It has been a very long fucking time. Too damn long. Over a year in fact and, for that, I apologize. I had been so swept with life that all of this had gotten away. But im back and rejuvenated. So I'm going to make this not as short as possible.

First, It took so long for this chapter to come out because I had massive writers block. Like I had the path planned but it was hard to actually craft. But once I found my inspiration and started the words began to flow and here we are. So hopefully this never happens again but I am ready if it does.

Second, I have two new stories. One is short term the other is long term. The first is my Yandere story which will have one or two more chapters. The second is a webtoons comic crossover and will feature a mma fighter Issei, which will be interesting to write in my opinion. Hope you guys check it out.

And thirdly, I will be doing two things to keep up with you guys as best I can. I will be creating a discord so you can come and shoot the shit with me. And I will also begin streaming video games on Twitch, just as a relaxation thing you guys can join in on and chat with me as well. Those links will be posted in Dragon of the Wild and updated to this chapter once they are created. So support your boy and join in on the fun.

Discord: discord. gg/ B2GMYe4

So without further ado, I give you guys the chapter you've all been waiting for.

-XOXOX- Flashback -XOXOX-

'Huh, where am I?'

Issei opened his eyes, his vision slowly clearing or so he thought. The boy saw nothing, felt nothing, and couldn't comprehend what was up or down. There were no signs of life, or even material for that matter. There wasn't anything surrounding him, let alone anyone. All he could see was himself, floating in an endless abyss. It was an empty black and he couldn't be sure if it was because there wasn't any light where he was...or if there wasn't any light to begin with.

'What the hell is going on?' He asked himself, continuing to scan the area. He reached out, trying to find anything solid but his hands kept grabbing air. He tried to step forward but it felt like there wasn't even a floor beneath his feet. But it didn't feel as if he was falling.

Suddenly, a large green eye, bigger than the boy, opened right in front of his face. It shined like an emerald, glowing brightly as it lit up the area around Issei. The slit like pupil looked around for a second before it finally landed on the brunette and sharpened as it focused. It was only a few feet away and it scared the boy having not noticed how close he came to whatever the creature was.

[So, you're the one who awakened me?] The voice spoke up. It was strong and very masculine, booming through the void.

'W-Who are you?' Issei asked a bit shaky, fearful of the creature but standing his ground.

[Who am I? Have you forgotten when you called for me in your fight against the fallen angel?] The eye asked back.

Issei's eyes widened and he felt his left hand twitch. He quickly noticed how the sudden surge of power from his fight with Raynare was the same as the power radiating from the eye in front of him.

'The Red Dragon,' he muttered in awe. He remembered the name from Rias. Rias...

In response to his answer, a large torrent of fire filled the void and brightened the area surrounding the teenager. It didn't burn him and was more comforting than dangerous. It also allowed him to see much better and his eyes widened in shock when he turned back to face the eye.

Before him, a large dragon stood where the eye once was. The large creature had crimson red scales with long sharp claws and jagged teeth. It made the boy stare, awe struck by the beast's great size and powerful appearance. So, this was the legendary creature from fairy tales.

[So, you do remember me.] The dragon spoke, breaking the trance. Its mouth hadn't moved but it spoke has if it did.

'Not much to be honest. I wasn't exactly filled in on who you were or what you did. Hell, I don't even know your name,' Issei replied, scratching the back of his head with an awkward smile. He was always taught to ask of someone's name but he hadn't done that due to the situation he was in. So now, he hoped to rectify that.

The dragon looked at him curiously. The boy was no longer scared of him? Not that he ever was, he was more surprised really. In fact, he now seemed relieved to see the red dragon. That wasn't something his former possessor's displayed when they first met the dragon. He was a feared creature that everyone ran from upon first glance. So why was this boy so calm?

[Why should that matter to you?] The dragon asked.

'Well, you're inside my Sacred Gear supposedly. That kind of makes us partners now and I'd like to know the name of the person I'm working with, giant lizard or not. That makes sense, right,' the pawn answered as if it was the simplest of logic.

The large beast didn't respond and opted for looking at the devil for a few more seconds. He wasn't able to fully grasp the boy, seeing as none of his other hosts had cared for trivial matters. They usually only asked for more power out the gate, which was granted albeit at a cost. But this boy, he was different to not even mention a way of cutting corners. It was...odd.

[Ddraig. My name is Ddraig.] The red dragon answered after some time.

Issei smiled in response and nodded. 'Nice to meet you, Ddraig. I'm Issei Hyoudou, of course you probably already knew that.'

The dragon couldn't help a chuckle escaping his lips. He found the devil quite amusing. Never before had he met someone like him in his long lifetime nor his time trapped in the gear. If this was how it was going to be, it would be interesting to get to know him and watch his progression.

Shame they didn't have more time to talk.

[Well, Issei, I look forward to working with you. After your battle with the fallen angel, I look forward to seeing how you grow.]

This response confused Issei but before he could even respond, he found himself waking up. While he didn't want to, there was no chance to stop had already vanished and the flames had receded.

The teen found himself back in the void but was soon cast out almost like falling from the sky.

-XOXOX- Flashback End -XOXOX-

Kuisha sighed to herself. It had been two days since the trio had returned home. Issei was still asleep in his room and hadn't given any signs of waking up soon.

Both her and Ladora had given their reports to Sairaorg, who was equally impressed and worried for his newest family member.

Issei had done something amazing back in Kuoh, something Kuisha would struggle to do if she was placed in a similar scenario. The brunette had held back a Cadre fallen angel, a leader of the Grigori, and had him on his heels even if just for a moment. Whether it was a ploy or not didn't matter, Issei stood toe-to-toe with a being thousands of years older than him. A being who fought in a war and held centuries of experience from the battlefield.

For a split second, Kuisha had actually believed Issei had even beaten the fallen. And that had been everyone's mistake, especially Issei's. It must have been a calculated tactic seeing as everyone lowered their guard. And because of that, Issei almost lost his life.

The queen blamed herself, seeing as how she was the leader of the mission. Meaning it was her priority to make sure the three of them made it home safe. And she failed as now Issei was almost killed under her leadership.

No one else was to blame but her. The Gremory made sure her group didn't sustain life threatening injuries and even the exorcists weren't too bad.

How was she going to become a future King if she couldn't handle a mission as this? Well...it was a former war general. But even still, Issei shouldn't have been the only person fighting. Neither her nor Ladora moved to assist him, and they were suppose to be his seniors.

It seemed Issei was better suited as he took control the minute they arrived. Not only that, he hadn't hesitated to take on the Grigori leader despite feeling the very difference in their power. Kuisha knew Issei wasn't dumb. The brunette had to have known he couldn't defeat someone millenials older than him. And yet...he did his most to protect them.

What had the Queen done? Nothing but stand there. No matter if Issei wanted her to intervene or not she should have tried to back him up in some way once the rest of Kokabiel's forces had been dealt with.

It was no surprise that Sairaorg had taken such an interest in Issei. He was a special person, Kuisha had felt it from their first encounter. She could see he was hurting but saw as he smiled and was very kind to everyone. He accepted all of them almost immediately and the little time they spent together only allowed the bond between them to increase.

The devil knew that Rias made a mistake giving up the Red Dragon Emperor. But over time, she realized that the heiress made a bigger mistake by giving up Issei. She placed a hand over her heart, feeling the slowly increasing heartbeats. The more she thought about the brunette and his kindness, his humor, his bravery, his chivalry, and his generosity, the more red dusted her cheeks. She knew what it meant and couldn't help the developing feelings she had for the pawn. He was one of a kind and she knew that women from all over would kill to make him theirs.

She couldn't call her feelings extreme or love but she genuinely liked the boy. And she was curious to see how her feelings would continue to develop with him. Maybe a little Ise or Kuisha running around? Her blush turned bright red at that though.

For now though, Kuisha could wait. She knew of Issei's feelings towards Rias Gremory and knew that he still needed time to heal after she essentially stepped on those feelings and crushed them. The moment their eyes met back in Kuoh was more than enough to let the blonde know there was still pain there but if there was still affection she didn't know. That wouldn't stop her from helping him heal faster and, hopefully, he would be able to move on from the redheaded heiress and be able to truly be happy. He deserved it and the fact that Rias caused all this only made her look worse as she sullied the Gremory name and disgraced herself as a person.

Kuisha reached for the brunette's door and slowly opened it, trying not to disturb him if he was still asleep. She quietly entered, hoping to check on him and see how he was doing. Coriana had aided the Queen in healing his injuries after hurrying him home once the battle ended. He had been in a deep sleep since but was stable and had recovered otherwise.

The blonde neared the boy's bed and went to move the covers. However, she noticed that the bed was empty and her eyes widened. She quickly checked the closet and bathroom to see that he was in neither of those and worry began to set in. Was he awake and had wandered off, or had somebody moved him without telling her?

DOOOOOOOOONNNNNNNNNNNNN

A heavy explosion of power shook the room, answering the devil's question as if on cue. She didn't even need to think much on it as it was obvious where he was now.

That explosion was Issei's dragon shot.

-XOXOXOXOX-

Kuisha hurried out to the training field. She looked to see Issei standing across from Sairaorg, a small distance between them. The former was down to one knee and looked to be out of breath and covered in small injuries while the latter was standing with just a few cuts and scrapes. The field itself was in ruins with giant craters and blown out debris everywhere. It had much more collateral damage done to it than when Issei and the Queen would usually spar.

"Impressive Issei. To think you were to gain such a power boost after achieving Balance Breaker, I'm so proud of you," the heir said with a grin.

Issei chuckled through his panting as a sad smile crept on his face. "Thanks Aniki, but I'm still nowhere near as strong as you."

Sairaorg stepped forward and held out his hand. The brunette looked at it before grabbing it. The King helped him up then placed the same hand on his shoulder with a firm grip.

"Issei, you have to remember, you have only just started out as a devil. You've been training seriously for about half of that and have made staggering progress to the point you stood on equal footing with a leader of the Grigori, even if just for a moment. I'd say that has more than solidified your strength."

"Yeah but...to be honest, I felt like he wasn't taking me serious until the end. And even then he hadn't used his full power," Issei replied, a little upset as he thought back to the fight.

"Yes, while that may be true he has been around for over many more years than you and I. He has fought in a war that weakened the Three Factions and he is one of the leaders of the fallen angels. For you to bring him to his knees and distract him long enough for reinforcements, there's no amount of praise I could give you."

The pawn felt a slight sting in his eyes as they began to water. Just when he felt down he was brought back up. Once again, his King had reassured him and erased the negative thoughts in his mind. The doubts within himself were replaced with his master's compliments and Issei was empowered by it.

"...Thank you, Aniki. It means a lot."

"You're welcome Ise."

Kuisha watched from the sidelines as the two shared the moment. She envied Sairaorg as he had a special way with words. His charisma could equal that of the Maous as he had a great talent for being a leader. It was only a matter of time before he would realize his dream and, hopefully, take up the mantle as a Satan.

She then turned to Issei. He was looking much better than the last time she saw him. He was alive and full of life versus the weakened state when he was in bed. For a moment he looked upset with himself but now he looked like his usual self. Obviously from there King's kind words. The blonde only wish it was her who encouraged the pawn and cheered him up but she knew her King had that kind of effect on the boy and had achieved a much better result than she would have.

As the Queen was about to step to join the duo, another figure was quick to step by. At first she was confused but her eyes widened once she realized who it was. Another figure then joined her side and she turned to see the legendary Queen of Annihilation. There was a silent exchange of greeting before Kuisha turned back to her peerage members.

"That was quite a duel," the new addition spoke up.

Issei and Sairaorg turned to see Sirzechs walking towards them, a gentle smile on his face. Both of them immediately bowed in respect at the Maou Lucifer's sudden appearance.

"Thank you, Maou-sama," Issei replied. He could hear Sirzechs laugh light heartedly.

"I told you Issei-kun, you are free to just call me Sirzechs."

"Eto, that's still a bit difficult for me to do, even if you say so..." The brunette scratched his cheek nervously, receiving another laugh in response.

"Hm, I shall allow it this time then as I am on important business here. I have come to deliver some news that I'm sure you'd be interested to hear. Especially you, Issei-kun," the redhead stated.

The pawn looked up surprised before pointing a finger at himself. "Me?"

Sirzechs nodded. "Yes, two pieces of news in fact but one I shall save at this time as we are waiting for someone."

Issei turned to his King. The Bael said nothing, opting to smile knowingly. Had the two discussed something about him?

"However, first and foremost, I want to apologize to you, Issei-kun," the Lucifer said before he bowed deeply.

The pawn's eyes shot open, coming out from his thoughts at the sudden change. He quickly began to wave his hands frantically. "What!? No, no, no, what do you have to apologize for, Lucifer-sama!?"

"My sister..." Sirzechs stated. This made Issei pause abruptly, confusion evident on his face. "She had hurt you in ways I can't imagine and for that, I am truly sorry. I love my sister and would defend her to the ends of the Underworld but...what she has done you is unforgivable and something neither I nor my parents could have foreseen. She had abandoned you after we all had just began to get to know you and after you had saved her from a marriage she wanted no part in. For her to go behind your back and trade you...no amount of apologies could ever amount to the cruelty she must have caused you. But still, I come here, in this moment, not as a Maou, but as a brother to Rias Gremory and a son to Zeoticus and Venelana Gremory, for your forgiveness."

Issei was unsure of how to respond. He turned to Sairaorg but the devil didn't offer any type of assistance nor gave any signs to help. It was obvious that he didn't want to sway Issei in his decision as this was the pawn's choice.

He turned back to the Devil King who had yet to lift his head. He had come all this way to apologize for his sister. Not only that but both him and his parents were asking for his forgiveness from what he was calling his sisters blunder. Why they cared for all of this was beyond him as he was a simple Low-class devil. Sekiryuutei or not, Issei was still just a starter devil.

"..."

"..."

"Ano, Maou-sama-"

"I am not a Maou in this moment. I am coming to you as Sirzechs," he replied quickly and firmly.

"Ah...S-Sir-Sirzechs-sama, I..." Issei paused, truly unsure of how he wanted to respond. He hadn't expected this. Nothing would have prepared him for such a thing. A Maou had come to him, even if he didn't want to be referred to as one he was still a High-class devil.

The boy's eyes began to wander in search of some support. Then they landed on Kuisha. She had been standing by Grayfia quietly, watching the entire exchange. When she met his gaze, she smiled back reassuringly. It comforted him and he felt the stress over him alleviate just slightly. He then turned back to the redhead and took a deep breath to try and calm his nerves.

"Sirzechs-sama, I have no negativity towards you or Lady and Lord Gremory. Nor do I blame you for what happened between me and Rias. However, what she did to me is still hard for me to come to terms with at this very moment. So while I will forgive you, I cannot forgive her."

The Maou rose his head, his lips thinned. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath before sighing. "Your response was expected but still surprising as well. You have full rights to not forgive her as we are yet to as well."

"What do you mean by that?" Issei asked with knitted brows.

"We have stripped Rias of her territory in Kuoh and have given full rights to Sona Sitri. It is only because of their friendship that she's still allowed to attend the school otherwise she would have come home. However, she is on probation and cannot do as she wishes without receiving proper permission first until we deem her ready for such a responsibility once more."

The serious look in the Maou's eyes made Issei a bit uneasy. It was moments like this that reminded him Sirzechs was very old and had fought in a war. That the usual cool and relaxing brother could also be a cold and brutal leader. But was all that really necessary?

Issei remembered that trading was a common practice in the Underworld. Devils would exchange peerage members from time to time and even flat out trade them for new pieces. After all, it was just like a game of chess. And all the reincarnated pieces were exchangeable.

"I know what you're thinking, Issei-kun. But I want to remind you that we as the Gremory cherish our peerage members and would never trade them. Anyone we take in becomes family and we cherish them as brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, and so on. For her to lie to you and then trade you without even discussing it with you was more than enough reason for us to penalize her as such. So please, do not feel like its your fault. These are sins she has to pay for."

"A-ah...okay..." What else could he say about that. It wasn't like he could refute that, nor did he want to. Even with all his lessons about the devil's society there was still so much more to know. Especially after this eye opener that family's tended to handle certain things differently from others. Issei still had doubts about the whole thing but it wasn't his place to question it.

While everyone was distracted, a maid stepped forward and whispered something into one of the Queen's ear.

"Mm, understood. Sirzechs-sama, the other guest have arrived," Grayfia announced, bringing everyone out of their personal thoughts.

"Ah yes, it would seem I took too long," he replied, his leader side reverting back to his usual relaxed self. He looked towards Issei and smiled the same smile from before. "Please join me as this does involve you as well."

"H-hai, Lucifer-sama."

-XOXOXOXOX-

The group walked into the main foyer of the estate. Sitting on one of the many couches were three people, one of which Issei had met before. When their eyes locked onto each other, the brunette's widened while the other's quickly looked away.

"The yakitori's little sister!" The brunette exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear.

The first to respond was the young girl herself. "That's Ravel Phenix!" She shouted back with a heavy blush. She then realized that she had rose her voice and returned to her seat, her cheeks lighting up red.

Everyone else shared a laugh, save Issei and Grayfia. The two blondes by Ravel's side then stood up and stepped forward. Sirzechs did the same and, when they met, shook hands with both.

"Sirzechs, we haven't spoken in person since the contract was nullified," the male blonde spoke. He had long, jagged blonde hair that reached to his shoulders with a neat trimmed goatee rimmed around his mouth. He also had dark blue eyes, reminding Issei of the ocean, and a small scar just under his right eye that reached to his cheek.

"Yes, it truly has Lord Phenex. Likewise to you, Lady Phenex," the Maou replied as he turned to the woman. She looked like an older version of Ravel, like almost exact. Everything about her screamed beautiful from her gorgeous blue eyes down to her curvaceous figure and long slender legs. If this was the Issei from before his jaw would have hit the floor and drool would have begun to spill out. She was the epitome of beauty and he couldn't help his eyes wandering her form. It made the brunette very curious of how the youngest Phenex would mature over time if that was what he had to look forward to.

The pawn then quickly cleared his head, remembering where he was. That and the attention he was suddenly receiving from said Phenex family. Both Phenex's moved past Sirzechs and were now stepping towards him, unreadable expressions on their faces.

"You're Issei Hyoudou, are you not?" Lord Phenex asked.

"U-uh, yes! It is an honor Lord and Lady Phenex!" He exclaimed a bit louder than he'd have liked.

"Ah, well then, I am Rumias Phenex, pleasure to meet you," the man replied holding out a hand. Issei blinked a few times before slowly returning the gesture. "Strong grip, that's good. You were the boy who took down Raiser, correct?"

"E-eh? Ano..."

"Hahaha, no need to fear son, we hold know ill-will towards you. In fact, we thank you for it. That idiot needed to be taught a lesson," Rumias laughed out.

"Haaa..." The pawn didn't know how to respond only making the confused noise instead.

"What he means to say is that we appreciate what you did. Raiser only believed in the family trait and spent no time training. Thanks to you, we hope he now realizes that the Phenex name isn't absolute," Lady Phenex explained.

"Ah...well, I'm glad I could help, I think, ano..." Issei said, his sentence hanging at the end. The blonde woman caught on and smiled a refreshing smile that made the pawn's heart nearly skip a beat.

"Ah yes, where are my manners. I am Rekka Phenex, a pleasure to finally meet you." She then bowed to which Issei quickly reciprocated.

"Yes, a pleasure ma'am."

"Oh, he is a very respectable young man. Much different from when he stormed our party. Just makes me like him a little more," Lord Phenex joked with a grin.

"Yes, he is quite special isn't he. Sirzechs, have you spoken to him about what we discussed?" Lady Phenex asked turning from her husband to the redhead.

Everyone too turned back to the Maou who was scratching his cheek. "Unfortunately not. I was actually waiting for you before I spoke to Issei-kun about it," the Devil King answered.

"Mm, we appreciate it greatly then. Well, we won't keep everyone in suspense. Ravel, come and reintroduce yourself to Issei-kun," Rekka said.

"Hai, Okaa-sama," the young girl replied before she stepped forward and bowed before the brunette.

"It has been some time, Sekiryuutei-sama. As you know, I am Ravel Phenex, fourth child of the House of Phenex," she spoke formally. It surprised Issei at how mature she could be for someone her age.

"Yeah, it has been. And you can just call me Issei like everyone else."

Ravel coughed into her fist, still having a hard time making eye contact with him. "Well then, I shall call you Issei-sama then."

The pawn was a little unsettled by the honorific, but opted for the compromise.

"Now, Issei-kun," Lord Phenex spoke up, bringing the brunette's attention back to him. "Like I said, I'm not going to suspend this longer than I have to. I had been discussing this with Lucifer-sama and Sairaorg-san ever since word broke of Rias Gremory trading you. I'm here to ask you myself and it is ultimately your choice to accept or deny it."

Issei swallowed hard, the tension that suddenly filled the room thickening very rapidly. What was he going to ask of him? Usually when a Lord or Maou came to another's home and requested of a servant it was to either propose a trade or ask them to go on a mission. And honestly, Issei didn't know how he would respond if either of them were the case. He had just gotten back and he was still a bit sore from his recovery. And he had no immediate plans of wanting to be traded either.

Whatever it was, he just had to be as best prepared as possible.

"Issei-sama, would you do the honors of taking my daughter's hand in marriage?"

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"...Hah?"

And done and done.

I don't have much to say but that you didn't see that one coming. So review and let me know what you thought.

As for the harem there will be a small tweak to it. The peerage will also begin its crafting stages next chapter. So be prepared for the first few additions to Issei's peerage.

Issei's Harem: Kuisha, Ravel, Alice Nakiri, Irina Shidou, Asia, Roygun Belphagor

I'm removing Rindo sadly because I've got nothing for her. Plus she was a simple spur from when I first made it. But yay Alice.

So with nothing left I say my farewell. Hopefully you enjoyed and I'll try to have the next chapter out soon.

Ciao