The mid-morning sun streamed through the large windows of the Student Council Room, casting rectangles of golden light onto the immaculate carpet. To any normal human being, it was a perfect and comforting spring day at Kuoh Academy.
For Yugo, it was the equivalent of being slowly roasted in a giant microwave.
"Kill me..." groaned the professor, lying face up on one of the council's luxurious leather sofas, his left arm covering his eyes. "Just bring a wooden stake and end this suffering."
His human body, which the day before had been on the verge of massive cellular collapse from years of extreme wear and tear, now vibrated with astonishing vitality. The Pawn pieces of Clan Sitri had fused with his soul the night before, purifying his chronic wounds and granting him the physical robustness of a low-class demon. He no longer coughed up blood, nor did his joints creak.
However, the price of this new life was the biological weakness of novice demons. He hadn't yet learned to regulate his aura to protect himself from direct sunlight, and exposure made him feel like he had the worst hangover in human history combined with a raging fever.
Beside her, sitting on the edge of the sofa, Asia Argento held a towel dampened with cold water. With infinite tenderness, the small nun—now wearing a spare school uniform that Sona had given her—dried the sweat from her forehead.
"Cheer up, Sensei!" Asia said, her face beaming, her fists clenched in support. "Tsubaki-san said this weakness only lasts a few weeks until your body adjusts to its new nature! You're very strong, I'm sure you'll overcome this soon!"
Yugo moved his arm slightly to look at her. Seeing Asia smile, free from Raynare's clutches and safe under the jurisdiction of Sitri territory, made the torture of the sunlight worthwhile. He sighed deeply, letting the coolness of the towel soothe his headache.
But then, her dead gaze shifted to the other corner of the room.
There stood Saji Genshirou, organizing some files on the desk, muttering under his breath about the amount of administrative work Tsubaki had assigned him.
Yugo closed his eyes and let out a growl filled with absolute existential contempt.
"Despite everything..." Yugo murmured, his voice laced with venomous cynicism, "I can't believe I share any similarities with him. We're the same rank. The same piece. What a humiliation... I want to die. Honestly, I'd rather face the sun."
Saji abruptly stopped his paperwork and turned around, indignant. "Hey! I heard you perfectly, Professor! Being a Pawn of the Sitri Clan is an absolute honor! I am Kaichou's loyal servant! Besides, you take up less space than I do, so technically I'm worth more pieces!"
"Your very existence devalues the entire board, kid," Yugo replied without opening his eyes, settling back on the sofa. "Be quiet, your voice is making my migraine worse."
"Kaichou, say something to her!" Saji whined, looking at Sona.
Sona Sitri, seated behind her imposing desk, maintained an air of absolute serenity, though inwardly she was grappling with a cocktail of emotions that threatened to give her a migraine as well. Her "official fiancé" was sprawled on her sofa, being pampered by a runaway ex-nun, while he was hurling insults at her other servant. It was such an absurdly domestic and chaotic scene that it shattered all the trappings of her perfectly organized life.
Yugo covered his eyes again, letting out a sigh that sounded like existential defeat. He had sold his soul to the devil for a nun and her students, and now he had to deal with sunlight and teenagers with hero complexes.
Suddenly, the atmosphere in the room changed. The security seals on the door vibrated with a familiar, powerful energy signature, charged with a burning curiosity.
The door swung open, and Rias Gremory entered the room with the elegance of a pureblood queen. Behind her, Akeno Himejima surveyed the room with a smile that this time was one of genuine surprise.
Rias stopped dead in her tracks in the middle of the living room. Her blue-green eyes fixed on the figure slumped on the sofa. Her high-class demon perception immediately detected the change: Hano-sensei's chalky, coffee-like scent was now mingled with the unmistakable aroma of the Sitri clan's demonic water.
"Sona..." Rias's voice was a whisper filled with disbelief. "You did it. You really did it. You've reincarnated the anomaly."
Rias walked toward the sofa, stopping in front of Yugo. The professor didn't move, keeping his arm over his eyes.
"Hano-sensei," Rias said, her tone losing the aggression of their previous encounters and becoming almost solemn. "So in the end... you've fallen into our world completely. Welcome to the Underworld, Pawn of Sitri."
Yugo let out a dry, hoarse laugh from under his arm.
"Congratulations, Gremory," Yugo muttered with deadly irony. "Now I'm officially one of you. Just another monster in this damned tale. Happy now? Now go away, your crimson aura is giving me a headache."
Akeno, who was standing behind Rias, glanced at Asia and then at Yugo. For a second, the Vice President of the Occult Research Club felt a pang of something she couldn't quite place when she saw the devotion with which the nun was caring for the professor.
"Ara, ara," Akeno murmured, her eyes gleaming with a mysterious light. "It seems the Student Council has just become the most dangerous place in Kuoh."
Sona stood up, positioning herself next to Yugo, marking her territory with an icy stare directed at her rival.
"He's my responsibility now, Rias," Sona declared. "And I suggest you don't forget that, as my Pawn, any attempt at interference on your part will be seen as a declaration of war between our clans."
The shadow war at Kuoh Academy had just escalated. The man who hated canon was now a key player, and Asia Argento's fate was irrevocably tied to the survival of a demon who would rather die than accept his own salvation.
...
The clock in the Student Council room struck six in the evening. The sunlight had finally subsided, allowing Yugo to breathe normally without feeling his new demonic skin burning hot.
Settled on the sofa, now free from the oppressive pain in his lungs that had plagued him for years, the history professor straightened up and stared intently at the Sitri heiress.
—I need you to enroll her in the academy—Yugo said, breaking the administrative silence that reigned in the office.
Sona, who was signing authorizations, stopped her pen and looked up. Tsubaki, beside her, raised an eyebrow.
"Enroll Asia Argento?" Sona adjusted her glasses, assessing the request. "Hano-sensei, I understand your need to protect her, but introducing a former nun with a healing Sacred Gear into a school that's the heartland of two demon clans... it's drawing too much attention. She'd be safer if you kept her hidden in your shop."
"Hiding her away is like locking her in a gilded cage, Sona," Yugo replied, his monotone voice taking on an unusually firm tone. "She's known nothing but captivity and manipulation by the Church and the Fallen Angels. She needs a normal life. She needs to learn to be a girl her own age, not just a healing artifact."
Sona watched him silently. There it was again: that unwavering devotion, that almost painful need to protect the innocence of others, contrasting sharply with the calculating monster who had destroyed his enemies. Sona felt a pang of something very close to jealousy, but her logical mind couldn't help but agree with him.
"Very well," sighed the President, yielding to her Pawn's gaze. "Tsubaki will take care of forging her transfer documents from abroad. We'll enroll her in the second year. That way, she'll be within her line of sight during class time."
"Make sure they don't put her at the same desk as Hyoudou," Yugo muttered disdainfully, rubbing his temple. "The last thing I need is that perverted idiot drooling over her."
Three days later, Kuoh Academy was shaken by a media earthquake that had nothing to do with factions, magic, or monsters.
Asia Argento walked through the school gates wearing the Kuoh school uniform. Her golden blonde hair, emerald eyes, and aura of absolute purity drew the attention of every student within a hundred meters.
But what paralyzed the student population was not her angelic beauty, but her company.
Walking beside him, in his usual dark suit, carrying his leather briefcase and sporting a lethal expression of boredom, was Yugo Hano.
Unlike his usual behavior, where he stalked through the hallways like a specter, shooing students away with his mere presence, Yugo walked at a slower pace so the girl wouldn't fall behind. And what was most shocking to the students: when Asia stumbled slightly on a step, the dreaded "Discipline Demon" reached out, gently held her elbow, and waited for her to regain her balance before nodding softly.
The rumors broke out before the first bell rang.
"Hano-sensei brought a foreign girl!"
"Did you see how he looked at her? He didn't yell at her or punish her for tripping!"
"Could she be his secret daughter? I heard he's an orphan, maybe he adopted her!"
"Don't be an idiot, they're almost the same age! She's probably his foreign girlfriend!"
By midday, conspiracy theories circulating in the hallways ranged from a marriage arranged by the European mafia to the stoic professor harboring a hidden side as a "tender single father." The image of Yugo, the tsundere and unattainable educator, suddenly became humanized in the eyes of the female students, who now gazed at him with dreamy sighs, imagining a tragic love story.
However, for a certain second-year class, the arrival of Asia provoked very different reactions.
The moment Asia was introduced in the hall, Matsuda and Motohama, the infamous perverted duo, rose from their seats with heart-shaped eyes.
"She's an angel!" Matsuda whimpered. "Our class has been blessed!"
Issei Hyoudou, sitting at his desk, was also left breathless. Asia was the most beautiful and pure girl he had ever seen. He wanted to stand up to welcome her and introduce himself, but then he felt a chill run down the back of his neck.
He turned his head towards the classroom door.
Leaning against the frame, watching the new student settle in, was Yugo Hano. The professor adjusted his glasses. Their dark, lifeless lenses stared directly into the eyes of the Red Dragon Emperor wielder.
There were no words, no magical auras. Just a silent, clear, and terrifying message: "Look at her one second longer than you should, and I'll rip your arms off."
Issei swallowed hard, turning as pale as paper. He sank into his seat, trembling, remembering the diamond beast and the sea monster. From that day forward, Issei decided that Asia Argento was radioactive territory.
At dismissal time, the scene repeated itself. Asia waited patiently at the door of the teachers' lounge. When Yugo came out, the girl lit up with a radiant smile.
"How was your first day, Asia?" Yugo asked, his voice losing ten percent of its usual coldness.
"It was wonderful, Sensei! Everyone was so kind!" she replied, walking close by his side as they left the building, oblivious to the dozens of students spying on them from the windows.
Sona, watching them from the Student Council office, couldn't help but let a small smile play on her lips. Her Pawn, that broken man who had coughed blood on her floor, now walked in the twilight, shielding her small light from the monsters of Kuoh.
...
On Saturday morning, the city of Kuoh awoke under a clear sky and a cool breeze that heralded the end of spring.
For Yugo Hano, weekends were usually an extension of his torment: days spent training his human body to the point of collapse or hunting in alleyways to hone his murderous intent. But this morning, the routine at the "Saturn" convenience store was completely different.
Yugo stood behind the counter, organizing the week's inventory. Physically, he felt strange. The two Sona Sitri Pawn Pieces now residing in his chest had worked miraculously. His lungs no longer burned, his joints had stopped creaking with every movement, and the bloody cough had vanished. He was no longer a human with his days numbered; he was a demon. Yet his mind remained the same fortress of ice and nightmares.
The soft sound of footsteps descending the wooden staircase pulled him from his thoughts.
Asia Argento appeared in the shop. She no longer wore the tattered nun's habit that marked her as an exile from the Church. She was dressed in civilian clothes: a simple white blouse, a beige knee-length skirt, and a small, light-knit sweater that Tsubaki had discreetly provided her the day before on Sona's orders. Her golden hair was loose, cascading down her back.
"Good morning, Sensei," Asia greeted, with a smile that lit up the dusty shop better than any fluorescent lamp.
Yugo closed the ledger and adjusted his glasses.
—Good morning, Asia. I told you that you don't have to call me Sensei outside of the academy. Yugo is sufficient.
"Oh! Y-Yugo-san, then," she corrected herself, blushing slightly. "Is there anything I can help with? I can sweep, or clean the windows. You've given me a home and protection; I want to be useful."
Yugo looked at her. His gray wells assessed the absolute sincerity in the girl's emerald eyes. For years, he had only interacted with the world through violence, manipulation, or strict school discipline. Having someone who genuinely wanted to help him in his peaceful, boring shop was a disconcerting novelty.
"The inventory's ready and the floor's clean," Yugo replied, stepping out from behind the counter and grabbing his coat. "But I need to do some shopping in the west business district for the upstairs apartment. Follow me."
Asia's eyes sparkled with childlike excitement. "Yes, Yugo-san!"
They walked together through the streets of Kuoh. It was an ordinary weekend for humans. Families strolling, couples in cafes, children running in parks. For Asia, who had lived secluded in European monasteries, treated either as an untouchable saint or as a witch for her healing powers, this level of normalcy was an incomprehensible miracle.
He would stop to gaze at the shop windows with fascination. He marveled at the neon signs of the arcades and stared in amazement at the dogs being walked by their owners.
Yugo walked a half-step behind her, his hands in his coat pockets. His tactical radar was on high; his senses, now enhanced by his demonic biology, scanned every shadow, every aura within a two-hundred-meter radius. He detected no black feathers or magic circles. They were safe.
They passed a small street stall selling sweet crepes. Asia stopped, watching a little girl eating a strawberry and whipped cream crepe. Her stomach growled slightly, causing the former nun to cover her face with both hands, completely embarrassed.
Yugo said nothing. He simply walked over to the stall, took out a couple of bills, and a minute later, handed her a crepe identical to the one the girl had.
"Here," said the teacher, in his usual monotone. "They have too much sugar for my taste, but girls your age tend to like this commercial junk."
Asia took the crepe in both hands as if it were a divine artifact. She took a small bite, and her eyes widened.
"It's delicious!" she exclaimed, tears of genuine happiness welling up in her eyes. "It's so sweet! Thank you so much, Yugo-san."
Yugo stopped and watched her. Seeing her smile, seeing her enjoy something as simple and mundane as a sweet treat on a busy street, eased the constant oppression in his chest. A faint light, warm and nostalgic, flickered in the depths of his gray eyes. He remembered why he had crushed the Omnitrix core last night, why he had smashed Freed Sellzen's face, why he had prostrated himself before Sona Sitri.
All the suffering, blood, pain, and madness of the last ten years... were worth it just to ensure that this little girl could eat a crepe in peace.
"Don't cry over dessert, Asia," Yugo muttered, looking away and resuming his walk. "It's going to melt."
Asia nodded, quickly wiping her tears with the back of her hand and trotting to catch up with him, walking beside him with a happiness that Kuoh rarely witnessed.
...
Far from the sunlight and warmth of the commercial district, the abandoned church in the forest reeked of despair and dried blood.
Father Freed Sellzen sat in a wooden chair facing the altar. His arms were heavily bandaged, red stains seeping through the gauze where Aquatic's teeth had nearly severed his hands. His nose had been half-repaired with basic magic, leaving his face deformed and bearing a permanent expression of psychopathic hatred.
In front of him, the four Fallen Angels were holding a court-martial that felt more like a funeral.
Raynare paced in circles, biting her thumbnail until it bled. Dohnaseek leaned against a column, arms crossed and a grim expression on his face, while Kalawarner and Mittelt remained silent, still dealing with the bruises and psychological terror of the Vulpimancer's attack.
"This is a disaster," Dohnaseek growled. "The nun is in the human world, protected by that damned changeling. And, according to our informants, she's now also attending Kuoh Academy... the heartland of the Gremory and Sitri heiresses."
"We can't go into that school!" Mittelt squealed, rubbing his arms nervously. "The barrier would detect us instantly! We'd have two demon clans and that monster on top of us!"
Raynare stopped. Her eyes, framed by dark circles from paranoia and insomnia, shone with a sick ambition.
"We're not going into the school," Raynare said, her voice dripping with venom. "And we're not going to confront that anomaly head-on. It would be suicide. Freed told us that human… transformed to protect the nun and the Gremory Pawn, right?"
Freed spat on the ground. "That bastard almost swallowed me whole. He doesn't care about that brat."
"Exactly. He cares." Raynare smiled, a grim and desperate grimace. "Dohnaseek, you told me you investigated his human facade. Who is Yugo Hano in the human world?"
"He's a history professor at the academy," replied the man with the hat. "Strict. Untouchable. The female students idolize him, and he seems to have a history of intervening if any of them are in danger. He interfered with a Street Demon a few days ago to protect a student expedition."
Raynare's face lit up with her characteristic tactical ruthlessness. She had found the crack in the diamond armor.
"That's his weakness. He plays the hero, he plays the guardian," Raynare declared, opening her black wings. "We can't touch the nun while he's by her side. So we'll force him to leave her."
Kalawarner frowned. "What?"
"We'll create a decoy he can't ignore," Raynare explained, her mind racing. "Freed, do you still have contacts with the Street Demons in the northern industrial zones?"
The exorcist nodded with a sadistic smile, ignoring the pain in his arms. "Of course, boss. A couple of ravenous beasts who would kill for some fresh human flesh."
"Good. Let's incite those Street Demons to attack a civilian target. A group of students from the academy, for example," Raynare decreed. "We'll make the chaos loud, bloody, and far away from the convenience store where the nun lives. Knowing that damned 'professor,' he won't be able to resist rushing to save his precious students."
Dohnaseek nodded slowly, understanding the ploy. "And once I'm on the other side of town, busy tearing the Street Gang..."
"We struck," Raynare concluded, clenching her fist tightly. "We went into that store, grabbed Asia Argento, and brought her to the altar before the anomaly even realized it had been tricked."
The Fallen exchanged glances. It was a cowardly, desperate, and risky plan. But it was the only way to obtain Twilight Healing without having to face the monster lurking within the clock.
Raynare looked towards the broken cross on the altar.
"Prepare the Street Gang," he ordered, his voice icy. "Tonight, we'll take away his little light. And when that's over, I'll be the one to destroy him."
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I apologize for the delay; I was held up longer than I expected with some things, but here it is, without further ado. See you in the next chapter. Take care.
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( ̳• · • ̳) ~ ♡ Thanks for reading ♡
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