It was like a computer glitch. Like it couldn't decide what it was. The abomination of nature was human, until it was not. It took on a human shape again. No, that was wrong. It had too many eyes. Once again, it looked like a ball of sludge with tendrils and limbs and tentacles. And then once again, it was in human form. Still wrong, the face didn't belong there.

Despite the horrors that were shown in the room, a little girl with red hair was unfazed by the ugliness that she saw.

The beast gave up maintaining its human form and devolved into something out of myth, a six limbed primate with horns and wings.

"Aww, you almost had it," Rias walked up to the monster and patted its slimy arm, unable to reach its head which was five meters away. "You'll get it next time!" she said cheerfully.

"That's what you said last time," the beast spoke sadly, in the voice of a young boy.

Rias pouted. "You will accept my attempts to cheer you up!" she playfully punched the boy's arm with all the power of a kitten. Her frown turned into a grin. "Come on! Let's fly!" she hopped onto the beast's back, a pair of bat wings appearing behind her as she did.

The boy looked hesitant at first before nodding. He waddled on his six hands towards the exit of the room, careful to duck his head under the doorframe so Rias wouldn't bump her head. They passed by many servants in the long hallway of the Gremory house; many not minding the odd duo but a few casting wary glances. The hallway led to a balcony where the fresh air of the underworld greeted them.

"Now, my steed! Let us fly!" Rias commanded.

The winged beast roared and flapped its powerful wings.

"I am riding Zodd the Immortal!" Rias squealed as they took to the air at heart stopping speeds! If the two were human, they would have given their parents a heart attack at how fast they were going. "Let us go, Issei the Zealous! Forward, faster, higher!"

Issei, having been affected by the glee of Rias, sped up and flew up, up, up and away. They flew so high up that the large Gremory estate was merely a speck in the ground. Issei started gliding at this point, feeling that Rias had grown tired from the adrenaline of flying.

"Look, Issei, the capital of Lilith," Rias pointed at a large city which dwarfed the large Gremory lands, still visible even at this height. "One day, I will succeed my brother and become Lucifer. Then we will live there."

"Can I even live there?"

"Of course you can. By that time, you would have total control over yourself and could do many things! More amazing things than I can!" Rias grinned, her mind imagining all the great adventures they would go through.

"That would be nice," Issei said, smiling. All the doubts he felt earlier, disappeared and his heart felt light.

Griselda took a dip in the hot springs, a glass of cold red wine in her hand. She was naked as the day she was born, with only the steam to hide her privates. It was a midnight dip with the moon shining high above her. She had companions earlier, but they all left her to her lonesome.

Griselda reached for the bottle once her glass was empty and nearly spilled all of its contents into the water.

"Careful there," a voice she was well acquainted with spoke. Griselda glanced to her side. Issei carefully poured the red wine into her glass. He reached into his fancy magic portal and pulled a glass for himself. "May I?"

"Go ahead, you already have both in your hands," Griselda said.

"What a fiery woman…" Issei muttered to himself. A tentacle unwrapped his towel as he submerged himself under the water while pouring himself a glass of wine. Griselda silently thanked him for not showing her his sword. He took a sip from his glass and sighed in pleasure. "Wow, this is nice," Griselda nodded silently at that. "Mmm, I kinda like cold milk better."

Griselda silently disagreed.

"So, how is your vacation here?"

"I am not on vacation."

"Really? Doesn't seem like it," Issei said thoughtfully.

"Yes, holding back my trigger finger from exorcising all the devils and fallen angels is a chore."

"Yikes. Glad I'm safe as a tentacle monster," Issei commented dryly.

They sat in silence for some time, sipping their cold wine and basking in the moonlight. Issei yawned once or twice but didn't make any movement to leave. Griselda refilled her glass once more and enjoyed the silence.

"Being here, makes me realize that not all devils are bad," Griselda said.

Issei raised an eyebrow at that.

"That doesn't mean that they are without evil, they are very much evil. The things I have seen devils do…" Griselda trailed off.

"I believe that humans are more capable of more evil than devils are," Issei said. "The people that experimented on me weren't devils nor were they angels. They were human, pure humans with no devil blood. They weren't gods nor were they beasts. Humans," Issei scoffed. "Are the most evil beings to live."

Griselda sipped her wine. "Does that mean you hate us humans?"

"I… used to," Issei sighed. "But meeting Asia made me realize that not all humans are evil either. There are humans like Asia who are pure-hearted and will do good no matter what happens to them."

Griselda nodded at that.

"If anybody hurts Asia. They better pray that I won't find them in heaven or hell," the beast said.

Griselda sighed. The atmosphere had gotten pretty heavy. "Want to have a spar?"

Issei raised an eyebrow. "You've already drank… three bottles of wine."

"A warmup," Griselda said.

"Ehhh, fine. Let's go. It's been a while since I've had a battle," Issei rose from the water. He grinned. "By the way, if I ever beat you, do I get to grope your breasts?"

"In your dreams," Griselda took a sip from her red wine, a smirk gracing her pink lips.

"Better make my dreams come true then."

Issei was later beaten within an inch of his life by Griselda, one of the strongest female exorcists of the Catholic church.

(Meanwhile in Kuoh Academy)

Rossweisse looked in abject horror at the thing that littered her table. It was like, no, it was worse than Issei's many horrible tentacles! The thing glared back at Rossweisse as if mocking her.

Rossweisse… Didn't think this far. She fashioned herself a smart girl, one able to plan ahead! But not… This!

"Rossweisse," a calming feminine voice called out to Rossweisse. Rossweisse looked over her shoulder to see the principal of Kuoh Academy, a beautiful woman with hair so red it put the reddest tomatoes to shame. She was so beautiful, her features a mixture of mature and childish.

"Ah, Principal."

The woman chuckled.

"Having trouble?"

Rossweisse glanced at the thing.

"I'll take that as a yes," the principal giggled. "Want some help?"

"Well- I think I can- uhm- Yes please, Principal," Rossweisse stuttered with a blush.

"Why so formal? I told you to call me by my name."

"I don't think I can do it-"

"C'mon," the woman giggled like a little girl. "You're part of the family, Issei-chan's family. I don't mind~" she sang.

Rossweisse rolled her fingers over each other before calling the woman by her name. "Runeas Gremory-sama."

"Oh, dear, drop the '-sama,' " Runeas giggled. "And it is Hyoudou, my gosh, Gremory is a name I discarded when I made my son the head."