A/N: Well, didn't think I'd write one for DXD. If you recognize my Fairy Tail works, don't worry, I'll get back to those in time. Anyway, I've read a lot of good stories off of this fandom (weird show, but hey, I won't complain about the fanservice since the plot is still good) but one really caught my attention. That story is called Gottheit Retold by deitanz. Long story short, Issei gets a Sacred Gear which is the reincarnation of God from the bible. This idea, to me, was easily one of, if not the best DXD ideas on the site. Unfortunately, I personally found that it failed in execution. Awkward pacing, rushed events, no real backstory, making devils angels for some reason, etc. Regardless, it wasn't my cup of tea. So, what I decided to do was take the concept of the Sacred Gear, and make my own story out of it. Assuming the idea was his in the first place, full credit for the idea goes to deitanz, and I'd check his story out if you either want something similar to this or if you don't like this but like the idea. With that said, I'll go ahead and do the best I can with this story, thusly entitled Sacred Gear: Heavenly Crown.

General Text

"Speaking aloud"

'Thinking'

'Speaking to one's Sacred Gear/Telepathic communication'

Emphasis

Ability or Sacred Gear Title

"Sacred Gear/Demonic/Draconic voice speaking"

"Sacred Gear/Demonic/Draconic telepathic/internal communication"

{Author comments/time or place skips}

The Endless War. The Eternal War. The war that filled the sea with blood. A conflict that went by many names; if there are one hundred different words that mean snow, there are one thousand that would represent this bloodbath. The never-ending battle between the Angels, led by the biblical God, the Devils, led by Satan and his six generals, and the Fallen Angels, led by Iblis and Azazel, had been ongoing since the dawn of the three factions. No one knows the real reason for the conflict. Some say it was the Fallen Angels trying to tempt the Angels into sin that forced heaven to intervene, while the Devils took advantage of the chaos. Some say it was the Angels trying to purge the world of sin with their righteousness. Some think that the leaders and their closest followers were simply bored and decided that, since they couldn't die of natural causes, they might as well fight to see who dies first. That the entire war was just a deal made by the three leaders to see who would control the world. Perhaps one of those was the reason and perhaps none of those were the reason, though in truth it really doesn't matter why they were fighting. What truly matters is what came of it.

Throughout the fighting, hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of warriors in each faction were felled. Countless tales of brave warriors clashing, countless legends of both named and nameless soldiers would go down to serve as inspiration to continue the fighting. War is cyclical in nature, one's friend or comrade will die and that one will seek vengeance. He will succeed and kill another's friend or comrade, thus repeating the need for vengeance. It is an endless line of drawing the blood of another because they drew blood from you.

As wars go, it was notably dangerous for those not part of the conflict in addition to those who fought on the front lines. Ordinary humans were often killed because they were thought to be enemies in disguise or perhaps sympathizers with the cause of their enemies. Other pantheons or factions were walking on eggshells trying to avoid the fighting so as to not be entirely wiped out. So, as the conflict raged on, the leader of the Heaven faction made a decision to aid the humans. He would create weapons for them. Weapons capable of defending themselves and defeating the warriors of the three factions. Weapons that would grant humans power; some would get a small amount while others would be blessed with the strength rivaling gods. Thus was the birth of Sacred Gears, the system established in the same level of Heaven as his system of prayer, worship, and miracles, Seventh Heaven.

Within the system, there were several basic tiers of Sacred Gears. There was the utility class, which would mostly aid people's day-to-day life or improve information gathering. Siren's Chord, for example, would make one's voice always sound beautiful, allowing for users to become more easily likable and gain the trust of others. Following this, there was the support class. Some of these were incredibly strong, such as Eagle's Aegis, which was a near infallible defense, while others were weaker, such as Legion Shield, which would increase the defensive capabilities of a large group. Then, there was the largest tier, which was the offensive class. This class was made up of weapons made to fight and defeat enemies, possessing gears such as Diana's Bow and Beast Mimicry, being a powerful bow and a transformation technique respectively. Creating a vastly diverse array of tools, God sent these out to random hosts in order to aid the humans' survival.

However, God realized quickly that these would not be enough. Slowly, they began to discover their gifts, and they were often recruited as mercenaries for the three factions, though they rarely were able to be more than cannon fodder to even mid-level soldiers. So, as a final attempt to aid the humans, God began to create a final tier of Sacred Gear. These were in a class of their own, known as Longinus. The Longinus was a work-in-progress that wouldn't finish until the end of the war, but these were meant to be far superior to all other Sacred Gears, having near limitless potential if utilized correctly. Each had to be carefully crafted, so as to not overwhelm the host, be undeniably stronger than those in other tiers, and have some sort of weakness so as to not become mad with power. Powers such as Incinerate Anthem, the Chief Mourner's Crucified Stand of Purple Flame, and Sephiroth Grael, the holy grail itself, began to appear, and, while bloodshed increased on all sides, the humans were able to have an impact once more. God was satisfied that his prized creation would not be destroyed by his people's conflict.

{Line Break}

It was the dawn of the third day of the greatest battle in millennia. The war had been raged for as long as anyone could remember, but this...this was by far the bloodiest. In terms of casualties, each side had already lost in the thousands and it was far from finished. The armies were preparing to make their individual pushes, God, the remaining three devil generals, Satan, and Iblis were all participating in this conflict. Unfortunately for them all, no amount of power in the universe is mightier than fate.

Before the warriors could begin their clash, a second conflict began. Two of the mightiest dragons to have ever lived crashed near equidistant from each side. Each dragon was massive, towering over the armies in both size and power. Their roars shook the ground and sent many warriors to their knees in awe. The red dragon spewed the hottest flames in existence while the white dragon fought back with an equally powerful poison. They clawed, bit, punched, and wrestled each other, caring not about those who got in their way. In the beginning, each army did their utmost to simply avoid the warring dragons, hoping that a byproduct of their fight would weaken the enemy forces, but it was soon realized that that was not to be the case. Each side began to run out of room to retreat and would suffer extreme losses if nothing was done soon.

Forced to make a decision, God from the bible sent his fastest messengers to both the Fallen Angels and the Devils in order to establish a temporary cease-fire. While unhappy about the decision, Iblis, Satan, and his generals realized that this was a necessity and agreed to the cease-fire. The three now temporary allies had found a common enemy and began their assaults on the two dragons. This, however, would quickly prove to be far more difficult than any could imagine.

Both of these dragons were in the top 10 strongest beings in existence, widely believed to be in either third or fourth place among the list. The first dragon was a brilliant red Western dragon known as Y Ddraig Goch; the Red Dragon Emperor, the Welsh Dragon, and the Dragon of Domination. The second dragon was a shining, almost heavenly, white Western dragon known as Albion Gwiber; the White Dragon Emperor, the Vanishing Dragon, and the Dragon of Supremacy. These two dragons were collectively known as the two heavenly dragons for their sheer might and the belief that they took their supremacy and domination from God himself. While untrue, both dragons had more than earned the title and were a perfect match for each other in combat.

As the three factions attempted to slay the beasts, the dragons did their best to annoy the little insects that kept buzzing around. Unfortunately for them, those insects were capable of making very large and very sharp weapons. While most were unable to deal actual damage to the dragons, it got to the point where they decided enough was enough and turned from each other to the various insect armies, whom Ddraig had dubbed 'the ugly crows, the stupid bats, and the dumbass pelicans.'

Thus the conflict went from bad to worse, as hordes of warriors were wiped out on all sides. The leaders ordered the retreat of their respective armies and went to engage themselves, leading to a faceoff between the heavenly dragons and the coalition of God, Iblis, Satan, Lucifer, Beelzebub, and Leviathan.

The two sides battled valiantly, destruction of the likes had never been seen before. The war-torn land that had existed previously was more comparable to a peaceful, grassy meadow than what remained after their conflict. As the curtains began to close, the two dragons stood, each bathed in their own blood, against the remaining two, God and Lucifer. Iblis and Beelzebub had been struck down by Albion, while Satan and Leviathan were felled by Ddraig.

Father and son stood against the two heavenly dragons, once again driven together by conflict. As a last-ditch effort to save their people, God and Lucifer decided to combine their powers, knowingly sacrificing their lives, in order to defeat the dragons by sealing them away within God's system of Sacred Gears. Lucifer agreed to his father's plan in order to protect his people and, perhaps, as a parting gift to his father. And so they were sealed, Albion within the Longinus Divine Dividing, and Ddraig inside the Boosted Gear, sentenced to an eternity of being used as a weapon for their crimes.

Of course, this story is widely known throughout the three factions, at least to a certain degree. What is commonly taught is that God lived through the battle, though the rest of the leaders perished, and, in witnessing such might, the three factions agreed to an armistice. The higher-ups were made aware of the true story, which is of God's death, but what was unknown to perhaps every single being, whether from Heaven, Earth, or Hell, was that God didn't just seal the two dragons. He also sealed himself into a Longinus-class Sacred Gear. He decided that, as punishment for the war between himself and his children's factions, he should be subjected to a fate similar to the dragons'. An eternity sealed away within a Sacred Gear. His, however, was never awakened. No one's will was strong enough, no one's potential great enough, and no one's future bright enough to awaken him. No one, that is, until now…

An ordinary child was born to two ordinary parents, perhaps the only thing special about them was that they had an incredibly difficult time having said child. A multitude of failures finally led to this. This young boy who they named Issei Hyoudou. His father Gorou and his mother Miki were beyond thrilled with their child. They were, at last, successful and had what they always dreamed for.

Issei was truly loved by his parents and he was brought up from a young age well. He was kind, friendly, caring, and happy for most of his days. He had some friends, most could be more accurately described as acquaintances, but he was particularly close to one. A young girl who lived nearby named Irina Shidou was Issei's closest and most treasured friend; from the day they met, they were near inseparable. For three years, they did everything together. Unfortunately, that time was soon coming to an end.

One day, a few months after Issei's eighth birthday, the two were relaxing at a park in their hometown of Kuoh under the shade of a tree. Issei was splayed out on the ground while Irina rested her head on his arm. She was noticeably upset all day and Issei was getting rather worried about her, until she finally spoke up on her own.

"Hey...Issei?" she asked.

"What's up, Iri?"

"I'm...moving…" The two sat in silence for a moment before it caught up to the young boy as he shot up in surprise.

"MOVING?"

"Yeah…" Irina nodded sadly, sitting up with him. "Tomorrow...we're moving to England…"

"But...that means…" Issei whispered as he looked at his most treasured friend. "I won't get to see you anymore."

Her eyes were already wet with unshed tears as she collapsed onto her closest friend and sobbed in his embrace. "I don't want to leave!" she wept. "I want to stay here! With you!"

"I don't want you to leave either, Iri…" Issei muttered sadly, tightly hugging the girl. "Are you sure you have to go?"

Irina nodded in his shirt. "What if I never get to see you again?"

"Well then, we'll just have to make a promise," he reasoned after a brief moment of silence.

"A promise?"

"Yeah, a promise. To never forget each other. And that, someday, we'll see each other again."

"Really?" she asked.

"Yeah! And when we see each other, we'll go right back to being best friends! No matter what!" Issei declared confidently, standing up causing Irina to let out a squeak of surprise. "How about it, Iri?"

"Can we really do that? But...how do you know I'll see you again?"

"Because! I always keep my promises and I'll promise you, no matter how long it takes, I'll never forget about you and that I'll see you again! And you promise me the same thing."

"Ok!" Irina smiled and stood up, grabbing his outstretched hand.

"Well then, it's a promise!" Issei grinned.

"A promise…"

They spent the rest of that afternoon and evening making the most out of their limited time they had left, but soon, the next day came, and Issei and his parents were in the driveway of Irina's house as her parents finished loading their car.

"So...I guess this is goodbye…" Irina said sadly, unable to look Issei in the eye.

"I got something for you. As a present...before you go…" Issei pulled out a pendant from his pocket. It was a fairly simple, inexpensive pendant, holding an ornament in the center. "Open that part up."

Irina did and it showed a picture of the two of them smiling, Irina's chin on Issei's shoulder, as they gave goofy grins at the camera. "Issei…"

"I thought you might like it...something to make sure you don't forget our promise," he scratched the back of his head.

Irina just gave him a giant hug while he grinned and hugged her back. "I'll miss you, Issei."

"I'll miss you too, Iri…" With their parting words given, Irina's parents called that it was time to leave. Pulling back to leave, Irina smiled at him and quickly kissed him on the cheek before running back to her parents' car as Issei just stood there stupefied.

"Bye, Issei!" she called, waving from the window as the car pulled away, while Issei stood unmoving, instinctively waving back with one hand while touching his cheek with the other.

"So, how was your first kiss?" Gorou teased his son which seemed to snap him out of shock as his face blew up into an atomic level of red.

"DAD!" Issei shouted though he couldn't help the grin that stuck on his face for almost the entire rest of the day.

That night, everything would change for the young boy. Perhaps it was his dedication to Irina, perhaps it was his will to fulfill his promise, or perhaps it was just fate going through the motions, but a new age would begin to dawn as the most powerful Longinus to ever exist was born.

{Line Break}

After falling asleep that night, Issei began to dream. He dreamt that he was in a beautiful landscape in the clouds, a dazzling light sparkling over the land. There were none of the minor irritants that Issei usually experienced when outdoors, such as insects or an uncomfortable temperature. It was perfectly peaceful.

As he was looking around his dreamscape, something compelled him to look up behind him, so the boy turned and gazed up to meet the most dazzling sight he would perhaps ever see. What appeared to be an angel with seven pairs of glittering golden wings began to descend before him as he looked on in awe. The angel landed in front of him and pressed his palms together, smiling at the boy. He had blonde hair and green eyes, wearing royal robes like the armor of a king. Gold, white, and red trappings of power and royalty decorated his body which screamed regality.

"Hello, my child," the angel spoke. "It has been a very long time since I've been asleep."

"Whoa…" Issei exhaled. "A real angel… This is the coolest dream I've ever had."

The angel smiled back at the boy. "I'm sure it would be, but this actually isn't a dream, my child."

"...huh?" Issei asked, tilting his head confused. "But I just went to sleep and I'm looking at an angel. It's definitely a dream."

"I assure you it's not, child," he insisted, still smiling.

"Why is my dream trying to convince me it isn't a dream?" the boy wondered aloud, pondering what that meant. Of course, Issei being eight didn't understand the subconscious meanings of dreams, so, even if he was dreaming, this question would go unanswered.

"Perhaps I should explain," the angel chuckled. "First, child, what is your name?"

"Oh, my name's Issei! Issei Hyoudou! Nice to meet you!"

"The pleasure is mine, Issei. Now, Issei, tell me. Are you religious?"

"Religious? I mean, not really. I went to church with Iri a few times, but it was kinda boring. I didn't really understand that much."

The angel chuckled at the child. "Indeed. There is quite a lot to understand, but at least you know what I'm talking about. Well, child, I should properly introduce myself. You've probably heard of me before. I'm God, as written about in the Bible."

"...HUH?" Issei exclaimed. "YOU'RE GOD?"

"I am," God answered, smiling at him.

"BUT WHY AREN'T YOU SUPER OLD LOOKING?"

"I'm...sorry?"

"God's been alive, like, forever! And you look only a little older than Dad!"

"Well, I can't really age, Issei…" God scratched his head awkwardly. "So this is what I've looked like for as long as I can remember."

"I guess that makes sense," Issei nodded, sitting down. "So, if you're God, why am I dreaming about you? Wait, apparently I'm not dreaming...So, why am I not dreaming about God?"

"Well, Issei, to answer that question I need to tell you a story. Would you like to hear it?"

"I guess so," Issei shrugged. "That would be more entertaining than just sitting here I guess."

God chuckled before beginning. "A very, very long time ago, a great war began…" God proceeded to tell Issei the story of the war between the three great factions, the decision to create Sacred Gears, the decision to create Longinus, and, finally, the legendary battle that led to the sealing of the two Heavenly Dragons.

"That's so cool!" Issei shouted. "But I don't see what that has to do with you being here."

"Well, Issei, after I sealed Albion and Ddraig, my son, Lucifer, had already passed away, and I was on my dying breaths. With my last bit of power, I, too, decided to give myself the same fate that I gave them and sealed myself in a Longinus. That Longinus has never awakened before. Well, not until now."

"So, I'm the first user?"

"Indeed you are, child."

"What have you been doing all this time?"

"...Pardon?"

"Well, you sealed yourself away and you haven't come out in...how long did you say? A few thousand years? Didn't you get bored? And how come you haven't come out?"

"I...well...it's hard to explain," God scratched his head. "It is very boring I suppose, but I was waiting for a special feeling, and I haven't gotten that until I was with you. Many people have contained my Sacred Gear before, Issei. The system I developed will continuously give me to new hosts until the end of time or the end of the system, but no one has awakened me yet."

"So, why did you get a special feeling with me?" Issei asked.

"I'm rather unsure, Issei. You see, I've just been awakened, so I haven't had access to your memories yet. May I take a look?"

"Er...I guess so. I mean, you are God and all...I guess…"

"Thank you, child." God reached over and gently touched Issei's forehead. The two stood there for about a minute while he processed all of Issei's life so far. "I'm so sorry that Irina had to leave, Issei. I can tell you felt very strongly towards her."

"Yeah...it's gonna be weird not having her around," Issei said sadly. "But we made a promise to see each other again someday and to never forget each other! And that when we do see each other again, we'd go right back to being best friends!"

"Perhaps that's why I was awakened," God theorized. "Maybe it was your unbending devotion to your friend and unwavering compassion that gave me that special feeling."

"Thanks, -uh...can I call you something other than God? I feel weird calling you that," Issei admitted sheepishly.

God looked at Issei in surprise for a moment before laughing. "It's been a long time since anyone has called me anything other than 'God,' Issei! I suppose a change would be nice, wouldn't it? Alright, I suppose I'll tell you my real name. My name is actually Yahweh."

"Yahweh?"

"Yes."

"That's a really weird name…" Issei deadpanned.

"Well, remember that I first existed eons before you, Issei. Your name is just as strange to me as mine is to you. The only reason we're able to understand each other is because angels have an ability known as Universal Tongue, where they can speak and understand every language as if it were their own."

"I guess that's a good point. Wait, if you're God, that means you created just about everything, right?"

"Well, I suppose I created almost everything. There were a few things before me like Great Red and Ophis I suppose."

"So, who created you?"

"That, my dear child, is a paradoxical question that I can't answer. I believe that we should move on to something else. If I tell you how I came to be, the universe itself would implode."

"Really?"

"Really."

"I guess if the universe imploded I wouldn't be able to keep my promise to Iri...ok, I guess you don't have to tell me," Issei decided.

"Right…" God deadpanned.

"So, what does all of this mean? Am I your successor or something?" Issei asked.

"Well, my child, I believe that is up to you to decide. As a Sacred Gear, it is my duty to aid you in any way I can. While I would truly implore you to join with Heaven and try to make peace, should you decide to try and destroy the world, I can't actually stop you."

"Isn't that...you know...incredibly dangerous?"

"Yes, I suppose it is. Well, Issei, it looks like our time is up. You're about to awaken. I'd like for you to take some time to think about it. You may ask me anything you wish, I'll always be here to aid you. Decide what you want to do with your life. Do you wish to join a faction? Do you wish for power, wealth, or women? Do you wish to aid others? Think about what would make you happy, what would make your loved ones proud, and what would happen to the world should you make any decision. Remember, you have the power of the strongest Longinus of the fifteen in existence at your disposal. Once you are able to utilize it, the world will change."

"I think I understand. Thanks, Uncle Yahweh!" Issei shouted, grinning and waving to the angel as he rejoined the realm of reality.

'Uncle Yahweh, huh?' God chuckled to himself. 'This child is definitely something special.'

{Line Break}

Issei woke up to the morning sun flooding through his window. He cracked his eyes open and stretched, trying to get the stiff feeling of sleep away from him.

"That was a crazy dream I had…" Issei said to himself.

"I recall telling you that wasn't a dream, Issei," answered an amused God. "What happened to 'Uncle Yahweh?'"

'THAT WASN'T A DREAM?' Issei mentally shouted.

"Of course it wasn't. Now, you should probably get out of bed and go eat breakfast. Remember, think about what you want to do."

'Right!'

The young boy headed downstairs where his mother was already cooking.

"Good morning, Issei dear. How are you this morning?" Miki asked her son.

"Morning, mom. I'm ok. I still miss Irina, though…"

"Of course you do, honey. Maybe some breakfast will make you feel a bit better."

"Did somebody say breakfast?" Gorou asked, coming down the stairs.

"Good morning, dear."

Their standard morning chatter and pleasantries continued until they sat down to eat the meal Miki had prepared for her family when Issei decided to ask something different.

"Hey, mom? If you could change the world in any way you wanted to, what would you do?" Issei asked.

"I don't really know. Where'd this come from?" she asked curiously. He was always smart, but asking a theoretical question that tested one's goals, ethics, morality, and sense of realism was not something she particularly expected early on a Sunday morning from her eight-year-old son.

"I was just wondering, I guess. What about you, dad?"

"Hmm...I don't really know either. I'd make sure everything was safe for you and your mom, I guess," Gorou answered his son.

"That's it?"

"I think so. Maybe if I had more time to think about it I'd have a better answer, but really, what else do I need? I have you and I have your mom. As long as you two are happy and healthy, I don't really need much else."

"I see where you get it from, child. Truly wise and selfless words." God commented.

'Should I tell them you're here?' Issei mentally asked.

"That's entirely up to you. Remember, I can't make you do anything."

'Ok, well, what would you do if you were me?'

"Well, seeing as you have quite a close relationship, I think I would tell them. Should you tell them, there is always the chance that the family dynamic should change or that their knowledge of the potential danger any decision you make causes will increase by restrictions they'll place on my training of you-"

'You're going to train me?!'

"Of course, I am. What, did you think you were just magically going to become strong enough to change the world? If I'm going to make a resurgence, you will have to be very powerful. Anyway, back to what I was saying. Considering most things to do with the supernatural are rather dangerous, there is a chance they won't let you spread your wings and do as you like. However, if you don't tell them, you'll spend a long time lying to them, and, eventually, they'll notice that you stop aging while they grow old, and your actions within the supernatural could put them in harm's way."

'I guess I should tell them then…' Issei thought. 'How should I do that?'

"Well, here's what I would say…"

"Hey, mom? Dad? Do you two believe in the supernatural?" Issei asked aloud.

"Of course not, silly. What's with all the questions this morning?" Miki asked.

"I do!" Gorou announced proudly.

"You can't be serious, dear…" Miki sighed.

"Of course, I am! They have to be real! Where else would we get all these ideas and beliefs from?"

"I'm sure someone made them up. Just like everything else," reasoned Miki. "Anyway, Issei, why do you want to know?"

"Well...all of it's real," Issei said.

"Not you too…"

"That's my son!" Gorou announced proudly.

"No, listen!" he interrupted. "Last night, I had a dream. Well, it wasn't a dream, but it kind of was? It's hard to explain...anyway, while I was asleep, I met God, and he told me all about the supernatural and about these things called Sacred Gears."

"Just because you dream something doesn't make it real," Miki pointed out.

"While that is very true, in this case, it does," reasoned God.

"WHO WAS THAT?" Miki shouted.

"WHO'S IN MY HOUSE?" Gorou asked, standing up quickly. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

"Calm down!" Issei yelled, causing both to pause. "I told you, I met God while I was asleep, and he told me about Sacred Gears. Apparently, God put himself into one but hasn't ever been awakened before. Well, before last night. He woke up, so now I have his Sacred Gear. Uh, what did you say it was called again?"

"I don't think I told you, actually," Yahweh hummed. "It's known as The Heavenly Crown. I think this can be your first lesson! Imagine something very powerful, the strongest thing you can imagine. Then, think about something you desire and how you could achieve it if you had that kind of power. Finally, imagine all of that power was in a crown or a halo above your head. Don't worry too much about the details, it's only this hard the first time."

"Got it!" Issei exclaimed, while both his parents just looked at him in shock. 'Strongest thing I can imagine….what I really desire...a halo above my head…'

"Looks like you did it! Good work, Issei!"

"Really?" Issei looked above him and saw a glistening golden crown, illuminating the entire room in a heavenly light. "Awesome!"

"So...you're...uh...my son…God..." Miki babbled, before fainting in her chair.

"I was right!" Gorou said proudly. "I always knew it! Why don't we wait until your mother wakes up and we can talk about this more."

"Of course, Mr. Hyoudou. I would be glad to tell you everything you need to know," God said.

And thus, the legend of Issei Hyoudou, wielder of the Sacred Gear, The Heavenly Crown, was born.