High School DxD (Yuuto Kiba x Tatsuya Kishimoto)

Chapter 27

Koneko, standing in the forest, looked up to face her big sister, Kuroka, also known as the one responsible for the death of her master after losing and giving into her power.

"I only send a fraction of my chi out, and yet you still came running. I'm glad you can still feel our sisterly bond."

"What do you want? My time is precious so spill it!"

"There's no need to be rude, honey. I just heard it through the grapevine that a big party was going down. It caught my interest but you know what they say about curiosity and cats."

~~~

Meanwhile, Issei and Rias, after getting the information of Koneko's location from Rias's familiar, were running through the forest as they searched for her.

"This isn't like Koneko. Then again, the girl's acting weird."

"She been really pushing herself in been having to come to terms with some personal issues."

Flashback

Rias was checking up on Koneko in her room, after what happened eariler.

"How are you feeling?"

"Useless."

"Well you're not one to give up, so I'm sure you'll be fighting at full strength very soon."

"I hate missing out on training."

"We all know that. But training would be worthless if you're not healthy enough to get something from it."

"It's hard to watch to see how strong Kiba, Xenovia, Akeno, and Tatsuya have become. Even that lazy horndog is making progress. Meanwhile, I feel left further and further behind. Gasper's even gotten more powerful lately. And I don't have Asia's power to heal so...what's left for me?"

"Be fair. You'll improve too."

"Yeah, if things keeps continuing I'll just be obsolete. How can a Rook be the weakest one? I'm pathetic, I could never forgive myself if I held you back."

Rias looked in shock as tears begin to fall down her face. She was crying and gripping the sheets in bed.

"But I don't wanna use my Nekomata powers to catch up. I'm so afraid to use them... afraid to be like her. I won't! I refuse to let that happen again."

Comforting her depressed servant and friend, Rias embraces her into a hug.

Present

"I had no idea. That sucks balls."

"Sadly, this is the kind of obstacle that Kneko is going have to overcome by herself. We all have struggles we must face alone."

~~~

Tatsuya's POV

After I made it back to the party, I stayed with Kiba, Gasper, Asia, Xenovia and Akeno for the time being. Of course, I was worried about how Rias and Issei were doing.

"I haven't seen Issei a while, I wonder where he is." Asia said.

"Now that you mention it, Rias seems to be missing as well." Xenovia noticed.

"They're...busy, for the moment." I said.

"Hm?"

"Ah, please excuse the man, Baraqiel."

As Azazel said that name, Akeno turned towards the stage, looking at her father before looking away. Along with him were two other people. One man looked shorter and had a long gray beard, while the woman next to him was much younger looking and in her early twenties at least, with long silver hair and green teal eyes, wearing a business formal suit.