This is part two to chapter 4. Please enjoy and if you did, please leave Power Stones and like the story tags. It helps out immensely.
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At least, normally that would be the case. This time, Issei had purposefully provoked her. He wanted her worked up so he could hopefully try it out. Holding his left arm out in front of him, Issei announced, "Boosted Gear!"
With a flash of scarlet light, the crimson gauntlet shined forth upon his arm. Koneko was instantly snapped out of her ire, her red complexion fading and replaced with a look of incredulity. "What are you doing?" She hastily glanced around the park, not finding or sensing any people about. Her head snapped back at the boy with a glare. "Are you an idiot? You can't just do that."
"Look, I know. But I gotta learn this thing and you gotta help me," He said gravely. He was serious about this.
"We can't. I already told you."
"Can't you just use your hypnosis magic like before?"
"That won't be enough. It's too dangerous to use your Sacred Gear here and the forest is too risky. You can't use it," Her voice was stern and unbudging. Frustrated, Issei called off his gear and sighed. He knew it was a long shot, but there wasn't any time left. He wouldn't get to train with it now. Watching his mood diminish, Koneko's eyes softened up slightly as she approached. "What's the rush? It's not like it's going anywhere..."
Another suspicion, though it felt more like an inquiry this time. He just couldn't avoid setting her alarms off.
No... it didn't matter at this point. All throughout the week he'd been indecisive on whether he should tell Koneko his plan or not. Now that the fated moment had arrived, he'd made his decision.
He wasn't going to tell her. Bodyguard or not, this wasn't her responsibility. This was something he refused to ignore. It may have been a stupid quest, but it was his own selfish choice to follow through with it. She was a devil and he was purposefully involving himself with the church. No matter the reason, the clash between beings of light and dark could spark something far worse than he or any of them could handle. He couldn't force her into that position.
Waiting for a response she wasn't going to get, Koneko continued eyeing the mysterious boy. He was by far the strangest person she'd ever met and that was discounting his perverted side. She'd handled her fair share of weirdos. What threw her off was when he clammed up like this.
Before that incident with that dark haired fallen angel which sparked their relationship, she hadn't really known him. She was more than aware of who he was, as did everyone who attended Kuoh Academy. He was the least popular kid in school, along with his two friends. Everyone knew to stay away from the Perverted Trio, especially women. When occasionally seeing the second year around the school, he was always getting into trouble from his sexual harassment towards girls. He was a loud creep; the type she instinctively kept several meters between them and herself. The type she'd never interact with.
He was also the type to wear his heart on his sleeve, so it wasn't difficult to discern his character. One look would be all it took for a sane person to know that Issei Hyoudou was a degenerate. That was a fact of the undeniable truth.
...But after getting to know the boy, the young cat-devil learned that he was more complex than she could possibly imagine.
How could someone so outspoken be so taciturn? How could a person so honest that he freely objectifies women aloud without thought, become so reticent? If all he desired was to be with a woman, why does he put a wall up with someone like her? If he's not scared, why does he keep hiding?
Why did he form a contract with her if he couldn't be honest?
She didn't understand... but she wanted to.
So she wouldn't pretend anymore.
"...You're going after the nun, aren't you?"
If he wouldn't confess, then she would pull the truth from him.
Issei recoiled heavily, his face dropping as if he'd been caught red-handed. Stuttering out, he tried denying her accusations.
But Koneko wasn't having any of it.
"I won't grill you. Just tell the truth. Are you going after that nun?" She asked him straight, no games or pretenses. It was the only reason she could think of why he was so urgently trying to get stronger. Training was one thing, but trying to master his Sacred Gear publicly was too absurd.
"N-no, I'm no-"
"Then you don't mind if I skip showering today?" Koneko interjected before he finished.
"W-what?"
"My shower... It's the only time we're separated after school... You don't mind if I skip it?" She repeated. It was burdensome and she occasionally had thoughts of blowing her brains out, but as per there contract, Koneko stayed with Issei for most of the day. They would separate during school, as she was a first year and he a second. After that, they were together for the remainder of the day with the exception of her teleporting home to shower and change before teleporting back. Even during the night, they were together.
Sleeping in the same room with the same proclaimed 'Harem King' hadn't been easy on her soul. She'd replaced her sleeping bag every night and watched him like a hawk to ensure he wouldn't try to sneakily molest her or masturbate. Every night she would lose hours of sleep; a small price to pay for her dignity.
His weekly routine had been adjusted to accommodate her and she knew it vividly. That's why if he were planning to sneak off, he would only have two windows of opportunity to do it. Either late in the night when they were asleep, where he would have to sneak past her alertness and sensing prowess, or when she left to bathe.
"W-what would you go and do that for?" Issei began growing more nervous. "Baths are important to girls, aren't they?"
"I'm not like other girls," Koneko countered. "Besides, a creep wack off like yourself would prefer it that way."
"Not really..." He answered, his will slowly eluding him. Forcing out a smile, hollow words were all he could bring forth as he attempted to laugh. "You can go... It's not like I'm stupid enough to take on fallen angels by myself..."
They stared at one another for a bit without saying anything. Words didn't need to be exchanged. They both knew the truth, it was just a matter of when the boy decided to confess. Shifting uncomfortably, it didn't take long for him to crack.
When he did, an air of purpose encompassed him, catching Koneko off guard. "...Sorry, but I'm going. Don't try to stop me."
Gone was the timid, pansy ass pervert the white-haired devil had come to know. Standing in front of her was a man willing to lay down his life. Koneko was stunned momentarily as she stood face to face with his resolve. She could only think of one thing to say. "...Why?"
"I have to. I can't let that girl die."
"You don't know if th-"
"I do and they will. If I don't do anything, she's as good as dead."
The more he spoke, the more palpable his words were. He meant everything he said and wasn't going to be talked down. The contrast of the person standing before Koneko was completely different from when she first spied on him. The Issei who had run away from a fallen angel wasn't the same Issei now who was seeking them out. She didn't know what triggered the change. His ever-growing power, the knowledge that he had backup, or sheer ignorance. There was a chance the fool simply forgot what exactly he was going up against. The aura he gave off didn't really convince her of that.
There wasn't a way Koneko could stop him with words. Her hypnosis magic likely wouldn't work now that his Sacred Gear had been awakened, not that she had much skill with it anyway. If she was going to stop him, she'd have to fight him and fight him for real.
Something she wasn't going to do.
"...When are you leaving?"
Her question surprised him. After revealing the truth, Issei half-expected to get pulled away kicking and screaming while being detained and put on surveillance so he didn't escape. Compliance from her in any form was the very last thing he envisioned. "After dark once you left, but it doesn't matter now. The sooner the better."
"So now?"
"Yeah... why?" He asked wearily.
"I'm coming, too." She stated firmly.
"You are?!" Issei's eyes widened. No way did she agree to this. "But won't you get in trouble?"
"Yes."
"Couldn't this, err... make problems worse between devils and fallen angels?"
"Yes."
"And you're really not going to tell Rias-senpai or anything?"
"..." Koneko looked down at her feet. She did want to tell Rias, but she would absolutely refuse something like this. She had to tell Rias; it was her job as her devil servant. Issei wouldn't like it if she did. Regardless if he had backup or not, he was going. She couldn't let him go alone.
They made a contract together.
"Balls." The word slipped from her throat as she glowered. She was trapped here with not many options. Her contractor put her in a super tight spot here.
Issei looked down at his crotch, believing she may be talking about him before turning back up. "Huh?"
"Whatevs. Let's get it." Pulling on her gloves, she tightened and secured them. "This ain't no walk in the park. It'll be a blood bath."
A shutter crawled up the Gamer's spine. "I... was hoping you wouldn't say that."
"Lock in, senpai," Koneko lectured, stretching her arms by folding them over one another. "We're raiding fallen angel territory. Half-ass this and you will die."
"I know, but now I'm getting the willies." Now that the time had been moved up, his reality check finally came in. Maybe he'd been a little too brave...
Watching his resolve begin to crumble, Koneko frowned. He was going to need all that spunk if they were really doing this. Refusing to let him falter, she tried encouraged him. She thought about what motivated him before and what he needed to hear. "Think about the nun... If you feel yourself getting scared, think of her..."
'The nun... Asia...' When he focused on her - a person in peril - he felt himself grow stronger and braver. Like a match was lit within his soul, he could stand and fight.
Something to fight for. Someone to help.
"You're right. I gotta save her. WE gotta save her. She has no one else." Issei's resolve returned as if it never wavered and Koneko felt her lips shift upwards.
When he was like this... he's almost cool.
"Let's go. No chickening out once we get there," She gave him a light shove, signaling for them to depart.
"Ain't no way I'm chickening out! It's those chickens that need to watch out for us!" Issei pumped his left arm, summoning his Boosted Gear back. "I'll fight to save someone any day!"
An unusual warmth filled the short girl's chest.
So that's what spurred him on.
Fighting to save someone, huh?
"...You're extraordinarily kind, senpai."
"Hm?" He glanced over at his partner, not getting any response back. They left the park and headed towards to designated area. Without needing to exchange words, the two knew exactly where they needed to go: the abandoned church. As they walked, the devil's mind was lost on the same line of thinking it always was.
Yes. Koneko Toujou just couldn't understand Issei Hyoudou.