Unexpected Bloom [OCs X Highschool DXD]

Chapter 10

The air crackled with anticipation as the Occult Research Club materialized outside the dilapidated mansion. Akeno, her voice smooth as silk, broke the silence.

"The archduke just sent us a message," she announced, her amethyst eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.

"The archduke?" Rias echoed, her crimson gaze fixed on the decrepit building ahead.

"Apparently, a stray devil is on the loose in town," Akeno explained, "It used to be a servant to another devil."

"Like us?" Issei blurted out, his usual boisterous energy tempered by a flicker of unease.

Yuuto, ever the composed one, stepped forward. "Sometimes, devils betray or kill their masters, seeking freedom to indulge their own desires. We call them stray devils."

Aebelle, her newly formed angelic wings a stark contrast to the ominous atmosphere, tilted her head, her voice soft as a whisper. "W-why?"

"A stray devil is said to lure people into deserted houses," Akeno continued, her voice taking on a more serious tone, "to eat them."

Issei's eyes widened in horror. "E-Eat them?!"

"Tonight's mission is to bring it down," Akeno declared, her expression resolute.

The group entered the mansion, greeted by a scene of utter chaos. Broken furniture and shattered remnants of a once-elegant interior spoke of the devil's presence.

"You shall see the utter monstrosity stemming from abuse of demonic power and being without a master," Yuuto stated, his voice low and firm.

Rias, her usual composure unwavering, turned to Issei and Aebelle. "Issei. Aebelle."

"Oh, yes, President!" Issei replied, eager to please.

"Do you know chess?" Rias inquired, her brow slightly furrowed.

"Chess? You mean the board game?" Issei questioned, confused.

Aebelle, her innocent features etched with a slight bewilderment, chimed in, "Y-yeah. I mean… I wasn't good at it."

Rias began her explanation, "I, the master, am the king. There's the queen, the knights, the rooks, the bishops, and the pawns. Devils from the aristocracy assign the traits of these pieces to their subordinates."

Issei scratched his head, "‘Traits of the pieces’?"

"We call them Evil Pieces," Rias clarified.

"Why would you need to do that?" Issei pressed, still somewhat baffled.

Aebelle's thoughts drifted. "I really do wonder how it'll work with me being an angel."

Rias, sensing Aebelle's confusion, offered a brief explanation. "It's pretty much the same thing for all of us, especially the other occults." She then returned to the main point, "Anyway, for tonight, observe closely how devils fight."

"Y-Yes," Issei mumbled, his attention piqued.

Koneko's voice, soft yet sharp, cut through the tension. "She's here."

From the deepest shadows, the stray devil emerged. A monstrous figure with the lower half of a beast and the upper half of a woman, her ample breasts obscenely exposed.

Issei's eyes widened in disgust. "EW FUCK NO!"

Akeno let out a soft, amused chuckle.

The stray devil's voice, laced with a chilling sweetness, echoed through the room, "I smell something bad. At the same time, I also smell something delicious! Will it be sweet? Or will it be bitter?"