Chapter 16: A Great Start

The Peace Conference was about to happen soon, with tons of tension in the air. Before then, Sirzechs Lucifer had appeared before Rias, having a message. He had appeared to her the night that Issei had his guests come over for dinner.

"Rias, now that you've grown a bit stronger and bit more experienced, I think you just might be ready for letting your other Bishop out."

"Gasper, huh?" Rias mused.

She wasn't sure if she was actually ready for that yet. She had improved a small bit, yes, but it wasn't enough to her. Still, she wanted to get her little Bishop out of the cooped-up space that she had been forced to restrict him into.

"Alright, I'll do it soon."


The next day, Rias had called a meeting for the ORC. That meant Issei and Raynare too.

They gathered outside two doors that were taped shut. It looked plain at first, but when Rias approached, magic circles sprung to life.

"What's in there?" Issei asked.

"Inside is my first Bishop, Gasper Vladi. He's a half-human, half-day walker vampire. I had to seal him inside because I couldn't help him control his powers from his Sacred Gear. Now that I've improved a bit, the higher-ups in my society have decided that I'm worthy enough to let him out. However…he's a bit difficult."

"I'm sorry for being late. What have I missed?" Another voice called over.

Issei turned around and his jaw dropped in surprise.

"I forgot to mention this to you, Issei. Allow me to introduce my second Knight, Xenovia Quarta."

"Uh…welcome, Ms. Quarta." Issei extended his hand.

He still didn't quite like Xenovia, given her past arrogance and hostility toward Asia.

"Thank you for the welcome." Xenovia politely shook it.

"How'd you join?" Issei had to ask.

"I approached Rias and joined after I discovered the truth. It was a form of self-abandonment. I lived a life of lies and I did many things using the wrong name for a wrong cause. So, I decided that this was the only path to go down."

"I-I see." Issei nodded.

He hoped that she didn't picture this lifestyle negatively.

"Now then, let's get down to business. I did call you all down here for a reason, after all." Rias turned around.

She placed her hand up and began to break the seals on the door, dissolving the circles and tearing the tape in the process.

Almost before knocking, a voice shrieked out.

"No!"

"I didn't even knock yet." Rias sighed.

"Gasper, it's okay to come out now. You don't have to hide in there anymore." Akeno softly spoke into the crack in the door.

"I don't want to come out! The outside world is scary! I just want to stay in here, where it's dark and safe!"

"A shut-in." Issei grumbled.

Vali cast him a scolding look.

The reason why she was present, was because Rias hoped that she could help with their problem.

"He must've been through a lot." She looked at Rias.

Vali was aware of the discriminatory behavior of vampires. She really didn't like a lot of them. They lacked sympathy and were haughty to a sickening degree. She almost had to keep a bucket with her at all times whenever she talked to vampires.

"He was often treated ill by the people around him, due to his heritage. He's become a shut-in because of that mistreatment." Rias sighed.

"Gasper, we're coming in." She warned.

"No!"

Against his protests, the ORC entered, revealing a dark room with no light, aside from that which came from a desktop. Laying on a bed, was the biggest trap Issei had ever seen.

A petite boy with violet eyes and light-blonde bob-cut hair, was looking at them with fearful, teary eyes. He wore a male Kuoh uniform and was incredibly androgynous to the point that he could fool anyone, if not for his clothes.

'What in the world…'

'What in the world…'

Issei and Ddraig deadpanned.

"His Sacred Gear, Forbidden Balor View, can stop time, but he lacks control over it, so he ends up accidentally causing some incidents."

"Gasper, it's okay to come out now. You don't have to stay inside anymore. How about we go and get some fresh air?" Akeno suggested, crouching near his coffin. Yes, a coffin.

"No, I don't want to. The outside world is scary. It's nice and cool in here and I don't have to be troubled by anybody. I don't have to deal with what I hate either." Gasper grumbled.

"Doesn't he need blood regularly?" Issei asked.

"He does, but not as often as a full-vampire. He needs it once every two weeks or so at most, but he usually needs it every ten days. He can even leave the room at night but…"

"Ugh! I hate blood, and liver, and fish. I just want to stay inside. Don't make me leave." Gasper pleaded, cutting Rias off.

"Gasper, it's okay for you to leave now. You can go out and see the world around here. Don't you want to see it?" Rias pleaded.

"I don't want to. My powers will go out of control again. I might hurt somebody." Gasper whimpered, burying his head in his blanket.

"That's why we need you to train. That way, you can finally leave this room and see the outside world. You won't have to stay sealed any longer. I promise, things will be better than they were before. Won't you trust me?" Rias asked.

Gasper grumbled for a few moments, before nodding, deciding that he owed Rias for saving him.

"Okay." He whispered.

"Good. I need to go meet with my brother in a little bit, so I'll leave you with my friends. Make sure that you listen to them, okay?" Rias patted Gasper's head, as if a mother soothing her child.

Gasper fearfully looked at Issei and the others, though they gave him reassuring smiles.

"Kiba, I need you to come with me and Akeno. My brother wants to see your Balance Breaker. Considering its nature and the circumstances, he's rather interested." Rias folded her arms.

"I'm sorry to ask another favor of you, Issei and Vali. I'll make sure to repay you." She smiled sadly at the two.

"Leave it to us." Vali nodded.

When the three left, everyone turned to Gasper.

"Alright, where to begin." Issei pondered.

He stepped closer towards Gasper, who whimpered as his tall figure grew closer.

"Eeek!" He yelped.

Suddenly, Issei felt something coming, like a gust of cold wind. A purple flash of light temporarily blocked his vision before he found Gasper hiding in a cardboard box, closed tight.

"So that's what Rias meant." Issei mused.

That single flash of light must've been the doing of Gasper's Sacred Gear.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to go haywire again." Gasper groaned.

"You didn't hurt anybody, so it's okay." Issei gently walked over towards the box.

"If you're going to do as you promised, then we need you to come out, okay?"

Gasper whimpered before slowly creeping out of the box.


After gathering the proper materials, Issei and the others gathered in the school track field. Beside him, was a bag of dodgeballs. Thanks to Azazel's influence, he had an idea of how to help Gasper.

"Alright, Gasper, in rejection of Xenovia and Koneko's ideas, we're going to throw a dodgeball at you, one at a time. It's your goal to stop them in midair before they hit you without stopping the time around us too." Issei declared.

Chasing him with Durandal and garlic were utterly ridiculous. He made a mental note to never let them train the boy.

"Uhhhhh…o-okay." Gasper shivered.

"Come now, you promised to try for Rias, right? If you're going to grow, then you need to do this." Issei grabbed hold of a ball.

With his lightest toss, the boll flew over at a reasonable pace. Suddenly, Issei felt the familiar flash again, realizing that Gasper had stopped time in the area again. He looked ahead and found the vampire hiding near the seats.

"No more of that, come here, Gasper. We're going to start again." Issei pointed at the Bishop's original spot, but his voice remained tranquil and sympathetic.

Gasper, however, whimpered. He sniffled and looked at the bag of dodgeballs with worry before shutting his eyes and running off with abandon.

Xenovia was about to chase after him until Vali stopped her.

"I think he needs a talk, instead of force, now."

That was when Issei looked at Vali.

Vali sighed to herself. She understood that Gasper had deep emotional turmoil, given how strongly he tried to avoid social and outdoor activities. Koneko and Xenovia had tried quite hard to get him out of his room. It wasn't until Issei used a clove of garlic to chase him outside, that he had relented in staying out.

Their methods had proven to be wacky and weren't too effective with him. She couldn't blame the others, since they weren't exactly the teaching type. As for Issei, she knew that he only worked that way because of Azazel's teaching style. If she knew that he'd be so forceful when directly teaching someone, she'd have taken him with her on her journey. She'd have to lecture Azazel's ear off later.

She left her trance when she found that Gasper had escaped to the bleachers again. This couldn't continue. He was too unwilling to comply. When he saw that she'd noticed him, he ran back into his room, slamming it shut and locking it.

"Gasper, can I talk to you for a bit?" Vali walked up to the door of his room, which was locked shut.

She was met with a crying grumble.

"Gasper, what's got you so scared of the outside world?"

"I don't like the outside world because it's scary. I've said it before and I'll say it again. I don't want to come out. People always look at me, scared. They bully me and reject me. In here, I'm safe and I don't have to worry about what anyone else says." He hollered.

Vali nodded, understanding. She knew his plight very well.

(Yoko Shimomura ~ Memoria – Vector to the Heavens. Play Song.)

"You should leave before something happens to you." Gasper sniffled.

"Well, I'm going to sit out here until you tell me everything."

When she was met with silence, she decided that she needed to share something if he was going to talk about himself.

"Alright, I'll propose a deal. After I tell my story, you tell me yours."

Gasper's quiet groan was the confirmation she needed.

"A long time ago, I used to live somewhere else, in the Human Realm. My great-grandfather was Lucifer, the original one. I was pretty shocked when I found out. My dad was his grandson, and my mom was a human. When I was born, I was able to live okay, until I accidentally showed my Sacred Gear. Do you know which one it is, Gasper?" Vali spoke near the door.

"No, Rias didn't say anything about it."

"Well, I have the Divine Dividing. It's a Longinus that can divide an opponent's power in half and add it to me. It has the ancient spirit of the Heavenly Dragon, Albion. It's what started my whole spiral downwards in life." Vali made a bitter smile.

"When my grandfather, Rizevim Livan Lucifer, found out, he decided to take matters into his own hands. You see, my dad never liked that I had more potential than he did, so he neglected me. But, when Rizevim came along, he got worse. He started abusing me in unison with Rizevim. They made me fight and kill others for their amusement and treated me like I was an attack dog. They threatened me with my mother as a bargaining chip. That was the only reason I stayed in the asylum that was my childhood home." Vali stared into the distance, recalling white walls and black tiles in a secluded forest.

"Before long, my mom had disappeared. I don't know what happened to her, but I can only assume that she's either dead or could no longer take it, and left. After that, I spent several more months in that hellhole before I couldn't take it anymore. I ran away and went as far and quickly as I could. I didn't know where to go but I didn't care. I just needed to get away. Soon enough, I ended up here in Kuoh, where Azazel found and adopted me." Vali's dark expression soon became brighter.

"I used to hate my Sacred Gear more than anything. If it hadn't come about, I thought that my mother would've still been around. She was the only light in that dark place. Then, I learned that it wasn't because of my Sacred Gear, that so many bad things happened. It was circumstance and my own choices. It was bound to happen, sooner or later, but due to the people that were near me, I automatically pinned the blame on it and Albion. In time, I learned that it wasn't a curse. It was a gift. If it weren't for my wings, then I wouldn't have been here. I wouldn't have become strong enough to protect the people that I care about. It was also because I had two people that always stood by me. My adoptive father, Azazel, and Issei. They taught me that just because I did bad things or had bad events associated with something, it didn't mean that the thing itself, was bad."

"So, you see, Gasper, just because we have something, it doesn't mean that it's wrong just because we can't tame it. If we can't control it off the bat, then we need to learn to do so. The only ones that can control our gifts and curses, are ourselves. That's the only way to stop the pain and loneliness. It has to start with us. Even if we don't notice it now, we might someday and we'll be full of even more pain and regrets." Vali finished her long tale, listening to the door.

It had become awfully quiet. Vali wondered if she had put the dhampir to sleep.

"A long time ago, I used to live with my family, but due to my half-blood heritage, everyone looked down on me. People were always scared of me because they never knew when I'd end up freezing them. I hate it when I just look at someone and they suddenly freeze in motion. It's as if they're lifeless and just exist. Only one person was actually nice to me."

"Was it a girl?" Vali chuckled.

"Yeah. Her name was Valerie Tepes. She was a Dhampir, like me. She would always look out for me and stood up for me. When I couldn't take my treatment anymore, she covered for me and sacrificed herself."

Slowly, the door to Gasper's room opened.

"I guess we can both relate to each other's pain. See? You're not completely alone in this. We all want to help. So, what do you say? Think you can be strong for us too?" Vali asked.

Gasper looked down before nodding.

"Okay. I'll try harder."

"You may not know this, but Issei's been hit really hard by life too. You see, Issei lost both of his parents when he was really young. Unlike either of us, he doesn't have any blood relatives. Still, he focuses on his emotional bonds for strength. In the end, it just takes our own will to turn something bad into something good. Don't forget that." Vali stood up as she led Gasper back outside.

(Yoko Shimomura ~ Memoria – Vector to the Heavens. End Song.)


After they returned and Issei apologized, the training resumed. They kept repeating the process for several dozens of times until Issei found the current process to be pointless.

"Alright, let's alter the procedure." Issei began to think to himself.

"Oh, hey, Hyoudou!"

Issei's eyes shot open upon realizing that his answer had arrived.

"Eureka!" He pointed at none other, than Saji.

"Huh? What's with you, Hyoudou?" The host of Vritra cocked a brow.

"Are you busy right now?" Issei asked.

"Not really. You need something?" The Pawn asked.

"Yeah, I need help with training."

Issei went on to explain the circumstances to Saji, who agreed to his terms.

"Okay. In exchange, I want dinner. I had to stay after school to help finish paperwork, so I missed it." He grumbled while holding his loud stomach.

"I promise, I'll take everyone out to eat later. For now, I need you to stand here."

"That reminds me, where's the Bishop? I heard that he had a Sacred Gear and had to get sealed because of it, but I've never seen him." Saji looked around.

"He's over there." Issei flatly replied.

The two eventually got to helping with Gasper's problem. By tethering Saji's absorption line to Gasper, basically sticking it to the top of his head, they could filter excess energy from Gasper's activations and allow him more control.

This time, when Issei threw the ball, it stopped in midair, the dimension around it being frozen, and only around the ball itself.

"Alright, but if it were a fraction of a second sooner, you'd have a print over your eye." Issei chuckled.

"Eeek! I knew it, Issei is going to hurt me. Look at how much his eye glints."

"Issei…" Vali sighed.

"What?" The Red Dragon Emperor raised his arms, feigning innocence.

"I'll take over. You're going to scare the poor boy." She lightly pushed him aside.

"Now, Gasper, I'm going to increase the difficulty of your training. This time, I'm going to throw the ball from different angles, but they'll still be in your field of vision. Try and stop each of them." Vali warned, her tone soft.

Raynare saw quite a distinct difference between the two. Issei was obviously the more tantalizing one, while Vali was the nurturing one. That left Akeno as the teasing one.

Vali threw the ball at Gasper, who managed to stop it with more speed, though it was still dangerously close to his face.

Then, another ball came from the side. Gasper focused on it, but his mind couldn't stop drawing towards the ball in front of him. For one small second, the second ball stopped, but he failed to suspend it. It came whirling at his face before hitting him on the side of the head.

"Ow!" He rubbed the sore spot.

"I know it hurts for you, but we need to go again."

Gasper whimpered but stood back up.

"He may be a shut-in, but he at least keeps his promises." Issei smiled.

For the rest of the night, Gasper ended up with several bruises, but he managed to stop several dodge balls with extreme and sad concentration. The sad part was the fact that Issei had use garlic to keep him from running the first few times after he came back. As days went by, he was able to stop flying objects with great concentration, but barely. Still, any progress was still progress.

Of course, Issei wasn't going to let Rias start mooching off his free time and had reserved some favors from her. He had a feeling that he might need them in the future.


The time for the Peace Conference for the Three Factions to happen quickly came. As Azazel said, the meeting was happening in the New School Building for the ORC.

Gathered in the room, was the ORC and Student Council along with Azazel, Sirzechs Lucifer, and Michael, the Archangel, and their respective guards.

The only ones not present, was Gasper, who Rias had kept in the Old School Building for his own safety. With him, was Asia and Koneko, who were there to ensure that he didn't go out of control or anything.

He sat at one side of the room, acting as a fourth party, while Vali stood by Azazel's side. Behind Sirzechs was Grayfia, the ORC, and the Student Council.

Guarding Michael, was a beautiful woman that Issei knew to be of great importance. She had long golden blonde hair with bangs, grey eyes, and a white dress. She was tall, possibly standing at 5'9 and sported a buxom figure that shamed Akeno's and Vali's. It was Gabriel, one of the Archangels.

Next to Gabriel, was Irina, who gave a small wave to the entering group.

When Issei looked at Gabriel, he felt a strong sense of familiarity with her. For a brief moment, he blanked out and stared off into the distance. He recalled the memory of being in Juggernaut Drive. He was being consumed in darkness, surrounded by nothing but regret and restless grief, accompanied by rage. Suddenly, he could recall a bright warmth from above. A hand that had stretched through the darkness and given him the will to move on.

"Issei?" Vali nudged him lightly.

"Hm?" He whispered.

"Are you okay? You looked really out of it."

"I'm fine." Issei shook his head.

He was surprised that she had snuck over to him to check up on him but set the matter aside. Akeno frowned in worry. The moment Issei laid eyes on Gabriel, the Archangel, he seemed to fall into something of a trance. It worried her since he was usually collected. Yet, he became unfocused and somewhat disoriented around her.

"As we have been discussing for the past few months, we've now come together to discuss incidents that have transpired within the recent times. Insurgencies of Strays, Fallen Angels, and exiled Church folk have been gathering in this town. It's easy to say that at this point, we don't have the need to continue this truce." Michael solemnly sighed.

"Obviously, we all have committed sins. I believe we should start by settling matters." Michael suggested.

"Indeed. It's time we stopped beating around the bush." Sirzechs smirked.

'What on Earth are they thinking?' Issei frowned.

"It's time we finished the talks for a peace treaty and alliance." Azazel declared.

Everyone aside from the leaders of the Three Factions, was surprised.

"The Fallen Angels have no quarrel with others. We've tired of the fighting and merely wish to continue living freely. My people currently lack the method of restoring our numbers. I'd like to keep our population alive, so we'll be drawing out of any future conflicts." Azazel shrugged.

"I'm of the same opinion." Michael nodded.

"Hell already has its share of problems due to the Civil War…we don't need more on our plate." Sirzechs grinned.

"What of the White Dragon Empress and Red Dragon Emperor? What are your positions on this?" Michael looked towards the two counterparts.

Issei didn't even need time to think for an answer.

"I fully support it." He concisely responded.

"Hm, I see. In the past, the Red Dragon Emperor usually pushed for battle." Michael chuckled, relieved.

"I would rather have peace over war. If life can continue to be quiet, then I'm satisfied."

"I'm of the same opinion." Vali nodded.

Michael nodded in recognition, happy with their answers.

"Let's continue with reports on incidents that have been occurring. Starting with us. As of late, Stray Devils have been prowling Kuoh and several other locations of the world, and not only that, but we've also had suspicious activity from those exiled."

Sirzechs spent quite some time explaining about what had been happening for the past while.

"As for the Angels, the Vatican has proven that there is corruption, given how the Excaliburs were stolen and the crimes of the Stray Exorcists have caused numerous casualties. Not only that, but Valper Galilei was responsible for the incident a few days ago."

"As for the Fallen Angels, several incidents of kidnapping have occurred, mostly among supernatural creatures and Sacred Gear Wielders. Many of them from all over the world." Azazel eyed the paper in his hands.

At first, Issei didn't understand the point of this, but he soon understood what the leaders were doing. They were summarizing their crimes as a show of honesty.

"Now that we've aired out a bit of dirty laundry, let's talk about compensation and what we can bring to the table." Azazel tapped the briefcase that he brought with him.

The Three Leaders spent a good hour talking about what they could offer each other, coming to terms and taking satisfaction in the fact that they each had substantial bargaining chips to trade.

Then, they moved on to a new topic.

"As of late, the world has been experiencing issues, namely, the Khaos Brigade." Azazel explained.

"My sources tell me that they're a renegade group that's been causing ripples in the equilibrium of the world. Clearly, not everyone likes the idea of peace." Sirzechs mused.

"I hear that they're made of several entities from various myths. If that's the case, then they're going to be problematic. Their goals are unknown, but chaos is certainly one of them. A few attacks have happened in other parts of the world, and none of them were subtle." Michael sighed.

"I'm more than certain that members from each of our factions are involved with them." Azazel groaned.

"That worries me quite a lot. Angels can only fall if they commit grave sins, so it's not so easy to draw out traitors." Michael sighed.

"Fallen Angels and Devils are creatures spawned from sin, so it's a broad issue. It's going to take time to find out who's involved. I think it's best that we be careful of who we tell our secrets to." Sirzechs warned.

"Naturally. Now, then, I think it's time that we address the youths in the room. Namely, I need to apologize for my faction's actions. We have grown complacent with our history and purpose. For that, many suffered. I sincerely offer my apology and I will do anything I can, in order to compensate." Michael bowed his head towards Kiba and Asia.

"No, it's fine, Lord Michael. As things are now, I am very happy with my life. It may not have been one that I expected or chose, but it's proven to be one of the best things to happen to me. I am surrounded by people that support me and I've experienced many things that I can count as a blessing. There're no needs for apologies at this point." Kiba eased the Archangels worries away.

"If I may speak on behalf of my Bishop, Lord Michael, may I request a favor." Rias politely asked.

"Yes, of course." Michael smiled.

"If it isn't too large of a favor, could you allow my Bishop, Asia Argento and my Knight, Xenovia Quarta, to pray once more? Their faith in you and the Lord is critical to them. It may be pretentious of me, but I humbly ask that you allow them to continue that part of their lifestyle." Rias bowed.

"It was because I was afraid that the system would be affected by their prayers, that I excluded them. Without the system of Heaven, the faith of our faction would fall and we would lose everything. However, I see no reason to continue to do so. Even after changing, they have remained true and faithful. I don't think there's any harm in allowing them to pray again. I should've known not to keep them out, in the first place." Michael smiled.

Suddenly, everyone felt a jolt run across their skin. It was like static that was brought by a cold breeze.

"Well, I believe we have company." Sirzechs sighed.

Outside, the sky grew orange as a barrier creeped around the school, capturing it in a dome.

Simultaneously, several orange magic circles sprung to life, materializing several mages in dark robes and rogue devils. There were even a few fallen angels amongst them.

"I believe that should be the Khaos Brigade, considering some of them are AWOL members of Grigori." Azazel snorted.

Issei looked around and noticed that several people were standing still. No, they were frozen in time. He recognized the purple hue that came in accompaniment of Gasper's time powers.

The only ones not to be frozen, were Azazel, Michael, Sirzechs, Grayfia, Gabriel, Kiba, Xenovia, Vali, Saji, Irina, and himself.

'This must be because either everyone's too strong or they have special equipment.' Issei surmised.

The Boosted Gear had automatically appeared on his left hand without any activation. Vali also had her wings sprouted.

"This must be Gasper's power." Sirzechs muttered to himself.

"They must've snuck over to the Dhampir and manipulated him into activating his Sacred Gear. We're going to have to split up to deal with this." Azazel rose from his chair, stretching casually.

For him, it seemed as if he were treating it like a morning jog.

"We'll split into two parties. One will help keep the heat here, while the other goes to the Old School Building to free Gasper." Sirzechs decided.

"The Three Leaders should stay here and hold them off. I think Issei would be a prime candidate for the rescue operation." Azazel turned towards his godson.

"I'll go too. That'll ensure that things will be over more quickly." Vali stepped up.

"That'll be fine. However, we need to keep things subtle. Too many of you, and the enemy will notice." Azazel then took out two bands from his pocket.

Along with him, Sirzechs had a piece of parchment with a magic seal imprinted on it.

"With this, you two can arrive directly within the Clubroom by transmitting on something that's from there. Unfortunately, the process is tricky. If Rias wasn't frozen in time, then we could use Castling to get you over there. However, this will do. By using my power in unison with yours, you can bypass the magic defenses that have been put up." Sirzechs handed the items over.

"Issei, this bracelet will help that Dhampir control his powers. Make sure he gets it." Azazel whispered to him.

With a nod, the Heavenly Dragons disappeared towards their destination.


Unfortunately, when they entered the room, there were several mages inside.

"So much for subtlety." Issei shrugged.

"Don't you dare move! One step and I slit her throat." Someone threatened Asia with a dagger.

'Hostage situation. Not too much of a problem.' Vali groaned.

"On your knees."

The two did as said. Issei looked at Vali and nodded, instinctively knowing what the other had planned.

Vali put her arms down in surrender, before touching the floor and sending a jolt of electricity through it. Blue lightning bolts tore through the wooden floor, sending splinters and pieces of the rug into the air as the Khaos Brigade convulsed from hundreds of volts of electric shocks.

Issei walked over to his juniors, who were suspended in mid-air by magic circles.

"Gasper, can you shut off your Sacred Gear."

"No." He weakly muttered.

His eyes were glowing, with his pupils turning pale yellow and his irises became solid red.

"The magic circle's forcing him to run rampant. We'll need to find a way to neutralize it." Vali walked forward but stopped when she picked up movement from their downed enemies.

She kicked someone in the side as they dived at her back, before she punched a mage in the face, who had been rushing at Issei. In unison, Issei backhanded someone attacking Vali from while catching a dagger aimed at his stomach.

"[Boost!]" Ddraig's voice echoed.

"[Divide!]" Albion announced in unison.

It was at this moment, that Gasper realized the effects of what Vali had said to him.

Despite the two not actually wanting their powers, they accepted them and used them to become stronger. It wasn't for themselves, either. Rather, it was for each other and everyone that they cared about. They moved in perfect unison, one protecting the other without needing to communicate.

Issei side-kicked an attacker that was the left of Vali as she punched an assailant to Issei's right. She finally took notice of how much stronger he had become. He was much more serious in his movements and worked to quickly finish his enemies, but at the same time, he was always trying to keep his vision open for anyone that was aiming for her.

Likewise, Issei realized that Vali was probably stronger than him at this point. She had expanded her horizons and learned a ton of things in addition to what she knew from Azazel. She had always been the faster learner.

With only their fists and legs, they managed to devastate the Khaos Brigade mages in the room.

"Gasper, do you know why vampires drink blood?" Issei asked.

"It's to sate their hunger." Gasper wondered what he was getting at.

"Yes, but there's much more to it. It's to control themselves. That is what you lack." Issei declared to him, making sure to emote his words to get through to him.

"Gasper, all my life, after a severe tragedy, I hated my powers. I hated it to the point that I wanted to cut my own arm off. I even contemplated suicide. Nobody knew of those thoughts." Issei glanced at Vali, who looked horrified, staring at him with wide eyes.

"What?" She whispered.

"However, I learned that the Boosted Gear, nor Ddraig was bad. It was simply because I didn't control myself. A long time ago, I went rampant and cost Akeno her mother and her bond with her father. When I was at the end of my rope, I came to a realization. If I learned to control myself, then I could stop those tragedies from happening ever again. Even if I got rid of my Sacred Gear, there'll come a time when I'll regret not having it. So, Gasper…"

"If you need help, I'll be there. Don't just stand around and wait for the end. As your friend, I'll do my best to help push you through." Issei dragged his clawed gauntlet over his right hand and left a cut behind. He held his clenched fist forward.

Gasper nodded, understanding the message that Issei and Vali had sent him. It was time to grow up and stop being afraid of everything.

"Okay!" He gave a determined yell.

The doors to the Old School broke open as several mages rushed in.

Issei quickly threw a punch toward Gasper, splatting a bit of blood on the corner of his lips before turning to fight the enemy.

Licking the blood, Gasper felt a new rush of adrenaline and power. It was unlike anything he'd felt before. Finally, he felt confident enough to take action on his own.

Willing his Sacred Gear to activate according to his whim, time stopped around the enemy, freezing them in motion as Vali and Issei decimated them with a [Dragon Shot] and blast of white energy.

"Good job, soldier." Issei nodded at his junior.

Vali walked over to the captured trio and used Divine Dividing to get rid of the power used to activate their prison.

When that was over, the entire area trembled. Issei looked outside and found that some new players had entered the game.


Floating in the air, was a buxom woman with light-brown skin with caramel-brown hair tied into a bun with two extremely long braids. She wore glasses and a purple outfit that wasn't very decent for public interactions. When Vali noticed Issei gawk at her, she tapped his shoulder.

Following her, were several rogue Devils with altered armor that was distinct from others.

"Well, looks like the snake slithered out to play." Azazel looked at her challengingly.

"Oh, do spare me the pleasantries, Azazel." The woman sighed.

"Katarea Leviathan, the descendant of the original Leviathan." Michael mused.

He certainly saw much of Leviathan in her, and he would know the most amongst the Three Leaders.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. I am Katarea Leviathan, descendent of the original one." She bowed condescendingly.

"So, I'll assume that you're here for the same reasons as during the civil war?" Sirzechs asked.

"Correct. Seeing as how the original leaders of all three factions are gone, we will take over the reins of this world."

"That's an active plan. It certainly doesn't seem like you've grown any smarter, though." Azazel smirked.

"Aside from us, there are members from all three Factions, as well. We've got friends in lots of places, Azazel. You should watch your back." Katarea begrudgingly admitted.

"Great! More traitors." Azazel chuckled in exasperation.

"So, things are still the same." Sirzechs announced her goals for her.

"Pretty much. The times have changed and the world should change with it. Sirzechs, you were fairly decent but you just weren't good enough. With the loss of the leaders for all Factions, only we have remained strong enough to maintain our realm while still having enough influence over others. That is but an example of our superiority. Look around, the Angels and Fallen Angels lack the ingenuity to increase their numbers besides natural reproduction. Even though I deplore the fact that you use humans and other creatures to increase the population, I'll admit that it is an admirable mechanic." Katarea gave Sirzechs a condescending smile, who remained stone-faced.

"We will reform this world under the rule of the Devils and our kind will prosper in a- "

Suddenly, Katarea was cut off by Azazel, who was making squawking motions with his hand.

"Blah, blah, world domination, blah, blah, blah, better than other people, blah-blah-blah."

Katarea looked as if a vein popped on her forehead.

"I see that that the wretched crow still doesn't know how to show respect."

"Now, why would I show respect to such a psychotic and cliché goal? It's a waste of time to debate this, so I'll just get down and dirty. That alright with you two?" Azazel stepped up.

"Katarea, is there no chance that you'll surrender and cooperate? Is this really the only option to take with you?" Sirzechs asked.

"We decided that our paths diverged the day the Civil War started. Shove those idealistic words up your rear, Sirzechs." Katarea smirked haughtily.

"She's all yours, Azazel." Sirzechs gave a defeated sigh, no longer willing to cooperate.

"I think it's time that we let the past go or we'll just get hampered trying to get to the future." Azazel spoke those words to him before flying into the air, shattering the glass window in front of him.

"While Michael and I deal with maintaining a barrier around the vicinity, you all will have to deal with suppressing the enemy. This isn't like a Rating Game, so watch each other's backs and keep your eyes peeled. Don't fight alone." Sirzechs warned the young devils.

"The same goes to you too, Irina. Make sure to stay focused. Gabriel, I trust you to help Lady Grayfia with deciphering the Khaos Brigade's magic circle."

"Understood, brother." Gabriel walked over to Grayfia to give her aid.

And thus, the battle began.

Azazel flew into the air and faced off with Katarea, who proved to provide some entertainment to the Governor of the Fallen Angels.

"Now then, let's see if you can hold up to par with your ancestor. It'd be a shame if you fail to meet my standards for you." Azazel smirked.

"I would be more than happy to make you writhe and suffer, Azazel."

"Bring it, kid." Azazel gestured for her to come at him, using his middle finger.

Katarea raised her staff and let loose a massive beam of demonic power.

Azazel blocked it with his own defensive magic circle before crafting several hundred spears of light that were easily double his height. Hurling at them at his foe with mental commands, she foiled his attempt with her own magic defenses. It was surprising that she was able to stop them in the first place.

"So, who gave you magic steroids?" Azazel surmised.

Based on Sirzechs' tales and recordings, the descendants of the original Devil Lords didn't hold a candle to their ancestors.

Katarea responded with a massive blast of demonic power that managed to put several cracks in Azazel's shield.

Raising his hand, a rain of swords and spears came hurling at Katarea, who neutralized them with her own volley of slithering beams. Their attacks met dead-on, shaking the ground and vibrating the air around them.

Speeding at her foe, her backhand was met by a block from Azazel, who smirked.

"Won't you try a little harder with me?"

"It would be my pleasure, my dear Governor." Katarea responded with a burst of her power, enhanced by a foreign power.

The blast dyed the color with orange light before fading into the image of Azazel standing away from his opponent, still unscathed.

"It would see that you're just not measuring up at all, kid." He laughed.

"Then allow me to impress you."

Raising her staff, she fired a serpent of water that could've swallowed the entire school in one bite.

Raising his palm, Azazel had to put some effort into this attack. He noticed that he had been pushed back once or twice during his brief scuffle with her. Perhaps he needed to get a little more serious.

Blasting it with a ray of light that evaporated the serpent, turning it into steam. When the cloud obscured Azazel's' sight, he found that an attack was coming at him from the back.

Ducking, he swatted at the air before blocking a fist meant for his face.

"Do try and avoid the face. I'd fail at charming the ladies if it got damaged."

Katarea was starting to lose her temper. He clearly wasn't taking her seriously.

"I'm growing tired of your antics, Fallen Angel. Let's end this little game."

She flew back readying her next attack.

That was when Azazel knew that there was trouble. He didn't want to wait and find out what she was going to do.

"If that's the case, let's get dangerous. This is also the perfect chance for me to test this out." He took out a small item from his coat.

(High School DxD New OST – Yuushi. Play Song.)

It looked like a miniature golden jousting lance with a purple jewel at the bottom.

"As many know, I'm a Sacred Gear enthusiast. I spent a long amount of time on them and I'd hate it if they disappeared on me. I looked up to my father for his ingenuity. Still, I'll give myself props for at least being able to make replications. This here, is my favorite. The Downfall Dragon Spear. Think you can match me?" Azazel asked as he looked at Katarea.

"Balance Break."

With a burst of golden light, everyone's vision was blinded until the radiance faded. Standing in the air, was Azazel, who was wearing golden armor with purple gems. It was heavily reminiscent of Issei and Vali's Scale Mails.

"Downfall Dragon Spear, Another Armor." Azazel proudly proclaimed as his adversary stood in front of him, disgruntled.

"Pointless antics. I will not lose to you, on my pride as Leviathan's descendant." Katarea charged.

Suddenly, Azazel had disappeared from her vision. That's when her body jerked and pain began blaring into her nerves. She looked at herself and saw a giant gash through her right shoulder. Turning around, she saw Azazel, with a spear of light.

The ground below had already been cut from the sheer force of his swing. The main gash on her shoulder overshadowed the other wounds he'd dealt to her abdomen and chest. Katarea realized that several fatal injuries had already been dealt to her. Left with no choice, she was resolved to drag the enemy to their grave. Extending her arms, she poured all of her life force into them. They stretched towards Azazel, and just when they were about to reach him and Katarea was about to take reassurance in her victory, Azazel spun his spear rapidly, shredding her arms and foiling her attempt.

"I've seen that trick before. A kamikaze attempt seems to suit your tastes." The Governor of the Fallen Angels laughed.

"If you're that eager, then I'll help you die faster." Azazel threw his spear as she glared at him in disbelief.

The weapon tore through her skull, dissolving her body as a result of being killed by light.

(High School DxD New OST – Yuushi. End Song.)

Azazel's armor shimmered before shattering, leaving a single purple orb behind.

"Well, it worked, but just barely. It looks like I'm going to have to work much harder from now on." He gave the gem a grateful smile.

"So, Fafnir's in that gem…" Albion sighed.

"I guess it's the times. Powerful dragons like us always end up dead or sealed now." Ddraig gave a wry chuckle.

The two dragons spoke as Issei and Vali fought their way back to where everyone else was.

"So, that's Dad's Balance Breaker." Vali looked on with amusement as it dissipated.

"He was always working on something big on the weekends. He'd looked like a mad scientist while doing it." Issei passively noted.


When they arrived at the main battlefield, the enemy was being swept up, thanks to Grayfia and Gabriel shutting down their magic circle, which was teleporting members through. Yet, with one final act of defiance, something came through the magic circle. The orange circle immediately turned neon green and shrunk into a smaller one. Everyone wondered what it was but the answer soon came.

Emerging forth was a green armored figure with two horns, similar to Azazel's imitation of a Balance Breaker, but it had a more sinister appearance. Metal Devil wings sprung from its back, its claws were long, like a malevolent witch's. A long tail with a pointed tip came from its back and it had fangs on its helmet and two red eyes.

"What is that?" Azazel looked at it with cautious curiosity.

"I don't know…but I've got some really bad vibes from it." Issei clicked his tongue.

"It looks like your Balance Breakers." Azazel alluded.

"It does. I'm sure it's a Khaos Brigade trick." Issei manifested the Boosted Gear again.

"I think you'd better suit up. That thing feels like a devil; a very strong one." Ddraig warned.

"I think you're right."

Issei flared his red aura.

"Balance Break! Scale Mail!"

"Welsh Dragon, Balance Breaker!"

(Bleach OST – Encirclement Battle. Play Song.)

Clad in his red armor, Issei waited to see what this new entity would do.

Sensing Issei, the Armored Figure zeroed in on him, dashing at him like a bullet.

"Not a friendly!" Issei blocked a swipe from its claw.

With a quick glance, four deep scratches had made their way into his right gauntlet. It took considerable effort to just mark it.

"Ddraig, what is this thing?" Issei jumped, dodging a swipe from the creature's tail.

"It's probably like what Azazel did. It must be a devil using an artificial Sacred Gear." Ddraig answered.

The Red Dragon Emperor flew into the air, activating the thrusters on his back.

Throwing a punch, the Armor grabbed his fist until Issei kicked it in the neck. The blow disoriented it, but it was still more than capable of retaliation. It pointed a finger at him, blasting a bright green beam at him. Dodging to the side, Issei was forced to move out of the way again when the Armor dragged the laser towards him.

"[Dragon Shot!]" Issei fired the familiar red beam at the new entity.

Flying to the side, the beam obliterated half of the school and a good portion of land near it.

"Partner, that thing is basically just a devil in armor. With that said, you don't possess anything that it's vulnerable to, since you don't have the power over light. However, you should still be able to take it down. Dragons use brute force if they don't have an antithesis to use." Ddraig advised him.

"Got it." Issei charged forward.

He threw a left punch before spinning around with a kick from his left leg just as his arm was about to make contact. When the Armored Devil blocked him, the force of the attack cracked the ground, making a small dent in the Earth.

Lifting his leg, he threw a right punch, aiming at the Armored Devil's gut. Consequently, the Armored Devil opened its mouth, breathing green flames like a dragon.

"Okay, kind of expected that." Issei muttered.

He flew backwards and wreathed himself in orange flames.

"[Drake Flare!]" Issei shaped the fire into a dragon's head before unleashing it like a tunnel of orange inferno.

The orange and green blazes clashed, creating a wall of fire that shot into the sky. Issei saw that the two were in a stalemate, so he needed to fix that. Reaching out, he gathered the fire into his left arm, shrouding it in orange flames.

Then, he pulled out another trick. He gravity force, to pin the Armored Devil in place, multiplying the gravitational force around it by 10 times, cracking the dirt beneath its feet. Using his gravity magic again, he accelerated the kinetic energy of his fist to increase the power of his attack, smashing a giant dent into the Armored Devil's shell.

Behind it, several blocks of concrete shattered and the school suffered another instigation of damage. Unfazed, the Armored Devil grabbed hold of Issei's fist and slashed him across the chest, tearing through his chest armor like tin foil.

He ducked as another scratch came at him. Giving an uppercut, Issei increased the gravity around them again, but he made sure to leave himself unaffected by applying a field around him. His fist collided with its jaw, knocking its head back but it shook off the attack and whirled around, slashing at Issei's right arm.

'Okay, so it's way tougher than I thought. I guess I need to use bigger guns.' Issei sighed.

Flaring his aura, Issei infused ki into his body, hoping to enhance the power of his attacks. Flying at the creature, Issei was in for a surprise when he saw that it had disappeared. He looked up and found that it had flown up.

With another application of heavy gravity, the Armored Devil came rushing down. Much to his surprise, it was intentionally falling towards him. Aiming its fingers, the creature fired ten neon green lasers at him. Moving its fingers, the lasers tried to net him in.

Issei looked around and found that wherever he looked, a laser was carving the ground. It was already sharp enough to cut a building apart, so he wasn't going to test his luck.

"[Boost 10x]" Ddraig announced.

Before Issei could attack, the Armored Devil had already gotten in range. Its claws glowing neon green, it swiped at him, slashing five waves of demonic energy at him. The attack carved into his armor and cut into his flesh, drawing blood. He looked at his arms and legs and found large gashes in them.

He groaned as burning pain rung through the nerves in his limbs. It felt like someone had put a burning torch to his open wounds. Issei began to think back on the battle. He had managed to put dents in its armor, but that was all. In return, the Armored Devil had left bloody cuts in his limbs. The difference in injury levels were pretty clear.

Not only that, but the creature was much faster than himself, though its physical strength was subpar. That matter aside, he needed to lift more of the seals placed on himself.

"Alright, time to end this." Issei groaned, his arms feeling wretchedly sore and painful.

"Those claws cut much deeper than expected. They might've gotten to the bone if it hit any harder." Ddraig warned him for his carelessness.

No more pulled punches.

"[Boost 15x]" The Boosted Gear echoed again.

"Chew on this." Issei stood up.

He backflipped and punched the Armored Devil in the back of the neck before stomping on its back.

"[Dragonic Star]" Issei used this final chance to end the fight.

Creating a beam of swirling red currents and flames, he formed it into a dragon and fired it at the creature underneath him. A gigantic red dome erupted into the sky, cracking the barrier that had been put up. To think that it was capable of damaging a protective measure made from Sirzech's and Michael's power, was a considerable feat.

(Bleach OST – Encirclement Battle. End Song.)

What was left of the area that Issei and the creature fought in, was merely a massive crater that spanned several hundred meters in radius. Smoke and dust was pretty much all that anybody could see.

"He overdid it. He ended up vaporizing the thing." Azazel coughed.

"It's a lot better than it being allowed to continue running rampant." Michael sighed at his brother's disappointment.

They looked at the destruction caused by the fight and were rather surprised. The school campus had been completely destroyed by Issei's attack. They also had to worry about a 45-meter crater in the ground.

Still, Azazel knew that the creature was a rather major problem. Issei never used Dragonic Roar unless he felt that he needed to end a fight quickly and instantly. He looked next to himself and found that Vali had already disappeared. Not only her, but Akeno, who'd been watching as well, had rushed over to his side.

Issei was bandaging the cuts on himself until he noticed his two lovers land in front of him.

"Issei, are you okay?!" They cried out.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He nodded.

They were quite worried when they looked at his wounds, seeing the deep cuts in his arms and legs.

"You're clearly not." Akeno scolded him.

Without another word, they started to use whatever healing magic that they knew.

After regrouping, the Three Factions decided that their work wasn't done.

"As it stands, peace has been established, but we've got newer and bigger problems on our hands. At least we're in this together now. We'll have to continue discussions at another time, but for now, we'll leave things off by repairing the school campus and granting the wish of Rias Gremory. From this day forth, Asia Argento and Xenovia Quarta will be allowed to pray again. Unfortunately, I cannot do more at this time." Michael smiled radiantly.

"Words can't express enough of my gratitude, Lord Michael." Asia bowed, tearfully happy.

"I, as well." Xenovia repeated the gesture.

Just then, Gabriel walked over.

"Michael, I've already finished fixing the building, so I think there shouldn't be any issues concerning it. Ah…" Gabriel then noticed Issei.

She broke into a smile that made Issei blush.

"It's been a very long time. Please allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Gabriel, one of the Seraphs, and sister to Michael. It is an honor." She bowed.

"It is an honor to meet you, Lady Gabriel. I am Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor."

"I know. It's been several years since I've seen you. I'm glad that you grew up to be a splendid young man." Gabriel gave a relieved look.

"With that said, I must leave now. Farewell, Red Dragon Emperor. I hope that we will meet again soon." Gabriel waved as she vanished in light.

"I think it's best that you lot get home. It's been a long night." Azazel waved everyone off, catching the attention of the young folk.

"Are you okay, Dad?" Vali asked.

Now that the situation had calmed down, she could finally get to the matter.

"I'm fine. I may have lived long, but I'm not really old. Now, go ahead and go home. You all have worked hard enough as is for today." Azazel cast her a reassuring smile.

When the young ones left, Azazel was left with Michael and Sirzechs.

"That thing…it was definitely made using a Devil." Sirzechs grumbled.

"It was awfully similar to a Scale Mail." Azazel scoffed.

"Based on my observations, it had the power of a High-Class Devil of moderate tier. It even gave the Red Dragon Emperor trouble." Michael looked at the Governor.

"Issei actually had a small bit of trouble with him. He even used Dragonic Roar. Of course, Issei didn't go all-out to begin with, but still…Whoever sent that thing is more dangerous than the Old Satan Faction, to say the least." Azazel mused.

"We should deploy our stealth experts to gather information. If this was just the start, then I'd hate to imagine what the enemy's bigger moves will be." Michael sighed, staring at the formerly empty crater.

"It's a big world…who knows what spawned that monster." Azazel huffed.

Whoever was sent the Armored Devil, was clearly scheming something and that person had the potential to throw the Supernatural Realm into a crazy spiral.


Changes from the original Chapter 16:

1. Grammar fixes

2. Dialogue changes

3. Instead of using "force magic", I rebranded it to gravity magic instead. However, it's not like telekinesis. Issei can only make gravity lighter or heavier on what he selects. Also, he can only move things up or down. For now, maybe.