Issei walked through the entire school holding hands with the girl while humming softly, smiling happier than he had ever been.
The girl's name was Amano Yuma, and she was his girlfriend.
He had never been this happy in his life, and to make things even better, the girl actually talked with him about the things he wanted to talk about.
She knew about anime and even hentai. She knew everything — it was as if she had studied everything he liked.
"Issei, what is this?!" Motohama shouted angrily as he ran toward Issei. "How can you have a hot girl with you? Hi, my name is Motohama. What are you doing with this loser?"
Motohama completely changed his attitude when he looked at Yuma.
"Loser my ass. She's my girlfriend," Issei said as he hugged Yuma, and she didn't pull away, making Issei even happier.
"You've got to be kidding me… What's wrong with you?!" Motohama yelled, messing up his own hair. "First you're friends with the student council president, now you're dating a hot girl. How are you better than me?!"
Motohama cried tears of blood and bit his lip in rage at Issei, while Issei smiled from ear to ear.
"See? I'm better. Say I'm the best, bitch," Issei shouted as he grabbed Motohama, and the two started fake fighting while Yuma just watched.
After saying goodbye, Yuma went to her class, and Issei went with Motohama toward his own.
"Motohama, go ahead. I forgot something," Issei said with a smile. Motohama left.
Issei walked over to a pillar and smiled.
"Hi, Kaichou," Issei grinned when he saw his chess partner. "Were you spying on me?"
"Of course not," Sona Sitri grumbled and lightly punched Issei's shoulder. "I just wanted to see if you were going to cause trouble."
Sona Sitri was a friend Issei had made during a city chess tournament.
They had faced each other in the finals and ended in a draw, and since then Sona kept challenging him.
After that match, Issei started letting Sona win by making mistakes early in the game — and she noticed.
That only made her angrier, so she kept challenging him until he finally played seriously again.
That's how they became friends.
"I never cause trouble," Issei said, turning his face to make the lie look convincing — and failing miserably.
"Oh really? And the complaints from the kendo club?" Sona crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes.
"I look, and in exchange I let them hit me," Issei replied cheerfully. "I get to see something nice, and they relieve stress. You can tell they don't complain."
"Tch… then what about all the disturbances at school?" Sona changed the accusation.
Truth was, the kendo girls complained about Issei's friends, not Issei himself.
Apparently, that kind of agreement really existed, and Issei was tolerated.
Maybe because he was very good with a sword — even though he preferred fighting with a spear. Sona had seen him fight and knew he was above average, and the kendo girls probably knew it too.
They didn't hate him like they hated the other perverts.
"That one's actually my fault," Issei admitted shamelessly with a playful grin.
"You're smart and strong," Sona growled. "Why do you keep doing perverted things? If you were normal, you could get a girlfriend."
"I don't want a girlfriend. I want a harem," Issei shouted, raising his fists.
Sona grimaced and crossed her arms again.
"In Japan, harems are illegal," Sona replied dryly while adjusting her glasses. "Your dream is impossible."
"Screw Japan, screw the state," Issei shouted back. "I'll get what I want."
"With that attitude, you'll never get a girlfriend," Sona snapped.
"But I already have one. Yuma-chan confessed to me today," Issei declared proudly.
"That's impossible. There's no one named Yuma at this school," Sona widened her eyes. "Hyoudou, are you sure she even studies here?"
"Yes, I am. She even has the school uniform," Issei replied, then paused. "What is it, Kaichou? Are you jealous? Don't worry, there'll always be a place for you in my harem."
"Shut up, idiot!" Sona punched his arm again. "I'm just worried about losing my chess partner. What if she's a criminal?"
"Relax, Kaichou. I'm strong, remember?" Issei flexed his biceps. Sona rolled her eyes.
"Fine. But if she takes you somewhere suspicious, tell me," Sona muttered.
"Jealousy confirmed!" Issei shouted, barely dodging the eraser that flew toward his head.
Laughing, he ran off.
Inside the Occult Research Club room, Rias and Akeno were playing chess.
"The boy has made contact with a Fallen Angel," Akeno said sadly. "Are you sure, Rias? Sona won't like this. She's friends with him."
"Akeno… Sona will understand. I'm desperate. I don't have much time," Rias said with a pained look. "Koneko said he smells like a dragon. A Dragon-type Sacred Gear could save me."
"I know, but you're betting too much on something that could go wrong," Akeno replied, moving another piece. "And you might crack your friendship with Sona."
"I know, I know… but I'll save him," Rias said angrily. "The Fallen Angel won't touch him. I'll save him first and invite him into my peerage."
"That's dangerous. Inviting him before the attack?" Akeno replied and declared checkmate. "He might accept. He's a pervert — he'll drool over anything you do."
"But when the charm wears off, he'll think I tricked him," Rias complained, realizing she had lost.
"If you save him, sooner or later he'll realize you knew he would be attacked and blame you anyway," Akeno said bluntly. "His situation isn't like ours, Rias. He has a normal life. He won't see you as a savior like we did. We were already at rock bottom."
"I know… I know… but I need power… I need to escape this engagement," Rias said in a trembling voice. Akeno fell silent.
As promised, after classes Issei and Yuma went out together.
They visited restaurants and arcades and had fun.
It was the most enjoyable night of Issei's life. Everything inside him felt right.
That bad feeling he used to have when looking at girls who weren't "his" was gone.
Then, at the park, Issei felt a sudden удар inside his mind.
It was a horrible feeling — a sense of danger he had never experienced before.
"Yuma… something's wrong. Stay close to me," Issei panicked, trying to pull her closer. She stepped back.
"Yuma?"
"It was fun, Issei-kun," Yuma said sadly as her clothes began to burn. "I didn't want to do this. You gave me something no one ever did."
"Yuma, your clothes!" Issei panicked, but before he could help, she transformed into an older woman — not elderly, but no longer a teenager, and even more beautiful. She was no longer Asian, but still resembled Yuma.
"I'm sorry, Issei. If you're going to blame someone, blame God… and me," she said, forming a spear of light and throwing it at him.
The spear pierced straight through Issei's chest.
He fell to the ground in tears as blood began to spill.
"I'm sorry…" she said sadly. "These were direct orders. I can't disobey. My real name is Raynare. If you want, you can curse me."
She flew away.
Inside Issei, two cards glowed, and two men appeared.
"It seems the boy is dying. I have no healing power," said the man with blue hair and red eyes.
"I do, but if I activate my card, the boy will become a dead apostle," said the man with long hair and an elegant coat. "He will never walk in sunlight or cross running water."
"I am a demigod, Irish, son of Lugh, god of the sun," said the blue-haired man. "If I activate my card together with yours, perhaps the weaknesses will lessen."
"Cú Chulainn?" the king asked.
"Yes. And you're Vlad, right?" Chulainn replied. The king nodded. "If we activate our cards together, it might work."
They did so, and Issei's body glowed.
The wound in his chest twisted, his fangs grew longer, strands of his hair turned blue, and his eyes glowed red when he opened them — then returned to normal.
A figure appeared beside him.
"You surprise me again," Zelretch said, looking down at Issei. "The two heroes fused and altered your body so you could overcome all weaknesses. Now you are half apostle — the other half, human and god."
Zelretch lifted Issei onto his shoulder and smiled as a red magic circle appeared on the ground.
"You're late, girl."
He stayed just long enough for Rias to meet his eyes — then vanished.
Leaving Rias alone, kneeling in a pool of blood.
"No… no… no… Sona will hate me," Rias said as she collapsed and cried.