High School DxD: Fox of Ill Omen

Yuki

The train ride back was mostly peaceful.

The ride was smooth and the train car was just as comfortable as it was last time.

No one was tense with anticipation or worried like some were on the ride to the Underworld.

But it was still our peerage, so things being completely calm were practically impossible. 

I sat back and watched the others settle in.

The carriage was spacious and comfortable enough for everyone to relax on their own if they wanted to.

Most people were relaxing.

And then there was Issei who had turned his seat into a mess of papers, text books, and notebooks.

He was frantically working on the homework that had been assigned over the summer break.

It appeared that he had not worked on any of it so far. 

“Dammit! Why did we get assigned so much homework over our break!?” He asked himself. “I completely forgot about all of this! How was I supposed to remember it with everything that happened? I was chased across a mountain by a Dragon for most of a month!”

That was a decent excuse, but the rest of us had been training before the match too, and he was the only one not to finish his homework yet.

Even Xenovia had completed hers.

Asia sat near him, worrying over him as he rushed to complete his work..

“Ise-san, you really should have started sooner…”

“I know that now!” he said, scribbling furiously. “But I didn’t, so I need to get all of this done before we head to class on Monday! I was supposed to be able to enjoy my precious youth over our summer break. Instead I spent it all training and fighting…”

Xenovia looked over from her seat.

“You should have finished it before we left for the Underworld,” she said.

Issei stared at her.

“You finished yours before we even left? You're normally like me where you push it off until the last minute!”

“I asked Yuuto and then Yuki for help with it. Yuki is in our class and rather diligent, and I had heard that Yuuto was in the upper rankings of her class. So with their help I finished everything before we left.”

Issei looked at Yuuto and then me like we had betrayed him.

“Why didn’t either of you help me?!”

“You didn’t ask,” I replied, trying not to grin at his suffering.

“Well, you’re not in my class, so I didn’t really think to offer. I only helped Xenovia-san because she came to me,” Yuuto replied with an apologetic grin. “I can help you now if you want.”

“No you should let him handle it himself,” I said. 

He quickly looked at me.

“Why not?! I could really use the help!” He whined.

“Because you won’t learn otherwise,” I replied.

Plus I would lose some of my entertainment for the train ride.

And he had annoyed me with his comments right before we boarded the train.

“I guess that makes sense…” Yuuto said.

Then seeing Issei look even more distraught quickly continued.

“But when we get back to your house I can help you go over everything and with whatever you haven’t finished.”

Issei’s face lit up with a smile.

“You’re the best Yuuto-san! Thank you so much! You really are amazing!” He said slumping back in his seat in relief.

Yuuto blushed lightly at his praise

“It’s not that big of a deal, Ise-kun. I’m happy to help you.” She said with a smile.

I looked over the rest of the peerage as Issei went back to his homework.

Asia was next to him as he worked.

She still looked worried, but after his mood had improved with Yuuto’s offer she seemed to relax a bit.

Gasper-kun looked at Issei’s pile of unfinished work like it was some sort of awful thing he didn’t want to get too close to.

Akeno and Rias were sitting further up in the train car.

They were working on some paper work for the Occult Research Club.

They were still close enough to hear everything though and both of them had looked over at Issei during his louder moments of complaining.

Rias shook her head and watched him with fond exasperation.

Akeno smiled as she found his and Xenovia’s interaction amusing. 

I sat in my seat, across the aisle from Issei, Asia, Xenovia, and Gasper and across from Yuuto.

Koneko was the only one missing. 

She had gotten out of her seat next to me a little while ago to go use the restroom and hadn’t come back yet.

Things were calm and back to ordinary now.

Or at least as close as things would get to that with us.

I enjoyed the passing view of the Underworld as the training continued on.

I leaned my chin onto my head as I relaxed.

After a few minutes, Issei looked up from his assignments and called out to Rias.

He had stopped writing and had been staring at the paper before he called out to her. 

“Buchou.”

Rias turned slightly. “Hm?”

He leaned back into his seat, pencil still in hand.

“I feel like I’ve learned a lot over summer break. Before now I had been acting recklessly with becoming a harem king as my only goal. And that goal hasn’t changed, but talking to Tannin-ossan made me think about it more. He had said it was a waste to have it as my main goal. So I’ve thought about it and decided to change my goal slightly,” he said smiling, as he clenched his fists. “I think it’s too small of a goal to aim for an ordinary harem. I think a better goal would be to create the best harem in existence. One that is full of the most beautiful girls and is strong enough to win in Rating Games as well.”

I felt like he had probably missed a bit of what Tannin had been trying to convey.

And it was practically the same goal, but it was a sort of growth.

At least now Issei had a goal to reach the top of something, even if it was still just about wanting girls.

If he would be happy and could make the other girls happy as well, then there was nothing wrong with it.

Rias listened to him with a serious expression, and smiled as he finished talking.

“Well, it seemed that our training camp was a success in more ways than I had realized. Being able to meet more Devils in the Underworld seemed to have been a good thing for you, Ise. All of us have learned and advanced ourselves during our trip.”

Xenovia nodded in agreement.

Asia was still flushed from hearing Issei’s dream of having the greatest harem.

Akeno simply smiled as she watched all of us.

Yuuto shook her head at Issei’s shamelessness.

And Gasper-kun looked confused by Issei’s dream.

Then I spotted Koneko as entered the train carriage through the door at the far end.

She walked past Akeno and Rias before arriving at our seats. 

She glanced over at Asia and Issei before turning towards me. 

I figured that she would move back to her seat next to me so I shifted my position in my seat to better allow her past me.

She moved in front of me and paused.

I couldn’t see the expression on her face.

Then as I went to ask if something was wrong she climbed into my lap and sat with her back against my chest.

I froze.

I had moved my hands near her sides as a reflex while she sat down, and now I held them uselessly in the air.

She had moved so casually as she took a seat on me that I wondered if she somehow hadn't realized what she had done.

I saw that Yuuto was looking at both of us with her eyebrows lifted in surprise.

After a moment I was able to speak.

“K-Koneko-chan…. Why are you sitting in my lap?

She turned her head slightly so that she could look back at me.

Her face was expressionless as usual.

“...I wanted to sit closer to you, Yuki-senpai. We normally sit close together, so I figured that it would be fine. Is it not alright?” She asked

I glanced around the train car.

Asia was watching us with her head tilted in confusion.

Issei had his mouth open as he stared at us with bewilderment.

Xenovia was watching us as well, but she looked unperturbed.

Gasper-kun also didn't seem too shocked, and instead looked curious.

Akeno was watching Koneko with a knowing smirk that I didn’t understand.

Rias was watching with a single raised brow.

Everyone seemed as confused by her behavior as I was, besides Akeno, but that  might just be because she’s excited to have something new to tease us with.

I looked back at Koneko.

“I… I suppose it's alright. I don’t mind letting you sit on me if it makes you happy.”

She gave a small smile and nodded.

“Good,” She said before shifting herself closer against me as she got comfortable. “You’re comfortable to rest on.”

That made more sense to me.

She was a cat Youkai.

If she was comfortable around me and I was warm, then she would want to be closer.

I slowly moved my hands that had been hovering uselessly in the air to her sides rather than leave them suspended in the air.  

As I relaxed after my immediate shock, I moved my tails as I got more comfortable.

Two of them shifted to rest across her lap, to keep her from shifting too much.

I felt a hand run along one of my tails and froze again.

I quickly shook myself out of it as I reminded myself where I am and who I was with.

It was Koneko.

I trusted her and I was safe.

I was with my peerage.

I was fine.

She must have noticed something as she paused and turned her head towards me again.

“...Yuki-senpai? If you’re not alright with me sitting on your lap, I can move…” she said quietly.

“No, it's fine. I was just surprised by you touching my tails again. I don't mind if you do, I just hadn't expected it.” I replied, trying to ensure that my voice stayed level.

She studied my face for a moment.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m alright, Koneko-chan.”

She smiled faintly, muttered a small “Nyan”, and then turned to face forwards again.

I felt her shift against my tail’s fur again as she leaned on me like she was going to take a nap.

It took me a moment to realize the noise she had just made.

I didn’t think I had ever heard that from her before.

It was rather cute though.

Akeno, unfortunately, noticed all of it.

“My, my,” she said sweetly, “doesn’t that look comfortable?”

I looked up.

She was smiling in the way she would when she had found a new way to try and embarrass someone.

Akeno’s eyes moved from Koneko in my lap to the tails wrapped around her.

“I can see why Koneko-chan would want to be wrapped in Yuki-san’s tails. They are rather comfortable, aren’t they Koneko-chan?”

Koneko shifted and sent a small glare at Akeno, but didn't bother to respond.

Rias was watching the two of us more intently now for some reason.

She looked like she was confirming something to herself in her head.

Asia was watching us with a small pout.

Whether it was because my tails looked comfortable, or because she was envious of being near Koneko and her cat traits, I wasn't sure.

“Koneko-chan really likes Yuki-chan, doesn’t she? The two of them really have been close lately.” Akeno continued. 

I tilted my head slightly.

“We’ve always been close though,” I said.

Akeno’s smile widened.

“Well yes, but Koneko-chan is becoming more bold with—“

“Akeno-senpai, knock it off.” Koneko-chan said lowley, cutting Akeno off.

“Ara, there’s no need to get testy, Koneko-chan.” Akeno said with mock hurt in her voice. “But if Yuki-chan’s lap is open as a seat, I’d like to give it a try as well.”

She winked at me as she spoke.

“No, it’s my spot now.” Koneko said.

Akeno laughed softly.

“I don’t think you can claim Yuki-chan’s lap as your own like that.”

“...well I did.”

I looked at Rias for help with their bickering.

She looked away and hid a smile behind one hand.

I looked down at Koneko again.

Her cheeks looked a little pink now, probably because Akeno was teasing her directly.

I let out another breath.

The train kept moving.

Akeno and Koneko bickered for a short while longer before Akeno decided to tease Issei instead.

Things went back to how they were before Koneko had shocked everyone.

Issei returned to scrambling through his homework.

Asia kept trying to help.

Rias was looking over paperwork with a serious gaze.

Xenovia asked Issei questions in a way that sounded like heckling, but was just her being genuine in her curiosity.

Yuuto watched Koenko and I for a while longer before trying to give Issei homework advice.

Gasper-kun hesitantly joined into the conversation over homework and studying.

Koneko remained in my lap.

She had her eyes closed as she leaned against me, but she wasn't asleep.

She seemed content and had a small smile on her face.

Eventually the train slowed.

The station we had departed from came into view from the darkness of the tunnel after the dimensional gap.

We were back.

As people started gathering their things and standing, I loosened my tails from around Koneko and shifted enough to let her rise.

She did, though not immediately.

She lingered in my lap for a few moments before standing.

Then she stretched and offered me a hand that I took as I stood.

And like that, I went to exit the train and begin the second, much shorter, leg of our trip home.

Issei

The second the train stopped, I started shoving everything back into my bag.

The scattered pages of homework that I had finished and the unfinished and half-finished pages as well

I would have to sort through all of it again later, but right now I wanted to get off the train and head home

We were finally back in the human world.

We had arrived in the secret underground station beneath the local train station.

We would need to gather all of our luggage and head back up to the surface before we could head back to my house.

But we were practically home now.

I got out with everyone else, stretched a little, and felt relieved to be back somewhere familiar.

I turned to Asia who was next to me.

“We’ve finally arrived. It was definitely a memorable trip, but I'm ready to be back home again. Let’s go Asia, and–”

“Asia Argento… We finally met again.” A voice said, cutting me off.

A delicate looking man had approached and was moving closer to Asia.

Asia looked bewildered by the stranger approaching her.

“What do you want?” I asked, getting between Asia and the stranger.

I wouldn’t let anyone put a hand on Asia.

He looked past me to Asia with a sincere and earnest expression.

“Asia Argento,” he said softly. “Have you really forgotten me? I thought that our first meeting would have been unforgettable…”

I was starting to recognize this guy.

I had definitely seen him before, but couldn't place him.

He shifted his shirt and revealed a large scar.

Asia gasped as soon as she saw it.

“That scar, could it be…”

He nodded.

“Yes, it's me. My face was hidden when we met, but I am the Devil that you healed while you were still a holy maiden.”

Buchou stepped forward then.

“…Diodora Astaroth. It’s a pleasant surprise to see you so soon after the young Devil meeting.”

I realized who he was immediately after hearing his name.

He was the calm Devil drinking tea at the young Devil gathering while the others fought.

The one who’d already shown way too much interest in Asia then.

He smiled politely at Buchou.

“Yes. It’s wonderful to see you again, Rias Gremory.”

Then he returned all of his attention to Asia like the rest of us were background decorations.

“As your master said, my name is Diodora Astaroth. When you healed me, you didn't have time to remove the scar, but you surely saved my life.”

So he was the reason Asia was branded as a witch and excommunicated.

Because she had healed him and saved his life.

He took one of Asia’s hands and gingerly kissed the back of it.

I was about to smack him when his next words froze me in place.

“I wasn’t able to properly greet you when I saw you before at the meeting. I apologize for that, but I believe that us meeting again is fate. Asia Argento. Please marry me.”

The platform went silent.

Asia just stared at him.

So did I.

I don’t know if any of us knew what to think at that sudden proposal.

END OF VOLUME 4

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