Chapter 3: New Confidence

{Dream}

Rokuro looked down at a now eight year old Issei, and brought the cane down once more.

"You useless excuse for a man. Take your punishment without crying." And he brought the cane down again.

"I-I'm sorry!" Young Issei was trying to hold back the tears.

"Then prove it and take responsibility." He brought the cane down one last time.

"I w-will try harder..."

"No, you will do better. I never saw in that cow what my brother saw." Rokuro turned and left the bleeding boy on the ground.

Ever so slowly he started to bandage himself while sniffling.

xXXx

Issei cried out in his sleep and Rias just held him. 'I wonder what he's dreaming about...' She absentmindedly started to trace the scars on his back as she rubbed circles on his back.

"Shhh...there, there..." She whispered in his ear while holding him.

A tear came from his eye as he rolled over and hugged her back. She smiled at this and fell back asleep.

xXXx

Issei awoke to find himself tangled in sweat soaked sheets and a very naked Rias. The last part of his dream he did want to let go of as he slowly got up and started to get ready for the day.

Rias awoke to the smell of something good. 'Does he know how to cook?' She got up and did her morning ritual of bathing and dressing. When she walked down stairs she saw that breakfast was made for the both of them as well as bento's.

"My, my...so the bento's you had for lunch you made...and here I thought you got them from admirers..." She smiled as he blushed.

"...My uncle made sure that I could survive by myself if I needed to..." He looked away as he started eating.

"Well it looks like I'll have to beat you to the punch for now on, and don't worry about dinner, I'll make that." She smiled as she ate the food. 'This is so good...what chef did he learn from? This is even better than the cook for my Onii-sama...' The look on her face was priceless.

"I have to be to Kendo practice early, due to what I missed..." He started to get up.

"I have to be there early as well...the student council has an early meeting." She made the excuse to walk with him to school.

"A-alright..."

xXXx

He walked to school carrying his satchel and his shinai on his back...and Rias attached to his arm.

"Awwww...isn't this cute, so he does have a girlfriend!" Kiryuu gushed as she saw the two.

"B-but-" Issie started, but was interrupted by Rias.

"And we've started living together..." She gave a wink to Kiryuu.

"Some girls will be heartbroken...be sure to use protection Issei-kun!" Kiryuu ran off as he sweated.

"W-why-" He was having trouble processing the information.

"I promised I'd protect you, this means your heart as well." She smiled as she started to lead him to his kendo practice.

"I'm...no one special." He looked confused.

"Oh Issei-kun...you have no idea how special you are." She let go of his arm so that he could enter the boys locker room.

"I-I'll see you after school..." He waved as he entered.

xXXx

The sensei was in the ready position and just waited. Issei was the first to attack, which was the mistake. The sensei brought down the shinai and struck his hand, causing him to release his shinai.

"Remember, the sword is an extension of yourself, you need to imagine on where you want to put that tip." The sensei pointed to the tip of the shinai.

"Hai sensei." He bowed.

"Now that the others are arriving, pick your sparring partner." The sensei instructed.

"Hai sensei." He chose Katase as she readied herself.

After knocking the shinai from her grip she smiled.

"You're a fast learner Issei-kun." She then went on the offensive and he defended well, when she went to strike his hand he blocked with his shinai.

"Once you know how a move works, you can deduce a logical defense." The sensei nodded at his wisdom.

"You are right Issei-kun, but sometimes the logical course of action is to be illogical." The sensei looked to the rest of the club.

After the sparring session he lead the class in a cool down kata.

"We will be going against Kagome High is a month." Thats all the sensei had to say. As the club bowed and hit the showers, Tsubaki looked at Issei and nodded. 'If he trains right, he could give more than just Kagome High a tough time...'

Murayama just looked at him as well. 'Family day is coming up, I wonder who will come for him?'

xXXx

He dreaded this moment. He sighed and opened the door and immediately seen a smiling Kiryuu. 'What has she spread...'

'I don't know partner, but Rias does have a point. If you're off the market so to speak, no more fallen angels can try to trick you...as well as anyone else for that matter...' The dragon had a thoughtful tone in his voice.

'I know I want that someday...but the question is with who? The way Rias is acting...she seems to want...' The person of his thoughts came into his view.

"Issei-chan, I'll be sure to have dinner ready when you get home..." Rias walked by and winked at him as he blushed.

"Well, well, seems the rumors ARE true..." Kiryuu smiled wider.

"Awww...I wanted to be his girlfriend..." One of the girls in his class looked down sadly.

"H-how come that...that pipsqueak gets to have a girlfriend and we are still virgins!" Motohama exclaimed.

"We have to kick his ass!" Matsuda looked at Issei angrily.

"Now, now, boys...he just happens to have something you guys don't...make that two things." Her eyes flashed to Issei's crotch.

"Wha- No way!" Matsuda was in shock.

"I guess she has a one size scouter..." Motohama looked thoughtful. "Hey!" He looked at her as if finally realising what she was saying.

"Remember, it's not how big it is, it's how you use it." Matsuda had a sagely air about him.

"Keep on telling yourself that..." Kiryuu had a wistful look in her eyes.

"Why you-" Issie closed the door and decided to skip class.

xXXx

Rias had an impish smile on her face while she was in class. 'That was a tad bit more fun than I should've had...' She felt a tug on her sleeve and looked to Akeno.

"Looks like you had fun..." She looked at her.

"Well, I'm doing what I need to do to protect him." Rias blushed a bit.

"Mind if I can get in on the action?" Akeno looked serious.

"Why?"

"I remember him from when I played with him at the shrine...he accidently saw something he shouldn't have..." She looked down in sadness. 'We shouldn't have been in the woods...'

"What happened?" Rias looked to her queen.

"We...were playing in the woods, it's the only thing that saved our lives...but he witnessed a fallen dieing and I knew he shouldn't keep that memory."

"As long as he can love us both...I don't see why not." Rias nodded to her.

"Wait till he experiences this..." Akeno smiled and looked forward again.

xXXx

Issei walked toward a park and seen something truly remarkable. It was a blonde haired girl that had healed a little boy that had scraped his knee. 'I wonder if she is lost...'

"Oh...hi...I was wondering if you knew where the church was in this town?" She looked at him and smiled a kind smile.

"Y-yeah...I'll take you..." He picked up her suitcase.

"...So...whats your name?"

"H-Hyoudou Issei..."

"I'm Asia Argento...pleased to meet you..."

"Can you heal anyone?" He looked at her as they continued walking.

"Y-yes...it's why I'm here actually..."

"Are you busy tomorrow?"

"N-no..."

"I have a free day tomorrow, I'd like to spend it with you if you don't mind..." He looked on the hill and started to get a bad feeling. It felt like razor blades going up and down his back.

'She warned you about going near the church...it might be a good idea to leave her here partner.' He felt the need to get away as fast as possible.

"Th-that sounds...good...but why?" Asked the fallen nun.

"...Everyone needs friends..." He said noticing the pain hidden in her eyes.

"H-how-"

"Its the way you acted with the little boy...you wanted him to like you..." The razor blade feeling doubled.

"Then...your offering to be my friend?"

'Partner...'

"Yes...lets meet at the park where I met you at today..." He felt a glacier go down his spine.

"Now that we are close...I can make it from here...I'll see you tomorrow..." She gave a genuine smile as she took her suitcase from him and started up the hill.

A man in an overcoat and a fedora just watched from afar. 'Even though he is a devil he helped us out by escorting her partially there...and with the death of Raynare who will get her sacred gear? I never agreed to doing this to an innocent, but with times as they are you must break a few eggs to make an omelette. Lets see if he can save her...'

When the ice cold feeling left him he trusted his other senses and felt like he was being followed. 'Just show yourself...'

"You know...its not everyday a devil escorts a nun to the enemies gate...it's why I've chosen to not kill you where you stand... It was originally my job to escort her, so I will give you this piece of information. On monday a ritual will take place where we will rip the sacred gear she has right out of her...if you want to save her, then come and take her back...if you can." Said a man in a fedora and overcoat.

"Whats your name?" Issie looked at him.

"If you must know...its Dohnaseek...I pray I never see you again..." He turned and left.

"...I feel the same..." Issei turned and walked back to the school, he wasn't going to skip martial arts.

xXXx

Katase had Issei in a head hold. 'Come on...come on...' Her arm cramped at the wrong moment, when he felt this, he slipped out of the hold like an eel, accidentally hitting the back of her knee and causing her to fall. She ended up landing on him.

"Even though it was an accident...Hyoudou-kun has won the match. Joints can either be our greatest ally, or our greatest enemy." The sensei looked at the combatants.

"Hai sensei." The class bowed their heads as he left the dojo.

"You have improved..." Murayama looked and noticed how he helped up Katase.

"Y-you think?" He looked at Murayama.

"Yes...I can think of ways it can also be used in kendo..." She looked away. 'As well as other things...'

"Huh...well..." He scratched the back of his head.

"Time to shower, coming Mura-chan?" Katase pulled the girl along as he headed to the male showers.

'I wonder...can we save her?'

'Partner, thats up to you...either way I'll back you up.' The dragon felt some confidence from his master.

'She is so innocent...why does this have to happen to her?' He punched the wall slightly cracking the tile.

'Its like asking why do bad things happen to good people, remember what I had said when I first awakened?'

'...Yes...I needed to become a predator...instead of a victim...I'll save her tomorrow.' What he didn't know was that a certain white haired female with a black cat hairclip had seen how strong he was.

'So...strong...I wonder...'

As he showered he felt the rage wash away with the water. '...I bet the same people that praised her were the same ones that condemned her...' As he washed himself he didn't notice that his onlooker was ogling him.

She looked as the water cascaded down his muscles and frame. 'I wonder...what he would see in me...'

xXXx

Rias watched as Issei entered the room. 'He may not have a memory of Akeno...but it will still be a treat for him...' He had a withdrawn expression set in his face.

"What's troubling you Issei-chan?" She looked over to him in a worried fashion.

"...Nothing..." He sat down on the couch still with a troubled look.

"...Issei, we are here to help..." She sat by him and patiently waited for him to speak.

"W-what happens when...a sacred gear is...ripped out of the user?" He looked at her expecting the worst.

"...They die...why the question?" Now she was definitely worried.

"...There's this girl I met yesterday...she has the ability to heal...and the fallen angels will take it from her...by force." He looked down grimly.

"Is she a nun?" She looked at him while feeling how tense he was.

"...Hai..."

"Then we can't hel-"

"We can...can you reincarnate someone...while they're alive?" He looked pleadingly in her eyes.

"...No...I'm sorry, they need to die first..." She noticed a tear go down his face...

"I-I'll do what I can...I promise..." Rias looked at him and smiled.

The others started to enter the room and noticed how close the pair was. Akeno snuck up behind him and put his head in between her breasts.

"Well, well, looks like I need to cheer you up..." She had a seductive tone in her voice.

"H-h-hello...A-Akeno..." He froze again.

"Hmmm...looks like we need to teach him...something about...love..." She looked to Rias as Rias smiled.

"What an excellent idea...Koneko, would you come here please." Rias motioned for the small girl to get on his other side. When she did, she copied what Rias was doing.

"And how should we do that Rias?" Akeno moved forward.

"How about you and Koneko move in with Issei-chan and me, I'm already living there as it is, and besides, someone needs to make a good bento for him." Rias snuggled closer, placing his arm in between her breasts. He started to blush heavily.

"Lucky dog...Have fun Issei-kun." Kiba winked at him.

xXXx

A completely bald man was standing outside the Hyoudou house. He looked around the yard and seen that it was well kept. No emotion was on his face as he entered the gate. Before he even opened the door, the door was opening.

"Who are you." He looked at her through his glasses to the red haired girl that stood before him.

"I am Rias Gremory, Issei-chan's girlfriend." She looked at the man in confusion.

"You will leave now. He does not need a cow right now." He made to enter the home, but was stopped by the irate red haired demon.

"No. You will leave, we have no need for your money as I have already bought the land. Issei is a strong man, no thanks to you. He is kind and considerate...and he will never be like you." She looked hard at him.

"Really?" He made to strike her, but found his path blocked. It was by a short girl with white hair.

"Take out the trash Koneko...and be sure my brother see's him." Rias turned around and re-entered the house as a barrier was erected...so no-one could hear the screams.

A transportation circle later, Koneko entered the house, as the barrier fell.

"I can see why you wanted to buy the land Rias...that was a detestable man." Koneko didn't have a mark on her, but her clothes were torn.

"Get changed, Issei-chan will be home soon." Rias smiled as she was finishing cooking.

"Should we tell him about his uncle?" Koneko looked to her.

"No, lets not volunteer the information. If he ask's, then we tell him." Rias started to take off the apron.

"Hai Rias-sama."

xXXx

Sir Zechs looked at the person before him. He had been beaten to an inch of his life and sent here. 'Rias...does this man deserve punishment?...yes...' He smiled evilly.

"Welcome to hell."

"Really..." Rokuro tried to stand up and failed.

"You know...anyone that tries to hit my sister has to deal with me..." He let out the killing intent as he looked at the human with dead eyes. Sir Zechs took out a scourge, and a red circle appeared beneath the victim.

"For what you have done to someone that my sister loves dearly, and for what you have tried to do to my sister...4,899,569 lash's...and in a place where time has no meaning...hehehahahaha..." He let loose with the first lash.

xXXx

A/n: Did the rat bastard get his just deserts...yes...as for the number of lash's...it also heals the person that its hitting, so use your imagination...lol I wanted to get some justice out of the way with this capter so...ya. Read and Review...but I found the manga on KissManga so I'm taking a look at that, Thanks for the other site though.