Another chapter has come!

Finally, Issei encounters the Devils. But, of course, because I like looking at canon and stabbing it to death, I decided to forgo my first couple drafts and came up with this instead. After all, this was a world of escalation, and Rias was not ready for what is to come. It's not unexpected for Issei to make a little...warning.

As usual, some notes and spoilers below:

-Yes, Riser is not a complete douche here. I mean, he's still a fuckboy that has no care for human lives, but he at least understands strength. He can easily look past Issei being human after what he's done for Ravel.

-I'm just going to say this now: Issei and Rias will never be friends. Allies perhaps, but after the little scare Issei gave, Rias will be too scared to push beyond the cordial relationship they have. Oh, well, that, and something in the future might cause Rias to...well, I'll save that for the future.

Anyway, that's enough from me. Enjoy the chapter!

AN: Deleted some internal monologues at the later parts of the chapter. They were redundant, but more than that they'd lost their purpose. A change in the future chapters had shifted his potential relations with Rias and her peerage, so...yeah.

It was deep in the night now, hours after Issei revealed everything that'd happened to him to his mom. She'd…taken it surprisingly well, and he was forever happy about it. He was so happy that he fell asleep on the couch, which, considering he hadn't slept in weeks, was an absolute surprise.

He didn't expect her to pick up her own System, nor did he expect to discover that his mom was an absolute monster when it came to fighting. While he'd spent the first minutes silently assassinating zombies from above, his mom had ignored all his advice and simply went hack-n-slash on the zombie population. And it worked.

He spent the rest of the day waiting for the girls to wake up, and to heal some of the mental damage he received from watching his usually calm mom tear through zombies like they were paper.

It was night now. He sat on the roof, idly watching the clouds pass by as he let his thoughts wander.

Ni had mentioned that she'd been searching for Ravel because of her 'master'. He wasn't sure how he felt about that, but she'd said that they were running himself ragged trying to find Ravel. That at least implied he cared for her. A family member, maybe? He wasn't sure, but he at least knew he'd be a Devil. All the girls he'd saved were Devils, apparently.

Devils. Devils were real too. That was another shocker, and the implications of that finally hit him after he allowed himself a few minutes to actually think about what that meant.

Except…they weren't evil? He knew what evil felt like—he'd been exposed to a lot of malice over the past few months, and they felt nothing like that. Their magic was dark, sure, but not malicious. It was almost…human, if a little barbaric? He wasn't sure if he could describe it. To his mind's eye, they felt more like humans who were packed with an incredible amount of mana.

Then again, he was in a world where Fallen Angels were scheming annoyances, so maybe Devils being not-so-evil wasn't that odd.

Past that, if Fallen Angel and Devils were real, then there was no doubt Angels were as well. Which-, okay. Did that mean every religion that existed was real? Did that mean Heaven is an actual thing?

Did that mean any priests who worked for the church were superpowered monster hunters or something?

Did that mean his friend from back then was also-

He grimaced as a shock of pain ran through his head. It'd been a while since he last thought of his younger days. Every time he tried to recall something, his head would hurt. Not terribly, and it wasn't as if he'd forgotten everything about his younger years, but trying to recall always caused a spike of pain to appear.

His dad had tried bringing him to the hospital to see if anything was wrong. The doctors couldn't find anything.

He shook his head. There was no point thinking about the past at the moment. For now, he had some mental damage he needed to heal, and some Rewards he still hadn't checked out. He probably should give them a glance.

[Runic Magic Stone (Filtered)]

A magical stone constructed through alchemy. It can be consumed to gain incredible magic. Once consumed by Tyria, it has since been filtered to nullify any side effects.

When consumed, randomly increases Intelligence by 10 - 25 Points

This was the Reward he'd gotten from Tyria, and he was hardly surprised. It was the magic version of Ruele's Runic Power Stone. He immediately used it.

[Consuming [Runic Magic Stone (Filtered)]...]

[Successful. +14 Intelligence]

He hummed. 14 Intelligence, huh? His Intelligence didn't go up as much as his Strength did, but an additional 14 was still a large boost. Any boost in power meant a higher chance of not dying, and that was something he'd gladly take.

The next one however,

[Tier II Awakening Stone]

A stone brimming with strange energies. Something in your soul seems to recognize it.

Can be used at Level 30. Once consumed, increases Bonuses gained from Gaining a Class.

Has a chance of unlocking new Class Options.

It was an interesting Reward. It wasn't something he'd be using anytime soon, but it was a Reward he liked nonetheless. He was still rather annoyed he didn't get any Skill Books or something, but that was just a small annoyance.

If anything, he'd been slacking on finding new Skills to add to his arsenal. He'd been delaying actually trying to use magic on his own instead of relying on his System to do all the heavy lifting.

He smiled wryly. He thought he would've been fine with just his Hostile Flare. After all, he could shoot out fireballs now, what else mattered? But that wasn't enough. His recent bout with Tyria showed that. Her lightning was faster than his, and it was only his Strength and Weapons that had saved him from getting completely destroyed. And even then he'd come out singed and hurt. If anyone else had been there, if Tyria had come in with allies-

He needed more Skills. He needed versatility.

He clenched his fists.

His mom was fighting like he was. She'd burnt herself dry just so she could become someone he could rely on. It was embarrassing almost, that his own mom thought that her son didn't trust her. So why was he slacking off like this?

He narrowed his eyes.

This world was a game of escalation, and those that stopped moving had a foot in the grave. There was no time to waste. More monsters were appearing. More Cages could appear. The origin of this crisis was coming. He needed to grow stronger.

He took a breath, and with his magic racing through his veins, he vanished into the Zombie ID. He wouldn't return until the next day.

Ni and Li had left when he came back the next day. They'd taken Ravel with them as well, though they promised to return some time soon. Or at least that was what his mom had told him.

He didn't expect the catgirls to return that noon, nor did he expect them to return with others. Ni greeted him with a cheery smile, and Issei gave an idle wave back as his eyes roamed the group of people that'd come with her and her sister. They were all Devils, he assumed. They all felt similar in some ways.

He noticed that they were split in two. One side was nearly made up of beautiful women, with only one man standing behind them all. He looked similar to Ravel. He assumed he was the 'master' Ni spoke about.

The other side was…the Occult Research Club? He'd raised an eyebrow when he clearly saw the two Great Ladies of Kuoh Rias and Akeno, Prince Kiba, and their school's mascot Koneko standing before his doorstep. They looked just as surprised as he was.

His mom smiled and told them all to come in and wait by the dinner table. She then turned and headed for the kitchen, though not before whispering that she'd be just seconds away if he needed her. He only smiled and gave her a thumbs up. His mom giggled and went.

Which left him sitting by his dinner table, awkwardly sandwiched between two groups of Devils who clearly would rather do anything else but be close to one another. Rias was glaring at Ni's master, and he returned a roguish grin as he occasionally glanced at Issei. It felt like he was sitting between a gallon of oil and an exposed wire—a bomb just waiting to explode.

Issei sighed.

"So," He turned his eyes to Ni. "How's Ravel doing? Is she healthy?"

"Mm!" Ni was just as happy as he was to break away from the tense atmosphere. "She's still all sleepy and stuff, but she's doing better! She even got angry at me for getting worried this morning!"

Issei blinked. He wasn't sure why that made her so happy, but sure, he'd go along with that. "I see." He turned his eyes to her master. "So who're you?"

"I am Riser Phenex. Third Son of the Phenex." He said. Then, to the shocked gasps of those around him, he bowed. "Thank you for saving my sister."

Something inside Issei recoiled in surprise, as if it hadn't expected this man before him to be capable of basic etiquette. Issei violently quashed that thought before it could grow any further. "It's fine." He said, and he couldn't help but smile at the bewilderment in the man's eyes. "I'm just happy she isn't…" He trailed off for a moment, thinking of all the dark possibilities his mind had conjured. He managed a strained shrug. "Yeah."

Riser shook his head. "Still, if there's anything you-"

"Uhp, don't." The man blinked, and Issei frowned as he wagged his finger. "Don't say that. Don't. I didn't help her for money or whatever. And if you do give me something I will throw it back to your face." He grinned. "Save that stuff for yourself, yeah? I think you'd need it more than I do."

That was true. He didn't need anything from him at the moment. And more than anything, he'd rather not get himself knee-deep in whatever issue might crop up if he did get that gift. He'd watched enough anime to know what would happen. No, sir.

(They were all excuses to hide the fact that he was just too shy to request anything from the man while being watched by over a dozen eyes.

Conveniently, in his internal justification, he missed how Ni and Li's eyes shone with awe, nor did he see the smile Riser had.)

"Anyway, enough of that." Issei's grin fell. "I'm guessing you're not here just to thank me."

Riser nodded. "Yes." Again, that something inside him recoiled in surprise at how polite Riser was being. He beat it down. "Ni told me that you knew more about what's happening in this town."

He nodded. He'd guessed that. "I'll tell you what I know, but I can't guarantee that it'll all be true."

"I'm aware."

Issei nodded. "Right." He took a breath. "It began when students from my school began getting killed. I began searching for what might be happening, and that was when I stumbled upon a Cage."

"Cage?"

"Unnatural pocket worlds created and stabilized all around Kuoh, containing the monsters that had hurt Ni and Li a day ago." He smiled grimly, remembering the disgust he felt when he first saw the Rat King. "It didn't click at first, but as I destroyed more and more Cages, I found out that those monsters were animal corpses brought back by stitching human brains to their spine."

Everyone stilled, eyes wide. Issei blinked. They don't know? He thought, before he internally shrugged. "There were fifteen Cages in total." He continued. "A few weeks ago, I was destroying the last Cage I could sense around Kuoh when I got attacked by an executioner working under someone called Galilei-"

Crack

"What did you say?"

Everyone turned to Kiba. The polite smile he had was gone, replaced by a blank expression that didn't fit with the burning anger in his eyes. A crack had formed on the table, stretching out from beneath his fist.

Maybe Issei should've said something to comfort him, or maybe a question to ask what was wrong, but every synapse in his brain spontaneously decided to rest at the same time. So he stood there for a full second, staring emptily at the boy, before his lips parted and he said,

"Please don't. That table's expensive."

Everyone stared. Kiba did too. Issei blinked, and then blinked again, before he registered just what it was he said. Embarrassment crawled up his spine, but he quickly shrugged and grinned to cover it up. "I'm serious. My dad bought that from an old antique shop. Please don't break it. I think my old man would cry." His dad probably would, actually.

"...right." Kiba slowly pulled his hand from the table. He looked ashamed, and he reminded Issei of a dog who just got yelled at. It was rather pitiful.

Issei coughed. "Right. Anyway, I thought that would be it, but more people began disappearing. So I went searching for clues when I stumbled on those two." He gestured to Ni and Li. The catgirls sat up straight. "They were hurt, injured, and were being chased by a Fallen Angel. After I brought the Fallen down, Ni told me that she was looking for Ravel, and-, well, the rest you know."

Silence fell around him, tense and uncomfortable. Issei did his best to distract himself by reading through his entire Inventory.

"...I see." Riser eventually said, and the rage in his voice was clear to hear. The air was thick with tension.

His mom came to the rescue by dropping a feast's-worth of food, all somehow made in mere minutes. Issei stared, confused, and his mom had winked as she brought forward the description of her Master Chef Skill.

[Master Chef*]

Lvl 14/250 | 3%

Your food is a form of art. Any food you create will always be appealing.

Increases proficiency in cooking by 528%

*All Cooking processes have been sped up by 328%

Terrifying. His mom discovered a secret aspect of her Skill in just a day. Absolutely terrifying.

Of course, his mom's cooking was as delicious as always, but seeing the shock in the other's faces made the whole meal more enjoyable than it probably should be. That, and seeing his mom get the praise she definitely deserved made him feel warm. It also gave him the time to really observe the Devils who he was now sitting with.

…that sentence didn't sound right in his mind.

He let all but his mind's eye fall away, and he could make out the indistinct forms of the people around him. It was their mana, their magic personified, mana given form through the personalities and magic that controls it. He'd been pretty spooked when he first discovered it, but it'd served him well in finding Ravel, so all's well.

Strangely though, he hadn't gotten a Skill regarding it. There seemed to be some sort of barrier he needed to first cross before the Skill would show itself. Probably something related with making the indistinct blobs in his mind's eye actually take shape. He'd figure that out someday in the future.

Issei focused on Riser's servants, letting anything but their magic be drowned by the expanse of nothingness. He didn't know too much about them, but he could feel the care they had for him. Their mana reached out to the flames he'd given them, wrapping themselves around it like a babe to their parents. It was rather endearing actually, and he nearly chuckled when he saw how Ni and Li's mana was bouncing all around Riser's flame like hyperactive cats. He kept watch on them for a good few minutes, content in basking in the warmth of it all.

That was enough for today.

The world rushed back into view, and he grimaced as a massive migraine stuck him. He silently messaged his head as he glanced around. They were all still eating. Rias and her group were eating silently, while Riser and his servants were talking and laughing as they ate. The tension was just as thick as it was minutes before, and Issei was still in the middle of it all.

"So, what are you all planning to do?" He asked. Everyone turned to him, and he smiled wryly. "You all leaving soon? Or are you staying? Don't recommend the latter though."

"We're staying." Rias said, confident, if a little haughty. "This is my home, my territory. I won't abandon it."

He hummed. "Is that so?" The confidence in her eyes fell away as he stared at her. "Are you sure you'll be able to deal with the ones behind all this? You're Devils and all, but the ones behind all this are strong." He frowned. "You're better off going away for some time instead of trying to fight and getting kidnapped instead."

"We won't."

He stared, and then suddenly he stood behind her, his fork held inches from her neck. The rest of the Occult Research Club finally moved, but he glared. They all sat back down, terrified of something.

(Later, his mom would ask if he had some sort of Intimidation Skill. He would stare at her in confusion, and his mom would only smile.)

"Did you see me move?" He asked. Rias slowly shook her head. He hummed. "Then you aren't ready. The executioners working under Galilei were moving about as fast as I was. If you couldn't catch me moving-" He brought his fork closer to her neck. "Then you're as good as dead."

Rias was shaking. Issei felt a little bad about it, but if it meant someone surviving, then he didn't mind playing this role.

"I-I won't back down."

He sighed harshly. "You will die."

Rias didn't turn, but he could easily see the anger building in her. "This is my territory. I will not leave." She turned to him and glared. "I won't leave, no matter what threat you send."

"..."

Rias must've seen something, because she recoiled back, only to realize that the table had stopped her from moving. He would've asked what was wrong, or tilt his head, or something. But he didn't. He wasn't able to. He remained there, staring at the girl as the hollowness of his ears rang in the back of his mind.

"I see." He said eventually, managing a strained shrug. "If that's what you want." He placed the fork down on the dinner table. He walked back to his seat and sat down. The table had gone quiet.

"Just don't get your brain scooped, yeah?" He said lightly, his mind occupied with all the horrific things he'd seen in the past month. "Would be pretty disappointing for someone as beautiful as you to get downgraded to the pet project of some madman."

No one spoke after that, but he'd gotten his point across.

(Still caught up in his mind, he didn't notice how Rias was blushing. Nor did he see the glint in Akeno's eye. Nor did he notice how he'd gained the interest of everyone else, curious as to how a seemingly normal human had grown so strong. It would be the beginning of his legend amongst Devilkind.

Really, Issei was digging his own grave without him knowing.)

…

The Devils left an hour later, and finally left alone, Issei let himself slump onto the table. His mom laughed and gently carried him to the couch. "You were very brave," She said, and he would've scoffed in denial if not for the sad smile she had. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you during that."

"It's nothing." He said as if his heart wasn't beating wildly the entire time. "It wasn't that bad."

His mom clearly didn't believe him, but she didn't push. Instead she sat next to him, and there was excitement in her eyes as she turned to him and asked, "Do you want to go to the Ghost ID with me?"

He groaned. "Again? Didn't you go a couple hours ago?" She giggled, and he sighed. "Why couldn't you have gotten addicted to, I don't know, Korean dramas or something."

His mom raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to?"

Issei thought about it for a good second. "No." He then said, because he wasn't sure if hearing his mom scream about some korean guy to his dad was any better. "I don't."

"There you go." His mom grinned. "So, do you want to?"

He sighed. "Fine. Let's go."

His mom smiled when he said so, and he couldn't help but smile as well. It was still a little odd to have his mom casually ask if he wanted to join her for some ghost-hunting, but he didn't mind. It was nice to have someone to share this secret he had, someone who was just as excited and eager as he was.

He closed his eyes, and with a smile, he let the world around him twist as ID Localization took hold.

And seconds later, he and his mom vanished from the world.