High School Godslayer: IVA DxD

by Neutral Samurai Hunter

A year after the defeat of YHVH, a sudden appearance of an extra-dimensional entity threatened the hard-earned peace of Tokyo and Mikado. Seeing an otherworldly danger ahead, Stephen assigns Nanashi and Asahi on a dangerous mission to another world, in a place called Kuoh. It's nothing they can handle back in their original world, right?

3. The Demon Summoner Effect

Hello fellas! This is Neutral Samurai Hunter presenting you readers, the latest chapter of this crossover fanfiction, High School Godslayer: IVA DxD!

I thank Tyrant Overlord Killidia and Chronos0305 for helping me develop this story and sharing ideas. I wouldn't be able to write this chapter in such a short amount of time.

Anyway, the Shin Megami Tensei franchise and High School DxD Light Novels are owned by Atlus and Ichiei Ishibumi, respectively. I just like to write this crossover.

Now, on with the story!

---

Issei opened his eyes. But, instead of the real world, he was floating in an endless void. He clutched his head with his right hand as he struggled to remember what happened to him earlier.

"W-where am I?" Issei groggily wondered. "It feels as though I'm floating in space…"

[You're inside your mental world, boy,] A draconic voice replied to him. [You're a soul, currently in the recesses of your mind.]

Issei looked around to find the direction the voice came from, only to turn around and he let out a yelp of surprise.

Standing before him was a massive red dragon sporting a long neck and green eyes. Staring at the dragon before him, Issei felt a little intimidated. However, the red dragon stared back at Issei with a glint of interest.

"W-whoa! Dude!" Issei exclaimed. "You're… You're a dragon!"

[You got that right, boy,] The red dragon answered. [Do you remember what happened beforehand?]

"I d-don't understand what's going on, but I do remember," Issei stammered. "I was going out on a date with Yuuma, and then she turned into a hot angel or something, then Nanashi and Asahi…"

[Slow down, boy. I have been watching you since I was bound to you by birth within this Sacred Gear,] The red dragon interrupted. [To confirm it for you, yes. Yuuma, or rather Raynare, is a Fallen Angel, and your classmates saved your life.]

The red dragon showed Issei multiple images of past events. Through these images, Issei saw that he cheated death several times, with Nanashi and Asahi defending him and even healing him while he was unconscious.

[But those two… Nanashi and Asahi Kizuna, yes?] The red dragon continued. [They are currently carrying your unconscious body to your house.]

"I see…" Issei replied. "All of this… because I was blind to Yuuma's deception."

[If there's any consolation, there are plenty of women out there, boy. As my host, do what you reasonably can to fulfill your dream,] The red dragon offered some counsel. [Those two friends of yours gave you a second chance. Don't waste it.]

Issei closed his eyes as he assessed what has happened to him so far. The reason why he's alive is because of them. Nanashi and Asahi… They gave him another shot at life to fulfill his dreams.

"You're right. Nanashi and Asahi saved my life," Issei concluded. "I need to repay the favor to them somehow. I also want to become stronger so this doesn't happen to me again…"

[Ha! You got some spunk in you!] The red dragon replied. [I think we'll be good partners from now on.]

"My name is Issei Hyoudou. Please take care of me," The boy bowed before the red dragon as he introduced himself. "And you are…?"

The red dragon let out a snort before he replied to the boy. Issei could have sworn that the red dragon let out a grin, but he couldn't tell.

[I am Y Ddraig Goch, the Red Heavenly Dragon sealed within your Boosted Gear, but you can just call me Ddraig,] The red dragon answered. [Issei Hyoudou! We shall be partners from here on out!]

Issei felt a surge of power within him. He looked at his left arm and he realized that a red gauntlet with a green jewel and 2 golden spikes was materializing on his left arm. As the materialization was completed, Issei caught a glimpse of the power he just obtained.

"Whoa…" Issei muttered as he examined his clawed left arm.

[That clawed hand is the manifestation of the Boosted Gear,] Ddraig explained. [I shall teach you the basics on how to use your Sacred Gear properly some other time. You're about to wake up, partner.]

Before Issei could even react to that remark, Issei's mindscape began to shine brightly as he regained consciousness…

---

It was around 6 p.m. in the streets of Kuoh. Nanashi and Asahi walked away from Kuoh Park after their battles with the Fallen Angels while carrying Issei Hyoudou on their shoulders, who was rendered unconscious by Asahi to help heal his wounds. As Nanashi and Asahi carried Issei to his house, they noticed that their friend was stirring up.

"Asahi," Nanashi pointed out. "Issei is waking up."

The Hunter duo heard Issei groan as he was regaining consciousness. They paused in their walk and checked on Issei as he slowly opened his eyes.

"Issei! Are you okay?" Asahi exclaimed. "We'll help you stand up!"

Nanashi and Asahi helped Issei stand up. Although he was a bit groggy, Issei managed to stand up as he spoke to the duo.

"Nanashi and Asahi… Right? I can barely remember what happened," Issei said as he clutched his head with his right hand. "But, I do remember that you two save my life… Wait, what happened to Yuuma?"

"Shh… Not here. It isn't safe," Nanashi muttered. "Her associates could be still watching us, you know."

Issei nodded in understanding as he realized that Yuuma may have some accomplices stalking them. And then, the tense moment was interrupted when a loud grumbling noise emanated from their stomachs.

"I guess we really can't help it, huh?" Asahi chuckled. "All of that battle made us hungry."

"You know guys, we can eat dinner at my house," Issei suggested as he clutched his stomach with his right hand. "I'm sure Mom and Dad will welcome you guys."

"Really?" Nanashi inquired. "Your parents will do that?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure they'll accept any classmate I befriend," Issei replied. "Dinner's on me. After all, you two did save my life."

---

High School Godslayer: IVA DxD

Chapter 3: The Demon Summoner Effect

---

It was nighttime in the Hyoudou residence. Nanashi, Asahi, and Issei were sitting at the family dining table with Issei's father, Gorou Hyoudou. All of them patiently waited for their dinner. It wasn't that long when Issei's mother, Miki Hyoudou, entered the dining room with 5 plates full of inarizushi, rice, and iced tea. As the food was placed on the dining table, each of them said one particular word at the same time.

"Itadakimasu."

Soon afterward, they began to eat their meals. The three teens began to eat their portions a lot more, with Asahi clutching her face as she enjoyed Miki Hyoudou's cooking.

"Wow, your inarizushi is delicious!" Asahi exclaimed. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome, Asahi," Mrs. Hyoudou smiled at them. "It's the least we can do since you two are my son's newest friends."

"You two just transferred into Kuoh Academy, yes?" Mr. Hyoudou asked the Hunter duo.

"Yeah, we did transfer to Kuoh Academy today," Nanashi confirmed.

As they continued to eat their dinner, Nanashi and Asahi decided to reveal a little bit of their background, especially the fact that they're adopted, siblings. Asahi's father adopted Nanashi when he was a baby.

"So, you two are adopted siblings," Mrs. Hyoudou replied. "I'm curious. How did you meet with our son?"

"Well, we met him when we introduced ourselves to the whole class," Nanashi explained. "He's friendly and tried to invite me with his friends."

"He tried to leer at me during our first day," Asahi replied. "But, Nanashi convinced me otherwise."

"Asahi!" Issei exclaimed. "I can't help it, you know!"

"Just don't let his perverseness rub off of you two," Mrs. Hyoudou replied. "Even if our son is a pervert, our Issei is a good boy at heart."

"Mom!" Issei's face was flushed red. "It isn't like that!"

Both Nanashi and Asahi could only stare at the awkwardness of the situation. It was then that Mr. Hyoudou decided to change the subject.

"So, you two know each other practically as toddlers," Mr. Hyoudou said to the duo. "Are you two dating?"

Suddenly, another air of awkwardness began to permeate the dining room. Asahi became embarrassed as she clutched her face with her hands and her face flushed in red. On the other hand, Nanashi seems to be oblivious to Asahi's dilemma.

"W-what are you talking about?" Asahi stammered. "It's not like I-I'm dating Nanashi or anything!"

Even Issei and his father shared looks and smiled. Even Mrs. Hyoudou smiled at them, knowing that she and her husband were like that at their age.

"Ah, young love," Miki Hyoudou smiled. "We can tell, you know. Call it an adult's intuition."

Asahi's face was still beet red from the embarrassment. The awkwardness was prevalent in the room until Nanashi broke the silence.

"Um, Mr. Hyoudou," Nanashi inquired. "Does that mean we're welcome here?"

"Of course! Any friend of my son is welcome in this household!" Mr. Hyoudou declared. "Look after our son for us will you?"

"Yeah, we will, Mr. Hyoudou," Nanashi replied as they continued to eat their meals. "You can count on it."

---

After their dinner, Issei guided Nanashi and Asahi to the second floor to where his room is situated.

"Is this your room, Issei?" Asahi remarked. "I admit, it's kind of nice-looking."

"Thanks," Issei replied. "I'll lock the door in case my parents try to enter, okay?"

The Hunter duo nodded, prompting Issei to walk to the door to his room to lock it.

"Dagda," Nanashi whispered through his cloaked Gauntlet. "Can you soundproof this room for us?"

"Hmph, that I can do, kid," Dagda huffed through the Gauntlet screen. "I'll be able to soundproof this room for 2 hours at most. Make the most of it, kid."

From Nanashi's Gauntlet, Dagda let out an invisible aura that permeated Issei's room, making the whole room soundproof to ensure that their conversation isn't snooped upon by anyone else. As Issei finished locking the door, he turned around and asked the Hunter duo the questions that he had been holding back all night.

"Now, that's done," Issei said to them. "Please tell me everything. Don't hold anything back."

As Issei was expecting either of them to start explaining, Nanashi de-cloaked his Gauntlet and pressed a few buttons, and soon enough, Jack Frost materialized in front of Issei.

"I'm Fairy Jack Frost hee-summoned by Master Nanashi, ho!" Jack Frost waved at Issei. "Nice to meet you, human! Hee-ho!"

"W-whoa!" Issei exclaimed. "Who is this?"

"This is a demon," Nanashi explained as Jack Frost waved at Issei. "I know what you're thinking, Issei. But, demons don't just refer to those with horns and pointed ears."

Suddenly, a projected screen on Nanashi's Gauntlet turned itself on, with its screen revealing a woman in a white dress whose upper face is obscured.

[The word 'demon' originally comes from the word 'daemon', which means 'Spiritual Being',] Burroughs interjected. [By definition and technicality, gods, fairies, and even angels can be considered demons.]

"Whoa!" Issei exclaimed. "Who is she?"

"Her name is Burroughs. She's the A.I. installed in our Gauntlets," Asahi answered. "And Burroughs, aren't you supposed to be only audible to me and Nanashi?"

[I thought it would be appropriate to introduce myself to Mister Issei since we are doing an exposition to him,] Burroughs explained. [We do have to clarify some terminologies, among other things.]

"Now that you know what a demon is, it's time to explain who we are," Nanashi explained as he recalled his Jack Frost back to his Gauntlet. "Asahi and I, we're not ordinary humans. We're demon summoners."

"We use the Demon Summoning Program to recruit demons," Asahi explained. "It's a lot more complicated, but that's what we do in a nutshell."

Issei just stared at them in awe while trying to process what he just heard. Nanashi and Asahi took a glance at each other as Issei began to speak.

"This is a lot to take in, but let me ask one thing," Issei replied. "Are there hot demon girls?"

"Uh…" Asahi raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, there are?"

"That means summoners can summon hot demon chicks," Issei uttered. "That is so cool…"

Asahi just facepalmed and sighed in exasperation. No matter what the situation, it seems Issei will remain a pervert in some form.

"That really can't be helped, Asahi," Nanashi shrugged. "Issei is a pervert after all."

As Nanashi tried to calm down Asahi, Issei was thinking a lot of things in his perverted mind.

'If I can become a summoner like them, not only I can become stronger,' Issei thought. 'But I can potentially summon hot demon chicks on my side. I gotta ask them about that…'

As Issei was busy thinking about what kind of demon summoner he wanted to be, Ddraig sensed the desire of the perverted boy.

[I know that feeling, partner. Even if your trail of thoughts is perverted, this is a golden opportunity to become stronger,] Ddraig encouraged. [If you wish to take the path of a demon summoner, by all means, go for it.]

Ddraig's encouragement added more fuel to the metaphorical flames of desire that was starting to ignite within Issei.

"I made up my mind," Issei spoke with a determined look in his eyes. "I want to become a demon summoner, just like you two."

Nanashi and Asahi abruptly paused their argument and looked at Issei incredulously.

"Are you sure, Issei?" Nanashi asked. "Once you become a demon summoner, hostile demons and other enemies will hound you around for the rest of your life."

"And trust us, they're a pain in the ass at times," Asahi added. "You need to be strong enough to fend enemy demons off and even then, it may not be enough."

As if to prove his point, Issei's Boosted Gear manifested on his left arm in the form of a clawed hand covered in red dragon scales with a green gem in its center.

"But, I'm already a target thanks to my Sacred Gear thing," Issei explained as he showed his Boosted Gear to them. "Being hounded by demons isn't going to change that much."

"They will be targeting your family. Hostile demons will just make the people around us miserable, for the most part," Nanashi warned. "Are you sure about this?"

"I know. I realized that when I nearly died against Yuuma or Raynare… whatever her name is," Issei explained while he stared at his clawed left hand. "Even though I'm a perverted teenage boy that wants to become a Harem King, I only want to do this to protect myself, my family, my friends, and my future harem. Please, can you let me become a demon summoner?"

Nanashi and Asahi were hesitant, but they knew he had a point. Issei just discovered his Sacred Gear and according to what Azazel revealed to Nanashi, Issei has been observed for some time. It was then that Burroughs spoke to break the silence.

[Just to inform you, I did run some biometric scans on Mister Issei earlier that day,] Burroughs chimed in. [I can confirm Mister Issei's intentions. Issei Hyoudou is truly sincere when he said those words to you. So, will you two go on?]

Burroughs' assessment of Issei was the pivotal moment in influencing their choice to help Issei become a demon summoner.

"Alright, Issei. You'll become a demon summoner," Nanashi relented. "But, we'll need a smartphone for Burroughs to install the Demon Summoning Program."

"Smartphone? Oh, right…" Issei searched for his pockets and took out his smartphone. "I have a smartphone with me, although this one is quite old and its battery has degraded."

"Well, whether its battery is degraded or not, it doesn't matter," Nanashi raised an eyebrow. "Let me borrow your smartphone, Issei."

Without further objections, Issei willingly handed Nanashi his smartphone.

"Burroughs," Nanashi inquired. "Can you scan Issei's smartphone for any defects before installing the program?"

[Understood, Master,] Burroughs answered. [Activating Scan Mode…]

Nanashi's Gauntlet emitted green scanning lasers on Issei's smartphone. After a few seconds, the scanning lasers faded away and his Gauntlet glowed bright green, with the portrait of Burroughs appearing on the screen.

[The battery on that smartphone has degraded as Mister Issei said, but the other parts are in working order,] Burroughs revealed. [Do you want to go on with the installation?]

"Do it," Nanashi replied. "Install the Demon Summoning Program into Issei's smartphone."

[I'm on it, Master Nanashi,] Burroughs confirmed. [Installing the Demon Summoning Program…]

The installation process took several minutes, but once that was done, Nanashi return the smartphone to Issei. And as Issei turned on his smartphone, a notification message appeared on its screen for Issei to see.

[Demon Summoning Program Installed – Your Life Has Just Changed Forever]

"Whoa, this is so cool," Issei held his smartphone in his right hand. "I can now summon demons…"

Suddenly, the gem in Issei's Boosted Gear glowed bright green, and a draconic voice began speaking through it, startling the humans in the room.

[Perhaps I can add some insight?] Ddraig spoke from the Boosted Gear. [My apologies for not introducing myself. I am Ddraig, the Red Heavenly Dragon that is sealed within my partner's Boosted Gear.]

"Yeah, nice to meet you, Ddraig," Asahi replied. "What do you have in mind?"

[Sacred Gears can also adapt and evolve based on their wielder's thoughts, needs, and feelings, gaining abilities or qualities as time passes,] Ddraig continued. [With the Demon Summoning Program and the Boosted Gear, you two increased my partner's chances of survival.]

When Ddraig revealed that information about Sacred Gears to them, a wild idea began to form in Issei's head. Issei grinned as the idea took root in his mind.

"That means…" Issei muttered as he held his old smartphone that housed the Demon Summoning Program in his right hand, and then, he thought of an audacious idea. "Guys, I have an idea!"

"Well, Issei…" Nanashi replied. "Let's hear your ideas."

"I know I'm going to sound crazy, but the Demon Summoning Program was installed into my smartphone, right?" Issei explained. "Is it possible that my Boosted Gear can absorb my smartphone and integrate it?"

Silence emanated from the room when Issei spoke those words. But, it wasn't that long before the silence was broken by Nanashi.

"I don't know, Issei…" Nanashi uttered. "Even I admit that sounds a bit crazy…"

And then, the green gem on Issei's clawed hand began to glow brightly, signaling that Ddraig was about to speak his opinion.

[Partner… That idea is admittedly… stupid, but it's also crazy enough to work! I like it!] Ddraig spoke. [However, to evolve a Sacred Gear in a specific way, we'll need help in doing that.]

Suddenly, Dagda materialized in front of them. The Deity of the Tuatha De Danann took a glance at Issei and his Boosted Gear before speaking out his opinion.

"I think I can provide that help," Dagda offered. "I'm Dagda of the Tuatha De. All that this kid needs to do is to concentrate on his goals in life, and I'll handle the rest."

"He can do that?" Issei said incredulously.

"Yeah. Dagda's name means 'The Good God', as in good in nearly everything," Nanashi explained. "He can even revive people if I ask him to."

"Hmph, just place your smartphone in your Sacred Gear, kid," Dagda said as he started at Issei's Boosted Gear. "Hey old dragon, get your ass in helping me do this for your kid."

[Ha! To think I'd meet another god that has some spunk!] Ddraig replied. [Let's do this! Partner, do as he says. Dagda and I will handle the magical process.]

"Okay, I guess," Issei placed his smartphone on top of his clawed left hand. "Now what?"

[Remember, just concentrate on your life goals, like how to protect your future harem, your family, and your loved ones,] Ddraig encouraged. [Above all, don't lose your concentration.]

Issei did as Ddraig instructed him to. As the Deity and the Red Dragon began to use their magic to assimilate the smartphone into the Boosted Gear, Issei began to focus on his thoughts and on his resolve to become a demon summoner.

To gain the means to self-defense against demons and other monsters that will hound him for life…

To gain the ability to recruit demons, preferably hot female demons…

To gain the power to protect his loved ones and the women that he will eventually meet and join his harem…

As he was focusing on these thoughts, Issei's smartphone disintegrated into particles, and those particles were absorbed into the green gem of the Boosted Gear.

And then, the Boosted Gear began to transform. As the touchscreen began to materialize in the top part of the clawed glove, the Sacred Gear began to glow in a greenish light. Once the assimilation process was complete, Issei, Nanashi, and Asahi gaped in awe of the raw power that the evolved Sacred Gear was emitting.

"Whoa… I can feel some sort of new power within my Sacred Gear," Issei spoke as he examined his left clawed hand. "And its appearance has changed too. Thanks, Ddraig. And you too, Dagda."

"Don't mention it. If you have to thank someone, thank this kid here," Dagda huffed before returning to Nanashi's Gauntlet.

"Ddraig," Issei called out to his evolved Sacred Gear. "Are you okay there?"

[Yeah, it also overwhelmed me at first, but I think I can get used to this,] Ddraig agreed. [The Boosted Gear has evolved into a sub-species. We should rename the Boosted Gear to suit its evolution.]

"Yeah!" Issei agreed. "But, I couldn't think of a good name for my evolved Sacred Gear…"

[Why not we call this the Boosted Summoner Gear?] Burroughs suggested. [It's a logical name that describes the installation of the Demon Summoning Program in the Boosted Gear.]

Issei couldn't help but smile at Burroughs' suggestion. He balled his clawed left hand into a fist in excitement.

"Ha… the Boosted Summoning Gear? I like that name," Issei declared as he stared at his evolved Sacred Gear in awe. "It's… so bad. I-I mean, cool!"

[Ha, I can agree with that, partner,] Ddraig replied from the Sacred Gear. [Nanashi and Asahi, you two gave my partner more than a fighting chance. I swear as the Red Heavenly Dragon that I'll find a way to return the favor to you two.]

"No problem," Nanashi replied.

"We're glad to help!" Asahi smiled.

[Congratulations upon becoming a demon summoner, Master Issei!] Burroughs added.

Suddenly, Issei felt a surge of energy entering his body through his evolved Sacred Gear. He felt the sensation as if he was high on adrenaline.

"Whoa…" Issei muttered as he clutched his head with his right hand. "I just felt a surge of energy welling up within me, like I unlocked a new potential or something."

"Yeah, we know that feeling too," Nanashi explained. "The Demon Summoning Program measures the Summoner's prowess as levels and stats, like a role-playing game."

"Really?" Issei replied, and then he pressed a few buttons on his Boosted Summoning Gear to check his level. "Guys, it seems I'm level 10 now and I can adjust my stats!"

"Congrats, Issei," Asahi exclaimed. "You're officially a demon summoner, just like us!"

"Yeah, I'll do that," Issei nodded as he began adjusting his stats in his Sacred Gear.

"This is so cool!" Issei exclaimed. "What are your levels anyway?"

"Well, since you asked," Nanashi sheepishly replied. "I'm Level 97."

"I'm Level 93," Asahi added.

Issei just stared at the Hunter duo incredulously as he realized that he still has a long way to go to reach their level.

"Aw, man!" Issei sighed. "I still have a long way to go, huh?"

"Don't worry about that, Issei," Asahi encouraged. "We're here to help you get stronger!"

"We started in a way that's not so different from you," Nanashi consoled Issei. "Asahi and I were taught by our teachers, Manabu and Nikkari."

"That's cool," Issei asked. "But, what happened to them?"

"Manabu and Nikkari were… killed by a demon," Asahi replied with a melancholy look. "We were Hunter Cadets back then. That scene of them dying before our eyes will never go away."

"I'm… so sorry that I brought that up," Issei glanced away. "I can only imagine what happened to the two of you when they died."

"It's alright," Nanashi reassured. "We killed the demon responsible for their deaths and avenged them."

"That's good to hear," Issei replied before changing the subject. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Ah, that's right!" Asahi exclaimed. "Each demon has its alignment. I think Burroughs can explain that better than me."

[Thank you, Miss Asahi,] Burroughs replied. [What Miss Asahi refers to are the three Alignments: Law, Chaos, and Neutral. Law-aligned beings usually prefer order at any cost, Chaos-aligned beings usually prefer anarchy above all else, while those Neutral-aligned are somewhere in-between.]

"It sounds simple, right?" Issei remarked.

"Unfortunately, it isn't as simple," Nanashi replied. "Issei, you know about the phrase, 'Too much of something is bad?' Too much Order and Chaos can easily screw the world several times over."

"Yeah, I get it," Issei acknowledged. "What about Neutrality?"

[Neutrality is more of a complex case,] Burroughs interjected. [Neutrality means accepting both the strengths and flaws of Law and Chaos without leaning to either. The closest analogy is like looking at both sides of a coin.]

"I think I got that," Issei acknowledged. "But, how do I recruit my first demon?"

"We can help you with that," Asahi replied as she looked at her Gauntlet. "But, it's getting late. And we have to head home too."

"Alright guys, thanks for clearing up things," Issei replied. "I hope you two will help me out on this tomorrow?"

"Sure. We'll meet again tomorrow," Nanashi said. "We'll help you recruit your first demon."

[I'll register that as a new Quest on the list,] Burroughs interjected.

[Main Quest – "Issei's Demon Recruitment 101" has been accepted.]

[Issei Hyoudou has become a demon summoner by artificially evolving his Boosted Gear into the Boosted Summoning Gear. But, Issei needs help in recruiting his first demon. You are to help Issei find a demon and help him in the basics of demon negotiation.]

With their chat concluded, Issei unlocked the door to his room. As they said their thanks and farewells to the Hyoudou household, Nanashi and Asahi went back to their apartment without any further incident. They went to their respective beds and slept for the night, exhausted after the day's events.

---

Nanashi was experiencing a lucid dream. Nanashi fully opened his eyes, only to find himself standing in an endless desert. Nanashi had dreams like this before when he spoke to Stephen back in the Monochrome Forest, but this dream was different.

"Hmm…" Nanashi groaned as he clutched his head with his right hand. "Am I dreaming again?"

Before Nanashi pondered the reason why he was having this lucid dream, a demonic voice called out to him.

"Master Aquila? Is that you?" A male demonic voice called out to Nanashi.

Nanashi saw a silhouette of a large demon walking towards him. As the demon walked closer, it gradually revealed itself to be a demon that Nanashi had sworn to have seen somewhere before. He had a head that was a mix between a bull and a human skull, a human-like torso adorned with jewelry, and a beastly lower half covered by a loincloth.

"Who… Who are you?" Nanashi asked, and then he remembered something from his past life as Akira, or rather, Aquila. "Wait… You looked familiar… Minotaur, is that you?"

"Yes, I am Minotaur. I have made a pact with you back at Mikado all those years ago," The Beast demon answered. "I see that you have reincarnated. Do I refer to you as Master Aquila or by your current name?"

Nanashi pondered that for a few moments. Ever since some of his dreams and Mitra-Buddha's revelation that his past life was Akira/Aquila, he never expected that he would meet up with a demon contracted to his past self.

According to Flynn and Isabeau when they fought this demon, it seems that Minotaur still had some sense of loyalty to his past life, even after Akira/Aquila's death. So, Nanashi could not afford to turn down this chance.

"Minotaur, I'd prefer if you call me by my current name," Nanashi replied. "I'm called Nanashi now and it's safe to say that I was Aquila."

The Beast demon was silent as he heard Nanashi's reply. And then, Minotaur knelt before Nanashi, signifying that the demon is still loyal to his master, even if his master had reincarnated.

"Very well, Master Nanashi," Minotaur acknowledged. "If you require my aid, do not hesitate to summon me. I will be delighted to serve you once again as your ally demon."

"Yes, I'll need your help once again," Nanashi answered. "I'm glad that we're able to meet once again, Minotaur…"

Soon enough, the dream ended, and Nanashi's vision faded to white…

---

The next morning, in the Shichiyo Apartment Building…

"Nanashi, wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

Nanashi slowly opened up his eyes, only to see his childhood friend Asahi gently nudging him to consciousness.

"Goodness, Nanashi," Asahi sighed. "You're always a sleepyhead."

[Good morning, Master,] Burroughs greeted.

"Yawn, good morning Asahi. Good morning, Burroughs," Nanashi groaned. "Can't help it, you know."

Nanashi fiddled with his Gauntlet and Dagda's Cauldron materialized in front of them.

"Should you take a bath first?" Asahi questioned.

"Okay, Asahi," Nanashi relented. "Just let me prepare first."

After grabbing a set of new clothes from their drawers, Nanashi went to the shower room, took off his old clothes, grabbed a towel, and took a bath. After 30 minutes in the shower, Nanashi came out of the shower room wearing a fresh set of clothes. He then went to the dining table, where Asahi was waiting for him to finish showering.

"Alright, Asahi. I'm done taking a bath," Nanashi said. "You can now take a bath."

"Yeah," Asahi smiled. "Just wait there until I'm done bathing."

As Asahi went to the bathroom to take a shower, Nanashi materialized Dagda's Cauldron and took some pieces of fried tofu and a bottle of instant coffee from the cauldron. While he was eating his food, he opened his Gauntlet and accessed the Demon Fusion Program.

"Ooh! It seems you have met the requirements to unlock a demon for fusion!" Mido exclaimed. "You have unlocked Beast Minotaur for fusion, and you have all the required demons to summon that demon!"

[Beast Minotaur is now unlocked for fusion.]

Nanashi glanced at the demons needed to fuse Minotaur: Beast Stonka, Foul Night Stalker, and Fallen Orias. He smiled because he encountered those demons back in Tokyo and the macca cost was affordable enough.

"It seems you intent on summoning that specific demon," Mido asked. "So… Shall I begin the fusion?"

"I thought you never ask," Nanashi replied. "Let's do it."

With Nanashi's acknowledgment, Mido allowed the data within the containers to move towards the summoning circle, where the four demon data began to rapidly merge. A brief flash of light occurred and then, the Beast demon was summoned into Nanashi's Gauntlet.

"In honor of my pact with your past self, I shall form a new one here," Minotaur introduced himself from Nanashi's Gauntlet. "I am Beast Minotaur. Master Nanashi, I shall serve you loyally, just as I once did when you were Master Aquila."

Asahi approached the dining table from the shower room, clad in a fresh set of clothes. She noticed that a new demon was summoned into Nanashi's Gauntlet.

"I don't remember you registering Minotaur," Asahi commented. "Is he a new demon?"

"Not quite, Asahi," Nanashi explained. "Minotaur was once a demon contracted to my past self, Akira, or as Mikado calls him, Aquila."

"Wow, a demon from your past life, huh?" Asahi replied. "I'm glad he remained loyal to you, Nanashi!"

Nanashi smiled when Asahi complimented him. As his childhood friend, Asahi was often there to brighten his days. He set those thoughts aside when he remembered something from the Kitsune they befriended yesterday.

"Oh yeah, the fox sticker," Nanashi remembered as he grabbed the item from his pocket. "We can visit Inari in her Domain."

"Yeah, let's use that fox sticker that Kitsune gave us," Asahi replied. "We can use the closet door."

"A closet door?" Nanashi mused. "You know, that sounds like something from an anime or a cartoon."

"Y-yeah," Asahi replied sheepishly. "But, it's still a good idea, right?"

Nanashi shrugged as he walked towards the closet door. Once he was at the door, he applied the fox sticker on the door. And then, a miasma of purplish energy blanketed the door.

[I'm detecting a special Demon Domain,] Burroughs chimed. [Do you two want to go on?]

Nanashi and Asahi nodded, and opened the closet door, revealing a portal to Inari's Domain, which they entered without hesitation.

---

An orb of concentrated magnetite appeared deep within the center of the Domain. A few moments later, Nanashi and Asahi stepped out of the orb and landed on Inari's Domain. They looked back at the orb and realized that it didn't dissipate.

"Nanashi, I thought that orb was supposed to disappear," Asahi wondered. "I wonder why?"

"Maybe it's the fox sticker," Nanashi guessed. "I guess that's also our exit once our chat with Inari is over."

As they took some time to look around the Domain, they noticed that this Domain looks more like a Japanese shrine than a typical Domain.

"Are you sure we're in the right place, Nanashi?" Asahi inquired.

Nanashi briefly de-cloaked his Gauntlet and activated the Map Analysis app. Nanashi's Gauntlet scanned the surroundings and after a few seconds, a notification screen appeared before Nanashi.

[Map Analysis Complete]

[Current Location – Fox Hollow]

"Well, this is indeed the place, but this Domain is different from others so far," Nanashi replied, then he pointed at the distance. "Wait, someone's coming."

Just as Nanashi said, a portal was appearing in front of them. A woman emerged from the portal whose features took Nanashi and Asahi by surprise. The woman was wearing an elaborate white and orange kimono with flame designs. The only signs that this woman is a demon are her fox ears, the nine tails that flow behind her, and the fact that she was emitting vast quantities of magnetite far higher than a human can emit.

"Ah! I have been expecting you two!" The fox woman bowed at them. "I am Amatsu Inari Ōkami and welcome to the Fox Hollow, my personalized Domain in Kuoh. Please follow me to the main building."

Nanashi and Asahi followed Inari further into the Domain.

"Since I have introduced myself to you," Inari asked as they continued their walk. "Why not introduce yourselves?"

"Oh yeah, sorry about that," Nanashi introduced himself. "I'm Nanashi Kizuna."

"And I'm Asahi Kizuna," Asahi added. "In Nanashi's case, he's adopted."

"Adopted siblings, huh? Interesting," Inari said as they approach the entrance door of what appears to be the Fox Hollow's main building.

The interior of the Fox Hollow's main building was similar to that of a typical business office. There was an elaborate desk with a complimentary chair situated in the center of the room alongside two smaller chairs in front of the desk.

"Please have a seat, you two," Inari suggested. "I'll have one of my familiars cater some abura-age tofu and tea to the two of you. I'll be right back."

Nanashi and Asahi sat on the two chairs that were placed near the desk. While they were waiting for Inari to return, Nanashi opened his Gauntlet.

"You're going to check on your demons, Nanashi?" Asahi asked.

"Yeah, not only that," Nanashi replied. "I need to strengthen Minotaur as well."

"You're fond of that particular demon, aren't you?" Asahi smiled.

"You got me there, Asahi," Nanashi grinned as he used stat incenses to strengthen Minotaur. "Maybe it's my past life harkening, but I want to strengthen my contracted demons, you know."

Several minutes later, the entrance door opened and a familiar three-tailed fox entered the Fox Hollow's main building a large plate full of abura-age tofu and two cups of tea. The moment this Kitsune saw Nanashi and Asahi, the fox demon strutted towards them while balancing the food on its back.

"Oh! It's you two again!" The Kitsune spoke to them. "Remember me? I'm the Kitsune that you rescued yesterday."

"Of course! We still remember you from yesterday," Asahi replied. "It's good to see you again, Kitsune!"

"My pleasure! Here are your plates of abura-age," Kitsune used her three tails to put the two plates of abura-age into the desk. "I hope you two enjoy your talk with Mistress Inari!"

Nanashi and Asahi nodded before Kitsune left the building through the entrance door. Not long afterward, Inari opened the door, walked towards her desk, and sat on her chair.

"My apologies about that specific Kitsune," Inari explained. "She wants to see you two again after you saved her yesterday."

"It's alright," Nanashi replied. "She was excited to see us. We don't mind."

"If that's the case, then we can start our chat," Inari said as she relaxed in her chair. "If you have any questions, you can ask me now if you want."

"Mistress Inari, I have a question," Asahi raised her hand while Nanashi ate some of the abura-age tofu. "Is the flow of time difference in this Domain?"

"That's a good question, and call me Inari. Only my Familiars can call me using honorifics," Inari explained. "I can change the flow of time in my Fox Hollow. For example, I can make an hour here equivalent to 10 minutes in the human world. Right now, the flow of time here is the same as the human world."

"Oh yeah, I forgot to ask," Nanashi inquired. "Do you have a way to exchange macca for yen?"

Inari looked at Nanashi with eyes that signify interest. The Amatsu fox demon let the two humans swallow their food and drink their tea before replying to Nanashi's question.

"I see that you two are rich in macca, but poor in other currencies, particularly human currencies," Inari acknowledged. "Fortunately, the Fox Hollow provides a Currency Exchange system that allows you to exchange macca for human currency, although it still depends on the exchange rate."

"Then, what's the exchange rate between macca and Yen?" Asahi inquired.

"Hmm… Let me check," Inari reached for her robes for a calculator. "It seems 1 macca is equal to 10 yen by today's average exchange rate."

That means they can use the services provided by Fox Hollow to fund their daily needs. Nanashi and Asahi smiled at this revelation.

"The Fox Hollow is more than just a currency exchange shop, you know," Inari informed them. "Like for example, we have a special room that is known as a Training Domain."

"Training Domain?" Nanashi iterated. "You mean like a demon combat simulator of sorts?"

"Close, but not quite, Nanashi," Inari explained. "Training Domains are pocket dimensions where you can have control over a personalized mini-Domain. You can edit the environment, the types of demons, and even the power levels of those demons."

"Kid, it sounds like what my Tir Na Nog domains do," Dagda spoke from Nanashi's Gauntlet.

"It does?" Nanashi replied. "You didn't tell me about it."

"Well, you didn't ask about it, kid," Dagda shrugged. "Although my Domain only has the Mitamas and Celtic-related demons."

"Yup! The Training Domain is similar to what Dagda's Tir Na Nog Domains, but mine offers more freedom to its Domain holder and its data is in this DDS card," Inari replied. "The Training Domain DDS card can be yours, for a price of 2 million macca."

"W-whoa, 2 million macca?!" Asahi gasped. "Can we even afford that, Nanashi?"

"We have roughly 6 million macca right now," Nanashi checked his Gauntlet. "Not to mention we have to exchange some of our macca with Yen."

"If there's any consolation, you can recruit or even fundraise demons in the Training Domain. Training Domain demons can even drop valuable items like stat incenses and even some human world items," Inari revealed. "That way, you can eventually offset the macca cost by diligently farming and fundraising the demons there."

Nanashi closed his eyes as he considered their options while Asahi looked at him, hoping for an answer. A minute has passed when Nanashi opened his eyes, having made his decision.

"Fine, we'll buy the Training Domain," Nanashi complied.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Nanashi," Asahi said with a worried look.

"It's for a long-term gain, Asahi," Nanashi affirmed as he used his Gauntlet to materialize two macca paper bills worth 1 million each and handed them over to Inari.

"Thank you for the purchase," Inari smiled. "As a bonus, I'll give you 20 Compendium Tickets."

Inari handed the Training Domain DDS Card and 20 Compendium Tickets to Nanashi. Nanashi gave 10 of the tickets to Asahi while he put the remaining tickets into the Gauntlet's inventory and installed the DDS Card into his Gauntlet.

"Now that's settled… I can ask questions about you two," Inari said. "I admit, I am curious as to why you two have come to this dimension."

"The truth is we're looking for someone here," Nanashi answered. "She tried to kidnap Flynn for some reason. We traced her origins to this world."

"She…?" Inari repeated. "Please clarify who is person or being is."

"Um… She's a dragon," Asahi added. "Her name is… Ophis, the Ouroboros Dragon."

The moment Asahi spoke of that name, Inari fell silent. Nanashi and Asahi noticed the shocked look on her face, but Inari quickly regained her composure and just massaged her head in frustration.

"Ophis? You mean the Ouroboros Dragon?" Inari inquired. "That is indeed worrisome. Ophis usually resides in the Dimensional Gap, but for her to travel to other worlds and tried to kidnap Flynn. Something is amiss."

"Yeah, I agree with you," Nanashi nodded. "Since we don't know her intentions, we're kind of in the dark here."

"Yes, since there are so many unknown variables, but we'll worry about that later," Inari sighed. "Do you two have any questions about me?"

"Well… We know that you and your Kitsune familiars are demons," Nanashi inquired. "How did you and your familiars end up on this world?"

"Hmm… A good question. As you can see, my Familiars and I aren't native to this world," Inari revealed. "We arrived on this world when a space-time rift opened in the Expanse many years ago. Have you heard of the Kyoto Youkai Faction?"

"No, we haven't," Asahi answered. "What kind of group are they?"

"The Kyoto Youkai Faction is a group of Youkais that are led by Yasaka. As their name suggests, they are based in Kyoto," Inari explained. "Yasaka is one that allowed me and my familiars to stay in this world, even if we're not supposed to."

Upon this revelation, Nanashi and Asahi didn't know that there was already Youkai in this world. This begged a particular question from Asahi.

"If that's the case," Asahi inquired. "What sets a youkai and a demon apart?"

"At first glance, you couldn't easily tell a demon and a youkai apart because each of them has varying appearances with some appearing more human-like than others," Inari explained. "But, the key difference is the type of energy being emitted. Youkai emit nature energy while demons emit and are sustained by magatsuhi, or better known to you two as magnetite."

"Hmm, different energies…" Nanashi pondered. "There's more to just differences between youkai and demons, is there?"

"You're right on the money, Messiah boy," Inari answered. "Magnetite is toxic to youkai if they absorb it in large quantities. If a youkai absorbs too much magnetite, they usually fall very ill on the spot, gradually become delirious and insane, and then they either die from exposure or irreversibly transform into demon version of themselves."

"That's… a horrible way to go," Asahi gasped. "There are even demons that are based on youkai."

"Yeah, it's a sad thing isn't it?" Inari said somberly. "I found that out when one of Yasaka's youkai ambassadors, a monkey youkai woman, went into the Fox Hollow a few weeks ago. One of my familiars noticed that she was rapidly becoming ill due to magnetite poisoning."

"Fortunately, we do have means to mitigate the magnetite poisoning to a degree," Inari explained. "At that time, we used special paper talismans enchanted to filter out around 80% of the magnetite in her body and some healing spells to counteract the poisoning. Thankfully, it was enough to save her life."

The two humans nodded in understanding. It seemed that everything that they want to talk about was already discussed. Inari knew that this meeting has reached its conclusion.

"I see… Thank you for the talk, Inari," Nanashi said as he and Asahi stood up. "We thank you for your hospitality."

"It's a pleasure. Please make sure to visit the Fox Hollow again next time, even just for a chat," Inari said. "I'm usually here, ready to cater to your demon summoner needs!"

As Nanashi and Asahi left the Fox Hollow's main building, a particular Kitsune entered the building. Meanwhile, Inari looked into the distance as the two humans used the orb to leave her Domain.

"There they go, Mistress Inari…" Kitsune said as the two humans left the Fox Hollow. "Oh, I wish I can join them in their adventures."

"In due time, my Kitsune..." Inari assured. "For now, you still have more deliveries to do."

---

Moments later, Nanashi and Asahi stepped out of the Fox Hollow and back into their living room. Nanashi removed the fox sticker from the closet door and stored it in his Gauntlet while checking at the current time. It was 9:30 in the morning.

Afterward, the Hunter duo looked around their room and saw something that wasn't there earlier. It was a letter encased in a strange sigil that depicts an inverted black cross with 3 pairs of wings. Nanashi walked towards where the letter was to pick it up.

"What's that letter?" Asahi muttered as she saw Nanashi pick up the letter. "Nanashi, should we open it?"

"Wait, we need to check if this letter's not booby-trapped," Nanashi replied cautiously. "Burroughs, scan this letter."

[Understood, Master Nanashi,] Burroughs replied. [Activating Scan Mode…]

Suddenly, Nanashi's Gauntlet emitted green scanning lasers on the unopened letter. After a few seconds, the scanning lasers faded away and his Gauntlet glowed bright green.

[I've scanned the letter, but it's genuine. There are no biological or magical tamperings on this letter,] Burroughs confirmed. [I've also scanned the whole letter. It's safe to open its contents.]

"Sure," Nanashi confirmed. "Let's open this letter."

Without further ado, Nanashi tore off the seal and revealed the letter's contents for him and Asahi to see.

To Nanashi and his allies:

I used my sources to find your apartment since we didn't register each other in our contacts duo to the fiasco yesterday. If you're available, stop by Black Dog Bar at around 11:00 a.m. or 12:00 p.m. You can even bring Issei Hyoudou along if you want. After all, that boy is likely traumatized and he has a lot of questions directed to me after that event. Oh, the bar is supposed to be closed today, but I've instructed Tobio 'Slash Dog' Ikuse to cater to your lunch since what happened yesterday was a very special case. Don't worry about surveillance. Tobio and I made countermeasures that no other factions will listen to our conversation.

Yours truly,

Azazel

[I'll register that as a Quest on the list,] Burroughs interjected.

[Main Quest – "Meeting with the Grigori and the Slash Dog" has been accepted.]

[You have received a letter from the former Governor-General of the Grigori, Azazel. You are to visit the Black Dog Bar at around 11:00 a.m. Bringing Issei Hyoudou along is optional, but highly recommended.]

"So, we're invited over to talk to that Azazel guy over what happened yesterday," Asahi recounted. "Should we bring Issei along?"

"Yeah, Issei needs closure to move on from this," Nanashi agreed. "Burroughs, contact Issei and ask him to meet us outside the apartment complex."

[Got it, Master Nanashi,] Burroughs confirmed. [I've sent a message over Mister Issei. I estimate that he'll arrive within the allotted time.]

---

Two hours later…

Nanashi and Asahi stood outside their apartment near the entrance door. There were only a few people that were walking in their direction, but they stood there, waiting for Issei Hyoudou to arrive.

"Are you sure Issei's tagging along with us, Nanashi?" Asahi asked.

"I'm pretty sure he's coming along with us," Nanashi replied while looking around. "I think I can see him in the distance over there."

And sure enough, they could see that Issei Hyoudou was running towards them, sprinting as fast as he could. When Issei reached the apartment complex, he was visibly sweating and panting from all the running.

"Whoa, calm down, Issei!" Nanashi said. "You don't have to run like that!"

"Are you okay, Issei?" Asahi asked. "You got winded from running from your home to our apartment."

Issei let out a few gasps of air and clutched his knees with both of his hands as he slowly recovered his stamina from his sprint to meet the Hunter duo.

"Ha… I came running to your apartment as fast as I could," Issei huffed. "But for the most part, I'm okay. What are you two inviting me for?"

"We're going to meet up with Azazel. You know, the leader of the Fallen Angels," Nanashi explained. "Azazel will explain this whole mess and clear up some misunderstandings."

"So, wanna go along with us, Issei?" Asahi asked. "I mean, Azazel did specifically say in his letter that you can tag along, but it's up to you."

Issei can still remember yesterday's events clearly. Both of his hands balled into fists when he recalled those events, but the voice of Ddraig inside his head.

[Partner, sometimes we have to confront our greatest fears at some point in our lives,] Ddraig offered his advice. [You can't always run away from your problems.]

"It's okay if you don't want to come along," Nanashi offered some counsel. "Given that you nearly died yesterday, it's quite understandable."

Issei did not respond at first. Instead, he let out a series of deep inhales and exhales. After a while, Issei calmed down and addressed his friends.

"So, we'll meet up with Fallen Angels, huh?" Issei said with a sullen look. "Look, I'm still traumatized over what happened yesterday, but I also have a lot of questions. I guess I'll tag along with you guys."

"In case that we have to fight, did you explain to Issei how his Sacred Gear works?" Asahi inquired.

[Don't worry about that. I've filled into my partner about the basics on how his Sacred Gear and the Demon Summoning Program functions while you two went home,] Ddraig explained. [And the Demon Summoning Program is truly fascinating. Whoever designed such a marvelous program deserves my respect.]

"I still need your help in recruiting my demons," Issei added. "I can't be a demon summoner without any demons."

"We didn't forget that," Nanashi acknowledged. "We'll help you recruit your demons after we meet with Azazel."

---

With the help of Burroughs, Nanashi, Asahi, and Issei tracked the location of the Black Dog Bar, which was located southeast of Kuoh, just a few blocks away from Nanashi and Asahi's apartment. Its appearance was that of a typical bar-restaurant hybrid. It was situated on the first floor a two-story building. In front of the building's entrance, a logo for the Black Dog Bar was displayed, with the English name of the establishment was prominent while the kanji for the establishment was displayed on the bottom of the logo.

As Nanashi, Asahi, and Issei stood in front of the entrance, a lot of questions were in their heads. And in Issei's case, he was rather hesitant due to yesterday's events. But, Nanashi and Asahi knew that they have to do this to clear up misunderstandings and provide some closure for Issei. Without further ado, Nanashi walked towards the entrance door and noticed the sign that says "Closed". Thanks to the information in the letter, Nanashi pressed the doorbell situated near the entrance door.

"Coming!" A male voice was heard from inside the supposedly closed bar.

The entrance door opened and a handsome young man with short black hair and pale grey eyes wearing a restaurant uniform greeted the trio.

"Hey, you must be Nanashi, Asahi, and Issei?" Tobio held out his hand to shake, to which Nanashi obliged.

"Yeah," Nanashi nodded. "We came here today as requested in the letter."

"Right. Come on in, you three," Tobio acknowledged. "Azazel will be meeting with the three of you shortly."

[Congratulations upon completing the quest!] Burroughs chimed.

Issei felt that he leveled up when he heard Burroughs. For a moment, he considered checking his Sacred Gear, but he knew that this wasn't the right time for that.

Slipping in just as the dinner rush was beginning to approach, the two stopped at the far end of a bar on the left-hand side of the restaurant's interior. Tables of various sizes were arranged neatly across the center of the floor and against the right-hand wall. Spaces along the bar were preset for dining at about one meter apart from each other, and available foods were on display behind a glass counter. Nanashi had to admit: some of the things there looked pretty appetizing.

"Please, go grab a seat," Tobio suggested. "While we wait for Azazel, why not look at our menu?"

"Just to be sure," Issei asked. "Do we need to pay for our lunches here?"

"There's no need for you three to pay for your lunches. It's a special occasion since Azazel felt to compensate you three after yesterday's events," 'Tobio explained. "Oh, Azazel will be arriving shortly."

Moments after Tobio went to the kitchen to cook their meals, a magic circle appeared in front of their table. In a span of a few seconds, Azazel appeared in the magic circle, wearing his business suit.

"I am Azazel, the former Governor-General and the de-facto leader of the Fallen Angels," Azazel introduced himself. "I know you three all have a lot of questions, but we'll take this on slowly so there will be little to no misunderstandings while Tobio cooks your lunches."

"We understand," Nanashi acknowledged. "You can ask us first if you want."

"If you insist. Now, I already know about Issei Hyoudou here, but not you two. So, here is the first of the many million-dollar questions," Azazel asked the Hunter duo. "I've checked the registrations and the legal papers and basically, you two only existed a few days ago. So, who are you, kids?"

Asahi frowned upon being called a kid by Azazel, but Nanashi held her hand, prompting her to let that slide as she lets Nanashi answer Azazel's question.

"I'm Nanashi Kizuna and this is my adopted sister Asahi," Nanashi divulged. "We're… demon summoners from another world that happened to stumble upon our classmate almost killed by his supposed girlfriend."

"Hmm… Another world, huh? I'm intrigued…" Azazel pondered. "Go on…"

"Well…" Nanashi explained. "It all started when a being named Ophis tried to kidnap Flynn. Thankfully Flynn managed to fend her off."

Just like with Inari earlier, Azazel fell silent. Nanashi and Asahi noticed the stern look on his face, but unlike Inari, they could tell that Azazel still couldn't believe them.

"Wait…" Azazel stammered. "Did you just say… Ophis, as in… the Ouroboros Dragon?"

"Yeah," Asahi replied. "She has the exact title."

Azazel let out a frown as Asahi confirmed his suspicions. On the other hand, Issei was confused as to why the name "Ophis" carries a lot of dread.

"Wait, I don't get it. Who is Ophis anyway?" Issei questioned. "Is Ophis a girl?"

"Yes, Issei. Ophis is indeed female and she usually resides in the Dimensional Gap," Azazel clarified. "But for her to travel to another world and kidnap that Flynn guy? This spells a lot of trouble down the line."

"And that's why we came to this world," Asahi replied. "We need to know why Ophis tried to kidnap Flynn."

"For the most part, even we, the Grigori, don't know her objectives," Azazel explained. "Ophis is eons old. Having spent that many years by herself didn't do any wonders to her social skills."

"Even so, if you have any news on Ophis' whereabouts," Nanashi asked. "Please send any relevant info to us. Burroughs will send you our contact numbers."

[Will do, Master Nanashi,] Burroughs chimed. [And it's done. I've sent the data to Azazel's smartphone.]

"That's a handy A.I. there. I like it," Azazel said as he checked his smartphone for confirmation. "Anyway, thank you two for clarifying the situation. If my sources obtain any news on Ophis, I'll inform you two ASAP."

"Thanks," Asahi replied. "Uh, do you have other questions for us, Azazel?"

"Right. Let's change the subject, kiddos. Let's talk about your familiars," Azazel inquired. "I know about Tenkai and Dagda based on their names, mythology, and historical records, at least, but they looked so different from their depictions here. So, what are they?"

"They're… demons," Nanashi replied. "To clarify, devils and demons are technically different. Maybe it'd be better to show you instead."

"Alright, do it," Azazel smiled. "You have my attention."

"Jack Frost, I summon you!" Nanashi declared.

Nanashi's Gauntlet glowed bright green as the chosen demon materialized in the physical world.

"Nice to meet you, hee-ho!" Jack Frost waved at Azazel. "I'm Fairy Jack Frost under the hee-command of Master Nanashi, ho!"

Azazel let out a smirk upon seeing the snowman fairy. Jack Frost may look adorable, but due to his millennia of existence, Azazel knew that even cute beings can pack a powerful punch.

"Cute. Demons, huh?" Azazel mused as he examined Jack Frost. "I don't detect any devil energy within this one."

"No, they don't," Nanashi explained. "Demons are sustained by magnetite."

"Magnetite?" Azazel asked. "Isn't that the name of a magnetic iron oxide mineral?"

"Yeah, but what I'm referring to is biological magnetite," Nanashi explained. "It's what demons need to remain corporeal in the physical world.

"Excuse hee-me, mister," Jack Frost asked. "Does this place have any snowcones or ice-hee-cream, ho?"

"Sure thing, buddy!" Azazel smiled and then he shouted at the kitchen. "Tobio! Give this Jack Frost some of our best snow cones!"

"Got it!" Tobio shouted. "I'll bring that along with their lunches!"

Soon afterward, Azazel thought was on that snow fairy. From what he knew in English mythology, the Jack Frosts that he was familiar with looked nothing compared to this snow demon that was summoned by Nanashi. This was a bit of a stretch, but he decided to take a risk.

"From what I can recall, Jack Frost is a snow fairy who brings in cold weather during the winter. How appropriate," Azazel mused. "I'm betting that your world has a version of Ophis, right?"

"Uh, not exactly," Asahi answered. "There's a Snake race demon named Ouroboros, but she's nowhere powerful compared to Ophis. Nanashi can even summon her if you want."

"Hmm… That means even I have a demon version," Azazel realized. "Kiddo, why not summon that demon version of me?"

"Are you sure about this?" Nanashi hesitantly asked. "You may not like this demon version of you."

"It's okay, kiddo," Azazel assured. "If the push comes to shove and demon me is disagreeable, I can defend myself."

"Alright, if you insist," Nanashi shrugged as he used his Gauntlet to call forth a specific demon. "Tyrant Azazel, come forth!"

Nanashi's Gauntlet emitted a green flash of light, and then, a Tyrant race demon appeared in front of them.

"I have been called here in the behest of thy summoner," The Tyrant demon spoke. "I am Tyrant Azazel. A pleasure to make thy acquaintance."

"So, it is true," Azazel muttered. "He looks just like me when I'm wearing my battle attire."

"Just who are thou supposed to be? Wait…" Tyrant Azazel replied as he examined his Fallen Angel counterpart. "It cannot be. Thou art… me."

"Yep! Nice to meet you, demon me!" Azazel grinned. "You know, you should work out in your language. Thee, thou, and thy? Ha! Those words aren't even used that much nowadays."

Meanwhile, Tobio returned from the kitchen carrying a large tray full of food on his right hand and surprisingly, a snowcone on his left hand. As the two versions of Azazel walked to the other corner of the room to chat in private, leaving the four humans staring at them awkwardly.

"I… didn't expect them to easily get along," Issei commented.

"Does he… often do that?" Asahi asked Tobio.

"Unfortunately, this is how Azazel behaves," Tobio answered. "He's over a few millennia old. You'll get used to it. Oh, and here's your snowcone, Jack Frost."

"Thanks for the snowcone, ho!" Jack Frost took the snowcone. "I'll be-hee on my Master's Gauntlet if he-ho needs me!"

With the snowcone on his right hand, Jack Frost returned to Nanashi's Gauntlet. Once his demon is in his Gauntlet, Nanashi took the initiative and asked Tobio a couple of questions.

"You must be Tobio, right?" Nanashi inquired while offering Tobio to shake his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

"Likewise," Tobio replied and shook Nanashi's hand. "I lead the Slash Dog Team. My team is entirely comprised of humans under the Grigori's jurisdiction."

"Your team only has humans?" Asahi asked. "How did your team end up with Azazel?"

"It's a long story, but with Azazel having a chat with his demon self, I guess we do have the time," Tobio replied. "Have you ever heard of the Heavenly Aloha?"

"Uh, not really," Nanashi replied. "Asahi and I have been only in this world for a week."

"Yeah, I do!" Issei answered. "Isn't that the cruise ship that went missing in the news?"

"At least Issei here is informed," Tobio nodded. "But for you two, I guess I have to explain that…"

The trio listened as they continued to eat their meals.

"The Heavenly Aloha was the cruise liner that took off from Japan several years ago, but never came back," Tobio explained. "No emergency broadcast, no wreckage, not even a clue as to where it went since there was a whole school full of students was on board at that time."

"Did anyone try to rescue them?" Asahi asked.

"Yeah, the government did, but nothing came of it for two weeks," Tobio answered. "The better question would have been: 'Who hadn't heard of it?' It was the worst maritime disaster the world had seen that year."

"And what's your connection with that incident?" Nanashi inquired.

"I was originally supposed to be one of the students in that group, but I couldn't make it because I was sick," Tobio explained somberly. "Over two hundred fifty people, a vast majority of kids and teenagers, vanished without a trace. At least, until several of my classmates who were on board reappeared in Japan around one month later."

"Something doesn't feel right here," Nanashi's eyes widened. "How did that not make the news?"

"It was all covered up. Eventually, I awakened my Sacred Gear during the whole ordeal," Tobio explained. "It was also around the same time that I found out the culprits behind the incident."

"And the perpetrators were…" Asahi asked.

"It was the Utsusemi Agency that was behind it all. They're a splinter group from the Five Principle Clans whose goals were revenge because they were disowned," Tobio answered. "The Five Principle Clans are Himejima, Doumon, Nakiri, Kushihashi, and Shinra."

As soon as Tobio mentioned those surnames, Nanashi, Asahi, and Issei were reminded of Akeno and Tsubaki back in Kuoh Academy.

"If you three are done spacing out, let me continue my story," Tobio interrupted them. "The Utsusemi Agency kidnapped the people on the Heavenly Aloha to be used as test subjects for Sacred Gear experiments."

"After my best friend almost died trying to save me, I lost control of my Sacred Gear. It took Azazel and two of his most trusted associates to subdue me."

"Dude, what happens after that?" Issei inquired.

"Well, Azazel explained the basics of the supernatural world to me," Tobio concluded. "He even managed to rescue my surviving friends and group us up together into the Slash Dog Team."

As Tobio finished explaining his backstory, the trio was silent as they took all of this information in.

"Well, at least it turned out okay for you and your friends," Nanashi said.

"Yeah, you're still alive and your friends are alive," Asahi added. "You were able to move on past that."

"Thank you. What's done is done. So, what about you three?" Tobio asked. "What are your stories?"

"Our… stories?" Nanashi iterated.

"Yes, I'm asking for your personal stories. At least Azazel and I know that you two are from a different world," Tobio clarified. "And also, we all start from somewhere."

And so, Nanashi and Asahi told Tobio their backstories, who they were, their occupation, and their role as demon summoners.

"So, you two were once trainees under your mentors when tragedy struck," Tobio summarized. "And Nanashi, you did die in that encounter, right?"

"Yeah, I was killed by Adramelech and my soul wandered in the afterlife for a while until I met Dagda," Nanashi explained. "I accepted Dagda's deal to become his Godslayer to save Asahi from being killed."

"I was grateful that Nanashi came back from the dead to save me," Asahi added. "But one thing led to another, and even I was killed and eaten by another demon. But, they were able to find my soul and I came back to life thanks to Nanashi."

"Wow, that's so unreal," Issei blurted. "I didn't know that you two died."

"Yeah, Asahi and I are basically in the same boat. We both died and then revived," Nanashi confirmed. "It's not… a pleasant life experience, but we manage."

The air around them was starting to become awkward. Thankfully, Issei had another question in mind and quickly changed the subject.

"Um, Tobio… Can I ask something?" Issei spoke. "It's about Yuuma… or rather, Raynare. What can you tell about her and why she tried to kill me?"

"From what I can tell you, Raynare's team had been sent to Kuoh to identify and observe you from afar, Issei," Tobio answered. "Azazel correctly assumed that you have a Sacred Gear. So, Raynare and her team were supposed to watch you and make sure that you don't awaken your Sacred Gear, which they failed in all accounts."

"Uh-huh," Issei nodded. "Is it that dangerous to forcibly awaken a Sacred Gear?"

"Yes, there have been many times when humans awakened their Sacred Gear at the wrong time," Tobio explained. "Most of them couldn't handle that surge of power an awakened Sacred Gear can emanate and more often than not, they went on a rampage, got themselves killed, and potentially exposed the supernatural to the general public."

As they nodded their heads in understanding, Nanashi and Asahi took note of that. In this world, ordinary humans were not aware of the supernatural beings that lived alongside them.

"That brings another question," Nanashi inquired. "If Azazel's orders on Raynare were only to observe Issei, who changed that order?"

"We don't know," Tobio answered. "What I can tell you three is that someone, likely a high-ranking Fallen Angel, intercepted Azazel's orders to Raynare and her companions and altered those orders."

"So, Raynare was blindly following that order, even if it may not come from Azazel himself," Asahi said. "Did you find the culprit?"

"Sadly, that Fallen Angel hid their involvement very well," Tobio shook his head. "But, if the Grigori can find that Fallen Angel, Azazel would let you guys know."

"Um… I do have one more question to ask," Issei inquired. "What happened to Yuuma… I mean, Raynare?"

"According to Azazel, Raynare is currently on probation," Tobio answered. "She's currently on supervision by other Fallen Angels of the Grigori in case she does something stupid again. Don't worry about her anymore, Issei."

Moments later, the two versions of Azazel walked towards the humans, with the Fallen Angel version having a big smile on his face. Then, the demon Azazel approached Nanashi, indicating that his chat with his Fallen Angel counterpart has concluded.

"Thy other self is… amicable," The demon Azazel remarked as he returned to Nanashi's side. "He can be trusted. In the future, only summon me if there is a battle to be joined."

As Tyrant Azazel returned to Nanashi's Gauntlet, Azazel approached the trio, with a smile on his face.

"So, while I was chatting with my demon self, I heard that you three talked with Tobio," Azazel inquired. "I'm curious as to what you four talked about."

"We just shared some personal stories and other stuff," Nanashi answered. "I think Tobio can explain that better."

"Alright. Now that we got all of this cleared up, I have a proposition for you three," Azazel offered to them. "How about you three join the Grigori?"

"Huh?" Nanashi narrowed his eyes at Azazel. "Why are you proposing that?"

"You three are neutral, that much is clear," Azazel started explaining while maintaining his eye on the Hunter duo. "Three wild cards that can shift the fragile balance in anyone's favor. Not to mention that Issei here is the Red Dragon Emperor, the one who wields the Boosted Gear."

"Red Dragon Emperor, huh…" Issei pondered. "So, that's my title."

"Although you two are otherworldly humans, what I have seen from how Nanashi fights, you two have a lot more in common with the Grigori than you two would think," Azazel addressed Nanashi and Asahi. "I can even assign two of you to Tobio here along with Issei. So, what do you say?"

Nanashi and Asahi fell silent. Even if this wasn't an offer to join a Peerage, this proposal weight a lot in their decision-making. On the other hand, Issei was still sour over yesterday's events. Eventually, the trio had only one answer, even if each of them had different reasons to support their choice.

"Thank you, Azazel," Nanashi shook his head. "But, Asahi and I will have to decline your offer."

"Yeah, and I agree with them," Issei replied. "I'm still sour over what happened yesterday, but thanks for clearing up things."

"Understandable, I've expected that reply from the three of you," Azazel replied. "Just so you know, the offer will remain open to you three."

"We'll think about it," Nanashi replied. "We'll take our leave. Thanks for the food and for clearing things up, Azazel."

As the trio left the Black Dog Bar, a smile was present on Azazel's face while Tobio cleaned up plates and cups on the table.

"They're quite an interesting bunch of kids," Tobio remarked. "Particularly Nanashi and Asahi, Those two reminded me of the Beast Tamers."

"True, but even Beast Tamers don't have access to what they have," Azazel replied. "We'll keep an eye on them."

"Do you think they'll change the balance of this world?" Tobio inquired.

"Given that they're able to summon gods and demons from virtually any mythology," Azazel replied. "You can bet my ass that they'll change this world."

---

After they met with the Grigori, Nanashi, Asahi, and Issei went to Kuoh Park to help Issei recruit his demons. Issei seemed less than pleased that they returned to the very place where he nearly lost his life.

"Kuoh Park?" Issei was exasperated. "Why did we come back here?"

"Issei, Kuoh Park is the only place we can find that is a big enough place to recruit demons and I can ask Dagda to repair any collateral damage to the park if I have to," Nanashi explained. "Burroughs, can you scan the area if other humans are nearby?"

[Yes, Master Nanashi,] Burroughs confirmed. [Activating Scan Mode...]

Just as before, Nanashi's Gauntlet emitted green scanning lasers to the area around them. After a few seconds, the scanning lasers faded away and Burroughs appeared on the Gauntlet's screen.

[Scan complete,] Burroughs confirmed. [There are no other humans besides the three of you in this area.]

"Alright, maybe this place is where you guys will teach me how to recruit demons, right?" Issei sighed. "I hope I'll find a hot demon girl here."

"Don't worry about that, Issei! And this park is practically deserted since yesterday," Asahi assured Issei. "We'll help you recruit your demons in no time!"

"Help!" A female demonic voice screamed. "I'm being chased!"

The three humans ran towards the source of the commotion. It turned out the one who cried out in distress is a Pixie and she was being chased by a demon that neither of them had seen before. The demon in question was masculine. He had a pitch-black body and sported reddish hair on his head. He was flying on a pair of bat-like wings and wielded a bronze pitchfork as his weapon. It was a completely new demon. Nanashi and Asahi had not seen that particular kind of demon in their homeworld.

Nanashi wasted no time and dashed towards the black demon while drawing out a legendary sword known as Ame-no-Murakumo from his Gauntlet. Using the legendary blade, Nanashi slashed the black demon and delivered a kick, knocking the demon to the ground.

"What kind of a demon is that?" Nanashi huffed. "Burroughs, scan that demon."

[Understood, Master…] Burroughs complied. [Activating Scan Mode…]

As the demon was still knocked down, Nanashi's Gauntlet emitted green scanning lasers aimed at the unknown demon. After a few seconds, the scanning lasers faded away and his Gauntlet glowed bright green.

[It's known as Daemon, a Brute race demon from both Greek and Biblical mythologies,] Burroughs explained. [It's a lesser demon, usually under a command of a higher-ranking demon. It's highly aggressive to both humans and non-Brute race demons.]

"A new demon, huh? Issei, you're going to witness me fight that demon," Nanashi said as he took the Hunter Blade to his Gauntlet and gave it to Issei. "Here, you'll need a weapon to defend yourself, Issei. Are you ready?"

"Yeah, thanks Nanashi," Issei nodded as his right hand gripped on the Hunter Blade. "I'm ready to do some demon ass-kicking!"

As the Daemon recovered from being knocked down, he wasn't prepared that the two humans lunging on him. Issei attacked first, using his right hand to swing the Hunter Blade at the Daemon.

The Daemon managed to block Issei's attack using his bronze trident, but Nanashi saw an opening and swung Ame-no-Murakumo at the Daemon, slashing it and knocking it a few feet back. Nanashi was about to do a follow-up attack when suddenly…

[Threatening Aura Activated]

The Daemon threw his bronze trident to the ground, signaling that he would not fight them anymore. From their battles with Jaki and Brute race demons, Nanashi knew that some of them would kotow when they faced a far stronger opponent.

"Okay! Okay! I give up!" The Daemon spoke. "Do with me as you will…"

"Become my ally," Nanashi replied. "If you refuse, I will end you."

The Daemon is still frustrated that he couldn't even kill the Pixie or the three humans in front of him. The Brute demon let out a grunt of disappointment and addressed Nanashi's demands.

"Tch, as if I had a choice," The Daemon grunted. "Fine. The name's Brute Daemon. Do with me as you wish, as long as I get to kill demons for you…"

As Daemon dispersed into magnetite particles and went inside Nanashi's Gauntlet, Issei had some questions about the battle that he participated in.

"Way to go, Nanashi! Issei!" Asahi cheered at them.

"Man, that's my first demon battle," Issei huffed. "What was that, Nanashi? Why did that demon just give up and joined you all of a sudden?"

[That was the Threatening Aura, Master Issei,] Burroughs explained in Nanashi's stead. [It's an app in the Gauntlet that allows a low chance for weak demons to beg with their lives. Your Sacred Gear also has the same app installed.]

As for the Pixie, she couldn't believe that these humans saved her life. She flew towards them to express her gratitude.

"Thanks for saving me. That was a close call back there," Pixie spoke. "I forgot to ask though. Who are you, humans?"

"I'm Issei, and these two are my friends, Nanashi and Asahi," Issei explained. "We're… demon summoners and we happened to see you being attacked and we decided to save you."

"Summoners, huh? Thanks for saving me!" Pixie replied. "I want to repay your kindness somehow…"

"Well, what do you have in mind?" Issei asked the Fairy demon.

Pixie crossed her arms and closed her eyes as she thought of ways that she could thank these humans properly. After a few moments, she opened her eyes, as if she found her answer.

"Oh, I know! You can let me accompany you, Issei!" Pixie exclaimed. "I can sense that your friends are already powerful summoners, but you don't have a demon of your own, right?

"Yeah," Issei nodded. "Compared to my friends, I'm still a rookie."

"Then let's change that!" Pixie said. "Just say the words, and I'll become your ally! No doubt about it!"

"Yeah, sure thing, Pixie," Issei smiled. "Please be my ally."

"Thank you! I'll be your ally demon from now on!" Pixie replied. "I'm Fairy Pixie. Nice to meet you, Issei!"

Suddenly, Issei felt a connection between him and Pixie. Issei looked at his Boosted Summoning Gear and saw that Pixie was registered on his party. For Issei, it felt rather strange like a metaphorical connection was established.

[Partner, the bond that you have with your Pixie is called a Summoner's contract,] Ddraig interjected. [Pixie is now bound to you and she will follow your orders.]

[Congratulations on completing the quest!] Burroughs chimed in.

Just like earlier today, Issei felt a surge of potential within him as his goal of recruiting his first demon was completed. At the same time, Nanashi and Asahi smiled at their friend since he was surely going to get stronger.

"I feel a surge of power within me!" Pixie said. "I think I'm ready to share my skills with you!"

Suddenly, Issei felt his connection to his Pixie being tugged, as if she was sharing some of her power with him.

[That's called the Demon Whisper, partner,] Ddraig explained. [If an allied demon learns all the skills that they could naturally learn, they will offer to share most of their learned skills with their summoner.]

Surely this is one of the ways he could get stronger. Without hesitation, Issei learned Dia, Zan, and Zio from his Pixie through Demon Whisper. Once the Demon Whisper event was over,

"Oh yeah!" Pixie answered. "I was being chased by that demon. I think he came from a nearby Demon Domain somewhere here."

"What's a Demon Domain?" Issei repeated.

"Demon Domains are pocket dimensions created by powerful demons," Nanashi explained. "There are exceptions though, but most demons create Domains to hunt and eat humans."

"I don't like where this is going," Asahi commented.

"That's not all," Pixie elaborated. "Before I was chased around, I think I also saw a big Oni carrying a human girl into that Domain."

"I have a bad feeling about this," Asahi grimaced. "Let's go to that Domain and save that girl, Nanashi!"

[I'm registering that as a new quest on the list,] Burroughs chimed.

[Main Quest – "Demon Domain Rescue Ops" has been accepted.]

[A Pixie who is contracted under Issei Hyoudou revealed that a Demon Domain has been established in the vicinity. Furthermore, one of those demons has kidnapped a human girl and whisked her away into that Domain. You are to rescue that girl before she gets killed and eaten by the demons responsible for that Domain.]

With Issei's Pixie leading the way, the trio walked towards a specific corner of Kuoh Park. There, they saw a miasma of magnetite swirling together in a vortex, an entrance to a Demon Domain.

"Wait, this Domain wasn't here yesterday," Asahi exclaimed.

"I agree with her," Danu spoke from Asahi's Gauntlet. "If this Domain was created yesterday, I would've sensed it during the whole battle."

"Mother, it would seem this Domain was created just this morning," Dagda materialized in front of them. "Given that those demons only kidnapped one human girl so far."

"Seems like it," Nanashi acknowledged. "Dagda, can you unlock this Domain?"

"Don't worry about that, kid," Dagda huffed. "Opening this Domain is pretty easy for me."

Dagda snapped his fingers and then, the vortex began to stabilize into a portal.

[The Demon Domain has been opened,] Burroughs warned. [Do you three want to go in?]

Without hesitation, the human trio and their allied demons went into the Domain.

---

Inside the Domain, they encountered more demons while looking for the door leading to its chamber. Nanashi and Asahi used these encounters to train Issei in the basics of demon negotiations.

"You're pissing me off!" The Oni declared. "Get outta my sight!"

"Whoa! I just asked you nicely!" Issei exclaimed as he dodged another attack from the Oni. "Ha! Zio!"

His clawed hand glowed yellow as a bolt of electricity surged from it and struck the Oni, shocking the enraged demon before disintegrating into magnetite particles. Nanashi and Asahi walked up to Issei and help him stand up.

"Damn it, why am I not getting this right?" Issei said. "Where did I go wrong with that demon?"

"Issei, demon negotiations can be quite tricky and it works differently for every demon," Asahi explained. "You said to that Oni to be your flunky, which pissed the demon off and attacked you."

"We should teach you the proper skills in demon negotiations," Nanashi said. "To be fair, Asahi and I do mess up with demon negotiations every once in a while."

After several minutes of failed negotiations and several rounds of demon battles, they reached the end of the Domain, marked by a door that was giving off large amounts of magnetite. The trio was about to open that door when suddenly…

"KYAAAH!" A young woman's voice screamed. "HELP! ANYONE, PLEASE!"

[I'm detecting a strong Horde of demons ahead,] Burroughs chimed. [Do you three want to go on?]

Without giving second thoughts, the trio opened the door and entered the next room and they were greeted by a nasty surprise.

Standing in front of them was a horde of Brute race demons, led by multiple Oni, followed by several Azumi and Daemons. They all had that aggressive and agitated look on their faces as if they have succumbed to their hunger for human flesh and souls.

In the middle of it all, a human girl wearing the tattered remains of Kuoh Academy's high school uniform was sprawled across the floor. She had several bruises and lacerations in many parts of her body and her clothes were tattered, leaving much of her injured body exposed for them to see.

Normally, Issei would go head over heels when he sees a girl showing a lot of skin, but he knew this was a serious situation and the aforementioned girl sustained a lot of injuries. As he looked at her face, Issei's eyes widened as he recognized this young woman.

"Guys, I think I know her," Issei said. "She's Kiyome Abe, an upperclassman."

"Please…" Kiyome rasped for air. "Help me…"

As the Brute Horde drew close to Kiyome, the trio wasted no time and ran towards Kiyome intending to save her from such a gruesome fate.

"Let's go!" Nanashi declared as he drew out Ame-no-Murakumo. "Asahi, go to Kiyome and heal her and defend her from demon attacks! Issei, with me!"

Nanashi and Issei charged right in and attack several demons that comprised the Brute Horde. This gave Asahi enough leeway to run towards Kiyome while summoning Danu at the same time.

On the other hand, several demons of the Brute Horde are severely displeased that three humans intervened to save the human girl who was to become their meal. One of the Oni pointed his club towards Nanashi and Issei and bore his demonic fangs in anger.

"Hey! That human girl is our meal!" One of the Oni snarled at the trio. "That's it! You are all dead meat! Get these fuckers!"

Being the stronger of the two, Nanashi managed to slash several demons using Mist Rush. Out of sheer instinct, Issei manifested his Boosted Summoning Gear in the form of a clawed gauntlet on his left arm. The green gem on his Sacred Gear glowed green as Ddraig's voice spoke from the clawed gauntlet.

[Boost!]

Issei felt a surge of energy from his Sacred Gear. He felt that if he doesn't release this energy, it could damage him or worse. As he dodged another attack from an Azumi, he let the energy coalesce into a spell that manifested on the tip of the Hunter Blade.

"Take this!" Issei shouted swinging the Hunter Blade. "Zan!"

The moment Issei swung the Hunter Blade, the resulting slash called forth a big gust of wind that was enhanced by his Sacred Gear. The gust of wind was devastating on the Brute Horde, killing several demons while injuring the rest. The attack even killed the demons that Nanashi was fighting, making him glance at Issei.

"Nice one, Issei!" Nanashi smiled. "I didn't know you can do that!"

"I… just follow Ddraig's instructions," Issei huffed. "[Boost] takes around 10 seconds to charge, you know."

[As much as Mister Issei's attack was impressive,] Burroughs pointed out. [More demons incoming.]

---

As the Brute Horde was distracted by Nanashi and Issei, Asahi quickly ran towards Kiyome, with her healing spells ready and she also summoned Danu to watch their backs.

"Don't worry! I'll heal you all up," Asahi sat down as her hands glowed in soft, white light. "Mediarama."

Asahi's healing spell managed to revitalize Kiyome, heal her injuries, and even repaired her tattered clothes. With her wounds healed and her tattered clothes repaired, Kiyome looked at Asahi with a grateful expression.

"Thank you. I'm Kiyome Abe," The girl explained. "I'm a Beast Tamer. You… You're one of the transfer students, right?"

"You're right. I'm Asahi Kizuna," Asahi replied. "Nanashi and Issei are fighting that demon Horde. Just stay put and it's going to be alright."

As she nodded to Asahi's suggestion, Kiyome just stared at the two boys and their demons fighting the Brute Horde, fascinated at how they and their demons work together.

---

With his Sacred Gear boosting his reflexes, Issei clumsily dodged several demon attacks and retaliated with crude swings of the Hunter Knife that Nanashi gave him. Even if Issei's attacks using the Hunter Knife were crude, it was still enough to kill several demons because they were injured by his prior attack.

[Partner, you can use the Boosted Summoner Gear to transfer Boosted power to Nanashi,] Ddraig suggested. [Just aim your Sacred Gear at Nanashi and mentally think of the words 'Boost', and 'Transfer'.]

"Got it," Issei replied as he concentrated power in his clawed left hand. After 10 seconds, a voice was heard in the Boosted Summoning Gear.

[Boost!]

"This is it," Issei muttered as he aimed his clawed hand towards Nanashi. "Hope this helps. Nanashi, head up!"

[Transfer!]

Issei's Sacred Gear transferred a lot of energy into Nanashi. Nanashi felt the surge of power coming from Issei and wasted no time putting that to good use.

"Raah!" Nanashi screamed. "Critical Wave!"

Buffed by the Boosted Summoning Gear, Nanashi slams his sword into the ground, creating a shockwave that ravaged the Brute Horde, disintegrating them into magnetite particles. Nanashi and Issei huffed as they managed to defeat the Brute Horde.

"Yeah, we did it," Issei cheered. "That's the last of them!"

"I don't think so," Nanashi disagreed. "There's still one more demon remaining."

As if on cue, a demonic voice echoed throughout the Domain, sending shivers in Issei and Koyomi's spines while Nanashi and Asahi became cautious.

"What's going on here?!"

[Warning!] Burroughs interrupted. [A powerful demon is approaching. Be careful…]

A red-skinned male demon approached them. He was shirtless and wore tattered pants with a gourd of sake on his back. The Brute demon was wielding a large club on his right hand and he gripped his club tightly as he addressed the intruders to his Domain.

"It seems some unwanted humans barged into my hunting grounds. How amusing," The Brute demon spoke. "I am Brute Shuten Doji and once I'm done with all of you humans, I'll consume both your bodies and souls!"

Shuten Doji slammed his club into the ground, distorting the air. Moments later, three Oni jumped out of the distortion, brandishing their clubs for battle.

"He can summon demon reinforcements?!" Issei exclaimed. "Not cool, man!"

"Asahi, protect Kiyome," Nanashi said. "Issei, deal with his grunts while I deal with Shuten Doji."

"Yeah, Nanashi. I'll do what I can," Issei replied. "Just be careful."

"Be careful, Nanashi," Asahi acknowledged. "And go kick that demon's ass!"

"Thanks. It's time," Nanashi replied. "Dagda, and Minotaur… Summon!"

In a flash, two demons were summoned by Nanashi to aid him in this fight. Shuten Doji brandished his club as he readied himself for the fight.

"Dagda, do some punches. We need to see what this demon is capable of," Nanashi asked. "Luster Candy."

"You're being cautious kid, I guess that's expected," Dagda huffed as the Luster Candy buff washed over them.

Acting on Nanashi's orders, Dagda tried to land a blow to Shuten Doji Vicious Punch. As Nanashi saw the Brute demon flashed a grin as he took the attack, this confirmed his suspicions.

[It seems Shuten Doji is resistant to Physical attacks,] Burroughs remarked. [Be careful.]

Shuten Doji let out a creepy grin as he swung his club to Dagda in retaliation to Dagda's attack. Dagda managed to dodge the attack in time, but the battle was just getting started.

---

Meanwhile, Issei has to be content with the three Oni that was summoned by Shuten Doji. One of the Oni swung his club into Issei. Issei managed to block the attack with his clawed left arm, but he was knocked back several feet away.

"Master!" Issei's Pixie rushed to him. "I'll patch you up with my Dia spell."

Pixie's healing spell managed to take effect, healing Issei substantially.

"Thanks, Pixie," Issei grunted. "Tch, this Oni is tougher than the ones we encountered earlier…"

"Master, I hope we can deal with them soon," Pixie reminded. "We gotta do our part."

"Yeah, I hear you," Issei stood. "Hope Nanashi deals with that Shuten Doji guy. That demon is way out of my league."

As the three Oni lunged towards Issei, the gem of his Sacred Gear glowed in a brilliant green hue.

[Boost!]

Empowered by his Boosted Gear, Issei slashed at the three charging Oni using the Hunter Blade, bisecting all three of them. As the three Oni began to disintegrate, Issei slumped into the floor of the Domain, huffing in exhaustion.

---

Kiyome could not believe what she was seeing. She took her responsibilities as a Beast Tamer for granted, and that cost her the lives of her contracted Beasts as they died defending her from these demons.

"Kiyome?" Asahi asked her. "You looked a bit speechless."

"Yeah, it's just that this has changed my perspective," Kiyome replied. "Seeing those two boys fight like that is incredible…"

As she looked at Asahi and watched Nanashi and Issei fight hostile demons, she felt a sort of kinship in the three of them. To Kiyome, if they survive this, she can start all over again, this time aware of her responsibilities as a Beast Tamer. Perhaps if they're willing, they would even allow her to join them…

'I've made up my mind!' Kiyome thought as her eyes narrowed in determination. 'I must ask them!'

---

As Dagda managed to dodge Shuten Doji's counterattack, Nanashi let out a frown. To think that there is a demon that can counter physical attacks made Nanashi regret a little bit that he traded most of his elemental spells for physical ones in his skillset.

"Tell me. What is the reason you lot barged into my domain?" Shuten Doji demanded. "Is it because of that human girl I kidnapped here?"

"More or less," Nanashi replied. "We're here to save her from you."

"I see. Humans like you came barging into my Domain to save a human girl that you never met, like dogs protecting a single sheep," Shuten Doji remarked. "So be it! Then, I shall be like the wolf that will take your sheep from you!"

Nanashi grimaced, realizing that his answer caused Shuten Doji to become stronger. Then again, Nanashi remembered the times when he responded to powerful demons in a way that was not too different from the current battle.

[It seems Shuten Doji's stat parameters have increased,] Burroughs added. [You may want to dispel those buffs quickly.]

"Yeah, got it," Nanashi glared at Shuten Doji. "Get ready!"

Shuten Doji lunged at them in a frenzied state, throwing Oni-Kaguras at Nanashi and his demons. Nanashi and Dagda dodged the flurry of attacks while Minotaur took the brunt of the attacks.

"Even if you're resistant to physical attacks, you still have a weak spot, you old coot," Dagda huffed as Almighty energy began to coalesce in his right hand. "Take that!"

Dagda cast Megidolaon and aimed it towards Shuten Doji. The Brute demon took the brunt of the attack, leaving him open for Nanashi.

"Kid, do it now!" Dagda urged.

"Ziodyne!" Nanashi muttered as his right hand surged with electricity.

Nanashi's attack hit its mark, shocking Shuten Doji and knocking him back several feet. It seems that Shuten Doji is vulnerable to electric attacks. Shuten Doji let out a demonic laugh he took effective damage from that electric spell.

"Yes! Wonderful! Fight my prey! This is exactly what I wanted!" Shuten Doji exclaimed with glee. "Struggle against me! Injure me! I will enjoy killing all of you!"

Nanashi just stared at Shuten Doji's outburst, prompting Minotaur to speak out.

"You know, I was once a demon that needlessly craves battles like you," Minotaur said. "But after I met Master Nanashi, I began to see otherwise."

"Hmph, to think you'd become subversive to a human," Shuten Doji scoffed. "You're weak. I hate demons that have become lapdogs to humans!"

"Be that as it may," Minotaur replied. "But, Master Nanashi and other humans like the Samurai have shown me the true extent of what humans and demons can do when they work together."

"Demons and humans, working together? Don't give me that crap of horseshit!" Shuten Doji snapped. "If you want to change my mind, then best me in battle!"

Shuten Doji lunged at Minotaur trying to take the Beast demon down with one Oni-Kagura after another. Thanks to Nanashi using stat incenses to him earlier and his resistance to Physical skills, Minotaur managed to tank all of Shuten Doji's attacks.

"Tch, that fella is one of those battle-maniac demons," Dagda snarked. "We need to end this quickly, kid."

Nanashi dashed towards Shuten Doji, but the Brute demon saw that coming and swung his club at him. Fortunately, Nanashi dodged the attack and saw an opportunity.

"Right where I want you. Dekaja!" Nanashi smirked as he canceled Shuten Doji's buffs from the dialogue earlier. "Dagda, use the Tuatha Mace!"

"Thought you'd never ask, kid…" Dagda replied as he manifested a greenish-black energy mace on his right hand. "Take this, you old coot!"

Dagda swung the Tuatha Mace into Shuten Doji's face. As Shuten Doji began to sway erratically due to being struck by Dagda's attack, Nanashi saw an opening.

"Minotaur!" Nanashi shouted. "Attack Shuten Doji!"

"Understood, Master!" Minotaur acknowledged. "Labrys Strike!"

Shuten Doji was still dazed from Dagda's attack long enough that he didn't have enough time to counter Minotaur's attacks. Shuten Doji roared in pain as Minotaur punched, kicked, and head-butted him relentlessly while leaving no opportunity for Shuten Doji to launch a counter-attack, knocking the Brute demon several feet into a wall in the Domain. Nanashi wasted no time and launched an electric spell while Shuten Doji was pinned on the wall.

"Ziodyne!" Nanashi declared.

From Nanashi's right hand, a bolt of lightning surged towards Shuten Doji, who could not defend in time because he was pinned down on the wall. The Brute demon let out an inhuman roar as he was electrocuted by Nanashi's attack. The sight of smoke and the slight smell of ozone permeated the area as Nanashi's Ziodyne wore off. But, the moment the smoke faded off, Nanashi and Issei saw that Shuten Doji was still breathing, but the demon began to break apart.

Meanwhile, having recovered from his fight with the three Oni, Issei ran towards Nanashi and saw that Shuten Doji was still alive after all of those attacks.

"No way!" Issei exclaimed. "Even with those attacks, he's still standing?!"

"I think my Ziodyne did him in, Issei," Nanashi replied. "Shuten Doji is just too agitated to be knocked down by a lethal attack."

In all this time, Shuten Doji continued to disintegrate before their eyes. But, what they saw in that demon was not a frown, but a smile, as if Shuten Doji was satisfied in their fight, even if he had lost to them.

"Tch! Seems I underestimated all of you. Well done. I guess there is some merit in your words, after all," Shuten Doji said. "It's the end of the line for me, but I have no regrets fighting all of you. To be frank, I wouldn't even mind if I get summoned by you humans. This was a good fight…"

Upon uttering these words, Shuten Doji disintegrated into magnetite particles, which dispersed into the surroundings.

Moments upon Shuten Doji's defeat, the Demon Domain began to quickly dissipate, and their vision was engulfed in bright light.

---

Moments later, the bright light faded away, and Nanashi, Asahi, Issei, and Kiyome found themselves back in Kuoh Park. The sun was setting in the sky and the portal leading to that Domain has collapsed.

Sensing that the battle is over, as Nanashi sheathed his sword and recalled his demons back into his Gauntlet, Issei slumped into the ground, with his Pixie looking at him with concern.

"Aw man, I'm beat," Issei sighed. "So, that's a real demon battle, huh?"

"Issei, thanks for dealing with the grunts earlier," Nanashi said as he handed a bottle containing a golden liquid to Issei. "It's a Soma. Drink it. It'll restore a portion of your health and stamina."

"Thanks, Nanashi. I knew I couldn't fight that Shuten Doji guy as I am now. But, I'm glad I'm able to help to deal with his lackeys," Issei replied, and then he guzzled down the Soma. "By the way, are all demons like this like, if we fight back and beat them?"

"Most demons will respect you if you defeat them or negotiate with them successfully," Nanashi answered. "Although, some demons are saltier even if you beat them into submission…"

[Don't forget your promise to train my partner,] Ddraig spoke. [He still needs a lot to learn since he chose to become a summoner.]

"Don't worry about that, Ddraig," Nanashi assured. "I know just the place for training…"

Not long afterward, Asahi and Kiyome ran towards them. Asahi hugged Nanashi tightly after their arduous battle while Kiyome shed some tears.

"Nanashi! Issei!" Asahi exclaimed. "Thank goodness you two are okay!"

"Whoa!" Nanashi replied. "Your hugs, Asahi!"

"T-Thank you so much for saving me!" Kiyome said as she wiped off her tears while Asahi was hugging Nanashi.

"No problem," Issei replied as he offered his hand to Kiyome to shake. "We're glad we saved you in time. By the way, I'm Issei Hyoudou. Nice to meet you, Kiyome."

Kiyome happily shook Issei's hand in gratitude, and then, she looked at Nanashi and Asahi talking nearby. She still has her goal of joining them in mind. For her, it's now or never…

"Um… By the way… Nanashi, is it?" Kiyome pondered. "I do have one request if you'd allow it…"

"Sure," Nanashi acknowledged. "What is it, Kiyome?"

As Kiyome let out a smile, the trio braced for whatever questions she may ask them. However, the next words that Kiyome spoke weren't the ones they were expecting from her.

"Please let me join your group!" Kiyome exclaimed. "I want to be just like you three!"

End of Chapter

---

As Kiyome revealed her desire to join them, how would our heroes respond? Will they accept her? What is a Beast Tamer anyway? It all remains to be seen…

Meanwhile, our heroes have to confront the two Devil heiresses as they go back to school. Furthermore, there are enemy forces that already making their move! The flow of destiny is changing rapidly, and our heroes will be swept by it…

In the next chapter:

High School Godslayer: IVA DxD

Chapter 4: A Devil's Details

I'll make sure to bring more chapters next time!