The warm air of the Occult Research Clubroom clashed starkly against the cold dread that hung over them. Even after Azazel's briefing about Amon, it felt unreal. The idea of someone — something — capable of not just taking lives, but rewriting destinies, was a heavy burden that none had prepared for.
Issei sat slumped on the couch, staring at the ceiling with a blank look. "Man... Fate-stealing parasites, ancient fallen angels, creepy monocles… This is way outta my league."
"Quit whining, pervert," Koneko muttered bluntly, sitting cross-legged beside him. Her tone was flat, but even she couldn't completely mask the tension edging her words.
Issei puffed up his cheeks in protest. "Hey! I'm still wrapping my head around it! I thought my biggest problem was making it to third base with Rias-senpai, not... fate theft!"
Rias, sitting elegantly at her usual desk, smiled faintly at his antics, but her crimson eyes were sharp with concern. "This isn't something we can take lightly, Issei. You're important — not just to us, but to forces beyond our understanding."
Akeno, who stood behind Rias with her usual serene smile, added, "Amon wouldn't risk exposure unless your fate held something truly irresistible."
"Probably my harem destiny," Issei muttered under his breath, only for Akeno to giggle softly.
Azazel, leaning against the wall, finally spoke. "Jokes aside, we need to strategize. If Amon's interested in you, Issei, then the rest of you are potential targets too — not for possession, but manipulation."
The thought sent a chill through the room. Manipulating them from the shadows? Twisting their choices, warping their futures without even realizing it?
Kiba narrowed his eyes. "Is there any pattern to his movements? Any way to predict where he'll strike next?"
Azazel shook his head. "Amon doesn't follow patterns. That's what makes him dangerous. His power — the authority to deceive reality itself — allows him to act outside expectations."
"Then what do we do?" Asia asked meekly, clasping her hands in front of her chest.
"We stay vigilant," Azazel said firmly. "And we strengthen the bonds that connect us. Trust, loyalty — those things can anchor your fate when deception tries to sever it."
Rias stood up, her presence commanding. "Then we'll continue as planned. We can't live in fear. We'll train, study, fight — and protect Issei."
Her words ignited a spark in the room. Even Issei, overwhelmed as he was, felt a surge of determination.
"R-Right!" he jumped up. "If creepy monocle dude wants a piece of me, he's gonna have to fight for it! Besides—" he puffed up his chest, "—I've got senpais to impress!"
Akeno smiled sweetly, a playful glint in her eyes. "Such a brave little dragon."
Azazel chuckled lightly. "Keep that spirit. You'll need it."
---
Later that evening, after most had gone home, Rias, Akeno, and Azazel remained behind.
"I don't like this," Rias confessed, her voice low. "Amon's presence alone threatens everything."
Azazel nodded gravely. "If it were just raw power, it'd be easier. But his real weapon is corruption — of ideals, dreams, futures. I've seen it firsthand."
Akeno tilted her head curiously. "You've fought him before?"
Azazel looked out the window, eyes distant. "Not fought. Encountered. Long ago, when Yahweh still reigned… Amon was different. Cunning, of course, but… hidden. It wasn't until Yahweh's death that his true nature emerged. He didn't just fall like us — he transcended the fall. He became something... other."
He tapped his temple. "He changed the very definition of what a being could be."
Rias frowned. "If he's that powerful, why hasn't he destroyed everything?"
Azazel smirked bitterly. "Because he doesn't want destruction. He wants… dominion. Quiet, insidious dominion. When no one notices until it's too late."
A heavy silence fell between them.
"We'll protect Issei," Rias said firmly. "No matter what."
Azazel nodded approvingly. "Good. Just remember — Amon will twist even your perceptions if given the chance. If anyone, even Issei, starts acting out of character—"
"We'll act accordingly," Rias finished.
---
Meanwhile, Issei and Asia walked home under the starry sky.
The night air was cool and refreshing, a stark contrast to the heavy conversation earlier.
"Issei-san…" Asia began hesitantly.
"Hm?" Issei glanced at her.
"Are you… afraid?"
He scratched his cheek thoughtfully. "Well… yeah. A little. I mean, it's kinda scary knowing someone's out there wanting to mess with your whole life. Like, what if I woke up tomorrow and wasn't me anymore?"
Asia looked down sadly.
"But!" Issei added quickly, flashing a grin, "I've got you guys, right? Rias-senpai, Akeno-san, Koneko-chan, Kiba, Azazel — and you, Asia."
She looked up at him, wide-eyed.
"I'm not alone," Issei said firmly. "And if that monocle freak wants to mess with me, he's gonna have to go through all of us."
Asia's smile bloomed like a flower. "Yes! We'll protect you!"
They laughed together, the oppressive fear of earlier lifting slightly.
But as they turned the corner toward their street, neither noticed the faint flicker in the shadows — a ripple in reality, as if the very fabric of the world shivered.
Unseen, a figure with a glinting monocle observed them from the darkness.
No sound. No aura. Just a subtle wrongness, like a missing piece of a puzzle unnoticed until too late.
The figure smiled thinly.
Fate, after all, was just another illusion to be unraveled.
---
Elsewhere, deep within the dimensional gaps between worlds, ancient entities stirred restlessly. Gods, devils, dragons — all felt a slight disturbance in the tapestry of fate.
Some ignored it. Some grew uneasy.
And a very few — the oldest, the most powerful — remembered.
They remembered the Monocle.
They remembered Amon.
And they trembled.
---
Back at Kuoh Academy the next day, life seemed normal again, at least on the surface.
Classes resumed, students gossiped, and Issei was back to his usual antics, peeking at girls and daydreaming of Oppai Paradise.
Rias watched him fondly from afar, her heart tight with worry. She exchanged a look with Akeno, who nodded subtly.
They would let him enjoy these peaceful days for as long as possible.
Because the storm was coming.
And at its center stood a being unlike any they had faced before —
A being whose every step, every smile, every whisper was a calculated deception.
Amon had marked his prey.
And he would not be denied.