Disclaimer: I do not own High school DxD


Chapter 9


"What the hell is this?"

A new day, a new surprise – after all he had been through, walking on the surface of the sun would be more plausible than having a normal day at Kuoh.

When he arrived at the school, late might he add, he expected the sight of Issei being chased down by the Kendo club, Kiba's fan club praising the ground he stepped on or Sona menacingly staring him down. That was expected and that was exactly the reason why those scenarios wouldn't come to happen.

Instead – The ground was broken beyond repair, craters spanned as far as he could see; the whole area looked as if a meteor shower had just taken place. Broken and discarded were the bodies of hundreds of tennis rackets, only splinters and broken strings were discernible among the pile of rubble. At the epicenter of such destruction were…Rias and Sona.

Among fire and brimstone two cheering voices broke through the dead silence that once was the fleeting cries of the normal students of Kuoh Academy.

"GO Buchou!" Issei screamed in encouragement.

"You can do it Kaichou!" not to be outdone by his rival pawn, Saji responded in kind.

As for Katsuo, he had only one thing to say.

"…I have no words for this situation…"


So continued the day, after a few memory wiping spells and reconstruction spells, no one paid mind to the inconclusive match between Rias and Sona; rather the student's concentrations shifted to the much awaited dodge-ball tournament. The clubs played very hard and it was clear that the students were very invested into the event, he was present with all of them…from the side lines of course…and aside from seeing Issei's manhood being destroyed by a stray ball, there wasn't much of value to the following matches – Kiba looked a bit weird and distant during the game…but he didn't know the prince of Kuoh very well since every interaction they had ended with a sword being hurled at him, so he dismissed the detail as soon as he noticed it. The Match had ended and a winner was decided through sweat, blood and tears – the winner was…he forgot?

While making his way to his classroom something filled his mind. He analyzed the different clubs that participated like the Kendo Club, the Photography Club and, of course, the occult Research Club and while thinking back on them realization hit him like a runaway train; he started sweating and he could hear the sound of glass shattering in his mind.

'…I HAVEN'T JOINED ANY CLUB…KAICHOU IS GONNA KILL ME!'

He would have to avoid any members of the Student Council for the remainder of the day…thankfully this day would be relatively short, the sports tournament took the majority of it, taking that in mind he would have to hide as much as possible…even if that meant ditching class, tomorrow he would only need to feign ignorance about the whole deal.

'A sacrifice for the greater good…'

So he steeled himself and, as he was about to reach his classroom, took a sharp turn to the opposite direction. Just centimeters away from taking the stairs his blood became cold…

"May I know where you are heading to Katsuo-san?"

Before him stood the Blue Devil herself; her aura was crushing, her visage betrayed no emotion and her glasses flashed with cold killing intent.

"…To class Kaichou…"

"Interesting – I remember guiding you to your classroom on your first day and, if memory doesn't fail me, your classroom is on the opposite direction"

"…Yes Kaichou…"

His head began hanging low…

"You weren't planning on ditching class, were you Katsuo-san; maou knows your student record can't afford another infraction"

"You are right Kaichou…"

…and a sigh escaped his lips.

"I'm glad we agree – Now I'd advise you to head to your classroom, arriving late is never proper for any student"

"Will do Kaichou…"

"And don't forget to pay a visit to the Student Council Room; you have been racking on infractions these days and I'm forced to take disciplinary action against them – we also have a lot of catching up to do…"

"…" the center of his back shivered at the thought and he could feel his hands sweating.

With that last grim reminder the Student Council President left the silver haired student standing there with his head hanging low. A long and dragged out sigh escaped his mouth as he turned heel and headed back to class.


Finally class was over; it didn't take too long considering that most of the school day was taken by the Club tournament. Now he only had to head down to the Student Council room and wait another say thirty minutes before going back home – there was something he felt he was forgetting but he wasn't quite sure…

"-and that is how I beat that Yakitori – Oi, Gaijin are you listening!?"

A small rumbling noise left his stomach and he remembered; he hadn't eaten anything yet.

"Yakitori…hmmm, I wonder…would they have any at the cafeteria?" Katsuo wondered to himself. Fried Chicken with rice on the side did sound appetizing; he could imagine the scent, as his mouth was filling with water.

"You aren't listening at all!" The indignant cries of the pervert beside him brought him out of his chicken-filled fantasy.

"Sorry; I zoned out during the whole getting my ass beat by two hot cat-girls part"

"It wasn't so hot at the moment…though now that I have time to think about it…hehehe" Issei's face changed for a moment from his previous indignant to the same perverted, drooling face he always had when boobs were involved – thankfully they were shaken off by a more important subject "forget that – think rather how cool it is that I have a dragon on my hand!"

"A Dragon huh?" his response was dull; it carried neither surprise nor emotion – that was out of order for him.

"He is awesome! According to him a Dragon's Aura draws in stronger and dangerous people but also many allies, especially women…" Issei, unaware of his friend minor mood swing, continued.

"…Y-you don't say…" Katsuo stammered, even chocking a bit, in surprise and leaving his previous mood change in the past.

"Ddraig said that many of his host had multiple sexual partners; tell him Ddraig!" The Pervert spoke directly to his left arm expecting an answer and both of them stayed in one spot for one second, then two, then three – suddenly after ten the pervert screamed with indignation "Oh, now you don't say anything to me!"

"Are you sure those cat girls didn't hit you too hard on the head?"

"That is only Ddraig being stubborn…come to think of it he hasn't spoke to me much after I beat Riser and that was almost a week ago…but enough of him; think of the whole dragon aura thing, it means that is only a matter of time until I become the Harem King!"

"Or poor due to child support…" Katsuo whispered.

"What did you say European Prick Face!" and the Self-proclaimed Harem King shouted in anger.

"That you are shameless!" A sigh left his lips as he imagined the poor ex-nun living under the same roof as the pervert "…I wonder how Asia puts up with you…"

An awkward silence was setting before…

"So…are you free tomorrow?" Issei asked.

"Only if I survive meeting with Sona today" Katsuo raised his eyebrow and retorted "why?"

"You know Buchou gave me the day free and I rented this new porn video…"

"You want me to watch porn with you?" he deadpanned.

"Only because Motohama and Matsuda can't; don't get the wrong idea you are still a damn Handsome!"

After giving it some thought he sighed and addressed the Pervert one last time.

"Well I haven't signed up for any club yet so – sure, why not?"

With no more words exchanged they parted ways; Issei stomped out of his way and joined Asia on their way to the Occult Research Club all while withholding a smile on his face, as for Katsuo he could only release a sigh and head directly to meet his executioner at the Student Council. The way to it wasn't long and when he opened the door he was met with an empty room – he found that weird; normally at least just one member of the Council was inside said room.

He knew the drill and he rather not test his luck so he sat in seiza and waited for Sona to arrive…and waited…and waited…waited a bit more…he didn't have any clock to check at the time so he decided to close his eyes for a few seconds, relax and before he knew it…


The once young prince, now old and king, laid on the frozen wasteland

Bodies filled the view, their frozen blood painted the white snow red with swords plunged into the earth, each signifying a gravestone, piled on top of each other – a mountain was formed, a mountain of snow and flesh, a mountain of blood and iron.

On top of it was the King; his same aqua eyes' light were losing their bright, his golden mane of hair was now graying, his youthful face was now scared and mature, his pristine armor was shattered and stained red.

Most importantly his Invincible Sword, the Sword of Kings, the blade that only he was worthy of wielding and had made him undefeated throughout all his years – was broken in pieces.

Broken – the Spear of the Gods meet the Sword of Kings and in one strike shattered it into pieces.

A Dragon-shaped Hilt to be kept and re-forged

A Blue Jewel to be stolen and hoarded

A Black and Gold Edge to be taken back and vaulted

Never again would the sword come back to its original form. The years would reshape some pieces – making them legends in their own right – but its original form would forever be lost to time.

Even as the King was dying a top the pile of dead and snow his features were soft and his soul was at peace, because tender arms were wrapped across his torso and his head was resting on a warm shoulder.

Tears streamed down her eyes and met her husband's cheeks. Her quiet sobs were laudable in contrast to the dead silent the battle had left behind. Only the tender touch of his husband's hand was able to stop her tears.

"Weep for me not my love, for my life is already over – save that strength for our son for he will need your guidance"

She opened her eyes revealing her bright red ruby orbs; eyes which shifted to the small fruit basked near her, a basket that did not contain fruits but rather a small baby boy who, despite the death and snow that filled the area, was sleeping soundly and untroubled – his hair…a silvery white, pure and beautiful just like the snow, just like hers.

"…leave me to rest and take what remains of my sword only a son of mine may re-forge it…ah…the white halls await me…"

She complied with him and gently laid his back on the ground, took the remaining shards of his sword and clothed them in a piece of her dress. Took the small child basket form the frozen plains and for the last time stared at her husband directly in the eyes – her red eyes and silver hair made her look otherworldly while his aqua eyes and yellow mane were the embodiments of the perfect knight.

"My love, what should we name our son?"

She spoke and with his last remaining breath he muttered.

"…his name shall be ■■■■■■■■■"

An echo of time in his dreams

Of an era long gone

Of people he never met

Of events he had no say in

Nowadays many had forgotten about them and written them off as myths and songs

But they were all linked to him in some way or other

Yet they were only that – an echo of time


A female voice woke him up.

"Katsuo-san, I see that not only have you taken the ORC to enjoy your daily sleeps but also the Student Council Room"

He quickly jerked his head backwards, opened his eyes, wiped away a line of saliva that was escaping his mouth and quickly exclaimed.

"It wasn't me I swear!"

"Humph, I can see as much" the student council president responded sharply while pushing her glasses upwards "though I don't know if I should be thankful that you didn't skip class this time – even if you had the intent to do so"

"N-no I didn't…" A sharp glare was sent his way and piercing violet eyes stared directly into his soul; a sharp sensation went up his spine before dropping his head low in defeat "…y-yes I did…"

"I expected as much – that reminds me you haven't selected a school club yet, have you?"

"Not really, I spent the time you gave me helping Rias and Issei" Katsuo looked sideways and scratched his head while responding.

"And you missed almost two weeks worth of school and homework because of it" as for Sona, her tone became colder and sharper while her eyes remained ever vigilant on him.

"W-when you put it like that it does sound pretty bad…"

He casted his head down in shame but she was still relentless, as expected of the student council president.

"You know that the schooling board was going to have you expelled today – between all the missed homework, classes skipped and days you've arrived late they had more than enough from you"

A disappointed sigh left his mouth and his shoulders slumped.

"I wouldn't blame them…I really am a dumb student…sorry" already resigned to his fate he only waited for Sona's confirmation of his imminent expulsion.

"No I don't think so, not anymore at least" Sona dispelled his resignation and changed it into confusion with a few words.

"Huh?"

Her statement left him confused and seeking an explanation, one that she would provide.

"From what I can gather is that you are unmotivated, unfocused and unsure when it comes to school. You only do the effort needed for a passing grade, you don't dedicate enough time to what is important or waste it in something else – but dumb or lacking talent I don't think so."

"Can I ask why this sudden view on me?"

"It may sound weird, but the match of Rias against Riser gave me a new perspective – I know Rias since we were little, we grew up together, she is my rival, I know what are her virtues and what are her downfalls. I could formulate about ten strategies she would have used against Riser and his Peerage and I would be fairly confident to say that nine of those ten would be correct. What she did and what she used to beat Riser would have never crossed her mind, it would have been inconceivable as a High-Class Devil, but not to you…a former exorcist"

She was right; that was a real stretch of the imagination; from formulating strategies for a Rating Game to School Education, between both subjects was more than a simply leap he would need a large bridge to connect the two in his mind.

"Oh, just because of that" the silver-haired student responded, disappointment was present in his voice…mainly because the supernatural was being dragged to a subject where he didn't want it – but he continued nonetheless "...what does it matter, it wasn't my plans or the equipment I made that gave Rias the match, it was their determination specially that of Issei's"

She didn't waste any time; pointing at him accusingly, she went for the head of the snake.

"And that is what I mean with you being unsure – Issei did defeat Riser in single combat, but that would have been impossible without eliminating his peerage first"

"Humph…what does any of this have to do with school…" he grumbled out in response.

Sona headed down her desk and set down the array of folders and papers she was previously carrying under her arm. She then began sorting through them – yet continued to address him even if they were no longer talking eye to eye.

"You were a talented Rookie, according to your words, I think to be considered talented one has to put the effort – raw talent is nothing if not polished and tempered first, someone that only relies on their innate talent will eventually stagnate and loose against someone who was put in the effort into their craft"

He raised a questioning eyebrow in response and carefully asked.

"You are meaning to tell me this because I'm not expelled?"

Suddenly her violet eyes closed and she took a deep breath. After what seemed like an eternity she slightly shook her head, her face turned and her orbs were now staring at his through her framed glasses.

"Not for now anyway, you had the determination before to become an exorcist – you only need something or someone that can draw that determination out of you and guide it to studies"

"…Someone?"

"Yes – the School board, at first, wanted you expelled…thankfully I control the school board even if they don't know it" Sona stated matter-of-factly.

"…that is a harrowing notion…" he didn't want to imagine what in the world the Heiress of Sitri was doing to those poor teachers' minds...and the least he imagined the better.

"So I'm giving you an ultimatum, find a Club this week and a tutor for the next one – there will be no extra chances or favors I will give you – the law is clear and every student has to obey it"

"A tutor?" he understood the notion, but not the requirements.

"It must be an upperclassman with above average grades, I suggest you start looking as soon as possible not many are willing to give their time for an underclassman…especially one with your shining record" she might as well have read his mind by the way she answered…she couldn't read mind…could she?

Rather than focusing on that previous line of thought he tried to do something more appropriate. Humbled he could only awkwardly stammer.

"I don't know what to say. Am I getting entangled into some weird devil deal with this?"

"You can at least say thank you and no, you are not"

"Thank you"

"You are welcome, but don't make it a habit"

With Sona's last remark the room was plunged into silence; the only sound that was present was the flipping of papers and of a pencil tracing through documents. The President of the student Council was engrossed in her paperwork; something expected form a person as diligent and by-the-book as her, meanwhile the silver haired boy tried to find some type of entertainment – watching the sky through the windows, counting the tiles on the floor to even counting sheep in his mind – his boredom only seemed to grow after every attempt to diminish it…

Thankfully he wouldn't be bored for much longer…

"Katsuo-san, do you know how to play chess?" Sona suddenly asked, breaking the previous established silence.

"Chess, I guess I know some basics. The church I grew up in was very behind the times; between watching old Spaghetti Westerns, reading Old American comics or playing some old board games there wasn't much entertainment" Katsuo awkwardly responded.

"So you've played before"

"Just two or three times at most, all with the same person; chess is a two person game but when no one wants to be with…well you get the idea…" a small sarcastic chuckle left his lips after answering.

"…I see…" suddenly she stopped talking and focused on the papers before her, writing with the same concentration as before and with the same focused visage now again present – five minutes passed in silence before the sound of pencil meeting paper stopped and suddenly "Do you want to play a round of chess with me"

He was once again dumbfounded and could only mutter a "come again?"

"I have already finished my paperwork and have a few minutes to spare, so would you indulge me?"

The Heiress of Sitri hadn't even finished her sentence before a chess board, all pieces included and neatly arranged, suddenly appeared on the table where her documents previously were.

"But my detention time isn't over" he was making petty excuses at this point.

"Yes and I am giving you the opportunity of spending it playing chess instead of sitting on your knees"

It wasn't much of a choice – either sitting on the floor until his knees break or playing a board game…yeah he would choose the board game anytime.

"So…is the horse the one that moves in a straight line" A sharp glare was sent his way from across the table "sorry that was the castle…"

She had the white pieces while he had the black ones; so she had to start first – with the move of small pawn.

"Tell me, how did you make those holy bombs?" She asked with no apprehension to her voice.

He did the same move as her; frankly he wasn't so sure of his chess strategy so he would imitate her and see where that leads him.

"Huh, do you want to talk about the Rating Game thing…" Katsuo responded.

She moved another pawn.

"The methods used left me you could say intrigued"

He gave a shrug while imitating her previous move.

"Well I see no harm in telling you…as an exorcist you are expected to face supernatural beings that are ten times stronger, faster and tougher than you – coming prepared to a fight is half the battle. As such the church employs things to say…even the playing field, light-bullets-guns, holy bindings, mass produced holy swords, silver crosses and things of the sort – it is just a matter of knowing what you are facing and how to counter it."

The Heiress of Sitri placed a hand under her chin and took a few seconds to herself; one of her bishops moved and her attention shifted to him once again – if she was analyzing the game or the information he had given her, he had no idea to discern which was which.

"I see – so an exorcist relies in preparation and knowledge to make due for a lack of physical abilities in case of direct confrontation"

The ex-exorcist followed suit with a mirror move of his own; he had no idea what he was doing or were it would lead him but it was better than nothing…at least in his mind.

"Most of the times; very gifted exorcist can rely on their innate talent while those not so gifted are forced to make do with what they can prepare beforehand…Not all exorcist are natural-born holy sword wielders or sacred gear users"

Sona nodded in understanding and moved her knight in response to his copycat move.

"I'm assuming that you had an idea of what Rias and her team were facing and planned accordingly to how you were taught to"

The Game continued on – for every piece the Heiress of Sitri moved the former church member did the same. Neither player daring to draw first blood, because of the latter's inexperience and due to the former's tactics.

"Exactly – Rias was kind enough to provide me an outline of Riser's and his Peerage abilities; it was highly edited but the frameworks was there, I knew their main source of strength was fire magic, high speed regeneration and most importantly numbers"

"So you opted to take out as much members as possible in a single blast – not a bad plan, but you would have to factor…"

"Their immortality; that was why I used both holy element and holy water, both of them don't do much damage to high ranking devils if used in small portions, but the mental damage they cause is the same regardless of the devil they affect. I just had to find a way to implement them effectively"

"I see now, so you used the water distribution system that links directly to the swimming pool for the holy water and…I am just guessing but if the creation of holy water is the same as with Phoenix Tears then…"

"…You only need a small drop to make more, correct, it also just happened that their main magic is fire and their energy source was demonic – using holy water to deter their flames was a no brainer, Rias just had to select a place where all of Riser's peerage could be cram in"

"The Gymnasium; the largest hall of the school, it has the highest amount of fire sprinkler in case of fire outbreak considering the entire edification is made out of wood – the best place to create a Anti-Phenex zone with the use of Holy Water – truly genius…" the Heiress of Sitri said with a tinge of admiration in her voice.

He closed his eyes and nodded in response.

"For the bombs it was more difficult; first I had to find holy element somewhere, they don't exactly sell it in a local market, second I had to condense it into a volatile mass that would react in contact with demonic energy and finally I had to seal it off in a strong enough container"

She moved one piece forward, one pawn, and consumed one pawn of his that was in a placed in a disadvantageous position – first blood had been drawn and the match was starting to take shape.

"By the looks of it you were able to make two of them, if you had all those things against you how did you do it then?"

"Well you see it just happens that while I was looking into the abandoned church…"

He took a moment to continue and while analyzing the board he came to a surprise; despite his mirror movements Sona had manage to create a scenario, a scenario where all her pieces were spread out throughout the board and protected by adjacent pieces each with the possibility to counter any offensive move he made, meanwhile his had the same formation yet not the same capability to counter her moves – this spoke of her strengths as a strategist – His fingers took his black knight piece and eliminated her Rook with it.

"…and I found a basement that was filled with exorcist guns and things of the sort. The place was desolated…well it was destroyed after all…so I took some light bullets, melted them down and stuffed it into dark steel containers that…I made from another thing I had sitting idly at home…and voila not the best holy bombs an exorcist could muster but they get the job done"

The heiress used her bishop to counter his move and in an instant his knight piece was gone. After her composed move the words that followed were anything but.

"Wait a minute – you are saying that the church that was once inhabited by fallen angels was filled with exorcist equipment – that could mean that those fallen angels probably were aligned with stray exorcist…it wouldn't surprise me Rias and her Peerage had a run in with a so called Freed Sellzen – are you sure there no one else beside the fallen angels that night in the church"

"Never heard of the guy and pretty sure it was only me, those fallen angels, Asia and Issei – you can ask Rias if you are unsure of my word"

"It's not that, it's the concept of a gang of Stray Exorcist running around town unchecked…" she said in concern.

The former exorcist was now unsure of himself – he could not copy her strategy anymore, for every piece he moved another one was eliminated be it the moved piece or another one on the side.

"There hasn't been any problem, at least I think so, and if there were any stray exorcist there maybe they fled. Without the support of the fallen angels, there wasn't any reason to stay at Kuoh even more if the only church is destroyed" he said trying to ease her mind as much as possible.

The Devil of The Student Council took a second to enact her next step, not out of worry for the game of chess but because the revelation she just heard.

"Still – this requires more attention, thank you for bringing this issue into light; I will have my words with Rias afterwards" Sona said while moving her desired piece.

On the side of the table she had four black pawns, one black bishop, two black knights and one black queen.

"You are welcome…I think?"

As for him he only acquired one white rook and one white pawn.

"We deviated again from the main topic and it seems my time is up and I have more duties to fulfill" the President of the Student Council said while looking at the now setting sun.

"Yes I guess time does fly by when you are not sitting seiza style – sadly we never finished our game of chess" the silver haired boy responded while giving a sigh of relief.

Sona proceeded to gather her belongings and head down to the door. Only stopping mid exit to glance at him – a devilish smirk, unlike anything he had seen on her face, present and in full force.

"You may be able of strategize for a Rating Game, but your game of chess leaves a lot to be desired – next time do more than mirror my moves" she said with way too much joy in her words; with one last push of her glasses she exited and closed the door leaving some parting "Checkmate"

He looked and the board for a few minutes before finally getting it – from all sides his lone King stood under check from eight of pieces of hers. With a small and tired sigh he couldn't help but gather his belongings and head out the door.

"Wait…next time?"


Issei Hyoudou was tired, beyond so, after school he had to do devil contracts. Between Mil-tan's weird magical-girl related requests and the ones from the man with a goatee and a yukata, he had enough work for one day.

Now, after a long bath, he only wanted to head straight to bed and relax. He took a red shirt from his drawer and started slipping into it and as he was midway into it he felt it…he felt it on his back…

…the garden of the gods

There was no way he could forget the feeling of those soft mountains – then he felt someone whisper into his ear.

"Ise…Asia just went to bed and I was pretty lonely…so why don't we head back to that shower together ~ what do you say Ise?" a sweet female voice whispered into his right ear.

He focused on the feeling and noticed…it was bare skin.

"YES, YES I WOULD VERY MUCH LIKE THAT!" the pervert wrestled like no tomorrow against the piece of cloth and the more he struggled the more entangled he became.

A seductive chuckle left the young woman's mouth as response of his antics.

"~ let me help you with that ~" she whispered into his ear, all while blowing a small and warm into it.

He could feel his dragon BOOST!

Soft and delicate hands traced through his torso in a seductive manner, but instead of heading upwards where all the mess was, they headed downwards where his towel was strapped – hanging for dear life.

Could this be the day…the day he thought would never come…the day where the boy would be turned into a man…

Her hands grasped his towel and in the long awaited moment…

[Daughter of Gremory, We Need to Talk]

…no, today wouldn't be the day

"…Huh?" Rias stopped her actions and stared in bewilderment to the pervert's left hand.

As for the Pervert Himself…he took it well…as expected to say the least…

"Ddraig…you...YOU COCK-BLOCKING DRAGON BASTARD"

…and tears, lots of perverted male tears were shed.


"…You asshole of a dragon…I've been trying to talk to you for a long time and you've been ignoring me the whole time! Even today in front of Gaijin-san, what gives?!" Issei shouted indignantly at his left arm…a shout that would mostly be ignored by the prideful creature living in it.

Rias was seated in a living room couch opposite to Issei, this time both wearing clothes, in the small table that separated them was Issei's left hand clad in the red armor scales that characterized the Boosted Gear – its green gem shining brightly unlike any other day.

The heiress of Gremory was set in her usual composed visage while her pawn was grinding his teeth into dust in a clear display of anger.

"What is it that you wanted to talk with me Red Dragon Emperor?" her voice was firm but submissive, a clear sign of respect towards the being of immense power – even if he was sealed in the hand of her servant.

At first there was no response, a few seconds past before the gem lit up and…

[What Do You Know About the Male Humanoid With Silver Hair?]

Male Humanoid…Silver hair…could he be talking about…

"Do you mean Katsuo Hirai?" she asked with a tinge of confusion in her voice.

[If That Is the Name He Has Taken, Then Yes]

That was the question of the decade – because, aside from a few details, she herself knew very little about him. At the past she would've scrutinized him, and she did, but now she had settled into respecting his privacy…but to draw the Welsh Dragon's attention…even from his metal prison…she had to gather her thoughts

"He is very secretive and keeps things very close to the chest but what I know; he was an exorcist that trained all his young life at the church, he claims not to have a sacred gear yet has a very strong aura, he may possess a holy sword…but I'm not sure…you would have to ask him yourself…" the Heiress paused and placed a hand under her chin before continuing "He seems completely human yet is unnaturally stronger than a regular one…even if he received training…he is also afflicted with what he says are various curses, for the most part he seems unbothered by them…he has an advanced magical defense; enough to shatter various lesser demon swords that specialize in sharpness…I don't know the source of it – he also is a very good swordsman"

A second past and there was no response…

Four seconds past and still nothing…

Twenty seconds passed…

Fifty went by…until…

[I See…Daughter of Gremory…My Host is Your Servant, For Our Safety, Keep Him Away From That 'Human']

Disbelief and Shock – there was no other way to describe their reactions and outrage soon followed.

"What?!" exclaimed the Red Haired Princess in disbelief.

"Oi, What do you mean Ddraig? Katsuo is harmless, he saved me and we are going to watch porn-I mean movies tomorrow!" the Host of the Red Dragon emperor said in defiance, as for said dragon…

[I was Awoken…early…too early…My Host wasn't Strong or Capable enough to handle My Consciousness awakening…Yet I Did]

"What does that mean?" Rias asked in worry.

[It means I Sensed Danger And My Instincts Flared In Response – Partner, Tell Me Something…Do You Remember The Feeling of a Burning Inferno, Heat Unlike No Other Coming…]

"…from my left arm…that was you – You made that feeling?"

[Indeed…Warning You of Danger…That Was Just the Beginning – How about During Your Rating Game against That Devil]

Issei stared at the open palm of his Gear before almost unconsciously answering.

"…I…I couldn't use my Booster Gear till the end…"

"You couldn't what! And you didn't tell me!" Rias raged in response.

[I was reforming – Thanks To the Dragon Energy you feed me…or Rather…'He' feed me…Did you had any Suspicious Interaction with 'Him' before the match?]

Issei stroked his chin while trying to remember; Katsuo was his usual self throughout his visit…as for him, aside from the burning feeling, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary…except…

…and then realization hit

"That handshake – After it…I think I blanked out for a while…I'm not sure…I had a bizarre hallucination about a dragon or a spirit of one, with black scales and yellow eyes, I didn't thought much about it at the time…after finding out about you I thought that was…well…you"

[My Scales are Red and My Eyes are Green – do not get them mixed up…That was The Moment You both exchanged Life-Forces; You are a Devil so by Nature You gained The Most out of The Exchange…but The End Result was The Same, you Saw a Truth of his Nature and he Most Probably saw Me]

Something clicked in Rias' brainand, before she knew it, she edged closer to her seat and exclaimed without thinking.

"Wait a minute! So you are saying that Katsuo is the Host of a Dragon?!" her exclamation couldn't be more loud even if she consciously tried to.

[…or Perhaps He Is One, or a Hybrid, He could have just made a Pact with One for all I Know…doesn't change The Facts…I can Feel his Aura and I can smell His Blood…their Signature, It's of the same Energy that Awoke me –They may Be Sealed By Old Magic but the Discernment of A True Dragon is Absolute]

"Then…wouldn't that be something good? I mean that way we could be 'Dragon Buddies' and all" Issei exclaimed full of enthusiasm.

Meanwhile Rias remained calm, soaking all that the Welsh Dragon had to say.

Sadly the pervert's enthusiasm would be snuffed out…

[When A Dragon Meets another In the Same Territory Destruction of One Is an Unavoidable Result…Yet That Isn't My Main Concern…My Main Concern is that I Am Familiar with His Dragon Aura…]

The eyes of both Devils snapped open, as far as their eyelids allowed them to, and the Heiress of Gremory, that until this time remained silent, made her voice be heard.

"You do – If you do whose Dragon does it belong to…why he would have it…and is it a danger to my territory and my Peerage?!"

[Calm Yourself Daughter of Gremory…Yes; I did meet a Dragon with A similar Aura. Two times I entered His Territory and Two Times our Fight Ended Up In a Stale-Mate – On his Ground He was Invincible…The First time we fought He was a Proud and Noble Dragon, deserving of His Title...The Second time however…He had Fallen from Grace, consumed by The Inner Greed that Exist in Every Dragon's Heart and The Want And Desire For More Power…and Became an Evil Dragon]

Rias and Issei shared knowing glances both conveying different messages; Issei's was worried by his friend's future and pleading for his Master help in the matter…while Rias' gaze was resolute and conveyed a single message – 'Despite how I feel about him…and how you feel about him…if the time comes when I have to put my Peerage first I won't hesitate…I'm sorry…' – a seed of fear had been re-planted in her mind.

[But they could be Different Dragons. Red Dragons share Similar Auras after all – While it remains Sealed I cannot tell if it belongs to the Same Dragon I remember…I do not want You to antagonize Him Daughter of Gremory, but do be Vigilant – A loose Evil Dragon could mean a Premature End for Me and My Host…and even You…but I Highly Doubt It]

It was too much – too much information that was suddenly revealed, pieces that she didn't consider appeared while other pieces were beginning to fall into place – all belonging to the puzzle that was probably the most mildly manner and lazy boy she knew. Rias couldn't help but massage her forehead before continuing.

"That is a lot to take in Red Dragon Emperor…I am grateful for your warnings…but your last words don't ease my mind…how can you be sure that Katsuo isn't related to the Evil Dragon that you are referring to?"

[Because That Dragon was Slain...A long Time Ago…]


The sun was setting on Kuoh Town – the red skies were turning dark, the hue of the stars shone through the black, the crescent moon lit up the dark skies as much as possible and rain fell upon the ground.

At this hour no one was freely walking through the streets; most of the shopping district was already closed; only a few local restaurants remained opened. Most salary men were already with their families and students that finished class late were already on their way back home. Only night shift workers were reluctantly awake as the clock approached midnight.

Kuoh's train station was no different, aside from a maximum of ten people waiting for their line to arrive; there wasn't much activity in there.

The clock was ticking – tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock – and 12' o clock approached.

Darkness dwelled in the corners of the city; every darkened alley way, every dead end street, every abandoned facility and desolated parking lot. Evil not of man's design, inhuman in nature, yet born out of the same selfish desires that plagued man's heart – strayed from their path.

A stray black cat watched the city from high across the rooftops; two gold slit eyes broke through the night like a car's headlights.

The clock moved once again – tick, tock, tick, tock, tick, tock – midnight was upon.

A lone train arrived at the station, empty from back to front, only two cloaked figures stepped out of it. One of those figures was carrying something heavy on his or her back, it looked like it was twice the size of the person in question and wrapped in white bandages. On the other hand the other mysterious figure came empty handed aside from a bracelet attached to his or her arm – Silver crosses dangled around their necks.

The two mysterious people exited the train station and moved through the outskirts of the city, either unaware or unfazed of the evil that lurked behind every shadow. Evil that was patiently waiting to strike, waiting for their hour. They passed an empty alley way, a dead end street and an abandoned factory.

Both hands of the clock met at 12 and with it evil awoke.

Devils are creatures of night, they may tolerate the sun and some may live their lives like normal humans, but it doesn't mean that a wolf is a sheep only because it dresses like one. At night between 12 and 3' o clock, when the night is at its darkness, the lines between the natural and supernatural is blurred and witches, black magic, devils and spirits reach their peak just as they reach their low at noon. This effect has many names depending on the culture and folklore, but the two clocked figures had a name for it – Witching Hour.

As for the Stray Devils that lurked behind every shadow they knew the time to be simply dinner.

An inhuman monster crawled out of the alley; having the upper body of a naked woman the lower body of a caterpillar, multiple snakes for arms, goat horns and a myriad of sharp teeth for lips.

Another came from a dead end street; black wings like a raven, an androgynous body, a lizards head and clawed finger nails.

And from the abandoned factory a behemoth like no other stomped his way out; looking like a Minotaur with large bat-like wings, a large unicorn horn in his head and a lion's head in the middle of his stomach.

All of them were thirsty; all of them were hungry for human blood and souls.

They wasted no time and lunged like the beast they were at two souls in their proximity. With their size and strength the Minotaur-like devil could stomp them in a crazed rampage, with their two legs they would never escape the centipede monstrosity and run as they may her speed would always surpass theirs, with their lack of wings they could never escape the grasps of the winged-beast on air a human is as useful as a falling rock. In the blink of an eye their mouth was filled with the taste of blood…except…

…it was theirs.

A single strike; carrying the power of an unrelenting force split the large devil as if he was made of butter. A larger than life sword with an axe-like cross guard was the herald of the beast's doomed fate.

Multiple snake-like attacks split the woman-centipede into pieces, chopped in a blink of an eye by an extensive whip that receded and took shape of a katana.

As for the winged monster…it tried to escape using its air advantage, but the two figures were too quick. They jumped after it and in a swift motion removed one wing and both of its legs. Sadly the creature escaped, clinging to life as best as possible.

With one wing it couldn't fly far away and tumbled head first into a rooftop. It was injured and hungry; if it were to survive it needed food to heal, even a small drop of blood may save it.

A black cat

Two Hazel-Gold eyes stared directly into the lizard's face with curiosity in their shine. The monster wasted no time opening its jaw as big as possible ready to chomp on the cat's entire body. A swipe of one paw – the Stray Devil's head separated into five cleanly cut pieces and its life was snuffed out.

The cat's response – clean her paw like nothing happened before jumping from rooftop to rooftop.

As for the two figures, they kept their slow walk to their destination. The large sword was wrapped in bandages once again and the Japanese sword became an arm bracelet. Their silver crosses chimed eight times like a church's bells with every step they took.

That moment every monster hidden in the dark stayed hidden, every desire for souls and blood was quenched and every devil present quaked in fear…

…for two Exorcist had arrived at Kuoh.


A/N: This chapter was fun. Writing Ddraig is a lot of fun to be honest.

This officially is the start of the Excalibur Arc and while that is hyping me to write quicker, it also is the source of worry…simply put things are going to get crazy pretty fast and the scale of the whole thing will be WAY higher than in canon. That is where my main worry comes…I hate power-scaling and how it is used in shonen (don't be confused I like shonen in general, including DBZ the granddaddy of power levels and escalation for the sake of it) and how DxD Power-scale moves down the line is pretty nonsensical *Cough* ExE Gods *Cough* and frankly I don't want to do the same, Issei has enough powered forms that making the same for Katsuo seems, to me, counterproductive; his powers right now are vaguely defined and very subtle but piece by piece they will reveal themselves and they will play a huge part later on.

(TL; DR – Issei's Power Growth will be vertical while Katsuo's will be horizontal. That doesn't make sense, wait and find out how it does)

I rather focus on the character interactions and plot than in power-levels…so I planned something for the future that will be reveled at the end of this Arc that may put some people off while others may like it (hopefully). I swear it will make sense when I introduce it – that way I can focus in epic storytelling with fights that shake the earth and the more subtle connections between characters without the need of throwing a training arc every few chapters or resorting to some excuse for a power up *Cough* Chichigami *Cough*, in this fic every power comes with a price or drawback and not all fights are won by the person with the higher number – creativity, luck, and skill will play more crucial roles than who whipped out their newest transformation first *Cough* Issei vs. Sairaorg *Cough*.

So to kill the snake by the head now – Da Rules – Trihexia is the GOAT period; nobody is higher than it, then comes Great Red and Ophis then capital G-God and later all the rest don't care how they line up they may go up or down, in the end someone in the lower scale may have something to defeat an specific member of the high tiers so it really doesn't matter as anything but a symbolic title.

Well that was cathartic…had a lot of pent up things to vent…Wow this is the longest Author Note I've left, I don't usually leave them since they ruin the aesthetic of the chapter and I don't even know if anybody reads them. tell me if I should make more detailed A/N like this one or just keep my thoughts to myself, share what you think about it

Till next time R&R

P.S. Thank you for all the follows and favorites, I can't believe they just passed one hundred and to ProjectIceman I hope I didn't disappoint with the info dump.