Chapter 20
Issei´s group - currently in the newest parallel world they had travelled to
Issei was lying in his tent. Hopefully by tomorrow they would manage to find this `Sha´, that Gaeriel had been talking about and give their location to the Guardian´s headquarters.
They actually had a discussion about how to go on from here about an hour ago. Should they contact headquarters and ask for reinforcements? Or should they try to confront the Sha by themselves? Like Gaeriel, most of them thought that this was a really stupid idea.
Raynare for her part had made her opinion on the matter quite clear.
xxxxxxx
A few hours earlier
"Let me make this clear," she had stated, "I am a fighter for the Grigori. My duty here is to help you explore other realities - like this one - and bring information about them back to Lord Azazel. That and to maintain a connection to the Guardians- that you two are part of, Issei-kun and Gaeriel.
Not to fight cosmic threats to these worlds. Like that group of engineered super humans here. I am not a fucking superhero... and not a supervillain either. I might have done some things I regret now," she said with a side-glance at Asia, "but I have done them for the sake of the Fallen Angels... and only that."
"I hate to admit it, but Raynare-chan has a point," Irina stated. "The Church wanted me and Xenovia here for a similar reason. Still, if these SHA are a danger for the people on this world, I feel that we should help them."
"I feel the same way," Asia told them.
"What part of `we are badly outnumbered´ did you two not understand?" Raynare responded. "We can help them far better when we just wait for reinforcements and then let them do the job. You know? the `experts´ - the guys who have actual experience with these SHA's."
In opposite to what some people might claim, Raynare was not a coward. A coward wouldn´t have willingly accepted a mission that required her to work completely alone in Devil territory. A coward wouldn´t have been walking around right under the nose of the enemy, observing a Sacred Gear user... and then later deciding to kill him with said enemy close by - as much as she by now regretted the last part.
But that didn´t mean that she was suicidal enough to charge headfirst to an enemy they knew nothing about, while being outnumbered at least five to one.
[I have to say I agree with Gaeriel and Raynare,] Ddraig said, loud for all to hear. [While my pride as a Dragon certainly told me to face this enemy, we just don´t know enough about this group.]
"That doesn´t exactly sound like the battle-hungry Red Dragon Emperor of legend," Kalawarner commented drily.
[I had once run foolishly into a fight, Fallen Angel. Do you know what happened?] he responded. [I ended up being sealed into this Sacred Gear.]
"Rushing into a battle without knowing the full picture can easily lead to defeat." Irina was hearing a voice coming from her own sword. "No matter how powerful you are."
"It seems Merlin agrees with you," she stated, after a short look at her Excalibur, that was now radiating a mysterious glow... as always when she or Xenovia contacted the soul-shards that were bounded to their weapons.
"But what if they... what if they kill someone while we are waiting?" Asia questioned.
"Okay, we do it like we had proposed. We just locate them at first and then send their location to headquarters. And let them deal with them. When we see that someone is in direct danger, we will interfere ourselves," Issei declared. "Does everyone agree with this?"
"I for my part have sworn to protect the universe," the Green Lantern named Silar told them. "But this isn´t my home-universe. I agree. Unless we realize that something dangerous is going to happen, we will wait."
Raynare gritted her teeth.
"Damn it. Being a cold-hearted bitch was so much easier. Here you see what you have done to me Issei-kun," she told him jokingly.
He only smiled at her warmly at her comment.
xxxxxxx
Now
Thinking back about this little exchange, he was smiling once again. It were such small things, when he truly realized how much Raynare - Yuuma - had changed for the better. And he was happy to have given her a second chance.
He knew that several of his counterparts across the multiverse couldn´t bring themslves to do that. A few actually allowed Rias Gremory to kill her. He however - he admitted the thought made him sick. He, right now could not even comprehend of not forgiving her.
Knowing people like Crocel, Kokabiel or Freed Selzen, he knew now what true evil was. And he knew Raynare wasn´t like them.
He also knew that this versions of him ended up traumatized for years to come because of all what happened, while he actually had her around, had the chance to talk things out and come to terms with everything. So in opposite to these doubles of him, he clearly had drawn the better lot.
Being who he was, Issei of course also used his time to fantasize a bit about his other female teammates.
But as he suddenly heard the entrance of the tent being opened, he realized that he had a visitor.
"Gaeriel? What are you doing here?" he asked. She was in her `civilian form´, he noticed... instead of the leathern battle-gear that she materialized when they were on missions - the aequivalent of what her `Yuuma form´ was to Raynare.
"I am only here so we can do what you have been talking about for months," she said `innocently´. "Issei, really... a girl comes into your tent at night and you actually ask her what she wants? Really, what kind of a pervert are you?" she asked him suggestively.
For a few moments he was only staring at her.
"Maybe I should make it more easy for you," she told him and begann to open her blouse... revealing her quite impressive breasts to him, that were still covered in a black bra. "Now?" she asked him.
I see," he smiled. "You are really serious about this?"
"Yes. I am. Issei, during the last few months, I have come to care about you deeply," she responded. "And - and I know that you will always be there for me. Even after all the shit that you had found out about, what I have done... you are still holding onto me."
"Of course I do. That is all in the past, right? And I know that you are really trying to make up for it. Beside's, I have forgiven Raynare, right? So how could I blame you?"
"But you love Raynare," she pointed out.
"I do," he said, "... but I care about you as well. You have always been there for me. You have always helped me from the beginning. You were my friend. Without you I would have been lost."
Before he even fully realized it, Gaeriel already moved forward, pressed her body against his and started to kiss him.
"Don´t say something like that," she told him. "It was my task to help you. But you - you just... did it... all on your own," she said while they were kissing.
She opened her bra and freed her breasts completely. Issei, of course, grabbed them instantly and started to kneed and fondle them. That caused her to moan a bit.
She reached out to Issei´s trousers, opened them and stroked his member, before taking it out. He was already hard and she could see that what the other girls had said about his size was truly not an understatement.
Gaeriel knew she was joining a harem that already consisted of three current members. And a few more candidates in the waiting. But right now she didn´t care about this at all.
She knew some people would probably say she lacked pride as a woman to actually willingly become a member of a harem. Gaeriel saw that differently. At least he cared about every single one of them and showed it, unlike... `him´.
There were much worse things than sharing a man - a boy - with others. She would know that. She had allowed one man to use and manipulate her for his own agenda... and turn her into a murderer. But Issei had still accepted her after finding out about her past. Even after she, with one bullheaded move to defeat Alyk, had nearly gotten them all killed, he and the others didn´t hold it against her.
She lifted up her skirt and pulled down her panties, before she positioned herself above Issei´s lap and his dick. Her quite disleveled brown hair was falling around her face and over her shoulders, while she was looking at him with her big round violet eyes.
A quite erotic sight, as Issei thought.
"Now fuck me," she whispered to him. "Don´t hold anything back." She impaled herself on him with one quick move.
Issei happily complied and fucked her hard, while she was sitting on his lap. He felt Gaeriel´s walls clenching around him as he moved inside her vagina. For a moment the thought crossed his mind that that bastard Crocel had done the same with her, had been at the same place - felt the same thing. The very idea unsettled him somewhat.
But, he would never treat her like that guy did, Issei told himself.
"Hey, are you two done with each other soon?" they heard a voice coming from just outside the tent. "Others are waiting out here for their turn and are getting more and more hornier."
"Kalawarner?" Issei asked in surprise.
The other Fallen Angel opened the zipper of the entrance and stepped inside.
"Yes, I have been waiting here for a while now. I wanted to make a... well visit, to you this evening. But as it turned out, Gaeriel had the same idea and was there first," she explained.
"Don´t tell me you have fallen in love with me too?" he said a bit perplexed.
"Fallen in love? No, I it isn´t as serious with me," she replied . "I am just... curious," she admitted with a smirk. "I have heard the other girls talk about you sometimes. How good you have become from doing it with them nearly every day... and how big you are. So I fear, I just want to try out your dick," she said grinning... while opening a jacket and her bra and letting her large breasts hanging out.
"Beside that," she whispered quietly to him, while she lifted up her miniskirt and slipped out of her panties, "I really like doing it with young boys. It makes me feel attractive, as if myself were still a young girl."
Issei, after hearing her confession, grew even harder - just like Kalawarner had intended with her words - and much to Gaeriel´s joy, who was still riding him.
"You slut," she commented between moans. She was however not really in a strong position with her argument, since she still had Issei´s penis inside her.
"Are you really in a position to talk?" Kalawarner asked. "I have to say, you might not have fallen through sin, but you are certainly living up to it. Tell me, how is it to be ravished by a boy less than a tenth your age? Does it feel good?"
"Issei," Gaeriel said to him. "Can you, can you still go on?" she asked.
"You-you can count on it," he said, while he thrusted into her once more, causing another moan.
"Then ahh... could you do me a favor? Could you fuck this little bitch so hard that she won´t walk straight tomorow?" she asked him with a grin... that was `surprisingly´ mirrored by Kalawarner herself.
Issei smiled. This was just going great, better than he had even dreamed about. He admitted he was the most luckiest pervert on the face of the planet - even if he technically wasn´t on his planet right now.
He instantly pulled out of Gaeriel, stood up and walked over to Kalawarner. She got a look at his size and was by far not disappointed.
Then Issei pulled her to himself. He roughly kneeded her breasts with his left hand and grabbed her ass with the other.
"So big," he whispered, looking at her boobs.
"Strange, I just wanted to say the same thing," Kalawarner commented, taking his dick in her hand and caressing his balls with the other.
At the same time, Issei let one of his fingers gliding into her pussy.
"Y-you realized that I said this on purpose, right? This is exactly what I had intended," Kalawarner pointed out.
Issei pushed her on the ground, on all four and positioned himself behind her.
"Of course," he replied, "and now you are getting what you have asked for."
He thrust into her deeply with one stroke. Kalawarner cried out a bit from the sudden intrusion.
"I am sorry. I hope this didn´t hurt too much," he whispered to her. "But I promised Gaeriel to be rough with you and... well, this is what you wanted. Do you like it?" he asked, while he thrusted inside her hard a few more times.
"Y-yes," she called out in pleasure.
"Issei... please," Gaeriel said to him. She took a place right next to him and he pushed his fingers inside her pussy, while he had his other arm around Kalawarner´s shoulders and was squeezing her oversized breasts, as he was fucking her from behind.
xxx
Outside, the rest of their small camp was in fact still awake. The were all sitting side by side, in a short disance away.
"Is this normal with you?" Silar asked. She was sitting just next to Raynare, Irina and Asia. The were all hearing the noises coming from Issei´s tent.
"For the most part, yes," Irina replied.
"But normally it is us, who Issei-kun is doing it with," Asia stated.
In this moment they heard loud moaning and then a shout, obviously coming from Kalawarner, out of the tent.
"All of you at once?" Silar asked.
"Well, not always. But quite often, yes," Irina answered, blushing.
"It seems however that Gaeriel wants to join our little harem as well," Raynare commented. "And Kalawarner wants to have a turn too as it seems. So we decided to leave him to them for this night."
"I have to say the mating practices seemed to be quite different than on the Earth I know about," the alien woman said.
"Well, I admit, we might not exactly be standard," Raynare replied. "But at least in the Supernatural World, there are many not different from us."
"But I will not, be expected to join this... ahm harem of yours as well, just because I am travelling with you, right? Or will I?" Silar questioned.
For a split-second the Fallen Angel looked at her in open surprise about her question. Until she remembered that the woman had probably knows only a superficial knowledge of Earth's customs... and the Earth in question was not even theirs. Then she broke out into wild laughter.
"That is rich," Raynare exclaimed. "No - unless of course you want to, then we can talk about it." She giggled.
Irina and Asia were laughing as well, even if they were trying to hold herself back, especially Asia.
"That was a completely justified question," the alien said, her face in a deeper shade of purple than a moment before. "How I am supposed to know about this perverted customs in your world?"
This caused all of them - especially Raynare - only to laugh even harder.
They heard another scream coming from Kalawarner, mixed with a moan that sounded like it was from Gaeriel.
xxx
A few seconds after she had orgasmed with a loud cry, Issei felt himself tightening and came inside Kalawarner and then let her sink to the ground. He and both Fallen Angels were breathing heavily.
"It-it seems you have learned a bit with Raynare and the others," Kalawarner panted. "I hope this isn´t over yet," she said, looking at his now limb member.
"I hope the same," Gaeriel stated. "After all, we still need to continue with what we were doing."
"Just give me a few moments," he replied. "Believe me, I don´t think about stopping yet." He grinned.
After around 20 minutes, they continued for another round... until they decided it was time to quit, since they needed to sleep, to be ready for the next day.
xxxxxxx
The next morning they continued on their way where they had detected the source of the greatest dimensional breach, the place where they knew they would find the SHA.
A short time later, they began to sense supernatural energies in the area. They had found them. But they realized soon that the SHA weren´t the only ones they had found.
They saw it as they were looking down from a small hill. Below them was a clearing, obviously created by the impact of the object they saw in it´s center... a space-ship, just like Gaeriel and the Green Lantern had said.
But another thing surprised them even more than that. They had found the SHA. But as it looked, they were already in a fight with `someone else´ -if you could call it that.
And the people they were fighting against were nobody else than Issei Hyoudou, Irina Shidou, Xenovia Quarta and Kiba Yuuto.
"What the hell?" Issei stated.
"It seems our doubles have actually found them before us," Irina said. "This have to be our selves from this world."
"Yours and Issei´s at least," Raynare commented. "Who would have thought that your own counterparts were looking for them as well. So these are the SHA," she stated, looking at the Exorcist group´s opponents.
"But this down there are not only them," Gaeriel said. She recognized it nearly instantly, because unlike the others, she had actually seen SHA warriors before.
They saw that she was right. At least five of the opponents, the native Issei and his team were fighting, were actually Sacred Gear users.
xxxxxxx
20 minutes before
It was a short time earlier, that the Exorcist group, had found what they were looking for.
Now they were only standing there with open mouths.
"I-Issei-kun, is that what I think it is?" `Irina´ asked completely perplexed.
"A space-ship... a UFO... this is just..." `Xenovia´ murmured.
"It seems so," `Kiba´ said quietly... as well not quite believing what he saw.
"D-does that mean we are dealing with Aliens?" `Xenovia´ questioned.
"It seems the Church had a good reason to send us here," `Issei´ said.
Then suddenly, they were sensing the foreign presences that were coming from everywhere around them. They had been surrounded... and they had not even realized it until now.
"The Church you say?" they heard a voice coming from the woods behind them. "Thank you for giving us that information."
As they turned around, they saw that it was a man, maybe in his early thirties, with brown hair. He certainly didn´t look like an alien. That was for sure. He was closely followed by a half dozen others. They all were wearing identical looking, black and red colored leathers clothes... uniforms, they realized.
"Who are you?" `Xenovia´ asked.
"This is a complicated story... and I fear it would take too much time to explain it all to you now," one of the strangers, a dark haired young woman, stated. "What you should know however, is that we have orders to eliminate everybody who breaches our parameter. In other words. You have come too close, so you have to die." She raised her hand... and sparks of electricity began suddenly to spread through her fingers.
A moment later she fired lightning at them from her bare hands.
`Irina´ and `Xenovia´ used their Holy Swords to try to block it and succeeded... barely. But that didn´t mean that the attack didn´t cause some damage. They had both visible burns on their clothes and also their skin.
`Issei´ could feel anger coming up inside him as he saw the state of his two friends. He materialized both, his Boosted Gear and summoned the sword Ascalon, that had been given to him by Michael, at the Peace Meeting. He also activated his `other´ power. And he was ready to use them against his opponents.
But in the next moment something else happened. A lock opened on the metal structure, that they had already concluded was a crashed space-ship... and a line of figures came flying out.
"Wait," one of them addressed the fighters who had surrounded the Exorcists. The one who spoke was a tall man, who seemed to be their leader.
"As I told you, our offer to work together would lead to interesting results," he said to a dark haired young man, who was closest to him. "You see, the Church has already send someone after us... and given us a few interesting candidates in the process."
"You talk as if it is an accomplishment to have the Church sending someone after you," the young man replied.
"It is, if you proof that you can deal with them easily," the leader of the strangers replied. "Or even better, if you are able to draw them to your side. "And these four certainly have potential."
He turned to `Issei´ and his friends.
"May I introduce myself. I am Kheron, Commander of the SHA Empire. As you have certainly guessed, I and my warriors are not from this world. But we are still human. Only with some small, well, modifications."
"If you are human, how can you not be from this world?" Kiba´s double asked.
Kheron only smiled.
"In simple words - We come, as you would call it, from another dimension, another reality. Our ancestors came indeed from Earth, but not the Earth of this world," he explained.
They were looking at the man, watching for any sign that he was joking.
"We came here by accident, as you can probably guess by the state of our ship. but we have seen and are appalled by the state humanity is in, in this reality," Kheron stated.
"You have to know what he is talking about, right? as servants of the Church," the young man next to him added. "You must have seen how humanity is being subjugated and exploited for their own end by supernatural beings of all factions. How they were being held down by them."
"And who are you?" Xenovia asked him.
"Oh right? I forgot. May I introduce myself?" he said. "I am Cao Cao, the leader of the Hero Faction. And these are Georg, Jeanne," he pointed to a tall dark haired man with glasses and then at the only woman in his team, a young girl with blonde hair, "Siegfried and Heracles," he gestured to the last members. "They are descandants of the real heroes of their names and like myself, they want to have humanity break free from their shackles and rise again," he ended his small speech.
Those words certainly hit a nerve on Issei. He knew exactly what they were talking about. Actually, he agreed with much of it. But that didn´t mean that this people here were the good guys.
"Tell me, the family we have found slaughtered a few miles from here. Were you responsibe for this?" he wanted to know.
The frown on Kheron´s and Cao Cao´s faces were barely visible, but it was there.
"So you know about this," Kheron commented. "I guess that means we won´t come to an agreement?"
"With murderers like you? Never," `Kiba´ replied. "We might agree with some of what you say, but we will never agree with that."
"How unlucky... for both of us," Kheron answered sadly. "Especially for you. Kill them," he ordered his men. "Unless of course, you have still use for them?" He turned to his ally.
"No, I agree with your decision," Cao Cao said, while materializing his Sacred Gear, that had the form of a spear. "They are just too much of a liability right now, for the plan you had suggested. Sadly, in any other case, I would have gladly taken the time to convince them of our cause."
Kheron fired a beam of energy at them from his bare hand. Issei lifted up Ascalon, trying to block it and concentrated all his power. But the strength of the attack was incredible. His Sacred Gear gave him a boost and he was finally able to send the blast into another direction.
His friends, he saw, were already struggling with some of Kheron´s soldiers, who had charged them at the same moment their leader had started the fight.
Cao Cao, he noticed, just gave his comrades a nod, and the members of the Hero Faction joined them as well.
Issei knew they had no chance. They were completely and hopelessly outmatched. He knew that since Kheron´s first attack. If his warriors had only half they power that their commander did...?
In this moment Cao Cao appeared right next to him. He had moved so fast that Issei´s eyes could barely follow him. His spear was raised up and now glowing with a powerful energy, ready to strike his opponent down. Their was no time to turn around and use Ascalon to block it. And even then, he wasn´t sure if even the Holy Sword would have been able to block this kind of weapon was that?
Issei was barely able to avoid the blow. He could sense, if it had hit him, it would have most likely been his end.
"I have of course heard of you Issei Hyoudou," Cao Cao stated. "Your victory over Kokabiel is known to everyone after all. I had actually hoped to recruit you."
"Not if you are willingly cooperating with a group who kills innocent people and children," Issei replied.
"Kheron contacted me and offered us a plan that might enable us to reach our goals," Cao Cao shrugged. "We are working with him to reach that goal - and for as long as it is promising for our group. That is all."
"That is all?" Issei repeated angrily.
"Yes," Cao Cao responded, attempting another strike.
Issei concentrated all of his powers into his blade and activated his Balance Breaker. He exchanged a few blows with his opponent and his spear. But he could see on Cao Cao´s expression, that he was still not completely serious, while Issei was giving all he had.
"This weapon here, if you want to know, is the True Longinus - the spear that ended the life of Jesus Christ - the strongest of all Longinus Gears," Cao Cao told him with a smile on his face. "Even with all the power you possess, you have no chance."
Meanwhile Kheron was now facing Kiba - his appearance had somehow changed. It looked as if his entire body had turned into metal... while his eyes now glowed in a crimson red. He and his warriors clearly possessed supernatural powers, very strong ones. Kheron himself seemed to be able to change the structure of his body at will, not to mention shoot very powerful blasts from his hands.
But he didn´t see that, even one of them used a Sacred Gear or something similar. It came all from themselves. Issei remembered Kheron´s words. Was it truly possible to modify humans to possess powers like this? just from birth and training?
Irina and Xenovia were fighting two of the Sacred Gear users, who followed Cao Cao. Most of the others were just standing around them, not getting involved in the fight.
"Yes, you are truly `worthy´," Kheron said. "It is a shame that we need to get rid of you."
Issei knew that was the only reason they were still alive. It seemed their leaders wanted a `good fight´. But their opponents could always just change their minds and finish them off in full force. They needed to get out of here.
In the next moment Cao Cao suddenly did something unextected. His Sacred Gear, that he so far had only used at short range, suddenly formed a long blade of light, that reached over the entire distance between them and was still extending.
Issei senses told him in the last split-second to try to dodge, before the light-blade - that cut right through his scale armor - was stabbed into his shoulder. Without his instincts, it would have pierced his heart instead.
xxxxxxx
Now
They were watching how Issei´s, Irina´s, Xenovia´s and Kiba´s doubles were still desperately trying to hold their own. The only reason they were still standing was that only a small number of their opponents were actually fighting them, they all saw.
The only good thing was, that so far nobody seemed to have noticed them, since they were all concentrating on the ongoing fight.
"They are as good as dead," Raynare stated.
"They are," Gaeriel confirmed, "and this is not even all of the crew they are facing."
"We need to save them," Issei said.
"You are serious about this?" Raynare questioned.
"Yes. This are basically me, Irina, Xenovia and Kiba down there. We can not just let them die... and you know that," he added, seeing her expression.
"Gaeriel, can you prepare a portal to bring us out of here, at the right moment we have them?" he asked.
"Yes. But that is still no guarantee that we won´t get killed before we have the chance to use it," she replied.
The next moment they saw Issei´s double getting stabbed.
"Damn, it looks as if I actually am a fucking hero now," Raynare commented.
xxx
`Issei´ who had just been stabbed by the True Longinus light-blade, went to his knees. His Balance Breaker armor vanished around him. If he had been a Devil or another dark creature, he would have already been dead. The Spear would have annihilated him. But as what he was, a human and a servant of the Church, he was able to survive at least the contact.
"It was a good fight Issei Hyoudou, but you have underestimated both me and my weapon," Cao Cao told him.
The next moment, however, something happened that nobody would have expected.
Suddenly another Issei Hyoudou and Irina Shidou, accompanied by three Fallen Angels and a strange alien woman, surrounded by a green light, came flying on the battlefield. This Issei activated his own Balance Breaker, while the Fallen Angels showed their six and in the other two cases, four wings.
For a second, even Cao Cao could only stare with an open mouth at what he saw.
The entire group attacked at once, directed at both the SHA and the members of the Hero Faction. Issei´s Dragonshot, accompanied by a volley of powerful light-spears, forced the fighters who had surrounded the Exorcist group to draw back. The purple skinned alien meanwhile materialized weapons and large objects out of thin air, that forced the remaining opponents to draw back.
Issei had reached his wounded double. He was closely flanked by Raynare and Gaeriel, who was carrying Asia.
"What the Hell," that was all that the other Issei could say when he saw who had just rescued him.
Kalawarner and Irina had at the same time helped the native Irina and Xenovia to free themselves from their opponents, before the completely surprised SHA and Sacred Gear users even fully knew how to react.
Issei, on the other hand, send out another Dragonshot in the direction of Kheron, who had stopped fighting Kiba´s double and instead turned his attention to them.
"Gaeriel, can you activate the portal?" he asked. The other came just running to them.
"Yes," she answered.
"Good, then let's get out here," he said... as it formed itself in the air before them. "Come with us," he said to Irina´s double, who was still completely shocked by what was just happening - and by this person who looked exactly like Issei.
A second later - after they all had quickly moved through the portal - they were back in the home-dimension of the Guardians, in front of the same large complex where they had been training for two weeks.
"Where are we?" `Xenovia´ asked confused.
"At a safe Haven," Gaeriel answered. "We will explain everything to you. But first, let's get inside. Asia, would you please help Issei´s double."
She didn´t needed to be told and had in fact already been moving to do that as the Fallen Angel had told her. She raised her hand, activated her Sacred Gear and after a few moments the wound disappeared. The energy coming from the Longinus Spear seemed to have stalled the reaction a bit, but it had worked.
"Twilight Healing," Xenovia commented. "Don´t tell me you are Asia Argento?"
"I am, but not the one you are thinking about," she said quietly, looking at the two Issei´s and Irina´s.
"We have other things to worry about right now," Raynare stated. "For example, what to do about those two groups of lunatics in your world."
"Our world, you mean...?" the second `Issei´ asked.
But as soon as the entered the entrance hall, they were faced with an even greater surprise. They had expected to meet some of the other Guardians from the other teams, or maybe some of their leaders.
Instead before them was standing a large group... consisting of yet a third Issei and Irina, another Raynare, two Rias Gremorys and Sona Sitri´s with several peerage members, of that several were here twice and several other people. They could also see two Xenovias and Kibas. Than meant also three of him present. Beside that they could also see Sirzechs Lucifer, Serafall and Azazel standing under the group.
What the hell is going on here?
At the side of the hall, they noticed Darien and next to him was Murayama.
"And I thought this situation could not get any more insane," the Issei they had just brought along from his homeworld stated.
"You," the new Issei, who they didn´t know yet, suddenly hissed, as he saw one of their group. Several of the others were also looking angry or even reaching to their weapons.
But surprisingly, it was not Raynare, Kalawarner or even one of the counterparts they had taken along, who caused this reaction. It was Gaeriel.
"By your reaction, I guess you have met another version of me?" she questioned. "And the meeting didn't exactly go well?"
"You can say that," `Issei´ responded grimly.
"I apologize for all my counterpart might have done to you," she said. "But I assure you, I won´t do the same."
"I can guarantee you, Gaeriel is a good friend and has always been trustworthy," Issei told them. "Whatever one of her other selves did, she is not the same."
He saw that his double and the others seem to have calmed down. He asked himself what this other Gaeriel might have done - especially since his counterparts version of Raynare was standing right next to him and he didn´t seem to mind at all.
"What is this anyway. Were you already looking to replace us? The mission was not that dangerous," Raynare commented sarcastically.
"It is nice to know that I am just as snarky in this world as in ours, right Issei-kun," her double remarked. "Kalawarner, it´s good to see you again," she greeted the counterpart of her old friend, "and good to know that you are alive in this world."
"Yea... sure," the other Fallen Angel replied a bit insecure.
"This isn´t a joke," Darien spoke up. "These people here came travelling from one of the other realities, the future of that universe. There is a lot you should talk with them about."
xxxxxxx
Somewhere `far away´
In yet another universe... that had nothing to do with the events so far - things in the town of Kuoh were going on as usual. The human population was living their lives, not aware at all that their town was actually being controlled by Devils. Like they didn´t know about the other supernatural beings either.
Here, in this moment, a unsuspiciously looking man was standing on a sidewalk close to the park and watching a certain place - that happened to be a comic and video-shop.
Nobody would have known that this man was actually a supernatural being. But not a Devil, but something else... something related but different. A sort of creature that had no been seen in this world for centuries and even longer in many other realities.
He saw that his target had just left the shop. This target was one, quite regular - not to say average - looking girl, a human girl... a girl with the name:
"Rias," her `friend´ who had closely followed her, just called out her name as she had left the building.
"I told you Akeno, leave me alone," she said irritated.
This Rias, was quite different from nearly all of her dimensional counterparts. Instead of red, her hair was brown. Her figure was different - or, to say it plainly, her breasts were so small that she barely had any to speak of. She was wearing glasses. And the most glaring difference -she was human. But at a closer look, her features were clearly the ones of the Devil Rias Gremory.
This was also the reason that a certain supernatural being was currently watching her, from an unsuspecting distance. Something that would have seriously creeped her out, if she had known about it.
"Now, what is with you today Rias?" this dimension´s version of Akeno Himejima - who was obviously getting on her nerves - asked her. In opposite to the girl next to her, she was nearly the same as in most other worlds, a Fallen Angel hybrid.
"Is it because you haven´t gotten this dvd you wanted?" she questioned. "Or is it maybe because Issei-kun wasn´t paying attention to you?" she teasingly said the name of the guy Rias - no, actually both of them - had a crush on.
"Akeno... I-I told you to shut up," Rias called out angrily.
The man who had been watching them both, followed them walking down the street... and then took another direction. As soon as he had reached an empty alley, he formed a magic-circle and transported himself out of the town.
xxx
He reappeared in an unpopulated area. As soon as he was alone, he dropped his human appearance.
Two demonic looking bat-like wings materalized on his back, very similar to the ones of a Devil. But only that. Two small horns had appeared on the sides of his forehead and his fingelnails had become long and sharp like talons.
Despite not actually being a member of their race, he was looking like the picture of a Devil out of literature, quite ironic. Or more likely, it was no wonder. Since, if asked, this being would consider himself to be a `true´ Devil... and the ones who were currently carrying the name to be imposters.
The creature formed another magic-circle, one for communication.
"Yes?" A voice was to hear.
"Lord Pazuzu," the `man´ greeted the being on the other end.
"Ah, Heeron, your report?" he asked.
"As suspected, the so called Three Factions are indeed weakened in this world, compared to a few centuries ago - or compared to most other realities that were considered as possible targets," the man stated. "But this is countered by the existence of several magic and supernatural guilds and also free magicians under the humans, who form a great factor of power."
"I see, who would have thought that our most powerful opponent in this universe would be the humans?" the being named Pazuzu said somewhat amused. "Your final verdict?" he asked.
"The defense of this world as a whole is still strong. Beside that, it would be hard to truly concentrate on our main targets. While they themselves are weaker as in other realities, there is a great risk of the factions of this world forming an alliance once more. As a whole my verdict is that there are more promising targets out there," Heeron stated.
"Good. I came to the same conclusion," Lord Pazuzu replied. "What about the anomalies you have reported?"
"I just come back from observing subject X-02. There is no doubt. The subject being called Rias Greymore, from the MacGreymore family, is human. But otherwise identical with the Devil Rias Gremory."
"As expected. I guess we know that reason for that by now, right? It is kind of fascinating what these creatures are willing to do, when they think it serves their own end, isn´t it?" Pazuzu remarked.
"Should I eliminate her, My Lord? While she might not be a member of our degenerated offshot in this world, we both know that she should have been. And it should be quite easy," Heeron offered.
"But she isn´t alone, isn´t she? Didn´t the report say that she was under the protection of a strong mage? What was his name again?"
"Issei Hyoudou, My Lord, a magician and Sacred Gear user."
"Then let it be. It wouldn´t be worth the effort of the risk to yourself," Pazuzu stated. "When you have finished your observation return to our base. As you said, there are more fitting targets out there."
The reality with the human Rias at the end of the chapter was offered to me by Hellsender and the entire concept of that world is based on his own ideas.
Beside that, the last part was also introducing a new major enemy, who will play an important role in the following story-arcs. If you pay close attention, the existence of this opponent was already hinted in Crocel´s story from chapter 15.
xxx
Pazuzu in the real world mythology, is a assyrian/babylonian Demon. He is often assoziated with storm and drought. (He is also the Demon from `The Exorcist´.)
xxx
The chapter title is based on the fact that there are three Isseis appearing in it, who meet up in the end.