AN:
{
Sorry this took so long. I actually had this written already, saved it and was working on the next chapter when Windows needed to reboot for an update. So I saved my files and did as I was told, but when I logged back in LibreOffice had disappeared and my files were corrupt. I downloaded my previous chapters, but I had to recreate this one and I lost all my progress on my next one too! In total I lost approximately 7,000 words, so it took a while. =)
On another note, I was pleased to receive so much support from you guys for my previous chapter, and rest assured I will continue to make my chapters at least as long as the last one, or even longer. I'll also try to release a chapter twice a day, since you guys have been showering me in favorites and reviews. Thank you so much again for all the support, and hope you guys enjoy!
Special thanks to Arue for reviewing and giving me a great idea, which you will see down below!
PS: I changed some of the formatting, as it was sort of confusing.
PPS: I've updated the cover art to feature both Ddraig's Boosted Gear and Zecrow's Gravity Gauntlet. It took a lot of patience to cut those two pictures, not to mention color Zecrow's! But I still need a back shot of Issei, preferably looking over his shoulder and at the camera. For the love of me I couldn't find any, so if you have one help a brother out and send me a link via PM or review, since I read each one.
PPPS: There may be a curse or two mixed in there somewhere, just be prepared.
}
Narrator
Emphasis
SPECIAL
"Talking"
'Thinking' – if Issei, he could either be thinking silently or talking to Ddraig/Zecrow
"Ddraig Talking Audibly" – Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm
'Ddraig Thinking' – either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally
"Zecrow Talking" – Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm
'Zecrow Thinking' – either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally
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V. Let There Be Light
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-the night before, 23:57—
"I must say, I wasn't expecting you," Issei said warmly, "not yet, at least."
He was lying on his bed, struggling to fall asleep during the calm times between Ddraig and Zecrow's arguments. Before he could, he felt a very – and I mean VERY – powerful presence approach his household, and it eventually made its way into Issei's room.
Issei opened one eye, searching his room for whoever it was that chose to investigate him tonight. The night before, Koneko had been watching over him, eating sweets and reading books on the roof of the house across the street. He had managed to draw her away by using Zecrow's Mirror Image ability and created an illusion of Issei, which he sent to dash out the window and lead Koneko on a wild goose chase.
But he had a feeling this time it would be different. The presence had gotten INTO his room. He wasn't sure who it was or what they wanted, but it sure as hell wasn't one of Rias' peerage. 'Maybe Sona's?' Issei thought, 'No, they are far too weak to exert this much power, let alone try to hide it.' He had noticed that the entity was using some form of cloaking seal, trying to hide as much of its power as it could, probably in hopes of sneaking in stealthily.
Something caught Issei's eye. He squinted as he tried to figure out what it was – what looked like a golden comb was floating in the air. No, not a comb, it was-
"Azazel," Issei muttered as he closed his eye, relaxing a bit.
The figure emerged from the shadows, proving Issei right. "Ah, so you did notice me, after all," Azazel started, taking on his trademark casual tone, "but how would you, a seemingly normal and extremely perverted sophomore only two days ago, detect a presence such as mine – even if I've spent centuries mastering the art of stealth?" he asked, almost rhetorically judging by his slight slur.
"Lucky guess," Issei spat as he turned on his bed and directed his back at his previous mentor. "Now, please, leave. I'm going to need my rest for tomorrow."
"Oh, you mean for your date with my pretty little Raynare?" Azazel smiled as he felt Issei tense slightly. "Or should I say, Yuma," he chuckled, enjoying teasing the boy. "Save your breath, she's just playing you so she can-"
"Kill me, at the end of the date," Issei finished for him. "And at sunset, hence her name, Yuma."
Azazel's smile gave way to an unusually serious expression on his face. "And how did you manage to just guess that," he questioned in a stern voice.
Issei sighed as he sat up and rested on the side of his bed, his feet resting on the cold wooden floor of his room. He stared into Azazel's eyes, engaging in a battle between hazel and violet. After a few minutes of pin-drop silence, Issei slightly smiled. "As hard as it is to admit," he began in a tone completely unfit for the level of tension in the room, "even if I absolutely hate your guts sometimes, I kind of missed you too, Azazel."
Azazel smiled back warmly. "There are only two ways one can travel back in time, but seeing as how I watched one die and helped kill the other, how did you manage that?" he questioned.
Issei managed a small laugh. "I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied. "But I can assure you that you still have a lot to learn about these."
In an instant, bright flashes of green and purple covered Issei's arms, making Azazel slightly lean back on his seat. The light dispersed shortly and revealed Issei's pair – in more ways than one – of Sacred Gears. Azazel lit up like a little child on Christmas day, and in a brief blur he ended up kneeling in front of Issei. "May I?" he asked giddily, to which Issei smirked and nodded.
Azazel ran his hands all up and down Ddraig's red scales, golden talons, and emerald jewels.
"Watch the merchandise," Ddraig warned, almost making Azazel squeal in joy.
Soon after Azazel's figure blurred once more and he ended up sitting beside Issei on his bed, hands now caressing Zecrow's black scales and purple jewels.
"Don't get carried away now~" Zecrow cooed, seducing the excited Fallen Angel.
After a few more minutes of Azazel gawking over the two Sacred Gears, Issei yawned. "Don't forget about this," he yawned as he unveiled the Eye of Draconis in a green flash.
AND after a few more minutes of Azazel nearly kissing Issei as he inspected his eye, he retreated and sat back down on his chair, once again sitting across the wielder of the Sacred Gear.
"Well I certainly wasn't expecting this when Baraqiel warned me of a Sacred Gear host awakening in this town," he began, "and I certainly wasn't expect said host to have not one, but two of said Sacred Gears." He leaned forward slightly, "And I certainly wasn't expecting said Sacred Gears to be none other than the Red Dragon Emperor's Boosted Gear and the Black-Winged Assassin's Gravity Gauntlet," he remarked.
He leaned forward even more, tilting his head so his mouth was now a hair's breadth away from Issei's ear. "And I certainly wasn't expecting said host to have not only eluded us for 17 years, but also managed to wind up on the radar of my little renegade squadron of Fallen Angels," he whispered. "And not only that, but somehow land a date with my most deceptive student, knowing she was going to kill him anyways."
Azazel leaned back into his chair as Issei simply stared at him, eyes half-open from fatigue. "Well, sounds to me like you're not very certain of a lot of things nowadays," Issei mocked, making Azazel smirk. "But you left out the part where I travelled through time."
"Oh, yeah," Azazel scratched his jaw, "yeah, that too."
Issei chuckled. He dismissed his toys and stood up, looking down at his guest. "Since you're here, and since you were sort of my mentor before, I feel like I should tell you the whole story," he told him. Azazel leaned back, getting comfortable for the coming story when Issei interrupted him, "Over a cup of tea, of course. You are still a guest in my house after all, even if you did sneak in."
And so the Sacred Gear addict and the withdrawing pervert went downstairs and sat on opposite ends of the dining table. Issei began to serve tea for them both as he recounted the events that led up to his death, starting with a certain girl he met at an overpass.
.
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-present time—
Rias was sitting at her desk in the Occult Research Clubroom as she shifted in her seat, anxiously waiting for her summon. "And are you sure he pocketed it?" she asked the figure before her.
The woman was the same one who handed Issei a flyer earlier today, at around 09:49. "Yes, he even smirked as he read the top."
"Very well, you're dismissed," Rias replied, all the while still staring out the window to her right. 'The sun's going down already,' she thought. 'Maybe he didn't make it after all.'
"Koneko," she suddenly snapped, but not letting her eyes leave the orange view at the window.
Koneko, in a similar fashion, did not bother looking up from the book she was reading. "Like I said, he left his house at 08:32 exactly, and reached the statue at around 09:24, just six minutes before the agreed upon meetup," she reported.
"Kiba."
Kiba uncrossed his arms as he stood up casually, leaving his beloved leaning position at the wall. "After that they went to the shopping mall nearby and started browsing through a couple of dress stores, having the girl try a few of them on," he recalled. "Then they ended up at a jewelry store at 11:07, and he bought her a pink bracelet."
Rias sighed. "Akeno."
"Ara ara, my turn already?" Akeno chimed as she set down the tea she was drinking onto the coffee table. "Well, once they left the mall, they started headed towards this cute little ice cream parlor, and had their lunch as well as an hour or two of dessert as they just… talked," she hesitated as she blushed slightly, "it was quite sweet actually. I grew a little jealous!" she smiled.
"And was that around the time when you lost them?" Rias asked, annoyed.
"Ara ara, don't be like that!" Akeno pouted. "I tried my best but I got the feeling that they were starting to notice me, so I decided to keep a little more distance between myself and them. But once they rounded a corner, they were gone!" she explained.
Rias stared thoughtfully at the now reddish-orange sky. 'Something's wrong,' she thought to herself. She stood from her desk and walked toward the window, opening it and letting the breeze come in, much to Koneko's annoyance as the pages on her book started flapping uncontrollably.
But the red-haired heir to the Gremory clan had her thoughts focused on one thing and one thing only. 'What was that power?' she thought as she closed her eyes and recalled.
-two days earlier—
"Who was that boy?" she asked.
Akeno was standing behind the couch her master were currently sitting on. They were engaging in a game of chess, although some of the pieces were glowing red. "What boy?" she asked back.
"The kid who was sitting in the middle."
"Well," Akeno tried to remember, "I think he's in class 2-B. If I remember right, his name's Issei Hyoudou," she recalled. She shifted her gaze back at Rias, "Why?" she asked, "What makes you ask about him?" she pushed.
"Oh, nothing," Rias lied. "I just wondered if you knew who he was, that's all." Rias made a move on the chess board, using her pawn to corner Akeno's king. "Checkmate," she proclaimed, beating her best friend once again as she stood up from the couch.
"Aw," Akeno whined as she bent over the board, confirming her loss.
"You're trap was very easy to see through," Rias remarked as she began to undress.
"Sorry, I did my best to make it harder on you," Akeno responded.
"Thanks, I look forward to next time," she replied, draping her clothes onto the couch. She got down to her underwear, and slid that off and placed it with her other clothes, then she stepped into the shower and turned on the hot water.
As she let the warm water cover her body, she couldn't help but wonder. 'What was it about him that I sensed?' she asked herself. She has not noticed the boy for his particularly average looks, or his slightly geeky voice, or his reputation as one of the biggest perverts on campus. No, she had sensed something completely different from him. 'Could it be?' she suddenly thought as her eyes opened.
"Akeno," she beckoned.
"Yes, Rias?" came the reply.
"Ask Koneko to follow that boy, I'm afraid we've overlooked something."
"But Rias, Koneko is on her summons-"
"This is not up for debate. Do whatever it takes."
"Yes, master."
'Let's hope no one else has noticed,' she thought.
-present day—
Rias sighed.
Looking back at it now, she realized what she really found interesting in his aura. It wasn't even his power. It was the way he seemed completely oblivious to it. He seemed as though he knew nothing about his aura or the supernatural for that matter, as he just sloppily sat next to a building full of powerful devils without even flinching. And when she came to look at what was disturbing her thoughts-
He looked right back at her.
Those hazel eyes, that goofy looking yet well-kept hair, and that expression of pure wonder as he stared back into her eyes. She had almost lost herself in her thoughts when the two perverts next to him started ogling her bust. She couldn't care less, but decided against making herself seem easy.
But she had honestly hoped that she would get to see him more, maybe even talk to him.
It was the beginnings of a very deep, intimate, and secret crush.
Her thoughts were broken by the sound of Akeno giggling. "Ara ara, Rias, you're blushing!"
"Let's just hope he uses the flyer," she finally spoke.
.
.
The universe shuddered as she narrowed her eyes.
'I don't know what exactly he just did,' she thought, 'but I get the feeling that I should know.'
She frowned. "Vali," she muttered under her breath, and a wormhole appeared behind her, and a young man with silver hair stepped into the room, if you could even call it that. It was comprised of four walls, a floor, and no roof, forming a nice little square with nothing but a few toys scattered around. The girl was currently lying down on her belly, resting her chin on her two hands as she flailed her legs in the air playfully behind her. It would've been the perfect image for a little girl if it weren't for her cloths – which were made up of nothing but a few pieces of cloth and leather – and her stern, almost frighteningly serious expression.
"You called?" Vali asked, exhaling in annoyance as he did so.
"What is he doing?" she asked, pointing at the corner of the room she was facing.
Vali peered over the girl sprawled on the floor to look through the wormhole she was using as a makeshift television set, watching what seemed to be-
"They're kissing," he responded. "Or, rather, he's kissing her."
The girl didn't flinch. 'What's kissing?' she wondered.
.
.
Something squirmed in the bushes near the fountain.
"NOOOOOOOOOOO!" Matsuda softly wailed.
"I-It can't be true!" Motohama whined.
M&M had seen the couple while they were strolling through the mall, and the two decided to lay aside their erotic game browsing to follow the couple. They watched in horror as their best friend went on his very first date, jealousy boiling inside their stomachs. They observed them browse through dresses and shirts for each other, laughing and having a genuinely good time together – which only made Motohama want to vomit even more as Matsuda already was.
Then they followed them to a jewelry store, and M&M attempted to catch Issei's attention by waving around like a pair of idiots outside the shop, hoping their friend would see them through the shop window. But alas, Issei was too focused on having a good time with his girlfriend. They watched as he tenderly took her fingers in his and brought them up to his chest, making her blush. M&M were sure that Issei would pounce on her then and there in the dressing rooms, but instead he held onto her hand with his own while his other hand reached for a pink bracelet on display on the counter next to them. He spread it slightly with his fingers before he carefully placed it onto her wrist, making her blush grow a deeper shade. She abruptly retracted her hand as she faced away from him – and faced directly where M&M were. They ran to the side, and thankfully she didn't seem to notice them.
But they noticed her.
On her face, where they expected surprise and shyness to be, was an expression of pure hate and disgust. She looked like she was holding back her vomit. But just as quick as she turned, she changed her expression to that of sweetness and gratitude, showing off how the bracelet looked on her as she twirled around and smiled warmly at Issei, to which he just nodded in approval and bought it on the spot. The girl – Issei never told M&M her name – actually looked shocked, thanking Issei for the gift.
Matsuda's mouth twitched. Motohama's eyes narrowed. "She's playing him," they said in unison.
After that, they followed Issei and his date to their favorite ice cream parlor, and they sat outside in the parking lot, watching closely as Issei's date started drinking her soda float and happily burying her mouth into the whipped cream on the top, as Issei drank his in a slightly calmer method. Once she was done with the whipped cream she bounced back on her seat, giving out a giggle of joy as she loved how it tasted. As she did, one of the buttons on her shirt popped open, revealing her bust generously, making M&M get a nosebleed. Issei himself blushed a bit, but couldn't resist staring for a few moments as the girl resumed drinking her soda from her straw. She noticed him getting so flustered, and when Issei had come to his senses he quickly looked away and sipped on his straw rapidly in embarrassment, making him cough out from the cold soda. The girl offered him a towel as he did so.
"It sickens me how deceptive she is," hissed Motohama.
"Yeah, brosef," agreed Matsuda, "definitely some sort of gold-digger."
"But Issei's not even that rich, OR that smart, either," Motohama remarked.
"Then what could she be after?"
"We'll just have to wait and see."
With that, the two resumed stalking their prey.
They followed them as they walked through the park, going around in circles as they just… talked. It was amazing seeing their normally perverted best friend be so smooth and confident around such a beautiful girl. But they tried not to start shipping them as a couple, no matter how cute they looked together, because they knew the truth and the truth was that the girl was a deceptive bitch.
And now, they were in the bushes of the park, the sun setting behind them as they watched Issei make a bold move and hold her hand in his. Sure, this is probably the third time he's done so, but this is the first time he has without any motive, just wanting to feel her close to him. M&M, having spent around eight hours following the couple, thought that they would just give up and head home when the girl suddenly ran forward leaving Issei where he stood as they reached the fountain. They could faintly hear her talk for a bit, and Issei agreeing to something. Then as she was about to say something-
Their best friend leaned in and kissed her, arms on her shoulders.
M&M broke down in tears on the spot.
.
.
'Fuck,' she thought, 'what now?'
She had been prepared for everything, or at least, she thought she was. Even if he suddenly declared he was gay, she had a plan. She had thought of every step, every spot where they would go, and the perfect time to do it, when no one was around. She was ready. But not for this!
She slightly squirmed under the new weight she was now balancing against. She wasn't exactly in a comfortable position when he did it, she wished he had warned her or something before-
'Wait, why haven't I done anything about it?' she thought to herself.
She knew she had to act. This was her target, after all. That, and she was already in love with someone else. Her mind was racing to get her muscles to push him back, or for her to pull away. But nothing happened – she just let him. She could feel her lips give in, going with his smooth ones and dancing along with his liquid motions. Her knees felt weak, her breasts seemed heavy. She could feel her back relax and lean into it. Her shoulders, where he was holding her, drooped down lightly, prompting him to pull her closer to him even more. She moaned slightly into the kiss, letting him envelope her in his arms as they reached around and hugged her around her waist. She was tilting her head upwards and to the left as she brought up her arms to his chest and leaned on him lightly, but judging by his muscles, she thought that he barely even cared.
After a few more seconds she decided. 'I don't care anymore,' she thought as she deepened the kiss from her end. 'I'll just enjoy this while I can. It is my first kiss, after all.' She let her tongue graze his lower lip softly as she crossed the point of no return. He reciprocated with his tongue, and they danced together in between their mouths. He started pushing in deeper – surprising her, as she had heard that he was a virgin, and was perversely shy around girls. She reluctantly let him in, and he touched and felt every inch of her mouth. She moaned at the sensation of his tongue, closing her eyes to let every touch send shivers down her spine.
Eventually she decided it was her turn. She strengthened her knees and got onto her toes, her hands now firmly gripping onto his shirt on his chest. She fought his tongue back with her own, and swiftly entered his mouth. He tasted like water with a touch of honey, mildly sweet. He moaned slightly, making her moan as well. Her tongue explored his mouth with a resolve, making him smile slightly at her forcefulness. She tried reaching as far back into his mouth as possible before he suddenly removed his hands from behind her and she felt one go up to her nape and grip her tightly, making her gasp. His other hand snaked down her side and rested just above her posterior.
She pulled away and looked into his eyes, her violet ones matching his hazel gaze. They looked longingly at each other for a few moments, before his arms contracted, crashing her lips into his, locking them in another kiss. She moaned at his forwardness, his confidence, and especially his skill – he was much better than she could ever have imagined he would be. Their tongues danced around each other for a few more minutes, as if they had both forgotten the world they were in for that brief moment – or at least that's what they thought. In truth, they had been kissing for the past half hour.
She pulled away, leaving a thick saliva trail between their lips, and blushed a deep shade of red as she buried her face in his strong chest, breathing heavily as she tried to catch her breath. Her breasts felt like weights, and she could feel her legs give way to a moist feeling. 'Why can't I stop?' she yelled to herself in her head. Her eyes started to close as she rose and fell with each of his breaths. It felt so calming, to breathe in unison with someone so close to her. 'N-No, I c-can't…' she tried to protest to herself. The reddish-orange lights started dancing away as darkness fell upon the couple. In a few moments her mind gave in, letting her eyes slowly start to shut as she drifted off to-
"Hey," he lightly shook her as she leaned on him. "Don't fall asleep on me, Raynare."
Her eyes quickly widened once again, and she looked up at him. His hazel eyes looked as genuine and sincere as ever, hiding nothing against her as he simply stared deeply into her eyes. Their breathing had returned to normal, but both still looked very flustered, as they were blushing heavily. She tilted her head upwards, intending to meet his lips with hers and taste him and feel him again in her-
Wait.
She suddenly pulled back, escaping his grasp and swiftly brought her arms up to her chest, feeling a bit shocked at what she just heard him say. "D-Did you just call me R-Raynare?" she almost shouted in surprise. 'Fuck me, who is this guy?' she thought to herself.
Issei sighed as he straightened his back. "Well, shit, I did, didn't I?" he said calmly.
"N-No," she muttered, "No more games! Who are you?" she yelled.
"Why don't you ask him?" he remarked with a small smile, pointing behind her.
She quickly spun around at the direction he was pointing and gasped at who she saw sitting there.
"Nice to see you again, Raynare," Azazel said as he smiled that iconic nonchalant smile.
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End of Chapter
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AN:
{
Hehe, you guys must be pissed that I spent 2/3 of that story leaving you guys hanging.
How'd you like the kiss description? It was fairly vivid, as I was holding back a little – I'm not exactly sure what constitutes M and MA on this site.
Also, if you haven't guessed by now: I LOVE cliffhangers. =)
But now, I'm afraid I have some bad news. I may or may not be taking a short break, probably a day or two, because my aunt from America - who is getting married in a few months - is bringing her fiancee here to the Philippines, to introduce to our family. I'll be in attendance for the welcome home party, and I won't be able to write, as much as I want to continue this story.
But for now, enjoy reading some other fics! I strongly recommend Kami of Anime's works, as this story is loosely based on his discontinued one. And also SSJ3 Kyuubi Gohan's works, as they are the ones that brought me into the world of FanFiction in the first place.
Peace out.
- Lord SS
}
