I'm finally back! This chapter, Issei meets Rias, Sona and their peerages and is asked on a date by Raynare. I was initially planning on writing a slice of life chapter, but couldn't think of anything original to write. Everything would have been derived from Acchi Kocchi, an adorable love comedy, but that would be pretty boring. So, I'm jumping straight into canon.

To everyone wondering about Ophis' appearance, see my answer to Dp11.

Hakuryukou79: Issei won't need Ascalon, it'll be given to Yuuto instead. Issei is stronger than Cao Cao, and about as strong as Vali.

Dp11: She can changer her appearance, but her childlike appearance is special to her as she met and made her first friend and mate in that form.

Jose19: Issei isn't joining a peerage. He doesn't need to, he's strong enough on his own.

edboy4926: Basically the same as canon.

Big Red: Juggernaut Drive consumed Issei's life force because he didn't have much power in canon. However, being the grandson of two Shinto Gods in this story, his reserves match Vali's.

the DragonBard: Susanoo had Totsuka no Tsurugi before getting Kusanagi/Ama no Murakumo, and those two aren't the only swords in Shinto Mythology. Issei's parents have not yet retired from the frontlines and hence still need their weapons. Issei will not join Rias's peerage.

DemonAngelofIce: I'm not fond of Raynare unfortunately, and comparing her to Grayfia is like comparing a toothpick to Caliburn.

Akuma-Heika: Shiva is stated in DxD canon to be the strongest God. Admittedly, Vishnu is powerful, all the Indian Gods are stated to be like walking cheat codes, but Shiva, being the Goddess of Destruction, is the strongest.

Ophis is supposed to be as strong as Great Red before losing her powers.

No one is brave anyone to get near Ophis, so no one knows that she wouldn't turn hostile. All of them just assume she would.

Don't forget that Ama no Murakumo belonged to a God, while even Caliburn was only wielded by King Arthur, who while extremely powerful, was still just a mortal. Also Ama no Murakumo isn't so much a Holy Sword as it was plucked from the corpse of Yamata no Orochi. If anything, it's more likely a Dragon Slayer Sword than Holy Sword.

That's one of the points of fanfics: to explore what-ifs.

The antagonist is still Khaos Brigade, but since Ophis isn't the leader and the Old Maou faction isn't there to mess things up, they are much more dangerous than in canon.

Daigo and Kasumi aren't perverted.

I think Kyoto is supernatural central in Japan, so it stands to reason that the entrance to the Heavenly Plains is there, though invisible to mortals and those who seek to desecrate it.

Oh, Tsukuyomi was Amaterasu's husband? My bad, didn't know that.

The History Compilation Committee is basically the Shinto faction's cleanup crew, covering up any traces of supernatural activity to keep the mortals ignorant and have powerful connections in the government.

"Dragon" – Japanese Speech

"Dragon" – Japanese Thoughts/Flashback

[Dragon] – Ddraige speaking

On with the story!

Chapter 1: Might of the Heavenly Dragon

Issei sighed as he leaned back in his chair. It had been a year since he moved back to his hometown. He was now in his second year in the High School Division in Kuou Academy. It had been one unusually quiet year. No one trying to kill him, no one trying to kidnap Ophis, and most importantly, no shitty grandfather trying to pass off sadistic torture as training. Plus, he had joined the cooking club to help hone his skills, though everyone else always said that his cooking could rival the chefs of top restaurants. He didn't think he was particularly good. Ophis liked his cooking, but she liked pretty much any kind of food.

Yes, if it weren't for occasional meetings with the Devils in the school, the year would have been completely peaceful.

Issei grimaced. Though he was on slightly better terms with the Devils, his first meeting with both was disastrous, especially the one with Rias Gremory.

(Flashback Start)

"..." They had reacted faster than he thought. The school day was over. Unfortunately, Ophis got herself landed in detention for ignoring the teacher in class and staring at him. Issei silently prayed she didn't kill the teacher in annoyance. As he waited for Ophis to come out, he was approached by a group of people...no, Devils. Issei held back his distaste as he flashed back to that night 10 years ago. The scar on his shoulder ached.

"No killing, Issei...they aren't stray Devils, it's a High-Class Devil with her peerage, killing them would probably spark the next Great War..." He kept repeating to himself to stop himself from attacking.

"Good evening, Hyoudo Issei-kun. We were wondering if you could come with us for a moment, if you don't mind?" The redhead requested with a bright smile that Issei didn't buy for even an instant.

"I do mind, actually, but I'm getting the feeling I don't have a choice in the matter." Issei replied coldly. The redhead's smile grew wider.

"I'm glad you understand. Now, if you would please follow me." She turned and walked in the direction of the old school building, followed by the black-haired one. The blonde and the white-haired midget walked behind him, as though trying to block his route of escape. Issei mentally snorted. As if they could stop him if he wanted to leave.

They stopped at the field behind the building, away from the prying eyes of the normal humans. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the black-haired girl put up a barrier around them.

"Now then, may I ask who you are?"

"What makes you think I'll tell you?" The redhead giggled.

"We may get a little aggressive if you refuse."

"I've faced down worse than two girls, a pretty boy and a midget." Said midget's eye twitched in annoyance. Ignoring her and to further prove his point, Issei released a dose of murderous intent, causing them to flinch. The redhead sighed.

"Perhaps we got off on the wrong foot. My name is Rias Gremory, the heiress of the Gremory Clan. These are the members of my peerage: my Queen, Himejima Akeno..."

The black-haired one smiled and waved. Issei raised an eyebrow. Himejima? That's the name of one of the clans that worshipped the Shinto Gods. A relation? Or just a coincidence?

"My Knight, Kiba Yuuto." The blonde pretty boy raised his hand in greeting. Odd, he didn't look Japanese...

"And my Rook, Toujou Koneko." The white-haired girl glared at him, probably still peeved at being called a midget.

"I would say it's a pleasure to meet you, but that would be a blatant lie." Rias Gremory raised her eyebrow.

"Did we perhaps offend you in some way?"

"No, I just dislike all Devils in general, considering I was almost killed by one 10 years ago." Rias's eyebrows shot up.

"A stray?"

"...Sure, let's leave it at that." It'll probably be bad if they found out that the descendants of their former Maous are dead.

"Look, I don't have any problems with you, but I can't bring myself to trust a Devil. It's better if you just stay out of my way."

Rias nodded in understanding, not wanting to anger someone obviously stronger than her. Still, she was still very curious about his power.

"Then, will you at least agree to a little spar against my cute servants?"

"…You'll let me go after that?"

"Sure." But, she never promised to never seek him out again after today. Rias silently cackled to herself.

"Alright, which one do you want me to fight?"

"Hm…Yuuto, Koneko, are you two willing to test him?" The pretty boy and the midget nodded.

"Yes, Buchou."

"…Gladly." The pretty boy held a hand and a black sword in his palm. Issei raised his eyebrow in slight interest.

"A Demonic Sword?" Issei asked. The pretty boy, Kiba Yuuto, nodded.

"That's right. You're quite sharp."

"Hm…it has a good aura, but it's clearly lacking compared to legendary swords…Is it a Sacred Gear?"

"Yes, my Sacred Gear, Sword Birth, it allows me to create any type of Demonic Sword, but as you said, its power is lacking compared to swords of the legendary class." Issei noticed a slight grimace when he said 'legendary class'. Did he have a grudge against a legendary sword?

He turned his attention to the midget, who was getting into a martial arts stance. His eyebrows shot up as he sensed Youki coming from her. Was she a Youkai? The feel of the Youki would suggest…

"Are you a Nekomata?" The midget flinched. Rias Gremory frowned.

"How could you tell?"

"I've been around Youkai long enough to know how to distinguish between each species. I spent 10 years of my life in Youkai Capital, after all."

"You're from Kyoto!?" Rias Gremory suddenly shot forward at amazing speed, grasping his hands and her eyes sparkling. Issei shivered, he had a very bad feeling…

"Ufufufu, you'll have to forgive her. Buchou is a Japan Otaku."

"…Riiiight, are we going to start?" Issei shook her hands off and backed away. Rias realized that she was making him uncomfortable, and regained her composure, coughing as she returned to her original position.

"Y-Yes, please begin."

[Are you going to use me, partner?]

Issei heard Ddraige speaking into his mind.

"Nah, I doubt either of them is strong enough to push me that far."

[Got it. Well then, I'll be taking a nap.] Right after that, a loud snoring entered his mind. Issei snorted. This lazy dragon was one of those who even Gods feared? Issei returned to reality, concentrating on the fight.

Yuuto shot towards Issei, swinging his sword at his side, probably not wanting to aim for vitals on an unarmed opponent. He got the shock of his life when Issei nonchalantly moved to the side with minimal effort and slapped the arm holding the sword away, causing him to lose balance. He caught sight of a foot coming at him and used his sword to block the blow. He didn't have time to be shocked when the sword shattered and he was sent flying.

"…Got you." Koneko fell downwards fast with her leg outstretched, evidently trying to hit Issei with an axe-kick. Her descent was abruptly halted when Issei caught her leg with one hand and threw her at Yuuto, who was getting up, sending both to the ground. Issei grimaced. That kick was stronger than he thought. His hand ached in pain as he waited for the two to get up and resume their assault.

Yuuto shot forward with another sword, this time aiming for his neck. Issei ducked and struck the flat side of the blade with his fist, breaking it. He turned and kicked Yuuto in the stomach, sending him flying. Koneko was suddenly in front of him, her small body being hidden by Yuuto's larger one. She punched at him. Not bad. There was obviously some power behind it, and its speed wasn't bad either. But it was way too slow to him. He sidestepped it and caught her arm, flipping her over his shoulder and down to the ground. She wasn't fazed and kicked at his face, though he caught it and threw her aside. He turned to see that Yuuto had closed in, this time with two swords. He moved back as Yuuto unleashed a flurry of slashes at him. Issei smirked. His skill was impressive, but he was still too green. Issei lashed out with a foot, kicking Yuuto off his feet. Issei kicked again, catching Yuuto in the stomach and kicking him next to where Koneko had landed.

Having realized that they couldn't win by themselves, Yuuto and Koneko began attacking together. As Yuuto created a new sword and attacked from the left, Koneko appeared at his right with her fist drawn back. Issei's eyes narrowed. He leaned back so that both attacks barely missed him and returned to his original position. He started moving backwards to evade their coordinated attacks, making only minimal movements to conserve energy. He paused when Yuuto's sword grazed his cheek, leaving a tiny cut that bled slightly.

"Not bad. You two aren't particularly strong, but your teamwork is quite impeccable. Certainly better than most opponents I've fought."

"Thanks for the compliment, though I would feel better about it if you were fighting seriously. Your stance is clearly that of a swordsman, so why have you not drawn your sword yet?" Yuuto asked with a smile, though his eyes made it clear that he felt a bit insulted.

"It's not that I won't draw it, I'm forbidden from drawing it unless I'm completely cornered. My sword is too destructive and indiscriminately destroys anything in the vicinity. But, you're right, it is a bit of an insult to not get a bit more serious. Prepare yourselves, this is going to be a hard fight for you."

Issei let his arms drop to his sides and took a deep breath. Then, he started releasing his massive power, causing the air to get heavier and Rias and her peerage to fall to their knees, staring up at him in fear and awe.

Slowly, black clouds began gathering overhead, flashing with lightning and crackling with thunder. A bolt of white lightning crashed down, striking Issei, but not harming him. Instead, the lightning began to twist itself around Issei's body, covering his chest, shoulders, forearms and legs, forming a crude armor.

"This is…lightning magic!? And at a much higher level than Akeno's!?" Rias looked shocked at the level of elemental manipulation being used by Issei, far outclassing that of her Queen, who was definitely far above most High-Class Devils when it came to elemental magic.

"I have affinities with fire, lightning, wind and water. Something of this level is nothing to me. That said, this is one of my stronger spells. Raijin no Yoroi (lit. Thunder God's Armor), Level 1. If you still feel confident, then try taking this on." Issei mockingly made a 'come hither' gesture. Yuuto and Koneko shot forward. Yuuto swung down his sword that immediately shattered upon contact with the armor and Koneko's fist bounced back and both were struck by bolts of white lightning from the armor, knocking both of them back.

"If that's the best you can do, you'll never break through this armor. How about you try a bit harder?"

Yuuto frowned and placed a hand on the ground.

"Sword Birth!" A dozen swords materialized and shot at him, intent on impaling him, but all of them shattered upon contact with his armor. Koneko once again descended from above, intending on striking his head, one of the unprotected parts on his body.

"Naïve." Issei snapped his fingers and a bolt of white lightning shot down from the storm clouds, striking Koneko in the stomach like a whip. The bolt pointed itself downwards again and impaled itself in the ground. Issei grasped the bolt and it slowly molded itself into the form of a katana.

"I suppose this will do for a substitute. Shall we dance?" Before either of them could reply, Issei disappeared from their sight. Their heads whipping left and right looking for him, they failed to notice that he had appeared behind them until he announced his presence by kneeing Yuuto in the back, blasting him to the other side of the field, where he crashed into the barrier that Akeno had created. Koneko immediately turned and swung her arm at him, but he vanished again, this time appearing in front of her and flicking her forehead, the force of the flick sending her sprawling to the ground, creating a crater where she had fallen.

"Ikazuchi!" Issei called out and the katana flashed, striking the recovering Yuuto with a lightning bolt. Issei lowered his sword and sighed.

"Isn't this enough? You two can't defeat me."

"No...not yet! We can still fight!" Yuuto got up on shaky legs while Koneko failed to get up and fell to her knees."

"That's enough. Yuuto, stand down." Rias ordered, finally acknowledging that she had bitten off more than she could chew. Yuuto collapsed to the ground with a look of mortification, upset that all he was able to manage was a small cut on Issei's cheek.

Issei's lightning armor and sword dissipated.

"Most of your wounds are quite superficial, but you should get yourselves healed just in case. Holding back has never been one of my strong suits."

"Alright, as agreed, you're free to leave now." Akeno raised her hand and the field started repairing itself. The barrier fell, allowing Issei to leave.

Then, a heavy presence, stronger than even Issei's, appeared, sending Rias and her peerage to their knees once more. From the woods surrounding the old school building, a small, black-haired girl dressed in the Kuou Academy High School Division uniform appeared. Despite her diminutive size, she was releasing an incredible aura, the level of which Rias had only felt from top-class fighters like her brother when he was serious. No, this aura might outclass even him.

"...Issei." The...girl, if she could be called that at all, said in a small voice.

"Ophis, you're done serving detention already?" Rias paled. This girl was the Ouroboros Dragon, the strongest being in existence!? And Hyoudo Issei was on friendly terms with her!? Rias decided it was definitely not a good idea to antagonize someone on good terms with the Infinite Dragon God and resolved to stay out of his way when possible. She would have to warn Sona about this too.

...Wait, detention?

"...It was boring. I wanted to kill the teacher."

"That's why I said you need to pay attention in class instead of staring at me all the time. You didn't kill him, right?"

"...No."

"Good. Let's go home. What do you want for dinner?" Issei began walking towards the gates, Ophis walking beside him.

"Yakisoba." Ophis immediately replied without hesitation.

"Got it, I'll cook up a feast for you." Ophis hugged Issei's arm and leaned into his side. In that position, they looked almost like...lovers?

"No no no no, that can't be right. Who in their right mind would court the strongest being in existence?" Then again, Hyoudo Issei definitely wasn't an ordinary person.

The moment they were out of sight, Rias slumped to her knees. She hadn't even realized she has stopped breathing. The heavy aura disappeared and Rias took deep breaths to calm herself down. The Ouroboros Dragon was enrolled in her school and the boy she had taken an interest in was possibly her mate. She was honestly surprised that she hadn't been killed on the spot.

That's right, she didn't have time to lay around. She had to warn Sona before she did something stupid to incur the wrath of the Dragon God. Shakily getting to her feet, she stumbled in the direction of the new school building.

(Flashback End)

Yeah, that was a terrible meeting. Yuuto and Koneko had to take a full week off to recover from their wounds. He was honestly surprised when Yuuto suddenly approached him after school to seek training. Normally, Issei would have refused in an instant, but something in Yuuto's eyes caused him to pause. His desire to get stronger wasn't for his own sake, he was doing it for someone else. Issei asked him about it, and Yuuto replied.

"I have a grudge I need to settle no matter what, I cannot rest until I've avenged my fallen comrades. That's why I have to get stronger, no matter the cost." At that time, his eyes were filled with animosity that made even Issei take a step back. He didn't go into detail about his grudge, but Issei wasn't comfortable with prying into it either.

Issei didn't like Devils. However, he didn't dislike someone who was trying to clear his and his comrades' regrets, which was why he agreed to spar with Yuuto every day after school behind the old school building. At first, it had been a very one-sided ass-kicking, but slowly, Yuuto began to learn, reacting faster to his attacks and using less effort to dodge them. That was good. Yuuto had two critical weaknesses in battle. The first was his stamina. While far above that of a human, his stamina wasn't high enough to last in a drawn-out fight with strong supernatural beings, which is why his switching to less energy-wasting evasive maneuvers was a good thing. The second weakness was his lack of defense. Yuuto, being a Knight that relied on speed and swordsmanship to fight, had almost no means of defending himself. Normally, this wouldn't be a problem as even Issei had to admit that Yuuto's speed was impressive. But against faster enemies, he'd be ripped to pieces. Issei had personally demonstrated this when he activated Raijin no Yoroi Level 1 and used its speed to outmaneuver Yuuto and continuously strike at his legs. This was the more troublesome problem to address. Yuuto couldn't use armor or shields as they would hamper his speed, so he settled for teaching Yuuto to enhance his physical structure by using his Demonic Energy. This was a technique that could only be performed under his supervision as even a small failure could permanently damage his nerves.

Yuuto was obviously better now. What had begun as one-sided slaughters slowly turned into semi-serious spars where Issei actually had to put in effort to defeat him. In their most recent spar, he was forced to activate Raijin no Yoroi Level 1 out of necessity for the first time when Yuuto encased his body in ice using an Ice-type Demonic Sword and then drained the oxygen out of the air to prevent him from using his favored fire magic to break the thick ice. Of course, he beat the crap out of Yuuto after breaking out, but he was surprised he had been forced to use it after only a year. Training usually only meant something when done for several years after all. Yuuto had talent, maybe not as high as his own, but it was definitely there.

Of course, he had not yet drawn his real sword. There was still no reason to, plus the whole town would probably be incinerated if he did. Futsu no Mitama was not a sword to be drawn carelessly. Plus, she would probably laugh at him for needing to draw her in a spar. Stupid tsundere sentient sword.

After the whole fiasco that was his first meeting with Rias Gremory, he met Sona Sitri, who treaded very lightly around him. Obviously, she had been warned her about his capabilities as well as his relationship with Ophis.

She introduced herself and her peerage, which was more complete than Rias's, to him and Ophis, told him about her role of keeping the school's peace at daytime and warned him that he and Ophis were to behave themselves while in school and not stir up any trouble. Though, the effect was somewhat ruined by her shaking voice. He responded the same way he did to Rias, if they stayed out of his way, they wouldn't have a problem.

Of course some meetings were inevitable, like whenever Stray Devils wandered into town. Sometimes he let them take care of it while he watched, sometimes he would finish it off before they could get there. The times he watched, he had to admit, they were somewhat talented. The ones that piqued his interest were Rias Gremory, Himejima Akeno and Toujou Koneko. While Sona Sitri and her peerage were good, their powers weren't especially interesting.

On the other hand, Rias Gremory utilized the Baal Clan's famed Power of Destruction, despite being a member of the Gremory Clan. Perhaps her mother is a Baal? Though the way she utilized it was, while powerful, not refined at all. She tended to waste a good deal of her energy in the initial shot and if the enemy survived, her next shot would be much weaker. She ought to focus more on technique rather than power.

Himejima Akeno was a bit more interesting. She utilized lightning magic among others to fight. It wasn't as strong as his own, then again, he was trained by the Shinto God of Storms. Her manipulation of the elements didn't even hold a candle to his. She just used the elements in their raw forms to attack, instead of using them to augment her own body like his Raijin no Yoroi, or fuse elements together for stronger results. Still, no mere Devil could use that level of magic without inborn talent. Plus, she used a miko outfit when fighting seriously. So, that meant that she probably was a member of the prestigious Himejima clan before being reincarnated as a Devil. But, a member of the extremely proud, haughty and arrogant Himejime Clan became a Devil? Unthinkable, unless she was excommunicated.

Toujou Koneko didn't intrigue him so much as she confused him. She had pretty much admitted that she was a Nekomata, but so far, she had not used Youjutsu or Senjutsu. Weird, considering that both were her species' speciality. She didn't even use them when a stronger than average Stray Devil had cornered her and her master had to bail her out. Perhaps her reincarnation from a Youkai to a Devil was interfering with her ability to use Youjutsu or Senjutsu? Or...was she refusing to use it? She did flinch when he figured out that she was a Nekomata. Perhaps she had a mental trauma that caused to be able to use Youjutsu and Senjutsu or caused her to dislike the idea of either? What a waste. Relying on the Rook's strength and defense would only get her so far. She wouldn't last a second against the stronger supernatural beings.

Over time, even he wasn't able to remain distant and he found himself growing closer and closer to the members of the Occult Research Club, if only by a bit. That troubled him. Devils are fundamentally untrustworthy beings as they deceived humans into forming contracts with them and devouring their souls. Though, he heard that after their Great War against Heaven and the Fallen Angels, Devils had slowly grown adverse to the idea of eating human souls. It was laughable to him. An entire species denying one of their base instincts? He was waiting for the other shoe to drop when they reached the limit of their restraint and started attacking humans. He did not want to grow any closer to them. It was only inevitable that he would have to cut them down one day. If not him, then someone else.

But despite his best efforts, he was definitely friendlier to the Devils at school than he was at first. Even Ophis appeared to have taken a liking to Koneko, who constantly offered sweets and snacks. He himself was close to Yuuto. It was hard not to form a friendship with someone you spar with daily.

*DING-DONG*

Ah, the school bell rang. School was over for the day. Sighing, he picked his bag up and walked out of the classroom, Ophis walking beside him.

"Hey hey, it's Hyoudo-kun!"

"Really!? Where!?"

"Kyaa~! He's as handsome as ever!"

"I know, right!? Especially his cool eyes that make you squirm under their gaze!"

"No no no, it's his muscular body that's best!"

Issei snorted. That was something he had forgotten: fangirls. He was unusually popular among the female students for reasons he couldn't comprehend. He didn't think he was particularly good-looking. Yuuto outclassed him in that category.

Beside him, Ophis huffed and her cheeks puffed out, making her look like a cute squirrel. She was cute when she was jealous. Issei rubbed the top of her head and Ophis leaned into his side.

"Kyaa~! Those two are lovey-dovey as always!"

"It must be troubling for both of them to have such a big difference in height..."

"I heard Ophis-chan is trying to make her body grow faster by drinking more milk."

Ok, that last one was definitely a lie. Issei had suggested that she change her body size to a more appropriate height for a high school student, but she refused, saying that her current form was special to her and she didn't want to abandon it. Still, it did make certain things difficult, like him being mistaken for a lolicon by people who didn't know that he and Ophis were in the same year or kissing in public because of height difference.

They had just stepped out the gate when he was stopped by an unfamiliar face.

"U-Um!"

"Hm?" Issei turned to find a black-haired girl wearing a school uniform different from the ones the girls from Kuou Academy wore. From a different school? Then, he sensed a strange energy coming from her. The energy of a…

"Fallen Angel?"

Why was a Fallen Angel approaching him? And here, where two High-Class Devils had set up shop no less?

"Are you Hyoudo Issei-kun?"

"…Yes?"

"W-Would you go on a date with me?"

Beside him, Ophis bristled. He placed a hand on her head to calm her down.

So, that was her game. Lure him out on a date so that he would let his guard down against her. It might have worked, if he was an ordinary human.

"Sorry, but I'm seeing someone right now." There, that should throw her off her game for a bit. Without waiting for a reply, Issei continued walking, subtly pulling Ophis who was obviously contemplating erasing the Fallen Angel girl from existence. He didn't need to turn around to know the girl was glaring daggers at him. He could already tell from the meager murderous intent coming from her. Heh, stupid girl, she's way too transparent.

Rubbing Ophis's head to placate her, he asked her the usual question.

"What do you want for dinner?"

"Yakisoba…"

"Alright the-"

"…Takoyaki, Yakitori, Ebi Tempura, Chashu Pork, Nikujaga, Toro Sashimi, Maguro Sashimi, Saba Sashimi, Tonkatsu, Gyudon." Ophis cut him off and listed even more dishes.

"…" Oh boy, Ophis only gets like this when she's unhappy. He was proven right when he caught sight of the pout on Ophis's face.

"Alright alright, I'll cook anything you want, so don't be angry anymore, okay?" Ophis smiled and leaned into his ide again.

"…Issei belongs to me." Ophis hugged his arm tightly, suddenly getting possessive.

"Yeah yeah, I know."

They stopped in front of a set of large wooden doors. The entrance to his sizable estate, the size of twenty of his old house packed together, that the History Compilation Committee had acquired for him. The property was completely Japanese-style, having even Koi ponds, a Kendo dojo, an archery range and an onsen. The only things moderately modern were the electrical appliances and the swimming pool. Issei smiled.

"Home sweet home."

The next day after school, Issei noticed the Fallen Angel hanging around Kuou Academy again. Fool, once was bad enough, but wandering into the territory of two High-Class Devils and a Shinto Demigod a second time? She must not be very bright. Or perhaps her pride had taken a blow when he nonchalantly rejected her yesterday. Not that it mattered either way, she wouldn't have to wait much longer. By the end of the day, she would be...permanently retired.

He sent Ophis home ahead of him and waited until after most of the students had left before he made his way to the park. He sensed her following him. So predictable, this was going to be a boring fight.

He stopped in front of the fountain. The park was deserted. Good, he didn't have to hold back.

*FWOOSH*

The sound of something moving through the air at high speed entered his ears. He smirked and summoned a pillar of fire behind him. The spear of light that was aimed for him was consumed by his flames and disintegrated.

"What!?" He heard the Fallen Angel yell in disbelief. Fool, she gave away her position. Using the fire as his cover, Issei moved behind her and surprised her by cutting off one of her wings with a lightning coated hand. She screamed in pain as blood spurted out of the stump.

"You...! I'm going to kill you, brat!"

Issei snorted.

"Don't get too cocky, small fry. I can kill you anytime I want, without getting a scratch."

"Brat, you're going to rue the day you picked a fight with a High-Class Fallen Angel like me, Raynare-sama!"

"You, a High-Class Fallen Angel? Your kind must be on the verge of extinction if they're desperate enough to confer the title 'High-Class' onto a weakling like you."

She was almost foaming at her mouth in rage. She created another spear of light and thrust it at him.

"Die, brat!" She got the shock of her life when he caught the spear in his hand and crushed it.

"What's wrong? Is that the best the High-Class Fallen Angel, Raynare-sama, can do?" he asked in a mocking tone. This time, fear was clearly mixed with rage in her expression.

"How the hell are you doing this!? Are you using your Sacred Gear!?"

"…Fu…Fuhahahahahaha." Issei burst out laughing.

"Don't flatter yourself. I don't need my Sacred Gear to take out small fry like you." Issei stopped laughing and said in a cold voice. He took slow steps towards her, his hand raised and a giant fireball forming in his palm. Raynare began backing away in fear.

"No no no no, stay away!" Raynare frantically formed spears in her hand and flung them at him, but they disintegrated from the sheer heat of the fireball in his hand. Issei sighed.

"How disappointing. I actually hoped to have a fun fight before I killed you. Oh well, there's always the next idiot. Farewell, Fallen Angel." Before she could scream, the fireball shot forward and engulfed her, turning her body to ash.

"You can come out now." Issei called out. From behind a nearby tree, Rias Gremory stepped out.

"When did you notice I was here?"

"From the beginning. You should look into spells that can hide your presence. Getting caught like that by an enemy can get you killed."

"Aww, are you worried about me?" That's so sweet." Rias smirked at him. Issei snorted in response.

"Like hell. I don't really care if something happens to you. I already said it, didn't I? I hate Devils. In fact, I'd be happier if you'd hurry up and die."

"Oh ho, is this what they call 'tsundere'?" Rias teased him.

"Oh, as expected of an Otaku, you're quite familiar with those terms." Issei retorted.

"...So, what're you going to do about the other three crows that took up residence in the old church?" Issei switched the subject to the other three Fallen Angels he sensed in town.

"Nothing for now. They haven't given me a reason to fight them. What about you?"

"It's the same for me. I only killed the one just now because she went after me first. The other three aren't my problem."

"I see. Well then, we'll be parting ways here. I'll see you in school tomorrow, Hyoudo-kun." With that, Rias disappeared through a magic circle.

"...Now then, I better get back and cook dinner." Issei turned and left the park.

As expected, the remaining three Fallen Angels didn't make a move against him at all since three days ago when he killed their comrade. He did sense them poking around, observing him, but they were probably too afraid to directly approach him. The one he killed must have been the leader. But still, they hadn't cleared out of town, which meant they were still planning something. He would have to keep a close eye on them, just in case. Or maybe he should just march up to the church and destroy them.

...No no, doing that might bring down the wrath of the Biblical God on him for attacking one of his churches, even an abandoned one. A stupid move to make, considering that there were Devils in town. Doing so might spark another Great War between the Three Factions, and the Shinto faction would probably get caught up in it too. He was fairly certain that if such a thing did happen, the Shinto faction would win, but he couldn't be sure, since the Grigori had his rival, the Hakuryuukou on their side and there were rumors that Heaven had a Longinus possessor too. Not to mention the two monsters, Sirzechs Lucifer and Ajuka Beelzebub. Even the reclusive Shinto faction had heard of their absurd strength through the intelligence gathered by the History Compilation Committee. Not even he was willing to pick a fight with either of them. He was a battle nut, but he wasn't batshit crazy.

For now, he just resumed his routine of attending school and waited for the Fallen Angels to make their move first. Ophis was walking beside him, still sleepy after playing video games till after midnight.

"Hauuuu~!"

*THUD*

He stopped when he heard someone cry out and something hit the ground. He turned to see a nun lying face down on the ground. Ophis just looked at her with a disinterested expression. Though, there was a glimmer in her eyes that Issei couldn't read.

"Hauuu...Why do I keep falling down?"

He heard her speak in Japanese, yet her lip movements made it clear that she was actually speaking a different language. Looks like the translation spell written on the talisman in his pocket worked like a charm. It was a good thing the spell also worked both ways. Issei knelt down and offered his hand to her.

"Are you okay?" The nun looked up, allowing him to see her face. Blonde hair and green eyes. He had to admit, she was attractive.

"Yes. Thank you very much." She grasped his hand and he pulled her to her feet. He took notice of the travelling bag she had on her.

"A nun with a travelling bag? The only church in town is now the nest of those crows, which means..."

...He really hoped he was wrong. She looked way too innocent to be involved with the Fallen Angels.

"Are you travelling?"

"No, I was assigned to the church in this town."

Damn, his hunch was spot on after all. Issei sighed.

"The church is on the outskirts of town. Do you need me to show you the way?"

"Yes, that would be helpful! Ah, it must be the blessing of God that I met such a kind person!" She clasped her hands together in prayer.

Her faith in God was strong, so she didn't appear to be working with the Fallen Angels willingly, so what was her story?

"What's your name?"

"I am Asia Argento. Pleased to meet you." She bowed deeply. Following the etiquette literally beaten into him by his mother, he bowed back. Behind him, Ophis pouted, but bowed slightly as well.

"Likewise, Asia-san. I'm Hyoudo Issei, and this is Ophis."

He didn't know why, but he got the feeling that his somewhat peaceful life was about to be shattered.

And that's it for this chapter. Next chapter, I'll be wrapping up the Asia arc and probably the Riser arc too.

This chapter was actually supposed to be written in one sitting and thus posted a few days ago since I already had the plot of the chapter written out in my head, but I caught a cold after getting caught in the rain while walking the dog. It's gone now, so I should be able to concentrate on Dragonberry Chronicles next, then I'll loop back to Black Joker.

You might have noticed by now, but Infinite Dragon Emperor and Prince of Genocide have been deleted. I've already told offering authors to go ahead and adopt the stories, but as for when they'll be release, I have no idea.

That's all for now. Please read and review.