Same reason like last one

i write stoof

because ff mess teh format

okbye

Rending Ruins

Chapter II

||Numbing Truth||

Love and sorrow, the twins.

Love came first; sweet and strong, its embalming warmth captivating even the most deranged hearts. He let those fond memories settled themselves, filling him with a brief moment of happiness. A reverie of the good old times. Then the sorrow arrived. The cruel realization that those good old times were just that. Memories. That never again he could be the same person, as sorrow pummeled him down with anesthetizing almost sobering kind of distress.

Taking a deep breath, resting his eyes, letting himself drown in the sentimental memories, Issei then reopened his eyes and erased any traces from his mourning. Buried them all beneath a mask and a lopsided half-smile.

"Normally this is when I'd let you in my house." He said casually, unusually brightly for someone so deep in grief. "Hang around, chill out for a while… get to know each other- but you saw what it is like."

"I'm sorry." Akame nodded duly, this time with a slight expression of sadness. She had noticed his thousand-yards stare earlier.

"Eh… let's not get sappy. I'd book a hotel, but hotels don't usually accept weapons or injured people. Neither do hospitals. Do you have a place? Temporarily?"

"We've recently bought a house in Kuoh."

Issei didn't make any face, but inside, he felt his stomach tied itself to a knot. Of course, it had to be that place. It couldn't be Tokyo, it couldn't be in Kyoto, it couldn't be somewhere further south or maybe the next island. No. It had to be Kuoh.

Had to be his hometown out of all places.

Issei didn't let his mild surprise show. "I thought assassins stay nomadic."

"We were thinking of settling down for a while… actually." Akame admitted. "The deposit for you added enough to last us several months." Unless Leone burnt them all in women and booze.

"Oh." Issei scratched the back of his ear. "Sorry about that."

"It's… alright." Akame muttered. "Please don't be. It's our loss... Master."

"You don't have to keep calling me that every time you speak." Either way, he had set his next destination.

Crimson scales materialized out of the thin air just inches away from his body, appearing like tiny shards of glasses, before plummeting themselves over his skin, forming a nigh-impenetrable armor that was like a second skin for him. The whole process occurred under a blink of an eye.

Akame shifted away as her new Master knelt by her unconscious compatriot. Bruises from earlier fights had started to show on her unprotected stomach, marring the toned skin, which meant Lionelle had lied in dormant again. Which meant that the Nemean Lion had been beaten down so significantly that it couldn't heal its host's body.

The thought caused the assassin to shudder as Issei picked up Leone to his arms, but Akame realized; Lions don't stand a chance to a Dragon.

"Come." Issei ushered, stretching out a gauntleted hand. Its dark green jewel reflecting the high sun. "Hang on to me."

Break

Four years. Four years he had spent away, and this city had never changed. He could see his high school and its two buildings, its gym and the place where the kendo girls change their clothes. The park and the fountain where he died, the shopping district he used to play arcades until the sun came down. Memories of his old, peaceful life echoed fondly, temporarily easing his grieving soul.

"Are- are we there yet?!" A terrified shriek erupted on his back as Akame was clinging for her dear life. She had her arms around his neck, while he carried her still unconscious friend, now wearing his jacket over her raunchy black tube top.

Because he had other passengers, Issei had to slow down his speed gradually. Otherwise, he'd break their neck from whiplash. He stopped just among the lower clouds, and used enough basic concealment magic to hide them from any watchful eyes and causing an uproar in social medias. It was afternoon too, and he didn't like the heat of the sun that much after getting used to a wintry place.

Leisurely, he landed at the backyard of a house that was their hideout, taking off his magic as they were protected by the tall brick fences. Rather in plain sight, but there was a reason 'hidden in plain sight' existed.

"We're here." He said plainly as his Juggernaut armor disintegrated into millions of tiny crimson pieces. They phased through their bodies without harm, before completely fading like a melting snow. "You can get off my back now."

"Th-thank you…" Akame happily hopped off his back, grateful for land. Although, it didn't take long for her to regain her composure. "…You're impressive, Master. I've only told you the city and address and yet you knew instantly where to go."

"It's not that impressive once you figured out the magic." Issei said dismissively as he took in the outer appearance of the house. Same exact house he had come to miss from time to time. His old house that didn't look much different to its neighbors. "…Nice house. Do you know its owners before?"

"An old couple." Akame replied. Her voice and expression were straight, but her legs were still shaking a little from the extremely speedy trip. "They passed away several years ago, if I recall correctly. Natural causes, it seems."

"Ah, is that so?" Age was just a number, until he realized he wasn't the only one growing older. It sucked having to bury your parents, and it sucked more knowing that you weren't able to give them the grandchild they so wished on doting.

He still remembered their words when he offered them a longer life. An extended life as a supernatural, but they had to say no.

"We've lived as who we are for nearly our entire life, son. We did what we wanted done. We've been happy – we are happy. You make us happy, dear Ise. Our happiness lies within you. Now we want you to find where your happiness lies. You have your own world now. Don't bother yourself with us old bones, maybe a couple of visits from time to times, maybe when you finally get us a grandkid or grandchildren, no? Hahaha!"

Issei swallowed an invisible spit. He was dozing off again. He never dozed off. This whole thing was really taking its toll on him.

But it was all in the past. A sorrow buried under a new one that offered a fresher kind of pain that kept gnawing him from time to time, reminding him the reason why he was here, and not in his burnt down house.

{Want me to leave you be for a while?}

'Yeah. That'd be nice.'

With that, Ddraig severed their mental connection, no longer able to hear his host's somber and sobering thoughts.

"Please, make yourself at home." Akame limped to the backdoor as she took out a set of keys hidden underneath a clay pot. Picking a key, it clicked as she opened the door.

Issei smirked. The same lazy security measures even for new residents. His parents used to hide a spare house key there too, for him to open the doors whenever he stayed late at his friend's. They were rather loose with him, but he knew they treasured him so much. After all, after three failed childbirth, how could they not?

He was their pride and joy. Issei hoped they could turn a blind eye for all that he had done as a devil, and all that he would do to those that wronged him. He wished for his parents to rest at ease.

As Akame held out the door for him, holding her sheathed sword in the other hand, Issei carried Leone. Akame shut the door as she followed behind him. The layout was exactly the same. Same furniture. Same TV. The same end-tables his mom would put just because she didn't want a corner to feel lonely. Some dusts here and there, but nothing crazily dirty. These two kept their house fair.

He lied Leone on the tan couch. The same couch where his father would lounge around, laughing at the stupidest of jokes from a game show, and his mother would sit at another sofa while waiting for her daily Korean drama.

"…You've lived here, haven't you?"

Issei managed a smile. "I wasn't being discreet, was I."

"No." Akame replied with piercing simplicity. "You seem familiar with this house's layout to be your first time entering. I've never mentioned anything about the living room, yet you headed straight here."

"Could just be some dumb luck." Issei shrugged. "It's an open living room, just down the hallway."

"I don't believe in luck." Akame responded. "I mean no offense, Master, but I can recognize the way you look at the furniture, and you don't seem to be an appraiser to me."

Issei made a semi-amused noise; blowing a short burst of air through his nose. "Alright then. You caught me red-handed. Now why don't you fetch something to treat your friend? Do you have any balm or some gel for her bruises? And get a pack of ice as well, will you."

"We stock up on medicines upstairs. Should I some ibuprofen?"

"Sure." Some painkillers wouldn't. Hey, that's their job; killing pain.

Break

"…So… what do you want us to do? Can I have a clearer description of our task?"

"Right." Issei placed his feet on the short coffee table, putting a heel on top the other. "The only lead so far is that envelope, which you burned. Do you notice anything different from it?"

Akame shook her head while keeping a hand pressed on the blue sack of ice cubes on Leone's stomach. "It's an ordinary white envelope. A cheap one at that. I can't tell whose handwriting it is, but it's in cursive. Still, I've seen these kinds of handwriting from many people I've met."

"Is this the first time you get this kind of letters? Without sender, without names, just a picture?"

"No. We've received some without any photos either."

Issei pondered a few seconds. "You assassins have some kind of a high-end organization, no?" He didn't let her answer this one, because he knew. "Do you think it's them?"

Though reluctant at first, Akame felt obliged to tell him the truth. "I…I'm not sure. If it's from them, it's more formal. More professional, or so to speak. They send someone to meet us in person."

That meant they had received an offer from those higher ups stuck-ups. They had worked for other races as well, not just Devils alone. This just broadened his potential suspects instead of narrowing them down.

A start, nonetheless, no matter how extensive. "…Who received the envelope?"

"She did. I was in my bedroom when she barged in. I didn't ask her about the sender, but perhaps she can tell you more about that."

Issei raised an eyebrow. "Then we'll wait for her." He let those words hung in the air until he noticed Akame was clutching her side, wincing slightly. A small smug smirk found its way to his lips. "First time getting hit?"

Akame raised her crimson eyes, managing a sheepish smile. "First time getting hit that hard." She admitted. "And that was before you utilized your suit, Master. Even as human, your strength is rather… fearsome. It's almost similar to her strength when she's using her powers."

That reminded him. "Ah right. Your partner here… Leone. Is she a beastkin?"

"Half-beastkin." Akame corrected. "I… I'm unsure if I can tell you more than that. It's private… but… should you insist…"

"Oh no need. You work for me now; the last thing I need is begrudging cooperation. That's just a sword in my back waiting to stab. I'll ask her myself."

Akame nodded, allowing a small smile. "…If it's… alright with you, would you mind if I ask some questions?"

"Sure. Fire away."

"What's it like, being the Dragon Emperor? The Sekiryuutei, no? That's what people call you."

"That and many other things." Issei dismissively said, waving off a hand. "They're just titles. The younger me was excited in collecting them, but now? Not so much. Not to mention ridiculous. 'Red Dragon Emperor of the Blazing Truth', 'The Strongest Crimson Dragon Emperor', 'The something Dragon of something'. It gets old. It gets old and tiring."

She blinked owlishly, not expecting that small tirade. "You don't find them appeasing?"

"I find them stupid. Petty honors I don't need. Probably never need." Not to mention that blockheaded virgin Lucifer who kept deeming him 'Eternal Rival'. Another stupid nickname to get pissed about. Good thing Issei 'died', because it was either him or he'd kill that Vanishing Dragon wielder just to clamp that goddamn mouth.

He wouldn't do it back then, but if that battle-hungry maniac appeared right in front of him, requesting yet another needless battle, Issei wouldn't hold back. His blood started to heat up just by remembering those two idiots, and fueled by Ddraig's thirst for rivalry, it quickly boiled his blood. He had gotten tired of them. He had gotten tired of all of the unnecessary provocations. That was why he quitted the supernatural world in the first place.

That was the only reason why he met her.

"So…" Akame muttered, bringing back from his inner grumpiness that lapsed to melancholy the moment his wife appeared in his mind. "What's it like?"

"Tiring." Issei said simply. "Because you're strong, people will start to expect you to do what they can't do. They don't care if you want to, they don't care if you have the motivation, they just want you to get rid of their troubles. Once you did, they'll shower you with praises, adds another one of those nicknames, worship you like a god, until they need you again. Which they always seem to do."

"…Is that why you faked your death?"

"Yes, Akame, that's exactly why. Because I don't want to deal with their shit." Issei replied, surprised at his own curtness. "…Look, I'm not usually this… this grumpy, alright. I'm just having a very bad day. I know that's no excuse to treat people like shit, but I'm sorry. I didn't mean it, and I was just mad. Not at you, but at them."

She thought she was going to be killed by this Dragon just half an hour ago. She never expected to receive an apology, especially after she tried to kill him and failing horribly.

"It's- it's alright, Master." Akame stuttered, astonished. "It's okay. I can understand how you're feeling."

"Well… guess we've all lost someone eh?" Sighing, Issei scratched his jaw, feeling its growing stubbles. He'd need a shave soon. "Thanks for listening. I haven't complained to anyone recently."

"…Happy to help." He might be short-tempered at the moment, but at least he had the decency to realize it and made an apology even, going further to thank her. Him, the Red Dragon Emperor. Thanking her, a mere assassin who had tried to take his head.

How could she list him as a bad person? If she had known him earlier, she would have never agreed to take that contract.

"So? What about you?" Issei restarted, "I've heard of assassins, I just never get to know them. Or do I need to first gain your trust or something. Buy you enough drink to spill your cold, bitter, dark past, perhaps?"

Akame chuckled quietly at seeing his teasing smirk. So a Dragon could make those kind of faces as well – the kind that Leone would do to a hapless bartender for a free drink. "It's nothing to brag about. I was orphaned at age 5. My parents were assassins, see… and assassins tend to… pile up grudges. Directly or indirectly. A group of assassins – friends of my parents - took me in shortly after. They trained me how to wield a sword and… some time later I met Leone and so here we are now."

"I see." Orphaned at the of 5. Raised and trained to be like her parents, seemingly enjoying it too. "Have you met your parents' killer or should I expect you to in the future?"

He'd rather not have another revenge plot waiting to mature. Desires for revenge could turn a sure-win battle to an unprecedented loss after all.

"I have. Around year ago." Akame picked up the hidden intent of his question. "Don't worry, I made sure I've ended the cycle right then. I spared not a soul."

"Good." That was one less thing to worry about. He didn't care if she had killed wives or children. As long as it ended right there and then. As long as there was no one pursuing her because of her payback, he wouldn't judge; because he'd do the exact same.

Akame eyed him curiously. "…I thought… I thought you were going to lecture me."

"What for? I'm no hero. They say whatever they want; the people, I mean. What kind of heroes kill without getting bothered? I'm not that different from you. The difference is that I get publicly praised."

"You seem to have a hard time as a Dragon."

"As the Red Dragon. Whatever." Issei adjusted. "I don't know. I thought I like helping people. Made me feel good. Made me feel useful. Now I just felt used no matter how I convinced myself that I wasn't. That I did it for the good of people. But then I get tired of the people. Well, before I died, but I doubt it has changed now. I'm just a greedy bitter man compared now."

His dry, self-derisive laugh dangled in the lukewarm air.

"Or you simply matured. Accepted that reality isn't always glitter and gold. That maybe you're simply… not the same person you were before. I mean no offense."

"None taken. You've got a point in that." Issei chuckled at her words. Life wasn't black and white, good or evil, but he was sure as hell he wasn't white and completely good. "Yeah. Actually, you're right. You're absolutely right. A 'hero', they call me, without caring what I did. What kind of a hero murders an entire family? What kind of a hero gets tired of helping people anyway? I even got sick from all the glitter and gold. Money doesn't mean anything once you don't really need them to live."

He didn't need a four-story mansion. A simple cottage in the middle of nowhere sufficed him. Only him and his dearly wife that kept his sanity in check. Both were gone now. No gods that could save those who took them away from him.

"…Fuck. That must be the first time I ranted since a long time. Didn't even know I can talk that much. Felt good, actually. Cathartic, kinda." Issei laughed a chesty laughter as he saw Akame's conflicted look. "It's alright. You don't have to say anything. Thanks for listening."

"I'm sorry, Master. All I can offer is to listen."

"Hey, don't be. Better to listen than talking just to talk." Said Issei with his casual lopsided smirk.

Akame duly nodded. She agreed fully on that matter. "…Although… is it alright to share your… personal thoughts with me? I'm only your-"

"Servant?" Issei completed, hijacking her conclusion. "No, no. 'Servant' is too crude of a word. What do you call the people who hired you?"

"Clients."

"Clients." Issei repeated, getting a sense of what the word meant if he used it to describe their relationship. "Too business-like. Makes it sound like we're out of touch unless it comes down to business…"

Akame tilted her head to one side. "Is that not what we are?"

Issei waved a hand. This was when Sirzechs' natural charisma that rubbed off him came in handy, but with his own personal twist; less rigid. Like that Nazi inspector from Tarantino's movie. He wasn't dealing with any snobbish aristocrats who wouldn't understand humility even if after reading it from a dictionary.

"No. Let's put it this way. You two are my group members that I won't bother naming because we're not ten. While that makes me the leader, I'm more of a de facto one. I will need you – us, to move to a common goal; find who wanted me dead.

"Now, I'm not a subject-matter expert in subterfuge or assassination – being stealthy and all that I'm sure you both specialized in doing. I can help you pinpoint where to start looking, who to keep an eye at in particular, and who to avoid. But I can't help you more than that.

"So. In order to ensure the effectivity of your missions' success… and not to mention doing my part- let me know what you need. Money, all sorts of distraction, a way out if things gone awry, or even simply an ear to listen to your thoughts and a mind to understand it. Whatever it is, you name it. You both are gonna have to stick around with me for a while, so why not try to be buddy-buddy instead of doing your part grudgingly, no?"

Akame pondered his words as she stared at him. Confidence practically oozed from those brown eyes, and something inside her instructed her to go against her professional skepticism of not trusting anyone she first met, but here she was, believing in him. It could be the effect of that strange black pill he gave her, yet Akame felt complied to trust him.

"You sure can talk, handsome, for a Dragon. Never met a dragon that likes to talk." Another voice interrupted her before she could talk, coming from down below. "But if you think I'm just gonna buy all that crap you better think twice."

"Leone? Since when are you awake?" Akame glanced down, surprised.

He had noticed her stirring awake since he talked about clients. Issei wasn't as surprised, or annoyed in that matter. Years of serving under Sirzechs had developed his control in when to hide and when to show his emotions. "Look. I get your suspicions. It's fine – I understand. I swear to you I won't bring any harm as long as you don't try to kill or sell me out. Something that applies for me to you as well."

"Well that's hardly reassuring… you'll just kill us." Leone muttered. "You want us to spy for you? Fine. But let us go after we're done with that."

"Oh?" Issei raised an eyebrow. "And keep it strictly business?"

"More or less, yeah."

Issei worked his logic briefly. A common strategy to get people do what you need is to offer them what they want. In this case; "Akame mentioned you were planning to settle down for a while."

Leone narrowed her eyes, growing indignant. "What about it. Doing the same shit over and over again gets boring, what a surprise. You gonna wreck our home or somethin'?"

"God no." Issei made a distraught face, and a compelling one at that. He wouldn't do that. Not to them, at least. "On the contrary, really. You help me, and I'll assure you, nobody will want to mess with you. Not the devils, not vampires, not even gods, even if it's Hades himself."

"That's some confidence. You saying you've killed a god before? I've never heard of it."

"Not exactly killed. Only gods can kill gods. Not to say that other no-gods can't kill them, they just have to feel superior in all kinds of way even in murdering their own kinds. But what kind of god wants their reputation besmirched? No. We make no mention of their defeat, and they just… go along and do whatever their godly business is, and stop messing with us 'mortals'. They seem to always like to point that out. It's like an obsession."

Leone froze at this point. "…So you're telling me someone sent us to kill someone who could beat a god."

"More or less, yeah." Issei repeated her exact words, using her exact dismissive tone, notes to notes. Until another realization dawned on him, and froze him in place.

Akame broadened her crimson eyes. "…If so… then doesn't this means whoever hired us, sent us to die?"

"Fucking shit." Leone growled, rolling her head off Akame's soft thighs as she sat up. "I'm beating the shit outta this fucker – no questions asked."

Inwardly, Issei cursed. He didn't consider this before. What if they weren't sent to kill him, but instead for him to kill them? His wife's murder could be unrelated should it be the case.

If so, then that would mean a significant leap backwards. But at least, even if they weren't sent to die, whoever sent these assassins knew of knew where he lived. They knew him, when he was believed to be dead. Only a select few knew of his existence in that cabin of his. But they were people that he would trust his life with. Close friends he hated having to leave in order to pursue his peaceful life.

Unrelated or not, this was still someone worth investigating. That was his only clue so far. The only grip he had so far.

"Alright. You have a deal, Dragon-kun." Leone grinned. "If this means I get to pummel down these backstabbing sons of bitches, count me in."

"Good." Issei shrugged away those thoughts for later. Opening his hand, he recreated the same black pill that he used to amplify Akame's trust. Leone scrunched her brows as she scrutinized the weird, black tablet as if it was some kind of twisted version of amphetamines.

"The hell is that."

"A tracker that only I can use. And yes, I can get rid of its effects after it's over. Akame's taken one herself and she's still the same."

Leone shifted towards her co-worker. "That true?! You don't feel anything strange, aren't you?"

"…I feel lighter, to be honest." Akame said with her standard deadpanned stare. "Other than that, I don't feel much of a change."

"Wait a minute…" Leon paused as she stared at Akame's arms and legs, which caused the girl to shift uneasily. "Where're your bruises?"

"Hm? Oh- you're right?" Akame pressed a hand to her belly where Issei had struck her earlier. She only felt her abdominal muscles instead of a tinge of pain. She even gone so far and pulled up her black shirt to see. "…I… I'm healed?"

"And toned." Both Issei and Leone quipped in the same moment, grinning with each other afterwards.

"Alright big boy, there's no way that pill is just a GPS tracker. If you want our collaboration, you better spill the truth."

Issei leaned back, raising his hands as he made the black pill vanish. "Alright, alright. So it's not just a tracker, but a steroid as well. Kind of. Minus the drawbacks of course." Before Leone could complain him for drugging Akame, Issei continued. "Ever heard of Evil Pieces? Those glassy chess pieces devils use? Well, this is like that, essentially, but for dragons."

Leone kept her earlier suspicion. "Don't tell me you haven't used this before you used it on her."

"I did." Issei's confident smirk waned as he sighed. "It doubles your strength as much as you can handle. Doesn't help much if you're a normal human being though. Zero to the power of however many numbers is still… zero."

Akame quickly understood his meaning, and felt she had to change the topics. "How does it differ to an Evil Pieces? I'm aware that a devil can have fifteen of them. Angels have their cards – Brave Saints if I'm not mistaken. Thirteen in number not counting a potential Joker. What's your limitation?"

"No idea. I've never used it more than once. But let's say the more I make, the less I can give." Issei said in a simple manner, before elaborating. "Before I go into details, you know what Boosted Gear does, right?"

Both nodded. "Great. That saves time. Like the Evil Pieces, my pill gives you strength. But unlike the Evil Pieces, it only increases your strength as a whole instead of at specific attributes only. Basically a Queen piece or an Ace - I don't know if it's as potent or not, if it's up to me or the one who consumed the pill, your guess is as good as mine.

"More to that, usually, I can channel these 'boosts' to my allies – people I fight alongside with as long as they're in range. 'Transfer', that's the name." So he didn't have to fight and actually try, but he left this part out. "That pill you saw eliminates that range. It kinda… 'connects' our soul together if you wanna put it that way. So far, I can only do a Transfer when I want to though. Maybe send me a text message if you need one. Ajuka hypothesized that the power transfer will divide itself equally if I send it to multiple users, which is probably right. Dude's a genius."

Leone exchanged owlish glances with Akame. "So- what is she now? Is she a human or some sort of a reincarnated dragon?"

"She's a human still. Don't be silly. Dragons can't reincarnate. They're dragons, not phoenixes." Issei sniggered, "Just say she's a human with a dragon's blessings. How about that? You don't call any human blessed by a god a god, do you?"

"Huh. Fair point." Leone admitted. "But God's dead anyway so maybe not really."

Issei sniffed as he smirked. These assassins sure knew where and how to eavesdrop. Crafty professionals. "Yeah, well… there's more than one god."

"Heh… yea, tell that to the atheists."

"I'm not so religious myself." Issei muttered as he recreated the same black tablet. "But I digress. Is this a yes or a no?"

"Sure, sure… I'll take your damned drug." Leone certainly didn't mind being stronger. Though the idea of being tracked around wouldn't get out of her system soon enough.

That said, Issei realized that having his 'pieces' referred as narcotics was rather… debasing. "Dragon's Oath."

"What?"

"The pill. It's called Dragon's Oath."

"That so?" Leone shrugged as she idly took the pill, drinking it down with a glass of water Akame carried earlier. "Sure looks like a drug."

Issei secretly wished he didn't give Ajuka the idea of making the 'contract' simpler, which was turning the Agreas crystals that was infused with his dragonic power into a bunch of pills that were easy to swallow, instead of having the same process with the devils and their Evil Pieces.

But regrets always come later, as he had learned.

He clapped his hands as he got up. "Good. Since you two have been gone through a rough day, I suggest getting some rest. I've had few names in my head, but they can wait." Better ensure these Dragonsworns adapt to their new powers too – whatever they might be. Issei couldn't tell himself since his wife felt nothing changed.

Both Akame and Leone were blankly staring the brawler's well-toned stomach, waiting for the its bruises to disappear. They had been bruised before, but they had never seen their bruises healing. They were quite curious, so to speak.

But noticing he was leaving somewhere, Akame raised her head. "Where are you going, Master?"

"…Master?" Leone repeated the word, before giving Issei an odd look. "…Sorry, what?"

"Ah… right." Issei swiveled on his foot. "I'm supposed to be dead, alright? Saying my name out in the open is taboo. And before you assume anything, she's the one who suggested calling me master."

Leone peered to Akame, still having her same, judging stare. "…Seriously?"

The black-haired assassin blushed. "…Wh…what…? I only thought it was appropriate."

The blonde brawler let out a compressed laugh mixed with a snort. A snrk. "Pfsht- sure. Whatever you say, you Apprentice you."

"Leone… stop it."

"Fufu~ look at you. All red just from a small tease." Leone snickered. "Hey, hey, what do I call you with then if your name is illegal? Don't expect me to call you Master or 'm'lord' you every time you walk in on a room. I'm not your toady or your friend. Well. Not yet at least."

"Not yet? But you're considering it aren't you, Leone?" Issei sniggered, the quiet kind of laugh you do when something was mildly funny or interestingly funny.

"I'll seriously consider it after you buy me a couple of drinks."

"Until what? Until you're drunk enough to make me fuckable?"

"Oh I won't be needing any drink for that. Don't you play coy with me with your false modesty. I've met people like you… you and your nice guy acts when you're just a bad boy underneath."

"Yeah? Do I look like a bad boy to you? What part of me look like one." Issei leaned by the side of an arch that separated the living room and the hallway, crossing his arms, inadvertently stretching the arms of his red shirt, causing Leone to smirk and leer.

Biting her lower lip, Leone replied. "I'd start with your arms, maybe."

"This exchange is highly unnerving." Akame dryly commented – which caused the two to burst into short chuckles. "You haven't replied; where are you heading to, Mas—Hyoudou-san?"

"She wants to call you 'Master' on her own. How cute." Leone tittered, earning a glare.

"Gonna see my parents." Issei said with a flat tone, which quickly erased the jovial atmosphere. "I wanna be sappy for a bit. And oh, before I go, do you feel anyone when you received the letter?"

Leone raised her sleek brows. "Letter? Ah you mean that letter? No. Not really. I was probably showering when it came by the front door. You don't focus much when you shower eh? Didn't try to sense anyone or anything so I can't tell if it's a human or not either. Sorry~"

"Well that's… sucked, but what else can you do. Anyway, I'll be in touch. See you girls later."

"Mhmm. You sure you don't want company?"

"What? And let you see me cry ugly tears? Yeah, no."

"What's wrong with tears? I think men who cries are manly."

"Uh huh. Sure." Issei muttered dismissively as he sauntered the hallway. It really was unrelated to manly or not. He just wanted to be alone and be depressed for a bit.

Leone quietly stared as he made his way to the front door, admiring his broad shoulders while imagining him getting undressed. "He's pretty sentimental, isn't he?"

"He… has his reasons." Akame said vaguely. She wanted people to respect her privacies, which was why she respected people's in the first place. If only Leone could do that. "…I'm gonna sleep. I'm tired."

"…Same, now that you mentioned it."

And the two would have made their way to their own bedrooms – Akame's was upstairs while Leone had the master bedroom to comply her needs for some companionship through the night, but they stopped once they felt the unmistakable feeling. A sudden shift in the invincible seams of magic; an arrival that was inhuman. Unnatural.

A devil.

The assassins spared a knowing glance with each other, before readying up for a fight. Akame seamlessly grabbed her sheathed sword resting by the couch, while Leone instantly transformed onto her King of Beast form as flames covered her arms and hair, covering them in claws and longer mane respectively.

The two rushed to the hallway. Dragon or not, they would never let themselves rely on his help.

Break

They froze when their eyes met. His warm hazels and her icy silvers, the only difference being his weren't as warm and hers no longer as cold. Exchanging no words staring at each other. She could see right through him. Five years she had known him, and she could tell when he was hiding something under that carefree expression of his.

A small nod. "Grayfia. Fancy meeting you here. Been a year eh? Care for some tea?"

"I've heard." She whispered. "I didn't imagine you'd return to this city, however. I felt your presence."

Issei sniffed, scratching his hair. "Eh well… I've gotten a bit rusty."

"It's alright, Ise."

"Of course it's alright. I'll get you some tea- though, I don't think they're the type to drink teas. Hey, speaking of which, I met these two girls just now. You wanna meet them?"

She took a step inside, and closed the door behind her silently, paying no heed to the two assassins who had taken a defensive stance, their cautious eyes pointed at her.

"It's alright."

"What're you talking about?" He sniggered. "I'm doing fine. Just remembering stuff. Hey do you remember that time she thought salt as sugar? That cake was the saltiest cake I've ever had the chance of eating. That was kinda funny wasn't it? The silly girl."

"It's not your fault, Ise."

"I buried her on her favorite place. I think she'd like that. You remember that lake you used to make fun of because it had no fishes? Hah. You were looking forward for fishing too."

"It's alright. You don't have to hold yourself back. It's me."

"Yea I- I know that." He choked. His smile cracked. "I'm not… I don't know. I should've been there you know? I could've— I could've prevented this. You know I- this… If I just-"

"It's alright, Ise. You don't need to say anything."

That carefree wall crumbled as Issei felt the earth just collapsed beneath him, black claws dragging him to a bottomless abyss, tearing his chest open. His face softened, his smile wavered and loosened, crumpling to a stubborn frown as fond memories flooded over him.

Grayfia herself loosened her expression, melting to one of sympathy as she watched the Dragon fell apart.

"She's gone isn't she."

Those were the last words to fall from his lips, as Issei hung his head low, and he stood there, stiffly staring the tiles as his silent tears fell.

The bigger they are, the harder they fall. And a Dragon crashes hard.

Issei broke down. The indomitable, perpetually flippant, openly-perverted, and once joyful Sekiryuutei, broke down as a heartbroken man, as the numbing truth, the full realization of the true loss of his wife hit him, ripping him to pieces.

Grayfia hurried over and tucked his head under her neck, lending him a shoulder to lean on as Issei wailed. Cruel, frantic sobbing wracked his body as he took in deep stuttering breaths, unable to keep hold of his raw emotions, succumbing to the yawning sorrow as he cried into her chest.

She felt her maid dress dampened as it soaked the Dragon's tears, while her own had left a salty track on her cheeks. She hugged him tight, as tight as she could, as if by holding him she could lessen the pain he felt. It didn't, but Grayfia tried doing what she could think of to help.

Both Akame and Leone watched in silence. Akame lowered he head as she relived the day when she lost her parents; the only people she had loved, unexpecting the sudden sentimentality growing in her chest. Leone herself quietly observed, saying nothing, feeling nothing but an immense pounding of guilt wracking her head after those words she had carelessly said to him.

But he didn't show his frustration at her. He had all the right to hit her or even kill her, and he could do so. But he didn't. He went along with her silly games despite he was hurting. The Dragon concealed his emotions from strangers, and now she had hoped she wasn't a stranger to him in the first place, because she wished she could take back those words.

Hyodou Issei's shattered wails resonated through the house, yet another harsh reminder that even a Dragon could be broken.

To be continued

Well, the mood took a plunge

This is probably the last very sappy chapter for a while. Remember that this hasn't been a day since the dude's wife died.

It's easy to write a grumpy, one-liner, 'I am too edgy for conversations', 'I am smart but I keep my mouth shut because people are simply too stupid', or emotionally deranged kind of ultra-dark MC that just shut off their emotions like a feckin light switch. But that's just not my style. Not to mention writing an MC like that will make me puke.

No. That's uninspired. I want him to have more personalities than your everyday betrayal-stories MC.

Also, look. My dudes, when I ask for suggestions, I don't mean they strictly have to be assassins. I used Leone and Akame because I needed some assassin-ish people to spy around for Issei – since he can't exactly spy around. Super duper strong dragon, remember? Decent-powered people will notice him like a smoke from a burning house.

I'm asking for girls to add because let's be real here. As Mo Eazy has put it himself "This is still DxD. We all know the score."

Just make sure the girls and whatever their powers can fit into DxD because I won't bother changing the lore that much. Also, this doesn't mean I will add more characters from other fandom either, because I want to keep it DxD. There's also tons of girls in DxD (that can't fit into a 'spy' role, hence Leone and Akame). We cool? We cool.

aightbyethxreviewpls