AN: Hey guys and welcome to the twentieth-sixth chapter of "Switching Sides".
I want to thank everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed!
Now, this chapter is an interlude and will be quite controversial I suppose.
There is some "Mature" content here, but for those who wish to skip it, I'll leave appropriate markers for its beginning and ending so you'll know when to keep reading.
If everything goes to plan with the story, I imagine that the next 3 or 4 chapters will be the last. Of course, there'll be a sequel as I've announced in earlier chapters, but it won't come for some time. I wish to fix the mistakes I've done with this fanfic and my other one and rewrite at least half of the fanfic before I publish it so I could maintain a fixed schedule for my uploads. I also want to write some of my other ideas that I am rather excited about be it for DxD or other fandoms so it'll affect the sequel as well.
I also want to remind everyone that this is an AU so things here are different from canon and that the characters are OOC so do keep that in mind.
Disclaimer: I do not own Highschool DxD!
Now, without further ado, here is the chapter. Enjoy!
"..." Talking.
'...' Thoughts.
"..." Quotations.
"..." Attacks.
*...* Actions, i.e., Yawning and Sighing.
(...) Flashback and time skips.
["..."] /{"..."}Talking through the Sacred Gear.
['...'] / {'...'}Talking in the Host mind.
[...] / {...} Sacred Gear Actions and modes.
"..." Sacred Gear evolution trigger i.e., Juggernaut Drive chant.
"The meeting is adjourned. You should go train for what is to come. I'll see you guys later," A powerful voice spoke.
As the members of the meeting rose from their seats, the sound of chairs scraping the floor flooded the room.
The man behind the powerful voice remained seated, enveloped in the darkness of the room. Only the faint light of a lone candle that stood on his desk serving as the only source of light in the room.
At his desk were sprawled many papers both ancient and new alike. The man had picked up one of the older looking pieces of paper and examined it not for the first time.
"No matter how many times I read it, I still cannot make sense of it," He sighed as he carelessly tossed the piece of paper back to the table.
The man's gaze had suddenly snapped upwards as the door to the room creaked open. He needed no light to make out the identity of the newcomer.
"What is it you want, Yasaka?" He asked, his eyes never leaving her as she went to stand beside him.
Yasaka shook her head and looked at him sadly. "Do not think that we are clueless about what you are doing. Pushing us all away, shouldering this burden alone. This isn't the way and you know it Issei!"
Issei stood up, his form towering over Yasaka.
"So, what is the way, Yasaka?" He drawled. "Should I patiently wait for the Three Factions to show mercy and release them? Should I pray that the three of them could find a way to escape by themselves? Because I won't!"
Yasaka glared at Issei. "Do not think that you can intimidate me Issei. Look at you! You're pathetic! Sitting around in this dark room moping in self-pity and loathing as you scour the same documents over and over again, foolishly hoping that the answer to your problems will suddenly appear,"
Issei slammed his left arm on the desk, causing the table to crack from the force of the hit.
"You have no idea how I feel! I was there, completely helpless as Azazel and the others tricked me! I saw Vali, Kuroka, and Le Fay being captured and I couldn't do anything to retrieve them! My child, who is yet to be born is most likely experiencing torture alongside his mother! The girls I love are at the complete mercy of the Three Factions!" A sudden glow erupted in the room as Issei had subconsciously summoned his Boosted Gear.
Yasaka continued to stare at Issei, unfazed by the Boosted Gear sudden emergence.
"I know it is hard Issei, but pushing all of us away won't help anyone. Your self-imposed solitude will not help to bring them home,"
Issei snorted. "You think I enjoy this? You think I do not know how much I hurt you and the others?" He questioned her. "I cannot sleep at night; I have nightmares about the horrors that they endure, of the same happening to the others. I cannot endure that. I cannot allow my nightmares to become a reality,"
Yasaka's gaze softened as Issei's tough shell began to crack a little.
"So why have those meetings?" She asked. "Why include the others in your plans if you don't wish for them to join you when you go and rescue them"
Issei sighed tiredly as he slumped back onto his seat. "I wish to hear their input before I recklessly do something. I cannot make any mistakes here. Not when the lives of Kuroka, Vali, and Le Fay are at stake,"
Yasaka crouched down and embraced Issei.
"I understand Issei, and we are going to do everything to help you. But do not discount us. We care about you, more than you can know," She whispered soothingly in his ear.
The words of comfort uttered by the blonde Yokai seemed to be the final push that was required to crack Issei's façade as he completely broke down in her embrace.
"How much more can I endure?" He sobbed. "Wasn't everything I've been through enough? People seemed to forget the boy beneath the crimson armor. I never wanted any of this; to be considered a traitor by all the factions. I only wanted to live peacefully with the people I loved. Instead, I was disregarded and thrown away because my heart remained scarred from that fateful day,"
Yasaka gnawed her lips as she listened to Issei's confession. There were times, that even she, had forgotten about the boy beneath the crimson armor and instead saw a hardened man.
Issei was a grown man. However, it wasn't by merit of his age that he became that. Rather, it was his maturity and impressive feats. In the end, he was a boy who was forced to hastily grow up.
"You should take a rest to gather your thoughts. You cannot possibly continue existing as you are doing now. The Boosted Gear always on display whenever we are not during a meeting is wrong. I love you Issei, we all do, and seeing you like that hurts our very souls. You should try to talk to the others, to explain yourself as you did for me, and accept their anger and frustration," Yasaka lifted Issei's face, both staring at each other's eyes before Yasaka captured his lips in a passionate kiss.
"You're right. Sitting here skimming through old intel will do no good for anyone," Issei said as they separated from their kiss. He stood up, forcing his Boosted Gear to vanish and turned towards the door with Yasaka following close behind.
"You should talk with Rossweisse first. She hadn't left her room ever since she had arrived here a few days ago," Yasaka advised.
Issei couldn't help but wince. He felt like a jerk for ignoring Rossweisse during her stay.
He resolved himself to make it up to her. He owed her that at the very least.
"Rossweisse, it's Issei. Can you open the door?" Issei asked as he knocked on the wooden door.
It was a few hours after his talk with Yasaka that found him standing in front of Rossweisse room.
At first, he wanted to go to the silver-haired Valkyrie straight after the talk, but Yasaka persuaded him otherwise by stating that he needed a good rest and a clear mind before what she knew would be a rough conversation.
Now, here he was knocking on Rossweisse's door waiting for her to answer, only to be greeted by silence.
Issei sighed. "I know I have probably hurt you Rossweisse. I ignored you when you needed me. I'm sorry; I truly am. Seeing Vali, Kuroka, and Le Fay be captured while I was helpless to do anything hurt me, a lot. I couldn't bear to think of the same thing happening to you or anyone else I love and care about. I tried to shoulder this alone, to distance everyone so I could be at peace,"
The silence remained, and Issei took this as a sign to continue.
"I had a choice. To have you safe but distant, or for you to get hurt or captured. I am not ashamed to say that I chose the first option with little hesitation. You are all important to me,"
"…" Issei sighed, his forehead slamming softly on the wall beside the door in frustration.
The brunette turned to leave, but not before casting a long and meaningful gaze on the door that stood between him and the silver-haired Valkyrie.
"It may take me some time, days, or even weeks and months, but I will not give up until you forgive me Rossweisse," Issei uttered softly as he paced away from the room.
Suddenly, a loud noise was heard as the door behind him was violently opened. Issei turned around, startled, only for his eyes to widen at the sight in front of him.
Rossweisse was panting and her face was flushed as she stared critically at Issei. Her eyes betrayed not a hint of the emotions she felt, but her posture did. She was tense as if bracing for an attack and the hand that gripped the door handle was clenched so tightly, that the wooden knob began to groan under the intense pressure.
"Don't you dare leave!" She yelled at him. "Not after hiding like a coward! Forgetting me and everyone else who cares for you! I risked everything for you! Hoping to be with the man I love, to finally be recognized and appreciated by him. Instead, I was tossed aside because he turned out to be a coward!"
Issei stood rooted to the spot as he endured Rossweisse's violent lashing against his character.
He always knew her to be a serious person, and the subject of romance and anything that relates to it was a really sensitive point for her. But never had he expected to be on the receiving end of her verbal assault and it made his heart clench painfully.
Here he was, bringing about the same pain Raynare had wracked on him onto other people he cares deeply about.
The feeling of utter despair as you find out the person you love betrays you. The pain that washes over you as your loved one debases every action you had done for her and degrade you far worse than sometimes even an enemy could.
Sure, he did not pierce Rossweisse with a light-spear. But, in some ways, his actions had pierced her in a far worse manner.
"Rossweisse…" Issei muttered, the emotions in his voice causing Rossweisse to stop in her assault and her breath to catch in her throat.
Rossweisse's apparent concern even now was another kick to his guts.
It was then, as he gazed searchingly at her face, that he had concluded.
Words can never describe what he felt for her and her actions towards him. Rossweisse had proven her outstanding love and utter devotion, not with words, but actions that spoke far louder than any word ever could. It was only fair, that Issei will show her his feelings, and resolve the same way.
In a sense, Rossweisse was as broken as he was. In a cruel twist of fate, Issei noted, every one of them was broken in some way or another. Each of them, striving to fix the mistakes of their past and put their demons to rest. Each, drawing comfort from each other and filling their damaged hearts with love. In time, he'll find the truth about Rossweisse's past and help her face it as he did for the rest.
With that, Issei leaned in and pressed his lips against Rossweisse's.
Too shocked to respond at first was Rossweisse, but as her brain restarted, she began to return the kiss in equal fervor.
They were so enraptured in their passion, that they did not notice when they landed on the bed, nor when their clothes had been seemingly discarded.
(Lemon Start)
Issei trailed kissed up and down Rossweisse's neck causing the latter to moan appreciatively at his actions. Taking this as a clear sign of approval, Issei had slowly snaked his hand towards her breasts.
Rossweisse shivered as she felt the slow descent of Issei's hand and moaned loudly when Issei clenched his hand and kneaded her breast. However, before she could recover, Issei had used his second hand to grip Rossweisse's bottom before doing the same thing.
"Please Issei, stop teasing me!" Rossweisse whimpered.
Issei didn't reply and instead flashed her a cocky grin. The hand that palmed Rossweisse's bottom slowly made its way towards her lower lips, eliciting a sharp gasp from Rossweisse.
Rossweisse's moans were nigh unstoppable as Issei began to slowly rub her clitoris using three of his fingers.
Issei smirked, feeling proud of the state Rossweisse was reduced to thanks to his ministrations. He couldn't help the small laugh at Rossweisse's expression of mild disappointment when he stopped.
However, Rossweisse did not have to wait long as Issei had slid his middle finger roughly inside her. Issei couldn't help but be amazed at the sensation of the Valkyrie's insides.
Her tightness was that of a virgin, something he had only experienced once with Kuroka during their bout of passion at the forest after their mission to retrieve the Holy Grail from Valerie.
"I thought I was the perverted one," Issei teased as he felt Rossweisse wetness consume his finger entirely.
"Things change" Rossweisse panted, her cheeks darkening at her admission.
Issei quirked his eyebrow. "Is that so? Can you back up your claim?"
Rossweisse smirked devilishly as an idea popped into her mind.
Suddenly she rose and pushed Issei downward before straddling him.
Issei had taken this opportunity to gaze at Rossweisse form and couldn't help the awestruck expression that adorned his face.
Rossweisse skin was pale and silky while her areolas were pale pink, her luminous silver-hair was mussed. The way her skin flushed and the beads of sweat that gave her body a heavenly shine took Issei's breath away.
She was divine.
Rossweisse noticed his gaze and couldn't help the swell of pride she felt. "You like what you see, eh Issei?" She asked, her voice dripping with an odd combination of smugness and lust.
Issei swallowed thickly and nodded dumbly to her question "Are you sure you want to do this Rossweisse?" He asked.
"Let me show you just how sure I am, Issei," She told him as she positioned herself above him. Her lower lips hovering close enough to his throbbing member that she could feel it softly graze her.
Both moaned in perfect sync as Rossweisse impaled herself upon Issei's member. The filling sensation that overwhelmed Rossweisse and the tightness that enveloped Issei's member almost brought the duo to their peak too early.
There was no better way to signify the union the two now shared. Their bond already at the stage where it couldn't be broken. For Rossweisse, the feeling of utter satisfaction and content could not be achieved by mere rituals. This was what she dreamed about all this time. The perfect relationship that is forged not by vows, but rather by meaningful actions.
She leaned down and captured Issei's lips as she waited for Issei's member to fit inside her. Rossweisse was grateful that Issei had allowed her to be in control. He had given her the reassurance that she needed for her first time to be perfect and for that, she loved him even more.
Slowly she rose and slammed herself down again with a powerful moan that matched Issei's grunt in its intensity.
Issei palmed her breasts roughly, only adding to Rossweisse already mind-numbing pleasure as she continued to ride him.
They continued to work in perfect tandem, each complimenting the other's actions and enhancing the pleasure they felt.
"Ahhh Issei! I'm close!" Rossweisse wheezed as she struggled to increase her pace to reach her climax.
Issei growled ferally, his mind beyond reason before he began to violently thrust into Rossweisse.
Rossweisse arched her back, screaming in pleasure, as Issei brought her to her long-awaited climax.
As the haze of bliss that clouded her mind had finally been lifted, Rossweisse had collapsed on Issei – his hard member still inside her - panting heavily. "That… That was amazing Issei," She breathed out.
Issei smiled, his arms enveloping her in a tight embrace as he turned to whisper in her ear. "I agree. However, this is far from over,"
Rossweisse lifted her head to look at Issei quizzingly. "What do you mean? I thought you were worn out as well,"
Issei chuckled. "Not even close. My increased stamina is one of the perks of being turned into a Dragon by Ddraig,"
However, before Rossweisse could question him further, Issei had rolled them, bringing himself to the top while Rossweisse was now writhing beneath his hold.
"Now it's my turn," Issei teased before he removed himself from Rossweisse and slammed into her.
Issei continued to pound into Rossweisse with such force that it left Rossweisse on the edge of sanity as the haze of pleasure that fogged her mind earlier, had returned with even more intensity.
It didn't help that Issei had begun to suck on one of her breasts while he massaged the other one with his hand, eliciting even louder moans from Rossweisse.
"Harder! Do me harder Issei! Ahhh!" Rossweisse begged as she clinched Issei with her thighs and allowed his thrusts to reach deeper.
Issei complied full-heartedly, pushing himself to his limit while taking heed of Rossweisse's state.
Despite his carnal desires telling him to go harder, to show no mercy in his attempts to reach his climax, his rational mind had allowed him to remain aware of the Valkyrie beauty beneath him.
"Ah, Issei! I'm coming!" Rossweisse breathed out, her eyes half-lidded as she struggled to remain conscious.
Issei grunted, close to his peak as well. "I'm coming Rossweisse!" He grunted; his last thrusts even more intense.
Rossweisse gave no outward response except pulling Issei even deeper inside her with her thighs, giving him no choice but to finish inside her.
"Ahhh!"
"Ahhh!"
Both yelled as they simultaneously reached their peak.
"Wow," Issei breathed as he extracted himself from Rossweisse and collapsed beside her on the bed.
Rossweisse turned to look at Issei, her tender smile taking his breath away and causing his earlier resolve to harden.
If it meant seeing his loved ones smiling the same smile as Rossweisse did right now; one full of utter contentment, adoration, happiness, and fulfillment, then he would stop at nothing to achieve his goal.
Issei returned her smile, allowing his emotions to be on full display as the exhaustion slowly caught up to him and he allowed sleep to claim him.
(Lemon End!)
The next morning saw Issei sitting in his office with Rossweisse standing beside him, examining the newest intel he had received.
As Issei scoured document after document, his smile only continued to grow.
"Rossweisse, can you please summon everyone?" Issei asked.
The Valkyrie quirked her eyebrow, curious about the positive change of Issei's mood before she nodded and proceeded to leave the room.
Issei sighed as he leaned backward in his chair. 'What do you guys think I should do?' He thought.
{'I think you should tread carefully; you will have only one chance to succeed in it so you should not go rushing in looking for a fight,'} Tiamat advised.
['Screw caution! They kidnapped his mates! His unborn child! You should show them just why exactly it is unwise to mess with a Dragon!'] Ddraig roared, causing Issei to wince and grip his head.
'Will you shut up you crazy Dragon! You're giving me a headache!' Issei cried out.
{'As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted,'} Tiamat began, her tone cold enough to cause Issei to shudder. {'You should tread carefully. Your adversary will not be the common Devil or Angel, but rather their top ranks. People who you fought with and know you will use the knowledge they have of you to eliminate you and secure victory. I understand Ddraig's outrage, I feel it too. To have your offspring taken away from you without your consent and be subjected alongside his mother to unknown tragedies is something that no parent of any specie should ever experience,'}
Issei's eyes widened as he heard the sadness in Tiamat's voice when she spoke about his child. A sudden thought sprung to the forefront of his mind.
'Tiamat were you…?' Issei asked gently.
{'I was. I only found out after Ddraig had left. When I woke up in my human form with my bed filled with blood. The emotional distress that I felt by Ddraig's departure had been too much for it. I wasn't that far along; only a couple of weeks. But the feeling of loss never left me. The thoughts of what could've been always there, threatening to drag me into madness,'} Tiamat chocked as she spoke of her biggest tragedy, rendering both Issei and Ddraig completely speechless.
'Tiamat…' Issei thought sadly, however he knew that no answer will come. He had felt the block that Tiamat had placed on their connection.
['Don't worry Issei. We will go through this together. We may not say it, but Tiamat and I think of you as a son. This is why we think, despite what I said earlier, that you should be careful. You cannot think of the Three Factions in the same way you once did,'] Ddraig spoke, his voice somber.
'You're right. I cannot dwell on things that happened in the past. I cannot look at Azazel anymore and see my sensei. I cannot look at SIrzechs and Grayfia and see them as my second family. I cannot look at Irina and the rest and be blinded by the heartbreak and sorrow they had caused me. I shall look at them and see them for what they truly are. My enemies, the jailers that keep my loved ones, my unborn child locked away,'
['They think you a pervert with a broken heart and it is your job to prove them otherwise! Show them why it is unwise to involve a Dragon in the wars of men!']
Issei nodded enthusiastically when the sound of the door opening had caught his attention.
Rossweisse strode in followed closely by Kunou and Yasaka with Arthur and Bikou making the rear.
"Thank you for coming," Issei started as each member took his seat. He cast a glance at each of the occupants. He frowned when his eyes landed on Bikou and Arthur.
Issei sighed. "For those of you who I did not have the chance to speak to, I want to apologize for my recent behavior. I was foolish in thinking that I can handle this all by myself. I tried to push you all away so the same thing that happened to Vali, Kuroka, and Le Fay will not happen again to anyone of you,"
"Indeed, you were extremely foolish in thinking so. However, I am willing to forgive it as long as it won't repeat itself," Arthur said as he adjusted his glasses.
"Ya, you were a real dumbass Issei! You should've known we would like to kick their asses for what they did as well!" Bikou interjected.
Issei smiled, happy that his friends had forgiven him.
"So, why did you call us Issei? Rossweisse said it sounded kind of urgent?" Yasaka inquired, causing everyone to quiet down as they looked at Issei expectedly.
Issei coughed before he grabbed the same document that he examined before. "Right. It seems that we had finally received good news. According to our latest intel, the girls are held in a prison beneath the capital of the Underworld, Lilith,"
Everyone gasped as they digested the information. Each of them knew enough about the Underworld to know that their mission had just gotten a lot harder.
"Are you sure Issei? The intel can be wrong, or perhaps, a trap," Rossweisse cautioned.
Issei shook his head. "I am certain. I cannot tell you how or why I am, but you're going to have to trust me for the moment,"
"Anyway," Issei quickly changed the subject as he saw that almost everyone wanted to prod him further. "From what I understand, the prison is made up of old ruins that were discovered beneath the city a while ago and were converted into a prison. We can also expect the prison to be equipped with devices that will affect the magic of people who are not keyed in,"
"What about the guards? What shall we expect?" Arthur inquired.
Issei sighed. "From what I understand, the guards are made up of a combination of Devils, Angels, and Fallen Angels. We would also be very foolish to think they are normal guards. The intel suggests they had been specially equipped by Azazel and Ajuka Beelzebub with weapons and devices that take advantage of our weaknesses,"
Everyone frowned at Issei's words, their minds not taking long to comprehend their meaning.
"That's troublesome. We should prepare for weapons designed specifically against Dragons and Yokai at worst, and Longinus and Senjutsu disarming devices at the least," Yasaka said, her tone slightly nervous.
Issei shook his head. "We cannot take out Heaven and Asgard from the equation. Both of them had probably developed appropriate counters against Holy Swords and Valkyrie respectively. They know the makeup of our team; our members and their greatest strengths. They have most of the supernatural world's biggest brains working together to stop us and any other threat that will come after us,"
A heavy silence enveloped the room at that. The hope that each of the members held had dropped significantly as the reality of their opponents made itself known.
"So how do we proceed? By my calculation, our chance of being successful is rather slim," Arthur said as he adjusted his glasses.
Issei scanned the room, his eyes lingering on each of his teammates for a few seconds as if examining their reaction to the news. "We infiltrate the prison by any means necessary and if things go south, we fight our way in. If we can't damage them directly, then we should use the environment to our advantage,"
Yasaka quirked her eyebrow. "What exactly do you mean? Can we truly utilize the environment of the inside of a max-security prison?"
Issei picked a piece of paper from his desk and passed it to Rossweisse, who closest to him. "As my intel suggests, the prison was hastily created from ruins that were discovered beneath the capitol. They had little to no time to fully repair the ruins and enhance them to fit a prison's standards. Luckily for us, it means that most of the prison bar the holding cell where they keep Kuroka and the rest is brittle and in total disrepair,"
Arthur cleared his throat as he finished scanning the document. "I held my tongue as I saw that you did not wish to talk about it, and it was not overly important, but we cannot ignore what this document says," He began as everyone turned their focus on him.
"It is no intel of a mere supernatural that mans the prison and went rogue. This document specifies details about the prison and the involvement of each faction leader and their high-ranking officials that shouldn't be known to anyone but the leaders and their loved ones themselves. For the sake of our mission, we need to know who gave you that intel Issei,"
Everyone turned to look at Issei, who squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "She is a woman who I knew and befriended back when I was a Devil. She seeks to escape the clutches of her abusive husband,"
The girls gasped at Issei's admission while the guys dropped their head grimly. No matter which side you fought for, no matter the ideals you try to preach, no one should suffer abuse of any kind, especially by their loved one.
The group also recognized Issei's passion to rescue the woman, that most likely, cause him to think back on the emotional abuse he had suffered by the girls around him and saw the unknown girl as a kindred spirit that he can familiarize with at some level.
However, the girls knew what Issei and the other men didn't. The true extent that a woman could be abused especially by someone as close as a husband made them shudder.
A heavy silence settled on the room as everyone reflected on the information that was shared today by Issei and the situation they found themselves preparing for.
"Do we have a plan then? We infiltrate the prison and hope to finish this quietly, but also preparing for a full-on assault?" Yasaka questioned, trying to get a grip on the final plan.
Issei nodded. "That is the gist of it. We will try to cause a diversion that will attract any reinforcements away from the prison while we make our way in,"
"And who shall be responsible for said distraction?" Rossweisse asked.
Issei smirked savagely and turned to look at Arthur and Bikou. "I know just the right people for this task,"
The others matched his expression as they turned to look at the now sweating duo.
The meeting ended a short while later when Issei and the rest had finally managed to convince Arthur and Bikou to agree to their role in the plan. However, despite their agreement, you could hear them grumbling up until dinner had finally ended and everyone had gone to bed.
As Issei began to clear his table, lost in thought about the meeting and its outcome, he heard the familiar voice of Rossweisse whispering.
"We will get them back Issei and we will rescue the one who had provided you with the intel. You wouldn't settle for less, and that is exactly why I love you," Issei looked up and smiled weakly as he met Rossweisse' concerned gaze.
"We will be with you every step of the way. We will fight and bleed for you just as you had done for us,"
Issei smiled and palmed Rossweisse's hand in his own, squeezing it comfortingly.
They all knew the dire challenges that awaited them, but as Issei had come to realize at the hands of the girls who love him the most, alone they are weak, but together, they are invincible!