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!

SeerKing – Thanks for the catch, saved it. Glad to hear from you again!

Wacko12 – Yes, that's the case in this fic.

DraigTrueEmperor9 – If that's how you feel, I can't stop you. It was good to have you on board.

NAFNAF509 – Thanks a lot! Always good to hear from one of the first supporters!

Sasuke75249 – Wow, indeed. It gets better.

Zeus501 – If you've read the responses I've put before/after each chapter, you'd already know that yes, they meet again.

CrimiK – Thank you!

Eclipse-Sol – Thanks, and I'll do my best to crank them out, IRL permitting.

Korog the Oversoul – I believe I've made myself clear at this point

MaximusMJ – Glad to see you enjoy it! As for Raynare, the earliest we'd see her again (if at all) would be the peace summit. I'm still undecided though seeing that her survival throws canon for a loop. The use/abuse of the scale array will be addressed soon. Finally, yes, he has that trait. I'll let you figure out what his treasure is.

The Ultimate Balance Chaos – Glad to hear it, and thanks a lot! Tricky decision, but I think it plays out better this way!

heroman626 – Glad you're excited, will hope to build the hype for the Excalibur Arc.

The unsung antihero – Kiba wrecked Freed easy when turned into a Chimera. If you count canon Issei as the strongest in the Gremory peerage, then Freed will absolutely get REKT no matter what if Issei is any stronger. So not surprising.

Notasavior – Thanks! He can and will continue to do so. Not quite what you imagine with Baraqiel but we'll see how that plays out.

panther-strife – Read the notes dude. Seriously, I've said it time and again, I will not answer those questions here.

LordxSesshomaru – Thanks for the love and support, milord! Always good to see a sign of approval from your idol figures!

slydino – Thanks! Koneko will get her spotlight, give it time. Ask for a chapter and you shall receive.

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. Explicit content begins this chapter.

Chapter 10: Fragile Mind

Akeno considered herself to be a girl of many talents. It was to be expected after all. After her unofficial adoption by the Gremory clan, she had been taught alongside Rias by Lady Venelana to act like a proper lady should. Etiquette, politics, magic, and so much more. In that time, she had grown to love the Gremory family for saving her and showing her how to live again.

While it seemed all work and no play, it was the opposite. Rias was her best friend after all; the two got along well and shared many of the same views and opinions. Kiba was like a brother, Koneko a sister. Both were less than two years younger than her, so they got along fairly well. Beyond them, there was Millicas, the youngest Gremory and next in line as heir after Rias.

After spending a great deal of time with Millicas in his formative years, she had more or less been adopted as a big sister to the well-mannered boy. It was quite endearing to see how much he cared for her, nearly on the same level as Rias. It was equally evident that she cared greatly for him as well, usually being the sneakier older sibling that let him get away with things Rias and her family typically wouldn't allow, things like late night snacks, delayed bedtime, things like that. However, she also had taken responsibility and made sure that he was taken care of and did not fall into slovenly habits. The Gremory clan did have its standards after all.

Taking all of this into account, Akeno was flummoxed in this unorthodox situation. After teleporting straight into Issei's bedroom, she had had to drag the demidrake into bed where he had limply remained all night. He had yet to move at all, and if it wasn't for the strong pulse and inhale of breath, she would have been worried out of her mind. Even so, Issei was being so very childlike in that he was not responding to anything meant to wake him!

"Isseeeeii," she complained, shaking him again. "Wake up! We need to get to school!" Again, no response. The dragon was dead to the world. Akeno touched a slender figure to her lips as she contemplated electrocuting him to aid the apparently arduous task of waking the beast. In the end, she decided against it; no point in angering a dragon if it could be avoided.

Akeno glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 7:30. School would begin soon, and neither of them were anywhere near ready. Issei was still fully dressed in his casual wear form the night before, and she was naked. Considering that neither of them was really publicly presentable, she sighed once more and resigned herself to missing another school day. Grabbing her phone from her pile of clothes next to the bed, she sent a brief text to Rias, warning her that Issei was still comatose and that she'd be taking care of him.

Finished, she tossed her phone onto the nightstand and sighed as she fell back against the bed. What to do now? She'd tried almost everything, but he was either out cold or acting like a petulant child. Almost by instinct, she curled up against Issei, using him as a warm hug pillow, Even through his clothing, she felt warmth, safe. Probably too warm, even for a dragon. Well that was something she could help.

"His name is Issei Hyoudou." Baraqiel began. "His human mother, Hikari, was a best friend to my late wife. While I can confirm they both died on the same day, there has been no sign of the dragon Ryuu in ten years."

"A dragon's lifemate died? Then it's almost confirmed that this Ryuu has become an Evil Dragon." Azazel frowned. "It's been centuries since a confirmed transformation like this, not a very comforting thought."

"Indeed. As far as I can tell, Akeno was able to escape the Himejima clan that day. The last time I had received word of her whereabouts was when you told me you arranged a ceasefire with the clan for her to safely enter Gremory territory. For watching out for her, I thank you again."

"No sweat. Now, this younger dragon, Issei. What do you know of him?"

Baraqiel shrugged. "As a child, he was curious and stubborn. As far as children go, Issei's redeeming quality to me was that he genuinely cared for my Akeno. In terms of power, he was easily much stronger than any of our offspring his age. His combat skills betrayed his lack of experience, though he more than made up for it with improvisation and creative use of his own innate abilities, Holy Fire among them."

"Do you know what happened to him after day?"

"I inquired everywhere I could. I owed it to Hikari and who Ryuu used to be. Nothing came of my search."

"Well, about that." Azazel gained a sheepish look as he rubbed his chin. "There's a reason you never found him." He activated a glyph on his desk, a manifestation of angelic power.

The green circle rose off the table and flipped as it expanded, leaving the two men with a wide viewing screen. On it, they saw a brown-figure fighting several other mythological beings. The playback froze and then zoomed in for a close-up of the teen's face, and Baraqiel's grip tightened on his chair.

"Where was this taken?"

"This is a clip from one of many recorded fights within the Tartarus gladiator pit. They go back ten years, when a child was first thrown into the pit. Everyone expected him to break in his first and only match; instead, he picked apart the Cyclops he was against and brought him down to eye-level before blinding him."

"He… brought down a Cyclops? You jest!"

"The real deal. Ten meter tall brute, unblinking eye and all. Kid took him down by being faster and whittling away at his weak spots until the monster collapsed to his height."

"I wasn't aware that they had weaknesses beyond the obvious singularity."

"To be completely honest, neither did I. It makes me wonder how the kid knew. Regardless, Raynare and company had an entire library's worth of vids all about this half-dragon's fighting capabilities. Apparently, Kokabiel was the one who supplied them with the recordings, as well as kill orders once it became known that this Issei had escaped Tartarus."

"Escape from that unholy prison! That's absurd!" Baraqiel was usually quite stoic in demeanor but the past minutes had weakened that exterior. The claim that Issei had broken free from arguably the most secure facility in the Underworld was the last straw.

"Absurd or not, Raynare recognized him for her target, though apparently she was quite surprised at first. None of the fights she they had on record indicated he had affinity with any element."

"That's not that surprising. I was there when Issei's flame first gained its Holy attribute. Ryuu swore me to secrecy, though that seems to no longer be necessary."

"A wise move, I myself may have recruited him if I had known. Still, what interests me is that he's retained that ability, even though he is now a devil. Oh, come now," he sighed at Baraqiel's paled expression. "Raynare received word from Kokabiel that the goddess Artemis had tracked Issei to Kuoh and killed him not a day after his escape. The fact that a dead man is walking about indicates that he was reincarnated. Lot of devils would go to great lengths to have a dragon as a reincarnated servant. As far as I know, only a handful of dragons willingly agree and usually for political reasons. Saving a dead or dying one would be a stroke of luck on the devil's part.

There's every chance that he was adopted by the Gremory's as well; your daughter is fine and well if the boy has anything to say about it. By your own admission, he cared deeply for her?"

"They would have bonded if given half a chance." Baraqiel grumbled. "But now that I know he grew up in the worst prison in existence, I'm worried for her. Who knows how the pit might have changed him? And killed? Kokabiel has much to answer for."

"Vali's out now looking for him. Right now, this is about you and yours. So the protective uncle-type gives way to the protective father. Not surprising, but from what you yourself told me about Akeno, I think you have other things to worry about."

"Do tell."

"Well, unless something crazy happened down in the pit, Issei may very well still be the same as when he first descended. Of course, he'll be older now and a better fighter and just maybe a bit more mature. He may be a teenage male, but dragons typically thrive in such harsh environments."

"Unlikely. No one thrown into that infernal pit can ever leave unscathed."

"Perhaps, perhaps not. Your daughter on the other hand," Azazel chuckled, "her parentage aside, she is a Fallen Angel. Tell me, just how similar is she to her mother?"

Baraqiel said nothing, but his paled complexion betrayed his thoughts to the now laughing Azazel.

Issei was floating. Not through clouds, he'd done that before on his late-night flights, but in water. Odd. As he came to, he corrected himself; he wasn't floating, he was dead still in the water. Strange. He was used to quick one-minute showers. He had to struggle to remember the last time he'd been immersed in liquid.

Inevitably, he woke up completely and took stock of his facilities. For the moment, the only things he had control of where his eyes and mouth, everything else seemed to be trapped in mercury. Unable to move even his head from side to side, he found himself completely immobile. When he tried, the lack of motion turned into the pain he had come to associate with varying levels of demonic power. What worried him was the constant headache that thrummed in his skull. It didn't seem too bad, though it was decidedly uncomfortable.

'So this is how promotion affects me. Wonderful. Some dragon I am, a hatchling could claim victory over me like this.'

(The great White Dragon Emperor, defeated by a mere child and the ignorant misuse of his own power.) Albion's laughter resonated through his aching skull. (It seems that once again, you've gone and done it.)

'Shut it, old man. I'll turn your scales grey yet!'

Issei opened his eyes finally and evaluated where he was. After a moment of confusion, he found himself sitting in the expansive bath in his apartment. Modeled to resemble a hot spring, he was currently resting against the rocky edge. Arms spread and resting above the water, he was comfortably reclined in the warm water.

'The bath? Last thing I remember was being pulled through a circle by…' Immediately, he strained to confirm his fears; indeed, he was completely naked. Combined with that he had no memory after the amorous Fallen had kidnapped him, it was a bit frightening that something could have happened to him without his knowledge. He wouldn't put it past her to try.

As if on cue, he heard a door open then shut moments later. Light footsteps sounded on the tile floor, followed by a 'plink' then a small splash as someone entered the bath outside of his current field of vision. Ripples against his skin alerted Issei that whoever it was, and he had an idea, that person was coming closer. Before long, a warm body sat beside him, equally bare and contorted into his larger frame.

"How long was I out?" Issei inquired as Akeno settled against him. "I can't remember anything."

The girl in question laughed as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Oh, not too long. Honestly though, I'm surprised you lasted as long as you did for your first time."

Adrenaline surged through his veins as he tried to look at her directly, useless as his limbs were still locked up. "Are you kidding me? We did that?"

"Ara ara, whatever do you mean?"

"Don't give me that, minx, what happened?"

"Mou, alright fine. You fell asleep inside the transport glyphs. Luckily I was aiming for your bed, so you did have a softer landing."

"That doesn't explain how I got here. Or my current condition."

Unbeknownst to him, Akeno smiled. As easy as it was to rile him up, perhaps now was not the time. "You were still unresponsive this morning. I thought that maybe a bath would help wake you. Lo and behold…" she tapped his nose, "…it worked!"

"It's a miracle alright. And the reason for you being in here?"

At this, Akeno moved away and stood up in front of him. Issei was instantly straining to keep his breathing and heartbeat under control, as he was now eye level with her perfectly shaped rear. Akeno spun in place to offer him a better view, hands clasped behind her neck as she stretched in a manner that could put the best lewd magazine models to shame. To make it worse, the water droplets clinging to her form made the image so much more memorable.

"Ara ara, is it so hard to imagine why I'm here? I'm taking care of you, silly boy." With that she moved closer to him, so close that to maintain eye contact in his paralyzed condition, he had to stare up between the valley of her breasts. Even so, Issei couldn't help but look at her. Porcelain skin, full breasts, thin waist, shapely hips. This Japanese beauty was pulling no punches. His gaze wandered to the junction between her legs, and his heart nearly stopped. She didn't have any hair, something that appealed to his reptilian nature. Glistening with moisture, her maidenhood looked almost like a pair of lips. It was rather perverted of him, but he could tell that they'd never been touched by anything other than a set of fingers, perhaps not even that. The only word that came to his mind was unspoiled. His resolve wavered as he struggled, and she knew it.

"Like what you see?" She smiled sweetly. Issei tried to keep his trap shut, knowing that anything he said could be turned against him, but couldn't help the growl of frustration that made its way between his teeth. Instead, he closed his eyes and gritted his teeth, but alas, the image of the seductress before him had been burned into his mind. To both his delight and horror, he felt her breath tickle his ear. "I'm waiting for an answer."

While he couldn't move, he could feel the vibrations in the water as she lowered herself back into the pool. What's more, she had moved directly in front of him, extending one long, lithe leg over his as she straddled his waist. A moment later, he felt her soft breasts press up against his chest as she leaned completely against him.

'Think, Issei! What would Kiba do?' Several things came to mind, until, to his horror, he remembered their conversation on his first day of school.

"Well, I try to smile and take it... There really isn't a way to make both sides happy."

"Sides? You make it sound like a battle?"

"In a sense, that isn't entirely inaccurate… if you want the nonsense to stop, I'm afraid it doesn't. The best you can do is appease one side and outlast the other."

'So the best advice from the only guy I'd like to call a friend is to just give in?' Issei cracked open his eyes in shock as he felt Akeno nuzzling his neck. Almost as if a man going to the gallows, he resigned himself to his fate. 'If this backfires, I'll fry Kiba first.'

"Fine, you win." Akeno stopped nuzzling his neck and pulled away to stare into his eyes. "You're magnificent."

"It's a good thing you're cute. I still can't believe it really took you this much to notice me."

"I've never ignored you."

"No, you haven't. But a girl does have needs, and compliments will do quite nicely. In fact, you're sorely behind with those." With an expression of mock pain, she grabbed his hand and placed it over her heart as if in agony.

"Really? Did it hurt?"

"Huh?"

"Did it hurt? When you fell from Heaven?"

Akeno stared at him agape for a moment before swatting his chest. "Of all the things to say, that's the best you can come up with?"

"My sincerest apologies for not being terribly poetic."

"Apology not accepted. Yet."

"Yet?"

"That's right, yet. There's something I'd like to do before I forgive you fully." With that, she placed his lifeless arm back on the edge and then pressed herself against him, nibbling at his neck. "In a way, you already owe me for falling asleep on me last night. Give the devil her due." With that, she adjusted her position on his lap. With a jolt, Issei realized what she had in mind.

"Akeno! Wait-"

"Listen to me Issei!" He was stunned by the vehemence of her words. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for this? How long I've dreamed of this?" Her tone calmed, now soothing him. "You said that we weren't ready yet, and I agree. We won't go all the way just yet. But for now, while I have you helpless," a chill ran down his spine, "I want this."

"Come on, let's talk~" Compatible speech was lost to him as Akeno shuffled and so aligned, began to grind her womanhood against his pillar. His self-control shattered, as he felt his body betray him. Issei could feel his length hardening, his own urges beginning to manifest under her ministrations. Damn it all.

To make matters worse, her moans of pleasure were driving him crazy. Seriously, now it wasn't even fair! Between the noises she was making, the feel of her seductive body against his sensitive skin, and the sensation of her flower rubbing against his sword… Fuck it, this was happening, might as well enjoy it.

Issei opened his eyes again to lay eyes on the beauty grinding against him. She was enjoying it just as much as he was, if not more. He doubted that he'd ever become an M in their relationship, though he trusted her to take the lead. At that moment, she looked back up into his eyes and saw the pleading look he gave her. With a smile, she leaned forward and began to kiss him passionately, ignoring his need to breathe as she let her tongue explore his mouth. He greedily tried to drink her in, dueling with her as he tried to do the same, but she pulled away, the tease. Kissing her way back down to his neck, she found a spot she liked and suckled on it.

His gut wrenched as suddenly a cool feeling spread from the point of contact. It was not unpleasant, the opposite in fact. Whatever she was doing, the lasting physical discomfort of his Promotion was being sucked away, literally. Though after a few minutes, of doing so, without missing a beat with her lower movement, she pulled away again to examine her work.

"Mou, I was hoping that would work." She stopped now, damn her.

"Why…?" He panted, "Why'd you stop?" He'd been so close!

"I was hoping to leave some mark on you, maybe then the girls at school would know you're off limits. I guess it was a bit presumptuous to think I could make a mark on dragonhide. Oh well." With a smirk, she grabbed his hand again, "this'll do."

Dumbfounded, he could only watch as she lifted his hand, curled most of the fingers into a fist, then took his pointer into her mouth and sucked on it. Almost instantly, his body was caught between the erotic moment and the cold feeling once again as she sucked the excess demonic power from his body. 'I wonder, does she really know what that's doing?'

As she resumed her motions, bringing him ever so close to release, he suddenly found that his neck had regained some semblance of functionality. Instead of moving, he remained still, waiting for the opportune moment. In short while it came. Akeno was the first to her release, dropping his arm as her face gained an expression of joy or perhaps rapture. Damn that moan of hers, he wanted to hear more of it! A slight tingling in his right arm alerted him to his freedom, thus equipped he struck.

"Ise!" She squealed as he reached around her to grab her shapely rear. "What…?"

"You can't just leave me like this, minx!" Squeezing her lower cheek, he settled his hand on her hip, his grip tightening. "You started this, finish it!"

With a coy look, she began rocking her hips back and forth again, brining him back to the brink. From her expression, she was nearing her release as well. Deciding to hold out until she joined him, Issei screamed as he held himself together, then as Akeno's eyes began to flutter, he craned his neck forward, found the sweet spot where her neck and shoulder joined and bit down lightly, his sharpened teeth breaking her skin.

Akeno collapsed against him and wailed in ecstasy as he groaned out his own release between his teeth. His manhood, trapped between her core and his abdomen jerked in the water, his body instinctively trying to fulfill its task. After a few minutes, when both their breathing had slowed, he slackened his jaw and moved away to observe his work. Akeno's flushed face was near his own, a light sheen of sweat on her brow. His bite mark had left a modest mark; he was no vampire but he was pleased to see that he drawn minimal blood.

As he finished, Akeno gasped, "I thought… you… were still… motionless. How…?" Her breathing had yet to slow to his own rate, a gentle reminder of the difference in their physiology.

"I have you to thank. Whatever you were doing… drained… the excess from me." Great Red, there was no good way of saying that.

Akeno giggled, bring a hand to hide her smile. "Well, I'm glad I could help. Can you move more than that?" He strained at his other arm, his legs. Nothing.

"No, not yet. But it's something."

"A pity. Perhaps another round?"

"That's not what the bath is for and you know it," he tapped her nose with his free hand. "Besides, we wouldn't leave for a while if we did, and our day has to start sometime."

"Fine," she complained, standing up. As Issei tried, and failed, to not ogle her revealed figure, she felt a wave of satisfaction that had nothing to do with the warmth between her legs. Finally, he was seeing her as a woman, not a sister. Progress in her book. She arched her own neck to see the love bite he had left her. He had bit lightly on her exposed collarbone. Little blood, but it would leave a lasting mark, something she was again pleased by. "How did you know I was an 'M' as well?"

"I guessed," his eyes hadn't left her form, drinking in the view. "Figured that if I couldn't have your mark, then maybe the idiots at school could know you're mine."

She had to use every ounce of willpower not to jump him again, right then and there. Instead, she stammered, "You're forgiven."

"Oh? Well then, in that case, could you help me get clean again? I do suppose we have somewhere to be."

Akeno wordlessly drew a circle beneath him, something to transport him and not the surrounding water. With an undignified yelp, he fell through, only to reappear a few meters away on a stool next to the soaps. She took her time getting there, knowing that he could see her reflection in the provided mirror. After perusing the available selection, she picked one and began to soap up her sizeable breasts.

"Umm, what're you doing?"

"Helping." Sufficiently lathered, she knelt behind him and began to rub herself against his back. "That is what you asked for, isn't it?"

"…I'm not complaining."

"Good."

It took them much longer than normal to leave the bath. Partially because Akeno felt it necessary to continue teasing him, another was because he went out of her way to trail kisses down his spine. The result left him with partial control of his remaining limbs, though he did have to lean on her to return to the master bedroom. Spotting his clothes from the previous night, Issei sighed. "There was no way I was leaving this suite without us having a moment, was there?"

"I had hoped you'd still be coherent enough to do it in bed, though I'm more than content with what happened." Akeno dropped her towel, rubbing her thighs together at the pleasurable memory. Issei no longer averted his gaze, it did seem a bit hypocritical to do so now.

"Well, as far as firsts go, that wasn't bad."

Akeno whirled on the spot. "That was your first time, ever?"

Issei shrugged. "Not a whole lot of available material in a prison. I certainly wasn't going to waste time with personal pleasure." 'Not that Kuroka didn't try.'

Akeno didn't know whether to be happy, embarrassed, shocked, or saddened. Her Issei, and she thought of him as hers, had been completely celibate until now. The strangeness of it all was hard to grasp, though her embarrassment was overshadowed by the thought that Issei never got the chance to enjoy physical pleasure during his imprisonment.

"Enough about that." He had pulled on his underwear and dark pants, and now wrapped his arms around her. "Don't dwell on my time down in the hellhole. I'm here now." Issei took the initiative and kissed her forehead. "Now get dressed. I'm sure someone's wondering what we're up to by now."

Still stunned by how forward he was, Akeno moved like a machine to clothe herself. After dressing in a fresh uniform, courtesy of magic, she opened another circle, following Issei through.

Rias sat at her desk, finishing up with the last of the paperwork required to keep the Occult Research Club a legitimate club by human rules. It had already taken a significant amount of the lunch hour to do so. A crimson circle through which Akeno and Issei arrived interrupted her. Akeno was supporting the demidrake and guided him to a seat before stepping to the desk. "Having trouble?"

"Nothing I can't finish in a few moments. How's he doing?"

"The Promotion did a number on him, clearly the Holy Fire and variations in demonic energy don't mix well."

Annoyed, Issei tried to interject, "I'm not deaf or dying. Can you please not talk as if I'm not here?" He shook his head, as if to clear his thoughts and refocus on the girls.

"Sorry, Ise. My bad."

Rias didn't show it, but she was interested. 'Ise? What happened that he's gained a new nickname?' She shook her head, unnoticed by the others. 'And why am I getting worked up about it?'

"Issei," she asked, "I need to know. In your honest opinion, how would you describe the effects of Promotion?"

"Those during or after?"

Rias shrugged. "Both."

"Alright. While it was active, it was discomforting, though not in any way that affected my ability to fight. Additionally, beyond providing greater control with my aura, the increase in demonic energy didn't make any noticeable changes."

"No increase in speed, strength, or magical ability?"

"Not that I noticed, though I can't cast any magic. Instead, it seemed that I more or less became a magical battery. I didn't feel anything, but it helped Akeno to use my energy to heal Asia rather than rely on her own strength."

"So, as long as you're with me or Akeno and perhaps Asia, we can act as a conduit for the increased energy. Otherwise, Promotion is currently a-…"

"A pain in the ass." Issei grumbled. "I still have a headache and I don't think I could bring myself to fight if my life depended on it. I literally don't have the strength to move that far on my own."

"That's… troubling. We'll need to experiment with that some more." After she said that, Rias was somewhat disturbed by the light that shone in Akeno's eyes and the apprehension in Issei's. 'Was it something I said?' She wondered.

A gentle knock on the door drew the attention of the three. "Come in", Rias called. The door opened to reveal Asia in her nun outfit, though without the silver cross she had been wearing.

"Asia, good, now we can begin. I've found the perfect place for you to live."

"T-thank you…" The shy girl mumbled, clearly still coming to terms with her quiet disposition.

"You'll be staying with Issei here until further notice." That got a reaction from the other two.

"Wait, what?" Issei exclaimed. "Is that a good idea?"

"Well, you have to look at it from several points. First off, leaving Raynare and the other exorcists alive means that Asia could still be a target for the Grigori." At this, Asia fidgeted and moved closer to Issei. "Because of that, the safest place for her right now is with you. After all, what moron would willingly invade a dragon's lair?"

"It's an apartment, not a lair."

"Be that as it may, Asia's only preference for her new home was, and I quote, 'I want to be with Issei.' The suite has more than enough space for her, and you'll be able to safely escort her to class every day from then on."

"Class? Wait… you didn't?"

"I finished the paperwork this morning. Asia will be in your class, Issei."

"Please take care of me!" Asia's timidity appeared to have vanished as she bowed respectfully to Issei.

"Hey, that's enough of that!" He protested. "Don't bow to me!"

"Is that not the custom in this country?"

"It is… I think. Let's just say I'm very bad at being Japanese."

"I don't understand."

"No, I suppose you don't."

The rest of the day went by slowly. Kiba and Koneko drifted in between classes, and the collected peerage simply enjoyed each other's company, conversing about the latest school news and other trivialities. While it seemed so very ordinary, Issei was struck by how he was content with the way things were. True, there were downsides to pretending to be a normal student, but being normal was a feeling he hadn't truly felt since before he first discovered his flame. Factor in the good company of the others and it became much more enjoyable.

Sadly, the time came for each to go their own ways. Issei, supported by both Akeno and Asia, made his way to the guest bedroom where he stored Asia's possessions in his array. For the life of him, he couldn't tell how Asia's tiny bag he had previously carried had multiplied to several large duffels.

One painful transport circle later and he nearly passed out on the couch in his living room. He would have just rested there until the morning, but Akeno wouldn't let him rest, taking advantage of her Rook strength to force him to his feet. After unsealing Asia's bags, Issei managed to stumble to his room, using the walls for support as Akeno was helping the younger girl to unpack. After dressing in sweatpants, he threw himself onto the bed and tried so very hard to fall asleep.

Tried was the operative word. While it hadn't been as noticeable, now that he was isolated, he could tell that his senses had been amplified, even beyond his extreme standards. A lasting by-product of the Promotion perhaps? Either way, the sound of the two girls gossiping in the next room kept him from drifting off. Try as he might, he kept hearing bits of female conversation that he really didn't want to know regardless of how he tried to tune out the voices. To make matters worse, there was the headache he still couldn't get rid of.

It was nearly an hour later that the external noise ceased and he could have wept for joy. Blessed silence! Never again would he take it for granted. Midway through his joyous exultation, he heard the silent hinges creak, the air pressure tingled on his neck, and both felt and heard the soft patter of footsteps before a warm body jumped on the bed beside him. While he had buried his face into the pillow like a child, his overly enhanced sense of smell perfectly relayed the scent of lavender.

"I know you're awake." Damn succubus, would it kill her to let him sleep? He immediately took back the thought, it was unbecoming, though his irritation bled into his reply.

"No, I'm not."

"Are too." A slender finger traced his spine, caressing the vertebrae where they were clearly visible. "Exhausted?"

"Like you wouldn't believe." Issei rolled over onto his back to look at her, noting that she had changed out of her uniform as well and into what appeared to be sheer negligee. It left very little to the imagination, barely hiding the center of her breasts and exposing the lace thong she wore underneath. After letting his eyes trace down her form, he grinned weakly. "Is that your usual evening wear? If so, I definitely approve."

She laughed at that. "I'm afraid years of living with Rias has corrupted me to the point of sleeping naked as well. This is more for Asia's benefit, I'm sure the girl would have a heart attack to even consider sleeping in the buff."

"I guess I agree. No sense in corrupting her as well." He shifted slightly in place, trying to find a more comfortable position. "Though, with all the chatting going on in the next room, I'm sure you're doing your best."

"You could hear that?" Akeno was visibly nervous now. Asia's room was on the far side of the living room meaning that Issei had overheard everything from maybe 40 yards away, and through magically silencing walls as well. And he thought they were just next-door! Just how adept was his hearing? And what had he overheard?

"Bits and pieces, nothing incriminating if that's what you're worried about." She bit back a sigh of relief. "It shouldn't be a recurring thing, I think my senses are still sensitive."

"Really?" Uh oh. He knew that voice. Without warning, she had straddled his waist again, sitting up straight. While she had been rather firmly pressed to him that morning, now he had a full view as her breasts bounced as a result. Moving forward and down, she was now resting on her hands and knees as she brought her mouth to his ear, where she blew against it.

"Akeno!" He whined, squirming beneath her. "If we start now, we're not making it to school tomorrow. And I'm not going to be the one to explain to Rias exactly why that is."

"Ugh, fine. You so owe me though." With that, Akeno moved a bit so that she was hugging his midsection with her head in the crook of his neck, so that his chin rested on the top of her head. Situated like this, they remained silent, lulled to sleep by the other's heartbeat.

If only their shared rest could remain undisturbed.

Pain. Noise. Yells. Impact. More yelling. Screams now. Agony.

He could see flashes, glimpses. Where was he? Warm-nest-bed? No. Akeno-holds-his-heart was not here. The loud-hatchling-learning-place? Too chaotic, Glasses-strict-Devil-heiress was not here either. The Devil-family-meeting-building? No, Red-Rias-Devil-Master gone. Where, where, where WHERE, WHERE, WHERE!

In a rush, picture-flash-images slowed, he begins to understand, to remember. Dark-torture-Hell. Dishonor-coward-opponents. He could see them, see them all. Long-necked-many-head-hydra. Two-horned-cow-man. One-eye-smelly-giant. More monsters, horrors. Screaming. Suffering. Fighting. Winning. Surviving. But so much pain, too much pain. A woman, silver-hair-star-arrow-killer. Iron-red-blood-scent-his. He was back in Tartarus, NO, trapped in the clearing, TRAPPED, no, no noNONONO! He needed out! Out! OUT! OUT!

Akeno's pleasant dreams were interrupted as she was violently woken. Catapulted from her place, she was nearly ejected the bed as Issei sat up with a strangled roar. Instantly alert, she could only watch in horror as Issei screamed in fear and horror, numbed in shock. Eyes rolled back and revealing white, she knew that he was in the throes of a terrible dream. After the initial fright wore off, she immediately threw herself at him, trying to hug him and get Issei to wake up.

To be fair, she meant well. Hugging your partner after a bad dream was normal, right? No sooner had she touched him did he whirl on her, grabbing her arms and throwing her back to the bed. The force ejected all the air from her lungs, surprising her even more; her Queen piece's durability should have negated that! Her mistake was to continue pondering while Issei crouched over her. Akeno blinked as comprehension dawned on her; Issei, her Issei, was snarling over her in a dominant position with one hand raised and curled into a fist.

Knowing that she could not fight back without causing him harm, she instead beat his chest with fists of her own. Noting that it did nothing as Issei continued to wind up, she instead placed her hands on both sides of his face, pulled him down, and kissed him. She forced her tongue into his mouth, nicking it slightly on his sharpened teeth. She ignored it. Trying to convey as much passion as she could, Akeno desperately tried to let him know that despite the current state, she wouldn't leave him. Luckily for her, it worked.

Issei blinked, his eyes rolling back down and dilating back to human shape. His canines visibly shrank, and his arm fell limply at his side. Falling to one side, he remained in a state of horror, fear, and pain.

"A~Akeno?" He stuttered. "I-I…" Whatever he would have said was lost as his sense of taste verified the tang in his mouth. His eyes widened, and he gaped at her. Though she bore no physical mark, Issei was terrified anyway. With a grimace of terror and self-loathing he rolled off the bed and landed perfectly on all fours. Scrambling for purchase on the cold floor, he bounded to the door and hurled himself against it, all traces of previous discomfort long forgotten. With a crash, the door fell back as he veered into the hallway.

Now in the central common room, he took stock of his options before choosing the path of least resistance. Rather than go through the process of opening the door and escaping that way, he instead ran to the great window. Taking a running start, he opened his mouth to let loose a brief flash of flame against the glass, melting an exit in the form of a perfect circle.

"Issei, wait!"

"Mister Issei!"

Heedless of the voices that called out to him, right now his only instinct was to leave, find somewhere, anywhere he could go that they'd be safe from him. Letting his wings out, he folded them to fit through the fragile opening and caught himself in the fresh night air outside. Several downbeats later and he was gone.

Standing at the impromptu exit, Akeno and Asia looked up into the black sky in fear. It was Asia who put it into words. "Miss Himejima? What's going on? What's wrong with Issei?"

Akeno's mind was going a mile each moment as she raced through hundreds of possibilities. Some of them laughable, many laudable. However, there was one that she could not deny, something that to her shame, she had overlooked the possibility of.

"Issei… isn't feeling well right now." She managed to keep a brave face for Asia's sake, though she herself was breaking inside. "Let's get dressed, he needs us."

Asia scurried back to her room to change, Akeno simply transfiguring her nightwear into her miko outfit via magic circle. Mentally casting the spell for emergency communications, she opened up a channel linked directly to Rias and the others that would wake them no matter what.

"This is Akeno, we've got a situation."

"What's going on?" Rias seemed unfazed, even at this ungodly hour.

"Is everything alright?" Kiba, ever the gentleman.

"Trouble?" Stoic Koneko. Good, someone would need to remain objective in this dilemma.

"It's Issei. He's gone. And I fear we've made a terrible mistake."

AN: Not my best work, but this filler is necessary in the long run. To those of you who wanted original material, rejoice, it starts now. PTSD from ten years in Hell. This will feed directly into the Riser arc, which will start in the next chapter or the one following at the earliest.

Please leave me a review to let me know what you think! A gentle reminder that I will not answer pairing questions in the review section.