DxD: The Truth of the World

CHAPTER 7

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"You all seriously don't remember her?"

Issei looked between his parents as he sat down to eat his breakfast on the dining table. Their mother hummed, placing a plate of steaming tamagoyaki in front of Issei while their father looked at the newspaper, barely glancing up.

"Ise, I don't mean to be offensive, but were you dreaming about it?"

"I'd say. If Ise really got a girlfriend before Ren, it’d honestly be a bit of a shock. Might even say our eldest failed as the standard-setting older brother."

"I'm literally sitting right here, Otou-san."

Ren's deadpan voice came from across the table as he looked through his phone.

"It was supposed to be heard, Ren. You’re twenty-five and still single—at this point, it’s starting to feel like a family crisis."

A twitch jolted from his eyebrow as he deflated.

"Y-You don't have to remind me..."

His eyes roamed to his parents and then to Issei before sighing. It looks like Gremory-san had done a thorough job and succeeded. All traces of Amano Yuuma were wiped clean from his family’s memory like she had never existed. Even their family's group chat that was filled with pictures of her was gone.

He felt the effects of the mind-wiping spell wash over him just hours before dawn; the spell failed on him, of course, as he could still recall the details of Yuuma... Or whatever her name really was as a Fallen Angel.

Still, as morbid as it is, it was funny watching Issei lose his mind over it. He frantically searched through his phone to try and fish out any evidence regarding his "girlfriend," but nothing came up.

He played along with everyone’s dismissal of her, trying not to look too suspicious. But Ren could tell that Issei was secretly relieved that it was all a "dream," even though his soul knew what had happened during the evening really happened.

Looks like his mind couldn’t handle the truth just yet; he'll keep it to himself for now until he has a talk with his "Master" regarding his "initiation."

Speaking about his "Master"...

"Ise, after classes, be ready. I need to bring you to some people to talk about certain things in the evening."

Issei blinked, mouth half-full with rice as he asked.

"...Huh? What kind of people, Nii-san?"

"Just keep your schedule open; I'll bring you there once my work is done."

Their mother, who had just set a bowl of miso soup in front of him, turned with a concerned look.

"Ren, are you sure you would rather not take a day off? You just came back from a long trip; you should take a break."

Hands together in silent prayer, Ren muttered a prayer and bowed his head slightly before beginning to eat. His reply came with a soft, reassuring tone.

"It's fine, really. I'm all right. But I do need to go to school today; there's something important that Issei and I have to take care of."

"Hopefully it’s not about his ecchi tendencies."

Their father muttered, setting his newspaper aside with a knowing sigh as Issei immediately objected.

"Hey! I’ll have you know I’ve been a gentleman for three whole days! It’s part of my meditation training with Matsuda and Motohama to heighten our spiritual senses to get x-ray vision!"

He clenched his fist dramatically.

"But... kuh! Not seeing any signs of boobs hurts my soul. Today, I will find a way to peek again!"

His declaration was met with a chorus of tired sighs around the table, with Ren rubbing his temples.

"Three days of self-control and he acts as if he scaled a mountain barefoot."

"Just don’t get expelled, Ise."

"Don’t worry, Okaa-san! I’ll peek for the honor of the Hyodo family!"

Otou-san silently shed a tear at the proclamation.

"Our honor died when we gave birth to you, Ise..."

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The school day dragged on, the hours ticking by slower than Ren would have liked.

He had classes with the 3-A class nearing the end of the school day, where the two heiresses resided, so he figured that it was best to deliver his message after the bell for his period had rung.

As the mathematics period ended, while gathering his teaching materials into his bag for the day, he paused for a moment to formulate his words before looking at the Gremory heir and her Queen who were politely getting ready for their next class.

"Gremory-san, Himejima-san."

He called out to both of them as they turned their attention to him. A few seats over, Shitori Souna and her fukukaicho, Shinra Tsubaki, listened in.

"Could I head over to your Occult Research clubroom once my work is over? Preferably in the evening before dinner. There's something I'd like to discuss: regarding a certain individual on the loose."

Shock flickered in their eyes for a brief moment as they understood the meaning behind his words before it quickly melted as the tension rose; the surrounding students remained unaware of the quiet shift that had just occurred in the classroom.

"Of course, Hyodo-sensei. You may come to the old school building at any time."

Rias was the first to respond, though her voice carried sharpness.

"Thank you, and I assume that Kaichou would join as well? The matters that I've noticed are rather sensitive, after all."

He looked over at the Sitri heiress, who nodded after a split second of hesitation.

"It is recommended that your club members be present during the quick meeting; I'd prefer if everyone involved should at least have an understanding of the situation."

The two Devil heiresses shared a quick glance at each other before Rias replied, her voice still firm.

"... Understood. Everyone will be there in the evening."

Satisfied, he gave a gentle smile to ease the tensions in the room.

"Good. I’ll be there with my brother, then."

Another ring of the bell was his cue to leave, so he gave brief nods to the four Devils in the classroom before leaving and heading toward the door.

In the hallway filled with teachers exiting and entering their respective classrooms, Ren let himself get a little further from the 3-A classroom before breathing a sigh of relief. That went rather well; he'd honestly expected that they'd pounce on him, seeing as their identities as Devils were blown.

... Though it may only be a one-time occurrence. If he had a nickel for every time he exposed a supernatural being's identity, he'd have three nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened thrice already.

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Impatiently tapping his feet, Ren looked at his watch before sighing. He clocked out just as the clock struck past five in the evening, and he had already sent a message to both Souna-kaicho and Issei to meet earlier beforehand.

It's now five-twenty, and Issei hasn't arrived yet.

Looking at the door leading to the old school building, he decided to just enter instead of waiting outside for Issei after texting him to enter straight once he arrived, though he noted that he wasn't online at all.

Slipping his phone back into his pocket, Ren reached for the handle and pushed the door open with a soft creak. The hallway beyond was dim, with the sunset shining through the dusty windows.

He did notice the layers of high-tier barriers that surrounded the building, but the first few were simply to direct the non-supernatural from the area, while the main barriers for protection against foreign magics were located closer to the heart of the building, where the Occult Research Club's main headquarters lay.

The inner protection barriers were no joke. It could 100% tank an atomic bomb if one so happens to detonate close to Kuoh Academy, and the clubroom would likely be the only thing left standing without a scratch to its paint job.

As expected from the Maous, they knew how to protect their siblings well.

Reaching the large double doors that led to the heart of the Occult Research Club, Ren took a quick breath before pushing them open.

The clubroom screamed Victorian style as soon as Ren stepped in.

The interior was warmly lit by candles, with wood panels serving as the floor. Victorian-style couches and high-backed chairs in crimson and gold were arranged elegantly along the walls, with a polished oak table standing in the center filled with teacups.

He did notice the bathroom behind an ornate folding screen at one side of the room and the large, glowing Gremory Family magic circle that pulsed softly, but his attention quickly shifted to the people who sat on the couches.

Rias Gremory sat elegantly on one side of the crimson couch, while Sona Sitri mirrored her on the opposite end. Behind Rias stood the Occult Research Club: Himejima Akeno, Kiba Yuuto, and Toujo Koneko.

Behind Sona, the Student Council members: Shinra Tsubaki, Hanakai Momo, Yura Tsubasa, Kusaka Reya, Meguri Tomoe, Nimura Ruruko, and Saji Genshirou.

"Thank you for agreeing to meet on short notice. I hope I haven’t interrupted anything important."

He apologized as he settled into the couch facing the two heiresses.

Rias gave a soft nod, hands folded over her lap, as Sona adjusted her glasses with a faint push of her fingers.

"It’s fine. We anticipated your arrival."

Before he could get a word in, the latest addition to the Student Council, Saji Genshirou, muttered out loud to Nimura Ruruko.

"I still can't believe Hyodo-sensei is a Devil."

Overhearing this, Ren couldn't help but clarify the mistake.

"Actually, Saji-san, no, I am not. I thought I just told you this morning during class; you need to get your facts right before confidently answering my questions."

The moment he spoke, several heads turned toward Saji, who shrank slightly at the sudden attention.

"A-Ah, right... my bad, sensei."

Saji muttered, scratching the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. The sound of soft giggles from the Student Council eased up the remaining tension in the room as with a starting point to begin, he continued, his gaze sweeping briefly over the room.

"To be clear, I'm human; I just know about the supernatural through someone close."

"May I ask who provided you with such information, Hyodo-sensei? The secret of the supernatural is a well-kept secret that has been sworn to remain concealed, revealed only to humans of cirmumstances."

Sona asked with interest, to which his lips curled up at the irony as he answered it without hesitation.

"Actually, it's someone that you know rather well—"

Rias Gremory suddenly stood up with a surprised expression on her face before darkening in rage.

"I apologize for cutting you, sensei, but your brother, Hyodo Issei, is being attacked as we speak."

The Occult Research Club members immediately reacted at the announcement of their King—Akeno's hands sparked, Kiba's smile fell, and Koneko's eyes narrowed.

Ren’s friendly expression vanished in an instant. His entire body tensed as he shot up from his seat.

"Explain."

"As his King, I can feel each of my Peerage members' vitals. Issei’s—it’s fluctuating rapidly and dipping down fast; someone is hunting him down—"

Her voice trailed off as she looked forward only to find no one sitting opposite her.

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By the time he realized it, it'd already pierced his stomach.

"C-Cough—"

Blood spilled out of his mouth, followed by an intense pain everywhere.

It hurts. It hurts so much!

He fell down on his knees on the spot, silently screaming as he could feel his insides burning. The pain spreads throughout his body, and it hurts so much that he might faint on the spot.

His eyes darted to the culprit who had been chasing him for the past half-hour. The man in front of him had a disgusted expression on his face, with black wings that reminded him of his dream about that date last night—

Issei looked down at the spear of light and tried to pull it out with his hand, but the pain spread to his hand as soon as his skin came in contact with it.

Shit, it’s hot. Scorching hot. His skin has been burnt somehow.

"Hggu... aaaahk."

The blood pooling in his throat was starting to choke him.

It hurts. It's suffocating. Why does it hurt so much?!

Footsteps came towards him, causing him to look up.

"It must hurt since the Light is poisonous to beings like you. I must admit, I thought a full-powered spear from me would be enough to kill you, but your body is tougher than I expected. So I'll strike you again, but this time I'll put a bit more Light into it to disintegrate every last cell of yours before it can regenerate."

His eyes drifted to the necklace that he was wearing... It was glowing a faint hue for some reason.

"I see, the necklace is kickstarting your kind's emergency regeneration."

Another spear of light manifests in his hand before, with a swift movement, blood splurts in the air as his chest is sliced open, and the necklace he wore is cut into two, dropping to the ground unconnected.

"Now, there's nothing else to delay the inevitable. Die."

The tip of the spear points at his face.

He's trying to finish him off. He's going to die if that hits him in the head.

Then, as his life flashed before his eyes, he heard a loud boom before—

SLICE!

Crying out in pain, the man with the black wings took a step back to grab the stump where his arm should have been, blood uncontrollably spewing like a fountain as the back of a familiar person appeared before him, holding onto a long sword.

Ah.

"N-Nii..."

He choked out as his eyes became blurry. But instead of the intense pain all over his body, the sight of the closest person in the world to him seemed to have made all the pain fade away.

As black spots started appearing in his vision, he saw the glow of that brilliant crimson that painted his dreams, the woman with long, luscious crimson hair running towards him.

"Ise, take a nap. Your big brother will handle everything."

Before his body gave up on him, Issei briefly caught his brother whispering something before his whole world went black.

"Per—so—na."