Chapter 15: Family Reunion

Issei had awoken in bed to find that there were two people that were never there in the first place.

On his right, was Vali, who was dressed in a silver silk nightgown that reached just above her knees. Her bangs covered her face as she slept ever so peacefully. Her head was tight against his neck, resting peacefully. He looked down and noticed that her cleavage was barely covered by her attire, threatening to spill out.

To his left, was Akeno, who quietly breathed while holding onto his right side, holding him against her. She was wearing a black version of what Vali was wearing, though it was much shorter.

'I…don't know how this happened.' Issei spoke.

'They probably snuck in during the night. You are in a relationship with the two of them now. You better get used to this because harems tend to grow larger over time.' Draig laughed.

'You make it sound like I'd try to do that.' Issei deadpanned.

'I'm not. I'm just saying that you're gonna want a bigger bed.' The dragon laughed again.

Suddenly, Vali began to stir, nuzzling his neck as she broke into a smile. Akeno followed suit, edging closer to him.

'Y'know…this actually isn't bad at all.' Issei mused.

Finally, the two women of his life awoke. Akeno sat up, rubbing her eyes. Vali did the same, but she stretched her arms, giving Issei a very well-detailed view of her bust, which somehow bounced against gravity.

'Now that I think about it…won't Uncle Azazel and Uncle Baraqiel kill me?'

It dawned on Issei that their parents didn't know a thing about the two yet.

'You'll be fine, Azazel already gave you his blessing.' Draig tried to relieve him of his worries.

'I don't know. Uncle Azazel can be real fickle sometimes. Uncle Baraqiel is also really serious. He's really against polygamy.'

Issei shuddered at the thought of what sorts of experiments and beatings that he'd get subjected to.

"Good morning, darling." Akeno give him a peck on the cheek.

"Sleep well?" Vali gave him a kiss on the lips.

"I…uh…guh…" Issei lied down on the bed, clearly too far in shock to even register their words.

"Ufufufu. I'll go get ready and make breakfast." Akeno got off the bed.

"I'll help too." Vali followed her.

After washing up, Issei went downstairs, though, things got awkward when he came across Raynare. He remembered her confession. He wanted to give her a reply but he wasn't sure that it was the best time for him to do it now. The girl had more important things to think about right now.

"So are you going to Grigori today?" Issei asked.

"Yep. My family's awake, I'm about to head out right now." She nodded joyfully.

"I'll go with you. There's something that I need to do." Issei got up from his seat.

"Well, make sure to eat before the two of you go anywhere. It might be a while before you get a proper meal." Vali laid out utensils and platters of food.

"And Issei…could you deliver this to Bara-…to my father?" Akeno hesitated before giving him a letter.

"I got it." Issei smiled, though he was quite worried. Her hands had been shaking when she handed it to him.


When they arrived at Grigori, they found themselves in the Medical Ward. Raynare walked over to the room where her family was and gingerly opened the door. So far, Kalawarner was the only one that was still awake.

Rushing over to her side, Raynare hugged her, crying in joy over her survival.

"I'm glad. I'm so glad that you're all okay!" She sobbed.

Kalawarner was a little pale but other than that, she was fine. Patting her adopted daughter gently on the head, she soothed her as she broke down.

"Shhh. It's okay. Dohnaseek is okay and Mittelt is fine. Everything will be okay now."

Speaking of which, the two people woke up as well, hearing the sound of Raynare crying.

"Who's making Raynare cry?" Dohnaseek groaned.

When he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, he paused to look at the one who was like a daughter to him. Raynare rushed to his side and gave him a hug too. It had been so long since she'd heard their voices. It was refreshing and strengthening to her.

Mittelt awoke not too long after, giving Raynare a deep and long hug. The 4 became busy catching up so Issei decided that he should go on ahead to find Baraqiel. Suddenly, Raynare called out.

"Issei, why don't you come inside?" She beckoned.

"If I remember correctly, you're Lord Azazel's godson." Dohnaseek noted.

"Yes, I am. It's a pleasure to meet the 3 of you. Raynare has told me a lot about you."

"It was Issei who helped me get you all away." Raynare went on to fill them in on what they had missed.

"I see. Then we owe you and Grigori our lives." Dohnaseek bowed his head.

"No. It's our fault for not coming to help you. You all were associates of Grigori and the organization failed to come to you. If anything, we should be bowing our heads." Issei did just that.

"If that's the case, then no more apologies. What happened, happened. It's nobody's fault." Kalawarner brushed the matter aside.

"Still, to think that so much happened while we were out." Mittelt sighed.

"For now, you 3 will have to stay here to rebuild your motor skills and heal up. That'll take a little while longer. Still, I'll be visiting you all regularly." Raynare smiled, grateful that they had at least awakened.

"Issei, thank you for all that you've done. Really. If it weren't for you, who knows what would've happened to Raynare and ourselves. We'd most likely be used like rags and then thrown away. Not only did you save us, you spared Raynare and helped her. As the 'Father' figure of this family, I can't ever thank you and Azazel enough." Dohnaseek started to become emotional, making Issei a little uncomfortable at the gratitude that he was faced with.

"No worries. I'm more than happy to help. I'll let you all continue catching up." He left the room, remembering that he had business to attend to.

When the door closed, Kalawarner was the first to speak.

"So that's the boy that you like. Hm…" She smirked.

"What?!"

"Well, the way that you look at him and the way you talk about him is the way I am with that lug next to me." Kalawarner chuckled.

Raynare hadn't even said anything.

"I've been in your shoes. Of course, I would know." The older Fallen Angel laughed.

"So, Raynare likes a boy. Ahahaha!" Mittelt laughed.

"You'll understand when you fall in love." Kalawarner foreshadowed.

"Hmph." Dohnaseek folded his arms. Raynare and Kalawarner knew what that meant. It was 'Dad Mode'.

"Uh…I'll hold off on that." The youngest Fallen Angel looked slightly uninterested.

"Anyways, tell us about him." Kalawarner looked at her eldest with a clearly playful grin.

"Well, he's kind, brave, patient, a bit lax, but very helpful. He also gets really uncertain a lot, sometimes nervous. Although, he can be really indecisive, and he's got cocky moments. He smiles a lot and he makes me happy." Raynare recalled all of the flirting and fake advances he'd use to mess with Akeno.

Kalawarner's grin only grew wider. Her eldest 'daughter' was talking so quickly and smiling so brightly that she knew that the girl was in love with Issei. If he had truly been raised by Azazel, then he'd possibly be a good person. Especially if Shemhazai was around.

'She's caught feelings bad.'

Issei was walking through the hallways and knocked on Baraqiel's off door. Entering, he saw his stern Uncle in all but blood.

"Issei, what's wrong?" He had to ask. The grim expression on his face told the master of Holy Lightning volumes. Something big was coming.

"We need to talk." He sat down in front of the Cadre-class Fallen Angel.

Issei told Baraqiel of Akeno's survival and of her past contempt for Fallen Angels. Baraqiel had also made it known that he knew of Akeno's condition but he too, had been afraid of facing her. Her denouncement of him had damaged his emotional dexterity greatly. When he discovered her, he couldn't describe how happy he was but the following dread had stopped him from approaching her.

"I see. In that case, I also have a letter from Akeno." He put the envelope on his desk and got up to leave.

"I'm really sorry for keeping it a secret from you, Uncle. Also, I'll always be sorry for costing you Auntie Shuri and your bond with Akeno." Issei looked at him, clearly mortified.

Baraqiel only sighed.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again. You have nothing to apologize for. You were only a child and you rampaged out of love. It's nobody's fault. It was just fate."

Leaving without another word, Issei left Baraqiel to his business.

Looking at the contents of the letter, Baraqiel began to read.

(Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix OST – Xion's Theme. Play Song.)

Dear Father,

It's been many years since I've seen you or heard from you. Not since the day mother died, have we been in contact. I want to start by apologizing to you for blaming you for mother's death. It wasn't your fault. You left because lives were at stake; many of them. It was purely chance that allowed your enemies to find us.

When mother died, I blamed you because of my young irrational mind. I needed someone to blame because I feared for my own mental state. I had lost mother and our peaceful life. It had been everything to me, yet in mere moments, it was all wrenched away. Since that day, I scraped by and eventually, I became a devil under the Gremory House. It's actually been wonderful, if you're worried. Unlike others, the Gremory Clan is loving and treated me like a child of their family. However, that's off topic.

I want to say sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Father. I know that I hurt you greatly with my words and by cutting you out of my life. I wish I could turn back time but I can't. I've decided that I must learn to live with my choices and though I can't take back what I've said, I want to put them away and say this. I want us to be family again. I want to mend the ties that I cut. I want to be your daughter again. If you don't want to, then I understand. I'll see you soon when I come visit.

Love,

Your Daughter, Akeno

Touched by her words, Baraqiel's eyes watered as tears began to fall. For years, he feared that his daughter would never dare to look at him again, much less see him as her parent. He also desperately wanted to rewind time. He wanted to get his wife back and to make it so that his family still stayed together. He had given up all hope but now, there was a glimmer of light. His daughter had forgiven him and desired to repair their parent-child relationship. He had to make things right and end this tension.

(Kingdom Hearts 1.5 HD Remix OST – Xion's Theme. End Song.)

Issei checked on Raynare and found her still chatting. He notified her that he was leaving first and urged her to stay with her family.


After a few days, Issei noticed that the house was starting to feel a little cramped. Sure, there was room for everyone but he felt that it was time to make things bigger. He wanted to afford maximum comfort and didn't feel like making the girls share rooms. The house was also starting to get very old, as he had to clean some mold off a wall in the back. They needed space for storage too.

It was then that he had the idea of remodeling his home, but he needed to run the idea past a few people first.

He went to Vali and Akeno's room and knocked on the door before opening it.

He peeked inside, covering his eyes with his hands.

"You two decent?"

"We could show you everything, if you want." Akeno spoke softly in a seductive manner.

That got his face red. Comedy backfired.

"I was only joking. Ahem. What'cha up to?" He asked, hoping to change the subject.

"Just chatting. What's up?" Akeno asked.

"I was planning on renovating the house today with Uncle Azazel's help. I've decided that having individual rooms would be better."

"Actually, we were planning on doing a girl's night out." Vali made her input.

"Guess that means I get the house to myself." He chuckled.

"Oh my, oh my. Do you want a hug?" Akeno looked at him with pity.

"I'll see you all later." He closed the door, not wanting to be teased too much.

He smiled to himself and went to his room to call in for the renovation. He was glad that things hadn't gotten awkward between the girls like he feared.

He then went over to Raynare's room, knocking and waiting for approval to enter.

"Raynare, I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"I'm planning on remodeling the house, so I wanted to make you aware. Are you okay with that decision?" He looked at her, feeling uncertain.

"I have no problems. It's your house, so you have all the choices. The others and I are also planning on going out in a bit." She smiled.

"Alright. In that case, I'll go make a call."


Akeno and Vali had decided to chat in their room as they wanted to talk about more sensitive manners.

"Akeno, have you noticed anything different about Raynare?" Vali asked.

"Yeah…I did."

Both had grown a bit nervous, as they were aware of Raynare's feelings for their boyfriend. It was natural. She had lived with him before either of them, despite being childhood friends. They didn't know if anything had developed between the two, as they seemed quite close with each other.

Akeno found Raynare to be a sweet and good girl, always wanting to help out. True, her power was a bit lacking compared to them, but her heart was just as strong as theirs. Vali felt the same way, believing her in her earnest nature and patient mind. This brought them to the main question.

"What would you do if she became a lover for Issei, like us?" Akeno asked.

Vali paused. She had to think on that. She didn't have a problem with Akeno since she knew her. Raynare was more mysterious, only because she didn't know her as well.

"If she truly loves Issei like we do, then I don't mind at all. We didn't obstruct each other, so it wouldn't be right if we stop her if she has honest feelings. I only want to know how much she likes him but aside from that, it's all up to Issei." She sighed.

Akeno knew why she seemed troubled.

"You're scared of him leaving us behind, aren't you?"

"Yeah. I'm very scared of him just getting tired of us and moving on to other women."

"We both know him better than anyone else, aside from you dad. He'd never do such a thing." Akeno smiled reassuringly.

"I haven't seen him in years. I don't know what sides are hidden from us. I can't help but feel insecure. I know that he'd never do anything to hurt us but…I can't help but be scared." Vali whispered, barely being audible.

Akeno brought her in for a hug. She knew just how fearful Vali was, as she, herself, knew the pain of insecurity. Regardless, she had faith in Issei, her one and only love.

"It'll be fine. When it comes down to it, Issei would rather throw himself into burning flames rather than hurt any of us." Akeno laughed lightly.

That got a crack out of Vali.

"True. Still, I think we need to talk to Raynare. She's most likely afraid of our reactions if she tries to court him."


When Raynare came home, she was approached by the two beautiful women, looking at her with friendly expression but she knew that there was business to attend to.

"Raynare, we want to talk with you. Don't worry, it's not something that we're mad about but it really is serious." Vali spoke up.

"Ok." The Fallen Angel sensed no hostility from the two, nor would she suspect them of attacking her without proper cause.

The three of them decided to go out shopping for new clothes and supplies to make their new home more comfortable.

Trying on different clothes, Vali decided to break the ice while they were at a clothing store.

"Raynare, would you tell us how seriously you feel for Issei?"

She paused, not having expected that they would ask this abrupt question. However, this was a bridge that she needed to cross sooner or later.

"I like him deeply. I've only known him for a few months, but during that time, my feelings for him, grew. He's proven how selfless and gentle he is. He's protective of the people that he cares about and he's fun to be with. I…I've already confessed to him."

Akeno and Vali looked at her, nearly dropping everything they were holding but they didn't let that overshadow Raynare's response. Satisfied by her sincerity, they smiled. The way her eyes reflected the honesty in her heart and the loving affection in her voice was all that they needed as proof. They also did the same thing.

"Very well. Whatever happens, is beyond our control, nor would we inhibit you. Only Issei has the right to respond to your feelings. Just know, that you have our support. You're a good woman, Raynare. Your feelings are genuine and aren't inferior to ours. Now, let's start getting things for our new house. Splurging isn't a problem. Issei handed us his card." Akeno grinned, though she made a very firm and reasonable limit for them.

"In that case, which of us is the legal wife on file?" She then recalled.

The three had no answer, as Issei made no hints of choosing one.

"Whatever the case, it's not really important, yet." Akeno waved the matter away. Competition wasn't a necessity.

Even though Akeno said that, Vali couldn't help but feel that it would be her. Issei seemed different around Akeno. Her intuition just told her that he cared for her the most.

The two entered a clothing store and looked around for dresses and accessories. Akeno had said that a meeting for the youths of the Underworld was taking place soon in a few months. They would need accessories and dresses for the formal event.

While trying them on, Akeno noticed that Raynare and Vali had grown since she last looked at them.

"Oh my, it seems that the two of you are getting closer to me. If I'm right, Vali is 101 cm and Raynare is 95 cm." She giggled.

"Wha?!" Raynare covered her bosom with her arms.

Vali paled.

"Why are you smirking, Queen 102?"

"I'm actually 105 now."

Vali only grumbled. The two of them knew that Issei liked breasts, and large ones at that. It seemed like Akeno held the advantage for now.

"T-Triple…digits…" Raynare gasped in great dismay.

"Don't worry, we're all growing." Vali patted her back to reassure her.

She would never say it out loud, but she always felt self-conscious about her physique.

"Still, I can't help but laugh to myself when I catch Issei staring at us and then slapping himself. I guess Uncle Azazel's example is conflicting with his dad's teachings." Akeno giggled.

"So you saw that too? I sometimes hear him berate himself. It's as if he were calling himself a dog." Raynare joined in.

"Men are dogs at times. Give Issei an incentive and he might go on the offensive." Vali stifled a laugh.

Akeno then recalled to his teasing. It really got her so many times.

"Ugh…he's so oblivious, sometimes. I throw myself at him and he doesn't get it or holds back." She sighed, down.

"By the way, how was it? Being in a play?" Raynare asked Vali.

Vali flinched, her face going red.

"It was a fun experience." Her voice was neutral.

"Sure, considering how you got a confession from Issei while acting out a romance story with him." Akeno teased.

"I won't deny I really enjoyed it." She smiled.

"Still, to think that Issei ended up getting shoehorned into acting. Ufufufu, I never thought I'd see the day." Akeno giggled.

"I'll admit, I did find him to be really moving. He got a bit stiff a few times but he was pretty solid. The script really needed work, though." Raynare noted.

"It's because he had Vali watching him too."

The 3 of them laughed and joked around at Issei's expense as they ventured through the shopping area.


When they got to the food court, they decided to eat Italian food.

"So, Vali, since you've announced your heritage, are you going to stay with Uncle Azazel or joined the Underworld?" Akeno asked.

"I've been thinking about that. I know that my heritage automatically makes me inclined to join the Underworld but my heart is with Grigori. I lived there, I grew up there, and most of the people that I love live there. I'm not sure I'm ready to part with them." Vali shook her head.

"I understand. I just want you to know that other people might come and cause some trouble or even come for you. I know the Four Satans will most certainly want to talk with you. Still, I'm certain that Uncle Azazel will keep you safe. It's not like the Satans are bad, though."

"What about you, Raynare?" Vali looked at the Fallen Angel.

"I plan on staying with Grigori. Now that my family is awake, I'll most likely be spending more time with them and they plan on officially joining the organization. I'll be doing the same."

"That's great. Uncle Azazel always takes care of the people under him, even if he seems really lax." Akeno added in.

"You're going to have to get past his quirkiness, though. Grigori can be scary sometimes. One of the leaders, Armaros, just took up to acting like a villain from a tokusatsu show…it's a nightmare." Vali sighed.

"Isn't Penemue still there, though?" Akeno asked.

"She is, but when she's not looking, Sahariel and Armaros start acting up. Uncle Baraqiel has to step in and slap sense into them now." Vali shrugged.

"Both sides have their own quirks, huh?" Raynare remarked.

"Very big ones." Akeno and Vali confirmed.

Suddenly, three men walked over to them, looking at them with overconfident eyes.

"Hey, cuties. You three enjoying yourselves?" One of them asked.

Akeno decided to be polite to prevent escalating the tension.

"Yes, we're quite fine."

"Fine you are. If you'd like, why don't you come with us? We're about to go to a karaoke bar. We could have an even greater time."

"We're fine, thanks for the invite, though." Vali smiled, trying to let them down gently.

"Hmph, suit yourself." One of them huffed before the trio walked away.

Vali only sighed after they left.

"I thought they'd do the stereotypical thing and try to force us to go. I don't really feel like fighting today."

"Akeno, are you planning to visit HQ like when we were kids?"

"Yeah. I already asked Issei to deliver my letter. I'm still a bit nervous about meeting him and I don't know his reply, so I'll wait a bit."

"I understand. Still, I think we should get going now. Issei's probably doing who-knows-what at home." Vali got up after paying the bill.

"He doesn't act crazy, does he?" Raynare asked.

"The craziest thing I've seen him do is eat an entire fridge of food because he got the munchies." Vali thought someone had robbed them blind.


When they got back, they found themselves looking at an 6-story mansion with a massive courtyard and a large and nigh-impenetrable gate at the front. The roof had dark red tiles and white brick foundations with several balconies and to boot, there were even tracks and ranges in the backyard.

"Did he just go and buy the entire block?!" Raynare exclaimed.

"It was most likely my dad's doing. Issei probably only wanted another level and a bit more space to the house. My dad must've gotten whimsical and did more than he asked for." Vali shook her head. He was at it with over-extravagance again.

"Whatever the case, let's go inside." Akeno pushed on.

"We're home!" Raynare called out but stopped.

The interior of the house was utterly massive, with two flights of stairs leading to higher floors. There were also two elevators for quicker travel. To the right side, was the way into the Dining Room, and the left side led to the Living Room.

"Welcome back." Issei smiled.

"Where's my dad?" Vali asked.

"He's coming in a bit. I was thinking of cooking dinner. He said some guests were coming too, so I'm going out to get ingredients."

He walked towards the door to grab his jacket.

"Raynare, why don't you go with Issei? Vali and I will stay behind to cook with what we have." Akeno suggested, though the hidden message was there. She was giving her the gentle push to upgrade their relationship.

"Sure."


As they walked, the atmosphere got more and more awkward. Issei wasn't sure on what to do because he didn't want to rub his relationship with Vali and Akeno into Raynare's face after her confession.

He couldn't lie, he certainly saw her as a woman, but he wasn't sure if his feelings were worthy of asking her to be a lover.

"What do you think would be good for tonight?" Issei asked.

"Well, I'm not sure who the guests are, so we should get an assortment of things. Maybe some vegetarian and vegan dishes will be a good side that could be appreciated by meat-eaters is a good idea." Raynare suggested.

"Sounds solid. In that case, let's grab some tofu and pickled veggies."

"What appeals to you more? Radish or ginger?" Raynare held the jars up.

"Definitely radish." Issei nodded. He wasn't a real fan of it, but he knew that Raynare loved it.

"Liar. You only say that because you know I like radish. I know you want the ginger." Raynare chuckled.

"Let's get both, then."

"You sure?"

"Money's not a problem and we'll both be happy with this. I do like radish too." Issei felt the need to correct his preferences.

Next was meat.

"What meat are you in the mood for? Beef?" The Fallen Angel turned around. She already knew the answer was beef. Issei loved beef more than other meats. It was surprising that only after a few, or rather, several months, she'd learned a lot about him.

"Don't you like chicken, though? How about we get stuff that you like too?" Issei compromised.

"Let's not splurge. We can have beef tonight." Raynare shook her head.

'These two are like a couple shopping for dinner, rather than friends…' Draig chuckled to himself.


Arriving home, after shopping, the whole group got to cooking, as there were several people coming to dinner.

When the doorbell rang, Issei realized that he should've known who was coming.

At the door was Azazel, Kokabiel, Kalawarner, Penemue, Dohnaseek, and Mittelt.

"Welcome to my new home. Come on in." Issei stepped aside.

"This place is certainly nice." Penemue chuckled.

"Having a real nice mansion with the loves of your life. Hmph, Azazel taught you some bad habits." Kokabiel laughed.

"I did NOT teach him anything like that. Shuri and Reiko would have my head if they were here. Shemhazai and his wife already warned me not to influence him with my old behavior." Azazel shivered.

"As you shouldn't." Kalawarner folded her arms.

"For the last time, I was drunk." Azazel sighed.

"Let me guess, Uncle got drunk and hit on someone." Issei laughed.

"Right on the mark. The guy got slapped thrice for it." Penemue joined in the laughter as they all sat down in the Living Room.

"By the way, I've got another guest coming. He'll be here in a bit." Azazel gave Issei a signal through eye-contact.

They had established a way of communication without words through some unknown means.

Not long after, the girls brought out the food. Raynare was shocked to see her family sitting at the table, her mouth agape.

"I thought you three weren't supposed to be discharged yet!"

"We lied. We wanted to surprise you." Kalawarner deviously smiled. In truth, she wanted to see how Raynare behaved without them around.

Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Everyone fell silent as Issei knew who it was. He opened the door for Baraqiel, who silently walked in.

"Welcome to my new home, Uncle."

"Thank you. Is Akeno home?"

"Yeah. You wanna talk with her?" Issei gently asked.

Baraqiel only nodded.

Issei looked behind him and saw Akeno bite her lip, apparently nervous.

"How about you two have some time alone to talk. You can use any other room in the house."

The parent and child went to Living Room to talk while Issei decided to show everyone around the house.


Now that they were alone, Akeno and Baraqiel got down to business.

"Akeno…I wanted to start by saying that I'm sorry, too. I read your letter."

"It's fine, Father. I shouldn't have blamed you for what happened. I know that what I did wasn't what Mother would've wanted but I had to, for my own sanity's sake." Akeno shook, her emotions running wild.

"I think it's time we stop clinging to the past. Let's move forward from now on. Your Mother's death is something that we can't keep holding onto to torment ourselves. We have to live for her sake too, now."

Akeno nodded before giving her father and familial hug. There was still awkwardness but she was glad to have her only parent back. She had originally struggled to withhold her tears but she had already transferred those emotions into her letter. There was no point in repeating everything.

When the atmosphere became normal again, Baraqiel also had another matter to take care of.

"So, I hear from Azazel that you and Vali are in a relationship with Issei?"

Akeno froze. That's right. She forgot to run that by her father.

"Uh…"

"It's fine. Issei is someone that has my approval. I'd be insane to say otherwise. He's strong and works hard. He can be a bit fickle but that's because of his uncertainty. If you wish to be with him, then I won't stop you. I just ask that the both of you take care of each other. You've been through a lot and he's been through a lot. He's never forgiven himself for going into Juggernaut Drive. I hope you don't resent him for that."

"I'll admit, when I was young and before I reunited with him, I was bitter and hateful towards everyone from the past. I felt so alone and abandoned. When I learned of the truth and I saw Issei break down in front of me, I knew that there wasn't any need for hate. The grief and remorse he felt wasn't his fault. It was just life that caused everything." Akeno reminisced.

"I love Issei, a lot. That's why, I want to stand by him. He's alone without family. He needs people there because I just know that there's a hole that he can't fill. It was the same for me."

Baraqiel was proud of his daughter's maturity and nodded, cracking a big smile.

While those two had their chat, Azazel and Vali were at the back as Issei gave a tour.

"So, it's obvious to me that you and Issei are a thing now, along with Akeno, it seems."

"Yeah." Vali nodded, nervous.

"Relax. I gave Issei permission to court you. I want you to be happy. You suffered a lot and I think that romantic love is something that you deserve. Issei is a good kid. He's earnest and wouldn't hurt anyone willingly. I just ask that you both be patient with each other. He's a scared young boy and you're a scared young girl. You both shouldn't rush too fast into this relationship. Just ease into it and let your hearts find their place."

"I know, Dad. Ever since I was a little girl, you always tried to keep me safe and away from what could harm me. Even if danger comes, I still have you all and I have Issei. I'll be okay. If Rizevim appears again, I'll get through it one way or another." Vali smiled softly.

"That reminds me. I wanted to talk to you about something." Azazel's tone was a bit more serious now.

"About?"

"Are you gonna consider joining the Underworld? Considering your strength and heritage, you'd be viable for an High-Class title. I'm your father in all but blood but I don't want to hold you back even if I want you to be safe. I'm not telling you to force yourself to do anything, but I just want you to know that even if you leave Grigori, you'll always be my little girl, whether you stay with me or not." He ruffled her hair.


When all of their businesses were done, it was time to eat. With simple magic, Issei reheated everything to perfect condition.

"So, I saw your play at school." Azazel smiled along with Kokabiel. Both sported 'Troll' faces.

'No.' Issei gasped.

'Busted. Hahahahaha!' Draig laughed his head off.

"I didn't think the boy that I raised was so daring. Goodness, to think he'd confess to my daughter so daringly." Azazel smirked.

Vali just hid her red face, not believing that her father had seen her in such an embarrassing situation.

"And that dialogue, it was real good. For a moment there, I thought you two weren't being scripted. I didn't think you'd get into that play so easily. It was so cheesy." Kokabiel shrugged at Issei.

'Draig, just kill me. Do it now. I don't care how painful it is, just do it.' Issei sighed.

'Sorry, but I'm enjoying this too much.' The Dragon chuckled.

'Traitor.'

"You two were hiding in the seats, weren't you?" He asked.

"Of course. We heard about the festival so we just had to come watch." Kokabiel folded his arms.

"Maybe I'll have to send you on a mission for a theater one day. Broadway could use you. You might even sing for it." Azazel smirked deviously.

"Don't you dare." Issei glared.

"Oh, I would." Azazel considered that challenge.

"Aside from that, isn't there something really important to talk about?" Barakiel redirected the topic to a more serious note.

"Oh, right. Ahem." Azazel cleared his throat.

Whatever this was, it seemed big, since Azazel changed his expression to a more serious one.

"The Three Powers are going to gather in Kuoh for a peace conference within a few days. On that day, we will decide if we shall remain at a truce or come to a full peace agreement."

A lot of faces were silent before gawking.

"What?!"

"It's been decided that we can no longer just keep poking at each other or remaining suspicious. People are exploiting loopholes to start crap. Sirzechs, Michael, and I are tired of it and just want more peaceful days. We can't afford to lose even more population." The Governor smiled.

"Those guys are pretty fun too. Especially when Azazel busts out alcohol." Kokabiel merrily laughed.

"Never again." Baraqiel groaned.

"Within recent months, a lot has happened. The destruction of the rogue priests, the Gremory engagement cancelation, and the incident with Valper all happened here, so the Summit shall happen here." Azazel declared.

"And you all, who were in the thick of it, will be attending to provide input and to be guards. It'd be the perfect opportunity for any enemies to strike, so security's are required. Make sure you all are cautious on that day because we don't know what'll happen and you all may know things that we don't." He directed his gaze at the youths.

"We understand. When that day comes, we'll be ready." Issei boldly agreed.

Come what may, he'd lay down his life to ensure peace, if necessary.


Changes from the original Chapter 15:

Grammar fixes and some minor dialogue change to be more concise