I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Empty and without any sign of his previous home. That was what he found once he, Sirzechs, and Tiamat arrived at his previous home. Issei looked around the area and found nothing except for the selling sign.
"My home…" Issei held the tears back as he came to terms with the disappearance of his childhood home.
The fire had consumed everything and left nothing behind. As expected after such a tragedy in which there was nobody to claim the pieces left behind, the house wasn't rebuilt nor it was easy to sell the site to a new customer looking to build a home.
"As I said before, if you want it, I will make arrangements to buy the land and even make a house for you. Is the least I can do since I don't possess the power to bring back the dead." Sirzechs said.
"Do it but I'll pay for everything. This place was once his home and now it can become our home." Tiamat approaches Issei and pats his head. "Do you want that?"
But Issei was too distraught to even answer. His mind was lock into the memories of what he had lost. His body moved by itself as he tried to imagine the old house.
Tiamat and Sirzechs saw this. Neither dared to stop him because they could only imagine the pain he was feeling.
"Issei come here. Dinner is ready."
"Issei wanna go outside and play in the park with your old man?"
"Happy birthday Issei."
"Good job son. You passed the test with such a good grade."
"Issei, Irina is here! Come down to play with her."
Their voices, the memories he had with them; his mind was replaying them like a recorded movie in front of him. He tried his hardest not to cry but the feelings and emotions of a dragon were too strong. "I..."
Tiamat approaches him from behind and embraces him. "Is ok. Let it all out. Cry if you want to cry. Don't hold them back. Embrace all of them and accept that what cannot be brought back. I'll be right next to you. We are dragons and extreme emotions are part of our natures."
Issei let go of all restraints. The tears began to come out but not a single sound came from his mouth. A blazing aura formed around them. A mix of crimson and deep blue fire consumes both of their bodies.
Sirzechs stood in silence. "Putting a barrier around the area was the best option. I doubt that humans wouldn't have found us if I didn't set it up as zoom as we came here. This is a true tragedy there is no doubt in that but thanks to it a bright path has begun to take shape before you, young Welsh Dragon. You're not longer the Red Dragon Emperor, you're The Two-Headed Red Dragon of Chaos. I hope that our association continues to grow strong over the ages." Sirzechs fear his power but he also saw hope in the child that Tiamat was so attached to.
His display of power against Grigori, the mercy he showed towards Azazel, and the fact that he completely ignored his former rival Albion were all signs that further increase his desire to form a strong alliance with such a being.
"The time for war is gone but having an ally like you is a plus that anyone would want. I'll make sure to never betray you so please support us for as long as we are alive." Sirzechs thought.
Not too far from there, Ophis.
She had felt his power and she had seen what had taken place in the underworld with Azazel. Now she had seen the emotive moment between him and Tiamat.
"Great Red really knows how to play matchmaker but that is of no interest to me. You have achieved my initial expectations Ddraig but I know that you can grow even more. So, our reunion needs to be delayed. My eyes are on you at all times. Keep growing stronger until we meet." Ophis said before leaving the area without being seen or felt by nobody.
Sometime later, cemetery.
Words didn't need to be said. They had reached the tomb of the family and the atmosphere surrounding them suck all of the joy they could ever have.
"Here lies Miki, Gorou and Issei Hyoudou. A wonderful family that was taken away far too early."
Issei read the inscription before he put his hand on the tomb.
Around the tomb, there were many flowers and gifts. Letters from his childhood friend and even some toys left for him. Many letters were also left and he remembered all of the names on them but of all the letters one specific one caught his attention.
"Issei, I know you aren't dead. You could never die and leave me alone in this world so I will find you. I don't know what happened that night but I know that you can't be dead. I don't care how long I need to search for you or how far I need to go but I'm going to find you even if it takes me the rest of my life. If you ever read this letter please meet me at the tree in the park on this date and time. I promise to come and wait the whole day so please come to that place. Remember that I love you with all of my heart." -Irina.
There was a date and time written down. It was at least 9 years from now. She didn't write her location or any clues that could tell him where to look for her.
"Irina," Issei said after reading the letter.
Tiamat approaches him from the back after hearing the name. "Is that a friend of yours?"
Issei gave her the letter.
Tiamat started to read. After a few moments, she smiles. "She really cares about you if she's the only one that believes that you are alive. Remembered what I said about the harem? This is why I said it. Is not weird for a male dragon to end up with many mates. Call it fate or just some weird coincidence but more than once a male dragon ends up surrounded by many females. Great Red is the only exception due to obvious reasons but you're not in the same position. You're no longer trapped inside of the booster gear and it's already starting to happen. First me, then you got a fallen angel maid (in the works), and now your childhood friend confessed her loved for you. She loves you although I don't know how she is going to react once she discovers that you're no longer human or the whole unification of souls." Her tone is a cheerful one.
"Why are you so ok with this? Shouldn't you be afraid of other females trying to take me away from you?" Issei asks as he turns to see her.
Then he freezes after seeing her face. Tears were running down her cheeks.
"I'm not fine but I knew it was bound to happen. I have been chasing you for centuries and always feared that someone else was going to take the first step before me. You're one of the strongest males and females will be drawn to you. I have been preparing myself because I know I can't stop this. Ddraig, Issei, you can and will develop feelings for others but I want you to keep me always as the first person in your heart. I will accept and adapt to having more females around you but please don't start to ignore me or let our connection disappear." She holds his hand as she awaits her mate's answer.
Issei and Ddraig are shocked by her words. They didn't expect her to be so scared of other females getting close to him. "She just keeps surprising us." The boy sights before he closes the distance between them. A simple kiss on her forehead. "I appreciate your sincerity. I told you once that I'm inexperienced with all things related to romance but I promise you that will always be the first. The first wife, the first time, the first mother, and always the one that is the closest to me. If you ever feel that I'm failing as your mate let me know and I will do what is necessary to make you happy." He smiles before he drags her closer to the tomb. "Mom, Dad, this is Tiamat. She is my first wife and mate. I might still be only eight years old but I want you two to know that I'm going to be ok with her. Please rest in peace and enjoy a peaceful afterlife."
Tiamat blushes after hearing his words. As a dragon, her emotions were far stronger than those of other beings which led to her being unable to hold the tears back.
Sirzechs watch the scene feeling joy and a little jealously. "Grayfia why can't I say things like that when you're working? I want to demonstrate my love for you without any reservations!"
The hopeless satan thought while faking a smile.
Meanwhile, back in the Gregory household.
Grayfia felt a disturbance but she quickly shut it down after refocusing on her task. A rolled-up newspaper was held on each hand while Raynare walks away from her. Fear was the only thing in Raynare's eyes.
"You can't do this to me. I'm Raynare, one of the strongest fallen angels following Azazel-sama. I don't care what that asshole said. I am not a maid or a servant!" Raynare said although she was shaking in fear. She knew who Grayfia was, the legends about her had to reach Grigori and even Azazel had said that all the myths about her were true.
The ice queen and the strongest queen in all of the Underworld, Grayfia Lucifuge is also known as the head maid of the Gregory household.
"Shit, shit, shit! How can't I escape this situation?" Raynare thought as she looks around. She had been forced to change into a black French maid uniform by Grayfia but she wasn't going to give in and follow the sick plans that the Welsh Dragon and Azazel had for her.
"Raynare you can't escape from me. I asked the Welsh Dragon for one week to make you into a perfect maid and I will succeed. He will not leave the Underworld with a careless fallen angel incapable of taking care of his needs." Grayfia said.
"Are you insane? Do you really think I will give in?" Raynare replied.
"I will succeed with your training. Tiamat is busy with her job and is unable to follow him at the moment but you will take care of him in her absence. I will make sure you do." Grayfia said before she cut the distance between them. "Your training begins now."
Smack!
The screams of Raynare were heard all around the household but nobody had the guts to help the poor fallen angel. Grayfia was feared by everyone and when it came to her tasks as a head maid, she was unstoppable.
Like that the days within the Gremory house continued to advance until a certain event took place that led to the meeting of two nekomatas, Rias and the Welsh Dragon.
Three days later, after breakfast.
Issei was dragged around the gardens of the house by Rias. The girl was so interested in him that she had taken any chance she had to make him play with her.
"Come on Issei. I wanna see who is faster at flying." Rias said before making her wings appeared. Her black wings were smaller than those of adults.
Issei just sights before offering her a smile. "You realize that I'm the Welsh Dragon. I have more experience flying than you." Issei summons his four wings. A pair of red-feathered wings and another pair of draconic red wings. The wings also had a few pieces of armor that server to protect them.
"I know but I wanna give it a try regardless of that. So, chase me down." Rias starts to fly into the sky.
Issei laughs at himself for allowing a girl like Rias to get him involved in her plans. "She might be nine but I'm still the Welsh Dragon." Issei flaps his wings a few times before shooting into the sky.
Rias sees him approaching her and starts to fly away. "Your eyes have regained some life. I don't know what happened but I'm happy that you're better now than three days ago." She increases her speed and begins to try to lose the dragon chasing after her.
Issei is fast and she knows it but she still tries her best. She turns, drops down, and even tries to lose him within the clouds but Issei doesn't let go.
"You can try but we know the result," Issei says before he disappears from her sight.
Rias looks around but she doesn't see him. She tries to sense his power but that doesn't work either.
"You are still young." Rias hears his voice behind her but he's not there when she turns.
"You have the right mindset. Never fear any opponent even if that opponent is stronger than you." Rias turns again but the result is the same.
"But you also should always remember your limits." Rias heard the mixed voice of Issei and Ddraig right next to her right ear before she felt a pat on her head. "You lose but also remember that limits can be broken."
Rias looks at him and his draconic eyes make her heartbeat even faster. "Your voice, are you really going to fuse into one being?"
"That's the goal. We are sharing a body and our minds are almost one."
"Aren't you afraid of stop being yourself? What if the Issei I know disappears? What if Ddraig is the one that ends up biting the dust?" Rias didn't fully understand the need for the unification or the events that led to all of this but she had begun to fear the possibility of one soul erasing the other.
The boy smiles. "That won't happen. We already shared memories, feelings, and ideas. The voice changes will stop one day but regardless of which is the voice you hear after that, we are still going to be the same. Ddraig, Issei, the name and the voice won't really matter. What matters is that we still going to the same Welsh Dragon that you meet three days ago. So, don't stress yourself out." His eyes turn lighter and less draconic. "Because I'm still the same."
He pats her head once more and sees a smile forming on her face. He also notices a small blush.
"So even ten years from now you will still be my friend and ally?" Rias asks.
"If you never betray me and continue to consider me as your friend, I will always help you and support you," Issei says.
"Then become part of my peerage." Rias summons a pawn from her evil pieces. "I really want you to stay with me. Not just because you're strong or the fact that you're the Welsh Dragon but because I believe I can entrust my life to you. Will you take this piece and become the first member of my peerage?"
Issei looks at the piece for a moment before he says something. "I can't do that. You know what I am. Just one piece won't be enough and I have plans of my own. I can't be with you forever."
Rias lowers her head and her face saddens. "But I don't know if I'm going to find someone that I can trust as I do with you."
"You will. There are many humans, creatures, and other beings that can join your peerage. You just have to go out and look for them. Let's do this." Issei grabs the pawn piece in his hand. "If you ever found yourself in trouble and even your whole peerage is not enough this piece will serve as a way to let me know that you're in trouble. No matter the place or the time and I will keep it with me at all times just to make sure that I'm always connected to you. I'm the first member of your peerage although not officially so smile for me, my king."
Rias's eyes shine even brighter after hearing those words. Her body moves on her own and before long she begins to hug him. "Thank you, Issei! Thank you so much!" She even gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Issei looks at the piece once more before he puts it away in his pocket dimension. He had read all about the evil pieces and the system Ajuka had put in place. He also knew that Tiamat works as a referee for ranking games.
"Don't join any peerage. You have been blessed with the powers of Great Red, Ophis and you're a released heavenly dragon. Ajuka has talked to me about how dangerous it would be if someone used an evil piece on you. If you absorbed an evil piece it can lead to all the other pieces in the set being affected in ways we can't even imagine. It could also lead to the death of the owner of the set and the other peerage members so please don't do something stupid." Tiamat said just before she left the day before.
Ajuka was the creator of the evil pieces and if he advises against it there had to be a reason for it. He didn't have any intention of messing with the evil pieces but because Rias was being so sincere and approachable, he was willing to entertain her desire.
Their small private moment was then shot down by the appearance of one butler. "Mr. Welsh, Sirzechs-sama is asking for your presence." The butler says as he bows.
Rias separates from Issei. "Nii-sama needs you. Let's go."
"My lady he only- "But the butler was shot down by Rias.
"I want to know why Nii-sama needs Issei. He is not a devil and is a guest of our family." Rias says. She wanted to show Issei that she wasn't just the princess of the family but also a devil capable of making her own decisions.
Issei laughs. "Let's go then. Let's see what your brother has to say."
Moments later, Sirzechs office.
"Rias. I love you but this is a private affair." Sirzechs says.
"You promise that you wouldn't ask him anything," Rias replies.
"This is a troublesome case and all of the agents I have sent have been unable to resolve the issue." Sirzechs continues. "Ddraig, I know you owe me nothing but I want to prevent more lost lives. I need you because I trust your abilities."
The boy was sitting down on one of the chairs. He had been hearing the whole discussion between siblings for at least 10 minutes and he was still unsure what all of this was about. "First tell me everything we know."
"Rias." Sirzechs tries but.
"No. I will not leave." Rias says.
Sirzechs sights in desperation before giving up. "Is a stray devil case. A nekomata to be precise. She killed her master and ran away. We have been chasing her for a week and the last team came back severely injured. She has a sister but she has given us no kind of information. We only know that she killed her master and ran away. We have tracked her down to a specific area but she is getting close to leaving the underworld. I need you to capture her so that we can figure out what happened."
"So, no killing her?" Ddraig asks.
"No. I have learned that there is more than just simple killing. That nekomata has a sister and doing something like killing her master without a reason is no something I can believe. If she escapes, the blame will fall on her sister. The other devils will consider her as guilty as her. She will be marked and very possibly nobody will take her into their family. I need answers so that I can figure out what happened." Sirzechs explains.
"Where is the younger sister?" Ddraig stands up after taking a choice. "I need to see her myself."
"Are you going to do it?" Rias asks.
"Maybe. I just want to talk to the younger one before I do anything. Also, tell me their names." Ddraig says.
"The younger sister is called Shirone, she is one of the cells below the city. The older one is called Kuroka, her location is- "
"I don't need her location. The younger sister is enough. If I'm doing this, I want full freedom to act and also expect me to ask for some sort of payment at the end. This wasn't a part of our agreement so don't expect me to do it for the sake of goodwill." Ddraig looks at the red-headed satan.
"I understand. Just bring her alive and we can figure the payment after that. Thank you for your collaboration." Sirzechs nods.
"I'm also taking Rias with me." Ddraig looks at the princess of the Gremory family. "You want a peerage but you also need to understand what makes a follower turn against their leader. Follow my orders at all moments."
Rias looks at him completely surprised. She didn't expect that he was going to bring her along without her even asking. "Let's do this."
Sirzechs doesn't say anything against him. He found the suggestion very thoughtful. "This will certainly be a helpful experience for her."
Sometime later.
While the surface of the city looked quite good and descent, the area below was a whole different affair. The place was dark, full of cells with hundredths of prisoners. Some were stray devils awaiting a trial, others were prisoners from the previous war and some were enemies of the devils that had lost the fight but instead of getting killed had been brought down here as a way of punishment.
Ddraig and Rias walked through the halls while following one of the guards.
Rias had never seen this place, and the inmates' screams were pushing her to never come back.
"Here she is." The guard says as he stops in front of one of the cells.
"Open it. We're taking her out." Ddraig says.
The guard nods. He had been given direct orders to let him do whatever he wanted so he was going to follow then.
The door is opened and Ddraig walks inside. There is no light but he can see a young cat girl sitting down in one corner while hugging her legs. Her white hair, tail, and ears were beautiful although the dirt of the cell had tainted their purity. Her blue lolita dress was in shreds for some reason he didn't know about. A cat-shaped hairclip adorned her hair.
"Shirone." Knowing that his voice would be not the best for the situation Ddraig switches places with Issei.
The nekomata doesn't react to her name.
Issei approaches the girl and grabs one of her hands before she scratches him but he doesn't feel a single drop of paint. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to take you to your sister so that we can figure out why she did what she did. I know you have many questions and you don't really trust me but I assure you that I'm not against you or her."
Shirone lifts her head and looks into his eyes. Her heart stops for a second after realizing what he was. "A dragon?"
"Yes. I'm the Welsh Dragon. My name is Issei but you can also call me Ddraig if that is your desire. Please come with me before is too late. Your sister is about to leave the underworld and once she does that there is no coming back. I'm not going to hurt her or you so please cooperate with me." Issei says.
"She killed him. There was so much blood." Shirone shivers after remembering what she saw.
"But what else do you remember. Was she the one who did this to your dress?" Issei asks.
"No… I can't remember. There was a green liquid on the floor and weird equipment around the room." Shirone says in a low voice. She was confused and scared.
"Are you afraid of her?"
"I don't know. I can only remember her on top of her master's body. She didn't say anything and just ran away." Shirone admits. She grabs her head and her eyes twitch uncontrollably after remembering that scene.
Issei pats her head. "Is ok. We can figure this out by asking her. Take my hand and I promise to help both of you."
Shirone sees his smile and the sincerity behind those eyes. His aura was so strong but she didn't feel scared of him. His eyes showed her something that the rest of the devils that had approached her lacked, true pain. The pain of losing something dear to them. Shirone felt that he was truly going to help her figure out what had really happened so she grabbed his hand.
"Good," Issei says as he leads her out of the cell.
Rias sees the state of Shirone and covers her mouth. "How? Who did this to her?" She looks at the guard. "Who was it?"
"Nobody, my lady. She was found like this at the scene of the crime. She didn't talk much or gave us any information. She also scratched a few of the agents that brought her here. Sirzechs-sama wasn't the one who gave the order to bring her here either." The guard admits.
"Then who?" Issei asks.
"You didn't hear it from me but it was the old heads of the other families. They are angry at the fact that a pure devil was killed by a reincarnated devil. They are asking for the older sister to be executed on the spot but Sirzechs-sama has denied the order. He wants her alive for questioning. There are rumors that surround the family of the former master of these sisters." The guard explains.
"What rumors?" Rias asks.
"Experiments and many of them. The Nebiros house dislikes the Four Great Satans especially those that are called super devils. They fear the power that Sirzechs-sama and Ajuka-sama hold. Super-devils or that's the name they have been given after the war. One of my sisters used to work for the house as a maid and she told me many stories. Disappearances, deaths, and atrocious experiments in which the maids had to clean the remains afterward but they are just rumors thus why I can't just tell the higher-ups about them." The guard explains.
"You should. Go to Sirzechs and tell him I send you. Tell him everything about these rumors. We may have more problems in our hands than just a simple stray devil case. Shirone she is Rias and she is going to follow us to where your sister is at." Issei says after dismissing the guard.
Shirone looks at the redhead and bows to her.
"You don't have to do that. I'm not your master nor do I care about my status that much. Just call me by my name and it will be enough." Rias says before smiling at her.
Shirone shakes a little bit due to the cold temperature of the area.
Issei grabs a cape from his pocket dimension and puts it around Shirone. "Now let's go and meet your sister."
"How are we going to find her?" Rias asks.
Issei signals his nose. "They are nekomata sisters so their smells must be similar and I can still detect a little foreign smell on her clothes as well. How do you think dragons find a treasure? We find a smell that can attract our attention and we look for it until we find it."
Rias seems surprised by the revelation. She didn't know that much about dragons and although Tannin was an ally of the Four Great Satans he wasn't an open book. Dragons were still a mystery to most devils, fallen angels, and even angels.
Shirone looks at the pair with hope in her eyes. Hope to figure out what had happened and why she couldn't remember everything that happened.
Sometime later.
The trio descended towards some ruins with Issei carrying Shirone in his arms. They had met a group of Sirzechs agents on the way to their location who had confirmed that Kuroka was seen in the area. Now the rest was up to them.
"So, what do we do now?" Rias asks.
"Leave it to me," Issei says before he roars with all of his strength.
Shirone and Rias are forced to cover their ears due to the high frequency of the roar.
"Why did you do that?" Rias asks after Issei was done.
"I can smell her and I can even detect her power. She can feel my power and that roar was a way of telling her that there is nowhere to run." He turns to Shirone. "No, I'm not going to attack her."
Shirone nods.
Not even a second later a girl appears on top of a broken column. Her black cat ears and two tails were enough to confirm her identity. She was wearing a black kimono that was still stained with blood. She was tall but she was only eleven years old.
"Sister…" Shirone says but her eyes twitch in fear after she sees her kimono. The blood, the memories; all of this leads to her scream.
"Shirone!" Kuroka jumps ready to attack Issei, but he just releases more of his power, forcing Kuroka to stop on her tracks and drop to the floor. Her eyes open like an animal that is about to be hit by a moving car.
"Kuroka I'm not here to fight. Your sister needs you so hide the claws and focus on her." Issei says.
"Why should I believe you? How can I trust any devil after what I been through? After what he tried to do to her?" She watches him with anger and although Issei was far stronger than her she wasn't ready to give up that easily.
"First I'm no devil and second because you still have her. You still have a sister that needs you. A sister that is confused and scared. She needs answers and if you escape now you might not be able to repair the damage you might cause to her. I will help you because I promised to help both of you to her. So, stop attacking and think about her." Issei lowers his power and prevents Shirone from falling to the floor.
Kuroka looks at her sister. The pain on her face, the tears running down her eyes. She's angry that the boy is right. Kuroka hides her claws and goes to hug Shirone. "Is ok Shirone. I'm here now. I'm sorry for leaving you behind."
"Nee-san, why does it hurt so much? What happened that day? Why did you kill him? Why did you run away?" Shirone asks as the tears increase.
Kuroka is hurt even more after seeing her sister state. "You need to focus. You need to remember and I will give them back to you." Kuroka touches Shirone forehead and a small light appears before she falls unconscious.
"What did you do?" Rias asks.
"A lot happened that day and one of the things I did was sealing most of her memories of what happened for her sake. But it seems that it's causing her more pain than good. I just release those memories and now she is going to relive all of them from scratch." Kuroka puts Shirone down on the floor and then looks at the pair. "I will tell you all that happened to us so that you may understand."
Issei and Rias nod before taking a seat.
"Our mom fell in love with the worst possible man she could ever find. He was a researcher for the Nebiros family. He never acknowledged any of us as his daughters but our mom was obsessed with him. They died during one of his research experiments and left me and Shirone on our own. No home, no place to return; we were left with no options until a certain man approached us. He was my old master and he offered me a chance to give Shirone a better life. In exchange for joining his peerage, I was able to give Shirone a better life but it also cost me a hefty price. My old master and his family are obsessed with the creation of a super devil and for that goal, he was willing to force his peerage to endured insane experiments." Kuroka said.
Issei and Rias felt their stomachs taking a turn for the worst after hearing from a first-hand source that the experiments were real.
"As you might expect, I was forced to participate in those experiments as well like the rest of the peerage. Everyone else died but I survived. I experienced an insane amount of pain for the sake of that bastard's ambition and in the end, he got what he wanted. I became the first subject to successfully reach a higher level of strength and this also meant that I was closer to the final product he wanted. The process was horrendous, I cried, screamed, and even wished for the sweet release of death but I still survived. The bastard was happy and very excited about it but I asked him one simple thing."
"Not to do the same to her," Issei said after connecting the dots.
Kuroka nodded. "Yes. He promised me that Shirone was going to be left alone but he lied to me. That day I found him in the lab already putting her through the same hell I had endured. He had forced her into one of the test tanks and was forcing her to that insane procedure. After I saw that, I just lost control. I killed him in cold blood and rescued Shirone from the tank. She had experienced just the initial part of the procedure but I could tell that she had experienced an insane amount of pain. I didn't know what else to do so I acted in the heat of the moment. I seal those memories but when she opened her eyes and saw me, she entered into shock. She asked me questions and saw me in a whole different way. I was a monster in her eyes and I couldn't take it so I ran. I knew that everyone would come for me after they found the body so I was ready to leave the underworld behind."
"What were you going to do after that?" Issei asks. He was curious about what sort of plan someone like her was going to have after escaping the underworld.
"I don't know. I just needed to survive first before I could choose how to proceed after that. I'm eleven and not a super genius. I have been taking many choices in the heat of the moment without thinking in the aftermath." Kuroka admits.
Rias was left speechless while Issei was thinking. The story of Kuroka was something he couldn't easily ignore nor could he remove himself from the equation after hearing all of this. These two sisters were trying to survive after losing all support and he couldn't ignore their obvious need for help. "Kuroka you might not know me but I can help you to get out of this insane situation. Even if I bring you back and you tell Sirzechs everything you know the other families associated with the Nebiros will still try their hardest to get your head. I also imagined that you can't trust devils easily after all this but I ask you that you trust me. I'm the Welsh Dragon and the Two-Headed Red Dragon of Chaos if you entrust me your life and that of your sister, I assured you that everything will be fine."
Kuroka looks at him with doubt but her attention is quickly drawn to Shirone.
She opens her eyes and begins to sit up.
"Shirone are you ok? Do you remember everything now?" Kuroka asks.
Shirone starts to cry uncontrollably. Her mind was full of pain and the memories of that event. She wanted to talk but her body was shivering in fear after remembering everything that happened.
Kuroka can only hug her. She couldn't protect her sister from that bastard and now she was almost in pieces. Then things turn even worst.
Shirone started to cough blood.
"Shirone?" Kuroka saw the blood and her mind started to fear the worst. "What is this?"
The coughing increased and then she started to lose consciousness. Her breathing becomes more erratic.
"Shirone? Shirone? Please don't close your eyes." Kuroka said.
"Issei what is happening?" Rias asked.
"Kuroka you said that she had experienced the initial part of the procedure," Issei said as he looks at the white-haired girl.
Kuroka goes silent as she connects the dots. "No. Not her! Not my sister!"
Issei hears how her heartbeat starts to decrease. "That fucking bastard! He knew that the process was meant for a devil and he still forced a nekomata to endure this insane process. Although it was only the initial part its effects must have been slowly developing since that day." Issei thinks about what to do and then he makes a choice he didn't want to make after hearing the story of the sisters. "Rias, the evil pieces. Now!"
Rias looks at him and then she understands what he is planning to do.
Kuroka sees what Rias is doing and she connects the dots. She wasn't happy about this but she didn't know any other way out. "Do it. Please save her."
Rias nods and takes out a rook piece. "I hope this works!"
Times seem to slow down for everyone as Rias forces the piece into Shirone's chest. Everyone stops breathing as the rebirth process starts to take place.
A few moments go by in which nobody says or does anything until Shirone starts breathing normally.
Issei sighs and watches how Kuroka breaks into tears while holding Shirone in her arms. Rias drops next to him and just rests her head on his arm. They had overcome a catastrophe by a small margin. If he had not brought Rias or Shirone the result would have been completely different.
Sometime later, Sirzechs office.
Kuroka had told him everything and Sirzechs was now deep in thought. This whole thing had him burning with rage but he needed to stay calm at least for now. He had the nekomata sisters, Issei and Rias in front of him but he didn't know how to proceed.
"So, let me just go over this. You used one of your pieces on her to save her life." Sirzechs looks at the group.
"Yes. Issei was the one that had the initial idea." Rias explained.
"And you are ok with your sister being part of my sister's peerage?" Sirzechs looks at Kuroka.
"I had no other way to save her at the moment. I'm not a fan but I still appreciate the actions of both Rias and Issei." Kuroka says.
"What about you? Are you feeling ok? You were close to dying." Sirzechs turns to Shirone.
Shirone nods and doesn't say a word. She was feeling shy in front of Sirzechs. She knew who he was and didn't know how the others were talking to him so easily.
Sirzechs felt a little bit hurt by the fact that the girl still didn't want to talk to him. "I appreciate the information and you can rest assure that I will take care of the Nebiros house personally. The guard you sent told me the rumors and now that Kuroka confirms it I will take care of the rest. On another note, as you might expect the other families will ask for some kind of punishment for Kuroka. A rebirthed devil killing a pure devil is a crime that many families condemn with execution and even if I set you free, they are going to send someone to do it for them instead."
"I have a way to solve that," Issei says. "I asked for a payment for this job so I going to take Kuroka as the payment."
"What?" Everyone asks as they look at him.
"I'm the Welsh Dragon and I doubt any assassin is going to have the balls to come for you if you're with me. Shirone is going to stay with Rias and you can come with me. So Kuroka, I ask you this: Will you follow me as a member of my group?" Issei looks at her.
She was in complete shock. She couldn't understand this boy and she didn't know what to say but then she finds her voice. "Why are you doing all of this for me? I don't know you."
The Welsh Dragon smiles. "I sympathize with you two. You have been trying to survive for so long and life has been hard for the two of you. You lost everything and were forced into situations you didn't ask for. I was once human and lost all that was precious to me. I know what's true pain and I can understand you more than any other person. I don't claim to be a messiah but I know that I can help you. So please entrust your life to me. I'll make sure that you never had to fear for you or your sister's life. I'll make sure that you enjoy an actual life. No secret plans that might put your life at risk. No painful procedures. I will not betray your trust and as long as you're with me I'll make sure you're safe."
Kuroka was incapable of looking away. Her eyes were fixed on him and she couldn't believe she was believing every single one of his words. Her heart was beating so fast that she didn't know how to make it stop. "I…I... I..." The words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She was blushing more and more until her body gave in. She grabs his head and kisses him. Is a short and simple one but the effects are massive. "You better take care of me like you claim you do."
Rias and Shirone were blushing even worse than Kuroka while Sirzechs was applauding.
"That makes two. I'm sure Tiamat is going to have a blast will all of this when she learns about it." The red-headed devil said.
Issei didn't say anything. His mind had shut down after receiving the kiss. "That wasn't my intention! What the hell is all this? I ask her to follow me not to kiss me. Why did she kiss me? Tiamat!"
Fate had a funny way when it came to male dragons and love.
Meanwhile, Grigori
Vali couldn't stop hearing his voice.
"Why did he say that?"
"Did our rivalry mean nothing to him?"
"How long was he thinking like that?"
"Is he really going to stop facing me?"
"I'm not longer his equal?"
"Where did all go wrong?"
Albion wasn't having a great time after hearing Ddraig's message. The rivalry they had became too important for him. He had enjoyed every single fight with him since the first and now that Ddraig had said all that his world has come crashing down.
A void had begun to form deep within Albion and Vali didn't know what to do.
The continuous thoughts of Albion became unbearable and Vali wasn't enjoying any of it. So, she asked the only person she trusted enough to ask for help.
"Azazel?"
"Yes, my dear?" Azazel turned his sight towards her.
"I need to meet him."
"Who?"
"I need to meet Ddraig in person. He might be the only one who can help me with Albion." Vali had chosen for the sake of her mental health.