Samsara: Fallen Intent Chapter 2

AN: Hello, here's the next chapter for Fallen Intent. I've spent some time developing some future plot points, some of which is done using multiple POV's, so I hope you enjoy. It may have taken a little longer to get this chapter out than I'd like, but I'm happy with it anyway. I'm sorry to say that the next chapter I'll be working on is the continuation of World's Apart, so it may take a while.

Please be patient though, as I'm also spending time trying to make my stories as good as I can through gradual progress.

Anyway, that's all from me, bye.


A bell rang as I exited the store, my hair following after me in a cascade of black as I sighed in frustration, walking forward without looking back.

"Why do Japanese Clothing sizes have to be so small?" I complained as I tugged on the end of my skirt, unsuccessfully trying to pull it lower than just mid-thigh. This had been the fifth shop I checked, and what I had ended up grabbing wasn't even proper clothing.

None of the regular clothes I'd tried on had really worked, either being too tight around my chest or too loose around the rest of me, to the point that it was in danger of getting in the way of my movements or even falling off.

That left me with my current outfit, which I caught sight of in a window as I passed it by. The main piece of clothing was a black kimono decorated with a red lining, one that only made it to mid-thigh while also revealing the top of my cleavage, which was joined by a pair of long black socks and a set of red shoes which completed the ensemble. There had been a few other, more decorative features, like a headband and a ribbon that I was meant to tie around my torso, but I hadn't been able to bring myself to do so.

Not when it would complete the high-quality cosplay outfit I was wearing. I already looked like a girl fulfilling some guy's fetish enough as it is, thank you very much, I didn't need the help. Still, at least it wasn't a cheap cosplay, as I'd acquired it from the speciality shop I had explored out of desperation, one which used high-quality linen with sturdy stitching.

Not sturdy enough to stand up to a fight maybe, but both sturdy and comfortable enough that I'd grabbed the three spares the same size as mine from the back before deleting the footage with one of my spells. I was sure it would leave a pissed-off owner considering I'd taken 300,000 yen worth of product, but my conscious was suspiciously quiet.

That hadn't been all I grabbed, however, as I'd also made off with a bone-white inari face mask with bright red spiral decorations, which I'd taken in case I wanted to hide my face. I don't really know why I took it to be honest, as despite how closely my Yuuma form resembled my normal looks, I could look like almost anyone I wished as long as I had enough body mass for it.

It was quite a common spell, but the main reason people in the supernatural world didn't use it more was that, for most, it gave off a very distinctive feeling that could be detected with ease. And this isn't even getting into how just using the spell projects your magical signature to the world, something that would defeat the purpose of using it to spy on people.

But I wasn't common. Through extensive practice (and admittedly smaller magical reserves), I managed to minimise the aura the transformation technique gave off, from both the spell and myself. The less I changed about myself, the less likely it was that I could be detected, to the point that I could slip past all but the most finetuned of senses in my day-to-day covert operations.

Moving back to my outfit, however. Despite managing to get an outer garment that didn't want to make me kill myself out of embarrassment, I had been less than successful at something I could wear underneath.

It was actually quite a problem for Raynare in the past, as no human establishment had ever really had something that fit her figure well enough to use without tailoring. This had led to her ordering custom bits of apparel, but by the end of the 19th century, I had been sick of going through the process of repeating it over and over again, and was not willing to compromise on the slightly baggy but still well-fitting clothing I could find in the west, not when it would cover most of my body. Sorry, her body.

No, that just wouldn't do in Raynare's mind, so she had elected for the strange, leather get-up I had worn yesterday, as it was something she could create herself with minimal effort, and was quite eye-catching in its obscenity. The fact that it had been so tight had been a plus in her mind, as it both helped support her chest, as well as accentuate it. Or at least that was what she had thought at the time.

Now, not so much.

Thoughts aside, I had other things to worry about. Things I had been trying to distract myself from by going through the tedious process of clothes shopping, which was now over.

Sighing, I summoned my wings, using a common piece of magic to let them phase freely through the linen of my kimono as I leapt off the ground and headed in the direction of the church, my mind turning my problems over in my head.

The goal Goliath had given me…to be frank, it was going to be difficult. I had to keep Issei human while also coming up with a way for Rias to escape her marriage. She had only managed that originally due to the protagonist-level bullshit Issei had pulled off in his exhibition match with Riser. Going further back, however, while they hadn't one, Issei had still been a critical member of Rias' rating game team, allowing them to come within spitting distance of a victory due to his creativity and his frankly stupid level of lust.

Something that the lack of Issei would now put in jeopardy, which was a shame as it was likely where I would have to make my move, as it gave the best chance of actually pulling the whole thing off. Which was a shame, because right now, even if I did try to help Rias train her peerage a bit, along with helping her strategize, I couldn't think of a single way for her to overcome Riser himself. The rest of his peerage, yes, but not Riser.

Not when it had taken a Welsh Dragon Balance Breaker-infused punch of holy water to inflict enough pain on Riser for him to get him to give up, because while Rias' power of destruction might be able to inflict similar levels of damage, from memory she was a bit of a glass cannon and Riser wasn't just going to stand there for an hour as he was systematically disintegrated. This was assuming Rias even had the stamina to attack for so long, too, which I doubted.

No, as I'd mentioned, freeing Rias from her marriage would be difficult, and it was something I'd have to give some thought to. In comparison, keeping Issei human was easy because without him dying and being reincarnated forcefully, he didn't seem all that enthused in handing in his humanity.

The only reason he'd been so okay with it in canon was because of Rias' talk of high-class devils having harems. After that, his goal had been set and his fate sealed. But Issei possessed the Boosted Gear, one of the most coveted and powerful sacred gears of all time. One which gives him a draconic aura, which would grow stronger as he developed alongside it.

He may not know it, but a draconic aura, and a strong one at that? People notice it. Were attracted to it, whether they realised it or not, and that's because, at the root of it all, how we perceive dragons themselves.

Even the weakest among them were still high class in nature, and their numbers only filled up the ranks from there up until you got to the top of the strongest being list, where two dragons sat. Such power concentrated in their race, along with the relative mysteriousness of their origin?

It made us covet them. Made us desire what they represented. The power, the mystique, all of it. And that attraction fed into Issei through his draconic aura. As long as I informed him of it, along with how most supernatural women were fine with a human lover but not a demonic one, my job would be done.

I wouldn't even have to lie either, as Issei, with his potential for power and his genuine, caring nature, was most definitely a catch. Not my catch, but that didn't mean I couldn't help him along.

"Most of which I can talk to him tomorrow about," I mused aloud, letting the wind whisk my words away as I flapped my wings up and down, imitating birds in a way that wasn't necessary due to the magic involved.

There was still an issue with my plan to keep him human, however. While Issei would be relatively easy to convince, the same could not be said for the devils. A relatively easy target like Issei, who was rife with potential due to his sacred gear and didn't have any political issues that had to be navigated?

As soon as knowledge of his existence became widespread, every Tom, Dick and Harry would be after him, and many of them didn't possess the same sense of morals Rias did and would almost certainly try to tempt him with promises of wealth and debauchery.

While I'd like to say Issei would be able to resist, and maybe he would with the first few, eventually someone would give him an offer he couldn't refuse. One that I would have to be prepared for, as I highly doubt killing him would solve the issue.

While I didn't know the exact time span involved, I knew for a fact that devils could resurrect the dead with the promise of life in return for service. Not to mention killing Issei went against the spirit of Goliath's goal, and while they may let me get away with it this time, I had a feeling Goliath was just petty enough to make my life difficult in the next world I'm sent to.

So, despite how I could easily slaughter Issei and kill Rias with some careful planning and maybe an ambush, I wouldn't go that route. Partially because I didn't want to face Goliath's consequences, but also because it was morally and ethically wrong.

I may be in Raynare's body, with the memories of a literal genocide's worth of murders under my belt, but I was still David. I was still the one in control.

"It sure would be easier though," I lamented before shaking my head, clearing my thoughts as I tilted my left wing, redirecting my heading towards the church which had gone askew while I'd been mentally occupied.

Regardless of my troubles, I had a more pressing concern to deal with. With my actions at the park, Rias and her peerage were sure to be on high alert, maybe even searching for me as we speak.

Needless to say, I didn't want to get caught by them, so I'd have to hide out somewhere where they couldn't find me. While this place could be some hotel or abandoned home, or hell even the home of someone I hypnotised, that would still be a risk.

A risk that I wasn't yet willing to take when I had the option of hiding out in the abandoned church with the other fallen angel and disgraced clergymen under my command. My memories of them weren't exactly pleasant, but their presence did present an opportunity for me.

Because, while I wasn't the strongest fallen, far from it in fact, I had more than my own personal power to draw upon. Maybe it wasn't as certain as increasing my own level of strength, with the potential to either let me down or outright betray me, but Millet, Kalawarna, Dohnaseek and Freed?

They were people I could use. People I could direct in ways that I wanted whether they were happy about it or not due to the writ of command I had been given by Azazel. It was one of my most precious possessions, and only left my personal storage space when I was alone at night. With it, I held power over my associates.

Power that I was going to need, I chuckled darkly with thoughts of the future, a strong flap of my wings shooting me forward toward a number of people I didn't quite want to meet, but would anyway.

"Where the fuck do you think you've been?" Was the first thing I heard when I forced the aged, worn-out church doors open, letting me into the dusty and dimly lit interior where I was greeted with the sight of my most troublesome and demented subordinate, one who possessed a distinctly grotesque quality in the way he spoke.

Freed Sellzen. He was dressed in his clerical clothing, with a white shirt and pants and grey overcoat, and a disturbing smile pasted across his face.

Why did he have to be the first one to greet me? I mean, yes, the other Fallen wouldn't exactly be standing watch up in the main praying area like Freed was, but there were like, 40 other priests that could have done it.

5 of which I could see standing over by the sidelines as they did their best not to draw our attention, none of them wanting to deal with Freed's madness or my sadism.

"I think I've been out doing my job Freed, as Azazel ordered. You know, the one paying for this whole operation? Azazel may be rich, but he doesn't pay us to stand around and do nothing."

Well, at least he didn't pay us to stand around and do nothing.

"Your job huh," the white-haired man asked, his red eyes glinting with excitement as he leaned forward. "Does that mean you have finally gone and fucking killed the vile sinner? Finally spilt his putrid guts along the ground?"

"No, it does not Freed," I sighed, shaking my head before closing my eyes for a moment. There were a couple of ways I could go about this, but Raynare, at least when speaking to the others about her job observing Issei, was pretty direct. She wouldn't mince her words.

"Azazel assigned me to watch him, not to kill the boy. He's already under devil watch, do you really think it's the best idea to murder him in full view of the town's overseers? Because, and I may have to remind you here, we're meant to be a covert operation. We are not legally allowed here. So please do me a favour, and kindly shut the fuck up about matters that are clearly beyond you."

Freed slumped in disappointment at the lack of death, his displeasure evident even as he glared at me for a second before a smile appeared, one that contrasted with the madness I could see plain as day in his eyes.

"Maybe if you kill him, it will cause an, mmn, incident, but what are those demonic bitches going to do if he's killed by another human, huh? One with no ties to the supernatural? While it wouldn't cause a battle, unfortunately, it would solve the problem of our little sinner's possession of life," Freed suggested as he unsheathed a dagger hanging from his belt, licking the blade as he eye-fucked me.

Demented little shit.

"Now, wouldn't that solve all our problems?" Freed stated gleefully as he dragged the flat of his blade across his face.

"Not when I don't know what his sacred gear is," I returned hotly, feeding my disgust with the man into my tone as he flinched at the venom in it. I glared for good measure as well, my sharp features aiding me with the act. "He will die Freed, make no mistake, but only when I order it. If I find out you went behind my back and did so anyway, it is your head going on the chopping block."

If I had anything to say, Issei was going to die of old age.

Rebuffed, Freed held his hands up in mock surrender, retreating as he looked at me inquisitively, running his eyes up and down my form, pausing at my legs and bust. "Fine, fine, you won't hear anything from little old me. 'Patient' Freed is my nickname for a reason."

It was? Because all I heard was bull-.

"By the way, where the fuck's your regular outfit? I can't see your tits or ass properly in that get-up, even if the shrine girl fetish is doing it for me."

"Yes, I would like to know that as well," another voice called out from the darkness, making me glance over to see Kalawarna standing beside the secret entrance to the basement behind the altar where us Fallen angels stayed.

She was dressed in her standard outfit which consisted of a maroon, trench coat-like top with a wide collar and a matching miniskirt. It contrasted well with her navy blue hair and, combined with her large, mostly exposed chest and her tall stature, I could definitely say she was a smoke show of a woman.

Almost a match for me, I mused without hesitation, a flare of jealousy appearing in my heart before I squashed as I observed the two people standing on either side of the blunette.

On her right was a much shorter girl, one that did not invoke a sense of envy due to her overall lacking of a figure. Millet, the smallest of us fallen angels, in more ways than one, and my newest fallen subordinate. The blonde-haired, pigtail girl was frowning at me, her arms crossed across her chest in her golita-inspired outfit, which I could only see as a maid costume due to some… let's say eclectic reading from my time as a man.

Finally, there was the sole male of the group, who was taller than the rest of us and seemingly middle-aged. His dark brown hair was mostly obscured by a black fedora that I had to admit went quite well with his pale grey trench coat. He also seemed to be the calmest of the three, looking bored to be there.

Observation over, I answered the question.

"In case you didn't know, I'm still wearing it," I drawled, reaching down to flip my skirt up, showing the hybrid bikini-bottom/fishnet underwear before letting it fall, ignoring how Freed licked his lips and whistled. "While observing the target, I sensed a few devils coming toward us. As I wasn't done figuring out his sacred gear, I decided to retreat and came up with a plan to reduce my chances of being discovered while I continue my observation."

"You're going to reduce the differences from your real form," Kalawarna pieced together quickly, her voice losing a little of its edge as I nodded at her.

I nodded, pleased that she had caught on so quickly.

"Excuse me, but the fuck is that supposed to mean?" Millet interjected, stepping forward. "How is that going to make you any more stealthy with your bimbo-like figure?"

Of course, she didn't get it. I should have expected it really, why would I have an entire team of competent subordinates?

"Simple. I modified the standard transformation technique for my own purposes, and the less magic I use, the less of my own magic I emit and thus the less likely it is I can be detected. A consequence of this however is that I need clothes that actually fit me, and I don't have time to get something custom done like you, Millet. Sorry, I meant Kalawarna," I stated cruelly, enjoying the flush of anger that overcame the girl, not that she expressed it. She knew that I was the top dog around here and that I wouldn't forgive a slight easily. After a few seconds of heated silence, I continued my explanation, gesturing down at my kimono. "Unfortunately, this is the only thing I could find that somewhat fit without being too strange by human customs."

I made sure to spit the 'human' comment with venom, playing up Raynare's hatred of them. This was the correct choice it seems, as the venom appeared to put Kalawarna at ease as she nodded, accepting my reasoning.

Sure, Millet may have scowled at me, but I had kind of done that on purpose with the whole double-back on tailoring. You only had to give Millet one look to know that she had never needed it, which was quite the sore spot for her.

You see, most Fallen Angels possessed above-average figures, at least compared to the rest of the supernatural world. This wasn't limited to women either, as the same also holds true for the men. Sure, there were outliers, (Cough Millet cough) but the only race that matched us in terms of stature were the devils, which were the only other major race that were inherently sinful.

So, for Millet to be so petite, even compared to regular human girls? It was a significant source of envy for the girl. One that made her go out of her way to be particularly cruel whenever she was facing an enemy woman with a better figure than her, to the point that there had been complaints about her conduct from her previous leaders.

Hence why she was sent to be put under my command just a month ago, as I couldn't say no without pissing off my own superiors. It also made her the one I had to most keep an eye on, as unlike the others who had joined me willingly and I had known for some time, Millet's cooperation had been forced.

Kalawarna, my second in command, was no-nonsense and loyal, Dohnaseek was laid back and a battle maniac and Freed, well Freed was a complete lunatic, but he still obeyed orders without hesitation. He may complain a lot, making it easier to give in to some of his more heinous suggestions, but I wasn't worried about him betraying me like I was with Millet despite how little we had worked together.

"Now, if there aren't any other questions, I'm going to go get some rest. I have another observation session scheduled tomorrow," I said somewhat gruffly as I pushed past the others, my stride assured as I walked down the stairs to where I slept.

...

...

Kalawarna POV

"Bitch," Millet snarled from beside her, scuffing her foot along the ground in frustration at the sudden exit of their leader.

In fairness to the smaller girl, it had been quite abrupt, but that wasn't that uncommon occurrence for Raynare, who sometimes went off and did her own thing without telling anyone about it. Still, Kalawarna couldn't help but feel like this time had been a little different, as there had been something off about Raynare's mannerisms.

Normally, she would have let it go, as Raynare could just be annoyed at something that had occurred earlier in the day. But she couldn't ignore Raynare's wardrobe change. No matter what was going on, no matter what the mission was or how badly it had been going, Raynare was steadfast in her choice of outfit, and she had been for the past 100 years.

Sure, Raynare had dressed in other clothes when required, to help in disguising herself, but when it was her own form, her own body? Raynare had never succumbed to the external pressure some of her superiors had put on her about it, even when it cost her some of her reputation and a promotion.

Even Kalawarna didn't know why she was so stubborn about the bondage get-up because frankly, from her point of view, it wasn't overly flattering. Yes, it exposed most of her body and circled her assets quite nicely, but a basic rule of seduction was to always leave your target wanting more.

It's why Kalawrana wore the outfit she did, as the large, plunging neckline pulled attention to her girls while her short skirt kept eyes locked on her long legs. She knew her body was a seductive masterpiece, and all of the partners she had over the years could attest to it.

But Raynare…Raynare had operated almost in opposition to that basic rule. Like there was some kind of hang-up that she just couldn't get over.

Until now.

"Did anyone notice anything…strange about her? Something off?"

"Yeah, she's wearing clothes," Freed barked distastefully as his eyes glazed over, his tongue licking his lips as Kalawarna glared at the putrid science project. Your opinion is noted, but undesired.

"Well…" Millet began drawing the attention of the room as she placed her finger on her lip, thinking. "It was kind of strange that she put something over that slutty get-up of hers. I may not know her well, but she's got a reputation for it, and none of the other Fallen I worked with that had also met her had said anything different."

Kalwarna nodded, glad that someone else had noted that little factoid.

"But she was also…strangely open with her actions? And explained them? Like, not a lot, but normally she tells us the bare minimum she has to and then tells us to fuck off or something. Admitting that she hasn't found the target's sacred gear yet? It's out of character for the harlot."

"Rude," Dohnaseek chuckled as he leaned against the pillar, his arms folded across his chest as he observed the room.

Millet had a good point though, Kalawarna decided. It was true that Raynare had been a bit freer with her information than normal. Combine that with her change in outfit and the other more subtle mannerisms that had changed about her and something just didn't add up.

"But despite her rudeness, she's still our leader ladies," Dohnaseek continued, ignoring the squawk from Freed it garnered. "As long as she's not doing us any harm, I say leave her be. You know how she likes her little schemes and plots. If she's doing another one, hopefully it'll mean we can get out of here sooner. You can't find anything good to fight in this town, even if you search for it."

Yes, he might have a point Kalawarna decided. Raynare did like to scheme, and she very rarely explained herself when she didn't need help.

But that didn't mean she wouldn't keep an eye on her. A little caution never hurt anyone, and she had been burned before by assuming everything was fine.

...

...

Raynare POV

I pulled my phone out to check the time as I flew, making sure it wouldn't be too early for Issei to still be at school or detention.

6:46 pm. Perfect.

Flaring my magic, I stored my phone back in my subspace pocket, leaving my hands free as I stopped flapping my wings and instead flared them, letting the drag of the wind created slow me down as I came into sight of Issei's family home.

The time since we'd last spoken had done me good, as after meeting my subordinates I'd gotten a good rest, sleeping for almost 10 hours as I recovered from the mental strain that the previous few days had put upon me, using a spell to first lock the door and then another to dampen the noise coming into the room.

The lack of an alarm was also a nice touch for waking up, and after stealing some breakfast from a café close to the church, I'd gotten down to business in exploring my magic, making good progress in first the light spears that Raynare had demonstrated in cannon, and in the rest of the magic she could use.

"It's funny really," I mused as I came to a stop, hovering directly above Issei's house in the last dregs of the evening light, high enough that I would be confused with a bird for anyone watching. "How little of my magic is combat focused. All those years of searching for something to give me a power boost, and now that I'm close to the time I'd get the Twilight Healing, I know exactly what I've been missing."

Because what Raynare, and much of my race had failed to understand, was that if you wanted power…you merely had to work for it. The Devil's had shown us this, with many of their younger members growing in power over time with no apparent reason, but we angels had always been too fixated on the power we had been given.

With the power that had been bestowed upon us by the great father.

I rotated my hand as I flared my fingers out, conceptualising the magic spell I had been playing with earlier as a spell sigel of my own appeared, one that had never before been seen created by a fallen angel. The sickly golden light of the circle was beautiful.

It caused a grim smile to appear on my lips, my eyes dimming slightly due to the reason I could create the spell circle. You see, since time immemorial, Angels and Fallen Angels alike had been limited to the power of holy light for anything beyond parlour tricks, which they could use to form a variety of attacks and defences, and from a certain point of view that was still true.

But what I'd discovered earlier today was that, due to the death of god, angels themselves were no longer quite as limited as they had once been, Our 'magic', which was more a pool of holy energy, was no longer as limited as it had once been. I was no longer as limited as I had been.

Focusing, I clenched my fist as the spell circle flashed, brightening briefly as a beam of light shot out from it, one that soared across the sky at great speed until even my enhanced eyes could no longer see it.

"After 500 years of scheming, only now do I discover something truly ground-breaking. A magic unique to angels, one that I call the magic of illumination."

While I had only experimented briefly, it seems that any spell that fell solidly enough under the domain of light, I could do just by thinking it, so long as enough power had been provided. The ingenuity of a human, combined with the experience and power of a fallen.

The three spells I managed to get work so far were that laser I had just demonstrated, which was sure to become my go-to combat spell, a spell to turn myself invisible by bending the light around me, and a spell that would create twinkles in my eye.

The last one may not seem overly useful, but I just couldn't help myself when the idea came to me, and seeing my eyes sparkle in the mirror like that had been well worth the 45 minutes it took, even though it prevented me from eliminating the mirage my invisibility spell created when in use.

"I can always just practice that a bit more later."

Collapsing my wings inward, I let my body fall through the air, my toes pointed and my arms crossed across my chest as I torpedoed towards the tarmac below. Only the flaring of my wings kept me from going splat across it as I touched down gently. This generated a blast of wind strong enough to rattle the Hyoudou residence door in its frame.

"Now, I could try to sneak in and keep Issei's parents from noticing me," I stated, looking up at the second-story window with the curtain drawn, "oorrrrrrrr...I could just go in through the front door."

POV Miki Hyoudou

The sound of a knock on the door drew the dark-haired, middle-aged woman's attention, making her look up from the tv curiously as she wondered who it could be, much like the middle-aged, glasses-wearing man beside her did.

Miki exchanged a confused glance with her husband, as the pair of them had just sat down after they'd finished the clean-up from dinner.

"Did you schedule to meet with someone after work again?" She asked, a not-uncommon occurrence for the office worker even if it would cut into their personal time.

Gorou pursed his lips before shaking his head, looking just as confused as his wife.

"Not tonight. There is the company dinner in a fortnight that I told you about, but tonight I'm free. I don't suppose it could be anyone you know?"

"They'd all be with their own families," Miki replied as she stood, moving toward the door before she opened it, revealing the sight of an extremely attractive woman standing at the door, who was wearing a black and red outfit that seemed a couple of sizes too small. Briefly, Miki wondered if she had the right place because she looked more like a call girl than someone who should be knocking on their door, but then she remembered who her son was.

Because this woman was just the kind of girl he would obsess over. above average height, a large bust and hip line and long black hair, all wrapped up in the enticing package of a Miko cosplay outfit? It was exactly the kind of woman Issei would lust over.

This was just another reason she was concerned for her future, as she wanted to be a grandmother someday and if he didn't shape up, that seemed unlikely.

"Did…did a boy called Issei call you here?" Miki asked hesitantly, hiding part of her body behind the doo due to her fear of what the answer was.

The question seemed to surprise the woman, as she blinked a pair of violet eyes that are almost certainly contact lenses before she smirked and nodded, holding her hand up in front of her.

"Not a call, but yes, I am here for Issei. Do you mind if I come in?"

Yes…yes, she did in fact mind. Before she could express her refusal, however, the woman snapped her fingers and a fog blew across her mind. Suddenly, letting her in seemed like the best idea ever.

Raynare POV

Hypnotizing Issei's mother had been easy enough, a simple snap of the fingers and a bit of magic and she had been putty in my hands, much like his father had been after he picked his jaw off the ground. It really showed just how vulnerable regular humans were to the supernatural world.

With no magic to speak of and no knowledge of the wider world to prepare countermeasures against said weakness, Miki and Gorou Hyoudou had become my ready and willing slaves in the blink of an eye.

The magic wasn't even that hard either, not after you were taught the trick of how to perform hypnotism with magical energy, and it was one of a dozen standardised spells known by the majority of the supernatural races in some form or another.

"Would you mind brewing us some tea?" I asked, addressing Miki who smiled happily, nodding as she went off to the kitchen. Turning, I addressed Gorou.

"And can you go and get your son? Tell him he has a guest, one by the name of Raynare."

"I'd be happy to get Issei for my son's life coach," he nodded happily before chuckling. "To be honest, I don't know why I didn't think of getting him one myself, Kami knows he's needed one for quite some time with how open his behaviour is."

That had been the cover story I had inserted into the couple's minds. It was even true, from a certain point of view.

I let out a polite chuckle in agreement as he went to the stairs, moving up them. I, in the meantime, took in the sight of the living room, and its features. They weren't overly lavish yet, not while it was still the two-story home of an average Japanese couple and their son.

It showed in the clean yet slightly worn wooden flooring, and in the signs of wear and tear in the blue couches. I had seen, and experienced, far better as Raynare, but the clearly lived-in state brought a sense of comfort, and compared to my current abode, it was practically luxurious.

Aside from my bedroom, there weren't exactly any facilities to speak of, so I took the chance to sit on the couch next to the tv, leaning back as I crossed my legs, enjoying the ambience as I watched the tv for a moment.

It was currently running a story on the operation of the Fukushima Power Plant, which I watched in interest for a moment due to the simple fact that it had yet to become radioactive.

"Ray-Raynare!" Issei squeaked, making me look at him with a smile as he stood at the base of the stairs, his eyes darting frantically between his parents and myself.

"Hey Issei," I smiled, thanking Miki as she came in with a tray filled with tea and biscuits, the tired-looking woman taking a seat beside her husband on the other couch. "We didn't organise any specific time to meet up, so I thought I'd drop in."

Taking a moment to look at the options, I picked a cup of what I assumed was green tea, swirling it around delicately.

"But…my parents!" He whisper-yelled as he pointed at them, worry pasted on his face as I merely smiled, hiding it behind my cup as amusement bubbled up my throat. Seeing Issei get worked up by this so much was refreshing.

"Oh, don't mind us Issei," Miki said with a wave of the hand. "We're just glad that you finally got someone to help out with your social issues."

"Indeed," Goruo nodded, picking up his mug of coffee. "It's quite relieving, actually. She's even hot, too. Granted, she's not a girlfriend, but having her as an advisor is almost as good, especially since she's out of your league. Who knows, maybe she had some friends she can introduce you to."

"Dadddddd!" Issei whined as his face turned red, steam coming out of his ears a little as he hid his face in his hands from the combined assault of needing a life coach and his father commenting on his lack of a love life.

I could have let this go on for a little longer, but as funny as it was, we did have things to go over so I decided to take mercy on the boy.

"Take a seat Issei, and don't mind your parents. In fact, why don't the two of you go up to your room," I suggested, glancing at the pair as I waved my hand again, a flash of purple leaving my hand. "You can get to work on making a new child while I work on getting this one up to scratch."

"That…sounds like an amazing idea," Gorou nodded eagerly as he drained the rest of his mug, uncaring of its scalding temperature as he rushed to his feet, helping his wife up. He quickly moved toward the stairs, dragging the hand of his blushing yet giggling wife as the pair scurried up to the master bedroom. The door slammed shut behind them as an Al Green CD started playing.

"Did you…did you just tell my parents to go have sex while we talked…and they agreed with you?" Issei stated woodenly from across the room, his arms hanging loosely by his side as he stared at the roof above him.

"Yeepppp. Why don't you take a seat so I can explain."

He did, taking the spot his mother had just vacated as he squirmed, the boy clearly doing his best to not think about what was currently happening above our heads. I don't know why, he should be glad his parents had such a loving relationship, not everyone could say that.

While he was processing, I stirred my tea for a moment before taking a sip, which made me grimace. Yep, still didn't like it I decided, setting the cup of what I now recognised as matcha on the coffee table in front of me.

"I guess I'll start with just what I did to your parents," I began, choosing the easier topic as I laid my hands on my lap. "You know that the supernatural exists, and that includes far more than just what is mentioned in the bible, but did you also know that magic itself exists as well?"

"Magic? Is that what you did to my parents?" Issei frowned, looking at the roof in concern before fixing me with a stare, one that held a little bit of heat. It caused me to smile, glad that he could show such resistance.

"It is, yes," I nodded without shame, holding my hand up and snapping my fingers as a small ball of purple magic seeped out the top of my index finger, one that floated freely in the air above it. "Magic…is the foundation of the supernatural world. It is the ability to deceive and beguile. The ability to transform pure energy into observable effect. Without it, we wouldn't be able to keep ourselves separated from the real world like we do, as the advent of technology would have long since exposed us without the existence of the hypnosis spell."

I rotated my hand so that the back of it was now facing Issei before I collapsed it into a fist, extinguishing the purple light before I relaxed my grip and waved my hand through the air, leaving a trail of multicoloured sparks following it.

Issei let out a sound of astonishment at the sight, his gaze fixed upon me as I spouted information that I had only learned a few hours previously.

"It is the cornerstone of modern supernatural existence, and due to its utility, it has been spread around every race so that they can keep themselves hidden. A flare of our magic and humans get put into a hypnotic trance, one that leaves them open to suggestions that take hold deep inside their subconscious."

I let the magic fade as I leaned back into the couch, crossing my arms underneath my chest as I smirked, pushing my chest up slightly by habit.

"It really is an ingenious piece of magic."

"But…but what's to stop people from abusing it? If you can just…mind control," Issei spat with surprising vigour, "us like that, what's to stop races like devils from abusing it?"

This…I blinked. This was unexpected. I knew Issei had hidden depths, but for the boy's mind to go straight to other people abusing magic as he said rather than using it himself on an unsuspecting girl…it made me re-evaluate the boy.

It also made me more okay with pushing other women towards him, as it confirmed my opinion that he would take care of them. Especially Asia.

"Nothing, Issei," I smiled sardonically before closing my eyes. "If that was all there was to the spell. Yes, I won't deny that the potential exists to bring harm to people not in the know, but hypnosis? At least the one that is so common? It had conditions. One, knowledge of the spell or a certain level of magic basically makes you immune. Two, you can't suddenly make someone kill their family if you wish for example, as that would go against their entire being, causing them to fight the suggestion. Because that's all it is, a suggestion."

I blinked as Issei's expression softened from its previously harsh state to one of understanding.

"Deep down, people at the very least have to be accepting of your commands, and even then it won't make them eager. If they don't particularly care one way or another, they'll just complete the task with robotic mannerisms."

"But…my parents," Issei said weakly in realisation, making me laugh as I nodded, taking enjoyment out of the way Issei was squirming in his seat.

"That enthusiasm? That's all them. You see Issei, when a man and a woman love each other very much, they sometimes get urges. Urges they must fulfi-" That was as far as I got before Issei stopped me, waving his hands in the air.

"Okay! I get it, I get it!"

"-which is why they're fucking like rabbits right now." I finished, unable to help myself. The statement caused Issei to turn green.

"Why?!" Issei managed to strangle out as he collapsed to the floor, leaning over to start banging his head on the table. Still, while testing him was fun, I decided to give mercy to the boy.

"We can come back to that, however, as we still need to talk about the most pressing matter."

"Really?" Issei asked as hope shined in his eyes, the boy looking up at me like a merciful messiah, which I internally found fucking hilarious as a being of sin.

"Yes." I nodded, pointing down at his left arm as I stared at it. "It's the reason I have brought you into the supernatural world, after all. Because located inside your arm is the container for the spirit of the Welsh dragon, Draig, one of the two heavenly dragons. Located inside your arm…is the Boosted Gear."

"The Boosted Gear?" Issei frowned, looking down to poke at his arm in confusion before he looked back at me. "You said that yesterday, but what's it mean? Because from the sounds of it, it's important."

"That's because it is Issei, more important than you know," I emphasized, making sure that Issei was paying attention to my eyes rather than my chest where he had glanced down a few times. Yes, I was wearing more than I had been previously, but I still had a lot of cleavage displayed. Not so much that I was uncomfortable, but still enough to draw the eye.

"The Boosted Gear is one of the 13 Longinus. The 13 god-killing weapons. Once unlocked in its standard form, it gives the user the ability to double their power every 10 seconds."

Issei blinked, not really getting it.

"That means, so long as your body can take it, in 10 seconds you double your power. Another 10 seconds and you're now at 4 times your original level of power. Then 8. Then 16. Then 32. The point is that the increase is exponential, rather than linear, and after a mere 2 minutes of this, you'll have multiplied your power by a factor of over 4000. I'm sure you can understand how amazing this is?"

"T-That's INSANE!" Issei cried with widened eyes, his body collapsed to the couch as he stared at his left hand in disbelief. "Y-you're saying that inside of me right now, is the ability to double my power every couple of seconds? Endlessly!?"

"Yes, it is inside you," I nodded before shaking my head, "and no, not endlessly. Remember, you can only boost as far as your body can take it. Since you're in pretty poor shape physically," I ignored how my words seemed to stab the boy, "you can probably double your power 3, maybe 4 times before you reach your current limit, and that will still leave you with strained muscles."

This may seem low compared to what he could do as a newly resurrected pawn, but keep in mind that Issei is still human, and humans, while they can reach some extreme heights, still have limitations that cannot be broken without effort.

My words did seem to calm the boy down however as he nodded, centring himself.

"Okay, that makes more sense. If we ignore how crazy it all sounds. My…Boosted Gear is important, I get that. And the power it holds, I can see why people would be after it, and thus me, but what exactly does that mean going forward? What should I expect, and am I going to have to be worried about my parents?"

Issei may have seemed to add that last point as an afterthought, but I could see how much it concerned him. It was a fair concern, to be honest, but not as much as he might think.

"Well, there are going to be two main groups that will become involved because of the boosted gear. Those who want to fight you, and those who want to recruit you. You following so far?"

The boy nodded, his motion crisp.

"Alright. Explaining the first group, there are a lot of people in the supernatural world who like to battle. Love it, even, and they are known as battle maniacs. For them, they seek out conflict at the cost of all else, searching for their next great fight. The Boosted Gear represents this fight, and they will come after you if the chance arises. There is one key exception however, one that I will get into later, but for now, just know them by the name of the Vanishing Dragon Albion, who inhabits the Divine Dividing sacred gear, the sworn enemy of Draig. Its wielder will seek you out at some point to fight, so you must be ready for it."

Issei looked a little leery now, but I pushed on, not wanting to explain the clusterfuck that was Vali for the moment.

"Moving onto the factions that would want to recruit you. The question of why is simple. They would want you for your power, or right now, your potential. The potential you have of becoming someone significant in the supernatural world."

"They would?" Issei asked, sounding uncertain, potentially even vulnerable as I nodded.

"They would. Trust me Issei, your chance of becoming powerful, and thus influential, is guaranteed so long as you don't die. They will want you," I smiled, trying to ease the boy's worries.

Issei still seemed unsure, but he nodded anyway, so I continued.

"While they aren't the only ones you should be worried about, the main groups that would want to recruit you will be the angels and thus the church, the devils, and my own race, the fallen angels. Now, while the thought of you serving the pure innocent beings that are angels is hilarious," I added, making him blush, "I won't deny that I am a little biased in saying that you would be both welcome and well rewarded if you joined the Grigori."

Issei opened his mouth.

"It's the name of our organisation," I rolled my eyes as I set one leg down before crossing the other, as I'd been starting to lose feeling in that leg. "The key thing about both the Church and the Grigori is that we can only enter into an agreement with you, one that you can back out of at any time. The devils…the devils have a different option."

The tone of my voice must have sounded more serious than before, as Issei lost the perverted smile he had sprouted at some point from staring at my legs as his brown eyes met my own.

"Some time…a while ago, I don't know exactly when, one of the four current leaders of the devil race invented something called evil pieces. With it, a devil can revive a human," or anything else really, "into one of their own, another devil. A lot of the time this is done with the new devil's permission while still alive, but so long as the body is fresh, the process can be forced."

My frank statement caused Issei to turn green as he swallowed nervously, his eyes glancing back and forth before he asked me a question.

"Do you…do you think they'll do that to me, Raynare? Do you think they'll…steal my humanity?"

I went to smirk, which was a default action for the Raynare of old, but stopped halfway due to the fact that I wasn't her which left me with a sort-of half smirk. Issei's distrust of the devil race, which I had fostered, was welcoming. However, while I didn't want Issei to become a devil for obvious reasons, I didn't want Issei to be afraid of them either. At least not Rias or Sona. While I may have some issues with Rias, they were both still nice girls, if kind of dumb.

"Not the ones you have to be worried about," I replied with a shake of the head, my light tone easing the tension. "Just so you know, that means Sona Sitri, otherwise known as Souna Shitori, and Rias Gremory. They are the town's rulers, and while I may dislike them due to their race, they are both good people if a bit misguided."

"What!?" Issei shouted in surprise as he jumped to his feet. "The council president and the most beautiful girl on campus are both devils?!"

"Y-eeepp. But unlike most supernatural beings, they actually look their age, as do their peerages which are what the beings reincarnated with their evil pieces are called. In general, Devils are foul creatures that you should avoid, especially those that are more than 300 or so. The younger ones, well it's a hit or miss with them, but so long as you remain cordial with both Rias and Sona, they will remain cordial with you."

Yeah…some of Raynare's bias may be leaking out, buts it's a little hard to say where it stops, and my own opinions start. Because I knew from bloody experience that Devils have the reputation they do for a reason, and Raynare had stumbled across a number of things that had made younger me squirm before she'd gotten used to it.

"As you increase in power, it'll be less of a worry for you, but for now the only two devils that will try to recruit you are Sona and Rias. I could go on some long-winded explanation of why you should avoid being reincarnated, but instead, I'll just say this."

Issei leaned in, eager to hear what I said as I licked my lips, deciding for the first time to actually harness my body's looks intentionally, rather than by chance as I touched my cheek with my finger and slowly dragged it down, tracing a path along my face and neck before reaching my chest, snagging the top of the neckline and pulling down slightly.

Not enough to expose any of the good stuff, but enough to give the boy a good look at my breasts with a hint of pink at the edges which he started at with an open mouth for a second before I let my top snap back into place.

"You'll get a lot more girls as a human than you will as a devil. Rias, and perhaps Sona, will say that you can get your own peerage when you become a high-class devil which will get you that harem you so desire, which it can, but you'll get all that and more just by staying human with your sacred gear, not to mention far faster. Typically, it takes at least 50 years to become a high-class devil after reincarnation. As a human, and with my support, you'll get it far sooner."

I smirked, not letting the conflicted feelings I had about my actions show as I instead stood, walking forward to poke the boy in the chest.

"So stay human Issei, because Devil's have a lot of races that hate them. If you do, I'll be more than happy to help you get your harem. I may be too old for you, but that doesn't mean everyone is, or that everyone will care about said age difference."

Issei's eyes widened as he wiped the saliva from his jaw, his face becoming determined as he started nodding up and down really fast. It made me pat the boy on top of his head, which he seemed to enjoy far more than he thought he would judging by the blush the boy gave.

"Yes! I'll stay human! Whatever it takes to become the harem king!"

"Good boy." I smiled down at him, doing so just wide enough that it edged upon creepy, not that the boy noticed in his deliriously happy state.