Secluded Dragons

Okay, as a heads-up warning, you all are going to hate me for something that happens this chapter. But it's important for the story so…yeah. And more nudity.
READ THE END NOTES! THERE'S ALWAYS IMPORTANT STUFF THERE, LIKE
REASONS FOR SO-AND-SO ACTING IN CERTAIN WAYS!

Previous day, after Irina's confession (First Person)

Irina and I still didn't let go, even when my legs began to give out. Even when I felt her drift a little, as if she was falling asleep. Even when Gabriel and the others came out of the house to see why it was so silent, and Xenovia woke up, only stopped from swinging her sword by Gabriel.

We never let go of each other.

Because for us, the hug wasn't only an 'I love you' hug. It was an 'I've missed you' hug, mixed in was some love.

All good things must end however, and so when we finally separated, the setting sun hit Irina's face at the perfect angle, reflecting off of tears that were still falling. Her cloak was ripped up and her hair was messed up, but she still looked beautiful. We smiled at each other, a hopeless sort of one, and we turned to face my friends, Irina's partner, and the standing head angel.

"Asia, Raynare. I believe Irina has something to say to you both," I said, and Irina nodded.

"I'm sorry, Raynare, for believing you to be what I did. If you are a friend of Issei's that's good enough for me any day," Irina promised, and I saw Raynare's expression grow a bit better, though she still refused to look me in the eyes, and I didn't feel like commanding her right then and there.

"Xenovia," I called. She flinched at me, before turning to a nervous Asia and bowing low.

"I… I apologize for insulting you, ma'am. It won't happen again," she said, though I could tell she was saying the words through clenched teeth.

"I-it's okay," Asia began. To my irritation, Xenovia simply gave a grunt reply, before staring off into an unspecific point. I turned to Gabriel.

"I-I received a message from my brother. He wants all high ranking angels up in heaven I… I trust you'll all be fine here?" Gabriel said, surprising me. Her brother Michael? Why would he want to talk with her and the others?

"Very well. Safe travels," I said politely, and she nodded to me, disappearing in a flash of white light.

"Ahem. I believe we have just about enough rooms for the two of you included, so you may take the rooms down the hall from the kitchen, Asia, Raynare and I will be upstairs. Don't be afraid to call on any of us for assistance," I said, behaving like the house-owner I should be. Even if Xenovia was impolite, that didn't mean I had to respond in kind, right?

I noticed a rather irked expression on Irina's face, but decided to not vex her about it. We all walked inside as I repaired the damage created with my magician's magic bewildered at how I had caused so much damage.

I really needed a firmer grip on myself. I'd always thought of myself as calm and collected for the most part, but with how easy I had lost my temper it was strange at how I could be so deluded. It was definitely my excess magic that was making me act up though, it must've had some sort of effect on my control.

"Albion. Ddrag. Is my excess magic affecting my thought process?" I asked aloud. A moment passed before they spoke.

[As far as I can tell, yes. The excess magic you have is acting in a bad way towards your thinking process, making you much more violent based and well… mad] Ddrag said. My attitude turned even more serious.

(Yeah, you don't need to take a look at your magical and neurological patterns to tell that. You were filled up a little past the top before, and there's some other stuff we should mention, boy) Albion said. I sighed, nodding though they couldn't see it.

"Yes?"

(Remember earlier when you thought your wings felt unnaturally tense or whatever when you were confronted by the monster tamer? I think I can explain that. For some reason, the back part of my Sacred Gear is affecting you, and thus, it is actually becoming a natural part of you. I'm pretty sure that soon, you won't have to summon the gauntlet to divide and enemy's power) Albion said seriously. I thought for a moment.

"You mean to say that I'm absorbing you quicker?" I asked. I felt a nonverbal nod of reply.

(Exactly. Also, there's something up with your body. Really, anybody else that was in your shoes right now that somehow survived the beginning would be unable to use both myself and Ddrag at the same time. Our powers are just too different. So because of that, I think there's something from your angelic heritage that should be looked into, so you can know what's up)

"Okay… what about the thing with the many jewels appearing on the two gauntlets?" I asked.

[Ahem… those jewels are a… measurement of your power, Issei. When every wielder of us started, they would have a single jewel, and depending on how far they manage to get, they can have a max of twenty small jewels on either gauntlet, or forty total. Naturally, there may be some differences for you, considering there's never been someone capable of using both of us before but…] Ddrag trailed on. I nodded.

"And those little streaks?" I asked.

[It's just as Albion said for those. I'd get a check-up with your parents as soon as possible about those streaks, because that means-at least in my mind and thoughts- that we're merging. Not just you or Albion or myself, but all three of us. The first sign was probably lost on you, the symbols that appeared normally on one gauntlet were switched to the other. The fact that our colors are streaking into each other…] Ddrag trailed off. I nodded.

"Okay, but do you think it'll bother me with Kokabiel?" I asked.

(It shouldn't. Kokabiel is powerful, but with the massive amount of powers you have, from the many types of magic you've proven yourself able to perform simultaneously, to the amount of power myself and Ddrag possess, he shouldn't be the slightest bit of an issue. I wish you luck on that though) Albion said, seemingly done. I nodded again, and finished repairing the yard, before looking up at the house. It would be strange, no doubt, having so many people living with me.

In the morning the five of us were all up and about, and I had already sent Raijin out to tell Sona about my reason for not attending school. Naturally Xenovia had made a rather cruel comment about devils, but Irina managed to fix her up quite quickly, before soon, it was time to leave.

"Alright then, before we leave. Asia, Raynare. Stay safe while I'm out, don't forget the emergency spell for summoning Gabriel, Raynare don't forget to protect Asia to the best of your abilities. Otherwise, enjoy your day!" I said to the two as the three of us walked out.

I was wearing my latest equipment that Gabriel had given me, that would apparently be light-weight and sturdy enough for me to help, without weighing me down like the armor Arc had given me. I felt refreshed, however, and with Gram strapped to my back (I'm calling it that now due to what Xenovia accidentally tipped off), and my new black leather jacket on, I was ready for action!

The equipment Gabriel had given me had included a studded leather vest and black pants, as well as a nice black jacket over the vest. I was free to make any changes I wished, and to my joy (though I'd never tell her that) a new sheath had been made for Gram, and I found that, with a little manipulation, I could always throw it in any direction and it would land perfectly in the sheath.

The jacket was quite useful in many ways, as Gabriel had explained. First of all, my wings would phase through it, and so I wouldn't feel them as if they were compressed, though Gabriel thought it was only so my wings wouldn't just tear through the back. My leather vest was protected against light magic, including holy spears (which I noticed Angels loved to spam) and my pants were… pants. Other than that, I was perfectly normal.

Irina was wearing her hair in twin side ponytails again, and Xenovia hadn't bothered, though she had replaced her cloak, as had Irina. The two walked on either side of me like body-guards, but before we even fully left the house, a cry from Asia stopped me.

"Wha?" I asked, turning. Asia was running up to us, and she suddenly half-shoved a little box into my hands.

"I-in case you can't come back soon," Asia stuttered out to me, before darting back up to the house. I stared at the box she had given to me to see it was a bento, with rice and meat separated into cute little squares. I smiled, waving as we left, before putting the box into a miniature pocket dimension that Arc had given me the magic print for, saving it for later.

"So where are we headed off for?" I asked formally, as the three of us began walking. All three of us had our swords sheathed onto our back, or our side in Irina's case, and so people around us thought we were cosplayers as we kept walking. For the sake of safety, I had tweaked the spell Kiyome had previously taught me, only allowing the two with me to hear me, and vice versa.

"A nearby Church. It's rather amusing, actually, but Gabriel-sama brought us here mainly due to how close it was to your house, and because of the fact that you could easily help us on our mission," Irina responded, and I nodded.

"It's strange, but a lot of weird stuff always happens over here. I'm starting to think I may have accidentally caused it or something…" I said thoughtfully. It was possible, after all.

"No! I doubt you could be the cause of evil, Issei-kun!" Irina protested automatically, putting her arms around mine and scooting close. It was strange, normally I'd feel rather uncomfortable at the close proximity, but with her, it felt natural, even comfortable.

"I'm just kidding, Irina-chan," I teased Irina by poking her side a few times, making her squeak and giggle a little, before she just latched onto me more. I vaguely noticed Xenovia brooding next to us, but ignored her. She hadn't earned my respect quite yet.

"Mm~ In any case, I doubt we'll get there at this speed, let's pick it up a little," Irina suggested, letting go of me to my disappointment. Disappointment?

Strange, I had only re-met her the other day and yet…

I shook my head. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, I'd once heard. Or read?

"Alright then, feel free to run, you two. I think I'll just fly," I said lazily, causing the two to stare at me strangely. I stretched a little. "What? You thought being part dragon restricted me from flying or something?" I said, leading the two into a dark alley, I then casted one of the magician spells, making my own weight decrease in half. With a single thought, I felt muscles that didn't exist strain as my wings folded out from my back, extending from my body and making a wingspan from tip to tip of about… 20 feet? At least, it was 20 feet when the energy made wings were at their lowest flux.

"Wow…!" Irina said to me, eyes nearly glowing in amazement. I chuckled, scratching my head a little bashfully. Boy did my cheeks feel red…

"You almost look like an angel," Irina said to me, leaning in closer. She was getting quite close to me, which was nearly welcome when a sudden force pushed her from the side, stopping her. We both turned to face a scandalized looking Xenovia.

"Like an angel? This one? Are you quite serious, Irina?" Xenovia asked. I didn't even bother with arguing this time, and instead opted to flap my wings a few times to break up the argument before it even started.

"Look, these are the wings of Divine Dividing, not angel wings, Irina-chan, sorry. Let's go though, we should move at Kokabiel quickly, lest he find out we're coming," I said seriously, and the two immediately stopped their glaring, nodding at me. Good, at least Xenovia can act as she is supposed to on a mission.

An hour later, the three of us were standing a few buildings away from the church, and Irina had a map out, lining out the entire district as I observed the area from a nearby rooftop. I could only just hear the two due to the fact that I was using a sort of wizardry that made the vibrations go further without decreasing in intensity, though I made sure to make it very focused. It was lucky that I had done so, for I could already feel a little bit of annoyance and temper seep into my skull.

"From the information that Michael-sama and Gabriel-sama have given us, we know there are really only two people to worry about. The ex-exorcist, Freed, and Fallen Angel Kokabiel," Irina said, knowing I could hear. "Our plan will be a basic ambush, though one of us will have to destroy as much of the desecrated church area as possible to draw their attention. Then Xenovia and I will destroy Kokabiel, while you handle Freed, Issei-kun," she said to me. I frowned. That didn't really sound like a good idea, despite all of their training, Xenovia and Irina were far too predictable to me. Xenovia was the basic person-with-big-power, meaning that she basically was light on her toes, but had a huge mass of destruction that could tire her out quickly, a.k.a. Excalibur Destruction. Irina, while less predictable, was still quite easy to follow as the even-lighter-on-her-feet person, meaning she was really fast, and could use Excalibur Mimic to her advantage. Even then though, I was still far more suited to fighting this Kokabiel than them.

I had an arsenal of spells at my command, for example. I could already use devils magic pretty well, summoning a variety of fireballs, lightning, and icicles to thoroughly char, electrify, and impale my enemies. I could also use Magician's magic, which just made me too unpredictable, add the fact that I could use Magician's magic simultaneously with combat to make other fighters have disadvantages…

Well you get the point.

So no, I didn't really think it was a good idea, but Irina looked very determined. She and Xenovia could probably carry themselves rather well, easily backing up each other's defenses. Besides that, I only fought Xenovia the day before, not the two of them together. Xenovia very easily could've beat me, to, if she had caught me off-guard or by surprise, and her fighting style was easy to figure out, mine (if you even call it a style) wasn't, considering my sword-skills were mediocre, and I relied heavily on magic use and my two sacred gears…

I guess I won't say anything negative about it.

"Alright then, I'll take out Freed, you two handle Kokabiel," I said. Plus, I could always help them out after I defeated this 'Freed' character.

"Let's do this then!" Irina shouted, and I winced as I quickly used the tamer's magic to make the sound only reach me, instead of any other possible people nearby. We didn't need rather humans hearing, after all.

A few minutes later, I was standing with Irina and waiting as Xenovia created her 'distraction'. There had been a rather mild argument about who was more capable of causing mass destruction, as I had thought that I would be the obvious distraction, but Xenovia seemed to think otherwise.

She even had the gall to make the excuse that since she had Excalibur Destruction, that she was the destructive by nature. I nearly to refrain from punching her once or twice when she said that. Anyways, I eventually relented, letting her go. I was surprised, however, and in a pleasant way. Every single time Xenovia swung her massive sword, and hit something, a blast larger than herself would fire off, destroying everything in its path. Pretty soon, the desecrated Church was mere rubble, and we were merely waiting for the two to show up.

"Is it possible that we got the wrong church?" I asked Irina quietly. We were hiding in the bushes near the church as Xenovia just stood on the rubble awkwardly, though she was trying to play the part of the 'conqueror'.

"Impossible. This is the only Church within this district!" Irina protested. I nodded, keeping an eye out for anything. I had the Tamer's spell of silence on the two of us, and I had whipped up a fog that covered the area, though Xenovia could easily see everything.

A few moments later, a lone figure appeared, floating in mid-air. The two had given me descriptions of our enemies, so I wasn't surprised at what I saw.

Kokabiel was a young looking man, probably in his early thirties or late twenties, and he wore a large black robe with numerous random accessories all over it. I was shocked, however, when I saw his wings.

Bearing the color of midnight and almost equaling the size of my own wings, his ten wings were all active when he faced down at Xenovia, who had finally noticed him as well. Ten!? Were those two crazy!?

I even knew that on my best day, I could take on an angel of maybe 6 wings or so, so about 3 pairs. As wings were a sign of authority though, as well as power, that meant this 'Kokabiel''s power was only lesser to Azazel himself! Leader of the Grigori, I had already heard plenty of the Sacred Gear enthusiast that was also peaceful (thank Red). The fact that this man was only second to him…!

"Irina-chan," I whispered furtively. She turned to me as she was about to jump, mouthing, "What?"

"Don't try to fight this guy, you guys take Freed, I'll take him. He's out of our league!" I protested. She looked at me for a moment, before coming back over. She bent down to where I was kneeling, and with one swift movement, kissed me on my head, before getting up and smiling at me.

"I'll be fine!" she said to me, drawing Excalibur Mimic as she did so. I was about to say something, but was too late when she flung herself out of the bush, a determined look on her face. I could only watch in horror as the two ran at the Fallen Angel, side by side, perfectly in sync.

I was broken out of my observations when I noticed a flash of white closing in on the three. Realizing who it was, I narrowed my eyes before jumping up, my wings appearing in a flash as I shot towards the white flash, hitting the ground when it was about half-way to the three others. A bit of dust was sent up, and I used the opportunity to hide my wings, hoping to save them as a surprise.

Within a few seconds the dust began to clear, and the first visual of Freed I got wasn't good. I saw his red eyes, that's it, but in the split second that I did, I could already see a crazy light in them, making me realize that my enemy truly was completely insane.

A crazy war cry startled me, and I drew Gram just in time to stop a beam of light that hit right against my own sword, directly above my chest. I was now standing face to face with the white-haired, red-eyed exorcist who was still dressed in all white. He had a crazy grin on, and I frowned as the two of us split apart, the dust having finally cleared.

"Ah ah! You're the shitty thing that stopped me from helping Kokabiel-sama! Get out of the way now, and I'll only take an hour to kill you," he promised me. I shifted a little into a horse stance, my sword directly in front of my nose.

"I'm afraid I can't do that. Prepare to die," I said, before using a single moment to activate any and all magician's powers that I could, trying to debilitate him.

First was the Gravity spells. The gravity around Freed increased by 100%, and I saw the look of shock on his face the moment he realized it. He tripped and cursed as he tried to come at me, but I easily dodged his first few strikes, tapping him on the back after his third miss. A full-body paralysis spell that I created with the idea of the American Taser, which sent an unbearable number of electric volts through the person's body, making them immobile. I then got out my twine as he hit the ground, tying him up best I could. I turned towards the three others and felt a surge of relief flood my system when I found that Irina and Xenovia were still alive. With a burst of energy, I caught up to the three, who were now in a rather bad position, at least, for Irina and Xenovia.

Irina and Xenovia were running around on the ground, trying to find some cover any cover to shield them from Kokabiel's endless wave of feathers that he seemed to be tossing to the ground. While it sounded harmless, the feathers easily fell through solid stone, impaling into the ground after it.

Occasionally, Irina would fire her bow or Xenovia would try and shoot a wave of destruction at Kokabiel, but for the most part, the entire battle was single sided, the two of them being unable to fly, giving Kokabiel an unfair advantage. Smirking, I sought out to even the sides a bit.

With a single flap of my wings and a push from my feet, I was airborne, propelling myself higher and higher as I went towards Kokabiel, who was still spamming his feathers. I came from behind him, Gram raised behind me as I went for the beheading. It didn't work.

He ducked at the last moment and caught me by surprise, kicking me in my stomach and sending me flying back, a wave of feathers going with me. By the time I had managed to deflect them, he was sending more at me, laughing all the while.

"Oh you pathetic, weak creatures, what are you challenging me for? You're no match!" he scoffed, laughing. I growled a little at that last comment, though I knew it was true. We really didn't stand much of a chance against him.

"Irina-chan! Xenovia! Look for it! I'll hold him off!" I called out to the two, and they darted out, beginning to look through the rubble.

"Hold me off?" Kokabiel asked me, before sending more feathers at me, creating nearly a hundred light spears after, and firing them all off at me.

"Crap!" I shouted, mustering up my magical strength before creating a shield. The many attacks pushed me back, the impact nearly breaking the shield. With a grunt I activated multiple gravity spells on Kokabiel, and I felt pleasure in the fact that he was suddenly struggling to simply stay aloft, falling to the ground at a rapid state. As he fell, I summoned magic and air around me. This attack would take quite a bit of concentration.

The air around me began to vibrate almost, rocking around with turbulence. Winds roared around me, as I put my hands out, palms facing behind me. Two miniature funnels began to appear around my hands, growing larger and larger as I summoned more cold air and hot air to interact, creating the ideal climate for tornados.

Suddenly, the two funnels stopped growing, and I knew that I wouldn't have much longer before Kokabiel revived. I still saw him on the ground of course, but it looked like not even a gravity spell could hold the angel down, for now he was getting air.

I looked back at my funnels, which were really now two tornados now, at either side of me. With a single thought, a fire was created within the heart of each tornado, inflaming the entire windy masses of each. I now had two fire tornados on either side of me.

I lifted my hands up, the tornados following me. I then lifted my right hand behind me, before activating Boosted gear. Both Tornados grew twice as much, and I threw the first one, watching as it flew towards Kokabiel. To my surprise he simply stood there, and before the attack hit I saw his smirk.

The flaming tornado tore up the ground around him, damn near destroying a circle around Kokabiel with maybe five feet radius. A hole tore down into the ground, continuing on until there was nothing left. Except Kokabiel.

Throughout the entire attack, he had simply stood there, staring at me infuriatingly. He continued to smirk, crossing his arms as the very ground beneath him was destroyed, not even showing the slightest sign of being attacked. I threw the second tornado.

The same thing happened with this one. The very area around him was completely destroyed, but he alone remained untouched. He looked up at me, and in that moment, I knew he would be attacking back with more power than five of my tornados mixed.

One moment, I was hovering in the air, looking down at him. The next, my world was spinning, and I felt myself falling, falling towards the ground, and I could vaguely hear him as he spoke.

"Tch. Pitiful creatures. Freed! How did you allow yourself to be captured so easily! Here, the four Excalibur's are done. Take them, and merge them together. I think that you'll find the quite useful," I heard. My eyes opened just a crack, and I saw off to the distance, Kokabiel, four energy waves blasting off of him going towards some random area, probably Freed.

"I won't fail you!" I heard, from that crazy maniac. I continued squinting as I fell, before I finally hit the ground, snapping myself out of my stupor. I groggily got to my feet, still shocked at how much a single blow from Kokabiel did. It was true; I really was far beneath him.

I braced myself to get up and continue to fight, my eyes still on Kokabiel. Suddenly, however, my instincts screamed at me to move, but I couldn't, only turning around towards the area in shock.

Freed, crazy eyed and swinging a sword that was constantly shifting in nature, slashed at me, his blade going faster than anything I'd seen before. I could only wait for the slash to cut me up, and I was simply paralyzed in the moment as he grinned.

"Die!" he shouted at me, blade in motion. Before I could even think up a reply, an object came between the two of us, and he sliced into it twice before jumping away, scowling. I looked up past to see Xenovia between myself and Freed, scarred but unyielding as she wielded Excalibur Destruction against him.

I diverted my attention for just a moment to see what had stopped the sword from hitting me, and was shocked to see two long ponytails of brown hair. I quickly darted over to the person that had stopped me from dying.

"I-Irina-chan," I gasped out, holding her in my arms. Her arms were wrapped against her stomach, and she must've been in terrible pain, yet she was smiling at me.

"H-hey Issei-k-kun. Do you think you're a god or something? Think you can't die so e-easily? I won't always be around t-to help you, you know," she said cheerfully, but I could tell she was slipping away.

"N-no!" I shouted, clutching her.

"Albion, Ddrag! Give me any and all possible ways to heal her right now!" I commanded, feeling replies.

(I… my powers aren't for healing, kid) Albion said mournfully after a moment.

[Mine either… sorry Issei but…] I heard Ddrag say after a moment as well. I felt a tear slide down the side of my face.

"No… you just came back, you can't leave so soon," I said to Irina, and I could tell the bright light in her eyes was rapidly fading. She simply smiled at me though, lifting a hand weakly and putting it against my cheek.

"I never really left… I'll always be right…" Irina began, her hand going down, before resting directly over my heart, "here. Don't worry, Issei-kun…" she said, trailing off. I held her and watched in horror as the dimming light in her eyes disappeared completely, before she fell limp in my arms, her hand falling as well.

Irina Shidou, my oldest and closest friend was… dead…

I felt the realization hit me like a solid brick to the face, and around me, time seemed to stop as I looked down at her, an aura of red and white covering everything as far as I could see. I stood slowly, lifting her with me. Where I found the strength, I have no clue, but I managed to lift her up fully.

"Arc," I said softly. A portal was created to my side, and I knew he was watching.

"Watch over her body… we'll give her a proper burial later…" I said softly, gently sliding Irina into the portal. I watched as she disappeared, before looking down at the ground, shadows being drawn over my eyes.

(Kid…)

[Issei…]

"Now let's destroy, Gram," I said softly again, tears still falling. I lifted my right hand shakily towards my back sheath, grabbing the hilt and yanking the sword out in one swift motion. I saw a few feet away, Xenovia get defeated by Freed, falling to the ground in an immodest state but alive.

In a split second, everything went red.

Rias Gremory and her peerage stood on one side of the school courtyard, Akeno at her immediate left, Gasper to Akeno's left, Kiba and Koneko to Rias' right. She stood in front of them, and the red sky crackled once, then twice, as lightning struck without rainclouds.

On the other side, Riser Phenex stood alone. His expression hadn't wavered once the entire game, and it was blindly obvious that he had absolute confidence. His arms were crossed, as if he were dealing with a child, and he held disdain in his eyes for the Gremory peerage.

"Riser! Give up! You're alone now, everyone else on your team has been either eliminated or too embarrassed to stand! Relinquish me of your contract right now, and I might not destroy you with everyone else on my team!" Rias shouted at the man. Riser scoffed, before throwing his arms back and laughing.

"You think I am scared? You think I needed a team to defeat you puny devils? All I needed was myself, and the only reason I let you fight my harem was because I was too lazy to fight you head on, and I thought being beat back by my girls might make you learn your places a bit," Riser scowled. "Now, however, I realize that I was wrong. You lot haven't learned anything, if anything, you now think you're all hot shit. Well I am about to prove you wrong," Riser finalized, sticking his hands in his pockets and starting to walk towards the Gremory group. They weren't daunted at all, however, having hastily put together a plan prior to the fight.

"Now!" Rias commanded, and the group scattered. Akeno took to the skies immediately, preparing as much magic as she could to use in a single, long strand of magic that would keep Riser detained. Kiba began running around Riser at such a speed that not even the Phenex could see him, even as he continued walking nonchalantly. Koneko stood in front with Rias, while Gasper was between them, focusing his vampric eyes on Riser, ready to activate his powers on a whim.

Rias roared, flinging her hand forward and shooting a destructive blast larger than a school building at Riser, passing over him and leaving nothing. Within a few seconds however, he began to regenerate, and continued walking undeterred. He was now nearing the end of the circle that Kiba was running around, however, and as soon as he got close enough, he fell back, red marks littering his body. Flames erupted from his body as he regenerated, but soon the wind that had been thrown up around him disappeared, and Kiba stood in front of him, a strange, icy sword was at Riser's midsection, stopping the flames from growing.

"Flame Delete," Kiba muttered, and Riser had an expression of shock on his face for a second. Just a second.

"Brat-!" he shouted, arm coming up to grab Kiba by the throat. His arm stopped half-way however, and Gasper was shown with his gear active.

"Forbidden Balor View," he whispered, not even blinking as he kept his eyes on Riser's half-gone body, Kiba's sword still being at his side. Kiba moved to the side as Akeno sent a bolt of concentrated lightning that completely destroyed Riser, leaving only ashes which began to gather into flames, but were quickly stopped by Gasper. Kiba then moved his Flame Delete sword over the flames, and they all were sucked up into his blade, disappearing. All that was left was a pile of soot.

"We… won…!" Rias exclaimed, worry dropping. Akeno landed on the ground from her flying spot, and everyone crowded around Rias, hugging.

"We never would've let you go, Buchou," Kiba said. Rias laughed a carefree laugh, a feeling of the world on her shoulders being released. She shut her eyes, and while she was still hugging her closest friends, crying joyful tears, a burst of heat alarmed her. She opened her eyes just in time to see each of her friends in the middle of writhing in pain, airborne around her. Flaming tendrils were locked around them, and to her great horror, she recognized the spell that was taking place. A clan spell of the Phenex clan that she had only seen once, but how…? The user had to be…

She looked past her friends to see the center of the flaming vortex of tendrils, Riser, fully formed, a flaming tornado surrounding him as he had his hands in his pockets, glaring at Rias with hatred. Alive.

"NO!" she shouted, knowing what was next. Riser sneered, before lifting his hands to the heavens.

"As is the secondary power of the greatest house of Phenex," he began, a circle with the Phenex clan insignia appearing in the sky above the group. Rias cried out as she blasted him, but the blast passed right through him, leaving no effect.

"I now invoke the power bestowed upon the clan head or heir, a power that is greater than any other," Riser continued, shifting his hands around at the sky. Another blast of red destruction passed through him, but flames erupted once again.

"Stop it, Riser!" Rias cried, hurling blast after blast of destruction as she walked closer and closer to Riser. She finally stopped at his feet, having fallen to the ground at his feet in despair long ago. Her peerage cried out her name, but she did not hear them.

"The power to enslave," Riser continued, the insignia now disappearing and reappearing on Rias' peerage, all of which were still shouting, but to no avail. Not even Flame Delete was working, nor Forbidden Balor View.

"And with that, I bind these unwilling devils to me…" he trailed off, looking on at the four powerful devils being detained. His eyes then trailed to the red-haired beauty at his feet. A smirk arose on his face.

"Along with their unwilling master, for life, or until I release them of service," Riser finalized, and the many magical marks that had been levitating above the Gremory group sunk into their skins, branding a mark on each of their right shoulders, including a barely conscious Rias. The last thing she saw, besides the horrified expressions of her friends, was a smirking Riser standing over her, bending down and smiling disgustingly.

Sona Sitri and her Vice President were both sitting in chairs, watching screens that monitored the battle. She chewed her bottom lip. She wanted nothing more than to freeze the arrogant Phenex's bits off, but she couldn't do that. She knew it too, unfortunately, and realized that she wasn't powerful enough to take him on alone. Not without excessive planning, at least.

"Kaichou," a respective voice broke her out of her musings. She turned her head to her subordinate, who had a questioning expression on her face.

"What do we do?" the girl asked. Sona sighed deeply, watching as Riser bellowed in laughter, declaring how he would treat his servants. He was sickening.

"Contact my sister and Rias' father," Sona began. She turned to her Vice President. "Riser will pay."

In the depths of the underworld, in a clan building sat a man with dirty blond hair and a rather tired expression. He sighed, wondering where the day was going when a sudden burst of electricity fired up his spine, and he stiffened upright, knowing what the spark meant.

"No…" he gasped out, dreading what had happened.

No less than a clan ground away sat another man with untamed red hair. He sat on a throne of sorts, relaxing as he thought. A sudden burst of electricity fired through his spine as well, but this was much more violent of a shock, and when he recovered, his eyes were darkened considerably, the very air around him threatening to combust as he fought to control himself.

"Grayfia!" he called, gritting his teeth in anger. Within a second, a woman with gray hair in a maid's uniform appeared, her eyes being the only clear sign that she was an different than usual, a surge of anger blazing in her eyes as well.

"Yes?" she asked calmly, though through their bond, the man could easily sense her anger. The red-haired man stood slowly, eyes screwed shut.

"Prepare a magical teleportation circle to my little sisters club room, please. I have something to deal with."

Xenovia POV

I could only watch on in horror as the woman that I had come with Irina Shidou, died at the spot from being sliced by the despicable abomination of Excalibur. Despite our conflicting views, I made a quick prayer for her as I saw her die, hoping that, despite her follies and straying, that she would still become an angel. I noted, however, that the despicable ex-exorcist was done gloating now, and was about to strike down Issei. That I could not allow.

"Rah!" I bellowed, speeding forward just as the blade was about to hit him. My own Excalibur Destruction just barely managed to stop the sword, and I was forced onto one knee when I did so. I looked to my right to see Issei, still holding a dying Irina. His eyes showed how shocked and desperate he was, and I imagined that he was probably calling on the two dragons.

"Shitty Church scum!" was all I heard before the sound of whirring caught my attention. Above me, the ex-exorcist was constantly trying to slash down on me, that same crazy gleam still burning in his eyes. He needed to be dealt with, permanently.

I shouted as I slashed up, making his own blade rebound completely off of mine as he flew back from the force, somehow avoiding getting sliced. Pity. I turned to see the Fallen Angel we had been sent to kill now in the air, watching us with interest. I almost wondered what he was doing, but didn't care. It wouldn't matter if he interfered or not.

"Die!" I bellowed, slicing at the lunatic multiple times as I tried to cut him in two. To no avail, however, as he seemed to barely get out of the way in time each slash, forcing me to follow him and hope for the best.

The last slash, however, was a bit too out-stretched on my part, and before I knew what had happened, he was behind me, and all of the clothing I had was sliced off of me completely. I was fully nude.

"N-no!" I shouted, hiding behind my sword as best as I could. He used my distraction to kick it to the side, however, and stood over me cockily, blade raised over one shoulder.

"Eh? So the church scum has nice tits, huh? I bet you would be a good fuck, what do you say?" he shouted manically. Raped by a fool like him? Never! I would even rather be sexually attacked by…

My eyes strayed to where Issei was still holding Irina. Even from the great distance away, I could still see the devoid of emotion in his eyes, whereas he had been full of emotion a mere minute or two prior. I saw him stand slowly, and I saw Irina's body disappear, probably so he could bury her or something similar. In a split second, however, I realized what I had to do. As he stood, I myself got to both feet, looking the insane man directly in the eyes, before I flung myself at him, intent on ripping him apart. It wasn't meant to be, however, and I was cut back, but still alive, as he smirked at me, his hand lowering a bit. I prayed for my own sake for once, that God would send me a guardian angel. That Irina's death wouldn't be in vain. That these two heretics would get what they deserved. And God delivered.

I felt the power before I saw it. A huge, roaring wave of energy that passed straight through me, making me shiver head to toe. It wasn't a bad shiver however, and within seconds, the very ground beneath me seemed to cover me, before turning into a blanket of all things! The power passing over me now felt warm however, and for once, I felt like I was a mere babe again, cuddling in the arms of my mentor, Griselda-sama. She was rocking me back and forth, making me feel perfectly at home. That is what this power made me feel, and for the first time this entire mission, I felt like I would live and be happy. I peeked my eyes open at Freed, to see what was happening.

To my shock, he was kneeling on the ground, staring blankly forward. His hands were grasping the rock as he shivered, and I could tell that the look in his eyes was of pure fear, nothing else. His eyes contained the most haunted look I had ever seen, and it was as if his very soul was being sucked out. The sword Gram was already in his hand above his head, and yet, he hadn't made a single move yet. I looked past Freed's shoulder to see the Fallen Angel also panting and on the ground, head beaded with sweat. While he was actually looking up, I could tell he was struggling even then. What was he doing to them?

I looked back to Issei to see a startling sight. Around him, the air was shimmering multiple colors, though red and white seemed predominant, and slowly, bits of random material began appearing from the air, and the lights shined off of them like a mirror, making them look scaly. Regardless of what direction they shifted, however, they still moved towards Issei like he was a magnet, gradually covering him from the bottom up. I noticed a gleam of red in his eyes, and before I could even blink, they burned a metallic red, the area he was looking at, where Freed was crouching, actually was lit up red.

A ghastly roar broke me out of my musings, however, when Issei was completely covered with this peculiar red armor that decorated him from head to toe. The dragon Ddrag's influence, probably. But to my surprise, Albion's mark was also on him, in the form of wings. Directly above what looked like projectile launchers was a pair of fully formed, solid wings. These weren't made of energy like the ones he had before; these were fully solid, and they were easily four times longer than Excalibur Destruction on either side! He crouched low, a helmet covering his face in the shape of a European dragon's head. The ground around him shuddered and plenty of rocks levitated in the air around him, a flurry of lights blazing off of him in an instant, remaining swirled around him. The rocks that had previously been levitating now all began to transform, some becoming blades, others become little L-shaped metal things- they looked like the holy bullet projectiles that some Exorcists carried.

So his magicians magic was running rampant as well?

My unspoken question was answered in the next moment when around him, four wisps of energy sunk into the ground, each an individual color. Where the blue one sunk, the ground glowed for a moment, before a typhoon of water erupted out of the ground, going on like a hydrant for at least forty feet. Where the red sunk, the ground smoldered a bit, before a dragon made of flames erupted out of the ground, followed by a Phoenix and a flower after, its petals raining down hundreds of tiny fireballs. When the brown one sunk, the ground cracked, before the crack moved at rapid speeds, stopping and sending up a rock the size of the now destroyed church building. Where the white one sunk, a few circles of white energy appeared with the same center, spreading out. A full blown tornado appeared, shredding up the earth where it traveled, going in a full circle. Suddenly, a surprising new wisp appeared, a light, shockingly blue one. I watched intently as it sunk into the ground as well, a thundercloud suddenly appearing before thunder clapped and lightning struck the ground, and in that flash of light appeared a monstrous dragon, electric blue with yellow lining its body. The yellow lining was all glowing, as were its eyes, though they were glowing an electric blue color as well. The dragon stood next to Issei, both of them having the same blank look.

To my surprise, a tiny dragon appeared as well, gliding over to Issei's side, roosting on his shoulder pad. The tiny dragon was glowing as well, and when it opened its mouth, I thought it was the cutest thing ever-until it breathed out a line of white-hot fire with electricity trailing and darting in it, the flames going far enough to be higher than the church was.

Together, the three moved as one, walking forth with the same dead eyes. The little dragon soon broke off from Issei's shoulder, however, and flew at Freed like a bullet. I thought for sure that he would stop when he was close enough, but to my shock the dragon flew straight through Freed, a gaping hole appearing in his heart. I shuddered.

Freed cursed once, before he dropped the Excalibur's and landed on his face, dead. Across from us, the Fallen Angel began to stand up, his eyes narrowed, looking nervous. A flash of blue light caught my attention, and in front of me now sat the tiny dragon, as if it were protecting me.

Past the little dragon I could see Issei and the large dragon walking forward, Issei on all fours as well, their walks being simultaneous. A long, horned tail whipped out from Issei, striking the ground occasionally, as he stalked forth like a predator.

Kokabiel simply growled, however, eyes screwed in a painful manner. He lifted his arms up, wings back, before sending a volley of feathers and light spears at Issei, numbering in the hundreds. Without the slightest hesitation, both Issei and the large dragon disappeared completely, and I saw Issei reappear above Kokabiel. Kokabiel had a shocked expression for a second, before Issei did a double hammer-fist to his temple, knocking him head first into the ground, causing the ground the shake before a portion of the ground ten feet in diameter sunk down, the area around it rising up.

As Kokabiel sunk in head first, Issei reached down, grabbing him by his scruff. He lifted him up by his throat now, and held him high in the ground before bringing Kokabiel down while bringing his knee up, resulting in a painful breaking sound, the sound of bones snapping. Kokabiel coughed out blood.

"Damnit…" I heard him mutter, before trying to lift his hand up to Issei's face. He would have none of that, however, and threw him up in the air effortlessly, the other dragon that had been previously watching now swiping a claw and caught Kokabiel out of the air, slashing him to pieces. It was done. The two we had been sent to kill were dead, one with a hole through his heart, the other now bits and pieces. I shivered. Issei would calm down now, right?

Wrong. I continued to watch as Issei seemed to get more and more angry, though I could only tell by how violent the area around him was. Now, bits of rock and ground were beginning to get thrown up seemingly at random, and I saw a deathly look in the eyes of his the glowed. The two dragons both moved to either side of him, and began to breath fire and lightning, adding to the destruction. Pretty soon, the entire area was bathed in magnificent power and magic being emitted from Issei and the two, yet none of it hurt me.

I don't know how, but I could sense the sadness and despair from where I was. I knew that Issei was… bluntly, going off the deep end. I… I couldn't allow him to do that.

I don't know where I found the courage or strength, but I struggled to my feet, keeping in mind that I was still fully nude under the blanket he had subconsciously created for me. I continued to walk forward, struggling against the magic that was nearly creating a wall of energy, making it feel as if I was wading through water.

"Issei!" I shouted, continuing to walk. I thought I saw him regard me, but he didn't answer, and none of the three moved an inch in my direction or away.

"Cease this foolishness! You mustn't allow yourself to go over the edge like this! She did not die in vain! Those that killed her are dead, what reason do you still have for anger!?" I shouted, my voice small against the wind. Still he stared on, though I thought I saw a bit of movement when I said that Irina didn't die in vain.

"She wouldn't want for you to be like this! Think about it, Issei! Irina Shidou was a kind person, one that would hate for their friends to lose control like this!" I shouted again, still walking forward. I felt fear, but my fear was being completely outspoken by my desire to help this person that was suffering so much.

"Think about it…! Just… think!" I said. I was now only a few feet away from him, yet the power he was emitting was even stronger now. It was more like trying to force oneself through wet cement. I noticed as I struggled that the two dragons had disappeared. Maybe that was a good sign?

With one last desperate push, I flung myself forward, gripping his shoulders as I hugged him, not even bothering to keep the blanket on with me. I closed my eyes into the hug, a betraying tear falling from my face. The winds around us began to die down, and I heard voices, voices that were slowly becoming stronger.

(Girl!) one voice called, and I flinched at the clarity.

[Run for cover! Or get back and brace yourself!] a second voice warned. I understood the warning a second too late, however, and soon found myself airborne after a bright light, stronger than anything I had seen emitted from Issei, his armor beginning to fall off as he faced the sky, parting the dark clouds that had formed, a beacon of red and white lights coming from his wide open mouth and eyes. The lights parted the clouds with a brilliant spectrum, one that could be seen for miles. Yet the true beauty was with those that were sensors, for those that were could feel an even more brilliant spectrum of energy, from the depths of the underworld to the skies above, even crossing entire dimensions with its power.

In an unknown location, a large dragon opened its eyes, hissing a bit as it felt it. This power, this huge power, more than the power that itself had! How was such a feat possible! It wasn't!

Within the dimensional gap, a large, sleeping red dragon shifted a little in its sleep, peeking open an eye that was the color of amber, of leaves and of the sun. The dragon smirked a little, before going back to sleep.

"Things are going to get very interesting soon…" he muttered, though to some it may have been a roar.

A little girl in gothica clothing with black hair stiffened considerably as she sat in a room. She pondered about the matter for a moment, before ignoring it, going back to her issue at hand.

Within a temple in Asia, a man opened his eyes. He scowled to himself when he felt the amount of power being blasted off recklessly.

"One more thing to take care of eventually," he said calmly, closing his eyes and going back to his meditation.

Between the Underworld and Heaven, a total of over a hundred billion devils, fallen angels, and angels all felt the power, and everyone stiffened or reacted in one way. Eight beings however, were more important than the others.

One man was simply broken out of his musings for a split second, finding another matter involving his little sister to be much more pressing.

Another man was examining a chess' king piece when he felt the power, and stopped what he was doing entirely, before returning to work, adding something to a check list.

A girl in a cosplay outfit at a photo shoot stopped everyone, a serious look on her face for a moment as she tried to pinpoint the 'who' and 'where' about the energy. When she found it, her eyes lit up. More answers!

A man was woken up from his mid-day nap and cursed a few times, before going back to sleep.

Another man was simply going for a stroll when he felt the power erupt, and he stopped, bursting out into excited laughter before rushing off to his lab.

A woman and a man smiled together and hugged, feeling proud.

A man frowned a bit, his eccentric hair shifting as he walked. He would attend to the matter after he finished the paperwork for the spell.

Lastly, a female with long, blond hair froze up entirely, knowing the crushing power from before. She panted and gulped loudly, before twirling on the spot, disappearing.

Later, I awoke in a very warm, cozy bed. My eyes were extremely blurry, and I had to shift my head a little to get the streaks of green out of my vision. Around me, there was a night-stand to my right and left, a lamp on either one. Yet the bed I was on was much larger than the one I had slept on the previous night.

I saw around the room few details, just plain furniture and a bathroom. I must be in the Master Bedroom or something then.

I groaned a little as I took a closer look at a table near the nightstand. There was a note, under a see-through glass cup that had a cover. I took off the lid and found it to be apple juice. Not a bad choice, though the sweetness stung a little. I read the note.

Dear Xenovia,

I wrote this little note down this morning, so I can be the most up-to-date. You've been out for a week. I don't know exactly what happened after I… blacked out, but I did hear part of what happened from Ddrag and Albion. Oh, and the reason you aren't perfectly fine right now due to Asia's healing is because the damage I caused that gave you a concussion was a little too much for her magic to handle, despite how strong it is.

So right now, if it's afternoon, I should be out training. It's the weekend again, and a few days ago Gabriel came back and informed us that, as soon as you awoke, that Michael would like to speak with you and the others. I have no idea who he means by 'the others', so I'm going to assume he just meant you. I told him that you were in a magically enhanced coma though, and he understood, so feel free to rest for a while longer.

Oh and before I forget, Gabriel seemed to think you would be staying here for a while, and we enrolled you to my school. I made sure that you could drop out of the deal at any time though.

Well, I'm going out now. Feel free to call me… er, that's right, you don't have a phone and neither do I…

Well here; I drew a little magic circle under this. I'm not sure how good it is, but since it's supposed to just be a basic summoning/communication spell, it shouldn't blow up in your face. Just channel some energy into it, and you should feel a link to me.

Get better soon!

Issei Hyoudou.

Underneath his signature, there was an intricate looking magic circle with lines that connected them to one another. Circumscribed in the circle was a square, and in the very center, a miniature lotus flower symbol. I shrugged before channeling magic into it, or at least, trying.

A full three minutes later, I still had my hand above the circle. I was thoroughly annoyed by my inability to summon even a little bit of magic! I mean, I know I'm a swordswoman but that doesn't mean I can't summon any magic at all!

More time passed and I tried over and over before I heard the door open gently. In walked the wi-… girl that Issei seemed so fond of. Asia, was it? Asia walked over to me, seemingly addled with her own thoughts, before she seemed to realize I was awake. She made a slight, 'oh!' sound before tucking a loose strand of blond hair behind her ear.

"H-hello, Xenovia-san!" she said to me. I nodded.

"Hello Asia-san. Can you help me with something?" I asked. She looked a little surprised, but nodded enthusiastically. She looked quite nice, actually.

"Can you please channel some magic into this circle? Issei wanted me to contact him once I woke up," I said, and she tilted her head a little.

"I could just call him over…" she said. I thought for a moment, before nodding, being sure to fold the note and tuck it into the blouse I was wearing.

"Do that, please," I said, and she smiled, nodding as she left to fetch him. I then realized what I was actually wearing.

My top was, as I said, a little loose blouse that was only buttoned up to the third to last button, leaving plenty of my cleavage exposed. My bottom was covered by a rather nice skirt, it would've been great had it not been a bit small.

I felt my face heat up even more as I got up slowly, trying to fight to vertigo.

"What in God's name did you idiots put me in!?"

(Back to main character, finally…)

Issei POV

I was standing outside of the house, in the backyard, sitting on the ground and trying to meditate. No, correction, saying 'trying' would imply that I was actually getting any success at all. No, what I was doing was hopelessly sitting on the ground without the slightest clue as the what the hell I was doing.

I breathed heavily for a moment. God Damnit! My magic was still running a little too heavy inside, and I hadn't released any in a while due to some issues I was having. I tried levitating myself up, by manipulating Devil Wind magic and gravity. With a sudden Bang! I shot up five feet, before landing hard on my rear.

Fuuucccck!

"Damnit to fucking hell!" I cursed aloud punching the ground a few times. My mind was really distracted, even I could tell, and it was bugging me, but Irina's death still was over my eyes, and it wasn't going away.

"…" I sighed, rubbing my arms a little sheepishly, though no one was watching. It was irritating, but I suppose I never really realized how hard magic could be.

"Ddrag? Albion? Why the hell can't I control my magic?" I asked.

[… stress is an obvious symptom, but what I'd say otherwise is more that you're too angry right now to make any subtle magic, like levitation…]

(I think you going into a weird sort of Balance Breaker with both of us simultaneously may have shot your control all crazy for a while) Albion pointed out. I frowned.

"What is Balance Breaker, anyways? I remember you talking to me about that before…" I said aloud.

[Balance Breaker is the advanced and near full powered version of a sacred gear. It's often triggered by high emotions and when a person's mood shifts too radically, and when the person is in a disadvantage.]

(In words that we can all more easily understand, it makes you kick-ass when you get depressed) Albion summed up. I nodded slowly at this, remembering bits and pieces of what happened before.

"So since I used both of your powers that are opposites, I managed to screw up my magic control?" I asked slowly. I felt head shakes.

[Actually, your magic control is still the same. What's bad however, is that normally the energy and power devoted to containing us that is constantly being absorbed by you is now devoted to stopping our conflicting powers from destroying you, thus, more control is being used in those areas…] Ddrag trailed off.

(… he means that what was normally making it so all of our power was in check is now being used to try and kick back the balance breaker energy that's now running through you. You're welcome) Albion said snippily.

"… is there any way to make my magic control go back to normal? Because while its cool to be able to summon larger fireballs than usual, I still like my Magic better…" I said.

[Unless you want to simultaneously combust]

(Explode)

[Same thing!]

I sighed as I reached down, picking at the grass.

"This isn't exactly good… how long do you think until I can use Wizardry again?" I asked.

[At least a week] Ddrag said. I groaned.

"But with how things have been going, I'll be dead within a week if I can't use those other magic's! God Damnit!" I shouted, making myself spring up subconsciously through magic, before summoning as much spare power as I could, before shooting up a fireball in the shape of a dragon up in the sky, which was so big that it was still in sight a few minutes after I casted. I simply stared at it, jaw dropped.

"Um…" I gulped, licking my dry lips.

"That's a lot bigger than what my usual fireball's are… and why is it in the shape of a dragon?" I asked.

(Something I forgot to explain. When you were unconscious and in Balance Breaker, forcing me and Ddrag to take control, a shit-load of your magic decided to make an appearance, and multiple types of magic came out of you. One of them, the red one, created a flaming dragon, phoenix, and a weird lotus flower that rained little fireballs] Albion said. I gulped again.

"That sounds… intense… any idea how I control that?" I asked. I felt a nod.

[This is essentially a basic type of dragons magic you subconsciously created, I think.]

"Any idea why they're in those shapes?" I asked.

[No idea.]

"Crap. Okay then, how do I use it?" I asked.

[Think of it almost as if it's devils magic, but feel your pride while doing it. Which form you wish for it to take should appear naturally] I nodded.

(Sorry to interrupt on this nerding out, but shouldn't you make it so mortals can't see the huge ass dragon you just blew off?) Albion asked. I flushed, before panicking.

"Holy shit! How many people saw that!?" I exclaimed.

"None, Issei-san," I heard from the door. I turned to the door to see Xenovia in the blouse and skirt I found for her, rubbing her arm and looking a little out of place.

"Hi… Xenovia," I said awkwardly, as she had heard at least part of my rant.

"Hello… thank you for helping me!" she said, surprising me by bowing low, in a rather fetal position. I hesitantly chuckled. This girl was weird…!

"It's fine… I was actually more focused on attacking Kokabiel, to be honest… Ddrag and Albion filled me in on what happened," I said, tapping my temple. She nodded, before walking over to the porch and simply watching me. I felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze, but ignored it, going back to my plan.

"I'd advise you be cautious if you're going to stay out here," I warned. She nodded, but stayed.

"I met Gabriel-sama on my way down here. She told me to tell you she was making sure no mortals noticed, so you can carry on."

"Thanks," I said, before concentrating again, or at least trying to.

[Partner, don't push it. Just do it, it should nearly be instinct by now] Ddrag chastised me. I breathed deeply, nodding. I waited a while, before stomping forward while simultaneously raising my right hand to the sky, shouting incoherently.

When nothing happened, I remembered what Ddrag had told me. Pride? Feel my pride?

I breathed deeply again, trying to artificially create an ego in my mind. Why weren't those idiotic mortals nicer to me that day in basketball? I could've easily beheaded them and used their own heads as basketballs, and gotten away with it as well! Why did they single me out?

I felt a huge amount of heat surge around me, and I saw in front of me the bottom of a flower completely composed of fire, before I felt a larger push that made little fireballs rain down. When it finished, I was still standing in the same position.

Clapping broke me out of my stupor, and I turned to see an awestruck Xenovia clapping slowly. I bowed hesitantly before returning to practice.

"Ddrag, Albion, do you mind giving me a better analogy about my magic? And how it works?" I asked aloud, ignoring the fact that Xenovia was nearby. She probably wouldn't care.

(Let Ddrag explain that to you, kid. He'll do better than me.)

[Sure, see let's imagine each humans body as being built on multiple levels. The most obvious one, or at least, in terms of battle, is the physical one, the most straight-forward one as well. It dictates how powerful you are, and is managed by yourself, requiring physical exercise and effort most of the time to grow more powerful. It has a connection to your magic level as well however, at certain points in the body.
Your magic level is much more diverse than that of your physical level. It is divided into many sections, and if you imagine your magic level being a physical level of a house, it would be the second floor, the higher the level, the closer to your core. The magic level has many different 'rooms', and has many small 'entrances' from each of these rooms to the third level, your mind and psyche, which makes you everything you are.
Take for example Magician's magic. It's based off of knowledge and logic, as well as concepts of science. Thus, the 'room' for Magician's magic is connected via ladder to the logic side of your brain, the left side in human terms, though in reality, it is much more complex than that.
Your 'devils' magic is connected to your 'will' section of your psyche, and is more focused on creativity and pure willpower, or where humans generally tend to associate the right side of the mind on.]

"I've heard of those before… wait, then do people all have the same structure? Because unless I've been missing a lot, I haven't seen humans running around and summoning fireballs," I said with a dead-panned expression.

[No of course not. Humans know this to, to a certain extent, but the human mind is never fully used. People have thought of 10% maybe being used, all sorts of numbers. Yet this is only in reference to your physical level, which humans believe to be limited in order to stop humans from tearing their own muscles, which is true. Though magic can easily defend against that.
No, while every single human has the opportunity to learn magic's, many of these area's aren't attainable by humans. Or they don't put effort into it.
Moving on, as I said, the third level of your brain is divided into two main parts as well, and is recognized by humans as the actual, physical brain, which does exist, though it's more of a jar for these levels than the actual thing.
Your brains are divided into two parts, as already stated, the left side being made to support logic, the right, creativity. Humans know this as well, and so there are all sorts of rumors towards right-handed people being more logical, left-handed people being more creative… but it really is just by luck what hand you like to use. There's no 'science' in that part.
Your third level also contains, in a sort of center of the two rooms, your psyche, which is in essence, what makes you, you. Your personality, way of thinking, et cetera. That answer your question?]

"I… yeah, actually that answered practically all of them," I admitted, shrugging. Then a thought occurred to me, "Wait, what about Sacred Gears? And with that, you told me before that only humans can get Sacred Gears, and in which case, are devils able to use human magic and stuff then?" I asked.

[Sacred Gears are the fourth level. I forgot about them for a moment, thanks for reminding me. The fourth level is where the spirit of your Sacred Gear resides. Remember where we first met, in that dream? We pulled you into the fourth level, also known as the 'dreamscape' by some.
Also, you were right. Humans can only get Sacred Gears, and are also the only ones that can learn any type of magic whatsoever. Dragons magic, Norse magic, Chinese magic, Wizardry, Devils magic, hell even Angels magic are all possible.]

"Aren't humans practically the strongest then…?" I asked.

[Technically, they have the most potential. Yet at the same time, while the top is filled with either devil-turned humans or pure humans or half or whatever, the bottom is as well. You humans are a peculiar race] Ddrag admitted. I sighed, before plopping onto the ground and holding my knees.

"I still haven't gotten my magic down."

STOP! BEFORE SOMEONE THROWS A SPEAR (or dragon shot) ALLOW ME TO EXPLAIN MYSELF!

Alright, getting that out of the way, Irina's death… well, I guess I'll just say this; it was important to do it so Issei's personality could grow, as well as his own life issues.

I'm not sure if anybody has noticed (though I've noticed from reviews and replies) that Issei has a bucket load of personality and personal issues. LET ME EXPLAIN!

I'm trying my hardest not to make him a GARY SUE, which is hard, considering the following:

He contains two of the strongest beings in the world, who, despite being complete opposites, are still both usable to him.

His parents are friggin' angels, making his magical control off the charts.

He uses multiple types of magic, and loves to spam Wizardry in a battle to help himself win easier.

As you've seen with this chapter, when he loses control, he really loses control, and will beat the living shit out of anyone nearby that's an enemy.

He has already attracted the attention of (get this) eight immensely hot girls, and we're only on chapter 11!

He has an immensely powerful sword, which has already been quoted multiple times, and will be quite strong (it's historical description will be increased like Hercules' descendent)

So you see my reasoning now? I'm not trying to make him suck, I'm trying to make him realistic.

So for anybody complaining about Issei being 'too (insert annoying descriptive word here)' that's why! And while obviously anybody reading this is a regular reader or doesn't like abandoning a story, my stories build up! Those people and beings weren't named off earlier, the one's that reacted to Issei's near solar flare. Yet I'm sure some could easily be guessed!

This is mainly a rant (that'll probably never be read by the person it's directed at) that is at a person who said something similar to, "You gave the MC two sacred gears? Already a bad story," or something. I don't understand… I'm not going to have Issei destroy somebody (like he did today) and automatically explain why most of the time! The reviewer also bugged me about him being able to control Ddrag and Albion simultaneously! I understand that, but anybody that bothered to read on would find out that his Angelic ancestry and blessing from his parents prevented him from tearing himself up!

Okay, rant end.

Oh yeah (not a rant) my update per week thing is stressing ._. how troublesome…

So really though, Rias and her peerage lost to Riser alone. I made the bastard way more powerful than in canon, though that's only so he's more of a… challenge. The power of enslavement was completely made up, I'm not sure about it, so rant if you want, I won't really care.

One last thing. If you don't make an account, I can't answer questions. Sorry, but considering how much I already write for my author notes, I'd rather not take up more space.

Kudo's to 'InTheYearOfTheCat' for reminding me to update.

MG TLE

DBJ JY