First off, HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE! 2020, WOOT WOOOOT! For my New Years Resolution, I'm going to start reading the light novels of DxD. Worse case scenario should the anime series just end. I'm having a bit of trouble finding free versions of it online so if anyone can point me in the right direction, I'd appreciate it.

The wiki only helps so much.

Secondly; I wanna address this 'plagiarized work' a few of you have screamed at me starting the 5th of December last year. Apparently some guy named Hareta Kuso copied my work and is passing it off as his and another guys own. While I appreciate you guys looking out for me, I gave the second author of that fic permission. In fact; I've even given some ideas to one of the authors, talked about the storyboard, and even refined a chapter for them.

So don't worry, there is no WW3 (Writers War 3) breaking out. They used my work as a stepping stone, which I have no problem with as long as they asked first, which they did. Their fic has done pretty well, they got about 26 follows for it at the time of posting this. Again, thanks letting me know, but there was nothing to worry about.

Now back to MY fic, I've listened to allot of criticism, and I thank you guys for that; it'll make the story THAT much better as time goes on. But one that I didn't understand was this "Gary Stu" bit some of you were saying, and I'm thinking to myself: what is that? Some anime shipping I'm unaware of?! GODDAMMIT!

After doing extensive research on it, I discovered its a fanfic term for guy characters, contrasting "Mary Sue" ones. From what I could find, I agree... to an extent. While I admit Anthony fits this term in certain instances, most of the things he does falls into a gray area. Let me explain:

1) Being an unbeatable Badass/Physical Perfection:

Yes, Anthony has shown to be a tough guy (be it his dialogue or actions), but certainly not unbeatable by any means. There have been times he's shown to have some vulnerabilities. When he first fought Raynare, sure he dodged for a bit, but still almost died due to shock of the situation and Raynare stabbing him in the heart.

Another example is when he fought Raynare while protecting Asia. Even if he did have fighting experience (as he dealt with bullies ganging up on him), he was still no match for the more experienced Raynare. He only won his 3rd round with her when he lost control because Raynare revealed she was the only who killed his parents... wouldn't that set you off too? When someone you love is taken away?

And sure he exercises, but that doesn't automatically mean he's a Gary Stu. He's not overly-muscular either, he just likes to be in top condition. It's a choice he made, just like it was his choice to try and finally promote to a Queen with hard work (which no DxD fic has done). Furthermore, if he WAS a Gary Stu... wouldn't he have been able to promote to Queen instantly, and beat Riser and Raynare on his first try? Heck, if you wanna go that far, why didn't he just automatically activate and control Juggernaut Drive which even Vali can't control for very long?

To me, THAT is what a Gary Stu is based on my research. It's someone who keeps getting better without any sort of buildup. I think I did a pretty decent job; not the best by far, but my personal best.

2) Instant Relationships/Perfect Person:

Now I will say Anthony and Rias got a quick start, that I DO agree with. But as shown later on, its because she sensed something different about him. At first, she thought it was the Boosted Gear, but Azazel confirmed there was something more. All I will say about that, is its NOT because of Ddraig's presence like in canon... while that does play a factor, its not the only reason either.

Rias and Anthony have teased each other sure, but that's just their personalities clashing, like Koneko's and Anthony's in which the little mascot is always hurting him in some way because she currently can't stand him (which has been praised by both fans of my work and critics alike). Asia and Irina knew him years prior to the start of the series, Kiba and Koneko are currently getting developed to appreciate Anthony more, and Akeno's... well, Akeno.

As for Anthony being perfect, he has been shown to lash out when angered or when a friend is threatened, and he wasn't exactly forthcoming with the details about his parents until AFTER Raynare was dealt with. He even gave the set of keys he had to Azazel, the only item he had left of his former life, just so he wouldn't have to deal with what they represent. Plus, the only interaction he's had with people since then was through work and his neighbor Pesca. He only started High School recently, meaning he hasn't exactly been around kids his age for a LONG time.

Also, he worked at a Wal-Mart, so...

Again, I agree with some people that Anthony acts in this term sometimes; but I don't think he's a full-on "Gary Stu" either... more like just a "Gary", if that makes any sense. On top of it all, he's only my second major OC and I joined the site like what; 4 years ago? I'm still learning, and the feedback like this is really appreciated. Thanks so much for the support, but lets rejoin Anthony were he left off.

This chapter delves more into the lore, and may (or may not) answer some questions that I left unanswered in the previous season. Enjoy!

Season NEW - Chapter 5: Crazy Dreams

Anthony found himself in a black void of some kind. He was able to walk around, but had no idea as to how he got here. The last thing he remembered was something falling on his face...

"Where am I?"

FLASH!

Anthony shielded his eyes with one hand covering his face due to a sudden flash of light. "Ugh! The hell...?" As his eyes began to adjust, he lowered his hand, and a huge neon sign was in front of him from out of seemingly nowhere. It read, in big kanji letters:

"Harem... King?... What idiot came up with this?" Anthony asked aloud. He suddenly heard laughing from all around him, then a bright light shined down on a boy sitting on a throne up some stairs. This boy had short spiky brown hair, with two short locks behind his head. He also wore a tuxedo with a cape attached to it, and a glove on his right hand that mirrored Mickey Mouse's.

Now, Anthony has the same color of hair, but he hadn't had his barber cut it spiky since elementary school. Kids used to call him 'The Italian Hedgehog' for it, and while Anthony didn't mind, he stopped wearing that stupid haircut around middle school because he got tired of all the gel he had to buy just to keep the style. But what REALLY got Anthony's attention; was the oddly familiar gauntlet the boy had on his left arm...

"Ddraig?... HEY, YOU! THAT'S MY DRAGON ON YOUR ARM!" Called Anthony, running up the stairs, but it appeared the spiky-haired kid was ignoring him, still laughing. "Hey!" Anthony walked up to the boy, but he still laughed. "SCUSI! I'M TALKING TO..." said Anthony, going to grab the kids collar and lift him off the chair...

Anthony's hand went THROUGH the kids neck! What the...?!

"WOAH!" Anthony pulled his hand back quickly, his eyes widened in shock and confusion. The Italian tried touching the laughing boy a few more times, edging his hand towards him. No matter how quickly or how slowly Anthony tried grabbing the kid, his hand still went through him like a ghost. "What the...?" Anthony questioned, still trying to touch the boy while also trying to make sense of this. He tried summoning Ddraig himself, thinking the trophy might have hit his head too hard, but nothing happened.

"Hahaha! My perfect fantasy world, is finally complete! I'm a total Harem King, baby!" Said the boy, very happy about being a 'king'.

"I know redheads who are better Kings than you!" Yelled Anthony to the boy but just like before, his voice did not seem to be heard. Speaking of redhead...

"ISSEI!"

Anthony felt something rush through him as it ran up the stairs. It was a buxom girl with red hair, who mounted the boy right where he sat. She was also wearing nothing (which wasn't too surprising to Anthony) but a black see-through skirt that left NOTHING to the imagination. She was wearing underwear at least, but the scene alone made Anthony's eyes widen into saucers. "... R... Rias?" Asked Anthony, now even more confused.

"Now that the others are gone..." Rias said in a lust-filled tone, then smashed her lips into the boys. For a full minute; all Anthony heard and saw was moaning from both parties, and this random guy feeling up Rias, which she didn't seem to mind. If anything, it made her moan deeper. She also started grinding on the boy.

Anthony's first reaction was to go over and "save" Rias, but didn't act upon this because:

A) He most likely couldn't touch her either, considering it didn't work before and she literally ran through him.

B) He was still in shock... he also got a funny feeling in his chest upon seeing Rias throw herself on this poser.

Both Rias and the kid, his name was Issei apparently, finally broke the kiss that was torturing to watch. "Rias! Ddraig! Real funny, guys! You can cut the act now" said Anthony, not 100% believing what he said, but it was the only rational thing he could come too. This had to be some kind of joke, right? Yeah. This was all a ruse by both Rias and Ddraig, just to get a reaction from him. Rias simply hired a cosplayer/male stripper, and Ddraig somehow migrated into him without killing Anthony.

For the third time though, Anthony's voice was unheard. They couldn't be just ignoring him. Even if someone ignores you, their still aware your there. But with Rias and Ddraig... they didn't acknowledge Anthony at all.

"Not fair, Rias! Your always keeping him to yourself!"

That voice! Anthony flinched upon hearing it; that sweet, innocent voice... no way. It couldn't be. He turned very slowly towards the source of it, and if he wasn't wide-eyes before... now he sure was. From behind him, more girls came up. They included: "... Asia?... Koneko?... Akeno?" Said Anthony, shocked with seeing Asia here, but it wasn't just her. There were other girls here, some Anthony didn't recognize.

Asia (who had a larger bust size for some reason) and from what he could guess was an older Irina, since he hadn't seen her in quite some time... damn, the years have been kind to her. She had 2 long ponytails and a figure that rivaled Kim Kardashians. Akeno was next, followed up by Koneko... and what was that brat Ravel doing here?

All of them were wearing the same thing Rias was wearing, which included the newcomers. They were:

1) A girl with short blue hair that had a single green bang.

2) A girl with long silver hair that looked to be a college student.

3) A girl with black hair and eyes, and had tape X's over her nipples... was she a stripper too?

4) A girl whose similar to number 3, though was younger looking and had dark brown hair instead.

5) A girl who Anthony could guess was a Furry. She had 2 cat tails and cat ears all in black.

6) Another possible Furry, this one having yellow fox-like ears and appeared to be around the same age as Koneko.

7) The Dark Magician Girl?

8) Bella Swan with a cat-eared hood.

9) A purple haired diva.

10) (AN: Because DxD is an ongoing series, this number will serve as any other additional girl(s) that shows intimate feelings for Issei or lives with him, as this chapter was written when True DxD was on its 3rd volume.)

"Huh... it's good to be king" Anthony had to admit. Each one of the girls joined in with Rias, beginning to fight over Issei as if he was that great. Please. Anthony knew HE could do a better job than anything this cosplaying weirdo could do. But still, this scene made no sense to him. Who was this Issei guy? And how did he know Rias, Asia and the rest of the girls present that Anthony knew of?

[I've been surrounded by lustful partners before, Issei; but this is ridiculous] came Ddraig's voice, his tone noble and not at all preverted as Anthony had come accustomed too. The dragon also sounded annoyed. It was like this was a new Ddraig altogether.

"I know, isn't it great!" Said Issei, while still getting fought over.

[Ugh... how far I've fallen] Sighed Ddraig.

After more arguing and claiming 'he's mine'; "That's it! We'll settle this the old-fashioned way!" Rias suddenly shouted. "FINE!" Said the rest of the girls. That's when all the girls got into a big circle and...

"One, two, THREE!... One, two, THREE!... One, two, THREE!..."

...

...

"Rock-Paper-and-fucking-Scissors?... What are they, four?" Questioned Anthony, with a raised eyebrow as the girls kept going. If that wasn't weird enough, each girl threw down the exact same symbol, making it a multiple-way tie; their 'Rocks' bouncing with each gesture they did. The scene began to fade away until it was out of sight. "Hey. HEY! Where ya guys going?!" Anthony called out, but the group vanished as the Italian held his hand out and ran after them until they disappeared, with Issei's voice cheering: "I love being the Harem Kiiiiiiiiiing!"

Anthony stopped running, seeing as he could not keep up with them as they vanished. "... what was that all abo...?"

STOMP!

Anthony found himself in-between 2 large toes. If he was an inch further to the left or right...

Shook up, Anthony crawled backwards and fell off a small cliff, rolling backward until he stopped. The black void had changed to a decimated environment that wasn't recognizable in the slightest. Dirt, destroyed structures, and a large red dragon roaring overhead; but it wasn't like a dragon from the storybooks or video games... it was absolutely terrifying. Anthony's eyes could have literally popped out of his head! Despite this dragons menacing appearance, it felt... familiar.

It was easily the size of a T-Rex, maybe a few feet larger, with a mouth full of large teeth. It's wings also didn't exactly look like traditional wings, just bone without the flaps of skin. Along the wings were green gems, 4 on each bone. The rest of the dragon looked much like Anthony's Balance Breaker, just enlarged. Was this...?

"Ddr... Ddraig?" Asked Anthony, not believing his eyes. This looked nothing like Ddraig when he first encountered him during the wedding dream, this version was more demonic than dragonic. What happened to him?

"Not bad for 'lesser dragon', huh Vali?" Asked the red dragon, looking towards something in the distance; but it wasn't Ddraig's voice. It sounded like that kid from earlier, the 'Harem King' or whatever. It also sounded older.

And who's Vali?

"You've gotten stronger, Issei. Much stronger. Our fated battle will be talked about for years to come!" Said a new voice, one Anthony didn't recognize. Turning around, he saw another large dragon-like creature that was similar to Ddriag, just white and blue compared to Ddraig's red and green. After that remark, both large dragons jumped at each other and clashed. They began flying around the sky, swiping at each other at almost unseeable speed. Anthony also heard Ddraig's iconic "BOOST" catchphrase, along with a deep voice saying "DIVIDE", multiple times.

Anthony tried to understand what was happening... well, he wasn't a TOTAL idiot. This was a battle, anyone could see that, even someone with a collective of 3 brain cells. It's just... why? Why was this happening? Why was he seeing this? Who were these Issei and Vali guys?... And why did one of them have his dragon?

Ddraig/Issei was either knocked out of the sky or simply landed on his feet, it was hard to tell, but his chest armor opened up to reveal a cannon of some sort, charging green energy quickly. [Longinus SMASHER!] Roared Ddraig's voice, as the chest cannon unleashed a thick green energy beam towards the white dragon still in the sky.

[DIVIDE!] Said the unknown deep voice as the white dragon's wings began to glow. It was at this point Anthony established that the deep voice must belong to the white dragon. The white dragon kept repeating 'Divide', making the Longinus Smasher beam weaken somehow.

It wasn't enough. The Smasher beam looked like it would still pack a wallop if it hit, so the white dragon had no choice but to abandon its efforts and evade the attack. As the beam continued to travel, even in its weakened state, it still tore holes in clouds and caused an bright green explosion in the sky.

Anthony was both scared and mesmerized by this display of power. Was this Ddraig before he was sealed inside the Boosted Gear? It couldn't be, as the armor he had around his body was an almost copy and paste resemblance to what Anthony had seen; and Ddraig used to be an actual dragon right? Maybe thick armor was how dragons actually look? But if that was true, then why were 2 voices coming from each dragon?

ARRRRGGH! Anthony didn't get it! None of this made any sense!

Both dragons fired energy beams from their mouths at each other, but they were evenly matched and it caused a bright explosion. [HALF DIMENSION!] said the white dragon as the light from the explosion died down. The dragons wings began to glow, and everything around him began to shrink.

"Oh, your not cutting any lady lops in half today!" Said Issei.

"For the last time, that's not what it does" deadpanned the white dragon, it's voice having changed again.

Despite this, Ddraig/Issei did something that Anthony didn't expect: his wings folded into themselves and shifted... into a large blaster-like device! [FANG BLAST BOOSTER!] Ddraig said.

"Wait, that's your Cardinal Crimson cannon" said the white dragon.

"Even an old pervert can learn new tricks" said Issei proudly, the now named blaster charging up. [You may have some control of Juggernaut Drive now, but it'll start devouring your life force again after your demonic power runs out] said Ddraig's voice.

[Ddraig is right, Vali. You and Issei may want to consider dismissing them] said the unknown deep voice, sounding concerned for both his host and their opponents. "And miss all the fun? If me and Issei and are gonna do this, we're going all-out. This IS our fated battle, the one we've been working for" said the guy now known to be Vali. He appeared to be talking to the deep voice, so its safe to assume this Vali guy is the host of whatever Gear he's using, as there's no other explanation that Anthony could come up with... unless this Vali guy was a schizofrenico.

"Finally, something we agree on" said Issei, as the blaster appeared to now be fully charged. "Crimson... BLASTERRRRRRRRRRRR!" Issei released the stored power as an immense energy blast. It wasn't as powerful as the Longinus move from before, but still looked quite potent.

[REFLECT!] Said the white dragon. It's wings glowed, but it didn't appear anything else had happened. Wasn't there supposed to be a Psychc-Type force field or something generated from that? Just as the Crimson Blast would've hit Vali, it somehow turned and flew back towards its caster. "MERDA!" Said Anthony, witnessing Issei's/Ddraig's own power being turned against him. In a surprise twist...

[REFLECT!] Said Ddraig, his green gems glowing the same color as the white dragons wings. His reflected attacked was... re-reflected... back to the white dragon. The blast kept circling back and forth between the 2 dragons, both focusing their power on trying to redirect the attack successfully to hit the opposing player.

"Using my power again? Can't win with your own?" Vali taunted.

"Don't leave your Gear lying around next time" Said Issei, in a joking tone. This left Anthony amazed. Ddraig could take others' power? He thought the Boosted Gear could only give power.

[PENETRATE!] Called out Ddraig, making the white dragons wings go dark and canceling it's power. Issei's/Ddraig's presence had paid off, as the blast finally hit Vali in the chest and knocking him out of the sky. "HA! TITTY SHOT!" Cheered Issei. Vali got up from his fall, and the 2 dragons flew at each other, clashing again. How long has this gone on? From the looks of the landscape, it seemed to have lasted a few hours, but Anthony wasn't sure.

"Their having fun, aren't they?" Came Koneko's voice.

"I just hope he doesn't hurt himself" Came Rias' voice. Looking above and behind himself, Anthony saw the ORC watching the battle, with a few of the unknown girls as well. They appeared older (though Rias once mentioned Devils can change their appearance with magic), looking to be in their late 20's to early 30's. This excluded:

1) Ravel (again, why was she here?), who appeared to be in her late teens or 20's. She got taller though still shorter than Anthony.

2) Koneko, same age range as Ravel. She was still the shortest of the bunch, but had a similar body type to Asia (at least, before her boobs grew).

3) The Fox-eared girl, who was the same height as Koneko, couldn't be any older than her teens. She also had the same body type as Ravel.

As for the rest of the present members:

1) Kiba looked no different than before, just older.

2) There was a small body dressed in a girls uniform for Kuoh Academy... he looked somewhat identical to the girl with the cat-hood from earlier.

2) Asia was now a splitting image of Rias, still having her natural blond hair.

3) Irina still looked the same during the "Harem King" segment.

4) Akeno... god-DAMN! How much bigger can those things get?! What was she now, an Annie Hawkins-Cup?!

5) Rias was still as buxom as ever.

The remaining gathered people had very little changes to them, remaining mostly unchanged from what Anthony saw previously. "You can beat him this time, Issei!" Said the cross-dressed boy.

"Show'em whose boss like the Grabbing Dragon you are! Give him some perv power!" Said Irina, cheering Issei on. She was still as cheerful as Anthony remembered.

Getting up, Anthony found his way up to the group. "Rias, Asia, guys! Do you know what's going on here?!" Asked Anthony, hoping he could learn about whatever was happening. Just like before however, no one reacted to his presence.

Back to the fight, Issei pulled one of his fists back. [SOLID IMPACT BOOSTER!] Ddraig called out, and this caused the fist Issei was using to expand and grow large. They hit Vali with it, denting some of his armor, and making him slide back. Because of his large size, a few buildings didn't stand a chance when his foot went through them. As cool as this fight looked, Anthony hoped it was taking place in a dimensional space and not the real world.

Vali recovered. [COMPRESSION DIVIDER!] Came the deep voice. At first, it appeared Vali was using Half Dimension again, though this attack appeared to focus on Issei/Ddraig rather than affect everything around the caster. This made Issei/Ddraig start shrinking, how was he gonna counter that?

"Oh shit, gotta replenish" said Issei, as Ddraig began saying boo... wait. Why was he saying 'Bust' repeatedly? And in an annoyed manner?

Anthony heard a moan next to him, so he looked to see... streams of energy coming out of Rias' chest area and into Issei/Ddraig, the redhead continuing to moan. Horrifyingly, her size also shrunk until there was barely anything there! Whatever the fuck that was about, it at least countered Vali's attack.

[He did it again...] deadpanned the deep voice. "Typical" Vali sighed.

"NEVER UNDERESTIMATE THE DEMONIC POWER OF RIAS' MARVELOUS MELONBALLS!" Declared Issei, pointing at the opposing dragon with a claw.

Anthony would've thought the group would facepalm, deadpan or at the very least, sweatdrop at this. But no. While they appeared slightly disturbed, they were apparently used to it. And what's this about demonic power?... That's why they're so big? Anthony will probably tease Rias over it, but he was more focused and concerned on what this monster did to the poor girl. His eyes were wide and stared at the now almost-flat-chested King, his jaw agape. "... that is pure evil" he said.

He hoped to God that Ddraig DID NOT really possess that ability...

The dragons continued their battle, but it suddenly ended when they flew at each other again. Not the battle per se, but the scene itself. Anthony was once again in the black void. [ISSEI! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!] Asked Ddraig's voice, sounding a bit hysterical. It came from behind Anthony, so he turned around to see the large red dragon armor (he thinks it was called Juggernog or something, it all happened so fast) floating. All of its gems were glowing, so he was powering up... but why? There were no enemies around.

Then, the armor began to crack, little by little. [ISSEEEEEEEEEEEEI! DOOOOOOOON'T!] Cried Ddraig. Then the armor appeared to have self-destructed, blinding green light filled Anthony's vision that even burned his skin. He shielded his eyes with both hands up and looked away while closing his eyes, as the green light enveloped the entire black void... including him!

FLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAASH!

Anthony's eyes shot open, looking up at a ceiling. He blinked a few times, and realized he was in his bedroom. Plus, he didn't feel the roughness of his floor, and due to the distance of the ceiling, he could safely say he was in his bed. Was that all just a crazy dream?

Though his head hurt from last nights 'event', Anthony tried getting up with his right hand, headache be damned. But his arm felt stuck for some reason. Looking to the side, Rias was soundly sleeping right on top of his arm, naked as usual. Guess Rias got Asia outta here after all, plus his hand found a nice place to rest on Rias' hips. He tried using his left arm this time, but it felt the same. This confused Anthony greatly, what was...?

...

Spoke too soon. Asia was also naked, and sleeping on his left arm. Said arm held the ex-holy sister REALLY close, wrapping around her back. Asia didn't appear to have been awoken by this brash action. That, or she decided she didn't mind the arrangement. This wasn't the first time she and Anthony spent a night together, but at least back then she had something on!

If Anthony wasn't introduced to Rias and the supernatural world, he might have freaked out. Don't get him wrong, just seeing 2 beauties next to him like this made him feel odd, as this would only happen in dreams he had in 6th grade when his hormones were just starting to spread. He became somewhat used to it thanks to Rias.

Didn't mean it wasn't awkward for Asia to start the naked thing...

Despite this and the fact they had to get ready for school, Anthony couldn't find it in himself to disturb them. They looked so peaceful, and he felt bad if they were awoken from their slumber. It was actually quite adorable to see them sleep, they looked cute. Deciding to wait for them to finishing resting, Anthony closed his eyes and relaxed... at least tried too. Not everyday you wake up with 2 girls cuddled up close to you. While he waited, his thoughts drifted to his current lifestyle. Here he was, living with one of the "Greats", and one of his childhood friends he thought he'd never see again. And sure, he's a servant of a Devil as a price of being given a second chance, but at least this new life was never dull.

While on that subject, when did he change his clothes from his school uniform to a white T-Shirt and red gym shorts? Did Rias and Asia...?

After a few minutes, both girls' eyelids began twitching, a sign that they were awakening. "Good morning, Anthony" Rias was the first to speak, and had her usual smile on her face. She also sat up, which was a first as usually she'd be the one fighting to stay IN bed.

"Did you sleep well?" Asia asked, also getting up.

"Oh yeah. Knocked right out" said Anthony. While he was only joking, which Rias and Asia understood, that didn't stop them from getting sad looks on their faces and looking down, feeling guilty for last night. "... I'm kidding. Why are you guys still here again?" Said Anthony, assuring the girls he wasn't being serious, while also asking what they were still don't in his bedroom. Again, he's not a total idiot. It took him less than 10 seconds to figure it out on his own, but he still wanted confirmation regardless.

"You forgot to tell us who you wanted to sleep with after..." Asia said, her gaze trailing or the sports trophy that was on the floor. She began to feel ashamed again, her cheeks starting to redden slightly as she recalled everything she did last night. Honestly, she had no idea what came over her. As soon as Rias said 'I'm sleeping with you', the former holy sister just lost her shit. Then they began arguing about chest size, going on and on about other ridiculous things, until they got physical and caused Anthony to get hurt.

Asia was innocent, but not completely oblivious either. This happened with Irina when they were little... to a much lesser extent of course, but that's only because Asia wanted to be close to the person she cared about. Present day reason was because she thought she could only dream of being close to him again.

'Forgot... that's the word...' Anthony thought to himself.

"I'm sorry, Anthony. It's just..." Asia went to explain (though she wasn't sure if she could), but Anthony rubbed the top of Asia's head. This always calmed Asia down as kids for some reason and it thankfully still had the same effect, also making her smile.

"It's fine. Rias was obviously jealous and didn't want to share" Anthony said, joking at Rias' expense.

"I'm not unreasonable. We made the best of the situation" said Rias, explaining her side of the story.

"By sharing your Italian Teddy?" Asked Anthony.

"And using both his arms as pillows. It was quite comfy" answered Rias.

"It was! I haven't slept like that in years!" Said Asia, smiling brighter. Then about 5 seconds after admitting that, she blushed deeply... though she didn't take it back. She also happened to look in the direction of Anthony's alarm, which he also forgot to set last night, and gasped. It was 7:15AM! If they don't get up now, they'll be late!

"We should get ready! It's almost time to go!" Said Asia.

"Crap! I'll get breakf...!" Anthony began, about to leap out of bed and start his morning cooking (since there was no time to do the morning training at this point), but Rias placed a hand on his chest to stop him.

"I think you've been through enough stress, we'll take care of it" she said, indirectly mentioning last nights events, and telling Anthony she and Asia will start the morning ritual this time.

"Mom. I'm fine. It's a bruise. I'll..." Anthony tried to say, but Rias pushed a little bit on his chest. Not enough to push him down, just hold him back. She then got closer to Anthony's face, her blue eyes focused on his. "I... insist. Let the King pamper her Queen" she said. Anthony's heart began to beat a little faster with how close she was getting, but just rolled his eyes up and exhaled loudly, knowing this will go nowhere fast if he tries to argue.

"Okaaaaaaay..." the Italian huffed. Having got her way, Rias smiled and slowly backed off. She reached the side of the bed even slower, standing up as slowly as possible. Why? Because she was holding onto the comforter and she wrapped it around her body as a makeshift robe as she stood up. She left a majority of her flesh on display, but whether it was intentional or not was unclear.

How Rias suddenly made bed sheets sexy, Anthony may never know. Hell, she could make a damn straitjacket look good!

"Thanks again, Anthony... for another wonderful night..." Rias muttered salaciously, though loud enough for the 2 other house mates to hear. Her words were covered in honey, which caused Asia to react accordingly. She also went as slow as she could to the edge of Anthony's bed, so her bare back was on full display, where she bent down to get something. It was one of her nighties. She must have gotten it sometime during the night.

She put it on, but did it normally. "See you downstairs" Asia said, a warm smile on her face. With this, both girls began to step out of the room.

Something was still bothering Anthony though. "Wait. Wait!" He suddenly called out just as both females were about to exit the room. They both turned their heads to look back at him, wondering what he could want. "Does... Issei mean anything to you?" He asked.

Both girls stared at Anthony like he grew a second head out of his neck. "Issei?" Asked Asia with a cocked head.

"Who's Issei?" Asked Rias, her head tilted in the other direction.

Anthony mentally facepalmed, feeling like an idiot. Of course they wouldn't know who Issei was! He was a fig-mation of his imagination! "Er... nevermind. Probably hit my head too hard. I'll meet you guys down in a minute" he excused. Asia walked back to the bed and put a hand on his forehead, as if checking for a fever.

"You sure? You might have a..." Asia asked, worried about her friend. It was here that Anthony took Asia's wrist and gently removed it.

"I'll be ok. Now go show Rias how to make French Toast and Miso Soup" said Anthony. Rias smiled, choosing to ignore the jab, figuring she'll find a way to get back at him later. Both girls left the room... though Anthony could've sworn one of them said: 'though mine always ends up too salty'.

As soon as that door closed, Anthony fell back into bed 2 seconds later, groaning. "Ugh. Fuck me sideways and call me an Egg McMuffin" He groaned. This was too weird. It's bad enough that Rias was pushy when it came to the sleeping schedule, but now Asia? How can Anthony pretend everything is normal when it clearly isn't? He had seen them both naked, slept with each one on separate occasions and now at the same time, and even as far as touching them on an island. Accidental or not, it still happened.

This was more awkward than being asked on a date and when you go to pick up the person, he/she is busy with another guy/girl in the room because you arrived early to try and make a good first impression. Anthony may or may not have experience with seeing that...

"ARRRRRRRGH! My life sucks" moaned Anthony.

[If your done complaining now...] Came Ddraig's voice.

"Give me 5 minutes" Anthony moaned some more.

[Eh, fuggedaboutit] Ddraig said. This caused Anthony to sit up and look directly at the green light on his hand with an unamused glare.

"Did you come out of your hole just to ridicule me?" Anthony asked.

[I came out to give you a warning. There's a strong supernatural presence around us lately] said Ddraig.

"Oh yeah. She's been sneaking in here every night..." Anthony said, nonchalantly.

[I thought that too, and even Azazel at one point, but it may also be the Vanishing One] said Ddraig.

"Vanishing One?" Questioned Anthony, unfamiliar with the term.

[You know how I'm called a Heavenly dragon? There's actually 2 of us. The Red Dragon Emperor of Domination, that's me; and the Vanishing White Dragon of Supremacy. We've been fighting for several centuries now] Ddraig explained.

"Hold the phone" said Anthony, getting up from his bed and going into his closet.

[What are you doing?] Asked Ddraig, as Anthony began to dig through a box. From it, he pulled out a card from a deck wrapped in a rubber band. Anthony was about to show it to the light on his hand when, [PUT THAT BITCH DOWN!] Roared Ddraig in anger, his outburst startling Anthony and making him drop the card back in the box.

"What? Isn't this the white dragon?" Asked Anthony.

[She WISHES. Albion can blow her over with a sneeze] said Ddraig.

"She's one of the best dragons in the game, there's only 4 copies of these things!" Said Anthony.

['Best in the game' my tail! Once she realized she was playing with the big boys, she flew off to the mortal realm and created a human body for herself. The some child saved her from bandits... wouldn't stop stalking him since] Ddraig said, a little calmed down but still sounding upset.

"She wasn't stalking, she was protecting him!" Countered Anthony.

[Please. All she knows is how to blow shit up. Even a guy with Pandora Gemstones in his gauntlet is more powerful than a dragon like her] countered Ddraig.

"Look whose talking..." Anthony muttered.

[Now Albion... he's the REAL white dragon. While I can boost the power of myself or allies, Albion simply takes it all for himself, and he doesn't like to share. We fought each other even before the Great War, but those fools interrupted us] said Ddraig.

"I'm going to assume those fools were the Devils, Angels and Fallen?" Anthony asked, though he already had an idea what Ddraig was saying.

[Correct. Me and Albion then straight up attacked them] said Ddraig.

"WHY?!" Asked Anthony.

[What do ya mean, why? Everyone knows you never disturb dragons while they fight! In fact, we were in the middle of making history! That was the longest recorded battle between 2 dragons the world had ever seen! And they dragged their little scuffle to us!... Quite rude if you ask me] said Ddraig.

"And that's how you ended up trapped in a Ranger Morpher?" Asked Anthony.

[For a lack of better words, yes. Me and Albion were strong; but the Devils, Angels and Fallen were many. Then the 3 leaders of each Faction joined forces to finish me and Albion off. Our bodies were destroyed, but our sprits were sealed inside Sacred Gears, allowing us to continue our fight by jumping from person to person] Ddraig explained.

"So let me get this straight: because you and your buddy threw a temper tantrum, there's another dragon out there bonded to someone with a similar Gear to mine?" Asked Anthony.

[There is. And if what I'm feeling is correct, Albion won't be far behind. He may already be in Kuoh. Your my only hope of beating him] Ddraig said.

"Beating him? After centuries of fighting, neither one of you won yet?" Asked Anthony.

[Technically no. While me and Albion had many masters over the years, very few have actually fought each other. Most would be lost to the power me or Albion wield, and miss their chance. The cycle continues, and here we are again] Ddraig explained.

"How many times have you fought?" Asked Anthony, getting a little nervous. So because he had a dragon's soul inside of him, he was destined the fight other one? Sounded like something outta Breath of Fire or Skyrim.

[5 thousand's when I stopped counting... 6 thousand's when I stopped caring. Seemed tedious to keep track, since a large majority of masters' never physically fought anyway] said Ddraig.

"Did you ever win at least once?" Asked Anthony.

[It's 50-50... though one of my masters did beat Albion twice. Heheh, I can still see the look on his face...] said Ddraig, chuckling at the memory.

"Okay... you won twice. You proved to be the best, why keep fighting?" Asked Anthony, confused. If Ddraig won twice in a row, shouldn't that have settled the matter?

[He's a sore loser, but he did end up returning the favor. Plus we've nothing else better to do] shrugged Ddraig.

Anthony sighed. "Listen Ddraig, love ya to death man, but..." He began, then trailed off.

[But?] Repeated Ddraig.

"Its kind of an unfair trade. Would've been nice to know you came with excess baggage BEFORE giving you my arm..." Anthony said.

[I gave you the power of a dragon on SIX separate occasions. How's that for fair?] Ddraig countered.

Anthony groaned, having had no response ready for that one. Now that he thought about it, it would be stupid to argue that point anyway. Ddraig helped Anthony before the Italian even knew of his existence. First when he was born (albeit involuntarily), then when Scott Astaroth cornered him and Asia as kids, next was against Freed, fourth was Raynare and her army of Fallen, another time was during the Rating Game and wiping out Risers forces, and finally allowing Anthony access to the Balance Breaker so he could hold off and weaken Riser himself.

"Yeah, I know. Though I felt like I ate 30 Gnocchis afterward" Anthony said.

[I'm telling you this because I want you to be prepared. Albion will eventually be a hurdle you must overcome, especially if you want to finally become a Queen] said Ddraig, mentioning one of Anthony's goals.

"Speaking of hurdles, two of them need to calm down. They've been up my ass lately" said Anthony.

[Why not bed them both? That'll shut'em up] Ddraig suggested, which made Anthony immediately red, getting a rush of fresh hormonal thoughts.

"DUDE! I can't do that to them! That's messed up!" Said Anthony.

[How so? Its not uncommon for Devils to have more than one partner] said Ddraig. Anthony was both interested and concerned at that piece of information. At first he thought Ddraig was joking, but his tone sounded genuine. While Anthony didn't see any reason to have multiple girls clinging to him, it was still a wonder in the back of his mind. What can he say? He's a guy.

Though at the same time, if Shindo Itsuka's or Kirigaya Kazuto's situations were anything to go by...

"Any particular reason why?" He asked. [That's how their society runs. Why else do you think Riser had an entire army of women at his disposal?] Asked Ddraig.

"He's a manipulator with a shitload of money, and is as desperate as who wrote an uninspired song called Yummy?" Said Anthony.

Ddraig heartily laughed at that interpretation of Riser. [I like you, Anthony. Not all masters are as bluntly honest as you] the dragon praised.

"It's a gift and a curse" said Anthony.

[I get the feeling. A dragons power, big or small, is the same way. It can be overwhelming to some people, supernatural or not. Some will fear it and flee, others will try to stand their ground and fight. Though many may also find it quite attractive and charming] said Ddraig.

Anthony's expression could only be described as a mix of happiness, confusion and deep thought. "... davvero?" He asked.

[Oh yeah, every master I've lived in has been chased by lustful partners. I've been called the most amazing sacred treasure in the whole world] said Ddraig, almost proudly.

Anthony was silent for a moment, taking all that information in. He came to the conclusion: "... So you ARE a pervert!"

[What?... N-No. NOOOO! I'M NOT A PERVERT!]

"YOU JUST ADMITTED IT!"

[ITS NOT ME, IT'S MY POWER!]

"YEAH! YOUR POWER!"

[I'M SORRY, ITS NOT MY FAULT!] Ddraig began to cry. [You think I chose this life?! A constant cycle of death and rebirth over and over again? It gets old after a while!] Ddraig sobbed some more. [Sometimes I just wanna come back as a Jesus Lizard and run across rivers on my free time... *breathes in* IT SOUNDS RELAXING!] Ddraig continued his breakdown, his voice cracking a little.

Anthony felt bad at how his outburst caused Ddraig to cry. Maybe he over exaggerated a little bit. "S-Sorry man, I freaked out a little. I'm working towards becoming a Queen, don't wanna be crowned as Harem King until..." he apologized, throwing in a joke to try and cheer Ddraig up.

BA-DUM!

"ARGH!" Anthony grabbed his arm in pain. Somehow, it was cramping up again. It wasn't like the first time, where his whole arm was on fire. This time, it felt like something was squeezing his arm so hard, it would explode! In fact, this didn't feel like leftover energy... it was coming from Ddraig himself.

[Where... did you... hear that?...] Ddraig growled at Anthony. The Italian could feel the anger of the dragon... and regret? That last emotion made no sense, but Anthony couldn't think about that right now due to his hurting arm.

"Ddraig... my arm... ITS GONNA IMPLODE!" Anthony said between flashes of pain, then shouted due to its severity. Ddraig seemed to realize his mistake and calm down, the gripping feeling stopping immediately. Anthony continued to hold his arm, even as the pain began to subside.

[I... I'm sorry Anthony, I...] Ddraig apologized, ashamed he let his emotions get to him.

"What was that for? I was only joking" said Anthony. His arm didn't hurt too much anymore, but that was an experience he'll certainly never forget.

[I uh... I was... CRANKY! Y-Yeah, that's it. Didn't get much sleep last night, we dragons need 10 hours to fully recharge, ya know. I'll head back in the Gear and rest up, just remember what I said] said Ddraig, reminding Anthony about what was discussed about this 'Vanishing One', but his tone was nervous and slightly frantic. The light faded on Anthony's arm, signaling Ddraig left and returned to the Gear. Anthony shrugged and was getting up to finally start getting ready for school and such, when he noticed his alarm clock again.

The time was now 7:20AM, and Anthony was 'punched out' at nine. That was almost exactly 10 hours of sleep... Ddraig either lied or maybe he didn't go to sleep until late. Still, why did Ddraig have such a negative reaction to 'Harem King'? Maybe it was Ddraig's proud nature as a dragon? Or maybe he thought Anthony was making fun of him? But if either was true, where did the feeling of regret come from? It was like Ddraig was ashamed about something, but why would a crazy line from a crazy dream set him off?

Anthony shook his head. Maybe he was just overthinking this and Ddraig had enough of the endless cycle of death and rebirth, the dragon DID mention that after all. Getting a fresh uniform from his closet, Anthony exited the bedroom to head for the shower.

Now, I know what to it probably typing as a review: 'Wow... alternate universe... SOOO original', hear me out first. I promise it's NOT what your thinking.

In many AU fics I've read, the writers never explain HOW the AU came to be. They just slap AU story on it, give the protagonist a Gear, follow the plot of the original work and call it a day. I've decided to take another approach, do something transformative. So to do that, this series will have an additional subplot aside from Anthony gaining love from the girls. He will also have to deal with that strange vision and figure out what it means, which includes learning WHY Ddraig reacted the way he did.

Thanks for reading the first chapter of The Italian Dragon Emperor for 2020. See ya'll next time! :)

Anthony's Italian Dictionary:

1) Scusi: another way of saying "excuse me"

2) Schizofrenico: a male schizophrenic.

3) Gnocchi (pronounced as AN-YOKE-KEY): a tiny dumpling that, while tasty, can make your stomach feel like it has lead pellets in it if you eat too much.

4) Davvero: means "really"; used in a questioning manner.