~ Sacred What? ~

Lint Sellzen arrived and was told about their plan. While a few more tweaks were added to the plan before they were content that it would go without a hitch. Of course, backup plans were drawn up and rendezvous points were made in accordance. It took them some days but they were finally ready. Operation "Kidnap Seir'' was in motion.

There were several troublesome things they had to prepare for before the actual kidnapping. With Mittelt stalking and observing Issei over the weeks, they had a grasp on his weekday schedule. Leave the house at 7:30 in the limousine, arrive at school between 7:45 to 7:50, stay in school until around 4 in the afternoon with his friends.

They couldn't kidnap him in his own home, traps and alarms were sure to be set. They couldn't kidnap him at school, that was just a death sentence. Taking him in the presence of his friends was risky; more people they'd have to go through with the troublesome brainwashing magic. If they were to ambush him while he was doing contracts, it would take too long staking out his clients. They had to do it while he was going to school or when he was going back home.

Making a limousine disappear in the middle of traffic was much easier than betting on the chance that he would be on his own outside of school. That said, setting up a magic circle that would silently make a limousine disappear in broad daylight was not easy. They had to pore over several tomes before they found the right ones to use. Even then, they had to tinker with the given formulas so they would work together on a limousine, not on a wagon. And they had to make two. One for the limousine and one for the destination.

Once that was done, looking for a magic that countered the Seir's iconic Time Stop was another beast they had to slay. Once again, they went over the magic books that covered Seir. There wasn't much to talk about. The Seir have been on good terms with the humans they interacted with and not many exorcists wanted to fight the Seir- since the Seir didn't cause much trouble for humanity or the church- and those that did died before they could reveal anything. In the end, they found nothing on that front.

Magic immunity and anti-magic were either very costly if one were to buy items that granted immunity, or extremely rare in the case of anti-magic users. So they had to resort to other means of containing Issei should he fight back: sealing magic. The Grigori weren't well versed in sealing magic, and Raynare and her companions were part of those ignorant of sealing magic, unfortunately.

It took a quick study and a troublesome set up before the sealing magic circle was in place. Of course, they had to manipulate the teleportation circle once again to accommodate for this, which took more than a dozen tries. Once all the preparations were made, the group gave a collective sigh of joy.

It had taken two weeks to set it all up. Human magic wasn't the Fallen's speciality.

Now, for the easiest part, getting Issei into the sealing circle.

It was a sunny day. Issei woke up as usual, had sex with his maids, ate breakfast, ate his maids on the table, took a bath, took his maids in the bath, then prepared for school. He got into his limousine, something he was starting to get used to, and was supposed to be driven off to school.

If it weren't for a pair of nuns right in front of Issei's door.

The older nun looked like she was about to knock on the door. She looked a little surprised when Issei opened the door but quickly composed herself. "Greetings, Issei Seir," she greeted with a smile.

Issei saw death. He activated his Seir eyes.

"Now, now, I'm not here to fight," she said in a passive voice. The older nun raised her hands. She smiled softly but her eyes were alert and guarded. She looked unarmed and was amenable but the warning bells in Issei's head told him to run. Run as far as he could. The holiness oozed from the woman, triggering his devil instincts.

Kurenai held a spear to the nun's neck while Haku had a magic missile aimed at the younger one. The younger nun was startled by the sudden hostility but the older one was unfazed.

"My name is Griselda Quarta, I am an emissary from the Holy Roman Catholic Church, sent by the Holy See. I wish for no bloodshed," she was unflinching despite the spear right under her chin. She didn't tense up, nor panic.

Issei knew if he just gave the word, Kurenai would skewer Griselda and the other nun with her would be blasted.

But something inside him told him not to. The presence that Griselda gave off was very different from the last stray priest that Issei fought. Issei felt paralyzing fear that seeped into his bones while he fought Freed. Like a lion was growling and licking its lips.

Griselda felt like a mountain loomed over him. It was as if no matter what he did, he wouldn't be able to scratch her face. While you could bring a gun to shoot down a lion, the metaphorical gun that Issei held did nothing against Griselda.

"Stand down Kurenai, Haku," Issei said. He was thankful that his voice didn't quake. He did his best to give Griselda a smile, "Would you like some tea?" he offered.

"We just came to greet you, there is no need for such things."

"I insist," Issei said. He was a Seir now, he should be able to handle affairs like this.

Griselda glanced at the girl who hid behind her. She looked back at Issei, she smiled. "Thank you and yes, we would love to."

Issei let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "Haku, please tell Hitsui to prepare some tea."

Haku bowed and departed.

"Please, come in," Issei said.

"Thank you," Griselda stepped into the house and Asia followed.

Issei led them to the living room. "So, Sister Griselda," he began.

"Just Griselda is fine," Griselda gestured to the blonde nun beside her. "This is Asia Argento."

Issei gave a smile to the timid girl. "Hello Asia."

"Buon giorno Senor Issei," Asia said as she performed a clumsy Japanese bow. She was pretty cute. Her cuteness felt like a fresh breath of air to Issei who still was a bit shaken by the overwhelming presence of Griselda. Asia's hair was beautifully blond and her eyes were like bright emeralds, wide with innocence and curiosity. It made Issei smile.

"Forgive me, you were saying?"

"Ah," Issei snapped his attention back to Griselda. "May I ask your reason for why you are here?"

"It may take some time, and I am aware that you still have school," Griselda said. "I just wanted to meet you ahead of time and to confirm that you were indeed a Seir."

"School doesn't start in…" Issei checked the clock. "An hour and a half, will whatever you will be doing need more time?"

"If things don't go as smoothly, I would say so," Griselda said. Their tea arrived, steaming hot on a tray. Griselda smiled at Hitsui. "Thank you."

Hitsui poured hot tea into the teacups of Griselda, Asia, and Issei. "A pleasure," Hitsui bowed and stepped back.

Issei thought of something and he cleared his throat. "Say, Griselda-san, what are you going to do for the rest of the day as you wait for me?"

"I could go sightseeing," Griselda answered. She had an eager look in her eyes, like an overworked salesman finally getting a day off.

With that observation in mind, Issei made a decision. "Understandable. You could accompany me to my school, and I'll leave one of my maids to show you around the place," Issei offered.

"Thank you. I'll be in your care."

" 'Easier part of the job' she says," Mittelt groaned. She was perched atop an electric pole. Her eyes were peeled for any signs from the Hyoudou residence.

"Relax," Lint Sellzen, the exorcist, said rather laxly. "Maybe he just got sick. Or they took a detour. There's always tomorrow." She had a relaxed attitude. "It's not like the magic circle is a timed one right?"

"..." Mittelt opened a communications magic circle. "Hey, Raynare, is the teleportation circle activated manually? … You're fucking with me right? … WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO MAKE A MANUAL TELEPORTATION CIRCLE?! ARE YOU STUPID? THAT WAS TAUGHT IN THE THIRD YEAR! ALSO, WTF DO YOU MEAN 'SAGAREL DOESN'T OWN DXD!' HEY I'M TALKING TO YOU! RAYNAREEEEE!"

A second communication circle appeared and Mittelt answered. "Mittelt here… I see… Kalawarner. Thanks." Both communication circles closed and Mittelt sighed, calming down after her burst of anger.

"So?" Lint asked, not at all concerned with her co-worker's outburst.

"Kalawarner made some final touches to the teleportation circle after Raynare finished it," Mittelt took a glance at the Hyoudou mansion. "Oh shit," she opened a communication circle. "They're on the move but not in the limo yet. And… It looks like a nun is with them. I can't identify her though. Her habit is blocking her face. Is she going to be a problem? … Alright… They just got in the limo and are on the way to school."

Lint checked her watch. "It's showtime."

Mittelt unfurled her wings. "See you at the warehouse."

Issei now felt quite relaxed in the presence of the Catholic nun. The holy energy that he felt coming off of her was still unsettling, but he could ignore it. That being said, it was a rather awkward silence in the limo as they drove to school. The cool beauty named Griselda didn't talk so she probably didn't feel awkward, but Issei felt like he had to say something.

"Um—" Issei was interrupted before he could say anything. The limousine's wheels screeched as it drew it a halt. Issei was tossed forward— barely just missing Griselda and her pillows. "What's wrong Hitsui?!" he opened the window that connects the driver and carriage in time to see a sword in the glass pointed straight at his eyes. "Crap!" he cursed and immediately jumped back. Issei reached for his weapon that he hid under his chair.

Griselda was quick to act and leapt out of the limousine. "ACTIVATE YOUR TIME POWERS, SEIR!" Issei joined her just in time to see a flash of light. He closed his eyes but poured magic power into them, ready to stop time as they opened.

Issei opened his eyes.

Time didn't stop. "Crap," he cursed. The magic energy that he had gotten used to felt frozen, unmoving.

What was the Maou-damned use of time stop if he can't use it when needed!? Dammit!

"I can't use magic!" he said to Griselda.

"I see."

It looked like they were in an empty warehouse. The whole place was dusty and the ceiling high. Chains hung from the hooks on the pillars and broken glass littered the floor.

Issei readied his sword with Hitsui between him and the white haired girl with a sword, halberd in hand. It looked like she couldn't use magic either. Griselda didn't get ready, either unbothered by the fact that they were surrounded or overestimating Issei's abilities to protect her.

"I shouldn't have left my sword…" Issei heard her mutter.

"Stand down, Issei Seir-Hyoudou," a female voice spoke out. She was standing on the second floor of the warehouse, on top of the rusty railings. A pair of black wings adorned her back, almost grandly. She was also dressed in a skimpy leather outfit that Issei found hot. "We're not here to fight."

"Maybe you shouldn't have kidnapped us then," Griselda said under her breath.

"We cannot say for now why we captured you, but this is of utmost importance," the woman continued. She flapped her wings once and gracefully flew down. She raised her hands in a surrendering motion. "We just came to confirm something."

"You're—"

"Yeah. Want a smoke?" the fallen angel asked, holding up a box of cigarettes.

Tomoe woke up to an unknown bed. She was alone and in a sleeping gown; she didn't wear this kind of clothing; her usual sleep wear consisted of shorts and a shirt. On the table next to her old clothes, dry and newly washed. Tomoe stood from the bed and walked to the door. She opened it to see a girl with white hair and an expressionless face in a maid outfit.

"Good morning," the maid greeted. "Would you like some breakfast, a bath, or me?"

Tomoe blinked twice.

"Issei-sama told me to greet him like so, I thought it applied to his guests too," the girl curtsied. "I am Haku, a named maid of the Seir house. Issei-sama told me to take care of your needs, if any."

"...okay…" Tomoe said uneasily. The only time she was served in her life was when she visited the Sitri main house. It was pretty uncomfortable for her. "Umm, what's the time?"

"It's nearly lunch. School started three hours earlier. It is suggested that you do not go though, your mental health isn't stable," Haku said. "Would you like breakfast, a bath, or–"

"I'll have breakfast," Tomoe quickly cut her off. "Thank you."

Haku's face flashed with disappointment but immediately turned into a poker face. "At once," Haku bowed and disappeared down the hallway. "Ah," Haku poked her head out of the corner. "Issei-sama said that you are free to explore the house and make yourself at home."

"I see, thank you."

With a final nod Haku left Tomoe on her lonesome.

Tomoe reentered the bedroom. It was a clean room that was fully furnished. A king sized bed, a bookshelf, and even a lounge set, all modern looking. Compared to the Sitri apartments, which were pretty minimalist, this place looked bright and cozy. Tomoe had also been to the Gremory apartments, which looked Victorian. The tastes of the individual houses showed, Tomoe mused.

After a quick bathroom, Tomoe took to exploring the rest of the mansion. She should have asked that Haku maid for directions or a map. She found herself in the recreation room face to face with a nun.

"Hi?" Tomoe greeted

The nun timidly waved at her.

Now what was Hyoudou-kun doing with a member of the church?

The nun looked vulnerable and harmless, making Tomoe drop any guard she had put up. Her golden hair looked so pretty and her leaf green eyes radiated kindness and meekness. "Who are you?"

"I'm Asia Argento," Asia said with a soft smile. "I'm surprised you can understand Italian."

"It's a power us devils have. We can understand all languages and speak it too," Tomoe smiled. Ah, she caught herself smiling. It can't be helped, the girl named Asia was just so sweet even though they just met. "Oh, excuse me, I'm Tomoe Meguri," Tomoe bowed.

"Good morning, Ms. Tomoe," Asia copied Tomoe's Japanese bow. "If you're looking for Mr. Seir, he went out to school earlier."

"It's okay. I'm not looking for Hyoudou-kun, I mean, Seir-kun," Tomoe said, correcting herself. "Can I ask?"

"You are free to ask," Asia tilted her head cutely.

"What are you doing here, in a devil's house?"

Asia smiled an uneasy smile. "Well, it's a long story," her eyes looked sad and made Tomoe want to backtrack.

"I'm sorry! You don't have to say anything!"

"It's okay. It's nice to have someone to talk to," Asia's smile shrank a bit but was still a bit uneasy. "I think it's better if we sit down. It's a long story."

"So, let me get this straight," Issei spoke. Chairs were provided for him and his companions (but they weren't allowed to leave the circle) while the fallen angels also brought their own chairs, except for the white haired swordswoman who leaned on one of the cement pillars of the warehouse. "Your higher ups decided I was a threat and so commanded you guys to assassinate me."

"That's right," the fallen angel who was the crew's leader affirmed.

"But you feel like they were lying and so planned this thing where you kidnap me. If you find that what they're saying is true, then you go ahead and kill me?"

The man in the fedora grinned and Issei felt the hint of bloodlust in his smile.

"But if they're wrong!"

"We'll let you live."

"Why don't we just kill them, Raynare?" the man in the fedora asked.

"Shut up Dohnaseek," the gothic lolita chick snapped at the man who merely rolled his eyes.

Issei cracked his knuckles. "Let's get this over with then. The faster we get this done, the sooner I could get to kick your collective fallen asses and get to class," Issei said. "I'm running late to classes as it is."

Raynare raised her eyebrows at Issei's ballsy declaration. He was outnumbered and outmatched and he had the balls to say that he was kicking their asses? Ha.

"Let's begin then," Raynare stood. "Issei Seir, take the most powerful pose you could imagine."

Issei nodded and stood up also. He spread his feet and lowered his center of gravity. Issei's cheeks flushed pink. It was a bit embarrassing doing this in front of a lot of people but it had to be done. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

Raynare's eyes widened in surprise. "Is that pose—?"

"Yes," Issei said. "This is Son Goku's Kamehameha pose."

"Pfft! Kya-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! That's so stupid!" the gothic lolita cried with tears in her eyes.

"Sh-Shut up! It's the most powerful pose!"

"It's stu-pid~!" she continued laughing.

"That's enough Mittelt," Raynare commanded but not without her own amused grin. "Continue on. Now that you're in that pose, it would be like pushing out a power within yourself."

"Don't you need to disable the magic sealing barrier for this?"

"Hn. You'd just stop time and slit our throats," the fallen angel in the red business suit finally spoke. Issei found her to be hot. Very hot. Her office skirt was very very short, revealing her very nice and sexy legs, and had holes in the sides— like what were those holes for? Did she take inspiration from Shirakami FBK?

Issei grinned and shrugged. "I'd never do that to such beauties," his eyes darted to the man in the fedora. "I'll have no qualms about killing him though."

"You're free to try," the man grinned.

"Flattery will get you nowhere," the fallen angel said.

"Can we get on with the awakening of the Sacred Gear already?" the swordswoman groaned. "I wanna see it already!"1

"Sorry about that," Issei said reflexively and retook Son Goku's Kamehameha pose. He ignored the snickers of Mittelt. Pushing out a power huh? How to do that? The magical power that Issei was used to feeling felt frozen. Maybe that wasn't what Issei was supposed to look for. Pushing out a power…

Was it like shitting?

Issei took a deep breath. "Kaaaaaaaameeeeeeeehaaaaaaaameeeeee—" There it was! "HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

[Boost]

Issei's eyes opened to see a red gauntlet with an emerald gem in the center. Power coursed from his left arm to the rest of his body. It also felt hot. Very hot. It was like his arm was on fire but it didn't burn.

"The Boosted Gear…" Issei heard Griselda mutter.

"Boosted Gear," Dohnaseek said. A spear of light appeared from his hands like he was Dark Mole from Tar Wars. "Shall we kill him?"

Issei didn't know what this Boosted Gear was but it felt dangerous. He brought it in front of him and pointed at Dohnaseek.

"Don't!" Raynare stood in between the two and raised her hands. "This is the Boosted Gear! Not Annihilation Maker! Kokabiel lied to us!"

"Very well," Dohnaseek let the spear of light disappear from his hands.

"Issei Seir," Raynare turned to Issei. "I, on behalf of the fallen angels, apologize for this inconvenience," she bowed her head.

"I accept your apology," Issei spoke. "Now may we go?"

"Yes. Please," Raynare said. "Kalawarner, Dohnaseek, open the warehouse doors."

"I'd like to share a drink with you again, if possible," Issei said.

Raynare smiled sincerely. "That would be nice."

Issei entered his limousine and collapsed onto the chair once the door closed. Maintaining the confident mask earlier was stressful and had taken a toll on him mentally. His knees were close to knocking on each other and his fingers were sweaty. Taunting the fallen angels was, in hindsight, something stupid.

"Issei-sama, what should we do about the broken window?"

"Drive us away from the warehouse first. I think I can fix it."

"Yes, Issei-sama," Hitsui said as she stepped on the gas and slowly exited the warehouse. Issei's clock eyes started ticking in reverse and the glass window glowed a gentle yellow. The glass floated back into the windshield and resettled themselves, good as new. "Directions?"

"School," Issei said weakly. "Time reversal takes a lot of magic power huh…"

The rest of the trip went silently.

"Was it wise letting them go?" Dohnaseek asked Raynare as they prepared the teleportation to go back to the Grigori. Although they had agreed on this course of action earlier, Dohnaseek was having… second thoughts. That Griselda woman was bad news. What was a top exorcist doing with the Issei Seir?

Raynare glanced at her comrade. The reason they were in a hurry to let Issei go earlier was because the tensions were rising. She felt that if they kept Issei a little longer, a fight would inevitably break out.

"Kalawarner, I need you to go back to Issei Seir," Raynare ordered. "Wait for him at the school gates if you have to," Raynare felt like slapping herself. "The Catholic Church should not get their hands on the Boosted Gear."

"I'll go with Kalawarner!" Lint raised her hand and Raynare nodded, permitting her to go.

"Don't drag me down," Kalawarner said as she unleashed large, black feathered wings. She grabbed Lint by the hand before casting a cloaking spell on the both of them. She flapped her wings, sending a strong gust of wind as they took to the skies.

The Church allying itself with the Seir? And the Boosted Gear to boot? That couldn't be good news…

Raynare's stomach felt like a pit as she remembered the lies of Kokabiel.

Not good indeed.

Issei went through classes as usual. He had ordered Hitsui to drive Griselda around the town and accommodate her. He also apologized to Griselda for earlier and for being unable to entertain her. The nun didn't mind and went along with Hitsui for the time being.

Issei knocked at the student council's door. "Come in," came Sona's voice.

"Good afternoon Sou-chan!"

"Stop calling me Sou-chan."

"Never," Issei grinned.

Sona sighed and looked away from her beloved paperwork. Her eyes bored into Issei. "Is this about the two nuns?"

"Yep."

"They came to you, so they are your guests. If you're looking for advice, go to your beloved Rias," Sona's concentration went back to the stack of papers on her table.

"I feel like I'm relying too much on Rias though," Issei scratched his cheek with a sheepish grin. He gently laid his hands on Sona's desk. "Please, Sona-chan."

Sona's pen stopped for a moment. She fixed her glasses that were slipping from her nose and glanced at Issei. "You can do it."

Issei gave her a wry grin. "Thanks for your confidence."

"Screw up, I mean. You're gonna screw up."

"Thanks for your confidence," Issei rolled his eyes. "See you around."

"Nn," Sona hummed as Issei closed the door behind him.

Issei walked the hallways of Kuoh Academy. "Looks like I'm going to have to bother Rias-senpai again…"

And so he went to Rias. Issei knocked on the Occult Research Club doors and waited as the people inside shuffled around. Akeno opened the door with a gentle smile on her lips and her violet eyes hidden. "Ara ara, greetings Issei-kun. What brings you here?"

"Good afternoon Akeno-senpai!" Issei grinned. "I'm actually here to talk to Rias and ask for some advice."

"Let him come in, Akeno," Rias called out. Akeno bowed her head a little and stepped aside to let Issei inside. Issei was greeted by the sight of a couch destroyed and the Gremory peerage cleaning up the mess. Rias smiled without any look of guilt. "What are you here to talk about Ise? Sorry about the mess, we had an unwanted visitor. Would you like some tea? Akeno, please prepare us some tea. Ah, it wouldn't be good to talk here, let's go somewhere else."

Issei sweatdropped. The "mess" must've cost thousands of yen and was reduced to a pile of foam, cloth, and wood. And that was Issei's favorite couch to sit on whenever he visited here… Issei flicked his stray thoughts away. "Yeah, sure."

Rias clapped her hands. "Splendid!" she stood up from her chair behind the desk and walked to the center of the room's magic circle. Issei joined her in a bit and they were gone a few seconds later in a flash of light.

Issei wobbled when the light faded away. He still hadn't gotten used to teleporting! It still made him pretty sick to his stomach. Once the dizziness disappeared, Issei looked around to see that they were in a rather spacious bedroom, much larger than his own. Much brighter too.

The walls were painted creamy white and the pale blue curtains complimented them. Rias opened the glass doors to the balcony and the windows too. She walked to her dresser and pulled out some casual clothes, a jogger and a loose shirt.

"I should turn around," Issei said and looked away.

"You can look, I don't mind," Rias said with a teasing voice. "You've had quite a good long observation the other day while I was asleep."

"Eh? EH?! How do you know that?!" Issei, in his surprise, turned around and immediately saw Rias pulling down her panties with her top wide open. He was mesmerized by the sight of her large breasts bouncing ever so slightly as Rias unhooked one foot before the other. His throat felt parched and he unconsciously licked his lips. It wasn't until Rias was dressed in her pajamas that the spell on Issei was broken.

"You're drooling," Rias commented.

"...thank you for the show," Issei said as he wiped the saliva running down his mouth before it dripped.

Rias laughed. "Koneko told me you were looking at me as I slept," she sat cross legged on the bed and watched in amusement as Issei turned fifty shades of red.

Akeno appeared from the magic circle in the room, carrying a tray with tea and biscuits. She set it down on the coffee table and bowed to Rias and Issei. "Is there anything else?" she asked as she raised her head.

"Nothing. Thank you Akeno. You can stay with us if you want," Rias said as she crawled off the bed. She strolled to the teapot and poured two cups of tea, waiting for Akeno's reply before she poured a third.

"I shall take my leave then. Kiba and Koneko need help cleaning up the mess someone made."

Rias stuck out her tongue as Akeno disappeared in another teleportation circle. The moment struck Issei as cute, a side of Rias that he hadn't seen before.

"Why are you smiling?"

"I just thought you were cute," Issei said shyly.

"Mnk—!?" Rias nearly spat out her tea. Her face was red and she coughed a bit. Issei made a move to pat her on the back but Rias raised her hand, showing that she was okay. Rias exhaled and got back her cool but her face was a little red, from embarrassment or from choking? Issei didn't know. "What makes you say that?"

"Rias-senpai is usually cool or hot. It's just that you looked cute," Issei said with a small blush. Rias' blush was stronger between the two though.

"W-Well," Rias coughed into her fist. "Thank you… Nobody has called me cute in a long time…" she said under her breath. Rias took a sip from her tea. "What were you going to ask?"

"About that," Issei began. He explained that an exorcist named Griselda Quarta had visited his home with a young nun named Asia Argento. Asia had a Sacred Gear named Twilight Healing. Issei then talked about his encounter with the Fallen Angels and what transpired there. He spoke about his Sacred Gear and, to his surprise, called it out without needing the whole "Kamehameha" pose— which Rias wanted to see, to Issei's embarrassment. Summoning the Boosted Gear was like flexing a finger to Issei but, like his finger, didn't come with any detailed instructions on how to use it. By the time Issei finished, Rias was massaging in between her eyebrows and the tea had gone cold.

"So not only are you a Seir but the wielder of the Boosted Gear also," Rias sighed as she chugged the tea like it was a can of beer. She gently set her teacup down and stood up. "Wait here, I'll get something."

Issei gave Rias a thumbs up. "What does the Boosted Gear do, exactly?" Issei asked as he admired the red gauntlet with its golden spikes and giant emerald jewel.

[Boost]

The Boosted Gear spoke. Issei was getting tired of hearing it go [Boost] whenever he summoned it so he kept it on hand. It would still go [Boost] every ten seconds though, since that was the sixth boost and a minute had passed. Issei tried to clench his fist, like he was grabbing something.

[Explosion]

Issei felt a burst of power and his eyes widened. Magical power as well as physical power surged through him. His whole body felt like it was on fire. The power was a burning sensation that made him feel like his muscles were bursting with adrenaline. Issei smiled. It felt good. Better than sex.

…

Maybe not as good as sex.

Issei, in his excitement, stood up and paced the room. He threw an experimental punch.

BOOM

The wall that he was facing shattered into smithereens.

"That…" Issei spoke breathlessly. "That was fucking awesome."

Rias burst through the doors with rage in her eyes. She was ready to fight, claws out and fangs bared.

"Uhhh…" Issei came down from his high. "Sorry about that."

Seeing that there was no enemy, Rias calmed down. Her eyes stared at Issei then the broken wall then back to Issei.

"I'll repair it!" Issei said. His eyes glowed yellow as time went backwards, reversing the damage done to the wall. Within seconds, the wall was as good as new. It amazed Issei. It didn't leave him exhausted like it did earlier and the reversal of time barely took away from the magical power coursing through him at that moment.

"That's pretty handy," Rias said as she inspected the unbroken wall. She then turned back to look at Issei. "Now, may I ask, what were you doing?" she said with a bright smile that seemed dangerous. Maybe she was still ticked off that Issei had broken her wall?

"I felt…" Issei looked at the gauntlet. "Power."

Rias nodded in understanding as she spun around to pick up the book she had dropped when she entered. "That makes sense. That is the Boosted Gear," Rias flipped through the book's pages before settling down on one and handing it to Issei. "Its innate ability is to double the user's power every ten seconds," she said. "I would assume it doubles both your physical and magical powers."

"It does," Issei said as he scanned the pages that were opened to him. "This is… pretty OP. Woah…"

"It is," Rias said as she sat cross legged on the bed.

[Reset]

The gauntlet announced as it disappeared, taking the power it had given Issei away. Issei didn't will it to disappear but it was more of an automatic thing. The power that was welling up within disappeared and was replaced by tiredness that Issei wasn't expecting.

"Now I assume that wasn't all you wanted to talk about," Rias asked as she sipped her steaming hot tea. Issei wondered how she had heated up her tea but remembered that magic existed. Kinda ironic when he had just blasted a wall and fixed it back up within seconds.

"Yeah," Issei spoke. "Could I ask you to watch over me as I speak to Griselda Quarta?" he scratched his head sheepishly. "I might do something wrong and cause an international mess or agree to something I might regret later on…"

Rias mulled over it for a bit. It made Issei a bit nervous but he made no expression to show it. Rias set down her teacup once again and folded her hands over her ankles. "Sure," she said with a smile. She held up a finger. "But you owe me one.

"I feel as if my debts to you are gonna get me buried," Issei murmured.

"Ah-ha-ha-ha!" Rias laughed. "I'll be sure to cash in on them before you get buried Ise."

"Thank you, Rias-senpai. For listening to me and everything," Issei bowed.

"You don't have to thank me. This is what senpais are for isn't it?" Rias gave Issei a thumbs-up. "Just call me or text me when you're going to start. I think I'll want a little sleep," Rias yawned. She gave Issei a flirty smile. "Would you like to join me?"

Issei debated with himself. Should he?

"Sure," he said and started removing his blazer.

"Sleep only, okay?" Rias said as she also started undressing. "Ara? Why are you putting your blazer back on?"

"I said that to see if it would fluster you," Issei said as he averted his gaze.

"Ara? Fufufufufu," Rias giggled. "You hoped to catch me off guard? But it seems that you're on the back foot now, Ise-kun."

"Fine… Let's sleep together."

"Are you su~re?"

"Yes," Issei said as he also undressed. His face was flustered though, making Rias giggle.

"You're so cute Ise," Rias teased. Her eyes went to his private parts and she cupped her chin. "You're pretty big huh."

"...sorry about that."

"I don't mind. I'm flattered that you find me attractive, honestly," Rias said, "Your little one is saluting me," she giggled.

Issei wondered why he allowed himself to be teased like this.

Issei was able to sleep, surprisingly. He woke up to the most beautiful pair of tits he had ever seen though. Now, Issei wasn't one to compare… BUT! Rias' breasts looked amazing. In all honesty, it made Issei act up. Issei fought down his boner but he couldn't tear his eyes away from Rias' beautiful "eyes".

"You're staring."

"I'm being respectful."

"Very respectful I see."

Issei tore his eyes away from Rias' pink eyes and looked into her aqua blue ones. She had an amused smile on her face. "I would ask if you like what you see but I already know the answer."

Issei simply nodded and turned back to observing Rias' second set of eyes. Rias sighed and got up, interrupting the zen that Issei had achieved.

"Well then, shall we see this Griselda Quarta of yours?" Rias asked as she buttoned up her school blouse.

"Sure," Issei said as he copied Rias and put on his school clothes.

"Don't sound so disappointed."

Issei pouted while Rias grinned smugly. Once he was done dressing, Issei sent a message to Hitsui to bring Griselda back to the house as soon as possible. He waited a bit more for Rias to finish before he casted a teleportation circle to bring them to his basement.

The yellow colors enveloped them and transported them to Issei's house. "You're good at this now," Rias complimented.

"Thank you," Issei smiled with a bit of pride.

Issei guided Rias to the elevator that took them to the ground floor. There they found Tomoe and Asia talking with Haku waiting on them. Tomoe stood up when she saw Issei and Rias. Asia followed Tomoe's example, not wanting to be disrespectful to her hosts. Rias gave Issei a raised eyebrow but didn't comment on Sona's Knight being here.

"Welcome back, Issei-sama," Haku said without emotion.

"Whale comeback, Issei-sama," Asia copied, not knowing what Haku was saying but thinking it was to show respect. It made Issei chuckle in amusement at the poor girl. She nearly copied exactly what Haku said… nearly.

"Issei, I'm assuming you don't have the ability to automatically translate, do you?" Rias asked.

Issei thought over what Rias said. "...excuse me, what?"

"Asia, please speak in Italian," Rias told the nun. Asia spoke. Issei didn't understand. "Did you understand her?"

"No," Issei shook his head.

"That's unfortunate. It may be that your devil blood is too low," Rias said.

"Does that mean you understand Asia?"

"I do. She also understands what I'm saying, don't you Asia?" Asia nodded to Rias' question.

Issei sighed. "Oh well…" It was an unlucky thing. He won't be able to communicate with Asia while the other devils could. A huge loss, and Asia seemed like a very sweet girl too…

"Uhm, Issei-san, thank you for yesterday," Tomoe said, getting Issei's attention.

"Oh, how are you doing Tomoe-san?"

"I'm doing better, thank you."

"I'll ask you what happened, later," Issei said. "I'm going to be having a meeting with an exorcist," never in his life did Issei think he would be saying that. "If you're all good now, you can go back to Sou-ch— Sona, you can go back to her," Issei didn't see Tomoe's downcast expression when he mentioned Sona's name. He had already turned away to look for a good place to stage a meeting.

The best place looked to be the dining room. Issei didn't want his precious collection to be caught in the crossfire, even though he felt that the chances of that happening was low. Issei asked Haku to find Kurenai and get her to wait on Tomoe and Asia since Issei would need Haku's help.

Issei received a message from Hitsui that they were five minutes away from the house. Issei, not wanting to be sweaty, took a quick bath. He emerged from the bath in three minutes' time, but thanks to time stop, he had been there for fifteen whole minutes. He put on some new clothes and was ready for Griselda right as she entered the house.

"Greetings, Griselda-san."

"Hello again, Issei Seir," she casted a side glance at Rias. "I'm assuming that's the Gremory heir?"

"You would be right to assume so," Rias spoke up.

"Hello, Gremory, if I may be honest, I would be aiming for your head right now if I were not on a mission of peace. Your brother has caused us trouble everywhere we look," Griselda said rather pointedly.

"Ha, you are free to try. The Catholic Church would be bringing the wrath of both Lucifer and Sitri upon itself."

"Indeed, I would rather avoid that. Innocent blood mustn't be shed at all costs."

"As if you hypocrites are without innocent blood on your hands."

"Those sects that have shed innocent blood are indeed hypocrites and have been cut off from the Catholic Church. Is it not written that murder is prohibited? Yet you devils would eat unborn babies," Griselda clicked her tongue. "Repent and receive salvation, there may be some hope for you yet."

"Can we get back on track here?" Issei asked. He had gotten uncomfortable at the killing intent that Rias and Griselda were releasing. He glared at the two with his clock eyes. "There will be no fighting in this house."

Both girls calmed down and lowered their killing intent.

"Now that you two are calm, can we start?" seeing that there were no other negative outbursts, Issei continued. "Griselda-san, Rias Gremory," he made sure to use her full name for formality, "she will act as my advisor in this meeting, I hope you do not mind."

"I don't. I find it wise that you, a younger devil, is seeking the advice of an older one," Griselda said with half a glance at Rias.

"Very well, let us begin," Issei said. He wanted to sigh. Keeping up this mask of coolness and formality was annoying him. He wasn't a cold hearted politician dammit! With those thoughts in mind, he sat down. Rias followed suit to his right while Griselda took the opposite side of the table.

"I have come as an emissary from the Catholic Church and only the Catholic Church," Griselda stressed that part. "We have come to the Seir Pillar in asking for a contract," Griselda paused and pulled out a scroll case. She opened it and pulled out a tied piece of paper. She pulled the sting then unrolled the paper. She read from the paper:

" 'A promise of non-aggression between all parts of the Catholic Church and the Pillar of Seir, the cooperation of the Seir when the Church calls upon them for help, the Seir's military aid if ever the Holy See is in dire straits, and the restoration of every holy item that the Seir has in their treasury.' "

Issei interlaced his fingers and laid his elbows on the table. "And what is in it for me?"

"The Holy Maiden, Asia Argento."

Rias' eyes widened but she said nothing yet, letting Issei think things out.

"Why?"

This question surprised Griselda and Rias. They both expected Issei to be eager to get his hands on another maiden, being the incubus that he was. Defiling a pure maiden should've been an easy bait for any incubus, not to mention the Holy Maiden.

"Why are you willing to trade your Holy Maiden? Isn't she holy?"

"There is a reason for this, Issei Seir," Griselda began. "She has the power of healing and has used this blessing of God to heal a devil," Griselda's face was cold and no emotion showed. "She has committed a heresy, a blasphemy. Devils shouldn't be healed, and definitely not with the blessings of the Lord," her stone face didn't falter. "We are using her to bargain with you because the Catholic Church has excommunicated her."

"Look, Griselda-san," Issei said, his blood boiling with rage. He tried to keep a cool head. He didn't want this. "As much as I want to make an alliance with the church. I think it is wrong to use an innocent girl as a bargaining chip."

"Think about it this way, Issei Seir," Griselda tried to reason. "The church plans to burn her on a stake for witchcraft and heresy."

Issei's eyes widened in shock before turning red in anger.

"This way," Griselda continued, seeing that she had Issei's attention. "You would be able to save Asia and you won't have any catholic exorcists that will attack you or Kuoh while you preside over it. Your conscience would be clear, your harem increases by one and you have the Sacred Gear Twilight Healing with you. That is a huge boon, is it not?"

Issei's eyes were still filled with rage but had cooled down a bit. He snarled. "Tell me Griselda-san, what is stopping me from killing you on the spot and saving Asia for myself?" His brown eyes turned yellow and black clock symbols appeared in them with the Seir's insignia in the center. He was ready to activate time stop at Griselda's slightest movement.

[Boost]

"In that case, I not only offer Asia but myself," Griselda did something that she would never have thought of doing and bowed her head to a devil. Issei was taken aback. "You will have my undying loyalty as well as a peerage member."

Rias' jaw dropped.

~ Author's Rant ~

Bet you guys weren't expecting that huh? Honestly, neither was I. It just wrote itself. Ah, dammit. Now I gotta reorder the peerage I already planned out…

Please read and review. Join the Discord server too while you're at it and drop a hello at #sagarel devil. We're currently in the middle of a waifu war, so you guys should come in and reinforce the frontlines. ( discord. gg/5TaUq3brxa)