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[Ddraig talking]

[Ddraig thinking]

{Albion talking}

{Albion thinking}

|Tiamat talking|

|Tiamat thinking|

(Mastema talking)

(Mastema thinking)

Mental Communication

"Regular Dialogue"

Attacks/Spells


Hyoudou Manor, December 2, 2019, 11:30 AM; Current Time: 4 Minutes and 35 Seconds


Issei yawned, leaning back in his chair. It was nice to be back in school where he knew everyone. While it was nice going to Eve, Issei missed the familiarity of Kuoh Academy. He looked around and smiled a little. A perverted giggle threatened to escape his mouth as he watched all the girls in the classroom.

"It's good to be- OW!" Issei rubbed the top of his head and saw Irina standing behind him, holding a book. An aura of death surrounded her as her dull eyes bore into Issei's.

"You were thinking lewd thoughts, weren't you?" Irina said.

"Um, no?" Issei said.

"Iri-chi, you're better off chopping him on the head more," a voice in front of them said. Irina and Issei turned around and saw Murayama standing in front of them. She reached down and grabbed Issei's cheek.

"Ow! MUWAYAMA! WET WO!" Issei complained as she pulled hard on his cheek.

"Murayama-san, please let Issei go," Irina said.

"Right, I'll let you deal with him," Murayama said as she walked off, most likely to go talk to Katase once more.

"Wanna go for a walk?" Issei asked.

Irina nodded and the two left the classroom. Walking down the hall, Issei and Irina walked in silence past the crowds of students that were heading down to the cafeteria to get some food before their brief lunch break was over.

"I was wondering. Who should we put in our little squad?" Issei asked, glancing at her.

"Hmm? You're asking me?" Irina replied.

"Yeah. I already know that Mii-chan is going to be on our team since she and I are heading down to Agares Territory to ask Seekvaira permission to allow Mitsuki on our team," Issei said.

"Do you want me to come with you?" Irina asked as Issei opened the door. The two stepped out into the school roof area and sat down by one of the railings. It was a beautiful day. It wasn't too cold as the sun's rays poured down on the Earth, creating a nice warm December day. There were a few clouds in the sky that cast their shadows over the land but not enough to blot out the sun. A nice cool breeze blew past them, causing the two to shiver.

"You can if you want," Issei said.

Irina smiled and put her head on Issei's shoulder.

"Hey Issei, what are we?" Irina asked. Ever since the two had "gotten" together in America, Irina had wondered when they would make their relationship "official" and known to everyone.

"What are we? Hmm, I thought it was pretty obvious," Issei said, taking strands of her hair and began playing with it.

"Hmm? What was obvious?" Irina asked innocently.

Issei sighed and gently moved her head from his shoulder. He placed his hand on her shoulder and brought her in close.

"Eh, Issei? What are you?" Irina asked as her face turned red.

"I've been waiting to do this since the day began… no, longer than that," Issei said as his face got closer.

I'm not ready! Irina thought frantically as Issei got closer and closer to her face. Eventually, she gave in and closed her eyes, puckering her lips for what seemed to be the best kiss she would ever receive in her entire life.

"Your scrunchy on your right ponytail was messed up and it's been bothering me. Here, um, let me fix it for you," Issei said as he tugged on her right scrunchy.

"Eh?" Irina's eyes opened and she saw Issei fixing her hair. A tick mark appeared on her forehead as she slammed her fist into the bottom of Issei's jaw, sending him flying back.

"MOU! ISSEI, YOU IDIOT!" Irina said. Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she ran out of the roof.

"Ow," Issei said, rubbing his cheek.

"You think I teased her too hard?" Issei asked.

[A bit.] Ddraig said.

|*yawn* Honestly, if you like her so much, what's holding you back?| a feminine voice said inside his head.

"What? Um, did you hear that?" Issei asked.

[Oh, right, Tiamat's awake. She woke up last night while you were having your nightmare.] Ddraig said.

"She did? Hey Tiamat, how's it going?" Issei said.

|Other than being trapped inside a teenage boy with relationship problems, I'm doing great. Ddraig and I have been… ahem… doing some catching up if you get my meaning.| Tiamat said.

"I didn't need that image inside my head," Issei said as he stood.

|Go after her.| Tiamat said.

"Huh?" Issei asked.

|Go after her. You seem to have been holding back for a while now and while I don't know the specifics of your relationship with the Angel, I do know that you have feelings for her. So go after her. Do that thing you young people do nowadays| Tiamat said.

"You mean ask her on a date?" Issei asked.

[You've already told her that you love her. What's holding you back from making your relationship public?] Ddraig asked.

"The girls," Issei said. "I mean, you saw how they reacted. Compared to Rias, they're willing to fight with everything they have just to get back with me, especially Akeno and Koneko. I don't want Irina to be targeted if it ever comes down to that."

|So what? If these girls are no longer with you then it should be fine. And besides, the Angel has three pairs of wings. She can defend herself not to mention the fact that she has a natural advantage over them. You have nothing to worry about. Do that courtship ritual thing with the Angel. Trust me on this.| Tiamat said.

"Alright," Issei said. "But how should I go about doing this?"


Irina ran down the stairs, wiping the tears from her face. Stupid Issei. Why did he have to play with her feelings like that? As she ran, she bumped into someone and fell to the floor.

"Ow," the person across from her said. "Eh, Irina?"

Irina looked up and saw Asia sitting across from her, papers spilled everywhere.

"Oh my. Asia, I'm so sorry," Irina said. "Here, let me help you."

"Thanks," Asia said as the two began scooping up the papers.

"So why were you running?" Asia asked after a few seconds.

"... Do you think I overreacted?" Irina asked.

"I don't follow," Asia said as she grabbed a couple of sheets of paper.

"Issei, he told me he loves me back when we were in America and…," her sentence was interrupted when Asia grabbed her shoulder.

"Wait, Nii-san said what?" Asia asked.

"He said that he loves me?" Irina said.

"*SQUEE!* Oh my God! This is amazing… wait, so then why are you crying?" Asia asked.

"Issei… hasn't made our relationship public yet," Irina said. "I'm tired of having to hide our affection for each other."

"I see," Asia said as she grabbed the last piece.

"So, did I overreact by running out on him? Am I… being too impatient?" Irina asked.

"Hmm, you have to understand this. While Nii-san said that he loves you, you have to remember that he might be reluctant to jump into a fully committed relationship again after what happened… and again, it wasn't their fault. You two might be more than just friends but… lovers is something he might be afraid of for fear that you might be used against him. That or… he's afraid of the other girls making you a target. You saw how Koneko and Akeno reacted. While Xenovia and Ravel may have been tamer and Rias-oneesama seems to have accepted this, we never know what would happen if you two decided to go public. And you still have Rossweisse-sensei to compete with," Asia said.

"I see… so I'm laying it on too thick then?" Irina asked as they walked down the hall.

"Not thick per se but… if I were in your shoes, I would wait until he's comfortable again to have a relationship. In the meantime, try to make him yours," Asia said.

"Huh… thanks, Asia," Irina said.

"No problem… now I have a question to ask you," Asia said.

"Yeah?" Irina asked.

"How do I tell Eren that I want to take the next step in our relationship?" Asia asked.

"W- What!?" Irina said.

"Huh? I assumed that when you were all with Nii-san that you all… had sex with him already," Asia said, tilting her head in confusion.

"I'M A VIRGIN!" Irina said.

"Oh… um, sorry to ask then," Asia said.

"Uh, yeah," Irina said.


Agares Territory, 4:45 PM


Issei, Irina, and Zin, who insisted on coming with her master, arrived outside the gates of the Agares Manor. The three marveled at the sight and beauty of the area.

Unlike the Gremory Manor, the Agares Manor was much larger in terms of size and area. As the Number Two Pillar and holding the title of Archduke, their area was much larger than the other pillars except for the Bael. The Agares held a territory in Gehenna that was the size of the state of Alaska, holding large villages and towns across the entire territory. Unlike the Gremory or the Phenex, the Agares didn't seem to indulge in having large metropolitan areas in their territory. The simplicity of how everything was laid out brought out the beauty of the natural landscape of Gehenna. The rolling hills were, the violet lakes, and the purple skies were all on display, completely unobstructed by large towers.

The Agares House was also a sight to behold. It was smaller than the other Pillar Manors, being about the size of Kuoh High School, only much taller. The House stood at a height of seven stories, larger than even the Gremory House. A large wall surrounded the house standing at three stories tall with a large black iron gate at the front. Past the gates, Issei and Irina could see a simple fountain and several bushes with different flower species lining the walkway.

"Um, Mii-chan told us to wait here," Issei said.

Irina remained silent, stealing glances from Issei.

"So, um, Issei, about earlier, I'm…," Irina began. However, she was interrupted as the gate began to open. The movement of the iron bars caught their attention as they saw Mitsuki walking out of the gate.

"You're here!" Mitsuki said. "And you're not late. Hey Zin!"

Mitsuki walked over to Issei and began scratching Zin underneath her chin. Zin purred and leaned into Mitsuki's touch.

"So, who's looking after Lily-chan today?" Mitsuki asked as she beckoned for them to follow her.

"Um, Rossweisse said that she'd do it," Issei said.

"And how did that go before you guys left?" Mitsuki asked.

"About as well as you would expect. Lily's holed up in her room," Irina said.

"I guess she's not used to them yet," Mitsuki said.

"Risa-senpai said that she'd go and help Rossweisse since Lily is more used to her," Irina said.

"That's good," Mitsuki said. "When we get back, we should enroll Lily in Kuoh Elementary. It would do her good to spend time with kids her age rather than be stuck at home all day waiting for us."

"That sounds good. I'll ask Sona to get some papers ready," Issei said.

"Ah, we're here," Mitsuki said, pushing the doors open. She led them down the hall towards a large room. Inside sat a beautiful young woman about a year older than them, sitting on a sofa. She had green-tinted blonde hair that reached down to her mid-back and light tan skin which gave her a slightly exotic vibe. Her dark pink eyes were sharp and contained an ever-present analytical twinkle. These eyes were complimented by her glasses.

For her clothing, she wore an attire befitting that of a woman of her stature. She wore a long-sleeved blouse with a red brooch. The accessories that decorated her clothing made her look flashy and bore the Agares Seal on them. She wore a mini skirt with thigh-high boots.

Next to her was a young man with dark hair and light brown skin. He had sharp yellow eyes that had a distinct reptilian feature to them. He wore a black butler's uniform and unlike the woman sitting in the chair, the young man had an aura of calm and composure that made him seem relaxed. He shot them a small smile before tapping the woman on the shoulder.

"Milady Seekvaira, our guests have arrived," he said.

"Thank you, Alivian," Seekvaira said. She gestured to the chair in front of her. Mitsuki walked over and stood next to Seekvaira

"Please have a seat, Red Dragon Emperor and… companion. I'm sorry. I don't believe that we have each other's names," Seekvaira said, eyeing Irina.

"Oh, I'm Irina Shidou. I am Lord Michael's Ace and the Angel Representative in Kuoh," Irina said, bowing respectfully before sitting right next to Issei.

"Ah, I remember you from the Evil Dragon War. I'm terribly sorry for not recognizing you sooner. I am Seekvaira Agares, heiress to the Agares House. It is an honor to meet you," she said. "Please refer to me as Seek."

She yelped when Mitsuki brought her hand down on top of her head.

"Milady, these are guests. Nicknames are unbecoming of you," Mitsuki said.

"Mou, Miicchi! That really hurt," Seekvaira said, rubbing the top of her head.

"Eh," Issei and Irina's view of the regal heiress shattered as she pouted to Issei's twin sister.

"Ahem," Seekvaira coughed into her hand and recomposed herself. "I believe that we should discuss the nature of this meeting… shouldn't we?"

Issei blinked at her sudden tone shift and straightened himself. Zin climbed off Issei's shoulder and bounded over to Mitsuki, who picked her up and cradled her in her arms.

"Yes, you know why I'm here. Please allow me to have my twin sister on my team for the Azazel Cup," Issei said.

"I see. I was rather skeptical about this being your request at first but I can see that my skepticism has been laid to rest. Pray tell, why should I allow my most powerful piece to fight for an enemy team," Seekvaira said.

"What do you want in return?" Issei asked.

"In return?" Seekvaira replied. "I wasn't aware that we were bartering for your sister."

Issei and Irina gulped as Seekvaira calmly sipped her tea.

"While I do not entertain any notion of actually winning given who our prospective opponents are, I do plan on getting far considering your sister, the wielder of Telos Karma, is on my side. So, since you proposed a trade, find me a piece that could possibly substitute in for your sister and we have a deal," Seekvaira said.

"A piece that can sub in for Mii-chan?" Issei said. "That shouldn't be too hard."

"Quite. That is why I'm giving you two hours to do so," Seekvaira said.

"TWO HOURS!?" Issei said.

"You said that this would not be difficult. I believe two hours is ample time," Seekvaira said.

"Shit! Guys, any ideas!" Issei asked.

[I have an idea.] Ddraig said.

"Who?" Issei asked.

|Hear us out on this okay.| Tiamat said.

"I'm listening," Issei answered.

[Have Zin fight for Seekvaira for the time being] Ddraig said.

"Zin? But, I was going to summon her to fight in the games," Issei said.

|It wouldn't have mattered anyway. She would be placed under heavy restrictions as a Dragon with power to rival us Dragon Kings and a candidate to replace Fafnir at the next Festival of Kings, Zin can wipe out the peerage of your average High-Class Devil so fighting with you will heavily restrict her ability to fight but…| Tiamat said.

[If we allow her to fight on Seekvaira's side in place of Mitsuki, she'll be able to let loose and get Seekvaira as far as she needs to go. When Seekvaira is defeated in the Games, you get Zin back] Ddraig said.

Issei grimaced but nodded in agreement.

"Ahem," Issei said. "You won't have to look far for a new member for the Games."

"Oh?" Seekvaira said, quirking an eyebrow in curiosity.

"I propose that you allow my familiar, Zin, to fight in Mitsuki's place for the duration of your run in the games," Issei said.

"And why should I accept?" Seekvaira replied.

"Zinogre is an Ultimate Class Dragon with the power to rival the current Dragon Kings and has been seen as a candidate to replace the Current Dragon King of the North, the Gigantes Dragon Fafnir," Issei said.

"So she's that powerful? I guess see for myself. Alivian. Attack her," Seekvaira said.

"As you wish," Alivian said. Mitsuki sighed and placed Zin down. The reincarnated devil dashed towards the small dragon only to stop when a red light emanated from her. Zin transformed into her human form and slammed her fist into Alivian's face, sending him crashing into the wall.

"Mitsuki," Seekvaira said. "No Sacred Gear."

Mitsuki nodded as she formed an energy blade in her hand and appeared above Zin, ready to bring the blade down. Zin's tail moved at lightning speeds, deflecting Mitsuki's energy blade.

Mitsuki landed on the ground a few feet away from Zinogre.

"Enough. Stand down," Seekvaira said. "I've seen enough. Very well."

"Eh? Does this mean that?" Irina asked.

"Yes, we have a deal. Zinogre-dono. Please come here," Seekvaira said.

Issei nodded to Zin, who sighed and walked over to Seekvaira.

"I'm going to need her to lay down on the floor," Seekvaira said.

Zin nodded and laid down.

"Here we go," Seekvaira said, pulling out two knight pieces. "Your twin was worth two and from what I'm seeing… Zin might be worth just as much."

Seekvaira placed the knight pieces over Zin's chest and the pieces sank into her.

"Will the pieces be removed if she's defeated?" Issei asked.

"From what I heard, if the King is eliminated, the pieces are automatically ejected from the body," Seekvaira said as she heard a blip from her scroll. She pulled it out and smiled.

Zinogre, the Thunder Wolf Dragon

GPS Ranking: EX- Ultimate Class Dragon

Seekvaira whistled. "EX- Rank. You have one powerful familiar, Issei Hyoudou."

"So, can Mii-chan participate as a member of my team for the Azazel Cup?" Issei asked.

"Of course, a deal is a deal. Mitsuki, for the time being, you will be on Hyoudou-san's team for the Azazel Cup," Seekvaira said.

"As you wish Milady… and thank you for this opportunity," Mitsuki said, bowing.

"For the last time, call me Seek, Miicchi!" Seekvaira said.

"As you command, Milady," Mitsuki said, smirking.

"Oh, and Issei, as she is your familiar, you can summon her to participate in matches. However, should we face off against each other in the Games, I trust that she would be willing to fight against you?" Seekvaira said, accepting a cup from Mitsuki.

"Zin?" Issei said, glancing at her.

Zin looked at him with an emotionless gaze, her tail swishing in slight annoyance. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Of course, Issei-sama. This will give me a chance to test you myself on how powerful you are," Zin said.

"Eh? Okay," Issei said, a bead of sweat trickling down his forehead. He turned to Seekvaira and bowed in thanks.

"That'll be all, Seek-sama," Issei said.

"Mhm. Mitsuki, you're relieved of your duties for today. Go spend some time with your brother," Seekvaira said.

"I thank you for this time, Milady," Mitsuki said.

"What did I say?" Seekvaira said.

"I believe that she should get going, Milady," Alivian said.

"Ugh, fine. Just… have fun okay?" Seekvaira said.

"Of course, Seek. What do you take me for? Isn't this why you asked me to join?" Mitsuki said, grinning.

"I asked you to join because we both met at a Gundam Convention in Tokyo," Seekvaira said.

"You're mean," Mitsuki said.

"You love me and you know it," Seekvaira said. "Now go. I'll see you at the Games."


Issei, Irina, and Mitsuki walked out of Agares Manor, their heads held high. This was most likely their toughest obstacle yet in getting members for their team in the Azazel Cup. Zin made herself comfortable on Issei's shoulder, nuzzling up to his cheek as she sat down.

"So, what now?" Mitsuki said.

"Now? We go home and see who else wants to join," Issei said.

"What about Ingvild?" Irina asked as they formed a magic circle.

"Yeah! We could make her a Bishop! Let's ask her when we get back," Issei said as they disappeared in a flash of red light.


Ingvild Leviathan was many things. She loved the color purple. She was a singer and artist. She loved the sea and all its creatures. She was an avid amateur herpetologist, who on more than a few occasions, went herping with Tohka and Mica back in America. But bored, Ingvild was not bored. She disliked being bored. The very word itself grates at her nerves and annoys her to no end. Thus, watching Rias train the four boys for the Azazel Cup was her way of coping with her boredom.

"I don't know why you bother with continuing to train them," Ingvild muttered.

"Because I need them," Rias said, walking over to her. The older girl sat down next to Ingvild and leaned against the wall.

"Oh, you heard that," Ingvild replied.

"I did. Mostly by chance. How are you fitting in? I know that you're being enrolled in the school soon," Rias said.

"It's fine. Japan's a nice place to live in. I can see why you moved here," Ingvild replied in perfect Japanese.

"I'm sensing a but here," Rias said.

"But… I'm a Midwestern Girl and my heart will always belong there," Ingvild said. "So one day, I plan to go back and live there."

"Hmm," Rias said.

"So why do you keep them? Plant boy over there seems to be the strongest of the four. Why not just turn him and be done with it?" Ingvild asked.

"I wish I could but I would need to ask permission from his sister, the current clan head of House Naamah," Rias said. "He's the heir of the household so turning him would be… detrimental to my family's reputation. Especially since they're an endangered family."

"Endangered? More like nearly extinct," Ingvild said. "So who among the remaining three are you planning to turn? The ice user, the fire user, or the demigod?"

"Demigod?" Rias asked.

"Old grey eyes over there," Ingvild said.

"You mean Hiruko?" Rias asked. "Huh, I didn't know that."

"Telltale signs. Blonde hair and gray eyes that look like a storm's brewing inside them. If I were a betting girl, I'd say he's one of Athena's," Ingvild said.

"A demigod son of Athena here in Japan…," Rias said, her gaze lingering on Hiruko.

"Anyway, I'll let you deliberate," Ingvild said as she got up. She stretched, getting the kinks out of her back and let out a satisfied sigh. Rias nodded and continued watching her peerage train as Ingvild entered the elevator and went back to the ground floor. Upon exiting, she walked into the family living room and saw Risa sitting on the couch in a white tank top and grey track pants. Ingvild learned to deal with the fact that one of Heaven's most formidable angels was sitting here being a lazy raccoon.

"You're finally done watching them?" Risa asked as she drank from her beer can.

"Won't you get drunk?" Ingvild asked.

"Nah, this cheap human stuff won't get me drunk," Risa said. "Besides, it's nice to relax and not have to deal with my Raphael-sama and Gabriel-sama's arguments all the time."

"We're back!"

The two turned to see Issei, Irina, and Mitsuki entering the house.

"Welcome back," Ingvild said as they sat down on the couch.

"So how'd it go?" Risa asked.

"Not too bad. All it took was getting Zin to agree to participate as one of Seekvaira's teammates for the duration of the games and we got Mitsuki in return," Issei said.

"I see," Ingvild said.

"Hey, Ingvild," Irina said. "We were wondering-!"

"Would you like to participate as one of our team members!" Issei said, appearing in front of her. Ingvild sank into the sofa at Issei's sudden appearance. She got a good look at his face and she had to say that Issei was rather easy on the eyes. Her cheeks slowly turned red as her breath hitched.

"Well?" Issei said.

"U- Um, sure!" Ingvild said.

"Great!" Issei said.

"Aniki, give her some space," Mitsuki said.

"Right," Issei backed off and sat back down next to Irina.

"Okay, that's four people in our peerage now," Ingvild said. "Who's next?"

"We don't know," Irina said. "We never thought of who would be on our team."

"Yeah," Issei said.

"How about this?" Mitsuki said. "Since you two have been racking your brains over who's going to be on our team for the Games, why don't you take a break and let me and Ingvild take over?"

"Huh?" Issei and Irina looked at her oddly.

"Asia told me of what happened at the school and what you told her Irina. You two need some time to yourselves," Mitsuki said.

"Eh? Wait what?" Ingvild said.

Mitsuki pinched Ingvild's leg, causing the girl's mouth to slam shut and silencing any protest that she had.

"Now go! Have fun!" Mitsuki said.

"Alright," Issei said.

"Okay," Irina said.

The two got up and walked out of the living room.

"OH AND TAKE LILY WITH YOU! SHE NEEDS TO GET OUT OF THE HOUSE!" Mitsuki said.

"OKAY!" Issei called back.

"Now, who should we pick?" Mitsuki asked Ingvild.

"How should I know?" she answered.

"That's why we're brainstorming!" Mitsuki said.


Issei and Irina walked together down the streets of Kuoh with Lily piggybacking on Issei. Her blue eyes darted quickly from each person that passed by them. Irina smiled at her and ruffled the girl's hair causing her to shake her head and pout at Irina.

Irina giggled at the sight.

"Aw, isn't that cute?"

"Isn't that the Hyoudou boy?"

"Is that girl theirs?"

Issei and Irina groaned in annoyance, though Irina's face was slowly turning red.

People think Lily's my daughter! Irina thought.

After a few more seconds of whispers and agonizing torture for Irina, the two arrived at the public park where Issei took Lily off his back. He knelt in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Go have fun, Lily," Issei said. "We'll be right here."

"No," Lily said, shaking her head.

"Come on Lils," Irina said. "There are lots of kids out here that want to play with you."

"No, I want to go home. This place is scary," Lily said.

"Tell you what," Issei said. "I'll push you on the swing and if you don't like it, we'll go somewhere else."

Lily looked at him and nodded reluctantly. Irina grabbed her hand and the two led her over to the swing set where Irina gently placed Lily on the swing.

"Ready?" Issei said. Lily nodded and Issei gently pushed her, sending the girl up.

"Hey, Issei?" Irina said as Issei pushed Lily once more, a small smile appearing on the girl's face.

"Yeah?" Issei said.

"I want to talk about what happened at the school earlier," Irina said.

"Oh, that? It's no problem, Irina," Issei said.

"No, I want to talk about it. This is a problem, Issei. I hit you for God's sake," Irina said. "And… I'm being inconsiderate of how you feel about all this."

"No," Issei said.

"No?" Irina looked at him with slight annoyance. Why was he being so dismissive of her?

"It's not you who's being inconsiderate," Issei said. Her gaze shifted from annoyance to one of curiosity.

"What do you mean?" Irina said as Issei pushed Lily again, higher this time as the girl laughed in happiness, completely oblivious to the romantic tension happening just behind her.

"I'm the one who's… being inconsiderate. Irina. You've been there for me ever since we reunited with each other," Issei said. "Back when we were kids and I thought you were…"

"You thought I was a guy. I remember that," Irina said.

"Yeah, I thought we'd end up in a situation where we would be in a relationship with each other. To me, you were always my best friend so when you came back and later… confessed, I wanted to go back in time and scream at myself," Issei said.

Irina smiled a little.

"Where are you going with this?" she asked.

"I told you before that when I was with Rias and the other girls and this whole thing with Yatogami-sensei and whoever forced her happened and our relationship got put on hold that I was trying to put it all behind me and told you I was ready to be with you," Issei said. "But after seeing how the girls reacted, I hid our new relationship because of them and some people helped me realize that… I'm still being chained down by them despite us not being in a relationship anymore but no more."

Issei looked at Irina with a fire blazing in his eyes.

"Irina, I want to make this official in front of everyone. Will you be my girlfriend? I know I already asked you this back in America but… this time, we won't hide it," Issei said.

"Issei," Irina said. She smiled a watery smile as a few tears gathered at the corner of her eyes. "You know my answer. Yes. It'll always be yes."

Issei laughed a little and gave her a grin.

"I should've known that it would be," Issei said. Issei leaned over and kissed her softly. Irina's eyes were as wide as saucers when Issei pulled away.

"Eh?" Irina touched her lips, her cheeks turning a deep red.

"Sorry for taking so long to do that again," Issei said.

"It's alright… I was being a bit impatient anyway even though I said that I would wait for you no matter how long it took," Irina said.

"Well, you won't have to wait any longer," Issei said.

"Nii!" the two turned and saw Lily coming back down. The girl dug her heels into the bark and stopped herself. She turned to Issei and Irina with her big green eyes.

"I'm hungry!" Lily said.

"Well Lil, I know an ice cream place that me and Issei used to go to when we were little. Do you want to go?" Irina asked.

"Yeah!" Lily said, beaming at her.

"You got her to smile," Issei said.

"Well, children can be baited with sweets," Irina said as Lily hopped off the swing. "Hey! Wait!"

Irina sped walked after Lily with Issei right on their heels.

"Come on guys! Slow down!" Issei said as he began to jog after them. As he did, he spotted a familiar mop of white hair in the distance. His eyes widened as he slowed down to a stop. He blinked and the white-haired figure was no longer there. He rubbed his eyes. Was that…?

"Issei!"

He looked up at Irina, who had caught up to Lily. She was several feet ahead of them, looking at him with a confused expression.

"Are we heading to Hatch Potch or what?" Irina called.

"Oh… yeah!" Issei said, jogging over to them. Irina noticed his distressed face when he got closer.

"Are you alright?" Irina asked. Lily looked at Issei and tilted her head in confusion.

"Huh? Yeah, I thought I saw someone I knew," Issei said.

Irina raised an eyebrow before looking down at Lily, who was becoming more and more impatient.

"Come on, let's go get Lily some ice cream and head home. Hopefully, Mitsuki and Ingvild will have figured a couple of prospects for our team," Irina said.

"Yeah! You know… I could go for some mint-chip," Issei said as he grasped her hand. Irina smiled at the contact before smirking at Issei.

"You still love that disgusting flavor I see," Irina said.

"You take that back," Issei said, glaring at her playfully. "Mint-Chip is the ice cream of the Gods!"

"In your dreams Dragon Boy, it's Neapolitan," Irina said.

"Neapolitan?"

"Yeah, Neapolitan!"

As the two argued about their favorite ice cream flavor, a pair of golden eyes watched them from afar. She smiled as she saw Issei's joyous expression and her gaze trailed over to Irina. Her feelings for the girl were conflicted. For one, she wanted to see if the girl was worthy of Issei but on the other, she was happy that Issei found someone for him. She decided to just let him be and disappeared in a funnel of black smoke.


"Huh, this is harder than we thought it'd be," Mitsuki said, scratching her head. In front of her were the pictures of several people that she had proposed to be prospects. Of course, Ingvild didn't know these people. She had never met them before in her entire life so Mitsuki was left with the task of explaining who they were and why she chose them.

Through each explanation, Ingvild simply nodded and offered her input such as now.

"So, why my cousin?" Ingvild said as she held up a picture of Vali Lucifer.

"Ummmm," Mitsuki tried to find words to justify her choice when Ingvild blew her completely out of the water.

"From what I know of him, he's most likely forming his own team so having him on our side is a moot point," Ingvild said. "This is going into the no pile."

Mitsuki nodded, feeling a bit disappointed at not having Vali on their team, and moved onto the next picture.

"Okay, I know who that one is," Ingvild said, snapping her out of her fantasy. "That's Kunou, the Princess of Kyoto."

"Yes, now, since she's a Kyuubi, she could be a very powerful ally to us and given the right training, we can get her up to par by the date of the games. Of course, that means we'll just have to put a bit more time into her since she's behind all the other prospects that I showed you," Mitsuki said.

"Like Vali Lucifer or Valerie Tepes," Ingvild said.

"Exactly!" Mitsuki said.

"I can see the merit of having a Kyuubi on our team but the time we'll put into making her as powerful as everyone else will be time lost on making ourselves stronger for the games. Let's put her in the Maybe Pile," Ingvild said.

"Tough. You have high standards," Mitsuki said.

"Well, we kind of have to if we plan on winning," Ingvild said.

"What about you? Do you have any prospects?" Mitsuki asked.

"I do as a matter of fact," Ingvild said.

"Who?"

"Why don't we ask Tohka and Mica?" Ingvild said.

"That's a great idea! Mica is a God who's slated to replace the Trickster God Mica in the Native American Pantheon's Lakota Group and Tohka is the daughter of two Elder Gods!" Mitsuki said. "But… will they even accept?"

"We won't know if we don't ask. And besides, they will. The two have been looking for something exciting to do," Ingvild said.

"You know, I've always wondered… how did you get mixed into an organization like Blacklight anyway?" Mitsuki asked.

"Well, you know how I said I was born into it? I was more or less. My parents were members of the Organization," Ingvild said.

"I thought you were raised by your aunt?" Mitsuki said.

"I was. I should tell you that… I've been in a coma for the past hundred years," Ingvild said.

"Oh… why?"

"I got sick with a disease that forced me into one. My parents tried to cure me but there wasn't one yet so they froze my body and sent me to the American Chapter. I was twelve when I got trapped and woke up four years ago. I spent a bit of time in rehab and tried to find them but… Auntie Dana said that they died during World War II… not by the war but by someone else," Ingvild said, clenching her fists. "I joined Blacklight to not only protect others but… to find out who killed my parents."

"Oh," Mitsuki said. A tense silence blanketed the room.

After a few minutes, Mitsuki decided to break the silence and try to get them back onto their task.

"So," Mitsuki said, grabbing a pen and a notepad. "That's you, me, Aniki, Irina, Tohka, and Mica… any other suggestions?"

"What about Risa?" Ingvild asked.

"I'm one-hundred percent sure she's fighting on Heaven's side for the Games," Mitsuki said.

"Isn't she Issei's sworn guardian angel?" Ingvild asked.

"I mean, we could ask her but… one of us will have to wake her up," Mitsuki said. The two turned and glanced at the Tanuki Angel, who had passed out on the couch watching sci-fi movies in her lazy clothes.

"Um, Risa-san?" Mitsuki said.

No response.

"RISA!" Mitsuki said, much louder this time.

"Huh! What!" Risa jumped to her feet, a katana in hand. Her gaze traveled to Mitsuki and Ingvild, both of who were looking at her with amused faces. Risa sighed.

"What?" she asked, dispelling her katana.

"Wanna be on our team for the Azazel Cup?" Mitsuki asked.

"Sure," Risa said, shrugging.

"Wait… I thought you would be participating on Heaven's side," Ingvild asked.

"No, I wasn't going to join Dulio's team. Not like the half-pint can make me join anyway," Risa said. "Plus… what kind of guardian angel would I be if I didn't join? Sign me up and… let me sleep."

The two nodded and watched with deadpan gazes as Risa laid back down on the couch and quickly fell asleep.

"So, we don't have to worry about her I guess," Mitsuki said, writing Risa's name down on her notepad.

"Who else?" Ingvild said.

"I guess that's it for now. We'll get more as we go along," Mitsuki said.

"I never thought it'd be this hard to find team members for the team," Ingvild said.

"You said it… I need something to eat," Mitsuki said.

"WOOO!"

The two turned to see Rias and her peerage walking out of the elevator. Tatsuya, Yuu, and Hiruko were cheering as they fiddled with their new wings. Mitsuki scowled a little before her gaze darted to Rias.

"So…," Mitsuki said.

"Yeah, umm, they all cost the perfect amount of pawn pieces," Rias said.

"What about for the Games?" Ingvild asked.

"Well, telling you all would be revealing my team's composition and that can be used against me. Now, um, we're going to head out and celebrate our new pawns," Rias said.

"Yeah… um, have fun!" Mitsuki said as they walked out the door.

"Hey, I don't know much about this whole situation but… are they dating them?" Ingvild asked.

"No, it doesn't seem to be. At least not anymore. I think she just feels responsible for dragging them into this situation so she's turning them to protect them," Mitsuki said.

"Huh," Ingvild looked down at the remaining photos.

The door opened again, catching both of their attention. Issei, Irina, and Lily walked inside all holding ice cream in their hands.

"Oh, you're back!" Mitsuki said.

"Yeah, so I saw that Rias turned them but nevermind that," Issei said as he sat down on the couch, licking his mint-chip. "Did you two come up with any prospects for us?"

"Um yeah," Ingvild said. She snatched the notepad from Mitsuki and began to read from it. "So, in our maybes, we have Kunou, Vasco Strada, and someone named Bova Tannin? Mitsuki apparently knows who he is and he's Tannin's third son or something. Kunou is in the maybe pile due to the amount of time it'll take to train her to get up to par with everyone else and Vasco Strada because we don't know if he'll accept our offer. Same with Bova Tannin."

"Old Man Tannin has kids? Didn't know that," Issei said.

"How about the people you approved of?" Irina asked as she wiped some ice cream off Lily's face.

"Oh for that, we have Tohka, Mica, and Risa so far but no one else," Mitsuki said.

"Tohka and Mica huh?" Issei said. "I can see Tohka being a Rook or a Bishop and Mica being a Bishop or a Knight. Do you want me to call them?"

"No, leave that to me," Ingvild said.

"Risa-senpai is joining us too?" Irina asked.

"Yup," Mitsuki said, glancing at the sleeping angel.

"Okay, so we have you, me, Mitsuki, Ingvild, Tohka, Mica, and Risa-senpai. Anyone else?" Irina asked.

"What about Yatogami-sensei?" Issei asked.

The room went silent at his suggestion.

"What? I mean, you guys saw how strong she is. And with that transformation of hers, we'll have a Satan Class Devil on our team and Heaven's Greatest Assassin," Issei said.

"It's not that we don't want her… it's that… Naamah-sama is a House Head. I don't think she has the time to be participating in the games," Mitsuki said.

"Hmm," Issei looked down. "Can we at least put her down in maybe?"

"Sure. But… we'll have to ask her to see if we can put her in yes or no," Irina said.

"Maybe we can ask Old Man Taki if he knows anyone who can participate on our team," Issei said.

"The Old Japanese Head?" Mitsuki asked.

"That sounds like a great idea, I'm sure he knows a lot of people," Ingvild said.

"Then, it's settled! Tomorrow, I'll ask for a bridge to the Blacklight Base and ask him if he knows anyone that we can ask to join our little band of misfits!" Issei said. They all nodded and continued to discuss team placements and prospects long into the night.


It was another one of those nights that Issei found himself in this situation again. He would have thought that the removal of his pieces would have ended the dreams but no… the dreams merely changed. The Dragon was gone but in its place was a burning world. The sky was covered in dark clouds that crackled with red lightning.

Issei walked cautiously, reminding himself that in these dreams, he was powerless to do anything. No one was here to help him. Irina. Ddraig. Tiamat. None of them were here. He frowned as he walked past it. A corpse belonging to Rossweisse. Her beautiful face had its left half incinerated. Her stomach was ripped open, her intestines spilling out into the street. Her left leg was torn off, presumably by the Dragon in Issei's dream.

He ignored it. He had learned to ignore them, reminding himself that these were just dreams. He walked for a few more minutes until he arrived at his destination. Where his dreams always ended. Hyoudou Manor… or what was left of it. He looked at a mountain of corpses that piled up. He identified several beings in them. Sirzechs. Ajuka. Indra. Odin. Sun Wukong. Shiva. Hades.

"Let's get this over with," Issei said as he looked up, waiting for the Dragon to descend from the clouds to destroy him so he could wake up. He saw the clouds part and he closed his eyes only to feel nothing.

Issei slowly opened them and saw that he was somewhere else. A different place. A place he wasn't familiar with. Black metal bars surrounded him as an endless black void stretched off into infinity. Red lightning crackled around him through the bars and he saw chains stretching out into the blackness of the nothingness that surrounded where he was. It hit him. He was in a cage.

"I've been waiting for you," a voice said. "You've been taking your sweet time getting down here."

Issei turned and his breath was caught in his throat. In front of him was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his entire life. No words could describe how perfect she looked. She had creamy pale skin which was matched by her alabaster white hair. Her eyes were exotic with her right eye being as blue as the sky and her left eye was as red as a ruby. She wore a dark blue jacket with a white button-up shirt and a long blue skirt. She smiled at him warmly.

"Who are you?" Issei asked.

"Hmm? How rude? I thought that you would introduce yourself to me first," she said, chastising him like a mother would her child.

"Umm, okay… I'm Issei Hyoudou. Now, who are you?" Issei asked.

"Me? Well, I'm… the 'energy' that runs inside you I suppose," she said, making air quotes when she said the word energy.

"Energy?" Issei asked.

"You know. That new power source you have inside your body currently rewriting and hybridizing your draconic biology with… well, that'll be a surprise," she said. "As for a name…"

Issei's eyes widened when several pairs of black feathered wings erupted from her back. These wings… they were as black as the void that surrounded the cage. Blacker than even Azazel's.

"You may call me… Mastema," she said, grinning ear to ear.


Reviews:

Rhongomyniad: Haha, I see that we both see the same thing concerning the females in DxD. While they do have their moments of badassery (especially in the later chapters of the Light Novel), they're technically just walking pieces of fanservice and as an ecchi light novel/anime, the female characters are serving that purpose well.

AnimeFan0216: Um, I've heard of Valrave so it's not a reference. I'm glad you like the Power of Sight. I did use the Sharingan as the inspiration for them.

Scrumblenut: Yes, Demons do have relations to the current Devil Heirs and Clan Heads. Every pure-blooded Devil is descended from the Demons. As for who Issei saw... more about her will be revealed in the far future but her name is Apollyon.

leader. dbz: I've already pictured it and you'll have to wait until the end of the First Season to find out.


So, that was an interesting end of the chapter. I hope you're all dealing with this social distancing thing and quarantine well. Hopefully, my story keeps you guys entertained for the time being. So Issei and Irina have decided to go public with their relationship. All that's left are Rossweisse, Kuroka, Ingvild, and Artemis. Uh, a quick announcement that you'll all be disappointed with. Kiba, Gasper, and Rossweisse won't be part of Eden Squad. The more I kept on with this rewrite, the more I realized that them being members won't happen anymore and it is with great regret that I say this. But do not fret! Kiba and Gasper will still be extremely close to Issei so no worries about there being no more camaraderie between them. Now, review, follow, favorite and remember to have a great day/night or not, the choice is yours~!

Author's Note: Herping is when people go out looking for reptiles in the wild. It's usually done by herpetologists.