Chapter 3

The eight year old boy awoke to see a girl about his age sleeping next to him. He knew he wasn't in his house, this one was too nice. He looked around and tried to get up, but found his back to still be painful. At the sound of his grunt the door slid open to reveal a man in his mid thirties with black hair and beard. The man's purple eyes looked at the child in a caring light.

"Come child…" As soon as the man stepped forward the boy flinched. "I promise, I won't hurt you…"

The boy stayed as still as he could get, still shivering in fear.

"Shuri, he needs you." The man stepped back and the woman entered. He turned his back and left them. The woman smiled gently as she stayed away from him.

"Are you hungry?"

Slowly the boy nodded.

"You can eat in here if you wish. And if you ever need to talk, I'm here as well as my husband." She got up slowly and left the room.

"Baraqiel, at least we know his abuser is a man." The anger in the woman's voice was thick.

"Yes. And it makes things so much simplier. There are no police reports in the surrounding area of a child matching his description, and nobody from my people know about him. It's as if his abuser is making sure he doesn't exist. I'll do what I can for him. But from what Azazel said, he'll have to go back…" The fury in his voice was laced with sadness.

"Then we offer him safe haven in times of need." The wife smiled to the husband.

"Alright…" The man left and the woman went to the kitchen.

The boy sat next to the door and held his knees, he didn't notice the girl till she was hugging him.

"Mom and Dad will help you." Her voice was soothing and kind.

The boy started to cry hard with her holding him. The woman smiled at her daughter and left the tray of food by the door.

"WHY! Why...me." The girl rubbed circles in his back as he held her fiercely.

"You're safe here. Daddy will protect you."

'Don't tell her about me.'

'B-But...she's so nice…'

'She's a fallen angel...just like her father.'

His crying died down and she enjoyed this feeling. She slowly let go of him and pulled the tray of food into the room.

"Say 'ah'..." He did as he was told and she started to feed him.

"Now don't over feed him." The woman stayed by the door.

This made the girl laugh. 'This place will heal him...when he's able to go back home…'

The man sat by the woman in a nonthreatening manner.

"You need to stay here till your face is healed son." The man said in a very gentle tone.

With the nod from the boy did the Baraqiel give him a piece of paper.

"If you ever need anything, call and I'll be there."

"Ok."

"What's your name?" Akeno took his hand.

"Issei."

Shuri smiled at him and hugged him. "Welcome home."

xXx

7 years later.

The blonde haired girl looked at her new room.

"I know It's not much, but it's better than staying with that asshole!"

"I...I really did ask them...they said yes. They must've told my brother…"

"Contact them...please." Issei calmed down as he left for the living room.

'Skipping school to talk to her parents?'

'I'm going to ask them how they could've allowed her brother to abuse her.. That begs a question.'

"Did he do more than hit and burn you?" The gravity of the question hit her like a ton of bricks.

"I-I'm a virgin...if the bride's virtue is taken before the wedding, then she isn't pure enough to be wed." She blushed as she looked away.

"If he would've touched you that way...he would be a dead man walking." The tone in Issei's voice made her gasp, the barely controlled rage directed at her brother was there.

A fiery circle appeared in her hand and her mother's bust appeared.

"What's wrong Ravel?" Her mother had a caring tone.

"I'm Issei Houdou, did you know her brother was beating on her?"

"I never heard of this. And where's the proof?"

"Show her." The young man looked to Ravel expectantly.

She nodded and showed her bare back to her mother.

"If you won't do anything about it, I will." The finality in his tone said that he was giving an ultimatum.

"He said those came from an accident. Anymore?" The woman looked at him as he gave a death glare.

"And these burn marks?" His eyes bored into hers.

"She got into something she shouldn't have. Anything else?" Ravel started to cry.

"If he comes here, I'll post his head on a pike in my front yard. When you pull your head out of your ass, lemme know. I want to speak to her father."

"Listen here I am a-"

"I don't care who or what you are, I will talk to him, even if I have to go down there myself and kick down your door." Issei crossed his arms and sent an intimidating look her way.

"Come." She smiled sweetly at him.

"Ravel, let's go to your home." She nodded and did a teleportation circle.

In seconds they were in an richly furnished living room with the woman that was the translucent bust.

"Lord Phoenix will be here shortly, why wouldn't you believe her brother?" She looked to him confused.

"...My uncle did things to me that should never be done to anyone. The scar on my face is proof enough." He sat next to Ravel and closed his eyes.

"I see, you're being a concerned friend. She always made up stories-"

"That's what my Uncle said about me." The hate in his voice was thick. The burning hatred in his eyes surprised her.

A blonde haired and blue eyed man in his mid forties walked in looking annoyed. He sat down and looked to Issei.

"Make it quick, I have urgent business to attend to."

"Your daughter has been abused by her brother. Why haven't you done anything about it?"

"Not those stories again...Riser would never do such a thing."

"Look again asshole." Issei stood up and looked hard at the old man. "She is in fear of him. She has marks and scars that don't come from accidents." Issei ragefully glares at the older man.

"And who are you to talk to me-"

Issei punched the older man hard in the face. His nose at an off angle.

"Good, you're strong, call Diodora, looks like he has a challenger. What house do you come from?" A maid came in and his nose was healed by phoenix fire.

"House?" Issei now looked confused.

"Oh...you're not a devil? Then what are you?" The older man looked to the confused boy expectantly.

"I'm human, with this." The red gauntlet appeared on his left hand.

The elder male's eyes looked in shock. "Red Dragon Emperor, I welcome you to my home."

The woman lowered her gaze.

"Huh?"

"Your sacred gear." The older man looked to the confused boy.

'Why didn't you say something?'

'You didn't ask.'

"So now I'm believed? About her abuse?"

"We will look into it. Stay here as long as you like." Her mother warmly welcomed him.

"I see how it is…" Issei gave them both scathing looks.

"I'll go and contact Diodora, and then Lord Gremory-"

"What does a human have to do with this?" Issei looked even more confused to Lord Phoenix.

"He's the soon to be retired head of the Gremory household. One of the three pureblood houses to survive out of seventy two. The other two are Sitri and Phoenix. You could consider us nobles if you really think about it. In devil society a low ranking devil can gain rank, title, and respect if they're good enough. And by low ranking I mean the reborns. People that became devils for their own reasons. And with you carrying one of the thirteen longinus's, it's an honor."

"Why is it an honor? And let's get back to that prick of a brother of hers." Issei looked harshly to the older man.

"He's never given us reason to question him." The mother looked to him.

"Really?! You never noticed the look in her eyes and her actions?"

"I'll trade for her. I don't take part in the games anyway. Will that satisfy you?" Ravel's mother looked to the young man.

"It's a start. I would like her to stay with me. If not then I would like to visit her." The hate was still in his eyes, but his tone held a hint of respect.

"I have to go…" The elder male left the room, smiling.

'Issei...what have you done?'

'I don't know...but it looks like I'll be getting a chance to beat the shit out of that asshole!'

'That's not what I meant...They may have you fight for her. In every sense of the word.' The meaning hit him like a ton of bricks.

'You mean-'

'Yes.'

"Diodora has a full peerage...Riser is now short a bishop…" It looked like the mother was thinking outloud.

"Peerage?" At the raised eyebrow the mother suddenly laughed.

"Yes, we base ours off of chess pieces. Since Ravel was a bishop, she can only be a bishop. The only other piece she can become is a king. Therefore I can trade a bishop for her. How do dragons do it?"

"We use a small number. You could call it a clutch or a brood. Including Issei, a total of five." The green gem talked. "You're planning on having him fight both?" The dragon made the statement.

"Yes. Diodora first though. After all, you'll make a fine groom for her." The matter of fact way she said it shocked them both. "You hit her father for not believing her, that shows you care."

"What is the meaning of this?" An enraged Riser stormed into the room.

Ravel held Issei's arm, effectively keeping him from hitting the man right then and there.

"You will trade." The mother used that special tone.

"But mother! Pureblood devils are rare as it is! If that's how you'll deal with this, then we might as well dissolve the engagement between Riser and Rias!"

The name rang a bell in Issei's head. 'He can't mean…'

"Trade now."

"Fine." The bishop piece fell from her chest and her mother put in hers.

"We still have that arrangement to ensure that there will be more purebloods. That's why we're allowing Ravel this."

"Ma'am...This asshole shouldn't be allowed to breed." Issei said it while looking directly at Riser.

"Then here's the deal, if you win both, Rias Gremory won't have to marry my son." She smiled the smile of someone suckering someone else.

"Done."

"And if you lose, both that is, then you'll become a reborn in service to the House of Phoenix."

"As I said, Done. Ok time to recruit some help."

'The reason why it was rare for dragons to reincarnate a human to a dragon-kin was that as the power went out of control, the more animalistic they became.'

'So we recruit people with cool heads.'

'You're one to talk.'

'I know, I know…'

'They'll get what's called a dragon hand, which will double their natural abilities twice. Any more and their bodies couldn't take it.'

'Katase and Murayama for sure.'

"Issei-kun?" Ravel waved her hand infront of his face.

"Huh, yes?"

"My brother just left...he thinks he's going to win…"

"He won't win." The way he said it had the mother getting worried. "Neither of them will."

"But-"

He held the girl close. "Want to join me?"

The question shocked both the mother and the daughter.

"Yes." The answer was out of her mouth before her mother could object.

"I have to build my team." The mother nodded.

'Ok. repeat after me...and not that last part. I, Issei Hyoudou, who is the Heavenly Dragon of Domination, do hereby reincarnate Ravel Phoenix into a Dragon-kin.'

Issei smirked as he gathered the power for what he was about to do.

[Balance Breaker Scale-mail] A ball of red and black energy formed above Ravel.

"I, Issei Hyoudou, who is the Heavenly Dragon of Domination, do hereby reincarnate Ravel Phoenix into a Dragon-kin." The energies whipped around the room, Lady Phoenix staring in wonder. Her bishop being forcefully ejected from Ravel's chest, and then a small red disk with a green gem forming on the back Ravel's left hand. Her wings burst forth from her back, crimson draconic wings.

"She is now in your care Issei Hyoudou."

"Thanks for the talk, when is the fight going to be?" He looked at the lady of the house.

"It will be scheduled soon. At the most in six months, in the least, two weeks."

"Ok. Let's go home."

When Ravel did her teleportation spell, the circle was different. It looked like a coiling dragon with runes and knots, on top of an unbroken circle with four triangles and in the center was what seemed a dragon head with two horns.

With themselves home and with it still being light out Issei turned to her. "Time to practice."

He took her out back and she saw his practice ground.

"What am I supposed to practice?"

"Combat. Magic." The gem glowed as it it spoke. "You need to learn on how to use the dragon-hand to maximise your magical skill and spells."

"And the old man taught me what to do with mine." The ball of green energy appeared in front of Issei. It then transformed to ice to become a sword.

He then created another one.

"No, I'll use mine." A draconic circle appeared and what seemed to be a perfect rapier appeared in her hand.

"Hit me...if you can." The way he said it, the fear and anger still coursing through her, made her jump at him with everything she had.

xXx

A/n: I used the schooling I was brought up with. K-6, 7-8, 9-12. If you like the story, say why you like it, If you don't like it, please say why. Even a bad review is still a good review. Thanks for reading.