As always, a big thank you to all who read/reviewed and continue to like and support my story. To all the new readers, welcome!
Here's a gentle reminder that I do not answer romantic questions posted in reviews as of yet and a thank you to those who refrained from asking there. You guys are the best, only a little longer!
berilium – As an avid FF reader, I understand why you'd dislike that. However, until enough of the core events take place, some things are going to have to happen. Not original, not yet at least, but bear with me. Original content will come in the future. Thanks for the love and support!
DraigTrueEmperor9 – Let's agree to disagree. Saves more time for reading, eh? Regardless of how we perceive canon, I'm about to make some very different alterations to the canon story, so Rias' behavior will be heavily altered.
Reemikz – Control he has, I hope I've made that clear. Try to remember that Raynare and her group are easily the weakest dregs of the supernatural world. My take on Issei can beat them on his own (base form); he just needs to work through some pride issues to get his head in the game. Asia needed to be taken for the next chapter to work, and while Vali does use the ScaleMail in every fight, he does so against high-tier opponents.
gta2001 – Thanks! Hope I'm doing the White Dragon some justice!
NAFNAF509 – Hold on a little longer, my friend. It's coming. Big reveal is outlined and waiting.
Kirinthor – Glad you liked it! Hope you enjoy this next piece.
T-B-R – Not quite. Divine Dividing requires actual contact with an opponent, doesn't work the same way with a magical construct previouslycreated by an unknown number of opponents. Also, they may recognize him, that doesn't mean they now what all his powers are. Everyone involved right now knows he can fight from Tartarus reports, but does anyone besides Issei know what he truly is capable of? Only Ryuu and Baraqiel know of his Holy fire and only he currently knows that he's carrying a Longinus. No plotholes here.
The Ultimate Balance Chaos – Thanks a lot!
DestinyVain – His full amount? That wasn't his best by any means.
the unsung antihero – Thanks and thanks again. I don't have a beta, so some errors do make it through my own edits. If that's the only issue, then I'll gladly take a 7.
DatGuitarGirl – Cheese and Rice? Haha, ok then. On we go!
Notasavior – Thank you! I'm also looking forward to the Raiser arc, gonna be some very epic moments that may take longer to write but should work out better in the long run.
Guest – OP Freed? More like Issei wasn't focused enough. Will be addressing that this chapter, hopefully you see how.
Guest – There are so many good Naruto stories out there that writing something original is extremely difficult. I'm not doing this for the review count, I'm doing this to expand on what I think is a great series and put my own spin on it. I see reviews as a good way to get feedback from an audience and then respond to them, not something to keep score with. If people like it, I'll keep writing, that's all there is to it.
DragonKingNatsu – Thanks! Glad you like it! As for the lack of power used, I'm trying to create a very prideful Issei that takes time to mature. Beyond that, explanations about power usage will be addressed later. More dragonlore on the way in the next few chapters!
bleach god – Oh, he will. Don't worry, the grand reveal is coming soon.
Disclaimer: See 1st Chapter
" " – Speech
' ' – Thoughts
( ) – Albion, mental
( ) – Albion, speaking
Just a reminder that this is a DxD story that is also rated M. It wouldn't be DxD otherwise. You have been warned.
Chapter 9: Thou Shalt Not Kill
"I'm sorry, could you run that by me again?" Issei stood in front of Rias' desk back in the clubroom. Having landed a few minutes earlier, he had told the four others what had happened since he had left school. Rias, Akeno, Kiba and Koneko had all listened quietly, patiently waiting for him to finish. At the end of his long tirade, Rias had asked him to repeat it.
"What? I thought I was clear enough."
"You were", she raised a hand to still any rebuttal. "But I just need one detail. Word for word, what did Asia say before the Fallen arrived?"
"She said, 'I will leave the Grigori!' It doesn't matter that she said that, the Fallen took her with them anyway! On our territory as well!"
Rias pursed her lips. "Technically speaking, while the Gremory have the right to control this land, that doesn't necessarily mean we have the means to hold it. You said that they had a barrier around the church, yes?"
"Yeah, that's what the loud one said."
"Then I'm sorry. There's nothing you can do, especially not with your demonic power as low as it already is."
"I don't care. Is there any way to change that?"
"In fact there is. Do you remember our discussion about the abilities of reincarnated servants?"
Issei nodded. He had indeed memorized the attributes granted, as well as how his fellow devils had utilized them.
"Well, I never told you the Pawn's characteristics. Reincarnation as a Pawn will do very little besides normally granting one demonic power. In your case, all eight pieces were used for what seems to be a very low payoff."
"Hey!"
"I'm sorry, but that's the way it is. However, there is a way for you to overcome that. As a Pawn, your greatest strength is that of Promotion."
"Come again?"
"Just like in chess, a Pawn can temporarily upgrade his or her characteristics to that of any other piece besides the King. Once you've made it to enemy territory, for example, if you made it inside the church, you could promote yourself. Queen, Bishop, Knight, or Rook, it's your call." Rias was interrupted by a glyph glowing on her desk. She sighed and stood up. "Kiba, Koneko, it seems there is work for us to do."
"Right. Shall we?" Kiba was already at the door holding it open. Odd, shouldn't they be using a transport circle? Koneko wordlessly padded through, followed by Rias. Before she left though, she turned back to Issei and Akeno. "Take care you two. Please try not to get into trouble." With that, she left. Kiba shut the door leaving Akeno and Issei alone together.
It was Akeno that broke the silence. "I know what you're thinking."
"Oh really. What am I thinking?"
"You're thinking that you'll find some way to get past the Fallen's barrier. From there you'll fight your way through as many Grigori minions until you find your friend."
"Damn. You're good."
"The best, actually." Akeno preened at the praise sent her way. "So, when do we leave?"
"What?"
"You heard Rias, once you get inside that church, you can promote to whatever you want."
"Are you supposed to be encouraging me? Not that I'm complaining or anything, it's just surprising that you'd interpret Rias like this."
"Whose plan do you think this is? Now let's go!"
"Wait, you're not coming." Issei stood up, ready to leave on his own. "I'm not going to…" He trailed off. Akeno's eyes were closed, a smile on her face, but the vibe he was getting off her caused him to pause.
"You're going to let me go with you. I almost lost you once; I'm not letting you go gallivanting off on what could be a suicide mission. Besides…" She tossed her ponytail back over her shoulder as she stood. "…You won't have the magical capacity to take the barrier down until you're actually in the church. Do you know any other Fallen Angels willing to help?"
It was hard to argue against that logic. Half-Fallen she might be, but that was a mere triviality, just like he was as a half-blooded drake. He had no doubt that her knowledge of Fallen magic augmented her own capabilities with demonic power. If anything, he needed her to get in, while the other way around wasn't necessarily true.
"Why do I even bother?" Issei muttered. "It's clear you girls are making all the decisions."
"Well it's good to know you can be trained", she reached up to impishly pat his cheek. "Though I do wonder, why do you think Kiba didn't have a had in this as well?"
"Seriously! He's in on it too?"
"He had a lot of insight to add. Now, are you going to just stand there-…" She was interrupted as Issei grabbed her hand, the runes on his own blazing white. Moments later he shimmered then vanished.
Outside the claimed church, Issei's teleport forced him back into being. While forcing a jump like that would tire Albion, it only meant that this time he could no longer make mistakes. He had been foolish, arrogant, and prideful. That and more had lead to Asia's capture and the Fallen's escape. It would not happen again.
He held his hand out and one flash later, Akeno reappeared mid conversation. "…Or are we… what just happened?"
"Instantaneous travel over a great distance. Only works if I know where I'm going or I've been there before. If it wasn't for the fact it takes time to charge, I'd take it over those damn fliers any day."
Akeno pouted. "At least warn me next time. Although…" She seemed rather thoughtful, "if you're going to take a girl out for a night on the town, you could at least show her a good time."
"Knowing you, I'm not safe responding in any normal manner."
"Aw, you're taking all the fun out of it."
The two devils stepped up to the wooden church doors. A heavy presence seemed to cover the threshold, something even Issei could detect with his limited magical energy. Akeno calmly stepped forward with one hand cautiously outstretched. A meter away from the door, her advance was stopped as an invisible shield halted her hand.
"Ah, here it is. Give me a moment." With that, she lifted her other hand and placed both on the barrier, a Gremory seal appearing. It's many layers spun in different directions, reminding Issei of a combination lock. "First this, then that, and we are," the seal faded away, "done." With that she lowered her hands and gave Issei a rather pointed look.
"What?"
"Ara ara, can't you be more chivalrous on our first date?"
"This is a date?"
"Fine then, excursion. Think for a moment, what would Kiba do?"
Instead of rising to the bait, Issei reared one leg back and kicked forward just above the handles. The double doors swung open, hinges screeching in protest. Left in the archway was the locking mechanism of the door, forcefully removed by its own inertia.
"Well, not quite what he'd do, but I think I like your style more."
Issei smirked. "I aim to please." The pair stepped into the church. Akeno shivered, while Issei felt a slight twinge. Clearly, entering a church when not invited was an uncommon thing for devils to do. After the initial apprehension wore off, Issei looked around and whistled.
The church was just as derelict on the inside as it was on the out. Everything was covered in a fine layer of dust. Every religious relic in sight had been damaged, obviously intentional. A cross had been slashed diagonally; its halves separated by the length of the church. Paintings were ruined by blood, the candlesticks warped and twisted. Even the wine blessed in communion hadn't been spared; the bottles lay smashed here and there.
"Well. Looks rather inviting. Shall we?" Issei extended an arm to Akeno, who gleefully clung to him. With his arm entrapped in her cleavage, the two walked down the aisle. Somewhere in Issei's mind, there was a whisper that reminded him that he was not averse to doing this again with her in the future. He shook his head; fantasies were just that, the future could wait. Asia was in danger in the here and now. Though their entrance hadn't gone unnoticed.
"Here comes the briii~iiiiide, all fat and wide!" Freed stepped out from behind the chipped altar, grinning like a madman and singing like a child. "Here comes the groo~oooom, skinny as a broom!"
A terse growl sounded out, surprising Issei for the sole reason that it didn't come from him. Akeno's violet eyes burned with hate at the priest. Issei could only assume that she wasn't too pleased about the comment on her figure.
In reality though, Issei's assumption was partially right. Akeno was quite proud of her figure and had little to no qualms flaunting her form. She was confident in her looks and quite aware that she fit the Yamato Nadeshiko image perfectly. Freed may have mocked her body, irritating her slightly, but she also had been thinking of marriage. While she had never been too interested in the boys she knew, Issei's return had turned marriage into a bit more than fantasy for her. The exorcist had trampled on her pleasant daydream, now he was going to pay. Summoning her trademark lightning, she was about to let loose a torrent of thunderbolts before Issei lightly touched her shoulder.
"Don't give him the satisfaction of angering you", he whispered in her ear. Issei knew he was being contradictory, and that it really wasn't fair for him of all people to be saying this. However, he wouldn't let Akeno make the same mistakes he had. Looking back to the priest, he called out, "I was told we could be married in the traditional manner, although," he cast a critical eye over the surroundings, "I think the venue needs some work."
"HAhaHA, like what we've done with the place! Courtesy of every Fallen Angel that comes through those doors."
"What exactly have you done with the place? I suppose there's more wreckage than what I can see here?"
"Why yes! We have a VIP worship center with an equally important party going on downstairs! We're in the process of- YOU TRICKED ME!" With that, Freed activated his light-sword and leapt at the couple.
Issei and Akeno instantly rolled away from each other, perfectly in sync. Freed's downward thrust speared the ground where they had been, the blade sinking into the floor. As one, the two devil's eyes met, and they nodded. Akeno spread her wings to take flight above and behind her current position, while Issei made a 'bring it' motion with his fists raised.
As Freed worked to extricate his sword from the floor, Issei was mentally preparing himself. No more foolish mistakes, no more pride-induced errors. Fight, win, live. With that, he reached for his aura in the first time in a decade, wrapping his hands with the subtle energy. As Freed stepped and swung forward, Issei brought his hand up as if to grasp the weapon.
Freed let out a shrill giggle, "What a moron!"
"Issei, no!" Akeno had thought that he would fight, not willingly offer himself up to die like this. Because of this, it was difficult to tell who was more surprised, her or Freed, when the beam halted less than an inch from Issei's palm.
"It's been a long time since I tried this," Issei grinned. "You'll have to forgive me if I'm a little rusty." A warm glow began to coat Issei's hand, encasing it with a glove of energy. That energy flickered on contact with the light-sword, before bursting into pure white flame. "Thanks for the spark, bastard, but I think it's my turn for a light show."
"WHAT!" Freed exclaimed before Issei nudged the blade aside and brought the burning fist to crash into Freed's face. There, now he felt much better. As the maniac stumbled, Issei brought his other hand to grab hold of the wildly swinging sword. After a moment's contact, the aura enveloping that hand ignited as well. Leaving Freed to stumble as he recovered, Issei held his hands up as if examining a peculiar curio.
"Hmmm. Gonna have to work on that. Once upon a time, I could ignite without help and far faster."
"Issei," Akeno asked hesitantly. "What… what is that?" There was as much awe as there was trepidation in her voice.
"I guess I never did tell you. My dragonfire is infused with a holy attribute." Issei would have elaborated further, but Freed had regained his balance and was trying to glare at him. The effect would have been somewhat intimidating if it hadn't been for Freed needing to squint in order to see past the brightness of the flames before him.
"What the hell! Holy power in the hands of a shitty devil! What nonsense is that? Everyone knows that devils can't touch that stuff! Even my bullets hurt you yesterday!" With each word, Freed desperately swiped at the dragon in front of him or fired inaccurately.
Issei nonchalantly ducked under one sweep and retaliated with another strike to the face. "Well, it would be rather silly if my own fire could hurt me. I wish I could say the same for Light though. That stuff stings." He sidestepped a careless thrust before flattening his hand. "Here, try it!" With that, he jabbed forward, letting his momentum do most the work as he speared Freed just above the belt, right where he himself had been shot the day before.
Freed Sellzen, murderer, rapist, and arsonist, fell to the ground, writhing in pain as his insides burned. Issei didn't waste power afterwards, letting the flames on his hands die out, while maintaining the slow burn of the flames inside the priest's body. As Freed rolled around screaming on the floor, Issei was surprised when arms encircled his waist as Akeno pressed herself against his back.
"Issei, please", she whispered. "This isn't like you. This isn't the kind, noble Issei I know. Please…" It was rather hypocritical for her to be advocating mercy, though she was right. Akeno's teasing personality grew into her sadomasochistic tendencies, while his childhood self had always been friendly and caring. Issei knew that she was frightened somewhat, that she feared what he was.
'Have I really changed so much that I'm scaring my oldest friend?' Issei looked down at the priest, who had ceased moving. The smell of burnt flesh filled his nostrils, but he could hear a faint heartbeat from Sellzen. Somehow, he was still alive, though not for long. He wanted him to hurt, for what he did to him, for what he did to Asia! But he couldn't. It would be one thin to kill cleanly, something else to draw it out for pleasure.
Issei was touched in that moment by the fact that he had never killed anyone before. Sure, he was undefeated in the Pit, having caused mortal wounds to fester and cause endless suffering. He had justified that with his own needs, his own survival. Now… this was pointless. With one mental command, he snuffed the flame inside the downed man. By now Freed's pulse rate had slowed to a crawl, and he could not bring himself to truly kill someone in cold blood. Besides, this one would die soon anyway.
He turned to face Akeno and hugged her back. Pulling her into his chest, her face was buried in his shoulder as he brought his to her ear. "I'm sorry."
"Please… don't do that again." Her voice was muffled as she spoke into his shirt. "I don't have the right… but please… I don't want you to…"
"Hey", he gently cupped her face to bring her gaze to his own. For a moment, he struggled with the words, as he couldn't guarantee something like this would not happen again. "Can you do something for me?" When she nodded, he continued. "Please, promise me you'll always keep me from going to far."
Akeno nodded silently before wiping away unshed tears. She then smiled weakly, "nice to meet you pot, my name's kettle."
"Hush, you." Issei kissed her forehead before looking back and frowning. Freed had somehow disappeared while he was comforting Akeno. There was an outline where he had been, fine ash dispersed among the ever-present dust. He shrugged; Freed wasn't worth it to go after.
"Now, for what we came for", he mused aloud. "He did say something about a meeting downstairs?" Issei strained his senses in the quiet church, trying to find anything that could indicate what Freed had been yammering about. There! Below the altar! Faint voices and an air current. "Here we go."
Moving beside the altar, Issei was about to simply swipe it aside, when Akeno interrupted. "You don't have to do all the heavy lifting. Allow me."
"Be my guest." With an idea of what she had in mind, he stepped back. They mutually agreed it best for him not to indulge in senseless violence; there was no accord for her nor was there any standard minimum safety range with her abilities.
Akeno called down a lightning bolt, but what surprised him was that it struck her rather than the altar. In an instant, her Kuoh uniform was burned away, giving him quite the view of her sensual form. In the next moment, the electricity crackling around her form gave way for traditional miko attire. White haori, red hakama, white socks and sandals. While he hadn't been struck by lightning, Issei was shocked by how much she resembled Shuri in her usual outfits.
"Wow." Typical male, his brain had rebooted while she had dressed.
"Aw, you always say the nicest things", Akeno teased. When his dumbfounded look failed to go away, she smiled, a hand on her cheek. "What? Did you think I'd go to a church service in anything less than my Sunday best?"
"Um… sure?"
Shaking her head and trying to keep from laughing, Akeno pointed at the altar and let loose a single thunderbolt. While not Rias' Power of Destruction, there was very little left of the altar after impact, revealing a darkened staircase.
By now Issei had regained some of his mental faculties. "Sorry to put a damper on our excursion, but I'm not letting a lady be the first to enter such a nefarious place." Coating his right hand with aura, he snapped his fingers. With his hand now aglow with pale flames, he began to descend, Akeno right behind him. They progressed downwards in uneasy silence, something neither were willing to break. Eventually, orange torchlight began to light the way which prompted Issei to douse his own.
Minutes later, they emerged to find a large room. The lower level of that room was filled with men and women in dark priest's robes. On the far side was a raised dais, on which there hung a black, metal cross. Asia was strapped to it, dressed in a thin, white shift; the Fallen Angel Raynare stood before her, eyes closed and hands clasped as if in prayer.
Everyone barring Asia and Raynare was chanting in an obscure language; both devils recognized it as Latin, though why someone would use a formal variety of a dead language was beyond Issei's comprehension. However, Akeno understood. She paused on the stairs; Issei noticed that she had stopped, and turned to face her. "What's going on?"
"It's a dark ritual, one that uses an old Grigori device. The whole purpose of that monstrosity the nun is harnessed to is to forcefully extract Sacred Gears."
"Forcefully removed?" Issei gained a look of confusion before paling. "Doesn't that mean…?"
"…Yes. It's a barbaric practice; the survival rate for extraction might as well be zero."
"Like hell that's happening," Issei exclaimed. Externally, he tried, oh he tried, to convey a sense of calm and collected appearance. Inwardly, the dragon was seething. "Alright then, here goes. Promotion to Queen!"
Immediately, he felt a twinge in his chest as his Evil Pieces responded to the command. However, the increase in demonic power also came with an unpleasant side effect. Beginning at his chest where the Pawns had been implanted, an uncomfortable soreness began to spread. The effect wasn't too bad, he could ignore a little discomfort, but when the irritation spread to the base of his skull, he nearly yelled in pain. For whatever reason, the Promotion was causing the mother of all headaches before it died out suddenly.
(You idiot.) Albion chided him. (Did you even think that through?)
"Albion? What was that?'
(Think about it. What did you do.)
'I… I used Promotion to become stronger, didn't I?'
(Yes, yes you did.) The great dragon was talking slowly, as if to a child. (Your demonic energy grew, but your draconic strength did not. All that time you were asleep, I was delicately trying to balance them and now you've gone and broke the scales. I've taken the edge off for now, but when the Promotion wears off…)
'It'll only get worse.' This conversation took place in the blink of an eye, so Akeno noticed nothing unusual when Issei straightened and squared his shoulders. "Well, then. Let's get this over with."
Issei stepped off the staircase and filled his lungs to better address the murmuring congregation, who had yet to take notice of the visitors. Once he could inhale no longer, he let out a roar that reverberated through the chamber.
It's important to note that there are many creatures that can roar. Large cats, such as lions and tigers, can roar, though they never do so when hunting, as it would give away their position. Humans on occasion can find the strength to roar now and then when under emotional duress. They can roar, but only dragons can roar. Their tremendous roars can range up to hundreds of decibels higher than mortal conversation and can be used for a great deal of things. Communication, intimidation, or as a devastating weapon. In the closed space of the ceremony, Issei's roar was loud enough to irreparably damage the eardrums of every human there, letting them know that there was a monster behind them and more importantly, that monster was angry.
Whether by luck or forethought, there was a curtain of energy in between the stage and the rest of the congregation. It shimmered into view and held, until the concussive force of Issei's scream overwhelmed and shattered it. Asia seemed out of it, but Raynare dropped to her knees in pain, covering her ears as she did so. Surprisingly, she got up rather quickly, even if it was unsteady. There was no blood pouring from her ears, nose, or eyes like the whimpering stay priests; apparently, the hidden barrier had done it's job and shielded her from the brunt of that roar.
"YOU!" She screeched rather loudly. Ah, there it is; even though she wasn't incapacitated, her hearing had been affected, so as to raise her voice so she could hear herself. That, or she was very upset.
"Yes, me. I do hope you don't mind I brought a plus one?" Issei called out. He smirked, "I lost my invite in the mail, but your bouncer was nice enough to overlook that."
"DAMN YOU, SELLZEN! CAN'T KILL TWO FUCKING DEVILS!" Raynare screamed as she paced back and forth now, face flushed bright red. If she was agitated anymore then Issei would have put money down that she was going to molt.
"Ara ara, such a way with words." Akeno demurely put both hands to her cheeks. "What would someone think, hearing you curse in His house?"
Raynare's eyes narrowed. "Oh, it's you. I see you've got a new toy."
Issei was taken aback. "You two know each other?"
"You could say that," Akeno began. "She's been an infrequent tourist in Kuoh for some time now."
"Oh, don't give me that drivel, bitch. It's been years, but you're still just a little brat."
"Me? You're the one who always tried to pin the blame on me for everything. Akeno the crybaby, Akeno the half-breed. I do believe it was YOUR foul behavior that prompted my father to relocate to the human world."
'What is going on?'
(I have no idea.)
"Would one of you explain why you know each other?" Issei interrupted before Raynare could sass back.
"Alright then." Akeno did not stop glaring at Raynare. "Issei, meet Raynare, low ranking Fallen Angel, second-generation crow, whiner, sloth, and unfortunately, my cousin." She nearly spat out that last description, which explained everything about their relationship in one word.
Issei was floored. Of all things, he didn't expect to find that Akeno recognized any Fallen relatives, much less had any besides Baraqiel. The only things they had in common were black hair, pale skin, and burning violet eyes that wouldn't break contact with each other.
Actually, it wasn't hard to see some traces of resemblance. Not that that mattered now.
Raynare laughed haughtily. "The bitch has a human mother and no sacred Gear to show for it. Just goes to show you how my dear uncle's whore failed to deliver for him. Meanwhile, I'll have my own right about… now."
To Issei's horror, Asia began to scream. A green glow began to cover her body; Issei recognized it as the energy of Twilight Healing. Asia slumped in her harness, as she mercifully passed out. With a quiet gasp, the rings formed and were then torn from her hands by the Fallen Angel.
"At last!" She gloated. "The abilities of a high-tier Sacred Gear are finally mine!" She began to laugh in a singsong voice, which only infuriated Issei.
"Akeno, how long do we have before Asia dies?"
"Minutes. If we can get the Sacred Gear back to her, she'll be fine. Otherwise…" She left the other outcome unsaid.
"I'll get her off the cross. Can you get the Sacred Gear back?"
"I can get much more than that from her." Akeno now had a smile on her face, eager to lay down some punishment. "Do what you want with the exorcists, they deserve to burn in Hell anyways." With that, she spread her mismatched wings and hurtled towards Raynare.
As the air was filled with clashing lightning and light spears, Issei darted past the downed priests. He took some pleasure in stomping on a few on his way. Several times, he considered taking to the air as well and speed up his journey, only for a stray thunderbolt or light weapon to whistle over him and encourage him to keep his head down.
Once he made it to the cross, he reached out to try and shake Asia awake. "Asia! ASIA! COME ON, WAKE UP!"
The blonde stirred, weakly opening her green eyes. "I-Issei?"
"Yeah, it's me. Stay awake, you can't fall asleep now!"
"So tired… What's going on?"
"We WILL talk about it later, right now, we need to get you out of this thing." Moving his hands from her frail shoulders to the chains that held her in place, he gasped as his soreness was replaced with the sensation of being suddenly immersed in cold water. The black metal leached away at his warmth, draining him.
'What the hell?'
(KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE DEVICE!) Albion roared. (TOUCH IT, AND YOUR LIFE IS IN DANGER AS MUCH AS HERS!)
'It's trying to absorb my Sacred Gear as well!'
(INDEED. FIND SOME OTHER WAY TO FREE HER.)
Issei spared a moment to glance over his shoulder and see how Akeno was faring against her older cousin. Her clothes had seen better days, slightly tattered and fraying over the course of their fight, though she still had a smile on her face. Aside from that, there was the strong smell of ozone in the air and a hint of her arousal. Banishing those thoughts, he turned back to Asia, whose eyes were fluttering as she fought to stay conscious.
'Head in the game, man. Akeno can hold her own.' After a moment's indecision, he extended his wings then let the bone spikes at the ends of the 'fingers' dig into the ground. Straining the muscles in his wing arms, he lifted himself off the ground so as to be level with the chains. He struggled to cease his shaking, flight wings were not meant to support his weight in such a manner.
Now level with the chains, he drew closer to Asia. Noting that the chains were really one long chain wrapped around her several times, he moved to one side and flared his aura over his hand. A single flame flickered to life in his palm. Guiding and feeding his aura, he 'moved' the flame so it extended like a blade from his straightened fingertips. Thus armed, he brought the blade to the first length of the chain.
For a moment, the chain held. Issei dared not feed the flame anymore for fear of burning Asia by proximity. Instead, he angled the blade away from her, trying to press the flames through the strips that bound her to the cross. After a few seconds, he had cut through the chains holding her right arm. A minute later, he had finished cutting through the metal on her left. With nothing left to support her, Asia fell forward, only to fall into Issei's arms.
The pair collapsed on the ground, Issei retracting his trembling wings. Once finished, he took note of Asia's condition. She lay on his chest, lifelessly clinging to him. And she was cold, even to him, so very cold. Doing the only thing he could, he divested himself of his dress attire to wrap her up in an attempt to ease her distress. However, considering its ineffectiveness and his own inability to heal, he had only one choice.
"AKENO! SWITCH OUT, I CAN'T STABILIZE HER!" With a desperate cry, he extended his wings again and launched himself upwards into the fray. Akeno ceased her lightning and fell backwards with her hands outstretched. As they met midair, Issei grabbed her and used himself to slingshot her downward. As they departed, Akeno gave him a warning.
"We need her conscious, any other state and we could lose the Sacred Gear!" With that, she landed softly and began to administer her own magic to Asia. It made sense in a twisted way that Raynare would have to voluntarily surrender the rings, but how to make her do so?
As Issei drew level with the Fallen, he saw that despite Akeno's efforts, Raynare appeared untouched. Frowning, he conjured a dense sphere of fire and threw it at her. While she evaded, the heat from the attack still burned a considerable amount on her arm. Instantly, the rings on her hands began glowing again, healing her body, but it could not do the same for her mind.
"How…Holy Fire?" She sputtered. Nothing in Kokabiel's briefing had warned her that he had such power. As things were now, she had a very small chance of surviving, based only on the fact that they wanted her alive. However, deep down she knew better. Fire was the most dangerous of all the elements, his made all the more deadly with its Holy attribute. True, there were those like Baraqiel who mastered their own Holy Elements, but fire's sheer potential outstripped them all, easily bordering on self-destructive. To seal her fate, it was a dragon who wielded it, a strong member of the only species to exist before the creation of the world. The first dragons were born from untamed energy and the surrounding matter, unchallenged masters of their domains.
He might still be young, but she was hilariously outclassed.
However she may have felt, Issei gave no quarter. Fireballs winked into existence and flew towards her at his mental thought, several tracking her movements to impact directly on her. There was one thing to be said about Promotion, it may not have affected his natural strength but it had restored his previous level of control.
Raynare began to tire, the bombardment unceasing. Even though she knew she could heal, it would do nothing for her if her strength failed her now. Even as she considered surrender, a chilling aura paralyzed her mid-flight. Stricken by fear, she crashed to the ground, sending the still-moaning humans in her path asunder. As she tried to collect herself, she felt the ominous presence grow nearer.
Issei was now trying to gather his energy for one final blow to overwhelm her. Unbeknownst to him, he was mimicking an instinctual hunting mechanism, the true presence of the dragon. The ability to instill terror and obedience in the hearts of others just by proximity, the unnatural presence that inspired their prey to simply offer themselves up in defeat. Devils, Fallen and others had long since preyed on mankind, but dragons preyed on them. The fear Raynare felt now was that of a predator, not one that she knew would feast on her, but one that devoured beings greater than herself. Deep down, she knew her survival depended on him considering her to be of little significance. With that, she raised her hands together, removed Twilight Healing from her hands, and fearfully extended it towards him, praying for mercy.
With that, Issei stopped focusing as the rings became visible and held right before him. He nearly considered this a trick and would have torched Raynare on the spot, were it not for two things. Akeno's desperate cries for him to not become one who reveled in the suffering of others, and the pitiful fear Raynare conveyed throughout her face and movements. Instead of killing her on the spot, Issei snatched the Sacred Gear away none too gently, and flew back to the dais. Sparing her may have been a mistake, but there were far more important matters now.
He landed awkwardly, his wings still quaking from using them as impromptu legs. Rolling on impact, he fell on his side next to Asia and Akeno. He glanced up at Akeno's worried gaze and held out his clenched fist. Opening it, he dropped the rings into Akeno's outstretched hand. The rest was up to her now.
Akeno swiftly placed the rings on Asia's hands. After that, she placed her left hand on Asia's forehead, her right above her heart. Without an Evil Piece, keeping Asia alive long enough for the Sacred Gear to reabsorb would require absolute precision. Focusing on Asia, she was surprised to find that she had latent magical capacity beyond that of her healing talents.
'The church elders were fools for allowing her to leave' she thought. 'Asia would be a prime recruit for any faction.'
As she poured magic into Asia's frail body, Akeno began to tire. It was now a contest to see if she could last before her gift was assimilated. She nearly gave up, but Issei laid a hand upon hers. One nod signed his approval, and she then began to draw upon his demonic power instead. Immediately the strain of the magic left her as Issei was now supporting the process. While his demonic energy was channeled into Asia, taking full advantage of his Promotion, Akeno took note of Issei's natural strength.
'He's stronger than me.' She realized with a chill. 'His reserves are amazing! Even without Promotion, he could take us all…' Her thoughts trailed off as she realized that beyond his promise to fight for Rias, there was very little to compel him to stay in Kuoh afterwards. It was doubtful that the combined strength of Rias' entire peerage could force him to stay. She swallowed such petty thoughts as she felt Asia stir beneath her touch.
"I-Issei?" Asia asked, puzzled. "What happened?"
"Hey, it's alright, you just blacked out there for a moment." Bringing a hand to her shoulders, he easily lifted her into a sitting position. "You'll be fine now."
"Indeed. The shock of having something so vital ripped away will fade in time." Akeno hid it well, but she was a bit jealous that his hands were holding Asia's now, and not her own.
When Asia was strong enough, the two devils carefully lifted her to her feet, though she still clung to Issei's arm for support. The three picked their way across the chamber, making sure to avoid the still priests. Akeno nearly slew them, but Issei's touch on her shoulder stayed her hand. She felt better then, glad that they kept each other from going too far. Such happiness disappeared when they stopped in front of her estranged cousin.
Raynare had yet to move from where she had landed, still paralyzed in fright. Her violet eyes tunneled into the distance as she blatantly ignored her surroundings and remained absolutely still.
"Ara ara, this won't do at all." Akeno knelt in front of Raynare and snapped her fingers, startling the Fallen out of her reverie. She frowned as she saw Akeno before her, but her expression changed back to that of pure terror as she saw Issei standing behind her. "Now then, what to do with you." Electricity crackled over Akeno's hands. "It wasn't really a fair fight before," she gestured at the state of her clothing, "but now you don't have a Sacred Gear, cousin. I think playtime will be much more fun now."
"Akeno, don't." Issei said quietly. "What purpose would it solve? Petty revenge? Too many people have hurt us already, don't lose yourself trying to strike back at the world." Akeno ignored him, her raised hand poised to let loose another salvo. She stopped though as Issei hugged her from behind. "Don't do it. Please." With that, she turned and hugged him, sobbing into his shoulder. "I don't know what your history with her is. Honestly, it's not any of my business, and I can only assume it all happened before I met you." She nodded, face still pressed into him. "Then let it go."
Now that Akeno wasn't going to pick a fight, Issei crouched down in front of Raynare, who flinched when he drew close. He held up his hands, "Easy, easy, I'm not going to hurt you now. I just want to talk." At her incredulous look, he clarified. "Earlier, when we first met, you said that Artemis had already killed me. Why were you working with her?"
"We… we weren't. Kokabiel had asked her to support us but she went off on her own. The only time we met was when she told us you were finished." She looked away guiltily, fearful of any retaliation. Instead, Issei continued to surprise.
"So Kokabiel was the one who ordered my death?" A nod. "Did he order you to extract Asia's Sacred Gear?" Raynare shook her head, no. "If not, who did?"
"…No one. It was our idea…"
Issei stood up and looked at Asia. "Of the three of us, she's done the worst to you. I guess it's only fair that you choose what happens to her now."
"I…I don't want anyone else hurt because of me." Asia squeaked. "Could… could you please let her go?"
Issei shrugged. "It is your call. Congratulations, Raynare. You're free to go, on one condition. When you see Kokabiel next, tell him that I want answers. He'll understand."
Raynare looked surprised, hopeful, and terrified by what was happening and what would happen to her. When Issei made no further moves, she crawled backwards and nearly escaped before Akeno spoke out. "One moment, Raynare. Issei might have forgiven you, but I'm not happy that you were involved with his murder." Akeno stepped forward, a thunderous look on her face. Raynare backpedaled, falling on her rear yet again. Akeno stopped in front of her. "Issei might have spared your life, but you haven't promised to tell Kokabiel right away." She then smiled. "You were always so forgetful. I think I know just how to motivate your quick return."
In the forest outside the church, Rias sighed. She, Kiba, and Koneko were standing unharmed in a clearing full of dark feathers. None of them had been injured; in fact wiping the three Fallen out had been all too easy for the Crimson Ruin Princess.
"There are too many feathers."
"Cheer up, Koneko. We won't be around for much longer." Kiba knew that Koneko's Nekomata status implied that she wasn't overly fond of birds, but this was a new extreme.
Rias sighed again, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Here, Koneko." With a wave, multiple Gremory circles formed, hanging flat just above the ground. The circles lowered, vaporizing the feathers in their radius as they melted into the floor. In an instant, the clearing was void of feathers save for the three Rias held in her other hand.
"Ah… better."
The three devils then turned and headed towards the church. Upon arriving, they took note of the ruined doors. This was confusing, as both of the Occult Research members inside were capable of this; the question was which one was responsible. As they pondered this, another riddle appeared. As they stood there in confusion, a winged figure burst through the stained glass window above the doors, sending colored glass showering below. Shedding black feathers, the female Fallen flapped her wings desperately as she disappeared into the inky black sky, trailing tears and screams of embarrassment. It was far too late however; the three devils could clearly see that she was completely devoid of clothing and was trying in vain to cover herself.
Kiba facepalmed. "Apparently, our Queen has had some fun tonight."
"The convict didn't do that?"
"I highly doubt it. I don't think Issei would ever humiliate a woman, even if she were an enemy. Akeno on the other hand…"
"Akeno is a pervert." Koneko deadpanned, though she appeared thoughtful as if trying to reconcile Issei with the concept of being a gentleman.
Rias wasted no more time entering. Ignoring the prickling on the back of her neck as she crossed the threshold, she heard the voices of two of her servants.
"Was that really necessary?"
"No, perhaps not. But it was worth it."
"Come now, really?"
"It's a nice outfit!" Akeno protested. Now visible, Rias could see that she held a bundle of dark clothing. A magic circle lit up as Akeno teleported the bundle elsewhere. "Now, where were we? Oh, hello Rias!" She cheerfully exclaimed as she caught sight of their King.
"Akeno, Issei, I'm glad to see you're both doing well. I assume the Fallen who just left was your handiwork?"
"All hers; not mine." Issei was rather quick to blurt out.
"Well, that was expected. And I see your trip went as well as we hoped. And who is this?" Rias teased as he saw a pair of arms, wrapped around Issei's middle and a blonde head poke out from behind him.
"H-hello," the timid nun stuttered. "I'm Asia Argento. It's… nice to meet you."
"Hell, Asia. My name is Rias Gremory. This is Yuuto Kiba and Koneko Toujou." She gestured to her sides to introduce the two flanking her. "I see Issei and Akeno have been taking good care of you."
"Um, yes. They saved me from Lady Ra-… Raynare." Asia may have been timid but she was certainly learning to overcome her learned manners towards those who had hurt her.
"I'm glad to hear it." Rias smiled. "Though, I must ask, what are your plans for the future?" At Asia's confused look, Rias hastened to explain. "You've been banished from the church and were nearly killed by the Grigori. I don't mean to be rude, but that cuts out two of the factions you can rely on for safety."
Asia looked downward, now visibly depressed. "I… I don't know. God has always put me on the right path for me."
All the devils winced at the mention of God, though Rias was undeterred. "Then let me ask something else. What do you want? What do you want to do?"
"I… I want to stay with mister Issei. Of all the people I've known, he's the only one who really cared for me." At this, Issei turned red and began to rub the back of his head in trademark fashion.
(Impeccable logic, this one.)
"Well then, as you know, Issei is a devil and one of my servants. The factions who have already abandoned you do not easily accept such a relationship. Even the higher-ups in the Devils Government would find issue with it. However, there's another way to help." Raising a hand, she summoned a Gremory circle, and from it came a single, white Bishop piece. "I can reincarnate you as one of my servants, thereby granting your request to stay with him."
"Rias," Issei breathed. "Are you really…?"
"It is her choice to accept. All I can do is offer her the choice."
"But one of your Bishops? You'd spend a Bishop piece just to keep us together?"
"Well, it's not like I don't get anything out of the arrangement. Asia does have Twilight Healing, something that would undoubtedly help in the future. Especially since demonic healing doesn't seem to work so well on you."
"There're two things you should know, Rias." Akeno now spoke up. "Asia has a great amount of latent magical potential. I'm sure she can be taught quite well if given the chance. As for Issei, the reason why demonic power didn't work as well on him is because of his element; his Holy Fire makes him resistant to our magic."
Rias was taken aback. Two weeks of intense healing, a record in the devil community, all because Issei had a natural resistance to their power? Incredible. There were no other words for it.
"Mister Issei has command over Holy Fire?" Asia said wide-eyed. She then turned to Rias. "I accept your generous offer."
"Hold up, Asia. Why are you making this decision so quickly? And why do I have a part in it?"
The nun looked confused. "You control a power of God. The Lord must have destined for us to meet."
(Like I said, impeccable logic.)
"Are you sure about this?" Rias cautioned. "There's no going back from such a decision."
"I'm sure." Asia declared. "I want this."
"Alright then. Lie down, right there." Koneko had pulled one of the less dusty pews from where it had been attached to the ground. Setting it in front of Asia, she smiled then restored her visage so quickly that Issei missed it. Asia lay down on the bench, clasping her hands together as if in one last prayer. Rias set the Bishop piece on her chest, where it began to glow from within. Raising her hands, Rias began the process.
"I order, in my name Rias Gremory. You, Asia Argento. I, resurrect you back to this soil as my servant, and have you reborn as a Devil. You, my Bishop, be delighted with your new life!"
All the devils watched as the Bishop piece flashed then sank into Asia's chest. Asia herself gasped. Her eyes adjust to the dim light as her night vision was enhanced. Her body felt so warm, courtesy of her magic power growing. In her heart, there were no regrets.
It was Issei that was first by her side, offering her a hand to help her up, which she gratefully took. The others surreounded her, offering their own congratulations and encouragement. After a few minutes, Rias spoke up again. "Alright everyone, it's getting late. I think it's time that we all head home, after all, it is a school night. Asia, you'll come with me; we need to get you settled in."
Rias and Asia then disappeared through a circle; Koneko and Kiba said goodbye as well before leaving through the door. Issei turned to Akeno who was staring longingly at the interior of the church. Stepping next to her, he asked, "Something on your mind?"
She had been thinking about the two of them, marriage and the like, but that was for the future. She was happy with what she had for now. Instead, she turned to him and smiled. "Oh, nothing special. Just some pleasant daydreams."
"Can't wait to hear about them. For now, though, I'm going home to get some night dreams in. Also to hopefully sleep off the worst of the Promotion." At her concerned look, he waved her off. "Nothing too bad, but I can already feel the headache coming on. Holy and demonic energy doesn't mix very well."
"Hmm… well, I suppose it would be inconsiderate of me not to take care of such a cute underclassman."
"Huh?"
Akeno giggled and took his arm. "Well, what are we waiting for?" Her intent was rather obvious, though he did appreciate it. He'd grown used to sleeping with someone and was loath to stop now.
As they left the church to walk home, he was struck by inspiration and whispered into her ear, "By the way, that getup you're wearing? Just as hot, if not more so than the uniform."
Akeno's higher brain functions came to a dead stop as she processed his words. Issei grinned as he watched it happen. 'One for the male side.' After a few moments, cognizance returned to her and she gleefully grabbed him again and pulled him through a hastily constructed circle, despite his protests.
(Take care kid; this one's all you.)
'Traitor', was the last thought before his world turned red and the pain returned in full force. Combined with everything that had happened and the Promotion finally wearing off, he blissfully drifted off to Morpheus while still in transit.
Back in the church, nothing moved for minutes after the devils had left. Soon after though, an arm reached out from under a pile of pews and a ragged Freed Sellzen dragged himself back into the clear. His front had been charred, his innards burned beyond belief, not that he could still feel it. Third degree burns were easier to ignore. Besides, he had stumbled upon one untouched bottle of blessed wine! Not as good as Twilight Healing of course, but it would stave off death long enough for him to get back to Kokabiel's safe house and proper medical care.
'Damn that dragon! I'll get him next time though. Him and that slutty nun as well! I'll be the first Dragon Slayer in a looooo~oooonng time. Ha, that WILL get me laid!' He chuckled with mad glee as he propped himself up against the remains of the altar. 'For now, I think I'll have an ickle bit more of this bottle.' Swirling the contents around, he took a long swig of the red liquid, imagining it was dragon's blood.
'I know! Maybe if the fucks downstairs are still alive, I can recruit them for the boss. Wait, no. Maybe it might be better to weed out the competition. I want that beautiful fucking sword.'
In short time, he began to drift off to sleep, as imaginations of legendary swords and dead dragons roamed through his mind. Before he lost himself, one lucid thought ran through his mind.
'The boss is right. It's perfect fucking timing to start a war.'
"And with that, this quarter's budget will have to be cut short, Azazel. We simply don't have the resources right now to keep operations going and identify and protect so many Sacred Gear wielders at the same time."
Azazel, twelve-winged Governor General of the Grigori, was bored beyond belief. Of all the staff meetings among the cadre, this one was easily the worst, the one where Shemhazai lectured him on proper allocation of funding and diplomatic relations. If it helped, apparently Baraqiel was just as bored with the proceedings as well. Both were leaning on their arms, nearly about to fall asleep. Shemhazai meant well, but damn, he could talk forever about statistical analysis and reallocation of Grigori efforts. He had even gone as far as put several barriers over his lab! Now, he had nowhere to retreat to until this meeting was concluded.
At least Vali had the right idea. The knuckle-headed combat junkie had activated his Balance Breaker, and could be heard snoring from inside the ScaleMail. UNFAIR! Development of his artificial Sacred Gear was nowhere near ready to pull a similar stunt!
"And before you go off with another idea for artificial production, we need to…" Shemhazai was cut off as a very nude, female Fallen crashed through the window and landed on the table in front of him. Instantly, all traces of sleep had disappeared and he was perfectly attentive on the subject matter at hand.
"Raynare?" Baraqiel rumbled beside him. "What is the meaning of this? Have you no decency?"
Ah, that's the grumpy Baraqiel he knew. He never had been the same after his wife's death and his daughter's disappearance. If anything, he had become more withdrawn over the past decade than anything else. No matter what happened, nothing could faze this guy anymore, not even his niece's antics and attempts to earn a promotion by sleeping with her superiors.
"D-d-d-dragon!" Raynare cried. "A message for Kokabiel!"
"Oh?" This was not the first meeting Kokabiel had missed this year. Odd that a message would come for him now, he had put a temporary redirection on his mail. "He's not here now? Can I take the message?" Azazel grinned impishly. There was a very seductive female in front of him, there's no way he wasn't going to milk this for what it's worth.
"H-h-h-he said he wants answers!" Raynare shivered, trapped in the memory.
"You're not making any sense." Baraqiel interjected. "Who gave you the message?"
"The dragon! The human-looking one! That monster with Holy Fire!" At that, Baraqiel's eyes widened and he leaned forward in anticipation.
"Where did you see him? WHERE?"
"K-Kuoh," she gasped. "He's there with that half-breed bitch of yours. I'd wager-AARRGGHHH!" Whatever she was about to say was cut off as Baraqiel sent a relatively small electric current through her. The result was that she simply lay there, tongue lolling as she gasped for breath. Azazel was torn between concern for his longtime friend and the much more interesting motions her bust was going through as she was splayed across the table.
Concern won out. "Let's put this meeting on hold. Shemhazai, I want you to take control of all ops and research temporarily. Vali…" he half-heartedly threw a light-spear at the Red Dragon Emperor, who instantly woke and shattered the weapon with a swift backhanded blow, "…something's not adding up, find Kokabiel. Baraqiel, calm down. The devils control Kuoh now, you can't go anywhere near there without setting off another diplomatic incident." Many of the others in the room got up and left, Shemhazai and Vali among them.
The other Fallen growled in frustration. "I know, dammit! I finally know where they are, they're so close!"
"Slow down, old friend. One thing at a time. Take as much time as you need, but we'll talk this over once you've calmed down, not a moment before." Baraqiel took a deep breath and nodded. Gathering his cloak, he stormed out of the room, slamming the double doors behind him.
"Now then." Azazel spun in his swivel chair like a sugar-rushed child before dragging his heels to stop and stared at the still undressed Raynare, who panted under his gaze. "You're going to tell me everything. Everything you know."
AN: Lemme know what you think! A gentle reminder that I will not answer pairing questions in the review section.