The Red Dragon of Golden Light

by Nosferatu869

In the time Issei spends with Tannin on the mountain, he realizes many things about himself. He cannot accomplish anything the way he is. He must change. He has failed before but this time is different. This time he will become a proper Sekiryuutei. But change is something that happens naturally. Change is growth. Forcing that change upon yourself can have certain...consequences.

25. Chapter 25: Hyoudou Issei

Alright guys, Hyoudou Issei is back! We're starting out fresh with a new Omake chapter. However, if you know anything about me, you know that even my Omake chapters have significance and meaning to the story. It will almost never be worthless filler with nothing in it. I just can't resist trying to put in some character or plot developments when I have the chance. So even though it's an Omake it will character and plot developments. Mainly character development. But this is just to give a little in between for before we get to Asgard. Speaking of which:

Next chapter is Asgard! Alright, I'm seriously hyped for this because this is something I've been waiting for. I've been building up this shit for quite a bit and without a doubt it is going to be the best and most epic chapter of this story. If not the best, then 100% the most epic and crazy one. Asgard is going to be another "Milestone Chapter" after all. So it has MAJOR significance in the story. Some MAD shit is gonna happen. Trust me. It should definitely match up, if not easily surpass, the Sports event chapter in terms of crazy shit. And considering that it's all original you guys have no idea what to expect. So all I can tell you is: New interesting enemies, creative abilities, crazy fights, and major developments. So basically, expect insanity.

To believe that the next "Milestone Chapter" is literally right after the previous one (separated by Omake) is crazy. Issei's life is fucking rowdy bro he really gets no breaks. Oh, well, except for this chapter. Kinda. Lmao.

Also, all of my stories ended up being up receiving the [DOUBLE FEATURE] treatment. Which means every one of my stories were updated twice in only a few days. Even though I said it wasn't supposed to become a trend…..sigh….What a fuck, huh? So, that's why there was a serious delay.

[Plus, A Fool's Heart actually received a legendary "TRIPLE FEATURE", with 3 chapters in quick succession. Don't expect that to ever happen again. I was just insane for a moment.]

---

-SCENE-

…..

A storm. Before my eyes, was nothing but an outrageous sandstorm.

—FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHH!

I couldn't see more than two feet in front of me. No. That's not it. I'm caught in a desert storm. I'm in the middle of a desert. That's why I can't see. Because even if I could see, all I would see is a sea of sand before me. I don't know why I knew this. Somehow, I felt it in my bones. I knew it subconsciously.

Why am I here? Where am I? Have I been transported somewhere? Is this real?

These are the questions that ran through my mind. But they didn't matter. Because I know that none of these questions can be answered. All I know, is that now I have one last question, the most important one.

—Who are those people?

Ahead of me, straight ahead - maybe 10 meters away, there were 4 figures standing far in front of me. No, wait. 3 of them were floating. A trio of 3 (women?) in robes, floating a few meters in the air with feathered wings spread out, to the left. Wings resembling those of Angels, but somehow I knew they were not. They were something greater. And the last thing I noticed about them, is that they had a large golden spinning wheel behind them.

The other one that stood separate from them, to the right. Tall. Large. Dark skin. Skin like black ink. Gold and blue and different colors of jewelry. No, more than jewelry, it was like he was covered in something a King would wear. In both of his hands, he holds different golden artifacts. One in his right hand, a weighing mechanism. A golden balancing scale. It suddenly reminded me of a certain symbol.

—The scale of justice?

There were 2 items on the scale. A feather. And a human heart. Both were covered in blue flames. The second artifact was a golden staff of some sort with an odd shape at the top. I know that shape. It's a symbol. A symbol that is far from this land. No. All of these beings are not of this land. They are meant to be situated far from here. And somehow, I know that they aren't of the same origin as well. They are from different parts of the world. But most of all that symbol.

—The Ankh?

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSHHH!

The storm continued to rage on and almost covered my vision. But I could still see. My hands? I can't cover my eyes with my hands. I can't feel my body at all. Yet, I feel like I'm being slowly drawn closer. To the trio? I'm being pulled towards the 3 on the left at an extremely slow pace. I noticed as I was being slowly brought closer, the group of 3 and the tall figure were...arguing? No. But they were having some sort of disagreement. As if the group of 3 wanted one thing while the tall being wanted the complete opposite. Somehow, I knew this despite not being able to hear their words or see any signs of obvious animosity from their body language. But….what are they disagreeing on? And most of all….Why do I know that the tall being is trying to stop something from happening?

As I was being drawn closer and closer, I finally realized the odd appearance of the tall black being. The final detail that I somehow didn't realize until now…suddenly, before I could register it, I was abruptly stopped from getting any closer from the trio. The tall being was pointing his staff at me, which was making a low deep booming sound, as if he was what prevented me from moving. The being spoke in a voice deeper than any I've ever heard, with a force unimaginable for a voice itself. At that moment, I finally registered the last detail of the tall being's appearance as he spoke.

—A black dog's head.

ZUN!

《IT. IS. NOT. YOUR. TIME.》

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOSSSHHHHH!

And with that, I was devoured by the storm before I could reach them.

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[...Ner!...]

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[...Part….ner!...]

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[PARTNER!]

GAAAASSSPPP!

I suddenly shot up and air burst through my lungs.

…...What?...

[Partner! Partner, are you there?!]

Ddraig?...Yes….Ah, yes! Yes! I...I am here. W-What….what happened?

[Partner! You were not here! You were ripped from this space! Your consciousness was taken from here! Your soul! You were not here!]

—CHILLS

D...Ddraig…..what do you mean?...

[You were not here! Partner! You were taken from here! You were taken somewhere I could not reach you! Something had taken you! And I don't know what!]

...Y...You mean, you weren't able to see all of that?...It...wasn't a dream?..

[What did you see Partner?! Tell me what you saw!]

...A...A desert. I was caught in a desert storm. There were many beings there, 4 of them. I could tell that they were not from the same places. They were most certainly some mythological beings. Possibly, two different pantheons.

[What did they look like?]

I…...

I suddenly realized it. I couldn't remember.

…..I don't know…...I can't remember…..but…..I have a thought sitting in the back of my head that I remember thinking then.

[What is it?]

—The God of the Dead.

[...The God of the Dead?…]

And I remember a mechanism. It….was a spinning wheel?

[A spinning wheel?]

Yeah, a golden one. It was really big.

[That is all you can remember?]

...That is….all I can remember.

[I see….That is worrisome.]

Yeah….Damn….I can't believe I can't remember. This is just like that dream I had. Was it really not just another dream?

[Impossible. Unlike last time, despite the fact that I couldn't see it, I myself knew that was a dream. Or maybe a vision. This?….no. You were certainly not here.]

…

"Mm...Ise?.."

Ah, I was snapped out of my uneasy stupor by the woman who stirred from beside me. Akeno sat up while rubbing her eyes tiredly. She's still naked, like me. Right. That's because of last night's events.

That's right! Last night I, Hyoudou Issei, lost my virginity! 4 times! Ah, well, you can't "lose" it 4 times, but I had sex! 4 times! First with Asia, next with Akeno, next with Shirone, and last with Kets! I finally graduated from my virginity! Ohohohohohohohoho~! I can't wait to rub it in Matsuda and Motohama's faces! Ah, but that is a little mean, isn't it? I mean, those poor guys never had a chance compared to me. I now take pity on them. Ah, but maybe I shouldn't. That's mean isn't it?

Well, I'll get them some a huge nice collection of pornos to help them process their shock. Might as well spread the good will! Right, Asia?

"Ise? What's wrong? You're sweating. Your skin is pale. Did something happen?"

Akeno asked me with deep concern. Ah, looks like I made her worried.

"A-Ah, no, sorry. I'm..alright. I just had a bad dream, that's all. I'm okay."

"...Really? Are you sure?..."

"Yeah. I'm fine. Don't worry about it."

I'll keep this to myself just for now. I don't want to worry them right after what happened in Kyoto. I'll see what Azazel has to say about it. If it's anything serious, I'll try to let them know in a way that won't scare them. For now, I'll just leave it alone.

"Alright…"

Akeno leaned in my direction - and our lips touched.

Tap.

I felt something tap on my back from behind. It felt a bit like something was very lightly punching me.

"Issei and Akeno-senpai are too open in the morning…"

Akeno and I separated from our kiss. There was a bit of wetness around our mouths, it was stopped right before we touched tongues. When I turned around I was met with exactly who I was expecting. The slightly pouting, blank faced Shirone.

"Ah, m-morning Shirone, hehe…"

"Ara, Ara, good morning Koneko-chan."

Looks like we were caught. Asia and Kets seemed to be stirring from behind her as well. S-She's not mad right?

"...Me too…"

"Hm?"

I noticed that Shirone began poking at my arm shyly. She had a slight blush over her face. A-Ah. I see. W-Well, as a future harem king, this is just one of the many requirements I must fulfill! Ah, speaking of which when do I reach harem king status? I already have a harem but— Ah, whatever. I'll worry about that later. For now.

"R-Right. Sorry. Ahem. Then."

I leaned down a bit to reach Shirone's lips. She instantly closed her eyes and we kissed. Good morning, I guess, hehe.

"Yaaaawn~...?...Oh! Buenos Dias! Are we receiving morning kisses? I will be going after the little one! Oh, Buenos Dias, little Asia! I take it back. I shall go after little Asia~"

It looks like Kets woke up just Shirone and I finished our kiss. Asia too. Kets is quite nice, always letting others go before her. I'd have to say that she's the most accommodating out of all of them….but I'm glad everyone else fell asleep during our long session with each other last night….

"Huaa~...Ise-san?..."

Asia let out a cute yawn while rubbing her eyes.

"Morning, Asia."

"...Ise-san…"

She smiled fondly as she realized that I was the one in front of her….ah...my Asia…..Everytime I look at you I feel the same way.

"I love you, Asia…"

"...Darling…"

Eh? She had a warm smile that said she was just as engrossed in the romantic atmosphere as I was. But I couldn't help be taken aback by what she called me.

"Huh? Darling?"

She looked like she realized as her face became red and she stuttered.

"B-B-Because...I-It was something I always wished I would call you one day…"

—! Aaaah! My Asia! I couldn't stop myself from embracing her!

"Aaaaaah! Asia! I love you so much!"

"Hua! D-D-Darling! Calm down! W-We are still naked!"

Even though she seemed bashful, she accepted me into her arms quite easily. Hehehe. Your words and your actions convey two different messages, Asia.

"Ara, Ara~ Are we taking the privilege to give new nicknames now? Then, as the 'Nadeshiko mistress' of the group, I will gladly take the opportunity and call Ise - Anata (Darling) from now on, Ufufufu~"

Akeno suddenly suggested that. Ah, so I'm being branded now. W-Well, to be fair, I was the one who said that [I am their man just as much as they are my women] so I guess that's fair.

"Um, okay. In that case, what will you guys call me?"

I asked Shirone and Kets. Kets smiled casually.

"I will keep 'Mi Amor' for myself!"

Ah, I suppose that makes sense. No reason to change that I guess. I looked down in curiosity to Shirone. She had her head down, but brought it up slowly.

"...Hubby…"

"Eh?"

She says that with a blush and hair covering her eyes….H-Hubby?...As in, short for H-Husband?...

Ooooohhmmm...

Suddenly, the atmosphere became tense and it felt like the other girls were releasing some pressure. Akeno gained a challenging smile on her face...

"Ara, Ara, Ufufufu…..That's odd, Koneko-chan…..I don't recall Ise proposing to you recently….do you?..."

Akeno says that with a creepy smile! Uh Oh! What will Shirone respond with?!

I turned to her…..She slowly lifted her head….She looked nervous but….underneath that was a strong determination..

"He will….I believe in Issei.."

—!

She says that with a strong gaze! W-Woah! I felt that in my heart! My heart certainly reacted to that! Without a doubt! Holy shit! Shirone says she believes in me in that regard! Woah! Now I am feeling a strong determination as well!

Ring-Ring~

Hm? Oh, my mobile phone next to my bed is ringing.

"Ah, Akeno can you get that for me?"

Akeno, who was the closest to the edge of the bed, reached the phone and handed it to me. I took it in my hand and the girls began to get up and clothe themselves. Ah, that's right, today is a school day. I gave Kets and Asia quick kisses before they got up to change and answered the phone.

"Hello?"

[Ise. It's Azazel.]

"Ah, Azazel. What's up?"

So it was Azazel. What's he calling me for? Wouldn't it be Tannin calling me for any Faction duties? This must be related to something else.

[Sorry to call you this early in the morning, but it's something important.]

"Did something happen?"

[A bit, I'm afraid.]

"Is it related to the Norse?"

That was my way of asking if it related to Ragnarök. I dearly hope not.

[Not necessarily….I'm afraid, this might actually extend beyond the reach of one pantheon.]

I couldn't help but become uneasy.

"What do you mean?.."

[Michael has called for an emergency meeting between the allied factions. There is something that he has to discuss with us.]

—! An emergency meeting. It did not bode well. I have no point in questioning it now.

"I've got it. When do we meet?"

[Today. In fact, it will happen in a few hours. I'm sorry, but we're going to have to ask you to skip school later today.]

"Alright. That's fine."

[We meet in the Underworld. Maou territory. We'll be at Sirzechs estate. I'll contact Tannin to pick you up via magic circle.]

"Got it."

[Alright. Till then.]

We hung up….an emergency meeting….something important to discuss…..reaches beyond one pantheon…..Is it related to the terrorists?...I could feel the hairs on my neck settle down. Fuck.

"...Ise...What's wrong?..."

I looked up when I heard Akeno and realized that the girls were looking at me with concerned expressions. Ah, shit. Shake it off. This is something they shouldn't have to worry about right now. We'll worry about when we figure it out first. I shook my head.

"Ah, sorry. It's nothing. I just have a meeting to attend to today. It looks like I'm gonna miss a bit of school."

They glanced at each other worriedly. Akeno asked again.

"Is it something serious?..."

I shook my head and stood up to change.

"No, no. Nothing to worry about for now. It's just something we need to discuss. Don't worry about it. I'll handle it. Okay?"

I ended it with a casual smile to ease their worries. That seemed to calm them down.

"...Okay…"

With that settled we all changed into most of our uniforms and started to make our way out of the room. As soon as we exited, Asia began to take a different direction than us.

"Hm? Asia? Where are you going?"

She turned with a bit of a sullen attitude.

"I am going to talk with Rias-Oneesama….I will try to see if she can come out of her room…"

...That's right….I heard from the girls that apparently after the group returned home from my show Rias locked herself in her room and didn't come back out the whole night. She didn't even have dinner.

"Alright….try to be out by breakfast….if she doesn't come out….just bring it to her."

"Yes…."

We parted ways after that, with me and then other girls heading downstairs. We could hear some stirring in the kitchen and the living room as we reached the next floor down.

"Good morning~!"

I announced ourselves enthusiastically as we reached the bottom of the staircase. The ones sitting in the living room were Gasper, Irina, and Xenovia. Ah, that's right, after Kyoto Gasper moved in. Poor Kiba lives alone now. Rossweisse was in the kitchen helping Mum finish breakfast. Once I announced myself their attention was placed on me, but they had odd expressions on their faces. Expressions of uncertainty. As if They didn't know what to think. They resembled the ones that my girls gave me before we made love.

"..Ah...Good morning…"

I could feel my enthusiasm dip with an awkward smile. Uwaaah. T-Tense. The girls fanned out from behind me to help Mum with breakfast while I went to sit down of the sofa close to Xenovia.

Yeeeeeesh. It feels real tense in this part of the house. Gasper, Xenovia, and Irina are super quiet. Gasper and Irina keep giving me glances while Xenovia just looks off somewhere with confusion. Uwah. It's feeling like I have to explain myself for some reason.

"...Ise.."

I flinched lightly when I was suddenly called out by Xenovia from my right.

"Eh? Ah, y-yeah? What is it, Xenovia?"

She furrowed her brow like if she was thinking hard about something. Then she asked me.

"..So….the woman you love is Asia?"

"Eh? Ah, yes! Yes. That's right. I love her. I love Asia."

I said it with absolute certainty. She furrowed her brow intensely.

"I see.."

I looked around and could see Gasper nodding his— Er, her head, as if she was trying to understand/accept the situation. Irina looked more she had a worried expression than anything. Xenovia let out a quiet hum after a few seconds.

"Hmm. I see. So that's how it was. I see. I suppose I just misunderstood things. I didn't see the obvious signs from before. I guess that's my fault then. Now I am feeling bad for making Asia think that she wasn't already first place by having her fight for it. Sorry about that."

Hm? She apologized. Oh, she means because everyone thought I was in love with Rias. Misunderstood huh. Mm. Well, I didn't make it very clear myself. No…...actually….I….

"No, it's my fault."

I shook my head at Xenovia's apology. She raised a brow curiously.

"What do you mean?"

"The reason you thought that was because I….."

I shook my head.

"It's something I have to think about a bit. I'll explain it when the time comes…."

Xenovia tilted her head in confusion, but she nodded nonetheless. That's right…..The more I think about it, the more I realize it…...I was always caught in that cycle…..

Pom pom pom

Hm? I could hear some soft steps come down the stairs. When I turned back I could see Asia and Rias appear at the bottom of the staircase. Rias! She was behind Asia with an empty expression…..I'm familiar with that hollow look….

Once they appeared Xenovia, Irina, and Gasper glanced at each other. They all nodded and stood up. They walked off together into the kitchen to sit and wait at the table for breakfast. Asia and I met eyes. She glanced her eyes back at Rias and I nodded.

"Rias-Oneesama, I'm going to help with breakfast. Sit down on the sofa and rest please?"

Rias nodded her head slowly. I felt a pang in my heart. She looks like a dead person. She has bags under her eyes and they're bloodshot. She didn't sleep. She stayed up crying.

Asia nodded and walked out to the kitchen while glancing back at me. Rias slowly walked towards the sofa and sat on the opposite end of me. Ouch. That hurts too. Ah, but you're the one who's really hurting though huh?

"..."

"..."

Look at her. Say something goddammit.

"...Um, Rias?"

Even though she seemed completely vacant, she flinched harshly when I called her out. She's most likely not going to respond, so I think I'll have to just talk by myself.

"..."

"...Hey, um, did you sleep well?"

No response.

"...Um, did you even...eat dinner?"

No response.

"...You….do you…..um…"

No response. I had nothing to say. There was nothing I could think of saying. What do I even tell her? "Hey I was actually in love with Asia all along! Sorry for leading you on~"?...I seriously have nothing to say.

"..."

At the very least, I should do something to help her feel better. I can't leave her like this. What happens when the match with Sairaorg takes place? No, more importantly, what about the Norse Summit? That's going to be happening really soon, how am I supposed to have them attend as my special guests if she's like this?

Come on, man. Think. Think…..Aha!

"Hey! Um, Rias. Say…..How would you like to go on a date?"

At that moment, the light in Rias's returned. Her eyes slowly widened.

"...Date.."

"Yes, that's right! A date! Let's go on a date together, yeah?"

The light in her eyes began to shine a bit like stars. Almost like hope.

"...A date….a date..!"

"Yeah, a date, together! Just the two of us! Nobody else, just you and me!"

"...A date…..together.…with Ise...just us…...yes…..yes…"

Rias slowly began nodding her head.

"A date!...Yes!...Yes!...I…"

She looked to me with a hopeful expression.

"..I...I want a date!..."

I nodded my head with a smile.

"Okay then."

"J-Just….just the two of us?.."

I nodded again.

"Yep. Just the two of us."

She looked down towards the ground with a little smile.

"...Date….a date with Ise…..together…"

Heh. At least she's smiling.

"Kiiiids~ Breakfast is ready!"

Ah, Mum called us out from the kitchen.

"Come on, let's go eat."

"..Yes!.."

Part 1

Ding-Dong~

The bells to the school rung as our study hall period began. I'm glad it's study hall. I don't want to do work right now honestly. After Kyoto I need a break man.

"Oi, oi, Ise. What the Hell's up with that expression? You have an expression that says your life is fulfilled. How come it seems like your attitude has changed since Kyoto?"

"Yeah, what the hell man? It feels like you've gone through some serious change or something. Not only did you have a serious personality shift after the summer, but now you've gone and done a switch after Kyoto? What even happened?"

My two perverted partners said that to me in confusion while sitting around my desk. I shifted my body towards them and crossed my legs with a smile.

"Well, my friends, that's because I have changed. No. I have rediscovered myself. You can say that I have essentially 'found myself'. I feel complete. My heart is at peace."

I smiled at them, but for some reason they covered their eyes and hissed like vampires.

"Gaaaah! What the fuck is that sparkling light surrounding your body?! What's with that dazzling smile?! Why do you look like the bastard of maturity?! Aaaaah! It's so repulsive! The light's gonna make me hurl!"

"Gyeeeeeh! Matsuda, get away! Don't get near it! If we get near that disgusting light we will surely burn up and die! Stay away scum!"

I deadpanned.

"Oi, I'm trying to tell you that my life feels complete. What kinda reaction is that to have at a friend at peace? Ah, whatever. That's alright. I don't mind. That's just who you guys are. Regardless of stuff like that you are still my friends."

"Blegh! I'm going to vomit from this righteousness!"

"Look away!"

"Anyway, finding myself isn't the only reason I feel complete…"

I pulled Asia who was standing near us into my embrace and looked deep into her eyes.

"I have all that I want now, right, my love?"

Asia blushed and looked away with a smile.

"Darling….Not while at school~"

At that moment, I could hear the world's of everyone around me break.

—BREAK!

"Wha….What?...No….that is….impossible…"

"Asia-chan is….with Hyoudou…"

"Asia-chan has become…..Hyoudou's….girlfriend…."

Every single person in the room was in shock. Were you all listening? Or did that interaction just suddenly get highlighted in your brains? Considering it's all of you guys, it's probably the latter huh.

"Ah, by the way, I have also graduated from being a boy into a man. So there's also that."

The world froze momentarily. Asia placed a finger to my mouth.

"D-Darling! Shh! That's a special secret!"

I heard things drop to the floor as many of the students shouted in unison.

[Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!]

Matsuda and Motohama fell to their knees with expressions of despair.

"...No….Ise has….it can't be….there's no way he…"

"...To believe that Ise has….no, it's truly not possible…..someone like him….with sweet Asia-chan….How can this be?...Have we…..have we truly been left behind like this?"

Kiryuu suddenly pulled Asia away from me and held onto her hands.

"Asia! I-Is it true?! Have you really succeeded in your goal?!"

Asia held onto her cheek with a blush and looked away. She smiled fondly.

"Yes, that's right. My Darling, Ise and I, have become lovers."

Kiryuu's glasses cracked. The students around began shouting ridiculous things.

"No way! That damn Hyoudou has made Asia-chan into his girlfriend?!"

"Noooooo! He has tainted sweet Asia-chan with his dirty touch! Nooooooo!"

"He's taking advantage of her! Certainly, he has to be! There's no way she'd be with him otherwise!"

"Somebody do something! Someone save Asia-chan!"

Ugh. There they go with that stuff. Most of the animosity towards me died since after the summer, but it seems like they would obviously have doubts. I wanted to say something, but before I could Asia jumped in front of Kiryuu with an angry pout.

"Mou! A-All of you! I have been standing hearing many things about Ise-san for a long time! Many of those things are mean things that I don't appreciate! B-But! I won't stand for it anymore! Ise-sa— No, Ise! I love Ise! Ise is my b-boyfriend now! S-So if there are any of you who can't accept that-! Then-! Then-! Then I don't want to be associated with you in any way! Please leave me alone from now on! Forever! Thank you!"

Ah….Asia shouted that at them. She placed a hand on her chest and took a breath when she was done. She covered her mouth with her hand after realizing her outburst.

"Ah, I'm sorry!—No! Wait! No! I am not sorry! It's true! Ah, but I am sorry for shouting….B-But I mean it! B-But I shouldn't yell at people….But even so!...Uuuu!"

Asia held her head in confusion. Ahahaha. As I thought, you are too sweet, my Asia. Kiryuu placed a hand on her shoulder before turning to the rest of the class.

"I agree! If there's anyone I want to leave Asia in the hands of, it's Hyoudou! Even though we've had our problems in the past, he has surely changed since then! And he is surely a reliable man! I trust him! Hyoudou, I leave Asia to you from now on. Ah, but you better not go breaking her heart ya hear? I seriously won't forgive you."

I smiled at Kiryuu's declaration and hit my chest.

"Osu! You don't gotta tell me twice! Though, as Asia's best friend, I expect you to take good care of Asia while I'm not around. Got it, Hentai Megane?"

"Deal, clingy hentai."

Even though we both shook hands with smiles, I couldn't help but cringe at the "clingy hentai" remark. Ueh….Looks like Asia has been telling her about my possessive thing sometimes….

"Ah, now that you're a couple I'm gonna have to find all those people I sold those photos to and delete them."

"Hm? What photos?"

"Ah, no, don't worry about it."

Kiryuu said that randomly. Photos? What photos?...

"...Hmm. Well….it has been a while since Hyoudou has peeped on us…"

One of the female students said that while rubbing her arm. The rest of the students glanced at each other awkwardly.

"...I mean, we haven't caught him doing perverted stuff since he returned from summer vacation…"

"I haven't seen him with any porn books?..."

"...He gets higher scores on his tests now…"

"He doesn't fall asleep in class anymore?"

Ah, the students began shrugging at each other and relaxing their attitudes. It's surely because of what Asia said. If it wasn't for her saying that they wouldn't be acting this way. They surely wouldn't take my word for it. Besides, there are probably some of them who don't want to be shunned by Asia so they'd rather agree. Hm?

"Ah."

I looked down and saw Matsuda and Motohama still on the floor. Yeah. That's to be expected huh….There's no way they could deal with that shock. Huh…..I kinda feel bad for them. I don't feel like buying them a whole hentai collection will do enough to mend these wounds…..

—?!

I was suddenly graced with an unbelievable idea.

"Hey, you two!"

I bent down and put my hands on their shoulders.

"Listen! There's no need to sulk! I've already got you guys covered! I've got two girls for you to meet that are perfect for you!"

Matsuda and Motohama sulked further.

"...So you plan to throw salt into our wounds even now, Ise?...Have we really been such terrible friends?..."

"...Even if we have….this is simply too cruel, Ise…"

I shook my head.

"No, no, no! I'm serious! This time is no joke! In fact, just to prove it to you, here!"

I took a certain card out of my bag and handed it to Matsuda. Motohama leaned in and fixed his glasses to look at it.

"...A credit card?"

"Yep, that's right! That's the card with my personal funds on it! In order to prove to you, I've given you that card to spend as much as you can on porn today! Because after today, you won't be needing porn for the rest of your lives!"

"Oi, oi, are you serious? Is this a fake card or something?"

"No, wait Matsuda. This card certainly looks real. The question is how much money is on it and why the hell are you giving it to us, Ise?"

"Like! I! Said! This is for you to purchase as much porn as your heart desires, before it becomes obsolete! As for how much money is on it, don't worry about it, you won't run out. Ah, but do be mindful that there is a cap that automatically activates after you've spent a certain amount as to avoid fraud stuff."

Motohama asked while fixing his glasses.

"Hm? How much is the cap?"

"Hmm. If I remembered it was around 500,000¥."

Crack!

Motohama's glasses cracked.

"W-W-What do you mean by that, Ise?"

"Hmmm.."

I scratched my chin. What's a way to get the point across? Aha! I reached into my wallet and pulled out some money.

"Here. This is all the money I have on me now. This should be a good indicator as to how much I carry on a daily basis."

I handed Motohama the money. The glass on his glasses broke completely as he counted.

"Wha-?! I-Ise, this is like 30,000 yen!?"

"Yeah, somewhere around that. You can keep that and use that as my 'deposit'. Just to get you to believe me. After that you can go ahead and use the card to your heart's content."

They both jumped up in shock.

"W-What?! Are you serious, Ise?! 30,000¥?! And there's more on the card?! Are you serious about going all out on this?!"

"No, well, if I wasn't I wouldn't have given it to you."

"B-But! 30,000 yen!? And there's supposedly more here!? Is this really okay?!"

"Haaah! Will you just quiet down and use the damn money huh? I've given it to you so just use it and be grateful, man."

Matsuda and Motohama looked at each other with intense pressure.

"Matsuda! With this we can!.."

"Yes! Let's do it!"

They nodded their heads.

"Alright, Ise! You better not regret this we're going all out on this time!"

"Uh huh, yeah, I get it. Whatever so just deal with that for now yeah?"

"Yosha! Motohama! Let's use this money to drown out our sorrows in everlasting porn!"

"Ooooooooosu!"

With that, they turned on their heels and bolted out of the room.

"Huh?! You're going now?!"

Too bad they were already gone. I guess they're skipping school then. Kiryuu asked me curiously.

"Hm? What's with the random acts of kindness?"

"Ah, well, spread the love is what I say! Right, Asia?"

"Yes, Darling!"

"...Seriously, who the Hell even are you?"

Ring~

Hm? Ah, my phone is ringing. That must be Azazel huh. I answered my phone.

"Yeah?"

[It's time.]

"On my way."

Well, looks like I'm checking out right now too.

-DxD-

"It's about the Heaven's Sacred Gear system. The one created by God."

After I received the call from Azazel, I excused myself from school and headed to the Underworld. I met with Tannin and we made it to Maou territory. Finally, now we're gathered with the other allied leaders in Sirzechs's estate to discuss the important topic. The topic which was apparently, Heaven's Sacred Gear system.

"The Sacred Gear system? Is there something wrong with it?"

I asked that curiously with Mini Tannin sitting on my shoulder. Azazel sat across from me at the table, Michael sat over to the opposite end of Sirzechs (to my left), and Sirzechs was at the end on the right. Michael spoke in a serious tone. I was one of the few people able to witness his serious attitude during these meetings, but he was being unusually serious this time.

"As you know, the Heaven's Sacred Gear system is one that cannot be controlled, regulated, or affected in any way by any being except the original God of the Bible. It is an unpredictable system that has the ability to spontaneously modify itself or accomplish things beyond comprehension. It is truly an unimaginable system."

Yes, we know that. That system was created and regulated only by the original God. It's not something we can understand or even possibly hope to control. This is something that's obvious. The question is why it's being brought up.

"It is a system that does not abide to logic. For that reason, there is no telling what it will do."

I felt a bit of an eerie feeling as Michael continued. Where's he getting to…

"As we know, one of the few unbelievable feats the system has the capability to accomplish, is the ability to force two Longinus class Sacred Gears into coexisting within one host."

—! That's right….I was told not too long ago, but apparently there currently exists a function within the system that allows two Longinus to coexist within one host. I don't remember if there was actually a user currently alive who had two, but one thing I do know is that there exists a function within the system to do it. Sometimes the system does that. It will randomly create functions that didn't exist before an implement them at some point…..does this mean...

"...Michael, since you are mentioning this, could it be that you are going to imply that there is some new function the system made or something?..."

I asked him cautiously. He nodded grimly.

"Yes, that's right. I'm afraid that….there is a new function we have just discovered after its creation."

Gulp. I swallowed the lump in my throat. A new function….just like I thought.

"What sort of function is it?"

Sirzechs asked that while narrowing his eyes. Michael's expression felt like it pierced right through me.

"The function that was recently discovered - it is the function to possibly evolve a regular Sacred Gear into a Longinus."

-[?!]-

…..W...What?...Evolve a normal Sacred Gear….into a Longinus?...

"Y...You mean….something like….like a Twice critical...or maybe a Sword birth...becoming a Longinus?"

Azazel interjected with his opinion.

"I was able to study it in Heaven myself a few days ago, but as of right now, we're not totally sure to what extent this function works to. We're not sure if there are conditions like the level of each Sacred Gear that come into play. We don't even know for sure if the function has been implemented anywhere in the world. With new functions that randomly pop up, it's difficult to calculate whether they've actually been used or not yet. Our current assumption is that it has yet to be implemented, but we're not sure how long we have until we discover that it will, or even already has."

I felt the tension all built up in my shoulders. Are you fucking serious?...

"Unfortunately…..that isn't the main concern that brought us to this discussion…"

—?! Michael said that with the same dark attitude. Y-You've got to be joking?...What else could it be that's even more concerning than this?...I felt the sweat run down my forehead as Michael began.

"Thanks to the help of those at Grigori, we've been keeping track of the system and theorizing what further modifications could come into existence in the future. Unfortunately, those theories turned out to be quite unnerving…"

"..T-Theories?"

Michael nodded and looked to Azazel.

"Azazel…"

"Yeah.."

I swallowed a lump in throat larger than the previous one. Azazel began.

"Our theory is one based off of logical conclusions regarding previous modifications like this one we've just discovered. This system is unpredictable, but in that same way we can expect certain unbelievable events related to prior modifications to take place. In other words, if a function like evolving normal Sacred Gears into Longinus exists, then certainly, it might be possible for a new function related to that one to come into existence later."

I asked with hesitation.

"...What sort of function?…"

His cold stare sent chills down my spine.

"The function to possibly create never before seen Longinus class Sacred Gears on its own."

CHILLS.

Creating more Longinus….without God? I spoke in disbelief.

"More created Longinus?...N-No way…..something like that isn't possible…..after all, only God was the one who could create new Sacred Gears right? Let alone Longinus….."

Azazel shook his head.

"I'm afraid the function to create new unique, normal Sacred Gear has already existed for over a century."

"?!"

"And that's exactly why the question was brought up: [If it can already create unique Sacred Gears on its own, and it now has the capability to evolve normal Sacred Gears into Longinus, what's to say that it won't one day earn the capability to create brand new Longinus completely on its own?]"

I could feel my head start spinning. What?...New Longinus…...ones that have never even existed…...created without the existence of God…..No more 13 number limit…My mind began going into disarray at the thought of it. I held my my hand over my eyes and attempted to balance my head on it. This…..can't be real….

"This information is not to leave this discussion. We are taking extra precautionary measures to keep this as secretive as possible. We don't need rampant Sacred Gear users running around trying to evolve their Gear recklessly into something different. Especially considering the sort of terrorist threat we're facing."

Azazel said that sternly as everyone agreed. My head is light…..I feel the urge to vomit.

"...Let's stop here for now."

Eh? Stop? It's...the meeting's over?

"Yes, let's. It looks like Ise-kun has become pale after hearing this. This is surely too much of a mental burden on a young leader like him. We'll hold off this discussion until we have more information. Azazel, will you continue to observe the system alongside of Heaven?"

"Yeah. I've still got my top people, including myself, on this one. For now the best we can do is keep a keen eye of the functions and the status board which allows us to view the current Sacred Gear in existence. Besides, Ise has just gone through a serious change in Kyoto. I'm sure his heart is fine, but his mind is not. It's probably still recovering from the constant mental jerking up until this point."

Wait what? They're cutting the meeting short because of me….

"Alright. Let us know when you find anything out then, Michael, Azazel."

"Yes."

"Roger."

The leaders stood up and began to walk away from the table. It's over…

"Sirzechs, I think it's best if we also let Ajuka in on this. At the very least, he has some familiarity on unpredictable systems."

"Agreed. I'll contact him shortly."

Sirzechs approached my seat.

"I believe that is enough for today Ise-kun. It is not natural for someone your age to be learning of such a critical topic at an unreasonable pace. For now, we'll just have to rest out thoughts on it. At least until we learn anything new. Right?"

I shook my head to try and shake away my drowsiness.

"Y-Yeah. Nothing we can do about it now….just wait…"

The Mini Tannin from my shoulder leaned forward a bit.

"My boy. I said it once before Kyoto, but unfortunately it didn't work out there, so maybe this time. I think it's best if you take a short break from your duties as a Faction leader. You didn't get much of a break as planned because of the Hero Faction, but maybe this time after the Norse Summit you will have the chance."

"T-Take a break from my duties?"

He nodded his little head.

"Yes. You will be having that match with Sairaorg, after the Summit after all. It's best if you spend that time training and living as a Devil until you are needed again after the game. A proper break."

"...A break huh….maybe I could use a break….yeah."

A break would probably be best for my health until after the game. I would finally be able to focus in being a Devil after so long, rather than a big hotshot Faction leader. Although, I will still be retaining my hotshot title during the Summit.

Sirzechs patted my shoulder as he passed my seat.

"Alright then. Go on and head home, Ise-kun. Thank you for coming today. Sorry for troubling you."

"Y-Yeah."

He began to walk out as well. I stood from my seat. I couldn't help have my gaze sitting on him for a bit. He'll soon find out about my confession. If he doesn't know already. I wonder what he'll think then….

"My boy?"

"Ah, sorry. I'm alright, Tannin. Let's go."

Part 2

"Okay. How's this?"

I asked Akeno as I fixed my white button up shirt.

"This is fine. Here."

Akeno stood from the bed and fixed my black pants. I am getting ready for my date with Rias today. Akeno is helping me out with my outfit since she's the one that handles my appearance. I'm just wearing a white, long sleeve dress shirt with black pants and a nice watch. The first two buttons are unbuttoned of course, that's just my style.

Anyway, Akeno fixed up my collar while keeping the shirt unbuttoned. She was the one who suggested I go with the look of a gentleman out of consideration for Rias, but nothing too lavish. She says it's best to make her feel like a lady and a young girl at the same time. Not sure how I'll accomplish that, but I'll try.

"You think she's happy about this?"

"Mm. It certainly looks like it. Asia-chan has been helping her dress herself all morning, so I'm sure she's taking this seriously. Her attitude also improved after you had asked her the other day, so yes. I believe she's happy."

"That so?"

"Do you still have doubts that she would enjoy it, Anata (Darling)?"

"Eh? Ah, well, I have doubts that I'll be able to pull it off right….to be honest I'm kind of tense."

"You think you will fail?"

I nodded my head modestly.

"Anata…"

"I know, I know. Just….old habits die hard you know? It's not a huge fear, but it's still sitting there in the back of my mind ya know? I'm sure it'll take a while before it fully goes away. At the very least, I won't be having the same fucked up reactions if I do fail. Because I still have you guys, so I'll be alright."

Akeno placed her hand lightly on my right cheek and stroked it.

"That's right. We're right here. No matter what.."

"Akeno…"

I held onto her hand softly as I gazed into her eyes. Those beautiful violet orbs are always the ones I've found the most mesmerizing. Such a unique color. I couldn't help but get lost in them again. I felt the urge to kiss her. Just as I leaned in—

"Ah-ah."

She placed a finger against my lips.

"Let's leave that to Rias for now, okay?"

"Ah."

I sighed defeatedly.

"...Yes ma'am."

---

|Rias|

"...Is...this okay?"

I looked over my appearance in the mirror….does this look okay?...

"You look beautiful, Rias-Oneesama!"

Asia said that to me with a smile…..is that so?...Despite being relieved to hear that, to be hearing that from you of all people, Asia….after all, you are now…..

"What's wrong, Onee-sama?"

She asked with concern…...Even still, you worry for me…..and yet I…...I'm sorry, Asia….I'm sorry for being a terrible master….I'm sorry for being...a terrible woman…

---

|Ise|

I made my way downstairs after finishing up with my appearance. I was ready to go now. I noticed that most everyone was downstairs already. Shirone and Gasper were playing games together, Rossweisse was reading something with Irina, and Xenovia was talking with Kets.

Hm. No point staying here. I guess I'll make my way out already?

"Ah, Ise! Hold up."

Hm? I turned back around before reaching the exit of the living area. Xenovia approached me with a piece of paper in her hands. She read it in front of me.

"These are the various things that I like about you. Um, first, you are extremely brave and don't back down to anyone. Second, you are reliable and we can always count on you. Third, always put faith in us and give us confidence when we need it. Last, you are very attractive in your own ways thanks to having a cute face, well built body, and dominating atmosphere. That's what I can think of."

She looked to me as if she was expecting some sort of answer….Um what?

"W-What was all that about?"

"Hm? Oh."

She pointed at the piece of paper which resembled a list of notes.

"After you told me about your criteria in Kyoto I started thinking. Since there is no critical event that took place for me, I decided to take your advice and ask Lucoa for help on getting closer to you the hard way. Through 'natural development' and stuff like that. So, that's why she told me to make up a list of all the things I genuinely like about you and tell them to you. She also told me to start telling you things about myself you may not know. For now, I started out with this since it's easier to think of."

O-Oh! Is that how it is? Wow! So she's actually trying to start bonding with me then. That's crazy. Even though I told her about all that stuff, I didn't think she'd actually start trying for it. Honestly, I'm impressed. It also kind of makes me happy.

"W-Well, thank you, Xenovia. The fact that you are putting effort into getting closer with me is very….flattering? Ahaha, that's not really a good word for it, but still it makes me happy."

"Alright. I'll keep trying harder from here on out as well then."

"Yeah, um, good luck."

"Thanks."

Xenovia turned to walk away, but I stopped her upon realizing something.

"Ah, Xenovia, wait!"

"Hm? What is it?"

"Um, I should also tell you what I like about you then."

She tilted her head.

"Hm? Why?"

"Ah, well, when Kets and I became close it was because of our equal effort towards it. We couldn't have become close unless we were both trying. So, it's only fair that I'm willing to put in as much effort as you, ya know?"

"Oh. Is that so? Okay. Then what is it?"

She asked curiously while crossing her arms. What do I like about Xenovia? Uh…..Oh!

"Um, well first off, you are very attractive physically. Obviously, you're beautiful, your body is well developed, and your breasts are nice. Also, thanks to Kets I've come to learn to appreciate a woman's body that is fit as well. Your body happens to be quiet toned, though not like Kets, it's still very nice to see the lean features on your stomach and stuff like that. After that, um, you are….funny."

She raised a brow at that, along with a small smirk of surprise.

"You think I'm funny?"

"Um, yeah….kind of….unintentionally."

"Hm? What do you mean?"

"Ah, well, you are kind of funny without meaning to be. You know, kind of because there are times when you are ignorant or completely about oblivious to certain things and it makes you look funny."

She furrowed her brow.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well, you know, like when you didn't know how to work a stereo system after you moved in. That was pretty funny. I laughed a lot there. Ah, but it's also cute ya know! Cuz it's cute that you didn't know that stuff. But it's also funny."

She pouted with a small blush.

"That's not funny."

"No, well….it's kinda funny.."

She turned away with an angry pout.

"I've heard enough."

She began to walk away.

"Ah, thank you for your efforts!"

"Hmph. Whatever."

Ah, I got her upset. Well, that reaction was also cute at least, so, 10 points! Good job!

"Alright, I'm heading out!"

"Have a safe trip!"

I waved back as Xenovia, Rossweisse-san, Gasper, and Shirone bid me farewell. I could vaguely hear Xenovia speaking with Irina on my way out.

"Ufufufu. It seems that I will easily surpass you now, Irina. Fufufu."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Fufufu. Foolish little Irina, you will be left behind to 'eat my dust', as they say."

"Hey, I may not know what you're talking about, but I certainly know that smirk. That is the smirk of Xenovia when she does something devious, isn't it? So, it's no doubt that you're up to something devilish."

"Fufufu. Is that so, self-proclaimed Angel-san?"

"S-S-SELF-PROCLAIMED?!"

And with that, I set off for the meeting place of my date with Rias.

—.

"Okay. So…..shit."

I'm currently waiting outside of a plaza for Rias to show up for our date. I haven't been waiting for long or anything, I've only been here for 10 minutes, and Asia texted me telling me that she's on her way so that's not a problem. My problem right now, is that I have no idea what the fuck to say. I know where I wanna take her, I've already planned that out. I'm just worried that I'll have nothing to talk about.

What do I even say? Does she know that me and the other girls had sex? She certainly remembers my confession to Asia. It was already awkward enough the other day, how will it be on a day like this, where I don't know what to say to her? Shit. I gotta start thinking.

"...I...Ise!..."

Ah. I turned around at the sound of a familiar voice. Well, fuck me, I'm out of time.

"H-Hey, Rias!"

I greeted her with a smile as she stopped in front of me. Hoooh...She's wearing a nice beige dress with tiny pink polka dots on it, along with some black knee socks or stockings(?), and some nice brown shoes. Hoooh…..very nice indeed…

"...I-Ise?.."

"Ah!"

I was snapped out of it by Rias's timid voice. Ah, I got distracted. Ever since coming back from Kyoto I've felt more comfortable being taken by the girl's appearances. I am still a pervert deep down after all. I can just control it well. Ah, I'm not very interested in just random women though. Rias isn't a random woman, she is….well….that's complicated.

"Sorry, I just got lost in thought. Uh, you look very beautiful!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah, of course! Why wouldn't you?"

"...Beautiful in what way?"

She asked timidly while looking away. Oh...looks like she has doubts because of me huh….I've really messed with her head up to this point haven't I?...How cruel.

"As a woman of course. What other way could there be?"

I gave her reassuring smile. Today, I'll make it up to you. I'll make up for my terrible treatment of you.

"Now, come on! Let's get going! We have dinner at 7, so we better spend these 7 hours we got doing stupid stuff before we gotta get fancy!"

"Wah! W-Wait!"

"Nope! No waiting, let's gooo!"

"Kyaah!"

Rias squealed as I had suddenly pulled her into the plaza. With that, our date had begun.

[—]

"Come on, try it on, I'm sure it'll look good!"

"..I...I don't know…"

The first place we went to was a clothing store. Rias has a giant wardrobe of different outfits already, but in order to bring back some of her confidence, maybe it would be better if I showed her that I have an interest in her body? That's my idea, so I've gotten her to pick out some stuff to wear.

"Come on, try it, yeah? For me?"

She glanced to the clothing hesitantly and back to me. I gave her a grin hopefully to ease her.

"..O..Okay..."

She hesitantly walked to the dressing booth and stepped inside to change. I looked through the small pile of clothes I held. She wouldn't pick out anything herself so I had to pick them myself. I'm only going off of whatever little fashion knowledge I have thanks to Akeno. Hopefully it all looks good together.

Slide.

I heard the curtain to the booth slide and turned my head.

"...H...How...is it?..."

Ooooh. Rias came out wearing a white shirt with pink stripes and blue mini skirt, also while keeping her black knee socks. I wanted to start out with something simple so she wouldn't be too hesitant, but as it goes on I plan to up the ante with it. So for now this is...

"Oho! Nice! Very cute! A fitting outfit for a date! Perfect for a girl your age!"

I gave her a thumbs up and a wide grin. She averted her gaze shyly while shifting in place.

"...R...Really?...It looks good?"

"Hell yeah! Very good!"

She didn't smile but there was a tint of red on her cheeks. Okay. Progress. It's odd to see Rias acting as the bashful one, but it is a little cute. Anyway, I'll have to bring back her confidence bit by bit. So, next one!

"Okay, now try this one!"

"E-Eh? A-Already?"

"Yeah, come on! Here!"

"...O-Okay.."

Rias went back into the booth and continued changing. At that moment, my phone made a little ding. Ah, I've received a mail.

"Hm."

I read the message sent to me by Azazel.

[I don't know why you want it, but I already promised the girls I wouldn't unseal it. However, since it's an allied faction leader I see no reason to refuse. Lol. That's why, I'll go ahead and do you that favor. Besides, I'm sure it'll be useful in the future.]

Okay! Nice! In that case, I'll text Mil-tan and let her know the plan is a go.

Slide.

The curtain slid open again and Rias stepped out. She was wearing a beige, sleeveless turtleneck and black tight form mini skirt. Hoho! That kind of resembles an office lady sort of feel. A bit more suggestive than the last one, which was mostly innocent.

"Oooh! Very nice! Knee socks are nice, but being able to see the pearly white skin is also very nice! Very nice indeed!"

I gave her my compliments without hesitation. A bit like how I would in the past. She shuffled in place with the same tint of red on her face.

"...Do you really think that?"

"Yeah I do! It's super erotic, even for just being that simple! I'd love to see more of it!"

The redness on her cheeks increased. I could see a bit of a hopeful look in her eyes.

"...Really? More?..."

"Yeah! Hell yeah!"

I saw her fidget a bit before pointing her finger towards the bundle in my arms.

"...Then….that one.."

Hm? I looked down to the clothes. Oh! This one? It's a bit more revealing than the one she's wearing now….is she starting to feel more confident?

"Okay, you got it!"

I handed her the outfit. From that point we began running through outfits like a montage. As we continued on, she started gradually wearing outfits that were more revealing or suggestive. It even seemed like she started to become a little enthusiastic.

Slide.

"..How is this?"

"Hooo! Beautiful! A perfect match for your hair!"

Slide.

"..And this one?"

"Yes, very good! It accentuates your bust! Ah, I said that a bit too loud."

Slide!..

"T-This one?"

"Ah, now that one is good for bringing out your eyes!"

"R-Really?"

"Yeah!"

"...Then.."

Oh! Rias came out from the booth and pulled some clothes off the hangars. Woah, she's picking them out for herself now! And a lot of them are swimsuits!

From that point, Rias showed herself in more revealing outfits and even gradually started doing poses.

Slide!

"This one?"

"Oooh! That has a very mature onee-san look to it! Oh, oh, do a pose! Something that seems dignified!"

"...L-Like this?"

"Uuoooh! Very erotic!"

Slide!

"Then this?"

"Yeah, yeah, that makes me want to go to the pool right now!"

Slide!

"This one?"

"Nevermind, that one makes me want to go the fuckin beach immediately!"

Slide!

"This?"

"Ohoo! Yes, that's perfect for the [blowing you a kiss] pose you're doing! Marvellous!"

Before we knew it, she had already tried on 30 different outfits. We brought them to the register, much to Rias's dismay.

"Y-You really want to buy me all of these, Ise?"

"Yeah! I want to see you wear them!"

"...But, at least let me buy them…"

"Huh? No way! In a date, a man is the one who should accommodate the woman! Or at least, that's how I feel."

"...Is that so?"

I purchased all of the clothing she tried on and we walked out of the store. Rias walked into a bathroom to quickly transport the bags back home before we continued with our date. By the way, Matsuda and Motohama spent somewhere around 50,000¥, not including the cash I gave them, on porn the other day. They didn't go to school the next day either, haha! At least Motohama brought me my card home while wearing a suspicious hoodie.

"Okay, let's see what's next!"

I pulled out an old, wrinkled up paper and read the "agenda". It was a list of things or places I wanted to go to on the date. Rias asked me about it.

"What is that?"

"Hm? Ah, this is my list. It's a bunch of plans I had in mind for our date together."

"...But, why does it seem so aged?"

"Ah….well, that's because it was a list I made back when I had just become a Devil and wanted to go on a date with you. I just never got to use it."

At that moment, Rias halted.

"Eh? Rias?"

I looked back to her, but I couldn't see her expression. She stayed silent for a while.

"...Rias?"

"...There…"

Hm? She lifted her finger and pointed to the list in my hands.

"...I….want to go there…"

"You….want to go?"

I was taken aback by her sudden request. I had thought I would need to take the lead the entire way, but she's actually asking to go somewhere herself! Because of my surprise, she suddenly became hesitant.

"Ah…..no….Ise..should decide…."

—!

"Rias!"

"Eh?!"

She was startled by my shout. I smiled widely.

"Where ever the princess wants to go, we go!"

"Eh? M-Me?"

"I don't see any other princesses around, do you? Now, onward, to the aquarium waga hime (my princess)!"

"Wah! Y-Y-Yours—!?"

After that, Rias and I ran around doing the stuff on my list in order of anything she decided on. We went to various places like the aquarium, the zoo, a food court, and more.

[ The Aquarium ]

"Rias! Look at this stupid looking fish! It seriously has the face of Azazel!"

"..Azazel? But it just looks like a fish with a very dopey face."

"I know right?!"

"..."

[ The Zoo ]

"Mmmmmm!…."

"Ise? Why are you glaring at that snake so intently?"

"Bastard gave me a nasty look just now."

"But...a snake?"

"I must establish dominance."

"...Ufu…"

"Gasp! You almost just laughed right now, didn't you!"

"...N..No...I didn't…"

"Yosha! In that case, it's my mission to go around and glare at all the other animals too!"

"...Please don't, Ise..."

"Mama! That guy is weird!"

"Shh! Don't point, Haruto."

[ The Plaza food court ]

"Mmm! No matter how much good food you guys give me, I never seem to get tired of fast food! It's not fair man! Are you damn companies trying to make me get fat?! I work out ya know! I fight Gods! It ain't gonna be that easy! Aaaah, but this food is so good! Dammit! The system is rigged!"

"..Ufufufu…"

"Aha! You laughed! I caught that!"

"..Mou, stop pointing it out. It's embarrassing.."

"I'll stop when I see you doing it more! For now, my mission continues!"

"...Ise is so odd…"

"Yup! Sekiryuutei's code: We're all weirdos!"

"..Where did such a code even come from?.."

"Ah, who cares about that. More importantly, try this shake! It's really good!"

"Eh? But.."

"Come on, try it!"

"...Okay."

"How is it?"

"Mm...It's good."

"Cool. I usually don't like strawberry, but— Ah, you already knew that about me huh, haha."

"...Ise...try mine…"

"Hm? Ah! Can I?"

"Mm.."

"Alright, don't mind if I do then!"

"...I-Is it good?"

"Yeah! It's great!"

"...I see."

"Ah, ah, ah! You're smiling~"

"Mou…"

After that point, it seemed like Rias began to openly have fun.

---

|Rias|

…Ise took me to an arcade. We began playing many of the various cooperative games together.

It has been 3 hours since our date has started…..I'm….having fun…

"Aaaaaaah! No way! A Dragon ball fighter! Let's play this one!"

"A fighting game? I am not good at these. I've only ever played them with Koneko a few times."

"Haha! Well, I'm a pro thanks to playing with Shirone!"

…...'Shirone'….

"Hm? What's wrong?"

"Eh? N-Nothing."

"Alright, let's do this!"

Despite hardly playing such games, I somehow managed to beat Ise in the game.

"Whaaaaaat?! How did I lose?! Could it be possible that my skill has taken a dive?! No! I refuse to accept it! Rias! Let's play it again! Rematch!"

Ise challenged me passionately….He wants to play again….

"Okay…"

"Yosha!"

We began playing again. Ise is playing so adamantly. As if he is really trying to win. To see him so passionate over such little things again…...it has been so long since he has shown such enthusiasm towards things like this…..Speaking and acting so openly…..without any sort of animosity or negativity feeling from him…acting over the top and having fun…...

…..It's…..just like it was in the past…...being here….on this date…..it almost makes me forget….about everything…..It's almost like a dream…...

…...Could he be doing it on purpose? Is it because I am here with him that he is deliberately acting this way?...Or is what the others say true?...Has he really reverted back to his original state since Kyoto?...Is he just….that old Ise we all know and love?...The same Ise that I…?...

….Whatever the case…...to be here with him like this…...to forget everything else…...maybe that's enough for me….

"Aaaah! No fuckin way! Rematch, rematch!"

"Okay."

---

|Ise|

"Aaaah! Man! Maybe I do just suck at playing those now."

I sighed in a grumpy manner after losing to Rias five times in a row against her in a fighting game.

"Well, it's most likely that one of those control sticks you were playing with were broken. Otherwise, I wouldn't really see why that could happen."

"Yeah, I guess it was a bit loose huh."

We walked through the arcade, planning to make our way out, but I stopped at the sight of something.

"Huh?"

It's a crane game machine.

"Hm? What is it, Ise?"

I pointed at it enthusiastically.

"Hey, let's play that one! I can beat those easy and get you a prize!"

"Eh? A prize?...But.."

"Come on, I swear I can do it!"

"Eh? No, well, I don't doubt you but…"

"Come on, I've never gotten you one before! At least one, yeah?"

"...Mm...Okay.."

"Great!"

We approached the crane game and I placed yen into the slot.

"Alright. Which do you want?"

"Eh? No, um, any is fine.."

"Hmm...Ah! The bat! There's a little bat there, haha! That's perfect isn't it?"

"Y...Yes, I suppose.."

"Ah, or maybe the Tanuki? Since you like Japan so much? Ah, no, no, wait. That's kinda dirty for a girl to have huh? Or at least for someone with a dirty mind it is, hehe."

"...Um, any.."

"Yosh! I'll get the bat then!"

I pulled the lever and began directing the crane over head. I placed it directly over the bat. Come on, you got this. You've done this a billion times. And…..

Fadun.

I got it! The bat plushie fell into the bin! Yes! Nice job, me! Good catch!

"Here you are, ojou-sama."

I courteously handed the plush to Rias like a servant would. She took it hesitantly. She stared down at it silently.

"Hehehe. I had never gotten you one so I decided it was only fair you know? Do you like it?"

She slowly brought the plush into her arms.

"...Yes…...It's perfect…"

I smiled brightly. Though I couldn't see her expression, it seemed like she was extremely happy. Happier than how she's been throughout the entire date. Good. I'm glad. I'm glad that I was able to let her feel this, even if just at least for today. Hopefully, I'll keep being able to make her happy. To make up for all that I've done until now.

"Nishishishi~"

I laughed a bit like a cartoon character as I finally relaxed myself. I placed my hands behind my head in a laid back manner.

"Ah, that's great then! I'm glad you like it. I had already gotten the others one so I thought it'd be nice if you had one too ya know? Hehehe."

—At that moment, in all of my carelessness, I ended up saying something that held greater weight than I had realized.

"Ah, you know this actually reminds me of the first time I got Asia a plushie like that. It was our first 'date' per say, during the stuff with Raynare. I guess that was technically the first time I ever got any girl a plushie. Or at least one who accepted it."

—TEAR.

"Hm?"

I heard a peculiar little sound. The sound of fabric tearing. I looked down to Rias beside me. Her expression was shadowed by her hair.

"...Again…"

She whispered something.

"Hm? What was that?"

I couldn't hear her whisper. I leaned forward a bit, but still couldn't make out her expression. It was then that my eyes caught onto the reflection of it on the glass case machine.

"...Again—"

Drip.

Something wet dropped onto her shoes.

"—I am reminded of the harsh reality set before me..."

TEAR.

The little plush in her hands began to rip down the middle from her tight grip.

"I am…."

Her eyes—

"Merely prolonging the dream…"

—Had tears falling out of them.

…

…

…...

"...Ria—"

Before I could call out to her, she had already run out from the arcade.

"Wha-?! Wait, Rias!"

…...She was gone in a second.

….

My eyes looked down to the plushie sitting on the floor. I lifted it from the tiny puddle of tears on the ground. It was cleanly ripped on its head.

….

"I am….the worst…"

Part 3

"...Haah…"

I sighed heavily while looking up to the roof of the canopy over my bed. A head came into view over me.

"Is it still bothering you, Anata?"

It was Akeno. I was lying my head on her lap. I shifted over on to my side.

"...Yeah...I can't get over it…"

The date with Rias was a bust. I haven't been able to stop thinking about it ever since I got home. I heard from the girls that Rias returned home immediately and locked herself in her room. She hasn't come out since. No one has been able to get in either. Not even Asia. Rossweisse-san had brought her food, but she didn't eat it. We didn't even get to go to the dinner I reserved. Fuck me, man. I'm so stupid.

"Well."

Akeno stroked my hair.

"You did the best you could, honey. If it didn't work out then...maybe it's for the best?"

I shook my head.

"I don't want to accept that. And I don't think she does either."

"Hmm….well, maybe it's just not time yet. It could've been too early. Maybe she needs more time before she comes around. That seems to be what Rias is like."

I began shifting in my spot restlessly. Left, right, up, down, diagonally. I couldn't stay put for more than a second.

"Well, it's just— I mean— It's not like I'm doing this just to like, you know, get another harem member. It's nothing like that. I just want us to go back to our old relationship. I don't wanna be so distant anymore. I'm sure she wants that too, right?"

"Of course she does."

"Yeah, that's why, she deserves it ya know. I mean— It's just— I care about her too. I mean, I've always cared about her. But there was so many times that I probably made her think otherwise. That's why, because— It's because I— I was—."

"Shh. It's alright."

Akeno comforted me as I became anxious. I sighed defeatedly. She smiled over me fondly.

"That caring personality is what is so lovely about you. To believe that you can be so vulnerable and kind despite being able to show such strong sides to yourself…..it only makes me fawn over you even more…"

She stroked my cheek gently. I smiled and lifted my hand up to hold her cheek softly.

"Heh. Well, the only people who get to see this part of me are my girls after all. There's no way I can be showing that weakness as a Faction leader ya know. That's why I'm glad I've become like this. Because now I can just show that weakness to you instead of completely sealing it off from the world. Although, that is probably very unmanly."

She shook her head.

"It's exactly that contrast between strength and vulnerability that is so lovely. Somehow, being able to see that even you have weaknesses, it gives me a sense of comfort. Maybe because I know that is when I can finally support you. Moreover, the fact that I get to see it, that only means that you are willing to show me that side. Because you trust me…"

"Because I love you…"

"Ise…."

Akeno gazed at me with glossy eyes. They gave off the impression of being enamoured. She slowly leaned in over me. I lifted my head slightly. We kissed softly.

Chu.

As always, her lips were soft and her breath was calm. This would be maybe the fourth time we've kissed properly. I began lifting myself up while keeping our lips connected. We only broke the kiss when I needed to adjust myself upright to continue. Once I adjusted myself, we continued kissing passionately. Though, not for long.

—"I am merely prolonging the dream."

I separated from her lips.

"Ah, fuck."

"What's wrong?"

Akeno asked quietly. Ah, her expression makes it seem like she really wanted to continue. But…

"Haah…"

I laid my head onto her shoulder with a sigh.

"She's all alone in her room. And right now I'm…..Haah. I'm the worst."

Akeno hugged me softly.

"No. It's that consideration that makes you so perfect. I can only love you more and more everyday. Though it is a shame. I was getting so excited."

I could only groan in serious disappointment after hearing that.

"Uuuuuuuuuughhhhh!..."

Akeno rubbed my head while I kept my face buried in her shoulder sadly.

"There, there~ it's alright. We can do it another time."

"The fact that you stroke my head only makes me feel even less manly."

"Oh, don't be that way dear~ if it makes you feel better, I can go ahead and take care of you using my mouth—"

"N-Nope, that's okay! Hehehe! T-Thanks anyway. Ahem."

"Mu. Does Ise not want to use my mouth? That makes me sad.."

"I am in a weak spot right now so please don't do this to me."

"Ufufufu~ I'm only teasing~ Doesn't a wife get to play with her husband's emotions every once in a while?"

"I haven't p-proposed yet. No, more than that, what sort of sadistic wife would—…..."

"..Ufufufu~"

"...Ah...Haha….oh shit, that's right huh? Somehow, I forgot…"

"Oh darling~ I won't let you forget~..."

"...Uh oh."

-DxD-

"Alright everyone, I'm off to take Gasper out on his—Er, her date. I'll be back in a few hours."

I gave my announcement to those sitting on the couches of the living area as I began walking past. I noticed Rias sitting on one of the sofas with them. She didn't look my way and she seemed distant in general, but at least she's out of her room. Xenovia turned her head back curiously.

"Hm? Another date?"

"Yeah, I had already promised her before that I would take her out, so it would be wrong to break that promise. It wouldn't sit well with me."

"Huh? I don't remember hearing such a promise?"

"Ah, well, it was more of an internal promise, but I did ask her out later and she said yes. So, yeah."

Xenovia looked down seriously while rubbing her chin.

"Ise has become a Casanova…"

"Eh? No, what? There's no way that's the case. I'm just trying to make you girls happy, since you've made me so happy, ya know."

She pouted with a blush on her cheeks.

"Ise has become a Casanova…"

"Er…..so it ends up like that huh…"

As I was sweat dropping, I heard someone step down from the staircase near us.

"U-U-Um—! G-G-G-G-G-G-G-Good morning!"

Hm? I turned around to the familiar stuttering mess of girlish vampire. It was obviously Gasper, dressed in a black, female dress shirt with a pink ribbon tied to the collar. She was also wearing a black and pink plaid diamond vest over the shirt and a tight black mini skirt. Oooh! There's a small slit on the side of the skirt as well, revealing a bit of her leg. Ohohohoho~ That's way more bold than anything Gasper has ever worn probably! Ah, maybe that's why she looks like she's about to blow up. Her face is seriously blood red.

"Wow, Gya-chan! You look beautiful! I never thought you'd wear something like that!"

"M-M-M-M-M-M—!"

She began stuttering so much that steam came out of her head while her smile twitched violently. Suddenly, she bolted to run back up the stairs.

"A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-As I thought, I need my confidence bag!"

I caught her before she could run.

"Ah, ah, ah! No paper bags! No boxes either! Today you will not hide! We're going exposed today!"

"W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-W-Whaaaaaaaaat?!"

"Come on! No need for a paper bag when you've got a boyfriend to show you off for the day!"

"N-N-N-N-Noooooooooooo!"

—.

"Haaaaaah~"

Gasper sighed happily with sparkles all around her face. We had just returned home from our date and now she looks extremely satisfied. Xenovia crossed her arms curiously when we walked into the living area.

"Gyasuke seems really happy."

"Eh? Ah...Yeah. She's been like this ever since we left the amusement park…"

"What happened at the amusement park?"

"Ah, well….I ended up kind of forcing her into getting onto a roller coaster she really didn't want to ride, in order to boost her confidence, but she ended up crying afterwards. I felt really fuckin bad that I did such a thing so I hugged her and gave her a kiss on the head and said I was sorry. Ever since then she's been…..well, like this…"

"...Ise has become a Casanova…"

"Can you stop saying that?"

I patted Gya-chan lightly on the head.

"Anyway, I gotta go take care of some paperwork. Gya-chan, why don't you go sit down next to everyone else? I'm sure you're tuckered out after the coaster right?"

"Haaaaaaaaiii~"

Gya-chan walked off in a happy daze. Hm?

"Rias ain't here?"

"No, she went upstairs. She hasn't come out for a few hours."

"...Is that so…"

I began making my way upstairs.

"Somebody at least make sure she gets dinner, yeah?"

"Got it."

I walked upstairs. So she hasn't come out huh. Damn. It seems like…..will this become the "same as always"?...I entered my room. As I dressed out of my nice clothes for the date and into my home clothes, I received a mail from someone.

Ding!

Ah, It's Mil-tan. Looks like she was able to get everything set. Okay. I'll take care of it tomorrow then.

Dakun.

"Huh?"

Oh, somebody entered the room.

"Akeno? Kets?"

Considering that it was a mature figure that's what I guessed. Even though I knew exactly who it was…

"...Rias?"

The one who appeared from behind the curtains of the canopy was Rias in a nightgown.

"...Ise….."

She had a distressed expression. I didn't really know what to say…

"...Um, hey….listen...I.."

Before I could say anything, Rias walked towards me unsteadily.

"...Ise….please…"

Small droplets of water fell onto the floor below.

"...Please…"

Rias reached me and clutched onto my muscle shirt tightly. She lifted her head to me.

—Never in my life have I seen such an expression of terrible pain and sorrow from Rias, as tears streamed freely from her eyes.

"...Please don't leave me behind!.."

I felt the weight of the world crash down upon my being. I could no longer think or move as I listened to Rias choked up speech and stared at her painful expression.

"...Please! Ise! I'm sorry! I'm sorry for anything I've ever done! I'll make up for up any way I can!— So please!— Please don't leave me behind!"

She would choke and hic with every word spoken. It reminded me of an innocent child with a broken heart. An insurmountable amount of tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

"I'll do everything I can!—I will cut off any ties I have to the Gremory Household—I will cut off any ties I have to Devil society—I'll cut away everything— And I'll even become an honorary citizen to the Ryu Faction— If that's what you want, I will do it!— I'll do anything you want me to!— I don't care what it is!— I'll separate myself from the entire Underworld!— I don't care! As long as it's with you— I don't care!— Because I love you!— I love you more than anything in this world!— So please— please—"

—"Don't forget about me!"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

I had already embraced Rias without even thinking.

"I'm sorry…"

The tears did not hesitate to fall from my eyes.

"I'm so sorry…."

"Please Ise! I'll do anything! I swear! Please—"

"NO!"

I pulled her away by the shoulders and held firmly onto them. I shouted while shedding tears.

"No! You won't! Because there's nothing you need to do to prove yourself!"

"Eh—"

"You aren't the one who's wrong! I am! You aren't the one who needs to make up for anything! I am! You aren't the one who should be apologizing! I am! It's me! It's all because of me! It's all my fault! From the very start— It's always been—Guh!— My fault!"

I couldn't hold back my tears as I became the one who was weeping. Rias looked up at me with confusion.

"...Ise?...Always?...From the start?...What are you…."

"..Guh! Nn!"

I struggled to keep my head up as my body shook. Little did I know, that a certain ability of mine had suddenly activated because of the pulse in my heart. Rias began to see a certain world of mine along with me. And I was returned to a familiar place.

《That's right. It's my fault. From the start. From the very start. It's because of me. Because I've lied to myself. Because I am never who I am. Because I run from reality.》

《Because I've always been caught…..in that cycle.》

---

"I….am no longer human?!"

Even though I had said that with an expression of comical shock, the truth is that I was feeling differently on the inside.

"That's right, Ise. You are now a Devil just like us. You are a member of my family. Welcome to the Gremory family."

She had said that with a sweet smile. Rias Gremory. The woman I was in love with. No. She was the woman I was infatuated with. But—

"Eeeeeeeeeeh?!"

Hyoudou Issei had died. Even though I was jumping and yelling in shock like a fool, the truth is that I was only doing it to retain my own sanity. That's because Hyoudou Issei was no more.

That's right, isn't it? I, the human being named Hyoudou Issei, had died and come back to life. But—

"..."

Through the silence of the clubroom, I sat and looked down to my reflection in the glass of the coffee table.

《...Who….am I?》

That's what I thought at that time. That's because—Hyoudou Issei had died. The person that I was— No, the being that I was— was something I didn't recognize.

Hyoudou Issei was a fool who had no realistic aspirations, no future planned ahead, no real purpose aside from living life to the fullest. Indulging in his perverted fantasies. Wasting his time with menial activities. Spending his life mostly focused on some sort of media. Continuing his perverted antics day by day. What was it that made Hyoudou Issei himself? In the end, he was nothing but a perverted fool with a crush on the academy's most popular woman. Most of all, he was human.

—But now. He was no longer human. His entire being had been changed entirely. He was now a Devil. Because he had his life taken from him by the woman he called his girlfriend. His life was no longer his. Instead, it now belonged to the woman he was previously infatuated with. Rias Gremory. His master. He was now a servant. The servant to a Devil from the Underworld. His life's purpose was now to serve his master. He was no longer human.

…...But if that really was the case, then…..who is Hyoudou Issei?

If Hyoudou Issei is no longer human, if his life was taken from him and now belonged to someone else, if his life's purpose was now replaced by an eternal servitude, if everything about his life had completely changed—

Then…..what makes Hyoudou Issei — Hyoudou Issei?

《Who…...am I?...》

The Devil servant? The loyal Devil servant? Or will he rebel? His life is no longer his own. It no longer belongs to him, so if it's not his then he has no right to it. Perhaps it was about swearing absolute loyalty. Since Hyoudou Issei was now dead, it only mattered what his master wanted. Isn't that right? There is no longer any Hyoudou Issei after all, right? He died. The one looking back at you is just an imitation, isn't it? A fake. A copy. A leftover. A remnant. Because the human, the original Hyoudou Issei, is dead. You are nothing but a servant of Gremory. You— are a Devil.

《...I….don't want to disappear….》

Despite that, you still clung onto yourself. I don't want to disappear, that's what you thought. You were too afraid to disappear. You wanted to continue living. You wanted to be Hyoudou Issei. But you didn't know who Hyoudou Issei was. Because he was dead. That's why you asked yourself, what makes Hyoudou Issei?

"One day, you can even form your own peerage. An entire harem of women."

—There it was. The glimmer of hope.

"No waaaaay! You mean I can have an entire harem?!"

And just like that, you pathetically clung onto it. All the while continuing to shield yourself from the darkness in your mind.

"I'm gonna become the harem king!"

《That's right! That's who Hyoudou Issei is! Hyoudou Issei is a pervert! Hyoudou Issei is an idiot! And most of all, Hyoudou Issei is in love with Rias Gremory!》

—That's what you told yourself, wasn't it? That's how you fooled yourself. That's right. That's what makes Hyoudou Issei isn't it? He's a foolish pervert with unrealistic aspirations, and he always run forward without hesitation. If other people believe that, then so will you, right? As you ran on through the days with a smile, you could still hear your own thoughts telling you the truth. But you ignored them. Because if you didn't, you would crumble, and fall completely apart.

More than that, you felt the isolation. Despite the fact that you had fooled yourself into continuing with the persona of Hyoudou Issei, you still felt the detachment. You were no longer human. The human Hyoudou Issei had died. That's why, whenever you went to school, whenever you went home, whenever you looked in the mirror— there was no one else there. Because Hyoudou Issei was dead. His parents, his friends, his classmates, they were not yours. They were people Hyoudou Issei knew. Not you. Not the servant of Gremory. Not you.

That feeling of detachment, that feeling of disconnection from the world, that feeling of isolation from everyone, you still felt it. No matter how hard you tried to turn a blind eye, it was impossible to ignore. Because you were faced with it each and every day. Even though you had already decided who Hyoudou Issei was, you didn't know if he was the same one who knew these people. You felt so alone.

That's why you clung to it tighter. All of those traits, his pervertedness, his foolishness, his "love" for Rias Gremory, you accentuated them and clung tightly onto them. Because if you didn't, you had nothing else. That's how you continued living on.

You were fine with that life. All until—

"Kyaah!"

—A certain light peered through the darkness.

"Hello! My name is Asia Argento!"

A random girl. She was beautiful and a bit clumsy, but that was about it. There was nothing special about her. Not until—

"Now, now, boys shouldn't cry over a little scrape like this."

《...Sacred….gear…》

—She possessed a sacred gear. Just like your own. Just like you.

"I'm sorry….my power...you find it odd, don't you?"

In only a short time, you had developed a fascination with her. Not just because of the sacred gear. But, because she was human. That's right. She was a human with a sacred gear. Just like you. Just like Hyoudou Issei was. But there was even more.

—She was alone. You could tell from one look in her eyes. She was all alone. There was no one beside her in this life. No one. She was all alone. Just like you. You no longer had parents, those were Hyoudou Issei's. You no longer had friends, those were Hyoudou Issei's. You were a Devil. And you didn't even have friends who were Devils, because then accepting that would mean you weren't Hyoudou Issei, right? You were stuck in the middle, with no one standing beside you. You were all alone. Just like her.

Perhaps it was because she was just like you, human— No, it was precisely because she was human, "just like you". She was so human— that she let you forget you were not.

Around her, in that short time, you were just Hyoudou Issei.

"Thank you for bringing me here! W-Would you like to come in for some tea?"

—You wanted to. But you could feel the "Devil" fighting you— fighting Hyoudou Issei.

"N-No, I have to be getting to school soon, thank you."

You refused. That day, it was the Devil who won. That day, you felt something crash down on you. Something too powerful to keep you standing on your feet, as you fell to your knees, alone in your room. You had missed the possibility of connecting. Connecting with something or someone that made you feel real. Connecting yourself to the world through that person. Truly continuing to be Hyoudou Issei.

The feeling you had experienced that day— was failure.

You continued on with your days. You acted as if nothing happened. Yet now, you felt even more disconnected from everything and everyone. Now that you knew what it felt like to be the real Hyoudou Issei again, you knew the Hyoudou Issei walking in your flesh was not him. But you had to move forward. Otherwise, you would crumble and fall apart.

"Oya? It looks like the shitty Devil has come to play~"

One day, you fell into a trap. You were caught by a spider's web. There was nothing you could do.

"I-Issei-san?!"

"Oya? You know this shitty Devil?"

"...D...Devil?"

You felt like your world had come tumbling down. You didn't mean to deceive her. No, yes, you did. You even meant to deceive yourself. That's why, you could say nothing. You were going to be killed. Yes, that was fine. It was fine this way. Because it didn't matter what happened to "you", the Devil. Hyoudou Issei— was already dead.

"P-Please stop, Freed-san!"

"Haaah?! What the fuck are you doing? Defending a shitty Devil?!"

"P-Please! He may be a Devil but— Issei-san is not evil!"

Your world had frozen. You were not human. Yet despite that, she still protected you. She still covered you with her body. You were not human, you were a Devil. But it was then that you realized, she wasn't protecting you. She wasn't "protecting a Devil".

—She was protecting Hyoudou Issei.

"You little bitch!"

"Kyaah!"

《GET UP.》

That's what you thought. Hyoudou Issei wouldn't stand for this, would he? He wouldn't sit back and watch. He wouldn't give up.

—He would've done the exact same thing for her.

"Nyahahahaha! More shitty Devils have appeared! Yeah! Let's have some fun!"

"Buchou. There are Fallen Angels approaching."

"We're leaving. Koneko, bring Ise."

"NOO! I have to save Asia! We have to bring her with us!"

"Only those in my family can enter this circle. We cannot bring her."

No matter how much you struggled, you couldn't break free. You wanted to save her. You didn't know why, but you wanted to save her no matter what. Despite those strong emotions—

"I hope we will meet again one day, Issei-san."

"Asiaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"

—You still failed.

Once again, you returned to the original spot you were trapped in. Days and days passed. Yet, for some reason, you could still not let that memory leave your mind. It began to eat you. To the point that you wanted strength. You wished for it. You begged for it. However, before you could even recieve it—

"Issei-san?"

You were suddenly ripped from your lonely spot once again.

"Ah, Asia, that's not how you eat a burger. Here. Let me show you."

Just like that, you were overcome with that familiar feeling. That sense of security. That feeling of certainty. You are Hyoudou Issei. And that's all there was to it. Thanks to her.

"I was once….a Holy Maiden…."

Then she told you about her past. That's when you began to shift. She had no one. She was nothing but a tool. They were using her. Her life was one of servitude. Her purpose was to serve others. The moment she had lost her usefulness, she was tossed out. No, she didn't even lose it. She was tossed out regardless. Because she was a "witch". She had no purpose any longer. She had no one left beside her. She could only cling to whatever she had left, her faith. Even though she was abandoned and had no one. No parents, no friends. Not even God. She was completely alone.

Just like you.

"Asia! Become my friend!"

"...Yes!"

And for some reason, you selfishly decided to place yourself in that spot next to her, just so you could no longer be alone. Now, you would both be in that spot, right next to each other. Together.

"Come now, Asia. If you don't come along, then I will kill this rat."

"Asia's not going anywhere! She's my friend! I won't let you take her!"

You didn't know it, but that was where your possessive tendencies began to form. From the fear of losing this friend. A friend who had unknowingly become more than you thought.

"Good girl. Tonight, we'll begin the ritual, and you won't have to worry about any of this any longer."

"G-Goodbye, Issei-san…"

"ASIA!"

Though you reached out for her, the world seemed to stretch you further away. It happened. It happened again.

—You failed.

"You cannot go. You are a servant of the house of Gremory. Your actions do not affect you alone."

"In that case, let me out from this family. I will do it myself."

"You will be killed if you do this!"

"Asia is my friend! I will not abandon my friend!"

That's right. No matter what, you wouldn't back down. You would go to save her no matter what. You couldn't stand the feeling of those failures. The weight they cast upon your shoulders was unimaginable. You failed to save your friend. You failed to save that person, your glimmer of hope. You can't stand it. You'd rather die. That's why, you still went.

"…I was happy that…I had a friend…even for a short while….If I were to be born again, will you become my friend once more…?"

"W-What are you saying!? Don't say that! Let's go somewhere to have fun! I will drag you even though you don't want to! We will go to karaoke! Game centre! Let's also go bowling! Also other places! Also to that place! And there! We are friends! Always! Yeah, that's right! I will introduce you to Motohama and Matsuda! They are a bit perverted, but both of them are good guys! They will definitely become your friends! Definitely! We will have fun together! We'll have fun until we can!"

"…If I was born in this country…and went to the same school as you…"

"Let's go! Come to our school!"

"…You even cry for someone like me…now I can…Thank you…"

Those were her last words.

"...Asia?..."

Once again— You failed.

"AAAAAAAASIIIIIIIAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

And with a weight greater than existence itself, you called out to the same God that cursed both of you.

"YOU'RE LISTENING, AREN'T YOU?! NEH! KAMI-SAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

"A Devil crying out to God in a church? How disgustingly pathetic."

《KILL HER.》

That was all you thought at the time. Truthfully, you were lucky. If you had already unlocked the base form of the Boosted Gear then you may have gone into Juggernaut Drive, even if it didn't seem previously possible. That's how strong your emotions were. But you were so weak that you didn't have it. So you didn't even have the luxury to die.

《GIVE ME THE POWER—TO KILL THIS BITCH!》

[Explosion!]

Just like that, you launched her straight out from the church with only one hit. Yet, you still didn't go to finish her off. You could only stare at the body of gentle Asia in silence before your legs gave out.

"Please save me, Ise-kun! I love you!"

With Asia gone, it didn't matter. None of it mattered. You were empty.

"Buchou, kill her."

You didn't feel a single thing.

BOOM!

At least, not until she opened her eyes again.

"Eh? Issei-san?"

That's when your world was filled with light.

"Huaa! I-Issei-san?!"

"Let's go home, my Asia..."

From that point forward, the fear began to fade. You were no longer alone. Devil or human, it didn't matter. You were Hyoudou Issei. That's because it was the same for Asia. Even if she was a Devil, she was still Asia. That sense of security allowed you to open yourself. Your Devil comrades could finally become friends. Your kind master started to become dear to you. You could finally appreciate what was there. You weren't afraid of it.

And of course, in the time you spent living with Asia, your attachment became something more than dependency. You didn't feel like it was a dependency any longer, because now you felt safe to have friends and family. So now, something else began to develop. A newfound appreciation. A profound affection. Something true and deep.

—Love.

"Ise! Please, take my virginity!"

That night was one of conflict. You became confused and your mind was clouded. You could do nothing but be led on by Rias as she straddled you. In that sort of situation, what would Hyoudou Issei do? You were Hyoudou Issei, right? What would you do? Wouldn't you rather have Asia? But wait. Didn't Hyoudou Issei….love Rias Gremory?

"I will not marry you, Raiser!"

Raiser Phenex. He was the one who had made a sudden appearance. He was a repulsive and vulgar man. Truly disgusting. Scum, is what you thought. The thought of him touching Asia somehow, it turned your stomach black. The fact that he insulted your comrades, you felt the urge to beat him down. More than just that, the fact that he had touched "your" master. It enraged you to no end. That's why you foolishly confronted him. It went without saying that you didn't stand a chance. And even though it was a small one, it was nevertheless— A failure.

"I am a trophy to Raiser….I want to marry someone who loves me truly. Someone who loves me for who I am. Not Rias Gremory, or Rias of the Gremory family. Just Rias…...Just me."

You felt it. A feeling that somehow told you that you wanted to protect and care for this person. The same as with Asia, albeit not as strongly, but in that same sense. To make them feel safe. To care for them. To protect them. Because they are "yours".

"I...The woman I like is Rias! Not Rias Gremory! Rias and Rias alone! That's the Rias I care for!"

That's why you said it. You felt compelled to. Those were just your honest feelings.

Then that day came.

"Ise! Please! Stay down! Why?! Why do you keep standing up?!"

"..I just want….to see you smile…"

That was the truth. You wanted them to all smile. Together. Because of Raiser, her happiness, and possibly the happiness of all of those in your group would be taken from them. You couldn't let that happen. You would much rather die trying.

But you still felt a certain hatred for yourself. That's because even though you knew exactly who you were answering, the only image in your mind was a bright golden light, with beautiful green eyes.

"That's enough. I resign."

The weight of anything greater than what you could have previously imagined crashed down on you. Your world began to stretch and the distance between you and that which was important to you increased.

"Eh?"

—YOU FAILED.

"If you want to save my little sister, then come to the engagement party yourself."

A second chance. You had received a second chance. You received one when you failed to save Asia, and you received one now. You wondered how many of those you would receive.

But above all else, you refused to fail again.

"Give me the power I need to defeat him."

You came up with a plan. And for the sake of power, you easily gave up that arm of yours. For the sake of Rias Gremory, your comrades, and more importantly Asia. It was hardly a price to pay.

That's why—

"Rias Gremory's virginity belongs to me!"

You didn't hesitate.

"Don't you realize what you are doing?! This— Do you have any idea what this marriage means for Devil society?!"

"I don't give a shit about that!"

That's right. The only thing that mattered—

"You made my master cry! That! Is what is unforgivaaaaableeeeeeeee!"

—is that little family of yours.

"Then I'll just come back to save you again! No matter how many times it is! Again, and again, and again! I'll always come back to save you!"

That's right. Because you refuse to fail. They are yours. That is why you always must protect them. It was always like that.

Until the day you landed on that mountain.

[Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker!]

You looked up to the sky silently in your armor. You now had the Balance Breaker you desired. Now you must gain power. The power to avoid failure. The power to succeed.

But—

"...I am…"

Looking into the reflection of your jewel, you felt it in your heart. That face. No, it wasn't the face you were looking into. It was something else. Your memories flashed into your mind.

Pathetic. Perverted. Foolish. Naïve. Unprofessional.

—A failure.

"...not you.."

Hyoudou Issei has died once. No, twice. Once then. And— Once now.

"I am….The Sekiryuutei…"

From that point forth, Hyoudou Issei was systematically killed off. That Hyoudou Issei was worthless. The previous Hyoudou Issei had no place there. He would only fail again. That's why, everything worthless of his will be tossed aside. Perversion. Naïvety. Weakness. Cowardice.

That will all be replaced by what is necessary. Strength. Confidence. Knowledge. Discipline. Power. That is what Hyoudou Issei shall be. Hyoudou Issei has died once. He will die once again. A new Hyoudou Issei, the one that everyone needs, that's who will take his place.

《I don't want to disappear.》

But you still could hear it, couldn't you? Hyoudou Issei's voice. Deep inside. Wanting to continue to see the light of day. No matter how hard you pushed it down. That conflict is what weakened you so many times. That's why your stability diminished so quickly. Because it hurt, didn't it? Looking in the mirror— had once again become painful.

《Asia.》

That was all that mattered. You decided, within all of your conflict, that only one thing truly needed to remain the same. Everything else could be tossed aside if not for one thing. Just one thing. But that's exactly why—

《Rias?》

You had no problems tossing her aside. Because the old Hyoudou Issei was dead.

Rias Gremory. She was the representation of him, wasn't she? The old Hyoudou Issei, who was infatuated with her in the past. He openly expressed his perversion towards her. She was his master, his king. He claimed her to be the one he loved for a short while. Out of all things, Rias Gremory—

《Ise.》

—was the very last symbol to that worthless Hyoudou Issei.

That's why, you distanced yourself. You tossed her aside. Even though, you still cared so deeply for her, you cast her aside for the greater purpose. You denied any connection with her, not only to her face, but to yourself. Just because you wanted to eliminate any remnant of that self. Just because you were too much of a coward to face the possibility of failure.

And yet…

"You, who holds the spirit of the filthy red Dragon. She has gone beyond this dimension. Do you not understand it? It means she died."

You still failed. Again, you failed. You failed. Hahaha. You failed. Hahahahahaha. Oh cruel irony. You got exactly what you deserved. Hahahahahahahahahahaha.

….I got what I deserved.

All that time, from the very beginning, you were always caught in that cycle.

It was only until Kyoto did you realize it…..did we realize it.

《I WANT TO LIVE!》

…...You are Hyoudou Issei…..We are Hyoudou Issei….I am Hyoudou Issei…..there's no changing that. And to change that the way we did, I'm glad the world came crashing down on us…...On me.

Because now….I'm not afraid anymore.

I am Hyoudou Issei. I may fail sometimes. But I will always stand back up. And if I don't have that strength, then I know those I love will give me theirs. I will carry on. I will protect them. We will protect each other.

And even if I fail, we will all still be by each other's sides.

…...One day…..forgive me, Rias….

---

…..My vision had ended…..It seemed like my subconscious had brought me into some sort of dream. A dream of my life.

But I wasn't the only one who saw it….

"...Ise…."

I lifted my head a bit. I was holding onto the shoulders of Rias. There were still tears falling down both of our faces, but Rias's were even stronger than before.

"...My Ise…"

Her hand softly touched my cheek.

"...All this time….from the beginning...you were…..my poor, sweet Ise…"

She caressed my cheek, but that only caused me to feel even more pain in my chest. My tears rushed down my cheeks.

"...Rias….I'm so sorry….I pushed you away….because I wanted to change everything…..I wanted to become the Hyoudou Issei that everyone needed…...because I hated myself…..the self that always failed…..yet no matter what I did, he still stayed there…..I couldn't get rid of him…..because it was me…...I didn't want to disappear….I just didn't want to fail again…..but being who I was….I didn't know what else to do…."

In that moment, I was brought into a familiar embrace that healed my heart. Rias stroked my hair gently as she placed my head on her breasts.

"My Ise…..It was in Kyoto that you realized it, wasn't it? That the Hyoudou Issei we love, is just himself. It's okay to want to be better. But it shouldn't come at the expense of yourself, because then, you are only dropping yourself back to square one…..I suppose, that was your 'cycle', wasn't it?"

I nodded my head. Yeah. That's how it was. Contempt and regret. Lack of identity and conflict. That's how it's been from the beginning….because I was too stupid to know what to do otherwise.

"Ise…...do you care for me?"

I lifted my hands and embraced her tightly.

"...Yes….Yes, I do!...I always have!"

"Then, is it alright for me to assume….That maybe you loved me...if even just a tiny bit?"

My grip became tighter.

"Yes! I do!...I love you, Rias."

"Even though you love Asia?..."

"Yes! I love you Rias. I love Asia. But I also love you. And I love Akeno. And Shirone. And Kets. I love you all so much. You mean everything to me."

"I see…"

She stroked my hair gently.

"Yes, I see…..I understand it now…...aaah….my heart truly feels at ease now…..I can feel at peace. Ise. Even though it is selfish to ask, I know that you love Asia above all else, but please love me as well?"

"Yes. I will..."

"Can I hear it one more time?"

"I love you, Rias."

"Ise. Am I yours?"

"Yes. You are mine, and I am yours. From the very start—"

The memory of a certain phrase ran through my mind.

"...Rias Gremory's virginity was always mine…"

"Ufu—!"

Rias covered her mouth to stifle her laughter.

"Oh, My Ise…..I love you."

We both shed tears of happiness as we felt peace in each other's embrace. It was finally back to how it always was. Rias Gremory and Hyoudou Issei. Those were the two standing in embrace. Together.

A couple hours passed. Rias and I were lying in bed together. My head was still resting in between her cleavage and she was holding onto me as if I was a baby. To be fair, I was in a bit of a fetal position.

"Ise?"

"Hm?"

"Will I have to cut off my ties with the Gremory?"

"Of course not. I would never do that to you."

"Okay. I really would rather stay on the Devil's side, even though I do love you."

"I know. I love you too."

Rias smiled with red cheeks and curled her body up a bit in a giddy way.

"Ufufufufu~ being able to hear you say that so easily, somehow it makes me so happy."

She giggled just like a girl her age. I kissed her nose.

"I'll try my best to make you happy from now on. I promise."

"I know you will."

Rias stroked my cheek while looking at me fondly.

"Neh, Ise…..wouldn't the Harem king, Hyoudou Issei, want to take his beloved Rias Gremory's virginity?..."

Ah….haha..

"...Yeah….I think I would…"

She brought her face closer to mine.

"...I love you, My Ise."

-Extra-

Buzz~

I pressed the buzzer on an apartment door. Someone answered in a few seconds.

"Devil-san nyo!"

"I said you could call me Ise, Mil-tan."

"Come in, come in!"

I entered Mil-tan's apartment. Ah, look at all the damn mirrors she has set up here. She's really gotten a new obsession over her new body huh. To be fair, it's a pretty damn good body.

"You look good, Mil-tan."

"Ah, in that case, do you wanna have sex?"

"Uh, maybe another time."

"Gasp! You didn't say no!? That means you're up for it then! Yes! Okay! Let me know what days you are free! I'll get everything ready!"

"No, well, that was more of a figure of speech but—"

"Anyway, these are my friends!"

Mil-tan motioned to the two large, bulky cross dressing men who look like pro wrestlers in magical girl uniforms.

"Ah, hello. We meet again."

I greeted them politely. They asked me with pleading eyes.

"Can Devil-san really make us into girls like Mil-tan?!"

"Please turn us into girls! We want to be magical too!"

"Alright, alright."

I put my hands up to calm them.

"Are you sure you want to do this?"

They both nodded vigorously.

"Alright then."

I pulled out a familiar pistol looking device from my jacket.

"Close your eyes."

The moment they shut their eyes, I pointed the pistol at their face and pulled the trigger.

BIJUU~

A bright light enveloped them and blinded us for a few seconds. After the light died down, the hulking figures were nowhere to be seen. Instead, there were two young girls, with brown and blonde hair respectively, left in their rags. They both gasped at each other.

" "We did it!" "

They high fived happily and began jumping around excitedly. Guys— Er, girs, your breasts are bouncing around freely. You're basically naked since your clothes don't fit. Hey, wait a minute...

"Why the Hell did one of you go blonde?"

I pointed to the girl who had become blonde for some reason. She shrugged. I looked back down to the device. What the fuck even is this thing?...

"Okay. Anyway, about the whole deal thing. Um, look. I don't want you to feel like you're pressured to do this or anything. You're perfectly free to refuse. I just thought since you guys are like Mil-tan that you would have the same thought process, but if you feel hesitant then you are free to refu—"

" "We'll do it!" "

They both announced to me enthusiastically. For those of you wondering what I'm talking about, I made a deal with Mil-tan's friends that if I turn them into girls they would consider taking Matsuda and Motohama's virginities…...Now hear me out.

I only suggested it because Mil-tan had already asked me if I could do it for her friends since they obviously found out about it once they visited her. I thought that it would maybe be a good idea if, rather than having them sign a contract, they would instead have their first times with Matsuda and Motohama. Since they were similar to Mil-tan in personality I kind of assumed they would be pretty enthusiastic about doing their first times so I thought it'd be a win-win. Although, I didn't expect them to agree so easily afterward. My back up plan was just to ask some Fallen Angels on behalf of the Sekiryuutei. I'm sure that would've worked too.

"So, then you're okay with it?"

" "Yes!" "

"Um, okay. Do you guys remember them from your first meeting?"

They nodded their heads and raised their hands.

"I'll take the one with glasses!"

"I'll take the jock!"

Former jock. Ah, well, I guess that doesn't really matter.

"...Alright then. In that case, I'll go ahead and text them to 'meet me somewhere'. When you guys meet them there, um, just tell them last time was a prank and you guys are the real friends of Mil-tan. And that those big guys were just cousins or something. Got it?"

" "Yes!" "

"Okay….."

I'm afraid of how this will work out….

---

"Why the Hell does Ise want to meet us here again?"

"I don't know. Something about exclusive western porn or something."

"I thought he got bored of porn?"

"I don't fuckin know man."

" "Helloooo~!" "

"Eh?! Huh?! Us?! What, hello?!"

"Um, may we help you girls with something?"

"I'll take mine to the Kamiya love hotel!"

"I'll take mine to my house!"

"Eh?! What?! Motohama, what's happening?!"

"Matsuda, call the police!"

"Holy shit these girls are strong!"

"Ah! Matsuda! I'm being dragged away!"

"Motohama?! Motohamaaaaaaaaa!"

---

The next day at school.

"No, I don't think it's that difficult."

I was speaking with Asia and Kiryuu about something before the door to the classroom opened to reveal two boys. No, two men.

"Good morning, everyone."

"Good day to you all."

The ones who entered while greeting people courteously with sparkling faces were none other than my perverted friends, Matsuda and Motohama. They walked to their desks while greeting people politely and even bowing to the women. They sat into their seats confidently. I couldn't help but smirk.

"Oya, oya! Those are some confident looking men I see. I wonder whatever happened to those shameless virgins I saw just a few days ago huh?"

They both smiled while crossing their legs gracefully.

"Hmph. Well you see, our friend Ise, I'm afraid to say that those shameless virgins don't exist anymore. Isn't that right, Motohama?"

"Indeed, Matsuda. I'm afraid those peeping toms are no more. Perverts who do nothing but watch porn and peep on girls, how childish."

I jumped up from my seat and stood in front of their desks.

"You saying what I think you're saying?"

They both chuckled like gentlemen. Matsuda shot me a cool look.

"Hehehe. That's right, Ise. We too— have graduated!"

"Uooooooooh! I knew my boys could do it! Hell yeah! Hahahahahahaha! Well done, well done, my boys!"

I shook their hands proudly. The students around went into shock.

"What?! The perverted duo lost their V-cards?! No way! There's no way! This has to be a joke right?! Is it April fools already?!"

"There's no way any girl would do it with them right?! Like, it's literally impossible, right?!"

As the shock continued, someone approached their desks from the side. Murayama stood beside Motohama's desk confidently.

"Oh really? So now you're not virgins? You're no longer interested in porn or peeping?"

They both scoffed.

"Hmph. I'm afraid children like you just don't compare to the real thing. We're more interested in our girlfriends."

Murayama laughed.

"Ha! Girlfriends. Yeah right. In that case, if you really have done it, then how about you go ahead and touch my breasts huh? I give you full permission. I won't complain or beat you if you do it. Everyone here as witness. Here. Go ahead."

Murayama leaned her bust forward with a smug smile. However, they merely laughed at her. Motohama pushed up his glasses.

"I'm afraid I'm not interested. My girlfriend has much better measurements."

"Wha-?!"

She flinched in shock. She looked to Matsuda to see his reaction. He merely lifted his hand while looking away. In other words, "not interested".

"Wha-?! N-No way! Do you think it's a trap?! It's really not! I swear I won't get mad if you do it!"

They both ignored her while casually doing other things.

"Ah, my girlfriend texted me."

"Ohohoho. Have you checked the group chat? My girl posted something real funny there."

"Oh, let me check it."

"Wha-?!"

Murayama could only reel back in shock. Kiryuu stood and inspected them with a gleam in her glasses.

"Mm….Oh my. It looks like it's true. These two certainly aren't virgins anymore."

The shock spread through the classroom.

[Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat?!]

"Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!"

I could only laugh at the reactions. Matsuda and Motohama merely went on with their activities casually like some sort of professionals.

"Hmph. What noisy children."

"Hmph. Indeed."

Well, at least the plan was a success.

End

---

There it is. The full psychological analysis on Hyoudou Issei. The cycle was there from the beginning. Luckily, the cycle has been broken. That's why, he no longer needs to distance himself from anything anymore. Thanks to that, Ise and Rias have finally returned to their old relationship. Or actually, a better one. Sorry about no lemon for it though. Maybe another time.

Anyway, a lot happened for an Omake chapter, but if you know me then you know even my Omake chapters have signifigance.

Ah, and obviously it goes without saying, but the whole conflict with the ORC in volume 10 will not be taking place. It was quite unnecessary for this story because Issei did not suffer from the Raynare trauma, instead his main conflict was obviously what was highlighted in this chapter. Anyway, future chapters will focus on other character's developments now that Issei is done with his.

Tell me what you guys thought.

What do you think the odd vision Issei had was? Who were the beings in that vision? What do you think is happening with the Sacred Gear system created by God? Will something catastrophic take place? Did you like the date with Rias? What did you think about the "blast into the past" of Issei's mind caused by Bilingual? Are you glad that Issei and Rias are now at a healthy point in their relationship? Is Gya-chan cute? And what do you think of the biys3 getting to finally lose their V-cards thanks to Issei?

Read, Rate, Review go crazy.

Stay frosty.