The New Era Prologue: The Beginning

On a typical autumn day, a first-year student at Kuoh Academy tirelessly waits for the bell to signify the end of the day to ring, however still keeping track of what the lesson is about.

"Just another typical day... Boring, confusing as all hell, stupid."

The boy sighs as he writes down some notes, briefly looking to his left, seeing his best friends pulling faces at one another in an attempt to make one another laugh out loud, then he looks to his right and sees the two girls that he's friends with focusing on their work. At last, the final bell of the day rings.

"Jeez... That felt like it went on forever, eh Yukio?"

The boy with short black hair asks Yukio, who stretches and packs up his notes.

"Yeah, it felt like it was gonna drag on forever."

"I think it's fair to say that I won that game Ed."

"Bullshit Caleb! I won that one!"

Ed turns to Caleb, who is standing beside him, the two looking like polar opposites due to the colors of their hair and eyes; Ed's hair being black with blue eyes, and Caleb with white-grey hair and pink eyes.

"Just shut up you two."

The girl with long, blonde hair rolls her eyes at the duo and looks at the girl standing beside her.

"So what's everyone planning on doing?"

Yukio asks the four crowded around him as he gets up.

"I'm probably gonna go home and train with Caleb."

Ed responds before stretching and yawning, Caleb just nods and looks at the girls.

"I suppose we'll just go shopping, right Celeste?"

The girl with light blue hair nods with a light blush on her cheeks.

"Yeah, t-there's some things that I want to get, so Amber's coming with me."

Celeste quickly adds in, Caleb smiles slightly before tapping Ed on the shoulder.

"We should get goin'. See you guys tomorrow yeah?"

"Definitely."

Amber, Celeste and Yukio say goodbye to Ed and Caleb before they all head out themselves, since Yukio lives near the mall. The trio walked, getting lost in their seemingly endless conversation. After a few more minutes Yukio is walking home on his own, as they stopped to talk a bit more, the conversation dragging on for at least over 30 minutes. The sky was dark as Yukio sighed before hearing rapid footsteps behind him.

"What the-?!"

Suddenly, Yukio feels a sharp pain in his belly, as he looks down he notices a knife sticking out, he falls to the ground, blood rushing out of the wound as the perpetrator rushes away.

"No... No way... Is this really my end? Being stabbed by some random guy?!"

As his vision gets blurry, he sees a familiar figure rush over and begin to tend to the wound, Yukio struggles to keep consciousness as he is helped by this person.

"Fuck... I need to get him to the ORC..."

The man says to himself as he wraps a jacket around Yukio's waist and picks him up carefully, suddenly a glow emits from underneath the figure, a few moments later he arrives at the Occult Research Club at Kuoh Academy, he rushes inside, putting Yukio on the sofa before grabbing two chess pieces from his pocket; both pieces being pawns. He sits the pieces on Yukio's chest, muttering something before the chess pieces sink into Yukio.

"Ah... Shit that was a close one..."

"You did well Tatsuya."

The president of the Occult Research Club, Rias Gremory puts her hand on Tatsuya's shoulder, his long, brown hair trapped underneath the palm of her hand.

"Thanks Rias."

Tatsuya stands up and stretches before taking a seat opposite of Yukio, as he does so, a woman with sleek black hair sneaks up and playfully tackles him into the sofa, surprising him and causing him to blush.

"A-Akeno?!"

"Uhuhu~ I haven't seen you all day Tatsu!"

"Yeah well, I've been busy keeping an eye out for things."

Tatsuya explains to Akeno before sitting up and looking over at Yukio.

"So he's the newest member of your peerage I take it?"

"You got that right, he did lose a fair amount of blood though. The wound was deeper than I thought it was, I'll let him rest for a bit and then take him home."

The blush on Tatsuya's cheeks slowly faded as he took a deep breath, regaining his composure as Akeno and Rias sat either side of him. Rias softly rubbed his back to help him relax, eventually he hugged Rias.

"Alright, so that makes it... Uh..."

Tatsuya begins to count with his fingers while muttering something to himself, Rias chuckles as Akeno pours herself and Rias some tea.

"Eight..."

Tatsuya smiles as he realise how big his peerage has become.

"Only a few to go until you're out of pieces."

Rias comments just before having a sip of her tea, Akeno puts her cup down and smiles, a thought crossing her mind as she gets up and looks out of the window.

"Akeno?"

As Tatsuya says her name, she turns her head to him before walking up to him and playfully poking his chest with her finger.

"I'm proud of you Tatsuya, I really am."

Akeno smiles at Tatsuya, who returns the smile before looking at Yukio.

"You should take him home."

"Yeah, it would be best to."

Tatsuya walks up to Yukio and picks him up, smiling at the two girls as he uses the teleportation circle to get to Yukio's house, he knocks on the door. Yukio's mother answers the door and becomes surprised but worried for her son, Tatsuya tells her that he found Yukio passed out near the mall but said that he is okay. Yukio's mother thanks him before letting Tatsuya come in and put Yukio in his room, Tatsuya is invited to stay for dinner but he declines, stating that he is busy and just happened to see Yukio along his way.