Chapter 3: Sacred gears awaken! Issei's deal with Archangel Michael.

After surviving a catastrophic ambush from the dragon annihilation faction, Issei and his family returned back to the Hyoudou household. Issei remained silent all the way back, focusing his magical energy from the very core of his body.

The Sekiryutei stood tall in the living room, his children all sat on the floor in front of him.

"What's wrong papa?" Kuro said his senses from his Senjutsu picking up on Issei's innate tension.

"You look kind of scary daddy." Elizabeth chimed in noticing her Daddy's facial expression.

"Children, I have terrible news…. We are under attack!" Issei boldly stated changing the atmosphere of the room.

"What do you mean Father?!" Ryujin said feeling the weight of being the oldest on his shoulders.

"I won't lie to any of you Ryujin, our family is in danger! The Dragon annihilation federation is coming after all dragons, and that includes all of you." Issei said refusing to hide anything from his offspring.

"Issei, don't you think that you're being a bit tough on them?" Rias asked seeing Elizabeth begin to tear up.

"No Rias, they have the right to know the truth. It's the only way to keep them all safe." Issei said feeling both guilt and resolve burning within him.

"I'm scared." Elizabeth said as her older brother comforted her.

"Don't cry Ellie, you have nothing to be afraid of. Daddy is here to protect you, I won't let anything happen to any of my precious little dragons. The Sekiryutei's name isn't one to be laughed at." Issei said shifting his ominous presence to one filled with optimism and cheer.

"Papa you're so cool!" Kuro said feeling pumped with mutual charisma.

"The reason I brought you all here today, is because I am going to unlock your hidden potential."

"Our hidden potential?" Blake enquired feeling a buzz of enthusiasm rush through him.

"Are you saying that we can fight too Dad?" Ryujin asked.

"I'm not forcing you to fight at all Ryujin, I simply want to do whatever I can to insure your safety no matter what. We will protect you all and show the DAF not to mess with the Gremories." Issei replied.

"You said you would unlock our potential? What exactly do you mean by that Daddy?" Shuri asked as she wondered what power could magic.

"Before you were all born, I went to Archangel Michael to ask for a favour." Issei said only to be interrupted by Freya.

"You mean the acting god Dada?" Freya asked.

"That's right Freya. You see, Devils are very powerful beings, but the human race possesses something that normal devils don't… The sacred gear!" Issei said his offspring startled by the sudden revelation.

"But Daddy, you have a sacred gear don't you?" Risa said staring at the boosted gear.

"Yeah, and so does Mummy!" Elizabeth said referring to Asia.

"And uncle Kiba!" Blake said talking about Kiba's sword birth.

"That's right. The truth is originally, Asia, Kiba, Xenovia and myself included… We were all born as human beings."

The huge revelation shocked all of the children to their very core. But it wasn't because they were ashamed or even embarrassed, they were just surprised because their father decided to keep the dark segments of his past a secret.

"However, all of you are different from most devils. You see, I asked Michael for a special favour. As I said, normally devils are not allowed to possess a sacred gear, but thanks to Michael, each and every one of you, was born with a sacred gear inside of you." Issei announced shifting various emotions throughout the room.

"Awesome! You mean we could all get a sacred gear to help us get stronger? You're the best dad!" Ryujin announced happily.

"Make no mistake Ryujin, this isn't like a birthday present or something to play with….

A sacred gear is a tool of protection, it's a weapon.

Not something to be taken lightly." Issei said whilst gesturing to his boosted gear.

"You're right Dad, sorry." Ryujin said as if he were a deflated balloon.

"That's okay son. I understand how you feel." Issei said with a smile as he ran his hand through Ryujin's hair.

"I assure you all, I am not forcing you to claim your sacred gear. But for those who step forward and unlock their innate power, you must accept the power given to you and you must never take it for granted." Issei stated, visions of the juggernaut drive running through his mind.

"I'm not afraid daddy! I want to help protect you and mummy too!" Risa said with her cheery innocence.

"Of course Princess, close your eyes and calm your mind." Issei said placing his hand on top of his first born daughters head.

"I'm ready Daddy." Risa said as she closed her eyes. Her huge respect and love for her father shining clearly.

"I who am I the Sekiryutei of the heavenly dragons.

Take this gifted godly power, granted by the Archangel Michael, the god of both worlds.

Through my status as a high class devil and as the father of this child…..

I bestow upon them the art of godly protection.

Awaken the soul of this child and unleash their innate potential.

As possessor of the Longinus the boosted gear, I hereby grant my child the path of ascension.

As they open their eyes, let my power and my blood course through them, and bestow upon them the weapon of their young soul!" Issei finished his specifically rehearsed chant, a crimson dragon insignia emerging from the palm of his hand.

Showering little Risa in a blinding crimson light.

All eyes were transfixed on Risa as she appeared from the blinding light show.

"Wow I love it daddy! It's so cute!" Risa said as she rose her weapon above her head.

Risa held a crimson scythe over her head.

"Easy Risa, be careful with that." Issei said before falling to the ground with the rest of those who sat in the room.

"Gravity magic?" Akeno said feeling her voluptuous bust pressed against the carpet.

"Is that the sacred gear Gravity jail? I thought it had no physical form and resided in the eyes?" Rias mentioned as she too struggled to lift her heavy chest against the immense pressure.

"Michael said that the sacred gears were likely to change shape, depending on the wishes of the user." Issei said explaining the power behind it.

With gravity returned to its normal level, the Sekiryutei's children continued to step forward.

Blake received the sacred gear Star blaster. A Longinus which allows him to switch between a sword and a gun. The perfect weapon for a child aspiring to be a knight.

Kuro decided not to activate his sacred gear just yet.

He decided instead, to focus on his Senjutsu training with his mother.

After explaining his ambition to be a dragon knight/rider, Asia gave him Fafnir's crystal.

Nonetheless, Arthur still had his own sacred gear to unlock.

Which turned out to be quite a small one.

But don't let it' size fool you, the ring that Arthur held on his finger, opened up a pocket dimension.

This could be used to store his weapons and other objects inside.

Elizabeth received a small shield which has the ability to change its size, depending on the user's ability.

Freya obtains a magical eye scanner which can see through most attacks, and illusions.

Shuri obtains a cat-a-nine-tails like whip which resembles the heads of a hydra.

And last but not least, Ryujin, the child most excited about the sacred gear ceremony….

Had a huge smile on his face that is until he received his sacred gear.

"But why? Why?! Everyone else got such a powerful sacred gear, and I'm stuck with a dumb twice critical?" Ryujin said as he glared at the dark blue gauntlet on his wrist.

Issei hid a smile which quickly surfaced after a wave of nostalgia hit him.

The Sekiryutei kneeled down to Ryujin's level and placed his hand upon the little devils shoulder.

"Don't worry Ryujin, believe it or not, your dad started off with just a simple twice critical as well." Issei said reassuring the sad child.

"Really? But I thought the twice critical was the weakest sacred gear to ever exist?" Ryujin questioned still feeling like he wanted to remove it off his arm.

"That's not true Ryujin, I learned from a young age that a twice critical may look weak.

But as a matter of fact, it possesses the strongest power of all, the power to evolve." Issei said referring to his own sacred gears awakening.

"But when will my sacred gear evolve? Can't you use your power to do that now?" Ryujin asked feeling both impatient and excited at the same time.

"It doesn't work that way son, a sacred gear will reveal its true power, in response to its user.

Just believe in yourself, and the power will come to you when you need it the most." Issei reassured remembering his own circumstances.

"I guess so." Ryujin replied an obvious tone of disappointment detected in his tone.

With a smile Issei stood back up and looked amongst his children, their joyous faces as they examined their sacred gears.

A sudden wave of light headedness and fatigue washed over Issei, his exhausted body hit the ground hard.

"Daddy!" Risa said as she threw down her scythe and rushed to her father who had so suddenly passed out.

However, despite Risa's haste to get to her dad, her mother was already there within an instant.

Detecting Issei's condition so well, that she was there to cushion his fall before he made contact with the floor.

"Mummy is daddy okay?!" Risa said as her brothers and sisters all gathered behind her.

"Don't worry everybody, your daddy just overdid it, as per usual." Rias said as she brushed Issei's hair off of his forehead.

"Will he get better soon?" Ryujin asked feeling guilty about his own selfish emotions just now.

"He'll be just fine Ryujin, but after using such a powerful spell on all of you at once, he's going to in bed recouping for at least 3 days." Rias said and then kissed him on the forehead.

"Mamma" Shuri said feeling worried after seeing her strong daddy actually pass out right in front of her.

"Don't you worry Shuri, mamma and the rest of us will look after your daddy." Akeno said referring to the many wives of the Sekiryutei.

Although Akeno was trying to stay strong and reassure her daughter, part of her was overjoyed.

Issei has been so busy lately with all of the business in the underworld and the real world, that the thought of nursing him back to health didn't seem like such a bad thing at all.

The next day, Issei awoke from his short sleep.

His howling stomach forcing him to rise from his slumber.

Issei felt guilty after realising the time. He had missed the school run and slept through his kids leaving home.

Without even as much as a hug goodbye.

Issei shook off his depressive mood and decided to make it up to them all later.

However, first things first…

Issei had missed both last night's dinner and this morning's breakfast, food was the second commanding thought in his mind.

Issei sighed heavily, disappointed that he would not only be cooking his own meal, but eating alone.

A fraction of his haunted past edged its way in.

All of those times that Issei ate alone.

Suddenly, Issei heard the sounds of cheerful girls in the kitchen.

At first, Issei wrote this off as simply being in a half asleep state.

Nevertheless, Issei's sense of smell was impossible to deny.

A deluxe and tongue salivating feast invading his nostrils.

"Yes, I'm sorry, but my Husband has caught the flu. Can somebody cover my shift today? Thank you so much! Yes I will let you know when he's better thank you!" Rias said as she hung up the call to her job.

Rias Gremory taught Japanese culture studies part time.

With Issei's hearing now awake as well as his sense of smell and his vision, the Sekiryutei noticed the rest of his wives making similar phone calls as they collaborated in making their husbands feast.

"Rias you don't have to skip your part time job for me, I'll be fine." Issei said in his tired state.

"Issei what are you doing out of bed? Back to bed right now mister, you're breakfast is on its way." Rias said taking on a disciplined role as opposed to her fawning and affection mode.

"No, really I'm fine." Issei said trying to sound cheery.

"Rias is right Issei-kun! You need to rest, you're in no condition to be standing right now." Akeno said surprising the Sekiryutei.

"That's not true I'm fine. I have so much to do today." Issei said surprised as he suddenly began to fall.

Luckily his body which felt so heavy to him now, was caught by the crimson queen.

"See? Come on now back to bed with you." Rias said making Issei realise how tired his body actually was.

"It's okay Rias, I'll just." Issei said interrupted after Rias suddenly put her hand on his mouth.

"Please… Please don't push yourself anymore. Let us take care of you for a change. Please, just focus on getting your strength back." Rias said trying not to cry.

Issei seeing that expression dropped all of his resistance and let Akeno and Rias help him back to bed.

"We know you're strong Issei-san, but you have to give your body the rest it needs. If something were to happen to you, I'd never forgive myself!" Asia said as she began to shed tears of worry.

"Just let us take care of you." The sekiryutei ladies said as Issei lay in his bed.

"You're right, I'm sorry." Issei said realising that his attempt to alleviate their worries by acting strong, did the exact opposite from what he had planned.

Later that day Risa, Ryujin and the rest of the dragon hybrid children, were just approaching the final school bell.

And Risa was experiencing her daily annoyance.

Ogled by various guys, this could in fact be the curse of the Gremory female family lineage.

And it would only get worse as she gets older.

However, Risa had something her mother didn't have.

"Hey bozos, stop ogling my sister and take a hike!" Ryujin said feeling his daily urgency to protect his little sister.

"We went ogling her! We just wanted to say hi." The kids replied innocently.

"Funny, I didn't see your mouths talking, but I saw your eyes moving. Get out of here!" Ryujin said releasing a small portion of his intimidating aura.

"Let's get out of here! We'll remember this freak!" They shouted as they retreated from the scene.

"Thanks big bro, but you didn't have to do that." Risa said with a smile, gracious for having such a protective older brother.

"Yes I did, could you imagine how this would have went if dad showed up instead?" Ryujin said making Risa laugh but then change her smile to a frown.

"Daddy." Risa muttered feeling the tears build up inside her.

"Don't worry Risa! Dad will be okay, he's the strongest dad on the planet right?" Ryujin said his sole priority to cheer up his little sister, despite his own feelings.

"Yeah you're right! Come on Ryujin let's go home now." Risa said trying to reach for her brother's hand.

"I have something to do first." Ryujin said making Risa look at him like a puppy.

"But daddy and mummy said that we have to go straight home today. We're being targeted by bad people remember?" Risa replied wanted to grab Ryujin and rush straight home.

"Please Risa, trust me. I just need some time to think about everything that's going on. I promise I won't be long." Ryujin said making Risa return her hand back to her side.

"If you're not home in 30 minutes, I'm bringing mummy to come get you, okay?" Risa said understanding Ryujin's habit to sometimes go to a certain place and dwell within his own thoughts.

"I promise, I'll come straight home." Ryujin said as Risa looked at him sympathetically.

"Hey don't be sad, big bro will be home before you know it. Go find the others and I'll be back afterwards." Ryujin said giving her a huge hug.

"You best be. I don't want anything to happen to you Ryujin. I love you." Risa said soaking Ryujin's shoulder with her tears.

"I promise. I love you too Risa." Ryujin said and with that, Risa had headed home with their brothers and sisters.

Ryujin headed towards the park near his house in the human world, using a portal generator that his dad gave him for his birthday this year.

In the human world, night had fallen and the streets were deserted.

Ryujin climbed his favourite tree and activated his twice critical.

"Even if my sacred gear can evolve, that doesn't mean I'll be able to awaken it. I wonder how dad managed to evolve his twice critical. He doesn't seem to like talking about his past." Ryujin said as he dwelled within deep thought.

"Oh no, it's been 30 minutes! I better get home before Risa tells mum. She's scarier than any test!" Ryujin said as he prepared to deploy his portal.

All of a sudden, the sound of multiple footsteps could be heard in the proximity of Ryujin's location.

The curious and alert dragon kid looks over towards the park and notices a dangerous scene.

A lady in tattered clothing with hair as blue as the luminous sky through the day, was surrounded by several cloaked individuals.

Ryujin contemplated activating his portal, to leave before this familiar looking thugs spotted him.

However, Ryujin's dad's words of heroism enter through his mind.

"Always help those in need Ryujin, no matter who they are to you."

Ryujin pocketed his portal generator and dropped silently from his tree.

Using the shadows and darkness to his advantage, Ryujin crept through the outskirts of the brawl and inched closer and closer.

Ryujin flinched after the woman fell to the ground as she was confined to some kind of magic ritual circle.

"Show your true form! You malicious beast! Quit hiding in the clothes of humanity!" The caster said as the victim howled in pain.

"How cruel! I can't just stand here and watch!" Ryujin muttered to himself the next scene stopped himself though.

The powerless girl was now gone, in her place was a colossal pale blue dragon ensnared in peculiar chains.

The magic power ran shiver down Ryujin's spine, but the sight of the dragon in agony gave Ryujin the courage to press on.

"Let her go!" Ryujin said as he successfully lands a flying kick on the caster.

His light seeming body flew across the park knocking over several of his subordinates.

"It's a kid?"

"Don't just stand there get him!"

Ryujin despite his doubts for his sacred gear handling, was very confident in his martial arts talent.

Amongst all of his siblings, Ryujin was by far the most adapt for close quarters combat.

And besides, he was trained by the strongest demon known to man.

Ryujin effortlessly dodged the attackers, punches, which were so slow compared to his father's deadly attacks that they may as well have been moving in slow motion.

The dragon growled at the newest face on the battlefield.

But then, just as Ryujin prepared for a dragon to gobble him up and pick his bones clean from his body, the dragon suddenly stopped in her warpath.

Smelling him, the dragon backed away and displayed what Ryujin could have sworn was a smile.

The dragon's positive mood didn't last long though, as the chains constricted tighter against her neck.

"Now attack!" The caster ordered now back in the fight.

Ryujin dispatched attacker after attacker.

Fatigue began to run through Ryujin's body.

Aches and pains began to erupt throughout his body, the dragon anti magic suddenly taking effect against him.

And with every fighter put down, another seemed to appear out of nowhere and take their place.

"Stand down, he's at his limit." The caster said as Ryujin dropped to his knees.

"But how? I know I have more power than this." Ryujin said feeling so tired and so weak.

"Its simple boy, you too are a menace to society! A filthy dragon! And just like this harlot who disguised herself so well, we shall put an end to your vulgar existence!" The caster said as his men held their sacred staffs prepared to strike the poor child down.

The female dragon gained a second wind and charged to protect the helpless dragon child.

"You settle down now. We'll deal with you momentarily! Do it! Kill him now!" The caster ordered as the pale blue dragon was powerless and still.

"Dad…. Daddy! I'm sorry! Power! Just a little more power! That's all I need!" Ryujin yelled as his tear stricken eyes watched his body be impaled by the golden staff.

A blinding light shone immensely.

"I'm dead aren't I?" Ryujin thought as the blinding light caused him to pass out, accepting his powerlessness.

A sudden nostalgic feeling made Ryujin's mind run wild.

"What is this I'm feeling? I thought heaven was nothing but clouds, but I feel something hard against my head, and my hands? What is this texture? Wait? Is this wood?!" Ryujin thought opening his eyes wide.

Ryujin wasn't dead at all, he was sat in his favourite tree as he was moments ago.

"Was all of that just a dream?" Ryujin thought as he felt re-vitalised and pain free.

Just as Ryujin was ready to conceive that all of it was just a dream, he realised something was definitely different.

On Ryujin's arm wasn't a blue gauntlet….

But a golden replacement, the gauntlet had a golden miniature sand hour glass which rested in a gyroscope like shape.

Ryujin spun the hour glass and the blinding light from before appeared again.

But this time, Ryujin saw the true reason behind the light.

The sky above him was golden.

And within that sky, there were pictures, and memories.

Ryujin could see the scene that he thought was simply a dream, play out in front of him.

It was then that Ryujin realised….

His sacred gear was no longer a twice critical….

It was now a sacred gear which not only had saved his life, but would be the tool he needed to save another.

A device that not only foretold the future, but also had the ability to reverse time.

"Okay, time for round 2!" Ryujin said as he brandished his time gauntlet and leaped down into the darkness.

Okay guys! That's finally chapter 3 done! Apologies again for the delay, but I have been so busy! With so much on my plate, I haven't been able to deliver and for that, I am so sorry! But as promised, no matter how long it takes, I will finish this story and I have no intention whatsoever, in abandoning this amazing adventure. With chapter 4 in the works, how will Ryujin save the mysterious dragon? Why did the dragon cease her assault on the child? And will Ryujin's new found strength, be able to save his life and the life of the dragon from those who believe it is theirs to take? Find out in the next chapter.

P.S. If you can get the hidden references, give yourself an invisible cookie :P.

Chapter 4: Only I decide my future! Ryujin's heroic rescue.