Eighth, the Dragoon

by Arrixam

Through tragedy, Issei awakened a power which places him as a Predator, one of the most dominant beings on the planet. As the Eighth, he must defend the planet from a force beyond his current means. Ideals clash, blood is shed, and hearts are broken in his struggle to protect those he loves most dear. But he can do it. He has become Y Ddraig Goch. (Slight AU, OP Issei, OCs inside)

4. The Face-Stealing Monster

A note from the author!

Just a few days and here's the next chapter. Originally I planned on this being the entirety of the Asia arc (and how dare you people claim I've forgotten about her!) but it began to stretch on to 13k words and I found myself BARELY halfway done. So I've decided to cut it in half. This would be part one of the chapter.

Now to answer a few things before I tackle the whole... Ayame fiasco.

First, the idea of Predators come from my original stories... which I don't really post anywhere. I have one on my fictionpress account, but it's quite outdated. So for you people asking me where you can read where Predators come from, I apologize but it won't be anytime soon. The story is something I plan on publishing in the future... whenever that will be.

Second, someone made mentioning of Issei meeting Lolifor. To that I say NO! For those of you who do not read Doll Maker (my other story on this site), Lolifor is the son of First Predator Archibald and is FREQUENTLY remarked as a pedophile by the main character, Artemis. However, Lolifor is the leader to a Fight Club-ish organization known as Legion (go watch the movie Fight Club if you don't know what I'm talking about). Except Legion is run by an oligarchy of super-perverts just as bad as Issei. Should the two meet, then without a doubt Issei will join, effectively growing their military might beyond anyone's control. Thus... other Predators would be deployed to wipe out Legion...

Third, I will be taking a break once I finish this Asia arc. Everyone keeps making mentions of DxD character and I, shamefully, admit I don't know who they are. My information comes from the anime and SOME of the wiki. I'm barely anywhere of mention in the LN... I really don't want to admit where. So I won't be writing after the next chapter until I catch up with the LN. And hopefully by then I will be able to give a plot for the story rather than using the canon storyline as a template.

Now... about... ugh... Ayame.

Seriously, I don't know what I did RIGHT. Tell me I did something wrong and I'll be able to pinpoint what it was without a problem. But I received the most amount of reviews in the last chapter compared to all my other stories. ALL OF WHICH had readers telling me to not kill her. Honestly... It makes me smile to see she was so well loved.

I should drink more often. That's right! I wrote half of that chapter DRUNK!

So in regards to what I plan on doing with her, I've already made my decision and I hope you all respect it. If not, then I welcome the flames. No really, I do. Bring it. But we really won't see what that decision was until the next chapter. So here I present to you something of a teaser to what MIGHT happen. I'll let you all come up with your own story on what I plan on doing. In the meantime, I'm going to go finish the next chapter. Hopefully that'll be up by friday before the Dark Souls DLC... or else I'll never get to it.

Thank you everyone for reading and thank you for reading this long author's note. Enjoy!

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"You were a fool to have done that," stated Sister Serene as she stood at attention while Asia packed what little she had. "But I do not blame you, nor should you blame yourself. Yours is a kind heart who only saw someone hurt."

"M-Madame Serene…" Asia shut her case as she looked at her senior with a heartbroken gaze. "It's not true is it? Am… Am I really some sort of witch?"

The elder gave a dispassionate gaze in return. It was not full of motherly love but at the same time it wasn't filled with any sort of malice. In regards to Asia, she was just another girl. "Only if you believe yourself to be. The Church and its teachings are those devised by man, who is run by man, and who dictate what is just according to man. God is above these. If he granted you such a blessing, then who are we to question it? God loves all his children, does he not?

"Honor thy neighbor, Asia, and so you have. Love another as you would yourself, and so you have. You have followed the Words of the Lord more than those who condemn you. Do you believe yourself to be a witch?"

Asia clutched her rosary close to her chest. She understood and thanked Sister Serene's words, but there was still the pit of dark, that pit of doubt she couldn't ignore. "But… why must I be excommunicated? Why must you have me exported from the country as though I've done something wrong? Sister, can you not talk to them to let me stay? I love the Church and I love being a Sister. It's breaking my heart to be forbidden from being what I love…"

Serene did not move from her post to comfort the girl or to wipe away her tears. It was as though her attention was driven away by something else with the way she was looking around, always checking corners and shadows as though something were lurking within. Nonetheless, the Living Saint responded, "No one is forbidding you from your duties. Not even God Himself bears that power. The power to do such comes from you, Asia.

"I am sending you to Japan for your safety. The Devil you healed is a dangerous one who has eluded my attention for many a year. He will no doubt be coming back for you. This Devil has broken the virtue of many sisters and maidens alike in the name of his lust. My duties prevent me from properly protecting you, and even my words cannot sway the public from condemning you as a witch.

"The ticket of flight I am giving you will state you are traveling to the Americas. I've spoken with an acquaintance of mine in Los Angeles to create a distraction as though you are staying there. Hopefully our Devil will walk into the trap."

"But Sister, why Japan?" asked Asia.

For a moment, Serene's brows twitched with slight annoyance. It could have just been a trick of the light, though Asia. Serene was the pinnacle of patience. "Because I am sending you to be under the protection of another associate of mine. One who does not have any ties to the Church, let alone any ties to any faction. He is a teenage boy who lives a normal life, but only on the surface."

Again, Asia could have sworn Serene's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. She could have also sworn there was something like a tick-mark twitching by her right temple. "He is a sexual deviant who has no control over his hormones whatsoever, but… I will acknowledge his pure heart to never give in to lust. I… trust him."

It sounded like she had to struggle to say those last words…

She went on, "He will protect you, without a doubt of my mind. So long as you stay by his side, there is nothing in this world that will threaten your existence. Once you find him, do not leave his side no matter what. Take this letter and make sure it never leaves your possession. Once you find him, give it to him. He will take care of the rest."

Asia took the envelope and put it inside her robes. "When… when will I be able to return?"

"…I don't know. We must leave now. Are you ready?"

Asia took one last look at the small room the Church had granted her. It was possible, as it was felt through her heart, that this might be the last time she will be able to step foot here again. This was the place where she grew up. This was the orphanage that accepted her when her mother couldn't. This was her home… and she was being forced to flee from it by her mistake.

"…Yes, Sister. But… who is the one I am looking for once I reach Japan?"

"Issei Hyoudou."

*Scene*

Asia never met her protector. Madame Serene did state she will be alone until this Issei character revealed herself. Unfortunately, even Serene didn't know the address of her protector and only knew the name of the city he lived in. With only a name, Asia looked all over the city for the residence of her guardian. Except it came quickly to her that she had no idea how to speak Japanese, and she especially couldn't read the language. So asking anyone for directions was next to hopeless.

Plus with a few million people living in the city, there were a few dozen 'Issei Hyoudou' registered. She was looking for a needle in a haystack.

…That is until she met an exorcist by the name of Freed Sellzen.

Freed was just like her. He was deemed a genius at a young age but was kicked out of the Church for being 'too good' at his job. Just like Asia, he was branded as a heretic and forced to flee. As an exorcist, he hunted Devils, monsters, and heretics alike. His excommunication didn't stop him from performing his duties to this day. To Asia, he was nothing short of a hero in her eyes… if not a little odd with his behavior. Alas, when she asked if he knew anyone by the name of Issei Hyoudou, he denied any knowledge but decided to bring her to his current employers to see if they did.

She was brought to the ruined church and was told by Freed the destruction of the building was caused because the territory of the city was overseen by Devils. There, she met a group of Fallen Angels who had taken residence within the underground chambers of the church.

Two of them were crippled. Asia, being who she was and couldn't stand the sight of them wreathing in pain, used her Sacred Gear of Twilight Healing to rejuvenate their bodies. And, perhaps because of her kindness, God had granted her a sign. When she inquired the same question to them, both the crippled Fallen Angels knew the name of her protector.

"Stick with us for a while and I'm sure you'll see him," said the woman, Raynare.

…Which lead to now, a few days later from then. Freed had asked her to accompany him in an exorcism. While Asia wasn't that sort of nun like Sister Serene, it was also the Living Saint who stated it was up to Asia if she wanted to continue with her priestly duties or not. There wasn't much she could do to help. So while Freed was busy with the exorcism inside the house, Asia was occupied putting up a barrier around the outside of the house.

She wasn't so skilled in these sorts of mystic arts as some of the more practiced exorcists. But she had been taught the bare minimum as a training regimen to improve her efficiency with Twilight Healing. The barrier she put up took a good half an hour. It wasn't the most structurally fortifying one, but it could block minor spells while keeping the normal populace from noticing anything irregular from going on.

With a sigh of relief at a job well done, Asia wiped the sweat off her brow.

There was a twinkle in the sky that caught her attention. So bright and florescent it couldn't have been a star. Plus it was moving too fast to be a plane or a satellite. What could it possibly—

Her eyes widened as she quickly realized the light was growing brighter and closer at an alarming speed. Before she could understand what was going on, the object had crashed through her barrier, shattering it instantly. By its trajectory, it should have crashed onto the ground. But it suddenly jerked upwards before hitting the floor and burst through a window.

Asia wasn't sure what just happened.

*Scene*

Rias was growing deeply worried over her Pawn. She decided to give him some space since the Stray Devil incident, and she even excused him for ditching school the next morning, but she was worried because he didn't report on the evening. No matter how many times she tried to reach him, he wouldn't respond. She could still sense his presence within the town so could assume all was fine.

In the meantime, Rias will not be ashamed to admit that she used her resources to dig through Issei's known history. The way he reacted out of Akeno's sadism was an obvious trigger of some sort of traumatic event. It didn't take a genius to figure out it had something to do with his home, seeing as the boy lived alone. She thought about asking his two friends, but it was more than likely they wouldn't tell her anything.

It was from a police report dating three years ago that gave her a hint. The report indicated there was a burglar invading his house, stole some petty jewelry, and killed both his parents when a struggle surfaced. But if she were going off of the report then it wouldn't indicate why he had some sort of PTSD behavior. It was possible his parents were tortured before his eyes. However, when Rias tried to dig a little deeper, she couldn't find anything else.

It was as though someone went out of their way to conceal the evidence. Not even her Devil charms or other resources could grant her information.

She wanted to confront this with Issei. Something terrible obviously happened and someone was doing their damnest to cover it up. As his King, Rias wanted nothing more than to learn more about her Pawn. She also wanted to comfort him if he was still grieving after all these years… For three years he had no one but himself to go to.

However, the next morning when she decided to pay him a visit, she found his wards had been… improved. She could no longer teleport within his house. Akeno stated she could undo them again, but felt she wouldn't be able to regain Issei's trust if she did. They had no choice but to leave him in privacy. But if he continued to ignore them then Rias will have to put her foot down. Isolation was one of the worst signs of depression.

Except, in the middle of her fifth period class, Issei's signature had vanished from the town. Her worry skyrocketed as she practically ran out of the classroom. This time, she forced Akeno to undo the protections around his house and braced herself for the worst. It notably took longer than last time, a testament on how much Issei didn't want anyone to enter.

There was no one home, nor were there any clues that could explain what happened to Issei. His energy signature was last pinpointed on this spot, but then vanished in a blink. No matter how much the two of them searched, they couldn't come to any conclusion.

They did, however, find several other noteworthy articles within his house. Tags filled with intricate magic sigils and runes hidden within the walls, cases full of armored clothing, an entire room modified to be some sort of medical treatment office with shelves filled to the brim with tools, bandages, and medicines, and there was the computer receiving messages and reports left and right in almost every language known to man— all of which regarded disastrous events currently partaking around the world.

And then there was the porn. Leagues of it. As it turns out… Issei really was a pervert. This whole time Rias thought it was some brilliant façade. She wanted to believe he left it there for people to find so to continue fooling others into believing the lie. But she knew the truth. And she had to accept it…

Rias didn't know what to do. Her Pawn just vanished into seemingly nowhere and she had no leads as to where or what. With her options limited, and as she was tired of this nonsense, she gave Sona a call and demanded answers from her.

Sona replied with it was up to Issei if he wanted Rias to know. However, if Rias wanted answers, then it would be best to wait for Issei to return within a few hours. The tone Sona shared spoke that Issei's disappearance was part of a norm.

So Rias sat on the couch and waited for Issei to return… whatever that meant. There weren't any magic signatures other than the dormant tags littering around the house, and Akeno examined them being nothing but traps for unwanted intruders. Therefore, Issei couldn't have just teleported to parts-unknown. With her Queen going back to the clubroom to explain the situation to her other Pieces, Rias waited patiently for her Pawn.

With the sun long setting, and with her worry starting to get the best out of her, her heart skipped a beat when Issei's signature just… popped back into existence. She rose from her feet as her head swiveled around in an attempt to hone in on it. Her sense picked up it was coming from the basement.

The door leading down there had opened. A less bright and wearier Issei entered the hallway and made his way towards the living room instead of the stairs or nearby bathroom. His shoulders were slumped and his clothes stuck to him from excessive sweat. He wasn't in his casual attire or school uniform; he was wearing a pair of padded armor like the kind Rias found earlier. Though he looked exhausted, there was a warm expression on his face as though he had accomplished something to be proud of.

His eyes locked on with Rias without a sign of surprise. He knew she was here, probably the whole time, which would explain why he was coming directly to the living room. "Buchou," he greeted with a small smile and a raised hand.

Immediately, Rias ran up to him and embraced him, catching him in shock. A heavy weight was lifted off her chest as she saw he was perfectly fine. "I'm so glad you're all right. You made me so worried."

"I-I'm sorry, Buchou?" Issei stuttered as he had no idea how to act in a situation like this. Here was the girl of his desires clutching on to him, pressing her breasts against him, and ready to cry for him. It was like a dream come true in his mind, but he lacked the experience to know how to progress this any further.

She broke off of him and gripped his arms firmly. Her brows creased in slight anger that made Issei think she was that much cuter. "You should be! Issei, I don't know what's going on, but please don't make me worry about that ever again. With the way you left us the other night… I thought… that the worst had happened to you…"

Issei was stunned into silence.

"You don't have to tell me anything… If you still don't trust me I understand… But you're my Pawn and I care about you very much, Ise. Just… let me know if you're going to do something like this again."

"Don't worry, Buchou," Issei assured her with a large grin. "You're still my master and I still owe you my life. I'm never going to leave your side. And I'm sorry for not giving you a call last night. Something really important came up that needed my full attention. But on the bright side, I finally managed to convince Aya-nee to sign a contract with me! Will you be willing to accept that as my apology?"

"Aya…-nee?" Rias blinked and broke off of Issei now that the situation had calmed down. "You mean that Nakashima girl who keeps summoning you? Well… if you do manage to make a pact with her then I suppose I could overlook this."

"Yosh!" Issei cheered as he pumped his fist into the air. "I've guaranteed it, Buchou! This will make my fifth contract this week!"

Behind the couches, directly at the crossroad between the hallway, living room, and kitchen, a magic circle lit up the room. Rias immediately recognized it as the Sitri summoning sigil with the unique runes surrounding it being specifically Sona's.

Seconds after, the Sitri Heiress appeared with the circle fading away. Her brows were closely pressed together and twitching through barely contained rage. Despite her obvious sign of agitation, she still stood regal and presented herself accordingly. "Rias… Hyoudou."

Issei blinked in confusion as to why he was being addressed like so. However, when given a moment to think it over, he came to some sort of revelation within himself. Issei gave an audible gulp as his face paled. Even Rias cocked a brow at the name. All of the familiarity between the two of them was missing, and from Issei's reaction it was clear he knew the reason why.

"S-Shitori-sempai," Issei's voice was high-pitched in almost a panic. He put his hands up pleadingly as he even took a few steps away from her. "Wait! I can explain!"

Calmly, and that was stretching the word beyond its definition, Sona fixed the position of her glasses with a shaking hand. "And I would love to hear it. I wonder what could warrant you to break all of our efforts, all our planning, all our training to keep your appearance as big of a secret as it was. Not just mine, but with your beloved seniors as well. And I hope you didn't do this for some girl."

Issei opened his mouth… but no words could come out. He began to sweat heavily as his silence was an answer of itself.

Even Rias had to wonder what Issei had done. There weren't many in existence that could gain Sona's ire. Annoyance, sure. But all Rias had been able to do was obtain her jealousy throughout the years when they were playmates. This, however, was something darker than petty jealousy. Nowhere near on par with murder intent, but Sona really wanted to hurt Issei.

She took a step forward to come between the two. With the fortitude of a King, Rias addressed her childhood friend, "Sona, if you have something to say against my Pawn, you're going to have to take it up with me first. Anything Issei does falls under my responsibility. So if he's wronged you in some way, then present it to me and I will determine if he deserves punishment or mercy."

"Buchou…" Issei cried tears of salvation as he was seeing Rias in a new light.

Sona stared at Rias with defiance before giving a heavy sigh of resignation. "If that's what you believe, Rias. But I told you Hyoudou Issei is a force beyond your control. He will continuously do what he wants and neither one of us have the power to stop him. If you still feel you can take responsibility for him as his King knowing this, then I'll refrain from giving him a lecture."

Issei inched close enough to Rias to latch onto her while using her as a shield. The word 'lecture' made him squirm; no doubt from some sort of traumatic memory.

Due to Issei's behavior day in and out, and not just from Sona but also from everyone else, Rias continued to fail to realize how he was such a danger.

"…Just what did Issei do?" she questioned anyways.

Sona's eyes transferred over from Rias over to Issei. Despite the situation, and despite how much Issei was currently terrified of the Sitri Heiress, Sona was asking Issei for permission as though the roles were reversed.

"Issei," Sona shifted the weight on her footing while wrapping her arms around her waist. "If you trust me at all, then you can trust Rias. I can vouch for her."

With reluctance, Issei gave a nod of approval.

"…She's going to find out at some point," grieved Issei as he released his grip on Rias. He moved over towards the television and flipped it on. The first channel was already on a news station, repeating the latest news of the 'Red Blur' sightings this afternoon. With no further explanation, he plopped himself onto the couch and watched.

Sona took her seat on a different couch and gestured for Rias to take a seat, who then decided to sit next to her Pawn. Neither of them shared a word and continued to watch the screen. Rias wanted to ask what this was about, but the way Sona returned her gaze said she wanted Rias to figure it out on her own.

Rias wasn't unaware of the events. What the humans called the Red Blur was also known in the Underworld community as the Red Dragon Emperor, a human who was granted the power of the Boosted Gear Sacred Gear of one of the Heavenly Dragons. It was one of the thirteen Longinus Sacred Gears with the power to potentially slay gods and the equal counterpart to the Divine Dividing Sacred Gear. For some unknown reason, the Red Dragon Emperor had been roaming around the world like some sort of hero with the White Dragon Emperor on occasion close behind yet too late to meet.

…So why were they showing this to her?

It then hit Rias like a ton of bricks. Issei had already awakened his Sacred Gear but didn't reveal to her what it was. He had been able to take on Fallen Angels. He produced a unique aura that was neither of Devil or human origin. His house was more of a small fortress filled to the brim of protections and equipment along with medical supplies. Then there was his obscure schedule of vanishing without a trace and reappearing exhausted with fatigue.

He was a force beyond her means to control…

"You…" Rias gripped the edges of her skirt as she realized what this all meant, "You're the Red Dragon Emperor?!"

"The… what?" Issei gave her a look of extreme confusion.

"Yes, he is," Sona answered and then explained to Issei. "Within the Devil community as well as every other faction out there involving our civilization, there is a legend that partook during the Great War. The Heavenly Dragons, the Welsh Dragon and the Vanishing Dragon, were battling another in an endless struggle of supremecy. However, their battle tore apart the world as it was then, even getting the three factions involved with their destruction. It was then decided the three factions would temporarily stop their fights to deal with the Heavenly Dragons.

"With the Dragons then turning their sights on the factions, an even more destructive war was ensued. The result caused many Devil families to go extinct as well as similar losses to the other sides. However, the Dragons were defeated and sealed away into Sacred Gears: the Welsh Dragon sealed into the Boosted Gear and the Vanishing Dragon into the Divine Dividing Gear."

Issei leaned back as he let the information soak in. "So that's what Ddraig was…"

Sona's eyes widened. She never said the names of the Heavenly Dragons. "I-Issei… You… you knew?"

He shook his head, "No, I knew nothing about him other than his name. He and I have… an understanding. One day we'll meet again to battle once more. I doubt he'll regain his power seeing as though I've surpassed him by becoming Eighth. But thank you for telling me, Shitori-sempai. I never knew he was a dragon capable of battling all three factions together."

Sona's brows were twitching as her mouth hung open. Her face was frozen in bewilderment as his casual comments weighed more than anyone could possibly imagine.

Rias, however, didn't know what he meant about 'becoming Eighth'. What she did understand was that Issei was the current wielder of the Boosted Gear and claimed to have surpassed the Welsh Dragon. Regardless whether this was true or not, Issei was, without a doubt, someone capable of slaying gods. In fact, he more than likely had with his recent exploits as the Red Blur.

…And this monstrosity of power was her Pawn.

Now she understood what Sona had said earlier. It might also explain why Koneko behaved like she did around him.

"Buchou," Issei looked her way and snapped her out of her thoughts. His face was serious. "I'm sorry for not telling you about this. It wasn't because I didn't trust you. No, I do trust you Buchou, and not just because Shitori-sempai does. With everything that you've done for me and the way you've treated me with sincerity, I can say that I do trust you. It's just that… well… I didn't know how to tell you…"

"Then all is forgiven," Rias responded with a proud smile. She was astonished that her adorable Pawn was the Red Dragon Emperor, who was selfless enough to follow her despite having the power to crush her or defy her orders. He had plenty of complaints towards her during his first few days, but he obediently followed her command. Plus he also found the time out of his Devil duties to continue with his exploits as the Red Blur, appearing all over the world to save people like some sort of superhero.

"…Not that there is anything to forgive in the first place," she added quickly. "Ise, I understand why you wouldn't tell me something like this. After all… I hesitated in adding you to my peerage because I didn't know how to explain my part to a normal human. And my hesitation cost you your life. But you made me so worried with all the secrets and with the way you left us the other night… I'm sorry for prying into your life like this."

"So… I'm not in trouble?" Issei asked, almost pleaded.

Rias only smiled at the irony of this. She couldn't possibly try to match the power of a fully-awakened Red Dragon Emperor, yet Issei was the one who was treating this as though his life was in her hands. She found it cute. "So long as you make do with your promise and bring me that pact. Also, make sure to tell me when you're… slipping out. I'll not ask how you do it, but you always disappear from my senses when you do."

"Yes, Buchou!" he quickly rose to his feet. "I'll be sure to bring it back! Her wish was to meet the Red Blur and this is something I can easily grant! But I really should shower first and change…"

"However," Sona spoke up, "this doesn't settle the matter that you revealed yourself to the populace. Not only that, but you gave them a sort of clue to be able to track you down. It was stupid of you to choose a location in Japan first. This isn't something that can be covered up. Since I can't say anything further, I'll not lecture you any further. However, I'll not be trying to persuade Rolan once he tries to get in contact with you."

All manner of joy shattered within Issei. Nothing but fear and dread remained. "…Rolan-sempai is going to kill me."

Rias tilted her head and was about to ask who that was, but a shake from Sona gestured for her to not. The Gremory Heiress sighed and decided it was probably for the best. Issei had already revealed a critical point of his secrets. It was more than enough for tonight and he can tell her when he feels comfortable enough.

Sona sighed when she saw the sight of a grieving Issei. "…I'll send him a message to try and calm him down. The last thing we want is for him to personally show up in Japan."

Within the blink of an eye, Issei all but teleported in front of Sona, clasped her hands between his, and shed heavy tears. "S-S-Shitori-sempaaaaaaiiiiiiii~"

"…I'll need to use your computer then," she tried to pry her hands away, but to no avail.

But Issei eventually let go and stood. He gave her a large smile. "Sure, sure. Go right ahead and make yourself at home. Ah, you too, Buchou. Sona knows where everything is so just ask her if you want anything. If you don't mind, I'll be taking a shower before going to the clubroom."

"Well then," Rias returned the smile, crossed her legs, and got comfortable. "I'll just wait for you right here and we can walk back together."

*Scene*

Ayame refused to scream. She refused to give in to the twisted fetish of her torturer. When the so-called priest stormed through her front door, she did everything in her power to struggle against him. But that's all it was: her struggling. She had nothing to defend herself with and the man was an obvious fighter with the way he was able to toss her around so easily. But she refused to give up. She needed to survive.

If she could just last a few minutes, her hero will come to save her. She had used the summoning sigil to call Issei. He will be here in a matter of minutes and he will save her.

So she refused to scream when the priest tore off her clothes. Refused to scream when he drove stakes through her hands to pin her against the wall. Refused to scream as he carved so-called angelic runes into her flesh. Refused to scream as she was being skinned alive so expertly as to keep her conscious for as long as possible with the minimum amount of blood loss and maximum amount of pain. She may have shed tears, she may have groaned, may have blanked out a few times from the pain, but she refused to give in to disparity and scream.

Because Ise-nii will be here to save her. To stop the villain.

"My, oh my, how have you grown since my last visit."

Her eyes widened in horror as the priest's voice was no longer his own. This wasn't the voice he spoke with since the front door and through the insults of calling her a heretic and Devil worshipper. The priest's voice was once high-pitched and exaggerated. But this? This was deep, sinister, sickening, hungry.

This was the voice belonging to the monster who stole her father's face and killed her mother.

And as she looked around the ridges of his chin, she could see the difference in skin pigment. This same monster was wearing someone else's face. Once realizing this, the monster's illusion broke. He wasn't the slim fitting priest with silver hair. He was the gluttonous blob of pure fat and standing almost seven feet tall. The face of the priest's was stretched over his, and without the illusion present she could see the face was long rotten. Who knows how long he's been imposing as this priest?

Her heart stopped beating for an instant. Her body convulsed out of fear. The pain meant nothing compared to this. This wasn't just some exorcist coming to punish her for selling her soul to Lucifer.

This was a demon returning to finish the job he started three years ago.

Now, more than ever, she fought for her survival. Her body jerked to try to break free from her restrains, causing the wounds to open wider as her hands were being torn apart. But within the back of her mind, within the deepest of her core, she knew the truth.

She was going to die.

So as this demon continued to laugh and carve out her flesh, she shut her eyes and did what she had sworn to never do again. She prayed. Not to God. Not to Lucifer. She prayed to Ise-nii. Prayed he would arrive. Prayed he would save her from her greatest nightmare. Save her from the thing that robbed her of her life and made her what she was today. Save her from absolute destruction.

She prayed with all her heart and soul that he would come bursting through.

"Oh, that's what I'm hoping for," replied the face-stealing monster through a knowing smile; knowing what she was praying for. He picked up another dagger forced out of pure light. The illusion came back as he was once more the slim priest. He even spoke with his high-pitch voice.

"Let's put a smile on that face~"

*Scene*

After a quick rinse, Issei climbed back down the stairs in his school uniform ten minutes after his excusal. Perhaps it was because of his powers as a Devil, but ever since the sun set he felt ready to take on the world all over again. Not that he really would. He was still pretty tired and wasn't in the mood to challenge greater threats. At the least he was more than capable of fulfilling his duties as a Devil.

His smile lit up the room upon his entry. Aya-nee was going to be so happy!

Rias was sitting on the couch, continuing to watch the television in wonder. The news was still showing footage of his most recent expeditions and trying to go into details on who might be Kirche. He assumed she was so glued on the screen because she now knew who he was. She was probably trying to learn more about him. Issei didn't mind. He trusted her. If she asked, then he'll be more than happy to elaborate a little further.

Meanwhile, Sona had her brows knitted as she typed away on the dining table. Every now and then she would pause, delete what she wrote, fix her glasses, and start again. All the while sipping from the tea she just brewed. He could see the frustration written all over her face.

Well, it was a broad task. She was trying to appeal to Sixth Predator Rolan. Rolan-sempai was the first Predator Issei had met and introduced him to the network the Sixth created. It's what Issei used to this day to keep in touch with most of his Sempai when he needed something. Rolan was also the one who gave him frequent advice on keeping his identity a secret. Issei secretly believed Rolan was a huge comic-geek with some of the advice given.

However… Rolan-sempai was known for his anger issues. Rumor has it he's destroyed an entire civilization so thoroughly that history can't recall what it was… just because they pissed him off. While Issei didn't know anything about that, he could confirm that the Sixth Predator would kill anyone if they angered him enough. And, to this day, there are three things that Rolan hates above everything else.

First, the sun. Issei couldn't fathom why. Second, humanity as a whole. And third, Japan.

By no means did it mean Rolan hated the Japanese people. He even stated to have enjoyed their culture and respected their principles (though he still hated them anyways because they were people). He specifically hates Japan as a landmark because, quote, 'the weirdest shit only happens in Japan'.

Issei wanted to argue. But then he realized Rolan-sempai would argue Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels only made an appearance in Japan (which, so far, was true). Plus there was that Holy Grail War in Fuyuki. The Reapers' Game in Shibuya. The massive sleeping spell casted on Karakura Town in order to hide a war between spiritual beings. That Kusanagi God Slayer guy in Tokyo who's always destroying stuff. The giant mechs and monsters that seem to come out of seemingly nowhere. Alien invasions. The Monster Academy…

Wow. Rolan might have been on to something.

Whenever Rolan had a job that partook in Japan or was of relations to Japan, the jobs were typically shoved into Issei's arms. The mercenary even gave him a little more than the actual income to have it done. He just hated Japan that much.

So if Rolan had to make an appearance in Japan that could not be avoided… then there might be a city, or two, or a third of the country destroyed by the time he leaves.

It was understandable that Sona was frustrated and was starting over now and then. She even pulled out a notepad and jotted ideas down. The message had to be perfect to sway Rolan from paying a visit. The fate of some several million Japanese depended on it.

"Are you okay, Shitori-sempai?" Issei asked out of concern.

Sona took the moment to sip her tea once more to clear her thoughts. All manner of hostility was gone from her now as she was more so distracted by her frustration in composing the letter. Luckily, she responded to him in the friendly (if not stern) tone. "I'll be fine. If you don't mind, I'll be staying here for a bit until I finish this. Tsubaki can manage my peerage for tonight. Right now I'm going over the messages Siegfried, Philips, and Rolan sent within the last few hours. Besides the usual from Philips, there are questions from Siegfried and… Rolan has already threatened to come to Japan…"

Issei's worst fears were just one shy step away from coming true.

"T-Take all the time you need," Issei stuttered.

"Well Issei," Rias approached him, "are you ready to go?"

"Yes, Buchou," he nodded and then turned back to Sona. "Thank you very much Shitori-sempai. I really owe you for this one."

"Oh you owe me big time," she muttered while going back to work.

With nothing else, Issei and Rias left the Hyoudou residence as they made their way back to the school. Issei said she could have teleported back while he flew there. Secretly he was tempted to know which would be faster: his Gift of Flight or her magic circle. However, she shook her head and said she wanted to spend the night walking side-by-side like they had on that one school day morning.

"Ise," she broke the silence after walking a few blocks. "Will you one day tell me everything?"

"Of course, Buchou," he assured with a smile. "You're my master so it's only fair you know what's going on."

She returned his smile, but hers was filled with a bit of sorrow. "…Does this mean you acknowledge me as your King?"

His smile faltered slightly. He knew what she was referring to. On that day when he fought against that male Fallen Angel (whose name he can't recall), when she arrived to save him, he had made known to her that he didn't trust her and he will determine in time whether she was worthy of being called his 'King' and 'Master'. Now, after spending the last two weeks with her, getting to know her, and sensing her true intentions had been pure unlike Yuuma's, his opinion of her has changed.

However… could he, Eighth Predator, acknowledge her as his better?

"I don't know," was his answer. "I say you are my master and King the same way you say I am your Pawn and Devil of the Gremory House. I will always serve you and follow your every order. I know you mean well while everything you do is for the sake of protecting us and at the same time letting us grow on our own. You worrying about me so much made me happy, because I've found someone who genuinely cares for me.

"I didn't trust you at first because… well, I had fallen in love with that Fallen Angel. I knew she was never honest, but she was the first girl to actually acknowledge me. Even Shitori-sempai doesn't take the time to be my friend. Sure she helps me whenever she can… but we don't know anything about each other. Yuuma— I mean, Raynare, gave me her time. Our time may have been fake, but… it was still a good memory. And even though I knew it was all a lie, it still hurt in the end.

"I thought you were going to be just like her. I'm just so glad that you weren't. But… there's something else. Another secret of mine that I can't tell you just yet. I think it's why Shitori-sempai is so… distant with me. I always sense she's terrified of me whenever I'm around. Buchou, I don't want you to be like that. So, I acknowledge you as my master as I am a Devil. But I am something else before I am a Devil of the Gremory House. Please understand."

Rias was quiet as she thought it over. He could feel the amount of conflict stirring within her; a cross between curiosity, confusion, and skepticism. But within the back of her mind was acceptance. She was piecing together the little clues he slipped over and knitting a story of her own. He doubted she'll be able to find the truth, but she'll be able to form a story to curb her curiosity. When the time comes, when they got to know each other a little bit better, then he will reveal to her as Eighth Predator.

And by then he will determine whether or not she would be worthy of being his master.

Further conversation was cut off when Issei's phone began to ring. He pulled it out of his pocket and recognized it as Aya-nee's house number. He laughed to himself as she was no doubt growing impatient. She's probably tried to summon him a few times by now.

*Scene*

…Why was he taking so long? How long has she been like this? Flipped upside-down with the blood rushing to her head to keep her conscious? The pain was intolerable. The tears couldn't stop falling as her fears were getting the best of her. It was eating away at her hope. She was just a few feet away from the worst monster ever in existence and still her hero hadn't arrived.

Where was he? Why hadn't he answered her prayers?

She was beginning to realize the monster was growing impatient. The torture session had concluded a while ago and she was left pinned to the wall to slowly bleed to death. Rather, she should have been dead. Yet he must have done something to her in order to keep her alive. She needed to be alive. But what for? Because the monster wanted Issei here.

Because Issei was just like her, in almost every way. Issei was alone, she already knew this. But she never learned what happened to his parents just in the same way she never told him what happened to hers. They lived by themselves, had no one at their side who could possibly understand their pain, and were forced to continue living without a reason.

Because, like Ayame, Issei had his parents stolen from him by the same monster.

When Ayame realized this, she tried just as hard to pray to Issei to stay away. To save himself. She didn't want him in front of the very thing that destroyed his life.

"Argh…" groaned the monster through the priest's voice. "This is becoming such a drag! Oh! Wait! I gots an idea!"

Ayame flinched when he jumped off the couch and ran towards her, making her pain spike up. But his attention wasn't on her. It was towards the phone hanging on the wall over the counter. Picking it up, he punched in a phone number and pushed the receiver to her ear.

"Sorry Aya-nee," Issei answered the phone after a few rings. Her heart stopped. Why did this monster have his number?! "I'm heading first to the clubroom to report and then I'll be on my way. I should be—"

"Ise-nii," her voice was raspy and dry. She could hardly hear herself and it hurt so much to say anything. But she was desperate. "Stay away."

Click.

The monster pulled the phone away and turned off the receiver. With his twisted smile which split his dead mask, he put the receiver down onto the counter, knelt down, and gave her a gentle pat on the cheek.

"Now the little shit-stain Devil will be coming for sure~"

*Scene*

Issei stopped breathing. All time seemed irrelevant for him as his world was spinning. Rias was trying to get his attention, but she currently didn't exist. Even if she were to smack him around a few times he wouldn't be able to feel a thing.

He heard pain coming from Ayame. Pain, despair, agony, desperation, hopelessness…

…Someone who was on the verge of death.

Something primal stirred within Issei at that moment. Something deep within his core like a roaring fire threatening to destroy everything in its path. Like a dragon charging against its cage to be let loose. Whatever it was, it made Issei's blood boil in blood lust.

With no thought whatsoever on his actions, the Gift of Flight activated and Issei was launched to the skies in a flash. He arched over the city, flying at Mach speeds yet his wings would not produce a sonic boom. Without hesitation, he honed in on Ayame's house and charged straight for it.

He crashed through something; perhaps a trap or perhaps a wall to keep outsiders away, it mattered not to him. Instantly, he flew in through the kitchen window, shattering it upon his arrival. He flew over the counter and came to a complete stop at the direct center of the living room. His senses were on full alert and quickly ascertained his surroundings.

Seated on one of the couches was a young man about a year or two older than him with silver hair, red eyes, and pale skin. He was dressed in a white shirt, slacks, combat boots, and a long overcoat. Absolutely nothing but hostility radiated out of him.

The other… made Issei pale. Ayame was stripped of her clothing, nailed to the wall with large screws drilling through her hands and feet, and hung upside-down like some sort of perverse crucifix. She was covered in blood with her flesh full of fresh wounds made to avoid any arteries or vitals.

Their eyes met. Ayame, who could barely see, could recognize him nonetheless. Her face contorted to one of woe and heartbreak. "Ise-nii…" her voice could hardly be heard. "…Why…?"

That primal feeling from before shook harder. Something within Issei was ready to snap. His fists clenched enough for his nails to dig into his skin and draw blood. There was nothing but red in his vision as his eyes returned back towards the stranger.

"…Did you do this?" his teeth chattered with rage.

He unfolded his legs and sprung to his feet like some sort of entertainer with the way he flourished his movements. The smile he gave Issei spoke of a man who was in absolute bliss. "Yes, yes! So I did! Becaaaauuuuuse, she was a regular criminal who has been summoning Devils. So an example had to be made, I'm sure a shit-tastic Devil like you must understand!"

That primal feeling lunged once more. It was enough to make Issei's body visibly shake.

"My name is Freed Sellzen," continued the stranger as he gave an exaggerated bow like a stage performer. "I'm a priest~ A boy priest~ I cut down Devil-like people and I laugh at them~ I cut the head of you Devils, and I receive my meal~"

"…Why?" something more of a feral growl came out of Issei instead of human speak.

Freed's smile grew, wide enough to split his face in half. "That's not a bad look, but it lacks the murderous intent I'm looking for. But you ask why?! What the fuck is with that shit? Listen carefully, you shitty Devil. Devils use humans' greed to survive. Relying on a Devil proves you are no longer a human. It's the end. That's why I did this to her~ I make a living by killing Devils and hunting heretics! That's my job. After all, I belong to a certain exorcism organization."

Issei had enough. Kicking off the ground, he charged at Freed, tackling him from the waist, and driving him out of the house. They broke through the glass slide door until they fumbled around on the ground and broke off.

"That's more like it!" Freed rolled back onto his feet and pulled out a bladeless sword and a pistol. Clicking a button on the sword, a beam of light sprouted from the hilt and extended for three feet.

Issei roared out in pure rage as he charged once more at Freed, not caring or perhaps unable to tell his senses were warning him of the dangers both weapons presented.

"There's still life in the old lady yet!" Freed sang as he began to dance around Issei.

*Scene*

Asia screamed in horror when she came in to check on Freed. She was worried ever since that unknown object came crashing through her barrier. But, she couldn't believe what she was seeing. Pinned to the wall, drowning in her blood, was a little girl.

Asia couldn't believe Freed would do such a thing. She felt so sick she wanted to pass out. But, from just a small glimmer of movement, she saw that the girl was still breathing. Which meant she was still alive!

She ran to her and immediately began to use Twilight Healing. But the damage was so excessive she wasn't sure if she was able to make it in time or not. There was also so much blood loss. Still, Asia refused to let this girl die like this. Heretic or not, no human deserved to die like this. This was not God's way.

Sweat began to pour from her brow as she realized she was putting in a lot more effort into healing than normal. It was as though something within the girl was purposely slowing down the healing process…

*Scene*

"Come on!" Freed roared as he delivered a knee to Issei's torso. "I'm at half-mast! I need this!"

Issei made a mistake and had to take that blow. But his draconian resistance allowed him to quickly recover and bounce back into action. However, because of his rage, he was just moving more like an animal than an actual fighter. He wasn't assuming either the Assaulter or Defender stances. Freed was able to avoid any of his blows and deliver many of his own.

This was a losing battle. That feeling from within kept demanding to be released. Issei was so far driven with pure rage to put any means of a strategy together. He was only listening to his instincts, which were greatly conflicted at the moment between killing Freed and saving Ayame. Both were just as powerful as the other.

Issei could not multiply his potential. To do so would let the restraint loose; a very thin and fragile chain that was ready to break at the smallest disturbance. To do so would have him forcibly enter the Balance Breaker armor. And should that happen, he knew he would lose himself and rampage. As Eighth Predator, he was more than capable of destroying the entire country if going all-out.

If he were to do that, then Ayame would surely die in the crossfire.

But, what he didn't understand, Freed was able to match his base abilities. As more of a humanoid dragon than a Devil, Issei was far more powerful than any human should have been. Yet Freed was able to match his every move, even surpass him. He only had to use that saber and gun to distract Issei. His fists and kicks hurt a lot more.

"Why don't you summon up your demons, shitty Devil?!" Freed cursed in outrage. "Hit me! Fight me! Kill me! GIVE ME A HUG!"

Issei overextended his fist when he was trying to bash in Freed's skull. The exorcist instead dodged, grabbed onto his forearm, and spun on his heels to throw Issei over his shoulder.

And back inside the house.

Issei crashed through both sofas and slammed his head on the counter before coming to a stop. Before he could spring back to his feet, Reed's saber flew through the air and stabbed straight through his shoulder, effectively pinning him down. Issei roared out in pain, but it only drove him to get up faster.

However, Freed had crossed through the great distance within the blink of an eye and slammed his foot onto Issei's face, slamming him hard against the wall.

"Father Freed?!" came the voice of a girl.

"Well if it isn't my little assistant, Asia-chan," chuckled Freed. At first he didn't pay her any mind and found driving his foot into Issei much more entertaining. But then, his eyes narrowed as he noticed what she was doing to Ayame's body. "Just… what do you think you're doing?"

Issei was able to get a little at what was happening. His eyes widened as all his rage subsided at the sight. The blonde-haired girl his age, Asia, was kneeling before Ayame with her hands glowing with green light. He was able to sense powerful magic radiating out of twin rings on her fingers. And when he gazed hard enough, he could see the wounds placed onto Ayame were gradually closing.

Ayame was being healed!

"Well that's just plain stupid," Freed clicked his tongue. "Are you blind, girl? Do you not see the runes I carved into her? They disrupt magic of all kind. Besides," he licked his lips as he cackled aloud, "I put a little something extra in her to make sure she'll die without the antidote. A little ticking time-bomb, if you will. Tick, tock, tick, tock!"

"Please!" Issei shouted at the girl. "If you can heal her, save her! Get her out of here and run!"

Freed lifted his foot and slammed it back down hard enough for the wall to cave in. "Shut up you shitty Devil! No one gives a rat's ass about what the fuck you have to say about some whore of a heretic!"

Issei caught Freed's foot before it was about to come down a second time, but then the exorcist retched his sword free, opening a large wound on Issei's shoulder. He then pierced it straight down again on the opposing shoulder. In pain, Issei let go of the boot, which was then used to slam onto his head again.

Suddenly, the kicking stopped.

"Father Freed, that's enough!" a determined Asia jumped to her feet and tried to shove Freed off of Issei. All she managed to do was make him stumble back off balance, but he kept his footing.

"Hey, hey," Freed's voice became low and dangerous. "Are you serious? Asia-tan, do you know what you're doing?"

She almost faltered. But she returned the gaze with one of her own. "…I do. Father Freed, I beg you. Please forgive these people and let them go. You can't kill people just because they are entranced to a Devil and you also can't kill Devils. We are all God's children! It's wrong!"

Freed's face was expressionless as his perverse grin had fell. He stared at Asia with cold fury.

Without warning, his hand latched out at her and gripped around her neck. She gasped but choked as she was lifted off the ground. His eyes became wide with crazed fury.

"See, I can't kill you. At least not yet. But I'm getting a bit pissed. Because some little shit won't kill me even if his whore of a friend is dying! So if I can't kill you, then I think I'm going to just rape you. If I don't, I won't be able to heal my heart."

Issei roared out in fury. He couldn't take anymore. With his weakened left arm, he gripped the handle of the light sword and tried to pry it free. He shifted his weight to press against the wall. The pain coming from the light was making his head spin, but it was his rage that was driving him further. He needed to save them both. He needed to rescue Ayame and Asia from this madman.

By the time Freed had returned his attention to Issei, the Pawn had pulled himself free and was slashing at Freed with his own weapon. Freed dropped Asia and put his gun in front to deflect the blow. In that instant of rebound force, Issei put his foot down and forced his weight to shift forward. With the Assaulter stance, he delivered a powerful straight punch into Freed's gut.

The exorcist spat from the force and was thrown back outside. He bounced once, flipped into his feet, and slid across the lawn. His smile intensified as he pulled out a second pistol out of his coat.

"And we're back in business!" he laughed.

However, Issei dropped the sword and gripped his shoulder. The second wound was much worse than the first, even when the first had a larger hole. As a Devil, light was poisonous to his kind and it ate away at flesh like acid. It was impaled into his right shoulder far longer than it was in his left, thus the toxicity of the light weapon spread far. He could barely feel anything in his right arm and it was difficult to move it.

His only option was to flee. If he continued fighting then there was the chance he would activate Balance Breaker. As he was now, there was something rampaging within him demanding to be unleashed. If he were to use even the smallest fragment of his Sacred Gear, then that tiny gap will open into a trench, letting the power flood over him. He'll lose his mind and destroy everything in his wake.

"Please," he said to the Asia girl. "Take her and get her out of here. Please save her. I'll cover you. Just… please…"

He had no right to ask this stranger. But it was his only option; his only hope. He would never be able to live with himself if Ayame died. What good it would be then to have all this power, to be recognized as Eighth Predator, if he couldn't protect her?

Asia was breathing heavily after being choked. But she had heard him, had heard his desperation. With resolve, she nodded her head and moved quickly to try and pry the screws out.

That left Issei to charge forward, crossing the distance faster than humanly possible. Impossibly, Freed charged forward at the same speed and met him halfway. Once again, the two clashed, exchanging blows that would have killed any normal person. But Issei's tired body was getting the best of him. It was slowing him down and the pain was starting to become more of a distraction than a drive like how it used to be.

To be blunt, Freed was smacking him around.

With two light bullets firing into his shoulder wounds, Issei stumbled forward as the pain shook him beyond his control. It was more than enough for Freed to spin around and deliver and axis kick to his jaw, fierce enough to send Issei flying off his feet.

"Well this is no fun," groaned the exorcist. "Well fuck. YOU'RE NOT EVEN TRYING TO KILL ME! Do you not want the antidote?!" To show he was serious, Freed pulled out a small vial filled with black liquid. On the surface of the glass were runes and sigils of all kinds with a special clasp sealing it tight. "It'll only open if you kill me, which you won't! Fine! If you're not going to kill, then I might as well!"

A flick of his hand whiplashing around at blinding speeds, Freed had reached into his coat and flung a series of smaller light swords…

…Towards Ayame and Asia, their trajectory traveling too fast for Issei to hope to deflect at his current limit.

But still Issei tried. He flipped over to his feet and bolted at the daggers, trying to cut them off. Unfortunately, there was no hope he could have made it. He wouldn't have made it unless he doubled his potential at least three times. So even if he activated it once, it wouldn't have been enough anyways.

Asia had seen what Freed was trying to accomplish. Without any further thought, Asia shifted her body to completely shield herself in front of Ayame. The daggers would pierce only her, but without her it was more than likely Ayame would die.

A flash of light lit up the night.

With the swing of steel, the five daggers were deflected. But it wasn't over as the figure charged forward out of the light faster than Issei and Freed had been moving. With a sword in his grip, Kiba Yuuto crossed the distance in an instant and swung with all his might.

"Well, shit," Freed had just enough time to say before Yuuto made his move. The sword came down like a shooting star. Blood and clothes fluttered through the air, but Freed was able to dodge in time with only a skin-deep cut running down his chest.

"Hyoudou-kun, we came to rescue you," Yuuto raised his sword in preparation should Freed try anything further.

Issei spared a glance back towards the living room. The light was coming from a magic circle! And stepping out of it were his teammates.

"…H-Hyoudou?" asked Asia.

"Ara, this is awful," stated Akeno… with her usual smile.

"…Priest," Koneko stated with obvious disgust as her eyes locked on to Freed's location.

Issei felt like he wanted to cry. He wanted to give in right then and there and just cry his heart out. But he couldn't, not yet anyways. "Buchou! Akeno-oneesama! Please get Ayame out of here!"

"Yeah, like fuck I'm letting that happen!" Freed tossed one gun away and exchanged it for another light sword and charged towards the group.

Yuuto intercepted instead. "Sorry, but we're part of a package. If you're going to mess with one of us then you get all of us!"

"Oh ho?!" laughed Freed as he licked his lips. "A mere Devil concerned about their comrade? What are you guys? Devil Squadron, the Devil Rangers? That's nice. I can feel the heat. I'm getting turned on! So how is it? Are you the one sticking it in, and is he the one bending? It makes sense seeing as so far he's just a little pussy. So you guys in that kind of relationship?"

They broke off of their engagement when Freed saw the flash of lightning. His jump was so fierce it created a hole in the ground. Akeno's lightning had missed as he flickered away faster than he had before. It was as though he was holding back the entire time against Issei.

"…What a vulgar mouth," Akeno stepped outside to join them. Though she was smiling, Issei could feel her eyes glaring absolute death upon the exorcist. "It's hard to believe you're a priest. That's why you're a Stray Exorcist, right?"

"Ooo!" Freed wiggled around as he embraced himself. "Those eyes! I like those passionate eyes. I can feel your urge of wanting to kill me. I love the feeling of intending to kill and getting intended to kill! You should seriously teach the little shit how to do it!"

"…I'll gladly do it by making you disappear!"

Freed blinked as a wave of crimson and black was coming at him, twice as fierce as Akeno's lightning bolt. He put up his blade of light to shield himself. The wave came crashing down on him and exploded upon contact, tearing apart the field and blowing away the nearby fence.

Rias lowered her hand as the cackling of power died down. She and Koneko stepped over the broken glass to come outside. The Gremory's eyes were narrowed through anger. "I make sure I never forgive those who harm my servants. I especially can't forgive a lowlife like you damaging my personal possessions."

Everyone tensed as Rias' demonic energy began to radiate around her body. Lights and flickers of red energy swirled around her.

She didn't suppress her energy because Freed was far from dead. With a swing of his sword, he dispersed the remaining energy and dust around him. His clothes were torn to shreds and his body was full of burns and bleeding. But he still stood tall and kept his smile.

"…I like a girl with a pretty mouth," he cackled while spitting blood. "I personally think it's better when it's full of something thick though. Makes it so they don't talk. Too bad yours isn't so pretty. But then again, most of your charm is only in your tits."

Rias did not react to him. Instead, she addressed Issei without taking her eyes off of the exorcist. "Ise, are you hurt?"

"…I'm fine Buchou," he ground out. "But we need to get Aya-nee out of here. I… I can feel malevolent intent heading our way."

Rias frowned as her brows creased. She didn't know what he meant.

"He's right, Buchou," Akeno enforced his words. "Many Fallen Angels are heading this way right now. At this rate we'll be at a disadvantage."

Issei wobbled on his feet, but he bit his lip to drive him further. He needed to get Ayame and Asia out of here. Ayame will die if she remains here and Asia shouldn't belong to the Fallen Angel faction.

…If he could use Balance Breaker this wouldn't be a problem.

Asia had been able to take out the screws and lie Ayame down onto the floor. She was busy using her Sacred Gear to heal her. But Asia was starting to sweat and the healing was progressing at a crawl. Ayame meanwhile had her breathing slowing down as time went on. Her complexion was beyond pale and she was fighting with every being of herself to stay conscious. If she slipped into slumber she will more than likely die there.

"Akeno," Rias gave the command, "prepare for the teleportation. We will return to our headquarters. Yuuto, Koneko, we're going to cover Akeno and protect Issei."

"Yes Buchou," they all said.

Freed snarled and launched himself forward at a speed that surpassed his original, "FOR FUCK'S SAKE IF I LET YOU!"

Yuuto had been able to intercept and cross blades, but the force of Freed's charge made him slide back with his heels digging into the ground. Koneko was on his flank immediately, twirling through the air to deliver a sideways kick. Freed barely had enough time to put up his arm to defend. Something cracked as he was blown away. He fumbled on the floor, flipped back onto his feet, and clutched his broken arm.

…And was then blown away further by another black and crimson blast from Rias.

"Buchou!" Akeno shouted as the magic circle lit up the area. "The circle is ready for us to jump!"

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS SHIT!" roared Freed as he blew away the smokescreen caused by Rias' latest attack. He was bleeding heavily with most of the surface of his skin burnt. But, before their very eyes, the open wounds began to knit itself closed while the burnt flesh regenerated.

Flicking his shattered arm out like a whip, it clacked and snapped like a coil. Yet, somehow, the broken limb had come back into place and repair itself. Now with both hands, he gripped the light sword.

His dripping blood flew off his body and cycled around his light sword. The white radiance turned rancid with his crimson blood.

"If you won't kill me, Dragon Rider, THEN I'LL JUST HAVE TO KILL EVERYONE ELSE HERE!"

Impossibly, as fast as Issei when doubling his potential to five times, Freed lashed his arm out in a wide swing. The velocity should have torn his muscles, crushed his bones, and ruptured his veins. The blood mixing in with the light was fired out in a large arc, wide enough to splice through the entire yard and then some in one fell swoop. By Freed's might, the crimson arch was traveling across the short distance like a missile.

"Balance Breaker!"

But Issei could never allow that. He let that small chain keeping his sanity shatter. And he prayed, to God, to Lucifer, to anybody, that those he cared about would survive by his actions. His armor manifested as he was moving to protect those he cared for. And he could feel himself slowly slipping away, as though his entire being were being compressed into a ball and locked away inside a box.

His vision became a mixture of black, red, and white as true carnage overran his mind. Pure hatred fueled his body and drove it beyond his control. Nothing but the primal instinct to kill coursed through his veins. All other feelings, all other thoughts, all other memories were lost. The existence that is Hyoudou Issei was gone in this moment.

Nothing remained but a beast.

With the Gift of Flight shooting him forward at a greater speed than the attack, it wouldn't be a mistake to say the Red Blur teleported in front of the group. As his wings can cross through Space itself, matters such as distance and resistance were irrelevant. Therefore, he appeared before the attack with more than plenty of time to spare.

Spreading his arms out, the Red Blur continued to charge forward. The wave of light and blood crashed onto his armor, creating a seismic shock by the sheer force of the impact. It was enough to blow Yuuto off his feet, Koneko to put her arms up in defense, and Rias to fall onto her rear. But let it be known even with the scales of a dragon, it does not protect a Devil from the rays of a light-based attack. The chest plate cracked like fiber glass and the damage was able to pierce through.

But it did not halt the dragon one moment. Nothing save a truly decisive blow could have stopped him. Without a fragment of pause, the Red Blur brought its right fist up and swung it straight at the startled exorcist.

"…Ise-nii."

The dragon fist slammed directly onto the exorcist's face. The sound of thunder struck by the blow. Rather than shattering into a mist of blood and bone as he should have, Freed was launched through the air at incomprehensible speeds. His body crashed through several telephone poles and power lines and continued to travel until it began to descend.

...Leaving everyone alone with a now rampageous beast.

The Red Blur clutched its claws close to its head, tensing and bending its knees as though ready to launch itself in either pursuit or to take to the skies to bring indiscriminate destruction throughout the city. Its body shook in uncontrollable rage. The sound of primeval growling could be heard from behind the helm.

"Issei…" Rias tried to reach him but her instincts were screaming at her to get as far away from him as possible. But she refused to abandon her Pawn. She could never call herself a King if she let Issei lose himself. She could tell this transformation was different from the one she's seen on television. Where the Red Blur was humanoid, the one standing before her was that of an animal. Something not too far off from a Stray Devil.

She felt her blood freeze when the gaze of hatred turned her way. Nobody moved as they were all petrified by the stare of one who could kill them all in an instant. Truly… Issei was a force beyond her means to control.

"Ise-nii," called Ayame once more.

The Red Blur twitched violently, as though fighting between pouncing for the kill or to keep steady. Perhaps it was fighting itself. Slowly, almost painfully with the way its head jerked unnaturally, it turned its head back towards the house.

"A…ya…n…ee…"

With her head turned to see her hero, Ayame struggled to keep her breathing. Her tears had long ran dry, but her face was twisted in pain. Not of her own, but for seeing what her hero was becoming. "…Don't…"

The Red dragon stared at the wounded and dying girl. It was as still as a statue as though all life seemed to vanish within. Nobody dared to move; else the smallest disturbance could trigger its wrath.

But something else caught its attention. It turned its body around and gazed up towards the stars. There, hidden with the backdrop of the dark night, flew a pack of Fallen Angels, just hovering high above their heads and peering down on them. The Red Blur sensed their malevolence, their innate desire to kill their enemies. It mattered not of they were currently terrified of the sight of him; within their cores was still the hatred for the Devils.

That tiny flame of ill-intent was more than enough to mark them as a threat. And threats needed to be crushed.

The Red Blur roared. Its voice alone created a shockwave in which shattered glass for miles around. The Gremory peerage was forced onto their knees and cover their ears. Akeno nearly lost her control over keeping the magic circle active. Some Fallen Angels nearly lost their control of flight and dropped a few feet before gathering their senses again.

Its wings blazed bright enough to blind those who dared to gaze upon them. Its legs curled up as it prepared to leap up at them. Pointless as the wings of a Dragon Lord could transport him to any distance at any speed at any instant of the user's choosing. But nothing remained of cognitive thought save the inner desire to kill any and all threats. Anything that so much had a flicker of dark intent needed to be destroyed. And as humanity will always have this innate feeling, then by all means should the threat that is humanity be destroyed.

Because anything that may threaten those he cares for must be eliminated. Such was the last thought of the one formerly known as Hyoudou Issei.

"Ise-nii," Ayame called one last time. Her breathing was becoming more tired and her eyes threatened to collapse into slumber.

Impossibly, as nothing remained of his human nature, the beast did not lunge to claim his kill. Instead, it shook violently as it grabbed its head, roaring in another atrocious volume out of sheer agitation. It was battling with its own nature, trying to suppress its desire to kill in order to protect. Yet, by just the insignificant voice of a little girl, was this beast conflicted to proceed what it was designed to fulfill.

"Aya…nee…"it said a bit more clearly, shifting between the voice of the dragon and Hyoudou Issei.

In a flash, it appeared before the two girls still residing within the house. Asia gasped as he all but teleported in front of her. With the gentlest of care as the slightest wrong move could shatter her into dust, the draconic being lifted Ayame into his arms. She winced in pain, which caused the Red Blur to stir in alarm. But, perhaps through some sort of paternal instinct, it remained gentle.

However, it saw Asia still kneeling on the floor. No one could say what crossed the mind of the beast at this point. But it saw something within Asia that could not be ignored. Something that was needed for Ayame's survival.

Asia gave a squeal of surprise when the Red Blur plucked her off the ground and hefted her over his shoulder.

"Issei, wait!" tried Rias.

Her words were pointless as the being that was Hyoudou Issei could not be reached. The primeval being referred to as the Red Blur had heard, but willingly chose to ignore her. At the moment, she was not as important as the one he swore to protect. And Ayame's life was in a critical state.

With its wings flaring once more, it zipped outside the house, changed its trajectory in defying the laws of aviation, and flew away faster than anyone else could perceive. No one could tell which direction it flew towards.

*Scene*

Miles away, after crashing through the brick wall of a small appliance store, the face-stealing monster that was imposing as Freed Sellzen patted the dirt off his ruined clothing. If anyone were to show up to investigate, at the expense of their life forfeited, it was easy to tell the individual was most furious.

"The fucking little shit-stain held back from killing me at the last fucking moment!" the deep, throaty voice of the fat monster snarled in frustration. It ripped off the crushed mask at the expense of ripping off a small layer of its own flesh. However, what damage had been done onto his body had quickly regenerated as red threads made of blood fastened him back together. "And we were so fucking close!"

"Oh, 'Go to Japan, make him kill out of righteous fury, and then leave. In and out,' they said! Bah! It was an easy job in theory. Making a little bitch like him into a proper Predator is not an easy job to do. I'd like to see that fucker Chase Rolan do it, but noooooooo the little shit would rather see the world burn than step foot into Japan. Grow a pair you little midget! Japanese babes will do the kinkiest of things if you pay them right!

"Whatever. That shit of a Devil broke my mask. Oh wait. No. I can still use it. Probably a day or two before it comes apart. Alright, I can still make this work. Just have to have everything done by tomorrow. Let's see…"

He closed his eyes and began to focus on something, muttering incoherent things under his breath in a dark tongue that would render the mundane crazed should they stumble upon his presence. Power radiated out of his words alone. The dark of the night grew as the shadows stirred. Rather, as though they were living creatures, the shadows moved away from the monster as his biorhythm was producing a much darker miasma.

His eyes snapped open. "Well, shit. The kid took the nun with him. Wait. This could actually work. Yeah all right. Problem solved."

Flicking the leather mask of the deceased Freed Sellzen, the large humanoid monster stretched it out to cover his entire face. Should one be capable of observing, they will find that the mask could not completely cover his face and had to be stretched beyond recognition. However, by the mystics of a power most foul and dark, the World itself was fooled and so determined this individual to be Freed Sellzen. As such, as the World recognized the appearance of the former exorcist, so too would everyone else who was under the Ruler's Laws.

Registered once more into the system as Freed Sellzen, the image of the priest was as pristine as it was since stepping out of the church this early evening. Not a scratch remained on his skin and his clothes were tailored and pressed. Adjusting the coat to fit over his shoulders a little better, the pretender climbed out of the hole Issei launched him through.

He walked out into the alleyway and disappeared into the shadows.

"Time for Plan B," his voice still lingered within existence. "It's not like they could save the girl anyways, even if they tried resurrecting her as a Devil. The curse I placed on her will kill her no matter what. The little shit should have taken the antidote when I offered it to him but nooooooo he had to be all noble. Ah, there's nothing better than watching the hero fail. And there's nothing better than watching him rampage out of anger like he almost did just now. Ooo the lives he's going to take makes me so fucking excited!

"And maybe this time the Ruler will acknowledge him as Eighth."