me from the entry to the room where Suzaku-san was waiting for me.

I will keep as a secret that her appearance when I entered the room was rather mesmerizing. Suzaku-san was calmly sitting with a cup of coffee in her hands while she glanced outside with half-closed eyes, which for some reason made my heart to skip a beat. I tried to shake off those thoughts by imagining Yasaka-san, but the first images that appeared were of some of our baths together, which made my heart beat for different reasons.

When she noticed my presence, Suzaku-san smiled sweetly, something that honestly did not help. Pointing at the rather expensive sofa in front of her, she offered me a seat.

"Good morning, Nora-kun. You can ask for anything, my treat." Suzaku-san said, a slight weariness could be sensed from her tone, but she maintained her smile.

This silly one wanted to hide it huh.

"I already had breakfast, but I will take the same as her." I spoke as I took my seat.

The waitress looked at Suzaku-san for confirmation and after she nodded, the waitress left.

The room looked well furnished so I could that the customers that came into this establishment were of a certain kind. As expected of an Ojou-sama, she rented such a place and she looks at ease, probably because she has meetings often or she is simply a regular at this place.

I bet she wants to say a lot of things, but she is waiting for the waitress to bring my order so we do not get interrupted.

A minute later, the waitress brought me a cup of black coffee, no sugar. I frowned in response.

"Fufu, you ordered the same as me, but you probably do not like coffee like that so you should add some sugar-." Suzaku-san giggled and tried to gesture to the waitress to bring me some sugar but I signaled that there was no need.

Smiling wryly, Suzaku-san sent the waitress away.

The reason why I frowned was simple; she is probably drinking this to keep herself awake.

"I will begin with the topic then-." She tried to speak but I interrupted her.

"Before anything, why don't you lie down on my lap?" I offered.

Suzaku-san froze in place with her head tilted. She looked cute, but I was not joking.

"Here, lie down here for a bit. Let us talk that way." I spoke in a serious tone.

Patting my lap, I gestured her to come here. She hesitated but she-

...

...

...

"I see, just like you told me, there was nothing to be found. That works for the summary of the situation, but why did you require my presence?" I questioned.

"I considered this a lot, and we lack the speed to identify the location using our methods. I was hoping we could use the help of Youkais that are adept at innately reading the flow. In other words, I wanted to ask for your collaboration." Suzaku-san replied in a serious tone.

From our close distance, I stared at her red eyes for a brief moment. Lightly caressing her hair with some Ki in my hands, I saw her close her eyes, something I hoped was because she enjoyed it.

With Suzaku-san lying on my lap, we continued to talk.

"You can surely find someone more reliable than me; in fact, I doubt that the Himejimas have no ties to any youkais at all. In particular, the eastern faction should be easier for your people to interact with." I asked.

It was a slightly mean question, but I was curious if there was a problem with the youkais here.

"I won't lie to you. I have my bias. I do like Nora-kun more than other youkais, but our friendship is not the main point. You are more trustable than them, at least for me. However, what moved me to ask you are your medical skills." Suzaku replied. "The wounds my people sustained would've had put them out of service for a few days even if we used our techniques to heal them, but you healed them perfectly fine. They are all currently working in the field as we speak; in fact, they told me that they are feeling much better than their usual selves."

Well, I did fix every issue I found with them. Not only the injuries that they gained during that battle but even old ones. Those kinds of wounds are not always something that affects people's daily life, but they can accumulate. I just fixed that.

"I see. Is there something else?" I inquired.

Biting her lips, she hesitated for a moment before speaking.

"...I want to prove that collaborating with others can bring results. We shouldn't try to solve our problems using the same old methods, but to seek innovation." Suzaku-san muttered in a downcast tone. "Sorry, in the end. I wanted to make use of you."

Avoiding my eyes, she moved her head to one side.

Girl, you should turn your eyes to the other side, that is my *cough* that you are technically staring.

Inwardly embarrassed, I corrected her posture and made her look straight into my eyes. Her gaze looked rueful.

*Sigh*

"If it helps you archive your dream, and to prevent what happened to Akeno-chan and Shuri-san from happening again, I don't mind if you use me. However, if you truly planned that, you wouldn't have told me what you had in mind. I believe that you are a lot smarter than me so you could've approached the topic in a way that I wouldn't notice it. Nevertheless, you did not. You are way too kind for that." I exclaimed. "You will face many hardships in that road, but you must never hesitate in your belief. Don't get discouraged, stand proudly. Well, if you ever feel like things are too hard, I don't mind lending a hand. I am here for you, we are friends after all."

In the end, what she is doing is going to be of help for the youkais. Yasaka-san will have an easier time so I will help this silly girl with her wishes. Nevertheless, I can't deny that I just want to help a friend in need.

"H-how a-about your lap?" Suzaku-san whispered in an almost inaudible tone.

"Huh?" I tilted my head.

Did I hear correctly? My lap? Weren't we talking about her dreams?

"Y-you said t-that you would lend m-me a hand, right? Is y-your lap part of the deal?" Suzaku-san shyly asked.

Oh uh. I feel an incredible aura irradiating from this girl, otome power is leaking.

"Sure, anytime." I replied.

"Tee hee hee." Suzaku-san giggled in response.

Somehow, I feel like something changed. She usually had a sweet smile, but the smile she gave after that reply could beat all her other smiles.

She couldn't have... Nah, that is impossible. There is no way. Yeah.

*Sigh*

Who am I kidding? It might not be love, but the way she is looking at me is not the usual way to look at a friend.

I just wanted her to rest in my lap to use my Ki to take care of her exhausted state, I had no hidden agenda.

Ah, whatever.

"We should start the serious talk right away." I tried breaking the sweet mood.

"Eh... Can't we stay like this for a bit longer?" Suzaku-san asked with upturned eyes.

I failed miserably.

...

...

...

I won't go into details about how long she insisted on staying like that, but the waitress came to check up on us more than once.

Just for the record, we did not flirt... that much. I tried to divert her sweet otome aura to talk about other matters. The details of my employment were what I focused on.

She offered me a large amount of money at first which almost gave me a heart attack, but I turned it down. Was her common sense regarding money broken? I avoid looking at my bank account to keep my sanity but this girl had to sneak attack me like that.

In the end, I asked for any information related to those guys. Whatever we find during my job, and anything the Himejimas might have. Suzaku-san hesitated for a moment before agreeing, although she warned me that they did not have much intel so I shouldn't get my hopes up.

With that out of the way, we had to part ways for a while, she had a problem to deal with since the... guy had woken up, and I had to meet Shirone-chan who started to send me messages to my phone. That kitty was such a worrywart like her older sister.

...

...

...

The first thing I saw when I opened the door to the suite was Shirone-chan pouting and Marion-san smiling bitterly slightly behind the kitty.

This one couldn't be blamed on me, she was asleep, so with that conviction in mind I acted like nothing was wrong but I still hugged the girl until she calmed down. One must always strive to protect the peace of their residence no matter what.

Explaining was another problem, she would have to stay at home (the suite) this time around and that was not up to debate. She tried to use the upturned eyes technique, but I covered my eyes. Suzaku-san already abused that technique so I had to stand my ground sometimes.

The sadness I felt when I offered her money to go to the arcades to play and she easily agree to it was immense, but the idea was to have her back off so everything was ok. I was certainly not sulking.

I left her Marion-san's care for now. I had my reservations about it, but even though Zekram probably left her to keep an eye on me, I believe that she will fulfill her duties given her origins. I had received a small summary of that Shangri La from Grayfia who technically belonged to that Guild too. The super maid explained to me that it was a serious place and they wouldn't allow a maid to be hired unless she was given enough training.

With that thought in mind, I sent Shirone-chan and Marion-san off. Just in time to get a message from Suzaku-san with an address written there. From the map app I had on my phone, I found it a good distance away from the city, and from what the next message said, it was supposed to be the last location they had found.

...

...

...

The location was an abandoned western mansion, and not many people were around when I arrived.

I was lead by Suzaku-san's people when I got in the vicinity of the property to the red-eyed girl who left a tent located in front of the mansion.

With an exasperated expression, she had a hand on her face and she used her fingers to massage her forehead.

I decided to ignore the looks I got from her people when she turned to see me and smiled brightly. I can live a happy life if I ignore that kind of stuff.

"Nora-kun, I am glad that you are here." Suzaku-san said as she grabbed my hand.

How bold, with everyone seeing as she is-

"That person refuses to speak a word, and he has tried to escape multiple times, we had to tie him down using Houjutsu, but it is getting hard to keep him there. He has a Sacred Gear and it makes it hard to keep him restrained. You spoke to him before, could you help me to get some info from him? I would like to keep things in the margins of the law if possible." Suzaku-san explained.

Yeah, I had expected this. No matter what others think, I was aware that this was why she took my hand.

Now then, no matter how beautiful she is, she said something pretty scary at the end; they did say that roses had thorns. I am technically working for her after I got here so I should follow what she is asking me to do. That said, talking huh.

My first job for her ended up being something rather tame in nature.

"Sure, I will try. However, I can't guarantee anything. I am not a smooth talker and that person is very stubborn." I replied. "Let me do the talking, I will do what I can."

Nodding at my words, she guided me to the tent she left when I arrived.

Once again, I ignore her whispers. I mean, I am not sure what to retort when she says 'He, not a smooth talker? He was joking, right?' I truly have no idea how to retort there.

...

...

...

"Hey, how are you?" I greeted the white-cloaked figure.

For some reason, that person still carried that mask on. It was a very strange one given that it had not a single opening. However, if I consider the state this person was in, it makes sense.

Sitting in a chair in the middle of the tent, several bindings were keeping him in place. I didn't know that Houjutsu (Japanese Magical Arts) could do stuff like this too.

"It is you. Thank you again for taking care of my injuries, among other things. That said, I was not happy that you knocked me unconscious." That person spoke in a hushed but clearly displeased voice.

Scratching my head, I ignored the last part.

"No need for that, you helped out during the fight despite your state when you could've faked unconsciousness. I helped because... Yeah, as thanks for that." I muttered. "Putting that aside, why don't we go straight to business? I heard you refused to talk to her."

I pointed at Suzaku-san who was behind me.

"I have nothing to say to them. They will most likely contact the church to hand me over after they are done with me." The figure said in a despondent tone. "I can't stay here, I have to..."

Glancing at Suzaku-san she shook her head. I planned to ask her about it but I guess she knew what I would say.

"They have not spoken to the church yet so you still have some time before that happens. How about it? What do you say about making a deal?" I asked.

The figure remained silent for a moment but still shook his head.

"I would rather make a deal with a devil than trust them. They wouldn't follow their part of the deal. It is not the first time I dealt with organizations." 'He' spoke with sarcasm.

"You shouldn't judge everyone using a single standard, although I have an idea what your point is. However, she is not that type of person. If you treat her honestly, she would reciprocate that." I said. "Nonetheless..."

It was important to clarify that for various reasons, although I can't deny that the red-eyed girl behind me getting upset had something to do with it. I had been using Senjutsu to detect the changes of mood from the other party in front of me, but I ended up detecting what Suzaku-san felt. For some reason, despite the way this person in front of speaks, he is not displaying strong emotions, but rather, he looks calm.

"You said something interesting there, a devil? I know quite a few of those guys, but calling them here would take a lot of time. On the other hand, why should I call them when I am here?" I unknowingly grinned widely. "You want a devil; you have one in front of you."

For the first time, I could sense 'his' feelings, he was confused.

"You are a Nekomata, a Youkai. Those ears and tails are the proof I need to confirm that. You can't be a devil." The masked figure shook his head.

I did not say anything else. I just removed the bracelet that the green-haired Maou had given to me, and let the demonic energy run amok in my body. That bracelet did not only keep it under control but there was a feature added to keep the demonic power hidden, with the bracelet out of the way, I could use demonic power again. It was not perfect because it could leak if my emotions were not kept in check but it did its job though.

I was not adept at using demonic power, but Grayfia-san taught me a few tricks, and among them there was one that would fit the opportunity.

Concentrating, I spread my demonic power in my surroundings. The ones who could sense it were only Suzaku-san and the masked 'guy'. I was not sure with much I should go, but I choose what I felt that would cause a bit of impact, Grayfia-san said I needed a lot of training given my quantities so it probably isn't that much.

I could hear Suzaku-san gasping behind me when I released my demonic power.

"How about it? Is this enough proof?" I inquired.

The masked figured groaned, but it nodded in the end. With that, I put the bracelet again.

"Oh, devil. Hear my request, I seek only one thing, I don't care if you take my soul after this is finished, but please save that girl. My little sister, she has been caught by them." The guy bitterly said. "Is that enough for you? Devil. If that is not enough..."

Immediately after that, the figure broke away from the bindings and it closed the distance between us.

"How about I just run away using you as a hostage?" The figure used a chilling tone. "I think that the girl behind you wouldn't like you getting hurt."

In his hand, the aura he used during the fight had taken the form of a knife and he held it against my neck.

Suzaku-san got furious but kept her emotions inside of her. However, I remained calm. This person's emotions did not contain any hostility or killing intent.

"Release him". Suzaku-san said in the coldest tone I have ever heard from her. No, it could be said to be the first time I heard her like that.

"Hey, it's ok, how about we calm down?" I spoke.

However, my words were mostly directed at Suzaku-san. I could not see her face, but from what I could feel, she was not happy. It is never a good idea to anger people who use fire.

"As long as he lets you go." Suzaku-san muttered.

Scary, scary. Is she the same girl who was frolicking in my lap a few hours earlier?

Narrowing our distance, the white mask got closer to my ears.

"You didn't tell her?" The 'guy' asked.

"I saw no need for that, and you asked me for it to be kept a secret. She also didn't take advantage to find out when you were unconscious so... How about you stop this?" I replied while pushing the mask away. "You need her help, and you must be aware of how far you can do on your own. We also need whatever information you can provide. She also wouldn't abandon your sister."

The guy just held the knife made from that golden aura closer to my throat before making it dissipate.

"You said you were a devil, right? I want to make that deal from before. I don't care about the price, just fulfill your end and you can ask for anything." He said.

Despite not having the knife, the guy did not back away. This person won't release me until I have accepted the deal huh.

"You must offer something of the same value of your request, so you pass on that end." I said. "Very well, let's get along for now. I will accept the deal."

It was only then that I was released.

"Then, as part of the deal… Do something about her. I cannot help you if she turns me into charcoal." The white-masked figure muttered like it was not his business.

This 'guy' is even using me as a shield, standing in a way that blocks Suzaku-san from any direct attack.

Glancing at Suzaku-san, she looked extremely peeved; a crimson flame was burning on top of her hand.

"Nora-kun, move for a bit. I need to have a chat with that guy." Suzaku-san said while smiling brightly.

I don't think a chat involves burning others; at least that is what my common sense is telling me.

"How about we stop this?" I muttered in a tired tone. "Let's introduce ourselves first, solve the problem with the black-cloaked people, and if you have energy later, just do whatever you want."

I hope they can compromise at least that much.

...

...

...

It took a very long time to calm down the red-eyed girl enough to have a proper conversation.

"Let's all go in turns, ok? I am Nora Shiki." I introduced myself.

Glancing suggestively to Suzaku-san, she sighed before continuing.

"Suzaku Himejima." The red-eyed girl said bluntly.

Shaking my head, I looked at the last person in the tent. It was 'his' turn to introduce himself.

"You may call me, hmm, Art. It is short and easy to call, right? It will make easy to say my name when we fight. That said, Nora, what are we supposed to do now?" The white-cloaked guy, Art, asked. "I still wish to leave this place, I could do a lot more if I moved by myself than standing here."

Before Suzaku-san could nitpick anything, which I could sense her displeasure for some reason, I spoke.

"How about we start with the reason why they took your little sister? Do you have any idea why?" I asked.

"*Sigh* She has a Sacred Gear, that is the only reason that occurs to me." Art replied.

Siblings with Sacred Gears? What are the odds? That said, Sacred Gears huh. I wonder what kind of gear is that. Just from a glance, this guy's looks versatile enough for others to covet it. That aura it generated was effective against that thing when Suzaku-san and I were not able to land strong hits. He used it with a katana to send a slash flying from the edge of the katana, basically a long-range attack. When he took me as a hostage, he used it to form the shape of a knife and threaten me with it.

"Is that the only reason? Forgive me for saying this, but a run-of-the-mill Sacred Gear is not worth it. Yours, on the other hand, seems like it has a wide range of uses." Suzaku-san commented.

I was wondering the same thing.

"Say what you will, it won't change the reason for her kidnapping." Art muttered in a gloomy tone.

"Suzaku-san, let's go and take a look at the mansion, there might be a clue or something. It is better than doing nothing." I suggested to Suzaku-san before they started to fight.

"I can agree to that." Art said before Suzaku-san could even nod.

*Sigh*

Glaring at him, the red-eyed girl turned to me and smiled.

"If you say so, Nora. I will take 'you' there." Suzaku-san muttered in her usual sweet tone.

She completely ignored the 'guy' and put a heavy emphasis on me. How much do you dislike that person to act like that? I am getting a headache.

That aside, why do I feel like her eyes filled with anticipation are expecting that I reply to her way of calling me in a similar manner? Was she actually displeased before because this guy called my name without any suffix?

"...Lead the way, Suzaku." I replied.

The correct answer, or so I judged by the wide smile she directed at me. I will act like I did not see the taunting look that she directed at Art before leaving the tent.

"What was that about?" Art asked somewhat confused.

"I have no idea; I don't think I am well versed in reading women's hearts so I am clueless." I responded and after confirming that there was no one other than us inside the tent, I added. "You, on the other hand..."

I left those words hanging in the air before I walked out of the tent too. Art did not say anything about it and followed after me.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Author's notes

That is for the chapter this time, I wonder how did you like it?

Do share your thoughts.

I tried adding some chants for magic and the like, do tell me how were they. I have poor imagination so it might be somewhat simple.

So far, it is a tie between everyone except Suzaku if I count all the votes I got from Webnovel, FF.com and discord. Do vote because I will not do 3 SS.

There is a new character this time, be aware that the proper description will given later. Another character is going to appear soon as well.

Back to the story... how was the development between Suzaku and Nora? Do please share your thoughts about it.

Have a nice day.

You can find story with these keywords: Highschool DxD: A new opportunity, Read Highschool DxD: A new opportunity, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity novel, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity book, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity story, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity full, Highschool DxD: A new opportunity Latest Chapter