I do not own DxD, RWBY, Fate, Skyrim, and the many stories this story is inspired on. This story is a spin-off from A Difference in the Worlds.
Okay, Issei got to admit… he is spoiled.
*Gulp* *Gulp* *Gulp!*
The young Dragon of the Britons placed his bowl back to the table after chugging the stew he was given. The favor still dancing on his buds! It tasted like any other stew he has eaten, but this one is heartier, and…earthy? Issei is not so sure, but the smile on his face gave it away.
"That is my mother's recipe…" Mr. Arc said as he served more stew to his bowl as Cinder silently ate her share, "but I hunted a deer for the meat."
Issei went back to his bowl, not even bothering to react on the fact Mr. Arc hunted a dear. Of course he does! He knows almost everything skill known to man!
It has been at least a week since the assassination attempt and day 1 of his training, and ever since Mr. Arc hammered down skills necessary to survive. Apparently fighting is not the only skill though; he was thought camping 101, battle planning and assessment, diplomatic talks 101, weapon maintenance, guns, and dancing.
Is Issei doing well? Somehow, with how swordplay is integrated with the other lessons, he is forced to naturally practice most of the lesson at the same time as how dancing helps his footwork.
And honestly, he can't complain especially how the food he is eating is revitalizing his sore body.
"So, how is your Boosted Gear Lessons?" Mr. Arc asked as he sipped his morning coffee.
"Eh? Well, it is doing alright. I know the fundamentals and functions of my gear, and I can boost up to three times now!"
[Still too weak, Partner] Ddraig made himself known, [but your development is good considering how weak you were.]
"Well development is still development." Mr. Arc shrugged, "I was the weakest person once so…"
"Really?" Issei couldn't help but ask. This one, the weakest?
"Everyone has a starting point." Mr. Arc explains, "you can't expect a toddler to do a triple backflip the moment it pops out of his/her mother."
[Unless you are a god, or more precisely, Athena.] Ddraig added, [Then again, even dragon hatchlings are nothing more than vessels of power with no skill or intelligence; can't wield power without both backing it up]
Issei can only sigh at the lecture of his two mentors, he looked at Cinder-senpai and found that she is reading a book… called Brother's Grimm Fairytales… huh?
Snap!
Cinder-senpai snapped her book before getting a napkin and offering it to Issei.
"Clean yourself…"
Issei blushed as he realized he made a mess of himself with the food and cleaned his face.
"Sigh… just like Artoria."
-xXx-
Another day, another sore body, but now he is given grace to have a day-off in the meantime. Issei used his walk from home to school to recover is body, feeling how a nice walk calmed his nerves and the breath of fresh air.
No sparring. No getting chased by a car. No 'meditation' for the Boosted Gear. No bugs. And no embarrassing dance rehearsals.
But apparently, all those mention pet peeves served him well right now, as he twisted on his heel to dodge a stubbly blonde girl, not before grabbing hold of her shoulder so that she won't meet the ground.
The blonde girl sighed in relief before smiling at him!
She thanked him… he thinks as she spoke a foreign language.
[She is speaking Italian]
Huh… what is a foreigner doing here?
[I think that is not the biggest concern. Look at her outfit.]
Issei looked at her outfit and saw that she was wearing a nun attire.
What is a nun cosplayer doing here?
[No Issei, she is an actual nun.]
And that begs the question, what is a nun doing in a territory of devils?
The nun bowed multiple times before leaving. Issei watch as she looked around anxiously for something, but look like she is very lost.
With a sigh Issei made a quick conversation with Ddrag and approached the girl.
"You are not from here are you?" Issei said in a butchered Italian.
The nodded perked! "Finally someone who can understand me!" she said, but was translated real time by Ddraig.
[Indeed, but lucky you have an millennia old dragon who can understand you.]
I don't think she knows you exist.
"I… only know a little." Issei spoke his butchered Italian with so much mispronunciation, "What are you looking for?"
"Oh… the church here in Kuoh." The nun said while Ddraig translated.
"Oh… I think I know what you are talking about. I can show you the way."
The nun nodded with excitement and Issei led the way.
-xXx-
Issei is not so sure if he should have led the nun, or Asia he later learn in an abandoned church which his friend used to go. He did one last look at the old church one more time, before leaving and continued enjoying his long walk.
And a long walk indeed, as the boy spent an entire day on his feet walking everywhere. From the closed school to the many restaurants at the Kuoh square, and even had lunch at Mr. Arc restaurant. So, after a long day, the boy decided to finally walk home especially since it is nighttime now.
Which is honestly a mistake…
Issei sighed, every kid knows that nighttime is when the spooky stuff happens, and he was just taught that said spooky stuff does exist.
[BOOST!]
Issei got into a stance with his training sword out and stared back at a tall buxom lady floating on the sky with a pair of black wings
"So, you are the human Raynare failed to kill."
"Raynare… I assume that is Yuuma."
"Correct, one of her many undercover names."
Undercover huh. So, Yuuma is like a spy of the Grigori?
"You here to finish the job?"
"Of course, you are a threat."
[BOOST!]
Issei stalled enough for the second boost as he prepared for battle, his eyes narrowed as he got into a basic but strong stance.
What are my chances?
[Fighting a former messenger of God? Slim. But considering she is obviously ancient but still has a single pair of wings, she is probably more of the intelligence side. So be extremely careful about tricks.]
BOOM!
A light spear exploded near Issei as he braced.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Then another, and another as multiple explosions happened around the boy!
"What the hell?!"
"Ho… I expected you to squirm like the worm you are?"
Issei saw the fallen to smile sadistically as she literally looks down on him.
[Or she is the ultra-arrogant type like almost all supernatural beings are known for… of course. By the way – ]
[BOOST!] [EXPLOSION!]
"Oh? The Boosted Gear? What do you-"
"DRAGON SHOT!"
The fallen didn't get to finish her insult as a beam of green energy slammed into her! The energy was ridiculously weak, but it had enough momentum to tear her clothes apart and launch her away from the neighborhood.
"Damn, she blasted off like Team Rocket." Issei panted, "please don't tell me she died."
[If she doesn't land herself safely, she will.] [Reset!]
Issei fell on his knees as almost all his stamina drained from that shot, "dammit, but it was worth the gamble."
[Yes, and now you must drag yourself to safety… hmmm we have to find another source of energy for that spell; stamina is too precious at your stage.]
"Can you turn lust into energy?"
[No, but lust can bring out more of your dragon aura, but you got to be more dragon biologically for it to work efficiently.]
Issei nodded, but a question formed, "What do you mean all supernatural beings are ultra-arrogant?"
[Exactly that. Ordinary humans get cocky when they feel they are superior to another, how much more for beings with literal power to annihilate an entire village of humans? The supernatural has an understandable tendency to be ultra-arrogant especially if they are not brought down a peg.]
"But you said almost all, so there are exceptions."
[Those are beings who got knock down a peg, harshly, such as Zeus… basically many gods who dared fight the Dragons and God; but those beings are a few compared to the many, many soldiers or civilians whose only real challenge is the occasionally Human with a Balance Breaker.]
"So that Fallen Angel…"
[-never had a real challenge; but you are lucky to have both a Longinus and initial training by that man. If it was another person as the target, they are good as dead.]
Issei had a hard time wrapping his head around the last bit; any other person would be dead? That sounds extremely unfair for the rest considering getting the Boosted Gear and training from Mr. Arc could be a 1 and a million chance.
But both Mr. Arc and Cinder-senpai are solid proof that humans can keep up with the supernatural.
[The world is too big that you could not understand it yet, Issei. It will make sense, and that the world is not so simple its with power scaling.]
"So who is the strongest in the world?"
[Well, there are the Dragon Gods, God, -]
Issei walked home as his partner explained the pecking order of the entire universe.
-xXx-
The next day was his second day off; after telling Mr. Arc what happened, he was instructed to be more careful and take another break considering he is too drained to do any proper training. Mr. Arc also told him that he has to call a certain someone about the incident.
So, what did Issei do? Well considering what happened last night, he decided to stay in crowded area during the day… so he went to the park.
It was crowded. Many car driving around it, old people doing their light exercises and kids playing around.
"Issei!" and a certain blonde called out to him.
Issei immediately saw Asia sitting on the bench. At first he is worried that he could understand her Italian, until, "It is nice to meet you again!" the nun spoke in clean Japanese.
[A translation spell?]
"Woah! You can speak Japanese?"
"Ahhh…. Ano." Asia literally sweats dropped, "Oh I like learning languages"
"Oh, I see. So what are you doing."
Asia seem to hesitate and looked anxious and sad, "I just wanted to enjoy the park that's all." Even though she smiled, Issei can clearly see the bottled-up emotions.
Then he thought of an idea, "Hey, why not come with me."
"Ahh… what?"
"C'mon!" he grabbed the nun's hand and pulled her to the nearest mall.
Both of them had so much fun, as Asia experience things she never had before; arcade games, eating a burger, and even having her first toy. Slowly but surely, Asia was finally able to relax.
After a full day of play, they sat back at the park they met. The sun is still up and evening still every far.
"I had fun Issei," Asia said with joy… then she look scarred, "can I tell you a story?"
And she told Issei everything. Her life. Her duty. The hardships, the betrayal.
And soon her sacrifice like a lamb.
Issei couldn't believe his ears as Asia cried: this sweet angel has suffered so much because of [Twilight Healing]
But as his anger slowly boiled, instincts trained by a beast named Arc numb his body as he harshly kicked Asia.
Asia felt extreme physical pain for the first time as she felt another betrayal, but that disappeared as the bench both of them was sitting exploded as a dozen of light spear bombared it!
When the dust clear, she saw Issei at the other side with a steel sword and a red gauntlet in a stance.
[BOOST!]
"Tch. I knew it you are a threat!" on a fountain near them stood Raynare, as he bared her teeth like a monster, "I should have killed you when I first met you."
"Really? Then miss the change experiencing your first date?" Issei quip back as Raynare chuckled
"That date? It was rather pathetic really. What happened to the times where men show off jewerly and music for a beauty like me?" Raynare asked as she cupped her face. "But enough of that! Asia dear, come with me or else I will kill Issei."
[BOOST!]
"You are not taking her!" Issei was about to charge in, until Asia called
"No! I will go with her!"
"But Asia!"
"NO! YOU CAN FIGHT HER! SHE IS TOO STRONG!" Asia had tears streaming as she slowing went to Raynare.
"Good. It is nice when the sheep knows their place." Raynare held Asia around her head, as if threatening to snap her neck, "Goodbye boyfriend-kun. At least you dated two beauties within a week" and they disappeared in a flash.
-xXx-
Issei ran as fast his feet can take him to the Arc Manor. Without bothering to knock er burst through the door as the boundary field allow him to freely enter as he was registered as student.
"Teacher!"
"Issei, what's wrong?" Jaune looked at him with shock as he turned off his phone.
"They… they took Asia?!"
"Someone conquered Asia? That is big news" Jaune said as he refers to the continent.
"No… I made a friend and-"
"Issei," Jaune said slowly but firmly, "breathe, tell me what happened from the start"
After a few breaths, Issei finally relaxed.
"The Fallen Angels took a nun! They are planning to take her Sacred Gear!"
"How sure are you?"
"Raynare basically confirmed it when she mocked Asia for running away; blabbered about what she is doing for some Azazel shmuck."
"Hey, I heard that!" Jaune's phone buzzed as a drunk-like man spoke through the line.
Jaune then turned to his phone, and activated the speaker mode, "do you hear what is going on here, Azazel?"
"That is what I am trying to tell you, Jaune. This group has gone rogue under the leadership of Kokabiel. Apparently, there has been some cloak and dagger going around the nun, Asia Argento."
"Cloak and Dagger?"
"Yes, according to reports from all three factions, the excommunication of Asia was abrupt from Heaven's side, odd from the devil's side, and suspicious from the Grigori's side. To make it brief, the chain of events has too much coincidence from all three sides, making it look like it was planned."
"Asia was excommunicated because she healed a devil."
"Yes, but she got excommunicated without proper investigation, especially since the devil she heal is an important member of Devil Society. Asia is an important person of Heaven's side, and her helping Astaroth will give Heaven more political points, but she suddenly got booted out too easily. And add to the fact that I am never informed about such an important person recruited in our ranks."
"This is all being done under the nose of the Biblical Leaders," Jaune concluded.
"Yes." Azazel answered, "After some digging, there are rogues among our ranks in all sides; of course, Heaven and Hell are still investigating the persons involved, but we the Grigori deem these involved Fallens as rogue; you have our blessing to hunt these bastards."
"Understood," Jaune said seriously.
"However, these guys are aware that we are aware; expect proper resistance from them when you hunt them, and also Jaune, there are three 6 winged Fallen going there as back-up. You must fight them Jaune, and they know you are active too."
"Or else they will hurt Gremory and Sitri, which will be bad news for everyone."
"Yup."
"Okay, thank you Azazel" Jaune turned off the phone then looked at his daughter by the stairs
"We are hunting tonight" Cinder-senpai asked as her father nodded then looked at Issei.
"Well boy, this will be your first true fight, get ready."
For a moment, Issei felt nervous especially considering he is still new to this, but he nodded.
"For Asia."
Author's notes
Sorry for being missing for some time for this story. I had a hard time with this bit because it was my least favorite part of the series; so many things happening and explain because Issei was still new to stuff. I had to scrap an entire fight for the sake of pacing.
Anyway, next chapter is the rescuing of Asia! Get Ready