Have you ever thought to yourself that you were at the lowest point in your life?

Or that, maybe, you were beating yourself up for something that was completely out of your control?

I never experienced that. Not even when I got this Heaven's Feel thing.

...at least, not until I found out that someone I cared about, despite having just met days ago, was about to die.

High School DxD X Fate/stay night Crossover:

Fate/stay night:
The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven

Night 7: Family

A week. That was how long it had been since Asia Argento had been rescued from the clutches of the Stray Exorcists. That was how long it had been since Issei discovered he could apparently resurrect someone from the dead. That was how long it had been since he "married" Tamamo-no-Mae.

That was how long it had been since his normal life had gone out the window and thrown into a gutter.

Even as he found himself once again going to school, he couldn't help but feel that the world had changed for him. Back then, all he had to worry about was getting through school, enduring beatings from the kendo team and so on. Now, though, his head was filled with so many thoughts, all he could do was just try and sort through them all and stare out the window.

"Yo, Ise." Aika whispered to him. He looked over his shoulder, finding her face written with concern. "You alright? Usually, by now, you'd be gushing about women and whatnot. Or at the very least make a small comment about how sexy Tama-chan is. What's wrong?"

"It's nothing." he said. Aika gave him a flat stare, making it clear she didn't believe him. He sighed. "Okay, I'm... I'm just worried about Asia. It's been three days, and she still hasn't gotten any better." Aika's gaze turned sympathetic. Truth be told, she was also worried for the girl. There hasn't been any sign of her condition improving, and it was unnerving to say the least. "I just wish I knew how to help her..."

"Cheer up. I mean, Shitori-Kaichou's looking after her. I think Devils know how to heal someone up." She paused briefly, as a thought came to her. "Moving away from depressing talk, is it true you've started to bat for the other team?"

Issei choked, suddenly finding himself standing up. "What?!" He realized that his action had more or less brought the attention of the class down on him. Blushing and utterly embarrassed, he bowed his head and apologized before he sat back down. "Where-where the hell did you hear something like that?! I'm perfectly straight! I still get a hard on from looking at hot girls!"

'Mostly at Tama-chan these days, though...' he thought. 'It's hard to beat a goddess in sexiness.'

"Just something I heard from your boyfriends, Motohama and Matsuda." Aika told him, making him growl. Of course those two would be spreading rumors. They had been avoiding him and shooting him glares ever since they found out he was in a relationship with the woman that was Tamamo-no-Mae. Avatar of Amaterasu-no-Mikoto. "They apparently saw you hanging around Kiba-kun. What's up with that? I thought you hated pretty boys."

The male brunette scoffed. "Of course I do. I just hate his face, that's it." he said. "Besides, I get to hang out with Toujou-chan."

"Better not let Tama-chan hear you say that. Speaking of which, what's she been up to?"

"She likes to stay at the house and clean and stuff like that. She also said she had something nice planned for dinner."

True to Issei's words, Tamamo was humming pleasantly to herself, dancing to her own little tune while she skipped around in the Hyoudou household, cobweb duster in hand. She was even dressed in a maid outfit complete with an apron. She appeared so elated. As if nothing could interrupt or ruin her mood. She had just finished dusting the downstairs and made her way up to the next level.

"Fou~"

And then she was promptly reminded that there was another member in their household. One that promptly put her on edge. Carefully, she looked to the side and found Primate Murder sitting on the window sill stationed at the end of the hallway, flicking its tail and pretending to be a cute little white creature of fluff and cuddles.

It would have worked...if it weren't for the fact that Tamamo herself technically counted as a Beast of Gaea herself, when that particular aspect of herself was in the driver's seat.

"I still can't believe darling brought you home with us..." she grumbled, eyeing the creature carefully while maintaining a safe distance from it. So long as it didn't show any signs of hostility, she was fine with letting it be. For now, at any rate. "How did you even get here? This isn't even our universe to begin with! Explain yourself!"

"Fou~" the creature responded with a flick of its tail.

Tamamo continued to glare at it before she promptly sighed in depression, her head hanging low. "I...understand none of that. This totally breaks my image of you. Why'd you have to look like such an adorable little cutie?! It isn't fair!"

Truly, she grew to be envious of Primate Murder, as she noticed how Issei seemed to dote on the fluffy critter ever since the incident in the Church. Why didn't he dote on her like that little Beast?! She was supposed to be his wife, dammit!

"Fou...Kyu..." The critter chirped as it jumped off the sill and scurried off to another part of the house.

Tamamo wrinkled her nose. 'Good riddance!' she thought before she went back to work. As she moved closer to the window sill, however, she noticed that the clouds looked dark and angry. "Did the weather forecast say it was going to rain today?" she wondered idly, cupping her chin. "Hm... Susano'o-sama must be sad today. Come to think of it, I wonder what the Amaterasu of this world is like?"

She sincerely hoped that whoever they may be, she was better than the one she knew of. She was a piece of the Sun Goddess, but simply because she was a fragment of her did not mean that the Amaterasu of her universe was a kind one. She vaguely recalled how she would have burned anyone who dared to enter her sanctuary to little more than cinders, no matter who they were. She could be amused at times, but the concepts of morals was beyond her, much less the ideas of "Good" or "Evil." That was what it meant to be a god.

And Tamamo was hoping that this world's Amaterasu had some idea of what it meant to have emotions.

Unknown to anyone at the time, however, there was activity stirring in Kyoto. Especially in the central region, where a barrier had been erected. Inside this barrier was a compound, far larger than the likes of Osaka castle. In this compound was a young girl with chin-length choppy blonde hair with matching eyes, wearing a traditional miko outfit with a white haori with puffy sleeves and red hakama slacks. Swishing about behind her were nine small golden tails, which flicked about in a carefree manner.

She was sitting in front of a pond, watching a small gathering of koi fish swim about as they performed neat little tricks in the hopes of amusing her. It did little, however, as the girl looked at a double set of doors leading into a room she was forbidden from entering for the time being. She gave a small little pout before turning back to the pond.

"Kaa-sama is taking a long time." she muttered sadly. "How come I'm not allowed to go in?"

Inside that room, there had been good reason as to why the girl was not allowed in. It was utter chaos, with various kinds of youkai screaming at one another. Not a thing could be heard over the intense and angry shouts that were directed at each other. The worst part was that it had started the moment a piece of news had been delivered by a Karasu Tengu, shortly after it made sure to validate the report in order to confirm its accuracy. The message was short and simple, and it was powerful enough to incite such chaos. Few dared to attempt to bring the conversation back to the main point, as many of those involved were known for their malignant temper.

One such individual, however, made them all cease with a slam of his cane. "Enough!" the old youkai bellowed, his wary and wretched old tone demanding respect and authority. He was a small old man with wrinkly old skin and frost-white hair, most of which mostly being his long beard and thin eyebrows. There was no hair on his head, and stranger still it resembled some form of gourd. "If you have already forgotten, Yasaka-sama is standing in our presence! Do you intend to show such disrespect?!"

"Be quiet, Nurarihyon!" an Ogre with dark blue skin and green hair roared, bearing his fangs as he slammed a hand down on the tatami mat. "This is serious! If this report is true, then-"

"It is lies!" a youkai that more or less resembles some sort of beast, body composed entirely of electricity, snapped. "It is impossible! She cannot have been resurrected! The Killing Stone has shown no signs of damage, not since the day that monk drove out her malicious spirit!"

A particularly giant youkai, a monkey covered head to toe in white fur and a gaunt dark face, frowned heavily as it cupped its chin. "Even so... The power we felt on that day was just like that of Amaterasu-sama." the Yeti/Yuki-Onna said. "Even if she is not her, it cannot be coincidence that her power is that of the Sun. Could she be the Avatar of a foreign deity?"

"What do you think, Yasaka-sama?"

All attention was directed to the single, most powerful individual in the room. A beautiful woman with long golden hair tied back into a ponytail, wearing a revealing yellow kimono that exposed an ample amount of cleavage, a black-and-gold obi hanging around her arms and spilling along the floor with the rest of her attire. She looked to be an older version of the young girl sitting outside the meeting room, completely with her own set of tails, only far larger and with a more vibrant golden sheen.

Yasaka-Tamamo, the Leader of the Youkai Faction, had been oddly silent since the news arrived. Not only had she not spoken when the shouting began, she had been silent even now. Her eyes, which had been closed meaning she was deep in thought up until now, opened to reveal dark brownish-gold eyes. She turned her head to her messenger, a Karasu-Tengu covered in dark raven feathers and a dark red beak.

"Assuming it is true, and that she has been revived..." she began slowly. "What of this human she has apparently taken fancy to? What is his name?"

The Karasu Tengu raised its head. "Milady." he said. "The one supposedly responsible for reviving Tamamo-no-Mae-sama is a human living in the Kuoh District, ruled by the Devils Rias Gremory and Sona Sitri: Issei Hyoudou."

School had come to its end, though not without its own fair share of problems. Midterms were quickly approaching in response to the upcoming Golden Week, and the weather was horrible. Rain had begun to spill out onto the city, coating the ground in puddles and in a thin sheet of water. Many had come unprepared and lacked umbrellas, forcing them to rush through or use their own bags as makeshift shields.

Neither Issei or Aika had left yet. They had made a quick trip to the Nurse's Office, which had been devoid of any life, save for one. Asia Argento was sleeping peacefully on one of the vacant cots available. Her face was peaceful, if perhaps a little drowsy and tired with dark rings under her eyes. Her skin was clammy, and deathly pale.

"I thought by now she'd look better." Aika remarked as she and Issei stood by her bedside. The female pervert looked at Asia's sleeping form with worry, hands clenched together. "I know I said she'd be in good hands, but... She IS going to be fine, right?"

"She has to be." Issei replied, though it hardly sounded convincing. It was far too weak, and it sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else. "She's gotta get better."

Honestly, it hurt him to see her like this. They had gone through so much trouble to save her. He had even killed someone to save her and nearly died as a result. Rias said she would be fine, but her condition only seemed to get worse. At first, he thought she was sick, but every time he gently touched her skin, he noted how cold she felt. It was like the warmth was being sucked out of her body.

He wished he knew what was happening to her. At least then, he'd be able to do something. Or at least try to do something.

Perhaps as a result of their talking, Asia's eyes trembled for a moment before they opened. Her eyes, compared to their usual vibrant luster, were somewhat glossed over as if covered by a thin film. "Oh..." she said tiredly. "Issei-san... Aika-chan..."

"Oh!" Aika winced. "I'm sorry! Did we wake you up?"

"No, I was waking up...please don't concern yourselves..." She smiled.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to be noisy..."

"It's fine..."

Issei couldn't help but notice just how tired she sounded. She looked so weak. Was this because she was strapped into that machine for too long? "Are you okay?" he asked. "Do you need anything?"

"No...I'm just...kind of sleepy..." Her eyes struggled to stay awake. "I'm sorry..."

"Hey, it's fine!" Aika leaned over, pulling the covers over her when she noticed they were starting to fall off. "Take all the time you need. And hey, when you feel better, you and I are on for a shopping trip. We still have to show you around town!"

The nun smiled weakly. "I'd...like that..." she said before her closed again and fell asleep again.

Issei sighed as he slumped in his seat. Aika shared his sentiments while she looked at Asia's face. She seemed to getting more pale by the day. While Issei had filled her in on what she missed, she still couldn't help but feel like there was something she was missing here.

"Let's give her some rest." Aika said, pulling away from the bed. "We should probably get back home. I imagine your hot wife's dying to have her hubby back home." In spite of the teasing, even Issei could tell that she wasn't putting any actual effort into it. The situation just felt too somber, too depressing.

Giving one last look at Asia, Issei stood up and put the stool back where it belonged before he followed Aika out the door. When they pulled the door open, they were met with two familiar faces. "Kiba?" Issei asked in surprise, recognizing the Devils. "Gremory-senpai?"

"I thought I saw you two heading here." the red-head smiled thinly, not quite matching her eyes. "It's been a while since we last spoke, Hyoudou-kun."

"Y-yeah..." Issei chuckled, scratching his cheek. Now that he thought about it, barring that time when they were about to rescue Asia and take out the Stray Exorcists, the only actual time they talked was when she and Sona were filling him in on the whole situation. And that had also been when Tamamo had more or less put her claws to their necks and threatened to kill them. "Um, about Tama-chan, I'm really sorry."

"No, no. She was perfectly in the right. The world has changed since the last time she was here. We honestly should have expected this kind of behavior, really." Rias waved a hand. "More importantly, how are you two doing? This last week has been quite stressful. Especially to you, Hyoudou-kun."

That had been putting it mildly. It was still hard to believe that this whole mess started because Raynare tried to kill him. It didn't feel like a week to him at all. If anything, it felt like months. With so much that happened, it didn't even seem like only a few days passed. So much had happened, he summoned Tamamo, nearly got killed...again, actually DID get killed, and killed another person.

He still hadn't felt bad about killing Freed, oddly. Not even so much as a bad dream. Was that bad? Was it a sign that he secretly enjoyed killing someone?

...no, couldn't be.

"I think we're doing fine, all things considered." Aika admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck. "I'm just glad this idiot here's okay. Last thing I need is to see his dead body." A pause, then a grin. "Then again, I wouldn't mind getting a nice good look at him making a new one if it's going to pop up naked. I won't ask how the hell you do that, but if you did it on purpose, you certainly gave us a show~"

Issei's cheeks burned and his face fell in his hands. "Can we maybe not talk about that?" he begged pitifully. "Please."

Yuuto chuckled. "You two seem close." he noted.

Aika shook her head. "Nah, we're just close acquaintences and fellow pervs. Whereas he's interested in boobs, I'm more of a third leg kind of guy?"

"Third leg?" the blonde prince asked confused at first. Aika gave him a lecherous grin, and then it struck him. When it did, his cheeks turned scarlet. "Oh."

"Anyway, I'll be getting out of your hair now." the human girl said, shifting her bag up to her shoulder. "See you later, Hyoudou. Let me know if something happens with Asia, yeah?"

"Sure." Issei nodded. Aika smiled and then walked away, vanishing from sight. Once she was gone, Issei breathed a sigh of relief. "I can never get a beat on that girl to save my life."

"She does seem free-spirited." Rias noted. "That, and I have this feeling she and Akeno would get along splendidly. They practically live to tease."

"Hey, senpai. About Asia... She is going to be okay, right?" Rias fell quiet. Yuuto himself lost any and all warmth in his face, suddenly unable to look the brunette in the eyes. Issei noticed this and quickly became concerned. "Seriously, she's going to be fine, right? You guys know some healing magic, right?"

The red head gave a heavy sigh before she looked at Issei, as in really looked at him. When she did, he couldn't help but notice the sorrow in those icy blue eyes. "Hyoudou-kun... I'm sorry, but at the rate this is going, Asia will..."

She didn't finish, but he knew what she meant. A cold chill suddenly grabbed him by the throat, sucking away all the warmth in his body and replacing it with dread. "W-what do you mean by that?" he asked shakily. "What's wrong with her?!"

"The machine she was strapped to had been attempting to tear her Sacred Gear out of her body." Yuuto said, his tone full of mirth. "A Sacred Gear is tied directly to a person's soul. If the Sacred Gear is removed completely, then it would be the same as tearing the soul apart. That person would die."

"But-but you got her out of it before it could, right?!"

"We did, yes, but the process was not without its own repurcussions. The damage that's been done to her soul... No amount of healing will be able to fix it." Issei stared at her in disbelief, even as she looked at him with that grim expression on her face. "I'm sorry, but...

"Asia Argento will not live past the week."

"...what...?" Issei whispered in shock. His brain still tried to process this revelation. Even after all they did...Asia was still going to...

"I'm sorry." Rias said to him again, though he barely even heard her as his head fell and stared at the floor. "I truly am sorry, Hyuodou-kun."

She walked past him, shooting him a sorrowful gaze before retreating down the hall. Yuuto bowed his head, clearly showing his sympathies to Issei before he followed his King. The brunette stood there in place, frozen and unable to move. For a good few minutes, the only sound he could hear was the tapping of rain drops against the windows.

"...this isn't fair."

"Fou..."

"I agree. It's raining cats and dogs out there." Tamamo said. She was currently in the kitchen, still clad in her maid uniform and in front of a stove. In front of her was a steel pot, filled with various assortments of foods and whatnot. She was still trying to get used to Primate Murder's presence here, and was still clearly wary of the little fuzzball. "Ooh, I hope Ise is okay." A thought came to her, and she promptly gushed. "But if he is soaked, I can offer to join him in the bath~!"

"Fou. Fou fou kyu..." The little creature barked.

Tamamo frowned. "Oh, zip it, Primate Murder! A wife can dream! Besides, from what Okaa-sama told me, one of his more...questionable hobbies involved breasts."

"Fou..." Primate Murder shook its head in exasperation.

"Hush, you!" Seriously?! Just why was this Beast so judgmental of her?! Can't she enjoy her plans without criticism from it?!

Huffing, she went back to dinner. She had a feeling that it would help boost her husband's mood, if only a little. He had been so hopelessly depressed, waiting for Asia's condition to recover. She was also concerned for the girl, and sincerely hoped that she would get better soon. Unfortunately, despite all the power she had at her disposal, not even someone like her had the power to help her. Another time she once again felt useless, and yet her she was, with all nine aspects gathered and at full power.

What kind of Heroic Spirit was she?

She heard the door open. "Oh! He's back!" Mood improving, she instantly darted out of the kitchen. As she approached the entry way, she had a nice little speech and plan in mind. Given how lecherous Issei was, there was no way he couldn't take up the offer of having 'her' for dinner and/or in the bath! That was, assuming his nosebleed didn't stop him. Whenever he had a nosebleed, he always passed out. Now that she thought about it, she was amazed by how much blood could spew from his nose and he'd still be alive. How much blood did he have? Pushing the thought aside for now, she entered the entry way, about to recite what would surely lead to a night of passion, only to freeze. "Goodness! You're drenched!"

Issei looked positively wet. From head to toe, his clothes were completely soaked. His hair, which was usually messy around his bangs, was now patted down, no doubt due to the heaven pelting of rain. His clothes clung to him tightly, giving her an ample view of his skinny he was. While she hadn't seen him naked yet, on account of him desperately (and embarrassingly) attempting to prevent her from joining him. Clearly, he wasn't used to a girl being so aggressive in their advances. It was certainly cute, and adorable, especially for all his talk of being so perverse.

What made Tamamo confused, however, was the utterly bleak look on his face. It was like a corpse, so devoid of emotion and warmth that for a moment, she thought she was staring at someone else.

"I-Ise?" Tamamo called out to him. "Are you-"

Issei had only looked up at her for only a moment before he lunged at her, his arms snaking around her and pulling her towards him. "Mikou?!" Tamamo squeaked, but not without a blush on her cheeks. How forward! Perhaps a little risque and dinner pillow talk wasn't need after...

Tamamo's thoughts ceased when she felt Issei shaking, practically holding on to her for dear life. His shoulders trembled, and she could faintly hear him sobbing. She gingerly wrapped an arm around him and patted him on the head in a comforting motion. "There there...what's wrong?"

"A-As...Asia...she...s-she...she's..."

He couldn't finish. Instead, all he was reduced was a blubbering mess, slowly crumbling to the floor. All he could manage was incoherent gibberish and cries, with the white creature looking on in sadness while Tamamo did her best to comfort him.

It took two hours for Issei to calm down and tell her what had happened at school, and another a hour before his body had caught up with him. The poor boy was sleeping away his burdens, in no small part due to Tamamo putting a charm on him to help calm him down. If he were awake, a small part of him would have been thrilled to experience the famous Lap Pillow, but given what had happened, she was sure he would be more depressed than anything. Her fingers gently stroked his brown locks, trying her best to soothe him.

"The gods in this world certainly are cruel." Unknown to anyone but Tamamo herself, a few of her aspects had appeared. Tamamo Cat sat in the kitchen, practically crying her eyes out like she was trying to outdo Issei in that regard while Tamamo Shark sat on the other end of the sofa, knees curled up to her chest. Compared to them, the "Assassin" aspect that was Tamamo-vitch seemed by far the most composed, taking up residence on a nearby chair with an arm folded beneath her bosom. "Then again, when aren't they? I'm surprised the boy hadn't fallen apart on the way here."

The current Tamamo in control scowled, pupils devolving into something primal. "We just found out that Asia-chan is going to die, and here you are, sounding so damned composed." she seethed, glaring daggers at the woman. "Do you feel nothing?"

"She's right!" the "Berserker" aspect cried in outrage, tears still spilling from her eyes. "How cold-hearted can you be?!"

"Because it is pointless to get so flustered over the inevitable." She replied simply. "Humans die, one way or the other. Or have you already forgotten that?" She adjusted her glasses, revealing her eyes that reflected nothing but cold apathy. "We are not human. We are a Heroic Spirit. More than that, we are a fragment of Amaterasu-no-Mikoto. We will live far longer than a human ever will."

"Bitch." the "Lancer" aspect spat coldly.

"I'm just stating a fact. The nun's life was cut short the moment she was hooked onto that device. Her humanity is at its end..." She paused briefly, then shrugged. "Of course, she could become a Devil. That Gremory woman said it herself, her kind can reincarnate humans into their species. Then again, I doubt she'd take her up on that offer. She is a woman of faith, is she not?"

"She is, which is why I don't think that would be an option for her." Tamamo replied.

That, and she still didn't quite trust the Devils. She was still sore about the fact that they took control of a portion of her homeland, even if it had been by legal means. Even if it was not her homeworld, the fact remained that it was still Japan. As much as she wanted to actually trust the Devils, particularly the one with the glasses as she found her far more hospitable than that red haired floozy, she couldn't bring herself to actually take their word for it.

The "Assassin" aspect smiled thinly. "Exactly. Admittedly, I do feel a bit sorry for the girl...but what can you do? Human life is fragile."

"Enough." the head personality snarled. "Why don't you go help the others keep her in check? If I hear another word come out from your mouth, Tamamo-vitch, we will have more than words." Shrugging, the woman shrugged and vanished. Despite being gone, however, her presence still lingered, bringing a sour taste to her mouth.

Tamamo Cat growled. "I hate her. I really do."

"What do we do?" the "Lancer" aspect asked, looking at Issei with misty eyes. "If Asia-chan dies..."

Tamamo sighed and hanged her head low before looking at Issei, a finger stroking his cheek. There had to be something she could do, couldn't there?

In spite of the doom and gloom, the past few days had offered some peace for Sona and her peerage.

"K-Kaichou... Help..."

Well, more her than anyone else.

Sona looked from her desk, raising an eyebrow when she saw her Pawn Saji buried beneath his own paperwork, weakly struggling to pull himself out and reach for someone. "Please stop fooling around, Saji-kun." she chided the teen. "If you continue this antic, I will add more to your workload."

"B-But...my back..."

"That's what you get for slacking off." Momo called from her seat, placing another signed document on the finished pile before getting to work on the next one. "You should always work off all the paperwork you have right off the bat, otherwise it'll pile up into what's on top of you now."

"I had important stuff to do!" He tried to grab some traction on the floor, but failed.

Reya shook her head. "Like what?"

"W-well..."

"There's no shame in admitting you were procrastinating, Saji-kun." Sona told him. "However, do know that I only accept so much of it." As she was about to write off another document regarding the budget for the school's Baseball Club, she felt a warmth spread in the air. She blinked in surprise, but then smiled somewhat. "Tsubaki, would you mind fixing me and our guest a cup of tea?"

Her Queen nodded. "Of course, Sona."

"Eh? Guest? We have a guest?"

"H-help..."

"Given how our last meeting went, I thought that you wouldn't want to face us again." Sona said, keeping her tone as polite as possible. Tamamo's face was stiff, looking as if she wanted to be anywhere but here, clearly showing that she still had some discomfort around the Devils. "I sincerely hope you haven't come to kill us."

Tamamo wrinkled her nose. "I don't dislike you enough to do that. Yet. Unless you give me a reason to." Well, at least she was honest. "And to be frank... I think I prefer you over that floozy friend of yours. Gremory or whatever her name is."

"Ah, yes. Rias. I admit, she can be...difficult, at times." Sona said in agreement. "Her handling of Hyoudou-kun's situation is certainly not what I would call stellar. But she does have her good qualities. But I don't believe you came here to discuss Rias. I assume this is about Argento's condition?" Tamamo nodded. The girl sighed as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Unfortunately, the only thing that could possibly save her life is, quite literally, divine intervention. And sadly, I am not well acquainted or friends with a god."

"Because her soul is too damaged?"

"Yes. And even then, a god would have trouble healing such an extensive injury."

Tamamo bit her lip. "And what about this Reincarnation business?" she asked, surprising Sona. "Your kind can convert her into a Devil, isn't that right?"

'I see... So that's why she came here.' Sona thought to herself. "Yes, it is true. However... I feel as though there are some things I should tell you." Tamamo frowned at that. Explain a few things? What did she have to explain? "First, there is the matter of Reincarnation in the first place. By inserting an Evil Piece into a person's body, regardless of race, they can become a Devil. More accurately, they become a Reincarnated Devil. However, there are conditions. The most important of them being that they must consent to become Reincarnated. It is possible for a person to be Reincarnated even if they refuse, but there's a high probability that the conversion process will cause their mana to run wild, warping their mental state to the point where they become little more than a beast. The most common way of Reincarnation these days, as much as I hate to admit it, is by converting those who have passed from this world."

In other words, they Reincarnated people who had already died. Tamamo couldn't help but note the slight hint of anger in Sona's voice as she said that. It was clear that she detested such actions. From what little she could paint so far, Tamamo saw that Sona, despite being a Devil, had some good qualities. She wasn't what she assumed she was, a scheming little bat and such. There was honor. There was a person beneath all that.

"Secondly, there is Argento's own circumstances to take into account."

Tamamo tilted her head. "Her circumstances?" she asked in confusion. "If I remember right, she was cast out from the church when she healed a Devil. I fail to understand what all of this has to do with Reincarnation."

"Jeanne d'Arc." At the vixen's confused expression, Sona began to explain. "When she was put on trial, in spite of her contributions to the French cause, she was treated as a witch and burned at the stake. Yet historians later proclaimed her to be a saint. Asia Argento was excommunicated by the church and branded a heretic, but it would still be possible for her reputation to be restored. A chance for her to be accepted once again into Heaven's graces. However, if she was to become a Reincarnated Devil..."

"Then she would lose any and all possibility of that happening..." Tamamo realized. If Asia accepted Devilhood, the light of God will forever be beyond her reach. "She'd forever be labeled a heretic."

"Worse, the Church would see her as an enemy." Sona nodded, a grim smile. "In the end... The only person who can make that choice is Asia Argento herself."

"Fou..."

Issei stirred, his body slightly chilly. No doubt because of his decision to walk through the rain without any sort of protection whatsoever. He wasn't as cold as he was when he walked through the front door, probably due to Tamamo being part sun and all that. Opening his eyes, he found the little white creature sitting on the coffee table, looking utterly adorable.

"Hey..." he greeted lamely as he pulled himself up, rubbing his neck. "Man... Was I out like a light? I don't remember falling asleep."

"Fou!" the creature chirped as it tapped its paw against something on the table, causing it to thump. "Fou fou!"

Issei looked down at whatever the critter was messing around with. His eyes widened considerably when he did, having not seen it since his date with Raynare. "The deck?!" He hastily sat up from his resting position and grabbed the stack of cards. "Where...where did these come from? I thought I lost them!" He hadn't been able to find them since the incident with Raynare. His gaze shifted to the small beast. "Did...did you find them?"

"Kyu kyu!" It chirped in confirmation.

"Wow...thanks a lot..." Issei trailed off. Even after a week, he hadn't really thought of what to call the cute critter. "...now that I think about it, I don't know what to call you. I know you're an adorable animal...but do you have a name per chance?"

"Fou."

"You do know I can't understand you, right? Actually, since you say 'fou' a lot, maybe it'd be better if I call you that?"

"Fou~!"

"Guess that settles the question." Issei joked. "Nice to meet ya, Fou."

"Fou fou fou! Kyu kyuuuu~" Fou leaped in joy before jumping onto Issei's face and climbed to the top of his head.

"H-hey..." Issei sweatdropped before he laughed. He was still a bit depressed, but the newly named Fou just seemed to find a way to cheer him up, if only a little. Now that he was wide awake, he remembered what he was told earlier today and his mood instantly plummeted. His face gave way to bitter frustration as he stared at his hand. The same hand that brought Tamamo-no-Mae back to life. The same hand that somehow brought him back to life. "Dammit... I have this amazing power to literally bring the dead back to life, and I don't even know how to use it. And even if I did, would it really help Asia?"

He still didn't quite understand this whole Heaven's Feel thing quite yet. He was still dreading seeing Asia not waking up the next time he saw her. He wasn't sure what terrified him more. The fact that he knew Asia was going to die, or that he was going to one day go to school and find her fresh corpse. He couldn't stomach it. He refused to accept it. He didn't want her to die. She has already been through so much. She didn't deserve death. She deserved a happy life.

His hands balled into tight fists. If only he new how to use Heaven's Feel to save her life. She could live freely as a human being. She could make friends, and go to school and...

Seeing Issei's distress, Fou prodded his head. "Fou, fou..."

"H-huh?" Looking up, he found Fou looking at him in concern. "Oh. Sorry, little guy. I'm just...worried about a friend."

What Issei wasn't aware of was that Fou, or rather Primate Murder, wasn't quite like an animal. Only those who were not human and could sense it for what it was. It was also intelligent, enough so that it understood the boy's plight. He was partially the reason why it was here. Zelretch had pulled a lot of strings to get it here, if only out of curiosity to see how things would deviate. From what it understood, Issei Hyoudou was the holder of a Sacred Gear that would have died at the hands of the Fallen Angel called Raynare, and then become a Reincarnated Devil.

Due to the events that surrounded Chaldea from its world, the boundaries between universes had become cracked, with one world's influence seeping into another. One such irregularity that was born from it was Issei Hyoudou's change of fate. Rather than being the holder of a Sacred Gear, he was born with the Heaven's Feel. Something that should only exist in its world.

Its role was to more or less act as guide and act as an observer. To see how things would go. While it had no intention of stepping in, it couldn't help but become quickly attached to Issei, as he reminded Fou greatly of the red-haired human that it befriended so long ago.

Seeing his obvious distress, Fou decided to act. It bounced off his head and snatched the Catalyst from his hands. "What the-hey!" Issei cried, not understand what was going on. Fou landed on the ground and looked at Issei from over its shoulder, nudging its head. Issei stared in wonder. "You, uh...want me to follow?" Fou nodded. "Um, okay..."

It had stopped raining, and the night sky was a thing of beauty. There was no rainbow, unfortunately, but the shimmering moonlight and the parting clouds more than made up for it.

Had anyone seen Issei being led around by Fou, they would have thought he was strange and maybe questioned if he was okay. Issei wasn't entirely sure what the little fuzzball was thinking, but he had a feeling that wherever Fou was leading him, it probably had something to do with the deck, or maybe it wanted a walk. Perhaps a way to help Issei clear his head. It was working somewhat, but not nearly enough.

Eventually, though, Fou had led them to their destination. One that Issei didn't expect. "The church?" he said in surprise, looking at Fou questionably. "Why'd you bring me here?"

Fou gave a muffled yip, the deck still in its mouth before it darted towards the church, slipping through a large hole at the bottom of the door.

"Hey!"

Issei followed after it. He opened the door and stepped inside the Church, which had been long since cleaned up after their escapades the previous week.

And by cleaned up, he meant the disposal of the corpses of the battle.

The interior still looked disheveled and run down. But Issei's attention was focused on Fou, who stood in a patch of moonlight that shone down from a hole in the roof. Strangely, for a moment, he could faintly see what looked like a silvery-blue aura around the tiny white fuzzball. For a moment, he thought he also saw something behind Fou. Something huge, far bigger than the church, radiating power and-

*bzt*

A film of static ran through his mind, causing him to draw a blank. 'The heck was that?' he questioned himself before chalking it up to the stress. Shaking his head, he approached Fou. "I have no idea why you brought me here, Fou, but I guess it's for more than a walk?" Fou grunted as it put the deck on the floor. He kneeled down and grabbed it before he looked back up, finding the half-ruined statue of the Virgin Mary in front of him.

"I remember back when this place used to be up and running," he recalled wistfully, a memory playing out in his mind. Back then, the church looked quite decent, with rows of benches still in pristine state and the statue still intact. There were few people in attendance, and two children were running around. "Shidou and I used to play here all the time when there was hardly anyone around. I remember Shidou-san getting pretty angry at us for interrupting mass, but he always managed to find time to mess around with us."

Those had been fun times...

...yet being here brought little to no warmth. Thinking back on it now, this was where everything had started to go downhill. His run-in with Raynare, Asia being kidnapped. Everything all started, and ended here. For Asia, though, it must have started far longer than that. The church was where she grew up. Where the priests taught her everything they knew and raised her. All her life, she lived by the bible and was taught not to fall under the sway of evil and all that crap.

Yet, when she healed a Devil, all simply for the sake of kindness, they threw her out and left her to whatever cruel fate the world might have had planned for her.

Staring at the statue, and remembering that all gods existed in this world, Issei felt a surge of anger bubble in his chest. His free hand balled tightly into a fist, nails digging into his palm.

"I don't know if you're listening or not, God, but..." he swallowed the dry lump in his throat as he glared up at the night sky, visible through the hole and envisioning he was talking to God face-to-face. If he could, he would have also spat in his face also. "I really want to punch you right now. Asia prayed for you, day in and day out. Your stupid "holy house" was her home for nearly all her life. She was nothing but kind to everyone, and what did you do? You didn't do a goddamn thing when your stupid fucking priests decided to make her a witch and toss her out!"

{{Trigger Recognized. Awaiting Key Word.}}

Though the statue was not God, Issei thought it made for a good substitute and punched it. His knuckles burned and ached from smashing into stone.

"She didn't ask for this, god dammit! She never asked to be put on a damned pedestal!" He punched it again and again, ignoring the pain in favor of his rage. "She never asked to be your 'Holy Maiden'! All she wanted was a normal life and have friends! And now you're taking even a chance for that all away by leaving her to die?! The hell is wrong with you?!" His frustrations went unanswered. He fell to his knees while keeping a tight grip on the statue. His forehead slammed against the stone, tears welled up in his eyes. "Dammit...why won't you save her...? Just...save her..."

{{Triggers Received. Key Words Accepted. Awaiting HS Approval.}}

"I don't care how you do it." he whispered, praying that someone - anyone - would just answer his prayers. "Just...save her. Please"

{{Approval Acquired. Identified as Jeanne d'Arc. Designated as "Ruler-type" Heroic Spirit. Opening up HF Circuits...}}

As if a switch had been flipped, Issei's mind suddenly turned blank and filled with white noise. A rush of power suddenly raced through his body. A mix of blue lights began to flood the circuits that crawled up his body, spreading and encroaching every inch of his form until they dived into his pupils. His body stiffened and stood up, as if he were a puppet being tugged along by his strings. The deck in hand trembled before it snapped apart, breaking into segments. Like before when he called on Tamamo-no-Mae, the front and back of the vessel were hovering over the back of his hand and palm while its sides floated next to his thumb and pinky finger. A golden band of light wrapped around his wrist.

Cards danced around his form, spinning like a roullete. Like a puppet, obeying the will of the meister, Issei's hand rose forward to the spinning cards. While the cards continued to spin around him in a ring, one card rose up from the ring and spun around in front of his hand. It showed a woman in white robes, one hand cradling a sword and in the other a scale.

The golden markings on the pieces of the vessel began to glow in tandem with the band around his wrist. The circuits on his arm then began to extend outward, forming into branches that touched the card, which began to glow with light.

The magical power exuding from Issei grew intense with each passing second. As it happened, Fou watched on with vigilance.

Issei's actions had not gone unnoticed. The sudden surge of magical power could be felt all the way from Kuoh, as there was no Bounded Field to prevent magic from seeping out and alerting others, as the case had been when Raynare attempted to kill Issei the first time around. Sona found the teacup in her hand suddenly falling from her hand, hitting the table and spilling the contents across the table.

"What in the world?!" she cried in shock before rising to her feet. "This-this power..."

She recognized it. It was the same magical surge back when Issei Hyoudou was first attacked by Raynare. The exact same time when Tamamo-no-Mae appeared once more.

She immediately went to the far corner of the office and opened a secret compartment sealed by magic. To her shock, it was completely empty.

"The deck. It's...gone?!"

In a place that could only be considered a paradise, a pair of soulful blue eyes widened as a presence suddenly began to surface, emanating in one of the many old houses of God.

"This is..."

"-You didn't do a goddamn thing when your stupid fucking priests decided to make her a witch and toss her out-"

"-never asked to be put on a damned pedestal-"

"-why won't you save her-"

The words had been heard clearly, and a soul had responded. Deep within Issei's soul, where the gate resided, the left side bearing the mural of Ruler suddenly cracked before it groaned, doors slowly swinging open. Unlike when Tamamo had been called, where cherry blossoms and earthen tendrils seeped out, a golden light poured out from within the gate. A faint humming could be heard, reminiscent to that of singing. Birds flocked out and dived straight for whatever lay ahead of them. A lone figure stepped out, leaving her place of rest behind as an anguished soul cried out for her.

The woman looked up as the platform shattered apart, becoming a ball of white light that swallowed her up before it rapidly began to ascend, shooting straight for the surface, where she would be born into a new world. She had heard the desperate pleas of the one calling out, angered that God had not done anything to help a girl who's fate had been decided.

The World decreed that this girl, Asia Argent would die. She would abide by such rules, but not without putting her foot down, first.

It was her purpose, after all.

The ball of light broke free, shattering through the surface and dispersing. And with a smile, the woman emerged into a brand new world.

Unlike last time, Issei's consciousness had not immediately been thrown aside after the Heaven's Feel had activated without him knowing it. Unfortunately, he was at the cusp of unconsciousness as his body swayed, suddenly devoid of strength.

'What...just happened?' he thought tiredly, struggling to stay on his feet. He shambled forward, his vision blurry. There was something, or someone in front of him, but he couldn't see them at all. 'Why do I feel so...tired?'

His legs gave out and he fell forward. A pair of slender arms caught him before he could. Whoever was in front of him felt warm, so much so in fact that he was reminded of the hugs his parents would often give him when he was much younger, with nary a thought about a woman's breasts in mind.

"I'm sorry I couldn't answer you sooner." the person told him, their voice practically like music. "Please get some rest."

He wanted to respond, but his body finally succumbed and he gave out, his eyes closing and his mind drifting away.

Asia woke up in the middle of the night, feeling worse than she had this morning. She had felt someone standing next to her, their presence familiar. She had thought it was Issei and Aika, but to her mild disappointment, she saw that it was Rias Gremory, the Devil who had been looking after her.

"I'm sorry, Argento-chan." Rias apologized when she noticed Asia staring at her. "I was changing the flowers in your vase. They were starting to wilt."

"I see..." Asia smiled weakly. "Thank you..."

Rias offered her a small smile in return as she took the dead flowers from the vase and set them aside before placing a new set in their place. Finished, she looked back at Asia and bent down. "Do you need anything?"

"No, I'm...fine..." Asia shook her head. "How is...Issei...and Aika...?"

"They're doing fine, last I saw them."

"Did you...tell them...?"

Rias's smile dimmed. "...yes." she told her. "Hyoudou-kun took it as well as I expected."

"I see..." Her expression turned solemn. She felt guilty for having the truth be known to him at this point. Even after all of his attempts to cheer her up and encourage her.

Sadly. she did not have much time left. She was not naive. Ever since she had been pulled off that mockery of a cross, she had felt her life dwindling away. She knew that her time on this earth was going to be cut short.

Her only regret had been that she wouldn't be able to see Issei and Aika any longer, or hold on to the promise of seeing more of the city.

"My offer still stands, you know." Rias told her, gently clasping her hand. "I know the circumstances aren't ideal, and you would be branded a witch forever, but..."

"Can I still think on it...?"

"Of course. But I'm afraid there is not a lot of time for your choice..." She said regretfully.

"Okay...I just...want to think on it..."

Rias nodded. Giving Asia's hand a squeeze, she stepped out of the room, leaving Asia to herself. The blonde nun turned her gaze towards the ceiling, deep in thought and memories.

It seemed quite odd when she reflected on her situation. All her life, she had been doing what was expected of her. Following God's will, being kind and compassionate, and helped whoever needed it. Twilight Healing had been a wonderful asset, but in a way, it also brought her no small amount of discomfort when the priests and bishops had started to use her for their own gain. Rather than try and tell them off, she simply went along with their wishes. All she was doing was helping people.

Yet, healing a Devil because of such desires had immediately earned her scorn and hate. She would not lie, it hurt. Grievously so. The people she once called her family friends scorned her, all for trying to heal someone who needed it. She didn't care that they were a Devil. All she cared about was that they were injured, and that they needed healing.

Being taken in by the Grigori had been of some concern, given her upbringing. Yet Azazel was not the person everyone made him out to be. He was quite sincere and helpful as he did his best to make her welcome. And when the time came for her to finally leave, he sent her to the one place he thought she would be the most safe at.

If only he knew that it wasn't safe at all. Yet, it was also thanks to him that she met such wonderful people.

And yet, it seemed as if God was testing her by putting her through this trial. She was left at a crossroads, and she didn't know what path to take.

"What should I do...?" Asia asked to herself quietly.

Then, a warm presence suddenly made itself known to her. "I believe the better question is, should you act on your own wish?"

"Eh...?" She questioned. However, she felt comforted by the new presence. It was so warm and soothing, as if it were the Lord's holy light. She felt at peace. She turned her head, finding someone new at her bed side. "Who...are you?"

Standing at her bed side was a woman around her age. She had long blonde hair tied in a braid that ran down her back, and compassionate blue eyes. Her developed figure was clad in silver armor and a blue cloak on the upper half of her body. She wore metal graves and stockers that stopped mid-thigh, leaving her upper thigh the only part uncovered by her attire.

Her attire and presence all gave her away. Asia had only heard of such people before in hushed whispers, but she would never mistake such warmth.

"Are you...an angel?" Asia found herself asking.

The woman smiled sweetly. "I'm afraid not. I'm but a simple servant of the Lord. Nothing more." she told her. "You are Asia Argento, correct? My name is Jeanne. It's an honor to meet you."

"Nice...to meet you...as well..." She smiled tiredly. "I'm sorry...I'm just so tired."

"I see that." Jeanne nodded, taking a seat next to her. "If I understand correctly, your soul is too far damaged, is that right?"

"Y-yes." Asia nodded. "Issei and Aika...they think I'll get better. Issei already knows...that I don't have much time left." She only ever saw him smiling or looking concerned. If she saw him when Rias gave him the truth, she'd probably break down into tears and apologize. She didn't want to imagine his face. "Aika said...we'd go see more...of the city. I'm...going to have...to break that promise."

"But you don't want to?" Jeanne asked.

"I...I don't...I want to be with them...I want to...be with my friends...I need to keep my promise..." Asia shook her eyes, eyes watery. "Rias...told me I could keep my promise...if I..."

"If you became a Devil." Jeanne finished. "And, you don't wish to become a Devil?"

"N...no..." Asks shook her head. "I...I don't want to betray the Lord..."

Her hands trembled as tears spilled from her face. "But I..." she sniffled, choking back a sob. "I don't want to break my promise."

Jeanne had been a paragon of virtue, listening intently while the poor girl poured her heart and soul out. She was a woman of the church, and remained as such even after the priests threw her aside. To her, the actions she had taken should have been something to admire. Even if the Church and the Devils were enemies, shouldn't have the act of kindness been something to look up to? Even in her final moments, she showed no anger towards the people who treated her so unfairly. She merely accepted it for what it was.

"Is it wrong to want to live?" she asked Asia. "Even if it means becoming a Devil? The Lord is the creator of all things. From the animals to us humans. The Angels, and even the Devils themselves. They are all His creations. Perhaps becoming a Devil is falling sway to temptation, but your heart belongs to Him, yes?" The nun nodded, not quite understanding what Jeanne was getting at. The woman then smiled and took Asia's hands into hers. "Then live. Live and lead a happy life. Even if you wallow in the dark, you are still His child, are you not? Surely, even He could forgive you for wanting to be selfish."

Tears spilled down Asia's face, bottom lip trembling. "Do you...really think so?"

"I believe so..." She nodded kindly.

Jeanne d'Arc had disappeared, shortly after Asia had once again fallen asleep. Two hours later, when Akeno entered the room to check on her, she found the girl deathly still, hands held in prayer and with a smile on her face. On the table next to her, sitting next to the vase, was a small letter she had written before her passing.

On April 13, 2012, Asia Argento had died.

"Silver and gemstone line the path. They forge the circle of the pact - calling to spirits of myth and legend to partake in the communion of battle."

"Desires, ideals, ambitions...they become the core of the chant. The heroes of yore answer the call, vacating their thrones."

"Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. Fill and shut. The filling of thy cup continues until it breaks. The cycle repeats until power is made manifest."

"Warriors of the sword, bow, and lance. Heroes of the chariot, tome and dagger. Legends of vengeance, madness and forgiveness. Together, they swirl at the center. O soul who weaves together the arcane - holder of all that creates and destroys...answer."

He was here again. In this empty space, with only a faint light in front of him. The same voice called out to him, still incoherent, yet clear enough for him to understand. So many different tongues, so many languages, as if it were more than one person speaking.

"What is it you seek to obtain when...w...o...eg...s?"

Issei found himself waking up to a most unusual sight. That is to say, a slightly ticked off Tamamo glaring down at him. "Mwuah...?"

"I-s-s-e-i...!" Tamamo growled, eyes watery before she brought down her fist. "You cheater!"

"ITAI!"

Let it be known that, for all her cute and cuddly antics, Tamamo really knew how to hit hard. She did held back considerably, as the poor pervert felt only a massive welt on the back of his head. Even so, it was a hell of a wake up call as he fell from his bed, tending to his poor wound.

"What the heck was that for?!"

"I can't believe you!" Tamamo whined pitifully, looking massively upset. The worst part was that Issei just didn't know why she was upset in the first place. "I know I haven't been as helpful as I should be, but-but that's no reason to bring some woman home with you!"

"Wait, what? Time-time out, what do you mean by that?!"

"My sincerest apologies, Mr. Hyoudou." a new voice, the same as the one he heard before he lost consciousness back at the church, said coming from behind Tamamo and from the doorway. "I honestly never intended for this to happen."

Looking over Tamamo's shoulder, Issei suddenly found himself lost for breath. "A-an Ojou?!" he cried in shock. Standing in his doorway was a beautiful girl, foreign like Asia, perhaps French, with long blonde hair that was pulled into a long braid and wonderful bluish-purple eyes, wearing a sleeveless button-up shirt with a black tie, a short skirt that exposed quite a bit of leg in spite of the thigh-high stockings, and brown shoes.

And just like Tamamo, she was completely out of this world.

"Mgrgrgr!" Tamamo grounded her teeth, whirling on her foot as she glared daggers at the new arrival, pointing an accusing finger. "You! I have no idea who you are, but stay away from my Husband!"

The girl giggled. "I can assure you, Tamamo, I have no intention of stealing your husband away from you." she said, causing Tamamo to blink. "I would say it's been a while, but these memories are so confusing. I can hardly tell one apart from the other."

"What?"

"Would it make more sense if I mentioned the names Hakuno Kishinami and Ritsuka Fujimaru?"

The Amaterasu Incarnation's eyes widened. Those names definitely sparked recognition in her mind. They were her previous masters from alternate universes and alternate timelines. "W-wait a minute... Are you-?!"

The woman bowed deeply. "Allow me to introduce myself formerly. I am Jeanne d'Arc, formerly a Ruler-class Servant. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintence, Mr. Hyoudou."

He blinked. Once, twice. Three times.

"...huh?"

Night 7: END

Next Time!

Aika: Eh? Eh?! Asia-chan?!

Issei: I'll spare the Fallen, but I need a favor first.

Azazel: Alright, kid. Name it.

Sona: Could that woman be...?

Night 8: Repercussions

Issei: Why do I have this feeling something bad's going to happen next time...?

Over 600 reviews... As Kravin would say, "Nani the fuck?"

At this point, though, I shouldn't be surprised.

Real talk for a second. The scene with Jeanne and Asia kinda felt off to me. I felt like I could have done better, as was the case with last chapter. As I saw in the reviews, a lot were saying that it was either too fast-paced, all over the place or just one giant clusterfuck. I sincerely apologize for that. I hope this chapter mitigates the damage, if possible.

Someone also accused me of nerfing the Heaven's Feel. To that person, may I say that I feel highly insulted? Ever since my last attempts at a DxD/SMT crossover, I've been very careful about what I do and do not nerf. The Heaven's Feel has not been nerfed in any way. Issei, at this point, has no idea how to use it yet, but with each use, he will learn. There is also the circumstances as to why he has HF and not Boosted Gear in the first place.

Now, my knowledge of Type-Moon isn't the best, and often at times I have to consult the wiki, but to my understanding, only a few characters have ever used Heaven's Feel, and we never get a clear idea on how it works. Keep in mind, however, that the Heaven's Feel is being used in its home universe. As DxD is not part of the Nasuverse, it will obviously function differently. At its core, however, it is still the OP magic that makes resurrection look like a damn fad.

Now, to explain how HF works here. To put it simply, when summoning a Heroic Spirit, there are two things that have to be kept in mind.

1. The circumstances that are leading up to the summoning. Examples: Tamamo's summoning was Issei being in danger, and not too long ago, fantasizing about his ideal woman. Jeanne's summoning was Issei trying to find some way to help Asia while also giving God the middle finger.

2. Words. Words can, and always will have power. In this case, certain words or the meaning behind those words will resonate with the Heroic Spirit. Like Issei dreaming of what his ideal girl would be like, or Issei's rant against god before pleading for him to just save her.

Those are the major conditions to summon a Heroic Spirit.

Moving on to another topic, I'm still annoyed people keep sending me suggestions as to who Issei should summon, even though I've repeatedly said I already have certain HS in mind. I will confirm only a few Heroic Spirits that will be summoned. The two being Musashi, who will help Issei get stronger after the events of the arc that is coming up next, and Frankenstein's Monster.

Originally, I had planned on Scathach to be summoned, but given as to what I'm going for Issei and his "Badass Normal" status, I thought Musashi would suit him better. Cause, let's be honest. If I had Shishou as his teacher, he'd be OP as fuck. Sure, it would take a while, but damn if she isn't one hell of a teacher.

Speaking of the new Arc, it will be taking the Phenex Arc's place in the story. The reason for this is more or less the events that have changed because of Issei summoning Tamamo, and as of recently, Jeanne d'Arc. I'll get more into that another time, but this arc is going to focus, as the next chapter's title would imply, on the repercussions of bringing back one of the most influential characters in the Shinto Pantheon.

Anyway, that's it for now. Tell me what you guys think! Also, friendly reminder that Seventh Heaven now has a TV Tropes page, so feel free to add or change it however you like.

See You~