Return of the Dragons

Chapter 4: Potential

"Talking"

'Thinking'

(Ddraig)

[Albion]

*I do not own High School DxD or any of the characters.

(Akeno POV)

'Ugh, morning all ready, why does this have to end so soon?' I thought to myself as the morning sun penetrated the blinds in my bedroom.

It was just after 6:00am when I had woken up. Issei had held me in his arms all night, while I used his chest as a pillow. I gazed upon my lover with great joy. He was still asleep and snoring lightly.

'Issei, you look so adorable when you sleep'

I slid out of bed as quietly as possible; I didn't want to wake him. I just wanted to savor the moment of watching him slumber peacefully. I walked into my closet and grabbed a uniform and a towel and headed to the bathroom to shower and get ready.

I had just finished doing my hair when I heard Issei start to stir in the bedroom. He strolled into the bathroom and gently grabbed me by my waist as he nuzzled his head on my shoulder.

"Good morning beautiful, I hope you slept well," Issei said lovingly.

"Good morning Issei, I slept very well last night because I was in your arms." I smiled as I spoke to him.

"I'm glad to hear that Akeno. We start our training today, is that correct?"

"Yes we do Issei, I imagine that we will going to the mountains to prepare for the upcoming battle. Rias' family does own quite a bit of land in Japan so I bet that is where we will be heading. Which reminds me; you had better hurry up and get ready, we will be leaving in an hour or so."

With that I gave him a peck on the cheek and left the room so that he could get ready to leave. On my way out of my bedroom I ran into Rias' who was walking out of her bedroom. She was wearing her normal Kuoh Academy uniform.

"Hello Akeno,good morning!"

"Good morning Rias', I trust we are about to depart for the mountains?"

"Yeah, once Kiba and the others get here we will teleport to the base of the mountain to begin preparing for the game against Riser."

She paused for but a second and then continued.

"Akeno, might I have a word with you in private before we leave?"

"Sure Rias."

We departed for the kitchen where I prepared tea. I poured Rias a cup and then one for myself as well. As I handed her the cup she began to speak:

"So what happened last night Akeno?"

"Well, I helped Issei pack his things up at his place and—"

"After you got home Akeno..."

"Oh, we uh went to my room and we made love Rias. Last night, I became a woman and I also became Issei's girlfriend!"

Rias' eyes widened just a little bit but then she seemed to relax. Akeno let out a sigh of relief.

"Akeno, I'm happy to hear that you finally got to confess your feelings with Issei after such a long time apart. I do need you to stay focused though during this training camp. I can't have you guys being distracted during our sessions, so just keep it to a minimum."

"Ok Rias, I think we can manage that."

The girls then hugged and waited for the others to arrive so that the training could begin.

(Issei POV)

After Akeno left the room I got ready and took a quick shower. I decided against wearing my Kuoh academy school uniform as I felt the blazer and long pants might slightly restrict my movements. Instead I opted to wear something I felt comfortable wearing to train in. I put on a red t-shirt, a pair of red athletic shorts that had black stripes down the sides, a pair of red and black tennis shoes and my dragon necklace. I then rummaged through the pocket dimension where I stored most of my training equipment during periods of inactivity and withdrew a few essential items. The first was a bronze piece of chest armor. Since my teacher Chiron was originally a master for many of the Greek heroes of legend he preferred to deal with armor and weapons made from bronze. Thus the armor I would wear was of Greek design. I slid the chest armor on to my body and strapped myself in nice and tight. Then I started to put some of the other items I had removed from the pocket dimension into my backpack such as my canteen and a couple of survival ration bars, just in case. Last, I strapped my sleeping back to the top of my backpack and slid the backpack over my shoulders. I then headed down the stairs to see if the others were ready to leave yet.

When I arrived in the kitchen, everyone was there and ready to go. It seemed as though everyone else was in the school uniform. I then got a weird glance from both Rias' and Akeno.

"Issei, what are you wearing?" Rias asked me.

Akeno chimed in after her, "And what is with the sleeping bag Issei?"

"This is my typical training attire. It's bronze armor that the warriors of ancient Greece would wear. And I thought since we were training in the mountains it might be better to bring a sleeping bag so I don't have to lie on the ground…"

That elicited a chorus of hearty laughter from everyone but Asia, who seemed to be confused as to why everyone was laughing at me. Rias was the first one to regain her composure.

"Issei, I think you might have misunderstood where we are going to be training at. As long as you're comfortable with your attire then I see no problem with it. But about our training camp… Actually, it might be better if we just left the training location as a surprise for you until we get there."

She then looked at Akeno and said "Akeno will you teleport us to the base of the mountain."

In a flash of light the kitchen faded from sight and we arrived at the foot of a large mountain. The first thing I saw while surveying the area was a forest right in front of the mountain as well as several mountains on either side. It was a sunny day without a single cloud in the sky which made the scenery of the mountains and woodlands even more spectacular. After gazing at the beauty of my current environment I was brought back to reality by Rias' voice.

"Earth to Issei!" She shouted.

"Huh, oh sorry Rias, I was just admiring the incredible view here. I love the seclusion of the mountains. I apologize if I wasn't paying attention to your instructions," Issei said while bowing profusely.

"Issei, it is quite alright, there is no need to bow so much. I just want to test your newfound strength. Would you please carry some of the equipment up the mountain?"

"Uh…sure…"

Some of the equipment was an understatement. Not only did I have to carry my bag, I also had to carry Akeno's, Rias', and Asia's backpacks up the mountain along with a giant bag full of what I thought might be bricks considering how much it weighed. Although, it wasn't as heavy as I was expecting. Rias explained that by becoming a devil my strength had increased exponentially so it seemed like I was just lugging an extra 5 pounds on my back instead of the several thousand that it actually was. I had no room to complain though considering that Koneko was carrying at least three times the amount that I was.

I lumbered up the mountain with resounding speed. I was about 500 yards ahead of the rest of the group, including Kiba who possessed lightning fast speed. Sweat was pouring down my face and it drenched my shirt as well, but I had never felt better than I had in that moment. I could definitely feel how much my power had risen since becoming a devil just a day ago. Since the group was so far behind me I decided to rest on a rock along the mountain path. From the looks of the sky it seemed to be about midday and the top of the mountain was within view. We would arrive at the top within the hour so long as the others picked up the pace. Once the group was 100 yards away I got up from the rock I was sitting on and stretched my arms and legs. In an instant I sprinted the rest of the way up the mountain. By the time I reached the top of the mountain I collapsed from exhaustion. I threw off the equipment I was carrying and laid down on my back and waited for the others to arrive.

Once the others arrived I got up and followed them for a little while until we reached our destination. My mind was blown by what I saw next. Our "campsite" definitely wasn't what I had in mind. In front of me was a lavish mansion. It had four levels to it and it even had an outdoor pool behind it. To say the least it was impressive.

"Now I understand why you guys were laughing at me for bringing a sleeping bag…"

"Oh Issei, this isn't even the biggest home my family owns. Some of our houses in the underworld are twice this size."

All I could think was 'Wow! This is a small house to you?'

I turned to Rias and I asked her a question, "So Rias, what did you have in mind for training?"

"Well, I thought that instructing you and Asia about devil culture might benefit you two a little bit. So we will do just that, as well as teaching you both how to control your newfound demonic power. After that we can spend the rest of the time sparring and going over strategy for the game with Riser."

"Can I make a suggestion?"

I knew that Rias' intentions were good, but it would not be enough for the group to keep up with Riser's peerage. I thought she might tell me that I needed to learn my place. I was just a pawn after all and with her being the king of the peerage that her opinion was all that mattered, but that never came. Instead she smiled at me.

"What did you have in mind Issei?"

I was a little shocked at first but I answered her question, "Well, don't get me wrong there are parts to your training program that are great and we should definitely keep. However, all of that isn't enough for most of your pieces to keep up with Riser. I think that for today only we could spend time going over a few key components of devil culture since Asia and I are new devils, but I also think we should spend today analyzing our strengths and weaknesses. We can then make individual training programs for each one of us. It might also help to do some team building type training. Individuals can be strong and hard to take down, but strong individuals who work well together as a team are nearly impossible to stop unless there are overwhelming odds stacked against them."

Rias looked somewhat surprised by my take on our preparation.

"Issei that is a brilliant idea, but what do you have in mind for team preparation?"

"How about we play a game of capture the flag as a portion of our training? It is similar to the rating game. Not to mention that it would give Asia and the others some actual combat experience before our game with Riser. We can decide on teams once we finish training."

Rias seemed happy with my suggestions, "Then it is decided! I shall prepare our strategy for the game. Today we should focus on teaching our new members and learning about each other's strengths and weakness, the three days after that Akeno and I will train you and Asia on how to harness your demonic powers. Once that portion of training is done we can focus on individual training needs for a few days. On our last day of training we can have the team building training."

It was also decided that we would have the day before the match to rest up and heal any fatigue and injuries. Currently, we were in a meeting room inside the mansion learning some key things pertaining to devil culture albeit they were pretty basic things. We learned about the 72 pillars, history of the Gremory clan, the names of the current Devil Kings, and even some details about the rating game.

It was a long lesson in culture but it was beneficial. By the time it was complete it was 8:00pm and so all of us agreed that dinner was calling our names. So Akeno and Asia cooked a delicious feast for the entire Gremory group. We ate quickly and then proceeded back to the meeting room to talk about ways to cover our weaknesses.

Starting out it was a simple meeting. Rias began and she talked about her strength being the power of destruction. Then came her weakness, which she cited that she felt inept in terms of strategy when compared to other kings. We went down the line discussing our faults and our beneficial qualities. Kiba and Koneko were almost mirror opposites, what one found great success with the other seemed to lack in that area. Asia spoke about her ability as a healer and her knowledge of devils' weaknesses and she noted that her lack of battle experience as her greatest flaw. Akeno followed up after Asia. As she spoke I listened intently to what the woman I loved had to say. She spoke about her ability to harness the power of thunder and of her extremely high tolerance for pain.

'Wait…why was she smiling about that?'

She continued by discussing her weaknesses before the entire group. She said her greatest weakness was that she has yet to tap into her greatest power. I could tell that it bothered her that she had yet to unlock her full potential. But she wasn't the only one. It was a minute before I realized that she had finished and that everyone was now staring at me now lost in my own thoughts.

"Well Issei, it's your turn. And if I must say I'm eager to learn more about you" Rias said.

"Yeah Issei, even I don't know much about your abilities," Akeno agreed.

"Ok, well my greatest strength is the fact that I possess the power of one of the two heavenly dragons and I've even attained my Balance Breaker which is Welsh Drag"on Scalemail."

"That is impressive!" Kiba noted.

"Yeah it is kind of interesting if you think about it. Now that I'm a devil I'm sure it will be much easier to maintain my form and fight for a longer duration in balance breaker. On top of balance breaker I'm also fairly skilled with my sword Draconic Flame and I'm a master in hand to hand combat."

"The swordsmanship intrigues me Issei. Do you possess any other useful skills?" Kiba asked.

"Umm, I do have a few tricks up my sleeve. But those are only for do or die situations. I'll tell you guys about it before the game in case I feel I need to use them, ok?"

Everyone seemed to respect my privacy on the topic and I was getting up to exit the room since the meeting was concluded. That was until Koneko spoke up and caught me by surprise.

"What about the gift Ddraig spoke of last night? Is that the trick?" She said with a seemingly emotionless face.

"Yeah what is this gift Issei and what about your weaknesses?" Rias asked next.

I was taken aback. Why were they bombarding me with questions all of a sudden? I mean the gift wasn't my ace in the hole. It was more of a burden.

"Come on Ise, you can tell us anything. We're almost like a family here." Akeno smiled.

"Yes Mr. Issei, I'm sure you don't have any real weaknesses. You're so strong! You helped to save me from death." Asia replied in agreeance with Akeno.

This was almost more than I could take. They had no idea that I could be the downfall to the team.

"Come on Issei! Out with it," Kiba yelled teasingly.

I replied back to them in a cold tone, "No, the gift Ddraig spoke of isn't my ace in the whole. If anything the gift is a symbol of my weakness."

Their faces looked shocked by the emptiness in my voice. But I continued to speak.

"It isn't even close to my greatest failure, but yet it is the representation of all of my failures. I can't use it properly and I probably never will be able to use it. It requires me to free my mind and my heart from the chains that bind them, but to do that would require me to forgive myself. And I cannot forgive myself for the suffering I have caused to those who get close to me."

"Oh Issei…" Akeno cried.

I was fighting back my own tears at this but I trudged through nonetheless.

"I told you all that I had contemplated turning down the offer last night. And I had good reasons to do so. I bring nothing but pain and misery to the people I come into contact with. I failed to save both Akeno and Asia initially and it was only thanks to Rias that they were able to live; it had nothing to do with me being powerful or strong. My weakness is that I am weak. I am too weak to protect those around me. I couldn't even protect my family from being ripped from my life. Some Red Dragon Emporer I am, I'm pathetic."

A mix of sorrow and astonishment showed on every persons face. Hell Akeno, Asia, and even Rias were balling their eyes out. I couldn't handle this anymore.

"If you'll excuse me I'll be going to bed." I said.

Rias and Akeno both tried to speak to me. But I was gone. I ran to the room I was staying in and I locked the door. I wanted to be left alone.

(Issei, you aren't pathetic. You have so much potential. If only you would allow yourself to be free from the misery you put yourself through. You know-.")

"Shut it Ddraig! I don't need this right now."

The dragon inside me went silent. I plopped down on the giant bed inside my room and I began to cry.

'Ha, I have potential, what a joke. The only potential I have is the potential to fail.'

Author's Notes:

Hey everyone! It has been awhile and I apologize! Although you may not want to hear it I do have a good excuse for why I haven't updated in almost two weeks! The first being that I had a little bit of writers block, and the second reason and probably more than likely the reason for said block is work! I work at my family's business and we have a relatively decent sized store. But we also have a small staff of about 12 people, so it can get pretty hectic. I have put in almost a 100 hours in at work over the last two weeks due to my cousins going on vacation and other employees being sick, so I've been pretty tired lately. Hopefully you all can forgive me?

If this chapter isn't your cup of tea please don't give up on me. I know there wasn't much going on during this chapter, but the next chapter will be the actual training portion and I will dive more in depth into developing the relationships with the other ORC members. Anyone have any guesses as to what Issei's ace in the hole might be? Here's a hint… it has something to do with his dragon necklace (Reference chapter 1) and it's more about the items ability rather than something Issei was actually born with.

My goal is to start updating on Mondays by 11:00 pm Eastern Standard Time. Next Monday I will try to have two chapters for you to make up for my two weeks off! I plan to finish the training and dive into the actual rating game.

As always thank you for your continued support! I cannot tell you how blessed I feel at this moment. This story has exceeded all of my expectations going into it and I cannot thank my readers enough.

One last note before I go! I am looking for one or two beta readers. I want to make this story the best that I possibly can and I am looking for two people who would be willing to look over the story and help me find plot holes, grammar issues, or even just someone who would be happy to listen to ideas I have for the story moving forward and give me an objective opinion on it. If that sounds like something you would be interested in then please send me a private message. I look forward to hearing from potential betas as well as reviews over the chapter!