I've been thinking about the harem and I've decided that Sona Sitri and Tsubaki won't be joining the harem. There's something I have planned for them, in mind. Plus, I don't feel like screwing Saji over. Concerning Rias's peerage…Irina won't be joining it. I want her to stay an Angel. I'm not sure who's going to replace Issei but I'll get ends to meet. Sorry to disappoint anyone who wants Issei in Rias's peerage but for my purposes, Issei won't be in it, as I've already wrote it in the previous chapter.
Oh, and also, concerning about how Issei's mother died, I'm going to bring that back up again. I wasn't going to say anything about it but readers have been wondering how she just could've died from a "disease". Well, rest assured, I'll explain how and why she died but not right now.
Things will make more sense in future chapters.
*I want to say thank you to LuciferReborn95 for correcting an error in this chapter. Hence, this chapter has some corrections updated to it.
Chapter 6: Hours Away from Midnight
Issei teleported to Grigori's headquarters and found himself inside Azazel's office. Sitting in a chair in front of his Godfather's seat, was Raynare.
She and the Governor General looked at him with questioning expressions.
"Good news?" Azazel cocked a brow.
"I saved the fallen angels and dealt with the exorcists." Issei turned to Raynare and smiled at her.
"I already sent them to Medical Treatment. I can take you there after I'm done here." He spoke kindly to her, making her eyes widen and tear up.
Jumping out of her seat and tackling him into a hug, Raynare sniffled and cried.
"Thank you. Thank you so much, Issei-kun." Raynare then let go of him as she sat back down.
Issei turned to Azazel and gave his report on what happened, much to his amusement and worry.
"So you're saying that exorcist got swallowed in a pillar of light and disappeared?" Azazel recalled to a similar event from Baraqiel's account.
"Yes. I think somebody's playing with us. Someone is setting up a puzzle and I don't know where we fit in." Issei ominously spoke. (That somebody is none other than...ME! Hahahaha!)
This made no sense. Two incidents of people disappearing in pillars of light and people being hired to attack Issei by someone called Vilcifer.
Azazel interjected before Issei could get into more trouble.
"I'll handle all of the investigation. From now on, make sure that you watch out for yourself. I don't know who's exactly targeting you but I'm certain they'll reveal themselves soon. In the meantime, I have a job for you." Azazel then made a mischievous glint in his eyes.
'He's up to something.'
'He's up to something.'
Issei and Draig thought simultaneously.
"For now, I'll need you to take Raynare in. She's explained everything to me but I don't think things are going to work gently for her here at Grigori. She doesn't know anyone here and you're the best choice of protection for her. Therefore, as your legal guardian and godfather, I order you to house and protect Raynare until further notice." Azazel spoke with a tone that made it clear that there would be no objections.
While Raynare stayed silent, seeing as how she had nowhere to go, Issei felt that Azazel was trying to play matchmaker again. Nevertheless, Issei happily complied. He wanted to help Raynare after all.
Draig was going to make a snide joke but he restrained himself. It was most likely going to be about his host's closet perversion.
"Alright. Raynare-san, could you wait outside for a bit? There's something that I have to talk with my uncle about." Issei remembered that he had forgotten to mention Akeno to Azazel.
As Raynare nodded and left silently, Issei looked at Azazel with a look of caution.
"Uncle, I want you to stay completely calm about what I tell you next."
Azazel nodded and braced himself. Issei was never like this with him unless it was something that would make him shout in shock.
"Akeno is alive. She's living in Kuoh and is attending the same school as me." Issei spoke slowly so that his uncle could soak everything in.
Slowly, the Governor General's eyes widened and was about to yell until Issei put his hand over his mouth.
"No screaming. The last time you did, Uncle Baraqiel and Shemhaza came crashing through the door." Issei recalled the time when one of Azazel's inventions had gone haywire and he screamed like a little girl, causing his two friends to break into the room violently.
Taking a deep breath Azazel looked at Issei with a look of grief and cold sweat.
"So you're telling me that for 8 to 9 years, we abandoned her to the world! To fend for herself! I can't believe I was so blind! Akeno…I'm so sorry! I should've looked harder!" Guilt came crashing back into the both of them but Issei continued with his story and told his godfather everything that Akeno had told him, like her experiences, thoughts, and resentments from the past. He also told him about Akeno becoming a Devil.
"Uncle. I told her everything about what happened with us. I also know the truth of the incident. I know that I went berserk in my comatose state."
Azazel looked at Issei with a flabbergasted and shocked expression but Issei only looked at him with a smile.
"Akeno wanted me to tell you that she doesn't blame you anymore. Now that she knows the truth, she doesn't hate us anymore. Still, she says that she's not ready to face Uncle Baraqiel yet so this has to stay between us until further notice." Issei pleaded on behalf of his beloved, to which Azazel agreed.
"I understand. Thank you, Issei. We're entrusting you with Akeno and Raynare then." Azazel relaxed as he thought about how trustworthy his godson had become.
Issei then left and joined Raynare, who was waiting patiently outside.
"Sorry to keep you waiting."
The Fallen Angel stood up straight and shook her head as she rose from her leaning posture against the wall.
"It's fine." She said before looking at Issei.
"Issei-kun. I can't thank you enough for what you've done for me. I hope you can forgive me for trying to kill you. I know I don't deserve it but I just wanted to let you know that I- "Raynare was about to continue but Issei raised his hand to silence her gently.
"There's no need for thanks or apologies, Raynare-san. You were only doing what you had to do to save your friends. I don't blame you in the slightest so don't worry over this." Issei spoke as he led her to the Medical Bay to check on her friends.
Raynare could barely stop herself from shaking in relief when she was told that her friends would be fine but Shemhaza had some news for the two visitors.
"Unfortunately, the three of them will have to remain here for a long while. The spell that they were under was quite powerful and taxing on them to remove. By my estimations, they'll have to spend a few months here. You're free to visit them of course, though they'll remain in unconscious states for an uncertain amount of time." His words brought Raynare's mood down a little but she thanked him for his information.
After Issei and Raynare left the room, He took her to the facility's cafeteria so that she could eat something. She looked as if she needed some energy, according to Issei.
While eating, Issei decided that he should get to know her, seeing as how she would be staying with him, much to his surprise.
He also wondered how she felt about that setup.
"Raynare-san, are you comfortable with your living arrangements? If you are the slightest bit worried, I can have you live somewhere closer to your liking so that you can have an easier time." Issei looked at her with a worried expression.
Raynare blushed as she shook her head.
"No, it's fine. I should be saying something similar to you. If you don't want a stranger like me to burden you, I can find another place."
"Well, I have no problems. If you don't have a place to stay, I will gladly open my home to you. I live alone so if you're worried about other's inputs, then don't fret." Issei laid her worries to rest with that sentence.
Raynare felt so thankful to him that she couldn't express it in words.
Next, the two got to more personal topics.
When Issei told her his backstory, she felt so sorry for him. Still, she was amazed that he could stay positive and kind after all that happened to him.
The same went for Issei when Raynare told her story.
"My parents were Fallen Angels of pure blood. After they had me, they abandoned me for some reason. I was alone for a while until Kalawarner and Dohnaseek found me. They took me in and raised me, even though they were still young themselves. The three of us were like orphaned children and teenagers and then we met Mittelt, whose parents were killed by Stray Exorcists. We lived by performing different bodyguard missions and doing odd-jobs. We were never rich but we were happy until one day, when we came to Kuoh." Raynare's expression darkened and became gloomy.
"We were sniffed out by the stray exorcists here and were captured. I was the strongest in our group and so my new family was held hostage in exchange for me killing you. They said that they had been hired to have you murdered but I guess they were too cowardly to actually do it themselves. After that, you know what happened." Raynare still felt guilty but Issei reassured her that all was fine.
Issei then put his hand over Raynare's, catching her by surprise.
"It's alright now. I promise to protect you. So from now on, do you want to stay in Kuoh? At least until your friends recover?" Issei looked at her with an earnest expression and a radiant smile.
For some reason, his smile made Raynare's heart race.
Her expression changed into a wide smile as she nodded.
"Yes, I do."
On that note, Issei and Raynare paid one last visit to her friends and left for the young man's home.
Raynare had been utterly delighted by the warm residence and she couldn't help but feel welcome when she stepped inside.
Issei gave her a tour of his home and gave her a guest room to stay in after magically preparing it to her likes.
"If there's anything you need, my room is down the hall, at the last door. Besides that, good night." Issei said as he entered said room.
After showering and changing, sleeping on his warm and comfy bed was a severe relief from the long day.
He still had to attend to the matter of talking to Akeno about this.
In the end, however, Issei's work still wasn't done.
The next morning, Issei woke up and immediately got to cooking breakfast.
Not too long after he got started, Raynare came downstairs, dressed in a black sweater and a white skirt.
Thankfully, the two had went to buy clothes for her the previous day.
"Good morning." Raynare spoke awkwardly.
"Good morning. Go ahead and have a seat. I'm almost done cooking breakfast." Issei put the finishing touches on the miso soup and chicken and laid them out with a bowl of rice and a side of sautéed vegetables.
"Wow! It looks good!" Raynare looked at the food with delight. It had been a long time since she had a home-cooked meal. A chance that she missed.
"I hope it's to your liking. My cooking isn't the best but it's edible." Issei made a sheepish comment before sitting down.
"Itadakimasu!" The two made the traditional thanks for the food and dug in.
Raynare was delighted by the 'warm' feeling in the food. She was also sure that Issei had been modest since his cooking was excellent, in her opinion.
Issei was relieved when he saw that Raynare liked his cooking. He had learned to cook ever since he had decided to move back to the Human World, since he knew that he would need the skill.
"So, I wanted to ask, now that your friends are safe and the Stray Exorcists are gone, what'll you do?" Issei eyed the woman in front of him.
Raynare looked a bit distressed but replied.
"I don't know. We've been running from those Stray Exorcists and other enemies for so long that I haven't had the chance to do much. We've been persecuted whenever our identities were revealed so we had to do a lot of traveling. Still, I…I want to try going to school like a regular girl." Raynare admitted with an almost-desperate declaration.
Issei then came to a decision that he hoped would work out. He only hoped that Akeno wouldn't kill him. For some reason, she kind of disliked it when he got close to another girl.
"Okay. I'll handle that." Issei replied with a reassuring tone.
"Really?" Raynare grew nervous. She didn't mean to put more on Issei's plate.
"Actually, you don't have to trouble yourself." Raynare was about to say more until Issei stopped her.
"Raynare-san. I told you that I wanted to help you and that is what I'll do. Whatever you desire, I'll help obtain it as long as it is reasonable and just." Issei vehemently stated.
Raynare blushed at his words.
'He really is too kind. Considering what I planned to do to him, he just forgave me and now he's helping me play catchup with youth. Issei…I don't think I can ever thank you enough.' Raynare's face grew hot as her heartbeat quickened.
She was touched that he was working so hard for her sake and she hoped that fate would help her find a way to repay him.
The whole day, Issei had helped Raynare move her things into his home, which was arranged by Azazel. The motel that she was staying at had no longer proven to be a safe location, so Issei had to do much moving.
Issei used his speed to his advantage to quickly build shelves, drawers, and a desk for Raynare to use for future schoolwork.
After leaving Raynare to finish putting her things away, Issei went downstairs but then he heard a loud thud and crash alongside Raynare's yelp.
Instantly dashing back into her room, he flung the door open but what he found was not within his expectations.
Raynare was on her knees without a shirt on, leaving nothing on her bare and gifted chest. Surrounding her were several bras and panties that were scattered on the ground.
When Issei saw her gifted assets, his face broke into a perverted grin with a heaving exclamation sound but he snapped himself out of his piggish trance. He also had to thrust a hand to his face to stop his nosebleed that was threatening to drip down his chin.
Turning her head around, Raynare noticed Issei's presence. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape as she screamed loudly.
"KYAAAH! ISSEI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" She exclaimed as she covered her chest.
"I'M SO SORRY!" Issei slammed her door shut and raced downstairs.
Panting for his life, Issei hoped that Raynare wouldn't chase him around the house with a light spear.
A few minutes later, Raynare came downstairs wearing a red shirt with black pants, along with a mortified expression and a crimson red face.
Issei didn't dare utter a single word. He was too afraid of backlash and a powerful scolding from the young woman that he had just seen in a bare state.
Dinner went by quietly but by then, Issei's mind was somewhere else.
He was thinking about Akeno.
He wanted to have a relationship with her but he didn't want to hurt her feelings by not being able to give all of his heart to her. The same could be said about how he felt for Vali. He didn't want to destroy his relationship with her, or more specifically, his chance to be with her either.
He didn't know who was supposed to be the one for him. He knew that he sounded like a douchebag, but this wasn't something that he was exactly good with.
Suddenly, he recalled a talk that Azazel had given to him a long time ago.
One day, when he was 15 years old, Azazel sat him down and had a serious talk with him.
"Issei, how do you feel about Vali?" Azazel's tone was stern and intimidating, which was probably because he was talking about his daughter.
"I think that she's a great girl. She's smart, nice, and fun." Issei then paused because Azazel was giving him a pervasive look.
"That's not the kind of feelings I was talking about."
Azazel had cocked a brow, urging him to start again.
"But I still have feelings for Akeno. That's something that I doubt that I'll ever be able to get rid of." Issei made his worries known as Azazel nodded in understanding.
"Issei…I completely understand how you feel, but I need to know how you exactly feel about my daughter."
Issei gulped and spilled his guts because he knew that if he didn't Azazel might bust out his inventions and torture him with them.
"I really do like, maybe even love Vali. She helped fill a void in my heart and she's always helping me and cheering me up whenever I'm down. She's become someone that I'd willingly die for." Issei clearly stated.
Azazel nodded again.
"Good."
Azazel then looked at his godson seriously.
"I want you to know that you have my full approval, if you ever want to pursue her. Also, seeing as how you're part dragon, you have power, which will attract people of all types. If you ever end up with a polygamy and if you want to include Vali, I'm fine with it as long as she is. However, if you make my daughter cry, I'll make you bleed, even if you're my godson." Azazel's tone deepened and his aura caused the room to shake as he made his warning clear.
Issei nodded nervously in response. He didn't understand why Azazel would say that he'd make a polygamy so he had put that thought aside.
Now, whenever Issei looked at Akeno, he felt happy but he also felt so wrong.
His stalwart mind had forbidden him from having affairs, nor did he want to do such things.
He wasn't some openly perverted guy who ogled and peeked at girls. (Cough, Canon Universe, Cough)
Issei didn't want to make Akeno wait but he wasn't going to half-ass this. He also wondered why he kept saying the same kind of thing over and over about sorting out his feelings.
All was quiet on Issei's end until Raynare called out to him.
"Issei-san? Issei-san?" Raynare snapped him out of his trance.
He looked up at her in surprise.
"Huh?"
Raynare looked worried as she looked at his expression.
"Are you alright? You looked kind of upset."
Shaking his head, Issei dismissed her worries.
"I'm fine." He replied before going back to his food.
Even if he said that, it was obvious that he wasn't, which only made Raynare more concerned for him.
The next morning, Issei had awoken bright and early and had already finished all preparations and processes for Raynare's transfer into the school.
Still using the alias of 'Yuuma Amano', Raynare had dressed herself in Kuoh Academy's uniform and would be entering as a 2nd year student in Issei's class. By doing this, Issei would have an easier time keeping an eye on her for her own safety.
The two walked outside and were met by Akeno, who eyed Raynare with suspicion.
Issei noticed and panicked when he saw the glare that his childhood friend/love was emitting.
Akeno smiled with a powerful twitch of displeasure of her eyebrow. She walked over to Issei and gave him a look that told him to explain himself.
"Sorry, Akeno. I should've told you about all of this." Issei bowed his head down in shame.
"What happened, Issei-san?" Akeno spoke with a very serious and irritated tone. She didn't like women crowding around Issei for his affections, but this seemed different nor did she use 'san' with him unless she was upset by him.
After telling her what happened, Akeno replaced her look of unhappiness with an expression of relieved worry.
"Stupid Issei. Why did you do something so dangerous?" Akeno said as she leaned forward and laid her head against his chest.
She knew that Issei was strong but she didn't know how strong. Issei had left out distinct details about what happened the night he killed the exorcists, like how he committed the act, but that was something that he didn't want to reveal to her.
"I did what I had to in order to protect other people. I'm sorry for not telling you but I didn't want you to worry." Issei put his hands on her shoulders to soothe her.
"No, I understand. I know you were only being yourself. But still, Issei, you'll never stop me from worrying about you. I love you, so that action is already implied." Akeno wrapped Issei into a hug, surprising him and giving Raynare an awkward feeling.
Akeno knew that Issei wanted to sort himself out but she couldn't help but want to be with the one she loved. She wanted to touch him and be close to him. When she spent too much time away from him, she'd realize how lost she felt and she would actually start to think about him endlessly.
Issei instinctively reacted and patted her back.
"I'm sorry. I promise to be more careful from now on." Issei laughed off the matter as Akeno responded with a silent nod.
Issei was about to walk away after breaking the hug until he felt a tug of his arm. He looked at his left hand and saw that Akeno was holding onto it. She looked displeased when he broke off the hug so she wanted to make it clear about how she felt.
Issei relented and slightly tightened the hold to make her happy, making Akeno's bitter look fade a little.
He looked at Raynare apologetically, who nodded with understanding.
"Let me introduce you two. Raynare-san, this is Akeno, my childhood friend." Issei was about to add 'childhood crush/love' but he stopped himself.
He looked at Akeno and gestured to Raynare.
"Akeno, this is Raynare, a friend of mines. For the time being, she'll be called Amano Yuuma."
Akeno nodded courteously before they both introduced themselves to each other.
Without further ado, the three walked to school, this time, there was even more chaos than before. When the whole campus saw Yuuma walking with Issei, eyeballs were about to bulge out of sockets.
It was the same old commotion.
"Bastard, got another girl!"
"What is he?! Some protagonist from some Harem anime!?"
Issei gave Akeno one last look before they parted ways and this time, he felt something.
The whole time he had walked with her, he had thought about how much she meant to him. Her smile wanted to make him shoot off into the sky in glee and her warmth never failed to make him calm. His memories of her were bliss and he never regretted spending even a moment with her. He really did love her. She was giant part of his world.
"Bye, Issei. I'll see you at lunch!" Akeno smiled sweetly as she kissed him on the cheek, sending strong warmth throughout his face and making him blush.
This time, Raynare felt a little more embarrassed. It was as if she were third-wheeling but she also felt something uncomfortable inside her heart.
When Issei and Raynare went to their classroom, Raynare was well-met with great reception.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Amano Yuuma. From today onwards, I will be a second year here. I hope that we can all get along." She bowed and smiled cutely, knocking several guys off of their feet.
All of the guys erupted in awe of this new beauty.
"A new cutie!"
"She. Is. Hot!"
"Will you trade numbers with me?!"
The amount of advances she was getting from the guys made her uncomfortable as she had to politely decline them.
Meanwhile, the girls had found another person that they had to protect from the dog-like boys.
With the school having gone coed within recent years. A large number of guys had come to Kuoh for one reason and one reason only, to scope out the women and try to fulfill their perverted delusions. Fortunately, many had learned their lesson the hard way, courtesy of the kendo club.
That didn't mean the Perverted Duo were included, though.
"What a busty babe! She's so gorgeous that I can't control myself!"
"Beginning scan!"
Matsuda and Motohama shrieked. Due to their constantly decreasing self-esteem, they were behaving much more erratically.
Before the two could make bigger fools of themselves, Issei punched both of them on the head with a powerful blow to each head, knocking them asleep.
The teacher didn't really care too much since he figured that they deserved it and it also shut up a bunch of the other males who looked at Issei in awe.
"I'm sorry but they were getting too far out of hand." Issei growled before settling down.
Silence fell into the class as the males remained quiet before they also received Issei's wrath.
Judging by the way Raynare, or Yuuma, looked at Issei, it was obvious that the two knew each other.
Issei waved at her and nodded at her confident and strong introduction.
"Well, then, Any questions?" The teacher prompted.
Several male students raised their hands into the sky as they shot out of their seats.
"Yuuma-san, are you dating Hyoudou Issei?" A random male asked.
Yuuma immediately blushed in response, aggravating several guys to glare at Issei.
Issei shot back his own glare, scaring off the enemy with eyes of a wolf that made the sheep in the room cower.
"N-No…we're not. Issei-san is actually just a really good friend of mine." Yuuma didn't want to tell anyone that she was living in the same home as him, out of fear that it would cause a ruckus for Issei.
Several men exhaled in relief but there was still visible tension.
"However, I don't plan to find a boyfriend here." Yuuma then proceeded to shoot down any hopes of courting her.
With those words, all hopefuls sunk into sadness.
Yuuma received more questions after. Some pertained to her favorite color and foods. She liked the color purple and pink and her favorite food were parfaits.
After all curiosity was sated, Yuuma was allowed to sit down.
"You can choose any open seat here." The teacher then gestured around the room.
Issei purposefully avoided her gaze so that he could lower the awkwardness that might arise.
Yuuma glanced around and found an empty desk behind Issei.
Gracefully walking behind him, she took a seat.
Issei felt sweat drops fall from his forehead as he felt Yuuma stare at him from behind.
'I feel like things are going to get more complicated now that this has happened.'
'Oh, if only you knew.' Draig chuckled to himself, not allowing Issei to hear him.
When lunch came, Issei felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned around and found Yuuma looking at him brightly.
"Issei-san. Would you like to have lunch with me?" She asked timidly.
Issei understood her message. She didn't want to eat alone with a bunch of strangers ogling her.
With an enthusiastic nod, he led her up to the school roof. (Cliché location but I felt it was fitting)
As they sat down and ate the bento that Issei prepared for them, Yuuma spoke.
"Issei-san, are you in any clubs?"
Issei pondered whether to tell her about the ORC. He would've liked to enter her into it so that he could keep a better eye on her, in case any of her old 'acquaintances' came to say hi. There was also the fact that she was a Fallen Angel and the ORC were made up of Devils and Reincarnated Devils.
If things went sour, Raynare would be put in harm's way and his old affiliation with the Fallen Angels would become known to all.
He decided that it was best that he kept Raynare away from the Devils until the plan that Azazel was planning alongside others kicked in. If things worked right, the future would become much brighter.
"I am. I'm a member of the Occult Research Club but the Club is quite strict about admitting members. You have to be in this school for a few months before being applicable and you have to know at least one member in the club." Issei lied through his teeth.
Unfortunately, Yuuma looked downtrodden.
'Lost a chance, I guess.' She muttered to herself inside her mind.
Issei instantly felt regret but he believed that this was best.
"Well, you just have to wait at least 3-4 months before joining." Issei hoped that things would go by that quickly, given the estimation that Azazel gave him.
Yuuma's mood picked up a little as the end bell rang for the closing of the lunch period.
Fortunately for her, school was supposed to end early. The day was to be cut in half due to school maintenance. The students were only at school to get their homework and to take quizzes and tests. Thankfully, this was nothing to Issei. His grueling academic training from Azazel and Baraqiel was far stricter than this. Who knew Azazel could be so scary in the Science field?
Issei and Yuuma were walking out of the school but were met by a familiar person.
"Akeno? What's up?" Issei's demeanor instantly brightened, making Yuuma's eyebrow rise.
Akeno caught this and instantly understood what was going on.
"Nothing. I just wanted to know if you wanted to walk home, Issei." Akeno then entangled her arms around his, causing Issei to blush red.
"S-Sure." Issei could feel the soft sensation of her bust overlapping his arm, causing him to grin pervertedly, making Akeno giggle.
"Issei, are you perhaps thinking naughty thoughts?" Akeno whispered into his ear with a soft and sensual tone.
Issei's breath hitched in his throat as he tried to recompose his self-control.
"I was not." Issei replied in a flustered fashion but Akeno knew him very well.
"In any case, Issei?" Akeno looked at him with endearing eyes.
"Hm?" Issei smiled with a quizzical look.
"Can I come over today? I wanted to talk about something with you." Akeno sounded a bit more serious.
"Okay." Issei responded with an understanding tone that resonated with Akeno's.
Yuuma wondered what it was the two were going to talk about but she knew that it would be rude of her to ask.
On the walk home, Akeno kept herself tight to Issei, holding his hand and speaking softly to him.
"Issei-kun, have you finished your report for the Club yet?" Akeno asked.
Issei nodded. He was lying about having finished it but he couldn't let Akeno tease him all of the time.
'He's lying. Every time he lies about something small, his left eyebrow twitches.' Akeno chuckled.
"Then, can I double-check it as the Vice-president?"
Issei froze.
"I'll show it to you later when I find it. I lost the report in a pile of documents." Issei realized that his plan backfired.
"Ara ara, that's not good. I'll have to help then." Akeno pushed on.
Issei looked at Raynare apologetically.
She must have been uncomfortable with how the two in front of her were acting.
To his surprise, Raynare actually looked quite bothered and it seemed to be more on the lines of jealousy.
Raynare frowned and pouted with puffy cheeks as she looked at the two.
'How did this even happen in the first place!? We haven't even known each other that long!' Issei had become lost.
The reason why he thought this was because of the fact that he had seen the same look of jealousy in Akeno's eyes before.
Then he remembered that he had forgotten to go grocery shopping. It would've been rude of him to invite a guest into his home without any snacks or food.
"Yuuma-san, can you take Akeno home while I go to the store? I have to get some things first." Issei walked ahead as the two women looked at him in displeasure.
"Why don't we go with you?" Akeno interjected.
"It's fine. I'll come back ASAP. Why don't you two just go ahead and wait for me?" Issei was clearly telling them to go to his house.
Truth be told, he was hoping that the two of them would become friends. He knew that Raynare was quite lonely without any female friends since Kalawarner and the others were still in comatose states. He also wished that Akeno would warm up to Fallen Angels again, in hopes that she would be able to reunite with Baraqiel again.
As he walked to the store, Issei looked to the side of the crossroad street and saw somebody faraway. Apparently the person had fallen over, given how they were face-first into the ground.
Breaking into a run, Issei ran over and found a somewhat petite girl with blonde hair on the ground.
She grumbled and sat up as she rubbed the dirt off of her clothes.
"Are you alright?" Issei called out as he helped her up.
When he got a good look at the girl, she had green eyes and she had a somewhat naïve look in her eyes. She wore blue nun robes and brown boots. On her hands, were white rings that had 3 green gems embedded into each of them.
"Yes, I'm fine." The young girl moaned in exasperated pain.
The girl looked up at Issei with a gracious expression and bowed.
"Thank you very much." She bowed in gratitude.
Suddenly, Issei felt a cold tingle go up his spine.
He did a presence scan and found nothing. He felt no killing intent nor any malice.
Wondering if it was his imagination, Issei lowered his guard a little and waited to see if anything would happen again, though he doubted it.
If an enemy had noticed that he had picked up on them, they would either attack or lay low.
The nun then spoke up once again.
"Excuse me, but could you help give me directions?" She asked hesitantly.
"Sure. Where did you need to go?" Issei replied with a courteous tone.
"I need help getting to one of the churches here."
Issei's suspicions immediately rose again. The last time a church was involved, things didn't go well for the inhabitants.
"Which one?"
There were two churches. There was an old run-down church and another church that was still open but it had few visitors and a declining number of parishioners.
"I'm heading to the open church here."
Issei then decided to do some investigation and the open church was about a mile and a half away.
"I can take you there, if you're fine with that."
Akeno was concerned that the Church would do something to him if they found out what he was.
Raynare was worried about the fact that Issei had invaded a Stray Exorcist base and caused havoc there, even killing all of them. This would surely put other church followers on edge.
Issei gave the both of them looks of calm reassurance and walked away with the blonde nun.
"By the way, I'm Issei." The Sekiryuutei introduced himself.
The blonde nun looked at him and smiled.
"I'm Asia Argento. It's nice to meet you." Asia returned the gesture, eventually leading the two into conversation.
"Where are you from, Argento-san?" Issei assumed she knew Japanese customs and mannerisms, judging by how she added proper suffixes to his name.
"I'm from Italy. I was formerly a part of the Church until I was sent here." Asia's expression saddened.
She didn't want to reveal too much of her past, out of fear that she would be ostracized and persecuted again in a foreign land.
Issei noticed the unease that Asia was feeling and chose to avoid questioning her more about the topic until the situation really demanded it.
For a long duration of their walk, they spent the time talking about their likes and dislikes.
Issei figured that he quite liked the girl. She made him feel calm and she was very kind and gentle.
Asia found Issei to be the same, although she could feel a strong confident aura around him.
The two actually bonded very well. While on the way to the church, Issei guided her around Kuoh, due to her request for his help.
'Thank goodness, today was a short school day. I don't think I'd have time for Akeno and this later in the day if school wasn't short.' Issei breathed a sigh of relief.
When Issei and Asia passed by a burger shop, Asia's stomach rumbled.
She blushed and tried to hide her embarrassment but Issei just couldn't let the poor girl starve.
Taking her inside, Issei bought her a large cheeseburger and some French fries to sate her hunger.
When he presented it to her, she had absolutely no clue on how to eat it.
"Is something wrong, Argento-san?" Issei honestly looked perplexed.
"Well, um…I'm not sure how to eat this. You see, I've lived at the Church since a very young age so I've never had the chance to eat such food before." Asia looked at the burger with wonder.
"I understand. Well then, allow me to show you." Issei took hold of his burger and simply took a bite out of it and he took one French fry and consumed it with only his fingers.
"With this kind of food, you simply eat it with your hands since it can be a hassle sometimes to eat it with silverware."
Asia then followed Issei's suit and was delighted by what she was trying.
"This burger is so warm and delicious. These French fries are delightful too. Thank you, Hyoudou-san." The young girl truly looked grateful as she started on her meal.
"You can just call me Issei, Argento-san." Issei had grown comfortable enough around her to understand that it was fine with him for her to use his first name.
"Then you can call me Asia." Said girl replied.
The two laughed at each other's antics as they continued they enjoyed their meal.
When they walked out of the fast-food restaurant, Asia felt comfortable enough with Issei that she could confess her dark past. For some reason, Issei made her feel relaxed and safe. It wasn't romantic, but it was still a strong emotion.
"Issei-san? Do you believe in biblical lore?" Asia looked at Issei curiously.
Issei shrugged and tilted his head.
"I'm a believer in the supernatural but I'm not a devout Christian or Catholic." Issei admitted.
"Then do you worship Shinto religion?" Asia wasn't too surprised at this answer.
Issei shook his head.
"No, I don't really worship religious deities, in that sense. I believe that they may exist out there in the world, but even then, I'm not sure. However, I like to think that my actions and fate are within my own hands." Issei declared.
While Asia was a bit surprised at his agnostic-like statement, she accepted that.
"Asia-san, is there a reason that you were sent here?" Issei decided that he needed to stop beating around the bush.
"Well, you see…"
Just before she could finish, a young child in front of them had slipped and fallen. The child wailed and cried as he grabbed he clasped his bloody knee.
Without a moment's hesitation, Asia dashed forward and knelt on her knees and inspected the crying toddler's knee.
"Hold still. I promise that you'll feel better really soon." Asia smiled at the boy, silencing his cries as he patiently waited to see what she meant.
Putting both of her hands over the boy's wound, a soft green light emanated around them.
Issei took a look at the rings on Asia's hands and noticed that they were Sacred Gears. What clued him in was the fact that the rings were giving off a strong magical light and it came from the rings, not directly from Asia herself.
Within seconds, the injury on the boy's knee closed and faded, leaving no traces of ever existing. The boy's expression erupted into a smile as he got up and jumped around to test his knee.
With all well and repaired, the boy looked at Asia and bowed.
"Thank you!"
Asia returned the gesture.
"You're welcome. Just make sure that you don't tell anyone about this, okay?" Asia cautioned him as he nodded and ran off.
Issei was surprised by the impressive and quick healing magic that the nun employed.
Even with the scientific and magical healing of Grigori, it took quite a bit of time to heal wounds. When he saw Asia apply it, it took mere seconds, maybe only 5, to completely heal the boy's cut and not even a scar remained.
'Twilight Healing.' Issei knew what Asia's rings were after he thought about the effects and the display that he just saw.
'Partner, maybe we should go inside the church and pay a nice visit.' Draig already knew of the long bloody history of [Twilight Healing].
For ages, people murdered each other and had committed terrible rituals to gain the [Twilight Healing], which were two rings that had incredible healing powers that easily matched Phoenix Tears. At full potential, some thought that it gave immortality if the wielder pushed to that point, though it was never proven.
Moving towards Issei, Asia then resumed talking with him.
"I'm sorry about that."
"No, it's fine. Please continue with what you were saying." Issei waved off her worries.
"Back to what I was saying. To put it bluntly, I was excommunicated from the Vatican Church." Asia looked down sadly as Issei's became bothered.
"Why?!" He didn't understand how such a kind and gentle girl could be banished from the Church.
"You see...I did something heretical."
Issei nodded, signaling for her to continue.
"One day, a mysterious young man showed up on the steps of the Church and I healed him, with my powers." Asia then looked at her rings.
"Later, it was proven that he was a Devil, a being of evil and an enemy of the religion that I belonged to. Due to this, I was declared a witch and was banished, for a power that can heal even Devils, is a sinful power."
Issei found this law to be irrational but he kept his dissatisfaction hidden.
"I'm sorry that you had to bear such a painful past."
"No, it's fine. To be honest, I'm glad to have this power. With it, I've been able to help heal people and I can help drive away the pain that other's might feel. Therefore, I am satisfied with this as long as I can help others." Asia looked at her rings passionately as she smiled.
Finally bringing Asia to their planned destination, Issei saw a large, white marble church. At the highest tower, was a large golden bell. Grey clay tiles lined the roof and stained glass lined the outer walls. Issei looked inside and saw several common people inside, worshipping with their beliefs at their own time.
Not sensing any abnormal vibes, Issei knew that he had to be sure. He did a presence scan and found nothing again, not even a small dark feeling.
He understood that Michael must have been regulating the system, if there was nothing negative here.
For a lengthy amount of time, he had trained under Michael's tutelage as well as under the leaders of the Fallen Angels. According to Michael, Issei would become a bridge that linked warring factions under one banner, whether directly or indirectly.
Deciding that Asia was safe, he turned to her.
She smiled at him and bowed graciously.
"Thank you very much, Issei-san. It was because of your kindness that I experienced many joyous things today. I will never forget you and I will pray for your good fortune."
With those last words, she entered the church,
Issei was happy knowing that he had left a positive impact on someone for once and walked away.
What he didn't know was that he had officially signed Asia's death warrant.
A short while after she entered, she noticed that the doors behind her had shut in an ominous way. With her head turned, the candles of the church were immediately put out by a cold and dark wind.
Shooting her head around, the atmosphere of the church was immediately morphed into a nightmarish darkness. Nothing could be seen. Only voices could be heard.
All of the benches crumbled into splinters, the walls cracked and turned to dust, and the stained glass darkened into black stone.
With no light, Asia began to shake in fear as she felt a cold shadow loom in the air.
"W-What's going on? Who's there?" She whimpered.
The common people that were inside of the church had disappeared and were replaced by people clothed in dark and tattered robes.
"We've been waiting for you. For a long time, we'd hoped that you'd come along. With your Sacred Gear, we will be much better off in the future. With your powers, we will have no need to fear the Angels, Devils, or Fallen Angels. Not even deities will be able to scratch us." A mysterious figure said before Asia lost consciousness from the dark and toxic atmosphere.
"Yoohoo! Fresh meat! So do I get to play with her doc?" A mad and crazed voice cackled as the owner picked Asia up and carried her off to a darker place.
"No. This one will remain untouched." A calmer and more emotionless tone spoke.
"That's too bad."
Even with voices only, the two figures had already proven to be quite sinister. Only fate would reveal who these two were.
At the Hyoudou Home, Raynare and Akeno were having a good time talking to each other. At first, Akeno was a bit standoffish with Raynare since she could tell that something felt off about her. That was until stories started being told.
Akeno had learned in detail about Raynare's connection to Issei and she felt a sense of resonance with her, for her troubled past.
Raynare, in turn, felt the same way about Akeno. When she heard of the hybrid's lack of company on her cold journey, she had wished that Dohnaseek and Kalawarner had come across her as well.
"Then, Raynare-san, do you know why the Stray Exorcists were here in Kuoh?" Akeno asked Raynare. She was interested in knowing why such a large group of exorcists would enter Devil territory that was inhabited by a Gremory and Sitri.
"The leader of that band, Freed Sellzen, wanted to start killing off every supernatural being here that wasn't a member of the Church, so he came here, knowing that you all were living in Kuoh. He also intended on waiting for someone to arrive. He said that that person was very special and that he and another guest of his, were waiting for an extraordinary nun."
At that moment, Raynare held her breath. She hoped that whoever it was, wasn't somebody she knew.
"Thankfully, Issei-kun destroyed the Stray Exorcists and Azazel-sama took care of the politics. I'm sure the nun they were waiting for is still wherever she had been living at before."
Akeno couldn't help but smile and giggle.
"That sounds like Issei. He's always trying to find a way to save people."
The two couldn't help but laugh over the matter.
It was just too predictable of the current Sekiryuutei to save others, as they had observed.
On another note, Raynare had proven to be quite an accomplished cook, given how she had made manju, pirozhkis, and cookies for the two while they waited for Issei to come home. What proved to be amazing was how she could make such food from the limited selection of ingredients available in Issei's kitchen.
It was thanks to her numerous travels that she had learned to cook with almost anything. Unfortunately, she wasn't as skilled with Japanese cuisine, due to her lack of practice.
"So, Akeno-san? Are you dating Issei-kun?" Raynare made a curious look at Akeno as the latter did a spit-take.
Gagging and coughing, Akeno started to question herself. She didn't understand why she was so easily flustered when it came to Issei. Even when he smiled casually at her, she couldn't calm her heart down.
She wasn't sure how she would answer Raynare, to be honest. Under normal circumstances, the two would've started dating but with Issei having feelings for her and her childhood friend, Vali, time had to be taken to sort things out.
It truly hurt her to think that she might lose him but it also hurt to think that she might end up doing the same to Vali, who had been like a sister to her. Akeno truly loved Issei, that's why she was so willing to be patient with him so that he wouldn't do anything out of dutiful obligation.
"No…we're not." Akeno spoke softly before taking another sip of her tea.
Raynare was honestly confused. She didn't understand how they weren't, given how they were acting during the walk home.
Even though she didn't know anyone who was dating, she could tell that things were already set for the two childhood friends.
Unfortunately, she didn't seem to see anything like that between Issei and herself.
Suddenly, the door opened and Issei walked in. He checked his watch and it was currently 2:00 pm. He was surprised that he had only spent 2 hours out, when it felt like much longer had passed by. He had managed to quickly get groceries out of hopes that he hadn't spent too long out but it looked like those hopes were dashed.
He looked at the two women and smiled. He was able to tell that the two were obviously already friends, given how relaxed the two were around each other.
He knew that Akeno could be friendly but she usually kept to herself with strangers. Raynare would react to new people with a slight skeptic and cautious approach.
In this case, both were smiling and looking casual.
"What took you so long?" Akeno asked with a somewhat worried tone. She couldn't help but feel that way after Issei had been gone for so long. She would've gone out to look for him if it weren't for the fact that Issei had sent her a text reassuring her that he was okay.
"So what were you two talking about?" Issei chimed in.
"About random things. We were only starting to get to know each other." Akeno chuckled.
"So what exactly were you doing that took you 2 hours?" Raynare cast an accusational glare.
Issei retreated a little when he felt the menacing aura of the two women in front of him.
"Ufufufu. Ara ara, Issei, I hope you weren't doing anything obscene with another woman." Akeno teased lightly, though there was an intense feeling circling around her.
"W-Well, I met somebody in need of help and I ended up helping that person tour town before I dropped them off at their destination." Issei was pretty sure that if he mentioned the gender, he'd be shooting himself in the foot.
"It was a girl, wasn't it?" Akeno accurately guessed with a smile.
She actually said it on a whim, since she knew that dragons tended to attract people of different species'.
Sighing in defeat, Issei knew that Akeno was too familiar with his mind and character for him to deceive her unless certain factors came into play.
"Yes. I met a nun that needed help since she was new to Kuoh."
At that instant, both Akeno and Raynare immediately connected the dots between Issei's experience with the story that Raynare had just spoken about.
"Issei…was the nun's name Asia Argento?" Raynare felt cold dread gripping her as she reluctantly spoke.
"Yes, that was her name." Issei replied, not knowing of her connection to the wielder of Twilight Healing.
Raynare dropped her teacup onto the table with a loud thud as a look of horrific realization dawned on her face.
Issei knew that he had done something wrong the minute Raynare's expression contorted to one of horror.
"What's going on?" Akeno looked at the two in worry.
"We have to find her! I overheard several exorcists talking while I was captured. They had purposefully planned to move that nun here in an attempt to take her Sacred Gear. I thought that since you eliminated the Stray Exorcists, she would remain where she was but it looks like she was brought here regardless."
A look of outrage and panic spread across the Fallen Angel's face.
"This has to mean that there are still Stray Exorcists here. Asia has Twilight Healing. They're going to kill her to get them. She wouldn't have been sent here if that wasn't the case. And also…she's a very dear friend of mine. I met her in Italy." Raynare then looked at Issei.
"She's such a sweet girl and she's always so willing to help but she's too trusting and naïve to the world. Issei-kun, please…please help me get her back." Raynare pleaded.
Issei wasted no time and stood up.
Akeno felt the powerful urge to help her friends but certain rules were barring her way.
"Akeno…can you wait here for us?" Issei looked at her with a stern look.
It only took one look in his eyes for her to tell that he was concerned for her safety. She saw pain and nostalgic worry, something that Akeno knew the cause of.
'He's still worried about what happened 9 years ago. He's still too worried that I'll get hurt. I want to help too but I know that Rias will object. We're Devils and we can't just attack a church. It' s going to be detrimental to the future if we do something out of the blue.' Akeno grumbled and sighed.
"Actually, there's something else too." Raynare interjected.
Raynare didn't like it but she had seen much at the abandoned church where she was.
"The stray exorcists that captured me had actually planned to attack all of the Devils in this town. The one spearheading this attack is a banished priest named Freed Sellzen. Knowing him, I'm pretty sure he's alive. That sick bastard is known for sneaking away like a coward. If he gets Twilight Healing, he stated that he'd come after all of the Devils and Fallen Angels here. He also knows that Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri are actually Devils. He wants to use them as bargaining chips." Raynare elaborated.
Akeno's eyebrow twitched at this.
"That guy…just how arrogant and deluded is he?" Issei growled.
"He thinks that if he gets Twilight Healing, he'll be immortal since rumor has it that it's so powerful with healing that it would eventually grant unending life and recovery if mastered. He probably thinks that he can take on anybody if he gets Asia's Sacred Gear."
Akeno decide that she needed to talk with Rias before anything else.
"I have to talk to Rias-buchou about this. I don't know if we can help since we are Devils. I want to go too but since we aren't aligned, I can't just do whatever I want." Akeno felt guilty and spoke with a low tone until Issei put a sympathetic hand on her shoulder.
"Don't sweat it. I'll take care of this until you guys can move out." Issei declared before he looked at Raynare.
"I'm pretty sure that the Stray Exorcists will become aware that you're under Grigori's protection if you show up now. For all we know, they must have believed that I killed you. It's best that you stay with Akeno here until, she can get Rias's permission. For all we know, those Exorcists might try to use you two to spark a war between followers of each faction. Considering how they could pull strings to get Asia here, I'm sure they can use some bribery or even some other sleazy tricks to create a fiasco."
"But what about you? You're not planning on taking them on alone again?" Raynare objected.
Akeno glared at Issei, who knew why he was doing this.
"Issei, stop trying to shoulder everyone's burdens alone." Akeno spat out angrily.
"I'm not. I'll just be stalling till you all catch up. Besides, considering how I'm the Sekiryuutei, I won't be affiliated with any factions, so therefore, we can avoid any unnecessary political objections." Issei replied before magically teleporting through a magic circle.
Wasting no time, Akeno contacted Rias through a holographic circle.
"Buchou, we have a situation." Akeno grimly spoke to Rias.
"I could say the same thing. One of us just got attacked. I need to talk with you as soon as possible. Where are you?"
What came next jumpstarted another spiral of events that were sure to throw everyone around.
So as I said at the start of this chapter, I will make sure to address the matter about Reiko dying in future chapters and be sure to leave a review if you wish and I will see you guys next update.
