High School DxD: Scattered Cherry Blossoms

===After school===

Human World, Japan, Kuoh.

After classes ended for the day, James, Rias, and Akeno made their way to the MMA training hall. Following the trio was Flora Nanadan, the transfer student. Flora has been chattering constantly since the trio stood to leave the class. Asking James what martial arts he practices, asking the same about Rias and Akeno, and after finding out that Rias and Akeno do not practice martial arts, she asked why they were coming to the MMA club. In the beginning, the trio did not mind her curiosity. Infact, even now they did not mind. The issue is that she had not stopped at all. Even before either of them could fully answer one question, a second would already be on its way.

"Is it me, or does she seem a little different from the way she was during the breaks?" Akeno asked James discretely while Flora was questioning Rias intensely.

Looking back, James coincidentally made eye contact with Rias. The pleading in her eyes, asking to be saved made him turn his eyes away. James had no clue what to do. It was not like Flora had any bad intentions; she was simply curious... About everything.

"I think she's just excited about the MMA club." James said, turning back to continue the conversation with Akeno. "I mean she made it clear that she really loves martial arts."

"She also made it clear that she really loves boys." Akeno replied with Narrowed eyes.

"She did." James said with a nod.

Expecting James to have more to say or to get flustered, Akeno was a bit disappointed with his calm reply. Even though she has developed feelings for James ever since he saved her, Akeno's sadism enjoys seeing him squirm in situations like these.

Noticing what Akeno was aiming for, James looked her in the eyes and smirked.

"I know you're a bit of an S, Akeno." James said after looking forward again. Then in a dominant tone he continued. "But if you keep testing me, I may end up putting you over my knee to punish you."

Hearing James' words and tone, Akeno came to a stop and shuddered. She then began rubbing her thighs together in agitation.

Seeing Akeno's reaction, James was thoroughly confused.

'What the hell, is she an S or an M?'

Also noticing her [Queen's] state, Rias interrupted Flora's questions and walked over to Akeno's side.

"Akeno, are you okay?" Rias asked with concern. "Should we go back to the dorm instead?"

"No, I'll be fine Rias." Akeno said as she regained her composure.

At that moment Flora caught up. Seeing that Rias and Akeno were preoccupied, she began talking to James.

"So, James, how did a first year like you become the captain of the MMA club?" Flora asked, curiosity overflowing from her gaze.

"That's simple, I started the club." James replied.

"Oh, really?" Flora asked in intrigue

After a few minutes of conversation, the group reached the MMA training hall. When they entered, Flora's mouth hung open in surprise. She did not expect to see such a well-equipped training space. James then led Flora to the captain's office to give her the necessary paperwork to fill out. At the same time, Rias and Akeno made their way to the spectator seats to observe the club's practice. Once they returned to the main training hall, the other members of the club began entering the hall as well. Seeing this, Flora was even more excited.

"Alright, if you get your parents' permission, you'll officially be a member of the MMA club, Nanadan." James said while observing the members of the club. He then pointed in Rias and Akeno's direction and continued. "You said you wanted to observe, right? You can have a seat with Riri and Akeno, over there."

"Okay, I'll see you after the club time ends." flora said with a smile, then she jogged over to where Rias and Akeno were sitting.

After that, James left to get changed, when he came back from the locker room, he began instructing the girls who joined to learn some self-defense techniques.

Around the time James entered the locker room, Flora arrived next to Rias and Akeno.

"Hey, can I ask the two of you a question?" Flora asked with curiosity in her tone and expression.

Rias and Akeno tensed for a moment as they remembered the onslaught of questions Flora fired at them on their way there.

"Sure." Rias replied with a smile after regaining her composure.

"Alaverus said he was the one who started this club, right?" Flora asked.

Rias and Akeno nodded their heads in response.

"Then, why was there a fully equipped MMA gym on campus if there was no MMA club before he got here?" Flora asked. She could not figure out the answer to this question no matter how much she thought about it.

Hearing Flora's question, Rias and Akeno made eye contact briefly. Then Rias answered.

"Well, that's because James had decided to come to this school long before." Rias said, beginning the explanation. "When he found out that the school didn't have a hall where he could practice his mixed martial arts, he donated the building to the school."

Flora's mouth fell open in surprise. Then she replied calmly when she got her shock under control.

"His parents really must dote on him." Flora said with envy in her tone.

Noticing the oddity in her tone, Rias and Akeno conversed through eye contact once again. Then Akeno replied to Flora's remark.

"Although it's true James' parents dote on him," Akeno replied. "I think you're misunderstanding something."

"Huh? What do you mean?" flora asked in confusion.

"Rias said James donated this building, and she meant exactly what she said." Akeno replied. "With his own assets, James donated this building."

Once again, Flora's mouth and eyes opened widely in surprise.

"Wait, are you serious?" Flora asked, not believing what she had just heard. "How does a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old have that much money?"

"Yup." Rias replied to flora's first question.

Akeno replied to her second question with, "He's a pretty famous mangaka. If you read manga, there's a good chance you've read his work."

"You've got to be kidding me?" Flora exclaimed not knowing what to say. "He sounds like some kinda fantasy novel protagonist."

{This girl is pretty sharp}

At that moment, all three girls thought they heard a voice. After looking around, though, they were unable to find anyone.

"Did the two of you hear that?" Akeno asked while still looking around vigilantly.

Rias and Flora nodded in response.

"A voice and the sound of something crashing down." Flora said with some apprehension.

Trying to lighten the mood, the otaku, Rias, cracked a joke.

"Maybe the crash was the sound of the fourth wall breaking."

{This one is even sharper}

With that, the girls each decided to pretend like this never happened. Even if they told someone about it, no one would believe them.

After that little episode, the girls observed the club activities. The way James instructed the self-defense drills, those doing weight training or hitting the heavy bags and speed bags, the spar between two of the club members that James refereed, and the match James had with a member who thought he was better suited as the club's captain. A match that James dominated. At the end of the club activities, James and the members returned to the locker rooms to shower and get dressed before going home.

After everyone had finished showering, one by one they left the training hall. James was the last to leave. He locked the doors, and then accompanied Rias, Akeno, and flora to the school gate.

"So, you allow the members to challenge for the position of captain." Flora asked as they exited the school grounds.

"Yup." James replied simply.

"Why?" Flora asked once again.

"It pushes the members who want to be fighters to improve." James explained.

"But what if you lose?" Flora asked. "It would ruin your reputation, wouldn't it?"

Before answering, James said goodbye to Rias and Akeno as they separated to return to the dorms. After seeing them off, James turned back to Flora.

"I don't mind walking you home since today is your first day at the school." James offered.

"I think I'll take you up on that offer." Flora responded with a smile. She then proceeded to tell James where her house was located.

James smiled awkwardly when he heard where her house was.

"What's wrong?" Flora asked after seeing James' expression.

"Well, my house is in that same neighborhood." James replied. "So, you must have been with the family I saw moving in the other day. If I remember right, my mom went over to say hi a couple of days ago."

"Your mom?" Flora asked in bewilderment.

"Her name is Leona Alaverus." James said while walking in the direction of his neighborhood.

"So, Miss Leona is your mother." Flora said in realization. "That's why when she found out how much I like mixed martial arts, she said I'd probably end up in the same club as her son."

"I'm actually surprised she didn't pull out a picture and show it off when she said that." James said with a hollow laugh.

"Uh." Flora avoided making eye contact with James after hearing what he just said.

James deadpanned and asked. "She couldn't find one, huh?"

"How did you know?" Flora asked with her eyes wide open.

"She has a thing for embarrassing me." James said with a wry smile.

After another fifteen minutes, James and Flora arrived outside of Flora's home.

"Well, this is me." Flora said with a smile while pointing at her house.

"Alright, Have a good night." James said with a wave, then turned back in the direction they came from. "I'll see you at school tomorrow."

Before James walked too far away, Flora remembered there were two questions James never answered.

"Hey!" Flora shouted to get James' attention. "You never told me what you would do if you lost a match for the captain's position in the club and your reputation was ruined."

Without turning back, James replied confidently.

"I'll answer your second question first." James said without a hint of doubt in his tone. "I'm honestly not worried about my reputation. As long as I can be proud of my actions, I don't care what others think about me. And as for your first question."

James paused. A few moments later, he raised his right fist in the air and spoke once more.

"I can guarantee I will be the captain for the whole three years I'm attending Kuoh Academy." James said, once again overflowing with confidence.

As James walked away, in the direction of his own home, Flora stood outside her front door and watched until he was no longer visible. As she turned around to open the door to her house, she spoke to herself.

"James Alaverus, he's so much more interesting than all the other boys." Flora said as she licked her lips. "But it looks like I'll have a bit of competition."

As she said that, the images of four girls in her class crossed her mind.

"Well, we'll see how things go." Flora said, as she opened the door to the house. Then in a cheerful tone, she shouted. "Momma, Daddy, I'm home! I met Miss Leona's son, James, today, too."