Rias Gremory was shocked. She could not believe that the boy she claimed would be the possessor of a dragon's sacred mechanism. The test clearly showed that Issai had somehow managed to awaken his sacred mechanism, and yet this man has virtually no magic...

And okay an ordinary sacred mechanism, but she had no idea that it would turn out to be a dragon mechanism!

The girl's heart was pounding fast with anticipation and excitement, she decided to come to this human city for a reason, and for a reason she claimed the rights to Issei Hyodo, oh for a reason!

The only thing left to do was to get him. Shall I send for him now? Or should she wait and see if she can get to know the man better? What if he refuses to become a demon...?

What should I do?

- Tea is ready, ma'am. - The girl opened her eyes and met the smiling face of her Queen, Akeno.

A slender dark-haired girl whose silky dark hair was tied in a tight ponytail. One of Rias's best friends and, by extension, her strongest figure, the Queen.

Akeno Himejima is the daughter of a Shinto priestess and a fallen angel. She has had a difficult life, and had it not been for the timely information about the possible death of a young talent, Rias would never have had such a strong figure and devoted friend.

"Priestess of the Lightning"-the title Akeno received spoke for itself. She was a powerful queen, and potentially could one day equal her brother's queen... well, Rias hoped so.

Though Akeno had a bit of an oddity, due to her sadistic tendencies during battles, but otherwise she was a very kind and caring half-demon. And she could make magical tea, too!

- Thank you, Akeno. - Rias nodded, accepting the cup of tea. - Mmmmm, wonderful as always!

- Thank you, ma'am. - The half-demoness bowed her head slightly, smiling at the corners of her lips. - Is something troubling you? Oooh, are you in love?

- Pfft! - Rias spat out a fountain of tea and coughed, glaring menacingly at her friend's sly smile, something reminiscent of a fox grin.

Also, Akeno liked to tease her friend.

- I'm not in love with anyone! - Hreemory shot back at her friend, glowering slightly when she saw Akeno's understanding gaze. - Who was it anyway? Who could I have fallen in love with, huh? A human? Don't be ridiculous!

- And why not? - The half-demoness continued to amuse herself by sitting down on the couch beside Koneko. - What is this boy's name... Issei. Hedo Issei, right? I believe he has an interesting sacred mechanism? - It was a rhetorical question. Everyone had already learned that he had a dragon mechanism. His aura just screamed it. - Though he's not particularly popular, for certain reasons, but he has a big heart... Since he's courting all the girls at once and shows up in the women's locker rooms so often, yuck!

- Perverts are the enemy of all women. - Koneko stated quietly, but very authoritatively, as she finished her chocolate chip cookies.

- I think it's cute. - Akeno continued, and pointedly put her foot up conspicuously, slowly, with her forefinger pointed up. - He already looks like a demon, all messed up... I want to punish that bad boy.

Rias and Koneko winced at the dreamy, cold voice of the halfling. The tone of her voice reeked of undeniable pleasure.

- You'd better tell me what I should do. - Rias sighed, leaning back in her chair and rolling her eyes. - I could hypnotize him, of course, but... But I'd want him to make that decision himself. Or follow him? Promise him something? Hmm...

- Just go to him and tell him that from now on he is yours. - Akeno said calmly, taking a few sips of green tea, straight from the underworld. - Believe me, ma'am, it's bound to work, foo-foo!

- Yes?" asked Gremory incredulously, pondering her Queen's words. - Wait, are you kidding or what?

- Well, Mistress, do I look like I'm joking? - From the mocking look it could have been anything. - Just get him in here and make him yours... you can do it right on that rug over there, yuck yuck yuck!

Rias glowered softly and rubbed the bridge of her nose with a negative shake of her head.

Her friend was completely useless in terms of important advice... Well, not always, but in this case she was.

- Okay, I'll do that. - Rias decided, seeing the shocked look on Akeno's face and Koneko's blushing. - I'm not talking about "that," I'm talking about bringing him here. After all, I can always hypnotize him and erase any unwanted memories while he's still weak magically. But for now, let's just see what he is, what kind of man he is, and if he would agree... become mine. - Gremori copied Akeno's foxy grin, eliciting a chuckle from Akeno, and then shifted her gaze to her Rook. - Koneko, would you go get Issei-kun and bring him to us, please?

- I will. - The girl quickly finished her cookies and nodded her head and headed out of the room. - I'll be right there.

-= Student Council Office. =-

- Sona-chan, is something wrong? - Neo asked worriedly, looking at the president of the student council frowning like a cloud, reading the report.

- What did you call me? - The girl looked away from the document, foolishly glancing at the guy drinking tea, who was comfortably seated... in her place.

- Sona-chan? Oh, you don't like it? - Mori asked sadly, smiling sadly. - I'm sorry, I rarely use honorifics, my mother is British, she-.

- Okay, shut up. - The girl held her hand up, stopping the flow of information she didn't need at the moment. - Call me whatever you want, but not in public... and demons, okay?

- Sure, Sona-chan.

The demoness' eye twitched at this familiarity. No one ever talked to a demoness like that except for her sister and her parents. And the "stern and intimidating stares" had no effect on this guy, either. Unbreakable!

- There's a guy... Hyodo Issei, you know him, right?

- I help him out from time to time. - Neo nodded, carefully pouring his tea into his cup. - Why?

- Well, he's awakened a sacred mechanism... Of the dragon type. - Sona stared expectantly at Neo, but he raised an eyebrow questioningly. - Did the Kitsune ever tell you about them?

- No.

- Then listen, this is important information for a smooth entry into "our world". - The girl sat down across from the boy and adjusted her glasses, gathering her thoughts. - Sacred mechanisms were created by the Biblical God, he gave them to you people. All the bearers of sacred mechanisms have flashed through history, becoming heroes or... terrifying monsters, depending on the person. The abilities vary from mechanism to mechanism, it can be healing as well as armor or very strong weapons. There are mechanisms that are weak and in some ways useless, but there are also mechanisms that are simply frightening in their power... Like weapons capable of overthrowing God, such sacred mechanisms are called "Longinuses," after Saint Longinus, which-.

- Stabbed the Son of God with a spear. Thank you, Sona-chan, but I read the Bible. - Neo interrupted her with a twinkle in his glasses. - To think that God exists and is watching over us all. I wonder if I pray to him, would he hear me? Would he punish me for communicating with demons and ayakashi, or would he encourage me for not separating black and white by looking right into my soul?

Sona sighed faintly and rubbed the bridge of her nose, trying to calm the beginning migraine.

Her new friend knew how to piss her off, and he didn't do or say anything "that". Why did he piss her off so much?

- Please don't pray out loud, Neo-kun. - She's not allowed to say it because it's inappropriate for someone who comes from an ancient clan. - Or else I'll turn you into a demon and make you pray so you realize how... unpleasant.

- Of course, Sona-chan, if anything, I'll do it... - the boy put the cup aside and leaned on his right arm, looking into Sona's violet eyes, and then continued faintly. - Quiet.

Grrr, he's so annoying!

A torrent of unkind words, unbecoming of a Sitri clanman or an intelligent young woman, raced through the mind of the young demoness, but not at all in her cold, porcelain-looking face:

- Are you pissing me off on purpose?

- God forbid. - Sona grimaced at Neo's words, expecting pain from the "holy speech," but there was none. - Is something wrong?

- Why... How did you do it? - It was difficult for Sitri to comprehend what Neo had done. More precisely, how did he achieve this effect? Or no effect at all!

- You mean demons get hurt when they pray, and you weren't hurt just now? - The guy ruffled his hair and winked his eye. - How could I hurt my friend?

- Actually, this is very important information. - Sona said earnestly, leaning forward a little. - You broke the immutable law, you know? Anyway, I've never heard of such a thing!

- Oh, that's bad, isn't it? - Neo was confused, nervously taking off his glasses. - Are they coming for me now?

- Who's going to come for you now? - She cut herself off mid-sentence, glancing at the open door.

- Oops, am I interrupting something? I beg your pardon!

Standing in the doorway was a tall beautiful girl with long snow-white hair giving off a bluish color, emerald eyes, and a decent bust. Momo Hanakai. One of the members of the student council and, by extension, Sona's Elephant.

The girl was very kind, caring, and not lacking in tact, but only to those reasonable ones she recognized well. In everyday life she imitated her mistress rather well, veering coldly toward almost everyone, but in the circle of her companions Momo changed dramatically, opening up like a bud.

- Nothing, Momo-chan, it's okay. - Neo answered calmly, ignoring Sonja, who was practically climbing onto the table and hovering over the guy's face. - Do you need help?

Only now did Sitri realize what Momo might have been up to, and what "it" looked like from the outside.

Sona slowly returned to her original position, sitting down in the chair, and then calmly adjusted her glasses, all the while saying that nothing happened, and that everything that happened a moment ago was a fantasy or someone's sick fantasy.

- Hyodo Issei. - Momo walked into the office and shut the door behind her, pronouncing the name of one of the students as if it were a sentence. - He was hiding in the women's locker room again, except...

- What?" Sitri raised an eyebrow questioningly, looking at her writhing Elephant. - Cover him from the police again?

- No, no, this time, when the girls found him, they, uh... - Hanakai thoughtfully scratched the tip of her nose and sighed. - They let him peek, as long as he didn't take pictures or touch or steal underwear.

- What? Are you kidding me? - Sona opened her eyes wide, took off her glasses, and stared questioningly at Neo, who was refilling himself with tea. - Neo, don't you think that's strange?

- It's just that his wish came true. - said the boy, smiling at the corners of his lips. - Or did the girls give up on him? After all, he keeps getting beaten and explained that it's not okay to do that, and he's doing the same thing again, who knows?

- Maybe his mechanism somehow affects the mind, and he took advantage of that? - Sitri asked pensively, turning to herself.

It is one thing to know that a dragon-type mechanism, and quite another to know what it is.

Though there aren't many of them, there's even less information about certain sacred mechanisms. People with such mechanisms tended to die quickly, taking their secrets to the grave. Except that dragon mechanisms, most of the attacking or defensive type, which means that this must be a mechanism to support. The demoness knew about three such mechanisms, but for them to affect the mind...

- I don't think so, Sona-chan, as far as I understand these "dragon mechanisms" have something to do with dragons? - Mori put his cup aside, drawing attention to himself. - At a glance, I can only think of two reptiles that influenced people's minds-Samael* and Lucifer, depending on which scripture you choose. Perhaps he was a dragon? After all, any serpent has every chance of becoming a dragon, you just have to let it spread its wings and show blue skies...

- Neo, Samael, and Lucifer certainly weren't dragons. - Sona diverted her thoughts with a smile on Mori's hurt, offended, face at such a discovery. - What makes you think they were dragons anyway?

- Um... well, the image of the serpent seducing Adam and Eve? I mean, he influenced them with his words and is responsible for the fall of man. - Maury shook his hand in the air, sighing sadly. - Or something like that... So sad, isn't it?

- Don't be sad, Neo-chan, stories have always been different from reality. - Said Momo, taking a seat at a vacant chair near the desk.

- It's a shame, though. - continued the boy, looking at his trembling reflection inside the porcelain cup, half filled with a fragrant drink. - The truth is so different from what we see. It seems that give only a reason and the reasonable one will deceive himself. - the boy shifted his gaze to Sona nodding thoughtfully, agreeing with his friend's words. - Isn't that right, Sona-chan?

- Yes. More proof that being human is very, very bad, Neo-kun. - The demoness was beginning to enjoy mocking Neo. Even though it was purely childish, it was still pretty fun. - So don't delay with your "humanity" and agree to be transformed into a demon. Remember, then we can play all the chess we like.

- No, no, no, Sona-chan, you can't seduce my naive soul. Not today, anyway. - The boy laughed softly, as did a couple of his companions.

The demonesses loved the game of "drag the saint to the dark side. They weren't paying attention to the fact that Neo was human anymore; instead, the girls liked the undisguised irony in all the "bloodthirsty demons and naive humans" jokes.

Both girls believed that it was only a matter of time before Neo was demonized. He is already with them, putting himself in danger, and sooner or later, he will become a demon.

The secret world does not let go of those to whom it is revealed, and in this case, Mori is mired in it headlong.

He's with them now, but time is of the essence. Sooner or later they'll have to go back to the underworld, and even if the guy doesn't decide to demonize himself after that. time will beat him anyway. He'll get old, he'll get weak, or he'll get sick with an incurable disease, which the human world is full of.

So, in fact, he's already with them. Well, Sitri wanted to believe it, the girl didn't realize that she had become very attached to this strange guy, whose speeches quite often flashed double or even triple bottoms.

Sitri sympathized with the man... no, not a man, but a pet. It's quite normal to feel sympathy for one's pets, isn't it?

For a moment, Sona imagined Neo's two fox ears sticking out of his head, and him rubbing lovingly against her leg...

- Sona-chan, is everything okay?

- Y-yes. - She nodded gravely, adjusting her glasses. - I'm fine.

- You're blushing so much... - He got up and touched her forehead gently with his palm. - Do you have a fever? Shall I take you to the nurse's station?

- Ahem, no need. Don't forget, I'm a demon. Demons don't get human diseases. - Sitri glanced sideways into the boy's worried face, counting to five in her head.

The boy turned to Momo, holding his ruddy cheeks. It seemed as if several question marks were about to erupt over his head:

- Momo-chan, I don't quite understand... - Neo shrugged and, with a sigh, sat back in his seat, carefully picking up his cup. - Some kind of demonic humor, huh? It's not nice to make fun of ordinary people, Miss President and Miss Hanakai.

- Neo-chan, don't pout, it's women's humor... or something like that! - Momo was the first to pull herself together, chuckling sweetly at her friend's showy pout. - Okay?

- I'll think about it. - He nodded vigorously, putting a smile on the faces of the two opposite sexes. - I thought about it, and decided not to sulk. So what's this about dragons?

-= A few days later. Unknown Place. =-

In the middle of the clearing, surrounded by a special barrier to keep wild animals away and hide the area from the eyes of outsiders, stood a fat-looking man in a white cleric's robe. He was nervously twitching his long sleeve, waiting for the man who had summoned him.

The priest had curly gray hair and a wrinkled face, with kind, dark eyes hidden beneath round bicycle glasses. Few could have noticed the madness floating in the depths of his eyes.

Valper Galileo was not the best of the human race. This was understood by all who knew his past and the horrors he created in pursuit of his dreams. Fortunately, most of the individuals he worked with were not burdened by moral standards or humanity.

But the man didn't give it much thought. The exiled clergyman believed in his cause with all his heart. He lived it. He lived the holy swords and, in particular, Excalibur.

When Galileo realized that he could not use the holy sword he was desperate. The man had devoted his entire life to holy swords and such news hit him very hard.

He must have lost his mind the moment he heard the news that he was "not chosen.

Using a holy sword requires a gigantic amount of the attribute of light residing in the body, something Galileo certainly did not have.

Valper's despair was so great that it translated into something new. Into the birth of madness.

He had devoted his life to creating intelligent ones that could use holy swords. Too bad the fools of the church didn't appreciate his success...

But others did. The Fallen Angels, for example.

Well, and another man Valper worshipped for his genius. The first person in history to reach the rank of Paladin so quickly. And that at such a young age. To think, the first Paladin in three centuries had reached that rank at eighteen!

But Galileo knew the man's secret identity... knew his genius for working with souls. If the church found out about it, not only would he be stripped of his Paladin rank, but he would be banished, if not executed.

Valper was no fool and was well aware that no one would ever find out about it. Yes, he could have tried to ruin it, but... why destroy this man's genius work? On the contrary, he was willing to help him, to bring him material for research and more.

He would even pray for him, so great was Galileo's faith!

- Valper, hello. - A voice came from behind the exiled clergyman, making him shudder. - Isn't it a beautiful night?

Valper turned quickly toward the voice and immediately dropped to his knees, paying his respects to the young man in the clergyman's white robe. Around the black-haired*** guy's wrists were tied gold vines with sharp looking spikes, and a scarlet cross embroidered with gold threads ran across his chest, indicating the guy's rank.

- Eisen-dono, you have come at last! - The old man lowered his face and with a trembling hand fixed his glasses, which were almost asleep.

- How are the preparations going? - It seemed as if the fellow did not care for such a display of emotion by the kneeling man. In a way, it looked comical from the outside.

- I have it with me. - The man answered in a trembling voice, showing me the black crystal hanging around his neck, and then pulling it down. - As you asked, it contains the souls of six thousand people! It was difficult to collect them from all over the world, and it was impossible to conceal the disappearance of so much material.

- I know, Valper-kun, you did a good job. - Eisen smiled as he accepted the crystal and looked it over under the light of the moon. - As I promised, my part of the bargain...

The guy clenched his empty fist and slowly unclenched it, revealing a plain looking yellow pill, but if the demon had seen it, he would have recoiled in horror.

The pill contained a colossal amount of holy energy.

- That's... - Tears of happiness came out of Valper's eyes. - Is this really it?!

- Yes, Valper-kun, it's 'it'. - Eisen nodded, smiling at the corners of his lips and sitting down beside the sobbing old man. - It will allow you to wield the holy sword. Just like you wanted. Just swallow this little pill and your dream will come true. Simple, isn't it?

Galileo took the pill with a trembling hand, then pressed it to his chest, sobbing again. The next moment, he laughed a sobbing, crazy, cawing laugh and immediately swallowed the pill with a golden glow.

- Kha-ha-ha-ha-ha, finally, finally!

After a couple of minutes the glow disappeared, illuminating for the last time the small smile of the guy watching the light show:

- Valper-kun, give my greetings to Kokabiel. И... if it's not too much trouble, get me an exorcist's gun and send it to this address. For certain reasons, I don't have time to look for that trinket right now. - Eisen handed the man the note and, turning around, slowly began to walk away. - Goodbye, I'll let you know when we start.

- It will be done, Ais-. my God. - said the old man quietly as he fulfilled his secret dream. At that moment he realized the truth and, no matter what, he was ready to follow his God into the depths of the Underworld.

The God he had just found...

*The author knows what Samael's role is in the DhD world, but Sona doesn't, because it's a very old story.

**There is no such rank in the DhD; there are only priests and nuns like Asiyah, and exorcists, of course. But we will introduce such a rank in this world, as well as other ranks. After all, the church is a pretty powerful organization (knowing the experiments within it), so there should be a hierarchy.

***It's not a mistake.