(Rias POV)
It was a new day, but Rias wasn't feeling any better. Her Pawn was currently sleeping soundly in the bedroom attached to the clubroom with Asia beside him.
The former Holy Priestess of the church refused to budge from his bedside. She had exhausted herself in trying to alleviate her crush's pain, but to no avail. The wound he had suffered wasn't physical nor spiritual, but Asia kept at it. Finally, she collapsed beside Issei, her face caked with dried tears.
Rias stood there and gazed at the prone figures of her Pawn and Bishop. The two of them were hunted down for their powerful sacred gears and murdered. Luckily, Rias had been there to pick up the pieces. She brought Issei and Asia back to life using the Evil Pieces bequeathed to her and happily added them to her peerage. Her family. Her cute Pawn and Bishop. She did that purely out of her desire to save their lives. She kept telling that to herself, tried convincing the voice in her heart but could not overpower the pointed accusation needling her.
She is a monster.
She is a monster who had taken advantage of two innocent and naïve humans with godly gifts and twisted the circumstances to meet her desires. She wanted their sacred gears. She needed their power to combat Riser's experienced peerage. She did not care if she had to sacrifice their humanity to escape the bonds of her contract with the Phenex clan.
Her parents never cared. Her brother was out being the greatest devil to ever exist.
What about her?
Who's going to save her?
The door to the clubhouse shut with an audible click and Rias snapped out of her daze. She blinked and shook her head, willing the voice to go away. She glanced at their prone figures and exited the room.
It was a few hours before the commencement of their classes. The curtains were open, providing her a view of the school obscured by the reaching trees. The sunlight flitted through the trees and cast swaying shadows on the couch and floor. Koneko made herself comfortable on the long couch, her hands clenched into tiny fists capable of bringing this building to the ground. She was completely engulfed by the shadows.
Her face was angled downwards and her golden orbs were obscured by her growing bangs.
She would need a haircut soon, Rias mused as she made her way towards her Rook. Koneko did not seem surprised by the High-class devil's presence and relaxed her shoulders a bit in her proximity.
"They are all right Koneko. The two of them are just tired.", Rias answered the nekoshou's concern even before it being voiced. She knew the little girl too well. Her Rook might be stoic and come off as uncaring, but she had a heart of gold filled to the brim with compassion and camaraderie.
Koneko nodded silently but did not speak. Silence blanketed over them and Rias looked at her Rook with increasing pity.
"Adamas-" she did not complete her question, and the reaction was instant; the 1st year's pupils dilated and tiny tremors racked her body. She crossed her arms around herself and Rias immediately gathered her tiny frame into her comely body. She wrapped her arms around her and squeezed her tightly. The King ran soothing circles on her Rook's back, her instincts taking over.
It took a while, but her Rook calmed down. Rias was used to this and took pleasure in it. She loved taking care of her peerage. All of them had some sort of baggage and sleep would evade them. Guilt and fear were their intimate companions after all.
"Better?", she whispered and Koneko nodded against her chest. Soon, the nekoshou pulled back and looked up at Rias, her golden eyes dull with fatigue. Rias simply laid her down on the couch and ran circles on her Rook's forehead. The motion was smooth and soft, lulling her to sleep.
Rias gazed at her sleeping form and sighed.
(Sometime later)
Classes were underway, but Rias did not care about it. She never really cared about grades as school for her was simply a pasttime. However, she took care to maintain her flawless image in front of her classmates and faculty, for she was the heir to the noble house of Gremory.
She had pulled some strings to have Akeno with her in the same class, her constant companion and best friend. However, a cloud seemed to have settled over her dear Queen's beautiful face. Rias simply sighed and let her good friend be. Akeno would rather prefer to stew in her own thoughts and reach a conclusion than consult Rias regarding anything. Not healthy, but that was how Akeno worked. Normally, Rias would have badgered her till Akeno caved in with half-hearted grumbles, but the Gremory wasn't in the mood today.
The bell rang and she got up from her seat, quickly making her way towards the Student Council. Of course, she did not forget to politely wave back any greetings sent her way. She barged into the Student Council room as if it were her own home. Sona simply glanced at the intruder before resuming her work. Tsubaki too jolted for a second before reaching out to pour the Gremory a glass of tea.
"Well? What can I do for you Rias?", Sona cut straight to the point and Rias pouted a bit at that. It might seem curt, but that's how the Sitri rolled. She did not look up from whatever she was doing and Rias simply plopped down on the seat opposite to the President and thanked Tsubaki for the tea.
"Could it not be that I simply missed my dear friend and came to say hi?", Rias sipped her tea and let out a defensive statement. Sona saw right through her as always and Rias sighed. It seemed like she has been doing that a lot these days.
"It's Adamas Phenex", Rias mumbled on the rim of the cup. Tsubaki simply stood to the side and remained silent as her King looked up from her work and enquired. "What about him? Did he make some demands?", the president's glasses flashed menacingly and Rias sweat dropped there. Way to jump to conclusions.
"Nothing of that sort. It's just that he's here at school and Koneko is scared of him." 'So is everyone in my peerage to some degree' went unsaid but she did not want to expose that point of weakness to her rival.
Sona frowned, her eyebrows bunching. She asked Rias, confused. "What is he doing here?". The bespectacled president set her pen down and fully focused on Rias. The bewildered look on her face shocked Rias.
'She didn't know?'
How did Adamas even join this school?