The club meeting wasn't held in the old school building, but rather in what had become their new makeshift headquarters: the Hyoudou residence. The atmosphere was much more relaxed; the aroma of Akeno's tea mingled with the scent of home-cooked food wafting from the kitchen.
Rias, Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko were sitting in the living room with Asia and the three fallen angels, all trying to act as civilly as possible under the same roof. Issei was presiding over the meeting from the sofa, trying to organize the upcoming patrols, when the door suddenly flew open.
"Kids! Sorry to interrupt, but I found something you're going to love," Issei's mother announced with a radiant smile, carrying a worn leather photo album. "Since Issei has so many new friends now, I thought you might like to learn a little more about his... 'history.'"
Issei felt a chill run down his spine. That album was a relic of pure terror.
"Mom, no!" Issei exclaimed, jumping up. "We're in the middle of something important!"
"Don't be modest, Issei-kun," Rias said, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "I'd love to see pictures of you as a child."
Issei's mother ignored her son's protests and opened the photo album on the coffee table. Instantly, the group crowded around to look. There it was: a five-year-old Issei, running around the garden completely naked with a hose in his hand; and another picture of him dressed as a ballerina at a school festival with an expression of utter confusion.
"Ara, ara! You were so cute, Issei-kun," Akeno remarked, letting out a mischievous giggle as she pointed at the photo of the hose. "I see your exhibitionist nature goes way back."
"Issei-san looked so cute!" Asia exclaimed, her cheeks flushed. "Look at this little hat!"
Issei was pale, staring at the photos in horror. But beyond the embarrassment, a question began to hammer in his head. He vividly remembered going down to the basement months ago to hide that album under three toolboxes and an old tarp, precisely to avoid this scenario.
"How...?" Issei wondered, as a cold sweat trickled down the back of his neck. "I hid it behind the boiler myself. There's no way I found it by chance."
"Mom..." Issei asked, his voice trembling. "Where did you get that album? I had... kept it safe."
His mother simply winked at him with a strangely sly expression.
"A mother's instinct never fails, son. Besides, someone gave me a clue as to where she was."
Issei glanced toward the corner of the room. Raynare was pretending to be very interested in a plant, but she had a tiny, wicked smile on her lips.
Issei's face went through every shade of red as his friends flipped through the pages of the album. But the real disaster began when a mechanical jewel resonated: due to everyone's close proximity and the relaxed atmosphere, Ddraig's voice filtered through the gauntlet's gem for all to hear.
"Impressive, partner!" boomed the deep, vibrant voice of the Red Dragon Emperor. "I see your 'frontal unarmored assault' technique began at a very young age. That picture with the hose shows a confidence even Raiser Phoenix would envy. A true warrior hides nothing!"
"Ddraig, shut up!" Issei shouted, trying to cover his left arm, but it was too late.
"Oh my God! The Dragon can see the photos too!" Asia exclaimed, covering her mouth in surprise.
Rias turned to the next page, finding a picture of Issei at eight years old, crying inconsolably because he had dropped his ice cream on a swimsuit magazine he had found on the street.
—"Ah, the beginning of your path of pain and desire!" Ddraig continued with a tone of solemn respect. "Even then, you already lamented the loss of high-quality visual material. Your determination to retrieve that magazine from the puddle was your first step toward becoming the Sekiryuutei."
"That's not how it was! I was just sad about the ice cream!" Issei defended himself, while Matsuda and Motohama (who had magically appeared at the window to spy) made mental notes for future blackmail.
Akeno let out a crystal-clear laugh, pointing to a photo where Issei was trying to impress a neighborhood girl by striking a superhero pose that ended with him falling into a flowerbed.
—"That face-landing technique is legendary," Ddraig remarked sarcastically. "You trained hard to withstand straight punches, even though back then they were against pavement and not demon fists."
Rias gently closed the album, looking at Issei with a tenderness that made him want to disappear underground.
"Issei... now I understand why you're so resilient," she said with a mischievous smile. "You've been preparing for humiliation and combat since kindergarten."
"Mom... please... take him away," Issei pleaded, slumped in the armchair as Raynare and Mittelt muttered mockingly about his "golden age."
The festive atmosphere froze instantly. Kiba Yuuto, who just a second ago had been smiling elegantly, stood petrified before the album page. His eyes were fixed on a corner of the photo, where Issei could be seen with another boy, and a sword hung on the wall.
Kiba leaned forward and his gaze became glazed, as if he were seeing a ghost from his own past.
"A Sacred Sword..." Kiba whispered. His voice was devoid of emotion, which only made it sound more terrifying.
Issei, already knowing what was happening, tried to maintain a relaxed tone.
—Ah, that. It's just an old photo at a friend's house, Kiba. It was probably just a decoration or something...
But Kiba didn't respond. His fingers trembled slightly as they brushed against the surface of the photograph, right over the image of the sword. A cold, sharp aura began to emanate from his body, a bloodlust that Issei had never felt from his friend.
"It's not an ornament, Issei-kun," Kiba said without taking his eyes off the paper.
Rias, seeing Kiba's reaction, approached the table and, observing the photo and his expression, was filled with deep concern.
—Yuuto... —she murmured, trying to put a hand on his shoulder.
Kiba instinctively pulled away from Rias's touch. He stood slowly, his head bowed, his bangs obscuring his eyes. The gentlemanly courtesy that had always characterized him had vanished, replaced by a dark emptiness.
"I'm sorry..." Kiba said in an icy voice that cut through the air. "I remembered I have something I need to take care of. President, Issei-kun... please forgive me."
Without further explanation and with a stiff gait, Kiba left the room and the house. The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the sound of the door closing. Issei looked at Rias, confused and worried.
—What was that, Rias? She acted... like she wanted to kill someone.
Rias sighed, closing the album with solemn sadness.
"It's because of his past, Issei. Kiba is a survivor of the Holy Sword Project. Seeing the holy sword brought back memories of his tragic past."