I will let the poll run a bit longer to allow everyone equal chance to cast their vote, so yeah here's another chapter, it is a bit shorter (I think) but this is an important chapter nonetheless.

Bitterness and Guilt

"Hey Issei-chan!" Serafall greeted the bartender who smiled back as he looked at the small magic girl before glancing at her two companions a man and a woman. The man was a redhead dressed in a snazzy purple suit while his companion was a silver haired woman dressed in jeans and jacket as well as a formal shirt.

"Back so soon?' Issei chuckled as the three took a seat on the stools in front of him

"Yup now one magic girl special please, Magic Serafall-chan demands it!" she demanded cutely

"I will take one as well" the redhead man seconded with a smile

"Do you have anything without alcohol?" the silver haired women asked politely

"Sure, I have some juices how does avocado sound?" Issei offered with a smile

"That would be lovely" Grayfia conceded with a small smile

"Apologizes I didn't get your names" Issei spoke politely as he put his hand out to Sirzechs first

"Sirzechs" the man smiled as he shook Issei's hand both men having good grip, Issei then turned to the silver haired woman

"Grayfia" she introduced herself

"Welcome to the Panic Room I'll get you're drinks right away" he welcomed with a smile before turning around to begin preparing their drinks

"So how has your day been Bartender-chan?" Serafall asked cheerfully

"It's been fine a bit slow here and there but other than that just a normal day" he replied as his hands began moving with fluid grace in preparing their drinks another couple of moments passed before Issei turned around and handed them their drinks.

"Two Magic girl specials" he announced as he pushed the two drinks towards Sirzechs and Serafall

"One avocado juice" he stated lastly as he pushed the juice towards Grayfia

The three patrons clinked the glasses against together

"Cheers" they all replied before taking a sip, Issei watched their expressions as they turned into one of surprise before they taking another sip followed by an expression of joy except Grayfia who just had a small smile tugging at her lips if anything. Serafall downed the drink before sighing

"Awh, I missed that another one bartender-chan!" Serafall demanded as she pointed her wand at him while Issei smiled as he turned around to prepare another drink for Serafall

"So how has your day been Serafall?" Issei asked over his shoulder as he prepared the drink

"Ugh, so boring there has been no enemies to vanquish" the magic girl moaned as Issei severed her second drink while he chuckled at the statement

"It's nice to kick back and relax from time to time though…" Issei pointed out

"True" the magic girl admitted as she had her eyes glancing up in thought

"How is it being a bartender?" Sirzechs asked curiously

"It's weird… sometimes it's boring and sometimes it hectic while sometimes it's just calm I don't know how to explain it." Issei replied to the curious Satan who nodded before taking a sip from his drink

"Do you have any bartender tales to regal us with?" Sirzechs questioned

"Well yesterday Serafall nearly got me in trouble…." Issei spoke with hesitation Sirzechs cocked his eyebrow in interest before leaning forward

"This I wanna hear" Sirzechs spoke with a grin while Serafall added her own side

"It was just a playful joke…."

"That nearly got me fired and arrested…" Issei deadpanned while Serafall smiled sheepishly as she scratched her head

"My boss, let's just say is the kind of boss who would beat up her own employees if they do something wrong" Issei began telling as he scratched the back of his neck before continuing the story

"She saw me conversing with Serafall and had reason to believe I was letting a minor to drink and I had less than noble intentions"

"Thankfully Serafall managed to prove she was the appropriate age and I thankfully was not put through the shelves behind me" he said with a nervous chuckle while Sirzechs laughed at his predicament and Grayfia merely shot a look to the magic girl satan who was smiling nervously as she looked to the side.

"Well it's a good thing you are still in the land of the living, otherwise I wouldn't have been able to taste this magnificent drink" Sirzechs complimented before raising the glass to the bartender and downing it

"It's not that good but thank you for your words" Issei tried to deflect the compliment as he scratched as his neck and leaned back

"Bartender-chan another drink!" Serafall demanded as she finished her drink and Issei prepared another one for her. However little did the three patrons know that the bartender in front of them had his mind elsewhere, his talk with Raynare had brought up something he nearly forgot and something he should have never forgotten.

'It's nearly that day' he thought inwardly before putting on his bartender smile and serving Serafall another drink and the three patrons talked away with the human bartender until the end of his shift and the subsequent closing of the bar.

Cherry blossoms painted his view and the pavement beneath him but Issei continued walking dressed in his red shirt and jeans while wearing a black jacket, it was a jacket she had gotten him on their first date and he wore it every time he came to visit. Issei's hand carried a rose as he continued walking until he took a left and began climbing a hill.

His heart building up a steady pace as he took step after step on the green hill as he reached the top a grey cemetery began filling his vision. He came upon the entrance before taking a deep breath and began walking mentally listing off the rows as he came to the appropriate one turning left he walked past a few more grave stones before he stopped to the central one in the row, his breath caught in his throat threating to choke him as he read the all too familiar grave stone

"Irina Shidou

Beloved Daughter"

He leaned down placing the rose he brought her against the grave stone which remained unblemished and so far not ravaged by the weather or time.

"Hey Irina…" he spoke nervously as he remained leaned down in front of her grave stone the words struggling to escape his mouth. He subconsciously rubbed his tattoo under his shirt before pulling out a photo of them. It was them in a photo booth together, Issei had one arm around her while she hugged him back and her head rested against his chest and they both had large smiles on their face.

"I wish we could spend more time like this… God not a day goes by…." he began ranting as tears began pooling in his eyes

"If only I was a bit stronger, if only I was a bit faster… if only I had the strength to defeat him… we could have been together raising kids together while we lived normal lives but that wasn't to be and I hate that it couldn't be… I just hate it" tears were now streaming down his face as he fell to his knee's his hand grasped onto the gravestone desperately

"Please comeback…." He wept as his hand tightened as much as he could on the grave stone

"I'm so s-sorry so s-sorry I was too weak!" he ranted as tears began staining the grass beneath and his cheeks

"I'm sorry that I betrayed you…." He whispered as his thoughts came back of his betrayal, the guilt of failing to save her. The image of her lifeless body broken beneath him as he laughed and decided to spare him.

He glanced up to the sky hoping for some form of answer but after staring fruitlessly nothing came.

"I'm sorry Irina, you are in a better place they promised me and I made sure you were…" he told her soothingly as he rubbed the top of her grave stone before he tried with futility to wipe away his tears. He barely managed to struggle to his feet, his legs struggling and shaking beneath him as if they were crying themselves but he managed to stand straight glancing one more time at her grave stone

"I'm sorry" he whispered pathetically as he shoved his hands into his pocket and stared at the floor beneath him as his body went into auto-pilot mode and dragged him back to his apartment.

Issei arrived at his apartment but he froze as he saw who was standing outside his door leaning against the walls of the hallway. The blue hair was a dead giveaway but so was the wrapped up sword on her back and the black cloak she wore.

"Xenovia…" he spoke her name with trepidation, dark yellow eyes met with brown as a small smile formed on the blue haired woman's lips

"Issei, how have you been?" she asked as she turned to face him

"I'm fine how about you?" he replied as he stepped towards his apartment and pulling out his keys as he began unlocking it

"Good did you…" she attempted to ask before he cut her off

"I did"

"Please come in" he offered as the sharp clicking of the door opening was heard as he opened the door and held it open for her

"Thank you" she replied before stepping in

"Make yourself comfortable" he said gesturing to the small table he had in the kitchen with only two seats on it, she nodded at his offer before resting herself on a seat and leaning her sword against the table. He went into the kitchen and brought two cups of water, he placed one in front of Xenovia before sitting opposite her and holding his own cup.

"Thank you" she thanked him before taking a sip from the cool water

"So what brought you here?" Issei asked going straight to the point

"Besides seeing her grave, there is a lead that he is here…" she replied bluntly resulting in Issei tensing

"Is it just you?" Issei asked his tone no nonsense

"It's just a lead so yes" Xenovia replied calmly, Issei however reacted harshly and smashed his hand against the table

"The fuck! Its him we are talking about he could kill you just like he…" he ranted but didn't dare to finish his sentence as her name got caught in his throat

"I came to ask for your help Issei… we need you Michael and Gabriel they want you back, the supernatural is changing there is a new rogue element and he is about to start a war" she spoke seriously

"I-I can't Xenovia, I want to be normal…" he told her but in his mind images of Xenovia dying assailed him

"You can't just keep Ddraig trapped forever did you think about him when you sealed him?" Xenovia pushed to which Issei snarled

"Ddraig had my back and allowed me to do it" he retorted

"Allowed you but what about wanted?" Xenovia pointed out casually while Issei smashed his hand against the table

"Shut up, you don't know my pain!" he snarled as his emotions began boiling over

"I do she was my best friend! I trained with her fought by her and I was there when he!" Xenovia shouted back as she rose to the challenge, Issei couldn't retort he was just being selfish she was her best friend and she was there and tried to save Irina when he couldn't, his snarl intensified and his grip on his glass tightened.

"And then we… we should have never done that" she whispered barely audibly as tears pooled in the corners of her eye but Issei's heart froze knowing what she referred to, the sensations of the moment came back. The warmth and comfort of their touch, the thrill of doing something so forbidden but then the immense guilt that wracked both of them only spurred them onto to seek more comfort in each other but it was futile just another exercise in futility, bile began forming in his throat at the memory and he looked down to the table in shame.

"I regret that moment" he spoke honestly, Xenovia glanced at him her gaze inscrutable except for anger

"You are a coward Issei! You insult her!" Xenovia shouted but this was enough for him, he stood up and threw his glass behind her and it shattered just as their conversation did

"Get out!" he roared, Xenovia stabbed one more glance at him before grabbing her sword and marching out of the room he didn't see the one tear make its way down her cheek.

"Get out!" he roared once again as Xenovia slammed the door behind her exit.

Issei found himself filled with anger how dare she! After everything how dare she! His body shaking in anger as he clenched his fists.

"RAAAAHHHH!" He roared as he grabbed her glass and threw it across the room before flipping the table over in anger. He stormed into the kitchen and ripped open the fridge a bottle calling to him, he was about commit a bartender cardinal sin but he couldn't care as he tore the bottle open and fell back onto the floor, his back pressed against the wall of his kitchen and he sipped from the bottle of reddish, brown liquid and the burning relief of alcohol but too enraptured in trying to find relief he didn't notice the tears burning a trail down his face as time ticked away and so did he consciousness and the guilt.

Tell me what you think? I think I am making this story rather dark but that is kind of the plan and also I am setting up for the rest of the story. So please leave a review with your thoughts and drop a follow if you want more! Until next time!