DxD: DO System 4

Chapter 4: The Heiresses 

<Race: Pure-Blood Devil>

<Rank: Foundation-High Class>

Everywhere he turned, the message followed him like an unwelcome shadow.

<Race: Reincarnated Devil>

<Rank: Foundation-Middle Class>

No one was without their status card.

<Race: Reincarnated Devil>

<Rank: Foundation-Low Class>

The realization settled uncomfortably in his chest—they were all devils. Most of them reincarnated from humans, and to his dismay, he recognized quite a few faces.

“So, how do you plead, Issei?”

The voice belonged to a girl who seemed ordinary at first glance—average height, average build—but her cute, delicate face added an edge of disarming authority.

“I’ve lost count of how many times you’ve been caught, beaten up, or dragged here this month. Care to explain?”

Her tone was calm, her face unreadable. Yet, no matter how composed she tried to appear, irritation seeped through in brief cracks—moments where her disgust flickered like a flame struggling to stay hidden.

Issei couldn’t blame her.

Managing a school overrun with troublemakers—particularly three perverts—while ensuring the safety of its predominantly female population couldn’t have been easy.

Still, he needed to figure out a way to escape this mess.

“I… I wasn’t looking at any of the girls, President.” He barely managed to stop himself from addressing her by her name. “My focus was entirely on the other floors.”

“And which floors would those be?”

The sharp voice came from behind, belonging to another girl—her aura more strict and commanding. She had a more mature figure than the president, though they appeared to be around the same age.

Her glasses framed intelligent eyes, her sleek black hair fell neatly into place, and her pretty face was paired with an admirable grace.

‘Tsubaki Shinra.’

He recognized her instantly.

Sona’s queen. A formidable devil, easily outclassing everyone in the room except her king.

“The floors… uh…” Issei began, though he knew he was spiraling into hopelessness. There wasn’t a single excuse that would save him now.

He hated how necessary it was to keep up his perverted facade. Dropping it entirely wasn’t an option—not if he wanted to avoid raising suspicion.

‘Just one week,’ he told himself. ‘I can’t blow my cover for one more week.’

The thought made him cringe, but it was the price he had to pay.

Sure, he could feign normalcy for a day or two, maybe even call in sick. But a full week? That was a stretch even for him.

People would notice if he suddenly acted too normal, and neither the school nor his parents would let him skip an entire week of classes.

The two heiresses already suspected he had some kind of gear, but he couldn’t let them know that he was aware of their suspicions.

‘Otherwise, things could get messy real quick.’

So, for now, he’d take the insults, the beatings, and the endless humiliation over exposing his identity or compromising his position.

“Issei,” Sona sighed, her tone laced with exhaustion. “Do you have any idea how difficult it is to defend you? To keep forgiving you? To keep giving you chances when you never, ever change?”

He glanced around the room. Every girl’s face was painted with disgust, like they were looking at something beneath even the filth on the soles of their shoes.

And honestly? He couldn’t bring himself to care.

‘I don’t think I even know the names of a single one of them.’

To him, they were all bland, unremarkable faces. None of them mattered enough to warrant his attention, let alone the effort of remembering their names.

Which was why their contempt didn’t bother him.

The only thing that mattered was the girl standing in front of him.

“Please,” he said quietly, his voice barely above a whisper. “Just give me another chance, President. I promise it won’t happen again.”

He didn’t need to look up to know she didn’t believe him.

Why would she? He was Issei Hyoudou.

A pervert. A hopeless, irredeemable pervert.

‘If not for the Sacred Gear, I’d probably be the worst person alive.’

“This isn’t the first time, Issei,” Sona said, her voice weary. “It’s not the second, third, or even fourth time. Honestly, I’ve lost count of how many chances you’ve been given.”

She stood, her sharp gaze pinning him in place.

“And unfortunately, I can’t give you any more leeway.”

‘Shit.’

This was bad.

If he got expelled now, everything he’d been working toward would go up in smoke.

‘I’d be screwed.’

But, as it turned out, things weren’t as dire as he feared.

“So,” Sona continued, finally turning her attention to the two unconscious boys on the couch, their noses still bleeding. “You and your friends will be doing civil work for the entire next month. Cleaning the school grounds, assisting students and teachers—whatever needs to be done. No matter how petty or disgusting the task, you’ll do it.”

She folded her arms, her tone firm and unyielding.

“And if you manage to pull it off without causing any more trouble, I’ll ensure the school board doesn’t expel you.”

For once, Issei felt a shred of relief.

It wasn’t great, but at least he wasn’t getting kicked out.

‘Could’ve been worse.’

This was nowhere near what he had expected to happen.

If anything, it might actually work in his favor.

“Does this… help include hard labor?” he asked, his voice laced with what sounded like nervousness. The girls in the room exchanged glances, and Sona’s lips curled into a smile he hadn’t anticipated—a touch of sadism behind her composed demeanor.

“Oh, it definitely will,” she replied. “From assisting the gardeners to helping the laborers move materials, you’ll be lending a hand wherever you’re needed.”

“That…” He hesitated, his face carefully masking any emotion. “I see.”

He bit his lip, a subtle movement that didn’t go unnoticed. The girls standing behind Sona smirked and exchanged knowing looks, completely misunderstanding his reaction.

But Issei’s thoughts were far from what they assumed.

‘If I have to help out around school… this might actually make my training go a lot smoother than I expected.’

Excitement simmered beneath the surface, but he was careful to keep his face blank.

“I’m sorry, President,” he said, his tone as sincere as he could muster. “It won’t happen again. And thank you for giving me this chance.”

Sona studied him for a moment before nodding, seemingly satisfied.

She believed he had finally grasped the seriousness of the situation, that he understood how close he was to being expelled.

Maybe this would push him to improve—at least somewhat. She didn’t expect him to become an exemplary student, but she hoped he could manage to be normal.

“You may leave now, Issei,” she said, her gaze shifting to the two unconscious boys sprawled on the couch like discarded laundry. “And be grateful Toujou decided not to hit you and left you to carry them instead.”

Koneko Toujou had spared him from her wrath, leaving him the responsibility of hauling his two perverted friends to the student council office. And for that, he was grateful—because judging by the bruises on their faces, he could tell they’d be carrying those scars for a long time.

“And starting tomorrow, for the next thirty days, you will assist with the school’s work,” Sona added firmly. “This is your last chance, Issei.”

‘Last chance, huh?’ He glanced back at his unconscious friends, then at Sona.

“Understood, President,” he said, bowing slightly before gathering the two boys with a sigh. ‘This might actually work out better than I thought.’

“I will not disappoint you, President,” Issei said with as much conviction as he could muster. He bent down, hoisting one boy onto his back and the other over his shoulder. The weight was nearly unbearable, and he already felt his legs wobbling under the strain.  

‘Hope I don’t collapse before I make it out of here,’ he thought, biting back a groan.  

He gave a nervous chuckle to the room, his awkwardness palpable, and stumbled toward the door. Barely managing to keep his balance, he left the student council office, the weight of his unconscious friends—and his situation—weighing heavily on him.  

The moment he was gone, Sona let out her fifth exasperated sigh of the day. She pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head. “He’s not going to change, is he?”  

“No,” Tsubaki replied without hesitation. “He did seem a little different today, but only because he was threatened with expulsion.”  

“Why do we even tolerate him, President?” Momo, the white-haired girl standing nearby, asked, her tone laced with frustration.  

Sona glanced at her, then at the closed door Issei had just exited through. “Kuoh Academy only recently became co-ed, Momo,” she explained. “Expelling a male student now, especially under public scrutiny, would damage the school’s reputation.”  

But that wasn’t the entire truth.  

There was more to it—things Sona couldn’t openly discuss, not even with her own peerage.  

‘I hope you’re right about him, Rias,’ she thought, suppressing another sigh.

…

…

[Moments Later — Occult Research Club, Kuoh Academy]

The soft crackle of an old record played in the background, mixing with the warm scent of freshly brewed tea. The red-haired heiress sat cross-legged on her expensive devil-crafted couch, enjoying the moment.  

Beside her, another stunning devil with black hair sat casually. Her curves were even more striking than the heiress’s, making her presence undeniable.  

In front of them stood Koneko, a petite white-haired girl, looking completely uninterested, her expression bored as the conversation carried on.  

“Any signs of him awakening his gear, Koneko?” the heiress asked, her tone curious, but there was a hint of frustration.  

“No.” Koneko’s answer was blunt, showing no emotion. “And with how he’s acting, I don’t think he’ll ever awaken it.”  

Her words were cold, full of disappointment.  

“Do you think he’s even worth the effort, President?”  

The question came from the doorway, where a blonde-haired boy leaned casually. He had perfect skin and looked prettier than most of the girls in the school, yet somehow, he was still one of the most gentlemanly guys around.  

“Koneko’s right,” he added, his voice thoughtful. “I’ve seen nothing to suggest he’s got any potential.”  

There was no malice in his voice, but it was clear he didn’t see any promise in Issei.  

The red-haired devil sighed, her gaze distant. “I’m not sure, but we don’t have many choices. For now, we just have to hope he’s the one we need him to be.”  

She glanced at her team, her eyes hardening. “And to do that, we need to keep him out of the sight of the vultures circling Kuoh.”  

The blonde boy nodded firmly. “I’ll handle it.”  

Her lips curved into a small smile. “I know you will, Kiba.”  

Turning her attention to Koneko, she spoke with a mix of authority and concern. “And you’ll keep an eye on him. No matter how he acts, he’s still an asset. We can’t afford to waste him.”  

Koneko didn’t look thrilled about it, but her loyalty was clear. “I’ll do it, President.”  

The heiress let out a quiet sigh, her expression softening. “As for him…” She shook her head with a bittersweet smile. “All we can do is hope. Hope he’s the one we’re looking for.”  

The room went silent. They all knew the stakes, and they all knew how desperate their situation was.  

“Because,” she added, her voice quiet, “we don’t have any other options.”  

Issei Hyoudou was their only shot.  

A shot at freedom.