DxD: Ascension - Redux

Chapter 26: Sisters

BGM: Persona 5 - Restlessness

Kuroka's tail flicked. "I only sent out a fraction of my chi, and you still came running. I'm glad you can still feel our sisterly bond, Shirone."
"What do you want?" Koneko demanded. "My time is precious, so hurry up and spill it."
"No need to be rude, honey. I just heard there was a big party going on. It caught my interest, but you know what they say about curiosity and cats."

Rias, Zach, and Issei sprinted through the forest, following Koneko's trail. "This isn't like Koneko," Issei said between breaths.
"She's been acting strange since we left Kuoh," Zach recalled. "And I think it's time I fill you two in on the whole story, while we have time." He sighed. The trio slowed down a little. "I know exactly why Koneko left. She sensed her older sister. I did too."
"How are you already familiar with her aura?" Rias asked.
"Before the Khaos Brigade introduced itself at the summit, she and I had been hanging out every so often. We first met while Issei was fighting Riser. After that, we started to meet up every now and then. After the summit, she went silent and stopped contacting me. Guess she figured that I'd already pieced together her allegiance to the Brigade. After all, Bikou was friends with her. I met him at the same time as Kuroka. But I found Kuroka again, right before we went off to train. She snuck into the Gremory family territory. I forced her into taking a binding oath to stay away from Koneko and everyone else for the rest of our lives. And now she's broken that oath. I have no idea what the consequences will be like, but they won't be good."
Rias glared at Zach. "Why didn't you tell us any of this? Well, I guess it's too late now. Besides that, she's been struggling lately. Since she hasn't been healthy enough to train, she's started to fall behind the rest of us, and she's refusing to use her Nekoshou abilities to catch up. She's afraid of losing control like her sister. Unfortunately, none of us can help her with that. We all have personal issues that we have to overcome on our own. This is one of them."

Back at the party...

The remainder of Rias's peerage gathered around a table. "Has anyone seen Zach around?" Kiba asked.
Asia shook her head. "No, and I haven't seen Issei either. Where could they be?"
Xenovia looked around. "Now that you mention it, Rias is missing too. And Koneko."
Azazel, still on the stage, looked toward the door. "Ah, they're here. Please escort them in, Baraqiel."
Hearing her father's name got Akeno's attention. She faced the door, where Baraqiel walked in with an old man in robes and a young woman in a business suit.
Azazel smiled. "Y'know, for a crotchety old bastard from the northern wasteland, you're not looking too bad."
The old man smirked back. "Same to you. I like what your husband's done with your hair."
Sirzechs bowed. "Charming. It's been too long, Lord Odin. How we've missed your casually homophobic banter."
"Greetings, Sirzechs." Odin bowed. "And allow me to thank you personally for your invitation."
Serafall curtsied before Odin. "Mighty Lord of the North, you honor us with your visit."
Odin stroked his beard. "I expected more from you, Leviathan. A pretty young thing like yourself shouldn't be in drab clothes like that. This is a party, isn't it?"
"You're absolutely right!" Serafall chanted a spell, and her clothes transformed into her trademark Magical Girl costume.
"What the hell was that?"

BGM: Derek Fiechter - Black Wolf's Inn

"Have you been living in a cave or something? It's a Magical Girl outfit, they're all the rage now!"
"Love it. How'd you like to stroke my beard?"
Odin's apparent assistant protested, "M'lord, please keep in mind why we made this voyage. You're here to represent Asgard, not to flirt!"
Odin sighed. "Must you always be such a downer? It's that kind of attitude that's stopping you from getting a hero of your own."
His assistant sank to her knees and began to cry uncontrollably. "I may just be an ugly Valkyrie who's never had a man, but at least I won't die alone what with living in the Underworld!"
Odin sighed. "Sorry about her. This bundle of joy is named Rossweisse. She's my highly capable but highly depressing assistant. That would probably be why she can't find a man."
"Allow me to apologize for keeping you waiting," a new voice announced. Lord Michael walked up onto the stage. "Odin, All-Father of the Norse, looking as good as ever." Irina was next to him, waving to her friends.
Xenovia gasped. "Is that Irina? Who could've guessed that we'd run into her in the Underworld?"