The Golden Dragon Empress (HighSchool DxD)

A New Kouhai

A Week Later

Natsuki was not sure how to feel as she watched the movers carry furniture into what was now the new Kuoh Town Orphanage.

Her reluctance had nothing to do with the move itself, but the location that was chosen; the abandoned church in the center of town, the one that Raynare had used as her base of operation and had killed Asia inside of.

Even though this place has lost a lot of its Holiness, it still makes me feel uncomfortable. Now I know why Sirzechs told me it would be better for me to keep living in my apartment rather than moving in with everyone. Natsuki thought.

"Hey, Natsuki." Natsuki turned around when she heard Issei calling her name, seeing him and the rest of the ORC with him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Natsuki asked.

"We wanted to see if Aozora-san and the children needed any help with the move." Rias answered, "And I wanted you to come with us afterwards to the clubroom, I have something very serious to show you and the other new members of the Peerage."

"That doesn't sound ominous at all." Natsuki drawled.

Rias smirked, which did nothing to change Natsuki's opinion that Rias was being purposefully vague to mess with them.

You really did end up with a cruel mistress. Lux said inside her mind, causing Natsuki to snort.

"Natsuki, there you are, you didn't tell me your friends were coming today, I would have made something for them if I had known." Kushina said as she exited the church and saw Natsuki standing in front of the rest of the ORC.

"I didn't know they were coming." Natsuki replied.

"There is no need to make anything for us, Aozora-san. We only came to see if you and the children needed help." Rias voiced.

"Oh, well Sirzechs-san has hired very good thorough movers, so I don't think that is necessary." Kushina stated, "And you all can call me Kushina. Come, come inside."

Kushina led the group inside the newly renovated orphanage, telling them to sit as she disappeared up the stairs. The ground floor now looked bigger than it had before and had been cleared of the pews, now having a sprawling living room and three walls that separated it from the dining room and kitchen.

Kushina had told the group to sit down in the living room as she went to the kitchen to get them all something to drink.

"Wow, this place looks way different than it did before." Issei said as he looked around the new orphanage in awe.

Kiba chuckled, "That's because it was abandoned and falling apart before."

It also doesn't hurt that there are no Fallen Angels and rouge exorcists around trying to kill us. Kiba thought.

"But is it still supposed to feel so uncomfortable?" Issei asked, shuddering as it felt like a stone was sitting on his shoulders and like some of his energy had been taken from him the further, they walked into the building.

"The orphanage is being sponsored by the Church; it also doesn't help that this building used to be a baptized church." Akeno explained as they all began to sit down on the couches and chairs.

Holy energy, much like Demonic energy, tended to linger in places, objects, and in people for prolonged periods of time, only slowly losing its strength and permeance.

Xenovia sighed as she heard this, "I keep forgetting that as a Devil now, that building like this feels so oppressive and cold."

She had once found warmth and comfort in holy places, even ones that were abandoned and desolate, but now her new body rejected such things. And this feeling grew worse as Xenovia was reminded of how she became a Devil in the first place.