DxD: Uchiha Sasuke

Cleria's hand trembled slightly, whether from nerves or the weight of her request, he couldn't tell. "I… I want to train. I want to learn from you," she said, her voice dropping to a near-whisper that nonetheless carried in the quiet room.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, a bitter laugh escaping him. "Train you? What exactly are you trying to pull, Belial ?" His tone dripped with sarcasm as he folded his arm tightly over his face. "I'm not a tutor, and I certainly don't have any interest in turning you into my personal project."

Cleria's gaze never wavered as she continued, "Last night, you… you neutralized that errant demon with ease. Even to me it seemed dominant. I believe your strength is at least high class, you're in definition more powerful than me. I know you're not a teacher or a mentor by trade, but I... I need guidance. My clan magic… it's called 'Worthless.'" She paused, her voice growing quieter yet earnest.

"It may sound unimpressive, but it's the magic of the Belial clan. My cousin, Diehauser Belial, is renowned in the Rating Games, top of his class, they say. I want to grow stronger so I can one day compete with him. At the end of the year, the new Rating Games will take place."

Sasuke's lips curled into a wry, incredulous smirk. "So now I'm supposed to be your sensei because you're too weak at magic?" he snapped, voice laced with disdain. "You expect me to teach you how to fight when I barely care for teaching, and I'm not exactly overflowing with magic myself."

Her eyes flashed with both frustration and sincerity. "It's not about magic in the conventional sense," Cleria insisted, leaning in a little closer. "It's about combat, discipline, the kind of hard-earned skill you possess. I'm not asking you to transform me overnight. I need to understand your methods, refine my control, and maybe even learn how to integrate my magic with real battle, what do you think ?" She looked at Sasuke with puppy eyes.

Truth be told, she couldn't ask anyone to train her, her cousin mustn't know. As for her Peerage... they can't help her much since she's already the strongest of the group, leaving only Sasuke as a potential helper. He should be able to help her, even if only a little... right?

Sasuke stared at her for a long moment, his gaze icy and unreadable. In his mind, the notion was absurd: a demon like her, asking a lone warrior like him for training. Yet, something about her determination, the raw vulnerability in her tone, sparked a fleeting curiosity. Rating Games is a game or two Peerage strategically clash while showing a show of strength.

She wants to become strong so she can challenge a member of the clan? Why not, but what does that have to do with him?

"Why should I waste my time on you?" he asked finally, his voice flat but edged with arrogance. "What do I gain from this? I'm not in the habit of playing mentor to someone who's barely worth my attention."

Cleria's tone grew firmer, her words earnest despite the chill in his response. "I'm not asking for a handout or for you to coddle me. I know it's raw now, but with proper guidance, it could be something truly strong. Isn't that worth considering?"

Sasuke's eyes, dark and guarded, briefly searched her face for any sign of weakness. "I train for survival," he said, his voice low and edged with disdain. "I don't train to polish magic tricks."

A long, heavy silence settled between them as the weight of her request hung in the air. Cleria's gaze softened, though her determination did not falter. " I'm not asking for your pity, Uchiha-san," she said, her voice trembling ever so slightly with vulnerability. "I have no one else to turn to. My peerage… they're as isolated as I am, and my cousin's reputation only casts a longer shadow over my failures.There was also something else, but he didn't need to know."

She took a tentative breath. "I believe you can maybe unlock something in my magic. I need someone strong enough to handle my magic... please, let me learn from you." Her eyes, wide and earnest, searched his face for any sign of compassion.

Sasuke's eyes narrowed, and for a long moment he was silent. There was a desperation in that girl's eyes, a desperation he had felt before. The same desperation when he was in dire need of someone-something's to become stronger for his quest for vengeance. And now, he was facing this situation. Him, a Shinobi who wasn't even from this world, willingly helping a girl who was all the more a devil ?

The corridor of the empty classroom seemed to echo with his own mind. Finally, he sighed, a deep, reluctant exhalation that hinted at a long-buried curiosity. "What's in it for me?" he asked again, his tone as cold and clipped as ever, yet laced with a hint of reluctant interest.

He wasn't going to help a demon without getting something in return, he wasn't so benevolent as to help the first demon that came along out of pure kindness.

Cleria's voice dropped to a near-whisper. "If you train me, you'll have my favor owed in return. You know, even someone like me has some power and connections. I am still an High Class Devil from the Belial Clan, we can form a good relationship, don't you think ?" She twirled her hair with her fingers with a slight blush, she feared the answer he might give. What if he refused? Already he, an human, refuses to join his Peerage, but what if he refuses that too? It would be too much for her heart.

For a moment, Sasuke's expression flickered, something akin to calculation passed across his eyes. All this thing was absurd, yet the prospect of having someone indebted to him in this chaotic realm stirred a grudging sense of practicality within him. After all, the more he understood of this world, the more he'd need every advantage he could muster.

With a slow, measured exhale, he finally relented. "Fine," he said flatly, "I'll train you. But understand this, I'm not doing it out of some noble desire to be a mentor. I'm doing it because you owe me, and because… Nevermind. I need to know more about the forces that surround me." He will never admit that he is doing a good deed, it is simply business.

Cleria's face broke into a relieved smile, warm and bright in the dim light. Overwhelmed with gratitude, she reached out and gently placed her arms around his right arm, Sasuke's lone arm. For a fleeting moment, the contact sent a warmth through him that he quickly suppressed. True to form, he kept his arm stiff and distant, his expression unreadable.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice soft but resolute. "I promise you won't regret this. I will train harder than anyone else, and one day, I'll be able to repay this debt."

Sasuke's eyes, dark and guarded, met hers for a brief, silent exchange. "We'll see," he murmured, his tone dismissive yet not entirely unkind. As he pulled his arm away, his gaze drifted to the window, lost once more in his thoughts.

Had he made a good choice?

---

The next day, as dusk gave way to the cool light of early evening, Sasuke walked through the quiet corridor of his apartment building. At the far end of the hall, he noticed two figures conversing softly near the mailboxes, a man with a well-worn cross glinting at his neck and a small child with curious eyes clinging to his side.

"Daddy, look! Is that your cross?" the girl asked innocently, her voice full of wonder.

The man smiled gently and ruffled her hair. "Yes, Irina. It's a symbol of our faith. We're here to make a fresh start in this neighborhood."

Sasuke paused, his dark eyes narrowing as he observed the scene. There was something about the man, and the cross sparked a flicker of suspicion in Sasuke's mind.

Is he a member of the "Church"? This man's aura was clear, and that cross around his neck radiated in his eyes. Cleria had told him about it, this person must be an Exorcist. But what is a member of the church doing here?

He recalled the Church's influence and their role in the supernatural balance, and the idea of a pastor roaming these streets felt both out of place and dangerously close to his own interests.

The man, Touji Shidou, caught Sasuke's gaze and offered a polite nod. "Good morning," he said, his voice even and welcoming, yet tinged with a quiet authority.

Sasuke grunted in response, not one to offer greetings willingly. "Morning," he replied curtly, his tone as cold as the wind that swept through the streets.

Irina, standing beside her father with an inquisitive tilt of her head, peered up at Sasuke. "Are you new here?" she asked, her tone friendly and unburdened by caution.

Sasuke's eyes flicked to the small girl, a momentary pause softening his otherwise hardened expression, an emotion he quickly buried. "No," he replied, voice low and clipped, "Just passing through."

Touji's gaze shifted between the reticent stranger and his daughter. "I understand," he said, maintaining his gentle composure. "But if you ever need anything, or if there's something troubling you, don't hesitate to ask. We're part of this community now."

"Irina and I shifted here today so I thought of introducing ourselves to the neighbors. Seems that you came before." The father couldn't help but slip in a smile despite Sasuke's coldness.

"Sasuke Uchiha," he only let out a breath, not bothering to elaborate.

The conversation fell into an awkward silence. Irina's eyes shone with innocent curiosity as she studied Sasuke, while Touji offered a small, understanding smile. For a moment, the bustling noise of the morning receded around them, leaving only the quiet tension of new acquaintance.

Touji shifted his gaze from Sasuke to Irina, then back again. "You know, Uchiha-san," he began hesitantly, "since we're neighbors now, maybe one day I could meet your parents? It might help build some kind of... understanding between us."

Sasuke's expression remained impassive as he folded his arms. For a long moment, the place's quiet was filled only by the distant hum of early morning activity. Then, with a slight curl at the corner of his mouth, a rare crack in his icy demeanor, he replied coolly, "I don't have parents to introduce you to."

When was the last time he had neighbors to talk to? He had nothing to say about himself, or even his parents. Talking to people even bothered him.

A flicker of surprise passed over Touji's face, his polite smile faltering for an instant. "Oh...well, I… I see," he stammered, clearly caught off guard. "I just thought, since you're young and all, it might be nice to know more about you. Sorry for that..."

Before Sasuke could retort, Irina chimed in in her sweet, unguarded manner, "Maybe you can come over and see me and my dad sometime, too! I like making new friends! My mom stayed in England too, I will be bored. Be my friend!" Her bright, hopeful eyes were fixed on Sasuke, and despite himself, he felt a fleeting warmth in response, a tiny, almost imperceptible smile tugged at his lips.

Sasuke quickly pushed the smile away, his tone reverting to its usual frost. "I'm not interested in family introductions," he said bluntly, though his voice lacked its usual venom.

Touji, trying to salvage the awkward moment, offered a gentle laugh. "Of course, of course. No need to force anything. I just believe that understanding where someone comes from can help us all get along better."

Sasuke's gaze hardened as he looked away. "I get along just fine on my own," he muttered, dismissing the notion without ceremony.

In such a few days, there has been almost more social interaction than in his previous life. This change made him a little uncomfortable but after his last fight with Naruto, he had promised himself to try to change... for the better.

Kakashi, I need advice one last time...