A Light Among Darkness

by theLawbringer

Isaac Blackburn is the Vatican's top swordsmen and is sent to japan on a routine Exorcism to silence a group of fallen angels, little does he know that the seemingly normal task will turn out to be the biggest event in his life (Powerful OC, small harem) (strong/less perverted Issei)

8. The Hunt Begins: part 4

'The only easy day, was yesterday' ~ U.S navy seals

-XxXxXxX-

With Issei and co. on route towards a private Gremory resort/ location: unknown region/ time: 8:45am

Issei grunted,

The weight of the backpack had drained him a good portion of his stamina and the increasing fatigue was making the weight even more damning

It had been a day since the infamous meeting between Riser and the Gremory peerage and since today was the day their training officially commenced the President of the ORC made it club official that their training regime would not take place near the city...

But fifty miles away from it entirely...

On foot...

Call him a pus_y but walking fifty miles with a backpack the size of two dolph Lundgren's made issei almost sob at the two mile point, his leg muscles groaned in protest but instead of giving up he continued like the others who almost seemed to be on his boat as well

Akeno, Kiba, Koneko and even Asia – although she didn't have a backpack – were walking as well and at the front of the pack was Rias who hadn't so much as cracked a smile since the family meeting

'The prez must really be into this' thought Issei as he continued his long track along with the other less tiring ORC members

By the time they hit the haft way mark at twenty five miles a break was called but then the walk was quickly picked back up, Issei shuddered at the tone Rias had used when she ordered them to get back on track

He hadn't really expected her to be this strict but he simply kept quiet about it, a women's fury wasn't something he'd willingly walk into so he simply followed his orders... with a pained filled groan

'Scratch that one comment about Rias's training skills Ddraig, she really is a devil' muttered Issei as an amused grumble was soon heard in his head

[I didn't think she had it in her... but yes, her regime seems far more harsh then I expected, I may even say I'd leave the training in her hands, key word 'may'] replied Ddraig as Issei simply shivered fearfully

[Hehehe, you act like my training would be easier] chuckled Ddraig and Issei quickly classified Ddraig as a devil as well

Issei left the conversation and simply glanced to Rias whom had a stern and determined expression plastered on her face, turning his attention elsewhere he looked to Akeno instead

"She seems rather into this" he started while catching the tired Akeno's attention, the aforementioned queen of the Gremory peerage simply looked to him before chuckling

"You'd be surprised" she replied while stepping over a large tree root "she may come off as a lenient king but deep under that friendly smile lays a pure blood devil"

Issei simply kept his look on Akeno who noticed the confused expression

"Does she really get this determined for a rating game?" he asked, Rias, due to her sheer level of determination, was almost a hundred yards in front of them so her hearing the conversation was a long shot at best

She simply shrugged her shoulders "devils are naturally prideful to an extent, the most prideful of them all was Lucifer and he's revered as a Demon god among six others who can even be considered much older than even him" she started, issei whistle at the familiar name from the bible

"I remember a time when her brother, Sirzechs, had taken some time in talking with her about the rating games.. All I remember about that was Rias' sheer interest in the sport" finished Akeno

"So I take it this means a whole lot more then I realize.. Sure I understand her absolute desire in beating captain douche but I never expected this to be her determined side" replied issei making Akeno douse his expectations

"Not exactly.. Remember what I said about Lucifer being the prideful one?" she asked and Issei nodded "well it's true.. When I said 'demon god' I really meant what I said. Lucifer at one time was a god in every right of the word"

This brought a look of revelation to Issei's expression, he hadn't known much of Christian religion much, his childhood friend had been more into that then he was, it kinda just went in through one ear and out the other but when his childhood friend talked – at length, about the stories he remembered him saying something's about Lucifer but he never did deduce him as a god

'Wait a minute' issei almost slapped his face at his absent minded dismissal of a common sense answer

"Lucifer was once an angel but fell due to his hatred for humanity and his undivided love for his father god, but god didn't like it and went all dead beat dad on him and booted his ass out along with his pals... am I right?" Asked Issei but he only got silence in return

Glancing back to Akeno he was surprised to see her shocked

"What?"

"How do you know that?" she asked, Akeno hadn't really expected to receive such an answer from a person who's biggest reputation was the obsession for a body part, but his answer was practically spot on with only a few spots in need of correction

"An old friend of mine was a nut when it came to religion, specifically the Christian side" he replied casually while waving his hand dismissively "I just remembered a few things involving his stories and dribulance"

Akeno smirked teasingly

"~oh my, you're so cute when you show your smart side~" she teased while holding a finger to her lower lip seductively, Issei nearly fell over drooling at her seductive pose

'Mother of GAHH!' he clutched his head in pain when he absentmindedly muttered a name he shouldn't have, he was assaulted with visions of various situations and scenes with the pose including multiple seductive phrases muttered by the raven haired beauty

'Damn dat's hawt'

Shaking his mind, issei quickly dropped his more primal thoughts and continued with the conversation

"Hehehe" Giggled Akeno softly as she clutched her mouth so to stifle her humor "I was just teasing, no need to get all hot and bothered by it" she said while tapping his shoulder humorously

"Anyways, yes; your right about most of Lucifer's legend but what followed after his fall is what built hell as it is today" started the raven haired queen "when Lucifer was expelled along with his brothers and sisters, Lucifer went and started the demon race alongside Satan, the demon god or wrath, Lucifer was guided by the demon who took advantage of Lucifer's anger towards his father as well as the human's for supposedly "taking away" his father's affection" explained Akeno

"So he became a demon god alongside Satan?" asked Issei

"not exactly, from what I learned; Lucifer was the one who was told to lead the demon race, Satan only asked he'd be revered even more than just a god hence why the Satan's today are called 'Satan's'" revealed Akeno

"Ok so what does this have to do with the rating game?"

"All beings are created in their god's image, whether it's physical or psychological. We devils inherited the mindset of the demon gods. Lucifer is pride, Asmodeus is lust, leviathan is envy, Belphegor is sloth, Mammon is greed, Beelzebub is gluttony, and lastly Satan, who is wrath" explained Akeno while Issei nodded

'The seven deadly sins make up the mindset of all devils' muttered Issei internally as if running it by him again

"So Rias' has experienced these before?" he asked making Akeno nod

"Yup, though not all of them, I have yet to see her show any lust but every other sin I have seen her indulge in. Pride, greed and wrath being the most common" she replied while Turing the direction Rias had gone, Asia, Koneko, and Kiba following shortly behind

"I see" muttered Issei as he fell silent

'So most devils inherit the mindset of their forefathers?' asked Issei internally

[Yup] replied Ddraig, Issei hadn't intended on brining up conversation with the dragon but he let it roll

'You know about them?'

[yeah, I am a few thousand years old - maybe a millennia partner, I was around during the great war and I did see and experience the seven sins that was the demon gods] piped Ddraig seemingly reciting a fond memory.. Sounded like he liked it

'What's your opinion on them?' he asked calmly while falling back into a walking rhythm

Ddraig sighed before answering [let's see... I didn't chat with them on a personal level mind you, I was a power monger back then and I barely acknowledged them as threats or equals... only one did pose a true threat and he wasn't a demon... but anyways, the demon gods were an odd bunch, just imagine a bunch of brats following – in perfect representation, to a single personality trait. Lucifer, for every time I ignored him, he'd nearly spas out in a blood rage and attack with reckless abandon with Satan following after him, but he was just... angry at anything] recited Ddraig while giving a feint chuckle

[then came the leviathan brat, damn kid wouldn't shut up about wanting what I had, and Asmodeus almost never stopped looking at me with those lustful eyes of hers.. or was she a he?] Ddraig stopped as if thinking about something [oh yeah, Asmodeus was A-gender, but it was not always a sexual expression, sometimes it was for any other thing be it bloodlust, power, acknowledgement etc.]

'So they were interesting?' piped issei while thinking about what those demon gods looked like in the eyes of a dragon, Ddraig mention 'brat' a few times so they must've been young.. Or that was just Ddraig's age showing

[pretty much, I wasn't interested at the time but now I can see they actually were interesting, at the time all I wanted to do was kill my rival] replied Ddraig

'You're rival?'

Again, Ddraig sighed [the white one, Albion, also known as the heavenly dragon of vanishing, where I give power, he takes it.. for as long as I can remember the two of us have been at each other's throats, both when we were living as well as being sealed in these gears, the cause of our discontent for each other is probably our exact opposite nature.. just to let you know, he's been sealed in a gear as well and now he is your rival]

'So at some point I have to face someone who has inherited a gear as well' muttered Issei, if Issei could see inside his own mind he would have seen Ddraig nod his head solemnly

[Sadly yes, but this is another topic I'll address later on during the week but right now I'd suggest keeping your focus on the glaring red head in front of you]

'Eh?'he asked but he was soon answer by a cut connection and a rough tap to his forehead

The sight he found before him was a massive mansion building surrounded by a large field and a forest just a few hundred yards to his right, to his left was a plaza and a fountain in what seemed like a park or garden, but the scenery didn't cause his sudden gulp of fear

Instead it was the narrow eyed red head who's expression was of high annoyance, but considering her pose of leaning towards him with her hands on her hips and a blank glare/pout etched on her face stifled some of the nervousness that had crept up into his features and added in a cute Tsundere-esque disposition to his otherwise "oh shit!" situation

"You home Issei?" asked Rias with a feint but visible twitch to her brow

Blinking a few times as well as give his head a shake, Issei cleared his mind and addressed the rather salty devil before him "S-sorry, just talking with Ddraig... it's sometimes hard to be aware of my surroundings when I'm talking with him, Hehehe" he chuckled nervously at the unmoved expression on her face, the others behind her chuckled quietly while Asia looked nervous for him.. Koneko just looked as unmoved as ever

"Well if you are quiet done I'd like to start this training I have scheduled" she said while crossing her arms "so get inside and unpacked, be back down her in ten" she finished with the usual instructing tone

"Hai!" announced everyone as they hustled off to pick a room, Asia and issei didn't know the drill so Koneko pulled Asia along while Kiba signaled Issei to follow him

-XxXxXxX-

Issei found himself in a nice room; the interior was that of a high class hotel room with various modifications, the bed was massive... to massive, while everything else looked more expensive than his room or house combined

"talk about out doing it" he muttered while dropping off his lead backpack, with a loud thud Issei was free from the restricting felling large hiking backpacks hand and soon stretched his back causing a handful of cracks and groans from his sore back muscles and spine

"Something tells me this is the least amount of discomfort I'm gonna feel this entire week" again Issei muttered more to himself then spoken to someone

But his words did reach a pair of ears

"I whole heartedly agree to that" called out Kiba from his room entrance, speedy Gonzales was already damn well dressed into a grey and white sports exorcise outfit, grey sweats and a grey and white jacket was all Kiba was wearing but any more descriptions would make the scene weirder

He was ready... That's all that needed to be described

"Well speed racer, I'm gonna hold you for the fastest dresser in the world" replied Issei feeling a little odd he hadn't jumped commercially at the obvious comedic scene that should have played out but he digressed

"Aspect of the knight does come in handy sometime" with a shrug of his shoulders Kiba smirked at him

"Cheeky bastard" with his silent mutter in the air Issei grabbed his training outfit and soon turned to Kiba who was still standing at the door "well goldy locks, mind a guy some privacy?" he asked while raising a brow, Kiba chuckled before closing the door behind him

Soon after and Issei finished his changing and quickly exited his room and found Kiba standing near the guard railing to the large stairs to the ground floor

"Now that you're ready, let's go meet up with buchou and the others" he said while gesturing for him to follow, issei simply nodded and followed after the blonde boy

Pretty quickly the girls had shown up as well, Rias was already down before the boys but the other girls had a less high level of determination compared to their superior so they took all the "girly" time needed in changing into whatever required ten extra minutes and soon enough they finally came crashing down the stairs

Akeno, as well as the two other girls were wearing training attire... bloomers

Issei didn't say it out loud but he felt this training was going to have more distractions then physical and mental progress in less the mature route and more the perverted route and issei could agree he had enough of latter

"Now that everyone is ready, lets head out to the field" ordered Rias as she and her peerage left the resort

-XxXxXxX-

Rias pondered over her thoughts and an article she found most interesting

She had, like before, acknowledged her inability to train as well as some devils could; sadly, she had focused more on her noble duties then actual strength progression during her earlier years of starting a peerage and with great luxury, was mostly trained on noble demeanors and politics

She scrunched her nose at that thought

She was a heir to the Gremory family of the 72 pillars; "weak" was one thing she hated about herself besides her constant discontent towards being seen as a Gremory and not "Rias" and just that

Believe her when she says, "I want to be a strong leader" every word she spoke was of true nature but no matter how hard she tried her brother almost always refused in helping her grow her power of destruction and her ability to lead, no tips or point of advice.. It was all on her to learn by herself

It annoyed her to no end, how her brother could be so caring yet so dismissive on a panicle concept in becoming a leader, loyalty always followed the one with the bigger stick and she didn't have the bigger stick

Strong to some, weak in the long run

'hopefully a victory in this game brings even more change then just freedom' she thought idly while watching her peerage exorcise their already strained muscles, the only one lagging behind was Issei as he was the least conditioned out of the others, obviously, to normal human standards he would be above average but right now he was below that in a devil's eyes

Not to mention it was far too low in even remotely helping in taking down a Phenex

That brought a new set of thoughts that were much less selfish and more selfless... ish?

Her biggest project in front of her was Issei and his training, a load was already lifted from her when she learned Ddraig was going to train him but she still had something's in need of modification

Namely, his mental state

He hadn't showed it very much lately but Issei still was a pervert, she guessed the sudden change in his life as well as the level of danger he'd experienced during the fallen angel incident had awakened a few new mental instincts in his mind but his more... disruptive aspects still stuck, like that annoying stick glue in school

She had to nip that in the bud quickly, last thing she wanted was to allow his training to lead down a path were he'd learn some disgusting attack that would prove almost useless in the long run

Personnel quirks and desires needed to be cast aside, Issei needed to become a weapon... her weapon

It sounded cold but she herself had digressed to the notion, if she even remotely wished to even dream of beating Riser she needed a weapon capable of great strength and power

Who better to fill that role then the current boosted gear wielder...

She was happy Issei showed a level of desire to grow in strength but that still didn't prove he'd actually want to continue when the going got hellish

During her years of human study and sometimes military study, Rias had learned that a curtain few military groups used a simple yet hellish method of training,

They call it "hell week"

"Hell Week" tests physical endurance, mental toughness, pain and cold tolerance, teamwork, attitude, and your ability to perform work under high physical and mental stress, and sleep deprivation. Above all, it tests determination and desire

Thinking this, Rias had planned to not only test Issei this but her whole peerage, even herself

"Hard" was going to be the smallest understatement describing the week's schedule

She felt hesitant at first but then she remembered that devils by nature are far more physically capable then humans. That didn't mean the humans didn't posed a threat, a simple glance to your local church and its exorcists can prove they can still triumph even with weak frail bodies

Rias shook her head, the last thing she wanted to do was think of Isaac, the platinum haired exorcist

The schedule for her modified "hell week" was set to start as soon as she could muster the courage in brining that into the light, Kiba knew how humans training worked but only mildly and she could only guess if Issei knew what "hell week" was

And if he did would he give up?

Again, the Gremory heir shook her head

Issei had let a dragon command his training and possibly even train him personally, if he had even haft a brain then that fact alone was terrifying

Dragons were known for being extremely strict with training and their expectations were even stricter, this "hell week" was only supposed to change Issei mentally, sow the seeds of doubt as the moto goes

Rias skimmed over the article on what "hell week" was and its long time effects on the ones who make it through and become "the world's elite"

'The instructor's are not looking for physical superiority but a soled and determined mind to succeed, the only reason a trainee quits is not solely on the training but on the trainee's mind and doubt, the instructors job is to give tempting invitations to trainee's to quiet' she read internally, Rias liked it

Not only does this answer her desire in changing Issei mentally but apparently if he finishes the week without giving in to his mental limits he'll feel a sense of being unstoppable. That mixed with his boosted gear will make him a freight train of danger and power both in body and mind

'I believe I've got a plan for you Issei' muttered the red head while smirking darkly, if Issei didn't know any better, then the feeling for sudden dread that ran up his spin was not Koneko's glare but a forewarning to the upcoming hell he was about to embark on

-XxXxXxX-

With Rias off studying an article Akeno had taken to keeping the training and warm up to her own expectations, warm up such as a small rep of push ups, stretches, and a light jog was good enough to reawaken the tiring muscles

Then group stretching followed after but it stopped when Rias finished her planning

"Alright everyone, time for orientation!" called out Rias while getting up from her seat on the picnic table, she left the article behind and quickly walked up to them

Pretty soon Rias had everyone's undivided attention... so she let them have it

"I have come up with a routine schedule that everyone will be chosen to complete" Rias stopped after acknowledging Asia who was way too timid and innocent to embark on hell week so she was the medic "Asia, this training will be far to physical for you to follow so I place the medical responsibilities in your hands, can you handle it?"

"Yes! Leave it to me" she replied excitedly

"Alright then, just a quick question I want to ask you Issei" she called out causing Issei to look to her, awaiting the question "do you know of a training regime called "hell week"?" she asked and Issei soon after widened his eyes

"Y-yes" was his timid and knowing reply, Rias simply smiled and tilted her head

"What is it exactly?" she asked while smirking cutely

"The most grueling training on the planet"

"As good as a description as any it seems" replied Rias while shrugging her shoulders "You wanted training, so here it is... for all of us" when she finished her revelation the peerage eyes sparked with shock

"Everyone?" questioned Kiba who seemed... nervous

"Yup... even me" she said while smiling

Issei was questioning if she was an airhead or not, the legendary training didn't make the navy seals famous just cause their American, but the fact it created warrior's feared by many countries all around the world and they remain at the top with a few of its countries allies but they were considered a "baby face" for birthing the elite

Rias treated it like another Tuesday

[The odds of me leaving her in charge of training have skyrocketed... maybe] muttered Ddraig with a chuckle at the others faces

Before anything could be rebuked Rias started up again "the majority of training will be consisting of hell week's courses but after, we will focus on separate skills and focus on increasing strengths in that region, oh and only a couple hours of sleep are the minimal time during sleeping hours" after she dropped that bomb even Akeno looked nervous for the weeks training, issei however felt dizzy

He could already feel the sleep deprivation setting in

[I have something I want to tell you before you bitch out on your training, maybe it'll motivate you to not back out on the first day] again Ddraig piped in but this time it wasn't witty but serious

'And what is that?'

[a little set back to inheriting a dragons soul is that.. well.. if you don't make up for the constant power growth in your body, my... power will consume you] revealed Ddraig and Issei froze

'I'M DYING!' roared Issei internally and even Ddraig shook from its load and abrupt nature

[Yes... do you remember the flames when you first met me?]

'I remember, what about them?' Issei growled, being told he had something equivalent to cancer this late in the game had caused him to drop all nervousness around the dragon

[Well, I kinda saved you back then] finished Ddraig rather vaguely, this didn't cause Issei to drop his piqued curiosity of his health

'Continue' warned Issei and he could feel Ddraig shuddered slightly... almost commercially

[So to explain it more thoroughly, the flames sort of represent my powers dominance over your soul, notice the endless fields were almost completely caked in flames? Well that's because your weak mind and physically lacking body was far too easy for my power to not try and eat, the only reason I was able to stop it was because your desire from before had caused a window of sorts to open up to me] explained the dragon

Issei remained quiet during the explanation but after he addressed his situation with a different question "how do I counter its effects? I'm sure your last minute saving didn't stop its flow completely"

[Simple... grow stronger, this training your master has come up with will help you grow mentally which will ultimately help you in my training, the effects should fade away the more you grow in power, and soon it won't be a problem at all] Ddraig answered which quickly alleviated Issei's sudden rise in fear

'Seems a lazy life keeps growing farther and farther away' he muttered more to himself then anything

[Quiet lives never really finds those in a life like this... from here on out, everything is gonna be loud] Ddraig's voice sounded serious yet calming, Issei just nodded

Change hurts, and sudden changes hurt even more. Issei needed to find a way to adapt and getting the strength to protect not only himself but his king was a good choice to cope with, but his nervousness still bared down on his shoulders

"Alright then!" called Rias whose expression was back to being serious "the quicker we start the better" when she finished those words her demeanour suddenly dropped to what Issei would call "drill instructor Crimson"

No more light in her eyes, no more excess joy, all business remained. Issei breathed in sharply when he realized, weather he like it or not, his ass was on her platter and by the others expressions, some more calm then others, namely Kiba and Koneko, were also on her platter

Issei had heard of this method of training back when he was in a history class in elementary, how he remembered it was a question he asked himself, but maybe he remembered it due to how scary it sounded, he heard the story from a foreign exchange student that moved to Japan with a retired navy seal and since war apparently interested kids, manly boys, the kid had a vast amount of info about what his father had went through during his rising years into becoming an elite solider

And now he was going to go through a heavily modified version of it

No matter how much determination he had was put into question at the situation he was now in

'Shit' was all he muttered before Rias started the PT training through the woods behind her

They were going to go straight through hell in a matter of a single week, and he wondered if Riser would have anything to beat up after his ass is fried by Rias before he could get his hands on him

He drowned out his doubts quickly when he remembered the look on Riser's face back when he had that small power overload, and soon after his hesitation into hell week subsided and only a single will remained

To rise to the challenge...

-XxXxXxX-

With Isaac and co. / Eastern Orthodox Church somewhere outside of turkey

I didn't know how long I was out but it must've been long, maybe an hour or two?

The first thing I remember from wakening from my unconscious state was the sound of crying and a few words of comfort coming from a female voice, the next thing I remember was being held tightly by a pair of soft arms

It was both Irina and Xenovia, no doubt

I expected myself to be in some kind of medical ward but instead my ass was accompanied by the soft carpet of the chapel I had been knocked out in

My head throbbed and so did my nose. I must've fallen flat on my face from getting that sword pummel to the back of the head, a feint feeling of blood dripping down from my left nostril confirmed that

I couldn't really see anything but with a little of effort and a few hundred blinks the fuzziness in my eyes vanished to reveal both Irina and Xenovia, just as I guessed

"Isaac!" yelled Irina as my head was quickly pushed into her chest

A muffled grunt escaped my lips as the sudden contact with her chest caused myself to grow red a little, but stopped when I heard her crying, glancing up from my spot in her cleavage I saw Irina shed tears of what I guessed to be relief

"You're ok.." she drawled more to herself than anyone else, soon her grip on me tightened more and my close proximity to her 'assets' was all but fused at this point

'Camp fire' I muttered internally,I may sound brain dead but I couldn't help but catch her scent

Hey! When you're up in a girls business you can't help but smell her, you do breathe from her nose from time to time don't you?

Ignoring my sudden instinct to explain myself I gently tapped her shoulder which caught her attention

"Huh?" she asked, and I just adopted a blank expression at her dense disposition

"I.. ca..n't... breath" my voice was muffle by you know what so my words didn't reach her clearly but she heard it, I made sure to emphasis my position by simply glancing down to the mound of flesh directly below my eyes... which was covered by her church battle outfit mind you!

The effect was seen instantly, red adored her facial expression and her wide, surprised eyes, quickly replaced her confused and tearful ones

I would come to regret my choice of easing her into what she was doing, church affiliated females tend to be extremely protective of their 'parts' and virginity reigned supreme among them... Irina was no different

"Eeeep!" she squeaked loudly and by sudden instinct she pushed me away from her... which didn't help my head ache

"Wow... that's gonna leave a bruise" I muttered while sitting up, Irina was in the cliché 'defend the innocents' pose which consisted of sitting on her knees and her arms covering her already covered bosom, if I was another kind of man the sight would make me drool but I dismissed the notion in favor of grabbing my aching head

Don't hit another kid with a sword pummel kids, damn thing left a mighty dent on my noggin, but it healed quickly

The heeling factor I had reminded me of another thing I found out

Malthus knew what I was

'Looks like the secret is out for him... should've expected a demon would figure it out easily enough' I thought while it was true, I was an angel but explaining why I was in the church would be too long to explain

Long story short, things were stirring up down here on earth and I was the best choice to fulfill the job for reasons I'm not going in depth with

My reasons were confidentional on a 'maximum silence' degree and the fact that demon, Malthus, knew what I was made things in keeping the secret on the DL was now much harder than before

Only a handful knew what I was and Griselda was one of them, but explaining my aging problem was hard to pass as a 'gift from god'. Sure it was in a sense but to humans with fanatical mind sets it was far too hard to explain to them that a literal follower of god was among them.. Watching their every move

The attention that would make, and the fact the devils were also on to me made keeping quiet hard, reputation was the biggest pain in my ass and when it came to the supernatural, reputation attracts extreme levels of unwanted attention

I just hoped Irina and Xenovia hadn't learned of it...

Releasing my musing I dropped my expression when I locked eyes with Xenovia's, many things flowed in her eyes, betrayal, high amounts of relief, anger, etc.

I couldn't help but sympathize with her right at that moment

Every since we learned of or adversary being a demon I had sensed high amounts of nervousness and anxiety from the two of them and damn were they good at hiding it, Xenovia's stoic expression always hid her true emotions and Irina's deep faith in god was her soles in dangerous times

But with my gifts being an angel and all, sensing what was in their hearts was much easier then second hand guessing their emotions, people did call me charismatic and it was true, I sometimes used that ability we angels used so to help me consol the unreasonable.

From the outside Xenovia looked fine, maybe a little angry but if you had my eyes then seeing what she felt was as easy as looking through a magnify glass

And the fact I promised and failed to up hold that promise she had felt betrayed, just as much as the day she was found on a churches door step all those years ago... left there by her parents who promised her she'd never be alone

I never used this ability on her before but since she look so angry I had not realized I had glanced at her heart with my eyes

Damn it Isaac!

I dropped my expression and unlocked my gaze with Xenovia's eyes, I had not truly expected Malthus to be as cunning as he was and my stubborn nature in keeping my real abilities hidden during our first fight almost cost me my life and Xenovia's acceptance

But I still didn't feel regret in my choice of being the only one to face Malthus, he could've killed the both of them with ease and my choice to being the only one to face him was the best choice I could make, for the both of them

Rubbing my head and face, I scooped up my Zetsurin sword and scabbard and brushed of the dust from the blade before sheathing it "what's the status on the church?" I asked, more important matters still mattered more than relationship mending

Irina piped up first but with less enthusiasm and more of a dropped and downcast expression "the other exorcists have lost a dozen men and women, out of the 50 here only 30 to maybe 27 remain" she explained and I scrunched my nose at the numbers

To many

My fist clenched tightly, the fallen must've had a second wave attack just to guard Malthus's escape, the massive hole on the wall to my rear suggested he got what he was after

"The Excalibur is gone... Malthus got what he wanted" finished Irina who was looking at the hole to her right, Xenovia grunted before leaving the chapel

"What else happened while I was... out?" I pressed

"Nothing, just the gathering of the wounded and a few orders fell from the bishop to see the status of church... it's a mess out there Isaac" things were looking horrible, while she listed the status of things we walked to the exit of the chapel, I didn't need to see the sight of the Excalibur as I fully knew I'd be going the wrong direction, he had what he needed and now our job was to go to the next Excalibur fragment and guard that one next

A car soon pulled up to the front of the chapel, it was partially damage but It ran just fine, in the passenger seat was Altan who quickly exited the car and approached me with a solemn expression of defeat, the drive was a different exorcists then Bulut

"Status?" he asked while looking into the chapel, he scrunched his nose dangerously at the sight of the destroyed alter

"They got what they wanted... the Excalibur was gone when I came to" I replied, the words felt and tasted horrible to release, all those men and women that died, died for nothing

Altan's brow rose slightly "came to? You engaged the heathens alone?" he asked

"No choice in the matter, I was the only one to remain behind when my associates assisted in helping the escort of wounded back to the fall back point... I engaged two leader class fallen, but as you can see, I lost" I reported while purposely leaving the fact a demon attack out of the equation

"Two leader class fallen, who were they?" he asked

"Unidentified, no introductions, no honorifics, they attacked without remorse... I'm surprised they didn't end me when they had the chance" Altan studied my words before looking to me with a serious gaze

"Alright then... I'm sure your objectives are to be taking else were?" he asked again, brow still raised high

I nodded "we are the ones in charge of hunting them now, we'll be leaving to chase the heretics as soon as we are able"

"Your plane was damaged during the attack but I could get a repair crew to assist in its repairs, the sooner you three get back on the your horse the sooner we can stop those fallen angels" when he finished he shook my hand, it was firm but I still felt a lax in his grip... the defeat was eating him from the inside but like a true leader he continued his duties regardless of emotional strain

"We will, and I will accept the offer on the repairs" I said and he looked to me calmly

"they're already working on it as we speak, get down to the air strip and be on your way father Blackburn" when he finished he turned and waved over his head "give my regards to the fallen when you meet them"

I smirked slightly at his words "damn right we will"

Soon after and me and Irina gathered Xenovia before we walked down to the air strip, to many vehicles were damaged during the attack so we walked the whole way

The security gate we entered in was destroyed, the gates remained standing but the watch tower was gone, a few exorcists were standing a few yards from the wreckage with several body bags by their side

The sorrowful expressions on the exorcists was all we saw as they prayed for the dead, my eyes lingered on them for a moment before I caught up with the two stoic exorcists, Irina looked almost dead inside by the sight and Xenovia's furrowed brow remained all to present

And for the first time in a long time, mine were as well

When we arrived at the air strip were our plane was stationed we found the repair crew just finishing the repairs, mostly electrical damage, nothing to hinder a flight, they offered to supply a pilot but I declined, they needed all the men they had

Besides, with 40 to fifty years of being on earth I had picked up on a few skills and licences namely a flight license

Before we started to file in to prepare to fly I spotted two bodies near the cockpit and one in the passenger cabin, the pilots were both stabbed in the heart and Amelia showed no physical wounds

But more internal wounds, Malthus had done the worst on her

My eyes held no emotion as I scooped her up and placed her on the cabins passenger couch, I ran my hand down her face, closing her blood shot and terrified eyes

I remained there for a while, just holding my unemotional gaze on Amelia's hands that I had crossed on her stomach, Amelia was possessed this whole time, Malthus had concealed his presents within her soul, I hadn't noticed before with my ability as I was to focused on other things and my lack of experience with demons didn't help me in the least as well

A hand landed on my shoulder, I didn't acknowledge it

"Isaac" started Irina but I interrupted her

"She was possessed this whole time" I said suddenly "this whole time Malthus was concealed within her, buried deep in her soul, and I didn't even consider that a possibility" I expected the hand to let go but it remained

"You couldn't have known that Isaac, known of us could've known" she said soothingly, I remembered then that they didn't know what I was and that I had every potential to stop what had happened and they still didn't know, they wouldn't

"Everyone has their mistakes senpai... even the more experienced, I was told the best way to honor the dead was to live and fight for them, wallowing in self pity only dishonors them" she said sounding as comforting as a mother

I remained silent while I listened to her words, she was right, the best way I could honor those who fell because of my mistake was to honor them to the best of my abilities

I stood up abruptly, surprising Irina "we need to get in the air, once we do that we'll contact the Vatican and update them on the status" I sounded determined and all Irina did was smile, stepping past her I looked to her and smiled but it was forced, she didn't notice

Dropping into the pilot seat I buckled up while Irina sat in the co-pilot seat for obvious safety reasons while I contacted whoever was in charge of the run way, we waited a moment but we were soon cleared to take off, no other planes except a few smaller planes were either destroyed or in the hanger so we had the run way to ourselves

Adjusting the settings on my end as well as Irina's we cleared the runway and ascended to acceptable altitudes in record time, due to no air space in the area I directed the plane in a direction and activated auto pilot

"Xenovia, contact the Vatican headquarters, we'll update them now" I said, Xenovia didn't talk back or argue and simply did as I did before near the back of the plan

Pretty soon the blue loading bar from before filled the back of the plan but the screen didn't reach services as instead of Claire or Arndell answering we were directed to an emergency service screen that informed us on problems of minor concern, but I knew exactly what that meant

"What's going on?" asked Irina, I rubbed the bridge of my nose before answering

"The Vatican has been attacked" I announced, both Irina and Xenovia both widened their eyes at the news

"That's ridicules, an attack on the Vatican is borderline insane not to mention you'd have all other churches fall into silent lock down, attacking the Vatican seems almost counterproductive" replied Xenovia sounding skeptical

"Not unless there was a simultaneous attack"

Both Irina and Xenovia stiffened when they realized what I meant "so while the attack happened at the Eastern Orthodox Church another one happened here?" Irina asked as if confirming an assumption

"That's exactly it, I'm not too surprised the Vatican had housed an Excalibur, it is an extremely well defended fortress after all, but even they can fall, given the right plan of action" I replied

"this is getting outta hand and in a hurry" muttered Irina, I simply nodded before moving to the console on the right side of the terminal screen, the emergency telecom screen as shown before us was broadcasted almost all over the Vatican city as well as the rest of the country, any incoming calls are redirected to the telecom channel or service provider while outgoing calls from within the Vatican are scaled down to off the grid usage

All I had to do was enter in my clearance code and call-sign, which was 'paladin' and I should reach the archive service room com channel

[Broadcasting channel 'Genesis' approved to 'Paladin' of the Vatican's secret division] came a calm mechanized female voice

"Vatican city headquarters, this is 'Paladin'.. Do you copy?" I said into the screens microphone, a blue pulse like animation on the screen suggested my voice was literally broadcasting

Silence

"Vatican City headquarters, this is 'Paladin' does anybody read me?" my second call was followed in silence for a short while before we heard rustling and then a familiar voice filled the receiving end

"We hear you Paladin, what's your status?" came the voice of none other than Griselda Quarta

"I'm more worried about your condition then my own" I replied seriously, but it held a friendly tone in it

"Are the other two with you? Are they alright?" questioned Griselda, and I guessed the standard com's protocol was now officially out the window

"Were fine, a little banged up but otherwise... fine" I replied distantly

"Are you alright Xenovia?" she called out, Xenovia stiffened but remained Impassive before replying

"I'm fine" was all she said, the other line was silent for a moment before I started the topic back up again... I could sense tension in the air

"All of our status' aside, we are wondering the status of the Vatican, emergency broadcasting has taken effect and the only reason I got through was by accessing the 'Genesis' channel. Can you fill us in on the status on the ground?"

She sighed deeply

"It's a complete mess, an attack happened about two hours ago" she informed causing my shoulders to slump "the attack was organized by two leader class fallen angels and by the sounds from the reports I'm getting, they organized on a military level"

"How tragic" muttered Irina whom was holding her crucifix again

"You don't even know the haft of it Irina" replied Griselda with a deep sigh, she must be stressed

Griselda was high in ranking when it came to being a sister, she was considered a high ranking nun among the female clergy and well respected in the versus of exorcism, damn straight she was... wasn't my partner for nearly twenty years for just her good looks

"By the way Griselda, where is Arndell?" I asked suddenly and I could swear I heard her voice hitch for a split second

"That's the worse part... when I said the fallen were organized I meant it, they hit us at critical points, barracks, com's rooms, training locations and sleeping courtier's and lastly Arndell's office room" she finished leaving me shocked

"Closer inspection revealed he was hiding something" I stopped her before she continued

"An Excalibur fragment"

"How-how did you know that?" she asked sounding genuinely surprised

Please don't tell me Arndell neglected in informing Griselda her precious sister-in-law had gone on a high risk operation with yours truly

"That was our task, didn't Arndell tell you that?... Griselda?" I didn't get an answer, all I heard was heavy breathing and a feint smell of ozone oozing through the microphone speakers

Ah Christ! He really didn't tell her?

To confirm my suspicions on my imminent demise I could practically feel 'that smile' through the mic, and by god did the others as well, Xenovia's eyes were hidden under her blue hair and her stature was shaken slightly... Irina just looked terrified, no sense in hiding the emotions when you don't have a rep to uphold

"~oh Isaac, to go and command an operation with my sister and her dear friend behind my back was very rude~" she said sounding waaaaay to childish

Oh god that voice was her second form of rage

I fought the urge to fall to my knees and pledge apology after apology but I fought it with great levels of determination, my old partner was very good at expressing her emotions through words where she basically fed the seeds of imagination through words

I've seen stubborn heretic's who had taken hours of interrogation crumble at Griselda's words only. This tone she was using however was what we at the Vatican believed was "The wrath of God" was taking a humanoid form

"~so Isaac, are you going to explain to me why you did what you did?~" she asked with that tone still activated

*Cough*

"R-right, about that... we kinda were issued the mission by Arndell himself whom also re-tasked Xenovia and Irina to go along with me" I started explaining

"Continue" she replied normally... Huh, her tone changed back to normal, rather quickly to

"First we answered a distress letter from St. Paul's Cathedral were we discovered the Excalibur blueprint was stolen" before I could finished I heard a loud bang echo on the other side of the com's line

Griselda wasn't best known in keeping her anger controlled, so I'm guessing an unfortunate wall was greeted violently with a large desk, courtesy of Griselda's exorcist training... and temper

"Those heathens, stealing what isn't even theirs" growled the grey haired sister

I needed to think quickly before she issued any orders, that was not what anyone wanted, she believed the fallen were behind the attack and subsequent death of an archbishop, such an act was level on full scale war, however, Griselda was close behind Arndell in official ranking and even surpassed him – no surprise here - in exorcist experience, so she was technically the stand in 'commander' but I needed to douse her anger and inform her of the real threat before she went from 'stand in commander' to full on 'crusader'

I remembered the time when I was informed and introduced to the 'Genesis' channel a few years back when the 'Nexus' was in its final stages of optimization, the channels main function was to send highly secretive information about the supernatural from across countries on a world wide scale, it was how the information gathered by those who worked in the archive were able to relay the information about whatever the operator may be facing without worry of a third party hearing about it

And after time went by its uses grew, and this was one of its many functions

All in all, this channels communication layers were so secure the pentagon in the states would most likely pay top dollar to learn its main secret... sadly it would do more harm than good

"Just to clarify, Griselda, the ones who are responsible are not who you think, but just a single person" I started causing both Irina and Xenovia to look to me with both shock at my readiness to get her involved as well as my blatant disregard to Arndell's orders to secrecy

Guess they forgot I was the one who issued that order

With a small smirk of confidence I doused their worry

"Then who was it?" she asked seriously, the powerful voice she carried reminded me when she was back in her real element, the sister persona was a big change for her

"..." I hesitated in my answer, no one just says 'hey a demon is prancing around with not one but two Excalibur fragments and the means to reconstruct them' that is like an atom bomb in word form

A desk wouldn't be the only thing destroyed if I just laid that out

"~Isaac? You still there?... cause I would really like an answer~" her earlier tone came back but this time it was faltering, she and I knew what pauses were when we informed the other of something shocking, it was a silent un-worded message to 'remain calm' and right now it worked caused now she sounded like a wounded victim waiting for the mercy bullet

"Back at the cathedral in London, all three of us found evidence of an Unholy being had taken the Excalibur blueprint" I explained hoping the subtle approach was the best decision... I heard a deep sigh of relief

"You had me worried their Isaac, a devil was behind the attack? That confuses me, why would a massive platoon of fallen angels be led by a devil?... could the old Satan fraction be on the move?" she said sounding like she was running a few situations and scenarios out loud to herself

I knew the hint would fly over her head

"We found sulphur Grisy... devils don't leave sulphur behind" I corrected adding in the nickname

A silence broke out for a minute

"His name is Malthus... One of the Demon princes from hell whom somehow escaped from heavens prison" I explained, Griselda was just soaking it all up

Again, "Demons" are very different to "Devils", Devils are more like the 'humans' but with supernatural abilities directly handed down to the them by the patriarch of their family house of the underworld or "hell" as its better known, I get mixed up between that and the Greek underworld

I don't know who the idiot was who named hell 'the underworld' but Hades should file a copy right infringement letter

But anyways, Demons are more like the 'Gods' of hell, Malthus isn't considered a god but more like a 'demi-god', if you want a representation of power then he'd probably make one of the current Satan's run for his money... or mommy if they ever crossed paths

The only ones still considered "Gods" were the original seven demon gods, but most of them were dead

But the fact a demon was walking the earth, not only powerful but also in possession of not one but two Excalibur fragments was extremely terrifying

Something was in alignment some where

"Isaac, do you have any idea the amount of danger we are in? Not only is there a demon walking around but it's also leading a fallen angel brigade?" she said sounding stretched for words

"He's not leading it, we have reason to believe the fallen angel wild card Kokabiel is in connection with the fallen brigade responsible for both attacks" I replied

"Both attacks?... there was a second attack? What happened in turkey Isaac?"

"I'm guessing Arndell really kept you out of the loop" I answered, another smash was heard... she must be in a secluded room, if not, then I sympathizes with whomever is witnessing her rage

"Be that as it may I am now, so tell me what happened in turkey?"

"Malthus happened... I alone engaged him" I replied glancing – with conviction – to Xenovia who's gaze locked with mine for only a moment

"You idiot..." she started lowly "your powerful but engaging a demon is suicide on multiple levels, you're lucky you came out alive, and that means he's interested in you... that I find most disturbing"

Heh, leave it to ol Grisy to convey sincere concern for me with such brutal words, I'm truly touched Grisy

"I regret nothing" I replied seriously "my choice saved two lives at the possible cost of one... and I'd do it again"

She remained silent before I continued on task

"The Eastern Orthodox Church was housing the Excalibur nightmare, we engaged and held off the fallen but Malthus proved unmoved, we lost the Excalibur fragment shortly after his appearance"

The others remained silent before Griselda followed my lead and drop the previous conversation

"And what about Kokabiel? Did you confirm he is in service or allegiance with Malthus?"

"that's still up for debate, the scale of political lash backs in even accusing him of this would not only shed light on the attacks and Malthus but it would also shake the peace treaty bonds we have... weather the three fractions like it or not, they are all involved in this, Demons, fallen angels, and the angels inability of keeping Malthus imprisoned would force most of the blame on them... I don't want that happening" I explain while stressing the last sentence

Griselda knew what it meant more than the other two

If heaven was forced to lock down... again, I'd be forced to return as well, blowing all of my cover I had worked for up to this point

"Before we move off topic I have recent news" called out Griselda, she was silent for a moment before a sigh and a grumble was heard "I just leant that the protestant church was recently attacked by a large fallen angel force... they had an Excalibur fragment as well"

Her words left another deep lump in all of our throats

My fist tightened even more the it was

"Time of attack?" asked Xenovia, who spoke up for the first time in a few hours... not counting before

"Exactly when we were attacked, the message was just lettered to us, all comm's were cut off and all technicians stationed at the church were killed, out of the 150 people there only 20 survived"

CRACK!

This time instead of Griselda smashing something it was me except it wasn't a desk but the jets reinforced frame walls which had cracked and dented in a small area under my force

"Isaac..." called out Griselda

"All those lives... gone, just because of one man" both of the two look shocked by my anger and I guessed they sensed it make itself known but only for a second before I resealed it

"They... knew the risks Isaac" eased Griselda sounding new to this field, I didn't blame her, easing me from a temper burst was rare and it almost never was this level

I took a deep breath before I shook my hand just to play off the inhuman amount of power I put behind that strike to show it was mostly just blind human rage but that was actual painless

Even if I did break a bone I'd heal faster then I'd even notice it

"What do you want us to do?" I asked suddenly

The three stayed silent, the two with me for obvious reasons while Griselda was probably running though the options

We had no leads and no plan of action and even if we had one our chances of success was very slim

Griselda might just have to pulled down that jersey and come outta retirement for this but that was quickly forgotten when I heard her next words

"Return back to the Vatican Isaac, I've recalled the two remaining Excalibur's back to the Vatican and am waiting for your two apprentices for the Holy sword adoption ceremony"

!?

My eyes were wide, she WHAT!?

"Griselda..." I started with extreme lowness, Xenovia and Irina were wide eyed at her words but I was completely different "You would use that? But not just once but twice?" usually I was the one playing terrified but right now, at this moment, the tables violently turned

She was obviously planning on using that creature, Valper Galilei's, research as well as the blue crystals were found as catalysts so the two could wield the Excalibur's without vaporizing

"My hands are tied and our people our scattered in frantic efforts to cover up the attack, we already have a massive crowd gathering in the Vatican's plaza asking why we are not open, it's so chaotic here it's a hair breath away from turning into something bigger... I have only one choice, either accept this or risk to much attention" she replied evenly but I could sense she was extremely stressed by not just the pressure but also my pressure

I am an angel, sights considered unholy are either disturbing or enraging to killing blows... lucky for her I wasn't Raphael or a few ancient cuss words and a promise of damnation would most likely be littered all throughout this conversation

"Fine, this choice bares on you but I will support it... doesn't mean I'll like it" my tone was low as Irina and Xenovia were conversing

"Thank you" she replied gratefully

"You make it sound like I'm the wrath of god Grisy, drop the fear would ya" I suddenly dropped tone with a cheerful one since we had that settled, no need in destroying my friendship with Griselda with a unspoken threat now

I still held her dear to me, it's just this sudden choice without speaking to me was... hurtful

"That's putting it lightly Isaac" sighed Griselda

"I'll see you soon Grisy" I muttered calmly before I tapped the red button officially ending the call

Irina suddenly lunged at me and took my hand in hers with sparkles in her eyes "Isaac... did Griselda mean what she said?" she asked almost gushing it out

My expression remained unreadable "yes, every word"

The excitement the two suddenly had was enough for them to unregister my obvious discontent towards the indoctrination to wielding holy swords, such hypocrisy was... disturbing but I knew the pressure my old friend was in

With Arndell gone she was the stand in for any attacks leading to an official's death, crowd control was her specialty so easing the public was now her roll, but considering the bomb we dropped on her lap as well was intense on insane levels

Her options were extremely spread out and focusing on re-tasking a large handful of division members to our operation was far too large a scale and such action would surly attract unwanted attention such as politics from both heaven and hell, and hell was annoying to work around, especially when their leader was the kind who wants to know everything

Griselda had recalled two Excalibur's back to the Vatican, no doubt protected beyond overkill

This demon was gonna face an even stronger opposition when this was done

I hoped it would

-XxXxXxX-

With Issei and co./ large forest a few miles from Gremory vacation resort/ two days into 'hell week' time: 4:28am

Normally for hell week, it takes a large pool of drill instructors to perfectly direct the soldiers during the infamous week in seal training, but since she wasn't training a massive pool of men in the 60's it was much easier since she only had four asses to ride... (No I didn't mean it that way ya pervert's)

It had been a whole two days since the beginning of her modified version of hell week and she could thoroughly say it was making 'progress' but then again, she still had till Wednesday which was 8 days away, a perfect amount of time for improving and enough time to increase the mental state of all her peerage members

She herself had participated in the training so to personally test the trainings effectiveness on devils and she could thoroughly say it did, more so then she expected

She knew she was weak in terms of the other young heirs in her age group but in comparison to the ones in her peerage she was physically superior if you didn't count Koneko's rook power

She could handle the week with above average improvements but to say the training focused on her would be wrong, the entire goal of this was to improve her peerage and mostly Issei

More thought into his improvement had brought on a nice smile to her face

He had shown to carry the second most determined attitude during the second day's events, sure his demeanour for the first day was droopy and pained from the sheer level of physical demanding exorcises but it was expected

His mind still thought he was human, so he needed to find his new limits then subsequently shatter those limits for even greater limits, if the training went by correctly then he'd develop a mentality for growing even farther than even herself

She suspected he'd be stronger then her after the training if it went well

She had gone into the 'feeding of doubt' regime towards Issei, no sense in doing so to the others as they already had their objectives

While Issei just wanted to cup a pair of tits

She shivered slightly, she didn't wish for the training to work, she'd make sure it did

Issei's mentality during his first week as a devil was on par to being extremely ignorant to his actual level of danger and he seemed to relate to those 'self-insert' characters found in stories all over the internet, he'd shown a massive interest in not just her but her bulbs below her, flattering yes but it still felt extremely uncomfortable to see his eyes glued to them and not her eyes and it seemed every other interest he had was aimed down left field or completely opposite to any constructive goals

Something just felt, 'self insert-ish' about his decisions in going about his change into devil hood, everything felt laid back in his emotional state and his main goal was to create a harem? Natural for devils yes, but didn't he realize that goal would be much easier if he had immense power?

She wasn't versed in lustful effects but she felt if he did grow powerful women would flock to him in droves, thus neutralizing the goal's importance to just a simple one

She shook her head at that part of Issei, he had shown only a small sign of it yesterday but after it he'd seemed determined on the training and not Akeno's ass.

This then came down to the boosted gear

When she learned of his sacred gear she did extensive research on past wielders, and some were terrifying, one man was the one in Greek legend to lead 300 hundred Spartans while another was... even more horrifying

The pressure was on Issei, not only was he related in a small way to earlier legends whose stories alone are worth more than him but he was also destined to fight someone similar to him

She could only hope she had enough time to condition him for the fight or else she'd lose her pawn before even starting her rating game career

She wanted to strut him off a bit after all, it's not every day you resurrect a legendary sacred gear into your peerage, and she basically won a lottery of sort

And of course, her Gremory kindness had driven her to this determination not just to create a powerful weapon for herself but to also help the boy grow strong to defend what he wanted

With that aside Rias had haft expected to see a shred of doubt in the boy's eyes but she was glad to see his position didn't even faultier, she suspected the dragon was helping him along but doubted it

Dragons are wise and she was sure Ddraig realized what she was doing

He was probably doing the same thing to him

All these things were what she deeply wanted, the rating game in 8 days was going to be a fight to remember, Riser was a dangerous target to take down and Issei seemed the best fit to take him on but this training she was using taught a different route

Teamwork was key

During the many exorcises she always said that a peerages greatest weapon was the person next to them, utilize each other's strengths and block out each other's weaknesses was what created a unit

With this lesson looming in the air for the lot of them she was curtain her queen would express it effects deeper, she was expecting to see a large burst in Akeno's leadership skills during this week as well

And this would benefit the rating game immensely, all she needed was info on the rating games area and then create a plan to utilize the teamwork growing in her peerage

'Riser is an arrogant bastard, he's open to a lot of openings' growled Rias internally, she expected his peerage to work in predictable wave lengths, suicide squads, distractions, acceptable loses was probably what he'd use. Since he had a full set he probably thought he had this easy and made no attempts in training them personally in advanced rating game strategies

She likes quality over quantity any time of day, if she could have a man whose strength matched thirty others then he'd be the best choice, and preparation was also a powerful tool

Riser may have a full set but that meant he had 8 single piece pawns whose main objective was to probably rush her base to promote, laughably easy for her when not promoted and even easier for Issei with that unnamed ability of his weather they'd promoted or not

The boy fought Riser and disarmed him 'literally' without promoting, after this training and with a promotion Issei gave her a confidence boost she dearly needed

Say what you will about her positive stature and calm demeanour but she was extremely nervous

That 'butterfly' effect that accumulates in ones gut before a big event was something she had come to loathe deeply... One minute she's excited beyond control then the next she's shaking from nervousness

'Damn nuisance' she muttered while placing her arms under her bust

They had taken shelter somewhere deep in the forest and she had brought a portable stretch tent for her and the others from the rain

Why were they resting? Well after 8 hours of straight physical exorcise a good hour sleep was just what the doctor ordered

But that was almost over

'kukuku, I could get used to this' it sounded more along the lines of happiness for an upcoming future, whatever it may hold, the unknown was something that both excited Rias and terrified her at the same time but the thought of having a power house of a pawn under her and a unified team made her just bounce in anticipation

-XxXxXxX-

Issei woke with a start... well not just him but the entire peerage did, Rias didn't because she was the one blaring the air horn

Another day another bruise... or broken bone

Asia wasn't with them during camp but whenever diner started Rias would teleport them back after completing a tedious task and as of now, no one was able to complete said task so no one had any food in them.. Only Rias

The day or night or morning started off with a 3 mile long jog through rough forest terrain and rain

In most cases Issei wouldn't have bothered batting an eye at it but since his legs Screamed to be left alone made the usual task of jogging a walk of hell, Kiba and himself seemed the most tired while Akeno and Koneko remained slightly different in physical fatigue but they were considered the same

[Don't tell me your whining already] piped Ddraig scolding his thoughts

It took him a bit to figure out what Ddraig was doing but when he remembered what that kid in elementary said about the training his dad went through convinced him that Ddraig was the little voice in his head informing him of his bodies apparent critical condition and lack of strength and then he'd proceed to ask him over and over why he just doesn't quit

To which he'd reply with... 'shut up'

It didn't matter if he knew the trainings goals were, all that matter was 'could he still complete it?' even with that simple fact looming in his head could he really complete this training even if he knew what its goal was?

It didn't matter to him, as a matter of fact it motivated him even more then before

The fact this was to get him to bitch out and quit was angering, it played on his manly pride a bit, if he quit then he'd have to live with the fact three girls were bigger men than him, and he did not want to hear that damn pity party

'Oh, you tried your best'

'Oh it's all good'

That would deeply piss him off, the sudden desire to grow was what also motivated him through the rough terrain and no damn physical fatigue was gonna wear him down

"Drop and roll!" barked Drill instructor Rias and just as fast as uttered they all dropped and rolled

A simple modified version of the 'get sandy!' part of seal training was instead replaced with get muddy

The added weight and discomfort would play on both physical levels as well as mental levels as everyone of them got back up covered in nature's sh_t

Then came the worse part of that particular part, preferably for Issei

Every damn time he'd get up he'd feel this distant instinct to glance at the girls

'Damn it! Not now!' growled Issei internally, the sight of the mud covered women was inviting but then came the distraction that would entail, he'd already be caught drooling yesterday and that cost him a few chances of positive standing with Rias, it was the trainee's job to stay out of the drill instructors sight lest you suffer his/her wrath and you didn't want Rias' blaring down on you

Ignoring the dirty fetish to lay in the mud (no pun intended) issei trudged on keeping the tunnel vision of focus locked in on keeping with the pack and not on the women

The burning of running was starting to wear on the peerage as glimmers of sweat and haggard breathing was filling the air, they would do three jogs a day and every one of them would increase from 3 miles to 4 miles to a maximum of 6 freaking miles of jogging, obviously breaks were in between but they were short lived breathers but Issei was finding ways to make the most of them

No talking... only breathing, stretch and sit, any body of water was a god (Ow) send for them so to rehydrate but now that they were deeper in the forest bodies of water were becoming scarce to the point of nonexistence

This would bring them to adlib, Akeno was versed in magic so she'd summon as much water during breaks as possible without denting her magical reserves and Kiba would make fires with flame swords so to make sure they were warm, Issei had no idea why the week so far was so bad via weather but he just guessed it was convenience

After the jog, extensive work began

When they said bodies of water were rare it became apparent that every time they'd finish they're jog they'd end up near a small lake at the base of a mountain and every time they showed up Rias would already be there, she'd jog with them for a bit but when they came close to it ending she'd time them and then 'port to the lake so to wait for them, being late would most likely end with extra lectures and more physical workouts, but they hadn't been late once to confirm that

Issei speculated that would change further into the week when physical fatigue would reach an all time high

Now came the partner log runs

Since Issei and Kiba were the weakest in the physical aspect it was best suited the both of them partnered with either Akeno or Koneko, Kiba went with Koneko leaving Issei to work alongside Akeno

Issei didn't know it but apparently the queen piece was very similar to the rook piece as in she had almost the same level of physical strength as the loli

Guess that was the reason Rias picked who'd go with who

After the partners were selected a race would commence between the two teams, there job was to race from the tree line to the water then get in the water and carry the log to the other side of the small lake, then they'd have to carry it back and do log sit ups, which would be like doing normal sit ups except a massive log was resting on your arms, the teammate would take some load off but the fatigue would push the difficulty to the extreme

This was not easy

The weight of the mud from the first run was annoying but that'd wash away from going into the lakes water... which was mountain water

The goal of hell week was to target the mental limits of the trainee's through sleep deprivation and lack of food in ones system, then came the cold tolerance from the mountain lake which added to the previously mentioned targets

All of these add into stress and their goal was to overcome it, Issei bared his teeth and prepared for the race. The fatigue, stress and pressure would push everyone of them to the limits but he'd shatter his

[You should quit before this kills you] muttered Ddraig, his voice didn't sound deep and dragon like but it sounded almost like his except it echoed

'Shut up'

[You know your limits, except them... they are yours after all] again 'his' fake voice echoed out emulating his doubts through words but he again doused them with a sharp retort

Pretty quickly and they had started the race, the first part would cause them to find a rhythm while after it just became repetition

Akeno proved to be a really go support, anytime he'd lose grip or fall behind she'd gather him up and continue and he'd do the same in return

They were told to avoid using their pieces abilities scarcely so to fully absorb the training benefits but

Rias had sealed that before training even started

Soon after and they were in the water, and time seemed to speed up with the repetition of things, at the end all four of them were line up and told to sit down were a larger log would be placed on them and they'd have to all hold it up

This forced teamwork, everyone had a role to play and they grunted and bared the muscular pain that followed, when they did they'd call role call and status

A trick question, Issei thought, standard for all military training and drill instructors used it to weed out the weak ones so to place more pressure on them. To motivate them through doubts

"Koneko... status" asked Rias calmly while standing behind them

"Fine" she replied stoically

"Are you sure?"

"100 percent" the second reply was chilled as the mountain water was creeping into her senses making her shiver but her determination forced most of the action to a minimal degree, after they'd finish the long run Rias made sure no one physically attempted to dry themselves and instead ordered them to allow the air to dry them, this would prolong the cold

"Kiba... status"

"Ready to go" learning from Koneko's reply Kiba answered with full determination, the cold and the physical fatigue would wear down on them forcing emotions to rise but the first two didn't show any sign of resigning to the simple temperature decline

"Akeno?"

"Good" Akeno was friends with Rias longer than anyone, if any of them knew how Rias acted and sounded it was her, the status question was just a trick question while the cold would wear on them forcing doubt to rise and she had more experience in training with her

"Issei... status"

Issei had many thoughts pass him by, most simple doubts. The simple question seemed like a gate way, if he answered like the others the week would continue, if he answers incorrectly then the week would continue but with more physical punishment

"Still here" he answer but Rias didn't like the answer

"Does the cold bother you? If you want I can get a towel for you" the words were calm and soothing but Issei felt the scrutinizing gaze from Rias, as much as the towel was inviting he'd just be giving in to weakness

It was just cold after all... Canadians lived in this Sh_t

"I'm good" he answer with chattering teeth, a simple bodily instinct but Issei didn't realize devils didn't have that instinct... the chattering teeth was just a muscle memory of the cold, but he didn't realize that

"Your body begs to differ" she replied and Issei breathed and realized he was in fact shaking

'Damn it, calm down' he muttered internally, stilling himself he forgot the need to focus on the cold and tried to look past it

"I'm. Fine" his answer was final, Rias hadn't expected the level of annoyance in his tone but she guessed it was more towards his former human mentality then her constant questioning

Good

Thought Rias, the anger at his former limitations was always a good sign of his wish to overcome them

Nodding she pressed on

"Lift shoulder right!" this next drill was a small effort of teamwork that forced everyone under the log to lift the log and rest it on the right shoulder

Sounds easy but under the conditions the peerage was in even Koneko was having a hard time in the mundane task, add the cold shiver under their skin and the sleep deprivation made it extremely taxing on both body and mind

"45 second lift, when you're ready" she said, the four quickly followed and lifted the log above their heads

This showed a problem

Koneko was to... short to reach the log leading Rias to nip that in the bud quickly, when she'd call the lift order Koneko was given a shorter log for herself, it would test her physical abilities and determination under conditions in a solo field

It was a lose and Rias didn't like it but one doesn't fight genetics

She'd make ways and find other paths to strengthen their teamwork in other fields but this was only the third day of training

Only time will tell if she is doing this correctly

Didn't mean she wasn't excited

Operation: Phenex 'ash' kicking was closing in and the determination in Issei's eyes was a good tell tale sign the operations name wasn't just a bad pun but one that sounded like a prophecy

'Soon I will be free'

With her thoughts sealed and plans set Rias counted to 45 seconds

A/N:

*sigh*

It took way to long for me to get this puppy out, with job hunting and job interviews, health plan changes and license swaps from Alberta to BC has chewed up a lot of my time for writing

But alas, I was able to get this chapter to ya'll

And as natural tradition, I always take time in explaining events in chapters and why I chose them in my classic rant form

First and foremost... Rias Gremory

I have made it well known of my discontent with the way DxD preserves the red head and I have shown a good level of hatred for the cannon Rias

But! I've made it my mission to create an actual strong character DxD failed to create, cause I hate pointless bashing of characters were it is incredibly easy to fix with just minor effort

All throughout DxD you may notice a lot of the paper thin DxD side characters have to say about our little red head and most would say she's: brave, wise, and inspiring to which would cause me to look at the screen and chuckle like Zach Galifianakis in dinner for shmuck's

I'm at a loss of breath at what they say

Rias is far from inspiring, and if she is then I'd question what effect Kamina would have on the ORC, Issei would most likely go full on gay (not to mention Kiba would follow) and all of the girls clothes would spontaneously explode off them, if their standards of inspiring are so low that Rias is considered inspiring then Kamina is a literal god

Wait a second! Kamina is the paragon of manliness, he's far beyond god

Anyways, I've modified her leadership skills from poorly perceived in the anime to an actual leadership role

No more childish attitude, and she'll actually have standards this time, she acted like some five dollar hooker during the anime

Grayfia was correct in first season, have some self respect Rias!

And she damn well will

I'm creating a strong female character, something DxD failed at miserably

We have the technology!

As for the training... Well, when I re-watched the first season I overheard Issei yell "I'm fighting for Rias, I went through hell in training for her!"

I'm sorry Issei but Rias' lack of training abilities was so painful the human P90X is still considered 'elite' in comparison to her little 'warm up' training so you calling that 'training' hell is a sign of how weak of a character issei actually is

I've introduced the navy seal training into this because that training is hell, and since my Rias is 100x smarter as well as more of a king then the cannon Rias she has taken it to consideration on using the most advanced training a solider could go through

No disrespect to the other SF forces out there but the 'hell week' was much easier to research and learn than any other

So, not only is Rias a better character but the training before the fight with Riser is actual training and not just a retarded episode were the main character gets the most useless power I have EVER seen

Dress break!? Are you kidding me!?

What happens when your opponent is a guy!?... Yeah that's what I thought

Seems that power was mostly situational to one time where he blows off some dudes armor, not to mention it's just an excuse for those perverts in Japan to get some more fan service up in this bitch

"Hey look it prints money!"

Anyone who likes dress break should go set some C4 put in ya shorts and detonate it cause I don't want ya on this planet any more

(Calming breath)

Ok, so next is the power level of villains

The choreography of power and fights in DxD is so bad I brought a basic update in power to every villain still alive as of this moment

Loki will be Loki and not arrogant god #1, he'll actually use illusions in battle and cause mischief

Kokabiel will just get a simple boost in power

Malthus is gonna be a literal Nightmare for all, even Satan's

And that's pretty much... oh I forgot the true Satan descendants, they were so irrelevant and weak in third season I almost forgot

Seems the only one who really stood as a threat was Rizevim Lucifer and he can be consider one of those death to all villains who race violently towards their deaths like brainless fools

They will actually be stronger then the anime perceive them... seriously, for those who descended from the true Satan's by blood they really put a bad image to their parents names

Creuserey Asmodeus or as I call him captain paper skin cause he died so quickly he looked like he had paper for skin... that shit was the most anticlimactic 'fight' I have ever seen (yet another third season disappointment) all Sirzechs had to do was hold out his hand? Guess the cost for a cool fight would damage that breast physics engine of theirs financially

Shalba Beelzebub or captain dumbass won't go full retarded by pissing off a dragon then die pathetically in the process... that shit was hawt but at the same time embarrassing

Now does anyone remember Katerea? Well she'll be remembered this time round as instead of being killed so easily she'll actually pose a remote threat

As for that grandfather to Vali he'll just get a normal power up

And now I want to address the harem

ITS CLOSED

I really appreciate all of this attention to the story and all of the character requests, I do, but I can't just bring in any character with a working fetus, as all of you may know (should know by now) Isaac is an angel but it's still not known to the characters, but WE know what he is

Valerie Tepes is a cool character and she'll be relevant and may even become a good friend to Isaac but nothing romantic will come out of it... I have plans for our young transvestite and she's in reserve

Then comes Jeanne, I've done some research on her character and I immediately knew where she'd fall in Isaac's view

A criminal... who will use any means necessary to win, even if it means killing innocent civilians

That Is not expectable with Isaac's personality traits, I haven't really placed him in positions to show his true ideals as they are still hidden but I can say for a fact that Jeanne would be seen more as an enemy then an actual romantic lover

I stated last A/N that female characters were not being just tossed into the harem because hey I felt like it, no, it needs to make sense

All of the characters Isaac will meet fall into specific personal trait categories that will appeal to him on a romantic level, and some females will have idealistic clashes with him as well as any other character

Similar to Serafall and Gabriel's clash but minus the random, unexplained nature of it

So Jeanne is out... sorry my dear reviewer, I do appreciate the review however

So next chapter, shit hits the fan

R&R ya beautiful bastards

Peace ;)