Issei, the true Dragon of the Apocalypse (translated into English)

by Jyanzein

[Issei x Tiamat/Penemue/Ross/Ophis] How much would a world change where the supernatural existed, and Angels behaved like Angels, Fallen Angels behaved like Fallen Angels, and Demons... behaved like Demons ? Issei has barely entered the world of the Factions, so he can't answer that question. But he will quickly find the answer. WARNING: sexual scenes and explicit violence.

22. Ch 21: The Fallen Angels Headquarters!

Here I am again with another translated chapter to the list!

This translation will probably be one of the longest I will do in this story, as this chapter is over 18,000 words long. I apologize in advance if there are more mistakes than usual, although I put all my attention to try not to repeat them so much.

I say again that anyone who wants to be my beta reader to help me with the translation is more than welcome. That way, I could make sure that there are no more mistakes with the help of someone to make those small corrections before uploading the chapter.

In this chapter I'm going to change to M rating since there are quite a lot of explicit things and obviously I don't want to have problems with FanFiction. To emphasize this point, I have to say that these hot scenes were one of the first ones I made back then, so I hope you like it and that it doesn't feel weird.

Now that that's all cleared up, it's time to answer some reviews:

The Beast of Sanity: I'm glad you liked the fight, and mainly that that sequence was kept as involute as possible. As I said in the previous chapter, I didn't have much time to correct some mistakes and I had to do everything more hurriedly than usual. I hope you like the interactions between Penemue and Tiamat.

TatsuyaShiva4: I know it's complicated, I have quite a few errors in the translation that can be quite annoying, and that's why I'm looking for a beta reader. The problem is that the translator I use is not perfect, and although I try to correct the errors manually, the truth is that it is quite complicated because my English is not very good and if you add the fact of having to find all those errors among a minimum of 5,000 words, it gets a little complicated.

Without anything else to add, it's time to start.

Enjoy!

CHAPTER 21: THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE FALLEN ANGELS!

"Open your mouth." Penemue said to Issei, handing him a phoenix tear to heal.

Issei was shirtless sitting in the middle of the meadow where they had fought, while Penemue was kneeling in front of him.

The protagonist gave a big sigh when he felt the stabbing pain of all his wounds disappear, especially where he had been pierced in his abdomen.

Seeing Issei's wounds heal pleasantly, Penemue placed both of her hands immediately on his chest, making the young man a bit nervous at the sudden touch.

"Hmm..." Penemue lightly squeezed Issei's pecs, then slowly moved to his abdomen. "His body is well worked, but his muscles aren't very firm. That means he must not have started long ago..." She thought, squeezing Issei's abdomen a little tightly. "How long ago did you start training?" She took her gaze from his torso after his question, raising an eyebrow as she saw that Issei had a small blush on his face. "Sorry, I can see you're not that used to having your body touched." She concluded, removing her hands.

"D-don't worry about it." Issei commented, rubbing his hair. "Answering your previous question, I started my training two and a half months ago, give or take."

"Two and a half months?" Penemue put a hand to her chin, muttering to herself. "I thought there would be about six months. That means he had some pretty thorough training at some point..." A somewhat dangerous gleam adorned her beautiful crimson eyes. "That might make some things easier..."

Issei could only look at her with a nervous bead of sweat, as he didn't understand exactly what she was talking about, though he felt a small shiver when he heard her last words.

"I still have a question to ask you. But first, I would like you to meet the other person who will help us in your training." Hearing this, Issei couldn't help but get a little excited.

Is he just as strong as Penemue? He was eager to find out.

"Speaking of him..." Penemue raised her gaze towards the nearby mountain, causing Issei to do the same.

Issei's eyes widened in shock as he watched a huge dragon soar over the mountain in an imposing flight.

Finally, the huge blizzard stopped as it landed in front of the two, placing both hands on its waist.

Issei could see that it had a very muscular appearance and was a bit more humanoid than Tiamat and Ddraig's form. His torso was completely gray, while his arms, head, and back glowed a rather striking violet color. His black colored eyes and golden colored horns and nails highlighted his figure, giving him an imposing appearance, if his height itself wasn't something to worry about.

"Have you finished your little game yet, Penemue?" The booming voice made Issei even more impressed. "Sorry if I interrupted, but I was already getting bored." He finished, fixing his gaze intently on the young Issei.

"No worries." Penemue replied with his eyes closed. "We just recently finished the fight."

After hearing that, the huge dragon sketched a small smile, only to have a large glow adorn it, making its figure grow smaller and smaller.

Issei watched in shock as the dragon took on a human form. Though he was more in shock to learn that it was actually a dragon, due to the story Tiamat had told him about her species.

"I-I don't understand." Issei rubbed his hair with many questions. "Dragons are on the verge of extinction-how come...?" At that moment, Issei widened his eyes in disbelief.

"So have you figured it out yet, partner?" Ddraig asked him, chuckling softly at Issei's lost expression.

"You know about dragons?" Penemue raised an eyebrow with mild interest. "Since I had heard that you recently entered the world of the supernatural, I thought you might not be aware of it."

"That makes things much easier..." The thin, somewhat grotesque voice broke out amidst the glare, causing them both to look intently at the dragon. "Then you should know by now that I am Tannin, one of the two surviving Dragon Kings." The glow disappeared, so that a young man with purple eyes and medium-pointed hair, a white colored suit and purple tie could be seen.

Tannin was clutching the front of his hair, making the beauty in his face quite noticeable, as was his voice. Like Tiamat, Tannin had an appearance hovering around 25, perhaps a bit older at about 27.

"*It is good to see you again, my friend* Ddraig's voice echoed from the gauntlet, causing Issei to look at him with slight surprise.

"Same here, Ddraig." Tannin commented, crossing his arms. "You've crossed better times, but it's always great to be able to have a little conversation with a friend." He concluded, handing him a small smile.

Tannin's smile was instantly wiped away as he fixed his gaze on Issei.

"So, you're the bearer of Ddraig?" Tannin studied him with his gaze for a few seconds.

"I'd prefer you call me Issei." The protagonist commented, standing up as he held out his hand. "I don't feel comfortable being called 'Ddraig's carrier'. It's quite uncomfortable."

Tannin looked seriously at his hand for a few seconds, until he finally shook it.

"I will continue to call you Ddraig bearer, until you prove yourself to me." The Dragon King commented very seriously, indicating that this would be far from easy to accomplish.

"Hum, very well..." Issei replied, not intending to make his masters uncomfortable.

"I'll take care of improving your skill and control over the Sacred Gear." Penemue pointed to herself, then pointed to Tannin. "He'll take care of the part that requires brute strength. Mostly it will be strength and endurance training, not so much muscle." She finished, then looked intently at his chest again. "That reminds me of the question I wanted to ask you..." Cadre looked him intently in the eyes. "Who was your previous Mistress?"

"Uh, well..." They both looked at Issei with a raised eyebrow when they saw him get somewhat nervous. "I don't know if they'll believe me..."

"They don't have to believe you..."

The three's gaze shifted to the top of the nearest mountain.

"The evidence is right here." Declared Tiamat herself, sitting on the peak while wearing a huge proud smile that remarked her beautiful fangs. The wind swayed her long silky hair, giving her the appearance of a true Queen.

Before Issei could even utter her name, Tannin shot out, at the same time her body reverted back to a dragon.

"Tiamat! LET'S FIGHT!" the Dragon King shouted loudly, flying at full speed towards their direction, causing Penemue to have to hold Issei so he wouldn't fly off.

Tiamat watched the dragon with a bored look, then disappeared.

"Silence!" The beautiful woman ordered, at the same time she gave him a huge punch on his cheek.

Tannin's face shook like jelly, as a huge ring of icy explosion erupted from the blow, destroying everything in its path. Finally, Tannin's eyes rolled back in his head and he slowly fell to the ground, as his face continued to shake violently from such a blow that would have killed anyone, had it not been him.

"Are you okay?" Penemue asked an Issei who was slightly flushed as his face was held between her breasts.

It wasn't his fault that the Cadre was much taller than him.

LINE JUMP.

If Azazel was almost never surprised or impressed, then it could be said that this time was one of the few times that the leader of the Fallen could be seen with his eyes wide open.

"He was trained by Tiamat!" Azazel pounded the table, unable to believe what he was hearing.

"I had a hard time believing it myself at first..." Sirzechs commented calmly, only to sketch a nervous smile. "Though I was able to accept it much quicker, since the first time I saw her she seemed to want to kill me."

Azazel abandoned his shocked look slowly, then leaned his elbow on the table as he dropped his face into his hand.

"What you're telling me is something impressive, there's no doubt about it. Not only for the fact that we're talking about a Dragon Queen who gave almost no clues of her whereabouts in the last two thousand years, being that she was barely seen once or twice to kill Ddraig's bearer. And precisely, that's the second point I can't believe..." Azazel raised both eyebrows in immense curiosity. "How did Tiamat and the bearer of Ddraig manage to befriend each other?"

"I haven't the slightest idea." Sirzechs bowed his shoulders, causing Azazel to bring a hand to his chin. "Even if they met over a month ago, I only found out a few days ago, and I didn't get a chance to talk to Issei. All I know, is that besides being apprentice and master, the two of them hold a great friendship with each other."

"A great friendship, huh...?" Azazel thought, rubbing his chin with a somewhat strange smile on his face.

"Anyway, I'm sure you didn't come just to let me know what kind of training my sister's entourage would have, and Hyoudou's private life." Sirzechs narrowed his eyes slightly. "Or am I wrong?"

Azazel closed his eyes and chuckled lightly at the question.

"As faction leaders, we both know why exactly we're here." He concluded, sketching a serious look for the first time in the talk. "Does the brat know about the Prophecy yet?"

"Not yet." Sirzechs replied, turning serious. "Still, the Angels have already communicated with me about taking him to heaven. I told them he's in the middle of intensive training right now, so they'll come and get him when he's done."

"I agree." Azazel nodded, lowering his head slightly. "The burden on the brat will be immense..."

"But he has to know." Sirzechs commented quickly. "The extinction of two races is no joke."

"Don't make me remember that..." Azazel snorted in mild disgust.

LINE JUMP.

"I see, so you've come to see how it's going..." Tannin commented already in his human form with a big smile, seeing that his cheek was completely swollen.

"Yes." Tiamat nodded, watching from afar as Penemue seemed to be explaining something to Issei. "It reassures me to know that you trust her. But still, I will not let my guard down." The dragoness folded her arms, as a hard look crossed her face.

"I don't intend to leave Issei alone."

Tannin couldn't help but look at her in surprise.

"I see you and the Ddraig bearer are getting along quite well." A toothy grin broke out on his face. "I'm glad to hear that after two millennia you managed to find someone to help you."

A small smile appeared on Tiamat's face after hearing his words.

"You're right... I was very lucky." The dragoness commented with much affection, making Tannin even more surprised when he saw that on her face there was a small blush.

Finally, Tannin simply deigned to smile, as he didn't want to bother her with intimate questions.

"If it makes you so happy, I don't think I should worry about the brat being a Demon."

"The Underdeveloped Lizard took it upon himself to neutralize the Demonic Corruption. In fact, it looks much more like a Dragon, than a Demon." Commented the dragoness with some grace in her last words.

"Well, that remains to be seen..." Tannin commented with a subjective smile. "If he really is Dragon-like, then he'll be able to withstand the second part of Penemue's training."

"Is her method dangerous?" Tiamat asked instantly upon hearing that Issei might get hurt.

"It is very dangerous." The dragon declared as if it was nothing. "But that's alright. You can't expect to get radically better with a conventional method."

"I'm telling you right now that if anything smells fishy to me, I'll intervene immediately." Tiamat threatened, giving Penemue a murderous look. "And if she survives my attack, it is only because I will have the consideration that she is your friend."

"More than a friend, she is an acquaintance." Replied the dragon quickly. "Just the same, don't worry too much." He commented calmly. "I've known Penemue and Azazel for quite some time. They're good people, despite being Fallen Angels."

Tiamat narrowed her eyes with great suspicion, staring at Penemue.

"If you say so..."

"What do you think you need to become stronger, what will you use, how will you achieve it?" Penemue's questions took Issei by surprise.

"Well... To become stronger I need to train. As for what I will use, it will be my Boosted Gear. And I will achieve that, by exploiting the greater potential of my Sacred Gear." Issei replied, rubbing his hair as he saw that the answers didn't seem to have pleased Penemue.

"So what, you think all your power revolves around your Boosted Gear?" Penemue asked, receiving a nod from him. "Does that mean you're content in being the weakest Sekeryutei?"

"What!?" Issei widened his eyes. "Of course not!"

"Listen to me well, because I'm only going to say it once." Penemue took a step forward, causing the protagonist to look at her very carefully. "It doesn't matter that you're the Sekeryutei. It doesn't matter that you have one of the most feared powers in history. It doesn't matter what people think about you. It doesn't matter any of that. If you want to be someone no matter who you are right now, then you must always keep three things in mind to make you stronger." Penemue held up three fingers for emphasis on her words, receiving a quick nod from the protagonist.

"Mind, heart, and body." The answer completely threw Issei off, as he didn't understand what she was referring to.

"Mind: You have to figure out for yourself how to overcome what seems insurmountable." Issei blinked in great surprise after his words. "To achieve that, you always have to be cool-headed and think until you break your head. Something that has never been achieved until now, something that has no precedent... That something is what you yourself will find to become stronger." Penemue moved a little closer to his face, making sure he heard her well. "Listen to me well: even if that something has never been discovered or created, it doesn't mean that you can't achieve it." She concluded, placing a finger to his forehead, only to receive a big nod from the protagonist.

"Heart: Because even though you're putting brains into it, you have to believe it's possible. You have to try, try, and try again even if it seems impossible. It doesn't matter if you can't visualize the end of the road, you have to keep moving forward." Penemue rested her hand on Issei's shoulder, squeezing it gently. "Because if you don't believe in yourself, if you don't believe in your own potential, then who will?" Issei this time didn't even nod, only deigning to look at her in complete wonder at her words.

"Finally, body: It's no use having a strong mind and heart if your body doesn't live up to the expectations of what you aspire to achieve. If your body is not in tune with your spirit, then there is nothing you can do. So, no excuses, no being the Sekeryutei..." Penemue plunged a finger into his chest to emphasize her next words. "Your body is not something that is the work of fate. Your body you forge yourself."

Seeing that Issei did not answer, Penemue gave him a piercing look.

"Did you understand?"

Hearing her question, Issei nodded quickly, then turned a bit serious.

"Since you are just starting with your training, I will help you align these three points. Though there will be a time when I can't help you anymore, and you'll have to keep searching for answers on your own." Issei simply nodded at her words. "To begin with, I'd like you to tell me what your favorite melee weapon is, or if there's one you'd like to use."

"Melee weapon...?" Issei put a hand to his chin, then looked at Penemue's katana and recalled the various training and fights he had against sword users. "I like swords!" He concluded, sketching a small smile.

"What kind?" the Cadre asked, causing Issei to rub his hair as he couldn't find an answer. "Lighter? Heavier? Bigger? Smaller?" she added, getting Issei to understand.

"I'd like a light sword!" He exclaimed with a big smile.

"Why?" she asked, seeing if he had really thought out his answer.

"Well... As a swordsman, I would like to move very fast and be very agile." He replied, not quite sure of his answer, though he quickly learned that he had answered correctly when Penemue smiled at him.

"Good choice..." Penemue nodded in satisfaction, then materialized a wooden sword. "Here. It's a katana." The Cadre explained, holding the weapon out to him.

"Uh, thanks..." He replied, taking the wooden sword in a very strange way.

"To begin with the training, we'll start with your skill and control over the Sacred Gear." Penemue clarified with great simplicity, closing her eyes.

"Wait, can we do both at the same time?" the protagonist asked, completely impressed.

"Of course." Cadre replied as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "You just have to activate your Balance Breaker."

After her words, Issei quickly surrounded himself in red, taking in his armor.

"What now?" the young man asked excitedly.

"Now, you have to hold on with the armor for as long as possible. You can't even take it off to sleep."

"Okay. Wait, WHAT!?" Issei's eyes popped out of their sockets as he heard what he was supposed to do. "B-but I can barely hold on for a few minutes with the armor on..."

"You need to increase your control, and since you won't be in combat, the armor will hold longer. Just don't use magic, and even if you're completely exhausted and about to pass out, don't deactivate it." Penemue gave him a somewhat cold look, causing the protagonist to take a step back. "Believe me that the punishment will be far worse than the accumulated mental fatigue. Therefore, see to it that you accumulate far more fatigue than punishment for your sake." She concluded, causing Issei to nearly choke on his own saliva.

"We haven't even been together a day, and I already know she's much more demanding than Tiamat..." He thought fearfully.

"Now, regarding skill..." Penemue unsheathed her katana, getting into a combat stance. "I will teach you my stance and the various attacks you can handle at this time. When you have perfected it, you yourself will find a way to combine your fighting stance with the katana's stance. I tell you it won't be easy, but if you manage to combine two different styles you will become a monster. Not by strength or skill, but by level." She concluded, receiving a nod from the protagonist.

"Now, we will focus on regular training that lasted from early morning until lunchtime. After that, Tannin will take over the second part." Penemue narrowed her eyes slightly, tightening her grip on her sword even more.

"Understood?"

"Yes!" Issei replied quickly, trying to mimic Penemue's stance.

"I'll go watch from afar." Tannin watched Tiamat in slight awe. "I don't want to get in the way during your training." She finished, spreading her wings as she headed for the mountain, being followed by Tannin.

Several hours later...

"I think I'm going to throw up..." Issei commented, while his face was getting whiter and whiter.

Not only was it the urge to vomit, but he also had a very intense dizziness, along with a headache that wasn't very strong, but managed to be very annoying.

"It's normal. It's one of the symptoms that appear when your magical reserves are constantly bordering on their limit." Penemue explained, taking a piece of meat from the campfire, placing it on her plate very subtly. "But it's just that, a symptom. You can rest easy, because you won't throw up. It's just a mere sensation." She clarified, taking a mouthful to her mouth, closing her eyes with satisfaction. "Now, take advantage of resting and don't overexert yourself."

A small amount of saliva trickled out of the corner of the protagonist's lips at the sight of the food, at the same time his stomach roared loudly.

"Speaking of which... I haven't eaten anything all day."

Issei was about to take the part of his food, but was interrupted by Penemue as she hit him with the sheath of her katana.

"Ow! What was that!?" The young man asked, as he rubbed his mace from the blow.

"You broke your Balance Breaker about four times, so you'll only get a fifth of your food." Penemue replied with a dark look on his face, causing Issei to start sweating like crazy.

"...This is the punishment?" thought the protagonist, as his eyes twitched at what he heard.

Penemue proceeded to cut off a small piece of the beast to hand it to him, but Issei's armor broke at just the right moment, causing the Cadre to look for a few seconds at Issei, then hand the food to Tannin, who was arriving along with Tiamat.

"No-it can't be..." He thought, as a huge depressive aura completely surrounded him.

His completely dejected face quickly changed, putting his armor back on.

"Are you ready for the second part of the training yet?" Tannin asked, devouring all the food at an impressive speed, causing Tiamat to roll her eyes.

"Just give me a few seconds..." The protagonist commented, closing his eyes deeply as he tried to contain the immense headache he had at the moment.

"Okay." The dragon replied, sitting down in front of the Cadre. "Hey, you still haven't told me why you guys are hanging around here."

"Azazel was chasing Hyoudou for several weeks. While I'm trying to accomplish something I was tasked with a long time ago." Penemue replied, not wanting to give him much more information than necessary.

"I understand, everyone has their secrets." Commented the dragon simply, as he used a small splinter to clean his teeth.

"Now that I remember, why do you, Penemue and Azazel get along so well?" Issei asked, making everyone look at him for his question. "After all, I know that the dragons have a great hatred for the Three Factions because of the war that was unleashed against them."

"I would like to know that story as well." Tiamat clarified, sitting on Issei's lap.

"Well..." Tannin's face immediately became serious. "Let's just say... those times were complicated..." Tannin raised his gaze, vividly recalling everything that happened back then.

"The Great Holy War between the Three Factions was interrupted by Albion and Ddraig. As you know, the conflict forced the factions to unite against them. Thanks to God's help, they managed to contain a part of the soul of both of them in different Sacred Gear. Some time after joining forces against a common enemy, the Three Factions continued their war, causing a large number of Demons to die on this war path thanks to the Sacred Gear. In a short time, another huge battle was triggered in just a few days after what happened. That battle was named 'the beginning of the apocalypse'. Today it is highly known, because it was where the Dragon Gods battled each other. One of them wanted the destruction of everything, while the other two tried to prevent it. Seeing this, thanks to the help of God and the other two Dragon Gods and the Demon King himself, they managed to contain Trihexa and seal him in a gigantic dimensional prison. Unfortunately, God died when sealing an opponent thousands of times superior to him, just like the Demon King of that time. Seeing the enormous danger posed by the dragons, the Three Factions made peace and ended the war, forming a truce to wipe out all dragons that posed a threat. Thus the dragon slayer, Brand, was born. Still, his incredible skill was not enough to kill the Dragon Kings."

Hearing the last part, Issei couldn't help but look at him with great confusion.

"Wait a minute... Tiamat had told me that with the help of Brand and the other factions they had eliminated two Dragon Kings."

"That's true." Tannin commented quickly. "But it's half-baked information. No wonder, being that the little fool isolated herself in a cave for nearly two millennia." Tannin teased, receiving a small grunt from the dragoness who quickly calmed down when Issei stroked her head.

"While Brand may have been a rather impressive invention with a very dangerous Sacred Gear, he wasn't even close to defeating Two Dragon Kings."

"Then how did he manage it?" Tiamat asked with a small blush, as she felt the constant stroking in her hair.

"A traitor." Was the simple answer that made everyone tense, due to the look on Tannin's face. "A traitor of our own blood..." The dragon clenched his fists slightly after remembering. "That bastard's name was Samael. He cowardly joined the Fallen Angels so they wouldn't kill him, while delivering a poison that was capable of killing even the weakest Dragon Goddess, Ophis. That poison, was known as 'The Blood of Samael'." A small smile appeared on the dragon's face after remembering how he had killed him.

"Each of my brothers fought in rage and completely enraged against the factions. They thought all dragons would be easy prey because of their temperament, but things turned out a little differently. After all..." Tannin pointed to his own head with a sly grin. "Of all the dragons that existed, I was the only one who always had a cool head, not counting Great Red." He explained with great pride.

"When the attack began, I planned my counterattack from the shadows, coldly calculating which threads to destroy. Finally, I took care of Samael first, and all his poisons. I made sure to destroy all the substances and stores, so if there are any injections left, they must have been lost long ago..." The dragon folded his arms, puffing out his chest with pride. "Upon discovering that the warehouses had been completely destroyed, the first to want to retreat were Penemue and Azazel. Seeing that the two strongest subjects of their faction were not continuing in the war, the Fallen Angels eventually withdrew. After that, The Angels and Demons tried to attack me to kill me, but even that Brand guy couldn't make a scratch on me." Tannin closed his eyes with a small smile, remembering how the war had ended.

"In the end, The Demons were the last to surrender and they handed me a vast tract of land to make the treaty work." Tiamat opened her mouth, but Tannin raised his arm quickly. "I know what you're thinking. I was very angry too, and I wanted to kill them all. But I had promised Penemue and Azazel that I wouldn't exterminate the factions when they gave me more than half of the warehouse locations containing the poison."

"Wait, they betrayed their own people?" Issei asked with wide eyes.

"Trust me, kid. War is horrible." Penemue replied simply. "Azazel and I agreed that it all had to end once and for all. We were both fed up, and that is why we found a solution. This way, the dragons were not completely extinguished, and the factions did not suffer any more unnecessary casualties." Cadre defended herself, causing Tiamat and Issei to look at her in mild surprise.

"That is why we get along so well." They both looked at Tannin after his words. "Despite being a dragon, I am not overly passionate about battles, I am not controlled by my emotions, and I like to live quietly. Whereas Penemue and Azazel don't let their more twisted tastes get the better of them, despite being Fallen Angels." The dragon concluded, sketching a small smile.

"Enough talk." Penemue interrupted the conversation, causing everyone to look at her. "It's time for you to resume your training." She commented very calmly, then set her small cup down on top of her plate.

Tannin clenched her fists tightly with a somewhat worried smile, Issei thought.

"Here we go!"

LINE JUMP.

"I thought this would be much simpler!" shouted Issei loudly, as he ran at full speed with a huge rock strapped to his waist.

Meanwhile, Tannin could be seen flying behind him, using one of his fingers to throw small magical attacks at them, which ended up turning into huge explosions.

Being in a wasteland, at least they made sure not to destroy much nature, although the site looked like it was going to be completely infertile in only two or three days.

Several hours later...

Finally, the training with Tannin was over. Something that impressed the protagonist a bit, as they finished at a rather earlier time than he had thought, though eight o'clock in the evening was not ungodly for him. In fact, he was partly grateful to be able to rest for a couple of hours.

"No doubt about it, being running for your life all the time makes the dizziness take a back seat..." The young man whispered to himself, leaning against a tree as he let out a big sigh. His armor was very dirty, as was his face. "There were even a few times when I thought I might die..."

Issei continued to move towards the campfire, only to see with mild surprise how Penemue had brought a large wooden table, along with a large amount of books and papers. The Cadre was sitting quietly at the end, sipping tea with utmost delicacy.

"What are you doing?" the protagonist asked, sitting down at the other end.

"Working." Was Penemue's simple reply, as she read a book and signed certain papers. "Order in Grigori will not stand alone."

"But that much work?" thought Issei with wide eyes. "I thought that in the mandarins there were many more Cadres..."

"That's right." Penemue nodded, as she put ink to her quill. "The problem is that no one does anything. The only one who does anything from time to time is Azazel, and right now he's too relaxed. I have no choice but to do it myself."

"But doesn't that seem wrong to you?" The protagonist asked, pulling up a chessboard that was in front of him.

"I can't expect much from a couple of good-for-nothings who only think about sex and waging wars." These statements made Issei remember Kokabiel. "Remember, Hyoudou." Penemue raised her gaze, putting the pen aside. "There are times when it is better to be alone, than in bad company." With that said, the tall, beautiful woman rose from her seat, sitting down next to Issei.

"Now, would you like to play a game?"

Although it had been a question, Issei could see how her eyes shone brightly, longing for the answer to be positive. In fact, she looked quite tender, for someone so serious.

This made Issei feel much more comfortable that she wasn't always going to see him as her student. And, besides that, it was impossible to refuse such a proposal with those beautiful crimson eyes that glowed pleadingly in the darkness.

"Very well..."

"I'm the white ones!" Cadre exclaimed quickly and with a hint of excitement, causing Issei to look at her with genuine surprise.

As soon as they finished positioning their pieces, Penemue let her blacker-than-night wings sprout from her back, causing the protagonist to admire them for a second time. He was sure those wings were even more marvelous than those of Azazel himself...

"In this battle, we are pure again, my dears." Penemue declared with a rather adorable seriousness, as she advanced a pawn to the front.

"What does she mean by that...?" The protagonist wondered internally, then widened his eyes slightly as he found the answer.

"Of course, the purity of your wings!"

"You can take off your armor if you want." Penemue's words brought Issei back to reality. "I initially told you that I didn't want you to take it off, but I know very well that in the first few days it will be impossible for you to keep it active even when you sleep. At least, I will be understanding until the seventh day." She commented, gently stroking her wings as she waited anxiously for it to flutter.

"It would be great if she had such encouragement not only when playing..." The protagonist thought, smiling genuinely at the Cadre's rather cute actions.

Several days later...

"At last!" Issei exclaimed with joy, seeing that after a week he could finally eat even a little food at noon.

As was customary, Tiamat was sitting on his lap, eating next to him. The first time, Tannin and Penemue had passed him by unnoticed. But now, the dragon couldn't help but wonder what was going on between the two, as Tiamat was never someone who was known for showing so much of her affectionate side.

The young man took a big bite of the piece of meat, only to have his face turn a bit purple afterwards.

"It's burnt..." He thought, immediately reaching for water. "I guess she's not very good at cooking." He concluded, only to then be a bit surprised when he saw that Penemue was much more distant than usual.

He stood looking at her for a few seconds, seeing how her face couldn't hide a sadness, as her gaze was lost in nothingness, probably because of a distant memory.

Penemue came back to herself after a few seconds, then looked at Issei after feeling his gaze.

The protagonist became visibly nervous, although he managed to quickly avert his gaze so as not to disturb the Cadre.

After a few seconds, Issei glanced sideways at her again.

"I guess everyone has their own problems..." He thought, as he brought out a tiny smile from Tiamat due to the fact that he started stroking her long, beautiful hair.

That same day, in the evening...

A great number of hours had passed, and Issei had finally concluded his training. He was doing better lately with the issue of his Balance Breaker, though now the matter was going to get considerably more complicated, knowing that he had to have it on even while he slept.

"Luckily, there's a stream in this place too. I couldn't live with this filth on me..." Said the protagonist to himself, as he advanced through the trees.

Night reigned in the grove, making vision at the site almost sparse, though that was no problem for a Demon.

Issei stopped abruptly after hearing some strange sounds. The young man stood motionless for a few seconds, until he could make out what kind of sounds they were.

Distinguishing it, the protagonist couldn't help but widen his eyes slowly.

"Are they... sobbing?" he thought, slowly moving towards the direction of the sound.

Issei hid behind a tree, only to widen his eyes the widest when he saw Penemue.

She was completely alone, as she gazed unblinkingly at the moon. The light of the aforementioned made her figure look majestic in the night, although the tears that were running down her face stained the image a little.

Issei only deigned to watch as the Cadre placed both hands on her chest as she closed her eyes tightly, letting the tears fall silently.

Seeing this, Issei quickly turned away.

"|Don't you plan to help her?|" Ddraig asked, puzzled by his companion's attitude.

"It's none of my business. I wouldn't want to bother her by meddling in her business." Issei replied, making Ddraig smile.

"|And at what point did you start wondering about that?|" Ddraig's question made Issei stop dead in his tracks, only to look over his shoulder as Penemue still stood there, crying, completely alone.

The protagonist clenched his fists tightly, then turned around and headed towards her.

Penemue's eyes snapped open after hearing a strange sound, quickly turning her gaze.

"Who's there?!" Cadre commanded, quickly wiping the tears from her face.

"It's me." Was Issei's simple reply, moving a little closer to her. At this, Penemue pulled away out of pure instinct. "I saw the whole thing. You don't have to hide it." Hearing this, the Cadre couldn't help but look away.

"If you want, we can talk about it."

"You wouldn't understand." Was the woman's curt reply, looking him fiercely in the face.

"Leave me alone."

Issei lowered his gaze for a short second, then looked at her seriously.

"You're right, I probably wouldn't understand. But you mustn't tell me anything, just let me support you. Let me set you free." The protagonist commented, slowly approaching towards her, while fading his armor.

"Set me free?" Penemue laughed. "Do you really think it can be that simple to do...?" She widened her eyes beyond measure as she felt something warm completely surround her.

She watched as Issei had forced her face to end up on his chest, while his other hand wrapped around her back, enclosing her in a warm, tight embrace.

Penemue tried to break free at first, but quickly gave up and let out a big sigh.

"...Is it not necessary for me to tell you anything?"

"No." Issei quickly replied.

"It's fine like this..."

Penemue's hands hesitantly lifted up, so that they then encircled Issei's back very tightly. She gave a great sobbing sigh, as she let the tears stream down her face again. Her wings emerged from her being, completely surrounding them both in an embrace so warm and perfect that it looked like a portrayed work of art.

She was quick to snuggle even more into the embrace, all the while making sure that her face sank as deep into his chest as possible so that he couldn't see her crying. It was a rather desperate attempt, as she hadn't thought how Issei could feel her t-shirt being completely moistened by said tears.

"I have my own problems too, and I know very well that crying alone does not vent the hurt your heart feels." Issei began to stroke her head, feeling Penemue cling to him even tighter at the gesture. "I originally wanted to leave, but I simply couldn't leave you alone. We've only known each other for a few days, but you've already helped me so much selflessly, and I'd like to do something for you. I don't care if you don't tell me what happened, I just care about helping you right now. Don't be afraid to lean on me. Don't be afraid to set yourself free. Don't be afraid to be yourself." Issei lowered his head slightly, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I will simply deign to listen to you, each and every time you need it."

As she felt the small kiss on her forehead, Penemue's silent crying stopped being silent, feeling her chest starting to burn so beautifully for such words. She responded to those beautiful words, hugging Issei even more with her wings, making them both stay even tighter, if that was possible.

Among so many emotions and cries, she could only find two words to say to him...

"Thank you..."

LINE JUMP.

"Feeling better already?" Issei asked him, seeing how Penemue was sitting next to him.

"Yeah..." She replied, getting up as she shook out her tiny shorts. "Fancy a game of chess?" the Cadre asked, looking at him intently.

"At this hour?" Issei's question made Penemue look at him in confusion. "It's eleven o'clock at night. We've been here three hours."

"Three hours?" Penemue blinked in slight surprise at the information.

Had he enjoyed the moment so much, he hadn't noticed the passage of time?

"But what difference does it make?" Cadre asked, sketching a small smirk. "It's not that late, or do you mean to tell me that you're such a little baby that I can't stay awake that long?"

"What?!" Issei couldn't help but look in several directions, as he searched for an answer.

When he finally found it, the protagonist fixed his gaze on Penemue, startled when the woman suddenly winked at him. Issei couldn't help but look away with a small blush, while Penemue covered her mouth to hide her small giggle.

Hearing that she was giggling, Issei couldn't help but glare at her.

"See?" Penemue stopped laughing after hearing him. "You're so much sweeter when you're liberated."

Penemue couldn't help but lower her gaze, as a faint blush took over her cheeks.

Issei could only smile sideways at Penemue's tender reaction.

Apparently, she was much more than just a strict, hardworking woman.

LINE JUMP.

"If you slow down, you're dead!" Tannin exclaimed in his true form, as he threw magical attacks that grazed Issei's rock, generating explosions and huge clouds of dust everywhere.

"I know, dammit!" Replied the young man, running at full speed, as if it was the marathon of his life.

Neither of them had noticed that two gazes were watching them from the top of a small mountain.

"Strange to see you here." Was Tiamat's simple statement as she watched her future lover intently.

"I didn't have much paperwork, so I took the opportunity to observe you." She replied, having the same look as Tiamat.

"You look like you've improved. I'm glad to see it." The dragoness added, without even giving the Cadre a small glance.

Noticing the awkwardness in the atmosphere, Penemue couldn't help but give a small sigh.

"Are we going to be like this forever?" she asked, sitting down next to Tiamat.

The latter pulled away from her slightly, giving her a look of few friends.

"You may not be under the control of Original Sin, and Tannin is quite trusting of you." The dragoness narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "But you won't win my trust so easily. You're still a foul Fallen, and that will never change."

"Believe me, I know that more than anyone." Hearing her reply, Tiamat had no choice but to look at her with slight surprise, though it wasn't visibly apparent. "And it is something that bothers me, but I have no choice. My own mistakes have led me down this path, and now I'm paying the consequences."

"Everyone has made mistakes, I can't begrudge you anything about it." The dragoness stated, looking at Issei. "But he has taught me that you must learn to live with them, instead of regretting them all your life."

"Hyoudou Issei..." Penemue smiled slightly as she remembered what happened yesterday. "He's certainly a rather strange and interesting boy." Hearing her words, Tiamat couldn't help but look at her with intrigue. "You who know him best, what makes him act so deliberately? Why does he help people who don't deserve to be helped?"

"Those are some good questions..." A small smile appeared on the dragoness' face as she rested her chin on her knees. "He has a gift for understanding other people's pain. And honestly, I don't know why he decided to help me at our first meeting. I guess there are people like him, who simply focus on healing people's hearts."

"There are no people like him." Penemue replied, causing Tiamat to look at her in slight astonishment.

"There is only him."

Hearing her last words, Tiamat's surprise increased a little more, though she finally smiled.

"You are right. There is no other person as good, kind, happy, considerate and loving as he is."

"I totally agree." Cadre stated, bringing a hand to her chest. "He even helped someone like me..."

"Make no mistake." The dragoness stated, rising from her seat. "Issei may be a unique man, but he wouldn't help people who don't deserve his attention."

Penemue couldn't help but look at her with great surprise at her words, then closing her eyes with a smile.

"Seriously... at what point did this tense conversation turn into such a lively one?" Hearing this, Tiamat couldn't help but smile.

"Well... Maybe you're not as bad as I first thought." Declared the dragoness.

"Same here." She replied, getting up. "I thought you were only very close to Hyoudou, but I see you're quite an understanding woman."

"Sort of..." The dragoness replied, cocking her head slightly.

"Well, I must get on with the work." The Cadre stated, patting her bottom to shake off the dirt.

They both stared at each other for a few seconds, then gave each other a small smile.

Maybe, just maybe...

Tiamat had found a new friend.

Meanwhile...

"*Run faster, brat!"

"Shut the fuck up, you fucking Underdeveloped Lizard!" Issei practically yelled into his gauntlet, causing Ddraig to laugh loudly.

He'd never had so much fun with one of his bearers, and he had to admit it was a very nice feeling.

A week later...

"Tomorrow we'll have a day off?!" The protagonist exclaimed with much happiness, transmitting it to his dragoness when he hugged her tightly in an unconscious way.

Obviously, he couldn't see that a rather joyful smile adorned Tiamat's face, who seemed not to want to separate from his lap.

"That's right." Penemue nodded. "So, you can go ahead and take off your armor now."

"Great!" He exclaimed with a big grin, vanishing his armor. "But where shall we go?"

"It's about time you used a real katana." Penemue raised his gaze, staring at the man. "We'll go to my room for you to choose one."

"A real katana..." Issei could feel his skin crawl, as he had been training with a wooden sword for over two weeks, and he already wanted to feel what a real one was like.

After the excitement passes, the protagonist couldn't help but be surprised to think back to the Cadre's words.

"Wait a second, does that mean we're going to Grigori?"

"Of course." Penemue nodded again, as she ate quietly.

Again, excitement was palpable in Issei's body with a small shiver, as he had only heard that Grigori was a great fortress, but had never visited the site.

"I'll go with him." Tiamat's words practically sounded like an order, making Penemue look at her.

"I don't see a problem. Just try not to scare the Fallen Angels too much." Penemue replied, then glared at her. "Though I warn you, you might become a bit uncomfortable around men."

Tiamat just looked at her with a sharp smile, indicating that perhaps she would bring some trouble.

Still, Penemue didn't seem to mind. In fact, Issei was sure he could see a small hint of satisfaction in her eyes.

Somehow, it made him think that perhaps she didn't get along so well with her fellow Fallen...

LINE JUMP.

"We meet again, brat." Azazel commented with a sly little smile on his face, causing Issei to roll his eyes.

"What are you doing here? I thought you'd be supervising my teammates' training?" The protagonist asked.

"I am." The Fallen One stated, looking down at his fingernails. "But this day I need to get back to Grigori. At the beginning of next month there is a special event for our race."

"A special event?" Issei asked with great interest.

"That's right." Azazel nodded. "We commemorate the birth of the first Fallen Angel. It's an unprecedented event, where all the Fallen Angels travel by small boat, while watching fireworks fall over Grigori."

Issei just imagined how Penemue was riding on a small boat with all the Fallen tightly packed together, so it wasn't very cool to him.

"Speaking of which..." Azazel fixed his gaze on Penemue with a smirk. "Did you get a mate yet, or will you be missing like every year?" Hearing this, Penemue couldn't help but look away in slight annoyance, while Issei looked at her with slight confusion.

"Get a mate?" Issei put a hand to his chin, only to imagine Penemue in a small boat next to a man.

The protagonist could no longer imagine the situation, as the Cadre tugged on his sleeve.

Issei understood the gesture instantly, so he stood on tiptoe as Penemue lowered her face to whisper in his ear.

"You use a decorated boat to go around Grigori together with someone. It's a large number of boats, and the journey begins inside the only cave to be found."

Azazel blinked a couple of times in genuine surprise at Penemue's gesture. This caused him to smile, as he seemed to be getting along with someone besides himself.

"Well, if for some odd reason you do get to go, it would be nice to see you in a maid's dress. I'm sure it would look great on you." Declared the leader of the Fallen, only to look away and laugh when Penemue growled at him, clearly disagreeing with that idea.

"Penemue in a maid outfit?" Issei wondered, aloud, causing them both to look at him.

The tight outfit on her breasts, her faintly marked waist, and all her deep black hair along with her crimson red eyes and that beautiful pale skin...

Simply put, it was a perfect combination...

Issei's goofy grin disappeared almost instantly when he felt Penemue drilling him with her gaze.

"Do you think that dress would look good on me?"

"Well..." The young man put a hand to his chin, thinking carefully. "It's definitely not a type of attire that could go with your personality... And that's why I think it would look great on you!" He exclaimed, snapping his fingers with a big smile.

He was slightly surprised when he saw Penemue avert her gaze away with a small blush on her face.

Azazel just watched the whole interaction with a smile on his face.

"Apparently, you even found more than you were looking for..." Thought the wily leader, as he watched Penemue and Issei talk completely matter-of-factly. "I just hope I can help you with that..." He concluded, sketching a very serious look at the end.

"I'm ready now." Tiamat appeared next to Tannin, as she stretched out her arms, indicating that she had recently awakened.

"Without a doubt, she is..." Azazel thought, narrowing his eyes. "I see the rumors of her absolute beauty among the dragons is no joke. A very voluptuous body, coupled with stunning natural beauty..." Azazel studied the dragoness with his gaze, then sketched a somewhat mysterious smile. "I just hope those idiots don't get so carried away, or they might end up dying."

"Aren't you coming?" the dragoness asked, fixing her gaze on Tannin.

"I don't want to meet with the killers of my kind." The dragon replied, bowing her shoulders. "I would have if the Ddraig bearer went alone, but I'm sure you'll be very good company."

"You're right." The dragoness replied, smiling slightly to then give him a hard slap on the shoulder as a farewell, causing the dragon's eyes to widen in overdrive from the pain.

"Brat, you're surrounded by some pretty special people, don't you think?" Azazel asked, approaching the aforementioned.

"You're no exception." Issei replied quickly, making Azazel smile.

LINE JUMP.

A magic circle appeared in the middle of an area that was a complete plain, without any kind of fauna and flora around, except for the small stones that were on the shore, marking the territory just before the huge amount of water that rose in front of it, which ran freely in a circle, leaving a large expanse of land in the center with certain elevations.

Azazel, Penemue, Issei and Tiamat appeared through the magic circle, seeing the completely deserted site. The only thing that stood out was a rather large cave that connected the mini island in the center to where they were now. That cave is probably where that small stream was coming out of, though the method is unpredictable.

"Where are we?" Issei wondered, looking in all directions. The sky was no longer a violet color, so he was sure they were on the mortal plane.

"We're in England, brat." Azazel replied, starting to move towards the top of the cave. "This is where Grigori is located."

"Huh?" Issei couldn't help but be confused. "But, I don't see anything..."

"You still didn't break through the magic barrier." Penemue replied, grabbing Issei's hand and then pulling him inside, causing him to close his eyes as he felt a sort of thick breeze pass through his body.

The young man blinked several times in slight confusion, then widened his eyes in complete shock.

At the top of the cave, where nothing existed, there was now a huge D-shaped bridge upside down, having a rather fantastic architecture that blended in with the bright dark color of the cave. Small lanterns surrounded the entire bridge, which must have covered it with beautiful light at night.

That was not a bit surprising, if compared to what was behind the bridge. On the shore of the small island, a huge wall stood about 10 meters high, sculpted in a bright white color. As if that were not enough, inside the imposing wall, there was a huge castle of an extremely gothic appearance that stretched along almost the entire length of the island, fitting perfectly with the small slopes of the island, creating a wonderful structure. In the small towers of the castles, a large number of Fallen Angels could be seen flying freely, although they seemed to be having fun, but not watching.

Azazel turned around, resting one of his hands on the bridge as he gave a half smile.

"Welcome to the Headquarters of the Fallen Angels. Welcome to Grigori." He commented with a somewhat proud tone, making the protagonist even more impressed after his words.

"I must admit, it was quite ingenious to create a barrier to keep the humans away." Tiamat stated, stepping through the barrier, looking as if she was stepping through some sort of violet breeze that suddenly appeared.

"It's a rather large magical dome, so it's a bit tricky to control." Penemue commented, starting to walk up the bridge along with the others. "Or that was before, since with the new technologies, we were able to build some devices at the top of each tower that gives the dome the magical energy needed to maintain it. Now, we only have to deposit a portion of our magic reserves, unlike before when we were forced to take turns to keep the dome stable."

Issei moved a little closer to Tiamat, causing the dragoness to become slightly serious. He felt that he was somewhat uncomfortable with all the Fallen Angels passing around him, and it was completely understandable why he felt that way.

"This castle was built during the Great War, as the number of Fallen grew exponentially at that time." Azazel began to tell the story, getting a bit serious. "You know... The stuff about indiscriminate killing, raping, pillaging... All the sins you can commit during a war, that very point was what drew many Angels to the dark side."

"The Original Sin..." Commented the protagonist, receiving a nod from Azazel.

"In fact, we had received so many Fallen Agiles that we were completely overpopulated. But, the White Dragon Emperor and the Red Dragon Emperor decided to turn the headquarters into their fighting center, and let's just say it didn't end very well. The casualties were massive."

"You never told me about that..." Issei eyed the gauntlet with slight disapproval.

"*As if I'd remember. As far as I'm concerned, the Fallen Angels were like little ants back then. When you're in the middle of a big fight, you'll never focus on not hurting an ant hill*" Ddraig quickly defended himself, though he clearly didn't care about the situation. He just didn't want to look so bad in the eyes of his bearer.

"Hm..." Issei rubbed the back of his neck, mildly understanding his companion.

Azazel laughed loudly after his comment, then shook his head.

"I suppose it makes quite a bit of sense..." The leader stated, then gave a slight nod as a greeting to the guards at the massive steel gate, who quickly returned the gesture and began to turn some levers outside, slowly opening the giant door.

"Why do they have such walls?" the protagonist asked, knowing that they could easily be penetrated from the air.

"We asked a human to build it. It would have been weird if we told him we didn't want walls. Besides, they look cool." Azazel replied, waiting for the massive doors to finish opening.

"And the human...?"

Azazel interrupted Tiamat, knowing what she was going to ask.

"We killed him and his workers so that this construction would never come to light."

"I thought so..." The dragoness replied with slight contempt, though she couldn't say anything about it. After all, she wasn't the best example of morality.

"But why?" Issei asked, clearly surprised at the statements, and it was clearly not a pleasant surprise.

"Even I wasn't in my cavalry at the time." Azazel clarified, causing Issei to raise an eyebrow.

"What does he mean by that?" he wondered internally.

The doors finally finished opening, different small shops for food, clothing, weapons, and other things could be seen in the vacant spots the castle had left.

Noticing the number of Fallen in the place, Issei practically curled up on Tiamat. This time, Azazel and Penemue could see his discomfort, though they preferred not to talk about it, for now...

"Those black wings..." Issei thought, as the image of Raynare and Kokabiel replayed in his head.

All the real enemies he had had so far...

All those who spun the threads from the shadows...

They were all Fallen Angels...

He didn't like to be prejudiced, but he couldn't forget everything that had happened. Especially, if he found himself in the midst of a crowd of these entities.

His doubts and discomfort were dispelled when a dragoness rested a hand on his hair, making the protagonist look at her with slight confusion.

"Don't worry." She commented in a voice so sweet, it shook Issei's mind completely.

"I'll be by your side, always."

Seeing this, Penemue and Azazel could only smile. Apparently, they had worried in vain.

"I'll go check on the rings." Penemue approached Azazel, pulling him by the shirt roughly. "I don't think I need to tell you this, but don't let any Fall take him, or the consequences will be dire." She spat with some venom at the end.

Azazel just looked away with a poker face.

"Can't you drop the job even for a minute? Are you in love with chores, or something?" he asked, causing Penemue to expel a small "Hmp!" From her beautiful lips as she looked away and let go.

Once set down, Penemue gave Issei a neutral look, then lifted and waved her hand without much energy, waving goodbye.

This made Issei smile, as she had become much more open to him these past few days, considering that in the first week she wouldn't even greet him when he left.

The three of them stood in front of the castle gates, being greeted by a rather stout man, with a short black hair color, along with rather intense violet eyes.

"He only opens his eyes when he sees an irresistible woman..." Azazel thought, giving a small sigh. "It'll be great to see him get a taste of his own medicine."

The three of them quickly approached the guy, watching as Azazel extended his hand to greet him with a big smile on his face. Still, he wasn't surprised when he ignored him completely and went straight to where Issei and Tiamat were.

Or, to be more specific, he went straight to the dragoness.

"I still don't know who you are, but it's a great pleasure to receive you..." The subject extended his hand, passing within inches of Issei's face, indirectly telling her to get out of the way.

"My name is Baraqiel, I look forward to being your guide."

"|When he said HIS guide, he clearly means Tiamat only.|" Ddraig commented in Issei's mind, making the protagonist visibly nervous at the situation.

Tiamat looked at the subject's hand without any kind of expression. Seconds passed, and a somewhat uncomfortable blizzard passed around her.

Seeing that Tiamat did not even shake her hand, Baraqiel took it in one swift movement, then kissed it respectfully.

After this, there were three reactions:

Issei widened his eyes like crazy, looking clearly annoyed by what the guy did.

Tiamat just raised an eyebrow, while a vein began to form on her temple.

Meanwhile, Azazel only deigned to pat his face, waiting for the party to begin.

"It's more than clear that your Original Sin is lust, so I'll let this act pass just this once." Tiamat clarified, rubbing her hand against Baraqiel's sleeve in disgust.

"Besides being beautiful, she's also smart!" Baraqiel exclaimed in mild surprise. "In that case, let me show her everything I've learned over the years!"

"I don't think that's the best way to start a conversation..." Issei interrupted, stepping in front of Tiamat with slight annoyance.

He had barely entered Grigori, and already there was a lecherous old man disliking him.

Seeing this, Baraqiel watched him with some amusement, as if to stop what he was about to do.

"You know something, brat? I'm a Cadre, and for that reason I almost always do my bidding. She may not look too convinced now, but I'll get it done. So, beat it." Ordered the now introduced Cadre, raising his hand. "If you don't, I'll simply move you out of the way."

Azazel was well aware of his companion's attitude. Therefore, he knew what he was going to do now. And therefore, he was anxiously awaiting what was about to happen.

Baraqiel moved his hand quickly to move Issei out of the way. Not that it was a punch or anything like that. It was simply that, a push.

The problem, is that he tried to push the most precious person that this beautiful woman he was trying to talk to had.

The shove didn't even reach Issei, as the man coughed up a large amount of saliva when he suddenly found himself suspended in mid-air, courtesy of Tiamat who was choking him with one hand.

Baraqiel could only cough even more when his neck was squeezed even tighter by the delicate hand of that beautiful dragoness. The icy gaze that pierced his soul did not allow him to think clearly. He just wanted to get away as soon as possible from such a dreaded woman.

"If you lay a finger on her, I'll kill you." Tiamat's cold words made Issei and Azazel both shiver, at the same time thanking to death not to be on the receiving end.

Baraqiel could only continue coughing, though he somehow found the strength to nod, causing Tiamat to release him.

The Cadre fell to the ground as if he were a sack, while he coughed nonstop and tried to get back on his feet.

"Such strength!" Thought the Cadre in complete shock, as he had never been subdued so easily with mere brute force.

Tiamat knelt down in front of him, returning to her neutral gaze.

"By the way, I am a virgin, and I have recently made the decision to die a virgin due to personal issues. And if I weren't, I would never give myself to disgusting assholes like you. Let all the assholes here know that, because I'll never again have the patience I had with you." The dragoness declared in a calm voice, though her words reflected quite the opposite.

"I-understood!" Cadre exclaimed between gasps, as he had yet to catch his breath.

"*I saw that coming...*" Ddraig commented to no one in particular.

LINE JUMP.

Penemue landed on one of the 8 towers, to then observe a ring the size of a soccer ball and another inside it the size of a tennis ball. Both golden rings were spinning at a great speed as they levitated, ejecting a small beam into the sky that joined the barrier.

"Hm..." Penemue slowed the larger ring with his hand, seeing that the rock embedded in it glowed brightly. "They still have a great deal of magic. At least, if they can take care of one thing."

"Oh..." A subject of small stature stepped out from the shadows, having a somewhat disgusted smile on his face. "Did you know he was here? Well, it's really no mystery, considering we're talking about you..." He commented, studying Penemue's body.

"As usual, you never seem to take charge of the Business Department, Tamiel." Penemue glanced sideways at him, frowning slightly.

The now familiar Tamiel finally stopped his eyes on her breasts, increasing his smile a bit more.

"And you're still as hot as ever too, my dear Penemue."

"Stop talking garbage. Remember that patience is not one of my gifts." Penemue stated curtly, spreading her wings to head for the next tower.

"Always so rude... Why do you deny your true nature so much, why don't you just let go? You're just like our leader." Finally, Tamiel bowed his shoulders with a normal smile.

"You two will end up dying if you continue to pretend to be Angels..."

Hearing this last part, Penemue stopped instantly, then gave him a sidelong glance.

"True, we are no longer Angels, but neither are we idiots who indulge in their most terrible and mundane desires." La Cadre looked straight ahead, then delivered a few last words to him. "As far as I'm concerned, you will be the ones who will die sooner or later, if you continue with such a self-centered attitude." She concluded, then flew away.

Tamiel watched her walk away, then put a hand to his face with a small smile.

"And to think that no one could take your body for that stupid human... what a waste."

Inside the castle...

"No way..." Thought the protagonist, seeing how the interior of the castle broke the scheme roundly to the image it delivered from the outside, having elevators and a central stairs leading to the second and third floors. On the second floor, under these same stairs, there was a door. In the middle of the stairs, a huge digital banner of a black wing stood imposingly. Then, a large amount of modern furniture and decorations from England were on display, looking like a rather glamorous exhibitionist museum.

Even so, the interior was rather quiet, being that it was a rather spacious place.

"Where are the others?" Tiamat asked, looking around at her surroundings.

"In their rooms, probably." Baraqiel replied, then gave a small sigh. "Azazel, why didn't you tell me this woman was the Dragon Queen? I would have been horrified at the suffering..."

"Because I know you so well." Azazel replied quickly. "When you see a woman of her caliber, you just don't listen to anything. Seriously, you should at least try to control that side of you a little. Just a little." The Fallen One added, giving a small sigh of annoyance at the end at his companion's attitude.

"You know it's impossible to fight against my desires..." Baraqiel replied, giving him a small smile.

"It's impossible, if you don't try to fight them in the first place." Azazel quickly refuted, causing Issei and Tiamat to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"|He seems to be somewhat annoyed. That's curious, since it was my understanding that it's very difficult to accomplish that." Ddraig commented in Issei's mind with utmost curiosity, receiving a nod from Issei.

"Oh, come on, will you start again with your morality already?!" Baraqiel asked, crossing his arms.

"I've already learned that it's in vain to argue with you." Azazel stated, with a slightly mocking tone as he opened the door they were standing between the stairs to the second floor.

Upon opening the door, the guests could see how the small room was surrounded by numerous bookcases, while in the center, there was a large marble table where there were numerous seats. On them, there were some Fallen.

"So, wouldn't you like to have some action today, Shemhazai?" asked a rather muscular bald man, who was about the size of Baraqiel.

"Today I will already have sex with Sahariel. But if he wants, we can have a threesome." Commented the woman who had a voluptuous appearance very similar to Raynare's, while sketching a somewhat dirty smile on her face.

"I don't have a problem, Armaros." Replied the dwarf of the group, sketching a large grin.

"I was already wondering what you were doing gathered here..." Azazel commented to no one in particular, shaking his head.

"Oh, it's the boss." Commented the only woman in the group with a sing-song tone in her voice. Her gaze fixed for a short second on Issei, licking her lips.

This caused the protagonist to have a great shiver, while Tiamat felt her skin crawl.

The Fall was sucked into a huge discomfort when she felt the dragoness piercing her with her gaze, so she quickly diverted her worldly intentions elsewhere out of mere instinct.

"It was a good idea to bring her..." Azazel thought, fixing his gaze on Tiamat, sketching a small smile.

"Well, what brings you here, I'd say it's even weirder to see you in this place, wouldn't you say?" Sahariel asked, as he kept looking at Tiamat in a somewhat sickly way, and he wasn't the only one.

"First of all, this is Tiamat, the Dragon Queen." This made everyone's eyes widen in shock. "So, don't try to seduce her, unless you want to take a beating from her. And believe me, it would only be a beating if you're lucky." Azazel stated, sitting down with his ever smiling face. "The other one is Hyoudou Issei. As you may already know, he's Penemue's apprentice."

"Uhhh... that must have been hard for you, right sweetie?" the Fallen one asked, making Issei feel a bit uncomfortable again because of the nickname.

"That woman is always so strict, so serious... it's impressive that you're still alive." Armaros commented with a small smile.

"Yeah... She's a waste of a woman. If she didn't have such a repulsive character, then she'd be on Gabriel's level." Sahariel's comment made Azazel slam his face against the table.

"... What?" thought Tiamat, raising an eyebrow.

"|Apparently, Gabriel is a sore spot for Azazel." commented Ddraig in the protagonist's mind, very curious to see the leader's very unusual reaction.

"Back on topic..." Azazel cleared his throat, resting his hand on his chin with a small smile. "Hyoudou will be staying here for the day. Please see to it that the women don't try anything with him, or they'll have to face off against Tiamat." Everyone nodded at Azazel's statement.

"Wait a minute, so this Hyoudou Issei guy is the bearer of Ddraig?" Baraqiel wondered, then cracked a small smirk. "Having such power, how come you couldn't defeat the weakest Cadre of all?" he asked, causing everyone to chuckle slightly.

"I... Well, it's just..." Issei clenched his fist tightly on his knee, trembling slightly.

His trembling dissipated noticeably as he felt Tiamat's warm hand intertwine with his own.

"I'm the weaker bearer, I guess..."

"The weakest? That must be pretty harsh, right?" Baraqiel wondered, making Issei even more uncomfortable.

"A star isn't generated overnight..." Azazel's words made Issei look at him with great surprise. "He may be the weakest now, but I'm sure he will achieve great things." Azazel positioned a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it lightly. "The important thing is not who you are, but what you will do. All I hope for, is to be able to witness with my own eyes how you achieve greatness." He finished, sketching a big smile.

The protagonist felt his hair stand on end after such words. The only thing he could do, is to give her a big smile as a thank you.

After that, Azazel looked at Tiamat, and the dragoness received him with a small smile as she nodded.

He had certainly earned the respect of both of them with those words.

"Hyoudou... No, Issei. You don't have to fixate on what the masses say, just focus on what you want to achieve. And if you need any support, remember that I have full faith in your future achievements."

Some applause was heard after Azazel's words, coming from the Fallen who were listening to him, as they shrieked with utmost impression at what they heard.

"Well, well!" Azazel clapped his hands together, resting both hands on his chin. "Enough with the sentimentality. It's time to talk business..."

Tiamat and Issei left the site, leaving Azazel alone with the others. Just as the idea of digging around a bit among the huge modern castle occurred to them, Penemue appeared in front of them.

"It is time." Were the Cadre's simple words, causing them both to follow her.

After going up the elevator and reaching the highest floor, the three of them stopped in front of a door, where the word "Secretary" was engraved on it.

"I'll wait out here." Tiamat declared, leaning against the wall as she arranged her hair.

Penemue and Issei just nodded, entering the room.

The young man couldn't help but be a bit surprised, as it seemed like a fairly normal, rather plain room. To sum it up in two simple words, quite boring.

The only thing that caught the attention in this small room was the large amount of swords, spears, katanas, and among other melee weapons that he had hanging on the walls, or placed neatly in special cabinets.

"Over there are all the katana." Declared the beautiful Cadre, pointing to a nearby cabinet.

"Pick the one you like best."

Hearing that he could choose any one, Issei couldn't help but swallow hard.

The protagonist quickly approached the section, looking at and touching one by one all the katanas that were in his range of vision. The designs were fabulous, and there were some that were even larger in stature than Penemue herself.

"Can I really pick any?" He asked, somewhat incredulous at such a gift.

"Of course. But choose wisely, because I'll only give you one." Cadre replied with her usual seriousness, as she followed her apprentice's every move with her gaze.

"What do you think, partner?" Issei asked, causing Ddraig to clear his throat.

"*Bearing in mind the knowledge you gained in recent training, katanas this large would help you in open spaces, but they still have many cons, and all of them are aimed at maneuverability. The only long thing that would be cost effective is a spear, but you didn't train for it.*" The dragon explained in a rather technical voice, feeling rather happy that his wielder would take him into account in such an important decision.

"You're right..." Issei commented, turning from the larger katanas, looking at the smaller ones. "The smaller ones aren't an option either. Penemue taught me that a katana distributes weight perfectly, so it would be very wasteful to choose one of that size..." Ddraig just nodded internally at his bearer's words.

"*So, that cuts your chances by a third.*" The dragon commented, seeing that there were only four of the twelve katanas left as a possible choice.

Issei ran his hand over the hilt of each, grimacing slightly.

"Damn, they all feel great!" The protagonist exclaimed, ruffling his hair in frustration.

Through it all, Penemue didn't take her gaze off him. Though she didn't show it visibly, she was proud that he had been able to distinguish which weapon was the most appropriate for him.

Still, she was expecting something else...

"Hm..." Issei folded his arms and closed his eyes deeply. "Which one can it be... which one can it be?" he thought with great intensity.

Without him realizing it, he concentrated so hard on his choice that everything around him went black.

Then, it happened...

"Huh!" Issei opened his eyes abruptly as he saw a violet flash cross his eyes, which was heading in a rightward direction.

Issei twisted his neck towards the direction practically instantly, seeing how there was a metal bucket filled with old, rusty weapons.

Watching as Issei slowly walked towards the bucket caused Penemue's facial expression to show signs of change for the first time.

The young man could feel for a short second that purple energy again inside the bucket, so he began to rummage through all the rusty weapons.

After having removed almost all of them from the bucket, only one weapon remained. To be more precise, a katana.

Issei stood up from the ground and stared at it, causing Penemue to arch both eyebrows at what she witnessed.

"You want that one? Its edge is completely deteriorated, as is its hilt. Its steel is also completely rusted, so it's beyond renewal." Penemue warned him, placing both hands on her hips. "Remember that you can only pick one, and there will be no second chance."

Hearing this, Issei hesitated for a second, though he finally took it from her grip.

The chestnut's eyes glowed with decision as he felt the hilt fit his hand perfectly, so he didn't hesitate for a second to remove it from the bucket.

After that, the three in the room could not help but be surprised when Issei lifted the sword into the air, as a dense violet substance surrounded the weapon for a second, so that later it could be seen that its edge and hilt had fully recovered.

Finally, the protagonist rested the steel of the katana in his hand, running his fingers over the rusty surface, so the touch was not very pleasant. Still, he didn't mind.

"I definitely want this one." Issei commented with a very determined smile on his face.

Penemue stared at him for a couple of seconds, already having recovered from the earlier surprise.

"...Why?"

The surprise puzzled the young man, though he managed to find an answer.

"Well... I wouldn't know." Issei looked straight into her face with a completely innocent expression.

"I just felt it calling out to me."

Penemue pondered the answer for a short second, only to have her sketch a small smile afterwards.

"I knew it. It was you."

"Uh... Yes?" was the only answer he could think of, since he didn't understand anything that was happening.

"Do you know why someone like me was looking for an apprentice?" Penemue's question made Issei's eyes widen slightly.

Now that he thought about it carefully, she wouldn't make a hobby out of training inexperienced people.

"I see you're just now becoming aware of it..." Penemue closed her eyes, still maintaining that cute smile. "This was the last mission I was given. To find the bearer of that katana." Penemue approached Issei, positioning both hands on his shoulders.

"Hyoudou, that katana you hold in your hands... it was created by my father."

Even Ddraig could not remain unpunished after hearing such words.

"W-w-wait!" The chestnut exclaimed, completely incredulous. "By your father, you mean God?!"

"That's right." Penemue nodded with great pride. "By that time, the Great War had already taken a back seat, and we had finished off the Celestial Dragons. Besides..." Penemue lowered his gaze with great remorse. "I... I had managed to detach myself from my Original Sin recently." Issei instantly noticed the pain in her words, but decided now was not the time to fixate on that.

"All was relatively calm, and the factions were about to sign peace. At those moments, Father appeared in my room and handed me this katana. He told me that I should look for an apprentice who could awaken this weapon, and that only a Demon could use it..." Cadre commented, then lowered her gaze with slight sadness. "I never knew why he entrusted me with this mission. All I know, is that that time was the last time I saw him..."

"*The details so precise, entrusting a last mission just the day before his death... There's no way...*" Ddraig commented, completely in shock.

"Apparently, you haven't lost your wisdom despite the years locked away, Red Dragon Emperor." Penemue stated with a small smile.

"What's going on?" wondered the protagonist rather startled, as he was receiving too much information in too little time.

"It is something that only I and the highest ranking beings among the Three Factions know about. Since you have not yet spoken to Michael, you will not be aware of who God really was, and how important he was, is, and will be. But, I'd rather you see for yourself when the time comes."

"Very well, in that case..." Issei broke away from Penemue, waving the katana sharply. "I promise I will master it to perfection before we take our leave!"

The last words bounced off Penemue's head, taking her completely by surprise.

"Before we say goodbye!"

The words rang out again, causing the Cadre to feel a small prick in her heart.

Issei watched her with great strangeness as she lowered her head slightly with some sadness, wondering if he'd said something he shouldn't have.

That same day, in the evening…

"You never told me it was a katana before." Azazel commented, studying the weapon with his gaze.

"I didn't tell you, because I knew you were going to want to study it." Penemue replied, crossing her arms.

Azazel just smiled at her at the statement.

"You know me very well."

"Well, you'd better go to sleep." Penemue said to Issei, causing the protagonist to give her a small grimace of annoyance. "I know you want to try it, but it's too late now. I promise I'll show you a couple of techniques tomorrow." The Cadre declared, causing a smile to appear on Issei's face.

Finally, Penemue raised her hand and did her typical unenergetic salute, bidding her student farewell, then closing the door to her room.

"Follow me. I will lead you to your rooms." Azazel commented, gesturing with his head.

Tiamat and Issei quickly followed him, heading down the stairs.

"What did you think of Grigori?" Azazel asked, glancing sideways at him.

"It's quite an interesting place. Though its people, it's a bit..." Issei rubbed his hair nervously, as he couldn't find a word that didn't offend.

"Complicated." Azazel answered for the protagonist, causing him to nod energetically. "I understand what you mean. But it's not his fault. Being a Fallen Angel, it's in his nature to behave that way, especially, since almost all of the Fallen currently left alive fell due to the Sin of lust."

"I understand..." Issei commented, rubbing his chin. "But, you two aren't being controlled by those sins, are you?"

Hearing this, Azazel couldn't help but look at him with some interest.

"That's right, Penemue and I managed to detach ourselves from our Original Sin, albeit in a very different way. I acquired a much stronger ambition than my own lust, being the research of the Sacred Gears. Still, to break away from Original Sin, it is not enough to have an ambition stronger than the sin itself. You also need great willpower. That is why it is considered almost impossible for a Fallen Angel to gain control of his nature." Azazel stopped in a hallway, looking at him with great interest.

"But how did you know that we were no longer under that influence?"

"Well, Ddraig had explained some things to me about Original Sin, and with the very different attitudes I got the idea that you two were something out of the ordinary among this species." The protagonist commented, rubbing his hair with a smile.

"I see..." Azazel leaned against a door, sketching a small smile. "Just so you know, you've been very lucky to get that reference. The two of us are the only ones who have managed to detach ourselves from worldly desires. It's not for nothing that it's nearly impossible."

After the conversation, a small memory came to Issei when Penemue looked very hurt after remembering how she managed to detach herself from her Original Sin.

"By the way, how did Penemue manage to break free?" the young man's question made even Tiamat herself pay special attention to the conversation.

Hearing the question, Azazel's face twisted into a very serious one, something almost impossible coming from him.

"I think that is something only she can answer you. I will only tell you that there are worse sins than others, and she fell into the worst of them all shortly after the start of the Great War."

"For you to say that, it must be a very touchy subject." Tiamat commented, receiving a nod from Azazel, while the protagonist lowered his head, showing great concern for the Cadre.

"Anyway!" Azazel exclaimed, opening the door. "This will be your room, Issei. It's a rather spacious bed, so I'm sure you'll sleep much better than in the forest."

"Of that there's no doubt!" Issei exclaimed, genuinely happy to be able to sleep in something more comfortable than a sleeping bag.

"Tiamat, your room is the front one." Cadre commented, causing the dragoness to lower her head slightly.

"Actually, I'd like to sleep next to him..." She commented, causing Azazel to look at her with slightly widened eyes.

"... Do they do that all the time?"

"Wait, it's not what you're thinking!" Issei waved his hands quickly, making Azazel look at him intently.

He was really hoping for an explanation about this.

"It's not like we're a couple, or anything..." Tiamat commented, rubbing her arm in slight discomfort.

Issei was always going to be her sore spot.

"We only sleep together because we feel good with each other. We feel warm and protected." Tiamat finally raised her face, seeing that Azazel had a mischievous grin on his face.

This caused the dragoness to instantly lower her gaze with an imperceptible blush.

"You can think what you want, but it's the truth..."

"No, it's fine. I believe them." Clarified the leader, causing Tiamat and Issei to look a little surprised. "It's normal to feel safe next to the person you cherish the most." He stated, then made a small gesture with his hand in farewell. "I don't think we'll be seeing each other tomorrow, so good luck."

Issei and Tiamat returned his greeting before he closed the door.

Azazel stood glued to the door for a few seconds, folding his arms as a smile kept spreading across his face.

"They just like to sleep together..." He whispered to himself, then closed his eyes and began to walk away.

"You don't even believe that lie yourselves."

Tiamat snuggled into Issei's chest, smiling a sweet smile.

"Because of the training, it's been a long time since we slept together." She commented, rubbing her face against Issei's bare chest.

"You're right. The days have been a bit rough, though I'm starting to get used to it." Issei replied, wrapping one of his hands around Tiamat's waist, enclosing her in a tight embrace.

Feeling the warm embrace, Tiamat returned the gesture and pressed herself even tighter to his body, positioning her face in the center of his chest with a pleased smile on her face.

"Good night..." The dragoness wished him, closing her eyes with great happiness.

"Good night..." Issei returned her greeting, positioning her chin on Tiamat's hair, while stroking her back.

LINE JUMP.

"It's time to go!" Penemue burst into the room, only to have her eyes widen slightly as she watched Tiamat sit on top of the protagonist's waist, as she carved her eyes.

"You don't need to be so loud..." She stated with a hint of sulkiness, as she arranged her long, silky light blue hair.

"Perfect!" The young man exclaimed with a big smile, suddenly sitting up and grabbing Tiamat just above her butt, causing the dragoness to give a small whimper of surprise, while her cheeks blushed slightly from the contact and the sudden approach.

Luckily for her, Issei was too focused on Penemue's words to notice.

"Time to use that katana..." Issei clenched his fists tightly, eyeing the weapon.

Penemue only deigned to look away with a small blush. She might be a rather stoic woman, but it's hard not to feel a little uncomfortable when you see two people somewhat close towards you mounted on top of each other, in the same bed, wearing only their underwear.

You couldn't blame her, anyone would think of something dirty at such moments.

Several hours later...

"Nothing better than a nice bath after training..." Penemue thought, taking off completely a transparent dress she was wearing, being left only with a small black colored panty, and her iconic white bandages tight on her breasts.

Just as she stepped into the stream, she watched as Tiamat emerged from the water, close to her. The dragoness was completely naked, being helped by her hair and the water, which took care of covering her most intimate parts.

"I didn't know you bathed here..." Penemue commented, glancing sideways at her.

"I have to stay close, just in case." The dragoness replied simply, leaning against a rock overhanging the stream.

"Are you still wary?" Penemue asked, crossing her arms and closing her eyes.

Hearing this, Tiamat lowered her head slightly, thinking about his words.

Finally, seconds passed without either of them saying another word to each other.

The atmosphere was not pleasant, but neither was it tense. They were simply there.

"Now that I see you more closely, how do you do it?" Tiamat decided to break the silence with a question, causing Penemue to look at her with a raised eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"You know... Isn't it very uncomfortable for your nipples to wear such tight bandages?" Penemue looked at Tiamat with slightly widened eyes after her question, as she clearly wasn't expecting such a question. Especially, coming from someone like Tiamat.

"Well... The truth is, when they started growing non-stop, that's where I started using the bandages." Penemue looked down at her breasts, then touched them lightly. "At first it was very annoying, but as time went on, my breasts kept growing, and my nipples ended up sinking into them. That's the reason they don't show through the material." Penemue clarified her suspicions, causing the dragoness to approach her with great curiosity.

"I see... Do they ever come out again?" she asked with great interest.

After that question, a small blush appeared on Penemue's face.

"... Only when I get too hot."

"Wow..." Was the dragoness' simple reply, then looking firmly at her breasts. "But why did you want to bandage them? I mean, I don't think it bothered you that much to go braless. Besides, they don't look that big..."

Hearing this, Penemue just smiled.

"My fighting style is based on very fast and precise movements..." She began to explain, as she slowly unraveled her bandages. "Being a kunoichi, having such large breasts hinders my movements..." She continued, firmly gripping the end of the bandage. "It is for that reason that I tighten them to such a degree that they look half their size." She concluded, removing the bandages completely.

Tiamat's eyes grew exceedingly large as Penemue's breasts fluttered freely, drooping below her navel. Her two mounds possessed an overwhelming firmness despite their size, and that is what impressed the dragoness the most. Each breast looked like a circular cushion that was about to explode from the sheer amount of cotton inside. That made that, even from the back, their two mounds were distinguishable without much difficulty.

Did I already say they were very large?

"I never wanted to have them this size, but it just happened." Cadre clarified, sitting back in the water with a small smile.

Tiamat sat next to her, looking up at the sky with even the stupor on her skin.

"If we combine the firmness and its volume, I think you have the best breasts in the world..."

Hearing this, Penemue could only laugh.

"Says the woman with the most coveted butt by everyone."

"Hey...!" The dragoness exclaimed, then laughed along with her.

"These girl talks are pretty weird. I can't deny that they're fun, though." Penemue commented, closing her eyes with satisfaction.

After hearing her words, Tiamat watched her carefully for a few seconds.

"You know what? I think I'll go..."

"Huh...?" Penemue looked at her with great surprise after her words.

Tiamat looked up at the sky with a small smile on her face.

"In these past two weeks, I've realized that I can trust you. In fact, I have quite enjoyed the two talks we have had. I've also talked a lot with Tannin, and he told me what a great woman you are. I don't have to continue to have that distrust of you." Tiamat fixed her gaze on Penemue, giving her a smile as she raised her hand. "I'll give you a chance, and I'll believe in you."

Penemue watched the hand for a short second, then looked at her again.

"That means a lot, coming from the Dragon Queen." The Cadre shook hands with Tiamat, causing them both to give each other a nice smile.

"Mind you, I'll be coming to visit Issei quite often." Tiamat stated with some seriousness.

"I know. You two are very close. In fact, you take too much care of him." Penemue commented with a sly little smile, making Tiamat a little nervous.

Again, they had touched her sensitive spot.

"... Does it show that much?" Rather than a question, it was a simple whisper on Tiamat's part.

"Of course, though he doesn't seem to notice." Penemue commented somewhat mischievously.

"He is... very innocent." She stated with great nervousness, lowering her head slightly with a great blush on her face.

"I never imagined seeing her this way..." Penemue thought with quite a bit of surprise. "She must definitely love Hyoudou very much. More than I can imagine."

"...Can we change the subject?" Penemue was visibly surprised when she noticed how Tiamat's gaze was quite droopy.

At that moment, that's when she realized it wasn't simple lover's jitters. Something much deeper was going on behind her and it didn't look pleasant at all.

Still, out of respect for her new friend's privacy, she decided to put it aside as quickly as possible, and continue with a casual chat.

The next day...

Issei was looking at the top of the mountain where Tiamat usually watched him, seeing that now only Tannin was in that place.

"Do you miss her already?" Penemue asked, drawing her katana.

"It's not that." The protagonist commented, then looking at her with a smile. "Actually, I wanted to thank you." Hearing this, Penemue couldn't help but look at him with some interest. "She's had a big trust issue because of everything she experienced. That she's gone quietly, indicates that she's starting to trust people a little more again." The chestnut explained, then pointing his katana at Penemue. "That's something that makes me very happy."

The Cadre stood thinking for a short second on Issei's words, instantly spinning that her trust issue would have to do with something from her past, and most likely that something was what had scarred her forever, and for that reason was why she didn't want to confess.

Still, those were personal issues, and since she didn't tell hers, she wasn't going to force anyone to do so. In fact, she would feel terrible if she did.

"Back to the main topic, I'd like to show you some new skills." Penemue commented, then put on a very serious look.

"Pay attention."

The grip on her weapon intensified noticeably, at the same time as the sword was imbued with electricity.

Right after that, a few words tumbled from her lips.

"DANCE OF THE 11 BLOODY HILT!"

He exclaimed, causing eleven thrusts to shoot forward with a speed almost imperceptible to the protagonist. They were so fast, that the residual lightning trails marked eleven different spots.

Seeing this, Issei looked at her with slight surprise.

"Now that I remember, that attack you had done to me in our friendly sparring."

"You remembered..." Penemue nodded, then looked at him with great seriousness. "This attack is not 11 baseless thrusts. Each attack is designated to a particular vital area found in anyone's torso: The first two to the lungs, the third to the liver, the fourth to the stomach, the fifth to the pancreas, the sixth and seventh to the kidneys, the eighth to the large intestine, the ninth to the small intestine, the tenth to the bladder, and the eleventh to the heart. The rays introduced through the wound are responsible for burning and destroying the organs, causing instant death."

Hearing this, Issei's face tinged white.

"Y-you're saying that if I hadn't dodged that attack, I..."

"Of course not." Penemue clarified instantly. "My goal wasn't to kill you, that's why I diverted the trajectory of the attacks to a place where you wouldn't have been in as much danger, though to be honest with you, I didn't expect you to dodge them" the Cadre cleared her throat. "Anyway. While it may seem like an amazing attack, it's kind of useless. It's only useful if you have absolute precision, and you know in which position said organs are located. Besides, you must also be sure that your opponent can't dodge them, otherwise it will be in vain." Penemue shook the katana, removing the few particles of electricity that still hovered. "Bottom line, it's an attack I created to mass kill people who are weaker than me, and it's solely for that purpose. What I'm getting at with this, is that you must create a technique, thinking about how you will use it, and against whom you will use it." Penemue positioned both hands on her hips, staring at him.

"Is that clear?" Issei nodded quickly.

"Very well." The Cadre nodded. "You must first master the posture to perfection. When you've just achieved that, that's where you can start thinking about your techniques."

"Wait a minute... I don't even have an elemental affinity, how am I supposed to create techniques?" the protagonist asked with great curiosity.

"You don't need an elemental affinity to create techniques. The only thing it helps you with, is the variety you could come up with." Seeing that Issei was a bit distracted, Penemue gave a small sigh. "But like I said, focus on mastering your stance first, Hyoudou."

"Ah, yes!" He quickly replied, entering combat stance again.

LINE JUMP.

"The reconstruction of the Academy is going as expected. Apparently, classes will start within a month." Tiamat thought, entering the Hyoudou home.

The place was completely dark, so she turned on the light.

"I'm home..." She commented, then stretched as she went to the second floor. "There's no one waiting for me, anyway..." She said to herself as she gave a small, somewhat adorable yawn.

She was beginning to think that the Underdeveloped Lizard had been rubbing off his laziness on her somehow.

"Luckily Issei's parents are away on a trip. I'd hate to give explanations for my nocturnal movements." Tiamat rubbed her hair somewhat drowsily, then grabbed the doorknob to her room.

Just as she was about to open it, she turned her gaze to Issei's room, and the cute memories began to flood her mind.

Her hand hesitated for a second, and finally gave in to temptation.

Tiamat clasped both her hands together as a blush came to her face.

"I guess he won't mind if I sleep in his bedroom..."

Meanwhile, in a faraway place...

"It's about time to take a bath." declared Penemue, sheathing her katana.

"Hum, are we done yet?" the protagonist wondered with slight surprise, as he didn't feel the least bit exhausted.

"That's right." Penemue nodded. "Take a bath before lunch. I couldn't stand to have you next to me with a bad smell."

"Yes!" Issei replied in soldier pose, then watched as Penemue left the site. "How strange..." He thought . "She doesn't sweat a drop in training." This made Issei raise a big question in his head.

"How strong is she really?"

LINE JUMP.

"*How are you feeling, partner?*" Ddraig's question brought a smile to Issei's face.

"I feel great." He replied, doing some stretches on his shoulder. "It's the only time in the day I can take off my armor without having some sort of repercussions? huh?" Issei blinked in slight surprise after realizing something very interesting.

"*Until you realized it, brat.*" Ddraig commented with some amusement, only to have Issei then look at his entire body and rub his temple hard.

"I don't feel any kind of fatigue from wearing the armor for so many hours..." Issei raised his fist, to then clench it tightly. "The results are coming sooner than I thought. We've only been here a little over two weeks."

"*Remember the Fall mentioned a second training, so don't get too happy,*" the dragon stated with some seriousness, then smiled. "*Still, good job."

Hearing the last words, Issei could only smile.

"Thank you, friend."

The talk was roundly interrupted when Issei stepped through a tree, as he saw something that almost made his eyes pop out The protagonist jumped into the nearest bush and poked his head out, denoting how the veins in his eyes were very marked at what he was witnessing.

The sun beat down on Penemue's whole body, as his flushed face was carried away with slight moans of pleasure. The transparent robe still encircled her body, but it was ajar, letting both hands enter in the direction of her breasts, as she slowly fondled them with great enthusiasm. She was kneeling on the edge of the stream, letting all that wave of pleasure escape through his subtle and extremely pleasant touches, letting herself be carried away by the beautiful sensation that took off from her chest, and transited around her whole body in a circular circuit that seemed to have no end. Her completely soaked and sticky black panties were failing to contain so much fluid, making the sand moist.

"Is she...is she... touching herself?" Issei quickly shook his head, to make sure what he was seeing was real.

"*It's a normal thing, partner. It's in her nature. It's something she needs to do with some regularity so she can continue to control herself*" Ddraig commented with some amusement, seeing his bearer's reaction.

"... I understand." Replied the protagonist, only to sketch a small smile and avert his gaze. "I still have that promise to keep, so I won't let this situation cause me to falter." Ddraig nodded with great satisfaction at seeing that Issei still remembered the promise he made when he died that time. "Besides, I think it would be disrespectful to her. I mean, I don't think she'd like being forced to do that sort of thing." He commented, turning around to leave.

"*By her character, she's got the look, partner*" Ddraig commented.

Issei rested one of his hands on a tree, then paused in thought.

Tiamat's flushed and sweaty face flashed through his mind for a second.

"I wonder... What would Tiamat look like in this situation?"

"*Did you imagine Tiamat touching herself?*" Ddraig asked with a clear mocking tone.

Hearing this, Issei continued walking as if nothing had happened.

"I wouldn't be able to imagine something like that."

"*Of course you would. Don't play the saint with me. "*" the dragon commented with much amusement.

"I told you I didn't."

"*Yes you did."

"I didn't."

"*Yes you did.*"

"I didn't."

"*Yes you did."

"I didn't."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"..."

"*Yes you did.*

"Shut your mouth."

...

"ISSEI!" Tiamat's moan was heard throughout the house.

The dragoness peeked her face between the sheets of the aforementioned, her face was completely flushed and sweaty. Her erratic breathing made her chest rise and fall with great intensity, as she hugged Issei's pillow tightly, placing it on her nose.

Her legs were entwined in the pillow, as she rubbed her body with great intensity against it.

Her entire body had a thin layer of sweat, giving her a look that would take anyone's breath away. She was incredibly beautiful, and at the same time, she was hot as hell.

"I love you so much..." She commented between gasps. "I'm going crazy..." Her lower body jerked even more as she tightened her grip on the pillow even more, letting herself be carried away by the immense surges of pleasure that hit the forbidden area of her body from the simple touch.

Her eyes glazed over with pleasure as she let her mind flood into her deepest desires.

"Ahhhhhh! Hummmmmmm! Issei, don't stop!" She moaned with great excitement, causing the bed to begin to shake roughly, giving the impression that it was about to break.

In those moments, Tiamat kissed the pillow hard as she felt something incredible approaching, causing her gaze to flood with pleasure like never before.

Her back twisted in a strange way after the overwhelming sensation, and yet it wasn't enough to stop her. She concluded her kiss with the pillow and hugged it even tighter, as she gasped and positioned her face on top of it.

Still...

Even though she looked so happy...

Her eyes...

Her beautiful light blue eyes reflected absolute loneliness...

She didn't want to fantasize about Issei, she wanted all of this to be real.

She wanted him to caress every inch of her body.

She wanted him to say beautiful things in her ear.

She wanted him to kiss her.

She...

She just wanted to become one with her loved one...

END OF CHAPTER!

I hope you liked this long chapter!

I spent about 4 hours correcting this translation to make it come out with as few mistakes as possible. I hope I succeeded and that the reading was enjoyable and smooth for everyone.

In the final part I left a couple of things quite elevated in tone, indicating the beginning of the strong fan service.

In the next chapter I plan to strengthen the relationship between Penemue and Issei completely.

I hope you liked Grigori, I hope you liked the first impressions to Original Sin, I hope you liked the hot scene, and I hope you liked everything in general. And if you didn't, give me a critique so I know what points I would need to change or improve.

Honestly, there's a lot to talk about in this chapter, but I don't want to overextend too much either. I just hope these 18,000 words have been entertaining enough.