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!

My deepest apologies for the late update, but between writing Kokabiel as a non-war monger then school and work kicking my ass in tandem, I really haven't had that much opportunity to write. Better late than never I guess.

For those in fear of abandonment, fear not, I will not give up on this even if update speed slows to a crawl.

Now, normally this is the part of the show where I respond to each and every review.

Oh how I wish I could, but this chapter took a lot out of me. Writing and rewriting Kokabiel was a bitch. Add in the fact that a lot of you had the same questions and excitement so I'm going to try and simplify things a bit. It'll be less personal this way, and I'm sorry for that, but considering the record number of reviews I got from the last chapter I don't want to double the content word count by responding with the same thing over and over, especially since some of you have somehow been reviewing multiple times. Sorry, love you guys but I need a break from it for a bit.

So, some of you noticed that Griselda doesn't like Darwin. Now, before we get into a real-life debate over beliefs and evidence, may I point out that DxD is fictional (sadly) and composed of numerous different recognized mythologies. Most if not all mythologies have their own creation story, some of them are scarily alike, most are unanimous that a great flood occurred some few thousand years ago. To respect that each has a religiously detailed account of creation, creationism, not evolutionism, will be the correct account of things, though how each myth relates and interacts will be carefully expanded upon later.

Considering that evolution invalidates the opening chapter of the Bible and diminishes the rest via faulty basis from the get-go, rejection should be assumed from most if not all diehard believers, and similar reactions would then extend to the other pantheons. Now since the amount of time since creation varies from myth to myth, for my fic I'd say that maybe 10, 15 thousand years since Earth's Day One would be a safe guess for now.

For those who have yet to read a LN or misconstrued events of the previous chapter, here's something to keep the Holy Sword fragment count clear:

Mimic, Destruction, and Blessingare in Irina's, Xenovia's, and Griselda's possession respectively.

Rapidly, Transparency, and Nightmarewere stolen by Freed on Kokabiel's orders, with Nightmarein Kokabiel's possession currently.

Ruleris in the possession of the Pendragon family, currently Arthur, and will follow canon in that it will not make an appearance in the Excalibur Arc.

Ascalonis wielded by Irina, and Xenovia is in possession of Durandalthough she hasn't revealed it yet.

Current Harem: Rias and Akeno (main girls), Asia, Koneko, Ravel, Xenovia, Kuroka, Irina, Rossweisse.

I've gotten a few good arguments for Le Fay, but since I can't really judge her emotional connection to Issei I'm not going to add her. And for future reference, please, if you're going to request I add someone, adhere to the older than Kunou, younger than Rossweisse, limits I set and also include why there is an emotional attachment between Issei and the girl in question. That connection is half the battle, and is also the same reason why I won't add Raynare to the harem, because she simply doesn't have that emotional tie to Issei in this fic.

Fem-versions of Vali, Kiba, and Gasper will be dismissed out of hand. Genders will remain firmly aligned with canon barring unusual circumstances.

Also, no OCs for the harem. Some of you are crafty bastards, I should have clarified that earlier.

No comment on whether Issei is capable of bonding multiple times besides with Rias and Akeno.

Some of you need to reread the first chapter, the common assumption that Issei is Albion's grandson is a bit off. I was quite clear that Ryuu is the son of a Heavenly Dragon's as-of-yet unnamed child, later revealed in chapter 3 to be Albion, making Issei a great-grandson instead. Really has no change or effect from that distinction, both in terms of Issei's future abilities or the eventual plot line, but this was irritating me a bit. And as of now, Albion is the only one I've explicitly written to know of the true nature of their relationship. Basically, Issei has no clue.

Disclaimer: See 1st Chapter

Take note that I've redone the speech system to accommodate devices that don't necessarily allow font distinction between Sacred Gear dragon's speech

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

('Albion, mental')

(Albion Speaking)

{Vritra 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. This chapter in particular has especially dark themes.

Beta: Shad0wReaper133

Chapter 19: Asylum

Issei moved two spaces forward then scowled. "You're trying to fool me again aren't you? Well it won't work!" Stepping back one spot, Issei then sat back with a satisfied gaze.

Ravel was hiding behind her fan during the brief exchange, though there was a hint of a smile when she removed it to take her own turn. "Perhaps." The fan spread open again, presumably to hide her amusement once more.

Deciding to take a risk, Issei cut across the field diagonally, in line to eliminate some of her own assets. "Ha! Take that!"

Ravel calmly and nonchalantly picked up a piece then firmly landed it elsewhere. "Checkmate." She grinned in satisfaction as his dumbstruck face.

"Argh!" Issei slammed his head down on the table between them, mindful not to impale his brow with ivory or ebony chess pieces. "Again!"

The two had spent most of the day reading separately, Issei trying to catch up on his own studies missed during his three-day coma. When he had decided to take a break, Ravel had offered to help alleviate some of the boredom by playing Chess, the Devil's favorite pastime.

That had been over three hours ago. The current score was 0 - 26, in her favor and studying long forgotten in Issei's drive to win.

"Are you sure?" Ravel actually looked concerned for him. "Are you alright?" She put a hand on his head, trying to feel for a high temperature. She blushed in embarrassment went he gave her a deadpan stare, for him a high temperature should be normal.

"I have to win at least once," groaned Issei. "You're kicking my ass here."

"You're actually pretty good," she disagreed, shaking her head vehemently and sending her springlike drills bouncing. "It's just..."

"You're better."

"Weeeeeeellll," she had the grace to look embarrassed. "I wasn't going to say it quite like that."

(Issei, c'mon, you're killing me.). Albion complained for both to hear. (You can't even win once in a battle of wits? I'm going to cry, my host is useless.)

"Piss off, geezer," Issei retorted, causing Ravel to blush even more. "I didn't hear you giving me any hints."

(That'd be cheating.)

"Tactical advantage," both teenagers spoke in unison before looking away in embarrassment. Issei could see the telling signs that Ravel may self-ignite again, and thus took precautionary steps.

"Fine, point of order. I'm gonna get a drink, you want anything?" The demidrake pushed himself up, leaning on the side of his armchair to support himself.

"Tea would be nice," was the absentminded response, until Ravel shook her head wildly. "NO, you're still hurt!" The girl leapt up, spread her flaming wings to get a height advantage and pushed him back into his chair.

"Ravel, please!" He complained, "you really don't need to, I'm fully capable~"

"Of lying down and resting like Rias and Akeno said!" Ravel placed both hands on her hips and pouted at him. Given his height, even when seated, her posture was not as effective as she might have hoped, what's worse, her look and the gothic lolita dress she wore made her more cute than intimidating. Though he hadn't the heart to tell her, especially not when she was rivaling Koneko in 'moe' right now. "So just lie there and I'll get you something."

Without waiting for a response, or a preference in beverage, Ravel turned on her heel and walked off, leaving Issei on his own.

Sighing in defeat, Issei stood and threw himself onto the couch where he could recline fully. From there, he glared at the chessboard, his white Pawn pieces to be precise. A few had nearly made it to Promotion, only for Ravel to completely ignore them in favor of applying pressure to his vulnerabilities and end the game.

'Traitors' He cursed mentally. 'One day, my fellow Pawns, one day...'

Since he didn't customarily wear a watch, he reached for a lower pocket on his pants, seeking his phone. Sealing it away completely in his scale array prevented him from being alerted of any communications, so he fished for it in the hopes that the others in the field were getting close or having better luck in their search.

Waking the device, he frowned when he saw that there was nothing from the others. Sometimes he really hated his inability to use magic, otherwise he could listen in on their communications from here. As a result, his only way to know of well... anything going on was through the phone. And intentional or more likely not, no one was letting him know.

He sighed and replaced it, leaning back into the cushions. He hated feeling useless, especially with his loved ones' lives on the line.

Freed Sellzen, the exorcists had told him that the crazed former priest had been the thief who had taken the three fragments from different factions among the Churches. In that moment, Issei couldn't help but wish that he had made sure to completely and utterly incinerated the man when they had last met. If he had, that would have solved many more problems before they could even begin.

Issei shook his head; no, he couldn't regret his choice. Not now, not after the fact. He wouldn't allow himself to entertain what-if situations either. They were on a set path now, he wouldn't regret any decision if it meant that he or his loved ones would be in a possibly worsened scenario.

Still, Freed being the one to steal and presumably wield the Excaliburs made it somewhat easier to get into the mindset of the criminal underling. Freed would want to kill as many people as possible, simple as that. So that was what everyone was looking for, magical traces of the Excalibur fragments or vague disappearances.

What had him worried more, were Freed's chosen superiors. Valper Galilei, the mastermind of the Holy Sword Project. Apparently he was obsessed with the Excalibur fragments, an obsession born from his own inability to wield them. He was the one who pioneered the extraction of Light particles from human subjects, killing the donors in the process. The Church, or the three main Church branches, Protestant, Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox, had summarily excommunicated him, though his research had since been perfected to safely accumulate Light from a greater number of volunteers. A slower process but one approved by Heaven apparently.

Issei couldn't wrap his head around fooling a Holy Sword into allowing a wielder to bear it simply by implantation of Light-based lacrima. Griselda had earlier begun to explain the basics of the science behind it, but nearly everyone had been lulled to sleep, the polite exceptions being Rias, Akeno, Sona, Tsubaki, and an aggressively interested Kiba. Everyone else, Irina and Xenovia included, had wandered to Morpheus soon after.

In the end, Kiba was probably capable of handling Freed, if he kept a level head. With Valper on the scene, that would change considerably, and he prayed that their numbers would be able to combat the two successfully.

What no one had addressed, or had been willing to address, was what to do if Kokabiel took to the field. Considering that the only one present in Kuoh that could confidently engage a cadre was recovering from a near-fatal injury, the subject on how to respond should he arrive had been avoided but forgotten by no one.

As Saji had eloquently put it, "assume that he won't because we're utterly fucked if he does."

Everyone had immediately glared at him and inwardly pleaded with whatever higher power they subscribed to that Murphy and his Law remained ignorant of the idiot Pawn.

"Ah, here! Tea for us both!"

Ravel reappeared with a kettle in one hand and two mugs in the other. She gently set the kettle down on the specially made grate on the table, then pointed beneath it for a cheerful orange flame to appear. Setting the cups down, she activated a circle of her own to summon two teabags of unrecognizable type, though Issei trusted her. There wasn't much that could make a dragon sick and even if tea was capable he highly doubted that Ravel would intentionally poison him.

As she set the tea down and settled in her chair, he decided to ask a few questions. "Where did you learn to play Chess like that?"

"Like that?" She tilted her head in confusion. "It's customary for most high-class Devils to practice Chess from a young age."

"And you knew that it was what you wanted to do when you grew up? Be a strategist?"

"Well, you know I'm not very good with my family magic. Or wasn't very good, thanks to you." Ravel smiled. "I had to set myself apart from my brothers somehow."

"Ah. So expert strategist and Chess-enthusiast was your life's true calling then."

"Since I was four," she admitted before turning red. "N-not that it means I'm obsessed or anything!"

Issei couldn't help but chuckle lightheartedly. "Well, if it makes you feel better, when I was four all I wanted was to be a Tyrannosaurus Rex, look how well that turned out."

He watched as Ravel tackled the innocent riddle, then laughed again when her eyes brightened with understanding as she made the juvenile connection to being a both demidrake and Dragon Emperor.

She did try to hold her composure, calling on her training to appear every bit the high-class lady she was, yet failed miserably. She too began to shake with mirth at the poor joke, nearly doubling over with laughter as her decorum faltered. It was obvious she was trying so hard to maintain what must have been a deeply ingrained behavior, and that she was embarrassed by it, but it only endeared her more.

As if to save her from further indignance, the doorbell rang and she managed to catch her breath, breathing apologies as she left to answer. Issei's own humor had died down quickly, laughing hard like that made his side ache slightly.

As he reached for his drink, he pondered on Ravel's own behavior in the last month. He still had trouble making sense of her mood swings, and the few times he had dared ask for help from his future mates were met with dead stares followed by cold shoulder as one or both of them turned away, complaining about 'stupid males'. He felt as if he was being made fun of each time, not that that wasn't the case usually when it came to his emotional perception in general.

As if to capitalize on his life being a colossal joke, Ravel screamed from the entryway. Issei immediately did an epically explosive spit-take, tea steaming as it was expelled amongst ghostly flames. Fortunately it did not go far or damage anything, not that he noticed as he vaulted over the table, ignoring the pain in his side as he hurried to the entrance. As he rounded the final corner, he stopped and snarled, eyes slitting into their reptilian form and canines lengthening.

"Ohayo, neighbor!" Freed Sellzen sing-songed as he held a blade to Ravel's neck. The young girl held none too gently as he held her close as a living shield. Even worse, Issei could practically taste the Holy energy rolling off the sword. An Excalibur Fragment then, but this felt much different than when he had witnessed the other three. This felt more potent but also wrong.

He wondered how Freed had gotten in, or how he had bypassed the intent-based wards that protected their home. He wasn't a master of Magic by any means, but the best he could think of was that somehow he had been concealed from the spells somehow, maybe through the blade he carried. That, and when Ravel answered the door he would have qualified as being invited in.

"Jehovah's Twitness a-calling!" The madman walked forward, half-carrying, half-dragging Ravel with him. "Here to talk about my boss and your executioner, Kokabiel! He got your message by the way, that you're looking for him. He says hi and wants to meet!" The crazed exorcist continued to use Ravel as a deterrent, and as the Excalibur's edge drew closer to Ravel's throat, Issei dispelled the minute amount of fire he had a managed to summon and suppressed the instinct to armor up. In his condition, still weakened by Ascalon lingering effects, there wasn't anything he could do that didn't involve Ravel being hurt, and that was unacceptable to him.

"If he wanted to meet, why isn't he here?" Issei growled softly. "Why send a lowly errand boy?"

If Freed took offense at the slight insult, he didn't show it but his smile grew even more twisted. "Cause the errand boy has a message for your bitch master of course! In fact..." He let go of Ravel, keeping her in place by using his blade's edge and dug around in his jacket for something. "Catch!"

A grey cylinder flew through the air; Issei caught it with his left hand and examined it. An artificial light sword.

"You're giving up one of the few things that can hurt me?"

"No no no, we got other toys to hurt you Devils with. Like my lovely Excalibur here!" Ravel shrieked as Freed pressed the flat against her skin, the Holy energy already hurting her. "So why don't you be a good shitty dragon and do as you're told. And don't even think about using your Longinus, or else my pretty sword-friend will give your pet bird a few love marks to keep forever!"

Issei fumed but relented, straightening from his aggressive posture. "I won't forget this."

Freed shrugged and waved his free hand dismissively. "That's fine; it won't matter. Now start cutting up the place."

Under the maniac's direction, Issei angrily slashed up much of the living quarters and carved a text into the wall next to the front door, making Kokabiel's message quite clear to whoever came in next. Once finished, Freed produced a sheet of paper with magic symbols Issei hadn't seen before. Again, complying with orders to prevent any harm to Ravel, Issei carved a magic circle into the floor, not understanding its purpose initially but eventually realizing it was a transport circle. And one not of demonic origin.

Once he had finished, Freed ordered him onto it as he dragged Ravel along as insurance. There was a blinding flash of light, and all Issei could hear before passing out was Ravel's screams mixed among his own.

Bang BANG BANG!

A perfectly innocent set of metal doors were hammered down by an impatient Nekomata, allowing her and her comrades to enter yet another warehouse with abnormal energy readings. This one looked exactly like every other place they'd been to so far, and it was wearing down on Koneko's deceptively endless patience.

Patience was running out among the extended group, something she knew simply from her own experience of being the usual stoic. While she herself usually had no problems maintaining her impassive mask for extended time, the search with no result was bothersome, irritating. She had hidden her ears and tail, just so that flicking one or more of her extra-human traits wouldn't give herself away.

Of course, with their upbringing Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki were all ladylike, calm, demure, as expected of high-class heiresses and their most trusted companions. While not pure-blooded Devils, Akeno and Tsubaki were the Queens of two respective heiresses of well-known Pillar families, something that granted them further responsibilities than the norm for Queens. In short, they spoke with their King's authority and were expected to act appropriately in the event of emergencies, temporary regents of the heiresses if it came to it.

So no, the calm demeanor of the older girls wasn't surprising, but Koneko knew that their patience was still being tested. Of course, Rias and Akeno would hardly let down their personas in the field in front of the exorcists, and certainly not in front of Sona and Tsubaki, and vice versa. Their pride simply wouldn't allow it.

Of course, Kiba being a gentleman most the time gave him plenty practice too. Though now, he was just like the rest of the Sitri Peerage. On edge, noticeably irritable if one knew him well enough.

"Another dead end. Can we go home now?"

Another source of their impatience, Genshirou Saji's annoyance and general laziness in the search. It would be one thing if he could keep his troubles to himself, sharing them aloud was far past the point of tiresome.

Apparently Sona agreed. "Saji, the search is over when we have something concrete. Anything short of that, and we will keep looking. As it is, your enthusiasm has been noted several times now."

"Seventy times seven," Griselda wearily agreed with the heiress. "Though he isn't wrong, this place appears to be another false lead."

As the search team dispersed into the warehouse, they did so in ones or twos, or threes in the case of Rias, Akeno, and Asia, since the gentle Bishop had yet to leave either of their sides. Rias in particular seemed unwilling to let her only non-combatant out of her reach, limiting her Bishop for her own safety.

A dull thud echoed as Tsubasa pushed over a filing cabinet, trying to find something. "Nothing here."

The others were also inspecting the place in practiced motions; if there was one thing the Grigori was known for it was deception, hiding things in plain sight. Even if Valper, Sellzen, and Kokabiel were rogues, it didn't mean they'd abandon such functioning procedures. No one wanted to let the search go awry because they couldn't find a hideout or vault.

As she felt along a back wall in one of the side rooms, Koneko sensed an odd pressure. Her ears and tail came out as she expanded her senses like Issei had taught her, and she slowed her breathing to near-meditative state. There was a slight odor that didn't seem to belong. And an air current. Curious.

Opening her eyes, she began to move the dusty furniture about, hoping to find the source of the disturbance until she walked on something that clanked rather than the usual click of concrete and shoe. Tapping her foot against the ground, she found a three-by-three section of floor that sounded different. Once sure she wouldn't fall if she was correct, Koneko lifted her foot and stamped down.

The 'concrete' gave way as it shattered, revealing a steep set of stairs that really should be defined as a ladder. Even with her natural night vision, she couldn't see the bottom.

"Koneko! Are you alright!" The other girls in the Gremory group arrived to see what the noise was, the exorcists and Sitri team behind them.

"Found this. Structurally unsafe. And creepy."

"Hmmm," Sona hummed to herself in thought. "This isn't on the floor plans. What are the odds? Saji, you first."

"Me?"

"Yes, You."

"Why not Tsubaki, she's got Mirror Alice, let her go down the rabbit-hole first!"

Instead of waiting for the argument to continue, Koneko gave Saji a light push and was rewarded as the shouting Pawn thudded down the extremely steep steps. Sona gave her an annoyed look though sighed when it was apparent that reprimanding the Nekoshou would do nothing except delay them.

Kiba, still the gentleman, was the next to go, spinning to climb down backwards like one would on a ladder. Most the girls were grateful, Kiba was much less likely to look up their skirts than Saji, and the Knight should be able to contain the Pawn long enough for the rest of them to make the descent.

Once everyone was gathered at the base of the ladder, Tsubasa shouldering a bruised Saji in a fireman's carry, they set off down the darkened corridor. It was rounded, perfectly formed and clearly not made by human hands.

The only Fallen or former Fallen among them, Akeno shivered when she thought of the amount of energy needed to tunnel this well using only light-spears. Or a continuous blast. Rias caught on to her best friend's concern and she too felt a chill run up her spine.

The passageway ended when they arrived into a chamber, well lit and full of lab equipment. Some of it looked like it hadn't been used in ages, others recently disturbed.

"Centrifuge, cold storage, furnace, and metallurgy equipment?" Sona wondered as she quickly took inventory of only a few of the more recently used items. "Which is Valper, a microbiologist or sword fanatic?"

"Both," Griselda bitterly replied. "Much of this I recognize as tools and equipment necessary for another Holy Sword Project. Valper was definitely here, continuing and consolidating his work."

Irina opened up one of the freezers then immediately gagged as she slammed it shut. Xenovia and Koneko walked over to look in and they both recoiled in disgust. Human hearts, each properly contained were sorted on shelves, each marked with a 'date acquired' and 'Light level'.

"Well we know now why wielders have been hunted down en masse recently," Xenovia commented, still a little green. "And just who was responsible."

"Yet another reason to imprison him once more."

"Imprison? Imprison!" Kiba asked incredulously. "He cuts apart your friends, your comrades, and all you think to punish him is to lock him away?"

"What would you have us do? By acting as he is, we would be no better." Griselda's calm and collected tone did little to settle anyone there; every Devil sans Asia found it rather heartless, somehow appropriate given the organs found.

"Perhaps that is what separates us then. Not our species or our beliefs, but our bonds with whom we call friends and what value we bestow upon them." Kiba near-snarled before stalking off to look for more evidence.

His words had some effect; Griselda and Irina both had the grace to look a little regretful, and Xenovia had tilted her head in thought and wouldn't respond until her partner tapped her shoulder. They wordlessly moved on, containing to catalogue the present materials.

It was Asia who stumbled on the next item of importance. In her curiosity, she had looked through the drawers of the main desk once Akeno had declared it safe and free of traps, magical or not. Rifling through stray papers, the Bishop found a stack of older parchment, tied together now but obviously torn from its original binding.

Asia undid the knot holding the stack together and spread the papers out to read them. She was fascinated; not even in her lessons with Rias and Akeno did she ever see runes or theories on this level. She couldn't fully understand their purpose, the author hadn't made translations in any of the few written languages she knew. The most she could understand was isolation? Perhaps an enchantment meant to keep something safe?

"What are you looking at, Asia?" Rias looked over her shoulder to study the pages. "High level enchantments?"

"I don't know what they are, but they're amazing!" Asia praised, not quite fan-girling over the depicted runic designs but close to it. "Whoever wrote these was a genius."

"No, not a genius. A monster." All eyes turned to Griselda, who was glaring at the manuscripts with surprising hatred, more so than any had seen before. "Those are pages torn from another book, one which served as manifesto and template for untold suffering. Those designs," she spat, "are meant not to isolate, but to contain, imprison. Those are among the runes that Hades first inscribed on the walls of Tartarus, these runes specifically are meant to contain and weaken the greatest of fantastic beasts and creatures. Chimaera, Natural Spirits, Elementals, Giants, Youkai, Phoenixes..." Griselda's eyes widened as she gasped.

"Dragons."

Rias and Akeno didn't hesitate, surging and blending their magic to rip through the protections in the hideout to tunnel through space directly to their home. An angry red light lit up the chamber as both girls fled through their joint circle, Asia, Koneko and Kiba close behind. The others weren't far behind, only to crash into the frozen Gremory team as they emerged in the apartment's foyer.

The place had been wrecked, as if someone had taken a hacksaw and blowtorch to the walls, floors, furniture, pretty much everything. Very little had been spared in a seemingly spontaneous series of random violence against inanimate objects.

"ISSEI! ISSEI, WHERE ARE YOU!" Rias and Akeno were screaming as they ran through the rooms, their cries echoing as the pleas went unanswered. "RAVEL? ANYONE!?"

Koneko too had ran off, not bothering with trivial things like doors and instead knocked down several already damaged walls in a successful effort to barrel straight to her classmate's room, only to find it empty.

Asia could only stand in the foyer, stunned and unresponsive while Kiba hovered over her protectively. As the exorcists and Sitri team dusted themselves off from the trip, they saw the words carved into the archway.

"Hav ur... shite... drakon," Saji stumbled over the words, written in English characters to begin with, then butchered with modern slang or outright misspelled. "Saturday nite... Skuul...btw I has ur pet birdie... C ya."

For a moment the severity of the message was diluted by the horrendous method of which to transmit it. Once the shock had worn off, the meaning chilled everyone there, making all understand the terror the Gremory's were feeling now.

"This can't be happening. This can't be happening. This can't be happening..." Akeno had abandoned her senior student persona entirely now, crouched and curled into a ball and rocking back and forth. "This can't be happening..."

"How dare they!" On the other end of the emotional spectrum from her Queen, Rias was beyond angry. "Coming here, into MY home and taking my most precious servant! How dare they!"

If her outright favoritism of Issei bothered anyone, no one showed it, united in their solidarity for the issue. Sona kept her disapproval hidden though, she wasn't one to play favorites especially among her own Peerage, but she knew that Issei was highly valued by everyone in her rival's peerage. For a moment, she actually entertained the thought that the demidrake was romantically stringing all the girls along but she dismissed it. It wouldn't explain Kiba's current state of depression, nor did it seem to be in Issei's nature to be inherently malicious.

"Rias, try to remain calm. Whoever took them said they'll be at the school Saturday night, that gives us tomorrow and most of the next day to prepare for what comes our way."

"Two days!" Rias screamed, "And that's assuming they are unharmed and that they'll even keep their word!"

Sona didn't bother with her friend's hysterics, stepping forward and promptly slapping her, not hard enough to leave a mark but to get her attention. "As of right now, that's all we really can do. Finding one of their holdouts was luck, plain and simple. We haven't been in control of this situation ever since the exorcists first appeared, no offense to present company," she nodded to Griselda who returned her gesture. "We've been playing catch-up with the rogues from the beginning, they have all the advantages right now so we must assume that their statement is genuine for now and prepare for an imminent confrontation instead of searching for one."

Rias held her cheek in shock for a minute but lowered both her hand and her face in shame. "You're right. Damn it all, you're right."

Sona put a hand on her shoulder, "I'll make some calls, see if we can't get our siblings to help out. Oh, don't give me that look," she scoffed at the look Rias gave her at the mere mention of crying out to the Maou for help. "We're up against a cadre who somehow managed to evade us for days, while simultaneously taking two of our own from your stronghold without any of our intent based wards or passive defenses being triggered. What does that tell you?"

Rias sighed as she collapsed into a chair. "It tells me to swallow my pride for the sake of my loved ones." She hid her face in her hands, and Sona felt for her.

They had tried so hard to be independent from their families, specifically their overprotective siblings. Reaching out for help would only expose how helpless they were in this situation, though to be fair, Kokabiel was not a Stray Devil that they could easily put down, he was a former-Grigori cadre mentioned in the Bible. Without Issei, they needed the backup, especially if this was turning into a rescue mission as well.

As Sona departed with her peerage, and the exorcists retired to their rooms, Rias and Akeno left the door to the sacred bedroom open. Sure enough, Koneko and Asia wandered in after a short while. They wordlessly joined the girls on the bed as they all huddled together for warmth and comfort.

Even so, their hearts and minds were elsewhere and none rested well because of it.

When Issei came to, he was immediately aware of several things. One, the echoes of the room told him that he was contained in a 6 by 6 foot cell. Two, the weight and pressure on his arms and legs suggested he had been chained; sure enough when he opened his eyes he saw that heavy black manacles had been clamped to his extremities and embedded into the wall. He tugged at them, metal biting into his wrists and ankles which only confirmed the third observation, that the chamber had been warded with Tartarus-level enchantments.

Back to square one, base human strength. Though being human had its own perks.

'Albion?' He called, hoping that the Vanishing Dragon had stored enough strength over time so that he could power a teleport out of their current situation. Sadly, there was no answer. As he thought about trying again, he found that his thought process was hazy, rather as if someone had thrown a heavy blanket over him in a warm bed, damping his thoughts.

'A drug then. That's new.'Issei continued pulling at his restraints and only ceased when the continued effort proved to be for naught. The manacles began to dig into his skin, ligature marks forming. Currently clad only in his usual pants and boots, he settled back to get comfortable against the cold stone wall, hissing slightly as he rubbed bare skin against an unfriendly rune.

Perhaps immediately, perhaps hours later, Issei heard a door clang open, followed by two sets of footsteps, once deliberate, one faltering as if forced to keep up. Within moments, the owners appeared. First to appear was Ravel.

The girl looked none the worse for wear, though she looked as tired as he currently felt. She was still wearing the same Gothic Lolita dress she had the last time he had seen her, so he doubted she had been molested, though even that was an uncertainty right now. She looked as if she could a rely stand, held upright only by the whim of the being escorting her. When they arrived at the gate of his cell, the man behind her fished a key from a billowing sleeve and quickly opened the door, pushed her in, and promptly shut and locked it, sealing the two teenage Devils together.

"Ravel! Ravel, are you alright!" Issei strained against the chains, trying to reach her from where she lay on the floor. Already he was exerting himself, trying to overcome the enchantments of the cell and drugs in his system, only to be rewarded with splitting headaches and fatigue as his Light Wings and Holy aura failed to respond.

"I... I... I'm alright, I think," Ravel sleepily lifted her head, "I'm so tired..." With that, she lowered her head so she rested on her arms; he heard her breathing slow and hoped that it was just exhaustion rather than a drug they had given her.

"Magical exhaustion from using a Angel's circle rather than a Devil's. I suspect you're accustomed to it since you're still awake. Maybe it's for the best she'll sleep for now, I'd rather our business be done privately." The figure outside the cage spoke now, earning the demidrake's attention.

The being was a tall one, easily exceeding Issei's own height. In fact, this one probably exceeded 2 meters altogether. Dark black hair, not like Akeno's which was pure midnight but more dusk-like if he was being poetic or generous enough to properly describe it. Pale skin, not like a ghoul or vampire, but a color that seemed on the border between sickly and the peak of health.

Pointed, elvish ears, though in a world of supernatural beings the presence of such extra-human traits were a drop in the ocean; Issei had met, brawled, and beaten several in Tartarus before. A rather princely face if the man was capable of smiling, though now his jaw and lips were set in a stern expression.

The eyes were easily the most unsettling: red pupils set upon black sclera. While Rias had introduced and explained to him of the current trend of cosplaying with artificial lenses, the eyes were a giveaway that the man wasn't normal above all else. They held a sense of sadness, resignation, purpose, and commitment. Considering that these eyes looked as if they had seen countless ages come and go, his eyes unnerved Issei the most.

"I don't believe we've had the pleasure of meeting, personally that is. While I know of you, White Dragon Emperor you also know of me. I am Kokabiel, former leader of the Grigori."

The name was enough for Issei as he rushed as far forward as he could go, desperately trying to get his hands around the Fallen's neck. For several minutes, all the demidrake could think about was mauling the other man completely. During that time, the cellar was filled with nothing but inarticulate screaming as Issei roared at the top of his lungs to strike the being who was ultimately responsible for one of his greatest misfortunes.

All the while, Kokabiel simply stared at the thrashing boy, as if he were at a zoo watching a particularly feral beast try to break free from its imprisonment and attack its dispassionate keeper.

When Issei could no longer roar as he ran out of breath, Kokabiel raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps your friends didn't hear that, maybe you should try again."

Issei looked down at Ravel, who had by some miracle had mercifully slept through his outburst. Grateful that she wasn't conscious to hear him, he growled again at the cadre. "Fuck off."

Kokabiel shrugged. "Not particularly interested in doing so. Like it or not, my plan needs you so here I stay."

"Well screw your plan. And while we're on the subject of needing me, why do it? Why lock me away for a decade!"

Kokabiel sighed and pulled up a high-backed chair from the opposite side of the hall. "That in itself is a long story, and had I the time, I would gladly tell you. In short, I needed you malleable, grateful, so that when I released you as a child after a year or so, you would gladly follow my every order. I hadn't counted on you being Albion's current host or that you'd hold out for a decade, if you wish to blame anyone for the extended duration of your stay in the darkness then look only to yourself."

"And my execution? If you needed me so badly, why have me put down like a dog!?"

"A moment of weakness," the Fallen Angel admitted, adjusting his robes as he sat down. "Imagine, worrying for ten years that your plan may not unfold as expected, only to have its cornerstone mysteriously vanish. I was quite beside myself with fury. So much relied on you, my boy, but understand that while you are valuable, you are certainly not so important that I could let you run freely. I needed you dealt with, or else the other Tartarus patrons would start asking the wrong questions, you and Houdini are the only ones to escape after all. If any other deity had dug a little further into your incarceration, then that would have set me back even further as I suffered the inquiry. No, killing you was the best option among terrible solutions at the time.

"Fortunately, I was able to make contact with several hunter-type beings of divine influence capable of and willing to hunt you down. Artemis was simply one of many tools I had to bribe or convince. Then, imagine my surprise when out of nowhere, Freed informs me that you survived the goddess. Suddenly, my plans were back on track, albeit in need of heavy adjustment."

"Adjustment?" Issei uttered, in shock and anger. "I die, and all you care about is the minor inconvenience! The Hell is wrong with you!?"

"Many things, I'm afraid," the man smiled bitterly. "Tell me, do you believe in fate or destiny being preordained? Or do you think that you have the freedom to choose your own path?"

"Considering that you've fucked over more than half my life, I'm highly convinced of you twisting the former for your own ends."

"An unfortunate yet necessary series of events for you." Kokabiel stood as he began to pace the length of the cell the Devils were in. "See, while I would gladly say that I've always been in control of my own life, that would be a lie. In this case, you have the advantage, you have the luxury of being born, without clear purpose. The first generations of Angels: Michael, Azazel, Gabriel, Baraqiel, myself and many more. We, we weren't born. We were built. Designed to worship and spread praises of our Master and Creator from our first moments and little else."

"Those that remain in Heaven are still convinced of that singular purpose for which they were 'born' to do. But even before I fell, I was unsure of what we praised was just."

At Issei's look of incredulity, Kokabiel laughed bitterly. "Oh, that surprises you? I thought it would. Most Fallen fell because they were jealous of humanity, of how they had free will and the right to choose their own path. I suppose that's to be expected; humanity above all other races embodies potential. That is why God granted them the Sacred Gears, to help nurture that potential into something greater; nurture, not control. Or so I first thought.

Throughout history, I have found that God has been both the source of many blessings and the origin of so many wrongs with the world. Just look at everything done in his name, the Crusades, the recent Holy Sword Project. But if you look closer, it is much more insidious. Look at Adam and Eve. Both decent people, firm believers to be sure, but God gave them free will and immediately punished them for their choice to listen to the first Lucifer. Time and time again, God gives a seemingly obvious choice, believe in him and be saved or suffer and die in immeasurable agony. To give them a choice only to punish them for not falling in line, that isn't benevolence of any sort."

Kokabiel stopped pacing only to stare hard at a blank piece of wall. "I still remember when I first had my doubts. Back then, I still did everything our Father told me to. So when he put a sword into my hands, and told me to cut down the firstborn of the Egyptians for the inaction of a Pharaoh who chose to believe in other existing deities, even though they were innocent, I smiled. And yet not a day has passed by since that it does not haunt me."

"You. You were the Tenth Plague," Issei guessed.

The Fallen shook his head. "I would hardly call it a plague. Premeditated genocide on God's part is a better description as he waged a shadow war against the Egyptian deities. And I, I was his treasured instrument, his favorite Angel of Death, to be deployed only whenever his might was questioned or overlooked by the foolish or the ignorant. And how I hated it. Still do." The cadre stared at his hands, as if imagining the oceans of blood that stained them. "Nothing I can do now will atone for the wrongs I committed, both at His bidding or in the fight against Him. But perhaps, for this last act, I can put an end to it all, even if it means committing a few sins more. And if I do so, I do it believing that it is my decision, my choice, ending on my terms."

"You want to end the Great War," Issei paled. "Take all Three Factions out by continuing the conflict that never really ended. Any supernatural race or thing that has to do with God, no matter how small the connection, you'll destroy."

"There are a number of ways I can do it," Kokabiel nodded. "Murdering the siblings of two of the Maou would set the Underworld in a frenzy, they would not care that I acted on my own or not. They would come for me and then for the Grigori for failing to stop me. At the same time, I have butchered the Church's warriors. While the Grigori is the least numerous, Heaven is now considerably weaker. They will place their hopes in an attack knowing they cannot defend against the accumulated numbers of the Devils, not with the Evil Pieces in play. With so much at stake, some may panic and sue self-destructive orders, already the Church is full of fools that ordered the would-be dragon-slayer to strike you down. Their leadership is already crumbling, mistakes will be made and the Church will burn, further undermining Heaven and opening them to slaughter. It may not happen exactly as I planned, but given time, all sides will become involved, all it takes will be the lives of young Sitri and young Gremory."

At the mention of Rias, Issei resumed thrashing in place, desperate to escape and kill the Fallen preemptively. It was not to be.

"Calm down, young dragon. You'll be there to watch, I've already set the stage into motion. Your loyalty to your master is commendable, but I'm afraid sparing her is out of the question."

"It won't work, the cease-fire's worked so far, the Three Factions will figure a way around it all! And you'd be killing off your own kind as well!"

"A necessary sacrifice, but it'll work. With the aggressive presence of the Church, Devils, and Fallen in this town, conflict will be inevitable. But once again, I must gamble with your life. Holy Power is quite rare these days, but it's relative scarcity makes it more potent than ever. And that is why you'll fight for me on the front lines. Your waking hours will serve me, and your demise will only serve to bring the dragons wrath against your slayers."

Issei froze in horror, then redoubled his efforts, not to escape but to contact Albion and have him call off the dragons' current mobilization. Kokabiel shook his head, "After the Great Fire of London, Azazel spent years to develop a drug that safely suppresses Sacred Gears. Even with your unique physiology, I expect your dose will last a good while, long enough for me to finish my work without Albion's knowledge or interference. And that is how you will help me, though just to be sure..."

From within his robes, Kokabiel withdrew a dark blade that appeared to be made off glinting obsidian-like ore. Flashing like a stained-glass window, it reflected the light just so that it appeared waves of light traveled to the flat, while opposing lines of dark traversed edge.

"You have heard of the seven Excalibur fragments, haven't you? Destruction, Mimic, Blessing, Transparency, Rapidly, the stolen Ruler, and finally Illusion here." Kokabiel twirled the blade, its size making it appear to be nothing more than an over-long knife. When he stopped spinning it, its serrated edge was pointed at the still motionless Ravel. "Illusion was the name first given to it, in accordance with names the Church felt honored the just and noble ways of Heaven. However, Illusion's effectiveness is tied to the imagination of its wielder. In capable hands, it is more commonly known as Excalibur Nightmare."

"Kokabiel, if you hurt her I swear..."

"I'd prefer if you didn't swear. After all, it is quite unnecessary. Remember, I act because I choose to. And using Nightmare is my decision, just like whether or not I use it on the girl is yours."

"You're insane," Issei whispered. "Certifiably insane."

The Fallen Angel once more looked at him as if he was nothing but a snake doing tricks in a reptile exhibit then laughed, tossing his head back with mirth. "Perhaps I am. What of it? Does it lessen my conviction in any way? Damage my resolve? If not, then I'd appreciate it if you could make your decision soon, we are on a bit of a schedule."

"If you knew me at all then you know there isn't a choice."

"There is always a choice, whether we believe it there or not," Kokabiel shrugged. "The fact that one voice utterly repulsed you to choose otherwise does not in any way take away the fact that it is still a choice made."

Issei scowled, "Do your worst," and braced himself.

Kokabiel pointed the blade from Ravel to him wordlessly. After all, there wasn't anything left to say.

The next day was miserable for the girls in the Gremory Peerage. It was quite evident, how the normally cheerful group was now mostly silent at the breakfast table. The irrepressibly cheerful Asia had circles beneath her eyes, both were still red from how she had cried herself to sleep. Koneko had her ears and tail out, though both were drooped pitifully. She had rummaged through Issei's clothes and had appropriated a shirt for her use as nightwear. It was rather large on her, more of a dress than anything else, she had brightened for a moment when she first found it, but it had passed. Though she was covered in his scent in a way, it hadn't helped at all with the loneliness.

Rias and Akeno were affected even more so. Both had dark circles beneath their eyes, their usually immaculate appearances were in slight disarray, and they both had an aura of depression surrounding them. Not Aura like a dragon's aura, but considering that the negative energy was contagious it wouldn't surprise anyone if it was equally effective.

Beyond the habitually ingrained 'please' and 'thank you' at the breakfast table, the solemn mood among the four seemed untreatable, and the exorcists didn't know what to do to comfort them. That is until Kiba arrived through a circle, laptop in hand.

"I looked all night," the Knight informed them, dark bags under his own eyes as he sat down. "Didn't find anything, but I then had this idea." He booted up the computer and then displayed a map of Kuoh. "Issei and Ravel were taken while we were gone, yes. In that time, either a fight ensued here or someone did all the damage for amusement. Either way, Issei's phone isn't here."

"So we can track it and find them?" Rias and Akeno were hanging off his shoulders now, staring at the screen as if to order it to reveal their mate and charge.

"Not exactly. The rogues would have shielded whatever hideout they have with magic. So not we exactly, I called and asked Gasper to help out, he's searching as we speak."

"So we wait here then."

"No, that's the other thing." Kiba shook his head. "Sona wants everyone available at the school. She's cleared it out by cancelling classes and sending students and teachers home, but we are needed to set up anything that could give us the advantage, given that the rogues show up in our own backyard." He closed the laptop, and transported it away. "I don't like giving up the search either, but we need to trust in Gasper to find them. Otherwise, Kokabiel shows up when we're unprepared..."

"...starting another Great War," Griselda finished, setting her plate aside. "Very well, we'll be off."

Xenovia and Irina looked down at their half-eaten plates with remorse but dutifully left the table and returned dressed and armed, Xenovia's broadsword on her back while Irina had both Ascalon and Mimic clipped to her belt.

The female Devils present got dressed as well, though it was a half-hearted effort. When the girls were assembled in their uniform, they were nearly prepared to leave when suddenly Rias and Akeno fell to their knees, gasping for breath as they felt above their hearts.

"Issei!" Akeno choked out, "He's in pain!"

"He needs us!" Rias tried to get to her feet, only to fall once more into Kiba's arms.

Koneko concentrated hard for a moment before running off to Ravel's room. The damage there wasn't that bad, it only took her a moment to find what she knew Ravel kept on her nightstand. Within moments, she returned, fist clenched around something that she showed to the group.

The lone shed scale Issei had given Ravel at the party in the Underworld a month before.

"He needs you. Help him." Koneko offered it to the older girls, who both shared it in their conjoined hands between them.

While it should have been a profound moment to behold, it was really just the two of them holding hands between them in the foyer of the suite. If anyone was expecting a magic circle to appear or for the girls to glow with energy, they were disappointed. Right now, it was a meeting of the minds that was needed, not strength or power. Using the piece they had as a focus, both girls tried to send as much reassurance as possible across space through their bond, to comfort their missing mate as best they could with their limited control over their shared connection.

After a few minutes, both girls opened their eyes and collapsed. "Did it work?" Asia's lip quivered as she asked.

"I...I think so," Akeno whispered. "All I know is that we reached him, but I can't feel him anymore."

"He's terrified, for himself and for us," Rias stood hesitantly, though squared herself to leave when she had risen. "We need to get the school defenses prepared, otherwise we'll never have a chance at saving him."

Akeno nodded and rose with Koneko's help. The exorcists joined them on a created circle as the group left the still ruined apartment for the soon-to-be wrecked school ground.

Throughout the day, through the hard work to prepare any and all defenses they could, Rias and Akeno were still filled with worry. Everyone was on edge, but neither girl had seen fit to disclose their concerns.

They had felt Issei's fear, and it had made them both feel physically ill. Neither wanted to think about it, though the question still remained.

Just what had terrified their usually courageous bond-mate so?

Kokabiel frowned as once more, the black shadow that covered Issei's eyes dispersed. The demidrake fell forward, suspended by his chains in a macabre form of a harness. The boy vomited again, adding to the puddle from previous occurrences. Kokabiel didn't even flinch at the smell, his own discipline holding strong in anticipation of his goal being reached.

In the cell next to them, Ravel banged desperately on the bars, her hands bruised and bleeding. She had been trying to wake the demidrake from whatever stupor he was in as Kokabiel worked, ceaselessly trying to make noise even after her ragged cries had rendered her voice silent for the time being. The enchantments on the walls inhibited her power, she wasn't healing from the abuse she was putting herself through to help her only ally in this temporary lair. And the girl seemed desperate to help and atone; while he hadn't ordered it, Kokabiel was both surprised and intrigued to see Freed taking the initiative, taking the Phenex girl hostage was perhaps the only reason the demidrake was here now. Poor Ravel must have realized that now, that the boy's suffering was in part to spare her the same pain.

Once he had begun, Kokabiel had moved the Phenex girl to the next door. Not out of pity or mercy, he simply needed clear space without distraction, something that an unchained Ravel would most certainly provide.

Not that it had helped much; the White Dragon Emperor was proving to be incredibly resilient.

When one called the fragment in his hands 'Nightmare', they meant it in every sense of the word. Lucid dreaming is a rare thing, the mind typically incapable of distinguishing reality from the visions and experiences one has when asleep or daydreaming. As such, those under the blade's thrall may never even know it, no matter how terrible the Nightmare was.

The sword worked on a simple principle, disruption and manipulation of the senses and thereby altering the victim's perception. Sight, smell, sound, taste, and touch, a skilled wielder of Nightmare could fabricate illusions that perfectly and seamlessly integrated the senses together to create an Illusion of unnaturally high caliber. It was magic of course, and while dragons were typically immune to such things, the sword's latent qualities merely translated the user's intended illusion into stimuli that the victim processed on their own. It wasn't magic effecting the victim directly, merely creating a closed-off section of space that only the intended victim or victims could interpret

In short, whatever one could consider reality or real, Kokabiel was currently replacing it with something of his own creation. And having millennia to observe its use, he had become quite adept at the practice.

He was not particularly kind either. Layering his craftsmanship, he had several times now exposed the boy to various versions of reality all designed to do what Tartarus had not: break him. The fights in the pit, torture at the hands of the Church's dragon-slaying order, Kokabiel made sure that each reality that Issei suffered was one that he endured intense physical pain. Some were crafted from the experiences he knew the demidrake had suffered in Tartarus, the endless fighting sadistically unending and altered to seem as if the dragon had repeatedly lost and hurt for it. Some were monstrosities born from Kokabiel's own memories, having millennia to draw upon. Hence, the boy's nausea; the sickness being the body's way of coping with horrors the mind made manifest.

For his part, Kokabiel felt a twinge of pity but for a moment. He was all too familiar with how time could seemingly dilate, making seconds into hours, and so on that could make a battle or interrogation last so much longer. What was worse for the drake was that he was intentionally altering the illusions to interfere with the rate at which his new weapon could process the information received, further distorting the boy's perception of time. One second for him could have been a lifetime of horrible trauma for the subject.

Kokabiel may have been on a schedule, having promised to meet whatever the Devils and Church could muster in a short time. But in regards to fine-tuning his latest recruit, he may as well have all the time in the world.

Even so, it was still proving a difficult task. As much as he hated to admit it, Kokabiel was impressed with how long the drake had managed to hold out. He squashed that feeling though; not allowing it to last a moment more than that of his earlier pity.

The demidrake would break soon enough.

Issei spat, retching one last time as he expelled what was left of his stomach contents. It wasn't much, just the breakfast that morning since Rias and Akeno had sustained his body with energy via skin contact. As it was now, he was dry heaving, his body trying to upchuck what wasn't there.

Or, at least he thought it was just that morning. And he couldn't quite be sure that he was back in his cell either, the real cell that is. Kokabiel's sick mind had accounted for that, several times now he had 'woken' up only to find that the horrors continued and ended even beyond that.

From an objective standpoint, he knew that much of what he saw was Nightmare's effect on him, which was empirical fact. Problem was, after who knows how long, he wasn't quite sure what was real and what wasn't. He didn't know how long it had been since Kokabiel started, had only an hour passed or a century, the illusions seemingly lasted long enough for several human lifetimes only to end with Kokabiel glaring from the same spot.

The only source of comfort he had was the fledgling bond. He had held onto it like a lifeline, the only constant among the pain and suffering he was enduring. No matter how much he bled, or how often his bones ground to powder, he could feel the bond and knew that Rias and Akeno, while worried and besides themselves in panic, were alive and well and cared for him. He would wake then, to find his body well and whole, though reacting unconsciously from the sensations the illusion provided.

The feeling gave him a much-needed boost in bravado. He needed it. Once, the visions had shown every devil in the school dead or dying. The student council dead and gone. Kiba ironically impaled with multiple demonic swords. Asia writhing in pain as her body was racked with an illness Twilight Healing couldn't cure. Ravel placed in a cage, naked and covered with injuries as she was forced to cry over and over for her special tears, even as her best friend, Koneko, was summarily butchered and rendered into skin and bones as if she was some hunter's trophy to be displayed. Rias and Akeno, screaming as their respective elements tore them apart from the inside out. His heart had lurched at that, and he silently screamed across the mental connection that it couldn't be true. His faith was rewarded, as he felt Akeno and Rias send more love and comfort than he could ever wish for, helping him once again to dissolve and break free of yet another entrapment.

As he finished spitting and cleansing his mouth of the foul taste, he glared up at the still impassive Fallen Angel. "Are you... done... yet?"

"I'll admit, the tenacity of your species is indeed remarkable, though in the end it won't save you." Kokabiel flipped the sword in his hand twice, obviously preparing another reality for Issei to enjoy. "Every man has his weakness. I'll find yours."

"Heh, heh, before you try, can I ask something?"

"You just did."

Issei ignored the blunt response and took that he was still lucid as an indication to continue. "You mentioned choice and fate and control of destiny. Why then? Why wage a war on the other factions when your problem is with God?"

Kokabiel raised a brow, "Do I need any other reason than to put an end to the conflict once and for all?"

"If you really wanted that, then you'd be advocating peace, like the current Maou, Heaven, and your former boss Azazel." Issei coughed as a phantom pain wracked his chest. "You talked about control and choice, that's more individualism, not egotism. Nothing in your words makes me think for a moment that you're a simple warmonger like I thought. You'd be praising the Fallen and insulting the other factions in that case, you wouldn't have gone rogue if you thought the Fallen were the dominant species. I can't make sense of it, what does fighting the other factions gain you when you know with whom your problem really lies."

"You're smarter than you let on."

"It comes and goes," Issei snarked back. "Call it a gift, but you didn't answer my question. Why involve the other factions in a war that you only want to destroy God?"

The older man stared at him and sighed. "There are many things in life that one would wish differently. Alas, this world isn't perfect. You're right, my target truly is God and while war would certainly get him involved, it isn't that simple. If it were, then your Longinus would be the perfect weapon to end Him. Unfortunately, in His permanent absence, war is the next best thing I can hope for to destroy all he may have truly held dear."

For several moments, Issei's mind was blank as he processed the truth given to him. "God is dead? As in God, capital 'G'?"

"The one and the same," Kokabiel nodded. "And since the world hasn't ended from his absence it can be argued that his demise has been for the betterment of the world he helped create."

Issei pondered that before shrugging, "You're not overly upset with your creator's death?"

"He died long ago in the Great War between the Biblical Factions. I have grown accustomed to his absence. My only regret is that I didn't take personal action directly against him when I had the chance. Otherwise what I'm doing now wouldn't be necessary."

"You've got a sick mind."

"And you think much like a heretic ought."

"Dragon, remember?" Issei grinned weakly, "I don't exactly subscribe to the constant worship song and dance routine. So if telling me God is dead is a method to break me then by all means tell me more."

Kokabiel frowned but started when a loud *BEEP* echoed through the chamber. The Fallen threw out a hand, forming a bright yellow circle on the ceiling that vanished as fast as it had appeared. The room re-shielded, the beeping stopped.

The man quickly stepped to the other side of the passageway, directly across from Issei's cell. The cadre sorted through several items there, only to pause as he picked something up.

"Perhaps God's death will not break you. But perhaps this will."

Kokabiel stepped back to the cage and held the item up to the bars as he said two words.

"Your bonding."

In the Fallen's hand was Issei's phone, and on it, the picture of Rias and Akeno gleefully enjoying their tennis match in the contest for familiar rights, a picture that seemed as if it had been taken so long ago.

Issei tried to keep his expression black and unresponsive, but he knew it was too late, Kokabiel had seen it, even if it was just for a moment, but the signs of weakness and fear had been there.

"Now, which one are you bonding with, I wonder?" Kokabiel asked him, kneeling down to eye level, though he remained outside the cell. "Which one have you chosen to take as life-mate?"

"FUCK YOU!" Issei roared, his fear and desperation giving him a momentary burst of strength as white flame leapt forth from his maw. The deluge burst across the cell, through the metal bars and into the Fallen in a withering display for the few seconds Issei was able to overpower the room's enchantments.

Once the flames dispersed, Issei was annoyed and angered that Kokabiel had simply shielded himself with his ten black wings, though he was pleased to see that the man looked pained form the damage his smoking feathers had sustained in the brief attack.

"If you will not tell me, then I shall assume you care for them equally." Kokabiel pointed Nightmare's serrated edge to him once more. "Either way, now that I know what to address, this is the last time you'll enjoy sanity. Any last words, final requests?"

When Issei roared deafeningly in defiance, Kokabiel shrugged and Nightmare glimmered. "Very well then. Goodbye, White Dragon Emperor."

Birdsong. That was the first thing Issei noticed when he began to wake. Someone must have left the door ajar, their home in the country well a-ways away from any urban development. He breathed in, savoring fresh air, and wriggled a bit in his futon as he strove to find a more comfortable spot.

Sadly, sleep would continue to evade him. A small set of hands pressed down on his arm and applied a miniscule amount of pressure. Hardly enough for him to notice, but the person's scent had drifted in when Issei had first taken breath. Add in that only one person in the manor was this small and he knew exactly who it was that was trying to rouse him.

Under normal circumstances, one would never, ever consider waking a sleeping dragon. One of the firmly established fundamentals to never do so. However, like all rules, there was some leeway, small exceptions. A bond-mate could do so without fear. So could their children.

The eye that wasn't pressed into a pillow winked open as Issei stared into the face of his son, Kurenai. Truly, it never ceased to amaze him, seeing his own face with jet-black hair and vibrant purple eyes stare into his own.

The son he had with Akeno, Kurenai was now approaching one year old. The boy was his near double, with Akeno's exotic features interweaved with his own. The child had long since begun crawling and babbling, so it was of no surprise that he had made his way into his parent's room with the door left open like that.

"Huckry!" Little Kurenai tried to shake him.

"What do you want, little monster?" Issei growled in good nature. "You father needs sleep too you know."

"Huckry!" The noise was accompanied by a faint gurgling sound that was echoed by Issei's own stomach as well, prompting the man to sit up.

"Well if we're both starving we might as well do something about it." Gently moving his son aside, Issei stood and stepped to the section of the room's closet denoted as his own. Donning hakamapants but forgoing a shirt for now, Issei stepped back to pick up his son by the scruff of his onesie. "Up?"

"Uk!" Kurenai nodded with enthusiasm and Issei then did something no sane mortal parent would.

He stepped outside the room into the open air of the courtyard and threw his child straight up into the air.

Of course, unlike pure-humans, he had wings, wings that stretched to send him launching after his giggling son. Catching him with one arm, Issei began their morning routine, a five-minute flight that soared above the traditional Japanese manor home they resided in.

Though fun and entertaining, the elder of the father-son duo knew better than to take much longer. So Issei descended, diving and twisting so that he took the impact as the pair dove into a lake beside the estate, dousing the two thoroughly. Only a mere moment later, Issei erupted yards away from entry, sending waves, mist, and child flying. Folding his wings into a sort of hammock, Issei caught his son again and let him slide down the membrane to the floor of the pier he stood on. A quick application of heat and both males were fully dry.

Issei also spread his wing-fingers to stab into the ground around Kurenai in a makeshift cage, it wouldn't do for him to crawl off unchecked and into the lake... again.

Pulling on a shirt and tying it, Issei picked his hungry offspring up and quickly strode back to the home, where the smell of food was wafting. Shifting Kurenai to his left arm, Issei slid the door open to reveal the other two occupants of their home.

Clad in her usual mikogarb, Akeno was currently stirring something on the stove. "Ara," she smiled, lifting a hand to her cheek. "I was wondering when you two would arrive."

Kurenai shifted in his arms as he reached for his mother, leaping out of Issei's grip to fall headfirst to the floor. Fortunately after years of living with Issei, Akeno was well versed with what she and others commonly-referred to as 'draconic shenanigans' and caught her falling son in time. "Issei, mind the stove would you? The misois almost done." She stood on tiptoes and kissed her mate softly on the cheek, before leaving the kitchen to sit at the table. Issei dutifully kissed her forehead before she left and lifted the soup off the heat, and retrieved three bowls for the adults.

Akeno sat down at the low table, the hand not holding her son deftly undoing her haori to feed Kurenai. Across from her, Rias smiled lovingly at Kurenai and cooed to him when he reached for her as well.

Although they were all Devils, it had taken much longer for Rias to become pregnant on account of her pure-blood status. Not for lack of trying, both Rias and Akeno had pushed Issei's libido to the limit after they had each bonded and eventually married. Even with Issei forcing himself to provide more than enough energy for a dragon's life to start, the limiting factor was that Rias had greater difficulty as compared to the natural fertility of Akeno's Fallen heritage.

None of that mattered now, for shortly after Kurenai had been born, Rias had announced her own pregnancy as well. Now eight months along, Rias had been forcefully confined and limited by her Queen and Pawn, both returning the same favor that she had shown when Akeno had been carrying her child. Rias had been incredibly put out by this, but had acquiesced to the resident Nadeshiko and 'Beast-of-Burden' and had limited her physical action so as to not put any undue stress on her unborn child.

Of course, she had the sole male adult resident wrapped around her finger, as well as the two red-headed males that visited frequently. With Issei, Sirzechs, and Lord Gremory rushing to take care of their precious Rias, she couldn't say that she wasn't being taken care of. In fact, she had used her pregnancy to complain about the current orientation of furniture multiple times, then sat back and watched as the three men rushed to move things around.

That had been a fun time, with her, her mother, and a nursing Akeno watching as the males were beside themselves in their hurry to please. Of course it hadn't been necessary, but then again taking advantage of their male pride had quickly become a great source of entertainment.

Speaking of which, pride was becoming less and less of an issue for Issei. Having long been tempered by several aggressive diplomatic incidents, Issei now fought almost exclusively in his ScaleMail, preferring to finish things quickly and efficiently. Some critics of the Rating Games had called him out on no longer fighting in a way they considered fair, but such was life. Issei had merely shrugged and told them to get stronger. A now formally recognized ultimate-class Devil and borderline Maou-class, Issei didn't have a Peerage yet, having simply answered challenges and finished games on his own as well as completing mundane tasks unaided in his work.

Now it seemed as if Kurenai would follow in his footsteps. It was a funny story to tell, of how Issei had first sneezed fire, and he had even willingly spread the tale to serve as a humorous anecdote for younger Devils struggling with their own abilities. Now, Kurenai was mimicking him, though unintentionally. It had quickly become obvious that while he closely resembled Issei and obviously took after him as a young dragon hatchling, Kurenai took after his mother when it came to elemental affinity.

Every time Kurenai hiccuped, the lights would flicker and dim.

When confronted at how his son was manifesting his power years before he himself did, Rias and Akeno were surprised when Issei simply shrugged it off. Holding to the dream that his children would surpass him, he left them both astonished at the humility he displayed as well as the hopes he had for their children.

In fact, judging from the unrestrained passion she displayed later that night, Issei suspected that Akeno had been trying for another.

Shaking his head, Issei brought himself out off his temporary reverie and doled out the bowls of misofor himself and his mates. Setting them before the women, he tilted Rias' face in order to kiss her good morning.

Despite herself, Rias blushed from the intimate gesture. While Issei had aged somewhat, both she and Akeno had retained their youthful appearances, even though they were in their late twenties now they seemed as if they hadn't aged a day.

Ignoring that many female devils preferred to take on a younger appearance with magic, there was also the biological issue that devils in general aged incredibly slowly. It had been bothersome before, with them looking like teenagers and Issei appearing in his mid-to-late twenties and what they heard when they went out in human society. Though thinking that Issei would ever leave them for any reason was foolish, Rias still felt relieved at the smaller things, especially now when her usual figure was affected by the life growing inside her.

The adults ate their meal in relative silence, simply enjoying each others' company. The only noisemaker there was Kurenai, the babe still at his mother's breast as he continued to feed.

Eventually, when each had had their fill, Issei and Akeno put the few dishes away as Kurenai crawled under the table to pop up in front of Rias, arms up in a plea to be held. Rias acquiesced; Kurenai was like a son to her as well. She carefully held him to her side, enjoying how well the boy molded to her, though she was startled at how mere moments after she did so, Kurenai blinked and shifted in her grip. The hatchling squirmed in place, until his ear was to her belly where he froze, listening patiently.

Though she couldn't hear it, Rias knew that Kurenai was listening to the heartbeat of his sibling. She wasn't quite sure whether he knew what the second noise meant, while Issei had been overjoyed to listen in since he knew what it was, the first time they knew he had heard it, Kurenai had kept poking her, trying to understand why his second mother had another new heart.

Rias had already decided on names, pending gender. Ix if it as a boy, Illya if it as a girl. Either way, the child would carry the name Gremory. She herself had kept her maiden name as heiress to the Pillar clan. She and Akeno had both been indecisive about their family names, but Issei, blunt as ever, reminded them that Hyoudou was a name his parents had assumed when they had married, and thus it didn't carry much weight in Hell or Earth. He knew what family was, he didn't really consider a unified name to be the foundation.

Rias sighed, and once more stroked Kurenai's hair and her growing belly. One more month, and she would have a child of her own. Well, hers of course, but also his.

She looked to her side to see Issei stride out from the kitchen. "Will you be going back to bed?"

Issei cocked his head in thought. "I was considering it, do you need me for anything official?"

"No," she smiled. "You're still the breadwinner, now go and rest some more."

The title White Dragon Emperor was bestowed to Albion's wielders, but as per the usual for their race, didn't hold any responsibilities or obligations save that which Issei took upon him. Whenever he wasn't out training, fighting solo in Rating Games or spending as much time as he could with his family, Issei could be found either single handily exterminating the Stray devil population in the eastern hemisphere, or working as Sirzechs' unofficial attack dog where his peerage could not interfere for legal reasons.

The night previously had been late, hence why he had been loath to wake up earlier. Issei had barely bothered to strip off his blood-soaked garments and crawl between the slumbering forms of his life mates, who in turn had let him sleep a little longer and now offered him more rest.

"If you insist," Issei smiled, kissing her on the lips this time and causing her to 'eep' in surprise. Even with the bond fully developed, Issei was still capable of hiding his intentions and getting the upper hand sometimes. Still grinning, Issei rose and stepped away, only to spin on his heel to sweep Akeno off her feet, giving his other mate the same treatment. Gently lowering her to a sitting position, the now chuckling demidrake prowled off, presumably in search of much needed quiet.

Quiet. A quality that the life of parenthood seldom grants.

Issei stirred. Too quiet. Rousing himself from his dreamless rest, he gawked at how nearly everything had changed.

The living quarters of their manor was smoldering, the paper walls disintegrating in the heat of a flame he knew he wasn't responsible for.

Ignoring the latch entirely, Issei simply threw himself through the paper walls and gasped as he saw the manor burning in the late evening. The red sky glowed above him, and every instinct learned from Albion warned him that something was wrong.

Now frantic, he rushed through the ruins, trying to find his family. The ash falling around him obscured their scent, the noise of crackling fire and wood drummed out his hearing. Left with only sight and touch to serve him in these conditions, he tore his way through fallen debris to search.

When he heaved aside what had been the frame for the dining room door, he stopped and fell to his knees.

Before him were three forms, one partially obscured by another. Closest to him, Rias lay prone, her hair a crimson halo around her head and nigh indistinguishable from the puddle of blood flowing from her form. To his horror, the source was quite visible; a bloody silver spear had impaled her through her abdomen, piercing her womb, and pinning her to the ground.

Closest to him was Akeno, still dressed in her priestess attire. Several silver arrows sprouted from her back as she lay face down, arms wrapped around Kurenai. Some detached portion of his mind whispered that she had shielded him with her own form, but when he drew close to her, to see her face, he was horrified further still.

Akeno had shielded their son, or at least that was the intention. Even still, a fair number of the bolts had pierced her completely, the barbs tearing through fabric and flesh, and lodging themselves in Kurenai.

Shaking hands gently closed the lifeless purple eyes of both mother and son, and he reached out to hold the forms of all three to his side.

No, no, this wasn't fair. Everything had been perfect, they had been happy, he had been happy, content! What higher power now deigned to decree that his life was worth more than theirs! More than his wives, more than his son, more than his unborn child whom he would never hold!

He barely noticed the markings adorning the silver weaponry. He hardly even cared that all evidence pointed to Artemis once again ripping his life apart. To care about one thing, in a world that no longer mattered?

Nothing mattered now.

So why not make the world understand?

Yes, he'd start with making everyone understand just how he felt.

And so he screamed out his resolution, a tremendous roar to forewarn that the world would burn in compensation for what it had taken from him.

Kokabiel watched impassively as the demidrake's eyes were completely obscured, seemingly empty sockets filled with shadow as Nightmare wove its work. Finding a way to intervene with the bonds mental connection had been difficult, but if it worked then...

Issei reared his head back and roared, the noise easily far greater than any sonic blast could ever hope to equal. It was a long scream, of pain, rage, and utter helplessness. Good, he could work with this.

In the next cell, Ravel could only stare in shock, awe, and horror as her protector quite literally lost his mind. Frowning, Kokabiel yanked her out at the same time he summoned Valper and Freed.

"Yo, boss-man, is he Evil yet?"

"In a fashion," he nodded ambiguously. Tossing Ravel aside, Kokabiel seized the tip of Nightmare and pulled. With a screech, the edge of the obsidian knife broke off, causing Valper to sputter in rage.

"What in blazes are you doing?! I need that to~"

"Without the seventh fragment, Excalibur cannot be reformed into its full glory. Even if we are victorious today, and we claim the three shards carried by the exorcists, a reformed blade would still be beyond us. Therefore, we will simply have to make do."

Fastening the glowing piece around his neck, Kokabiel handed the damaged Nightmare to Valper. "Fuse it to the others, I can control the dragon well enough with this piece. As for you Freed," the stray priest started, "once he has finished, take care that nothing befalls your new sword. We wouldn't want our weapon to wake up, now would we?"

The humans nodded and left with the chipped blade, Ravel dragged along by Freed, leaving the cadre with the still screaming demidrake. For a moment, the Fallen Angel looked as if he regretted his actions, but looked away and followed his cohorts.

Half-dragon, half-human by birth. White Dragon Emperor. Wielder of a power of a long dead God. Survivor of Tartarus, and injured by Ascalon. The only dragon currently known capable to bond more than once and for unknown reasons.

For all that made Issei unique, it also made him most vulnerable. And while by definition he was not a true Evil Dragon since his mates still lived, it hardly mattered now.

Entrapped, ensnared, the distinction was only a formality and would bring no comfort to those Kokabiel would first unleash his unwilling tool upon.

Inferno (noun) - a large fire that is dangerously out of control. Derived from Christian Latin infernus of the same definition and Old English infernal meaning belonging to or having the characteristics of Hell.

AN: Explanations, comments, trivia

Yes, I borrowed Illya's name from the nasuverse. Deal with it, nothing comes of it since as it happens, Rias' firstborn inDxD Exis Ix Gremory, the Sekiryuutei Crown Prince. That name is confirmed, as is Kurenai Himejima and the handful of other names of Issei's kids. There's really no need for OC names when the great Ishibumei has granted us with canon to alter.

So now we finally see the reasoning behind the other half of Issei's draconian title. The Holy was a given. But somewhere during the brainstorming process, I wondered what Issei would be officially and individually titled. Holy demonic/devil/dervish dragon, bright hellfire dragon, ghostfire drakon, whiteflame wyvern and that got me thinking. Once I came up with a suitable explanation for the formation of Evil Dragons, I toyed around with a few more before I finally got it.Holy Inferno Dragon. Juxtaposed nicely, and original enough to stand out if you'll allow me a moment of pride and creativity.

(Editor Shad0w's note; Then ironically in DxD Chapter 20 we see Akeno use her Holy lightning to make mini Holy Wyverns, just thought it was funny was all.)

(Splicer's response: we'll actually see her use it much sooner than in canon)

Considering that the definition of inferno and its origins subtly infer all along Issei becoming a devil and possibly becoming an evil dragon, kudos to the happy few who called it along the way.

Plenty of people since day one have been asking me what Issei would be like as an evil dragon. Fortunately, Issei being tortured by Kokabiel into a pseudo-state was also planned since day one. We won't be seeing a shape-shift into reptilian form, I'd like to stress that the severe change is one in personality, not necessarily one of physiology.

Writing a non-monger for Kokabiel was a challenge. Also one reason why this chapter took as long as it did, I kept scrapping and rewriting him. In the end, I'm still not quite happy, but I can live with this version of him since I think he best fits with what I've got now.

Nightmare. The one sword that to my knowledge hasn't been expanded on much in canon. When I was coming up with it, I had plenty of source material for inspired effect. Harry Potter's dementors, Aizen from Bleach, even good old Star Wars force-caves and meditations. In the end, the Excalibur you see is the result and is both overpowered and terrifying. OP, in that in the right hands (Kokabiel) it's a terror. Since the Excalibur fragments are later fused with Durandal, I don't plan on it used in the same way, considering Xenovia doesn't have the same control or malicious intent. That keeps it balanced as an extension of its wielder's skill and therefore not a permanent game-changer.

Now, since there will be some complaints, I hope I can assuage some here and now.

Volume 3 is meant to be a darker volume, even in LN. Canon Issei still doesn't have Balance Breaker, Kokabiel maintains the upper hand, etc. While elements have changed in my fic, much of the events will play out in the same way, for emotional impact!

Volume 3 is where Akeno first develops feelings for Issei, volume 3 is where Xenovia becomes a devil and acknowledges him as a dragon before a devil, thereby accepting his help, volume 3 is where extra-devil political acumen comes into play and sets the stage for the rest of the series starting with the needed peace treaty.

Because of this, volume 3 and 4 will follow certain canonical points closely, if the Kokabiel attack doesn't prompt the peace treaty meeting, then there is no solid foundation for the other novels, diminishing the importance of the khaos brigade and qlippoth. Granted, as a fanfic I can ignore canon events, but in doing so, it means that I must build the world of DxD from the ground up to explain what fans should already know and take for granted. That would result in a massive info dump with next to no plot progression and possibly conflicting with what DxD canon has established, I might as well just post listings of 'DxD: HIDra-verse for Dummies'. Once volume 4 is finished and the biblical alliance established, then I can start with original work blended into the story but not before. Some get around it, some do it insanely well, but that's not my style.

Now, the crux of many complaints, how I've 'limited' Issei. Some of you keep calling me out on how Issei doesn't seem stronger, despite what he is or he's been through. Fighting/failing to finish Freed, vulnerability to light, unwillingness to fully flesh out what he can do, and some of those are well founded, I'll admit, I haven't done the story justice in every aspect of that. However, I promised an equal to Vali and that's what you'll eventually get (volume 4/5/6), but at my speed and discretion, otherwise we have a Saitama situation where there's no real development in Issei's fighting capabilities. Much of the so-called mistakes will be addressed as Issei matures, never fear, but I'm keeping the light vulnerability in line with the first Devil universal weaknesses encountered in canon. Get rid of it and you have a pseudo-God that doesn't have any real physical weaknesses besides rare dragon-slaying weaponry, something that while interesting gets boring quickly. That said, Light's effectiveness against his ScaleMail hasn't been tested so far, now has it?

Now for the minor, specific issues.

First off, his lack of written Divides. Quite frankly, so far in my opinion he hasn't needed to divide against weaker opponents, or simply doesn't have to if the energy he gains is negligible to his own natural strength. Factor in the pride issue I'm trying to maintain realistically and we'll have an Issei that's slow to change his bad habits learned in Tartarus, but still capable of growing.

That, and in my opinion writing (DIVIDE!DIVIDE!DIVIDE!DIVIDE!) as a way to emphasize superiority for long-term minor scuffles and skirmishes rather cheapens the point of writing original combat style. Also, four Divides leave the opponent with only 6.25% of their original strength. Divine Dividing is insanely OP. If I opened up each fight with that, then while it is efficient it is much too easy, as well as relying on the assumption that the opponent's absorbed power doesn't overwhelm Issei's storage capacity.

Second, age. Albion consistently refers to him as a hatchling, that is not a mistake, nor is it simply a statement of perspective given the vast age difference. Issei is simply a teenager, not an adult by dragon standardsyet. Expect some changes come volume 5.

Lastly, the bond. For those of you wanting to see it completed, wait a little longer. Absence makes the heart grow fonder as they say, and the current situation will only move things along. Not only will we see it completed, it'll open up a new avenue of factors and abilities that will further drive original content. Hang on a little longer my fellow deviants, the Lemon is coming.

If you liked, leave a review! Or message me! Tell me what you liked, what you enjoyed! Feedback is always appreciated!

Omake I

Dedicated to those patiently waiting for the Familiar Hunt to resume...

(Inspired by Paynis' Omake in his Crippled fic, as well as every other Pokemon themed ova I've ever had the fortune to read)

"It's no use!" Rias cried. She was currently wearing a rather... eccentric outfit, most likely obtained in one of her many shopping excursions. Denim shorts, white shirt, red vest, black fingerless gloves, as well as a baseball cap with an all too familiar iconic sigil.

"Ara, Rias, that's no way to behave," her Queen chided her. "Koneko did her best, but let's be honest, using 'Moe' against a stray? It's not very effective..."

Akeno was currently in a pink dress with a white apron. Her hair was tied differently in loops this time and she wore a hat with the universal red cross sign.

Though where the fishnet stockings fit into the classic character Rias wasn't completely sure...

"You can't keep going like this, Rias!" This time, the Bishop standing next to Akeno interjected. "You're wearing the team out faster than we can heal them!"

"Healing is always free!"

"Phoenix Tears are expensive and hard to make!"

Ravel pouted, the look clashing with the innocent pink and white themed outfit she was wearing. It wasn't that of a nurse like Akeno's, but with a white skirt, pink blouse, and an egglike pouch on her stomach. She and her senior were both currently holding their hands to what looked like a soot-covered statue of a Nekomata.

"In that case, I'm down to my last fighter! Better make this count!" Rias held up her hand, forming a Gremory circle. Unlike most planar circles, this one bent and formed a 3D sphere, the top glowing red, the lower half white. "Issei, I choose you!"

Throwing the sphere to the ground, it flashed brightly before a large, armored figure appeared in a crouch. The summoned character stood up, his armor shifting as his face was revealed to his master and her aides.

"Issei, I summoned you as you, not you as Emperor! Get rid of your ScaleMail, it's cheating!"

"Rias, please!" The demidrake pleaded. "This was funny the first few times, but I'm not puking my guts out every time you magically summon me to duel a stray! Besides, things like this never work out in life or well in anime!"

"Kiba's completely out of PP, and Asia's only level one! Who else can I summon?"

"That's so not the point!"

"Well fine then, but I didn't authorize you evolving from Issei to Emperor. Here, take a moon stone, that'll make it official!"

There was a metallic plink as the white gem she threw at him bounced off his chest plate, prompting him to pick it up and scowl. "Rias, this is one of my scales, it's not a moon stone, and evolving is not the same as using Balance Breaker! One's permanent, one's by choice!"

"Minor details! Now, Emperor! Use Flamethrower!"

With a sigh, Issei turned back to the unfortunate being he had been summoned to defeat in the name of drops and experience points.

'Ok, crawly guy. An insect-type, but I'm a dragon-type, as well as fire and I guess Holy...'

('Not you too, kid. If this whole RPG thing keeps up, I'm going to cry...') Albion sniffed over the bond, the telling signs of tears-by-embarrassment letting him know that he was going to cry regardless.

Either way, with his faceplate removed, Issei opened his mouth and swirled his flame breath in a whiplike stream to completely engulf the target. A few moments later, there was nothing but ashes.

"It's super effective!" Rias crowed. "Finally! Akeno, make a note for the history books of our victory this day!"

Akeno nodded, though her smile seemed forced. Ravel and Issei shared that look as they too shared in the Queen's discomfort with Rias' latest fighting obsession.

"Do you think she'll keep this up much longer?" Ravel whispered to the Queen. "I don't know if I can take much more."

"Play along for as long as possible," Akeno whispered back. "And pray that Issei lasts longer than Rias' fixation or worse, Rias decides to add a bird-type and electric-type to her fighting force."

Thus encumbered with misery, the three wearily followed their leader, who suddenly stopped and lightly bopped her head with her fist.

"Almost forgot, Issei that was enough XP for you to evolve again!"

('Oh, no...')

'This is a bad idea...'

Rias threw another sto-scaleat him, only for him to sigh and pray he had the strength to endure.

Using his aura to flash an outline around his armor, alternating blinks for a seeming strobe effect he began to chant.

("I, who am about to awaken,...")

Some ideas, once in your head, can never get out unless you find the right outlet. And this is what comes of a hyperactive imagination. My apologies, but after this chapter I needed something a little more upbeat.

Editor Shad0w's 2nd note; Scale Mail evolving into Juggernaut Drive is appropriate. Even though I've never played Pokemon, and have no interest in it, I approve.