Do you ever get that feeling of having a 'perfect story' in your head when you are about to go to sleep? Yeah, this is basically that. I was struggling to write the next chapters of either 'The Reborn Emperor' or 'The Twin Emperor'. So, instead of forcing myself to bring out a new chapter, I decided on writing something that was on my mind instead. Hope you all understand :)
"The world looks really beautiful today…" Issei thought as he was walking down the streets with a bright smile on his face.
Why would he not be so happy? He had just defeated Cao Cao and he was worshipped around the world as a savior.
He was currently looking at the natural beauty of the small town of Kuoh. The plants, trees, birds, animals, the blue sky, everything was beautiful.
There was nothing that could ruin this pleasant day!
Or so he thought.
Suddenly, his phone started ringing.
"Ello? Oh mom! What's up?...Alright I'll be home in a bit!" Issei could not remove the massive grin on his face as he talked with his mother. She said that she wanted to talk with Issei about something important. Issei knows that his mother wouldn't lie about it important, but he couldn't help but not be bothered. He was really happy, and there was nothing that could change that.
{Time Skip} {Scene Change}
"WHAT!?" Issei screamed out in confusion.
What Issei thought was a perfect day, was ruined with the snap of a finger.
"Y-Y-YOU KNEW THIS WHOLE TIME!?" Issei screamed out again.
"Of course we did, honey" Smiled his mother.
Issei and his parents were currently in the living room of their mansion. The rest of the residents were out doing their own thing. Kiba, Irina and Xenovia went out to practice their sword skills. Koneko was with Kuroka practicing Senjutsu and Youjutsu. Rossweisse had returned back to her home to further enhance her powers. Rias, Akeno, Ravel, Asia and Gasper went to the Gremory domain to practice their magic. Rias wanted Issei to come with her, but Issei wanted to stay alone for a bit. Rias was obviously displeased by Issei's words and tried hard to convince him. But in the end, she allowed Issei to stay by his own, as she knew that Issei was far from a weak being that needed constant protection.
Issei thought that he would be able to finally rest for a while, but it seems like all his hopes were shattered.
"We were big names in the supernatural, Issei. But after you were born, we decided to let go of that past and adopt a new name. Hyoudou" Smiled his father.
Issei sat down on the couch while resting his forehead on his palm. He was incredibly sore from just receiving all the knowledge.
"Y-y-you knew…this whole time? A-and you didn't care to tell me?" He said with a shaky tone.
Issei looked like he was about to burst out crying. His hair covered his eyes and his face went dark.
"We didn't want you do have any connection with the underworld, but that all changed when you became a devil" His father spoke up, "Of course, we don't hold that against you. After all, we had some…connections with the devils in the past." His father seemed to look at the floor and frown.
Issei's mother also frowned, "Although you dying three times is something we would hold against you" She said with slight anger in her tone.
Issei looked down with a dark face. He had a barrage of emotions bombarding him and he couldn't get a single one out.
His mother sighed, "Ok, let me be frank with you. We're moving"
…
…
…
Issei felt his soul being taken out of him.
"W-w-what!?"
"We're moving to a remote village in India" Said his father.
"But why!?" He stood up.
Issei's father spoke up, "Listen Issei. We have eyes and ears everywhere. They have been gathering information from the past few weeks and I'm telling you, the town will be in a mess."
"Alright, then our peerage can deal with it." He retorted.
"My boy, you don't understand…" His mother spoke.
"All we have to do is annihilate them like any other threat that has come to this town" Issei started breathing really hard.
"Issei..please listen to us-" His mother started again, this time with a worried face.
"I-I-I-I can't leave the down defenseless again! And I definitely can't leave the peerage defenseless either!" Issei was now panicking.
"IF YOU STAY HERE, IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE!" His father now spoke with a stern voice, silencing Issei.
"…what?" Issei couldn't believe what he just heard.
His father sighed and put his palm on his forehead, "Listen Issei, there are a lot of things that goes on behind the scenes, most of which are best kept a secret until the time is right. Just know that if you stay in this town longer, not only you, but everyone close to you will be in danger."
Issei stumbled back onto the couch.
His mother sighed and sat down next to Issei, "Listen Honey, you know that we only want the best for you. We know how much you love those girls and how much you care for your brothers, but we also know that you would want to keep them safe no matter what." She now put her hand on his shoulder, "So if not for everyone else, please accept it for the girls."
Issei had no words. He looked down at the floor with hollow eyes.
His mother was going to say something, but then,
"…I'll go…for the peerage…" said Issei with a broken voice.
His parents were, of course, not happy that their son was going to have to suffer. But it was the best option for everyone who is close to Issei.
"We're going to be leaving in three days. You can go up to your room and start packing or do whatever you want to kill time. We will deal with the peerage." Said his father.
Issei got up with a lifeless expression on his face and went out of the room.
"*Sigh*…Gorou…I hate seeing him like this…" His mother sighed.
"Me too, Miki. But you do remember what Indra told us if we didn't bring him…" Said Issei's father.
"Yes…I do." His mother sighed again.
{Scene Change – At Issei's bedroom}
"…why?" Issei asked himself "Why am I the reason?"
"[I don't know, partner. But from what I could feel, your parents aren't lying]" Said Ddraig.
Issei groaned and pushed his face onto his pillow.
"…why me man…"
For the next three days, Issei kept sulking. He barely ever got out of his room and when he did, he was completely emotionless.
His parents were worried, but they knew that it had to be done.
Finally, the day came when the peerage, Ravel and Irina will return. All of them decided to meet up with each other before they enter the house.
The first ones to arrive were Rias, Akeno, Asia, Ravel and Gasper. Shortly after, Kiba, Xenovia and Irina arrived.
"Hey!" Rias waved to them as they came nearer. The three waved back at Rias.
After the trio caught up.
"How was your training?" Rias asked the three.
The three brought out their swords.
Kiba his Holy demonic sword.
Xenovia her Ex-Durandel.
And Irina her weaker Holy demonic sword.
"I can safely say that I am at least three times as strong as I was before" Said Irina while puffing out her chest to show her 'supremacy'.
"That's pretty strong for a self-proclaimed angel..heh" Xenovia teased.
"Ok, muscle brain" Irina teased back.
Kiba just gave an awkward smile and sighed.
Soon, Rossweisse and Koneko also showed up.
"I have perfected myself in 30 more kinds of magic and my rook powers have increased exponentially." Rossweisse looked proud of herself.
"Nee-sama taught me a lot. I feel stronger" Koneko still had her usual stoic expression, but this time some light could be seen in her eyes.
Everyone started talking with each other on how they have improved. Everyone was especially surprised with how much Xenovia and Irina have improved.
"Yes! Finally! I might now have a chance with Issei as I have grown much stronger!"
"I can finally say that I am worthy for my childhood friend!"
Both Irina and Xenovia were under the impression that they were inferior to the rest of the group. Rias and Akeno are extremely strong Magic users. Kiba was a much stronger swordsman than them. Gasper had insane time stopping abilities. Rossweisse was flexible both as a strong rook and as a magic user. Koneko was a nekomata and had control over magic such as senjutsu and Youjutsu. Ravel was the smartest one and was the best one at forming strategies. Asia had a unique healing ability which made her really valuable.
Although Xenovia was the wielder of Durandel and Irina was the only Angel in the group, they could not help but feel inferior. In terms of being a swordsman, Kiba was much stronger and better than both of them. They thought that they were losing Issei to the other girls. So they trained extra hard.
"Anyways, shall we go in?" Asked Akeno.
Everyone nodded
Rias went ahead and rang the doorbell
Back with Issei in his bedroom.
Issei heard the doorbell but he didn't have the mental power to get up and answer it. He just stayed there, lying in his room. He couldn't stop thinking about what his parents said to him.
"….Ddraig?"
"[Yes partner?]"
"What do you think the threat could be?"
"[….hmmm…I'm not too sure partner. Although I do question the relation between you and the threat, I have already told you before that I do not question the validity of the relation between you and the threat. Your parents were really worried.]"
"Hmmmm. I guess….."
All Issei could do was fidget around in his bed, thinking of what might happen.
"WHAT!"
Issei heard a commotion downstairs.
"Huh…guess my parents told them about my transfer eh…" Issei thought.
Back with Miki and Gorou Hyoudou
"Y-Y-Y-YOU CAN'T DO THIS!" Rias screamed.
"Listen, Rias, we already talked with your brother about this…" Gorou started to explain to the peerage.
"AND HE AGREED!? AKENO! CALL FOR MY BROTHER THIS INSTANT!" Rias screamed.
Akeno was just as furious as Rias. She nodded and was about to form a communication circle.
"There won't be a need for that." A figure appeared from behind. The figure had a commanding voice. Long crimson red hair flowed down to the figure's shoulders. The figure was wearing noble clothes.
It was none other than the current Lucifer, Sirzechs.
"Onii-sama!" Rias exclaimed, "W-w-w-w-what is happened here! Why is my Ise being taken away!" She confronted her brother.
Sirzechs sighed.
"Rias, you know how much I care about you and your peerage, right?" he asked.
Rias was suspicious, but she nodded.
"Then, if I say that Issei and his parents moving away will be the best thing for the safety of all of you, what would you say?" Sirzechs asked again.
Rias was about to answer, but she closed her mouth. Tears started forming in her eyes.
"I-I-I DON'T WANT HIM TO LEAVE! HE IS MY BELOVED ISSEI!" She screamed, "HE IS ALSO MY PAWN! HOW CAN I BE COMPLETE WITHOUT AN ESSENTIAL PART!"
"Haaa…Look Rias, Issei's parents are well known figures in the upper devil community. I was surprised when I first met them. There are some things that are best kept quiet, but just know that if Issei continues to stay here, then saying that there will be a problem would be an understatement"
Rias continued crying and retorting. The rest of them also were in agreement with Rias. How could such a precious piece be taken away from them!?
Back up in the bedroom with Issei
Issei was smiling, but his eyes were full of tears.
"I'm glad that they still consider me a valuable piece" He said with a broken voice.
"[Don't say that partner. You will always be a valuable piece for them]" Ddraig comforted Issei.
Issei suddenly fell his eyelids becoming heavy. He didn't try to fight it, instead, he welcomed it. After a few minutes, he dozed off.
{Time Skip – Evening}
*Knock* *Knock*
Issei woke up to the sound of knocking on his room.
Issei sleepily got up from his bed and opened the door.
".hmmm…yes?" He said while rubbing his eyes.
After he opened his eyes and was conscious of his surroundings, he saw three figures. His parents and Sirzechs
"Issei, we need to talk…" Said Sirzechs.
Issei was confused but he nodded. After the four were sitting comfortably,
"Issei, you must know how much it pains me to see my sister heartbroken…" Sirzechs said with a saddened expression.
Issei nodded.
"But I, as a Maou, must ensure safety of our people over everything else, you must know this as well, Right?" Asked Sirzechs again.
Issei nodded once more.
"…*Sigh*…ok, how should I say this…" Sirzechs thought for a while
"…say…what…exactly?" Issei questioned.
Sirzechs looked at Issei's eyes. They were too pure. He would believe anything and everything that was told to him. Sirzechs couldn't help but be sad for the boy, as he knew what was going to happen if he continued staying here.
"Haaahh…I'll be frank with you Issei. You need to have your evil pieces removed…"
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Life had stopped for Issei at that point.
"W-W-W-W-WHA-!" Issei screamed in disbelief.
Issei's father quickly held Issei's shoulders, "Don't worry. Me and your mother are fluent in many sorts of magic, one of which is un-consequential extraction. Your pawn pieces can be extracted without the loss of your soul or your devil blood."
Issei looked down at his chest.
"But…why? This is the only connection I have to the peerage…" Issei had tears on his eyes.
Sirzechs sighed and put his hand on Issei's shoulders.
"Why do you think I'm doing this Issei?" He asked him with a serious face.
Issei looked down with a saddened expression.
"…to keep your people safe…"
Sirzechs closed his eyes and nodded.
.
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.
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After what seemed like an eternity of silence, Issei spoke.
"I'll…do it"
Issei's face was covered by his bangs. Small droplets of water was seen flowing down his cheeks. The grip on his knees became tighter. Issei's parents felt heartbroken at this scene, but what could they do?
"Alright then, I'll start the process…" Said Issei's father, Gorou.
{Time Skip – Few hours later}
Issei was tired from the ritual that just took place. He was now on his bed sleeping.
Sirzechs took the pawn pieces that ejected out from him and converted them to unused pieces so that Rias could use them again.
Sirzechs brought the pieces to Rias and her peerage. There was outrage at first, but then Sirzechs explained the situation to Rias.
Rias just embraced her brother and continued crying.
"It's not fair! It's not fair!" She kept on repeating.
{Time Skip – Moving day}
Everything was packed and ready to go. The peerage, except Issei, Irina and Ravel were near the entrance of the house saying their goodbyes to Issei's parents.
Everyone was feeling down. How could they not? Suddenly, an important person in their lives was going away for an indefinite amount of time!
"Has anyone seen Issei?" Rias asked, "I haven't seen him since morning"
Everyone started to look at each other and shrugged. No one had seen Issei today. To be honest, no one had seen Issei since yesterday.
"I am here…"
Everyone looked in the direction the voice came from.
Issei was seen behind his parents outside the house.
"I had to…release steam" he said with a broken voice
His eyes were swollen red and his smile seemed more bitter than they had ever seen.
Everyone's heart shattered at the scene. Issei had been…crying his heart out.
"Ise…" Rias whispered with a heartbroken voice
She was on the verge of breaking down. She was managing to keep herself composed during the farewell, but after seeing Issei's face…
"Issei," Miki spoke, "We have to go, or we'll miss our flight"
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.
.
After a few seconds, Issei nodded. He didn't even look up to take a glance at his former peerage members.
He got into the car. His parents bid the others farewell.
"Don't worry, we will take care of Issei" Gorou assured the group.
The group only nodded.
Soon, Gorou and Miki got into the car as well.
As the car started moving, Issei looked into the side mirror.
He was seeing flashbacks of his time with the group. The day when he turned into a devil, Kiba called for him. He always thought that Kiba was some 'pretty boy' that got girls after him without even trying. But after spending so much time with him, he came to think of him as his brother. He knew that even though he would not be here, Kiba would do well to protect the group.
Asia was the most innocent girl he had ever met. Even though he was the definition of a pervert, he would do well to keep his perverseness away from Asia. He would protect her from other people who had evil intentions towards Asia. She was so innocent that she would try to help a person who just tried to kill her.
Koneko despised Issei. She could not stand Issei's perverseness. She used to punch and kick him whenever he let his pervert attitude loose. However, after quite some time, Koneko saw Issei in a new light. A guy who you can depend upon. A guy that understands you. A guy that will never betray you. Due to that reason, Koneko is now deeply attatched towards Issei.
Akeno was always fond of Issei ever since she set eyes on him. He was a pervert, sure, but he didn't treat women like objects. He knew that even though he has a fascination for breasts, he couldn't fawn over them the whole day. He would have to spend time with the woman he likes and cure her of her problems. And Issei did just that with Akeno. He fawned over her body, but at the same time helped Akeno in overcoming her past trauma.
Gasper and Issei have a weird connection. Although Issei doesn't see eye to eye with Gasper on the cross dressing thing, he still thinks of Gasper as his brother. They got stronger together, laughed together, endured sorrow together.
Xenovia is as much of a muscle brain as Issei is. Rather than thinking, they prefer to attack head on. This is why they got along initially, well, also because Xenovia kept on trying to persuade him to have kids with her. But as time went on, Xenovia realized that Issei was much more than a 'strong child producer'. He was a dependable guy who never backed down on his word. Slowly but surely, Xenovia got attracted to him as well.
Irina's relationship with Issei is similar to Xenovia's. Although she is not as much a muscle brain as Xenovia is, she still prefers to attack head on rather than thinking. She was Issei's childhood friend, but she couldn't help but feel more distant that the others. She thought that Issei would be indifferent towards her after she became an angel, but he didn't. He treated her similarly to the other girls. Although it was much tamer, she also seemed to like Issei.
Rossweisse was indifferent towards Issei's perverse behavior. Instead, she thought that his perverseness was a defining trait. Although she didn't admit it, she had a thing for Issei. The way he steps up for everyone and takes the lead when Rias was not there was admiring. She is the only one who doesn't want to be spoiled by Issei, but a part of her wants to be spoiled by him.
Ravel initially had a negative impression towards Issei, similar to Koneko. He was a disgusting pervert who dared to challenge her brother. She was even more surprised that he actually ended up defeating her brother in the end. After that, she started thinking about him from time to time. Initially she only remembered his disgusting pervert traits. But later, she remembered some of his more 'cool' traits. In the end, she transferred to Kuoh and now is madly in love with Issei.
And of course, Rias. The person who made Issei's life more interesting. The person who Issei saved from being sold off. The person who Issei looked up to. The person who Issei loved. Without her, Issei would have probably still been peeking on the Kendo club girls. Likewise, without Issei, Rias would have probably been married to Riser, a person she despised. The amount of love they had for each other was unrivalled.
All of that was soon about to be washed away, as the Hyoudou's car disappeared into the horizon
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{Scene Change} {Time Skip – 7 years}
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"So…I passed huh…why do I feel empty on the inside?"
Seven years.
It has been seven years since the transfer of the Hyoudous. Many tried contacting them, but all was in vain. Since Issei's pawn pieces were ejected, the Gremory group had no way of contacting him through their pieces. Everything was radio silent.
The underworld had changed in the past seven years as well. There were many new large buildings selling many sorts of goods. The amount of re-incarnated devils have increased tremendously. The number of large tournaments have also increased. People were getting stronger, but the majority of re-incarnated devils were still really weak. Ratings games caused a large uproar nowadays. There have been official rankings and [King] pyramids made. Currently, there has not been much things that have threatened the lives of beings. The leader of Khaos Brigade, Rizevim Livan Lucifer, was caught before he could unseal Trihexa. Euclid Lucifuge was also captured. However, shortly after both of them were caught, they seemed to escape and were never found. The Khaos Brigade has been really quiet ever since.
For the first time ever, Devils and Fallen Angels were freely allowed to roam in heaven and Angels were allowed to roam in the underworld. Of course there were many restrictions, but for the most part they were free. The relationship between the three factions have improved greatly so that is the reason they allowed travel to the underworld and heaven. Fallen Angels have finally created a re-incarnation system. Since the "Universal Rating Game", the Angels have improved on the game pieces so that it can be used on Re-incarnated angels and pure angels in order to make them a part of a 'peerage', as universal rating games were much more common. So, the Fallen Angels have also improved on the Universal game pieces so that they could be used to re-incarnate beings into Fallen Angels.
"…the others passed as well huh…"
In the midst of the busy road of the underworld, a woman was looking at her phone. The girl had blue hair with green and golden-brown strands. She had a voluptuous figure and was wearing a white blazer and blue jeans. The blazer had a red symbol on its pockets. That symbol was oddly familiar…
Suddenly, a communication circle opened up next to the woman.
["Xenovia…I assume the results are positive?"]
"Yes Buchou…"
["Hmmm, I see. So finally, the entire Gremory Peerage is full with Ultimate Class Devils. Congratulations!"]
"Thank you, Buchou. I shall be back on duty immediately after delivering the certificates"
["Expected of my vigilant Knight. But you will only be on half duty today. You need some rest, especially after working so hard for the promotion."]
"If you say so, Buchou."
The communication circle was cut.
The girl was none other than Xenovia Quarta. Her usual blue hair has gone much darker than before. It went from Cerulean Blue to Navy Blue. The green highlights on her hair were now on both sides of her forehead and their color seemed to now be closer to turquoise. She also had small strands of golden-brown hair beneath her blue and turquoise hair. She had the perfect figure and beauty. Any man, or woman for that matter, would blush at the sight of her.
In her hand was a certificate.
To Xenovia Quarta
[Knight] of [King] Rias Gremory
In your promotion exam, you have been granted 10/10 in terms of practical examination and 9.5/10 for the written. This averages out to 9.75/10.
The score needed to be promoted to an Ultimate Class devil is 9/10. So this means that you have now attained the Rank of Ultimate Class.
You will be receiving the title of "Duke" from your [King]
Congratulations
"Tsk…9.75. I could have done better…" Xenovia said to herself in a displeased manner.
This promotion test was one of the toughest tests they have ever conducted, but she still believes that she missed the mark.
"Ise-kun would have done better…" She thought to herself.
No one has heard from him in seven years, but their desire to see him has not gotten any lower. Instead, it's been at an all time high. They want to share the good news with him, but alas, that was only a dream.
Along with hers, she also took the certificates of Asia and Rossweisse.
"…Asia got 10 in the written test, but got a 9 in the practical. For a bishop that mainly specializes in healing, that's amazing…Rossweisse got 10 in the written one and a 9.5 in the practical, basically the opposite of me. Well…considering how busy Rossweisse was during the promotion test, this is honestly a great score. But for me who got all the time to prepare…" Xenovia looked down at her score.
After shaking her head to clear her thoughts, she created a magic circle and teleported out of there.
{Scene Change}
Xenovia teleported in front of a huge Mansion in the human world. We don't need an introduction for this place. It is none other than the "Hyoudou Manor". They could have changed the name, but they decided not to honor their former pawn.
*Ding* *Dong*
Xenovia rang the doorbell
*Creak*
The door was opened by Ravel.
"Ah, Xenovia. Congratulations!" Ravel greeted Xenovia.
Ravel was rather small seven years ago, but now she is really tall. Xenovia herself is around 6 foot tall, but Ravel is even taller at 6'1. It was to be expected, all of her family members were really tall. Her figure has also improved. She was wearing a red sweatshirt with orange flames. It had the Gremory symbol on the cap that it had. The rest of her appearance was largely the same. It was the same beautiful face, same beautiful hair and the same beautiful style of her hair.
After Issei left, the Gremory group was much weaker than before. Not just mentally, but also physically. Issei was the strongest member of their peerage and they had just lost him. To make up for that loss, everyone trained harder.
Rias's brother Sirzechs had given her 8 pawn pieces which used to be Issei's. However, they were cleaned and were rendered re-usable. Rias would initially refuse to add new members, saying that it would dishonor Issei. But later, she realized that not putting these pawn pieces to good use would be more of a dishonor to Issei. So, she decided to recruit new members.
The first member she recruited was Ravel. Rias traded 3 pawn pieces to , which would then be converted into an unused bishop piece, for Ravel. Ravel readily agreed to be a part of Rias's peerage.
The next member who was recruited was Sona's Ex-pawn, Ruruko Nimura. Since she was previously a pawn that cost 1 piece, Rias traded over one pawn to Sona in exchange for Ruruko. Sona was practically forced to be the head of the Sitri clan, so she welcomed the idea of trading her peerage members so that they could continue fighting. Ruruko would still be in close contact with her Ex-King and would aid her whenever needed.
The last member to be recruited was Loup Garou or Rugal, which was his nickname. Although the 8 pawn pieces were cleaned, it seemed like one piece was still converted into a mutation piece even after the cleansing procedure. This made it so that Rias could trade the last 4 pawn pieces to Sona, which would then be converted to a rook piece, in exchange for Rugal. Both Rugal and Ruruko are extremely loyal to Rias and have trained with her for over 5 years at this point.
"Thank you very much, Ravel. Although I could have performed better." Xenovia said in a slightly disheartened tone.
Ravel pouted
"Mou! Don't say that! You worked hard. You were already troubled with the mission that was given to you by the higher ups at the last minute, which made you, Rossweisse and Asia miss the exam and Ruruko and Rugal gave it alone. On top of that, all of you were very busy during the final days. I'm sure that you did your best!" Ravel tried to comfort Xenovia.
Xenovia gave a bitter smile, "Yeah, I guess so…but Ise-kun would have done better if he was in my shoes"
Ravel looks down at the ground with a sad face, remembering her memories with her beloved senpai. She quickly shakes her head and regains her calming smile.
"I'm sure he would be proud of your performance" She said.
This seemed to comfort Xenovia slightly. She nodded her head. She was ushered inside by Ravel.
"So, any news?" She asked while crashing on the sofa.
"Eh, the usual. Stray devil here, Stray magician there, honestly nothing out of the ordinary" Said Ravel with a shrug.
"Ahh, I see" Xenovia yawned.
Ravel pouted again.
"Xenovia! You should learn some manners" She scolded
"Eh? But it's only you…haaaaaaahhhhh" She yawned again.
Ravel's cheeks puffed up even more.
"I know, but these kinds of habits stick around. I'm telling you, one day you will be in a really tight position and then you will feel the need to yawn. But due to not learning manners, you won't be able to keep it in an-"
"Yeah yeah I get it mom" Xenovia deadpanned.
Ravel's face went red after Xenovia's comment.
"HMPH!" she humphed and went inside the house.
"heh…" Xenovia let out a small chuckle and rested her head on the couch. She was now looking directly at the white ceiling.
For some time, she kept on staring at the white ceiling for no particular reason. She liked to do this sometimes as it reminds her of her heart.
Empty
"Oh! Xenovia-san! You're back!"
Xenovia heard a very innocent voice behind her.
"Asia, how many times have I told you to get rid of the honorifics?" Xenovia smiled while not looking back.
It was none other than the ex-nun Asia. Like the other girls, her figure has improved greatly. She is a rather voluptuous lady with an innocent face. Her hair is exactly the same as it was before. Blonde, long and well combed. She is also decently tall now at 5'10.
"Umm…it feels weird referring to you without the 'san'." Asia wriggled her body in a cute manner.
Xenovia smirked. Oh how innocent this girl is.
"You really are a monster with an innocent face" Xenovia commented.
Asia blushed madly at her comment.
After the departure of Issei, Asia was determined to get stronger for her group. She trained for long and trained hard. Asia is now not only one of the finest healers in the underworld, but also one of the finest users of explosive magic. Although the other girls were much stronger, many people dreaded fighting against Asia more than the others. Her expertise in explosive magic knocked the screws out of many of her enemies. They were bounced around, blown away into the sky, had their bones broken and what not! Of course, being the girl she is, she always comes to the healing centre after the games to heal the enemies she and her peerage defeated.
"X-X-Xenovia! Please don't tease me like that!" She blushed madly.
"Heheh, looks like you get used to referring to people without the honorifics when you are flustered eh?" Xenovia smirked.
Asia quickly realized that she forgot the honorifics. Her eyes went wide and she covered her mouth with both of her hands. She then ran off with an 'EEEEEEEKKKKKKKKKK'.
"Heheh, oh Asia…" She smiled, "Hey! You forgot your certificate!" Xenovia shouted from the living room.
As she started running after Asia, she bumped into someone.
"Waah!"
SLIP
"ooof" She fell on the floor.
As she was rubbing her head,
"~Ara-Ara, Xenovia. You should be more careful while running~"
It was Akeno. Truth be told, apart from the increase in height, she is basically the same. She was already a matured woman seven years ago. She is now 6 foot, similar to Xenovia. Her usual "Onee-sama" figure is still there and she is as pretty as she always was.
"Ouch, sorry. I had to give this to Asia…" She showed the certificate.
"Oooo! So what Rias told me was true!" Akeno seemed to be losing her usual calm and collected self and started becoming more childish.
"…yeah..." replied Xenovia.
Akeno was too happy to see the despair in Xenovia's eyes.
"Finally! The entire Gremory peerage is full of Ultimate Class devils!" She exclaimed.
Yes, the entire Gremory peerage was now full of Ultimate Class devils. The first one to get promoted was Rias. Then it was Ravel, as she was already a High class devil at that point. Then Kiba, Akeno, Koneko and Gasper, Ruruko and Rugal, and Asia, Rossweisse and Xenovia. The entire peerage was performing extremely well and was mentioned in the "Top 25 Strongest Peerages" list made by Diehauser Belial and Zekram Bael. They were ranked at No. 12. The entire peerage was mentioned there…
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.
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Even Issei Hyoudou.
As Akeno recalled that memory, her happy face died down into a bitter smile.
"I…see why you are sad…" She said, acknowledging that fact that Xenovia was not as happy as she should have been.
Xenovia takes one more look at her certificate.
"…Ise should have been celebrating with us…" She says with a bitter smile, "…but…the past is the past. I guess I should be happy that I attained this rank."
Akeno was disheartened at Xenovia's sorrowful words, but then smiled back at her.
"Yes, you should. Oh! Look at the time. I have a meeting to attend, please excuse me. Congratulations once more!" She looked at the clock and her eyes widened. She walked briskly and congratulated Xenovia once more before leaving.
Xenovia sighed and went upstairs.
She stood before the entrance of a room.
It was Issei's former room.
Although it's been seven years, everyone still thinks twice before entering this room. However, this room has now transformed into something else.
CREAK
Xenovia slowly opened the door.
"…-the report will be finished by tomorrow evening…No no! It's not big deal…It's fine, I can manage…welcome!"
The room had now been converted into an office. In the middle of the room was the Crimson-haired Princess of Destruction, Rias Gremory.
Apart from Akeno, she is the one who has changed the least. She even wears her Kuoh High uniform as a normal dress. Of course, she has gotten taller at a height of 6 foot, so her dress is also larger. But apart from that, it's the same beauty.
"Oh! Xenovia! I didn't see you for a moment. Please sit down!" Rias greeted Xenovia with a smile.
Seeing Rias's smile always calms Xenovia.
She sat on the chair which was on the opposite side of Rias's desk.
"Congrats Xenovia! I already congratulated Asia and Rossweisse beforehand. Unfortunately, Rossweisse, Koneko and Gasper were called to Northern Europe to settle some disputes there." Rias congratulated Xenovia.
"Thank you, Rias. It wouldn't have been possible without an amazing master" Xenovia smiled at Rias. Those words were true.
Rias had a light blush after hearing that.
"Oh, c'mon. You flatter me too much" Rias waved her hand.
Xenovia smiled at Rias. She then looked to the right of Rias, where a picture of the group was there.
Even Issei was there.
Rias seemed to notice that Xenovia's gaze was directed elsewhere. Rias looked towards where Xenovia was looking at.
"Ah…" Rias let out a small 'ah' as she saw what Xenovia was looking at. She too was looking at the picture for a few minutes.
"…Is there really no way of contacting him?" Xenovia had slight tears in her eyes. Her voice was broken and low.
Rias looked at Xenovia's face for a few seconds. She then closed her eyes, got up and went towards Xenovia.
GRIP
She pulled up Xenovia and gave her a hug.
"It's ok, let it all out…" Rias said in a soft voice.
While Xenovia couldn't really 'burst out in tears', she did sob lightly while hugging Rias.
She made so many memories with him. The adventures they went on, the hardships they faced together, the victories they gained together. They did all of that together, yet she couldn't share the good news of being promoted with him. The memories she made with Issei seemed to have lost their meaning…
"It's alright, Xenovia. You were the only one who was keeping in these feelings for so long. You need to let it out as well…" Whispered Rias, "I too, am still…deeply hurt…" Her voice starts to break slightly. "Ise-kun was my…everything. My pawn, my servant, my partner, my friend…my lover…everything… I don't think that I will ever be able to completely recover without him, but I have to try my best, for the sake of us all. And you should too. Ise-kun would want to see your brave side, Xenovia." Rias had tears rolling down her face as well.
After a few minutes, Xenovia stopped.
"…better?" Asked Rias.
"…loads…" Replied Xenovia, still having a broken voice.
Rias broke the hug and gave Xenovia a warm smile.
"Now go and wash your face, we wouldn't want Irina to see you in such a condition when she comes to congratulate you, would we?" She said.
Xenovia's eyes widened. "AAHHH I FORGOT!"
Xenovia quickly ran down the stairs. Rias giggled at this sight.
"…oh Ise, your disappearance still affects us all…" She gave a bitter smile to no one in particular.
Xenovia quickly went to the washroom and started washing her face. She was going to meet Irina after a long time.
Irina was promoted to an Ultimate Class Angel and she is one of the [Knights] of Archangel Michael, the other knight being Griselda Quarta. She is the protector of Manchester in England, which is a territory controlled by the Angels. Although the three factions are now allied with each other, they still want to keep their previous territories to themselves. Irina and Griselda are famously known as "The Angelic Knights", similar to "Swords of Gremory" title given to Kiba and Xenovia. So, they have been busy with all the stuff going on in heaven. The Gremory Group was also busy in the affairs going on in the underworld, so Irina and the Gremory Group were not able to meet for a long time. But today Irina was able to take leave from heaven to visit the Gremory Group.
"Crap! I am such a terrible friend! I forgot that she was visiting today!" Xenovia dried her face with a towel and combed her hair.
In the midst of combing her hair…
*Ding* *Dong*
"SHOOT!" Screamed Xenovia. She combed her hair a bit too hard and now the comb was stuck to her hair.
"Xenovia!? Are you ok?" Said a voice. It was Ruruko.
Ruruko is a brunette who is 5'11. Although her figure wasn't as well defined as someone like Xenovia, she still had a voluptuous figure. She had two long pony tails which flowed till her hips. She was flatter than the other girls in the peerage, but she still had a decent size! What she is missing in breasts, was made up in her hips. Her hips were extremely well defined and had a nice hourglass shape.
She was previously in love with Saji, but seeing as Saji's love for Sona didn't die down even after her obvious hints, she seemed to have lost interest in him. She doesn't really have a boy that she likes at the moment, but she seems to have a deep affection for Issei after his stories were told her by the rest of her peerage.
"Y-y-yes! I am fine! Could you get the door for me? I am kind of occupied at the moment." Said Xenovia as she desperately tried to get the comb unstuck.
"Uhmmm ok!" Ruruko rushed to open the door.
GHAK-CHAK
CREAK
As Ruruko opened the door, a lady was seen.
The woman had long orange hair which was tied into two pony-tails. She had a body similar to Xenovia's. Slim and voluptuous. She was slightly thinner than Xenovia but also slightly taller than her at 6'1. She was wearing a golden-yellow coat with a symbol on the breast-pocket.
The symbol represented an angel with six pairs of wings.
"Oh! Ruruko! It's been so long!"
"Irina! It certainly has!"
Of course, it was none other than Shidou Irina.
"Please come in!" Ruruko ushered her inside.
"Oh don't be so formal with me" Irina waved her hand in a 'swatting' manner. "By the way, congratulations on becoming an Ultimate class devil! I didn't get the chance to congratulate you." Irina smiled.
Ruruko smiled back. "Thank you!"
THUMP
They heard the noise of someone falling on the floor.
They both rushed to the location of the sound.
"XENOVIA!" Irina shouted.
Xenovia was on the floor with her face facing the ground. Her hair seems to be in a mess and something was stuck to it as well.
Xenovia looked up.
Her face was red due to the impact and there were small tears coming out of her eyes.
"…*Sniff*…I hate combs…*Sniff*…" she said.
Ruruko chuckled slightly while Irina just sighed and put her palm on her forehead.
"Ahhhhh…you are still such a child Xenovia…" she nodded her head horizontally.
She helped Xenovia to stand up. She made her sit down on the couch and fixed her face. She managed to get the comb out of her hair as well.
Xenovia was looking down at the floor while this was happening.
Irina saw this and gave a curious look towards Xenovia.
"I expected you to be more…happy? I mean, you did achieve the rank of an Ultimate Class Devil after all. Congratulations, by the way!" Said Irina
Xenovia looked at her and mustered up a smile.
"Thanks, but…it doesn't feel right" She said.
Irina immediately knew what she was talking about. After all, she went through the same thing when she was promoted.
Irina hugged Xenovia.
"Hey, you're not alone in this" She whispered, "I also felt the same thing when I was promoted, everyone who was close to Ise-kun did. But remember that Ise-kun would be proud of all of us. After all, we have attained a high ranking in the world, something which Ise-kun also wanted. Seeing that you all have made the Gremory Group such a big name in the supernatural will make Ise-kun proud of you." She said.
She then turned towards a different part of the room, "All of you"
Xenovia looked towards where Irina was looking at.
She saw Asia peeking through the corner of the wall. Her eyes were red and she had tears rolling down her cheeks.
Xenovia smiled at Asia. She outstretched her arms, implying that Asia should join them in the hug.
Asia practically leapt into Xenovia's embrace.
She started sobbing uncontrollably.
"…I want Ise-san…I want Ise-san!" She kept on repeating.
The church trio hugged for a long time.
After what felt like hours, they broke the hug.
"Feel better?" Xenovia asked Asia.
Asia nodded while rubbing the tears off of her eyes.
Ruruko was witnessing the situation from the background. She was thinking how it might have affected Sona, who was very close to Issei.
"Ummm…if you have the time, I would like to listen to more of Issei-kun's stories…" Said Ruruko while wriggling her body.
The church trio smiled at her.
"Of course, come sit here" Irina made some room beside her where Ruruko could sit on.
As Ruruko was about to sit…
"Gremory Peerage, please assemble at the main office. This is not a drill, I repeat, this is not a drill!"
This line echoed throughout the household.
"Kiba?" Irina asked.
"I have no clue what's, but if it is not a drill then it has to be important!" Said Xenovia.
Xenovia, Asia. Ruruko and even Irina immediately created teleportation circles and teleported to the main office.
{Scene Change}
As the light from the magic circle died down, the four found themselves in a large room. The room was full of battle gear like armors, swords, maces, axes and also various gadgets. The whole room was colored in coral blue. There was a giant circle on the floor at the centre of the room.
"Good, your summoning times have decreased. But it's still not optimal"
From the shadows came out a man. He was really tall at around 6'2-6'3. He had blond hair which flowed down to his ear and was neatly combed. The man had a prominent mole under his left eye. He was a fit and fine man.
"Kiba, didn't you say that it wasn't a drill?" Asked Ravel.
Yes, this man was none other than Kiba Yuuto, one half of "The Swords of Gremory".
"It wasn't, but I still thought of measuring your reaction speed." Said Kiba with a straight face, "Satan Lucifer wants to talk to us"
Considering their place in the supernatural, it wasn't out of the blue for the strongest being in the underworld to want to chat with them. But hearing Kiba's tone, it seemed like the Satan had something important to share.
"Alright, let us hear what my brother wants to say" said Rias.
Kiba nodded. He went near the glass circle which was on the floor and pushed a button.
FWOOM
A holographic control center popped up. Kiba was pressing a few buttons.
"Wow! You guys actually got that working!" Irina exclaimed.
"Irina! Welcome! I didn't see you there! And yes, we did." Rias greeted Irina with a bow.
"No worries, you were busy after all." Said Irina with a smile.
The others also greeted Irina.
"The connection has been set, Sirzechs should be picking up any moment…" said Kiba.
After a few minutes.
ZWONG
A hologram appeared in the middle of the room. It was none other than Sirzechs Lucifer and his [Queen] Grayfia Lucifuge.
"Onii-Sama, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Asked Rias.
Sirzechs faced Rias. He smiled as he saw her.
"Why so formal? Is it weird for a brother to congratulate her sister and her peerage for achieving such a big name?" Sirzechs smiled. Grayfia didn't say anything but also smiled at Rias.
Rias smiled back at her brother, "Thank you very much. But I would assume that you also have some other news for us, considering that Yuuto called for us immediately" Rias smirked.
Sirzechs smirked back.
"You have gotten much better at deducing, Rias. Yes, I do have some news for you…" Sirzechs then closed his eyes. His smiling face faded into a serious one. He seemed to regain his aura of a 'Maou', "…and it isn't pretty"
Everyone there raised an eyebrow at Sirzechs's words.
"Grayfia, if you would…" Sirzechs looked at his wife.
The silver haired maid nodded and snapped her fingers.
WHOOSH
A picture appeared before them
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Everyone stepped back a few steps as they saw the absolutely terrifying picture in front of them.
Although the picture was hazy, a figure could bee seen.
The figure had its hair cover its eyes. The figure was tall and rather skinny. Veins could be seen on it's arms and legs. There were two red dots which were glowing from behind its hair which was thought to be its eyes. The figure also had a nasty and maniacal grin. But that was far from the worst part of the picture.
.
.
.
Blood
.
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.
There was blood everywhere. Multiple wounds on its arms, legs, torso and face had lots of blood coming out of them. Even the floor of where the picture was taken was full of blood. There were two distinct streams of blood from behind the figure's hair.
Those were bloodstreams flowing from its eyes.
"W-w-w-what is this!?" Asia screamed. She was the most squeamish person in the peerage and was absolutely terrified of this picture.
Sirzechs sighed.
"This is a stray devil we have been trying to capture for a long time. He goes by the name "Bloodhunter". Every time we get close to capturing him, he slips away…" Sirzechs said in a disappointed tone.
"…I know it's not my place to ask, but do you have any history on this devil?" Asked Irina.
Sirzechs faced Irina.
"…Not much. We only know that he has strayed from his master, as his pieces were seemingly 'corrupted'. We don't know who his master was, what is piece is, or his intentions for straying." Said Sirzechs.
"I see…" Said Irina with a thoughtful face.
"I presume you want us to take this situation into our own hands?" Rias spoke.
Sirzechs nodded
"While I am a Maou, I have a lot of work to do in the underworld. I can't keep on trying to find one stray devil when I am being called for a meeting every other day." He sighed.
Everyone was slightly confused at his words.
For the first time, Rugal spoke up.
"Why were you trying to capture him in the first place? Wouldn't you have some other peerage handle it?" He asked with a stoic voice.
Sirzechs gave a loud sigh.
But this time, Grayfia spoke up.
"Because, he is the first SSS Class stray devil"
.
.
.
Everyone had a hard time digesting Grayfia's words.
"SS…S?" Akeno spoke in surprised tone.
Grayfia nodded
"He is comparable to Ultimate Class Devils. How he is so strong is something we have yet to decipher. All we know is that he is one of the strongest sword-wielders we have encountered." She said.
This piqued Kiba's interest.
"Sword-wielder? Do you know the nature of the sword?" He asked.
Grayfia nodded horizontally.
"No. We can only get so much information from the mentally scarred witnesses" She said.
"Witnesses?" Ravel spoke this time.
"Oh yes! This stray devil is weird…" Sirzechs spoke again, "Usually, stray devils are mindless killing beasts who would kill anyone who they pleased. But this one is different. He has killed people, for sure, but he doesn't go on a rampage. He only kills the people he targets, and even if there are witnesses around he doesn't even scratch them. Kind of like he is on some sort of a mission."
"So…he has targets?" Xenovia asked.
Sirzechs nodded.
"Sorry, I can't stay for longer. I have to attend a meeting. I will talk to you all later."
And just like that, the hologram disappeared.
.
.
.
"This is…troublesome…" Said Xenovia
"Although my brother didn't say it, I am pretty sure he will send us some sort of coordinates when there is another sighting…" Said Rias.
"I shall assist you in your endeavors!" Stated Irina.
"Irina? Are you sure? Wouldn't it be bad to have heaven involved in such devil issues?" Xenovia asked with concert.
Irina wicked at her. "We are allies, remember? And also, I am part of this household as well! I shall assist you"
Xenovia sighed and gave her a smile.
"SSS rank…" Rias was in her own thoughts.
She felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked back to see that it was Akeno.
"Don't worry Rias. Even if he is an SSS class stray devil, we are the Gremory Group. The number of people who can defeat us can be counted on one hand." Said Akeno with an assuring smile.
Rias sighed and closed her eyes.
"Thank you, Akeno."
Akeno nodded.
{Time Skip} {Scene Change}
"This is…really troublesome"
Rossweisse, Gasper and Koneko have returned from their trip. They have just been given the gist of what Sirzechs
Rossweisse looked the same as she did seven years ago, except she was taller. She was around 6 foot. Her voluptuous body, beautiful white hair and strong personality still remained.
Gasper changed a whole lot. He is much taller than he was, at around 5'8. His body was well built and had a real 'manly' look. He had the expression of a calm, collected and intelligent individual. The weirdest part was that he is wearing men's clothes…men's clothes!... After Issei's leave, Gasper decided that he needed to be more manlier to fill up the space which was created by Issei's leave. It took a long time, but Gasper had finally become a man.
Koneko was the one who changed the most. Her small framed body was no more. She is now much taller at 6'1. Her breast has gotten MUCH bigger. Her body was incredibly voluptuous. Her hair had grown much longer as well. Her face had also matured quite a bit. All in all, she was a beauty.
"…I am troubled by the fact that he is not a mindless killer…" Says Gasper while he scratched his chin.
"Hmmm…I agree" Koneko agreed, "If he was a mindless killer, we could strike him off as "Just another Stray devil, but much stronger", but the fact that he isn't makes me much more worried about his plans…"
"Well, at this point, we cannot do much other than wait for my brother to send us to coordinates…" Said Rias.
Everyone nodded. The tension in the air was high. There was a killer on the loose, but it wasn't a 'mindless' one. No, this one had plans, and that was the part which they feared the most.
"I've called Sona and alerted her of the situation" Said Ruruko as she entered the room.
"Ruruko…you know that Sona has been busy with her work…." Akeno gave a slight frown towards Ruruko.
"B-But Sona told me to always alert her if there is any situation where we might need help. And against this guy, I think we could use Sona's brains" She said.
Rias sighed, "Yeah, she's right. We'll need Sona's brains for this"
Ruruko nodded.
"I shall be contacting Michael-sama as well" Said Irina.
"I will contact my family as well" Said Ravel.
Rias smiled towards everyone.
"Thank you all for still being with me even after all this time"
"We will always be there for you Rias. No, Buchou!" Said Xenovia.
Rias's eyes widened. She hadn't heard that word for a long time. She insisted that everyone should call her Rias. The last time she heard that nickname was when….
DRIP DRIP
Teardrops fell from Rias's cheeks. She closed her eyes and smiled.
"…I could never ask for a better family…"
AAND that's the first chapter! I hope you enjoyed. I actually have a clear idea of what I want to do with the next chapter of this story. By no means does this mean that I am gonna discontinue my other two stories. Hell nah, I've got way to much planned for those two, but not really in the mood right now ::_::
Reviews and Suggestions are always appreciated!