Eighth, the Dragoon

by Arrixam

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

7. Declaration of War

A message from the author!

Hello everybody and thank you for reading another chapter of EtD! Also, for those of you joining in at the first chapter and getting this far, I thank you as well!

...I promised to write Doll Maker and then Throne of Shirou, yet here I am posting the next chapter. I really need to get my priorities straight.

Anyways, I've gotten a LOT of remarks about how Issei isn't OP like I stated. I would like to argue that he still is. So why does he get his ass handed to him a few chapters back? Because even the "best" are susceptible to losing to "lesser" beings. It happens, more frequently than most realize. I suppose in anime this never happens. But then again, it's only in anime that there are "power-levels".

Next, people have asked if Issei will ever meet any of the other anime characters I've mentioned nonchalantly here and there. Like Shirou of the Fate series. Not in canon, really. If anything, I might make an omake at the end of certain chapters. Come to think about it, I should have done that this chapter since it ended up slightly shorter than expected.

So here we have the beginning of the Raizer arc. I had planned on this being both Raizer's introduction plus training. But there was too much to cover in training and I was capping at 14k. Hey, ten days is a lot for character growth. I'm trying to fast-forward that section as best as possible. Regardless, I want the actual Rating Game to have its own chapter.

Mmm... what I have planned for Raizer's and Issei's, ahem, "epic" battle (beatdown) will be worth the wait.

Please enjoy the show! Any and all comments are welcomed! I even welcome flames.

No really, I do. Bring it!

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Deep within his workshop, Chase Lance Rolan, Sixth Predator, examined the bloodied white ornament through a monitor. The chess piece was sealed within an air tight glass box with the appropriate sigils etched onto both surfaces of glass. They were designed to amplify the effects of what lay inside, expelled outside interference from meddling with the mystic frequency of the chess piece, and worked together by overlapping their designs to register the box as a new reality. The Laws of the World could not touch whatever lay within the box. It was one of the many 'glitches' he had found through the use of his research in search for his cure.

He had used this method once to emulate a miniature Big Bang to see how the World was manufactured. His desire was to see how much Primordial Law affected his world and the manufactured one while seeing what lesser Laws enforced by Rulers differed. Said experiment, an entire universe of its own with 'life' already beginning to show up, sat on top of the cupboards of his kitchen. To his astonishment, these life forms were beginning to mold their gods as he watched divine creatures and entities manipulate the Laws of that universe. His maid thought it was pretty and so he gave it to her as a gift; to which she placed it accordingly to gaze at whenever she was at work.

…He'll never understand the minds of the Fae, like his maid. Even one who has been under his services for nearly four years. The mystery of that micro universe could deliver cosmic powers to any mage, make priests question what their God really was, or invite Outsiders through this glitch. Not to mention that should the box, somehow, break then all life within both universes will implode on itself.

And she used it as a decoration. Fucking Faeries.

But now, Rolan was using another box to analyze what made this Evil Piece tick. A Rook, as it was. He had quickly learned that when the host of any piece died so too did their power. But that power can come back with the ability to resurrect another individual so long as it was in the hands of the 'King'. Second, extracting the piece from the host resulted in the host's demise as the piece would synchronize itself with the Quantum Identity Cortex of the individual. Remove the piece from the 'soul' and the thing completely unravels.

The body would still be in peak condition. But it would be a husk without its core. There was no coming back from forcibly removing a piece.

Ajuka Beelzebub… either a Traveler or a genius to come up with a device that can completely recode the QIC to register the person as an entire new species. Either option made him an exceedingly dangerous being. But seeing as Guardians hadn't shown up within the past few centuries over this (yet) then it would be highly probable the Devil was as much as a genius as Rolan's resources claimed.

They say third time's the charm. As it so happens, this Rook would be the third piece he had extracted from that… nun? Priestess? Whatever she claimed to be. The first 'maiden' had been a sloppy mess. The second had been less… bloody, but she succumbed to the darkness almost immediately. But the third, after he had realized his mistakes, had been successful.

She was still alive. She was placed in a chamber which was a much larger scaled Anti-Law box. He had to extract her piece from inside there, seal it in the glass box, and then step outside. He was even surprised to find his experiment was successful.

Though, he had the fourth girl on standby just in case.

"Master," the intercom sang his maid's voice in her forever frozen happy tone. Another thing about pureblooded Fae, they were always happy about fucking everything. It was a testament on how different the psyche of a Fae was to a human. "Philips is here to see you."

…Even when the person she was talking about had killed a great number of relatives, friends, caused him a great deal of damage, had stolen her right eye, and assaulted her simply because she wasn't human… Viritsurugi was still as happy as a child at a carnival.

"Send him down," he said without looking away from the monitor. His options were rather limited as trying to interfere inside the box was impossible. He couldn't, say, poke it with a stick to see if it jumps like any other experiment. He could only analyze the fluctuations of the Devil energy while keeping an eye on the condition of the girl, Subject 3. He watched as she was panicking, clawing at the door and screaming for her King to save her. He also made notes on how her Rook piece was reacting to her anxiety. Despite being extracted both piece and girl was still registered as united.

If someone were to let either of the two out of their boxes, then the World will correct this error. 'United' will become 'Separate' and, like the others before her, the girl will die and the piece will lose its power.

"What will this result in?" asked Artemis James Philips, Fifth Predator, when he entered the workshop. He hadn't made a single noise, not even when opening the creaking door. It was as though the concept of sound didn't exist to him.

Rolan will never get used to his sudden appearances. Not even the constant presence awareness granted by the Ruler and the World by becoming a Predator could alert him of Philips' arrival. Philips had an ability granted to him by a god-fucking Original being that allowed him to hide from anyone's perceptions. Including the Ruler and the World. If Rolan hadn't seen the Original Sun, then Philips' Radiance of the Sun would have an effect on him as well. He could see Philips, but all the other senses were 'blinded'.

Still, it bothered the Sixth whenever Philips suddenly spoke up in a dead-quiet environment like this.

"Other than trying to achieve my normal goal…" Rolan began, trying to find the right words to explain his intentions to someone who knew next to nothing about the mystics. "The end result I have in mind is to see if I can alter the… function of this device. Right now I can only examine their condition. After I gain enough information I can reverse engineer them. Probably the most diluted of explanations, but in short, I want to be able to reproduce their effects."

"…You intend to turn humans into your kind?" the murderous intent wasn't missed.

Rolan didn't bother to turn around. His blue and red eyes were glued to the screen as he was trying to figure out the pattern while his system was running the scan. "For what god awful reason would I want more of them around? Acolytes are annoying enough as it is. Throw their abilities to a normal human? Then you're going to get a bunch of people like, well, me."

Philips was extremely prejudiced against anything not human. As a former member of the Special Intelligence Tactical Hunters, it was his job to hunt so-called abominations known as Acolytes. It was the primary reason why, a few years back anyways, Rolan and Philips were at another's throats. They were each other's natural enemy. But that's another story. Even after his services were no longer needed, Philips still went out of his way to kill them. And not just the Acolytes. He made it his life's goal to eradicate the world of non-human entities.

Gods, Devils, Angels, Fallen, Demons, Vampires, Lykens, anything that resembles being human but are not human. Not even exorcists and magicians were out of his list.

Thankfully, his targets were… limited. With Siegfried protecting most magician factions, Serene the Church, Hyoudou the Devils, and Rolan about two-thirds of everything else, Philips' job was mostly dealing with damage control. But all Predators agreed that should any of these factions target humanity or have humanity involved in any way then it was within Philips' rights to deal with them his way.

At the least he couldn't go kill supernatural beings indiscriminately like how he used to.

"The question still remains, Rolan," Philips pressed further.

Rolan almost gave in to the temptation of sighing. Almost. It was more of a habit of him to react accordingly to a certain situation rather than an actual body necessity. "It has the potential to do that, if I can manage to decipher their… programing." Not the right word, and far from it, but the best for Philips to understand. "At the same time, in theory anyways, I may be able to come up with something that could… transform one of these beings into a mundane human."

"…Disgusting," was Philips' remark. A very dry one, but blunt and straight to the point. He tended to have the idea that if it was a monster originally, then it is a monster no matter what transformation it went through. More of a programmed mindset than a personal philosophy. "If this… toy has the ability to turn humans into Devils, would your research be able to turn humans into… gods?"

Rolan frowned at this. "Gods are a completely different principle than ours. They are spiritual entities born on the wishes and prayers of humanity who can take physical form. The closest to them are the Devils and Angels, but even then they are creations of those higher beings who need resources to shape their form."

There was a silence as Rolan realized he had lost Philips.

"To answer your question," Rolan gave in to that sigh he had been holding, "no, I cannot make an earthbound individual into a spiritual one. Humanity relies on the Laws that affect the physical realm. Gods rely on the Laws that affect the prayers of humanity as well as the metaphysical realm."

Again, he had lost Philips, but the Fifth came to terms as soon as Rolan replied with a 'no'.

"So what did you find, Artemis?" Rolan looked away from the screen when Subject 3 stopped screaming and went into a crying fit. It looked like she was going to be like that for a while.

"The Devil was in allegiance with them," Philips strode to the next seat over. He sat with his hands on his knees, legs spread apart, and body erect. He was ready to move at a moment's notice as his training didn't so much as mold his body as it etched its mark into his soul. "Diodora Astaroth was quietly offering finances to the Chaos Brigade. Discreetly and effectively. No one suspected him of anything, from what I've gathered anyways."

Rolan's brows creased into his normal scowl as his eyes traced over the monitor to his far right. There on the screen was the chained Devil in question in his own cell, kept alive to have his powers active for experimentation. He couldn't move, couldn't call on his Devil energy to break free, couldn't speak, and his right eye was missing thanks to Philips' other abilities.

A few days ago the Devil had come with a few members of his… peerage to 'rescue' a kidnapped Asia Argento. Believing he was more than powerful enough to handle a 'lowly human' the Astaroth Devil barged his way through Rolan's territory.

He didn't make it past the first defense, the nameless forest deity that surrounds Rolan's manor.

Rolan knew at some point he would have to call Serene to tell her the Devil she had been after for some time was finally caught. And she now had evidence to present the case to the Church and the Underworld. But, seeing as she was currently dealing with a problem in the Middle East, he wouldn't dare bother her and decided to keep a hold on her prize until such a time she could receive it.

But to find out the Astaroth heir was working for that particular cult? That was a completely different matter.

"Do you have proof?" asked Rolan, not out of doubt, but delicate and sensitive matters like this needed evidence. Bloody politics, that's all it was.

"I'm working on it," stated Philips. "He did well to remove any evidence. Records tell he was investing in a few Underworld businesses. These businesses provided services and offered products on the surface, but the money he gave them went directly to another service, which was transferred to another, and so on and so forth until they were received by members of the… 'Old Satan' faction of the Chaos Brigade."

"So a barebones version of routed banking?" mused Rolan. Today, when working as a mercenary, not only did he list himself as a 'delivery man' of the Union Postal Service (a delivery service on the surface which really dealt with highly illegal job offers), any finances received was routed to a nexus of routers all over the globe. Should anyone try to track him down, they will find his location somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

In the case of societies where mystics were more important than technology, where records were printed on paper, having chaining business was just as effective. Though Devil society was doing well to keep up with human technology, they were still a step behind as most of their nobility tried to stick with their old traditions.

Plus, it didn't hurt to be the brother of the Beelzebub.

"What was the motive?" Rolan asked.

Philips closed his eyes as he dug through the memories and thoughts of Diodora. "A Shalba Beelzebub approached him and offered him a seat of power if the Old Satan faction would usurp the current Satans. Finances and inside information about the current Satans were given in exchange for… pleasantries. Some of the girls belonging in Diodara's peerage were… gifts from Shalba. The boy was greedy. Nothing more."

Shalba Beelzebub. Now that he had a name, Rolan closed his eyes and tried to search for his location. However, his location was nowhere to be found. Of course not. If it were that easy then the entire Chaos Brigade would have been dealt with years ago.

Seriously, ever since Adams McCain showed up with that neat trick to hide himself from any Predator all of a sudden everyone else seems to know it. Apparently there was an Anti-Predator bargain sale somewhere.

"So his interest in Asia Argento has nothing to do with his involvement with the Chaos Brigade?"

"His interest in Argento delves only into the politics between Devil-kind and members of the Church. There was much to gain should he had obtained the girl, such as her abilities as the Holy Maiden as well as the recognition from the Church. If successful, members of the Church would have spoken of his name for generations as the Devil capable of tempting the most pure of hearts to his side."

And it would cause a chain reaction that would make exorcists and other 'holy' individuals fear him. Asia wasn't the first holy maiden Diodora had stolen from the Church. Had he succeeded, his rank among Devil-kind might have gone up. Oh, he would still be a High-Class Devil, but a top-tier High-Class with a lot more freedom and privileges to his post. Once he became of proper age, his chances of succeeding in a Rating Game would have skyrocketed for having a healer who could patch almost any wound.

Thus he would be able to give more to the Chaos Brigade, which would result in them rewarding him further.

It was all by chance he and Serene stopped this before either of the two had to step in as Predators. It was Diodora's blind greed that was his undoing, not because of some intricate planning on Rolan or Serene's part.

"However…" Philips paused for a moment as his mind continued to search through the Devil's memories. "With his sudden disappearance, there will be those who will be searching for him. Both the current rulers of the Underworld as well as this Old Satan faction."

"…That's common sense," Rolan would have deadpanned the comment if it were coming from anyone else. From an individual whom he respected to be on par with him in every way, he held back his usual case of sarcasm.

"Follow me here," Philips leaned forward. "This Devil, who is not only the brother of one of the four leaders but also a sponsor of the Chaos Brigade, suddenly vanishes. They will look into his last known location. They will look into his actions. They will find he left the Underworld for Argento. They will trace her location here but find a dead end. However, due to most recent events in Japan, they will find that her location is there instead. They will question why and how."

Rolan narrowed his eyes, "I've already thought of this. I can ask Serene to deal with matters of the Church and Devil society. But it's a different… problem for the Chaos Brigade."

Simply put, Argento was supposed to be dead. The Fourth's earthbound blood tribute was to make sure her death was absolute. Clearly something didn't go as planned if she was alive. It meant either Hyoudou realized he needed to be a killer in order to save her or the boy had something up his sleeve without anyone knowing. Regardless, Hyoudou became a true Predator in the end.

The complication behind this was Asia didn't remain as a human who was supposed to die. She was resurrected as a Devil, by the same Devil who resurrected Hyoudou at that. Had she died, her name would have been mentioned, mourned, and then brought up for investigation. That would be the point where Rolan would deliver the Astaroth youth to Serene, with the Divine Beast presenting him before both the Church and Devils. Justice would be enforced, and the world will continue to spin.

At least, that was the initial plan.

Throw in a third party like the Chaos Brigade… They will ponder why their benefactor suddenly goes missing, why he was so interested in the girl to begin with, and investigate the worth of the girl herself. If she were dead, they would have sent their ire towards Rolan. They knew the Divine Beast was a Predator and wouldn't dare try to take vengeance upon her. But hardly anyone knew Rolan was a Predator and would be completely unaware of the trap they would walk on. However, since Asia is alive, they will target her personally.

He could try to warn Hyoudou of a potential attack, but the boy wasn't in the best of terms with the other Predators. He could only hope the boy's instincts could catch on to an imminent threat before it was too late.

On the bright side, as twisted as it might be, there was the chance they might reveal themselves. And if such an event were to happen, they could extract more information from them or potential rid a high-ranking member of the Brigade. Knowing these Devils and their pride, this Shalba Beelzebub would come personally.

"…I don't suppose there's a way you can be in Japan, do you?" Rolan inquired as his mind thought about Philips' second and third abilities. Having Shalba as a Twilight Blade would be a remarkable source of information and destructive potential.

"I've a Dusk Blade positioned at all times inside Hyoudou's base as well as another keeping vigilance on Argento when she is outside," Philips kept up with Rolan's thoughts and knew what he was asking. "I'll only use them should any member of the Chaos Brigade reveal themselves. Hyoudou has asked my father for a Sorcery to prioritize his defense. If my Dusk Blade is found out, I believe he can delete it. Had it not been there before the… renovations, it wouldn't have been able to infiltrate."

"…Fucking Dalyn," Rolan cursed. He should have seen this. Archmage Dalyn Pevensie— no, what did he call himself these days? Richard Royals. God what a fucking stupid name. How the mighty have fallen. Archmage Richard Royals was a magician of the highest caliber. No one could compete with his mysteries. The man could, essentially, do anything.

…Even keep a Predator at bay. Because of his mentality and his status as a Traveler, the man could never be registered as a Predator. However, even Rolan wouldn't dare try to take him on. Alone, the man could push back, but never actually win. In fairness, another Predator would be just as unsuccessful. And on those exceedingly rare days when his true identity would resurface, Richard Royals— correction, Godking Dalang could overpower every Predator combined.

To the point, if Hyoudou asked for a house security system, then it meant he got the house security system. If the world's greatest assassin, who could hide from the bloody fucking World itself, couldn't infiltrate, then no one can. Period.

"I don't suppose you'll be willing to have Diodara as a Dawn—"

"No," Philips reply was sharp. "I want nothing to do with their kind."

Well, there went the option of having the Astaroth heir be a spy.

Rolan's eyes went back over to the bloodied chess piece. Throughout all this time, the girl was still sobbing in her chamber. There was no visible change to the piece and his scanners didn't pick up anything either. However, he wasn't thinking about his experiment at the moment. At least not completely. He was pondering on a plan to get the Chaos Brigade to reveal their selves. It was most likely they would strike in Japan for Asia Argento. But as things are, Hyoudou wouldn't allow him anywhere near the country. He'll more than likely ignore whatever message he tried to send his way. There was that Sitri girl, but so far she hasn't touched a single dollar (yen, whatever) in the trust fund. Thus she was more than likely avoiding anything to have to do with him as well.

What to do… what to do…

"…For fuck's sake," Rolan didn't hold back his disgust as the answer came to him as clear as day.

*Scene*

Grayfia stepped out of the alley as soon as her teleportation was complete. To think she had to travel from the Underworld to a dark corner was almost laughable. She had tried to place her circle within the house, but found that the targeted location could not be set. When attempting again, the same results happened. Frustrated, she went over the sequence of sigils by hand and wrote the coordinates onto the circle.

The circle fizzled out. That only happened when there was too much interference (such as workshops of magicians or sacred buildings of the Church) or if her desired location was in an impossible reach. Like on another planet.

Grayfia turned the corner and approached the front door, taking a moment to look at the nameplate of the building. Hyoudou; conveniently the name of her newest Pawn and the primary interest of Sirzechs for quite some time. Second, she traced her fingers through the air with a trickle of her energy through her nails. A simple analysis of the building structure and its fortifications. Nothing.

Come to her surprise when she discovered there was nothing irregular about the building whatsoever. It was just a mundane house built by mundane men for a mundane family. There wasn't a single trace of magic on it.

Her eyes narrowed at this. There wasn't a trace of Devilry either. This was the last location where Rias was found before… blipping out. And if this was the home of her Pawn, then his energy signature should have been lingering within the walls. Instead, there was nothing.

Unable to summon herself within the walls and unable to find any traces of life within the building? They were signs of someone who didn't want to be found and knew someone would be looking for them.

Who are you, Hyoudou Issei?

Unfortunately, she wasn't here to ponder about such things. She was requested by both her husband and Lord Gremory to retrieve Rias. She had left the meeting before the final details could be set. It was unbecoming of the Gremory heiress, and Grayfia could understand the girl's feelings but only to an extent. As she was the heiress of the Gremory Family, she had certain responsibilities she was inclined to see done.

Even if it meant marrying someone like Raizer Phenex.

Grayfia tried a basic spell to undo the lock. It didn't work. She tried a much more advanced technique. The same results. She placed her hand on the door and recalled an intricate magic circle she had used when infiltrating headquarters and stealing documents during the war. Anything with the concept of 'lock' would be unlocked by this spell.

It. Did. Not. Work.

Impossible. She tried again, this time letting the circle form slowly so she could watch for any mistakes she would have made in its formation. Calculations ran through her head. Everything was precise and perfect. She activated it.

Again, it did not work.

This time, she blinked in confusion. A simple Pawn should not be able to come up with a magical defense system that negated all forms of infiltration magic. Especially one who was formerly a common high school human. There was the possibility this might be the power of his Sacred Gear. Reasonable, as sometimes their powers surpassed even the Satans in certain fields.

Very well. If subtlety will not work, then something a bit more forceful will have to do. This was all for the sake of Rias, of course. Grayfia would never break and enter otherwise.

Channeling a bit of Frost through her fingertips, she charged the tundra energy and unleashed a small amount at the lock and doorknob. Instantly both froze, cracked, and crumbled. Without being impeded any longer, Grayfia pushed the door open…

…And stared into vast darkness.

She couldn't help but grimace. Now here was something she had never come across before. If she had learned anything from the war, the unknown was the greatest enemy. Anything can happen. Anything. It would be best to attempt this challenge cautiously.

First, she tried to determine if this was an illusion. There was no trace of magic or other spiritual or psychic interference so she ruled that out. Second, she tried to see how far this darkness stretched out. She closed her eyes and extended her senses through the door. The darkness seemed to stretch out in a vast space, larger than the dimensions of the house itself. But there was a 'floor' at least for her to step on.

She couldn't fathom the intentions of this area. The only possibility she could come to would be if this area was a trap. Such as if she was to walk in the area will close off and she will be sealed within until the lord of the house chose to release her. Unlikely as no one would fall for something so obvious. Which meant there was an alternative reason for this empty space.

Nothing ventured, nothing gained she mused. It was how she met her husband after all. Two powerful beings who knew nothing about another facing on the battlefield. Truly, if she could deal with that man then she could manage something as simplistic as this.

Shrouding herself in defensive wards and anchoring a circle at the doorstep just in case for an emergency teleportation, she took her first step forward.

Only for the door to open with a young man standing at the entrance.

Wait. The door? She had already opened it. And the darkness was no longer there. Her eyes traced towards the door still in the boy's hands and found both knob and lock were in place. And in the background was a long hallway with a shoe shelf at the entrance and a living room in the distance.

Did… did she just imagine all of that? What sort of illusion magic did the boy possess?

"Can… Can I help you?" asked the boy.

She took a moment to eye the boy. At first glance, he wasn't all that impressive to look at. Not exactly appealing but not repulsive either. Average would be a good word. However, her eyes picked up other traits about him that didn't belong. Though he was wearing a shirt over a long sleeve and sweat pants, she could still see the traces of useful muscle. Lean, strong, firm, and efficient muscle gained through experience rather than training. Then there was the way he was standing. Though the boy was a little shaken, his footing was evenly spaced and solid. He could switch between providing a fortified defense, go on the offensive, or retreat.

She couldn't tell if this was natural to the body as was breathing or if he was doing this intentionally with doing well to mask his intentions.

There was more to it, but she could only have a quick glimpse else raise suspicion. Plus, it was rude to stare.

"How do you do," she gave a polite bow, "I am a maid that services the House of Gremory. My name is Grayfia. I have come to retrieve Lady Rias. Her presence is requested by Lord Gremory and King Lucifer."

The boy was… frazzled. He continued to stare at her in confusion as he contemplated his next response. He was rather distracted with his thoughts as his emotions were written all over his face. "Um… Hyoudou Issei. Nice to meet you. As for Buchou… well she's in the shower at the moment. I guess you can come in and wait for her…"

She questioned his intelligence. He was letting her in without a trace of suspicion other than what was generally given to any stranger. She didn't pick up any alternative motive. If this was Rias' new Pawn, the same who had constructed such defenses within his house the likes Grayfia had trouble dealing with, she imagined him to be a crafty individual. Instead, he was open minded, polite (if not a little clueless with the way he was indiscreetly undressing her), and wore his emotions on his sleeves.

…Or, this was all an act and was far more crafty than she gave him credit for. No one acquires a body with reactions like his just on the fly.

Nonetheless, again with precautions, she entered the den after politely bowing. As she switched her shoes for a pair of guest slippers, her senses picked up what she couldn't at the doorstep. His energy signature was weak, hardly existent, as expected of a mundane human reborn Devil. However, there was something… poignant blending in with the demonic energy. Something quiet, slumbering, idle, yet coinciding with the Devilry enough that only the most sensitive of magicians or Devil-kind could pick up the difference.

And dangerous. Very dangerous.

Second, as he led her down the hall, she picked up the scents lingering on the boy. She could smell the soaps he had lathered over himself, but it did little to hide what a full shower would have done. The boy must have been in a hurry to cleanse himself and could only surmise this was the best he could do. Perhaps in haste due to her sudden arrival?

The scent of sweat and musk lingered through the air. Subtle and hardly noticeable, but there. It was a combination she was familiar with.

Surely… Rias didn't… with this boy—

Third, as though reading her thoughts, the boy's body tensed without having to break his normal stride. It was the smallest of adjustments, something no normal person or even some of the more experienced of veterans could have noticed. But those who had seen countless bloodshed, such as Grayfia, who had but a glimmer of warning that decided between life and death, could see it.

The boy had sensed the trickle of dark intentions she had against him if her suspicions were true. And he was readying to defend himself should she follow through. Expertly, almost masterfully. His breathing did not change, his steps did not change— everything about his rhythm remained the same.

These reactions were… too natural for a boy his age. Even Grayfia didn't reach this pinnacle until several years into the war.

Was being a normal human just a ruse?

"Have a seat and feel free to make yourself comfortable," he gestured towards the couches in the living room. His mannerisms were genuine, if not a little nervous, but his body was still coiled to attack at an instant. "I… um… will make some tea. Now where did Asia put the Earl Grey…?"

She thanked him and took a seat that was offered, watching him in the corner of her vision. She had a feeling he knew she was watching him. And she knew he was doing the exact same thing. He muttered to himself, fumbled with the appliances from tense nerves, and went about the kitchen to prepare the appropriate sets. His back was exposed to her countless times and his guard was down. At least to most people it would seem that way.

They were both putting up a show to mask their intentions. To the spectator, it would look like the lord was treating to his guest while Grayfia was being polite and patiently waiting. Realistically, they were evaluating the other— two warriors eyeing the value of another like a jeweler with a diamond ring.

Except… why did it feel like he was trying to evaluate her bust size?

"Grayfia," Rias climbed down the stairs and greeted the maid. Said person, and perhaps her Pawn, had been aware Rias had been standing at the top for quite some time. She simply stood there, more than likely in hesitation, perhaps to build up her daring to face Grayfia. When such a time was found appropriate, Rias decided to reveal herself.

Rias was dressed in her school uniform, just in the same way as it had been before she stormed out of the Gremory mansion. However, a few lines here and there were wrinkled, hair combed but a little damp, and some articles were out of order. A sign of her anxiety as Lady Rias always made herself to be perfect in her presentations.

She was also trying her hardest to not look at her Pawn. Likewise, Issei was pretending the kettle was far more interesting.

"Lady Rias," Grayfia stood and circled around the couch to face the reason for being here. "Are you trying to break the agreement by doing something like this?"

Her brow twitched and her anger nearly flared. But Rias composed herself well and retorted, "If I didn't go through with this, do you expect Otou-sama and Onii-sama to listen to me?"

That's right. Lady Rias… Ojou-sama, had a deep fascination with Japanese culture. Very well.

"Both Sirzechs-sama and the master will be… upset after they find out that you gave your purity to someone so lowly," she stated it as a fact rather than an opinion. Indeed they will be. Had she arrived sooner or broken through the boy's defense earlier, she might have been able to prevent this mistake from happening.

The Pawn in speaking twitched at her comment, but went back to watching the kettle boil, which steamed almost immediately after.

Rias scowled and couldn't hold in her anger as well as before, "My purity is mine alone. It is my right to give it to anyone I acknowledge. Also, don't you dare call my c-cute servant lowly. Even if it's you, I won't forgive you, Grayfia."

She didn't stutter out of embarrassment. She stuttered because she was unsure if it was the appropriate word to use, given the situation. But she followed through with it anyways.

Yet another sign that this act between them was a mistake.

Sniff.

Meanwhile, Grayfia almost had a sweatdrop at the sight of the Pawn in the background. Was… was he crying tears of joy?

"Anyway," Grayfia dismissed Rias' comment and moved back to the topic, "you are the heiress of the House of Gremory. I would recommend not showing your skin to a man recklessly, but what's done is done. I shouldn't have to press what this will mean, given that you are in the middle of a situation."

The Gremory heiress crossed her arms, "I'm aware of the consequences of my actions and accept them. Shouldn't it mean anything to them that I've been pushed like this to go this far? If I didn't do this then they would have never realized how serious I was against it. And if I—"

"Ah, excuse me Buchou, Grayfia-san," Issei came between the two with the tray full of tea and cups. "I, uh, need to get through."

Grayfia turned her attention towards the Pawn with some interest. He had noticed his King was growing upset, possibly about to throw a tantrum or on the verge of breaking apart. He stepped in to interrupt her before anything could happen.

Rias blinked and looked his way. Their eyes met, their cheeks reddened, paled just as quickly, and they looked away in haste. She nodded and took a step back for him to place the tray down on the center table.

"Why… don't we have a seat and talk about this?" he asked them both as he began pouring.

Grayfia took the couch opposite of them while the two took the one against the window. She noticed how the two kept as much space as possible, but tried to keep another within arms' reach in an attempt to persuade her nothing was wrong. As if an obvious tact would work; but, she ignored it. The two quietly sipped on their drinks. Surprisingly, it was Issei who had better control over his nerves than Rias.

The tea was also inadequate and not properly brewed. But Grayfia didn't want to mention it. Also, for what reason she couldn't fathom…

"Ise," Rias voiced her thoughts, "why did you set up four settings?"

Issei tilted his head and answered honestly, "In case Asia wanted some."

Confusion swept through Rias. "Asia? But… isn't she asleep?"

The boy's response was to look away and sip his tea.

Realization set in her mind. Her complexion paled. "O-Oh… oh…"

They all sat in silence for some time.

Rias initiated the conversation, "I don't regret my actions one bit, Grayfia. I would have probably killed myself if my purity was given to someone like him."

Issei raised a brow in curiosity, but didn't speak up.

"And instead you chose to recklessly give it away to your Pawn," Grayfia replied calmly.

"…I'll admit it was… reckless," Rias bickered. "But I chose Ise because I found him to be the best choice and more than worthy."

Issei brightened up at this.

"Though he may be a little perverted… okay, really perverted… just one step away from being creepy…" Rias continued, only to pause to drink her tea.

And suddenly Issei began to spiral down into a state of depression.

"But you'll find no one else like him. He is loving, compassionate, and will do anything for those he cares about. And… no matter what happens… he always continues to march on. He's dependable and I put all my faith in him, knowing I can always rely on him."

Then, his spirits were elevated. Not enough to make the world brighten like before, but enough to drive him out of his crying fit and place him in a state of neutrality.

"…Is this the man you chose then, Ojou-sama? Do you love him?" asked Grayfia.

It was a question that got both teenagers to freeze. It was also a cruel question, but a necessary one. It put them both on the spot, put the value of their relationship on the line and from there would determine the next course of action the both of them could take. This had to be presented at the beginning before it grew too deep.

"…Yes, I do," Rias answered with absolute conviction. Her gaze never once faltering from Grayfia's piercing look.

In actuality, Grayfia had her attention focused on Issei within her peripheral vision. The boy had stopped moving, almost stopped breathing. No, he did stop breathing. He became as still as a statue with his eyes staring off into open space. Grayfia couldn't comprehend what was going on through his mind, but she could make a good guess.

He was hurting. Hurting with a pain that no physical torment could ever compare. All because Rias lied about her feelings and he knew.

But he didn't succumb to this pain. His life returned and he went back to drinking his tea. Though it wasn't missed by her that his hands were shaking this time.

Finally, Grayfia spoke up. "Ojou-sama, I'm here to bring you back."

Rias frowned, "Did you come here of your own accord? Or because the household sent you…?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "…Or is it Onii-sama?"

"All of them."

Rias closed her eyes and sat back in her seat. Her hands wrapped around the warm cup as though it was the only bit of comfort she could receive. Her Pawn looked her way; it was then Grayfia realized his expression was never once of confusion, but confliction. Right now, he was deciding whether to leave her be to find her own resolve or offer some sort of support. Even after being crippled by her he still had the heart to worry about her.

It didn't matter. In the end, Rias gave a heavy sigh and opened her eyes. "You, who is my brother's Queen, came to the human world personally. I guess it can only mean one thing. I understand."

The two ladies placed their tea down onto the table and stood together. Seeing what was happening, Issei followed suite and did as such.

"Ise…" Rias turned to her Pawn but couldn't look at him in the eye. However, Grayfia noticed, he had no problem looking at her for the first time tonight. "I'm sorry about all of this. I wasn't thinking straight. I only wish… it was… more enjoyable…"

"…Should I forget tonight happened, Rias?" he asked in a low, unreadable tone.

Rias' eyes widened as she finally looked at her Pawn in the eye. "N-No. I would never ask for something like that. We both made a promise. I plan on seeing my part through no matter what. Do… do you regret this, Ise?"

His eyes softened, yet there was a tint of sorrow within them. "I made a promise. I'm never going to let another one break ever again."

Grayfia noted he didn't answer her question.

"…I see," Rias nodded in understanding. She then turned towards the maid, "Grayfia, I will return with you. We can resume this conversation at the Gremory house. However, I want Akeno to be present as well."

Grayfia expected as much. "The Priestess of Thunder? I do not mind. It is to be expected for High-Class Devils to have their Queens at their side at all times."

"Very well," responded Rias before, once again, addressing her Pawn. "Ise."

"Buchou?" he blinked and nearly flinched away when she suddenly closed the distance between them.

And gave a small peck to his cheek.

"Please forgive me with this. I caused you a lot of trouble. Let's meet again in the clubroom tomorrow."

Issei was incapable with responding other than a slow nod. More like barely lowering his head at a hardly noticeable angle. His eyes were wide as his hand rubbed the cheek Rias had just kissed.

"Yes, Buchou!" suddenly the entire world was flipped as the serious and timid scene was replaced with Issei brightening the world with a florescent smile. As though a child had just received the toy he had longed for.

…Or a pervert receiving a kiss from the number one idol of the school. Which was exactly how this scenario made it to be.

Grayfia held back a shiver. She had seen such a smile before. Her husband had that whenever they had their… intimate moments. Like on the day he convinced her to wear her customary maid attire.

…For the sake of every sentient being in the multiverse, those two must never meet.

*Scene*

Some few hours later, Issei still felt like he was on top of the world. Nothing else mattered at the moment other than the reminiscing of such a blissful event. The memory replayed in his mind countless times (to the point where it no longer resembled the actual scene).

"Ise, does your cheek hurt or something?" asked Asia with her usual concern. "You've been rubbing that spot all morning…"

Time surely flew when he was lost in his own little world. He was amazed he had managed to shower, put on the uniform, eat breakfast, and get out the door. Actually he couldn't recall doing any of those things. He suddenly realized he was walking beside Asia on their way to school.

Let it be known that he did wash the cheek Rias kissed. It would have been gross not to.

…Though he did cry when he had to. A lot. But it's not like he remembered something like that as he went straight back to his bliss a second afterwards.

"Oh, uh, it's nothing like that," he put his hand down to his side, resisting the urge to put it back to its rightful place the great goddess of beauty that was Rias Gremory had blessed. "But Asia, are you alright? You look a little tired."

Because he had been oblivious to his surroundings all morning, he had neglected to pay attention to Asia. There were bags under her eyes, her steps were heavier than normal, and there was a sort of brooding atmosphere around her. He also realized she had not said a single word to him this morning. Not one.

Asia flushed and tried to wave it off frantically, "I-It's nothing! I, I, I just had some trouble sleeping last night…"

It was impossible this time to not see her mood darken. Asia was distraught by the events of last night. She had woken up in the middle of the night hearing strange noises coming from Issei's room. Fearing he was having a fit she rushed to his room. She blamed no one but herself for falling asleep trying to stay up with him watching a movie. Issei was also kind enough to tuck her into bed.

He even had the kindness to change her clothes. What a thoughtful boy he was.

However, she stopped at his door when she heard someone else's voice mixed in with his. Not sure what to do, but agreeing with herself that Issei's wellbeing was more important than privacy, Asia opened the door just a smidgeon to peek inside.

She saw Rias on top of him. Neither of them was wearing clothes as their limbs were entwined. Their breathing was heavy as they were pushing and pulling the other like it was some sort of game. And Issei's… was entering Rias'…

Asia didn't know what they were doing. But it sure wasn't some game. It felt like she was observing something she had no right to be a part of. As quietly as she could, she shut the door and returned to her room.

But when she got there, the tears were already starting to fall. Her chest was aching worse than when Raynare stole her Sacred Gear. The worst part of it was Asia had no idea why she was hurting so much.

When she started to hear a third voice, Asia snuck out of her room. She didn't mean to eavesdrop. Truly she didn't. She just wanted to know why Rias and Issei were doing… whatever that was.

…And why he never did something like that with her.

She had heard Issei's comment about serving Asia a cup a tea. Meaning he knew she was awake and more than likely knew she saw. But instead of taking him up on his offer, she fled back to her room, ashamed of what she had done. She stayed up for the rest of the night trying to come to terms with what she had witnessed and make sense of it all. She cried until her alarm went off, signifying the start of a new day.

She and Issei had a very quiet breakfast. She was afraid of what to say to him or how to ask about what happened last night. But, she found that she couldn't. She came to the verge of doing it, but after seeing him so happy this morning she couldn't take that final step. If he was happy, then so was she.

It didn't stop the feeling in her chest from aching though.

As for Issei, in the middle of… that with Rias, he had noticed Asia move around the house, stand before his doorway, and had seen them in their act. No matter how distracted he was with Rias, the curse of constant awareness alerted him of Asia's presence. He probably could have done something to prevent this from happening. But he was too caught in the moment, caught in surprise, to come up with a plan. Because of his carelessness, Asia had seen and ran away.

And now, again caught up in his own selfishness, he neglected Asia's feelings once again. The kiss Rias had given him was wonderful, absolutely, but it served as nothing more than a shallow distraction.

It was the only form of compassion she had given him last night. There was no love in their bonding like he had always fantasized. It was awkward, sloppy, hurtful, shameful, and probably the biggest mistake of either of their lives. Then, there was the bold-face lie about loving him that hurt his core. He already knew Rias didn't truly love him and that she was using him for her needs just as he was with her for his. But it still hurt.

So, yes, the one spark of good, the small peck on his cheek, was like a flame in the middle of a frozen tundra. And it was everything to him right now.

But, in due time, sooner than he so desired, that flame will die down and he will have to come to deal with his surroundings. The storm wasn't going away. From here on out he knew it was only going to grow stronger.

"Listen… Asia…" Issei grabbed her hand and pulled her to a stop. He saw her lips tremble as though ready to cry, but at the same time her hand gripped his so tightly he could feel her whole body shaking. In return, he held his grip firm and rubbed his thumb on the back of her hand. "About last night…"

Their eyes met. Issei stared into the eyes of a person who was not mad at him, only hurt and confused. She wanted answers but wasn't willing to make a deal out of it if it meant upsetting him. There was also something more in that stare. An intimacy that had always been there since the day they met but had been unable to see it until now. A feeling so strong that shouldn't exist with what little time they have known another thus far, yet it was there nonetheless.

His eyes widened when Asia dropped her bag to place her other hand over his. She took a step forward, closing off what space was between them. Her eyes pleaded with him through a mixture of emotions not even his draconian senses could understand. "Issei… I…"

"ISSEI YOU BASTARD!" came the harmonic synchrony of the last two individuals he wanted to meet right now.

Instincts flaring and body moving before he realized what was going on, Issei caught the foot and fist coming to smash his face in. Truth be told, he knew Motohama and Matsuda were going to do this, probably even before the two knew it themselves, and had more than enough time to prepare. But with his mind drawing a blank from Asia, he could only react at the last moment.

It astounded him how a pair of humans, two that were below average on the physical scale at that, were able to cause his feet to slide back an inch despite using the Defender stance. Even more so that there was a small shockwave coming from Motohama's fist meeting his palm and Matsuda was doing a screwdriver kick of all things!

But such was the power of a pervert. Restrictions such as physical probably were thrown out the window.

It also took Issei every ounce of his will to not break every bone in their body when he threw them over his shoulder and slam them back down to the ground. The concrete sidewalk cracked in spider webs. A normal human would have broken every bone in their body with their squishy flesh popping open like fruit. But to a pair of super perverts who on a daily basis went through near-death experiences when being caught peeping on the girl's kendo team?

They've been through worse. There was just something unnatural about those kendo girls. Something that would warrant even a Predator to stay away from.

"Okay I'll bite," Issei said to the pair twitching with their faces still planted into the sidewalk. "What's this about, you two?"

Asia wanted to say something and to tend to their wounds, but Issei waved at her to let them be. The assured look told her that they would be fine.

Her worries were put to rest when the two jumped to their feet as though they didn't just have their skulls cracked like egg shells… with blood flowing excessively from their brows.

"How could you betray us like this?!" cried Motohama as he grabbed Issei's collar. Literally cried. He sniffed back some snot and continued, "We were worried that you went home without saying a word and as bros we thought we'd try to cheer you up by bringing some of the goods from my secret stash!"

"But instead we find you walking hand in hand with the mysterious transfer student, Asia Argento!" Matsuda fixed his glasses in the way that made the lighting reflecting the sun was akin to divine retribution. "Tell me, Ise, just why are you walking with her?"

…He supposed Matsuda must have hacked the school system (again) when finding out about a new transfer student. Asia was supposed to have her first day yesterday but due to Issei's wounds had the both of them return home.

"As if Rias Gremory wasn't enough!" shouted Motohama further. "We didn't even mind if you were in the same club as Himejima Akeno or Toujou Koneko. But to steal the blonde beauty when we weren't looking?! What happened to being losers united?!"

Issei put his foot down, "Guys!"

"WE DON'T WANT TO HEAR YOUR EXCUSES!" they shouted in unison.

But that's as far as he got as they kicked his knees in, bringing him to the floor, and started to stomp on him. Thus began their usual tussle whenever one of the three ever got a porno, an eroge, or even a figurine that the other two craved. Their brawl— slap fight— caused anyone spectating the argument before to look away in shame as it was the most pathetic attempt of a fight known to mankind.

And Issei just let them. Because this is what friends do. This is what they had been doing for as long as they've known another. Sure he could blow them away from here to the moon six to seven hundred times over, but he won't. Because, despite how much they pissed him off, he wouldn't dare harm a single one of his buddies.

"Um!" Asia tried to get their attention. "Please no fighting! P-Please? You shouldn't be doing that if you're all friends! Oh Lord, what should I— Ow!"

Asia clutched her head as the sharp strike of pain hit her as soon as she tried praying for answers. Even a casual prayer would call upon God's wrath onto any Devil that so tried.

The other students who happened to be on their way to school decided to walk on the opposite side of the street and pretend the three super perverts plus one odd foreign girl didn't exist.

*Scene*

"They seemed nice," Asia said as she, Issei, and Yuuto all walked through the halls of the old school building to the clubroom.

"Nice, my foot," grumbled Issei. "As soon as they got what they wanted they pretended like they never did anything wrong."

Yuuto just kept smiling as he led the two.

"Ah, but they must be nice if you trust them enough to tell them you're a Devil!" countered Asia.

Issei blinked, "What are you talking about? I never told them and I know for sure they don't know about any of my secrets."

"…But, they invited me to a devil's threesome," Asia tilted her head with her lips puckering into a thoughtful expression. "Isn't that a sort of Devil ritual?"

Yuuto couldn't keep his charming façade as he tripped on open air.

Issei gave a heavy sigh as he should have known his friends would try and pull something like this. And Asia, for being the most innocent of beings on the face of the planet, had no idea what they had just invited her to take part of. "Yeah… you shouldn't get involved with those two."

…Maybe getting Mil-tan and some of his buddies together with those two wasn't big enough revenge. Sadly he didn't know how else to get back at them. Pranks were never his forte.

The idea of such a ludicrous act forced him to think of a similar idea. Rather, a memory of what happened last night. He should fell proud and magnificent that he had achieved one of the top things on his to-do list, and doubly so for doing it with the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. But instead he felt… sad. And guilty. Like he had done something so heinous no amount of penance would bring him salvation.

"Hey, Kiba," he got the attention of the blonde handsome walking ahead of them. "Do you by chance know what's going on with Buchou lately?"

Yuuto turned his head just enough to look over his shoulder. The smile was still there but his brows furrowed in thought. "Hmm… can't say that I do. I noticed that she's been kind of out of it lately, mostly staring off into space in thought. If anything, Akeno should know. You should probably ask her."

Issei made a note to do that as soon as possible. But right now, they were at the clubroom to report for the evening. He hadn't been pulling his weight as a Devil and needed to make up for the lack of contracts. His normal customers were asking for him and had to be satisfied with mainly Koneko taking his share of work. Though he personally thought any otaku would prefer Koneko over him, he was surprised to hear that they all were still asking for him instead.

Right. Time to get to work!

All three of them were surprised to find that including the other three members of the Occult Research Club stood the maid Grayfia in a fresh and fine pressed outfit similar to the one she wore last night. She stood beside Rias' desk, and aforementioned King was sitting in her chair tapping at the armrest in both annoyance and impatience. Whatever was discussed in private upon her departure couldn't have gone in her favor.

As soon as they walked through the doors, Rias' eyes went straight for Issei's. For a moment their breathing hitched, and they looked away from another just as quickly.

At this, Akeno's smile thinned as she gave an audible sigh. As Rias' most-trusted friend and her Queen, she knew every detail about what transpired between her King and Pawn.

Koneko, completely out of the loop, just looked around in confusion. Her eyes went towards Yuuto, who could only reply with a shrug. With nothing else to go on, she went back to munching on her sweets.

"It looks like everyone's here," Rias announced more so to herself than to anyone. She stood up and cycled around the desk.

"Ojou-sama," Grayfia adjusted her stance and inquired with a slight tone of concern, "shall I…?"

Rias instead shook her head. "No, I think it's only fair that I be the one to tell them. All right. Everyone, I have something important I need to tell you about. I—"

Issei pushed Asia behind him as soon as his senses picked up the influx of magical energy. A source twice as potent as his King's was invading her territory and about to appear without so much of an announcement. Flames sprouted in the corner of the room where the group would normally use their teleportation circle to travel to their client's location. The flames expanded into a ring and shaped into a magic circle filled with sigils and runes not unlike the Gremory one. But Issei didn't recognize the crest at the center.

"…Phenex," Yuuto spoke aloud. His body was tense, but not in a way he would for battle. Still, it didn't mean Issei will lower his guard.

A pillar of flame sprouted instead of the crimson demonic light he was familiar with. Stepping out of the pillar was a being manifested out of those very flames, reshaping to a humanoid build and solidifying into flesh and bone. Blonde hair, blue eyes, and expensive clothes formed afterwards to complete the transformation.

With a slight wave of his hand, the stranger, this Phenex, dismissed the flames. "Hmph, it's been a while since I've been in the human world."

If the room wasn't tense before, it definitely was now. Even Koneko, who could plow through any trouble within the room, stopped eating to glare daggers at the trespasser. Kiba was no longer smiling, Akeno kept hers up but was instead as cold as ice, and Rias was nothing but disgusted about his presence. Issei was on edge, ready to move at his King's command to get rid of him as soon as possible. Asia, feeling out of place in such a dense environment, gripped onto Issei's sleeve behind his back.

The only one completely unfazed by this was Grayfia.

"Ah! My lovely Rias," the young man spotted the Gremory heiress and quickly approached her. "I came to see you."

Rias tried to hide her curling fists by crossing her arms. She bit her lip to hold back the remark she obviously wanted to spit in his face.

The man either pretended to not notice or was simply ignorant. He kept his pace as he addressed her as though speaking to an old friend, "We should hurry while we still can. The date's already been made so we need to check out the ceremony hall before it's too late."

Rias moved to slap his hand away when he attempted to reach for her arm, but found someone else had beaten her to it. Issei caught his wrist before anyone realized it, including Raizer Phenex. It still amazed and frightened Rias at how… unworldly Issei was. In the blink of an eye he crossed the distance without making a noise or disturbing anyone.

The only one able to keep track of his movements was Grayfia, as expected of the Strongest Queen. Her eyes only narrowed slightly but she did nothing further as though capable of sensing his intentions.

"W-Wha…!" Raizer, however, didn't take the action so lightly. "How dare you, a lowborn human turned Devil, lay a hand on me! Do you have any idea who I am?!"

Issei's response was to tighten his grip and speak in a low and dangerous tone, "Someone who's about to lose an arm for trying to touch my King."

Flames flared on the surface of Raizer's clothing, scorching Issei's hand despite his draconian resistance. But the boy knew this would happen and refused to let go because of a little pain. Even if his hand was being eaten by the fire, it did little to weaken him. His grip tightened to the point where Raizer's bones began to creak. With just a slight squeeze he could snap the arm in two.

With a tug he could rip the whole arm off.

"Ise, that's enough," Rias ordered as soon as she noticed Grayfia was about to intervene. "Stand down."

"…Yes, Buchou," he ground out more out of irritation than out of pain before letting go and standing at her side.

As Raizer rolled his wrist, Issei flexed his hand. It was a second degree burn over his palm and fingers. But his muscle structure was slightly different than that of a human's. Built with the coils of a serpent's structure with a human template, Issei still had enough muscle to use his hand with little hindrance. Only a tenth of his whole hand was burnt.

Raizer saw this and frowned at how his Phenex fire did little despite the direct contact.

"Hey you," Issei spoke up regardless if Rias commanded him to stand down. "You're being rude. Actually, what's with that attitude towards any girl? Who the heck are you?"

There was a look of revulsion coming from Raizer that came from one who spotted bile or garbage on the middle of the road and was to be avoided at all costs. As one who did call Issei a low-born, Raizer did see him as such. Regardless, the mood quickly changed to one of genuine surprise as he took a moment to realize the question.

"Oh? Rias darling, you haven't mentioned me to your servants? Well, I am surprised there exists someone who doesn't know about me. Even a reincarnated Devil should know something as common as that."

Yet another person to think him so lowly within the past few hours. And to come from someone who was an impressive nominee for Biggest Douchebag of the Year…

"His name is Hyoudou Issei, Raizer," hissed Rias. "I didn't tell them about you because there was never a need."

Raizer placed a hand on his brow and began chuckling, "Oh my, harsh as always, my lovely Rias."

Rias' reply was to put her own hand on her brow and give a very agitated groan.

"Hyoudou Issei-sama," Grayfia stepped forward and stood beside Raizer. When she had the Pawn's attention, after getting a raised brow at the choice of honorific, she gestured toward the Phenex Devil. "This is Raizer Phenex, a pureblood High-Class Devil and third son to the House of Phenex."

"…Uh huh…?" Issei nodded in accepting the introduction but failed to see the worth of it. All he knew was that this man was at the same rank as his King. No, he had a slightly lesser rank as he was the third son of a noble family and not the heir. Isse's comment issued for Grayfia to carry on.

"And he is the husband of the next heiress of the House of Gremory," Grayfia concluded without so much as batting an eyelash.

Issei's eyes widened slightly, but more than enough for everyone to notice. Suddenly, everything was starting to piece itself together. That last part of the puzzle that he had been missing was the key he needed to put everything whole. It definitely explained Rias' desperation.

"…Husband?" Issei more so stated the question out of disbelief rather than for anyone to answer.

"Yes," despite she more than likely was able to sense his intentions, Grayfia answered anyways. "He is engaged to Rias Gremory."

Issei said nothing as his mind needed a moment to catch up with things. He wasn't the only one to feel surprised. No one other than Akeno had known about this. The other peerage members had their own reactions of shock and ways of dealing with the news. Rias, on the other hand, was digging her nails into her sleeve in frustration.

Meanwhile, Raizer gave Issei a smug look of a prideful victory.

It was then Issei felt conflicted on what to do. This man was the reason Rias was forced on the edge. Issei wanted nothing more than to smash his face in until it was nothing more than a smear on the wall. But his King commanded him to stand down. He swore he would never disobey her orders and would follow without question. He just didn't realize how hard of a pledge that was to follow. Could he still beat Raizer to the ground and proclaim it was in defense of Rias' honor?

Then his eyes traced over to Grayfia, who was watching him closely. He never missed her radiance of power that screamed at his instincts to fight her only as a last resort. Perhaps not on league with something the likes of a Predator, but pretty damn close— perhaps just one shy step away from being one herself. Issei would win, without a doubt, but the battle would come at a heavy price.

Such as the entire destruction of the city. Was the loss of a city worth a single punch to this Raizer douche?

"Would any of you care for some tea?" Akeno broke through the group as she offered a cup of tea on a silver tray.

Grayfia blinked, stared at Akeno, to the tea, to Issei, back to the tea, and then back at Issei. He… he didn't know what to make of that.

Regardless, Akeno looked his way and gave him a knowing wink. She had come between them in order to avoid any mistake he might have made.

"Mmm," Raizer took the first sip with such calmness it was as though he never noticed the hostile intentions in the air or of the psychic battle between the Pawn and Strongest Queen. "The Gremory Queen's tea is splendid."

"Why, thank you," Akeno replied… but there was only toxicity behind that smile of hers this time.

"Raizer," Rias spoke up after taking the moment to calm herself. "I have no intentions of marrying you. I thought I made that clear."

Akin to speaking to a child, Raizer gave a weary sigh and spoke in a lecturing tone, "Yes, I've heard that before. But I'm afraid you're in no position to say otherwise. Think of the situation with your household. It's quite serious."

"That's none of your business!" she snapped but reeled in her anger. "I am the next heiress of the House of Gremory. I will choose who my husband becomes. I've already agreed to take one, and know that it will never be you, Raizer Phenex."

Raizer clicked his tongue as he wagged his finger in a rhythm. "That won't do, Rias darling. You're not seeing things clearly as everyone else does. Both your father and brother are deeply worried for you and are doing this out of their own concern. You shouldn't insult them by throwing their hard work out like this.

"Think of the situation for a moment. They aren't just worried the household will go extinct. They are worried you will get into something way over your head. We lost a great deal of Devils due to the war; and though it is over, there are still skirmishes between the three factions. Why, even I have had trouble with them in the past. And did you not just recently get involved in an affair regarding the Fallen Angels?"

Rias eyes narrowed, "…What's your point?"

"I'm simply saying you're not safe as you are now," again, he chastised her as though she were a child not understanding something only an adult could. "Simply being the sibling of a Maou isn't enough; rather, it's because you are the sister of King Lucifer you are seen as a target. Why, even the Astaroth heir wasn't safe by being Beelzebub-sama's brother. I'm sure you must have heard he's gone missing; it's quite the commotion down in the Underworld.

"Not only will this marriage provide you the resources of the Phenex clan, but it will also ensure the continuation of your Gremory line. Two High-Class Devils uniting with a rare pureblood Devil being born under both houses? It's not a bad offer, Rias darling. You will be safe, your child will be safe, and your family will remain alive."

"…If it's about protection, then there's no need to worry," Issei spoke up when he had enough. Rias looked at him in the corner of her eye but allowed him to continue. The Pawn pointed his thumb at himself and announced, "Because I'm Buchou's servant. There won't be anything that will harm her because I'll be there to remove it."

Raizer blinked in disbelief as he stared at Issei. He smirked, cackled, and then fell into a roaring fit of laughter strong enough to have his head reeling back. When calm enough, though still snickering between words, he spoke, "You?! A low-class Devil just recently reincarnated with demonic energy so pathetic I almost mistook you as a human?! Well, I suppose every King does need its jester."

Around the room, the Gremory peerage exchanged looks as though they knew information that others didn't— which was exactly as it was, except Grayfia could only come to her own assumptions. There was merit to Raizer's words; even the Strongest Queen had difficulty sensing any demonic energy coming from the boy. He barely had enough to sustain his Evil Pieces from dying out.

But… that's what they said about the Bael heir…

"Do not take my Pawn's words lightly, Raizer Phenex, or you may regret it," Rias stepped forward to defend Issei. She added with a smirk of superiority, "Hyoudou Issei is a being that surpasses you in every way."

Raizer stopped smiling. "Oh? And what is it that you're implying? What, that this lowborn was the one to steal your purity?"

Her eye twitched. She was about to retort…

"Damn right I was!"

…when Issei opened his big mouth.

Raizer looked like he had the wind knocked out of him. He wasn't the only one as Koneko let the unwrapped candy tumble out of her fingers while Yuuto did a spit-take and began to cough riotously enough to start wheezing. Asia blinked a few times, tilted her head, and pondered if he was referring to what she caught them doing last night. Akeno laughed quietly to herself, mostly from seeing Raizer's face. And Grayfia's brow twitched only once before her perfect face returned to its stoic expression.

Rias could no longer contain her composure as she could only bring her palm to her face. Her face was as red as her hair and she didn't try to hold back the long and strenuous groan rising from her throat.

It didn't stop there. Oh no. Sensing victory was his for the taking, Issei charged on. "I've seen Buchou's oppai many times! Once, as a promise to bring the most amounts of contracts at the end of the week, I was able to do whatever I wanted with them for a full five seconds! Granted… Akeno-oneesama beat me by three BUT STILL! I've seen her shower, woken up with her in my bedside, had her dressed right in front of me, and last night I got to play with her oppai as much as I wanted! And more! So, Mr. Fiancé, how does it feel knowing that this lowly Pawn—"

"I-I-I-Issei enough!" shouted Rias at the top of her lungs as she couldn't take it anymore. "H-Honestly… you boys might like to boast about these things but us girls are… s-shy about our first time…"

Sometime during his little moment of triumph, Issei had moved towards the coffee table just so he could perch his leg on top and pose like a boss. He hadn't even realized he had done this. He supposed it was just a natural reaction when underdogs like him overpower the villainous douchebag at their own game.

"…Repulsive," Koneko's comment, however, sent his world crashing down. Her one word was so blunt it felt like his entire body was made of glass. It was filled with so much, well, repulsion that it had a physical effect on him. As such, he crumbled to the ground and coughed up a wad of blood from a collapsed heart.

It would be at this point Asia would come straight to his side to heal him. Instead, she was lost in her world with spots of tears in the corner of her eyes. She was patting her chest, comparing the dimensions of her own with Rias' bountiful mountain valley. Under her breath, she muttered things about 'if Ise wanted to…' while continuing to pat her chest with a look of defeat.

Meanwhile, Issei twitched on the floor like an insect on the verge of death.

Raizer wasn't faring any better. He had a hand over his chest as if struck by a physical blow. He listened to the Pawn's outburst with a grain of salt. But it was Rias' reaction to his words that delivered the nail in the coffin.

"I-Impossible…" he muttered aloud. "S…Surely I had figured it was…" his eyes went to Yuuto, who could only give a heartfelt smile and shake his head in denial.

"But for your lowly, unworthy, Pawn!" rage surged through Raizer's being. Veins on his brow threatened to burst as fire lit up the room, surrounding him in a blaze of wings. "I had forgiven you for surrendering your purity to someone else. Defiled or not, I would have learned to love you anyways, Gremory. But to find this… human was the one who defiled you?! You dare insult me, Gremory! As a Phenex I cannot excuse this insult! I will burn all of your servants for this!"

"Raizer-sama," Grayfia interjected before his… promise could be made real. "Please calm down. If you are going to continue, then I won't be quiet about it. I've been instructed to play moderator while you and Rias-ojousama sort things out. I won't hold back if I must."

There wasn't a single shift in her tone nor a movement on her porcelain face. All she had to do was turn her head ever so slightly for her eyes to look at Raizer's direction. Just his general direction, not directly at him.

And it was enough for the Phenex Devil to freeze in place. The flames remained, but their light and heat retracted considerably. Frowning and trying to resist as long as possible, he eventually came to realize his actions wouldn't be worth it.

Predator worthy indeed, thought Issei. Grayfia can give Serene a run for her money.

"…To be told that by the Strongest Queen…" he didn't dare finish his sentence as though such a thing was taboo or bad luck.

However… it didn't stop him from…

"But it's not fair! I wanted Rias' virginity!"

…pouting like a child.

Had Rias not been ready to retaliate anything Raizer had to throw her way, she would probably be on the floor with Issei due to some sudden blood clot bursting. Instead, she slowly shifted back to her normal mindset, trying to come to terms that, yes, this was her life.

"Well too bad!" Issei was back on his feet as he puffed his chest out proudly. "It's mine!"

"But I called dibs!"

"Well I didn't hear it."

"It was supposed to be mine!"

"Yeah, well, I got it fair and square!"

"So did I! My father promised it to me!"

…Yes, this was indeed her life. Lo and behold, Raizer Phenex, a High-Class Devil and one of the strongest of the Young Devils. And her Pawn, Hyoudou Issei, one of the eight most powerful beings on the planet.

Grayfia cleared her throat to regain their attention. When all eyes were upon her, she spoke, "The master, Sirzechs-sama, and those of the House of Phenex have consoled with me in the case neither of you were to come to a conclusion. Rias-sama, Raizer-sama, seeing as neither of you are willing to solve this matter reasonably, I am to inform you of a last reasort."

"…Last resort?" asked Rias. "What do you mean, Grayfia?"

"Ojou-sama, the masters have gained your attention because of your… actions in the previous evening. If you are so determined to push the matter to that extent, they are willing to give you a chance to prove yourself. How would you feel about solving this matter in a Rating Game?"

There were gasps around the room. Issei and Asia were the only ones out of the loop, however. They had no idea how to react to this.

Rias narrowed her eyes. "I see. So if I can prove that I am capable of defending myself against the likes of a Phenex, then I can prove that I do not need their protection. Is that it? Honestly… they don't believe I can stand on my own two feet… Alright. I'll gladly accept."

At her response, the sound of Raizer's laugher echoed throughout the room. "So you're accepting it? I don't mind. But I'm already a matured Devil and I have already participated in the official game. I've already won most of my games. Besides, lovely Rias, you have an incomplete set. I believe only your Queen stands a chance against mine."

It was his turn to give the superior smile as he snapped his fingers. At his command, a much larger circle of flame lit up the room. Several pillars of fire sprouted from the floor, giving several silhouettes of humanoid figured within them. Like before, the flames molded into flesh, form, and clothing. In a matter of seconds, a large number of females— girls, ladies, and women— appeared within the room.

Fifteen people. Which meant Raizer had a full set.

And Rias still had two Pieces remaining with her second Bishop immobilized.

Sniff.

A single sound cut through the tension in the room like a hot knife through butter. Every single pair of eyes looked at the source. Hyoudou Issei was on his knees, sobbing hysterically enough for his tears to waterfall down his face. Continuously he beat his fist against the floor hard enough to warrant it to pierce through to the bottom floor. All the while…

"R-Rias…" Raizer wasn't sure what to make of what he was seeing. "Why is your Pawn looking at me that way?"

Rias had to take a seat at her desk else any other nonsense to happen today would knock her out cold. The room was spinning enough as it is. She shouldn't have been surprised that Issei was having this reaction to Raizer's peerage. "…Because his life's dream is to have a harem. Seeing someone else have it must have been too much for him."

"I-I-I-I h-h-hate you s-s-s-s-soooooooo muuuuuuhuuhuuuhuuuuch~" said Pawn hiccupped and began sobbing that much harder.

"…Is this really what we're facing?" asked the girl in the Chinese outfit as she sweatdropped. Many others felt the same.

Even the Gremory Peerage sympathized with their enemy.

"Now, now girls," Raizer took the Pawn's despair as fuel for his pride. The tables were turned. Issei may have won Rias' virginity, but Raizer had the boy's ultimate goal right before his eyes. He walked over towards his peerage and went to the first girl in the far left. "Don't be like that. After all, it's only natural for the lowly to look up to his superiors. Why don't we show him how superiors are supposed to reward their servants?"

While curling his fingers around the chin of the blonde in armor, he lifted her head up and gave a passionate kiss. A deep tongue-tying kiss with the blonde returning the favor with equal passion. She clutched tightly to his shirt and pressed herself as close as she could to him. She gave a sudden moan he began to pull her hair.

Rias looked away, watching a speck of dust float in the air with more interest than the scene in the background. Asia… had her face redden enough to turn purple before passing out. Koneko no longer had the appetite to finish her snack. Yuuto looked away while scratching his cheek. And Akeno served another cup of tea to her King and Grayfia.

However, Issei was frozen in place. His skin had turned so pale it was as though all the blood from his body had been sucked dry. His mouth hung open with a petrified look of horror. At some point his eyes had rolled up to the back of his skull from complete shock.

And then Raizer broke off from the girl and moved on to the next one in line. He repeated the cycle, and the girl dove into the kiss with just as much affection as the other. However, he turned her head enough for him to be able to look at Issei's direction.

He even bothered to give a wink. The nerve.

"YOU PRETENTIOUS PRICK! THE FIGHT IS ON!" Issei roared loud enough for the windows to shake. He tried to charge at Raizer, but Yuuto was in front of him pushing against his chest while Koneko pulled on the back of his shirt… not having to get up from her spot on the sofa. If he were of right of mind, he could easily break free from the two and bake himself some Kentucky fried Phenex.

But the shock of seeing a real-life harem, proof that becoming high-ranked enough in the Devil society could make him the Harem King, in the hands of this leech sickened Issei to no end. Something wasn't right. There was a flaw in the Laws of the World. Raizer Phenex was a glitch in the Matrix! It was his right and responsibility as Eighth Predator to correct this flaw and remove this threat from existence!

This was a sin that could not be ignored. As a servant and practitioner of the gods of debauchery, Hyoudou Issei will see justice done!

"…Ise, please calm down," Rias gave a very tired sigh while massaging her temples from the ravenous headache today had brought her.

"But, but, but," Issei tried to protest. But from one look his King gave him, his resolve crumbled and he fell to his knees in defeat. He began sobbing. Again. "…Yes, Buchou."

Raizer was enjoying the show enough to go into another round of laugher. Issei cursed when he saw the girls pout when none of them would have a turn with him. "Lovely Rias, surely you can't say that this is the one you claimed to be superior to me in every way. I'm going to enjoy putting this lowly Pawn of yours in his place."

"Raizer-sama," Grayfia questioned, "does this mean you too accept the terms of the Rating Game?"

"Of course, of course," he replied as though it were a necessary chore. Something he found trifling, but something that couldn't be ignored. Then, a spark lit in his eyes. "However… Ten days. Yes, I will give you, Rias, ten days to prepare. I believe that should be suitable enough time to strengthen your peerage. Maybe you'll be able to provide me with some entertainment before our marriage. Think of this as my wedding gift to you. Ten days to… how should I put this… have your fun."

Rias didn't hide her scowl. It went against her pride to accept such an offer. With Issei, she could wipe the floor with Raizer and his entire peerage. But that was also the problem. Issei was only one Piece. She had the rest of her peerage to be concerned about. If a peerage represents the value of the King, then what did it mean to have only one Maou-worthy Piece but all others… average?

It… it wouldn't look well.

"Very well," she grit her teeth and accepted his offer, despite how much it made her look desperate. But then again, she was. Though she'll never admit it aloud to someone like him. "I accept. If I win, I am free to choose who my husband shall be no matter what the clan heads say."

"And when I win, we shall be wed as soon as possible," Raizer finished with a smirk. The other girls in his peerage had a similar look as they all eyed the members of the Gremory Peerage. They didn't see anything of worth other than the Priestess of Thunder, Akeno.

"Good," nodded Grayfia. "I shall inform everyone. The battle will commence in ten days' time."

With both arms around a number of his members, Raizer roared out in maniacal laughter. Flames lit up the room one final time as every member of the Phenex Peerage transformed into effigies of fire, quickly disappearing without a single trace of them ever being here.

"I offer you good luck, Ojou-sama," Grayfia offered with a curtsey. Her personal magic circle lit up and began to transport herself back into the Underworld.

It wasn't missed by the two most powerful beings within the room how their gazes were exchanged at the last instant.

"Hey, uh, Buchou…?" Issei scratched the back of his head as the heat began to die down. No pun intended. As his mind began to catch up with the current time stream, he began to wonder about something he should have probably asked at the beginning of all this.

"…What's a Rating Game?"

…Yes, this was Rias Gremory's final hope.