Chapter 35 Issei's Regret: Enter the Hero Faction
I don't own DxD I'm just using the characters
The Hero Faction appears at last and one of them is somebody that a few of the members know very well.
(Kyoto)
While Murayama and Katase were off remembering old times, the Order of Draconis split up into separate teams hoping to find any clue that would help them determine where Yasaka was being held. Issei and Irina checked one area while Bikou and Vali checked another. Le Fay insisted on taking the train so they weren't going to arrive until later in the day. Since Azazel and Rossweisse were teachers, they were forced to watch over the student but they weren't far away if something happened. Rias's peerage was not notified since Issei felt that it wasn't their business. "So Issei what are you gonna do about Murayama and Katase" Irina wondered as she and Issei made their way around the city.
"You mean the fact that they no doubt ignored my orders and are out hunting for clues themselves." Issei said nonchalantly
"Yeah that" Irina deadpanned at Issei's nonchalant attitude. Then again both of them were aware that Murayama and Katase were annoyed by their status within the order and that this was their chance to prove themselves.
"There's nothing I can do other than hope that they don't get in trouble" Issei groaned as the group made their way towards another shrine.
"So what are you looking for? The whole time we've been walking it feels like you've been trying to find something" Irina wondered.
"What I'm looking for is signs of a spatial distortion. Even if they took Yasaka my senses should still be able to pick up her massive power. The fact that I can't means she's being held in a separate dimension and I should be able to sense it." Issei explained.
(Vali and Bikou)
"So why do you think a Sacred Gear is involved Vali" Bikou said as the pair walked along. Issei was more focused on the mystical side of matters but Vali was focused on something else.
"Not just one Sacred Gear but multiple" Vali said firmly.
"Care to fill me in on your theory." Bikou wondered.
"For a group of humans to take the leader of Kyoto's yokai is one thing but the real problem is that they've managed to hide her from our senses." Vali reminded Bikou.
"Oh yeah. The only way for regular humans to pull off something like that would be if they had Sacred Gears." Vali said calmly.
"Not just regular sacred gears Bikou. These guys most likely have at least one Longinus at their disposal" Vali said ominously. Normal sacred gears wouldn't be enough if these guys wanted to be a serious threat. He was fairly certain that Yasaka was being hidden by one Longinus but the real problem was what else did they have at their disposal?
"I see" Bikou replied slowly figuring out what his friend was after.
(Murayama and Katase)
"Dammit Katase I knew this was a bad idea. We don't have supernatural powers remember" Murayama groaned as they walked around Kyoto aimlessly. One of the reasons Murayama was against trying to find information was the fact that neither girl had developed significant supernatural sense during their time at the Order. That meant that not only did they have no clue what to look for but wouldn't be able to find it regardless
"I know but I really wanted to prove myself" Katase pouted. The one detail she did know was that the Hero faction was human and she figured that she might be able to run into one of their members accidentally.
"Hey Katase isn't that Jeanne?" Murayama said pointing at a blonde haired girl who was walking towards them.
Katase looked at the same person and realized that Murayama was right. "Hey Jeanne what's up" Katase said happily as the person in question stopped. Jeanne was a blonde haired sky blue eyed young woman about the same age as the kendo duo. She had a similar body to Murayama, although she had slightly larger breasts. She was currently wearing blue collared vest with a white shirt underneath and a white pleaded skirt that came down to her knees.
'Well I didn't see this coming Cao Cao will be pleased' Jeanne thought to herself as she walked towards the girls. Murayama and Katase didn't know it but Jeanne was actually a member of the Hero Faction but the two girls in front of her weren't aware of that detail. "It's been a while girls. How are you" Jeanne said with a smile.
"We're good. I guess your school is in Kyoto for a school trip" Murayama said happily.
"Ahh yea something like that" Jeanne said calmly. She was a bit nervous since she was killing time until the Leader of the Hero Faction summoned the Order of Draconis to discuss what he was doing. Personally she thought he was being stupid but she couldn't stop him.
"Jeanne what's wrong" Katase said nervously. Something about Jeanne's behavior was bothering her. Katase couldn't place it but she was hiding something.
"Nothing." Jeanne dismissed before remembering something that could make this day way more interesting for her. "Hey Katase do you happen to know a guy named Issei Hyoudou" Jeanne said with a smile on her face.
"Yeah I do. Why do you ask?" Katase wondered.
"When I was younger I ran into him before and I thought he was an interesting guy. I figured that if you guys have free time then we could hang out for a bit." Jeanne said with a smile as she pointed to a little sushi place right nearby.
'Something is very wrong here' Murayama thought to herself. A younger Issei would've had very little time for a social life and if he somehow knew Jeanne then it most likely would've happened on a mission. "I'm not sure if that's a-" Murayama started to say before Katase interrupted.
"Sure I can. It might be good for him all things considered" Katase said nonchalantly. She was in the dog house with Issei but maybe bringing him a cute girl might ease the punishment that was no doubt coming her way. Issei was a pervert after all and pretty girls always made him happy.
"Why don't you take a picture of me so he knows what I look like" Jeanne said mischievously as she stood in front of said sushi place.
"Sure why not" Katase said calmly as she took the photo.
(Issei Irina)
As for Issei he was walking with Irina when his phone vibrated in his pocket. "Hmm that's odd somebody's sending me a message" Issei wondered.
"Who is it" Irina asked curiously.
"Looks like it's a text from Katase. This better be good since she knows that she's in trouble" Issei said with a look of annoyance.
'I know you're mad at me right now but I ran into a kendo rival of mine named Jeanne. Apparently she knows you. I've attached a photo with our current location.' Katase
Issei frowned since it was an odd request but he figured that he'd look at the photo anyway. When he did his eyes widened and he dropped his phone, "It can't be" Issei said in disbelief. The photo was of a sushi place in the middle of Kyoto but it was the girl in question that caused him to freak out.
"What's wrong" Irina wondered since Issei was usually careful.
"Contact the others and tell them that I've found out a clue about the Hero Faction" Issei groaned in disbelief. It appears as though his greatest fear was being realized.
"What are you talking about?" Irina said worriedly. Issei was never this nervous and it showed.
"Let's just say that Murayama and Katase have run into one of their members" Issei explained trying to keep his cool.
"What do we do?!" Irina exclaimed.
"You do nothing. I'm going to go find them and deal with this myself" Issei groaned. This was about to get interesting and unfortunately for Issei it wasn't the good kind.
"Fine but I'm going with you" Irina insisted. Issei was hiding something and she wanted answers. A nod from Issei later and they were on their way to meet up with the wayward kendo duo.
(Scene Skip)
"So where is this Issei guy?" Jeanne questioned as the girls sat in the sushi place. They were currently sitting in a large booth with Murayama and Katase on one side with Jeanne on the other. Because of how large Kyoto was there was no way of knowing how long he would take and the girls ordered something to kill time. Murayama and Katase had tuna rolls while Jeanne just had a simple spring roll. What Murayama and Katase were unaware of was that Jeanne sent for some backup from the hero faction in case things went wrong. She was brought out of her musing when Katase spoke up.
"Oh look there he is. Issei over here" Katase shouted and waved at the young man. When he walked over Jeanne tried to stay calm but was having trouble doing so. There he was, Issei Hyoudou the Red Dragon Emperor and a man who she shared a very interesting past with.
"Hey there Katase, Murayama whose your friend" Issei said calmly as he sat next to the kendo duo. Internally he was panicking because he could very easily sense the various hero faction members in the room.
Murayama was a little surprised that Issei didn't remember her since Jeanne clearly knew him. Issei "This is Jeanne Francois a kendo rival of ours. She's here with her school and we ran into one another" Murayama said happily.
"I see. Well it's a pleasure to meet you Jeanne" Issei said to himself as she shook her hand. It wasn't their first meeting and he knew it. The question was would Jeanne call him out on it.
"Thanks" Jeanne said nervously. This was her moment to confront Issei at last but she needed to get rid of the other two somehow.
As a psychologists daughter Katase could immediately tell that something was wrong. Jeanne was nervous and that was to be expected since she hadn't seen him in a while but what surprised her was Issei. Normally she couldn't read him at all but she could tell that he was terrified about something. Plus Irina was nowhere to be found. "Hey Murayama why don't we give these two some time to talk alone" Katase suggested? If something was up there was no way he would say it with the pair of them there. T
"Okay" Murayama said nervously. When the person serving them came back around Murayama and Katase moved tables and were far enough away that there was an illusion of privacy.
'Good now we can talk without the pair of them interfering' Jeanne thought to herself. "It's been a long time hasn't it Issei" Jeanne said with a clearly fake smile on her face. Murayama and Katase couldn't hear them but the girls were close enough that they could notice a change of expression.
"So you've gone and joined the Hero faction huh Jeanne." Issei said with regret in his voice. Irina called for backup but I
"That's right and you know exactly why." Jeanne said with a hint of anger in her voice.
"Yes I do know but we can talk about our past another time. I can tell you have some of your hero faction buddies nearby" Issei said calmly hoping to change the subject. His history with Jeanne wasn't one that he liked very much and he knew that Katase was watching.
"You have a few members of the Order nearby also." Jeanne said happily.
"True, so let's get down to business. I doubt you called me over there to reminisce on old times" Issei said calmly. Jeanne clearly did this to rattle him and admittedly it succeeded for a bit. This was now an information gathering mission.
"As you are no doubt aware, my group has Lady Yasaka. What you may not be aware of, is that our leader wants to meet with you."
"I see" Issei said with a smile. If the Leader of the hero faction wanted to meet then he would be foolish to turn her down.
"We'll meet with you at this location tonight at 8." Jeanne said writing down an address and giving it to Issei.
"Very well then see you tonight" Issei said calmly. He still couldn't let the others know what was happening until the Hero faction was gone.
"Goodbye for now Issei" Jeanne said with a mischievous smile deciding to mess with him a little more. Issei and all of the onlookers were shocked when Jeanne walked to his side of the table and gave Issei a quick kiss on the lips before leaving a stunned Issei behind.
"What the hell was that" Katase said in disbelief.
"Well let's find out" Murayama said calmly although inside she was seething with anger. It was obvious that Jeanne lied to them but she couldn't figure out why.
"Okay, Issei you have some explaining to do. Who was that girl and why did she kiss you" Irina said angrily. Irina had been watching the pair nearby but until now was out of the view of Murayama and Katase.
"Call Vali and Bikou and have them return to the hotel. I'll explain everything once we get there" Issei said solemnly.
"Wait what about the hero faction" Murayama wondered since that was the reason they were out.
"Don't worry about them" Issei said sadly. It was time to reveal a secret that only a few people knew about and about his only regret since he joined the Order.
(Scene Skip)
The group returned to the hotel and Irina was fuming while Murayama and Katase were confused. When they arrived Issei sent a message to Azazel and everyone gathered in Issei's room.
"Okay Issei you've got some explaining to do. How do you know that girl and why did she kiss you on the lips like that" Irina said angrily. Considering Issei's reaction when Katase sent him the message and the kiss, the pair had an interesting past.
"How I know Jeanne is a long story but let's start out with the most important part. Jeanne is a member of the Hero Faction" Issei said sternly.
"That's not possible!" Katase said in shock.
"Very possible actually but if I had my way she'd be a part of the Order" Issei revealed causing everybody's expression to widen.
"You'll have to explain that one Issei" Vali quipped.
"After Kokabiel finished my training he left me to my own devices and told me to explore the world and see all of its beauty before I was officially made leader of the Red Dragon Emperor. It was during that time that I met Jeanne."
"How did you guys meet" Vali wondered.
"Her hometown was attacked by Fallen Angels and when I found her she was about to be killed by one of them. I wouldn't find this out until later but the fallen angels were after her sacred gear"
"Oh my god" Irina exclaimed. In other words if Issei arrived a few moments later Jeanne would be dead.
"That doesn't explain why she's a member of the Hero Faction now" Vali chimed.
"I'm getting to that Vali." Issei groaned. "After I saved her and killed the remaining fallen angels I convinced her to come with me. We stayed in a nearby town for two weeks. It actually took a few days for her to even trust me in the first place but eventually I was able to get to know her"
"Why didn't you contact the Order during that time?" Irina wondered.
"That should be obvious Irina. Her hometown was destroyed and her family was slaughtered. That kind of trauma doesn't leave a person so easily and if she learned he was connected to the fallen angels in any way it would've been a problem." Vali explained.
"That's right but I was going to invite her to the Order since I discovered her sacred gear the day before. I figured that as long as she spent most of her time with me she would be fine and her trauma wouldn't fade. Just as I was about to ask her to join us sensei appeared in the room" Issei revealed solemnly.
"You would think that was a good thing" Murayama said absentmindedly.
"Not at all. When sensei revealed that he knew who I was, Jeanne flipped out and her sacred gear picked that moment to activate" Issei groaned. His last memory of Jeanne was her running away as the hotel room they were staying at was filled with blades. Luckily for him and Kokabiel they were both alright but Issei always regretted not telling Jeanne the minute he learned about her gear.
"That's such a crazy story" Katase said in shock.
"So what's her sacred gear?" Irina wondered since Issei didn't mention that part.
"Blade Blacksmith. It's very similar to Kiba's sacred gear but hers is based on Holy swords instead of demonic ones like Kiba's" Issei explained calmly.
"That's gotta suck. One minute you're ready to have her join the Order and the next she thinks that the guy who saved her life was going to betray her." Vali groaned.
"Yep but that's in the past and we need to focus on the present. Jeanne gave me a location where I can meet her and the Hero Factions leader. I believe we should go" Issei said calmly.
"That's utterly insane. We have no reason to trust her and it's clear she holds a grudge against you" Irina said angrily.
"Considering that she kissed me before she left I'm not so sure. Plus she had all the cards in that situation and she knew it. If a fight broke out we'd have to focus on getting the onlookers out of the way." Issei replied with a hint of annoyance on his face.
"That's right. We'll meet with them and perhaps we can find out just what they're after." Azazel added.
"Sounds good but if you don't mind I need some time alone" Issei huffed before leaving the room.
"Issei wait" Irina started to ask but was stopped by Vali.
"Leave him be. Unlike certain reckless people, Issei knows not to go on his own" Vali added taking the chance to take a dig at the kendo duo.
(Scene Skip)
After dinner with his class Issei left with the Order to meet with the Hero Faction. The usual gang was there although this time Murayama and Katase stayed in the hotel, much to their annoyance. It was their punishment for going off on their own. Luckily for Issei, Arthur and Le Fay did arrive which meant they had everyone he needed besides Kuroka. The group was meeting in an abandoned factory on the Northwest side of Kyoto. It was an area that nobody else came to it would make the perfect place to talk without anybody getting in the way. When they arrived a door opened and Jeanne was waiting for them with a smile on her face. Jeanne replaced her Angel Academy uniform with a female gakuren and orange armor over it.
"Glad you could make it Issei and I'm assuming this is the rest of the Order" Jeanne said with a smile.
"It's the ones that matter. So I'm guessing your boss is inside." Issei replied cheekily.
"Her boss and a few others actually" Vali retorted.
"That's right so come in" Jeanne said as she led the group inside the factory. After a few minutes Jeanne led the group to the room where the rest of the Hero faction was sitting. Opening the door Issei chuckled when he realized that it was an old conference room with multiple chairs and tables. There were five people sitting down smiling and one of them was very familiar to Irina.
"It can't be, you're Siegfried" Irina exclaimed looking at one of the young men. He had black hair and was wearing a black stop that strained his muscular body along with a pair of jeans.
"My my, so little Irina comes with her boy toy. How refreshing" Siegfried teased. Siegfried knew about Irina and Issei from his time at the Church.
"Stop acting like a weirdo Sieg" a younger boy said who was wearing a schoolboy uniform.
"Shut it Leonardo." Siegfried growled angrily.
"That's quite enough gentleman have your bitch fight later" a young man who had a mage uniform and glasses with black trim he was also wearing a black gakuren or schoolboy uniform.
"That's enough guys we're having a business meeting" Jeanne grumbled.
"That's fine so how about a word from your leader" Issei said smiling looking straight at a black haired youth in a high school version of the gakuren just like the mage.
"How could you tell I was the leader" the young man said with a smile.
"Because he can sense auras and yours is by far the strongest of the group." Vali revealed. What Vali didn't say was that his aura also picked up the three Longinus in the room including the one held by the leader the aura giving Vali the shivers and he really didn't like that.
"Yes it is but as you said we came here to talk. I am Cao Cao, the young man in the magician's uniform is Georg and the child is Leonardo. The giant to my left is Heracles and of course you know Jeanne and Siegfried" Cao Cao smiled.
Issei was amused at the introductions so decided to do some of his own. "Well since we're having introductions here's ours. I am Issei Hyoudou the Red Dragon Emperor. You are no doubt familiar with Azazel leader of the fallen angels. The silver haired youth is Vali Lucifer the White dragon emperor. The tan skinned guy is Bikou descendant of Sun Wukong. The blonde gentleman is Arthur Pendragon and the little girl is Le Fay his sister. Finally the chestnut haired girl is Irina Shidou." Issei said smirking.
"Well then how about you sit down for a bit, after all none of us are here to fight." Cao Cao said calmly as he pointed to a few empty chairs.
Issei and Vali sat down while the others stood up. "So Cao Cao, why did you kidnap the Youkai Leader" Issei insisted.
"It's very simple actually. I'd like for the nine-tailed fox to help me with an experiment."
"What type of experiment do you need the Youkai leader for" Azazel wondered.
"Since we're all being diplomatic I figure there's no reason not to tell you the plan" Cao Cao said calmly.
"Besides the fact that it's way too boring and cliché" Bikou joked.
"It is a tad cliché but I don't mind telling you the truth" Cao Cao said as a savage grin began to form on his face. "Our mission is simple. We're going to summon Great Red to the human world and defeat him"
That's it for Chapter 35 and yeah this was a doozy. The hero faction is revealed and so is there intention for Yasaka. Next chapter, Cao Cao explains his plan and needless to say the Order is not thrilled.