Let me know if I should add Asia to the Harem, I was initially planning to have her be like a little sister, but it might be easier in the long run if she has feelings for Issei. Sorry for yet another delay, I've been really busy lately, so I haven't had much time to work on the story. Chapter 12, enjoy!
Ch. 4 has been updated. Nothing major, I just corrected a few mistakes I had made
NinjaFang1331 - Thank you
ethan lukkar - Thanks
Groszekace - They will fall in love eventually, although Rias won't be "First Girl" so to speak
YuNaru19 - Ah, thanks for pointing that out, it was a complete mistake on my part, it's been amended now. As for the other points; the way I wanted it to pan out, was that Akeno thought that it wasn't Issei because he didn't recognize her, and while Issei had changed in appearance, Akeno looked pretty similar to when she was younger
Currahee506 - Very soon
Omni-creator Kami of Anime - The harem list isn't finalized as of yet
JMK2 - That was part of the reason why I wrote that part of the story. Since Issei lived in the underworld for nine years and didn't go to a school when he was younger, he would have no way of meeting Irina before the Excalibur incident.
Alex2902 - I had a little plan for that, although with the way the story is progressing I don't know if I'll be able to incorporate it, unless a future chapter has a flashback or something.
Emilbootanimefreak - Hopefully you enjoy what I have planned
Raigalcc - Hopefully you won't have to wait too long
Frostchase101 - Thanks, I've been thinking about increasing the length of each chapter, but I can't make any promises. If I do end up extending the length of the chapters, I might try for around 10,000+ words per chapter, though that might slow down the rate in which they are released.
Bleach god - Thank you, glad you are enjoying the story
Fireward - I don't see anything wrong with him joining the ORC, while he isn't a Devil, he is still an ally, so joining the club gives him an opportunity to leave school if there is an emergency, like a stray devil. Raynare was left alive at first because he was using her to bait the Devils, Dohnaseek was left alive to send a message to the Fallen Angels... Pretty simple if you think about it.
Megaslayer321a - Riser's one of those people who hear what they want to hear. When Rias told him "I won't marry you", he heard "Take me now!". So when Grayfia said "He's as strong as me" Riser heard "You could beat him without lifting a finger." and thanks for the compliments
PedoWRITER - What do you mean 'Powers out of nowhere'? I think I made it pretty clear that Issei trained for like, 9 years or so, heck I even titled a chapter 'Training starts now'. As for the supposed rush and missing stuff, it's my first story so that might be why it seems that way.
Kirinthor - Hopefully you enjoy what I have planned
Guest - The summary does say "Very OP Issei" so I hope you didn't think that he was going to be a complete pushover. However, like any fighter, Issei will have a weakness, which will probably be anger like you suggested. I have actually thought pretty far ahead as far as the story is concerned, I haven't written any future chapters, but I have a way to make things interesting while keeping Issei OP.
I own nothing but the story.
[Albion speaking]
'Thinking'
[Albion speaking aloud]
(Gremory Summer House)
It was the next morning, and the Gremory group were traversing the mountainside, making their way up the mountain owned buy Rias' family. In the front of the group, were Rias, Asia and Akeno, all wearing summer clothes and small bags "So he wasn't there when you checked?" Akeno asked slightly worried
"No, Akeno-san. I looked all over the apartment but I couldn't find him anywhere." Asia replied
"Did you see him last night, after he left with Grayfia?" Rias asked, Asia shook her head "Then he's probably still with her and Onii-sama"
"I wonder what Issei wanted to see Sirzechs-sama about..." Akeno mused to herself.
"Buchou, I gathered some herbs, let's use them for the meal tonight." Kiba said as he and Koneko caught up to the other devils. The two were also carrying bags, although theirs were a lot larger than what the others were carrying.
"Good work, Yuuto!" Rias replied, and the rest of the trip was spent in silence. The Devils reached the top of the mountain, and in front of them stood a large mansion. Noticing Asia's awed expression, Rias decided to explain "This mansion is owned by my family. It's protected by magic so that any Humans that pass by will only see a normal mountain." Asia nodded "Well, let's get changed and begin our training"
""""Hai!"""" they all called out in unison and entered the mansion. When they arrived, they saw someone that they didn't expect to see, Issei, he was stood in the hallway wearing the grey tracksuit provided by Kuoh Academy with a book in his hand.
"It's about time you got here" Issei said with a smirk
"Ise-kun, what are you doing here?" Rias asked
"I'm here to help train you for the [Rating Game]" the Gremory peerage were surprised at this. He then pulled out a small ring from his pocket and threw it to Koneko, who deftly caught it. "Koneko-chan, keep that ring on at all times, consider that the first part of your training." the young [Rook] equipped the ring and immediately felt it's effects, causing her to stumble "The ring will increase the gravity on your body, automatically increasing to a little bit above what you can handle. If you wear it while you train, your speed will gradually get better." Koneko nodded and left for one of the rooms. "Meet me outside in half an hour, we'll begin training then." Issei said as he left through the front door.
The Devils were now stood in a line outside the mansion. Rias and Kiba were both wearing the same tracksuit as Issei, although Rias' was red. Koneko and Akeno were wearing their Gym uniform, while Asia had a pair of track pants and a gym T-shirt on. "Alright. After seeing you fight a few stray devils, I can safely say that all of you are strong in your own rights. However, compared to Riser and his peerage, you are still very weak." they all had the same mixed look when they heard him speak, at first downtrodden, then insulted. "That's what the next nine days are for, I will try and help you cover your weaknesses or improve areas that need it. Up first will be Kiba-kun, then Koneko-chan, after that will be Akeno-chan, then Asia-san, and finally Rias-san. Akeno-chan, while I'm training the others can you teach Asia-san the basics of magic?"
"Sure thing, Ise-kun" Akeno replied with a smile
"Ise-kun, what about the tenth day?" Rias asked
"The last day is for rest. You'll need to be in the best shape possible for the [Rating Game]"
Issei and Kiba had moved to a different are of the mountain to train, and were stood across from each other, both holding wooden Bokkens "Kiba-kun, you fit the trait of a [Knight] perfectly. You're faster than most other [Knights], and paired with your Sacred Gear, you have the potential to become one of the best." Kiba smiled at the praise he received "However, you still have many weaknesses. And if an opponent were to exploit those weaknesses, you would have no chance of winning. For example..." Issei disappeared from Kiba's sight, then reappearing behind him and striking his knees with the bokken, causing Kiba to fall to the floor "...one strike, and you're down for the count."
Kiba turned to him with an angry look "Why didn't you warn me?" Issei looked at him as if he just told him the earth was flat
"Do you think the enemy will warn you when they attack?" Kiba's eyes widened slightly, although the frown never faded "You might be good with a sword, but if you get caught off guard, it's game over for you."
"So what are you going to do?" Kiba asked
"This might seem a bit unorthodox, but I'm going to attack you, and I don't want you to defend yourself." Kiba paled
"Wait what!? How will that help me?"
"It'll be three against fifteen Kiba; Asia-san's not a fighter and Rias-san can't risk being in the field. You need to be able to take more hits if you want any chance of winning." Kiba put on a determined expression
"Very well..." Issei smiled at Kiba's determination, and began his attack, focussing mainly on his legs. Kiba's training lasted for two hours, with a short break at the halfway point. When the two hours were over, Kiba was bruised all over and panting heavily, and Issei was in the same state, minus the bruising. Issei passed Kiba a bottle of water, but the [Knight] couldn't even move his arms due to fatigue
"You lasted a lot longer than I expected..." Issei spoke impressed, causing Kiba to frown
"Are you saying I'm weak?"
"No, I just assumed since [Knights] are known to have very low defensive capabilities" Kiba nodded "Can you move?" Kiba shook his head
"Barely"
"I'll take you to Asia so she can heal you, when you're feeling better, I will show you what to do while I'm training the others" Issei lifted Kiba and flew to the mansion in search of Asia.
After Kiba was healed, he and Issei made their way to a nearby boulder field, Issei was carrying a bag of wooden bokkens "I want you to slice through the boulder, using nothing but the bokken." Kiba nodded and did as Issei instructed, slicing the boulder directly through the middle, making Kiba smirk victoriously "Wrong!" the smirk turned into surprise quickly
"What do you mean "wrong"? I did just as you said." Issei crossed his arms
"I said using only the bokken, I didn't say you could enhance it with your energy."
"You're asking me to do the impossible..." Issei just smirked and picked up the bokken while taking a stance in front of a larger boulder. Faster than Kiba could comprehend, Issei had shot forward and swung downwards, making a clean cut in the middle.
"You were saying?"
"How is this supposed to help me?" Kiba asked as he got into position
"This will improve your power" he said as he began walking off "That's all I have prepared for you, so when you have a clean cut, just train to improve your weaknesses." Kiba nodded and started the task he was given
Issei was walking into the forest where he was to meet Koneko for her training session. When he arrived, he saw the white-haired devil running laps throughout the forest, a thin layer of sweat running down her forehead, probably due to the effects of the Gravi-band. She skidded to a halt when she noticed Issei walking through a clearing in the trees "...Ise-sempai, is Yuuto-sempai's training over?" Issei nodded and got into a battle position
"Koneko-chan, we're going to spar so that I can assess your strengths and weaknesses"
"...Hai" she called as she got in a boxing stance.
"Begin!" Issei shouted. Koneko instantly ran forward, although a bit slower than usual due to the added gravity, and sent her fist towards Issei's chest. Issei stepped to the right and threw her over his shoulder, but Koneko was able to land on her feet and skid to a stop, although she was still slightly unbalanced. Issei took advantage of her weakened stance and charged forward, sending his left fist towards her head. Koneko raised her arms to the right to defend herself from the strike, but Issei quickly brought his left arm back and threw the right fist forward instead.
Koneko was sent into the tree when his fist connected, and was surprised when she felt the pain of the punch "...Sempai is strong" she said quietly, although Issei still heard her.
"Why thank you Koneko-chan" he said, holding out his hand to pull her up. The two then continued to spar for an hour until they both decided to take a break, even though Koneko was an experienced martial artist, Issei always had the upper hand no matter what the young Devil did.
As the two were sitting in the shade, Issei began his evaluation "From what I've seen you have a good grasp on many fighting styles, and your small frame can make you a hard target to hit. Apart from your speed, you have one major flaw; you're too predictable. If you only fight me in the boxing stance, all I would have to do is stall you and figure out your attack patterns."
"...Hai, Issei-sempai" Issei then stood up with Koneko swiftly following suit
"I'll tell you the same thing I told Kiba-kun; you are at a severe disadvantage. This fight is basically three against fifteen, seeing as Asia-san doesn't fight and Rias-san can't risk being out on the field, so you'll need to be able to fight multiple enemies at once." Koneko nodded but spoke timidly as if she were scared of asking a question
"...Why doesn't Sempai become a Devil under Buchou? ...If you joined, they wouldn't stand a chance"
"Sorry Koneko-chan, I just don't want to become a servant." Koneko looked saddened when she heard this, Issei noticed and started rubbing her head "Don't worry about it, if you train hard, then you won't need my help" Issei was surprised when Koneko began purring with the brightest smile Issei had seen on the young Devils face since they had met. Koneko quickly realized what she was doing and brushed Issei's hand off of her head while blushing heavily.
"...Ise-sempai ...back to training" Issei nodded and got into a battle stance again
"This time, I want you to go on the defensive, and counter my attacks." Koneko nodded and got into her stance. Issei rushed forward straight away and feigned a right punch, then changed to a leg sweep and followed with a direct kick to her abdomen, sending he into yet another tree "You need to predict your opponents attacks, don't just focus on the obvious attack."
"...It's impossible to predict exactly." she said, slightly winded from the kick
"Not entirely. The fake punch was just a diversion, you were too busy focussing on the obvious, predictable attack, that you failed to protect the rest of your body. Don't focus on the attack, focus on the opponent, just watch out for strikes in your peripheral vision. Think of it this way, Koneko-chan; if you can't predict the movements of one person, how are you going to fare against four or five enemies at once?" Koneko stood up with a serious look on her face and got into a defensive stance again
"...Again, Issei-sempai" Issei nodded and prepared to strike
"Remember, eyes on me, not my fists." he waited a few moments before shooting forward and sending his left fist towards her gut, causing Koneko to arch forwards, before he pulled back and sent his right fist towards her head. Koneko noticed this and bent backwards, barely dodging the strike. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed that Issei was swinging his right foot towards her legs, so she cartwheeled out of the way and attempted to catch Issei off guard with a heel kick as soon as she landed, much to her surprise, however, Issei had caught the kick and launched Koneko into the air.
As she descended, she braced herself when she thought Issei would attack while she was vulnerable, but instead she was caught by a pair of strong arms. When she opened her eyes, she was greeted by the sight of Issei's smiling face, it was then that she realized who's arms had caught her and blushed deeply while scrambling to get out of her sempai's arms. "...Thank you, Issei-sempai" she said while looking away to hide the blush
"I'm proud of you Koneko-chan, you picked it up instantly. You were even able to guess my attacks after the initial dodge." he said while rubbing her head again, eliciting another round of purring 'The name, Koneko really fits her. She acts just like a kitten.' Issei checked his watch when he removed his hand "Alright, time's up for today. We'll be doing the same thing next time, but for even longer."
"...Hai, sempai." Issei started to walk off, but he was close enough to hear Koneko mutter something else "Arigato, Issei-sempai" he smiled and made his way to the back of the mansion, where Akeno was waiting for him.
"Ara Ara, Ise-kun, is it my turn now?" Akeno asked when she saw Issei walking towards her.
Issei nodded "Alright Akeno-chan, I'll need to test your strength before we start." Akeno nodded and flew into the air while charging her magic. Issei released his Dragon wings and did the same, he then called for the match to start "Fight!" and shot a wave of lightning at Akeno who released her own thunder to intercept the attack. The two attacks collided and caused a large flash, temporarily blinding the two.
The flash died down, and Akeno was searching for Issei from her elevated position, as he had taken the opportunity to disappear from her view, and flew up behind her. Before she was able to react, Akeno was sent crashing to the ground when Issei sent a heavy strike to her back "Just because you're my childhood friend, doesn't mean I'll go easy on you"
"Fufufu, that makes this more fun." she replied with a sadistic smile on her face. The two continued to battle, Akeno was continuously firing bolts of thunder at Issei, who either dodged, blocked with a barrier, or countered with his own magic. He stayed on the defensive, waiting until Akeno was worn out or open for an attack to use his own magic, and within twenty minutes, Akeno was on the ground, injured and out of breath.
"You have good magic control and power, probably even better than Rias-san, but you still have a few flaws. Firstly, your magic attacks; I am aware that you are well known by the title 'Priestess of Thunder' but that doesn't mean you should limit yourself to one type of magic. The other problem I noticed, is that you are wasting the other traits of your [Queen] piece. Since you're a magic user, the [Rook] trait is pretty much useless to you, but you could still take advantage of the [Knight] piece." Akeno nodded "For now, I'm just going to help you improve your magical reserves, so when you're ready, I want you to attack me, you can use any magic except for your thunder." they then began fighting again. Akeno fired a mix of fire and ice, which Issei either blocked with a barrier, or deflected back at her.
After the two had finished, they moved on to Asia's training. When they arrived, they saw Asia concentrating on a volleyball sized sphere of magic between her palms that was slowly growing in size. The sphere then began to change colour before dispersing completely when Asia noticed Issei and Akeno.
"Great job, Asia" Issei said
"She has great talent for magic, she picked up the basics pretty quickly." Asia blushed at the praise she received from Akeno
"That makes things easier for us then." Issei replied
"Ano, Ise-san... What will you teach me?" Asia asked shyly
"Since you don't fight, I'm going to teach you barrier magic to protect yourself."
"Then, why is Akeno-san here?"
"Devil magic and the magic I use are very different. Human magic uses a series of complex calculations, whereas Devil magic is limited to your imagination, so I might need Akeno-chan's help in teaching you." Asia nodded "By the end of the week, you should be able to keep a barrier up while you are healing someone."
"Hai, Ise-san"
"Imagine a wall, directly in front of you." Asia closed her eyes and did as Issei instructed "Now hold out your hands, as if you are the force that is keeping the wall upright." she put her hands forward "Now focus your magic into your hands, and make the thought a reality." Asia's face scrunched up in concentration, and Issei could see the small sparks of magic in her hand. Before long, the sparks fizzled out, and Asia lost concentration. Asia tried multiple times, but ended up with the same result.
"S-Sorry, Ise-san. I can't do it." Issei sighed and scratched his chin 'Maybe if she was put under pressure...' he glanced towards Akeno and gestured for her to follow him away from Asia
"Asia-san, I need to speak with Akeno-chan about something important. Keep trying for now until we get back, okay?" Asia nodded as the two walked away from her sight "Alright, Akeno-chan. I have an idea, but I'll need your help to pull it off." Akeno nodded
"What do you need me to do?"
"I want you to attack me, and you need to look like you're angry while you're doing it." Akeno looked shocked at this
"What will that accomplish?" she asked curiously
"If we're lucky, her desire to protect me will kick in and force the barrier to appear."
"And if it doesn't? What if she can't protect herself, and I hit her by mistake?" she asked worriedly
"Don't worry, if she can't do it, then I'll protect her" Akeno nodded
"So where will we do this?"
"Just attack me in the air, and knock me towards Asia. After that, just improvise." she nodded again and began charging her thunder
"Ready?" she asked
"Yeah, remember to look angry." he said before creating a barrier around the three "Do it" with the call, Akeno yelled in fake anger and blasted Issei with her thunder, he allowed the attack to connect at full force, so he would be sent towards Asia.
While this was going on, the ex-nun was busy with the task Issei had set her; eyes closed, and imagining a wall in front of her. However, her concentration was broken when she heard a loud crash, and ran towards the noise only to see a bruised and bloody Issei, lay motionless at the bottom of the large crater.
"ISE-SAN!" she screamed as she ran towards him "What happened to you?" Issei opened his eyes slightly and pointed behind Asia, who followed his finger and saw Akeno flying in the air with an enraged scowl adorning her usually smiling face
"Get out of the way Asia!" she yelled at the blonde devil, who stood in front of Issei with her arms spread out
"No! Akeno-san, this isn't like you! Stop this, please!" Asia pleaded
"Fine, don't move. You'll just get hurt alongside him" Akeno shouted as she fired another bolt of lightning. Asia stood in place with her eyes closed in front of Issei
"Asia, make a barrier, quickly." she turned to Issei when he spoke
"B-But I can't! Why don't you make one?" she replied
"I don't have enough energy to make one. You can do it Asia, just concentrate." he said with a smile. Seeing this the girl put on a stern look and faced Akeno again
"I will protect Ise-san, no matter what!" as she spoke the words, a transparent wall appeared between Asia and the thunder, completely blocking the attack. Akeno continued to shoot thunder, but Asia didn't relent and kept the shield active, making her miss Issei standing up behind her.
"Akeno-chan, you can stop now" instantly, her expression morphed from anger to her normal smile
"Hai, Ise-kun" Asia looked between the two confused
"Wh-What's going on?" she asked timidly
"I wanted to find your spark" Issei replied
"My what?"
"Your spark; the thing that drives you. In your case, it was protecting me from harm. So when you want to create a barrier, just imagine that one of us are in danger, and it will drive you to produce a strong barrier." Asia nodded in understanding "Try it now"
"Hai" she then did as Issei said, imagined that her friends were in danger. As soon as the thought sunk in, another barrier appeared from her hands
"Great job Asia-san." he said while rubbing her head, prompting a blush from the blonde "Akeno-chan, can you take over from here? Barrier magic was the only thing I needed to teach her."
"Sure thing, Ise-kun" replied the raven-haired Devil, Issei left after thanking her, on his way to the final training session of the day.
Waiting patiently outside of the mansion was Rias, clad in her red tracksuit. She began to look a little bored after a few minutes of waiting, but her expression brightened considerably when she noticed Issei walking her way.
"Hey there, Rias-san" he said while waving to the red head
"Ohaiyou, Ise-kun."
"First off, I need to test your strength to see what level you're at." Rias nodded "I want you to use only your Power of Destruction." Rias then stood opposite Issei and fired off an attack, which Issei blocked with a single hand causing Rias' eyes to widen 'It didn't even faze him... he batted it away as if he were swatting a fly.' She decided to increase the magic output, hoping that it would be more effective and actually hurt him, but to no avail; no matter what she tried, Issei blocked every attack with ease, and within minutes, Rias was completely exhausted.
Seeing this, Issei shook his head in disappointment "The first problem: you lack control. The other problem: You're negating the destructive force of your family's power" Rias looked at him incredulously
"What do you mean? If I increase the magic output, then the power should increase alongside it, right?"
"Were it normal magic, I would say that you are right. But, it doesn't work that way for the Power of Destruction." Issei waited for Rias to catch her breath before he continued his lecture "The Power of Destruction is, in essence, unstable magic, that's what gives it the destructive aspect. By adding more magic, you are diluting it, so to speak." seeing Rias' confused expression, he sighed and rubbed his forehead "If you had a bicycle with only one wheel, you could say that it's unstable. So what would happen if you added another wheel to the mix?"
"It would become stable?"
"Exactly, it would stabilize. The same could be applied to the Power of Destruction, if you add magic to the instability, it stabilizes, removing the destructive powers."
"How do you know all of this?"
"Fia-chan; I asked her for a book on your family's power." Issei then gestured for her to stand "Enough talking, I want you to show me the Power of Destruction. Create a sphere in your hand and harden it." Rias nodded and closed her eyes to concentrate. Soon, a crimson orb of energy appeared in her palm, and after a few more moments, the orb solidified and Rias opened her eyes, looking slightly strained.
"It's done." Issei picked up the orb and examined it, his left eye glowing slightly as he did "What's happening to your eye?" Rias asked. After a few seconds, the glow died down and instead of answering Rias' question, he produced an orb of blue energy with the same structure as the Power of Destruction. Rias' eyes widened as she looked at the sphere "How can you use the Power of Destruction?"
"I can't, this is just a recreation. It's a little weaker, but it has the same aspects."
"How are you able to do that? Does that mean anyone can use it?"
"Not exactly, Devil magic is always stable, with the exception of your magic of course. Human magic is different, if you removed some of the equations, it would destabilize the magic, so all I had to do was remove the right ones."
"You learned my magic in seconds. Even the best magicians would struggle with that, so how are you able to do it with ease?" Issei rubbed his chin 'I suppose I can tell her.'
"It's because of my mothers bloodline. Before she married my father, her last name was Ambrosius." her eyes widened yet again
"As in... Merlin Ambrosius?"
"Yep. I am a descendant of Merlin."
"So is that why only you can use that sword of yours?" Issei looked at her with a raised eyebrow
"When was the last time you heard of a magician using a sword?"
"Never... Wait, so if it isn't because of your mothers ancestry, then why is it that only you can wield it? Is there something special on your fathers side?" Issei looked slightly conflicted when she asked
"I can't say." was his reply
"Why not?"
"I can't go into specifics, but very few people know about my father's side, and with good reason; if certain people were to find out, then I, along with those close to me, could be in danger."
"Very well, I won't press you about it."
"Thank you. Now, let's get back to training." Rias nodded "You're going to be increasing your magic reserves. Now that you know not to dilute your power, you won't waste any magic." the two continued to spar for the remainder of the two hours, Rias had fought a lot better after she took Issei's advice.
After the day was finished, the Devils and Issei were eating in the dining room... or they would be if they weren't gawking at Issei who was practically inhaling the food
"Ara Ara. Do you like the food Ise-kun?" Akeno asked with a hand on her cheek
"It's delicious Akeno-chan. You'll make a good wife someday." after hearing Issei's reply, Akeno seemed to have stars in her eyes 'Ise-kun's wife...'
"...Ise-san, I made this soup" Asia said while pouting, causing Issei to chuckle
"It's delicious Asia-san, can I have some more?"
"It is? I'm so glad... Then now I can become Ise-san's..."
"Hmm? I couldn't hear that last part. What was that?"
"N-No, nothing! I didn't say anything."
"So, Asia. What have you learned from today's training?" Rias asked the blonde
"Out of everyone, I'm the weakest" she replied, a little downtrodden
"That's true. But Akeno, Yuuto, and Koneko have lots of battle experience even though they have not participated in the game, so they can fight if they get used to it. But you basically don't have any experience yet. Even so, your healing ability is something that can't be ignored. Even the enemy knows that. I want you to have at least the power to run away from the enemy."
"R-Run away? Is it really that hard?"
"Running away is also a part of the strategy. Retreating to form a new formation is also a professional way of battling. There are ways to win a match like that. However, running away with your back facing an enemy is something quite hard. If it's an enemy with roughly the same strength as you, it is easy, but showing your back to an enemy who is far superior to you is basically asking them to kill you. So being able to run away from such enemy will also be the part of your strength. So I have to teach you to run away. Of course, you would probably be sticking with me, but if it gets too rough you'll need to escape." Asia nodded
"Hai, Buchou"
Rias then stood up and snapped her fingers "I know, let's take a bath after the meal. It's an outdoor bath so it's wonderful." everyone simultaneously nodded, agreeing with the idea
"I won't peek, Ise-kun" Kiba said teasingly
"You'd better not!" Issei replied
"Say, Ise-kun. Why not take a bath with us?" Rias said causing him to look at her with wide eyes and a huge blush
"Wh-What? N-No, I-"
"Akeno, what do you think?" she asked her [Queen]
"Ara Ara. A bath with my Ise-kun? It would be just like when we were younger" Rias' eye twitched when she heard Akeno call him hers, but said nothing about it.
"How about you Asia?" the ex-nun blushed brighter than Issei when she was asked
"I-If it's Ise-san, then I don't mind"
"J-Just, wait a sec-"
"Lastly Koneko, what about you?" she looked toward Issei who shook his head, pleading for her to say no. Instead she just smirked in response
"...I don't mind if Ise-sempai joins us." eventhough she was trying to tease Issei, she couldn't fight back the blush the crept onto her face at the thought.
"Let's go, Ise-kun." Rias said as she and Akeno grabbed an arm each and dragged him away, with Asia and Koneko close behind them
"Kiba-kun, a little help?" Issei pleaded. The blond [Knight] held up his hands and laughed
"Sorry, Ise-kun. Have fun"
"Traitor!" Issei shouted as he was dragged to the women's bath
The next day, the Gremory group had skipped the day of training, so Asia and Issei could go over the basics of Devils, Fallen Angels and Angels. "Our greatest enemy. The Angels led by God. What is the name given to the highest rank Angels? Also the ones among them?" Rias had asked Asia
"The members of the Seraph: Michael, Raphael, Gabriel, and Uriel"
"Correct."
"Next is our "Maou"-sama. What are the names of the "Yondai Maou-sama"?" she asked Issei
"Sure thing. First is Sirzechs Lucifer-sama, the strongest Maou. Then, there's Ajuka Beelzebub-sama, he's the one who created the evil pieces. Serafall Leviathan-sama, the Maou in charge of foreign affairs, and the strongest woman in the underworld. Finally, is Falbium Asmodeus-sama, in charge of military affairs."
"C-Correct." Rias said, surprised that Issei knew so much "Then next, I will ask you to say the names of the leaders of the Fallen Angels that you hate the most, Ise-kun."
"What makes you think I hate the Fallen Angels?" Issei asked
"Because they killed Asia, and tried to kill you" Rias replied
"I wouldn't hate a race for the actions of four people" Issei sighed "The main group of the Fallen Angel is called "Grigori". The name of the Governor is "Azazel" and the name of the Vice-governor is "Shemhaza". They are the two that are in charge of the Fallen Angels. The names of the other leaders are Armaros, Barakiel, Tamiel, Benemue, Kokabiel and Shariel." none of them caught the slight edge in his tone when he mentioned Kokabiel's name
"Correct again. While Issei may know them, you should make sure to remember their names Asia." the girl in question nodded and stood up
"Cough. Then now, I, Asia Argento will explain about the basics of the exorcists." she turned bright red when everyone clapped for her "U-Umm. From the place I used to belonged to, there were two types of exorcists. The first type are the ones that appears in films and novels. The father reads a section of the book, then he uses the holy water to get rid of the Devil from the person's body. They exorcists on the "surface" . So the exorcist on the "behind" are the ones that is a threat to us."
Rias continued from where Asia left off "Ise-kun, you also have met him before, but the greatest threat to Devils' are exorcists who received the divine protection from a God or the Fallen Angels. We have been fighting against them for a very long time behind the scene. They come to destroy us with the power of light received from the Angels, and with their physical bodies that they trained to the uttermost limits."
"Now I will talk about the traits of holy water and the Bible. First of all, the holy water. It will be very terrible if a Devil touches it."
"That's true, so you can't touch it as well, Asia-san. Your skin will get harmed." Issei said
"That's right... I can't touch the holy water any more..." she sobbed slightly before continuing "I will tell you how to make one afterwards. I don't know if it will be useful but there are a couple of ways to make them. Next is the Bible. I have been reading it every day since I was a child. But I'm in trouble now because it gives me a pain in the head even if I only read a sentence of it."
"You are a Devil."
"You are a Devil after all."
"...A Devil."
"Ufufu, Devil's receive intense damage."
"Sob, I can't read the Bible any more!" Asia started to sob again when everyone pointed it out to her "However, this is my favourite phrase... Oh God. Please forgive a sinful person like myself who can't read the Bible-au!"
Later on in the night, Issei found himself unable to sleep, so he walked into the kitchen to get a drink, hoping that it would tire him. On his way he noticed Rias with her face buried in a pile of books and papers, but when the red head looked up, she saw Issei "Ara? Your awake?"
"Good evening, Rias-san." Rias was wearing a red negligee while wearing glasses and tied her crimson hair into one.
"Why are you so stiff? Good timing, let's talk for a bit." Issei nodded and sat opposite her
"Huh? Rias-san, do you have bad eyesight?"
"Oh, this? It's just for looks. I can think more clearly while having my glasses on. Fufufu, this is the proof that I have been in the human's world for so long." Rias noticed Issei looking at the many books on the table "…To be honest, the only thing I will get by reading this is to have a peace of mind." she said while making sighing.
"Why is that?"
"If the opponent is another High-class Devil, then we could fight by reading this. This book is written with lots of research. But that isn't the problem."
"His regeneration" Issei answered, getting a look of surprise from Rias, but she just shrugged it off and nodded before continuing her speech
"A long time ago the mystical beast, Phoenix, was looked upon by humans as a bird that governs life. It was so looked upon that it left it legend in many countries in the human world where it's told that the tears of the Phoenix can heal any wounds, and the blood that flows within its body can give eternal youth to those that drink it."
"But there was also another clan that is different from the mystical beast Phoenix. They are the Devils that had the rank of Marquis, and were counted as one of the "72 pillars". The "Phoenix" from the Devils' side." Issei continued for her
"That's right, the humans named the Devils' Phoenix as "Phenex" to distinguish it from the mystical beast Phoenix, however the mystical beast Phoenix has the same ability as Riser's clan. —In other words immortality. That's the opponent we must fight someone against."
"Which is pretty much cheating"
"Yes. They are basically invincible. Even if you attack them, their wounds will heal right away. Their flames won't even leave a bone left. Eight wins and two losses. This is the record that Riser has at the official "Rating Game". He fought ten times and won eight matches. He lost two of the match on purpose as kindness to one of the households he is close to. In reality he won all of his matches. He already became a candidate to obtain a title in the official game."
"I felt something uneasy when I heard that Riser was chosen as my fiancé. Yes, I think Otou-sama and the others chose him in case something like this was to happen. They chose Riser so I will have no choice but to marry him. Even if it becomes a match between households, they knew that there was no way for me to win. In chess you would say they tricked me. A swindle."
"When the Rating Game became popular, the ones who climbed up the most is the House of the Phenex. There weren't that many battles among Devils until the game were introduced. In a game where the [King] also participates, the strength of Phoenix became clearer. The House of Phenex is the leading group among the strongest class. —Immortal. Devils realised how terrifying this power was for the first time."
"You know, it's not like we can't defeat Riser?"
"I know, there are two ways to do it."
"Exactly. One is to beat him down with incredible power and the other one is to keep on taking him down until his mind crushes. The first method requires the strength of a God-class. The second one is to save our stamina until Riser gets his mind crushed. Even if his body is immortal where he can resurrect his body many times, his mind isn't immortal. His mind will definitely tire down every time we defeat him. It's our win if we completely crush down the Phenex's mind. Then he will stop resurrecting and he will fall. Well, the easiest way is to defeat him with a power that is on par with God that crushes him down with one strike which takes down both his body and mind."
"Both options seem pretty tough to do. You don't have access to God-class power, and defeating his mind will also be a challenge." Issei scratched his chin in contemplation "Rias-san..."
"What is it?"
"Why do you hate Riser…no, I know why you hate him, why are you against this marriage?" Rias sighed at his question.
"…I'm a "Gremory"."
"Yes, I know that."
"No. I didn't re-introduce myself. I'm a Devil from the House of Gremory, and that name will follow me to wherever I go."
"Do you hate it?"
"I feel proud of it. However, this is also something that is a burden to me. Everyone looks at me as Rias from the Gremory. I can't have them look at me simply as Rias. That's why I'm enjoying my life in the human world. They don't know about the Gremory the Devil. Everyone looks at me as who I am. I really like that feeling. I never felt something like this in the Devils' society, and I never will now on as well. The only time I can enjoy my life as myself is when I'm in the human world."
"I want to be with someone who will love me as Rias without the fact that I'm a Gremory. That's my small dream I have… Unfortunately, Riser only looks at me as Rias from the Gremory. And he loves me as Rias from the Gremory. That's why I hate it. But still, the pride of being a Gremory is very important. My feelings may be complicated, but I want to cherish this small dream I have."
"It might not mean much, coming from me... I don't know much about Gremory or about the Devils' world, but to me Rias is Rias." when she heard this, her face turned bright red "Rias-san? D-Did I say something weird?" he asked her with a dubious voice
Rias just shook her head and said "I-It's nothing!" while panicking.
"You know, you shouldn't worry so much." Issei said
"Why not?"
"We're only in the second day, and you've all made a lot of progress. You said yourself that this match was set to give you a disadvantage, not only in numbers, but experience too. But by the end of the week your chances will be a lot better."
"Ise-kun... I never thanked you." Issei looked at her with a raised eyebrow
"Thanked me for what?"
"For helping us. You could have been doing something else this week, but instead you chose to help." Issei turned to her with a serious expression
"I know we had a bit of a rocky start... But over the month or so that I have known you, I've really had fun. I gladly consider you guys as friends, they can be rare these days." he said wistfully
"Really? From what I've seen at school, you're quite popular amongst the girls. I'm sure you have had some friends in the past."
"...Not exactly... Kuoh Academy is the first school I've been to, I was home schooled for the majority of my life. Since I didn't go to a school, I never really met any other kids. The only friend I had was Akeno-chan, but I'm sure she told you what happened." Rias nodded, but before she could say anything, Issei stood up "It's getting late... I should get to bed. Goodnight, Rias-san."
"Goodnight" she replied. Rias simply sat in her place as she watched Issei walk away, and began to think about the words that Issei had said to her 'I wonder... If I have a shot with him'
{Time Skip - 7 days later}
Issei was now in the underworld, standing in Sirzechs' office alongside Grayfia as he was reporting to them about the training trip.
"So, Ise-kun. How did they do?" Sirzechs asked
"They all did really well, some even exceeded my expectations." Issei replied "That reminds me..." he then retrieved the book he had borrowed from his pocket dimension "...thanks for the book Fia-chan." he then passed the book to Grayfia, who bowed and left the room to return the book to the library.
"Do you think she can win tomorrows fight?" Issei frowned and turned away
"Honestly... I don't. They've all grown stronger, but I don't think they are strong enough..." Sirzechs' looked saddened when he heard this
"I... I see... Ise-kun" when he turned back, he recoiled when he saw the Crimson Satan bowing to him "Please... Please help my sister, I beg of you! If you join her peerage, then I have no doubt you will be victorious"
"Sirzechs... I'm sorry... But I don't want to become a servant..."
"...What if you could join her peerage, without being classed as a servant? Would you help her?"
"Without any hesitation" he replied with a stern expression.
"Hmm..." Sirzechs smirked with a devious expression, causing Issei to narrow his eyes at the Maou, wondering what he was thinking of. However, his thoughts quickly changed to Rias' coming battle; the thought of his friends being chained down by an arrogant chicken sickened him. So he decided then and there, that he would do anything he could to help Rias.
DONE! Finally. Took over two weeks to do, but I did it! Again, really sorry for the huge delay, but I was really busy. Hopefully there won't be another one any time soon. Anyways hope you enjoyed. R&R! Shadow Out!
