Death's Domain
"...He's late."
Riser Phenex sighed as his eyes trailed over the atmosphere of the Realm of the Shinigami. The Phenex Devil was quiet as he twiddled his thumbs, an action he had been doing for the past hour.
A weary sigh escaped his lips as he looked around his surroundings again.
Waiting.
It was a usual routine for him. Nothing eventful ever happened in Death's Domain. The inhabitants of the Shinigami's realm stayed away from each other. The Evil Dragons kept to themselves, and nobody wanted to be within ten feet of the Super Devil dwelling alongside them.
Riser blinked as he watched the lost souls of Death's Domain fly around him. He sat motionless on the ground and pursed his lips as several of the lost souls approached him and stopped just in front of him.
Sighing again, Riser got up from his spot from the ground and walked out of his section of the Shinigami's Realm. As he placed his hands in his blazer pockets, Riser strolled through Death's Domain.
It wasn't like there was anything else to do.
"Bored, are we?" A light-hearted voice called out to him.
At the sound of the familiar voice, Riser frowned and sped up his pace.
"Hey, don't ignore me! All I asked was a simple question! You looked like you could use some company. You know, since your killer is late to his appointment." The voice shouted indignantly.
"I think you and I have different meanings of the word company, Rizevim." Riser quipped.
Rizevim Livan Lucifer, the son of the Original Lucifer and the grandfather of Vali Lucifer, merely smirked at the Phenex Devil, pleased that he had gotten a reaction.
"Hmph. How rude. And here I am, trying to be nice to a fellow dweller."
"Then go play nice with the others." Riser retorted with a glare, "I'm sure the Evil Dragons would love to talk to you. Especially Aži Dahāka and Grendel."
The mention of the two of the three Evil Dragons brought a twitch to Rizevim's eyes, a sight that brought a sense of satisfaction to Riser.
It was no secret that the Evil Dragons despised Rizevim, since, at least in their minds, he was the reason they were dead in the first place. While Crom Cruach was the least verbal in expressing his hatred towards Rizevim, Aži Dahāka and Grendel were all to happy to fully express their utmost animosity.
"Ehh." Rizevim shrugged as a way of covering up his frustration, "Those three aren't worth talking to. They seem to hate me for reasons that's hard for even me to comprehend."
"I can't imagine why." Riser said dryly, and turned away from the son of the Original Lucifer.
"Hey, where are you going?" Rizevim asked, "I thought we were having a nice chat."
"Goodbye, Rizevim." The Phenex Devil said with an air of finality.
"Goodbye?" The son of the Original Lucifer hummed in amusement, "Did you say 'goodbye'? Riser my boy, saying goodbye to me implies that you're in a position to escape this realm. Hate to say it, but I don't think you're in any position to do that. In fact, none of us are. Issei Hyoudou made sure of that."
There was a tense silence that seemed to surround every area of the Realm of the Shinigami. While Riser kept his expression completely blank, he could feel a surge of emotion well up inside at the mention of Issei Hyoudou. It wasn't a surge of hatred, animosity, fear, or contentment.
"Have I struck a nerve?" Rizevim mocked cheekily.
"No, but I'm pretty sure whoever defeated you struck all of your nerves when they killed you."
"Tch?!"
Riser felt a smirk pull at his lips as he watched Rizevim attempt to compose himself. He was happy to see that he had struck a nerve back to the son of Lucifer. For someone who had once aimed to destroy the world, Rizevim seemed to take great offense to being reminded of his death.
Riser didn't even know who had ended Rizevim's life, but whoever did, kudos to them.
"You know if we weren't dead right now, I'd-" Rizevim threatened before he was cut off.
"We're done here." The Phenex Devil said with narrowed eyes as he started to walk away.
"Hey! Don't walk away from me! We're having a conversation!"
"And I'm ending it."
Both Riser and Rizevim paused as a cool and threatening voice made itself known. The deceased Devils looked over to see a figure stepping out from the misty shadows of Death's Domain.
As the silhouette slowly revealed itself, only Rizevim seemed to lose the ability to breathe. Riser, while feeling a sense of caution, kept his impassive expression.
"Long time no see, Rizevim." The figure stated solemnly.
"Y-you!" Rizevim stammered in fear, a sight that made Riser look at the Super Devil in surprise, "What are you doing here?! Don't tell me you died as well!"
"Quit your stuttering, I didn't die." The figure chided the son of Lucifer, "I'm just here to deliver a message."
"To who?" Riser questioned the figure, who turned to look at him.
"For you. The ruler of this realm wishes to speak with you."
"Why couldn't she just get him herself?" Rizevim complained, "It's not like we're far away."
While he didn't show it, Riser began to feel a sense of uncertainty overcome him. What did Death want with him? Had he done something to anger the personification of the End? As far as he could recall, he kept to himself all the time.
'What does Death want to talk to me about?' Riser questioned to himself before he sighed, 'Best not keep her waiting.'
Nodding to the figure in assent, Riser steeled himself as pyrokinetic wings of flames manifested out of his back, and flew away.
Rizevim felt his body shake at the realization that he was now alone with the figure in front of him.
"Well?!" He questioned, "You delivered the message to Riser! Why are you still here?!"
Rizevim's question was answered as a bright silver aura manifested around the figure.
(To pick up where we left off.)
A loud scream of abject agony suddenly echoed throughout the ambiance of Death's Domain. Not even the lost souls were brave enough to follow the direction of the scream. A few minutes later, the endless screaming ceased, and the figure with the silver aura walked through the shadowy mist.
(How do you feel?)
"...Better than I have in a long time."
Riser's eyes squinted as he flew through the misty atmosphere of Death's Domain. He almost wished the personification of Death would stay in one singular place so he wouldn't have to travel so far.
As his eyes narrowed, Riser huffed and glided towards the ground. The pyrokinetic wings on his back disintegrated into nothingness, allowing him to plant his feet on the ground.
The Phenex Devil frowned at the continuing silence, and looked around his surroundings.
"Um... Hello? Death?"
"It took you a while, Riser Phenex."
A voice that practically dripped with deadly amusement made Riser stop in his tracks. Turning around towards the direction of the voice, Riser set his lips into a flat line at the appearance of the female personification of Death.
The Phenex Devil swallowed a lump in his throat as he nodded stiffly to the primordial entity.
"You wanted to speak to me, Shinigami."
"Indeed, I did." Death confirmed with an amused smile as she tapped her scythe on the ground, "And now that you are here, we can proceed to our next destination."
"Wait, destination?" Riser questioned with surprise in his tone,"Where are we going?"
"Fufu. You'll see."
"What do you-"
Riser's question was cut off as a peculiar golden magic-circle manifested from under the Shinigami's scythe. The Phenex Devil stared in curiosity at the sight before him.
"That's not the usual magic circle." He commented, "I've never seen this type before."
"Observant, aren't we?" Death teasingly replied before she closed her eyes.
Riser blinked as he watched the Shinigami make a posture that resembled praying. Very quietly, she began to chant words that made Riser wince in slight pain.
'Even though she's chanting so quietly, her words are giving me a headache.'
As Death resumed her chant, a bright halo suddenly appeared in front of Riser, who jumped back in surprise. Marveled by the sight of it, the Phenex Devil gently grabbed it and looked at it closely.
"Raise it above your head, Riser Phenex."
Riser's eyes widened as he looked up at the personification of Death. The Shinigami nodded to him when he hesitated, and with a bout of curiosity that got to him, Riser placed the halo over his head.
To his utter shock, the brightness of the halo intensified as it floated above him.
"Hmm." Death hummed, "I never thought I'd see a Devil with a halo."
"Why do I have a halo?" Riser questioned the personification, who gave him another smile, "What is it for?"
"Think of it as your identification for our destination."
'An ID? Where is she taking-'
Riser's thoughts were cut off when a massive door suddenly appeared in front of him and Death. In the Phenex Devil's opinion, the door had an air of divine grandeur about it, and appeared to be made out of chalk.
kreeen
Both Riser and Death looked on as the chalk-like door opened, revealing a shining light.
"There we are." Death stated airily as she clasped her hands and walked towards the door, "Off we go then."
Riser blinked in surprise as he followed Death towards the door, and his eyes widened as he realized that he was on a elevator. The moment he passed through the elevator, he found himself nearly blinded by a bright white space.
Shielding his eyes with his arm, Riser looked down to the ground just in time to see the golden magic circle beneath him glow. As he walked further, he felt his body freeze as a strange sensation took over him.
The Phenex Devil's eyes widened further as his body levitated towards the light, and the whole scenery around him began to change. The light slowly dimmed upon him, and when he looked down, he found that he was literally floating above clouds. When he looked up, a large and bright ceiling shined from above him.
Death, unlike Riser, remained unfazed and amused as she and the Phenex Devil walked towards the giant gate in front of them.
It'd been a while since the personification had visited Heaven. She'd heard many stories told to her by the God from the Bible.
Tilting her head, Death sent her gaze over to the befuddled Riser, who stared mouth agape at the sight before him.
"Welcome to Heaven."
And with a tap of Death's scythe, the giant gate opened, revealing a white stone paved path with floating stone buildings that were aligned with each other. Riser looked on with wide eyes as multiple Angels with pure white wings flew past him.
"Everything's so bright!" He exclaimed, earning a chuckle from the Shinigami, "I don't think I see any dust at all!"
"But of course." Death commented as she looked around her surroundings with vague interest, "It is to be expected of a realm such as this."
Riser looked all around him with awe. As far as he could remember, he never visited Heaven before. He was so focused on surveying the aura that he didn't notice the curious stares from the Angels walking past him.
"Riser Phenex."
At the call of his name, Riser gave the personification of the End his full attention.
"Yes?"
"How many Heavens do you think there are?"
"If you're talking about the mythologies, then there would be multiple Heavens."
"While that is true, I was referring to this particular Heaven." Death replied as she looked ahead, "The home of the God from the Bible."
"Hmm." Riser hummed as he nodded.
"There are a total of seven levels in Heaven, and right now we are on the first floor, which is called the First Heaven. The highest floor is the Seventh Heaven, the location where the Biblical God resided. Of course, since he has secluded himself in my Domain, the only thing that remains in the Seventh Heaven is merely the system that represented Him, and the Sacred Gears system."
Riser nodded again at the information.
"Well, come along now." Death continued as she resumed her pace.
Not knowing where else to go, Riser heeded the Shinigami's orders, and followed her to another elevator. In front of them stood a gang of security Angels, who looked at the two with suspicion.
Riser felt a pit of uncertainty rise up in his stomach from the Angels' stares. Death, as usual, retained her composure.
"No need to be alarmed." She told the Angels, "I'm merely here to drop him off."
At this revelation, Riser's eyes widened as he looked at the Shinigami.
'Dropping me off?! Is she leaving me here?!'
Much to the Phenex Devil's further shock, the security Angels stepped aside and let him and Death into yet another elevator to go up.
Riser's thoughts were muddled as the elevator took him and Death through a series a massive doors.
'This is all so confusing! Why did the Shinigami bring me here?!'
As Riser continued to think of more questions, he looked up and stopped as he saw a gate and a door that was larger than the previous openings. Blinking repeatedly in astonishment, Riser watched as the huge gate opened slowly, allowing both him and Death to pass through it.
The moment they pass through the gate, they were greeted by the sight of a shrine-like building surrounded by a golden light.
"Hmm." Death hummed as she looked to the Phenex Devil, "I think it is best that I leave you now."
Riser blinked as he looked at the Shinigami in surprise.
"Wait, here?" He said, "Where are you going?"
"Back to my Domain of course." Death said nonchalantly, "I have done my part, and I would like to go back."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Riser exclaimed as the Shinigami tapped her scythe on the ground, "What do you mean, your part is done? You can't just leave me here! What if I get lost?"
"Rest assured, Riser Phenex." Death satated with a smile, "Heaven is not a location where one simply goes lost."
"..." Riser looked at her quietly before he shook his head and sighed, "Whatever you say. So when are you coming to pick me up?"
"Oh no, you misunderstand." Death said, "This is where I leave you."
"Excuse me?"
"This is the last time we will ever meet, Riser Phenex. Unless you decide to visit of course."
"Wait, what are you talking about?" Riser questioned, "Why am I here?"
"...Goodbye, Riser Phenex." Death said with a small smile.
"Wai-"
Before Riser could finish, Death tapped her scythe on the ground, signifying her leave. With a bright flash of light, the personification of the End departed, leaving behind a bewildered Riser.
'What the hell is going on here?' Riser thought to himself.
The Phenex Devil, not knowing what to expect, reluctantly trudged forward. As he walked further, he found himself in front of a middle court. There were a variety of flowers blossomed in different colors, along with flowing water.
"Oh good. You made it."
At the sound of the warm voice, Riser turned to see an individual sitting at a table in the terrace of a small hut. The individual got up from his seat and slowly approached the Phenex Devil.
Riser stopped at the sight of a handsome-looking man with long blonde hair and green eyes. Growing from his back were twelve golden wings, while his eyes seemed to shape into a perpetual solemn look.
"Hello, Riser Phenex. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"..." Riser stared wide-eyed at the golden winged man in shock.
'Wait a minute. He isn't a person I've met before, but I know who he is! The Biblical God mentioned his creations once or twice!'
It was the Archangel Michael, the current leader of Heaven! What the hell was going on here?! Why did the Shinigami bring him here?!
"Are you all right?" Michael asked gently, his eyebrows furrowing in concern, "You don't look well."
"I...I-I-" Riser stammered as he tried to speak.
Michael blinked at the stuttering Phenex Devil, and showed a half-hearted smile as he raised a hand up.
"Please don't be alarmed." The Archangel said in an attempt to placate Riser.
With a disarming smile, Michael gestured for Riser to sit down. As Riser reluctantly did so, Michael settled with a pleased hum.
"So what's your impression of Heaven?"
Riser blinked at the question and looked around his surroundings.
"It's...very bright. Very sacred."
"Hmm." Michael hummed in agreement, "Right you are."
Riser nodded stiffly and folded his hands on the table. He had to make sure he maintained an air of politeness.
Noticing Riser's nervousness, Michael gave him a gentle look.
"Please don't be overly cautious. Feel free to make yourself at home." Michael said as he raised a hand.
At that moment, an Angel woman appeared and poured tea for him and Riser. Riser sighed as he took the cup of tea and raised it to his lips, savoring the taste.
"Do you like it?" Michael asked him, prompting Riser to nod to him, "That's good."
As he sipped the rest of his tea, Riser placed the cup down and cleared his throat.
"So um," He began carefully, "If you don't mind me asking. Why am I here?"
"Yes, I suppose I should inform you why you're here." Michael said, "I imagine that question has been in your mind the moment you arrived. Well, the reason you are here, is because of what you did."
"...What I did?" Riser repeated in confusion, "What did I do?"
He'd been in Death's Domain for a while to do anything worth noticeable. What on Earth did he do to acquire the attention of the current leader of Heaven?
"Why your participation in the battle against the members of Qlippoth, of course."
"?!"
Riser's eyes widened in surprise as a sudden memory surged through his mind.
'That's right! I fought alongside Issei Hyoudou against Crom Cruach, and that cousin of his! But that was months ago!'
"From the look on your face, it seems that you recall what you did." Michael commented with a smile.
'How does he know about that?' Riser asked himself.
"Ah, I can see that you're a little confused." Michael said, "If I may, let me explain."
Thinking of no other choice, Riser silently nodded.
"My sister and I are aware of your involvement in the battle against Qlippoth, Riser Phenex. And the both of us believe that the reward of such an accomplishment is long overdue."
'But I...I really didn't do much of anything.' Riser muttered mentally.
"So please allow me to thank you for your participation."
"Michael." A womanly voice called out.
Both Riser and Michael looked towards the direction of the voice, and were greeted by the sight of a extremely beautiful woman with curly blonde hair and a shapely figure.
"Ah, Gabriel." Michael greeted his younger sister, "There you are."
Riser found himself transfixed by the overwhelming beauty of the Seraph, who gave him and her brother a gentle and warm smile.
"Oh my~, it seems I've arrived just in time. It's nice to meet you for the first time, Riser Phenex. Are you well?"
Riser caught himself and nodded stiffly to the Seraph. Michael, maintaining his smile, looked over to his sister.
"I was just about to give Riser Phenex his reward for his help."
"Oh good!" Gabriel said with a sweet smile.
'Reward?' The Phenex Devil questioned in his head.
As if to answer Riser's question, Michael summoned a large sum of his angelic power, causing a golden aura to manifest around him.
"If you would kindly bow your head." The Archangel suggested to the Phenex Devil, who quickly heeded and closed his eyes as he lowered his head.
Looking over to his sister once again, Michael nodded to her, and smiled as he placed his hand on Riser's forehead. As soon as his hand touched the Phenex Devil's temples, a bright light emitted from the contact.
"All right. You can open your eyes now."
Dark blue eyes opened and then quickly widened upon seeing an immeasurable amount of souls nearby. The floor below him appeared to be physically larger than the other floors he had been on.
Riser's mouth was agape as he looked all around himself.
"Shocked?"
The Phenex Devil turned to see Michael and Gabriel giving him warm smiles.
"I am, actually." Riser admitted with a nod of his head, "Where are we? And why are you doing this?"
"We're in the Third Heaven." Gabriel informed him, "Normally we would have to restrict you from residing on the third floor of Heaven, since the souls might be stimulated by a Devil like you. But I think with Michael's influence, you'll manage just fine."
"And the reason we're doing this," Michael began, "Is because this is your reward for your participation."
"But that was months ago." The Phenex Devil pointed out, "So why was I brought here now?"
"Hmm. I suppose we haven't been completely upfront with you." Gabriel said as her smile brightened, "Your presence here, in Heaven, was a request."
'A request?' Riser said in his thoughts.
"Yes." Michael added, "The person who made such a request, asked that you be transported here. To live in a comfortable state. I assume that dwelling in the Realm of the Shinigami was not a pleasing experience."
Despite his confusion, Riser couldn't argue with the Archangel's words. As cordial as Death was, living in her Domain wasn't exactly pleasant. Sure, he and the other dwellers would keep to themselves from time to time, but still...
Death's Domain was by no means a happy place.
"You're not wrong about that." Riser admitted.
"Fufu." Gabriel giggled as with an even brighter smile, "I hope you enjoy your stay here."
"Wait a minute." Riser interjected, gathering the attention of the angelic siblings, "Who requested this?"
For the first time since he'd come in contact with the Phenex Devil, Michael adopted a look of surprise. Gabriel, on the other hand, let out a sweet giggle as she clasped her hands together.
"Why a little Sun did."
Issei's Penthouse Apartment
It was quiet within the home of Issei Hyoudou, with the only sound of light snoring accompanying the silence. Sitting on the couch was the Ouroboros Dragon Ophis, along with her mate, whose head was laying comfortably on her lap.
The Infinite Dragon God was silent as she gently patted her mate's head. She felt a smile pull at her lips. The silence surrounding her mate's home put the Dragon God in a content mood.
Ophis' smile widened as she continued to affectionately pet her mate. When her Issei had arrived back to their dwelling, she could see the look of weariness in his eyes. Weariness and...
Something the Ouroboros Dragon couldn't decipher.
Letting go of the questions in her mind, Ophis leaned forward to plant a soft kiss on her mate's forehead, and sighed softly.
Bzzzt
Ophis felt a surge of annoyance as she looked towards the source of her ire. To her further irritation, she felt her mate stir from his sleep. The Ouroboros Dragon looked down as she was greeted by the sight of Issei's soft brown eyes.
Awakened from his slumber, Issei Hyoudou lifted himself up from his wife's lap, and rubbed his eyes. As his vision cleared, he sent his eyes towards Ophis, who was fixing the door buzzer with a death stare.
Smiling softly, Issei moved his hand and placed it upon his wife's head, prompting the Ouroboros Dragon to look at her mate. As she saw the smile on her mate's face, Ophis allowed her emotions to settle.
Bzzzt
At the sound of the buzzer, Issei Hyoudou looked towards the door and sighed. Reluctantly moving his hand from his wife's head, he stood up to walk to his door. As he pressed a finger on the speaker button, Issei leaned his head toward the intercom.
"Yeah?" He asked.
"It's me." A familiar voice uttered.
"Oh, Vali." Issei greeted as he moved his hand towards the lock on his door, "Come on up."
As he unlocked his door, Issei stepped back from the intercom and looked back to Ophis, who gave him a blank look.
"I, did not know Vali was going to visit, my Issei." Ophis commented, earning another smile from her mate.
"It'll be all right, Ophis." He told her, "Besides, Vali said he was going to bring food."
"...I'll allow it." Ophis conceded after a few seconds of thinking.
Issei suppressed a chuckle as he crossed his arms.
"Yo, rival. Ophis."
Issei turned around to see Vali Lucifer holding three heavy bags of food. As he walked past his rival, the host of the Vanishing Dragon nearly slammed the bags on the former's table, causing the object to shake.
"Careful now." Issei told him.
As Vali rolled his eyes, Issei blinked as he noticed the weight of the bags inflicted on the table.
"So much food in there." He commented as he looked at his rival in surprise, "How much did you have to pay?"
"Hmph." Vali scoffed with a smirk pulling at his lips, "Nothing. Nothing at all."
"What?" Issei questioned, "Wait, how can that be? I hope you didn't steal it or anything."
Vali turned around to give his rival a blank stare.
"If you must know, rival," He started, "even if I wanted to steal all this food, it would've been pointless. Especially when all I needed to do was say the one word that drives everyone at that Fortune Cooky restaurant to hysterics."
"...You can't be serious." Issei said as he rested his head in his hands.
"You used my name as a means of acquiring a discount, Vali Lucifer?" Ophis commented dryly, "For shame."
"Hey, it's not my fault they're frightened by the mere mention or sight of you." Vali said in defense, "You only have yourself to blame. And Hyoudou, I also used your name."
"So they really let you have all this food for free?" Issei asked his rival with disbelief in his tone, "What exactly did you tell them?"
"I told them that I was a friend of Issei Hyoudou." Vali began with a smirk, "And as luck would have it, they know that you're affiliated with Ophis as well. By the way, Ophis, do you know what they're calling you now?"
"What?"
"The Snake of Misfortune." Vali said with air-quotes.
The title brought a sly smirk to Ophis' lips.
"I, like that name."
"It's not something you should be proud of, Ophis." Issei lightly chided his wife, who merely maintained her smirk.
The Ouroboros Dragon lifted up a finger and moved the digit slightly, causing one of the bags to move towards her direction. As she grabbed hold of the bag, Ophis looked inside, and with a appreciative hum, she closed it.
"I, am going to the Dimensional Gap." She announced to the hosts of the Two Heavenly Dragons.
"Hmm?" Issei hummed questioningly, "You don't want to eat with us?"
"No." Ophis said bluntly, "I, would like to spend time with Baka-Red."
Ophis' words brought a sense of happiness to Issei, who smiled as he nodded in approval.
"That's good to hear. I'm glad to see that you guys are finally getting al-"
"And by spending time with him," Ophis interjected, "I mean consuming all of this food in front of him."
Not waiting for her mate to react, Ophis transmitted away, leaving Issei and Vali alone. With the Ouroboros Dragon absent from her mate's home, the hosts of Ddraig and Albion dropped their laid-back expressions, and adopted solemn faces.
Reaching into one of the bags, Vali remained quiet as he pulled out four large cups of ramen. Issei followed suit, and moved to pull out five trays of fried rice from his bag. As soon as he placed the last of the trays down on the table, he walked to his refrigerator and pulled out two half gallons of the drink labeled 'Sunny D'.
In just ten minutes, the rivals prepared their food and proceeded to eat. Slurping up a thick strand of ramen, Vali swallowed down the food as he looked up at his rival. Issei, gulping down a large chuck of chicken fried rice, took a drink to down the food, and quietly cleared his throat.
The rivals didn't say anything to each for a while. There really wasn't anything to say to each other. Both of them had completed what they aimed to do.
What else could be said?
"So I take it he's up there now." Vali said quietly.
"...Yes."
"..." The host of the Vanishing Dragon went silent for a moment.
"And I can assume that you've silenced that person." Issei uttered softly.
"...Yeah.
The young men stared at each other for a few moments longer, before the silver-haired of the two let out a deep sigh.
"You're an unusual one, Issei Hyoudou." He said to his rival, who blinked at him, "To think you'd do something like this."
"After everything we've been through..." Issei hesitated with a look of uncertainty in his eyes, "I thought it'd be wrong to just leave him in Shinigami-san's Domain. The least I could do was ask for his soul to ascend to a location where he's more comfortable."
"You know some people might say you only did this in an attempt to feel less guilty." Vali commented.
"If that's what they believe, then I'll let them. I certainty won't stop them." Issei said with resignation in his voice, "But at least his soul is in Heaven now. That way, his family can visit him anytime they want."
"And what about you?"
"I'll check on him every now and again." Issei confirmed for him, "Not as much as I did while he was in Shinigami-san's Domain, but enough to make sure he's doing ok."
"How did Michael and Gabriel react when you requested this?" Vali asked as he drank from his half gallon of Sunny D.
"Honestly, they were surprised when I asked them." Issei revealed, "Well, more Michael than Gabriel actually. I'm still shocked they said yes at all."
[Isssei ssshould not be ssshocked.]
{The Yamata-no-Orochi's right, partner. After all, you knew the Biblical God.}
The Solar God's solemn look deepened at the mention of the God from the Bible.
"Issei."
Hearing the call of his name, Issei looked up to his rival, who fixed him with an unreadable stare.
"After everything that's happened between you and that guy," Vali began as he crossed his arms, "do you feel any different?"
"..." Issei was silent as his brown eyes shifted elsewhere, "Do you feel any different after what happened today?"
"I felt a huge weight lift off of me when I killed that man months ago," Vali admitted with a downcast look, "And after I traveled to the Realm of the Shinigami to end him again and again...I felt relief. I felt contentment."
Vali's melancholic look faded as he looked back up to Issei.
"What about you, Hyoudou?" The host of the Vanishing Dragon asked his rival again.
"...The weight never leaves." Issei said quietly, "And in spite of how heavy it is, I'm not willing to let it go just yet."
"You are truly a weird one, Issei Hyoudou." Vali commented with a sigh, "It's no wonder why our world is attracted to you so much."
"It'd be weird for me to not be weird, Vali."
And with that, the rivals resumed their feast in complete silence.
The End.