Holy shit, a chapter in less than 6 months!? Its a miracle!
Hey guys, back with the next chapter. As per usual, I goofed off a bit and could have had this chapter much sooner. Good news, the discords up and I have a few guys in there so we've been having a blast. Link will be below so feel free to join in.
Discord: discord. gg/ B2GMYe4
As for the story, to clear things up. I won't be bashing or belittling Rias MUCH. This is a story on Issei's redemption and growth from another stand point. Rias has fucked up and will regret it slowly but I won't be putting her into the ground like a lot of stories do. Issei is forgiving and has found his happiness. Anyone who has found true happiness can attest that revenge wouldn't even become worth it by that point.
Sirzechs apologizing had to be done in my opinion. His sister is too prideful to admit her faults and I feel he'd have to do it before the idea even crosses Rias's mind. Period.
So, for now, enjoy the chapter and pay attention to the last author note at the bottom as it holds some of Ise's peerage memebers now.
"Ano...this all seems a bit sudden. I mean, I still..." Issei trailed off, unable to find the right words.
"No no, we completely understand," Rumias quickly informed. "It must be difficult after what happened between you and Rias Gremory. All of us saw how hard you fought for her and we commended your resolve."
"...T-Thank you..."
"I do want to apologize for bringing this forth so quickly."
"Huh?" Issei looked up a bit confused.
"We understand that you're still conflicted with your feelings toward your former King."
Issei opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. He then remembered Rias's face during his fight with Kokabiel. The same broken, dull, and shameful expression that she held when she came face to face with what she had thrown away. She had looked so defeated and had to hope in what she thought was a mistake. It still left a bad taste in his mouth.
Everyone could see his expression fall as he was reminded of her. No matter how many times he thought he was over the heiress, there was still some damage left behind. It was understandable as everyone took time to heal and, as much as he wanted to rush it, Issei still had a lot of recovering to do.
"Issei-sama?" Rekka spoke up.
"Ah, sorry. I was just thinking," he replied before chuckling awkwardly.
"We didn't want you to bring forth some unwanted thoughts. Our intentions were not to upset you but to try and explain our abrupt meeting and request towards you."
Issei paused momentarily. Rumias continued after his wife. "Devil politics are a fickle thing and won't necessarily play to human's logistics. Has your King told you of other devils requests for you?" The Lord asked.
The brunette's eyes widened and he quickly turned to Sairaorg. The heir said nothing and simply sat with his arms folded. Rumias saw this and nodded.
"I see. Then if he doesn't mind..." The heir nodded for him to continue. "Issei-kun, when you were traded, no one knew until Sairaorg brought it forth to the Gremory's and Sirzechs. Word then spread fast and a lot of devils were hoping to bid for you as well. I am pretty sure Sairaorg has had to deal with a lot of requests since announcing the news."
The Sekiryuutei turned to his brother. The older teen did have a lot of paperwork on is desk but to think how many of those were actually requests for him. He had no idea how much he was putting his King through. The amount of people that must have been asking, demanding, maybe even begging Sairaorg, just for Issei must have been taking a toll on him.
"Its been bothersome, but I can deal with it. As long as Issei is happy, I can bear the burden," Sairaorg replied. He then shot a smile to his the Pawn. Issei could only smile in return from the words of reassurance. He would make his King proud, that was a promise.
"Yes, Issei has become special to all of us. He is family now and we make sure his happiness comes first," Kuisha added, resting one of her hands atop the brunette's. He flinched slightly from the touch but relaxed into it a second later. He glanced at the Queen to see her smile as well and couldn't help the light blush dust his cheeks.
The three Phenixs saw this, all with varying takes on it. Sirzechs and Grayfia also took note of how relaxed the brunette became between the King and Queen. Rumias was the first to speak his thoughts.
"Yes, we all are glad then as we too find our peerage to be more of family than slaves. It is good to see that he is cared for. And I'm sure those requests have increased with word of Kokabiel's defeat," the Lord added.
Issei turned back to the blonde male. "You know about that?"
"From the Underworld to Heaven and all in between. Something like this doesn't stay under wraps for very long. Angels or devils, all know of the defeat of the war-monger Kokabiel. And at the hands of the Sekiryuutei who is but a Low-class devil."
As the Phenex spoke, Issei clenched his fists and grit his teeth. "But I didn't defeat him... He stabbed me clean through my gut because I let my guard down."
"But you were the one who had him on his heels," Sirzechs spoke up. Issei's anger subsided for the moment and he turned to the Maou. "Issei-kun, you were but a human mere months ago. There are Pure-blooded devils who wouldn't have even been able to scratch Kokabiel. And yet you, a Low-class devil, were able to leave him in such a state that the capture of the fallen was mere child's play. So says the Grigori."
Issei blinked a few times. Sirzechs spoke similarly to what Sairaorg had just told him before. They praised him for what he did despite the fact he hadn't won. If it wasn't for the other guy, everyone would... He'd rather not think of that.
Was he really worthy of the praise from his King and the Maou? It was hard as he had so much to live up to. Despite being a devil for so little time, technically he was the Sekiryuutei his whole life. And if only he knew...maybe things would be different. Maybe he would be stronger...
"He's right Issei-sama," Rekka spoke, breaking him from his thoughts. "Because of you Kuoh is still safe. You bought more than enough time for someone to arrive and stop him. That takes a lot of strength which a lot of others do not have."
'..Why do they continue to praise me..?' The brunette thought, his heart beating a bit faster. It was strange feeling such warmth from so many individuals. He had thought he failed but all of these higher ranking individuals saw it as a success. They hailed him as some kind of hero but...was it really necessary?
[You held your own against a ten-winged angel. Given the time you've actually had training, no one else could've done what you did.]
'Ddraig? How long-'
[Long enough. Stop beating yourself up over the past. That will be the death of you if you take every failure and brood over it,] the dragon replied.
Issei lowered his head again. 'But they were counting on me to defeat him. I failed...'
[No you didn't. Everyone is still alive, correct?]
'Y-Yeah...but...'
[You did your job, Issei. You bought enough time so your friends could live. And you were able to injure a man who had survived against the likes of me when I and Albion rampaged across the battlefield. Taking all of that into account, you should be proud of what you did. Even I have to admit, you are starting to become a true dragon...] With those words Ddraig cut the link. It was obvious he hinted at something at the end but Issei couldn't pin what. Nor did he really have the time to do so.
Returning to his own thoughts, now with Ddraig's input, Issei could feel the weight on his shoulders lighten a little. He did save his friends. And he did kick Kokabiel's butt, even if for a few seconds. But there was still that nagging feeling that he could have done more. And there was still that guy who came at the end that put Ddraig on alert. Who was he?
"What do you say, Issei-kun?"
The sound of the Phenex Lord calling him brought the Pawn from his thoughts. He could see that everyone was looking at him with expectancy. Had he been asked a question? He needed to heed his partners words and forget the past for now. These were important conversations and ones he needed to pay attention to.
"Ah, my apologies, there's a lot on my mind. Could you repeat that?"
"Certaintly. As stated before, your King has received a lot of requests for you. But not all of them have been trades," Rumias stated.
"Eh, what do you mean?"
"As you probably know, the 72 Pillars are not what they use to be before the Civil War." Issei nodded and the lord continued. "Many of the Pillars have resorted to mixed breeding in order to sustain their title as Clan heads, so Pure-blooded devils are become fewer and fewer. Because of this the shift in society is becoming more based on power, whether those that stick to old traditions like it or not. Hence why we tried to please both sides by marrying Rias and Raiser. You could understand, a child between the families would not only wield extremely powerful abilities but also be a Pure-blood, so to speak."
"I see. You were simply trying to preserve what little of the devil race that's left..." Issei replied. The Lord nodded and Issei found himself understanding the arranged marriage a little more. He still disagreed with it but could understand it was done out of fear of losing the last bit of purity that devils had. Another thing his former immaturity had blinded him to. He still believed his decision was right and would do it again, but now he could tell what Raiser meant during their duel. If only he knew, maybe the yakitori would have seemed like a less of a prick. If only by a smidge.
"Yes, well, we have now decided that the times are changing and we must adapt as everyone else. So we've come to you before any other clans decide to actually meet with you in person."
"What do you mean..?" Issei asked.
"Issei-kun, Sairaorg not only has received trade requests, but has also received a number of marriage requests as well," Rumias finally admitted.
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"E-E-EEHHHHHHH!?"
Issei's shout filled the room, echoing a few seconds after he shut his mouth.
"M-M-M-Marriage!?"
The Lord and Lady nodded their heads. Issei turned to his King immediately, whipping his head at a speed that should have snapped his neck. The mentioned Bael nodded his head, confirming the Phenex's answer to be the truth.
"B-But why!? How!?" Issei asked, eyes the size of saucers.
"Just as Lord Phenex stated, the political times in devil society are changing due to the difficulty of us holding on to our purity," Sirzechs explained. "With the difficulty to reproduce Pure devils, due to our limited numbers and low birth rate, such things like blood are starting to become null and void as the days go by. So we now look to judge a person by their power and abilities rather than their race."
The Maou's explanation made some sense and the brunette hummed in acceptance. It made sense that they were having to change but the Pawn was still confused as to why so many requests were for him to be married off. There were a lot of better options than him.
Rekka could read him easily and a small smile adorned her lips. She could see why her daughter had a crush on him. "Mm, it seems your confused. Asking "why me", am I correct?" Issei blinked owlishly but nodded. "Issei-sama, you are the Sekiryuutei first and foremost. Anyone within all of the factions would want that power on their side. Most would kill for the chance to have the Red Dragon of Domination fighting with them."
Issei once again found himself astonished. Ddraig really carried that much power to make him such a sought after being? Even long after he was sealed and placed in a gauntlet? The teen really did have a lot to hold up to.
"Not only that but after your fight with Kokabiel, I'm sure the clans desires only increased for you. And I'm willing to bet they will do anything to get you to say yes," Rumias added on.
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...
A small shift filled the air as the room was silent.
...
...
"Well...what would your reasoning be?" Issei asked as he leaned forward, resting his arms on his legs.
""Heh?"" Husband and wife both looked confused by the teen's sudden question.
"You made it sound like the other clans want me because I can give them a powerful heir. Wouldn't that mean you're doing the same?" He looked both of them straight in the eyes. For once it wasn't the nervous and confused boy they had seen the entire meeting. His eyes were sharp, his fidgeting had stopped, and his aura had shifted to that of his dragonic counterpart. In other words, the Dragon of Domination had suddenly perused over them without them being aware.
"Ano...we-" Both Phenexs were surprised by the sudden shift. They had lowered their guard around him from all his confusion and nervousness that he had displayed towards them. Ravel, too, had been caught off guard from the brunette's sudden change in energy. It reminded her of the moment after the duel. The feeling of being dominated and put into place. And, for a second time, her underwear was ruined due to the sudden moisten from her loins.
A few strands of hair slipped from Issei's forehead, covering one of his eyes, the other gained an ominous glow as he stared at them. "You said it yourselves, you chose to marry Rias to the yakitori simply to save your race. You also told me that everyone else is doing the same as you to claim a powerful offspring from me. What's to say you aren't doing the same?"
Everyone in the room took notice of his tone. The Pawn had changed in demeanor all together. Kuisha knew it better than anyone as she witnessed the same type of feeling during the brunette's fight with Kokabiel. She looked down at his hand to see it holding hers, almost possessively. He had flipped her hand to know be resting in his lap and he held it very close to him. She couldn't help the blush adorn her cheeks and the slight increase in her heart rate after seeing what must have been a subconscious gesture.
"Issei-kun, we do not mean to use you as a way of political gain. It is unavoidable but our reasoning is much different from what you have claimed," Rumias answered, doing his best to try and diffuse the situation.
"Hoh..?" His reply was short and did little to ease his aura surrounding them.
"We understand what happened between you and Rias Gremory and we were unfortunate to be there in your time of need. We only want to extend ourselves to show there's no bad blood between us."
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...
A long period of silence reigned over. Everyone watched Issei as he could be seen thinking over what the Lord had said. His eyes had never left from their forms but his focus lessened a bit as his aura began to receed. Slowly, but surely, it faded but just before it was gone his focus returned and, with it, the aura flooded over.
"Its best if you're completely honest with me," he stated. Sairaorg could be seen with a small smile of pride. His Pawn was learning and even if he trusted the Phenex's that didn't mean Issei had to as well. He was showing his prowess in politics and that no devil ever did anything without getting something in return.
"You saw right through us, huh," Rumias answered back. "Its true, that isn't the full truth. While we want you to be apart of our clan that doesn't mean we do it just for the sake of it. We one day hope you give us a strong child from Ravel so that we can continue the prosperity of our household. Please understand that we have little more to gain and that we merely want to have good ties with you from this day forward."
"What of the Bael clan? Wouldn't that also place you in good terms with them? It would be great considering the Great King is Zekram Bael himself," Issei explained.
The kid was good, everyone in the room had to admit it. He adapted fast and was covering all corners. The immature brat from the engagement party who wanted to save the princess wasn't there, now replaced with what they all can say was the true Red Dragon Emperor.
"We already have a good relationship with the Bael. We have little to gain in that aspect."
The Pawn took another moment. But it wasn't long before he closed his eyes and sighed. The aura then vanished completely and the room returned as it once was, the group all relaxing just a bit.
Issei then slowly opened his eyes and turned to Ravel. She had been quiet the entire time and had put in no input despite the entire exchange involving her future.
"Ravel," Issei spoke calmly. The girl jumped from suddenly being called.
"Y-Yes, Issei-sama!?" She squeaked. The young lady was still trying to recover from the overbearing power of the dragon. It was much more potent than the first time only proving how much stronger her possible fiance had become.
"What are your thoughts in all of this?" He asked her.
"What?" She seemed confused by the question.
"Well, you know the reasoning behind why I interfered in your brother's and Rias's engagement. So before I even give a response, I want to know if you even want this," he explained sounding as genuine as he could.
The group could see and feel the warmth from him. Another turn and he was back to the loving person some got to see and/or know. It was quite a trait to be able to do so. A dangerous one to anyone who challenged him farther down the line.
"Ano...well..." The young blonde fidgeted in her seat, looking away with a light blush. "I...wouldn't mind it..." Was her reply. It was quiet and she said it with extreme shyness.
Issei heard it, however, and sighed while scratching the back of his head. "I see."
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"Lord and Lady Phenex," he spoke suddenly.
"Yes?"
"This isn't something I can answer at the moment. I still have some thinking to do and you have given me more to add on to that. So I am unable to give you a proper response as of today," he responded professionally.
The Lord and Lady smiled with understanding. "We see. Well, whatever you decide, please allow us to be the first to know."
Issei only nodded his head in response.
The trio then stood together. "Lucifer-sama, it has been a pleasure. Likewise to you as well, Issei-kun."
The respective parties nodded or bowed in response. The signature magic circle then appeared below the Phenex's feet.
"A-Ano, Issei-sama!" Ravel spoke up as the circle began to glow brighter.
"Hm, what is it?"
"If it is...alright with you, could I visit you again?" She was very timid, twirling her finger through one of her hair drills.
The boy grinned brightly. "Sure, come by any time."
The young girl smiled in return, relief and happiness seen on her face as she nodded enthusiastically. Then a plume of flame shot up before disappearing along with the three Phenexs.
As soon as they were gone, Sirzechs stepped forward towards the trio of young devils.
"I'm very surprised by your answer, Issei-kun."
"Why is that?"
"Ravel-chan is quite cute. I thought you'd have accepted the proposal after some thought since it was a dream of yours to create a harem. You had a guaranteed wife and yet you chose to not answer at all."
Issei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, well, things have changed. I'm not the blind pervert I was before and I won't fall for the tricks some of these devils are trying to play. I will not be used again..."
Issei's eyes had flashed green and Sirzechs took note of the momentary change. It seemed there was some disdain held towards his sister. It was still understandable and the brunette gave no signs of wanting to enact revenge against her. That was good, Sairaorg seemed to have helped him a great deal.
"Yes, that is good then. We can't have that when trying to promote you to Mid-class, can we?"
The Sekiryuutei paused. He was just about to add something else but the words registered a bit faster and caught him a few seconds before. Sirzechs and his two companions chuckled from the look on his face. Grayfia, too, couldn't help the slight upwards turn at the corners of her lips.
"You see Issei-kun, as I'm sure my sister has explained, there are three ways a devil can be promoted," Sirzechs begun to explain.
"Completing contracts, participating in Rating Games, or military accomplishments," Issei replied, remembering his former King's explanation.
"Correct. The last one you mentioned is the easiest and hardest. You can fly up the ranks through war but there also has to BE a war for such a thing. Seeing as there's no war, the other two have become the only options most devils have."
Issei hummed as he began to realize where the Maou was going with the explanation. His only negative thought was how devils loved to build suspense.
"Of course, a rampaging Cadre-class fallen angel does raise a lot of red flags," Sirzechs noted with a raised finger. "Seeing how even I was unable to get there in time, you were able to buy enough time for help to finally arrive. You fought and saved the lives of two heiress's and a number of allies and humans in the process and helped preserve the ceasefire we've kept together for many years. So it is befitting that we reward you with this achievement, Issei Hyoudou."
"I... Um, thank you for this. I still don't know if I'm worthy but if the Maou Lucifer says so, it must be true," Issei replied respectfully. He was shocked to say the least. Despite his defeat he was rewarded with such a thing. He could only hope it wasn't a mistake as Mid-class was something he didn't foresee for sometime. No one in Rias's peerage was a Mid-class and they were devils far longer than him. But it seemed fate had other things in store so he would take it in stride for now. Best he could do was train and get stronger.
"Well, this has been an eventful day. I do hope you take all of this in Issei-kun and we will give you a date for your tests very soon. So work hard and stay vigilant." Just as the Devil King was about to leave, his Queen leaned into his ear and whispered something which made him pause. His face gained a serious look and he nodded several times, each time his expression becoming sterner and sterner.
"Yes, how careless of me. Thank you, Grayfia," he muttered back to her before he turned his attention back to the trio. "My apologies but it seems I have missed one more bit of important information regarding the Kokabiel incident."
All three young devils looked confused and they straightened up as the Maou switched to his authoritative demeanor.
"Issei, Kuisha, I hate to ask this of you considering you've returned home just a few days ago. But upon the request of the Three Factions you two, and Ladora, will need to return to Kuoh."
Done and done.
Don't havs much to say. Hopefully this clears up why the Phenexs were so quick to throw marriage at Issei. Its Devil Society and I can spin it how I will. And I'm making it spin like a beyblade Dammit. Review about it and what not.
Now, for the first additions to Issei's peerage. Im only doing three and will reveal more in the coming chapters.
Issei's peerage:
Queen: ?
Bishops (x1): Alice Nakiri
Bishop (x1): ?
Knights (x2): ?
Rooks (x2): Aria Lustfall (OC by Revan the Edgelord)
Pawns (x3): Arun (OC by Revan)
Pawns (x5): ?
There you have it so far. More to come later.
So with nothing left I say my farewell. Hopefully you enjoyed and I'll have the next chapter out soon.
Ciao