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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

Unknown Location, US, March 16, 2020, 1:45 AM

Lance fell on the forest floor panting. He had meant to aim for Issei, not his bitch sister. He scrambled and began to run to get as much distance as he could between him and Issei.

"Nice night for a run huh Lance?" a voice called out from the woods. He stopped and turned to see the malevolent eyes of Beelzebub looking at him. The demon was leaning against a tree with his arms crossed and his cloak fluttering lazily behind him.

"You," Lance said with slight anger. Beelzebub raised his hands in front of him.

"Woah big guy. Easy. I just came to congratulate you that's all," he said. Lance relaxed a little.

"Okay, now that I won, what now?" he said. "You promised that she would heal my sister!"

"All in good time Lance but for now, I need you to do one more thing for me. About a ten-hour trek from here is a railroad. I need you to meet me there because there is something I need you to do," Beelzebub said as he smiled at him. Lance narrowed his eyes at his request.

"I thought you said that-"

"Nuh-uh. This is the last teeny thing you need to do. After all, you're a leader now and what is a leader without his army."

Lance looked at him before nodding. "You promise that she'll get better," Lance said.

"Demons never break their promises. It's how we get deals after all," Beelzebub said.

Unknown Location, March 16, 2020, 1:45 AM, Current Time: 3 Minutes and 3 Seconds Til Midnight

Grief. Rage. Emptiness. Hopelessness.

This was all Issei felt at the moment. It had been several hours since she died. Killed right in front of him by Lance. Issei would be sure to pay him back in kind thousandfold. He would make him feel the same pain that he felt when Mitsuki died. He would make him feel the same felt his sister felt as she died. As he bled out in her arms. Issei looked at the unmoving body of Mitsuki. After she had died, they had moved her into one of the houses and placed her on the table and covered her with cloth.

Asia had become inconsolable and almost catatonic, using Eren as support. Lily had gone silent, going back to the way she had been when he first found her. They were with the others downstairs. Issei was the only one who had remained with her. He had to be. They were together when they were born and even when they were apart, they were always together. Issei could feel her presence within the back of his head whenever they were apart and now… he felt nothing.

[Issei… I'm sorry] Ddraig said.

"Sorry won't bring her back, Ddraig," Issei responded emotionlessly.

"Mii-chan. I'm so sorry. You died because of me," Issei said. He lifted the cloth to look at her face.

Mitsuki never lost her beauty when she died. Issei stroked her soft brown hair. Her lips had gone blue and her skin was unnaturally pale. It wasn't normal. She was supposed to be alive. She was supposed to be annoying him. She was supposed to be annoyed by him. He had never went a single day in his entire life where he didn't feel her presence within his mind.

"Why? Why did it have to be her? She doesn't deserve this," Issei said. His rage was palpable and his anger grew and grew as a black aura surrounded him. The aura became oppressive as the entire area began to shake. Issei shot into the air, bursting through the roof.

Irina burst through the door as soon as she felt Issei's power grow rapidly.

"ISSEI!" Irina yelled as she watched Issei become nothing more than a black and red streak.

Irina unfurled her wings and attempted to take off when Rias grabbed her arm.

"RIAS! LET ME GO!" Irina yelled.

"You can't, Irina! Issei has to grieve in his own way. Just give him a few hours! He'll come back to us on his own time!" Rias said.

"I CAN'T LEAVE HIM ALONE! NOT AGAIN! NOT AFTER ALL THAT'S HAPPENED TO HIM!" Irina yelled.

Vali appeared next to her and chopped her neck, knocking her out. Rias caught Irina in her arms and narrowed her eyes at Vali.

"What was that for?" Rias demanded.

"I did that to calm her down," Vali said.

"By knocking her out!" Rias screamed. Everyone walked into the room upon hearing Rias shouting.

"What's going on?" Rossweisse asked.

"Vali knocked out Irina," Rias said.

"Why?" Rikka asked, gripping her blade.

"To keep her from going after Issei. If she goes after him while he's like this, she'll get hurt," Vali said.

Issei shot across the sky and dived into an abandoned forest below. He landed and shook the ground. Issei roared in grief and rage. His aura exploded from his body uprooting the trees and splitting the ground apart. Lightning crackled around his body as his eyes became toxic pits of green light. Green mist exuded from his eyes.

"RAAAAAGGGHHHH!"

Issei's roar was inhuman. It was unlike any beast that Ddraig or Tiamat had ever heard in their life. Five pairs of wings, the left half feathered and the right half draconic, burst from Issei's back. The wings spread, casting a massive shadow around him. The aura around Issei shot into the sky, ionizing the air. Green lightning crackled across the sky and crashed down into the forest.

The local wildlife ran in fear of whatever beast was currently rampaging in the forest. Spirits, nymphs, and mythical beasts also fled, fearing that whatever was there would target them next.

Ddraig and Tiamat watched sadly as their host fell into what happened to most dragons when their rage overtook them.

The Outrage Mode.

Issei let loose a draconic roar that shattered the night sky. The [Boosted Gear] appeared on Issei's left hand and began to glow brightly. Issei's entire form glowed crimson as he became covered in a rocky armor that resembled magma. His visage became demonic as a large pair of demonic ram horns appeared on his head. Two horns framed his jaw. His teeth elongated into a set of razor-sharp teeth with large canines at the side. His eyes became baleful pits of orange incandescent flames.

Issei opened his mouth and unleashed a massive beam of black and red energy. The beam traveled for several dozen kilometers before exploding in a brilliant flash of red light. The shockwave traveled for over a hundred miles, flattening the trees. All the towns in the vicinity were hit, damaging them.

The entire are burned in crimson flames as Issei walked around. He raised his hand and slammed it into the ground, creating a massive crater that was over fifty meters wide and ten meters deep. He unleashed a massive aura and created a massive sphere of flames and shot it into the sky.

The entire sky was lit in a massive flaming sphere that turned night to day.

Issei turned his demonic head towards the Moon. The Moon.

Mitsuki, Issei thought. Mitsuki. His twin sister, whose name meant Beautiful Moon, was now dead. And the celestial body in the sky served as a reminder. A reminder of his failure to save the one who's been with him since birth.

"GRAAAGHHH!" Issei pointed the tips of his wings and pooled several iridescent colors of energy into a single point. He fired the beam at the moon, which reached the celestial body in the span of three milliseconds. The beam created a massive explosion that covered an area the size of Madagascar.

The explosion was seen from the surface of the Earth as everyone looked up at the night sky. Large portions of the Moon hurtled towards the Earth, some the size of a large building and impacted parts of the Earth.

Exhaustion finally caught up with Issei as he fell to his knees. The reality of his sister's death had finally caught up with him as he weakly pounded his fist on the charred soil. His demonic form dissipated, leaving him drained of energy.

"Goddamnit! Why am I so weak!?" Issei sobbed as an image of his sister's face appeared inside his head.

"I can't even save my own sister from dying!" Issei said.

[Issei. It wasn't your fault. Your sister saved you from death.] Ddraig said.

"Because I was weak," Issei said.

|You need to stop blaming yourself, Hatchling. She wouldn't want this. She saved you because she loved you| Tiamat said, attempting to console him.

"It's not fair. Mitsuki had a long life ahead of her full of success and promise. And she threw it away to save me. Her worthless, perverted brother. I had nothing going for me in the Human World and in the future, I'll have nothing going for me in the Supernatural World," Issei said.

[Issei. You're a hero. People aren't just going to toss you aside] Ddraig said.

"Ddraig. You know that's not true. Heroes are forgotten after a while," Issei said.

Ddraig and Tiamat went silent, knowing the truth behind Issei's words. A statement that rang true in both the human and supernatural worlds.

"What do I do now?" Issei asked seemingly no one as he sat listlessly among the devastation that he had wrought. A massive blackened scar in the Earth that spanned for at least a hundred miles in every direction.

"I believe I can help with that," a voice said from the shadows. Issei turned and came in contact with a pair of glowing black violet eyes.

"Ow… what? Did anyone get the number of that bus that hit me?" Mitsuki asked as she slowly sat up. She blinked when she saw her brother burst through the roof.

"ANIKI!" Mitsuki tried to spread her wings only to feel nothing behind her back. She heard Irina's scream and turned around to see Vali knock her out. Irina fell into Rias's arms as the Gremory Heiress began screaming at Vali for harming Irina.

"Vali!" Mitsuki yelled, attempting to get her two cents in. "What the hell was that… for?" Mitsuki blinked when her hand passed through Vali's arm.

"W- What?" Mitsuki looked at her hands and noticed that she was slightly translucent.

"G- Guys?" Mitsuki said, feeling a small pang of fear. "I think something's wrong with me…"

If they heard her, none of them responded.

"Guys?" Mitsuki said in a confused manner as she waved her hand in front of their faces.

"It's useless, you know," a female voice said from above her.

"Huh?" Mitsuki turned around and saw a woman sitting in midair. She had blood-red eyes and long violet hair. She had a small skull pin on her head. The woman wore a red button-up sweater with a salmon skirt. She wore red stockings and black brogues. The woman had a soft smile on her face as she looked at Mitsuki. A menacing double-bladed scythe floated behind her back lazily.

"Who are you?" Mitsuki demanded, attempting to summon [Telos Karma]. She blinked when she wasn't able to feel her Sacred Gear anywhere inside her.

"Mitsuki Hyoudou, age 17. Born April 16, 2002. Current Wielder of the Artifact, Telos Karma. Twin Sister of the current Red Dragon Emperor, Issei Hyoudou, correct?" the woman asked, summoning a clipboard.

"Y- Yes?" Mitsuki asked, looking at her nervously.

"Ah good! I thought I got the wrong person! Last time that happened as after Adolf Hitler committed suicide! When I got there, he was still alive and moved to Argentina!" the woman said. "Oh, quite rude of me! I am Teysara. An Archreaper."

"So Hades sent you here. That means that I… died right?" Mitsuki asked.

"No. Not yet. And no, I don't serve Hades," Teysara said.

"But you're a reaper are you not?" Mitsuki asked.

"There's a difference. Archreapers are just names we go by while we're here on Earth. We serve Death. Not Hades," Teysara said.

"Why can't I interact with the others? Ghosts are capable of interacting with the Supernatural," Mitsuki said.

"Oh, that's because those ghosts are trapped on Earth, in the Physical World of Assiah. We are currently in lowest level of Pneuma, the Veil between Worlds which is located in the World of Emanation, Atziluth," Teysara said.

"Atziluth. Assiah. Pneuma. You know what? Nevermind, just please tell me what the hell is going on," Mitsuki said.

"Right… I have brought you here for a reason," Teysara said. "Your body is at a crossroads as your soul has yet to fully leave your body due to… your connections to this world."

"I can't move on?" Mitsuki asked.

"Yes," Teysara said.

"What if I don't want to move on?" Mitsuki asked.

"Then I shall send you back to Assiah where you will spend the rest of Eternity as a spirit in which you will inevitably meet your fate of becoming a poltergeist," Teysara said.

"But I can't just abandon them," Mitsuki said. "My brother. My friends. They still need me… please, isn't there a way for you to bring me back to life?"

"My superior wouldn't like that. Lord Maveth is very finicky about maintaining the cosmic cycle of Life and Death. Everything is subject to him and his counterpart, even the Elder Gods of this world. My job is to make sure that cycle isn't broken so I'm sorry if I can't make an exception for you," Teysara said.

"...," Mitsuki fell to her knees and stared at the floor. She glanced over at the table where she saw her dead body.

"... Can you give me a few hours?" Mitsuki asked, glancing at her retreating friends.

"Of course," Teysara said.

Mitsuki nodded gratefully as the Archreaper dissipated into nothingness. Mitsuki sighed as she phased through the door to see her friends and family one last time.

"Who are you?" Issei asked.

The woman emerged from the shadows and smiled. Her violet-pink hair fluttered gently in the breeze as she hovered in front of a downed and defeated Issei. Her eyes shifted to one of glee. The same glee of a business person about to strike a profit.

"I'm a demon… a Faustian Devil. I was out of the job for a while but now I've been hired again," she said.

"What the hell do you want?" Issei asked.

"I'm here to help you," she said, leaning close to Issei's face.

Issei's hand wrapped around her throat and held her up, crushing her throat.

"W- Wait! I CAN HELP!" she yelled desperately.

"I don't need help from a demon. You and your leaders were the reason my sister's dead anyway," Issei said. "Tell me why I shouldn't kill you right now."

"B- BECAUSE I CAN BRING HER BACK TO LIFE!" she rasped. Issei's eyes widened as he dropped her.

[Issei… no. Whatever she's saying is a lie] Ddraig said.

|Don't listen to that devil, Issei!| Tiamat urged.

Issei ignored them and stared at the coughing devil in front of him.

"Talk now," Issei said, summoning Ascalon and leveling it at her throat. The demon gulped as she stared at the blade.

"I can bring your twin sister back to life. In mint condition too," she said.

"You can?" Issei asked. "Prove it."

The demon sighed and lifted her hand. A charred corpse of a bird flew into her hand. The bird had failed to escape Issei's rampage and was caught in the flames, burning to death. The demon smiled as wisps of dark energy emanated from her hand and attached to the bird.

Issei watched in morbid fascination as the bird's wounds stitched itself back together. The charred skin healed rapidly and the feathers began to rapidly grow back. The bird's heart began to beat as its wings began to twitch. After the energy fully infused itself, it dispersed and the bird sprung to life, tweeting in fear. Upon seeing the demon, it rapidly flew away, wanting to escape from the monster in front of it.

"There. That proof?" the demon asked.

"Gods… can do that too," Issei said.

"Yes, they can but this bird was beyond… saving so to speak," the demon said. "Of course, it's just a bird. As you said, the gods are capable of doing this as well."

"So what's the point of this? Why can't I just go to someone like Hades or a Death God and bring her back to life?" Issei asked.

"Because, the difference is that they won't be able to do it. Mitsuki's soul is constrained to the Biblical Pantheon. To get her soul would require them to encroach on Heaven which would be seen as an act of war," the demon explained.

"...," Issei remained silent.

"What's the catch?" Issei asked, looking at her with emotionless eyes.

"Your soul," she said.

[Issei. BACK OUT OF THIS DEAL NOW!] Ddraig said.

|ISSEI! DO YOU REALLY THINK THAT MITSUKI WOULD WANT THIS!?| Tiamat demanded.

Issei ignored their pleas and directed his thoughts to Mastema, who had oddly remained silent the entire time.

"Mastema? What do you think?" he asked.

(I believe that this whole thing is entirely up to you. This is your decision, Issei) Mastema said. (I'll support whatever you do, even if I don't like it.)

Issei looked down at the ground and pulled out a small crescent moon charm. The moonlight cast a soft glow on the charm, causing it to give off a small silver light.

"Mii-chan," Issei whispered as he gripped the charm tightly. He sighed and steeled his resolve and looked at the demon.

"I'll do it," Issei said.

[Issei! Think about this! What would Mitsuki say if she learns what you did after you came back to life!?] Ddraig yelled.

"She won't," Issei whispered.

"Well then. That's splendid news!" the demon said. She waved her hand and summoned a contract. The contract unrolled itself in front of Issei as the words made themselves readable to Issei.

"Here," the demon said, handing Issei a quill.

"A quill? What is this, the seventeenth century?" Issei asked.

"Just sign it," she said, snapping her fingers impatiently.

Issei gulped and grabbed the quill. He looked down at the signing line and placed his quill on it.

As Mitsuki watched her friends grieve, she felt an intense pain course through the very fiber of her being. The very concept of her existence was being forcefully pulled and tampered with. She screamed and fell to her knees, gripping her chest in pain.

Teysara glanced at Mitsuki in worry and ran over to her. She placed her hand inside Mitsuki's chest and narrowed her eyes.

"There," Issei said as he finished signing his name. On the contract was Issei's name signed in his blood. The name glowed as thunder and lightning clapped across the sky, despite the sky being clear and Issei's aura being restrained.

"There are some… other things that you should know," the demon said.

"What other things?" Issei asked.

"Your life," she said.

"My life?" he asked.

"Yes. You see when we were still active and the ones performing contracts for Devils, our contractors, after making the contract, had only ten years left to live," the demon said.

Issei's eyes widened.

"T- Ten years. Are you telling me that I'll die within the next decade?" Issei said.

"No, no, your case will be different. At the end of this year, you'll die," she said.

"One year! That's not even the same amount as your previous contractors! What makes me so different!?" Issei demanded.

"I don't know," she said.

"You're swindling me," Issei said.

"No, I'm not. This was the contract I was told to give you after I made the deal," she said.

"Given? You determine these?" Issei said.

"I usually do but… while we made the deal, this one was drafted up by… Ha-Satan," she said.

"... You know what I'm not even going to ask who Ha-Satan is," Issei said.

One year… huh? Issei thought. An image of his twin sister smiling brightly at him appeared inside his head.

For her. For them. Anything is worth it, Issei thought.

"Well? Don't you have to get back? Your sister should be awake by now," the demon said.

Issei's eyes widened as he heard her words. He spread his wings to take off when he heard the demon speak.

"Remember. One year," she said.

Issei paused for a moment before nodding and took off, disappearing into the sky. After Issei left, the demon stood there as the first light of the sun began to creep over the horizon. She froze when she felt an all-too familiar presence behind her. She slowly turned around and saw the all-too familiar terrifying visage of her leader.

"Milady!" she said, getting down on one knee.

"No need. Stand," she said. The demon stood and remained silent as the woman walked past her.

"Did you do it?" she asked.

"As per your instructions Milady," the demon said.

"One year," she said. The woman stood there for a few seconds before stretching her hand out. Streams of wispy violet energy came forth from her hand and seeped into the area. The foliage began to bloom as the green began to return to the area.

"Hmm," she said as she plucked a flower from the ground. "Beel is about to make his move. Head back to Sheol. I'll meet the rest of them there. And please, when you get there. Send for Naamah."

"As you wish Ha-Satan," the demon said and vanished before her sight.

The now dubbed "Ha-Satan" smiled softly as she stared at the slowly rising sun.

Mitsuki suddenly gasped for air, sitting up on the table. The cloth that covered her flew off. She clutched her chest, feeling a slight pain on the left side. She looked down and saw a hole in her shirt, exposing her breast. Mitsuki quickly turned red and used magic to repair her clothing. She sighed and got off the table.

"How long was I asleep?" Mitsuki said. The past several hours were a haze for her. She looked around and saw that she was no longer inside the Blacklight Base.

She walked over to the door and opened it. "

"Guys?" Mitsuki said, walking down the stairs. She saw them all hunched over, grieving. Mitsuki tilted her head in worry and confusion. She coughed and knocked on the wall.

"Hello?" she said.

"Not now Mitsuki… we're grieving Mitsuki's death," Bikou said, wiping his tears.

Everyone stopped when they heard her voice. They all turned around slowly and saw Mitsuki looking at them with a concerned look.

"MITSUKI!"

Mitsuki groaned as she felt herself being tackled to the floor by the others. She groaned as she tried to get herself out from under them.

"GUYS! I can't… breaaathe!" Mitsuki complained. Everyone blinked and got off her. Mitsuki craned her neck, feeling a satisfying crack on her neck. She grunted as she was pushed back by the force of Asia's hug.

"Nee-san… Nee-san!" Asia sobbed happily, crying tears of joy into her chest. Mitsuki smiled as she felt her shirt getting wet from Asia's tears.

The door burst open and Issei ran in, panting. His eyes widened when he saw Mitsuki as tears pooled at the edge of his eyes.

"Aniki?" Mitsuki looked at him with concern as Asia moved away from her sister. Mitsuki found herself being engulfed in a hug by her twin brother, feeling the hug getting tighter. Mitsuki gingerly wrapped her arms around her brother.

"I'm so glad you're okay," Mitsuki said.

"Y- Yeah why wouldn't I be?" Mitsuki asked.

"N- Nothing. It's just that you got hurt when you guys came to get me," Issei said, pulling away from her.

"Well, isn't it nice to have your sister do the saving for once?" Mitsuki asked.

"It's supposed to be the big brother's job to save their younger siblings," Issei said.

"Aniki… you're only three minutes older than me. That's not enough to make you my big brother," Mitsuki said. "And we're twins."

"Still older than you," Issei said.

As the others gathered around Mitsuki, Issei stood off to the side and watched happily as his twin became the center of attention. He sighed as he tried to speak to Tiamat and Ddraig.

"Guys? I know what I did was… wrong but," Issei said.

[Issei. Do you realize that you have one year left to live?] Ddraig said.

"I know," Issei said.

|How do you think your friends and family will feel after they hear that you sold your soul? Irina? Rossweisse? That cat? Your sisters? Did you for once think about how they might feel knowing that they'll lose you? Issei, if Mitsuki finds out that you sold your soul for her, it will break her. It'll be even worse if she finds out you'll die in one year just so she can live!| Tiamat yelled.

Issei remained silent as Tiamat ripped into him.

|YOU ABSOLUTE FOOL! SHE THREW HERSELF IN FRONT OF THAT ATTACK TO SAVE YOU! TO KEEP ALIVE! AND WHAT DO YOU DO WITH THAT CHANCE SHE GAVE YOU! YOU THREW IT AWAY TO GET HER BACK!| Tiamat yelled.

[Why did you do it, Issei? Why did you sell your soul for her?] Ddraig said.

"BECAUSE I CAN'T DO IT! I… I just can't. I can't live without her. Don't you understand? Mitsuki and I have been together since before we were born. We're two halves of the same person," Issei said. "We were one person at one point."

Mastema watched silently as Issei poured out his soul to Ddraig and Tiamat.

Ddraig and Tiamat remained silent as Issei internally broke down.

"Look. We'll talk about this later. There's someone that we need to stop first," Issei said.

Unknown Location, USA, 6:55 AM

Lance arrived in front of a railroad in the literal middle of nowhere. He looked to the sky and saw swirling funnels of black mist flying around in the sky. Whenever one tried to get past the rails, it was repelled and a mass of complex and intricate runes briefly appeared in the sky before vanishing.

"Looks like you made it to the party," a voice said next to him. Lance jumped and grabbed a rock from the ground. Beelzebub turned slightly to look at him before turning back to the rails.

"Alright, I'm here. What do you want?" Lance said. Beelzebub looked at him before reaching into his pocket and pulling out an old revolver and handed it to Lance.

"A Colt revolver? What do you want me to do with it?" he said as he accepted it.

"Revolver? Hardly. That right there is possibly one of the only existing weapons left in all of Creation that can kill me and the Gods with one-hundred percent guarantee. It's also a key for the thing I need you to go get past these rails. It's another twelve-hour walk to your destination from here," Beelzebub said to him.

"What's to stop me from shooting you right here?" Lance said pointing the gun at his face after hearing that this was the only weapon that could kill Beelzebub.

"Oh go ahead. But I wouldn't. After all, you wouldn't want something to happen to your cute little sister, would you? I know some demons have had their eyes on her and I'm the only one preventing them from attacking. How about this? I let you kill the two I'm talking about and you use the Gun to get what I need? Deal?" Beelzebub said.

Lance nodded. Beelzebub sent out a mental command for two demons. Two male demons landed in front of Lance. The two devils looked at Lance with an air of arrogance.

"Lance, this is Abraxas and Daruda. Feel free to kill them," Beelzebub said, shocking the two. Without hesitation, Lance fired the Colt at the two demons killing them instantly. Lance watched with satisfaction as the demons fell to the ground, their bodies flashing with a fiery orange before dying.

"Better?" Beelzebub asked. Lance nodded but before crossing over the rails, he turned to the Prince of Hell and asked him,

"Why can't you cross?"

Beelzebub sighed in annoyance before walking up to the rails and placing his hand on it. A barrier composed of runes appeared to prevent Beelzebub from entering.

"Any more questions?" Lance shook his head at Beelzebub's question and made his way past the rails.

Ars Nova, 12:00 PM

Issei silently opened the door and walked into the office. Everyone stopped their work and turned to see Issei and the others. Azrael and Grayfia got up from her chair and engulfed Issei in a hug.

"We're so glad you're okay," Grayfia said.

Azrael nodded as she pulled away from the hug. She ruffled Issei's hair, however, the moment she came into contact with Issei's head, Azrael's eyes widened slightly. She looked at Issei with a strange look before nodding.

"Issei," Sirzechs walked over and pulled him into a hug. He pulled out and nodded before walking back.

"Right, we have important information to give you," Issei said.

"Report," Sirzechs said.

"I have spoken with Beelzebub," Issei said.

"Spoke with him?" Serafall asked. "Elaborate."

"While resting, Beelzebub appeared inside my dream," Issei said. "He told me how children like me were created. It was… through a blood infusion to get whatever energy we had inside our bodies in there."

"Blood infusion…," Azazel said. "But… if that were the case, all the children would have the same ability. Lily here should be able to use the Shevirat Ha-Kelim but she hasn't shown the ability to use it."

"Did he mention where he got the blood from?" Ajuka asked.

"He… did. He said he got it from Ha-Satan," Issei said.

The entire room went silent. The Maous' eyes all widened collectively upon hearing that word.

"That's impossible. There is no Ha-Satan currently," Falbium said.

"That's what he said word for word," Issei said.

"I see. Did he mention why he began to make children like you and Lily?" Michael asked.

"He said that he wanted an army. He wanted to finish what he started during the Great War," Issei said.

"That in and of itself is highly unlikely. If Beelzebub has been around for this long, he would have struck shortly after the Great War when both Heaven, Hell, and the Grigori were weakened from the War. He could've easily consolidated his power in Hell and become the current Ha-Satan," Raphael said.

"So something's not adding up?" Rias said.

"Exactly. Beelzebub was the youngest and most ambitious of our sister's seven eldest children. He would not have passed this opportunity up. Especially if this was his end goal… no, his goal is something else. Something we're not aware of. And then there's this other factor. The Ha-Satan that Beelzebub mentioned. The only Ha-Satan that Hell has ever had was…," Raphael trailed off.

"Lucifer," Sirzechs said. "Lucifer was the only Ha-Satan we ever had."

"We're getting off-track," Azazel said. "Where is Beelzebub now?"

Rikka glanced at Mitsuki and nodded. She stepped forward before Issei could say anything.

"Aniki has told us that Beelzebub's base is located somewhere in Wyoming. Can you guys project a holographic map of the United States?" Mitsuki asked. Issei looked at her strangely and was about to say something when Irina stomped on his foot. Issei bit his lip in pain and looked at her to say something. Issei paled when he saw the menacing yet pleasant smile on her face.

Issei clammed up and focused on Mitsuki.

Ajuka projected a map of the United States with which Mitsuki highlighted a small area in the wilderness of Wyoming.

"This area right here is where Beelzebub is currently operating. We believe that there's something there that he wants," Mitsuki said.

"Curious, Beelzebub told Issei all this?" Serafall asked.

"Yeah. Right, Aniki?" Mitsuki said.

"Huh? Yes, of course. He was so sure that I'd be one of the people that died in his little Hunger Games that he decided to give me his plan," Issei said.

The Archangels narrowed their eyes but said nothing.

"So do we have any surveillance footage of that area?" Sirzechs asked.

"Let's see," Azrael said. She opened her hand and a small magic circle appeared inside it. The circle projected an image of the area that Mitsuki pointed to. The image was grainy as if it were experiencing a massive amount of interference.

"We can't get a clearer image?" Gabriel asked.

"No, there's something there that's preventing me from clearing it up but from what I can see, there's a massive amount of devils flying around and concentrating their efforts in getting past… no way," Azrael said.

"Is that?" Sirzechs asked.

"A Solomon's Key. A barrier developed by King Solomon specifically to keep Devils out of an area. Or keeping them in," Azazel said.

"So there's something in there that Beelzebub wants and that Solomon's Key is keeping it trapped inside?" Rias asked.

"Presumably," Sirzechs said.

"So what's our next move?" Issei asked.

"We move against Beelzebub effective immediately before he finishes whatever the hell he's planning," Sirzechs said. He turned to Issei, Vali, and Mitsuki. "I want you three to spearhead this mission. Issei, we're officially making… whoever is here from your Azazel Cup Team as honorary emergency members of DxD. Your mission is to go to this location in Wyoming and stop Beelzebub before he can achieve his plans."

"Wait," Rias said.

"What is it?" Serafall asked.

"Did you guys forget? Devils can't enter the area. That Solomon's Key is going to keep us out," Rias said.

"There's a way around it," Azazel said. "Come here."

Rias nodded and walked over to the Former Governor-General. He held out his hand and a series of runes appeared around Rias. The runes circled rapidly around her before sinking into her body.

Rias looked at her arms and her body before giving Azazel a confused look.

"It's a counterspell we developed against Solomon's Keys. Solomon's Keys can be configured to trap or keep out Angels so we and Heaven developed such a spell," Azazel said.

"I see," Rias said.

"Come over here. I'll cast it on the rest of you," Azazel said.

One by one, the Devils went up to Azazel to get the spell cast on them. After they were finished, Azazel returned back to his place with the other Archangels and the Four Maou. Sirzechs coughed and stepped forward.

"Right. Once again, the main focus of this mission is to prevent Beelzebub from achieving whatever the hell it is he wants from inside that Key. Eliminate him if you have to but it is preferable if you capture him so that he may be brought before the Celestial Council," Sirzechs said.

Gabriel stepped forward and gave them all a mischievous grin. "Since this is a place that none of you have ever been to, I shall be the one to transport you there! Any questions?" Gabriel asked.

No one said anything, prompting Gabriel to clap her hands.

"Alright then… please keep your hands and feet inside the vehicle at all times and remember to have as much… well as much fun as you can have stopping a Demon Lord with great destructive powers from before you were born!" Gabriel said.

Everyone gave the Archangel a strange look. Gabriel was unfazed by their demeanor and snapped her fingers, teleporting everyone away from the room.

Michael glanced at his younger sister, who had a contemplative look on her face. Her jet black eyes stared off into space. Michael walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder, causing her to jolt out of her reverie.

"Huh?" Azrael turned around to look at her brother.

"What's wrong?" Michael asked.

"You know what's wrong. You can sense it," Azrael said. Michael went silent. He did sense it. That all too familiar sensation. They had to deal with it more than once during the Great War.

"I sensed it," Michael said.

"So I wasn't crazy then," Gabriel said, turning around.

"Crazy about what?" Serafall asked, butting her head in next to Gabriel. Gabriel narrowed her eyes down at the diminutive Devil King.

"Nothing," she said.

"Issei's soul," Azrael began. At the mention of Issei, everyone turned around and looked at her. "Issei's soul has been earmarked for damnation. In one year, his soul will be dragged to Hell and there is nothing anyone can do to stop it."

"WHAT!?" Grayfia yelled.

"What do you mean Issei's soul is damned for Hell?" Sirzechs said.

"His soul. It has the mark of someone who sold their soul," Azrael said.

"And there's nothing we can do?" Ajuka asked.

"Well, there is. We can find the one who holds Issei's contract and eliminate them thus voiding the contract but I can imagine how hard it would be to track down the one who made the deal with Issei," Azrael said.

Everyone remained silent upon hearing Azrael's words.

"Don't tell anyone," she said. "I can imagine that he wants to be the one to tell them."

Lance stepped foot into the cemetery, clutching the gun in his left hand. He spotted what Beelzebub had meant. A large mausoleum in the middle of the cemetery amongst all the other headstones. He walked over to the large black iron doors of the mausoleum. The door was intricately designed with a massive flaming pentagram emblazoned into the door. A large hole was located at the center of the pentagram.

"All I have to do is do this?" Lance said, holding the gun. The images of everyone that he's killed in the past games that Beelzebub had held appeared inside his head. He could never go back to his family after this but… in the end, his sister would be alive and healed. That is, if Beelzebub's words were true.

"LANCE!"

Lance froze and turned around, seeing Issei and the others. He gritted his teeth as he took a defensive stance.

"Issei… and you?" Lance looked at Mitsuki in a confused manner.

Issei stiffened as he heard Lance's words.

"You know me?" Mitsuki asked.

"You're supposed to be dead," Lance said.

"What?" Mitsuki looked at him confused.

"You died. You were pierced in the heart. I saw you get impaled right through the chest!" Lance said.

Mitsuki went silent as shock completely overtook her body. Her hand unconsciously moved to her chest where a lingering phantom pain pulsated inside her chest cavity.

"Lance. Stop this. Give up and put the gun down," Issei said.

"I can't, Issei. I can't. I'm too far gone," Lance said as a series of blackened marks appeared on the side of his neck. His eyes began to glow violet.

"It's not too late to stop this," Issei said.

"It is. And I'm sorry for this," he said.

"For what?" Issei asked.

"For targeting your sister a second time," Lance said. His eyes began to glow as he raised his hand. Mitsuki's eyes widened as her hands flew to her throat, gasping for air.

"Mii-chan!" Issei said as he and the others ran to assist her.

Lance nodded before running towards the mausoleum door. He sighed as he stuck the barrel into the keyhole of the door.

"ISSEI! GO! We got her!" Irina said. Issei nodded and ran towards Lance. He appeared behind Lance in an instant, prompting him to turn around. Lance's vision became filled with Issei's fist as he was sent flying across the cemetery and crashed into a tombstone. Issei appeared above a downed Lance as he grabbed his collar.

"I never got to pay you back for last time," Issei said.

"Does she know?" Lance whispered in pain.

"Know what?" Issei asked.

"That you made a deal," he answered.

"I didn't make a-," Issei said.

"Don't even bother to lie. I know you did it. I made a deal with Beelzebub that he would heal my sister if I won the games and did everything he said," Lance croaked.

"How long do you have?" Issei asked.

"Until he sees fit to get rid of me. If you haven't noticed, we were nothing but this man's pawns," Lance said.

"So what does he want?" Issei asked.

"That door that's about to open is a portal to the deeper levels of Hell and in that level is an army of demons waiting to be freed. And that Gun that opens the door is one of the only things that can kill him," Lance said. Issei's eyes widened when he heard those words.

"Can we stop it?" Issei asked.

"No, we're too late… and now that I told you this, Beelzebub will kill me so promise me one thing," Lance said.

"Why should I promise you anything?" Issei asked.

"Because everything I did, I did for her," Lance said. "It's like you throwing your soul away for your sister."

Issei remained silent, unable to talk back to him.

"So what do you want me to do?" Issei said after a few seconds.

"Protect her. Protect my sister because after I die, Beelzebub will go for her next and kill her. Please… I know I don't deserve your help but as one brother to another, keep her safe," Lance said.

Issei nodded before shaking his head.

"Tell her that yourself. Come on," Issei said, extending his hand.

The sound of gears shifting brought everyone out of their stupor. Issei's eyes grew wide. He had forgotten to retrieve the Colt from Lance. Everyone watched in horror as the emblem slowly put itself together.

"TAKE COVER!" Risa yelled as everyone began to raise a barrier.

Issei ran over to the mausoleum and pulled the Colt out of the lock in an attempt to stop the process. It didn't work. The locks continued to undo themselves with each click bringing the door closer to opening. Banging sounds could be now heard from behind the doors.

"Aniki!" he heard Mitsuki yell and saw her and the others waving at him to get behind a barrier being produced by Rossweisse, Akeno, Le Fay, and Rias.

Issei grabbed Lance and dove for cover behind one of the tombstones.

The group watched as the doors flew open and a massive torrent of black smoke shot into the night sky. A shockwave of flaming energy exploded from the opened doors nearly shattering their barriers and breaking every tombstone within close proximity of the mausoleum.

The shockwave traveled outward from the graveyard. Lightning raced across the sky as massive storm clouds appeared over the entire midwestern US. The Enochian runes on the railroads glowed as they struggled to contain the massive amount of demons that were attempting to break free. Eventually, the runes burned out and the entire railroad system was melted creating a massive molten star that could be seen from space.

Issei watched with wide eyes as demons flew across the sky and into the world.

"No…," he said. He turned his gaze back to the open gate, where demonic beasts, damned spirits, and demons themselves crawled out. "WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE DOORS!" he yelled over the demonic screeching. They all nodded and raced to the doors.

"Issei, you and the others keep an eye out," Risa said.

"Huh?" everyone turned to look at her.

"I'll close the door. I know how these things work so please, keep them off me," Risa said.

"You can count on us," Issei said. Risa smiled and ran towards the door and began to push it close with all her strength.

The members of DxD all stood, ready to fight to protect Risa as she closed the Gates. Lance sat against one of the tombstones, stiffening when he felt a wave of pure power wash over the area.

"Issei," Ingvild said.

"GUYS, LOOK ALIVE!" Issei yelled as he felt the Miasma signature of Beelzebub getting closer. His signature still sent shivers up Issei's spine. How can someone's energy feel so vile and dark?

"Hey guys," a voice called out in between them. They all jumped apart from each other and saw Beelzebub standing in the middle with a menacing smile.

"Beelzebub," Rias growled.

"Lance," Beelzebub said, ignoring her. Lance glared at Beelzebub as he flipped him the bird. Issei quickly dashed over to save Lance but he was too late. Beelzebub raised his hand and a spear of darkness extended itself from Beelzebub's hand and impaled Lance through the chest.

"NOOO!" Issei yelled.

Issei quickly aimed the Colt at Beelzebub and prepared to pull the trigger only for the Colt to fly out of his hand and into Beelzebub's.

"Are you old enough to be playing with this?" he said mockingly. He raised his hand slightly and sent them all flying backward. Issei crashed headfirst into a tombstone. Issei sat up clutching his bleeding head. He suddenly felt himself get pinned to the stone by an unseen force. He looked up and saw Beelzebub standing over him looking at him with those mocking yellow eyes.

"It's too bad that Lance had to die. He showed so much promise. He even inherited the Power of Luxuria from the blood but it seemed to have no effect due to the fact that he was weak," Beelzebub said.

Issei glared at him.

"Now now, why do you even care that he died. He was going to kill everyone you loved. Especially that little angel you seem to hold dear in your heart. She was going to become his little plaything. I wonder how good her screams would have sounded," Beelzebub said.

His question was answered by Issei ramming his fist into his face forcing the demon to drop the Colt and release the others. Beelzebub crashed into the forest causing the entire area to shake.

"Don't you dare speak about him that way? What do you know about him? About the rest of us? You ruined their lives! You placed my family in danger just by putting this in me! You forced him and people like him to kill children and each other," Issei said.

"It was a culling, Issei. To see who was weak. To see who needed to be weeded out," Beelzebub said.

"You're sick and we're stopping you right here right now!" Issei said, summoning the [Boosted Gear].

"You're welcome to feel free and try," Beelzebub said, levitating into the air. Everyone was pushed back as Beelzebub's oppressive aura exuded from his body.

The final battle against Beelzebub had begun.

Almost there guys. After the Beelzebub fight, I will take a short break so I don't experience burnout on this story so please understand. Remember, have a great day/night or not the choice is yours!