It was morning.

He was never a morning person. His alarm clock blared loudly in his room, ignored. The incessant knocking at his door went unanswered. The boy had turned in bed and shut the world out. One could only wonder how this boy would wake up.

The answer came when the door swung open. A figure rushed over to his bed before climbing on top and straddling his chest. The figure leaned down, her face almost close to his and said softly into his ear.

"Shin-chan…"

The boy stirred in his sleep. There was a weight on top of his chest. His sleep-addled mind muddled his instincts and he instinctively grabbed the entity and flipped them onto the bed. A soft yelp entered his ears and his eyes blinked open. His hand pinned a girl underneath him to his bed.

The boy, Shin, blinked owlishly when he saw the girl beneath him.

"Ichika?" he asked.

She had long, messy brown hair with asymmetrical bangs and styled in a sideways ponytail. Her school uniform, which was parted slightly at the collar, was ruffled from the sudden motion. Her skin and neck were exposed. Her rather large bust heaved up and down slowly as she came to terms with the suddenness of the situation.

"Shin-chan," she said with some amusement and shyness in her tone.

Shin sighed and got off her, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Last night's dream was nothing more than a turbulent echo within his subconscious. Barking echoed down the hallway as the pitter-patter of small paws made their presence known. A small black and white dog with mismatched eyes bounded into the room, barking and pawing at Ichika.

"Ah, Ran!" Ichika picked the dog up, nuzzling her face against her fur. She looked up at Shin, who looked at her with some measure of annoyance in his eyes. She rolled her eyes and flicked his nose.

"Ow-! What the hell?" he asked.

"Aka-nee says it's time for breakfast."


Shinku "Shin" Faulkner was never one for the morning. A trait commonly passed along from his father's side as he so recalled. He heard the sound of his older sister humming as she made breakfast. He ran a hand through his hair and stared at the girl hastily scribbling on a worksheet at the table.

Ichika Hyoudou.

That was the name of the girl who so rudely interrupted his sleep.

A girl he had known since they were small babies. Elementary School. Middle School. And now even high school.

That two had stuck together through thick and thin, even after their other childhood friend departed for another country.

Shin smiled as he took a sip of his water. "You didn't do the homework last night, didn't you?"

"Silence mortal fool! This is not the homework you speak of. These are arcane spells designed to pacify and quell the rage of the Lich Queen who presides over the academy!" Ichika responded.

Ah… that's right… she's still into that… he thought.

He mentally translated everything she said into regular person speak.

By arcane spells, she meant "math homework" and by Lich Queen, she meant their teacher.

"Ichi, were you up playing games again last night?" Shin asked.

"No, Shin-chan. I was watching Puella- Hey! What did I say about using my hidden name, my foolish servant?" Ichika asked.

Shin rolled his eyes.

"Remember that names have power! Using my true name in such a blatant and offensive manner can invite calamities and bring about the apocalypse! It's bad enough that the Red Headed Demon King has her eyes on you! I shan't allow her to corrupt my strongest servant into her own pawn!"

"Eh…? I don't think Gremory-sepai would want to talk to me," Shin said as he poured in the milk before his cereal.

It was a lie of course. She must have caught him talking to Gremory-senpai about some things.

"Hmm, it's the same with all the succubi in our class… err, scratch that." Ichika eyed him before shaking her head.

"What? What's wrong?" Shin asked.

"I just remembered why you're not popular. Your looks are good… it's just when you open your mouth…"

"People just don't understand me," Shin said in a deadpan voice.

"You're adding milk before cereal…"

"Ah. Shin-chan's always been that way, hasn't he?"

The pair looked up from their heated conversation as an older woman walked into the room. Her black hair cascaded down her back, fading from black to red as it went down. Her red eyes watched the two with amusement as she set the food down before them. She removed her pink apron and set it aside, sitting down in the chair between the two.

Shin rolled his eyes at his older sister's words.

Akane Faulkner.

His older sister of five years. The 22-year-old was in her senior year of University. She did not pass up a single chance to tease him or Ichika. Her eyes glinted with mischief as she watched the pair interact.

"Ichika's always been taking care of you since you two were kids," Akane teased.

Shin rolled his eyes at his older sister's words.

"Onee, are Riser and Momo still sleeping?" Shin asked.

Akane smiled. "Well, you know how those two are. And Kouyou is 2 years old. Did you expect her to wake up this early?"

"My foolish servant, even I know that infants need an optimal amount of sleep," Ichika said.

Shin sighed as he swallowed his food.

"I'll clean up. My classes start later than yours. By the way… it's almost 8. If you two don't want to hop the gate again, I suggest you get moving," Akane said.

The sound of rustling and the scraping of the chairs against the floor was the last thing Akane heard before the door slammed shut.


"I told you that we were going to be late!" Ichika yelled, breaking character as they sprinted.

"Sorry! Wait but you never finished doing your math homework!" Shin yelled.

"Screw the math homework! The only reason I forgot was because you never did yours!"

The two rounded the corner and saw it. The gates of Kuoh Academy. A prestigious academy that sat at the edge of the suburban areas of Kuoh before reaching downtown. It was formerly an all-girls academy for the elites of Kuoh Town until a recent shift in management caused a change from all-girls to Co-Ed.

A black-haired, bespectacled girl stood at the gate, checking the skirt length of every girl that entered. Her fearsome aura was suffocating, even from where they were. Despite the distance, the pair knew that she had seen them. The fearsome glint of the Student Council President's cold pink eyes. She twirled her arm and the gates began to close.

"The gate's closing, my servant. The Arch Demon Empress of Water stands before it as its gate guardian to the dark realms," Ichika said, stretching her legs.

"Yeah, yeah, I got it. You're not gonna get your skirt caught on the gate again, are you?" Shin asked, stretching his arms and doing a few lunges.

"As if. My terrestrial movement techniques have been refined since the last time we had to do this. I'm fairly certain that I, your blood master, can outmaneuver you." She strapped her shoulder bag tightly to herself.

"Alright. Last one past the gate has to take the scolding from Prez."

Ichika's eyes glinted as she silently accepted the challenge.

"Ready—?"

"Go!"

The pair took off in a headlong sprint to the front gates.

Shin masterfully weaved his way around strangers going in the opposite direction. A delivery man riding his bike barred his path, however, he jumped over him, clearing his entire height easily before landing with the grace of a cat on the other side.

Ichika scowled at her friend's display of dexterity and agility. She ran past the delivery guy and noticed that Shin was almost past the crosswalk.

Clenching her jaw, she increased her speed and almost reached the gates as it was about to close.

A blonde-haired boy barred her path. It was like this every other week. This same song and dance and she had become more familiar with his movement patterns. She smirked and slid underneath, slipping between his legs.

His eyes bugged out as he saw her sudden, fast movement and quickly turned to see her getting up and dusting herself off. She had made it before the gates had closed.

"Sorry, servant of the Arch Demon Empress. Better luck next time," she said.

"Hyoudou."

Ichika froze. She stiffly turned her head to see Shin standing sheepishly as the student council president whirled on her. It was clear that her friend had just been scolded severely.

"Ichi… you were right, Sona is a demon-"

"Quiet."

Sona's voice cut through the air, effectively silencing him. Shin prayed silently that his best friend wouldn't receive the tongue-lashing he just received.

"It's only two weeks into the semester and you two are turning this into a regular thing! Do you know how hard it is to uphold public morals every morning with you two coming in almost late and causing a ruckus like this? And you, Hyoudou!

"What did I say about buttoning up your collar? And this choker, this violates ethics! Can't you wear a different accessory around your neck that doesn't scream degeneracy!" Sona scolded.

Ichika shrank as the shorter student council president seemingly towered over her. Her domineering, overpowering aura was enough to make both of them into a quivering mess and drive away the other students out of fear for being targets for her wrath.

"S- Shin-chan got this for me as a gift! I'm not taking it off!" Ichika protested.

Sona pinched the bridge of her nose before waving her hand. "Go. You're going to be late for class. Except you Faulkner. Stay."

"But he's my servant-!"

"Go."

Ichika nodded, slinking off but not before giving Shin an apologetic look. As soon as Ichika was out of earshot, Sona turned to Shin. She pushed up her glasses. "You know you can't keep being late to school. Just because our sisters are friends, don't expect me to be lenient on you because of that."

"I know, I know. I can't help it. Late rising is a genetic trait of our family," Shin said sheepishly.

"Mmm…" Sona looked up at the second floor of the academy and noticed a familiar flash of red hair stalk off into the hallways.

"She's been keeping a close eye on your childhood friend."

Shin stiffened. He knew who Sona was talking about.

"Why? Is it because of…?"

Sona nodded. She gestured for the blonde to follow her. "Saji, come on. Class is starting. I'm telling you this as your friend, Shin. Once she has her eyes set on what she wants, it's only a matter of time. Oh, and before school ends, come visit the council room. I have a job for you. I just need to confirm the details with her first."

Shin's eyes followed her as she walked away. He sighed and dusted himself off before making his way to class.


Class went exactly as Shin had expected it to.

Ichika was forced to stand outside and hold full buckets of water after the teacher realized she hadn't done her assignment. He smiled sympathetically as she came back in for lunch, murmuring about the evils of the Lich Queen and how she could dare to punish the Red Dragon Empress of Dominion with such paltry torture methods.

"Ichi, I'll pick you up after practice," Shin said as he packed his stuff.

"Eh? You're not going to come watch?" Ichika asked.

"No, the student council president wants to see me-"

"Hah? Her? My servant, you must be wary around her! She is the Archdemon Empress of Water! She must not be underestimated! She will try to corrupt you like the Red-Haired Demon King of Ruin!" Ichika said.

Shin rolled his eyes and patted her on the back.

Ichika turned and grabbed his arm.

"Shin-chan… are you sure you'll be okay? You don't need me to go with you?" Ichika asked, breaking character.

"Ichi, I'll be fine. Trust me! Sona just probably wants to talk about this morning. I'll be there, waiting for you after practice," Shin said.

Ichika's lips thinned into a line and nodded. "Fine, but if you are late my servant, I shall inform the Vermillion Star of Karmic Flames of what just happened."

"Oi… don't drag Onee into this," Shin said, pinching her cheek.

"Ow! Ow! Shin, wet me wo!" she yelped.

Shin sighed and released her cheek. "I'll see you after the meeting, okay?"

Ichika glared at him before nodding.

Shin chuckled before leaving the classroom.

As Ichika rubbed her cheek in pain, she made a mental note to get back at Shin later. She gathered her things and began walking to the judo club room.


It is often said that the best-kept secrets are hidden in plain sight. That is why conspiracies often form around the most mundane things. Of course, a lot of them were wrong. No aliens were controlling the government nor some secret deep-state propaganda being peddled through schools as some members of various governments might suggest. The best-kept secrets were always hidden in plain sight, acting as if they were a part of the world around them.

And one such secret resided here in the student council room.

Shin sighed as he opened the door to the student council room. He picked his ear as he took a step inside.

Saji, the blonde boy from the incident at the school gates, spotted him and walked over to Sona. He said something to her that Shin didn't bother to make out or hear as he strode into the council room as if he were a regular.

The other student council members were all girls with the exception of Saji. They all gave Shin a momentary yet dismissive glance before returning to work. His presence was a regular phenomenon to them, and one they couldn't be bothered to care about at the moment.

At the end of the student council room, the reason for his visit sat, immersed in her own work. Next to her, another woman, this one being far taller and far more voluptuous, stood handing and receiving papers with the efficiency of a well-oiled machine. Her long dark hair shined in the combination of the sunlight that filtered through as well as the artificial manganese lights of the room.

She looked up from her busy work, continuing to hand and receive papers without missing a beat. A soft smile danced across her lips.

"Shin-kun. Please be patient. Sona-sama is busy handling paperwork that was supposed to go to Rias-sama," she said.

"No worries, Tsubaki. I'm not in any particular hurry. Ichi is at Judo club right now so I have a lot of time," Shin said as he pulled out a chair and sat down. He noticed Saji's suspicious gaze on the back of his head and ignored it.

"Shin. You're early." Sona kept her gaze trained on the paper before her.

"Well, you called me over here. You know I come running if you call," Shin joked.

A ghost of a smile appeared on Sona's lips. "It has been like that for the past 5 years, hasn't it?" Sona looked up and pushed her glasses slightly. "Tsubaki, send the papers off to Akeno and tell her that Rias needs to do her own paperwork."

Tsubaki nodded and the papers in her hand vanished in a shower of silvery blue light.

"Rias really handed you all her paperwork?" Shin asked.

"Only the ones she didn't want. Mostly the ones regarding territory management. This territory is under her name technically. Tsubaki, can you make us some tea?" Sona asked.

Tsubaki nodded and walked off to make some tea.

"So? What's the job?" Shin asked, leaning back in his chair.

"You're really quick to the point. At least humor me like Akane-sama does to Onee-sama," Sona puffed her cheeks slightly.

Shin smiled and stifled his laughter. "Does the great heiress of the Sitri Devil Pillar really want a human to joke with her that badly?"

"Shut up, Shin. At least treat me like a friend and not a quest board from a video game when we're in the council room," she said, crossing her arms.

Yes, Souna Shitori was a Devil. Her name was a horribly crafted yet clever alias for her real name, Sona Sitri. Everyone in this room was, except Shin. As they say, the best-kept secrets hide in plain sight. There was nothing grandiose or demonic about Sona, except for the imperceptible aura she gave off. And despite that, there was almost no way to distinguish a human being from a devil, except perhaps for their impossibly inhuman beauty and the wings on their back.

And now, said Devil was acting like a girl, breaking her normally serious facade to joke around with him.

"My bad, my bad. But yeah- Oh, thanks, Tsubaki," Shin said, accepting the tea from her. He took a sip and looked up at Sona, who thanked Tsubaki for the tea.

"What's the job?" Shin asked.

Sona remained silent for a few seconds before speaking up. "Normally, clean up is Rias's job. However, I've been wanting this to be handled more discreetly since it's not the usual stray."

"Stray? Not the usual?" he raised an eyebrow.

Sona nodded and placed her tea cup down. The sounds of scribbling and typing soon became the only noise in the room.

"Fallen Angels."

Shin let out a sigh and placed his cup down.

Like Devils, Fallen Angels resembled humans in every way, with the exception of their wings of course. Having some in the territory of Devils was a recipe for disaster. After all, the two groups had very little reason to get along. Since Fallen Angels were once Angels, they were a devil's natural antithesis.

"And you two can't move because it's grounds for breaking the ceasefire," he said.

Sona nodded in response.

"You got a location?" Shin asked.

"Not yet. I was hoping you could track it down so I don't have to get my hands dirty," Sona said with a smile.

"You're somehow almost as bad as Rias. You're lucky I let you hire me for free. That girl owes me a year's worth of payments," Shin said.

"Aw, but you only do it because you love me. Besides, can't you just mooch off Hyoudou like you always do?" Sona said in an almost teasing manner. "But in all seriousness, I would go myself. It's just Saji is new and I'm working on easing him into it. Which is why I want you to handle this."

"So… no location. No targets. Just fallen angels?" he raised a questioning eyebrow.

"Tsubaki." Sona snapped her fingers.

Tsubaki nodded and pulled a photo out of her uniform's breast pocket. She handed it to Shin.

Shin took one long look at it, committing all the details of the photo to memory.

It was of a girl. She was cute. Too cute. Her violet-black hair framed a picture-perfect face that was complimented by her shimmering violet eyes. She had a 'P' hair clip on her head and appeared to be dressed in a different school's uniform.

"She's cute," Shin commented.

"A Fallen Angel. One of the ones we know is here. She was found stalking our school a few days ago by Rias's Rook. She appears to be looking for something," Sona said.

"What if she just wants to apply to the school?" he asked.

Sona gave him a deadpan stare, with which he just stared back. Sona sighed.

"You're messing with me…"

"I'm not!" Shin said, feigning offense.

"But… Fallen Angels don't hide in groups of one. There has to be more and a couple of stray exorcists. I'll see what I can do," Shin said, stuffing the photo in his pocket.

"I have the utmost faith in you, Shin," Sona replied.

"Yeah, yeah. You have to clean up afterward. I can't guarantee that this'll be clean," Shin said, getting up.

"Don't worry. I'll clean up. If I can't, I'll let Rias know to send Akeno to clean up your mess," she said.

Shin nodded. "I gotta go pick up Ichika at the judo club room. I'll be seeing you later, Sona."

Sona nodded and watched as Shin left the room.


Ichika puffed her cheeks as she scrolled furiously on her pocket grimoire (phone). Shin had told her he would come pick her up. Yet, here she was at the gate, waiting for her devoted servant (childhood friend) to come and walk home with her. A bead of sweat trickled down her neck and into her shirt. Judo practice had ended earlier today so she didn't really blame him for not showing up.

"But Aka-nee should've told him not to keep a woman waiting," Ichika grumbled as she began scrolling through arcane groups (online forums and threads). She furiously typed up a heated comment about how the apocalypse was going to come if the beast wasn't sealed properly.

Through the furious clacking of her smartphone's keyboard, she never noticed the figure that was approaching her, nor did she notice the momentary look of malice on the figure's face.

"Um… excuse me?"

Ichika sighed in annoyance and looked up. "Servant, how dare you make your master wait. If you were going to do so, at least send an arcane missive to my... grimoire?" she blinked.

The person before her wasn't Shin.

It was a girl.

A cute girl.

She had long violet-black hair with somewhat messy bangs and long hair that reached down to her mid-back. Her body was slender and curvaceous, being hugged snugly and tightly by her uniform. It was a uniform that Ichika didn't recognize from any school in the town.

"Um… excuse me… but can you help me?" she asked, fidgeting with her bag.

Ichika coughed into her hand, wondering whether or not to roleplay her role as the Red Dragon. In the end, she decided to try and talk like a normal human being.

"Um, yeah sure. Are you okay?" she asked.

The girl smiled almost seductively. She sauntered over, purposely swaying her hips. She leaned forward, giving Ichika a saucy smirk. The intoxicating smell of her perfume flooded Ichika's nostrils. "I was wondering if you could help me. I'm a bit new to town and to the school, and I-..."

"Ah! So you're in need of a guide!" Ichika had failed. She immediately defaulted to roleplaying.

The girl blinked when she saw the unfazed look on Ichika's face. A brief look of confusion passed through her eyes. This girl was unfazed by her charm? Normally, men and women would throw themselves at her feet the moment she weaponized her looks.

"I see. You came to the right person. I don't mean to brag… but I possess a connection to the Akashic Records, which allows me to have an omniscient view of everything within the academy!" Ichika said proudly.

"W- Wait… huh?"

"Worry not for I, Ichika Hyoudou, the Great Red Dragon Empress of Dominion who lords over 10,000 worlds shall assist you!" Ichika patted the girl's shoulder.

"Wait… I-"

"Please feel free to bask in my presence, mortal."

The girl felt a twinge of annoyance creep into her. This girl was really-

"By the way, what's your name? And number? If I'm gonna show you around town, today's not really a good day so can we take a rain check?" Ichika asked. She unlocked her phone and handed it to the girl.

"Huh?"

"What? Aren't you lost or something?" Ichika asked.

The girl blinked, now remembering what she had just said. "Y- Yeah… right, I'm Yuuma! Yuuma Amano and um… I think I also like you-"

"Of course you do! Everyone likes me!" Ichika puffed out her chest with some pride. "Us Dragons possess a certain charm that attracts people!"

Yuuma's eye twitched. "R- Right, let me just enter my phone number. How about we meet at the train station on Saturday at 10? From there you can show me around town?"

"Hmm, Saturday…," Ichika took her phone back and opened the calendar app. She scratched her head for a few seconds. "I guess I can switch shifts with Shin or Rav. Sure, I can show you around town."

"Thank you!" Yuuma bowed in thanks. She then straightened herself and looked at her watch. "Oh, I got to go. My uncle is probably worried about me."

"Of course, your kin must be worried. I will see you on Saturday when the sun is high in the sky."

Yuuma slowly backed away and waved before running off in the opposite direction.

Ichika just smiled and waved. "What a nice girl."

"Ichi!"

Ichika turned around when she heard a familiar voice. Her eyes lit up before she schooled her features. Her cheeks puffed out in anger.

Shin gave her a confused look as he slowed to a stop.

"Where were you!?" She placed her hands on her hips and gave him a stern look. The other students, who were leaving for the day, whispered about "an old married couple arguing".

"I was with the President," he said.

"You're late, my servant! What do you have to say?" Ichika said.

"Sona kept me because she wanted me to do her paperwork for her… and she wouldn't even pay more for it." Shin wiped his eyes, even though there were no tears present.

Upon hearing his fake crying, Ichika raised an eyebrow before sighing in exasperation. "Really? You expected Shitori-kaichou to pay you for helping her? You really are hopeless..."

She grabbed Shin's hand and dragged him out of the school.

He smiled warmly when he saw her ears turning red. "Hey, Ichika, can you lend me money?"

"No."

"What…? I haven't even told you what I'm gonna spend it on!"

"No."


I'll rarely do author's notes but I'll do it for the first couple chapters. Some things to take note or:

1. Yes, Ichika is an alternate universe version stand-in, whatever you want to call it for Issei. Originally, she was going to be the female protagonist instead of Akeno but then I relegated her to being a joke with the gender ray gun in the original Azure. I decided to use her because I like the childhood friend dynamic and I love playing with their relationship in my head. Also, she came out way better than I thought she did when I pitched her to some people on Discord when asking for feedback for new initial drafts for the old version of her. You can call her an Issei in name only or you can refer to her as an OC who is based on Issei. I immediately know that this will drive 90% of you away.

2. A lot of Azure's arcs have either been trimmed or done away with entirely. In Beyond that Broken Red Sky, I'll just spoil it now since it doesn't exist but there is no Phenex Arc. It was useless in the OG and only served to add to the wordcount so why put it in here.

Anyway, I'll make update notes about differences for most of the first arc and probably do less and less once the second arc rolls around. I will still do the Profile Notes for each character like I did in Azure so... yeah.