And this is the next chapter for the double-update. Happy New Year.


Chapter 34: Big Brother Issei

Issei's Lifespan: 15 Months

Day 7

This day wasn't a day for Issei to oversee how things would go for Sairaorg. As it would turn out, he was accompanying Lefay to Embern's family apothecary. He had a few things he wanted to stock up on for later.

"Here, Issei, you'll like this." Lefay handed him several roots.

"What do these do?" Issei held them up.

"The green one is great for restoring vitality. The red root helps replenish blood cells. The blue root helps lower fatigue. Considering how crazy you get, you'll need it." Lefay turned around at that last part.

Issei noticed the sadness in her voice. It was something he'd learned to pick up on after spending time with Lefay. She avoided eye-contact when she was upset or talking about stuff that bothered her.

"What's wrong, Lefay?" Issei asked.

"Nothing." Again, Lefay didn't turn around.

Issei started listing off what was probably bothering her in his head. Recently, she'd been taking blows to her self-esteem. He'd heard a few days ago that she was less excited to see Embern. Her performance with clients was also dropping and her research was taking way longer than normal.

"Is it a relationship thing or esteem thing?" Issei flat-out asked.

Lefay didn't respond.

Issei nodded. He needed to take action.

"Alright, fine. I won't pressure you to tell me." Issei backed up.

"Anyways, let's go check out." Lefay turned back around, smiling.

When they got to the register, she looked disappointed. Standing there was a woman with long green hair and brown eyes. She wore a white coat over a mahogany shirt and black pants. She looked youthful, but seemed shy of middle-age.

"Hello, Mrs. Miless." Lefay politely greeted her.

"Hello, Lefay. Will that be all for you?" Mrs. Miless asked.

"Yep. Is Embern here today?" Lefay asked, hesitantly.

"No, I'm afraid he just took the rest of the day off. I'll be sure to tell him to call you."

Lefay nodded silently as she and Issei left the apothecary.

"Who was that?" Issei asked.

"That's Embern's mom." Lefay mumbled.

Issei raised a brow.

'A relationship problem, maybe.' He wondered.

"Hey now, don't get so down. I'm sure there's an explanation for all this." Issei patted her head.

Lefay nodded, but it didn't seem like she was reassured. Just then, someone walked up to the two of them. It was a boy, about Lefay's age, who had short brown hair, a red shirt, green jacket, and tan pants. He looked a bit more on the hipster side, but Issei was going to ignore that. It was bad to judge a book by its cover.

"Hey, Lefay." He waved at her.

"Hello, Yillarcus." Lefay politely waved back.

"How ya doin' today?" He asked.

"I'm fine. I just finished some shopping." Lefay held up her bag.

It was subtle, but Yillarcus shrunk back and winced when he caught a whiff of the smells from the bag.

"Say, are you busy today?" Yillarcus asked.

"I don't think so. Why?" Lefay looked at him quizzically.

"I was wondering if you wanted to hang out." Yillarcus explained, smiling cheekily.

Issei had a bad feeling. Then again, he always had a bad feeling when boys approached Lefay. Since Arthur didn't play the overprotective role, Issei felt the need to. Lefay was so gentle and positive that he knew people would try to take advantage of her.

"Hey, Lefay, didn't you need to go and see Vali today?" Issei lied.

He knew that if he had to send her to anyone, it had to be Vali, who was also very protective of Lefay.

"Why not put it off for a bit? It's been forever since we've spent time together." Yillarcus suggested.

Now that was rude. He tried to make Lefay put off something personal and place himself higher on her priorities. Issei was disliking him by the second.

"I don't know." Lefay sighed.

"Come on, it'll be fine. Look, I'll take care of everything. I'll call you later and we'll hang out." Yillarcus walked over and hugged Lefay, whether she was receptive of it or not.

Issei maintained a neutral look as Yillarcus smirked.

After the brat left, Issei already started formulating ideas and plans.

"So, who was that?" Issei asked.

"I used to do some jobs with him in the Human Realm. Can't exactly call him a good friend but he's not an acquaintance, either."

"Does he know you and Embern are dating?" Issei asked.

"Yeah." Lefay innocently nodded.

'Then that boy's trouble.' Issei concluded.


He decided to go and see Embern since he clearly wasn't aware of anything going on. Issei had seen people like Yillarcus throughout his many incarnations. All of them were trouble.

Embern lived in a modest home with 2 stories. It was similar to Victorian homes in design, with brown bricks, and red tiles on the roof.

He knocked on the green door, to which a tall slim man opened the door. He had Embern's purple eyes with blonde hair and a white button-up shirt and blue pants.

"Ah, hello. How can I help you?"

"Are you Mr. Miless?" Issei asked.

"Yes, and I am honored that you would visit us, Mr. Hyoudou."

Issei had forgotten that people had seen the Rating Games with him in it. Of course, people knew who he was.

"It's my pleasure. I actually came to see Embern. Is he home?"

"Yes, he's in his room. It's up the stairs and is the second door on the right." Mr. Miless pointed.

Issei knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" Embern asked.

"It's Issei, Lefay's friend." Issei answered.

The door opened to reveal Embern.

"Hello, Mr. Hyoudou. Come in."

"Just Issei is fine. I actually have something very important to talk about with you." Issei sat down on an offered chair.

Issei looked around the room and saw posters of Rating Games, books, and jars of herbs. Clearly, Embern was working to inherit the family business.

"What is it?"

"So, has anything happened between you and Lefay lately?" Issei asked.

Embern looked away.

Bullseye.

"What happened?" Issei pressed on.

"It, well…I just haven't been able to see her lately." Embern shyly said.

"And why is that? I asked your parents. They say that you're having no clear issues with school. All your friends still see you. Why aren't you able to see Lefay?"

Embern pursed his lips. Issei caught him red-handed.

"Are you seeing someone else on the side?" Issei glared.

Embern froze but shook his head.

"Then, can you tell me? I want you and Lefay to be happy together. Lefay's a great girl. She deserves excellence. From what she tells me, so do you. However, it's clear that something's happened. I want to help you. Think you can trust me?" Issei asked.

Embern was silent for a while. Issei exhaled in exasperation, cueing him to respond.

"Lately, I…I've been thinking." He said.

"About?" Issei pressed.

"About how I'm not a good fit for Lefay."

"How so?" Issei raised a brow.

"She's so talented. She's got money, beauty, smarts, skill, and is so positive and amazing. Me? I'm just a part-timer at my parents apothecary, with modest funds, and no future." Embern sagged his shoulders.

Issei nodded. Now, he understood.

"Before, you didn't have these issues. Why now?"

Embern spoke.

"It's just…lately I've been noticing how big the gap is. It's been making me feel worse and worse. As I am now, I don't want to see Lefay."

Issei was now in a predicament. Both Lefay and Embern were suffering esteem issues.

"I see. Well, Embern, I'm going to be straight with you. That's a load of crap. You're not inferior to Lefay. Thinking like that, belittling yourself because you're not like her, is the first step to losing things you love. Nobody's going to be exactly alike and do the same things. Lefay is a mage and warrior. You're a herbalist and doctor. That's no reason to compare yourselves in the first place. I get it, if this is your first relationship and you're nervous. However, angsting over so much and letting your imagination run wild, often ruins things. Don't do that to yourself or your significant other." Issei sternly said.

"Then, what do I do?"

"Considering who you're dating, you should be honest. Tell her what's wrong. Find out if anything's wrong with her. Relationships are reciprocal and need to stay that way to work. Lefay won't hold anything against you. In fact, her sadness is what sent me up here." Issei explained.

Embern looked guilty. He bit his lip, looking ashamed.

"Now, tell me, out of your group of friends, is one of them called Yillarcus?" Issei asked.

"Yeah, we talk a lot. Why?" Embern questioned.

'I'm going to smash his limbs.' Issei concluded.

He then paused. Where did that come from? That was way too much of a violent thought to be from him.

"Met him earlier today and got curious. What do you two do together?"

"He gives me advice and talks to me a lot. He's told me that if someone's too different, it's better to just drop the relationship." Embern ashamedly said.

"Cast those words away, Embern. That's not the sort of thing you want to do."

Issei looked at the time. It was getting late. Yillarcus was probably going to call Lefay soon.

"I'll call you in a bit. Make sure to arrive where I tell you when I do. I've got some work to do." Issei quickly left.


Teleporting, Issei went to a town in the Gremory Region, famous for their high-quality businesses. Thanks to some prodding and questioning, Issei tracked down Yillarcus. It wasn't easy, since he had to get Rizevim to look him up. Then, he had to lie here and there to avoid a firestorm of controversy and worries. After that, he literally asked people on the streets if they'd seen him.

Yillarcus was waiting at a rich restaurant, famous for rare ingredients and exotic foods.

'What're you thinking?' Rexis asked.

'A ton of things. First, I'm going to try and avoid crippling him permanently. Second, I've got to get Lefay and Embern to stop being so wishy-washy. All this drama is literally killing me.' Issei growled.

Issei went inside and tracked down Yillarcus. Stopping outside his reserved room, Issei listened in while standing on the balcony.

"So, is she coming?" Someone asked.

"Yep. Plus, Embern was too much of an idiot to suspect anything. I'll bet he's at home moping." Yillarcus' voice chuckled.

"Once Lefay gets here, we'll douse her with some paint and post it on the media."

"I brought the paint, hahaha." Someone else laughed.

"I can't believe Embern fell into a slump. Just a few sentences and then he just starts thinking stupid stuff to himself." Another person snickered.

"It was easy. I just pointed out his flaws, emphasized how much better Lefay was and he took it off from there. Once you guys are done pranking Lefay and she's all sad and depressed, I'll swoop in and take her." Yillarcus laughed.

"Good riddance to that skank. All the boys keep drooling over her. She pretends to be innocent and all cute. She's just a fake tramp." Someone else from Yillarcus' gang followed up.

Issei was nodding outside the door, smiling deviously. He was recording every second of this conversation. These kids messed up big. The first strike was targeting Lefay and Embern. They were good people, both with good hearts. The second was lusting after Lefay, who liked to see the best in people. The third strike was intentionally trying to steal Lefay and poisoning Embern's mind, sabotaging their relationship.

Issei got on Devibook, the Underworld version of Facebook and posted up the recording. He also got on Flitter and SnapPage, posting up more recordings and tagging Yillarcus' face.

When that was done, Issei climbed outside, getting a picture of everyone involved so that he could destroy their reputations too.

As he recalled, Serafall made laws against bullying. The worse the bullying was, the worse the sentence. Ooh, he was gonna love wrecking this gang's plans.

After his own brand of devious work was done, Issei opened the door to the room.

"Sorry, Lefay won't be able to make it. She said that you reserved a spot for her, so she asked me to come instead. That way, the money isn't wasted." Issei politely smiled at everyone.

Yillarcus knew he had to keep up appearances, so he gently nodded. People saw him as a friendly and nice guy. He needed things to stay that way.

As soon as Issei sat down, he saw a girl hide the cans of paint behind a table.

"So, how long have you all been here? Issei asked."

"Not long. We're just waiting for food." Yillarcus pointed at the door.

"Sweet, sweet." Issei nodded.

"So, by the way, I, uh, heard that you used to do some jobs with Lefay." Issei looked at his main target.

"Yeah, we met a lot. Lefay's a great girl. Embern's real lucky to have her." Yillarcus nodded.

'Oh, keep playing the part, you filthy snake.' Issei smiled while thinking to himself.

He could already feel Bahamut's rage sparking inside him.

"True, Lefay is a beautiful young lady. I'm surprised that nobody's had the courage to ask her out." Issei agreed.

"Yep. There were some people less-than-worthy of her, though." Yillarcus chuckled.

"Honestly, it's been weird lately. Lefay and Embern have been rather distant lately. They don't go on dates anymore. Embern doesn't return her calls. Lefay's sad now. I think I heard his parents say he's been talking to the wrong people." Issei shrugged.

"Weird. The last time I talked to Embern, he said that things were great." Someone said.

"That's not what I heard. I marched over to his place and he's told me that some of his friends have pointed out that if someone isn't your match, then you should let them go." Issei looked at Yillarcus.

"What're you getting at?" He asked.

"I mean, you said that you talk with him, so I thought that maybe, this all came from you." Issei sipped his water.

It tasted funny. It fizzled even though water served at restaurants aren't carbonated. That was another check on his list of reasons to hate these kids. Well, he was probably just a year or two older, but still. His soul was hundreds of years old, so that had to count for something.

"As if. Embern's an idiot sometimes. He took my words the wrong way. I just told him that since Lefay's way above his station, there might be barriers in the way. Sometimes, if someone's of a higher station, you might as well just let them go." Yillarcus scoffed.

"And why is that? You've got a higher position?" Issei asked.

"Yes. As it so happens, my father owns 20% of the medical industry in the Underworld."

By the minute, Yillarcus' mood soured. Issei was enjoying this. Yillarcus already knew he was in trouble. He already knew that Issei was on to him. Issei just needed to push him a bit more. Despite his calm mask, Yillarcus had an evident short temper.

"So, that means you're fit for Lefay? Possibly?"

"If the chance ever arises and Lefay's open for dating, then I'm open to try and confess to her." Yillarcus admitted.

'And the idiot just dug his own grave.' Issei scoffed internally.

"So, you're the one that put those thoughts in Embern's head." Issei declared.

Everyone looked at him. They flinched. They had been found out and they didn't know how. Despite that, they played phony.

"What?" Someone asked.

(Doctor Who OST – The Majestic Tale of a Madman with a Box. Play Song.)

"Think about it. You spoke to Embern. You pointed out his flaws and emphasized Lefay's superior traits and social standing. You also seem like the kind of guy to flaunt your family name too, since your father owns 20% of the medical industry. Not only that, but you said you've known Embern for a long time, so you know what he's like then. That means you know what buttons to press and what to do to make him feel bad. You're also open to the idea of trying to date Lefay. You've even agreed that Lefay is a jewel in the eyes of many, so your interest is clear. Lefay and Embern are considerate and self-conscious people, so if something gets into their heads, then their imagination goes wild. That means, you spoke to Embern to make him doubt himself and avoid Lefay. Lefay won't take immediate and drastic action, so it'll eat away at her and deteriorate her confidence and resolve. Thus, their relationship will corrode on its own without you doing much else. You're the snake trying to break them up and steal Lefay. You're the one who started this whole mess for them." Issei concluded.

Yillarcus immediately stopped smiling. Issei then pointed at the cans of paint.

"I'm sure you were also going to try and do something to Lefay. The water is fizzling and sizzled in my mouth when I drank it. The water here isn't carbonated and there're no options for it, so that means you added something. It's also convenient that I'm sitting at the only empty seat, where Lefay would've sat since she would've arrived last. That means she'd have no choice but to take that glass. I take it that you've done this sort of thing before." Issei crossed his arms.

"So, you're a smart cookie, congratulations. Still, that's a sedative in your drink. In a few more minutes, you'll be passed out and free for the picking. So what if you've figured us out. It's not like you've got any solid proof." Yillarcus shrugged.

"Tell me, why are the rest of you after them? They haven't done anything to all of you."

Nobody responded to Issei.

"Ah! So it's all jealousy then. Envy, one of the worst sins." Issei smiled.

He pointed around the table.

"Some of you must be jealous of Lefay or just hate her for her looks and guts. As for Embern, you're upset that you either didn't land him or just want to terrorize him. Regardless, it doesn't matter to me." Issei stood up.

Simultaneously, Yillarcus and another guy clutched his shoulders.

"And why is that?"

"Because, after today, you won't dare to leave your homes ever again." Issei snapped his fingers.

Bashing into the room, were a dozen Underworld officers, members of Public Security.

"What?!" Yillarcus and his gang were gobsmacked.

"You see, I did a lot of digging into all of you. I just wasn't sure of why you were doing and who was involved. Now I know who and why. Ooh, also, say goodbye to your social lives!" Issei excitedly looked at his notifications.

Issei held up his phone. Thousands of views and shares were happening to the video that he'd posted on social media.

"What?" Someone asked, confused.

"Once you guys are done pranking Lefay and she's all sad and depressed, I'll swoop in and take her." Yillarcus' recorded voice echoed.

The gang paled and trembled as they realized what had just happened. Their true colors were all over social media and the magical net.

"Thanks to this little video where you incriminated yourselves, your social lives will be destroyed and your families are gonna get dragged in. After all, the Underworld loves to associate families together. If your folks have their heads screwed on right, they'll also be on your asses. Ooh! You guys are getting a lot of hate comments directed at you." Issei cheekily scrolled through his phone.

"You little!" Yilliarucs lunged at Issei.

Instantly, Issei equipped his gauntlet and smashed his fist down on his head. Yillarcus crashed into the floor, but Issei made sure not to damage it and held back. Picking him up by the collar, Issei had a point to make.

"Normally, I try not to get noticed. However, you fucked up when you targeted the people I care about." Issei growled.

Now, his eyes were glowing red as he looked at everyone in the room.

"Let this be a lesson. The moment you target the people I care about, is the day you can do no worse. Make no mistake that I will hunt you down and destroy your reputation and you for daring to even think of harming people I care about. I'm one of the people you don't want to cross." Issei growled.

He tossed Yillarcus to the officer behind him and walked out as they arrested Yillarcus and his gang.

(Doctor Who OST – The Majestic Tale of a Madman in a Box. End Song.)


When he got downstairs, Issei made a call.

"Yes?" Lefay asked.

"Lefay, it's Issei, I need you to make it to a reservation for me."

"But I was going to go to Yillarcus' party." Lefay said.

"It's fine. He said he's not worried. Besides, I seriously can't pass this up. I promise, I'll make it up to you later."

Lefay smiled and nodded.

"Alright, I'll go."

Issei smiled back at her.

"Thank you!"

When Lefay's image disappeared from the magic circle, Issei started walking through the streets.

"I guess Vali and Sairaorg weren't the only ones who require my attention." He said to himself.

'Well, you did say you wanted everyone to be happy. I guess you weren't just talking.' Rexis chuckled.

'No, I was not.' Issei confirmed.

When Lefay where Issei told her to go, she was surprised that it was a classy restaurant that required a reservation 5 days in advance. It would be 12 days for the private rooms with a view of the city.

"Grilgar's?!" Lefay's jaw dropped.

The average payment for one person was at least 2,500 Sates ($3,000 dollars/ 325723.50 Yen).

Lefay was glad she blended in since she wore a red dress with a charm bracelet and a silver necklace that Embern got her. Her hair was undone and straight, with silver shoes on her feet. If it weren't for that, then she'd feel self-conscious of all these people staring at her.

Just then, she heard footsteps stop behind her. Turning around, she was surprised to Embern in a black suit with a green tie and white shirt. The material looked expensive, so she was sure it was either a gift, or Embern had saved several years-worth of money.

"Embern?" Lefay was surprised.

"Issei told me that he had a reservation and said he wasn't gonna make it. He told me to go in his place."

Lefay sighed. Issei strikes again.

That was when she realized something was different about Embern. The look in his eyes were different. He looked more resolute and confident. He didn't look haughty, thankfully. However, he looked like…

"Lefay, will you join me?" Embern asked.

"What?"

"There's a lot I have to say and apologize for. Will you spend some time with me?" Embern asked.

Lefay hesitated for a moment. One moment, he didn't want to see her and even avoided her and the next, he had something to see. Her voice hitched. Was he going to break up with her? Her mind started running a mile a minute to try and figure things out.

Yet, despite all that…she wanted to be with him. Even if the result would hurt her, the idea of not knowing what was going to happen was worse.

"Yes." She reluctantly said.

Issei watched from a distance, smiling. He didn't know what was going to happen, but he just had a good feeling about all this. At this point, the ball was in Lefay and Embern's court.


Later that night, as Issei was reading in his room, the door received knocks.

"Come in."

Nobody said a word. There were only light sounds of moving feet. Suddenly, two warm arms embraced Issei from behind.

"Thank you so much, Issei-nii." Lefay sweetly said.

"What do you mean?" Issei feigned innocence.

"Embern told me that you bought him that suit and for some reason, you had two reservations to the same room at the same time at one of the most expensive places in the Underworld. You told me to dress nice too. That, and I know you like to meddle…" Lefay pinched his cheek.

"Ow." Issei muffled.

"But, you do it because you love all of us. Thank you, Big Brother. I know you're not my brother by blood, but I still consider you as such."

"I'm honored." Issei nodded.

"Also, thanks for having faith in us. You trusted us to sort things out for ourselves. I felt down because things were just degrading in my life. I kept losing in the Rating Games. I wasn't making huge impacts I was also unable to buck up and say something to Embern. Now, I know that I'm better than that. I can't be meek forever and I'm not someone that needs to be rescued. I'm strong, smart, and most of all, I'm the little sister to the best big brother in the world." Lefay chuckled.

"Don't let Arthur hear you say that." Issei warned her.

"He agrees. Besides, you're the one who comes through when we need help."

"I'm glad. As long as you're all happy, then I'm happy. I also agree with you. Sometimes, you need that little push but other than that, you're plenty strong." Issei smiled.


The next morning, Issei's next phase was to begin. He'd cleared everyone's schedules and made plans in advance. He sat everyone down in the Living Room for his announcement.

"So, I'm sure you're all confused as to why I've been shut in for so long." Issei said.

"We thought you'd discovered Tinder." Kuroka smirked.

Issei ignored her.

"The reason is because I've planned a trip. Courtesy of one of my former clients, I've gotten the chance to secure unbelievable passes to one of the best resorts in Japan." Issei smiled as he produced 52 tickets to a resort.

"WHOA!" Bikou's jaw dropped.

"Issei, what're those for?" Vali asked.

"These are tickets to one of Japan's best resorts, the Heaven's Drop Paradise Isle. There's a beach so vast that you don't have to worry about people messing with you. There's an amusement park that updates its rides constantly. There're are restaurants as far as the eye can see. There's a boardwalk with all kinds of stands and shops. There're so many things there that only fantasies can complete them all." Issei explained.

He was honestly about to sell all his organs to pay for the trip. Thankfully, he managed to bribe Azazel into paying for all expenses. All he had to do was endure the queerness of Grigori. Never again, would he let any scientist come near him.

"Are you an advertiser?" Rizevim asked.

"It's like he's trying to sell us the resort." Ezagyra chuckled.

"What I'm trying to say is that I managed to get everyone tickets to the resort, with a few extras, in case. I also managed to clear out your schedules too, so you don't have to worry about work." Issei pointed at everyone.

"Who gave you the right?!" Ezagyra was baffled.

"Sirzechs. I promised him and the other Satans tickets for their families too, so he agreed." Issei admitted.

"You bribed him?!" Vali was gobsmacked.

Issei smiled like a troll.

"So, the trip is in 5 days. Pack and save, folks. I promise, this'll be a trip to remember."


I'd been waiting so long to suggest that song. Finally! I found a place to insert it! I wanted to save it up for something more relevant, but it just fit so well, so I relented.

For this chapter, I had "Heroic Calamity" Issei channel "Grim Herald" Issei from one of my other stories, who kinda does detective work (not really). Also, it wouldn't really have any weight or meaning for this entire arc if Issei only worries about Vali and Sairaorg. Some of the others need Issei too.

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this double-update and I will see you at the next update.