Yo, back with another chapter for all of you guys. I'm surprised I was able to finish it in 2 weeks considering how busy I've been but it makes sense since it is a short one compared to my other ones. I wanted to try and make it longer but I decided to post it because you all deserve it and I didn't want to make you guys wait too long :D :D :D

Also, holy moly I cannot believe that I already reached 1825 follows. I cannot tell you how much it means to me to see that so many people are following my first ever story. I'm beyond words. At the rate this is going I might reach my 2000 follows goal and who know we might be able to reach 3000 or 4000 someday. I will work hard to hopefully make that a reality.

I've also had many people who have asked me to list the Harem members for Issei's list once more and I am more than happy to oblige. The following are the people who will end up with Issei and this list is for the moment the final one. I may or may not add people to the list but I will make that decision once all 5 of these members are present in the story so here's the list

Akeno

Tiamat

Grayfia

Gabriel

Durga – The Hindu Goddess of War (in case some of you don't know or forgot)

That's the list my friends. These are the 5 women who will become Issei's mates in my story. I'm not planning on adding any other at the moment despite the fact that so many of my readers are begging me to add. Lol I'm so mean.

Anyways its enough talk for now. Let's move on with the story. Enjoy this short chapter.

It has been 5 days since the start of their training. Half of their allocated time had gone by pretty quickly but Tiamat was quite happy with how much everyone improved over the past few days. Rias had managed to improve her control over her power of destruction. Akeno had increased the potency of her spells. Kiba had increased his stamina and finally toned down his chivalry attitude of not striking his opponents in the back as well as trained with his sacred gear. Koneko overall strength had increased. Asia had also increased her stamina and was even able to train with her partial transformation although not at a level effective in combat but that's normal. Finally, Matsuda had more mastery over his sacred gear and his body could handle further boosts than he originally could. She did notice that during his breaks, he would take Asia with him and do something. She thought it was some kind of secret training but she wasn't so sure since every time they came back, Asia was blushing like crazy and Matsuda looked satisfied. Doesn't matter anyways! Her goal was to train them. If they wanted to keep their training a secret, then it's fine by her.

Boom Zap

Swish

Currently, everyone was sparring against Issei at the request of Tiamat to see how far they had come. Of course, even though they all improved their skills, they were still no match for Issei who dodged each of their attacks with ease. Eventually, all of them tired out so Issei decided to end the spar.

"Alright everyone we will take a small break" he told everyone as they all dropped to the ground, especially Matsuda who was pouring sweat whispering "I hate you Issei" repeatedly.

Issei made his way towards Koneko, in order to address something that has been bothering him.

"You are doing very well Koneko-chan. I would like to talk to you for a minute if you don't mind." He asks her

"What do you need, Issei-san" she asked as she wiped the sweat of her face.

"I would like to ask you, why you are not using your Nekotama powers?" All of Rias peerage who heard that, except Matsuda and Asia who did not understand what was going on, were stunned, but none more so than Koneko.

"How… How did you know?" She asked him.

"During my training, I've learned to be able to distinguish someone's aura to the point that I am able to determine which race they belong to with a simple glance. From the aura I sensed coming from you, I could tell that you were a Nekomata." He explained to her. You could see how Koneko seemed distraught that he figured out her identity. Meanwhile, Asia and Matsuda looked confused.

"Ano… What's a Nekomata?" Asia asked tilting her head cutely. Rias being the king of the group, looked nervously towards Koneko as though asking permission from her rook. Luckily, despite her state, she was able to nod at her king who then proceeded to explain to Matsuda and Asia what race their fellow peerage member was.

"Well, this isn't how I wanted to reveal things but since I've received Koneko's permission, I'll tell you. As you've heard Koneko is a Nekomata. They are basically a species of Yokai. However, Koneko-chan is a Nekoshou, which are a variant species of the Nekomata race as well as the strongest of her race." Rias revealed her rook's race which seemed to have impressed them.

"Really. She's a Neko. That's so cool." Matsuda exclaimed. One of his dreams was to have a Nekomata as one of his harem members. He couldn't believe that one of his fellow peerage members filled the criteria. Then again, he shouldn't considering how cat-like Koneko usually behaves.

Even Issei was impressed. He knew she was a Nekomata but he did not expect a Nekoshou. They were extremely rare and one of the species at risk of becoming extinct. In fact, they might be in greater risk of being extinct than the dragon race which is saying something. From what he recalled, Nekoshou have mastery over Youjutsu and Senjutsu, both of which would be invaluable in the upcoming fight against Riser, especially Senjutsu which is the power to control the flow of life of a living being. Meaning, it targets the spirit or the life energy of a person rather than their physical body. This technique would be extremely effective to use against the Phenix regeneration since it targets the opponent's life force which cannot be regenerated by their ability. Using it would be a huge boon for the upcoming game. So then… why isn't she using it? However, one look at Koneko's expression revealed the answer to his question. He had seen that look before. In Akeno's eyes and in himself.

Rias sighed as she continued "In the past, both of Koneko's parents had died leaving behind Koneko and her older sister to fend for themselves. They were extremely young and it was very difficult for the two of them. Until one day, they were both taken in by a devil from the House of Naberius, who reincarnated her sister into his peerage in exchange for providing both of the sisters food and shelter. They were living well until one day, Koneko's sister Senjutsu power manifested and she went out of control killing off her master as well as all of his peerage before becoming a Stray Devil fleeing from her pursuers leaving behind a traumatised Koneko-chan who had witnessed the whole thing. As a result, many devils wanted to execute her in order to prevent a similar incident but my brother protected her and place her under his protection and she eventually came under my care where she became my rook. Anyways, that's the story behind why Koneko-chan does not wish to use her powers and I always respected her decision."

Matsuda and Asia felt sad after hearing of her tragic past with Asia going to give Koneko a hug.

However, Issei found something a bit strange with her story.

'That's odd! From what I learned of Senjutsu, it's the power to control the flow of life energy or ki in living beings. Using it, one can strengthen both their internal and external bodies or even cause vegetation around them to bloom or wither. I understand that it's possible that by using Senjutsu, the user is able to take in the malice and ill will that flows in the world, I do not believe it is enough to make someone go beserk. Also, if her sister did in fact go out of control, then how could Koneko still be alive when she had a front row seat to the slaughter… Something is missing'

Issei looked to Tiamat and she seemed to have the same opinion as him. There's just something that wasn't adding up. It's true that power can corrupt a person but he didn't believe it was to the point of making someone lose control of themselves. There needed to be an additional factor involved. An emotional one. Issei was the prime example of this since he had experienced it first hand. When he had lost Shuri and Akeno in the past, he lost control and his power ran rampant. If it wasn't for the timely arrival of his parents, there was a good chance thousands of innocents could have lost their lives that day.

In any case, this wasn't the time to dwell in such thoughts. It's not like he could change anything.

"So, the reason you do not want to use your powers is because you fear you will lose control like your sister." Issei asked Koneko who nodded dejectedly, her eyes not looking away from the floor.

He looked down at her and spoke with as much kindness and sympathy "You know that at one point in time, I also hated my powers." All of them were very surprised at his reveal, especially Akeno, since for as long as she could remember, he had nothing but pride for his powers. They all listened attentively as he continued

"When I thought that Akeno had died that day, I fell into despair because I was not able to protect the women I loved. I felt worthless, not only for having failed Akeno and her family but for failing to uphold the promise I made to use my strength to always protect them, no matter what. However, that day, I was shown the foolishness of my arrogance and failed to do what Akeno did for me." he said as his voice mirrored the sadness he felt while remembering those days. Akeno became somber seeing how sad Issei was for her death as well as hatred fer herself, thinking all those years that Issei did not care about her.

"Akeno saved me from a path of loneliness, all those years ago, by simply saying a few words and extending her hand in friendship and yet, when she needed my help, I was not able to help her. Despite all of the power and potential that I possessed within me, I was not able to save her as she did for me. Power and strength mean nothing if it is not used to protect those you care about." Everyone listened in to Issei's speech with Akeno stepping forward and grabbing his hand to try and console him which he greatly appreciated a shown by the smile directed towards her. He then looked back at Koneko.

"That's why, even though our circumstances are a bit different, I do understand what's it is like to hate your powers. Being scared of going out of control is a rational reason that I'm sure many have experienced."

"D-Do you scared of your powers going berserk?" Koneko quietly spoke but it was loud enough for Issei to hear.

"Absolutely." Koneko quickly looked up at Issei in surprise. She just couldn't see how someone as strong as him would be scared.

"You have seen what I am capable of. My power is vast and overwhelming. Heck, I even blew up a mountain once by accident while experimenting with my abilities" Everyone went wide eyed when they heard he destroyed an entire mountain. Even Tiamat looked a bit surprised but at the same time, understood having faced him in battle that Issei's strength was overwhelming.

"So, of course, I would be scared of my powers getting out of control. What would have happened if a youngling was playing in the mountain? Just the thought of it scares me. Any person with common sense should feel frightened of his powers going out of control since you run the risk of hurting not only yourself but those you care about. What was it that the Humans say? 'With great power comes great responsibility.' I completely agree with that. That is why we train ourselves every day. So that bit by bit, we learn to overcome our fear and bring our power under control so as to never let it control us. Isn't that why you are pushing yourself extremely hard during our training" Issei explained while posing his last question at Koneko. He and Tiamat had noticed that she was pushing herself extremely hard, beyond the limits.

"I am the weakest member here. Matsuda has the power of a heavenly dragon, Asia can heal, even though I am a "Rook", I am the most useless and even though I want to become stronger, I don't want to use the power sleeping inside of me… My Nekoshou powers… because I am afraid that when I do, I will become just like One-sama and that scares me. But I don't want to let Buchou down. If it wasn't for her, I would have been executed on the spot for my sister's treachery and she has treated me with nothing but kindness since I became a member so" Koneko told Issei while shedding tears. She then worked up the courage to look up at Issei and bowed "Please help me." Issei was surprised but Koneko kept going "You and Tiamat are both strong enough to be able to stop me if I go out of control… so please… can you help me learn to control my powers." She begged him. "I don't want to be useless anymore and let Rias-Buchou down."

To say that it was shock for everyone would be an understatement, especially for Rias who couldn't believe how Koneko felt about the matter. She was both extremely happy that her rook truly valued her and disappointed in herself for not having realized her own member's feelings. Just another reminder that she had a lot to learn in order to become a better king as well as a better friend.

Akeno, on the other hand, had a different feeling on her mind when she heard Koneko call herself useless for not using her powers. She felt remorse. In a way, both of them have similar circumstances with regards to their powers. While Koneko didn't want to use her powers out of fear for losing control like her sister, Akeno despised her fallen angel powers because it was the cause of her mother's death. Akeno looked at her hands as memories of that dreadful day still traumatised her. She kept hearing the jutsusha words replay in her head about how fallen angels are evil existences and that her mother would still be alive today if she didn't associate with them. That is why it is so hard for her to use her powers. She didn't lie to Issei when she told him that she is slowly trying to be able to forgive her father but using her powers was a different story even though she knew it was wrong. What made it worse was that she knew that her powers would give them an immense advantage against the Phenex for even though they had immense regeneration, they were still devils and were still very weak to light attacks.

Issei, unknown of his mates inner turmoil, smiled at Koneko and patted her head.

"It was always my intention to help you guys train. Although I am not very familiar with Senjutsu." He then looked to Tiamat. "How about you Tiamat?"

"hmm. I do have a bit of knowledge on the appliance of Senjutsu but not too much however I should be able to help our little kitten here learn how to control her powers." Tiamat responded earning a nod from Issei as he looked back to Koneko who had raised her head.

"There you go. From now on, Tiamat will be in charge of helping you with your Senjutsu abilities and I will do whatever I can to help."

Koneko wiped the tears off her face as she thanked them both.

"Alright then, we have kind a bit of work ahead of us then. We don't have a lot of time left so let's get to it. Everyone else can get back to their own training."

"Yes" Everyone shouted as everyone resumed their training.

Night fell and everyone headed back to their rooms in order to get a good nights rest. Issei on the hand decided to head into the forest and lie down there. A few moments later, he felt a presence coming towards him. He turned his head around and noticed that it was Tiamat who followed him. She then sat down beside him.

"How was Koneko's training?" he asked her. Tiamat had decided to start Koneko's Senjutsu training as soon as possible. Even if she could not master it in the time remaining they had, being able to control Senjutsu would give the group a huge advantage in being able to take down Riser.

"Considering that this is the first day, there wasn't much progress but she is very diligent in her training which is very good. I had her focus on meditation in order to be able to feel the energy surrounding her. As long as she keeps training very hard, I'm sure she will be able to learn a bit how to manipulate Senjutsu. Even that would be a huge boon for the upcoming fight." Tiamat explained.

"I see." Issei looked up at the sky before re-directing his gaze to Tiamat. She did look absolutely beautiful in the moonlight. His instincts begun to flare up demanding him to take her right then and there and it took every fiber of his being to resist to urge to follow it. He grabbed Tiamat's hand interlocking his fingers with hers which caught her a bit by surprise.

"Tiamat, I just wanted to say how thankful I am for all your help with their training. There is no way that I could have trained them to this degree without your help so thank you." He thanked her from the bottom of his heart causing Tiamat to blush a bit before she answered back.

"It was my pleasure Issei. I did say that I would do anything to convince you to take me as one of your mates and I meant it. I know how much all of them mean to you which is why I'm doing everything I can to ensure that they become stronger so you do not have to worry about them." She smiled at him.

It was this smile and her sincerity that made him realize that he did in fact love her which was why the next action he did was justifiable. Before Tiamat even realized it, Issei had brought her in for a deep kiss. Despite her surprise at the action, she instantly melted into his kiss and returned it with just as much passion. The kiss continued for quite a while before they had to separate to get a respite of air.

Tiamat small Lemon (don't expect to much since like I said before I'm not really good at writing these scenes)

However, their instincts have now begun to take over as both their eyes turned to slits. Issei's golden eyes peered into Tiamat's blue ones. He then began to marvel at her body. She was absolutely breathtaking and all he wanted to do was to devour her flesh. To claim her as his own no matter the consequences. Issei then went in for a deep kiss and soon after used to his hands to start fondling her enormous breasts only to feel that they are being covered by her shirt which displeased him. Tiamat, seeing this and also very much looking forward to what comes next literally destroyed her clothes revealing her naked body to him. Issei clearly liked what he saw and just as he was about to continue, Tiamat stopped him as she moved her head towards his ear.

"It isn't fair that I am the only one to get naked" she whispered seductively in Issei's ear. Issei nodded and burned away his clothes revealing his chiseled body to Tiamat who couldn't help but drool over his well toned body. She was also very excited when she spotted little Issei who wasn't so little anymore. Issei didn't give her any more time as he immediately went for another kiss which soon led to a full make out session as both of them fiercely grabbed each other, their tongues wrestling with one another. Tiamat grabbed Issei neck to further deepen the kiss to which Issei responded by grabbing one of her firmly huge breast and began kneading it tightly causing Tiamat to moan in pleasure. Issei then placed himself on top of Tiamat, his hands under her blue hair as the two grabbed onto each other tighter. Her breasts were squashed into his chiseled chest. Simply looking at her caused his instincts to flare up wanting to completely devour and mark Tiamat as his own. He placed himself right over her opening spot.

"Are you ready?" he asked

"What do you think?" she smirked.

All of a sudden, Issei felt a sudden push from the back which caused him to ram inside of Tiamat without warning, only to figure out that she had wrapped her legs around his back and forcefully pushed him forward. Her overwhelming force, which caught him off guard, was enough to make him lose his balance and fall onto Tiamat's large breasts. Tiamat for her part didn't scream of the top of her lungs but was rather feeling a mix of both pain and pleasure. Issei then lightly grabbed her curvy hips and began to pound her. He went slowly at first so as to ease the pain down. Afterwards, Tiamat gave him a signal to speed up which he happily obliged too. Tiamat then quickly initiated a kiss as Issei continued to pound into her. Moans of pleasure and bliss could be heard from both of them. They kept going until finally both of them climaxed together.

Issei then proceeded to get off of Tiamat and laid beside her. His eyes still viewing her beautiful body that he had just devoured. Before he even knew what happened, Tiamat had suddenly placed herself on top of him. She looked at him full of lust, not ready to end it all just yet and looking at little Issei, it seemed he wasn't through with her yet.

"I'm not done yet." Tiamat stated seductively

"What a coincidence… neither am I" Issei responded before they restarted pounding into one another for a few more rounds. At some point, they even reverted back to their dragon forms and proceeded to ravage each other some more. Thank the heavens that Issei had place a barrier surrounding them or the entire Underworld might have heard them have sex.

All in all, it was a pleasurable night for the both of them and they were satisfied.

End of Chapter

Omake (At the request of many readers)

Great and Ophis go on a Date

Since coming to the human world, both Great-red and Ophis have dedicated their time and effort into their son and therefore didn't really spend much time with each other. Other than the times they spent as a family or when they went to Tannin's territory but that was always in the company of friends so they never really spent some alone time together.

That's why Great-red has decided that he wanted to invite her out on a date. He had seen many human couples take their mate out and he thought that it was a good idea to try and imitate them.

Now the question in his mind was where he should take her. After all these years they spent together, he was happy to say that he knew Ophis quite well. That's why after considering his choices, he made up his mind. He then made his way to the living room where he knew his mate was and told her that he wanted to take her out someplace.

When Ophis asked where, Great-red said he would not say because it would ruin the surprise. Ophis decided to simply accept and was curious to see where he wanted to take her. At first, she believed he was going to bring her to tannin's territory as usual but that idea was soon proven wrong as he stated that they were heading someplace else.

She soon got ready and they both exited their house. Her first surprise was the fact that he wanted to walk to their destination instead of using that contraption he calls a vehicle. Already, this was turning out to be a great day and she was very curious to see where he wanted to bring her. Along the way, she kept trying to find out where he was taking her but all she got was the same answer

"You'll find out when we get there" he kept saying with a smirk which worried her a bit

'God… I hope he isn't bringing me to one of those stupid motorcycle tournaments'

If he did, then she would kick his ass. Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard her mate saying

"Alright, we are here"

She looked at the place he brought her and all previous thoughts she had of him were thrown out of her mind. She not only went slack-jawed but her eyes started twinkling as she couldn't believe the place he had brought her too.

"Is-Is this?" she stuttered as she looked at Great-red who smiled and nodded.

"That's right. This is the newly opened all you can eat sweets restaurant that you wanted to go to. I managed to get us a reservation." He stated. Despite being fully booked, it wasn't that hard for Great-red to get a reservation because unfortunately or fortunately depending on whose perspective you were looking at, the two managers of the restaurant were both single women. So, literally all it took was for Great-red to use his charm and ask them and the two ladies immediately did what he asked. Being a dragon has its perks sometimes. He could have used his powers to have done the same thing but it was more fun to do it himself. Of course, he wasn't going to tell that to Ophis.

Ophis, for her part, was still shocked that Great-red managed to organize something like this for her. He isn't usually interested in anything that doesn't involve motorcycles or crazy stunts so she was completely taken by surprise when he brought her to the one place she has been anxiously waiting to go too. Honestly, she could kiss him if she wasn't still so shocked that she couldn't make a move.

Seeing her reaction brought a chuckle out of Great-red. Just the fact that he had rendered her speechless made it worth it. He then proceeded to grab her hand shocking her out of her mindless state.

"Let's go in, shall we." He dragged her inside the restaurant. At the front entrance, a waitress was waiting with a smile on face.

"Welcome to the Sweet Delicacy. Do you have a reservation?" she asked politely.

Great-red nodded

"Yes, it's under the name Dracon Hyoudou" The waitress looked at her list and confirmed his reservation.

"Very well! Please follow me." She directed them towards their table. Of course, the two of them became the center of attention the moment they stepped in the building. All the men were captivated by the living goddess that had descended upon them while the women were blushing at the sight of Great-reds physique. Great-red, while annoyed at all the stares, decided to ignore it for now and Ophis was still shocked that she was here to notice them. Eventually, they arrived at their table and each took a seat. The waitress then handed them both a menu and told them that once they are ready to order to simply raise their hand and she will be right with them.

Both looked at their menu. Great-red was never one for sweets so he just decided to have a chocolate smoothie. Ophis, on the other hand, looked lost in wonder. There were so many choices that she had no idea what to pick. She looked like a little kid in middle of a toy store unable to make his decision on which toy he wants to buy. Seeing this caused Great-red to chuckle before he raised his hand to signal the waitress to come over. Once she arrived near their table she asked them what they wanted to order. Great-red asked for a chocolate smoothie and for one of each deserts that they have for his mate.

"A-Are you sure sir… there's quite a lot." She asked again just to be sure.

"Of course, don't worry about it" Great-red responded. Therefore, she simply nodded and went to deliver their order. In the background, you could hear several women discussing amongst themselves

"Wow, he's buying her everything"

"What a lucky girl"

"I wish my boyfriend would spoil me like that"

"hmf, I wish my husband would spoil me like that"

Every women seemed to be envious of Ophis having such a caring husband. Eventually, many waitresses came with their order since there was quite a bit. They laid down the food in from of Ophis while giving Great-red his ordered smoothie. Ophis was stuck in awe as she saw all the sweets in front of her and she was still hugging the menu which was a very cute sight. At least that's what Great-red thought as well as everyone else.

Seeing his mate's inactive state, Great-red decided to try and get her out of her stupor.

"Well, if you aren't going to start eating, I guess I will just help myself since the food will get wasted." He moved his hand towards a random sweet but in the blink of an eye, Ophis swooped in and immediately grabbed it before proceeding to eat it. That seems to have done the trick. Ophis began eating sweet after sweet and she was in bliss. The sweets were all so delicious and you could tell from her expression that she absolutely loved them. Great-red seemed content to just watch her enjoy herself having already finished his drink. Unfortunately, the entire restaurant was still starring at them which really irritated him.

"What are you all staring at?" he roared at them accidently unleashing a tiny bit of his aura, not a lot but enough to scare the living hell out of all the men who turned around, scared out of their minds. The women also turned around but were more turned on then frightened by his bad boy attitude. Great-red then quickly reprimanded himself in his head. He didn't want his bad habits to ruin this date with Ophis and he just had to run his big fat mouth.

Eventually, Ophis had finished all of the sweets in front of her and they were ready to leave the restaurant. The waitress thanked them for coming and hoped to see them again next time. Ophis would definitely be coming back. They eventually arrived back home and then Great-red decided to break the silence.

"I'm sorry about my little outburst back then. I wanted our date to go smoothly and I kind off let my old habits take over. Sorry about that." He apologized to his mate, believing to have ruined the date because of his bad habit.

He was brought out of his depressed mood when he heard Ophis chuckle.

"Baka, I don't know what you are sorry for. I've been used to your antics for a long time now. As for today's date, considering it is you we are talking about, it was amazing." She grabbed his face and moved it so they made eye contact and smiled.

"I know you did this for me and I love you all the more for it. So thank you." She then gave him a passionate kiss which Great-red immediately reciprocated. After a moment, she separated herself from him but stayed near him

"I wonder how I should reward for this" she whispered seductively at his ears. Great-reds instinct flared for a moment as his went back and forth between his human and dragon ones.

"Careful Ophis! If you are not careful, Issei might be getting a sibling." Great-red teased her to which Ophis simply smirked and whispered in his ear

"Who said I would be opposed to that." She said before moving away from Great-red who was slack-jawed. She then proceeded to enter her house while swaying her hips seductively before looking back and winking at him with her now slitted eyes which was more than Great-red could take

CRACK

'Well… there goes my restraint' he thought before he snapped his fingers creating a multi layered sound barrier. His own eyes had turned back into slits. He then followed his mate into his home and let's just say they had quite an enjoyable night together. One of many more to come.

And That's the chapter. We got to see Tiamat and Issei claiming each other as the days dwindle and we get closer and closer towards the inevitable match between Riser and Rias. The next one or the next 2 will be the last chapters before we get to the main event. I was actually surprised my training camp took up so many chapter. I thought that it would simply be at most 3 chapters but again it looks like I'm wrong. Not that I mind since it gives you guys more chapters to enjoy so it's all good.

Also, I hope you enjoyed the Omake I made. A lot of my readers wanted to see some of Ophis and Great-red's relationship and that is why I created this short omake. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did writing it. I may write a few more in later chapters. Who knows? For now I hope you are content with the short stories I provide and I hope they are to your liking.

As always, feel free to leave behind a review. I appreciate everyone to have kept up with my story and I cannot wait to see your responses.

Until next time

Mairsarmy321 out