I'm happy to see that Bahamut being sealed inside Issei's Sacred Gear is being well-received. And to discuss the question of Bahamut's strength, I'll say that he's stronger than both Draig and Albion combined in their prime, though Bahamut wouldn't be going all out to fight them.

Also, I was asked about why Issei was getting targeted. My answer to that is because Issei is a powerful vessel, so Bahamut's innate strength is instinctively drawing in other beings and he can be seen as a grave future threat, so others would prefer to remove him rather than risk him joining others or recruiting him and then revolting.

Chapter 3: The Coming Alliance

Issei and his family weren't poor, that was much was certain. However, he was never prepared to see the ginormous manor that was finally peeking out from the distance. After getting into Vali's limo and agreeing to stay with her family for his own safety, Issei was taken here.

The manor was white and black, contained 10 floors, a large outdoor garden, a track field, a pool, a greenhouse, a forest, and a pavilion. There were even outer gates and stairs leading to the main doorway.

"I've already arranged for the retrieval of your belongings and the important objects that you named. We'll have it here in a few short hours." Rizevim stopped the car outside, though he didn't get out.

"I have matters to discuss with Azazel. I'll leave you two here." He then turned to Vali.

"Vali, make sure Issei is comfortable here. I don't think I'll be home for dinner, though, so go ahead and eat without me." He gave her an apologetic nod.

Vali nodded with an understanding smile.

"Shall we go in?" She gestured to the front doors.

Pushing them open, Issei was introduced to a large room that had a hanging chandelier on the ceiling, with two flights of stairs that led to upper floors. Directly in front of him, was a long hallway that led further into the manor.

Lined up, were many maids and butlers, who bowed, welcoming the arrivals.

"Welcome home, Lady Vali."

"I'm back." She smiled at everyone before turning and gesturing to Issei.

"This is Hyoudou Issei. He'll be living here with us for a while. Please treat him as you would treat me."

Issei felt a little uneasy at the sudden direction, accompanied by the same kind of greeting that Vali had gotten.

Climbing the stairs, Vali showed him to a guest room, which was down the hall from her own room.

"Your belongings will be brought here within a day, so for now, the room will look a little bare. If there's anything you need, go ahead and ask me or anyone here." She informed him.

Issei entered the room and was surprised to see that the room was very large, if anything, it seemed overdone. There was a canopied bed with blue sheets, a large Smart TV hung on the wall, a desk, a table with chairs around it, a bathroom installed next door, a large closet, a balcony, and even a small fridge.

"I know it's a lot to take in, but Grandpa goes overboard sometimes." Vali sheepishly remarked, understanding what he was thinking.

"Lady Vali, dinner is ready. Please come to the Dining Room." A maid announced.

Dinner was rather extravagant. Platters of steak, bowls of salad, foie gras, filet mignon, smoked salmon, buttered rolls, and tomato soup were served gourmet style.

"Go ahead and eat as much as you like. There's no need to hold back." Vali urged him to indulge in his appetite.

Putting a polite amount of food on his plate, Issei made sure to eat with proper manners. It was a given, considering the setting he was in.

Issei looked up and was surprised at the amount of food that Vali was eating. Compared to his, she had a mountain on her plate. Sweat-dropping slightly, he quickly averted his gaze to avoid an awkward moment.

"How is it?" She asked.

"It's great."

"That reminds me. Where are your parents?" Vali asked.

"They're out of the country. They do a lot of constant traveling for business, so I rarely see them." Issei remarked.

"It's good that they weren't home, then. Still, I'll have someone check on them, just in case. Do you know where they are, right now?"

"They're currently in Michigan in America, making a deal with the auto industry. I think they're in Detroit right now."

She then turned to a butler, relaying orders to find and ensure the safety of Issei's family.

"I can't thank you enough, Validia-san." Issei bowed his head in gratitude.

"You don't have to keep apologizing. None of this is your fault." Vali shook her head.

"Still…"

"Nope. No more apologies that aren't necessary." She cut him off, giving him a small grin, assuring him that everything was fine.

Later that night, Issei was having trouble sleeping. His mind was wrought with questions. Who was targeting him? Were they really after him or Vali?

The next day, Rizevim came home, with new reports.

"I did some talking with Azazel, and he discovered that Kokabiel is the one who ordered the attack on Issei. Vali, however, was to be captured by a client of his. Apparently, Kokabiel wants another. Grigori is in disarray after Azazel tried to capture him last night."

"Why was I being targeted? Is it because of my Sacred Gear?" Issei asked.

"Without a doubt. A weapon as strong as yours is something that anyone would fear. You may only have one piece of it, but that's more than enough for concern. From now on, and until further notice, I've placed you under our protective custody. You're not strong enough to handle yourself yet. We've also found your parents and are putting them under protection as well. Rest assured, they'll be safe." Rizevim put a gentle hand on his shoulder.

"As for Vali, I'm certain that they want to use you for leverage. As Princess of the Underworld, you hold a great deal of morale and power, even if I rescinded control of the government. The two of you need to make sure that you're careful out there." He looked to his granddaughter before leaving the room.

Deciding that this wasn't the time to just stand around and ignore the impending danger, Issei and Vali jumped to training. They both had to become stronger since it was clear that they could be attacked at any moment now.

For the next month, Issei had been improving his martial arts while learning swordsmanship. It amazed him to learn that Vali was capable of forming a sword out of her demonic power. It felt every bit as solid and sharp as a real one, perhaps even more so.

"Demonic power depends on imagination for use. Thus, it becomes easy to simply form a weapon if you work hard enough." She reasoned.

"What about humans, then?"

"Humans have a lack of sense for the supernatural so it's much harder for them. However, one advantageous trait of humans is their high reserves of potential. Once they awaken powers, they're able to grow at incredible rates that are faster than other races."

However, despite that, Issei was unable to form any weapon out of his own power. Vali guessed that it was because he didn't have enough experience or control over his magic.

Regardless, he showed unbelievable ability with martial arts and swordplay. It wouldn't be out of place to say that Issei was experienced in fighting forms, though his lack of experience was still clear.

Currently, the two were in the Training Room in the Lucieln Estate.

"Alright, Issei-kun. You've been learning everything I know for the past month, so let's see how you do in this sparring match. This time, it's no holds barred except for the ban of Sacred Gears." She smirked.

"Then, let's begin."

The two bowed in respect before assuming their stances.

Vali made the first move, twirling the air before bringing her leg down to kick his shoulder, raising an arm, he blocked the blow. Sweeping his leg up, Vali twirled gracefully in the air before landing on her feet a small distance away.

Issei crouched before gathering touki from within his body and coating himself with it. Dashing forward, tearing stone from the ground as he traveled, and threw a punch at Vali.

Blocking with her arms crossed, Vali slid back before stopping. Relaxing her muscles, Vali smiled, proud of his development. Twirling into the air, she dashed at Issei, landing a kick in his side. Barely moving fast enough to block. Issei condensed Touki in his right arm, managing to stop Vali's kick.

Acrobatically moving over Issei's head, she kicked at his back. Ducking, Issei launched an uppercut, though Vali easily moved to the side. Landing on the ground, she threw a palm strike, though Issei countered with the same move. Kicking at both of his sides sequentially, Vali spun around, aiming at his neck with a knifehand.

Issei was knocked off-balance slightly when the attack connected, though he drew close to the ground, sweeping at her legs before following up with another punch.

The Hakuryuukou caught his fist before flipping backwards, kicking him in the jaw. Luckily, Issei grit his teeth. Landing on the ground on one knee. Issei rushed at her, throwing two punches and a kick.

Blocking each attack, Vali front-flipped, aiming a kick at his head to decide the match. Spinning out of the way, Issei drew back one step before bringing his palms together, strengthening his hands with Touki before striking her with both of his palms in a clawed fashion with both of his hands vertically parallel.

The attack managed to hurt Vali as she tumbled along the ground.

Quickly regaining her footing, Vali grinned.

"Not bad. That one actually hurt quite a bit."

Before Issei could notice, she vanished from sight. Suddenly, he sensed her coming from the right. Launching a dive kick, Vali connected with his chest, sending him flying backwards into a wall, forming a crater.

Pushing off from the ground, Issei sent a blast of magic at her. Swiping it away with her hand covered in demonic power, she closed in on her opponent. The two met blow for blow as the room shook every time their strikes met.

Palms smacked against each other as fists and kicks clashed.

Vali decided to put a twist on her approach and sped up her attacks. Much to her surprise, Issei was matching her speed. It was shocking to see that he would grow this quickly when he was only a normal human about a month ago.

After sending a flurry of punches, Issei jumped slightly off from the ground, kicking three times while spinning in front of her, surprising Vali with his speed and strength. When she blocked with both of her arms, Issei used them to back-flip into the air and drew his arm back, coating it in Touki before punching her clear across the room with a violent boom.

Coughing from the landing, Vali shook of her initial disorientation and stepped back before crouching low to the ground. Issei made the mistake of charging at her, doing exactly as she'd hoped.

Backflipping and boosting her physical attacks with demonic power, she kicked Issei into the air before launching another kick into his chest before spinning kicking with a total of 8 times before landing a knee into his stomach, sending Issei crashing into the ground, decisively ending the sparring match.

Vali jogged over to the cloud of dust and knelt down.

"You ok?"

"Yeah…" Issei groaned.

He crawled off of the ground and winced.

"This is my loss again."

"Well, at least you won 5 matches out of 50." She jabbed a joke at him.

"Hey, it's only been a month."

"Which means a lot." She smiled.

The two heard footsteps and turned to see Azazel and Rizevim walking towards them.

"Well, looks like you two succeeded in messing the place up again." Rizevim made an exasperated sigh.

"No kidding. At least they're getting training in." Azazel chuckled.

"Why don't you let them train at your facility, then?" Rizevim grumbled at his uncle.

"It's not exactly time for that yet. Besides, I'm busy reforming and investigating all of Grigori after Kokabiel went AWOL. It wouldn't be safe to send them there." Azazel threw his arms up and shrugged.

"What brings you two here, Grandpa?" Vali asked.

"We just came to check up on you. I have to say, Issei-kun has progressed very rapidly in the past 2 months. He's managed to beat you 5 times, which is impressive alone. Still, he has a long way to go." Rizevim smirked while stroking his beard.

He then looked surprised as a thought came to him.

"Oh yeah, that's right. You're peerage just got back. You should go see them." Rizevim pointed his thumb upstairs.

Vali's face lit up as she nodded.

"Issei-kun, how about I introduce you to them?" She looked at him, slightly excited.

"Not so fast, Vali. There's something that I want to talk to Issei-kun about first. I'll let him come join you when we're done." Rizevim stopped the idea.

After Vali disappeared through the elevator, he turned to Issei.

"Issei, you've known Vali for about 6 months now so I think it's time we told you about her past."

Issei gave him a nod, telling him to go on.

"As you know, Vali is a bit shy and withdrawn around strangers but she's confident and joyful around her friends and loved ones. There's a reason for that. It's because she's afraid of showing her real self. When she was a child, she was constantly abused by her father and neglected by her mother. Her father never truly cared for her but he forced himself to raise her when he knew that I was watching. When I turned away to deal with other matters, he'd abuse her. After learning that she had the Divine Dividing, he tried to shape her into a weapon for his own use. Then, I learned of what was happening and executed him before taking Vali in." Rizevim's face soured at recalling the old memory.

"What sort of abuse did Validia-san suffer?" Issei asked, intent on knowing.

"Concerning the matter of abuse that Vali suffered…I guess it's better if I tell you now. For starters, her father would whip her whenever she didn't obey him, which was often. He isolated his daughter from all outside contact, creating some socializing issues for her. He also forced her to undergo hellish training, cutting her whenever she'd make the smallest mistake. He forced her to go without food or water for days to make her tough. Not only that, but he'd torture and brutalize others in front of her to make her harden." Rizevim sneered.

Issei and Azazel made the same expression.

"His abusive teachings scarred her. It's made her starved for love and affection. As side-effects, she's extremely reluctant to let anyone go because she never had anyone else as a child. Her own mother ignored her, and when she spoke out against her husband, he killed her in front of their own daughter."

Rizevim sighed.

"Ever since then, I've been trying to get her to socialize with others. That's why I reconnected with my Uncle Azazel, in hopes that he could properly teach her to be stronger to heal her weak willpower at the time. I tried to give her all of the love and affection that a parent could give to their child. My wife has done the same." Rizevim chuckled.

"Your wife?" Issei didn't know she was around.

"Yes, she's just arrived home with the others, you'll meet her later. Anyways, I told you all of this because you're the first friend she's had that's human. As you know, humans are apprehensive of species different from their own. She was utterly nervous when she met you, however, you proved to her that humans were kind too. To be honest, you've been the only person aside from family that's had a significant impact on her. She's actually willing to socialize with strangers again because of you." Rizevim gave him a grateful smile.

"With this knowledge, I just wanted to ask that you keep being her friend. Her emotional and mental scars are very far from being fully healed."

"I promise to stay by her side. To be honest, she's been doing the same for me. Ever since I was a child, I've always been alone. Validia-san's been the first person to actually be a friend to me after so many long years." Issei fondly spoke before nodding to Rizevim's request.

"Good. Thank you."

He gestured for Issei to leave, who also went up the elevator.

Rizevim then turned to Azazel.

"Were you watching him fight?"

"Yeah. It's unnatural. It's only been a month and he's already going blow-for-blow with Vali. Vali's already been born with frightening talent and Issei was just a normal guy until 1-2 months ago. I think it's Bahamut." Azazel theorized.

"I think it's something else. Did you recall his moves? I've seen them before. Issei was using a fighting style reminiscent of past holders of the 'Abyssal Fury'. It was like déjà vu. And I could tell the difference because Vali's fighting style is graceful and quick. Issei's style was quite different. It was strong and direct. I think there needs to be more investigation into this." Rizevim advised.

"True. He wasn't using a style that I know either." Azazel mused.

Upstairs, Vali had quickly showered and changed into a red shirt and black pants before going to meet with her Peerage members.

"Everyone, welcome back!" She greeted happily.

She found them relaxing in the Living Room while drinking some tea. However, she was surprised and elated to see a mysterious woman with them. She had white hair, purple eyes, a young face that made her seem much more youthful than Rizevim, who looked like he was in his early 30's. This woman looked like she was in her late 20's. She had a lithe and fit figure, with a gifted bosom, a sleeved red dress, black stockings, and white shoes.

"Grandma!" She jogged over and wrapped her beloved grandmother in a deep hug.

"Ohohoho dear! It's only been 8 months! Look how much you've grown!" The woman chuckled as she returned the embrace.

"How was your trip?" Vali asked.

"The Underworld is stable for now. Investigations of rogue activity have begun and we've already caught several rogues. I promise, whoever's targeting my granddaughter is going to be in for it." She declared.

Vali gave her a grateful smile as she turned to the rest of her Peerage.

"Why didn't you all tell me that you were coming back?"

"We were gonna surprise you." Kuroka grinned.

"That, and we got a little lost." Bikou confessed.

"I told you all not to go East." Arthur cleaned his glasses as he chided his comrades.

Vali chuckled at their antics. It had been so long since there had been any energy within the household.

Just then, the elevator dinged, opening to reveal Issei. Several people were surprised when they noticed his appearance. He was covered in dust and dirt, his hair was messy, and his clothes were a little damaged.

"Oh my." Vali's grandmother smirked at her granddaughter mischievously.

"Ah, please excuse my rude appearance." Issei bowed.

"This is my good friend, Hyoudou Issei. I remember Grandpa tell you all about him." Vali spoke up.

"He did. Welcome to our home, Hyoudou-kun. My name is Ezagyra, Vali's grandmother and Rizevim's wife. I hope that nothing bothersome has happened to you while you've been here." Said woman walked forward and shook Issei's hand.

Issei was surprised at this. Then again, there were myths that devils could change form, so he tried not to look too shocked by Ezagyra's young appearance.

"Nothing of that sort has happened to me, Madame. I've felt nothing but welcome here. If anything, I apologize for freeloading here." Issei kept his head down.

"Ara ara. You are certainly well-mannered. You don't need to worry about anything. Treat this place as your home, as Rizevim has told me about what happened to you. I also thank you for giving Vali support while she was attending school alone. Now then, I need to go see my husband." Ezagyra gave him a pat on the back.

Vali then turned to Issei, introducing her Peerage to him.

"Well then, let me introduce my peerage."

She pointed to a buxom woman with a black kimono. She stood out because she had black cat ears on her head and 2 black tails sticking out of her clothes.

"This is Kuroka, my Queen."

"Nice to meet you, Issei-nyan."

Then, she pointed to a young man with short hair who wore red armor and carried a long staff.

"This is Bikou, descendant of the original Sun Wukong and he's my Rook."

"Hey, there. It's nice to meet'cha."

After that, was a girl who looked like she was about a year younger than him. She was about 5'4, had short blonde hair that curled at the tips, wore a witch's hat and a school uniform, and she had blue eyes.

"This is Lefay Pendragon, my 1st Bishop."

"Welcome, Issei-sama. If there's anything you need, feel free to ask."

Finally, a tall young man with blonde hair, a suit, and glasses walked up and shook Issei's hand.

"Welcome, Hyoudou-san. My name is Arthur Pendragon, I'm Lefay's older brother and Vali's 1st Knight. If you ever need help, don't hesitate to ask."

"It's wonderful to meet you all. Please take care of me." Issei bowed.

He was intrigued by the diverse amount of people that were standing in front of him, but he got the vibe that they were all good people, or at least, that's what his instincts told him.

As Issei got to know the others, Ezagyra came back alongside Rizevim, with Azazel having left.

"Vali, there's a mission report coming in. There's a Stray nearby. As co-owners of this land, it's our job to deal with it." Ezagyra ordered.

"Understood." Vali nodded, standing up.

"Let's go."

"Alright, some action!" Bikou grinned.

"Issei, perhaps you should stay here." Vali turned to him.

"Actually, I want to come along. I want to learn more and see how much stronger I've gotten." He denied her request.

She gave him a worried look, the same pleading look that he found himself unable to resist.

"Vali, he's been training with you for the past 2 months. Field experience is the only way for him to grow further." Rizevim reasoned.

Giving a long sigh, Vali nodded.

"Just make sure to stay close to me."

"Got it." Issei agreed.

The group traveled to an abandoned factory, where the Stray was stated to be hiding.

"Mmmm…I smell a sweet smell. It looks like some delicious food has come to my doorstep. Allow me to greet you." A haunting female voice echoed throughout the building.

Everyone looked up and saw a Stray that had 4 yellow eyes, 6 arms, and horse legs. It lunged from the ceiling, though everyone dodged, splitting directions and surrounding it.

"Stray Devil, you shall be executed by the House of Lucifer for betraying your master to his death. Prepare Yourself." Vali declared.

Creating a light-blue magic circle in her hand, she fired it, creating a blast of lightning that paralyzed the enemy. Taking this chance, Arthur and Bikou charged in. Unsheathing his Holy Sword, Excalibur Ruler, Arthur cleaved the Stray in half while Bikou swatted away both sides, assuring that both were far apart from each other.

"Kuroka, Lefay." Vali signaled.

"Got it, nya."

"Understood."

Kuroka created white flames from senjutsu and burned away one half of the Stray's corpse while Lefay disintegrated the other half with a magic spell, causing it to fade apart.

"Well, that was easy." Bikou chuckled while stretching.

"It wasn't a strong stray, so this was a given." Vali noted.

She then turned to Issei.

"So, as you see, it's the duty of Devil households to exterminate Stray devils that get out of hand. This is almost a regular thing for Rias and me."

Issei felt a little disappointed. Everything had been settled before he could even lift a finger. So much for testing his growth.

After returning home, Issei was invited to dinner with the family. Seeing as it was rude to say no when the grandparents invited him, he found himself sitting awkwardly at the Dining Table, unsure of what to do besides eat.

That was until Ezagyra spoke.

"So, Issei-kun, how long have you known Vali?"

"About 6 months now, Madame." He politely replied.

"Oh, there's no need to call me Madame. Just call me Exagyra. You make me sound old."

Issei deadpanned on the inside, since she was technically very old, though he wasn't dumb enough to say those words. Ever.

"I understand, Ezagyra-san."

"May I ask what your parents do?"

"They're both board members for a company based here in Japan. They often travel the world for work so most of the time, they're not home." He explained.

Ezagyra gave him a sad look, as if sympathizing with him. Issei honestly didn't think he was worthy of pity after learning about Vali's past.

"If that's the case, then feel free to live here as long as you want, even after this whole targeting mess is settled." She smiled.

Rizevim didn't mind either. Vali, didn't say a word, however.

"I thank you for that. I'll think on it."

After dinner was done, Rizevim and Ezagyra had Vali stay behind to talk.

"Vali, there's something that you need to know." Ezagyra gave her a serious look, contrasting with her usual demeanor.

"A new alliance is coming. The Angels, Devils, and Fallen Angels have all agreed to join forces and create a permanent Peace Treaty between our people. It's going to happen within a week. We will be there and we want you to accompany us as the future heir to the House. For something as important as this, it might be good for you to bear witness." Ezagyra stated.

Vali nodded resolutely.

"Good. You can go on, then. Perhaps Issei-kun is waiting for you." Her grandmother chuckled.

"Grandma, Issei and I don't have that sort of relationship. He's just a very good friend to me." The young lady shook her head passively.

"That might change."

"Good night, Grandma, Grandpa." She got up with an exasperated chuckle before leaving.

In their bedroom, Rizevim and Ezagyra began to talk.

"So what do you think about Issei-kun?" Rizevim asked, curious about his wife's perception of the young man.

"He seems earnest and kind. He also concisely pointed out Vali's good traits. And he knows about all of this and hasn't run off in panic, so I think he's a good boy. I also relieves me that he's not turning out like past hosts of Bahamut." Ezagyra shivered at that comment.

Rizevim held her close in their bad.

"Bahamut…He was so chaotic during the ending days of the war. I can't say I blame him. We involved so many people just because nobody was willing to see sense. We got so bloodthirsty that we even got innocent people killed. That's what set him off. It was even him who killed Father and my uncles. Not only that, he fatally wounded Grandfather and destroyed our original galaxy out of rage." Rizevim noted sadly.

The current world and galaxy that all life existed in now, was merely a second version of the original, one which was destroyed by Bahamut in rage and righteous fury.

Ezagyra made a sad smile.

"I guess we deserved it. Everyone took everything for granted."

"True. Still, I guess he had a point. If we kept at it, we'd all be dead; killed by our own hands."

"It makes me wonder. Was Bahamut trying to destroy all of us out of revenge? Or was it some sacrifice to make us snap out of it?" Rizevim grumbled.

"I don't know. It's too late to think about it now. I just know that at this moment, we need to make things right and we need to ensure that the future, the children, see better days than we ever did." Ezagyra smiled into her husband's chest.

"True."

However, Rizevim was still concerned about what would happen if Issei ever awakened Bahamut's mind. He feared that Bahamut still felt hate towards everyone, for if he were to somehow regain his body, there would be nothing and no one to save this world.

"Now enough about that. Let's talk about something else." Ezagyra scolded him, as if she read his mind.

"Sorry."

The rest of the night, the married couple talked into the night. As time went by, Issei grew closer and closer to Vali and her Peerage until the fateful time came for a much-expected day.

The day where the Three Factions would come to peace.

I chose not to include the Riser and Rias Rating Game because I've done it 2 times already, so I think that's quite enough for me. Lol. Also, I want to focus more on Issei and Vali and I felt that that particular arc would just take away from their development.

Next Chapter, the peace meeting between the Three Factions! I hope you'll look forward to it!