"Hey." Issei lifted a hand in acknowledgement. He didn't want to believe the scene he had come upon as he came into his room but it was clear as day. This was reality no matter how much he wished, despite the despair it would no doubt bring him later, it was just an illusion.

"Hello Issei-kun." Rias purred his name from where she laid on his bed. It was provocative, inviting, and all but begged for him to join her. "Why don't you join me?"

Issei's brown eyes didn't hold perverted joy in them, he didn't smile, and he didn't take a step further into his room once he closed the door. He made sure he didn't look below her face and see everything she had to offer. He focused only on her face and even just it was a challenge.

Every piece of her was a thing beyond beautiful it seemed.

"I already said I don't want to deal with you anymore." He focused on the shining emerald pools she dared to call eyes, eyes that beckoned him closer without words, by merely looking at him she tried to ensnare him. A will he didn't know he had allowed him to resist. He kept his eyes focused above her neck, focused on her face and moved above her eyes to her forehead.

'If I look anywhere else my libido will win this for you no matter what I do.'

"You didn't mean that Issei-kun." Rias shifted, it did wonderful things for her chest. Issei forced his nails into the palms of his hands, forced himself to focus on the pain, keep his eyes focused where they needed to stay if he wanted to win this. "Even if you did." She moved again, rose up on the bed on her knees. "I'm sure I can convince you to reconsider."

'You could if I looked down.' Issei followed only her forehead as she moved. He knew she was doing wonderful things with her chest at the moment, the smile she wore now would draw in anyone, man or woman, and her eyes would make sure they never left. Those shining emerald gems that dared to call themselves eyes would be sure to keep anyone hypnotized, enraptured, and forever trapped by them.

"I did." Issei was amazed his voice could stay even. He was amazed he hadn't leapt onto the bed the moment he entered the room to find Rias the way she was. "I told you to count me out of whatever you were doing. I don't want to do anything with you after the stunt you pulled at school."

"What about me?" He didn't expect Rias to have such a great plan.

He should have remembered Kuoh Academy had named her one of the Two Great Onee-sama. He should have remembered the second was her friend, had been in the club when Koneko had dragged him there. He should have remembered both had divine gifts on their chest.

Akeno Himejima pressed her chest into his back, her hands came together on his chest, and she pulled him back further into what many would refer to as a piece of heaven.

"I-I-" He tried to fight down the nosebleed, tried to fight down his desire, and tried to make logic prevail but it was hopeless. His brain was being fried the longer she pressed into his back, the way her hands began to move to his shirt made it worse.

A trickle of blood ran down his nose. He at least managed to stop a perverted grin from covering his face.

"Bring him over here Akeno." Her words flowed like honey, a single finger beckoned him over. He tried to stop his feet, tell his body to listen to reason, but he failed. Akeno didn't need to do much to get him to start forward, her fingers becoming more daring now. She knew he was putty for the two of them to play with all night.

The smile on Rias's face was clear to him when he lost control of his eyes. His body was mutinying against him, didn't resist when Akeno's hands ran down to unbutton his shirt, and certainly didn't resist when one hand reached out to pull him onto the bed.

'I'm still just a man.' His face was introduced into heaven, her arms wrapped around his head and she dropped back on the bed.

He just realized it was too big, too soft, to be his own. She had replaced it.

'Dear God.' His eyes widened despite the darkness they opened too. 'I never stood a chance.'

He felt the wind strike his back once Akeno took away his shirt, tossed it somewhere behind him, and leaned forward. He felt her skin on his bare back, felt her hands travel down to his waist.

"You're overdressed Issei-kun." Her voice delighted him, made him not want to resist even more.

It was incredibly lucky actually that Rias's parents thought their daughter might take such extreme action to escape her marriage.

"ECHI!" King's Dragon suddenly appeared, one of its fist sent a Devil dressed as a maid hurtling back through the air with a vicious blow, before it vanished from sight.

It helped snap Issei back to himself. He began to struggle against the arms wrapped around him, pull his face free from Rias's chest, and try to bat away Akeno's hands. The dark haired girl that was all but laying on his back giggled. He felt a painful shock come from her fingertips.

"ECHI!" King's Dragon was back and drew her off of him. It didn't pulverize her only because the Devil that had appeared was of more concern. It threw her at her instead.

"Rias-sama!" The maid's voice filled the room, made the grip of the Devil go slack. She would have cursed if she had less control over herself but a hint of despair came across her face. She released him, allowed him to pull his head away from her chest and scramble to fix his pants.

King's Dragon stood at the foot of the bed, its eyes focused on the maid who had a bruise on her face. The sight of it made Rias suppress a smile but he caught the barest hints of it before her head fell, her chin dropping onto her chest. She was very good at acting. If he didn't know such a fact, he would say she was properly embarrassed at what she had been caught doing.

"Grayfia-san." She projected the perfect air of disappointment, of despair, and hopelessness. If he didn't already know the lengths she was willing to go he would almost pity her. "Please…I-I can't marry that man. You can leave, say you arrived too late, and I'll take full responsibility but please…Please let me break the contract."

"You were given the option to escape the marriage your parents arranged for you Rias, you will have the chance to prove your strength surpasses his in the Rating Game but you will not void the contract both the Gremory's and Phenex's agreed to by losing your virginity to this human." The Devil, Grayfia, spoke the word 'human' with thinly veiled disgust as she looked to Issei who pressed himself against the headboard of the bed he just realized was shaped like a heart. He had luckily regained control of his mind and matched her glare with disinterest. "Who is he?"

"I-"

"It doesn't matter what my name is." He slid off the silk sheets and King's Dragon moved to stand at his back. He looked from Grayfia to Rias and Akeno, the dark haired girl standing with the Devil as she slid off the bed on the opposite side. She was putting on the air of consoling her but it was an act.

He knew they were planning something else. He hoped he never found out what it was. He also knew hope was pretty useless in this situation. He was going to be dragged into whatever was happening at this point. He was in far too deep to get out.

"You need to leave, take those two with you, and tell them to bring my bed back." Issei rested his hands in his pocket, dutifully ignored his half-dressed state, and matched Grayfia's glare. King's Dragon crossed its arms over its armored chest and the teen sighed. "I told them earlier I didn't want to deal with them and I'm not changing my mind." He looked to Rias. The strange Devil dressed like a maid wasn't a problem with King's Dragon keeping an eye on her. "I told you before I left the school Rias: Your heart is dark, your mind is twisted, and your soul is tainted. I won't be part of whatever you're planning. Fight your own battles and keep me out of them."

King's Dragon was engulfed with power. A green aura like fire pulsed to life before it faded. His statement was made, all of them had felt the power he had made King's Dragon display and, hopefully, all of them took the message with it to heart.

"Now, all three of you, get out of my house."

He could only hope this was the last he saw of the two Devils as the maid took them away with a strange red symbol. It appeared at their feet and the three vanished in a flash of red light. It was harmless judging from the fact King's Dragon did nothing to stop them.

He sighed and wanted to do nothing but collapse onto his bed before he realized it was gone. He looked at the heart shaped Rias had somehow gotten into his room and felt his irritation at everything let him have a moment of catharsis when he had King's Dragon smash it to splinters. He would sweep it all up later but for now the pile was a pleasing sight.

'Mom and dad hopefully won't ask any questions.' He picked up his shirt as he walked out his room and headed downstairs to sleep on the couch. He would go to the guest room but Asia was currently sleeping there and it wouldn't be right to bother her after her day.

He grabbed a blanket, moved the pillows around, and fell down face first.

'I can't believe this is all because of that stupid date.' He drifted off without worry. King's Dragon would deal with anything that tried to attack him, despite how unlikely it was inside his house, while he slept.

"Sorry about this, I was working on homework and didn't have the energy to make it up the stairs." Issei answered his parents questioning look when they found him fixing the couch, a folded blanket thrown over the back of it. He was dressed already, breakfast would come later. "I'm heading upstairs to check on Asia." He ignored the way his father wiggled his eyebrows or the fact his mom began to talk about grandchildren. He successfully managed to fight down the blush she had caused by the time he reached Asia's room.

"Asia?" He knocked on the door. "Breakfast is soon."

The door slid open and a smiling, if bleary eyed, Asia stood in it.

"Thank you Issei." She wasn't dressed yet, probably having just gotten out of bed, so still wore the old pajamas his parents had given her. "I'll be down in a minute."

"Take your time." He turned and walked down the hall to the steps. "My folks are going to grill you the second you c-"

"ECHIECHIECHIECHI!" King's Dragon was suddenly shoving him back from the steps, unleashing a barrage of blows on whatever was coming at him. Issei's back hit the ground but he was already throwing himself back with his legs, scrambling to his feet as King's Dragon's fists continued to pummel whatever had been lying in wait at the bottom of the steps.

"Issei!" Asia rushed out, the maiden he had seen yesterday appearing at her back. The endless expanse of stars that made up her eyes seemed to shine brighter, shine as if they were as close as the sun and more than a dozen times as large. "What's happening?"

"ECHIECHIECHIECHIECHIECHIECHI!" King's Dragon finished off whatever it was fighting with a powerful blow that sent it crashing through the steps. It immediately moved back to Issei but kept its fists up and at the ready, Issei feeling his Stand's anxiousness at whatever had happened.

"I don't know." He pushed himself up, got back on his feet with King's Dragon scanning the upper floor of the house with its eyes. "It m-"

"They will come after those you call friends and your family sooner rather than later." Dohnaseek's words ripped through his mind like King's Dragon's fists had just ripped through the air.

"Mom! Dad!" He didn't think when he threw himself into a dead sprint, rushing down the steps so fast he had to throw his hands down to stop himself from hitting the floor face first. King's Dragon followed after him of course.

"ECHIECHIECHIECHIECHI!" It turned and pummeled whatever had ripped free of the steps before snatching hold of it, spinning, and throwing it like fastball from the house through the open door.

"Issei! Get back!" His father's voice called out to him but Issei didn't hear. He only saw the bastards holding his parents.

"What do you think you're doing?" King's Dragon growled, a pale imitation for Issei's roar when he spoke. "Get out of my house! Leave me alone before I have King's Dragon cripple your asses!" He couldn't control himself, couldn't get a hold of the anger that was surging through him at the sight in front of him.

He wanted to honestly let King's Dragon kill for once, rip them apart with its armored hands, leave nothing, not even ash, by the time it was finished.

Issei Hyoudou couldn't care less about his own safety but he loved his family, cared for his friends. He was willing to destroy anyone for them.

The Devils in front of him deserved nothing but death for touching his parents.

"Issei Hyuoudou, you have been summoned to the Underworld." He didn't recognize any of them but he could tell a Devil now by their power, by the wings the four so proudly showed off. "If you resist, these two humans will be killed."

"Issei!" Asia was at the top of the staircase, could see what was happening. Issei wanted to unleash King's Dragon, let his Stand tear them apart like he knew they could, but he restrained himself.

'Asia, mom, dad, Motohama, Matsuda, I can't keep an eye on all of them. I can't keep them all safe every second of every day.' He swallowed. His fists were so tight at his side he could feel the warm blood as it trailed down to his knuckles before falling to the ground. 'I have to keep them safe.'

"Take me where ever you want." King's Dragon vanished with a force of will. "But if you hurt my family anymore, if you even think about going after my friends, I'm going to tear you apart. Slowly."

"Lucifer-sama's orders were clear." They released his family. That was all he cared about. He forced himself to take deep breaths, strained to keep his hands at his side, and forced himself to calm down. It was for his family, for his friends, for Asia.

Issei's last glance of his family was of his father's rage, his mother screaming at the devils. He was fine as long as they weren't hurt. He was gone with a flash of crimson light, the same strange symbol that had carried away three Devils last night took him into the unknown.

"Issei Hyoudou." A red haired man spoke his name, looked at him with eyes he couldn't read, and then he turned to Rias. "This is the boy?"

"Yes." She shook her head, her eyes were focused on the ground, her hands clasped in front of her. "He is the one."

"My name is Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly Gremory, and you have a lot to answer for Issei Hyoudou." Sirzechs Lucifer, formerly Gremory, looked at the teen with hate.

"I can't believe this." The moment Issei spotted Rias in the room, he had pieced together why he was here and he bit down on his rage, his growing and growing rage. "You attacked my family because of her, didn't you? She told you whatever new bit of nonsense she thought up and had you drag me here? What is it this time then? Want to say you'll kill my family if I don't join you, that I'll be tortured until I do, that I'll burn in hell until I reconsider?" He felt like pulling his hair out, punching something, do something to show how much rage he was feeling. "What is it already?"

"No, you're wrong about why you're here." The Devil stepped forward and Issei noted he was dressed in armor. He brought his armored hands together and the hate in his eyes burned fiercer. "I needed her here to know for sure you were the one who punched my wife in the face last night."

"The maid…" Issei's rage abated as last night came to him with startling clarity. He remembered the Devil that had appeared, that King's Dragon had thrown back with a single blow. "She's your wife and King's Dragon punched her in the face. You saw the bruise and know you're filled with the anger any husband would have. You sent those Devils to my house to bring me here so you can act as your pride is commanding you to." The teen only sighed as he brought his hand up to his face. "Do whatever you want then, it won't work."

Sirzechs was silent, he let his fists do the talking for him and swung for Issei's face.

"ECHI!" King's Dragon's fist clashed with his own. Sirzechs's eyes widened for a moment before he drew back and his next blow produced the same result. "ECHI!" King's Dragon stopped it effortlessly and Issei did nothing.

"King's Dragon is the ultimate defense no matter how much I limit him." Issei kept one hand on his face, the other slid into his pocket. "Throw all the punches you want, try any magic, and do whatever else you Devils can do but there's nothing that can hurt me with King's Dragon here." Issei's nails pressed into his forehead, left marks but didn't draw blood. "Night or day, awake or sleeping, it doesn't matter. King's Dragon is always there watching me, protecting me."

"No." Sirzechs's rage allowed him to throw a fury of blows, he barely withheld himself from casting spells powerful enough to destroy mountains with his fists, and his hate fueled him. King's Dragon met each of his blows, things powerful enough to topple buildings, with what had to be ease. Each of his strikes was stopped with a strike in reply from the armored figure. "You're going to pay for what you did to Grayfia."

"I should pay but I won't." Issei looked at Sirzechs's enraged face. "You Devils can't hurt me no matter what you try." King's Dragon surged forward suddenly, Sirzechs formed a barrier but it was already cracking against the barrage of armored fists. "You Devils shouldn't have tried to hurt my family." Cracks were spreading despite the power of Sirzechs, despite his immense power King's Dragon couldn't be stopped. "I don't care who you think you are but no one hurts my family."

King's Dragon ripped through the barrier in the end. Its fists began to clobber Sirzechs as Issei dropped his hand from his face to his pocket.

"ECHIECHIECHIECHIECHIECHI!" King's Dragon wouldn't be stopping anytime soon as each blow forced Sirzechs further and further back. He eventually hit a wall of the spacious room the human found himself brought to by the Devils. None of his barriers lasted as Issei stepped in time with King's Dragon's movements forward. "ECHIECHIECHIECHIECHIECHIECHI!"

A crater was growing on the wall with each successive impact of King's Dragon's fists on the body of Sirzechs Lucifer.

"I couldn't care less about what happens to me, a hopeless pervert, but I refuse to let you get away with threatening my family, my friends." Issei stepped closer as King's Dragon's barrage only grew in speed, the power of each blow growing at the same rate. The Stand did not tire like it should but instead each blow seemed to grow in strength the longer it continued its attack. Each blow came harder and faster than the last. "I don't care so I always keep a leash on King's Dragon."

The Stand stopped, one hand was pressed into the cracked remains of Sirzechs's once pristine armor and the other was drawn back.

"But I care about my parents." Green energy took hold of the opposite armored hand, grew brighter and brighter as each finger was individually drawn back into a clenched fist. "You threatened them today." King's Dragon pulled away and vanished from sight. "This is my threatening you."

He turned away from Sirzechs and to the Devils that had brought him to wherever he was.

"I don't care how you do it but you're going to take me home." Issei wasn't concerned with Sirzechs Lucifer, one of the strongest supernatural beings.

King's Dragon was an absolute defense whether he liked it or not. He didn't need to worry about any attack.

"ECHI!" The Satan tried to hit him with an energy attack. King's Dragon saw the size of the attack and used a single hand to stop it, to crush it in its hands to show its power.

Issei's eyes actually widened when his palm began to burn, to blister, before King's Dragon roared and a green pulse of raw power pushed the sphere of energy away. He refused to draw his hand out of his pocket as the other rose as he turned.

"Consider that my warning." Sirzechs's armor may have been entirely destroyed but he was unharmed. There wasn't a single mark on his flesh, none of his blood laid cooling on the ground, and not even the smallest of bruises or marks of any kind dotted his skin. He lowered his smoking finger to the ground and Issei took note of the marble sized hole in the ceiling. He glanced to King's Dragon smoking hand and saw a mark of similar size on the normally unblemished armor. "I don't care who you think you are Issei Hyoudou, never touch my wife again." The power literally at his fingertip screamed danger, screamed of annihilation. "If you do, I won't hold back and I'll destroy you."

"I don't intend to ever see a Devil again." Issei let his hand fall to his side and King's Dragon vanished from sight. "I don't want to deal with you Devils if I can help it." He fought down the desire to draw his hand out, look at the damage done to it by Sirzechs's last attack. He had dealt with far worse pain, pain that had never fully left him. He could deal with the blisters, the burn. "I just want to be left alone." Issei didn't look away from Sirzechs's eyes. The hate was gone but it was replaced with the same warning his eyes held, the same hardly suppressed rage. They were similar like that he guessed. He felt that if King's Dragon had punched the man in front of him, he wouldn't care. It was his family he cared about more than anything, just like Issei did. "That's why I aligned myself with the Fallen Angels."

"What?" Rias at last spoke, the first time since he had arrived. Her eyes were wide, actual shock filled them, took hold of her face. "What do you mean you aligned with the Fallen?"

"It means exactly what I said." Issei turned away from Sirzechs and to her, nothing in his eyes. He couldn't even bother with hating the girl. "After I left, I went to the old church and talked to the Fallen Angels there. Even if one tried to kill me, I could at least stand talking to them. I want my family, my friends, safe from whatever you'll try to do next." He used his free hand to point to himself. "You can come at me all you want. Try all your tricks, try to goad me, even attack me if you want because I don't care. I have King's Dragon. The people close to me, they're off limits. If you try to hurt them, I'll just kill you the next time I see you."

"That's my little sister you're talking too." Sirzechs was exactly like him. His hand rose, a sphere of the same power as before took shape in his palm. "Don't you dare speak to her like that."

"I feel there's no winning here." Issei sighed. He looked from Sirzechs to Rias and then back to Sirzechs. "She won't leave me alone until whatever that guy wanted to kill me over yesterday is over with." He looked to Sirzechs, looked past the power swirling above his palm. "You hate me because King's Dragon punched your wife last night because your sister was trying to get me to sleep with her. I can't deal with her because than you'll try to kill me and I won't be her slave so she'll keep trying to get me to join her." His eyes looked with Sirzechs. He bowed his head. "Let this be my apology for punching your wife. I won't be her slave but I'll help your sister with this Riser guy."

"You will?" Rias started forward but Sirzechs did nothing. He looked at Issei, looked into his soul, and closed his hand around the power that gathered there. He didn't want to give up yet, their wills had clashed and he didn't know whose was stronger. It hurt his pride to know he couldn't hurt the boy the same way he had hurt Grayfia but he also understood how much his sister wanted to be free from her marriage to Riser. He wanted to refuse but…"Onii-sama, please!"

He saw the desperation in her eyes no matter how much she tried to hide it. He wanted his sister happy more than anything else. He had wanted to tear Riser's head off for years now, ever since the Devil had started turning his Peerage into his own personal harem. He didn't mistreat any of the women, they were all there of their own free will, but he still wanted to punch him in the face. As an older brother he wanted to beat Riser bloody after he saw him flaunt his harem when he first met Rias. But he was a Satan and his hands were tied, he couldn't involve himself with an affair between two of the few remaining families of the Seventy-Two Pillars without jeopardizing his position as Lucifer.

'An older brother must protect their younger siblings.' Sirzechs controlled himself, let his hand fall. 'I'll do it for Rias.'

"Then I will say this, with everyone here acting as witnesses." Sirzechs looked into Issei's eyes and extended his hand. "The contract between us is as follows: I, Sirzechs Lucifer, will forgive the attack on my wife if you, Issei Hyoudou, challenge Riser Phenex for the marriage contract between Riser Phenex and Rias Gremory. If you fail to defeat Riser Phenex, you will join Rias Gremory's Peerage without complaint and serve her faithfully. If you succeed and defeat Riser Phenex, I vow to do all I can to insure Devils do not interfere in your life any longer."

Issei didn't let his irritation at the cost he would pay if he failed show. He could understand it at least.

"I, Issei Hyoudou, accept this contract as it has been stated by you, Sirzechs Lucifer." Issei did not allow himself to fear failure as he took the offered hand. Rias barely held back her excitement at the sight, the power that surged around both that bound them to their verbal contract. The mark of the Four Maous appeared on each of their palms.

For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Issei Hyoudou made a deal with the supernatural with a handshake.

'I hope I don't regret this.' Issei drew away and glanced down at the crimson mark that shined on his hand. The same mark shined on the palm of Sirzechs Lucifer.

"King's Dragon." He summoned the Stand with its name. The armored hand was extended forward without prompting and he saw the same mark had appeared on its armor. It burned with the same crimson, with the same power, as his and Sirzechs's own marks did.

"The marks bind us to our ends of the contract." Sirzechs lowered his hand. "With your relations with the Fallen, I won't make you leave without it concealed." He turned to a Devil. "Bring me two pairs of gloves." He turned back to Issei as the Devil hurried to do what was ordered. "I'll cloak the powers of both our marks. Until he comes back, we'll talk."

"Tell me about Riser Phenex then." Issei and Sirzechs sat down at a table and chair brought to them from the side. Rias joined Sirzechs on his side and Issei just then noticed the presence of the ORC. He didn't pay them any further attention.

"He possesses the Phenex's regeneration. Very few things can permanently harm him and it makes fighting him troublesome. He's also in possession of Phoenix Tears to heal the members of his Peerage during any Rating Games he takes part in. From the power I've felt from your Stand, the only issue will be Riser himself."

"Issei-kun actually beat every member of his Peerage excluding his Queen and one of his Bishops yesterday." Akeno helpfully supplied the information to Sirzechs and he looked at Issei without disbelief. There was a small level of respect as he looked to the human. The dark haired Devil poured the table's occupants tea before stepping behind Rias.

"I'm sure then that the only problem will be Riser, his regeneration gives him a form of immortality as long as his Demonic Power remains and it is a substantial amount." Sirzechs looked for any trace of emotion in Issei's face and found nothing. He continued. "You will need to prevent him from making use of his regeneration if you want to retire him in the Rating Game you'll be taking part of."

"I thought you just wanted me to challenge him." Issei's mind immediately went to the verbal contract that would not leave his mind or be forgotten. The power that burned on his palm seemed determined to make sure neither party forgot.

"I'll include a special condition for the Rating Game to let you compete. He won't refuse." Sirzechs was not concerned so Issei was not. "You're no doubt curious about what exactly a Rating Game is but the concept is actually rather simple. Devils can challenge each other at any time and the challenge takes the form of a Rating Game. They're a popular contest among us. Two Devils enter an arena created through the use of magic to become an agreed upon terrain, and they battle each other with their respective Peerage until the King of either is defeated."

'Like Pokemon?' Issei did not speak those words out loud. He couldn't help but look to Rias and imagine her directing her Peerage like a certain trainer would.

"Akeno use Thunderbolt!"

"Kiba use Sword Dance!"

"Koneko use Bite!"

"Death is a non-factor as the members of any Peerage will simply be retired if dealt enough damage. They will be removed from the arena. The Rating Game is over with when a Peerage's King either concedes or is retired." Sirzechs looked at Issei with steel in his eyes. "Rias is King of her Peerage and Riser is King of his. The Rating Game will end when one of them surrenders or is forced to retire. You will be responsible for making sure Rias will not be doing either of those."

"I intend to win this." Issei didn't turn away from Sirzechs, his eyes had returned to him even if the image of Rias dressed in a rather form fitting version of a certain trainer's outfit made him want to break into perverted giggles.

"Akeno use Milk Drink on Issei!"

He had a perfect poker face. If he didn't, he had no doubt Sirzechs would try to beat him to death and succeed regardless of King's Dragon.

Sirzechs felt rage build in his heart, a righteous fury he had felt with nearly the same intensity when he had seen Riser ogle Rias. He felt the desire to beat Issei's face in suddenly return tenfold but he refused to act on it. It was illogical for it to so suddenly arrive but he felt as if he, as an older brother, should be rearranging Issei's face with his fist, King's Dragon or no King's Dragon. He didn't let it show.

His poker face was nearly as good as Issei's own.

"How?" Sirzechs looked beyond the hate he inextricably felt for the boy across from him, not at all stemming from the fact that his wife had come home with a bruise from him.

"His Demonic Power isn't infinite just vast, correct?" Issei's questioned received a slow nod from the Maou. "Then there's a limit to what and how much he can recover from. If I do enough damage, force him to heal himself time and time again, he'll eventually run out of Demonic Power. King's Dragon is strong enough to bring him down."

"Issei." Sirzechs's voice was clear. He intended for it and his next few words to do such. "You can't beat Riser just by punching him."

"I-OH." Issei chuckled. "King's Dragon doesn't just punch things. I just make it so that it only punches things." He grinned at Sirzechs. "King's Dragon's main ability is that it manipulates energy. I have it manipulate energy to increase its speed and the power of its punches. Kinetic energy converted into more power upon contact, kinetic energy from my opponent's own blows converted into more power, and similar things. I don't like King's Dragon going all out so I restrict it most of the time."

"Really?" Sirzechs looked to the human with something close to admiration. "What else can your King's Dragon do?"

"What can you do with energy?" Issei answered his question with one in kind before chuckling at the annoyed look on Sirzechs's face. "King's Dragon defense is increased of course with something called the Dragon Shield, a barrier based around converting the power of any of my attackers into power for itself. King's Dragon can make use of energy blasts and such but I use them sparingly, I mainly use the additional energy to augment any strike King's Dragon uses when I feel it's needed. Beyond that, there's the expected barriers, energy constructs, and, when needed, simple explosions originating from King's Dragon."

"That's impressive Issei." Sirzechs looked and King's Dragon appeared a moment later, armored arms crossed over its chest. It looked into Sirzechs's eyes with glowing green lenses and he found what he was searching for within them. "King's Dragon is powerful but Rias has told me about something else in your possession, a Sacred Gear that is one of the thirteen Longinus." His eyes shifted to where Issei's arms rested on the table in front of him. "The Boosted Gear is said to be able to give one the power to kill those who call themselves Gods, perhaps even God himself."

"And you think I know how to use it?" Issei looked to his arm and snorted. "I don't even know what this thing is supposed to look like. How am I supposed to use it to beat Riser?"

"Training." Sirzechs chuckled himself when he saw Issei's confusion. "I don't intend to leave you to your own devices Issei. You'll be taking a leave from school for a while, until the Rating Games in several weeks as I'll be training you, Rias, and her Peerage in order to prepare for the match with Riser Phenex."

"Really?" Rias was the one to show shock, nothing came across Issei's face. It was partly thanks to his ignorance of the significance of such a monumental thing. The Devils across the room all shared the same expression of shock at the Maou's words. "I thought one of the Maou were forbidden from involving themselves in the private affairs of any of the Seventy-Two Pillars."

"I'm not involving myself in a private affair between any of the Seventy-Two Pillars Rias." Sirzechs turned to smile at his little sister. "I'm just training you."

"Onii-sama…" Rias seemed close to tears. Issei didn't see them as she threw her arms around her brother, Sirzechs doing the same with one arm. He smiled at her. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet Rias." Sirzechs loved his sister so he would push her. She would probably hate him, hate his training, but he wanted her happy beyond anything else. She could hate him for the rest of her life for the training he was going to put her through as long as she didn't have to be unhappy. "This training isn't going to be easy. I'm not going to pull any punches and I'm not going to make anyone let it take it easy on you. It'll be like fighting an enemy despite us being family."

"I-I know." Rias didn't let him go. "I'll gladly take all that pain, all that misery, as long as I can beat Riser and have my life back."

'I feel I shouldn't be here.' Issei felt uncomfortable in his chair suddenly. He looked anywhere but the two siblings, he made the mistake of looking to Akeno and the second half of the Two Great Onee-sama of Kuoh smiled at him. The innocence it held shouldn't exist when she pushed her breasts together. He looked away and to Yuuto Kiba.

The blonde glared at him for whatever reason. If looks could kill, Issei felt as if he would have several rather pointy objects shoved through his head. He blinked and the blonde known as the Prince of Kuoh continued to glare at him with what had to be hate.

'Moving on.' He glanced to Koneko.

He looked at her.

She looked at him.

He looked at her.

She looked at him.

He blinked.

She smiled at her victory. He frowned at his defeat.

'This isn't over.'

I know. She taunted him without words, just by looking at him.

'I'm going to beat you.'

No you won't. He would be sure to prove her wrong.

He stared.

She stared back.

He blinked.

"That makes fifty-seven for me and zero for you Issei." Koneko held out her hand and Issei looked down at the expectant hand and sighed. He handed over the chocolate he had been about to eat, and foolishly betted on the latest staring contest, to Koneko. It was rather counterintuitive since he wanted to eat it but he was certain he had her this time.

He was wrong.

"How do you do it?" Issei cocked an eyebrow and received a blank stare in return. Despite what he tried, he still blinked before she did.

"Practice." Koneko walked away unwrapping the bar of chocolate and Issei sighed where he sat.

"Lost to Koneko again, Issei-kun?" Koneko was replaced with Akeno, the buxom beauty he now knew to be a closet sadist smiled at him. "Are you feeling disappointed? Perhaps you're feeling angry at your fate?" The smile she gave him as she leaned forward made him lean back in his seat. "Do you want to take you anger out on someone by chance? Punish someone?" A blush that was far from innocent spread across her face, colored her cheeks crimson. "If you want to Issei-" Her hands settled on his lap, she drew herself into it next. Her hands moved to his chest, her legs settled on either side of his waist, and her lips moved close to his ear. He could feel her chest pressed to his, her arms closed around his neck. "-you can punish me."

Issei gulped. He shifted and immediately regretted it. Akeno had been waiting to approach him it seemed. He was desperately hoping she was wearing something under her skirt but couldn't be sure.

His inner pervert wanted him to jump at the opportunity. The Devil on his shoulder wanted him to agree. Even the Angel on his shoulder couldn't exactly tell him anything was wrong. As long as Akeno was willing to do it, wanted it even, he would be in the right.

"Issei, Lucifer-sama requests " His savoir made it so that he didn't have to make a decision. Akeno stilled on his lap before she pulled away. He saw her pout at him but he could only shrug his shoulders.

"We're not finished Issei-kun." She leaned forward but he had King's Dragon pull him free from his chair.

"Sorry but I've got to go." He hurried down the halls of the large mountain residence of the Gremory. As he did so, he thought back to how precisely this had happened…