Issei walked briskly through the halls of Kuoh Academy, a large black case held in his hand. The devices he'd promised Rias were finally done, so now all that was required of him was to complete the transaction. It sounded much shadier than it was, but if Irina or, God forbid, Ajax found out he'd be toast. He clambered up the stairs and took the turn that would take him to the Occult Research Club's hallway. At the end of the hall he could see the ornate set of double doors that would take him to Kuoh's resident devil peerage. However, as he got halfway there something blinked in the corner of his vision.
Detecting multiple Alpha-class magic signatures… proceed with caution…
Issei stopped. His hand came up to adjust the visor that currently sat upon his face. Of course, to any onlookers nothing would be amiss, and if anyone but him tried to touch it the device would disappear moments before contact. A bit of an upgrade he'd gotten after further studying Irina's Excalibur Mimic. It, at the very least, let him keep his HUD online throughout the day just in case. The rest of his suit sat in a dimensional storage pocket, waiting to be recalled onto his body at a moment's notice. Another very convenient upgrade to the Mk. II Interceptor Suit.
But Alpha-class… that meant beings that were at or above Abella's power.
The only one that should've been setting off such an alert was Rias. The prodigious inventor continued on slowly, one hand straying to the relay watch on his wrist. With a mental twitch the HUD changed to expose the interior of the room. He could track the signatures of Rias and the rest of her peerage easily, but there were two that he didn't recognize. Two who blew his previous models out of the water. Especially the one near the desk.
Whoever that was was beyond even Alpha-class. Strong enough to make a cold shiver run up Issei's spine. He could hear the muffled sounds of conversation as he approached the door and leaned up against it to try and make out what they were saying.
"Riser Phenex is a charitable man, my darling," a smarmy yet rich voice purred. "If you truly wish to be rid of our engagement, then you face me in a Rating Game. However, I have doubts as to your peerage's ability to stack up.
Okay, who's this douchebag? Issei's eyes narrowed. If his power wasn't foreboding enough, he sounded like a grade-A prick.
"Speak for yourself Riser. I happen to believe in quality over quantity," Rias responded, her voice heated.
"Of that I have no doubt, but I have won numerous Rating Games with my team against much more experienced foes. I wonder how you hope to stack up, my dear."
The warning indicator was the only thing that saved him. With a girlish yelp he threw himself backwards as an icicle as thick as his head speared through the door. It would have gored him had it not been for his timely half-backflip that seamlessly transitioned into a guided faceplant onto the floorboards.
It was hard being so graceful.
"G-Grayfia!?"
"I detected someone eavesdropping beyond the door. Given their level of aura, I deduced it could not be an ordinary student," a cold, professional voice stated.
Issei raced to get to his feet as his visor alerted him to the fact that said overpowered entity was coming to the door. He got to his feet right as it opened, and froze as a dozen different panicked thoughts raced through his head. The source of such bottomless power was an older woman with grey hair. She wasn't old by any means, but her hair was the color of tempered steel. She wore a blue maid's uniform, the kind he'd only seen in erotic magazines and movies. She regarded him with a mix of curiosity and impassive stoicism.
"A-Ah, is, uh, is this a bad time?" he asked.
"Grayfia!" Rias brushed on by the woman. "Sorry Issei, I didn't realize you were there."
"This is Issei?" she asked.
"It is. I forgot I had asked him to come here. My apologies, I didn't think you would be this early."
He chuckled sheepishly. "No, no, it's my fault. I thought I would get a jump on doing my errands. I didn't mean to intrude."
"I see, my apologies for attacking you," she didn't sound very sorry, but he decided it was better not to push it.
Over her shoulder, Issei could see this so-called "Riser Phenex". He was a man in his mid to late twenties by his guess in a burgundy red suit. His hair was gelled up in a way that reminded Issei of a rooster. The man was handsome without a doubt, but there was a visible disdain on his face that marred his good looks. Whereas Grayfia didn't seem phased by his interruption, Riser Phenex seemed to think it was the utmost offense. With a sneer the man leaned back on the couch he sat upon and eyed him.
"And who is this, my love?" he purred.
"None of your concern, Riser. He's just a friend."
"I'm Issei Hyoudou," was it more or less polite to introduce himself? Either way, he stepped into the room and extended a hand to the man. "Nice to meet you…?"
The man smacked his hand away. "Do not dare to touch me with your filthy, lowborn human hands. My name is Riser Phenex, heir to the noble Phenex clan. Do you know what that means boy?"
"That you're a douche?" he muttered under his breath, and he felt a surge of victory as Kiba choked on a laugh.
"Be nice, Riser. Unlike you, I invited Issei here," Rias warned. "And he's far better company."
"Is that so? Boy! State your reason for being here."
"I'm-" Issei glanced at Rias who subtly shook her head. "I just came here to say thanks for helping me out. She and her peerage have helped me train."
"Is that so? Rias, please do not tell me you're thinking of adding this… lowborn to your peerage?"
"Who I add is none of your concern, Riser," Rias shot back.
The man's expression turned stern as he stood. Riser crossed the distance between himself and Rias and grab her by the chin. "Now, my dear, that is no way to talk to your fiance."
"Hey asshole back off!" Issei shouted, pushing him hard and shoving him away from the devil heiress. "Don't touch her like that!"
"You dare touch a noble devil of House Phenex!? I'll reduce you to ash boy!"
Fire bloomed in the man's hand, it's power nearly three times the strength of anything he'd seen Beaufort pull out. Issei dropped the case and smashed his palm onto the relay watch. Electricity crackled as lights danced around him. Segments of armor came to encompass his body piece by piece as the MK. II Interceptor Suit completed its suit up phase in seconds. A record time.
"Stop."
The single word was spoken with such power that it made both him and Riser freeze up. Grayfia stepped between them, as ladylike and professional as before, but now an ominous aura seemed to radiate off of her. Issei felt a hand on his shoulder and turned to see Rias silently shaking her head. Releasing a breath he hadn't realized he was holding, the tinkerer called the suit back and picked up the case again. Riser smirked and extinguished the flame in his hand.
"I was told by Lord Sirzechs that there was to be no fighting. That can be saved for the Rating Game. Lady Rias, if you insist on denying the wishes of your father and brother then you will have to beat Lord Riser. Do you accept these terms?"
With confidence, Rias nodded. "I do."
"And you, Lord Riser?"
"Riser Phenex would rather avoid messing up such a lovely face, but if my love insists upon it."
God, what an asshole, Issei grit his teeth together. He could see why Rias had been so concerned about it before. He couldn't imagine being forced to marry such a pretentious dickhead.
"My love, will you be asking this wretch to join you? As you no doubt know, only devils can play in Rating Games."
"Issei is a friend, not a servant. I have no intention of involving him in this fight."
He smirked. "I see, then you're even more outnumbered than I thought."
The man raised a hand and an intricate, burning magical circle appeared by him. When it dissipated fifteen women stood behind him. Issei felt his mouth begin to water as he took in the bounty of bodacious babeage before him. Each chick was a banging hottie, although they varied in aesthetics. From the stereotypical tomboy dressed in road leathers to the haughty little noble girl who regarded him and Rias with snobbish amusement. The bigger concern was how they dwarfed Rias's group by any measure. They must've been three times the size of her peerage!
"Riser Phenex has a complete set, whereas you only have a Queen, Rook, and a Knight. Do you truly intend to face me with such a pitiful force?" he laughed arrogantly.
"You'd be surprised, Riser. I'm more resourceful than you might think," Rias smirked slyly. "I'd be careful that overconfidence doesn't cost you your victory."
Yeah, this dickwad doesn't have any idea what's in store for him, Issei smiled alongside her.
"I'll take you at your word, my love. When next we meet, it will be on the field of battle!"
"How about you just go ahead and get lost, Riser Penix," Issei taunted the man.
He snarled. "I will remember your face, boy. Once my darling is no longer able to stand in front of you, I will be sure to cook your soul down to ash."
With the screech of a hawk, the assembled carnival of douchebags disappeared. Issei couldn't believe how arrogant the guy was. Who would want to marry their daughter off to a guy like that!? It seems being a devil was a lot harder than he thought. Issei turned to Rias with a mixture of sympathy and resolution in his eyes. He would make sure she didn't need to marry that cocksucker.
"Don't worry, Rias. With my stuff you'll be able to take down that guy like it's nothing!" he promised.
The redheaded girl chuckled softly. "Thank you, Issei. I'm embarrassed you had to see that."
"So this is the High Tinker?" Grayfia questioned.
"High Tinker?"
Rias nodded, despite his confusion. "Yes, he is the possessor of the Longinus known as Innovate Clear."
"I should have suspected as much. I take it he has prepared a countermeasure for Lord Riser's abilities?"
"Yes I have," Issei opened the case to reveal the multitude of weapons inside. "I tuned them all to each person's strengths. They're nothing cataclysmic, but each one is imbued with holy power that you can utilize. Here, for you Koneko."
He handed the taciturn girl a pair of stark white gloves, the wrists enclosed by a thick manacle of glittering metal. Curiously, she put them on and flexed her fingers.
"Those will allow you to add light to your unarmed attacks. I've calibrated the power to match that of half the Excalibur Destruction's output. Each punch is going to require the gloves to recharge though, so it's not a continuous thing."
She nodded. "It's good. Thank you."
"For you Kiba I made this," he withdrew the scabbard and handed it to the man. "By sheathing one of your demon swords in it I theorize it will turn the blade's energy holy. I haven't done much testing on it, but by all accounts it should work. It'll only work for one attack though, at which point the scabbard must recharge and - in all likelihood - the sword you used will break."
The knight regarded the item with far less gratitude and excitement as Issei felt he should have. Emotions seemed to war on the man's face as he clutched the device hard enough for his knuckles to turn white. Akeno placed a hand on his arm, snapping him out of… whatever that was. In an instant, his familiar smile reappeared.
"It's wonderful man, thanks a lot. I'll be sure to use it properly."
"Right. Akeno, Rias, I wasn't sure what to make for you. Your abilities don't really rely on anything but magic. So, in the end, I decided on these."
Issei withdrew a pair of pauldron-like devices. Glowing circuits encircled a glittering opal jewel set in the center of the thing. It acted as a miniaturized power core, similar to his suit but toned down even further. It would continuously create a reserve of holy energy, but not expel it in any form. Rather, it would modify any magic passed through it.
"Place these on your shoulders and they'll convert any singular magic attack to that of holy energy. After careful modification, I'm ninety- er, eighty-five percent sure it will work. Some aspects of the attack may change, but overall it shouldn't do much else but convert it to light power."
"Eighty-five percent sure?" Akeno inquired.
"Welllll, it's not an exact science unfortunately. I will warn you that pouring too much into one attack can cause the device to short-circuit, so try not to use it too much. You can activate it by touching the gem."
"If it shorts out, will we be in danger?" Rias asked as she held the pauldron.
"Not at all!" he stated proudly, thumping a hand to his chest. "I've designed them all with a multitude of redundant failsafes. If any part of it is at risk of malfunction, the device will merely shutdown. That said, I wouldn't try to stress test that hypothesis."
Rias nodded. "I think I understand. Thank you Issei, this is more than enough. I don't know how I can ever pay you back."
"Hey don't worry about it, this is my way of saying thanks for all your help remember? You guys saved my butt back with Abella so it only seems fair that I save yours!"
Rias blushed slightly, but bowed her head in thanks anyways. Grayfia watched the exchange with interest. Despite her many years on this world, there were few who ever really got to know the wielders of Innovate Clear. Many were often killed before they could flourish due to their immense danger if left unchecked. It was an unfortunate fact of life, but this one seemed a bit different. Perhaps because of the danger he was in, this Issei Hyoudou figure didn't seem to shy away from helping others. Grayfia wondered if he would be able to defy fate and manage to continue his growth.
Strangely enough, a small part of her genuinely hoped he did.
0-0-0-0
With the big errand out of the way, there was only one more place for Issei to visit. The young man climbed the steps of the church and entered through the side door. It was hidden out of the way and protected by a holy barrier so only certain individuals could perceive it. To anyone else, it was merely a fire escape, but to him it led him down into the church's sanctum below. There, Irina and Xenovia sparred with one another, both in their exorcist outfits.
Issei admired the way those leather onesie thingies hugged their curves from afar. He had no idea why the Vatican decided "dominatrix nuns" was the aesthetic to go for, but he was not complaining. He watched Irina do an upwards axe kick, bending her leg until she was basically doing a vertical split.
Not complaining at all, Issei reiterated in his mind.
Eventually the two took a break long enough to notice him. His childhood friend waved cheerily at him as she sheathed her Excalibur Mimic at her side. He hopped over to the two as the bluenette cocked her head at him.
"You seem different, Issei Hyoudou," the woman intoned.
"Really? I guess I do feel a bit better about myself. Feels good to get things off my chest more, you know?"
He decided to set things straight with the church duo. He hadn't gone and spilled all his beans, but they knew of his plan to try and unite the three. It seems they were all possessed of a "better to beg for forgiveness than ask for permission" mindset. If the alliance between Devil, Hero, and Church were already forged then breaking it up could offend important figures. It was as foolproof as they could get. Issei retrieved the duffel bag over his shoulder and handed it off to the comically serious exorcist who took it with a thankful nod.
"So is this it?" Irina peered into the bag as her partner unzipped it.
He smirked. "Sho' nuff. It's a bit trimmed down for convenience but all the important bits are there. The Vatican's R&D department shouldn't have any trouble reverse-engineering it."
"Incredible, a finely-tuned demonic corruption sensor like this could change everything. It would make our jobs easier no doubt," Xenovia breathed as she eyed the device.
"Are you sure it's okay to give it to us though? Won't your bosses get mad, Issei?"
"It's fine, Irina. What they don't know can't hurt them. Besides, this is my payment for, well, everything you've done so far. Really, without you Irina I wouldn't even be here," a wistful smile slipped onto his face. "And thanks for being so patient with all my bullshit."
Irina turned a bright red for some reason and waved a hand. "N-No, it's cool! We're, like, best friends, right? It's totally normal!"
Even so, this was just a small token of his affection. Issei stepped forward and drew his friend into a tight hug. The girl stiffened like a statue at his touch, but didn't resist one iota. Issei couldn't believe he'd let something as dumb as playing hero get between their friendship. They'd been friends for the better part of a decade, and now it was like he barely spent any time with her. She deserved more than that. A lot more.
"Really, Irina, I owe you. Anything you need, just ask and I'll do it."
The girl nodded, her face shoved into the crook of his neck. "Mhm…"
"Irina, this could be the chance to snag a Longinus user for the church," Xenovia whispered not-at-all subtly. "Think of how strong your children would be!"
"Xenovia!" Irina cried, tearing free of his hold as her face turned crimson.
Issei laughed, thoroughly embarrassed himself. Maybe that was some kind of church joke he was too heretical to understand. No way could Irina have feelings for him, she was practically his sister! I mean, who would want a cute, blonde, totally badass, and smoking hot sword-wielding exorcist girlfriend? Certainly not him, ha ha ha!
Down boy, Issei drew his hoodie further down his waist.
"Well, I should probably be getting back soon. If you guys need any help, you can always call."
The two exorcists paused, and turned to one another. A silent exchange seemed to occur between them before Irina affixed him with a concerned look. His mood began to turn dour as she set her apparent aggrievement aside and got serious.
"Issei, remember when we talked a while back? You mentioned that girl, Asia, right?"
"Yeah," he nodded.
"Well, what you said about her before made me curious. We're the only two agents of the church here in Kuoh right now. I looked her up, and, well, remember when I told you about that witch?"
Oh shit.
Issei winced and desperately prayed it wasn't what he thought it was. "Yeah….?"
"Turns out, her name is Asia Argento. A former holy sister and Saint candidate that got excommunicated for healing a devil. Apparently she ran off with a band of rogue priests and other, even nastier elements," Irina finished with an equally pained look. "Sorry."
Shit, so that Dohna douchebag really was a creep. But that didn't make sense. They made it sound like she was some reprehensible evil that had fallen from the church's good grace. Meanwhile the girl barely even seemed to know what ice cream was and had never gone dress shopping. No way was she some heretical witch in need of burning at the stake!
"How did you come into contact with her?" Xenovia asked pointedly.
"I was out on a date with Aika and we just kinda ran into her. But she was so sweet, and nice, and pure! No way could she be our witch! I mean, she literally could not have a bad bone in her body," he shook his head vigorously. "It has to be a trick or something."
"The only one who got tricked here is you, tinker. No doubt she was able to disguise her true intentions from you."
"I can't believe that!" he shouted in anger.
Irina flinched. "Issei… I hate to say it, but it's very possible. I've seen a lot of heretics in my time, and some of them were really good at manipulating people. Like, abnormally good. She could've used her good looks and charm to try and gather information from you."
"No, that's…" the fight began to leave him.
Was that true? It felt ignorant to just blindly ignore what his friend was saying, but in his heart that didn't feel right. He may not have been the smartest guy, but he felt he was a good judge of character. It was that Dohna asshole who gave him the creeps. What if she was just being used by them? Or she had gotten duped into healing a devil in order for them to get ahold of her power?
"I just can't buy that, Irina. I'm sorry. There was a man who took here away. Some guy she called 'Dohna'. He gave me some major creeps."
Xenovia perked up. "Anything seem particularly off about him?"
"Yeah, I sensed him before I saw him. It felt like the same energy I got off your holy swords but… hollow, somehow. Ominous."
"Must've been a Fallen Angel. That is to say, an Angel of God who turned their back on his teachings and fell from grace. They're one of the Big Three alongside Devils and Angels," Irina clarified for his sake. "They tend to be just as bad as the worst devils, but with an affinity for light. If she's with them, then it's safe to say that there's going to be trouble."
"I need to get her away from them! They're using her for her power just like how people would want to use me! I know that sounds hard to believe, but I can't just abandon her with those dicks," Issei shouted.
"I won't flat out say it isn't possible, and I'd like to confirm it for myself, but, Issei, these guys don't play around. A band of stray exorcists and Fallen Angels could mean major problems. It could even go so far as to restart the Great War that killed many on all three sides. That's something we have to avoid no matter what," Irina sighed.
"The Great War?" he breathed.
Okay, so things were a lot more serious than he'd bargained for. Good news was he wasn't the total pushover he'd been beforehand. The bad news was that he probably still didn't stack up to whoever was leading this gaggle of gallivanting holy folk. Either way, his mission remained the same. If he could just talk to Asia one more time, he was sure he could prove that this was all a mistake. That she was innocent in all this. As a hero, it was his duty to rescue such a damsel in distress!
Xenovia snorted, her voice lacking much amusement. "Congratulations Issei, you might just get your alliance after all."
He looked at her and saw the grim solemnity on her face.
"Because we are not going to be able to handle this on our own."
0-0-0-0
"Holy shit, Fallen Angels!?" Beaufort breathed as he raked a hand through his hair. "For real!?"
"For real," Issei nodded as he finished his report.
The other members of the Hero Faction sat in a half circle around his workshop. Ajax smoked his cigar languidly, seemingly unperturbed if not disinterested by this news. Issei was glad to see that his boss was taking this seriously at least. Things were still… strained with the team ever since he'd returned from killing Abella. The fact that the armored man refused to even apologize for his blatant manipulation didn't sit well with the tinker, but this was an all hands on deck situation.
"So, we're looking at an unknown amount of Fallen Angels of unknown strength, working alongside an unknown amount of stray priests and a witch who can heal them at any time?" Ajax surmised.
"Basically."
"Well, shit. That is a bad situation. It's also one that we'll be getting involved in. Abella was one thing, that was mostly up to you and the devils in town, but this? This is where we set aside our differences."
Beaufort scowled. "Boss, are you saying we're gonna work with these guys?"
"After denying the chance to at least reveal ourselves before?" Issei added with an equally sharp scowl.
The man took both without even blinking. Ajax ashed his cigar in the tray off to his side and breathed out a long torrent of thick smoke. "A second Great War would be cataclysmic for humanity. There'd be no hiding it, and with the state of affairs as they are it would cripple the supernatural worlds. We're talking about a cascading domino effect that would make World War I look like a lover's spat."
"Everyone would get dragged into it. All the mythological worlds," Castor nearly whispered in shock.
No one needed to explain how bad that would be. Even with Beaufort's apparent hatred of all things demonic, he seemed to grasp the severity of the situation. Issei was less than enthused with his boss's hypocrisy, but, again, he couldn't turn away the help. The bigger issue was figuring out how to get the ball rolling. Irina promised to tell Rias, but she was going to be at least partially distracted beating off that dick Riser. That gave them some breathing room for the time being.
His thoughts were interrupted as a small magical circle appeared right beside his boss's ear. More followed suit, quickly relaying the same message to each of them in turn. Issei did not recognize the voice that spoke, but it had an ironclad confidence to it.
"Attention all heroes. As of right now, a Smiting is to be carried out. All agents are hereby ordered to rally at the assigned points detailed to your commanding officer. Further briefing will be done on-site. Go forth, and fear no darkness. This is President Cao Cao signing off," the man spoke with solemnity.
In the wake of the announcement there was nothing but dead silence in the room. Issei had no idea what a smiting was, but it sounded like big news. He turned to ask the Upper Manager what the hell was going on, but his words got caught in his throat as he laid eyes on the man. For the first time since they had come to know one another, throughout all the intel he'd given the man and the things he'd spoken about...
Ajax's face turned white.
0-0-0-0
Rias watched her knight and rook trade blows in the sparring ring of her family's sport complex. Her eyes studied each fighter's skill and ability as they utilized the tools that had been gifted to them. It was obvious that both of them were still a bit hesitant to wield them, which was understandable. Kiba especially seemed to have incredible difficulty adjusting to use the holy sheathe. Rias had a feeling it had almost nothing to do with his devil physiology though. The fact he'd managed to restrain himself as much as he had when so close to not one but two Excalibur wielders was commendable. However, the Gremory heiress had a feeling it would not last without proper resolution.
"Haaa!" Koneko yelled as she lashed out with a fist. The glove was encompassed with a tight halo of holy light that narrowly avoided her comrade. Instantly, the petite girl leapt back out of range of the reprisal.
Kiba's now-holy/demonic sword cleaved through the air where she'd once been. Not a moment later the intricate blade cracked and shattered. True to Issei's word, the process sacrificed the weapon used in it. There were ways to work around that though. All it would take is one hit to take down most of Riser's peerage, which meant that they needed to go strong right out of the gate. They played from a massive numerical disadvantage, but that meant nothing if each of their foes could be taken out quickly.
"Forming a strategy, are we?" Akeno chimed in from beside her. "My my, you look so serious."
"This is serious. As if Riser wasn't enough, Irina has just informed me that Issei discovered that their heretic witch is in town. And she's brought Fallen Angels with her."
Akeno's smile dissipated almost instantly. Rias knew that each of her peerage had their own hangups about their past, so it was fitting that most of them seemed to center around that boy. The only way things could get worse is if a certain nekoshou wandered back into town to stir up trouble.
"If I may, Rias, did Irina say anything else?"
"Only that Issei doesn't think the witch is being used willingly. He seems to have gotten it into his head that they're manipulating."
Akeno's eyes widened. "Oh my, and do you believe him?"
"He's remarkably good at gathering intelligence," was her only response as she sighed. "For now, I intend to stall Riser long enough for my peerage to get stronger and deal with this incursion. Even my father and brother won't try to pull me away from this."
"Pardon me for suggesting, but, well… I suppose it's silly," Akeno shook her.
"What is it, girl? You know you can be honest with me."
"Perhaps it would cause problems, but if what Issei says is true maybe we can bring this errant witch into our fold? It would help supply us with more members and even things out against Riser."
That was certainly an option, and one she hadn't thought of. Rias would need to okay it by Irina and Xenovia, but it sounded enticing. Whatever power this so-called heretic wielded it was useful enough to gather powerful people around her. The real matter was figuring out where they were holed up and exterminating them. To do that, she would need to rely on Issei once more. An unfortunate habit she would need to break sooner rather than later. However, if he was able to find someone like Abella then tracking down a coven of stray exorcists and Fallen Angels would be child's play.
Kiba and Koneko took a break as they both complimented each other's spar. She wanted to do more for them. To protect them, and make sure they lived long, happy lives. And yet more and more she seemed to be throwing them into the fray. Of course as the Gremory heiress and a noble devil she knew it was inevitable, but still. They were her friends, not just her servants.
"And, of course, there's always our bishop," Akeno reminded her.
She shook her. "No, Gasper is much too dangerous to even think about releasing. If they got their hands on him it could mean the destruction of this whole town."
"Of course, my lady."
Akeno excused herself to go meditate some more and hone her magic. The pauldron Issei had given to her sat unused on a nearby bench. She eyed the thing with a mixture of hope and vague anxiety. Part of her hoped that she would not need it for their upcoming fight, but another part knew it was too important to ignore. She would have her freedom, even if that meant reducing Riser Phenex to a pile of inert ashes.
All was fair in love and war, after all.