Hello there, DxD fandom! It is Hellhound again with a new story for this little fandom!
So, after coming back in forth in the novel, I can't help but to notice some inconsistencies regarding Rias' reincarnation of Issei, and so, it gave me the idea for this fic, which might end up being even longer than my previous fanfic regarding this fandom. Now, instead of a lone wolf, let's focus in Issei and the youkai faction, which I ganrantee it is stronger than anything else. It might not be the most original idea ever since I joined this fandom, but i hope that I can make it work! i'll do my best.
NOTE: As said by the synopsis, this story will rely heavily on the bashing on Rias and the Gremories in general, so be warned. I'll try my best to maintain some consistencies, but I can't promise anything. You know the drill otherwise: Don't like it, don't read it! For those who read it, I hope you have a great read!
DXD and its characters belong to Ichiei ishibumi and its respective magazines.
CHAPTER 1: A new Perspective
"So what?"
"Wha...?"
...
Imagine, if you will, the current chain of events: Issei Hyoudou, the current Red Dragon Emperor of Domination, wielder of the Gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor also known as the Boosted Gear, the Hero of the Underworld, the so-called #1 Pervert of the entirety of Kuoh academy and the self-proclaimed Harem King, was called after a tiring day of school by none other than the current King of Devils of Beelzebub Ajuka in order to deal with some pesky youkais that have been causing a major trouble near Kuoh Town. Apparently, a cursed fox known as Tamamo-no-Mae have been causing a ruckus that might result in serious troubles for the residing devils living in Kuoh, including mainly his King Rias Gremory and his friends of the Occult Research Club, and he needed to solve this problem considering he was the only one available for the task considering his enormous strength. Issei, of course, took the job with the determination only he could muster, after all, anything causing a problem around his town where his beloved Rias, his friends and family lived should be taken care of…
Done and done. Tamamo-no-Mae, a child-like fox spirit who looked a lot like an acquaintance of his Yasaka but colored black, was causing quite a commotion around a Shinto shrine, but nothing the Red Dragon couldn't take care of. Fox spirits? Onis and youkais? He already dealt with things way worse than those, so he swiftly was able to subdue the troublesome evil spirits without killing any of them, after all, he was not a murderer. However, the moment he stepped inside the Shrine to face the cause of all the problems, Tamamo-no-Mae, he was not greeted with hostility or even indifference, but the fox spirit only smoothly greeted the dragon taking a buff out of her pipe.
She presented herself as Tamamo-no-Mae, the all-knowing fox and mother of all Youkai, and said that she was impressed that Issei, an ordinary, perverted high-schooler, could do so much damage with the Boosted Gear, offering him a seat by his side, saying that she was only doing her best to shove the devils out of her territory. Issei could understand that the youkai had a place and the devils were practically intruding in an area such as Kuoh, but then he simply shoved those thoughts away and said that he wouldn't ever abandon his master and lover Rias Gremory, even more so that Tamamo has shown herself to be evil and bloodthirsty despite her massive rack and beauty, causing such commotion in an otherwise simple and calm city such as Kuoh Town. Tamamo, the ever-knowing fox, could only laugh at his expenses and naivete, before taking another smoke out of her pipe and finally asking…
'So, you won't ever abandon that little Bitch known as Rias Gremory? Really? Not even if… She was hiding the reason of your resurrection this whole time?'
That question shook Issei to the very core. The reason behind his resurrection? What's that about? As far as he has known, his resurrection was… A fortunate accident. The fallen angel known as Raynare, or Yuuma Amano, has manipulated his heart and perversion in order to get closer to him and to observe him as an order from her lord Azazel. However, the fallen angel took actions by her own hand and ended up murdering the boy. Fortunately issei had a pamphlet of invocation right next to him, and in his last moments, he summoned Rias Gremory to comfort him in his death. Her seeing his potential, Rias made him one of his pieces, and everything up to this point was history. Tamamo, hearing the boy recollect his memories, could only laugh at his ignorance and denseness, as if he was trying to jest with her. Her laugh made the confused Issei retaliate, as she jumped away from his grasp to suspend herself on one of the foundations of the temple…
'Say, Red Dragon, didn't you ever wonder how… Convenient it was for her to save you in the nick of time? As if… A boy with such power and aura, coming from the welsh Dragon Ddraig of all places, being right under her nose in a place herself commands? Wouldn't be more believable to think she knew about you… But she didn't say a thing about it?'
Tamamo continued, her voice going from mischievous and sultry to calm and pensative, as if she was trying to convince Issei instead of just toying with him. He turned to him, his eyes stinging a bit, but even so he tried to toss a Dragon Shot at her, to no avail. With such response, she continued…
'And not just you… That Himejima girl, that pretty boy, that nekomata and her vampire friend. All those people, all those little special snowflakes, falling right into her lap… Too much of a coincidence, don't you agree? Rias Gremory, the devil heiress who saved all those in need at the right time, at the right place… Don't you see the pattern here, boy?'
Issei howled her away, but there was no way for him to refute her. Could it be…? Rias has been playing with him this whole time, and that… His death was into her sick play as well? Tamamo disappeared once again, and then reappeared right in front of him with a smile and open arms.
'Red Dragon Emperor… You might not know, but Rias Gremory was manipulating you since the start so that you, not just you but everyone, saw her as an idol, a savior. I am all-knowing and all-seeing, so I saw what happened to you. You're dancing right on top of her hand, and you were blindly following her instructions, like a dog would… But not anymore.'
And then, there was nothing after that. Issei went silent and gloomy, as if he was a lost child. Tamamo wasn't teasing or jesting with him anymore, but instead opened her arms to receive him. After all, all she wanted was those devils would leave Kuoh, a place that she was ruling before their interference, shoving her beloved Youkai kin to the side in order to expand their own horizons and turn their believers in devil followers. Yes, she wasn't malignant as issei previously thought, she just wanted her place back. After a minute or two, Issei lifted his head, turned his attention to Tamamo's smile and said…
"So what?"
"Wha…?"
…
There was another pause. Tamamo wided her eyes in surprise, for that wasn't the answer she was waiting for. Issei, with a neutral expression after a quite look at her cleavage, blinked a few times to her confused expression…
"I mean… I understand what you're coming from. Yes, Rias might have manipulated me to become her pawn and stuff… But then, so what?" He asked with a shrug and a genuine confused tone, driving Tamamo even more into a spiral of unanswered questions. "She spoils me rotten and allows me to get stronger and get closer to her and her friends, people I would never be able to otherwise. She sleeps naked on my bed, she reformed my house into a 5-star hotel and, best of all, she lets me see her oppai anytime I want! Besides, she treats me better than any other devil King, and I think everyone in the peerage can say the same. I say, she becomes even a little too overbearing sometimes.(please, don't tell her I said that! I love her spoiling me!)"
"B-B-But I don't understand! She lied to you! She let you die! She simply let you die instead of helping because she wanted you to see her as her savior!" Tamamo said back, getting a little distressed to issei's own questionings. "Are you okay with that?! To become her lapdog under her manipulations?!"
"To tell you the truth, I am better off as her lapdog than anything else, really…" Issei laughed a little under his breath while scratching the back of his head, a bit embarrassed to admit, much to Tamamo's further confusion. "I mean, to date the Madonna of Kuoh academy? To get to hang out with the student council and the O.R.C., some of them becoming some great friends of mine? I just had two friends prior being saved by Rias, and even if she did manipulate me, I'm glad that I got to meet some really cool people while at it! I don't think I would even get to know Ddraig as of now if it wasn't for meeting some good devils…"
[YOU SAY IT, PARTNER!]
"Unbelievable! You are more delusional than I thought! She did manipulate you to the deep end!" Tamamo sighed under her breath, holding her temples trying to calm herself down with the sheer stupidity of the situation. "Don't you see, Red Dragon? She doesn't see you as anything but a powerhouse! Tell me, would she ever be interested in you, a disgusting pervert with nothing to offer otherwise, if it wasn't for the Gauntlet of the Red Dragon Emperor, the Boosted Gear?! She sees you as nothing but your Sacred Gear, a Longinus!"
"Well then, wouldn't other Sacred Gear users be also the case?" Issei asked, and Tamamo could only tilt her head to a side. "I mean… The Church had Xenovia, the wielder of Durandal, Irina, an Excalibur-user, Tulio-san, also a Longinus user, and Vasco-san, a massive mount of a man; the Grigori has a lot like Tobio-san, also a Longinus-user, Lavenia-san, also a Longinus-user, and so many other Sacred Gear-users. Hell, Vali had nowhere to go until Azazel-san took him in. You will tell me he was manipulated to join the Grigori as well, and that sensei sees him and the others as nothing but tools? I am sure not, and this coming from the guy he said would kill if I ever become a threat!"
"Tch…" Tamamo spat out. "Of course you would say that! That blasted Sirzechs was playing this game the whole time, as expected from a devil like him! Listen here, even if you don't believe me in regards of Rias Gremory, you can't deny that her brother, the demon lord of Lucifer the Satan Sirzechs is nothing but a manipulative and power-hungry dictator!"
"Sirzechs-san…?" Issei questioned, confused. "You mean the Sirzechs-san that blasted a whole civil war in the Underworld because he didn't want the previous Satans to cause the extinction of the devil faction out of petty arrogance? That Sirzechs that always wants peace between the factions and said for us to not to kill Loki or Euclid out of respect? That Sirzechs that says I'm okay in banging his sister and wants me to become a Satan someday, even sleeping on the kotatsu when I offered him my bed? That Sirzechs who trusts his wife on me, even though I am a true pervert? That Sirzechs which, I dunno, sacrificed his freedom and his life as a family man and a ruler to seal 666 away from this world? That Sirzechs-san?"
"Of course! Who else?!"
"…"
"…"
"I don't think we're talking about the same Sirzechs-san here…"
"Look! The point is: You have been manipulated, played with and toyed like a damn fiddle at the hands of the devils! You should be furious about them and join my side!" Tamamo exploded, again holding her arms up in a huggable pose, although her face was telling every iota from Issei's body to stay as far as possible from her. "Join me and together we will get rid of the devils in this place once and for all! They'll all pay for their hubris against this Sacred place! First here, and then we shall dominate the entire underworld and make them our bitches!"
"I'm sorry to ask that, but how so?" issei asked. "I mean… Did you ever see what Odin-sama was able to do? One swing of his lance, and he decimated an entire platoon of high-class and ultimate-devils! He isn't even among the strongest Gods, but Ajuka-san is, meaning he's stronger than a God that decimates entire armies with ease. So, uh… Let's say I join you, what will happen? How are we going to shove the devils away from here?"
"I… I can think of something…" Tamamo pouted and looked away, trying but failing to hide the fact that was currently brainstorming a made-out story on the spot. "I know a guy… He's a god and stuff… He could, I dunno, train you and then infuse your… Your devil powers with light elements and then… Like, you would become a superbeing half-devil and half-angel… Yeah! You would become the best of both worlds, and that new form we would call it… A Nephalem!"
"…"
"…"
"Wow, that's the stupidest idea that I've ever heard." Issei deadpanned, much to Tamamo's chagrin. Honestly, fusing angel power with his devil body to create something with a stupid name as much as 'Nephalem', she was probably on drugs on she was dumber than he gave her credit for. He was now kinda feeling pity for her. "Tamamo-san, I'm really starting to get a little uncomfortable, and it's getting cold…"
"Shut up! Shut up, shut up, shut up! Shut the fuck up, you fucking damned perverted asshole"" And she finally exploded. "I'm here trying to be all nice and all, revealing all the shit that you had to go through because of that cunt Rias Gremory and this is the response I get?! 'So what'… 'So what'?! 'SO WHAT' MY ASS! If I were you…If it was anyone else, and I mean ANYONE, they would…!"
"Yes, but I'm me. I'm me and nobody else." Issei responded, cutting the fox in her little monologue. "I think this is obvious from the start, but I'm Issei Hyoudou and nobody else. I still had feelings for the fallen angel that really used me for her ends, and she wasn't even all that nice after the reveal; I became friends with Azazel who explicitly said that he would get me killed if I didn't reach his expectations; I spared Diehauser despite the fact he held my parents hostage and I hold no grudges against all the people who gloated they were going to kill me or my loved ones (Riser, Xenovia, Vali, Kuroka, Baraqiel, Masaomi, etc.). So stop saying what someone else would do. I know I'm not that smart, someone else but me would probably have figure it out from the start this whole manipulation shtick… But I'm me, so there's no reason to think someone else would act differently when this is not the case."
"…" Nothing else but silence coming from the evil fox. Issei sighed.
"Y'know, Tamamo-san, I think you're just making excuses and being a coward." He said, much for her surprise. "I know I'm not that smart, but for me you're just trying to make excuses to justify all the atrocities you have been committing. All that talk about Rias and Sirzechs and all the devils being evil and stuff is just a way for you to justify all of your actions against them without the fear of suffering repercussions. Like, you're playing the victim/wronged card and begging for mercy and sympathy so that you can feel justified in attacking the Gremories and devils in general while thinking yourself as having the moral high ground when in fact you're just as evil and petty and malicious as you claim them to be, which I may add, is not too different from the whole manipulation thing you're claiming Rias is playing with me. Isn't that right?"
"…" Not response from her. Didn't need it either. Issei sighed and concluded:
"I'm sorry to say this, but all of this makes you look kinda pathetic…"
"…"
"…?"
"OH FUCK YOU, YOU DRAGON MOTHERF-…!"
"[Dress Break]!"
*SNAP!*
"Kyaaaaaaah…!"
"Dragon… SHOT!"
*BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAM…!*
…
And after that turn of events, Issei couldn't do much else but to call Ajuka and said that his job was done: Tamamo-no-Mae was rend stripped and knocked out and her youkai minions wouldn't cause that much trouble either. The Devil King congratulated the red dragon and said for him to wait there until yasaka and her own faction would come to retrieve Tamamo and put her under custody. With nothing else to say or do after a quick look at her hot naked body, Issei sat on a nearby rock and waited a few seconds. After a while, he wiped out his phone and dialed a number…
It was ringing, and now, to wait a little…
…
*CLICK!*
'Hello?'
"Hey, Rias. It's me, Issei. Just calling to say I'm done with my job and I'll be coming home soon."
'Oh, wonderful! I was just thinking about you! Akeno and I made dinner, so don't make us wait or it'll get cold… Not just the dinner, of course~.'
"Heheheh… Oh by the way…"
'Hmmm…?'
"Rias… You do love me, don't you?"
'Of course I love you, my dear Ise! What makes you think that? I'm hurt~.'
"Ah, sorry. I just wanted to say I love you too. I'll be coming home soon. Bye."
'Understood. I love you, Ise. Bye.'
*CLICK!*
Issei then smiled to himself. Regardless of anything else…
… He was happy.
THE END