Chapter 1: Graduation (I)
Japan, Kuoh Town
March 16th, 2010
Issei was fighting the urge to fall asleep as his school principal, a woman named Grayfia was currently giving a speech about the dozens of students sitting down in chairs while their respective families quietly sat some distance away from them, listening to the kind words said about their sons and daughters as today was their graduation from high school. Granted, Issei didn't really care for the woman's empty words as he thought about the significance of today.
Most people from his class talked about their plans for the future. A few already were accepted into the college of their choice, saying they wanted to pursue a career that best suited them. Others mentioned entering the workforce and gaining valuable experience for themselves. Regardless of their plans, they had one thing in common; everyone had a goal set for themselves to pursue.
Unfortunately, Issei had a much different problem than everyone. Unlike the others, the soon-to-be high school graduate was unsure about what he wanted to do with his life. Going to college sounded like far too much work for him, especially after hearing such conflicting opinions about them. Meanwhile, Issei definitely hated the idea of working at some company and, if he wanted to get anywhere, having to kiss the ass of his bosses. While they weren't his only choices to pick from, they were certainly popular sets of choices for most people who wanted to move on with their lives.
'I'm so god damn bored,' Issei continued to ignore the incredibly attractive school principal. During his first year at Kuoh Academy, a former all-girls school turned co-ed, he might've drooled over principal Lucifuge like some kind of pervert because, if he was being honest, she had no damn right to be that good-looking for someone who was barely thirty years old. Although, he didn't exactly need to look far into the crowd for the reason as to why he pretty much calmed down by his second year at Kuoh Academy.
In the crowd of families, one individual stood out from the rest. At first glance, the young woman was breathtakingly beautiful for someone who was turning nineteen years old in a few weeks from today. She possessed a pair of crystal-blue eyes and long crimson hair that reached the end of her back. Issei, despite being seated a good distance from the young woman, took note of her hourglass figure hidden underneath her casual outfit. As if sensing his gaze, she looked Issei directly in the eyes and gave him a dazzling smile. The sight was enough to earn a small smile from the bored soon-to-be graduate.
He couldn't say the same for his uncle Saitama, whose defining trait was his bald head, seem to be in the middle of sleeping next to the beautiful redhead, a strange sight for anyone to see. The bubble coming from the man's nose only made things painfully more obvious.
"...We have given our students the tools and knowledge to succeed in life," the school principal said as she continued with her speech. "It's up to them to pick a path and reach the goal they've chosen."
For a moment, Issei wanted to believe those words were directed at him. Given his personal record, he knew principal Lucifuge wasn't the biggest fan. His first year pretty much screwed him over, especially whenever he was caught doing something stupid with his two close buddies. Matsuda and Motohama had been his closest friends since primary school, and they decided to try their luck getting into Kuoh Academy. Much like him, they manage to calm down and somewhat earn back the respect of the other students.
On the other hand, Issei suspected the constant beatings from the kendo club being the primary reason for their desire to change, but he felt like getting the opportunity to date the two very hot captains of the club certainly had a much bigger impact than anyone might realize. Issei peeked down the row and saw the two idiots were a couple of seats from him. They seem to be equally bored as him from the dead looks on their faces.
He leaned back against his seat and quietly sighed, 'I swear, I'm going to lose my mind if this doesn't end any time soon.'
[Is she still talking? I pretty much fell asleep after the first ten minutes.]
'Please, Ddraig, principal Lucifuge would keep giving this damn speech even if we came under attack by aliens,' Issei knew people might think he was crazy for hearing another voice in his head. Apparently, the world was not exactly as black and white as everyone wanted to believe. To learn about the existence of magic and monsters was a strange day for someone like him, especially after Ddraig revealed his existence.
[You're not wrong there, partner. I don't understand why people can't just give you those pieces of paper and be done with this whole thing. Humans are weird.] Ddraig said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, and Issei couldn't agree more with those words.
'Don't look at me. I'm trying to pass the time by talking to you or staring at Rias,' Issei wanted to get his certificate and leave this school. Despite his first-year being a little rocky from his perverted nature, it didn't take away from the undeniable truth. Issei Hyoudou was far too smart. In fact, the young man purposely answered questions wrong on exams, assignments, and any other work given to him to stay under the radar and avoid any attention from the school. He continued this behavior throughout high school, but not everyone was dumb as a rock as people started to suspect something was up.
A few people such as his girlfriend, Rias, came to learn about his unusually high intelligence. Thankfully, none of his friends made a big deal about the situation and kept silent about the whole thing.
[So what are you guys doing later? I imagine your uncle wants to celebrate your graduation from high school, but Rias probably has a few things planned.] Ddraig asked, curious about what his host was going to do with his loved ones.
Issei thought about his partner's question before answering it, 'Honestly, I don't really care if they have anything planned or not. Doesn't matter to me.'
[If I've learned anything about your mate from these past two years, I'm sure she has something planned.]
'You have a point there,' Issei couldn't disagree with his partner. He's been dating Rias for almost two years and learned a few interesting things about the beautiful redhead. Personally, the young man was certain about her being one of a kind. The chances of finding another girl like Rias in the world were pretty much non-existent, especially since this is coming from someone capable of making calculations faster than most college professors and used leftover junk from a computer store to build the stuff kept in their apartment.
While he would've preferred to converse with the dragon sealed inside his soul, Issei felt someone tap him on the right shoulder. The young man glanced at the principal Lucifuge before turning to the person trying to get his attention, raising his eyebrow at them. "What do you want from my life, Aika?"
"Come on, you don't have to be so mean to me."
The majority of the girls at Kuoh Academy tended to keep their any perverted thoughts to themselves, or that's what Issei was told by Rias and a few other girls from across the school. However, there was one exception to the rule. Her name was Aika Kiryuu. She wasn't afraid to talk to Issei and his friends about topics involving sex. Hell, she even earned a nickname for being able to calculate with pin-point accuracy the size of a guy's manhood.
Issei may be considered a once-in-a-lifetime genius, but he was bewildered by the girl's ability. Even the mighty dragon sealed within his soul never encountered a human who could do such a thing. The only person that came close was Motohama as his friend was able to calculate the three 'sizes' of any girl. Now, Issei made sure his friend never used that ability on Rias. He wanted to be the only one who knew those sizes on an intimate level.
He rolled his eyes, "I seem to recall a certain someone trying to measure me up...on several occasions."
"Don't be such a baby," Aika scoffed playfully at his response. She adjusted her glasses, hiding a pair of chocolate brown eyes underneath them, before saying, "Anyway, I just wanted to ask if you're still unsure about your future plans."
"Why? Are you concerned about me?"
The brown-haired girl shrugged her shoulders and replied nonchalantly, "I don't think it's a crime to be concerned about one of my friends?"
Even if they may laugh, insult, or joke around with each other in ways that seem rude to anyone else, Issei felt happy about the group of friends he's made over the years since attending this school. While the teachers may have been unbearable and the work seemed like a joke to him, nothing could replace the joy of meeting Rias and falling in love with her. Or, the people he's met like Aika, Kiba, and a few others.
"You certainly aren't going to be arrested for caring," Issei said as he glanced over at the principal, who seems to be nearing the end of her speech. He looked back at Aika, "If you wanna talk about your little ability there, I think the cops might need to get involved if the complaints from the guys are anything to go by."
She narrowed her eyes at him but couldn't hide the smirk on her face, "Asshole."
"Aw, thank you for such kind words. It's an honor for someone like me."
"Whatever," Aika muttered as they heard the closing remarks to the principal's speech. "I just wanted to let you know about something that came up. You remember my brother?"
Issei searched his memories until he recalled that bit of information about her family, "I remember him. Why? What's going on?"
"He said if I knew anyone who might be interested in an internship from my high school. He said how the company he works at is looking for…" she raised her hands and created a gesture to signify air quotation marks, "The best and brightest seeking an opportunity to rise up in our world and make a difference. It sounds corny, even my brother hated using those words."
"Internship?" Issei asked with reluctance, already thinking about declining the offer from her. "I don't know, Aika. Sounds like a lot of ass-kissing to me."
"To be honest, I don't blame you for thinking like that. Still, it doesn't hurt to give it a try. I think you can find some kind of enjoyment out of it. Making a fool out of adults."
The young man let out a snort, "Please, I have better things to do than waste my time with them."
"Tell that to our civics teacher," Aika, in a discreet manner, gestured towards another beautiful woman who seemed barely older than twenty-one with blonde-silvery hair and captivating blue eyes. She wore a simple business suit, but it hardly took away from the woman's figure. In the eyes of most men and a few of the male students, the woman was nothing short of perfect.
However, Issei shook his head and smirked at his classmate. "Look, I ain't trying to be an asshole. But I can't help myself. She's barely older than us and makes things too easy for me to rib on her. Can you really blame me?"
"Not really, especially during our second-year. I'm certain Ms. Heimark can't wait for your sorry ass to graduate."
He wasn't able to give a response as principal Lucifuge finished giving her speech, meaning the ceremony was finally reaching the end. All that remained was handing out these certificates to say they graduated and a few departing words before saying good-bye to this high school forever. Personally, he just wanted to talk with his friends and girlfriend.
Soon, the school began the long process of handing out the certificates to each student. It felt like hours had passed for someone like Issei until he heard his name called by the principal.
Principal Lucifuge maintained a breathtaking smile, but Issei felt a shiver down his spine. Her eyes told a very different story as they seem to be the gateway to Hell, which was actually a real place in history till it was destroyed or something. In an attempt to escape the wrath of his school principal, Issei didn't say anything too stupid to her. Nothing more than thanking her and, quietly, accepting the certificate as it was another step closer to leaving this high school forever.
Unknown to him, the principal softened her glare as she watched him return to his seat. More and more students had their names called until, finally, it came to a close.
(X)
"Make sure you don't leave before I give you my brother's number. Just gonna talk with my family and be right back."
Issei shook his head and smiled at the brown-haired girl, "Don't worry about rushing anything. Savor the moment with your parents and older brother. Today is supposed to be a special day for everyone in this class, Aika."
"Don't forget you're a part of this class too. I'll see you in a minute, breast-lover."
"Very funny," Issei replied sarcastically. He then gestured towards the large crowd of students and family members, "Get out of here before I start calling you by that old nickname."
That earned the proper response as Aika, the most perverted girl in school, blushed in embarrassment. She pointed at him and stammered out a piss-poor comeback, "W-Well...I-I...you know what? Screw you."
Afterward, the girl manage to calm down and started the long search for her family in the crowd. Issei, on the other hand, watched the scene with intrigue. Everyone was talking with their friends, shedding a few tears with them, and taking part in the emotions associated with today. Today was special for just about every single individual. It signified the end of a chapter, but Issei knew things were just getting started as a new page was ready to be written.
He started walking through the large crowd, intent on looking for the two idiots called his friends. Yet, Issei had to thank these idiots called his best friends for applying to Kuoh Academy. If it wasn't for the constant pressure from them, he might have never met anyone from this school. That included Rias. At this point in his life, Issei struggled to imagine a life without the beautiful redhead.
The woman he loved more than anything in the world.
[You know, for someone who says they're not the sentimental-type...you do think about the past a lot more than someone like you claim not to do, but I can't really say it's a surprise with the emotions going around today.] Ddraig never really found much interest in human culture. His previous hosts never bothered to talk about it or allow the once-mighty Red Dragon Emperor to experience it either. Things didn't change until Issei woke him up.
Issei manage to act normal and keep his eyes peeled while having a conversation with Ddraig, 'I'll let you get away with slandering me for today. Just wanna talk with everyone. It really does feel weird to know high school is over. Felt like yesterday when I started here with those morons.'
The mighty dragon laughed, [Not wrong there. In the end, I think everything worked out. You got to be with Rias. Those two got with those girls from that, uh...what's it called again?]
'Kendo club. Those bastards manage to steal the hearts of the girls who beat their asses regularly,' Issei thoughts his friends were lying out their ass after learning about their relationships with Murayama and Katase.
[I mean, if we're being fair, your story is a lot more difficult to believe than theirs. It is literally so ordinary that anyone might not take it seriously, especially since we're talking about Rias here. I may be old and from another point in history...even I can admit as a dragon that Rias would be a prize for just about anyone.]
The young man wanted to retort against the dragon's words, but he couldn't deny the truth behind them. To be fair, Issei can hardly believe the events that led to dating Rias. As someone that's watched many anime series throughout the years, the young host expected some epic story about saving Rias from a political marriage or existential threat. No, that was far from the truth.
Issei never realized running into a girl, being knocked onto the ground, and end up causing each other to be late for their respective classes could lead to such a wonderful relationship. Granted, there was far more to the tale as they ended up getting detention for being late to class. Issei may be an intelligent person, but that didn't mean he was above making piss-poor choices like running his mouth or making teachers look like they were complete fools by fixing their mistakes in front of other students. Detention was not a new place for him.
Suddenly, he heard someone whistle in the distance. It was quickly followed by a familiar voice, "Yo! I see Issei! Dude is over there!"
Even with the large crowd around him, Issei moved between the spaces as he tracked down the source of the voice. Much like his mind being blown away by the existence of the supernatural, Issei underwent a few changes after awakening the dragon sealed inside his soul. To be honest, he expected more from an event that modified his body to accommodate the surge of power from Ddraig. Other than gaining three inches and twenty pounds of additional muscle, nothing on the outside seemed all that different.
To anyone, he seemed like someone who just experienced a pretty good dose of puberty, which could easily be explained by a very good reason. Unlike the vast majority of the students at Kuoh Academy, Issei Hyoudou was mixed-race. Given the differences in his appearance from his face to his body, it was quite obvious to just about anyone about not being fully Japanese. He knew about his mother being a full-blooded Japanese. As for his father, the only thing he knew about the man was that he came from America. His uncle never shared much more than that single fact about his father.
'At least, it didn't matter to them,' Issei manage to find Matsuda and Motohama standing underneath a tree, which happened to be near the old abandoned school building. However, they weren't alone as a few other students could be seen with them.
Some of them stood out from a distance. One was a young man with blonde hair, gray eyes, and seem to have a mole underneath his left eye. Another was a girl with short blue hair (which was natural) with a single streak of green in it. There were two other female students. One with long brown hair, brown eyes, and a pair of red ribbons. Meanwhile, the other student had short pink hair (again, it was natural) to go with hazel eyes. These girls were none other than Murayama and Katase, the girlfriends of his two closest friends.
Issei walked over to the tree and greeted his classmates, "Hey, I see you guys got here before me."
He turned his head to the girl with the streak of green in her hair, as she spoke up. "Believe me, Issei, we wanted to go looking for you. Unfortunately, these idiots refused to wait and said you'll find us at some point."
"Meh," Issei shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't worry too much about these guys, Xenovia. I think they were excited to show off their high school certificates. Mostly because they ain't getting another piece of paper from an educational institution in their lifetimes."
This insult earned a few chuckles from the others. Meanwhile, Matsuda and Motohama glared at their best friend before muttering some incoherent retorts. They knew Issei could easily go into college and graduate with all-honors without even trying. Above all else, they wouldn't win an insult contest with Issei involved.
Their respective girlfriends were torn between giggling at their reaction or comforting them. While the two former members of the Perverted Trio were recovering from the insult, Issei turned to face the only other guy with them.
"So, what about you, Kiba? Got anything planned immediately after graduation?"
The young man took a moment to think about the question before answering. "Probably thinking about traveling to Hokkaido. It's been a real minute since I've seen my old caretaker."
"You gonna ask Tsubaki if she wants to go?"
During the past three years, Kiba was regarded as the 'pretty boy' of their grade. Girls constantly talked about him in a manner that seemed eerily similar to the Perverted Trio. It became quite normal for Kiba to have to deal with fangirls. In fact, the girls were protective of the blonde as they made sure Issei and his friends were as far away as possible from their 'prince' as they called him. Then, things changed for the better as Issei struck up an instant friendship with Kiba.
Given their close friendship, Issei came to learn about the so-called 'prince' having a crush on Tsubaki Shinra, the vice president of the student council. Or, the former vice president as she currently attended the college under the same as their high school, much like his girlfriend.
"I...thought about it," Kiba rubbed the back of his neck and tried to keep calm. "I mean, we just started dating a few months ago...so I'm not too sure if she wants to go with me right now."
"My boy," Issei walked over and placed an arm around his friend's neck. "Rias tells me Tsubaki loves gushing about you. If she ain't talking about math or politics...it's usually about you, buddy," he then patted his friend on the chest. "I wouldn't worry too much about her answer. Just ask her, dude."
Kiba nodded gently, "Guess you're right. Man, I never thought I'd turn to you for advice."
"Damn, that's cold as hell, my dude."
The blonde male rolled his eyes, "I think that's pretty mild compared to what usually comes from your mouth."
"Jealous, aren't we?"
"Like I would be jealous of you."
"Sounds like someone is jelly."
Xenovia, who watched their interactions in silence, laughed at them. "I think I'm gonna miss these little back and forth moments between you guys," the smile on Xenovia's face became a bit more somber as she looked towards the crowd. "It's weird knowing high school is over for us. Three years flew by like it was nothing."
"Believe me," Issei said as he removed his arm from Kiba's shoulder. "I think the only thing that kept me from losing my mind was you guys. 'Cause, you already know a good chunk of the school faculty hates my sorry ass with a burning passion."
Someone next to them scoffed at his words, "That's your own damn fault."
Issei clicked his teeth at them and looked directly at the brown-haired girl with two red ribbons in her hair, "Murayama, I was doing those teachers a service by correcting them. If they're gonna bore me to death...you might as well make sure you know what you're talking about. Or, I will correct your sorry ass."
"I hope you realize Ms. Heimark is pretty much traumatized because of you," Katase, usually reserved about most things, added to the conversation. She tended to let Murayama speak her mind, but even the pink-haired girl couldn't resist the chance to jump in.
"Look, that was not my intention."
Kiba stared at him in disbelief, "You literally spent our second-year correcting her any time she made a mistake."
"Well," the young man attempted to defend his actions. "I was merely trying to help Ms. Heimark. She had very little teaching experience. In fact, she might come to see my actions as a positive thing. When another student tries to be a little smartass with her, she'll be able to properly respond. So, please make sure you reword that accusation as 'tough love' from a student that values her."
Nearly everyone rolled their eyes at the same time after hearing the long-winded answer. Issei may be incredibly intelligent for someone their age, but his ability to seemingly shrug off any sense of responsibility was even more impressive to his friends. As a result, it didn't take long for the seven students to start laughing as they realized the absurdity of the topic.
These were the kinds of moments that Issei and his friends were going to miss. There was always some level of uncertainty in the future, and life after high school was no different. Nobody can predict what might happen tomorrow or ten years from now. Sometimes, people had to live their lives as best as they possibly can.
The group talked for a few more minutes until Murayama and Katase wanted to go meet with each of their families. Unfortunately, Matsuda and Motohama were forced to go with their girlfriends and spend time with their families.
When they couldn't see them anymore, Issei let out a sigh. "Do you guys ever feel bad for lying? I've thought about what would happen if we told them the truth."
"We can't."
Issei corrected Xenovia, "You guys can't say anything. I may be involved with a devil, but that doesn't mean your super-secret rules apply to someone like me."
"That may be true," she said while crossing her arms. "However, I don't think it's wise to involve our friends with that side of the world. No telling who might want to use them against us. Or, their reaction to learning the truth about any of us."
Kiba added to the conversation, "Even if you are the Red Dragon Emperor...can you really blame the supernatural community for wanting to stay hidden? Humans are the dominant species on this world. I don't think that's ever going to change any time soon."
"Of course," Issei did his research about the unfortunate state of the supernatural and their situation in this world. "Seriously, we're reaching the point where even angels are forced to breed with humans to keep some semblance of their civilization in this world. Not even the so-called famous reincarnation magic can't keep up anymore as only a few supernatural beings for any side is capable of using it. This means the existence of the supernatural is going to come out sooner rather than later. Even the pure-blooded devils are going to have to face reality or face extinction."
"Until that day happens...nobody can know about the truth."
Issei didn't say anything as he knew about Xenovia's situation. Compared to him and Kiba, she was in a very difficult spot. Her closest friend was named Asia, a nun who served at the church in this city, and someone she considered to be a sister. There's no telling how the girl might react to learning Xenovia is a devil.
Honestly, he was uncertain about how Matsuda and Motohama might react to learning their friend was the host to a mighty dragon capable of killing gods. Or, his girlfriend being a pure-blooded devil.
'I really hope my life doesn't get any more complicated than this. It would suck if it did,' Issei couldn't have imagined the repercussions from uttering those words. In a world with magic and gods, the current Red Dragon Emperor was about to learn life had another big surprise for him down the road.
(X)
(A Few Minutes Later)
The day seems to be coming to an end for everyone. Issei and his supernatural friends enjoyed their final moments at Kuoh Academy, knowing they would be forced to leave a school that contained quite a few individuals who had interesting backgrounds. The next step would be going out into the world and adjusting to life with humans. Chances of encountering another devil, fallen angel, or angel was going to be quite rare. Let alone those who came from smaller groups like the Youkai.
Issei continued to walk around the campus for what felt like ages. 'Gonna be weird leaving this place and probably never looking back too. I really hope Koneko and the others are going to be okay.'
It didn't take long for Issei to return to the abandoned school building. Decrepit was the most accurate word to describe its appearance. Issei, however, smiled as he remembered the all 'fun' times between him and Rias before she went to the college division. Teenagers always find loopholes in rules. Hell, not even Sona, the former student council president, and Rias' childhood friend could stop them from getting away with a few things.
Suddenly, he felt a pair of arms wrap around his waist before receiving a tight hug and felt someone resting their head on his shoulder. Sure enough, Issei saw the familiar flicker of crimson hair in his vision. The young man placed a hand on top and couldn't resist smiling, "Miss me, babe."
Her answer?
Issei felt a pair of lips press against his cheek before speaking up, "Of course, I got a little impatient waiting for you. Couldn't seem to find you anywhere until I ran into Kiba and the others. Told me you were walking around the school."
Without saying another word, Issei loosened his girlfriend's grip on the waist before turning around and facing her. Only a few words came close to describing the beauty of Rias. Instead, he smiled at her and shrugged his shoulders. "I wanted to take in these sights today," the young man reached forward and returned the hug. "Not a high school student anymore."
"I understand," Rias placed her arms around her boyfriend's neck. "Even you have fond memories of this place."
Issei smirked before gesturing to the abandoned school building, "Fond? I seem to recall feeling a lot more than just fond in this place. Come on, babe, you don't ever think about those lunch periods? Or all those times after-school."
"Such a perverted dragon," Rias muttered with a smile.
"Yet, you fell in love with said perverted dragon."
The redhead leaned in and whispered, "Never said it was a bad thing."
Neither one said another word as they shared a brief kiss, enjoying the moment together. After being in a relationship for the past two years, it was hard to imagine their lives without each other. For someone like Rias, she never pictured her first-ever relationship would be with the Red Dragon Emperor. On the other hand, the shocking part was Issei was originally human when they first met in school.
Soon, the young couple separated their lips and kept their arms tightly wrapped around the other. They remained like that for a few minutes until they decided to go look for his uncle, who was probably trying to flirt with a few of the teachers from here. It was pretty common for the guy to try his luck with any of the beautiful women who worked at the school.
"Can't wait to go home," Issei said as they started making their way back to the ever-shrinking crowd of students and family members.
"What are you gonna do with the certificate?"
Issei chuckled at her question, "Babe, I'm probably throwing this damn piece of paper into one of my folders and will never looking at it again. Not like anyone is ever gonna ask to see it."
"If Grayfia heard those words...she might genuinely try to kill you," Rias couldn't resist giggling at the amusing thought of her sister-in-law, Grayfia Lucifuge, chasing after her boyfriend in anger.
"She can try and kill me."
Rias leaned her head against his shoulder and decided to mess with him, "So what happens if she ever comes over to our place? She might wanna see it and know a troublemaker like you was worth teaching."
That earned the proper response from her boyfriend. He cringed in realization before responding, "So, uh, babe...our place isn't big enough for guests to come over, right? A-And I don't think our esteemed principal wants to see all those model kits you own."
He didn't get much farther as she slapped him on the chest, "Ow!"
"Do not try to insinuate my Gundam model kits are embarrassing," Rias was protective of her hobbies and made sure no one insulted them. Not even her boyfriend could get away with such slander. "At least, I have better taste in music."
"Hey," Issei stopped Rias from walking by wrapping his arms around her. When they were face-to-face with each other, he looked at her like she was crazy. "You don't insult my taste in music, babe. AC/DC, Metallica, and even Led Zeppelin are not to be taken lightly..."
Before he could defend his many, many albums from various rock bands, Rias decided to use the best method to calm her boyfriend down. She simply closed the distance between them and kissed him in a manner that might've seemed a little much for anyone seeing them. However, that didn't matter to Issei as he reciprocated the kiss with equal passion and, eventually, overpowering the redhead. His nature as a dragon refused to be caught off-guard by Rias, and the quiet moan was enough to satisfy him.
Issei leaned his head back and clicked his teeth, "...I gotta stop falling for that."
"Sweetheart, we are talking about you here," Rias raised an eyebrow at him with an amused smile. Then, a small blush could be seen on her face, "You never sleep at home. Either you're working on your stuff or...doing other things."
"Oh?" Issei's smile resembled that of a predator looking at its prey. "Do tell what kind of other things I do at home? Does it involve said gorgeous redhead standing before me? You know, making you scream my name out and saying you want it more. All those sweaty nights in the bed, bathroom, living room, and even our kitchen, babe."
"O-Okay, I get it…"
Issei was content with his short victory over Rias and defending his musical taste. Personally, he really didn't know where the love for such music came from. His mother was never the biggest fan of music while growing up. That left a single possible suspect; his father. However, Issei never met his father or heard anything about the guy from anyone besides his uncle.
He placed his arm around her shoulder, again. "Let's go look for my uncle. Hopefully, he hasn't tried his luck with Gabriel."
"A human somehow wooing an angel as famous as her," Rias snorted at the idea.
"Can't say it's impossible," Issei brought his girlfriend closer towards him, enjoying the close contact with Rias. "Technically-speaking, you fell in love with a human being."
"True," the beautiful redhead replied as she smiled at him. "A decision I will never regret making in my life. I really am happy to have fallen in love with you, Issei."
He didn't hesitate to return the smile and express his affection for the crimson princess with words he never imagined saying to anyone...
"I love you too, Rias."
I have to admit this is new territory for me.
First, this story is a combination of various ideas floating around in my head. They combine some of the lighthearted elements from a manga called Tonikawa: Over the Moon for You and the very expansive universe created by Marvel since 2008 started by Iron-Man. So, I can imagine the reaction is going to be interesting for everyone. On top of these elements being mixed together, it does use characters, certain plot-lines, and a few other things from High School DxD.
There are a few things to clarify about the DxD element here:
1. Hell, Heaven, and any other magical 'realm' doesn't exist. This means the supernatural beings in the world are forced to live among humans. You can say it was inspired by the many shows that do this kind of premise.
2. Peerages don't exist. I'll explain this down the road as you got a quick hint. Also, this means I'm able to have characters interact with anyone I choose. It's something I've been wanting to experiment within a DxD story for the longest time. Most people try and stick with the same formula, but I wanted to try something different.
3. Are the DxD characters going to get involved with the MCU? It's not a secret; they are going to be participating in quite a few movies. Obviously, the main character is going to be Issei.
4. Finally, this is going to be a single pairing between Rias and Issei. No harem for him down the road. There will be a few other pairings down the road. I mean, you already have Kiba and Tsubaki (who actually has a crush on the guy in canon, if I remember correctly). As for any MCU characters getting lucky with any DxD girls, I have a few ideas.
If you have any questions about the universe being created here, don't feel afraid to leave some questions or concerns. I can say it's a strange mixture, but I was able to write this chapter in two sittings. Apparently, I enjoyed writing this more than even I expected.
Anyway, I'm gonna head out! See y'all later.