Heat?

Issei opened his eyes. His expression turned into that of shock and horror. The sky was split open as if the world itself had been torn at the seams. Dark beings that were too horrible for words flew from the tears in the sky while some crawled from the Earth. Issei watched in horror as the Angels, Devils, Fallen Angels, humans, and a multitude of other beings fought back against these monsters.

An earth-shattering roar caught Issei's attention. A massive dragon with seven heads descended from the clouds. Its jet-black body seemed to suck in all light while everything around it corroded into nothingness. The ground shook as the body of a massive red dragon fell down next to Issei.

"Red?" Issei whispered in shock.

A massive red dragon with eight wings and spanned over 100 meters in length laid motionless in front of him. Its golden eyes were clouded over and a death rattle could be heard within its breath as it expired. It was impaled by multiple spears of pure darkness and skewered in such a horrific way that it looked straight out of someone's worst nightmares.

"Buchou! Anyone!" Issei yelled as he tried to apply whatever magic he could to help the Great Dragon.

"I… ssei…"

He turned and saw something that would haunt him forever. Rias was pinned to a wall. Impaled by a cross. If Issei was a God-fearing man which he wasn't, he would have called it poetic but now… it gave him nothing but despair and anger. Rias's eyes became cloudy as the arm she tried to reach out to him with fell limp. Blood poured from the cross as he noticed that one of her legs was torn off. Both her wings were on the ground next to him while her right leg was being gnawed on by one of those monsters.

"Y- YOU BASTARDS! DDRAIG! LET'S GO!" Issei yelled as he summoned [Boosted Gear].

…

"Ddraig?"

Issei glanced down at his left arm to see something that horrified him. The [Boosted Gear] was mangled. Broken beyond recognition. The gems, one blue and one green, were shattered.

Another roar alerted him and Issei turned to see the dragon, all seven of its heads staring at him in sadistic glee, reveling in his despair. Its piercing red eyes sent waves of terror down his spine.

There was no end to its power. Issei could feel it in his bones. This was an omnipotent entity that could not be defeated. And it was taking its time with them. If it wanted to, it could wipe the Earth and the rest of existence out and return it to nothingness.

"Wake up, Ise-chan," a female voice said.

The Dragon reared its heads back and unleashed a torrent of black and red energy at Issei.

"No!"

Issei woke with a start, looking around frantically for whatever eldritch monstrosity he had just seen. A waterfall of sweat cascaded down his face and he panted heavily. His awakening had startled everyone around him and the entire class was now looking at him with varying levels of surprise and worry.

The teacher placed her hands on her hips and glared at Issei, causing him to shrink in his chair.

"Mr. Hyoudou, do you find learning about the Edo Period boring or do you find that school in general is just so beneath you that you'd rather sleep in class than pay attention?" the teacher asked.

"N- No, sensei," Issei said in embarrassment.

The teacher narrowed her eyes. This was the third day in a row now and the semester was nearly over. Summer was upon them and Issei was slacking mere days before their final exams.

"I better not catch you dozing off again, do you understand, Mr. Hyoudou," the teacher said.

"Yes, Ma'am," Issei said.

The class snickered. Their laughter was mixed with comments ranging from "Pervert must be having a wet dream" to "Must have been up all night watching porn again".

Issei ignored their whispers and clenched his jaw. It was that dream again. He had been having it now for days ever since he absorbed the gem of the Divine Dividing. And it always had the same content. The world around him was ending due to that massive endless mass of pure darkness that was pouring out of the sky. Today was the first day that he saw any differences. Ddraig and Rias's death were new parts of the dream.

He zoned out as he tried thinking on the meaning of the dream. Issei didn't even notice when the bell rang for lunch.

"Issei-san."

Issei blinked and turned around to see Asia's worried gaze upon him.

"Are you alright?"

"Never better," Issei said. He didn't want to make her sad. Asia was already worried for him as it is. In fact, he was sure the entire peerage had been worried for him. Rias had mysteriously began cutting back on training sessions and Akeno made it her life's mission to get him even the simplest commodities.

And he didn't blame them. If he looked in the mirror right now, he would see that there was something physically wrong with him. He had bags under his eyes and his skin had a more pallor appearance from his usual slightly tanned skin. His hair was in shambles and he looked as if he hadn't gotten any sleep in days.

"Are you sure? I can heal with Twilight Healing," Asia suggested.

"No, no, I'm fine. Besides, all I need is a good night's sleep and everything will be fine. Insomnia's a common thing after all," Issei said. He tried to put on a brave face.

[Hiding your weakness is a weak thing to do, Partner. You should tell her what's wrong.] Ddraig advised.

"No, no, I'm fine. Both of you need to stop worrying. It's just a bout of insomnia," Issei said, raising his voice a little.

Asia flinched at the sudden rise in volume but nodded.

"Sorry, it's just. I'm not getting much sleep," he apologized.

"It's fine. Just please take care of yourself," Asia pleaded.

"I will. Wanna go get some lunch?" Issei offered.

Asia's smile returned to her face and she accepted his offer.

Lunchtime in the Occult Research Club consisted of two… no, three things. Asia and Rias fighting for Issei's attention. Koneko and Kiba silently gaming on their Switches on the other couch. And Akeno playfully teasing the two by seducing Issei right in front of them. The new addition was Xenovia was now added to the mix over the battle for Issei's attention.

But Issei's heart wasn't in it this time. He mindlessly shoveled food into his mouth. He yawned and closed his eyes, dozing off for a few seconds before a sharp, shooting pain ran up his arm and to his chest.

"Hurk!" Issei buckled forward and began clutching at his chest.

"Asia!" Rias yelled.

"R- Right!" Asia rushed forward and began sending healing waves of energy through Issei.

"I'm fine, I'm fine," he insisted, feeling the pain fade away. Issei took rhythmic deep breaths as he sat on the floor, rubbing his sternum. His heart began to pump normally, feeling his faux heart attack fade away into memory.

"Issei…"

"I said I'm okay. Please just leave this alone. I'm fine. This is just me getting used to the Dividing Gear," Issei said, offering them a smile.

"Ise…" Rias stopped after seeing the look on Issei's face. She wanted to punch him. That detestable pride of his. She wished she could rip it out of him sometimes so he could admit that there was something going on. Rias sighed in defeat and continued on. "We're almost approaching the end of the current semester. For the summer, we're going to head for the Underworld. There's going to be a gathering for Young Devils. We're going to show off our peerages basically. It's an annual custom so I want everyone to be refreshed for the event. I hear that the former Prince Rizevim and Lady Asmodeus are going to be there."

"Eh? Rizevim? Asmodeus?" Issei asked, ignoring the dull throbbing pain reverberating through his body.

"Mmm. Rizevim is the son of one of the original Demon Kings, Satan Lucifer, and Lady Asmodeus is one of the original Demon Kings. They've been around for quite a while and they've never been to one of these. This will be the first generation to receive them at the event," Rias said, clapping her hands together.

"This is a chance for our peerage to prove ourselves in front of the strongest devils in existence and… Ise, this may be a chance for you to begin building a harem!" Rias said with a cheeky grin on her face.

"H- Harem?" Issei's mouth began to drool.

"Senpai looks so disgusting right now," Koneko commented.

"Impressing the higher-ups means that you can impress the others. Even the female devils. Imagine all the…" Rias fought down the feeling of burning irritation to motivate her pawn, "fresh devil girls that will be lining up just to meet you!"

Issei's mind went to all sorts of different places. But all of them were visions of him sitting on a chair and being serviced by loads of women with differing breast sizes.

[You're so simple, Partner. However, if this will snap you out of whatever funk you're in right now, I'm all for it] Ddraig said.

"I'm n- not that simple!" Issei protested. A sharp pain cut through his head and made him flinch. He needed to lie down somewhere or go home. No wait, if I go home, they'll be more suspicious and I can't let them down! Issei thought.

"Regardless, I want all of you well-rested and that means you. Especially you, Ise. Koneko and Yuuto will be taking over a fourth of your regular load and Xenovia will get the other. And before you protest, think of this as you being her senpai and letting her experience how being a devil is," Rias said, slicing through Issei's protests before he could even utter them.

Issei's mouth snapped shut and he nodded.

"Come on, you all can go back," Rias said.

"Buchou, I can take those contracts you know," Issei said after everyone left. It was just him, Rias, and Akeno that were left in the room.

Rias sighed in frustration. Issei's stubbornness knew no bounds. She pinched the bridge of her nose and leaned back in her chair. "No means no, Ise. I want you to get some rest. You look like you've been up for days. Come to think of it, have you been getting any sleep lately?" she folded her hands and leaned forward.

"Er…"

"That's what I thought. I'll write an excuse for your teacher. Go take a nap in the infirmary," Rias said, ripping a piece of paper out of her notepad.

"But Buchou-"

"No buts, Issei. Seriously, it's okay. Stop bottling it up inside and accept our help. No one's gonna think any less of you for it," Rias insisted.

"Do you want me to give you a deep tissue massage, Ise-kun?" Akeno said in a suggestive tone.

"Akeno," Rias said dangerously.

"Oh dear, Rias-sama. Are you getting jealous~?" Akeno teased.

"I'm going to head out now," Issei said, sneaking out the door while Akeno and Rias stared at each other challengingly.

As the two stared down, a wave of powerful demonic energy washed over them. Rias stiffened and Akeno went immediately on guard.

"Did you just feel that?" she asked.

Akeno nodded.

"Someone powerful just entered campus. Someone really powerful," Akeno said.

"Inform Sona but refrain from informing everyone else. I don't want to start a panic. There's a chance Azazel knows this person is here now too," Rias said.

As if on cue, a magic circle appeared and beeped repeatedly in front of Rias. She raised an eyebrow and swiped to answer the call.

"Yo, Melon Tits!"

Rias bristled at the nickname. Her eyebrow twitched irritably and grumbled to herself. Azazel had the most vulgar ways of greeting people.

"Did you feel that?"

"Yes, I did," Rias said.

"Well, buckle up! I have some news for you!" Azazel said.

Issei shambled like the dead to the infirmary. The pain in his body was getting worse and worse. He needed to lay down and curl into a ball. It was the only way he would ever get rid of this pain in his body. The door swung open and Issei noticed that the nurse wasn't there.

Thank fuck for that, Issei thought. He walked over to an empty bed and proceeded to collapse in it. "Oh that feels… better. Somewhat. Hey, Ddraig."

[What is it, Partner?] Ddraig asked.

"Do you think what I did with the Dividing Gem was a good idea? Because I think my choices are catching up with me," Issei said, rolling over onto his back.

[I honestly don't know, Partner. No one has ever tried to combine the powers of the Vanishing Dragon with my own. The side effects are something we could have never prepared for. Perhaps this will pass in time but for now, I have no idea what to do.] Ddraig said.

"So much for that route. Twilight Healing only takes away the pain… I'm at a loss as to what to do now," Issei said. He sighed. "I should head back to class now."

[You've been here for five minutes. You have 15 minutes of your lunch left. You really want to go back now?] Ddraig asked.

Sona felt beads of sweat trail down her forehead. She looked down at the paper and back at the person in front of her then back down. Sona glanced at Tsubaki, who shrugged. Sona gulped and maintained her composure. She took a deep breath. "Okay… Miss Adashino. Th- These papers are…"

The girl in front of her sat with her hands on her lap. She had a small side ponytail tied up and she had a polite aura about her. The girl kept looking at them and drummed her fingers on her lap as she patiently waited for Sona and Tsubaki to finish their train of thought.

Mitsuki smiled. "I think my papers are in order. I know this is a last minute transfer and this is a massive inconvenience to the staff but… I think the papers speak for themselves," she said.

"Eh… Er, yeah," Sona said, at a loss for words for the first time.

Rizevim… That Rizevim! Recommending her? She looks like a Half-Devil from the feel but… still, why would the former Prince recommend someone like her? Who is she? Sona thought.

"If you don't mind, I'd like to enter a class with this person," Mitsuki said, slipping her a piece of paper.

"With who now?" Sona took the paper and her eyes widened considerably when she saw the name. "Just what is your relationship to this person?"

"Me? He's my older brother," Mitsuki answered.

"W- What!?" Sona and Tsubaki yelled simultaneously.

H- Hyoudou Issei has a sister!?

"Is… that a problem?" Mitsuki asked.

"N- No, but… I didn't know Issei had a sister," Sona said.

"He doesn't. We're not related by blood. We're a family by choice," Mitsuki said. "So, I guess that's it then?"

"Now hold on just a minute! I-" A magic circle appeared next to Sona's ear and beeped. Sona swiped the circle and took the call.

"Uhuh… Huh? Really? Him too?... Alright, then. I… Fine, but she's your problem now, Rias," Sona said. "Alright, bye." She cut the connection and turned her attention back to Mitsuki.

This transfer student was becoming a bigger headache than she wanted to admit. But, if putting her in Issei's class meant pawning off responsibility to Rias, then she was all for it. Sona handed the paper to Tsubaki. "I want you to file this with the school staff. This is a priority last-minute enrollment. I want the papers done by the end of the day so we can submit it to Gremory-sama," Sona said.

"Yes, Sona-sama," Tsubaki said. She walked out of the room, leaving Sona alone with Mitsuki.

"So…?" Mitsuki asked.

"2-B. Issei's in class 2-B. You can find him there," Sona said.

Issei sat in the middle of class, bored out of his mind. The voice of his teacher droning on about derivatives and finding the area of a curve was the only thing dulling the pain he was constantly feeling. He shouldn't get used to this. This pain was not normal, not in the slightest.

The teacher suddenly stopped talking when she got a knock on the door. The rest of the class turned their heads like meerkats to see who it was. The teacher contemplated not opening it for a few seconds before conceding to herself. She walked open and peeked through the door.

"Huh? Now? Of all times?"

"..."

"Fine… I have an empty desk. Wait out here and let me get the class ready," the teacher said. She slid the door shut.

Issei put his hand down and looked towards the door. That talk meant only one thing and he, as well as the rest of the class, knew it as well. There was a transfer student. That was the third transfer this year. First Asia, then Xenovia, and now new mystery person? He could already hear the whispers his classmates were saying.

"Another transfer? In our class?"

"Who is it? I hope it's a girl."

"Maybe it's a boy! Maybe we'll have a new Kiba-kun or a new… Issei."

That last one irked him just a tiny bit.

"Quiet down!" the teacher said.

The whispers died down like a flame being extinguished. The teacher sighed. Why was her class a magnet for transfer students? And all of them somehow ended up falling for Issei Hyoudou. She hoped that wasn't the case this time.

"I think you all already know so I'll spare you the details. We have a transfer student. You can come in now," she said.

The door slid open and Issei's eyes bugged out of his skull. What was she doing here?

Asia and Xenovia instantly went on guard. A wave of potent demonic power had rooted them to their spots. This girl's dainty looks hid a monster beneath her skin.

"M- MITSUKI!?" Murayama yelled, slamming her hands on the desk.

"It's Mitsuki!" Motohama said.

"Dude, am I seeing things?" Matsuda asked.

"Holy shit, it is her! Mitsuki! Over here! Remember me!" Aika waved her hand.

Mitsuki waved at the people who called her name out.

"Yo, Issei! It's Mii-chan! Can you believe how big she got?" Motohama said. "Seriously dude! 89-60-86-"

A pencil embedded itself into Motohama's desk, sending waves of fear and causing his skin to go pale. He shakily looked up and saw Issei's fierce stare piercing right through his soul. Motohama remembered now part of the reason why Mitsuki had no one confess to her back in middle school.

Despite her nerdy but cute going on sexy appearance, Mitsuki hid behind Issei and Issei protected her like an older brother should. It seemed that even after all these months since she moved, the relationship stayed the same.

"Finish your sentence. I dare you," Issei said, slightly releasing demonic power.

"Stop being mean to Moto-Moto, Aniki," Mitsuki said, crossing her arms.

"Pfft… AHAHAHAHA! MOTO-MOTO!" Matsuda lost it and started laughing. "She still remembers it!"

Issei, Aika, Katase, and Murayama began laughing hysterically.

Motohama turned red with embarrassment. That detestable nickname. She still remembered it.

"It seems that a few people already know you. Why don't you introduce yourself to the class?" the teacher said.

Mitsuki nodded and wrote her name on the board.

"My name is Adashino Mitsuki. I'm from here and I'm transferring back. Pleasure to meet all of you!" Mitsuki said, bowing in front of everyone.

This girl… her demonic power is… vast, Xenovia thought. And on top of that, she knows Issei but what's her connection to him? I heard her call him Big Brother but as far as I know from Irina, Issei is an only child.

"Why don't you go take that empty seat behind your Matsuda?" the teacher said.

"Ma-chan?" Mitsuki asked.

"M- Ma-chan," Issei said.

"Ey yo shut yo dumbass up man! Stop teaching your sister to give us weird nicknames!" Matsuda said.

Mitsuki walked down the aisle, ignoring the stares of the fellow students. She felt self-conscious of herself again. The terrible memories of middle school floated to the forefront of her mind. Her fears were laid to rest when she saw Issei give her a comforting smile. She nodded and took the empty seat behind Matsuda.

After a few hours, the bell rang for the day. Students piled out of the classroom in a hasty fashion while the teacher tried to explain to them the day's assignments. Issei slowly packed his books into his bag. He felt the eyes of Xenovia and Asia on him but their gazes quickly vanished when he felt a presence standing in front of him.

He looked up and saw his sister looking down at him with a kind look in her eyes.

"Let's catch up, yeah?" Mitsuki asked.

"Yeah, let's go. Motohama, Matsuda, I'll-"

"Go do what you need to do. It's been months since any of us have seen Mitsuki so we'll catch up with her later," Matsuda said.

"Issei, wait!" Xenovia called out.

"I'll see you guys at home. I'm just going to catch up with an old friend," Issei said.

Mitsuki waved at them and gave them a disarming smile. The two began chatting as if they had never been separated and left the room.

"I never knew Ise-san had a sister. That explains who the girl in that photo in his room was," Asia said, walking over to Xenovia.

"Girl?" she asked.

"Mmmm. Ise keeps a picture of him and a girl from their middle school days by his bedside table. Rias, Akeno, and I have seen it but we've never asked. Now we know. That girl is his sister," Asia said.

"But… Issei is an only child," Xenovia said.

"There are other ways to be family, Xenovia-san," she replied.

Issei smiled. She had grown up beautifully. Now he would have a really hard time beating boys off her. His precious sister. The girl next to him was Mitsuki Adashino. Her name meant "Beautiful Moon" and she lived up to it. Back in middle school, Mitsuki had been the top of their class but ridiculed for her nerdy appearance and introverted personality. It was Issei that defended her as he had done since childhood. The two were as tight and had a bond that couldn't be broken by distance or time. And they both shared the same birthday.

"Aniki? Aniki!"

"Huh? Oh, yeah, sorry Mii-chan. What was that?" Issei asked.

Mitsuki gave him an annoyed look. "I asked how are you? You haven't called me in weeks," she said.

"Eheh. Sorry about that. Lots of things happened over here and I was busy. How's Kyoto?" Issei asked.

"Boring. I wish we didn't have to move over there. Mama and Papa are working with Grandpa to take over the family business. I was sent back here to finish school," Mitsuki said.

"Really? Huh," Issei said. "Got a place to stay?"

"Yeah, grandpa bought back our old house for me to stay at. Looks like we're neighbors again!" Mitsuki said.

"You have to come over sometime. Mom and Dad would love to have you over again," Issei said.

"Maybe some other day, Aniki. I still have to unpack my stuff," Mitsuki said.

The two walked down the street in comfortable silence.

"So that lots of things. What did happen?" she asked.

"Hmm, well where do I start? For starters, I got asked out a few weeks back," Issei said.

"You're joking," she said.

Issei did nothing but look at her.

"Holy… you're serious, aren't you?" Mitsuki said.

Issei felt offended by her words. "What the hell's with that reaction?" Issei asked. "You thought I'd never get a girlfriend, didn't you?"

"Err…"

"You totally did!" Issei said, pointing at her.

"H- Hey! In my defense, in middle school, you looked like a siscon and in high school, considering you're still friends with Motohama and Matsuda, you're probably the school pervert right?" Mitsuki asked. "RIGHT?"

Issei flinched as she emphasized her point.

"Well, whatever. I have a girlfriend now," Issei said. "The first girl didn't work out. The second girl well… hehehe." Issei began to drool at the thought of Rias seductively removing her bra in their bed.

"Aniki, we're in public," Mitsuki said.

"Right, sorry. Well, after that blonde girl who sits next to you, Asia. She moved in with us. Mom and Dad adopted her after she moved here from Italy," Issei said.

"Uncle Gorou and Aunt Miki adopted someone like that out of the blue?" she asked.

"Y- Yeah! It was a lengthy process that took a few months! Asia was already communicating with Mom and Dad before she moved here and we just finalized the papers for her adoption," Issei said, frantically coming up with an explanation on the spot.

[Smooth. Very smooth] Ddraig said.

Shut up! I'd like to see you try and come up with a better excuse than that! Issei hissed.

"A few weeks ago, we got a new teacher at the school and I got to attend the staff meeting. My girlfriend insisted on bringing me since her parents ran the school and all that," Issei said.

Is he talking about Rias Gremory? I heard that Aniki ended her arranged marriage with House Phenex but I never would have expected that Rias Gremory would start dating her own pawn, Mitsuki thought.

The two rounded a corner and began walking down their street. Mitsuki's eyes drifted to where Issei's house was and gawked. "I- Is that your house?" she asked.

"Er, yeah! Yeah! Dad got a raise and decided to buy out the whole block and we upgraded to this… multi-story housing facility!" Issei said.

"Uhuh," Mitsuki said. "Where are Auntie and Uncle anyway?"

"Mom and Dad are on a cruise to Alaska," Issei said.

"Well… okay. Um, are you hiding something from me? Something big? Something earth-shattering perhaps?" Mitsuki asked, leaning forward. Her piercing brown eyes made Issei shrink in on himself. Forget this pain. Mitsuki was being extremely terrifying at the moment for him to even care about it. Pain? What's that?

"N- No. Everything's fine and dandy here! No problems here! No secrets," Issei said.

"Huh. Alright then," Mitsuki said.

Issei sighed in relief.

"I heard you won the national kendo tournament," Issei commented.

"You saw? Er… haha! Yeah, I did," she replied, blushing at his praise.

"Looks like you're not little baby Mii-chan anymore!" he reached out and ruffled her hair.

"C- Cut it out!" she said, batting away his arm. "Jeez, you're only 3 minutes older than me. Me calling you Aniki is just a formality."

"But yeah, I did," she said.

"Sorry, I couldn't make it to watch. Heaven knows I wanted to," Issei apologized.

"No, it's fine. You were busy," Mitsuki said.

Busy adjusting to life as a devil and fighting Kokabiel and the Vanishing Dragon. I guess it'll be a little bit before I reveal myself to you, Aniki. I still need to confirm my case with Rizevim and the old man, she thought.

"I guess I'll go in now," Mitsuki said.

"Yeah, I'll see you later?" Issei asked.

"Yeah. Park?" she asked.

"Yeah, See you then!" Issei said.

Mitsuki waved him goodbye. She walked up to her house, still feeling Issei's gaze on her. She unlocked the door and went inside, closing the door behind her.

Issei stood outside her house for a few seconds before turning around and walking back to his own. The two had walked for a few hours and the sun was beginning to set. But… that distinct energy signature he could feel inside her.

[You could sense it, didn't you?] Ddraig said.

"Yeah, but… I…" Issei was at a loss for words. Was she someone's piece? Or has she always been…

[You're right on the money, Partner. That girl is a Devil.]

Issei Hyoudou

The Pawn of Rias Gremory and the Red Dragon Emperor of his generation.

He is the adoptive older brother of Mitsuki Adashino, being childhood friends.

Due to unforeseen factors, Issei is now embroiled in a secretive cosmic plot beyond the petty superficial desires of the Ouroboros Dragon and the ambitions of the descendants of the Demon Kings.

Okay, I lied this is what you thought it was. I'm pretty sure that you all stopped reading after seeing the dream sequence. Or maybe not, I have some hope for you guys to at least give this a chance. So for everyone who read this far to the end, thank you for giving me a chance. Allow me to introduce, The Third Incarnation, The Doomsday Option, named after the second to the last episode of the TV show, Good Omens. A lot of things have changed in this story. It's practically brand new however, the basic plotline remains the same. So for everyone who wants everything explained to them because they are unable to read in between the lines, I applaud you for sticking with a story that will involve a lot of scheming.

So let's talk, shall we? Let's talk about the key differences between this and the original that... you all might have noticed if you kept reading. Again, congrats and thank you.

1. The story takes place post-Volume 4 in the void between Volumes 4 and 5 in an original arc that completely obliterates the entirety of the rest of the canon plot.

2. I'm pretty sure someone was waiting for some NTR to happen. Don't be ashamed. I know that at least 80% of you expected it and I'm not blaming you considering the story and my past.

3. Issei is having visions but his visions are happening due to entirely different reasons.

4. Issei is getting to keep his harem. Yay! One character from the first two iterations gets to appear earlier but not in this arc and one canon character from DX and Shin appears in this arc. They are being added to the harem.

5. If you expected sex, read the rating. I'm trying something different this time so deal with it.

6. The two factions that play a big role in this story are still the same: Blacklight and Serpent's Seed.

7. A bunch of characters didn't make the cut sadly.

8. Issei and Mitsuki aren't twins yet they share the same birthday and are born within 3 minutes of each other. They are siblings by choice but not by blood. I will expect all sorts of reviews in the future asking me why the OC isn't part of the harem and I will read those reviews with varying emotions (mainly disgust).

I'll give you more key differences as the story goes along and I'll do it chapter per chapter... if I remember to do so.

Now, let's go on to a small discussion. I'm sure that people will have low expectations for this story. That's fine. I understand. I made a series of choices that I shouldn't have made in the original two runs of this i.e the NTR, the OOC, the NTR again. I have no right to ask this but I do ask you to give it a chance. Even if it's just 1-2 of you, please leave a review. Or follow even. And another thing, whatever you call this fanfiction now, Til Midnight Alpha V3.0, or just the new title, The Doomsday Option, please don't drop a bunch of reviews correcting me on how I choose to depict deities or mythical figures. I'm not here to cater to your religious sensibilities nor am I here to accurately portray them. You'd know that if you read DxD that none of the deities are portrayed how they should. So please, if you don't like how a deity or mythical figure is presented, like let's say... Shiva then, feel free to drop it. I'm not going to stop you. I've had enough of that in Azure... And to my 1-2 regulars, thanks for staying. I'll try my best to answer any questions you may have. I will try to keep the expanded lore I created solely for this fanfic. I will try to update... if you don't see me update, just expect me to drop multiples in one to two days if I go away for a while because I do have a life outside of this and other fics such as My Sister's Keeper (unironically my favorite), D'Arc is Not Evil, and Azure.

I believe that's it. So let's end this on a positive note and hope to have some new readers and some old readers read. Please leave a review and follow and I will try to get to all your reviews in the next chapter... if there are any of course.