NOTICE: As I said in the description, I've decided to repost the original version of the story. Many of you asked for it, and I didn't want you to feel ignored. I was indeed reading your messages and reviews. After outlining the plots for the Reboot and the Original, I figured it was safe to repost the original version again. Looking back on it, I made a lot of mistakes, so I trashed it. However, after looking back on it again, I realized just how much love I put into the original version. So, here you go, the original version of "The Heroic Calamity".

I haven't altered any content from the original story. I kept it as it was before I deleted it. I didn't want to mess with something that people liked. So, enjoy, and hopefully, this doesn't plant any stigma on the Rebooted version of the story. As much as I like this version and I understand that others like it, do give the rebooted version a try too. Of course, it's still too early to say anything, but do as you will.

The Heroic Calamity

Chapter 1: Instinctively Charmed

Issei, a relatively normal 17-year-old teenager, had just begun his 2nd year at Kuoh Academy. It was conveniently close to his home and offered a good education. He lived a relatively normal life. He didn't stand out much, as he had an average build with brown eyes and brown hair. That aside, he was friendly with several students, earning a reputation as a withdrawn but nice guy.

However, that was all going to change soon.

The start of the change in his life began on the first day of school.

After the boring speech from the Headmaster, Issei went to class, where there was to be a new transfer student entering the 2nd year. He heard rumors going around about how it was a foreign aristocrat coming to the school. He didn't bother to read into it, though. He didn't see a reason to worm into someone else's business or life.

When class started, the teacher introduced the rumored student. The door opened and in came the most beautiful young woman that Issei had ever seen. His breath hitched and he paused as he took in the sight before him.

The new student had silver hair that shined like flowing lines of stars, with a black headband that was decorated and resembled a toned-down tiara in a sense. Blue eyes that were like sapphire gems glanced around. Accompanied by these traits, was a body that was suitable for a deity. The new transfer student had a very gifted bust with a tall, lithe, and lean figure and pale skin. However, Issei felt that something was different about her. She radiated a cool and gentle aura around herself, like a princess that was naturally several leagues above everyone else.

"Hello, everyone. My name is Validia Lucieln. I've just transferred here recently, so I hope to learn from all of you. I hope that we can get along." She politely spoke with a small smile while bowing.

"Are there any questions for Lucieln-san?" The teacher asked.

Several hands were raised in response.

"How long have you been in Japan?" One student asked.

"I came for a long stay about 10 years ago. Besides that, I've only been here for a few months."

"Where are you from?" Another questioned.

"My family travels a lot so I can't really say that I'm from a particular place."

As Issei watched her, he noticed that Validia remained polite but retained a slightly distant position from the people that spoke to her. If the questions got too personal, she'd deflect it or outright reject answering in a polite manner.

"Lucieln-san, do you have a boyfriend?"

"No. I'm not looking for one, though." She quickly shot that balloon down.

Dismissing his own analysis of her character, the class continued. However, a particular thing had happened that Issei didn't really bother to read into. That was the fact that Validia was seated next to him. This earned him a few unwanted stares, with low mutters of jealousy coming from several guys, who wanted to be close to her. It also didn't help that several elbows were poking into his side, as a crowd had quickly formed around her.

He had to admit, Validia was amazingly beautiful. In his opinion, she was much more beautiful than even the Four Great Ladies of Kuoh.

When class ended, Issei was approached by the teacher.

"Hyoudou? Would it be possible for you to show Lucieln-san around campus later? Given how new she is; it would be nice if someone from her class personally shows her around. You've been to the Kuoh Middle School and have been at this school since the 1st year, so I thought you'd be a trustworthy choice." The teacher sheepishly smiled.

"Of course. I'll make sure to show her around." Issei nodded.

Validia gave Issei a gracious smile as they exchanged greetings.

"Hello, Hyoudou-san. I'm grateful that you're willing to show me around." She bowed. Her tone remained polite with him, though it wasn't as cold as when she initially introduced herself.

"I'm happy to help. You can just call me Issei. I'm not much for formalities." Issei smiled lightly, not wanting to come off as being too uninterested or overly-friendly.

As the day drew closer to an end, Issei guided Validia around campus. He showed her the Lunchroom, the exits out of the school, the ways to the rooftop, the gym, the track field, and the zones for sports.

"Kuoh isn't too spectacular when it comes to equipment but there are a lot of clubs and activities." Issei spoke about tidbits of information that he hoped would be interesting to Validia.

"Are you in any clubs?" She asked, curious for input.

"No. I just come to school and go home. I haven't found any activities that interest me right now." Issei shook his head.

After the generic tour was done with, Issei walked Validia to the gates of Campus, where a white limousine was parked. He found that something seemed odd, but when he saw how casually Validia walked towards it, he assumed it was here to pick her up.

Validia turned around and flashed him a small smile.

"Thanks for showing me around today, Issei-san. I'll see you tomorrow." She bowed before entering the car and leaving.

Issei watched as the ivory vehicle disappeared into the distance before walking home in the late afternoon sun.

The next day, Validia sat at her seat and gave Issei a courteous look, accompanied by a small grin.

"Good morning, Hyoudou-san."

"Good morning, Lucieln-san."

This was their usual routine whenever they met up, greeting each other politely before going their own ways. One day, Validia came to school but learned that she had forgotten one of her textbooks.

"Hyoudou, would you be so kind as to share your textbook with Validia?" The teacher had asked.

"Sure." He smiled at Validia and scooted over.

The silver-haired girl gave him a grateful look before focusing on the lesson. Issei would've done the same if he wasn't being stared at by other guys, who were obviously the ones who'd drool all over her.

"Hm…" Issei stared at his textbook, baffled by the English assignment.

"What's wrong?" Validia asked, choosing not to ignore him.

"I don't understand this assignment." He pointed at several marked areas on his worksheet.

"Well, the English language only uses one dialect, unlike katakana and kanji, for example. The Japanese writing system doesn't use plurals, either, in which the English make use of. Like here…" She then went on to explain to Issei what he was doing wrong.

This quickly became routine, as the two began to draw closer, helping one another out when they noticed that there was trouble.

Weeks went by and Issei found that Validia was actually quite warm, even a bit playful, though still polite. However, he found that this particular behavior was only exhibited around him. She'd crack small jokes and make small smiles when conversing with others about certain topics, like recent TV shows and recent events.

"So, Lucieln-san, I heard that your family runs the 'Temptative Products' Corporation. Is that true?" Murayama, a twin-tailed brunette asked energetically.

"Yes, my grandfather is the president of the company." She admitted.

"It must be stressful to be the granddaughter then." Katase commented.

"It has its ups and downs?" Validia waved away the comment.

For every single break, this happened. It was becoming clear that Validia wasn't too comfortable with the constant questions, though.

When lunchtime came around, Issei went to the rooftop to eat his lunch, as he enjoyed watching the peaceful scenery of Kuoh's Town. While opening his bento box, the door to the roof opened, revealing a familiar face.

"Oh? Sorry, am I disturbing you?" Validia sheepishly asked.

"No, you're fine. Feel free to do as you please here." Issei made a small smile.

"Thanks. It's been a bit hectic lately." She then sat down on one of the benches.

"Lots of people still asking personal questions?" Issei guessed. Well, not really, but the word just felt right to him.

"Yeah. Other times, it's invitations to go out and have fun, like karaoke and concerts. I find some of those requests to be a bit sketchy, though." She warily sighed.

"Well, if there's anything I can help with, let me know." Issei offered nonchalantly.

"Noted." Vali nodded.

The two opened their lunches and looked at the difference in style between their foods. Issei's lunch was simply ginger steak with fried green beans and pickled bamboo with rice and fruit, while Vali's was having soup with rolled omelets, fried chicken, salad, and rice.

"Simple lunch?" Validia remarked.

"Balanced lunch?" Issei questioned.

The two laughed when they realized that they spoke at the same time, small chuckles escaping from their lips. It was odd how quickly the two got along.

"So, how do you feel about Kuoh? Is it annoying you yet?" Issei asked.

"It's certainly peaceful and pleasant. I don't mind it. Still, there's been talk about this group of people around the school. Something about the Four Great Ladies of Kuoh?" Validia asked with a skeptic look.

Issei deadpanned.

"Yeah. Sounds like it came out of a light novel, right? Well, to explain it, it's merely a group of four 3rd year females. They have beauty and graceful personalities that make them seem sisterly and are adored for having looks and brains."

"Who are they, exactly?"

"As I recall, two of them are in the Student Council: Sona Shitori and Shinra Tsubaki. The other two are Rias Gremory and Himejiima Akeno, who are in the Occult Research Club." Issei passively spoke.

While he thought they were beautiful, he didn't find the desire to simply gawk at them like others. There were too many people doing that already.

After this revelation, Validia looked like she had spaced out, looking into the distance while sporting a look of discovery.

"Interesting." She muttered.

"Why the interest?" Issei looked at Validia with a quizzical look.

"People were talking about making me one of them. Something about me being a candidate for being member number five?" She raised a brow of skepticism, changing her expression almost instantly.

"Not surprised." Issei muttered.

Validia had proven that she was extremely intelligent, having already aced the first few quizzes of the semester with perfect scores, further solidifying the build-up for her reputation.

"I feel like trouble is coming." Validia sighed.

"Best of luck. If you need someone to talk to, then I'm all ears." Issei flatly spoke, though there was a touch of sincerity in his words. He knew what it was like to feel singled out and alone. He had been experiencing that for most of his school life. At least he wasn't friends with the Perverted Duo, though. Yeesh.

Validia made a small smile. Issei had retained a polite but friendly approach with her throughout their conversation. He didn't fawn over her or lost his cool. He treated her respectfully but not to the point of isolation.

"Thanks. Well, I should get going. I have stuff to do now. I'm grateful that you were willing to talk to me." She grinned before leaving.

"Anytime." He responded before she closed the door behind herself.

He found that Validia had taken these words to heart, as she started to come to him often to talk as time went by. It wasn't really about her personal problems though, but rather just for friendly socialization.

"So, what are your likes?" Issei asked passively.

"I like to read and exercise regularly. I also like the color white and pudding. What about you, Issei-san?" She returned a question.

"I happen to like listening to music and artistic activities like painting and drawing. As for color, I guess I like navy blue. Concerning food, I love chocolate." He recounted with a small grin.

"How about dislikes?" Validia pressed on.

"I definitely don't like eggs. I don't mind if it's an ingredient but when I eat it in any form where it's discernable, I get the urge to vomit. I also don't like noisy crowds, like concert crowds." He admitted as he looked at her, signaling for her confession.

"Well, I don't like the horror genre. I never liked gore and the like. It makes me uncomfortable."

Their daily conversations were quite similar to this, where the two simply got to know each other. It was a pleasant time for them as Issei became the friend that Validia needed to adjust to her new life and home. She also became someone who reduced the loneliness that Issei often found himself in. It was a beneficial relationship for both sides. This continued for about 2 months, by Issei's estimates.

One day, Issei decided to ask and see if Validia wanted to do something after school, hoping to maintain a better friendship with her outside of campus. He found that he truly wanted to friends with her, which was new as he hadn't felt the urge for this kind of thing in a long time.

"Hey, Validia-san, want to hang out after school?" He asked casually.

She smiled sadly at him.

"Sorry, Issei-kun. I actually have business with the ORC so I won't be able to hang out tonight."

"What's the ORC?" He asked, making an oblivious look.

"It's the Occult Research Club. We investigate supernatural cases and make prints and reports of them. I joined with them last week." She smiled.

This smile was something that stood out to Issei, in which it pulsed with excitement. It was a smile that he would soon begin to see less and less.

"No problem." He smiled and nodded. He wasn't upset and was rather glad that she found more friends to associate with. However, a part of him was a bit disappointed.

Sadly, he found himself doing that often for the next long while, as Validia became more and more pre-occupied with ORC activities. She also came to their usual lunches less frequently. Apparently, the club was quite busy with activities.

"I'm sorry, Issei-kun. I wish we could hang out like usual but things have been cropping up so I need to deal with it first." She apologetically looked at him one time after another invitation.

"Don't worry about it. Prioritize what you need to." He smiled to relieve her of her worries.

However, he indeed felt the distance increasing between. It had now been 4 months since they met, with Issei finding himself oddly gravitating to her. He found it easy to speak to her and he felt some sort of security when around her. He didn't understand why he felt so charmed with her. Was it her beauty? Or was it her personality? Whatever the case, he dismissed the thought, thinking of it as unhealthy.

"How about I make it up to you? Let's hang out this Friday. There's a string of new movies coming out and a new restaurant just opened not too long ago. How's right after school sound?" She suggested.

"Sounds like a plan." He nodded.

The two knew that platonic implications were the only thing being made, as romance was still far out of the picture for the two of them, not that they were aware of that territory.

Later that day, Issei walked home but this time, he was met by a strange new phenomenon.

A raven-haired young woman wearing a school uniform that was different from his own had appeared. Her violet eyes shimmered with uncertainty and her face was flushed with nervous emotion.

"Um, my name is Amano Yuuma. Your name is Hyoudou Issei, right?"

Issei only nodded with a short yes.

"You see, I've seen you pass by here several times already and I…well…"

She shifted around nervously and avoided gazes with him multiple times, making Issei wonder if this was an act or if this was real. Nobody acted this way towards him before.

"Well, I've f-fallen for you. You seem so cool and calm and well…anyways. Will you go out with me?!" She asked with an earnest voice.

Issei deadpanned on the inside. He knew better than to fall into this sort of trap. There was the Third Law of Issei Hyoudou's Living Principles: Never date someone for the heck of it. Especially if you've known them for less than a month without significant interaction.

"I'm sorry but I must decline. I don't know you well enough to date you. I hope you can understand. I don't wish to be frivolous with this sort of thing. Nor would it be fair if dating wasn't mutual. Goodbye." He spoke gently with a calm but apologetic face.

As he walked away, he noticed that Yuuma looked dejected and gob-smacked, making him feel even worse about himself since he was now wondering if she was feeling genuine.

When Friday afternoon finally came, Issei waited by the gates of Campus. He looked at his phone and made sure to message his parents about his activities for the night. They always dogged him about his safety as they were quite protective of him. Sad thing was, they were constantly working out of the country.

Suddenly, he felt a hand tap his shoulder.

He turned and found not Validia, but someone else entirely. He peered into turquoise eyes and the face of a refined young lady with crimson hair and a stunning figure. The person in front of him was none other than Rias Gremory.

"Excuse me, but are you Hyoudou Issei-kun?" She asked politely.

"Yes. Did you need something Gremory-senpai?" He replied with a courteous tone.

"No, I don't. I just wanted to meet you. I also wanted to thank you for being a great friend to Validia. She's told me a lot about you. It seems for her first few months here, you've been the only one trying to be an actual friend." She smiled.

"Of course." He nodded. He wasn't exactly sure about how to answer those compliments.

She waved goodbye and smiled before walking away.

As she left, Issei turned around again as he heard footsteps approach.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. Shall we go?" Validia asked as Issei nodded with a smile.

The two walked forward but Validia directed them towards her white limousine.

"I'll take care of transportation. Hop in." She gestured.

Issei climbed into the car and peered at the contents held within. Small tables, a TV, a drink and snack bar, and a phone were placed into the car. He guessed this was one of the implied perks of being the granddaughter of a corporation president.

Validia felt a bit nervous when Issei got in. She hoped that he didn't gain a warped perception of her from this.

"So, where are we headed first, Ojou-sama?" The driver called back.

"Are you hungry?" Validia looked at Issei.

"No. Not yet." He admitted.

"Well then, let's go to the Movie Theater." She decided.

The Theater was made of grey stone, with neon lights decorating it, glowing in blue, red, and yellow lights. The interior had banners and posters of upcoming movies and frames of famous highest-grossing films. The floor was carpeted and several desks were waiting to hand out tickets.

"I heard that 'Draken Ruins' was a good movie." Issei noted, though he wasn't sure it was something Validia would be interested in.

"What's it about?"

"It's about a world that gets dominated by dragons but a band of humans work together to slay them. It's supposed to have a lot of drama, action, adventure, and romance. There's also tidbits of comedy, according to some reviews." Issei recounted.

"A movie critic?" Validia asked with a raised brow, a playful smirk across her lips.

"A hobby." Issei chuckled.

"Well, then. Let's watch it." She nodded in agreement.

"We don't have to. What movie did you want to watch?" Issei shook his head, starting to feel bad about seemingly directing her to this decision.

"It's fine. I may not look like it, but I'm also an action movie fan." Validia pointed out.

After a few more minutes of light-hearted arguing, Issei relented.

"Two tickets for Draken Ruins." He asked the front desk.

"That'll be 2,000 Yen."

Issei paid the amount quickly as Validia didn't even get the chance to reach for her wallet. He did the same for concessions, much to her protests.

"This was the night that I made things up to my friend, you know?" Validia sighed.

"Well, just think of this as me paying for gas, then." Issei chuckled.

After the movie, the two went to the newly opened restaurant that Validia had talked about. It was a Thai restaurant that had good reviews and it was decently priced. When they were seated, the two broke into conversation, sharing their recent experiences of the past few weeks.

"So how's the ORC? Is it interesting?" Issei asked.

"It's been busy. We've been investigating rumors around town and compiling reports. Besides that, nothing much has happened. We basically spend our time looking into supernatural rumors and folklore now. Still, the Club can be fun and the members are nice. It's really relaxing at times." Validia spoke before eating some of her pad thai.

"At least you're saying something positive about it."

"What about you?" Validia asked casually.

"Same old stuff. Wake up, go to school, go home. Repeat." He chuckled.

"Not a bad routine." The young lady laughed lightly in response.

The two laughed, joked, and ate for a while longer…until Validia's phone started to ring. She took it out of her jacket and cast a frown at it. It was clear that whatever message she got, it wasn't a pleasant one.

She looked up at Issei and gave him the same old apologetic smile that he had grown accustomed to.

"Work?" He laughed.

"I'm sorry, Issei. Something's come up again. It's personal business, this time. We're going to have to cut things short. Let me drop you off home, though." She gave him a gloomy look as she started to get up.

Issei smiled and shook his head.

"No worries. I can walk home. I don't want you to be late for whatever it is that you need to do."

Validia gave him a guilty look before Issei urged her along. She was going to protest but he stopped her.

"Don't fret over it. We've all got things to do in life. This isn't something to feel bad about. We can hang out another time." He chuckled.

He felt disappointment, yes, but he felt no resentment or any other negative emotion. He understood her circumstances and felt that it was nothing to be bothered about.

"Okay." Validia spoke hesitantly before leaving in her limousine, with Issei being left to walk home.

Thankfully, his home wasn't too far of a walk. He hoped for a peaceful venture back to his residence, but once again, things were not going to go his way. As he walked through a park, he was met by a young lady that he recognized to be Amano Yuuma.

He definitely knew something wasn't right, feeling a chill go up his spine as realized that he had walked into a deep pit that he just might never get out of.

"Amano-san?" He called out as she approached him.

Her eyes were masked by her bangs but her expression was still visible to the naked eye. Her lips curled into a smile as light shimmered around her. Her clothes disappeared as 2 black feathered wings sprouted from her back while black leather and spikes adorned her, forming something akin to an outfit, though it barely covered enough skin to be called that.

Issei stared in shock as he couldn't believe what he was seeing. Did some work of fiction come to life around him? By his estimates, Yuuma had become something like a Fallen Angel, given her black wings. He played enough games, watched enough anime, and read enough books to know.

"W-What are you?" He asked.

Before anything, a red spear materialized in a small flicker of light in Yuuma's hands. She smiled seductively at him and eyed him.

"My real name is Raynare. I'm a Fallen Angel, in case you haven't noticed." She quickly answered his question.

"What do you want?" Issei continued, while trying to look for a way out. He considered his chances of survival, but found that they were reasonably low. The way she just transformed and made a spear of light in her hands…that wasn't something he knew how to handle. Not to mention, he didn't have much fighting experience.

He didn't have time to freak out and ask questions either, as she didn't seem like the type to be cordial with him.

"You happen to have something that'll be a problem down the road. I'm not too certain of what it is in exact detail, but it's better to nip the rose in the bud before it blooms into a thorny plant." Raynare smirked.

"What?"

"Blame your maker for placing a Sacred Gear in you, boy. You can curse him all you want when you go up to meet him." She lifted her spear and threw it at him.

At that moment, Issei felt the world around him slow down.

'Am I going to die here? Just waiting to get stabbed without being able to do anything?!' He asked himself.

He recounted his life and contemplated the fact that he had lived a relatively normal life and yet, he had the urge to keep going. To see more and do more. He felt like there was so much more for him to do. He couldn't let this happen. He just couldn't keel over for something that he had no knowledge of.

'No…I'm not going to let myself die for something like this! I will survive!' He declared to himself.

Suddenly, Issei felt something pulse in his right arm.

It felt warm…and empowering. He felt adrenaline and energy rush through every cell of his being as his heartbeat seemed to slow. Something was different. Something was off.

He found himself being covered by a navy aura that had scared him. His heart seemed to speed up 1,000 miles per hour until he calmed down again. Suddenly, he felt stronger and everything was much clearer. His senses quadrupled in level as power coursed through him.

A burst of power exploded into the air, blasting wind across the landscape and blowing Raynare back while shattering her spear of light. Issei stared at his right forearm in surprise as he wondered what just happened. When did he have something like this? A black and navy metal gauntlet had clasped around it. Surprisingly, it didn't feel like clunky armor. Rather, it felt like a second skin or something.

"What?" He muttered as a light whisper.

"Che! I wanted to avoid that." Raynare growled.

Not understanding what exactly he was able to do with this, Issei did the first thing that came to mind, trusting his instincts.

He rushed forward, but found that his body was moving far faster than it could ever have before. He closed the distance between himself and Raynare within seconds, doing so nimbly as if he were gliding off the ground in a jump.

'When was my body able to move like this? I feel so light and I moved farther and faster than I ever did before.' He asked himself, starting to worry about this sudden change to himself.

He shook his head and focused. He focused his strength into his right arm and punched Raynare brutally in the gut, causing her to vomit blood, with even a crunching sound making itself known. He noticed that a navy aura had covered his right fist when he struck her, remembering how the aura had exploded against her, propelling her in the opposite direction with a painful crash.

Dropping back to the ground from the air, Issei landed lightly on his feet.

"Damned human!" Raynare sneered at him and materialized another spear.

She threw it at him, following up with a volley of spears.

Instinctively, Issei sidestepped each spear with ease. As they sailed toward him, he felt like they were slow dandelion seeds making their way toward him. He could see each individual spear and know where to move. Feeling the urge to test a new idea, Issei grabbed one of the spears. He was happy to see that touching it didn't hurt him.

Issei aimed the spear and threw it back at Raynare. It whistled through the air as she tried to knock it off course by throwing another spear at it, but it was a mistake on her part. Issei's spear tore through her projectile and continued to fly at her.

Before she could do anything else, she was pierced in the left shoulder by the navy weapon, drawing blood from her. Staggering, Raynare glared at Issei, wishing death upon him as her face contorted into outrage.

Holding both of her hands into the air, she charged a large orb of light. This was when Issei knew that the tables had turned on him again.

"What do I do now?" Issei questioned.

Suddenly, a thought came about his mind. No…not a thought, a recollection. Obeying his mind's blind commands, Issei closed his eyes and moved as his body suggested. He opened his right palm and felt something flowing through it, like water down a stream. He recalled the power that he felt come from his gauntlet whenever he felt the need for power. Feeling something collect in his hand, he opened his eyes and saw a navy orb in his palm, shining vibrantly.

"Here goes nothing." He remarked as he pointed his palm at Raynare and let go of the tension in his hand.

Out came a destructive wave of energy that thrashed the air as a navy beam, catching Raynare in its path as she was reduced to nothing. All that was remaining of her, was her pain-filled echo, and even that was fading away.

Issei dropped to his knees as his body realized that it had just been thrown into a severe amount of stress. His lungs started to work in overdrive as he began to pant painfully. His body immediately started to ache from soreness as energy left his body. Even the gauntlet on his arm disappeared into blue particles.

"Damn…what the hell is happening to me?" Issei asked himself.

He struggled to get up but with every attempt, his body burned and he immediately shook before sinking back into the ground in exhaustion.

"So, Raynare failed…" A new voice came out of the shadows as 3 individuals glided down from the sky.

They each had the same black wings that Raynare had. One was a man with a fedora and a trenchcoat. Another person was tall and busty woman with dark blue hair and golden eyes. The last person was a petite girl with frisky blonde hair in twintails and was dressed in a gothic Lolita fashion.

"Now what?" Issei cursed.

"The brat proved stronger than expected. Oh well, we'll have to finish the job that Raynare-sama started." The tall woman sighed.

The three formed spears of light in their hands and zeroed in on their weakened prey.

Forcing all of his will into power, Issei's gauntlet materialized again, re-energizing him slightly. He side-stepped the first Fallen Angel and ducked below the second one, punching him in the jaw with his left arm as the man glided over him.

Whirling around, he backhanded the third enemy, roughly hitting the Lolita square across the face, sending her skidding across the ground, tearing apart the stone as she rolled.

The Man in the fedora charged again, lunging with his spear and stabbing forward. Issei jumped back and delivered 4 jabs, 2 of them slammed into his face while another 2 were uppercuts into his stomach. The Man in the fedora staggered as the damaging aura around Issei's fists did more harm than anticipated. Coughing up blood, Issei tried to do what he did earlier against Raynare but this time, he merely blasted a pulse of black energy that slammed the Man in the Fedora into the air, though the attack was still painful and disorienting.

When the tall woman threw a spear at him, Issei raised his right arm, blocking the spear with his gauntlet. Jumping into the air, he kicked her in the face, but was blocked by her hand. With his other leg still free, he continued his attack, catching her off guard as she sank to the ground for a brief moment.

The Gothic Lolita attacked once again, throwing two spears. Issei ducked under one and barely caught the other with his gauntlet. However, he felt a sharp kick to his lower back, turning around, he found that the Tall Woman had gotten back up.

He tried to shrug off the sharp pain, but found that his body was too tired to keep up with his demands. He had to get away somehow. However, that wouldn't be possible with 3 enemies circling around him.

They each threw a spear at him, stabbing his left leg, cutting his right shoulder, and grazing his left forearm, as he tried to guard.

Dropping to one knee in exhaustion, Issei was left a panting mess of sweat and blood.

Suddenly, a blue light shimmered in the sky. Issei looked up and saw a woman's figure silhouetted by the moonlight. Blue wings of light shined from the woman's back as blue eyes peered down calmly.

"Who goes there?!" The man in the fedora asked, pointing his spear at her.

Within an instant, she disappeared from sight. Suddenly, with a loud crash, Issei's eyes snapped in front of him. He was only able to blurs as the woman attacked the three people on front of him. With violent strikes, the light-winged woman flew back into the air. She stretched her hand forth and a female voice called out.

"[Divide!]"

Instantly, energy zipped away from the bodies of the three Fallen Angels and went to the woman with wings of light.

Opening her palm, the newcomer created an orb of blue light before throwing it at the Fallen Angels. An explosion roared in front of Issei as wind smacked into his face while rubble scattered into the air.

When the light dissolved, only a crater remained where the 3 hostiles once stood.

Issei looked up once more as the mysterious woman kneeled in front of him. When he was finally able to focus and shake out of his exhaustion, he recognized the woman to be Validia.

"V…Validia?!" He asked.

"Shhh. For now, rest." She gently spoke to him as Issei immediately felt sleep encroach him, his mind not even trying to organize what was going on, instead succumbing to his exhaustion.

Darkness shrouded his consciousness before he awoke. He found himself in an unfamiliar place. For starters, he was sleeping in a king-sized bed with a canopy. Second, the room was 4 times bigger than his real one.

"Where am I?" Issei wondered out loud.

"You're at one of my family's health centers. Don't worry, you're safe." A familiar female voice answered. It was calm but soothing, hence why Issei felt no alarm.

He looked up as his vision focused. He blinked several times and looked as Validia sat across from his position on the bed. She was dressed in a white jacket, a blue shirt, and a white skirt with black boots.

"Validia-san?" Issei looked at her quizzically.

"Hello, Issei-kun. How are you feeling now?" She asked.

"Unbelievably tired. Tell me, why was I attacked? Where am I? Who were those people?" He asked urgently. A million things were running through his mind. Why had those black-winged angels attacked him? How did he know how to fight like that?

From the moment, the red gauntlet appeared on his arm, memories and knowledge of battle had flooded into his mind, making his body move on its own. It seriously freaked him out.

Validia sighed.

"For starters, I'll tell you now that the mythologies of the world are real. Biblical myth, Norse myth, Greek myth, every single religious myth and folklore in the world is real. The ones who attacked you yesterday were Fallen Angels: Angels who have fallen from grace due to either being born from Fallen Angels or having committed a grievous deed. They attacked you last night because they were from a rogue group that saw you as a threat."

That helped pull out some memories from Issei's subconscious, jarring some recollections.

"So what's a Sacred Gear?" He asked a new question, recalling what Raynare said to him.

"It's a unique object that was planted into random human souls by the Biblical God. It's a tool of limitless possibilities and usually comes in the form of weapons. They vary in function and appearance. However, there is a particular set of Sacred Gears that are far more powerful than most others. They're called Longinus-Class Sacred Gears. My guess is, those rogue Fallen Angels thought that you had a Longinus and attacked you." Vali concluded.

"And why would they do that?" Issei scoffed.

"Fallen Angels have been at war with Devils and Angels for centuries. I'm sure you're aware of that kind of tale. Those three races are currently at a ceasefire after the last great war."

Issei nodded in confirmation.

"They were afraid that you'd probably be recruited by either the Angels or Devils and aimed to kill you off. However, I'm going to tell you now that not all Fallen Angels are evil. The 4 that attacked you were from a rogue cell. So, don't harshly judge Fallen Angels from that." Validia implored.

"Is that what you have? Those shining wings are Sacred Gears too?" Issei asked.

Too? Did this mean what Validia feared? She had only arrived Issei's Sacred Gear had disappeared so she hadn't managed to see it for herself. However, she was aware of the damage that he had done to the terrain before she arrived.

"Yes. My wings of light, the [Divine Dividing], is a Longinus. Longinus have the potential to kill deities if maximized to their fullest capacity." Validia confirmed.

Issei paused. He was a bit skeptic about that at first. Something that allowed people to kill deities. That seemed to be out of this world. Was there anything that rose above a deity?

"So what exactly are you?" Issei knew better but he had to ask.

Validia remained silent for a moment before speaking.

"I'm half-human, half-Devil on my father's side. I'm a descendant of Lucifer from Biblical tales." Validia elaborated.

"I see. So, what is this?" Issei asked as he stretched his right arm forward.

He closed his eyes and tried to think back on the navy gauntlet that had indirectly saved his life. He felt something wrap around his arm and looked to see that the gauntlet had materialized. To be honest, he didn't know why he knew how to summon it, as he moved solely on instinctive thought.

Validia stared at it in shock, standing up from her chair and taking a closer look.

"I've never seen this one before." She spoke, though she sounded relieved, even sighing.

"Is it bad?" Issei asked, fearful of what he might hear.

"I don't know." Vali shook her head.

Vali wrinkled her nose in discomfort and conflict, but she finally sighed.

"To be honest, I suspected that you had the Boosted Gear. It has the power to double your power every 10 seconds. It takes the form of a red gauntlet with an emerald jewel. Sealed within it, is the Red Dragon of Domination, Draig, the Welsh Dragon. In their original lifetimes, Draig and Albion were fighting for who knows what. Their rampaging caused the Three Factions to ally together to destroy their bodies, with the Lord sealing their souls into our Sacred Gears. Since then, our predecessors have been fighting in a constant and endless battle. However, I have no interest in that pointless bloodbath. Still, I'm a little grateful that you don't have that Sacred Gear." Vali stated, making herself very clear but she tried to sound soothing at the same time.

Issei didn't understand everything that Vali was talking about, but his mind was in the works of digesting all this information. He was still stuck on the fact that myth was real.

'So every single myth in the world is real? Alright.'

After what Issei experienced the previous night, he couldn't deny what Vali told him. Now what was he supposed to do?

"So what now?" He asked.

"You're free to leave once you're well enough to move normally. However, there are 2 people that want to meet you." She prompted.

The door opened, as if signaled, revealing two men. One had blonde hair mopped on top of black hair. He was tall and looked like a handsome middle-aged man. He wore a grey suit with a dark blue shirt.

The other was tall too, but he had silver hair waving upwards, with pale blue eyes and a beard sprouting from his chin. He was dressed in a white suit with a black shirt.

"This is Azazel and the man next to him is my grandfather, Rizevim." Vali casually introduced them.

"How do you do? Vali has told us all about you." Rizevim smiled gently.

He seemed intimidating but the presence that he radiated was rather jolly.

"It looks like you're doing pretty well. Sorry about what happened last night. Those Fallen Angels were a part of my faction but they moved on their own. If there's anything you want, just ask away." Azazel jovially spoke but his eyes told a different story. They looked genuinely regretful.

Issei knew not to be fooled by their normal appearances. Now that he was aware of the supernatural, his senses warned him to never engage these two opponents. Ever. Watching his words carefully, Issei responded.

"I understand. Thank you."

"On to the next topic. What do you plan to do now?" Vali interceded.

Issei sat still, almost as he turned into a statue, before answering.

"I'll see how things go from here on."

He didn't know what recent events would do to his life but all he could do was prepare to find out. He just hoped he'd live long enough to do so.

Surprised that I made Rizevim appear without a villainous entrance? I wanted to finally make a story where he wasn't the villain, and this was my chance. I also want to say that Issei does not have the Boosted Gear. Instead, someone else will have it. What Issei has is something that I'm going to leave a mystery so you'll have to wait to find out what exactly is inside of it.

(Shameless Self-promotion) FYI: I've also gotten a RWBY story started, so if you like RWBY and you like my writing, then please check it out. Tell me what you think about it, like what you think needs improving and what's working out. All of my growth has come from reviewers, so I'd like to continue growing with your help. It's called "The Blank Slate", if you're interested. I know some readers don't go onto a writer's profile page, so I'll announce it here.