Author's Notes: We may be delayed, but nothing will ever broke us. RealmOfEmptiness and Demon Anarchy of Pride return with "Disgaea: Dragon of Dragons": the (at least to my knowledge) best Disgaea and Highschool DxD crossover story on the web. The Show Must Go On!

Disclaimer: I don't own Highschool DxD and/or the Disgaea franchise. If I did the overall story would be M-rated. Wait, it already is.

Q&A Time:

Drmonicblood: I am not sure if expand the Prism Rangers' original part, shorten it or leave it as it is. Luckily there is time before that.

0-0: I must confess I discovered it only after you mentioned it.

Serialkeller: they're around level 20, the 14 was my mistake.

Someonerandome: I have no idea what you're talking about.

tsun: maybe, and maybe again.

Guest: yep, it was Vali.

patiphat1998: right now!

Chapter 9: Lesson Time!

AKA

I Met A Chef: He Taught Kick-Ass Cuisine.

"So... you're NOT here to kill the dragons?"

"No, we're not."

"You REALLY aren't?"

"No! We're just here to find the Home Economics Room!"

"Then why'd you attack the dragons?!"

"YOU WERE THE ONE WHO ATTACKED US FIRST!"

There was a brief pause. Reno and the rest of the group had been watching Issei and the monster girl, who had recently regained consciousness after the remaining dragons surrendered upon her defeat, engaging in diplomatic talk. Sort-of. Of course it proved to be rather difficult as the girl clearly believed that they were the ones at fault, unaware that they had been chasing after a terrified dragon (though it was more like Beryl was chasing after it and the others followed). As a result the two were glaring intensely at each other, neither refusing to back down from their claim. Priere merely watched it all happen with an amused smile, taking a sip out of her Martini.

"This is getting us nowhere." Shiro sighed, shaking her head. "I say we knock her out again and find that damned room."

"B-but..." Agnes whined, poking her fingers together anxiously. "It wouldn't be fair to Ise. He's trying so hard to make her understand."

Asagi nodded in agreement, though she was still rather skeptical. The girl was clearly stubborn in her idea that they were the enemy. Chances were, even if Ise did manage to convince her that they weren't the ones at fault she would still hold them accountable for the attack. She was starting to agree with the Nekomata's idea of knocking her out again and be on their way. "She's a tough sucker, though." She eventually commented, referring to their battle earlier as she looked to Reno. "I do have to ask though. Are T-Rex Demons usually this powerful?"

"I don't know." Reno confessed, adjusting his specs. "I've only heard stories about them, but she's definitely a terrifying opponent. Let her get stronger and she'll be a force to be reckoned with." He paused for a moment, folding his arms and dipping his head in thought. "It would be a great addition if Ise found a way to convince her to join us, but given how she thinks WE are the bad guys here, that's obviously out of the question. Still, what was she talking about regarding us attacking the dragons?"

At that, Beryl's group stepped in. "I think it was because of what happened when we arrived here." Asuka informed them. "When Lady Beryl and Sir Mao came here in search of a dragon's egg, we learned that someone tried to wipe out all of the dragons living here due to the threat they could pose. According to some of the monsters, they say it was a man dressed in what looked like, and I quote, 'a Prinny superhero get-up', unquote."

"Whaaaaaat?" Kelly whined. "They had a killing fiesta without Kelly? Bastards get all the fun!"

"Or get bored easily." Shiro mumbled. "Still, if they really did attack the dragons then it's no wonder why she's so pissed." A sigh escaped her. "Forget it. She's not gonna listen." She turned her attention to Ise, who was now standing up with the girl, roaring at each other faces. "Oi, Ise. Let's just-"

"Will you just listen to me?!" The brunette growled. "I keep telling you! WE! ARE! NOT! THE! ONES! WHO! ATTACKED! YOUR! FRIENDS! What part of that can't you get through that thick skull of yours?!"

"Lies! You attacked them earlier!" The girl accused. "They all saw it!" She bared her fangs as she prepared to attack him. This alarmed the group, minus Priere, and so they quickly brought out their weapons. "No more talking! Just di-WAAAAH!" Suddenly, as she moved to attack, her foot tripped against a floorboard that had been sticking out, causing her to trip on her feet. Ise, seeing this, moved in to catch her, wrapping his arms around her waist in order to stop her fall.

Sadly he vastly underestimated her weight, as she proved to be very heavy (not that he would tell her that: it was the second rule among the things you should never tell a woman), and thus the two were thrown to the ground. The pavement shuddered for a moment, and dust kicked up around them. "Ise!" Agnes shouted in concern. "Are you okay?!" The dust cloud began to settle. As soon as it did, a mixed variety of reactions occurred.

Shiro began to snicker. Priere's amused grin widened. Reno's glasses threatened to drop. Agnes' eyes were covered by Asagi. Kelly ended up gawking. Beryl and her lackeys suddenly whipped out their notepads from who-knows-where and began writing down. "So this is the legendary pervert at work...!"

The dinosaur girl was currently on top of Issei, with her breasts directly smothering his face and one of her legs in between his own, thus creating the most compromising position possible. 'Hooooooooooly shit they're soft!' Issei's perverted mind thought as his inner self was cheering around inside his head, waving the flag of victory (said flag being panties) for having succeeded in landing himself in the legendary [Valley of the Gods]. The girl groaned, rubbing her head. "Dammit..." She growled. "What the hell kind of cheap trick was..." She suddenly trailed off, a familiar scent flooding into her nostrils. It took her a second to recognize the smell, causing her eyes to widen and look down at Issei, who was enjoying being in her breasts. To his disappointment she sat up, though the position was now changed into straddling him, eliciting further amusement from those watching.

Then, to his utter embarrassment, she began to SNIFF him.

"Eh?" His mind paused for a moment before registering the action. "Eh?!" Her hands were over his shoulders, pinning him down to the ground as she sniffed his face before moving to his neck. With one swift move she took a long look at his face, their eyes meeting one another for the longest time. He suddenly began to feel nervous. W-was she... going to eat him?! "H-hey..."

Then she did the most shocking action, which caused Beryl and her group to gasp, Priere to start laughing, and Reno's face to turn into a deep shade of red.

The girl licked his face.

"EEEEEEEEH?!"

Issei's mind suddenly began to panic. 'Sh-she's licking me!' He cried inside his mind with panic, heart thumping. 'S-she's seriously gonna eat me?! Nooooooooo! I can't let myself get eaten, even if it's by a hot monster girl! Vore is seriously NOT cool!'

"L-listen, Miss Monster-Girl?" He tried to reason with her. "U-um, I don't think I-"

The girl lightly tapped his head. To his confusion her face was set into a pout. "Idiot." She scolded him like a mother reprimanding a child. "Why didn't you say you were a dragon?!"

"-want to...What..?" Issei trailed off, caught by surprise. "B-But I'm human!"

"You smell like a dragon. Taste like a dragon. You're a dragon." She nodded with obvious self-satisfaction at being (in her mind) so smart. "That means you're a friend!"

To Issei's further embarrassment the dragons, who were waiting at a safe distance behind the Dino girl, crowded around the still grounded Issei and began to also sniff him, talking excitedly among themselves. The bewildered brunette shot a look at his comrades that practically implored for things to make sense again.

"She thinks Ise is a dragon?" Asagi asked aloud. "Why would she think that?"

"She said he smells and tastes like a dragon. Uhm..." Reno pondered. "It must be related to his recent Title Change. Wyrmling, as far as I know, is a type of dragon. It could also be that [Twice Critical] is related to a dragon-type demon and part of its scent got overlayered with Ise's." He shook his head. "Honestly, there is no way to know for sure. But since it made her calm down it's best we humor the girl."

"Considering her thick skull, would she even listen?"

"...Very good point." The Samurai rubbed his hands together before walking to the other group with a smile plastered on his face. "That's right! Our Ise is a dragon-"

"Reno!"

For a split-second the demon's face turned toward the human, making a harsh 'ssshh!' motion with a finger over his lips before switching back to a smile addressed at the T-Rex Demon. "-and we're his friends. That means we're all friends and there is no reason to fight, right? I can assure you, we aren't here to do harm to the dragons."

"Muuuuh." She pouted in a way that tried to be angry, but turned out as angry as a kitten could be: totally adorable. "Then why are you with the mean birdies?"

An interrogation mark inside a white cloud appeared briefly above Reno's head, causing Issei to quickly shift his attention back to the girl's breasts. "The what?"

"The mean birdies!" She pointed at the Prinnies, who pointed a fin at themselves with a shocked face as if to say 'who, me?'. "They are the servants of the mean birdie-man who attacked the dragon's lair and scattered the tribe!"

Beryl looked at her lackeys. "The guy in a Prinny superhero get-up?"

"Well, it isn't a baseless deduction…" Asuka commented, Kyoko nodding beside her.

"She looks stupid enough to not notice the difference." Kelly added, getting a 'really?' glare from everyone. "Kelly said the truth and you know it. Hey seeds-for-brains, is this superhero-wannabe a friend of yours?"

"There is a story circulating among the Prinnies about Prinny Mask, the Messiah of Prinnies that will free us from abuse and underpaid labor, dood." One of the Prinnies replied. "He is the reason we decided to steal the PE Teacher's steroids: to be ready for when the Day of Reckoning comes and we rebel, conquering all the Netherworlds and creating an eternal utopia for all Prinnies! Dood!"

"I just wanted to get high as a kite, dood!" A lone voice rose from the back row.

"...That's the most stupid thing I have ever heard." Shiro deadpanned. The others silently nodded in agreement.

"Oh, those Prinnies?" Reno waved his hand. "They are not with us. Well they are, but not with us-us. See that sca-beautiful and obviously super powerful demon?" He pointed at Pierre. "They're her slaves."

"Oh!" She exclaimed. "That's alright then."

"Have you all forgot about me?" Issei protested, a bit annoyed. "Can I get up now?"

"Sorry!" She stood up, grabbed his left arm and pulled him up. Issei bit back a scream when her strength almost popped out his socket. "There, all better?"

"Y-Yeah." He replied with an awkward smile as he massage his arm. "So, I think we started with the wrong foot. My name is Issei Hyoudou. What's yours?"

"Rathina." She smiled brightly. "Rathina Kreuz."

"Rathina, eh?" The Samurai said. "Well, introductions are in order. I am Reno, and these are our friends; Agnes, Kelly, Shiro and Asagi."

The Main Character(?) gave a two-fingered salute. "Yo. Sorry 'bout earlier."

The Nekomata waved at her in a bored fashion. "Sorry...though I gotta admit, you are one tough girl." Rathina smiled gratefully at the praise.

Agnes bowed her head. "I-I'm very sorry about what happened to the dragons! I hope we can make it up to you!"

Kelly smiled. "Hello! Kelly is Kelly! And this how she greets-!" Before she could even attempt to set the poor girl on fire Asagi and Agnes pinned her down, preventing her from grabbing her staff and shutting her mouth before she could say something that would once again pin them at odds with Rathina and the dragons.

The T-Rex girl tilted her head, confused, but Issei waved it off. "Don't worry. Happens all the time." He simply told her. She took him on his words, thankfully.

"These girls are our guest party members, the Delinquent Trio: Rasberyl, Asuka, and Kyoko." Reno continued, unperturbed by Kelly's actions.

The Ninja and female Samurai bowed their heads gracefully. "A pleasure to meet you." They greeted in unison.

Beryl smiled widely, performing a curtsy. "I am Nether Academy's Number One Delinquent, Rasberyl!" she said. Issei, for a moment, wondered how someone who was supposed to be good-natured by Netherworld standards could boast about something like that. In the end, though, he ignored it...likely for the sake of his sanity, lest something in this world answer him with that damned illogical nonsense he's been getting since he came here. "It is an honor to make your acquaintance!"

"And this-" He gestured to Priere. "Is our most...gracious benefactor, the Overlord Priere."

Upon hearing this the dragons stiffened, and Rathina's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Issei thought he saw an exclamation mark form on her head and promptly returned to looking at her breasts. "Whaaaaaaaat?!" She cried. "Your the Overlord?!"

"One of them." The former nun shrugged. "I'm just here to fight the Overlord of this Netherworld." A pause. "And mooch off of these guys for a free meal, since they want to see the Home Economics Teacher here."

"Speaking of that-" Issei remembered why they came here in the first place. "Do you know where he is? It's a blonde guy with blonde hair...and he smells like fried chicken dipped in chili sauce." The group stared at him. "W-what? I'm not kidding! That's what he smells like!"

Rathina cocked her head to the side quizzically. "Blonde guy?" She repeated. "Smells like chili sauce?" She was silent for a moment, as if trying to recall someone like that. Eventually she placed her closed hand against an open palm, a gesture most people did when they figured something out. "Oh! You mean Mr. Sauce!"

Asagi sweatdropped. "Mr...Sauce?"

"Yep! He's really nice! He comes by and feeds the tribe!" Rathina told them. As if to back up her claim the dragons nodded strongly. "Why do you guys wanna see Mr. Sauce?"

Agnes laughed shyly. "Well, you see...my friend-" She waved her hand at Beryl. "Beryl, wants a perfect attendance record, and Home Economics is the only class she has yet to attend."

"Problem is, from what we've been told no one is allowed to leave this class until they've become world-class chefs." Issei continued.

The T-Rex girl let out an 'ah' as if she understood. "Ooooooh...so that's where all the screaming has been coming from!"

Issei and Agnes quickly paled. "S-Screaming?!"

"Well, every now and then we heard this loud screaming coming from that really hot room near our nest." She explained to them with a smile. "It's really soothing when we want to go to sleep~"

The brunette couldn't believe his ears. 'How in the holy hell is that soothing?!' He shouted in his mind, looking at Beryl almost pleadingly. "H-hey, Beryl? You sure you don't mind missing at least one class?" He asked, shakingly so. He was already receiving bad premonitions about what laid in store for them should they pursue this teacher of chefs. "I-I mean, I'm sure Mr. Champloo wouldn't mind!"

"Tut, tut Mr. Hyoudou." Beryl wagged a finger at him. "A Delinquent must brave any danger to succeed!"

Reno sighed. "Well...sounds like our trip to Home Ec. has became quite interesting." He noted before looking at Beryl. "Is it close by?"

"Should be." Beryl nodded. "I've memorized the layout of the place, even if the level is different."

'I didn't hear that!' The male human declared sharply in his mind. 'I didn't hear any part of that sentence!'

The party plus Priere, as well as the addition of Rathina Kruez and the dragons they had fought earlier, resumed their way to the illusive classroom that was renowned as a perilous place to many since the day of its creation. It came as a surprise that Rathina had chosen to come along, though her reason was simply because she wanted to find a way to pay Issei and his friends back for the trouble she caused. She seemed pretty adamant about it, and Issei, having learned some sense in this whacky place, decided to let her do whatever she wanted. Because of this Rathina was extremely happy and gave the poor pervert a bone-crushing hug.

He learned two things from this. One: Rathina was kind of dimwitted, but wore her heart on her sleeve. Second: Her breasts were VERY soft.

That she was also crazy strong he already learned during the previous fight.

Anyway, as they appeared to come closer to their destination Issei began to feel extremely warm, sweat copiously falling from his skin. "Damn, it's hot..." He muttered, waving his hand at his face. "Did someone turn on a few hundred furnaces or what?"

"Nah." Beryl shook her head. "Probably just the lava pit boiling a pot of stew."

"I see-Wait, lava pit?!"

"Of course," Reno nodded in agreement. "How else do you cook food quickly besides fire spells?"

"An oven obviously!" Issei spluttered.

"Ovens are powered by fire spells. Or lava if you have it under hand." Kelly exclaimed. "Kelly knows: Kelly always helped with cooking at home. Well, until there was a home anyway."

'Did she burn it?' Shiro silently mouthed to Agnes.

'Yes.' The greenette mouthed back silently, lowering her beanie to hide her embarrassment.

"W-What about burning, I don't know, wood as fuel?" Issei's question was only met with blank stares from almost everyone.

Priere sighed. "Don't bother Issei. Demons' approach to most things is totally different from humans. Why gather wood to burn when using magic is way faster and easier?"

"Uh, that makes se-"

"You either do it for vandalism's sake or to pick up a fight with the Wood Golems."

"Nope, that doesn't make sense at all." Issei's head hanged down as he waved his hand. "Forget I said anything and carry on."

"We're almost there." Rathina pointed out.

They left the decaying building and walked into an open area full of tall stone formations rising from the ground like natural columns, forming pathways and giving the whole place the air of a maze. Both them and the ground were covered in thick green vines, their growth likely helped by the heat. What's more, all passages were blocked by tall walls made of Geo Blocks.

"I remember this place, we passed through it together with Mao and the others." Beryl informed the group. Then she pointed to a few isolated Geo Blocks. "Take one of those and toss it at a wall of the same color. That'll clear the way."

"Easy." Asagi walked up to a red Geo Block and, raising it above her head, took aim. "Here we-"

"Wait! I forgot to tell you-"

"GO!" The gunner launched the Block with all her strength. It traced an arc in the air and landed right next to a red wall. Immediately the Block crumbled into red dust, followed by the other red Geo Blocks into a chain-reaction.

However, the moment the way was free Demons poured through the opening.

"-It will also alert the local wildlife of our presence. Which is hostile." Beryl sighed, Asuka patting her back.

"Ooh, more target practice!" An excited Asagi readied her guns. "Let's go Ise!"

But the perverted teenage was not listening, too busy staring at the enemies. There were Eryngi and Slumber Cats. He already met both monsters before. However there was also a third type he never saw before: this particular demon was taller than him, had a slender figure that was shown off by the lack of clothing it wore and, most importantly, it was a plant. As in, it had a pair of flowers instead of hair, green skin, a large bud and a root forming its lower body, which it used to jump forward instead of walking.

In Issei's eyes they were cute, flat-chested girls coming at him with their most sacred place barely covered by the lower flower. A perverted smile appeared on his face, followed by blood dripping from his nose. "Agnes! Agnes!"

"Yes Ise?" The kind-hearted demon asked, totally obvious to the pervert's less-than-pure thoughts. "What is it?"

"What's the name of those plant-like demons?"

"They're Flora Beasts, but most just called them Alraune."

"Alraune? Ohohoh!" Issei rubbed his hands together, remembering the name from his countless eroge about monster girls. "An entire race of cute half-plant girls!"

"Technically they're both male and female." Reno informed him.

Issei's smile froze. "...What?"

"Well, you know." The Samurai shrugged. "They're plants."

'B-B-But that! That means-!'

Issei's mouth opened in a scream: "IT'S A TRAAAAAAP!"

Suddenly the poor boy's spirit felt dirtied. Very dirtied. To think he was about to fall for one of the most notorious forms of 'boy love'. He was pulled out of his thoughts when Rathina let out a roar. He looked to his side, and immediately found a girl in her most primal state, eyes wide with beastly rage, fangs bared and claws ready to tear into flesh. 'The hell?!' Issei thought in shock. 'What got her so pissed off?!' He looked back at the group of hostile demons and found that the Alraune were glaring back at her with open hostility, the vines around them whipping around in a mad frenzy. It didn't take a genius to realize that the two were about to brawl. "Okay, why do Rathina and those flower girls-er boys...or whatever the hell they are, look ready to kill each other?! I know we just pissed 'em off, but they seem ready to start a war!"

"That might be because Big Sis and the Alraune have some history." One of the Dragons spoke up. Issei couldn't help but wonder why its voice sounded like the brainless thug of some yakuza movie. "A way back, Big Sis went hunting and mistook the Alraune for veggies."

Beryl sweat-dropped. "...Let me guess, the Alraune got pissed and attacked her?"

"Yep!" Another dragon nodded. "And they gave her a thrashing, though Big Sis beat 'em up good! 'Course, since then they've been at each other's throats whenever they meet."

"Ah, so that's why." Reno nodded as he brandished his sword. "Well, regardless...let's get ready." The others also brought out their respective weapons. "If memory serves me right, their Evility lets them heal their allies and beefs up their elemental resistances so long as they're standing close by to them."

Issei nodded as Twice Critical formed over his hand. "Sounds easy enough." He said before blinking. "...Wait, hold on! What did I just say?! That's a goddamn game mechanic dammit!"

"Oi, Oppai Baka!" Kelly shouted. "Get your ass in gear before Kelly sets you on fire!"

"FOR THE LAST TIME, YOU PYRO-OBSESSED MIDGET! IT'S OPPAI! WYRMLING!"

"...I feel violated." Were the words uttered by the boy Issei had met while on his way to the Gymnasium Area that was once dominated by the High Prinnies before they became Agnes' obedient servants. Unknown to Issei the boy's name was Almaz von Almandine Adamant, or just Almaz for short. Also unknown to Issei Almaz was once a normal human...until he had his [Title] taken from him, which was done at the hands of some weirdo mad scientist kid-slash-the overlord's son: Mao. You see, Almaz came to the Netherworld in order to defeat the Overlord, as according to the stories it was the Overlord's destiny to capture the princess of his realm and use her however he saw fit. Because of this Almaz took up the sword and began his journey into this realm of madness. He didn't think he would lose. After all, he was a [Hero]!

There was just one single problem.

Despite his claims he wasn't a real [Hero]. Only a self-proclaimed one. Mao thought that by taking the [Hero] title for himself he could defeat his father, the Overlord. The reason why he wanted to defeat him? The Overlord stepped on his game console, which in turn also destroyed his save files and over a million hours of gameplay. Almaz could understand why he would want to defeat his dad for that, given how much devotion he too poured into games from countries overseas, but it was still a stupid reason to beat up your old man. Unfortunately Mao didn't realize the [Hero] title was fake until after the fact, namely getting his ass owned by his dad...or rather, his dad's HAND!

'Just how big is that guy, anyway?' The fake hero wondered. It was a legitimate question given how big the hand alone was, not excluding the fingers. 'Is his body, like, part of the whole school or something?'

Normally Almaz would have returned to the human world after this blunder, to recuperate and get stronger as other heroes did when they failed. However Mao had taken his title for himself, and it was important to him. If he didn't have his [Hero] title, how could he possibly face the princess? To that end he stuck with Mao and waited for the opportunity to get it back! Thankfully Mao himself didn't want the title either, especially since it was a fake one (still a low blow to Almaz). Now here was the problem: with his title gone, Almaz was slowly becoming influenced by the Netherworld and effectively turning into a demon. If he didn't get his title back within 666 hours after having his title stolen he would, under all aspects, become a demon.

There was no way in hell he was going to become a demon! If he did, how could he face the princess?!

Unfortunately, because such specimens were rare, Almaz was subjected to 'experiments' at the hands of his new master(?), which more often than not ended with him feeling violated afterwards.

Every.

Single.

Day.

"I really have to find a way to get my title back, and fast!" He thought aloud. "If I don't...I can kiss my dreams of seeing the princess' smile goodbye!" He made a frown as he crossed his arms and began to ponder. "Thanks to the Classroom we've gotten a lot of help lately from all of those characters Mao's been making, but...is that really enough? I wonder if we could convince Beryl and the others to help us, especially since that whole debacle of Mao opening his heart was a bust."

It was then that he recalled his meeting with the brown-haired boy who showed him kindness. Ever since he arrived in the Netherworld he got nothing but rude comments, he has been beaten up repeatedly and even had his lunch money stolen! That boy, though, was different. Better yet, he was human! Just like him!

Then a thought came to Almaz.

"I wonder if..."

"...Reno?"

"Yeah, Issei?"

"Next time, can we just skip the battle?" A roughed-up brunette asked with a deadpan expression. "I...hurt all over."

"Which part?" Priere smirked. "The part where you got trampled over by a bunch of cats, or the part where you nearly-"

"STOP!" He shouted with anime tears falling from his face. For one he didn't ignore it: instead, it was completely justified. "DON'T SAY IT! I DON'T WANNA REMEMBER IT! MUCH LESS TELL EVERYONE ABOUT THE NEAR LOSS OF MY INNOCENCE!"

The battlefield had seen better days, as had the wildlife. Normally Kelly would do some narration, but she was currently being tended to by Agnes. It was a wild fight, with Cat Sabers, Eryngi and Flora Beasts all over the place. The group decided it would be best to divide and conquer, so they split into three groups. Asagi, Reno, and Shiro would take down the Eryngi; Agnes, Kelly and the Delinquent Trio would take on the Cat Sabers; and Issei, Rathina and the dragons took on the Alraune. Priere just hung back, enjoying the services she was receiving from her Prinny servants.

She also enjoyed Issei's near tentacle ra*e at the hands of the androgynous bi-gender monsters.

"Look at the bright side." Reno tried to cheer him up. "At least they were worthy a lot of Mana. We should come back later to tra-"

"NO! NEVER!" Issei yelled, eyes wide and wild. "I'LL NEVER COME BACK EVER AGAIN! YOU CAN'T FORCE ME!"

With that he took off in a random direction, but before he could get further away he was tackled by Shiro. Well, the white Nekomata's version of tackling anyway, which consisted into a double flying kick right to the head. "You're noisy. Shut up."

"Ooh, I just healed him." Agnes quietly lamented, too polite to be annoyed at her wasted efforts.

"Resting a bit more would be a wise decision." The Samurai adjusted the glasses on his nose. "What is the next step?"

"The Home Economics Room is right there." Beryl pointed to a separate building that once was connected to the main one by a raised hallway, but the latter collapsed a long time ago. "It's right next to the lava lake."

"An entire lake of lava? Neat." Asagi whistled. "This Netherworld has a lot of volcanic activity, uh?"

"That's right." Reno confirmed. "You don't notice it inside the school unless you descend to the lower levels, but this world's core has always been unstable. It's only thanks to the anti-earthquake enchantments that the school still stands." He shrugged. "Or so I read."

Asagi blinked. "Is that a subtle hint that an ancient force or being is sealed within the planet, that the volcanic activity is it trying to break free and once it succeeds the force or being will try to destroy the world in order to fuel its malevolent ambitions?"

"Nah. This Netherworld is really just that quirky."

Luckily for his sanity Issei was still knocked out, so that conversation failed to threaten his total SAN points even more. Once him and everyone else was fully healed they headed into the Home Economics Room.

The interior of the first room they entered was rather sparse, with an uneven pavement where the wooden boards were put seemly at random and set by metal spikes jutting from below. Moreover, just to violate even more the standard laws of infrastructure security, a whole wall was removed, exposing the lava lake mentioned by Beryl where, suspended between two chimneys and a long pathway, a giant pot was hanging above the lava and using the heat to cook the soup inside it, with the meat pieces scaled to the size of normal people.

'This is like being inside the Devil's kitchen!' Issei thought aghast. 'Wait, like my ass: we ARE inside a Devil's, well a Demon's kitchen!'

And what was worse, was that the smell was good. Very good indeed.

"Nice place. And that stuff smells tasty." Priere said with an appreciative tone. "But I see nobody around, let alone the chef I was promised."

"Ah! Watch and learn." Grinning broadly Beryl ran to the pot and, bending down, yelled at the food. "Eeeehhii! Mister Champloo! Come out: we are here to take your class!"

For a few dozen seconds there was total silence, broken only by the bubbling of the soup. The first to find the courage to speak was Issei. "Beryl...why are you yelling at the food like it was mister Champloo?"

"Because mister Champloo is the food!"

Seeing everyone take a step back Asuka hurried to explain. "There is a misunderstanding! When we first came here Mister Champloo was resting inside one of the meat pieces being cooked. He said it was in order to understand the ingredient's mind and so harness its taste."

"...You mean there are traces of the chef inside my future meal?" Priere stated rather seriously. "He better taste good, or I'll use the closest sun to barbecue his ass."

Issei opened his mouth, likely to comment on the sheer absurdity of such an idea, when a familiar laugh, one he has heard before, echoed through the area.

"Nyah nyah nyah! I can assure you, Miss Overlord, that I am a 100% all natural spicy hot dish!"

The group looked around wildly, searching for the source. "W-where is he?!"

"OVER HERE! BOOM!"

Without warning one of the wooden blocks was thrown straight into the air. As it reached the height of its ascent Issei noticed silver gleams shining from the edges, which were close to what appeared to be a slit. "Wait, is that...?" The hinges of the block were blown apart and, sure enough, what Issei believed to be the door was sent flying. Inside the block was, without a doubt, a freezer. Furthermore, to Issei's immense shock, riding on top of said door was none other than the teacher they were looking for: Master Champloo!

That being said...

"H-He's air surfing with a freezer door?!" Agnes gawked, with stars on her eyes. "That is so cool!"

Reno nodded in agreement, also impressed. "Quite."

Issei promptly ignored the sight, but even though he was denying it he had to admit that Champloo, for a cooking teacher, had some serious moves. With a spiraling twist of the body the door was thrown back at the falling freezer, slamming straight back into the hinges. The force behind the impact moved it to its place of origin, as if it had never left. Meanwhile the blonde demonic cook landed right on top of the boiling pot's handle, standing on the narrow edge with both feet firmly on the metal. His arms were folded, eyes set into a fierce look, and a sharp, toothy grin displayed.

"Ladies and gentledishes-" The kitchen master announced. "Class is now in session!"

The Prinnies held up score point cards, all of which read '10'. The demons plus two humans clapped, clearly impressed, while Priere looked quite amused. "Not bad." She said wryly. "For a chef, he's got a certain style."

"Nyah nyah nyah!" Champloo boomed with laughter. "Thank you for the honest praise, Overlord Priere! BOOM!" With a flourish he leaped off the handle of the pot and landed right in front of the group. "What a fine assortment of ingredients! And I seem some familiar recipes in them too!"

Beryl smirked as her book popped open, flapping its pages as if in excitement. "Of course!" she declared with fervor. "I'm the Netherworld's Number #1 Delinquent, and this is the only class I've yet to attend...until now, that is!"

"And like we keep telling you, Beryl!" Issei told her with worry. "This guy keeps you here until you're a world-class chef!"

"A risk I am willing to take!"

Champloo grinned at this, nodding. "Excellent devotion, Miss Beryl!" He said, clearly impressed with her determination to keep her record clear. "Glad to have such a ripe fruit here in my kitchen!" He then turned his attention to Priere. "And what about you? You interested in learning the fine details of the art of cooking mastery?"

"Nope." Came the blunt reply. "I'm just here because they said you can cook. In other words, I'm just doing this for a free meal."

Issei and the others couldn't help but sweat-drop at her casual response. The blonde chef however chuckled. "Well, fine by me!" He announced. "I'll cook you all something heavenly, as a sort of celebration for Miss Beryl being my first new student in a long time!"

"Wow, really?!" Rathina's eyes went wide, saliva drooling from her mouth. "Mr. Sauce will make us another wonderful meal?!"

Reno couldn't help but also feel intrigued. "Interesting...truth be told, given what's cooking in the pot, it's definitely got me wanting more."

Issei gave the Japanophile a look. "Wait, you know what's inside that thing?"

"Indeed I do. It's one of the most famous dishes in every Netherworld! However, I hear the ingredients are quite hard to obtain."

Shiro and Asagi looked curious, while Agnes and Kelly began to drool. The prospect of eating such a dish seemed to be very appetizing to them. Similarly, Issei couldn't help but feel the glands in his mouth working. Actually, now that he thought about it he was already starting to get hungry since a while ago. With that in mind he couldn't help but ask: "When do we eat?!"

"Not so fast, my rare ingredient!" Champloo showed a fanged smirk as he gave a sharp clap. Suddenly, and without warning, many figures dropped down into the area from...somewhere. There were twelve of them, six men and six women, their attire similar to what Chinese warriors would wear. The men wore red jackets that exposed their well-muscled chests, baggy pants, and pointed shoes. Their eyes were blank, but they were fierce and fiery, with veins bulging around their fists as they fell into stances. The women wore a yellow top that exposed a fair amount of cleavage while a sash was wrapped around the waist and kept their large breasts in place. Likewise, they also wore baggy pants and pointed shoes, though they also had bandages wrapped around their ankles, and their hair tied into buns. Each fighter was carrying a different weapon: a sword, a spear, a gun, an axe, a bow, even a stave! "Before that...you must prove to me you're ready and willing to jump into the fire!"

With that said killing intent rose from the warriors. Enough so that it caused the group as a whole to take a step back. "W-what the?!" Issei shuddered. "Aw, man! I knew it was too good to be true! Goddamn demon logic! And look at these guys! They look ready to kill us at a moment's notice!"

"They're quite trained." Reno noted with a cautious gaze. "Look at their status screens." Issei looked, and found himself gawking before he could remember he wasn't supposed to accept it as real. "Each one of them is Lv.30. They're much higher than we are. Worse, they're Martial Artists and Fight Mistresses: all of which are hand-to-hand combat specialists."

Asagi smirked. "Just makes things even more exciting!" She said with glee. "Think of the EXP we'll get!"

"How did this even happen?!" Issei shouted in despair. "All we did was come with Beryl! Aw, dammit all!"

Champloo chuckled. "It's been a while since we've had such a large party guest!"

"We're not even students who want to attend class, you goddamn chef!"

"If you lose, you will be!" The man announced, causing everyone to freeze. "If you lose here, I'll make you my student! BOOM!"

"WHAT?!"

"Nyah nyah nyah! Not to worry! I'll give you my extra special super hot ghost and dragon chili extract treatment!"

The brunette's face paled even further. "A-are you freaking out of your mind?!" He cried out. "Ghost and dragon chili peppers are the hottest peppers known to man!"

"Well, least it isn't Malbero peppers!" Agnes offered.

"Okay, first of all that's a Final Fantasy monster! Secondly, not helping Agnes!"

Beryl smirked. "A hands-on teaching experience, huh?" She said with anticipation. "Count me in!" She popped open her book. "Kyoko! Asuka! Get ready!"

""Right!"" The two shouted, bringing out their respective weapons.

"So many strong opponents!" Rathina gushed, pounding her fists together. "I can get stronger here! Yosh! I'll fight Mr. Sauce's pupils!"

Issei groaned. "Me and my luck..." He muttered as he shook his head before raising both of his fists. He invested some Mana in learning a Fist technique recently, and bad or not it was the perfect chance to test it. "Alright...let's do this! HIT THE MUSIC!"

[ Play Sono Chi no Sadame - JJBA Part 1 Opening]

"Ooh~" Kelly grinned. "Nice choice! Kelly approves!"

"Heh, thanks-wait, what the hell did I just do?!"

"You cued the boss theme, my friend," Reno smiled. "And now...we fight!"

The students of Champloo roared and brandished their weapons, running forward. The group followed.

And then...they clashed.

Actually, Reno had the time to shout: "Groups of three! After-" before he had to block a particularly vicious swing from one of the sword-wielding martial artists. That was when the two groups really clashed.

Nonetheless the Samurai's message was heard loud and clear by everyone. They understood that with the difference in level with their opponents they needed to hit fast and hard, dwindling down the enemy ranks before they could do the same with Issei's group. Hence, the true and proved demon strategy of ganging upon a single target and beat the shit out of it with superior numbers.

But with no one to clearly assign roles and form groups everyone instinctively stood closer to the people they were more used to fight with.

The first of those naturally formed groups was of course the Delinquent Trio of Raspberyl, Kyoko and Asuka. Now, normally three-versus-one would have be seen by them as unfair behavior fitting a Honor Student, something to avoid at all cost. But, and this was the conclusion Beryl arrived to, during battles like this one where two large groups of people fight against one another it was a viable tactic, for there was no rule stating otherwise.

Also, they were Level 20 and their opponents Level 30! One alone was clearly worth all three of them combined so it was actually fair!

The pages of Beryl's began to flap quickly as she concentrated. "Mega Fire!" She shouted while pointing a palm at their target, one of the axe using martial artists, unleashing the ranked-up version of the common Fire spell in the form of a very large fireball. The enemy demon didn't even try to dodge, he barreled through it and the following explosion before emerging with some light burns. "Fools! This is nothing compared to Master Champloo's training! Cooking the meat is not everything!"

"Of course. You must also season it well!" Running to the side of the charging demon Asuka began to spin around before slamming her spear into the enemy's stomach with an upward swing. The force was enough to lift and toss him into the air. But the female Samurai wasn't done: jumping upward herself she arrives ahead of the martial artist and pointed her spear at him. "Pole Charge!" Activating the Skill the spear's staff elongated at terrifying speed, piercing through her opponent before slamming him on the ground below. Asuka on the other hand gracefully landed a few meters away, her spear shortening to the previous length.

"And before that, make sure it's tender! Triple Strike!" Just as the axe-wielding was pushing himself up Kyoko appeared right in front of him and unleashed a devastating three-hit combo of punches, the last one so strong it caused the enemy demon to be pushed backward before he managed to control his tumble and land on his feet.

"I see! As expected of those who defeated Master Champloo's junior disciples. You already display traces of the proper mentality." He grunted before taking a proper martial stance, his injuries not impairing him in the slightest. "However you are unlucky, for I am an Expert disciple! In the name of my Master I will defeat you so that he can start molding you into proper chefs!"

They politely stopped themselves from pointing out it was their intentions from the beginning to take the class, and so that threat would had more effect if used on their other allies.

The second group was composed of Kelly, Agnes, and Asagi. Before them were six opponents. "Oh, come on!" Kelly whined as she jumped back to avoid being split in half by one of the Fight Mistresses. "Why does Kelly get all the bad luck?!"

"Less whining, more shooting!" Asagi shouted as he crouched down to avoid being cut down by two Martial Artists, each armed with a sword. A third came rushing in with an axe, intending to reduce the gunner into two halves. However, as he swung down Asagi leaned back: the scene was something out of the Matrix, as the blade brushed against the tip of her nose and barely missing her body, swinging down and crashing at her legs. Once her hands hit the earth she flipped back up and brought out her trusty Morning Star. "Cameo Star!" she announced and swung: all three apprentices were struck and sent flying. They hit the stew pot, creating a loud bang as a result. She was about to celebrate when she didn't notice any Mana flowing into her. Much to her disappointment they reemerged from the dust cloud caused by the collision. "Ugh, seriously! Stupid mooks!"

Agnes sweatdropped at the Main Character(?)'s comment, but became more focused on the two Mistresses who were ready to come at them. She clutched her spear tightly, trembling as she got ready. "I can do this." she muttered to herself. "I can do this! I can't let everybody down!"

As for the third group, it was none other than Shiro and Reno, standing against the remaining enemies. "Figures the pervert gets to fight the boss." The Nekomata commented, seeing the brunette having a good old western face-off with Champloo. "Think he can handle it?"

"Well, if he can't we're stuck here as chefs for the rest of our lives." The samurai replied, pushing up his glasses. "Still, for a boss battle, these are quite uneven numbers."

"It's the Netherworld for you." Shiro shrugged before cracking her knuckles. "Ready to knock 'em dead, Master?"

Reno smirked. "Indeed. Let's!"

But before any actual violence could begin there was a sharp roar of "Have you forgot about us?!", followed by Rathina crashing from above on a bow-wielding mook, shaking him wildly between her teeth a few times before letting go and jumping away. Following that the ten dragons also joined the bedlam, itching for a fight.

Reno's glasses partially slid down on one side before he instinctively adjusted them. "...Right, those guys are also here. I kind of forgot what it feels like to fight alongside many people."

"I remember, you were quite the loner back then." Shiro commented in a way that could be intended as teasing, were it not for the unusually even tone.

The Samurai's following laugh was awkward. "Yes...best to forget about those specific times."

"I hope you aren't going to start a flashback." A Fight Mistress suddenly said, clearly irritated. "Do that burned bread before or after a fight, not during it!"

"So right. Shiro." The moment he said his partner's name Reno lowered his upper body, allowing the Nekomata to use his back as a springboard and jump at the Fight Mistress with a flying kick.

That was the [Surprise Comeback N°12] maneuver they developed while fighting together.

"WAIT! WHY I AM THE ONE FIGHTING THE BOSS ALONE?!" Issei yelled in horror the moment he realized only Champloo was around him. Then he made an embarrassed face. "Professor. I mean professor and definitely not boss."

"Nyah nyah nyah! Still acclimating yourself to the Netherworld, my rare ingredient? Get used to the new soil and you'll go native in no time."

"NOOOO! YOU CANNOT STEAL MY SANITY FROM ME!" Issei stepped back holding his head between his hands, scared out of his rockets.

"So you prefer becoming a chef under my tutelage?" The blonde demon smirked, knowing what buttons to push when Netherworld newcomers are involved.

"That's also bad!" The brunette held up both hands over his head, limbs trembling slightly.

"Yaaaahhh!" Rathina chose that moment to arrive, landing straight next to Issei. "I'll beat you! Then you will give me food!"

"Rathina?!" Issei asked in disbelief.

"Oh! Hi Issei!" She replied back with a cheerful wave.

Champloo laughed some more. "Now now my reptilians friends, no need to fret. On the contrary, I like this set-up. After you stabilized your differences through skinship-" 'He saw that?!' was Issei's thought. "Now it's time to blend your flavours through adversity and good, old handwork."

Spreading his arms apart, Champloo then performed a rapid series of kata before setting into a martial arts stance. All the while jets of flames came out of his back over a black background. Issei was impressed by the sheer awesomeness before punching himself.

"Come at me with everything you have! Boom!"

Before he could get over his shock Rathina let out a battle cry. A rather loud one at that. He nearly lost his footing and his hearing as a result of the yell. Seriously, what kind of lungs did this girl have? Then she charged straight forward, claw reared back to send the chef flying. Unfortunately this would serve as Issei's introduction to just how terrifying, and overpowering, some of the Netherworld's inhabitants could be.

Champloo easily dodged Rathina's claw by tilting his head and evaded a follow-up strike. His feet never left the ground, remaining in a single place as she continued to try to hit him.

Then the chef gave a fanged smirk. "A nice ferocity!" He praised. "Just what every good dish needs! Before the meat can be tossed into the pot, though, it has to be tenderized! Triple Strike!"

Just as Rathina was about to attack again, Champloo struck first. The fist came so fast that Issei didn't even see it, slamming into Rathina's face and knocking her back. In swift succession he delivered a second strike, which sure as hell looked like a Shoryuken to the brunette, throwing her right into the air. Champloo followed her and then delivered a third strike, true to the name of the skill, sending her flying straight into the ground.

When she struck the earth a crater formed underneath her, followed by a burst of flames. The T-Rex Demon let out a pained gasp, spit flying from her mouth, and Issei was left with his jaw dropping. His eyes stared at the -fake he reminded himself, definitely fake- status screen above her head. Her HP bar had been reduced by at least two-thirds! 'How the hell did he do so much damage?!' he shouted in his mind. 'Sure, he's over ten levels higher, but-!' He did a double take when he saw more of her status screen however. There, in grand letters, it read:

[Rathina Kreuz - Class: Bakasaurus]

'Okay, that is just rude...even if it is kind of true.' Issei sweat-dropped, only to pale when he next saw her level.

[Level: 19]

"S-she's way underleveled!" He shouted, ignoring his sanity for once. "What the hell was she thinking?!"

Rathina growled angrily as she leaped to her feet, fangs bared. Then she performed a familiar action: her body arched back, letting out a powerful roar while she absorbed yellow and green aura into her mouth. "TYRANNO...!"

Champloo stood his ground, waiting for her attack.

"BREAAAATHH!"

The two Fight Mistresses briefly stuck a combined pose, back to back and standing on the tip of a single foot while one fist was lowered and the other raised, before leaping forwards at Agnes. Their hands and forearms were wrapped in simple-looking but thick fingerless gloves, suggesting they use a bare-handed style of fighting just like their teacher.

They also proved to possess a fraction of his agility when they deftly cartwheel out of the way of the fireballs thrown by Kelly. Undaunted the pint-sized pyromaniac kept casting fire spells one after the other while crackling madly. "BURN! BURN! If it comes to a choice between original and extra crispy Kelly wants you extra crispy! BURN!"

"What has gotten into her?!" Asagi gasped.

"It's the lava!" Agnes cried out. "Kelly is uniquely tuned with the element of fire. Being in close proximity to such a strong source is galvanizing her to the point she cannot suppress the instinct to burn down everything!"

The gunslinger opened her mouth wide in preparation to let out a shocked sound. Only to look at Agnes with a puzzled expression. "And this is different from how she normally is, how?"

"Ah..ah eh..." The greenette stammered, at a loss for words due to the impossibility of disproving Asagi's observation. "I...GOTTA HELP KELLY!" She finally shrieked in embarrassment before running to join the mage. Once there she engaged one Mistress, forcing the enemy to defend herself and aborting the double attack she and her partner were about to use on Kelly. Thus the Fire Prodigy needed to block only a single punch, ending incredibly winded from the force instead of being outright knocked out.

"Have ya forgot about me?!" Salvation came from Asagi who let out a short burst of gunfire at the two Fight Mistresses before re-engaging the apprentices she previously sent flying.

That was enough of an opening for Kelly, who jabbed her staff into her opponent's face. "GIGA-"

Same with Agnes, who leaped in the air and tossed her spear at the enemy. "IMPALER-"

""FIRE/DROP!""

"BREAAAATHH!"

The yellow and green wave of energy rushed forth at Champloo. But the Master Chef, instead of dodging, elected to simply raise a forearm and clench his muscles. While previously the same attack sent Issei flying, Rathina's Skill completely failed to move the blonde demon from his stand. The wind howled and the ground was grinded into splinters, yet it was like trying to push a mountain: the only result the Tyranno Breath achieved was to cause Champloo's clothes to gently wave.

"No way!" Both human and T-Rex Demon yelled at the same time, their eyes comically bulging out. "Zero Damage?" Rathina cried. "Mr. Sauce is too strong!"

"Incorrect! I actually felt that." He commented, his tone sincere even if the evidence pointed to the contrary. "And I feel my Wind Resistance is now lower. An interesting skill Ms. Kreuz, even if it relies on your bad eating habits."

"T-That was just once! I eat my veggies!" She tried to defend herself.

"He's seriously strong...In that case! Here goes nothing! Triple Strike!" Issei rushed forward as he struck out his fist. The first punch was blocked when Champloo grabbed his fist. From that Issei felt how rough and hot the man's hands were: it was as if he had touched an open furnace. The second strike was to the chin, but the chef evaded it by tilting his head back. Isse was about to strike a third time but Champloo surprised him with a headbutt, causing the boy to stumble back, his vision impaired for a moment. He shook his head to shrug it off, but when his sight cleared up Champloo rushed forward and struck him across the cheek. He was thrown back and off of his feet, smacking into a wall. 'Shit! I know he's in the thirties, but how the hell is he this-'

"Your wide open! BOOM!"

Issei's eyes widened when Champloo charged at him with a hand encased in flame. Acting quickly Issei rolled out of the way. Just in time, for when Champloo struck the wall it exploded, the flames incinerating the wall and leaving behind soot and burnt wood. The brunette stared in shock, but it didn't last long as Champloo pulled his arm out from the remaining piece of the wall, leaving it to crumble to ash. The human teenager acted quickly, leaping up to his feet and raising his arm up. "Alright! Let's kick things up a bit! Twice Critical!"

[Boost!]

[Issei Hyoudou - Level 22-26]

With a green flash red armor materialized over his wrist. Champloo seemed excited, eyeing the weapon with interest. "Oho? Now this is an unexpected ingredient!" He said with praise before noticing that the brunette's level shot up. "And you've gotten stronger too! Nyah nyah nyah! Good! Your showing more and more of your spicy side!" His grin turned sharp, revealing sharp molars, before he slammed his fists together, causing them to be engulfed in fire. "Very well! Let me increase the heat just a bit!"

"W-wait!" Rathina shouted. "I'm not done yet!" She leaped into the air, claws outstretched. If the look in her eye was any indication, she was going to land an attack that could deal some serious damage. However, Issei knew that it wouldn't be that easy. The difference between them was too great. Champloo showed that as he easily avoided the strike, clenched his fist and reared his arm back.

In the meantime Shiro and Reno were also facing their own difficulties. While the dragons helped to occupy the attention of some of their opponents, the odds were still against them. What's more, some of their current enemies had long ranged weapons, like bows and guns.

They were hesitant to classify the one with a staff as a danger. Not only it was just plain weird to see a Martial Artist using a weapon for mages, he didn't even use magic: he just swung the stave like a baton, and missed most of the times!

It was also, sadly, a meager consolation to the fact both Reno and Shiro found almost impossible advancing through the barrage of blows while also defending from the sole enemy with a spear.

"Master! At this rate-!" Shiro warned after a glancing bow almost trimmed her fur.

"I know!" He struggled against the enemy's spearhead before jumping back, Shiro faithfully on his side. "Those snipers need to go. Aah, I hoped this day would never come..." He sighed before assuming a dramatically serious face, with hard lines around suddenly white eyes and all. "We need to use THAT!"

"THAT?!" Shiro echoed, face also dramatically serious.

Reno nodded. "THAT."

"But Master! THAT is..."

"I have made my decision. If we don't want to lose, we need to do THAT!"

"Master...I understand!" Shiro clenched a fist. "For you, I'll use THAT!"

"Well?" One of the Martial Artist demanded as he and the other fighters ate popcorn from a bowl. "Don't leave us hanging! What is THAT?"

"THAT. It is..." Reno dramatically began before his face switched to shocked and he pointed up and to the side. "OH MY OVERLORD! IS THAT A UFO?!"

The fighters' heads turned to look in the same direction.

Reno smirked mischievously before jumping out of sight. He reappeared a moment later while riding a red moped, which he used to run over the bow-wielding enemies with it. The back wheel of the moped got stuck on the enemy's head and kept on going as Reno tried to get it to move forwards. Only then he seemed to noticed the enemy stuck in the wheel: he got off the moped and kicked the enemy out of the wheel before driving away. He stopped after a few meters, jumping off and striking a pose while the moped disappeared who know where. "Unique Skill: Hit and Run!"

The run-over Martial Artist and the others were just recovering from the shock, both from falling to the oldest trick in the book and the bizarre Skill, when Shiro appeared next to them. She put her right paw on her forehead, energy starting to gather around it. "No worth dirtying my fur." She declared, causing three Martial Artists to turn towards her even as she pointed the paw at them and fired a beam of energy...shaped like a cat's paw.

And then Champloo punched. Hard.

For a single, agonizing long moment it seemed as if time itself held its breath, everything happening in slow motion. The Martial Artist's fist buried itself into Rathina's stomach, her body bending over. Spittle flew out of her gaping mouth, pupils shrunk to pinpricks and limbs failed to reach the chef's body before slackening.

Time released its breath and the T-Rex Demon was blasted back with the force of a cannonball, the air shift carving a furrow into the pavement. Her impromptu flight ended against one wall, the collision generating a smoke screen of splintered wood and dusk. When it settled a giant and deep crater was revealed, the bloody and bruised body of Rathina resting in the middle.

"R-Rathina!" Issei screamed, eyes widening at the display of power. "Shit!"

"Don't worry. She is not dead, just incapacitated." Champloo's confidence and surety cut through the human's panic like a hot knife with butter. "I can't start your training immediately if first I have to bring you to the hospital. Nyah nyah nyah!"

Forcing himself to tear his gaze away from the demon girl- 'It just looks bad. Rathina will live on!' -he faced the blonde teacher. "There will be no training for me! I'm not going to lose to you!"

"As you are now? You will lose." Champloo, suddenly serious, proclaimed. "Oh, your group as a whole may win...by attrition that is. Quantity is a quality of his own, especially with pasta! But how often will you have that advantage?"

'Shit! He's right.' issei though. 'If we haven't meet Rathina and the other dragons...we would have started the battle with an even bigger disadvantage!'

"That is why in the Netherworld you need two things to prosper: powerful allies!" He punched the air, causing a shockwave to brush against Issei's cheek. "And personal strength! If you're alone you cannot advance! If you are weak you cannot accomplish anything.!"

Champloo shifted his stance, taking a new one vaguely reminiscent of a lion ready to pounce. "Included defeating the Overlord and returning to the human world! BOOM!"

"I know! God knows that after looking at Pierre I know!" Issei began crying rivers of tears, three quarters from despair and one quarter from remembering the redhead demon's breasts, before stopping to gape at Champloo. "How do you know that?!"

"Nyah nyah nyah! As a chef, I make sure to investigate the origin of every ingredient that catch my eyes!"

"...Did you just admitted stalking?!"

"..." Champloo remained perfectly still, not a single muscle moving.

"And now you're dodging the question!"

"That's right! You need to dodge!" The blonde suddenly shouted before rushing forward much faster than before. Unable to move in time Issei crossed his arms in front of him as a shield.

The blow rattled his bones and made his ears ringing, the force enough to push him back a good thirty centimeters. "Gah!"

"Come on! Is this all that your newly acquired spiciness amount to?" Champloo taunted, raising his defensive stance instead of attacking again.

"Not even close!" Issei shouted before retaliating with a straight hook. Instead of dodging Champloo took it head on: the punch hit him in the cheek, but only managed to move his head slightly to the side. There was no sign of pain from the blonde demon, no bruise forming or blood leaking from his grinning, open mouth. Then the chef, fast as lightning, struck back: once again Issei was thrown back and off of his feet, smacking into a wall. The only difference was that this time the blow was even stronger, and the imprint he left on the wall even deeper. "Gah! W-What?!" 'Did he get stronger?'

"Nyah nyah nyah! It seems you're confused." Champloo returned to his defensive stance that brought to mind a lion. "As our first lesson I'll explain: this is my Evility, [Lion Stance]. It allows me to add the damage I receive to the damage of my counter attack. In other words, the harder you hit me the stronger my punch becomes! BOOM!"

"This is! Are you saying, that when you punched me I also punched myself? Shit!" Issei pushed himself out of the wall. Taking out a [Mint Gum] he popped it into his mouth and started chewing. Instantly he could feel the coolness soffuse his body and lessening the pain. 'It really works!'

"That's right! There are only two ways to defeat it: to use long-range attacks...or to hit me hard enough to defeat me in one strike!" Champloo boasted.

"...Aaah." Issei exhaled, brushing off the blood on his lips with a thumb. "So, this is what a Netherworld Teacher is like. Strong! You're so strong Mr. Champloo!"

Despite the danger of being beaten black and blue, the possibility of being forced to study there until he became a world-class cook and the pain, Issei's mind was calm. Of everything he had to face before this fight, fighting this cool and obviously stronger than himself opponent actually felt...exciting.

'Wait. Exciting?'

Indeed. Issei Hyoudou, a perfectly normal if super-perverted human teenage, felt real excitement at the thought of facing against the martial arts using Demon Chef in front of him. Maybe it was because the demon's smile was infectious, able to affect even someone like him, who until then only felt excitement when dealing with perverted things?

'Why? Why do I feel this way?' Issei wondered. Was it because, as a hot-blooded adolescent male, he harbored the desire to fight like the protagonist of an anime? Did such a secret dream always existed within him, buried under his obsession for breasts?

'Now that I think about it, chicks dig strong and cool dudes.' He thought with a perverted grin, imagining scenarios such as him saving a cute girl from a monster and starting a romance with her. Then he remembered who he was facing against and, grudgingly, forced himself to focus. Winning now wouldn't allow him to make a good impression on a cute girl.

His fists clenched.

But that was okay!

Because-

Right now he really, really wanted to beat the opponent in front of him!

[ Play Final Fantasy XV OST - Apocalypsis Noctis ]

[Dragon Booster!]

The mechanical voice came from within Twice Critical. As the same time the jewel began to grow brightly as the gauntlet underwent a transformation: the surface grew, covering Issei's fingers with red claws. More spiked popped out, two of them yellow and on either side of the upper part, together with yellow accents and green inscriptions.

[Boost!]

The gauntlet's Evility activated again. A mark in the shape of the Roman number [I] appeared on the jewel before immediately switching to [II].

When the feeling hit them Raspberyl, Kyoko and Asuka stopped dead in their tracks, and so did their opponents. "H-Hey! Does someone else-"

"Feel-?"Agnes muttered in the middle of healing Kelly and Asagi.

"That?!" Reno screamed dramatically while being chased by an angry Martial Artist with a tyre imprint on his face, Shiro running after them.

Priere was sipping a London Fog when suddenly her eyes shot open. "This...!"

The Prinnies panicked like a schizophrenic deer in the headlights.

The Dragons looked up and turned in the same direction at the same time.

Rathina slowly opened her eyes. "D-Dragon...?"

[Issei Hyoudou - Level 26-32]

"Your level! It increased even more?!" Champloo exclaimed. While the first time it took him by surprise, he expected even less for the phenomenon to happen again. The boy's Mana had actually become strong enough to form a red aura around his body!

"Uoooooooooo!" Issei cried out, the exhilarating feeling of Mana, of power coursing through him increasing even more. "With this power...I can win!" He charged at Champloo while concentrating the new power into his fist. It was like a replay of his last attack, only this time he was the one to push the blonde demon back.

"Nyah nyah nyah! So your core is actually spicier than the outside!" Champloo laughed, his own fighting spirit increasing. When Issei punched again he caught the fist in one hand and retaliated with a fist of his own, only for Issei to also caught it in his other hand. "You may be even as strong as me now! BOOM!"

"As strong as you is not enough..." Issei muttered, straining against the chef's strength. His teeth clenched so hard they almost broke, and his eyes widened while his pupils shrunk. "I need to be stronger!"

[Boost!]

The [II] mark on the jewel witched to [III].

[Issei Hyoudou - Level 32-39]

"STRONGER THAN YOU!" Issei roared as the red glow doubled in intensity. He pushed, and Champloo was blow back. "TRIPLE STRIKE!" His fist moved so fast, it created a shockwave behind Champloo's head when it hit. The second blow came just as fast, blowing the chef up in the air. At the apex Issei appeared above him and, folding his fingers together, brought down both fists like a hammer. The blonde demon smashed into the ground like a meteor, the impact causing a small earthquake.

Issei only had the time to land back before Champloo pushed himself out of the rubble: bruises were quickly forming, both his mouth and nose were bleeding and his clothes were greatly damaged...yet he looked incredibly happy. "BOOM! Never I have seen such an incredible comeback! I, Champloo, am impressed! Tell me, can you withstand even my special move?! SHREDDER KICK!"

He squatted down before leaning backward, his upper body supported by his hands. The muscles of his arms bulged, channeling incredible strength as his legs rose and left the ground.

Grabbing his left wrist with his right hand Issei pointed his open left palm at Champloo, red energy gathering in front of it. "I'm sorry, but I'm ending this now!"

[Explosion!]

The [III] mark changed into the letters [EX]. At the same time all of Issei's newly acquired power was gathered and focuses into the forming ball of energy. As the jewel on Issei's gauntlet began to shine brightly like a floodlight the ball of energy swelled in size, reaching eight times its original mass in an instant.

Champloo pushed himself forward with the sole strength of his arms, spinning around himself as fire encompassed his figure, turning the chef into a flaming drill ready to skewer its opponent.

Issei pulled back his hand, formed a fist and then punched the sphere.

"DRAGON SHOOOOT!"

The accumulated power literally exploded, engulfing the brunette in a wave of power that swept through the entire battlefield. The roaring red energy took on a draconian shape, a gigantic vision of pure and unadulterated power. The apparition then pointed his head at the charging Champloo and opened its maws: instead of a roar what came out was the beam of Dragon Shot, but scaled in size.

Champloo was swept aside like an ant under a tsunami, the beam destroying everything in its path until it disappeared into the horizon.

A second later a volcan many miles away blew up in a gigantic explosion comparable to an atomic bomb.

When Issei next opened his eyes he found himself laying down, inside some sort of pitch-black void. He groaned as he lifted himself up. "I fainted? Again?"

[Yeah, you did.] A mysterious, rumbling voice said directly behind him. [Not that surprising, to pull off that attack you spent a lot of stamina.]

"W-Who's there-Uwaaah!" Issei turned around to face the speaker, only to fall back on his butt in complete shock.

Because there was a gigantic monster in front of him, bigger than anything he saw in the Netherworld. It was a Dragon: it had big green eyes, jaws filled with sharp fangs that came up to its ears and thick horns lining up on its forehead. The scales that covered its body were red like magma and its thick arms and legs rivaled a gigantic tree in size. The claws looked very sharp and terrifying. Finally, the pair of wings spread to the sides made him look even bigger.

To compare it with the dragons of Rathina's pack, it was like comparing a babe to the world champion of wrestling.

The Dragon lifted its mouth up a bit. It took Issei a few seconds to realize it was smiling.

[I was waiting to finally introduce myself to my partner who I will be fighting along with from now on. My name is Ddraig, the Welsh Dragon and Heavenly Dragon. I'm also the spirit inside your Sacred Gear.]

His smile dropped.

[It's nice to finally meet you face to face. Because we need to speak partner. Badly.]

Author's Notes: it is yet again time for another preview, Disgaea-style. If someone wants to write one and submit it to me I'll offer a reward, just like last time.

Still in the real of Highschool DxD crossovers I recommend, from Demons Anarchy of Pride, "Fate Stay Night: Dragon of Dragons": join Issei as he became a Master in a Holy Grail War held in the DxD universe, together with his Servant...and the rest is spoiler. Go read the story if you're curious.

Rathina Kreuz

Title: Bakasaurus

Evility: Ancestor's Lifeforce (Recovers 20% of HP of adjacent Dragon-type ally units at end of turn)

Weapon Type: Monster (Physical)

Magichange: Fist

Magichange Skills:

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

Personal Skills:

Tyranno Breath (Rathina inhales before breathing out a yellow and green wave of energy. Reduces a random elemental resistance of the targets by -25%) Description: Did I eat something bad? Range: 1 (3x1 line formation)

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

Appearance: Rathina is a monster girl with a reptilian lower body, a long tail and claws from below the elbows, but the torso and the head are human. She has yellow slitted eyes and greenish hair in a boyish cut. Her body is covered in scales that hide her most private parts. Lastly she has extremely large breasts that don't match her size.

Description: Despite the fact she appears to most as a dragon monster girl, Rathina is in reality a T-Rex monster girl, a rare breed that originated from an ancient Netherworld. She is not very bright but she's highly aggressive towards enemies and, instead, very protective of allies. She follows mostly her instincts and is more beast than human.

[*]

Reno

Title: Nippon Lover

Evility: Nippon Way (+10% to all stats for every demon on the field that has something to do with Japan)

Weapon Types: Sword, Spear, Bow

Skills:

All Sword, Spear, and Bow Skills

Personal Skills:

Hit and Run (Reno jumps off screen and appears again on a moped, which he uses to run over the enemy with it. The back wheel of the moped gets stuck on the enemy's head and keeps on going with Reno trying to get it to move forwards. When Reno notices it's stuck he gets off, kicks the enemy's head out of the way of the wheel and drives away) Description: Sorry I'm in a hurry! Range: 3 (single target)

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

Appearance: He looks like a normal Samurai but with eyeglasses on and a headband that says 'number one' in Japanese.

Description: A former human that turned into a Prinny and later reincarnated into a Samurai. He loves everything about Japan and wants to learn everything about it.

[*]

Shiro

Title: Loyal Bodyguard

Evility: Old Timer's Experience (+50% to damage when fighting opponents with a lower level than hers)

Weapon Type: Monster (Physical)

Magichange: Sword

Magichange Skills:

All Nekomata Magichange Skills

Skills:

All Nekomata skills

Personal Skills:

Special Paw Cannon (Shiro puts her right paw on her forehead and energy starts to gather around it. She then points her paw at the enemy and fires a beam of energy shaped like a cat's paw) Description: No worth dirtying my fur. Range: 1 (3x1 line formation)

[REDACTED]

[REDACTED]

Appearance: She looks like a normal Nekomata but has white fur all over instead of the usual colors. She has a scar going down the left eye which is always closed. She possesses a bigger bust compared to normal Nekomata so some think she is a succubus.

Description: She was Reno's pet cat when he was alive. On the day she was going to die of old age she got taken to the Netherworld and became a Nekomata. After wandering around the Netherworld for a long time she found Reno again and decided to work under him for taking care of her when she was a cat.