Dxd: A demon Among Devils-Chapter 32: []:Koneko

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Issei would later claim that no one had entered the room besides himself, and that even if someone did, he would at least hear it, even in his sleep, especially if that someone had come to return such a valuable artifact as a Sacred Gear. And yet when she entered, she had found the door slightly ajar, and knew that it would have been a simple matter to tiptoe past the room's sleeping guardian, place the fragment and then retreat.

Koneko had put a damper on her immense relief when she pointed out that even if they had the real Sacred Gear, the fake one, the mimicry still in Asia's body might interfere with the resurrection ritual. That turned out to be another worry she needn't have bothered with.

When Asia died, surrounded by members of her peerage, her face calm and peaceful, the false Gear had disappeared as well, dissolving into nothingness as the former priestess breathed her last breaths. It was almost as if it had been placed there for the sole purpose of prolonging the girl's life, though for what reason she knew not. It had been standard procedure after that, and when the ritual ended, Asia would open her eyes once more, not as a human, but as a devil.

She had a good guess who had helped Asia, and in turn, had helped her gain a powerful Bishop. That guess was further reinforced when the girl went up to him the following day and called him an angel in front of an entire class of students.

She had been amused by the look on his face, and had teased him about it, but inwardly she had wanted to thank him. She would not get the chance to however, as Minato had retreated quickly shortly after Akeno had joined in. And now, she wondered if she would ever get a chance to. The proposal of marriage to Riser Phenex could not have come at a worse time, and if they lost the coming Rating Game, she doubted she would ever get the freedom to even associate with him, much less thank him.

Asia noticed that they were all looking at her and blushed lightly.

"I don't think Angel-san is the type of person who would torment others," she said confidently, "I think he is trying to teach Hyoudou-san something."

"It is a strange way of teaching then," Kiba remarked lightly.

She agreed and was about to say something similar when she saw from the corner of her eye that her Pawn had overextended. Growing increasingly frustrated, Issei had launched a wild fist in his opponent's direction, and in doing so, forgot about his defenses entirely. The mistake was physically painful to see. The fist was easily caught. She could hear the distinctive clang as Minato trapped Boosted Gear in the claws of his own gauntlet. For a split instant Issei was hideously vulnerable, and the sword swept into view, keen on taking advantage of this vulnerability. At the last second however, the boy twirled his grip on the weapon, so that when it connected it was not the edge that bit into flesh but the flat of the blade smacking into her Pawn's side.

Issei yelped and leapt clear, and the duel continued anew.

She blinked. Realization dawned then, that the boy had been doing this from the very start. Every blow he threw with his False Gear was dodged or blocked because he allowed it to be, and those blows that did connect had always been to the less important parts of the body. Every stroke from his sword had been turned aside at the last moment, so that it was always the flat of the blade that connected, never the lethal edge.

He had not chosen to exploit the mistakes Issei had made so that her Pawn would still have a chance to learn from them.

From the looks the rest of her peerage was now sporting, it was clear that they had realized the same thing.

"If Issei loses, and most likely he will," Kiba said, and there was an undercurrent of emotion she had never heard before, "I will be most angry with him."

His opponent knelt before him, strength all but spent, yet he felt no pride in his triumph. Others might have been delighted in the way the boy seemed utterly beaten or felt smugness at such a complete victory. He did not. It was not his way.

"Give up."

Issei smiled up at him, battered face a mess of bruises and cuts. He had tried not to aim for the head too much, but as the boy tired, the holes in his defense had become all the more pronounced.

"I... can't."

He sighed.

"I have beaten you."

"I... can't... give up," the devil wheezed, "If I lose... Buchou won't be able... to recruit you anymore."

And this was a bad thing why?

"If you do not give up, I will have to hurt you," he tried.

"Can't give up..." the boy seemed so tired that he bordered on delusion, "Buchou... saved me... Have to... save her... as well..."

He crushed the Boosted Gear in his claws, straining against the crimson gauntlet, forcing immense pressure into the hand sheathed within.

Issei let out a pained rasp.

"You do not have the strength to continue fighting."

"Have... to... Can't... give up..."

He squeezed harder and Issei cried out. He could hear bones cracking beneath the plated glove. If the boy did not relent soon, something would break.

"A smart person knows when to give up."

"I... must not... be a smart person... then..."

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