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"There is something I need you to do for me, Issei"
"What is it?"
"Remember what I told you about Sacred Gears?" The new devil nodded slowly. "I believe you have a very powerful one. And we need to activate it."
"How do I do that?"
"Close your eyes, and focus on the part of your body that you feel is the strongest." Rias explained. He did as he was told, and, despite shaking from the strain he was putting on his left arm, nothing happened.
"Hmm, perhaps a small… push, is needed." Rias looked over to Akeno, and a second later there was a crackling sound in the room.
"What-" Issei was given the answer to his unfinished question when his back got electrocuted.
It felt like a little bit more than a small push.
The brunette felt the electricity move through his entire body… except his left arm. Instead of a light shock, his left arm from his elbow down burned.
"What the hell-" before abruptly stopping.
Everyone was staring at him, wide eyed.
"What?"
It was then Issei realized they were staring specifically at his left arm. His eyes followed their gaze.
Where his left arm should be is instead a Red Gauntlet, adorned with golden spikes and a green jewel, going up to his elbow. His eyes widened.
A grin spread across Rias Gremory's face. "The Boosted Gear."
"It seems my eight pawns were very worth it, after all."
Issei believed that Rias was talking about Sacred Gears, but he was too busy studying the gauntlet to pay much attention to her.
Rias Gremory was perplexed, to say the least.
Her new servant, Issei Hyoudou, was still a complete mystery to her.
He was the new Red Dragon Emperor, which was more than she could have dreamed of when she decided to reincarnate him. But there is a problem with that.
It does not explain the effect he has on others. The Boosted Gear has nothing to do with the chilling atmosphere that follows him around.
The question now is, what does?
She assumed his… aura, if that was even the right thing to call it, was due to a Sacred Gear. But she couldn't recall a Sacred Gear with that kind of effect. And people with two Sacred Gears were nearly unheard of to begin with, much less one with a Longinus.
After he activated it, she sent him to start handing out flyers after talking to him about training. Daily training would be needed to get him in peak physical condition, something he needed to be able to handle the Boosted Gear's power.
With the rest of her peerage out with their regulars, it left her alone with time to think.
Either she was wrong in her earlier assessment of him being completely human, which isn't likely, or...
Rias would have to scour her extensive collection of books on Sacred Gears soon. In fact, she-
The crimson haired devil felt him before she heard or saw him. The aura that follows him wherever he goes washed over her about ten seconds before he opened the door, placing the now empty bag where it was before he grabbed it.
"I passed out all of the fliers. Can I go home now?"
Her nodding head was all he needed to see before turning around. He barely registered her voice saying "Please come back tomorrow."
Issei groaned.
Handing out flyers was a nightmare, considering it was difficult for anyone that wasn't his parents to be anywhere near him. He had gotten all of one person, a black haired man with golden bangs, to willingly take one when he walked near them.
To get rid of the rest, Issei had resorted to forcefully shoving them into people's hands or into random mailboxes.
He was pretty sure Rias wouldn't approve of his methods, but after nearly an hour of trying and failing to get near enough to anyone, he couldn't find it in him to care about what she would say.
Once he had gone back to the school to check in with Rias, which was all the way across town, and walking back to his house, it was well past his curfew.
After assuring his parents that everything was fine, and quickly wolfing down dinner, he had to do all of his homework, which took about an hour.
It was nearly two in the morning when his head finally hit the pillow.
He dreamed of Devils, Fallen Angels, and, strangely enough, a Red Dragon.
Issei had settled into a rhythm, in his new life. Over the last few days, he woke up, trained with Rias, went to school, got ignored by everybody, headed to the club room where he just seemed to make everybody uncomfortable - since they don't really have the option to avoid him - and then went to hand out fliers.
His training, for the most part, was just standard exercise. Running, push ups, etcetera.
He also trained his reflexes, dodging attacks thrown at him. He was pretty sure Akeno was disappointed when he became able to dodge most.
After he is able to get rid of all of the fliers, he goes home, had dinner with his parents, rushed through his homework, and went to sleep. Rinse and repeat.
Who knew that life as a devil would be so... normal?
Or close to it, at least.
Sure, he had less time to himself now - not that he needed that much anyway - but other than that, being a devil wasn't all too different for him to being a human. So far, anyway.
This time, however, when he walked into the club room, he could tell something was off.
All the members were stiff, but they were always like that around him, but this time none of them even tried to give him a forced smile. Rias turned to him, face set in stone.
"There is a stray in the area, and we are tasked with taking it out."
"A stray?" The brunette asked.
"You remember what those were, right?"
"Um…" He scratched the back of his head.
Rias sighed. "I suppose it doesn't matter right now. Let's go."
The Stray Devil, Rias believed she had said her name was Viser, ended up not being a problem in the slightest for her and her peerage.
It was a typical story. She had gotten drunk on power and left her master before tricking and eating a few people in the Kuoh area. They had eliminated it in a matter of minutes with no issue to speak of.
Though, she supposed it was a good way to introduce Issei to combat.
It's a frightening sight, for most. To open your eyes and not be able to see a foot in front of you. Most would try to run, to find their way out, at least do something.
But not Issei. When he opened his eyes only to be surrounded in total darkness, he had no fear, only temporary shock.
And then, just confusion.
He knew he had never been here before, but he still felt a sense of familiarity from it, not unlike one that would be found in one's childhood home. It reminded him of himself.
A bright flash exploded in front of Issei's eyes, so bright that he had to shield his eyes. When he opened his eyes he wasn't in darkness anymore.
He was surrounded by fire.
[... strong enough to hear… now]
"W-what?"
[It's been awhile since I've manifested myself in this form…]
"Who are you?... Where are you?"
Another bright flash. A red dragon now towered over Issei.
[I am Ddraig, one of the Two Heavenly Dragons, and the being that resides in your left arm.] A deep chuckle rang out.
[Nice to meet you, Issei Hyoudou]
If Issei could have fainted, he was sure he would have.
A red dragon at least twenty time his size just appeared in front of him - he still hasn't figured out where that is, by the way - in the blink of an eye.
"So you're the Sacred Gear... Yuuma, was talking about, the reason I was… The reason why everyone hates me?"
He heard the dragon sigh. [I am why the fallen attempted to kill you. But your aura, it has nothing to do with me.]
"Then what is it?"
[I have no clue.]
"You don't seem very affected by it." Issei noted. The dragon snorted.
[Before getting sealed, I was one of the strongest beings in the universe. Your aura is not nearly strong enough to have much of an effect on me.]
"How did that happen anyway? Getting sealed?" Ddraig sighed.
[It's a long story, Hyoudou.]
Issei looked around. "I think we have the time."
[Very well then, I assume your master has told you about The Great War?]
The teen paused. "How do you know about that?"
[I awoke when the Fallen Angel killed you. It has taken me this long to contact you, on account of the Boosted Gear remaining inactive. I picked up some things before now.]
"Oh."
With that, Ddraig began an explanation of his rival, Albion, how they both were sealed into Sacred Gears, and how he was now fated to fight the host of the White Dragon.
About ten minutes and more than half a dozen questions Issei interjected with later, the story was over.
[Anything else?]
"Not really."
[Then may I ask you a question?]
"Sure." Issei responded immediately. It only seemed fair.
[Have you felt... normal, since gaining the Boosted Gear?]
That's not what he expected. "Yes."
[That's a relief...]
"Why do you ask?"
[We will talk more soon, Issei Hyoudou. Rest, now.]
Issei shot up in his bed.
Why do I have such strange dreams?
[While it technically was a dream, it was not one in the sense that you are imagining it to be.] The deep voice from his dream spoke again.
Issei's head whipped around his room - not seeing anyone, obviously - before mentally slapping himself half a second later.
"Sorry Ddraig."
[Don't worry. It took most of my hosts time to get used to it]
"I was sleeping the entire time?"
[Yes. It was the easiest way to contact you.]
Sighing, he pulled himself out of bed. He had to get ready for school.
Strangely enough, Rias told Issei that he didn't need to pass out any flyers today. Issei found himself heading home right after school, something he hasn't done in a while. He was left alone with his thoughts for the entire trip to his house.
Issei wasn't quite sure how he felt about being a devil.
He was overwhelmed at first, as anyone who had died and been reincarnated as a different species would be, but now that he got the chance to actually think about it, he was conflicted.
He didn't really want to be a part of the supernatural world. The way she had described it, it was for almost the rest of eternity. He had no choice in something that will affect him for the rest of his life, which will be nearly forever now.
His only option at this time would be to go stray, like Viser. But what good would that do? He saw how easily she was eliminated, and she was easily more powerful than him. Rias had explained to him that Stray's were not tolerated by any faction, so it would only be a matter of time before he would be killed by some supernatural being.
Speaking of his master...
He couldn't deny that Rias saved his life twice. Even if he didn't necessarily like her methods of saving him, he would be dead without her. Multiple times over.
He was grateful for that, if nothing else.
She had told him that he could rank up in The Underworld and get servants of his own someday. But to do that he had to get contracts.
So far his two attempts at getting a contract had, unsurprisingly, gone terribly.
His first try was one of Koneko's regulars. He didn't even let Issei in the door, on account of his effect and him not being the white haired girl 'he asked for'. He at least got into the door on his second attempt, but now he wished that he didn't.
There were very few people who could pull off a magical girl costume, and a muscular man in his mid thirties was definitely not one of them. That time, Issei was the one who hurried away from someone else, not the other way around, for once.
Though not after spending ninety minutes watching weird shows and explaining why he couldn't turn the man into a magical girl.
Lost in his thoughts, Issei didn't realize where he was walking until he bumped into something and heard a surprised "Oomf!"
When his eyes looked at what made the sound, Issei was surprised, to say the least.
There sprawled out on the ground, with her belongings strewed everywhere, was a blond girl wearing nun's clothing.
After a moment of staring dumbly at her, Issei moved to help her, grabbing anything he could that could be blown away by the wind.
"Are you alright?" He asked, extending a hand to her after he put all that he had grabbed in her suitcase.
"Yes… Thank you." She hesitated for a moment before grabbing his hand, allowing him to pull her up. "My name is Asia Argento, by the way." She added.
"Issei Hyoudou." He replied.
"Would you happen to know where the church is?"
Friendly, albeit awkward, chatter ensued as they made their way throughout Kuoh. She was clearly affected by being around him, he could tell easily despite her attempts of hiding it.
Trying not to seem rude, he imagined.
Despite the sharp pain in his head whenever she mentioned God, which was about every other sentence, Issei believed she was a normal sister of the church.
But about ten minutes and what felt like the same amount of times she tripped over herself later - why anyone thought it was a good idea to send this girl halfway around the world by herself, Issei would never understand - the thought that she was normal was blown away.
As she was telling him about Italy, where she came from, a cry filled the air.
There was a little boy sobbing with a scraped knee. Pretty normal.
What wasn't normal was Asia, who had rushed over and kneeled beside him, held her hands to the boy's cut, and it was enveloped in a green glow.
What the hell?
The kid, in shock, stuttered out a thank you, looked at Issei, and ran away.
Issei saw hurt flash through Asia's eyes before she walked back to him. He tried to convince her that it was because of him, but the sister didn't seem any happier about it. He chose not to take it further.
"Nice ability you got there." He blurted out.
"It's a gift from God" She explained, missing Issei wince again.
The brunette chose not to respond. The rest of the trip was in silence, up until they reached their destination and Asia thanked him again.
Issei was about halfway home when he realized how odd it was that a nun who happened to have a healing ability would be sent to a church that's been abandoned for years.
Couldn't really find a great place to end it. The actual AU part should start next chapter.
