I own neither Code Geass nor Highschool DxD.

Lelouch woke up silently; demurely blinking his long lashes before glancing around, carefully taking note of his surrounding without moving from his position. Silently his hand rose to his chest, desperately grasping for something before it stilled and fell down once again. Lelouch closed his eyes in sorrow.

He was… still alive.

"How…? Why am I still alive?"

He suddenly lurched forward as bile rose to his throat, forcing him to clench his eyes shut as disgust and revulsion stabbed through his heart. Memories flashed through his mind as he remembered all that had happened. The Zero Requiem, Suzaku, Nunnally, and then finally that voice…

A strange energy shifted inside of him, warming his cold body even as a wave of despair washed over him. It coursed through his veins, igniting every single cell in his body in agony as his heart clenched painfully.

His pink lips tiled into a mirthless, hollow smile as realized that he had escaped his punishment once again, finally understanding the pain which had been torturing Suzaku for almost seven years. He was supposed to die… He was meant to die… And yet…

He blinked once again, pushing all unneeded thoughts to the back of his mind before carefully sitting up in his bed and immediately noticing the tightness of the white sheets that were tucking him in, Lelouch winced in pain and glanced downward at the weight against his legs holding him in place. Long strands of blonde hair were spread out along the bedsheets, like molten gold pouring everywhere, as a girl's head laid on his legs.

A girl, Lelouch guessed she was around his age or a little older, that had pulled over one of the chairs in what he assumed was a hospital room beside his bed and had long since fallen asleep, if the little bit of drool on the corners of her mouth meant anything.

Lelouch took a brief moment to look at her, recognizing her face from the blurry moments before he passed out. She was honestly breathtaking, more beautiful than any of the girls he had met till by far which was saying something. Her face was slightly heart-shaped and had a very cute look, almost innocent in a way. Lelouch hesitated a little bit as his eyes trailed downward, before realizing that her body wasn't very innocent at all.

Averting his eyes, Lelouch looked down at himself. He was wearing a light green hospital gown that someone must have changed him into while he slept and had multiple tubes sticking out of each arm, injecting an unknown chemical into his bloodstream.

His hand bitterly brushed over his chest once again, realizing that there were no traces of the wound that should have taken his life.

"How long have I been kept here?" was the next thought that sprang to his mind as he realized that he might have been kept sedated for a long time but Lelouch paused and dismissed his current line of thought, acknowledging that he couldn't do much about it even if he had been drugged, before continuing onwards with his observations.

The girl laying across his legs was still asleep but his's focus was more on the two guards who kept walking back and forth, glancing inside his room every time they passed by and shaking their heads in disbelief.

Lelouch frowned, his eyes narrowing as he focused on what appeared to be some sort of feathered appendage on their backs. "These beings have wings…"

Lelouch blinked before a hand came up to rub the bridge of his nose, a soft sigh slowly escaping him. So, the voice had spoken the truth…

He really was in a different world, completely alone and helpless without a clear ally in sight except for the blond girl who had likely chosen to heal him at a whim. His fists clenched tightly before he sighed and slowly relaxed, knowing that frustration would lead him nowhere.

The emperor closed his eyes and took a deep breath, pushing aside the growing conflict within his mind and he let out a sigh of relief he didn't know he was holding in. He shifted slightly, desiring to stand and was about to do so but was stopped by the low moan that reached his ears. He glanced down to see the girl softly stirring from her sleep as she started to blink, revealing her stunning green eyes.

This time Lelouch's small jerk of surprise didn't go unnoticed, catching the attention of the girl who was still waking up and wiping the small amounts of drool from the corner of her lips onto her sleeve. Glancing up to make eye contact with him, her face lit up like the sun. "Oh, you're finally awake. Thank God."

Lelouch elegantly cocked his head to the side. "What?"

He honestly had no idea what the girl had just said despite the girl's melodic voice.

The language she was speaking sounded somewhat more elegant than his own native language, which seemed rather harsh in comparison. Nevertheless, from her body language, Lelouch could tell she was happy and was probably worried for his safety, a gesture that only brought him pain as a pang of pain shot through his heart at her tone.

Why would she worry about him?

Meanwhile, the girl seemed to have mirrored his gesture and had tilted her own head in confusion as well. "I don't know what language you're speaking. It sounds like some sort of dialect of Latin and yet at the same time, it's different. Angels are supposed to be able to understand all languages and yet I can't understand you. This is so odd. Moreover…"

Biting her bottom lip in thought, she lightly drummed her fingers against her leg, even Lelouch had to admit it was a rather cute sight. "Why do you feel so familiar…?"

"Tell me, stranger…" Gabriel said as she moved closer to him, tilting her head as she stared at his injured body. Her green eyes shined as she looked him over and asked, "Have we met before?"

Lelouch blinked in confusion, realizing that the girl had asked a question from her tone but not really understanding what she spoke. In response, Gabriel only moved closer making him shift uncomfortably as her gaze bore into the very depths of his soul. Lelouch looked away, pushing the beautiful girl away to create some distance between them, much to the confusion of Gabriel.

Lelouch sighed at the confused look sent his way, if they really couldn't understand each other, then perhaps they should try universal signs that the other might understand. Slowly, so as to not confuse her, Lelouch pointed at the girl before giving a really exaggerated shrug.

The girl's emerald green eyes widened as she understood her intent before she clapped her hands together excitedly, an energetic motion that surprised Lelouch but still brought a smile to his face. "That's a great idea! I'm Gabriel!"

Lelouch raised an eyebrow in confusion, having never heard a name quite like that before. "Ge-bru-e-ru?"

The girl shook her head negatively. "Gabriel."

"Ga-bu-ri-e-ru?" he tried again, this time trying to break up the sounds.

She couldn't help but let out a giggle. "Gabriel."

Lelouch tried a final time, concentrating slightly while trying to combine some of the more difficult sounds." Gabriel." The happy smile he received confirmed his success.

"Le-lou-ch" Lelouch introduced, pointing at his chest as he did so.

"Lelouch. Sounds strange hmm." Gabriel perfectly repeated on the first try, a hand to her chin in thought before glancing at him and giggling at how Lelouch looked a little annoyed that she didn't struggle as much saying his name as he did saying hers.

The two sat in comfortable silence for a minute before Lelouch decided to ask a question that had been on his mind for a little while. "Why did you save me?"

He just couldn't understand why had she even bothered. Why she had even decided to intervene?

As far as he would tell, she would get nothing out of helping him other than stress and an extra burden. Helping a stranger out of complete goodwill, seemed like a fickle excuse to him. She could have left him all alone… She should have left him alone. He would have been fine with it. He would have even been happy had she decided to let him die.

Death didn't seem as daunting to him as it once used to. After all, it was meant to be his punishment, it was what demons like him deserved. He would have done it himself if not for the constraints placed upon him by the deal he had made.

Gabriel wasn't sure exactly what he said but she had a pretty good idea based on his tone. Glancing out his window, she let out a small sigh. "It was the right thing to do. I couldn't just let someone die in front of me without trying to help them. It goes against what Father taught."

Lelouch was silent, his eyes widened in surprise and he couldn't help but stare at the girl in slight amazement. Somehow, he was able to understand what she was saying through the emotion in her eyes and realized she had just said something incredible.

Selflessness and empathy were rare in his world and somehow Gabriel's kindness had reminded him of his sisters. Euphie and Nunnally….

Shaking his head in slight disbelief, Lelouch winced in pain as a little more pressure was put on his left side.

"Be careful. You're still injured." Gabriel chided him with a stern look that didn't really look like it belonged on the girl's face. "The doctors were amazed at how quickly you recovered but still you have to be careful. Stay safe."

Lelouch forced himself to smile, "Thank you."

"You're welcome," Gabriel responded with a slight smile, somehow understanding exactly what he had said. Standing up from her chair, she glanced around the room before her eyes landed on a small white bag by the doorway.

She laid the contents on the bed, a set of plain white clothes around Lelouch's size. "My younger brother Azrael sent these over. He's about the same size as you." Gabriel explained, holding up the shirt to Lelouch as if she was a designer. That got a stare from the raven-haired boy after he gave the girl another silent thank you.

Carefully pulling off his covers to avoid messing with any of the medical equipment around him, he carefully got to his feet. His legs, unused to standing after a full day in bed, buckled for a moment under his weight before correcting themselves. This episode though was enough to draw concern from the angelic girl. "Can you stand?"

"I think I'll be fine." The girl looked less than pleased when Lelouch waved off her concerns but sighed in acceptance nonetheless. She handed the clothes over to the emperor before gesturing to the bathroom a little down the hallway. "Please get changed. My brothers want to meet you."

The two walked side by side, forming an unusual but extremely attractive pair that garnered attention from every person in the street as they passed by.

Lelouch couldn't tell what they were saying but he knew that everyone was talking about him from the subtle looks sent his way and the eyes that followed him as he walked through their golden city. None of them had hatred or fear but instead, most of them were curious.

He wasn't used to receiving such stares…

His eyes glanced at the girl beside him, who was walking a tad bit closer to him after noticing the strange looks he was receiving. Lelouch noted that more than half the attention was on her. The people happily waved, cheered, and called out her name as she walked by them which amazed him to no end.

Gabriel seemed to be somewhat of a celebrity, and her bright and sunny personality was so infectious that even his sullen mood got better as he accompanied her.

Little children ran up to the two, slowing them down slightly. The smiles on their faces were so bright that Lelouch was forced to look away, knowing that he had wiped off more than a billion such smiles from the faces of children like them.

They chatted excitedly with Gabriel before glancing at him awkwardly, unsure of who he was as Gabriel, introduced the injured emperor and explained his situation, earning a few gasps of amazement. The cheerful smiles and laughter that escaped the children when he gave them a nod of acknowledgment before the two continued on their way stayed on Lelouch's mind as they approached the meeting place.

"Is this how the public looks at a ruler they adore…?"

The thought lingered in his mind as he was taken to a huge palace and then guided down a decorated hallway making him wonder what exactly could have happened had he chosen a different way.

He wondered how his own people would have looked at him had he decided upon a different path. Would they have graced him with happy smiles of admiration on their faces rather than hate and anger had he not decided to bear the hatred of his world?

Lelouch blinked to clear his wayward thoughts, knowing that there was no point in regret. He had done what was required of him and he would not regret the path he had chosen, there was no going back for him. For the sake of Nunnally and her gentle world…

Sunlight pierced through the stained-glass windows that lined the hallway they were waking through, making everything glow more brightly in a myriad of colours than it ever had before. The floor was quiet, but not silent as their footsteps and their breathing reminded the area that it housed life within once again, lightening up the cold weight that attempted to sit on their shoulders.

Gabriel stopped before the heavy wooden door, her eyes closed for a moment as she placed a hand against the wooden door. It was cold, threatening, and for a moment, the angel hesitated.

But a simple glance to her side cleared her of all doubts as he saw Lelouch calmly glancing ahead as if in deep thought, without even a shred of fear on his face.

If Lelouch who was brought here to be judged was not intimidated, if he who had every right to be scared wasn't even bothered by the imposing presence of these doors then what right did she have, as a Seraph have to falter for a second.

She drew courage from that look of complete apathy on her companion's face and with a thunderclap, Gabriel felt her wings unfold with more authority than ever before, and her golden hair blaze to life like an undying flame.

The two stepped into the meeting room together, the holy light threatening to wash them away if they were to falter. They stood strong. Six angels stood before the two blondes in the doorway, varying expressions on their faces as they looked. A voice broke through the silence after a moment and although he couldn't know for sure, Lelouch had a feeling he understood what was said.

"Welcome Stranger. We've been waiting for you."

Even the barely trained instincts that his frail body possessed launched into overdrive from the massive killing intent that struck him as soon as he entered the chamber. Every muscle in his body screamed at him, to bow, to submit...

It was suffocating and would have driven him to the ground in an instant had he been a lesser man, it would have thrown him to his knees and forced him to grovel.

But Lelouch vi Britannia didn't even flinch. His cold amethyst eyes stared defiantly back at the six Seraphs languishing on their thrones.

Azrael shifted in his throne on the other side of the room, lightly crinkling his green robes as a small bead of sweat appeared at the top of his brow. The raven-haired Seraph pointed at Lelouch with a slightly shaking finger, a frown on his lips. "Why isn't the boy in restraints? We still have no idea of his intentions!"

An exasperated sigh escaped the lips of his purple-haired junior. "Because he is not a prisoner Azrael. We're here to hear his testimony, not incarcerate him without reason. Besides just look at him, doesn't his aura feel familiar…?" Raziel retorted, fixing his glasses with one hand and sending the indignant Azrael into a small sputter of rage with little effort.

"Azrael isn't wrong for once. This boy...no… this thing is dangerous… Not only was he able to survive a violent atmospheric re-entry but he somehow also penetrated all our defenses and crashed straight into one of the highest levels of Heaven with naught but a scratch." commented Raphael with a small sneer, the slightly cruel attitude of the red-haired seraph coming through as he stared at the raven-haired man with barely hidden disgust. "Moreover, he seems oddly familiar to my senses, and strangely enough, his aura seems to resonate with my own. It feels uncomfortable…"

Raphael's crimson eyes flashed as some Seraphs nodded in agreement while others frowned. "We cannot act too lightly around him."

Gabriel glanced over at her new...friend with slight concern. Lelouch was quiet, his haunting amethyst eyes switching every few seconds or so as he tried to make sense of what was going on in the room.

Judging by how he stared back at Raphael and Azrael with slightly narrowed eyes, Gabriel had a feeling he could understand what her brothers were saying just from the hostility in their tones. She glanced across the hall to Michael who was watching the scene carefully with his perpetually sad eyes. He had been silent all along.

"Gabriel."

The soothing voice of Uriel grabbed both Gabriel and Lelouch's attention, who recognized the name of his companion, as they both turned around to the face of the blue-haired Seraph. A small smile appeared on Gabriel's face as the pupilless eyes of Uriel somehow convened a sense of empathy that told her someone was finally showing sympathy for her new friend.

But her brother's next words shattered any illusions she had. "Although you seem to have grown comfortable in his conniving presence, this boy is still an intruder who somehow barged into Heaven. He is neither an angel nor a deceased-" Uriel began, trying to reassure his sister with a comforting smile.

"He's about to be if he keeps staring at me like that." Raphael gruffly commented, cutting off his brother as he and Lelouch held eye contact.

He instantly regretted it as his blue-haired older brother shot him a furious glare, his voice firm with the no-nonsense attitude that the Seraphim were acquainted with. "Raphael. Silence." The muscle-heavy Seraph swallowed, his mouth closing with an audible snap. He knew better than to provoke Uriel.

"Like I was saying, he is not an angel or a deceased. He is merely an unknown being with strange abilities. It is for the best that he is restrained and observed, for the security of Heaven." Uriel turned to Gabriel and finished with a smile, his sweet-sounding tone almost luring his sister into agreeance.

No, Gabriel shook her head, there was something wrong here. There was something in his blue pupilless eyes today that was making Gabriel uneasy for the first time in centuries. She would not fall for Uriel's words, Lelouch wasn't the enemy.

Catching herself, Gabriel shook her head and took a step back away from Uriel and her brothers, almost all of whom seemed to have been swayed by the blue-haired seraph's words. "No wait-"

Uriel took a step forward, reaching out to grab Gabriel when suddenly the angel found his wrist caught in a weak grip. "Don't touch her." His glowing blue eyes traveled up the length of the thin arm holding him in place until he found himself staring directly into the amethyst eyes of Lelouch.

"Restrain him!"

The air in the room seemed to have shifted the moment he moved between Uriel and Gabriel and stopped him from touching her. Lelouch wasn't sure who shouted first or what exactly was said but he understood what was about to happen from the sudden surge of hostility in the air. It took only half a millisecond for all of the Seraphim besides Gabriel, Uriel, and Michael to spring to their feet and release their heavenly wings. The room grew even brighter as four spears burning with holy energy blazed to life, each pointed directed straight at Lelouch.

The unknown energy coursing through his body seemed to subconsciously condense in response to the killer intent directed at him. But Lelouch wasn't fazed, he knew what was about to happen.

The voice had already warned him about this and he had already decided his next course of action. He was prepared for what was about to come.

Raphael sneered at the boy who has dared to touch his brother as his body slightly tensed under his robes, an action that made Gabriel's emerald eyes widen in alarm. Raphael's grip tightened on his spear of light and just as he was about to throw it, her voice cut in between.

"Wait no! Leave him alone!" cried the blonde-haired woman as she stepped in between her friend and her siblings, who looked at her like she was crazy.

Even Lelouch, who was fully prepared to fend for his own, looked at her in genuine astonishment. This was not something that he had anticipated…

A complete stranger supporting him over her own comrades, her own family was not something he had ever expected. He who had been betrayed by his comrades, his father, his mother, his friends, his siblings, and his family was now being protected by a complete stranger who didn't even know him.

"Gabriel! Stand down!" Uriel sharply ordered, but his order did nothing to stop the Seraph, instead, she seemed to grow even more determined at his words.

"Lelouch does not wish to harm us, any of us. He doesn't know our world, our politics, our situation, or even our language. He is innocent and must be judged fairly." Every single eye was on the female Seraph as she spoke with a confidence that would have made kings green with envy. "We cannot say we are God's children and follow his teachings if we are going to act out of fear every single time there is a difficult choice."

Her speech was strong and inspiring, but it still wasn't enough for all of them. She was right. Every single Seraph acknowledged that they were in the wrong this time. It was indeed unfair of them to act in such a way, to let fear rule their actions and to commit injustice just because of mere possibilities. But then again what choice did they have…?

As much as they hated to admit it, Heaven was not what it used to be. Their might waned by the passing of years and their numbers grew lesser with each passing day. Their authority that used to be absolute was now being questioned by mere mortals and their reputation that once could have made Gods tremble was on the decline.

Their faction was dying a slow death, poisoned by slow stagnation of peace rather than the cruelty of war. They were in a crisis that had to be addressed, no matter what Gabriel insisted.

Though Gabriel's ideals were correct, Raphael and those that supported his views were still not convinced. Her words reminded them of the stains on their honor, reminded them of insults that should not be tolerated. Their frowns grew as they listened to Gabriel's words and instead of placating them, it only reminded him of their sorry state, fueling their growing anger.

If this was not the right time to be careful then when would it be? Would they only act when the enemy comes knocking on their door? Were they really about to let an unknown being who had intruded into the most protective layer of heaven, go free just because they should be kind and merciful?

Yes, what they were suggesting was an injustice but sometimes such actions had to be taken for the sake greater good, mere ideals could not change the world.

"I'm sorry, Gabriel." Raphael apologized as all the eyes in the room turned towards him, knowing what he was about to do was wrong. Wrong but necessary.

He raised the hand still holding on to the spear of light in his hand as his blazing red eyes hardened with resolution while his muscles tensed in anticipation. He knew he was about to commit a grave sin but there were some actions that had to be taken for the sake of their father's dream. "But what I'm about to do is for the sake of the greater good, for Heaven."

Gabriel's eyes grew wide with fear and before she could even speak, Raphael threw the spear that he had been holding right at Lelouch. It soared through the air, turning into a pillar of light that rushed towards Lelouch with the strength to tear apart entire mountains.

"NO…!" she screamed, in equal parts anger and in equal parts despair, as the spear of light soared towards Lelouch, an innocent who hadn't even harmed anyone yet, a boy who didn't even know how to speak their language, a human whose only fault was being at the wrong place at the wrong time.

A friend that she had once again failed to protect...

But then a miracle occurred…

Somehow, the strange energy that was coiling inside Lelouch reacted, just like the voice had said it would. It surged forward, moving forth at the speed of light and engulfing his entire being.

Pressure bore down on every single occupant of the room as the air around Lelouch thickened with energy, bringing with it the smell of fresh ozone. Gravity increased manifold as the knees of each Seraph buckled in face of overwhelming might.

At that moment, every single occupant of the room seemed to feel it at the same time. It was something archaic, ancient, and terrifying, like the opening of a door that had been locked for years releasing a deadly beast. Like a bolt of lightning, every single Seraph in the room was engulfed in a blast piercing white energy that cascaded over the room and washed over them like a tidal wave, dissolving the holy weapons in their hands and leaving behind empty fists and wide eyes.

In a blink of an eye almost every angel in the Hall, from the furious Raphael above to the tearful Gabriel fell silent before dropping down to their knees.

They did not bend their knee willingly but were forced to by the oppressive pressure that filled the air, their feet no longer able to support their own weight beneath it. It was crushing, so powerful that it felt as if the hand of a giant was pushing down on their shoulders.

Without lifting a finger or speaking a word, Lelouch vi Britannia reminded all who stood before him of his might.

The sealed power that surged out of him eclipsed everyone in the room, it was enough to bring them down to their hands and knees and cause them to tremble in terror.

And as he gazed at the angels before him with apathy, his eyes flashed crimson red. Something inhumane flickered within them as they shone with untold might, a design resembling a majestic crane taking flight.

It ended just as abruptly as it had begun as the pressure bearing down on them and the light blinding them with its brilliance vanished into nothingness without leaving a single trace behind.

Slowly, tentatively... The Seraphim rose to their feet as they all struggled to understand exactly what happened.

Confusion and hope were etched upon each of their perplexed faces as they all recognized the energy that had brought them down to their knees…

Was it really possible?

Could they really do it again?

After all the disappointments flung their way, after all the pain that they had to endure, could they really dare to hope again after all this time?

None of the angels remained unaffected as they all quivered with sorrow and silent desire. Melancholy and hope tugged at their consciousness while silent tears brimmed in their eyes as they gazed at Lelouch with raw emotion surging from their hearts. The sheer intensity of their feelings almost overwhelmed them, washing away all the composure that they had been hiding behind. The masks of strength that they hadn't taken off in centuries were finally beginning to crack.

All because his presence…

It was identical to their…

"Father!" cried Gabriel as she immediately turned to Lelouch and launched herself at him who barely caught her, almost dropping the girl in surprise.

Gabriel held him delicately almost as if afraid that he would disappear and never return. 'So small and beautiful,' he thought to himself as he was hugged tenderly by the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Yes! I knew it! I knew that you wouldn't just leave us!" She cried out, her face practically glowing in happiness even as she sobbed. Her golden hair whipped from side to side, hitting the taller boy in the face. "Father!"

"Father…! Father…!"

Each cry of hers was accompanied by the act of her burying her face further and further into his chest, each time wiping more and more tears as she wrapped her arms around him even harder than before.

Tentatively, he wrapped his arms around her in a small embrace while hesitating slightly, and as soon as he did so her cries stopped, her hands that had been clutching his clothes on the back tightly now relaxing. They remained so for a few more moments.

Her breathing became less laboured, his hands rubbing up and down her back reflexively in an effort to calm her down, to assure her that it was all right. It was an action that he was familiar with, having comforted Nunnally many times like this in the past during her temper tantrums.

Lelouch looked past the strands of golden hair that were tickling his face and saw every Archangel in the room looking at him with reverence shining in their eyes.

And then Uriel knelt, eyes shining with tears, shoulders shaking with emotion as he bowed his head in respect. "Father…" he murmured, his voice dishevelled.

Raphael followed after him, his knees hitting the marble floor below him with a loud clang as his glowing red eyes brimmed with tears, as he too lowered his gigantic muscular figure and bowed his head in reverence.

Then knelt Azrael knelt followed by Raziel, and Metatron. Their eyes shining with hope and love as they all knelt as one and bowed their heads.

"Father" murmured Michael sadly as tears brimmed in his eyes, as he took a hesitant step forward, his body quivering with emotions.

He had bled for this moment.

He had worked so hard, just to see if their Father would ever come back to them, that if he really had abandoned them.

God's System was made for the protection and betterment of Humanity… But he wasn't God.

He was Michael, Archangel and Seraph of Heaven.

But he wouldn't ever be God.

Running the System wasn't an easy task; to filter in all the prayers in the world in real-time was exhausting, even for a short while. Yet, he had to lead at His disappearance. Many sleepless nights were dedicated to keeping the system in check, and many more were spent keeping his Fathers passing a secret from many members of the Church.

But their days of suffering were over because God hadn't abandoned them…

Lelouch glanced at the angels, watching the emotions shining in their eyes with a small frown on his face, a strange feeling that he could neither understand nor identify stirring in his chest.

And then strength drained out of him at the speed of light, his limbs suddenly feeling heavy as his vision blurred and he lurched forward in exhaustion and pain.

His vision was blurry...

His bones felt like lead, and he could barely move anything.

He could hardly make anything out, but suddenly he was laying on something soft-a pair of pillows? -, and there were shining lights around him.

Were they lights? He couldn't tell; it was an effort to even open his eyes, even more so to try and focus on those lights. When he tried, his eyes hurt and he was forced to close them again. They were so irritating, he just wanted them to go away so that he could sleep...

His thoughts were jumbled too: he couldn't really remember how he'd come to this place, and his mind was being stretched several different angles. His head hurt, but he couldn't even lift his last remaining arm to grip it.

He suddenly realized his throat was dry and sore from something. The dry sensation was irritating, but he couldn't do anything about it. He tried searching for a glass of water, but he couldn't see any blue around him.

Colours surrounded him, and he couldn't care less about them.

All he wanted to do was sleep…

Far from the gaze of Heaven, one side of the underworld basked under the bright yellow sun, unlike its opposite end whose skies were enveloped by eternal night and perpetual darkness.

The sunlight always shined upon the northern hemisphere as it faced the star, while the southern hemisphere was enveloped in eternal darkness since sunlight never graced its surface.

Unlike the earth, the Underworld's axis of rotation was tilted to one side and as a result, this planet's North and the South Pole were where Earth had its equator. So, even though the planet spun constantly, only half of it was ever graced by sunlight.

Devil don't need sunlight and the world they live in doesn't either.

The Underworld had always been this way, even in the records of the oldest of devils the place had never known the light of the sun and never felt its touch. Yet life, as it always does, life still found a way to survive. Plants adapted and learned to make do without the sunlight, substituting it with other bountiful sources, like the magic in the air and ground or the light from the moon and stars.

Devils were a nocturnal race that needed nothing more than the light of a single star to see in the dark, anything more was unnecessary. They were beings that felt right at home in the darkness of the night. They detested the sun, as even the faintest brush of its light was enough to tire them, sapping them of their strength. It was only natural that the environment that birthed them reflected their nature.

They were stronger when embraced in darkness while sunlight drained their strength.

And it was for that very same reason that the Fallen Race had been able to find a foothold into the Underworld so many millennia ago.

Even before the start of the Great War, long before Devils had discovered a way to breach the Dimensional Gap and reach the human realm, the northern hemisphere had always been devoid of Devils.

Which was why when the Underworld was invaded by the Fallen, they found none willing to oppose them. For when they came in their hordes of millions, and their raven wings blotted out the sky itself with their numbers, they did not attempt to conquer the densely populated southern half of the Underworld, but the abandoned northern half.

So though the Underworld was completely under the Devil's domain at the time, the Fallen met little resistance when they arrived.

And due to those events of long ago, the Underworld was now divided into two. The northern hemisphere became the domain of the Fallen, while the southern hemisphere belonged to the Devils.

And within this eternally bright territory that belonged to the Fallen Faction, Azazel, the Governor-General of the Grigori, could be seen pacing erratically in a secluded laboratory, his hair dishevelled and his eyes bloodshot as his fingers twitched sporadically, a never tic he had developed while lost within the throes of discovery.

The laboratory he was working was disordered and untidy, looking as if a storm had ravaged across it with all its wrath with torn pages of paper, crumbled reports, and large tomes scattered across the floor with complex instruments beeping and flashing occasionally.

"Lord Azazel!" Baraqiel exclaimed, his tone respectful yet stern. "This cannot go on any longer! Your faction needs your attention."

"Our decennial budget meet will soon be upon us and I don't believe that even you can wiggle your way out of this one. Your absence would prove to be disastrous." Baraqiel voice grew concerned, "The focus of the entire Grigori will be upon us during this and I don't think either Kokobiel or Anduriel will fail to grasp the opportunity presented should you fail to appear. They will use this to strengthen their own poisonous propaganda and that simply cannot be allowed to happen."

Azazel, of course, paid him no mind, choosing instead to focus on the monitors displaying complex equations and reports before him. His attention was so divided, so diverted that the voice of his subordinate seemed to be nothing more than irritating squabble to him.

"Lord Azazel!" Baraqiel's frustration was apparent, "At least consider this seriously. This is not a-"

Shemhazai shook his head and stopped him from speaking any further. Instead, he slowly approached the Governor-General of the Grigori and calmly placed a hand on his shoulder.

He knew that any further conversation would be futile from his personal experiences. Azazel had traumatized far too many younger Fallen who had intruded upon his research with his ways. His leader was too lost in his imagination and force would not draw away his attention. What he needed right now was the gentle hand of a friend.

Azazel's unfocused eyes finally snapped into attention as his friend gently grasped his shoulder and squeezed, firmly calling his name in his strict tone.

"Eh?"

Azazel took a long look at his friend's face before shaking his head to clear his thoughts.

"I am sorry, Shemhazai, Baraqiel. I was distracted for a moment there." He smiled sinfully, his voice slightly apologetic. "You know how I can get sometimes, especially with things that pique my interest."

"But never like this before and certainly not for two whole weeks without fucking or resting. This is not usual, my lord, ever for you." Shemhazai calmly countered, "I can understand the need that drives you, the lust for knowledge that occupies your mind, for we both are creatures of sin that have abandoned Heaven for our worldly desires. We both know the throes of desire and we both revel in our poisonous sins but this… this is unlike you. Has something happened?"

He was well acquainted with Azazel's eccentricities and knew that the cadre could sometimes get lost within his research.

But his interest was usually focused on the divine weapons of Humanity, the Sacred Gears, not on the readings taken by obscure facilities built to detect dimensional distortions. He knew his friend found the subject too 'bland' for his tastes.

No, something else was going on.

"Ha!" Azazel snorted and shoved a report in his chest, "You know me too well, my friend. This is indeed damn different. Here look for yourself."

Shemhazai looked at the reports in his hands and slowly began shuffling through them. He was no scientist but he had earned enough experience and knowledge through centuries to pass as one and while his skill in research may be reductant but he knew an anomaly when he saw one.

A pang of fear shot through his heart.

"This is…"

"What is it?" Baraqiel asked, his eyes snapping to his comrade in concern.

He didn't know what exactly was in the piece of paper but the way Shemhazai's knuckles paled while his eyes widened and his pupils dilated told him it wasn't any good news.

"I almost didn't believe it myself when it was reported to me." Azazel sighed, "But the readings aren't false. I rechecked them myself almost thrice."

"Some time ago, a dimensional rift forcefully was opened right in the middle of the Sixth Heaven, and according to these readings, a 'being' from the Dimensional Gap was summoned into our former home." Azazel smiled mirthlessly and Baraqiel felt cold sweat run down his temple at the sheer implication of his words.

"These readings…" Shemhazai mumbled, still in shock.

"I don't know what the hell was Michael thinking," Azazel sighed, "But the sheer energy expended in this venture was enough to send reverberations of interdimensional power across all of creation, perhaps even further beyond. It was enough to put every single Pantheon in existence on high alert. The eyes of the world will now be fixed upon every step that Heaven takes."

"Messing with extradimensional beings from the Gap has always been a taboo." Azazel said, "They have no business messing with things way out of their league. Even with God's enchantments and the System itself protecting Heaven, its offensive abilities and its capability to project force are far too low to do something so bizarre at a time like this. The world will not allow deals with the Ouroboros or the Dream to be left unmonitored."

"What…" Baraqiel swallowed thickly, "What exactly does this mean for us?"

Azazel's purple eyes flashed and both Shemhazai and Baraqiel felt shivers running down their spines as their leader smirked.

"I don't know what exactly Michael has in mind but I can feel a storm coming. A storm that might just shake the foundations of existence itself in its wake…"

"We have to prepare."

Separated from the reaches of mankind, a hidden world dwelled, mirroring the human world but with a few important twists. Purple skied and mostly filled with land rather than water, the Underworld was populated with beings of strange and unusual powers. In the capital Lilith, a man sank into his leather-bound seat with an appreciative sigh. Running a hand through his red hair as he glanced at the piles of paperwork on his desk, the man decided to shut his eyes instead of beginning his duties.

Sirzechs Lucifer was a hero amongst his people, a Devil King whose power was almost unmatched in the world. The former heir to the prestigious Gremory Clan, Sirzechs had been raised in the area right after the Great War and had witnessed firsthand the destruction that had been left in its wake. Born with an incredible innate talent to wield the legendary Power of Destruction passed down from his mother, the young Gremory knew he had the opportunity to stop those who wanted to further destroy Devilkind with more bloodshed. With the help of his friends Ajuka Astaroth, Serafall Sitri, and Falbium Glasya-Labolas, the four young devils were able to lead a resistance against the Old Satan Faction and end the war. The four devils were crowned as the 'Satans' and had been leading their people ever since.

Sirzechs sighed, he wished that someone had warned him that ruling was such a pain. His sensitive ears caught the sound of delicate footsteps walking down the hallway toward his office and he didn't even have to open his eyes to see who it was. "Good afternoon, darling."

Grayfia Lucifuge did not have the appearance of the Strongest Queen or the wife of Lucifer, no that would be too improper. In fact, were it not for her incredible beauty and the aura of power around her, one would likely mistake her for another maid in the castle. Long silver-haired tied into a long braid was perhaps her most famous feature but it was her silver eyes that were staring at her husband like they were trying to burn through his skull that seemed most striking.

Naturally, Sirzechs did the thing most scared husbands do. He tried to crawl into a ball and hide from his wife's fury. "I'm sorry Grayfia, what happened?"

Grayfia placed down a file onto the table, her gaze icy as she watched her husband gulp and read the familiar title. "Why haven't you dealt with this yet? Everyone is waiting for your response."

"Well, you see…" Sirzechs stuttered, sweating as he tried to think of his excuse for his lack of action. Ever since he had gotten the news earlier that morning during the weekly Satan meeting, Sirzechs had been trying to dodge the problem and his wife but it seemed he would have to confront both now.

Sirzechs let out a heavy sigh that made him seem much older than he appeared, rubbing his temple lightly as he began to think. "Any disturbance in the Dimensional Gap is a problem. The one that occurred yesterday was massive and sent a shockwave throughout the gap that connects all the world like an earthquake." Green eyes glanced out of the window of his office, an unreadable expression on his face. "There's no mistaking that something came out of that void."

"You heard what Ajuka-sama said." Grayfia's voice was as cold as ice. "The being's exit point was in the middle of Heaven."

Sirzechs barely didn't respond, his eyes still peering out the window, locked onto something he must have seen in the distance. It was only because Grayfia had spent so much time with him that she caught the slight catch in his breath, the small tightening of his brow for a microsecond.

"Do you believe they are trying to summon the Dream or the Ouroboros?" There was a weight to her words, a slight sense of fear hiding behind the woman's tightly pressed lips. The thought of one of the Devil's most hated enemies, the Angels, gaining the power of the Dragons was enough to make the Queen shiver.

"I don't know. What purpose would Michael have for summoning Great Red or Ophis? No, there has to be some other reason for this." Sirzechs turned around to face the silver-haired woman, a look of urgency set on his face. "Bring me Beowulf, Enku, and Surtr. I have a job for them."

Sirzechs knew that he couldn't let himself get caught off guard. The Devils would make the first move.

Colours. The world was filled with a myriad of colours as far as the eye could see, twisting and spinning like a kaleidoscope for all of eternity. For almost all, the Dimensional Gap was overwhelming and suffocating, as the nothingness within the space between worlds threatened to crush any foolish being that dared to step foot into the gap. For most, this space was a death sentence. For Ophis, this place was home.

A young girl seemed to float in the middle of space, seemingly standing still on nothing, as her long black hair cascaded down her back. Cloaked in black gothic lolita fashion, the young girl's grey eyes stared at the only other presence in the dimensional gap with a strange combination of apathy and annoyance. Her pointy ears seemed to twitch at the mighty roar the giant red dragon let off in the distance, as the sound seemed to radiate throughout the void.

This was not the silence that Ophis wanted. That foolish dragon simply would not leave her space and continued to act like a flamboyant idiot with his flips and tricks. Frowning, Ophis felt the energy within her begin to seep out beneath her feet in the form of snakes but just as she was about to launch them at the target of her annoyance, she stopped. The energy slowly began to recede as the Infinite Dragon God turned to her right, her grey eyes instantly catching onto the faint trail of golden energy floating throughout the gap. With a thought, she drifted over to the trail and carefully ran a hand through it, only to nearly dissipate it entirely. Her eyes travelled upward, to where the trail began to extend into the gap. This was new, this felt...powerful.

Her interest peaked, she began to follow it, flying beside the trail of energy as it twisted and winded throughout the dimensional gap. Flying past the realm of the Shintos, Norse, and seemingly every other pantheon, Ophis continued to follow the stream of energy until it stopped. Directly in front of the crossroads between Earth, the Underworld, and Heaven. The energy trail had faded at the last moment and could have led to any of the three realms. From which realm the energy trail had either originated from or travelled into was impossible to tell.

Ophis frowned, once more annoyed, as she stared at the three glowing orbs that represented the entrance to the three worlds. Whatever had left the trail through the gap was powerful, very powerful, in order to even survive the dimensional gap for that long and leak excess energy. In order to even survive the gap unassisted required immense amounts of power, nearing some of the higher level gods. This being might have been so powerful it might help her finish Great Red once and for all.

"I will find you…" And with that, The Infinite Dragon God reached out a hand in order to enter the realm before her. Disappearing in an instant, there was an eerie silence radiating throughout the area.

A new player just entered the game

A/N: The whole info-dump that explained the hemispheres of Underworld was inspired by the fanfic, A Demon Lord's Hero which uses a similar design to explain boundaries that separate the territories used by the Fallen and the Devils.

Through the help of my dear readers and by my own research, I discovered that I had indeed messed up the DxD timeline. The Great War ended 17 years before Sirzech was born and The Devil's civil war began 60 years after Sirzech's birth, which is also 500 years before Issei was born which puts the end of the first great war 593 years before the beginning of the canon, which would put the date of the end of the great war in 1415. So while I was right to assume that the Great War Ended 500 years before cannon, I still made a mistake when I assumed that the Evil Pieces existed during the 1500's. The earliest known bishop (to readers) is Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (Bishop of Zeoticus Gremory ), whose death was in 1535, about 43 years after the civil war.

The existence of Evil Pieces is essential for this story. So, I have retconned the date of Lelouch's arrival. He appeared three hundred years before cannon, not 500. A comfortable middle ground which I hope can satisfy everyone.

Well here it is, the second chapter. Thanks alot for reading this.