A New Man

by Barakozu1488

Six months has passed after Hyoudou Issei has finished highschool and had a nasty break up. Aimlessly living on his own, he encounters a certain red-haired girl who's changes his life. !AgedUpIssei !18YearOldIssei !Everyone Else Is The Same Age.

5. Chapter 5

Hey bros, sorry about the slow update. Busy with work so I only write like 1hour a day.

SoL/follow up chapter from the events of chapter 4, building up to the riser arc, so no crazy action or violence.

Planning on just releasing a fuckhuge chapter wrapping up the end of season 1 w the riser fight for ch6, combining isseis training arc and their final battle. Let me know if you guys prefer long chapters or shorter chapters.

enjoy the chapter leave reviews so i know where to improve and what you enjoy. love my ninjas (cant say the n word on this site)

as usual

"sex with 17 year old anime girls is not illegal" - normal dialogue

"I am not a pedophile for masturbating to dxd hentai" - thoughts

[I only look at NTR Doujins to see blonde tanned chads flexing on thots] - Ddraig speaking.

"I changed my mind, I don't wanna do this." Issei sighed, glancing at the tight, black suit draped around his body, being far too fitting around his form for his liking, having been used to the fit of loose, baggy clothing that gave the young man's body breathing room. "I look stupid."

"If you even think about taking this off, I'll do unfathomable things to you, Issei." Rias pouted back, annoyed at his reaction, but far too enamored with the sight of a wild, gruffled looking hunter draped in such an immaculate suit, his messy appearance contrasting with his clothes, which to her, only added to his looks. "It's just an interview!"

"I've fought monsters, fallen angels, all kinds of shit that'd make most people shit their pants and run, Rias." He shook his head in denial, refusing to adhere to the girl's wishes. "But this? This is pushing it."

Issei stood in the middle of the club room, surrounded by the redhead's entire peerage smirking and giggling in amusement at his pained expression, while the hunter shot frowns back in anger, much to their disapproval, yet he had no choice. His interview as a trainee teacher was today, and he couldn't escape.

"If it's any consolation, Issei." Akeno giggled, whispering into his ear as he found her arms draped around his shoulders, brushing up to him far too casually for Rias's liking, her eye twitching with built-up fury. "I think you look amazing in it. If my teacher looked like you, I'd be the bigger teacher's pet."

"Akeno, that sounds more like a threat than a compliment." The redhead scowled back at the pair, with the hunter embarrassed from his girlfriend's assault on his ears, while Akeno shrugged her master off with a blink of naivety.

"Whatever could you mean by that, president?"

"Quit hogging Issei to yourself, I want to feel him up too…" Rias pouted back childishly.

"I'm not a toy you can hug repeatedly, girls."

"Then do you want to pay me back for the three-hundred thousand yen suit?" The redhead chuckled back in revenge, Issei shaking his head frantically, before placing an arm in front of her.

"Three-hundred thousand?" He staggered, nearly stumbling back in confusion. "Then come as close as you like, princess."

He was still, at his heart, a cheapskate, especially considering how dented his wallet was from his upcoming date, the clean-up costs for the church, Asia's new school clothes, stationary, and the drugs Tatsu had procured for him. The hunter refused to spend any more money than he had to, even if it meant thrifting off Rias's generosity. The humble, manly pride the Hunter once had at being a self-sufficient, independent lone wolf crumbled instantly at the mention of the overpriced designer suit Rias had gifted him.

"When you say it like that, it makes me lose interest." Rias shook her head back, hiding the faint trace of regret laying on her face. "You need to learn to talk to girls."

"You need to learn how to talk to boys." He shook his head back with a quick-witted reply, cocking a smile, as he checked his watch for the time. "Shit, I've got to go soon."

"Good luck on your interview, dear. Are we still on for tonight?" Akeno whispered into his ear, her voice barely low enough that her president couldn't overhear her, as her arms wrapped around him. Rias glared at them enviously, the redhead's arms folded with a look of disgust, mixed with jealousy.

"Yeah, yeah." He shrugged her off with a chuckle, shaking his head at the girl's public displays of affection. As much as the youth had grown to enjoy it, he still needed to maintain their secret, no matter how idiotic and ditzy Akeno acted around him.

Not to mention the part of him still hurt after the church's incident. Having Yuuma die in his arms had brought an immeasurable toll on him, and no matter how hard he tried to stifle and bury the darkness in the back of his mind, it only got worse. Issei already had enough past trauma that he'd buried successfully, but the death of Yuuma had only made things that much harder to bottle up.

He worried whether his willpower would be enough to stop the voices too.

"Why are you two always so friendly toward each other?" Rias scowled at the two, before Akeno broke the hug and shook her head ditzily, feigning an innocent smile. "Is there something I don't know?"

"My, whatever could you mean, president? I treat everyone here like a sibling!" Akeno replied. He winced at the brotherzone comment, even if he knew she was lying through her teeth.

"Whatever. Issei, let's go." Rias shook her head, sighing a breath that sent the single strand of hair laying forward up into the air, as she grabbed ahold of his arm and led him away.

---

"How long have you and Akeno been dating for?" Rias replied to him, the two walking forward through the empty academy's corridors, as Issei was faced with occasional glances from the passing students.

"We aren't." He shrugged back.

"Doesn't seem like it to me."

He panicked internally. He needed to keep it a secret, at least for now. Issei knew how deep the relationship between the two girls went, and for Rias to find out Akeno was dating a man behind her back would strain it in ways he didn't want to deal with. Hell hath no fury like two women scorned over a man.

Issei had to lie, to manipulate her, just like in the old pick-up artist videos he'd watched growing up in his quest to become a harem king in his youth.

"You really think I'd be with another woman after watching her die, Rias?" He angrily whispered back, clenching his fist, which earned an audible 'Oh' from the redhead, who'd picked up on his feigned mood.

Body language was key to deception. Centuries of psychology had emphasized it, and it's students had utilized it endlessly, ranging from law enforcement, criminals, the military, business and day-to-day life. Anyone who'd studied psychology was fully aware of how body language can make-or-break a play for deception, especially Issei.

A hunter used every trick in their arsenal, including body language. To deceive or feign weakness toward a wild monster, or to display a bravado of false-strength in order to intimidate their enemy, they were trained in the art of manipulating their words and body to become more than men in the mind of their opponents.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry for that, but Akeno just seems… Different around you." The heiress shook her head back, sighing as the frustration she had slowly began to vent out.

"Doesn't she flirt with everyone?" He attempted to gaslight her, trying to play-off his lover's behaviour.

"Not nearly as much as she does with you."

"I'm different?"

"Akeno hates men, or at least, that's what she told me when we first met." Rias explained. He smirked internally, having successfully steered the topic away. "So to see her act so giddy and happy around you makes me wonder if you've done something to her."

"You think someone like me would date a devil?" The hunter shook his head.

"You did date a fallen angel."

"True, but it was different. I wouldn't be opposed to dating a devil, but like all relationships," He paused, as the two arrived outside the door they'd been walking towards - The place he was scheduled for interview. "They have their own problems. Interspecies stuff is no different."

"What about me?" Rias muttered back, her eyes wide and glancing into his eyes. Her innocent, girly expression sent shivers throughout him, nearly piercing his soul.

No matter who he'd face, no matter what he'd kill, he'd always be weak to this. The look of a cute girl made the hunter weak, as much as he'd despised it. But Rias's glance lost it's lust toward him, as did every other girl, Akeno included. It's said that after a traumatic event, the victim begins to cloud their mind with dark thoughts, pushing romance, among other things away, and focus exclusively on their traumatic event, as well as it's associations.

For the hunter, Yuuma was everything to him at one point. She was his raison d'être, her happiness his only goal. The break-up, and their reunion, as well as her final moment had brought immeasurable anguish to his mental well-being that'd kept him up for nights on end after the incident. Whether he liked it or not, he'd end up associating all relationships with pain on end, living in fear that it'd end with the girl's death.

But he'd buried it as much as he could for the meantime. Issei had a difficult past in certain ways. He was used to death and losing loved ones, be it physically or emotionally. He was strong, and had to continue on - He had to keep up his bravado to Rias, giving into his masculine urge to look strong in front of women, to not show any weakness whatsoever.

"Maybe," He nodded silently, before opening the door. "I'll see you later, Rias."

"Good luck, Issei. I'll be waiting in the clubroom after! I'll need a favour from you… And I'm sorry if I asked something personal, you know I see you as a good friend." She murmured back.

---

"Hyoudou Issei, I take it?" Came the voice of an older man sat on a desk across from him, his long, red hair brushed into curtains, as he grinned with a smirk. "Rias has told me a lot about you."

"All good things, I hope." Issei chuckled back, as the brown-haired youth nodded, taking a seat across from his supposed interviewer.

His hunter senses were roaring at him to be prepared, to be afraid and skeptical of this being sat from him. Despite his calm, cool body language, the alleged principal of Kuoh was no laughing matter. Those sharp eyes, despite his youthful appearance, carried an age and wisdom even a normal human could spot a mile away.

Another matter was his shoulder-length crimson hair, and his blue eyes that were piercingly similar to Rias. It was easy enough for him to deduce that this man was related to her, presumably her father, but it made him gulp in fear. The hunter had only ever killed monsters, rarely a stray devil or two, but the man before him was someone of a far greater caliber.

For this was Zeoticus Gremory, current head of the infamous Gremory devil household, a man who held wealth and power beyond Issei's wildest dreams. That, and his potential future boss, and worse, the father of the girl who may or may not have a crush on him.

To say he was close to shitting his pants was an understatement.

"Principal Gremory, it's nice to meet you." Issei nodded back, maintaining his calm, quiet facade, as Zeoticus shook the hunter's hand, making him nearly quiver in fear from the sheer exchange of power. "Can I just say that the resemblance between you and Rias is insane?"

"I get that a lot." The noble shook his head back, his smile slowly fading to a neutral stare. "Though, both my son and my daughter have my hair and eyes, they take after their mother too."

"I see. Interesting family." Issei nodded back, swallowing the spit accumulating in his mouth.

"Don't be so nervous, Issei, if I may call you that?" Zeoticus asked him with a raised eyebrow, to which the hunter nodded back eagerly. "Great. Now, my first question is simple - Why does a hunter want to work in a school?"

He panicked internally. This was not on the list of potential interview questions he'd researched or Rias had suggested. He thought he'd be asked more mundane, normal ones, rather than cutting straight to his origin.

"I… Uh, I'm not going to lie, I did not expect that one." Issei shook the back of his head with an innocent, dumbfounded look of confusion, Zeoticus laughing at his expression.

"I bet you didn't. I have to make sure that all faculty in the school don't pose a threat to the school, especially not my daughter. You'll have to forgive me for the sudden question." Zeoticus waved him off, glancing back at him with a serious glare. "But do answer the question, and no generic replies, please."

"Well… I want to prote- Nah, fuck it." He attempted to perform a convincing act, but he stopped himself. The hunter knew better than to try and trick a devil of all people, one who's entire existence relied on lies and deception. "Honestly, principal Gremory? I've wasted a lot of my time when I was in school making mistakes and focusing on things that weren't productive. It was only recently, when something life-changing happened, that I decided to make a change in my own life."

"Care to elaborate?" Zeoticus noted, looking down onto a sheet of paper, beginning to scribble notes in a language unknown to him. "The event that changed you, I mean."

"There's been a lot, but I'd say… Meeting someone, that person inspired me to make a difference in my life. I'd always been helping people, though as a hunter, you can imagine how I do that isn't exactly a good way of doing things. I speak a few languages, and I've taught some of it to people in school." Issei explained, his hands shifting and swaying around, recalling segments of his own life story - He had to be honest, without giving away too many details. "And to me, the opportunity to teach people, to help students not make the same mistakes I did, and to equip them for the future, however that may be, is something I'd see myself doing in the long term."

"I see. Good answer." Zeoticus nodded with a hum, the noble continuing to scribble away at his sudden burst of honesty. "May I ask who the person was?"

"Your daughter." He gulped, causing the red devil to stop writing and look up at him with a menacing grin.

A good trait for a father was to be protective of their daughter, moreso than their own son. A good father knew the dangers of the outside world, and to a man like Zeoticus, who had grown up in the cutthroat underworld, having risen to a position of prestige from being a minor noble, he knew better than anyone else just how evil the real world was, be it politics, money, and most importantly, men. For the red devil to hear a man, and a hunter nonetheless, to openly profess how important his daughter was to him, made him feel something akin to a mix of pride, and mild rage.

"Do you like my daughter, Issei?" Zeoticus asked, feigning a smile, as his fist gripped the pen lodged between his fingers so tightly, it began to bend.

"What does that have to do with the intervi-"

"Do you like my daughter, Issei?" He repeated himself, with the pen suddenly snapping in two, sending shivers of fright down the back of the hunter's spine.

"As friends. She's done a lot for me, and I want to pay her back and keep her safe, as a friend." Issei explained, attempting to diffuse the situation. "I could never see her like that!"

"Are you saying you find her unattractive?" Zeoticus roared at him.

"Why do I get the daughtercons?"

"She's beautiful, but I'm a hunter." Issei sighed back, shaking his head. He couldn't deny the fact he'd fantasized about his redheaded companion since the night they met. "I could never do that, I wouldn't want to stain her, or your honor and reputation. She should love who she wants, and that couldn't be me."

"You have a way with words, Issei," Zeoticus exhaled a sigh of relief, shaking his head and returning to the same smile he'd flashed at him at the beginning of their conversation. The noble had believed his words with conviction, and dropped the subject altogether. "I apologize for those questions, but my daughter is at that age, and as her father, I want to make sure she's safe - Both her brother and I wish the best for her."

"I understand. No harm done," Issei waved off. "I know what it's like to have someone you want to protect and care for, though I have no kids myself, let alone a wife."

"Come now, a man like you has no woman swooning for him?" Zeoticus grinned, inching closer toward him from the table, glancing at him with a coy grin. "I've met my fair share of hunters over the years, and their biggest problem isn't the monsters, but the women fighting over them!"

The two shared a hearty laugh, as he shook his head, while the noble slammed his fist onto the table with a strength that surprised him, leaving a minor dent into the wooden, sturdy frame.

"You wouldn't be wrong, but I've been trying to focus on my career and life outside of being a hunter."

"And how would you go about balancing your role as a hunter and a teacher?" He glanced back.

"Work during the day, hunt at night? Kuoh's a relatively safe place, so it wouldn't be as if I go out every night." Issei shrugged back.

"To me, it doesn't seem that way. A werewolf one day, fallen angels and exorcists the next?" The principal replied back, as he listed each event with a finger. "The life of a teacher is overwhelming, Issei. Are you prepared for it?"

"More than ever, I want to make something of myself. But more importantly, I want to help students and ensure they're safe."

"I like that. That reminds me, there was a story about a student at Kuoh being held up during his part-time job, and a man eerily similar to you was reported to have handled the situation and saved the boy's life… Sound familiar?" Zeoticus asked him, as the hunter nodded back.

"Ah yeah, Motohama. I went to buy a suit, and he thought I was going for an interview here… Wait a minute." Issei recalled, before pausing. He knew something was up, but the way the events began to piece together seemed far too suspicious for his own liking. "The offer as a teacher wasn't a coincidence, was it?"

"You got me." Zeoticus shrugged. "I'd heard rumors about a hunter saving one of my students, and that same hunter saving my own daughter, and I had to find out about you."

"You planned this entire thing out, didn't you?" He spat back in alarm.

"Issei, I'll be honest with you." The devil muttered, as he placed his hands on the desk and leaned closer, his voice in a hushed, low tone. "I know everything about you, and nearly everyone in Kuoh. I do this, because I want to protect my precious daughter and her peerage, and if someone were to hurt her, well… They'd disappear."

"I haven't hurt her, though, so why the threat?"

"It's precisely why I planned this out. I've never heard of a kind hunter before, so I assumed you had an ulterior motive, but I did research into you, and… I've begun to take a liking to you." Zeoticus smirked, as he stood up from his chair and paced around the room.

"So this is where Rias gets her eccentric behavior from." He thought to himself.

"Issei! Become a devil, join my household!" Zeoticus roared out, as the hunter shook his head in surprise. "Why? Surely you must understand the benefits of it?"

"I've got enough on my plate as it is." He shrugged back.

"I will have you say yes one day, but for now, I will rescind my offer, red dragon emperor." Zeoticus grinned, before looking back. "Now, enough supernatural talk. I believe you've met most of my requirements from this, and now we just need to talk about your qualifications."

"I'm scared."

---

"How was the interview, Issei?" Rias chimed out, smiling happily as she spotted a dejected, exhausted Issei enter the clubroom with his head down in defeat. "Wait, what happened to you?"

"Why didn't you tell me it was gonna be your dad?" He sighed out with a cry.

"He told me to keep it a surprise, he didn't hurt you too bad, did he?" Rias raised an eyebrow curiously, wondering what her father could have ever done to her Issei.

"I'm dying inside." He groaned out, brushing unto the couch in dejection, before he was caught by the redhead, resting his head against her soft breasts, yet his melancholy face remained, staring at the walls all the same.

"Come now, he couldn't have been that bad, could he?" Rias whispered into his ear, running her fingers through his hair gently. "Wait, Issei are you purring?"

The hunter remained the same as ever, unaware that he'd begun to hum to the beat of her fingertips brushing through his scalp ever so gently, all so sudden. For he was far too tired from the verbal assault the Gremory patriarch had given him to even bother scolding the girl for her affection, as she grabbed ahold of him and layed him on the couch.

"Someone will see us." He murmured out, still humming back to Rias's pampering, as he began to stare up at the ceiling and it's illustrious chandelier.

"It's just us." She giggled to him with a faint whisper, as he sighed a breath of relief. "I'm sorry if my father was rude to you, he can be really aggressive when he wants to be."

"He loves you a lot." The hunter muffled back, as she wrapped another hand up against his own, interlocking their fingers.

"I know, it's just that he does idiotic things at times…" Rias muttered back, as the heiress began to stare blankly at the wall for a moment, before returning her kind, motherly gaze back to him.

"Don't all parents?"

"They do, but my situation is a little worse." Rias reminded him, as he winced back, but shook his head, refusing to press further.

"I can guess, though it doesn't matter." Issei muttered, shrugging away any curiosity his brain could muster, opting to brush his hand through Rias's hair in return.

"This feels nice, but stop, I might get the wrong idea." The redhead pouted back, attempting to hide her satisfaction.

"I'm only returning the favor, I always wanted to know how your hair felt, it's nice." He chuckled back, whispering into her ear, before pressing on. "You're beautiful, you know that?"

"Akeno would kill us both if she found out." She sighed, not wanting their moment to end.

"I know, but I can't help myself." He muttered back. He knew what he was doing was considered cheating, but the hunter couldn't help himself. He was still an eighteen year old hunter with the respective libido and hormones of one, how could he not?

"Fine, I'll let you have this."

"You know you mean a lot to me, right? I'm pretty bad with emotional connections, but Rias, you've changed my life in the short amount of time I've met you." He confessed, as his fingertips ran through her long, red hair, before shifting them away, causing Rias to blush bright-red, yet he remained as stoic as ever.

"In what way? What are we even to each other?"

"You're more than a friend, but less than a girlfriend. How do I put this?" He continued, attempting to build an analogy she'd understand. "We're like a pair of anime characters that get shipped a lot, but never get together."

"I can see that, but… I feel like I don't know what to do anymore." Rias shook her head, stifling the thoughts she wanted to get out.

"What's wrong?" He murmured back.

"It's nothing." Rias silenced him, the hunter nodding back.

"Women and their secrets. Part of me hates that we can never be together." He whispered into her ear, changing the topic.

"Why can't we? Do you like me like that, Issei?" She asked him silently, brushing a hand over his chest.

"Maybe."

"I do too, so why can't we?"

"Because I'm a hunter, and your dad threatened to kill me." He explained, wincing in memory at Zeoticus's earlier threat.

"Did he?" Rias sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose in irritation. "My parents, it's like they don't care about me as a girl… I should be allowed to be with who I want."

"Rias, I'm still a hunter. One day I'll be gone and leave you widowed, or you die on me. I can't deal with that again." Issei replied, saddened.

"You're still hurt over Yuuma, aren't you?" She whispered toward him, continuing to brush her hand over his body, while he remained silent. "My poor hunter. I always wondered how many scars and wounds you have over your body, I've never seen any man with this many, not even Devil veterans."

"I miss her sometimes, but death is something we have to accept and move on with. It's just another scar."

"You don't have to live like this forever, you know. There's always other options."

"I don't want to be a devil, though."

"I'd treat you better than what you have here, and I'd keep you safe." Rias cooed at him in a hushed voice. "You'd never have to be hurt like that again, Issei. I heard what you said to her in the church, and it broke my heart."

"You overheard me?"

"I didn't say anything because I knew it was personal, but when I see you in pain, it hurts me too. We can run away together after highschool, we can live together. Devils are allowed to have harems too, I'd be fine with all your other lovers." She explained, still desperate at convincing him, the harem part did interest his inner-child, though.

"Rias, you changed my life when I met you. You helped me break out of my slump, and gave me a new meaning in life. I'd do anything to protect you and your entire peerage, but I can't. I'm still a hunter, and I owe a lot to my mentor, and to abandon that life would be turning my back on him." Issei confessed, brushing her away. God, how he wanted to grope her for hours on end, and how he loathed the beast within him, that hungered for it.

"Fine. One day I'll get you to say yes."

"Now you sound like your dad." He chuckled back.

"I guess we all end up like our parents, don't we?"

"Not me, mine hate me."

"Speaking of your parents, I need a favor." Rias exclaimed.

"What does it have to do with parents?" He asked with a hint of curiosity.

"I found Asia a host family, and I wanted you to come with me to take her there." She asked him, as the hunter nodded eagerly.

---

The most recent occult research club inside joke had been Issei's unnecessary doting on Asia. The night the redhead had resurrected her back as a devil, he'd refused to leave her side until it took the entire peerage to physically separate the two, who'd been worried about the hunter's lack of sleep.

To Issei, Asia was like a little sister, or a daughter, he couldn't tell. Both Akeno and Rias had witnessed the hunter do things far too out-of-character for his usual antics around the former nun. Where Issei initially only wanted to come to the clubroom once a week, at best, instead they'd found him arriving every day, bringing assortments of gifts, and even clothes for her.

Initially, Akeno, as well as Rias, had grown suspicious of Asia- The pair of Devils had begun to worry whether the blonde had somehow seduced or captivated the hunter, and enthralled him to her will, until they'd witnessed him scold her for reciting prayers and give her entire peerage migraines, akin to an older brother or a father.

The redhead was far too familiar with the behavior of a doting older brother to be unable to recognize it in other men, even if that man happened to be the mild crush she'd repressed and attempted to deny, fearing what it could lead to if it built up.

For the Hunter, Asia was a mixed-bag. On one hand, she was a naive, innocent girl that he'd sought to protect from other men, and especially protect her life. He'd lost her once, and her story had made him weep for her - He'd even die for her again, if he had to. This unexplainable, unfathomable, platonic attraction to her made it difficult for him to see the girl as anything but his child, yet he steeled himself, embraced it and continued to spoil the girl where he could. That, and that she was the last gift Yuuma had given him. His dying lover had professed for him to take care of the nun as her final request.

In a twisted way, it was like he was a widowed single father. Not that Rias minded his fatherly behavior, the redhead thought it made him more attractive than anything.

---

"Of course I'll go, but why me?" Issei nodded back, as the two continued to embrace one another, Rias's breasts looming over him, as she looked into his eyes.

"It's your parents house." Rias muttered back, jittering in surprise as the hunter stood back up, shaking his head frantically.

"No."

"Why?"

"Rias, I don't want to see them." He shook his head again, before calming down. "Look, I don't have a good relationship with them at the moment, so I don't want to go."

"Are they abusive? If so, I can find another family!" Rias exclaimed, yet Issei could only shake his head again.

"No, no. They'd never hurt her." He reminisced over his parents - If anything, they would treat Asia incredibly well, it was his own feelings that prevented him from wanting to go. "They'd treat her very well, it's just that… I'm different."

"Issei." Rias stood up, walking toward him, as she grabbed ahold of his hands with her own, feeling her soft, pale hands rush up against his own calloused, tanned palms - The hands of a man who knew nothing but violence. "I told you this before, but you can always rely and come to me, if something's bothering you, we'll handle it together."

"Rias… I," He muttered out. They were far too close, too close for comfort, if anything. The pair's faces were merely inches away from each other, alone, and in the heat of the moment. Yet, he'd been in this situation before, he wanted to kiss those lips, yet he couldn't. "Rias, thank you, but I'm not sure if I should."

"If not for your parents, at least for Asia?" She bargained, to which he paused and considered, before sighing in defeat - The nun really was his weak point.

"Fine, but if they say anything, I'm leaving. And expect them to be weird around me." Issei explained in defeat, as he began to walk away, breaking their embrace.

"Stupid Issei, I wanted a kiss…" Rias pouted with a faint whisper, murmuring in a tone so low only she could hear it.

---

"I really don't want to do this." Issei muttered, shaking his head, before Rias laid her arms out to prevent him from leaving.

The trio of him, Asia and Rias stood outside the door to the Hyoudou residence - A quaint, average Japanese house sat in the residential area of Kuoh. A white house, accompanied by a balcony and a red brick, three-foot wall surrounding the entire premise. The faint wind brushing against them hushed the awkward silence between them.

This average, quaint white house bought back far too many memories to the hunter - Both good and bad. Issei was nearly overwhelmed with the sudden assault of the past, from the scent, the air, the same stone pavement he walked on - It was too nostalgic for his liking.

Part of him wanted to open the door and greet his parents like the old days, when life wasn't nearly as complicated and difficult as it was now, to be greeted by his family to a warm, lively household. Yet, he knew life wasn't that simple, and past wounds never healed as well as he'd like, at least, not without treatment, and the hunter was no doctor.

"Issei, you don't have to, if you don't want to." Asia reassured him cheerfully. The nun's empathetic, innocent smile had caught him off-guard, and reminded him why he was here in the first place. It wasn't for his own gain, it was to ensure that the girl was taken care of and in a safe place.

"No, no. I came all this way, and I'll be with you till the end." Issei shook his head, laying his back against the nearby wall, as Rias and Asia smiled at his newfound resolve. "This place just brings back memories, is all."

"I'm with you, Issei." Rias whispered into his ear, with the hunter swearing he saw Asia give the redhead a glance of jealousy, yet her same, cheery face remained.

"You're right. Let's do this." He nodded back, sighing as he knocked on the door - No response. "Well, time to g-"

"Issei, is that you?" His mother's voice called out, as the sound of the door opening made him flinch back in surprise.

"Hey, mom." He chuckled awkwardly, scratching the back of his head with a tired smile. "I know I should have called, bu-"

Miki Hyoudou looked like the average Japanese housewife, and played the part too. The resemblance between the hunter and her was uncanny, yet she'd aged gracefully, still retaining part of her youthful features, owing to only having one child together.

He was silenced, and awestruck by the sudden hug by his smaller, teary-eyed mother, who'd wrapped her arms around him and embraced him wholeheartedly, whimpering in sadness, before he awkwardly returned the hug. Another set of memories suddenly assaulted his mind, yet he brushed them back and patted the sobbing woman on her back reassuringly.

"You're finally back, my boy…" Muttered the Hyoudou matriarch, as she slowly broke the hug and looked up to two girls accompanying him. "Issei, are these your girlfriends?"

"Girlfriends?" He stuttered out in confusion.

"Yes, I am." Rias smiled menacingly at him, as she bought out her hand to greet the older woman, only to be met with a hug from the Hyoudou matriarch again. "You must be Miki Hyoudou, right? I'm Rias Gremory, from Kuoh Academy, and I've brought Asia Argento with me."

"Dear, your son is back! And he's bought two foreign girls with him too!" Miki called out to the house, to be met with a guffaw of a grumbling old man.

"Shit, dad's here too?"

"Do you talk to your girlfriends like that too, Issei?"

"They're not my girlfrien-"

"All the time, Mrs. Hyoudou, he's quite a rude man." Rias sighed, still grinning at Issei with an evil look. "I can see that he probably takes more after his father."

"Rias, I'm going to kill you."

"Issei!"

"Sorry mom."

---

He sat in the old living room he'd grown far too accustomed to. The Hyoudou residence had not changed much since his departure, even if it had only been half a year since the young hunter had moved out. His parents sat on one side of the table, his father donned in his usual blue-striped pajamas, glancing at him with a melancholy, almost disappointed look, before coughing and breaking the awkward silence between the group.

If Miki was the epitome of aging gracefully, Gorou was the antithesis. The Hyoudou Patriarch had wild, messy brown hair, akin to his son, albeit shorter. His tired, sunken eyes laid bare, from countless years as an over-exhausted Salaryman, while his frail, skinny body had lost its luster long ago, as a small belly built over his once slim, toned stomach. Yet, he resembled an older Issei, if the hunter had chosen to punish himself by going down the route of mid-level management, instead of killing monsters for a living.

"So, Asia, was it?" Gorou Hyoudou muttered, glancing toward Asia with a faint, friendly smile. The old man looked far worse for wear since the last time the hunter had seen him, age had not been kind to him.

"Yes, Mr Hyoudou?" Asia smiled back with a nod, her arms sat atop her legs, as Issei glanced between the two, prepared for any sudden movements.

"I believe another family might suit you better as a homestay. I mean, we're more than happy to have another child around the house… It does get quite lonely, ever since." Gorou explained, before glancing at his son with ire. "Since Issei moved out."

"Well, Issei has done a lot for me." The blonde confessed as she looked down in embarrassment, with the hunter taken aback by her sudden statement. "When I first moved to Japan, he took care of me, made sure I wasn't alone, and when I got into trouble with some bad people… He saved me."

"Issei? My troublesome son did all that?" Gorou spat out, nearly dropping his cup of tea, glancing back between the hunter and the girl. "Issei, what the hell did you do now?"

"Nothing, old man." Issei hissed back with a silent, held-back rage in his voice, fist gripped ever-so-tigtly, as Rias placed a hand on his thigh in an attempt to soothe him.

"I-It's just that, I thought that since Issei is such a kind, good person, I felt like his parents must be just as great as him, and I wanted to stay here…" Asia elaborated in an attempt to drift the conversation back. "But if it's too a bother, I completely understand."

"Wait a minute! It's not as if we're saying no, Asia!" Miki gasped out to the defeated girl, raising her hopes up high, as Asia beamed with happiness.

"It's true that we do have two spare rooms." Gorou nodded back encouragingly. It amazed him how quickly their tone and personality shifted between the two. His mother had always been encouraging and loving as ever, but his father was far different. "It's just that… Our failure of a son is delinquent, and growing up, you could say he was the incarnation of lust!"

"Failure?" Issei roared back in anger, blood boiling at his father's comment. He'd heard this far too many times in his life to let it slide now, as an adult. "Who the hell are you calling a failure?"

"If I may suggest, perhaps you could try teaching Asia to be a housewife while you're here? Issei has told me before that you two had always wanted a daughter." Rias alleviated, her face as happy as ever.

"Dear, can you believe it?" Miki glanced to her husband in delight, as the older man nodded back.

"I can't believe it, our son has brought us a daughter home… Perhaps we may be grandparents yet, Miki." Gorou nodded back in happiness, glancing back to his son with displeasure.

"Mr and Mrs Hyoudou, Issei is not a failure! He is a great man, and you should be proud of him!" Asia interjected with a pout of irritation.

"And so kind too!" Miki smiled at Asia's reply, ignoring her reaction to their comments over their son.

"Asia, you are welcome here anytime - Please, Rias, let us take care of her, she'll be like our second child!" Gorou exclaimed in delight, as Rias nodded back.

"Then it's settled, Asia will stay here." Rias nodded back, as the hunter sighed in relief - He'd managed to get through this mostly unscatched.

"Wonderful. Asia, let us know whenever you'd like to move, we'll help you pick up your things and move in. Do you need us to buy any clothes?" The hunter's mother nodded at the redhead, as she turned to the nun, who'd returned the nod with her own.

"It's fine! Issei has already given me more than I could ask for, and enough money to take care of myself, thank you." The blonde replied.

"Speaking of which," Gorou noted, as he glanced back to his son with ire. "Issei, what are you doing nowadays?"

"Same old." The hunter shrugged back.

"Of course it'd have to come to this same fucking conversation." He thought to himself. He was disappointed in his father, again. The youth thought he could avoid his father's questioning through Asia's distractions.

"So you're still unemployed? How are you making ends meet?"

"With the same money I had earlier, I'm still comfortable, dad." Issei sighed back.

"When you left the house, I thought you were going to build a career or do something with your life, not waste your time and mope around. We didn't send you to school for that." Gorou scolded him, as Issei's eye twitched, his fury slowly building up.

"Not like you were there for half of it." He coyly replied, earning his father's own irritated eye twitch.

"They really are father and son, even if they don't get along." Rias noted to herself, maintaining her smile. The redhead didn't want to interrupt, even if she could see how their argument would end a mile away. "All that progress gone."

"We've had this conversation before, Issei. I work to keep this family, a family you're hardly ever a part of, safe and stable." Gorou reminded him.

"A job you work yourself to death to, miss your son's school events, and work yourself to an early death. Did you forget how Mom and I were worried sick when you had your heart attack?" Issei spat back, as the Hyoudou family winced in memory.

"Then why are you still here? Asia's staying with us, so you have no reason to be here." Gorou muttered back, as Miki remained silent. The Hyoudou matriarch had preferred to remain ignorant over her husband and her child's disputes, fearing even more conflict.

"I'm here because I want to make sure she'll be treated well, unlike me."

"You were an unruly, idiotic child that spent his time looking at naked girls instead of studying." The older man shouted back, his voice raised up a few tones. "Everything I did, everything we did, was for your best interest."

"And you were obsessed with nothing but me studying for days on end. Do you remember the last time I asked you to come with me anywhere, Dad? The last time I asked you for advice on how to deal with girls? Or just being around for me when I needed you, instead of working and ignoring me?" Issei roared back at him, slamming his fist on the table in rage, before realizing the magnitude of his fury, nodding in apology to his two companions, now taken aback by him. "Sorry, that was too far. My point still stands."

"Six months later, and you're still the same. Issei, you're wasting your life away like this." Gorou muttered back.

"Dear, can we not do this in front of guests?" Miki attempted to reason, finally deciding to interrupt, as the charade began to fall flat.

"No, no. It's as good a time as any. It's not like we see Issei more than once a year anyway." Gorou shook his head at his wife's pleading. "Issei, you practically ran away from home, and for what?"

"To get away from you." He hissed back. "To get away from this exact kind of behaviour."

"I'm only saying this out of concern and love. I want you to have a good life, a stable income and a good career." Gorou hummed back.

"You only ever care about money, don't you, Dad?" Issei buzzed back, his tone rising yet again, yet he'd lost what little composure he'd forced on now, this was the point of no return. "You told me that I'd amount to nothing - Something my teachers told me, sure, but you? I thought a father was supposed to support his son and guide him, when you ignored me when I needed you the most, I don't get how you can't understand that!"

"When you finally grow up and act like a man, you'll understand the difficulties of working and making money."

"Money, money, money." He mocked. "I have all the money in the world, Dad. I make more than you in a year, you know that?"

"You have nothing to your name other than some investments. You're going to rot and suffer because you've accomplished nothing - Where's your degree, your career? Issei, you're going nowhere, I'm trying to explain that!" Gorou growled back at him, the two standing up and staring at each other with hostility.

Gone was the facade of peace between father and son, and in it's place, came the years of tension and hostility flung out. Both venting their frustrations among one another. How Issei wished he could tell his father the things he'd done, the monsters he'd killed, how he'd nearly died countless times to save people. Yet, he couldn't, the boy was sworn to secrecy, especially from his parents.

"Not like he could ever understand that anyway."

"Career this, money that. Do you actually love me, dad?" Issei howled back, having to prevent himself from cocking his fist back in rage. He could feel his eyes nearly water-up, forcing back tears of frustration from the years of neglect. "Did you think that growing up, you could show off to people how your son was going to be a doctor or something? Did you know that I had no friends in school, and that I never told you?"

"And why wouldn't you tell me that?" His father asked in confusion, both his parents silenced and taken aback by his confession.

"Because you were never there! Do you know what that's like, to be surrounded by people, yet be so alone? I wanted to tell you, and Mom could only handle so much. I thought that you could help me be a better man, to actually do well in life, but all you ever did was tell me to focus on studying or something to do with school." He vented out in frustration, shaking his head to hide his slowly built-up tears. "You think I still haven't forgotten about every time you called me worthless, or a loser?"

"I.."

"Dad, I can't even begin to tell you how miserable I was whenever I was home. The only reason I didn't off myself was because I had a few people later on in life that supported me when you didn't."

"Issei, my son." Gorou exhaled, attempting to calm his ailing son down. "What about the time we went to Mount Kuoh, as a family. That was fun, right?"

"It was." He exhaled, lowering his voice again. "But it was one of the only good memories I've had, it was like the moment I turned into a teenager, you grew to hate me."

"I could never hate you, Issei. You're still my son."

"Then why'd you kick me out?" He roared back again, pointing a finger at his father.

"You kicked him out?" Miki asked, alarmed by Issei's sudden confession.

"What do you mean, Mom? Dad told me that when I turned eighteen and finished school, you were both going to cut me off and I had to move out." Issei recited from his memory, as his mother glanced at her husband in shock, who looked alarmed.

"You told me you only said it as a threat so he'd stop going out with that Yuuma girl." Miki asked her shrugging husband, as Rias and Asia winced at the mention of her name, glancing at the pained hunter's face.

"Issei, I think we should leave." Rias called out to him, attempting to grip his hand, only for the hunter to push her away, to her shock.

The redhead was saddened, and disappointed. Yet, it made perfect sense to her - For a man like Issei to be living alone, to act the way he did, to have these feelings. Her own peerage consisted of those with tragic backstories, yet while Issei's seemed so normal in comparison, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him, for the redhead too, understood the problems with overbearing, overdemanding parents.

"I'm not done yet." He cooly replied back to Rias.

"Issei, I only said that as a last resort." Gorou attempted to reason with him, yet he knew he was too fargone. The Hyoudou parents were far too familiar with their son's fascination with the girl he'd brought home one day. "You ran away from home for a month with her, of course we wouldn't approve."

"She was there for me, comforted me and supported me when you didn't. She made me realize that I'm not worthless." Issei replied with a pained shrill in his voice.

"Doesn't seem like she's there for you now, son." Gorou coyly replied, in an attempt to verbally defeat his son. "And where is she now?"

"Issei!" Rias and Asia both cried out, instantly sensing and predicting the hunter's reaction, his eyes alit, yet he held a hand out to stop them, keeping himself stilled.

The Hyoudou patriarch regretted his words, as flashes of crazed passion and fury alighted his eyes for a moment. Even to a normal Human like Gorou Hyoudou, he could sense when something was wrong, as his own flesh and blood's eyes glistened with something inhuman, as the hunter had to pause and force himself to not do something he'd regret. He couldn't harm his own father, as much as he'd deserved it.

A flashback of memories surged throughout him, of him and Yuuma, even in his youth. He'd been struggling enough with her death, having to force himself not to sob every night in memory of her. The hunter had promised himself that he'd move on and grow stronger from it, yet, death of a loved one was not an easy thing to overcome. The stress he'd accumulated battle after battle, time after time, and witnessing both Asia and Yuuma die at the same time had nearly shattered the impulse control he had.

"She's dead." Was all the boy could muster, as he began to walk away quietly, both his parents shocked still. "Asia, Rias, I'm sorry you had to see that, my parents are still good people, forgive them for this, I'll be going out. I'll see you all tomorrow."

"Issei, wait! Son, I didn-" His father called out for him in desperation and sorrow, rushing toward him, yet the hunter was too fast, instantly disappearing with the door silently shut.

Devils had been working alongside humans for as long as time itself existed, Rias no different. She'd witnessed many kinds of human behaviour, thanks to her plethora of clients, she'd witnessed happiness, cruelty, joy and sadness. The heiress had grown up in a household and taught how to use her body language and emotions to her benefit. Yet, she was gripping her hands in silent, held-back rage. For if there was one thing a Gremory devil despised, it was seeing their loved ones hurt, even if it was by their own family members.

"Mr and Mrs Hyoudou." Rias quietly stated, her smile disappearing. "I believe this changes our position entirely."

"I understand." Gorou nodded back in defeat, slumping into his chair as the older man held a hand against his face in shame.

"We still want to host Asia, Rias. Please forgive us, I know this seems like a mess, but I promise you that we love our son and that we would never treat Asia this way!" Miki begged, bowing her head down to the two Devils.

"I will let you know, Mrs Hyoudou." Rias nodded calmly, before turning her head toward the sulking Hyoudou patriarch. "Mr Hyoudou, I want you to know that your behavior was unnecessary, and unprofessional."

"I know, and I apologize, I w-"

"I wasn't finished." Rias sternly interrupted him. "I want to say that Issei and I have been close friends for a short time, yet, I trust him with all my heart. Your son is an amazing man, whether you choose to believe it or not. I was in danger last week, and Issei saved my life, as well as Asia's later on."

"He did that?" Gorou exclaimed in surprise, Rias nodding her head in return.

"More than that, he took care of Asia after she was abandoned by her original host family, expecting nothing in return. Your son may not tell you this, but I will, out of courtesy, but he nearly died to save her, and with your talk of careers," The red headed devil continued, smiling at the thought of her hunter. "I was going to save this for Issei, but Issei attended an interview today to be a teacher at Kuoh Academy, and he's been admitted in."

"No…So this whole time, I.." Gorou exclaimed in shock, placing his head down in defeat and shame.

"Yes, you chastised him for nothing. You should be proud, your son has done what most men his age struggle with. He's also taking care of himself." Rias giggled.

"I know, he's gotten so big. I thought he was going to hurt you, dear." Miki giggled back in pride. "I don't even think his grandfather was as muscular as he was."

"Issei would never do that, he's too nice!" Asia interjected passionately.

"He has gotten big," Gorou forced a weak smile back, sighing in sorrow. "How could I have done that? How could I have ignored my boy, and let him get to that stage? He probably hates me."

"I wouldn't say that." Rias interrupted the elder's wallowing, as he looked up to the redhead in desperation. "Your earlier behavior, prior to your… Argument showed me that you two are still good parents. I understand your intentions, Mr and Mrs Hyoudou, and while I will take Issei's side here, I wish the best for both parties, and this gives me an idea for my ultimatum, if you wish to host Asia, and have your son back in your lives."

"I'll do anything."

"Excellent." Rias flashed a toothy grin. "I will arrange at a later date for you two and Issei to meet, and you will have a conversation and try to amend your relationship. If Issei deems this acceptable, and he approves of you two, then you will be able to host Asia."

"Thank you, Rias." Miki smiled in gratitude. "But how will you convince Issei? I don't think he'll come back, even if you somehow managed to drag him here."

"I want to make it clear that I'm doing this for Issei, and I wish for his best interest. I have a way with him, and it'll happen." The redhead smirked at the thought of blackmailing him, but buried away, as the couple sat in front of her glanced in realization.

"Dear, I thought she was joking, but I'm starting to believe she really is his girlfriend." Miki noted, facing Gorou.

"I know, I think so too."

"I'll take that as a yes, so I'll be leaving for now. Thank you, and have a great day." Rias bowed her head, as the pair of Devils left the house, leaving the two to their own.

"I messed up, Miki." Gorou softly confessed to his wife, finally shifting his hand away, to reveal a stream of tears spilling down his sunken cheeks. "This whole time, I thought our son had failed us, but the truth is, I failed as a father. I'm sorry."

"We both have, Gorou." Sighed the Hyoudou Matriarch, her own tears dribbling down her youthful face. "But this girl has given us a second chance to fix things, and bring a new child home."

"Nothing he said was wrong, he was completely right." Gorou continued. "This time, we'll make things right. When he said I abandoned you two for work, was he telling the truth, Miki?"

"Yes, I know you were working for this family, and these things can't be helped, but we both suffered, especially him."

"I'm a fool, an old fool who chose something so meaningless over my own family." Gorou exclaimed, as he grabbed ahold of his wife's hands with passion and determination. "Miki, I swear to you, I will never fail this family again, and I will be with our boy till the end, I don't know if I can fix it, but I'll make sure our boy gets everything he needs, no matter what."

"That sounds like the man I fell in love with, but… After what Issei said, you're sleeping on the couch tonight." Miki grinned with an evil smile.

"You can't be serious."

"Gorou, if I didn't love you the way I do, I would've divorced you years ago."

"Fuck."

"This is where Issei gets his swearing habit from too!"

"I need a cigarette."

"And his smoking habit!"

"Let me smoke, woman!"

"You're a fifty year old man, not some twenty year old doomer."

"What the fuck is a doomer?"

---

The breezing wind running through his hair felt amazing, with Kuoh's vast mountain ranges and starry skies alighting the night. The green shrubbery and it's tall trees, with Mount Kuoh standing atop all else, with it's snowy peaks was the most beautiful thing ever. He'd always wondered whether buying a farm or land out in the countryside and building a home here would've been a good idea, he'd be away from civilization, but he'd be on his own.

Issei had always loved nature, perhaps not as much as he loved women's bodies, but he'd still learned to appreciate the world's natural beauty. Visiting Tokyo enough times as a child had lead to the young hunter growing tired of the concrete jungles and brutality of the working man's life. His father's own fate only cemented his views further. Years of adventuring, training and traveling the outskirts of Kuoh had made him far different to the average Kuoh urbanite. Time with Shamil had rekindled the wild man that lived inside Issei, for he felt more at home among the sounds of birds, beasts frolicking in the wilderness and to truly be alone, living a simple, prosperous life.

"You seem so happy here." Akeno noted, his lover standing beside him, while Issei stood aside the rails of an empty, poorly-lit mountain road, gazing off into the countryside, his bike sat behind him.

"I always came here when I wanted to get away from the town." He explained, still enthralled by mountains. "As nice as Kuoh is, part of me always fantasized about getting away from it all, and living in the mountains, alone."

"I used to live in the countryside too, it reminds me of home, or what used to be it." The dark-haired devil rustled back, twiddling her fingers awkwardly.

Issei always knew Akeno had her own past, as did everyone. They'd initially bonded over their shared difficulties with their parents, even if he didn't know her story. He respected her boundaries, as she respected his, and only asked if she offered. Despite all the difficulties in their relationship, he wanted to make sure he wouldn't lose this girl like the last, be it by his hand or others.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He dipped back, while draping an arm around her shoulder - He'd worn a heavy jacket thanks to how cold the ranges were, while the girl had only worn her usual school uniform, not that he minded. "Don't you ever get cold in that uniform?"

"I'm fine with this weather, I won't catch a cold or anything." She reminded him, as he rolled his eyes at her stubborn, polite attitude and placed his oversized coat against her shoulders, wrapping her around before grabbing the girl and holding her in front of him, as Akeno yelped in surprise. "I didn't need the coat, but thank you. You're such a gentleman."

"Don't be sarcastic, I can't have you getting sick, can I?" He snickered back, Akeno smiling in return, not that he could see. "This is nice, you're warm."

"And you smell nice, so does your coat." The girl hummed back, snuggling up to him, as they held hands and continued to glance off into the distance. "My, you were right. This is beautiful."

"You smell nice too." He murmured back to her with a nod, the scent of the girl's floral shampoo trailing up to his nose, much to his delight. "It is beautiful, the girl in front of me, that is."

"And here you go again, making me blush. It's not good to play with a girl's feelings, Issei." Akeno chided him with a giggle, as he returned the laughter and held her tighter.

It was as if the warmth of the girl's voice, her smell and her embrace had made his pain slowly waft away, the sadness and anxiety he'd suffered over the past few days had melted away from this girl, making him feel calm and at peace. If Yuuma's death had taught him one thing, it was to cherish and appreciate the loved ones in his life.

"Issei? You're zoning out." Akeno called out to him, as the hunter snapped back by shaking his head. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah." He muttered back, glancing back at Akeno's worried expression. "I just had a bad day, is all."

"Rias told me. What happened?"

"I met my parents again, turns out they were Asia's host family. My dad decided to bring up the past and we had a huge argument over it that led to a screaming match, then he brought up Yuuma, so I left before things could get worse." He explained, the girl silently nodding and taking in every bit of his details, fully aware of his situation.

"You poor thing. I'm so sorry." Akeno sighed, resting her head against his chest sympathetically, her violet eyes staring into his own. He loved when she did that, and he loved how easily the girl could understand him. "If it's any consolation, my father and I don't speak either, bad past and all."

"It is what it is." He exhaled a breath of defeat, but returned back to a smile when he glanced at his watch. "Shit, it's getting late. Shall we go home?"

"You're right, I do have school tomorrow." Akeno nodded sadly, taking one last look at the starry Kuoh sky. "I'm going to miss this view, I want to do more."

"One day we will, I promise." The hunter explained, as he too, would miss the view. "I just wish we had more time together, sneaking out is a pain."

The two walked toward the same, black-and-green motorcycle that stood near them, the hunter placing his helmet back on and gesturing the girl onto the seat behind him, wrapping her arms around his body, as he switched on his bike's engine and twisted the throttle with ease, immediately setting off toward the Rias's building - The two Ojou-Samas turned out to be living together, much to his surprise.

"Hey Issei," Akeno called out from behind him, resting her head against his back, as the girl glanced at the blurry landscapes passing by her, her voice barely drowned out by the engine. "When the semester ends, we'll have more time together."

"Then we'll rent out a house in the countryside near a spa, maybe a beach. It'll be a nice getaway for us both." He hummed back, enamored by the thought. "I do know a place a few hours away by train."

"Do you want to see me in a swimsuit that bady? All you had to do was ask." The girl giggled back to him, as he continued on.

"Of course I do. How could I not want to see you wearing that?"

"Mmh, I'm not sure it's just me you're thinking of." Akeno whispered into his ear, as the hunter began to panic internally at her suggestion.

"What are you implying?"

"I'm saying that I know I'm not the only girl you treat this way, Issei." His girlfriend scolded him playfully, pinching his sides gently, much to his irk. "I've seen the way you talk and look at Rias."

"It isn't like that."

"I'm not mad at you, it's fine."

"Are you for real?"

"Devils do tend to have harems. And I believe you'd get promoted to a high-class devil in no time." Akeno attempted to convince him, as flashes of both Rias and Akeno as his wives made the hunter grin in pleasure.

"Nah, not yet, at least." He shook his head, burying his indecent thoughts away, as his eyes focused back to the empty, dark roads ahead of him.

"I wouldn't mind. Rias and I are like sisters, all I'd ask is that you tell me beforehand." She explained her ideas to him, with the hunter simply grunting back with a short nod.

"The thing is, I wouldn't be ready for that." Issei explained, as the two began to approach the oncoming well-lit town, it's roads as empty as ever, as the winds began to calm down in his downward ascent from the mountain roads. "I'm still a mess, and I just got out of a relationship. Sometimes I wonder why you're even okay with a boy with daddy issues like me."

"That sounds like you're fishing for compliments, when you know you're a better man then that - You're strong, caring, definitely handsome, and being around you makes me feel happy. That's all there is to it." Akeno reassured him, before sighing at her own revelations. "And by your logic, that'd make me a little girl with daddy issues, too."

"Guess we're a good match for each other then." He coyly remarked. "But no, you're beautiful, kind and fun to be around. You're one of the people in my life I'd do anything for. I'm still trying to find time for you, because this isn't enough for me, or either of us."

"I know, I know. We're both busy, and soon you'll be even busier with work. I like these outings we have too." Akeno agreed with him. "Can I ask you a question?"

"You just did, but shoot."

"Do you ever wish you were a normal human?"

"Nah." He shook his head, catching the girl off-guard with his instant reply.

"Why? Wouldn't life be easier for you?" She pressed on, as the hunter continued to shake his head in disapproval. "I know I feel that way sometimes."

"Our pasts, what we've been through, what we've done and the resulting emotions. You aren't just your blood, or what sacred gear you have, Akeno. The same way grades don't dictate a person, we're who we are because of the things we've been through. If that changed, we wouldn't be the people we are today, we'd be completely different." He explained, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. "Besides, I wouldn't have met you if I wasn't who I am, and the same goes for you."

"That's a pretty wise thing to say."

"I've had time to think about life, about this world and who we are. When Yuuma died, I blamed myself, part of me still does," Issei hummed out, pain in his voice, as he gulped and continued. "But I realized I have more to live for. You, Rias, Kiba, Koneko, you're all my friends, and you're my girlfriend. I've realized that I want to protect those things, to get stronger and never let anyone take anything from me again."

"Issei.." Akeno murmured, taken aback by her boyfriend's pained voice, and the mention of his former girlfriend. It'd be a lie if the Devil didn't feel envious over his affection for the girl. "I feel like it'll be hard to compete with your old flame."

"You don't have to compete with anyone. You're your own person. I don't like you because you're some girl I used to rebound, I like you because you're Akeno. You'll always be my Akeno." He replied back with passion in his voice, his hand tightening around the bike's handlebars, as the young man began to slow down, driving into the same residential area he'd driven with Rias. "If you ever feel that way, or that I might move on, you're fooling yourself. I'm not some loser teenager or playboy who'll use you like he feels and run off. We're together until death does us apart."

"When you say things like that, it makes my heart flutter, you idiot. I love you, Issei." She confessed with a burst of passion, as tears spilled down Akeno's eyes, wetting his shirt, cuddling him tightly. The hunter felt ecstatic at those words, as well as nervous. "I know it seems so sudden, but I've never felt this way about anyone else before. I know it's love, forgive me if I've said it so soon - You don't have to say it back if you don't feel like it, but I want to get it off my chest so it doesn't consume me. I'll say it again, I love you, Hyoudou Issei."

He hadn't heard those words from any other girl in his life. Yet, for Akeno to confess so quickly had made his chest feel so light, it was as if his heart had fluttered to the heavens themselves. Issei was nervous, as if he was unable to muster the words back. Did he even love her?

What was love, even, to this young man? A sense of passion and loyalty that he'd die for? Or was it just primal lust and his biological instincts as a virile male screaming at him to impregnate every girl he met to improve his chances of passing his genes off to the offspring.

"No, biological impulses is new age bullshit." He denied those pessimistic thoughts assaulting his mind. He knew what love was, he'd felt it before. The urge to protect, care and ensure the people in his life were safe and looked-after. To never let them be taken from his again. Yet, he was still confused. "Ddraig, what is love?"

[Your mind is that of a Dragon, partner. Don't waste your time on Human indecisiveness, I too, can read your feelings - This is love, I have felt this when I was still alive, embrace and accept it.] Ddraig replied to him reassuringly, encouraging his host and dissuading his weak thoughts. [Love, passion, lust - The boosted gear grows stronger with your emotions, embrace your love, partner. You will have a new reason to grow stronger!]

"But won't it make me weaker? Won't it give my enemies a new weakness to exploit, or distract me in battle?" He replied back to the dragon, their exchange seeming like minutes in his mind, yet seconds barely passed outside. Such was the blessing of the Dragon.

[You fool! Are you a robot, or a living, breathing being? Do you have a heart, does your brain not think? You are a Dragon, the love for our kind, the love for our mates and our hatchlings drives us to unlock a strength that could kill even God himself! Do not let your thoughts dissuade you, partner. Control your dark emotions, and embrace your bright emotions, let them guide you. We are driven by our desires, our goals and our love.]

"You're right, thanks, Ddraig."

[It is my duty as your guide. Do not forget our promise, you will get stronger!]

"Of course, I have something planned later, but can we discuss this when I get home?"

[I will remain silent until then. Enjoy your date, partner.] Ddraig cackled with laughter, as his voice dissipated from his mind slowly, letting the Sekiryuutei slip back to reality.

"I love you too, Akeno." He returned the teary-eyed girl's confession with his own, a proud declaration of his feelings. "When I'm with you, I feel invincible, and as if everything's good in this world."

"Do you mean it?" She inquired desperately, her face glancing at his own, as the hunter looked back to see her cry tears of joy, much to his dismay.

"I'll always be here, well, except for the next two weeks." He replied back, swearing under his breath in remembrance of his promise with Ddraig.

"Two weeks? That's too long! What are you going to do now, hunting?" Akeno roared back with the rage of a housewife, almost reminding him of his own mother, as the girl poked him in irritation. "You just recovered too! How can you leave me alone for two weeks after telling me you love me."

"It's precisely why I need to go. I have to get stronger." He explained weakly, caving into his lover's scolding. "Akeno, I lost someone before because I wasn't strong enough - I'll never let that happen again, and I need to build that strength. I've been given the gift of the boosted gear, and I'm going to embrace that destiny as the Sekiryuutei. I promise I'll be back soon."

"I'm not approving, but you haven't given me much choice, have you?" She shook her head in defeat, yet still remained as furious as ever. "What if you die?"

"I can't die and I won't. Not when there's a cute girl waiting for me at home."

"Who's the cute girl waiting for you, Rias?" She pouted back, as his flattery and flirts came short.

"She has black hair, violet eyes, nice body too." Issei smirked, deciding to play along. "She's also a huge flirt and is really possessive."

"Sounds like a bad girlfriend."

"Nah." He shook his head, before turning back to her, as the two finally pulled up outside her residential building, the young man slowing his bike down to a slow stop, before turning around to face her. "She's my bad girlfriend, and I love her for it."

"Your sweet talk won't work with me." Akeno turned her head in feigned anger, yet her eyes were as wide and joyful as ever. "But, I'll miss hearing them when you're gone."

"I'll miss you too, but I'll make up for lost time later." He shrugged back, Akeno finally giving him and facing him properly.

"But the school breaks starting soon for two weeks, we won't have much time after that anyway!"

"We have all the time in the world now, Akeno." He gripped her hands in his own, as her eyes fluttered at the hunter's sudden domineering behaviour, inching closer toward the girl, her usual flirtatious, forward persona being shattered by the Hunter's honeyed words.

"I'm expecting you to hold up on that." Akeno sighed, before glancing out one of the windows at the top floor of her residential building. "I should go, before Rias sees us."

"Fine. I'll see you tomorrow." He nodded, watching as his lover stood up, attempting to hand his long coat back. "Keep it, consider it my apology present for leaving you soon, and my first real gift to you."

"Then I'll treasure it forever." Akeno giggled, as she leaned forward against the young man, tapping on his helmet. "Before I go, take off your helmet."

The hunter did as told, shaking his head and letting his long, brown locks flow, the wind brushing through it, as Issei's sharp, brown eyes gazed into Akeno's own, only for the girl to place a hand over his forehead, forcing him to shut his eyelids. He knew what was coming, yet he didn't bother stopping it. They'd already exchanged declarations of love, and he was more than happy to accept her reciprocation.

"Now, don't say anything." She whispered back, hearing her bubbly voice trail up around his ears, before he felt the press of Akeno's soft lips against his own, only for a mere second, before his lover broke the kiss and he opened his eyes yet again. "That was my first kiss, by the way."

"I can tell." Issei chuckled back.

"I really decided to date a playboy, didn't I?" Akeno giggled at his reaction, as she began to step away from him.

"Playboy? Hell no."

"Then why'd you seduce a young, innocent schoolgirl like me?" She feigned naivety, winking at him, as the girl waved him goodbye. "Come see me tomorrow, okay?"

"Of course, good night." He nodded, returning onto his bike, revving the engine yet again, as the hunter set off.

"Good night, my love."

[Okay partner, what's your plan?] Ddraig's voice suddenly interrupted, catching the hunter off-guard.

"For fuck's sake, Ddraig. I just got to kiss a girl, give me a few seconds to process it."

[I did give you a few seconds to process it.] Ddraig remarked.

"It's a figure of sp- Wait, you wouldn't get it. Anyway, you ever heard of Mount Osore?"

[Of course, a hidden gateway to the underworld.] Ddraig affirmed back in interest.

"There's also an entrance to a forest full of monsters - A sacred dimension, if you will."

[And your plan is?]

"Kill monsters with the boosted gear until you're happy."

[I am so grateful to have made your partner.]

"Reminds you of your old days as a Dragon, doesn't it, old man?"

[More than ever. I have hopes that you may surpass your predecessors.]

"Don't get excited yet, I need to unlock balance breaker, don't I?"

[Fortunately for you, I have a plan of my own for that milestone. Talk me through your plan, partner.]

---

Nearly collapsing into bed, the hunter exhaled softly and slowly, focusing his breath as he glanced around the neat room. For once, it wasn't a mess, owing to the new hobbies and productivity he'd developed over the past few days. It improved his mental well being and meant he could walk around his apartment without tripping on something.

Pulling out a flimsy, old laptop, he lay in complete darkness, save for a lamp in the corner of his room and the flashing light of his computer screen, as he began to type and search for train tickets.

"Ddraig, do you remember Suiminoni?" The hunter asked, as he navigated onto the Tokyo bullet train, beginning to pull out his credit card and cycle through payments.

[I do.] The old dragon muttered back in response.

Suiminoni, or as it's English name states; Forest of the sleeping demon, was a place unlike anything in this world, in fact, some doubted it was even part of this world. For as its name suggests, was a pocket dimension created from the carcass of an ancient demon, or so the legends say, housing thousands of monsters.

"It's a forest, almost like a pocket dimension - There is no sun there, no moon. It exists outside of our comprehension, and is where many monsters who disobey laws are exiled too, if they are either deemed not worth killing, or too strong to kill." The hunter explained, as he'd placed his laptop to the side, having finally purchased his tickets, staring up at the ceiling with nostalgia. "I went there once with Shamil, though I was a kid and we got out quickly. He told me that if I ever needed to refine my skills or evolve further as a hunter, I'd have to spend time here."

[So you plan on spending two weeks there to train?] Ddraig asked, as the hunter nodded back, smiling in excitement at the prospect of his new 'vacation'.

"Yep. I don't know what I have to do specifically to achieve balance breaker, but I need to practice fighting again, and learn to use the boosted gear in combat properly. I have a few ideas, but I'll try them once we're in the field." He sighed, glancing at the materialized green, glowing tattoo of a dragon on his left hand.

[Then we will do it together, partner. How long I have waited for you to truly awaken.]

"There's still a lot to learn about being the Sekiryuutei, am I supposed to be a fabled hero of legend or fulfill a prophecy?" He inquired, as Ddraig prompted back with a grunt.

[Other than defeating the white dragon emperor? No. Your predecessors have all lived their lives by their own rules. Be it criminals, soldiers, kings, philosophers, merchants and even the humble farmer. Only the greatest hosts were those that accepted the call of destiny and chose to grow stronger when they had no need.]

"Then I've definitely heeded your call." He yawned, stretching out his arms, while his eyes fluttered in exhaustion - It'd been far too long of a day. "Good night, Ddraig."

[I wouldn't be so sleepy just yet, partner.] Ddraig warned him, as the sudden, glowing red markings of the Gremory sigil appeared into the floor, catching him off-guard, as the hunter jumped back in worry, instantly rushing for his sword.

Yet, to his surprise, rather than an injured friend or a potential enemy, the hunter was simply greeted by the same redhead he'd become used to, yet different. Gone were the caring, calm blue eyes he'd grown to love, and in its place they were sunk, signs of fatigue and stress on her pale skin, as the girl glanced at him in desperation, rushing up to him alarmingly.

"Fuck you doing here?" Issei asked in confusion, as the redhead laid her hands around his neck gently, as if caressing a lover.

"Issei, I need you to sleep with me." She replied bluntly.

"Yeah, sure I can do that." He instinctively said, lulled by her touch, before his brain realized the context of their situation and his eyes popped out in alarm. "Yo, what?"

"Take my virginity - This is urgent!" She cried out, suddenly pinning him up against his bed with a surprising amount of strength, confusing the hunter even further.

"Awh hell nah!" He roared out in mix of laughter and uncertainity, while the girl instantly began to peel off her school uniform, stripping down to a white bra and panties, completely showing off her curvaceous body in front of him, much to his unwanted, yet welcomed surprise.

"Very Niceu, Issei! You must sex!" Came the voice of his perverted, primal brain roaring at him, his primal, wild side reacting far too eagerly for his liking at the sight of Rias's half-naked body.

He'd hadn't seen a girl naked in months, letalone a girl like Rias, who's body outstripped any other girl he'd been with. Not even his former lover had a body this luscious and feminine, which only seemed to frustrate the hunter even further, for despite his antics and his bravado of confidence, he had a secret that he'd refused to admit.

Hyoudou Issei, great hunter of beasts, disciple of the Red Borz, Shamil, and the Red Dragon Emperor, was still a virgin.

He'd gotten to kissing and groping with Yuuma, sure, but both he and Yuuma refused to sleep together until he'd turned eighteen, and by that time, she'd already left him, not to mention the fact that he was still inexperienced, young and insecure at the time - Issei at heart, was still a pure teenager when it came to women, even if he was confident enough to flirt with them and play around.

It was almost ironic, if anything, that someone as dangerous, cursed and allegedly 'handsome' as he was, happened to still be a virgin. It'd be comical if it wasn't so sad, but Issei embraced his virgin side wholeheartedly, even if the hunter never told anyone.

"Issei, why are you so quiet?" Rias embarrassingly whined at him, blushing red at his lulled, expressionless face. "Do you not want me? Am I not appealing to you?"

"You teleported into my house and asked me to have sex with you! How would I not be surprised?" He cried out, shaking his head frantically.

Yet, his pleas were met with Rias ignoring the hunter, as she strutted over to him, one hand placed around his chest and carefully unbuttoned his shirt, exposing the scarred, muscular torso she'd grown to adore.

"All these scars and wounds - You really are strong, Issei." Rias panted out, brushing her legs atop his crotch, beginning to straddle him, much to the hunter's shock.

"Ddraig, please help me."

[Even if the white one himself came in here, I would not aid you here partner, it's time for your graduation from a hatchling into an adult!] Came Ddraig's roaring laughter, beaming out as Issei swore back at the Dragon, cursing him repeatedly to no avail.

His willpower had faded away, far too engrossed in the passion of the moment. Rias's body pressed against his own, her scent wafting onto him, as they were barely inches away. Issei wanted this, more than anything. To have a girl like her as his first time would've been a dream of any man, yet, it seemed wrong to him. Her face was not that of a willing girl, but someone acting out of desperation, as the girl continued to mumble to herself, going through the motions of foreplay, yet acting hesitantly, as if she too, did not want to sleep with him.

"Rias, stop." The hunter roared out, grabbing ahold of the redhead's arm and staring at her with worry. "This isn't right, it's sudden and random - You drunk or something?"

"I'm out of options, you were the best choice." She mumbled back, forcing him to let go of her.

"The fuck do you mean by that?"

"Issei, you're the only man I can trust with this."

"You have Kiba, and any other man would've been more than happy - Not that I would want you to sleep with a random dude."

"Kiba's like a brother to me, and he would never say yes. You're trustworthy, a third-party and if I lose my virginity to you, he'd break it o-" Rias explained, only to be cut off by his eyes rolling in irritation.

"So you're using me for your own purposes?" Issei sighed, shaking his head at her implication. "Rias, I'm not into hookups. This isn't right."

"I do care about you. Issei, we both have our shortcomings, and I don't think you'll be quick to climax, judging by this." She cocked a weak grin, brushing a thigh against his crotch, making him nearly squeal at how sensitive he was. "And you seem experienced too, so please be gentle."

"Experienced? I've never felt the touch of a woman, I'm stone cold, Rias." He grinned, attempting to feign coolness, despite the blood rushing to his cheeks giving away his own embarrassment.

"You're a virgin too?" Rias cooed in surprise, before wrapping her arms around his exposed body, her fingers sinking into his hard, wide back. "Then, we can take our time. Do you like breasts, Issei?"

He could only shake his head, far too stunned to even come up with another witty reply, as the girl instantly unhooked her bra, exposing her round, full breasts, forcing his hands to squeeze them, feeling his rough fingers sink into her soft flesh, embarrassed and shaking his head in panic.

"Can you feel my heart beating for you, Issei? I'm nervous too, but my heart beats for you, right now. My body, my soul, my everything, I'm giving it away to you." She hummed back to him, slowly making herself comfortable atop his body.

"Rias." He attempted to reason with her, only for her to silence his protests with a single smile. "I don't think we should be doing this."

"Issei, I value my chastity, so when I'm giving it away to you, it's because I trust you and you mean a lot to me." She whispered into his ear softly. "I'm sorry that I forced you into it, but I'll make sure you feel good too, okay?"

"You only do this with people you love."

"Perhaps one day, love will bloom between us too then."

"Aw hell nah!" He roared out in anger.

His mentor was a conservative muslim, and while Shamil had never forced his values onto Issei, the hunter had instinctively seen him as a father-figure and a role model, being one of the strongest, bravest men he'd ever met. He'd been lectured by the old Russian countless times, over women, over money and over life, and if there was one thing he'd taken from the strict old hunter, it was his believe on love and sex.

"I am not doing this." He pushed the girl away, finally summoning his willpower back, as even the idea of casual, unromantic love made the hunter grit his teeth. "Rias, I don't know what made you do this or why, but we can talk this out."

"I can't, Issei. I have no choice anymore!" The girl cried out, suddenly bursting into tears.

"Is it your dad, your family? Another Devil? Just give me a name, I'll kill him." The hunter exclaimed, pointing toward his sword, only for the girl to shake her head in defeat.

"I don't even think you could kill him." The redhead sobbed back, before the two were interrupted by a second glowing sigil emerging from the floor.

"Another one? Fuck this, I'm hanging a portrait of Jesus now - Why does every woman I get involved with have to be some kind of evil monster? Dad was right, women in general are just evil." Issei ranted to himself, grumbling furiously as the light dissipated, and in its place stood a tall, gray-haired woman clad in a maid outfit.

"Looks like we were too late." Rias sighed, glaring at the maid entering their room.

"Is she your maid, or something?" He asked the redhead, with Rias nodding back. "Your maid looks like a touhou character."

"To do it with such a commo- No, that's…" The maid scolded Rias, only to raise her eyes as she took a second glance at the hunter in awe, before her face returned to her usual frown. "A hunter? Your father and Sirzechs will be disappointed."

"Who's Sirzechs?" He ignored the maid's disgust toward him, glancing at Rias in curiosity.

"My brother." Rias noted back to him, before standing up to face her maid. "My chastity is mine to give to whoever I see fit, and this hunter you find disgusting is a man I see great potential in, and I will not allow anyone to disrespect him, not even you, my brother's queen."

The maid standing in front of them was beautiful, to say the least. Her fair-skin, long, gray, braided hair, and her piercing, strong eyes were enough to cast fear into the young hunter. He was perceptive when it came to estimating his opponent's strengths, yet, he'd begun to shift away from his bed in shock at the woman that stood before him, eyeing at his sword desperately.

He knew it was a Devil, but this wasn't a normal Devil, no, this thing was stronger than anything he'd seen before, barring the old wolf himself. Despite her beautiful, cold exterior, he could tell something monstrous lurked behind those calculated, steel eyes.

"I will not hurt you, hunter." The maid reassured him with a single glance, causing Issei to sigh a breath of relief, as she began to pick up Rias's crumpled clothes off the floor and dress her mistress. "Regardless, as the heiress of the Gremory household, you must take better care of yourself."

The hunter remained silent, preferring to silently observe the pair in hopes of catching any details from the two, only for the gray-haired maid to return his glance with a nod, stepping toward him with a sudden bow.

"It is nice to make your acquaintance, good hunter, Hyoudou Issei, I am Grayfia, a servant of the Gremory family. Lord Gremory has spoken of you, and for the benefit of your future relationship with the Gremory household, I will not speak to him of this." Grayfia explained, retaining a dignified, noble composure toward him, reminiscent of that of a Victorian-era maid.

"The pleasure is mine, Grayfia. I'm sorry we had to meet like this." He returned a bow at the gray-haired beauty, before studying his features carefully.

She certainly was beautiful, gorgeous. It'd only make sense that a man like Rias's brother would have kept a beautiful woman like Grayfia in his life, with her mature, refined persona, her body and her lips were to die for. While the woman didn't have Rias's youthful looks, her own charm was that of the older woman's allure.

"Stop gawking at her." Rias scolded him out of envy, as the hunter shook his head with a chuckle.

"Sorry, sorry. I just get like that around pretty women." The hunter returned to his usual, flirtatious persona, earning a coy smile from the maid, who struggled to stifle a laugh.

"No matter where I am, or what era of the human world, Hunters truly are shameless." Grayfia replied to him, with Rias nodding. "Though I am happily married, I will take that as a compliment, Hyoudou Issei."

"You know, you look exactly like a character from a video game I played a while ago." The hunter rung out, recalling the striking resemblance with the maid.

"Oh? In what way?" Grayfia raised an eyebrow of curiosity at him, while Rias began to grow annoyed, embarrassed at the Hunter's goofy behaviour.

"Check this out." He explained, as both he and the maid glanced at the hunter's phone. "See that girl? Her names Sakuya Izayoi, she's a maid with gray hair and you guys look exactly the same."

"I…" Grayfia muttered out with a gasp, as one eye began to twitch in realization and fury. "My husband had chosen my outfit and told me that it compliments my role in the Gremory household… I did not realize the coincidence."

"No way it's a coincidence, Grayfia," Issei continued, as the years of repressed memories from playing games began to seep out. "People in the human world dress up as these characters too, it's even a fetish to some people."

"Do not joke around with me, hunter." Grayfia hissed at him in denial, only for the hunter to continue by assaulting her mind with even more images. "This cannot be!"

"Does your husband play any video games?" He asked her, Grayfia nodding back.

"He is enamored with the Human world. He is the reason Mistress Rias chose to study in Japan in the first place." Grayfia explained, her fist beginning to grip in rage, at the realization of her husband's antics.

"Your husband sounds based, I want to meet him." Issei chuckled back, only for Grayfia to silence his laughter with death stare that made him bow his head apologetically. "Rias protect me, she scares the shit out of me."

"Her husband is my brother, Issei." Rias sighed in defeat.

"Why is your brother so cool?" The hunter exclaimed, having earned a newfound respect for this mysterious Sirzechs figure. Whoever this man was, the hunter grew to like him more and more. "Grayfia, please, tell your husband that I respect him down to the bottom of my heart! He is a fellow comrade and a man of culture!"

"Why did I even try losing my virginity to a perverted Otaku of a hunter…" The redhead sobbed in defeat, as the maid turned back to her.

"My lady, shall we depart? I do believe it's getting late, and that we have much to discuss." Grayfia asked, as Rias nodded, causing a sigil to appear on the floor.

"And before I go! Issei," Rias walked toward him, before pecking her lips on his cheek, causing him to blush in embarrassment. "We never got to do it, but I hope this satisfies you for tonight."

"Rias, say the word, and I'll take care of whoever's bothering you." He replied back, as the two disappeared into the circle, leaving him alone yet again.

"Can't believe I almost had sex. Thank God I didn't."

[YOU FOOL! I WAS ENJOYING THE SHOW!]

"Now who's the lecherous fiend, you old pervert?" The Hunter chuckled, before pausing in his train of thought upon realization. "Does this mean I'm not getting the job if her dad finds out she tried to have sex with me?"