A/n:

This came about due to "Miracle of sound's" newest song over on youtube about Elden Ring, "fallen leaves". If you haven't heard of the man check him out, his music is always a banger.


"Yuma-chan…why?!" in response to the pleading, in fact almost begging tone in the dying boy's voice, the raven-haired beauty only sneered.

Watching, as he crashed face down to the ground with a not insubstantial amount of glee filling her heart. Hearing the harsh, guttural sound of his flesh tearing and stretching even further courtesy of her light spear, lodged in the dying youth's gut being jostled by his fall, only served in further heightening her mirth. Finally! After a whole day of it, she was done with the simpleton and would have to bear his childish attempts at romance no longer, nor his simpering and overly courteous behavior.

Turning her back to the already dead…or dying, it made no difference, eyesore, she let out a haughty sniff and with a shake of her head threw her jet-black locks backwards, one of her deceptively soft hands rising to smooth the few locks she could feel being out of place. With that done she huffed. It was, or soon would be the moment the brat kicked the bucket, time. As much as it grated on her having to touch the filthy human again it was unfortunately necessary.

For his corpse held the key to her ascension and the secrets to Azazel-sama's heart! Truly, there was no woman better suited or more deserving of their glorious leader was there? After all, what other gal would dare sully her hands so, touching a filthy monkey and all. But Raynare could and would endure this arduous trial. For love conquers all, and so what if her beloved had not sanctioned this mission or even knew about it? Once he learned of what she had achieved and witnessed her new found strength he would undoubtedly fall for her! Kokabiel-sama was a genius!

Just as she was about to turn around and head for the deceased youth's corpse, after all just because the Fallen knew secrets about the sacred gears which no else did and even knew how to extend the time until said item re-joined the reincarnation cycle upon its owner's death, there was no need to dally about now was there?

A corona of power exploding from behind her put a stop to her plans.

"What the—"

The strength of the energies unleashed buffeted the unprepared woman forward and swept her off her feet, making her land face first in the fountain right in front of her.

Surfacing in short order, her previously picture-perfect hair in disarray and spitting out mouthfuls of water, the millennia old woman turned and glared murder at the source of her woes.

"Impudent cretin!" she snarled, her wings stretching outwards, flinging droplets of water to all sides, while a miasma of dark power erupted out of her drenched form. "Out of my merciful heart I deigned to give you a clean death and this is how you rewa…rd…me?" she trailed off with confusion, the pillar of dark might flowing out of her body momentarily halting, for whereas in front of her the body of one Hyoudou Issei once lay, now in its place stood a powerful warrior, or rather knight, she amended her thoughts as her eyes trailed up and down the, clearly male form, of the stranger in front of her.

Despite herself, or rather because of who she was, a dark stirring in her nether regions made her shift uncomfortably in place, her core growing hot, despite the cool water surrounding her, at the sight of the tall, and unmistakably powerful and no doubt virile stranger. A stranger whom, from the moment she had her…ah, lapse in decorum, had been eyeing Raynare warily. His gaze, even hidden behind that beautifully ornate helmet resting upon a piece of dark chain-mail —and was that wolf's hair flowing out of its back? Kinky~!— piercing through cloth, steel and iron and promising only death if she made so much as a wrong move.

She shuddered and bit her lip, a lewd moan leaving her lips causing the knight to startle and pause. The weather-beaten gauntlet slowly relaxing and drawing back and away from the long dark hilt of the sword sheathed across the man's back. Part of the oppressive aura pressing down on her beginning to die down the moment he did, along with the soft blue glow emanating from his back, or rather the drenched fallen angel realized now, from the sword itself.

"My apologies oh brave knight," Raynare said in a husky tone, filled with sultry undertones while her eyes stared deep into where she suspected the man's own were. Hiding behind his helmet as it were. "But I mistook you for someone else, someone who didn't know the meaning of the word no." She said and watched as the knight begun to raise his hands. The sculpted shiny pauldrons protecting his no doubt powerful shoulders, shifting in tandem with his motion as he reached for the helmet concealing his face.

Raynare's eyes were busy devouring the man's, mostly hidden figure, her imagination filling her head with filth which would make even some of her compatriots' blanch in disgust and hastily step away. She licked her lips. Already planning on wringing this stranger dry. After all, she had lost her main prize and would have to go for plan b in getting her beloved. In the meanwhile, this poor fool would do in consoling her. He should be honored! After all, how many men could claim to have lain with perfection such as herself?

"Now oh brave hero, what say you and I…" her words died on her throat, for the face revealed and gazing back at her was a familiar one. In fact, she had last seen its likeness mere moments prior.

Gazing back at her, eyes filled with curiosity and the faintest hints of recognition was none other than Issei Hyoudou. Face somewhat wiser and older, the baby fat which had previously clang to his cheeks gone completely. Leaving behind only a lean, angular visage which time had hardened into that of a proud warrior, his head crowned by a wild, almost untamed mane of brown, nearly reddish hair.

"Your words are strange and your actions confusing fair lady." Replied the youth, no. The man standing before her with a low, almost rumbling like voice which made her stomach do flips even as her face flashed through a series of expressions, disgust chief amongst them. Mainly at herself for even thinking about laying with…with…him.

"You say one thing, and profess to offer your hand in friendship." He said, a gauntleted finger scratching at the small beard adorning his chin, the sound of steel scratching against steel making the girl startle, small ripples forming in the water around her.. "Yet…yet your actions speak of something else and your aura stinks of dishonesty." He said and gazed deep into her eyes. His words causing the smile to slip off the girl's lips, a fierce scowl replacing it.

Slowly, with trembling fingers, Raynare pushed herself up and out of the fountain, the stone protesting and crumbling under her carelessly exerted strength. With Issei making no move to either hinder her or help her, opting to continue observing instead.

That…that man! How dare he! To insinuate that she was anything but trustworthy and pure?! Granted her intentions could be said to be a tad…evil, but who cared for the sacrifices and lives of a few bugs? Did, did he dare imply that he was anywhere near close to her status?! Absurd! Anything not her or Azazel-sama was a bug!

"More than that," the man continued, causing her gaze to snap upwards and her furious eyes to meet his own softly glowing golden ones. "Your eyes scream of past meetings and I will profess to some sense of familiarity from my part as well. Have we met before lass?"

A ghoulish smirk spread across her lips and her tar like wings spread wide once more. She stretched a hand and with the crackle of distant thunder a radiant spear of light formed. Thin and smooth. The light emanating from said spear now, so much less so than what it had once been, back when she could still be counted amongst the numbers of the pure.

"As a matter of fact," she crowed with a demented laugh and took to the skies. "We have!" she said and giving the man no chance to react nor respond, flung the spear at him. The condensed light howling as it pierced the intertwining space, baying, hungering to pierce the boy turned into a giant of a man's flesh once more.

Sadly, for the hovering beauty, the man, simply stepped to the side. Allowing the screaming lance to pass him by harmlessly, the only sign of its passing being the wild swaying of the grey bristles attached to his helmet, held in one hand as it were along with the movement of his darkly colored cape behind him.

She 'tsk'd' and materialized two more spears, one in each hand.

"Well, no matter! I don't know how you survived or what exactly is going on, but you won't live past this day, ahahaha!" she said before a heinous idea came to mind. "In fact, go to your grave knowing that you have failed to save your family, or even notice them for that fact. I will take great pleasure in killing them afterwards." She said cackling and watched as the warrior visibly startled and scanned his surroundings making her smirk.

In truth she had no idea who his parents were, nor their current location or activity. But it was irrelevant, for her words achieved their purpose. Window of opportunity made and weapons prepped, she dived down towards the clearly defenseless man playing at being a knight, her manic laugh going off at full throttle. Her eyes turned to wicked pinpricks as she approached and a slasher smile formed as she clutched her spears tighter and prepared to bifurcate the foul cretin who dared ruined her day.

Yes. The end was at hand! For how could the little monkey hope to—

The magnificent and dreadful power from before returned in an instant making the diving woman flinch and reflexively close her eyes, shielding them from the blinding radiance.

Mere moments before she could reach him in a movement so fast that she could barely catch its afterimage through teary eyes, the knight extended his hands straight to his side in a diagonal manner. A set of energy pulses that, dared she called them holy? Erupted out of him, forming an enormous golden triangle with Issei at its center. The magical creation hovering some distance from the soil, with unfathomable runes blazing between its lines while almost at the same time, a grand set of interlocking rings and curves formed around and inside said triangle. The overall symbol painted striking a deep sense of awe and dread within the descending angel's heart.

Issei, in another snap movement reversed the position of his arms, one rising one falling, and the building energy exploded. Erupting outwards in a brilliant bubble, bathing all, Raynare included, in its wondrous light and driving the woman backwards, the strength of it almost enough to make her lose control of her flight.

"Ggkkh!" she said with a grimace while fighting to regain control of her flight. Her majestic wings flapping in desperation while below her, the man had taken his sight off of her, gazing around the clearing in…dare she call it desperation?

A moment later, his shoulders slumped in disappointment, for it would seem that he had not found what he was looking for. As the leaves of the trees and the blades of greenery below finished shaking, Raynare once more tightened her grip around her spears. Preparing to descend once more. She had no clue what this wave of energy was supposed to achieve but it had clearly failed in its intended purpose, and unlike it, she would not fail a second time!

As she prepared to dive an unexpected thought hit her like a truck and made her waver, do I really need to do this? Her eyes widened and she snarled, of course she did! It was after all for the Glory of Azazel-sama! The glory of the Fallen and… is it really? Who decided that, and would Azazel even like…this? He has been advocating for peace for some time after all…

A loud maddened scream ripped itself out of the woman's throat as memories, thoughts and feelings which she had not felt or had repressed for ages started to come back. She could not deal with this! Not now, she…she needed…

Her eyes landed on the immobile warrior down below, who was simply gazing back at her with a cocked head.

"YOU!" she snarled, pointing at him with a crackling spear, held in a wavering grip. "This is your doing! It's a trick! A way to make me doubt my cause, is that it?!" she shouted with desperation.

"Regression merely peers past illusions, revealing what's already in place, or within, I did not assault your mind oh maiden. Your thoughts are still your own." Calmly replied the man.

Unfortunately for them both, Raynare would not, could not listen. For the growing doubts assaulting and gnawing at her mind would not be swayed nor suppressed, not with mere words at any rate. Fortunately, the cause of it all would do, for now.

"DIE!" she screamed as she swooped down on wings trembling with furry, the shadow cast by the spears of light on her hands, shrouding her face in shadow, leaving only her maddened eyes and a wide slasher smile visible.

In less than a heartbeat she was upon him, the unprepared fool having not even noticed, much less unsheathed his weapon or moved from his spot. Glee filing her troubled heart she swiped her light-lances, the energy pair screaming like the hands of death come to collect as they drew close to the knight's form.

But it was not to be, for right before they would connect with his undefended form, rending through his, no doubt pathetic armor. Issei's power once more was brought to the fore. Stunning, yet again, the woman momentarily and making her squeeze her angrily protesting eyes shut.

Blindly, letting instinct and hard-won experience guide her, she scythed through where she knew the man was. Her blades slashed through empty air. The unexpected lack of resistance and the ensuing over extension making her almost lose her balance once again. But she recovered quickly, she was not a veteran of the first civil war for nothing after all! The fact that she had lost most of her power in the fall mattered less than anyone might think, especially here and now, against this rank amateur.

Alas, but the worst was yet to come, for in the brief instance of inactivity, her supernatural brain, left without a focus for even such a brief period as this resumed its earlier bombardment of feelings and memories, she much preferred remained buried.

Hurriedly opening her eyes, eager for a distraction, she took stock of the battlefield. A small 'oh' left her lips the moment she did.

For in between the beatings of her supernatural heart the knight had emulated her.

With grace filled movements he had merely taken a step backwards, beyond the reach of her slash and opened his palm, the helmet in his hand dropping to the ground with a 'clank' before, with a gentle press from his legs belaying the strength contained, he jumped upwards, cratering the ground as he did.

Trailing his arc, Raynare's heart caught in her throat the moment he reached his peak.

Throwing his hands out to the side, palms open, the roar of the hungering maelstrom crushed against Rayrane's ears. Hungering, writhing pillars of light and wild energetic ions appeared shivering in the man's open palms. Only continuing to resemble spears, or rather war-lances due to his no doubt iron will. And then the moment passed, and gravity reasserted its control and he started to fall. Towards her.

Her heart dropped to her feet. This was no time for an inner war, and she was a veteran was she not? Besides, her instincts were screaming that the knight's earlier words were the truth. So, with no other choice, in an act of desperation she opened her heart, welcoming and accepting the part of herself long forgotten. The moment she did time seemed to halt, the majestic, deadly figure trailing towards her freezing in a haze of grey just as the rest of the word did and she fell deep into her soul.

What the woman witnessed the moment she opened her eyes was a mess, for a giant maelstrom made of fire and wind was wrecking each and every part of her inner most self, while in the distance, swiftly closing in, were maddened aspects of herself, baying for her blood.

Her mind made, her face set in an expression of grim resolve the black-haired beauty set about her task of putting things right.

A heartbeat and a millennia latter her task was completed. But the woman who emerged back to the battlefield was not the same. The pure smile formed on her face, with no hint of her usual deception anywhere to be found was hint enough of that.

Her wings flickered once. The color of the pinions and the feathers next to them turning pure white for an instant.

"Die, Hyoudooou!" she screamed, her words a sharp contrast to the joyous smile and the much softer features of her face, as with a flutter of wings and an almost pure corona of power leaving her form, she rushed upwards, the fallen angel unknowingly rising to meet the fallen god.

If this was the end, then so be it. It would be a good end…

The pair swung their weapons at one another. The spears crushed against one another, a harsh grating sound like the wail of a thousand screeching birds sounded out, deafening anyone and anything unlucky enough to be nearby the empty park followed by an explosion of energy which blew apart the fountain, grass, trees dirt and more. Flattening the nearby land and causing sirens to begin wailing in the distance.

A surprised grunt left the knight's lips, for her strength was much greater than he expected. Indeed, the new pairs of wings rapidly forming and beginning to solidify on Raynare's back could attest to that.

Her light-spears held against Issei's own lightning made ones, pushing as she was against him with all of her angelic might. For a moment, just a moment, between one beating of her supernatural heart and the next, she dared to hope. Hope for victory even as a part within her sighed that she would not get her wish after all. And then the figure above her pushed, and cracks started spreading all across her weapons, the spears exploding with a loud whine. The man's blow, and the force behind her, as well as the blow-back from her spears destruction blowing her backwards, or at least starting too.

Out of the corner of her eye, Raynare caught a glimpse of a frozen, seemingly suspended droplet of water courtesy of their speed, flung upward and next to her from the destruction of the marble fountain below moments prior.

The silent knight's downward swing completed, piercing and tearing deeply into her. Blood gushed out of her mouth and the rends on her torso both and time resumed its normal pace, the droplet falling alongside her.

Crushing hard into the ground of the destroyed park below, the dying angel bounced once, twice and then a third time before rolling to a stop a few meters away next to some rubble. Pieces of glass from the now destroyed lamps digging new holes into her back.

Despite the pain of her injuries and with death close at hand she laughed, it was a pure sound. Carefree and holding no trace of the cruelty nor the malice which usually filled the girl.

With tired eyes, she watched as the silent knight landed with a soft 'thump' and the rustle of interlocked iron before eyeing her fallen form warily for any hidden surprises, seemingly satisfied after a while he shrugged and instead moved to pick up his discarded helmet, which had landed a few feet away from him and had curiously remained undisturbed by the power unleashed by their clash.

Another soft laugh bubbled out of her, as her eyes started to close and dim and her life's blood continued to seep out of the grievous cuts and into the hungering ground below eagerly lapping it up. Death, as they say, has a way of peering away at the illusions and preconceptions we shackle ourselves with. And Raynare, poor innocent Raynare, once the pride of her celestial flock and an angel most promising had willingly blinded herself with many such illusions. The pain of the Fall coupled with the loss of the ever-present connection to the celestial host, her once brothers and sisters and their departed Father both, enough to drive many a fallen to madness or worse.

So yes, she had willingly, even happily, blinded herself to a lot of things once the reality of what she had done set in. Or what that despicable fiend, Kokabiel had coerced her to.

But now, at last, her mind and soul were free, truly free and her own for the first time in millennia! Raynare, in the deepest depths of her heart had long hoped to make amends. But with the death of their Father that had become an impossibility. Thus, her only option became a glorious death through combat, combat against His beloved creations.

As her eyes clouded and her final breath escaped her cooling lips, the girl uttered a quiet 'thank you'. For wherever he went, whatever happened to him, Issei Hyoudou, no matter how much taller, older, or stronger. Was still, without a doubt, human. Even one as lowly as her, an angel no longer but a tarnished fallen could clearly tell. A tear rolled down a smooth cheek, if only she could have apologized to him and all the others, she had hurt…oh what a fool she had been…

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Dusting off his helmet and preparing to set it atop his head once more the man once known as the 'tarnished lord' paused, feeling the influx of runes, courtesy of the woman's death.

Turning his head, he gazed at her once more, before shrugging. Regrettable but she had started this. She was somewhat familiar, yes. But that was nowhere near enough to stay his hand, despite a small part of him whispering that it didn't have to be this way.

Maybe so, but he had already lost so much…

At the sound of his teeth grinding against one another like two giant boulders seeking to crush the other and his heightened emotions, a soft glow accompanied by an almost loving hum emanated from the sword attached to his back.

Closing his eyes, he raised a hand, clutching the warm handle. The length of magical steel and leather welcoming his touch in an almost loving manner, its touch inviting. But only for him, and him alone. At the corners of his closed eyelids moisture gathered, threatening to spill.

"My dearest Consort fair," a fleeting, sad smile adorned his Lady Goddess porcelain like face. "Our time is growing short indeed, I fear tis farewell." She said and her expression faltered for a moment before her visage hardened and she raised a hand, pressing it against his chest.

"My Lad— Ranni! Please, wait! There must be another wa—"

But his goddess would not be deterred, with a gentle, almost loving shove she pushed—

His fingers gripped against the handle until his breath steadied and with a shake of his head, he dispelled the recent and painfully raw memory.

Opening his eyes, he sighed and let go of his sword. His gaze fell on the maddened fallen warrior whose body had yet to disappear into motes of light and rune-power. It was curious indeed but not something worth pondering over. It happened from time to time after all. He shrugged and made to close the distance intent on closing her eyes and granting her a proper burial, after all, enemy or not she still deserved some courtesy.

Besides, he was sure he knew her from somewhere, even if the memories were foggy and dim, almost ethereal from the passage of time. It must have been before he came to the lands between then.

Just as his hands closed the girl's eyelids a baleful scarlet light erupted all around him, magic filling the air. Cast in scarlet hues, Issei tasted the air and his mouth inched slightly downwards. Over the years and his travels, he had acquired a sixth sense for magic. His wife found it…had found it, hilarious and never stopped teasing him about it. Not that he minded, not truly, after all she was right, only someone as lowborn as him would liken the glory that is the glorious forces and fields binding the cosmos together to the tastes and odors of food. 'Sides, Ranni never meant anything bad by it, it was simply her way of showing love. Admittedly his wife's teasing was something of an acquired taste.

The smile unconsciously formed, courtesy of his trip down memory lane slipped of his face once more as he took another whiff. The same 'odor' hitting him once more. The sickly scent of sweet and sightly rotten apples hit his nostrils. Not unlike the scent poor, innocent Rya used to give him. Slightly worse than his now long-gone friend but still nowhere near as rotten as the rest of the denizens and subjects of her father. —And wasn't he a whole subject in and of itself.— Or a certain child diddling bastard.

As the magic around him resolved, the dancing sigils evaporating with a final wink and a flash, their purpose fulfilled. Issei found himself staring at a pair of well endowed…very well-endowed young women —hell, they almost rivaled his wife after her ascension and the ensuing modifications she had made to her form. He eyed speculatively the raven-haired beauty whose long hair was set in a ponytail, complete with a red ribbon. She might be bigger infact.

While he was busy thinking such thoughts the pair were busy gawking at him in turn, their necks creaked slightly upwards, for even kneeling he was still taller. He blinked and hummed; their outfits were certainly…unique. As had been the dead warrior's underneath him, he had thought it merely a personal choice but clearly it might be high time he reconsidered. Ranni dammit. Where had his dearest wife sent him?

Watching them falling out of their combat stances and as a result slowly relaxing himself, he cocked his head to the side. Seeing as they remained silent, he sighed. Dammit, it would seem that he would have to resort to his weakest tool after all. Talking.

"Yes? Can I help you girls?" he asked.

His voice startled the pair, making them jump in place while dustings of red formed on their cheeks. The black-haired beauty's gaze switched from him to that of her friend, clearly awaiting her orders. The red-haired beauty on the other hand gazed at him like an adorable mouse, and the girl's scarlet locks… Issei would willingly bet a left hand —not his own, of course, maybe that bastard Ofnir's— that would only ever be matched by that, now thankfully deceased, swordswoman and the source of many, many of his deaths.

"I-Issei?" squeaked the young woman in an adorable voice.

He blinked and frowned, his hand once more rising to scratch at his chin, the sound of metal on metal once again filling the clearing and making the girls jump.

"Yes?" he said, his tone questioning. Confoundment and rot! It would seem that yet more people he had no recollection off knew him, or of him. Not that it made that much of a difference at this stage.

"Hyoudou? As in Issei Hyoudou? Is that who you are, truly?" demanded the black-haired beauty in a voice like honey and chocolate while her eyes, narrowed and glaring gave a distinctly different vibe. Said expression, somehow both suiting and marring her otherwise princess-like looks.

The man's eyebrows furrowed together. He didn't even remember the last time someone had confused him with someone else. Who didn't know the Elden Lord for Ranni's sake!

"Yes, tis who I am." He said, his tone jovial despite the pain caused by the recent separation still clawing at his heart like the hand of some blood-thirsty demi-human. A discreet, guilt filled glance towards the fallen woman by his feet, whose relaxed visage gave the impression that she was merely sleeping reaffirmed his decision.

There had been enough fighting for one day.

The maiden might have been mad or she might not, but there still might have been a way to salvage things without bloodshed…curses and defilement on the fiends who had separated him from his wife and doubly so for making him fall back on his ingrained instincts instead of truly trying to talk and de-escalate…

"If that's truly the case," continued the beauty stuffed in entirely too tight and revealing garments, after a moment where her friend, and if Issei's suspicions were correct, leader, did not speak up. "Then, you would not mind accompanying us, would you?"

Ignoring the girl's implied threat, Issei, smiled wider. It would seem that he would get his wish after all!

"Why of course! It would be my pleasure!" he said and watched as the pair relaxed fractionally. The fact that it would also help him discover the layabouts of this new strange land did not hurt either. "Just as soon as I dig a grave for the lass here." He said, pointing to Raynare with his thumb.

The redhead blinked. "What for? She is a Fallen Angel. Even if her wings are weird." She muttered that last part. "One who attacked you no less." She said in a suddenly cool tone. "And she did it within my realm at that. Without permission." She said and her features darkened.

"Your realm, Rias?" asked the black-haired beauty in a faux demure tone, the teasing undertones barely hidden within causing the girl to fluster and her cheeks to darken.

"M-mine and Sona's!" she squeaked. "S-shush Akeno! You are making me look bad."

"Fufufu~!"

Valiantly ignoring her friend, she continued. "A-anyway, we can take care of that, Issei-kun." Said Rias with a smile which contrasted harshly with the energy gathered in her raised hand. The black ball of roiling barely contained darkness giving Issei the heebie-jeebies.

It reminded him a bit too much for comfort of the aura the magic of the godskin apostles gave off. And he would know, after all, there were few magics he had failed to learn and master in his long, long reign.

"No need, lass." He said instead, shaking his head and letting none of his feelings show. "I will do it. Foul or pure everyone is equal in death underneath the golden leaves of the Erdtree" he said and paused, before rubbing the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "Err, you wouldn't happen to have a shovel with you? I mean I could do it without but—" he shrugged helplessly.

He could most certainly do it without, say by hand. But, eyeing the pair he somehow doubted that they would wait the couple extra minutes it would take him. And if he did it by magic…Well, even in his currently diminished state, Issei somehow doubted they needed a hole deep enough to bury a few dozen people, or a village.

The girl named Akeno, merely raised an eyebrow and stretched out an arm. In a flash of light, a plain shovel materialized in her arm.

Issei's eyebrows climbed to his hair.

"Curiouser and curiouser." He murmured as he stepped close and took the shovel.

Seeing him gripping and testing the firmness of the digging implement, Akeno spoke again. "You do know this is not a graveyard, right?"

Issei's head tilted to the side. The word somehow familiar and drawing bits of memories out of the furthest corners of his mind.

"What's a graveyard" he asked instead, not interested in looking through said memories right now.

Akeno didn't seem impressed, and made to reply before with a sound like a boiling kettle reaching its limits Rias intervened.

"Muu! Don't ignore me!" she whined. Pouting and poking at Issei's armored chest with a finger. "Issei-kun, what happened to you? Why do you look older? For that matter, where did you get that armor, is it your sacred gear perhaps? Oh, and what's an Erdtree?" the girl begun, firing her questions one after another in a manner not unlike certain tall bastards whenever he tried to heal.

Issei, bewildered, turned and gazed at her dumbfounded.

The girl's words, quite a few of them unfamiliar, started to give him an inkling as to where exactly he had ended up, one which he most certainly did not like.

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Needless to say, the Elden Lord is not amused by his circumstances nor his unwanted return to his 'home' :P

And neither will be a lot of other people, watching their plans go up in flames.

And yes, Raynare had a Bleach moment, but since she is not the protagonist it didn't amount to much, on the other hand she did give Issei a pretty good phase 2 scare :D