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!

Author's note written 7-7-16: Progress over the next few month or so might be a little slower. The ability to go outside and catch familiars with Pokemon GO will take a serious toll on my writing schedule. Apologies, but familiar hunting is fun.

Author's note written 11-30-16: Dammit, I'm upset this has been waiting for so long. I take it all back, familiar hunting is amusing at best but expensive as Hell when I go over data. Again, my apologies for late updates.

Disclaimer: See 1st Chapter

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

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

"Juggernaut Drive Incantation"

('Albion, mental')

(Albion Speaking)

[Ddraig 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.

Beta: Shad0wReaper133

Chapter 22: End of the Hunt

When Rias woke, it was to find herself snuggled against Issei in her usual place. Now, under normal circumstances, she'd ignore the world around her and go back to sleep if she could, only there were a few things stopping her.

For one, there was a sticky feeling near the junction of her legs, the dried mixture of both Issei's essence and her own. And despite the pleasure of the night previous, she would never allow herself to fall asleep once more, knowing how dirty she was. Even now, there was a twinge of discomfort, yet another indication of her loss of innocence. However, considering who she had given it to, she would never consider it a loss.

The second, and more convincing, was the strong arm that held her close. It was moving, stroking her flank as nimble fingers danced up and down her sides, causing her loins to ache for more of that sweet lovemaking they had had last night.

She lifted her head from Issei's shoulder to see playful golden eyes peering into her own. Issei was wide awake, and appeared to have been for some time given how alert he seemed in comparison to her. The demidrake, no, her mate, smiled as he continued his ministrations to her, causing her to arch into him and moan with contentment and pleading for more.

On his other side, Akeno was stirring as well. The Nadeshiko was hardly any more restrained than Rias, moaning in heat as Issei woke her up in such a manner. Remembering that Akeno had taken the first kiss the day before, Rias quickly acted before Akeno could gain clarity and pulled herself up to Issei's face to deliver a warm, passionate kiss, one that reflected all the love confessed and consummated that night. After a few moments, she found herself nudged aside as Akeno took her place to give Issei the same treatment.

Now Rias ordinarily would have been upset by being upstaged, but given the warmth she felt in her breast, the bond's true effects finally being felt, she found that she wasn't so jealous of her sister-mate. Odd, she didn't think she'd be as accepting with this sort of thing. Perhaps it was a side effect yet undiscovered, or entirely new given Issei's unique bonding capacity.

When Akeo was finished or had to stop for breath, either one was viable, she pulled away with a gasp. "Ara, good morning Ise," she purred.

If anything the smile on his face grew bigger, "Good morning to you as well." Shifting his hands, she wrapped them around their waists and pulled them closer so that they practically molded to his torso.

Rias decided to take a page out from Akeno's book then and there. "Sorry, Issei," and she actually was, "but I'll need some time to recover from last night." Another twinge of pain from her loins conflicted with her budding arousal. "How should I put it? You were very…"

"Exuberant? Enthusiastic?" Akeno added in before flipping herself to rest fully on top of Issei's chest. "Passionate?"

"All that and more," Rias agreed, and she had to remind herself not to feel guilty when Issei's face fell at the denial of an encore performance that morning.

"Aw, don't worry Ise, I'd be happy to satisfy any of your desires, wherever, whenever, we want."

Rias only raised a single eyebrow before extending two fingers to gently prod Akeno's own abused core, causing the masochistic Priestess to flinch and shudder in both pain and ecstasy. "You're not getting any if I can't, got it?"

Ah, there it was, acceptance was gone and jealousy was back.

While Akeno pouted, their attentions were drawn to a slight buzzing from the nightstand on Rias' side of the bed. The heiress tilted to the side to reach for the drawer, opening it and retrieving her phone and checking the alert. Her eyes widened. "Get ready you two, we're going out."

"Out? Where?"

"I'm not ready for the world just yet, can't we just spend the day with our amorous dragon?"

Resolutely ignoring both Akeno's plea and her own desire to cuddle, Rias explained further. "That was Sona. Apparently given everything that happened her sister pulled some strings with the familiar master. He'll see both peerages at the same time this afternoon."

"Afternoon? We've got time still."

As if to tear away any chance of their own company, Rias guiltily raised her phone so the others could see the time. Given that it was almost past lunch, Issei's eyes almost bugged out of his skull, while Akeno covered her outs in surprise. "Oh my," the black-haired beauty looked at the demidrake with amusement. "Someone is more demanding than I thought."

"Yeah, yeah, but I never once heard any complaints about it," Issei mused as he sat up, pulling both girls up with him. "C'mon, let's go shower."

"As long as we only shower," Rias affirmed before she paled as she saw something not the bedsheets that terrified her. "Issei! Oh, God!"

Given that she willingly risked and pained herself by using his Holiness's dead name to swear, both Issei and Akeno figured it was something important. They too looked to follow her gaze, and Akeno's eyes widened.

Sure, there were stains on the sheets, nothing that Akeno's replicating familiar couldn't handle when they were gone. Damp with sweat from the two girls, sexual fluids from all three, and some blood from torn maidenheads. What had obviously worried the two girls were the light traces of blood from where Issei had lain. Following to the source, their eyes widened further to find multiple scratches across Issei's back and shoulders. Nothing deep or threatening, lovemarks of that sort rarely ever were, and the scratches already looked mostly healed. It wouldn't even have been noticeable if not for the fact that Issei's hide should have prevented trivial injury like this.

Both girls turned white as ghosts as they saw trace amounts of blood beneath their nails, evidence that they themselves were the ones to place those marks on him. Before they could berate themselves in any way, Issei sighed and hugged them close. "I know it sounds arrogant, but was it really that good for you?"

"What? How?" Rias sputtered shakily. "How did this happen?"

Akeno couldn't even bring herself to words, still staring in horror at her own hands, a sight atypical from her usual teasing self. It took Issei gently kissing her brow to awaken from her reverie.

"There's two schools of thought for what happens when a dragon mates with non-dragons," Issei forged on like nothing was the matter. "And keep in mind, they're not mutually exclusive. First, given you have some of my soul inside you, you can add my strength to yours, making you stronger and more resilient. If not," and he shuddered at the implications, "the mated pair wouldn't last long if the dragon accidentally killed their partner in sexual frenzy. The other theory, and while equally viable I find this one more romantic," he brought his hands to caress their faces, "is that my body no longer recognizes you as something to defend against."

Despite their own trepidation, both girls felt a surge of warmth as they quote literally felt Issei's sincerity through the formalized connection they shared. As they were relieved, Akeno was the first to notice something else on her hand.

"Issei, what's this?"

'This' turned out to be a glowing set of runes that encircled her ring finger of her left hand. It wasn't static, the glyphs were moving, spinning clockwise around her finger slowly. To her amazement, when she noticed and focused upon them, they began to glow and their rotation speed increased.

On her hand, Rias found the same design in the same place, the only difference was the design. The characters were all the same, but the sequence seemed different though it was hardly noticeable and appeared to be only a cosmetic slight.

Both girls wondered as to where they had seen those kinds of runes before. They weren't magical, and they didn't have them before that night, so the only one who could have marked them was…

Issei grinned as he held up his own hands and partially activated his scale array. The normally hidden runes appeared, glowing softly. "I figured being mates and all, it wasn't fair for me to keep anything from you. You already know everything about me, and I don't have any secrets left, so this is the best I could think of, sharing inventory."

"These are runes to your Scale Array?" Rias marveled at the intricacy of the design. Forget knowing everything about Issei, she had no idea he could inscribe markings with such exquisite detail without her knowledge and beyond her initial comprehension.

"You'll be able to seal and summon items to my scales like I do, only one-handed. I wasn't sure how you'd respond to their presence, so I used only the bare minimum necessary to function, and then I needed a style you'd like and when I remembered that we're bonded I went with rings for a pattern and MMMMPPHH!"

Rias cut his rambling off with a kiss, immediately seeking out to kiss him senseless for the trust and care he had shown them. The surprise attack knocked him over slightly, and he more or less fell onto Akeno, who had positioned herself so that her breasts were pressed against his back as she kissed his neck and shoulders. Hugged between the two beauties, Issei got the message that the gift was well received.

As their focus moved on to other activities, the glyphs on their hands faded away to their concealed state, ready to be used whenever their wielder called for it.

When the girls finally let go of him, and he was able to speak again, Issei shook his head, mindful of Akeno behind him. "If I had known that would earn me a make out session I should have done it long ago."

Rias tapped his nose, smiling, "Dummy, of course you would think of that. And thank you, really. I'll do my best to not fill your treasure vault with shoes."

Akeno couldn't maintain a straight face at that and laughed lightly at the look of horror that dawned upon Issei from one of many possible application of the scale array.

After a short bath (for the girls, to alleviate some of the soreness) and an ineffectively cold shower (for Issei, bemoaning his insensitivity to temperature extremes), the trio of bond mates managed to make themselves presentable in short order.

Issei did have to escort both girls to the bath, given that their soreness impeded them quite a bit and to be candid it really was his fault for their discomfort. So instead of making the rookie mistake and leaving when the girls waved him off, he resolutely picked both girls up and marched off with them. Helping them wash up and helping them soak, he bathed quickly and separately before returning.

Carrying them both back individually, he helped them get dressed (which in itself as an intimate act that was severely trying), taking care to assist wherever possible, unknowingly scoring high marks with both girls, which translated to their contentment diffusing through their connection. Once assembled, Isei used his own array glyphs on the girls, then armored up and used his own teleportation technique to transport to the old school building.

Upon arrival, he found a large blue and gold sword inches from his faceplate. A moment later, a sheepish Xenovia lowered Durandal as she properly identified him.

"My deepest apologies for that, I was startled. It won't happen again."

Issei was more flummoxed with her decision to wear the girls uniform than the fact she had raised a blade to him, but since she wa apologizing for her own actions he'd accept it.

"No harm done, it wasn't entirely your fault seeing I've never used that technique around you before." Two flashes of light later and Rias and Akeno quickly found themselves seated at the main desk and one of the couches, respectively. Issei sat next to Akeno, while Xenovia, Kiba, and Asia were seated across from them. Issei was rather pleased to see that Xenovia and Asia were getting along rather well, quietly talking about life as a devil compared to their previous ones in service to the church. The given situation was peaceful, as if nothing could interrupt whatever mystical veil existed keeping any more strife or conflict from the group as a whole.

Then he remembered his head count was off when two small weights settled on his lap.

"My spot."

"You! You can't just claim Lord Issei's lap like that!"

"He's not a lord. Still my spot."

"Get off him!"

"Go away, Yakitori."

"Grraaagggghhh!"

Issei almost facepalmed at the new voices, coming from the first years who were trying to fight over who got to sit in his lap of all things. In hindsight, asking them to be less confrontational wouldn't work, given the whole cat-bird issue they represented.

Also, it seemed as if Ravel had reverted slightly, back to calling him a Lord.

Still though, he was confused over his reaction, or lack of one entirely. Given everything he knew about the bond, which was mostly what little his parents had told him as well as Albion's personal insight, was that once bonded, dragons typically resented or outright ignored advances made on them by interested third-parties. The exception being a select few dragons who accepted these designs for procreation.

And thus his confusion. Going into the bonding process last night, he knew things would be different, not only with his relationships with Rias and Akeno, but also those with the three other girls he was close with. He had resolved himself to be mature and gently understanding about how things would change, but this was unexpected. He wasn't repelled at all by the antics of the first-year girls.

He had no intentions of being unfaithful to his mates. Besides the morality of the whole affair, he cared for and respected their feelings too much to even consider cheating on them.

Likewise, he would never consider seeing the younger girls as prospective… friends with benefits. Someone else would consider Nekoshou heritage and Asia's gentle personality the perfect nature and nurture for potential offspring. Ravel's innate being as another creature of fire would make powerful descendants as well. He freely acknowledged that possibility, but he could never bring himself to consider them as breeding stock to use and then abandon, never connecting with them emotionally.

Hence his dilemma at not feeling anything negative with Koneko and Ravel warring over what could be rightfully considered Rias and Akeno's property.

Issei looked to Akeno on his right, and Rias behind her at her desk, hoping for a save. Perhaps unfortunately, both third-year beauties only looked amused at their juniors' behavior.

A knock at the door ceased the squabbling as Sona and her peerage entered. None of them appeared to be injured, courtesy of Grayfia's spellwork the other night, but each were wary to approach when they saw Issei there looking back at them.

Nervous but determined, Issei gently nudged the girls off him and onto the couch, where they both sat looking disappointed. Standing, Issei slowly walked to the newcomers before stopping directly in front of Sona. Bending from the waist, he bowed to the surprised heiress, ignoring the gasps of surprise from nearly everyone present. Issei had only nodded his head before in recognition, so this was a shock to all.

"Heiress Sitri, recently I was involved in an attack that left you and your Peerage gravely injured. Though it was certainly not my intention to do so, as I was manipulated by the rogue Kokabiel. Even though I acted as his puppet, I am still responsible and accountable for my own weakness to have been influenced by him at all. I apologize for that and also fully acknowledge that I owe you a great debt, to be called upon at any time or place of your choosing."

The ORC and Student Council were then treated to the sight of a shocked Sona Sitri, who could only gape at the sight of the usually proud dragon bowing to her.

He wasn't kneeling in the eastern style, that would have been the only way to make this even more astounding. That he was apologizing, bowing at that, and promising a debt from self-perceived infliction flummoxed everyone there.

Only moments after he finished speaking, Issei could feel the pride from Rias and Akeno as if it were a tangible thing, encompassing him like armor. At that point, it felt as if he could do anything, high on the emotional support that he was given.

Sona closed her mouth and reddened slightly, before nodding back to him. "I do acknowledge your apology. However, I cannot accept you being indebted to me."

At his surprised and hurt expression, Sona raised a hand. "Regardless of how you feel, you were not at fault. You were injured and vulnerable, thus I consider you blameless for the event. I admit, at the time I wanted you dead more than anything as you single-handedly tore apart my servants," said servants shuffled nervously at that, "but even I understand that you wouldn't do something like that of your own free will. Therefore, I cannot in good conscience accept your debt over something which I do not hold you responsible for."

With that, Sona walked by him to Rias, not a dismissal, but a clear sign that she considered the conversation finished. He wasn't sure what to think, but that seemed to be the closest thing to forgiveness he could expect from the usually stoic President.

With their King apparently approving of Issei's genuine attempt at reconciliation, the other members of the Sitri team began to mingle with the ORC. Tsubaki and Akeno began conversing quietly, while Momo and Reya were eagerly engaging Asia, Koneko and Ravel in conversation. Kiba, Xenovia, and Tomoe were also chatting, discussing the merits of different sword styles. With the exception of Tsubasa and Ruruko, who had helped themselves to the snacks laid out previously, most everyone there was interacting with other Devils of the same Piece type.

It did have it's downsides.

"You bastard!" A fist impacted against Issei's jaw. Still stunned by Sona's refusal of his being indebted to her, Issei had zoned out and Saji had apparently capitalized on that. The slight knock to the head was enough to jolt Issei back to reality, only to find a wincing Saji shaking his hand in discomfort. The blow hadn't even moved the demidrake and it didn't seem to have very much force behind it, so the pain was from another source.

Beneath the skin of Saji's right hand, a purple dye seemed to roil beneath the surface. It was fluid, expanding and contracting as Saji contorted his wrist and digits, but seemed to hold roughly the same amount altogether regardless of the other Pawn's doing.

"Oh. Hey, Saji." Issei grunted. "Nice to see you?"

Saji blinked and instead backed away. "Don't do that!"

"Huh?"

"Pretending to be sorry! You should be on your knees before the President and me!"

"I can understand Sitri, but you?"

"Do you have any idea how much I sacrificed to help a your ass the other day?" Saji held his hand up to show the demidrake. "Vritra hasn't slept since then! And if he can't sleep…"

"You can't sleep," Issei nodded in genuine sympathy. "One of the things they don't tell you, when you first communicate with them, they don't let up."

"I'm not talk talking about that! He only makes comments now and then, but he's always watching! Always!"

The look Saji gave his hand and the sigh that escaped him nearly garnered some sympathy from Issei until he understood what he meant.

"It's been two days and you're upset since you can't jack off!"

"It's weird to do it when someone's watching!"

"It's even weirder to talk to someone else about it," Issei muttered beneath his breath before reaching out and tapping Saji on the chest. Quickly deploying Divine Dividing, he got the rooms attention as Albion called out (Divide!). The inky swirls faded away, and Saji blinked at his apparently normal hand in wonder.

"He's quiet now… And I can't feel him anymore. I'm cured!" The blonde boy did a little jig in celebration. "I'm cured!"

"And with that, we're even." Issei rolled his eyes, already planning to sanitize his hand at the earliest opportunity.

"If you're quite finished, we have a schedule to keep," Sona impatiently chided the two Pawns. Conjuring one of her own circles, the ORC was filled with gentle white light rather than the usual warm red. All devils present filed through, leaving the human world behind.

"You know, I always thought it was just Issei who had trouble with magic," Kiba mused to Xenovia, both Knights watching with apparent interest. "Even you, Xenovia, you've adjusted to generating your own demonic energy no problem. But seeing Saji like this too is kind of entertaining."

"It's a malady of personal shortcomings then? So it's not contagious."

"No, it's not," Kiba chuckled, watching with poorly veiled amusement as a dizzy Saji moaned on the ground pitifully, while Issei on the other was only pale as usual and hunched over slightly. "It's mostly to do with Issei being incompatible with all kinds of magic, especially demonic, but I guess if Saji's hand belongs to a dragon now he'd be affected badly too. You have nothing to worry about."

Momo and Ruruko were close by to Saji, uncaring of the ridiculousness of it all as they comforted him as best they could. On the other hand, Issei had five females hovering over him, and he was much more receptive of their care than his fellow male.

After Saji recovered slightly from his newfound malady, he and Issei both rose to find themselves in a dark forest. The sky was reflective of the underworld's bizarre night cycle, being a bluish-purple than the black of the human world. As a result, their surroundings were more purple shadow than anything else, though it didn't matter to them as devils possessed above normal night-vision, and Issei could see clear as day with his own innate gifts.

At some unspoken signal, those present who had familiars summoned them; the familiars in question nodded to their summoners before scampering off to who knew where.

"It's tradition," Tsubaki explained as her familiar, a rabbit with velvet fur, bounded away. "While they spend their time with us in the human world, when we return for any time it's expected to let them have time off, so to speak. This is their home after all."

Tsubaki's rabbit wasn't the only one with a destination in mind. Akeno's oni reversed their duplication, condensing into one little demon before it steadfastly marched down the set path. Kiba's hawk flew off, while Koneko's white kitten climbed up a tree and disappeared from sight. A second bird with red wings flew from Ravel, while Rias' bat/lady simply flew up to the branch above them, where it slept upside down. Caught up with seeing most of his friends' familiars for the first time, Issei didn't have time to observe those from the rest of the Sitri group.

"AHOY THERE!" An obnoxiously eager voice called from above and behind. The group turned to find a man standing like an over-eager cub scout on a mission, in a hero pose up on one of the lower branches of the trees. "WELCOME TO THE FAMILIAR FOREST!"

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Master Satoji," Rias inclined her head. "You have my thanks for accommodating us in our unusual circumstances."

"Nonsense!" The familiar master leapt down to land in front of them, thankfully for his sake he was speaking at a volume that didn't grate on Issei's hearing. "Since this was a favor from the Leviathan herself, I have no objections whatsoever to working overtime tonight."

"My thanks as well, with the addition of an apology if my sister was overzealous in her request to aid us both," Sona nodded, a slight tinge to her cheeks as she thought of the possible ways her sister could have terrified the man into helping.

"Not at all! We actually have a good working relationship! I supply most of the monsters you see on her show in fact!" Satoji thumped his chest, "now, how many familiars we looking for tonight!"

"Five, three for Rias' new servants and two for some of mine."

The man nodded in understanding, "I see. Well then, can I interest you in an adolescent dragon?" The man blurred, and was suddenly next to Issei, behaving as if the Pawn was a potential familiar. "Good fighting potential and experience, with a Longinus Gear included in the package. Holy element to help counter Strays, pesky Angels or Exorcists of any kind. Physically, in peak condition and performance excelling in all areas save intense academia. Any takers?"

Issei was somewhat alarmed that he was being described so well, as well as unnerved about apparently being offered like an art piece at an auction. To his dismay, Asia, Ravel, Koneko, Akeno and Tsubasa all raised their hands.

The first three? He could kind of see where they were coming from. Despite already having familiars, Ravel and Koneko were like Asia in that they would leap for more time with him. Akeno, her reasons could vary up and down the scale, though his money was betting that if he became a familiar she'd treat him more like a faithful pet... As for Tsubasa, she was the only member of the opposing Peerage who had admitted to being a fan of his ever since the Rating Game against Raiser. Just what he needed, a fangirl.

An uncomfortable cough caused the first three to lower their hands reluctantly, and a glare from Rias promised Tsubasa that she might not survive if she was being serious in her interest. Akeno smiled with her eyes close, but lowered her hand anyway.

"Sorry, Satoji, but Issei is already one of my precious servants," Rias informed the man. "Might we look for familiars elsewhere?"

"Damn." The man petulantly kicked a rock. "Dragons never go for being familiars, can you blame me for trying?"

"Dragons live around here?" Issei looked around in renewed interest. Meeting another dragon, besides Albion and Vritra, would be rather memorable.

"Used to. Only reason why they packed up and left was because they couldn't stand having devils and other beings pestering them for familiar requests." Satoji sighed. "Even old Tiamat's gone now."

Issei flinched as Albion's presence boiled to the surface of his mind. (Tiamat was here?)

"Oh, a Heavenly Dragon! Would you like to be a familiar?"

(Answer the question, little man.)

"Yeah, she was here. Took off about a decade ago, no one knows why but she stayed here the longest."

Albion's presence receded, but not before Issei heard one last snarking comment.

('As if Tia would ever consent to go anywhere at a weaker being's beck and call.')

Confused by the statement, Issei shook himself to find that the others were already starting to hike down the path, with Satoji leading and Rias and Akeno waiting behind for him. He strode towards them to catch up, both girls grabbing an arm as he passed by to hold onto.

"Something wrong?" Rias inquired, a trace amount of worry crossing her features.

"Hopefully it's nothing. Mentioning Tiamat apparently set Albion a little on edge."

"She didn't mean that, she meant about the other dragons in general," Akeno clarified, worried looks traded with their King. "You don't ever show any inclination to find and socialize with other dragons."

Issei answered by pulling them closer to him. "It's not a priority, but someday I might want to. I have other things to attend to, other people who have my attention in the here and now."

Warmth, content, and not a small trace of arousal drifted across the bond before they were overwhelmed with embarrassment. Rias glared at him, face turning pink slowly. "Idiot. Why are you so good with words like that?"

"I'm sorry?" He was genuinely sorry, he didn't quite understand the issue.

"Well, that's to be expected," Akeno sighed, a healthy tinge to her own face as well. "You'll figure it out someday," she pulled Issei down a little to kiss his cheek as they walked, "but keep talking like that and that day will be rather memorable."

Their little moment was interrupted as they caught up with the rest of the group, who had stopped to listen for something. Issei extended his own senses as well.

"It sounds like… hoofbeats?" Ravel guessed, clearly unsure.

"Ah, those are minotaurs," Satoji nodded. "Usually solitary creatures, but they'll band together in herds if they feel threatened or if they detect someone who hurt one of their own kind. Maou help the one who picked a fight with one and got more than he bargained for."

Issei's gut twisted. "Oi, moron. How good's that detection thingy of theirs?"

"Eh? Hmm, lemme think. Pretty accurate up to a few years at least, though no one's really been willing to test it out. No one's stupid enough to fight one and risk antagonizing a herd." The entire group was now watching their exchange with curiosity.

Issei sighed, before indicating for his King and Queen to let go of him. "I'll catch up with you guys later." Spreading Divine Dividing, he floated upwards, "Just need to take care of this."

The bondmates looked pointedly at him. "Tartarus?" They asked in sync.

"Tartarus," the demidrake nodded back before disappearing in a flash.

The group watched him go, even as they light trail faded into the distance as Issei put distance between them to avoid collateral damage.

"Where's he going?" Satoji asked curiously.

"Knowing him? Probably to increase the market supply of minotaur steak," Rias sighed. "Well, while he's doing that, let's keep going."

None of the young devils argued, though it took Koneko and Tsubasa combined to drag a catatonic Satoji along as he kept whispering for mercy for his forest's inhabitants.

Once Koneko had awakened the familiar master (read: slapped him to consciousness), the now pale Satoji continued on the tour. "Yes, yes, we're now approaching the Undine lake. Home to the Undine faeries."

"Undines?"

"Water sprites," Satoji clarified for the confused Ruruko. "Known for healing magic as well as their high defensive skill."

"I just want a familiar that's cute," Asia mumbled, disappointed that so far, nothing had caught her interest. Ruruko nodded her agreement, while Xenovia disagreed.

"A familiar that can aid me in combat would be most preferable," the Knight declared. "One that could perform household chores for me would be second-best," she amended.

"I just want one that's hot!" Saji all but bemoaned. Having been somewhat informed of the kinds of familiars there were by Sona, his dreams of having a hot river sprite in a skimpy bikini had been shattered long ago.

"Hmm, then perhaps we could find one that caters to your desires?" The crazy man muttered. "Now do you prefers breasts or butts?"

Everyone present groaned as the man seemed to be encouraging Saji to unleash whatever perverted designs he had upon the world.

"I don't care, so long as they're women! Scratch that, so long as they are extremely attractive women, like Gremory or Himejima or my master Sona or even Tsubaki!"

Somewhere else in the forest, Issei backhanded another rampant bullman into a tree and felt an irrational urge to wipe out all nearby members of the male species.

"Hmm," Satoji looked around at the mentioned girls, who felt no small amount of discomfort at being mentally undressed. So the mature older lady-type then. Well, for starters, we have centaurs and arachne, if you're talking bust size that is, but the issue remains that they're a bit of an acquired taste for sexual interest. Not to mention arachne females have that habit of injuring their partners mid-coitus."

Saji did not appear to be disheartened in any bit, causing the Gremory group to shake their heads in disgust and wander a bit away. Sona and hers were unfortunately more involved with the perv's situation and could only watch as they left them to their own devices.

"It seems that Saji is… eccentric," Xenovia commented. "I thank you all again for forewarning me about his creation of the Dress Break."

"No worries," Rias sighed as she brought one hand to her cheek in contemplation. "He's not really our problem, but we have to deal with him all the same unfortunately. Now then, let's try and find you a familiar while their busy."

For about half an hour, the girls and Kiba wandered the dimly lit forest, until they happened on a large grass-filled clearing. Not quite a green pasture, but that did not seem to bother the pegasus that stood within it.

The beast's coat was pure white, though it's fringe was a bright blue the same shade as Xenovia's hair. It looked up at them, deep brown eyes observing them before the winged horse turned back to graze.

"I think I found mine," Xenovia declared, retrieving her smartphone from her pocket and opening an app. "Now, all I need to to do is catch it!" She held her phone so that the camera function caught the pegasus on screen, where she immediately began to flick virtual red and white spheres at the noble beast. With the exception of Asia, the remaining members of the ORC facepalmed in unison. Xenovia had apparently taken some aspects of modern culture a little too seriously.

"Nothing like that, and for goodness' sake, put that thing away," Rias whispered furiously. "If you want him as your familiar, don't try and humiliate him into running off!"

"But he isn't," Xenovia blurred with her newly acquired speed to stand right in front of the noble beast. "See?"

The pegasus continued with its meal, until it finally looked at the teenager standing before it. It didn't even seem disturbed that the swordswoman was violating its personal space.

"Hello there, I'm Xenovia. Now, before I attempt to catch you, would you mind if I broke procedure and simply asked for you to be my familiar?"

No one facepalmed now, too stunned, but all the devils present sans the Knight in question sweatdropped at that. And unless the light was playing tricks on them, so did the horse.

"You can understand me, can't you?"

A moment passed before the white muzzle lowered then raised unexpectedly.

"So? Will you?"

Instead of nodding, the Pegasus butted its muzzle against Xenovia's bag. At first it was a gentle nudge, then again with slightly more force. Understanding somehow, Xenovia pulled something from her pocket: a small parcel of food obviously for lunch, including two red apples.

Xenovia looked at the near-perfectly round fruit with concern. "These aren't Razz Berries, but if it's what you want," she raised them to the creature's mouth, careful to keep her fingers away from danger of being bitten. After the equine had had them both, it looked at Xenovia with obvious intelligence and butted its head against her shoulder twice. The Knight didn't say anything, but her face was full of surprise and wonder.

Breaking the quiet yet eager atmosphere, Akeno stepped forward to coach Xenovia through the universal incantation. Once the newly named "Silver", had been contracted, Xenovia swung herself onto the beast, riding bare backed and with Durandal still drawn.

If she wasn't an obvious Knight, the broadsword and winged horse did the trick.

Still though, something was bugging the minds of those there. Sans Asia, who was still in awe of the pegasus' beauty and pure white wings and Xenovia, who was beside herself with joy, the third and first-year girls were growing concerned over something so obvious that they had failed to take into account.

Issei didn't have the demonic energy to cast even the simple contracting spell.

Before they could voice those concerns, the Sitri group and Satoji managed to catch up with them. Ruruko looked especially pleased with herself, in her hands was a sphere of magic energy. Completely hollow, inside it sat a field mouse with slightly large ears. Nibbling on a piece of grass, the mouse actually looked up at the Gremory team, waved at them with one free paw, then returned back to gnawing on the plant.

Contrasting her, Saji was beyond depressed. Nearly stumbling into Kiba, the other blonde boy caught him by the shoulder before he could send both of them into a roar patch or worse. "You alright there?" The Knight actually managed to grant some amount of concern for the other boy.

"No, no I'm not, you damn handsome," Saji sniffed. "I saw the Undines. They were as ugly as Sona promised."

"I did nothing of the sort," Sona adjusted her glasses. "I merely informed you that their biology better resembled that of heavily-built human males."

"It's the same thing," Saji groaned despondently. Irritable, he kicked the nearest tree, one that had rotted severely and looked as if a light breeze would knock it over. Despite all expectations, it managed to stay upright, though the few leaves on its upper branches were dislodged, along with the creature that had been there.

Dark green slime dripped down from the tree limbs, showering the group in goo.

"I know you guys have that mindless herd thing down, but is this really necessary? I only thrashed others in self-defense," Issei groaned in frustration as he used another minotaur's horns as handles of sorts to throw the beast into another trio. "I've got better things to do, other places…"

His words were cut off as he felt fear and embarrassment from Rias and Akeno, as well as their mutual mental scream for help. Prioritizing their call first, he downgraded minimization of collateral damage on his list.

Activating his ScaleMail, he pointed one palm downward, energy gathering as he charged up the Dragon Emperor's signature attack, Dragon Shot.

One explosion later and the minotaurs had been all but vaporized from the intensity of the blast. Issei didn't stick around long enough to see it, already zooming back to the others.

Kiba was flailing about, some green sap clinging to his face and obscuring his sight. One hand was pulling on the mass attached to him, while the other swung around the Holy-Demonic sword in desperation, though his wild swings were tempered by his proximity to the others as he didn't want to risk accidental injury.

Satoji was likewise hindered, eyesight covered completely, but Saji was standing there, nose bleeding but still grinning away like an idiot at the view…

… Of the female Devils screaming and crying as their clothes were eaten away by the slime. The slime seemed to have a mind of its own, tying the girl up and entangling them in perverse positions.

"This is a rather textbook encounter of the perverted slime of the forest. Rather useless in general, it feeds off of unwitting individuals, predominantly females, by secreting an enzyme that disintegrates fabric, enchanted or not." The familiar master stood there as if reading from that textbook. "Completely harmless physically, but not so much to one's dignity, and more troublesome given that it restricts its victims ability to properly use magic."

"If anyone can get free, do something!" Rias cried out in fear and shame. While Kiba wouldn't look at them with sexual intentions, Saji was being a lecher while their modesty was breached. It was one thing to enjoy exposing herself for Issei's appreciation, but this wasn't a situation any girl could enjoy.

"I've decided! I want this slime as my familiar."

Sona's concentration broke completely, allowing the slime to overpower her more as she paused to look at the boy in disbelief. "What'd you just say?"

"I want this as my familiar! A creature that lives up to if not surpasses my own Dress Break! It binds them up too! I want it, that way I can see all these and every other girl at school naked all the~"

Saji flew and impacted against a tree, embedded in the bark. Koneko hadn't been able to break away from the slime, it didn't give her any leverage to escape. The best she could do was throw herself against Saji, using only the strength of her feet and calves to propel herself and deal the blow.

It wasn't amusing to Sona. "Koneko, how does that help us!" She squirmed as the slime pressed her up against her Queen.

She had the grace to look contemplative for about a moment. "It made me feel better." Returning her attention to the slime, she was about to make a request before the slime suddenly fled, melting in rivulets down the girls' bodies, pooling at one end of the clearing before slinking away quickly. The reason for this was suddenly explained as a falling tree crashed to the ground and another monstrosity appeared.

Those present and other things to worry about than modesty. This creature looked feral, hungry. It was as if someone had half-starved a dog, chained it up, and that dog had chewed at its own leg to escape in it determination to feed.

Appearance was also an intimidation factor. Either a flesh-eating plant had uprooted itself while digesting a lizard or a lizard that had slept long enough for a flesh-eating plant to grow around it.

"Oh, dear, that's a rather hideous chimera," Satoji whispered before disappearing into the tree heights. "Best of luck!" His fading voice called.

"Form up!" Sona commanded and her servants, moving like clockwork, fell into some kind of formation with spells, weapons, and fists ready. Among the ORC, those capable of fighting, Kiba included, formed a close-circle around Asia and Ravel, their only non-combatants.

Perhaps it was Saji's perverse behavior that was contagious, but Kiba couldn't help but feel that he was in an eroge given that almost everyone was still naked, though concealed to various extents. Rias and Akeno had simply adjusted their hair to cover up, Koneko's tail was wrapped around her nethers, while Ravel and Asia simply covered up the old-fashioned way, though they looked more concerned with the monster looking at them like lunch.

"So, do we attack?" Ruruko whispered loudly.

"We can't go picking fights with every being we come across here. But nor can we wait for Hyoudou's return," Sona whispered back.

The monster apparently didn't like the thought of being interrupted by a newcomer and moved to attack, stomping forward as vines and roots erupted from its body and the ground to ensnare and entangle the still naked females.

"Oh, why oh why did it have to be tentacles," Rias cursed as she flung another ball of Destruction why trying to preserve her modesty with her other arm.

If there were any constants accepted by the supernatural then there were three. First, always respect dragons because of and for what they were. Second, expect the strangest of familial relationships among the different pantheons. Particularly the Greeks and Egyptians. Lastly, if you were female, then expect tentacles to make your day a living Hell at least once in your lifetime.

"WAAAHHHH!" Asia and Ravel screamed in unison as their limbs were ensnared, vines pulling them from the ground. Ravel's flame was already burning at the aggressive shrub so she'd be free eventually, but poor Asia was left to be contorted as the chimera pleased.

Back to back, Rias and Akeno fought furiously, forsaking their attempts to cover up to avoid entanglement. Unfortunately, their efforts were directed towards the growth around them, not below. Dirt flowed like water and the plants overtook them as well.

As the fastest among them, Kiba was doing rather well, using his speed to avoid eruption after the other, twin blades formed with the intent to cut and permanently sever in his hands. He was the only one making headway.

Xenovia had been separated from her new steed, pulled off by her leg as one vine wrapped itself around her ankle as she hacked at anything coming near her mount's wings. Sadly, even though Durandal's cutting edge was superior to almost every other sword imaginable, off balance as she was it was too unwieldy for gardening. Yanked upside down, Durandal torn from her grasp, she too was caught.

Koneko was cheating. Ears and tail out, she had simply decided to sit down and meditate then and there. A white curtain of ki enveloped her, and any organic matter around her disintegrated as it touched it. The roots and vines thrashed around her protective barrier, but they were at an impasse. Koneko was safe behind it, but she couldn't move without breaking her concentration. Stalemate.

Sona and her group were likewise suspended, not having fared much better. The vines had left Saji alone, apparently the Pawn wasn't worth the effort. But the females of the Student Council were also ensnared.

Kiba cut down one more tendril before stepping back, "Why won't this thing die?" He dispelled his scalpel-like blades and summoned a fire sword. Stabbing the ground, he watched as ring of duplicate blades erupted around the chimera and engulfed it in a pillar of fire. Once the flames burnt away, the chimera looked to be seriously injured but already regrowing from the attack.

'Where's Issei when you really need him?' Kiba bemoaned. 'Holy Fire salvos sound pretty good right now.'

A scream broke his concentration as the vines around the girls shifted in appearance. White blossoms formed that bloomed into an odd formation for a flower before latching onto the breasts of every female available. The initial scream was the result, but it was followed by moans of discomfort as it seemed that the plant-life was… milking them?

From the eroticly attached flowers, small bulges traveled down the vines and back to the creature's main body. It seemed like a cartoonish mockery of a suction pump, but Kiba noticed with dismay that the more the creature absorbed from the girls, the faster it healed from his earlier attack.

Without warning, Ravel's flame went out. The Phenex girl could only tilt her head quizzically in surprise before shrieking as the vines began suckling her anew. Besides that, the vines were beginning to let some of the other girls go. One by one, the girls were lowered back to the ground. First Ruruko, then Tsubasa and Tomoe, then Momo, Reya, Xenovia. Tsubaki and Asia were then lowered after, leaving Akeno, Rias, Ravel, and Sona suspended.

Kiba quickly checked the girls over, not perversely of course, but to ensure their safety. Aside from exhaustion, they were alright, though none of them seemed to be capable of standing or anything else besides groaning incomprehensibly anytime soon.

Kiba didn't quite understand the reasoning behind the plant's choice at first. It would have seemed that the plant-dragon had a preference for larger breasts, but since Sona was still being fed upon and Xenovia's were larger than Ravel's, that theory wouldn't pan out.

It was then that he thought rationally, punching himself in the face for thinking somewhat like Saji. The creature was absorbing magic energy, regardless of the type, no matter of the crude methodology. Given that the four still ensnared were pureblood high-class devils, or born the hybrid daughter of a cadre, the three upperclassmen and his junior would appear to be magical feasts.

That only further cemented in his mind that this thing was not a dragon. So far as he knew, Issei could provide some demonic power from his Promotions, but he couldn't use it efficiently himself. Whatever this chimera was, it wasn't a dragon fused with anything else, so if they could just get Issei here it'd be game over.

With a cry of surprise, Ravel and Sona were lowered as well, apparently drained of magic energy. While he was glad for it, his King and Queen were still captive. For once in his admittedly short life as a devil, he questioned the fortune of them both having high magical energy levels.

Equipping his scalpels, Kiba rushed for the few remaining vines, ignoring the main creature for now. His Sword of Betrayal currently had no special attributes beyond its dual energy type, it wasn't specifically meant for fighting monsters. With his strongest ability hindered, the best he could do for now was try and free his comrades.

He took two steps before Issei crashed into the clearing, armored shredding through tree trunks as he had apparently taken a much more direct route to their location. The armored demidrake sized up the chimera and growled.

A wave of killing intent flooded the clearing. The girls no longer captive were jolted to clarity by the full-force of it; it smothering any fatigue they had. The chimera apparently felt it too.

"You… YOU! HAVEN'T YOU HEARD IT'S NOT POLITE TO TOUCH WHAT ISN'T YOURS!" Issei roared as he blurred into motion.

Kiba wasn't quite sure what was going on. He had seen Issei's speed with his Light Wings, he had struggled to control some jealousy when the Pawn could equal and overtake him in speed. But even so he could only gape as Issei raced fast enough to leave after-images of himself behind as he utterly tore the beast apart with his own hands.

Vines, covered in thorns this time, stretched out, only to be burned away. The creature roared in pain, its maw opening only to have Issei stand inside it. With one leg on the lower mandible and his left hand on the roof of the mouth, Issei pointed his right hand down its throat, Holy Fire gathering into a single point. He fired it, then leapt away and towards the third-years.

Everyone else was treated to the sight of the chimera burning from the inside out. Some of them watched with glee that it didn't die quickly.

As for Issei, he had dispelled his armor when he leapt to catch his mates before they could fall. Hard armor would scrape against their soft skin, he wouldn't risk their comfort. Catching Rias in his right arm, and seizing Akeno with his left, he used his natural wings to land safely.

It was only then that everyone got a good look at him, and it was a little frightening to say the least. His eyes and fangs, that was nothing new, at least when it came to his physical appearance.

No, what unnerved them all was that his golden eyes were absolutely feral. Narrowed as they were now, they showed nothing of the good-natured teen they all knew. What's more, around his eyes and face, and on the back of his hands and forearms, his skin appeared to be mottled silver in patterns that they quickly realized were scales. He looked more reptilian than ever before.

Ignoring the death of whatever the chimera used to be, Rias and Akeno didn't hesitate. Not even bothering to restore their clothing, they knelt, sitting on the grassy floor of the clearing. Folding their legs under them, they made sure to pull Issei down with them. Akeno pulled Issei to her, pulling his head to her bosom and holding him there. The demidrake didn't resist, but he kept his head tilted so that he could continue to glare at the smoldering corpse with his one visible eye. Rias then pressed herself against his back, leaning her head on his shoulder.

It seemed like a very intimate moment that no one really wanted to interrupt. But Sona was right to be worried, so interrupt she did, of course after she had regained enough power to restore the clothing of everyone else.

"Rias, do you care to tell us what just happened? Why he looks like that?" Far from being unforgiving for recent events, she was only being precautions and no one could fault her for it.

"I'm not quite sure. Besides it being Issei being his protective self, he might be learning how to transform physically," Rias murmured softly. "Then again, with the bond completed, it could be his natural instincts running amok when we were in distress."

Sona was apparently satisfied that Issei's only intention had been her classmate's safety and elimination of the threat, and so she nodded her acknowledgement. Then something clicked. "The bond is completed?"

Rias wordlessly raised her left hand, focusing on the gift Issei had given that morning, while Akeno's activated even though she still held her bondmate close to her. White runes appeared on her ring finger, glowing softly as they began to spin with their usual animation.

Sona blinked owlishly before she coughed. "So you're married by dragon customs. I suppose congratulations are in order."

Akeno and Rias beamed with happiness, "Thank you!" They chorused.

While the conscious members of Sona's peerage offered their congratulations as well, Koneko, Ravel, and Asia were uncertain of their own feelings on the matter. On one hand, they were happy for the trio, truly they were. But they weren't blind or foolish. They knew what it meant for the bond to be completed, and what it entailed for their own chances with him.

"Mou," Asia was barely holding back tears. "It's… It's not fair."

Koneko was patting her own chest, and frowning. "Must drink more milk," she kept repeating to herself.

Ravel was just stunned into silence, her knight in shining armor had already wed his princess. And wed his priestess too. Where would she be, where was her place in his life? She couldn't bring herself to accept that she'd only ever be his student. Not now, not after everything that happened. She still felt guilt for not being able to help during Kokabiel's torture session. Would the gap between her and him keep growing?

"I don't understand." The three turned to see Xenovia tilting her head in confusion. "You all were interested in the demidrake."

Koneko scowled. "He's more than what species he is."

"I meant no disrespect, but I don't understand. Is it not common for Devils to have harems? And isn't it common for dragons to negotiate breeding contracts to continue their race?"

The girls looked at each other before looking back to the Knight. "How do you know all that about dragons?"

"My partner was a student learning to combat them."

The Rook and Bishops nodded; that made sense. Immediately after that, they each froze with the same indecipherable expression.

"Polygamy is still an option." Asia whispered.

"Still a chance," Koneko agreed.

Ravel smiled, "I'll make this work."

While none of them showed it, they were all thinking the same thing, 'I won't lose!'

A slight groan of annoyance returned their attention to Issei. Scales fading back into human-looking skin, the demidrake blinked twice as his eyes regained some clarity, though they remained slitted in their snake-like appearance. "Did I get him?"

"You killed it," Rias affirmed as she hugged her mate. "Though the manner you did so might have been a bit excessive."

"Huh," Issei reluctantly lifted himself up and out of Akeno's bosom, the very act a testament to the size of her bust, though he gave the Queen a quick kiss when she whined in disappointment. "All I remember is being really pissed off."

A series of pops resounded as the muscles and fats in the carcass boiled from the heat and cause the flesh to explode. The surprise was enough to startle Asia, who squeaked as she back pedaled, tripping over something partially buried in the earth.

"Ok, maybe a bit too much."

Issei shook his head and helped the girls up. He held out his hands, glyphs in preparation, but Rias and Akeno beat him to it, summoning spare clothes from his array with their newly acquired gifts. Taking the time to dress under their own power, they were fully clothed when Satoji made his return.

"OUT! OUT I SAY!"

"Satoji, glad to see you're unharmed," Rias' kind tone betrayed how annoyed she was with being forced to leave. "But what exactly may I ask is the problem?"

"THAT!" The familiar master shrieked as he pointed behind him.

That turned out to be the direct path Issei had taken to get there. The familiar forest now had a glassy trench running through it with scorched husks of dead tree trunks to its sides. Environmental damage on a massive scale, courtesy of one dragon uncaring of anything except the safety and dignity of his mates. It was quite possible that Issei had wrecked any chances of repairing the homes of the rarer familiars with his little stunt.

"Oops."

"GET OUT!"

"Well, this is just fantastic," Rias groaned as she sipped her tea. "At least Xenovia got a familiar, even if Ise and Asia couldn't."

The Knight in question looked somewhat guilty that she was the only one lucky enough to receive one, unlike the other two.

Issei had his eyes closed and was in that damnably annoying sleep-state of his, the one that looked like he was dead to the world but still ready for almost anything at the drop of a hat. And Asia didn't seem upset either.

"It's alright, Rias," Asia smiled. "I already found my familiar!"

That bit of news roused the rest of them to gather around the Bishop for details, while Issei opened his eyes in curiosity. When prompted, the blonde produced a blue ovaloid stone and placed it upon the table between them. They were at Koneko's home right now, and with limited seating only the younger girls, Issei, and the third-years could see it clearly.

"I tripped over it before Mister Satoji surprised us again," Asia began. "It's hollow, so it must be an egg!"

"Asia~" Issei tried to intervene.

"And Satoji said that dragons used to live in the forest, so I thought that it must be a dragon's egg. We're so lucky!"

"To have a dragon as a familiar, raised from birth," Ravel looked jealous. "The only way dragons might be able to be considered familiars and you win the grand lottery."

"Enough." Issei's tired voice rang out, silencing them all. "Enough," he shook his head. "Asia, things… Things aren't always what they seem to be."

"What do you mean, Issei?" Asia tilted her head in confusion.

With a sad look on his face, Issei turned the stone over to reveal what none of them had seen in their excitement. Running down the length of the egg was a crack, hairline in nature, but still there. It looked old, as if the elements had taken their toll against it and the eggs' precious contents. When she saw it, Asia began to tear up.

"Dragons don't leave unhatched eggs lying around for no good reason," Issei struggled to keep his voice level. "With its shell casing breached, its aura still developing, the hatchling wouldn't have survived. If it's any consolation, it would have been painless."

"No…" Asia breathed, tears falling freely at the realization that the tiny being had died stillborn. "It's not fair for it to die, not when it didn't have a chance."

Issei reached out across the table to touch Asia on the shoulder gently, hoping to help comfort in what limited ways he could. He stopped,when Twilight Healing materialized unexpectedly, surrounding Asia with green light that bathed the area.

"It's not fair," Asia kept murmuring. "It's not right."

"Asia…" Issei tried to comfort her, but his eyes were drawn to the egg. Enveloped in the radius of Asia's power, the fractured shell was beginning to repair itself. The edges of the fracture were expanded to seal the egg, quickly so that it appeared as if it had never been anything less than completely whole.

His attention turned back to Asia, who had collapsed from exhaustion as the glow had faded away. For a brief moment, so fast that it could be missed if he had blinked, there appeared to be some golden outline around her. Strange.

Ravel and Koneko, who had been sitting next to her were the first ones to check on the blonde Bishop. She was still awake, but was now reclined weakly against the other two. She appeared to be fine, though she was a bit unresponsive.

Issei prepared to move around the table, as did Akeno and Rias who had gotten up beside them. Kiba and Xenovia, who had been sitting at the bar behind them were already moving, but Issei froze when he heard a noise, and then he returned his gaze to the egg.

It was a noise that only he could hear at the moment, but it sounded like someone was tapping a bell-like anvil with a tiny mallet repeatedly. The frequency of the taps increased quickly, as did their intensity until every devil in the room sans Asia was looking at the egg in curiosity.

A hairline crack formed now, not down it's length, but at one of its symmetrical ends. The webbing cracks grew in size, until the crick-crack of the shell movement indicated that the casing was coming apart from within.

Issei watched for a little longer then his eyes widened as the entire egg began to rattle. Not even bothering to go around, he reached over the table the egg was on, grabbed the three girls sitting there before pulling them to him. In the same motion, he fell backwards to the couch, kicking the table over, sending the egg skittering to the floor. He ignored the shouts of alarm as he landed, hugging the younger girls in his arms and his mates with his wings, hoping that Kiba and. Xenovia had the sense to get clear.

Then with a small bang, blue pieces of shell went flying as the egg exploded with the full force of a fragmentation grenade. The pieces clinked as they bounced and reflected off the table, so they were safe from that, but their skin tingled as they all felt a wave of electrical discharge. The static clung to them, and as Issei released the girls he had to bite down on his tongue to keep from laughing. Rias, Akeno, Asia, and Ravel all had their hair standing straight up. Koneko and Xenovia had their hair affected too, but the effect was much more pronounced on the longer manes. He was especially enjoying Akeno's new look; what with her incredibly long hair and relative immunity to her own element, this was something he'd long pondered but never thought he'd get to see.

Deciding to ignore his impromptu entertainment, he glanced over the table, then pulled Asia over. The girl had regained some clarity at the sharp noise and her eyes widened when she saw what was there.

Surrounded by a tiny ring of scorch marks, there was a tiny reptilian dragon the size of a kitten. Blue scales, white spikes along its spine, triangular head, and tiny ripples of electricity fading from its gleaming skin. The creature was currently on its side, attempting to right itself as it wriggled on the floor.

"Asia," Rias managed to ask. "Just what did you do?"

"I… I don't know," the blonde girl whispered back, even as she stared at the little creature who by all rights shouldn't be alive and yet here he was.

The tiny reptile managed to steady himself on his stomach before pushing up with all four legs. The short neck cocked, and the Devils were treated to see the telling signs of Asia's signature green energy sparkling in the hatchling's eyes.

Blunt as ever, Albion manifested the glowing blue 'gem' midway in Issei's forearm to deliver his opinion.

(Congratulations, Asia. You're a mother.)

"Eh?" The girl in question squeaked as the tiny dragon's eyes focused on her, ignoring everything else. "A mother?"

Considering she'd been doing admirably well thus far, no one thought any less of her when she fainted.

Issei waved goodbye to his last customer, signed contract in hand, as he walked off and headed home. What with the events Kokabiel had brought down upon them, contracts had been postponed until further notice. Now that the crisis was over, both Rias' peerage and Sona's were working overtime to complete the abundance of jobs available.

They had all split up as usual. Asia, Ravel, and Koneko going off for cosplay or cooking, Kiba for simple housework, himself for his usuals in the industrial part of town. Tonight specifically was helping for renovations to one of the town's many historic tourist sites. Much simpler than most jobs he was called for, but not like he was complaining.

Rias and Akeno had taken Xenovia with them to both expose her to what the job's they took entailed, as well as evaluate what tasks she was best suited for. So far, they had ruled out business advice, romantic assistance, manual chores, and complex academic work. The first two seemed in character for the Knight, the last one even gave him trouble, but the third was because Xenovia took to physical exertion with perhaps too much enthusiasm, frightening the client.

Since his last job for the day had finished up, he was going home on foot, not by magic. One, because as per usual, magic sucked for him. Two, because he could travel at his own pace and think back on recent events or ponder new ones as he pleased.

He had done it once while flying and texting at the same time. Coincidentally, the next job he had had after that was repairing the clocktower he had unintentionally flown through.

Walking would get no one hurt.

Thinking back to the events of the previous day, Issei sighed as he remembered how his resident Legendary Dragon had been of no significant help. Once they had revived Asia, they had pestered Albion for aid in how to raise a baby dragon, but the ancient being had said that parenting should come naturally and without external interference. Issei thought that was code for 'I really don't know how to raise a kid'. Which was strange, because he thought he himself had turned out alright.

Asia had settled on a name for the baby Sprite dragon. Rassei, a play on the word for lightning and Issei's own name. By her simplistic logic, much to his chagrin, that made him a godfather of sorts and she had asked for his help as well. Not that he could easily refuse something from the gentle girl.

Currently, Rassei was sound asleep in a spare room of Koneko's home, surrounded by sweets, pudding, fresh fruit, blankets and pillows, bottles of milk, stuffed animals of both mythical and mundane varieties, and a monitoring lacrima that would alert Asia if the hatchling woke up.

Issei couldn't help but wonder whether some of the stuffed toys would end up shredded if the baby mistook them for the real deal and instead wanted fresh meat.

Maybe it was him not paying attention, thoughts miles away, but he realized he had been displaced via magic as the usual disorientation washed over him. Issei groaned, he had walked right into a circle that had sprung up in front of him.

Shaking the dizziness away, he looked around. Pretty posh place, it looked more like a gentleman's club than a home or residence. And by club he meant the kind that people would come to read newspapers, drink whiskey and smoke cigars, not the more common kind that practically bled debauchery.

What had him on edge was a single scent. He'd tried previously to explain to the others what Light smelled like, even though his experience with it were limited to Fallen Angels and stray exorcists. Given that Angels, not Fallen Angels, were less likely to be found frequenting a place like this, he assumed that this place was the domain of one of the latter.

"Well, don't just stand there, make yourself comfortable," someone spoke up from behind him so he turned around to see.

Sitting in a Lazy-Boy recliner was a man with purple eyes, goatee, dark brown hair with golden fringe. Undoubtedly the Fallen who had brought him here. He was sitting back, playing with the different settings on his chair, completely at ease.

Issei hesitated before doing so as best he could. "Rather hard to do so, considering that you kinda abducted me."

The man waved it off. "Details. We're still in Kuoh, though we're a good ways away from your friends. And if breaking out of Tartarus was so easy for you, then there's really nothing I can do to keep you besides gaining your intrigue."

"And how would you do that?"

The other man blinked twice. "My name is Azazel."

Attention fully invested in the other man, Issei sat down warily. "So the leader of the Grigori is this close to the Maou's sisters after Kokabiel's attacks. Someone's cocky."

"Meh, not really. Sirzechs knows I'm here, in fact he approved it after I came to him with an idea," Azazel leaned forward to the table between them and poured out two shots of what even Issei could tell was expensive drink. Taking one for himself and holding the other to the demidrake, Azazel continued. "See, after Kokabiel went off the rails, it gave us all, my little brother Michael included, an opportunity that none of us want to pass up. A chance for peace talks, official ones, not the impromptu ceasefire we've enjoyed for the past few millennia."

Issei's eyes widened as he took the glass. "You think you can pull that off?"

"It's not just me that wants peace between factions, not when there's so much to gain from it and so much to lose if things continue as they are. Take a look at Kokabiel for example, if we had peace that affected him personally, we might not have had to deal with him as we did."

Issei frowned. "You make it sound like a chore."

"Kid, managing an entire faction makes prioritizing a nightmare. Don't get me wrong, I get you're pissed off at the guy for the whole childhood sentence thing, but you're not the only one to get screwed over in the history of the earth," Azazel downed his glass before looking at Issei's. "Scared of liquor?"

"Is there a point to me even trying? I don't think it'd affect me at all." Issei drank the amber liquid, not even reacting to the taste and disappointing Azazel, who had leaned in to try and capture the look as an underage teen downed what must have been a rare treat.

"Damn, forgot about the whole 'dragon physiology' and whatnot," Azazel looked mournfully at the bottle. "No one really has time to sit down and appreciate good drink anymore in this day and age, finding a drinking buddy is a pain."

"Sorry if I'm being rude, but why did you bring me here. If it was to announce peace talks, wouldn't it be an official thing at a level way above me?"

"Oh, sure, the announcements coming tomorrow or something, but I wanted to talk to you, White Dragon Emperor." Setting his glass down, the cadre leaned forward, hands supporting his chin he rested his elbows on his knees. "Just what did Kokabiel do to you that made you snap?"

"How dare you~"

"I've debriefed Vali and Tobio already," Azazel continued regardless of Issei's indignation. "And I imagine it has something to do with those girls who so desperately tried to free you from his control. So, I just want to know, what did you see under Nightmare's influence that made you lose it?"

Issei glared at the man, but faltered. "I… I can't remember. I remember the fighting a bit better than before, and most of the torture before, but I can't recall what actually worked on me."

Azazel nodded before sitting back in his chair with a sigh. "Then it was bad enough for someone to alter your memory to prevent relapse. Isn't that right, Albion?"

(Indeed, cadre.) Albion answered, his voice manifesting from the jewel in his host's arm. (I wouldn't wish that torment on my greatest enemy, much less my own bearer.)

"Well, that makes my decision easier," the Fallen stood up, gesturing for the demidrake to follow. Uncertain of how this was going, the cautious teenager followed the haori-clad cadre.

As it turned out, it actually was a place of residence, not just the classy lounge the sitting room appeared to be. Azazel lead the confused teenager past several rooms, a few appeared to be guest rooms, though before the Fallen slammed one shut Issei saw that it resembled a mad scientist's laboratory.

Two flights of stairs and a few hallways later, Azazel stopped in front of a nondescript door that matched every other door in the corridor. Sighing, Azazel turned around to face the teenager. "I won't lie and say I'm happy with just giving him to you; I've wanted a piece of his hide for years now, and this was the last straw. But I'm pretty sure you of all people have the right to decide how this goes down."

With that, Azazel pushed on the door and the portal opened. Issei saw red.

It was Kokabiel. Still dressed in the same garments, his injuries from Tobio's attacks still present. And a silent scream of anger and frustration frozen onto his features. The ten-winged Fallen was encased entirely in ice, as if he had lost a round against a Hyperborean giant or Yuki-onna. The crystalline shell encasing him was nearly twenty feet in diameter, taking up nearly all the space in the room. But Issei didn't care so much about that.

The only thing he cared about was that the being that had wronged him for more than half his life was there, at his mercy. Even though his hands were lowered, a spark flared to life in his right palm. He unconsciously fed it, as the maelstrom of emotions fed the amount of aura collected until the ultra-dense energy burned at the temperature of an angry star, restrained only by his subconscious self-control. And that control was such a fragile thing.

Despite his power coalescing for what he subconsciously desired, he felt… not unsure, but hesitant. As his anger increased, he felt Akeno and Rias reach out to him mentally, worrying crossing into his mind.

Communication with the bond wasn't as simple as hearing thoughts due to the fact that dragons never formally adopted one language when their own involved physical or emotional expression. It instead revolved around emotions, sensations, images, or impressions. He couldn't simply think of the appropriate text to encapsulate what he was going under, so he instead captured the image of Kokabiel as he now was, along with his own current emotional state and fed that to the connections instead.

It was a more telling message, completely embodying feelings telling more than words ever could. The responses were quick to return.

From Rias, there was anger at the cadre's presence; apparently she took personal insult that he was anywhere near Kokabiel without her. He took it as a sign that she was worried, and rightfully so. It was likely that her anger and hatred for the cadre even outstripped his own.

From Akeno, it wasn't the same burning anger, but more of a cold, reserved kind. The kind that she was adept at cultivating behind the mask she wore to everyone but those she trusted. Obviously, being so close to a Fallen unnerved her, and for the same reasons as Rias she was uncomfortable at him being unsupervised.

Despite all that, they both had sent an additional impression. Not one of compassion or murderous intent. If he had to put a name on it, he could only say it was… support? Unconditional trust and the willingness to understand and abide by whatever decision he made.

He was secretly pleased that they were going out of their way to try and show they did not want to influence his choice, no matter their apparent feelings on the matter. But at the same time, it terrified him, hence his own hesitance to act.

One minute, five, ten. Half an hour of glaring at the cadre, whose frozen grimace leered back at him. Still struggling to make a decision, Issei stepped forward until he was close enough to rap his knuckles on the glass.

"I don't know if you can hear me in there," he began. "Maybe I'm talking to myself, or maybe I'm monologuing to an unwilling audience." Issei took a deep breath. "But I need to say this."

"Ten years of misery, for whatever misguided delusion you had of vengeance or justice, however you excused you actions. I don't even understand why you did what you did, only that it happened. That's ten years of my life I'm never getting back. It made me a living weapon, which is what you wanted, isn't it?"

When Kokabiel was understandably quiet, Issei sighed and continued on, orb of superheated energy still burning in his other hand. "Then I learned it was you who put me there. And then the nightmares came, and I could only blame you for why I was there in the first place. Even you admitted that the fault was on your shoulders."

"And now, every instinct I have is screaming at me to end you right here and now. I don't even know how many ways I could kill you now: shatter your cage with you in it, thaw you out and bludgeon, maim, or Divide you while you're conscious, fight fairly one on one, then everything in between, damn it all there's so many options here."

Issei brought his open palm up to the surface of the giant crystal, flames eager to be unleashed. Looking into the frozen stare of his oppressor, he made his decision.

"I should probably tell you that I bonded the other day. I don't know if you ever had the time or opportunity to fall in love, but I'll just say that escaping Tartarus has nothing on how liberating it is." Issei couldn't help but smile. "It's only been a day or so, but I feel… complete, you know? Like nothing could go wrong, now that I have a fresh start and new hope for what my life now holds."

"I won't describe everything to you, you probably wouldn't even understand. You were too wrapped up with your own demons to consider the ones you planted in me. But my life isn't my own anymore. Nightmare won't work anymore on me, now that I understand that I'm living for someone else and they for me. Greatest. Feeling. Ever."

Rias and Akeno's kind and tender smiles, the ones full of happiness and joy they reserved only for him. The feeling that passively flowed across their fully matured bond, the unconditional love and support that flowed both ways.

Unbidden but not unwelcome, the faces of his friends and comrades came to mind. Asia's innocent expression full of joy and wonder, Ravel's behavior hiding a tender, caring side, and Koneko's stoic visage broken by amusement of genuine caring. Even Kiba's loyalty and character shone through, and surprisingly, Xenovia's wholehearted determination she wore on her sleeve once she had chosen her own path.

"Which is why," Issei lowered his hand, clenching it into a fist to smother the flames, "I won't be your executioner. Not because I've spontaneously forgiven you or anything; like I said, nearly my entire being wants nothing more than to watch whatever spark you have go out forever. I'm sparing you for the sole reason that they love me for who I am, and I will not, ever, compromise them into loving a monster."

"I imagine that you'd goad me, calling me too weak to finish you, or mocking how I think I have the strength not to. That has nothing to do with it. My mates are my reason to fight, my source of strength, and their love and trust is more precious to me than you could ever imagine; I will never compromise it. That's how my new life begins, by not ending yours."

('Are you sure about this, Issei?') Albion asked, his own rage and anger abating in his worry. ('You may never again have the opportunity to change things. Remember how you believed Freed Sellzen to be dead by your hand once before? You may come to regret knowingly sparing this one.')

'I'm sure. Him dead at my hands isn't what I want most anymore, not even a close second. I won't regret a thing.'

Not trusting himself to keep his resolve or voice steady, Issei said no more and instead turned on his heel to leave. Shutting the door behind him, he found Azazel in the hallway, looking at him with interest.

"I'm surprised; I thought for sure you'd kill him."

"I still really want to."

Azazel scratched his chin for a moment. "There's a self-destruct sequence on the popsicle's enchantment, I can give you a button that shatters him remotely."

"Thanks but no thanks," Issei shook his head in the negative. "I won't let him keep haunting me anymore. I'm done with him, he's all yours."

The leader of the Grigori stared at him as if seeing him for the first time before nodding with approval. "I see. Well, far be it from me to decline taking responsibility for him. Trust me, the world will never see him again."

Issei nodded and turned to leave, but was interrupted before he could take more than a few steps. "Oh, something to consider. With the peace talks tentatively scheduled, you might see some Fallen activity increased around your school. Reparations and all that. Besides, I've got a worried father who's desperate to make amends with his only daughter."

Before he could respond, a magic circle appeared beneath his feet and moved upwards, removing him from Azazel's location and depositing him back on the sidewalk where he had been abducted.

"ISSEI!"

The demidrake found himself glomped by his mates, who had apparently been waiting at his last-known location in the hope he'd return there first. Judging by how much darker it was, he had been gone for some time, meaning they had been waiting for a significant portion of it.

"Hey you two," even lying on the sidewalk did nothing to dampen his spirits as he held them close.

"Don't 'Hey' us, mister, what happened?" Rias demanded, her eyes drilling into his as she stabbed a pointer finger into his chest. Given their positions, his normal height advantage was negated, meaning their faces were level.

"Kokabiel, details!" Akeno had the same interest and advantage as she too asked, an electrical charge building indiscreetly.

Issei sighed, resting his head on the cold concrete. He closed his eyes, then smiled.

"Everything's fine now," he kissed them both, silently revelling in the surprised squeaks he earned from them. "He won't be a problem anymore."

Both girls looked unsure, but accepted his words for their face value. They got off him, allowing him to stand and loop their arms with his his on either side.

"Don't know about you, but I'm tired, hungry, and it's getting late," the demidrake couldn't lose that damnable smile. "Any place come to mind before we go back to the shrine?"

"Nothing in particular, but we're not going back to the shrine. Not tonight at least." Akeno chirped, smiling as she hugged herself closer to him.

"We'll work out the dinner details once we get there," Rias promised as she pulled his arm deeper into her bust. "Now march!"

Chuckling softly, the lovebound teenager allowed himself to be pulled along by those whom he had freely given his soul. Nothing, not his demons of the past, nor challenges of the present, could ruin what he had that moment.

And to Hell with anyone that would dare to even try.

In the chamber containing Kokabiel's frozen state, darkness reigned until the door opened once more. Azazel stepped through, stopping just beyond the doorway. He brought his hands together for a slow, patronizing clap that punctuated both his amusement and disappointment.

"That, that was unexpected," he began as he walked forward, a magic circle appearing in his right hand. He manipulated it like one would a remote control, spinning the runes until there was a sound of breaking glass. Nothing had changed, save for Kokabiel's eyes that now tracked the other man with cold fury.

"So, how was it? Your expressions hidden behind an illusion? To have the demidrake on the other side of the glass, with the moral high ground, with all the right to execute you, which I can only assume you desperately want right now, all for him to leave?" Azazel impishly tapped the glass like a metronome, the staccato ringing through the room. "It must suck epically for you."

Kokabiel's eyes burned with hate; unfortunately, his eyes were the only way he could interact in this apparently one sided conversation.

"Me? I would have killed you if I were in his shoes, past camaraderie or not. So would anyone else. If only I could have made this public, I would have made a killing on the odds. But I have too much respect for that kid now, and still some for you I guess." Azazel stopped tapping like a child at a zoo's reptile house. "We've been through a lot, so that's why I'll respect the kid's decision and not kill you in his place. But that would be a mercy, compared to where you're going."

Kokabiel snapped his fingers and his signature green circle transported the two from one darkened room to another, and from Kokabiel's widening eyes, he certainly recognized their new surroundings.

"Tartarus is a failed system now. Turns out no one's willing to invest their criminally insane, hyper-lethal or unwanted persons in a place that an innocent child grew up in only to break out given time and motivation. Acquiring this place was a piece of cake." Azazel lightly kicked the wall where carved runes glowed softly. "I figure there's some sort of poetic irony of you being entombed in the demidrake's old cell, with my own modifications of course. Of course, you'll never escape that ice on your own. But let's make releasing you more impossible than before. Tobio?"

The Longinus wielder stepped into view from where he had been waiting in the hall, looking as if he were bored out of his mind from a lecture rather than touring what had once been the supernatural world's greatest prison. From within a shadow forming at chest-height, the human nonchalantly reached into and withdrew a polished blue gem pilfered from the fight he had observed between Dragon Emperors.

Azazel plucked it from his loyal subordinate's hand before holding it up to Kokabiel's current form. "No one knows I moved my old projects into this hellhole now that the prisoners and fighting are long gone. No one knows you're even here. And even if there was some being strong enough to overpower my own personal enchantments, weave around the defenses I installed, the only thing that could free you now," Azazel pressed the jewel against the sheet of ice where it flashed, forming spider-webbing tendrils of energy around and through the shell, "is the presence and willing aid of the Vanishing Dragon. No one knows how long a dragon's natural lifespan really is, so if Hyoudou lives a long and fulfilling life with Albion remaining within him, you'll be left here for all that time. Anyone else tries and even if they had the power of Ophis on their side, it wouldn't be enough to stop the failsafes from killing you."

Azazel smiled, a sad but resolute one at that. "It's a shame for another Watcher to disappear like this. Goodbye, old friend."

With that Azazel guided Tobio out of the room, shutting the barred door behind him and then the secondary security doors, trapping Kokabiel in both darkness and eternal isolation.

AN: Alternate confrontation ending after this note.

Xenovia's Pegasus familiar was borrowed with permission from Fahad09, specifically his crossover A Demon Lord's Hero, where Xenovia bonds with the same familiar of the same name.

The release of Pokemon GO had everything to do with Xenovia's beliefs in familiar hunting. It's a good thing I'm writing these chapters in reverse order, otherwise the app's release would have come out later and I would have had to re-write anything to make it work.

The plant-dragon, breast-loving chimera was a nod to one of the OVA's of the first season of the anime. A plant-dragon chimera whose fruit could cause a girl's breasts to grow to extreme ripeness… Yeah. If only that could happen.

Not gonna lie, I backed myself into a corner. Hatching Rassei was the only way I could think of that I could get around the whole dragon's pride thing I have going on and still get him as Asia's familiar by technicality of guardianship.

It's never really been established the true extent of Asia's healing abilities. Sure, her Balance Breaker (Twilight Saint Affection) negates all damage inflicted ironically giving her the strongest defensive trait of the Gremory team, but we don't often see her using it for illness or anything else non-combat related. Reviving a stillborn baby dragon, considering that it's constantly said that Sacred Gears react with the intent and desire of their wielders, isn't too far from acceptable limits and in my opinion is fair game. Stillborn is technically a medical condition, and Asia's power is to heal/cure those after all.

Alternate Ending:

"Ten years of misery, for whatever misguided delusion you had of vengeance or justice, however you excused you actions. I don't even understand why you did what you did, only that it happened. That's ten years of my life I'm never getting back. It made me a living weapon, which is what you wanted, isn't it?"

When Kokabiel was understandably quiet, Issei sighed and continued on, orb of superheated energy still burning in his other hand. "Then I learned it was you who put me there. And then the nightmares came, and I could only blame you for why I was there in the first place. Even you admitted that the fault was on your shoulders."

And now, every instinct I have is screaming at me to end you right here and now. I don't even know how many ways I could kill you now: shatter your cage with you in it, thaw you out and bludgeon, maim, or Divide you while you're conscious, fight fairly one on one, then everything in between, damn it all there's so many options here."

Issei brought his open palm up to the surface of the giant crystal, flames eager to be unleashed. Looking into the frozen stare of his oppressor, he made his decision.

"I should probably tell you that I bonded the other day. I don't know if you ever had the time or opportunity to fall in love, but I'll just say that escaping Tartarus has nothing on how liberating it is." Issei couldn't help but smile. "It's only been a day or so, but I feel… complete, you know? Like nothing could go wrong, now that I have a fresh start and new hope for what my life now holds.

I won't describe everything to you, you probably wouldn't even understand. You were too wrapped up with your own demons to consider the ones you planted in me. But my life isn't my own anymore. Nightmare won't work anymore on me, now that I understand that I'm living for someone else and they for me. Greatest. Feeling. Ever."

"Which is why, I can't have any doubts going forward. Nothing holding me back. Not Tartarus, not my mistakes, not even you." The orb of flame burned brighter than ever, joined by bluish energy as his ScaleMail formed around him.

"Maybe killing you is a mistake, maybe there's another way," Issei mused to himself. "But I won't let myself be haunted by you anymore. And although I prefer fighting fairly, in your case I don't think how you die matters so much as the fact itself."

Issei let go of his self-control and the coalescing energy in his hand leapt forward, burning through the ice without resistance before embedding itself in Kokabiel's chest. A moment later, it detonated.

Bits of ice and frozen flesh pinged off his imposing armor as he looked on. What had once been an icicle massive enough to hold a Fallen with extended wings was little more than scattered fragments of ice, solid blood and chilled flesh.

('I would have thought you'd thaw him out, give him a fighting chance.') Albion grumbled in the back of his mind. ('This… this was an execution. Are you… satisfied with that?')

It wasn't hard for Issei to detect Albion held great resentment for Kokabiel, that he still did. But even easier to sense was the Vanishing Dragon's concern for his host's well-being, of both body and mind.

'I considered it.' Issei thought back. 'But if I gave him the chance, we both know he would have said something, done something that would make me somehow regret what I wanted to do.' The teenager bent down, brushing aside the bloody ice and snow to recover something that glinted on the floor.

A silver cross, simple in its design, attached to an even simpler leather cord. Dispelling his armor, Issei brought it up to eye level.

Rubbing some of the blood from its surface, Issei bit back a smile. The innate Holiness of a cross had never bothered him. For a moment he pondered keeping it, as a trophy of sorts, but then threw it back.

"I've had enough with figuring out why you did the things in certain ways. I don't need any reminders to help divine what truly went on in your mind. So I guess this is goodbye, Kokabiel."

Issei turned and left the chamber, nearly tripping into Azazel as he left. Azazel peaked into the room as Issei closed the door and sighed. "One more Watcher gone. The reunion will be that much smaller now."

"I'm not sorry."

"And you shouldn't be." Azazel clapped a hand on the younger man's shoulder. "Things like this can go many ways, you move on either way, for better or worse. And I think you would have left that room a better person regardless of your decision."

"I just killed your longtime ally, and you're… complimenting me?"

Azazel smiled. "I'm complimenting a person who had the courage to face his own demons and move forward in his own way. For that, you have my respect."

Issei nodded and turned to leave, but was interrupted before he could take more than a few steps. "Oh, something to consider. With the peace talks tentatively scheduled, you might see some Fallen activity increased around your school. Reparations and all that. Besides, I've got a worried father who's desperate to make amends with his only daughter."

Before he could respond, a magic circle appeared beneath his feet and moved upwards, removing him from Azazel's location and depositing him back on the sidewalk where he had been abducted.

"ISSEI!"

The demidrake found himself glomped by his mates, who had apparently been waiting at his last-known location in the hope he'd return there first. Judging by how much darker it was, he had been gone for some time, meaning they had been waiting for a significant portion of it.

"Hey you two," even lying on the sidewalk did nothing to dampen his spirits as he held them close.

"Don't 'Hey' us, mister, what happened?" Rias demanded, her eyes drilling into his as she stabbed a pointer finger into his chest. Given their positions, his normal height advantage was negated, meaning their faces were level.

"Kokabiel, details!" Akeno had the same interest and advantage as she too asked, an electrical charge building indiscreetly.

Issei sighed, resting his head on the cold concrete. He closed his eyes, then smiled.

"Everything's fine now," he kissed them both, silently revelling in the surprised squeaks he earned from them. "He won't be a problem anymore."

Both girls looked unsure, but accepted his words for their face value. They got off him, allowing him to stand and loop their arms with his his on either side.

"Don't know about you, but I'm tired, hungry and it's getting late," the demidrake couldn't lose that damnable smile. "Any place come to mind before we go back to the shrine?"

"Nothing in particular, but we're not going back to the shrine. Not tonight at least." Akeno chirped, smiling as she hugged herself closer to him.

"We'll work out the dinner details once we get there," Rias promised as she pulled his arm deeper into her bust. "Now march!"

Chuckling softly, the lovebound teenager allowed himself to be pulled along by those whom he had freely given his soul. Nothing, not his demons of the past, nor challenges of the present, could ruin what he had that moment.

And to Hell with anyone that would dare to even try.

I did say a while back that the resolution with Kokabiel wouldn't be so simple as the beatdown I gave Raiser.

Two different and yet very applicable endings to Kokabiel to cater to how people wanted the final outcome to be. Obviously, the first ending is what, as the author, I'd personally prefer, but the way I plan to write the story will leave both outcomes equally valid and applicable for the duration of the fic. I'll try to never explicitly write that Kokabiel is dead or was spared, merely that he was dealt with and then put out of Issei's mind and also out of the bigger picture. This way as I keep writing this, Kokabiel's fate is left up to the reader's (YOUR) preference of the available options. Hell, fantasize your own ending between the two and it may very well still apply to how I've planned this out.

(I personally felt more fulfillment out of the first ending, but both were good. - Shad0w)

Plenty of you wanted Kokabiel dead (and rightly so), some humiliated, some even spared to be later forced to reincarnate as Issei's eventual servant (strange as it sounds, you Hyper-Sadistic-Over-Optimist Primes DO exist). Then there's me and a select few that wanted Issei to walk away clean with the moral high ground. Hopefully both endings, no matter which one you prefer, satisfy both extremes in how the situation was considered.

Thanks for reading, sorry for the long delay, and see you guys next time!

Updated:11/30/16