Dragon Bone Z: I am glad you liked my take. In the actual story, that aspect is never really addressed before Rias is suddenly okay with it. I always felt adding a bit more gravitas to it would have done wonders. As for the world building, I have seldom seen a series with so much with so little explained. They have been expanding on it a bit more in certain places, but you are right some questions can definitely be fleshed out more if given time.

FateBurn: Thank you!

Gan315: That really means a lot XD I wanted the writing expanded a bit, but the show by its very nature is cheesy to a degree lol. I love that you caught that detail on the boy's father, who knows...he might pop up later too ;) . And precisely my thinking on the harem question, she never truly confronted him about it beyond a few statements of wanting him to look only at her which were never brought up again after Volume 10. Issei wants his harem, his reasons for which beyond the superficial being what will be brought to light while Rias weighs those reasons against her desire for Issei to look at her. Either one will give...or perhaps a compromise can be reached.

TheLycan2026: Can't forget Gasper development lol, our favorite half-vampire :D I am so happy you enjoyed the chapter!

fanficcyberman: Haha, Mama Freyja indeed, the funnest Freyja to write :) Thank you as always for the reviews and input on how my writing has been going, it is really appreciated along with your understanding on my potentially slower schedule between the greater detail needed at each chapter and my work. And same to you my friend, may you and all you care about stay safe :)

Uday Sra: Thank you! :D

Spectrvs: Good to see you again! As always I sent a full reply to your review via PM. In regards to your questions, Aidenn was a liittle nod to the reference of paradise or Eden in that. Sort of a little allusion that these happy moments are fleeting. How you picked that out so fast I have no idea lol. I'll admit I agree with you it's a little odd how something as simple as a TV show can amuse an entire people, but in a way it makes sense. Devils were always into power and war and political struggles, considering their low population it makes sense they may not have thought on making a kid's show that didn't completely focus on one of those. Sort of like how the first television was awed when it came around. Don't worry, the Gremory didn't make it JUST for profit, though that is a positive, it was mostly to inspire the next generation with a new way of thinking.

Oh gosh, Iggy with her own clothing line...she'd be unstoppable XD No one can compete with her resources and adorable face. As for Sairaorg's reason for calling Dorian...that answer is now :D And best wishes to you and everyone you care about. May the force be with you and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Feng Lengshun: Oh wow! I am touched you liked my story enough to not only binge it but write such an in-depth review! This may be the longest I've ever had, I have sent a full reply to you via PM as one here would be far too long lol. It is true that altered canon events and my own original arcs are quite the balancing act. Part of my desire to write this story was shoring up a few things that rubbed me the wrong way in canon which is why I split between the two. I wholeheartedly accept constructive criticism for future improvement and will take you words into account. Thank you again, I am glad you have seen improvement since the early chapters, I know I was still shaky back then lol.

And with that…ONTO THE SHOW!

"Sona's territory?" Dorian asked as the limousine drove with such a serene calm it would have been impossible without windows to even realize they were moving. The group had taken the train to the underworld courtesy of the Bael family with the car waiting upon their arrival. "I thought Sairaorg asked for us."

"He did," Seekvaira assured while sitting cross-legged across from him. "But the Sitri family is known for having the most advanced medical facilities in the underworld. They were gracious enough to accept those even of other houses."

"They also have some of the most beautiful nature reserves," Rias added from her seat. She and Issei were also accompanying them with the Red Dragon Emperor having been invited after the show. "As you can see," she handed a small crimson flower to Issei who looked very shy but accepted it all the same. It was one from a bouquet she carried.

"I can," he agreed while looking out the window. Despite their trip to a major hospital, it looked more like they were traveling through some sort of magical realm. Forests flanked them on all sides with plants of a dozen species none but Rias recognized. Before the dense foliage, they had passed spectacular mountains and even what looked like a miniature ocean or enormous lake. "The others would love it here."

"We can come with Asia next time," Rias agreed, smiling contentedly. "The others too."

Rossweisse and Thrud would love it too, Dorian thought to himself. Everyone would, maybe they wouldn't mind a visit later depending how this trip goes. He couldn't help but notice Seekvaira looking out the windows almost whimsically. Despite being a mecha enthusiast deep down, she seemed to enjoy the fineries of nature.

"And what was the reason for the summons?" Dorian finally asked when he was able to draw his attention from the breathtaking sights around them. "You made it sound urgent."

"Not urgent per se," the devil heiress shuffled a little, the only sign of the uncertainty of the request. "But more important than anything to Sairaorg, he preferred to have it explained while you are there, my apologies for the secrecy but I pray you understand with his high position."

So, something personal then? It is a hospital after all, one of the most famous ones in the Underworld apparently.

The drop-off area they stepped out into was bustling with activity as hundreds rushed here and there. Buildings were lined up as far as the eye could see, every window looking active with movement. Surely no hospital in the human world could hope to compare, Dorian breathed deeply, recalling his time in such a place many years ago.

After the crash.

Dorian just nodded internally to Iggy. He recalled the cold waiting rooms and dimly lit corridors after his parents died. Even with how long ago it was, he could still recall the aroma of that place, the crushing weight of it and everything that had happened. He still couldn't stand the smell of rubbing alcohol or bleach. It was for this reason that, each time he had awoken in a hospital from his many battles, he'd ensure to be gone as quickly as possible.

In almost complete contrast to that, this place seemed bright, alive and an air of hope wherever he looked. He never liked hospitals after that day and doubted he could ever stand staying in one long, but this one was putting up a good argument. All the same, the same smells lingered.

"This is where I was tended to mostly after our…unfortunate match," Seekvaira admitted to Dorian. "There is no better place to patch up your injuries. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't have been able to recover as quickly as I did."

"Please, follow me," an old man in a black suit motioned them forward. "I am a butler in service to the Bael Family. Thank you most graciously for coming here today." They must have been expected as every nurse and physician parted to allow them to pass. The group didn't even need to sign in at the front desk.

"Sairaorg is your cousin, right?" Issei asked to Rias, the ideas of why they had been called swirling through his mind.

"Correct, mother is the older sister to Sairaorg's father but with different mothers. My mother was the daughter of the second mistress, so Sairaorg and his parents were the main Bael branch."

"Large families can be so complicated," he nodded his head following her family tree. "And that is why your mother could marry and become a Gremory instead of staying a Bael."

"Yes, our family goes back even further, his grandparents were from the former 72-pillar family of Vapula governing lions of the world."

Lions? That sounds like Sairaorg alright.

"And it was only through that we could meet and be friends," Seekvaira's elegant demeanor softened at the memories of her time playing with Rias as children. "You have not called me Seek-chan in many years." Rias let out a soft chuckle accompanied by a nostalgic smile at the sound of that name, a byproduct of simpler times. It had very nearly slipped her mind over the years.

The group walked through the hospital, passing many rooms and patients on their way following the Bael Butler. At length, he led them to an elevator in the back with signs signifying it was reserved only for special cases and specialists. Their guide owned a key that opened the doors with a melodious chime, everyone taking it up many floors.

A special wing? Dorian thought as he saw the signs. For noble patients or those with something particularly contagious or dangerous? The fact Seekvaira and Rias seemed familiar with the layout almost confirmed his guess.

They stepped off the elevator, able to see they were now near the top floor of the hospital. Despite the secluded nature of the wing, it was as extravagant and high-class as the rest of the building had been. Rooms were lined up along each side, not all of them were full but Dorian could spot several patients within each. It unnerved him that none were awake; from the first man with dark hair and pointed ears to what looked like a teenage girl with purple hair, all were asleep and unmoving connected to machines. If he had to guess, whatever they had is what that very floor was reserved for.

"They are inside," the butler stepped aside for them to enter, Rias doing so with a sense of familiarity. It was clear, she had been there before.

"Hello auntie," she bowed respectfully at the door, Dorian and Issei quickly followed suit. They now knew why she had brought flowers.

"Lady Bael," Seekvaira confirmed her identity paying reverence as the others had.

On the bed, asleep like all the others on the floor, was a beautiful woman with long brown hair. Her chest rose and fell in tandem with the machines around her, the only signs of life from her. Even her eyes were utterly still beneath the lids. Accepting the flowers from her, the butler replaced those already present starting to wilt from age.

A tear fell down Dorian's face he barely noticed. With a flash before his eyes for a split second he thought the woman in the bed had blonde curly hair covered in countless injuries. With a series of blinks and a hit to the side of his head and he knew better, his memory racing back to the present seeing the woman as she actually was.

"Goldie?" Issei asked softly. Dorian simply turned; the tear already wiped though he could not hide the sniffle.

"I'm fine, sorry."

"This is why I asked you here," the old man turned with tears of his own, bowing so low to the ground they feared he may snap in half. "These machines are all that keep her alive, without them she would wither and die. Red Dragon Emperor, Einherjar of the Crossroads, I beg of you, please try to wake up Lady Misla from her slumber!"

"What is wrong with her?" Dorian asked quickly. He was no doctor and the idea that he could do anything those around him couldn't was wracking his mind. "Surely there must be experts that can help."

"It is a tragic story," Rias accounted for them. "Misla Bael, formerly Vapula, Sairaorg's mother was the wife to the head of the Bael Clan. They were so overjoyed when an heir was born, only to have that happiness dashed by the fact he was born with very little demonic energy. Even Issei had more when he was first turned into a devil. Not even the power of destruction had passed onto him, the very trait of their lineage."

I never thought of that, Issei mused. They said he used his strength, but to have almost no power in a society that judges based on that…

"Lord Bael did not treat his wife well after that," Rias continued with sorrow in her voice. "Misla was blamed for everything, she and Sairaorg spurned by the entire house at the time, called a defect. They would not even let my father take them in."

Dorian's fist tightened, none in the room saw his ire, but just thinking what she and her son went through boiled his blood. Zeoticus and Venelana had given birth to Sirzechs, the strongest devil in the Underworld, no doubt that had fanned the flames against Sairaorg and his mother.

Like Olympus, that similarity between myths goes both ways I suppose for good and ill.

"Their pride drove them to such cruelty," the butler took over the story. "One of their ancient house's main branch not even able to become a Satan. Her birth family of Vapula tried to take them back as well, but they said only Misla could return to them. My lady refused this, knowing that Sairaorg would be treated far worse without herself as the focus of their wrath. She became his shield. In the end she was sent away to a remote region of Bael territory with Sairaorg. They had some peace there for years, though life was hard with no help from either family. She raised him to be such a splendid boy becoming the man he is today."

"He went through and survived such hardship?" Issei muttered low, not truly as a question, but a realization. With almost no demonic power, no one would have treated Sairaorg or his mother well no matter where they went. As the butler went on to describe, even on the outskirts others shunned them as burdens.

"The young master was not idle, Lady Misla was always apologizing for him, taking the blame for everything on herself as he improved himself. He cried often as a child, she always there for him until he decided it was time to stop. As you have seen, his demonic power is lacking but his body was not. It was she who instilled that belief in him. If you do not have one aspect, be it power, intelligence, or wisdom, then hone what you have to make up for it! Even without the power of destruction, he was still her son and of the Bael Clan! That he would succeed if he never gave up!"

The old man looked ten years younger as he continued, the inspiration in his eyes recalling her words from his time serving them stirring his bones. He had been assigned to serve them in the countryside and could not have felt more blessed for the honor.

He will succeed if he never gives up? The president said that to me often after I became a devil even though I was weak back then, Issei thought to himself. That speaks to me, no wonder Sairaorg and I felt so similar, even in such a small way.

"Lord Sairaorg stood up to those who made his mother cry and called him worthless, besting them all over time. He did not let it twist him or make him into those who had caused this vicious cycle. Instead, his dream, for which I will follow him to my dying breath, is to create an Underworld where ANY devil can see their dreams fulfilled. Be they low or high born, powerful or weak it matters not so long as the potential for greatness is there!"

Sairaorg and Sona would get along, they are extraordinary in their desire to find change. Dorian recalled the Sitri heiress' dream of creating a school for all devils low and high born. How such a school would flourish in a world Sairaorg dreams of. I was a weak Einherjar starting out. If it weren't for Odin and Freyja, how poorly would I have been treated?

"Thank you, Pres," Issei squeezed Rias' hand a little bit with a whisper. "I was a hopeless low-class devil when you saved me. You weren't like them, that means more than anything."

"Oh Issei…"

"That leads to why we are here. When Sairaorg was growing in power, Lady Misla became afflicted with a condition that has become well known among our kind. It is one of the diseases which devils develop, one of deep slumber. The number of cases that happen are relatively low, almost all who are known to have it are in this building, but when you contract it you fall into a deep sleep. In time, your body gradually starts to waste away until death. That's why you have to maintain their life with machines like this in the hospital."

"And she contracted it in the countryside?" The butler nodded.

"No cure has ever been found; it has been a blight upon our people for centuries. The only reason she could be moved here was due to Sairaorg defeating his half-brother and becoming heir. He commanded for all to be done to help her, but it has led to naught."

"Far too long," Seekvaira chimed in. "My Grandmother suffers from the same disease; she has her own room back home that hasn't been altered beyond upkeep in centuries. Father still holds out hope…" Dorian could not help but lay a hand on her shoulder. It was an appreciated gesture, the heiress cupping his hand at yet another sign of his empathy.

"But why isn't she in Bael territory?" Issei finally asked. Dorian was the one who could answer this one.

"Safety. Think about it, she was discriminated against and shunned for years, then suddenly her son reappears and defeats one with the power of destruction who was meant for more. If I were like the bastards who did that to her in the first place, I'd want revenge. Even other than them, those who are set in the old ways and feel that gaining a position without demonic power deserves punishment. In a coma, she'd be an easy target."

"You guess well," the old man nodded. "She would never be safe in the Bael territory, not until the young master has utterly mastered the nobles. Lord Sairaorg may be the current heir, but the disputes over if that should stand still rage in his lands. He has been gaining benefactors and support for years to that end."

"I always heard the Gremory were different," Issei sighed. "I never realized just how much."

"And we will lead the way to make our way the norm," Rias' determination shone on her face more than ever. "With my parents, and when I take over. I will make sure this is never considered normal again."

"And you will have the Agares backing," Seekvaira backed her up. "There are perks to holding dominion over the sources of the material Evil Pieces are made of."

"That is why I asked you here," the humble nature of the old man returned. "Our people's medicine has never mixed with other cultures. Mr. Held! I beg of you to try ANYTHING you have learned from the various myths who call your tower home. And Mr. Hyoudou, I heard from the stories that you have an ability to hear the voice deep within women's hearts. You called back the Kyuubi Yasaka from darkness with it. Please try to do the same for Lady Misla!"

"B-boob translation right here?" Issei stuttered frantically. He had created the ability solely as a perverted move to hear the breasts of women speak. He had never imagined it able to be used for other purposes, though had adapted it for the Rating Games. The idea of using it on Sairaorg's mother raced through his mind not only if he should, but if it could work. "I mean, it did work on Yasaka I suppose."

"I don't know whether it will work," Rias interjected with an awkward cough. "But as long as we have permission to try from the doctors, we should attempt it. If there is even a chance of helping her, we must."

My technique was never meant to be used for something so serious. But if it can help the president's aunt I have to try!

"I can try something if it fails," Dorian took a step back, smiling a bit at Issei's focused expression without a shred of perverted intent. "Where is Sairaorg?"

"He…is in another room," the butler admitted. "He has witnessed so many failed attempts to bring his mother back, I fear he does not wish to face another. If we have any progress, I will summon him."

As strong as he is, he's so human. How many times could he bear to see failure at helping his mother?

"Here goes something!" Issei summoned his red gauntlet, the green gem pulsating as he charged. Even as strong as he was, outside of Balance Breaker he had to charge in order to use his ability.

Boost!

"Come on," Rias repeated again and again, Seekvaira focusing solely on the effort with a clenched fist hidden behind her back.

Boost!

"A minor miracle, come on Issei," Dorian found himself hoping alongside the rest.

"Boob Translation!" Issei cried, a field forming in the room similar to the one between Yasaka and Kunou back in Kyoto. He boosted his power once more to stabilize the ability before risking his first words. "H-hello Mrs. Bael, are you well? Can you hear me?"

Utter silence.

Her breasts won't speak? Or maybe they can't with the disease, could her breasts be asleep too? Fine then, trying harder!

Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost! Boost!

He risked going Balance Breaker, his energy spiking as everyone else shielded themselves from the backlash. His red armor glistened as he pooled every ounce of power he could without risking Juggernaut Drive or promoting himself into his next attempt. He tried everything he could spurned on by the sorrowful expression marring Rias' features. Issei even expanded the field to Rias hoping he could link their breasts to another woman as before.

"Mrs. Bael! Please speak to me or your niece! Are you in there? Please!"

Still silence, no matter how hard he tried or how much strength he used up, she would not reply as he unfortunately expected. He held the form for several minutes awaiting an answer before finally slumping forward, releasing the ability, and returning the room to normal.

"It's okay Issei," Dorian remarked at his expression of sheer frustration. "What matters is you tried, that move really has evolved from why you created it."

"Oh, indeed, thank you Mr. Hyoudou," the butler looked utterly disappointed, dabbing tears from his eyes. "And you Mr. Held, do you have such a technique to try? Anything would do."

"I suppose I could try a few seals. Rossweisse's are more advanced than mine in technique, if we find something that seems to work, we can always summon her. Maybe even Thrud for sage Arts. Let's try a basic one first and work up."

Dorian outstretched his hands, complex emerald seals appearing upon each as he held them up to the sleeping woman. He felt a sliver of sweat down the back of his neck; with Issei's attempt having failed, all eyes were on him. First, he tried a basic healing rune, no luck as he thought. Next, he tried more complex formulas as fast as his brain could go from the myriad of designs Rossweisse had taught, no luck once more. Even with using the most complicated formulas he could think of along with the augmentation diagram he had learned from seeing the poster held by his classmates against Modi, there was no change.

Think Dorian, Think!

He tried layering them upon one another, one for mending the bones, soothing the mind, any he could think of he had learned through all the lessons with Rossweisse over the many months. His ability he prided himself on, layering runes into new abilities, seemed utterly worthless. Even as he achieved four stacked atop each other, a new record for him, Misla Bael was completely unresponsive. Every attempt he made failed again and again as the minutes marched on.

"Come on," he muttered under his breath as he called Laerad Ragnarok through the gauntlet. He summoned a sphere of Hestia's fire, the one true healing ability he had learned in his travels with equally no success. He abstained from using any holy abilities, her status as a devil making any attempts poisonous to her. "What do we have to d-?"

Dorian approached her bed in a moment of frustration, taking her hand in the vain hope he could feel some detail that they missed. Temperature, complexion, pulse, anything that could give him a new idea.

Beep.

The echo of the heart monitor caused Dorian to jump, the sound having been the first thing to break the silence. He let his breathing subside, at first thinking it was nothing until spotting the wide-eyed expressions of the nearby doctor and butler.

"Hold her hand again." He asked suddenly. With a confused expression, Dorian followed his order. Nothing seemed to happen for several more minutes.

Beep.

There it was again, the heart monitor. Dorian could not understand why they looked so shocked at its presence until it dawned on him. The entire time they had been in the room, through all Issei's attempts and his own, her heart had not beat once. Yet now it had twice in close succession only while he held her hand.

"I don't understand," Dorian leaned back as the doctor rushed to his side. He proceeded to check his eyes, feel for his own pulse, and heart and start examining the Einherjar from every angle with an almost-manic interest.

"We do not understand much of this disease," he started to explain while running his examinations, stressing Dorian to keep his hand on Misla Bael's. Those afflicted fall into a sleep from which they do not wake from, the body withers with functions and aging slowing to such an extent they are unable to keep themselves alive. Even with machine assistance, her heart beats maybe once a day at best…and yet in your presence it has beat twice…"

Beep.

"…Three times in so few minutes! What are you doing?"

"Nothing! I swear, I just held her hand. Everything I tried didn't do anything." He released her hand as if to prove a point. He ended up doing the opposite as even after another ten minutes passed, her heart did not beat again. Taking her hand once more, his face contorted in confusion as it happened for a fourth time.

Beep.

"This is extraordinary!" the physician pressed a button near the bed. Within a matter of minutes, more experts in lab coats funneled into the room. The sudden activity was drawing attention from all over the floor. Clearly, it was no normal occurrence.

"Some sort of secretion from his hands?"

"His aura?"

"His Sacred Gear?"

"Could the secret be locked behind the Nordic gene?"

"Maybe the longer he holds her hand, the better she gets?"

"Is it through hands or will any skin contact suffice?"

The experts all started bustling over one another, one theory after another that subconsciously reminded Dorian of his time as an infant. Rias and Seekvaira held hopeful gleams in their eyes as Issei watched on utterly baffled. Dorian had no idea how to react, only standing there as the steady beeps of her heart monitor came again and again.

"Ahem," the head doctor loudly cleared his throat, finally demanding silence. "Mr. Held, I ask of you to remain in the building for the day. This is an EXTRAORDINARY event, never before has the symptoms of the sleep disease ever abated on their own except in the rare cases the patient just woke up without explanation. I do not see her heartbeat coming any more often the longer you touch her and her vitals are still low, so I doubt that would be the solution. Please remain for the duration so we may run tests."

"But how am I anything special?" He asked once the room awaited his answer, his unease remaining in a hospital stabbing at his chest combined with the many eyes falling upon him. "I've never even heard of this disease before today, there is nothing like it in Asgard."

"Perhaps," Rias piped up in the back. "It has something to do with your propensity for rejecting time?" The specialists tilted their heads, unaware of his history. "Gasper cannot freeze you, the Barbatos family's power cannot touch you and soothsayers couldn't foresee your actions. Perhaps that is what helps?"

"Disrupting the slowing of the body's functions?" Seekvaira theorized loud enough for the others to hear. "But your resistance only pertains to magical attacks or effects, as far as we can tell you still age naturally. Could the disease be partially magic in nature?"

"A magical disease? Impossible!"

"But if it WAS possible? We need more information, Mr. Held, what say you?"

"Please stay," the normally booming voice of Sairaorg came from the entrance, the Bael heir having arrived at the commotion coming from his mother's room. A beautiful woman in blue with blonde hair stood by his side, his Queen Kuisha Abaddon. "If not because they ask, then because I begged."

The enormous devil knelt, head lowering down as his Queen followed suit. Dorian quickly cleared the distance between them, gesturing for him to get back up.

"Please don't do that, of course I'll stay. If it'll help, though I'm not the healthiest person right now. I'm still recovering from the aging; I only look this young thanks to Kuroka's illusions.

"Then we will try to help as we run our tests," the doctor promised. "A way to stabilize your lifeforce and body. I cannot promise anything, but all our knowledge will be used to help if you but stay a while."

"We'll stay with you," Issei promised. "If you can help Sairaorg's mom. I'll let everyone know what's happening."

"I will stay," Dorian promised again with an audible swallow ignoring his instinct to leave the hospital as quickly as possible. "What do you need of me?"

"Come with me to the next room." He motioned for Dorian to follow as the sea of faces parted for him. "We have many tests to run, samples to take. Have you had any history of disease in your family? Lack thereof? When did you first witness your immunity to time-based magic? Latest instance?"

Crossroad Tower…

"The Sleep Disease?" Rossweisse pondered at her desk as she worked on grading papers before their weekend. "I have heard of it, but nothing specific. Do you need me to come over?"

"Not at present," Seekvaira's eyes shone through those of Skilja the raven who had grown quite large in his time among the Crossroads. "They are keeping Dorian for tests, his presence seems to affect it somehow, though we are not certain in what way. If something is gleamed through him, he will be known far and wide in the Underworld."

"I hope he is well," Rossweisse worried. "He is not fond of hospitals." Dorian had admitted his uneasiness around them to her back at her birthday. His comfort in trusting her with such information meant more than she could say.

"Is there a reason?"

"He never said," the silver Valkyrie tapped her pen nervously. "But his first real stay in one was while his mother was dying." Seekvaira's calm expression dipped ever so slightly. "His father died immediately in the crash when he was a child, but his mother survived for a short while. According to the Allfather's research when Dorian joined Asgard, he was in the hospital all that time."

"I would not relish seeing one again either if that happened to me," the blonde-green heiress empathized with him. "I will be there for him, make sure the doctors don't drain TOO much blood."

"Thank you," Rossweisse's gratitude was plain as day knowing Dorian had someone even while they were apart. She knew him better than the others, his attempts to shoulder all he can even if it's too much. He'd never ask for help, but if offered he could not hope to turn it down.

"No thanks are needed, it is…my pleasure. Dorian was there for me, he has shown himself to be unique in many..." Seekvaira quickly tried to change the topic realizing how she was sounding. "They asked Iggy to be separate from him for the tests and she gets anxious."

"What if he catches something or forgets an allergy he has?" The worried voice of Dorian's soul mate could be heard in the background. "What are those machines? I don't like this; I'm going back in!"

"Iggy!" her voice shouted from Skilja now more distant before finally cutting out. "They said no! Put down the tray!" Rossweisse winced at a final crash before losing connection, she knew they'd be fine but couldn't shake the feeling this tied into greater things.

An inexplicable piece of Yggdrasil inside him, an immunity to time-based magic, an image of the creature of the Apocalypse in his head with nightmares of a world scorched clean, we cannot ignore these any longer.

Closing her notes, she reached toward the shelf beside their bed, sliding out a thick tome and flipping open to the final page.

I never did make a conclusion to the essay, she sighed. Dorian has been reading it when Iggy isn't watching, but if his nightmares truly are some future, we must ensure it does not come to pass.

Rossweisse set out a cup of tea, turning on all the lights around her as her resolve took hold. Back when Dorian had carved the shield, she had done additional research into the beast of the Apocalypse, the cursed number 666 but with the Crossroad duties and her growing time with him she had set it aside. Deciding she could no longer do so, she pulled out books on every myth she could think of. The legend of Ragnarok, Book of Revelations, the Kojiki, even the Grigori's chronicled legends outside the Bible.

If my previous hypothesis was correct, this is the root inspiration for all their apocalypses. At least one of them must have seen it, even a glimpse. I was a burden in the last battle, I shall not be again! Whatever must be done, I will discover it and avert this dark memory buried deep within Dorian.

Sitri Hospital…

"Hope Goldie doesn't mind needles." Issei sighed as he took a deep gulp from the can of soda in his hand. "That disease was terrifying. If something like that ever happened to the president, I don't know what I'd do. If they can find out something from him, I won't have to worry about that."

The pair hadn't much to do since Dorian was taken away for his examination and tests having spent much of their time in the cafeteria talking about everything from classes and the school festival to strategies for the upcoming Rating Game match. Issei saw how hard this trip must have been for her seeing her aunt that way. All the same, he realized that it was now just the two of them. Even with everything happening, she smiled when looking at him.

"It's almost like a date," she said to him, nearly making him spit out his drink. He wanted to agree with every fiber of his being. Despite the awkward words back at the Oppai Dragon show, he could never be anything but happy when with her. Only the seriousness of the situation restrained him from hoping for her to act on that statement.

"A date with the president, with…"

"Have they done any better?" Issei stopped at the distant familiar voice, glancing down the hallway.

"I am afraid not," A doctor with blonde hair answered sadly. "They just can't seem to move past it as you did. If you would like to talk to them, I can arrange it."

"Cat?"

"Issei? Please set it up doctor, I will be by soon," the pink-haired knight motioned the man off before rushing over to her fellow peerage member. "What are you doing here?"

"We were invited by Sairaorg." He quickly explained the situation. "Goldie is upstairs getting poked with every needle in the building and Rias is in the waiting room with Sairaorg and Seekvaira. Are you sick?"

"I am not," she admitted with a sigh. "My sisters are staying here; they have been since the fight against Diodora."

"Oh man," Issei didn't know what to say. Catherine could tell and continued speaking, not wanting to put him on the spot.

"Rosalina, Migdalia, and the others, after the battle they just sat there letting themselves waste away. Without Diodora, they saw no point in going on. If it weren't for Kiba, I'd probably be with them."

"That bastard makes their lives miserable even after he's dead," Issei blurted out, almost regretting it until he saw Catherine's nod of approval.

"I've been visiting them when I can with Rias' permission."

So, this is where she went on her days off.

"All alone?"

"I didn't want to burden you with this. All of you have welcomed me in with open arms, how could I ask any of you to see what his manipulations have done to them?"

"Pretty easily," Issei replied without hesitation. "We're all Gremorys now, we look out for each other like we did when Kiba confronted that Valper before you arrived. Or Koneko with her sister, Akeno and her family, we help EVERYONE. That includes you, if Honda has anything wrong, we'll help them too!"

Catherine looked at him without a word, as she had thought in Kyoto the Pawn on her new team seemed to know how to put her heart at peace. She thought about it for a moment before taking a deep breath to steady herself.

"Would…would you join me for this one?"

"I will, that won't cause problems will it? I was the one who beat the tar out of him after all even if it was the rubble that took him out."

"They burned through their anger already," Catherine would not tell him of the tears she saw at the start, the women wailing at his loss only to settle into the emptiness that followed. "They will not wish you harm and if they did, I would protect you. Even from them."

Is this really something I can help with? Issei struggled in his mind. Those girls went through some real shit, I've never messed with anything like that.

You thought I actually cared for you?

"Issei, are you okay? You look a little pale."

Hearing my real name from you is sickening.

"Sure thing," he looked up at her, eyes focused and determined hiding the quivering in his hand. "Let's try to help your sisters."

Hospital Cafeteria…

"Thank all the gods the next test required something in my stomach," Dorian groaned as he sat with a tray. After several hours in the hospital labs, it felt good to get some real food in him. The menu was on par with a high-class restaurant, the Sitri family sparing no expense.

Skin sample, hair sample, blood sample, aura sample, the worst was that damn bone marrow sample. I hope Kuroka didn't have to go through this with Ajuka for the nekoshou system tests. At least Iggy calmed down after they let me out, I think she and Seekvaira were about to come to blows.

"I'm sorry we couldn't come sooner," Rias apologized to Sairaorg sitting at the same table.

"No need," the tall devil assured her. "My mother would be happy you thought of her safety to such a degree, and you have given what has been sorely lacking for years. Hope. Mr. Held, even if naught comes of this, know that you have my thanks for putting through what you have today. The house of Gremory tried to help me as a boy, the Sitris granted use of their hospital, and now one of Asgard allows himself to be tested for a potential cure to the affliction that has hounded our race for centuries. Seekvaira as well, she has been a true friend through this, I am grateful to you all. This is a good sign for the next generation to come."

Even after such a harsh life, Iggy admired within Dorian's mind. He has retained such kindness. Despite how enthusiastic he is in battle; his heart is gentle.

Not too unlike Thrud, it explains why they had such an intense fight having a lot in common. And their mutual ability to kill us all. He and Iggy shared a mutual chuckle at the jest that was entirely true.

"Tell me Mr. Held, do you have any idea how your body is so different from any others?" His gaze was serious utterly focused upon him. "An entire class of magic that just washes over you with no effect, many are resistant when strong enough, me included, but none utterly immune."

"We don't," He took a sip, his throat suddenly dry at the question. "I wish I did; Iggy and I are trying to discover how she came to be part of me. I can only imagine it's related to that somehow. I've never even known if it's related to my body, her or something deeper."

"Perhaps these can help unravel the mystery of the Einherjar," Sairaorg suddenly waxed somewhat poetically. "If any breakthrough comes through from this, you will be well known among our people. Imagine the appeal of allying with other myths knowing that even one can shake a disease previously thought incurable?"

"To say nothing of the gratitude of those cured of it," Seekvaira sat down beside Dorian with her own meal tray in hand. "The Crossroads would most assuredly receive further backing. If Gran could wake again…" The light in her eyes was something Dorian rarely saw in her, a refreshing sight that only inspired his mind to consider more answers.

Rias nodded in complete agreement. "Of course, I surmise you do not wish any of this to affect our upcoming match?"

"Of course not," Sairaorg's serious expression returned. "The game is different; we shall fight with all we and our servants can muster. Do not take any feelings towards me or my mother into account as I want to face your all without sympathy."

"You will have that," Rias promised. "I do not intend to lose, even to you cousin. Many on my team had tragic pasts, I never expected you to hold back on their account either."

"Especially with that Issei Hyoudou," Sairaorg glanced down at his fists. "I only have this body of mine from years of training, yet he has gained such power in a few short months thanks to his legendary Sacred Gear. I can't lose lest all I have gained before now collapses. My hand trembles at a chance to face the legendary Red Dragon Emperor even with that possibility of defeat. I hear your team faced many things in Kyoto, perhaps he gained something while there, regardless I will fight you with all my power and no less! He has become quite the member of your peerage."

"He is my valuable Pawn," she repeated the line she had said before, eyes distant as if contemplating more than that. "My Issei."

"And you his beloved Queen," Sairaorg understood much. "He fights all for his dream of a harem, to be a high-class devil and to make you a champion." Rias furrowed her eyebrows at the mention of his harem, her frustration at Issei's dream forming a crack that only widened daily. "He reminds me of Hikari, my last Pawn. She only took one piece, but she has grown so superbly."

"I did not recognize her at the gathering," Seekvaira pointed out. "How did you find her?"

"An extraordinary young woman," Sairaorg boasted. "I had no chance to introduce her to you before then. One of the…less than savory nobles had been seeking Sacred Gear wielders and turning them into familiars to increase his power without using official peerage pieces."

"Rather unsavory and underhanded," Rias agreed with a nod.

"Well, he had been a proponent of my half-brother. No doubt he'd have turned them against me when the time was right. I put an end to that before he could get to that point. Most of the humans wanted to go home to their lives…but not Hikari. There was something different about her, seeing the world of the supernatural had not scarred, but inspired her. I was honored to make her my final pawn. It helps that none save me, and my team have seen her fight."

"Helpful indeed," Rias teased a little. "I heard she had an independent avatar gear-type, quite rare even among Sacred Gears."

"Lupa," Sairaorg would admit the name but nothing to hint at her powers. "She was actually the she-wolf of Rome before being sealed, her experience is matched only by her…eccentric behavior when it comes to love and romance. I look forward to see her and Hikari against you."

"As do I, I surmise we will each learn much about each other."

"It will be my ambitions for the devil world against yours. May the strongest win, I wonder if Mr. Hyoudou's unique interests will come into play in the match."

Dorian snorted mid-drink, coughing at the sudden remark towards Issei's fascinations with breasts. The Bael heir must truly have taken his boosts in strength when thinking of such things very seriously.

"You've seen him fight my friend," Sairaorg turned back to Dorian. "His might grows high when he is fighting for or has recently touched breasts, do they not?"

"I…what?" Dorian glanced to Rias for reprieve, but she only glanced down, now utterly focused on her meal. He was alone. "I mean, I suppose so. He was able to face Vali after Azazel…implied he would threaten Rias."

"Rias' breasts you mean?"

Damn, he knows the story. Dorian could only muster a half-hearted nod, the topic unbearably uncomfortable.

"I see," Sairaorg stroked his chin as if a strategy were forming within his mind. "So, he will be all the more dangerous if fighting alongside the women of his team. Don't think our coming battle is forgotten however." Dorian suddenly felt very apprehensive. "Fear not, I would not challenge you as your body is enfeebled as you are. All the same, I enjoyed our spar at Jotunheim more than I have in a long time."

"It was more fun than I expected," Dorian had to admit once he realized there was no chance of danger. "So often the battles are to the death or training or…"

"Actions to ensure your future," Sairaorg finished for him. "To be able to cut loose, fight against another without anything on the line or worry of who you face. That is an idea match, I thank you for giving me a taste of that, even a small one. Once I defeat the Red Dragon Emperor," he playfully grinned only slightly at Rias' scowl, "you shall be my next foe to overcome."

"Your win will gain you nothing, nor mine. A contest simply to see who can best the other?" He smirked at Sairaorg's return nod.

Am I actually looking forward to that? Maybe I am catching on to this Einherjar thing after all. Lord Odin would be proud and gods help me if Vidar or Thor found out. Dorian held out his hand, Sairaor seizing it as the pair squeezed tightly, a warrior's promise.

"As for us dear cousin," he returned his attention to Rias. "Our ambitions and dreams will clash soon, and I will win."

"My sentiment exactly," Rias asserted, the pair staring deep into the other's eyes. "Only one of us can be the strongest young King after all."

"Um…Mr. Held?" The doctor from the room meekly, clearly worried about interrupting the intense stare between cousins. "We are ready for the next round of tests. Please fill out this form of any additional allergies or family conditions you may be aware of."

Dorian faceplanted into the table, his meal barely half-finished still sitting in front of him. He kept repeating to himself over and over the gravity of these tests and what it could mean to devilkind. Above all though, the reassuring pat on his back from Rias and Sairaorg made him think of the woman sleeping a few floors up. Not just her, but all the others unmoving in that ward as well as the look on Sairaorg's face when he saw the glimmer that something could be done. Next to that, his discomfort didn't matter much, and he was more than okay with that.

Hospital Psychiatry Wing…

"Rosalina, can you hear me?" Catherine sat down in the room in front of her former peerage member. "I brought some flowers, your favorite. I thought they might lighten up the room. They wouldn't allow any outside sweets to be brought in."

The woman she looked at was a shadow of her former self, her fineries gone to be replaced with the standard garb of patients. Her silver-purple hair was frayed, clearly not having been upkept as well as it had before. Her eyes were half-glazed over, but she was focused on Catherine, a smirk fighting to break through.

"Hi Cat," she sighed. "You don't have to keep visiting you know. "Don't look so nervous," she referred to Issei. "We won't bite, even if we did, I doubt we'd be a match for the legendary Red Dragon Emperor."

"I'm not nervous," he replied with a bit of conviction. "I'm here to help a friend."

"I asked him to," Catherine confirmed. "Please, let me help," she took her hand cupping it between hers. "You don't have to stay here; the Underworld has an alliance with Heaven now. You can go home if you want, or anywhere you like."

"We are peerage pieces," the Queen lamented. "I don't much feel like going back to the side that ostracized us in the first place, none of us do." She looked back at the other peerage members lounging in various states of lethargy throughout the breakroom. "We are 'free' pieces…which just means we are only allowed to do as we like until another devil claims us."

"Not all are bad," Issei tried to help as best he could from his own experiences. "The Gremorys are a wonderful family, Sitri too! Hell, even the Phenex Clan have been getting better, I can't believe I'm saying that about Riser. You don't have to worry about a second of that Diodora bastar…"

He paused as the faces of several of the girls snapped in his direction flaring with rage. Clearly, the conditioning of the former Astaroth heir was not wholly gone. Fortunately, another girl with wild messy blue hair stepped between them, stressing for them to calm down.

"Thank you Migdalia," she was relieved by the Bishop's quick action. "And would you trust them so implicitly?" She demanded; the calm she had worked so hard to restore cracking a bit as tears formed in her eyes. "We were trophies, nothing more to him. The other houses knew it, but how many did ANYTHING to stop it?"

Neither Issei nor Catherine said a word.

"We won't…we can't trust them, any of them. We need to find our lives, something to live for now that he is gone. All those devils be damned, angels too."

"Not all of them!" Issei slammed his hands on the table, startling everyone. "I get what you went through, I can't fathom all he did to you, but I get it! When I was killed, I wanted to take out every fallen angel I could find! I wanted to…"

Issei paused as he realized his hands were shaking, his words having become focused and very unlike how he normally felt addressing others. He clenched his fist to regain some composure, as little as it was.

"I wanted to do a lot, but then I met Akeno, she was part fallen angel, but it didn't matter. Then her dad Baraqiel and Mr. Azazel, who has treated us so well, even that Zepar guy who helped Akeno see past her own hatreds. I get what you think, I mean it, but not everyone is like Diodora, not by a long shot as much as it feels like they are! If I can get past her, you can get past him!"

I'm telling them to do this, but have I faced her yet? Damn that face when I hear her voice. Akeno resembles her so much, but it's in looks only. They are NOTHING alike.

"Her?" Catherine asked before lowering her head. She had invited Issei to help steel her own courage facing her broken team, but it seemed he knew something of what they went through more than she imagined.

Rosalina looked into the young Pawn whom her sisters had tried to kill not long ago. He wasn't as articulated at expressing what he meant, but his eyes made up the difference. She saw the shadows lurking behind them.

"You do know something of that then?" She leaned back in her seat taking note of him for the first time. "So imagine if you were required to live among the fallen angels before you met Lady Gremory or Ms. Himejima. Would you have wanted to after this one did that to you?"

"No," he answered quickly with utter honesty. "No, I wouldn't."

"Then you understand why we may prefer to stay here," she sighed, that answer clearly not what they truly wanted. "Heaven abandoned us, and the Underworld tormented us. We want nothing to do with either. If that is the only thing you have to say, you may as well leave."

"But it's become our home," Migdalia muttered softly across the room, her face drooping lower than before.

Catherine's expression lowered in sadness, another visit to leave unable to do anything for them. With a soft farewell, she got up from her seat and made her way to the door. She almost walked through before realizing Issei had not joined her, instead still sitting at the desk looking into Rosalina's eyes.

"What if I knew someone from another place you could go?" He asked, his fists clenched tightly. He still had his devils to overcome but seeing someone with a pain so close to his had filled him with inspiration that he was going to try. "Neither Heaven nor the Underworld, like how I was able to go to Rias instead of fallen angels. Would you give it a chance then?" Rosalina rested her chin on her hands finally taking an interest, if only a small one.

"Where?"

Elsewhere…

"Please lean back and relax Mr. Held," the physician's requested as he was loaded into the dark machine. "This will do a final overview on your aura, energy and some insight into your Sacred Gear. This may take a few hours, so do try and get comfortable."

"Okay!" He yelled back from within the dark confines. For this test, he needed only stay still until it was done, closing his eyes he tried to focus inward. Thankfully, he was not alone for this one.

"I made a place for you," Iggy beckoned Dorian to a seat within the mental landscape of his mind. Beside it, a table with drinks and a bookshelf stretching far into the distance could be seen. "We won't be bored. Which would you like to do? See an old memory? Talk? I thought of a few ideas or…"

"Or a nice bath?" Despoina called over. Dorian turned only to sigh; the goddess having recreated the Olympian baths in his mind. She was currently soaking utterly naked without a care in the world, her body as immaculate and glistening as he remembered in life. It worried him how normal this situation was becoming to him. "Join in, the water is just right."

"Perhaps later, Iggy," Dorian turned, taking her hand which she readily accepted with a smile. "I know you aren't going to like this, but while we have this time…I think maybe we should ask Despoina to help us look into our dreams, your memories. Just a brief glimpse," he quickly added as he saw the look of dread grow on her face.

"I don't want to," she withdrew her hand and took a step back. "We don't have to; we can just stay here together. Please Dorian, don't make me."

"I won't make you," he stepped closer, cupping a cheek in his hand to feel her trembling. "But you feel it just like I do, there is more to them. I'm scared too, I don't want to see, but if we don't look and it does happen…"

"The others," Iggy looked down as each one entered her mind. Gasper and Asia with her flowers, Hecuba and Bennia in the morning, Zepar's stoic friendship, Thrud and Rossweisse who she envied so, and Dorian, the one she wanted to keep furthest from harm. "They've always been there, I don't want to look alone."

"You won't be," Dorian assured her, his hands gripping her more securely. "I'll be here."

"As will I," Despoina glided from the waters, her robe rippling through the air to encompass her body, securing itself snugly in all the right places. "You may fear to tread, but I walked there and can lead you as near or as far as you wish. But only if you wish it, as with Dorian, I will not force it. Your mind is troubled enough than to suffer through that."

"Baby steps," Dorian assured her. "We don't have to go far, maybe just one place. Just one, then we'll come back and do anything you want until the procedure is over."

"A-anything?" She sniffled to his confirming nod. "Well, okay, just one place. Despoina, will you help me?"

"Call me your Kharon," she cheerfully twirled a copy of Twilight she didn't have before. "I'll even ferry you for free. Hold onto one another, best to stick together just in case."

A whirling vortex surrounded the trio seemingly guided by the goddess of mystery. They held onto each other, Dorian and Iggy embracing to remain in place. Despoina had learned the avenues of his mind enough to seek out the corner where the nightmare memories resided and could walk them at will. The path seemed long and arduous, as the swirling winds heightened in their fury, Despoina began to grow weary but remained focused all the same. After several moments, the swirling winds subsided, allowing the goddess to slump forward.

"Okay, go ahead," she gasped while leaning on her trident a little more. "It shouldn't be around at this point, just don't leave sight of where we landed."

"It," Dorian muttered silently. "You mean that silhouette?"

"I don't know if it's this dreaded beast of Rossweisse's writing," she admitted with only a hint of shame. "I saw what you put on that shield Dorian and I wouldn't risk it seeing me for anything. It should only be a memory in here, a nightmare…but it feels like there is more. Know that I will never take you to it, no matter how much you beg."

Dorian simply nodded, having no desire to see the shape that haunted his dreams up close either.

"As expected, the area they stood had been utterly blasted from existence. Crumbling walls and dilapidated framework surrounded them, how anything was still standing was a true mystery. The ground appeared to have been scorched to barren plains as far as the eye could see. Far in the distance beyond, jagged peaks of mountains could be seen with great swathes cut within them as if entire slabs had been cut or blown free. The unrelenting sun beat down emitting a redder glow than seemed natural. A great empty valley could be seen beyond that was unmistakable a dried up lake or ocean. The young Einherjar could only feel grateful he saw no bodies, assuming the area they stood may have been empty when all came crashing down.

"We're in the Underworld," Dorian recognized the remains of broken tram tracks ahead belonging to the very train that had brought him to Sitri territory that morning. "So even they couldn't withstand what came?"

"None where I have walked have," Despoina knelt beside them, feeling the cracked and dry Earth. "This place…"

"A place of healing," Iggy finished her sentence as a tear ran down her face. "So many came to be saved, but there was nothing here for them. So many, thousands of voices clamoring only to be driven away, no place left. Silent…all silent now…"

"You saw them Iggy?"

"No, I sensed them, I couldn't move, I wasn't here but I might as well have been. This thing, it came…came from the end of the world." She spoke as if hearing the words in her mind but not knowing the meaning or context.

Iggy threw her head back and started to sob, collapsing to a single knee. Dorian rushed to her side, gripping her arm to see tears fully streaming down her face. As best he could, he wiped them with his sleeve but they did not stop. In that moment, he understood why Iggy refused to come alone.

"You can't just sense what's happening around us now, but everywhere?" To his horror, she nodded.

"Everywhere, everywhere and there is no one left," she sniffled trying to remain composed as best she could. "Echoes of the screams but none left to make them. I didn't want to feel this. This place we just saw that made you hate hospitals a little less." Iggy bent down, retrieving a broken husk of metal resting at her feet. With a powerful breath, she blew the dust from the object, revealing its identity. None other than the sign welcoming all patients to the Sitri hospital to ease their burdens.

This is…where we just were? If these are memories, she must have been here when it looked like this, at least in a sense. He realized only then they had not moved from where his body rested, only entered the nightmare at that point.

"We can leave," Dorian's resolve broke at the sight of her sorrow. Despoina reached out to hold him back but missed, she'd no idea of Iggy's connection to the memories being so strong, regret stabbing at her heart. "We can go back to your table and have tea, show me all your new dresses." Beyond all hope, she actually giggled.

"In a few minutes, thank you" she whispered, leaning close to lay a peck on his cheek, tears transferring from her cheeks to his. It was obvious she wanted to run, run and never look back but stayed, perhaps knowing she should. The fear was still gripping her, that was obvious but she held her ground all the same. Dorian could not help but find her resolve to stay a bit longer make him admire her more than ever. "I…I needed to feel this, if only to give me even more reason to protect everyone we love and see for myself."

"See what?" Iggy squeezed him tighter, still shaking.

"I didn't want to come here and see you, but now I know. You aren't here. All the echoes, all the silenced voices, you weren't here when this happened."

Dorian grew silent at that statement. Iggy said it clearly hopeful and happy that she didn't have to hear or see his death in this bleak world, but Dorian saw it another way. If the entire world, mythological realms included, were all destroyed, does that mean he was already dead? Iggy noticed his trepidation, misunderstanding its cause.

"Please don't feel bad for having me come here, if nothing else, I got to sit here with you a while."

Dorian gasped as Iggy finally calmed, spotting a black cloud on the horizon that the others didn't react to, seemingly unable to see it. From deep within the mass of smoke, a familiar pair of orbs stared back at him across the annihilated land. Within his head, he heard a voice that felt old and young all at once, vaguely feminine, it whispered only to him.

An anomaly, you died decades ago yet here you stand. Is it no wonder time magic ignores your presence; how could it possibly know what to do with you?

Just a few minutes," she promised again not noticing how Dorian had tensed up at the ominous statement, her words the lone reason he could remain calm. "Then we can return, Kuroka gave me some ideas for a few dresses she said you would quite enjoy."

Somehow, among that blackened terrain and burned skies, the daughter of Yggdrasil, the child of ash, actually succeeded in getting the Einherjar to blush.

Outside the hospital, later…

"Thank you, thank you," the head doctor shook Dorian's hand again and again as they stood at the entrance to the building. "We will get to work seeing what aspect of your body disrupts the effects even to such a small degree. We may need to contact you again if any breakthroughs are glimpsed."

"Anything you need," Dorian smiled awkwardly, his body still aching all over from their exams. "If Ms. Bael could be the first it is used on, I would be most grateful."

"Indeed, for all we know your connection has some aspect unique to her. If anything comes of it, we will test its effectiveness on others after." He suddenly removed his glasses with a look of disappointment in himself. "I…am sorry there was nothing we could do for your condition. We can help ease the pain of age and the like, but Sage Arts has so many uncertainties compared to modern medicine. At present, the nightly regimen would be best for you though we have no idea how long it may take to get back to normal. Years potentially at this rate."

"I understand," Dorian sighed having hoped something could be done, but imagined if there was a normal method it would have been brought up before. "Let me know if you find anything."

The limousine trip back to the train station felt longer than the way coming in, everyone looking as if they had more on their mind. Rias and Issei torn between the considerations of their personal relationship in addition to the upcoming match against someone they didn't truly see as an enemy.

Like he said, it doesn't matter if we feel bad for his life, that has nothing to do with the Rating Game. I need to become a high-class devil, but first things first, the title of strongest Pawn. With that, I can help Rias climb the Rating Game circuit. And Catherine…

His peerage ally and Knight had asked him to promise not to tell the others of her presence, preferring to return home alone as she had arrived. All the same, the image of the broken members of Diodora's peerage haunted his thoughts.

If the president hadn't taken me in, would I be just like that? They deserve better, just swallow hard and ASK!

"Hey, Goldie," Dorian almost didn't realize Issei was actually referring to him with how formal and polite he made his nickname sound. "You used to work with that goddess babe Freyja where you came from right?"

"In Asgard, yes," Dorian tilted his head quizzically, eyes narrowing suspiciously at how he referred to her. "Why do you ask?"

"I was hoping you might ask her something for me," he leaned in close, whispering his idea in Dorian's ear. The Einherjar turned slowly to the Red Dragon Emperor, seeing him in a refreshing light with a smile stretching across his lips."

"Of course I can ask," he promised with a brotherly pat on his back not unlike after their match in the Roads. "In fact, Lady Freyja recently invited me to her home. We have a few days off until the Festival…I can make some calls before then."

Dorian's mysterious immunity emerges again, casting him in an uncertain spotlight among devilkind. A potential cure, a looming Rating Game match and an upcoming invitation to the land of the Valkyries swiftly approach for our heroes. Until then, I hope everyone stays safe, Reads and Reviews...but most of all Enjoys! :D