Ben 10: Dragon God of Life

by DragneelGiant96

Ever since he was 10, Ben Tennyson has been having dreams of strange creatures, strange events...and a strange green dragon. No one can explain them; they're a mystery. But when he attends Kuoh Academy, he learns that there's more to his dreams than he realizes. Powerful, original version of Ben Tennyson. OOC and AU. Rated M for swearing, violence and DxD nudity. [Ben x Harem]

25. Welcome to the Underworld!

A/N: Happy Birthday to me! Happy Birthday to me!

I simply can't believe that I've been writing this story for a year already! I would like to thank everyone who has been with me from day one but that doesn't mean that I'm taking everyone else who joined later for granted. It is because of all of you that I have enjoyed writing this story as much as you enjoy reading it.

I never thought I'd get so many people reading my story but, now that I've seen how popular it is (The second most popular DxD/Ben 10 Xover on fanfic website!) I plan to keep going and, hopefully, attract even more people into reading my story!

Here's to another year!

. . . . .

I mentioned it last time, but I'll say it again for those who didn't spot it. I've gone back to university for the final year of my undergraduate degree for Law so, obviously, I'll have far less time to work on my chapters. It's only to be expected, considering, but I will do my absolute best to release a chapter every month (possibly more if it's during the holidays) if it won't affect my education which comes first.

. . . . .

And finally, before you start the story. I want to let everyone know that, as I am weaving the various Ben 10 aliens into the DxD universe, there will some background and history to their new existence which may confuse some people. An example of this will be shown immediately at the opening of this chapter. I want to make the Underworld richer in design and what lives within it so will add little snippets of what the other alien/demon races are up to alongside the main story. I'd also like to give a shout out to ACogintheSystem who has been extremely helpful in providing suggestions for the backgrounds of the various demons. I'd welcome similar suggestions from anyone else if they would like to share their ideas with me.

Enough said! On to the chapter!

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Around two hours after Reynaldo had completed the official process for new devils entering the Underworld for the first time, everyone had settled into the train car and were content to simply enjoy the rest of the train journey. Rias, Akeno, Asia and Xenovia were in the middle of a game of cards they'd started a while ago to pass the time while Ben had opted out of the game, instead preferring to just sit back and watched their game. Quickly growing bored with this though, he then summoned Azmuth's Gear and starting flicking through his steadily expanding collection of demonic forms, many of which he still hadn't become yet. He continued with this until he came across a demonic form that was strangely familiar. It was humanoid in overall shape yet it was pitch black in colour with bright green contours spreading all over its body which had the uncanny resemblance to a circuit board. Attached to the front of its 'face' was a single eye in the shape of a thin circle of the same green stripes covering the rest of its body.

'That looks like Ship,' he realised quickly as he examined the strange creature.

[So it does,] Azmuth muttered in agreement as his voice entered his mind. [I am still curious as to what this demon actually is. They certainly didn't exist while I still had a physical form.]

'Do you know anything about them, Ddraig?' Ben decided to ask his other draconic companion.

Ddraig hummed in thought for a moment before answering. [I don't recall any of my former hosts ever encountering such demons in all the time I've been sealed in my Gear.]

With neither of the two ancient dragons having any idea as to what the demon's story was, Ben decided to ask someone who was more familiar with the Underworld and its denizens.

As fortune would have it, exactly at that moment Akeno secured the winning hand for the game they were playing and won the game. Ben took this moment to attract Rias' attention.

"Hey, Rias, what's the story with this demon?" he asked the crimson-haired heiress, presenting her with the image protruding from the back of his hand.

Rias glanced over at him and then down at the image. "That? That's a Galvanic Magimorph."

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he recalled being told that when they had stumbled upon Ship back in the Familiar Forest.

"How come this one looks so different to Ship? Is it a rare form?" he asked, examining the Magimorph image from a different angle.

Rias shook her head at this.

"On the contrary. That is what all Magimorphs look like…at least the ones I've seen. Ship is something I don't think has ever been before."

"As for their story…well…they're actually an artificial demonic species created by the Galvans several centuries ago," she went on to explain for him.

The emerald jewel embedded in the back of Ben's gauntlet lit up as Azmuth's deep voice suddenly echoed around the room.

[Hmm, I've heard of Galvans. Extremely arrogant beings who considered themselves the "smartest creatures in existence" due to their, admittedly, vast intellectual capabilities. Needless to say they had no shortage of enemies though they themselves hated none more than Cerebrocrustaceans. I didn't care much for their unique heights of arrogance and avoided them wherever possible.]

[How have they fared in all these centuries then, Gremory?] the ancient dragon went on to ask with a subtle hint of genuine curiosity in his voice.

"Not very well. Galvans had always been a species with an extremely low population, constantly fighting to avoid extinction from their natural predator, the Omnivoracious bird, but the Great War between the Three Factions only made things worse for them. In their arrogance they believed their intelligence would protect them and they refused to take a side during the war.

Azmuth grunted in mild amusement.

[Yeah, that sounds very familiar.]

"Yeah, well, that attitude proved to be the cause of their undoing. While the Three Factions were focussed on each other, other demon factions used the war as an opportunity to expand their various territories. Several demon species were driven to extinction and the Galvans were almost among those wiped out. Only a small handful of Galvans remained by the war's end who, humbled greatly by their ordeal, approached my brother and requested sanctuary with the Devil faction.

[Hmm! While I didn't particularly agree with their species' innate arrogance, I am saddened to hear that such a talented species is now so close to disappearing forever. Did your brother accept their plea?]

Rias nodded her head slightly in response. "He did. It didn't take much for him to convince the other Devil Kings to accept them in return for them sharing their knowledge with us. From what my brother last told me about them, the last seven remaining Galvans continue to work with Beelzebub in his magical laboratory where they've helped him with many of his inventions, including, of course, their work in correcting the glitches which existed in the Evil Pieces System during its early days."

[I never would have ever believed that I'd see Galvans reduced to such a state that they were forced to seek asylum with any other race. They considered all other races subpar to them and their intelligence.]

"It seemed that the last few remaining were smart enough to realise it was their best chance at survival," Ben noted as he followed the conversation.

[So how do these Magimorphs fit into their story then?] Ddraig wondered, finally joining in with the conversation. [You said the Galvans created them.]

"Yes, they did. I remember my mother teaching me about them during my lessons in the Underworld. Most people don't realise that it was the Galvans who brought electricity to the Underworld, though not until after centuries of failed experiments. The Magimorphs are the result of one such failure, an unintended accident which happened to provide them with the answer they had been searching for, a way to generate a power source which didn't depend on someone's power and which could be used to power everything in the Underworld, from lights to this very train we're travelling on."

"And they did all this several centuries before humans discovered electricity? Why didn't they reveal it sooner?" Ben asked with curiosity.

"Even if the old Devil Kings wanted to, they couldn't. Not only were we locked in a three-way war with the Angels and Fallen Angels but humans were particularly superstitious about such marvels…even those who weren't under the thumb of the Church," Rias explained with a subtle shake of her head.

[So, what happened to these 'Magimorphs?] Ddraig asked with some interest.

"Well, to be perfectly honest, we don't know. Until we found Ship in the Familiar Forest, I actually believed they had been destroyed completely. After they had gotten what they wanted from them, the Galvans simply released them into the wilds of the Underworld. They didn't care what happened to the "by-product of a failed experiment" and possibly hoped that they'd be killed by other demons and simply forgotten about. For all we know, that could very well have happened to them as nobody has ever seen one since then. I only recognised it because my mother keeps an extensive library with an entire section devoted to the various demons of the Underworld."

"So, Ben could, possibly hold the last samples of DNA from both the Galvans and these Magimorphs?" Akeno noted with interest.

"Very possibly," Rias agreed with a nod of her head.

Ben glanced down at his Gear with a new weight having fallen upon his shoulders. There was an extremely strong possibility that Ship was the last Magimorph in existence. That thought alone just made him all the more determined to protect Ship from harm.

With the conversation having reached the end of the line, Azmuth and Ddraig fell silent once again and the group returned to their previous activities, this time with Ben joining in with the next card game.

. . . . .

(40 minutes later)

After some more time had passed the little group of devils had finally grown bored of card games and began to chat amongst each other and wonder what sort of training Azazel had in store for them when they were abruptly interrupted by a sudden announcement over the speakers from the train driver.

[Attention! We will be breaking through the dimensional wall momentarily. I repeat! We will be breaking through the dimensional wall momentarily.]

Ben glanced over at Rias with a confused look on his face but she answered his question before he could ask it.

"We've just entered the Underworld proper. Try looking outside," she suggested to her servants. Apparently, as a noble, pure-blood devil Rias was expected to sit in the front car. However, this didn't appear to be the case as she was still sat beside Ben. She claimed it was because she didn't want to spend the entire journey in there with only a sleeping Azazel for company.

Ben had a strong suspicion though that this wasn't the only reason. After Akeno's little stunt, Rias had ensured that both her pawn and queen were within eyesight at all times and not together alone.

As she told them to have a look outside, she had gestured towards the window which had revealed that they were no longer in a dark 'tunnel' as they could now make out the dark, purple of the Underworld sky.

Following her suggestion, Ben, Asia and Xenovia rose out of their seat and moved to the window closest to them and looked out of it, their eyes widening in awe at the view in front of them.

The first thing they noticed was the fact that the train they were travelling on was actually flying hundreds of feet in the air above the ground. The sky was still as purple as it was since Ben had last been to the Underworld but it wasn't the sky that he was looking at…but rather the huge mountains.

They appeared to have emerged out of the dark tunnel right above a large mountain range with mountains reaching up to the sky on all sides, some of the peaks even stretching as high as the train and some higher still. Hugging the sides and valley floors of these mountains were huge forests which blanketed the ground with their dark leaves and branches.

While Ben was able to keep his amazement inside his head, the same couldn't be said for Asia who was emphasising her own amazement with cries of "Amazing!" as she took in the incredible sights before her.

He couldn't blame her though. They were staring at the landscape of a new world they were seeing for the very first time.

"You can open the window if you want," Rias told them as she rose out of her seat too and came to stand next to Ben, a bright smile on her face.

Lost in his slight trance from the view before him, Ben absentmindedly opened the window as Rias suggested and breathed in the air of the Underworld for the first time since entering the Underworld officially. Of course, it was exactly the same air as last time he was there but it felt different now. He was able to appreciate it more. He couldn't deny that the air smelt and tasted different to the air in the human world but what threw him the most was the temperature outside. It felt just right, neither too hot nor too cold.

As he looked back down at the landscape the train flew over he could make out the faint lines of rivers running through the forests. He could even make out the shapes of houses and other, various buildings in the distance. It might have a different design than what he was used but nevertheless they were still buildings where Devils lived and carried out their lives.

"What you are looking at is my family's land," Rias told them proudly as she also stuck her head out the window to look at the view below them.

Ben's hand found its way to Rias' where it took hold of it and squeezed it affectionately. He couldn't miss the slight red tinge the Gremory heiress' ears turned at his contact.

"It's beautiful," he stated, meaning every word.

"How large is the Gremory family's territory?" Xenovia asked with intrigue in her voice.

"It's about the size of Japan's main island if I remember correctly," Kiba informed her, struggling to remember exactly what he had been told when he first came to the Underworld.

"Wow," Ben mouthed with amazement. Rias couldn't help but giggle at his expression and leant against his arm, squeezing his hand and interlocking their fingers.

"It's still not as large as the whole Underworld, remember? The Underworld has the same surface area as the human world. There's a lot more land overall though as there aren't any oceans at all down here and only several large bodies of water, all of which makes the Underworld much more spacious than the human world. The population here is nowhere near as high either. Even with the populations of the Devils, Fallen Angels, and other races which call this place home combined together. The vast majority of the Underworld is called home by the multitudes of dangerous and powerful demons which dwell here."

As Rias explained, Ben was captivated, unable to find the right words to describe what he was seeing.

"Even if Kiba says it's the size of Japan's main island, a lot of it is still mostly unused land with mountains and forests, most of them home to various demon species which, thankfully, keep to themselves," Rias sighed, missing the widening of Ben's eyes as she said this so casually.

He suddenly felt Rias take back her hand and clap them together as she just remembered something.

"Ah! That reminds me. Ben, Asia, Xenovia. Since part of the territory that I control will be given to you all later, would you please tell me which regions you'd like."

Ben couldn't have ever prepared to hear her say this and snapped his head back to stare at her, his jaw agape and his eyes as wide as saucers. Eventually he was able to formulate words again.

"What did you just say? Did you say that you want to give us some land?!" he gasped in disbelief, unsure if he was able to handle saying anything else.

"Yes, of course, silly!" Rias chuckled as she cupped his cheek with her soft hand. "As the servants of the next family head, you are all permitted to claim and territory as part of the Gremory group. Akeno, Kiba, Koneko, and even Gasper own land within my territory and you just need to tell me which land you want."

With a snap of her fingers, a map appeared on the table behind her. All of them gathered around it with awe as they looked down at a geographical map of the entire Gremory territory! A good portion of the map had been coloured red and segmented unevenly but before he could ask her what they meant, Rias beat him to it.

"The red areas are areas of land that have already been taken, so they're no good to us. Now! Have a look at the map and choose which bit of land you like and I'll give it to you," Rias told her servants with a smile.

Ben simply stared down at the map of the Gremory family's territory and marvelled, once again, at the dramatic turn his life had taken since he became a Devil.

. . . . .

The train journey continued on its way through the Underworld and over the Gremory mountain ranges though Ben had returned back to his seat so was unable to see the impressive sights outside.

The reason for this was that Ben was still reeling from the fact that he had just been given a huge swathe of land within Rias' territory. In the end, Ben had chosen some land which contained a particularly large mountain range, several lakes and a thick forest as his personal territory in the future. Much to his relief, Rias had told him that he wouldn't have to worry about managing the land for quite a while and her family would continue to look after it until he was ready for it.

Even though he was still wondering if he had dreamt the whole thing, he couldn't help but feel a growing tinge of excitement of owning a large plot of land in the Underworld. He had grown to become fascinated by the demons he could become and intrigued by their wild counterparts. He wanted to learn more about them and how they lived. He also wanted to show them to the others who lived in the Underworld, particularly when he remembered when Rias told him that only noble devils were taught about their world beyond their borders. It wasn't even all nobles who were taught this, they just happened to be the ones who were able to learn about the demons who inhabit their world.

He understood what he was thinking of doing would be a long-term plan but that didn't sway him from the thought of teaching devils about demons, even lower-class devils.

'Just call me Attenborough,' he thought privately, smiling at his own internal comment.

He was abruptly snapped out of his thoughts when the train ground down to an immediate halt, taking everybody in the car off guard by the sudden action. Ben was thrown forward from the sudden stop and landed on top of Akeno who was sat opposite him and knocked her onto her back. He was cushioned by her large breasts which smothered his face but was so taken by momentum that the both of them rolled off the chair and fell to the floor, this time with Akeno lying on top of him.

As well as his and Akeno's awkward tumble, the others were also surprised by the train's sudden stop. Gasper was launched clear out of his box and collided with Kiba who had been thrown off his chair while Xenovia and Asia were thrown from their seats and landed on the floor.

The one who seemed the least affected was Koneko who, while jolted a little at being taken by surprise, had remained where she sat and the only one not currently on the floor of the train car.

"Ouch! What the hell was that?" Ben groaned, putting his hand to the back of his head which was throbbing painfully as he rose to his feet and glanced out of the window to see that the train had come to a complete stop above the mountain range they had been crossing for quite a while.

"I've got no idea," Akeno replied as she accepted Ben's hand when he offered it and rose to her feet too.

"It's just a precaution."

Everyone looked towards Azazel who had entered their compartment along with Rias. She had returned back to the lead car a few minutes ago to wake up the Governor-General and finish any discussions before they finally arrived at their destination.

"Precaution?" Ben asked as he rubbed the back of his sore head.

"Yes, a precaution. There's going to be a meeting with representatives from Asgard so security measures have been added," Azazel explained as he approached them, his hands in his pockets.

"I think I'll go and ask the driver when he expects us to be able to continue," he added as he cast a quick glance out of the window before turning his back on them all and disappeared through the door he had just come through.

"Asgard? There's going to be a meeting with the Norse Gods?" Ben asked as he recalled the small amount he knew about them.

"There is," Rias confirmed. "The Khaos brigade is composed of multiple factions from different groups and pantheons and it'll take a similar alliance to defeat them. It was never thought possible that magicians and Forever Knights would work together. Now that we know they are working for Ophis, we have to work together with other mythologies if we hope to stop their plans."

"Something's wrong!" Koneko stated abruptly and, no sooner had she done so, a wave of energy engulfed the train which caused it to disappear into thin air but left Ben and the others to fall.

"Fuuuuuuuuuck!" Ben bellowed as he fell through the air towards the ground rushing to meet him.

. . . . .

"Argh! That's going to leave a bruise," Ben groaned as he opened his eyes and picked himself off the ground to take in his surroundings.

He was standing in, what looked like, the base of a large canyon with trails of steam rising from heat pockets scattered around the canyon floor. Hearing a series of groans behind him, Ben spun around to see Akeno, Asia, Xenovia, Kiba, Koneko and Gasper groaning like him and slowly picking themselves off the floor.

"What the hell is going on?" Ben asked as he looked around for any clues as to how they got there.

"I don't know…but that was forced teleportation," Koneko muttered as she dusted herself off.

"Where's Rias?" Asia asked with worry as she looked around for the crimson-haired heiress but couldn't see her.

"I don't know but Azazel's not here either," Ben replied, noticing the absence of the witty fallen angel.

"Quiet! Can't you hear that?" Xenovia asked them abruptly, cutting them off mid-sentence.

BOOM!

BOOM!

The ground shook with the solid impact of what Ben quickly deduced must be the footsteps belonging to a very large creature that, by the increasing sound of the footfalls, must be heading towards them. Loose rocks slid down the high walls of the canyon, dislodged by the strong vibrations.

"Something's coming," the azure-haired knight said as she summoned Durandal and took up a defensive stance while everyone else took similar actions in preparation for what was coming.

BOOM!

BOOM!

Everyone's attention was directed towards the mouth of the canyon where the footsteps appeared to be coming from. Just as Ben's mind was racing through what could possibly be heading in their direction, his answer came in the form of a huge dragon stepping into view.

Unlike with Azmuth and Ddraig, this one was humanoid in stature and stood on its hind legs. It stood at a towering fifty feet tall, its body mainly covered in dark purple, draconic scales with the exception of its lower body, including its belly, inner portions of its legs and its long tail, which were beige in colour. Protruding from its triangular head was a pair of large yellow horns along with a pair of red eyes which glared down at them maliciously. Its claws ended with long sharp, yellow nails, and large bat-like wings which protruded from its back. It also wore a loincloth and black pauldrons which extended down to its elbows.

"Crap! It's a dragon!" Ben cursed as the titanic creature blocked off the mouth of the canyon, their only exit.

Before any of them could react to the dragon's sudden appearance, it reared its head back before thrusting it towards them, a large plume of flame spouting from its jaw and heading towards them. Acting purely on instinct, Ben picked up Asia and Gasper, both of whom just so happened to be the closest to him and leapt out of the path of the fire which struck the ground where they had just been standing a second ago.

With the help of their enhanced speed from their Knight pieces, Kiba and Xenovia were able to escape the blast with ease and withdrew behind a large stone laying on the floor where Ben had gone and put down Asia and Gasper. Akeno had also leapt out of the way of the plume of flame and landed on a small ledge protruding from the side of the canyon.

Instead of following the lead of the others though, Koneko leapt out of the way of the flames to avoid the intense heat, but instead of regrouping with them to come up with a battle plan she leapt towards the huge dragon, kicking off from the wall of the canyon and raising her leg up to deliver a powerful kick to the dragon's abdomen.

"Koneko! No!" Akeno cried when she noticed what Koneko was planning to do but her warning went ignored.

The dragon saw Koneko's attack in its peripheral vision and swung its large, muscular tail which struck Koneko hard, sending her crashing into the canyon wall and creating a significant indent in the wall where she struck it. With his devil-enhanced vision, Ben could see trails of blood trickling down her face from her forehead which hit the wall particularly hard.

As she fell away from the wall, she plummeted towards the floor and was about to hit the floor when Ben suddenly appeared out of nowhere and caught her in his arms before she impacted the ground.

"I got you," he told her as he landed back on the ground. She didn't respond to him as she had been dazed from the heavy blow the dragon had dealt to her. Luckily, Ben knew she would be okay and such an injury wouldn't affect her severely due to the enhanced endurance her Rook piece granted her.

A deep growl above him drew his attention back towards the purple behemoth above him which opened its jaw, the inside of its mouth glowing as it prepared to release another torrent of flames at him. Before it could release its deadly attack, though, a large bolt of yellow lightning struck its face, interrupting its attack though it appeared to suffer no damage at all. In fact, it only seemed to aggravate it even more.

"Since Rias isn't here, it's my duty to take charge," Akeno, already in her thunder priestess clothing, declared to everyone below her. "Ben! Transform into your Vaxasaurian form and engage the dragon. Kiba! Xenovia! Do everything you can to distract the dragon and support Ben! Asia! Protect Koneko! I shall give orders to coordinate our response!"

[Got it!] everyone shouted back in confirmation as they made to carry out their orders.

Ben brought up his emerald gauntlet and cycled through his various forms before finding the right one. Once he had done so, he slammed his palm down and disappeared in a flash of emerald light

[Transform: Humungousaur!]

The emerald light dissipated to reveal his twelve-foot-tall Vaxasaurian form which quickly began to grow, the familiar stegosaur-like plates protruding from his back and from his shoulders as he stopped growing when he reached fifty feet in height.

"Why don't you try picking on something your own size!" he roared loudly as he pulled his fist back before delivering a powerful punch to the dragon's jaw, causing the large creature to roar in pain as it fell backwards, crashing into the canyon wall, dislodging rocks from its impact. Despite the power Ben had put into his punch, it appeared to do absolutely no damage to the dragon at all other than just piss it off as it roared in challenge and pushed itself off the wall, charging towards Ben at a speed that seemed far too fast for something anything as large as it was, and delivered a powerful punch of his own to Ben's chest before he could block it. grunting from the strong counterpunch, Ben knocked the dragon's arm away before responding with a sucker-punch to the dragon's stomach, quickly following it up with another blow to the side of the dragon's head which knocked it back into the canyon wall again.

Despite all the blows he had dealt, the dragon still appeared to have suffered no real damage as it charged towards Ben with a loud roar. Letting out a loud roar of his own, Ben also charged towards the dragon, they both collided with a loud 'BOOM' which created a small shockwave as their fingers/claws became interlocked with each other as they engaged in a battle of strength, the first one to gain control would win. Ben was shocked at the power and raw strength he felt from the dragon as they engaged in, what was essentially, a game of Mercy between two titanic creatures and slowly but surely he could feel the dragon begin to gain dominance.

[BOOST!]

As he felt the drastic increase in his power he forced more energy into the struggle and slowly felt the balance of power switch again in his favour, though this was only for a moment before the dragon seemed to grow stronger out of nowhere and instantly regain control of the hold, forcing Ben onto one knee this time as it pressed its attack.

"We've got your back, Ben!" Kiba shouted as he and Xenovia suddenly appeared on either side of his head on his shoulders, their blades drawn and pointed at the dragon. Leaping at the dragon, they swung their blades swiftly at the dragon's head with the intent of helping Ben with his fight by distracting the dragon, hopefully by blinding it and giving Ben an edge. Before they got close to it, however, it took them both completely by surprise when the horns on its head suddenly doubled in length and it easily blocked the two blades in their path, shocking the two Gremory knights, particularly Xenovia.

"What?! It was able to block my Durandal?!" she exclaimed as both she and Kiba were knocked back and landed few feet away from the battle between the two huge beasts.

Bolstered by its momentum, the purple dragon used its lengthened horns to swipe at Ben's head, distracting him, while it tightened its grip on Ben's fingers to the point that Ben was feeling immense pain before it pulled him towards it and swung him behind it until he crashed into the canyon wall and caused a small landside to occur, cascading down the wall until it partially covered Ben's monstrous form though his thick hide protected him from damage.

Ben growled as he slowly pulled himself out of the fallen rocks. The dragon didn't appear willing to wait for him to do so as it began to approach the prone Vaxasaurian, it growled deeply as it clenched its fists in anticipation.

"Kiba! Now!" Akeno ordered from the skies above the battle.

"You got it!" Kiba replied as he pointed his sword towards the ground and impaled it into the floor.

[Sword Birth!] he bellowed as a number of huge blades erupted out of the ground below the dragon. Unfortunately, the dragon's hide appeared to be impenetrable for Kiba's blades as it merely roared with annoyance before swinging its huge tail and swatting Kiba's blades away as though they were made of glass.

This was enough time for Ben to return to his feet and brush off the small landside from his body. He watched as the dragon brushed off Kiba's attack like it was nothing.

'Physical attacks don't seem to have much effect on it,' he thought, glancing over at Koneko who was being healed by Asia. 'I'll have to try something else.' With this thought he was enveloped in green light once again.

[Transform: Chromastone!]

Taking to the air once the emerald light had disappeared, Ben rose up until he was at eye-level with the large dragon before glancing up at Akeno and attracting her attention.

"Akeno! I need some of your lightning. I've got an idea!" he shouted up at her as his Boosted Gear activated.

[BOOST!]

Akeno didn't initially understand what he was asking her to do, but that instantly changed when she was suddenly struck by the memory of the battle during the peace summit and the unique powers of the demonic form Ben had taken.

Deciding to trust him, Akeno enveloped herself with yellow, electrical energy and fired a powerful bolt of her lightning towards Ben who held out his left hand, palm open and caught the bolt and absorbed it into his crystalline body which glowed slightly brighter with the large increase in power.

[BOOST!]

With his large boost of power from Akeno as well as power from his Boosted Gear, Ben diverted all his power towards his chest before releasing it in a single, large, ultraviolet beam of energy which struck the dragon and created a huge cloud of smoke which completely obscured the dragon from view.

"Did you get it?" Xenovia asked Ben as he reverted back to his normal form in a flash of light. His last attack had taken more power than he realised and he had to revert back to normal to conserve the rest of his energy.

"I don't kn—," he started to say but was cut off abruptly when the dragon's purple scaled arm shot out of the cloud of smoke and dust and grabbed Ben, leaving only his shoulders and head visible in the dragon's hand as he winced at the tight grip he was being held in, though not tight enough to break any bones…not yet at least. The grip he was being held in left him with no room to move at all though, so tight that he couldn't move a muscle.

"It didn't do anything?!" Akeno exclaimed initially before noticing the large scorch mark on the dragon's chest and the very slight darkening of its skin from where Ben's attack had impacted. However, even though Ben's attack had left a mark on the gargantuan beast, it still appeared unfazed by the combined power of both her and Ben if its complete disregard to the faint trails of smoke rising from its body were any indication.

"Ben! No!" Asia and Gasper cried as the dragon began to bring Ben close to its mouth, the inside of its mouth glowing brighter as it did so.

"Hang on!" Kiba yelled as he leapt towards the dragon, his sword poised to strike.

"We're coming!" Xenovia added, following after her fellow knight though they were still too far to be of help.

The dragon had brought his hand which contained Ben up to his open mouth and was about to throw Ben into its mouth and down its gullet when….

"Alright, alright. I think that's enough, Tannin," a familiar voice called out from the edge of the canyon.

An instant after the words were spoken the dragon immediately drew Ben away from its mouth and placed back down on the ground where Ben fell onto his backside, dazed by what had almost happened to him, his heart beating considerably faster than before. He looked, along with everyone else, up at where the voice was coming from to see Azazel and Rias standing on the edge of the canyon wall and looking down at them. How long had they been there? Had they been watching the fight? If so, why?

Realising now that they actually hadn't been fighting for their lives and it had all been a test of some kind, Ben felt what little fight in him leave and fell onto his back, his chest heaving as he took deep breaths.

The two of them had a lot of explaining to do.

. . . . .

(A quick explanation later)

"He's a devil?!" Ben repeated what Azazel had just told them about Tannin, the dragon they had just been fighting. "He's a dragon who's also a devil? I didn't even know such a thing was possible."

[Neither did I,] Azmuth admitted in Ben's mind. [Though I say that, I did create dragons to be extremely mysterious creatures. Truth be told, much like God with His own creations, not even I know everything about the dragons I created.]

[I must admit that I thought it was amazing when I first met Tannin after his reincarnation,] Ddraig muttered, adding his voice to the conversation.

Needless to say, Azmuth wasn't amused with such important information being withheld from him.

[What?! You knew such an unprecedented thing happened and didn't tell me?!] the ancient emerald dragon growled with great frustration clearly heard in his deep voice as the two of them delved into another argument within Ben's head.

Instead of listening to them bicker again, Ben chose to ignore them and returned his attention back to Azazel who was still explaining things to everyone.

"…and so, the "Blaze Meteor Dragon", aka the devil-dragon Tannin, vassal to the former dragon emperor, agreed to help me test you all to evaluate your current abilities," Azazel explained.

"It's been too long since we last spoke, Ddraig," Tannin said, his powerful voice echoing against the damaged walls of the canyon.

[Too true,] Ddraig said, eager to divert his attention away from Azmuth who was still angry at him for keeping Tannin's condition a secret from him. [It's good to see you, Tannin.]

"How am I not surprised that you two know each other?" Ben asked sarcastically, glancing down at his Boosted Gear as he said so.

[It seems he has a lot of secrets he likes to keep,] Azmuth growled, his own voice echoing around the canyon walls.

Upon hearing Azmuth's voice, Tannin placed his right fist over his left breast and bowed his head respectfully at Ben.

"I may not be able to see you but it is, nevertheless, a huge honour to hear your voice, Azmuth. One of the reasons I agreed to help with Azazel's plan was so that I could finally hear your voice and meet the one within whom your soul resides," he declared respectfully.

[I never imagined that a dragon could ever be reincarnated into a devil. In fact, before this very moment I would have thought such a thing completely impossible. Nevertheless, I can't deny the truth that is standing before my eyes. I don't know your reasons for deciding to go through such a procedure but that doesn't really concern me. I created dragons to be free creatures, untied to anything and free to live life how they wish to,] Azmuth declared with something akin to approval in his voice.

"It may not mean much to one as mighty as you, Azmuth, but I am glad you approve of my decision. It means a lot to me," the towering dragon added sincerely, his head still bowed respectfully.

"As well as helping me evaluate your current skill level, Tannin's agreed to help with your training too," Azazel told the young devils, returning attention back on him.

"He's going to be helping us train?" Ben asked as he gazed up at the towering dragon.

"You can thank Lord Lucifer. He asked me to help out Azazel in finding out how you all handle situations under pressure. And from what I have seen, you all have a long way to go," Tannin explained.

"I hope he didn't go overboard and hurt you too badly," Rias said with a sympathetic look on her face.

"No, not at all," Ben grumbled as he rubbed his sore muscles, courtesy of Tannin.

"I was against this whole 'ambush test' from the very start. I tried to convince my brother to change his mind but he said it was necessary so…," Rias explained to her peerage but Azazel interrupted her before she could say more.

"The reason your retinue isn't growing stronger at the pace it should be is because of your tendency to spoil them, as well as your uncertainty.

"What are you talking about?!" Rias demanded, turning back to scowl at Azazel. "I never hesitate!"

"Nevertheless…," Azazel continued, ignoring Rias' scowl, "…I've learnt everything I needed to know about all of you and what kind of training you need to get stronger. Trust me when I say that I'll do everything in my power to make you all stronger."

"While you have a long way to go in terms of training, I have to say that I was impressed by your current capabilities, Ben Tennyson," Tannin interjected, glancing down at Ben as he spoke. "I've fought Vaxasaurians before and, while you still pale in comparison to elders within their tribes, you are still on par with most of their warriors…perhaps even their berserkers. With serious training, I can see you becoming a truly powerful being," Tannin declared confidently.

[I agree. I was impressed that you were able to hold a dragon as powerful as Tannin at bay, even if it was only for a few minutes,] Azmuth told Ben within his mind.

[Yeah, even if he was holding back a lot, it's still a big accomplishment,] Ddraig added with a small chuckle.

"Wait! He was holding back?" Ben asked the two of them mentally.

[Of course he was! He isn't considered an Ultimate-class devil for nothing, you know?] Azmuth informed him with exasperation in his voice. [He was barely using one twentieth of his true power in that fight!]

[The fact that you were able to do what you did in that fight makes your current level of power all the more impressive, all things considering,] Ddraig added.

'A twentieth?!' Ben thought with awe. If that was true, he could only imagine how powerful Ddraig was before he was sealed in the Boosted Gear and he couldn't even begin to contemplate what a monster Azmuth was in his prime.

"Now, I can't introduce you to my family in your current state," Rias said happily, drawing everyone's attention to the fact they were bruised and battered from their recent fight, and their uniforms weren't in any better condition.

They needed to clean up before they could reach their final destination.

. . . . .

(A few minutes later)

Rias escorted her battered and bruised peerage out of the canyon to a huge bathhouse nearby which was owned by her family so they could enjoy a relaxing soak before reaching Rias' home. Azazel invited himself with them and didn't waste any time in entering the piping hot water along with Kiba who was already in the water and enjoying the peace as they relaxed in the water.

Ben would have joined them already but there was an issue he had to deal with first.

An issue concerning an antisocial dhampir.

"Come on, Gasper! You heard Rias; we need to get cleaned up before we meet Rias' parents," Ben told the young dhampir as he half-dragged him towards the edge of the bath.

"But I don't want to go in with other people," Gasper whined as he pulled the towel up to cover his chest which, thanks to his already effeminate appearance, gave him the very similar appearance of a pre-pubescent girl. "I-I can go in on my own later!"

"There won't be a later, Gasper. We're going straight to Rias' home after we're done here," Ben repeated with a sigh. He tried to pull Gasper into the water again but the young dhampir still refused to budge.

With a resigned sigh, Ben let go of Gasper's wrist and decided to go with plan B.

"If you don't want to get in on your own then you leave me with no other choice," he said before quickly wrapping his arm around Gasper's waist and picking him up before walking into the hot water with a whining and struggling Gasper under his arm. He made his way into the hot water until he reached the middle of the pool where he let go of the flailing and squealing dhampir who fell into the water with a loud 'SPLASH!'.

"There we go. You've got no reason to whine now," Ben said to Gasper as he sat down on the edge of the bath while Gasper, accepting that he wasn't going to avoid a bath with other people, made his way to the other end of the pool where he joined Kiba who was already relaxing in the hot water.

"You shouldn't be sexually harassing poor little Gasper."

Ben looked upwards at the sound of Akeno's voice to see her looking down on him from a ledge above the men's bath.

"What are you doing up there?" he asked her.

"Ufufufu. Where else would I be? This is the women's bath after all," Akeno replied with a giggle.

"The women's bath is up there? How is that fair?" Ben demanded light-heartedly, crossing his arms over his chest in mock indignation.

Akeno merely giggled at his display of 'annoyance'. "It's just the way things are, sweetie. Don't you want to be watched by beautiful, sexy women?"

Ben merely groaned and decided not to encourage Akeno any further and, instead, decided to simply enjoy the relaxing hot water as he felt his sore muscles slowly begin to heal.

His peace and quiet lasted only for a few seconds before it was promptly ruined by Azazel who decided to sit down on his right and sigh pleasantly as the powerful fallen angel began to feel his own muscles loosening after the long week he had just gone through as well as his fight with Cattleya Leviathan.

"This would be so much better if I had a drink," the Governor-General stated as he released a sigh of content.

Ben, who had his eyes closed as he enjoyed the warm water, opened his right eye and glanced over at the governor-general…or rather, he looked at his arm.

"This is probably a silly question…but is that arm of yours waterproof?" he asked with mild curiosity.

Azazel laughed at the question and pulled his left arm out of the water and showed off more of its capabilities which showed no sign of issue with being in contact with water. "Strangely enough, I did, in fact, remember to make it waterproof. It'd be extremely embarrassing and idiotic if I failed to make my mechanical arm resistant to something as simple as water, wouldn't it?"

Silence fell between the two of the for a few moments before Azazel spoke up again.

"I'm dying to know, Ben. Have you squeezed Rias' breasts yet?" he asked with intrigue.

Ben groaned upon hearing this question. He had expected Azazel to ask him such a question at some point, especially since he knew what the Fallen Angel was like, but he didn't expect him to ask him so soon.

"I may have. I don't see how that's any of your business, old man," he muttered cryptically, unwilling to answer such a personal question. That sort of thing was between only him and the girls he was involved with, not some perverted Fallen Angel, even if it was the Governor-General.

"Oh come on, don't be like that," Azazel groaned. "A woman's breasts have infinite potential and it is the duty of men to uncover their potential. I've lived a long time but there is still so much to learn about those wonderful orbs that women possess. For instance, did you know that if you use your finger and press their nipples as though you were ringing doorbell, they can't help but cry out in pleasure."

"Is that so?" Ben asked sarcastically, trying to sound not nearly as intrigued as he actually was.

"Sure it is," Azazel confirmed with confidence. "If you don't believe me, you should give it a try. I bet those girls of yours would love it if you do that."

"They're not 'my' girls," Ben said with an exasperated sigh before scrunching up his face at the sharp pain which erupted in his head, behind his eyes.

"He's right though, you know. Thanks to the influence from your draconic partners, those girls are completely enticed by you, even if its unconscious. You should take advantage of such a rare opportunity and use those girls however you want just in case they come back to their senses," 'Raynare's' voice echoed through his head, causing him to take a sharp intake of breath and pinch the bridge of his nose in response to the sharp stab of pain in his head.

Azazel couldn't help but notice Ben's sudden action.

"Hey kid. You okay?" he asked with genuine concern in his voice.

"Yeah…," Ben muttered as the pain went as quickly as it came. Thankfully neither Kiba nor Gasper saw what happened as they were still lost in their own conversation. "I guess I took more damage in that fight than I realised."

"Hmmm," Azazel grumbled, losing interest in the subject he had brought up and returned to enjoying the relaxing hot water and complaining that he didn't have a drink with him to complete the experience.

In the women's bath above them, however, Ben failed to spot the crimson hair which pulled away from the ledge, the owner of which had seen the entire scene take place and had concerns of her own.

. . . . .

In the women's bath

"Does Ben seem different to you?" Rias asked her queen as she returned to the raven-haired young devil's side.

She had been suspicious of something going on with Ben ever since their walk to the train station. She didn't know what was going on with him and she suspected that he wouldn't tell her because he "didn't want her to worry".

He can be so frustrating like that sometimes. It was one of the reasons for her strong feelings for him.

"Not that I've noticed," Akeno told her as she ran her hands up and down her smooth legs in the warm water. "He's the same handsome, caring Ben we all know and love."

Casting a quick glance at her, Akeno smirked and whispered, "I even think Koneko is growing attached to him, though I'm not that surprised. What isn't there to like about him?"

The two 'Great Ladies' sat in silence as they enjoyed the warmth of the water, watching as Xenovia used the time to get in some training as she swam lengths up and down the lengthy pool.

"I apologise for forcing you into the position of leader so abruptly today," Rias said, turning to look at her queen who returned the gesture, a bright smile on her face.

"Don't mention it. As your queen, it was my duty to do so when you're not around. I must admit that I was amazed at how Ben was able to keep that dragon at bay with that form of his," Akeno replied as her mind flicked back to the fight.

"I know. I was amazed at how long he was able to fight off an Ultimate-class devil like Tannin, even if it was only for a few minutes," Rias said fondly as she replayed the memory in her head.

"He truly is amazing," she added before adding something else she observed in her peerage's recent fight. "By the way. I couldn't help but notice that the two of you combined your powers into a single strike. Should I be jealous?"

Akeno tried to suppress a giggle but failed poorly. "What can I say? That was all Ben's doing, I had absolutely nothing to do with it."

Rias scowled at her queen lightly before standing up and slowly making her way towards the changing room. "I think we've spent enough time here. We need to get back to the train. We don't want to be late.

. . . . .

Back on the train

The train resumed its journey almost as soon as everyone had returned to their original seats. Much to the delight of everyone who had just been involved in a fierce fight with a giant, ultimate-class dragon who was also a reincarnated devil, their uniforms had already been repaired and cleaned when they went to put them on after exiting the baths.

The rest of the train journey was uneventful for the next fifteen minutes as it traversed through the skies above Rias' family's territory. As they continued to admire the magnificent view of their surroundings, a sudden announcement rang out through the train cars.

[Attention! We will soon be arriving at the end of the line. I repeat! We will soon be arriving at the end of the line. We'd like to thank you for using this train for you journey and hope you use us again in future.]

Ben couldn't help but chuckle under his breath at the last part of the announcement.

'It's not like we're going to use any other train,' he thought to himself with amusement.

He looked out of the window and felt his jaw drop at the sight before him, waiting for them outside the train.

A huge crowd of people of people had gathered at the gradually approaching station. When he looked at them closely, he could just about make out that they were soldiers, soldiers that were dressed in armour that proudly presented the Gremory sigil on their breastplates.

As Rias and the others rose out of their seat, Ben joined them as they prepared to disembark while the train slowly began to reduce its speed as it approached the station. Once it reached the station and the platform, it ground to a final, screeching halt.

Rias led the way towards the door of their car while Azazel made no effort to join them.

"Aren't you coming with us, Azazel?" Ben asked the Governor-General who smirked and shook his head.

"Nah, this isn't my stop, I'm afraid. I've got business to attend to elsewhere. I'm staying on this train and heading off to the Devil King's territory where I've got a meeting with Sirzechs and others ahead of the big conference. I'll come back when it's time for your training," he explained, waving his hand in farewell as he began to head back into the lead car where he could get some more shut-eye before he had to attend the boring meeting ahead of him.

"Then I guess we'll see you later," Ben said in farewell.

"Say "hi" to my brother for me, would you, Azazel?" Rias asked, casting a final glance at the Fallen Angel before he disappeared into the lead car.

The Fallen Angel in question merely nodded his head and gave another wave, acknowledging her request.

"yeah, yeah," he muttered before entering the lead car and closing the door behind him. With him gone, Rias returned her attention back to the train door which led to the platform. As they opened, she stepped out onto the platform, her peerage following close behind her.

[Welcome home, Lady Rias!]

The sudden thunderous boom of loud voices startled Ben but that was nothing compared to the sudden multitude of fireworks which soared into the sky, whistling as they flew, before exploding spectacularly, illuminating the dark sky with a wide variety of colours and patterns as the young heiress was welcomed home. As well as the fireworks, the gathered soldiers raised their spears into the air and fired bolts of magical energy into the air, adding to the spectacular display which lit up the, otherwise, dark sky. Behind the gathered soldiers appeared to be a large orchestral band which began to play a tune that Ben had never heard before.

As if to add to the already ludicrous display of welcoming Rias home; behind the lines of Gremory soldiers lined up and firing bolts into the air, another line of soldiers sat atop beasts which raised them above their comrades as they held up large standards which depicted the Gremory family crest.

It took him a few seconds to realise it but his eyes still widened when he noticed that the beasts the soldiers were riding were Vulpimancers. They were actually riding Wildmutts! The reason it took him a few seconds to recognise that they were, actually, riding Vulpimancer was because of the profound differences between the one he could transform into and the ones he was currently staring at.

These Vulpimancers were, at the very least, three times larger than Wildmutt. Their mouths differed greatly from Wildmutt's in that, instead of a normal, canine-like jaw they appeared more grotesque with a long worm-like tongue hanging out of the opening of its mouth, their chapped lips and four large fangs. Several of the assembled Vulpimancers had the same shade of or burnt-orange fur with dark stripes running along their back while several others had no such stripes and had a paler shade of fur than the others for some reason.

Like him, Asia was taken completely off guard by the celebration and, not knowing what to do in such an alien situation, stayed close to Ben's side and hugged in for comfort and support. While also unused to the scene before her, Xenovia didn't imitate Asia and, instead, appeared intrigued by the elaborate greeting. Kiba, Akeno and Koneko didn't react at all due to the number of times they've already gone through this the other times they returned to the Underworld.

Gasper on the other hand….

"Eeeeeeek! So many people!" he whined, terrified at the huge number of people, from within the confines of the carboard box that Ben had found himself carrying under his right arm.

Standing behind the congregation of welcoming soldiers was a procession of butlers and maids who were waiting for them with professional stoicism. As Rias led the way through the soldiers and reached the butlers and maids, they all bowed their heads simultaneously and respectfully as they announced in unison…,

[Welcome back, Lady Rias! We hope you enjoyed your journey!]

"Thank you, everyone. I've returned home," Rias responded to their greeting with a bright smile adorning her face.

The gathered butlers and maids responded to her smile with a smile of their own as a silver-haired maid stepped out of the line and made her way towards Rias.

Ben immediately recognised her as Grayfia, Sirzechs' queen and the head maid of the Gremory household.

"Welcome back, my lady. It's good to see you all safe after your long journey here. Now then…," she said, gesturing towards a stunningly beautiful carriage at the end of the crimson carpet they had been walking along. "…if you would all board the carriage we'll be able to head straight to the main residence without any further delay."

As they all boarded the large carriage, Ben's eyes drifted towards the front of the carriage where he noticed a team of horses ready to pull the carriage to the main Gremory residence. Unlike normal horse found in the human world, these horses had a bigger frame and a certain glint in their eye which appeared a lot sharper than their human world counterparts.

He had only been in the Underworld for less than a day and he was already fascinated by everything he had seen already. He knew that he may spot some of the various demons which called the Underworld home, but he never thought for a moment that he would find a beast which he would recognise, even if it was only barely similar to the version he had seen in the human world.

As he got into the carriage and sat down in the extremely comfortable seat, he glanced out of the carriage window to see the maids already moving towards the train and removing the luggage they had brought with them and loading them onto another carriage to take up to the main residence after them.

After everyone had found a seat in the large carriage, it slowly started to move as the team of horses set off. As they travelled through the scenery, Ben was amazed at the fascinating and beautiful sights he was being met with as they travelled through what Ben thought was a park.

Needless to say, when she giggled at him before informing him that they were actually travelling through her family's garden, his jaw had dropped yet again. He had imagined what kind of home Rias had grown up in, but he was still gobsmacked at the reality of her family's wealth and how they lived with it.

The carriage continued on for a few more minutes until it rounded a final large topiary when Ben's eyes widened, yet again since he came to the Underworld, at the sight of the humongous castle-like that came into view.

"Fuck," he breathed quietly under his breath as he took in the huge building gradually growing larger as they approached it.

"Is that where you live?!" he asked Rias quietly, trying to keep his voice from revealing the astonishment he felt.

Rias laughed cutely and joined him as he looked out of the carriage window, making sure to press her heavy breasts against his back as she did so. "Yes…well it's not the only home my family owns, it is, however, our main home," she told him in a matter-of-factly tone though the smile on her face gave away her true intentions.

Rows upon rows of beautiful, blooming flowers greeted them as they travelled the final feet to the front door. They passed a large fountain in the middle of the courtyard which contained masterful water features and sculptures as well as numerous, brightly coloured birds which wandered around the grounds.

"We have arrived, my lady," Grayfia announced as the carriage door was opened by a butler who bowed respectfully as Rias exited the carriage, quickly followed by the rest of her peerage and Grayfia who exited last.

Just like back at the station, the maids and butlers had arranged themselves in a professional line which opened a path on either side of another red carpet which led to the gates of the huge castle. As they made their way through the butlers and maids, the huge castle gates slowly began to open with a loud "Gigigi" noise as it revealed another row of maids on the other side, also bowing their heads respectfully as Rias made her way into her home.

As they walked along the red carpet, a small crimson-haired child broke through the line of maids and charged towards their group and embracing Rias fondly as she returned the gesture.

"Rias! You're back!" he exclaimed with joy as he hugged her tightly.

"Hello, Millicas!" Rias said fondly as she patted the boy's hair fondly and lovingly hugged the boy back. "You've gotten bigger since I last saw you, haven't you?"

"Is this your little brother?" Xenovia asked curiously, intrigued by the crimson hair which appeared synonymous with the Gremory family.

Rias turned around, the boy still in her arms and shook her head, a smile on her face.

"No, this isn't my little brother. He's my nephew," she explained to her peerage, directing her answer to the newest members of her peerage.

"Your nephew?" Asia asked with a curious look on her face.

"Yes. Go on, introduce yourself," she said to the crimson-haired boy in her arms.

The boy nodded his head and turned to face Ben, Asia and Xenovia. "Hello. My name is Millicas Gremory, and it's a pleasure to meet you," Millicas introduced himself, offering his hand which Ben took and shook politely.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too," Ben said as he shook the young Gremory's hand.

"This is my brother's son," Rias explained as she placed her hands on Millicas' shoulders as she introduced him.

"I didn't know Sirzechs had a son," Ben said with a look of surprise on his face. As he stared at Millicas he couldn't help but wonder about what kind of woman his mother was; what kind of woman had attracted Sirzechs' eye enough that they made a kid together.

"If he's Sirzechs' son, does that mean that he's a prince?" Xenovia asked with interest.

"No. Since Devil Kings earn their title instead of simply inheriting it like before, Millicas won't automatically succeed Sirzechs. Instead he's a Gremory and next in line for family head after me," Rias explained to her newest servants.

"Come on, everyone. Let's head inside," Rias said before leading the way into the mansion interior with Millicas' hand in her own as her peerage followed after the two of them. Asia remained close to Ben, excited but still uncomfortable with being in a new environment. Gasper having had lost most of his fear from before, had exited his carboard box, and was walking with them (though as close to Ben's back as he could get) as they soon found themselves in a massive foyer with a large staircase which split up halfway up leading to the first floor. Hanging from the ceiling was an unimaginably huge, ornately decorated chandelier.

Ben had been flabbergasted at the size his house had become after Rias got her family to renovate it, but he realised that what he lived in still paled greatly in comparison to the mansion he was currently standing in.

His silent moment of awe as he marvelled at the building he was standing in was broken when Grayfia approached Rias.

"Lady Rias, I'd like to show everyone to their rooms at once if that's acceptable for you," she said professionally and respectfully.

"Thank you, Grayfia. I need to greet my mother and father and inform them I have returned home," Rias replied with a nod. At her confirmation, Grayfia gestured to the surrounding maids who approached their group to carry out their orders. Even Ben couldn't fail to spot that every single one of them was extremely beautiful.

"The master is not here, I'm afraid, lady Rias," Grayfia informed her. "He is out at present and is expected to return by this evening. He said that he would return to meet you while dining at supper with everyone this evening."

"And my mother?"

"She was engaged in other business when I left to collect you from the station. I am unaware if her business has concluded yet."

Rias sighed and crossed her arms under her chest. "Huh. Thank you, Grayfia. I suppose I should have expected this. In that case we'll show everyone to their rooms for now. Has the baggage already been taken care of?"

"Of course, my lady. Everyone's luggage had already been taken to their rooms," Grayfia replied with a respectful bow.

Ben admitted to himself that he could do with a rest on a proper bed, even if it was only for a little while. Even with the relaxing bath he had enjoyed barely an hour, he was exhausted after everything that had happened today. From the exceedingly long train journey train to the abrupt battle with a bloody dragon of all things, he didn't think he could cope with anymore. Asia, having not left his side once since they left the train was also unsteady on her feet from fatigue.

"Ah, Rias. You've returned at last."

Everyone's attention was directed towards the large staircase where a stunningly beautiful young woman was standing, looking down at them. She wore a gorgeous dress which hugged her extremely attractive figure. She looked so similar to Rias, particularly with their similar breast sizes, that if it wasn't for her flaxen hair he could have very easily mistaken them for twins.

Ben came to the conclusion that this must surely be Rias' sister. He didn't know why she hadn't mentioned her before…. Then again, she didn't say anything about Millicas.

"You didn't say you had a sister," Ben stated, glancing towards Rias as he said this. Confusion growing on his face when the young, flaxen-haired woman chuckled light heartedly as she descended the stairs while Rias sighed and pressed her palm on her forehead.

"I'm flattered you think so," the mysterious woman said with a stunning smile before glancing at Rias. "I like him already."

A noticeable blush appeared on Rias' cheeks as she gestured to the young woman before them.

"Ben. I'd like you to meet my mother," she muttered quietly, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

Ben's jaw almost dropped to the floor for the umpteenth time that day before he caught himself. This was Rias' mother?! They looked almost exactly the same age!

Remembering who he was talking to and acutely aware that he may have offended her, Ben quickly bowed his head and apologised.

"I'm sorry if I offended you, Lady Gremory. I-I didn't expect to see…," he started but was cut off by Rias' mother.

"—someone who looks like me as a mother?" she finished with no hint of being offended in the slightest. Rather, her smile broadened at his comment. "Don't worry about it. I'm flattered in fact. To hear a handsome young man like you mistake me for my daughter makes me very happy." She cupped her cheek with her hand and smiled her pretty smile as she said this.

'Even their smiles are the same', Ben thought to himself with amazement as he stared at her smile, finding no real difference between hers and her daughters.

Rias noticed that Ben still held a confused look on his face and, though she was still embarrassed by her mother, decided to explain it to him.

"Devils have the ability to freely alter their appearances with magic. It is an ability most devils only use when they want to appear as they did in an earlier time in their life. This is what my mother looked like when she was around my age," she explained, the blush on her cheeks remaining on her face.

Ben slowly nodded his head in understanding. It must be quite confusing for Rias at times when her mother looks exactly the same age as her but, in actual fact, is years older than her and have a mother-daughter relationship when it would appear that they should have a sibling relationship.

He suddenly felt a sharp tinge of pain as Rias pinched his cheek and tilted his face to look at her.

"And don't get any ideas, mister! The last thing you should be doing is looking at my mother like that," she said hotly, her adorable glare pointed directly at him.

"Argh! I'm sowwy!" Ben groaned, Rias grip on his cheek impacting his speech. "She just looks so much like you."

Rias blush intensified and, while her mother chuckled at the innocent statement, it was mostly directed towards her daughter whose blush intensified until it reached the same colour as her hair.

"My, my. You sure know what to say to make my daughter blush, don't you?" Rias' mother observed. "You must be Benjamin Tennyson. Correct me if I'm wrong," she asked kindly.

"Please, call me Ben," he replied, answering her query before asking a question that had been niggling in the back of his mind since he saw her. "Have we met before?"

"Not exactly. I was able to sneak a look at your face at Rias' engagement party," she explained sweetly.

"You were there?" Ben blurted out, not realising the silliness of the statement considering the event in question. His embarrassment only grew when Rias' mother chuckled at his question.

"Why of course. Rias is my daughter, after all. It's only natural that I attend her engagement party. That, and the fact that the engagement party was being held in a hall owned by our family."

Ben's eyes widened as he remembered how he gate-crashed the engagement party by literally crashing through the wall while in his Vaxasaurian form and bringing the entire wall down in his bid to save Rias from her engagement with that prick, Riser.

He had no idea that he had destroyed property which belonged to Rias' family!

"Oh crap! I had no idea that it was your hall I destroyed," he apologised quickly, hoping that he hadn't angered her. Rias' father didn't bring it up when he came to visit during the school open day, but the same couldn't be said for her mother.

His fear was unfounded, however, as Rias' mother simply smiled kindly at him.

"There's no need to worry, dear. I was thoroughly entertained by the whole thing. Not to mention that I got to see an actual Vaxasaurian right before my very eyes, something I've always wanted to see but never had the chance to."

She nodded her head ever so slightly at Ben. "I thank you for giving me the opportunity to see such a sight. I am Rias' mother, Venelana Gremory. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

. . . . .

(Later that evening)

Several hours after their greeting in the entrance hall, Ben and the others found themselves sat down in the dining room. Similar to every other room that Ben had been in so far, it was lavishly decorated with a large chandelier hanging from the ceiling, directly above a huge, oblong and beautifully carved table.

The only thing that dwarfed the beauty of the table was the extravagant meal upon it, served on top of very expensive-looking plates.

Ben found himself, as per usual, sat in between Asia and Rias. Sitting opposite to Rias was her mother while her father, who had recently returned from his meeting, sat at the head of the table, at Rias' right and his wife's left, and gestured to the feast in front of them.

"Please enjoy. While you're here I'd like you to think this as your home away from home so don't hold back," Zeoticus Gremory exclaimed happily before joining in with everyone as they started to eat.

As he began to eat the fancy meal in front of him, remembering the correct etiquette with eating fancy meals from various movies and TV programmes, Ben looked up to see how everyone was doing. While Kiba and Akeno acted normally, no doubt from the various other times they had visited Rias' home, Koneko was the exception as she hadn't even started her food and was looking uncomfortable for some reason. When their eyes met by chance, she quickly averted her gaze, her expression remaining featureless, even less so than she did normally.

Xenovia and Asia also looked extremely uncomfortable with their surroundings but Ben attributed it to their upbringing. Growing up in the church taught them to live simple lives so extravagance like this was totally alien to them and they didn't know how to properly act.

And Gasper, being Gasper, was freaked out simply because of the large number of people around him and was quickly eating his food without paying attention to what he was eating as he had scrunched his eyes closed.

"By the way, Ben," Zeoticus said, drawing his attention to the Gremory patriarch.

"Y-Yes sir," Ben blurted, startled that Rias' father had called his name.

Zeoticus waved his hand dismissively. "There's no need to be so formal. You can drop the 'sir', okay? Actually, you don't mind if I call you Ben, do you?"

"Of course not. I actually prefer it over "Benjamin"," Ben replied.

"Anyway. What I wanted to know, Ben, is how your parents are doing," Zeoticus said with a warm smile on his face.

"They've been doing very well. They set off for the holiday you generously gave them just before we set off ourselves. They love the new house but believe they don't deserve such generosity when they haven't done anything noteworthy."

"Nothing noteworthy?" They took in my little girl and looked after her in the human world," Zeoticus exclaimed as though such a thing was completely justifiable of the reward they received.

"But they didn't do it with a reward in mind, Mr Gremory," Ben countered, addressing the Gremory head differently.

"It's true father," Rias interjected. "You've met them already. That's just the kind of people they are. It wasn't because you happened to be the head of the company in the human world that Ben's father works with and I'm your daughter that they let me stay there. They let me stay as soon as I asked and were determined when they learned that I was living by myself in Kuoh."

Zeoticus was silent for a moment before speaking again.

"You're right, Rias, they truly are kind people. In that case, I should have given them something else. Is there anything else your parents wanted?"

"Well when I told them I was going to visit Rias' hometown while they were gone, they told me to bring them back a souvenir," Ben said jokingly, trying to make himself less anxious than he already was.

"In that case then I'll prepare a castle for them for when they return," Zeoticus declared calmly as he rang a small bell beside him, instantly summoning a butler from, seemingly, out of nowhere.

Unfortunately for Ben, he had taken this precise moment to drink from the glass in front of him. Upon hearing Zeoticus' declaration he would have spurted the contents of his mouth everywhere in shock had he not been able to bring his hand up in time to cover his mouth. Now, though, he was reduced to a small coughing fit while Rias berated her father.

"Father! You're going too far!" Rias exclaimed.

"She's right, dear. Normal humans don't live in castles anymore. They haven't for centuries; our cultures and living styles are too different," Venelana stated, berating her husband for his lack of tact.

"Hmm, I suppose so. I still need to give them something though," Zeoticus retorted.

"Rias already told you, dear. Ben's parents didn't expect a reward for taking care of Rias. They don't possess strong worldly desires."

Zeoticus sighed but thankfully dropped the subject, dismissing the butler who returned to his station.

"In that case, for forgoing my generous offer, there's something I'd like you to do for me, Ben," Zeoticus declared, looking towards Ben as he spoke.

"What is it?"

"You've been considered a member of this family for a while now so I'd like you to treat me as your father-in-law from now on," Zeoticus told him with sincerity in his voice.

"Honey, you're acting too fast. There's a correct order to these things, you know? They're not married yet," Venelana chastised her husband as her daughter's face turned as red as her hair.

"Yes, I know that but aren't you happy?" her husband retorted.

"Of course I am but it's still too early to celebrate," she repeated.

"I know, I know. I just tend to be too hasty when I'm excited," Zeoticus sighed deeply, sitting back in his chair.

As he watched the two of them, Ben noted that Rias' mother appeared to hold the most power in the Gremory household. He couldn't decide if he was surprised or not that Rias shared a large number of traits with her mother but he was definitely learning a lot tonight.

"May I also call you Ben?" Venelana asked, directing her attention passed Rias and directly at him.

"Of course."

Venelana nodded her head before continuing. "Will you be staying here for long?"

"Well, we came here for training with Azazel…but I'll be here as long as Rias is," Ben explained as politely as possible, not wishing to embarrass himself nor insult Rias' parents in any way.

"Wonderful. In that case, while you're staying here with us, I'll be teaching you manners and proper etiquette required within Upper-Devil society," Rias' mother explained simply.

SLAM!

The abrupt sound of Rias slamming her hands on the table as she rose to her feet attracted everyone's attention as she scowled at her mother and father.

"Mother! Father! I would appreciate it if you wouldn't leave me out of such important topics!" she demanded firmly.

Venelana's demeanour changed drastically as she narrowed her eyes at her daughter, all previous pleasantness vanishing completely as well as the pretty smile she had greeted them with.

"Be silent, Rias. If you remember, you cancelled your engagement with Riser, yes? We allowed you to do so but that was a rare exception, do you understand? Do you not realise how much effort your brother and father put into taking care of things with the other high-class devils? We simply cannot abide such selfishness from you anymore!"

"I'm sorry if—," Ben started to apologise but, at the subtle hand gesture and head shake from Zeoticus, he refrained from speaking and sat back in his seat.

"Sirzechs has nothing to—."

"Officially, you are correct. However, since the three powers have finally declared peace and formed an alliance, your position as the Devil King's little sister has made your name known throughout the Underworld, even amongst the lower-class devils. Not to mention that you are the master of the one who will alter the System which will have more ramifications than you can even imagine! You simply can't keep acting like a spoiled child, understood?"

Rias appeared mortified by her mother's words and could offer no retort in response and, instead, sat back down in her seat, a scowl still adorning her face.

Letting out a sigh after her scolding, Venelana turned back to Ben with a pretty smile back in her face.

"I apologise for what you just saw. It was unseemly of me to act in such a way with guests in our home. Returning back to our earlier discussion, you'll be taught the intricate ins and outs of high-class society, even if only a little."

Caught speechless, Ben merely stared at Venelana for a few seconds. Once he had found his words, he spoke up.

"Thank you. I heard from Rias that only those born into high-class families are given such a rigorous education, but why are you giving me such an honour?" he asked with confusion in his voice.

"Because the next head of this family made you her final, selfish decision and so, as her mother, I must take appropriate responsibility," Venelana explained with a kind smile on her face.

Ben looked to his right to look at Rias and she cast a quick glance back at him before quickly turning away as a huge blush formed on her face.

"And I also heard you have a fascination with the demons of the Underworld; a fascination that I share so I hope to help teach you about them," Venelana added sweetly.

Despite the large addition to his activities while in the Underworld and the short amount of time he had to complete them, Ben couldn't help but feel a small smile form on his lips. Partly because he was finally going to be taught about the forms he could transform into by someone who actually lives in the Underworld and finds them fascinating too, and also partly due to finding out just how Rias feels about him.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

A/N: I bet one of the biggest questions you might have will be "Hey DragneelGiant! What the hell is a Magimorph"? Don't you mean Mechamorph?"

Normally you'd be correct. However, there is method to my apparent madness. Unlike in the canon cartoon of Ben 10, science is the main driving force (Modern world conveniences, vehicles, the Omnitrix, Ascalon etc.) whereas magic is only a minor part, the only characters who use it being Gwen, Charmcaster, and Hex. Highschool DxD, on the other hand is the exact opposite. Magic is a major part of the anime and is seen constantly. Due to this being the case, I made the decision to alter Upgrade's form and powers to suit its new background. Instead of combining with technology and machines, it combines with magical creatures and boosts their magic capabilities considerably.

In regards to the Galvan, I decided to make them suffer a little bit in my story. I have absolutely nothing against them, it's just something different. In Ben 10 they were at the bottom of the food chain with the Omnivoracious bird being their natural predator so I simply made it so they still existed unlike in canon Ben 10 and made it so they fell victim to other, aggressive demons in the Underworld. I'll reveal more about them in future but, for now, you'll have to make do with the little bit I revealed.

Ben and the ORC have finally arrived in the Underworld for their training. I've got plans for them while they're there as well as continue to build up suspense for an arc I've come up with on my own.

. . . . .

Reviews

Treyalexander63917: Ben's hidden trauma is certainly starting to emerge, but that isn't all that is going on. This is part of the build-up to an inspired original arc in the future. I don't want to say too much about it in case I accidently spoil the surprise but I appreciate that you like the idea already.

Nivek Beldo: Of course, if I did bring Looma into my story, I'd make sure to steer her clear away from whatever bad memories you may have about her from Omniverse. The 'Mr Hyde formula' is a very interesting idea. I had to look it up after you mentioned it but I've already got an idea to implement it into my story.

You'd be hard-pressed to find someone who, if they went through the same thing Ben did, didn't come out of it without some kind of trauma, even if they tried to deny it. It'll be my first original arc so I hope that it doesn't disappoint with my build-up to it.

Guest: Charmcaster is definitely within the realm of possibilities. Just need to work on a way to include her into the story (I've already got the beginnings of an idea).

Guest: I'll do my best to fit the pregnant Big Chill story in somewhere but I'll have to find somewhere to fit it around. I agree that the idea has potential and I'm not one for wasting potential.

Rongis: I'm sorry you feel that way. I haven't forced you to read my story so if you don't like it then read something else.

Rick: "You're such an asshole, Rick!"

Guest: That idea had already been going through my head. I think they looked like they'd suit each other.

Guest: I'm trying to make sure that Ben's transformations are sentient, at least in some way. While it is implied that Ben would take samples of DNA from anything it touches, I want to stick close to the forms that are canon with Ben 10. That being said, I've got one or two forms which are unique to the DxD universe.

Omnimania00: I made Vali female from the conclusion of the poll I put up a few months ago to everyone. Everyone had the opportunity to say which they preferred but the final conclusion was that Vali become a woman. I never implied that she would automatically be put into Ben's harem. The reason I toyed with the idea initially is because I wanted it to be different.

I agree that a lot of characters get turned into females so they can be paired with other male characters but it isn't an exclusive reason in several stories I've come across. In those stories, there's no apparent reason to change them except for making their story more unique.

Ultimatrix bearer: It's good to hear from you again! I know what you are talking about with the FT manga and Erza's 'bullshit meteor-exploding' power. I've already read Avenging 10 and it's actually another one of my favourite fanfic stories.

Thanks for your reviews. I really appreciate them.

. . . . .

You'll hear from me near the end of October. Until then, stay awesome everyone!