Disclaimer: I do not own High School DxD, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel, Harry Potter, Naruto, Thundercats, He-Man, Rifts, God of War, and Campione!

Major AU: Do not expect this story to strictly follow canon for High School DxD.

Key: "Talking" 'Thought' [Sacred Gear] (Pailamancy or Telepathy) ~Communicator~ *Technique* {Magical Item}

Plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose

"Hmmm, the empowerment these Slayers possess is rather impressive for the work of mortal shamans. Superhuman strength, increased speed, enhanced durability, accelerated healing, instinctive combat skill, enhanced senses, prophetic dreams, and the ability to sense demons in one package? And they made the empowerment spread to another when the first died." Ajuka Beelzebub took a sip of his tea he skimmed through the report compiled by Gremory Peerage. It wasn't just Xander who offered his insights, but the others had offered their observation from the media the Slayers originated from. He favored the former Watcher's words as they were gleaned from 'real' experience. However the notes from the others were not without some merit, especially those of Gasper. "The drawbacks seem to be a desire to hunt, a solid dislike of supernatural evil, and a sense of overconfidence. That and it will only take root in those of human blood. Arguably some of the reincarnated Devils might be Chosen, but I sincerely doubt it."

"That was my thought as well." Sirzech Lucifer nodded as he listened to his friend's thoughts on the newest thing that Xander dropped in their laps. The existence of {Rosenberg} was worrying enough and a secret the Maous were sitting on. In the Underworld there were exactly six beings outside of the ORC who knew what the Holy Axe could do and the Maous were four of them. The Slayers were not something the Maous would be able to keep a secret at all. There were already reports of human girls who could kill low class Stray Devils and weaker vampires. "We might have to issue a decree that anyone reincarnating a Slayer without their express permission will be severely punished."

"That will be impossible to enforce." Serafall Leviathan pouted cutely as she expressed her ire at how some of her fellow Devils would skirt such a decree. "There isn't any mention of Slayers being resistant to mind magic. We check for compulsions, but altered memories are nearly impossible to detect. We could try spreading the rumor that reincarnating them will end the empowerment. Of course the first time someone runs across as Slayer Exorcist or a Fallen Angel Slayer they will know better."

"Are we even sure that Reincarnating them will leave the powers intact?" Falbium Asmodeus had shocked everyone present by not only reading the report but making notes in the margins. "Mister Harris-Hyoudou has noted that there is no record of a Slayer becoming a vampire aside from the Nightmare Incident. The {Evil Pieces} could be incompatible with Slayers."

Sirzechs and Serafall looked to each other for a moment and in perfect unison uttered. "Good point."

"You are forgetting the Aspect of the Demon." Grayfia was not a Maou, but her counsel was still appreciated by the four Satans. In fact she was considered the unofficial fifth member. "Buffy Summers was temporarily given the power of Telepathy because she was splashed with the blood of a particular demon species. It did not affect her Slayer powers in the slightest. Xander-sama has confirmed similar has happened with a few other species. An {Evil Piece} is more akin to that than possession by a Demon."

"Grayfia has a point. There is also the point that Harris-san can sense Devils as well as Fallen Angels according to Yuuto-kun. According to reports Harris-san says the Devils he has met do not feel like Demons he knows with the exception of Groo and Lorne. From my understanding Pyleans are not denizens of his Universe's Hell." Serafall voiced her agreement with Sirzech's wife.

"His universe's Hell is what we would call Tartarus or the Abyss." Grayfia shuddered at the thought. While the Underworld was technically Hell, it wasn't what many beings imagined. It certainly wasn't where Heaven sent the evil souls who deserved punishment. "The Demons from that world make even the Old Satan Faction look kind in comparison."

"Be that as it may, we must address the Slayer issue in some manner. There is no doubt they will be in demand as much as any Sacred Gear wielder. Perhaps more so as they all have useful abilities for anyone with the desire to build an army." Falbium brushed aside the talk of a world they would never visit for the more practical matter. "Unfortunately, if we attempt place restriction on reincarnating a Slayer it will only cause more of them to seek them out of sheer rebellion."

"Perhaps we are looking at it wrong. We just be a tad dishonest and claim that Slayers are being empowered by a new goddess." Serafall shrugged. "There aren't many Devils willing to anger a Goddess by kidnapping her chosen champions."

"Excellent idea." Sirzechs chuckled. "And it's not as if we are strictly lying. Sineya has been given two God's Authorities and isn't a Campione. Most would assume she is a Goddess now."

"And what of Harris-san and his Authority from Tammuz?" Ajuka asked raising an eyebrow. "He's obviously not a God or Campione."

"That's an entirely different kettle of fish." Sirzechs frowned. "Especially given what that Authority encompasses."

Xander Harris-Hyoudou wasn't sure if he was in Paradise or Tartarus. Well, he knew he was in the ORC Clubroom, that much was certain. His fiancé Rias Gremory had shooed off the majority of the ORC with the exception of Akeno Himejima and himself. Then she had directed him to strip down to his boxers and sit in the middle of the couch. As he followed her orders, Rias and Akeno had stepped into the small bedroom for a minute. When they came out they were both wearing just simple white silk robes. Immediately a certain organ of his was at full mast creating an obvious bulge in the loose shorts.

"I'm still in the coma aren't I?" Xander asked as he took in the sight of the two sexy women. Unconsciously he was comparing the two of them noting that from an aesthetic perspective they were equally gorgeous. Akeno's bust was larger and had wonderful jiggle while the shape of Rias' breasts were more captivating. Both young women were supernaturally beautiful with heart shaped faces. Rias had the look of a European Princess especially with her crimson hair and blue green eyes. Akeno was very much the Japanese beauty with her raven hair and vibrant violet eyes. Both of their bodies were built for sin with childbearing hips, narrow waists, perfect asses, and long slender legs. "Because there is no way the two of you are thinking of a threesome right now."

"Well, I wasn't," Akeno blushed as she kneeled down on Xander's left side and gently took his hand. The temptress of Kuoh Academy found that Xander could pierce her defenses far too easily, not that she minded. He was everything she ever wanted in a man. If Rias hadn't moved in as quickly as she had, Akeno knew without a doubt that she would have slept with Xander already. "But now that you mention it…"

"Threesomes will have to wait until you develop a proper relationship with Akeno." Rias said firmly as she kneeled to Xander's right and took his hand in hers. She was blushing as profusely as Akeno because she was picturing exactly how it would be to share her fiancé with her best friend. "Right now we need to drain the Draconic Energy from your arms. There are a few ways to do that, but given it will be our first ritual we chose this method. We're going to suck the energy out through your fingertips."

"Oh Twinkie!" Xander breathed out as both Rias and Akeno began by licking along his palm, followed by tracing their tongues along his index finger. "Not that I will ever complain about this method," Xander managed to get out before both girls started suckling on his fingers. His breathing hitched for a moment as he let out a soft moan. "What are the other methods?"

(Well, there is bleeding your limbs forcing the Draconic Power to leave your body through the blood, but that only works if there is a small amount of power backed up.) Rias telepathically explained as she swirled her tongue around the digit in her mouth.(Then there is magically exhausting yourself by casting spells, which could result in you being out of commission for a week)

Akeno was quite aware that Rias and Xander were having a mental conversation. She truly envied that they could do that, but at the same time feared that Xander would discover her secret. Fear of rejection overrode her desire to be able to hear Xander's thoughts. Instead of dwelling on that, Akeno concentrated on fellating the finger in her mouth.

"Well, I don't like bleeding if I can help it and I am not risking being out of commission with Kokabiel around." Xander was finding it hard to speak thanks to the girls leaving him panting. Between Rias and Akeno he was sure that he was going to make a mess in his shorts. "What are the other methods?"

"Well, the slightly more intimate one would have you slipping these long thick fingers between a different set of lips, Xander-kun." Akeno took a moment away from her suckling to speak. "We thought we'd save that for times when your hands aren't so scaly. After all, this isn't a one-time experience. We will need to keep siphoning away that power from time to time." With that done Akeno was back to work, though with the way her hips were moving it was obvious she was enjoying it.

"Well, I can understand that." Xander replied as he wrapped his head around what Akeno said. He should have realized that sensual methods of siphoning away the power would exist. "Oh Maou, you two are really good at teasing."

(If you think this is good, the last two methods would have us taking care of that third leg of yours.) Rias teased as she increased the pace of her suckling as she bobbed her head back and forth. (Akeno suggested we do that, but I thought her first time with you should be more romantic.)

"You're killing me here." Xander moaned out as his leaned his head back and stared at the ceiling in a futile effort to calm himself down. "But I'm loving every moment."

In the warded field behind the Old School Building, Kiba Yuuto was training. Before Xander had arrived the blonde swordsman could have performed his katas and physical training in plain sight. In fact he had continued that practice for a while afterwards. However as he learned some of the techniques that Xander had pioneered Kiba found he needed to train away from mortal eyes. There would be too many questions about how he could simply run up a wall, walk on water, exchange places with an object, or create illusory clones. The more he learned what Xander called the basics the more he needed privacy.

On this day, Kiba was not practicing any of his magical skills nor his swordsmanship. He was practicing the art of juggling and throwing. He'd created eight *Mercy Swords*. The enchanted weapons would not injure animals no matter how hard they hit, but still acted as normal blades so he could practice keeping grip on five of them while three were in the air at any one time. Of course he had to keep trading weapons he was holding for the airborne weapons constantly. His speed as a Knight and the abilities of {The Bracers of Puissance} made things slightly easier. After four weeks of practice he felt confident to start jumping around while juggling.

Erica Blandelli easily sensed the ward that was supposed to keep casual observers away. She had to give the creator some credit as they didn't use brute force methods. As she tried to approach the area she had the urge to go grab a cup of coffee. It had been felt so natural that she had almost done just that. It took remembering that her informants claimed her brother used the wooded area to train. Once she realized what was happening she could push past the mild compulsion and snuck into position to watch. She'd heard that Isaiah was a master of the sword, and from what she saw of his katas that was indeed true. Then he started his bizarre juggling routine and Erica could only feel some confusion. Nobody had said anything about her brother being an entertainer.

"To what purpose do you juggle with your swords?" Erica whispered to herself as her confusion overwhelmed her common sense. She realized her mistake with three swords buried themselves in the tree she'd been lurking behind. "Well, that is certainly a rude way to greet your sister, Isaiah." She called out in a much louder tone as she stepped from her cover. "It's been ten years, dear brother. Aren't you happy to see me?"

"Erica?" Kiba stared wide-eyed at his twin sister. He remembered the last time he saw her just before the attack on their home, the one that led to him being in the clutches of Valper. A single tear rolled down his cheek as memory of his parents laying in pools of their own blood played in his mind. "I thought you died with Mama and Papa."

"No, I hid in our spot." Erica shook her head as she stepped towards her brother as the swords he summoned vanished. "Uncle Paolo found me before the fire got that far. I hear I have Rias Gremory to thank for saving your life from the Holy Sword Project."

"Yeah, that bastard Valper got what he wanted and decided to kill us." Kiba related the story as he slowly approached his sister. He would have rushed in and hugged her, but Xander had drilled paranoia into him, and she was wearing a cross. "When Rias-boucho found me out in the snow I was still dying of whatever it was they pumped into the room. To save me she had to make me her Knight. She's given me a purpose other than revenge."

"Her Knight? That is fitting." Erica smiled warmly as Kiba confirmed what her Uncle guessed. Knowing that her brother was a devil, but still wanting a hug, she quickly moved her cross to behind her neck. As soon as the holy icon was stashed away she rushed to catch Kiba in a warm embrace. "I am so happy to have you back, Isaiah!"

Kiba wasn't surprised to be hugged by the blonde. Erica had always initiated hugs with both him and her best friend Liliana. He simply returned the affectionate gesture. He didn't bother responding to her and just let his embrace speak for him. As with all good things the hug did eventually end with Erica slowly drawing away.

"Would you happen to like coffee, Isaiah?" Erica asked tentatively. "I saw an interesting café near here and I would love to catch up with you before meeting your King."

"It's Kiba now." Kiba replied the Prince Charming smile on his face. "Well, I suppose we can go there. They have a few garden tables so I won't be polluting the air after my workout."

"Kiba? Really?" Erica's brow furrowed. "She renamed you?"

"Isaiah was the boy who was being tortured by that madman. Isaiah was the one who watched as friend after friend did not return from their sessions." Kiba tried to keep the rage and pain out of this voice but wasn't completely successful. "For two long years that name was linked with nothing but pain and sorrow. I asked for a new name and Rias-boucho granted my request. I am now Kiba Yuuto to my friends and family."

"I see… then I will call you Kiba as well." Erica nodded in agreement. "So tell me about your friends, while you escort me to the café, Kiba."

"I'd be happy to." Kiba said as he presented his arm to his sister.

Koneko Toujou smirked as she leapt through the air avoiding another blow from Xander. It was a good thing she had as Xander was in his He-Xan form and empowered by the power of the {Rook}. When the larger Devil's fist struck the ground it ended up causing a ten-foot crater as the concrete of the arena shattered. The platinum blonde didn't waste any time gawking, instead she charged forward the moment her feet hit the ground. Dropping her shoulder into a perfect spear she caught Xander directly in the gut and sent him sprawling.

"You're getting better, Koneko-chan." Xander said as he kipped up to his feet before he spread his arms wide. "*Zeppo Jutsu: Thunder Clap!*" He announced before bringing his two gauntlet covered hands together in a perfect mimicry of the Incredible Hulk's signature attacks. With the Devil Power he channeled into the technique a massive shockwave of air and sound created a cone of destruction barreling towards his training partner.

"Balls!" Koneko muttered as she tried to weather the storm but her slight frame worked against her. She windmilled through the air before impacting the concrete wall of the sparring arena with enough force to crack it. Falling out of the girl sized depression to her feet the platinum blonde grinned. "That's a new one! And it's not anime based."

"I'm a comic book otaku among other things." Xander chuckled as he adopted ready stance. "I could teach that one to you as you are strong enough and you got spare Demon Power."

"That would be rad." Koneko nodded before she picked up a large chunk of concrete that was the result of some of their earlier spars. Despite the fact it was three times her size she tossed it at Xander effortlessly. "Catch!"

"Too easy." Xander stepped forward and delivered a straight punch to the concrete projectile causing it to shatter. His mistake was not engaging the {Eye of Omen} to keep track of Koneko. The small girl had leapt following the boulder.

"Sucker!" Koneko said as he delivered her punch to Xander's face at point blank. The results were spectacular as Xander went flipping end of end from the power of the blow. When he finally landed there was a trail of blood leaking from an obviously broken nose.

"Oh Xander-kun!" Asia Argento raced to Xander's side and held up three fingers. "How many fingers do you see?"

"Bix!" Xander said with all the authority of the mildly concussed. "I fink my nobe is bwoke."

Erica Blandelli was genuinely smiling as she listened to her brother describe his friends. This was her first happy moment since the Battle of Sardinia. The brother she thought she lost years ago was not only alive, but she was reunited with him. She was sure she would never be able to convince Kiba to leave the Gremory Clan, but as he described them Erica lost any desire to do so. In fact she was felt indebted to them for giving Kiba a family after the horrors of the Holy Sword Project. The only thing that did not seem right was that her little brother never mentioned a girlfriend.

"So when are you going to tell me about your lovers, Outouto." Erica decided to directly probe for the information she wanted to hear. In a teasing tone she continued. "A handsome boy like you in a school of mostly girls? I expect your exploits make Casanova look like a monk in comparison."

"I've had no lovers, Erica-nee." Kiba shrugged before taking a sip of his macchiato. He wasn't surprised by his sister's teasing tone. Their mother had been just like that with their father and them. He still remembered when she called Liliana his girlfriend. "I've been on a few dates, but nothing serious. Most of the girls in Kuoh Academy only like me for my looks. I would prefer not to involve myself with such shallow girls."

"Yes, I am afraid that women can be just as shallow as men." Erica shook her head sadly. "A third of my admirers are of the fairer sex and they are no less lecherous for it. Ah well, it is good news for Liliana-chan. She was as heartbroken as I was when you disappeared."

"I sincerely doubt that Liliana-chan will accept what I have become." Kiba shook his head sadly. "Honestly I am surprised you haven't decided to exorcise me. I've heard some rumors of how members of the Copper Black Cross have eliminated many devils."

"Rumors, Kiba-kun. Just rumors. Both the Copper Black Cross and the Bronze Black Cross steer clear of any dealings with the Three Factions unless they are Strays." Erica replied to the semi-accusations. She understood where they came from. She'd heard some of the same rumors herself. "We concentrate on policing the Magicians, Witches, and occasionally diverting a Rogue God."

"Ah yes, Rogue Gods, we just had to deal with a Rogue Campione," Kiba chuckled. "He made the foolish mistake of threatening some of Xander-sempai's girls." The blonde devil shook his head. "I am actually sorry I missed the final battle. Aside from him blowing a hole through Freed Sellzen I keep missing everything. Though given his penchant for brutal executions, it might be for the best."

"Ah yes, the new Red Dragon Emperor," Erica leaned forward clearly interested in the subject. "I hear he has a few interesting titles, including the One Who Sees and the King of Cretins, or am I wrong?"

"You're most definitely correct." Kiba replied with a slight chuckle as he thought of the many titles Xander had earned even as a mere human. And he used the description with all due sarcasm. "I've told you how I met the Rias-sama, Akeno-chan, Gasper-kun and Koneko-chan, let me tell you the story of Xander-kun and the others he brought into my life. The story starts with his predecessor, Issei-san…"

"Hello Xander-kun, was there something you needed from me?" Akeno Himejima was pleasantly surprised to see her favorite kohai track her down to her locker. Of course part of that pleasant surprise was the way he had presented her with a bouquet of Tulips, a mix of red, variegated, and yellow. She was quite well versed in the language of flowers and wondered if Xander knew the message they presented.

"Just your company on Friday night. Say six o'clock." Xander flashed his trademark smile as he made his proposition. "I have reservations at your favorite restaurant and then I was hoping you'd care to spend the evening dancing."

There were gasps all around them. It was well known that Xander and Rias were an item. It wasn't like the pair of them tried hiding it. Hell, they'd been reprimanded for their displays of affection that bordered on public sex at times. Now several guys and girls were wondering if Xander was cheating on Rias or if they had broken up. Of course this speculation caused a round of frenzied whispering.

"Ufufufu, Would this be just the two of us, Xander-kun?" Akeno asked after taking a moment to inhale the aroma of the bouquet.

"Yes, Rias-hime is taking Asia-chan out on a date." Xander replied with total nonchalance. "They made the plans after I told them I wanted to take you out on a proper date. I believe they are going for sushi and then to hit the arcades before a movie. So, it will be just the two of us for the whole evening. I'm expected home for lunch."

"Ara ara, so you are all mine for the evening and the morning?" Akeno's smile was her true one instead of the fake grins that came with her mask and persona. It actually challenged the mega-watt smiles that Cordellia and Faith could produce when they let their true self be seen. "Well, then I would love to join you Friday, Xander-kun and I will be keeping you until lunch time if I have my way."

"I am perfectly alright with that, Akeno-hime." Xander took her free hand and kissed the backside with an exaggerated flourish before making a point of offering his arm. "If I am correct you have Communications class next. Allow me to escort you there and we can discuss the finer point of our date."

"Buchou, I would like to introduce my elder sister Erica Blandelli, Grand Knight of the Order of the Copper Black Cross. Erica, this is my King the Lady Rias Gremory, Heiress of the Gremory Family." Kiba started the formal introductions after escorting his sister into the ORC Clubroom. "And this is her fiance and Pawn Xander Harris-Hyoudou. And these are her Queen Akeno Himejima, Bishop Asia Argento, and Rook Koneko Toujou. And this is Xander's adoptive sister Raynare Hyoudou."

"Well, this is a rare pleasure, Blandelli-san. I cannot tell you how happy I am glad that Kiba-kun has been reunited with at least some of his family." Rias' smile was completely genuine as she approached the blonde Italian and offered a respectful bow. Unlike Xenovia and Irina, it was well known that Erica was of noble lineage and her position of Grand Knight made her one of the leaders of the Copper Black Cross.

"Yes, it has been wonderful finally finding my outouto after so many years of believing he was dead. I will never be able to express my gratitude that you saved him from certain death." Erica's return smile was just a genuine as she returned the bow to the regal redheaded devil. "I am just as thankful that you've made every effort to make his life as happy as possible."

(Wow, and I thought we were being formal when the Scoobies were meeting the Pope.) Xander mentally joked to his fiancé. As he hoped it made the all too serious thoughts in her head cease and the far more friendly and relaxed ideas to flow in Rias' mind. He truly enjoyed being able to ease tensions without making himself appear to be a complete doofus. He was quite sure it was why the Scoobies didn't take him seriously most of the time.

"Think nothing of it, I helped because it was the right thing to do. Kiba-kun has repaid any debt to me several times over." Rias' formal smile slowly relaxed into her friendly teasing one. "And he has become like a Little Brother, so in essence that would make me your sister… if you want."

"We'll see, but at the very least we can be friends." Erica offered as she just seemed to relax a bit and stopped being completely formal. In truth she was glad Rias offered the first olive branch. She recognized that her own forceful personality made her attempts seem more like coercion. "After all I will be attending Kuoh Academy for the foreseeable future so I can fulfill my latest assignment."

"I was under the impression that the Copper Black Cross maintained a distance from the Three Factions, preferring to police the Magicians and Rogue Gods." Akeno interjected as she poured a cup of tea for Erica as the woman sat down. "While we recently dealt with a Campione, that threat was eliminated."

"With prejudice." Koneko muttered as she remembered the video of the final fight. Unlike some of the others she hadn't been disturbed by Xander's brutal execution. She would have ripped the man's arms off if she could have. The kind of threats he made were way beyond anything she'd tolerate.

"That is normally true, but the presence of Harris-Hyoudou-san allows me a great deal of leeway." Erica said before taking a sip of the tea and letting out a low moan of appreciation. "This is an excellent blend of Matcha."

"Why would my Xander-koi provide you a little leeway?" Rias managed to calmly inquire despite the overwhelming desire she had to send the blonde packing. She would be the first to admit she was possessive of Xander. She didn't mind the attention he got from Asia, Akeno, and even Koneko because none of them would take him away from her, even if they could. However, she could sense that Erica was more like herself, and would be possessive of any male she expressed interest in.

"There are a number of Prophecies that have been entrusted to the Copper Black Cross." Erica began her explanation. "They aren't Armageddon predictions, like the aborted Starless Night prophecy. I don't have to tell you the entire mystical world is shocked over Athena reconciling with Zeus and taking back her rightful place in the Pantheon." The blonde shook her head in amusement. "One of the prophecies was how the One who Sees would create a Concordant Opposition of the Heavenly Dragons. Scholars surmise that the likely outcome will be that the Red and White Dragon Emperors will just become friendly rivals. The second Prophecy was that the King of Crete would eliminate the three God Hunters. Xander has already completed the part of the second by killing the oldest of the Campione on record. The Order would like to facilitate both Prophecies if possible."

"I hate prophecy." Xander muttered darkly as he heard Erica gave her reasons. "They never, ever come out the way you think they would. That has bitten our asses more times that I would ever like to think about." Shaking his head to free his thoughts free the memories of the past he took a moment to fully examine Erica. In any other group she would easily be the most beautiful girl in the room. As it was she was in the same league as Rias, Akeno, and Raynare for her beauty and sensuality. Though her body was more like Xenovia's: physically powerful, but also womanly. Her physical traits aside, Xander could tell she was being completely honest with everything she said, but she might just have been hiding something. "There's a third Prophecy, isn't there. Something that you know, that wasn't trusted to the Copper Black Cross."

"It's a thought I had, nothing more, Xander-san." Erica replied evenly as she completely abandoned her normal playful demeanor. "It's nothing I know, and instead it is a hope I have. I would rather not jinx it by mentioning it. I swear it is nothing harmful to you or any of your friends."

(Is she being honest about that?) Rias asked Xander through their link. While she was getting better at detecting falsehoods, Xander could do it with shocking accuracy even with beings whom should be able to bypass such abilities.

(Yeah.) Xander replied immediately. He had the impression that Erica could be sneaky as hell and wouldn't think twice about stating facts in such a way they could be misinterpreted, but also wouldn't actually be a lie. However what he was getting from her at the moment is she was being as honest as she could while not revealing something she felt needed to remain secret. "You'll tell me the moment it something you have some evidence, I am sure."

"I can swear that on my honor as a Knight." Erica agreed solemnly. "I do hope that I will be allowed to join the Occult Research Club like Raynare-san has. It would give me a much better cover to spend time with my brother."

Akeno Himejima was in heaven. Her first date was a dream come true! While Xander had said he booked her favorite restaurant, she had assumed it would be her second favorite place: a little family barbecue that was very generous with both the meat and salad. She hadn't been expecting the Golden Lotus Tea House which she could only ever afford on truly special occasions like her birthday. Even then, her fifty thousand yen would only get her into the common room. Xander had apparently shelled out the million yen for them to be alone in the grotto. They enjoyed a lovely dinner, a private Tea Ceremony, and then private performance of one her favorite plays. Then they'd rushed off to change out of their formal Kimonos and into club wear to go to one the best dance clubs in Kuoh. Xander wasn't the best dancer on the floor, but he wasn't the disaster that he claimed to be. They didn't just eat and dance. The two of them had conversations about their various adventures, their classes, and even their dreams for the future. As dates go, it was the type most women would consider perfect, and Akeno was definitely one of those women.

"I am having a wonderful time, I just hope it's not a huge drain on your finances." Akeno said as Xander brought up that this time he had a real shot at college. She knew he was setting aside some of his earnings for a college fund, unwilling to just let the Gremory clan pay for everything. "Kuoh University has nearly the same reputation as Todai, and it's just as expensive. It would kill me if this hurt your college fund in any way."

"Heheheh, there is no fear of that, Akeno-chan, but I am touched that you would worry." Xander chuckled after she expressed her concern as they took a break from dancing. "Tonight was actually paid for by small portion of the advance made by Shueisha publishing." Taking as sip of his Virgin Mary, Xander was amused to see Akeno's jaw drop open. "By this time next year issue twenty four of Naruto will be in circulation. At the same time the first season of Anime will start. It will be paced so that the Manga stays a little ahead of the Anime despite adding the filler arcs and some movies into it."

"This is the same manga and anime you've gotten Asia-chan hooked on?" Akeno asked as soon as she got her reaction under control. She'd had numerous conversations with the healer regarding techniques she'd been reverse engineering. [Twilight Healing] normally just healed damage to the body, not actually correcting the cause. Asia pioneered the ability to destroy diseases and toxins in the body. "The same one that Kiba-kun is trying to emulate with that juggling and acrobatics?"

"Yep and yep, also the one that inspired the Shadow Clone and Waterwalking." Xander chuckled. "Even if it's only half as popular here as it was in my world it will become one of the most well known anime alongside Dragon Ball, Bleach, One Piece, Macross, and Gundam. But I'd rather not talk about that right now, Akeno-chan. I'd rather talk about our future."

"Our future?" Akeno parroted, obviously a bit surprised that Xander switched gears so easily. Most boys tried to impress her with their accomplishments or try to dig into her past. Xander was more interested in how she felt now and where she saw them going. "Well, right now I want to finish our drinks then head to the Love Hotel and I want you to do to me what you did to Rias. Fuck me until I can't walk right and still have a three day smile."

"Well, I am certainly willing to do that, Akeno-hime. But, I meant do you see us together for the long haul?" Xander would admit that the mental images Akeno put in his head were enticing. Any straight man would be happy to screw the brunette temptress. However Xander was getting it rather regularly from Rias. He could ignore his hormones. "I'm going to admit I've fallen for you just like I have Rias. I don't see you as just some mistress on the side, but as a wife. I know that sounds a little…"

"Stop." Akeno put her finger to Xander's lips to stall his speaking. "It sounds wonderful." She said as a tear pooled in the corner of each eye. "Take me to the hotel; I need to explain something to you. After that, if you still want me to be one of your lovers I will do so with joy in my heart."

'Whoever is attempting to clam-jam me is going to suffer! Fufufufufu!' Months of training honed Akeno's situational awareness to the point that very few people could get the drop on her. One those people was the man holding her hand. So it was no surprise that she felt the presence of the four Fallen Angels long before they actually showed themselves. She would have warned Xander, but she figured that he knew about them before she did. 'It's probably why we took the long way to the Hotel.'

The four Fallen Angels were making no pretense of being human. Standing in the middle of the avenue with their wings out for all to see, each of them was clutching a different *Light Weapon*. The first was obviously a fan of Star Wars as he was cosplaying as Mace Windu complete with a purple *Light Sword*. The second was a weasel looking latino gangbanger brandishing a *Light Whip*. A tall Swede in a business suit had a *Light Glaive* over one shoulder. The final one was obviously Arabic and dressed for the desert and his weapon of choice was a *Light Scimitar*. Each of them only displayed a single pair of wings marking them as the weakest of the Fallen Angels, which was a small blessing.

"We don't wish to harm you, Himejima-san, but you need to come with us and leave this man behind." The Mace Windu look-a-like announced. The Fallen Angel's baritone voice made the statement sound more like a command than a suggestion. If that wasn't enough each of his companions adopted ready stances with their weapons.

"Hmm, well, Akeno-chan it seems that the infamous Xander Luck is attempting to derail our plans." Xander chuckled mirthlessly. He was still holding her hand as he spoke, but his free hand was already reaching behind his back. "Since this is your night, you make the call. After all once we are done with our talk, I plan to dominate tonight's agenda."

"Ara ara! That is quite the promise, Xander-kun." Akeno's scowl morphed into a wide smile as she got the meaning of what he was saying. "If that is how you feel, then I shall have to punish these crows for delaying my pleasure." As storm clouds gathered over head, Akeno raised her hand to the sky calling down a lightning strike directly upon herself. She turned away from the Fallen Angels as her dress dissolved away followed by her thong only to be replaced by the garb of a Shrine Maiden. As the transformation completed, she turned to face her enemies and struck a pose as the image of sakura blossoms falling around her formed as a backdrop. "I will handle these miscreants. They deserve some punishment."

"Whoa! Whoa! We really don't want to fight!" The Latino Fallen raised his free hand in an placating manner. "Baraqiel sent us to get you out of here. Kokabiel has gone loco."

"You dare mention that creature?" Akeno hissed out as she pointed at the man. Lightning arced wildly down her arm before as massive lightning bolt streaked towards the Fallen Angel. The gangbanger tried to block it with his coiled whip. That attempt was fruitless, and the man was lit up from the massive amount of current, his skeleton actually showing through his flesh as his hair stood on end. A moment later he collapsed backwards twitching as he soiled himself. "I was just going embarrass you. Now I am going to cripple all of you before sending you back to him!"

"Motherfucker!" "Damnit Primo!" "We weren't supposed to mention him!" "Now she's really pissed." "I don't want to die!" "We'll be lucky if she kills us!" The Fallen Angels were now arguing as they scattered in different directions and for good reason. Strokes of lighting were falling from the clouds above as Akeno was hurling her own lightning bolts around. Unfortunately for them Xander had helped her refine her aim. Each of them went down after taking a intense shock that left them twitching as they lost control of their bladders and bowels.

"That's enough, my love." Xander whispered as he placed a hand on Akeno's shoulder despite the fact that her entire body had been throwing off arcs of lightning. As he suspected there was only a slight tingle as he touched the raven-haired girl. "If you hurt them too much, I won't be able to question them."

Before Akeno could respond, four massive *Light Spears* streaked down, one of them impaling each Fallen Angel before exploding. The shockwave would have knocked Akeno and Xander to the ground if they hadn't raised *Shields*. Akeno's appeared to be as multiple white sigils that formed a perimeter around her. Xander was a sphere of energy with a hexagon pattern. Luckily for both of them, the *Shields* held firm against the overpressure and shrapnel.

"There won't be any need to question those insects, Alexander." The speaker had a deep baritone voice that just meshed well with his appearance to project a sinister aura. He was pale of skin which was only highlighted by his red eyes and black hair. His choice of clothing was of no help given the robes he wore were ink black with purple shoulder pads and some gold detailing. There were hints that he wasn't at all human, the pointed ears and five pairs of crow wings made that abundantly clear. "They are here because I plan to destroy this little town. I suspect Baraqiel just wants to save his daughter. A noble sentiment to be sure, but as usual he failed when it matters most."

"I take it you are Kokabiel." Xander asked as he placed a placating hand on Akeno's shoulder. "I've heard a little bit about you. So is the villainous monologue before you put us in a hopeless situation?"

Akeno was ready to rush at the Fallen Angel in front of her. She'd already been angered over the fact her date with Xander was ruined. The mentions of her father was not helping her temper any either. However, the hand of her boyfriend on her shoulder allowed her to return to rational thought. Neither one of them was a match for Kokabiel. Akeno had serious doubts that even the Xander using his minute of Scale Mail would allow him to do more than bloody the Cadre class Fallen's nose. Together they wouldn't fare much better.

"No, I merely want all the pieces in one place. We all know I can easily slaughter you one at a time." Kokabiel chuckled. "In forty-five minutes I will be at that little school you attend. Bring everyone you can muster in that time and face me. If you can provide suitable entertainment, I will restrict myself to just killing the Devils, Fallen Angels, and Exorcists thus sparing the town." With his message given Kokabiel took flight towards Kuoh academy breaking the sound barrier as he did so.

"You call Rias," Akeno said as she started casting a communication spell. "I'm going to notify Sirzechs-sama before she tries to forbid it."

"I believe my group should erect a barrier to contain the damage from the battle." Sona Sitri was not happy to be taking a sideline position in the upcoming fight. It chafed her to admit that Rias and her Peerage completely outstripped hers in raw power. She was certain if she had more information on Kokabiel she could develop a strategy that would allow her to defeat him, but she simply didn't have it. "If I thought we could just contain whatever Kokabiel had planned I would suggest you reinforce us, but I have the feeling our interests would be served better by you keeping him busy until Sirzechs-sama arrives."

"Indeed," Rias Gremory nodded grimly as the entire ORC was preparing for battle. They had finally worked out a set of runes that gave their clothing the same protective qualities as the best mortal ballistic armor and plate carriers. Duplicating the dimensional pocket that Xander had was a little harder, but allowed them each to carry a few weapons without weighing them down. Despite those advancements, they were all checking their mundane weapons, even her. It had taken many hours of practice, but Rias was now an excellent shot with her customized Berretta M9A3. Like Xander she experimented with enchanting the ammunition and her current load would keep accelerating until they hit something or disintegrated from friction. "Can you hold it the full hour until my brother arrives? Or would it be better to call in your sister? We all know she'd be here in ten-minute tops."

"Yes, and then she'd destroy half the country as she didn't even try to hold back against Kokabiel." Sona wished she was joking about that. Serafall was legitimately a powerhouse that was feared by Fallen Angels and Angels alike for her sheer power. There wasn't a doubt she would at least drive off Kokabiel. The issue was that she didn't have an ounce of restraint in her when it came to protecting Sona. The others could be trusted to keep collateral damage to a minimum, but not her sister. "Sure she'd protect us, but not all those innocents."

"Damn, didn't realize your sister was such a WMD, Sona-san." Xander Harris had just completed the check on his newest toy. The double-barreled AR-15 was chambered for the .50 Beowulf round and he'd managed to inscribe them with the a rune set that would make them explode after penetrating the armor and hide of his enemies. "As fun as it would be to unleash her, I am pretty sure that the National Diet would be pissy about someone trying to top Hiroshima or Nagasaki. I'd prefer not to get banished from another nation, thank you."

"That is my preference as well, Xander-san." Sona smirked. "I know of your predilection for destroying educational institutions, but we would all prefer you did not do that here."

"Eh, I like this school, so I'll do my best to keep it standing." Xander smirked as pulled the cocking level on double rifle. He then manifested the twin gauntlets of the [Boosted Gear]. "So what's the plan Boucho-chan?"

"As much as I would like to see you pound him into the ground with the *Scale Mail* it's unlikely you can put him down in under a minute unless we seriously soften him up. " Rias sighed heavily. "Kokabiel is a cadre class Fallen and third strongest member of the Grigori. He's in the same league as the four Satans. Our best hope is to impress him for an hour and give my brother and Grayfia time to arrive. Xander, your job for most of the battle will be to transfer power to rest of us and save the trump card until we don't have any more choices."

"Wait for us, we'll help!" Irina Shido called out as she leapt off the back of the scooter that Xenovia Quarta was parking. The perpetually perky exorcist was wearing her combat leotard as well as a bandoleer of grenades. {Excalibur Mimic} was in ribbon from around her left arm. "We can't let you have all the fun."

"Indeed." Xenovia added in as she dismounted her scooter. "We have also notified the Church. Prayers are currently being made in the effort to summon one of the Archangels. If they are wise, they are asking for Gabriel's assistance." With that the normally stoic warrior woman actually smirked at Xander as if she knew something he didn't.

A chill ran up Xander's spine when he saw that smirk. However, as he was a Sunnydaler and there was an apocalypse, Xander just ignored it in favor of handling final preparations. Touching the {Hitai-ate of Gremory} Xander willed a new copy into existence and tossed it to Erica Blandelli. "You might want to put that on. It provides about the same protection a Rook enjoys. We can be letting Kiba's sister die on him, can we?"

"Thank you." Erica had noticed the strange headband on the others and equated it as a sign of belonging to the group. When she asked Kiba about, he explained that Xander handed them out to allies he trusted. At first she thought it was just the ORC, but then saw that both Irina and Xenovia had them as well. "But I assure you I won't be easily killed."

"Well, our time is almost up." Akeno Himejima announced. "Kokabeil-baka interrupted my date with Xander-kun. I wish to express my displeasure."