Part 2 of Asia's arc.

MANTRA

Asia sat on the white pool chair and took her time to relax. The sun was bright, so she wore her pink sunglasses to protect her eyes. Issei had been kind enough to offer to put sunscreen on her so she wouldn't burn. Since her skin was very pale, she would burn easily. Her husband was sitting next to her on another chair and rubbing her swollen belly with his hands.

"Oooohh." Asia moaned as she felt his hands peruse her body's design. It was all so relaxing.

"You really like that don't you?" Issei chuckled as he continued to apply the lotion.

"Mmhmm." She nodded slowly.

After a little while the two got in the pool and played with the kids. Of course, Asia couldn't do too much, or she could cause problems. So, she just waded around or floated. Every few minutes or so, Ellie would call out to her to come push the float they were on.

The sun wasn't too hot, but it was enough to make the kids sleepy, so after a while, they got out and dried off.

Issei and Asia were sitting on the pool deck when she was reminded of something.

"Issei?"

"Yea?"

"What's the next clue?"

"Oh, that." He stood and pulled a black box out of Rias' bag. He handed it to her and stepped back so he could read over her shoulder.

"This is the last one Asia. The last clue to end this game. To have you quit now, would certainly be a shame. We all know that home is where the heart is, but that's not all. You have family elsewhere that loves you as well. The Underworld awaits, to Sirzechs' manor we must go. A party for the baby and you Asia Argento Hyoudou."

Asia's eyes began to water as she read over the note again. Issei hugged her from behind and kissed her neck.

"Happy birthday Asia. I love you so very much." He helped her up and held her close for a few minutes. After a little more time passed, they left to go home. They had to put the cars up before they went to the Underworld.

As they got home, Asia sat in the car a bit longer. When Issei asked her what was up, she just told him that she was thinking for a minute. In truth, she had seen something that Issei hadn't caught. Although his senses were powerful, he missed a looming figure that had been waiting for them to return.

She stepped carefully out of the car and called out the figure. "Who are you?"

"I can't believe you noticed me. It's hard to fool a Dragon so I figured you would have missed me too." A disturbing voice called out from the shadows.

"What do you want?"

"Isn't that obvious? I want to take you, and make the Red Dragon suffer. Although, junior there would be an issue."

"Issei beat you once, he can do it again." Asia tried to sound brave, but her resolve was faltering a bit. Cao Cao was not one to tread lightly.

"Keep spitting that mantra, Mrs. Asia. I'll cut you a deal. Come with me without a fuss, and I will make sure that your child will be treated with care while they grow and are outside in the world." The Longinus wielder took another step and got a bit closer to her. "I promise that neither you nor your child will suffer. He's my target, not you."

The sound of an Aprilla Tuono RSV came screaming into the driveway. Xenovia saw the monster she once battled stand in front of her friend. "Get away from her!" She shouted as she pulled Ex-Durandal out of its dimensional gate.

"The knight. I remember you. The proud knight of Rias Gremory and wielder of Durandal."

"I am the knight of Issei Hyoudou you bastard! And it's Ex-Durandal!" Xenovia slashed up but was blocked by Cao Cao's Holy Spear.

Cao Cao spun and jabbed at the knight to try and fend her off. "Stay out of this. This fight is for the Red Dragon, not a lowly knight."

Whilst Cao Cao resumed his battle with Xenovia, Asia shot a text to Issei telling him to come back. She didn't want to leave her friend in case she needed help.

"I will not let you take Asia away. She's family." Xenovia continued to make no headway in the battle as Cao Cao was too fast. Even though his spear should be less effective in close quarters, he was winning. A door in the garage opened to reveal a man standing there. "Kiba?"

"So, the legendary Cao Cao has come back. Where have you been anyway?" Kiba walked calmly towards his opponent and drew his holy demon blade.

"I've been training with Ophis for this moment since we last spoke." The spearman boasted smugly.

"No you haven't. Ophis has been living here for almost a year. She's rarely even left her room much less this house." Kiba engaged his opponent with his dark blade while Xenovia charged his backside.

"What about you? Have you joined the Red Dragon as well?" Cao Cao asked as he ducked Ex-Durandal and countered with the handle of the great spear.

"No, I owe my life to Rias Gremory. However, I also owe it to Issei to protect his family, so I've moved in to be a protector. A guardian." The blonde knight was soon out of sight in the large lawn. His upgraded speed left it so that no mere human could see him. As he darted around, he waited for his opening.

It was at that moment that Xenovia decided to charge again. "Forget I was here?!"

The cocky Longinus wielder spun on his heel and caught her blade above his head. "Of course not. I just feel you aren't worthy of my full attenti-" He felt something bounce off of his head. Nothing hard, but enough to catch his gaze. "What was that?"

"Leave us alone!" Asia cried out as she threw her other shoe at him. Needless to say, he dodged it.

That was what Kiba was waiting for, a moment of distraction. "Gotcha." He charged and landed a small cut on Cao Cao's left leg. He would have liberated the leg from its socket, but the Hero Faction leader turned in time.

"Why you!" Cao Cao was losing his signature level headedness. Had it not been for the loss of his eye during his last bout with Issei and Sun Wukong, he would've dodged the attack all together. The rage at that memory destroyed his calm nature. He was getting reckless. "Fine, wanna play dirty? We can play dirty." Without warning, he extended his spear towards the garage. Straight at Asia's midsection. She waited for the pain of losing her child and most likely her life, but it never came.

When she opened her eyes, she found the tip of the spear was imbedded about 6 inches deep in the torso of one Issei Hyoudou. A crimson gauntlet wrapped around her waist. "That's enough." Came his strangled voice as he held the spear that almost murdered his wife and unborn child. "Are you hurt Asia?"

"N-No, thanks to you." She held on to his side and hugged him. "You saved me again." Tears fell once she realized where he was standing. "Why did you jump in front of me?" She instantly started Twilight healing, although she started to feel weak.

Rias was soon outside finding the commotion to be annoying. "What the Hell is going on out here?" She then saw her husband falling to his knees with the True Longinus sticking out of his chest.

"Ah, the Ruin Princess." Cao Cao bowed to her sarcastically before standing straight. "Last time we met, you were a little less clothed."

"Issei." She whispered as she approached him.

"Hey Rias. What's up?" Blood came from his mouth as he coughed.

Rias wiped her hand across his face and held his hand with her free hand. "Why did you take that spear?" She was crying at this point.

"N-No choice. Asia was in danger." His eyes were slowly beginning to lose light. "Had… to… sa-" The hand that gripped her own fell limp as she stared into his now almost lifeless eyes.

"Issei?" Asia also fell to her knees. The kicking of her unborn child beating her stomach up hard.

"No!" Xenovia charged again with tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Ha!" Kiba yelled as he also went after Cao Cao. Said villain had since pulled his spear back and continued to fight.

Before long, all the other girls had also arrived. Koneko and Ravel were first out the door. "Issei!" They screamed and fell by his side. Both of them staining their clothes with his blood. For once, Koneko was not in her cat hoodie. Although after tonight, I doubt she would ever take it off again.

Akeno, Irina, and Kuroka stood in the door. Ellie kept trying to see, but the two mothers held her back.

"He can't be gone." Akeno let tears flow free.

"Get up Issei! Don't you fucking die here! Do you hear me?!" Kuroka shouted with her own tears in her eyes. She held on to her son close.

Irina was just quiet with her eyes squeezed shut. She didn't know what to say. Part of her still regretted not going all the way with him after their wedding, now, she might never get the chance. After a minute, her eyes opened with a new vengeance. "I will slay you in the name of Michael and my husband. Behold, Excalibur Mimic!" She too was then battling blades with Cao Cao.

Le Fay flew down from her new room on her broom, her eyes stained with hurt. "I'm gonna kill you Bastard!" She launched white and yellow energy blasts from her wand.

Cao Cao summoned all balance breaker and began to force back his opponents. "You're all weak. If he went down so easy, what do you expect?"

He had to duck as Koneko launched a full Senjutsu barrage at him. "I don't care if I die. I can be with him, but not till I murder you!"

Beside Issei, Rias' aura turned nuclear. Red flames erupted around her. To those who were there, this was a reminder of the night they battled Loki in Hell. The large hole in Issei's chest opened up the scar that Fenrir once made. "You took him from me. You took the man I love most. You took the father of my daughter from her. You… will… die!" Her ocean blue eyes flared red as she looked up.

Ravel was in despair. In all her worry, she had forgotten that she had a vial of Phoenix tears in her bedside table. It all came to her as Koneko pulled her back from Rias. "Wait Koneko. Le Fay!"

The young witch flew down. "Yea?"

"Take me to my room. I can save him!" She hopped on the broom and they flew up to Ravel's window.(Could she have flown herself? yes. Plot? yes. Hotel? Trivago) She quickly pulled her drawer apart. Coins, pens, cash, even a small vibrator flew into the room. Normally she would have been embarrassed about that, but she needed to find that vial. "Got it!" She jumped out the window and deployed her wings to land near him. "Rias, I can save him. Hold on!" She opened the vial and poured the contents in the wound.

Slowly the wound began to heal. Issei's eyes opened a bit. The first thing he saw was Rias' breast above him. That meant his head was in her lap. "R-Rias?"

She looked down and her destructive aura calmed. "Issei!" All the other fighters on the field turned to face him.

Koneko was still releasing all her fury and was too angry to turn back. Eventually she also got a look. Her ears bounced and her tails swished. "You're still gonna die!" Another barrage went after Cao Cao.

As Issei sat up, another fighter joined the brawl. The white dragon landed behind them decked out in white armor. "The Hell happened to you?"

"T-True Longinus." Issei tried to stand but was immediately hugged by Asia. "You okay?"

"I'm fin-" It was her turn to fall out now. The difference was that she had no injuries.

"What happened?"

Cao Cao laughed. "How do you think I got the energy to fight them all? I took the energy of a Dragon's child. Guess it took hers too."

The Red Dragon silently activated his balance breaker and made his way to him. "You couldn't beat us on your own, so you went after a mother and her child. That alone is unforgivable and must be punished by annihilation." Ddraig and Issei said at the same time.

"Let's take this somewhere else." Vali grabbed Cao Cao by the neck and flew off to a deserted landscape. Issei was hot on his heels. He was too angry to even speak to his family.

The trio landed on the outskirts of town not too far away from where they had battled the HDAA for the first time. The White Dragon Emperor dropped the Hero Faction leader to the ground.

"You're in for it now. Better be lucky that it's not my wife and child you just tried to kill." Vali just stepped back. "Oh, you might need this." He tossed the True Longinus to its wielder and watched.

Issei landed so hard it made a crater. "I've been waiting to test this new power on someone. Now I have a target. Ready Ddraig?"

"Be careful Partner, you're still weak."

The Red Dragon Emperor stood tall. "I who is about to awaken. The one who has discarded the ideals of domination from my past. I have chosen the dream, to protect the ones I love. I call upon the power of the Dragon within. Assist me to defend that which I hold dear. Rise up and become a legend once more!" Issei's eyes flashed green. "Crimson Dragon God!"

Mwahahahaha cliffhanger time! This is going to be interesting. What will happen to Cao Cao? Will Issei be able to control his new strength? Will Asia be okay? Find out next time… k bye