Holy Inferno Dragon

by G1Splicer

Issei thought he was human, but apparently, that's only half-true. Introduced to the supernatural world at a young age, Issei's life is shattered and changes in ways he could never imagine. Begins as AU. Takes some inspiration from other anime/manga. Issei x Harem

15. Healing the Soul

Thank you everyone for being patient as I worked on this, and thank you to all of you for supporting me with the details mentioned in the last chapter. Some day I might delete it, get the chapter headings and numbers synced up again, but we'll see. Thanks again, love you guys!

Snorlax Motive – That's completely up to the individual, and having read several Sekirei fics where the main gets 10+ Sekirei I'm inclined to agree. Either way, the pairings are still unlikely to change barring any outstanding argument.

Duke drake – Thanks for understanding!

berilium – Age is probably a poor choice, what I mean is experience. While yes, relationships like that work, as odd as they are sometimes, I can't find a way to properly write such a relationship with such a gap and nothing in common. Either way, thanks for being professional! Hail Hydra! *Falls out of window*

Guest – Thank you!

Digifan47 – Kuroka will return in time, but thanks!

Pokeman12023 – Positive reinforcement has gone a long way. Thanks for the kind words, friend.

DragonKingNatsu – Will I ever be rid of them? No, even for the Requests I got hate reviews. However, it's for the sake of those who genuinely enjoy that I'm groundbreaking here that keeps me going. Thanks for the kind words!

SeerKing – Thanks for the kind encouragement. Best wishes with your work as well.

The Ultimate Balance Chaos – Thanks a lot!

Rias Hater – I have to be fair and answer your review, but if I'm going to be honest, if you're trying to leave an impression, then I'd suggest using a different anonymous name. With some notable exceptions, guest reviews are listened to and addressed, but I'm not going to finish reading hate messages after the first line with such a name.

EpicWeaver – Will do my best to keep up with all three points! Haters gotta hate, right?

ZenithTempest – I continue to hope that I refrain from disappointing anyone.

Uchiha Rai – Non-conforming should be the mark of aspiring writers. Thanks for the support!

JMK2 – Will do!

T-B-R – As always, thank you for the kind words!

Kidstandout – Thank you reader-kun, this author is grateful for your praise

ItsFytos – Keeping it professional as best I can, thanks for the love and support!

Guest – Wow, points for longest guest review. Well, to put it out there whoever you are, thank you for the kind encouragement!

Zeus501 – From you? Not at all. While I have incorporated suggestions, the message was more addressed to those continually requesting certain things to happen regardless of my explanations There's a fine line between feedback and demands, you sir have graciously acknowledged it, and I thank you for it.

Noasavior – Here it is and thanks!

Xerozzuro – Will do, thanks!

Guest – Thank you!

Talonjay – my apologies, hope this will tide you over

Firestarter09 – same here

The-dragon-ninja – Thanks you for the well-thought support. And personally, if you take the time to leave a name then I'm not concerned with you having accounts or not.

The Composcreator – Irina will be more involved, though I can't promise she'll be more romantically invested. Right now the safest thing is to assume that she'll stick around for canon and take part in some original content as well, hows that sound?

Chronostorm – It was a rather annoying series of events, tough it's thankfully died down. As for Serafall, I'm sticking to canon in that she's just about the same age as Sirzechs and the other Maou and considering the ages of some of Sirzech's peerage I'm inclined to believe they're at least a millennia older. I'll work out exact dates later. I won't deny that Grayfia's hot and all, but I agree, she goes best with Sirzechs.

CloneKiller187 – Thanks for the wise advice!

Tsukune08 – My deepest apologies for the letdown, I'll do my best to not do so again. Artemis may be one of the fairer deities, but that doesn't mean she's a shining paragon. Several myths refer to men turned into deer or other prey because they had the misfortune to see her bathe. Amends are in the works, but I don't think I'll write deities in such a way that humanizes them.

Scorez – Thanks and will do!

Conquest95 – Thanks for the love and support as usual. I feel the same way with the cheating theme, it's kinda pathetic. My apologies for getting your hopes up last time, it wasn't the intention to disappoint like that.

Pawnofriasgremory – We'll see. Still not sure how, and no promises but I'll keep the pairing in mind

Mike Kromer – Reap what you sow, simple concept that two idiots don't understand

RSlayer99 – Will do, I do intend to have lemons but only to further the plot, not replace it. Thanks again!

Guest – Glad you liked it, hope you enjoy!

TheShogun – 10/10! Thanks!

Slydino – Thanks for the support! As for Ophis, she will be interested in Issei's power like in canon but that doesn't mean necessarily imply there's anything beyond that. Even in canon, she's a mascot and doesn't seem to fully comprehend romance nor consider trying things with Issei. Either way, I won't have to deal with that until maybe vol 6 so in a while. Thanks again!

Douglas654 – Thank you for the kind words!

PussyMagnet – He'll show up, though not in the way anyone expects. I will ask that you keep Ryuu questions to a minimum, as I don't want to give anything away quite yet. Hope you understand.

Thorvaiso - Glad to hear that my story is on par with what I recall to be OC driven fics. Thank you!

Valv – TRUTH!

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Disclaimer: See 1st Chapter

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" " – Speech

' ' – Thoughts

Communications/memories/locations

( ) – Albion, mental

( ) – Albion, speaking

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Just a reminder that this is a DxD story that is also rated M. It wouldn't be DxD otherwise. You have been warned.

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Chapter 14: Healing the Soul

"So, let me get this straight. Rias, our master Rias, kissed you. And you also have the great misfortune to be seen by her older brother, the strongest Devil ever."

"Yes, that happened."

"How are you still here?" Kiba's voice agitated some of the other patients in his ward, prompting a passing nurse to glare at the two.

"Honestly, I have no idea." Issei, still shaking from his ordeal, was abnormally pale. Considering that Kiba's injury, a massive gouge that had damaged several major organs, was nearly fully recovered, from a bystander's view perhaps their positions should be reversed.

"You mind telling me what happened?"

---

"Let me make this clear. I let Rias make her own decisions. And I certainly can't fault her for attraction to her servants, my wife became my Queen. But let me be clear, so long as Rias is happy, I'll let it be. But if she begins to regret, begins to cry, you're the first one I look for."

A being of monstrous power had teleported him outside the waiting room. Composed of nothing but pure energy, the Father of Lies shed his guise as a man and was standing before him. For the first time ever, Issei let go of every restriction, every self-imposed limit to allow his own presence to compete, yet still there was no contest.

"Are we clear." It was not a question but rather a command.

---

Kiba began to seriously consider calling a nurse. Issei's face had frozen in an expression of abject terror. "Hello? Anyone home?" He leaned over to wave a hand over Issei's face but before he could the demidrake caught his arm at the wrist.

"Don't do that. And… thanks, I guess."

"Don't mention it. So, I assume that you got an epic talking-down, and then got dropped off here?"

"Yeah, in the reception area. Tried to find the others but with no luck. The only reason I found you is cause no one else here smells like metal."

"I'll take that as a compliment," the Knight grinned. "I don't know where the others are, but I'm sure they're somewhere in the wings. Go on and find them, I should be cleared to go within the hour or so, I'll catch up then."

Issei nodded and lightly punched Kiba's shoulder in acknowledgment. Before he could get far though, Kiba asked, "Your Longinus. You were going to tell us, right?"

"Absolutely." Issei declared without hesitation. "It wasn't my intention to wait this long though."

"Relax, I completely understand," Kiba smiled. "Get going already."

Issei smirked and mock-saluted before leaving Kiba's room. While he had been smiling and up beat for Kiba's benefit, now that he was on his own, he had another conversation to continue.

(Perhaps you should sit down somewhere. There is still much to discuss.)

Deciding to humor Albion, Issei found an unoccupied chair outside another ward and settled down, preparing himself for another lecture. At least this time he wouldn't be too terrified to speak his own mind.

(Now. Both of them?)

'I guess you've missed a lot. I really could have used your advice in the past month you know?'

(Sure looks that way.) Albion was quiet for a long time as he composed his own thoughts. (And? What will you do about it?)

'What is there really for me to do? Complete the bond? I don't even know how to do that, you certainly haven't filled me in on that, and even if I knew, I don't really know if I could go through with it.'

(Why hesitate? You have something to cherish, something that's yours now. I daresay you've earned some happiness in your life.)

'It's just… both of them? Is that even possible?' Issei dropped his head into his hands, trying and failing to stave off the headache that seemed to rival that of post-Promotion. 'I thought dragons can only bond to one person!'

(That… may not be necessarily true.) The Legendary Dragon hesitantly informed him. (There are at least two situations that I know of that might have been a multiple bond scenario, and my information was gained secondhand.)

'Who? Can we find out more?'

(Who is not the pressing issue. The first case is that of Scylla, the greatest of the Hydra.)

'Hydra! You're joking!'

(A hybrid like you, she was born to a drake and a rather insistent specimen, one that could get all its heads to agree that a dragon's child would be beneficial. The end result was that Scylla had increased intelligence and comparable aura levels to her father.)

Issei winced as he remembered his own fights with Hydras. 'A Hydra with aura. That's the stuff of nightmares.'

(I have every confidence you could take her even without my help. Now, in regards to her bond, while she was smarter than her brethren, that was because each head had its own personality, giving her a… collective… of opinions and brainpower to tackle difficult challenges. It is likely that each of her personalities bonded with a different partner.)

'Likely but not proven. And the other?'

(The Hesperides were identical triplets. It is not too difficult to imagine that Ladon was not attracted to just one but all three.)

'Triplets. Huh? I guess that makes some sense… if you're a sex-crazed maniac.'

(Indeed. Assuming that he bonded with all three, then I would be inclined to believe that he was not named the Insomniac Dragon for his thousand eyes, but for a permanent condition brought about by the hyper-active libidos of three minor goddesses.)

'And there we go, master voyeur at work.' Issei struggled to keep his lunch down. 'Seriously, is every adult dragon a closet pervert?'

(You'd be surprised.)

Their conversation was interrupted when a door down the hall opened, letting Issei catch the scent of a Nekomata. Koneko's to be exact. Standing up, he headed towards the source, following his nose.

'Okay then, two possible sources, one of which is now an Evil Dragon and therefore unreliable. So how do we learn more? Are there any records?'

(There were.)

Issei stopped and was nearly run over by a passing gurney. 'Were?'

(Much of our history was committed to memory when the Dragon Kings, Ddraig and I unanimously agreed to eradicate as much information about our kind as possible. For example, when war came to Alexandria, it was Fafnir's golden scales that funded both sides of the siege, as well as to bribe numerous officers to ensure the destruction of the city's expansive library.)

Issei stood there dumbfounded at the casual mention of such a loss of cultural knowledge. Having been a history fan as a child, the destruction was horrifying to him. 'Did you not think of the repercussions of that?'

(We did. At a time when dragon slaying was beginning to find prevalence in many cultures, we found it an acceptable loss, one of many.)

'How many are we talking about?'

(There were many such troves of knowledge about us. In our pride, dragons of old had often communed with humans for a time, trading knowledge and favors as if both races saw each the other as equal. As time passed and we grew comfortable with such relations, many failed to realize that humans had banded together for sport. We tried to keep the situation bloodless, but there were times when armed conflict became inevitable.)

'I find it hard to believe that conflict was really inevitable. Fighting isn't the answer to everything.'

(It was not always a fight; such an act would require both sides the chance to attack. We were desperate. Too many among both mortals and immortals knew of us, our weakness in the bond. Too many loose ends. For that reason, when the aware royal family fled their citadel and scattered with the relevant texts across their island city, Midgardsormr found it necessary to wrap himself around then constrict Atlantis' foundations.)

'Dragons destroyed Atlantis?'

(Only one Dragon was required, and a Dragon King was overkill. Every individual dragon no matter the strength has the potential to be a city-killer, given half the chance. Too many back then knew it and took precautions, so we made our own.) Albion's stern tone warned Issei to drop the line of conversation. (Regardless, without physical record, we would need to find someone who knew Ladon or Scylla well enough to confirm whether they bonded multiple times. Even then, their situations gravely differ from yours.)

'Akeno and Rias, for all their similarities are still very different individuals. I guess you're right, I am in uncharted territory here.'

(Which leads me back to my original question. What are you going to do about it?)

'I… I don't know. I know it'd be wrong of me to choose one over the other.'

(Good, you're on the right track. And?)

'I told you, I don't know. If it comes down to it, neither I think~'

(YOU IDIOT! A MONTH OF PROGRESS IN MATURITY AND THEN YOU GO AND OPEN YOUR MOUTH!)

Albion's outburst nearly knocked Issei out, the noise level threatening to overwhelm his sensitive hearing. Nurses and doctors up and down the hall peaked their heads out of rooms or meetings, only to pale as they saw the White Dragon Emperor to be the source of the interruption.

"You don't need to do that," Issei complained, massaging his head slightly to alleviate the discomfort. 'I can hear you well enough like this.'

(I needed to make a point. Which, incidentally, is precisely what you've missed.)

'What'd I miss?' Issei turned a corner, Koneko's scent getting stronger. 'What point?'

Albion's groan of annoyance clued him in that it must have been rather obvious. (A question for a question then. Why did I cut you off a month ago?)

'How the hell should I know? You said it was to help me!'

(And it did. Can you understand how?)

'All that came of you leaving me was a sense of inadequacy and my night…mares…'

(He begins to understand.) The great dragon grunted irritably. (Impossibly dense, but it seems you can make progress.)

'By leaving me… you drove me to open up to others. To trust in my new family.'

(And they have arguably done more for you than I ever could. Isolation is not in our nature. Perhaps it is a side-affect of being my champion; perhaps it is in your nature by your own merit.

To better explain, the strongest Red Dragon Emperor can become so entirely on his own. Ddraig never bonded, and the powers and behavior of the Boosted Gear's wielders reflect that fact. They train ceaselessly to grow stronger, Boosting nonstop until they hit their limits, sacrificing life and limb to Ddraig, all in the name of getting stronger and defeating my hosts.) Albion snorted in the back of Issei's mind. (Fools, all of them.

In contrast, I had the great fortune to bond in life. This has an equal affect on the Longinus I was sealed in. Divine Dividing requires proximity to another living being; isolation will weaken you. You could absorb power from a friend, an ally, a rival, or an enemy. But keeping yourself locked away from others will only hurt you even more. If there is one difference between me and Ddraig, it is that I care for each of my hosts, and intend for them not to fight but to live. If you still harbor doubt, then look at the incantations to utilize our full power. Crimson purgatory against white paradise.)

'This was all a lesson then. To appreciate that the best thing for me is to accept what's happening?'

(To me, victory over Ddraig is accomplished by providing my hosts the chance at normalcy, the chance to live long and happy lives, something that I never had the chance to have. I have not seen my bondmate in centuries, not since Lancelot braved the Underworld on one of Merlin's tasteless quests. In that measure, I live vicariously through each and every one of you.)

'I see. And your advice in this instance?'

(Do not be afraid to be happy, Issei. Life so rarely gives anyone a chance to be truly happy, and now fate has given you two of them. You've already admitted that choosing only one is not a choice at all, and that not making a decision will only cost you in the future.)

'So, basically my only choice is to risk my relationships with both of them. I'm not sure I'm willing to put our feelings on the line.'

(Is it really so bad? Whether consciously decided or not, your soul is reaching out to both of them, and apparently they both have accepted it on some level. Why deny yourself and them the opportunity to let such feelings grow?)

Issei was silent for a time as he kept wandering the hospital. A weak grin crossed his face. 'Living through me, huh? So that's the reason why you're so interested in my love life.'

(Shut up.)

'Voyeur.' As Albion began to sound like he was crying, Issei turned a corner and found Koneko lying on a hospital bed. Her cat ears were out and visible, and while asleep, she looked absolutely adorable. Issei had to ball his hands into fists to avoid petting her and potentially demean her, but dammit she was cute.

Instead of falling prey to his base instincts, he sat by her bedside, much like he had for Kiba already. He waited patiently, knowing that with the amount of damage she had taken, consciousness could be long in coming.

Help came in the form of Rias and Akeno arriving, Akeno pushing Asia in a wheelchair. The third-years were wearing fresh school uniforms, while Asia was still in a hospital gown. All three were visibly surprised to see him waiting there, though it was a pleasant surprise if the smiles on their faces were anything to go by.

"Issei!" Asia softly cried. "I saw the recording of your fight! You were so brave!"

"Who me? Brave? You must be mistaken, I was scared for my life once or twice there." He joked as he knelt beside her chair to give the Bishop a gentle hug. While he was joking his mind was still running a mile a minute on how to discretely talk with the older girls. Perhaps if he spent less time thinking, he would have heard Asia's gentle sigh of contentment as she leaned into his embrace.

Rising from his crouch he smiled back at the other two girls. For whatever reason, they seemed at ease with him and each other. That couldn't be a good sign.

As if on cue, a nurse came into Koneko's room to check up on her condition. Upon seeing Asia there, she requested that her ability with Twilight Healing be put to use to speed up the Nekomata's recovery, a request that Asia eagerly asked Rias to accept. Leaving the two underclassmen alone with the caretaker, the older girls and demidrake withdrew to the room directly across. Close enough for when Koneko woke up, but just far enough to talk in private.

Issei closed the door behind him and found both older girls looking at him with their arms crossed beneath their breasts. Both had abandoned the smiles that they had worn earlier and were now scrutinizing him with unreadable expressions.

It was Rias that broke the tension. "We need to talk."

Issei winced. "I don't think you could have said that in anyway that could make me cringe more." He sighed, before squaring his shoulders. "Alright. Is this about the kiss or something else."

"The kiss would be a good place to start." Akeno's cold voice chilled him to the bone. "For starters, Rias, what the hell was that about?"

"That… was in the heat of the moment," Rias admitted. "Not that I didn't enjoy it, but that's beside the point right now. What I want to know is what's really going on. Ever since… the kiss… I've been getting flashes… hints… of emotion that I'm quite sure aren't mine."

Issei looked at Akeno. "Is it the same for you?"

"The same. It comes and goes, most notably with a crippling sensation of fear a few hours ago." Akeno must have been serious, because for once she did not show any reaction to such a sense of terrifying dread.

"Ah, that'd be the dressing down I got from Lucifer." He shivered. "That's something I'd rather not go through again. Put me back in Tartarus if it comes down to it."

"And just why are we feeling your fear?" Rias demanded. "What is going on?"

Issei looked at Akeno to see her pale in understanding. Damn, this was going to be harder than he thought. Deciding to explain as concisely as possible, he started at the beginning. "Rias, just what do you know about dragons?"

"Is that a trick question? In one month of knowing you I've learned more than I have my entire life."

"Perhaps I should be specific. You know how dragons view romance, or has Akeno already told you?"

"She described the bond in what little detail she could. What I explicitly know from you dovetails with the fact that bonds are incapable of being taken likely. The most I know is that bond connect the soul… somehow." He let that sink in for a moment as Rias processed the information before she paled then blushed. "And that's the reason why…"

"Why you're both getting feedback from whatever I'm feeling. Yeah, and it goes both ways." Issei lowered his gaze. "For what it's worth I didn't mean for this to happen. Not like this anyway." He chuckled weakly before continuing. "Every dragon has the potential to choose a lifemate or find someone that subconsciously resonates perfectly with them. Believe me, I don't know which situation this is, but I didn't even know it was possible for me to react to both of you."

Unable to stand any longer, he sank into a nearby chair where he collapsed his face into his hands. "Pathetic. Can't even keep control of myself."

Both girls looked at each other before sitting on either side of him, Akeno to his right and Rias to his left. "Did you know before today?" Akeno asked calmly.

"No, no, I swear I didn't know!" He urged. "Please believe me, I had no idea!"

"We believe you Issei." Rias looked at Akeno who nodded back. "You're not one to keep such important secrets to yourself," she frowned slightly, "your Longinus aside, but that was hardly under your control."

"So," Akeno asked, "what's troubling you then?"

"What's troubling me? You find that on some instinctive level I've chosen both of you to… be my mates…" All three of them blushed again at that. "Dammit, in another life I'd be jumping for joy at the chance."

"And why not now?" Rias gently grasped his chin so that he had no choice but to look them in the eye. "Why hesitate?"

"Because if I don't draw a line somewhere, then there's no difference between me and Raiser."

Neither girl said anything, but the subtlety shifting feelings he felt from both girls matched for the briefest moment: approval.

Before they could comment, the casual observer butted in. (Get over yourself, Issei. You're nothing like the bastard.)

"I'm a hormonal male, fire wielding devil, and apparently a man incapable of maintaining a committed monogamous relationship." Issei responded dejectedly. "How are we different?"

(Bah, those are only the similarities that you choose to linger on. I meant that you're different in every way that matters.)

"Listen to him Issei. You're better than Raiser because you choose to be the better person. That you're even questioning yourself proves it." Rias made to embrace him but he shrugged her off.

"Albion?" Akeno was hesitant to call on the great dragon. "Do you have any idea as to why he's capable of dual-bonding?"

(A theory, albeit one that Issei may not be willing to accept.)

"Don't build up the suspense, what is it?" Issei demanded. "If you've got an idea then share, dammit."

(On your head be it then. It's possible, and keep in mind this is speculation, that Issei already began the bonding process before his incarceration. I hate to bring up bad memories, but do you remember what happened the last time you saw your father?)

"Yeah, I passed out from a series of images that I know weren't from me."

(We already knew that you began breathing fire extraordinarily early. It's not impossible for you to have already manifested a connection with Akeno at that young age. And given the bond and your young age, it's possible, and I stress possible rather than certain, that your ability to bond may be… damaged in some way.)

Issei paled and began to hyperventilate. Shaking off both girls, he shook his head to try and collect his focus for a transport. "Look, I need some time to think, and I know that you do too." Issei stood up and began to shimmer once his Light wings manifested. "I'll be back when Koneko wakes up." With that, he activated the teleportation ability he had slaved over and vanished, leaving the potential bondmates alone.

"That wasn't anything like I expected," said Akeno worriedly.

"You knew about the bond?" Rias was rather annoyed that she hadn't been properly informed.

"Dragons in ancient times made sure to eradicate all public information on the subject; even when we were children, Issei asked me to keep it secret," Akeno retorted. "I told you that he meant a lot to me, so I kept quiet."

"Alright, I didn't mean any offense," Rias raised her arms in surrender. "But I am curious, why is he so against having both of us as his partners?"

"I'm not quite sure," Akeno pressed a finger to her lips in thought, "but if I had to guess it's part of his upbringing. Raised believing that he will only have one bond and to cherish that bond with his whole being."

"He does realize it's not uncommon for devils to have harems."

"Dragons do the same for practical reasons of propagation, not out of romantic interest. And it's like he said, it is a binding of the soul, with painful consequences if it is broken."

"Broken?"

"If he dies, it'll be heartbreaking for us. It's not uncommon for the mate in question to fall into depression and attempt suicide. No, I think Issei worries about what happens if we were to die. He'd become an Evil Dragon, uncaring and willfully rampaging to try and soothe the void in his life by causing equal grief and sorrow to those around him."

Rias gasped, comprehending Issei's fear over a second bond being such a big deal. "And with both of us?"

"It's new territory, Issei doesn't know what could happen, but it stands to reason that there would be twice the opportunity for him to enrage."

They were both silent for a bit longer, each mulling over the rather unusual circumstances. Akeno then broke the silence, "I take it you won't back down?"

"Why should I? Like he said, his soul is reacting to both of us. I personally don't see why I can't be the one he bonds with."

"You think it'd be that easy?" Akeno raised an eyebrow, "I won't hold back in this."

"Oh, really? Then it's settled. We both try our best to win his heart. Best case he chooses one of us, and at worst he bonds with both of us."

"Ara ara, just remember that I knew him first and will always remain his favorite."

"Rather high opinion of yourself, I never did take you for a devil of Pride."

Mindful that they were still in the hospital, neither moved to attack the other. Upon seeing Koneko awake through the window, they both rushed to her side.

The fight for Issei's heart could continue later.

---

Kuoh, Gremory-owned Apartment Complex

Issei landed in the open area of the living room and dismissed his wings. Striding to his room, he opened the door to see that his room was still a mostly charred wreck. He shrugged and entered. The room reflected what he was feeling at the moment, he felt right at home.

Walking to the mangled bed frame, he spun and braced himself against the support before sliding down to sit on the floor. Curling up, Issei tried to meditate, to calm himself and release the well of emotions that had opened up inside him.

Damaged. Heh, he'd be lying if he wasn't surprised. Ten years of physical and psychological torment and only now did he know the full extent of his mental injuries.

Damaged. Could be worse. He could be completely incapable of bonding. At least that would be a comfort, a final statement. He may have even preferred that and try to live a semblance of normalcy.

Damaged. Normal was beyond him now. If his ability to bond was broken, would that mean whatever bonds he formed, even if he did go through with it, would never be complete.

Issei let his head sink back into his hands. An incomplete bond. Now looking at the problem, he realized that he'd be tortured with the possibility the rest of his life. And dragons could live a long time.

Albion was right; this was a theory that he fundamentally couldn't want to accept.

"Are you disappointed?" He laughed weakly, trying to find some humor in the situation. "Here I am, running away from my problems again. I guess I haven't made as much progress as you thought."

(You've made great steps to overcome your past.) Albion softly rumbled. (But if you were able to take this in stride without a care in the world, then I'd be truly disappointed.)

"Your theory, you knew didn't you. So why did you tell me?"

(Because you and your potential mates needed to hear it, before you began to make assumptions of your own. Was it the right thing to do, or the kindest? Perhaps not. But I have never lied to you Issei. And with something like this, with your future on the line, I will not hold back what you need to know.)

"What I need is a cellar full of the strongest spirits available."

(That won't help the pain; merely delay it.) Albion paused as if uncertain. (And with your unique physiology, unless it's a rarer brew from the Celts or straight from the Olympic Vineyards then it will hardly make a dent in your perception no matter the concentration or quantity you consume.)

"Do you have any good news for me?" Issei kicked half-heartedly at an offending piece of furniture, a footlocker that kept him from stretching his legs. "Or is there anything else you want to say? How about, 'Consider yourself grounded'? I'd like to hear that right now."

(If you think I'm leaving you alone with yourself for company, then you have another thing coming.) The Vanishing Dragon clearly was going to have his way. (I said possible, not certain. There is a way to find out.)

"You cannot be serious."

(Make the bond, both of them. What do you now have to lose? Accept your theoretical condition and move on. Prove to yourself that you are capable of experiencing the joys such relationships will grant. Find another reason for your unique ability.) Albion snorted. (There are countless possible reasons; I only mentioned the worst and unfortunately most probable. Whether you accept it as reality is up to you, though with your stubbornness, you might find a better explanation faster than I.)

"And you let me walk away from the girls?"

(We needed this talk, and you needed to think. Don't mistake my compassion for hypocrisy, if you had run for fear of their comfort then I would have never let you leave their sight.)

Issei sat in the ashen remains of the room for a minute before laughing softly. "I'll never have a time where you aren't there to correct me, will I?"

(Like I said, I'm satisfied with the happiness of my bearers. As of now, you are the only one that matters.)

"Very well." Issei leaned his head back to rap against the bedframe. "Take me back."

Divine Dividing flashed, leaving the cold, gray room behind.

---

"Issei has a Longinus?" Koneko asked dumbfounded.

"He surprised us all," Rias smiled as she sat beside her, holding the Nekomata's hand. "He had Raiser on the ropes with his own strength and Holy Fire alone, it became a slaughter once he donned his armor."

Koneko mulled over the idea that a demidrake was capable of wielding a dragon-type Longinus before shrugging. "So?"

"You're taking this rather well." Asia seemed surprised that Koneko could nonchalantly accept that Issei had been a Sacred Gear wielder. "You… aren't surprised?"

"I'm surprised, not unhappy." Koneko blushed. "Issei is amazing."

"That he is," Akeno agreed before she was cut off with a flash of light. A white-armored figure had materialized in the room with them, clanking as it set down on the floor. Before Issei could dematerialize his armor, Rias was already on her feet with a plan to keep him from leaving again.

"Issei, promote to Bishop!"

The Pawn in question jerked in surprise as the eight Pieces inside him responded, filling him with demonic energy. Issei groaned as he began to understand, the Bishop trait would grant enough power so that he collapsed once it wore off, but not as much as the Queen piece, meaning he'd stay conscious. As if on cue, Rias gave a second order, "Cease Promotion."

The Promotion and any possible effects wore off mere moments after it had begun, leaving Issei numb and paralyzed. The ScaleMail shattered; leaving the teenager slumped against the far wall, gasping for breath as Albion compensated for the extreme variation in demonic energy.

Issei looked up at the girls with a faux dramatic look of betrayal. "You know I don't intend to leave."

"And I believe you. That failsafe is just a precaution." Rias smiled. "So, what'd you want to tell us?"

"How'd you~?"

"Well, you left to think about what was going on. I can only assume you're done thinking about it." Rias stopped teasing when Akeno knelt beside them.

"Look Issei," she began. "Rias and I talked… and while neither of us would admit to the other, we're worried for you." Rias started in surprise that Akeno had guessed so correctly in this matter. "Today has been full of surprises, I'll give you that much, but the one thing we care about right now is you. What's going on, and what do you want? Ep, ep!" She placed a delicate finger over his mouth to silence him, "Not what you think is right per say, but what you really want. And then we'll tell you what we want in return."

"I… I don't know what I really want," he admitted. "Honestly, after ten years in Hell, I guess I haven't really thought too much about the future. But if I'm going to start somewhere, Albion suggested I find a different reason why I can bond twice."

Both girls looked at each other before turning back. "Issei… do you mean?"

"I don't know if what I'm feeling is real or the result of the bond, I can't tell if it's love or not… but I'm willing to take the chance, that is if you'll let me. Both of you." Issei closed his eyes and smirked half-heartedly. "I considered myself a world-class cynic but damn, I sound like a bleeding romantic."

"Hush you." Rias and Akeno both grabbed one of his hands, Rias taking the lead with speaking to him. "We've… already made a few decisions."

"The situation is hardly ideal…" Akeno added, "but we're willing to try and make this work."

"You're kidding?" Issei tried to turn to face Akeno but found that his neck wasn't working. Akeno giggled slightly at the look of frustration on his face before nudging Rias.

"Watch this." The Nadeshiko beauty leaned forward to gently lay a kiss on Issei's lower neck. Kissing her way up his neck and to his cheek, she then retreated to see that Issei was blushing a little bit, though she had to give him credit for managing to keep his composure mostly intact. Regardless, her administrations worked, as within moments Issei was able to regain limited movement above her first kiss.

"I see, that is an interesting trick," Rias smiled gently before turning Issei's head to look at her. "No, we're not kidding. You mean a great deal to me, to both of us." She amended her words when her Queen frowned slightly at being left out. "Like Akeno said, it's not ideal and hardly what any of us imagined, but since this… bond… is already beginning to form… I guess for your sake I wouldn't be opposed to sharing if it's Akeno." Rias nearly turned as red as her hair with her admission, Akeno reaching a similar shade as well.

Incredulous, Issei could only shake his head. "I'm dreaming. I'm dreaming. There's no way I'm this lucky."

"Mou~ you still don't believe in karma?" Akeno teased him by lifting the held hand to her lips, a devilish smile across her face. "You're overdue for some rather happy memories after all." Isolating his pointer, she rather lewdly began to suck on the appendage thereby beginning to drain his arm of demonic energy.

"Akeno, we're in public, do try to keep your level of perversion in check," Rias chided her though the somewhat jealous look indicated she would do the same to him in a heartbeat.

"I'm dreaming, I'm dreaming, Albion's gonna laugh at this, I'm dreaming." Issei's mind was failing to comprehend the situation properly.

Rias frowned at the mention of the Legendary Dragon before realizing a tactic that Akeno had yet to try. Using years of practice, she kept her features in check as she moved to sit in his lap and grasp Issei's head with both hands. Bringing her eyes to his, she glared through them to hopefully address Albion directly. Impishly knocking on the side of Issei's head, the demidrake stirred and nearly jerked away.

"Albion, listen closely. I won't say I'm mad at you for abandoning Issei like that. I also won't say I'm upset that by your influence or not, he had to conceal his Longinus from me." Rias pouted. "However, I think it's best to understand now that if you intrude on us when we're alone, or you peek through Issei's memories of our time together, I will be very displeased and spend the next century petitioning all dragons currently living in the Underworld to legally change your title to that of the Voyeuring Dragon."

"GURK!" Issei nearly choked in shock and awe as the Gremory Heiress firmly put her foot down and accomplished what he himself had never been able to do. 'Screw it, if this was a dream, don't wake me up!'

Strangely comforted by the faint sound of sobbing at the base of his skull, Issei refocused on Rias. "I…How?"

"I use the same methods to get what I want from my father and brother. Speaking of which, whatever my brother said to you, don't take it seriously. I'll make sure he knows I'll be very displeased if anything happened to you." Rias curled up in his lap, sighing in content. "You can make it up to me though."

"Done. How?" Issei was suddenly interrupted as Rias kissed him for the second time that day. It wasn't a quick, chaste kiss, nor was it hurried or overly passionate. It was a kiss that quite plainly expressed how she felt for him, and he freely admitted that he enjoyed it.

They were interrupted after a minute by a rather putout Akeno as she mock glared at Rias. "Don't go hogging him for yourself now, he isn't a collectible to exclusively add to your Gunpla collection. He was mine first." With that, she firmly grasped his jaw and pulled the flustered demidrake to her lips as well. This kiss was conveyed with equal emotion, though Issei's sensitivity to smell and sound alerted him to the telling signs of her arousal.

'I have no clue what just happened. And somehow, I'm perfectly alright with that.' Issei had no time for further contemplation as Akeno molded herself to his side as she and Rias began to silently compete over who could comfort him more.

The other occupants of the room watched somewhat awkwardly as the three teenagers sat against the far wall of the hospital room. Both younger girls were happy that Issei was showing signs of opening up to them, though they both felt a pang of jealousy that Issei's attention was firmly on the western and eastern beauties.

Poor Asia was trying very hard to hold back tears. "It's not fair," she quietly sniffed. "I want to be important to Issei too!" The former nun blushed as she saw how far the older girls were going in their affections and blushed once more. "Is it because they're prettier than I am?" Though envy was a foreign concept to the gentle soul, she couldn't help but glance at the impressive busts their King and Queen had, and discretely patted her own as if to try and compare.

She was stopped when Koneko reached over from her bed and tapped her shoulder. "We can't give up." At Asia's lost expression, Koneko donned an uncharacteristic look of determination. "I won't lose."

"You also like Issei?" Both girls blushed at the accusation, though Koneko swallowed and continued.

"Issei has always been kind. And he accepts as for who we are." Koneko slowly began to pat her own budding chest as well. "I won't lose to Rias and Akeno." Asia might as well have been relocated to the middle of nowhere; she had no idea how Koneko could compete with their elders in this case. Upon seeing her confusion, Koneko stopped patting herself down and smirked. "I'll get bigger."

Whether by divine intervention or incredible timing, now was the moment when Kiba arrived. Holding the doorframe to brace himself, he ran a steady eye over the room, seeing the younger girls whisper conspiratorially and saw that his fellow male had been immobilized by two succubi.

"What did I miss?"

---

"Well, well." Sirzechs smiled. "That was rather unexpected."

The Maou was currently examining a rather special magic spell he had prepared the day Rias had been born. Considering devil's low birth rates and that their age difference was measured in a dozen centuries, he hardly entrusted Rias' safety to anyone else, so he had cast… well, a scrying spell to monitor her. Perhaps that was the source of his sis-con tendencies, having the spell handily condensed into a physical lacrima on his desk had made it possible for him to keep an eye on her even while attending duties as a Devil King.

Grayfia had always hidden it after re-organizing his office every week or so when Rias was a child but he always managed to find it in the end. It helped that Serafall sympathized with him after her parents confiscated the one she made for Sona. There wasn't much two Maou couldn't do when their efforts were combined, both lacrima had been found rather quickly.

Details, details. And right now, it seemed that he had misread some of the details between his sister and her Pawn. This was an interesting development indeed. He almost laughed several time at his own inaccuracy of their relationship, though he shuddered when she mentioned confronting him. It would be even worse for him if she went straight to Grayfia.

Stowing the jewel away, Sirzechs rocked back and forth on his feet. "Well, what to do?"

"Sir?" A passing worker asked, believing he had been addressed. It appeared that the man was in charge of maintaining and repairing Rating Game dimensions if the materials he carried were any indication. Considering that Rias' little show has been the only game scheduled today it was incredibly likely that the man was heading off to try and repair the malleable dimension after the White Dragon Emperor had rampaged through it.

"Bah, it's nothing. Just thinking out loud, don't read into it." After seeing that the devil was still standing there, Sirzechs decided to ask for some advice. "You watched the game didn't you?"

"Uh, yes sir. I don't think anyone would have missed it."

"And what did you think? Please be honest."

Put on the spot, the devil shrugged. "Good show and all, though I did lose betting on the Phenex. Not that I'm not a fan of your family sir," the worker tried to backpedal. "I'm not the only one, but that dragon kid came out of nowhere! Who could have known?"

'Who indeed?' Sirzechs thought to himself. "And your opinion on the dragon?"

"The kid? He's got Holy Fire and a Longinus, did a number on the dimensional battlefield. I'm just glad I'm not in any position to irritate him or his master. However, the kid has guts for standing against the class system. 'm sure that'll please the crowds." The man fumbled with one of the heavy books for the Game's enchantment system. "Wouldn't be surprised if he made high-class anytime soon."

"Really? Thank you, carry on." Sirzechs strolled away with a slight bounce in his step. Well, if that was a popular opinion then maybe Rias' happiness was finally secured.

Knocking on the VIP room, he entered to find that Venelana was still sitting beside her shell-shocked husband. However, the Phenex clan had departed, replaced by Grayfia and their son, Millicas.

"Well, Rias seems rather pleased." He addressed his parents, tousling Millicas' hair as the boy watched the replay on a tablet device with attached headphones. "I imagine the engagement party will have to be canceled."

"Don't be silly," Venelana rolled her eyes. "The invitations were sent, all we need is an adjustment to celebrate Rias' first victory in the games, that's all. Isn't that right dear?" She tugged at her husband's ear to finally get a reaction from him.

Lord Theomar Gremory finally stirred for the first time since the game's end. In a hoarse whisper, he muttered to himself, "she won."

Sirzechs rolled his eyes. "Yes father, she won. We're all proud of her and she knows it. Is there anything you'd like to add?"

For a few more moments, Theomar sat there silently for a few more moments before sinking his head into his hands. "It appears that I owe Lord Phenex an apology."

Venelana frowned, "Rainard and Layla knew the details of the contract, we all did. There should be no apology for an outcome they should have known was possible."

"Perhaps, but it is the polite thing to do." Sirzechs sat down on the arm of Millicas' chair, looking over his son's shoulder to see the Gremory rose from once more in a burst of wraithlike flame. "Raiser did lose to a wielder of his own element, even if the opponent in question was highly extraordinary. Send an apology but abide by the contract. Remember, Rainard still has two other sons, a daughter, and a grandkid well on the way. A lack of pureblood grandchildren is hardly a pressing concern for him. Though, that is a subject to address in the immediate future."

"Whatever do you mean?" Theomar asked. "Grayfia's expecting?"

Venelana and Grayfia sighed in unison before smacking their respective spouses upside the head.

"You could have phrased that better and you know it," the Strongest Queen chided her husband.

"Meh, perhaps." Sirzechs moved to sit across from his parents, now serious. "There's no easy way of saying this, but Rias is romantically interested in her heroic savior, the White Dragon Emperor."

If he were Serafall, he would have had a camera at the ready for the dumbfounded looks he was getting from both his parents. Truly, the moment where a child surprises the parent is priceless among siblings, and he knew that Rias would have greatly enjoyed the scene. Sadly, both parents managed to collect themselves in time.

"Romantically interested, you say?" Theomar rumbled, frowning. "You're certain?"

Sirzechs wordlessly flicked his wrist to summon the scrying lacrima back into his hand from a personal storage dimension. "Very certain. I'll declassify the details for you later, but dragons are rather serious with their relationships. If theirs get any stronger then this Issei Hyoudou may end up becoming your son-in-law eventually."

"You must be joking!" Venelana cried. "She just got out of a forced engagement, now she's pursuing a serious relationship with a newly reincarnated servant?"

"I think you're looking at it from the wrong way." Sirzechs folded his hands. "Perhaps you won't get pure-blood children from Rias, and honestly it may be for the best. Rias is happy, mother." An ironically angelic smile graced the Devil King's features as he leaned back into his chair. "I saw her smile like never before. All her life, we've watched over her, but just now, with that boy, she was truly happy. And we'd be fools to try and intervene."

"Sirzechs, you can't be serious." Theomar's eyes bore into his son's. "Pure-blood offspring~"

"Are becoming more and more precious, you don't need to tell me that." Sirzechs sighed. "You hardly need to lecture me on that. However, I think in this case we need a hands-off approach. You know I've always advocated for Rias to make her own decisions, and this may be one of the most important she ever faces. Let it be for now, and we'll see what comes of it."

Theomar groaned and buried his face into his hands. "I'm not sure how many surprises I can take in one day."

Two chimes sounded out, prompting the older men to check their respective devices to find that they had both been summoned to an emergency Elder Council meeting. Three guesses as to the subject matter and the first didn't count.

"I guess we'll be off then," Sirzechs bemoaned. "And here I thought that I could skive off work a little longer."

"Lord Lucifer, be reasonable," Grayfia chided him firmly. "You cannot expect for this to be isolated to just your family."

Both Theomar and Sirzechs looked at each other and groaned before standing as Grayfia prepared a transport circle. The three said their goodbyes as Venelana and Millicas departed for home.

The Satan, his Queen, and his Father exited the glyphs into one of the secondary meeting chambers. This wasn't the primary area for two reasons, both interlinked. One, since this was related to dragons, they could hardly hold a Pillar-only session, therefore the exclusive gathering would not be taking place. The second reason was for one of their witnesses; even with shape shifting involved, there was no other room that could accommodate a former Dragon King.

Blaze Meteor Dragon Tannin stood impassively against one of the walls, though even in his 15-meter tall, humanoid form, his armored frame took up nearly a third of the room. Thankfully he had seen fit to change into a smaller form or else such a meeting would be nigh impossible to hold discretely.

As the redheads made their ways to their seats, they managed to hear the last bit of drivel being shouted.

"…and therefore our best chance is to isolate and imprison this newly-reincarnated dragon before he decides to turn against us!" An older man, the Marquis Shax, was ranting, raving now if the flecks of spit and foam were any indication. "He is just too dangerous to have free reign!"

"You're a fool, Shax." A woman this time, the Dantalion family head. "Unless you saw something different then you should know that rash action would only lead to our own misfortune. Do you honestly believe you can hold him against his will? If he truly escaped Tartarus, where in the Underworld would you recommend we hold him?"

The woman's words echoed in the now dead silent room. No one had really thought of that.

"We could give him an Ultimate class promotion." A young man, the newest to their order suggested. "There is a precedent for outstanding individuals to have earned such title shortly after their induction to our race."

"Lords of the Council, forgive me," Theomar Gremory was in his element. "I was not aware we were in session until recently, though from what I have heard is enough for me to understand a great deal.

In regards to the White Dragon Emperor, it is my own opinion that we withhold such a bestowment. Nay," Theomar raised his hands as words of shock began to murmur in the crowd, "while many of you would believe that I want for the boy to serve the Gremory as an Ultimate class, thee is the issue that he is still my daughter's servant. And an Ultimate cannot bow down to one of lesser rank. At the same time, my daughter is not strong enough nor ready to receive such an honor."

"Humble praise from the clan that takes the greatest pride in their familial bonds," Lord Paimon, who held the rank of Great King, raised a curious brow. "One would have thought that you of all people would be advocating advancement, especially in the wake of your daughter's nigh unprecedented success."

"I could not be more proud. However, I will be candid and admit that Rias is not ready for the position."

"Which leads us in a circle," grumbled Dantalion. "I don't suppose the Dragon in the room has any thoughts?"

All heads turned to face the violet dragon hulking in the corner. Tannin's eyes flickered open and he looked down upon them all. "I have many, young Dantalion", the woman scowled, "but not many that this gathering would agree with nor necessarily understand."

"Please, Tannin," Sirzechs now addressed the Dragon King from his throne. "Enlighten us."

A plume of smoke trailed from the King's nostrils as he snorted before shifting his weight, wings scraping the wall behind him. "I shall do my best to explain this as simply as I can then. Now, it is highly likely that the boy thinks much in the way that my Peerage and I do. He may not consider himself a Devil at all."

The room was filled with a cacophony of objections before the dragon sighed and stamped lightly, causing the room to shake. "Now that I have your undivided attention, let me explain. The Evil Pieces add a shadowed source of demonic power and weakness to light to the subject upon revival, no? Demonic power that is for the most part benign and considerably neglected, as we dragons cannot use it effectively. Even I do not often find the want or need to call upon the Queen piece in my core and seldom have the ability to use it properly. It is the same for every dragon I know, the Evil Pieces are considered little more than an accessory.

You may call us devils, and by your definition, we are. But since we cannot properly use that power, what are we then? We are still dragons and that cannot change. The boy is young and Albion has his ear; young Issei will answer summons as a Devil as the situation demands but will otherwise live and dream as an unhindered dragon.

A promotion this early won't interest him in the slightest." The Dragon finally paused for breath, filling his lungs before continuing. "Little you have to offer will garner his attention. Dragons do not inherently acknowledge rank after all, it is less than useless among us, and what fiscal reward can match the brilliant value of our scales? No," Tannin shook his large head. "Nothing you have will sway him to your cause. The only ones with any control over his actions are, as he said, his master and the Vanishing Dragon."

"Then we're dealing with a rogue! A half-breed brat beholden unto none of our laws and with the power exclusively geared to defeat all of us!" Shax resumed his tirade with a passion. "He wields the power of a foe that we had to unite with Heaven and the Fallen to subdue, in addition to might that even the Phenex could not overcome!"

"If I may," Rainard Phenex leaned forward in his chair, "I will be the first to admit that the Phenex clan's healing cannot overcome fire of divine origin. In hindsight, my son's defeat was assured from the beginning. However, in regards to subduing this boy, would you be the vanguard for his containment, Shax?"

Lord Shax stood for a moment as Lord Phenex presented the difficult truth, stuttering for a response. It was a reality that no one wanted to acknowledge so far, save Dantalion whose information networks were second to none.

They simply did not have the strength or numbers to confront a Heavenly Dragon's strongest champion who was additionally armed with a power of gods.

"I would not consider him a rogue. He's had a month to escape, no one had been aware of his full capabilities, so why remain only to stray off now," Tannin growled, his annoyance quickly becoming clear. "For one, what has he done to suggest he will go stray? Secondly, what reason does he have to? It was the little heiress that managed to revive him, and I wouldn't be so quick to denounce his loyalty to her.

Unless this Council is willing to break its own rules regarding Peerages and trading and considering the rarity of Mutation Pieces, the odds of him leaving her service of his own volition, hers, or yours may as well be nonexistent." The Legendary Dragon shrugged his massive shoulders before turning around to leave through the slightly larger door. "I've said my fill. Does the boy have power to decimate the Underworld? Of course! However, know that I do not believe this Issei to be a threat unless foolishly provoked." With that, the Dragon King marched from the proceedings to wash his hands of the whole affair.

As the doors shut behind him, Dantalion and a few others glared at the foolish Shax. "And there goes our foremost expert on dragonkind. Unless Lady Leviathan has anything to say about foreign relations with their race then we might as well reconvene at a later time."

All eyes turned to the childish Maou, who was clad in her classic Magical Girl outfit and sitting cross-legged on her throne. Somehow, without anyone realizing she had replaced the elaborate silver chair with an office recliner and was lazily spinning in place with headphones connected to a tablet in her lap. Sirzechs sighed, and as Serafall finished one revolution he plucked the wire from the device with a long-practiced motion, letting the entire crowd hear what she had been.

I, Issei Hyoudou, being of sound mind and body, solemnly swear upon the Miracle Levia-tan series that everything I said about my past is true.

For a long moment, everyone was silent as they saw the content bliss the exuberant Magical Girl was radiating. Everyone processed the fact that knowingly or not, the White Dragon Emperor had secured the unconditional approval of the most… eccentric of the current Maou.

Sirzechs pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "This is getting nowhere. Issei Hyoudou has done nothing save reveal his existence and yet here we are judging him for crimes he has not committed, something that the Grigori condemned him for already. He appears to be in full control of his facilities and therefore is no present risk to us. This is not a repeat of Crocus, we cannot compare him to one incident in our history to make our only judgment."

"You call Crocus a mere incident, Lord Lucifer? Many of us lost friends and family trying to contain the last and previously the only Longinus-user to grace our presence. How many of our kind burned when Incinerate Anthem unleashed Heaven's Fire upon a peaceful city?"

"That was a case with one of the Longinus formed from the Holy Relics, and the situation was exacerbated by a sub-species Balance Breaker gone out of control. The White Dragon proclaimed for his current bearer to be the strongest of his hosts and trained with his own natural abilities, so unless new information presents the contrary, we are not looking at a repeat with the Holy Cross. Now, unless there is anything else to add, I suggest we wait and see what happens and gain a greater perspective of the demidrake's mentality."

---

"And there's another forum thread. This one's trying to bet how soon it'll be before the Elders name you an ultimate-class and give you your own set of Evil Pieces." Kiba read off the description from his seat on one of the Occult Club's couches. He was dressed in a formal suit, fully prepared for the party the Gremory's were throwing the day after the game.

"Ultimate class? That rank is based on power level not the usual social standing right?"

"Yep, that's one of them. Maou-class and superdevil come after that." Kiba looked over the edge of his phone. "You sure you don't need help?"

"I can do this on my own." The demidrake growled.

Kiba shrugged innocently. "It's your call. Speaking of which, would you accept the promotion and Pieces?"

"Hell no."

"You wouldn't?"

"Rank really doesn't mean much to me. I think I'd rather go through the process properly, not get fast-tracked to ordering around minions."

"Minions?"

"Yes, that will be their name. Minions. Always wanted minions so I could kick back, watch, and relish in the fact that they're doing work I don't have to anymore."

"You're kidding?"

"Of course I am," Issei chuckled, looking back to his friend before looking back to the mirror, hands at his throat. "Under no circumstance should I be giving anyone else orders. Armageddon would rain down upon the world within hours of my ascension from simpleton to ruler."

"Your call." Kiba returned his gaze to the disorganized Internet feed. "Really wish Gasper was here to sort all this out."

"Who?"

"Rias' other Bishop, he's been… away… under unusual circumstances."

"Looking forward to meeting him." Issei nearly tore a piece of fabric then growled again.

"Hmm. How about you let this minion help you since you don't have the authority to order me to stop?"

"Fine." Issei groaned as Kiba laughed and set his phone down. The Knight stepped over to Issei and slipped the poorly knotted tie off his neck, beginning to loop it into what looked like a premade noose.

"Here, throw that on and then pull here." Issei took the offending piece of cloth and tugged at the piece and gaped as the useless accessory slid perfectly into place.

"You used magic."

"Did not."

"Did too."

"I don't need to."

"Liar."

"Snake."

Both boys paused as they realized their verbal banter was beginning to put the more dangerous one of them at unease. It was already a travesty for Issei to wear a suit and tie, name-calling, while appropriately juvenile for their age, would only worsen the issue.

Shrugging to each other both boys sat down on the couches to wait for the girls. Unsurprisingly, it was Issei who was a bit impatient.

"I would have thought that the girls don't need to take their time. I thought spending hours and hours on hair and make-up was a human custom."

"Oh it is," Kiba smiled weakly. "However, the excitement of the process rather appeals to women no matter what race they are."

"Humans use make-up to compete with the looks of supernatural beauty right? So what's the big deal, the girls are impossibly perfect!"

"I'm afraid I don't know the answer to that," Kiba nodded his agreement, "All I know and I recommend you accept this as well, that all that men know of the fairer sex is what they allow us to know."

Unable to refute the wise words, Issei sank back into his seat. The girls had gathered in one of the other rooms in the old schoolhouse, placing several wards to keep them both from entering and him from using any of his senses to even guess what they were doing.

The boys had been waiting for a few hours now, and the time they needed to be back in the Underworld was swiftly approaching. The girls seemed to be either intent on being fashionably late or Akeno's teasing was contagious and the girls wanted to keep the males on edge for as long as possible.

Finally, Issei heard the sound of footsteps and got Kiba's attention. Both quickly grabbed their suit jackets and pulled them on, buttoning them and standing as if they had been waiting patiently for hours.

The double doors opened and the girls walked in. Rias was in a tasteful long red dress that complimented her figure and in some places clung to her like a second skin. Akeno was wearing a black kimono complete with white obi, an outfit that only accented her Japanese heritage. Asia was in a humble white dress while Koneko wore a simple pink one.

"You look sharp Issei," Rias complimented him with kind words and smile. "Who knew you had it in you."

Issei rolled his eyes, "Can we please get this over with. I feel ridiculous." The suit he was wearing had been shoved into his hands before the girls spirited themselves away, so he wasn't really able to get a say in how he looked. The black suit, tailored for his broad shoulders and slimmed waist, did look good on him even if he hated it. For once his hair was tidier than usual; it was still unruly, though it was quite obvious that he had put some effort into looking presentable. And the girls were quite pleased with what they saw.

"Ara ara, we spent enough time picking it out for you, the least you can do is grin and bear it," Akeno sauntered over to him to adjust his collar. After fixing it, she let her hand trail down his shoulder to his breast pocket, where a silver dragon was coiled around the Gremory rose in perfect detail. The small insignia was where her finger tapped above his heart. "Who knows, maybe later we can enjoy ourselves when it's time to take it off."

Issei frowned, though there was a healthy tinge on his cheeks. "Let's shelf that idea for now before we get carried away."

"Yes, let's," Rias interjected as she summoned a transport glyph. "It's time to go." With the peerage assembled in the center and then were immediately displaced to the entryway of a large mansion, easily several times that of the vacation home they had previously trained at.

Predictably, it was Issei that moved first. Walking off and rubbing the back of his head to assuage the usual headache, he regretted not being allowed to use his ScaleMail to transport through magic circles. Rias had stressed the importance of appearances in Devil society and while an armored figure was very impressive it could also give off the wrong idea. Ergo, he would still suffer knowing that he had a perfectly good way to avoid magical backlash and was denied its use.

A tiny hand made its way into his as Koneko stepped closer to him. Wrapping her other arm around his waist to support him, she gave him a small but comforting smile for the briefest moment before resuming her stoic visage. For some reason, the fact she hid such a kind face didn't sit very well with him.

Now relieved of said headache, Issei and Koneko fell in formation with the others. Rias led the small procession with Akeno to her right and slightly behind her. Issei matched her on the opposite side, while Kiba and Koneko walled in Asia as the entered what appeared to be a massive ballroom. Several devils in servant apparel were putting the finishing touches on formal decorations. A string quartet was perched on a balcony above the large floor, and food-laden tables surrounded the room.

Issei and Koneko's stomachs began to growl at the aroma of fresh-baked goods and seared meats. Looking to Rias for approval, once it was granted they both scurried off in separate directions to either side of the large hall. Less competition that way, you see.

Making his way around the odd servant, Issei found what he was looking for, a heaping selection of finely prepared steaks. Someone had planned ahead; while he did look human and shared an omnivorous trait, he greatly preferred meat since his prison diet had been extremely limited.

As he began to dig in to the impromptu snack, his hearing alerted him to the pitter-patter of small shoes drawing near. Curious, he turned around just as the footsteps increased. He didn't see anyone, so he shrugged and turned back to the meal. The tapping sounded again, and once more there was no one there when he turned back. Now aware of whatever game was being played, he assumed it a game at least, he appeared to focus on his meal but let his sense of smell drift out. Steaks of all rarities, cheeses, soups, a feast for a King.

And the now unmistakable scent of demonic energy that he closely associated with Rias.

Letting the footsteps draw nearer still, he was not surprised when a touch, tentative as it was, tapped his elbow. Deciding that whatever game was going on was over, he turned around to find a little boy standing behind him, arm still outstretched.

Red hair, the iconic Gremory staple, was a giveaway to what family the kid belonged. As far as looks went, he was a much younger copy of Lucifer.

Playing along, Issei decided to fool around a bit. "Wait, don't tell me. You're Lucifer, disguised so that no one can recognize you."

The boy stared at him before bursting into laughter, "No I'm not!"

"You sure?" Issei crouched so that they were at even eye level. "How can I be certain?"

"I'm Millicas! I'm not my dad!"

"Red hair so you're Gremory, Power of Destruction, you've got your eye shape still if not the exact color, so you can't fool me. Sorry sir, but I can see right through your disguise with those telling details. May I suggest choosing a better disguise next time?" He grinned so that Millicas would understand it was in jest and was pleased to see that Millicas was smiling back.

"You're funny!"

"I certainly hope so," Issei retorted as he stood back up. "Humor is one of the only things I'm good at."

"When I grow up, I wanna be just like you!"

Stopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstopstop

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," he tried to be diplomatic, cautious on this particular landmine no less. "You don't want to be like me."

Millicas cocked his head to the side in confusion, "Why not?"

"Well," Issei began slowly, "for starters, I spent ten years in a place I didn't like very much, it ruined my childhood and turned me into what I am now. No chance of seeing my," he choked, "parents, no way to see anyone I cared about. I wouldn't wish that on my enemy, let alone a member of Rias' family."

Millicas looked downcast for a moment before kicking a foot back and forth petulantly. "I still think it'd be cool to be somewhat like you. Then I wouldn't have to go to school."

"Oh no, if I know anything about your family that isn't going to happen. Look, Millicas, if I added up the time I've been in school both before and after my… extended time out, it only adds up to a few months. Sure, I learned stuff, but not much that was really useful. And most my contracts are from manual work, construction. I can build stuff, I can break stuff and that's just about it." He ruffled Millicas' hair to try and convey a sense of self-deprecating honesty. "Believe me when I say there are far better heroes for you to look up to."

Millicas looked rather solemn as he processed this; not that Issei expected him to, considering his youth, but it did appear that he was at least trying to understand.

"A rather humble opinion of yourself," a calm voice spoke out to the two boys. Grayfia stood close by, and it seemed that she had been critically appraising his value. "You seem to hold your skills and status in low regard, with the exception of combat by necessity."

Issei thought back to their first meeting, where Rias had tried to bed him. He winced, "That's a rather bleak depiction of my personality, even if it true."

"If I may say so, it speaks a great deal of your own character that you freely admit it." The ghost of a smile flickered across her face, and if Millicas' slight gasp was any indication then this was an uncommon occurrence for the Strongest Queen. Issei himself started as he made the connection; Sirzechs had said his wife became his Queen, so that meant…

He had been playfully antagonizing the son of two of the strongest devils in history…

Well, considering his usual luck he supposed that he really, really, REALLY should have seen something like this coming.

"The ceremony will begin shortly. Millicas, you'll need to take your place with the others on the stage. As for you Issei, I've been told to inform you that you are allowed to explore if you wish since your presence here isn't strictly necessary for the formalities." With that, the Silver Maid gently escorted Millicas into the steadily growing crowd.

Deciding to passively observe, Issei watched as Rias, Millicas, an older version of Sirzechs, and a brunette version of Rias stepped onto the main stage set to the side of the hall. He both visually and logically confirmed that this was the rest of Rias' family and then decided to cut off his extended senses. While not overpowering, the scents of so many different types of demonic powers from the guests were starting to wear away at his peace of mind.

As he leaned against one of the walls, his quiet observations were cut short as two sets of footsteps drew near. Idly wondering who would approach him, he looked to the side and was surprised to see Ravel Phenex standing before him, with the Rook Isabela standing close by, presumably as an escort.

"Lady Ravel, Isabela, greetings," he pushed himself from the wall and stood to his full height.

"Greetings, White Dragon Emperor." Ravel bowed slightly, while Isabela waved.

"What's with the formality?"

"Is it not your title?"

"Yeah, it is but I'm not one to stand on rank and ceremony. Just call me by my given name."

Ravel coughed slightly, cleared her throat before resuming her salutation. "Very well then, I shall call you Lord Issei from now on."

"Still weird. Dragons don't have ranks in the same way devils do, so I'm not comfortable be called Lord." He looked around to see if any others form the Phenex team were present. "I assume you're here as a delegation from the Phenex Clan?"

"I-indeed," Ravel stuttered, hands gripping the front of her gothic Lolita dress. "As the only ones capable of attending, we were selected to be here."

"Only ones capable?"

Isabela let out a short bark of laughter, "Oh, the others got over their injuries fast enough, courtesy of Phoenix tears." She grinned, "Most of them are still catatonic that they lost! Mira's been huddling in a corner since you demolished her the second time, Yubelluna is still fearful of whatever the hell you did, and Raiser's been unresponsive completely unless you whisper 'dragon' in his presence."

Issei winced, rubbing the back of his head. "I am sorry for that; I meant to assure Rias' victory, not traumatize your entire team."

Surprisingly it was Ravel that denied his apology, "Personally, I think big brother deserved it. A windbag full of hot air and nothing else." She sniffed dispassionately before schooling her features once more.

Unsure of how to respond, Issei decided to pay reparations. "Still, the condition of your brother and your friends is ultimately my fault." He thought for a moment before the metaphysical light bulb went off. "I hate being responsible, so I hope this is fair compensation."

Unsealing a piece of industrial metal that he had personally shaped and sharpened into a knife blade, Issei extended his right wing and let his fingertips dance over the hardened edge where Siris' devastating blow had landed. He was fine; the limb still armored but there had been an unusual side effect. Finding a loosened scale, he dug the knife blade beneath it and with a jerk, pried the offending gem off the limb entirely. He wiped off the scale against his jacket before pressing it into Ravel's hand.

Ravel looked floored at the nonchalant act of self-inflicted violence before she could comprehend exactly what had happened. When she came to, she stared at the white gem in her hand before paling.

"I am responsible in a way for your defeat," Issei apologetically admitted, "Though I am also responsible for stealing one of your Tears, so I hope that should be fair compensation. Is it not enough? Actually, come to think of it, we also took Yubelluna's. Two Tears, two scales sounds fair enough to me." He lifted the knife once more.

"NO!" Ravel almost screamed. "N-no," she lowered her voice, embarrassed for her outburst. "That isn't necessary. In fact I can't accept this."

She tried to hand the scale back to Issei, who cocked his head sideways in confusion. "Doesn't work like that, miss. For one, no matter whether it was allowed by the rules or not, I did take your property. For another, what would I do with it; it's already been pried off. I shed scales every few months; your Knight just sped up the process with one hell of a swing. Keep it, besides," he glanced at the spot where he had removed it from and shrugged dismissively before stowing away his wing, "they grow back in a day or so."

Ravel seemed too stunned for words. As she appeared to finally regain coherence, there was a slight tap at his elbow. He turned to find Rias standing there, fidgeting slightly. Trying to understand the source of her agitation, he reopened his senses to find that the musicians had begun to play, a work by Stravinsky if Rias' music selections at home where any indication. Many devils in the crowd had paired off and where moving delicately yet deliberately around the floor in intricate movements and he immediately knew what the fuss was about.

"May I have this dance?" The demidrake asked politely, extending his arm in what he hoped was the traditional manner appropriate. Rias blushed but smiled and took his hand nonetheless. Before he could lead her onto the dance floor proper, he looked over his shoulder to the Phenex girls and said, "Another time perhaps?"

"Y-yes! We'll meet again!"

"Let's spar again, White Dragon Emperor."

Shaking his head ruefully, Issei continued to lead Rias to what may possibly his first dance of the evening. As he grasped her hand and gently placed his other hand on her waist, he whispered, "Just so you know, I've never learned to dance so treat me gently."

While true, his words did the trick to alleviate the tension and she laughed softly. "Just follow my lead as best you can."

And so they "danced" though it was more of Issei desperately trying not to step on Rias' toes as they moved back and forth in sync with their peers.

"You're not so bad," she congratulated him. "There's plenty room for improvement, but how is it that you're so coordinated on a battlefield yet stumbling in a ballroom?"

"I'm not sure, if I'd known I'd ever end up here then I would have fit it in between death fights."

"Mou, don't talk about such things now," Rias pouted cutely. "It's my party and what I say goes."

"Not sure that's how it works, but if you say so."

"I say so. And you can make it up to me by giving me a kiss. Right now."

Akeno and Rias had both made it quite clear they were dead set on making this strange relationship work. In the wake of a day, he had given ground. No longer caring, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her to him in order to capture her soft lips with his own.

Issei didn't know how long they stood there, nor did he particularly care. After an indeterminate amount of time, Rias did need to stop for breath. As she gasped for air, he did notice that several of the couples dancing beside them had stopped to stare at the teenagers.

"Well, looks like the secrets out. People will talk now."

"Let them," Rias steadied her breathing. "I want another."

"Akeno will be most upset if she finds you've gotten ahead, that is if she doesn't know already. And it's hardly fai~"

As she pulled his face down to hers, all perception was lost beyond the girl who had claimed part of his heart.

---

Annoying. There was really no other way to put it. Annoying.

Ravel's mind was working overtime as she considered the momentous event that had just occurred. Clenched in her hand was a white scale, a gem that undoubtedly was worth more than her wardrobe and jewelry collection combined.

Dragon scales far exceeded the value of precious stones due to their rarity. Exceedingly few dragons ever willingly parted with their scales and even then, not all were of the same quality. Size, shape, color, many of the facets of jewelcraft applied here as well. And the fact that white scales were practically unheard of outside heavy industry meant that this gift was most likely the only white scale to have been gifted to the Underworld in ten years.

"Why oh why did you turn down the other scale? Now I really want one," Isabela sighed. "And he was more than willing too."

Yes, a demidrake willingly parted with one of the most sought out materials known to all supernatural pantheons. A scale that was more valuable than most fortunes her peers had as yearly allowances. And he handed it to her like it was a trinket, yet asked if it was not enough.

Just who was this White Dra-Issei?

---

True to form, Akeno had seen the display on the dance floor. Surprisingly, she didn't seem upset, though she had dragged Issei out of the hall to an antechamber where she had shoved him against the wall before kissing him nearly senseless.

Not that he minded of course, just the opposite in fact.

After the impromptu make-out session, which he noticed had been relocated so she could go further than Rias could in public, they returned to the ballroom and danced as well. A few brows were raised, but considering the common guilty pleasures devils had, not to even mention teenagers, no one commented.

And so the hour drew late. Eventually, guests said their goodbyes and polite farewells. In the end, Rias' peerage eventually moved outside to where the darkened skies of the Underworld flickered with latent power.

Issei was sitting down, leaning against a pillar that supported an upper balcony. Both Akeno and Rias had sat beside him, curled up to him with their heads resting on his shoulders. All of them were rather comfortable at that moment, caught up in exhaustion as they were and content to sit in silent company.

Everyone that wasn't Millicas that is.

No sooner had Issei begun to nod off had the red-haired devil plopped down on his lap. "Issei! Issei! Can you show me your Holy Fire! Pleasepleaseplease!"

"Now now, Millicas," Rias chided the boy. "Be polite."

"It's fine," Issei brought up his arm from her shoulders to gently stroke her hair. "I won't even have to get up. Stand clear Millicas."

The boy did so, leaving Issei with an unimpeded view of the night sky. Silently considering his options, he decided to go for flair rather than simplicity. Inhaling just enough air, he then breathed white flame as he filled the atmosphere above them with his aura.

In an instant, the sky lit up as the energy ignited, and so he cut off the stream that flowed from his maw. Taking inspiration from modern fireworks, Issei filled the backdrop with a ghostly castle, before which a knight and dragon clashed. Manipulating his aura so that the burning images moved, Issei put on a show, listening to the excitement of the others as the man and dragon battled fiercely across the black night.

Inevitably, he decided to end it, letting the knight overpower the dragon with a mounted charge, burying a lance in the dragon who disappeared. With that, the castle shrank, revealing a white figure, unmistakably female form and in a dress. The knight on his horse dismounted, lifted the lady onto his mount and walked his beast and beauty higher into the skies until they disappeared from sight as well.

Above them on the balcony, Theomar, Venelana, Sirzechs, and Grayfia had gathered when the first explosion had resounded through the mansion. They had seen the intricacy of the performance and were rather impressed.

At a touch, Theomar looked to where Venelana was pointing. Below them, Rias, her Queen and Pawn were sitting close together. All seated on the floor, with the girls folding their legs beneath them and the boy casually relaxing as he held them close. But what struck them was the peacefulness they could sense.

Rias was smiling, truly smiling. Sirzechs was right, the end to the engagement was a blessing in disguise.

As Venelana wiped away tears, Theomar held her close as well.

Everything was falling into place, perhaps not as they imagined, but for the first time things were looking up.

All was right with the world now.

---

"And with no news coming from Heaven, we can assume that these disappearances of Holy sword wielders is not an internal affair. With Kokabiel officially declared by the Grigori to be going rogue, the Church is on high alert as every exorcist, priest, and sister has been recalled to their operations centers across Europe."

Hermes kept going on and on about news and foreign affairs, but Artemis could only sit there on her silver throne atop Olympus. While she paid token attention to the latest affairs, she was still reeling from what had been the first order of business.

Kokabiel had gone rogue.

It had been a month and a half since she had spoken with him, right after she had killed the demidrake on his request. Had she made a mistake?

No, certainly not. Deities of their caliber relied on a steady balance of the world to survive, since they could no longer rely on continued worship in the modern age. Letting a dragon loose upon the Earth would have been a mistake, surely?

"…demand for Dionysus' best is going up and what else," the messenger god scratched his head with the stylus of the tablet he was using. "Oh, look here, another Longinus wielder has emerged. Hey Hephaestus, can you stream this?" Hermes casually tossed the tablet to his brother where the burnt god of forges fiddled with the device.

All twelve Olympians were present and interested in the details. When the Biblical God had first created the thirteen Longinus, they had nearly considered it an act of war. The twelve Olympians and Hades numbered the god-slaying devices exactly, and since Hestia by nature was known to be neutral on all accounts due to her relations with most pantheons, she would be counted out. Because of this, Zeus had ordered for all news of the Longinus users to be top priority information and to be revealed to the rest as soon as possible.

Hephaestus finished his work on the device and then an image formed from the smoke above their hearth. A white armored figure, holding another man by the neck. The helmet shimmered away, and Artemis felt the golden ichor in her veins turn to ice.

You've lost Phenex. Learn to live with it. If you disagree, then face me again someday and I'll use Divide on you. After that, I'll use Promotion. Survive that, and maybe I'll fully unleash the power of one of the Ten Strongest. I'd like to see you come back from that.

Hold, Issei. I will have my say. Little bird… consider yourself lucky. You mocked my host for the crime of being born half-human, yet it is because he is such a hybrid that he is most compatible to truly wield my power. You ridicule him for time unjustly spent in the most brutal conditions the supernatural has to offer, yet he thrived. He took the worst possible situation and for ten years turned it to his advantage. An innocent child was thrown into the darkness, the Strongest White Dragon Emperor the world will ever see clawed his way out. He never brought more strength than absolutely necessary against you or your servants. As a race, we have killed for lesser insults. Count yourself fortunate that Issei has a kinder heart than I do.

A laugh from Ares broke the silence after the video ceased. The war god threw his head back and laughed, holding his sides.

"Ares, does something about this entertain you?" Zeus inquired. "Do you know that man?"

"Man? Monster more like. That demidrake spent ten years in Tartarus after Kokabiel tossed him in there like trash but never lost a match. Lost a lot of capital betting against him."

"Can you vouch for his innocence?" Athena asked calmly, most likely already coming up with several stratagems.

"Rumor always was that Kokabiel locked him away for bogus reasons, and if a Heavenly Dragon confirms it, then I won't argue. The Vanishing Dragon would gain nothing by lying."

By now Artemis was desperate for something to validate her actions. "Ares, you knew he had a Longinus and did not warn us?"

The war god held up his hands to ward off the accusation. "Easy there sister, I never even spoke to the kid. Boss' orders are to remain uninvolved so I kept my distance. And the kid would've been cut down the moment someone knew, I'll give him props for keeping his power completely hidden as well as being smart enough to do so. Huh, Dividing could be how he got out though it would weaken him."

Ares frowned again before looking back on Artemis who had failed to keep her expression neutral. "Why so passionate about this kid? You didn't have any stake on him, right?"

Those were both the wrong and right words to use as the last arrow hit home. Artemis dropped the arrow she had been spinning in her hands and clutched the armrests of her throne. "I…I have made a terrible mistake."

Ares was the first to comprehend. "You didn't… you did!"

"Kokabiel came to me with information that you had been in touch with the demidrake, how was I to know the information was a lie!" She screamed.

"You were played." Ares shrugged. "If Kokabiel wanted to put a dragon down off the books he would have gone to the best in the business. Killing beasts that is, not innocent kids. Oh, the bitter irony that protecting innocent children is your domain."

"Artemis… Is it true?" Artemis looked up helplessly as Zeus stared her down not with compassion, as was his usual for her but with pity. There was no offer of salvation here, she had broken too many laws, crossed too many lines, and had played into the hands of a declared war-monger.

"It's… true, it's true. Kokabiel convinced me to track down and eliminate this Issei Hyoudou before he could get far. I considered myself fortunate enough to do it cleanly, just on the edge of devil-infested dragon territory."

"Man, you are not doing yourself any favors here. Did you even think about how the Underworld would react if they knew you were on their turf? Did you even go to the Shinto for entry into Japan? Frankly, I'm just amazed that you managed to do it so close to dragon breeding grounds and not have the skies darkened by hordes of angry lizards. Even the Evil Dragons would get in on the action if it meant they got to partake in the senseless violence."

"We are fortunate that the boy was killed outside their territory as this limits the magnitude of retribution he can seek. However, there is a catch," Zeus turned back from his usually impulsive son to his normally serene daughter. "Artemis, by doing this, you have opened Olympus to dragonkind. If that boy was to come here demanding for your life in return, I can do nothing to help or hinder both you and him. You will be alone if this Strongest White Dragon Emperor ever come knocking."

"And so the huntress has become the hunted," Ares mocked before standing, cracking his neck as he did so. "Let me know if the kid shows, I want to see him go all out. If that's all then see ya." And so the war god vanished in a shower of bloody light.

One by one the other gods disappeared to their own strongholds or palaces to reflect on the news. All but Artemis, who was still seated in the throne room.

'What have I done?'

And so the huntress has become the hunted

Everything was falling apart, nothing was as she could even imagine, yet for the first time since Orion things were looking bleak.

There was no future in this world for her now.

---

AN: Unedited, hot off the press. Not my best, but it's here for you guys. Please read/review/enjoy! What'd ya think, what'd ya like? Your feedback is awesome and helps a lot, so please keep it up!

Next time: Issei goes for full disclosure about his time in Tartarus. Lots gonna happen as we set up to go straight into the Excalibur Arc.