We have returned. I'm really itching to get this chapter out so I can get writing on the newest Red Dragon Of Golden Light one because that chapter's gonna be BIG. Anyway, all other stories have been updated (at this point in time) so all that's left before RD of GL is this one. So we may as well get to it. Strap in boys. Lotta politics, dialogue and other smart shit in this chapter.

Also, someone tried telling me that while Rias didn't mean for Issei to die, she was indirectly responsible for his death. This is true. Rias in no way intentionally left Issei to die nor did she expect him to die. His death was just a serious lack of foresight on her part especially considering she didn't even know if he had a powerful sacred gear or not. That's something I wanted to make light of in last chapter with Azazel's explanation but it really would've ruined the flow of their interaction if I had Azazel dump some even more exposition unprovoked. Moreover, it had a narrative purpose. Azazel is not a fool. He knows that Issei can't digest all of that information in such a short amount of time in the state he's in. All he needed to do in that moment was immediately debunk the idea as blatantly as he could and let Issei process the questions he left him with a new perspective. I was planning on elaborating further in this chapter before anyone mentioned it but a little bit too late it seems. Oh well. I'm keeping it in the chapter anyway.

-SCENE-

"Is that so?.."

"Yeah. That's the basic gist of it."

5 powerful beings sat quietly together at a table. One had a mane of crimson hair running down his head, Sirzechs Lucifer. He sat with his hands held together in front of his nose and a complex expression. Another man had long pine green hair and a calculative attitude, Ajuka Beelzebub. The only woman sitting at the table, who usually had a playful attitude, had a bit of a more serious, somber expression, Serafall Leviathan. The last man, who usually spent his time sleeping, was awake and alert with a look of contemplation on his face, Falbium Asmodeus. The last man sitting at the table was none other than the Sensei himself, Azazel. Sirzechs' wife, Grayfia Lucifuge, stood behind his chair with a stoic expression.

"I see...that certainly is...unfortunate…"

Sirzechs said that in a doleful tone. After Azazel had explained everything that occurred between the Gremory group, the mood in the room had changed a bit. It had started as being quite professional in nature, but ended as being somewhat solemn for certain characters.

"Sorry I interrupted your meeting. I didn't expect you all to be here. Just wanted to talk to Ajuka and Sirzechs in private, but I suppose it shouldn't make a difference. In the worst case scenario it would become some sort of news in the Underworld anyway."

Azazel apologized while leaning back in his chair.

"No, that's alright Azazel. It's fine this way. It certainly wouldn't hurt to tell all of us either way. It was merely a matter of convenience. Don't worry about it too much. More than that, this situation is a bit disheartening, to say the least."

Sirzechs sighed lightly. He came to understand the situation quite easily. Thinking about it logically, it made sense how it turned out this way. The Gremory group were just children who didn't always consider the possible ramifications of certain events. Considering their personalities and young age, it wasn't so otherworldly to consider such an outcome. Unfortunately, because they are so young they aren't to full enough maturity to solve their problems in a more rational or conventional way.

Sirzechs felt a bit of ashamed of himself. It wasn't at all his fault and it hardly even involved him, but he couldn't help but feel it. To think he believed Issei should call him Onii-sama without hesitation. How insensitive, he thought. However, the most conflicting part was the small amount of disappointment within himself; Or rather the person it was directed at. It was directed at his very pride and joy of a younger sister. He understood her intentions and why she handled the situation the way she did, he is her brother after all, but even so he felt disappointed in her. Even if it was just by a minuscule amount, the disappointment was still there. And it hurt him so deeply to admit that to himself. He could never have the strength to admit that to his beloved sister because he feared breaking her heart. Even if it didn't, he never wanted his sister to think that she didn't have his full support, especially now which would be her weakest time. He simply didn't have the backbone for it. He sat back in his chair with a bitter smile.

"Hmph….It seems I am not as strong as you Azazel.."

"Hm? How so?"

He did not answer. He merely gazed at the ceiling vacantly, thinking hard on what should be done. Even if Azazel told him that he would be handling the situation, he still felt it involved him. To be fair, it did from a logistical aspect. At least for the rating game it did. Serafall spoke some familiar words with a disapproving pout.

"Mou! Those children! They sure are a no-no! My Sona-tan would never allow such a thing! She thinks very hard about her servants feelings! She thinks very hard about everything! Ria-tan needs to think more and feel less!"

Azazel chuckled.

"Ahahaha. Well, they are children, just as you said. The fact that they came up with a conclusion so based in their emotions instead of critical thinking is to be expected no?"

"Mmmm! But-But! Even so! That doesn't excuse it! Ise-kun is a nice little boy! He would never want to hurt Ria-tan's feelings on purpose! She should know that! She just didn't want to because it wouldn't work for her the way she wanted! As a woman I understand it, but as a master and as an important friend it is a big no-no!"

She waved her wand cutely as if she was swatting a fly. Sirzechs fixed back to his original position of contemplation.

"However, this is troublesome isn't it? Ise-kun most certainly will be out of commission until he recovers fully won't he? I myself wouldn't even want to force him to participate or train for the upcoming game in such a state. Considering how close he was with my sister this has to be a strong blow for him to take, not considering all the others. I'm not sure what sort of consequences it could have….maybe even….Well, even if it comes to that it would be the responsibility of Rias alone, as a woman and as a master. Though, I may want to have a talk with my mother. I cannot help but feel that she most likely had a great hand to play in this. Rias impatience is not just her own after all. Only as an adult was I able to control my own that I inherited. But, the impatience in Rias seems a little more like my mother's than it should. She always was the one rushing the marriage arrangement between her and Raiser….Sigh...what to do indeed.."

Ajuka interjected.

"Azazel. Earlier you mentioned irregularities with his Gear. Were you able to assess the effects by this point in time?"

Azazel crossed his arms in contemplation.

"Mmmm. Well, not entirely, but from what I understand the Gear had entered some sort of temporary stasis. It's similar to the moments in which the Gear is at a 'crossroads' of sorts. When it is on the verge of reaching the next evolution and the Gear becomes practically unusable until it has peaked. However, the problem here is this happened when Issei was in that state. That brings up the question: was it another evolution? Which is unlikely. Or, was it the worse option, could the Gear have been reacting in a way that suggests the user would have been subconsciously prohibiting himself from activating a certain mode?"

"By certain mode you mean..?"

"Yeah. It's that obviously."

Ajuka placed his fist up to his mouth.

"That is worrisome."

"Yeah. Think about how I feel confronting him in that moment. I had tread more carefully than in a long time. In the end I'm sure no matter what I would've done it wouldn't have worked. I still ended up having to resort to force to succeed. It's been a while since I felt so incompetent."

"Don't berate yourself. We've avoided a catastrophe. Moreover, what was the impression of his aura? You said it was unnatural."

"Yeah. It was heavy. Almost oppressive. Overall it was more like a miasma than an aura. I assume that it might've been poisonous to normal humans. I still didn't want to take any chances anyway so of course I kept the kids away. It also had an odd tendency to slide off his body like a smoke. It didn't stick to him like the usual stuff. It just stuck to the floor while it made its way out."

"That is quite unsettling."

"Heh. I was the one touching it y'know?"

Sirzechs interrupted their intellectually driven discussion.

"More importantly Azazel, how is he now?"

"It's been a couple days since the incident so right now he's okay. He gets constant visits from that girl and he has been trying to train like usual. Although I'm not sure how he's progressing on that, at the very least he's able to use his Gear normally now."

"Mm. Well, that certainly is a relief to hear. Do you think any of it is superficial?"

"To be honest with you I'm not sure. I haven't had the chance to interact with him properly since the day he arrived. I've been more busy than I expected. Luckily, I've been having Shemhazai keep an eye on him and from what I've heard there doesn't seem to be any signs of deceit towards himself or anyone else for that matter. It all looks to be genuine. I'll judge it for myself when I see him today, but either way I trust Shemhazai was able to make a proper assessment. Especially since he's usually able to take notice of his interaction with the girl."

"I see. So Ravel is the only one sitting inside of the comfort zone after all?"

"Looks like it. I don't know if I can say the others have removed themselves fully or not, but the line drawn between them and Ravel is not short."

"What about the two of you?"

"Not sure. I hope the distance between us isn't great, but I can only find out for myself. Either way, I'll definitely try to keep it from extending."

"I wish I could say the same."

"Don't sweat it Sirzechs. Ise is a kid just like the others but he isn't a 'sins of the father' type of guy. He won't hold you up to what they've done y'know?"

"Yes, I suppose he won't. Even so, that only makes me feel more ashamed somehow."

"I understand. It's the same here."

Sirzechs sighed once again.

"This certainly has turned out to be quite the hefty topic."

"Yeah, for a bunch of kids they sure know how to give me a headache. Are? Shouldn't that be what kids are good at? Nevermind then."

"Grayfia."

Sirzechs called out to the maid behind him. She stepped forward.

"Yes, Sirzechs-sama?"

"Go check on Rias. This certainly couldn't have been easy on her. I'm sure she'll need some support and I don't think we should try to dump that burden on the girls beside her in similar states. I'll try to visit her if I can, but for now let's just see how she's doing. Maybe some encouragement will do her well."

"Yes, Sirzechs-sama."

She stepped back to teleport herself as the rest continued their discussion.

"So what do you suggest we do, Azazel?"

"Personally? I want the game cancelled. But that's too drastic an outcome. It may just be because of my own shame, or subtle fear of what can happen, but something compels me to give that opinion. Who knows. It could just be the lingering unease that set in after feeling that aura. Nevertheless, I know that isn't an option. The games between Gremory & Bael and Sitri vs. Agares are simply much too significant to be cancelled. Not to mention how beneficial they are in the current state of the Underworld. This is something that practically needs to happen. So then the next best option would be to postpone the game. Set it back a month or so. It may be extremely inconvenient, but I would imagine it's more satisfactory to the viewers than removing only the Sekiryuutei from the game. That wouldn't go over too well."

"Hm. Well, you're correct to assume that cancelling the game isn't an option. I'm afraid that's something we simply cannot allow. Those future generations are a great key into shaping the future. This is something that should be seen. Postponing the game? Hm….That could still turn out to be troublesome. Keeping the Gremory from facing the Bael temporarily would be terrible, but it can explained away quite easily. Explaining that the Sekiryuutei would not be able to participate in the game while the rest of his group fight, that is an entirely different issue. The masses would surely begin theorizing to the point of paranoia. The scrutiny would not be light. He's much too popular."

"Yeah. The media in the Underworld is similar to the one in the human world thanks to a majority of the population now being Reincarnated Devils. They would eat this situation up if given the chance. So it may be worse to just take out Ise alone, that's what I thought. And Ise wouldn't want that either. So all in all, it's the worse option."

Sirzechs nodded his head.

"I agree. That only leaves the question of whether we believe Ise-kun needs that much time or not."

"I think he does. If not for his recovery then for his training. I know that even though he is training, his recovery would surely hinder him from making any significant progress when it comes to his training. Even if he wouldn't want to admit it. So if I'm being honest, I think we should try our best to give him as much time as needed. But I believe a month extra should do."

"A month huh…"

Sirzechs contemplated silently for a minute. Serafall commented meanwhile.

"More time huh? So Ise-kun really was in a bad state. I cannot allow this! That just won't do! No-No! Since it's come to this I shall take matters into my own hands! I shall visit Ise-kun as the Magical girl Leviathan~! With the wave of my wand I shall heal his heart of any wounds! Even the mere sight of Leviathan will have him fawning over her and in love with women again! Gasp! Oh no! But if I do that he will only end up falling for me instead! That would be really mean to Ria-tan and the others! Uuuuuuuuuuu! Being a Magical girl is difficult!"

Azazel laughed lightly.

"Hehe. Well, the princess of the Phoenix is one thing, but having the Maou of Leviathan at Grigori might be problematic in a few ways you know?"

Serafall turned to Azazel in shock.

"Eh?! Really?!"

Sirzechs, who had been thinking critically up to this point, finally sighed for the last time as he brought himself back into the conversation.

"Alright. I'll see what I can do. I'll discuss our options with the house of Bael. Though it shouldn't be very difficult to convince Sairaorg himself. I'd imagine he would not want to experience the rating game without the Sekiryuutei, Ise-kun, in attendance. I'll also have meeting with the organization in charge of arranging the games to inform them based on the conclusion we reach."

Azazel nodded his head in agreement.

"Good. We both know that this is for the best. I'm sure Ise isn't the only one who will need recovery time at this point."

"Yes...I suppose he isn't now…"

Azazel stood from his seat.

"Well then, I'm off. I won't interrupt your meeting any further so go ahead and continue where you left off. I might as well visit Ise now that I have the chance. Let me know when you've finalized the details behind everything."

He began waving his hand back as he walked out of the room, Ajuka quickly addressed him before he exited fully.

"Notify me should there be any irregularities with his Demonic powers. I may have to assess the state of his Evil Pieces."

"Yeah, yeah."

He exited the room, leaving the four Maou to themselves. Falbium called out to Sirzechs who had a distant look in his eyes.

"Sirzechs."

"...Honestly….how troubling…."

Part 2

|Ise|

I sat in an empty space. A training space prepared specifically for myself within the facility. Meditating.

…

"Still meditating, Ise-kun?"

A familiar voice called out to me. I opened my eyes to greet him.

...But there was no one there.

…

"Ise-samaaaaa~!"

"Hm?"

From far behind me I heard someone calling out to me. This time it was real. That voice...looks like my visitor has returned.

"Sigh...You seriously come too often, Ravel."

I said that as I stood up and turned around. Sure enough there she was. Ravel was waving happily while running towards me with something wrapped in cloth in her hands.

The moment she reached me-.

"Hey Rave- oof!"

She jumped into my chest excitedly.

"Ise-sama! I have missed you!"

"U-Uh yeah. Nice to see you too….uh…"

She was holding onto me. Calm down. Calm down. It's okay. It's just Ravel. She's not going to do anything wrong. Right? You trust her don't you? You said you'd put your trust in her. You have trust her fully. No more fear.

It's okay. I'm okay with this...

I wanted to reciprocate her hug, but after a few seconds she realized what she had done and pulled herself back while frantically waving her arms around. Her face was as red as a strawberry.

"A-A-Aaa-aaa-aah~! I-I-I-I'm sorry-yyyy!"

"A-Ahahaha. No, i-it's okay. I guess.."

Ravel just hugged me...usually I would've immediately felt her breasts touching against me...but…..did I just not notice it this time?

"So what's that?"

I pointed towards the box shaped item wrapped in thin cloth she held in her hands. She glanced down at it then made an expression which looked like she was gathering her courage. She bowed her head as she held out the item to me.

"A-Ahem! P-Please accept this wrapped bento box as a gift from me!"

Oh, it's a bento box. I see. So she made me one huh. Well, it is lunch time I suppose.

"Thanks. I'm really grateful."

I gladly took the bento from her hands. We stood there for a couple seconds in silence. She fidgeted nervously as if she wanted to say something but couldn't.

"...Would you like to join me?"

She looked up at me excitedly with a bright smile.

"Y-You don't mind?! In that case, please allow me to join you!"

"Ehehehe. Yeah it's fine."

I couldn't help but find her enthusiasm adorable. We sat down together on a little bench to the side of the large training room.

"Ise-sama has been training very hard hasn't he?"

She says that while taking a look at the place. Yeah I guess so huh. There's quite a few scorch marks and broken sections of floor. I'm sure if this place wasn't as tall as it is I would've broken parts of the ceiling as well. It's well designed and the construction is good, but it has terrible atmosphere. It's too scientific looking and not in the cool sci-fi way. There's no color and despite being normal temperature it feels like a cold and damp place. Maybe it's just because I train alone.

"He's been trying really hard….all by himself…"

She said that sadly while holding her knees. Yeah….I really don't like it much myself…..being alone….It's the one thing I've always been afraid of…but..

Gulp

"I...still have Ravel….right?"

I said that a bit hesitant while averting my gaze. I don't usually try to say things like this. Showing this much of myself…..It's scary…..but I have to keep trying…

Her face slowly brightened up.

"Y-YES! Yes! Of course! It is just as Ise-sama says! Even if there is no one else, Ravel will still stay by Ise-sama's side! No matter what!"

Ahaa…...I could feel the breath of relief being released from my lungs….Are? Was I holding my breath just now haha?..

"..I-I see….haha….thanks.."

"O-Of course! I will always support Ise-sama! A-A-And if it is alright with you, I would like to stay by his side..f-f-forever…"

I couldn't hear her last words because she mumbled them but I think I got it. I did ask her to stay with me, isn't that right?

"Y….Yeah, that's fine….it's best if you stay by my side. Just like I said.."

She squirmed excitedly in her place. She looked like she was cheering happily for herself on the inside. Well, I may not have fully heard what she said, but if it's Ravel I'm sure it's nothing bad…...it's okay to think like that right?...that's how I want to be able to think.

I decided to open the bento box. A beautifully decorated arrangement of well made food. Also very organized. Just like Ravel. There's even a little compartment on the bottom of the box that has some desert in it. Yep. This is Ravel alright.

I can see her looking up at me expectantly from the corner of my eye. Well, no point in keeping her waiting. I use the chopsticks to pick up some of the meat inside. There's a heart in the rice haha. I put the food in my mouth.

Munch.

!-This is-!

"Delicious! Just as I thought, even with all of the extravagant meals being served to me here, it still doesn't beat Ravel's cooking!"

I immediately voiced my opinion. I can't help it when it comes to food! Or women-!...or that's what I thought...but lately..

"I-Is that so?! W-Well of course! It was made with l-l-l-l-l-l-l-l-love after all!"

"Hm? Made with what? I couldn't hear you since you whispered it."

"N-N-Nothing! It is nothing to worry about!"

She is acting unbelievably nervous about something. She whispered and stuttered a lot that she made this with something special.

"Well, I'm sure whatever you made it with it wouldn't have been the same without it."

"Of course! Everything I do for Ise-sama's sake is out of-! Ahem! B-Because of such a thing!"

'Because of such a thing'? Wait, so it wasn't some sort of seasoning that she was talking about?

[Partner.]

Oh Ddraig, what's up?

[Previously, you had asked me to assist you as much as I could when it came to your "recovery". Isn't that right?]

Yeah I did. You don't mind right?

[Not at all. Rather, I've decided this is where I should start.]

Oh?

[I will be blunt Partner. My question is, don't you believe that is enough?]

Huh?

[It's enough isn't it? That willful ignorance of yours.]

…...My….

[Enough foolishness Partner. You can never solve a problem you do not confront. Do you intend to continue running from that which you are afraid of understanding?]

I….

You're right…..

You're right Ddraig…

I don't know exactly what Ravel said….but...I'm not that stupid….I just want to be…...I just don't want to admit that it could be true….pretending I don't know what I do..

I'm still afraid….That won't do…..I can't go on like that…..I won't make any progress unless I really try…..and up until now I've just been fooling myself into thinking that I've been trying…..but I always kept that piece untouched…..Just to protect myself…..how pathetic…

[Do not be ashamed. Be better.]

Yeah…..I know…..for Ravel's sake…

"Ravel…"

I gathered up my courage and called out to her. She looks a bit worried thanks to my serious tone. I took a breath to calm my nerves. I look her straight in the eye as confidently as I could.

"I….I want to thank you…..for everything….thank you for staying by my side….I think I'm slowly starting to understand how you feel..and..even though I'm not good at this sort of thing….if you try, I'll try…"

"Ise-sama….…"

She stares a me a bit longingly. A-Ahehehe...I'm not sure what to do now….we're kinda just….staring at each other…..but…

Should I...get closer-

"Oya, Oya. So Ravel's come to visit huh?"

"Ah!"

"Kya!"

!-Ravel and I jumped back in terror at the sudden appearance of the man approaching us from ahead. It's Sensei!

"Hm? What's up? Did I interrupt something?"

Ravel and I glanced at each other but quickly looked away.

"N….No.."

He smirked.

"Well, certainly doesn't seem like it."

I grumbled a bit. He came to lean against the wall beside our bench.

"Have you finished your discussion with the Maou-sama, Azazel-sensei?"

He nodded his head to Ravel's question.

"Yeah. All of the Maou ended up being in attendance, but even so I was able to discuss it properly with them."

All of them…..

"W-What did Sirzechs-sama say?..."

He turned to me darkly.

"He wants to kill you."

-!

"Hahahahaha! Just joking."

"...…..That's not funny."

His serious attitude returned.

"No, don't worry. He understood. He's an adult and a leader after all. He has that level of critical thinking. He understands both sides, but as of now his alliance sides with you. He understands how much of an effect this has on you. Even though he's worried about Rias and how the public might react, he knows your recovery takes priority over it."

"Is that so?...So what does that mean for the game?"

"I'm not entirely sure, but if I'm being honest, my best guess is the game will be delayed for another month."

….delayed….two months from now…..I should've seen that coming….how will the public react? All of my young fans...

"That's a long time….and it's all my fault.."

"Don't blame yourself Ise. If you are at fault, then those who put you in this situation are much more at fault."

"I...I guess so…"

I decided to ask Sensei a question that's still been lingering in my head. Ravel wasn't here for the other conversation I mentioned this topic in, but if I want to trust her fully then I should be able to mention this.

"There's still something that's been bothering me since the other day. It's about the time I died. If B-..Buchou didn't want me to die that day….why didn't she just have me followed? Koneko-chan followed me at school sometimes. So, why not just watch me for that day?"

"A few reasons. I would imagine that Rias believed the Fallen Angels in her territory were on official business. Technically they were. Raynare was sent personally by me. So in a way she was like a diplomat or representative of sorts. So it would have been quite troublesome if something happened to her. Even if I would have wanted to avoid war, surely my allies and subordinates wouldn't let her death go unavenged. The tensions really were too high at the time. No matter how you look at it, the only way it would've turned out alright would be if she had substantial evidence to take them down. She didn't get that until you died. That doesn't really mean that she waited for your death as proof, but merely that she couldn't act on suspicion alone. My side most certainly would not have accepted 'suspicion' as an excuse for killing someone I sent on an observational mission personally."

"But that still doesn't answer why she didn't follow me that day just in case. Or why they handed me a summon slip."

"The slip was just an obvious failsafe. The next part? Lack of foresight. Rias is still very naive and inexperienced. It was only her second year managing her own territory. Not to mention, everything that she's eliminated from under her jurisdiction were just brainless killer strays. Those who had already forfeited their lives and weren't accepted by any side. She must have just assumed that it was more likely Raynare would recruit you, not kill you. It makes sense if we consider your personality and Fallen Angel's talents for seduction. It would've been an easy win for us."

"But...wouldn't Buchou have known I had a Sacred Gear at that time?"

"Maybe. But there's no way she could have expected it to be anything amazing at her level. I was the only one who had suspected it could've been a Longinus. It's why I had you observed in the first place. I didn't need you going berserk. I'm sure Rias didn't have any suspicions about you having such a powerful Gear. I'd imagine that at the time of your revival she was troubled by the fact that you died since she would now have to use her pieces to revive you, since she felt partly responsible. But I can guess those worries faded away when she realized even 7 pawns wasn't enough."

"A-Ano…."

Ravel interjected.

"I'm not sure what is going on, but somehow it has to do with Ise-sama's resurrection?"

"Ah, yeah. Ise here has been worried about the circumstances surrounding his death and revival. His mind ended up conjuring up some weird conspiracies when he was unstable and he ended up convincing himself that his death was possibly planned or something similar."

Ravel became shocked.

"W-What?! That couldn't possibly be true! Ise-sama! I understand that Ise-sama was afraid of what happened, but please believe me, Rias-sama would never do such a thing! Rias-sama is-! She would never!"

I smiled awkwardly.

"Ah, no I know Ravel. I get that now. I was just worried at first is all. But I'm better now, so I can think more clearly about the situation myself. It's just like Sensei said, the possibility of Buchou doing such a thing is really low. It would make more sense if she just asked me herself. I wouldn't have said no if she explained the part about peerages and having my own harem. None of the pieces really fit well for anything like what I was thinking about. So it's fine."

She relaxed her posture.

"Is that so?.."

I just nodded my head. Yeah, Buch…..she wouldn't have done that. She….R…..Rias Gremory wouldn't have done that…..R…..Rias…...wouldn't have done that…

[You are doing well Partner. I am proud of you.]

T..Thank you Ddraig..

"So, Ise."

Sensei snapped me from my mind again. He was looking at me curiously.

"What are you going to do from here?"

"..Eh?"

"Well, you aren't going to just sit around right? I'm sure you'll still want to train while you recover. 'Train your body and your mind will follow'. The simple way out has always worked out for simpletons like you. So, now that you don't have your usual training method to rely on, what do you plan on doing?"

Hm….I haven't thought of that….

Surely I can't just train by myself like this. I won't make a lot of progress. So then how should I train? Where would I even think to start?

[Think hard Partner. Think of how you have trained before. Your previous evolutions in strength. What do they have in common?]

Hm…..how I've trained before? The first time I properly trained was before the Raiser match, but I didn't go through any significant changes. The next time was with Tannin-Ossan, but I still didn't achieve Balance Breaker like I was supposed to. After that I just trained with Kiba and we became stronger together….So I'm not really sure what to do.

[Wait-. Did you notice that Partner?]

Hm? What?

[Remember the times you became stronger. When did you experience all of those significant changes? Your evolutions. When did they happen?]

My evolutions? Let me think back to it.

Okay, the first one was when I unlocked my Gear the first time. That was against that one Fallen Angel Kalawarner or something. She tried to attack me and I spawned the Gear as a twice critical.

[Yes. Keep going.]

Then when it finally became Boosted Gear was at the time of Asia's death. I was enraged and used the newly unlocked Boosted Gear to defeat Y-...Raynare.

[Think back to all of your evolutions. What is it that they all have in common?]

Something in common?

[Continue listing them.]

Okay. Next was the [Second Liberation] thing. That happened during the match with Raiser and after that I had gained the ability of [Gift]. After that it took few months until the incident with Kokabiel. Then I powered up and had that last evolution before Balance Breaker after B-...R-Rias told me I could suck on...well it happened that way...Then I finally reached Balance Breaker in the fight with Kuroka. And just recently I obtained [Illegal move Triana] in Kyoto.

[Yes. Think Partner. What is it that every single one of those evolutions have in common? When did they occur?]

They occurred-

I realized it at that moment.

-[!]-

!-Ddraig!

Those evolutions-! They all happened while I was in battle!

[Of course they did. In order for such an evolution to happen, like Balance Breaker, a significant change must occur from within the user themself. Practically all Balance Breakers are unlocked through perilous events. In the end, your training only served to prepare you for the next evolution. It did not help you reach it in the first place.]

Of course! How could I miss something so obvious! Even if I reached a few of them through perverted ways, there were still a couple I reached in a perfectly normal way! Through hard fought battle! My conventional training didn't help me reach those levels!

Ddraig….are you suggesting…

[I am Partner. The greatest mentor is experience. Kokabiel. Tannin. Cao Cao. Heracles. Phoenix. Loki. These names, they are not the names of the meek or benign. Are they?]

I quickly stood up from the bench. I turned to Sensei.

"Sensei."

"Hm?"

He raised a brow to my actions.

"The greatest mentor….is experience…."

"Hoooh?"

He smirked at my determination. I'm not sure if he knows exactly what I'm thinking but….

"Is that so? Hmph. I prefer near death experience. That shouldn't worry you, right?"

He gave me a sly smile. Sensei really is a genius. He gets what I'm saying already.

"Looks like I'm gonna have to use my connections to get you what you want. If that is what you want."

He finally brought himself away from the wall he was leaning against and stood in front of me with his hands in his pockets.

"You may want to write me a list. I'm not a mind reader y'know? So wherever it is, whoever it is, make sure it's not something impossible."

"Well….It might be close…"

He chuckled slightly before bursting out laughing.

"Hehe...Nahahahahahaha! So I guess I'm right. As I thought, you and Vali may be a little more similar than I thought."

So Vali had a similar idea? That's a battlefreak for ya.

"Alright then. Let me know when you have it ready. I'll cross out any names or places you can't get to. Hopefully there aren't too many of them that will kill you for sure. Or maybe hopefully. Who knows haha."

He finished while waving and walking away from us. Ravel was tilting her head cutely from beside me. Multiple question marks floated above her head.

"Ise-sama? What is going on? What do you plan to do?"

I turned fully to her.

"Ravel. As a Devil, there aren't actually that many battles I have lost compared to those I have won. My ratio is pretty high."

"Eh? Mm. I suppose so."

"Well…..I'm probably about make that ratio..go waaaay down…"

"Eh?"

She cutely tilted her head again. I guess I am being very cryptic.

"Ravel, don't get too worried when I explain this, but how many enemies have I fought that are stronger than me?.."

"...Ise-sama?.."

Part 3

|Kiba|

It was a "normal" day in the clubroom. Everyone was in attendance as usual. But the atmosphere is dim. There is no enthusiasm- No life, in this room. That is because the pillar of the group is no longer present.

Ise-kun….is no longer here.

Just a few days ago, the morning after the incident in the clubroom, Sensei explained it to me. Most of the other club members had decided to not attend school that day. Gasper and I were on our way to the clubroom when I received a phone call. I answered and the one who explained the situation to me and Gasper was Sensei over the speakerphone.

[..So as a result, I will be taking Ise with me to Grigori. Take some time to reflect on your actions. I won't be harsh, but just think about what I'm about to say. For the women of the group I understand the situation, even if I don't agree with their methods, but as a 'brother in arms' you have no excuse. You are a man aren't you? Stop hiding behind your facáde of righteousness if you're just going to doubleback on it the moment it suits you. You aren't a woman. You don't have the excuse of acting on your emotions the same way they did. Don't act as if you truly understand the situation when you don't. The fact that you don't question things beyond the surface level only solidifies the fact that I have failed as a Sensei. Let's take this time to reflect on ourselves as men. That goes for you too Gasper. Both of you. Till later then.]

'I won't be harsh'? Those were the harshest words Sensei had ever given me….I was scolded...It hurt my pride….and worst of all, Ise-kun is gone…..and there is no light left in the Club..

Shiin!

Just as I was thinking of a metaphorical light, a physically bright light flashed in the clubroom. A familiar magic circle. It's Sensei.

Buchou stood up from her desk. Her eyes are tired and look like she hasn't slept well at all these past days. There was almost no life in her until the magic circle showed up.

"..Ise…"

She whispered silently, but I already know what she said.

"Yo, I'm back brats."

Sensei appeared and casually greeted us. He was alone.

"Ah...Azazel…"

Buchou slumped back into her seat while the small amount of light in her eyes faded away.

"Hm? What's with that reaction? What's with this atmosphere? Not happy to see your Sensei?"

None of us in the room answered. We didn't even make eye contact.

"Hmph. Well, no point pandering. I've come to give you an update."

Some of us lifted our heads hopefully. Buchou whispered again.

"Update...Ise?.."

"No. On the Rating Game of course."

We lost what little hope we had. Buchou slumped back in her chair again.

"I've talked to Sirzechs, and the rest of the Maou as well, but the decision has not been finalized yet."

"All of the Maou?…."

"Yeah."

Buchou lowered herself ashamedly. To believe that all the Maou know about this….

"Anyway, the most likely outcome: The game will be delayed. Until the next month. 2 months from now."

"Delayed?..."

"Yeah. One month for recovery and one month for training. For you guys at least. Not sure about him."

Buchou asked him expectantly.

"...How...is he?..."

"Hm? Ah, he's better. He'll get better. With the support he has, I'm sure of it. Much faster than you guys at least. He's already progress little by little. I'll see how he goes on with it. I'll keep checking in on you guys too. "

So….he's getting better….better from what happened? Or better from his heart as well?...how far does that 'better' go?

"Well, I would like to stay longer, but unfortunately I'm going to have to talk with Shemhazai. I may be a little busy setting up some things for that boy so he'll probably have to take my place in certain things. That was all I really had to say. Better to say it in person."

He already was preparing to leave with only that one announcement. Arguably one that none of us really cared about at this point...he stopped right before he left and gave us a serious look.

"Ah, one more thing. Even if it doesn't seem like it, I know you guys will get better, but along with recovery may come other negative perspectives. When you start to feel better, or even just so you can feel better about yourselves, things like resentment may start to settle in. That may end up being redirected to someone who doesn't deserve it, only because it gives you a target. An outlet. You get what I'm saying? That person, the 'support system' that he is currently relying on, I won't allow you to feel about her in such a way. Acting as petty children has its limits. You don't have the right to start thinking of her that way. Understand?"

No one answered. I understand what he is saying. That is his message to the women of the group. Certainly it would make sense for them to start feeling that way...since she is the only one who gets to see him...

"Alright then. I'm out of here. Don't worry, I'll come back again of course. Watch over them Rossweisse."

"...Yes…"

Shiin!

He teleported himself away, leaving our group in silence, as it has now become usual.

End

Alright! That's all for this one guys. Gotta get to Red Dragon Of Golden Light as quick as I can. Did you guys like this chapter? It was a lot of character interaction above anything else. Since, unlike most betrayal stories, I like to focus on what makes the concept so interesting in the first place. That is of course the character interactions and development. Don't worry tho. There will be action fast approaching. And more growth with Issei. If you didn't appreciate this chapter, then maybe the more mindless stories are a bit more to your tastes.

Anyway, tell me what you guys thought about this chapter. How do you feel about the character progression? How do you feel about the progression of Issei and Ravel's relationship? What changes do you think Issei is going to go through? What do you think his plan is? Do you feel bad for the ORC? What sort of training will Issei take? What happens when Issei returns? Will the game be Delayed?

We'll have to find out next time. On Dragon ball Z! (Fucking die that joke was weak af)

Read, Rate, Review go crazy.

Stay frosty.