Here we are with part two! Before anything else, since we're in the area of the story that was adapted into S3/BorN, I'd like everyone to know that despite the changes that will happen, things will be more faithful to the novels. This means you'll definitely see the Gremory Vs Sitri game in this story. At best, I'll simply adapt V7's events before those of V6, and this has more to do with this Vali's Norse heritage and other events that I can't talk about due to spoilers.
Best of all, I can confirm that I succeeded in getting Gasper and Vali's scene in this half, so to everyone who had been waiting for those scenes since? The chapter split? That wait is now over! Even better, the second half was able to merge enough to what was going to be Ch 16 when I didn't expect to split Ch 15, so consider that my apology for the small delay.
Anyways, due to said merging I just mentioned above, this chapter will also be covering everyone's training alongside the Young Devil's Gathering, meaning you'll start seeing the other Satan heirs besides Sylvie and Ingvild appear. Also, to answer a guest reviewer's concern, some of the Satan heirs will be some of those powerful male characters as of this chapter.
One last thing I'll mention before we begin is, as a result of Kuroka appearing in the previous chapter, that this version of her is not an ally of the Vali Team in any form. His heritage and possession of Ascalon are the reasons for this, as they both served to push her away during the unknown events that make her seek him out in canon, along with other reasons I can't talk about due spoilers. Elaine takes her place on the Vali Team since her magic is on a similar level.
Now, that's all I have to say for today's start notes, so let the chapter begin!
P.S: The canon cast, at least among those we actually see, will be wearing their outfits from Ch 60 of the manga. As such, their outfits won't be described.
[Chapter 16 - A New Era, Part 2]
Ishie had expected that they would be visiting the Gremory Mansion when they arrived, but her grandma quickly corrected that by saying Rias and her family were all meeting them in their new home since it needed cleaning up.
Since it likely hadn't been cleaned or maintained for a while now, it made sense after Ishie heard it, but once she was actually standing in front of the building...
"Holy shit!" She screamed.
What she expected as a fancier Human mansion looked more like a mansion when compared to another mansion! Just to emphasize the fact, the Gremory and Lilith Clan's mansions weren't that far away, letting her see both of the noticeable smaller buildings for a proper comparison.
"Wow, this place is enormous." Xenovia remarked.
"You think? Doesn't seem that big." Rizevia replied.
Before anyone could make any more remarks/comments/etc. about the Lucifer Mansion, the door opened up to reveal Grayfia.
"Welcome everyone. Please, follow me inside." She greeted.
They all did, causing them to see a maid and butler stand before them, who both bowed in response to seeing Ishie had arrived. The first was a man that looked to be in his 20's with bronze hair and a lean figure, and the second was a woman that looked to be in her late teens with long jade-green hair and a voluptuous figure.
"Greetings to you Lady Ishie. My name is Balberith Satanachia, and I'll be your personal butler." The man greeted.
"And my name is Verrine Fleurety, the same will be true with me, but as your personal maid." The woman greeted.
Ishie gave a nervous laugh in response.
"Hey Sylvie, are these two..." She asked.
"Yep, the Fleurety and Satanachia Clans were both among the Six Houses of Lucifer, with the others being the Agaliarept, Sargatanas, and Nebiros Clans. It's too bad that the Nebiros Clan isn't with us anymore." Sylvie confirmed, sighing slightly.
Ishie paused at that, then raised an eye at her.
"I thought you said your Aunt got all of the remaining clans to side with the new government?" She inquired.
"Huh? Oh crap, my bad! I always goof that part because their name sounds like the Naberius Clan's name. Truth is they're the only ones who didn't. Either they went extinct, or sided with the Old Satan Faction and hid themselves." Sylvie explained.
Koneko briefly flinched at the mention of the Naberius Clan, which Rizevia quickly noticed.
'Hmm... that didn't seem random.' She thought.
Ishie nodded to Sylvie's reply, understanding the confusion.
"I see what you mean there. Those names do sound too similar to one another." She remarked.
Grayfia continued leading the group as Balberith and Verrine briefly followed, soon standing at the front of two lines made by the other butlers and maids who had recently been assigned to the Lucifer Clan's service.
"Ishie, I'm really nervous..." Asia whispered, her hands fidgeting.
"Good. It isn't just me." Ishie replied, feeling somewhat relieved.
"Are you really that nervous?" Rias asked.
Ishie suddenly looked ahead, seeing Rias walking into view, making her smile.
"Oh, hey Rias!" She greeted.
"Did you only come back early to help clean?" Lilith joked.
"No, my dad had me come for different reason." Rias replied.
She then looked at Ishie.
"And are you really that nervous about all of this? It seems a little strange to me." Rias teased.
"Yeah, says the girl who didn't suddenly just learn who her famous grandpa was." Ishie countered.
Sylvie rolled her eyes at their discussion.
"Sylvie!" A young male voice shouted.
Hearing that voice, she turned her head to see a young boy with short red hair and red eyes and wearing a red suit run towards her, his arms out.
"Millicas!" Sylvie exclaimed.
She hugged him as he jumped into her arms, then spun him around once.
"Wow, you've gotten so big since I last saw you!" She smiled.
"Wait a second... red hair and red eyes? Grayfia, is he-" Ishie asked, realizing who gave him the latter.
Grayfia simply nodded her head.
"Why don't you be a good boy and introduce yourself?" Sylvie suggested.
"OK." Millicas replied.
He stood before everyone and put his hands together.
"My name is Millicas Gremory, it's a pleasure to meet you." He greeted.
Asia squealed at that.
"So cute!" She smiled.
"Devilish looks and good manners, talk about prince charming." Xenovia remarked.
Grayfia soon stood by a door, clearing her throat to get everyone's attention.
"Excuse me everyone, but Lady Gremory would like to meet you." Grayfia stated, motioning her hand to the door.
Everyone walked inside, and Ishie saw a woman who looked like Rias with shorter, flaxen-colored hair and purple eyes.
"Rias, does every Devil girl and their mother look like sisters?" Ishie whispered.
Rias simply smiled, not saying a thing.
'In other words, that's a yes...' Ishie realized.
The rest of the Gremory Team took a step forward and bowed slightly.
"It's a pleasure to see you again, Lady Venelana." Akeno greeted.
"You sound so different Akeno." Venelana smiled.
She then focused her gaze towards the rest of the group, which is when Ishie felt herself getting nervous.
"I'm so delighted to meet all your new friends. I'm Rias' mom, Venelana Gremory." She greeted.
'Kiba told me that Rias gets her Power of Destruction from her mom, who was from the Bael Clan before marrying her father. Is that why I feel so jumpy?' Ishie thought.
Venelana then shifted her attention towards Ishie.
"Ah, you must be Ishie Lucifer." Venelana realized.
"Ah, y-yes! That's me! I-It's a pleasure to meet you!" Ishie replied, her nerves still showing.
Venelana let out a slight giggle at her reaction.
"No need to be so stiff or formal, you're perfectly fine as you are. After all, since you're part of my daughter's peerage, you're part of the family in a sense." Venelana replied.
Rias blushed at that.
"Mother, stop!" She exclaimed, her blush still prominent.
"Yes, I agree." Rizevia stated, though with a deadpan look.
Venelana giggled at their reactions.
"I believe it's time we all sat down for dinner. Rias, would you show everyone the way?" She suggested before walking off.
Rias sighed before she looked at Ishie, who was now giving her a cat-like smile.
"Not. One. Word." Rias stated.
"OK then, here's two. How embarrassing." Ishie replied.
She sighed at how easily she walked into that remark.
Night soon arrived in the Underworld, which Ishie now confirmed was when the stars (or some kind of equivalent), disappeared to leave what would be complete darkness to any non-Devils.
After having dinner, with Rias and her parents as their guests, Ishie decided to call it a night and went to her new room.
"This bed is too empty and the room's too big!" She screamed.
"Rah, rah!" Rassei roared in agreement, being similarly annoyed.
At least that was her plan.
While the immense luxuries of her new home were still a lot for her to get used to, her currently empty room and the giant bed was the worst part of it, as she couldn't get comfortable no matter her posture or choice of sleep aid.
"We have to start training tomorrow, so how am I supposed to do that when this stupid bed's going to be a problem?" Ishie asked herself, this time in a normal voice.
She let out a groan.
*"KNOCK! KNOCK!"*
That caught her attention, making her and Rassei sit up for a moment.
"Come in!" She replied.
She saw the door open, revealing the church trio in their respective nightwear.
"Let me guess, your beds are so big that you can't sleep on them?" Ishie assumed.
"Yeah." Irina confirmed, slightly embarrassed.
"We thought maybe sharing a bed might help until we get used to it?" Asia suggested.
Ishie shrugged in response.
"I'd just like to get some sleep, so if you think it'll do something, then go for it." She replied.
Soon enough, everyone was gathered on the bed, with Rassei snuggling near Ishie's chest.
"Huh, this is... actually more comfortable now." Ishie admitted.
As she thought this, she let out a loud gasp, surprising the trio.
"Wait, what about Gasper? This is totally going to trigger his agoraphobia!" Ishie realized.
"Oh, don't worry. He brought his box." Asia reassured her.
Ishie let out a sigh of relief.
"That's good. Now, good night everyone." Ishie yawned.
She hugged Rassei close and began drifting off.
"Oh wait! Ishie, you should know Xenovia has a very horrible-" Irina remembered.
She was too late, as Ishie was already unconscious.
"Sleeping posture..." She finished, a defeated tone in her voice.
The others quickly fell asleep with her. After that, the night would be uneventful... besides Asia accidentally being caught in Xenovia's legs midway through the night.
Inside of Gasper's room, the young Vampire could be seen in his box... via his eyes emitting a red glow, as he played on his game console. Strangely, he was laughing.
"This place is awesome!" He exclaimed.
"I know, it really is!" Millarca agreed.
Hearing that, Gasper suddenly jumped. Upon exiting his box, he saw Millarca had fallen on the floor, likely having been sitting on one of the box's corners without his notice.
"Oh, Millarca!" He said in relief.
She let out a playful laugh as she sat down on her butt.
"Yeah, I kind of walked into that one." Millarca admitted.
"You really haven't changed in all this time, have you?" Gasper replied, smiling with relief.
She giggled in response.
"As if I ever would? That life as a stuffy racist Vampire was nothing but sheer torture." Millarca stated, showing annoyance as she recalled it.
She then showed a look of guilt.
"Besides... I made a promise that I would escape and find you one day, no matter what it took." She added, her voice getting lower.
"Millarca?" Gasper replied, looking worried.
Tears began to escape her eyes as she began crying.
"I... I should have been able to go with you! After you got away, I was able to hear everything, including that you would have been dead if Rias hadn't found you. How in a way that you wanted to die, and you didn't have me there to comfort you and say everything was going to be OK!" Millarca cried.
Gasper just stared at her, starting to feel a little sad himself. Despite what other Vampires thought, Millarca had always accepted Gasper, as just like he lost her mother? Her own father was killed when she was only 3.
The reason Gasper had even gotten out of Romania was because she himself helped him escape. Back then, she was too afraid that escaping together would cause both to be caught, and realized too late that she could have followed him. Been there with him, regardless if still a Vampire or a Devil under Rias' peerage.
"You don't know how scary it was when I joined Vali, knowing he could kill me at any time, and yet... I still took the risk, so I could keep my promise to you." She sniffled.
"Millarca..." Gasper replied, starting to tear up.
The two best friends hugged each other, crying a waterfall of tears as they let out all the feelings they had been holding in.
In another location, Great Red was channeling his dragon energies while Le Fay and Elaine formed multiple magic circles around him.
After channeling their magic for a while, a large magic circle appeared underneath him.
"The Dragon Gate has been completed. Now all we need to do is wait, and your mother will be able to escape from Asgard without any issues." Elaine stated.
"Good job." Vali said with a wide smirk.
Great Red moved away, leaving the magic circle empty until a bright light formed in the middle, showing a female silhouette.
The person inside was shown to be a woman with the same hair and eye color as Vali, wearing what looked to be a mix of a dress worn by the female Nordic Gods and a robe worn by priestesses of the church and female Angels.
"Honestly, I'm shocked that it took more than one day to get me out of there." Sophia remarked.
Le Fay gave out a nervous chuckle, a blush formed on her face.
"We... got kind of distracted because one of our teammates was a mole and used us to interfere with our attack on the summit." She admitted.
Sophia stared at her before slowly looking towards her son.
"I... have no comment to make." Vali replied, unable to look her in the eye.
"Well, will you have one when I tell you that a certain Valkyrie likely caught me leaving, and therefore your father will likely discover we've both betrayed him?" She inquired.
Vali paused at that.
"Fuck..." He breathed.
"Who cares if they meet with, or even join with the Alliance, after all... we already have a Norse God that's willing to help us." Great Red replied.
This caught Vali and Sophia's attention.
"Sorry, but I can't say. Otherwise I'll spoil things for our audience." He replied.
Everyone looked at him in confusion, then at each other. While they were briefly looking at each other, Great Red held up a sign, saying a chilling four words.
I can see you.
Morning quickly came, and everyone was currently outside in their Kuoh gym outfits, with Millarca borrowing one of Kiba's spare track suits and Yumi one of Asia's. Speaking of Yumi, she was quick to notice how Gasper was wearing the girl's uniform right now.
"I probably should have asked this earlier, but... why does Gasper only wear girls' clothes?" Yumi inquired, unable to stop thinking about it.
"Eh..." Millarca replied.
She began to whistle, getting everyone's attention as she began to sweat.
"Millarca, what did you do?" Rias questioned, focusing her gaze towards her.
"I... may have had him wear a bunch of dresses when I was younger... to a point where he eventually found himself more comfortable in them." Millarca mentioned.
Rias simply stared at her, unable to believe what she just heard.
"And the funny part? I ended up preferring boyish clothes sometime after that, hence why I chose this track suit. How's that for irony?" She added.
Ishie took a deep breath in response.
"I will now act like I never heard that until it hopefully becomes the truth." She replied, forcing a smile.
At that very moment, Lilith appeared from a magic circle.
"Looks like everyone's here. So, are all of you ready?" She asked.
Everyone was about to reply, but...
"Good, because I have a 3 Human week regimen that will whip you all into shape, with Ishie's being particularly special." Lilith stated before they could.
"Three weeks!?" Irina exclaimed.
"Why is mine special?" Ishie asked.
Lilith answered by pointing to the sky, causing everyone to look up as a Dragon with blue scales landed before them.
("Tiamat, is that you?") Albion said in surprise.
"Who?" Ishie asked.
("She's one of the Five Dragon Kings, a group of Dragons ranked between the Heavenly Dragons and the average Dragon.") Albion answered.
Lilith nodded while Ishie's eyes widened.
"That's right, and she'll be your sensei for the first 10 days of your training." Lilith revealed.
"When I heard Ddraig sided with terrorists, I insisted on training you." Tiamat answered.
Ishie tilted her head in confusion.
("Tiamat has hated Ddraig ever since he borrowed a treasure for one of our battles, but then broke it and never bothered to replace it. Her choosing to train one of my hosts to beat him up is a fair reason isn't too surprising.") Albion explained.
"Wow... I am seriously starting to believe Ddraig's your evil counterpart at this point." Ishie remarked, a deadpan look on her face.
"I'm of the same thoughts myself. If he wasn't trapped in the Boosted Gear right now, then I'd kill him myself." Tiamat replied.
Lilith cleared her throat, getting her granddaughter's attention.
"Anyways, your primary goal is to unlock your Balance Breaker, and if not... well, hopefully it gets you on the right track to unlocking it." Lilith stated.
Ishie's expression became serious after hearing that.
"You're right. If I don't have it by the next time I encounter Vali, then there's no way I can beat him. Not when my Divide still has a time limit." She realized.
She suddenly screamed as Tiamat grabbed her by her shirt collar.
"Then let's not waste any more time and get started." Tiamat suggested.
Ishie felt herself tossed onto the Dragon's back before she took off, making her scream as she nearly fell off.
"OK, now I'm suddenly worried about my granddaughter's well-being..." Lilith remarked, feeling herself sweat.
She turned to the rest of the Occult Research Club.
"Now, for the rest of you, here's what I want all of you to do for your training regimens." She continued.
Everyone listened as they learned of their training plans.
Time flew by as the three weeks passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Ishie finished her 10 days with Tiamat before taking a day of rest, and then finishing the rest of it under her mom.
Finally, the last day of training arrived, with Ishie and Rizevia currently outside as the first few starts marked the arrival of the afternoon.
"OK, that's a rap! Your training's over!" Rizevia announced, clapping her hands.
Her daughter let out a sigh of relief as her legs slid apart, letting her sit down.
"Finally. So, now that it's over, where would you say my powers rank compared to before the training began?" Ishie inquired.
"Hmm... I'd say around where you could beat Riser's one attack like you did before, but at your weakest level." Rizevia replied.
Ishie smiled at that.
Not long after saying that, Rizevia noticed a familiar trio heading their way.
"Oh, looks like the others are starting to arrive." She remarked.
Her daughter turned around to see Irina, Xenovia, and Kiba all walk into view. While the former two looked the same, Xenovia's hair had grown to shoulder length during the 3 weeks that had passed.
Strangely enough, Xenovia was only one to be covered in bandages, having them wrapped around her forehead, wrists, and knees. Rizevia actually looked surprised by all of the apparent wounds she had gathered with how few Irina and Kiba possessed.
"Hey guys!" Ishie shouted, waving her hands.
"Hey there Ishie!" Irina replied, returning the wave.
Rizevia soon walked up to Xenovia, saying nothing as she motioned to where she had bandages with just confused/worried expressions.
"Oh, these? I kept injuring myself due to the struggles of adapting my swordplay. I apparently rely too much on pure power." She answered.
While Ishie was training under her mother, Rizevia told her about the others' training regimens.
For Irina, Kiba, and Xenovia? They all received training (or re-training in Kiba's case) from Sirzechs' only Knight, who was none other than Souji Okita, the former 1st captain of the Shinsengumi.
It seemed that Xenovia had a tougher time among the three of them, as she lacked proper sword technique and was initially just slashing wildly.
"Considering that Durandal is only tamed by the wielder's sheer will? Now it makes sense why it didn't always listen to you." Rizevia remarked.
"Ouch..." Xenovia replied, feeling the sting of her honesty.
Next to make a reappearance was Asia, with her arrival being met with everyone's eyes going white.
Not that anyone could blame them, as for some unexplained reason? Her hair was like that of Rapunzel's.
"Hey everyone!" Asia smiled.
"Sis, what happened to your hair!?" Ishie exclaimed, pointing at her.
Asia gave an awkward laugh in response.
"I... think my attempts to strengthen my aura and control of it while using my Twilight Healing may have worked a little too well on my roots." She replied, an embarrassed blush on her face.
Since Asia was mainly a healer, her training was to strengthen her aura, using a mixture of learning magic and casting it on/around herself.
The results were enough that she was the first member of the Occult Research Club to master their Sacred Gear.
"Well, I did suggest you might want to change your hairstyle a few months back. Guess this is a good time do that." Ishie mentioned.
Next to arrive was Millarca and Gasper, the latter of which was currently inside his closed box, taking deep breathes as he tried to relax.
"Did Gasper make it through alright?" Irina asked worriedly.
"The good news? Yes, he did. The bad news? All of the panic attacks he held back are hitting him at once, so... no one try to open his box for a while." Millarca replied.
"Stares... all those stares... make them stop..." Gasper muttered, right before he resumed his deep breaths.
Millarca didn't undergo any training, as Lilith realized she was plenty strong already, and instead asked her to join Gasper in going into public. The training was meant to help him reduce his timidity, which was the biggest thing holding him back.
Unfortunately, his current stack of panic attacks made it hard to know how much progress he made, if he made any at all.
"Guess both of us got marked by our training." Yumi mentioned.
Everyone turned to see Yumi walk in, covered with a bunch of stains that carried the scent of fruits on them.
"You overdid it with firing your arrows, didn't you?" Rizevia realized.
"Eh... maybe a little bit." She admitted.
Yumi's training was to figure out how her Sacred Gear worked, discovering it had advantages for both day and night. It took her a while to realize firing arrows fast did little to help her if she couldn't concentrate and keep calm while she was firing them.
"On the bright side, you smell nice." Millarca replied.
"Considering how difficult it is to bathe in a lake without cleaning products? It was a blessing in disguise." Yumi agreed.
Rizevia sniffed the air as she heard that, quickly pinching her nose as a bad odor entered it.
"Oh yeah. Once everyone gets here, all of you are getting in the shower immediately!" She announced, nearly gagging.
"What about Murayama and Katase?" Ishie asked.
Rizevia paused at that, remembering their training fit how they had to return to the human world every evening, and therefore had access to showering every day.
"OK, almost all of you." She corrected.
Speaking of the duo, they walked into view as Rizevia said that, leaving them confused.
"Uh... did we miss something?" Katase asked.
"No, but cover your noses." Ishie replied.
"Why should we cover-" Murayama inquired.
Both of them suddenly felt the smell of everyone's body odors hit their noses, making them nearly gag.
"Never mind!" Her muffled voice shouted.
Katase and Murayama's training had been simpler than the others. They had wanted to learn about magic for a while, and Lilith had them practice some beginner level spells at home to get them started on it.
Next to show up was Akeno and Rias, the former in a damaged shrine maiden outfit and the latter in a damaged red track suit.
"It looks like everyone's training paid off." Rias smiled.
"Yeah, especially yours. That's a lot of battle damage." Millarca stated.
Since Akeno had already mastered her Devil powers and Fallen Angel heritage, the only area she could really train in was the shrine maiden abilities of the Himejima Clan that came from her mother's side. As such, Lilith found a reincarnated Devil who used to be a shrine maiden to teach her where her mother couldn't.
As for Rias, her training was one of the toughest among the Occult Research Club's members, as she had to both study both books and recordings about Rating Games, which her mother than tested her on. If she failed, then she'd have to fight her mom, and then lose at different speeds. When she wasn't doing that, Sirzechs or Grayfia trained her.
"My, look at how you've grown Ishie." Akeno remarked, smiling as she did.
Ishie blushed at that, rubbing her cheek slightly. Over the last three weeks, her Lucifer heritage had settled in completely, which she called her true appearance. The changes manifested as her skin color now matched that of most Devils, and her figure getting slightly closer to her mother's and grandma's. Her hair was more half and half, as it had gotten naturally longer over three weeks, though was now silkier and straighter than before, losing its rogue strands and making her look a lot more like a princess.
Her training was around the same level as Rias' had been. Tiamat had truly pushed her to the limit in developing her powers with the Divine Dividing, and after her day of rest, Rizevia had taught her how to use the original Devil ability originally wielded by her grandfather. She even learned more ways to use her Longinus by learning how to fully wield the Lucifer Clan's signature ability.
"Wait until you see what I can do now, if only because my mom would likely get mad if I tried doing it at this very moment." She replied.
"I can verify that very thought." Rizevia remarked.
She then looked at everyone, which caused her to see there was still someone missing.
"Hey, where's Koneko?" She asked.
"She's over here." Lilith answered.
Everyone turned to see Lilith carrying an unconscious Koneko in her arms, making their eyes widen.
"Oh god, is she OK!?" Irina exclaimed worriedly.
"The good news? She's fine. The bad news? Her training did not go well, despite its nature." Lilith answered.
Before anyone could say anything, Lilith held up a finger.
"Let's get her inside first, and then you can start asking me questions." She suggested.
Everyone quickly nodded in agreement.
Rias wiped a damp cloth over Koneko's forehead, a worried look on her face.
The same was true for the rest of the Occult Research Club as they looked at their unconscious friend, which was when Rizevia finally looked at her mother for answers.
"Alright, so what exactly happened to Koneko?" She asked.
"From what I can gather, she was in the middle of meditating when she suddenly had a panic attack. The stress of which eventually knocked her out." Lilith explained.
That answer shocked everyone, though not everyone was surprised in the same way.
"Wait... she just had a panic attack while meditating? How did that lead us to this?" Katase asked.
"Remember, Koneko is a Youkai, who are more connected to spiritual energies than most races are. Having something like this happen during meditation is a lot more serious to her than it would be for most species." Akeno explained.
Katase and Murayama both paled at that, now realizing why this was such a concern.
"How would she have had a panic attack though?" Ishie asked, scratching her head.
"The only explanation is some kind of tormenting memory or worry was going through her mind that overwhelmed all her senses." Lilith answered.
Rias let out a silent gasp as she heard that.
"Luckily, I don't see any signs of serious or lasting damage, so she likely just needs a little rest." Lilith reassured everyone.
All of the ORC let out sighs of relief.
"That's good to hear." Ishie smiled.
"And I'm 99% certain that she'll be back on her feet in time for the Young Devil's Gathering, so all of you prepare for that while I watch over her. I owe her that much since it happened as a result of my training regimen for her." Lilith replied.
Ishie gasped at that, remembering it required formal wear, which she didn't have. Noticing her daughter's reaction, Rizevia tapped her shoulder as she coughed into her hand.
"I already took care of getting you a formal outfit. Since your measurements are close to hers, I asked Ingvild if she would mind lending you one of her dresses, and she told me you could keep this one." Rizevia revealed, holding her hands up.
A magic circle appeared as Ishie saw a simple white gown with slides on the sides, held together by dark burgundy strings, and a dark blue rim with gold lining and a pattern of big and small gold diamond circling it.
It also came with matching gloves that went past her elbows, with cuffs matching her gown's lining, with the gold on the bottom and top, and the diamonds replaced by just a single X marking. There was also a skirt and stockings that had the same color scheme, with the skirt's ruffles divided by gold lining, and the stockings going above her knees.
"Wow!" Ishie exclaimed, her eyes sparkling at her new outfit.
'Note to self, buy Ingvild a present as a thank you.' Rizevia thought, smiling at her daughter's reaction.
She gave the outfit to Ishie, who quickly ran off to put it on, which prompted everyone else to get dressed.
After a few hours passed by, the Young Devil's Gathering had begun.
Millarca looked around as she saw the hundreds of pureblooded Devils who were at High School age like Rias and Ishie, noticing some who had Elf-like ears, and others who had darker or even unique skin tones.
"Wow, this isn't that different from the parties I've attended back in Romania, aside from being less stuffy." She admitted.
"It's kind of ironic you say that when you're wearing a suit like the rest of guys." Kiba remarked.
Like Kiba just said, almost every male devil inside the room was wearing some kind of variation of the common dress suit. Ironically enough, this was Millarca was wearing as well, currently in a burgundy suit due to her preference for male clothing.
"You do realize that Gaspy's wearing a dress, right?" Millarca reminded him, motioning to her best friend.
Kiba looked to see the obvious dress Gasper had chosen to wear, making him let out an awkward laugh.
"Hey guys!" Saji greeted.
Everyone turned to see Saji and Ruruko walk into view. Ruruko was seen wearing a purple dress, with her pigtails having been replaced by a small braid that was hung over her right shoulder.
"Hey Saji, Ruruko." Kiba greeted.
"Does that mean Sona and the rest of your peerage are here?" Millarca asked.
"Not yet, but they should be arriving any moment now." Ruruko answered.
Saji tried to look around for Ishie, interested in telling her how he trained under the Devil Dragon known as Tannin, but he didn't see her anywhere.
"Where's Ishie at?" He inquired.
"In whatever is this place's equivalent to a backstage. After all, they are revealing who she's related to." Millarca answered.
"Oh right, I keep forgetting that." Saji replied, still not used to Ishie being a Lucifer.
Sirzechs and Serafall were talking with their fellow Devil Kings were talking when a Devil soldier walked into view and saluted, which quickly caught their attention.
"I am here to tell you Baraqiel, Michael, and Lord Odin have all arrived." The soldier revealed.
"Understood, bring them in and alert the Council that we're ready to begin." Sirzechs replied.
The soldier nodded and returned to where they came from. Not long after he left, everyone in the room heard the sound of a glass being tapped, causing them to look at the Devil Kings without delay.
"Everyone, we are gathered here for a momentous occasion. After years of fighting, the Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels have decided to learn from the mistakes of our past and look to the future. Today, we mark the public declaration of our newfound alliance." Sirzechs announced.
All the Devils began clapping in response.
During this applause, the arrival of Michael and Baraqiel was noticed as they walked into view, with each of them having a single person as their entourage. For Baraqiel, it was some boy with a black dog by his side. For Michael, it was none other than Lint, who the church trio quickly noticed.
"Look, it's Lint!" Xenovia said with a whisper.
"Hey, over here!" Irina whispered, waving a hand so she could notice them.
Lint heard Irina call, noticing her by the orange dress she was wearing, which looked like a night if it was remade into formal attire. She rose her hand, smiling at her friends as she waved back.
"It is an honor to stand here today, knowing the Devils before me are no longer enemies of Angels or Heaven." Michael smiled.
"I myself have just succeeded Azazel as leader of Grigori. As the leader of the era marked by the Three Great Powers making peace, I shall do my best to lead the Fallen Angels to a better future alongside the Angels and Devils." Baraqiel promised.
Everyone clapped once again, though Akeno went understandably silent at the presence of her father, causing Rias to put a hand on her back.
It helped, though only a little bit.
"However, that isn't the only grand news we have to share. During the summit, a threat known as the Khaos Brigade, comprised of those among our kind who refuse to accept this peace like the Old Satan Faction, attacked us under the leadership of the current Red Dragon Emperor." Sirzechs continued.
Many Devils suddenly made sounds of worry about the revelation.
"Despite this, our current Hero of the Underworld, the current White Dragon Emperor we know as the Bishop of my younger sister, Ishie Hyoudou, stood against her rival even though she had little chance of winning. In the end, the Khaos Brigade fled with no true victory, especially when the battle unveiled their greatest defeat." He smiled.
He turned slightly, motioning his left hand behind him.
"Everyone, I am proud to announce that as of today, we can finally announce the start of the Seven Satan system... for we have finally found the granddaughter of Lucifer!" Sirzechs revealed.
Such a revelation caused every Devil, aside from the few who already knew, to gasp in near disbelief.
With that, a magic circle appeared to reveal the Heir of Lucifer to the crowd. Needless to say, the sight of Ishie appearing caused mass confusion, with everyone showing no reaction beyond raised eyes.
"Hello there everyone. Up until now, all of you have known me as Ishie Hyoudou, the Bishop of Rias Gremory and Hero of the Underworld. For the longer time, I only knew me as both of those myself, completely hidden from a truth that I only discovered fighting the Red Dragon Emperor. For all of you still questioning Sirzechs' claim..." Ishie stated.
She unfolded her wings, allowing the crowd to see all eight, before she held out her hand to reveal a magic circle with the Lucifer crest.
"This is the proof of my heritage that I too have discovered. The proof that I am none other than the granddaughter of the original Devil King, that my true name... is Ishie Lucifer, both the Hero and the Princess of the Underworld!" She revealed.
No one said anything at first, but then... someone began to clap, causing everyone to quickly follow as cheers filled the room.
Although, one Devil who seemed to always have his eyes closed wasn't doing either, and stared at her with a strange expression.
"Since we have no further announcements, let us officially begin!" Ishie declared.
With those words, the Young Devils' Gathering had truly begun.
Outside of building, Vali and Bikou were sitting in the nearby forest, with the latter using his hearing as a Monkey Youkai to get an insight to what was going on.
"Well, well. It looks like they just announced who your rival's grandpa is." Bikou smirked.
"It may have angered me at first, but now that I've had time to think about it? Taking down the granddaughter of the man responsible for sinking three continents is a truly worthy opponent for me to destroy." Vali replied.
He then pulled two slips of paper out of his pocket, both of which were marked with a Norse magic circle.
"Unfortunately, such a battle is too one-sided as of right now, so why don't we change that?" He suggested.
Bikou looked at the papers with interest.
"Ooh, is that your mother's work or your own?" He inquired, noticing the aura each circle was emitting.
"Let's just say that I had some strong connections. That way, it's more of a surprise." Vali replied.
He threw both papers into the air.
Bikou watched excitedly as they descended towards the ground, but before they made contact...
*"MEOW!"*
A black cat resembling Shiro, only with sharper cat pupils than Shiro's cute ones, jumped up and caught both of them in her mouth. Vali and Bikou's eyes widen as the cat turned around, wiggling its tail like she was giving them a raspberry.
"Get that cat!" Bikou announced.
The cat ran off, causing the two to chase after them with speed that should have clearly let them catch her. Unfortunately, the cat simply turned around the tree, and both of them followed... only to see the black cat had already disappeared without a trace.
"Oh, come on!" He screamed.
Vali let out a growl of annoyance, then formed a magic circle.
"Arthur, I'm in need of Fenrir's assistance." He angrily requested.
Back inside, Ishie let out a sigh of relief as she went to join her friends on the main floor, passing by a few adults as she did.
"That was a great speech Princess Ishie." One man praised.
"We're all expecting great things of you." Another encouraged.
Ishie politely waved to both of them, feeling a little bashful over the attention she wasn't used to.
"You did well up there." Sona praised.
Ishie turned to see her and the rest of her peerage arrive. Aside from Sona, all of her peerage (including Ruruko) was wearing the same outfit as Tsubaki, who were the only ones who whose dresses didn't match their respective hair colors among the Sitri Team.
"Oh, hey Sona, and thank you." Ishie smiled.
"Considering you trained under Tiamat, it's no surprise you nailed it." Saji praised, holding out his fist.
Ishie giggled as she gave it a fist bump.
"So, what kind of training did you go through?" She inquired.
"Same as you. More specifically, I trained under Meteor Blaze Tannin, the Dragon your grandma intended to train you. He's standing by the balcony if you'd like to meet him." He answered, pointing to said balcony.
"I will, it's only polite I meet a fellow Dragon... and he can probably answer all the questions Tiamat kept dodging." Ishie replied.
The two let out a shared giggle in response to that.
"Ah, found you!" Someone stated.
Everyone turned as they saw a male Devil run towards the group, being one of the few who wasn't wearing a suit, instead wearing what was his usual attire that was close enough to resembling formal wear that he could still wear it here.
For how this Devil himself looked? He had green hair that went a little past shoulder length, with light blue eyes. His said outfit was a green uniform with white sleeves, not unlike those you would see being worn by an adventurer mage from a guild in modern media with black details across it, faded blue jean shorts, and a pair of brown boots.
"Oh, uh... hi there. You name would be...?" Ishie replied, caught a little off-guard.
"Whoops, I'm guessing Ingvild and Sylvie didn't mention any of us?" He realized.
Ishie's eyes widened.
"Wait, so you're a-" Ishie realized, pointing at him.
The boy hit his fist against his chest two times.
"Allow me to properly introduce myself, my name is Eyleah Beelzebub, heir to the obvious." Eyleah revealed.
He then held out his hand, prompting Ishie to take it for a handshake.
Right as they finished their handshake, Ingvild walked into view, revealing she was wearing a dress looked similar to a fusion between Rias and Sona's current attire.
"I see you and Eyleah have finally met." She remarked.
"That we have. So, I'm guessing the other Satan heirs are all somewhere nearby?" Ishie assumed.
"Well, not all of us. Sylvie, along with the heirs to the Mammon and Belphegor Clans, are still preoccupied with other things before they can come, if at all. Luckily, the heir of the Asmodeus Clan is already heading towards the other room the other Young Devils are gathering." Ingvild answered.
Ishie let out an awkward laugh in response to that.
"Hey, can one of you let my friends know I'll meet them there? I'd like to talk with Tannin as Saji suggested." She requested.
"Of course. I'll go let them know, and Eyleah can make sure you make it there." Ingvild offered.
"I... doubt that I'm going to get lost." Ishie replied, feeling a sweat drop slide down her left cheek.
Eyleah playfully rolled his eyes at the Leviathan Heiress before she walked out of the room, followed by shifting her attention to Ishie as she walked to the balcony.
Once she got there, Ishie showed some surprise at the purple Dragon, who was the first Dragon she ever saw to be truly bipedal.
"Greetings Ishie, I was hoping we'd have a chance to properly meet." Tannin greeted.
"It's nice to meet you too." She replied, giving a curtsy in reply.
("You look good for a Dragon who became a Devil.") Albion praised.
Ishie's eyes widened somewhat, while Tannin let out a slight chuckle.
"Quite the ironic statement considering your current partner is the granddaughter of the Devil King." Tannin replied.
"Hold on, did Albion just say you're a Devil!?" Ishie questioned.
Tannin replied by lightning nodding his head.
"I'm sure that Tiamat never bothered to answer your questions about why there are so many Dragons here, correct?" He assumed.
Ishie blushed in embarrassment, rubbing her cheek slightly.
"Unfortunately, the story's not exactly pleasant. For some Dragons, a special fruit known as a Dragon Apple is a required part of their diet, but at the time before I chose to become a Devil... changes in the climate left them unable to grow anywhere besides the Underworld." Tannin explained.
She gasped at that.
"My kind nearly went extinct until I chose our survival above all else, and threw away my pride as a Dragon to become a Devil under Mephisto Pheles, working my way to an Ultimate-Class Devil, then made that land my own for the Dragons." He revealed.
("Just to state what kind of pride he lost? There used to be six Dragon Kings, with Tannin being that former sixth.") Albion revealed.
"Whoa... to make all those sacrifices for the sake of your own kind? You're like a hero to all Dragons!" Ishie praised.
Tannin chuckled as he crossed his arms.
"Each race seeks to survive, even one as powerful as the Dragons, and it's up to those with power to help those without it. That's why, as the one who will eventually lead the Devils to a new future... you need to decide what your ultimate goal is." He replied.
"My ultimate goal?" Ishie repeated.
"Being the hero of the Underworld is definitely something to be proud of, but that shouldn't be where you limit your reach. It should be what takes you to towards the end of the path you've chosen as your own." Tannin wisely advised.
Hearing that, Ishie was left to really think about what had happened since she had begun walking the path as a Devil.
'All this time... I've just followed the motions. I haven't really made a goal for myself, letting my daydreams take full priority beyond everything else. The problem with that is some of them have become a reality with the discovery of who I am. There's no way I'll be able to keep going like this, not unless I can find a dream to fight for.' She realized.
She held a hand to her chest, then let out a deep breath, looking at Tannin.
"Thanks for your advice. It's made me think about something that I hadn't before now, and need to answer sooner than later." Ishie smiled.
"No need to thank me, just make sure to work hard from here on out." He replied.
Ishie nodded before she left to join her friends and the other Young Devils, with Eyleah quickly following.
At that same moment, Tannin heard a loud crashing sound, and turned to the source... only to find none.
Walking down the hall, a worried Rias and Sona could be seen as the Student Council and Occult Research Club followed them, having an idea of what to expect.
"I hope we won't be in the waiting room for too long." Sona remarked.
"With a bunch of hormonal young Devils stuffed into one room together? We'll be lucky if we get out alive." Rias sighed.
And once she said that?
*"BOOM! BANG! CRASH!"*
The door suddenly blew open, causing everyone to run over and see what was going on.
"If you've got a death wish, then I'm happy to fill it, Zephyrdor!" Seekvaira threatened.
"Filling is my job!" Zephyrdor replied with a smirk.
Ingvild face palmed at the sight, right as Ishie and Eyleah finally caught up and saw what was going on.
"Huh? What happened here?" Ishie asked.
"Zephyrdor happened... again." Ingvild answered.
Ishie had no idea what she meant, while Eyleah suddenly felt his eyes go deadpan at the delinquent Devil, then motioned Ishie's head to look at the red-skinned punker.
"That's the Glasya-Labolas heir... he's a real troublemaker." He explained.
"And he's right on cue for starting trouble, almost like it's tradition." Rias added.
Just as it looked like things were about to get worse, a female Devil with chest-length black hair tied into a partial ponytail that left a lot of her hair flowing across her back and over her shoulders onto her gifted bosom walked into view. She was wearing a sleeves purple and pink dress and white gloves, with a white rose pinned on its left side.
"Enough, don't dishonor the Glasya-Labolas Clan or Satan Falbium by being such a problem child." She warned.
"Screw you Lunurai! Not even you get to talk to me like that!" He shouted.
"Quite a bold thing to say to the heir of the Asmodeus Clan, now behave yourself, or I'll be forced to make you behave." Lunurai said, glaring at him.
Ishie's eyes widened, realizing this girl was the Asmodeus heir.
However, Zephyrdor simply scoffed at Lunurai, not even slightly afraid of her threat.
"I'd like to see you try, bitch!" Zephyrdor retorted, preparing to throw a punch at her.
Lunurai closed her eyes and held out her left hand.
His fist struck it, only for a condensed purple energy to knock his hand back without even touching her palm. Ishie's eyes widened at this before Lunurai pulled her hand back.
"Compression!"
Everyone by the door moved out of the way as he was launched into the wall, leaving a crater as he passed out.
Asia was nearly knocked over, only to be caught by someone before she fell.
"You alright?" He asked.
Turning around, Asia saw her savior was a male Devil with black hair and purple eyes, possessing a muscular figure only somewhat hidden his outfit.
Ishie and Rias turned to look at him, with the latter smiling.
"Hello Sairaorg. It's been a while, hasn't it?" Rias greeted.
"The Devil Council will be here any moment now, so I'll give a warmer welcome later." Sairaorg replied.
Sairaorg walked inside, making Ishie look at Rias.
"Who was that?" Ishie asked.
"That's my cousin, Sairaorg Bael. He's both the heir to the Bael Clan, and at the moment, the strongest among the Young Devils." Rias answered.
Ishie's eyes widened.
'Rias told me about the Rookies 4 before, but only told me about herself, Sona, and the Agares heir. Now I know why she didn't tell me.' She realized, looking at Sairaorg once more.
After letting that thought sink in, she noticed what Sairaorg said.
"Oh, wait a second. What's this about the Devil Council arriving?" She asked herself.
"Simple, every Devil with a peerage is going to be stating what their wish is, and for a reason I'm certain will only be unveiled once everyone does." Lunurai answered, walking towards Ishie.
She then held up a hand, giving her a proper greeting.
"I believe you've already realized who I am, but it's still only proper I give our Devil Princess a direct greeting." She smiled.
"Oh, thank you." Ishie replied, doing the same.
Once that was finished, Rias walked up to Ishie.
"Another way to define what Lunurai said? Just as you'll be leading us one day, all of us in the 72 Pillars will one day be leading our own Clans to support the Underworld that you'll be inheriting from the current Satans after they finally step down from their positions." Rias explained.
"In other words, they want to get an idea on what everyone wants to do, just in case certain ideas seem bad or could be expanded on." Ishie realized.
"Exactly." Rias confirmed.
"The exceptions being us Satan heirs, who are simply aiding the council in what ideas to make. Remember, strength is important in the world of Devils, so if we show support or disinterest to an idea..." Lunurai added.
Ishie gasped, realizing the secondary reason behind having the Council hear out everyone's dreams.
Because she was a Lucifer, she could help influence the ideas they were struggling to support or deny just by saying if she thought it was good or bad, though even she wasn't aware of a secondary reason behind this.
'Mom did tell me that I'd be getting involved in Devil politics eventually, but I didn't think it would happen so soon...' She thought, feeling nervous.
Right as she finished those thoughts, someone walked behind her.
"White Dragon Emperor, it's been a while." A female voice remarked.
Turning around, Ishie showed some surprise as she saw none other than Ravel Phenex standing before her, with her current attire making her see how gifted of a figure she actually had when compared to her previous outfits.
"Hey, I remember you! You're Riser's sister! Your name was, uh... Ravel Phenex, right?" Ishie replied.
"Did you really imply you didn't remember my name after saying you remembered me? She retorted.
Ishie blushed in embarrassment.
Rias watched them talk, trying not to laugh at Ishie's awkward tone.
"So, uh... how has your brother been doing since the game?" She asked.
"Well, he brooded over his loss for a few days, and then our parents told him the truth behind why he and Rias were ever engaged. After that, he became depressed for a full 3 months, though at least it was healthier than losing Rias and claiming he was afraid of you." Ravel answered.
Ishie flinched at that.
'Either she's trying to make me feel bad, or she's using this chance to insult her brother.' She wondered, sweating a little.
"However, that all changed when a few days ago, Sirzechs allowed my family to be one of the few to know about your true heritage in advance. Learning he had actually lost to a Lucifer woke him up from that depression and ultimately humbled him for the better." Ravel finished.
"Oh, well then... your welcome?" Ishie replied.
However, having mentioned her brother enough, Ishie quickly noticed that Ravel wasn't with Riser or his peerage.
"Is your brother somewhere else right now? It seems odd when most peerages are together." She asked.
Ravel raised an eye at her response.
"You mean Rias never told you?" She asked.
"Never told me what? Rias, what is she talking about?" Ishie asked, feeling confused.
She let out a giggle at Ishie's current expression.
"I've been trying to find the right time to say this, but I guess now's as good a time as any." Rias replied.
Rias motioned a hand towards Ravel.
"As of the day I left early... Ravel has become my second Bishop." She revealed.
"Wait, what!?" Ishie exclaimed.
She slapped her cheeks to focus her mind.
"How is that possible? I thought you couldn't remove an Evil Piece after you bonded to it, and that you were stuck with the peerage of the one who reincarnated you?" Ishie asked.
"I'm assuming by those words that you don't know about Trades, correct?" Ravel inquired.
"No, but going by how I usually hear that term, I'm guessing you can trade pieces?" Ishie assumed.
Ravel nodded her head.
"If two Kings wish to exchange servants, or a servant for an unused piece, they can use a magic circle to switch the ownership between the two Evil Pieces." She explained.
"Once Riser heard the news? He felt the need to thank you, but also apologize to me as he started over from square one, and offered to make Ravel a part of my peerage." Rias added.
Ishie's eyes widened, knowing why that was such a big decision.
Ravel was the tactician of Riser's peerage, meaning that he gave away one of his strongest assets to Rias, who he originally looked down on for having an incomplete peerage.
'Wow, I guess despite all his hot air... Riser's really not that bad a guy.' Ishie thought, smiling as she gained new respect for him.
Ravel soon turned away nervously, holding out a capsule container to Ishie.
"Anyways, I also have a present to pass onto you from me and my brother, so... here!" She replied, blushing in embarrassment.
"Oh, thank you." Ishie replied, accepting it.
She opened it to see it held a single Phoenix Tear inside.
"Are you sure it's OK to have this?" She asked.
"Well of course! That's normally a gift for a High-Class Devil, and you Lady Lucifer, are the Princess of our entire race! It would be an insult for you to not be given a gift of this value." Ravel stated.
"Uh... alright, if you say so. Also, we're friends now, aren't we? So, why don't you actually call me by my name?" Ishie replied.
Ravel blushed at that, starting to twiddle her fingers.
"If you insist, then... I shall call you by name from now on, Princess Ishie." She replied.
'Is it just me, or this her real personality?' Ishie wondered, feeling awkward.
At that moment, the lights began to dim, causing a large magic circle to bring in a large stand. Smaller magic circles followed, revealing the members of the Devil Council, including Zekram Bael himself.
"Alright, let us begin." Zekram stated.
That's it for this chapter, and what a big chapter it was! Aside from Great Red's one-time moment of breaking the fourth wall (since I think he could do this if he had more interest in the world), we've finally met the Beelzebub and Asmodeus heirs, with the latter already having given a hint to her power, though anyone who's read Shin V3 might already know.
You'll see the Mammon and Belphegor heirs later, as I felt like introducing them right off the bat wasn't a good idea for what comes next, since having all 7 Satan heirs in one place from the start would make things too one-sided on our heroes' side. Likewise, there were a few scenes I removed due to how I split the chapter (namely some scenes showing everyone's training), but you'll see them later on via flashbacks.
Also, surprise! I've given Rias her first new peerage member, her second Bishop, and it's none other than Ravel! My reason for this is that she wanted to be part of Issei's peerage in canon. However, since Ishie has no interest in getting one herself, the best way to represent that here was for Riser to trade Ravel to Rias' peerage. It also doubles as a way for Riser to apologize to Rias, since he's since learned the truth.
Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^