The race for the Red Dragon Emperor

Gabriel leaned over the balcony hoping to see Issei but he was gone, tears welled up in the corner of her eyes. The face of a horrified and scared Issei was burned into her mind and it was tearing her up. Why was he scared? Why did he run from her? Was it her fault?

Yes, it was all the fear and doubt was directed at her but once again why was he scared and why did it force him to run? He had been unconscious for over a month so what must have scared him occurred before he fell into unconsciousness.

Then it dawned on her, her face paled as she fell back against a wall feeling weak in her legs, her hand over her mouth. He heard her, didn't he? He heard the words that she couldn't admit to him till he was bleeding out in her arms.

"I love you…"

She just told the man who is still grieving his dead loved one and one who blamed himself for her death that she loved him. It wasn't ideal, to say the least, then she began questioning herself was he scared because he couldn't reciprocate her feelings the mere thought of it tore her heart. Or could it be because he feared what happened to Irina would happen to her?

Tears had streamed down her cheeks just as Michael her brother arrived, worry written all over his face.

"Gabriel? Are you alright! Did he do anything to you?" he quickly bombarded her a glint of rare anger in the angel's eyes. Her sadness, doubt and fear quickly ignited into anger as she stared up to meet her brother's eyes.

"No he didn't and you know he would never do anything to me! And Michael I don't want you to belittle him I want you to help me find him!" she retorted sharply, Michael recoiled rarely seeing his sister snap or even be angry. He eyes were embroiled in confusion and concern but he decided to heed his sister's words.

"I will go after him, you can inform Serafall, Sirzechs and Azazel they would be willing to help us." Her brother replied slowly before spreading his wings and leaving.

Gabriel quickly summoned a magic circle to contact Serafall, Sirzechs and Azazel for their help and sent a hasty message so that she could contribute to the search for Issei.

Serafall felt a familiar burst of power and her eyes sharpened why could she feel Issei's power all of a sudden? Did he wake up and Gabriel didn't tell her or did something happen the question raced through her mind?

Something else drew her attention, her eyes flickered to a message magic circle that lit up her desk. She reached out and activated it. It was her rivals voice, Gabriel,

"Serafall, Issei woke up but he's gone. He freaked out and ran, we don't know where he is. Please, Serafall we could use your help finding him. I need your help." Her voice was hasty, pleading and so genuine it delayed the Satan's anger long enough for her to respond.

"I will help you find him but after that Gabriel, we need to talk." She quickly responded and sent her own magic message.

Serafall growled the moment she sent the message. They had one job to protect Issei and now he's gone with every goddamn person in the supernatural hunting for the power of the red dragon emperor.

In a rare moment, the Satan lost her composure and slammed her fist down on her desk, cracking the desk in half. She couldn't take it, he had suffered enough and if someone else was going to abuse him and make him suffer more she wouldn't have it.

She was currently seething with rage her eyes narrowing with a deadly edge rarely seen on the usually bubbly and laid back Satan. She quickly stood up before summoning a teleportation circle not bothering to inform Sirzechs as he would probably be informed and it was a race against him, He would probably wish to get his hands on Issei to get him to bail him out of Rias's marriage debacle.

She quickly teleported away to her house where she needed to pick up her servant. She arrived in her large bedroom filled with magic girl merchandise and the colour scheme was tones of purple along with a purple bed.

She quickly left her room to exit into a hall before turning down to go to the end of it where she slammed open the doors to be greeted by a room with a gym to the left side of the room with a bed and kitchen to the right. The gym had weights that easily dwarfed Serafall size, the machinery was all of the highest quality all in all a gym goers wet dream. The room was entirely comprised of grey and black colours.

"Lady Serafall" a deep monotone voice greeted her she turned to see the owner of the voice her only servant, Behemoth.

Behemoth took the form of a large eight-foot-tall man with tanned skin, he had a messy mop of black hair which hid his white eyes that could be seen edging out from time to time. He only wore jeans and a belt not bothering with shoes or a shirt. It exposed his muscular form not that of a full-on heavyweight bodybuilder but more of a lean version of it.(basically he is not stupidly muscular like the majority of bodybuilders more of a swimmers body but with extra muscles, you can see). He had perfectly formed six-pack while every time he moved you could see the slight tense and bulge of his muscles. His fists tending to remain in a permanent clenched state. He was currently bowing slightly with his clenched fist on his chest.

"Behemoth, I need you we are going to be searching for someone." She informed her servant not in the mood to be calling him Behemoth-chan. The servant merely nodded as he stood straight.

"By your will" he replied before Serafall turned around leaving the room while Behemoth followed her with purposed gait, she would find Issei Hyoudou before anyone else.

Azazel was sitting at his desk doing paperwork as he felt the surge of power from the red dragon emperor. He dropped his pen as he glanced up at the ceiling before growling

"Son of a bitch…. This is gonna get messy really quick" he could imagine the multitude of supernatural elements scrambling to get their hands on him. His desk lit up as he received a communication from Gabriel.

"Azazel Issei has woken up but he ran away we don't know why. Michael and I are going to be searching for him we could use your help. Please, Azazel lend us a hand." Gabriel's message spoke

"You got it we will start looking for him." He replied quickly having received Gabriel's plea for help, he quickly stood up from his desk as an unexpected person burst through the door, Raynare. Worry and concern practically etched into her expressions as she spoke with haste and fear.

"Lord Azazel was that what I think it was?" the governor nodded

"He woke up but he ran they don't know why but we are gonna help them find him." He promised Raynare

"I want to help you find him!" she declared fiercely and determination, Azazel ran his hand through his hair as a small smirk came to his lips.

"Something tells me you would look for him even if I said no." he chuckled as Raynare blushed

"Please go find Shemhazai and Baraqiel, Shemahazi will be in charge while I search and Baraqiel will help us" He ordered Raynare who quickly nodded and left to find the errand. Just as she left Vali appeared.

"You felt that didn't you?" Azazel asked the white dragon emperor who merely nodded

"Yes my rival practically screamed his revival"

"Damn right he did, he started the mother of all shit storms with him at the centre." Azazel commented

"We better find him quickly then" Vali quipped

"We better, we better…" the lord governor concurred

Kyoto

Yasaka leader of the youkai in Kyoto quickly rushed into the inner temple of her Headquarter where her mistress lay. Yasaka was a young woman with a voluptuous figure with blonde hair and matching eyes dressed in a shrine maiden attire.

She entered a large decadent room with a stone path leading straight to a large marble throne situated on a huge platform with space for tables and chairs, the path run atop an indoor pond in which fish frolicked. The room had a high ceiling adding more to the size and decadence of the room. The room was brightly lit except for the throne on which her mistress lay adding to her mystique.

Yasaka quickly walked across the stone path before reaching her mistress, kneeling before her. The sharp whip of a harissa was heard as her mistress used it to slowly fan herself.

"Mistress it appears the red dragon emperor has surfaced," Yasaka informed her mistress, a calm smile graced a pair of pink lips as Yasaka's mistress leaned forward revealing herself.

Her mistress, Tamamo-no Mae the first of Kitsune kind and the de facto leader of youkai who preferred to control things from behind the scene. She was a beautiful woman dressed in a purple and white kimono. She had long flowing blonde hair that contrasted with her large nine fluffy white tipped tails while situated on the top of her head were a pair of fox ears. Her eyes a bright green emerald green filled with cunning and wisdom of a veteran leader and politician.

Her harissa was set aside as she reached to a table near her throne on it was a chess board, she picked up a piece, a red dragon breathing fire. She gently ran her index finger over the piece as she appraised meticulously before a small laugh escaped her lips. She stood up stepping down from her throne the piece still in her fingers, Yasaka did not even raise her head as her mistress approached.

"It seems the red dragon emperor has re-joined the playing field. How interesting…." Her voice oozing intrigue and calmness before she set down her the piece as she picked up another a white dragon raising his wings victoriously.

"With the white dragon emperor already allying with the fallen angels, the value of the red dragon emperor has increased exponentially whichever faction secures him will benefit immensely" she mused openly before setting down the piece as she flicked open her harissa to slowly fan herself.

"Issei Hyoudou will you refuse the inevitable or embrace the reality and your fate?" she pondered before laughing as a smile of interest graced her lips. She then made for the exit with Yasaka following behind her. The red dragon emperor drew the attention of another powerful faction and powerful being.

Olympus

Atop the mountain of Olympus sitting on a throne was by far one of mythology's most well-known beings, Zeus King of the Greek gods. Zeus was a man dressed in an off-white toga with a white crown situated on his head. He had white hair with flecks of gold in it while his eyes were an electric blue. He had a stubble giving him a more mature look.

He had felt it the raw power of the red dragon emperor and he wanted it. The power of the Greek had waned with time (not by much but even a slight decrease in power would affect them a lot in terms of supernatural politics) and their relevance's dwindled Zeus sought to reassert the power of the Greek pantheon and this was a way to do so.

"Artemis!" he bellowed for his daughter and goddess of the hunt.

The goddess of the hunt appeared dressed in brown hunting tunic with a large white hunting bow with a combat skirt. The goddess of the hunt had beautiful auburn hair with predatory amber eyes fit for a goddess of the hunt.

She kneeled with her fist over her chest, her head bowed down.

"You summoned oh Zeus King of the Gods" she spoke formally

"Rise Artemis goddess of the hunt, I have a mission for you." Zeus spoke haughtily as Artemis rose

"The Red Dragon Emperor has appeared, I wish for you to track him and invite him to our faction." Zeus informed Artemis although she already sensed the draconic power

"If he refuses?" she questioned

"Make sure he doesn't, he will be a great boon to us do not fail." Zeus declared, in other words, drag him here if you have to.

"It will be done King Zeus" she bowed slightly before leaving Olympus and summoning her hunt, the hunt for the red dragon emperor has drawn the attention of Olympus.

Issei Hyoudou kneeled onto the ground as he finally reached solid ground having jumped from heaven. His hand still gripping his face as his breaths came out in ragged short bursts. Finally, Ddraig managed to be heard.

[ISSEI!] the dragon roared

Issei breath slowly began calming down ragged short bursts turned into long, deep, calming breaths. Issei bit his lower lip before he spoke.

"Why?" Ddraig stayed silent for a few moments before speaking

[Why she loves you? Only she can answer that but whether you return it is up to you but now that you just basically announced to the whole damn world that the red dragon emperor is back. We are neck deep in the shit you wanted to leave behind.]

"I became neck deep the moment Kokabiel attacked me…" Issei growled in frustration.

[Issei maybe you should join the angels again…] Ddraig cautiously advised

Issei clenched his fists as his face hardened. "No… Michael used me he isn't going to get my loyalty back that easily and Gabriel…. She doesn't deserve to be in harm's way…"

[She will always be in harm's way whether she is actually dating you or not. She is a seraph of heavens. I know you are scared of loving someone again, scared of being thrust back into the supernatural and you are scared of the burden my power gives you. This is why I will always have your back but right now you are not thinking clearly you need to calm down and collect your thoughts while we hide if you don't wish to be discovered.]

Issei took another deep breath as he digested Ddraig's words and he could only come to one conclusion his partner was right he did need to hide and he did need to collect his thoughts.

"You are right Ddraig where are we right now?" Issei asked his dragon comrade as he glanced around seeing miles of damp forestry.

[England, I would never forget this region.]

Issei throat dried, he knew two people who could help him but whether he wanted to was a different story but what little choice did he have.

"I know somewhere we can hide"

Issei Hyoudou arrived at a large cabin in a clearing in the forest. The cabin was made of beautiful dark coloured wood and was two storeys tall and had its own garage. He froze as he questioned whether he really wanted to do this but Ddraig chimed in.

[We do not really have a choice and you are overthinking it…] the dragon assured him and with those words he advanced to the door climbing the steps of the porch to knock on the door.

His heart raced as it began beating louder filling his hears with the sound of blood pumping and the contract of muscles. The sharp click of the door unlocking occurred as Issei Hyoudou held his breath and it swung open. He stepped back regret filling him and doubt surging back like a tide.

"Issei?" a manly voice greeted him as a middle-aged man with light brown hair, the same as the love of his life he was clad in standard priests clothing.

"Mr Shidou… it's been a while…."

Pulls self out of a 6-foot grave, yes I am alive. University takes up a lot of time and I have exams coming up so I really haven't had much time to write but I managed to grind this chapter piece by piece and here it is.

And since I probably won't be updating for a while I decided to go all out in this chapter and drop tons hints and make you guys question things cause If I just tell you everything then what is really the point. After this arc, I guess I will probably be steering more towards cannon but I am kind of at an impasse in the sense I don't know really which faction Issei should join. So if you guys have suggestions as to which faction please say so in a review. Speaking of reviews please drop some I would really appreciate your thoughts on this chapter. Until next time!