I am posting the second chapter early because I managed to finish and revise it ahead of time. If such a case ever happens again I will post ahead of schedule, but don't hold out for it. I want to give you guys clean chapters, not messy ones crammed with mistakes.

For those who reviewed the last chapter, thank you so much.

faithful despair, thanks for that detailed review, and for encouraging me to continue. I actually want to keep my chapters short if possible. It helps me edit and clean up my mistakes. Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter as well. I really appreciate the feedback!

vanhellsing9000, I still have no intentions to make any pairs. Might change in the future though.

Dragonborn2704, kogaan, Dovahkiin.(Thanks for the review!)

Ah, the guest review. I can't deny that John Wick has slightly inspired this story.

And now that that's done, enjoy the chapter.

I do not own any content or character in High School DxD.

She watched him with utter fascination, as he lay motionless atop the roof, eye on the scope. He was still as a statue, as if dead to the rest of the world. Yet he had clearly heard the soft click of her heels, as he held up a warning fist.

She had killed for such abrasiveness before, but he was an exception. Here was a human, who had adapted himself into a nightmare. One who was so beneath her, yet his effort made him hard to dismiss. A horror tale turned to an epic of survival. Even now, it was difficult for her to believe that he was to be blamed for an impressive body count. Amusingly he retained a skewed moral, earning his wage by reaping the scum of society.

Her musings were cut short as he finally came to life. It was a very small action, an adjustment, and a pull on the trigger. She heard the customary "pop", then the window pane shattered. Very anticlimactic, she decided.

And then chaos erupted.

'My car.' Issei stated as he calmly began to take apart his rifle, uncaring of the pandemonium he had just caused. She shrugged, and a minute later they were heading down together.

'We've got to stop meeting like this.' Issei sighed as he opened the passenger door for her. She raised a delicate eyebrow.

'Why? Am I boring you?' She smirked at the exasperated stare she received, and got in.

'You can do better.' She said as she eyed the interior with distaste. It was so…plain.

'My occupation demands disposability, as I have come to learn.' He replied as he revved the engine.

'Still not going to let that go, are you?' She sighed.

'Nope.'

They fell into a mutual silence as they drove, enjoying the road. However, she was here to talk.

'You didn't tell me they call you the "Basilisk".' She casually mentioned, expecting a reaction.

Issei was clearly not in the mood to humor her, as he only shrugged.

'You'd think that comes up in three conversations, wouldn't it?' She prompted.

'I don't think that boasting in front of the "Chaos Dragon" is wise.' He dropped the bomb, and she exploded.

'How do you know that name?' She demanded, eyes burning with outrage.

'A random bloke in a bar told me to say my prayers, and make a will.' He told her, calm despite her reaction.

'You don't know him?' She narrowed her eyes.

'Not really, no.' He shrugged again. 'Figured that I was better off not diving into that rabbit hole.'

'You're smarter than you think.' She relaxed, knowing there was nothing she could do. 'And I won't go hunting for your "random bloke".'

'Listen.' She began again. 'You're in Kuoh Academy right?'

'Yeah. What about it?' He asked.

'For…people like me' She stated, unsure how to warn him. 'it's easy to find your information.'

'You're not implying?' He tensed, and she nodded gravely.

'I'll transfer.' Issei said, his grip on the steer tight.

'They probably let you in because they already knew about you to some degree. Issei, they want you. And I don't think that they'll let you go that easy.' She said, and saw him grit his teeth.

'Then what? I give up?' He asked, angry now. 'Tiamat, this was supposed to be my last job.' He barked as he abruptly hit the brakes, stopping in the middle of a lonely road.

'What?' She asked, surprised.

'I quit.' He spat, sounding frustrated. 'I did it for two years because I was forced to. What kind of child likes to help take lives? I was a fucking bait for a retard, and I could do nothing but cry it off!'

'Then dad died,' He took a breath. 'and I kept at it so I can help my mother. She doesn't have a clue about the debts dad left. And he didn't borrow from legal places either. I've been saving up and paying back in secret since, and I now have enough left over till I get a job.'

'And now you tell me I may be used again? Never!' He said with vehemence, leaving her surprised.

'I'll do my best to bury your past.' She said when she managed to gather herself. 'You pretend that you know nothing, and take another job that keeps you occupied at these hours.'

'It may be too late though.' She told him honestly.

'What do I do?' He asked, focusing on her.

'Meet me at the park five days later, and I'll see what I can do. Meanwhile, take this.' She offered him a dagger, a curious blue blade with a gold hilt.

'It will be effective against most threats. Carry a gun too.' She told him, and he promptly took it.

'I need to know what I am facing, Tiamat.' Issei said, and she hesitated.

'Ever hear fairy tales?' She finally asked, and Issei gave a nod. 'Religious lore? Imagine if they were all true.'

He gave her an incredulous stare, and she nodded. 'It's hard to believe, but it's the truth.'

'No sci-fi stuff?' He asked, getting a dumb stare as a response. 'You know this is crazy, right?'

'I know.' She told him. If only he knew.

'Can you tell me who you work for?' He asked.

'I'm…retired too, I suppose.' She replied, conflicted. Before she could say more, they had reached the parking lot, not far from Issei's house. They got out as he killed the engine, and Issei walked over to her side.

'Tiamat.' She looked up, and was surprised with a brief hug. She returned it on instinct, savoring the moment.

'I don't know your reasons.' He told her once he let go. 'But I am trusting you.' He told her warmly. 'I don't know why, but for some reason, I feel like I can. So, thank you.' He finished with a traditional bow.

'I know how it feels to be manipulated.' She blurted out. And that she did, a great portion of her life was dictated by deceit and cajoling. Even by those she had once cared for.

She closed her eyes, the pain of betrayal still fresh in her mind. She let it drop with a sigh and looked at him. 'And you do make interesting conversation.' She joked weakly.

'Regardless, I am in your debt.' He told her sincerely. 'Anytime you need help, just ask.'

She'd have laughed at the offer once, but now she was appreciative of the sentiment. 'I will.' She nodded.

'See you.' She said, as she made to go. He gave a silent wave back, and they parted.

(chapter break)

It had been two days since. Issei had been going to school as usual, and did manage to land a job at a restaurant that had him working late at night. He'd start the next week, and quit after the month.

Gods, he felt like he was always being watched. It wasn't just a niggling feeling. He was a hunter, and he knew to trust his instincts. He kept in plain sights, doing nothing out of the ordinary. His uniform drew some attention, but he welcomed it as an odd quirk of his, a contrasting camouflage that only helped his normalcy. He made a few 'friends' amongst the girls, who barely knew any details. The boys in his class were plain perverts, and he stayed away.

The first red flag was a seemingly random encounter. He had bumped into Rias Gremory during lunch, the redhead "princess" of Kuoh Academy. She had approached him with all the grace and subtlety of a rampaging rhino.

'Hello.' She waved, a faux look of curiosity on her face. 'We haven't met before.'

'I don't believe so.' He replied, already on guard.

'Then allow me to introduce myself. I am Rias Gremory.' She extended a hand, and he took it.

'Issei Hyoudou.' He said with faked pleasantness. 'First year. Nice to meet you.'

'Nice to meet you too.' She replied. 'Say, have you joined any clubs Issei? May I call you Issei?'

'You may.' He inclined. 'And no, I have not.'

'Then you should consider the Occult Research Club. We look into origins of supernatural tales, lore and visit locations that have recorded events.' She said with a beaming smile, pulling out a flier from her pocket.

'I'll think about it.' He said as he took the flier from her hand.

'Let me know when you've got a decision.' She said as goodbye, and he nodded. By the time she had left, all the students had begun to buzz about it. After all, no one else had gotten a personal invite.

That was the obvious one. Issei decided, as he inspected the flier. At the front it had all the information about the club, gibberish he had no interest in. No, what had drawn his alarm was the intricate symbol on the back. The neat red patterns suggested some sort of nefarious magic seal, if he was to believe Tiamat's words. They had never followed him home. Perhaps a surveillance system? He was really running blind here.

'No thanks.' He muttered, crushing and throwing the flier in a nearby trash can. He walked home on the sparsely populated road, tired from the day's events. All he desired was a quiet end.

Too bad.

'Can I have a moment? Please?' A female voice drew his attention, and he barely stopped from reacting.

'Yes?' He asked instead, turning around to discover a rather striking girl in a Kuoh Academy uniform. Perhaps from another class?

'Um…' She hesitated, twiddling her thumbs, and Issei took the opportunity to further inspect her. She was a brunette with long flowing hair, and an attractive appearance overall.

'I know this sounds so random.' She finally managed to screw up her courage. 'But I…I like you!'

Issei was too stunned to reply, and she kept rambling. 'Will you please be my boyfriend? Please?'

At that very moment, something sinister shone in her eyes, and Issei pulled out his handgun on instinct. Even at this distance, his bullet sailed past harmlessly as she dodged. In a blur of movement, she kicked him in the gut, and he found himself on the edge of consciousness again.

'Aww.' He heard her tsk he slipped in and out. 'I wanted to play with you.'

She forced him to lay prone with her foot, inching her face closer. 'You just had to ruin it, didn't you?'

'I planned to give you the greatest day of your life. I'd be the pretty girl on your arm, your hot girlfriend. We'd hang around all day, and you'd get lucky with a girl before you die.' She said in a remorseful tone.

'But you had to pull a gun on poor, kind Raynare!' She whined, and kicked him again. He curled up in pain, groaning.

'Where did you get that though, I wonder?' She mused, as he tried to recover. 'I wasn't told that you were so…naughty.'

'All the more exciting! I get to kill a feisty one.' She decided, as she approached him again. Issei knew if he didn't act now, he'd be dead in the next second.

So he let his honed instincts drive him. He pretended to curl up more as she came close, pulling out Tiamat's dagger from his sock at the last second.

'You know. You should blame God for this.' She said as she made to grab him. 'After all, he put a sacred gear in you.'

He stabbed her calf in that instant, and she screamed as a strange hissing noise came from the wound. He pivoted himself on the hilt, and took out the dagger, only to aim for her heart.

She didn't have the time to react, as he pushed the dagger hilt deep into her bosom. Her scream was immediately silenced, her mouth agape as she went almost limp. And as Issei was about to pull out, something strange happened.

She glowed bright with a purple hue, and changed in front of his eyes. She became taller, and more voluptuous. Her hair grew longer, and her face gained a more sinfully attractive appearance. And the oddest of all, a pair of black wings sprouted from her back.

Issei barely paid attention as his instincts screamed at him to finish her off, and he complied. He pulled out and slit her throat, kicking her now dead corpse off. His heart pounded as he briefly inspected her, the incredulity of the situation. Then he strapped his dagger in, retrieved the gun, and ran.

'What the actual fuck?' He cursed, thinking back. What kind of a freak of nature was she? Sacred gears? What had God to do with this? His mind ran a mile a minute as he rushed for home. Should he even go home?

'I need Tiamat's help.' He muttered, as he pulled out his phone. Tiamat had given him her contact during their second conversation, and he was now glad for it.

'Been attacked. Help.' He typed the text and pressed send. He sighed as he considered his options. Home was the best place to go, he hadn't been tailed back yet. That he was sure of. And Tiamat would definitely go there.

Issei prayed she wouldn't be too late.

(chapter break)

As she stood before the man, Tiamat found nothing but absolute loathing for him. A man who she once considered a friend. Now, she knew better.

'Tiamat.' Sirzechs Gremory greeted, extending a hand with a bow.

'That regal benevolent act ever work?' She sneered.

'Please,' He sighed. 'must you always be like this? I thought we were friends?'

'I thought so too.' She replied scathingly. 'Look where that's gotten me.'

'What do you want me to say?' He asked. 'Do you want me to apologize? You think we wanted this?' He said as he gestured to her collarbone, and she scowled.

'That doesn't change the fact that you did it anyway!' She lost her temper. 'You tricked me into this form, and trapped me in this shell!'

'It was the only way to keep the devils off your back!' The new Lucifer argued. 'They'd have chained you up, or worse, killed you.'

'I'd have rather died.' Tiamat stated, defiant.

'Why are you here?' He finally asked, rubbing his temple in frustration.

'To stop you from fucking up another life.' She spat.

'To the best of my knowledge, I'm not doing anything.' He told her.

'Your sister,' Tiamat spoke. 'has taken a rather unhealthy interest in a friend of mine.'

'Ah.' Sirzechs nodded. 'Be as it may, I cannot intervene in Gremory affairs any more. She may be my sister, but I have no say in her actions.'

'I know what game you're playing.' Her eyes flashed. 'Your beloved sister is engaged to Riser Phenex, and you want to get her a strong enough slave to win her out.'

Sirzechs only shrugged in response, but his eyes were wary. The Dragon King knew that he was nervous, and she jumped on it.

'Don't do this. Tell your sister to look for other prospects. He has suffered enough.' Tiamat warned.

'I can't do that.' He stated sadly. 'I do not know how you find a mere schoolchild interesting enough to be a friend, but he is the best candidate by far.'

Does he not know? Tiamat briefly wondered if they had chosen Issei only for his potential gear. And then, her heart sank as her phone vibrated. She yanked it out, fearing the worst.

'Been attacked. Help.' She read aloud, panicking. She frantically looked at Sirzechs and saw him frowning.

'Zechs, open a portal to Kuoh. He's in danger.' She pleaded, hoping her past "friend" may help.

'I can't.' He smoothly denied. "It is the law to travel by underground rail from here to Earth."

'It'll be too late by the time I go back by the underworld rail. Please, Zechs, it's probably the Fallen. He won't even be alive for your sister to…' She stopped as the gears finally clicked in place, and she understood.

'You bastard!' She roared. 'You planned this! You manipulated his mother's mind to send him to Kuoh. You knew the Fallen were scoping him. You knew they would attack him. I was a problem, but you knew I'd come here to talk. And your sister can waltz in and revive him, or just take his gear after they've extracted it.'

'You know that he'd be treated well, Tia.' The Lucifer calmly reasoned. 'He'd be well cared for. And since he's apparently a friend of yours, I'll make sure he gets special treatment from Rias.'

'Like me?' She snarled. 'Zechs, you just fucked up for the last time. Your sister would be lucky if she lives through this.'

'Why?' He asked, the nervousness back in his eyes.

'Because if I don't get there in time, Issei will kill her. I hope she dies, even though I'll try to save her.' She said as a way of parting, slamming the door on her way out.

Dragons don't have patience. They are violent, impulsive and relentless. But Tiamat was no longer one. Not by body, and not by mind. So she would wait. She would find her friend, and then she would show their enemies why she was still a dragon by soul.

(chapter break)

Coming home was a bad idea.

Issei had no clue how they found out so soon, but they had retaliated even before he could reach home. He vaguely recalled hearing knocking sounds on his door, and the house exploding on his face. He remembered forcing himself to get up and feeling disoriented. He recalled frantically swaying and looking for his mother, but they caught him before he could find her. A small sense of satisfaction came to his mind as he remembered nailing the sole male one on the head with Tiamat's dagger.

Then, darkness. And after that he found himself bound to a large cross, beside a girl who shared his same fate. He recognized the place. The old church in Kuoh.

An almost jaw breaking slap forced him out of his reverie, as he focused on the Fallen before him. God's spurned angels, the betrayers, he had come to learn. The killers of his mother.

His rage did more to cut the vertigo than anything, and he stared the woman dead in the eye, a grimace of distaste on his face.

'Awake?' The Fallen asked. Issei just stared at her, taking note of the other Fallen behind her. There were also many people, dressed in garbs that suggested they are of the church.

'Good, good.' She said, after a moment. 'You know, we were going to kill you then and there. Dohnaseek was very eager, considering Raynare was his lover and all.'

'But you managed to kill him.' She took out Tiamat's dagger, and waved it in front of his face.

'Interesting dagger you have here.' She said as she slid it across his face, leaving a shallow trail of blood. He didn't flinch.

'Perfect!' She stated, giddy. 'I like a man who can take his share of pain. After all, that means, I can torture you more!'

'Mitlett, begin extracting Asia's gear.' She commanded. 'I'll give him some personal attention first.'

'Save some for me, Kalawarner.' The petite Fallen said, and then promptly ordered the people to begin the ritual.

Another slap made Issei focus back on the taller Fallen. She impaled the dagger hilt deep in his thigh, but he refused to acknowledge the pain.

'You know, I'd say this is for Dohnaseek and Raynare. But man, I just love making you humans squirm!' She said as she produced lightning from her fingertips, and shoved it into his stomach.

Issei really couldn't help it. He screamed.

(chapter break)

Tiamat didn't waste time as she finally reached Tokyo, the station on the human side. It had been one hour since Issei's text. She knew what the Fallen would do, and she was counting on his endurance at this point.

With a grim face, she opened a portal to Kuoh, right beside Issei's house. She ran through it, coming face to face with a pile of debris, hidden poorly underneath an illusion.

'Not here then.' She confirmed, her dread mounting. But as she turned her ears picked up a pained whimper, and she ran to the source.

She found Issei' mother, struggling to move, but her lower body was pinned underneath a large pile of debris, blood dried around her. Her right arm was bent in an unnatural way, and her legs were probably crushed.

Tiamat frantically cleared the pile, and took her gently in her arms. The Dragon despaired at the extent of her injuries, but Issei's mother was not worried about herself.

'My son.' She hoarsely whispered. 'I saw them take him.'

'Don't talk. It'll be worse for you.' The King warned, but she didn't listen.

'Leave me. Save my son. Please.' She pleaded, until her strength finally left her and she fainted.

Tiamat was no expert in healing, but she could still help the woman. She gingerly focused her magic on the mother, and coaxed her vitals to halt. With her in stasis, the Dragon let go, leaving her suspended in midair. She pulled her phone out and dialed a number, hoping for the best.

'Hiya! Your favorite cat speaking!' A cheery voice responded after two rings.

'Kuroka, I need your help. There's an injured woman who needs help.' Tiamat stated.

'Coming.' The voice turned serious, and a moment later a portal opened beside her, and the voluptuous nekoshou came out.

'May I?' Kouroka asked, and Tiamat gave a nod. The Nekoshou immediately began to tend to the injured mother, countless circles forming at the bare twitch of her fingertips.

'How is she?' The Dragon asked worriedly, and Kuroka gave a worried look back.

'Not good. I'll have to take her to Kyoto.' She responded.

'Then do it.' Tiamat told her, and turned towards the old church.

'What about you?' The cat yokai asked.

'Tell Yasaka to kindly get someone to clean my old quarters. If she will have me that is.' Tiamat said.

'Then you're leaving the Devils? What about getting your body back?' The Yokai asked, stunned.

'I've come to appreciate my current state.' The Dragon King answered, and rushed through another portal, uncaring of concealing her presence.

She found a bunch of stray exorcists at the gate, and just ran through them. They yelled and shot at her, but she just rushed past them, breaking the door with her shoulder.

'Oh what do we have here?' Another exorcist, a rather crazed looking one dropped right in front of her. 'Maybe a new toy for Freed to play with?'

The King offered a punch in response, the brute force breaking clean through the man's rib cage, and out the back. She pulled back, and let the lifeless body drop.

She listened intently for a fraction, heedless to the light bullets bouncing off of her skin.

Dignus es; non merentur.

You are not worthy; you do not deserve.

De beneficia Dei, et denudabunt te.

Of God's blessings, we strip you.

Quid meruit anima non tollatur.

We take away what this soul never deserved.

Moriemini!

Die!

And then she stomped on the floor, breaking through. The debris effectively killed half the chanting stray. The rest fled. She lunged towards the Fallen leading the ceremony, and grabbed her by the wings.

The petite dark angel screamed as the Dragon violently tore out her wings, kicking her with such force that her spine cracked upon impact. She slid off the wall and remained there, limp, unmoving.

'Don't move!' Tiamat froze in her spot, looking at the horrific sight in front of her.

Issei was chained to an extractor, mangled beyond comprehension. His face, neck, torso had skin torn off here and there, with a litany of cuts everywhere. His left arm was torn clean off from the shoulder, lying on the floor. Her dagger was embedded in his thigh; the dagger she had gifted him for protection. He was bleeding, but in dripping rivulets, Fallen magic to prolong his agony. The smug look on the Fallen's face as she held a light spear aimed at his throat burned her rage even more.

'How dare you!' She roared, her draconic power echoing off the wall, making the pathetic cretin whimper. She took a step forward, but froze as the spear pressed closer to his throat.

'Don't move.' The Fallen sounded genuinely scared, but she had the upper hand.

The Dragon King was at a loss, all her power for naught to save her friend. She stood stock still, undecided, till she saw his eyes open.

'Kill her.' He said in a guttural tone, and her heart broke.

'I can't.' She lowered her head in shame as the Fallen's spear nicked him as a warning.

'Kill. Her.' He said. Calm and unwavering. Her hands still shook.

'Then I will.'

A terribly oppressive feeling dominated the space, leaving them stunned at its malevolence. Her eyes snapped to his, as the binding that held him tore off like paper. The Fallen tried to impale him with her spear, but it shattered into nothingness. The abyss hungered, gaping its maw, swallowing them whole.

A purple claw burst through the betrayer's chest, the heart in its grasp. Tiamat saw him crush it with pure rage etched on his face, a look of savage satisfaction. He pulled his new arm out, and the Fallen fell once more, never to rise again.

They both inspected the arm, purple, jagged. The deepest shade of the color, yet barely translucent somehow, the light making it glare dimly like a crystal. The oppressive aura was wrapped around it like a blanket, while tendrils guarded its new master.

Then, suddenly as if he just recalled his injuries, Issei dropped like a puppet with its strings cut.

'Issei!' She cried in alarm, rushing to his side.

'For my mother.' He weakly said, gasping in strain.

'She's alive.' Tiamat quickly told him, cupping his cheek. 'She was very injured, but I got help. She'll be fine.'

He looked at her with wonder, a genuine smile gracing his lips. He took her hand gently, and kissed it with his bloodied lips.

'Thank you.' He said, before he closed his eyes.

She hastily checked his vitals, finding them barely there. She stilled them with her magic, hoping that Kuroka could work another miracle. She lifted him in her arms with reverence, stepping through a portal to their new start.

Had she delayed a moment longer, she'd had faced the stunned crimson haired princess who started all this. All for a pawn who'd earn back her freedom. She found a nun with healing powers instead, so she was happy.

But what remains Rias found that day, stood as the ashes that told of more to come. Of a bloody war of extinction that all started from the greed of a Devil.

Hers.

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