AN: The much awaited continuation of DRE has come along with the start of a new school semester. There was a pretty large gap between the this chapter and the last since I wanted to take my time with the story and iron out the problems in the previous one. Well, not much else to say here. Please enjoy.

My body is wracked with pain. The world around me is burning. I can hear screams of the dying and dead echoing in my head, drowning out the roar of the flames.

It's my fault. Those words ring repeatedly in my dulling consciousness.

I stumble and fall. The corrupted mud soaks into my clothes, chilling my battered body.

What did I live for? How could I have changed things? If only I could turn back time. I would go back to the days where I lived free without worry. Maybe I could change things then. Maybe then this wouldn't have happened. But then what? What other choice did I have? Can this outcome even be changed?

No.

My fate was sealed as soon as I was reborn into this world. Fate isn't something that can be altered so easily. I should know that better than anyone.

Were my ideals all meaningless? All I wanted to do was save people. I'm a hero, after all.

And yet… I was responsible for this. I have no right to call myself a hero. Killing for the sake of justice is one thing, but the death of so many innocents…

The flames encroach on me, dancing as if taunting me for my naivety.

I close my eyes and resign myself to fate. In the distance I hear a young boy calling out to his mother: A small ray of hope.

I will atone. Even if it takes an eternity, I will atone. My soul, I will dedicate my entire existence to saving people.

Cracking my eyes open, I find myself staring up at the white ceiling of my bedroom that has greeted me every morning for the past sixteen years.

Another nightmare of my previous life…

I'm a mess… My heart is weighed down by the regrets left by my previous life.

Sighing, I slide out of bed and check the clock sitting silently on my end table. Two hours before the alarm goes off. It's not like I'll be able to go back to sleep after that, so I guess I'll kill some time before school starts.

After cleaning up and putting on my uniform, I quickly write a note for my parents and leave it on the dining table before carefully sneaking out.

The morning air is chilly and I find myself shivering as the cold bites my exposed skin. I should've worn stockings at least.

I sigh, and begin to walk with no particular destination in mind. I'll let my feet lead me, like in the past.

Before long I find myself standing back in the park where I killed Yuuma. The fountain is no longer showering blood and the craters as a resultant from the battle were fixed. It was as if nothing ever happened here yesterday. Even the little stuffed lion I left on Yuuma's body is gone now.

I take a seat on a nearby bench and stare at the fountain. The sound of the water rushing helps to calm my nerves slightly.

What purpose do I serve here? Why have I come here?

Because I want to be a hero again. Because I want to atone for the sins I've committed.

My regrets are weighing me down, and yet I can't do a single thing to alleviate them.

Have I lost myself? What have I been doing the past sixteen years?

Ah… when will this dream end?

"Hyoudou-san?"

Looking up, I see Rias' blurry, emerald eyes staring back at me, centimetres away from my face.

Eh? No. It's not just her eyes that are unfocused. Bringing a hand up to my face, I feel something wet touch my fingers.

I'm crying?

Haha… What the hell is this? Why am I..?

"Kh!"

Hastily wiping my eyes, I glance back up at Rias who had stepped backwards. She's dressed in a tracksuit. Is she out for a morning run?

"Are you alright, Hyoudou-san?" She asks, looking at me with concern.

What the hell?

"Why are you worried about me all of a sudden? You were content to just let me die, yesterday."

That sounded a lot more hostile than I meant it to be.

To her credit, Rias lowers her head in an effort to look apologetic.

"I am truly sorry for that," she says. "I thought about what you said to me yesterday, and I realize that I was wrong. It wasn't right of me."

I stand up suddenly, startling the crimson-haired girl into backing away.

"Anybody can say words, Rias Gremory," I state coldly while walking past her. "Show me your conviction through your actions instead."

A girl like her… There's no doubt that she was coddled and spoiled when growing up. I'd like to see if she really has done any reflection.

The school day passes by in a blur. As the final bell rings, I begin packing up my books. I'm supposed to head to the Occult Research club's clubroom today so that we can have a civil talk. Although it might be a trap, I think I'll take my chances to see where she stands in this world.

Slinging my bag over my shoulder, I say a quick goodbye to my "friends" before walking out into the hallway just in time to see Kiba making her way over from the class next door.

"Good afternoon, Hyoudou-san," she greets with a disarmingly charming smile and a wave.

"Hello, Kiba-san. It's nice to know Gremory-senpai cares enough about me to send me an escort. Although, I would've appreciated to see the woman herself come to get me."

Kiba's eyes flash dangerously at my words and her mouth briefly twists into a scowl before she schools it back into her previous smile. Looks like Prince Charming isn't as unshakeable as I thought.

If my suspicions are right, then the rest of the club should act similarly if I make jabs at their leader.

"Please follow me, Hyoudou-san. Gremory-senpai wishes to see you," Kiba says as she begins leading the way through the growing throng of onlookers here to see their precious prince.

At the very least, Kiba makes an effort to stay beside me instead of in front of me. No doubt this'll cause countless rumours to start about the school's Prince and Princess finally hooking up; not like it'll bother me, though.

As soon as we near the old school building, our followers quickly disperse after having suddenly lost interest. Even I can feel the effects of the bounded field a little.

Kiba continues to lead me through the inside of the old school building before finally stopping in front of a set of heavy wooden doors.

"President, I've brought Hyoudou Saya," she announces with a sharp knock on the door.

There's no answer, but Kiba opens the door anyway and steps to the side motioning for me to enter in first.

Taking a deep breath, I cross over the threshold into the Victorian-era styled room. Two velvet couches capable of seating around four sit facing each other in the center of the room with an oak table sitting in between them. Silk tapestries hang from the walls where paintings and various ornate weapons are on display as well. There's even a full suit of armour sitting in the corner of the room. Finally, at the end of the room is a heavy oak desk with a throne-like chair behind it and a shower off to the side. Not to mention the shower is running right now and I can vaguely see a familiar silhouette behind the curtain.

Seriously? Is the host really taking a shower right now?

"Ara. Welcome Saya-chan. Please, take a seat. Rias will be done in a moment," Himejima Akeno greets from the side where she appears to be in the middle of brewing a pot of tea.

Meanwhile, Toujou Koneko is sitting on one of the couches quietly munching on a cookie as Kiba leans up against the wall behind her. I take a seat across from the white-haired girl and she briefly looks up to regard me with a nod before returning her attention back to her treat.

"Here you go. Please enjoy."

A teacup filled with a lightly coloured aromatic fluid is set down in front of me. I glance up to see Himejima looking at me with that ever present gentle smile of hers.

Gently lifting up the teacup, I bring it up to my lips and sniff it.

I don't smell anything wrong with it. Still, I can't rule out the possibility that's it's been drugged.

Parting my lips, a small portion of the hot liquid flows into my mouth. I make sure to savour its taste before swallowing it and lowering the teacup.

"Thank you, Himejima-senpai. It's wonderful. If I had to guess, you used a blend of rose, marigold, and saffron. Right?"

A look of surprise appears on the beauty's face at my observation.

"It seems like you know your tea, Saya-chan."

"Not exactly. It's just that your tea is so excellently brewed that I'm able to taste the different components you used."

"Ufufufu. Why thank you."

Hm… It doesn't seem like the tea was drugged. I don't feel anything different with my body with the exception of the lingering aftertaste of the tea. It really is quite good.

A couple minutes pass as I sip on Himejima's tea when the sounds of the shower suddenly come to a stop. Himejima walks over to the shower with a fresh uniform in her arms and places it next to the shower. Moments later, a hand snakes through the curtain and grabs the clothes.

"Pervert."

Hm?

My gaze drifts away from the shower and lands on Toujou who's glaring at me with an extremely cutting gaze.

Ah. She must've thought my staring was because I was trying to catch a glimpse. Well, I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested. Theses two third years in this school have bodies that can only be described as sinful.

Before I have a chance to defend myself, the curtain to the shower slides open and a fully clothes Rias Gremory steps out of it. Looks like she used magic to dry herself since there's not a single drop of water on her body or hair; at least that I can see.

"I apologize for the wait, Hyoudou-san," she says as she takes a seat directly across from me as Himejima sets about pouring her a cup of tea. "I didn't have a chance to shower this morning so I took the chance to do so now."

That so?

"Don't worry about it. So? What is it that you want from me?"

Leaning back in my seat, I crossed my legs and folded my arms under my chest.

"I'll cut right to the chase then." Rias takes a deep breath before meeting my gaze. "I want you to join us, Hyoudou-san."

"I refuse."

I work better alone or with a single partner, after all. Working in groups doesn't really suit me. That and I don't quite like the idea of becoming a Devil.

The girl gives me a sad smile and a nod.

"Yes. I thought that you'd say that."

I gently set my empty teacup onto the table before standing up.

"If that's all you wanted to talk to me about, then I'm afraid nothing you can say will change my mind. Good day to you all."

As I begin to make my way over to the exit, I can feel several pairs of eyes glaring holes into my back. No doubt I would've been attacked by now by the other three for how I'm acting if it wasn't for Rias' orders.

Sighing, I push open the wooden double doors and leave the club room behind.

I'm back at the park again. Despite being near the school, not many people come here which gives it a serene sort of atmosphere. I glance down at the stuffed penguin clutched loosely in my hand. I just bought this thing on a whim because it looked cute, but I guess I'll have a different use for it now.

Walking over to one of the benches, I set the penguin down leaning against one of the legs.

"Um… Mi Scusi?"

That's… Italian?

I turn around to see a cute blonde girl dressed in a nun's garb standing in front of me. A foreigner? Since she's dressed like that she must be on a mission. But… A mission in Kuoh? We don't exactly have any glaring problems in this town.

"U-Um, um… ekscoos me?" She says in broken Japanese.

Hm… My Italian isn't the best, so maybe we can compromise with English.

"Yes? Do you need something?"

The girl's posture immediately relaxes as she breathes a sigh of relief, although she still seems to be extremely nervous.

"Y-yes. Um… Did something happen here?" She asks.

"What do you mean?"

"Um… Well… You placed that stuffed animal there. Right?"

Ah. She saw that, huh.

Sighing, I rub the back of my neck. "I guess you could say that. A person died here, in this park, not too long ago."

"O-Oh! I'm sorry…" The nun casts her eyes downwards and clasps her hands together before muttering a prayer before looking back up at me. "Were they a friend?"

A chuckle escapes from my lips as I shake my head.

"No. We weren't friends, and she wasn't a good person either. She lied to me to try to take advantage of me, and she even tried to kill me."

The nun starts and seems to be growing increasingly uncomfortable at my words. Ignoring her, I continue, "Still, she was a person who loved and was loved. At least that's the feeling I got when I killed her."

"E-Eh?! Y-You…"

The girl takes a couple of tentative steps away from me, fear slowly creeping onto her features.

"I'm guessing you must've known her too, right? A Fallen Angel with long black hair that wears black straps as a form of clothing."

Instead of answering, the nun continues to back away from me as I slowly approach her; each step I take is punctuated by the words pouring forth from my lips. "This town has a church but it was abandoned a long time ago, there's no mission work for the church to even do in a town like this, there hasn't been any supernatural incidents lately for the church to investigate, a Fallen Angel suddenly appeared recently targeting me, and finally a foreign nun who doesn't know a word of Japanese is here standing in front of me. It doesn't take a genius to see the connection."

By the time we've stopped, I've managed to corner the nun at the fountain. Her eyes are shut as her entire body is quivering with fear. Sighing, I reach my hand out to pet her head.

"It's alright. I won't hurt you. I just wanted to see if you were a threat or not," I say as soothingly as possible.

"Eh?" The nun looks up at me with a teary eyed expression.

"I can't be too careful after what happened with the Fallen Angel after all. Come on, take a seat. I've got a couple of questions I'd like to ask you and no doubt you have some for me as well."

After taking some time to calm down, the nun, whose name I learned is Asia Argento, asked me about what happened between Raynare, the Fallen Angel, and me. I gave her a brief rundown of my encounter with her persona as Amano Yuuma taking care to leave out the details of our fight in the park.

"I see…" Asia mutters after I finish my story, a mixture of relief and sadness in her voice.

It seems like the girl held a little bit of fondness in her heart for the Fallen Angel. That or she's just sad over the loss of a life.

"So, now that you know my story, what's yours? What are you doing in Japan of all places, and why are you with a Fallen Angel?"

"Eh? Well… Um…"

Asia began her tale of how she was exiled from by the Vatican after healing an injured Devil who appeared on the doorstep of the church she was stationed at. After that, she was contacted by the Fallen Angels and was escorted to this town by none other than Raynare and three other Fallen Angels by the names of Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, and Mittelt. As for what happened after, she wasn't exactly treated well by the Fallen Angels, but they didn't abuse her either. The most abuse she received came from an exorcist called Freed, but surprisingly it was Raynare that helped keep that man in check. However, with her gone now, the other Fallen Angels don't care enough to protect Asia so she took the chance to run away when nobody was paying attention.

After hearing her story, there were a few parts of it that stuck to my mind. First was the injured Devil she healed. There'd be no reason for why a Devil of all people would go to a church to ask for help. That whole situation just smells like a setup. Second, I doubt the church teaches their followers magic that can benefit Devils in any way. If anything the church's healing magic should harm Devils, so this girl probably holds a healing-type Sacred Gear. Third, I doubt the Fallen Angels took her in out of empathy for a fellow outcast. They're probably planning something with her, and they don't need for her to be around until the time comes which is why they let her escape.

It seems like she's just being treated as some kind of tool.

"Tch."

I unconsciously click my tongue which startles the young girl.

"Eep! S-Sorry!" Asia squeaks out.

Damn. How the hell can she be so cute without even trying?

"No. Sorry about that. I just couldn't stand the idea of someone like you going through such hardships.

Pulling out my phone, I check the time. Already six, huh? Alright.

I stand up a stretch before turning to Asia and holding out my hand.

"You're probably hungry, right? How about we go get something to eat? My treat."

The girl stares at my hand then looks up at me, before a letting out a surprised gasp.

"Eh? B-but… I-I can't just…"

"Remember; those who are faithful are rewarded by God, and I can tell that you're still pious even after being extricated by the church. Just think of this as one of those rewards and accept it."

That might have come out sounding like I was claiming to be God, but Asia seems to have gotten the meaning. Nodding, she takes my hand and I pull her up.

"Come on. I know a good place not too far from here," I say with a smile.

Leading her to the family restaurant I often go to, the two of us are seated next to a window as the waitress hands us the menus. Asia's garb draws more than a few stares from the patrons and staff, but the girl herself seems oblivious to it as she stares at the interior of the restaurant in wonder.

"Take a look and order whatever you want. The menu has pictures and some English in it as well."

"Eh? Ah! Y-Yes!"

As Asia begins to scan through the menu, I take some time to gather my thoughts. Ddraig mentioned during the brief conversation we had that the three factions, Angels, Fallen Angels, and Devils, waged a long, arduous war that nearly drove each race to extinction before a ceasefire was called. Despite that there are still high tensions between the races and more than a few skirmishes have broken out. If that's the case, then why are Rias' group, in assuming that this city is their territory, letting these Fallen Angels do as they please in this city? It's impossible for her not to notice four Fallen Angels and an exorcist enter her territory. Don't tell me she's utilizing the same plan of waiting until Asia is dead before resurrecting her. Then that would confirm my suspicions that Asia holds a Sacred Gear, and a powerful one at that. It would also imply that Rias knows the Fallen Angels' plans. She's certainly a crafty one, I'll give her that.

Returning my attention back to Asia, I see that her gaze is fixated on the picture of a ketchup covered omurice with a little flag sticking out of the mound of egg.

"Do you want to eat that?" I ask.

"Hawah!" The girl jumps in a seat before blushing and burying her face in the menu. "Um… Y-Yes, but is it really okay? All the food here seems really expensive…"

Expensive? The item she's looking at is only 800 yen and it even comes with a drink of your choice. Unless…

"Asia. Do you know what the Japanese yen is?"

"Yen?"

Ah… She doesn't know. Well, I guess it kind of makes sense if she doesn't have anyone to explain things to her, and she's probably led a pretty sheltered life back at the church, too. That kind of innocence is really quite special.

"Pfha," my mouth makes some kind of strangled wheezing noise in my feeble attempt to disguise my laugh as a cough. Clearing my throat, I give a brief explanation of currency exchange between countries.

After listening to my mini-lecture, the girl's face turns even redder as she hides behind the menu once again.

"O-Oh…"

In any case, I guess it's about time to order. Calling the waitress over, I order the omurice set for Asia and a hamburger steak for me.

As we waited for our food, I decided to teach Asia a little bit about Japanese culture along with some basic greetings and phrases she can use. That was how our first dinner together went for the most part. Watching Asia enjoy her food like that with such a childlike innocence helped me cement my decision.

I will protect this girl.

Omake: A Princess' Duties I

Taking a deep breath, I wipe away the sweat dripping down my forehead with the sleeve of my loose-fitting gi before holding out my hand for the girl lying on the ground in front of me.

"Not bad. You're getting better already, Suzuki-san," I say with a smile while pulling her up back onto her feet.

"Ahaha… No way. I've still got a long way to go before I reach you or the captain's level."

"In any case, your footwork is quite good, and your kicks are quite powerful. Just focus a bit more on your recovery. You leave yourself too open after your attacks."

"Yes! Thank you! I'll keep that in mind!"

As the girl walks over to the side to join the rest of the members of the club resting after the sparring session, their captain, a tomboyish girl called Shimazu Tomoyo, walks over to me and slaps me on my back.

"Still as tough as ever, huh Saya-chan? Man. Watching all those matches got me all fired up too! Think you can go another round left in ya?"

Shaking my head, I smile in defeat.

"Haha. Alright, alright. Fine. I know you won't take no for an answer."

"Your damn right I won't! Come on! I'm itching to get started!"

Rolling my shoulders, I take up position as my opponent slides into stance across from me. By now, the girls on the sidelines have begun to talk excitedly amongst themselves.

"Let's have a good match, Tomoyo."

"Heh. Right back 'atcha!"

A couple of tense seconds pass as the two of us stare each other down before the club member acting as the referee signals the start of the match.

I can't afford to go easy on someone like her. Even though I'm the better in terms of experience, her kinetic vision combined with her reflexes and physical ability are nothing to scoff at. Not to mention karate isn't exactly my specialty.

A fist suddenly fills my vision forcing me to step backwards to avoid it.

That's the reigning regional champion for you. She managed to close the distance between us in almost in instant without taking her feet off the floor. Tomoyo continues to push forward in her signature hyper style technique comprised of flurries of fast strikes with high and low kicks and it takes all my effort to just defend. Before long she's managed to push me to the edge.

"Heh. What's wrong, Saya-chan? No need to hold back. Come at me with everything you've got!"

She's right. I don't stand a chance against her with karate.

"Ah geez, fine! Have it your way."

I switch into an unorthodox boxing style with my right arm hanging loosely at a right angle in front of me with my left pulled up near my chin.

A feral grin descends upon Tomoyo's face as she dashes in once more, but I'm ready for her this time. My right arm flashes out and snakes through her defences to strike at her collarbone causing her to stagger backwards. Taking advantage of the opening, I crouch low and lunge forward aiming to grab her leg. The same leg I was aiming for shoots forward towards my head in a low kick. I manage to twist my body to avoid it as Tomoyo pivots and I feel something crashing into the back of my head.

Damn. I didn't expect for her to be able to change the trajectory of her kick like that.

Planting my hands on the floor to steady myself, I pull myself up into a handstand before springing myself back onto my feet just in time to see another kick come flying towards me. I barely manage to raise my arms up to block it, and the force put behind the attacks sends me staggering backwards.

I'm really not that good at unarmed combat, huh. Guess I'll just have to put all my eggs into one basket.

I step forward into a punch, I push my opponent's arm away, and do the same with her other arm coming to strike me. Like this, I quickly close the distance between us until we're separated only by twenty centimetres as I continue bat away Tomoyo's punches and kicks forcing her to resort to striking with only her elbows and knees. My defence slips and I catch a knee in my stomach, knocking the wind out of me. As I struggle to recover, I see Tomoyo preparing for a final strike.

Ah man. Guess it's my loss. Even my trump card wasn't able to best her karate technique.

Her two fists collide into my chest and I'm sent flying backwards before landing on my back.

The room is silent save for the sounds of my heart hammering away in my ears and my ragged breaths.

Finally, as if broken from a trance, the referee calls the match and the Karate club members break out in applause and cheers.

"Haha… hah… That's our champ for you…" I wheeze before pushing myself into a sitting position. "You're crazy tough."

"Hehe. You're no push over yourself, Saya-chan. Those skills of yours are sure to take you to the top of the MMA world if you ever look into professional fighting." Tomoyo replies with a wide grin while bending down and holding her hand out to me. "You sure you don't want to join the Karate club?

I grab her hand, and find myself being lifted off my feet until I'm standing again.

"Sorry Tomoyo, but you know how I am."

"Hah! Yeah, yeah, I got it! Run along now. That spar ate up a lot more time than I thought, and you have some other people to help out too, right?"

Glancing at the clock on the wall, I notice that it was almost time for my next appointment with the Art club.

"Oh crap! You're right!"

I run into the repurposed storage room and quickly change into my school uniform before running out of the building while saying a brief goodbye to the club members.

"Thanks again for you help, Saya-chan! I'll be sure to call on you again if we need your help!" Tomoyo calls after me.

Continuing to run, I flash a thumb up behind me before rounding a corner.

Like I thought, the quickest way to improve my fighting abilities is to spar with opponents stronger than me. In that case, I'll keep periodically visiting the Karate, Kendo, and Judo clubs in order to increase my abilities while keeping up appearances by helping out the other non-combat clubs.

This body isn't exactly special in any ways, so I have to train harder in order to become stronger.

Alright. First off, though, is to go model for the Art club. Knowing some of the girls there, no doubt they'll ask me to pose nude for them again.

I let out a heavy sigh. Hopefully they won't try to grope me like last time, but if push comes to shove I'll just run away.

Despite feeling a sudden drop in motivation, I continue on my way to my next destination.

-Stat Sheet-

Master: (N/A)

Evil Piece: (N/A)

Name: Saya Hyoudou

Titles: The Dimensional Ruler, Blue Messiah, Hound of the Vatican, Disgraced Azure Knight

Sex: Female

Race: Human

Height: 5'5" (167cm)

Alignment: Neutral Good

Parameters:

Strength: D

Endurance: D+

Agility: C

Magic: E-

Luck: A++

Weapons: Varied

Known Unique Weapons: Holy Lance Longinus, Crimson Sun Blade, Holy Moon Sword, Holy Sword Caledfwlch [Unusable], Clarent, Neith's Holy Bow, Sessho-Seki Fragments [Unusable], Claiomh Solais, Joyeuse, Vorpal Sword, Deux Xiphos, Qing Long Yan Yue Dao, Laevateinn, Gae Bolg, Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, Tyrfing, Hrunting, Dainsleif, Balmung, Valmanway, Burtgang, Kunitsuna, Muramasa, Parchment of Omniscience, Ascalon, Ig-Alima [Unusuable], Arondight, Caliburn, Excalibur Galatine,

Skills:

Battle Continuation: A - Makes it possible to fight even with deadly wounds and stay alive unless a fatal blow is received.

Charisma: C- - Slightly boosts the morale and abilities of nearby allies.

Collector: EX - Hoarded an uncountable number of rare items.

Disengage: B - The ability to safely break away from combat.

Eye of the Mind (True): A - Heightened capacity for observation, refined through experience.

Eye of the Mind (False): C – A natural talent to foresee danger via an innate sixth sense.

Pioneer of the Stars: EX - A unique skill given to heroes who became turning points in history. All difficult voyages and challenges which are considered "impossible" are turned into "events that can be realized".

Abilities:

Boosted Gear: EX - A Sacred Gear that holds the ancient dragon Ddraig. It has the ability to double the user's strength every ten seconds as long as the user's body can handle the strain.

Dimensional Vault: EX - A collection of items that Saya has collected during her journeys. It has an unlimited storage space.

Awakening: EX - A psuedo-time stop ability that involves slowing down one's own perception of time by speeding up the body's processes. It has adverse effects on the user.

Adventurer's Insight: EX - The ability to sense areas of civilization, dungeons, ruins, and treasure. It has a maximum range of 25 kilometers (15.5 miles).

Mad Enhancement: A - Increases one's parameters but trades their sanity for it.

Power to Dominate a Dimension: (N/A)

Harem Progress:

Rias Gremory: Rank 1

Akeno Himejima: Rank 1

Yumi Kiba: Rank 1

Koneko Toujou: Rank 1

Asia Argento: Rank 3