Disclaimer: Fairy Tail and High School DxD are rightfully and respectively owned by Hiro Mashima and Ichiei Ishibumi… If you like the story, please support the original authors as well.


Fairy DxD: Summer From Another World

Awakening of the Red Dragon Emperor


Dusk broke, as the night sky threatened to replace the waning light from the sun. The legions of shining stars were starting to appear over the horizon, and even on the colorful canvas far above us. The dismal room grew darker and darker—its occupants steady and unmoving, as a single light flickered; one which was from a single candle, its red waxy base melting steadily; as if blood itself was dripping.

"Let's begin…" Buchou's voice resounded throughout the silent room, and I couldn't keep my excitement at bay. After all, I had finally graduated from the job peons handled; leaflet delivery, and was now in the process of doing my first contract with a human…

…Yes, after all, I wasn't a human myself—well, at least not anymore. I had been reincarnated, but I was no longer the same man I had been…

I had become a devil.

I was standing on the middle of a magic circle. The red seal was glowing mysteriously, and the force behind it was making my loosely tied scarf flutter. The room was dimly lit, and aside from the small candle, the only other illumination came from the glowing marks on the floor. As my mistress prepared the necessary things for my first job, the rest of my teammates were busying themselves with last minute preparations so that I wouldn't mess up. Kiba had been checking the circle for any irregularities, and Tojou had been checking out the logbook which supposedly contained the names of clients. Akeno-san was handling the transportation circle, while she chatted with buchou

And as I stood waiting, I started playing with my new earring in order to pass the time. As the discomfort of the tiny metal piercing finally faded, I tried pulling on the silver crucifix which hung from it. I closed my fingers on the cold metal, and as I tugged the chain which linked the other end to the dragon head-like lock, a tiny tingle jolted my body.

"Natsu?" Buchou's face appeared in front of me.

"Y-Yes!" I answered, surprised at the sudden call. The members gathered around me, their faces shadowed by the eerie lighting in the area.

After confirming that the necessary preparations were finished… I scratched my puzzled head.

"Hmm… So, what do I do after this?"

"Did you listen to my explanation at all?" The crimson-haired girl asked me in an annoyed tone.

"…No. Honestly, I was too busy playing with this." I pulled on the silver cross, and felt the tingle once more on my earlobe.

Buchou's eyebrows twitched.

"For the fifth time, Natsu—that earring is not a toy! Do you know what would happen if you accidentally pulled it out?!"

"Aah...It'd hurt, right?" I answered the obvious.

Buchou smacked her face with a hand, and turned back, trying to ignore my last statement.

"This is the last time I'm explaining something to you! Listen well, you idiot."

"Ouch…that must've hurt." Issei remarked.

Shut up, you asshole…

I ignored the pervert, and focused on listening.

"—That magic seal will teleport you to the client's house. The client will ask you to grant his wish, and after you do it, he or she will give you a reward." She explained simply.

"Hmmm…I see, I see…" I nodded in understanding.

"That's the gist of it… if you want further—"

"I'm okay! The other details can stay away…" I waved my hands in front of me.

I hated explanations…

"So, it's just like quests… But what if they ask for something I can't do…?" I asked aloud, trying to think of all the impossible things someone might ask me.

CASE 1:

"Hello, Devil-kun… I want someone killed."

"Go hire the fucking A*****ki for that! Better yet, find a D***h N**e or something! I don't do assassination missions."

CASE 2:

"Devil-kun… answer this Calculus problem for me—"

"Do I look like E***iro S***ta to you…?! I don't even know how to find the terminal point of an angle which doesn't lie on the—Go fuck yourself!"

CASE 3:

"Can you be my bodyguard? All you have to do is ride a vehicle with me—"

"I am not Ja*** St***am, dammit! And I hate vehicles!"

….

"No…Definitely can't do those…" I grunted, gaining the skeptical looks of my allies.

…Issei's influence on manga and movies was starting to take its toll on me…

I was brought back from my own thinking—

"—Like what? Assasination and killing missions? We don't do those." Buchou handed me another strange device. This was significantly larger than the other one, and it contained a bunch of words written in Kanji

"I'm weak at Kanji, dammit! Give me something with readable words!"

Instead, she handed me…a manual about the device.

"Everything you need to know is inside… If only you listened, you wouldn't be suffering now! If there's a problem with the job, refer to this manual. Do's and don'ts are listed inside, including the translation for the text—what's wrong?"

"You're so cruel…" I muttered dejectedly.

Evil…she's evil…

"It's your own fault; your stubbornness is at a level where I, as your master, need to do something. This will teach you who the boss is."

"Yeah, she's right!"

…I don't need a pervert telling me that.

"Ugh…Fine…But are you sure about this?" I asked after putting both the device and the manual inside my bag.

"This client knows the ropes better than you. Don't worry too much, and have faith in yourself."

Sigh… I guess I'll just use my knowledge on missions for this…

I still have that though… hehehe.

"So—"

"Go already! Akeno—" Buchou gestured towards my raven-haired senior, who nodded.

"Yes, buchou."

Red light burst forth from the circle, and surrounded my entire body.

"…Good luck, senpai. You're gonna need it…lots of it." Our first-year commented sarcastically, and I knew my face turned sour.

"Do your best." Kiba's encouragement was better, but it still didn't put me at ease.

"Don't scare the client, all right, Natsu-kun?" Akeno-san chided me.

I knitted my eyebrows together.

"What do you mean by that? I'm not scary."

…On a side note, you're the one who's scary, Akeno-san.

The seal started glowing stronger, and my body with it. As I stared at my teammates, the room dimmed further, and their voices started getting farther away.

"Natsu, if you manage to secure a contract, I promise I'll treat you to food." Buchou stated with an expectant look.

"I'll hold you to that."

I vanished with a smile.


When I reached my destination, I knew…

Something was wrong from the very start. When I checked the dark room I had arrived in, everything in sight had been overturned and disarranged. A single look on the wall confirmed my suspicions.

The intoxicating stench of fresh blood assaulted my senses, and in front of me—

A man was nailed upside down; his body forming an inverted cross, and bleeding cuts were carved on his skin…

I knew that he was dead.

My blood boiled, and the tiny bit of sound made me lash out. I threw a blind punch, but the stalker blocked it with both of his hands.

"Nyahaha, what do we have 'ere? Eensy-teensy devil—oooh! Pink hair….pretty."

…The guy was probably around my age, and in the dim light, I could see white hair nearly reaching his shoulders and covering the majority of his crazed face. His mouth was bent into a lopsided sneer, and his wild eyes were colored deep red.

The seriously disturbing face he wore was extremely pissing me off for some reason… Seriously, I really, really wanted to drive my fist into the guy's fucking face, just because he reminded me of Zancrow.

I checked out his clothing, and my heart skipped a beat.

…Shit! The guy's a fucking priest!

It didn't take me seconds to decide my approach. I threw punch after punch, trying to hit the guy's head, just so I could see if he'd be able to pull another freakishly annoying look after I gave him a black eye.

"Whoa~ pinky, are you angwie?! Wahaha! Hit me if you can, and you win a prize!" Even his damn manner of speaking was starting to get on me.

He dodged every one of my attacks, and started running all around the small room. I pounced on him, and delivered a kick with my left. He sidestepped, twirled on the spot…and did a pirouette

"You fucker! Come here!"

"Pinky, pinky… you suck at dancing."

He ran again. I picked up the nearest table and threw it at him.

WHOOOOOOOOOSH!

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!

He ducked and blew a raspberry at my direction, as the table broke into pieces.

"Opsiee! Your aim is of—" However, he didn't notice that I was already in front of him.

"Shut up!"

The next punch I threw caught his cheek, and his frail body was sent flying through the cemented wall; however, I didn't give him a moment of reprieve. I ran towards him, and pulled the priestly robes he wore.

"Ouch! You hit my pretty face!" The priest rubbed his bruised cheek, but I wasn't done.

"This guy's really pissing me off!" Issei commented harshly.

You and me both, but that's not the only thing on my mind.

"What the hell did you do?! That man—" I spat out, giving him the scariest look I could muster.

But he laughed at my seriousness…

"Hahahaha! In'nit obvious, like your hair? I killed him, fricasseed him, I could fry him too, if you want! Humans who made contracts with wee devils like you aren't humans anymore…and I, father Freed Zelzan, will annihilate them!"

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

...

My mind went blank from the sudden intrusion on my body.

…huh? Why the hell is my stoma—

I looked down, and saw a sword of pure light piercing my belly.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

I tried to ignore it, but the pain was way too strong. I kicked back, as the blade retracted from my stomach. A few feet from me, he was licking the very same bloodied sword edge which had impaled me.

"Lookie, lookie! A sword of light, whoa! Devils are scared of light, aren't they?! Wahahaha, come to me, I summon the force…!"

"You fuck—"

UUUUGH!

SPLAAAAAAAAASH!

More blood spilled from my mouth, and the blood flow from my belly wasn't going to stop by itself… I couldn't burn the wound shut without my magic, and I wouldn't last with this amount of blood spilling…

I had to finish this fast.

Our battle continued, but I was at an obvious disadvantage. He was fast, and he wielded my biggest weakness—Light. Twice, I was nearly stabbed on the chest, but I still kept standing with both feet. My skin had turned pale from the excessive blood loss.

However, he was starting to sweat more and more. His breathing lost its timed rhythm, and I knew that his frail body was close to its limit. This guy was human after all, and I was more than human. I had trained my body past its limits; something like this would never impede me from winning.

I kept dodging his swings, trying to draw out the battle, and his energy with it. Every time he caught a moment to breathe, I landed a hard blow on him. His weak composition couldn't stand up to my hits, and the small counters were enough to even the odds.

However, my advantage didn't last long…

He stood a few feet away from me, and in a swift blurring motion of his arms—

"Huh…?"

My right leg went limp, until my whole body dropped from the balance I momentarily lost. I looked down, trying to see what happened…

…A new hole had appeared on my leg, and the familiar sting was intact.

It was a light based attack, but I didn't even see or hear it.

I glanced back to him, trying to see what he had done, and he brandished something in front of my unfocused eyes.

"Gaaaghn! Oh yeah~ I have a super ultra powerful extreme revision devil exterminator pistol, or should I say S-U-P-E-R- whoah! I got an acronym, whoah! Anyway, you're dead, devil-kun~"

It was a gun… And I knew it had bullets made from light. As I covered both wounds with my hands, trying to stop the bleeding in vain, he walked over slowly, taking his time to bask in the glory of putting me down.

He aimed the pistol on my head.

"Say your prayers….oh wait, you're a devil! You don't have any—"

"…ut…p." I whispered, and his eyes narrowed. He placed a hand on one ear, and leaned closer.

"What was that?! Ya'h shouldn't mumble, it's bad mann—"

"I said shut up!"

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

Red light covered my left hand, solidifying into a hardened, red metallic-plated gauntlet. I immediately swung my gauntlet covered fist, fighting against the pain…

…but he blocked it with his sword. As the light fought against my fist, burning it lavishly…

[BOOOOOOOOOOST!]

The jewel on the Sacred Gear shined, and the force which it conjured blew the young priest away, and sent him crashing through several rooms.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!"

When the debris settled, and the dust cleared, my victory was cut short.

…It wasn't done yet. He crawled out of the hole I had sent his body into, and his annoyingly psychotic face broke into an even crazier one.

"My, my…you're really, really, really starting to piss of moi… would you please die…?!"

The priest ran, sword on one hand, gun on another. I was too weak to act, but if I didn't…

I knew I would die.

"Fuck this!"

My hands fumbled on the silver accessory on my left earlobe.

If I pull this out, will the pain go away…?

Or will it get stronger…?

Will my magic come back…?

Or will I die, once the divine element fights against me…?

Will I live to see this through…?

Or will I disappear, once the crimson memory fades away…?

"Natsu, don't!" Issei screamed inside me, but I had no other choice.

I touched my newly acquired earring, and he stopped in his tracks.

"…Why, why, why?! Why do you wear such a thing?! Gagaaagn! That thing is supposed to hurt a devil like you!" He resumed his attack, his face morphing into one of anger… and fear.

The silver cross started burning my fingers, but I was adamant. I was going to pull it out and roast this bastard even if I had to—

"Father Freed! What have you done?!" A small voice broke out and halted my plans.

…huh? That voice just now…

"It can't be."

I turned back to look at the familiar voice, but—

"Natsu-san…?!"

"Asia!"

Clad in the same habit nuns wore, her face was veiled, and the dangling cross which hung on her neck was glinting even from afar. Emerald orbs bore into my black ones…

Why? Why is Asia here?!

In the split second that I hesitated, he took the chance.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

It was my right shoulder this time…

Crimson…the floor in front of me was dyed crimson…

No…I've lost too much blood.

"Hang on, buddy! Hang o-"

A…sia.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

Warmth…

All of a sudden, it was so warm… I could feel it all over me…

The warmth that my blood had carried… the warmth that my magic had given off...

And the warmth that I missed… This one was a different kind of warmth, but it was warmth all the same…

And the pain… everything was disappearing in a flash…

…hmmm? Why am I still alive…?

"Na..su…an."

Huh…? Is someone calling me…?

"Natsu-san!"

Her voice brought me back.

When I looked, Asia was healing me. The wounds had been closed, but the blood I lost was irreplaceable. I felt weak, so damn weak, that I couldn't even muster the strength to stand straight.

But…

"…A…sia?"

I thought the fight was over, but…

"What is this, Asia-tan?! Are you acquainted with this devil?!" A malicious figure loomed over us.

It was Freed Zelzan. He was still here after all.

…The fight was far from over.

Asia's eyes grew in shock, as she stared at me with a horrified look.

"D-Devil?! You're lying!" Her eyes were starting to tear up, and as she fixed her innocent eyes at me, trying to coax out the truth… I could only look to the side, and confirm her fears.

Her healing powers vanished, and Asia suddenly distanced herself from me, while the bastard priest laughed maniacally.

"Am I?! Nyohohoho! Lookie here—light hurts him! He came here for the contract! He killed this man!"

…No.

Lies…

"Y…You bastard… you're the one who…"

It was difficult; every part of my body was against me… but I stood up, despite how hard it was... I stood up, and pointed a shaky finger at the psychotic priest.

"You're the one who killed them, you maniac! Asia, don't trust this guy—Asia…?"

"Natsu-san is a devil…?"

No… Asia, no…

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

The priest stepped back in order to avoid a huge chunk of the rooftop from falling on him. The whole ceiling exploded, and the atmosphere had gotten heavier. The sky had turned purple, as several, feathery wings fluttered in the air above us. As the crumbling roof settled, and the smoke cleared, I got even angrier.

Four figures hovered from above us, their tainted, black wings beating the air.

It was them. Those winged freaks from before.

…I fixed my eyes on their leader, and I knew that inside, Issei was doing the same.

It was Reynare, skimpily dressed as before; her face showing a prideful sneer aimed at me.

And with her were her comrades; the fedora hat guy I had beaten up, the gothic Lolita girl I had scared shitless…

Even her… That trench coat lady I had unwillingly molested.

"Yes, that is why you need to give us your power, so that they will never have it…" Reynare spoke out suddenly, landing beside Asia, as the rest of her allies did the same. The tall brunette looked over me, her face morphed into one of lust, and murmured seductively—

"Hello, my toy…"


I had enough.

These guys…they were the ones who nearly killed Issie…

These guys were deceiving Asia, lying to her, and making it look like I was the villain.

These guys were the cause of everything…This arm, my disability to use my magic… and the loss of my humanity…and I couldn't forgive them for that.

…These guys were roast.

However—

"I-I don't believe you! Natsu-san is good!" Asia ran back to me, trying to protect my weak form with her small body.

In spite of the pain I was subjected to, I couldn't help but smile.

"Asia…!" Issei screamed happily.

…She was on my side after all.

"Asia Argento, what the hell do you think you're doing? Why are you trying to defend that devil? Are you trying to defect—" the blonde fallen angel spat out, but Asia stood her ground.

She was trembling, but she didn't back down.

"I…No! Natsu-san is a nice person! Natsu-san helped me—"

"Have you forgotten everything that we have done for you? Who picked you up when the church threw you away? Who welcomed you when Heaven abandoned you, when the one you called God stopped hearing you?"

My smile dropped, and Asia's trembling grew.

…Thrown away…? Abandoned by Heaven…? What were they talking about?! And why is Asia being treated as if she's their ally…?

"Asia, what are they—" I asked her, but the bitch—Reynare, answered me instead.

"Ahh, Natsu Dragneel… Did you not know? Asia is not on Heaven's side, but on ours… Tell him, Asia… "

"No…They're lying…" Issei whispered, horrified at the declaration.

…Lies.

"…Asia?" Fear gripped my heart, but it wasn't the fear from getting beaten, nor from dying…

"Tell him about your wonderful life; how you healed the sick, and performed miracles using the gift God has given you. Tell him how they reacted, when they saw you healing what was meant to die. Tell him how they cast you away, when they saw you helping their enemy…a devil, like him."

It was the fear that what she was saying was the whole, damn truth.

"What?!"

"Natsu-san… I—"

Her back was facing me, but I knew…

Asia was crying… her sobs were emerging, and her shaking was becoming more and more evident as her knees buckled…

"Yes, you heard me. She was kicked out by Heaven; the ones who worked for the good of mankind, and by the Vatican and the rest of the church, and cast away as a heretic! All because she healed one of your kind! Hahaha!"

Asia fell on her knees, her eyes covered by her dainty hands.

"Asia…Is she telling the truth?" I asked, disbelief masking my quivering voice.

"Natsu-san… I… I didn't know that he was a devil… All I knew was he needed my help… He was dying; what was I supposed to do!"

"Asia…" Inside me, I knew Issei had been struck by the news.

"—And she claims she was innocent! My, what a turn of events! Now, who's at fault boy? It's not us, but Heaven! Asia was betrayed by Heaven, even though she was innocent! How generous of us to take her in as soon as we heard, don't you think?"

The fedora guy declared with arrogance, and my blood boiled even higher.

"Asia…"

Asia… what kind of life did you come to experience…? Why did you not tell me this dark past of yours…? All day, you were smiling… You were always smiling… You were meant to smile, to be happy…

But now, your happiness has been taken away…

"And despite this, she still prays! She continues to believe that it was all His plan, but—"

"S-Stop it! P-Please, stop! Natsu-san—" Asia spoke through countless sobs.

So… That's what happened, huh…

I could only laugh at the irony… Earlier, I tried to defend Heaven… I even went on about having a truce with them, just so Asia wouldn't be my enemy…

I really was an idiot

You were right, buchou… I had no right to say those words…

It was Heaven's fault… it was theirs…

"I believe you, Asia… However…"

But still…

"You picked the wrong side to align yourself with… These guys—they are evil people… These guys—they are the reason why I'm like this!" My rest had come to an end.

I stood up, despite the feebleness of my strength… I stood up straight.

"Natsu-san…?" I wanted to comfort her, to stop her tears, but right now—

"These guys… Because of them…" Issei growled inside me.

Issei, I know… Trust me, I know…

I shouted—

"You guys are the fucking reason why I have a damn pervert lodging on my arm!"

…huh?

…Crap. I said something in the spur of the moment. They looked at me with questioning faces…

"You bastard! Why the hell are you bringing that up now?!" Said pervert cried exasperatedly inside, and I could only scratch my head at the oddity.

But still…

"What are you up to, Reynare?! I swear, if you so much as touch a single hair on Asia's head, I'll—"

"You'll what? Grope me? Hahahahahahaha!"

…Issei… This is all your damn fault! Now, everyone's thinking that I'm an oppai obsessed maniac like you!

"Hey, we've got more pressing matters at hand!"

I glared at her, but she widened her sneer.

"Joking aside, I understand how powerful you are! But I wonder how much fight you'll bring with the amount of blood you've lost? And—"

Her eyes fell on my left ear, and they widened in surprise.

"A silver cross? Why are you not hurt by—aah, I see… It's a seal to suppress your power… That must be why the insane amount of magic power which you were generating days ago vanished without a trace."

Reynare snapped her fingers, and I was surrounded by her three allies. The blonde girl and the fedora guy had flanked me on both sides, while the tall brunette stood a few feet from my back, both hands placed on her hips; her tongue tracing her lips in a supposedly seductive manner.

I was at a disadvantage… But, I will never give up.

I need to protect Asia.

"You don't have to worry though; I won't even touch a single hair on her head. After all, I'm after something grander—" The black-haired bitch suddenly exclaimed, shocking me.

"What are you talking about?!"

She pointed a finger at Asia, who was still on her knees, trembling.

"The Twilight Healing; the Sacred Gear which is capable of healing anyone; be it devil, angel or human. Asia has agreed to give it to us."

…So, it really was a Sacred Gear! Asia really did have one after all!

"What?! Asia, don't do it! They'll use it for something—"

Something flew towards my head, but even with the lack of blood which hindered me from thinking straight, I was able to at least pull my head back to avoid it.

"You should really shut your mouth…" The winged guy was holding a sword of light in one hand, and I presumed it was the thing which nearly sliced me.

A slight movement caught my ears, but before I could move, the world spun, and I landed on my back.

GAAAAAAAAGH!

"If only Kalawarner didn't have such an unusual interest in you, you would be dead by now." I heard a female voice, which I recognized as the blonde Lolita.

"Run! Asia, run—" I shouted weakly, but—

SLAAAAAAAAAP!

The sharp sound echoed throughout the dismal house, as Asia's small body crashed against the ground.

"What the hell are you doing, brat?! It's time for the ceremony to be conducted. Let us return!" I looked in time to see Reynare kicking Asia on the side.

She then gestured towards me.

"Secure him and we'll take our leave."

She had to hurt her…

No more…

I can't sit idly while they hurt my friend!

"They are going to pay…" Issei hissed angrily.

"You bastards! Leave her out of this!" I yelled furiously.

"Or what? What will you do?!" Reynare asked coldly, and I challenged the violent glare she was sending me with one of my own…

"I'll burn you… I'll burn you all!"

…I said that, yet… I was still down. It was five versus one; the priest was standing by, his eyes closed—as if he was sleeping, and to top it off, he was snoring soundly, but I knew if the time came, he would be up and standing again; I was outnumbered, and I was already gravely wounded…

…Why…?

Why the hell am I so weak…?

"Don't kill him… I want him alive." I heard another voice, and I knew it belonged to the brunette. I heard footsteps coming towards me, and I saw her bending down to have a clear look at my face.

"After I'm done with you… you will become a very obedient toy…"

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!

The Lolita girl and the fedora guy had both conjured spears of light from their hands, and their sharp tips were slowly piercing my sides.

"Ug…h…"

My sight was dimming. My throat ran dry from the slow torture they were giving…

As the light approached me, burning my insides and hacking away my life…

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

A red magic circle appeared on the floor.

"Natsu!"

Her voice reached my ears, and gave me the hope to fight back. The woman in front of me opened her wings in alarm, and flew up, just as a swirl of energy passed over where her body should've been.

Crimson hair met my hazy sight, and the flash of red light illuminated the gloomy ruins…

"B…B-Buchou…?"

It was the first time I had ever seen her fight…

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Crimson… and darkness… A sphere which passed me overhead, and destroyed everything it touched. It wasn't an overstatement—the back part of the house really was destroyed from a single attack.

…It was beautiful.

"I was wondering why you were late…."

The Gremory team had arrived. Rias-buchou and the others had appeared via the same magic circle I had come from.

I smiled weakly, but it wasn't over. I looked towards the only other male member, who was pulling out his sword from its confines. Kiba's form blurred for a moment, and above me, I heard a slash cutting the wind, as my capturers fell back. Lightning traced the broken ceiling, and rained down everywhere.

The light which pierced my sides disappeared without a trace, but the pain was still intact.

Buchou and Akeno-san ran towards me, while Kiba and Tojou squared off against the two fallen angels.

"Natsu-kun, are you alright—" Akeno-san's worried face turned into one of seriousness, as she summoned her wings and took off to face the trench coated woman.

"You are going to pay!"

After helping me up and taking a quick look at me, buchou's face immediately turned into one full of anger.

She faced Reynare, who was crossing her arms in front of her.

"I won't forgive you for touching my cute servant!"

She raised her hands, as she gathered another mass of red and black energy on the palms of her hands.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH!

"…!"

I was alarmed. With this amount of fighting going on, regular people would become involved.

But, still… I wanted to fight too, however…

"STOP!"

All eyes fixed themselves on the young, blonde girl. Asia suddenly shouted and stopped the ensuing commotion.

"Stop! No more! Please…I'll go… but please, stop... I'm the one you want; leave them out of this… please, Reynare-sama…" Asia pleaded.

…No…

Don't…

"No, Asia, no!" I called out, but—

"Hehehe, that's right…We will come for him another time, but for now… Let us go." Reynare snapped her fingers, and the fallen angels gathered with her. The fedora guy had swung the young priest over his shoulders; it seemed as if he really had been asleep.

"I will come back for you, boy…" The brunette mouthed, and in the corner of my eyes, I saw my mistress' right eye twitch.

But, these things didn't matter…

Asia… Right now, I had to save her.

As their raven wings fluttered, and their bodies flew higher and higher above, I heard her voice one last time…

"It had only been for a few hours…but I was glad I met you…"

"ASIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Issei screamed inside, as they disappeared, and the night turned black once more…

But…

…I can't let it end like this! I have to follow them!

GRRAAAAGH!

"Stop."

Buchou grabbed my arm, but I shook it off.

"Don't… Please, don't."

She grabbed me tighter, and held on with more force—

"ASIA! ASIA!"

But when she stopped me this time, my body dropped; deprived of strength… my energy having faded…

I couldn't do anything…

It was the first time that I had ever felt so powerless… so useless… so utterly weak… I was so close, but I was still too damn far…

If only I was stronger… If only I had my magic…

"ASIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"


An hour had passed since the incident. Everything inside me had been fixed, and my energy had been revitalized due to rest. Despite the seriousness of the situation, the Occult Research Clubroom looked as clean and organized as it was before. . My blood had been restored; Akeno-san and Rias-buchou had something done to me, in order to bring back the blood I had lost. Most of my wounds were gone…

But Asia… she too was gone.

"I'm going…" I stood up from the chair I had been sitting on; tossing aside the holed and worn out blazer I had worn.

I was going to save Asia no matter what.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?" Buchou raised her voice as she questioned me.

"To the bathroom." I muttered seriously… but they didn't buy it. Tojou forced me to sit down again.

I sighed, seeing as they saw through my obvious intentions.

"We have received orders to inspect a fallen angel activity. You shouldn't move carelessly on your own, Natsu. Akeno and I have something to take care of; you guys stay on standby." Buchou and Akeno-san nodded at each other, and proceeded to the door.

"Stay here, all right?" from the tone she used, I knew it was a command.

"…Fine." I answered.

"…Fine? Seriously?" She questioned my dubious reply, but I replied with a very serious face.

"I said fine, dammit!"

"Okaaaaay…"

My black-haired senior walked through the doorway after waving at us, and my mistress followed suit. But before she left, she told me one last piece of information.

"Natsu… Do you remember your piece…?"

…My piece…?

Ahh…

"Yes. I am a weak, insignificant pawn." I answered sarcastically, but she shook her head.

"That is not necessarily true. A pawn has a unique ability which the other pieces don't have."

…Why is she telling me this now? But my interest was piqued, despite the graveness of the entire situation.

She continued with a simple explanation.

"—A pawn is able to use Promotion. Once it crosses over to enemy territory, it can change its class into any other piece except for the king—got that?"

"So, if I go to the church for example, I can change into a rook or a queen?" I hinted my intentions, but she didn't give it a second thought.

"Yes, that's the gist of it."

"But why now? Why did you tell me this just now?"

She pondered for a moment, before she answered.

"…So that you would be reminded of your importance… and in case you try to disobey me again, you'll be prepared this time."

…She's plotting something. I just knew it…

"Bye, then. Don't try anything stupid, all right?" She left after closing the door, and I could hear her footsteps getting farther and farther away.

I stood up, and walked over to the window facing opposite the old school building's exit.

"Don't get in my way…" I looked back to the two remaining members, and opened the glass window in order to leave. As soon as I slid my right leg out, a hand grabbed my shirt.

Tojou was holding onto it, and her expression was an emotionless one. I thought she would try to stop me—

"…We won't. We're coming with you."

I looked to Kiba for confirmation, but he merely nodded to me.

"We can still save her if we hurry." He stated coolly.

"These guys are good!" Issei proclaimed while he sobbed.

"You guys are going to get yelled at if you come with me." I stated, but—

"…So are you. Besides—"

Tojou and Kiba jumped before me, afterwards—

"We can take care of ourselves."

The three of us peered at the run-down church from the bushes. Several guys—all dressed in the garbs priests wore, were guarding the only entrance. I ignored the animosity from before, and after confirming my plan, I stepped back cautiously and faced my teammates.

"Kiba, Toujou… This is your last chance to leave." I warned them.

However, Tojou was looking at me with an obviously annoyed face.

"…senpai."

"What is it…?" Her eyes were glinting dangerously, but I don't remember doing anything which might've angered her…

"…I don't like the way you're addressing me." She stated flatly.

…huh? What did she say?

—The answer completely caught me by surprise.

"…What?"

She crossed her arms, as she fixed her hazel eyes at me.

"…Please, call me by my first name… It sounds really rude if you're the one saying it."

…I honestly didn't expect this turn of events, however—

"Whoah! Natsu, take her up on that offer! Come on; do me a solid, will you?"

The pervert commented on this. Afterwards, Kiba spoke.

"Then, please address me with my first name too."

…While I thought about it, Issei made a choking sound.

"Gugh… No fucking way! Don't call that fucking Cassanova by name! Seriously, it'll make me sick."

Why though? What's wrong with it?

"Can you imagine what would happen if the people at school hear about this? I bet the rumors about the two of you would get even worse!" Issei pointed out.

…In a split second, I pictured a scenario.

"Aaahn~ Natsu-san and Yuuto-kyuun are calling each other by their first names! Aah~"

"Kyaah~ The two most popular boys in Kuoh are into BL!"

…I hated to admit it, but he had a fair point.

"Then, if we get out of this alive… Call me Natsu, got it? Koneko…" I smiled to the small first-year, who nodded back. I turned my head towards my blonde teammate…

"…Kiba."

Kiba made a sour face, but—

"Yeah! You definitely showed him, Natsu! You're the man!"

"Let's go!"

The three of us charged towards the ominous building.


—Elsewhere—

There were three of them, but that simply didn't matter to me. Their boss was nowhere in sight, but I didn't care. As the purple skies gave its eerie glow, and the trees danced with the whimsical wind, I stood ready. Akeno was beside me, prepared for an immediate assault.

I—Rias Gremory, was facing three of the four leaders from the Fallen Angel side which had assaulted my precious servant time and time again. I had heard rumors of this gang being an unofficial movement separate from the Grigori, but I could care less… They were going to pay for hurting Natsu.

"You must be the girl from the Gremory clan… How filthy." A blonde girl stated, her Lolita outfit irking me for some unknown reason.

"Mittelt, watch your mouth. You are talking to the Crimson Ruin Princess… and the one beside her—I'm sure of it. She's the Priestess of Lightning, Himejima Akeno." The only guy spoke out.

As if on cue, Akeno's form shined for a brief moment, and after the illumination faded, her miko outfit had replaced her school uniform.

"Ara,ara… you're flattery won't get you anywhere."

The brunette was glaring at me from above. She was wearing a trench coat of sorts, but she was the one I had to watch out the most.

"Are you the master of that boy?" She snapped her fingers, and ten more of their brethren appeared—each with one pair of feathery wings as dark as the midnight sky, and all of them were dressed for battle; their swords of light ready.

We were outnumbered, but not necessarily outclassed.

"What if I am…?" I bit back, my voice full of pride. I was proud of my servants—and despite how troublesome Natsu was, I was proud of him.

"Then, if I kill you here and now, he'll be mine, right?"

…What?

Anger couldn't even express what I felt after I heard her… She wanted Natsu?

…No way in hell am I handing him to anybody!

"Natsu is mine and mine alone! I will never let you lay a single hand on him!"

CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

Lightning traced the sky, scouring three of the new comers, and I knew Akeno was behind it.

"Ara, ara… You have to get in line, you bitch… I didn't even get to enjoy my share of fun with Natsu-kun, and to think that someone like you is after him… Ufufufu, it seems I'll have some fun tearing your wings apart."

I gulped.

…Uh-oh. Akeno's "strange" switch got flipped on…

But I smirked. Now, they simply had no chance against us, with my Power of Destruction, and Akeno's S-mode on…

These guys were as good as dead.


—Inside the church—

HAAAAAAAAAH!

I knocked down my fifth using my gauntlet covered fist, and in the corner of my eyes, I could see Kiba and Koneko handling the others at a good pace. On a side note, Kiba had a very convenient weapon with him—the sword he was using was snuffing away the light from the opponent's swords. Soon after, he summoned another one from nowhere—one which was spitting out shards of ice from its blade.

My first thought was—Requip, Erza's magic… but I knew better now. That must've been Kiba's ability, and if my guess was right…

It was another Sacred Gear.

"That damned Cassanova is showing off!"

The guards were pathetically weak… Despite their advantage in numbers and weapons, I didn't even get a single scratch on me. The three of us decimated the underlings, which kept pouring in from an unknown source. Ironically, their numbers were increasing despite the losses they had conceded.

However, something occurred to me.

"Where the hell is Asia?!" I screamed at my next victim, who trembled as soon as my gaze met his eyes.

"I don't—"

BAAAAAANG!

I smashed his head on a stone pillar, and embedded it deeply in the same place.

"Wrong answer! You—"

The next one was bulkier than the last, but it mattered not. I kicked his side, and sent him crashing towards the rows of aligned wooden chairs inside.

"Where is the ceremony taking place?!"

"I'd rather die than—"

BAAAAAAAAAAANG!

An uppercut launched him into the air, and as his falling form got nearer…

HIYAAAAAAAAAAA!

I did a three-sixty, and delivered a roundhouse kick which collided against his head.

…The next one was going to be more painful. I searched for a new opponent, but everyone seemed intent in getting as far away from me as possible…

Fine, if that's how you—

"You're wide open!"

The sword missed me by inches, as I turned to face my new adversary.

"A fated meeting! It's a damn reunion, oh how emotional it is ~"

It was the bastard priest, and he was wiping his eyes in mock nostalgia.

"Where's Asia?! I swear, if you don't tell me—"

"Aah, Asia-tan is being held captive in the church basement, which is accessible via a secret opening beneath the altar." He answered with a straight face.

…My mouth dropped. He didn't just tell me how to get in, did he?

"This guy's broken." Issei stated pitifully.

"However! You won't get past moi… And right now, I am super pissed, you know why? You wanna know why?!"

Okaaaaaaay… he is broken.

"You see, I have never met a devil twice before, cause I'm super, duper damn strong! I cut devils into itty-bitty pieces ones I see 'em; then, I kiss their corpses goodbye! That's my style, and you know what, pinky?!"

"What?" I deadpanned, while he brandished his sword threateningly in front of me.

"You cramped my style! And for that, Imma killin' you for ruining my style! Your pretty face pisses me off, your nice body pisses me off, your shiny earring pisses me off, your beautiful scarf pisses me off…And that damn pink hair… it fucking pisses me off!"

He swung his sword, but I learned my lesson. It kept moving, trying my hardest not to let a single bit of light touch me. I didn't wait for him to point his pistol at me; I closed the distance, wary of his sword, and delivered a combo of punches and kicks.

But…

A single hit didn't connect. He contorted his body at the right time, and dodged every single attack I aimed at him. He really was nimble… or was I too slow?

"Nyahahaha! You're movements are too big! You're too damn slow for me, pinky!"

"Is that so…?" I stepped back, as he made a diagonal cut which nearly cleaved me in half. In the corner of my eyes, I saw Kiba and Koneko finishing off what remained of the small fries… Koneko's amazing strength was able to knock out opponents with one blow, and Kiba's speed was able to catch them off guard every single time…

Power… I had plenty, but what use was power if my attacks didn't hit?

Speed… I needed speed.

Kiba… was a knight…

"…!" I remembered my last conversation with buchou.

"—A pawn is able to use Promotion. Once it crosses over to enemy territory, it can change its class into any other piece except for the king—"

I smirked, as her words finally sunk in.

"Promotion: Knight!"

THROB!

I felt something happen inside me, but I had no time to contemplate. My whole body felt lighter, and in the blink of an eye, I reached the priest's unguarded back as he prepared for a giant swing.

A swift kick sent him flying, but he stood back up, clutching his side.

"Hoyhoy! A pawn or a prawn, which is it? You backstabber, attacking when your opponents turn their back is a—"

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!

It was his face this time, but like before… he stood back up.

I was losing my patience, as the scales tipped in my favor. Now, our speed was matched, but I won in strength. His blocks couldn't stop my attacks, but soon after he started breathing haphazardly, he suddenly laughed aloud.

"Hohohohohoho! Are you sure you have time to play with me? You guys came to rescue Asia-tan, right? Hahaha! You Devil shits are big hearted for coming to rescue that bitch! Well, just being acquainted with a devil should make that sister die!"

…Die? What did he mean!?

He chuckled at my puzzled look.

"Nyohohoho… Don't you know what happens to Sacred Gear holders who have their Sacred Gear taken from them?! They die! Fucking, Effin die! And right now, Asia-tan is undergoing the extraction—"

GUUUUUUUHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

I lost it. In the blink of an eye, I was already in front of him; my right fist embedded into his stomach, as a horrifying amount of blood burst forth from his mouth… His pistol clattered to the ground, and he used the sword to help him stand up…

But the shitty priest still had the audacity to sneer at me.

As if on cue, a blood curdling scream resounded from somewhere.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!

It came from below!

I looked towards the altar, and I could make out a hole beneath it. The scream which emanated from it froze my heart.

It was Asia.

"Kiba!" I yelled, just in time for him to finish cleaning up the guards.

"What is it?!"

"Take him! Koneko, come with me!"

Kiba nodded after dispatching the rest, and squared off against the psychotic priest. Koneko ran to my side, and the two off us quickly headed downstairs.

"What's this?! Another devil has come to play!"

My patience was wearing thin. The underground sanctuary was situated at the end of a very long staircase, where enemies met us, but I didn't hold back. Every single one of them—anyone who dared try to block the way was knocked unconscious as soon as I locked my eyes on them. Koneko was doing her fair share of help, and together, we reached the bottom of the dark passage, where a huge door faced us.

I pushed the doors open, where another batch of exorcists awaited us. Again, we knocked them down; one by one. I wasn't given a moment to relax, but I didn't need it… I wanted to get to Asia as fast as possible…

Soon after, I saw her.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Asia was chained on a wooden cross a few feet from where I was, and Reynare… she was pulling something out of her.

It was her Sacred Gear. As the green light from her healing power showered the room, I couldn't stop my heart from racing.

"No!"

The promotion worked its magic. Using my trait as a knight, I zoomed past the mass of enemies, knocking down anyone who got in my way. The tiny gaps they made were all it took for me to pass by, and the smallest of chances they gave me was all it took to bring them down. I closed the distance in a matter of seconds…

…But I was too late. Reynare's hands were closed, and I knew that the Sacred Gear had been extracted. When I reached them, Asia's body was dangling weakly on the wooden structure.

No…

"Asia…?" I moved closer, trying to see if she was conscious. Her heartbeat was slowing down, and her breathing with it.

"You can't do anything now… She will die soon."

Reynare stood still, her cold eyes mocking me… and Asia…

Her body hung limply, her eyes nearly devoid of its light. As I walked closer to her, disregarding the enemy near me, I could feel my heart slowly burning from the sight.

"Asia…?" I asked again.

"…Nat…su…san?" As soon as I confirmed her state, I tore off the chains which bound her, and immediately carried her with me. I needed to get out as fast as possible…

I ran, carrying her small body with me, past the masses of enemies which were pouring in from every direction. But, they numbered greatly. I couldn't leave Koneko alone, and she was starting to lose her stamina… I charged recklessly, shrugging off the bullets and cuts…

I kept running, and running…

I needed to get her to buchoubuchou would know what to do.

BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANG!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

The ones barring my way were blown away, and a familiar figure created a path for me.

"Natsu-kun!"

I heard Issei's cheers from inside.

"Yeah! Thank you, Cassanova! But I still hate you!"

I ignored him.

"Kiba! What happened to the shitty priest?"

"He escaped! But that's not important right now! Get her away; Koneko and I will hold them off!"

"Thanks!"

"…Don't thank us yet."

I hastened my pace and left my teammates to take care of the nuisances.

"Hold on, Asia! Just a bit further…!"

The seconds seemed to pass slowly, trying to upset my already worried mind. As I ran up the stairs, leaving the underground sanctuary with the passing of my heavy footsteps, Asia's body was getting lighter and lighter… Luckily, the dimly lit passage was devoid of enemies.

However, even with my current speed, my movements seemed sloppy and sluggish, as if the shadows from below were pulling me back, impeding my desire to save my friend.

But soon, I finally reached the surface. As the dreary church ceiling appeared above, I couldn't help but feel a bit of weight off my shoulders.

Yet…

Asia's breathing was slowing down at an alarming rate, and her whole face was already sickly pale, that it started to turn blue.

"Asia?" I asked softly, as I laid her body against one of the still-standing stone pillars. The altar had been broken down, and the chairs with it, probably due to Kiba's fight.

Asia opened her eyes weakly, but the luster of her emerald orbs was fading…

"Just a bit further… I know someone who can help—"

"Na..tsu…san…?"

I carried her on my arms again, but she was weightless… As if…

"No…"

Issei was already crying inside me…

"Why… are you help…ing me…? Aren't… we enemies?" She asked weakly as I stood up, but I raised my voice to answer her.

"…Then, why did you defend me back then? Tell me Asia, why must we be enemies? Because I'm a devil, and you're a nun? For what reason must we fight? Do you hate me, Asia?!"

"No… Natsu…san is kind… but—"

"Asia is my friend. So please, trust me and let me help you… please, don't die on me, Asia!"

Asia smiled on my words. She then took my hand, but I couldn't feel any strength, or even warmth from them anymore…

"Please… stop." She urged me, but—

…I didn't want to. I started running again, but when she squeezed my hand with the tiniest bit of force, my body disobeyed me once more.

I stopped in my tracks.

As I looked through those mesmerizing, sea green eyes… those innocent eyes which had been robbed of its light; I saw myself reflected on their surface…

I saw myself in the brink of failing yet again… failing to save a friend.

"Natsu-san...I was...happy...that I had a...friend...even for a short while..." She rasped weakly.

"Asia… don't… please don't." I begged her, my voice but a mere whisper.

I could only stare at her… She was still smiling, despite the suffering she was enduring… She was still smiling, despite the fact that she… she was…

"...If I were to be born again...would you become my friend once more...?"

"Asia…" Issei's sobs were pushing my thoughts away…

"What are you saying, Asia?! Don't, please don't say that! I…I want to know more about you! I want to have fun with you! This place has lot of fun things! It's not home, but it's a new start for you… for us! There's so much more I want to show you, to tell you even! Tell you what—after we get out of here, I will take you to the places I've been! I will show you how fun it is in Japan, even though I am a foreigner just like you! So, please—"

As soon as they fell, they didn't stop.

One by one, the anguish I felt inside had been loosened. My tears—they wouldn't stop falling. I was supposed to encourage her to keep holding on… I was supposed to show her my smile… but I knew… I already understood…

This girl was dying… Asia was going to die… Just like Issei that time…

Even so, I wanted to deny it. This had to be a cruel joke... I can't lose her, even though she was a stranger to me…

"We will always be friends, all right?! I haven't introduced you to Motohama and Matsuda, right? They're perverted, but their good guys! They will definitely be your friends! Definitely—and even Issei, how could I forget Issei?!"

"Natsu…"

I moved my gauntlet clad hand towards her face, and as the jewel shone, I rasped tearfully.

"Asia… This is Issei… He's a big pervert who loves oppai, but he's a kind man. He has been talking a lot about you… Issei has been saying all kinds of good things about you… He says that if only he had his body back, he'd definitely spend his life having fun with you…"

I must have looked crazy, trying to goad her into believing that my arm was alive… but I didn't care… The trauma of losing her was starting to take its toll…

…But Asia touched the jewel gently, before saying—

"Hello… Issei-san…Thank you….for your thoughts… Can you be my friend too…?"

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

The jewel shined brightly for a mere second, as if Issei was acknowledging Asia's request.

"Tell her I will always be her friend… Tell her, Natsu!" Issei urged me, and I heard his sobs resounding in my mind.

"Of course he will… Of course he will, Asia! That's why—"

Asia's patted my tear soaked cheek.

"...You even cry for someone like me...now...I...can..."

"No…Nononono…Don't…"

I was too shocked to do anything, as the hand which touched me dropped slowly… until even her breathing stopped.

"...Thank you..."

Those were her last words, as she closed her eyes… her life having faded.

She passed away smiling… I… I lost the strength to stand… the resolution to continue… the will to fight.

Everything inside me had shattered. It was just like that time at the Tower of Heaven… The time when Simon died in front of me… Ever since then, I promised I would never let someone die in front of me ever again… but… but?!

…Back then, I was too weak… Why am I too weak when it mattered the most…? Why does my strength fail me when I needed it?!

I just knelt there, staring blankly at her angelic face… The tears, they wouldn't stop… They wouldn't stop falling…

"It's… It's not your fault, Natsu…"

I… Why did she have to…?

Why?! Why did this girl have to die?!

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAARGH!

"Hey God! You're there, aren't you God?! You were watching right?! You were watching all of this right!?"

I shouted my anguish heavenward, directing it at the one who was supposed to be watching. I didn't know who was going to answer me, I didn't know if someone would even answer me… I didn't even know why I was doing this, but I had to vent out my anger… my frustration… my regret. Even as I knew that prayers would hurt me, I didn't care. I had to let it out… I had to let everything out.

"What did she do to deserve this?! Tell me, why did you have to take her away?! Answer me! She only wanted us to get along! She was my friend! She was a kind girl! Why?! Why?!"

But no one answered me… The wind was the only thing which seemed to acknowledge my remorse. I knelt still, in the middle of a ruined church, carrying a dead girl's body with me… powerless, and too weak to even do anything to save her...

"Did this happen because I fell into this world!? Was this the cause of me becoming a devil?! Did you abandon her because I was her friend!? Is it my fault?! Is it my fucking fault?! Answer me!"

If only I had power… If only I had my magic… If only I had gotten here sooner, this wouldn't have happened. Why… Why was I too weak…?

"Natsu… it's not your fault…" Issei was comforting me, but I knew that he too was in despair.

I continued bellowing my rage into the heavens. My throat was starting to hurt from all the shouting, and the fatigue from the endless work I had done had finally caught up… but still—

"She trusted you! She prayed to you, but you abandoned her! She loved you, so why did you leave her…?! Why did you forsake her?! Answer me, dammit! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaanswer meeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Ara… A devil repenting inside a church, what has the world come to…?"

The heavy footsteps came towards me, but I didn't bother looking at her, even as she walked in front of me.

…Why was she here…? What happened to Koneko and Kiba?

—It was Reynare, but I didn't care anymore…

Asia…

"Look at this—this is the wound I got from the "Knight" boy while I was coming here."

She spoke, but I wasn't paying attention. A flash of green light caught my eye.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

"It's wonderful, isn't it? I can heal any kind of wound. To us fallen angels, who have lost the protection of God, that child's Sacred Gear is a special gift."

That light… It was Asia's…

They had stolen it… an because of that, Asia… Asia…

I was angry…but I was too sad to care.

"Now, I will be able to heal my fellow fallen angels. Azazel-sama and Shemyaza-sama will finally acknowledge my importance. My status will rise… Aah, Azazel-sama, this is all for your sa—"

"Shut the fuck up." I cut in nonchalantly, glaring at her through the hair which obscured my eyes.

"Fallen-angels… God… Devils… None of that had anything to do with Asia, yet—"

"Of course it did… After all, she had a Sacred Gear."

"So what?! She could have lived a peaceful life! Why did you have to take that peaceful future from he—"

"Are you really that stupid?! Of course she won't have a peaceful life! Humans who have been born with a Sacred Gear are irregularities; what do you think would happen if other people found out about their powers? The normal humans would come to hate her, and even—"

"… I would protect her." I gritted my teeth, but—

"Hahahaha! You're joking, aren't you?! You already failed—she's dead, just like that filthy human boy—Hyoudou Issei! You failed to save him too! Despite you're strength, you failed to save everyone close to you—"

SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH! SWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSH

A shout broke our conversation, as the sound of approaching wings came towards us.

"Reynare!"

Two pairs of feet descended from the skies, and when I took a closer look at them, I realized that it was those two female fallen angels… but their clothes were in tatters, and blood was dripping from wounds all over their bodies. But even though I could literally see their underwear through all the holes and scratches which were made on their clothing, Issei remained silent…

"It's the Gremory girl! We managed to escape, but she killed Dohnaseek, and every single one of our back-ups!" The Lolita girl rasped; shock etched on her face.

buchou? Why was buchou fighting with them…?

"I never knew she was that strong… We should hurry; she might be on her way here." Reynare replied. The tall, trench coat-clad brunette looked at me for a brief second, before turning back to their leader.

"Is it done?"

Reynare brandished the Sacred Gear which had positioned itself on both her ring fingers, and placed both hands on their wounds.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

"I see… It really is able to heal anything."

I watched as their wounds disappeared… I watched, as they used Asia's pure power heal their tainted bodies…

After she had completed her task, Reynare sneered at my kneeling form yet again.

"So, what will you do now, Natsu Dragneel? Are you just going to kneel there in front of her forever?"

…If I could, then I would…

But youYou guys still need to pay.

"...I can't forgive you...I can't even forgive myself…."

…power.

Give me power…

Buchou's words echoed in my mind.

"—Desire. Sacred Gears are driven with the power of desire. And it also determines the power for it as well."

…However, it was Issei who seemed to have grasped it first.

"Give her back…" He voiced out, hatred in his voice.

I closed my eyes, and muttered in agreement.

"You bitches will pay… you will definitely pay."

"He's broken… Kalawarner; he's yours—" Reynare's voice was drowned by my thoughts.

"—Even though you are a Devil, your will to desire hasn't been lost. The stronger you desire, the stronger your Sacred Gear will respond to you."

I see…

So that's what I lacked…

The desire to become stronger was simply not enough… The desire to go home had been lost, and even the desire to protect with it…

I wanted her alive.

"Give Asia back!" Issei shouted once more.

I wanted her back.

Both of us did, and as our desires become one, something inside me changed once more.

"Will you hear me this time…?" I asked silently, as I confirmed my resolve.

The Sacred Gear answered me.

SHIIIIINE!

CLICK…. WHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIR!

[RED DRAGON'S AWAKENING: FIRST LIBERATION!]

DUGDUGDUGDUDGUDUGDUGDUGUDUGDUGDUGDUGDUGDUG!

…And the earth trembled, prompting the winged freaks to spread their wings and fly. The already weak ceiling was slowly falling apart, as the crumbling pillars started to lose parts of themselves even more... The pieces of broken furniture inside the room had started jumping, and even the unlit chandeliers themselves were swinging ferociously up above.

…But despite the tremor which was happening, Asia's body was left untouched by the shaking.

[BOOSTED GEAR SET: DRAGON BOOSTER!]

The jewel shined like never before, blinding my sensitive eyes, and everything near me was blown away… the noises died down, the tremor stopped, and the brightness faded.

I could see their eyes glued on me—no, on my arm.

"…What…is this?"

My arm had changed again. The red gauntlet from before had changed its bulky shape into a more compact and lightweight one. The green jewel on the center had gained markings which I couldn't discern, and the scaly pattern had become more intricate and detailed. The fingers had received sharp, claw like protrusions on the tips, and the knuckles had become more pronounced. The entire armor piece went up past my elbows, and several yellow spikes protruded from its sides.

"This is your Sacred Gear's true form… The Boosted Gear, a force capable of killing gods and demon lords alike."

—It was Ddraig's voice.

"How—" I asked, puzzled at the transformation.

"Desire… When this began, you wanted to go home, and Issei wanted women to come to love him. When you became a devil, both of your desires grew stronger, but they were still different, and the duality divided your powers… but now, your desires have become one… I have finally awakened the first of my powers…"

I see… So basically, Issei and I finally wished for the same thing…

But—

"What do I care about that…? I just want to make them pay…" I muttered sadly, as I closed my gauntlet covered hand in order to form a fist.

ZOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

From above, spear of light was thrown towards my direction, but.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

I moved my hand in front of me, and blocked the shot which should have impaled me. The long projectile bounced off as soon as it met my left hand—I didn't even feel the sharp light which was supposed to hurt me.

[BOOST!]

—My Sacred Gear shouted, but I was too distracted to pay it any attention.

"Ddraig…why am I so weak? Am I really this worthless without my magic?"

"You are not weak… You are strong beyond compare, yet your heart is clouded by despair… your thoughts linger on the past, with no disregard for the future… But now… open your eyes. If you wish to go home, you have a duty to finish… if you want to protect the ones close to you, you have to focus."

[BOOST!]

"Why? Why did she have to die? Why couldn't I protect her…?"

"Stop sulking, dammit! Focus your damn eyes in front of you! If you die, do you think it'll do you any good?! Do you think Asia would be happy if she saw you like this?! Do you think you'd be able to see them again if you fail here?!"

[BOOST!]

I… You're right…

I have to focus.

"Natsu… We—" Issei tried forming words, but I cut him off as I understood.

"I know Issei… I know."

[BOOST!]

Minutes passed by, but I just stood still… The fallen angels had been frozen like statues during the duration of the time, but soon, Reynare stepped out of her daze.

"Boosted Gear! Why does he have that?!" She shouted, her voice cracking.

"I thought it was a Twice Critical! You told me it was a Twice Critical!" Her blonde ally yelled with fury… but I—

[BOOST!]

"Natsu-kun!"

Koneko and Kiba had finally caught up, and the bruises and cuts on them told me that the last battle had been hard. The two fallen angels swooped down to face off against them, while Reynare stood speechless as she stared at my form.

[BOOST!]

Finally… I decided.

"Ddraig… Issei… lend me your strength."

"My power is yours, partner."

"I would've given it even without you asking."

"…Asia…"

[BOOST!]

DUGDUGDUGDUDGUDUGDUGDUGUDUGDUGDUGDUGDUGDUG!

And the earth trembled once more… At first, it was faint, but as the seconds passed by, it gradually grew stronger…

And as the fight happened, I realized something—My power had been building up ever since the gauntlet changed… It seemed as if my power had doubled as seconds passed by, but I wasn't even sure if it really was happening.

But I didn't care.

[BOOST!]

Every time the gauntlet gave this sound, my power gradually rose… The tremor was starting to become more noticeable, as my allies fought at a disadvantage, due to the flight of their opponents.

I heard the shouts they called, as the fight dragged on.

"Die already, pretty boy! I'm going to capture—"

"No! We are never handing him over to you!"

"You tiny midget—"

"…I will kill you for that."

[BOOST!]

Ten seconds… It happened every ten seconds.

…But why? Why was I—

"Partner… this is the Boosted Gear, and as you have noticed, it doubles the amount of power you hold after every ten seconds… and right now— hahaha, this would've been impossible if it wasn't you."

"What do you mean?" I asked Ddraig.

"Once your power is doubled, your stamina is reduced… From the very start, you already had monstrous strength, and if you double that, your body would have been at its limits by now. You've been building up power for the last couple of minutes, and even though it's the first time you have used this, you don't even feel the slightest bit of discomfort… It seems I don't need to regret my choice…"

[BOOST!]

"This is getting nowhere! Let's kill the boy, before he gets too powerful!"

Finally, both fallen angels shifted their focus to me, as they charged; spears at the ready.

The blonde was leading the attack, as Kiba's knees sagged from the weariness which caught up to him. Koneko caught him before he fell; her opponent had followed the first one.

"You're too dangerous to keep—We should end this, Kala—"

"I agree… It's a pity." The brunette muttered with regret, as they both aimed their spears at me.

"Wait—" Reynare called out to stop them…

"Senpai! Watch out!" Koneko tried to warn me…

"Natsu-kun!" Kiba had his arm outstretched, but…

[BOOST!]

They were still far away, but I didn't care… I swung my arm, and the moment I released the power which I was building up—

[EXPLOSION!]

GIYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

Everything was destroyed in the flash of green light… The entire church ceiling had collapsed, but the last attack turned even the roof into dust before they even fell to the ground. The force was easily comparable to my most powerful and destructive techniques and I wasn't even putting in any effort…

THUD…

When I looked again—The two fallen angels…they lay dead before me…

"No!"

I could see Reynare on the floor, and I knew that she too had been hurt from the impact. Kiba and Koneko had both gotten away from the blast, as they tried to protect Asia's body from any falling debris.

"Hahaha… I knew it."

I heard footsteps coming my way, and as the smell reached my nose, I confirmed the two newcomers.

It was Rias-buchou and Akeno-san.

"So, this is the Legendary Boosted Gear…" The crimson-haired girl traced her fingers on the metal plate which covered my left arm as soon as she reached me. Both of them looked unhurt, but their faces were sweaty.

However—

CLAPCLAPCLAPCLAPCLAP!

"My my my! What a tear jerking ending! Magnifico, magnifico!"

The shitty priest had returned. As soon as she saw him, Reynare screamed in a high pitched voice.

"Freed! Help me!"

The priest's psychotic faced turned into a frown, before he released a long sigh.

"…Don't wanna."

"…what?!"

"I said I don't wanna, you slutty bitch! Do you not understand the words coming from my mouth! Or what? For what?! Hahaha, can I fuck you?! Will you let me fuck you then?! How bout it? How bout it!?"

Reynare's shocked face morphed into one which was full of fury.

"You bastard!"

"Nyohohoho! You can burn in hell for all I care, you fucking bitch! And you—"

He pointed a finger at me.

"Natsu-chin, Natsu-chin… I'm getting turned on by you. You and that pretty boy are interesting, very interesting! How bout we do it next time, just the three of us?! Are you guys into it?! Who's gonna do the bending?! Who's gonna be on the receiving end?! Hahahaha, you are definitely on my list, pinky! The next time we meet, you better be ready for a romantic fight to the death, yeah~"

…When his psychotic face burst into a twisted grin, I couldn't help but feel shivers down my spine.

"Bye bye then! Don't forget to brush your teeth!"

And he vanished like smoke; even his very presence disappeared in a flash, but I was relieved…That fucking guy was definitely on the top of the people-I-didn't-want-to-meet-ever-again-list.

Buchou raised an eyebrow at me.

"Did you just—" Her cynical look was carrying an obvious question.

"What?! What is it?! I swear—I don't know the fucking guy!" I answered in defense, but she simply smiled.

"Even guys… you even attract guys… seriously."

Graaagh! What just happened?! I don't understand, but it's pissing me off!

Akeno-san was covering her mouth with a hand…and now that I noticed it, was she wearing a miko outfit? Why though…?

I tried to ask, but—

"Later… I'll answer you later." She winked seductively, and I swear Issei just gulped inside me…

But I still had matters to attend to. Buchou was apparently thinking along those lines.

"Natsu… let's finish this."

However—

"…Natsu-kun…? You…You wouldn't hurt me, right? Issei-kun, would be—"

Reynare had transformed… into Yuuma-chan. It was the Yuuma-chan that I had met… The Yuuma-chan that I had gotten to know… The Yuuma-chan that Issei had loved… and the Yuuma-chan who betrayed him.

I gritted my teeth in frustration, but Issei made the call for me.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

...

[Yuuma-chan… I loved you. I did my best… I did everything I could.]

Issei was talking through the Sacred Gear on my arm, as his voice resounded for all of us to hear.

Both seniors wore shocked expressions, but the fallen angel had tears in her eyes… She must've realized who was speaking.

…I knew she was faking it, but I decided to let Issei continue.

[When you told me you liked me, I was happy… so happy. Even though it didn't last long, you were my first girlfriend, my first love…]

"Yes, Issei-kun! I love you! I love you too! These devils, they're—"

[But everything was a lie… I can't believe I fell for a woman like you… An illusion… your betrayal scarred me… you even killed… Asia. I can't… not anymore…]

"Issei-kun! Help me! They're trying to—"

[Natsu..?]

"Yeah…?" I asked, though I knew what he was going to ask of me.

[…I can't take this anymore…please…end this for me."]

I nodded grimly, as I slowly pulled my hand back. She closed her eyes, as she knew that the time to die had finally come for her.

[BOOST!]

The Sacred Gear called one last time, before I swung again.

But the armored plating disappeared, before my fist even connected with her face...My clenched hand stopped inches from her cheek.

"I'm sorry, Issei… I just can't…" My hand dropped, before I turned around.

"…I see…" Issei muttered sadly.

I walked away, but I stopped halfway; after which I said this to buchou

"Buchou…please, take care of it for Issei…and for me."

She nodded firmly, as I went over to Asia's dead body.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

The last thing I heard from her was an ear splitting scream… a scream which had carried on towards the heavens, until it faded into oblivion…

xxx

When I arrived, both Koneko and Kiba had grim expressions on their faces. Asia's body lay on the ground, lifeless…but her angelic face shone despite this… her blonde hair hadn't lost its dazzle… but still…

"…I'm sorry, Natsu-senpai…" Koneko muttered tearfully, but I simply placed a hand on her shoulder.

"It's not your fault… You guys did your best, but—"

"What was she like?" Kiba asked suddenly, a sad look gracing his handsome face.

"She was—"

My tears were about to fall again...

GRAB.

A hand placed itself on mine.

It was buchou, and as she opened her free hand for us to see—two rings were lying on the palm of her hand.

It was Asia's Sacred Gear.

"…It's time to return this to Asia Argento."

"What do you—"

She let go of my hand, and pulled out something from her pocket—it was a crimson colored piece… A piece which seemed very familiar to me.

"What's that?"

"It's a bishop… Don't you remember?"

"…Huh?"

I answered stupidly due to the sudden topic. Why was she talking about chess all of a sudden?!

—I stepped back cautiously, not getting what she was pulling at.

Then, buchou pressed the objects into Asia's ample chest…

Crimson light erupted from the chess piece. On buchou's side, the same light coursed all over her, until it covered her entire body. I watched in shock; unable to grasp what was happening.

"I—Rias Gremory, order you—Asia Argento to rise back into this earth as my servant! Be reborn as a devil in my name—You, my new "Bishop", arise and be delighted!"

The red chess piece glowed and went inside Asia's body. At the same time Asia's Sacred Gear went back inside her together with it.

After confirming that everything was done, she stopped her spell, and sighed for a brief moment. My mouth hung open as I looked at her quizzically… She tilted her head towards Asia's direction, and when I looked—Asia had opened her eyes.

…My tears resumed their fall, but it was because of something different this time…

"Huh?"

They were tears of pure joy…

…It was Asia's voice. The voice that I thought I would never hear again. Rias-buchou squeezed my shoulder gently, and when I glanced back, she was giving me a warm smile.

I was happy and all, but I still didn't get it!

"…Eh…?"

"Natsu-san...!"

I was speechless, to say the least… And so was Issei.

"I resurrected her because of her healing ability… This would prove to be beneficial to us, especially since we are devils. Fufufu, Natsu—from now on you will protect her, since you will be her senior devil."

What the…hell?

"Eh?! You can do that?!"

Rias-buchou moved closer to Asia, and offered a hand for her to take.

"Asia Argento, no—Asia…What is Natsu to you?" She inquired with an impassive face.

Oi… What the hell are you asking her?!

But Asia blushed, before looking at me, and back at buchou.

"Natsu-san is the brother that I never had…"

"I see…" She nodded; seemingly satisfied with the answer.

…To that, I could only smile.

SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!

[Asia!]

"Huh? Who—" Asia's eyes wandered around, searching for the owner of the new voice.

[It's me! It's Issei!]

Her eyes fixed themselves on my left arm… my talking left arm.

"Issei-san? You really are inside Natsu-san's arm?!"

[Yes! Yes I am! ]

Don't say that proudly, you ass… It's really weird, you know.

Hey… Wait a minute—why are they starting to hear you now? I thought I was the only one—Aah, forget it.

I looked over to buchou, who was staring at me intently.

"When we get back, you have a lot of explaining to do."

…Gulp. I guess I'll go figure this one later, because right now…

I went over to Asia, and embraced her gently. I looked straight into those innocent emerald eyes, trying my best to stop the tears from flowing.

[You really do have a soft spot for kids… Are you a lolicon, or what?!]

Asia's already flushed face turned a shade darker after the statement, but I was ticked by the last comment.

"Issei…Kids look up to me. After all, I am a hero! Besides—Asia's not a kid! And…Call me a lolicon again, and I'll definitely tell your mom about your porno mags!" I bit back, shouting the last part at my arm.

The rest of the team found the scene funny, and started laughing.

[No! Anything but that!]

"Besides…" I looked at Koneko, but after smiling at her, her whole expression turned sour for some reason.

"…You're not expecting me to call you Onii-chan, are you senpai? You don't get any special treatment from me." She stated flatly, as the rest of the team laughed harder.

…Sigh… It seems not every little girl appreciate my awesomeness…

I glanced back to Asia's still puzzled face. I knew that right now, she had a lot of questions inside her head. Right now, she was in the stage of confusion—

But I simply grabbed her delicate hands and smiled.

"Asia… Let's go home."


—The next day—

…They took my last statement literally

…Family meetings carried importance in one's domain. To someone who had been orphaned like me, I had never gotten the luxury of attending one. Back in Magnolia, the regular guild gatherings were the closest experience I had to that of a family meeting. I had heard from Lucy that these types of meetings involved tons of shouting and fights, so I was pretty hyped as I sat ready for those things.

—It was a family meeting with the Hyoudou's. At first, I was skeptical as to why I had to attend this gathering, seeing as I wasn't even a member of the Hyoudou family; but Issei's parents insisted that I take part in the event which was happening, since I was supposed to be their "second" son. They even told me that we would have to discuss my earring, because I really did look like a punk with it after all… A cool punk, of course.

…Surprisingly, even buchou was here, and she was even preparing tea for the whole family's consumption. She sat down beside me after she had served the snacks to my guardians.

Now, for the matter at hand—

—Asia staying with us.

Ahh… I did tell her that we'd be going home, but I didn't expect this kind of turnout! After I woke up this morning, Asia and buchou had been waiting outside with some of Asia's things. Everything happened so fast that I could've sworn that time itself had been warped. After Asia introduced herself and stated her purpose (a slightly modified version of her story—half of which were lies of course.), buchou stood up and supported Asia's claim.

"Okaa-sama, otou-sama—because of this situation, will you allow Asia to stay here?" She asked gently, as her eyes glinted ominously.

My mouth hung open… because buchou just said something impossible to Issei's parents. Seriously, who'd believe that kind of story?! What do you mean Asia got kidnapped, and was smuggled into Japan illegally?! You're making this into a complex crime story, buchou-sama!

"It's impossible… As much as I want her to stay, no one would believe that story…" Issei agreed with me…

Both adults looked at Asia for a brief moment—What the…? Their eyes just wandered to my direction all of a sudden. Issei's dad coughed once and asked Asia a question.

"Asia-san, is it?"

"Yes, Issei's otou-sama." Asia responded nervously, and I could see her body shaking even.

But Issei's dad was…crying? Ahh—they were tears of joy, I guess.

"Otou-sama...ku... A beautiful foreigner is calling me father repeatedly. How should I put it? It rings a bell in my heart, in a really good way…"

"Why are you crying, Oji…?" I asked, but his tears grew in number.

"Dad! How unmanly of you to do that!"

"Ahh… If only Natsu calls me the same…" He muttered wistfully after considering my question.

Eh? Did he want me to call him that? Although I already stated that it wasn't right, which was why I referred to him as uncle every time we talked…

"Otou-san!"

Issei's mom punched his dad. Issei's otou-san realized the position he was in, and adjusted his glasses on order to show that he was back.

"A-Ahem! Well, honestly, I don't have a problem with it. Though, if Issei were here, it would be a different matter, because Issei is a sex craving maniac—but now that he's in Canada, we don't have to worry about you being… molested." He finished.

"Dad! You're so cruel, even to your own son! What about Natsu?! He's a guy too!" Issei was yelling inside me, but I agreed to his father's statement.

"That's right oji. You can't trust Issei in times like these…" I nodded firmly, as the occupants nodded back in understanding.

"—By the way, Asia-chan; do you know Issei?" Issei's mom asked suddenly, and Asia thought for a while, before nodding her head.

"Yes, Issei's okaa-sama. I am acquainted with Issei-san because of Natsu-san. He is a very friendly person."

"Aah… Asia! You are an angel!"

"I see… I see… Well, I don't have a problem with it too. Unlike Issei, Natsu is a very reliable and trustworthy you man. He is also very capable, compared to that useless and perverted excuse of a son we have." She stated boldly, and a bead of sweat rolled down my face.

"Kugh! It's a critical hit, mom! How can you say that?!"

…I knew Issei wanted to voice out his concerns to his parents, but he had promised never to reveal himself to regular humans. The Hyoudous didn't even know that he was in my arm, nor did they know that buchou, Asia and I were devils—and the fact that I was from another world, but really… even if we told them about devils, angels and fallen angels, I doubted that they would even believe us.

"Then how about if Asia becomes your daughter?"

What is that, Buchou...? You're making it sound very serious...

"What do you mean?"

"Otou-sama, Asia believes in Natsu very much. It's the same for me as well. Natsu does lack a bit of intelligence—"

"—Hey!"

"—but he is not a fool. His passionate soul is always burning; his flaming spirit gives him the courage and strength to overcome any and all obstacles which stand in his way. Both Asia and I are drawn to that part of Natsu. Isn't that right, Asia?"

"Yes! Natsu-san saved me by risking his life! He is my savior." She declared proudly, and I could only scratch my head at the proclamation.

"What about me, Asia~? What about me?"

Buchou continued while the pervert sulked.

"Asia treats Natsu as a brother figure… Since she has no one else to go to, I wanted the both of them to stay together."

"Then, I approve of it!" Oji-san finally confirmed it.

"Dad?!"

"Even without Issei gone, we have a couple of extra rooms to spare. If Asia wants to stay with Natsu, then let her be!" Issei's dad explained, while Issei's mom had a look of pure joy on her face.

"—If all it takes is to move away Issei's secret stash of porn, then I'll gladly oblige."

I smirked.

—They found out after all.

"Oh shittttttt! My secret porn stash! My mom knew!? She knew?! W-What did you do to it mom?! Mom!"

I chuckled, as the adults made their final decision.

"We will take care of you, Asia-chan; just as we have taken care of Natsu."

I smiled as the three of them looked in my direction.

Buchou nodded after hearing Oji-san's conclusion.

"Thank you very much, otou-sama. So Natsu—take care of Asia, okay? Asia—you will be staying with Natsu and Issei's family from now on. Get along with Issei's parents, all right?"

"Is it really alright? Won't it...be a burden...if I stay?" Asia was doubtful, but buchou assured her by saying—

"To get used to Japanese culture and lifestyle, it is the best to stay with people from this country. When I asked you who you wanted to live with the most, you said Natsu without a second thought, and even Natsu—who is a foreigner like you, has been able to improve by doing the same thing. "

"Yes. I did say that, but..."

Issei's dad took Asia's hands.

"It's alright, Asia-san! Get used to Japan at our house! You can stay here as long as you like!"

She was confused, but after seeing buchou's smile, she finally agreed.

"Okay, Buchou-san. I will be in your care, otou-sama, okaa-sama…" She bowed politely, while the adults wiped their tear-soaked eyes.

"You've been perfectly deceived, mom… dad..." Issei murmured, but I was the only one who heard his ramblings…

Asia turned to me and smiled.

"Please take care of me, Onii-chan!"

—And just like that, Asia had started living with us…And I was still a lost Dragonslayer, with an oppai obsessed pervert stuck on my arm.


And that my friends, is how you bring a cute foreigner into your house… and convince your parents to let her stay for an entire lifetime.—

'Sup?

And thus ends the first arc. The next chapter will begin the next story arc (Natsu vs. Raiser, anyone?) Like I said, I planned to end this one in a single update, but because it was so damn long, I ultimately had it split midway… So, in the end, I really did give a double chapter, didn't I?

So, three points of interest: One being Natsu's sealing artifact (the silver earring from the previous chapter)—and I'm not telling you why I decided to do it, cuz there'd be spoilers…spoilers everywhere! And I know that die hard Natsu fans must really, really hate me by now... Second, Issei is now able to talk via the Sacred Gear! Whoah! Mayhem and Chaos are sure to ensue! Other than those, the events are more or less the similar to the original (Except for Natsu's participation, of course.) Third—I'm not putting Asia in the harem. She'll be a sister type character instead (Dunno why I'm doing this though, but my gut tells me I should). If you've got questions and complaints, go pm me or something.

Also, you might've noticed that Natsu's personality is a bit unstable... One moment he's a happy-go-lucky-idiot, the next he's an angry, cold-blooded punk. I planned it like that, cuz right now, Natsu is still in the stage of confusion(if you don't know already.) He'll be like that until he starts opening up to the other characters.

…I'm too damn tired to add anymore stuff, so I'm saying this now—there might not be an update next month, cuz I'm going to focus on Ascalon (My studies have finally caught up with me, leaving me with the option to temporarily focus on a single fic… And because of this double chapter, I'm assuming you're satisfied…) However, if you convince me to reconsider… I might think about it.

Don't forget to leave a review!

…peace…