Fun In Highschool DxD World

Izashi gently held Asia's hand, feeling its warmth returning as her emerald-green eyes slowly fluttered open. The room was dimly lit, casting long shadows across the walls of the Occult Research Club's room. Asia blinked a few times, her gaze fixing on Izashi, who was standing next to her.

"Emm..." Asia's voice was soft, almost timid as she stared at him with confusion. "Where am I? And... who are you?" Her tone carried the uncertainty of someone who had just woken up from a deep, disorienting sleep. Everything around her felt unfamiliar. This definitely wasn't the church where she had last been, and she was certain she had never seen this man before.

Izashi smiled kindly, trying not to overwhelm her. "You're in the Occult Research Club," he said in a calm, reassuring tone. "As for why you're here... I think it's better if someone else explains that to you."

Asia's brows furrowed. "Someone else? Who?" she asked, tilting her head in confusion. She looked at him, expecting an answer, but Izashi merely gave a small, knowing smile and motioned for her to follow him.

"Come with me," he said simply, leading her out of the room and down the hallway.

As they descended the staircase, Asia's eyes widened when she caught sight of someone familiar standing by the entrance of the clubroom. "Issei-san!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with a mixture of surprise and joy. She rushed toward him without hesitation, enveloping him in a tight hug. The last thing she remembered was Issei bravely fighting the exorcists at the church, and despite knowing he was a devil, her gratitude and affection for him hadn't diminished in the slightest.

Issei, caught off guard by her sudden embrace, chuckled awkwardly. "H-Hey, Asia... I'm glad you're okay."

Asia pulled back slightly from the hug, her face bright with relief. "Thank God you're alright, Issei-san—" She winced suddenly, her hands shooting up to cradle her head as a sharp, stabbing pain shot through her mind. "Owwww…" she groaned, confused by the sudden headache.

Issei, seeing her in pain, quickly moved to support her, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Asia, don't pray!" he said urgently. "That's why you're feeling pain. You can't pray to God anymore... you're a devil now."

Asia blinked in disbelief, staring up at Issei. "A devil...?" Her mind raced, trying to comprehend what he was saying. But her faith was strong, and without thinking, she began to pray again. "Oh Lord, please forgive me for this grievous sin—"

Before she could finish, the same agonizing pain shot through her head once more. She clutched her temples, tears welling up in her eyes. "Owwwww..." she whimpered.

Izashi, who had been standing nearby, spoke up, his voice gentle but firm. "You need to stop praying, Asia. The more you pray, the worse the pain will become. It's part of being a devil now."

Asia, still in shock, gave a small, shaky nod. She bowed her head lightly toward Izashi, wincing slightly. "I-I don't understand," she said, her voice trembling. "Why... why am I a devil now? When I was awake before, I was still human…"

Izashi crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall, his expression softening. "When the Fallen Angels extracted your Sacred Gear, you died," he explained calmly. "Even after we put the Sacred Gear back inside you, it wasn't enough to revive you. So, I asked my sister, Rias, to use her Evil Pieces to bring you back as a devil."

Asia's eyes widened in shock, her hands flying to her chest as if to feel for some sign that her heart was still beating. "Revived... as a devil?" she whispered, almost as if speaking the words would somehow make it less real. She was silent for a moment, trying to process everything she had just heard. Then, with wide, innocent eyes, she asked a question that took everyone by surprise.

"Can I... Can I ever become human again?"

The room fell silent, everyone turning their attention to Izashi, curious about how he would respond. Even Kuroka, who had been quietly watching the exchange, now seemed intrigued.

Izashi didn't hesitate, shrugging as if the answer was obvious. "No, you can't go back to being human. And if you're going to complain about being a devil, then you should direct that complaint to him." He pointed a thumb over his shoulder at Issei, who looked like he wanted to crawl under a rock. "He's the one who begged me to revive you."

Asia turned to Issei, her expression a mixture of confusion and gratitude. "Issei-san…?"

Issei rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly, avoiding her gaze. "I-I couldn't let you die, Asia... I had to save you."

Asia's confusion didn't fade completely, but she understood Issei's intentions. She smiled weakly, feeling a mixture of emotions swirling within her—gratitude for being alive, but also sadness for losing her humanity.

Izashi, meanwhile, had his attention elsewhere. He walked over to where Koneko and Kuroka were standing. Koneko's face had a mixture of curiosity and confusion, and as he approached, he overheard their conversation.

"Kuroka-nee-san," Koneko began hesitantly, "when you were using Senjutsu earlier, I sensed a lot of hate inside you. It wasn't just you—I could feel hate in the chakra around us too. It was... overwhelming."

Kuroka sighed softly, her expression turning serious. "What you felt was the hatred that exists in the natural energy around us, nya. It's always there, but with time and practice, you'll learn to ignore it. Don't worry—I'll help you learn how to deal with it, nya~." She gave her sister a reassuring smile.

Koneko nodded, though it was clear she still had mixed feelings about it. She had always been reluctant to fully embrace her Senjutsu powers, fearing the negative emotions they might bring out in her. Still, with Kuroka back in her life, maybe she could finally confront those fears.

As Izashi approached, Kuroka immediately dropped to one knee, bowing her head low. "Thank you, Master," she purred. "Thank you for everything, nya~."

Izashi chuckled and patted her on the head. "Alright, alright. You don't have to be so formal. Spend some time with Koneko. You two have a lot of catching up to do."

Kuroka smiled brightly at his words, and Koneko gave a small, reluctant smile of her own.

Meanwhile, Kiba had quietly slipped out of the room, not having much else to do. Izashi, feeling the weight of the day catching up with him, decided it was time for some rest. He made his way to his private room, where Rias and Akeno were already fast asleep. The two girls were curled up comfortably on either side of the bed, their breathing soft and even.

Izashi slipped into the bed between them, carefully pulling them both closer. Rias murmured something unintelligible in her sleep, snuggling against his chest, while Akeno simply smiled and rested her head on his shoulder. With both of them in his arms, Izashi closed his eyes, letting sleep claim him.

---

The next day, Izashi found himself sitting in the Occult Research Club's main room, a cup of tea in his hand. Across from him sat Issei, who looked like he was about to break into a cold sweat at any moment. The events at the church were still fresh in Issei's mind, and he couldn't shake the feeling of nervousness as he faced Izashi, especially after witnessing his incredible power firsthand.

Izashi took a casual sip of his tea before speaking, his tone light but pointed. "So, Issei... After everything that happened at the church, you've probably realized the gap in power between yourself and the rest of the group, haven't you?"

Issei nodded slowly, swallowing hard. The painful truth was that the difference in strength between him and the others was glaring. He had seen Kiba and Koneko holding their own against multiple enemies, while he had struggled just to keep up. Koneko had fended off three Fallen Angels for several minutes, and Kiba had been overwhelmed but never overpowered. Issei, on the other hand, had only managed to win by pushing his Boosted Gear beyond its limits—and he was still feeling the aftereffects.

Izashi set his teacup down, watching Issei closely. "You probably boosted to your absolute limit, maybe even beyond it, to finish off that Fallen Angel. Your body must be in a lot of pain right now."

Issei winced, nodding again. "Y-Yeah... I can barely move without everything hurting."

Izashi smirked slightly. "Well, here's some advice. Your muscles are going to rebuild themselves after being pushed so hard, and if you start working out now, they'll grow back even stronger than before." He leaned back in his chair. "Look up a full-body training regimen online. Start working on your strength, and don't leave any part of your body out."

Issei gulped, feeling both determined and overwhelmed. He had never trained seriously in his life, and the thought of it was intimidating. But he knew Izashi was right—if he didn't start training now, he would never be strong enough to protect those he cared about.

Izashi's gaze sharpened as he continued. "You've talked to the entity inside your Sacred Gear, right? It must have sensed the presence of Divine Dividing at the church."

Issei nodded, feeling a chill run down his spine. "Yeah... Ddraig said it was our destiny to fight."

Izashi sighed. "It's because Ddraig and Albion—the dragon in Divine Dividing—used to be rivals. Their fights have been passed down through generations of Sacred Gear users. But forget about that for now. Let's focus on what matters."

He leaned forward, his eyes locking onto Issei's with intensity. "Don't you want to get stronger, Issei? Don't you want to protect Asia? Or are you willing to let her die again?"

Issei's eyes widened, his heart pounding in his chest. The thought of losing Asia again sent a wave of panic through him, and he clenched his fists. "NO!" he shouted, his voice filled with desperation.

Izashi nodded, satisfied with the response. "Then train. Train harder than you ever have before. This is your chance to become strong, Issei. Don't waste it."

Issei, despite the pain in his body, bowed his head in gratitude. "T-Thank you, Izashi-senpai… I'll do my best."

Izashi smirked, leaning back in his chair. "Good. Now get to work."