Happy New Years to everyone and I hope you all had very merry holidays.

So…it's been a long time since I've been on here. Sorry about that. I've been busy with school and work, so I've had little time for writing my stories. Of course, I intended to pick up the slack but I things just wouldn't line up for me in life. So, here I am, delivering Chapter 5 of the Heroic Calamity Reboot. A few have asked me when I'd release the next chapter, so here it is. I don't want to keep them waiting any longer, so here you go.

Oh, and to answer (BeastGod), a guest reviewer, don't worry. I'm not angry or feeling negative about your eagerness. It makes me happy that you're interested in the story. Honestly, it'll be a while before this story catches up with the original version in overall progress.

Aside from that, I don't have much else to say other than: Enjoy the read.


Chapter 5: An Unexplained Impulse

While Issei and Ezagyra were chatting at home, Vali and her peerage returned silently.

"Did everything go alright?" Ezagyra noticed the particular seriousness hovering around them. It made her wonder as to what caused that.

"The Stray was executed, but it wasn't done by us." Vali answered.

"Tell me the full story."

"We got there, but before we could even enter the warehouse, an angel was already there."

"Did you see them or hear anything of value?" Ezagyra frowned.

"We didn't see what they looked like, but that angel was asking the Stray about who sent it there." Vali responded.

Ezagyra nodded, thinking about this news.

"Odd. Strays don't normally take commands from anyone. Even on the cusp of death, they would never bow to another."

"But what if one did? I wouldn't put it past them." Vali mused.

"Then that means someone's got strings attached to devils and fallen angels." Ezagyra sighed.

"Who would?" Vali wondered.

"Someone who hates fallen angels and devils. I know of a few who'd like that." Ezagyra grumbled.

"I've already told Grandpa about this. We're going to continue keeping our cover until we get better answers."

"Perhaps that'll work for now, but I doubt it'll do for long. We need to flush them out." Ezagyra mumbled to herself.

"Huh?" Vali looked at her, not having heard what she just said.

"Nothing. You all go on, I'll go talk to your grandfather."

Issei merely sat by the sidelines. At this point, he felt extremely useless. Here he was, the target of a number of enemies, and he was unable to do a thing. He wasn't being of help to anybody. He cursed himself. He wished he could contribute far better but he didn't know much of the supernatural world. He didn't know magic and had only just begun learning how to fight. He needed to speed things up. He had to improve, or he'd keep being a bystander, unable to get answers of his own.


The next day, Issei and the others were at school, waiting for the end of all classes. Vali had told everyone that a reunion party was being held in the Old School House by Rias. It had been at least 6 years since they'd actually gotten together with all three peerages in one place. Thus, Rias and Sona thought it was cause for a celebration.

Once class had ended, Issei and Vali were about to leave until someone walked up to them, or rather, Issei.

"Ah, Issei, could I ask a favor of you?"

"Sure, what is it, Orsita?" Issei smiled.

"Angea's just fine. I was wondering if you could show me the way to the Tennis Club. One of their members told me to check them out, but I've got no idea on how to get there." Angea shrugged.

"Well, sure, I can do that." Issei nodded.

Vali looked at him incredulously. Had he forgotten that he was supposed to stay with her or someone in her peerage at all times?

"Issei, is it alright if I tag along? We do have to go hang out with the others later." Vali spoke up.

Angea looked at her, curious. Vali, on the other hand, looked weary. She knew that anyone could be a threat to Issei and she knew that he was someone that needed to be protected.

"Uh, is that alright?" Issei turned to Angea.

"I'm fine with it." She nodded, not showing a single sign of being bothered.

"Well, let's get going then." Issei shouldered his bag.

Just like how he did it with Vali, he gave Angea a detailed tour of the campus. Pointing out the fields and different clubrooms, he left no stone unturned.

'Issei's awfully chummy with her. As much as I don't like to accuse people, I won't rule out the possibility that she's doing something to him. If Grandpa is right, then we can't let anything happen to Issei. I don't know what's going on in exact detail, but I get the feeling that Issei's in a whole lot more danger than he thinks.' Vali mused.

She kept her eyes trained on Angea, watching for any possible slip ups. Vali had issues making heads or tails of Angea. She felt like a human, not showing any physical or spiritual signs of being anything else. Yet, nothing felt right. Was it just her imagination?

'Getting jealous, are we?' Albion chuckled.

'What?' Vali retorted.

'I'm asking if you're feeling jealous.' Albion asked.

'I'm not jealous. I'm wary. The last thing I want, is for a friend to get hurt because I wasn't vigilant.' Vali sighed.

'Vali, I've lived for many centuries. I'll warn you now that if you feel something for the boy, then you'd best be honest, even if it were a paltry suspicion. I know countless people who anguished over not having confessed.'

'Look, if I meet a guy that I like, I'll come clean with it. Right now, Issei is just a friend that I feel completely platonic with. Nothing more, nothing less. The last thing I want, is for people to get curious about my love life.' Vali sighed again.

'True. There're no shortage of suitors who constantly ask for your hand in marriage.' Albion chuckled.

'Well, we learned how to take care of them.' Vali grinned.

'Yes, we did. You've grown strong, stronger than many of my previous hosts. Now, what do you think of this girl, so far?'

'I don't have an official opinion yet, but I'm suspicious. All of a sudden, strays start appearing here like crazy, Issei gets attacked, fallen angels start flooding in…I don't buy it. True, Issei's stated that transfers happen often here, but that's not enough to make me feel better.'

'Well, be patient. You might find out soon enough.' Albion ended the conversation.

"Vali." Issei called out.

"Hm?" She responded.

Freezing, she'd realized that she was about to smash her face into a giant metal pole. It was so close that the pillar was a mere two inches away from her nose. She'd failed to realize that she'd zoned out. Often, she did that whenever having a mental talk with Albion.

"You were about to walk into that pole." Issei pointed out.

"Oh…right, thanks." Vali chuckled, embarrassed.

"So, we're here." Issei pointed out at the Tennis Clubhouse.

"Thanks for guiding me here, Issei. Let me know if there's anything else that I can help you out with." Angea chuckled.

Twirling around, she winked at him, causing the teen to blush a bit.

"I will, thanks."

Disappearing into the building, Issei turned to Vali.

"Shall we be off?" He asked.

"Just a moment, Issei. Where and how did you meet Angea? Exactly, how did you two get so chummy?" She asked.

The way they joked and laughed together made it clear that they'd already spent some time together.

Issei was caught off-guard just a tad bit, stepping back.

"Uh, well, we met while I was coming back from the bathroom yesterday. We talked with each other for a bit before she went back to class."

"What did she say, exactly?" Vali crossed her arms.

"Well, it was small talk."

"Explain." Vali tapped her foot.

'Boy, she's getting irritated. Did I do something wrong?' Issei quaked.

He went on to repeat his conversation from the previous day, noting his offer to help Angea with nearly anything."

That ticked Vali off a little. Was Issei really this absent-minded? He was supposed to avoid getting too close to others.

"Issei…what part of 'not getting too close to strangers' do you find so hard to accept?" Vali smiled.

Issei would be returning the expression, were it not for the fact that her smile was plagued with a twitching of the corner of her lip, her furrowed brows, and shadowed face.

"I, well, you, uh…" He stammered.

"I guess a good kick will do the trick." Vali pondered, her tone sweet and soft.

Issei knew her strength. He knew he'd lose his legs if she kicked him there.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Issei stepped back.

"Then do promise to be more careful next time." Vali threatened.

"Yes, ma'am." Issei shivered.

"Good, let's get going."

Vali took hold of Issei's shoulder and steered him around.

"Wait, isn't this just a party for the ORC? I honestly don't think I should be going. I'd be intruding."

"You're not. You're my friend and as such, that automatically invites you to the party. Besides, I want you to get to know the others better." Vali chuckled.

At first, she was wary of introducing Issei to Rias and Sona. She was a bit afraid of the fact that they might try and persuade him into becoming a servant. That wasn't something she'd like, even if Rias and Sona meant no harm by it. To Vali, reincarnating people should only be done in order to save someone's life.


Arriving at the Old School Building, the two were greeted by the ORC Student Council and Vali's Peerage, who'd been patiently waiting for them.

"Was wondering when you'd get here." Bikou spoke up.

"Sorry, had to do something really quick." Vali remarked.

"Well, we've already started, so get something to eat. There's plenty of food to go around." Rias gestured to the long table.

"Right." Vali nodded.

Issei was a bit surprised when he saw how much she was throwing onto her plate.

'Carbs, lard, carbs, protein, veggies, carbs, and more carbs.'

She had stacked pasta, chicken karaage, buttery croissants, beef slices, kalbi, and cheese quiche on three plates before getting a fourth plate of devil's food cake, a donut, and rice pudding.

"Wow…" Issei mouthed to himself.

"She doesn't look like it, but she's a serious glutton." Rias chuckled.

Vali gave her an unpleased look.

"I'll have you know, it's not easy being a host to a dragon." She explained.

"Don't lie, you just like eating. I can't use all that fat." Albion fired back.

"It's okay, Vali, we know how big your appetite is." Kuroka smirked.

"I'm not fat!" Vali cried out.

"Oh no, that fat merely goes somewhere else." Sona grumbled, staring at Vali's large bust.

"Can we not talk about that here?!" Vali cut her off.

Issei chuckled. Vali had told him that Rias and Sona were of nobility in the Underworld, so he had expectations as to how they'd behave. He was glad to see that they weren't like that at all. Beneath their regal appearances, they were as down-to-earth as could be, with some slight quirks.

"It's nice, isn't it?"

Issei turned to the side. Yuuto Kiba had walked up to him.

"We may seem a little wacky, but deep down, everyone here is a good person." He reassured Issei.

"Yeah, I've no doubts about it." Issei nodded.

"So, what exactly were you two doing?" Kuroka asked.

"Making out behind the bleachers?" Bikou quipped.

Vali sighed.

"No, we weren't. We were just showing someone around." Issei stopped him.

"And then you went behind the bleachers." Bikou nodded, as if understanding them.

"No, we came straight here after."

"After the bleachers." Bikou nodded, winking.

"We. Weren't. Having. Sex." Vali glared.

"I didn't say anything about sex, but yeah, let's roll with it." Bikou shrugged.

"Was it that transfer student, Angea Orsita?" Sona sighed.

"Yeah." Vali confirmed.

"So, what happened on your side?" Bikou asked around the room, looking at the ORC and the Student Council.

"Same as yours. Someone with holy energy killed our target before we could. However, we didn't hear anyone talk. As soon as we'd arrived, the Stray was exterminated and the perpetrator left before we could do anything else." Sona sighed.

"Without a doubt, our territory is being trespassed by unwanted guests. However, with this info, it's clear that both Strays, fallen angels, and normal angels are here. That means someone's going to start trouble. We'd best speed things up before it gets hairy. My brother's already sending envoys and investigators to start weeding out troublemakers." Rias crossed her arms.

"My sister is also working to make sure things run smoothly, politically. Azazel has confirmed that any fallen angels spotted here with war-mongering intentions, can be terminated. Michael hasn't said anything yet, however." Sona added.

"Then, that means we continue as usual. Find out any information that you have and pay close attention to everyone you see. Like us, people are hiding around every corner, waiting to exploit us. If you come across an enemy, then deal with them appropriately. The school festival is in a couple weeks, so that means that we're going to get a chance to make people slip up." Vali decided.

"That reminds me, I need your forms for your activities in advance." Sona came to a realization.

"Oh…" Rias also snapped to the call.

"What're you guys doing?" Vali asked the ORC.

"The simple stuff, a haunted house. It'll be western style this year." Rias noted.

"Hm, now that I think about it, our class hasn't come up with anything." Vali mused.

Issei's face soured. When festivals came around, things always got hectic, credits to Matsuda and Motohama. The hormonal teens would always victimize some innocent girl(s). It was currently October and the school festival was on its way now, so it was best if everyone began preparing.

Issei and Vali were honestly thrown for a loop. They'd been going to school together for around 3-4 months now. Time sure did fly.

"Issei, what's up with your face?" Bikou raised a brow.

"Tomorrow's the day my class hashes it out on what to do. It's a warzone and there's three people in particular that always try to make it hell." Issei grumbled.

Vali paled.

"Three?" Bikou asked.


"I demand a maid café!"

Motohama vehemently declared, firing out of his seat with his arms raised as if he were about to declare war.

"Fine, I'll record that." Aika Kiryuu sighed.

She was bespectacled, with long brown hair tied into two braided pigtails, with olive-green/yellow eyes. This was the other person that Issei dreaded.

The time had come. As Issei said, the class had convened to decide just what to do for the cultural festival.

"So, why the fear?" Vali leaned next to Issei.

"She rivals Motohama and Matsuda in troublemaking. She's just not as openly perverted. Watch and learn."

"Alright, taking more ideas."

"I want to do a fashion show."

"How about a collaboration with the Theater Club?"

"A game tournament!"

There were so many ideas that Issei was trying to determine what was safest to go with.

"Alright, story time, what's traumatized you?" Vali grinned.

"Last year, we did a maid café. It was the usual, being stereotypically anime-ish. Girls dressed up in maid costumes that would make teachers have heart-attacks, with miniskirts and slightly exposed cleavage. Boys would claim they provoked it. Motohama and Matsuda were being beaten senseless for peeping and taking panty shots and for skipping out on work. Then, she happened." Issei narrowed his eyes.

Vali looked at Kiryuu. She didn't seem too much of a bad person, so she didn't really understand Issei's hesitation and dislike for her.

"She colluded with the other girls and did the same thing to the males."

"Wait, so…"

"The boys were thrown into speedos with a very short skirt to cover their rears and corsets that were way too undersized. Not to mention, the ludicrous glaze of cakey makeup thrown on their faces. To this day, I don't understand how that flew."

Vali covered her mouth, trembling. She imagined it. She imagined Issei in a tight speedos with a very small maid outfit on with eyeliner, mascara, lipstick, blush, and a plethora of other cosmetics on his face. She had the urge to vomit but at the same time, she wanted to laugh her lungs out.

"I can't believe they got you."

"Oh, they didn't get me. I made sure of it. I ran to the Kendo Club for protection." Issei looked at her defiantly, a fire in his eyes.

"Either way, it looks like you lost some dignity." Vali quipped.

"Yeah, but I didn't lose all of it. After that, the café got a ton of business, but it wasn't for the food." Issei shook his heads.

"Hyoudou, you got any ideas?" Kiryuu asked, noticing him chatting with Vali.

"…"

Issei could feel glares from all around him.

'If we suffer again this year, you'll suffer with us.' The boys seemed to think those words together.

None had forgotten that Issei had escaped when trouble came along.

"No matter what, do not vote for the maid café." Issei whispered to Vali, his teeth grit.

"Alright, so far, we've got a maid café, a play collab with the Theater Club, a food stall, a game tournament, and fashion show." Kiryuu summarized.

"All for the Maid Café?" Kiryuu asked around.

"NEVER!" All males screamed.

Not one person dared go against the decision. The fiery rage boiling in the eyes of the boys told enough. Not even Motohama and Matsuda dared fight for the idea.

"…Okay, next is the Game Tournament."

"Nay." Came a mixture of rejections.

"What about a play?"

That one got many students. A play sounded fun, but at the same time, they'd have to work with the Theater Club, which implied a mass of miscommunication and clashes of personality.

"No…" Many reluctantly sounded out.

"Then that leaves only one option since nobody wants to do anything else. We've also gotta save some stuff for the Sports Festival." Kiryuu mused.

"Hyoudou, you have anything?" A student asked.

'Please, save us from her.' She seemed to ask.

Kiryuu was the notorious pot-stirring, trouble maker. She wasn't malicious, but she was sadistic. Sometimes, Issei wondered how she got past the school system.

"Perhaps…a costume competition is a good idea. We'll have one for the boys and girls." Issei decided.

The male and female population would be satisfied with both sides, he'd set guidelines for it, and it was the least damaging for anyone's reputation. It was kind of sad, really. He had to play parent.

"And how'll we draw attention and desire for it?"

"Anyone can participate. We'll charge a very small fee for entering, with a guarantee of small gifts for participating. We'll have five top winners, with the prize increasing in value the higher you get." Issei concluded.

"I'll take care of the prizes, but, we still need to get people willing to join in…" Kiryuu smirked.

Issei narrowed his eyes, ready to challenge her.

"So, everyone needs to dress up. As it so happens, Halloween is around the corner, so dressing up in anything will work. This year's theme is Halloween, after all."

"However, we need to make sure the staff approve of it."

Issei looked around at the other students.

'I got'chu.' He nodded at them.

Kiryuu leered at Issei. If the staff were thrown into this, then there'd be roadblocks. The only reason why Kiryuu got away with last year's stunt was because she didn't run it by the staff. That, and she donated a generous sum of money to the school.

"Fine. This year, we'll have a costume competition, with prizes handled by Vali." Kiryuu nodded.

With that settled, Issei had to make a mad dash for the Staff Room the next day. He had to head off Kiryuu. He had to protect his fellow students to make up for his debacle from last year.

Sliding the door open, he froze.

'Damn it! That sly witch got here first!'

Standing in front of him, was Kiryuu, who was submitting a form to their homeroom teacher.

"Alright, I understand where you're going with this. In that case, you have my permission to proceed." She nodded.

"Thank you, Ma'am." Kiryuu smiled.

She gave Issei a courteous nod before walking out of the room.

"Hyoudou, is there something wrong?" His Homeroom Teacher asked.

"Ah, yes. I think I gave Kiryuu the wrong form to submit for the festival. Could I see it?"

The Homeroom Teacher handed Issei the form.

Dress Code: Anything that is desired, sans complete nudity.

'AND SHE APPROVED THIS?! What kind of education system do we have?! This isn't some manga or anime!' Issei shouted, incredulous.

He was adverse to this because he knew Kiryuu was up to something. The form she submitted was proper and everything, but it was that one line that could be easily shrugged off, that gave Issei the chills.

"Uh, isn't this going against ethics for the festival?"

"This is your youth. You should be allowed to perform and blossom at this time of year. It's still quite warm for October and not only that, but the staff has decided that you all be allowed more freedom. You should indulge yourselves and let loose. As long as nobody gets hurt and no shady activity goes on, like blackmail or anything like that, then I believe it is acceptable."

'Once again, the shepherds have failed to protect us poor sheep.' Issei sighed.

He had lost the initiative, but he did have some countermeasures.

"Well, I've heard some worries from the students in my class about dress code, so, I have the real and finished form here, represented by the multiple signatures from my class."

It was much like Kiryuu's form, except he nixed bathing suits and forbid complete nudity. This wasn't a beauty contest where Kiryuu could indulge in sadism.

Walking away, Issei then realized that he sounded like an overprotective dad. Since when did he have those kinds of feelings? Odd, indeed. He found that his behavior had grown more open, perhaps significantly energetic since meeting Vali. He thought it was positive, so he didn't put too much thought into it.

Regardless, after submitting the forms, weeks went by, with everyone preparing for the festival. Costumes were being sewn and they'd gotten hold of the Auditorium for the event. Everything was set.


On the day of the festival, Issei found three boys surrounding one young girl as he made his way to class. Boy, this was becoming a serious issue. Motohama and Matsuda's tendencies were rubbing off on people. To make matters worse, the affected were taking it and running with it to greater heights. However, bad vibes were just radiating from the boys like a nuclear reactor.

"So, you wanna hang out? We could show you around."

"No, I'm fine, thank you."

That voice sounded familiar.

'That's Lefay's voice.'

Issei, for some reason, felt some mild irritation, maybe anger from what was happening. Whoever these guys were, they weren't on the nice side, nor were they trustworthy. Everything in his mind was telling him to get Lefay out of this situation. Without a doubt, Issei got nothing but bad vibes from them, despite not having any evidence or any sort of information that should suggest that.

"Don't be like that. Trust us, it'll be okay."

"Again, I already got a tour around the school. I'm okay."

"Well, there is a part of campus that people don't go near. It's the Old School Building. From what I heard, it's haunted. I heard you like folk tales and legends."

"I do, but still, I've gotta get to class."

That was when the boys noticed Issei's approach. Issei had a good standing with the staff, so if he said something, it carried a fair bit of weight.

"Well, if you ever change your mind, just let us know."

And just like that, the boys started walking away.

"Issei, are you okay?" Lefay asked.

"I should be asking you that."

Issei noticed her concerned face. Did he look that scary?

"I don't know. You looked really, really scary earlier. I thought something had happened."

"Hm, I feel fine. Anyways, did you know those guys? They sounded pretty shady to me." Issei folded his arms.

"They kind of were, but I'm okay. They ran off as soon as you got close. Besides, I can take care of myself." Lefay flashed a bright smile.

Issei had never seen her fight before, so he had no opinion on that yet.

"And what did you think they were going to do?" He asked.

"Hm…can't really say." Lefay stuck a finger to her lips, cutely contemplating.

Issei sighed.

"Come on, I'll walk you to class in case those guys show up again."

"Why so bothered?" Lefay asked.

"Hate people like them. They let their hormones control them and basically turn into depraved beasts. I've seen those looks before. To a lesser degree, a lot of guys these days like to think about a sex, without much thought to any sort of wisdom. Street cred and bragging rights are something they care for too much these days."

"I've seen them a bit too. I grew up in a noble household at home. Butlers and maids would wait on me, hand and feet, for my every needs. Feels pretty different now that there're none. Now, there's nobody to stand between them and me." Lefay nodded in understanding.

"Why'd you and Arthur join Vali, then?"

Lefay paused.

"My brother had his reasons for leaving and I decided to follow him. He had nobody to look after him and he looked so lonely when he left. I know he doesn't seem very emotional, but deep down, he's really caring. I didn't want him to lose that part of himself. Politics are good at that."

"So, you traded comfort and security for family." Issei concluded.

"Yeah, but I'll be fine. I can protect myself since I'm quite well-versed in magic and I have my brother and the others too. Don't worry, Hyoudou." Lefay gave him a reassuring look.

Issei saw her smile and he could've sworn there were sparkles all around her. Her expression was so bright that the Sun would've been jealous. It was crazy how pure and positive her face was.

'Must protect her smile and innocence at all costs.' He declared to himself.

Lefay wasn't exactly naive, so he wasn't going to coddle her. Still, he'd probably spoil her. She was such a good girl. She was living the life of a noble but for the sake of her brother, she dropped it all so that he wouldn't be alone, whatever his reasons for leaving were. Not only that, but for the past few weeks, she'd been such a sweet girl to him. She helped him with chores and baked treats for him in her free time.

"By the way, I baked some cakes. I already made some for the others. Here's one for you." Lefay gave him a box with a smile.

"But, I'm not part of the Peerage." He looked at her, astounded.

"Yeah, you're not, but that doesn't mean you're not a friend. I see the way you look at us. You're always trying to see if people bother us, like earlier. Besides, I just wanted to give you a token of friendship. You've been working so hard to learn more about your Sacred Gear, so I thought this would be a good pick-me-up. It's a fruit cake with whipped frosting." The young witch giggled.

"Ah, thank you." Issei graciously took the gift.

"Good luck today, I heard you guys are doing a show. Maybe I'll get to come see it since my class is just doing a food stall." Lefay walked away, leaving Issei to ponder what was coming.

Their event wasn't being held within their classroom. It was being held in the Auditorium. Sadly, Issei had been hard-pressed. He'd been trying to find out about what Kiryuu was possibly planning. She wasn't malicious but the things she pulled were straight-up crazy. If only she'd toned things down.


Entering his classroom, he gulped. He had closed his eyes, expecting to see something severely scarring. Opening them, he was happy to see that everyone was merely chatting, pointing out the assortment of costumes they could choose from.

"Thank you, Lord." Issei sighed.

He had expected to see skimpy bikinis, lingerie, maid outfits, speedos, and transparent clothing. That was something Kiryuu would do.

"Need you look so paranoid, Hyoudou? You act like I'm some kind of witch."

'Not too far off the mark.' Issei snarked.

"Look, you can ogle the girls as much as you want, but I'll have you know that I'm not planning anything nefarious. You're rarely active like this, so I guess you wanna save these people. Anyways, have fun, Issei. I guarantee that you'll love it." Kiryuu smiled.

Issei merely squinted in paranoia. Her smile was bright, almost shimmering and radiating with positivity. However, he knew better than to fall for that trap. Then again, the kindness in his heart was telling him to give her the benefit of the doubt, at least.

"Alright, I believe you." Issei nodded, walking away.

They had gotten the auditorium reserved, so he went down to go and check up on it and help with its final steps. Mainly with some hammer-work and powertools, the entire stage was set. Vermillion curtains were set up to hide the back of the stage from sight. An archway was set up for contestants to enter and a table was set to the side for the judges to get a good look. Seats were arranged neatly for anybody to come and watch. Stations were built for makeup and such. It was almost like a real show.

Issei looked around and was proud to see the decorations set up were looking rather pristine and professional.

"Good work." A cold can was pressed against Issei's cheek.

"Gah!" He jumped.

He turned around and saw that Angea was the one who did it.

"Ah, Angea." Issei stepped back.

"You've been busy. I saw you running around all week building things for the stage and talking with the staff. Here's a small gift for it." Angea put the cold can of iced coffee into his hand.

"Thanks. I've seen you working too. I saw you make a bunch of costumes for the others."

"Yeah, I dabble in some sewing and knitting. Everyone was trying to get their costumes together, so I thought it'd be fun and do it too."

"Are you going to join in?" Issei chuckled.

"I don't know. Maybe." Angea gave him a playful look.

"Issei, I need you over here!"

Said boy turned around. Vali was standing by the door, arms crossed.

"Sorry." He gave Angea an apologetic look and took off.

"What's wrong?"

He expected her to give him another lecture.

"Someone got attacked. Follow me."

That threw Issei for a loop. An attack in broad daylight when so many people were here?

Vali took him to the ORC room in the Old School Building, where Saji was resting on a couch.

"We found Saji unconscious and wounded at the borders of the school gates. My guess is, he spotted them and they took him down before he could alert anyone. Main issue is, no one else was around to see what that person looked like, or if they were even alone. That means we're still at square one." Sona sat next to him, carefully observing his wounds.

"Then let's get more drastic." Vali decided.

Issei was caught a bit off-guard by her shift in tone. It was flat, almost angry. Her eyes were narrowed, with a dangerous glint in her eyes. The very air around her seemed cold, as if festering with her suppressed anger.

"Let's let something slip." Vali stated.

"Slip our cover? And how do we do that without causing panic?" Rias asked.

"Simple. We'll cause a fiasco with one of our events and use magic to remedy it stealthily, but we'll show just enough to let anyone supernatural notice. They're probably looking for us, so we'll make it so that their suspicions are confirmed as to what we look like. Saji isn't dead, so they only hit him enough to knock him out, not kill him outright. If they knew he was a servant to one of the Nobles, then they wouldn't have spared him. So, I'll show myself. Once they know who I am, they'll try to get me alone. If they're after Issei, then they'll want to draw him out or attack him when he's alone. Chances are, this is someone callings us out. So, as usual, stay on your guard and stay close to one of us."

"If you're looking for a setup, then we can use the stage in the Auditorium. Kiba and I will be in there, and someone from the Student Council will be in there too, so we'll have eyes all around. But, if we want to maximize this, then…you're gonna have to enter the contest." Issei suggested.

"Eh?" Vali blinked twice.

"If you want everyone to see you and to make sure the perp is aware of you, then you'll have to be public. As it stands right now, we've got a ton of contestants and judging from the talk all around campus, we're going to have around 75% of the festival's populace flooding in to see it. So, let's make sure we catch whoever it is." Issei elaborated.

"True, we do want to get as many people together as we can to look for signs of suspicion. It'll reduce the amount of time we need to spend looking. As for making sure that the populace doesn't freak out, I'll deal with their memories. Also, with so many people there, it gives me the excuse to station more of my Peerage there to pay better attention. I'll also be there. As for the rest of the grounds, it'll give Rias and the rest of my Peerage much more ease to look around. We've also got a handful of associates who'll do some favors for us."

"Then, it's settled." Issei nodded.

"Wait, hold up, wouldn't Bikou or Kuroka be better at actually participating?" Vali protested.

"You said you'd draw them out. Besides, you have the Lucifer Clan symbol on your magic circle, so it makes you easier to recognize. Even better, you're not as suited for stealth as Bikou and I, so putting you on blast is more efficient while we go around and snoop." Kuroka countered, smirking.

"Ugh…never mind. Theoretically, it's possible, but regardless, we don't have an idea of the real intention behind this attack, so we've gotta make sure pay close attention with our eyes and senses. The end goal might not even concern any of us." Vali sighed.

"Good, let's get you to a friend so you can get a costume." Issei gently pushed Vali out the door.

"Issei, this might be the first time I want to hurt you." Vali's brow twitched.

With some help from Angea, who had extra costumes on hand, Issei procured a nice white dress for her. Even Issei was alarmed with how intricate and detailed the costume was. It was white and strapless, with intricate blue curving lines streaming across it. A silver sash was tied around her waist, holding the dress to a comfortable position. She wore white gloves on her hands with a platinum crown on her head.

"I feel like a Disney Princess, in a bad way."

"What's wrong with Disney?" Issei asked.

"The dress feels puffy and I really don't think I needed to go this far." Vali's brow twitched again.

"Well, I'm sorry, but the comfort zone needs to leave because we need to get the job done." Issei shrugged.

"Is there anything else I can do?" Angea walked up.

"Nope, thank you, Angea." Issei grinned.

"Of course. I enjoy sewing, so if you need anything else, just let me know." Angea winked at him, sparking a small blush from Issei.

"Awfully chummy." Vali remarked as Angea walked away.

"We're just acquaintances." Issei shrugged again.

"Now, let's get work." He dragged Vali off to get registered.


A mere quarter of an hour later, the Contest began.

"Welcome everyone to our Class's Costume Contest. To shake up the same old festival formula, we've decided to put on a show to reveal just how fun and flamboyant everyone can be. Anyone can enter the Contest by paying a fee of 1,000 yen. There will be a total of three judges to decide the top 5 winners of the competition. Everyone will get a participation reward, consisting of a bag of treats, store gift cards and coupons. For 5th place, you'll get a gift card to any clothing or electronic store, with a limit of 10,000 Yen. For 4th place, you'll get a laptop computer. For 3rd place, you'll get two game consoles of your choosing. For 2nd place, you'll get a 30,000 Yen prize. For 1st place, you can win a free trip to any resort in Japan, for up to two people, all expenses paid."

Issei's jaw dropped to the ground.

"WHAT?!"

"What's up?" Vali looked at him, shrinking back, flustered.

"WHERE THE HELL DID SHE GET ALL THAT CRAP FROM?!" Issei was astounded, yelling at the top of his lungs.

Was Kiryuu wealthy? Well-connected? A genie? How did she get her hands on these pricey rewards?

"Now, let's begin."

Snapped out of his curiosity, Issei turned around to Vali when it was finally her turn.

"Alright, it's your turn to get the show started." He gave her a pat on the shoulder, quickly running away before he could get dragged into the fiasco.

True to Sona's words, several Student Council members were in the Auditorium, keeping an eye on every wall and corner of the room. Issei looked around too, trying to notice anything out of place. It helped that he was a stagehand.

"And our next contestant is, Valina Lucifeln!"

Issei's head couldn't help but turn to his left, as he was behind the curtains as a stage-hand. With the dark auditorium having only stage lights to illuminate the center of attention, it was hard not to. Walking into the center, Vali tread carefully and gracefully. Mesmerized, the young teen had a myriad of thoughts running through his head. First, Vali was stunning right now. Second, Vali was stunning. Third, why couldn't he take his eyes off her?

"Wow." He muttered to himself.

Her poise was perfect, her outfit was dazzling, and the way her silver hair flowed through the air made it look like a constant light was shimmering around and behind her.

The moment she got into the light, the boys and even the girls went wild. She was that astounding. Now that he thought about it, Vali's bust was really huge, and her hips were curvier than expected, not to menti-

Issei slapped himself in the face. It was so loud that it echoed, causing utter silence, killing the flow of the room. His mouth slightly agape and protruding in surprise, Issei looked around awkwardly. Even Vali was looking at him. It was so quiet Issei could hear crickets chirp.

"Anyways, forgive the small noise, let's continue!" Kiryuu casually resumed play.

"I vote 10."

"I'll give an 8."

"It's a 9 for me."

Sona and two other staff members responded. That immediately put Vali in the lead, but that was the least of anyone's concerns. Issei was still staring at Vali before he noticed something. Something felt cold, almost like an icicle rubbing against his spine, threatening to stab it. Then, a small vibration echoed in his palms, specifically, his right one. A loud snap was heard as Issei looked up. One of the beams from the ceiling was falling apart. Was this a part of the act?

Clearly not, when he was the only one taking notice. He looked who was under it and saw that Vali and Kiryuu were prime targets to be crushed. Vali noticed it and was ready to discreetly counter, but Issei did away with that option. Rushing forward, Issei began sprinting as the beam dislodged itself, cracking violently before plummeting. With a roaring howl, the metal beam edged closer and closer towards the students, who were screaming and scrambling to move out of the way.

There was no way this was intentional.

Issei, activating his Sacred Gear, punched away the debris, sending it flying through a wall. Tearing past the concrete, the beam skidded to a halt after shredding several trees into splinters.

"Are you okay?" Issei turned around towards Kiryuu.

Kiryuu was merely sitting still on the floor, staring blankly. He kneeled in front of her and waved his hand over his eyes. Not a single reaction. It was as if she were staring right through Issei.

"Memory magic. We've already begun erasing their memories of the incident." Sona stepped forward.

True, everyone was sporting blank and dazed looks.

That was when Issei felt a jolt. It was as if static popped towards his left, followed by a pulsation from his right arm. Turning to one of the exits, Issei saw a flapping coat pass through the doorway. It was a long shot, but he doubted a normal person would be running out of the auditorium that quickly.

Without another word, he took off. Bursting through the doors, Issei charged after the escaping unknown. Clearly, that person noticed him, since they threw a small round object that looked like metal ball with golden sigils on it.

"Damn it." Issei grunted.

Jumping back, the ball exploded right in front of him, blinding him with light. Rushing away to gain distance and get a look around him, Issei cursed. His target had disappeared. That left him with only one other choice. Search the grounds relentlessly.

He blazed through the Tennis Court, the Gym, and the Cafeteria. He was running out of ideas as he rushed through the Main School Building. There were still students all over the place, so he had to be careful not to cause any panic.

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks. He felt that pop close to him again. Something was wrong. His instincts told him so. He turned towards the right section of the school, at the topmost level. Malevolence and downright insanity was leaking from that place. It all seemed to concentrate in the Infirmary, to be precise. He had to get up there and quick.

Over the past several months, Issei had grown capable of things he thought he'd never be able to do before. He stepped on a rail of a staircase and leapt to another flight of stairs, hopping from floor to floor. When the unbearable feeling in his gut grew stronger, Issei felt a growing urgency and rage boiling there. There was absolutely no reason for there to be rage growing in his heart.

Paying that part no mind, he bashed through the door where he heard scuffles.

"Get away from me! No! No, no, no, no, no, no!" Someone begged.

Punching through, Issei zeroed in on a curtained bed, which was thrashing about. Someone was being attacked. A shadow was raising its arm, with what looked like a sword in hand. Too impulsive to wait, Issei dove forward.

"Stop!"

Boom, a bullet whizzed by Issei's ear. Dodging, Issei was sure that if he didn't, he'd have lost a piece of his left ear. Materializing his armored gauntlet, Issei tore through the curtains. Hopping out was a man in blue robes with straight silver hair and red eyes. He wore white clothes and brandished a gun and a sword hilt with a blade of light. Issei remembered what Vali called people like him. This man was an exorcist.

"Stupid brat!"

Issei sneered. The exorcist in front of him had immediately contorted his face into a savage grin. It was practically overflowing with psychopathy and homicidal desires.

"I heard a ton of devils were holed up here like bees in a hive. I just couldn't resist coming here to see what kind of kiddies were playing about. It's such a shame that Kuoh is a breeding ground for devil scum. It'll need to be cleansed as quickly as possible."

This guy gave Issei the creeps. As he was about to attack, he was suddenly immobilized. He lost all feeling in his body. The warmth in his blood was gone, his stamina was drained, and all of adrenaline and power he'd felt earlier was ripped out of his cells. Dropping to his knees, Issei started to feel light-headed and numb.

Suddenly, it felt like countless volts of electricity were coursing through every single cell of his body. It was crazy. Where was this coming from? This had never happened during his training with Vali.

"What's wrong? It's not fun killing prey that can't fight back."

Issei stood up, forcing his body to obey his commands. Freed sneered while smiling at the same time, as if detesting Issei's existence and relishing the pain he could inflict.

Pointing his gun at him, Freed fired a shot, but Issei blocked it with his gauntlet. Dashing forward, he landed a punch to the Exorcist's face, knocking out several teeth from his evil grin. Issei stepped back, remembering advice from Vali. If he overextended, Freed could turn the tables and deal a fatal blow. Freed growled like a feral animal, wiping the blood from his mouth.

"Filthy mongrel. You don't seem like a devil, fallen angel, or a real angel. What the hell are you?" Freed glared.

Issei didn't answer.

"Silent, I see. I guess you won't mind when I cut out your tongue."

Freed lunged again. Issei dodged to the side, ducking a swing of Freed's sword of light. Jumping back, he avoided another swing as he rolled to the ground, dodging bullets.

Getting back up, Issei was about to throw another punch but suddenly, his body jolted and locked up. Sent back to his knees, Issei felt his body spasm again, as if bones were moving underneath his flesh.

"Oh? Some kind of curse, perhaps? Or a disease?"

Freed chuckled, enjoying this sudden change.

"I wonder, what should I hack off first: an arm or a leg?"

"What're you, a Stray Exorcist?" Issei groaned.

"Right on the money. I'm kind of glad that you didn't call me an exorcist. That bunch of virgins have no idea what life is about. The name's Freed Sellzen. I hope you remember my name, because you'll be taking it with you to the afterlife. I've got orders to make sure that nobody knows about me. I came here to deal with that devil bitch, but then you kept hanging around. Too bad for you, you stuck your nose where it wasn't supposed to go. Then again, I was told you'd never be able to resist someone calling for help." Freed snickered with his insane smile.

Taking out a gun from his jacket, Freed pointed it right at Issei's forehead. Before the young teen could react, a beam of light came shimmering from the doorway. Vaporizing Freed's arm, the Stray Exorcist could only stare at it in shock, utterly silent unlike before.

"By the will of the Heavens, I place you under arrest, Freed Sellzen." A familiar voice spoke.

Issei could now feel a strong warmth radiating from the doorway. Perhaps it was because of the light radiating from there or perhaps it was the person speaking. Whatever the case, Issei couldn't exactly make out the looks of this new person, considering the blinding light. Judging from the figure and voice, it was a woman.

"Vatican wench." Freed clung onto his missing arm.

Looking to the ground, he saw his gun on the ground and instantly zipped toward it. Sadly, his face collided with a wall of light.

"You are guilty of raping several women, murdering innocent civilians in Florence, Italy, as well as provoking radicalism amongst biblical believers. You understand the sentence, don't you?"

"What, are you going to make me try to confess and repent?" Freed growled, glaring at this woman with utter disdain.

"No, that decision will belong to Lord Michael. For now, you will be thrown into the pit."

With a snap of her fingers, a green magic circle spiraled to life underneath Freed's feet. Green chains burst out of the circle, wrapping around Freed's legs and torso while covering his mouth.

"May mercy be placed upon your judgement."

Issei watched from the side, still paralyzed by some unknown cause. He struggled to move, but he felt as if someone had dropped boulders over his legs.

"Who are you?" Issei stifled.

Turning to face him, the stranger slowly lost the light covering her face.

"Angea?" Issei gasped.

"Let me help."

Angea took a step toward Issei, who was still in visible pain.

"Get away from him!"

The two turned to the side and saw that Vali was flying towards them without pause nor care.

"Vali, wait!" Issei said.

Vali stopped right in front of her, glowing with a shining white aura. The radiance around her was so strong that Issei could feel the air vibrate around her. To add to that, the walls around her began cracking, shaking with her fury.

"Peace, Lady Lucifer. I am not here to fight."

"Then explain this situation." Vali growled.

True, this scene spoke otherwise. The Infirmary was a mess. Issei was on his knees, in visible pain, and Angea was an Angel, automatically demanding wariness.

"I was sent here by Lord Michael to apprehend Stray Exorcists that have been invading Kuoh. I'm sure you are aware of this."

"Then explain why they're here, not only that, but what have you done to Issei."

Vali defensively stepped back, ready to shield Issei.

"I don't know about that either. I'll explain it all later. Besides, we need to take care of this mess before the students see it. The last thing we both want, is for humans to blow it out of proportion." Angea calmly responded.

Turning away, she snapped her fingers, immediately restoring the damage done by the brief scuffle.

"So, are you the Angel from last night? Were you the one that killed that Stray?" Vali asked, not lowering her guard one bit.

"Yes."

Angea turned around. Out of her back, came two white wings that shined like crystals. Above her head, was a golden halo, completing her reveal as an angel.

"My true name is Asia Argento, servant of Gabriel, and former Vatican member. I am here on behalf of Heaven to offer alliance to the devils and fallen angels." She declared.


And that ends the chapter here. It's been a while since I've written anything. I kind of feel out of touch, to be honest. For a while now, I've felt like I've lost the spark.

Ah, I also want to say something before I end this. To all of you readers, please don't jump the gun as to what's going to happen in my stories. In the end, you'll just have to wait and see. Recently, a good number of people have jumped the gun as to what's going to happen in the plot, especially with my "Grim Herald" story. If you've read my stories for a while now, you know that I like to set things up in the long run with little tidbits of info placed here and there that become relevant later on. I do almost everything in my stories for a reason. It just takes time to get there, that's all. So, please have patience with the storyline.

Anyways, thanks for reading the chapter and I will see you next time. Oh,