Alright, time to officially start the V1 adaption! Before I officially get to the start notes for this chapter, I have a few things to say, one of which is... that I'm really amazed at what I've pulled off with only two chapters! I expected the last one to only be 2/3 the length it actually was. It seems that after Chapter 1, I may have finally found the pace I've been searching for, so while my chapters may take longer? I think the quality will make up for it.
As for the Character Information, just in case anyone asks? There are two conditions I have before these pop up. The first is the character needs to be old enough, like you saw with our main duo's in the first chapter, and the second is they need to be in a scene that marks their importance like Cleria and Masaomi's in the second chapter. As such, many characters won't get theirs until we return to the present day.
Now, with all of that said? Since we've finally reached the school aspect of DxD, this chapter's going to introduce a few familiar faces along with some minor lore, and that means our duo will have some new allies in the events that will come. You might expect a few of them, but there are others who may surprise you. I'm especially excited to show how Valiana reacts to seeing them.
This chapter also marks my first "story checkpoint" being made, which is a new writing technique I'm using. For what it basically is? I've planned parts of the story up to a certain point, and as long as I don't complete another checkpoint during this time, the story will go into a brief hiatus until everything is set up afterwards. Right now, the current checkpoint is set at the story's adaption for Volume 4's events.
Lastly, I just learned about the whole transition from Japan's Heisei Era to the Reiwa Era, which unintentionally happens in the story's present day, since I thought the transition had already happened. While this may or may not have any spoilers related to it, for anyone that asks and/or notices this? I'll say the story will acknowledge the change between eras in some manner when we finally return to the present day, so keep that in mind.
With all of that said, it's time to get this chapter started!
() - Albion Talking via the Divine Dividing
[] - Ddraig Talking via the Boosted Gear
{} - Consciousness of any other Sacred Gear Talking
«» - Character Information
「」 - Insert Song Beginning or Ending
〖〗 - Voice Speaking through a Magic Circle
【】 - Voice made by an Announcement or through an Announcer
『』 - Electrical Voice or Machine Speaking
Chapter 3 - The Scarlet Scare
Deep within a remote area of China, a Human man could be seen walking across the landscape.
He was incredibly tall, which was further highlighted by bulky muscles that seemed impossible for a Human body to possess, wearing an outfit with some kind of church theme and no shirt.
On his pants was a sheath that looked to be as large as the average person's height, holding an equally large blue and gold sword inside.
"Let's see..." He said to himself, taking out a map.
This man was currently looking for a small farming village, taking the risk of being inside the Chinese Pantheon's territory due to needing to find something he couldn't risk falling into their hands. Lifting his gaze away from the map momentarily, he looked to the left, and...
"Ah, here we are." He smiled, spotting it.
Finally seeing the village, he leaped a large distance before landing in view of his destination. As he planned to walk towards it, a small sound of applause caught his attention.
Looking at the nearby forest, he saw a small group of children gathered around a boy with black hair, holding a familiar spear with decor that resembled a double helix.
"There it is." The man realized.
Having found his target, the man began walking in that direction. As the group of kids continued to admire the boy's spear, the sound of the man's footsteps getting closer reached their ears, making them turn to see the large man of the church. The black-haired boy saw his friends shaking in fear, causing a small glare to form on his face.
"Excuse me young ones, I-" He greeted.
The boy with the black hair immediately thrusted his spear at the man, seeing him as a threat... only to gasp as he grabbed the spear's tip.
"Don't you think it's a little rude to attack someone without any warning like that?" The man inquired.
"Says the man who's walking so casually with a sword strapped to his side!" The boy retorted.
Looking at his sword, the man let out a hearty chuckle as he realized what was going on, while also being impressed by the young one's awareness towards what possessing such a weapon would mean.
"I suppose you're right, then I guess there's only one thing to do." He realized.
Reaching for his sheath, the young boy began to sweat as he held onto his spear, and then... drove the still sheathed sword into the ground, making everyone stare in shock as he walked towards the boy, eventually releasing his grip on the spear.
While still suspicious of this stranger before him, the boy was able to recognize this was his way of showing he meant no harm. Well... that, and the he was smart enough to realize that if he could hold his spear and drive a sheathed sword into the ground, heavily implying this man could crush him with little effort if he wanted to.
"Fine, I'll listen... now what do you want?" The boy nervous asked.
"My name is Vasco Strada, and I'm from a land far away from this village, and anywhere you could see within this mountain range." He answered, introducing himself.
This caught the boy off guard.
"Uh... well, then it's nice to meet you sir, I'm... Cao Cao." He answered, sharing his own name.
"Ah, so you're named after an ancient Chinese figure, possibly your own ancestor maybe? Quite the fitting name for who the True Longinus chose as its newest wielder." Vasco remarked, rubbing his chin.
Hearing his spear referred to by an actual name, Cao Cao briefly looked at it before looking at Vasco again.
"Hold on, are you telling me you know what this is?" He asked.
"I do. In fact, it's something important from where I come from, yet can be given to anyone on their birth if it deems them worthy, but only if its previous wielder ends up deceased. I believe you've noticed how you can make it appear and disappear by will, have you not?" Vasco confirmed.
"Yeah... I was wondering why it could do that." Cao Cao answered, looking at the Sacred Gear in his hands.
Vasco closed his eyes, smiling a bit.
"Not only that, but that's just the tip of the iceberg for what it can really do. The one downside is those powers can be very dangerous if you don't know how to properly use them. However, the good news I know the people who can teach you how to properly use the True Longinus' powers, and how to use them for a noble purpose." He revealed.
Cao Cao felt a bead of sweat go down his cheek, feeling nervous. Despite it seemed Vasco's intentions were good, he had only just met this strange man, and wasn't sure if he should trust him enough to accept this offer.
"I don't blame your reluctance, so perhaps I should add a little more to what I'm saying. First of all... do you have a dream?" Vasco inquired.
Looking surprised, Cao Cao paused for a bit.
"Well, I guess... it's to reach the top of tallest mountain I can see from my village. One that I've always seen from the top of our tallest tree." Cao Cao answered, pointing towards it.
"Hmm... big dreams for a child of your age, but what if you could go beyond that mountain?" Vasco inquired.
"Beyond that mountain?" Cao Cao repeated.
"Yes, because as unbelievable as it may sound to you... I often go to a world beyond the sky itself." He confirmed, pointing up at the sky.
This confused the other children listening nearby, but Cao Cao gasped at that.
"No way... you can't be serious, can you?" He questioned, his eyes shaking.
"Believing me or not is your own choice, but I'm telling you the truth. That being said, possessing that spear can bring you disaster as much as it can bring you fortune." Vasco answered, soon flashing a serious look on his face.
Cao Cao felt chills go down his spine upon hearing that.
"W-What kind of disaster are you referring to?" Cao Cao asked, feeling his arms shake.
"Some might come after you as an ally, or to take that spear... one that's bonded to you to the point that to steal it would be to end your life. The family and friends you have here wouldn't be safe from those who have no morals in acquiring such power." Vasco revealed.
Hearing that, Cao Cao's eyes widened as he thought about his parents, and his friends who were simply afraid to see Vasco simply approach them. With that, he made his choice.
Finally arriving at Kuoh Academy, one could see Issei as he walked into his class, where Irina and Xenovia were quick to notice him.
"Issei! Over here!" Irina waved from her desk.
Hearing her voice calling his name, Issei smiled before he walked over to the Angel duo, both surprised and excited to see they had ended up becoming his classmates.
"No way, I don't believe it! All of us are in the same class?" He asked, spotting his desk.
"I know, right? This could only be God's blessing!" She cheered.
"Not sure if any Devils would agree with you." Xenovia joked.
That made them all chuckle.
"Though it isn't just us either, look at some of the other names listed on the other desks. You might be surprised." She mentioned.
Issei blinked before doing that, and gasped once he saw all of the names.
"No way... so, a good portion of our class is-" He realized, his eyes shining.
At that moment, they heard someone clearing their throat, making them look as they saw their teacher walk into the room, worried they were in trouble.
"Uh... I'm sorry, are we doing something wrong?" Irina apologized.
"Huh? Oh no, none of you are in trouble. I just have a frog in my throat." Their teacher clarified, clearing his throat again.
Hearing that, they all laughed, and the teacher joined them.
"Well, since it seems like you three are the first ones here? Let's see if I have all of the information in my notebook." The teacher suggested, opening it in response.
He looked at Issei first.
"Issei Hyoudou, the oldest child and son of Adam and Eve?" He guessed.
"That's right." Issei confirmed.
Next he looked towards Irina.
"Irina Shidou, the daughter of Gabriel?" He guessed again.
"Yep!" Irina nodded.
Finally, he moved his gaze towards Xenovia.
"And Xenovia Quarta, the daughter of Metatron?" He guessed once more.
"Uh huh." Xenovia replied.
"Good, that makes me feel more confident." The teacher sighed in relief.
At that moment, another student walked in.
"Oh, and here comes the cavalry. Better get to my desk so we're ready, especially when that one transfer student arrives." He realized.
Hearing that caught the trio's attention.
Driving into the parking lot, Lucifer turned around to look at his daughter as she hugged her backpack close.
"We're here now, it's time." He stated.
"R-Right..." Valiana nodded.
Opening the door for her, Valiana got out of the car and began heading towards the Elementary School Division, taking a deep breath before looking at her father.
"Don't worry, you'll be fine." Lucifer encouraged.
She gulped a bit, soon walking towards the building, walking in a rigid manner resembling a robot that needed oil on its joins.
"Father, please... watch over your granddaughter today." He begged.
Right after he said that, up in the Seventh Heaven, a sudden sneeze hit Elohim out of nowhere and left him confused.
Soon enough, everyone other than Valiana had made it into the classroom, using the time they had to talk with their friends and new classmates they might end up becoming friends with in the future.
Finally, the bell rang to mark the class had officially begun for the entire school, leading everyone to sit in their desks and look towards the blackboard.
"Hello everyone, and welcome to your first trimester of the new school year. I'll be your Teacher, Mr. Yamamoto." The teacher greeted, raising his hand up.
"Good morning Mr. Yamamoto!" Everyone greeted back.
"Now, before we officially begin class? There's a transfer student who's starting the term with us." Mr. Yamamoto stated.
Looking towards the door, he cleared his throat.
"Alright, you may come in now." He permitted.
The door soon opened, and once it had? Issei's eyes widened, while Irina and Xenovia gave quiet gasps, as the one they saw walk through the door none other than Valiana!
"Don't be shy, introduce yourself to the class." Mr. Yamamoto asked.
"Uh... right." She replied.
She grabbed some of the chalk before writing her name, surprising most of the class as they recognized the spelling of her surname.
"Hello there... m-my name is Valiana Lucifer, and... yes, that Lucifer. I-It's nice to meet all of you." She nervously introduced herself.
Everyone looked at her in awe.
"L-Let's see, uh..." She mumbled.
"Wait, are you asking us to play charades or something? I'd like to try first!"
Turning her head, Valiana saw it was a girl with short pink hair who said that.
"P-Peter Piper! Ah... no, not that!"
Valiana felt her eyes go into spirals, feeling way too pressured over being put on the spot like she was, unable to fake her smile like she could during her Princess coronation.
"Seriously? OK then, I'll introduce you in your place." The pink-haired girl decided.
She got up, making Valiana gave a confused look as she looked at her face.
"Hmm... let's see, I've got it! You're short of breath and feeling sweaty, so you're actually just embarrassed and intentionally goofing up your speech!" The girl guessed.
"Eh!?" Valiana exclaimed in confusion.
Someone else cleared their throat, making her and the pink-haired girl look at a brunette wearing her hair in twin tails, who was looking at the latter.
"Katase, leave the poor girl alone. That's obviously the Devil Princess trying to speak to us informally. Of course she's nervous." She stated calmly.
"Right, right. Sorry about that." Katase chuckled, rubbing her neck.
Hearing that name, Valiana's eyes wandered to Katase's desk, where she saw her name listed. Turning her head to the brunette's desk, the name Murayama could be seen.
"You aren't wrong, but this is a first to me." A female replied.
"Huh?" Valiana blinked.
Looking at the one who made that remark, she saw a girl with light brown hair and violet eyes could be seen, with Valiana gasping as she recognized the other details of her appearance.
'Wait... Rias!?' She thought, identifying her fellow Heiress.
Looking around, she tried to see if any other familiar faces could be found, which is when she noticed a girl with black hair in a short bob cut.
'Sona too!'
Then she noticed a blonde with hair tied in curled twin tails.
'And even Ravel's here!'
Clearing his throat, Mr. Yamamoto looked towards Katase, who returned his look.
"Katase, you can sit down now." He requested.
"Oops, sorry about that teach." She chuckled.
As she went back to her desk, Valiana soon heard a tap that got her attention. It was a male student with dirty blonde hair that had the name Saji on his desk.
"Hey, don't worry too much. Just imagine all of us as if we were vegetables and you should be fine." He advised.
Valiana blinked a bit, though after all the weirdness she just saw? She suddenly forgot how nervous she had been.
"Let me try that again. I'm new to living in the Human world, and I still don't understand a lot of what I've seen the past two days, but... my parents believe being here will be good for me, so please help me out if you can." She greeted, bowing to her classmates.
Mr. Yamamoto clapped in response, soon looking towards Issei.
"Thank you Valiana. As for where you'll be sitting, we have your desk set next to Issei Hyoudou's." He stated, soon pointing to it.
"OK, thank you." Valiana replied.
Heading to her desk, she sat herself down before releasing a deep breath, suddenly exhausted.
"Still alive?" Issei asked.
"Barely..." She confessed.
With everyone seated, Mr. Yamamoto officially began class.
Inside the abandoned building's walls, the leader of the mysterious group analyzed the feathers that were all that remained of Uncinda, making sure there were no loose ends they'd need to take care of.
Walking into the area, the sub-leader watched as the leader finished their analysis.
"Good news, I've managed to confirm our little rat only made off with the fake cheese we left her. Our plans are right on track without any interruptions." The leader smiled, squeezing the feathers into a crumpled ball.
"I'm impressed. Though I do have to ask, how did you even know there was a spy in the first place?" The sub-leader replied, raising an eye.
Snapping their fingers, a magic circle appeared by the leader's side, revealing a male Fallen in a trench coat and a fedora.
"You called?" He asked.
The sub-leader smiled and nodded as they put two and two together.
"Once again, I'm impressed." The sub-leader praised.
"And now that we've dealt with our spy situation, I can finally stop using this voice distorter." The leader replied.
Reaching into their mouth, the leader yanked out some kind of device shaped as a tooth clamp, tossing it away.
"Finally!" The leader said, revealing a female voice.
Pulling her hood off, the woman known as the leader was revealed to be a woman in her 20's with pale blonde hair and grey eyes. The sub-leader took this as a cue to remove their own hood and reveal a man with slate gray hair and eyes of a red and yellow gradient.
"Dohnaseek, can you do me a favor?" The leader requested.
"Sure thing, what do you need?" Dohnaseek asked.
"The other day, we found a boy who possesses a powerful Sacred Gear that we'd like to add to our collection. I'd like you to capture him for us." She answered, flashing a dark smirk across her face.
Hearing this, Dohnaseek gave a dark chuckle as he held the tip of his hat.
"Do I have any restrictions?" He inquired.
"Only that you don't kill him, but feel free to do anything else as long as you can get him here for extraction." The leader replied.
She tossed him a box.
"And as a bonus, feel free to use this Sacred Gear to do it. This one turned out to be specific to a certain skill set not unlike your own." She stated.
Opening the box, Dohnaseek gave an interested look.
"Also, I hope you don't mind a suggestion, but... I have a way you can really force this boy into a situation where it'll be lose-lose for him." The sub-leader suggested.
"I'm listening." Dohnaseek remarked.
A few hours later, the bell that marked the lunch break for the Elementary School division of Kuoh Academy rang, with Valiana sitting at the same table as Issei, Irina, and Xenovia. They were joined by the other Devil heirs and the three students she noticed during her introduction.
However, none of them had taken out their bento boxes to eat their lunches yet, since there were a few things Issei realized everyone needed to be caught up to speed on.
"OK, to make sure I understand all of this correctly... these three are friends of yours who also go to gym?" Valiana asked.
"That's right. Because of school preparations, everyone besides the three of us and my sister have been absent." Issei confirmed.
"Let us introduce them all, starting with Katase here." Irina confirmed.
She motioned to her, making the pink-haired girl wave as Valiana finally noticed her how much of her forehead was showing.
"This is Katase Minowa, she's a descendant of the swordsmith that created the Holy Sword known as Masamune." She introduced.
"Hey there." Katase waved.
Xenovia then motioned her thumb towards Murayama.
"This is her cousin Murayama Hibiki, she's a descendant of the swordsmith that created the Cursed Sword known as Muramasa." She revealed.
"It's a pleasure." Murayama bowed.
Finally, there was Issei, who pointed towards Saji.
"And then we have Saji here. Nothing major about him in the same way as us, but what he does have is a Sacred Gear." He explained.
"It's called the Absorption Line." Saji stated.
Valiana watched as she saw a pile of metallic snakes appear on his back. She wasn't sure why, but they seemed familiar to something she either saw or heard about once.
"Oh, here's an added fun fact. Saji is considered Issei's unofficial rival." Irina mentioned, giggling as she did.
"Rival? Why?" Valiana whispered back.
"Because he's an older brother like Issei, the difference is he just has the one younger sister." Irina explained.
Saji blushed a bit, rubbing his head in response.
"Ah, that makes sense." Valiana realized.
After that was said, Valiana motioned her hands towards the three Devils besides herself.
"These three are Devils like me, two of which I'm especially familiar with." She revealed.
Her hand motioned to Sona first.
"First is Sona Sitri, the youngest sister to the current head of the Sitri Clan and stand in Heiress until she gets a niece or nephew to officially take the position." Valiana began.
"Greetings." Sona said, bowing slightly.
Then she moved her hand towards Ravel.
"Next is Ravel Phenex, the Heiress of the Phenex Clan and a managing prodigy." Valiana continued.
"N-Nice to meet you..." Ravel greeted nervously.
Finally, her hand motioned towards Rias.
"And last, but not least? This is Rias Bael, the Heiress of the Bael Clan." Valiana finished.
"Glad to meet you all." Rias waved.
"Before anyone says anything... why are you a brunette already? Your birthday isn't for another four days, and by that logic, your hair should still be red." Valiana questioned, raising an eyebrow.
Issei blinked in surprise, wondering why she asked that question.
"Because I had to go through the Nebiros Clan's DNA alteration earlier than planned to avoid people asking about my hair color changing before I enrolled. Believe me, if I had a choice, I wouldn't have done it... but Grand Grandpa insisted." Rias answered, sighing as she did.
"DNA alteration?" Issei repeated.
Valiana paused, wondering how to answer him.
"There are times a Devil Head and/or Heir can die or be killed in an unfortunate accident. When that happens, someone with the same blood of the Clan who received the loss has to take over the position." She explained.
"Of course, I had a feeling when you said she was a Bael. This is one of the new Heirs my father lost his life protecting." Xenovia realized.
"Yeah, Rias here was originally part of the Gremory Clan, who are known for having a dominant red hair gene. Because of that, Rias needed to have her Bael DNA become more dominant via DNA adjusting, though only after her seventh birthday officially let her take the mantle of Heiress, as is the norm for Devils." Valiana confirmed, finishing her explanation.
Issei nodded his head, understanding why Rias' brunette hair had seemed weird.
"And they usually do this by who the closest relative is, that being my mother, so my hair and eye colors changed to be more like hers. They aren't identical though, as where I now have light brown hair, hers is more of a flaxen color." Rias mentioned.
Saji cleared his throat, getting everyone's attention.
"You mentioned two of these three are more familiar to you, mind explaining that?" He requested.
"Oh, I nearly forgot about that. The answer's pretty simple though. Because of how long my parents and the other Maou took to have children due to various factors I don't fully understand yet, on my first birthday, he asked the Heads and Heirs of 72 Pillar Clans serving under his name to become my honorary Uncles/Aunts and cousins." Valiana clarified.
Xenovia closed her hands and put them near her face.
"Let's see, since there's 9 Maou, that means 8 of the pillars among the total 72 serve each. Besides the Bael and Phenex Clans, those are... anyone know the rest?" She tried recalling, holding up two hands.
"The Vapula, Naberius, Gremory, Belial, Berith, and Valac Clans." Irina replied.
"Thank you." Xenovia answered.
At that moment, Issei and Valiana's stomachs both growled, making everyone stare at them as they blushed in embarrassment.
"So, she's a big eater too?" Saji chuckled.
"Think that's the first time I've ever heard someone's stomach growl as loud as Valiana's." Ravel admitted.
"Not funny..." Valiana replied.
Everyone pulled out their bento boxes in response, and began eating their lunches.
Asia continued towards the church, fanning herself as she struggled to handle the humid air of Japan compared to Italy as she did.
"So hot..." She breathed.
She looked around for any signs of a water fountain or a vending machine to hydrate herself, but found herself out of luck, causing her to sigh as she slumped to her feet.
"Is something wrong little one?" Someone asked.
Looking up, Asia saw the leader's form standing before her, though that was the best she could make out as her fatigue made her vision a little blurry.
"I need something to drink... I'm too hot." Asia replied, feeling a few beads of sweat form.
"Ah, then you can have this." The woman offered, holding out a bottle of pink liquid.
"Oh no, I couldn't take that." Asia politely declined.
"Don't worry if you think I'll be left without anything to drink. This is an extra I don't need, so I'd feel better if it went to someone that actually needs it." The woman insisted.
Hearing that, and feeling like she might actually melt, Asia accepted the offered drink.
"Thank you for your kindness." She smiled.
The woman smirked as she watched Asia drink it all, unaware of what the pink liquid really was. Once she was done, the sudden heat hitting Asia vanished as a nearby magic circle disappeared, right as her eyes suddenly opened in a trance-like state.
"Asia, why are you just standing there? Everyone in the church is waiting for you." The woman reminded, releasing a near silent chuckle.
"Of course, my apologies..." Asia said quietly, no emotion in her words.
Grabbing Asia by the hand, the unknown woman smirked and lead her away from the church, taking her to a familiar abandoned building.
However, unknown to her? Two sisters who were playing nearby had been paying close attention to what they saw.
"Did you see all of that?" The older sister asked.
"Every bit, but what do we do now?" The younger sister replied, looking uncertain.
"Leave that part to me." Her sister smiled.
The school bell rang, with Valiana let out a sigh of relief.
"After how I felt when my dad dropped me off, I didn't think today would actually be so... entertaining." She admitted.
"Why do you think I enrolled here?" Rias smiled in response.
"Because you're a Japan otaku?" Ravel replied, smirking a bit.
Rias blushed at that, making the Bael Heiress swipe her hands at her, which Ravel easily dodged as she snickered at her constant misses.
"Knew it!" She exclaimed.
Sona sighed at the sight of Rias chasing the running Ravel across the classroom.
"Why are they so immature sometimes?" Sona questioned.
"My little sister can be like that on occasion." Saji remarked, nodding his head.
"Doubt she's like my sister." She replied.
"Why is that?" He inquired.
Sona simply held her phone up to Saji's face, causing his face to go blue in response.
"Asked... and answered..." Saji winced, rubbing his neck.
Watching them run by, Katase and Murayama grabbed the two Heiress by the back of their shirts, making them tumble over.
"You two done now?" Katase asked.
"Yeah..." Rias nodded.
"And ow..." Ravel groaned.
Looking at Valiana's friends and noticing how easily they had joined their usual flow, an idea flew into Issei's head.
"Hey, how about the three of you become members at the Seven Stars Gym like Valiana?" He suggested.
"Seven Stars Gym?" Valiana repeated, blinking twice.
Issei blinked a few times, then laughed in embarrassment as he realized the reason behind his confusion.
"That's the name of my dad's gym." Issei explained.
Valiana nodded her head in understanding.
"I agree, you should come join us!" Irina agreed.
"Hmm... I don't know, what do you think Valiana?" Rias thought aloud, not fully certain about the idea.
"Think it's a good idea. I had a duel with Issei, and... lost." Valiana answered, scratching her cheek.
Rias' eyes widened.
"You beat her!?" She exclaimed, looking at Issei.
"To be fair? It was a combat only duel." He mentioned.
Rias paused a bit, then nodded her head.
"Oh, then that makes more sense. I lost to her in a duel where she didn't use any physical force." Rias replied.
"Hmm... it seems like Valiana's changed since we last saw her. Perhaps joining this gym would be beneficial?" Sona realized.
Valiana flinched at that.
"Great, then we can all go-"
Before Issei could finish his sentence, his phone started ringing, and saw his mom's number on it.
"One second." He apologized, answering it.
He cleared his throat.
"Hey mom, what's up?" Issei greeted.
『"Nothing much, but your father's gym is being the sponsor for something big and needs me to help get some food ready. Problem is I need to start cooking now and don't have time to get more ingredients. Can you take your brothers and sisters shopping and get them for me?"』 Eve answered, making some dip in a bowl.
"Sure thing, I'll be right there." Issei agreed, nodding his head.
『"Thanks Issei, you're such a sweetheart!"』 Eve smiled, blushing a little.
Chuckling at his mother's usual spoiling tone, he gave an embarrassed chuckle.
"Y-Yeah... thanks mom, I love you. Bye." Issei replied.
Closing his phone, he turned to look at the others.
"Sorry guys, you'll have to go to the gym without me or Chiemi today. It seems the Hyoudou siblings are needed for an emergence shopping errand." Issei apologized.
"No problem, the rest of us can handle everything." Saji promised.
"Thanks, I'll either see you guys later or tomorrow." Issei replied, a bright smile on his face.
Grabbing his backpack, he rushed back home.
"I don't see why siblings count as an emergency errand?" Ravel questioned.
"Because he has four brothers and five sisters." Valiana explained.
Ravel's eyes widened in disbelief upon hearing that.
Eve heard the door open, seeing Issei walk inside.
"Welcome home Issei, how was your first day?" Eve asked, kneading some dough with her hands.
"Great, all my friends got in my class, including Valiana and a few of her friends." Issei smiled.
Eve giggled a bit, knowing why Valiana was in his class.
Right as she finished, Chiemi followed him inside, finally making it him herself.
"I'm back!" She exclaimed.
"Ah, perfect timing Chiemi. Can you help your brothers and sisters with an emergency shopping errand?" Eve replied, stopping her kneading to wave.
Chiemi noticed the layout of foods she was preparing.
"Let me guess... catering order for something that dad chose to sponsor?" She realized.
Her mother nodded her head.
"Sure, I don't mind. It might help for me to get a walking workout before I hit the gym again after that little stomach situation the other day." Chiemi agreed, rubbing her stomach for emphasis.
"Yeah... because that was fun." Balberith said, rolling his eyes.
Issei cleared his throat, looking at his brothers and sisters.
"Alright everyone, grab your shopping carton and let's go shopping!" He announced, raising his own after grabbing it.
Everyone did that and they headed towards the market, leaving Eve to giggle at her children's antics.
"Your brothers and sisters are so colorful at times, aren't they Fubuki?" She remarked, looking at her baby girl.
Then she noticed Fubuki wasn't sitting on her counter, which was open, her eyes widening as she saw Miku took the backpack that she bought her for school next year. Realizing what happened, she let out another giggle.
"And you're the same." Eve smiled.
It didn't take long for the Hyoudou Siblings to reach the market place, with Issei checking the list his mom texted him as he wrote down a few lists.
"Alright, here's a list for everyone." He stated, handing them to everyone.
"Wow, this looks like a big order..." Miku remarked, seeing the entire list.
Right as he said that, she felt her backpack shake, getting everyone's attention as she took it off, confused to why it was doing this.
Opening it up, she screamed as Fubuki was seen inside it, sucking a pacifier.
"Fubuki! How did you get in there!?" Verrine shouted in surprise.
Issei chuckled as he held Fubuki in his arms.
"You little stinker. Looks like mom needs to buy you a better feeding stand, or dad has to make one you can't unlock by yourself." He chuckled.
"Mom really needs the food, so we can't just bring her back home. Guess this is her first shopping errand with us." Chiemi realized.
"If that's the case, who wants to hold Fubuki?" Issei asked.
Homura jumped a bit, raising her hand.
"Me! Me, me, me, me! I wanna hold Fubuki!" She begged, waving said hand like a metronome.
Issei chuckled, handing Fubuki over to Homura.
"Make sure to hold onto her tightly." He reminded her.
"Ok!" Homura promised.
Adjusting her into her arms, she soon held Fubuki, who was currently looking over her shoulder from how she was being held.
"Everyone remember our usual buying strategy?" Issei asked,
"Yep!" They all replied.
"Yeah, whatever." Balberith replied, looking away.
With those words, their shopping trip officially began... unaware of a certain Fallen staring at them.
"Gotta admit, this is quite the sick plan those two came up with." Dohnaseek praised.
He slipped out of view before appearing behind a Shopkeeper, causing their eyes to glow as the entered a trance, setting up the first part of his trap for Issei.
Meanwhile, inside the gym, Valiana could be seen repeating the same training from yesterday as she struck a punching bag that wasn't locked to the bottom anchor. Her Devil friends all showing surprise as she punched it and dodged any instance where it swung at her.
"Wow, I never thought I'd see her do that." Ravel admitted.
"That just proves my theory was right. It seems coming to this gym has done her some good." Sona stated.
Valiana felt a sweat drop form on her face as she heard that.
*"WHACK!"*
And... that brief moment of losing her focus caused her to be hit by the bag, nearly causing her to fall over.
"Ow..." She winced.
Luckily, when she turned to look if they saw, all of them were distracted as they saw Saji with his Sacred Gear out. Taking a closer look, they saw him with a training dummy as it tried to break out of the grip of his snakes.
"Come on, is that all you've got!?" Saji playfully mocked.
The dummy whirred a bit, hearing Saji's words of challenge.
『"INCREASING STRENGTH BY 12%!"』
Feeling more force pull against him, Saji nearly fell over, but stood his ground as he gritted his teeth. Even now, he was still holding against the robot's futile attempt to escape his Sacred Gear.
"Whoa! Alright then, time for this rodeo to take a new bull by the horns!" He exclaimed.
The snakes gained an angry look and hissed before coiling around the dummy more, tightening their hold before finally, Saji pulled the training machine onto the ground. It gave a dazed look before a white flag rose out of its head.
"And this cowboy wins!" Saji cheered.
"Quite the unexpected analogy you just used there... though that was still impressive." Sona admitted, clapping slightly.
Saji gave a bashful blush, rubbing the back of his neck.
"Thanks, but... I'm still nowhere near the level Issei is with this thing. I've got to catch up to him if I truly want to show my respect." He humbly admitted.
"And how exactly is that showing respect to Issei?" Ravel inquired.
"I get the feeling this is related to how you're his unofficial rival, as Irina put it?" Rias assumed.
Saji chuckled, scratching his cheek slightly.
"Yeah, when I learned I was about to get a little sister, I wasn't as excited like Issei was for all of his. That was actually around the time we first met." Saji admitted.
"So, what you're saying is Issei made you change your mind and appreciate the fact you'd be an older brother, correct?" Sona guessed.
"That's right. I may only have one sibling, but I want to fight for her as much as Issei does for all of his." Saji confirmed.
Sona smiled at that.
"I'm impressed. I myself know I won't be the Heir to the Sitri name due my sister and my own lack of interest, but I'd still like to leave a noticeable contribution to Hell... once I figure out what that is." She admitted.
"Really? I don't know much about Devils, but maybe I can help give you some ideas." Saji offered.
She closed her eyes, still smiling.
"I'm not sure if you'll be able to think of anything, but... feel free to try." Sona offered in return.
Rias and Ravel both blinked at how chatty Sona was being with Saji, which was a rarity for her.
"You two and Sona have siblings, are they as great as Issei and Saji make them out to be?" Valiana asked, finally feeling curious about the subject.
"They can be fun, but sometimes they do annoy you... still, I wouldn't trade my brother for anything." Rias answered, smiling with closed eyes.
"Siarea's energy can be exhausting, but... yeah, I enjoy having her as my sister." Ravel agreed.
"And I'm sure Sona loves Serafall too, despite how obsessively clingy she can be. Though to be fair... I don't think Serafall's mind aged with her body at times." Rias added, giggling a bit.
It took a moment, but Valiana found herself giggling as well, surprising the two.
Seeing them look at her, Valiana stopped and coughed into her shoulder.
'Can't let them see me like this... I can't!' She thought, feeling her eyes shake at the worry of the looks they and Sona kept giving her since their reunion.
Hearing their conversation, Xenovia walks up to the trio of Devils.
"I have a sister myself, and while I don't see her or my mother very often, the times I do? She makes sure I know she's looking out for me." She mentioned.
She closed her eyes, remembering a found memory.
"I remember the first time I saw Issei greeting one of his new siblings, back when Homura was born. The big smile on his face that day... I know it doesn't make any logical sense, even by the terms of the supernatural, but it was like he gave us all a little bit of luck that day when we saw it." She admitted.
"Aww~!" They all went.
With that, Irina bounced over to the group, catching them all by surprise.
"Hey, I've got an idea! Why don't we finish early and go help them all with their shopping? We can tell Issei you guys wanted to meet all his brothers and sisters so he doesn't get suspicious!" She suggested.
"And there it is." Murayama sighed, smiling as she did.
"Another of Irina's crazy ideas... that we'll still end up doing with her." Katase replied, chuckling after she said it.
Irina gave a toothy smile in response.
Back in the market place, Issei was seen holding a few bags as he and his siblings regrouped.
"Alright, let's see..." He hummed as he looked at all the lists.
Checking off everything one by one, he noticed the only thing left was some sugar, so he rolled up the lists and pocketed them.
"Only thing left is sugar." Issei smiled.
"Hey, that's a new record! We usually forget three or four things by the end!" Sonneillon cheered.
"Is... that really something to celebrate about?" Gressil questioned.
Issei chuckled and pat the paper bag his little brother always wore over his head, leading his siblings towards the shopkeeper who carried the sugar... only for him to stop.
"Hmm? Big brother, what wrong?" Rui asked.
Moving Rui into view, he saw the shopkeeper seemed a little down, making the fact he was in a trance look natural to any onlookers.
"Hey Mr. Shopkeeper, what's wrong? You seem sad." Homura asked.
"I am... the one who delivers all my stock didn't realize the box fell out of his truck on his way here, and I can't leave the shop to go get them or someone might steal them." He answered.
"Ouch, that's bad luck." Verrine replied.
"Then how about we go get it for you? If we do that, then you won't have to leave the shop." Chiemi offered.
He raised his head slightly after hearing that.
"Really?" He asked.
"Sure, we don't mind. Though we'd like to buy some sugar first." Issei confirmed.
Hearing this, the shopkeeper gave Issei a bag of sugar, surprising him.
"Consider helping me as your payment. After all, doing a task as bitter as this should be rewarded with something sweet like sugar." The shopkeeper offered.
"Wow, thanks sir." Miku smiled.
"Yeah, though before we go look for the box, do you know where it may have ended up?" Issei asked.
"Try the road above the one river." The shopkeeper suggested.
Issei nodded at that.
"Alright everyone, let's go find his box of supplies." He announced.
"Yeah!" All of them shouted, sans Balberith.
Rushing out to find the problem, the Shopkeeper suddenly fainted, waking up in a confused state. Flying overhead, Dohnaseek watched the Hyoudou Siblings walk towards his trap.
"Just as planned." He snickered.
He flew towards the location he set, and after a few minutes went by, Issei and his siblings finally made it to the river.
"Alright, anyone see the box around here?" Issei asked.
"You don't think it fell into the lake, do you?" Miku asked.
"No, if it had done that, someone would have noticed it by now. Well, that or the river would have some dead fish... I think?" Issei replied, not completely sure.
As they went down to look around more, a strange sound caught their attention as the sky suddenly rippled as if it was the ocean's reflection of it.
'Hold on, this is just like-' Issei realized, his eyes shaking.
*"SCREAM!"*
Turning around, Issei saw all of his brothers and sisters caught in some kind of vine trap, holding them all in place.
"Hey, whoever has my siblings trapped in that... thing, let them go!" He demanded, an angry look on his face.
"How amusing, a weak Human child demanding something from me?" Dohnaseek chuckled.
The Fallen dropped into view, getting Issei's attention.
"I'm warning you! If you don't let my family go, then I'm not afraid to hurt you!" Issei demanded again.
"Fat chance of scaring me with that talk." Dohnaseek replied.
Forming a glowing spear, he tossed it towards Issei, who moved out of the way before leaping into the air.
"What the-" Dohnaseek exclaimed in surprise.
He was suddenly thrown back a bit as Issei's fist decked him in the face. Rubbing it as Issei landed on the ground, he gave a dark chuckle, confusing the young boy.
"Alright, no more mister not so nice guy!" Dohnaseek shouted.
Issei readied himself as he tossed another spear... only this this time, he had aimed at his siblings!
'Gotcha.' Dohnaseek smirked.
'No!' He gasped.
Rushing into their path, Issei took the attack and let out a painful scream, making his brothers and sisters stare in horror while Fubuki began crying due to the emotional stress she felt.
"Issei, no!" Chiemi screamed.
Issei fell onto his knees, steaming up a little as he looked towards Dohnaseek.
"You... monster..." Issei grunted.
"Call me whatever you'd like. In a fight like this, abusing your enemy's weakness is fair play!" Dohnaseek replied, laughing slightly.
Forming a few energy orbs, he slingshot them forward with a motion of his hand, making Issei's eyes widen as he jumped to take them all. Watching this sight, Balberith felt himself freeze up from the horror.
'Stop... please, stop it...' He begged, feeling a bead of sweat trickle down his face.
Dohnaseek kept laughing as he repeated the same action, again and again, with Issei taking the hit each time as he tried to protect his family.
"Big brother, stop! No hurt yourself more!" Rui begged.
"He can't... asking him to do that would be like asking him to stop breathing..." Miku replied.
"Huh?" Rui blinked.
"That's just who our big brother is... to him, all of us along with mom and dad are irreplaceable treasures. He'll always put us before himself if we're in danger." Miku continued, crying as she was forced to watch.
Actually, she wasn't forced to watch, but if she looked away right now? She felt she'd never be able to forgive Issei, much less herself for turning a blind eye to the sacrifice he was making right now.
"Have one more!" Dohnaseek laughed.
Forming a large energy spear, it flew towards Issei and smashed into him, leaving him on the ground for a bit. His siblings looking horrified at what that meant.
"Big brother!" Chiemi screamed, tears in her eyes.
"Calm down you brats, I need him alive. Though I guess he won't be for-" Dohnaseek stated, glaring at them.
"I'm... not done..." Issei grunted.
Hearing him speak, Dohnaseek's eyes widened as he looked in his direction, watching Issei get back on his feet despite how much damaged he had already taken.
"That's impossible, a brat like you shouldn't be standing right now!" He shouted in disbelief.
"As long as you're endangering my siblings... I'll keep standing back up!" Issei promised.
Balberith stared at Issei, feeling something he hadn't ever felt while looking at his older brother, but didn't have much time as Dohnaseek growled a bit.
"Damn you... no matter what you say, I will force you to the ground!" Dohnaseek shouted.
At that moment, a glove formed on his hand, causing a small distortion as he gathered energy for another spear, which nearly destabilized... until he grabbed it tightly and created a spear ten times its original size.
"Taste the power of my Sacred Gear, and see how pathetic you really are!" He screamed.
Throwing it forward, it caused a strong gale that began tearing into the ground, making Issei's siblings panic as it neared. Struggling to stay standing, Issei glared at Dohnaseek before taking a step forward.
「Sword Art Online II: Yuuki's Final Moments」
"All of my brothers, and all of my sisters..."
Pushing himself into a run, he managed to grab the attack, surprising everyone. Dohnaseek simply growled and tightened his fist until he could hear the sound of his bones squeezing together.
"Just hit the damn ground already!" Dohnaseek roared.
"I won't give up, because I will..." Issei said to himself.
Memories flashed through his head.
A 4-year old Chiemi was shown lying in her bed, a huge flush on her face showing the powerful, but luckily non-fatal illness she was struggling through. Issei placed a damp towelette on her forehead as he watched over her.
Walking into the room, Eve saw the dark circles under her son's eyes to show his lack of sleep.
"Sweetie, I can take over. You should-" Eve offered.
"No way... I'm her big brother, I'll stand by her side until she's finished fighting through this. I owe it to her with how strong she's trying to be right now." Issei replied.
Hearing this, Eve closed her eyes before placing her hand on his back, getting his attention.
"At least let me give you something to keep your strength up. You'd break that promise if you collapsed for any reason, right?" She requested.
Issei smiled at his mother, nodding his head.
Walking out of the room, Eve briefly glanced back as she saw Chiemi move her hand to hold onto Issei's.
"You have the best older brother in the world, always remember that." She whispered, exiting the room.
Issei and his family were seen on a camping trip, with everyone have a good time, and then...
*"SPLASH!"*
Adam and Eve turned to see a 3-year old Gressil had fallen into the river, splashing around due to having no idea how to swim.
"M-Mommy! Daddy! H-Help!" Gressil coughed, unable to stay afloat.
"Oh no! Quick, everyone get-" Adam shouted.
Issei immediately dove into the water, surprising his parents as he swam towards Gressil, quickly paddling towards the side as his brother hung on tight.
"Don't worry little brother, you'll be OK." He promised, smiling at him.
Gressil looked at Issei, sniffling a bit as he held on tight. A rope soon fell near Issei, making him look to see his parents had cast it out.
"Grab on, we'll pull you up!" Eve shouted.
"Right!" Issei nodded, reaching for it.
After getting a strong grip, his parents fought against the current and pulled him up, finally getting them both on dry land. Once they were safe, Eve hugged Gressil as he kept sniffling.
"Don't worry, mommy's here. You'll be OK." She promised him, rubbing his back.
Adam rubbed Issei's head.
"While I hope don't do that again until you're, uh... well, you were very brave, and I'm very proud of you for it." He praised, smiling at his son.
"Thanks dad." Issei replied, smiling in return.
Inside of Kuoh Hospital, on the night of December 15th, the entire Hyoudou Family minus Eve could be seen sleeping in the waiting area. Issei briefly yawned as he got up, needing to use the bathroom.
After he went and came back, he prepared to go back to sleep, when suddenly...
*"CRIES!"*
Hearing that sound, Issei gasped before rushing to his father's side, shaking him and all of his siblings to try and wake them up.
"Everyone! Wake up! The baby's here!" He shouted.
That sound immediately woke up Adam, with his sudden movement slowly waking up Chiemi and Miku who were sleeping on him, the movement then waking the quadruplets, and ending the domino effect as Gressil shrieked a bit, waking Homura and Rui.
"The baby's here!" Adam shouted.
"The baby's here?" Everyone repeated.
It didn't take long for the Doctor to come and bring them all in, showing Eve holding the newborn Fubuki in her arms, finally having cried out her cries of life.
Looking at her, everyone looked happy, even Balberith had a slight grin compared to his usual stoic expression.
"It's a girl." Miku sniffled.
"She's so beautiful." Verrine said, wiping her tears.
Adam put a hand on his wife's shoulder at their new daughter.
"Everyone, this is your new sister, Fubuki." Adam smiled.
"I had a feeling you'd name her after the Winter." Issei chuckled, remember how his parents named Miku, Homura, and Rui.
"That's right, especially since she's the last addition to our family." Eve confirmed.
This surprised all her children.
"So, she's the last one?" Sonneillon asked.
"Yeah, but even if I won't be making anymore wonderful children? She's still just as special as all of you were. Most of all, by naming her after the Winter... when Spring comes again, we'll have more than one new beginning." Eve confirmed, a bright smile on her face.
She motioned to Issei, making his eyes widen.
"Me?" He asked, surprised to have the honor.
"Yes, you were born in the Spring, so consider it our way of showing the cycle for our family's new beginnings." Adam smiled.
Smiling at that, Issei took Fubuki, making sure to be gentle as he looked at her sleeping face.
That didn't last long as she opened her eyes for the first time, making him blush as she saw him. Slowly moving his pinkie finger near her hands... she grabbed it tightly, giggling at her older brother as he began crying happy tears.
"Hey there Fubuki, my name's Issei... and I'm your older brother." He greeted.
Turning her slightly, Fubuki saw her parents.
"That's your mommy and daddy, and best of all..." He continued.
Issei then motioned her to all her siblings.
"These are your older brothers and sisters. There's Chiemi."
Chiemi smiled.
"Miku."
Miku grinned.
"The quadruplets. Verrine, Balberith, Sonneillon, and Gressil."
Verrine waved, Balberith just stood there, Sonneillon nodded, and Gressil briefly lifted his paper bag off in respect.
"Homura."
Homura blushed a bit.
"And Rui."
Rui opened his mouth to smile.
With all the introductions given, Issei sat on the bed as the Hyoudou Family had their first group hug with Fubuki.
「Insert Song End」
"Welcome to our family... we're glad to have you." Issei greeted.
Issei gritted his teeth, he managed to push the attack, surprising Dohnaseek as the Fallen felt his eyes shaking.
"I will... I WILL PROTECT THEM!" He promised.
「Fairy Tail: Last Magic」
At that moment, his eyes flashed green before a red flame burned over his right hand and incinerated Dohnaseek's attack, surprising all of his siblings. However, it was Dohnaseek who had the greatest reaction as his entire face nearly bugged out, sweat forming across it.
"He has that Sacred Gear!?" He questioned, understanding why they gave him one in the first place.
Issei glared at Dohnaseek, his entire aura flaring out.
"I don't know who you are or where you come from, but I promise you this... despite being a Fallen? I'm going to truly make you fall, onto the cold hard ground!" He exclaimed.
"You don't scare me!" Dohnaseek shouted.
Smashing his fists together, his body began to distort as he gritted his teeth.
"BALANCE BREAKER!"
His body immediately swelled in size, with his skin turning purple and gaining cyan lightning markings. His wings also became so large, the gaps between them made it look like he had multiple wings, rather than just the single pair he really had.
"Eat this!" Dohnaseek roared, blasting out a wave of energy blasts.
Issei shouted as he simply ran through them all, his aura devouring Dohnaseek's attacks in seconds, surprising the Fallen before Issei smashed his foot into his chest. The force was so strong, it left a glowing orange mark where the intense heat remained.
'How can he be this strong already!?' He questioned, glaring at Issei.
"You're not getting off that easily!" Issei screamed, his eyes glowing more.
Rushing forward, more kicks and punches followed, smashing into Dohnaseek's body over and over without giving him a moment to rest.
"I'm not losing to a brat like you! Now, it's time for you..." Dohnaseek roared, squeezing the air.
In doing so, he formed a giant energy sphere inside of it that resisted his intense grip.
"To feel the weight of your defiance!" He screamed.
"Not even close!" Issei retorted.
Suddenly, a small fireball burst in front of Issei's right hand, getting Dohnaseek's attention as he reeled his arm back and punched it.
"Meteor... Shot!"
He launched ahead, soon growing larger and larger, almost like it was a small sun. Dohnaseek roared as it struck him, causing a huge explosion that sent him into the sky!
With his attack finally fired off, Issei panted as his eyes stopped glowing and his hand returned to normal, suddenly realizing what occurred in the last few minutes as he looked at his hand.
「Insert Song End」
"W-What did I just do?" He asked himself.
Dohnaseek noticed this as he regained his form, and noticing he still hadn't launched his attack, he laughed before tossing it.
"Say goodbye to those brats!" He announced, laughing after he did.
Issei turned around, seeing the distance he made between him and his siblings as the attack flew their way, leaving them all shaking in fear.
"Don't worry, I'm-" He reassured them.
As his right foot hit the ground, his eyes widened as he suddenly fell over, all of his strength gone. He looked up and noticed Dohnaseek's attack getting closer.
"Ooh, how poetic! Now all you can do is watch as they die... and forever live with the fact you failed to save them!" Dohnaseek smiled, laughing again.
"No... no!" Issei panicked.
He tried crawling to them in a desperate attempt to reach them in time, but it was all in vain.
With a large distance between him and his siblings, he saw the energy sphere only feet away from hitting them. All he could do was scream out at the top of his lungs.
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
At that moment, the attack enveloped his view of them, before finally...
*"BOOM!"*
Smoke covered the entire area, and Issei felt tear leak out of his eyes as he couldn't vocalize his sadness and despair in any form.
"I couldn't stop it... I... I couldn't... protect them..." He whimpered, his right arm shaking as he reached out to where the used to be.
He lowered his head and finally began to make audible whimpers.
Dohnaseek smirked at his achievement... only to suddenly gasp as the smoke cleared.
"No, it can't be!" He screamed.
Looking up slightly, Issei stared at the clearing smoke... then gasped as he saw Valiana standing in front of it with a magic circle of some kind covering her. Even more, behind her was all of his siblings, alive and unharmed!
"Don't cry Issei, we're here!" She shouted.
"Valiana..." He breathed, his sadness turning into joy as he smiled.
"Impossible! There's no way you could have blocked that!" Dohnaseek screamed, angrily gritting his teeth.
"I didn't block it. My Sacred Gear Canceller simply negated your attack." Valiana revealed.
Hearing that ability's name, he gasped in horror.
"Damn it, so Lucifer's realized Zariska is here!? I've gotta get back and warn her!" Dohnaseek panicked.
Valiana looked confused once she heard that name, right as Dohnaseek chose to flee from the battlefield.
"Line Up!"
The Absorption Line's snakes stretched out, grabbing onto his body as he was pulled back to the ground. He tried to get up, only to pushed down by a Tiger of water, right as Sona and Saji walked up to him.
"Going somewhere?" She asked, glaring at him.
"Because we're not letting you!" Saji smirked.
Katase and Murayama sliced the binds holding Issei's siblings, who immediately rushed towards their big brother.
"Big brother!" They all shouted.
Issei cried as he pulled them into a group hug, leaving him smiling as he cried with happy tears. Noticing the look on his face, Balberith sniffled a bit.
"I'm sorry I'm always acting like a brat..." He cried.
"Are you OK?" Chiemi asked.
"Why we crying?" Rui asked.
Issei pulled them closer, sniffling a bit himself.
"Don't worry everyone, it's alright now... it's alright, we're all OK. Thank you all for being so brave." He answered to all of them.
Dohnaseek grabbed, using his Sacred Gear to snap Saji's snakes and destroy Sona's water tiger, making them gasp in surprise.
"I'm not losing to brats like you!" He screamed.
His eyes suddenly widened as something slashed his wings, making him crash into the ground. Everyone gasped as they saw who was responsible, with Dohnaseek turning and giving the same reaction.
"Then how about to one of Azazel's so-called brats as you love saying?" The older sister from earlier inquired.
"L-Lady Raynare..." He gasped.
Stepping on his chest, he held him down as her younger sister flew into view, putting some kind of handcuffs on his hands, making his Sacred Gear turn gray. Once that was done, Raynare turned to look at the children.
"Sorry if this is sudden, but... which of you is the daughter of Lucifer?" She asked.
Man, what a chapter, huh? I bet no one expected this chapter to be focused on Issei with how it began. Just as the first chapter focused on Valiana, showing why raw power and natural talent isn't enough to win every battle, this chapter focused on him and showed how even great potential means nothing if you lack the experience and such to properly wield it when you need it most.
Had his friends not shown up in time, well... I doubt anyone with siblings would ever want to think about that. *shivers* Anyways, first thing I should clear up is that Issei hasn't unlocked the Boosted Gear just yet, as Ddraig is still asleep, so consider this like Ddraig was sleepwalking and giving his partner some of his power due to his intense emotions. Canon somewhat does this already, as Raynare initially thinks he has a Twice Critical.
Anyways, things are starting to build up. We've finally learned the name of this strange group's leader, Zariska, and she's managed to get her hands on Asia with little effort. However, we also got to see Rias, Ravel, Sona, Saji, Katase, and Murayama make their debuts, so our main duo has a larger group to help them when they have to go rescue Asia.
And finally, there's Raynare debuting with someone I'll officially reveal next chapter, but I'm sure most veteran readers already know the identity of. Azazel said he knew the perfect duo to send down, and who'd be more unexpected than his own children? *chuckles* That, and I couldn't think of anyone better to freak Dohnaseek out at the end besides Raynare, the woman he either worked under or with in canon.
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^