Alright. First off Happy Thanksgiving everyone. Thought it would be a fun surprise to upload this for you guys. Know you want some entertainment while you're stuffing your face or while your family is trying to pester you.

So, here you go. Do enjoy and I'll try to upload faster.

Issei quickly wiped his tears, turning away from his former senior. Well, technically she was still his senior devil at least.

"Issei...you're crying," she said from behind him. He could hear the heels of her shoes clicking as they grew closer to him. They rung in his ears like warning bells, drowning out any thoughts in his head.

The brunette turned to face her. She was already in his personal space once he did and one of her hands shot to his cheek. She wiped a stray tear and glanced at it before looking back at him.

"Issei, why are you crying?" She asked, sounding sincere. Genuinely sincere.

The boy paused for a moment. He didn't expect such a tone from the Queen. Usually she was flirty, sadistic, or just plain playful. But she sounded so concerned that for half a second Issei almost told her what was on his mind.

Almost.

Just before he opened his mouth, Issei looked down at her, his eyes locked on hers. He noticed he had grown taller than her by an inch or two.

Looking at her, Issei noticed the glass expression on her face. The same one she usually had towards anyone other than Rias and the others. The same look Rias had when she was dealing with people she didn't care for. The same one both women had always given him when he was around, being an idiotic pervert.

Swat!

The Pawn batted the woman's hand away. Akeno was shocked by the action. She shouldn't have been after seeing how Issei had changed. Just standing there she could feel the difference between the Issei she used to know and the Issei now. But still, seeing the former ultra pervert shoot her hand away...

"Issei, I'm trying to-"

"You hide your emotions every day, Senpai. How can you try to understand when you bury your past behind the woman who saved you," Issei spoke heavily.

"-!?"

"Yeah, Aniki told me. Former fallen angel, now devil. Your mother's family turned against you, killed her and hunted you. Rias saved you, risking herself by entering a territory considered hostile against her kind." Issei looked away, pausing. But after a few seconds glanced back from the corner of his eye. "I'm curious to know such a caring side of your King."

Akeno's eyes, if they weren't wide already, were full on dinner plates now. Just from what he said and how he said it, Akeno found herself blind sided by the boy.

"You see, you were saved and gifted a choice. Yet you felt you owe your life to Rias and joined her." Issei sighed and closed his eyes.

"Issei-"

"I'm not done." He firmly cut her off, assertiveness in his voice that sent a shiver to the Queen's very core. "You, Koneko, Kiba, even Gasper, Aniki told me about all of you. Your pasts, the paths you walked, all things that led you to Rias. The woman who saved you when you were a young fallen angel. A possible enemy to come, many other devils would have left you to die."

Akeno's words were caught in her throat. The entire reason she came towards Issei was to try and talk with him. To gauge who he had become and possibly tap into who he once was. But now, in a spur of events, she was the one being picked apart. Her past exposed, her fears brought forward, and the possibility of ridicule for what she was. It actually brought a look of fear on her face. As, for once in a long time, she felt afraid.

Inhale! Exhale!

"However, she accepted you as you were and gave you a chance at a new life." He muttered. Akeno looked at him with a perplexed expression. She had braced herself to hear him call her a coward, an embarrassment, a weakling. But he did none of those things. In fact, it was almost like he was comforting her.

She focused back to see his features had softened. He wasn't angry, or sad, or annoyed. He was calmer despite the tense stance he still possessed.

"Senpai, you were a fallen angel and she took you in. Koneko was a nekoshou and she took her in. Kiba, a former devout Christian follower, she took him in. Gasper, a bastard Damphir, she took him in. She accepted all of you despite the traumas of your past and the weaknesses you all possessed." Issei moved past the Queen and began to walk away. But he stopped with a hint of hesitation holding him just at her side. "So how do you think I would feel when after I was betrayed by my girlfriend. Stabbed, killed, revived, and almost killed again. Saved by her grace. Only to be stabbed again. How do you think I felt, having not been accepted after I put my all out there for that woman. Simply because I was given the same chance as all of you and because she couldn't accept my flaws..."

He took a step.

"Rias regrets what she did to you!"

There was a pause for half a second. "It's too late for regret."

"Would you have accepted us the way that we were, had you been in her position!?" Akeno shouted, turning to face him. He kept his back to her and didn't even look over his shoulder. His body relaxed at her question and confused her by the change from his originally tension.

"I accepted all of you the moment you came to help me at the church," he answered. Then he casted a look back at her and, for the first time, smiled. "Akeno-senpai is Akeno-senpai. Fallen angel, devil, angel, youkai, none of it matters. I liked you for you."

Thump!

With that, he turned around and walked away leaving Akeno standing there. She didn't try to stop him. Her eyes stayed fixed on his back, watching as he joined Kuisha's side and bump a shoulder into her playfully. They shared a laugh together before moving to join with the rest of the peerage, leaving Akeno at the end of the hall alone.

She lowered her head to look at the floor, finding the shiny tile interesting.

The Pawn's words played in her head over and over again. That smile had etched itself into her memory. His soft and reassuring tone she had embedded into her mind. And her rapidly beating heart filled her ears along with a warm feeling that filled her chest.

Akeno rose a hand over her heart, the hard pounding ringing from her palm to her fingertips. "Ara, saying such things to a weakened opponent.."

-XOXOXOXOX-

"So I'm never going back to school, huh..?" Issei chided with a deadpan expression.

"Being a peerage member of a High-class devil comes with situations like this, Issei," Sairaorg replied from behind his desk. "The school understands the importance of what we do and excuses you from your prolonged absence. Which is why I've tutored you in our spare time to try and keep you up to date."

"I guess I can understand that. But still, I'd like to finish high school first and foremost," Issei replied, rubbing his arm. "I promised my parents I'd do well."

"Understandable. School is on summer break so there are no immediate worries at this very moment," the Bael replied. "And we'll continue to do our lessons when you return."

Issei smiled softly. "Thanks Aniki."

"No need to thank me, Ise. I appreciate all the hard work you've done since joining. You've come a long way since then."

"Thanks..."

There was a pause between the two. A good one that they both welcomed happily. But they had a briefing to finish discussing.

"So, what is the mission?" Issei finally asked.

"It is a very important one. It was given to me by the Maou, Leviathan-sama," Sairaorg answered. This made Issei's eyes widen slightly. A mission given by a Maou was very important. And one coming from the Maou of diplomatic affairs meant possibly dealing with another faction.

"Why is Leviathan-sama requesting me?" Issei asked.

"Its not by request of Leviathan-sama. But of the pantheon requesting the mission."

"You mean...its a request from a group of gods?" Issei asked. The heir nodded his head. "Which pantheon would require my assistance personally?"

"The Greeks."

"Eh!?" The Greek gods!? The likes of Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, and many others. "Why would they want me!?"

"The mission is something they only want to tell you, so its not specified. However, in the file it says that it involves the Hakuryuukou-."

"I'm going," Issei immediately replied. It surprised the heir on how quickly he had responded. The clear and firm tone he used was still new to Sairaorg and his brows knitted with concern.

"Ise, are you thinking of going after Vali?" The Bael asked. The Pawn said nothing but the fire in his eyes gave him his answer. "Issei, I cannot condone you going if your reasoning is to try and hunt down your rival. It says he is involved, not the main target."

"But Aniki, whatever he's doing can't be good! He was the reason the terrorist attacked the meeting in the first place!" Issei argued back.

"I understand that, Issei. But that was then and this is now. You need to focus on the mission at hand or I will have to deny this request," the Bael stated. His eyes were narrowed and his voice was firm.

Issei stared back with defiance. With Vali involved, Issei wanted to get involved immediately. He no longer questioned the motives of why the assignment was given to him. If the silverette had anything to do with it, Issei needed no other influence to go after him.

After his fight with the fellow dragon at the meeting, Issei knew it was only the beginning of their encounters. He and Vali were fated to fight, or so the saying goes. Would Issei believe that, no. But if the gods of another faction were requesting his assistance against the boy, he wouldn't deny his chance to stop him from harming others.

Luckily, Azazel's words still clung to him as well. Whatever Vali has done, he's crossed a few lines he can't come back from. Issei would be lying if he said he hasn't done the same. The difference between the two is Issei knew what Vali was doing wasn't for anyone else's benefit but his own. And that meant that he didn't care who could get hurt along the way.

Issei wouldn't allow that.

"I will be going with him, Sairaorg-sama," a new voice spoke up. The two men looked back at the door to see Kuisha leaning against the door frame.

Issei's eyes narrowed. "Kui-chi, you can't. Vali-"

"I know, Issei. I was there, remember?" The Queen reminded as she walked into the room.

"Then you should know why I don't want you going," Issei replied.

"Oh please, and let you go out there by yourself and get killed?" She asked back.

Issei's eyes narrowed, the fire in his eyes growing dangerous and wild. "I beat him once, I'll do it again."

"Issei, you don't know what's out there," Kuisha tried to reason. "What if it's a trap? What if you get ambushed?"

The Pawn clenched his fist. His nails dug into his skin and his knuckles turned white. It was obvious he wanted to go and fight his rival. The anger still burning inside him as he constantly remembered those words that set him off.

"I wonder if you'll get even stronger if I kill that blonde Bishop. Oh, or possibly that woman who seems close to you. Kuisha, right?"

Those words were burned into his memory. As a constant reminder that there were people who would go after those he cared for if it meant hurting him. With that, Issei feared for his loved ones and only wanted to protect them and keep them safe. To think, his first mission was to deal with the silverette again. The one who threatened, to the Pawn's face, that he'd kill someone precious to him. All for a fight. It only made him more paranoid and more likely to do something crazy.

Issei swore, if the half devil even tried it, he'd kill him then and there. No consequences. No regrets. He would make him suffer and make sure every Hakuuryukou following him would fear the name, Issei Hyoudou. Living almost forever was a lot of time to hunt each and every White Dragon Emperor that followed.

Issei felt a hand touch his cheek. He shot from his thoughts and looked to see Kuisha in front of him. Her eyes were filled with concern and her thumb rubbed against his cheek soothingly.

"Issei, Azazel talked about how you can't let your anger fuel you," she said gently.

"But Vali-"

"Forget about him!" She said sternly. Issei promptly shut his mouth from the force behind it. "Issei, you have to remember, I'm not weak by any means. And I have you there with me, if he even tries anything."

Issei could feel the tension leave him as she spoke. His eyes softened and his fists unclenched. She slowly calmed him but just for a moment.

"But what about Asia? My parents? It's not just you but anyone who's close to me..." He said, looking deep into her eyes for an answer. He wanted to be angry but she wasn't allowing him too. So he looked to her to help him find an answer.

"Ise, Vali wouldn't dare attack anyone you love," Kuisha reassured, a soft smile breaking through her concern expression. "The power you displayed has him scared. You and I both saw the fear in his eyes."

Issei only saw the rage from the silverette's humiliation. And with rage came vengeance. It was only a matter of time before he returned to take it. Whether it was directly on him or someone close.

"But Issei, going out of your way to look for him won't be good for your health. Especially when we don't know what his involvement in all of this is."

Issei stared at her, still uncertain. Despite the reassuring look she gave him, the nagging feeling still itched at the back of his mind. The look of revenge in his eyes. He didn't seem like the type to have such underhanded tactics but even still... The slim chance that he could and would, left the boy uneasy.

Another hand grabbed his other cheek. It forced him to focus back in on the blonde in front of him. His Queen. His friend. His...crush. She was just about his everything since they trained and did missions together. He couldn't help the blush from how little the proximity between them was.

"Issei, I promise you that if he comes back, we'll beat him together. And no matter what we face, I'll be right there with you," she said. She spoke strongly and with the most reassurance she could muster. She then did something neither of them expected and brought her forehead to his, touching bringing gently together. "I promise. I'll always be there for you, Ise. My Ise."

The last part was a hushed whisper that neither man had heard. But the gesture was more than enough to finally comfort the brunette. He wrapped his arms around her back and hugged her close as he relaxed deeper into her embrace.

"Okay. Okay. I believe you, Kui-chi. I-... Thank you," he replied, the want to smile tugging at his lips.

The Queen brought her head back a few inches to look up into the Pawn's eyes. She no longer saw the wildfire and, instead, saw the calm pools of hazel that she found herself getting lost in, as of recent. Her heart quickened the longer she stared and her cheeks grew warmer as well. It was funny how Issei was the only man who could do this to her. And even funnier how she loved the new and weird feeling it gave her.

Maybe... Maybe he-

"Seems you two have grown extremely close in your time away," Sairaorg teased from behind them.

Both were snapped from their trance and shot to face their King. He had an amused smirk as he rested his cheek on his fist. The duo were blushing furiously and found equal interests in the floor. They had let themselves become a bit too distracted and had forgotten where they were. All of that had just been put on like a drama show. All in front of their leader.

"I approve if you two decide to take things further," he furthered teased.

"A-Aniki!" Issei shouted in embarrassment.

"Come on, Issei. She's exactly what you wanted in a woman. Hourglass figure, large breasts, perky posterior, and her homey personality matches to your chivalrous protective one perfectly."

"I-I..." Issei couldn't form a response. His embarrassment left him tongue tied. Unable to defend himself as his desires in a woman were put out to the one woman he wished didn't hear them. Yet.

The brunette feared what the blonde's reaction would be. A grip tightened on his heart as he was reminded of the last two times his feelings were shattered from women he had grown affection for. And he knew that if Kuisha denied his feelings, he would probably kill himself. Nothing would be left of his heart and his emotions would spiral out of control. He was one hundred percent sure it would drive him to insanity and he would take his life at that very moment.

Gathering his courage, the boy looked out the corner of his eye. He expected to see disgust, anger, maybe even pity. All reactions that would confirm his fear that she was not interested. But, to his surprise, he saw the woman blushing uncontrollably. Her eyes were wide, her cheeks were red, and she was visibly shaking ever so slightly. It was almost as if she was caught by surprise that Issei's quality traits in a woman matched who she was.

Of course, to Issei, the nagging feeling that there was more to it, pulled at him. He thought that maybe she was too embarrassed to deny the claims. Or that Sairaorg's teasing had left her unable to respond. Either way, the important question still rang in his head.

'C-Could she really...like me?'

[Ughh, you mortals and your emotions..]

'Quiet you!'

Sairaorg's smirk widened. "And Kuisha, wasn't it you who-"

Mmmf!

The Queen had moved faster than Issei had ever seen. Her hand covered the mouth of their King and her face was close to matching the Gremory's hair. The heir looked surprised at first but then his eyes squinted in amusement as the corners of his mouth stretched out in a grin.

"Mm... Mmm..."

"You promise?" Kuisha asked. Wait, she understood him?

The Bael nodded his head and she removed her hand. He chuckled lightly, wiping the corner of his lip where a bit of sweat had formed. Kuisha returned to Issei's side, avoiding eye contact with him as she tried to recollect herself.

"Alright, enough teasing then. You two will be leaving effective immediately after this debrief. Gather what you need and meet in the transport room. There we'll send you to Olympus. Oh, and do your best to earn their favor. More pantheons willing to join the treaty, the better."

""Hai!""

-XOXOXOXOX-

"Zeus, he should have been here by now."

"Patience Hera, you must remember who we have requested."

"He's a Low-class devil. It should be an honor to serve the gods of Olympus."

"Yes, but considering his feats in the short time he's been a devil, he has more than earned our respect and a little more time."

The two gods continued to bicker back and forth. The first was the King of Olympus. He was a handsome man with long blonde hair and bronze eyes. He looked to be very young, rivaling Sirzechs in looks. He had a thick goatee that covered his hardened face. And he also wore a red and white robe with a few accents of gold to highlight it.

The second was the Queen of Olympus. She, unlike her husband, was a mature, older, yet elegant looking woman. She was the epitome of a serene and beautiful woman with long white hair, fair skin, and light pink eyes. Her attire consisted of a beautiful violet sleeveless dress that showed off her curvaceous figure and royal stature.

Flash!

"Hmph, about time," Hera muttered, folding her arms.

Issei and Kuisha appeared from the magic circle before it faded away. They looked around to find themselves in a large meeting hall, much like the one in Lucifaad. They didn't look around too much as their eyes fixed on the two gods standing before them the second they arrived. They bowed in respect to the leaders of the Greek pantheon.

"Lord Zeus and Lady Hera," Kuisha spoke first.

"Who are you? We only remember requesting the Red Dragon Emperor," Zeus spoke curiously.

"She is Kuisha Abaddon, sir. She's my partner and I request that she join me in this mission," Issei answered, still bowing.

"Hm, I se-"

"Move!"

Before Zeus could fully respond, his wife shoved him aside as she walked up to the duo. They rose their heads and locked eyes with the goddess, who looked like a woman on a mission. Her eyes were trained on both of them as she brought herself extremely close.

"Issei Hyoudou and Kuisha Abaddon?" She asked for clarification.

"Yes ma'am..." Was Issei's short response.

Hera continued to look between the two. Her eyes were narrowed as she glanced at him, then her. Back to him. And back to her.

It was a long silence. One that made the devils nervous the more it prolonged. They didn't know why she was eyeing them up and down and the king behind her did little to help them. He only shrugged in response before starting to pick his ear. Meanwhile, the goddess continued with what they assumed was an evaluation.

"You two are...perfect!" Hera exclaimed suddenly. Stars appeared in her eyes and a large smile split across her face.

It caught both Queen and Pawn off guard. ""E-Eh?""

Hera continued to smile brightly, beaming almost. The amount of giddiness in her completely took away from the stoic and serious look she had moments ago. But even this reaction still made the duo nervous.

"I can't believe it. Even devils can do it," Hera said happily as she spun around with a hum of triumph. "I must call Aphrodite here at once."

With that, the Queen walked out the room with vigor. She left the remaining three to awkwardly watch as she left, still confused by her questionable antics. It was slightly unbecoming of the Queen of Olympus, after all.

"Haah... I apologize about her actions. She must have seen something between you two that set her off," Zeus apologized while rubbing his forehead.

"I-Its no big deal... Is she always like that?" Issei asked with a sweatdrop.

"No, but I'm to assume whatever she picked up, it was momentous. I haven't seen her that ecstatic about devils ever," the god explained.

"I see. Do we need her for the mission briefing?"

"No, thank you for reminding me," Zeus replied. "Now, I'm sure you're curious as to why I've called you here."

Issei nodded his head. "All I know is that Vali is involved."

"If you talk of the White Dragon Emperor, then yes. My messenger, Hermes, spotted him on one of his runs out across Greece. Why he's here, we don't know, but there is a stench in the air that has the gods a little on edge. It also gives me an idea of what they may be planning."

"Hm? What do you mean?" Kuisha asked.

"If my assumptions are correct, the Hakuuryukou, and possibly others, are attempting to revive one of the Evil Dragons."

"What!?" Issei shouted. Through his own research of dragons, Issei had discovered the few powerful dragons in history. The Heavenly Dragons, the Dragon Kings...and the Evil Dragons. The last group was said to be above the Dragon Kings due to their lack of sanity and desire for brutal battles and bloodshed. The former strongest Dragon King, Tannin, is an Ultimate-class devil, for comparison. Meaning the Evil Dragons could possibly be put above even that.

"Which dragon is it?" Kuisha asked.

"The only one of the Greek mythology, luckily. It would be the Insomniac Dragon, Ladon," Zeus answered.

"Why would you request me to fight an Evil Dragon?" Issei asked. "Wouldn't Tannin, or any of you guys, be better suited for this?"

"There will be two gods joining you on this mission, it is our territory after all. But I chose you, Issei Hyoudou, because I heard of your strengths. Especially with how you defeated Vali. Ascalon is one of, if not the most, powerful of the dragon slaying blades. And with you wielding it, it's possible you can put a stop to whatever they're doing," Zeus praised before switching to a grim expression. "As for why we can not handle this personally, I have to have as many eyes as I can watching Hades currently."

"Hades? The ruler of Greek's Underworld?"

"Yes, he has been silent for quite some time. And while silence is usually bliss, it does not follow that code when it comes to my brother. He's a crafty god and I have reason to believe he may be involved in this somehow."

"I see. Then I'll respect your wishes and do what I can," the Pawn replied. Zeus smiled for the first time.

"Thank you, young emperor. I will give you more details once the other two gods arrive. Which should be right about-"

Bang!

"-now."

The doors to the hall burst open and the trio turned immediately.

"I told you we had to be here on time," argued a woman.

"Well I couldn't just leave my symphonies unfinished. I have a schedule to keep as well, mind you," retorted a man.

"This isn't a meeting to push off, you idiot! This is an important mission in cooperation with another faction!"

"Yes, I understand that. Which is why we're here and will get this done as soon as possible."

"Artemis, Apollo, you've arrived," Zeus greeted.

""Father."" They both replied.

Apollo was what anyone would imagine. He was a tall, young, and handsome man like his father. However, he was gifted with curly black hair and rare orange eyes that burned like the setting, or rising sun. He was dressed in a male's chiton and brown sandals that were strapped up to his shins.

Artemis was young looking and beautiful woman. She had long, slightly curly violet hair that was tied back into a loose ponytail, and sapphire blue eyes. She wore an elegant green dress that stopped at her thigh on one side and carried to her ankle on the other. Over that she wore light armor which consisted of a chest plate and arm guards.

The twin gods turned their attention to Issei and Kuisha. Both raised an eyebrow as they hadn't expected their companions to be children.

"Father-"

"They are more than capable, Apollo." He already knew what they were thinking. "Alright. The mission is simple. For now, find out where the source of the stench is coming from. Artemis, you're the leader due to your mastery in hunting."

The woman nodded her head and took on a look of pride. She would not let her father down, especially when so much was as stake. The revival of an Evil Dragon could cause problems for Olympus and possibly her huntresses in turn. She would take care of this effective immediately.

"The objective is to find out if Ladon is truly being revived. If he hasn't, and you can handle the situation, stop them. If he's already revived, or there are too many risks, fall back and report to me. Is that understood?"

""Yes, father!""

""Hai!""

The duos responded respectively. Zeus nodded his head and held out his hand towards the four. Lightning trickled between his fingers and it wasn't long before a cloud materialized at the devils and gods feet.

"May the odds be in your favor."

Strike!

Lightning struck the four and they disappeared along with the cloud. Zeus lowered his hand and sighed. He could only hope his suspicions were wrong because if what his scouts had been telling him were true... All the pantheons may be in danger from the group known as Khaos Brigade.

Boom!

The doors burst open again and Hera walked in with another woman hot on her heels. When she saw that the only one in the hall was Zeus her face scrunched up in anger.

"Zeus, where did they go!?" Hera demanded. The King had completely forgotten about his wife going to find the Goddess of Love, Aphrodite. The look of fear on his face as he now had to very angry women glaring at him made him wish to have gone with the four.

"Uhh...off to their mission..?" He squeaked out. It was a complete opposite of how he was just moments ago.

"Hm, to become fatherless so soon..." Aphrodite said from behind the now enraged, queen. Hera began to stomp towards the God of Lightning and, in turn, said god began to cower.

"Honey, please, I'm sorry! It had slipped my mind! The mission had distracted me, I had lost my train of thought! I love you? They'll be back soon! Im sorry!"

"Repent!"

DOOONNN!

"AAAHHHHHHH!"

Alright. End of the story. Updates as per usual.

First off, I've strtapped Issei and Kuisha to a rocket and shot them off as you can tell. It will continue to be heavily pushed so look forward to it.

Second, Issei's harem. I've decided to nullify what it was and do it the DxD way. Girls fall for him left and right but who he reciprocate to, only time will tell.

Yes, the next arc is the Greek Pantheon arc. I want to do it because lots of other religions aren't touched upon enough. So this is the start to Issei visiting lots of otger pantheons and expanding my version of the DxD world. So enjoy that.

Uhh, nothing much left to say. Hope you guys enjoy the holiday. And I'll see you next time.

Remember to review. Senpai is always watching.

Ciao~