Asia stood in the doorway long after Issei disappeared into the darkness, her hand still half-raised from their goodbye. The warmth in her chest felt foreign—pleasant, but scary too but.. She liked it.
"It's been so long since I've had a friend," she whispered to the empty night.
The sound of heels clicking against stone made her spine go rigid.
"My, my. What do we have here?"
Asia spun around, her breath catching. Raynare stood in the shadows of the church, violet eyes gleaming with something Asia couldn't quite read. The fallen angel's lips curved into a smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"L-Lady Raynare," Asia stammered, instinctively stepping back. "I didn't hear you come in."
"Obviously." Raynare moved closer, each step deliberate and slow. Her voice dropped to a purr. "You had a visitor, didn't you?"
Asia's hands found each other, fingers twisting nervously. "Yes. A boy helped me with my groceries when I dropped them. He was very kind."
"Kind?" Raynare laughed, the sound sharp and cold. "A teenage boy, alone with you in this church? And you think he was just being 'kind'?"
"He was!" Asia's voice came out stronger than she intended. "Issei-san listened to me. He didn't judge me for—"
"Issei?"
Raynare stopped mid-step, her entire body going rigid. The confident smirk vanished from her face, replaced by something Asia had never seen before—fear.
"Did you say... Issei?" Raynare's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "Brown hair? Goes to Kuoh Academy?"
"Y-yes," Asia replied, confused by the sudden change. "Do you know him?"
Raynare's hands clenched into fists, her wings trembling slightly as they manifested for just a moment before disappearing again.
The memory hit her–Leon Mishima's amber eyes burning with cold fury, the crushing weight of his power, his warning echoing in her mind: "If you or anyone else from your faction so much as looks at Issei wrong again, I won't be this merciful."
"Lady Raynare?" Asia asked tentatively, alarmed by the fallen angel's sudden pallor.
"Listen very carefully, Asia." Raynare gripped Asia's shoulders, her fingers digging in just hard enough to hurt. "You need to stay away from that boy."
"But why? He seemed so—"
"No buts!" Raynare spun around, her expression desperate.
"I cannot afford to have Leon Mishima's attention on this church. Not when we're so close to completing the ritual. One wrong move with that boy, and we're all dead." She thought.
Asia rubbed her shoulders where Raynare had gripped them, tears pricking at her eyes. "I understand, Lady Raynare."
"Good." Raynare's voice softened slightly, though the fear never left her eyes. "I'm trying to protect you, Asia. To protect all of us. That boy... he's a walking disaster waiting to happen."
Asia nodded silently, following Raynare deeper into the church. But even as she walked, she couldn't stop thinking about Issei's warm smile and genuine kindness.
He hadn't felt dangerous at all.
"If Raynare-sama says so," she murmured obediently. "There's nothing else I can do."
But even as she said the words, her heart ached.
=====
The Next Day - Kuoh Academy
Issei couldn't focus on anything. Not his classes, not his friends' perverted schemes, not even the girls' kendo practice that he usually watched through the fence.
All he could think about was Asia.
"Dude, you okay?" Motohama asked, adjusting his glasses. "You've been spacing out all day."
"Yeah," Matsuda added, elbowing him. "We found a new spot to watch the girls change, and you didn't even react!"
"I'm great," Issei said, still smiling. He couldn't help it.
Motohama squinted at him like he was studying a rare bug. "Great? Since when do you use words like 'great'? You usually just grunt and drool."
"There's definitely something wrong with him," Matsuda agreed, poking Issei's shoulder. "Look at that dopey grin. It's creeping me out."
"I'm fine!" Issei protested, but his smile got even bigger.
"Oh no," Motohama said, his eyes widening behind his glasses. "Oh no, no, no. I know that look."
"What look?" Matsuda asked.
"The look of a man who's been corrupted," Motohama said dramatically. "Issei's been talking to a girl, hasn't he?"
Matsuda gasped. "A real one? Not a poster or a video game character?"
"Hey!" Issei's face turned red. "She's real! And she's amazing!"
His friends stared at him in horror.
"We've lost him," Matsuda whispered. "Our perverted brother has fallen to the dark side."
"Next thing you know, he'll be buying flowers and writing love letters," Motohama added, shaking his head sadly.
"I might!" Issei declared proudly.
Both of them groaned.
That's when Issei noticed Leon staring at him from across the classroom.
Issei quickly looked away. Things had been awkward between them ever since that whole conversation about choices and consequences. Leon kept giving him these looks, like he was waiting for something.
But Issei didn't want to think about that right now. Not when he was this happy.
The final bell rang, and Issei practically jumped out of his seat.
"Later, guys!" he called to Motohama and Matsuda, grabbing his bag and rushing toward the door.
He had somewhere to be.
======
"What do you mean we can't meet in the church anymore?" Issei asked.
"The people I'm staying with... they don't like me going out. And if they found out I was meeting with someone..." She shook her head. "I don't want you to get in trouble because of me."
"Trouble?" Issei stepped closer, his protective instincts kicking in. "Asia, who are these people? Are they hurting you?"
"No, no!" she said quickly, but her voice shook a little. "They're just... strict. Very strict about the rules."
Issei studied her face, noticing how she kept looking over her shoulder. Something was definitely wrong.
"Then let's meet somewhere else," he said firmly. "There's a park near my house. It's quiet, and no one would bother us there."
Asia's eyes widened with surprise, then filled with relief. "You... you still want to see me?"
"Of course I do," Issei said without hesitation. "Why wouldn't I?"
Asia smiled as she felt her heart flutter.
They fell in silence after that.
Then Asia spoke.
"Issei-kun... can I ask you something?" she said hesitantly. "Are you... are you aware of the supernatural world?"
"What?"
"Devils, angels, fallen angels... gods," she continued.
Issei was quiet for a long moment, then let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah. I know about it."
Asia's shoulders sagged with relief. "I thought so. When did you find out?"
"Not that long ago, actually." Issei sat down on the church steps, gesturing for her to join him. "I almost died because of it."
"What happened?"
"There was this girl. Yuuma. She asked me out on a date, and I thought... you know, I thought I finally had a girlfriend." Issei's voice got bitter. "Turns out she was a fallen angel. She tried to kill me at the end of our date."
Asia gasped, covering her mouth with her hands.
"I would've died," Issei continued, staring at the ground. "But my friend Leon saved me. He showed up right when she was about to finish me off and... well, let's just say she won't be bothering anyone anymore."
"Your friend Leon?" Asia asked quietly.
"Yeah. He is very strong."
Issei looked at her, surprised by her understanding. "After that, Leon told me I have something called a Sacred Gear."
He stared at his hands. "But I haven't figured out what it is yet. Or how to use it."
"You also have a Sacred Gear?" Asia's voice was filled with wonder. "That's amazing, Issei-kun."
"Is it?" Issei asked, looking uncertain. "I don't feel amazing. I just feel... confused. About everything."
"You don't have to figure everything out right away," Asia said softly.
"Yeah.. You're right."
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the stars appear one by one in the darkening sky.
"Issei-kun?" Asia said eventually, her voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah?"
"Thank you. For still wanting to see me. For not being afraid of what I am."
"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me," Issei replied.
Asia leaned against his shoulder, and Issei felt his heart skip a beat. She was warm and soft, and she smelled like flowers.
"Is this okay?" she asked quietly.
"More than okay," Issei said, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt.
They stayed like that as the evening stretched on, two people with Sacred Gears and complicated lives, finding comfort in each other's presence under the starlit sky.
They stayed like that as the evening stretched on, two people with Sacred Gears and complicated lives, finding comfort in each other's presence under the starlit sky.
Neither of them noticed the figure watching from the shadows across the street.
Diodora Astaroth stood perfectly still behind a lamp post, his handsome features twisted into an expression of cold calculation. He'd been tracking Asia's movements for weeks now, waiting for the perfect opportunity to execute his plan.
The boy she was with was... unexpected.
Diodora had assumed Asia was still isolated, still vulnerable. The reports from his informants hadn't mentioned a human companion. This Issei boy could complicate things.
He knew of the boy's relationship with Leon Mishima.
For a moment, Diodora hesitated. Targeting anyone close to Leon Mishima was... inadvisable. Even for a devil of his standing. The smart thing would be to walk away. Find another target. Wait for a better opportunity.
But as he watched Asia lean against Issei's shoulder, that innocent smile lighting up her face, something darker stirred within him. His devil nature whispered seductive thoughts of possession, of corruption, of taking what he desired regardless of consequences.
He shook his head, pushing down his brief moment of caution. "No," he said quietly, his smile turning predatory. "I've waited too long for this."
His eyes never left Asia as she and Issei finally stood up from the church steps, saying their goodbyes with obvious reluctance. He watched Issei walk Asia to the nearest street to the church.
"Leon Mishima may be powerful," Diodora whispered, his smile turning predatory as Asia waved goodbye to Issei. "But even he can't protect everyone all the time."
The connection to Leon Mishima would require a more delicate approach. Direct confrontation was out of the question. But there were other ways. Subtler methods. Ways to separate the girl from her protectors without drawing unwanted attention.
"You'll be mine, my dear Asia," he breathed, watching her disappear into the old church. "No matter who stands in the way."
He turned and melted back into the darkness, his mind already working through new plans. Issei's connection with Leon Mishima might complicate things, but his devil side had already made the choice for him. The desire, the obsession, the need to possess Asia overrode any sense of self-preservation.
If anything, the added difficulty made the prize more enticing.
The game was just beginning.
=====
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