Issei looked at the other members of the peerage to see what they thought of the news. Kiba had wide open eyes, simply staring at Rias. Koneko seemed to be as calm as ever, albeit with clenched fists, and Gasper looked like he wanted to hide.

Even her own peerage seemed like they weren't sure what to think, causing Issei to become a little bit worried that the news might be bigger than he had initially thought.

"Is this the 'enemy' you were talking about, Rias?" Issei spoke up, since no one else wanted to talk. He at least had a name to the person who Rias was so worried about. No face though. The identity of the enemy hadn't been given any clarification. She hadn't even alluded to one until the end of the funeral when Issei had brought up the topic. If he hadn't spoken up that one night, would she still be silent about the whole ordeal?

"Hai, Issei." Another devil was not along the lines of who Issei would consider an 'enemy'. He thought of a magical monster of some sorts, or perhaps someone like Freed. The white haired sword wielder wasn't someone who Issei thought was a 'bad person', but he certainly could be considered an enemy. And Issei would continue to regard him as such, until proven otherwise.

A man from an arranged marriage didn't exactly fit the description of an enemy. How much of Rias' stalking was to see if Issei was the correct candidate for the job and how much of it was her own individual interest? He knew she had been tailing him for a while, but she also knew of Riser and her arranged marriage since birth. How important was it that he needed to fight for her?

"What do you want us to do?" Issei asked. He didn't exactly know what fighting Riser involved. Perhaps they were only supposed to protect Rias by fighting through reaction instead of initiation. Regardless, Issei wished to find out. He was quite curious to see what had made Rias so bothered that she would disregard the feelings of the entire peerage, including himself.

"What are we going to do?" Kiba questioned. Issei looked at the blonde haired knight. Was he just repeating what Issei said or was the question rhetoric? Had the servant of Rias already given up? That wasn't something that was very becoming of a knight.

The door opened again, this time without a warning from the other side. Two women had stood behind the door, with the shorter one having her palm still on the door handle. He recognized at least one of the two intruders. It was the Sitri girl that Rias had introduced him to earlier in the day and right besides her was another woman.

The lady had long silver hair that flowed all the way to the bottom of her back. She had two braids of hair tied to each side of her head by a blue ribbon at the ends. She was wearing grey colored light armor with elbow and kneecaps to ease the joint tension. With a sheathed sword on her side, she looked like a soldier who was ready to fight. She had bright red eyes, but seemed to be in a constant state of earnest. The breathtaking woman was the embroidery of casual beauty.

"Sona. Nee-sama!" Rias turned her attention to the two new arrivals. Sona had come without the presence of her peerage accompanying her, forsaking them for the sole silver haired companion. Rias had apparently called the woman her older sister. Issei couldn't see the resemblance. They both had two uniquely different colored manes, but Issei also didn't know how devil genetics worked.

He was missing Motohama at the moment.

"Rias-sama, I'm here on official business. Please don't refer to me as 'Nee-sama'. Call me Grayfia-san if you must." The silver haired woman spoke elegantly. She composed herself well, Issei noted. An impressive display of royalty. She was extremely dignified in her approach, her tongue as silver as the hairs on her head. Issei, who had no prior exposure to such formal conduct, was extra attentive to this peculiar woman.

"If you so desire, Grayfia-san. Your visit just surprised me that's all. I'm always here to listen. I hope you are the bringer of good news today." Rias responded, with a much more collected tone. Issei, who had been told that Rias is a princess time and time again, got reminded once more that there is another side of Rias that he hadn't seen much of. A much more refined and reserved side. He liked what he saw.

"Then listen closely, daughter of destruction. You are to assume your role as the heir of the house of Gremory and-" Grayfia was interrupted by the sound of a portal opening. The louder it became, the more Issei corrected his statement. The vibration that produced the tone was less typical of a portal, but rather more so the crackle of fire. On the other side of the room, a ring of bright orange flames materialized and blazed its way up to uncover a dozen or so girls and a man in the center of all of the females.

"So this is how my fiance looks. I didn't know what to expect, seeing you for the first time, but the rumors don't do you justice. You are more beautiful than words could ever contain. Hajimemashite, Gremory Rias." A tall, built man at a towering height of 6'2 talked with a semi-masculine drawl.

With overarching blonde hair and a red suit purposely unbuttoned one button down the middle, the man was undoubtedly in his youth. He took notice of Grayfia and Sona. "Grayfia-san, I'm surprised to see you. Sirzechs-sama hadn't notified me that you would come in our first meeting."

Grayfia glimpsed in the man's direction. "Riser-san, show some dignity when you speak. You have not yet married Rias-san. Take some time to reflect on your impudence. I'm here on Sirzechs-sama's orders." Riser looked surprised at Grayfia's remark.

"Lord Gremory and my father have already pushed the deadline. I came here to talk to Rias about the wedding attire. I just wanted to wear matching colors with my fiance. Forgive me Grayfia-sama, for I had not known. Lucifer-sama hadn't informed me of your happening." Riser responded, bending his back forward with an open palm to explain himself.

"I will never marry you, Riser." Rias said indignantly. The crimson haired woman stood up from her desk and walked to the center of the room to stare defiantly at Riser's dark blues. She was half a foot shorter than him, but still met him with equal eyes. Riser seemed amused at the prospect of Rias' dissent.

"That's not for you or me to decide, Rias." Riser had stated, which in turn got a growl from Rias. "Aw, don't be like that Rias." Riser waved his hand and a flame appeared in thin air. He curved his hand and the fire disappeared to reveal a red rose with thorns adorning its green stem. It was conjuration, that was for sure, but the flower was visibly artificial. Riser handed the flower to Rias in a sign of armistice.

Rias took it in her hand and enveloped the rose in crimson energy, disintegrating everything but a few leaves. She threw the petals back at Riser which incinerated into ashes when they got close enough. Sona, seeing the confrontation, decided it would be wise if she helped out her best friend. Or at least, placate one of the two infuriating devils.

"Perhaps you should heed Rias' words, Riser. You are her fiance, not her owner. Be patient for once in your life. You are already engaged, there's no need to flaunt your marriage." Sona said placidly in Riser's direction. Hearing what Sona had just inputted, Riser burst into spontaneous laughter, finding humor in Sona's words.

"That's rich coming from you, Lady Sitri. The girl who thinks she's too good for Diehauser. The girl that has the gall to say that she won't marry anyone dumber than her and yet the Rating Game champion doesn't qualify for her hand in marriage. The girl who believes she can run an entire clan by herself without the assistance of her older sister who she hides behind whenever anyone says anything bad about her." Riser taunted Sona ruthlessly. Hearing what Riser had just claimed about Sona, if any bit of it was true, it would certainly get under Sona's skin.

Sona gritted her teeth. "Lord Belial understands that I do not wish for marriage right now. He shows consideration, unlike you. You could stand to learn a thing or two from him. And I'm not just talking about your chess skills." It didn't seem to faze Riser, who just continued on laughing at her irritation, trying to provoke her even further.

"Sona Sitri, the exception. Considered off limits to every male pureblood devil due to her older sister's interference. The only pureblood female in all of the faction that is untouchable. The girl that marriage requests don't apply to. Sona Sitri, the girl in charge of the biggest hospital in the underworld and yet has all her peerage work in the human world.

"Do you know how many people you could've saved just by being less selfish? How many lives you could have helped? Take responsibility, girl. You can't do this on your own, and yet you beg your older sister to leave you alone. Your ungratefulness to your sister knows no boundaries. Yet you still hold your nose high like you did anything by yourself in life. For someone so full of herself, your rating score is dubiously low."

That last sentence seemed to trigger something in Sona, who formed blue energy in her palm, looking ready to blast Riser at any second. Riser laughed again. His eyes glowed orange in response to Sona's antagonism. "Try me, girl. You're no Grayfia, you're no Diehauser, and you're certainly no Leviathan." Energy was produced all around Riser in the form of flames, appearing like an intimidating aura. Issei heard a sigh and then the tap of a footstep.

Grayfia grabbed the hilt of her sword and unsheathed it a tiny bit. Her eyes glowed red and a gust of wind blew everyone back. It wasn't strong enough to knock everyone off their feet, but it seemed to be focused in specific places like Sona's blue energy and Riser's flames. Both sources of energy had disappeared from the palms of their holders' hands and were replaced with thin air. The two devils looked significantly less threatening without any sign of their magic remaining.

"Enough, Riser-san, Sona-san. Have some resemblance of control over yourselves." Grayfia bidded them both. She turned to the blonde haired instigator, who looked at her with respect. "Riser-san, understand this. Sirzechs-sama bestowed upon his little sister a chance. An opportunity." Grayfia informed him. Riser stared at the silver haired woman.

"Oh, did he now? With all due respect, Grayfia-sama, please don't make me laugh by saying that Rias is getting the same treatment the Sitri girl got. That would be a spit in the face of both the Phenex clan and the rest of the thirty two." Riser calmly stated.

"No." Grayfia confessed. "Sirzechs-sama and Phenex-sama have allowed Rias-san to battle for her marriage. They agreed to this idea upon Sirzechs-sama's offering of additional compensation in the form of land and copious monetary funds. Lord Lucifer had offered something that is worth more than even the phoenix tears of your family." Riser was extremely interested. Something worth more than their phoenix tears? Their phoenix tears were known to heal practically any wound with just one drop.

"A battle you said, Grayfia-sama? I assume this will be a formal duel? I haven't practiced in quite some time. It will be interesting to see what the Gremory power of destruction can do." Riser was confident in his ability to win, even as rusty as he was currently.

"No." Grayfia disclosed. "The battle will be a Rating Game." She professed.

Riser widened his eyes and turned to the daughter of the Gremory house. "Don't do it, Rias you'll-" Riser tried to frantically warn Rias. Apparently it didn't work however, as Rias quickly denied any opposition.

"Accepted." Rias answered immediately. She gave the option no thought. Inwardly, she sighed in relief. This was the best case scenario, barring the impossibility of Sirzechs being able to dissolve the marriage. She needed not think any more; she had already prepared herself mentally for this her entire life. Everything she did was bidding on this one hope. Now it has turned into reality. The question wasn't whether or not she was prepared. It concerned if Rias would be able to commit to her admission of battle.

Riser sighed. Grayfia continued. "Rias-sama has been allowed three days of preparation for the Rating Game that will occur. It will take place in the Amaros Colosseum. Do please be on your best behavior, Riser-san."

Riser's eyes stretched again. "Grayfia-san please reconsider, don't make it-" A click sound emitted from Grayfia's side. The silver haired woman had unsheathed her sword once more. The movement had a jarring effect on any future sentences coming out from the Phenex heir's mouth. Riser sighed. "Very well, then. I will accept these conditions."

Grayfia let her hand go and her sword dropped back into its sheath. It made a hissing sound and air had leaked from the sides of her sword. It clicked once more when it had been put back in its original place. The silver haired woman turned away, dismissing herself from the area. "I trust you both not to fight when I'm gone?" She practically ordered.

"Hai, Grayfia-sama." Rias and Riser responded in harmony. Grayfia walked out of the double doors, without closing it behind her. Her back turned for the first time, Issei was able to see the Gremory family crest engraved in the back of her grey armor. Additionally, there was another emblem that Issei wasn't able to decipher. He had never seen it before. It looked like an assortment of diagonal lines intersecting a 'v' and curving at each side of the letter it crossed.

"Good luck, Rias." Sona gave her best friend one final word of encouragement. Rias nodded in her direction. Sona turned around and walked away, presumably following Grayfia, but Issei couldn't see if she continued in the same direction. The black haired woman with glasses closed the double doors behind her, giving them all privacy. Riser turned his attention back to Rias. He slowly started walking towards her in a furious rage.

"You foolish, stupid, immature girl. Do you know what you've just done? Do you know what I will do to your peerage? Your servants?" Every single step he made burnt the wooden floor and it creaked under all the pressure. Black marks were left behind in the blonde devil's wake. Riser walked a bit too close to Rias and was met with a sword at his neck.

Kiba had summoned a sword and held it against Riser, daring him to move forward. "Don't take another step, Riser-san. I will be forced to take action against you." Kiba looked ready to strike; Issei wasn't sure if he even cared for a reason. Looking towards Akeno, Issei saw that she was just staring at the two boys clashing. Her eyes were open and observant, but she no longer seemed to radiate the sort of emotion Issei had detected from her earlier.

Riser brought his index finger up and it glowed in flames. He pushed the sword away from his neck by the blade, cutting his skin in the process. The male devil stared defiantly at Kiba, moving his weapon away with no regard. Red blood continued to drip down onto the floor, with Riser not even batting an eyelash.

Kiba sliced horizontally and took off both Riser's finger and his head at the same time. Riser's head rolled on the wooden floor and blood spurted out of his neck from where Kiba had bisected it. The bare neck of Riser was then enveloped by flames and his head came back in the same shape when the flames died out. His finger also managed to be brought back to its original form.

Looking at Riser's face, if Issei hadn't just witnessed it, he would think that nothing had occurred. All his body proportions were the same, down to bridge of his nose, and his hair seemed to be in the same state of distress that it once was.

Kiba's eyes widened as he looked down at the head that was still on the floor and back up towards Riser who had fire dancing in his eyes. Riser pushed Kiba away with a light shove, causing Kiba to stumble back a little as he held his sword in a readying stance. However, the knight of Gremory chose not to go for another attack due to his initial burst proving to be ineffective.

"This is your peerage, Rias? How in the four great Maous' names do you expect to defeat me with these pitiful excuses for evil pieces? The rating game that you just got into cannot be described as anything other than suicide. Did you even stop to think this through for a single second?" Riser stepped to the side to reveal the fifteen girls behind him who have been silent this entire time. "Do you even care what happens to your servants, Rias?"

Rias stared back at Riser. "I trust in their power, Riser. I will do whatever it takes to keep my freedom. My servants have already come to terms with that. I haven't had a single choice my entire life and the one time I get to choose, you wish to take that from me?" Rias stood her ground against Riser, not willing to back down any time soon.

Riser looked hurt. "Ignoring the fact that you just insulted my pride as a husband, Rias, do you not understand that I don't have a choice either? I was so happy when I found out that my father had already blessed me with a wife. Now that I see her in person, I can tell that she is much more beautiful than anything I could possibly imagine.

"Not many devils are as lucky as I am, Rias. They would kill each other just to be in my shoes right now. You need to grow up, Rias. You're still the same old scared little girl that ran away from all her responsibilities all those years ago. You know, I thought you would be different from what they said about you, Rias." Riser was disappointed. His eyes seemed a little sad as well. The fires in his eyes disappeared, looking like they had been starved out of breath.

"I'm never going to marry you, Riser." Rias repeated the same sentence she said before. Riser sighed. She had completely ignored everything he just said. He truly did not understand the woman that was standing right in front of him.

"What are you hoping to accomplish, Rias?" Riser scanned through the entire room, locking eyes with Issei for a few seconds. Gasper looked like he wanted to go back to his room, which really didn't help the visage of hopelessness that the Gremory house surely gave off. "Where are all your pieces? Where are all your pawns?"

"Issei is worth eight pawns, Riser." The man didn't seem to get what Rias was going for here.

"And?" He waited for the catch.

"Do you even play chess, Riser? A queen is worth nine pieces, a rook is worth five, a bishop is worth three and a half, and a knight is worth three. Your pawns that are worth one piece stand no match against Issei, who is worth eight of them. Do you not realize, Riser?" The man looked curiously at Rias. "My pawn is worth more than your knight and your bishop combined. He is equal to both your rook and your knight."

Riser rubbed his chin, Rias having an actual argument going against him for the first time in their conversation. Her rebuttal consisted of something other than her childish antics and it definitely showed.

Rias continued. "You say you value your pieces so much, Riser. Mocking me for not caring for my peerage is the most tactless thing you could possibly say, considering that I care more about my few servants than you do with your many more." Rias said confidently. Issei was impressed with her conviction. She had convinced even Issei that he was a part of this big family that she was referencing.

Riser took his hand off his face. It seemed that Rias had wished to get increasingly serious. Ignoring Rias' accusation that he didn't care about his pieces, Riser insisted. "So you're going down the 'quantity versus quality' path, Rias. Okay, I'll play along. Let's see if your pieces are truly worth as much as you say."

Looking at Issei once more, Riser acknowledged his presence. "The pawn you put so much trust in doesn't even look that strong, Rias." The blonde devil commented. "Hyoudou Issei, right? I heard that you were reincarnated as an Akuma two weeks ago. What have you even been doing in the past week?" Riser interrogated Issei, believing that the chestnut eyed boy had just wasted his time as a devil.

Issei stared calmly at Riser. If the man wanted to know so badly, then Issei would tell him. "I was busy burying my best friend." The sentence hit Riser hard, causing him to rethink his actions.

Riser's eyes widened, clearly not expecting a response like that. "My condolences, then. I'm sorry that Rias put you through this." He completely backtracked on what he had just said, not intending to shame Issei for being a decent person.

"Don't be. I'm still deciding whether or not I really want to fight you." Issei told Riser, causing him to no longer ponder his recent mistake. Both Riser and Rias stared at Issei with a surprised look on their faces. It seemed that neither of them were quite prepared for Issei's interference.

"Issei!" She admonished him. Admitting that in front of Riser wasn't something she wanted to happen. The image of stability had already been ruined, and Issei wasn't helping in that regard at all. However, Issei had clearly not cared one bit about how they appeared to the Phenex clan devil.

Riser stared at Issei, taking in his appearance one more time. He reevaluated his first assessment of the pawn. Perhaps there was strength in the boy, yet. "Good luck then, Issei. I'm not looking forward to putting you down. Hopefully you get stronger in these next three days, for your sake. Don't disappoint me, Issei. I'm not going to go easy on you." Riser walked back over to his girls, waving behind him, and disappeared in a column of fire.

The moment the last bit of flame burnt away, Akeno immediately riled on Rias. "How long were you planning on keeping this a secret, Rias?" Out of everyone here, Akeno seemed to be the one with the most intense reaction. She seemed to take it more personal than the rest of the peerage, Issei noted. He was once again reminded about his late best friend, except this time the topic of honesty came to the brink of his mind. Just how important was Rias' decision to keep this fact to herself?

Rias looked extremely ashamed of herself. With Riser no longer in the room, she expressed her guilt fully and embraced it outspokenly. "I don't know, Akeno. I don't know. I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, or at least not so soon. I hadn't thought about how my actions would affect me, how it would affect you all. Please forgive me." Rias apologized.

She moved her hand up and down her arm in anxious fear. "I was scared of your reactions." She admitted. "I should've been more honest from the start. Especially towards you, Issei. I'm sorry guys." Him in specific? Well, it was reassuring to know that he had gotten it the most severe. It just seemed like he was the one that was the least bothered by it, though.

"We're all here for you, Rias-sama. You have saved each and every last one of us. Now it's time for us to return the favor." Kiba said from the side, regaining his self-control after his sword managed to do nothing to Riser. His comment made Rias smile, but she still seemed out of it. It was times like these where Rias had really appreciated her effort put into her servants and it had paid off dearly.

"Speak for yourself, Kiba. Rias has yet to give me a reason to actually fight him." Issei couldn't bring himself to care too much about Rias' plight. It definitely concerned him as far as master and servant went, but Issei wasn't all that close with Rias. His comment had caused her to stare in his direction, bringing her attention along with her.

"Issei." Rias started. "I will release you from your service once this is over. Even if we lose, you don't need to stay with me during the aftermath. Never was I going to force you to do anything, but I truly wished for you to help me." Rias told him. She seemed like she was stuck between ordering Issei around and telling him that he could still back out if he truly wanted to.

Asia tugged on Issei's arm, causing him to look down on her. Her action had caused Rias to become aware of Asia once more. Issei wondered what were her thoughts on the whole ordeal. Her empath powers proved to be pretty useful, and Issei was quite interested in what other people felt right now. It would help to bring about his own opinions and feelings. Rias approached them both, and surprised everyone in the room by kneeling down on the ground.

It started as simple as Rias assuming the praying position, before she humiliated herself even further. She bent her head down almost all the way to the wooden floor as she pleaded with the blonde nun. "Please, Asia. I only ask you for your help in this one thing. I need you, and anyone else I can get." She begged. Issei's eyes widened at Rias' sudden showcase of humility. He looked at Asia to see her reaction, unsure of his own.

"Rias-sama" came from Kiba's mouth. He didn't look like he was all that pleased with Rias' displayed action.

"Rias!" Akeno called out from beside her. The black haired woman seemed to be surprised at Rias' behavior as well.

"Rias-senpai!" Gasper had spoken up for the first time since Issei had met him. So he truly did have a spine somewhere, Issei mused. It just hadn't shown during the time in which Riser was present. If the blonde haired bishop wished to look like he cared for his master as well, Riser didn't see it.

Koneko was just watching them with a curious look on her face. Perhaps she should've been the one who Issei gave Akeno's assessment to. She hadn't exhibited a single emotion since Issei had met her for the first time.

Asia's lips were tight, with no visible discernation on her face. Asia, who had held onto Issei for the entirety of the incident, suddenly let go of Issei's arm and brought her hand up to her face. "Asia?" Issei asked, wondering what she was thinking. Perhaps she was going to rub her eyes, or maybe hold her face in her hands in an attempt to formulate a proper response.

However, none of that happened as Asia slowly placed her hands on the blindfold. Issei's eyes widened. She gradually pulled the piece of white cloth down, and Issei felt like he was aging every second she took to take it off her eyes. It was painfully gradual, with his apprehension escalating higher and higher until the moment of liberation.

Asia's blindfold now rested on the crook of her neck, and she flicked her hair to the side, her blond curls furrowing in the wind. She took her hands off her eyes and started to open them. Her eyelashes had fluttered as it seemed like even she wasn't fully ready to do whatever she was thinking. She opened her eyes, causing Issei to marvel at their beauty.

The room was enveloped in silver energy expanding from Asia's body, and Issei could see his colorized memories all around him. He looked around the room, seeing Motohama die once more and Matsuda leave him again. He could never forget the red color of Motohama's blood stained on Issei's hands, or the clear color of Matsuda's tears dripping down his face.

The memories kept on repeating over and over, and Issei could no longer see Rias, Asia, or any of the rest of her peerage. He wondered why these memories were chosen for his eyes in specific. Raynare was nowhere in sight, and neither was his or Motohama's mother.

The memory of Freed that he had originally seen when he had touched Asia's wrist was readily missing as well. Issei felt his vision come back to him as the silver energy contracted back into Asia. Issei could see her beautiful twilight irises, the moon-esque pattern shining adroitly in her eyes. The blond nun was looking eccentrically down at Rias, seemingly confused at the woman.

Rias seemed to notice something was amiss as well, and stared up at Asia. "Black." Asia simply stated, looking at Rias' face. There was that tone again, it was sublimely innocent with a touch of naivety. Issei was reminded of Asia giving him the same treatment and the same color. He once again wondered the meaning behind Asia's words. The silver eyed girl looked at Issei and smiled at him. "Grey." There was a change in color?

Issei decided to put a stop to this, and took Asia's arm in his hand. He tied the blindfold back up over her blonde hair, covering her eyes. Asia just waited patiently as he did his thing, with her hands in her lap. A few seconds after Issei had secured her blindfold back on, Asia gasped and flailed her arms trying to grab onto something. Issei held her wrists as he called out her name. "Asia, are you okay? Did you find out what you wanted to see?" Issei assumed there was a reason behind her action.

Asia looked in his direction, panting, trying to catch her breath. She was more comfortable than last time it had occurred, Issei noted. She was progressing and it seemed that this time she did it out of will. Asia was one step closer to accepting that side of her. "What were the colors, Issei?" She asked him. It seemed she didn't remember what she saw this time either. He thought back to the words she had just said.

"You looked at Rias and said 'black', then you looked at me and called me 'grey'." He reminded her. Issei dropped her hands and she looked down on the ground, where Rias was still kneeling on. She had lifted her head up off the ground, with Issei seeing the tips of her hair had dirtied on the wooden floor where they had touched it. Rias was now looking up towards them, wondering what had just happened.

"I see." Asia had finally said. She didn't offer any further explanation, and Issei took that as a sign that it was all they were going to get. Now that Asia no longer emitted silver energy from her body, Issei heard the sizzling of lightning or rather thunder. It was an ominous noise, indicating that lightning had already come.

He looked to the side to see Akeno with yellow energy surrounding her body, dangerously ready to electrocute them. Gasper looked extremely interested in Asia, and Kiba seemed like he didn't want to initiate anything this time. Koneko continued to be unfazed by the occurrences that were happening around her.

"It's fine Akeno. I'm sure Asia didn't mean anything." Rias tried to assure Akeno as the crimson haired lady got up off her knees. Issei could see the indents in her kneecaps where she was kneeling in front of Asia, begging for her assistance. They were colored red from the lack of healthy blood flow and circulation. Issei looked back at the more pressing matter.

"Asia what does 'black' mean?" Issei asked her once more. This time Issei was sure that Asia had definitely knew what was going on; it was just up to her whether or not she wished to share that information. He wasn't trying to impose on her, and didn't mean to call her out like that, but he wished to know if she would like to share it with anyone. He himself had his interest peaked, but he could wait.

"I'm willing to fight for you, Rias-san," Asia said in Japanese, ignoring Issei's question. Her formal wording fit auspiciously well with the context of her sentence. Issei raised an eyebrow at Asia's quick response. He knew she was a very caring and empathetic person, but still...Just like that?

"Thank you, Asia." Rias gratified the blonde nun. She looked to Issei, who was the only one not on board. Issei felt a little bit pressured, being the only anomaly in the room, but wouldn't let it get to his head. He was definitely considering the idea from the start.

"I will participate, but out of my own goals. However, something that I am looking forward to doing is getting to train with your peerage, Rias." Issei stared specifically at Kiba, who smiled eerily back at him. He could always ask Ddraig to teach him, but he figured that he wanted to see what Kiba could do and that both of them could benefit from their endeavor.

Looking at the rest of Rias' pieces, Issei considered who would be the proper person to teach him magic. Akeno and Rias were probably the only two people that would fit his needs. However, they may be in a similar situation with Asia in which they aren't able to teach him due to their lack of teaching skills. That would indeed be a bummer.

Rias smiled, extremely satisfied with the conclusion of the discussion. "It's settled then. I'm not sure if we have three days including today, or if today already counts as a day. But we should get started immediately. We don't have much time." Rias advised her peerage. "The question is whether or not we should be focused on our individual improvement, or try to become compatible with each other in the short amount of time we are given?" Rias looked around the room, to see if anyone wanted to share their thoughts.

Kiba, surprisingly, was actually the one to speak up. "While individual strength is indeed nice, I believe that perhaps we should become a stronger team. A stronger family. That's what you told Riser isn't it, Rias-sama? Perhaps we should follow what you said on strengthening us as a whole compared to Riser-san's numbers."

It sounded fair enough, Issei mused. It was the safer option considering he didn't know anything about Riser's peerage or how far Rias' peerage would be able to push themselves. It also did align with Rias' theme of group work. He supposed he could tag along to see how it would turn out.

"I'll meet you here in a bit, Rias. I need to get Asia some new clothes. I don't know how long we will take. Don't wait on us." Issei butted in. That was a priority as of right now, especially since he needed some space to gather his thoughts. Additionally, Issei also wanted to talk to Asia about the significance of the color scheme. He pulled the blonde along, giving her no choice or objection. Asia allowed Issei to drag her, until she started walking at her own pace, matching Issei's.

Issei passed by Kiba, feeling the blonde smiling at him. He gave the knight a narrow glance, before continuing along the path outside of the Occult Research Club second floor. He opened the double doors and walked out with Asia right beside him.

Issei shut the door behind them, not waiting to hear if Rias had a response in mind. Asia and he both walked in silence as they opened up the door of the first floor. Issei considered what to do about his and Asia's incoming conversation. He thought about whether or not he should bring the topic up, or if Asia would do it herself since they were both alone. Perhaps she would finally share her thoughts with him. He was dying to know.

Asia tightened her grip on Issei's arm as they walked across the school courtyard. "You ought to be a bit nicer to Rias, Issei. She could use a slightly better treatment from you." Asia told him in Italian. That was how she was going to start it? He definitely agreed from a morality standpoint, but he felt that Rias still needed to spend a little more time with him.

Other than Asia and Ddraig, Issei didn't really have any instantaneous relationships with anyone. Even though Rias had saved him and she was his master, he still needed to warm up to the woman. It had even seemed that Rias was able to wait for Issei to come to terms with that, until the utmost crucial moment in which she was forced to depend upon him. It was such a delicate decision that was resting on his shoulders.

"Does this have to do with what you saw in Rias, Asia?" Issei asked, curious to see if his guess was right. Freed did mention that Asia could see both magic and emotions with her second sacred gear. Just saying it in his head didn't make it sound any less impressive. Asia was definitely gifted, but Issei couldn't think of a better person to be bestowed powers upon. She truly was somebody special. Even the Vatican had recognized that, but perhaps they interpreted her uniqueness in the wrong way.

"Yes," Asia affirmed. "The color black is the primary color for pain. One of the main reasons why I don't like to take my blindfold off is because the whole world becomes black. I see black when I close my eyes, I see black when the blindfold covers my sight, and I see black when I open up my eyes without anything to impede my vision. I don't like to be reminded of the world's suffering, Issei." That was touching.

"So you choose to risk your life to help her? What about everyone else who is in pain, Asia?" Issei wanted to know if she had an 'out of sight, out of mind' mindset. He wondered if she understood that she needed to be sociopathic sometimes due to her duty as a healer. Doctors can't save everyone and neither could she. Issei was interested if Asia had accepted that fact already. He knew that she hadn't yet come to terms with people that she couldn't heal, but he needed to know if she understood there are people she just wasn't going to be able to save. Even if that person still wished to live.

"I don't like sensing when other people are in pain, Issei. Seeing it with my own two eyes is a whole nother thing. I hate the fact that I want to turn my head away. Even more so, I hate the fact that I keep my head focused on them, and yet I continue to close my eyes. When Rias approached me earlier, the intensity of her emotions flooded me with her proximity. I could tell that she has been battling her own demons for quite some time, and I don't mean the fact that Riser is a devil. I think she should be given a chance, Issei." Asia explained.

"There are a lot of people who should be given a chance, Asia." Issei reminded her. "I agree on the fact that she deserves a chance, however, I'm not sure if I'm the right person to give her that chance. Or rather accept it in this case. I don't think that my decision to assist her should depend on the circumstance of our relationship.

"Just because of the fact that it concerns me shouldn't be what drives me to agree. I haven't even considered it personal. Rias is still very much a stranger to me." Issei elaborated. "Who decides whether or not she should be given a chance, Asia?" He questioned.

"When I sensed her get on her knees and beg for my assistance, Issei, I didn't know what to think. So I had to see it for myself. Unfortunately, I've abstained from using my Eyes of Twilight, so I had to ask you about what I said. I don't know the shade of her black, but any black is enough for me to want to do something.

"From what I could sense, it might not be the darkest black the world has ever seen, however, it is especially the darkest black that she has ever known. Rias deserves a chance not because God or someone else had given her one, but because she gave it to herself. She showed a supreme display of humility in that one moment, Issei. I'm sure you realize that."

He did. It was certainly a sight to behold, and it belied everything Issei had known about Rias. The confident, collected Rias Gremory had bowed down to a nun who worshipped everything that she stood against. Or rather, their races stood against, that being each other.

She was the one who told Issei to stay away from Asia, and yet she was also the one who directly asked Asia for her help. Her identity as a devil spoke lengths as to what she just did. That fact alone made Issei respect Rias in the moment. He doubted many Akuma would do the same thing she did in order to fight for what she thought was right. It didn't matter whether or not it was actually right.

"Asia, let's say that we do win against Riser. What happens after that? Is there anything you're going to do next?" Issei wondered if Asia had any future plans of hers. He didn't want to see her go, but he wasn't going to make her stay. If the circumstances proved true, then Issei wouldn't see why he wouldn't follow Asia. Even if Asia wished to go back to the Vatican, Issei would still probably continue to stay with her. He just wasn't going to be worshipping God any time soon.

"I don't have anything to do as of yet, Issei. My inability to help people has been bothering me recently. People are out there who need my help. People that are even more desperate than Rias, Issei. I want to help them, but without them coming to me, I have no clue on how to help as many people as I can." Asia laid out her heart bare for Issei.

"Issei, I hate using my eyes, because they make me prejudiced." Asia confessed. Issei widened his chestnut colored eyes. Asia, prejudiced? Such an idea wasn't even a concept in Issei's mind. He scrunched his eyebrows in scrutiny, trying to decipher Asia's meaning. Surely she didn't mean what she just said. Out of all the people in the world he would consider prejudiced, Asia was not on the list. Even Issei was on his own list.

"Don't be so disbelieving, Issei." Asia said, sensing Issei's emotions. "I'm telling you the truth." She told him, and he could only believe for what she said as such. They both stopped walking, and Asia raised her hand up to her face. Issei needed to tell her that it wasn't necessary. If she was going to do the exact same thing she did to Rias, Issei didn't want to put her through all that again.

"You don't have to do this, Asia." He expressed to her. He hoped she would heed his advice and take her hand off the blindfold. However, she just smiled in return. It seemed that she had already made up her mind.

"But I want to, Issei." Asia insisted. She lowered her blindfold to her neck. No silver energy this time. She seemed perfectly normal, but Issei hadn't heard her voice so he didn't know for sure. She brought both of her hands to her hair and grabbed it, pulling it out of the loop of the blindfold. Issei had just seen her eyes not ten minutes ago, but he still was entranced by its beauty. He would never get sick of seeing the silver and black swirls of Asia's irises.

Asia looked at Issei and blinked. She rubbed her eyes and looked at him again. She covered her eyes with her hands and uncovered them once more. She smiled at him. "Issei, you really are grey. I'm so happy." Asia started tearing up. Hopefully they were tears of joy, not sadness. Issei smiled back at her, delighted in seeing her happiness. Asia came forward and hugged Issei, crying on the chest of his uniform. He could feel his shirt become wet from Asia as he just held her in his arms. She looked up at him from under his embrace.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Asia?" Issei asked her again, not wanting her to do this for his sake. If they were indeed tears of sadness, Issei would encourage Asia to stop herself from hurting even more.

She banged her fists on his chest. "Yes, you idiot. I'm doing this because I want to do it." Issei chuckled a deep chuckle, feeling funny with Asia's head rising along with his chest as it vibrated when he laughed. It tickled his heart and his soul.

"Issei, it's easy to judge someone for their appearance. If they don't fit your standards, then you will treat them as such. If they exceed them, then you will treat them better than you would if they didn't look like that."

Asia stared up at Issei, locking eyes with him. "I can't help but to judge people because I see their black aura. It's something I can't control." She started stuttering. "I..I can't turn my ability off Issei. I don't know how, and I'm not sure if I'm even able to. My…" She started heaving on him. He held her steady, waiting for her to finish. "My teacher had told me she loved me either way and that she loved me for who I was. She told me that it didn't matter whether or not I was different. But I knew I was."

Asia rammed her head into Issei's chest, mumbling in it. "I am a sinner, Issei. We all are. And I thought...I thought that I would be able to be forgiven for my sins by giving up my life to God and pursuing sisterhood. I thought that it would be my penance for my sins since I was repentant. It's not what I wanted to do, Issei. I wanted to help everyone I could, but God's servants wouldn't allow me that privilege.

"I...I didn't think that God would be so cruel by allowing such prejudice. So I thought that maybe that prejudice was part of his grand plan. My existence proved that theory. However, I realized that God granted us the ability. One more special than my Twilight Healing. One more ardent than my Eyes of Twilight. He gave us free will. So I chose to try to live a life of fairness. But every time I open my eyes-" Asia looked back up to Issei.

Issei could see her silver eyes once more as she continued. "Every time I open my eyes, I see pain. And I can't help but to judge people for who they are because of it. I treat them differently, Issei." So she truly believed that she was in the wrong, Issei mused. Asia didn't know how mistaken she really was. She looked like she could use some words of encouragement, and Issei was prepared to give her a taste of her own medicine.

"Asia." He said her name in the way that she liked it. The sound of it made her smile the same infectious smile that he had known her for.

"Yes, Issei?" She responded, continuing to stare at his chestnut eyes.

"You're forgetting, Asia. Pain is a part of life." He reminded her. "Pain is a part of me, it's a part of everyone. It doesn't make me different from everyone else. It isn't a driving motivation. It's a characteristic that everyone has. It's something that everyone has experienced. It just is what it is. You understand that you have been prejudious and you try to prevent that.

"I think that's admirable if that's what you were going for. However instead of preventing it, you are avoiding it. You need to embrace it, and learn how to move past it. Pain is something that will always exist. Acknowledging its existence is the first step if you want to change the people who suffer." He finished.

"You should open your eyes more often. I think they look beautiful." Issei added.

"You really think so?" Asia asked him. She seemed so vulnerable in this moment.

"Can't you sense my honesty for yourself?" Issei responded.

"I want to hear you say it." Asia admitted. Issei laughed.

"Yes, Asia. I think your eyes look beautiful. Just like how you think my pronunciation of your name sounds good." Issei joked to Asia. He still couldn't wrap his head around that idea.

"I like how it sounds." Asia blushed.

"Then I will keep saying it." Issei confirmed. Asia smiled at his testimony.

"Issei does it bother you that I still continue to pray to God? Even after all this time?" Asia asked of him.

"If it bothered me, I would've said so." Issei told her. Asia just smiled back at him, hugging him once more.

"Thank you, Issei." Asia told him.

"For what?" Issei questioned.

"For being here." She responded.

"That's not something that you should thank me for. You were here for me."

"And you thanked me for that, didn't you?" She reminded him. Issei laughed.

"That I did." He admitted.

"Then I will proceed with my thanks." Asia huffed.

"I guess I am forced to accept it then." Issei responded.

"You better." Asia said in mock sternness. Asia ripped herself off of Issei's chest.

"I would like a change of clothes, Issei." Asia told him. He agreed.

"I think I could use a new shirt as well." Issei conceded, referencing the fact that his shirt was now soaked in Asia's tears. Her face turned red once more.

"I'm not used to seeing colors, Issei." Asia admitted to him. There was an underlying problem here?

"That's fine. Take all the time you need. No one is rushing you. You can't adjust to something new instantaneously." Issei said to her. Asia smiled at him. "Shall I do the honors?" He offered to Asia.

"Please." She authenticized. He wiped her tears from her eyes and took the blindfold in his hands. He held up her hair as he looped it back under her blindfold. He undid the knot and retied it over Asia's head. He looked at her. It was sort of sad not being able to see her eyes. But he could wait.

Issei turned around, and Asia held onto his hand. They started walking once more. He felt her grip his hand tighter this time. Not to the point where it would become troublesome, but to a point where he understood that she didn't want to let him go.

Asia and him approached the building of the city clothing shop. They were greeted immediately by a man, customary of Japanese influencers trying to get people to buy their product. "Hello there, young lady and young man. Would you like a tailor to help you out?" The man's wording had already come with the assumption that they were going inside. It didn't bother Issei as they were indeed interested in a new set of clothes.

"That won't be necessary, sir. Thank you for the offer though." Issei responded. He chose to do the talking, as he still wasn't confident in Asia's Japanese yet. He believed that they were better off suited alone. Hopefully Asia would be fine on her own.

They walked inside and Issei checked the catalog. He read off the names of the clothes in stock to Asia as she just listened to him. They both had grabbed their own items of interest and started heading to the clothing room. Issei let go of Asia's hand and went to the men's section.

He undressed and threw his pants over the railing as he picked up his new clothes. Asia was waiting outside for him to finish. Issei called out to her. "Asia, are you able to handle yourself without taking the blindfold off?" He still wasn't sure of the specifications of her sensory magic.

"Of course, silly. Everything has magic in it, Issei. What I can sense now is all the figments of magic, humans just have a constant shape of it. I am able to sense their silhouette with my powers." She explained.

"That's intriguing." Issei told her honestly. "Do humans and other assortments have color as well when you sense them?" Issei asked her curiously. He heard the sound of the next door booth opening, and knew Asia had gone inside.

"No, but I give them color." Asia elaborated. That was something noteworthy.

"What did you assign to me?" Issei asked her, wondering what his color could be.

"Emerald." She told him. He smiled. It was very fitting. Issei stepped out of his room with casual clothes on. He wore black jeans and a white colored short sleeve top on. He had chosen to get new sneakers as well. He bagged his Kuoh Academy uniform and held onto it as he waited for Asia to emerge. And emerge she did.

She came out with a teal colored skirt that went down to her knees. She wore a teal long-sleeve shirt that was fairly ordinary in its look and build quality. Overall, her dressing attire was pretty conservative. Not that Issei minded. Asia still continued to look good in whatever she wore.

"You decided not to get a new white veil?" Issei remarked. Her choice would prove to be productive in the fact that he was able to see her blonde hair for what it was. He hated the fact that it was hidden by the head gear when she adorned the nun outfit initially.

"No. I decided that I don't need to become a nun to continue to try to be holy, Issei." Asia told him. He smiled at her.

"Asia, you know I don't care if you are a nun or if you aren't a nun." He reminded her.

"And you know that I'm doing this for myself, Issei." She reminded him. He chuckled.

"I just wanted to make sure." He explained. She beamed at him, not blaming him for a single word in his sentence.

They walked to the counter, ready to pay, but Issei patted his pockets realizing that he had no form of payment. 'Ddraig?' He asked in his head. Issei hoped his partner would be able to save him from his predicament. He got a response.

'Allow me.' Ddraig talked back to him. Issei surrendered his body just like he had when he had first met Asia. Issei blinked and saw the vision of Ddraig. He found that he was able to appreciate Asia even further with the new colors. Ddraig put his hand in his pocket and Issei felt something form in his hand.

Ddraig pulled out an emerald gem from his hand and gave it to the cashier, who was shocked to see such a stone. The cashier took out his circled glasses and started inspecting it. "Keep the change." Ddraig told the cashier as he walked out with Asia in hand.

Once they were finally outside, Asia started talking again. "Hello again, Mr. Dragon." She greeted him. He granted her a soft smile.

"Hello again, young nun." Ddraig responded in kind. Asia frowned.

"You should call me Asia. Issei does." She told him. It reminded Issei of himself. Ddraig chuckled.

"Then you should call me Ddraig." Issei's partner had told the silver eyed girl. She smiled back at him.

"You aren't as sad as before, when I first met you, Ddraig. Why is that?" Asia asked the dragon. She didn't want him to return to his state of melancholy, but was just wondering why the dragon had changed so quickly. Ddraig gave her a smirk.

"You noticed that didn't you? Quite perceptive, you are." Ddraig's wording got a smile from Asia as a reward. Ddraig put his hands on the back of his head, like he did the first time he had control over Issei's body. "I'm just happy that I have such a pleasant and amusing host." Ddraig responded. Asia's smile brightened.

"Don't let him hear that, Ddraig. It might get to his head." She joked along with him. Ddraig laughed. Asia wasn't aware of the dramatic irony that was going on through Issei's mind currently.

"He can actually hear you right now, you know?" He told her. She slowed her pace down to a halt. She hadn't expected that.

"Oh. Well tell him I said 'hi'." Asia had informed the dragon. He laughed.

"You tell him yourself. He can hear you, remember?" Asia smiled at Ddraig's response.

"I know. I just want you guys to talk more often." Asia told them both. Ddraig smiled. He pointed to Asia's bag which contained both of their clothes. Issei had consolidated both bags in order to preserve space.

"Hand me that, won't you, Asia?" Ddraig asked of her. She gladly gave it to him. Ddraig took the plastic bag and burnt it with emerald flames. He sniffed the ashes as his nose intaked the smell. He wafted the scent towards his nose with his hands and smiled egregiously. He let out a deep breath of contentment.

They continued to walk along the direction towards the Occult Research Club and Ddraig had something on his mind. "Asia?" He asked the blonde haired woman.

"Yes, Ddraig?" She had responded, confirming that she had indeed heard him.

"What's my color, Asia?" He asked her, curiously. She smiled at his curiosity.

"Why it's emerald of course." She told him like it was the most obvious thing in the world. And it was.

"I bet mine glows brighter than Issei's." Ddraig boasted. He puffed his chest out and actually managed to exhale steam from his nose.

Asia giggled a mirthful laughter. "I don't know Ddraig. I think I'll keep that fact to myself." She playfully told him. He looked comically angry at her unsatisfactory response.

"Well, I believe that it does glow brighter, so that's how it will be." Asia smiled at Ddraig's immaturity.

"Can I talk to Issei, Ddraig?" Asia asked him. He couldn't deny her.

"Sure." Issei felt himself get handed full control over his body again. He stumbled and almost tripped, getting used to the sensation. The previous leisure of relaxation had quickly turned into a desperate attempt at stability.

"What did you want to talk about Asia?" He questioned the girl. What was so important that she found it neccessary to talk quickly? A few more minutes of walking and they were almost back at the old schoolhouse.

"Well actually, I-" Asia was interrupted as she sensed another presence near them. Issei looked around, and saw a young girl to the left of them.

The girl had long blonde hair in the shape of drills, curled nicely and tied with blue ribbons. They were in twintails on both sides of her hair. She wore a red dress shirt that went down to her wrists with a white scrunchie-looking part of her sleeves on both sides. Her top was buttoned down and she was wearing a thigh length red dress skirt.

The red was a slightly darker color of Riser's outfit, which prompted Issei to remember the appearance of the girl in front of him. She was one of the girls in Riser's peerage.

There were so many of them that Issei had forgotten what each of them looked like, but this one was on the far right so he took notice of her. She stood out because she seemed like she was the only teenager there, with the rest looking like either children or young to grown adult females.

She noticed them staring at her and waved at them. "Ohayo, Issei-san. My name is Phenex Ravel. My brother has cordially invited you to join us during lunch, this evening. Shall you partake in our dining, Issei? Nii-sama has informed me that the nun is allowed to join in as well." Ravel had told them with a cheerful voice.

Huh, well wasn't that interesting?


A/N: I actually got like literal anxiety from accidentally uploading the last chapter.

Anyways if you want to ship Issei and Asia, go ahead. I haven't decided whether or not Issei is going to end up with any particular girl. Romance isn't going to be the focus of the story so you can have your own headcanon.

Additionally, I understand that in canon Sona had beaten her arranged fiance through a rating game. Yeah, that shits not gonna happen. And Riser is going to be the heir of the Phenex clan because it's extremely disrespectful having an arranged marriage of the sister of Lucifer and a third son. And it will fit my story better, you'll see.

I was supposed to upload the last chapter, this one, and the next one all at the same time, but I accidentally fucked up with the upload so I'm looking over them to make sure I don't fuck up even harder.

Brace yourself, we're about to enter the territory of devil politics and delve into some more concepts. Get ready.

But until the next chapter is published, have a good night.