Okay, I used the first line so you can read it. If it's not too much trouble, could you go to my Patreon and donate for my breakfast? It's not an obligation, and I won't stop uploading; I'm just asking for a little help. Obviously, the Patreon is about five chapters ahead. Please be kind. Support this poor soul.
https://www.patreon.com/c/Panoli
-------
The Kuoh Academy gymnasium was unusually empty for a Friday afternoon. The double doors closed with a dull thud, isolating the compound from the rest of the human world.
In the center of the gleaming basketball court, two groups stood facing each other. On one side, the Occult Research Club, led by Rias Gremory's unmistakable crimson hair. On the other, the Student Council, headed by Sona Sitri's implacable demeanor and gleaming glasses.
The atmosphere was charged with the typical aristocratic rivalry of the Underworld, but for Issei Hyoudou, the air was simply unbreathable.
The brown-haired Pawn was sweating profusely, keeping a step behind Kiba. Asia Argento, recently integrated as Rias's Bishop, stood beside him, her school uniform immaculate and a calm smile that Issei couldn't quite grasp. How could she be so composed when he was in the room?
"It's a pleasure to see you, Sona," Rias greeted with a diplomatic smile, crossing her arms. "It seems we've both increased our numbers since last time."
"That's right, Rias," Sona replied, adjusting her glasses with meticulous elegance. "As tradition dictates, it's time to unveil our new pieces before tonight's event."
Rias nodded proudly. She stepped aside, gesturing to her two newest members.
—I present to you my new pieces. Issei Hyoudou, my Pawn. And Asia Argento, my new Bishop. Both have exceptional potential.
Issei puffed out his chest, trying to look intimidating in front of the Student Council. "Nice to meet you! I'll do my best!"
Sona nodded slightly, assessing the Gremory clan. Then, she gestured toward her own row. Tsubaki, Momo, Reya, Tomoe, and Tsubasa stepped back, ceding the spotlight to the newcomers.
—For my part—Sona began, with a hint of tactical pride—, the Sitri clan has incorporated four new Pawns.
Saji Genshirou stepped forward, bowing deeply. "I am Saji Genshirou! Sona-kaichou's pawn! It's an honor, Gremory-senpai!"
Issei and Saji locked eyes. The spark of rivalry between the two perverted idiots ignited almost immediately.
"And the rest of my Pawns..." Sona sighed softly, glancing toward the gym entrance. "They're a little late, as is their custom."
The gym doors suddenly opened.
Issei tensed. Kiba lowered his hand to the invisible hilt of his sword. Even Rias held her breath for a fraction of a second.
Yugo Hano entered the gymnasium. His dark suit was immaculate, his glasses gleamed under the halogen lights, and his face wore that gray, apathetic expression that seemed to drain the room's cheerfulness. However, any aura of cosmic terror that the "Demon of Discipline" might project was completely ruined by his peculiar mode of transportation.
Straddling the professor's shoulders, her legs dangling from either side of his neck and clutching his hair as if she were riding a roller coaster, was Ruruko Nimura. The energetic first-year student beamed from ear to ear.
"We're here, Kaichou!" Ruruko shouted, raising a fist in the air from her vantage point. "Sensei walks so fast! It's the best mode of transportation in the world!"
But that wasn't all. Under Yugo's right arm, held by the waist and hanging upside down like a very depressed sack of potatoes, was a black-haired girl dressed in an academy tracksuit.
Issei's eyes widened. His heart stopped.
"Y-Yuuma-chan?!" the chestnut-haired boy squealed, stumbling backward and pointing at the woman hanging from the professor's arm. "Buchou! It's her! It's the Fallen Angel!"
Raynare, her face red with humiliation and her hair fluttering towards the ground, looked up and glared at Issei.
"Don't call me that, worm!" growled the former assassin, trying to kick her legs in vain. "And put me down now, you damn gorilla with glasses! I'm dizzy!"
Yugo walked over and stopped beside Sona. With a fluid motion, he dropped Raynare to the ground. The former faller landed hard with an indignant groan. Then, the teacher raised a hand and tapped Ruruko on the knee.
—Get down, goblin. You're heavy.
Ruruko leaped nimbly, landing on her feet next to Saji with a radiant smile. "Thank you for the ride, Hano-sensei!"
Sona cleared her throat, trying to ignore the absurd comedy she had just witnessed.
"As I was saying," Sona continued, looking at a stunned Rias, "my other three Pawns. Ruruko Nimura. Raynare... a 'deserter' I decided to rehabilitate. And our history teacher, Yugo Hano."
Issei's jaw nearly hit the floor. He glanced at Raynare, the assassin who had stabbed him, now sitting on the ground, rubbing her head and wearing athletic wear, completely subdued. Then he looked at the teacher. Yugo simply adjusted his glasses and stared back at Issei with such a profound emptiness that the Gremory Pawn felt his blood run cold.
Issei swallowed hard, crossing his arms over his stomach in a protective gesture, and decided not to ask any more questions. The monster had his assassin as a pet. That was all he needed to know to stay away.
Asia, meanwhile, broke formation and took a few steps towards Yugo, with a sweet smile.
—Good afternoon, Yugo-san! How was your morning shift at the store?
Yugo's mask of absolute ice cracked a millimeter. His dead gaze softened slightly, taking on the weary hue of an older brother. He no longer felt the need to be cruel to her in public to push her away.
"Relax, Asia," Yugo replied, his tone, though monotonous, lacking any hostility. "Kalawarner broke a bottle of soy sauce, but other than that, everything's fine. Are you settling into the club?"
—Yes! Rias-san and everyone else are very kind to me —the golden nun agreed.
Rias blinked, still not used to seeing the destructive anomaly behave in such a... civilized manner.
Akeno watched the interaction from behind. A genuine, warm smile touched her lips. She knew the truth. She knew that behind those glasses and that alien watch was Jose. Her violet eyes met Yugo's gray ones. He looked at her for a second longer than necessary, a small, subtle, silent acknowledgment before turning his gaze to Sona. The shared secret was an invisible thread connecting them amidst all that demonic bureaucracy.
"Very well, introductions aside," Rias interjected, resuming her commanding tone. "The purpose of this meeting. Tonight's full moon marks the period when the Familiar Master, Zatouji, will open the Forest."
Sona crossed her arms. "Exactly. And as you know, Rias, Zatouji is a purist. He only agrees to lead one group of nobility at a time, once a month. Both clans have new members who need familiars to stabilize their magical abilities."
Issei timidly raised his hand. "F-Family? Like magical pets?"
"Exactly, Ise-kun," Akeno explained, taking a step forward in her characteristic flirtatious tone, though her gaze still sought Yugo's out of the corner of her eye. "A familiar is a companion that helps you in combat, distribute contracts, or perform reconnaissance tasks. I have small lightning spirits. Buchou has a bat."
Ruruko jumped for joy. "Ohhh! I want a giant wolf! Or a tiger!"
"I want a dragon that spits acid to burn this human's face..." Raynare muttered from the ground, glaring at Yugo.
"You'll have a parrot and you'll be content with that, cashier," Yugo replied without looking at her.
Sona coughed slightly. "The problem is who's going tonight. We have four new Pawns. Rias has Issei and Asia."
"We need it more," Rias argued. "Asia needs a defensive familiar to protect herself while she heals, and Issei desperately needs some tactical support."
"My Pawns also require stabilization," Sona countered, with a sharp smile. "Ruruko is too impulsive. Raynare needs a conduit for her magic now that she's a demon. And Hano-sensei... well, Hano-sensei is a special case, but rules are rules."
Yugo raised a hand, interrupting the aristocratic debate.
"Sona, I told you in the office. I don't need a magic dog. I already have a whole zoo on my left wrist. Leave the forest to the Crimson Princess and let's get this over with; I have inventory to check."
Rias looked at Yugo, inwardly relieved that he was giving in.
But Sona Sitri frowned. A spark of stubborn competitiveness and pride (and perhaps a little frustration at her fiancé's apathy) flashed in her eyes.
"No, Yugo," Sona declared, turning to him. "You are my Pawn, and a familiar will help channel your demonic energy so you aren't solely dependent on the clock. We will go to the forest if we earn the right to do so."
Rias smiled, accepting the challenge. "As student tradition dictates, Sona. An event to decide who gets this month's pass."
"A game of dodgeball," Sona proposed, adjusting her glasses. "Human rules. No destructive magic. No flying. The team that eliminates the other wins the right to go to the Forest of the Familiars."
Issei bumped fists. "Dodgeball! That's what I'm good at! Get ready to lose, Saji!"
Saji growled, getting into a fighting stance. "We'll see about that, you pathetic pervert!"
Yugo Hano looked at the rubber ball Momo had just taken from the gym's storage room. Then he looked at Sona. Then at Rias. Finally, he looked up at the ceiling, inwardly pleading for patience.
He was a man who had incinerated one of Kokabiel's envoys with plasma fire, who battled a parasitic entity in his subconscious, and who carried the trauma of ten years of urban survival. And now, two heirs to the thrones of the Underworld were going to settle a territorial dispute by tossing a colorful rubber ball at each other.
"Anime is a curse," Yugo thought, taking off his suit jacket and throwing it onto the bleachers with a sigh of utter surrender. He loosened his tie and rolled up the sleeves of his white shirt.
"Alright," Yugo said, walking to his team's line and standing next to an excited Ruruko and an annoyed Raynare. "Let's make this quick. If you hit me in the face, I'm going to burn the gym down."
Akeno, from the Gremory side, let out a crystalline giggle as she watched Jose preparing for a simple school game. The Vice President took her position, subtly licking her lips.
"Ara, ara, Hano-sensei..." Akeno purred, holding the ball. "I promise to aim slowly."
Yugo adjusted his glasses, his gray gaze meeting hers in a silent, almost amused understanding. The block of ice hadn't completely shattered in public, but it was definitely melting at the edges.
The war for the Forest of the Familiars had just begun with a whistle.
...
Tsubaki's final whistle echoed through the Kuoh Academy gymnasium, marking the end of what, legally speaking, had been a dodgeball game, but in practice resembled a tactical firing squad more closely.
Issei Hyoudou lay face down on the court, letting out agonized groans, a red, ball-shaped mark imprinted on his back. A few feet away, Kiba tried to catch his breath, leaning on his knees, while Koneko rubbed her arm, genuinely bewildered at having been outmatched in brute strength and speed.
Team Gremory had been completely wiped out.
On the Student Council side, victory was absolute. Ruruko Nimura celebrated by jumping up and down with her arms raised. Saji boasted loudly about having managed to hit Issei, ignoring the fact that the true architect of the annihilation had been the relentless coordination of the Sitri formation. Even Raynare, still wearing her gym clothes, had an arrogant smile on her face; the hellish training the "manager" had put them through to "avoid dying" had transformed Sona's Pawns into a terrifying military unit.
And at the back of the court, hands in his pockets and not a single bead of sweat on his brow, stood Yugo Hano. The teacher adjusted his glasses, surveying the mess with utter apathy.
Sona Sitri crossed her arms, flashing a smile of aristocratic superiority that she didn't bother to hide.
"I think the results speak for themselves, Rias," Sona said, her icy tone masking the immense pride she felt in her nobility and, in particular, in the efficiency of her human fiancé. "The right to visit the Forest of Relatives this month belongs to the Student Council."
Rias Gremory sighed, closing her eyes in resignation. She couldn't blame her servants; the Sitri's mobility and tactics had evolved monstrously in the past week.
"A fair victory, Sona," Rias conceded, though frustration tinged her voice. "We'll have to wait until the next full moon."
Issei struggled to his feet, rubbing his back. "Damn it! I wanted a cool dragon!"
But Yugo wasn't paying attention to the brunette's complaints or Sona's smiles. His gray eyes had drifted toward the losing team's bench.
Asia Argento stood holding a clean towel for Issei. The golden nun maintained a smile on her face, trying to be the perfect moral support she always was. She approached Rias and the others with words of encouragement.
"You all did a great job!" Asia encouraged sweetly. "It was an amazing game!"
But Yugo knew her. He knew every microexpression of the girl who had slept in his back room and healed his soul. He could see Asia's shoulders slump a fraction of a millimeter. He could see the flicker of sadness and despair in her emerald eyes. She wanted a familiar. She wanted a small magical creature to help her be useful, not a burden to Rias or to Yugo himself in future battles. Her dream of becoming a "Full Bishop" had just been postponed for a whole month.
Asia clenched her fists on her skirt and looked down at the wooden floor, biting her lower lip so as not to ruin the atmosphere.
On Yugo's chest, the block of ice that had been his only defense for a decade cracked violently. The "Demon of Discipline" felt utter contempt for canon and factions, but he hated seeing Asia sad even more.
At that moment, a magic circle glowed in the center of the court, and a thick cloud of white smoke dissipated to reveal the event organizer.
He was a peculiar man, dressed in an outfit consisting of shorts, a sleeveless jacket, fingerless gloves, and a backwards cap. He carried an enormous backpack and a bug-catching net in his hand.
"Greetings, young demons!" the man shouted with overflowing enthusiasm. "I am Zatouji, the Master of Familiars! I have come to take the winning team to the Forest and trap them—I mean, help them find their companions! I see that the Sitri Clan is the lucky one tonight!"
Rias stepped forward, her tone diplomatic. "Zatouji-dono, I know the rules are strict, but my new servants need to stabilize their auras. Isn't there any way to make an exception and allow both clans to attend? We'll pay double the entrance fee."
Zatouji crossed his arms forming a giant "X".
"Absolutely impossible, Princess Gremory!" the expert declared, shaking his head vehemently. "The ecosystem of the Forest of Familiars is extremely delicate. If too many demonic auras enter at once, the monsters will be startled and the balance will be disrupted. The rules are absolute! Only one clan per full moon!"
Issei grunted in frustration. Rias lowered her gaze, accepting defeat, and Asia let out a tiny, sad sigh.
That was it.
The footsteps echoed on the gym floor, slow but heavy.
The entire Sitri nobility, and Raynare in particular, tensed instantly. They recognized that gait.
Yugo Hano advanced until he stood right between the two clans, stopping a couple of meters from the cheap imitation of a Pokémon trainer. The history professor raised his left arm. The black plate of the recalibrated Omnitrix gleamed under the gym lights.
Zatouji blinked, confused by the presence of a human in a suit amidst the demons. "And who are you, friend? The gym teacher?"
Yugo didn't deign to answer. His gray eyes stared at the man with utter emptiness. With a curt movement, he turned the dial of his watch. The silhouette of the crystal giant passed, the sprinter passed, and it stopped on an immense mass of reptilian muscles.
It crushed the core.
¡FLASH!
The radioactive emerald light exploded in the gymnasium, forcing those present to shield their eyes. The sound of bones restructuring and flesh expanding filled the air, but this time, without the agonizing screams of pain of the past.
When the light dissipated, the shadow cast upon Zatouji was simply titanic.
Rias Gremory gasped, taking two steps back. Issei fell on his buttocks, screaming in pure terror. Kiba drew his sword out of pure instinct for survival, though his hands trembled. None of the Gremorys had seen this form during the incident in the park or at the church.
Facing the cheap Ash Ketchum knock-off was a monstrosity nearly five meters tall. A dark brown, humanoid dinosaur with bony plates on its back and arms that resembled armored oak trunks. The creature's musculature was so dense and colossal that the gym's ceiling beams looked small in comparison.
Humungousaur lowered his massive, reptilian head, exhaling a hot, heavy breath that ruffled Zatouji's hair. The Familiar Master, who seconds before had been brimming with confidence, was now paralyzed, pale as a sheet of paper, the bug-net trembling in his hand.
The adult Vaxasaurian extended one of its gigantic, three-clawed hands, each claw the size of a short sword, and grabbed Zatouji by the collar of his vest. With the same ease with which a human would pick up a kitten, Yugo hoisted the specialist into the air until his eyes were level with its immense jaws.
"Listen to me carefully, you cheap Ash Ketchum knock-off," Humungousaur's voice echoed through the gym like cavernous thunder, vibrating in the guts of every demon present. "My student wants a damn familiar."
Zatouji swallowed loudly, his feet stamping in the air. "B-But the ecosystem...! The rules say...!"
The dinosaur's jaws opened slightly, revealing rows of massive teeth capable of crushing rocks.
"The only ecosystem you should be worried about right now is my digestive tract," the Vaxasaur snarled, his tone devoid of any sense of humor, distilling a murderous intent so thick the air in the gymnasium turned icy. "So I'm going to ask you politely just once. Both clans are going tonight. Is that a problem?"
Zatouji looked at the monster's teeth, then looked at his own shorts, and instantly reconsidered the entire structure of his professional values.
"None at all!" Zatouji squealed, nodding frantically at an absurd speed. "In fact, I've checked my ecological calculations and discovered that two clans are exactly the perfect number to maintain the forest's magical biodiversity! It will be an honor to guide you all! Catch them all, I mean, lead them all!"
Humungousaur held him in the air for another second, gauging his level of sincerity through his terror, and finally, dropped him to the ground. Zatouji landed on his rear end, clutching his backpack like a shield.
The brown colossus raised his enormous hand to his own chest and pressed the Omnitrix symbol.
¡FLASH!
The five-meter giant disappeared, and Yugo Hano materialized again, adjusting his glasses and brushing some invisible dust off his shirt lapel.
The room remained in stunned silence.
Rias and her peerage stared at the professor with a mixture of cosmic horror and profound confusion. Issei was hugging his knees on the floor, convinced that his history teacher was, in fact, a final boss from a video game.
Akeno, who had covered her mouth with the sleeve of her uniform to hide a laugh of wonder, looked at her Jose. Seeing the man who used to be an unyielding block of ice threatening to devour an Underworld specialist just because Asia had pouted in sadness made the Thunder Priestess's heart leap with pure devotion.
Yugo paid no attention to the terrified stares of the Gremory clan. He turned to his own clan and looked at Sona.
The Student Council President rubbed the bridge of her nose, sighing with the resignation of a woman trying to control a hurricane. She knew it wasn't worth discussing demonic diplomacy with him when it came to Asia.
"I guess the transport logistics just doubled," Sona murmured, though a small, unavoidable smile graced her lips.
Yugo ignored his King and directed his grey wells towards the Gremory bank.
Asia stared at him, her eyes wide, her cheeks flushed a deep crimson, her smile so bright it almost hurt to look at her. She knew perfectly well what he had just done, and why he had done it.
The professor adjusted his tie and looked at her with his usual stoicism, although his tone of voice, imperceptibly softer, betrayed him.
—Go get your things, Asia. We're going to the forest.
"Yes, Yugo-san!" replied the golden nun, giving a small jump of joy and running to get her backpack, while the rest of the gym slowly assimilated that the rules of the Underworld had just been rewritten by a five-meter dinosaur.