DISCLAIMER

The following is a fan-based

FICTION

High School DxD, New, BorN, Hero and other products related to the DxD Series are all owned by Ichiei Ishibumi, Miyama-Zero, Fujimi Shobo and TNK.

Please support the official release.

Chapter 21: Drastic Blitz

The first few hours at Kuoh Academy started incredibly tense.

Issei had slept in one of the couches of the living room at his request and, after cooling a little off from the grave news he delivered, I found myself worrying about the brunet's somber and frail state.

Giving an extra eye over what he was doing, right by the time I had finished the call with Azazel I ended up telling the boy about the situation. Minor relief washed upon his empty expression, a bare light against that dark depression that had taken over him.

One would easily be confused by the fact he was suffering this much by Asia's kidnapping, but the context and past's ramifications played a major role in the terrible mood the holder of the Boosted Gear had been left in.

Having already been 'betrayed' by Raynare early on his life as a Devil, seeing the one that 'saved' him decided to offer someone he was starting to love romantically to 'solve her own problems' was the worst kind of back-stab one like him could ever endure.

Entering from the glass doors of the school building, the boy seemed particularly lost, barely caring for the usual whispering about his previous attitude as pervert. This reaction causing the rumors to stop abruptly for a moment, confusion and shock spreading through the various crowds watching his slouched walking and his empty stare as he walked back to his classroom.

Some started to question this strange situation, voicing a possible tragedy happening to his family or something of that terrible kind. But no one dared to approach him, the brunet appreciating as he had voiced his wish to spend a few days without being annoyed by others.

Something that cemented my concern of his closing up. While Issei was a pervert in the Canon, he was a social inept, a loud bark without a genuine bite within him while speaking to women. Some suggested that it was about Raynare's attempt at his life that scarred him for a long time, but I wasn't part of that group.

The Fallen Angel sure had an effect on him, having left him quite wary of dealing with beautiful women more powerful than him, but it was the real issue was… a lack of understanding about women.

From the fact he was incredibly shy around Irina and the fact he did have some romantic feeling back when he was a child directed at her, it isn't difficult to see how learning about women (in a perverted and depraved way) was his first and strongest attempt to understand those feelings and the necessity to gain friends in the process.

Then said understanding became an obsession and finally it became part of his overall personality.

But this 'Issei Hyoudou' just recently started to rekindle that interest in understanding women. With Asia by his side and both showing reciprocal interest to each other, the boy took more care in learning how to romance. While the advice he would ask from me would be mere questions about specific sections of the subject so difficult for many men, his commitment proved more than once to be genuine for the blonde.

I will definitely keep an eye over him while I dealt with this difficult day.

Personally leaving Kunou to her classroom, I swiftly to my own class, wishing to not encounter none of the people I wished to have nothing about today and I was blessed by the fact I was one of the few first students to enter that room.

Time passed and the rest arrived, Akeno was the first to arrive, her usual smile missing as her mouth was a thin line from the moment she entered inside to the point she was taking a seat by her desk.

Rias entered a little later, I felt a quick glance my way but I was distracted by more important papers than the redhead that looked incredibly tense.

They were both nervous the moment the King of the peerage picked her seat, close to the Priestess of Thunder.

I merely glanced their way the moment I knew they weren't going to notice my staring and my eyes were quick to catch the tension between the two. It was surprising to see that large of a rift between the two friends, but I guess that Rias was already suffering her decision within her own group.

Two hours passed, the situation escalated just a bit with the Gremory trying to get Akeno's attention on her, failing as the Himejima continued to keep a devoted attention to the blackboard and to the lesson unfolding in those hours.

Two more hours were spent in the classroom, the bell rang and I was glad that I had been spared by Rias' pitiful attempts to reconcile with others.

Without wasting anymore time lest of getting intercepted by the very girl I was trying to avoid, I was quickly making on my way to the Student Council's classroom.

Being the first there, I decided to burn some of the stress by rapidly completing my paperwork, ignoring the fact I was going to an inhuman pace in the process as I was alone in that place at that hour.

My mind was going miles per hour trying to get everything done, my brain recklessly going through some melting issue as my attention and worries were directed elsewhere from that particular situation.

I had gone through more than half the tall stack of paper when I heard someone knocking at the door before Sona peeking from the small opening she created by opening it a little.

"Hoitsu-san, I see that you are here earlier than usual." Her tone seemed calm and I nodded.

"Decided to invest some dutiful time in my job, Sona-san."

The girl blinked, there was a brief note of surprise in her eyes, then she sighed and looked particularly uneasy as she spoke once more.

"Actually, I need you to come with me. It's… important."

I stopped, a frown appearing to match my current scowl as I glanced up from my work to stare at the nervous-looking president. "Something's wrong?"

"You… could say that." She stated cryptically and I decided to see what was going on.

Quickly noticing the lack of Tsubaki in that instance, I felt some confusion turning in suspicion and said emotion grew more by the time I realized where she was leading me to.

The Sitri knocked at the door of the Occult Research Club's classroom, waiting patiently as someone came to open at us. Akeno's violet eyes widened at seeing me before quickly daring away in mortification.

Silently she made way as we both entered the classroom, my eyes instantly taking notice of the fact the entire room was filled by both Rias' and Sona's peerages. Issei was there too, but he looked reluctant about his presence there.

'This looks like a trap.'

This is a trap, Apophis, but the question that I have to ask is… who is really the one trapped here?

I waited patiently near the door, deciding against moving away from it.

The redhead was sitting alone in one of the single couches, looking quite nervous but still trying to bring out a confident appearance. "Good, you are here, Hoitsu-sa-"

"Don't use my name, Gremory. I am not in the moods for some games here." I interrupted coldly. "Why am I here?"

I had to muster some major effort to held back my rhetorical and derisive tone as I did knew what this could have been about.

'Don't make the first move, let them make a mistake and capitalize on it.'

I know.

My sudden intervention unbalanced the girl, the redhead pausing a moment to sigh and try to regain her composure. "Ok… I know this might sound strange but we have to talk about why Asia Argento is no longer within Kuoh Town as of yesterday."

I blinked, unholy fury building up within my chest, swelling more and more at her attempt to sound cryptic in that fucking moment. It wasn't the right instance to be having that tone!

She closed her eyes. "We… are all Devils, Sakakibara-san."

Just like in the show, everyone but Akeno, Koneko and Issei revealed their Demonic Wings to prove this statement. I glanced at the silver-haired Nekoshou, the girl having a distant but guilty look as she continued to stare at her legs in silence.

"Asia-chan was offered a position as the Bishop of an important Devil House and… I decided to accept for her sake." Rias continued to explain, blue eyes avoiding meeting mine while she spoke. "While the one that took her was despicable, the nature of the contract offered to her was beneficial and thus… I gave my blessing to it."

I was about to call the BS at that point but as the entire explanation reached my brain, sinking deep, I froze in cold realization. My eyes widened, but not for the kind of surprise they were expecting.

My mind burned while putting together the scene and motivating how this could be possible.

Raiser had his Bishop positions in his peerage already taken by part of his 'harem' and he couldn't have known about Asia without having someone spying in Kuoh, which he didn't have. So the one that told him about her had to be someone that knew about the blonde and… wanted her.

An important Devil House. That was how Rias has described the 'group' that had taken the girl and-

No, she wouldn't have done something as dumb as that.

It was already a shit-fest with the fact Asia was and still is part of Grigori and, if forcefully converted with her contract still valid it would warrant the new Great War.

But I decided to still ask while hoping to be granted a negative response to this horrible scenario. "The Devil house, it's the Astaroth?" Curt and decisive, my words cut deep through the meek explanation that had been going on while I was thinking about this stuff.

The Gremory paused, a little surprised at my accurate and precise question, but much to my dismay nodded with a frail smile. "I-It is?"

The room's temperature went down several degrees and everyone seemed now to be staring at me in shock. I blinked, a sudden breeze coating me as some dark smoke started to come out from my body.

Ok, what did you do?

Honestly? Nothing. That is actually you tapping in that form with me being forced to join in. I guess we both are that angry.

'Your cover might as well have been ruined now.'

It was ruined, there was no doubt my the panicking glances I was getting right now, but knowing that I had the chance of gaining some momentum distant from this development, I took the opportunity and went with it.

"So you mean to tell me that, not only you gave a member of Grigori, that you had nothing to do about I might add, but you also gave her to someone that is a possible member of a rebellious group?"

Sona frowned at my words while Rias seemed completely blasted by those accusations.

"Hoitsu-san, I think you should add some more details about those words. And I notice that you have a perfectly functional Magical Core on you." I grimaced at the fact the heiress to the Sitri Clan didn't let go of that particular revelation but I kept my focus on the accusations.

"Asia-san was excommunicated after aiding a Devil with her Twilight Healing. After being forced out of the Church, she was accepted in Grigori, to be aiding the small cadre ailing in this city as a garrison force." I paused a moment, then sighed. "The Garrison force went rogue at the chance of using the powers of the Sacred Gears but were intercepted and forced to surrender before any damage could have been dealt to the city."

"Let me guess, Asia is still part of Grigori even through the cadre here was dismantled." I nodded at Tsubaki's assumption which she sighed about it. "That means that what just happened yesterday could potentially cause another conflict between Fallen Angels and Devils."

"And Heaven is not going to pass up the opportunity to jump in it too." Sona concluded with a grimace. She turned to look at Rias. "Why did you even offer Asia-san to Raiser? Shouldn't you have been a little more concerned about the fact that he wouldn't have given up the marriage contract without a proper reason?"

"The contract he gave me spoke of giving Asia love and affection-" She tried to plea, but I interjected.

"Which in Diodora Astaroth's case are twisted to a demented degree. Have you seen the state of his peerage? That what his 'love' is about." I sighed. "Your crimes will be dealt by your brother, Gremory." She paled at the mentioning of Sirzechs, having already sent a letter to him to explain what was going on.

I turned to look at Issei, the brunet frowning and waiting but my glance was taken by a stranger sight. Two fluffy white cat ears were now showing atop Koneko's head, her wide golden eyes now had vertical pupils just like a feline.

It is the form. It might have the same undertone of the Senjutsu and that is triggering some minor PTSD. But don't stop there, we're already going on a limited time.

I nodded inwardly, knowing that while Diodora might have done nothing to Asia the day before because… it wouldn't have been majestic enough for his ego, the same couldn't be said today.

"Issei, you are coming with me." The boy looked surprised at the sudden request but complied as he got up from his seat and started to walk towards me.

"He isn't going nowhere." Rias finally recovered, her face burning red in embarrassment and fury. "As my pawn he-"

"With your ill-conduct all your contracts are now under review by the Four Maou." Sona interjected, glancing sadly at me. "He is free to go."

"B-But-"

The door closed behind us and as we started to run towards my house now that there was still people confused about this all. Just few moments later of rushing through the few hallways between the ORC and the entrance, I heard several footsteps coming right behind us.

I glanced behind and sighed a little annoyed the few individuals giving chase, Tsubaki, Kiba, Akeno, Koneko and Tomoe slowly gaining on us. While Issei might have trained his Sacred Gear, I doubted that he had developed much his new Devil body and, knowing that I can't leave him behind, I had to apply some extreme solutions to this new issue.

"Ise, I want you to know that this isn't meant to be taken in a weird way, but I need you to jump on my back." The brunet instantly looked hesitant at that request, looking skeptical about the improvement said thing it would do. "Just do it, or we are screwed."

The boy had still some doubt but, sensing that they were going to be caught on very soon by the Knights and the Nekoshou. "O-Ok!"

He stopped a brief moment and jumped behind me, my hands waiting as I caught him quickly and swiftly balanced my footing before going full power on this chase. The moment I was certain that the Red Dragon Emperor was secured in my hold, my legs started to pick more and more pace.

Soon I was going at the same speed as the pursuers and finally I was going even faster than the Knights and the Queen. But as Kiba and the other two members of Sona's peerage slowed down because of the corners along the way, Koneko still managed to keep up with my insane speed.

It was while I turned the umpteenth corner that I finally realized what was going on with the girl. While I had considered her ears to be aesthetics and inconsequential to this chase, I now felt a different pattern in her usual magic.

She is using Touki unconsciously! That adorable girl truly wants to get to her big brother, doesn't she?

'I'm impressed that she unlocked such power in this limited amount of time. I thought this Touki required intense training and propensity with Senjutsu.'

There are special cases where the 'Fighting Spirit' is awaken by the particularities of the user's race. Being a Nekoshou, Koneko does have a stronger attitude with physical training and the Rook piece within her boosts this to an absurd level.

I turned another corner and I saw the familiar glass doors that led to the gates. We were almost there!

"SENPAI!" The silver-haired girl yelled as she further increased her pace, making me panic just a little the moment I vaulted the doors, glad that there was no one around by the entrance.

"W-What are we going to do? She is catching up!" I nodded, gritting my teeth as I noticed the tall trees in the courtyard between the entrance and the gates.

"I have a plan!" Three Silver Linings stretched strongly from the tips of one of the trees and ended in my newly-freed palm. "Ise, prepare to deploy your wings at my command!"

"Wait, wha-"

YOOIIIIIIIIIINKKKKKK!

"-AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH-"

I underestimated the power being the elastic strings of light, the subsequent propulsion to my yanking causing a massive force in a diagonal, forward way, overshooting us beyond the gates and above some buildings. "Now!"

The boy in his panic deployed the wings unconsciously and soon our air rush was slowed down a little as we approached the roof of one of the small buildings near the school.

Reinforcing my feet using the remaining energy in my Senjutsu mode, I managed to cushion the fall's damage and survive the impact while leaving a small crater around me.

"T-Th-That was insane, s-senpai!" Issei was trembling madly behind me and I sighed.

"It was, thankfully this was the worst of our little chase." I replied carefully and, as he seemed ready to respond to that with a dry remark, he found himself thinking about something important.

"W-Wait, you mean that it's not over yet?"

"Koneko knows where I live and we have to go there to reach Hell. So hold on tight 'cause I will be pulling some mad Joseph Joestar's strats right now!"

I took a running start for the big jump, the brunet still latched on my back begging loudly to not do this and yet…

"-AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!-"

We were flying away, Hermit-Purple Style!

But as the two protagonists made their way through the city from rooftop-to-rooftop, a small but determined Koneko Toujou was swiftly making her way through alleys and empty streets in that important chase. She had lost a sibling already-

She wasn't going to lose another one!

AN

Some were expecting bloodshed, some were expecting some harsh punishment, but the best they got was a super-chase and some minor revelation and, no, they don't know he is Hekishoku… yet.

Why did Raiser ditch the contract with Rias in exchange of having Asia given to Diodora? There are parts of the plots left untouched.

Next chapter will show their entrance to hell and… the crisis unfold to something far worse than the MC expects!

Also short chapter? You know the drill, lads and gents!

But this isn't over yet!

Secret Omake 1: His Name.

I yawned and looked at the ceiling in an effort to gain some sleep after that massive day.

Kunou was straddling tighter than usual, some wet spots on my shirt right below where her eyes were showing some of the tears that had fallen while she was sleeping. She was peaceful now, but still some nightmares managed to get through her quiet rest, disturbing it and making her upset in her own dreams.

I sighed, the news of Asia's capture still keeping me up and nervous about what to do. I had been planning a lot of things in the last few weeks, trying to prepare for the things that will happen and… I still felt unable to keep up with everything.

'That is because you are a mortal.'

And a lovely moron that wish to protect the treasure around him.

Uh?

Please, don't tell me you never considered how beautiful our current disposition is. We got friends, surrogate family and a good relationship with our bosses.

Yet it all feels so… undeserved.

'What are you talking about?!' Apophis interjected a little irked. 'You have given them affection and they are returning theirs to you!'

It just feels like… I'm cheating. Because I know how they feel about it and-

Oh, shut up, you utter dumbass. You mean to tell me that knowing about their personality helps you around and makes your life easy? They will still behave differently if they spot on you something about that.

But I-

I wasn't finished. Kunou approached you and you certainly didn't make use of your 'knowledge' to seriously bond with her. Either fate or luck caused you to get together, same with Koneko, Azazel and the others that trust you.

But still-

'I think he means that whatever you know about them, however you know about it all, you still had to show your true self to bring them closer to you. Getting close to people is a mutual opening of people's souls, not just a one-sided decision from one or the other.'

You both… are making compelling cases.

I blinked, once more at the ceiling, feeling Kunou nuzzling at my chest once more.

See? In a relationship, may it be platonic or romantic, people are meant to give to each other, never expecting to return but always trusting to have their love noticed and respected. Kunou considers you a brother in all but blood and I wouldn't be wrong in saying I would expect that from Asia too.

...What?

The girl was lost and while you knew that she was easy to mold at your whims, you decided to help her properly by giving her a safe place at Issei's home and a purpose with the Theater Club.

I kept her in the dark about God's death-

Because that would have left her hurting. Because that would have been cruel of you without a proper level of trust and caring shown before revealing such thing. You might call this manipulation, but you certainly have been careful to avoid directly interfering with her everyday life and didn't certainly pushed her to love Issei.

...Are you sure you are my Dark Side?

'I admit that you sound quite genuine in that pep-talk.'

Che, just trying to point out to my 'other me' that he has dealt with worse situations in our 'past' and that he should remember that we know how to deal with that dumb guilt of ours.

I-Indeed. But I think that was very kind of you and… Thank you, Shiranai.

Well, if that is done I will go back to- Wait, what did you call me?

I mean, you didn't give a name and… I decided to give you one.

That is… strange. Sure, Shiranai? I am the 'Unknown' now?

'Nobody but us and Baraqiel and Suzaku knows about you, so yes that is fitting.'

Geez, I guess I will be using that name then. Just don't add any honorifics or-

Why not, Shira-tan~?

I fucking hate you and everything you stand for, but Gods I hope that seriously don't become a thing.

AN

Final words: Shiranai is now properly introduced and I have some words to say about 'Volume 3' and 'Volume 4'.

While Volume 3 will happen as Canon… it will not be the main focus of this story. If you remember correctly, I might have mentioned some… x-overing and I will detail a little more very soon. Nothing like dimensional hopping mind you, but I will… do some fun stuff and I will set up a poll in FF. Why there? I hate dealing with some of the Forum's polls as the websites' style doesn't allow the same freedom as in FF.

So yeah, prepare for some fucking nuking very soon. XD

Future milestone 1: 626 Followers and Favorites

Future Milestone 1: 626 Followers and Favorites

P a treon . com (slash) socialistbukharin

REVIEW Q&A

Sanas22: That wasn't the sealed Trihexa. That was something similar to it, a Proto-Trihexa that formed within the MC's mind/soul. Two things about Trihexa coming from God of the Bible (1- It's a divergence I made and 2- God announced the existence of Trihexa, it was never stated that it was there before.) The God of the Bible produced negativity at the Wake of the Great War, when the hostilities and the pressure was so big that the stress started to form within his perfect state.

Ruberforumfree: I mean it's like saying that if I put a single solar panel on my roof and then connect it to the entire world's generators I will be able to make enough energy for everyone someday. Negativity form faster than how much it's purged by MC's Senjutsu form.

Raphaim: Wink Wink.

Billy Reb: There will be something about it, yes.

Guest (Chapter 20): He will see 'reason' because of stuff.

Evyplayz121: Asia was taken while MC was dealing with the Slash Dog situation so no, it wasn't mentioned in the previous chapters. Also yes, some fanfiction does go full Divergence and AU more than not. The story timeline in a nutshell is: Volume 1 (Raynare/Asia), Volume 2 (Raiser), Volume 3 (Kokabiel), Volume 4 (Peace Talks/KB arrival), after that I am a little bit confused myself and I will have to re-read stuff.