A few days have passed since the fight against Raynare, and Ibara was adjusting well to her new life as a devil. Like Izuku, she was tasked with handing out pamphlets and flyers, and she managed to get her first contact. Unlike Izuku, due to being a bishop, Ibara was well adapted in magical ability next to Rias.

But Izuku didn't mind. He was just happy he was finally able to use his Boosted Gear. Izuku did tell his mother about his newly developed 'power' to which she spent the whole day hugging her son and crying tears of joy, much to Rias' amusement.

Then there was the case of Ibara's living arrangements. Izuku knew that given her new circumstances she would need somewhere to stay. But he wasn't expecting to see stacks of boxes in front of his apartment, with both Rias and Ibara standing right next to them. Rather than answering what the boxes were for, in which she said she would do later, Rias only told him to bring them inside. Fortunately for them, or rather unfortunately for Izuku, the matriarch of the Midoriya household was home.

"Let me get this straight…" Inko said slowly, making sure that she had heard it right the first time, "You want Ibara-chan to board in with us?"

The woman in question was sitting at the dining room table apart from Izuku, Rias, and Ibara, still trying to wrap her head around what was just said. It was one of the last things a mother expected to hear. A pretty girl staying with her teenage son… was one of the many things a boy his age would dream of happening to them. Even Izuku was looking flabbergasted at Rias request. A lovely looking young girl suddenly staying with them? Something was telling her that a lot more was going to follow very soon.

"I know it's inconvenient but please hear me out," Rias said, playing spokeswoman, "Ibara comes from a small village and she doesn't have any known relatives. After she arrived in the city Izu-kun was the first and only one who helped her and showed her around, so she mostly feels at ease when she is around him. It would only make sense to be around someone who makes you feel at ease, don't you think so?"

"Well, that is true," Inko nodded, rubbing her chin, "And I can say for a fact that Izuku wouldn't even dream of doing anything shameful to a girl. Still, this is a lot for me to think about."

"In that case," Rias continued, moving in for argument #2, "What would you say if Ibara became your adopted daughter?"

"Adopted…?" Inko blinked, "What do you mean?"

"Ibara trusts Izu-kun greatly so," Rias explained, "While it is true that his main problems lie in his social awkwardness, he is also straightforward and confronts any problem without hesitation. I, as well as Ibara, were both charmed by that quality of his."

"T-that's right!" Ibara pipped up timidly, "Izuku-san risked his life for mine without care for his own safety!"

"Is that right…?" Inko hummed, "It certainly sounds like Izuku. But still…"

"Then let me offer you this," Rias replied, laying down her trump card, "We can use the time Ibara lives here as bridal training." The room stayed silent only for a short while as Rias' words sank in.

"H-HAH?!" Inko exclaimed, eyes widening.

"BRIDAL TRAINING?!" Izuku, Inko, and Ibara all gasped, the two teens blushing brightly.

"Think of it this way. If Izuku interacts with Ibara as much as possible, it could make him grow out of his social anxiety shell," Rias reasoned. "And it would give him an easier time to interact with girls his age."

"Those are… some very convincing arguments," Inko responded, calming down from her shock. "Now that I think about it, with Hisashi working so much now, it would be nice to have some extra company. And on that note…" she trailed off as she looked at Ibara. "I wouldn't mind if she bore me grandchildren."

Izuku and Ibara both stared at Inko with wide eyes as her words sank in, "EEHHH!" Rias simply couldn't help but giggle at Inko's statement.

"MOM!" Izuku exclaimed, his head steaming. "PLEASE DON'T JOKE LIKE THAT!"

"Who said I was joking?" Then she smiled brightly, "At any rate, I look forward to you staying with us Ibara-chan. Please take care of my son."

"W… well," Ibara bowed shyly, "I may be inexperienced, but I'll be under your care from now on, Izuku-san's kaa-sama. I hope we get along."

Rias smiled as she watched Inko rub Ibara's head, gushing about how cute and adorable she was as Izuku was facepalming over his mother's antics. Turning to the side, her smile dropped as a weary look appeared in her eyes.

'A bride, huh…?'

The very next day, Izuku and Ibara left home and made their way to school. As expected from what happened the last time, the various boys and girls who were among the crowd to school were staring both oddly and enviously with a hint of suspicion at Izuku and Ibara. Once again, Izuku was walking to school with a very attractive beauty. Izuku did his best to ignore the stares, settling for the company Ibara gave him.

"Hau~…" Ibara whispered nervously, twisting the handle of her schoolbag with both hands. "My first day at a school in years… I'm really nervous about this…"

"What was school like back in your old village?" Izuku asked her.

"I don't remember much, just a single small elementary school," Ibara told him. "But after my Twilight Healing was discovered, I was made to stop going to school altogether and given a private tutor. They told me that the Holy Maiden was far too prestigious to learn 'menial lessons'." Izuku could hear some hint of loneliness in her voice as she said it.

Izuku cringed sadly. Ibara really did feel lonely after becoming a Holy Maiden. She was adored and admired, but never loved for the person she was. The fact that she was quickly kicked to the curb after healing a devil only further reinforced the point of how the people there were selfish and ignored the needs of a girl still in her adolescence. "Don't worry. We'll be in neighboring classes along with Kiba-san, so we'll be there for you."

"Thank you, Izuku-san," Ibara smiled, a light blush on her face.

Later on in the day, Izuku and Ibara were in the Occult Research Club room lounging around with Rias, Yuuto, Koneko, Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako. Even without anything to do, Ibara enjoyed the company. It was warm and welcoming. Quite unlike the loneliness she felt back in her home village. Izuku was sitting on one of the sofas with Ibara right beside him, enjoying the mochi Ochako had brought. Kyoka and Momo were sitting on the couch across from them, enjoying the mochi also. Koneko had gotten hold of the bag and had already eaten half of it, much to Ochako's dismay. Yuuto was sitting in a chair nearby, reading a book. Rias sat at her desk, fulfilling paperwork.

Each of them chatted among themselves, having fun. At least, that was the case until Ibara explained where she'll be staying. "Oh, you're living together now, eh?" Kyoka asked, a sly smile on her face. "So, when can we expect a wedding?"

"J-J-J-Jiro-san!" Izuku stuttered, his whole head glowing red from embarrassment.

Ibara, though equally as embarrassed, silently liked the idea.

Ochako nearly choked, either from trying not to laugh or from a small amount of jealousy she felt. Maybe both.

"Kyoka, please show some respect," Momo hissed.

Kyoka playfully stuck out her tongue and winked in response.

Deciding to change the subject, Rias spoke up. "So Yaoyorozu-san, how's your training coming along?"

"Great," Momo answered. "We're almost done, with plenty of time left until the recommendation tests, so you better keep your end of the deal."

"Of course," Rias said with a smile, "Assuming you finish in time."

Not long after Momo, Kyoka, and Ochako left.

Once they were gone, Ibara spoke up. "Uh, Buchou. What was that deal Yaoyorozu-san talked about?"

Rias sighed. "A pretty bold and unexpected request. She wants to become a devil."

"What?!" Izuku and Ibara gasped.

Yuuto simply chuckled. "Well, that's unexpected to say the very least."

Koneko simply munched on the mochi.

"Why would she want that?" Izuku asked.

"She didn't say, but we made a deal: If she can finish cleaning Dagoba Beach at least a month before the recommendations tests, then I'll make her a devil," Rias then smiled. "But enough about that, here's why we're really here," Rias got up from her desk and pointed at Izuku and Ibara. "It's time we got you two familiars."

"Familiars?" Izuku asked.

"What are they?" Ibara asked.

"Familiars are very essential in devil society. Think of them as like sidekicks. They can back you up with various tasks and can assist in battle." Rias snapped her fingers. In a puff of smoke, a small cartoony bat with dark red fur appears next to her. "This is my familiar, Moka. You actually already met her, Izu-kun."

"I did?" Right as Izuku said that, Moka changed into a young woman, wearing a vampire-style outfit. Izuku recognized her right away. "You're that girl who gave me the flyer!"

"And it was a lucky thing you kept the flyer," Rias nodded as Moka turned back into a bat.

"This is Shiro, he's mine," Koneko said, showing a small white kitten in her arms.

"Aw, he's cute!" Ibara cooed at the total adorableness of Koneko's familiar, leaning forward to scratch the feline on the ears. The little cat gave a small purr, enjoying the scratches.

"And this is mine," Izuku looked over at Yuuto, showing a small bird on his forearm.

"So Ibara-san and I are going to get familiars now?" Izuku asked, admiring the bird.

"Well, about that…" Rias was interrupted by a sudden knock on the door. "Oh, we have visitors. The door's opened!"

The young devils stood up as the door opened up, and stepping into the room was a group led by a girl the same age as Rias. She was slender and a little shorter than Rias. She had short, bob-cut styled hair being held together by a single clip. Her eyes were strangely pinkish and were behind a set of red glasses with oval frames that gave her a cute and professional look.

Next to her was a slender woman with split bangs long black hair that freely fell to her knees and blue rectangular glasses behind heterochromic eyes, the left being violet and the other one brown. The rest of the teens behind them consisted of five girls and one boy, some wearing U.A. uniforms. "Sorry to interrupt," the bob-cut greeted the group with a small smile.

"Who are they?" Ibara whispered.

"They're mostly U.A. students currently running for positions in the Student Council," Yuuto answered, having overheard. "The one in front is Sona Shitori and the other one next to her is Shinra Tsubaki."

Rias then smiled at Sona. "Good to see you again, Sona," Rias greeted. "What can I do for you?"

"Nothing, I just wanted to congratulate you on increasing the number of your servants," Sona replied. She then smiled slyly. "It took you long enough."

"Wait, how does she know?" Izuku asked.

"Because her real name is Sona Sitri," Yuuto told them. "And just like Buchou, she's a high-class devil and next in line to lead the House of Sitri."

"Huh? So then, other students at U.A. are devils just like us?" Izuku blinked.

"It's pretty surprising you haven't told the newbie about us, Buchou," the sole male of the Sitri group said. He was somewhat average looking with grey eyes and shaggy light brown hair. He wasn't wearing a school uniform. "But if you can't trust him with inside info then I guess he isn't worth much."

"It's considered bad form for devils from other households to interfere with one another, Saji," Sona reprimanded him, causing Saji to look at her in surprise, "It isn't all that surprising that Rias hasn't told him anything about us yet. And that's the point of this visit anyway." Sona then turned to the others. "This is Saji Genshirou, my second and newest Pawn," Sona introduced, smiling.

"This is Midoriya Izuku, my new Pawn. And this is my second Bishop, Shiozaki Ibara," Rias smiled, gesturing at the two of them.

"Um, I'm pleased to you," Ibara bowed, "I hope we'll get along."

"Sure! I'm all for it! Let's be great friends!" Saji greeted back with a friendly tone as he shook her hand. Izuku was slightly unsettled by Saji's forwardness. He simply let it slide as he introduced himself next.

"Pleased to meet you, Saji-san. I'm looking forward to working with another Pawn," Izuku smiled, extending his hand.

Saji, on the other hand, snorted as he cooly smirked at Izuku. "Yeah, yeah, sure," he scoffed arrogantly. "Dude, you might be nice and all, but you're nowhere on my level. I took up four Pawns on my own!" the braggart continued after a breath for dramatic effect, "Maybe someday you'll be able to meet me on equal footing and we'll see who's the better Servant."

"Midoriya took up eight pieces. It's always better to get your facts straight before you make a complete fool of yourself," Sona quickly spoke.

Saji's eyes widened at Izuku's Evil Piece worth, "What? Eight pieces? This guy? How did he manage that?!"

"My apologies for my Pawn's naivety," Sona told them. "He's young and eager, but he still has a lot to learn and needs to appreciate the finer points of civility."

"Y-yeah," Saji frowned apologetically as he rubbed the back of his head, "Sorry about that."

"It's okay," Izuku said.

"That reminds me, you're planning on getting your two recruits familiars soon, right?" Sona asked Rias.

"Yes, what of it?" Rias asked.

"Then it looks like we've got ourselves a deadlock," Sona frowned worriedly. "I planned on getting Saji a familiar for him around the same time. And only one of us can enter the Forest of Familiars."

"In that case," Rias smiled, "How about a friendly little contest to sort this whole thing out."

"A contest?" Sona repeated, looking surprised.

"Whoever wins earns the right to find a familiar first," Rias challenged, "Does that sound fair?"

Sona arched an eyebrow, "Surely you aren't talking about a Rating Game."

Rias chuckled humorously, "Oh, no. We'd never get permission to do something like that."

Sona gave a relaxed smile, "You have a point about that. Besides, this isn't the time to call attention to yourself, now is it?"

Rias suddenly frowned as her eyes flashed slightly. "Don't go there." Izuku looked at Rias worriedly at the sudden unpleasant look on her face. His worries were eased somewhat as she gave a smile, "I know, let's settle this the old-fashioned high school way with sports."

"Oh? Sounds interesting. I'm game," Sona smiled back. From the way the presidents were looking at each other, sparks seemed to fly between them.

"Uh, Yuuto-san," Izuku whispered, "Is this going to be okay?"

"Don't worry so much," Yuuto answered with a smile. "Buchou and Sona-senpai are childhood friends and they've been competing with each other since they were in diapers. They always challenge each other when they get the chance."

"Healthy competition? If you say so…" Izuku nodded.

The sun was shining brightly the very next day, a perfect day for a tennis match. Saji and a few of the other girls from the Student Council were cheering on Sona as they stood on one end of the caged tennis court, while Izuku, Ibara, and Yuuto rooted for Rias as they stood on the other end. The two girls had rackets at the sides and were dressed in white sleeveless shirts with mini-skirts that gave a small peep show as the wind blew in the air, not that they seemed to mind as they focused on the match at hand.

Izuku sat on the front bleachers close to the match when his phone rang. He'd received a text from Ochako.

Uraraka: Hey! We're in the clubroom. Where are you guys?

Izuku chuckled nervously, realizing he and Ibara forgot to tell them about the tennis match.

Midoriya: We're at a tennis club in town. Buchou is having a match with a friend.

Jiro: Whoa! Seriously!? Right now?!

Kyoka suddenly jumped in. Followed by Momo.

Yaoyorozu: Can we come watch?

"Sona, I'm in it to win it," Rias said to her friend, dribbling the tennis ball. "So don't expect me to go easy."

"I wouldn't have it any other way. May the best devil win," Sona smirked, the flames of challenge in her eyes.

Izuku sweat-dropped as he sent a reply.

Midoriya: Sure, I'll send the address. But you might want to hurry.

Rias served up the ball into the air and struck it forward. Quickly, Sona received the ball and returned it. The two young women batted the ball intensely, defending their sides and trying to get it over the other court. With how they were moving, their skirts were getting dragged in the air, flashing their bright white panties.

"Holy whoa, those two are into it," Izuku said, watching the game play out. "They're bouncing that ball like crazy."

Yuuto nodded in agreement. "I've never seen Buchou get so into a contest like this before," he said.

"Is it just me, or is this starting to get a bit out of hand?" Koneko questioned rhetorically.

"I… think you may be right," said Ibara.

Back on the court, Sona smiled confidently as she twirled the ball in her hand, "This game is starting to get repetitive, so how about we make things interesting?" She threw the ball up into the air as her she reared back her racket, the tool glowing in dim blue energy. "Eat this! Sitri Spin Attack!" She slammed the ball against the racket and the now glowing orb zoomed across the stage.

"Oh really? Can you handle the Gremory Counter-Strike?" Rias dared. She reared back her racket as the ball approached her. To her surprise, the ball suddenly changed trajectory before she could make a counter, causing her to miss completely, "Whoah!"

"One point to the Sona-san!" a brown-haired girl with twin pigtails and green eyes, Nimura Ruruko, Sona's other Pawn, serving as the referee announced.

"No way! She's using magic!?" Izuku gaped.

"Haha! Suck on that, Midoriya!" Saji laughed, waving a flag with the words 'Student Council' written on it.

Izuku sweatdropped upon seeing the display. "I thought only a few were U.A. students, let alone running the student council…"

"Didn't they agree not to use magic?" Ibara asked.

"I don't think that's gonna stop them," Koneko sighed.

"So much for rules, huh?" Yuuto shrugged, shaking his head.

"Well, Sona, you can cheat all you want to, but in the end, it won't make a bit of a difference," Rias smirked. "You want a magic show? I've got a few tricks myself," she boasted with a dramatic pose.

"Do your worst, Rias. Do you think I'm afraid of you? Bring it on!" Sona shot back, pointing her racket in an equally dramatic stance.

And so, the high-octane tennis battle between Gremory and Sitri raged on throughout the afternoon, until…

"It's too bad. With the rackets destroyed we had no choice but to end it there," Rias frowned, looking at the broken racket in her hand. She sighed as she carelessly dropped it.

"But you won, didn't you?" Ibara asked, tilting her head.

Nearby, Momo, Ochako, and Kyoka were being given the play-by-back of the match by Izuku. Kyoka especially seemed disappointed, though Momo suspected she was disappointed to not see Rias in a tennis outfit.

After the match, the Occult Research Club returned to the clubroom to plan out what to do next. The sun had already set and the candles lit up the room. "I may have won, but only technically. But I guess I shouldn't look at a gift horse in the mouth now, can I? We'll head out for the Forest of Familiars tomorrow."

"So uh, what is the Forest of Familiars?" Izuku asked.

"The Forest of Familiars is where new devils can find a familiar for themselves," Rias told him. "The main problem is that it only appears during the night of the full moon and only one devil peerage can go there at a time. That's what the contest was about."

The next day, Rias conjured one of her magic circles, and the club room was filled with gentle white light rather than the usual warm red. All devils present filed through, leaving the human world behind.

The group of young devils found themselves in a dark forest. The sky was reflective of the underworld's bizarre night cycle, being a bluish-purple than the black of the human world. As a result, their surroundings were more purple shadow than anything else, though it didn't matter to them as devils possessed above-normal night vision.

At some unspoken signal, Rias, Koneko, and Kiba summoned their familiars; the familiars in question nodded to their summoners before scampering off to who knew where. "Where are they going?" Ibara asked.

"It's tradition," Rias explained as Moka simply flew up to the branch above them, where she slept upside down. "While they spend their time with us in the human world, when we return for any time it's expected to let them have time off, so to speak. This is their home after all." Kiba's hawk flew off, while Koneko's white kitten climbed up a tree and disappeared from sight.

"This place sure is spooky," Izuku commented. It kinda looked like the setting of a horror movie.

"AHOY THERE!" An obnoxiously eager voice called from above and behind. The group turned to find a man standing like an over-eager cub scout on a mission, in a hero pose up on one of the lower branches of the trees. "WELCOME TO THE FAMILIAR FOREST!"

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Master Zatouji," Rias inclined her head. "You have my thanks for accommodating us tonight."

"No thanks are necessary!" The familiar master leaped down to land in front of them, thankfully for his sake, he was speaking at a volume that didn't grate any of their ears. "Now, how many familiars are we looking for tonight!"

"Two for my new servants."

The man nodded in understanding, "I see. Well then, can I interest you in an adolescent dragon?" The man blurred, and was suddenly next to Izuku, behaving as if the Pawn was a potential familiar. "Good fighting potential, with a Longinus Gear included in the package. Physical condition and performance may be currently pitiful, but with enough time and practice can exceed in all areas. Any takers?"

"Huh?" Izuku and the others stared blankly at the familiar master, somewhat alarmed that he was being described so well, as well as unnerved about apparently being offered like an art piece at an auction. To his dismay, Ibara raised her hand. "I'm not a dragon. What gave you that idea?" Izuku muttered.

"He's right," Rias said, glaring at Ibara as she lowered her hand. "Izu-kun is already one of my precious servants, and he may have a dragon-type Sacred Gear, but he's no dragon."

"Really? I could've sworn…" Zatouji shrugged as he looked Izuku over. "Oh well. Now then, what types of familiars are you looking for? A strong type? A fast type? Or a poison type?"

'I feel like I've seen this somewhere before…' Izuku said to himself. "Uh, I'm not sure. What would you recommend?"

Zatouji smiled at Izuku's question, taking out a catalog from his bag. Flipping through the pages, he stopped and pointed at a drawing of a dragon that took up the whole page. The drawing radiated great ferocity.

"This is what I would recommend! One of the Dragon Kings! Chaos Karma Dragon, Tiamat! She's a legendary dragon, and also the only female among the Dragon Kings! Even now, there hasn't been a devil who has caught her yet! That would be obvious! Since she's said to be as strong as the Four Satans!"

Izuku flinched upon hearing Tiamat's name. For some reason, the name alone filled him with dread. "N-no thanks, I'm good!"

"Then how about a Hydra?"

As Zatouji explained all the abilities of a Hydra in great detail, particularly how it could easily kill its master, Izuku could only watch in silence. 'Am I ever like this?'

"I just want a familiar that's cute is all," Ibara said, but Zatouji didn't seem to hear.

For about half an hour (which felt like several years), Zatouji led the group through the dimly lit forest, talking about a wide variety of familiars that could easily kill their master. Nothing eventful happened, except for a strange slime that attacked. But the worst it did was… dissolve the girl's clothes, to their embarrassment and the boys' shock. Yuuto, the gentlemen he was, looked away the second the slime was dealt with, while Izuku blushed and covered his face, doing his best to ignore the fact he saw the bare breasts of Rias (again), Ibara, and Koneko. Zatouji seemed unfazed by the slime's attack, stating he's seen this sort of thing several times before. He received a punch to the gut from a vengeful Koneko for not warning them.

Once the girls acquired new clothing and Zatouji recovered, the group continued. Eventually, they happened upon a large grass-filled clearing. There, resting on a fallen tree, was a tiny reptilian dragon the size of a kitten. Blue scales, white spikes along its spine, and a triangular head. "It's so cute!" Ibara beamed.

"That is a Sprite Dragon!" said Zatouji.

"Sprite Dragon?" Izuku repeated.

"Yeah, a Sprite Dragon. A baby if I had to guess. Just like its name, it's a dragon that uses blue lightning. If you are going to catch it, now is the time. You would not be able to catch it once it matures. It won't be as strong as a Dragon King, but it's placed in the top-tier normal class for dragons."

"Well, Izu-kun? What do you think?" Rias asked.

Izuku lowers his head in thought. The fact it was a baby meant that it won't kill him right away. Then he noticed that Ibara was eyeing the little drake. Smiling, Izuku said, "I think we should let Ibara catch it."

Ibara looked generally surprised, then smiled. She looked to Rias with pleading eyes. Rias smiled. "Very well," she nodded.

Slowly, Ibara approached the little drake. The Sprite Dragon woke upon hearing Ibara's approach, but it didn't flee. Rather, it looked at her with curiosity. "Uh, hello," she said hesitantly. "Can you understand me?" The little drake nodded before jumping onto her shoulder. "Does this mean you want to be my familiar?" It answered by rubbing its head against hers.

"Now that ain't something you see every day," Zatouji quipped

"…In the name of S-Shiozaki I-Ibara, I order you! Y-You shall become my familiar and respond to my contract!"

At the entrance of the forest, Ibara had opened a green magic circle, the Sprite Dragon sitting in the middle, the contract ceremony between Ibara and the familiar taking place.

Of course, since Ibara is a beginner, Rias is supporting her. But it seems like the ceremony is progressing very well.

"Normally the Sprite Dragon is a dragon who won't pledge to a devil, but it seems that girl has a very pure heart. Something like this has never happened before, but it seems like the contract ceremony will finish safely." Zatouji said.

"Well, she was a Holy Maiden before becoming a devil, so that might have something to do with it," Yuuto noted.

The light from the magic circle starts to gradually lose its light. Because the contract was finished, the baby dragon flew to Ibara and started to play with her.

"Ahaha! That tickles, Raiku."

Izuku blinked. "Raiku?"

Ibara blushed. "Yes. He is a dragon who uses 'Raikō'* and I also used part of your name, Izuku-san. Is that okay?"

"It's all right," Izuku replied, walking up to them. "It's nice to meet you, Raiku-"

Raiku's body started to glow blue…

*BUZZ! SHOCK!*

"Agaaaaaaaaaaah, Gggggggggga!"

Izuku, black and smoking from the electric attack, collapsed to the ground, to Ibara's shock. "What happened?" he asked.

"I forgot to mention, but male Sprite Dragons hate males from other races," Zatouji said, also burnt black. Behind him, Yuuto was also charred black, doing his best to put on a refreshing smile.

"What a naughty boy, fufu…" Rias giggled.

"I'm afraid that time has run out for today," Zatouji shook off the black. "Apologies for not being able to acquire you a familiar as well."

"It's okay," Izuku muttered, getting up. "I can wait."

"Are you sure?" Rias asked. "I kinda like the idea of you having a Dragon King as a familiar…"

"Buchou, please, just don't."

Two-Thousand kilometers away in the human world, a lone figure scanned the damaged building she was in. All around her, glass cases were either broken or melted, their contents missing. A couple of cases were still intact, but the items within were missing too. The only things that were left were simple decor and a silver coffin that was chained and bolted to the floor.

"How in the world did this happen?" she said to herself. "There was no sign of any forced entry, and Zelma…" she stopped, taking a moment to mourn the loss of the Sanctum's master.

She walked over to one of the broken cases, noting a small amount of liquid inside. She then noticed something: a single, small strand of black hair.

She smiled. "Not much of a lead, but it is one." Taking the hair in hand, she walked over to one of the few intact pieces on the entire floor: a world map. Making several gestures with her hands, she created a magic circle with fiery energy. She placed the hair in the circle. Sparks from the circle rain down all over the map, but they all mostly disappeared. Except for one that landed on Japan. "Hm. Looks like I'm going home."

AN: All right, the first chapter of the second arc is done! So yeah, no Familiar for Izuku yet but don't worry, he'll get one soon enough. And for those of you wondering about that chick at the end of the chapter who was investigating that Sanctum with the silver coffin, she'll become relevant this arc while the coffin, well, you'll see. *wink*

* Raikō is a Japanese word for 'lightning'. In the DxD light novels, Asia named her familiar "Rassei" by combining Raigeki (Japanese for 'lightning strike') with Issei's name. So I decided to do something similar.