Vermilion Dragon of the Phenex

by Alek Sands

"Allow me to reintroduce myself, Gremory-san; my name is Hyoudou Issei, I am the Pawn of Eight to Lady Ravel of the House of Phenex, but today it is for Lord Riser, her elder brother whom I fight for. Upon my left arm, I wield the Longinus, {Boosted Gear}, and by this gauntlet, I proclaim myself as this generation's [Sekiryuutei] (Red Dragon Emperor)." AU. Rated M. etc. etc.

3. The Phenex Nest

The following is a non-profit, fan-based AU story. [High School DxD] is owned by Ishibumi Ichiei, Miyama-Zero, Fujimi Shobo, TNK and Funimation. Please support the official release.

By the way, did you know that in the beta version of DxD Volume 1, Rias, Akeno and Koneko didn't even exist, not even as a concept? And that Issei wasn't originally a pervert? Weird right. Especially since Kiba was meant to be the protagonist, and Issei was a supporting character. Thank you Fujimi Shobo for showing Ishibumi the way.

I'll stop talking now.

---

"_" = Speaking.

( _ ) = Translation/Other Meaning

[ _ ] = Personal Title.

{ _ } = Item/Ability/Sacred Gear.

["_"] = Speaking via Alternate Means.

["_"] = Speaking through Sacred Gears.

[{"_"}] = Sacred Gear Command.

---

That very same night that I, Hyoudou Issei, had met Ravel Phenex, was also the night I was first introduced to the Phenex Clan.

""Ys lyjylziz yzs!""

(""I am home!"")

Just like in Japan it was customary to announce your arrival back at your home. The alternative, for when you are entering someone else's home is to say "efslizeafyt tyit" ("pardon my intrusion").

There was a lot about devil society that I was unaware of, but in order to not to slow down my introduction into the Phenex Household, I will withhold all that I need to explain about how the Underworld was run and how the functions of devil civilisation was being managed, and every around and in-between of any importance.

Needless to say, the Phenex Household was larger than any home I had ever seen in Japan. Bigger than a school, bigger than a castle, it was even larger than the ruined buildings where I practiced summoning my Sacred Gear, and all the surrounding lands combined would probably still fit inside this mansion with rooms to spare.

As the magic circle that transported us here disappeared into the nothingness, and after both Lady Zemele and Ravel had said their usual greetings, the halls echoed with the same call of several, possibly hundreds, of servants lined up against either side of the red carpet the trailed along the very centre of the hallways.

""""""Lypeheys yseot, Katefozy"""""

("Welcome back, my Ladies.").

As the crowd of black and white uniformed bowed as they made their greetings to their serving family, all I could do was stand there like an insignificant ant surrounded in the unfamiliar realm of giants.

Up ahead, there were several prominent figures dressed in fine clothes; two were standing side by side to each other and were clearly husband and wife. The next two were easily pointed out as brothers, but from a distance it looked as if they were all part of the same generation as their ages seemed to correlate roughly the same based on their youthfulness alone.

Behind them were a collection of people dressed in a large collection of varying dress styles, some carrying objects and weapons like swords and the occasional staffs. They appeared to be a gathering of people for all across the globe from as near as China or Thailand, to further India and Russia, and even to farthest reaches of Mexico, Sweden and possibly even the Congo. Some even didn't look human, with some being mostly humanoid, others bearing animal parts or even half human species, and there was even one creature dressed human but bared nothing human at all in physical appearance.

As soon as the last of the main servants passed by us as I walked behind Ravel and Zemele, it was Lady Ravel who ran straight into the arms of the woman standing in front of us. Her arms stretched outwards, the two figures collided with one another and embraced themselves in a deep mother and daughter hug.

"Mama!"

"Ravel polezzety."

("Ravel dearest.")

It was a truly touching sight to see Ravel being so close to her mother. Despite being part of a very high ranking family in their society, it felt like melting chocolate my heart to see them being so casually warm with each. If I had been any older then, I think I may have shed a tear of happiness in being witness to such a touching reunion.

It's for memories such as these that I am glad to be a servant of the Phenex Household.

Although, while I had been watching at the time, I couldn't help but feel a sting next to my own heart as I watched them.

When the two had finished talking to each other, mostly in muffled and un-understandable sentences that I think could baffle the me of today who has a much wider grasp of the language than I did then, that was when Ravel turned around to stand by her mother's side, still holding on to her left hand as she swiveled from her position. As this happened, Zemele walked forward and took a bow before the man who was definitely Ravel's father.

"Wep yzs yfet sexe efkepoje. Klopa pit ef ifit suhiz Offezople ef xlopwea zia."

("This is the one I informed you about. The one with the Dragon-type Sacred Gear in his arm.")

As I didn't know what was being said at the time, I got a chill at my spine when Lord Phenex peered his head over from Zemele to look at the ten year old boy standing absolutely puzzled in his home. After Lord Phenex had thanked Zemele for her role in bringing Ravel home, he allowed her to walk over to the second brother on the furthest to his right. As the two embraced each other for a small kiss, I realised while I was staring at the two that this must be her husband, Rayzem. The two were truly a matched couple, with Lord Rayzem being the right height and build as he was that they looked like true equals, as two people deeply in love should appear from first glance.

However, as I had been paying a little too much attention to the literal love birds, I had forgotten about the Lord and Lady of the household, which turned out to be a very embarrassing scene after I came to that realisation only half a minute later. With both of Ravel's parents staring down at me with amused smiles, I was taken a back and went redder than a cherry when I had the epiphany of my own rudeness for forgetting they were there.

So imagine my surprise as I tried to compose myself, while being witnessed to seeing a noble family of devils politely bowing in front of me.

"My wife and I would like to extend our thanks to you, for looking after our daughter Ravel. We are in you debt."

As Lord Phenex's words reached my ears, I lost all trace of my thoughts; a Marquis, not to mention a devil was thanking me, in perfect Japanese as well.

"Um, n-no. I mean, it's- there's no need for thanks. Um, I-I, I'm Issei, and-and it was not a problem."

"Greetings, Issei Hyoudou. I am Rivalen Phenex, Ravel's father."

"I'm his wife and Ravel's mother, Rozalva Phenex. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hyoudou-chan."

Lord Rivalen, the current Marquis of Phenex, a title of which his family has held for six generations, and is responsible for the welfare and management of twenty legions of devils within his territory. A man who looked to be in his thirties, but he retained that youthful vigour about his persona. He had light coloured hair, but unlike the golden yellow hair of the rest of his family, his was more of a gradient of shades between orange and yellow, almost like a purest of gold flames which he kept in a spiky fashion at the back of his head and neatly combed over each side, like a birds tail and wings whilst in roosting. He was dressed in a deep crimson smoking jacket, which he wore over a formal dining suit, albeit with it lacking a bow tie and a dinner jacket.

Lady Rozalva his wife, as well as the mother of his four children. She too was a pure-blooded devil, having originally belonged to the Andrealphus clan, who were also ranked as Marquis but had command over thirty legions, but were now technically on the verge of extinction since the current Marquis of Andrealphus only had one child who was of mixed heritage. To put her appearance into perceptive, she was a complete mirror image of her daughter Ravel, albeit in her early twenties and wore her hair up high and decorated as seen worn by noble woman in the West during the Georgian period. Her golden yellow hair and topaz blue eyes were the same as inherited by all four of her children.

After finishing with both their introductions, I gave a polite bow to the Lord and Lady of the House.

"Th-thank you, for having me."

Despite the slight hiccup with the order in which Lord Phenex had said my name, which Lady Phenex had corrected on his behest, their Japanese was flawless and so well structured and spoken that I could have mistaken the two of them with having been born and bred in my home country.

The next person over stepped forward after both of his parents had accepted my thanks, offering a hand to me like he was greeting a business colleague or a person

"I'm Ruval Phenex, the eldest son."

"Hello. I'm Hyoudou Issei. Thank you for having me."

Ruval Phenex is the eldest son and child of the current Phenex Household, but he looked deceptively older than his mother was, using his magic to appear as a man in his late twenties. Unlike most of his family at the time, he was an avid player in the Rating Game, and was already in the Top Ten Ranking position even when I had first arrived. I am not certain what rank he was in when I first arrived since I never asked him, but from when I had last asked heard from him (which would have been around Christmas 2007), he was holding onto 8th position, in front of Tannin-ojiisan and Shinami Ryuuya-sama (also Japanese, and a reincarnated devil). Like Ravel and the rest of his siblings, he had the same golden blonde hair and dark blue eyes that almost looked like they were cloning each other. His hair was worn to his neckline, and was very straight, except for about three or four thick strands above his forehead that refused to be flattened, that almost looked like he was wearing a crown of some sorts. Unlike the rest of the family, he liked to wear tradition robes and other clothes expected of devils rather than the western styles or medieval inspired dresses many other nobles had taken to attiring themselves in. The only other people I had ever seen wear them on a regular basis were the Maou Sirzech Lucifer and Ajuka Beelzebub, and I think I had seen most if not all of the former heads continuing to dress in the same manner.

"Not a problem, Issei-san

Lord Ruval was a seasoned competitor, as well as the heir to the Phenex clan, which understandably gave him a firm hand grip, but the fact we were shaking left hand to left hand, it was giving me unusual nerved. For a while there was quite a bit of throbbing like there was a second heart in my hand, but I could also sense the kind of heat leaking off both of my hand and from Ruval. For what I would later learn, it was no shock that I was sensing so much power from a devil with enough potential to easily rank in the Ultimate-class.

Before either of us could react to these unusual feelings edging in both of our senses, his younger brother, with his wife under his arm stepped forward, drawing my attention away from the eldest son and heir.

"I'm the second son. You can call me Rayzem. Zemele is of course my wife, and she is also my Bishop."

"Bishoppu?"

This was the first time I had ever heard the English word for any of the chess pieces. It was actually also the first time I had actually heard of chess being mentioned to me. His instantaneous change from near perfect Japanese to absolutely fluent English was a complete shock to my psyche. What actually impressed me more, in which I didn't really notice at the time, was with his complete mastery with British Received Pronunciation (since he first learnt English when the British Empire was still a prominent authority, and far exceeded the United States).

"Oh, my apologies. As a human, you are not at all aware of the peerage system we have here in the Underworld."

Rayzem Phenex is the second son, and also a husband unlike the rest of his siblings who were not engaged in any relationships at the time I first arrived inside their home. Rayzem wasn't much of a competitor as his brother, and probably gave up pretty early on in trying his hand in the Rating Games, only owning a few peerage members himself compared to the full set in his brother's. He was actually a television producer at the time I first met him, newly promoted and was looking for more work towards real programming rather than advertisement. Again with his features, he was golden haired and blue eyed, though he was noticeably also older looking that Lady Phenex, but only by a few years, but the age difference was very discernible that even I could recognise it at the time. His hair was worn long enough to be tied into a small ponytail, but had several long bangs that ran over his face like talons gripping his forehead, and he had some visible facial hair where he had forgotten to shave after pulling long nights and days at his workplace. Even devils can get tired without beauty sleep. He wore a shirt and smart trousers, but was lacking a jacket and tie like a normal suit would have been. His sleeves were also rolled up giving him a more relaxed posture, but was also considerably stylish as well.

Maybe it was his way of talking, but he seemed to have learnt Japanese from television for older viewers that incorporated a lot of foreign words into their dialogues since rather than saying 'souryo', he used 'bishop'. I'm not going to argue whether it is more common to refer to chess pieces by their established English names or not, but for the younger me of the time, the only English words I ever used on a regular basis were 'supa', 'raida', 'reinja', 'monsta' and 'sankyu'. All of these unusual words that were being conveyed over to me were not doing my ten year old self any favours that explanations could restore in a few hours. Never mind the word "bishop" which was understandably an English word, I had never even heard of the word "peerage" before in my life.

"Pia-riju?"

I don't even think I was able to pronounce it in kana correctly or not; I probably substituted the 'ju' for a 'chu', and I probably emphasised the 'a' too much that it sounded like a 'ya'. Rayzem managed to move the conversation along quick enough that there was no wasted time spent to dawdle on the subject.

"Well, we can get back to that later I suppose since you'll be staying here with us. Now where is Riser then? Oh well, you'll meet him soon enough regardless."

"Um, yeah. O-ok."

Riser Phenex, of course, is the third son of the Phenex Clan. Around the time that I first joined, he also fairly new to the Rating Game and had yet to be assigned to his first match yet, but was still considerably older in terms of age difference to Ravel and Rayzem. To put this in better perspective; While Rias Gremory would have been about eleven at this time, her older brother Sirzech was just about to pass two hundred as far as I could recall. The difference between Ravel and Riser would be a rough estimate of fifty years, whereas Rayzem is one hundred and thirty between himself and Ravel, and Ruval exceeding maybe three hundred, maybe slightly less than that. I have never really asked them since while age is not a big issue for beings who can live up to 100,000 years in one lifetime, it is still a sensitive subject once they exceed their first hundred or so due to the regular interactions most have with other species with less longevity than theirs.

I never dared ask what the ages of neither Lord, nor especially Lady Phenex.

After are brief introduction, Lord Rayzem had turned to his wife and said:

"Zemele, violy faf ezse pit pafzykezzys efzhepeoz woykaz fajezzeto fazsloy wazheseit yzs?"

("Zemele, why don't you go check on the kids while we settle in our newest guest then?")

"Ze jez ty ok sy, ys xyfy sexe yles axsythyloly, Rayzem Katefiz."

("If you wish me to, then I shall happily comply, Master Rayzem.")

"Si pafeifg, yra jel jyzsyl. Vioyza zefes yzzy kiaz hdilyzjy pafpillifs. Woxytiz kiaz zetid yzzy viot kelerosil. Si yz tydeal ketekeit."

("You are my wife, and I am your husband. Please, let's be a couple more often. We have two children together, you are more than just a subordinate. You are my better half.")

Oh yes; on top of the two being married, Lord Rayzem and Lady Zemele are also the ever so proud parents to fraternal twins, one boy Ramarh, and one girl Riana, both aged at about two years old at the time. Children were of great importance to devils, especially after many of their numbers had been cut to less than a half of they were before the Great War between the Three Factions. The Phenex Clan were among the rarest of coincidences where they had managed to not only produce four children under the current Marquis, but one of these sons was lucky enough to be the father of twins, which was an even rarer event for the Underworld.

The Phenexes are also well known for throwing overly extravagant parties, a fact that has become more of a tradition now rather than something that is done on a whims briefest of notices, that I can almost imagine how large and expensive of a celebration after the birth of twin devils, which may never happen in 100,000 years.

"Riser. Has anyone seen him today?"

The room seemed to grow too conveniently silent when Riser's name had been brought up, as if the room itself had stopped all sound. It felt like I had walked outside of the world and was now empowered to bear witness to time itself halting in every corner of the room. Not even the servants dared to gossip in these times.

I wouldn't know at the time, but it wasn't the first time Riser had done something irresponsible; as a young devil himself, he was eager to gather allies and liked to make a big show of it. Apparently, he was only interested in collecting a large variety of girls, but had no concern or consideration whether they would be the most effective in a Rating Game. Despite his good intentions, his pride got him in the trickiest of situations that are sometimes of embarrassment to the family.

Hanging from Lady Phenex's left side, the answer came in the form of the nine year old Ravel, who was the only one to break this fragile ice we were all suddenly walking across, before the waters below could burst and ensnare us.

"Hee was gowin too Japan. That why I waz folohwin him. But den, he tuk off, and I kot lost."

The room started getting less and less crowded after Lady Ravel's answer. One by one the servants of the house slowly walked with their gazes firmly turned towards the doors. Even Rayzem, Zemele, the many peerage members, and the most surprisingly, Lord Phenex, all made their ways out of the room on foot. Eventually the room was only occupied by myself, Ravel and her mother, and the humid form of Ruval, smiling, but his eyes were saying he was going to melt something into a puddle of butter on the floor.

"Ys fypyzzy yzs is pit hoipez blosyl oppykes wip."

("I'll need to have a few words with my brother when he gets back here.")

From how massively fiery is aura was as it started rising, I could tell just how many words he was going to be using. Very short, but very powerful. I am not even joking about that, there was literally smoke leaking from his clothes like he was going to spontaneously combust at any moment.

There was a reason he was being considered for a promotion to Ultimate-class.

At the worst possible time, there was a familiar orange circle inscribing itself into marbled floor. Light refracting in all directions as a blazing tornado, and a figure of a young man in his late teens emerged in the inferno followed by a voluptuous woman, two twin girls with cat ears and a young teenage girl carrying a spear.

"Ys lyjylziz yzs!"

("I am home!")

""Sexe rloseoz ora hla faxez!""

(""Thank you for having us!"")

With the man jumping through the flames obviously being Riser Phenex, since he too was golden blonde and blue eyed, with his hair actually worn more rebellious than it would later appear when he changed his age to his early twenties. It wasn't very fashionable especially for devils, since it resembled something out of Dragon Ball, but it looked surprisingly well on his persona at his apparent age.

Beside him, the voluptuous woman who looked to be in her mid-twenties was his Queen, Yubelluna. With her long flowing purple hair and violet eyes, she was a true belladonna in terms of her beauty (and doubly said in ability hence the choice in names). As well as being the strongest piece in his permanent peerage to this day even, she was also his main escort to everywhere he went. Even if Riser would enter a room by himself for formalities sake, you could be assured that she was close nearby, or a simple teleport circle away at most. She was famous for her pyrokinetic displays as a former magician herself until Riser seduced her and convinced her to join his peerage. I don't know what exactly won her over, but whatever it was Riser had a real skill in it. Her skills with explosions were never a joke, hence why she is better known as the [Bomb Queen].

The two cat girls were the twins Ni and Li, who looked to be in their pre-teens when they first arrived. I'm unsure what their real names were before joining the Phenex Household, but I know for a fact that their names were given to them in order to make it easier to say both their names simultaneously during a Rating Game. I am to this day unsure how many peerage members had to change their names, but I have kept my lips sealed on the business of privacy, and as a peerage member like myself knows; it is the privilege of the King to call upon his or her peerage members by whatever name he or she decides upon. As nekomata, they had their signature cat ears and tails exposed. Ni was always standing to the right, while Li was to the left, which was one way to tell them apart (by that I mean left from their perspective, not from the viewers). Another way was by their hair colour as Ni had red hair and eyes (an always to the right, hence the distinction) and Li is blue. How Riser was able to convince both these two to become his pawns is a mystery to me.

You'll understand later, I solemnly vow to you.

And the last person was also the youngest member of his team at the time, Mira. I'm not too sure what nationality she was, but her appearance didn't suit her dress style. With her blue hair tied into pig-tails and wearing red over white, her Japanese style clothing was not suitable for her European appearance. She was twelve when I first met her that same day. I'm afraid to say that I cannot say too much about her, except that by power ranking, she has always been the weakest member of Riser's peerage not through lack of trying, but that every other member was born with some inept ability, and all were able to channel the fire magic dormant inside each of their Evil Pieces except for Mira.

"Ys zixyllo, ys ef viexiz yzs, Riser?"

("Where under earth have you been, Riser?")

At the fury of Ruval's blazing aura, all three of the little girls started nervously stepping backwards instinctively. Of course Lord Ruval wasn't targeting them, but it was very easily mistakable when they so happened to be in the same direction as Lord Riser was. Riser, on the other hand showed no reaction to Ruval's fiery temper, perhaps having decided to call it a bluff. I am not sure what to say, but I want to assure you that this all really happened.

"Is o Japan zizsidylifs baltazo kialit rytefalit nekomata ys dexyfsyl tyo Hykesyz hlealkefyz tyit.

("I just picked up a lovely pair of nekomata twins from Japan, and they willingly agreed to join my peerage as my Pawns.")

As Riser made his attempts to play off his actions nonchalant and all, without any real idea as to why he was being scolded in the first place, all he managed to do was stoke the anger building inside the fire of his elder brother.

"Zpea zethdepesyl okkyfka zexe pattezzaz ok Hlealkefyz vias hasyz, zyk rlojesyl, viot zes viodesoz pelpo viofsesosyt."

("I know you are absolutely committed to adding as many girls to your peerage as you can, but seriously, it should be about quality rather than quantity.")

"Pattessesil Dikiz Doslifpide salfyotyfsit ef sisydo paresa ty pesa. Atfy ahiz tofiz hazzet holsyttode."

("I intend to start my own career in the Rating Game tournament very soon. I need every piece I can get my hands on.")

"Fitviek axdesiz yz, vie ylos pit sexe, kit dikez Ravel 'padderyly' pit Youkai Hykesyz?"

("Did you forget that Ravel was travelling with you while you were playing 'pick up' with your Youkai Pawns?")

"Of eddo hleal hiyddo. Yo tepwe faf yrys sythiz."

("She's a big girl. She doesn't need me to watch her all the time.")

"Balsozzy faf yzzys xafit ys pafsythdofsyz yot. Zodsyt is axzyljysez otys efjyfes odeviyt hla yo igal. Pallery syviy, woxytiz fajit wazhesyt."

("Maybe it was a good thing you weren't watching her. At least she found someone more responsible to watch out for her instead. Straighten yourself out, we have a new guest.")

I had no idea what was being said at the time, like I am always reminding you as well as myself as I am retelling these events, so when I was suddenly being stared down upon by the youngest son of the Phenex Clan, I was quite shaken up. Unlike his family who had been courteous during our first meeting, Riser had the look of a hungry giant bird of prey about him that made me feel like a worm he was about to step on rather than eat. Not that I am saying I would have enjoyed the idea of him looking happily at me with those same eyes.

After giving me the oddest stare you could imagine, he spoke again to his brother.

"Viez? Fythy wap petyg?"

("Who? You mean this little runt?")

"Yes, this is Hyoudou Issei. Please speak Japanese. He's unfamiliar with our native tongue. Since you managed to grab a few servants yourself from that same country, you could show some courtesy and show him how well versed you are."

Ruval, having cleared his throat, returned to speaking in Japanese, which suddenly meant I was understanding everything that was to happen next conversation wise. While I should say it was a comforting relief at the time, I now see just how unfortunate I was to be cursed when I heard my mother tongue being spoken by a foreigner with no grip of the tongue.

I am not joking, and I make a formal apology to all of you who have the unfortunate task of reading through the next speaking role as it appears. But remember that I was listening to it, so there is no equality in suffering.

Excuse me, I will continue.

As you could expect, Riser was determined to make a startling impression on me about his character from the first words that left his vocal cords. With his antics for performance and drama, I would have liked to hope that he would convey such passion into his verbal movements as much as his physical movements, but I was dispossessed of such comforts when he began to speak "Japanese" to me.

"Harro dhare. I arm dha gorate Riser Phenex. Soon do bea dha nyuw Reyten Giayms Chiamipyun weevin dha nixd jenarishun uv yung deffels."

His Japanese was even worse than Ravel's but at least she understood the basis and wording of everything. From what I was hearing, it was completely vulgar and a serious bastardization of my entire mother language's cultural evolution. Unlike the efforts of the rest of the family, it appeared from my perspective that he had skimmed the book on learning Japanese and then shredded it and only spoke words how he wanted them to sound. The result was an unruly mesh of terrible grammar and a very long list of words that while still decipherable, where all just wrong.

This was the kind of nightmarish creation you could expect to make ears bleed.

While trying not to both grit my teeth, and impolitely laugh at his attempts at Japanese, I couldn't hide my crooked expression as each syllable grinded into my brain. Ravel had no trouble telling her brother how she felt about his Japanese in between bouts of innocent laughter.

"Zsidseseo Riser. Ys zep kipifs pofyly."

("Silly Riser. You sound so stupid.")

"Xyfy, pylsy jylxez okwip ifejylzodeiz viot si, holit zalal."

("Well, at least my vocabulary is still more extensive than yours, little sister.")

Despite the harsh words, it was obvious that they were a close family. Just from the bare minimum of tone of their voices from Lord Ruval and Lord Riser's interaction alone it was clear that they were very caring people, and the last few words exchanged between

As all their open smiles drowned the atmosphere, I could only feel that sting again on my chest.

---

It all went south that night though, when I opened the wrong door late into the night.

Night-time wasn't actually a part of the cycle in the Underworld as it turned out. Considering there is no sun or moon visible below the earth, it makes absolutely perfect sense thinking aloud. It was only implemented when the Evil Piece system was started and many of the reincarnated devils were getting delirious due to the lack of biological upbringing needed to know when sleep was necessary since the entire day was constantly in one colour rather than a gradual transition of shades over the course of many consecutive hours.

Thank the Maou I never had such a problem whilst I was growing up.

Having ate dinner with the entire family, since I was still considered a guest at the time, the first course in itself was a feast, which was a surprise. The nervous child I was hesitated in making any sort of moves, while I felt like the Phenexes were observing my every action I was making, and I was still clueless as to what they were discussing among themselves due to the language barrier that separated us.

Being surrounded in that kind of environment, I felt like I was sinking back into that orphanage, where at dinner I would almost vanish, or at least that was what I was feeling like doing; Ravel would still talk to me, but since her own Japanese was still something that needed improving on, they were very limited and I couldn't exactly talk to her like she was another. And while I much appreciated the efforts that the other members of family were tasked with for my own self's sake, being in an unfamiliar place and being inquisited gave my psyche a terrible relapse of the first few days out of hospital when adults whom I have recollection of anymore, but were constantly hounding me for answers to draw up their patchworks of the events that had unfolded in my home the night they, my parents, had died, and then the almost fake sympathies the people who would later evict me into the orphanage shared with me.

There is the high probability thinking back now that the social workers were really concerned, but the hours upon hours of similar stories and related cases had most likely taken a toll on their sympathetic tones since it was under the constant stress of reproducing the same sounds over a repeating cycle. I have no such qualms with their personal grievances, but it wasn't what I needed at all for the place and state I was wandering between.

After dinner was concluded, I was taken to a spare bedroom by one of the knights of the Phenex Household. I was too young to exactly remember which one since they all dressed very similarly and wore armour and swords at their sides at all times. Based on what I can remember, I know that it was a male knight, so I narrowed the answer to either Vissarion (Ruval's Knight) or Eugene (Lord Rivalen's), but I think it was more likely the later since he too was familiar with Japanese and was in touch with, though outdated view of, the culture having been anointed a samurai himself by the Shogun of his day.

We'll get back to that at another time.

Having been taken to my room, which was probably the equal to the ground floor to my old home in accordance to size, I was left to my own devices in this single room, which dwarfed. The bed was as big as my room which was quite the shock when I spent a good minute trailing it in order to get into the right place I needed to sleep. Everything was so inhumanly new to the touch, to the smell, the sight, everything. It was almost impossible to get comfortable with my imagination having been exposed to such an unfamiliar experience so quickly and without reservations.

Continuing to think about it, about them, it still stung. I didn't know why it would.

Just as all this nervousness was wallowing up inside of myself, I finally realised a flaw with my laying here pondering whilst awake.

I needed to use the toilet.

Having been on my nervous state of mind since I had arrived, I had neglected to realise my own desperation until I started to slowly relax and then notice how my muscle contraction had been holding it all in until this time.

I must apologise for this next part as my consciousness was both half asleep, half frantic in desperation, and it was also passing in and out of awareness despite the severity of the situation. I'm afraid that what happened next was beyond my control, but I will recount what I am able to remember of that night as best I can, but for the most part, it is not a recollection I hold in any positive regard.

It started with the wrong door in the corridor, and then stepping through said portal, I was falling. For how long, I can only remember being a short fall, but now looking back on that place, it must have been a good two storeys fall.

I recall landing in a pile of dry grass, most likely a loose connection of dead branches, bracken and straw made from hay that was an uncomfortable, yet lifesaving, cushion for my fall. The painful fall unleashed a scream as I felt my side being pricked by several very sharp sticks that I could have sworn at the time were breaking my fragile skin.

The sound of my pain awoke the true residence of this room.

It was too dark to see at the time, but a single thread of light where I had carelessly left the door to the room wide open allowed the torch flames from the corridor to illuminate a partial section of the room, and revealed a most terrifying sight for the eleven year old me who had only just been introduced to the supernatural aspects of the world.

In this room was a very large feathered creature the size of a dinosaur, patterned in a collection of oranges with streaks of blue and white, which were only as intimidating as the sharp ruby eyes that glowed as they shot wide open and locked sights with me in this umbra. It gave me terrifying reminders of one of those creatures on a prehistoric show where there was a giant species of bird that would hunt down horses before humanity ever evolved. With those unemotional eyes that were wide open and staring at me sideways on, how could I be anything but afraid at the time. I was sure I would be consumed on the spot.

In a panic I lost my voice and forgot how to scream or speak and was left to run myself into the darkness in the bare hopes that I would be able to avoid its deathly gaze. But it didn't. My only advantage was its lack of speed, as its sudden roosting had not allowed it to fully awaken and it contractions and reflexes were stiff having just broken from slumber. While it could still see me, and I wasn't too sure how far I had run into the black until I hit the wall palms first against the cobbled stones. As my fear rose as two beams of bloody red flared over my form, and the great behemoth began to become orthostatic, revealing two very scaly yellow bird talons that would disembowel me from the first swipe.

As greatly an embarrassment it is for me to now profess this aloud, I can affirm to you readers that I was no longer in such desperate need to use the facilities any longer. I had long since passed that point with no return. Childish incidents were the least of my terrors at this fixed point in my history.

I wish I could say I was at least trying to appear fearless at the sight of my possible imminent death, but that was never to be the scenario as I would have desired it to be. I was not even able to stand as my legs gave into the uneasy shaking that was gnawing into the last strengths supporting my upright posture, and descended unto my palms.

[Bo Vahzah]

I heard something call out to me. It was echoing and it was hard to hear not that I knew what the voice was saying to be either, but my instincts understood. Even in the shocked and terrified state I was in, my body moved in accordance. Leaping over to my right and falling unto my right shoulder.

There was a loud crash, which I presumed had been the beast with its beak breaking

[Bel Zu'u]

This time, I could hear it as if it where my own thoughts. I felt a pulsing in my left arm, like it had its own heartbeat. Thumping and pumping, like blood was being drained into it and then circulated back into my body.

I cannot recall how long it took for me to pull the last straw I had so late into the, but at my most desperate moment, I pulled the only thought that came to mind, and that was to summon 'Buushuta'.

I turned around and then like one of those 'reinjas' or 'raidas' I liked to mimic, I outstretched my arm out and yelled to the top of my lungs, feeling the power in my words rush into my arm like an electrical current surging through my arteries.

"Go, Buushuta!"

And then, the room was swallowed in emerald coloured radiance, temporarily blinding the beast as my Sacred Gear assimilated itself unto my arm.

["{Boost!}"]

Instead of the usual plate that covered the back of my arm, the metal was morphing before my very eyes; the front reached over my hand and encased all my fingers and my thumb in a thick crimson glow before my hand was shielded by a full gauntlet with sharp claws at the ends of my fingertips. The claw extended further up my arm until it was barely at my elbow, and now it had golden spikes extending from the very back.

But, that wasn't the only thing that emerged from my arm that day.

It was the first time in my lifetime that my Sacred Gear was talking, and it started with a triumphant and demonic laughter that put all other sounds in the room to silence.

["Ahahahahahaha! Ahst Lingrah Laat! Zu'u Alok Nol Dii Hahnu!"]

("At long last, I have awakened again!")

Although, in actuality, the proper translation would be more like 'At long last, I (have) risen from my dreams!", due to the limited vocabulary of dragons considered necessary in order to communicate, as well as the exclusion of the word 'again' since dragons a proud creatures and do not admit to repetition because it inspires the notion of having failed to accomplished something previously, which wounds their very high perception of dignity.

Though in actuality, using 'again' in this instance would be considered appropriate since Ddraig had almost certainly woken up . . . again.

The beast snapped from its stunned state and bellowed its own bird-like shriek in retaliation. Ddraig had later told me that this was an issue of challenge to the dragon. As prideful as Ddraig was, he was only glad to accept it.

["Hi Zok Sivaas! Hi Fent Haalvut Fin Bah Se [Sahqo Dovah Thur]!"]

("You great beast, you shall feel the wrath of the [Red Dragon Emperor]!")

Without any of my own words to back it up, Ddraig overrode my Sacred Gear and forcefully activated its true ability on my behalf.

["{Boost!} {Boost!} {Boost!} {Boost!} {Boost!}"]

The sudden shock of so much power, I almost got the feeling akin to seasickness as the surge rushed over my body like the feeling of exhaustion being switched in reverse. I nearly fell forward from the great gain I was so unused to wielding, but it in itself stopped me from collapsing.

["Raise your left hand. For now, we live or die here."]

Speaking aloud directly to me, and in Japanese as well, he gave me the only order necessary to save my life. As the last few minutes blurred together, a series of tremors piled in my direction, shaking violently across the floor as the kaiju (strange beast) came like thunder towards me. Hatred in its eyes and a ravenous cry that shattered glass.

The great increase in power was enough to bring up to my feet once more, and the words that continued to pour into my mind from Ddraig had a sirenic effect on my psyche, encouraging me to follow along to his tune.

Gripping hard in my left hand, I prepared a fist encased in red coloured plate, and stared back into the eyes of the abyss.

["Punch!"]

And so I did. Swinging my armoured arm at the giant, I struck the best clean between the eyes just above it's beak, causing it to recoil in pain as it's lower body smacked into the front like he had been hit against a brick wall. A very sturdy and magically reinforced brick wall I should point out. Maybe it was the surprise, maybe it was the level of boosts I had been given, but the force of the punch was enough to keep it immobile for a good long while, as I slowly stepped backwards. there was a rupturing pain in my left arm as it started feeling hot for a second, and then bone chilling as it dropped so suddenly.

I must apologise again that I am unable to properly direct a full descriptive battle when there is so much more that could have happened that night, however, I was not in the right place to lament on what had occurred to its fullest due to an unforeseen event happening after having delivered the strongest attack I could muster at that time.

["{Reset!}"]

The sudden decrease in power was enough to knock my consciousness asleep momentarily as my body went limp the moment those words filled the room. After a rapid collection of five boosts in a row, it was an inevitable outcome for the person I was then, whom was inexperienced with wielding its true abilities even to the smallest of extents.

My mind was black for an unspecified amount of time, until a minute or so later . . .

["{Boost!}"]

My consciousness shot awake as the power rushed through me. I felt like I had been hit over the head with a blunt object repeatedly. But unfortunately for me, it wasn't for the sake of simply waking me up that I had been boosted. The automatic system implanted into my Sacred Gear would automatically boost my strength every minute or so, as long as I wasn't attacked or use up my current stockpile.

The giant raptor was back unto its feet, albeit its head was bleeding from where it had both smashed the floor and received heavy hitting knuckle sandwich into its face. The sheer amount of terror it was exerting quickly washed over my senses as I was prepared to perform one of three primitive motions; freeze, flee, or fight.

I was most fortunate that night that it never had to come down to that however.

"Chol, hopebepofkit sy."

("Chol, calm yourself.")

The whole room sprung into the light, as the shadows suddenly went into hibernation and all became visible.

Before I knew it, the room became flooded with other people, all either in bed wear or still in serving uniforms and the likes of which greatly vast in numbers.

After Lord Phenex made his declaration, the bird monster stopped his rampage and started settling down. Retreating back to its nest, it laid down and allowed its master to stroke it. That hateful look turned to kindness. The ferocity into docility, and the territorial behaviour regressed into that akin to a pet, allowing its master to coddle it as if it were some breed of dog or cat.

And then, the horrible realisation hit me. I had punched the family pet in the face, and caused bleeding on it as a result. This was far worse a predicament that breaking a treasured fishing rod. It was the equivalent of injuring a member of the family.

I may have just been eleven years old, but I had committed an act of unforgivable sin, and not the kind that would be warranted by a devil either.

I stopped myself from making excuses when I made my apology. I no longer thought of myself as a little kid anymore, and I had to own up to my own mistakes, even if the people around me would hate me for it. I shouldn't have done it, and the guilt that was in my chest was stinging more than it had earlier.

It was the same when I was with my father, on one particular fishing trip we took. It was after Irina had moved away and my father wanted to cheer me up, so he took us out to the sea and we went fishing. I remember that I couldn't catch anything in spite of my determination to catch the biggest fish my parents would ever see in their lives. On our ever last trip, I was careless; my father fell asleep in the boat and I took hold of his rod, thinking that I would impress him if I caught something awesome in my own words with his very tool. I remember swinging it side to sides, and even at one point attempted to use it like it was meant for fly-fishing. But, the delicate rod was no meant for such violent acts of slashing and swinging, that the waves took hold and it snapped in two, with the damage irreparable.

It was our last trip, because despite having forgiven me, I had never forgive myself for what I had done. The dissatisfaction I felt towards what I did that day cast over me like the moon eclipses the sun. It may have been momentary for me, but I would never forget that single act that day and how awful I felt for betraying his trust and breaking his own rod.

No, that stinging I was feeling earlier was there again, but I was in too much of a confusion in my state of mind to differentiate the two pains.

In the sights of the Phenex family as they gathered to the scene, and after contemplating my options at this point, I tucked my behind myself as I placed myself on my knees, before lowering my face as far downwards as the backs of my palms would allow me. I don't remember if I was bleeding, either an internal or external wound caused by the rapid increase and then drastic decrease in power in such a shortened space of time, but there I was prostrating myself into the deepest dogeza (apologetic kowtow) I could perform.

"I'm so sorry. I'm sorry, I didn- I shouldn't have entered this room without permission. I upset your bird, and then . . . I attacked it. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry. "

I lay there, on the ground with my head buried into the floor as far as it would go. I could feel the utter disgrace riling up inside my stomach. It was as bad as the last time. No, it was worse. What I had done was worse.

My mind was disarrayed that I am not sure what I can recall correctly. I presume that I was still wallowing on the floor and repeatedly saying sorry, sorry, sorry, over and over again. The hundreds of apologies I must have been throwing, and the thousands of negative thoughts that were filling my head were so great that I was drowning out everything else, including the dragon in my arm trying to console me, or at least that's what he said he was doing.

I never asked for their forgiveness when I was apologising. The guilt that was making it hard to swallow was the reluctance I was feeling towards offering something I felt no right to be offered. I knew I had been frightened, and I knew I had been desperate, but that was far from my mind when I was recollecting how I had stumbled in and probably frightened the gigantic bird into terror this late at night.

As far as I could tell, not a word was spoken when I had stopped rambling on and on. Then, there was nothing but the sounds of footsteps gracefully brushing across the floor. As I wasn't looking up, I hadn't a clue to whom it was, but I could tell that it was approaching in my direction. There was a following patter that trailed after the first, but I didn't know until both had reached me.

I could see from the top of my peripheral vision, the sights of a pair of two folded knees poking through a pale peacock blue nightdress and to the right of them was two lilac socks around the size or smaller than both my hands. I slender hand tapped my left shoulder prompted me to lift my head slightly until that same hand cuffed my chin upon it and rose it till I was looking straight at the people looking at me from so near a distance.

With her hand upon the bottom of my face was Lady Phenex, with a concerned expression on her face, and to her side was Ravel who was half hiding behind her mother, and half clinging to her so late into the night as far as I believed.

Instead of being angry with me, she removed her hand and replaced them both around my arms, pulling me in and held me.

The stinging feeling I had been bottling inside myself washed out of me, and then it overflowed to the point it escaped my eyes. I hadn't noticed how shaky I had been till I stopped doing so. My arms went limp for a few seconds, before I pulled my right arm up and held onto her clothing as it was becoming drenched in lacrymation, as the downpour continued running down my cheeks and off the tips of both my nose and my lips.

I felt someone else grab my body as I continued wetting my face as Ravel hung onto my shirt from behind and snuggled her face against the back of my neck. By this time I knew I was making a noise as my repressed feelings started singing in choruses of pained cries and wails.

The only thoughts left in my mind, were those of my parents. And then I felt more tears envelop my sight. My throat became stiff and my throat contracted in an attempt to stifle the croaking gasps that I was unconsciously inhaling.

I mentioned last time that I had never been able to mourn for them due to being confined in hospital. Because of that I felt like I had already past the mourning period as my confinement left me going days and nights in and out of reality before I was released back into the world like a being who was half alive and unable to comprehend his situation.

It only now, after having buried my memories of grief for my parents demise that it all started flooding back to me. Every good memory, every bad one, or even just ones where I could picture them clearly in my mind, it all turned to heartache and then into collapse of my ability to process any other thoughts.

I wanted my family back. I wanted to be in my bed, in my home, in my town. I hated being sent away. I hated sharing a room with three other children. I hated the mundane routine I had went through day after miserable, boring day. I hated my new school. I hated my new life. I hated it. I hated it, hated it, hated it.

With my vision so blurry I have no recollection of who was talking at this time, not that I could see from where I was burying my face at the time. But I would haphazard a guess that the voices belonged first to one of the servants, and the second to Lord Phenex himself.

"Katefo-"

("Mistress-")

"Biyles tosyl vioklihdit, zyfsea sofso wop ef pilo ahsetit lydefvietiz."

("She has been a mother four times over, so I feel it's best we leave this situation in her care.")

"Tye hoyfesys, zyk faf viofsit ok tosyleot."

("My apologies, but I have regards concerning the matter.")

"Faf yzs wep oresil. Keoxadiz faf yzs zyljiz fyviy witedez zsyses. Pimizpitviy ryfylez efbofz. Ys zefydoly, zefytosly efbofz ylos balsez ys pidho pit odeez oktessyly. Ravel plykyfse oisyt ef yit, vie faf yzs hyfesiz axdesiz zes. Ze fifviot odeviek ye ketessy faxez zefy eizso poizo."

("There is no issue here. He isn't a servant nor is he a devil of low standing. He is a child regardless of his race. A homeless, motherless child who was brave enough to admit when he was at fault and not others. Let's not forget that Ravel trusts him completely. She would never forgive us if we did something to him without a just cause.")

I don't know how long it was that I was wiping tears into Lady Phenex's nightgown, but when I eventually stopped weeping, I still needed a while before I was ready to let go. Lord Phenex had been right when he had said I needed this.

As I started to maneuver myself out of the two-way embrace I had been caught in for several minutes, Ravel was the first to speak to me.

"Yoo okay? Issei?"

Her look of concern as I turned my face. My reddened, tear-stained face which blotched eyes and darkened eyelids were a definitive concern for her, and I could read as much from how sad she looked analysing my face.

After wiping the contents of my face twice over with the back of my right arm, I managed to fish a smile somewhere from my brain and plaster it on my face to tell her that her concern for my well being was greatly appreciated.

"Yes. Yes, I'm alright now. Thank you, Ravel." I then turned my head back and cleaned myself again before thanking the other important person next to me. "Thank you as well, Lady Phenex. And I'm again sorry that I hurt your bird."

"Shhh. You have nothing to apologise for."

She started caressing my head, and brushing lightly across my hair. While I am not saying this is something that was at all necessary, I cannot deny that I enjoyed the feeling. My mother used to do this for me whenever I was upset as well.

It was a strange feeling by all accounts; although this sort of situation, which was being reminded again of my parents should have brought me back to tears, I never felt that stinging in my chest nor did I have the urge to spew my eyes again. Well, I will say I did a little, but I was smiling whilst doing so. I almost felt like I could have fallen back into a semi-state of slumber again, enjoying the peace of the moment whilst happy memories were filling my head in a comforting wave.

The moment was brought back into reality when Ravel was looking over to the device on my left hand.

"Issei, Buushuta! It grew."

"Grew?"

It appeared that I wasn't the only one to have noticed that my Sacred Gear had altered its shape. Ddraig, however, was not too impressed with the term that Lady Ravel had chosen to describe such a miraculous sign of my personal growth. In all the emotional drama I had caught myself into, I had forgotten that I had still kept it activated this entire time.

["Ahem! I did not grow, not that an inanimate object with a soul as mine could grow even if I willed it by Great Red itself if I wanted it to. This is my true form, the [Red Dragon Emperor's Left Gauntlet]: {Boosted Gear}!"]

At the time, I had no idea what was the importance of such a cool name as I was still ignorant of what such titles meant, but at the call of the gauntlet's full title, including what most people would know it as, there room was crowded in an exhaustion of gasps and even heads turning. The sudden surprise that arose on all the faces of even Lord and Lady Phenex themselves was shocking for myself also.

It wouldn't be until I started learning more about the power I had bonded to my soul would I be able to put the two together and realise just how ignorant I had truly been.

"To hear the [Red Dragon Emperor's] voice in my halls is truly a blessing worthy of the Maou themselves. How wonderful to have a voice to that name, Ddraig."

["That fiery aura and bright colourings. I recognise a member of the Phenex devils when I sense one."]

"Welcome to my home, [Red Dragon Emperor]. It is an honour. I am the Sixth Head of the Phenex Clan, Rivalen Phenex, the [Marquis of Phenex]. Everyone else in attendance is my immediate family and our clan servants."

There was a moment of silence for a good two seconds before Ddraig responded, and it was not what anyone could have expected.

["The Sixth Head? I remember a time when your grandfather, the Fourth Head came to my lair and tried to make me his familiar. If he hadn't been dragged away by his Missus any sooner, I would have chomped that chicken and eaten him like the yakitori he was."]

"Sekiryuu-sama!"

I attempted to cover the emerald gem, thinking it was like his mouthpiece, but I was too inexperienced with my Sacred Gear to know of its functions, or that no matter what, Ddraig was not an easy being to shut up once he started speaking.

I was lucky though to have a partner like Ddraig, even at my young age. Even as he had only just fully awakened tonight, he was able to sense my emotions as if they were his very own. Realising that he had probably talked out of line, which was making me feel very uncomfortable, he managed to cease the tension in the room as easily as he had initially been the one who had created it.

["I see. My apologies partner for embarrassing you. And to you of the Phenex Clan, accept my apology also. So long as you are taking care of my Partner, I will refrain from using any words of insult towards you and your family."]

Rayzem chuckled to that response, referencing back to comparing his great-grandfather to grilled meat was obviously quite the amusement for him.

"I have heard of that story, except the part about you turning him to Yakitori."

["Take to him next he visits. We'll be sure to straighten that story out, I'm sure."]

"Well, this is certainly an amusing evening."

Lady Phenex laughed a little behind a closed hand as to cover her mouth like many women do once they reach a level of social maturity. Believe me when I say that was the best way to describe this without getting the dark visor. You do not want to know happens when the switch is flicked so to speak.

It wasn't only her that found the situation to be hilarious. Many of the servants, and even quite a few of the family were showing their own forms of funny responses to the humour, with the most composed ironically being Lord Riser, even as quite a few of his servants were hanging off each other, especially Ni and Li who were still giggling over the 'yakitori' sketch.

I turned my head directly at the jewel emblazoned on the back of my left hand.

"Um, . . . S-sekiryuu-sama."

["Ddraig. My name is Ddraig, Partner. I am the [Welsh Dragon], and one of only two dragons to obtain the rank of [Heavenly Dragon]. As my current user, you are my Partner now, Hyoudou Issei."]

"Partner?"

["That's right. From this day until your last, I, Ddraig, solemnly swear to fight your every battle alongside thee, Hyoudou Issei. Together, we shall be the [Red Dragon Emperor] of this generation."]

I had a partner, and he was dragon. Can you imagine just how exhilarating and awesome it was ricocheting through my head. That deep, solemn voice echoing the words 'partner' and 'together' and especially the name 'Red Dragon Emperor', all English words that I understood and I knew that two of them put together was a very cool and important name indeed, and the colour designation only made it that much more so.

With some new found smile on my face, I fist pumped with my right arm in response.

"Agreed, Ddraig-sama."

["No need for honorifics between us, Partner. We are one, for this day and for all days to come. Just 'Ddraig' will be fine."]

The shock at the mention that this ancient and legendary dragon was to treat myself as if we were more than just equals was definitely a little more than I could handle, and I had had felt that I was going to die more than once this night.

"Hello, Ddraig-san."

Ravel said after looking at me for confirmation that she was allowed to converse with the [Heavenly Dragon] that was residing within my left arm. If I knew how Ddraig was to respond, I probably would have suggested talking be left for another night with fewer witnesses.

Unfortunately, it was me that made the biggest spectacle in that conversation, and not Ddraig.

["Hello, young lady. Thank you very much for looking after my Partner for me. And might I add that you are a very beautiful girl for your age. I knew Devils were bewitching creatures, but I am ashamed to say that I have never seen a lovely gathering of gorgeous ladies in one place at any time."]

"Ddraig!"

["What? Can't a gentleman compliment a lady on her looks nowadays? There's no need to be embarrassed. When you're a little older Partner, you'll have to start taking notes. With all the lovely females you're going to start attracting, you'll definitely be a lady-killer-"]

Before the Red Dragon could speak another word, I started backhanding the {Boosted Gear} against the ground as hard as I could, attempting to silence him from speaking any further. I felt very red in the face, and definitely not in the nice way.

"Baka perverted Dragon-san!"

Without letting up, and in front of many witnesses, I continued to smack and slam my red gauntlet containing the lewd dragon's soul within it around in an effort to shut him up and stop him from making my face redder than a beetroot. There was a series of *CLANG*s and *PANG*s as the metal continued to make a series of uncoordinated attacks against the floor, sometimes with assistance from my right hand, who helped make the swing even harder.

["Ow! Partner sto- Ow! I am not a boxing glove! Sto- Ow! Alright! Alright! I give up. I'll stop talking."]

I didn't stop attacking him even after he said that. I let the continued punches continue for some time until my own embarrassment had died down and I was able to raise my head back at the baffled and some slightly amused members of the Phenex Household.

"Zes katefit eikyg ys plyka viak yra jekya?"

("Is that truly what I believe I am seeing?")

Lord Phenex nodded in response to the question from his eldest son, who was in shock what he was seeing that he had never been able to in the centuries he had lived.

"It is indeed, Ruval. When Zemele reported to me that Ravel had met a boy with a dragon-type sacred gear, describing it like a gauntlet, red of colour and a green jewel affixed upon the back of the palm. It was like my childhood was being reawakened; tales of the deadly thirteen artefacts of Jehovah. The weapons to kill a god, the Longinus."

"Wait, this is a Longinus?"

At the sound of that word, the word which Ravel had spoken to me only hours before when we first met, I was now at awe at the sight of the glowing red metal that had encased my left arm in a draconic claw.

"That's right, Issei. You are a very unique individual; you are one of the few people to have been blessed to be born with one of the strongest Sacred Gears in existence. You are the [Red Dra-] actually, I think it would be better to say; you are the '[Sekiryuutei]', Hyoudou Issei."

Those last words of that evening so spoken by Lord Rivalen Phenex would mark the first step on a long journey ahead of me. From a home lost to me and a home that was nothing to me but a name, I had been granted a new home in lands so far beneath the world I had grown up in. But very soon, it would also be the beginning of a new life with the devils of the Phenex Clan, and with my Lady Ravel at the helm.

---

An ancient tale

the Dragon vs the Phoenix,

of flame versus flame.

Though not expected;

When I fell into that nest.

And all was because

that day, I awoke

the Red Dragon in my arm,

thus sealed my resolve.

---

Omake III: Fus Ro Dah

Alek: I have returned.

Issei: Could have warned me about the cut in dialogue last chapter. My throat was dry for a long time after that abrupt end.

Ravel: And could leave us with something else to do besides sit around and do nothing. This is an empty void after all and we have no idea how long we are here for. If this is what Ophis is seeking, then I really do not see the desire for it. Although, I think she might like this place as a holiday destination. She may feel a little more 'homely' here.

Alek: (ponders to himself) That may not be a bad idea. (snaps back to reality) Right, let's just get to the reviews. First off, I hate this, but we got our first real negative review for this fanon.

Issei: (gasping) Why? What didn't they like?

Alek: (reading the review from User:RavelBestGirl) Dadada-da . . . 'We don't need the thoughts,speaking and etc. bracket with which every chapter starts, it's unprofessional and readers aren't so stupid as to not recognize what's thought and speech.' I was never implying the readers were stupid, so I do apologise. I am sure many readers are fairly intelligent people, and can easily distinguish between different writing patterns. But for the sake of new readers, I feel obligated to at least give them a helping hand. If any other reader felt this way, I apologise to you also.

Issei: (takes a copy of the review) 'Honestly, this chapter made me cringe a lot.' (shivers) Hu-h-h-h. Chilling.

Alek: (shaking his head) Hmm, indeed. (continues reading) . . . 'The idea isn't bad at all, seems nice but somehow the feeling behind writing it doesn't have a spark or any distinctive feel to it.' All I can say is, I am trying my best. I can't change how I write so easily, so please bear with it if at all possible. (continues) . . . 'The omake section wasn't bad but it could be so much better without it, feels a bit annoying actually so a forum would be better.' (to Issei) No, I'm still not getting rid of it.

Issei: (annoyed) Damn it!

Alek: (continues with the last part) and finally: 'A bit of a bland flashback chapter but not bad at all. All in all it could be interesting if Issei doesn't act as some knight most of the time(chapter 1) and shows more individuality behind that loyalty of a dog he has.' Uh, all I can say is, be patient. I do actually have a plan for this, but you will have to wait. Plus, this is kind of biased writing when it all comes down to it.

Issei: (doesn't understand) Why making it biased?

Alek: (explaining) . . . uh, think of it like writing a biography on behalf of your benefactor. Saying bad things about them would not be accepted and would be scratched out of publication. Plus, you're growing up in the Underworld, so you have a leniency towards those you care about. Like, the real you Issei would never say anything bad about the Gremorys, would you?

Issei: (flabbergasted) Of course not. Sure, they can be . . . uh, full of character most of the time, they're not bad people. They're all pretty friendly actually. (thinks back) But then again, the Gremorys are known to being friendly with their servants, so I don't think that was a good example.

Alek: (shrugs his shoulders) Well, what can you do. (trying a new example) Let's take your depiction of Xenovia and Irina's behaviour in the beginning of volume 3. If I recall, you didn't get along very well.

Issei: (defensive) Well of course I didn't. They were members of the church with Excaliburs. Plus, they were bullying Asia, and even trying to justify killing her and all that bulls**t. Glad that we don't have a bad relationship like that anymore though.

Alek: But, in their defense, this was how they were raised, and if the story was from their point of view at the time, it would have seemed justified by how they acted, to some degree maybe. You live with your parents and they greatly embarrass you a lot of the time, but they aren't horrible people so you never say anything bad about them, do you?

Issei: (relieved) Oh, I think I get it now. Well, that's a relief.

Ravel: (unimpressed) I think he's losing the point he was trying to make.

Alek: Plus, you have to realise that even in the canon universe, this is all part of one conspiracy in the Underworld that is under your noses.

Issei: (not convinced) I think your losing your marbles here, Author-san.

Alek: (tutting) Ah, young ones. Had you only realised from the premise of the end of Arc 4 that there was a bigger political game going on, we wouldn't be having this discussion. (skipping over this). Right, now to answer some questions. Ravel, take the first one.

Ravel: Alright, so the first one is from User:firestarter09. He is asking the question '. . . how far will this follow canon?'

Alek: (scratching his head) Well, as I said in my last discussion, I have actually planned out up until the end of the 4th Arc. With the 5th Arc still in production in the canonical universe, I haven't had an opportunity to adapt what Ishibumi has planned out thus far as I am waiting on the translations along with the majority of English-speaking fans. (to the translators) You guys are doing great. No hurries at all, just take your time when you have the time.

Issei: . . . You do remember that it's just us here right?

Alek: (fake coughing) O-oh course I do. Ok, the next one is for me. (opens up the review from User:War_historian) Ok then, here we go . . . (reads the review, then pauses before blue lines cover the top half of his face with his mouth still wide open in shock) . . .

Ravel: (concerned when he falls to his side) Author-sama!

Issei: (agitated) Oh no, he's stopped breathing. S**t, he's the only one who can get us out of this place. And yet still has the power to bleep me. Was it a negative review? I thought he said he could handle negative criticism! Why is this happening?

Alek: (unreadable) . . . hbwa . . . hinmgwizah . . .

Ravel: Wait, he's speaking again. What is it? What happened.

Alek: (not responsive) . . .

Issei: (picking up the review he dropped) What could have been so bad that he would react like this. (reads the review, then covers his mouth in a snicker).

Ravel: (raising an eyebrow) What is it, Ise-senpai? (Issei shows her the review) . . . Oh- *khmff* (tried to stop herself from laughing) Oh my. I did not see that comin- hahaha- (covers her mouth, but then covers her nose as she starts snorting with humour)

Alek: . . .

- Ten Minutes Later -

Issei: (having finally calmed down) *ahem*, Ok (stops laughing, but is still smiling) . . . I'm sorry, I can't read this. Ravel?

Ravel: (cheeks hurt from smiling for too long) No no. I'm sorry, I just can't do that. Alek-sama, you'll have to explain why this is so funny, because we can't.

Alek: (half-dead from nihilventilating) War_historian said . . . (really hesitant to say it) . . . 'I'm assuming you don't speak English as your first language'. (stops when Issei and Ravel go back to laughing) . . . Seriously guys? It's not that funny!

Issei: (rolling around) I'm sorry, but it's freakin' hilarious.

Alek: (pouts) I'll have you know I have two GCSE's in English Language and English Literature.

Issei: That's why we're laughing! (continued to laugh) This is what you get for making me wet myself.

Alek: (rolls his eyes) Ok, let me just say this; if it's about the spelling, then I will say that I am British, so I spell words with 'u's and substitute 's's where Americans would put 'z's in certain words. (to himself) Believe me, it's hard enough trying to convince Microsoft Word that this is how words are spelled. (back to the discussion) If it's the cuts and unusual sentences, then I am sorry, but I can't help it when I am writing. If it is anything else, the please, historian, tell me.

Issei and Ravel: (still laughing, but are calming down)

Alek: (snatching the review from Issei, who is breathing heavily on the floor) You also asked me: 'Are you accepting OC's?' Well, the Phenex household throws a lot of parties for high-class devils and what not, so if you want to have a devil show up of your creation, then I could probably add them in their at some point. I don't mind seeing OC's so if you really want then by all means do so.

Issei: (having caught his breath) Now the second question.

Alek: (panicking) There Is No Second Question.

Ravel: (picking herself up) Yes there is; underneath. It says- (tries not to laugh) Sorry, I can't say it. You will have to say it.

Alek: (reluctant) But I don't want to.

Issei: You have to or else.

Alek: (suspicious) Or what? What can you do to make me say anything in this world?

Issei: Nothing, but they can. All those reviewers will be so curious about that second question, that they'll look and they will be laughing behind your back for the rest of your career.

Alek: (comes to realisation) By the Maou, you're right! . . . (pauses as he looks back at the review) . . . 'Do you . . .' *ahem* . . . 'D-do you need a beta who can speak English.' (cuts out Issei and Ravel laughing again) Right! I will be moving along with this! This is for you Issei.

Issei: (wipes the tears from his eyes, picks up the review from User:Dragon_Rider_66, then realises he replied last time as well) Oh hey, this guy again. (clears his throat) '. . . say, how come issei sounds and acts more like a butler and servant reading from a script than a teenager?' (pauses and looks back at the second chapter) Huh? I do sound like a butler.

Ravel: (twiddling her fingers) W-well, I think that it sounds nice, and respectable. I don't doubt that growing up in together wouldn't ingrain you with a different perspective of the world. Plus, you know how . . . um, well that is to say, that my family like to appear respectable, most of the time. If Issei were to act as pervertedly as the Gremory family allows him to, then I think it wouldn't look to good. Especially when we already have Riser to fulfill that role in our clan.

Alek: (looks back at the review) Do you guys think it was a bad idea to make the Rating Game a prologue and then to go back years and years back as the first real cha- (notices Issei is looking at something) Issei!

Issei: (jumps in surprise) Gyah! W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-what, t's not like I'm hiding anything! (fake laughs for his life, but no one buys it).

Ravel: (starts inflaming) Issei.

Issei: (remembering he has no power in this universe) Gah! L-l-l-l-look, it's all '66's fault. Yes. H-h-h-e gave me these photos.

Ravel: (snatches it and opens the book) . . . Kyah! W-w-w-w-w-w-w-w-why are they all of me!?

Issei: (scared) L-l-l-l-ook, it's '66's fault, he put these here, and I didn't ask. Plus, Ravel-chan is so cute and so sexy, how could I not refuse to take a peak at them. All these different cosplay poses, and looks of surprise, embarrassment, arousement, and ecstasy. Truly, this reviewer has great tastes! He knows that the world cannot be lived in without the shapely form of girls being decorated across the halls. TV knows it. Movies know it. And in their glorious art from, even photography knows it. Just like how breasts are not just lumps of fat, but are the fillings of men's hopes and dreams . . . (continues to rant)

Alek: (to the audience) That was a reference from "Oda Nobuna no Yabou" or in English, "The Ambition of Oda Nobuna". It's a light novel series spanning more than 15 light novels at the moment. None of which are available, god damn it. But the artwork is also done by Miyama-Zero, and there is a twelve episode adaptation of the first four light novels, and I would recommend you watch it if you haven't already. (looks back at Issei) I think he's about done.

Issei: (continued ignorantly) . . . with their delicate bodies and of so subtle forms, how could I not get excited when I was presented with a whole album's worth of pictures of Ravel-chan when I was given the opportunity? Would I not be considered a true man if I never took a peak at such wonderful things?

Alek: (not impressed) This is why I don't like writing perverts.

Issei: (looks at him after catching his breathe) And this is why you can't write in English.

Alek: (falls to his side with black lines over his forehead again) . . . aaaaaaaaaagaaagagaga . . .

Ravel: (nervous) Ise-senpai.

Issei: (half afraid, half curious) Y-yes, Ravel-chan?

Ravel: (covering her face) Y-you know that you don't need outside sources to get pictures of me. (tries to act casual and chalant, but still red in the face) As your manager, it's my responsibility to keep you happy.

Issei: (slightly drooling and nose-bleeding) G-go on.

Ravel: (hands flicking through he rest of the photos) W-well, I mean, if this is what you need, then I think that there is no reason you couldn't just ask me to- (stops midsection while flicking through the photos) . . . Wait.

Issei: (concerned) Ravel?

Ravel: (picks out a particular photo from the pile) Why is there a picture of that cat in here. (shows Issei a picture of sexy Koneko in cosplay)

Issei: (not realising it was in there) What!

Ravel: (angry as she picks out a few more) And there is even one of her sister in her too. And . . . Both of them at once!

Issei: (terrified as he slowly steps away) Ravel-chan, please. Remember, i-i-i-it's not what you-

Ravel: (blazing) ISSEI! (fire consumes the screen along with Issei's scream as he runs away)

-cut in temporary transmission-

-Hang in there Kit- *PRUMPH*

- . . . -

-Huh. Nevermind.-

Ravel: (neatening up her dress whilst panting, slight soot on her face which she wipes off) Well, I think we should move on then. (eyes Issei) Ri~ight.

Issei: (covered in soot, tearful with his arms full of burnt photos) *sniff* Hai, Ravel-chan *sniff* (to the photos) Sleep tight, sweet princesses. No one can hurt you anymore.

Ravel: Hey, Author-san. You done crying again too?

Alek: (wiping his nose and eyes) Yes, yes. (looking over to Issei) Well, at least I know he's still perverted at the very least. (to '66') Maybe, a porno unrelated to the characters would suffice next time, don't you? (shaking his head at the sight of scorch marks everywhere) Right, now to our last one. I'll do it since the two of you need cleaning up.

Issei and Ravel: Hai! (leave off screen temporarily)

Alek: (clearing his throat) So, this is from User:RedSS. 'Hopefully you aren't abandoning this fic, right? (RIGHT?)'. Well, I can tell you, that I have no plans to abandon it thus far. (to himself) Especially when I'm already three chapters ahead of you all.

Ravel: (Both she and Issei return) Well, I think we can move on now then. (to '66', with a disturbing smile) Send another photo of any of those cats again, and I will roast them. Understand?

Issei (Tries to avert her attention) . . . Ho ho! I just realised something!

Ravel: (cools down a little in curiosity) What is it, Ise-senpai?

Issei: Its name, o-of the devil's language; 'Deftodiz'. It almost resembles the English phrase 'death to this'.

Ravel: (fizzles out, gasping) . . . How in Maou's name did I not notice this before?

Issei: (wipes the sweat from his brow, pretending to be suspicious) Did you plan for this, Author-sama?

Alek: (understands the situation) Actually no. I didn't notice this until I had already made the word that it looked like that. 'Twas all but a happy coincidence.

Ravel: That sounded smug.

Alek: Did it? I feel smug. I actually got it from translating 'lingua malus' aka 'foul language' into the rhefugian cipher, then I removed the second half of the first word and *BAM*, I had 'deftodiz'. A happy coincidence.

Ravel: (suspicious) A little too happy if you ask me. (gives in) Never mind though, we better get back to the explanations before we get distracted again. By the way, is Ddraig able to join us?

Alek: (contemplating) Hmm, I don't know. Issei, go ask him, but I don't think I can guarantee him appearances in each omake, or at the very least a starring role here.

Issei: (talking to his left hand) Yo Ddraig, you awake?

Ddraig: ({Boosted Gear} appears) [I am here, Partner. From what I am seeing so far, I just hope he doesn't go down the dark path and live only for the sake of fondling a women's chest. However, I must protest my last interaction; Are you trying to substitute my partner's perversions unto myself?]

Alek: (feeling his pressure) I-I assure you Ddraig, it was never in my intentions. Seeing as you are a dragon and a male as you are, you obviously had to experience the dragon's aura throughout all of your possessors lifetimes so it would be natural that you would bring this up in conversations as preparation.

Ddraig: (leaves a brief pause before answering) [I see. Good. As long as we understand each here.]

Issei: Can I also ask about something before we get started? The dragon language you used, I think I've heard it somewhere, but I don't know enough of the vocabulary to know what it was from the first readings.

Alek: It's Thu'um.

Issei: (lost) Huh?

Alek: . . . Or Dovahzul, or whatever you want to call it. It's just the Dragonish Language used in "The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim".

Ravel: So, there is no originality in it what so ever?

Alek: No. I didn't see the point in making a dragon language on top of having went through the trouble of introducing a devil language. Since this will be featured less and only appear at critical times.

Ravel: (agreement) That's a logical conclusion. Plus since it's already well developed, it shouldn't be a problem for other people to use also.

Alek: Exactly. Glad I chose Ravel-chan to explain this. She is a great help.

Ravel: (embarrassed) P-p-please, don't use m-my name so casually like that. It's embarrassing.

Issei: But, I also call you Ravel-chan.

Ravel: (hiding her face) I-I know.

Alek: (whispering) Shit, I think my OOC Ravel is starting to bleed into canon Ravel. (curious) I will need to investigate this soon. Who know how long their original personalities will last being subjected to my own writings.

Ddraig: [Talking aloud will get you nowhere, Author-san. Especially when you are in ear shot of a member of the mighty dragon race.]

Alek: (clearing his throat as Issei and Ravel return to attention) Right, my apologies. Well, since Ddraig is already here, how about you give us a run down on some important translations of words we use and what you dragons would say.

Issei: (attentive) I would also like to know quite a bit since the canon me also a dragon.

Ravel: I would be nice to learn some new knowledge as well.

Ddraig [(smug) Well, if you all insist, then one must fulfil his obligations. (clears his throat) First of all is my name, or rather my full name. You humans and devils and other such being use "Y Ddraig Goch", which is Welsh for "The Red Dragon", which I find appropriate.]

Alek: (interjecting) I should point out that despite how it looks, it sounds more like "Ah Thryeg Gock" rather than "Yi Drayg Goch".

Ddraig: [(confused) That's what I just said.]

Alek: I know, but English to Welsh isn't the easiest thing to explain by simply writing it out. Sorry for interrupting, carry on.

Ddraig: [(coughing) As I was saying, while that is my name in common languages, I am called "Sahqoyol" or "Red Blaze" in Dovahzul.]

Issei: Ooh. That name alone without translation gives me the chills.

Ravel: So, how about Albion's name?

Ddraig: [My Rival, Albion Gwiber is also called "Sotviidost" or "White Poison". I can't say what every Dragon's name is, but I know for certain that Yu Long's is "Graagkulaan" of "Green Prince", Vritra is "Vedhorvut" or "Black Snare", and Jormungandr or Midgardsommr is "Sadonpraal" or "Grey Sleep". For other dragons, I cannot say with certainty, but if I would hazard a guess, Tiamut maybe "Blue Chaos" ("Biitahrovin"), and Fafnir "Gold Monarch" ("Yuvonjun") possibly. I'm unsure towards Tannin since there is no word for "purple" or "meteor" as far as I am aware. Great Red and Ophis don't apply since they had names years before the language came into fruition, but in tales we call them "True Dream" ("Vahzahahnu") and "Forever God" ("Ulserah").]

Issei: (an idea pops into his head) . . . Hey, what about my name?

Ddraig: [(confused) Your what?]

Issei: Well, I'm a dragon also, in canon, so I should have a name. What should my name be?

Alek: (covering his laughter) I could think of a few, but I don't think the Dovahzul is that wide in language vocabulary (snickers to himself).

Ravel: Well, moving on before he decides to do anything even more outrageous, we seemed to have overrun our time here.

Alek: (realising his mistake) Oh shit. Yes your right. Ddraig, last thing; What about the Sacred Gears, do you have names for them, or are they just the same in any language.

Ddraig: [(ponders) Well, not that I am aware. I don't think we have such words in existence, but the closest translations I could probably think of off the top of my head would be something along the lines of "{Zundo Siivfus}" or "the created weapon (tool) of gaining power (strengthening)" for my {Boosted Gear}, and for {Divine Dividing} I would say "{Zundo Gahrotfus}" or "the tool of stealing power (weakening)".]

Alek: Thank you Ddraig for coming. I hope to bring you back next time.

Ddraig: [I hope not.] ({Boosted Gear vanished})

Alek: . . . Screw you too then. (realises they wasted a whole segment and never explained a thing) Oh, shit. We have no more time.

Issei: (furious) Wait! He gets to leave, and we have to stay here! Bulls**t- Hey, you said 's**t' earlier- and you just bleeped me again!

Alek: Your a children's television star, Issei. I can't have you swearing in public. Think of the children who look up to you, Oppai Dragon.

Issei: (sighs in defeat) You win.

Alek: Good. But, you are right. I can't have you being bored all the time, so I got you this. (throws them a laptop through the screen) It's a little busted, but it should suffice. Just, don't move the screen too much or you'll accidentally turn the power button off. (has an idea) How about you go check out the translations for the light novel series. 21 translated volumes should keep you occupied for a while, as well as the two DX Short Stories collections, the EX six-parter, and the -SLASHDØG- web novel prequel 2011 rewrite, all of which are available to read.

Ravel: (uses the laptop) Ok, do you know the address?

Alek: Of course, it's at %£#£!$^#!. You got it?

Ravel: (observing) Hang on . . . Yes! We got it. My word there are a lot of translations already done.

Alek: Alright, happy? (sees their nods). Ok then. That's it for today. Bye-bye!

---

Thank you for reading, and review at your nearest convenience.

Special thanks to 'firestarter09', 'redclaw39', 'War historian', 'FateBurn', 'RedSS', 'Cain the Bloody Fallen', 'Dragon Rider 66', 'Guest' (3), 'TheLaughingStalk Lenny-Kun', 'warrof', 'RavelBestGirl', 'Yankee718', 'EternalZ Freedom', and 'RizomataNyan' for their reviews, I really do appreciate it.

Thank you especially to all of you who have helped me reach over 100 favourites and 100 follows. You guys, *sniff*, are just so great for supporting this story and I really appreciate it as well.

Forget what I said about long chapters. i will just right as much as I feel like and see what there is. If there is any improvements that you think I should do, then feel free to tell me. Oh, and I deliberately blurred out the site in case one of the companies finds out and shuts it down for translating. Wouldn't want to be the one responsible when I am one of the people who use it. Even by the smallest of chances. Kadokawa was merciless when they acted against fan-translations, and I would hate to see that again.

Issei's narrations won't change, different upbringing and everything. But I have listened to what you have said, and will work on them in the future. I will also give you forewarning if I will be taking a break to focus on outside work and other stuff like that.

If anyone wishes to Beta-read, then I am more than grateful for the offer, but it will be first come, first serve however.

And if you have anymore gifts for Issei, Ravel, or even myself, then leave them with your reviews and we will look at each and everyone of them. Just be aware of what you send, OK.

R.I.P. Sexy Photo Album. May a flight of White and Red Dividing Wyvern Fairies sing thee to thy rest.

Well, until next time everyone. Bye!

P.S. Issei's dragon name would be like "Crimson Destiny" ("Sahqondez") . . . *khmmf*