YO! Hope you guys are doing good in life!

Thank you guys so much for showing this fic so much love and support! Really means a lot to me. To everyone that favorited and followed the story, thank you very much!

My college classes have already started at the time of this update. And I am already nervous af for the future. I'll try my best to update every month or every two months. Wish me luck y'all!

Thank you very much for the kind reviews from the last chapter! It really boosts my confidence and motivates me to keep this story alive! And those of you who weren't so...satisfied, thank you for checking out my story I guess?

Check out the Author's Note at the end of the chapter for some additional info.

Without further ado, let's dive right into the 7th Chapter!


I do not own Highschool DXD. It is the property of Ichiei Ishibumi. I only own the plot.


Approximately 90 minutes before the Present Time:

Due to an unknown reason, a middle-aged woman suddenly woke up with a gasp. Her chest went up and down due to her ragged panting. The woman frantically looked around the room she resided in and confirmed that the sky was still dark from the view that was visible through the window to her left. Continuing her search with a look of distraught, her rapid movements ceased when her eyes fell on the dark-furred feline. The cat sat right in front of her while its golden eyes held curiosity as they bore into her own.

Without wasting any more time, the woman leapt out of bed and rushed out of the room to the stairway. She stomped her way up the stairs and stopped in front of an ajar door. She cautiously opened the door and looked at the empty bed that was visible in the dark due to the reflection of the moon's light. A hand went over her mouth while her eyes widened in fear and concern. The opened window and empty bed were enough for her to connect the dots.

Tears that stored up in her eyes escaped as fear filled her heart. She walked towards the bed while droplets from her eyes continued to fall on the floor. She looked at the phone that was still on the bed and slight hope appeared within her. Grabbing the device, she tried to unlock it only for the face scan technology to fail and it asked for a pin instead. A growl of frustration left her at the failure but she ignored it to muse for more ideas.

It didn't take her long to discover a method before she rushed back to the room she was sleeping in and grabbed her own phone. Unlocking it, she opened the gallery and maximized a portrait of a teenager. Holding the picture in front of the locked phone, the lock screen disappeared and a home screen was in its spot instead. Releasing a quick sigh of relief, she opened the contacts on the phone and called the most recent number that appeared on the call log. The call rang for a couple of seconds before it was picked up by someone.

"Yo, Issei. Kind of unexpected at this time but anyways, what's up dude?" a surprised feminine voice answered.

"H-Hello, are you T-Tsubasa? Is m-my son with you?" the woman asked with a scared tone.

"Yes, I am-wait… ? What do you mean if he's with me?" she questioned back.

"I-Issei… I just had this nightmare. T-There was a thing, I don't know what the creature is, but it's just fully black with only two white eyes. I-It said to me that it will take my son away from me forever if I d-don't try to…save him! A-A-And he's not in his bed! If he goes out, h-he always takes his phone!" Issei's mother cried between her words as she explained the situation to her son's friend.

"Oh no…please listen carefully. Uhh…I have a relative who is involved with the law enforcement of this town. I'll let him know right away so we go and look out for him. He'll be fine. Please don't worry," Tsubasa spoke, which only managed to frustrate the older woman.

"HOW CAN I NOT WORRY!? M-My baby! He is in danger!" Miki's weeps became louder after the yell.

"...I am sorry. But please, trust me. I'm gonna let my uncle know and he'll quickly get back to me, hopefully. For now, just hang in there. I'll call you when I find something," was the last thing Tsubasa said before she cut the call.

"Oh Issei. Please be alright," the mom prayed while she sat down on the bed. She then felt something against her feet, causing her to look down and see Penalty rubbing her head against her pajama clad legs. Miki crouched down and picked up the feline while hugging it closely and whispering her wishes for Issei being safe.


Present:

In the old school building of Kuoh Academy, the lights in one of the rooms were surprisingly still on even this late at night. It was none other than the room that was used by the Occult Research Club at the learning institution as its base. Inside the compartment were the entirety of the Student Council of Kuoh Academy and all of the members of the ORC. Some of them could be seen yawning along with droopy eyes, indicating their desire for sleep. Although only one of the individuals in the room had their eyes closed, who wasn't even a part of either of the groups mentioned beforehand.

"What do we do now?" Ruruko Nimura, one of the two youngest occupants in the room, asked.

"I can heal him but it'll take too long and I'm not sure how long with those injuries of his," the Gremory Clan Heiress, Rias, stated.

"The other option would be to enlist him into a human hospital. However, I'm not too sure on his chances of surviving through that method," Sona Sitri reasoned while eyeing the couch that had become drenched with blood.

"We might have to order a new couch, President," a white-haired short girl suggested in her toneless voice.

"Yes, I know. We're getting off topic. So-" before the redhead could continue, a gurgled cough interrupted her. Everyone looked at the culprit, wide-eyed due to their disbelief.

"W-W-Where the h-hell am I?" croaked out Issei, who was barely hanging onto the consciousness that he suddenly grasped.

"Don't talk, idiot! Just stay still!" Sona's Rook yelled but everyone could see the concern in her eyes.

"G-Gotta…go…home. Mom…worried…me," Issei muttered tiredly as he tried to get up. He made it to the door that led to the exit of the ORC office. That was when the injuries on his body forced him to drop to the ground before anyone could stop him.

"Issei-kun!" Kiba sprinted over to his friend and lifted him over his shoulder. He then made his way back to the bloodied couch and gently laid him there.

"I could always turn him into one of my own servants, but that would be very dishonorable of me. Turning a human into a devil without their permission," it only showed that Rias was considering the option due to her own selfishness as a Devil but her morals wouldn't let her stoop so low.

"I don't think I've ever seen such a strong willpower from a human before. To be able to take on all of the attacks from that mob and still come out as the victor. Even with a Twice Critical, that is still out of this world," Meguri added.

"I think there is only one way to do this," Rias sighed before a tiny Magic Circle appeared near one of her ears. However, Sona had done the same with a similar patterned Magic Circle and her transmission went through first.

"Greetings, Lady Sona of the Sitri Clan. How may I be of your assistance today?" A voice spoke from the tiny Magic Circle near Sona's ear.

"Greetings to you as well, Lady Phenex of the Phenex Clan. I hope everything has been well?" Sona replied in a formal tone.

"Yes, everything has been well. I offer you my gratitude for asking and hope it is the same case with you. However, it is clear that this current contact has been made for a different reason, no?" Lady Phenex said.

"Your assumption is correct. I have a dire need of a vial of Phoenix Tears at the moment," Sona requested.

"Oh? Is everything all right?" the voice on the other end asked in concern.

"Yes, Lady Phenex. My peerage and Rias' peerage are safe. It is an…ally of ours, who needs it at the moment," Sona worded carefully.

"Hmm…I see. That ally must be very important to you if you are asking for Phoenix Tears from me," Sona's face slightly reddened only for a portion of a second before it went back to her usual expression.

"Ufufu. Worry not. Even though there is a shortage of supplies nowadays, your wish shall be granted. But please be aware that you will have to offer some form of payment in return for this, which shall be decided upon later on," Lady Phenex clarified with a hint of respect yet seriousness.

"Of course. I truly am thankful for your assistance," Sona assured her.

"It's no big deal. A container of Phoenix Tears will be within your possession in a matter of minutes. Until then, stay well," Lady Phenex cut off the call at that point. Sona then looked at the surrounding devils, who looked baffled.

"Sona…why?" Rias asked with a look of shock.

"You know exactly why, Rias. If you think about the situation between you and Riser, he will only get more leverage if it were you that called. And if Hyoudou-kun is healed, he can turn out to be a very strong ally. What he accomplished not too long ago is very impressive. And if you noticed, there were no traces of Magic in the air. And with how fresh everyone's wounds were, it is unlikely that hours passed before the battle ended. Mana residue does not stay in the air that long," Once everyone connected the dots, they were stunned.

"Wait…" Momo started.

"So that means…" Reya joined.

"He did all of this without using any magic!" Akeno exclaimed.

"But a human should not be able to do that! Unless…Issei isn't a human," Tsubasa quietly stated. Some of the ones in the room began thinking about that theory but Rias coughed into her fist, getting everyone to be quiet.

"Koneko here has exceptional skills as a sensor and if she is sure that Ise is a human, then definitely nothing else can change that," Koneko nodded at her Master's words.

"I agree with Rias. Hyoudou-kun is just a human, albeit a very strong and unique one. With the potential that he has, it'll be better if he is by our side for the future. Then maybe he can see how us Devils live and think about joining my peerage," Sona explained.

"That is underhanded, Sona! Now I know the other reason why you wanted to call the Phenex Clan instead of me!" Rias pouted at her childhood friend, who only smirked in return.

"Sometimes it is-" before she could finish, a magic circle glowed near the couch that had Issei. After glowing for a few seconds, an unamused blonde girl appeared. Her hair was styled in drills while she wore a regal red dress. Her eyes grew at the sight of both of the Devils that reigned authority of Kuoh but it went back into the scowl she wore when she summoned herself here. Koneko's eyes narrowed at the appearance of the newcomer. The other members of the Gremory Peerage stiffened as well but they didn't wear their hostility on their faces like the short Junior High School student.

"Greetings, Lady Rias of the Gremory Clan and Lady Sona of the Sitri Clan. As my mother instructed, I am here with a vial of Phoenix Tears as you requested. Now…who's the one in need of it," the shorter girl spoke formally.

"Lady Ravel, although your visit was unexpected, it is good to see you again," Sona greeted her while Rias turned away huffing for some reason.

"I'm afraid I cannot express the same sentiment due to the present timing," Ravel grumbled, causing everyone to have a sweat drop.

"Please accept my apology for this inconvenience. For I need the assistance of the Phenex Clan to save a colleague of ours," Sona explained while gesturing towards the teen on the couch. The blonde girl stared at the injured man and tilted her head for a bit before her eyes widened to the size of a plate in recognition.

"Is something the matter?" Tsubaki asked as everyone seemed confused at the blonde Phenex Clan member.

"I-It's that numbskull from the other day!" Ravel loudly claimed as she pointed at the injured male.

"You know Issei-kun, Lady Ravel?" Akeno tilted her head.

"Of course I'm acquainted with this dimwit! Now shall be the time in which this indebtment is reversed!" a scheming smile replaced the scowl on her face while she proudly stomped over to the couch and took out the vial. Loosening the cap, then tilted it and shoved it into Issei's mouth without any mercy. It didn't take long before the wounds and bruises that covered his entire body slowly withered away into the air. There were no visible traces or scars left of the madness Issei put himself through anymore.

"Hmph! Consider your payment to be already paid, Lady Sona! I've already received it in the form of this toy! Now he'll be the one that owes me! And in return for that, I'll be adamant to suck him dry!" Ravel cackled gleefully, not noticing the way she placed her intentions.

"Uhh," chuckled the blonde male knight.

"Lady Ravel…" Kusaka was blushing at the implication.

"Pretty sure she just meant that she'll make sure Issei pays her back in a hefty manner for healing him. Pretty sure about that. Nothing more or nothing else," even Rias didn't sound too sure since the scenes of a certain Blonde devil, who is related to Ravel, was making its way back into the Gremory heiress' mind. Akeno, on the other hand, just giggled at the incident without uttering a word.


The town of Kuoh was enveloped by the beams of golden rays from the origin of the sun. This Friday was supposed to start with happiness and relief for many of the civilians in the town of Kuoh. Due to it being the last day before the weekend began, people were heavily anticipating the next two off days. However, that wasn't the case for this particular day. In front of the abandoned church, a group of people could be seen gathering around. They consisted of students that were on their way to schools, adults on their way to their jobs and work, a bunch of older senior citizens out for a morning walk, and many others.

The gathering was being blocked by a tape that read 'DO NOT CROSS' in bold. Many police officers were investigating the site that held the unconscious scattered bodies of young men. A few medics could be seen carrying all of the men in stretchers to the ambulances. Forensic Scientists were examining spots of blood and anything else they could find. A few of the law enforcement groups, who seemed like the chiefs and leaders here, were surrounding a specific spot. Despite the surrounding area around this spot being covered in bodies and blood, this spot looked as good as new. It was as if the pavement this spot was located in hasn't even been there for a week.

Among the muttering and whispering group of the crowd, two familiar faces could be made out. They belonged to none other than the Knight and the Rook of Rias' peerage, Kiba and Koneko respectively.

"Can you hear them say anything about it?" Kiba asked the smaller girl with a smile.

"Yes. One of the thugs woke up. The Police still don't believe his testimony though," Koneko answered.

"Well…if nothing goes wrong, it is likely that they will start believing the ruse once they hear the same thing from everyone," the girl just nodded at her senior's words. Nothing was said between the two until the white-haired girl broke the ice.

"Another one woke up. He said the same thing," she muttered without any emotions.

"Is that so? Now it shouldn't take too long before everything goes according to the plan. Let's report to the President," the blonde male instructed. Koneko nodded and began to follow Kiba out of the gathering and onto the ORC room of Kuoh Academy.


With a groan of pain, Issei sat up while slowly opening his eyes. Taking a look around his surroundings, he realized where he was instantaneously. Looking up, his doubts were cleared with the view of a certain Heavenly Dragon.

"Yo, Ddraig! So…what's poppin'?" Issei was surprised to see that the Red Dragon Emperor, who had existed for centuries, huffed and looked away in anger. In confusion, he squinted his eyes to see the weird way the lower part of his face was pursed up.

"Wait…are you seriously pouting?! EWWW! Don't act like a tsundere, you damn geezer!" the teen shouted only to be ignored by the yelling teen.

"Alright, damn it! I'm sorry! For whatever I did!" the exasperated boy apologized, which finally got the dragon to look at him.

[Hmph!] was the only reply Ddraig gave to his host before repeating his previous actions.

"Goddamnit! Stop that, will you!?" a draconic grunt was the response to the yell before Ddraig fully composed himself, his stature being completely serious this time.

[Partner, you could've died there. Why in the hell were you so reckless?!] Issei flinched at the gradual increase of the volume but his gaze never left the Dragon.

"I wanted to use my own power! Tetsu's dick worshippers were my problem, not yours!" the teen retorted with a similar volume.

[So was your entire speech about how 'We're a team!' and 'We're in this together!' just some bullshit?!] For the first time ever, Issei heard Ddraig being genuinely angry. But he still didn't care about the eruption of his emotions as he continued.

"Of course I meant those words! And I still do! From the bottom of my heart!" Issei raised his voice yet again.

[Sure didn't seem like you did when you pulled that stunt,] The Welsh Dragon grumbled.

"I didn't want to use your power because you're not a tool! You're not just some power-up machine to me! You're my sensei and partner, you damn geezer! And more importantly, you're my FRIEND!" The teen's eyes became a bit glossy, showing the conviction and the truth behind his words. Nothing was said between the two as Ddraig looked at his host in shock with widened eyes. Although Issei didn't realize it, his explanation caused the trapped Dragon to feel warm for the first time in centuries.

As Issei finished drying his eyes from the unshed tears, he looked ahead to see his partner stretching out one of his appendages. The tip of the claw was right in front of him, reminding of a recent memory. When Issei took a look at Ddraig's face, for the first time ever, the dragon's face resembled something similar to a smile.

[Forgive me, young one. For my age and the mannerisms of many of my previous hosts have conflicted my ability to see your actions from different perspectives. You are just like him,] The teen grinned and bumped his fist with the offered claw. Then his grinning face was replaced with one of confusion.

"Wait…like who?" he questioned.

[That's for a different time. For now, however, we have another crucial matter,] and just like that, the seriousness in the Heavenly Dragon appeared again.

"What's up?" asked Issei.

[Remember the dark orb of energy I told you about?] After receiving a nod from his host, Ddraig continued.

[Well, that thing completely flared out and cut off our connection and I couldn't see anything for like 15-20 minutes,] the revelation left Issei shocked.

"Huh? I thought you took over when I was beaten up too much by those bastards?" stated Issei.

[No. I wasn't even aware of what happened during that 'Blackout' stretch. As soon as I gained your vision, all I remember seeing was those ruffians scattered all around that church, bloody and all,] Ddraig explained.

"Wait…does that mean someone came over to help me out?" The teen's question was responded to with a shake of the head from the dragon.

[That's possible but the probability of it is near zero. If it had been the case, your injuries would've been less severe and you wouldn't be rescued by the Devils in that same location,] another question popped up within Issei's head.

"Devils? Hold on…I do remember seeing Himejima-senpai's face not so long ago for some reason," his words were responded with a grunt.

[You barely held onto your consciousness at that time. I spread magic around your body as much as possible to prevent your life from falling into danger and not arouse suspicion among the Devils. However, do not thank me for healing your injuries instantly,] a smile crept up on the teen's face in appreciation.

"Still, thanks for trying to save my life. By the way, what do you mean by your last sentence?" Issei asked curiously.

[Don't mention it, brat. What I meant earlier was that another Devil healed your injuries. You should give her your thanks. And my advice to you after your…performance would be to utilize some form of Martial Arts instead of brawling like a wild dog,] the Red Dragon Emperor suggested to his host.

"Is that so? Alright, I'll keep that in mind. Anyway, don't ever think you're just some tool or whatever, you geezer!" Issei grinned yet again.

[Yeah yeah, whatever. It's time for you to go back, brat,] Ddraig spoke and suddenly, Issei's world became dark once more.


Slowly opening his eyes, Issei let himself get settled in the real world for a couple of seconds while staring at the familiar ceiling of his room with a blank look. Afterwards, he felt an extra weight on his chest, forcing him to angle his gaze downwards. His eyes met the golden slits of Penalty's fearless look. The feline purred before taking a few steps on his upper body until her face neared the boy's. The cat then brought both of its paws forwards and began tapping on his right cheek playfully.

"Nya~" Issei felt a wet sensation on his face. It was due to his pet licking him and then continuing her game she started earlier.

"SOOOOO CUUUUUTEEEE!" the teen yelled without any regard for the possibility of anyone being in his room.

After the shout, two gasps of surprise were heard by Issei. He turned his head to the right to see his mom, who was still wearing her pajamas. Her eyes were darkened as if she couldn't sleep the previous night at all and they were bloodshot red. She seemed to be hyperventilating only for a few seconds. Then the dam burst and in one leap, she grabbed him in an impenetrable hug. That in turn forced Penalty to be trapped in the middle of the male's and the woman's chests.

"Oh, Issei! Thank God you're alright!" she sobbed while dampening Issei's shoulder. No one noticed how Penalty or the other occupant in the room suddenly jumped up in fright at her words for some reason.

"T-Too tight!" Issei wheezed and his mother easily loosened her hold on him.

"I was so worried! I thought that spirit will never let you free from its possession!" A look of confusion took over his face at the mention of 'possession' and 'spirit'.

"What in the world is going on?" asked Issei. A cough from his left side was the response to his request. Turning to the direction of the sound, he discovered the presence of someone familiar.

"MUNCHKIN! It's you!" he exclaimed with a shout.

"Why you-ARRRGHHH! Show some respect to the one responsible for keeping you from death's grace, you plebeian!" Ravel demanded

"Dear…please show some respect. She freed you from the spirit that possessed you last night and took you away. You can't even begin to fathom what that evil spirit is capable of," Miki's body shook in horror at the end of her words.

"Spirit? Possessed! Mom, can yo-" before he could finish his question, he was interrupted.

[Just keep quiet for now and get the gist of the situation from everyone that's involved first. Then ask the questions to fill in the gaps in their explanations. Plus, it'd be better to ask the Devils in your learning institution about the entire situation rather than your mother or anyone else,] The Welsh Dragon that's trapped in Issei's Sacred Gear instructed his host through his telepathic advice.

'Noted,' affirmed the teen before looking back at his mother, who still waited for him to finish his question.

"You know what? Never mind. I'm tired and hungry. I can hear everything later," the teen changed the subject. Miki fully released her hold on him and began walking out of her son's room.

"Issei, I'll get all of us some breakfast, whether I make something or order. Until then, get as much rest as you can. And Miss Exorcist insists on staying with you for the rest of the day to make sure that the Evil Spirit won't possess your body again," his mother explained before walking out of the door.

Penalty had gotten off of his body and made herself comfortable on the pillow under Issei's head. The first-year student turned around to face the blonde girl once more. A look of smugness took over her face as she smirked at him.

"Uhh…you alright? You need me to make a call to your parents or something?" a vein popped on Ravel's head at his suggestion.

"I'm fully capable of handling myself!" she glared at him before the smugness in her made its return again.

"Bow down before me, you human! For I am the reason your body is in perfect health as of now! For compensation, I require your submission to me for the rest of your life!" her demand left Issei baffled.

"Woah woah woah! You want me to become your slave for saving my life? Well…thanks for healing me and all but I never asked for your help," he stated seriously. He knew that the Student Council President and Kuoh Academy's Number One Beauty had reincarnated people into Devils for their peerage. However, he also knew that they didn't force it since all of the reincarnated people looked happy to be in their place. And in no way did he want to reject his humanity. Even in gratitude for his life being saved.

"Your answer bears no fault. But fate has decided the course of your future with my involvement. For saving your life, I am choosing to be generous and not ask you to become a part of my peerage. For I require you to be my human slave. Now be a good dog and listen to your master! Your first command is to address me as Lady Ravel and apologize for all of those weird names you've called me with! Maybe I will be generous enough to give you a little treat in return for your maiden accomplishment!" with a haughty aura, the Phenex Devil ordered the human.

Despite the sheer exhaustion and tiredness Issei's body was currently experiencing, he still sat up and got out of bed. He slowly walked towards the Devil, who huffed and crossed her arms over.

"I know you are young but try to understand this, please. Don't you think it's unfair for me to give in to your demands when I had no choice in what happened whatsoever?" he tried to reason.

"Hmph! What has transpired in the recent events was meant to be! Now accept your destiny and bow down to the one that owns your life!" she refused to budge from her stance.

"Ugh! Listen, I'm grateful for you saving my life and whatnot, even though I had no say in it. In return, if you want more crepes, I'll buy you as much as you want. Or if you want to learn more about Japan, I'll help you as much as you want. I'll even take you to other cities for traveling if needed," the male offered. He learned from Rias that she was interested in the culture and history of his country and thus came here for her education to learn more about the place. He figured there might be a small chance that the munchkin named Ravel in front of him would be interested in his homeland like his Senpai in Kuoh Academy.

"Of course if I wish to do that, you would comply! For you are my slave from now on!" she smirked at him again but her confidence left her conscience as soon as Issei's demeanor and aura changed.

The hairs on Ravel's back stood up in fear due to Issei radiating an ominous air around him. His head was down so the blonde-haired girl couldn't take a look at his face. However, that changed in a matter of seconds. He instantly brought his head up and she noticed that his eye color and the shape of his irises have changed. No longer were they light brown. They transformed into a pale-yellowish hue and their size increased and caused the areas of the white part of his eyes to become smaller. The frightening eyes bore into the dark blue ones of Ravel. Even the cat behind Issie had sprung up in shock and kept its gaze of widened eyes at the Sacred Gear holder.

The frozen Devil noticed that some kind of black fog began filling up the space behind the human and started to shape into something. It stopped when it finally took the appearance of a humanlike winged creature and its entire body consisted of the black fog with no definite feature. Red lightning seemed to be dancing around itself and Issei as it stood behind the teen. The creature itself then plastered a pair of eyes that were exactly the same as Issei's transformed ones and kept looking at her. The young Devil had never faced such a situation in her life yet. It was as if the human in front of her was trying to conquer her soul. And trying to get her to submit to his will. She could do nothing to stop herself from dropping onto her knees as her will seemed to slip bit by bit. Even Penalty was swaying around and trying to balance itself.

"Oi…sometimes…little girls should listen to their elders," Issei spoke calmly without an expression on him. His voice had deepened for some reason after he uttered his first two words. The Devil couldn't even nod her head to let him know that she understood. Everything was still for a moment before a couple of feminine sniffles could be heard.

Out of nowhere, the sniffles transformed into crying and Phenex Devil started bawling her eyes out. It had become quite a sight. If one were to look at the two right now without any context, it would seem like Issei was bullying Ravel to the point of making her cry. Thus painting Issei as a good for nothing thug who has no morals whatsoever. That was what went through the teen's mind as the pressure he was emitting suddenly vanished along with the dark creature behind him and a look of worry took over his face.

"O-Oi! Munchkin, calm down!" he frantically called out to the Devil. His voice lost the threatening tone it had just moments ago.

"I-I-I…o-only d-desired a friend! S-Someone w-who wouldn't…see m-me a-as just Ravel of the Phenex Clan but rather Ravel only!" snot escaped through her nostrils as the young Devil kept crying.

'Welp…way to go about it,' Issei internally noted. She tried to accomplish her goal the opposite way of what she should've done. He then remembered that she was a tsundere back from the other day so her behavior did make some kind of sense.

Out of nowhere, his door burst, and his mother rushed in. Her worried eyes were enough to tell the teen why she looked so disheveled yet again.

"I-Issei…that pressure! Thank goodness you're fine! I thought that the Evil Spirit tried to take over you again!" She hugged him with all her might again.

"M-Mom…can't breathe…" his mom loosened her hold on him only to fuss over him again. It continued until Miki's eyes landed on Ravel.

"Issei…why is Miss Exorcist crying?" she asked in concern.

"Ah…I think she got scared of the 'Evil Spirit'. Haha!" Issei chuckled nervously.

"Don't just stand here then, dear! Check on and comfort her!" Issei's mom urged him. Sighing, Issei did as his mom told him and approached the girl.

"Uhhh…munchkin?" Issei warily called out to the Devil. She looked up in response with her face being wet with tears and her eyes still held a tone of fear regarding his presence.

"Look…I'm sorry for…you know… But if you just told me that you wanted a friend, this could've been avoided. Why didn't you do so from the start?" he questioned. The only response the Boosted Gear holder received was a couple of sniffles.

"Issei dear, make sure that Miss Exorcist is ok enough to go downstairs. The breakfast I ordered should be here in minutes," Issei nodded at his mom and continued with his task. What the two didn't notice however was Penalty slowly walking out of the room while cautiously keeping her stare on the teen.


Since the matriarch of Hyoudou Residence was in a better mood compared to earlier, she began asking Ravel about where she was from. Her appearance was enough to inform Miki about her non-Japanese origin. Due to not knowing much about the Human World, Ravel was stuck on how to answer the woman. However, Issei came to her rescue and told him that she was from Uruguay and even spoke in Spanish with her to 'confirm' his information. Thankfully, she bought it. He was glad and grateful to the blonde 'Pretty Boy' from his school for informing him about how Devils understood every single language in the world. It irked him that he had to use the aid of his sworn enemy even though they are friends.

After that entire fiasco, Miki told the two teenagers to move downstairs for their take-out breakfast. Issei's mom had placed an order for a Western breakfast, most likely due to Ravel's presence. After that, all of them ate in peace while Ddraig began to fill in Issei on what transpired during his unconsciousness. In the meantime, the Devil would stare at the human for a couple of seconds before looking away while huffing. Ignoring the Supernatural entity, Issei really focused on the story of his partner. Listening to the Dragon and the ridiculous story stupefied the teen and led him to pause all of his actions while he just sat and blankly stared ahead.

"Issei? Is everything alright?" Miki asked with concern in her voice.

"Mom…what the hell happened? Please tell me everything," Issei requested his mother. Ravel didn't voice it but the way her posture perked up at the question was enough to show her interest in knowing the entire story.

"I had this nightmare last night for some reason. I don't know why…maybe it's because this happens to me rarely and the last time it happened was when we were still in the US, but this…creature? Yes, the body is entirely black with just two white dots as its eyes. It warned me that it was interested in you and took you away. And it warned me to act quickly if I wanted to save you from harm. Then I woke up and rushed to your room. Seeing that you weren't there, I was scared," a single tear fell from one of the mother's eyes as she began her explanation.

"Wait. Back up a bit. You went to my room because of something in your nightmare scaring you?" she nodded and continued from where she left off.

"Fortunately, your phone was still there. When it asked for a face scan, I somehow came up with the idea of using your picture from my phone to unlock it," the teen had a deadpanned look at his piece of information.

"Great. Then what?" he asked tonelessly.

"Tsubasa, a friend of yours, was the first person I saw on the call list. Calling her, she heard everything, and apparently one of her relatives is in the Police Force in Kuoh. After a couple of hours of endless waiting, an officer finally dropped you off at home along with the young lady," Miki glanced at Ravel while saying her last words.

'Thank goodness she didn't look through my…private matters on my phone. And no way what Yura said was actually true. She or one of the other devils must've used something akin to Transformation Magic to do this. Or worse, utilize that memory manipulation thing…" a scowl formed on Issei's face.

"So…what then?" This was the part where the holder of the Boosted Gear really hoped that his mom gave him a different explanation compared to what the Dragon told him.

"I think it's better if you see it for yourself," the woman got up from her seat to grab the remote nearby and turned on the TV. Once it was on, the channel being displayed was a local one.

"Breaking News! A horrific event transpired in our lovely town of Kuoh last night! At the abandoned church of Kuoh, 74 unconscious young men were found beaten with grievous injuries, some even in critical condition. Our reporters gathered bizarre information from some of the victims that are currently awake. They claim that a dark-clad creature, which they think is a ghost, attacked them out of nowhere and took them out in a flash. They also added that the ghost was apparently using its powers to use telekinesis on one of the victims and he was being floated away from the location, who they believe was possessed by the ghost. The teen has been identified as the 16-year-old First-Year student of the recently turned co-ed learning institution of Kuoh Academy, Issei Hyoudou," the host stated before saying more and more things. The rest was ignored as the horrified Issei was gaping at the screen.

"OHHHH MYYYY GOOODDDDD!" the yell in English was heard by the residents of many homes that surrounded the Hyoudou residence. A small number of those even had to grab their heads as the sudden yell brought an unexpected headache along with it, including the blonde devil and the black feline within Issei's house.


Author's Note:

Hope you guys liked the chapter!

So yeah, almost the entire town of Kuoh knows about the whole 'Evil Spirit' thing. And many of you guys could probably guess who is responsible for orchestrating this entire ruse.

Ravel was introduced here much earlier than canon. And she'll probably be involved more in the plot from now on.

Do you guys wanna see Issei be a blade user in his fights in the future? If so, let me know!

And the black fog, hmm...what could that mean? What is the mystery behind that creature? Why is Issei connected with it? Find out on the next epi- okay, you know what? I'll stop.

If you notice any plot holes, grammatical errors, or have any suggestions or questions, leave a review or send me a PM!

That's all for now. See ya next time!