The White Devil of Leviathan

Time flew by as Yuka and I continued our date.

Before I knew it, several hours had passed and the sun was beginning to go down.

Yuka and I had stopped by McDonald's, buying both of us a burger each with what remained of my pocket money.

"Hey, Yuka! Burger me!" I said, opening my mouth. Yuka raIsed one of the unwrapped burgers to my mouth and I took a bite before Yuka took her hand away again. Because I was carrying Yuka's bags, I didn't have any hands free to hold my burger, thus Yuka had to feed me.

All in all, I had a lot of fun just hanging out with her.

I got a few angry texts from Ruruko, swearing to punch me if I did ecchi things with Yuka before I did ecchi things with her. I also got numerous texts from Karlamine, asking where I was, how I was, what I was doing, almost like a stalker or possibly a yandere. But neh. If Karlamine was a yandere, either me or many of my friends would be dead by this point due to the numerous clear acts of perversion I committed by kissing Ruruko or ogling other girls.

I even got a text from Yura-san. It looked like she had been trying to delete it and pressed the Send button by mistake:

I wanted to see—

That was it. It ended abruptly like that.

While Yuka and I were wandering aimlessly, I took notice of a familiar, brown-haired hentai-idiot on a walk in the opposite direction of us. He was accompanied by an admittedly hot chick with long black hair and a rather gentle smile.

I was about to wave to Issei when I noticed Yuka had frozen next to me.

I followed her eyes and noted they were glued to Issei's apparent girlfriend, Yuuma…

"Er… It looks like it's Issei and his date, huh?" Was Yuka actually afraid of Issei doing something bad with that girl or… No… it was a strange look in Yuka's eyes. Alarm? Recognition? It could've been either.

"...I…" Yuka uttered after a few minutes of silence. "...I gotta go! I'll see you at school tomorrow!" Yuka quickly snatched her bags with lightning speed that shocked me before running off.

"Yuka!" I tried calling out.

Did… did she just DITCH ME?!

I was about to walk away when I saw Yuka quickly running back towards me, stopping right next to me.

"Thankyouforthedate! I had a very fun time!" She then quickly leaned forward and kissed me on the cheek before running away again.

I…I'm not sure what to make of that…

I was about to follow after Yuka when—

"Yo! Haruto, how's it going?!" Issei called out to me, waving while grinning like the goofy idiot he is.

What a strange world it was… I got ditched by my date while Issei's date looks like she's having the time of her life…

WHAT KIND OF SICK JOKE IS THIS, GOOOOOD!?

I sighed. "Not good. Yuka ditched me. I don't know why… If we had been in a relationship, I'm pretty sure that would've been the part where I got dumped…" I admit, it did sting a little for Yuka to just ditch me like she did, but I wouldn't be too brokenhearted about it. She probably had something to do that she just remembered.

"Aw, poor guy." Yuuma said sympathetically.

"Geez… for you to get dumped is… HILARIOUS!" Issei burst out into laughter. "Finally! I got a win over the wannabe harem king!" 

...Gloat all ya want Issei. You better remember this when I get you back. And my revenge is always paid in tenfold.

Yuuma pouted and poke Issei in the cheek. "Don't be so mean, Issei. Can't you see the guy's heart is broken?" 

Heart? Broken? Not really. A little stung, but I'll get over it.

"B-But I—!" Issei looked lost for words. His first ever victory over me was ruined by his own girlfriend.

"I know! Why doesn't Haruto-san join us?!" Yuuma offered.

Issei shot a razor sharp glare at me, mad that I might interfere in possibly his only chance to score with a girl.

I shook my head. "U-Uh… w-well I'd really hate to impose—" 

"It's no trouble." Yuuma assured me with a well-meaning smile. She turned to Issei, still smiling. "Right, Issei?" 

Issei frowned, clearly realizing he had no choice but to say yes to avoid seeming like a jerk to his girlfriend.

"Y…Yeah. Fine. Come along if you want…" Now he sounded depressed.

I laughed awkwardly, feeling very uncomfortable. It was one thing to screw with Issei on a daily basis, but to interrupt his date like this made me feel kind of bad considering how excited he was for this date of his.

"W-Well, if you guys insist…" I had no choice either since outright rejecting the offer after Yuuma roped Issei into saying yes would offend her.

And so I joined the three on their walk, doing my best to remain several steps behind so Issei could at least PRETEND it was still just him and Yuuma. Out of sight, out of mind.

I don't know how much time had passed before we had reached the park with the large water fountain.

I sometimes visited this park when I wanted to clear my mind, so I had relatively fond memories of this place.

It was strange…Yuuma was a really nice girl. I liked her. She was a pleasant person and she was nice to Issei…

So why did I get such a bad feeling all of a sudden?

Yuuma let go of Issei's hands and walked over in front of the water fountain.

Yuuma's smile didn't waver, but something felt off. It was this weird feeling I had. It was the silence of the moment. Like the calm before the storm. The atmosphere somehow remained happy, but I felt certain something was different.

"Hey, Issei-kun." She said.

"What is it, Yuuma-chan?" Issei asked with a confused look on her face.

"There is something I want to do to celebrate our first date. Can you listen to my wish?" 

Issei was blushing, looking as if he expected to be kissed. Hey, considering how much he and Yuuma got along, it wouldn't surprise me if the idiot actually did get a kiss…

Issei seemed to be getting more nervous, stuttering slightly when he spoke.

"W-What is the w-wish you want?" 

It was then that I realized it… the coldness in Yuuma's smile.

Yuuma continued smiling as she brought her lips close to Issei's ear and whispered the words that changed our life and sealed our fate.

"Will you die for me?" 

The very air froze with those words.

No… something's very wrong here…

Reality still didn't seem to catch up with Issei. "Um, could you repeat that again, please? I think something's wrong with my ears." 

"Will you die for me?" 

What… What the hell did she say?!

I got ready to fight her in case she pulled out a gun or knife or something, but instead, something else surprising appeared.

Wings. Black feathery wings appeared from Yuuma's back… like some kind of—Fallen Angel.

I don't know why that was the name that appeared in my mind, but that would probably be the best way to describe Yuuma's current appearance…

Yuuma's eyes became much more harsh and cruel.

Her clothes seemed to vanish, being replaced with what appeared to be some sort of S&M outfit with a cut off chain on her left arm. Her hair and eyes were the same color but they were a bit darker now.

"It was fun, the short time I spent with you. It was like playing house with a child." 

I… I felt so angry…

"Bastard…BASTARD!" I felt so pissed! This bitch was saying such things to my brother! My best friend!

"Ah! The White Knight of Kuoh, what a stupid nickname you bear." Yuuma said, rolling her tongue in disgust. "Really, I planned to save you for later, but when you appeared suddenly like you did, I thought it best to kill two birds with one stone." Her smile became so much crueler. "Guess who the two birds are." 

I gritted my teeth. "The only bird I see here is YOU, YOU UGLY CROOOOOOW!" 

Yuuma's eye twitched. "What…What did you just call me?" I noticed an extra hint of malice in her voice. Good. Good. I'm getting her focused on me.

"I called you an 'ugly crow', birdbraaaaaain! You slut! Ugly whore! Crow bitch!" 

Yuuma's face becomes contorted first in anger, then unbelievable rage. All of it directed towards me.

Good.

I glanced back at Issei. "Issei… you have to run. Run somewhere safe." 

Issei's eyes widened. "W-What?!" 

"You have to leave me here and run! I'll slow her down!" 

Issei looked like he was struggling to speak solely out of shock. "N-No! I'm not leaving you here!" 

"Idiot! I don't give a damn about my life! Just get out of here, DUMBASS!" I screamed at him.

Issei looked terrified, but to abandon me, who was his friend, was not in his nature.

"Oh, how sweet." Yuuma said in a mocking voice. "Don't worry. I'll deal with you after Issei-kun, Haruto." She materialized a strange spear…a spear of light…

She took aim at Issei and my body reacted on its own.

I don't remember when or how long it took me to move… all I remember was the piercing pain that ripped through my torso. I coughed up blood from my mouth as I finally noticed the spear of light halfway through my chest, the horrified and shocked face of Issei behind me…

I felt so dizzy… I touched my chest, wincing in pain, before I raised my hand to my face…

Blood… crimson red… my blood…

I turned to Issei, blood dripping from my chin. "...dumbass… why… didn't you… run…?" 

The world started spinning around me as I lost my balance, falling backward. I expected to hit the ground real hard, but I was caught by someone. I looked up and saw tears dripping onto my face, courtesy of my perverted best friend…

"...You… shitty bastard! ...why…why did you do that?! I never asked you to try to protect my pathetic life, bastard!" 

I managed a weak grin. "Eh… I still owe you… from back then… I wasn't gonna die… with an unpaid debt…" Oooh, talking hurt so much… the light spear had vanished, leaving a painful-looking, bloody hole in my chest. "You and Iri… back when we were little… you two… became my best friends… thanks to both of you… I was able to feel such amazing feelings… happiness… love… friendship… Without either of you… my life wouldn't have been worth living… you guys saved me after my parents died… so… Thank you… Issei…" 

"DUMBASS!" Issei cried. "Stop giving a sappy final speech like you're gonna die or something! You're not gonna die! I'm not leaving you here either!" 

"Shut up… you're a stubborn idiot… who's too loyal to his friends to protect his own ass… I guess it only makes sense… that we were friends…" The pain started becoming more intense. "...no… brothers… later, brother…" 

Yeah. Me and Issei were as close as brothers… No. We WERE brothers… even if we had different parents, we were brothers through and through…

Issei's face faded from sorrow and contorted into rage. "I…I'm gonna take this bitch down! I'm not gonna let you die!" 

"No… Issei…" I tried calling out to my idiot friend… but my voice was getting weaker… One way or another, I was going to die… the only question was: What would happen to Issei?

Issei's rage became directed towards Yuuma after she broke out into laughter.

"YOU BIIIIIITCH! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOOOOU!" 

You didn't have to be a fucking psychic to guess what happened next.

...Yuuma only need… one more spear… that's all it took to stab Hyoudou Issei through the torso like she did to me…

The dumbass… he fell right next to me… idiot…

I heard footsteps heading towards us…

"Sorry. You were a threat to us, so we decided to get rid of you early. If you want to hold a grudge, then hate the God who put the Sacred Gear inside you." 

'Us?' I wondered… So there were more of them… Even if I had somehow escaped with Issei or beaten Yuuma… there were other people like her waiting to kill me… it's so fucking unfair…

I didn't bother to ask what this Sacred Gear thing was or who she was speaking to because… it wouldn't even matter in a few seconds…

I didn't hear her walk away… but I could tell Yuuma left… probably to go boast or whatever that she killed me so easily to her fellow black-winged friends…

"...Fuck…" I coughed out, spitting up more blood… Really though, it was a miracle I was still alive.

"...I… I'm sorry… we got killed… cos of me…" Issei wheezed out, the life slowly flowing out of him.

I coughed a few times, trying to laugh… in spite of our situation. "No worries buddy… Sorry your girlfriend… was a total bitch…" 

"...me too…" Issei agreed. "...I just wish… she would've let me… grope those awesome jugs of hers…" 

I didn't have any more energy to laugh… and attempting to do so would've hurt further…

"...only you… would think of something like that… when we're dying…" My brother… was so perverted…

"...do you think… God would mind… if I groped an Angel's boobs…?" 

Blood exploded from my mouth… Dammit, Issei… you had to say something… so hilarious…

"Ha… sorry… but you know… we're not going to Heaven… two pervert guys like us… we're guilty of the sin of lust…" 

"...Purgatory then…?" 

"...probably…" I said, darkness starting to cover my eyes. "OK then… you can grope… boobs of Purgatory girls… better…?" 

"...Yeah… and I can't go to Hell… cos I'm already in Purgatory… that's…" 

Issei's voice trailed off… I couldn't hear him breathing anymore…

...well… my best friend/brother died right next to me… fuck…

I looked up towards the sky which continuously became darker…

...God did this to us…? ...I thought he loved us… why would God do this… if he loved us…?

I… I admit I was never an avid believer… but to let us experience something so cruel… is it because I didn't pray…?

...OK then…

God… if you listen… to anything I ever say… let it be this…

Dear Lord… please save my brother… I don't care… if my own life is payment… please save Issei's life…

...Naru-nee… Ruruko… Karly… Yuka… the names of the people who would cry for me… the only people other than Issei who would truly miss me if I died… to other girls, I was simply a good-looking piece of candy… fuck… I don't remember if that was the expression…

My mind wandered to that paper that magical girl gave me…

Meh… even if that occult bullshit was rea— …Ok… maybe it's believable by this point… considering my current situation… I doubt… that my life will be saved… so easily… even if it was… I would rather that Issei was saved…

"Please promise me…promise you'll become stronger."

"Of course… I-I'll definitely become stronger! Strong enough to slay even a god!"

Ha…that's right… I promised to get stronger… sorry, Iri… damn… why can't I just die already…? …why must I think of so many sad things…?

"So you were the one who called me…" Huh…a voice…

I noticed red hair…

...the hell is going on…?

"How unfortunate.." The voice noted. "To end up in such a way…how troublesome. Then maybe I will…" 

"Ah! I knew we'd meet again!" A cheerful voice shouted. "...but for you to be in such a state… I'm sorry…" The voice sounded genuinely remorseful.

The first voice sounded startled. "W-What…W-What are you doing here?!" 

"Sorry, Ria-tan! But this one over here belongs to me!" The second, cuter voice spoke as if she had the final say in the matter. "I'm here to pick up the life he lost…" 

"Y-You're going to!?" 

"I am… His life is mine now." That sounded weird… not necessarily cruel or menacing… just weird. "He is under my protection." 

...kind of late to protect a dead man…

Even with my vision quickly darkening and fading away…I could make out a face… it was cute…

The really cute face of a girl…

With my body quickly shutting down… I managed to utter one final word…

"...Angel…?" 

The girl giggled. "No, sorry." 

She seemed genuinely amused by my question.

"I'm a Devil, silly!" ...What? "But don't worry because, from now on, I'll definitely keep you safe! You'll have to live for me from now on!" 

...I caught a glimpse of her beautiful, black hair…

Then everything goes dark…