"Remember…"

Issei looked in the standing mirror and saw Mitsuki behind him with her arms crossed. She wore a black sweater and white pants that went up slightly above her waist. Mitsuki had worn her hair down today. It was understandable. While he was going on his first date, Shin and Mitsuki were going on theirs.

From what Issei had known, the two had been engaged since childhood but had only recently began going out. It didn't help that… Mitsuki had a slight obsession with Shin and slight was putting it kindly.

"Don't say anything weird to her."

Issei nodded.

"Remember. Reality. Porn. Porn is not reality."

Issei nodded as he fixed his collar.

"Don't come on too strong. If you do, she might get weirded out and you can kiss a second date and a relationship goodbye. That being said, don't be aloof either. This is a first date. You're supposed to get to know each other, not fuck each other." Mitsuki nodded at her own words.

"I got it already, Mom!" Issei said, giving her a dry stare.

"Anyway, I'll be waiting outside. And make sure you put on some cologne! Do you want to smell like your room for your date?" she said.

"What's wrong with my room?" Issei asked.

Mitsuki gave him a blank stare, causing Issei to sigh. "Fine… I'll borrow some of Dad's."

"I guess this is the best I can do."

"I'm surprised Shin hasn't broken off the engagement."

"He's my boyfriend. I'd die without him," she said with a straight face. Her eyes became dull and hollow.

"It's really scary how you can say something like that so casually."

"Just go get the cologne!"

Crap crap crap! It's past 7 AM! The date is at 10!

Issei rushed out of the house, opening the front door violently. He ran to the front gate of the house and kicked the door open, panting and sweating slightly. He placed his hands on his knees and stood there to catch his breath. It was way too early to be running out of the house like this, especially with how much Mitsuki had worn his stamina down just by lecturing him.

"Ah, the man of the hour."

"Hah? You're sweating! Shin, get me the deodorant."

"Pfft…"

Issei looked up and saw Shin, Mitsuki, and Rias standing at the gate of his house. Wait…

"S- Senpai!" Issei stumbled back, almost tripping before Mitsuki caught him by the arm and pulled him up.

Rias smiled in greeting. She was dressed differently than how she normally dressed at school. Her hair was in a ponytail and she wore an oversized pink hoodie that reached down to her mid-thigh. Underneath, Issei saw as he was falling that she wore short, white shorts. It appeared that Issei had been blessed with a rare sight. The sight of Rias dressed like a hikikomori.

"Good morning, Ise. And please drop the formalities. We're friends now, right? Just call me, Rias," Rias said, smiling warmly at him.

"Ehehe," he laughed in a dopey manner. That angelic smile made his knees feel like jelly.

"S- So, you come here often?" Issei asked.

Mitsuki slapped her forehead while Shin struggled to contain his laughter.

"Sometimes. I'm mostly here to visit Mitsuki's younger sister, Satsuki," Rias said.

"Eh? You know Sacchan?" Issei asked.

"Mmm. We're pretty good friends. I've known Satsuki since before Kuoh," she said.

"Eh? Really? Wait, Mii, have you known Rias since before Kuoh too?" Issei asked.

"It's not something I parade around. She's really annoying." Mitsuki crossed her arms. "Especially her damn fan club."

"W- Wow! Thanks for looking after our Mii! I know she can be high-strung and overbearing sometimes and she can act like your Mom but she's a really cute girl! I still can't believe Shin tolerates dating her- Oof!" Issei doubled over when Mitsuki rammed her elbow into his gut.

Rias giggled into her hand, watching their interaction. It eerily reminded her of her and her brother's. She felt a twinge of annoyance enter her heart whenever she thought of how her older brother acted, despite his position.

"Don't you have a date to get to?" Shin asked.

"Oh, right… I gotta get there-"

"This early? My, my, is this your first date, Ise?" Rias asked.

"Y- Yeah. I gotta get this right! This might be my last chance at experiencing a high school romance!" Issei said, clenching his fist.

"Well then…," Rias reached into the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a small leaflet. She handed it to him.

Issei took the paper and saw a strange symbol drawn at the center along with a single sentence - "Your dreams will be granted" - written at the top.

Mitsuki's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, and she shot Rias a look.

"This is a good luck charm. I made it myself," Rias said.

"Eh? Senpai- I mean, Rias did?" Issei quickly corrected his wording when he saw her face fall slightly.

"Mmm. This will guarantee a successful date for you. I'll be rooting for you, Ise," she said.

"Ehehe, thanks. I don't know what to say," Issei said, rubbing the back of his head with a blush on his face.

"You can thank me later by introducing me to the lucky girl. What a shame. If she hadn't moved sooner, I might have tried my chance at you. You're really cute after all."

C- Cute!

He remembered that such words existed but he never knew it could apply to him. With her encouraging words in mind, Issei bowed deeply and ran off down the street, even more determined to make the date a success.

The three watched as Issei rounded the corner before Shin turned to Rias.

"Hmm, pretty sneaky. Handing him a summoning pamphlet," Shin said.

"Yeah, what was that? I thought we reached an agreement yesterday," Mitsuki said.

Rias shrugged. "I never intended to reincarnate him. This was just me wishing him good luck and… it's insurance."

"Insurance?" Shin quirked an eyebrow.

"Mmm. There's still that Stray Devil running around town. It's only right that I give him something to keep him safe. Don't worry. I've changed the formula on that pamphlet to only activate when Ise's in danger."

"Rias, you're really annoying but I get your point."

"Aw, was that a compliment, Mitsuki?"

"Ew, gross. Don't hug me."

"By the way…" Rias looked at the two.

"What?" Mitsuki asked.

"Aren't you two going to go on a date today?"

"Yeah, our date is going to be stalking Issei on his date." Shin nodded proudly.

"Yeah, basically what he said," Mitsuki agreed.

"Eh… isn't this a violation of privacy?" Rias watched as the two walked past her.

"No, because… like you said. There's a stray devil running around."

"I don't think that's… and they're gone."

Rias watched as Mitsuki grabbed Shin's shoulder and vanished from the spot before her. She shook her head in exasperation before vanishing in a flash of red light.

Today was the day. Issei had planned everything with Shin's help the night before. First, he managed to procure tickets to a movie that everyone had been watching recently. It wasn't a rom-com as those weren't out. However, he hoped with everyone's mutual love of superheroes, she would at least enjoy the movie. After that, they were going to get lunch at the local cafe that just opened up in the shopping district.

Next, Issei was going to take her to the mall to go window shopping or actual shopping. He had been lifting some light weights yesterday to get ready to carry whatever she bought out of the mall. And finally, Issei was going to have dinner with her somewhere before going to the park to watch the sunset. That last part was a bit corny but Issei felt proud of himself for coming up with that part of the plan.

He took a deep breath. He had arrived to this date prepared and with the attitude of a super virgin guy. "I got here three hours before she did. I counted over 300 girls with glasses. I can do this. I can do this. I can do this-"

"Ah, Ise-kun! I'm sorry! Did I make you wait long?"

Issei turned around and saw Yuuma walking toward him. She wore a medium-length black dress that went down to her knees with a pink button-up crop top. She looked slightly out of breath, indicating that she had ran here.

"Don't worry, I also just got here," Issei said.

Yeaahhhh! I always wanted to say that… wait a minute… haven't I already said this? Issei thought. He shook his head before holding his hand out toward Yuuma.

The girl smiled and took his hand as the two proceeded on with their date.

"Wow…"

Mitsuki sat at the edge of the rooftop, eyes focused on Issei and Yuuma. "Did you hear what he said?"

"I did but that's not the problem," Shin said, gripping the concrete. Cracks began to spread across the building's concrete rail as he focused his eyes on the woman Issei was with. There was no doubt about it. If he noticed it, Mitsuki would notice it soon after.

"Are you talking about Issei's date?" she asked. Her violet eyes turned into a blazing shade of red as she focused on Yuuma.

"Yeah, you can tell?" he asked.

"She's not exactly hiding it. And it's not like Issei can tell. He's not trained like us," Mitsuki said, "But to think that they would be so brave to draw him out in the open and trick him like this."

Shin felt a gust of wind blow over him as demonic power began to leak out of his girlfriend.

His skin began to tingle from the growing amount of static in the air. He placed a hand on her shoulder, causing her to calm slightly. Shin winced slightly. Her aura burned his hand.

"So?" Shin asked, crossing his arms.

"We can't do much out here," she said. "Too many people. Too many eyes. And I know for sure… there's no way we can avoid a fight if we get involved with the girl now. Or…"

"Or?"

"She's going to use Issei as a shield to make us look crazy at first before…"

"Hmm. It seems like this girl is playing all her cards just right." Shin placed his foot on the railing before leaning forward.

"For now. We just have to wait. I have no doubt that she's going to do this somewhere where no one is. Less people to silence. Less magic to cast. Zero chance of being detected by the people in this town," Mitsuki said.

"So? Stakeout date?" Shin asked.

"You read my mind clearly. We really are meant to be together," she said.

Issei had no idea he was being followed. And he had no idea of what his friends knew. He only knew one thing and one thing only. It was that having a girlfriend was amazing. Issei never knew that one girl could make him feel so loved and wanted. Not that he wasn't already, it was that familial love was different from romantic love.

Issei had entertained the idea that he would be forever alone multiple times. That was until Yuuma came into his life and quite literally stole his heart. However, even with all that, whenever he was around her, he couldn't get rid of this sense of foreboding he had in the back of his head.

"This is the life."

He sat in the chair of the cafe after watching the movie with her. He had many opportunities to make a move on her during the movie. It seemed like luck was on his side that day because Yuuma had grabbed his hand and held it. He smiled and looked down at his left hand.

"I'll never wash this hand again. By the way… what's taking her so long?" he wondered.

Yuuma had gone to the bathroom to freshen up. Maybe he should begin ordering for them? Issei didn't know what kind of desserts she liked so he figured he would order a lot.

"Ah, Aniki."

"Yo, Issei."

His heart stopped momentarily. Issei mechanically turned his head to see Mitsuki and Shin standing behind him.

"Fancy seeing you here," Mitsuki said.

"Looks like we both had the same idea," Shin said.

"E- Eh? Guys! What are you doing here? Did… Did you follow me?" Issei asked.

"What? Ahaha! Of course not!" Mitsuki said, laughing nervously.

Issei crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. He turned to Shin. "Did you guys follow me?"

"No." There was no telling if he was lying or not. The man always had a cool, almost expressionless exterior that was offset by his eccentric nature and tactless comments.

Issei narrowed his eyes before sighing. "Look, if we really just ran into each other then…"

"Ah! Ise, sorry for making you wait! Have you started… ordering? Huh?"

Issei stiffened up when he heard Yuuma's angelic voice behind him. "Y- Yuuma!"

Yuuma blinked and turned to the two newcomers who had suddenly appeared during their date. A brief look of annoyance graced her features before she put on a smile. "Are these your friends?"

"No! N- No!... These are… sc-"

"We're his childhood friends. We're not scammers," Shin said.

"Mmm! We just happened to be on a date and ran into Issei here!" Mitsuki chirped. "What a coincidence. Do you mind if we sit down and have lunch with you guys?"

Yuuma's smile became slightly strained. "No! Of course not, I don't mind at all. Ise talks a lot about you two."

Shin and Mitsuki took the seat across from Issei and Yuuma. The two couples sat in brief silence before Issei raised his hand and began ordering. Thankfully, the two didn't do anything to embarrass him. However, they were extremely interested in his girlfriend. Too interested. And the questions they asked seemed like something out of an interrogation.

And so, Issei's date had inadvertently become a double date. He had to think of a way to shrug them off. Otherwise, sooner or later, the two would spill state secrets to Yuuma. Secrets he would absolutely die to protect.

However, shaking them off was harder than he had thought. The two followed him everywhere. When they were at the clothing store, Shin also suddenly had to try on new clothes at the same time as him.

It was like his parents were standing over his shoulder, watching every move he made and everything he said.

And so, the day was almost at an end.

The sun… it's setting. I need to ditch these two and fast! Issei pulled his phone out and scrolled until he found Akane's contact. He typed a few quick words to her before smirking victoriously.

"So, where to next?" Mitsuki asked.

"I was thinking about going to-"

Yuuma was interrupted when the sound of Shin's ringtone was heard. Shin raised an eyebrow before reaching into his pocket and pulling his phone out.

"Onee?" he said.

"Who is it?" Mitsuki asked.

"It's Onee."

Shin answered the phone and almost immediately was blasted with his older sister's yelling. He nearly dropped the phone and stumbled back in surprise. The anger in her voice was palpable and even the others who couldn't hear it felt a feeling of dread slither down their spines.

"I can't believe you! You're following him and now you have the audacity to show up to his date unannounced!"

Damn it, Issei! Shin thought.

"Put Mitsuki on the phone right now!" Akane yelled.

Shin shakily held out his phone to Mitsuki, who took it and put it up to her ear.

"U- Um? Aka-nee?" she said fearfully.

"And you! Mitsuki! I told you to help him! How is he supposed to learn and grow from this experience if you keep babying him like some mother hen! This is Issei's date and-"

"W- Wait! Aka-nee, I can explain-"

"Explain what? How you and my brother barged into Issei's date and basically turned it upside down?" Akane asked furiously.

"Onee! Let us explain," Shin said, trying to placate his older sister.

Akane went silent. After a few seconds, she sighed heavily across the line. "You have 10 seconds," Akane said.

"Yuuma is a Fallen. She asked Issei out on a date as a pretext for whatever she's going to do!" Mitsuki said.

"A Fallen? Odd, I didn't sense any entering town. Are you sure?" Akane asked.

"101%, Onee. She's not exactly making an effort to hide herself. I'm pretty sure if you could, you can probably feel her energy," Shin said.

"..."

"Onee?"

"I can feel it. It looks like… you guys got duped too."

"Duped?" Mitsuki turned around and saw the spot where Issei and Raynare used to be only to find it completely empty.

"Did they just…?" Shin asked.

"Yeah," she replied.

"Issei, where are we…?"

"S- Sorry! Wooh!" Issei slowed down to a halt. He had managed to distract and lose them completely. He bent over, placing his hands on his knees as he gasped for breath. It was worth getting a little sweaty if it meant getting away from them.

Yuuma looked at him worriedly, rubbing circles on his back.

"Sorry, we just… needed… to get away!" Issei took in a sharp exhale as he straightened himself. "Man, those two can be clingy."

Yuuma laughed slightly. "But it's nice to have friends that care about you so much, right?" she asked.

"Yeah." He smiled softly at her words.

"Come on. Let's go. There's somewhere I want to go to as a last stop on our date."

Yuuma blinked in confusion for a few seconds. "Last stop?"

Issei nodded.

The two walked down the street as the light of the setting sun fell upon them. He stole glances from Yuuma as she walked next to him. The sweet smell of her perfume. Her voice. Her long silky black hair and her very large breasts. She was the package. And on top of that, she was nice to him.

Rias's good luck charm is working! he thought.

"We had a lot of fun today," Yuuma said.

"Yeah, even if it had a few hiccups, it was a really great day. The best," Issei said, adding it as an afterthought. Issei swallowed. The sunset made her look very beautiful.

Now… huh?

He felt her hand brush against his own. A blush appeared on his cheeks. This was another opportunity given to him by God.

T- This is my chance! He took the initiative and held her hand.

She was a bit surprised by this action. Her cheeks reddened even more and she curled her fingers around his.

Issei felt like he could die happy. He held hands with a girl who wasn't Mitsuki, his Mom, Akane, or Yozora. This was it. It could not get better than this was what he thought.

I did it! Take that universe! Time to graduate from being a pervert to being a full-blown member of society!

As he thought this, he felt Yuuma's hand let go and saw her run ahead of him slightly. She stopped in front of the fountain, facing him with her hands behind her back.

"Say, Issei, do you mind doing me a favor to commemorate our first date?" Yuuma asked.

She began to inch closer toward him, making every step seem calculated and deliberate.

Issei's mind began to race. Was this it? He prepared everything when Shin and Mitsuki weren't looking. He took some mints. Steeled his mind. He fought to keep his hand from clutching his chest. His heart was racing… but… something about this was familiar.

"W- What is it, Yuuma?" he asked, trying to keep his voice deep and calm.

Her kind smile twisted into one full of malice. The hairs on the back of Issei's neck immediately stood on end. His muscles stiffened and his body went on auto-pilot.

"Will you die for me?"

"Eh? Huh? W- Wait, can you repeat that… I think my ears are…?" Issei's eyes widened. That overwhelming sense of deja vu again.

Yuuma's twisted grin widened as she began to transform. Her clothes tore off, revealing her bare chest to Issei's eyes.

His eyes widened upon the sight but even his happiness at seeing real breasts for the first time faded as fear began to overtake his body. Her clothes were like that of an exhibitionist's, leather straps covering her important bits but leaving most of her skin exposed. The sky became different. A violet kaleidoscope of colors began to cover the twilight sky.

Wings…?

"!?"

"Will you die for me?"

"This date was so…"

"Fun. It was nice being…"

"All lovey-dovey with a child like you."

These words. He had heard them before. But that was impossible. This was his first time meeting her.

"Raynare…," he whispered. The name popped into his head.

However, she didn't hear his words.

"I'll treasure this gift you gave me, Issei. So please… die now." A pink light manifested in her hand and coalesced into the shape of a jagged spear.

In one swift motion, Issei saw his death coming. An unavoidable attack that should have pierced his liver. It should have.

Yuuma's eyes widened considerably when her spear hit nothing but concrete, piercing the ground with high force.

Issei had jumped out of the way in the nick of time, only escaping with a deep cut on his arm. He winced and gripped his now bleeding left arm, while staring at Yuuma with terror in his eyes.

"Huh? You dodged that? I guess you got lucky," she said, twirling the spear in her hand. "You won't get lucky next time!"

She lunged forward and thrust the spear.

He could see it. Her movements. While they were a blur for him, his body could make it all out. As if, he had experienced everything before.

Issei moved out of the way, escaping with nicks and small cuts on his body.

All the while, Yuuma began to grow increasingly frustrated. There was no way. This human child was avoiding her attacks for the most part.

"Stay still and die will you!" her calm facade fell and gave way to rage. Her speed changed and Issei could no longer track her. She blurred and appeared in front of him, causing him to stumble and fall back.

She grinned and thrust her spear forward, intent on impaling Issei through the chest.

A loud clang caught both of their attention. Yuuma's spear had been thwarted by the flat of a black and red blade.

"Wow, Issei. I didn't know red was your favorite color because your date is one giant red flag."

"S- Shin!"

Shin grinned at his best friend, holding the spear back effortlessly with his sword. In one swift motion, he parried her weapon and kicked her in the midsection, sending her flying through the fountain.

"W- What…?"

Was Shin always this strong? No… he was… even back then! Wait, what am I even saying? Of course, he is. Aka-nee is his older sister, Issei thought.

"Insolent… human…"

Yuuma burst from the tree line, wings spread and face contorted with fury. "I'll kill both of you!" she screamed. Several spears of light manifested around her and she threw them toward Issei and Shin.

"O- Oi! Shin, we better-"

"Stay behind me."

Huh!?

Shin grinned. His grip around his black sword tightened and an ominous red flame began to engulf the blade. In one swing, he sliced all of the spears, detonating them all at once.

"A H- Holy Sword wielder? Here? Our data never said anything about a holy sword wielder being here!" Yuuma raged.

"This should take about… I dunno, five minutes?" Shin said, brandishing his Holy Sword.

"F- Five minutes…Heh, you're really arrogant for a human. I guess I'll kill you and Issei and take your holy sword then. I wonder how much Lord Azazel will thank me for retrieving one," Yuuma said, forming several more spears of light.

"Heh? Alright then," Shin said. He snapped his fingers. Several bubbles coalesced together, forming into floating futuristic pistols.

The two began to fire off attacks, each one canceling out the other. Shin remained calm and composed as his bullets effortlessly shattered each one of Yuuma's light spears.

Yuuma, despite growing increasingly frustrated, managed to summon a grin.

"Hey, human. You might be good but do you think you can defend your friend forever?" Yuuma asked.

"Eh? What do you mean? I'm keeping all your flimsy attacks from reaching him right?" Shin said.

"Khh… but did you really think I'd work all alone?" she said, creating a massive spear of light.

"Same could go for you." A red flame-like energy coated Shin's sword once more.

Issei watched in awe as Shin swung the heavy blade with one arm, cutting the sky in half along with Yuuma's massive light spear.

The explosion lit up the entire park, sending battering winds that knocked over a few trees.

"Heh… now! Die!" Yuuma yelled.

Shin's eyes narrowed when he felt a presence appear behind him and Issei.

Issei felt a massive looming shadow laced with murderous intent. He turned around and saw a man with a fedora, dressed in a trench coat bringing a blue spear down toward him.

"And… I also said the same goes for you," Shin replied calmly.

Issei closed his eyes but for the second time that day, heard the clang of metal clashing with metal. He slowly opened them to see Mitsuki standing in front of him, holding back the light spear with a pitch-black and red katana.

"What are you waiting for?" Mitsuki yelled, looking over her shoulder.

Issei stared at her in shock.

"RUN!"

Her shout snapped him out of his stupor and he began to sprint away from them.

"No! No!" Yuuma gathered light into her palm, preparing to blast Issei into oblivion when a gust of wind blew past her. It took all of her battle experience to barely block the weight of the attack. Her arms almost snapped as a result and she saw her light spear beginning to crack underneath the force.

He's human but he's so strong…!

Her violet eyes stared with growing fear into Shin's glowing blue right eye. Shin swung his blade, shattering her spear and sending her stumbling back.

He landed on the ground with the grace of a cat.

"Issei's gone, Mii. Looks like we don't have to hold back anymore."

A translucent light blue aura began to manifest around Shin. Blue pixels and black sparks of flame accompanied the aura. The aura began to grow brighter and the ground began to physically shake from the force.

"Ah. Looks like… we don't need to anymore." Mitsuki's eyes turned red and a burst of red energy exploded from her body, sending the male-winged individual back into a tree.

"D- Dohnaseek! Kill her!" Yuuma yelled.

"Easy for you to say, Raynare. These two are…"

Dohnaseek grimaced. This was a High-Class Devil and her companion.

"Now." Mitsuki slid her katana back into its sheath and lowered her stance. Her eyes glowed brightly and a surge of power equivalent to that of Shin's shook the park. "Let's finish this."

Issei stumbled and paused to look behind him. The entire park just shook as lightning exploded from the area where his friends were. He clenched his fists. Yuuma was… something. No, her name was Raynare. He didn't know how he knew it. He just did.

He desperately wanted to go back and help them but as he was, he would only be in the way. Mitsuki and Shin. They had powers. They kept it hidden from him. But why?

No! Issei, now's not the time to doubt them. Right now, we need to get out of here! he thought as he sprinted toward the gate of the park.

The gate was within his sight. Hope welled up inside him. He was going to make it out of this nightmare and wake up the next morning. After all, that was the only explanation for what this was. This was nothing but a horrible dream.

And then, Issei heard the sound of something traveling at high speeds entering his ear, followed by intense agony.

"G- Gaahk…"

Blood fell onto the pavement. His blood. Issei looked down and saw a yellow spear extending from his torso. There were bits of tissue and flesh stuck to its jagged edge and a trail of blood slowly made its way down the spear's body.

"Ghhkk!" Issei raised his arm to grip the spear and pull it out, however, it faded into nothing. He fell to the ground, face first. His blood pooled out from under him.

"Hmph. I should've known Raynare and Dohnaseek were going to mess up."

Issei managed to turn his head, despite the pain to look up. Another woman was there. She had navy blue hair and wore a v-neck coat top that exposed an ample amount of cleavage. He was able to see up her skirt but… even if he knew the color of her panties, what was the point if he was going to die now?

Mii… Shin… save me…

Issei begged internally.

"Oh? You're still hanging on? I guess you are tougher than you look, Sacred Gear Wielder," the woman said, crouching in front of him. "It's too bad. Had Raynare thought another way, you could've been our little toy. It would have been nice… seeing you break. Oh, well."

She raised her hand and created another light spear. "Time to die, little boy."

Issei closed his eyes and waited for her final blow.

Shin and Mitsuki's backs touched as they fought back-to-back against the two Fallen Angels.

"How much time?" Mitsuki asked.

"Three minutes," was his reply.

"I guess we have to finish this then," Mitsuki said, holding her sword in a long tail stance. She took a deep breath before rushing forward toward Dohnaseek.

Dohnaseek stumbled back, surprised by her sudden increase in speed. He desperately tried to make a light spear to run her through with, however, he never got to.

In one instant, Mitsuki shot past him, blade swung upward in a diagonal motion. Dohnaseek's hand landed in front of her, splattering blood all over the ground.

"W- Wha…?" He looked down at the stump where his hand used to be in shock. "What just…?"

Slowly, his head slid off his neck and fell to the ground with a wet slap. Blood spurted from the stump, sending a shower of red mist into the air. His body walked forward, clawing at the air for a few seconds before crumpling to the ground.

"D- Dohnaseek! You monsters-!" Raynare screamed.

"You should pay attention to yourself." Shin's voice entered her ear.

When did he? she thought.

He appeared behind her, swinging his dark sword to wipe the blood off its blade.

"W- Wha…?" Raynare felt something warm trickling down her body. She looked down and saw a massive diagonal cut going from her collarbone down to the middle of her stomach. Blood leaked out of her mouth as she fell forward, falling to the ground.

"I- Impossi… Lord A- Azazel, I won't f- fail…" she crawled forward, attempting to escape from Shin, who turned around and followed her slowly.

Mitsuki blocked her way, looking down at her with her disdainful crimson gaze.

"Fallen Angel Raynare. It's over," she said.

Raynare bit her cheek before letting out a laugh. It was clear that she wasn't going to make it. Not against these two monsters before her. However, she was going to win.

"I… didn't come… alone," she said in a quiet, raspy voice.

"Mmm? What does that mean-" Mitsuki's eyes widened in horror. "Aniki…"

"Ahaha… did you really think I would go on this… alone knowing that this town was occupied by Gremory?" Raynare rasped.

"Shin!"

"I know. Go! You can teleport to Issei faster. I'll be right behind you!" Shin said.

Mitsuki nodded and vanished from her spot in a blur.

"She's… too late…," the dying Fallen said as she extended her arm one more time before falling silent.

Shin looked down at her with disgust before taking off from his spot in a blur of speed.

Mitsuki appeared in the air where she saw a blue-haired woman with a golden spear in hand. But what she saw next made her see red. Issei was lying on the ground in a pool of his own blood. A massive hole could be seen on his back, exposing his crushed and severed spine along with his other organs.

"Raaaaggh!" Mitsuki roared, catching the blue-haired woman's attention. She reared her arm back and threw her electrified sword at her.

The woman smiled before disappearing in a flash of light.

The sword cut through the air, slamming into the trees, earth, and eventually the park wall and road behind it.

A shallow trench was carved deep into the Earth in front of Issei.

"No! NO! Damn it!" Mitsuki landed on the ground and ran toward Issei. "Aniki!"

"Mii…"

Mitsuki slid to a stop in front of him and gently turned him on his back. His chest rose erratically and his gasps became agonal as he tried to inhale more air. She gently laid his head on the ground as tears began to stream down her face.

"No, no, no! You gotta stay with me! You gotta stay awake, Aniki!" Mitsuki yelled, placing her hands over his gaping wound.

"Mii!"

"Shin!"

Shin slowed to a stop when he saw Issei bleeding out in front of him. His body unwillingly stiffened. He stared at Issei for a moment that to him, was like an eternity.

It's like back then…

"Shin! Snap out of it! Help me get him stable!" his girlfriend's voice entered his ears, snapping him out of his stupor. He nodded and rushed forward, placing his hand above hers.

"Damn it! I don't know any healing magic. At this rate, we're going to…"

"Shut up! I'm not letting him die!" Mitsuki yelled, interrupting him. "There has to be… none of us know healing magic. I need to-"

"Mii. Shin… it's okay…" Issei smiled at them.

"Shut up!" Mitsuki yelled. "I'm not letting you die!"

"Don't die on us, Ise! Now's not the time to be saying dumb shit!" Shin said, reaching into his pocket. "Come on… Come on… there has to be a talisman that can work."

"Hurry!" Mitsuki urged.

"I… Mii! Your Evil Pieces!" Shin said.

Mitsuki's eyes widened. She waved her hand, summoning a magic circle. She reached into it, pulling out a box. It opened, revealing a full set of chess pieces. 1 Queen. 2 Knights. 2 Bishops. 2 Rooks. 8 Pawns. Mitsuki hastily grabbed a Pawn piece and placed it on Issei's chest.

"By my name as [Dantalion], I order you to be reborn as my servant upon this mortal world. Be delighted by your life, my [Pawn]!" she chanted.

"What…? Nothing's happening," Shin said.

"I said it right! I… don't tell me."

Mitsuki began to place more Pawn pieces on Issei's chest, repeating the same chant over and over again until she used all 8. "Why isn't this working? Is he worth more than 8 Pawns?"

"Mii…" Issei rasped.

"No! You gotta stay awake!" Mitsuki urged.

She began to try the other Pieces until all she had left was the Queen.

"Please…let this work!" she prayed.

"Mii, he's not… breathing," Shin said.

"Tch! I don't have much time. I have to resurrect him before a reaper comes and drags his soul to the Afterlife," she said.

She gently placed the Queen Piece on Issei's chest. Upon contact, the piece began to emanate a soft violet light.

With hope renewed, Mitsuki held her hand out. "By my name as [Mitsuki Dantalion], I order you to be reborn as my servant upon this mortal world. Be glad and rejoice in your renewed existence, my [Queen]."

A large violet magic circle appeared underneath Issei. The circle rotated as the piece began to slowly sink into his body. The gaping wound around his chest began to close up, stitching itself back together in a morbid fashion. Within a few seconds, the violet light faded and the two sat there with Issei upon a pool of blood.

"Shin…?" Mitsuki asked.

Shin placed his head against Issei's chest, straining his hearing for something. His eyes widened in relief when he heard it. "I hear it… heart beats but it's weak. And he's breathing. He's just unconscious."

Mitsuki nodded. She reached into Issei's pocket and pulled out the leaflet. "Tch, so much for this. It's triggered to go off when it senses an influx of unknown demonic power from its surroundings. No wonder it didn't go off. She prepared this with our intel…"

"It's not her fault. She didn't know," Shin said.

"I know."

She tore the paper in half and threw them both in the air.

"I summon thee to grant my desires, oh Devil of Gremory."

A red magic circle appeared in the air as the two halves dissolved into a shower of red particles. Rias appeared, hovering slightly above them for a few seconds. She was dressed in the same outfit she wore this morning, only she had a white headband holding her bangs back.

"You have called upon me, haven't- Eh? Mii? Shin? I- ISE!?" Rias landed on the ground and ran toward them, seeing the three in a pool of blood.

"Rias! Help us! Now!" Mitsuki begged.

"E- Eh? What happened?" Rias asked, kneeling down and touching her fingers to Issei's neck. She breathed a sigh of relief. There was a pulse.

"I… reincarnated him…"

"You what!? What happened to him living a normal life!?"

"Just help us out. He needs to be healed. We'll explain on the way," Shin said.

Rias glanced over at the black-haired boy and then down to Issei. Her heart clenched slightly. She didn't know why. He had gripped her feelings so tightly with his smile even though this was the first time they had met and yet, it felt like they already knew each other. That overwhelming sense of Deja Vu.

Her hand tingled slightly as she placed her hand on him.

"I need to get him somewhere safer. Once we get there and I have him healed up, I want you two to explain everything," she said.

Shin and Mitsuki nodded gratefully.

Rias snapped her fingers, summoning a large red magic circle underneath her.

The four of them disappeared in a flash of red light, leaving the damaged park behind them.

Shinku Furude

The childhood friend of Issei and son of the Furude Clan.

A skilled yet laid-back man who comes across as a strange person who messes with others.

In this journey through worlds and through time, he has never once ceased seeking the path his sister once took, even after all has reset.

And in this final Neshamot, his footsteps tred onward, seeking the path of Severance until he severs all in his way.

[]

Mitsuki Adashino

The childhood friend of Issei and daughter of the Adashino Clan.

A competent and intelligent woman, yet can come off as quite headstrong and naive.

In this journey through worlds and through time, her blade has never stopped swinging even after everything has reset,

In the final Neshamot, she will keep fighting until she becomes nothing but a living blade