Chapter 18
Issei´s bedroom in their mansion - a few hours earlier
Issei and around half of his harem were currently having what could only be called a wild orgy.
Right now he was having sex with Raynare, Rias and Asia at the same time...
... quite literally.
To say it more precisely, it was Issei in his original body, along with five of his psychic clones he had formed with his powers. Who were right now touching, embracing, caressing and fucking the three girls from all sides.
It was actually not the first time he had done something like this. But it was the first time he used more than one or maybe two copies at once. Normally so many copies would have been hard to coordinate mentally. But since they were all doing essentially the same things, it worked out.
They were all in different positions.
Raynare was still partly clad in the highly erotic dress that she had worn during their last mission. Only that it was now mostly hanging loosely around her body. She was sitting on top of Issei´s real self on the edge of the bed, who was thrusting hard into her pussy, while one of his copies was standing behind her, doing her from behind.
Asia who was naked except her white stockings was on the other side of the bed, sitting in the lap of one Issei-copy and riding him with her slim butt, while another was fucking her from the front. The two Issei´s were holding her small body carefully and gently between them as they sandwitched her, but they didn´t hold back on her lower parts.
And Rias, wearing black lingeries with her slip pulled down and her large breasts hanging free and two Issei copies kneeding them, was on the floor sitting on top of one Issei, riding him, as a second one was thrusting into her ass.
All three girls were moaning with every movement and were letting out small shouts.
Issei´s original self meanwhile saw and felt everything what his copies experienced. His original body just came inside Raynare. And he walked over to the other girls. He left her in the arms of his copy.
He bend down to Rias and kissed her on the mouth.
"You - ah, really needed to build off some stress, do you? Ahh!" Rias asked him with a grin, while his two of his other doubles were still fucking her.
"Well - I admit that," Issei replied smiling back.
He truly to let go of all the stress weighting him down. That´s why he was doing this to this extreme. Not that any of his girls complained.
"But I also thought about the possibility that not all of us might be around for much longer," he said with a gloomy tone. "So I wanted to do this as long and as much with all of you as I can."
"I - Issei-kun, Ahh - please don´t talk like that. We will not die - Ah," Asia said between moans.
"Yes - we will not... Please trust us," Rias told him.
`Not like Gaeriel.´ None of them said it loud.
But this was not how Issei had meant it, not right now at least. While he indeed feared loosing them, right now he was more thinking about the risk to himself he knew he would possibly take soon.
A minute later Irina and Murayama opened the door. Having obviously sensed what was going on.
What they saw did not really surprised them, except the number of Issei copies.
"Ah come in," Issei greeted them. "I was hoping you would come too."
Issei materialized one more clone, who pulled the two more girls inside.
Issei´s real self draw Murayama into a kiss and touched her breasts and her butt.
"I see you are back to normal Issei," Murayama said with a sly smile. "And obviously trying to make up for lost time. I was already worried that my favorite pervert from school was not longer himself anymore."
"Don´t worry," he said. "I was just a bit distraught after all what happened. We all were. But I am back. Besides, you never complained when we did it, right?"
"No - certainly not," Murayama replied smiling.
Issei grabbed beneath her clothes and begann to message one of her breasts with one hand and slipped the other into her pants.
"You girls have become quite the perverts yourself, haven´t you?" he said.
"We certainly have," Murayama replied once more. She started to moan as well. "And I could hardly not become one with all the time I spend with you and the other girls." She grinned.
Issei´s copy meanwhile pushed Irina unto the bed and begann to open her blouse and lifted her skirt up to caress her breasts and legs.
"Issei-kun," Irina said. "Are you... feeling better?" she asked him.
Issei flinched for a split second, his original body and his copies at the same moment.
But Irina noticed. They all did.
"A bit," he said. "I am still somewhat afraid. Afraid that we will fail, that we all will not make it," he admitted.
"But that is one reason more why right now I want to do it with you all like there is no tomorow. Do you have a problem with this?" he asked her
"A problem?" Irina replied. "I would have proposed the same thing, if you hadn´t."
She grinned and kissed him wildly.
Irina too had come a long way from the `innocent´ schoolgirl and Church Warrior she had been over two years ago.
They continued like this for a while.
xxx
As Raynare, Rias, Asia, Irina and Murayama woke up again, Issei was not longer there with them. Not just not in the room or even the mansion, they could not find him or sense his energy anywhere.
They had no idea where he was, but they had a good suspicion what he was trying to do.
xxxxxxx
DxD Universe 1 - the Dimensional Gap - now
Issei, clad in the black combat-gear that he and his team were normally wearing when they were expecting battle-situations, had come here together with Ophis, after she had suddenly appeared in his room and given him her offer to assist him in what he had planned.
He had come with her to the Dimensional Gap, where they both met with Great Red.
Here he was now, sitting on the surface of a large rock resembling an asteroid, that Ophis had just formed. Floating in the endless emptiness.
Ophis, still in her human form, was sitting a close distance in front of him.
With Great Red, in his true form of a giant Dragon, standing close by.
And here, with the two Dragon Gods before him, Issei had begun the process that he knew would be the next great step in the evolution of his power... and maybe to his own doom if it did not work out.
xxx
The Final Step, as many beings including the elder Guardians called it.
A dangerous physical and mental transformation, from a physical being - supernatural, yet still purely physical - with immense powers, to a super-entity of pure power that can switch between physical form and pure energy at will.
The term `Final Step´ was not entirely correct though. He would still be able to grow stronger after it. Through training and experience like all beings.
But for too many who came to this point it truly had been the last step. They would completely loose themselves and destroy everything around them.
Ophis and Great Red however would assist him and Ddraig and guide them through this process.
And if he should end up the same way like so many others, if he should loose control of himself and his mind, they would be the ones to destroy him before he could harm anyone else in that state. And since they were in the Dimensional Gap, the chance of him destroying anything before that was simply not there.
So they had done anything to reduce the risk.
This had been Ophis offer to him and to that Great Red had agreed as well.
xxxx
Issei did not trust Ophis. Not at all. It was well known that she wanted to kill Great Red and take back the Dimensional Gap all for herself and did not care about the means or about any consequences at all. The best example was that she had founded Khaos Brigade and let them run amok without any regard.
And who knew what else what could also be on her agenda by now.
But given that he and the others would have to face Darkseid again soon (and that the other and elder Gurdians were, as it looked, currently occupied with the Dark Order and other cosmic disasters), this was probably the best chance they had.
Besides, Great Red himself was here as well. So even her intended murder-victim was willing to cooperate in this case with Ophis plan. And by all Issei knew about him, the other Dragon God was for the most part trustworthy, even if a bit detached from the rest of the world.
xxxx
"By the way," Issei asked him directly, "why are you going along with this? I mean Ophis is trying to kill you?"
"I am not doing this because I want to help her." Great Red scoffed. "But she had told me what happened in this other worlds. Better said she had shown me her memories," he said.
"And if beings like this Darkseid or Thenis would invade your world, especially with an army of Demons behind them, it would not be good for anyone."
Issei already knew that Ophis had not only watched their fight with Thenis, but also the one with Darkseid... and only interferred when it looked like he would be killed instead of just others.
"Aside from that, you are an interesting person and I don´t want you to die too quickly," Great Red remarked.
Issei suppressed a grin.
Still, he could not help to feel that Great Red, in opposite to Ophis actually cared to some degree what happened to the rest of the world, even if he did not want to admit it.
xxx
They were just about to start.
"Are you ready Ddraig?" Issei asked him.
("I guess I am,") the Dragon replied. ("This is what I had asked you to do after all.")
"I am sorry," Issei said to him, "if you had another host, you would not have to take this risk along with me."
If they failed, they both knew, there was a chance that Draig might loose himself along with him and not be transferred to a new host with the Boosted Gear.
("Don´t be,") Ddraig responded. ("Like I said, it was me who convinced you to take this risk in the first place. So it would be just as much my fault if we die here together,") he said. ("Let us beginn. Besides, this is the best chance for me to reach this unparalledkind of power, right? Albion would certainly get crazy from envy when we succeed,") he said with mock excitement, obviously trying to cheer Issei up.
"Yes - let us beginn," Issei responded.
xxxx
And they did. Issei started to unleash all his power... really all of it.
He activated Crimson Awakening. At first his Scale Armor appeared around him for a split-second.
But he let it vanish again nearly instantly. The armor was just a manifestation of his power after all (and a protection for his physical human body in battle), not a real source of that power. So it was not needed here.
And if they succeeded now, a physical protection was something that would most likely never be needed again.
Issei´s whole body was now radiating a crimson light.
Issei´s power reached and then surpassed Seraph/Satan Level...
... then God Level and then even higher.
And flames were surrounding him and were spreading over and through his body as he let the power flew through him without any restraint.
He channeled and concentrated more and more energy through himself. As much as his already immortal and supernaturally enhanced body could and more.
And at the same time the pain begann. It begann and became worse.
Issei reached the highest limit that he could hold...
... and then pushed his energy even further.
Beyond what was (or should be) possible. At least for a physical being.
He did the same thing that Darien, Faust, Alucard and so many others had done centuries before and came back from.
The pain was now unbearable, ripping through every cell, every part of his existence.
Issei asked himself if it was supposed to be this painful by what Darien and the others had told him. But he reminded himself that they had already been centuries old when they went through this. He was only 19.
("It is okay Partner, I will help you,") he heard Ddraig saying to him.
He might be nineteen, but Ddraig was thousands of years old and his mind was connected to his.
He felt the flow of energy stabilizing and the pain lessening and his mind becoming clearer... a bit at least.
But the pain quickly increased again. Still, he asked himself how bad it would be if Ddraig had not interfered.
At the same time however he felt his own mind merging with the one of the Dragon more and more.
Then it finally happened exactly what both Issei, Ddraig and also Great Red and Ophis knew it would.
Issei looked down at his right hand and lower arm... that were disintigrating before his eyes and one moment later reforming themselves.
He looked down on himself and saw the same thing happening. His entire body was breaking apart on an atomic level... and was constantly regenerating itself at the same time over and over again...
... under the powers he himself had unleashed.
It was literally hell. But it was not only pain. His consciousness itself was being warped and twisted as his physical form was being consumed by his own energy. As it went though the transformation between a supernaturally gifted but still entirely human mind... and what he was about to become.
At the same time Issei experienced a strange phenomenon.
While he could not longer see through his eyes, he now for a few moments perceived the place from different ankles at once.
And he even saw himself sitting in front of Ophis and Great Red, as if he were outside of his own body.
This was not a delusion, he knew. His consciousness was separating from his body. So he was in a sense literally standing beside himself.
And then the point was reached. Issei´s physical form had completely disintigrated and disappeared.
The young human named Issei Hyoudou was dead (once again).
And yet he was not.
xxxx
He was looking at the things around him. But he was not looking with the same eyes like before. He did not longer looked through physical eyes at all.
He was perceiving the universe only through supernatural senses.
He was now pure energy.
And he was not longer just seeing. He was perceiving the layers of reality as if they were just different colors. He was once again `seeing´ the place from different ankles at once. He could watch into parallel realities, just like looking through a window.
xxxx
Who was he? the being asked itself. The names `Issei Hyoudou´ and `Ddraig´ went through it´s mind. But it had problems to make any emotional connections to them.
He still had access to his memories. All of them, both Issei´s and Ddraig´s. But it was as if these memories belonged to two other beings.
And in a sense they did.
But it remembered the pain that was ripping through it and plaquing it even now. Of course it was no longer normal physical pain, since he didn´t have an organic body anymore, but an mental and supernatural equivalent.
The flow of his energy was disturbed, broken and distorted and with that his thought processes were as well. And also the memory of the pain he felt before was still echoing in his mind as if it were actual pain.
The urge was incredible... to just leash out on the entire universe and destroy everything around him. (Which Great Red and Ophis would stop of course, but in hisconfused state he was not longer fully aware of this.)
Or to completely let go and stop thinking at all.
But he knew, in both this directions lied madness.
His new energy form would run amok and become a threat to entire worlds if he either gave in to the rage or if he gave up on his conscious mind.
That was one of the reason he had Great Red and Ophis here with him. To put him down if he failed.
xxx
But this single thought of doubt alone unleashed a shockwave that would have levelled at least half a planet if it happened on one.
For nearly everyone else, even a Satan or a Seraph, this single outburst would have been a deadly threat.
Great Red and Ophis easily stopped it with not much more than a thought of their own.
xxx
Issei (and Ddraig) knew it was time to return.
But at the same time for a moment, he was not entire sure why he should.
"Issei," he heard the voices of Great Red and Ophis calling to him. "Remember."
And then he did remember, truly remember. Raynare, Irina, Asia, Rias, Murayama, Ravel, his parents, his friends, his classmates, Darien and Spectre and the other Guardians...
... and Darkseid and Thenis and Faust and the Dark Order and the Erebos Demons, the threats everyone faced...
... And Isei knew why he should return.
And he followed Great Red´s instructions.
xxx
A second later it was over.
With Great Red´s guidance and help, Issei had just willed his body back into existence, recreating it from pure energy.
He was back, he thought a moment later. He felt again more or less like himself, but different.
And he could still feel Ddraig´s presence. But it felt somehow closer. He could access Ddraig´s memories and his thousands of years of experience nearly like it were his own. But still he could tell instinctively which memories and thoughts belonged to him and which to Ddraig.
"Ddraig," heasked him, "are you still there? I mean are you alright?"
("I am Partner,") he replied. ("It feels a bit strange.")
Issei looked at Ophis and Great Red. And he saw them, truly saw them, not just the physical forms they had taken, but their practically never ending supernatural energy and other forms they might take, overlapping with the ones they currently had.
"You have succeeded," Great Red said.
"You have done it," Ophis told him as well.
"Yes," Issei replied. "Thank you for your help Great Red," he said to the large dragon.
"Hey, technically I did not much more than just sitting around here for about ten minutes and then give you a small marker to come back," Great Red commented. "You did the hard part all by yourself."
"That´s certainly one way to see it," Issei remarked.
"Now then," Great Red stated. "We will see each other again. In Ophis case probably when she comes up with another idiotic scheme to get rid of me. I hope you will not be stupid enough to actually help her with it Issei Hyoudou."
"Trust me, I will not." Issei smiled.
If Ophis had any reaction to their exchange, she like usual didn´t show it.
Great Red´s lifted up again to fly another round through the emptiness of the Void.
"I would thank you as well. But I know you did not do it for me," Issei said to Ophis.
"I never denied this," she replied without visible emotion. "We are finished here. We should go back."
xxxxxxx
Issei had returned. Just a few hours had passed. But in Issei´s mind it could have also been a lifetime.
To him it felt like a world of difference.
He stood at the entrance of the house he had called his home for the last two and a half years.
With Ophis still standing next to him.
He did not had to wait long for the door to be pulled open and his teammates to come running out to them.
"Issei! Where have you been?" Irina was calling out.
"Issei-kun!" Asia called out.
She and Irina, who had been the first to come out of the door, right away threw their arms around him as they reached him.
"Ophis?" Murayama said surprised and more than a bit unsettled, seeing the Dragon God standing next to him.
"You were suddenly gone," Raynare said to him. "We were a bit worried."
"And now you are back with Ophis?" Rias asked. "Why are you two together?"
"Issei has just made a great rise in his power," Ophis said.
This caused a reaction from all of them. They all knew what Ophis probably meant and the risks it involved.
"I will go now," Ophis stated. "We will meet again."
With that she teleported away. But no one paid much attention anymore, even if it was Ophis who had just dropped on their doorstep.
Everybody was starring at Issei.
"The Final Step?" Kuroka questioned. "You have done it?"
"Yes," Issei replied.
xxxx
In opposite to the other girls who spoke so far, Kuroka-06 was not one of his lovers. One of the main reasons for that had been her close relationship with Issei´s counterpart from her own world, who had been killed by the Devil Hunters right before her eyes.
This caused her to be deeply uncomfortable by the idea. And to some extend Issei as well.
Issei was not sure if she and Issei-06 ever had sex with each other and he never asked directly. (Knowing himself and the cat-girl, they probably did.)
But even if they didn´t, the fact that there was definitely something between them - physically or not - would make him feel somehow like a relacement for his other self.
xxxx
"But you are okay, right Issei-kun?" Rias asked him.
"I am," he said. "I have made it," he assured them. "I am alright."
"But, are you still, you know?" Raynare spoke up, "exactly the same person like before?"
"I-..." Was he? Issei found himself questioning. "I admit I am not completely sure myself yet. But I am sure about one thing."
"Yes?" Raynare said.
"I love you," he told her. "All of you," he said to Irina, Asia, Rias and Murayama. "And Ravel of course," he said.
Issei was looking at his teammates, from one to the other.
Then he saw it. Asia, Murayama and Kiba - he `saw ´ the blocks Thenis had put on their powers.
What Issei saw looked, for the lack of a better word, like three black shimmering globes attached to each of their bodies. One at their back and two at their shoulders.
But these globes were not existing in the time and space of their universe.
It was no wonder that none of them had been able to find them.
`Seeing´ was probably not the entirely correct word, since it were not actually his human eyes that detected them, it was his now incorporable pure energy that recognized them and `translated´ it for his eyes.
Issei could now just as easily perceive through the layers of reality and into other dimensions, just like looking at the people and objects standing right next to him.
"Asia- can you try to activate your Twilight Healing for a moment?" he asked.
"Issei - you know I can´t," she replied.
"Yes - but I think I now know the reason," he told her
"Okay," she said.
It was like he had thought. The three globes around Asia, were together disturbing and disrupting hers - or in her case rather the Twilight Healing´s - supernatural energy and kept her so from activating her powers.
The sense was probably to block someone´s powers without the person ever finding out how.
Issei had to admit in it´s own way, it was a brilliant trap, twisted but brilliant.
He made a small gesture with his hand.
And he let his own powers flow through the dimensions, broke though the `blocks´ on all three of them at the same time and removing them instantly.
"Try it again," he told her.
Asia did what Issei said and she was instantly surrounded by the green light of the Twilight Healing.
"Issei-kun," she said, "it is back."
"And you two try as well," Issei addressed Kiba and Murayama.
Kiba used Swordbirth and materialized a sword sticking in the ground right in front of him. It was the most simple display of his Sacred Gear´s power, but it prooved that it was working again.
"Yes," he said smiling.
"We are back," Murayama commented.
"Issei - how did you do that?" Rias asked him.
"It was actually not even hard to remove the blocks," Issei replied. "It was mostly to find them. That was the difficult part. They were hidden in different dimensional layers," he explained. "But I could now see them as if they were just floating in the air."
"Thank you Issei," Asia said. She walked closer to him and draw him into a kiss.
"Issei - what you have done, the risk," Raynare asked him. "Was it worth it?"
"Yes - how much difference does it make?" Rias said.
"What do you think?" Issei stated.
They sensed a massive ward forming around them.
And then an enormous energy appearing in the air above.
Several jaws dropped as they saw Ddraig floating in the air over them.
They could sense that he was actually physically present, not an illusion. Formed by psychic powers combined with magic. But still flesh and blood. Like Issei´s psychic copies. (As at least most of the girls knew all too well.)
("Hello - it is nice to finally meet you all face to face,") The Dragon said to them from above.
Issei made a gesture and for a split-second, next to the Ddraig who was already there, a second identical dragon-body blinked into existence and disappeared right afterwards.
"I don´t want to overdo it right at the start," he stated. "I need to get used to this first."
They all were starring at the scene before them. Some could not help to smile. They all were feeling much more confident now.
xxxxxxx
A few hours later, Issei, Kuroka-06, Murayama and Asia were sitting together with Ehron, Maya and Rey in the living room of the appartment the three were living in together.
While Rias, Kiba and Raynare were talking with Sona and Akeno and telling her what Issei had done and why exactly a Dragon had suddenly materialized above Kuoh. Ddraig´s appearance might have been invisible for the normal human citizens, but for the supernatural beings it was not. Especially since most of them had been inside the giant ward Issei had errected.
So Rias was informing her fellow Devils about what happened and Issei and the others the three former Strays living in their neighborhood. That made sense, since in opposite to Rias and the other Devils, Issei and especially Kuroka actually had a friendly relationship with them.
Raynare had been on two minds about who to go with. But she decided to help Rias. (She also admitted that she could not help to be curious about Sona´s and Akeno´s faces when Rias told them what happened.)
"Damn it," Rey commented after they had heard what Issei had done to himself. "So you somehow... transformed yourself into energy? Gave up on your humanity and then somehow turned back?"
"And then you conjured up the Dragon Ddraig here?" Ehron said. "So that was it what happened."
"You know Issei," Maya said, "we would be very thankfull if you don´t use techniques like this close to our home. I was scared out of my mind."
"You can say that," Rey added. "I already feared there was another attack."
"Sorry," Issei replied. "I had not thought about that. I did not want to scare you. Maybe my judgement was still a bit off."
To be honest he wasn´t sure at all if there wouldn´t be any serious side- and long time effects of his transformation.
"And you will return to that world where this Demons come from. And the reason you did that is that you fear to meet this Thenis and Darkseid characters again," Ehron stated.
"Yes," Issei admitted.
"After what you have told us, I have to say I don´t exactly envy you," Ehron replied.
"That´s obvious. I would not envy myself," Issei remarked. "But in the end it is better to go there than to wait for them to come to our world."
"And ne of these Devil Hunters is another version of me?" Ehron said.
"Yes - there is no doubt about it."
"I can not imagine Ehron serving this terrible beings under any circumstances," Maya stated.
"This guy must be completely different from you," Rey said.
xxxx
Ehron looked at both of them. Issei had just confirmed that the Devil Hunter calling himself Nero was indeed a direct counterpart of him. But by what he had told, they had never seen a sign that there as another version of Maya and Rey with his other self.
He remembered their escape from the clutches of their former Devil Master. There were more than one point when they could have died.
Was this it? Had his counterpart lost them?
Ehron had no sympathy for the Devils as a whole. Even if he was willing to tolerate and even accept individual ones like Issei´s teammates.
Even with the recent changes in their society, they were ultimately only repairing damage they themselves had caused.
The Demons were enemies of the Devils, yes. And by what he heard they hated them with a passion that bordered to insanity. But by what he heard the Demons were not any better and actually far worse. They to were slaveholders, murders and tyrants on a greater scale than the Devils themselves.
But if he had lost the two people closest to him, would he had let himself fall so low that he had joined them to get revenge?
He shook this thoughts off. There was no proof that his counterpart had experienced the same thing he did. It was not sure that he had ever met Maya and Rey in his world. So there was no point to speculate about it.
xxxx
"Maybe," Ehron replied to Rey´s statement.
"I wish you and the others good luck Issei," he told him.
xxxxxxx
Nine hours later
At the evening of the same day, Issei and his team-mates had met up in the garden in front of their mansion, together with their three guests from Universe-23... and of course the Seraph Gabriel who had insisted to come with them.
Also with them, standing in a close distance, were the rest of Rias Peerage, Sona and Tsubaki, the Archangel Michael and Azazel.
They would now once again go to that world to contact Universe-23´s Heaven Faction and offer to form an alliance with them.
Like the last time, most of their team would go to the mission, while a few staying behind to guard their base.
Riser had like usual volunteered to be one of the ones to stay behind and take care of their base. Along with Ravel and the remainning members of his Peerage who they had called for.
Since this time the entire rest of their team would go to Universe-23.
xxxx
The third son of the Phenex Family however admitted himself that the reasons he had joined their team were not exactly that he wanted to defend the multiverse or even to explore other realities.
It was that he wanted to find a new purpose for his own life. As much as he wished it were otherwise, he was not the actual Heir of the Phenex Family. And with his loss against Issei, he had lost the engagement to Rias and with that his connection to the Gremory Clan and more important the Maou Lucifer. (Along with a lot of his delusions about his own power and importance.)
As much as he had hated to admit it, that engagement had been his only key to actual political power.
So what had been left to him? Hoping that somehow he and his family would manage to form another engagement with a woman of similar status and connections? Unlikely for someone who had been shamefully easily defeated in public, after carelessly wagering his last engagement in a bet.
Just endulging himself into luxuries and pleasures and fucking his Peerage/harem, while pretending to be important? Like several other `Devil Nobles´ did it.
In the end he decided to follow Rias example and join the Guardian in an attempt to give some dignity and meaning back to his name. Had this the most noble reason? Probably not - but he had not been the most noble person before anyway.
But if he hadn´t made the decision to join Issei´s team, Yubelluna might still be alive, he knew.
On the other side, if he didn´t, his insane double might still be around out there and another threat.
xxxx
"Good luck, I hope everything goes as planned," Rias Queen, Akeno-01 said. "I hope you all come back save," she added a bit quieter.
In fact she had asked Rias to join their mission this time, knowing who they could be facing again and how dangerous it could become. But instead Rias told her that she wanted her to stay here and help Sona defend Kuoh. Given Thenis last attack, she had a good argument, she admitted.
Besides, Rias told her half-joking, they already had an Akeno with them.
"We will do our best to help them out," her counterpart Akeno-23 replied. "So don´t worry too much."
"Since it is us we are talking about, it will probably not," Rias replied sarcastically. "But at least we are better prepared than the last time."
All of them had grown a little bit more confident with the new evolution of Issei´s powers and the restoration of the ones of Kiba, Asia and Murayama.
Issei opened the portal and they walked through it.
xxxxxxx
They had once again made a short detour to another world, to avoid opening a direct portal to Universe-23, that could eventually be traced by their enemies and lead them back to their own home-universe.
This time they had however not chosen the same bizarre world where the realms of Earth and the Underworld were colliding. After their last encounter with Thenis there, they wanted to avoid that universe.
Instead they made a short return to the more or less peaceful Universe-17 (where they had already made peaceful contact with the natives recently), before arriving at their destination.
Universe-17 was part of the alliance of multiple DxD universes against the Erebos Demons they had helped to form. So they had agreed to assist them.
And in opposite to their own homeworld, the Demons already knew it´s location in the Multiverse and had marked it as a target. As the presence of the Devil Hunters there just some weeks ago had shown.
So even if the Demons traced their portal back to Universe-17, it would not make much of a difference. This world was set to be attacked soon anyway, unless they managed to stop the Erebos Demons before that happened.
xxxxxxx
DxD Universe-23
They were now once again in Universe-23. However on the other side on the planet, in Italia - close to Rome, so inside the core-territory of the Church and the Heaven Faction.
So far, so good.
The only thing left was to actually make contact. Which should not be all too hard. They were some of the most powerful beings of their own world after all and their arrival could hardly go unnoticed. All they needed to do was to show some of their power.
Which they did by powering up a bit.
The question was, how would the people here react to them? After all their group was a mix between humans, Devils, Fallen and even a Demon defector and the counterpart of the leader of one of their enemy Factions, even if their Gabriel was still an Angel. They were still questioning if it was a good idea to bring her around.
Her presence could either convince them easier that they were actually from a parallel universe or cause greater distrust from them.
They didn´t have to wait for long.
Just few minutes after Issei, Rias and Gabriel had released some of their power, a couple of transport-circles appeared before them and a group of five Angels, surrounded by a few Exorcists materialized.
The two Angels standing in the center seemed to be Ultimate and High-Class Level, but the others were only Low-Class, regular troops.
So if it came hard too hard, this group at least had absolutely no chance against them.
But more forces were probably already on their way.
"Who are you?" one of the Angels asked.
A moment later they recognized Gabriel. And they also sensed of course that Serena was a Demon.
So they all raised their weapons at them. But they made no move to actually attack them... yet.
"Stop," Akeno-23 called out. "We are not enemies. I am Himejima Akeno - member of the Fallen Angel Resistance and daughter of Baraquiel. This is Vali Lucifer - the White Dragon Emperor of the Resistance in East Asia and Serena, a Defector from the Erebos Empire.
The others are visitors from another world. They are here to form an alliance against the Demons. You can sense that this Gabriel is still a Holy Angel, right?"
The native Angels exchanged a look.
"Yes," the leader of their group replied, "but that could be a trick."
Issei and the others sighed. They all had doubted that it had been a good idea to bring Gabriel of all people as a liason. But the Seraph just had to get her way.
Issei finally had enough and decided to solve the issue the simplest way.
And powered up... to a substancial percent of his full power. As one could imagine the Angels and Exorcists paled in pure shock and fear.
"As you can see, you would have no chance against me alone if we were here to fight... and believe me, this was not even my full power," Issei said. "Besides, standing right next to me is a Seraph." He pointed to Gabriel. "And we have several more Seraph and Ultimate Class fighters here with us." He gestured to Raynare, Rias, Kuroka, Irina, Xenovia, Kiba and the Female Vali.
"Your entire Faction might even have a hard time beating us all," he claimed. "So what reason would we have to use deceit and come here under false flagg?"
If they believed him or not, the group that had greeted them stood back. And they send out a message to their superiors, repeating what Akeno and Issei just told them.
xxx
Just a few minutes later another group appeared. It was Michael, the Leader of Heaven, along with an escort of Ultimate Class Angels.
"So you are our visitors," he greeted them. "Akeno Himejima, Vali Lucifer, it is good to see you two again.
"Thank you Lord Michael," Vali replied.
"And you Kuroka Touchi?" he turned to Kuroka-06
"I am not the one you knew," she answered. "She has died. Like many others."
"After we heard about the destruction of the Resistance in Japan, we feared you were all dead," Michael stated.
"We managed to get away only with their help," Vali-23 said, gesturing to Issei and the others.
"I see," Michael responded.
His gaze turned to Gabriel.
"Sister," he said, "I see you are still who you used to be where you came from." But he seemed distant, quite different from the Michael they knew. Objectively seen, it was no real surprise. After all this world´s Gabriel had been one of his greatest enemies for thousands of years.
"And you come from one of the other realities. We are of course aware of them since the Erebos first invaded us many centuries ago. And you come to form an alliance against the Demons?" he asked them.
"Yes," Issei replied.
"As you are probably aware, the Emperor of the Demons has been replaced by an even far more powerful and dangerous being," Rias pointed out. "One that neither of us has a good chance against alone."
"Yes," Michael-23 stated, "It was pretty much impossible to overlook his presense when he was active the last time."
He didn´t need to tell them that. They were right there to see his power fist hand... and barely survived.
"By the way Akeno," Michael addressed her. "I remember our last meeting. You informed me about the plans your father has in Tokyo. Are these plans still on track?"
Akeno-23 sighed.
"There are no plans in that area," she stated. "At least none that father had mentioned to me. And I have certainly not talked with you about it. In fact I have not seen you in person in over a year. If this is some kind of test...?"
"Sorry," Michael responded, "I had to be sure that you are really the same Akeno I know," he explained.
"Of course," she simply replied.
With nearly absolutely identical copies of people walking around like this, you could not be too careful. She understood this.
"Are you planning to asked me a few questions too, in case you are not completely sure it is me? Vali-23 asked him soberly.
"That won´t be necessary," Michael replied.
xxxxxxx
Michael and his men transported them all to their version of Heaven.
Here they met a number of other Angels. This world´s Seraphs Raphael and Uriel... and Azazel, who was just like them still a Seraph of Heaven. With Gabriel having taken his place under the Watchers, as bizarre as the thought still was to them, this Azazel, with a certain amount of luck, never fell.
"Issei Hyoudou," Raphael greeted him. "So you are the Red Dragon Emperor in your reality too. We heard it with regret when your other self in this world died. He was a great warrior."
"Thank you," Issei replied.
"Gabriel," both Raphael and Azazel greeted her as well. But both seemed a bit unsure how to react around her.
"May I ask what happened differently in your world?" Azazel asked.
"Someone else took the place as Leader of the Watchers," Gabriel replied, looking staight at him.
"I understand," he said.
But what truly surprised Issei and his team were the two women standing beside Azazel - Reyla, a.k.a Raynare´s insande bitch of a mother. And someone who looked pretty much like Raynare herself. Only this version was a holy Angel.
While Reyla as it looked even in this world, where Azazel was still a heavenly Seraph, had found a way to get herself falling.
Raynare was not really surprised given her personality. And yet her presence was for some reason still tolerated in Heaven.
"R-Raynare," this version of her mother greeted her. "How did you fall? What have you done?"
The question truly baffled her. The sheer audacity of it.
"I never fell," she retorted angrily. "I was born this way thanks to you. Well - as it seems in this world you actually managed to fall abit later, so that your daughter did not automatically share your fate."
Reyla, this world´s version of Raynare and Azazel seemed all somewhat downridden by her revelation.
"I am so sorry about this," the other Raynare said to her. "Who would have thought that mother would have fallen before you were even born. I feel so sorry for you. This is so unfair."
She spoke with all the compassion and caring you cold expect of an Angel from Heaven. But the `normal´ Raynare, Issei, Rias and even the rest of them could only looked at her awkwardly. This was just too unreal, given the Raynare they were used to.
"Don´t worry," Raynare-01 replied. "Being a Fallen is all I ever knew. I don´t feel bad about it."
She turned back to Reyla.
"But since you even managed to somehow give birth to an Holy Angel in the first place, I guess you must have used the equivalent of a certain room we know about."
"That is correct," the native Azazel answered in Reyla´s place. "But I also sense that your not exactly the same person as my daughter," he said.
"Your daughter?" Raynare asked surprised.
"I guess that means I am not your father?" Azazel-23 responded.
"No." The thought alone made her blush, given how she stood to the Azazel of her world, with Issei´s permission of course.
"Lets say you distanced yourself from her when you started to realize that she was going nuts," Raynare stated.
"Well - she didn´t do that here," Azazel responded with a serious expression. "So you are more something like half-sisters than actual counterparts."
Raynare had noticed it as well now. This was not another version of herself, but someone else, her `sister´.
"Still you two look very similar," Issei commented towards Raynare.
"It seems they look both very much like Rayla," Azazel-23 commented, "not that this is a bad thing."
"Why is she even here?" Rias asked. "I mean, she is a Fallen and this is Heaven."
"Reyla is my wife," Azazel stated. "And she has refused to officially join the Grigori after she fell."
"So it seems you have actually gotten what you wanted... mother," Raynare said to her with venom.
"Yes I did," Reyla-23 replied. "I don´t know what my counterpart had done to you. But I am not her."
"Please - I know mother has her flaws, but she is really trying, even after she became a Fallen," Raynare´s `sister´ pleaded.
"Let us talk about another topic," Michael interrupted them.
"You - you are a relative of the Gremory Family, aren´t you?" he addressed Rias.
"Yes - I am Rias Gremory," she replied.
"You are aware that the Devil Faction don´t longer exist. Neither does the Gremory Family, officially. But by our information a few of your family members are still alive, but as slaves. Maybe even your own other self, if she exists."
Rias was aware of this. But having it spelled out like her like this was a bit different.
"Excuse me Michael," Gabriel said, "but I am not sure how bringing this up helps us."
"Sister - I have been thinking," Michael replied. "I believe that there are actually more than a few good things about the fact that they had send you to us."
"What do you mean?" Gabriel asked.
A short time later Gabriel was standing before them, dressed in a black outfit that rivalled Raynare´s most lascivious ones, a loosely hanging wide-cut dress that showed off her legs and underwear and those chest area seemed a few numbers too small, showing off her giant breasts, black high heels and stockings and straps.
At the same time she was looking visibly uncomfortable and had a deep-red face.
But her Deivine Blessing and the halo over her head were still there.
"Don´t understand this wrong Michael, but I don´t think I am ready to fall, just to pretend to be your Gabriel," she said.
"Don´t worry about this. We are able to hide your holy blessing without actually removing it," Michael told her.
He and the other Seraphs had agreed to their offer of an alliance. They had however in exchange also asked for their help with a spy-mission.
xxxxxxx
Erebos Imperial Palace
Meanwhile at the other side of the planet, the creature that was once known as Vali Lucifer and as Darkseid was sitting on the throne of the Erebos Empire.
He was connected to the advanced probing technology the Demons were using to search the Multiverse for specific worlds, worlds that would become their targets.
His mind was directly connected to the core device, using the access of the former Emperor he had replaced and whose soul was still inside him.
From there his supernatural senses were receiving data from hundreds of probes they had send out.
The direct mental connection was nothing unusual for the technology the Demons had developed (or stolen from other universes) in their thousands of years in exile. Like the technology of most supernatural races (that possessed one), it was a combination of tech and magic.
Finally he just found what he had been looking for.
The planet Apokolipse, or at least a version of it, trapped inside a pocket dimension.
There within was also an alternate version of Darkseid... of himself.
He realized the small lapse in his identity. On the first look it had been nothing serious. But he knew that both others were still active inside him. They were strong souls that would not simply vanish or subdue.
In the long run, this might be a cause for concern.
Maybe he could leave this body and merge himself with the other version of Darkseid and truly be himself again.
xxx
Darkseid/Vali realized he was not longer alone. Someone had entered the room.
His (or rather Vali´s) lovers Kuroka and Koneko came walking towards him.
But they were not the only ones.
Gabriel, the Leader of the Fallen Angels of this world and both, the former Emperor´s concubine and most important political ally (and now his), was walking beside them.
Something that the two sisters were very clearly far from happy about. But unless he actively rejected Gabriel, there was little they could do about it.
And he had no intention to do that, since at least for now, she was still useful for his plans.
xxx
The other two members of the Devil Hunters, Nero and Raynare´s double Raynare-17 were standing at the other end of the room and watching what was going on.
While Nero (Ehron) was, at least at the outside, his usual stoic self, Raynare had an, as it seemed now permanet, expresion that she would rather be anywhere but here. Not that Darkseid/Vali could actually hold it against her. This pathetic version of this particular Fallen Angel was only here by a long line of unlikely coincidences after all.
Well - it as certainly not the first time that he, either of his former selves, met a being that somehow got into a situation far beyond it´s head.
xxx
"Are you alright?" Kuroka asked him.
He heard and sensed genuine concern. But not for him, but the man whose body he was occupying.
"We wanted to look for you," Fallen Angel Gabriel Queen said as well. "We were worried."
Darkseid/Vali once again sensed genuine concern. But not for him or Vali or even the former Emperor´s soul, but her own position and the state of their alliance.
Kuroka send a subtle glare at the Fallen as well, but was trying to hide it.
This women, the ancient dark mind inside of Vali´s body was actually amused by their antics.
But all three of them were powerful supernatural being in their own right. Not to mention that Kuroka and Koneko were useful to keep Vali´s consciousness in line.
Well, it was not the first time that women were pandering for his favor.
"You have been sitting here for hours," Kuroka said to him.
"I have been looking for something," he stated.
"And have you found it?" Kuroka asked him.
"Yes."
A way to bring everything back that the Guardians and his other enemies had taken from him. Or at least the closest thing to it.
Side-note: No, Issei can of course not conjure up as many Ddraig´s like he wants to, with all of them on their full strength. The power had drawbacks.