Brace yourselves, this one is rather long!

Thank you all so much for your support for the first three chapters.

Hope ya like this one, it took a while!

Narrator
"Talking"
'Thinking'
"Ddraig Talking"
'Ddraig Thinking'
"Zecrow Talking"
'Zecrow Thinking'

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IV. In the Beginning…

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"Excuse me," she began, "you're Issei Hyoudou from Kuoh Academy right? Or am I wrong?"

Issei stiffened.

"Uhm, are you okay?" she asked.

'Partner?' Ddraig asked mentally.

'Zecrow, freeze her for me,' Issei thought.

'Anything for you, my dear,' came Zecrow's reply.

The space around the girl slightly distorted, and in an instant she was frozen in time. Zecrow also froze her thoughts, and so in this state the girl is technically dead.

Issei looked up at her, a single tear escaping his eye and dripping onto his uniform. He slightly winced at the sight of her in her Yuuma form, looking all sweet and innocent. If he didn't know any better he would have fallen for her in that moment. Issei looked away, fighting back the urge to stare at her more. But, alas, his body moved with a mind of its own, and Issei walked toward her slowly.

'It worked,' Issei thought. He was really back in time. He checked his phone for the date - nearing the spring semester of his sophomore year at Kuoh Academy. He looked upwards, and whispered, "Thank you."

He reverted his attention to the girl in front of him. She was slightly smaller than him, with long black hair reaching her waist. She was wearing a red dress uniform and a skirt from another school, and was carrying a brown briefcase with both hands in front of her, arms tucked underneath her breasts, making them bulge. And my God those bre-

'Ahem.'

"Right, sorry," he shook his head. He needed to refrain from thinking perverted thoughts.

Her violet eyes were staring right at him, making him shudder slightly. Her head was slightly tilted to the side, her bangs hanging over her left eye, covering it. She looked so cute. It was so dangerously deceptive that she looked almost genuinely cute.

Issei couldn't help but get closer to her. He was now a foot away from her, his feet having stopped dead in their tracks. "I-" he managed to make out.

"I-"

He cleared his throat.

"I-I lov-"

"What are you doing?" Ddraig asked audibly as he appeared on Issei's left arm.

"Hush!" hissed Zecrow as she appeared on Issei's right arm. "Let him finish!"

"You know she can't hear you, right?"

"Ddraig! Let the boy say his peace!"

"Both of you shut up," Issei said sternly.

"But-"

"Now, Ddraig."

Both Sacred Gears dematerialized in green and purple flashes, leaving Issei's arms free of their burdens. He brought up his right hand and lightly cupped the girl's left cheek. Tears were now flowing from his eyes, unable to hold them back any longer. He cleared his throat once more, and continued, "I loved you."

Issei felt as if an entire building was lifted from his chest. "I sincerely loved you. You were my frist girlfriend, my first date, and my first love," he proclaimed to her.

Her eyes simply stared back into his crying ones.

"But you were just tricking me, fooling me into believing that I could finally experience love. In the end you were just manipulating me," Issei whined. "But… but… I-I still love you!" he shouted, closing his eyes and tilting his head down. "I love you! And I'll do whatever it takes to make you feel the same!"

Issei leant onto her frozen body, his arms on her shoulder, as he cried his eyes out in front of her. His tears were creating a small puddle beneath him. Once he could no longer cry he looked up. Her eyes, those violet eyes, stared right back at him. He released her and slowly backed away to where he was before, and assumed the position he was in.

"Zecrow."

She didn't bother replying, she already knew what he wanted her to do. After all, they shared the same mind. With a slight twitch of his right ring finger, the space around Raynare distorted once more, and she was freed from her temporary death.

"You are Issei, right?" Raynare – or Yuuma, in this case – asked shyly.

Issei looked up at her, his eyes meeting hers once again. "Yeah," he finally replied before standing up straight. "I-Is there something I can help you with?"

"Hi, I-I, uh…" she began, stumbling out of embarrassment. "I j-just wanted to ask you a quick question."

Issei's heart dropped. 'She's really good at acting,' he thought.

"Are you seeing anyone right now?" she finally asked in that sweet, sweet voice.

'Here goes nothing,' Issei thought. "Now? No, why?" he answered her.

"T-That's wonderful!" she quickly chimed. "Uh, in that case, s-since your single, do you think you'd like to go out with me?"

Issei swallowed hard.

"I-I've been watching, you pass by here a lo-"

"Yes," he interrupted her.

Yuuma quickly looked at him, shock in her expression. "W-What?" she asked sheepishly.

"I mean, yes I'd like to go out with you," he explained. "I've always wanted a girlfriend, and you're really cute," he continued, making her blush slightly.

'Partner…' Ddraig pleaded mentally.

"R-Really?" she asked excitedly. "In that case, I want you to be my boyfriend!"

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Shortly after their conversation, they agreed to meet up at the same spot the next morning, so they can walk together for a while before having to part ways again and head toward their schools. Having said their goodbyes, they went their separate ways, and Issei was now walking home alone in the evening sky. The moon had not quite showed up yet, and Issei was relying on the streetlights to illuminate his path.

He had been walking quietly for quite some time, but unfortunately his mind was filled with voices arguing over what he had done.

'…and not only that, she tried to kill Asia Argento as well!'

'But love creates second chances for everyone! You'd be surprised how much a little love can change someone's heart, be it angel, fallen, or devil.'

'But she doesn't love him!'

Issei stopped walking. 'Watch it Ddraig,' he thought.

'Fine, sorry, but doesn't make it any less true!'

'Ddraig…'

'She doesn't love you and you know that she is just playing you-'

"Well then let her!" Issei shouted audibly, causing people around him to keep their distance from him, thinking he was crazy.

He might as well have been at this point.

'I appreciate your concerns for me and my wellbeing, but this is my decision and it's final,' declared Issei. 'Now, I don't want to hear about this again.'

'Fine.'

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The next morning Issei woke up slightly disappointed. He was used to waking up with three or four girls sleeping next to him naked. Not because he was perverted, but because he just missed them.

And last night, when he entered his house and saw his parents, he dropped onto his knees and started tearing up right there at the doorway. Once his parents noticed him they came to his side and asked if he was okay. They asked if he had seen another skirt fly up because of the breeze, since that was the only other time Issei had cried at the door like that. He hugged them tight and told them he would do his best. Though confused, his parents just hugged him back.

He had spent the night listening to the two dragons that were now inside him argue. Zecrow insisted on sleeping with Ddraig, and Ddraig insisted that she could do so over his dead body. They continued their banter well into the early hours of the morning, before Issei finally had enough and said that he would kill himself if they continued.

Issei checked the time. 5:47 in the morn-

'Damn,' he thought. 'I need to get rid of this alarm clock.'

He picked up the perverted alarm clock and threw it in a box under his bed.

'Damn, I need to get rid of these,' he thought as he realized just how perverted he used to be when he saw all the posters, pin-ups, magazines, manga, erotic games, and hentai that was in his room.

After cleaning up he proceeded to freshen up in the bathroom. Everything was peaceful as he showered when a certain someone decided to wake up.

'Oh my, it really is true~' Zecrow chimed.

Issei almost jumped at the sound of her voice in his head. 'Oh right, sorry, forgot there was a female in my head now.'

'Believe me boy, I'm not one to shy away from prizes of this… magnitude~' she seduced.

'W-What are you saying?' asked a panicked Issei. 'And what do you mean 'it really is true'?'

'She's referring to the myth of the hosts I've inhabited throughout the millennia,' stated Ddraig, having just woken up.

'And what might that myth be?'

'That their… assets reflected those of the Red Dragon Emperor, yours truly.'

'I don't understand-' Issei began to think, confused.

'It means your penis has the same ratio as his, dear,' Zecrow answered seductively.

Issei almost died from blood loss as his nose bled into his bath.

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After a few more minutes of putting on clothes and getting ready for school Issei was out of the door.

He packed his breakfast because he was running late due to… circumstances during his bath. He gave his parents a swift goodbye before running towards the overpass. And all the while, two dragons were fighting over the thought of Issei being late because of a myth.

He reached the overpass just five minutes late from their arranged meeting. She was there, leaning on the railing, waiting for Issei. She didn't look like the innocent and sweet girl that she pretended to be. In that moment she looked annoyed and bored, leaning onto the railing. When she noticed Issei she put on her best smile and exclaimed "Good morning!" as she ran to him and greeted him.

"Hey, Yuuma, sorry I ran into some problems," Issei apologized, scratching the back of his head as he did so.

"It's okay!" she said cheerfully. "Wanna get going?"

As they walked, she talked on and on about anything that she saw, be it the butterflies hovering over the wet grass or the lovely elderly couple sipping coffee together on their porch bench. She looked so sweet, so innocent, so lovely – like a little girl walking through the street. 'God help me,' Issei thought. 'And no, I'm not saying that in vain.'

"…and that tree over there is where I crashed on my first bike ride!" she giggled. "I never really learned to ride the bike properly, I don't know why."

'You never had to,' Issei thought, 'After all, you can fly.' Issei smiled, patting himself on the back for still being able to recognize her for what and who she is.

"I'm sure you just need a little more practice," Issei attempted to engage in conversation. "I myself crashed more than a few times back when I was learning."

She chuckled and smiled brightly. "That's probably because you couldn't see through those gigantic bangs of yours!" she teased.

"Hey, now, I happen to like my hair!" he retorted. "At least I don't have to worry about mine getting tangled in the wheels!" he teased back, making her pout.

Wait.

It's happening again.

No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop it.

Issei looked downcast as he continued walking, slightly falling behind from Yuuma.

"I-Issei, are you oaky?" she asked, sounding worried. "Was it something I said? Oh, I'm sorry for whatever it is and I hope I can make it up to you!" she exclaimed, bowing her head in sincerity.

'She should've tried to become a professional actress,' he thought.

He lightly sighed, he didn't like what he was about to do. "Yuuma," he began, "Do you really like me?"

Yuuma took a step back as she gasped and placed her hand on her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. Issei's heart dropped. Of course the answer was no, and he knew that. In fact he shouldn't have even-

Yuuma ran forward and almost tackled Issei, hugging him as she wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. If he had been the old Issei he would have slammed onto the pavement, but being a little stronger he managed to balance himself as he carried her weight.

"O-Of course I do!" came her reply. "You're my boyfriend, after all."

'Partner…' Ddraig began.

'I know, Ddraig. I can feel it too,' he stopped him. 'She's lying.'

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After a few more blocks they had to part ways, with Yuuma heading toward her 'school' and Issei heading towards Kuoh Academy. But right before they reached the crossing, they ran into Matsuda and Motohama, who could not express their disbelief more than a few words.

"You betrayed us!" wailed Matsuda.

"Traitor!" whined Motohama.

Tears streamed down their faces in a most pathetic manner as Yuuma and Issei approached. But instead of taunting them like Yuuma was expecting Issei to do, he ran forward and hugged both of them hard. "I missed you perverts!" he shouted.

"And we missed you, but who is this broad?" asked Matsuda, slightly struggling under the weight of Issei draped around his neck.

"Yeah, and when since when did you work out?" queried Motohama, his ability to size up women also came in handy as he examined Issei's slightly buffer body.

Issei paid no attention to their questions and simply clung onto them longer. "Oh you remarkable idiots," he began as he let go and joined Yuuma by her side. "Since you won't remember any of this anyway, her name doesn't matter. She's my cousin from Tokyo," he lied.

The perverts stared at Issei questionably, disliking their friend's vagueness. "Since when did you have a smoking hot cousin from Tokyo?" they asked.

Yuuma herself raised an eyebrow at Issei. "What did you mean by 'you won't remember any of this'?"

Issei simply chuckled and grabbed Yuuma's hand, making her slightly gasp and blush lightly. Matsuda broke into tears again, slamming onto the ground on his knees. Motohama simply fainted backwards and hit the ground with a loud thump. Issei led Yuuma in between the perverts and continued their walk for about another block without speaking, simply holding her hand in his.

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Once he reached Kuoh Academy, Issei tensed. All around him he could feel strong energies, some more than others. He whispered, "Eye of Draconis," and his right eye morphed into its alternate form. He quickly covered it with his right hand, permitting only a slit in this fingers to see through. 'This won't do,' he thought, and ran towards a nearby tree with a couple sitting under it.

"Uhm, excuse me-" the guy began.

"You're excused, now scram," Issei quickly dismissed them. The couple did walk away, deciding not to let Issei ruin their mood. Issei leaned against the tree with his right shoulder, bringing up his right hand to play with his bangs as he also leant his head to the tree. He did an okay job of hiding his eye as he surveyed the area. He shut his left eye, and everything turned greenish orange. His pupil dilated, and now only faint silhouettes of a few people could be made out. He strained his eye and focused on those silhouettes.

There they were. The first he could recognize was Kiba. He was being crowded by some girls asking for his email, to which Kiba only smiled and rejected them. 'How many hearts has this guy broken?' Issei thought. Just when one girl was about to tear up, Kiba touched her lightly on the shoulder and told her to cheer up, that they could always be friends. He gave her a bright smile – that Kiba smile – and the girl instantly lit up with joy. 'Damn, who would've thought that the Excalibur survivor would be the player of the century?'

He then recognized a smaller figure all alone at the back of a building, sitting at the stairs. Koneko was eating a bag of sweets with one hand as she read from a book with the other. Other freshmen attempted to talk to her, to which Koneko simply shoed away with her snack-eating hand. Issei chuckled, Koneko was always one to reject company if she had no interest in them.

He refocused on two other signatures. They were constantly together, as well as followed by what seemed like six or seven other weaker presences. It was Sona and her queen Tsubaki, followed by what Issei reasoned was none other than Saji. They were speaking of Rias' engagement to Riser Phenex, and how Rias was doomed to marry-

Issei began to search for Rias. He finally fixated onto two strong presences in the hallways of the junior's classes. He recognized the two as Akeno and Rias. Akeno was talking about her newest chess strategy and how Rias was in for a big one, to which Rias only scoffed and told her to bring her A-game. How he missed her eyes, her hair, her laugh. It's as if time slowed down as he watched her, beholding he beauty once more. Her voice was as smooth as honey as she spoke, tickling Issei's ears as he let his thoughts focus on her. Just then Rias stopped dead in her tracks, tugging on Akeno's shirt sleeve. For a few moments Rias simply stared at the ground while Akeno had a confused expression plastered on her face, before both looked up – directly at Issei.

He was a little shocked. It was as if they could see him there, watching them. He refocused on Kiba, who was now doing the same, staring at Issei, ignoring the annoyed girls trying to catch his attention. Issei spotted Sona and Tsubaki do the same, but her peerage was preoccupied. Lastly he refocused on- wait, Koneko was gone, her bag of sweets now on the floor, spilling its contents, and her book was on the floor as well. Issei searched frantically for-

"Who are you?" came a stern voice. Issei almost jumped in horror as Koneko was now directly in front of him. He didn't see her because she was short enough to duck under his eyes. Issei quickly dismissed the Eye of Draconis as he struggled to find an excuse.

"I-I'm Issei H-Hyoudou," he stammered, "I'm a sophomore here and I was just lost-"

"I know who you are," Koneko interrupted with her usual monotone voice. "Rias told me to investigate on you beforehand. But I asked you WHO you were."

Issei took a step back.

Koneko took two steps forward.

Issei, panicked, started running towards his building. Koneko reached for his collar, but decided not to scare him away any further. She returned to her sweets and her book while everyone laughed at the running pervert.

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During the day Issei got a few visits from people he once called friends. Kiba was the first, entering Issei's classroom, making all the girls squeal in excitement. They were all crowding him until he shouted "Issei? Issei Hyoudou?" over the chorus of girls asking for his email. Then all the girls, like clockwork, turned to Issei with pure rage and evil in their eyes. If looks could kill, Issei was sure he would've ended up as grains of sand in the River Styx [1]. Issei quickly ran out of the death trap of a class room and hid on the roof.

After a few minutes of peace, Issei felt a very powerful presence rising fast from below. He ran towards the edge and was about to peer over just as Akeno flew past him, making Issei stagger back. Akeno hid her wings once more and said, "Ara ara, I wanted to see the powerful presence myself," she began in her usually playful tone. Issei simply dashed toward the door but before he could, Koneko stood at the doorway, munching on some sweets she had in her pocket.

Issei jumped off the edge of the building in a panicked frenzy. Akeno and Koneko ran to try and save him, but they were surprised to see Issei standing there, waiting for them as they peered over the edge. Except Issei was standing horizontally on the wall of the building. He jumped over their heads, landed behind them, smirked, and then ran out the door again. "Who is this guy," was all that Koneko could say.

Towards the end of the day Issei was called to the Student Council room but he decided to skip out by blending with the crowd as everyone rushed to exit the school. Just when Issei thought he was home-free as he crossed the school gate, a voice made him freeze.

"I won't ask again. Who are you and what did you do to the boy who used to reside in that body?"

Issei turned slowly, eyes staring at the floor. He looked up and his hazel gaze was met by blue-green ones, sternly overpowering him. Rias stood on the sidewalk, arms crossed under her breasts.

"Uhm," was all that Issei could say before he slowly started to walk backwards. "I don't know what you're talking about!" Issei shouted as he began to run at full speed away from Rias, who shouted in annoyance.

"You cannot escape us forever, Issei Hyoudou!"

'Believe me,' he thought as he ran, 'I don't intend to.'

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It was time.

Issei was standing in the middle of an intersection, leaning onto a statue.

'What am I going to do?' he thought.

His thoughts were interrupted by a voice. "Here, take a flyer!" said a woman, who was dressed in some form of outfit. She handed him a flyer with a magic circle in the center, and the top read "Your wish will be granted." He smiled. He recalled pedaling his bike up and down hills for miles to fulfil the promise on said flyers.

Eventually, Yuuma arrived and they began their date. Issei took her shopping, and he bought her a pink bracelet. Then he took her to his favorite ice cream bar, and Issei tried very hard to refrain from focusing on her generous bust. Then they took a walk around the park and were approaching the fountain at its center just as sunset began to start.

'Partner, what's the plan?'

'She seems to have warmed up to you a little, maybe try confessing?'

Issei paid no attention to the voices in his head. He already knew what he was going to do. His hand slightly brushed against hers, and he took her hand in his. Yuuma slightly blushed as she bowed her head down and stared at the ground, though she didn't retract her hand. Just as they reached the fountain, she ran forward and stopped, facing Issei with her back towards the fountain.

'Here goes nothing,' Issei thought as he sighed.

"Can I ask you a question?" she began.

Issei tensed his legs.

"In honor of our first date, there's something I'd like you to do to commemorate this special moment."

Issei stiffened his back. "Sure, anything at all," Issei responded to the girl who was now bowing before him, her eyes closed.

She smirked. She looked up slightly and opened her eyes. "Would you d-"

Issei interrupted her as he lunged forward, grabbed her by the shoulders, and planted his lips on hers.

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End of Chapter

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Well, that just happened.

I'll leave you guys to it.

Peace out.

- Lord SS

[1] - River Styx, Google it - pretty important.