The pretty blonde teenager held her hands together impatiently, awaiting their response to the invitation. She stretched her arms sideways in a vitruvian style manner as she crossed her covered legs. Over and under. Over and under. She walked along the park bench that separated the three individuals from being on equal ground. Ravel Phenex balanced herself on her feet, even though the concrete bench spanned wide enough for her to walk normally.

She managed to skew to one side of the surface and tiptoed in a lopsided fashion. The haphazard girl had accidentally overstepped too far and tumbled to the ground. Issei caught her before she hit the ground, bridal style in his arms. Her chest concaved and convexed as the adrenaline rush continued to make her hyperventilate.

Issei set the young girl down on the pavement. The prestigious devil flattened her dress as she giggled, apparently not willing to address the fact that she had just exhibited extremely irregular behavior.

The blonde devil just laughed it off with a smile as if nothing happened. She extended her hand to offer a handshake to Issei. "Nice to meet you, Issei-san." The brown-haired male just stared questioningly back at her. He didn't move his hand to accept the offering, but the girl just reached forward and grabbed his hand for him.

She shook his limp hand and then dropped it, Issei now more curious than ever at this strange girl. Ravel then turned her attention to the blonde nun and started ganging up on her new target, instead. She took Asia's blonde locks in her hands and caressed them steadily. "Not bad," Ravel commented, assumingly on Asia's hair. "A little bit too silky for my liking, but that's pretty customary of Christians."

She circled around Asia, inspecting the girl's body from every corner. She lifted up Asia's arm and stretched her shirt to see how far it went. "Hmm. A little too bland. Show some skin; you're never going to get any boys the way you're looking right now." Asia didn't blush at Ravel's advice, to her credit. The eager blonde devil suddenly noticed the white blindfold that was covering Asia's eyes.

She reached up to touch it, and Issei was afraid she would pull it off. However, Ravel just seemed to be checking out the material. "These look bothersome. I could sew you a much finer cloth. Or, I could ask Nii-sama to see if he can get you some colored contacts. I think you would look good in red, but it will of course be your choice in the end. You wouldn't even need to choose a color if you don't wish to. We can keep your eyes the same color it normally is, whatever they may be."

Issei's eyes widened. The thought hadn't even crossed his mind. How hadn't he thought of that? Probably since he hadn't needed additional assistance for his eyesight. Motohama's glasses served as a constant reminder of the much more accessible type of lenses. But would contacts even work on Asia?

He assumed that Ravel had meant some sort of magical type of contacts, but he still didn't know if Asia's powers would mesh well together with magic. The 'sacred' in sacred gear suggested that maybe they weren't supposed to be tampered with. He looked down at his left arm. Perhaps Asia's Twilight Eyes would evolve similar to what happened to his gauntlet if you could even call it that anymore. It was more like a part of his body now.

"Eto…" Asia's voice brought Issei back down to reality. It seemed that she didn't exactly know how to respond to a person like Ravel. He couldn't blame her. If it was him in her shoes, he would probably just not respond in all entirety and just stay silent. Asia seemed to think that a response was necessary to the vivacious devil. However, it seemed that Ravel might've been talking to herself, as she continued on speaking.

"What am I saying?" She clapped her hands in a semi-loud fashion. "Anyways, it's time to go now, Issei-san, Asia-chan." She looked at them, switching glances between them as if she already expected affirmation from the start.

"Asia…'chan'?" The blonde nun let out. He forgot. She still didn't understand grammar. That was a pain, considering Issei didn't know how to help her. He couldn't teach her, and he really didn't want to introduce her to the Kuoh Academy professor either. It would probably be something she would just have to get used to over some time. Until then, it would probably be safer for Issei to do the talking.

"Don't worry about it, Asia. It's just a suffix. Regardless, do you have any qualms with us attending lunch with Riser?" He answered her question and voiced his own subsequently afterwards. Issei made sure to speak in Italian, so that Asia would get the message that there would be no more Japanese from her. He didn't really see a problem with accepting the Phenex heir's hospitality. He was quite interested to see how the male devil thought.

"I don't mind it at all, Issei." She nodded up at him. He smiled down at her, and turned to Ravel who looked pleased. He wondered though. What were the range of Asia's empath abilities? How far away did one have to be to escape Asia's capture? Was she able to sense Riser's emotions? Issei saw some pretty distinct sensations radiating off of Riser, however Asia must have a much more stronger comprehension than he did on how the young devil felt.

"I suppose that would be a 'yes' from the both of you?" Ravel queried. Issei looked back at the blonde devil, forgetting that she was right besides them.

"Hai. Would you be so kind as to take us to him, Ravel-san?" Issei asked of the girl.

"Well, you guys would have to let each other's hands go first." She said back cheekily, with a wide grin on her face.

This time Asia did, in fact, blush.

Ravel dropped her smile and her eyes glazed over as she clarified. "No, but seriously." Her voice turned monotone as she kept talking. "Our method of travel requires me to feed my energy through the event horizon of one of the center singularities so that it can bend the space-time continuum in such a way that we can jump through the gap in a much shorter distance than what would usually be required."

Issei raised his eyebrow. So...a wormhole. Ravel blinked, seemingly unsure of what just happened before she smiled again. She regained her cognizant look once more and giggled. The blonde devil closed her eyes and took both hands, placing the back of her hands symmetrically on both sides of her lower cheek.

Her chin was supported by the tips of her fingernails as it rested under the bottom of her face gracefully. Somewhere in the movement, Ravel had tilted her head sideways as well. "Oops." Was all that she attested to.

Ravel took her hands off her chin and opened her eyes back up, showing Issei that flaming orange colored eyes specific to only her and her brother. The flames died out, leaving the normal blue colored irises to tend for themselves. She bonked her temple with her right hand, apparently punishing herself for some reason. "My apologies, I just got carried away." That was her getting carried away? This strange girl definitely had a lot to show and a lot to hide at the same time.

"Your magic is able to bend space and time?" Issei asked her, reminding her of what she just tried to change the subject from. That seemed...like an extremely potent ability. The limits of her powers would seem to be endless, at least as far as regular or inferior people were concerned.

She laughed at him. "Of course, not. I'm not the one that bends the reality and neither is my magic. It's simply magic as a whole." Issei repeated word for word what she had just said in his head, and still ended up confused. How did that make sense in any world?

Seeing his expression, Ravel laughed. "Don't worry Issei, I don't understand much either, other than what my private tutors explain to me. I just recited something that I had to memorize out of my textbook." She rectified herself. "Or rather, paraphrased. It's not those exact words; the textbook is a lot more thorough in its explanation. Or maybe a better term would be theorization. You see, we don't actually know too much on how it functions, however we do know that it is due to magic."

Issei was still perplexed, and the sound of Ravel's laughter showed that she certainly did not miss that fact. She tried to explain once more. She conjured flames in the shape of glasses over her face and raised an index finger.

"There are many types of magic, but they all fall under two main categories: individual magic and collective magic. You could also think of collective magic as natural magic, but we don't call it that because it sounds too similar to one of our branches of magic: nature magic. Individual magic is the magic that you are born with; the ones that you are able to exclusively access since birth. For example, my brother and I can wield the Phenex family magic due to us sharing the same blood."

Ravel looked over to Asia to use as a point to prove. "Humans are born with a very low amount of individual magic, and usually have to rely on being taught to specialize in a specific branch of magic. Either that, or they get lucky enough to be born with a sacred gear, which gives them an overall boost in their ability to exercise magic and bring it to reality."

She took her finger that was vertical in the air and it lit on fire. She started drawing a circle of flames in the air and eventually ended up with a diagram. It was something similar to what the heliocentric system looked like.

The flames burned in the air, as Ravel continued to ramble onwards. She conjured a pointer finger of flames and touched the air in between the planets. "Collective magic is magic that is all around us. Some humans, who have almost absolutely no individual magic, depend on this endless amount of energy that's flowing around us as we speak. I say that it is endless because we know that it is endless.

"Magic is inhabited in our world, and we are inhabited in it. When I say 'our world', I'm not talking just about the planet 'Earth', even though it contains an abundance of nature energy. Magic exists as something outside of time and space, and thus can be used to bend it as such."

Ravel then lit her index finger on fire and simply touched the bottom of her shirt. Issei watched on as only a particular part of her clothes had burnt to ashes, specifically everything underneath the place where bras were usually worn. Issei saw her tan stomach, wondering exactly why the blonde devil decided to show it to them. He looked at her, to see her mouth moving again.

"Through this, my individual magic isn't the reason why I can create a wormhole. There are only a certain amount of singularities that we have found so far, and the ones that we have found are few and far between. They have been divided between all the mythologies and are guarded by the most trusted of their people.

"I do not create the portal, nor can I control it. But rather, I am keyed to it. I am able to open it, and close it. Since magic exists all around us, think of it as me simply opening it in one of the specific areas that magic blankets." Issei saw Ravel's stomach glow crimson.

Right under her breasts and above her belly button spawned a circle that was marked in the middle of her chest. It seemed like a tattoo of sorts; something that was very similar to what Issei had seen on the back of Grayfia's armor. It was a sideways looking star that was enclosed in a circle, in which the line of symmetry was not one of the outer vertices of the polygon, but rather the innermost points. It glowed a bright colored red, highlighting the supplementary tan of Ravel's skin.

The glasses that she adorned now disappeared as did her pointer. Ravel's flames stopped burning on her index finger and she pointed with her orange polished nails towards her chest. "Ne?" Issei and Asia followed her finger to see the glow of the symbol.

Ravel took her hand and touched her chest, the distinct red colored magic flowing through her body by means of her fingertips. Her whole hand was now beaming the crimson of the sigil. Ravel curled her palm upwards and bent her ring and pinky finger inwards, so that it touched the inside of her hand. A rift appeared to the right of her.

An oval of crimson energy expanded into a circle about twice the size of the human in height and diameter. Red sparks were exerted along the edges of the circle in a similar fashion to a sparks flying off a chainsaw. The noise that was produced sounded like airplane turbulence, however Issei couldn't feel any wind blowing against him. On the other side of the portal, Issei was able to see the inside of a house. A kitchen.

"You guys go in first." Ravel commented. "I have to be the last one to go, since I am the one holding the wormhole up. There is a window of time before it closes, however I am not strong enough to keep it open for very long. I don't want it to close when only half of your body went through it; that would be disastrous." Ravel smiled as if she was reminiscing a memory of some sorts. "Go on." She repeated. "I can just reopen it if I need to take a break, don't worry about me." She smiled encouragingly.

Asia looked at Issei and he nodded at her. She let his hand go and stepped through the wormhole, getting sucked in at a faster pace when she touched the start of it. There wasn't any animation of Asia's body slowly swirling into a frenzy; she just disappeared from one side and presumably came out on the other. Issei, looking back at Ravel, followed Asia's lead as he slowly inched towards the wormhole.

"Don't tiptoe through the wormhole, scaredy-cat. You need to go in all at once." Issei felt Ravel shove his back forward as he fell through the wormhole. He felt his body contort in many different directions and Issei felt the sensation of his body discombobulate. However, for some reason, he was still able to see, albeit whatever he was seeing wasn't very helpful in excessity. It was just black light and didn't really show him anything useful. Or perhaps the black color was due to the absence of chromatic light. There really didn't seem anything to act as a filter in the wormhole.

Issei suddenly was thrust forwards, out of the wormhole, and hit his jaw on some sort of dinnerware. It was ceramic, and he could feel his chin breaking the china. It broke into pieces and Issei felt his eyesight go hazy. He saw two copies of everything as they moved together along with every single motion. One copy was slightly lighter and blurrier than the other, which was a bit more clearer. Eventually, the two different outlines merged into one, forming Issei's normal vision once more.

He felt something trickle down his neck; a liquid of some sort. Issei brought his hand up to feel whatever it was and came across something that was a lot bigger than just a small, tiny drip. His neck stung against the skin of his hand as it infected a wound. The gash that must've come from landing on the pottery. Looking around for his blonde-haired friend, Issei couldn't find Asia anywhere.

However, that all changed when he spotted the crushed plates start gathering back to their original shape. Issei felt his hand get grabbed, as a soft hand took it off its previous location of touching his neck. He felt the sting of the air against his gash disappear, as he felt the familiar sensation of absolutely nothing. Green energy shined from his right, where the wound was located.

No sign of the wormhole though. A sizzling noise came from behind them, which prompted Issei to turn around in the other direction. He saw the portal open just like it did before, and a blonde devil with drilled hair had emerged from the crimson circle. It closed behind her as she stepped through. "The first trip is always a pain," Ravel remarked.

Issei narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure it wasn't because you pushed me through?" He said sarcastically.

Ravel giggled. "Nah, that can't be it." She saw the side of his neck. "Oh, you hit something?" She noted.

"Yeah. I broke my jaw on your ceramic plate over there. Sorry, I guess." Issei said, pointing to the now reformed dinnerware.

Ravel remained blithe. "Oh, that's fine. You didn't have to fix it though. Nii-sama has like a thousand of those dishes. They aren't a priceless decoration or anything like that; it's completely and utterly replaceable."

"It wasn't me," Issei answered. "It was Asia." He said bluntly.

Ravel stared at Asia curiously. "Arigato." She thanked the blindfolded blonde.

"Ie, ie, ie! Tondemo nai!" Asia waved Ravel off. Both Issei and Ravel raised an eyebrow. Issei was surprised that she didn't word it formally. Ravel was just surprised that Asia didn't accept her thanks.

"Oh. Ok then." Ravel said, awkwardly. She pointed to the gold-plated staircase on the opposite of the room with her finger. "I'm going to go upstairs so I can get a new shirt. Stay here, alright?" Ravel skipped her way up towards the second floor, and Issei was shocked that she managed to not trip on the stairs somehow.

Issei looked to Asia, who seemed to be in one piece. "How did the wormhole feel to you, Asia?" He asked, curious if there was a difference depending on the person. He noticed that the mention didn't invoke any initial reaction, so there probably wasn't much of a story to tell. Regardless, he was still interested in what she had to say.

"Uhm, it felt a bit more rudimentary compared to the methods of transportation I normally use. Then again, Rias' magic felt a little bit off too. I assume it's probably since I've only ever experienced holy energy when I'm teleporting through some type of means."

That seemed off-putting. "Didn't you hang around with Freed and the rest of the fallen angels though?" He asked of her.

She moved her hand to the side to start explaining. "Even though Freed isn't considered part of the church anymore, he is still very much human. His usage of magic is probably limited to holy energy and whatever is left as a human. There exist human magicians in the world, however, they usually dedicate their lives to the arts. I don't believe Freed has that type of patience.

"Additionally, Fallen Angels use holy energy exclusively as well. The only thing that separates them from legitimate Angels is the fact that they have different colored feathers and usually are different in personality. They are considered 'sinners', therefore they can't be angels. God casting them down from heaven is what I've been told their treatment was."

"Do you consider them sinners, Asia?" Issei prodded her, wondering whether or not her mindset has changed on the idea.

"I do not know the real difference between the two, however, I don't think the explanation would be as flimsy as what I just gave you. I haven't met too much of either of the two, however, my teacher has told me a lot about what the description entails. She said that there are many angels that act fallen and many fallen angels that act holy."

"And how much do you trust your source, Asia?" Issei wondered if the faith she had in her teacher was unlike the faith she put in God.

"With my life." That settled it then. On towards more pressing matters, Issei wished to know something that had been bothering him for a while.

"Hey Asia, how long have you hung out with the fallen angel group?" Issei asked, ready to switch the topic to his question.

"I met them about a month or so ago. I spent a week at most with them. Why?" Asia responded, confused at what Issei was getting at here.

"Did you happen to know a fallen angel by the name of Rayn-" Issei was interrupted by the sounds of someone stepping down the steps. They were greeted by the sight of a chiseled chest with a fair amount of pecs and abs. The man was wearing shorts and sandals and had a towel covering his messy blonde hair.

"Oh, Ohayo Issei. I didn't expect Ravel to get you guys here so soon." The heir to the Phenex clan snapped his fingers and the white cotton towel had incinerated into ashes. His body glew red and Issei saw the outfit that Riser had originally adorned when he had visited the Occult Research Club.

The blonde devil's hair was no longer dripping the water from presumably the shower. However, it wasn't nearly as dry as the rest of his body. It seemed that Riser didn't care enough to evaporate the liquid from his hair with his phoenix powers. The male devil put both hands in his pockets as he walked to the marble kitchen table.

"We got off on a bad start, Issei-san. Let me reintroduce myself properly this time." Riser put his hand on his chest. "My name is Phenex Riser, heir to the Phenex Clan." Issei raised his eyebrows. He supposed he would have to do something similar, but he didn't know what to say.

"Uhm. My name is Hyoudou Issei…" silence filled the room as Issei didn't have any titles he wanted to say. He could probably say something along the lines of 'pawn of the house of Gremory' or the 'Sekiryuutei' label that Ddraig had been talking about. However, that wasn't what Issei wanted to be known as. "You can call me 'Issei'." He finished.

"Just 'Issei'?" Riser asked. Issei didn't care about any suffixes. Besides 'sama' and 'kun', nothing really bothered him too much.

"Hai." He affirmed.

"Then you may call me 'Riser'." The blonde devil offered.

"If you insist, Riser." Issei tested out the name. The blonde devil smiled back at him. He turned his eyes to the female in the room.

"And this must be…" he left a blank so that Asia would be able to input her name. Issei waited to see if she wanted to speak up.

"Asia. Asia Argento." She said, using Issei's pronunciation of her name. Additionally, she chose to say her family name as her surname. The western style of naming.

"Argento Asia." Riser finished, with Asia filling in the blanks for him. "That's an extremely gorgeous name, Asia." Riser bent his head down to Asia's hand and took it in his palm. Issei felt a shock as Riser was interrupted from kissing her hand.

Riser's eyes widened before he pulled back and straightened up. He cleared his throat and smoothed his expensive red suit. Riser attempted to gain control of the conversation after his cough. "Ahem. Well then. Nice to meet you, Asia."

The blonde devil went to sit at the other side of the table, away from Asia, Issei noticed. Riser massaged his hand with his other hand, and Issei swore he saw sweat dripping down the male devil's clammy palms. Looking at Riser, Issei waited to see if he needed to speak up. He decided that it was indeed the case here.

"I assume you had other plans besides introducing yourself to us, Riser-san?" He offered, trying to make Riser recollect the original purpose of the invitation.

"Of course." Riser responded, gaining his normal calmness back. "I came to assess you in specific, Issei-san. Apologies, Asia-chan. We haven't been accustomed yet. It was only a last-second decision that I had Ravel extend the invitation to you as well. No hard feelings." Riser apologized to the blonde-haired beauty.

"None was taken, Riser-sama," Asia responded. Riser's eyes widened, not expecting either the formality or the title. He gave her a friendly smile and corrected her.

"None of that in my house, Asia-chan. I'll make you a deal. If you call me 'Riser', I will call you 'Asia'. How about that? No suffixes for the both of us." Riser moved his hand to the side, hoping to reach a compromise.

"Okay then, Riser." Asia smiled at him. The blonde devil smiled back.

"Conversation can wait. Do you want any alcohol? I have sake and beer stronger than any human drink you've ever tasted." Riser offered. "Trust me, it tastes divine. It's like nectar straight from the gods." Riser claimed.

"No thanks," Issei responded. "I'm still underage." He said since he was only seventeen. He still had three more years to go until he could legally drink.

"By human laws, that is." Riser retorted.

"Regardless, I think it's bad practice," Issei told him.

Riser shrugged. "Suit yourself then. I will treat you guys to some tea and maybe coffee if you prefer that instead. Do you two have any specific tastes for how you want your caffeine to be made?" Riser asked them.

"None on my end," Asia said, with nothing else to comment.

Riser nodded at her, before looking at Issei.

"My only preference is that the coffee has milk in it. I prefer an Americano, but I don't know if you are familiar with how to brew such a recipe. It's not popular in Japan, and most likely wherever we are as a result." Issei told him.

The blonde devil laughed. "I'm more of a black coffee person myself. You're right, I have no idea what an 'Americano' is and neither have I ever heard of it in my life. And as for where we are, the place we are in is called the underworld."

Issei raised a brow. "I thought that we are in hell." That was what he had originally inferred and it wasn't a happy thought knowing that he had been wrong the entire time.

Riser laughed again. "No, no, no. Hell is something much different. It is indeed located in the underworld as you say, but it is rather underneath it. Hell has existed before the underworld, however when the devils came to build their faction, the four original Maous permitted Hell to stay in its place. Since Hell is a relatively tame place, the first Lucifer had decided it was not necessary to alter the location of Hell to a different dimension."

"Dimensions?" Issei questioned. He was under the impression that the wormhole had simply taken them to another planet far outside the reach of the Milky Way Galaxy. Physicists would certainly cream their pants knowing that there were indeed other dimensions.

"Hai, Dimensions." Riser asserted.

"So ka." Issei responded, taking in this new information. "Why isn't Hell considered a threat? Surely whoever runs it controls the entire dead and can raise it as an army." Issei questioned Riser, wondering for an explanation.

Riser didn't laugh this time. "Excellent question. Hell is run by Hades-sama, and the reason why he cannot raise the dead is because he cannot control them."

"As in the Greek god?" Issei asked, wondering just how many mythologies existed in the magical world.

"Hai. The known mythologies are the Greek, Norse, Egyptian, Shinto, and Buddhist mythologies. However, they have all been mostly inactive in the past millennium or so and that's why they haven't been considered 'factions'. The main three factions are the Angels, the Fallen Angels, and the Devils."

"What about the Roman, Aztech, Incan, and the rest of the mythologies?" Issei inquired. Riser's list seemed to be fairly small, considering how many religions had existed throughout history.

"There is a reason why I called the Angel faction 'Angels' and not 'Christians'. It's the same reason why the Greeks are mentioned and not the Romans. Because the main three Abrahamic religions all derive from the same 'God'. Likewise, Roman gods derived from the Greeks and branched out from there. Even though Judaism was the first founded Abrahamic religion, before Christianity and Islam, it isn't what we call the Angels because all three Abrahamic religions are called a Ningen no shūkyō." Riser finished.

Issei widened his eyes. " 'Human Religion'?" He pondered out loud.

"Hai." Riser authenticized. "Human Religions are religions created by humans with human names. They are usually based upon either the sight, presence, or hearing of a god-class level being. It could be as simple as the god-class level being starting conversation with them or it might be as one-sided as an obsession with the 'god'. Additionally, human religions can be something that they came up with themselves without the interferrence of any magical being.

"We have no idea if the Aztech or Incan gods actually exist since we have never seen them before. All we have is juxtaposition to base upon, so they are officially considered 'human religions' as of the current date. It's the same thing with Devils and Satanism. Since humans believe there is only one Maou-sama, Satanism is simply devotion to a sole idea that isn't real."

"How would there be any balance between the mythologies? It sounds like there would be a power disparity between the weaker ones and the stronger gods. What prevents one mythology from simply conquering the rest?" Issei asked, curious about how the world seemingly was still intact.

"Well, that's the thing. There have been wars, just not in your dimension. To a human, it would look like the world is the same, because the wars have been occurring outside of your range of perception." Issei's eyes widened. The blonde-haired devil continued. "The Great War of your dimension, that you must've heard about at some point, was caused by the big three factions. There have been snippets of times where the other mythologies have entered your dimension, however, they usually tend to do their thing on their own plane of existence. The Great War didn't even occur on Earth. It happened on a faraway planet called 'Izarth'. It's a place with high temperatures, scarce waters, and no organisms above the microbiotic scale.

"I assume you've noticed that after you've been reincarnated into a devil, you are no longer that hungry?" Riser asked Issei.

"Mmm, not really. I've never really been hungry in general, even when I was a human. My appetite has always been lacking in that department." Issei explained.

"Well regardless, devils, angels, and fallen angels, all need food, water, and oxygen. However, they need it to a much lesser degree than what humans do. Our capacity to live without these three important elements is impressive. Additionally, they are all born physically, mentally, and magically stronger than humans are. We are born with greater prowess than humans, however, that doesn't mean that humans don't have the capacity or potential to overwhelm us.

"The reason why Izarth was chosen as the battleground was because it forced us to become rash and brazen in our decision making. The starvation, thirst, and heat were all getting to us. Similar to how one might turn down the air conditioning if they are trying to lose weight, the leaders of the Great Wear agreed upon this decision. It became a bloodbath."

"Rias mentioned that after the Great War, the factions needed to repopulate." Issei vocalized.

"She would be right. Looking for life on other planets is hard as it is. Looking for new sentient life to reincarnate is exceedingly difficult. The traffic your dimension has gotten recently has increased drastically in the past three centuries. That's why some of the Grigori and the devils have integrated into your dimension, specifically Earth so that recruitment to their ranks would prove to be easier." Riser elaborated.

"What did you do before the lack of population?" Issei wondered out loud.

"We reproduce to the same extent that humans do, albeit with a lot more control. We aren't promiscuous and our hormonal instincts are significantly less than a human. What we used to do was reincarnate dead species, however, due to the permission of the human magicians, we are allowed to reincarnate humans that are alive."

Issei didn't know how to feel about his own kind auctioning them off for slavery. "If you are looking for people to reincarnate, why don't you just go to Hell?" Issei questioned, ironically realizing that his question might've been interpreted as an insult.

"Apologies. I phrased it in the wrong way. You misunderstand. Hell isn't the place where dead people go, it is simply the place where people who aren't satisfied with life end up. Anger, frustration, jealousy, lust. The people who still want to live on go to Hell, and we are able to reincarnate them.

"Hell simply contains a soul, without an exterior. There is no guarantee of what body they will be given since that isn't up to us. There are very few people who are able to form a physical framework out of individual magic. Collective magic is usually the one that dictates what the new body looks like."

"What about robots?" Issei asked.

"Metal found on Earth can't contain magic, and definitely not a soul. Magical metal formed by a specialized blacksmith or metals that are found in a dimension needs to be infused with higher individual magic to contain another being. I suppose you could say that if that were the case, it would be less of a 'reincarnation' and more of a 'rebirth'. If a blood ritual occurred, the new person might even be able to retain the individual magic of its creator."

"And you people are just okay with humans coming into your faction?" Issei continued.

"Me? I don't really mind. My people? Well, that's a whole nother story." Riser stayed silent for a few seconds before he concluded that he would go on. "Humans are discriminated against in the underworld, Issei. Not just humans, any other species as well. Many devils have tried to hunt the reincarnated dragons. Some have succeeded, some have failed by being burnt to a crisp.

"Since other species besides humans being reincarnated were such a rarity, it wasn't that much of an issue before the Great War. After the Great War, Lord Lucifer and the other three Maous formed a new law that stated there would be no direct interference between two different species. This had just pushed the discrimination into verbal wars, which one could argue is even worse. There doesn't exist segregation, but I believe it will be a long time before humans are accepted into devil society.

"Since half-devils were so rare before the Great War, there was no such thing as pureblood devils and half-blood devils. We were simply devils, and life continued as such. Now the house of Phenex, who was one of the poorest clans before the Great War, has become a noble house simply for the blood that flows through our veins. As the heir to my house, I'm sure you can imagine how much responsibility lies on my shoulders, Issei."

"I keep hearing the name Lucifer being tossed around by Rias, Grayfia, and you. Who is this 'Lucifer' fellow?" Issei asked.

Riser smiled. "For all of devil history, there has been a system of four Satans. These devils were selectively chosen because of their strength and prowess. Ever since, the title of 'Satan' has been passed through bloodlines. 'Lucifer' was the family name of the strongest of the original four Maous. The Lucifer that sits on the throne currently is not a 'Lucifer', but rather a Gremory."

Issei's eyes widened. So that's why Rias was talking about him.

"Indeed. He is the brother of Rias Gremory, Sirzechs Gremory. He was the original heir to the house of Gremory, before assuming the title of 'Lucifer' after the implementation of the new four Maous. The family names are Lucifer, Beezlebub, Leviathan, and Asmodeus. The thrones are occupied by Sirzechs Gremory, Ajuka Astaroth, Serafall Sitri, and Falbium Asmodeus.

"As you can probably guess, none of these are descendants of the original Satans besides Falbium. In my opinion, he is the most incompetent of the four, however, he has been given his position due to his blood status. I believe it was a ploy by SIrzechs-sama in order to placate the people who are exclusively loyal to the Old Satans. I don't think Lord Lucifer would be small-minded enough as to allow Falbium to have any resemblance of control otherwise." Riser went on.

Issei tapped his fingers on the marble, not knowing what to think. He knew that Rias was someone important; he just didn't know how important. Now that he found out, Issei could see why Rias decided not to mention her status often. He himself didn't think of her any different, but he could imagine others wouldn't share the same sentiment. He decided to switch the topic.

"How is there any fairness when mythologies fight? Wouldn't the fates from Greek mythology just be able to cut anyone's life string unless they were immortal?" Issei questioned Riser.

Riser chuckled. "Those are human myths. As far as I know, Issei, there are no such powers that anyone I've heard of has. If such individual magic truly did exist, there would be no way of stopping them as you've alluded to."

"I see." Issei said, not knowing what else to say. He heard the familiar sound of someone walking down the golden staircase and turned his head. He saw the twin drilled hair of Ravel Phenex.

She was wearing a new outfit, this one a short sleeve dress. It was a dark shade of pink, with the same white scrunchies near the edges of her clothing. Her dress went almost down to her knees, where Issei could see white knee socks on her body as well as red female flats. Her dress had a 'v' neck to it, which revealed much more than her earlier wear. She turned out to be more developed than Issei's impression of a teenager, making him rethink her age.

"Hello, Issei and Asia! Oh and I guess you too, Nii-sama." She relented after already addressing the guests. Riser sighed.

"Ravel, Issei wants milk with his coffee and Asia doesn't care what she gets. Surprise her, won't you? You already know what I want. Just give me the usual, please." Riser asked of her.

She smiled at them as she stepped down the last stair. "Okie-dokie. It'll be right up!" The female devil skipped her way over to the counter and started prepping the ingredients. While she was doing this, Issei turned his attention back to her brother.

"Can't you just 'magic' us food, Riser?" Issei asked him.

Riser laughed, apparently finding what Issei said funny. "There doesn't exist anything such as 'food magic', Issei. Technically I can do what you've just asked of me, but it won't be helpful in any way. In fact, it would be counterproductive. Conjured or transfigured food is simply mind magic."

Issei raised his eyebrow. He didn't understand.

Riser unwrapped the paper towel next to his plate, which contained a golden knife, fork, and spoon. He took the yellow spoon in his hand and it was engulfed in flames. When the fire died out, Issei saw a piece of bakery. It was a bun of bread. Riser tossed it in the air and caught it. He dropped it on the marble table and besides making a small noise, the bun bounced a bit off the surface and Riser caught it once more.

The blonde devil held it in his hand as he started explaining. "I am not warping reality, Issei. The law of conservation of mass still applies to this piece of bread. This is still the same gold material that was in the spoon, Issei." It didn't look the same. Riser laughed at Issei's expression. "Don't be so dubious, Issei. What I'm holding in my hand right now is not a transfiguration. Transfigurations are reality warping magic and it is individual magic that simply I do not have access to. You cannot specialize in the branch if you aren't born with the power.

"The reason the pastry bounced is because the mass has been spread out through the entire bun. The only thing I'm changing is the way that energy has been stored inside of the spoon. It's essentially similar to flattening a can. It condenses the tin and makes it able to be bounced higher, just like rolling a paper ball allows it to be thrown farther. The same qualities and characteristics of the golden spoon are preserved and retained. Conservation of mass and energy are still applied here, Issei.

"I am not changing the way light reflects off the surface of this bun back into your eye, Issei. While you are able to spray paint anything you want, you aren't able to change the color of an object to a molecular level. You are simply adding in more objects on top of the original object, overlaying them. I could burn this spoon and it would turn black. I could rust it and it would turn grey. I could lick it and it would remain the same, but perhaps it might be a bit shinier. However, that's not what I'm doing here.

"This is Illusion Magic, Issei." Riser said.

"Illusion Magic?" Issei repeated.

"Hai. I am simply tricking your eyes into thinking that it looks the color of regular bread. Likewise, if I chew on this 'bun', then it will still be as dense as the original golden spoon. However, I am able to trick my own brain on how it tastes, and how hard it is. If what I am holding is one of the hardest material known to mankind, like diamond for example, I wouldn't be able to chew it.

"My teeth would bleed, but my mind magic would mess up my nervous system into thinking that they aren't in pain. If the diamond goes down my esophagus, then my mind magic would trick my brain into thinking that it tastes a certain way. Eventually, when the bun expands back into its original form of being a spoon, my mind magic will disappear if I cannot control it.

"I don't get the nutrients that a bun contains. Additionally, I am able to feel the pain when my mind magic ceases to function. You cannot constantly keep mind magic up, as it wears on your magical core. Plus, even the most prominent of magic users struggle to keep their magic up during their sleep. This type of illusion and mind magic combination is useful if you choose to eat something that you don't want to originally taste. Like spinach and onions." Riser smirked.

"Hey! What's wrong with my cooking?" Ravel exclaimed from the counter.

"Nothing my dear sister, I was just complimenting the chef." Riser called back. He continued with his explanation.

"However, conjured 'food' is different. To start off with, depending on a person's anatomy, magic won't really react well with their insides. A human's capacity to handle conjured food is less than let's say a devil, or an angel. Additionally, conjured food tends to go hand-in-hand with mind magic, just like what I just showed you.

"This is because keeping magic in a specific shape is extremely difficult. If you aren't born with reality-bending individual magic, then conjured food is simply just magic condensed into something that looks edible. It will revert back to its original shape, just like this bun in my hand. However since magic doesn't have a shape, it will simply fill up your body like a gas.

"Because since magic doesn't register in our body as 'food', there becomes an absence of the original satiation when it changes back into magic. This way, when the mind magic disappears, you become hungrier than you originally were. It is similar to drinking salt water, except even salt water counts as a liquid. It just makes you more thirsty due to the salt.

"Soldiers actually use the technique of conjured food during battle when they reach the limit of their hungriness. Similarly, people can use mind magic into tricking their mind to stay awake. They will just feel the sleepiness tenfold afterwards, and the side effects are unhealthy to say the least."

Riser stopped the illusion magic and the bun reverted back to its original golden spoon form. Well, that cleared up the question of whether or not magic could be utilized as food, Issei supposed. He stared at Ravel, who was still busy making their beverages. Riser followed his gaze and spoke up, assuming Issei was thinking about something different.

"Don't worry about my lovely sister, Issei. I love her to death, but she is not my maid. Cooking is simply what she enjoys doing. I am no chef, but she keeps telling me that cooking for yourself and cooking for someone else are two different things. I guess she enjoys the latter more.

"It's only me and her in this house. We live by ourselves, since our family is wealthy enough to afford more than one mansion. I fear for Ravel's loneliness, but mother practically shoved her onto me and told me that it was my turn to take care of her now."

Riser smiled and looked at his sister. "She pretty much vicariously lives through me at this point."

Ravel seemed to notice Riser was talking about her. "Hey!"

Ignoring what just happened, that reminded Issei. "Is that why you have kids in your peerage, Riser?"

Listening to what Issei just said, Riser seemed confused. "Kids? Oh, you mean Ile and Nel?" Issei couldn't answer Riser's question since the names didn't ring a bell with him. He didn't know if they were indeed the girls he was talking about, but it seemed like Riser was sure. "Well you are partially right. They are kids. However they are a bit more important than that.

"They are Yubelluna and my children." Riser finished.

What...

The...

Fuck?

Issei widened his eyes. He had no idea who 'Yubelluna' was, but did Riser seriously just admit that he already had children even though he was still engaged to Rias?

Riser laughed, signifying the end of the joke. "I'm just kidding, Issei. Don't worry. Ile and Nel are simply Ravel's best friends. She asked me to add them to my peerage and who was I to deny her?"

Issei calmed down, but still had an eyebrow raised. "And you just let them be your servants?"

Riser waved him off. "They are perfectly capable of defending themselves and regardless, I wouldn't put them here if I wasn't confident in my abilities to protect them. Additionally, this is fully consensual.

"While it is true that Ravel asked me to add them, they asked me first. It just secured my decision in making them my servants. If they ask to leave, I will of course permit them to do so anytime. I have protected them thus far, and until I have been proven otherwise, they will remain perfectly safe and secure at my side."

That was a bit reassuring. But it still posed a question. "Who was this 'Yubelluna' that you mentioned?"

"Yubelluna is the purple haired woman that you probably took note of first. She stands out of the rest of my peerage due to her...blessed figure. Additionally she is my queen, my best friend, my confidant, and my most trusted servant." Riser explained.

"Are you two…" Issei left the question open in the air, hoping that Riser would understand his meaning without Issei having to finish the sentence.

Riser turned serious. His lips tightened as he leaned forward in his chair and clasped his hands together, elbows resting on the marble table. "What is Rias to you, Issei?"

Issei was surprised. He assumed Riser wasn't changing the topic, but about to relate it back to whatever Issei's response was going to be. "I'm not entirely sure myself. She saved my life, and regardless of the means of her 'assistance' and the consent of it, I am content with continuing on walking on the land of the living.

"However, I have only known her for two weeks and for most of our time together, we have been silent towards each other. Not because I am ignoring her and she's been ignoring me per se, but rather because I was going through a difficult time. But what I believe you're asking is if she's my girlfriend or my crush. I can confidently tell you with a certainty that she is neither of those two."

Riser looked at Issei patiently, listening to him with fervor. "I see." He waited to collect his thoughts. "That's good, because I didn't want to impose on any relationship you two were having." While that was definitely touching, Issei was still left unanswered.

"What does my relationship with Rias have to do anything with Yubelluna, Riser?" He asked, hoping he wasn't being intrusive.

"Yubelluna was my first love, Issei." The chestnut eyed boy cringed at that. To maintain a professional relationship with an ex was hard. For her to still serve under Riser this entire time, must be a hassle.

"My condolences then." Issei offered.

"Don't give them to me, I don't need them. Me and Yubelluna are still on good terms and our relationship hasn't changed. We were friends first and lovers second, and both of us knew that. The fallout had happened long ago."

Alright then. "You believe in love, Riser?" He asked of the blonde. Issei wasn't sure if the concept of love was even shared in the underworld. It seemed way too 'human' for a demon to value.

Riser chuckled darkly. "Of course. Just because love is a strong emotion doesn't mean that us devils don't consider it. However, other things simply take precedence over it. Specifically in the case of our people. From what I understand, arranged marriages have been abolished a long time ago in your history, no?"

"Indeed." Issei answered.

"Well, marriage contracts don't exist in the underworld either. However, marriage contracts are different from arranged marriages. There is no binding by law, or hostaging one's magic if marriages are denied. If Rias decided to run away from her responsibilities, I don't believe any devil would be permitted to hunt her down on Sirzechs' watch.

"He is too overprotective of her for that. But she would probably be shunned from everyone else, perhaps even her own family. Additionally, devils may riot and claim favoritism over a sibling. Lord Lucifer's name would be slandered and tarnished.

"How love works in marriages in the underworld is as such: your parents meet their parents so that both parties agree if the spouses should qualify for love."

Issei widened his eyes. " 'Should'?" He noted the peculiar word that stood out of the rest of Riser's sentence.

"Hai, 'should'. This way, no one is forced into an unhappy marriage. If the bride wishes to attend school and the husband wants a housewife, then the parents will say that the marriage won't work. If the husband can't provide for his wife, then the marriage won't work.

"If the husband is a misogynist, then the parents wouldn't want that for their daughter. This way, it secures the happiness and duration of the marriage. They might not love each other at first sight, however they can always come to love each other over time. Devil marriages think of the best case scenario for both people. Rias wouldn't have to work a day in her life, even less than she already has to due to her Gremory house privileges. I want her to be happy and if she has ambitions and doesn't want to stay home, I'm not going to stop her.

"The two spouses merge assets after the marriage, however this doesn't include the peerage. They still belong to whatever King they originally served under, since there is only a fifteen piece limit and a system of dual Kings don't work. Not only because married devils would get too strong and out of hand, but because if the pieces are loyal to both, then they are also unloyal to both. If one King asks the other King's pieces to kill their master, which King are the pieces going to obey? Which King are the pieces going to betray?"

It was reassuring that evil pieces weren't considered 'property' or 'assets', however Issei wasn't moved. There was still subjugation, just of a different kind. Just because the other King wasn't able to order the pieces around, didn't absolve the fact that the original King still could. And for the pieces to fight back or say 'no' to their 'master'... Issei didn't know what exactly would happen. One thing was for certain though; it wouldn't be pretty. The idea of 'the lesser evil' still was on his mind as Riser continued to talk.

"Arranged marriages have always existed in Devil society, however practically every pureblood in the underworld has been arranged for marriage recently. This is due to the need to preserve the continuation of the pureblood devils."

"Are pureblood devils considered better than non-pureblood devils?" Issei asked.

"The assumption is that purebloods are superior. The devil culture tends to agree with this sentiment as well. There seems to be evidence that proves as such, however I am not too sure on what the evidence says. I have not educated myself on the subject as even though it concerns me, I don't care too much about blood.

"For what I know, the statistics can simply be comparing pureblood devils to reincarnated humans, who obviously have inferior biology, instead of non-reincarnated half devils or reincarnated species with equal biology like angels, even though angels reincarnated into devils are nonexistant. Such manipulation of tests with publicized propaganda would certainly tip the scales in the pureblood favor, however I am not too sure if this is the case.

"What I do know is that pureblood devils usually have some sort of family magic. For example, the regenerative powers of the Phenex clan is extremely valuable individual magic that can be passed down through generations.

"It wasn't considered as treasured during the times of the Old Satans, however with the emergence of the new Maous, most of the prominent families have died off. Lord Gremory and Lord Phenex both agreed that a child with the power of destruction and healing would be a menace to deal with. An offspring with such power would surely allow the devils to regain their former glory and power." Riser finished.

"Hmm. Okay." Issei thought aloud.

"Your sympathy isn't necessary." Riser told him. Issei looked back up at Riser.

"I'm not being sympathetic. I'm empathetic in this moment. Sympathy would imply that I somehow share the same mindset as you or common feelings. That is not the case here. I understand where the devil society is coming from, however I don't believe I would do the same things you do if I were in your shoes. The marriage system, that you provided me with, certainly considers the idea of both parties, however I don't agree with it."

"That's fair enough." Riser conceded.

"Shall we agree to disagree?" Issei offered.

"We shall." Riser responded.

Riser waited a few seconds before continuing on the previous topic. "Issei, have you ever kissed someone?" What a strange question. However, the answer was obvious. He thought of a woman with black hair and purple eyes for a split second before briefly telling himself that it didn't count as a kiss.

"No. I also haven't been romantically involved or invested in a relationship before, if you were wondering." Issei added the extra tidbit of information in case Riser wanted to hear it.

Riser smiled at Issei. He didn't insult Issei on his innocence and purity as a virgin. "Well, I have. Many, many, times. Before and after Yubelluna. I do not believe I am in love with Rias right now, but I can't help but wonder…" The blonde devil stared into Issei's eyes. It seemed like he was looking for a truth. "Would Rias' lips taste the same as Yubelluna's? Would my stomach and toes curl when we lock tongues? Shall it be different because she is 'the one'? My 'soulmate'? The one meant for me?"

That was the one question Issei couldn't answer. It seemed that Riser wasn't looking for an response, however. "Nevermind. Forget everything I just talked about." It was easier said than done.

"I can't help but admire your curiosity towards love, Riser." Issei told him. He couldn't give Riser the truth, but he could at least allow the blonde devil some honesty.

"But it's so 'human'." Riser said, sadly. Issei's eyebrow arched, but he chose not to get offended.

"Riser, during the split second before you regenerate, do you feel pain?" Riser looked back up at Issei, wondering what the brown haired man was getting at.

"What kind of question is that? Of course I do. I've been put through extensive training through my tutors. If the battle calls for it, I will use my mind magic to suppress my pain receptors and I'm prepared to deal with any repercussions afterwards. I have faced death with own two eyes, Issei. It's fucking terrifying and it has humbled me in a way that nothing else could possibly match. It changes a person, and I have become double the man I was before."

"What's so wrong with humans then?" Issei asked, curiously.

Riser turned his head back down. His voice was a bit muffled due to the sound waves hitting the marble and bouncing it towards Issei's ears. "They're ignorant. Cowardly. Obtuse. Dense. I'm not saying they are stupid or dumb, but rather simply uninformed. Inexperienced and perhaps a little immature" Riser finished.

"You're not wrong about humans being all seven of those, but they aren't as one-dimensional as that. Well, I don't know about other reincarnated devils, but in my case, I think that maybe humans aren't as shallow as they make themselves out to be."

Riser looked up to see Issei's smile. "What do you mean by that?"

"Perhaps you should reevaluate your original perception of humans. Maybe, just maybe, they might've stared into the abyss, just like you did. In my case, I've welcomed death with open arms and came out on top, a different person."

Riser just stared shocked at Issei, silently. He was speechless.

"I think you should put more faith in humanity, Riser." Issei added.

Riser found his words. "You think so?"

Issei grinned at the blonde devil. "I know so." He finalized.

Riser looked down in contemplation. "I'll think about it. Thanks for the advice, Issei."

Issei waved him off. "Don't stress it. I have something to ask of you anyways."

"What is it?" Riser asked Issei cautiously.

"Nothing serious, don't worry. How exactly do you have your individual powers? Did you descend from a phoenix and human mixture? Perhaps you are a legacy of some sorts?" Issei queried.

Riser smiled. "Sorry, Issei. That's a family secret."

Issei grinned back. "Don't worry, I completely understand. You just don't want to share information with the enemy."

Riser threw his head back in laughter. "You fucking prick, Issei. I guess I could allow you some details about my powers since you've humored me so much today."

Issei smiled at Riser's jest. Well, the conversation certainly proved to be productive if nothing else. Perhaps there may just be some takeaways from spending time with the enemy.

"The number one way to beat me is to beat me down with enough force that I will have to expend all my magic to regenerate. I will most likely still be able to regenerate, but I will be unconscious. However, this requires a god-class level of power, which is simply something you do not have.

"The second way to beat me is by killing me until my mind breaks. However, I have trained myself mentally for this specific scenario. I don't mind sharing these two ways with you too much since I don't believe you can apply either of these to combat in the upcoming rating game."

That made literally no sense. "Can you provide me with something other than dogshit? Anything?" Issei asked the smiling devil.

He just got a laugh in return. "Sorry, Issei. That's all you're getting for now. I might tell you more...after the Rating Game." He smirked at Issei.

"Hahaha...man fuck you, dude." Issei sarcastically said back to Riser. It just made Riser laugh even harder. Issei laughed with him after a while.

"You remind me of someone I used to know, Issei."

"Oh?" Issei was curious.

"My older brother. I looked up to him with such admiration and reverence, but sadly he is no longer with us." Riser chuckled. "I suppose if I were a Christian, you could say that I still 'look up to him'." Rider finished, referencing the human idea that Heaven was in an area someplace up above.

Issei was silent. While he was sure it was a compliment, he didn't really know what to say.

A 'ding' came from the sound of a spoon being hit against a glass object. Issei cringed at the noise. He looked to see who made it, only to find Ravel smiling at him. She was holding a golden tray with three teacups in the middle of it. She approached the table and set down the tray on the marble surface.

"Arigato, Ravel-san." Asia thanked the girl. Issei had felt Asia holding his hand the entire time, but he had gotten used to it and forgot she was right next to them. She hadn't really been talking or participating in the conversation.

Asia's response reminded the two other boys of their manners.

"Arigato, Ravel."

"Arigato, Nee-chan."

Ravel took her dress in her hand and curtsied, before sitting down at the empty seat near Issei. "I hope you guys enjoy it. Tell me how it tastes."

The drinks were extremely hot, steam coming out of it due to heat waves. Asia took the handle of her jasmine tea and settled it on her plate. She put her hand over the cup, covering it. Her hand shone white and she took it off the cup, with her hand no longer emitting energy. The steam was now gone, and Issei assumed she cooled down the tea somehow.

Asia put her finger in the handle and brought it to her lips. Everyone in the room was watching Asia drink the tea as she sipped it. They silently waited as she put it back down to the plate, barely drinking any of the tea. Perhaps she didn't like it?

Asia smiled at Ravel. "This tea is the best I've ever had. Thank you, Ravel-san." She told the blonde haired devil. Ravel breathed out a sigh of relief. It seemed that Asia just liked to drink in small proportions.

Issei took his own coffee and just swigged his entire cup, liking it better hot. He gulped and Issei's Adam's apple bulged as the liquid went down his throat. He breathed out hot air, and rubbed his belly. "That was fantastic, Ravel." He told her.

"Thank you, Issei." She responded, smiling.

Riser took his teacup in his hand, and Ravel started giggling. "What's so funny?" He asked her.

The female devil put her hand over her mouth, but it didn't stop the laughter, just quieted it down. "Nothing. Nothing."

Her brother raised an eyebrow at his sister, but seemed to stay silent. He raised the cup towards his lips, and Ravel's laughter increased in intensity. His fingers stopped their advance.

"Don't worry about me, stupid. Just drink it already, dumbass." Ravel told Riser.

Riser sighed and tilted the cup back, drinking the whole thing. His eyes widened as he slammed the cup back on the plate, harshly. The table vibrated, but thankfully none of the ceramic broke. Riser gripped his throat with both hands and started making choking sounds. Ravel simply laughed at her brother's demise.

"You...you fiend! You put milk in my coffee, Ravel! I told you to give me the usual. You know I hate non-black coffee." Riser told his sister. Ravel was dying of laughter. Issei watched the brother-sister type duo occur with fond eyes. Just for the moment, Issei forgot that he was supposed to be battling the two in three days' time.

Issei scooted his chair backwards, the scratching noise causing the siblings to cease their petty squabble. The brown haired devil pulled Asia's seat slowly, causing her to stand up as well. Her hand was still entangled in Issei's.

Riser looked at him. "You guys are leaving? So soon?"

Issei stretched his arms and cracked his back. "Yeah. I kinda have to go train, since I haven't done much in the past two weeks. Especially since I need it versus your bullshit phoenix powers."

A blonde bullet slammed into Issei, causing him to tumble back. He caught his balance at the last second, managing not to fall over from the sudden impact. He looked down to see the drill curls of Ravel.

"Thank you for coming, Issei." Ravel told him. He smiled at the overenthusiastic devil. She pulled off of him and stepped back.

Her index finger lit on fire and she touched the stomach part of her dark pink dress. It burnt, separating the clothes into a shirt and a skirt. The crimson insignia expanded and glowed crimson. She put her hand on it, and her hand was engulfed in red energy. She took her hand off her chest and snapped.

The same sizzling noise of the wormhole opening occurred and Issei saw a crimson portal to the right of them. The crackling filled the silence as Asia let go of Issei's hand. The blonde human looked at him, smiling. "I'll see you on the other side, Issei." She told him before she stepped in the wormhole.

Issei turned around to face the two Phenex siblings. Riser looked at Issei respectfully. "I guess this is goodbye then."

"We'll still see each other in the rating games." Issei reminded the blonde devil.

"Yeah…" Riser paused. "I just wish we'd met under different circumstances." He told Issei honestly.

Issei laughed at his statement. "Don't get all soft and sappy on me, Riser." He jested to the male devil.

Riser smirked back. "I'll still kick your ass in three days, don't worry. That's a promise."

Issei grinned at him. "Try as hard as you can, Riser. I'll still win." He swore.

Riser smiled at Issei. "I will. I'm not going to go easy on you, Issei." The brown haired human laughed. He didn't expect Riser to.

"You better fucking not. I'll hold you to that, then."

Ravel tapped Issei on the shoulder, signifying that she could no longer hold the wormhole open for much more time.

"Good luck, man." Issei bid Riser.

"You too. This meeting went differently than expected. You're an interesting person, Issei." Riser told him.

Issei gave Riser one last smile before he turned around. He didn't need Ravel to push him through the portal, like last time, and stepped in out of his own fruition. He saw the familiar black light, before ending up in the same area that Issei and Asia were originally.

The blonde haired human was a little while away, so Issei jogged to catch up to her. "Hey."

She smiled back at him. "Hey, yourself." Asia took his hand in hers.

She was looking at something behind him, so Issei turned around. Issei heard a sizzling noise and saw an open wormhole and Ravel standing there. He could see Riser waving at them from the other side of the portal, so Issei waved back awkwardly.

"Why did you follow us?" Issei asked the blonde devil.

"I just wanted to make sure you guys arrived back to your destination safely. It would be a shame if you died in the wormhole before Nii-sama beats you in the rating game. I can go if you want. If you wanted me to leave so badly, you could've just said so." Ravel playfully told Issei. She stuck her tongue out at him.

He chuckled. "Bye, Ravel." Her face let down.

"Aww, I was hoping to stick around for a little while longer. Bye, Issei, Asia. See you guys at the marriage." She said.

Issei raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean 'the rating game'?" He corrected her.

"That's what I said, wasn't it?" Ravel put her finger on her lips. Issei sighed, which made the blonde devil giggle.

She waved at them, as she walked backwards into the portal. Ravel spread her arms as she just let gravity let her fall through. What a strange sight, Issei mused.

The portal closed behind the blonde devil and Issei turned his attention back to Asia. They walked back in the direction of the old schoolhouse.

"When Riser touched your hand, you did that thing on purpose, didn't you Asia?" He asked her.

"Yeah." She admitted. "I was testing him." She confessed.

"If I may, what did you find?" Issei asked curiously.

"You may, and nothing much." Asia said as she slowed down her pace. "He's not as bad as I originally thought."

Issei laughed. "Yeah. I think that he just needs to be taught a lesson. Perhaps I could show him a thing or two." He wasn't saying that Riser deserved a beating.

Asia stopped, causing Issei to stop as well. She looked up at him, intriguingly. "What do you mean?"

Issei explained himself. "I might've been reincarnated, Asia, but I will always remember my roots. I will never forget where I've come from and who I was born as." He told her.

"I think I've found my resolve." He proclaimed.

The sun's rays shone on both of the two, and Issei wouldn't lie by saying that he was feeling pressured. Issei had so much to bear on his shoulders.

He was representing humanity, after all.


A/N: Two takeaways from this.

First: I obviously can't keep a schedule. I think I'll just upload when my chapters are finished and perhaps surprise you guys if my muse surprises me. I had to rewrite this chapter like ten times because I needed to make sure my magic system was how I wanted to handle it.

Second: I purposely left the mythologies as pretty few because of one simple reason: I just am not educated in other mythologies. I hate it when I sound ignorant even though it happens all the time. So I would like to prevent it as much as possible. I might decide to dedicate some research into the topics later on, but as of right now I think I'll keep it ambiguous.

Additionally, I understand that Falbium Asmodeus is not a descendant from the original Asmodeus in canon. I'm changing that shit because that's not how politics work. Just like any minority is added for representation purposes, Sirzechs would have to be absolutely brain-damaged by not putting an old Satan descendant in a high position of power.

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