This chapter have been edited by Sir Godot! All the credits of the better grammar and spelling were given to him!


Interlude : Those Who Left and Waiting


It was a normal day in Kuoh City like it usually was.

She stared at the students that were scattered around her school. Each of them in their own mood, most of them happy while chatting to each other, smiling, laughing and giggling in amusement and joy. Few looked like they were not having a good morning, they came with sulky faces, yawning on their way and looking like they just went through a hard night.

They didn't even realize that something had changed today...

Not even HER, who was always spending her time with him during break or in class was aware that HE was gone.

A few were aware though, but they were all those that knew of the existence of the supernatural, the ones that already knew what had actually happened in this city, from beginning until now.

"It seems the spell worked, huh?"

She pursed her lips into a thin line and gave a nod, her eyes never leaving the students below her.

"It did... Even Aika Kiryuu, who spent most of her school year with him, is not aware that her best friend doesn't exist." Sona responded in collected voice. "The spell did its job very effectively."

"Well..." Rias shifted her legs, crossing them as she allowed her body to rest on the sofa in relaxed manner. "What did you expect? We cast the spell against normal humans, normal students. As matter of fact, I think we quite overdid it. Even someone who is aware of the existence of the supernatural could probably forget his existence." She commented flippantly before she curled her lip down and took a thoughtful expression. "But still... I never thought he would leave this soon, he didn't even saying good bye to us."

One could obviously tell that the crimson haired beauty was currently pouting by her expression as she crossed her arms under her ample chest and her cheeks that huffed almost in a petulant manner. It was clear that she was disappointed that the man who had helped her many times just left without saying anything and only left them a letter.

"He just is that kind of person." Sona told her, her voice still monotone but her eyes reflected a slight bitterness as she recalled their last moment together. "Never good at saying good-bye, I guess it's because he often helped people and then left just like that so that he couldn't be thanked because he didn't want it."

Rias might have been unable to see Sona's face directly, but as her best friend, she knew enough that Sona was the one who was hurt the most with the Sekiryūtei departure.

She didn't like it. Truthfully, despite the fact that he had helped her many times, she found the man quite foolish. What did he actually want? To become a hero? Then why not stay in here? That was pretty much obvious, if he stayed and allied with the Alliance, he was pretty much already considered as one.

He had saved many lives already... Not just the ones in Kuoh City and theirs when Kokabiel attacked, but he also saved many more when he slew the whole Khaos Brigade army that had invaded the meeting between the Three Factions.

He slew an Evil Dragon for Satan's sake! Such a feat was not small! Only those who were recorded as legends in history were capable of slaying a dragon, such as Saint George and the hero Siegfried.

Slaying one of Grigory's generals that went mad was an amazing thing, yes, it was even more than enough to grant him a medal that would make him one of an Ultimate-class devil or one of a Maou's personal force, but slaying an Evil Dragon that could be considered as a God level creature?

'And to think that someone like that actually lived in our city and has been with us for a year... And never once we noticed it...' She thought while shaking her head. Truthfully she really regretted that she did not manage to recruit him into her peerage, if only she had made a more controlled plan in the first place and not angered him...

Then again, she doubted she would have been able to reincarnate him into a devil. One couldn't turn someone into their peerage if they were weaker than the one they wished to reincarnate. If only she had tried to recruit him when he was still in his first year and his power had not yet bloomed...

Then again, they didn't actually know when his power had started to bloom. It was safe to say that Issei Hyoudou was one of the biggest mysteries she had ever encountered. One time he was only as strong as low class devil, but then suddenly his power skyrocketed! So much that he probably could take a whole army of high-class devils and come out as victor!

How did that happen? While it was true that such things were possibly if Issei Hyoudou had reincarnated into some kind of supernatural being, he was only human!

Or could he possibly be a Demigod? Her brother did said that Issei Hyoudou possessed a divine aura, one that rivaled a Seraph Archangel or might even surpass them. And when his divine power came out, he became a totally different person, almost the opposite of how his personality should be. He was so arrogant and confident, unlike the Issei that she knew that was modest and polite.

A demigod that was sealed maybe? Then that meant the Issei Hyoudou they knew was only a cover personality? And the real one was actually the one hidden beneath that kind and gentle person?

So many possibilities, her brother said it was still unclear just who or what Issei Hyoudou was. They already traced the family tree of the Hyoudou clan, but none of them showed something extraordinary, they were merchants; true, a few of them made contact with supernatural existences, but nothing special.

Be that as may... Whoever or whatever Issei Hyoudou was, but in Rias's eyes he was clearly quite a fool and stupid despite all power he had. Like she thought, if he wanted to be a hero, then he could just stay with the alliance. If he did that, not just would it make the alliance's inner relationship stronger due to his presence and the power he held, but it would also make other factions hesitate to make a bold move towards the bible faction through his presence.

And if he stayed... Perhaps... Sona, Koneko, Gasper and the others wouldn't be so sad... Including her...

"Don't sulk like that." Rias commented, breaking herself away from her own stupor as she caught Sona's seemingly dazed state while staring out of the window. "I mean, it's just one guy! There many fish out there!" She cheered her

A lie... if she were in Sona's position, perhaps she would act like her. Despite her trying to hide it, Rias could tell that Sona was already fond of Issei Hyoudou. She knew that her friend already had some affection for him. And she couldn't blame her, Sona had already watched Issei for more than year, observing his behavior and he was also one of the people that never saw her as someone special, but only as Souna Shitori or Sona Sitri, and not just as the heiress to her family name.

It was something that she wished too actually...

It was couldn't be denied that Issei Hyoudou was clearly someone that was quite... charming. Not in the usual way, but it was a charm that somehow made his presence... comfortable...

No... It was not like he had his own kind of charisma, it more like his personality that was attractive.

Issei Hyoudou was adaptable... That was what made his presence enjoyable. He was able to adapt to a group, blend in with them and infuse himself to it, making his presence seem already second nature to the group, adding his personality that seemed to wish nothing but to make others comfortable and happy...

It was the perfect combination... Despite the fact that she disliked how Issei had gone just like that, she wouldn't hesitate to admit that she was going to miss the young man that had made Koneko and Gasper smile more, the young man that had made Kiba act more warmly to others and was responsible for freeing him from his burden.

Once again, she found herself wondering just how her life might have gone if she had gotten Issei Hyoudou to join her Peerage... Perhaps... It would have been wonderful and made her club more... cheerful...

"I'm not holding any affection for him if that is what you're trying to say, Rias." Sona rebuked calmly as she turned to her, hand raised and adjusting her glasses. "While Hyoudou and I have indeed become close, there's nothing between us but frienship."

"If you say so..." Rias said calmly, her voice not betraying any emotion. Perhaps she mistook Sona's behavior. It could be true that she only thought of Issei as a very close friend or someone precious. However, Rias was perfectly aware that at least there was a small part of Sona that found Issei Hyoudou attractive, there was no proof of it but she would just put it down to her woman's intuition.

"How is Ravel doing?" Sona asked, obviously trying to change the topic as she returned her gaze back to the window and outside of the academy.

Rias's lips twitched a bit when the Phenex devil was mentioned. That was another one who was hurt because of Issei Hyoudou's departure. It was safe to say that the small blonde girl harbored a crush to him after his fight with Kokabiel.

She couldn't blame her though, it was not everyday someone saved you from getting pulverized by a crazy ten winged fallen angel. And the way Issei fought that time... Even Rias hat to admit that he had looked so heroic and quite handsome too! The way Issei kept standing to fight for their sake... That was romantic she must say...

And now the boy... No, the man. The man just saved her father who would be dead had Issei and his companion not been there. The Evil Dragon, Poisoner of Sussex, Knucker, was truly a creature that should be feared. With just one of his roars, an army that was capable of bringing down a nation in less than single night had turned into a pile of dead bodies.

It was a proof and testimony that dragons were something that should never be crossed, they were dangerous beyond measure, even one that could be considered as low-class possessed raw power that surpassed high-class devils or angels.

And Issei Hyoudou was the Sekiryūtei, albeit he was different from the others and he was also humane compared to them. But his status as Sekiryūtei would never change. Though it was quite hard to be aware of that, given how he always fought with his own power. They rarely saw him use the Boosted Gear after all, only once when he had fought the entire army of fallen angels and that was it.

Considering all those factors, it was hard to not be attracted to him from Ravel's perspective, she was still young after all, so Issei Hyoudou's appearance during that battle was like that of a shining knight in armor that came to save the damsel in distress.

"She's actually not in a good mood as well." Rias answered. "She is currently sulking in her home." She told her fellow devil.

"... I see..." Sona responded nonchalantly, her eyes never leaving the window.

She still remembered the first time she saw him come to school. It was just when she had finished handling some documents, at that time she was not the Student Council president yet, only a normal student. She was already in her class and staring outside when she noticed a boy arrive just a few seconds before the gate was about to be closed.

And ever since that day, she often saw him come always late. The rate could be said to be quite high, giving it was four times per week. She had counted it because she had nothing better to do.

And after that, she began to check on him...

It was not because she was aware that he had a hidden talent or not. She investigated him because she was simply curious. What kind of student arrived almost late everyday? In the year she spent in Kuoh, never once did she see such a thing. Sure, there were students that came late since they worked a part-time job, but even they knew that they couldn't always be late.

But him?

When she checked on him, she found his situation utterly ridiculous.

The boy overworked himself almost everyday...

He had free time, quite a bit actually. But he spent it by taking a job when his parents actually earned more than enough money to fund him until he went to university.

At first Sona thought that maybe the boy was type who wished to work hard and help his parents, to support them and make them happy. But when she found out he was actually working to help support someone else? That... was quite unexpected...

She started to investigate their relationship, what the boy's motivation and reasons were, why he was helping Misaki Akamatsu - only to find that the boy didn't actually owe anything to her, as a matter of fact, he had just decided to help her because he wanted to, nothing else.

A sign of pity perhaps...

Then she discovered that Issei Hyoudou did not stop just there. Everyday, every single day, there was no day when he did not help people. He was always putting other above him, albeit not to an extreme level, but the way he pushed himself...

At that time she was thinking, "Is this guy some kind of saint? What kind of man spends everyday in his life helping others?" The more she observed him, the more she thought such a thing.

And thus, her curiosity was raised further. Whereas before she only checked his life, she now began to check his potential. It wasn't so bad actually, she found out that he was very talented as a matter of fact in fighting. His stance might have been a bit odd, but his reflexes, movement and all, was already there. Raw and unpolished, but it was there.

And he was good...

On the day she had started to observe him more, she even told Rias that Issei Hyoudou was hers and that she shouldn't do anything to him - albeit in more subtle way, she was not that open obviously - that young man clearly had potential and he was also smart, his grades were among the best of their generation, so he was a very good candidate for her peerage.

And that marked the day she wanted to get Issei Hyoudou as a member of her peerage.

And then... She began to develop feelings for him... It just happened ever since that day, ever since his power had awakened and she had talked with him on that field, sharing her dream with him. And how he responded to it...

"It's a nice dream... Even if you are a devil, you are a good person, Sempai."

He spoke with a voice that expressed sincerity and it was followed by a genuine smile. He truly meant what he had said, truly believed that she was good person, even if she was a devil.

She found it stupid for Issei to instantly judge her like that. The man had judged Rias not to be a bad person, but Sona was aware that Issei hadn't declared her a friend or a good person. But her? Just from sharing that dream?

And what was even more stupid... was that she found herself not using that trust to manipulate him...

Although, given that Issei had proven to be not very naïve and that he could be very sharp, it would have been very risky. There was also no doubt that it would have been very dangerous, seeing that if she had betrayed him, what he would have done to her would have been far worse than he did to Rias. But should it have deterred her? No. That was what she was after all – a devil, a creature that did evil deeds, lying, seducing, scheming, stealing, and commiting sin. So such a thing shouldn't have hindered her, especially given Issei's status. It was dangerous, but if one played carefully, she could have made him dance in her palm.

And yet... Instead doing all of that... Sona decided to observe him further and release him...

And the reason was really stupid, one that would make her the laughing stock of her kin if they found out... It was just because she didn't want to betray him... Because he believed in her... And she didn't want him to lose his faith in her...

A really, really stupid and unrealistic reason... Something that she had never thought she would do... She could imagine her past self staring at her now, doing nothing but laugh at the idiocy she displayed.

And yet... She still did it...

A part of her mind mostly blamed Issei for corrupting her like this, to make her as naïve as this, just like him... And yet... She still did it anyway... Just because when he declared her good person... She believed in it... And she believed in his faith in her...

'What a mess...' She thought forlornly as she smiled bitterly while staring at her reflection in the window.

"Look Sona, you can turn your face away from me or pretend to not care." Rias said in a resigned voice. "But I know well that you're not fine. And I'm sure you're clearly not taking his leaving very well."

This made her friend turn to her once again. The Student Council president quirked her eyebrow and crossed her arms. "And?"

"Why didn't you just go kiss him in first placey?" Rias blurted, her face set to indignant. "I mean! Hello! Sona! If I were you I-" Rias paused in her rant when she noticed her friend that squirmed for moment. Although she looked calm and stoic like usual Rias was able to catch it, and her eyes widened in shock "Hell Shit! You already did?!" She shouted with a flabbergasted voice.

She knew Sona was bold, but she meant it in another way, not like this, not in this aspect! It should be her who made such a move rather than her! Rias certainly didn't know how to respond to this revelation. Part of her was annoyed that Sona got her first kiss first and that she also got it from someone she liked, but another part was amused as this could be used as teasing material for the next few weeks or even a month.

The heiress of the Sitri clan's body went rigid for a moment before her hand rose to the frame of her glasses and moved it up, trying her best to look as collected as usual. "D-Don't be ridiculous!" She declared, her voice shaking a bit and she cursed inwardly, hoping Rias didn't catch it. "I did not kiss him or do any such thing!"

"And knowing you have feelings for him after gave him your first kiss, he still left?!" Rias stated with a scowl, ignoring her friend that tried to cover what she had just said much to her chagrin. "He... He's a dick!"

"Language!" Sona snapped at her friend in an instant, her face still red as she recalled her moment with the Sekiryūtei where they shared their first kiss. Gods, even she had to admit that she was still shocked that she had made such a bold move, looking back to it now, she couldn't help but wish to have a hole appear from floor and swallow her whole! It was quite embarrassing to be honest.

"No, seriously Sona." Rias said with her most disapproving tone. "You kissed him, right? And he still went away?" She threw both her arms up in an exasperated manner. "What a jerk!"

Loath to admit it, but Sona agreed with Rias, Issei really was a jerk for that. She remembered yesterday... When she met him... She practically threw all of her devil side away, all her pride, all her wrath, all her greed. She threw them away, she, a High-class devil and heiress of the Sitri clan of 72 Great Devil Clans, threw everything away just to confess to him.

Just to make him stay with her... She didn't ask much... She just wanted him to stay with her. She was not going to take away his dream, he could still become a hero, it was clear he already had become one actually, seeing he fended off most of the Khaos Brigade's army during the meeting between three factions, and yet...

It still was not enough...

Sona didn't say anything to Rias, she only turned her body back, staring through the window. But this time instead of watching the students, her eyes focused on the blue sky and shapeless clouds that were hovering there.

There was no doubt that Issei was a jerk... She was sure he was aware of what he had done... She sure that he knew that she had thrown away much to beg him to stay with her and yet...

'He's my jerk...' She thought dryly as a bitter smile crossed her face, her violet colored eyes staring at the clouds in sky 'Jerk... I hope you go through hard times in the next two weeks. Not enough to kill you of course, just enough to make sure you get a REALLY big headache.'


"Can the way you live now really be called living? You, who doesn't have friends in your life save for your group. The group that you abandoned by challenging Xenovia to a fight. You know she had the right to kill you when you challenged her, right? If she did kill you no one would have blamed her since it was your fault in the first place.."

The moment he had said that, he had felt his own blood freeze, and his body had seemed to stop working as he could do nothing but stare with a sensation of dread in his stomach.

"You abandoned them... You call them friends? I don't think so, it more like you think of them as allies or comrades rather than friends. A leader in mercenary band in Rias Gremory's case. You're willing to abandon them the moment you see that sword. Is that what you call a friend?"

"No! You're wrong! I do think of them as friends!"

"No you don't... After facing a trauma like you did, the reaction of normal people would be to stay with them. It's because normal people know how precious the bond they have is. They already lost their old bonds and when they forging new ones they will be very strong. But you? You abandoned them, throwing them away like the bonds you made with them are nothing."

He denied it of course... He denied all of his accusations... They were his family, they were his friends, they were the ones who were there for him when he needed them... People that he had spent time together almost as long as with his previous family... And yet...

"Why? Why did you throw them away? It's because deep inside your heart, you do not think of them as friends. You joined them because you wished to extract revenge against that sword and those connected to it. You used them, staying with them, joining Gremory to hone your skill so you could one day leave them for your goal and-"

"SHUT UP!"

And yet... He had abandoned them without a second thought... Leaving them for his own quest for revenge... The relationship and bond that they had created over many years... snapped like twig that met steel. It ceased to exist as if it had never been there in the first place...

Now, looking back to it... He couldn't do anything but express shame...

"Then what do you want me to do?!" Despite it coming out as a scream that was filled with anger, for him, in his mind, it was a plea, scream of of begging, of despair... For his whole life he did nothing but try to avenge his fallen family, that was the sole purpose of his existence, the reason why he sold his soul and became a devil in the first place .

And yet... He never reached it... He hadn't just not reached it, the vengeance he had tried to get had already been long gone before he even tried... He never got a chance...

What should he do now? What could he do? He no longer had any purpose... What did he exist for?

"Live..." He spoke softly, making his eyes snap to him, tears falling down and rolling over his face. "For the sake of the people who threw away their lives to make sure you survived... Live Kiba... Live..." He said in a tone that resembled a parent lecturing his child, so gentle, and so warm. "It isn't hard... Make friends... Let out all your frustrations that your buried inside you, cry it aloud to them..." He showed him a small and bitter smile. "And let them be there for you..."

"I have done what you suggested, Issei-san..." He spoke to no one but the blue sky and countless shapeless clouds that were hovering above. "I'm trying to live... And..." His handsome face was marred by a scowl. "You lied. It's not easy." He muttered. "When I speak to some guys, even I can tell they're nervous and want to stay away from me... And the girls..."

He stopped himself with a sigh as he closed his eyes in resignation and his mind began to wander to the time when the Sekiryūtei had knocked some sense into his brain.

To be honest, Kiba found Issei's presence to be enjoyable. Despite them starting off on the wrong foot, the man was a good person, one that proved to be very good company in his opinion.

He might be quite snarky and sarcastic, but his sense of humor was sometimes quite enjoyable. Also, he wouldn't lie about the fact that he took amusement from his predicament sometimes when it was related to the opposite gender.

They did not talk to each other much actually, Issei mostly spent his time with Aika Kiryuu or the Student Council when he was at school; however, even if it was only a short time, Kiba wouldn't hesitate to admit that he admired the Sekiryūtei.

It was hard not to... The way he fought... And the way he kept believing firmly in his dream when Kokabiel talked down to him... Kiba might not a boy who fancied heroes and he was a guy, and he still had to admit that he had been quite enamored by Issei's words during his battle against the fallen angel.

Adding to that was the fact Issei Hyoudou presence also made the Gremory group more... colorful in a sense. Ever since he had arrived and spent time with Gasper and Koneko in the club, the place had become more lively, his King clearly approving of his presence since Gasper and Koneko appeared to be happier, even fuku-buchou and himself were amused when they saw Gasper cackling after blowing Issei's head in the Condition Zero game.

It was nice to see their group so... lively...

He stared at the letter in his hand, his face expressing nothing but seriousness as he looked at what was written on it.

I know it must be sudden, not just for you, but for Koneko, Gasper and the others as well. And I don't have any excuse other than it's time for me to leave. I don't know how to put it, but I can't just stay here, not just because it's going to bring danger to my family, but also because I want to explore the world.

You know what my dream is, my ideal, all of you do. And I can't abandon it, not when I've already come this far...

And Kiba, my message for you is simple... Live... Just like how your previous family wanted you to, live, for not just for their sake, but for the sake of your current friends, family, and for your own as well. I have nothing dramatic or momentous to say other than that, so yeah... Besides, if I say such things like 'never forget me' or stuff like that... It sounds kind of gay, and we know I'm not.

He couldn't hold the twitch that appeared on his lips when read the last part. Sona-kaichou had said that Issei wasn't good at saying good-bye, and he could agree with that, even the letter he had left for them was quite awkward.

The first two paragraphs were the same for all of them, only starting from the third it had a specific message for the receiver, and the way he wrote it was also almost like the way he talked to them on daily basis, just saying 'See you' as if they were only going home from school and going to meet again tomorrow rather than what was a very dangerous journey.

He shook his head... Trying to live... It was actually not as easy as people said, he was truthfully quite confused about how boys his age should act, given he spent most of his time in the Underworld and working as a servant rather than a normal teenager. Add the fact he didn't have many male friends, and most females were lovestruck with him...

Usually he spent his time with Issei when he was in the club, learning from him and seeing how he act with others, but it had only lasted for a moment before he had decided that using Issei as example was clearly not a good idea.

No offense to him, Issei was good person, one that Kiba respected, but that man really needed to lower his sarcastic comments and accept people's gratitude. Seriously, that man was actually also anti-social like him... Not as bad as him of course but... Kiba found out that he just didn't have a patient and noble heart like Issei, who was willing to help people without thinking much...

"I will try Issei-kun..." Kiba murmured with a sigh as he put the letter he held back into his pocket. "I know we're going to meet again in two weeks but..." He paused, his mind recalling to when he spent his days with Issei. It was only harmless stuff like going home together... And that ended with them running into a stray devil who was about to eat her victim after seducing him. "Please try to go back here with your body intact."

It might be a fluke... Or just some kind of simple bad luck, but after hearing Xenovia complain about how many times Issei ran into problems... Let's just say Kiba was not stupid enough to not believe in that...

And now, not knowing where that man went... Kiba could only hope Issei wouldn't run into any troublesome things...


"You are a Nekomata right?" He asked, head tilted to one side slightly in a questioning manner.

"... ... ..."

"Ah, it's a sensitive topic huh? Sorry, it's just... Well, Ddraig mentioned it and since we don't have much to talk about..."

"... ... ..."

"The silent treatment, huh? Oh well, I guess I deserve it for being insensitive, but..."

"...?" She shot him puzzled look.

"I don't know what happened to you and I won't try to pry, you have your own privacy after all but... If it has been so long... Isn't it better if you move on? Like I said to Kiba, you have your family now, and after the battle with Kokabiel... You should know that they can be taken out suddenly anytime." He responded in a soft tone. "I'm not try to make a threat or something like that, what I am trying to say is, you can't keep living like this, trapping yourself in the past. You need to move on if you want to live with happiness, not just for you, but for the people that care to you as well. Ad that includes me too."

Move on...

Just like he had said to Kiba, she needed to move on.

He didn't need to say it actually, she was perfectly aware of that... What happened to Yuuto-sempai truly opened her eyes for her, no, not just for her, but for her whole group, for Akeno-sempai, and even for Buchou as well.

It was not like she couldn't have used her power when the battle against Kokabiel happened. She could have used it if she had wanted, she was perfectly aware of that, she knew using that power would have been quite useful facing Kokabiel, they had needed all the skills and power they had after all at that time, but...

She hadn't wanted to...

The moment she used that power, it brought back painful memories to her mind, such painful memories that reminded her of her time when she was with her big sister that loved her... Her big sister that always spent her time with her... Her big sister that was playful and caring...

Her big sister that abandoned her... Gone and left her alone at the mercy of devils...

Wind breezed through her white hair, amber gold eyes looked to the horizon where the sun was finally sinking as the bright blue sky turned black, followed by the stars that started to shine among the darkness.

She shifted her gaze, from above to below, staring at the letter that she was clutching in her hand, a message that had been left by one of persons that she considered as precious already, despite the time they had spent together not even reaching year.

To you Koneko, I don't know what to say actually, and it's also it not like you won't see me again forever but... I know our time together from now on won't be same. Yes, I'm aware that we're not best friends, as a matter of fact, we have only known each other for no longer than four months. We even started on the wrong foot but... please know that I did enjoy our time together even if it was only short, I really did, and... You're also one of the devils that I enjoy spending my time with, second only to Sona-kaichou... I don't have anything else to say, other than what I said to you before.

Move on.

Just like Kiba, I can sense that there's something burdening you, something that's troubling you and making you develop that stony persona. I won't try to pry, I know you have your own secrets and I respect that... But whatever it is, you need to move on from it, no matter what... It might be hard, yes, and I might have no right to speak to you like this, but as your friend, as your Senior... I want you to move on from it... Always remember it, whatever it is, make it a lesson, but don't let it hinder you from taking a step for the better. So move on Koneko... You are a strong girl, I'm sure you will able to.

"Move on..." She muttered as she stared at the letter she was holding. Two simple words... But it was so hard to do for some reason... So scary... So frightening... And so painful...

Despite them starting off on the wrong foot, Koneko did enjoy the time she spent with Issei Hyoudou, she truly did. Even if what they did were only simple and mundane things such as having lunch together, watching a movie together, talking about homework and gossiping about school life...

She truly enjoyed those times... From the bottom of her heart, she really did... And if someone asked her about it, she wouldn't even be ashamed or hesitate to admit that she enjoyed Issei's presence.

Mostly because he was a very, very good at cooking of course, his food was the top priority, and he had also proven to be a good friend... One that did not treat her like fragile glass, one that was guiding her gently and trying to make her into her own person.

She stared once again at the sky that was slowly darkening, her eyes looking at the stars that shone brigtly among the black sea that made the world dark. Then she closed her eyes, her body that seemed always stiff and tense relaxed as she allowed the cool wind to caress her face gently, like a parent that touched their child with love.

Then, from beneath her skirt, a long white tail appeared, along with a matching pair of white colored cat ears on her head. She opened her amber gold eyes and allowed them to roam to the moon that was illuminating the night.

Move on...

"I will try, Sempai..." Koneko said softly. "It's hard... I'm sure of it, it will be hard but... For my own sake... For my family's sake..." With the status of the bible faction that unstable due to the sudden alliance of three factions and the assault of the organization called Khaos Brigade, her current family would need all the power they had so that the peace they had w would be everlasting.

She was doing this for her own... But mostly for them... For her master that saved her life and gave her a family, allowing her to know love between family members once again...

She felt a stinging sensation in her eyes as she recalled the memories of the time she with the young man that had wormed his way into her stony heart, one that had given her the courage to move on in first place...

"For your sake..."

She was going to miss him... Without a doubt she would... Even if she knew that he would return in two weeks, she knew that when he returned, everything would change. It wouldn't be the same anymore... And because of that, it became painful.

And the last...

This time the tears could no longer be held back as they dripped down from her eyes, wetting her face and falling to the ground as the sound of two young girls giggling and laughing echoed in her ear. It was a very warm and comforting sound, one that she had buried very deep and had planned to forget forever.

Just remembering it brought nothing but pain... She could feel a hiccup escape from her throat as her mind returned to those days... Recalling those events... And yet, she still went on... Even if he couldn't hear this... But it was something she needed to say in order to take the first step that was necessary.

"And for the memory of my sister that loved me..."

And just when those words finally left her mouth, she felt the burden on her shoulders lightening.


"I see... So they finally made their move..." Hagoromo said, as she sat on her throne, her nine white tails fully displayed and on her back, curling and twitching in the air like a crown. "Continue..."

The informant that was clad in a white and red yukata spoke, her voice smooth, soft and silky, her delicate looking long black hair slipping down her back and touching the floor as she lowered her head while facing her superior. "The assault of the Khaos Brigade caused a big shift when they summoned the Evil Dragon, the Venom of Horsam Knucker that destroyed the entirety of the devils army present with a single breath, even the mighty Riddle Phenex, the Head of the Phenex family fell without much of fight against him."

At that Hagoromo's lips curled down in distaste. An Evil Dragon, a being that brought nothing but destruction and madness, a mistake of nature, even other dragons found their existence to be a nuisance and decided to give them their own title.

And worse, those so called Evil Dragons clearly had the power to back up their description. Most Evil Dragons could be considered to possess strength that rivaled Satan class entities, and a stronger one clearly had power rivaling or bigger than gods.

Yamata no Orochi was a prime example of this, despite history and the tales describing Susanoo easily cutting off the the Evil Dragon's heads when it was drunk. In reality it had not been that simple. The battle had been far more brutal, more raging and more destructive. Mountains had crumbled down like mere dirt hills, the sea had been split into two like butter cut by a hot knife, the earth had trembled and torn as if the end of the World had come.

And at that time, it took Susanoo's full might to bring the monster down, and at that time, Susanoo was in his prime, where his power was considered to be the highest and could be categorized as a deity that was among the top ten strongest existences in the world, unlike now.

'What a troublesome organization...'

"However, the rampage of the Venom of Horsam was stopped by Issei Hyoudou, the current Sekiryūtei, the slayer of Kokabiel of the Grigori, and the one that has been dubbed capable of creating legendary weapons with his own unique magic."

Hagoromo perked up when she heard a familiar name being mentioned, her eyes opening slightly as a sign of surprise as she stared at her informant.

"Issei Hyoudou was also responsible for fighting 45% of the Khaos Brigade's army. He fought them by himself and slew them all by raining countless weapons down on them that were strong enough to destroy their strongest defensive structure."

Countless weapons... That were strong enough to destroy possibly defenses created by thousands of magic wielders... Now, wasn't that quite something?

Hagoromo had known the moment she had laid her eyes upon the boy that he was not ordinary, no. He was powerful without a doubt, even if he was only human. As an expert in Senjutsu she could taste his power just by being near him. In terms of raw power the boy could possibly match an Ultimate-class devil or one of high generals in the Youkai faction, but that was just his own strength, still not counting the Boosted Gear.

But she had not worried too much. Even if he did use the Boosted Gear, without a doubt the boy wouldn't be able to use its full potential, not because he didn't want to but because he couldn't control such power yet. Mastering such a power would take time, years possibly, plenty of time to kill him if he became a nuisance in the future.

However this... This had clearly blown such plans away. Slaying an Evil Dragon? And then slaughtering half an army by himself?

"Interesting..." Hagoromo stated, a dark smirk marring her beautiful face as she rested her cheek on her pale hand as her black eyes stared at her informant. "Truly interesting..."

The informant raised her head slightly to catch the sight of her lady. Truthfully, she was quite surprised that she was showing such an expression. Unlike Lady Yasaka, Lady Hagoromo was clearly not as easy to amuse and her taste of things was... darker... In simple terms, she was not someone that easily showed such an expression.

"The rest of the report is already in this document, right?" Hagoromo asked her vassal.

"Yes."

"Hmm, then, is there something else that is urgent?"

"Yes, Milady, it's about the latest missing Onmyōji and Youkai around our area." She reported .

Hagoromo face returned back to her calm and stony expression, eyebrows narrowed slightly as she gave a blank look. "What about it?"

"Lately... It seems that the one that is responsible for this has become bolder... And it has also become more threatening." She continued. "A few days ago we sent one group that consisted of ten Tengu, five Oni and general Raiden himself, but until now there are no news from them. We suspect they have also fallen."

"Raiden..." Hagorome muttered the name. "Isn't he supposed to be one of Yasaka's generals?"

"Yes." The informant nodded. "And Lady Yasaka is quite displeased with this. She wants to ask your opinion about this... New threat, milady."

New threat? Hagoromo inwardly snorted, how dramatic. She was aware that Yasaka's general was not a weakling, but she shouldn't respond this much, it was only one general, there were more to replace him. Though it was true that this nuisance was proving to be quite a bother, it had already been months and those responsible still managed to hide themselves from them.

It wasn't like she cared much though, she was not the one who had to handle this problem, Yasaka was. After all, she was the leader of the Youkai faction. Really, that vixen... And why did she wish to ask her opinion? She found it stupid, if this was her attempt to strengthen their deteriorated bond then she should be aware that she no longer cared about it.

She was about to tell the informant to go away when an idea suddenly crossed her mind. A smirk slowly appeared on her face again as her brain started to work and predicted something that might happen.

"Milady?" The informant asked, appearing to be quite puzzled as the nine tailed fox suddenly smirked like that

"Tell Yasaka that I will have a surprise guest going to come soon, between today and the next few days." Hagoromo said. "My guest going to handle this small problem."

"A-Ah? If you say so." She responded, giving a bow to her mistress as well.

"Now go, I want to be left alone for the moment."

The subordinate did as her mistress commanded. Hagoromo watched her servant leave with a stony face, and when she was gone, the fox Youkai allowed a sly smirk to appear on her face once again.

It wasn't hard to predict that Issei Hyoudou was probably already on his way here. Not after they had met before. She also given him a clue that there was a problem here and seeing how that foolish boy had a hero-complex, he was going to come here.

She doubted that he wouldn't come or stay in Kuoh City, just by looking at him that time she had been able to tell that the man had already wanted to leave from there. She didn't know what the reason for his anger was, but it was clear that he looked tired at that time... Tired and in pain. For a kitsune such things were easy to detect, especially from one that so obvious.

"Well, Issei-san... It seems we are going to meet again." Hagoromo stated with a chuckle.

Things would get interesting... Oh yeah, clearly they would...


Hello all! It been a while isn't it?! Hahahaha! Sorry it come out quite late, I've been busy lately, not just with other story but with real life as well

I won't make any pleasantries, let go to the business about this chapter. As you can see, this chapter show those who left behind by Issei just like how it title said, and also those who waiting him in Kyoto, mainly Hagoromo

Rias may not close to Issei, but she does enjoy his presence, and she also annoyed that Issei leaving like that, especially when Sona just kiss him. Yeah, she clearly not in best term with Issei, it obvious in here, both of them maybe friendly but not to high level

Koneko and Kiba, I'm sure you all surprised by the latter appearance, giving he never look together with Issei that much, he even only make few appearance as matter of fact. However, make no mistake, Kiba will play quite role in future later, there reason why I input him in here after all

And Hagoromo, well, she clearly vixen, already planning many things even before Issei come here as matter of fact. Yeah, she quite nasty character, don't let her beauty fool you, she can rip your heart with smile if she want to

Many of you ask how Asia stronger than Xenovia, her data surpassing the latter and here the answer folks!

Berserker, is not a class that have good specialty. If you read it, originally it was for those who trade their sanity for power, they not strong, unlike Saber who possess super Magic Resistance or Archer with Independence Action! You all only think Berserker strong because we all watch in Fate the one who become Berserker is Heracles, Lancelot and those scary guy! There reason why Saber-class considered to be strongest and not Berserker ya know!

Well, in here, the ability remain same, it Card that make people strong by trading the user sanity, true it turn Xenovia body stronger and able to match Supernatural creature but that's it, it special ability is Mad Enhancement after all. And if you see Xenovia data, when she active Mad Enhancement she practically as strong as Ultimate-class Devil, and with her skills in weapon and Knight of Honor, she clearly enemy that even Asia can't win against, not yet at least

Next chapter will be starter of Kyoto Arc of course, Issei and his group make appearance! Gods, I going to need study further about Shinto mythologies, hopefully I can find few things interesting. I already get the plot and main enemy in my mind of course, but few extra addition clearly going to make it better

Anyway! This is it for now, I hope you love this chapter! Please Favorite, Follow, and Review

Ja Ne! XD

P.S : I got Beta, guess who? Yes! He is Sir Godot! The one that write One Punch Shirou! He already edit from prologue to chapter six and I already posted it! You all can read it, if you want to! I'm sure his work will be very satisfying!