Here I present myself with another translated chapter!

After several hectic days, I can finally rest a bit and translate a chapter calmly. I apologize again if the two previous updates had more errors than usual.

Leaving that aside, let's go with the reviews:

Kashifek: The Asgardians didn't capture him, they just defeated him. At the end of the chapter it was made quite clear (or so I think) that Rosswell and his team were only going to watch over him until Odin visited Loki. I hope I have answered your questions.

With nothing more relevant to add, it's time to begin.

Enjoy!

"I can't believe they did such a crazy thing..." Azazel fell onto one of the seats. All he could do was hold a hand to his face after the news they all just received.

"After everything that's happened, I knew they could be a danger..." Odin clenched his beard tightly as well as his teeth. "But I never thought they would go this far. This will kill us all." The God concluded his thoughts, saying something they all thought.

"How much time do we have?" Yasaka was finally able to snap out of the shock, getting Michael to become more serious than he already was.

"According to the data extracted from the Elysium, we would have a little over a month before Trihexa finishes breaking the Dimensional Jail." Explained the Angel, earning a silent stare from everyone present.

"So all this Boosted Gear theater and meeting was just a trap so they could damage the seal by taking advantage of the fact that the Angels were busy doing something else and no one was monitoring the prison's security..." Rossweisse thought aloud, her eyes reflecting utter bewilderment. "But the union of Fallen and Demons doesn't seem to be a lie..."

Before she could continue her speculations, Penemue stood up and created a magic circle without a word.

"Penemue?" The Valkyrie consulted her strangely after seeing her action.

"I don't intend to stand here and do nothing. They sought a massacre, so we'll give them one." Was the simple reply from Penemue, who fixed her gaze on Michael. "I'll tell Tiamat, and this time I don't care what you say."

"Wait...!"

"SILENCE!" The fury-covered shout from the Cadre made Michael shut up instantly.

He was sure he has never seen his sister as angry as she was now.

"Does the Prophecy matter now?!" Penemue glared at him, forcing the Angel to look away. "Issei is already dead!" The Cadre's scream choked a little after saying those words, and her eyes threatened to spill tears. "They don't have the Boosted Gear, and if they did, there's no way they'd have enough time to awaken its full power in just one damn month!" Penemue managed to recover her usual tone, though it was coated with rage and hatred. "It's impossible for a new bearer to appear in such a short time! Just fucking accept that they destroyed the world! There's nothing we can do, so let me kill all those fucking scumbags along with Tiamat at once!"

Everyone was completely silent, the only thing that could be heard in that room was Penemue's irregular breathing, due to the fact that she used all the strength of her lungs to rant against Michael, who seemed to be the most affected.

Probably because he knew that his sister's words were absolutely true, and he simply did not want to accept them.

Receiving no answers of any type, the Cadre simply snorted in displeasure and disappeared, leaving everyone with that awkward silence in the place.

"Azazel..." The first to break the silence was Michael, but the aforementioned didn't seem to attach much importance to the call.

"Don't even try. I agree with her too. We are all doomed." It was Cadre's final sentence, causing Michael to lower his head, as did Rossweisse and Yasaka.

"In that case, it would be best if I told Tannin the whole truth." Vali decided to speak only to announce his farewell, leaving the place to see the dragon who was probably very angry.

"I have to find new lodging to live in, so I'm leaving as well." Azazel took his leave, being accompanied by Yasaka who gave a small bow.

The tense moment was still present, though now only Odin, Rossweisse and Michael were present.

"What will you do now?" The Angel asked, preparing to leave by means of a magic circle.

"I'm not interested in revenge or anything like that. I just want to spend some time with my sons. I haven't visited Loki in weeks, and I want a chance to have a serious talk with him, even if only one last time." Clarified the God, earning a nod from Michael, who walked away.

Odin fixed his gaze on Rossweisse, who was on the verge of tears.

Incredibly, the old man couldn't even find the strength to smile as he always did. He simply could find nothing but bitterness and helplessness in these moments. Anyway, the God tried to comfort his adopted daughter as he patted her head a couple of times.

"Lord Odin..." Rossweisse sobbed softly as she hugged the one who was like her father.

The God accepted the embrace gently, then let out a heavy sigh.

"I don't know how we can announce this in Asgard..."

END OF ARC-CHAPTER 78: RETURNING HOME!

"So you come here to apologize to me like a coward after everything has gone to shit?" Loki observed his father with a raised eyebrow, denoting his lack of empathy in the face of such a critical situation. "I don't think it would do any good at that point to tell you this, but I told you." He concluded, bowing his shoulders.

"I didn't come to ask for your forgiveness, I know that's something impossible to obtain. I just wanted to spend these last moments with my sons. Besides, I don't think you need to be locked up in this place anymore after your innocence was proven." Odin clarified, opening the door to the enclosure that held his son prisoner.

Loki stared at the door for a few seconds, making no move. Finally, the God turned his gaze to Odin for a short second and then mocked him with a small laugh.

"What's the case for being free now when the world will be destroyed in just two months or less?" Loki turned his back on his father and sat down in front of a chessboard. "I don't think I need to tell you either, but this wasn't just your fault, father..." Loki's more sympathetic side made Odin feel a little better about himself. "Even so, you were all such huge idiots for leaving Issei alone with the Demons." Now, the usual Loki was taking it upon to lecture him, making him feel even worse.

"It was impossible to think that they had a damned mask hiding their true face for these last thousand fucking years." Odin tried to excuse himself with a big sigh, getting a small chuckle out of Loki.

"I suppose you're right, but certainly everyone was also ridiculously blinded by the possibility of a world peace that was only a mere mirage. Now, watch that lie fall apart." Loki concluded as he moved a pawn, getting his father to close his eyes in some annoyance.

But he wasn't annoyed with Loki. He was annoyed with himself, due to the fact that he knew very well that his son was right in every word.

"Your pedantic attitude hasn't changed a bit despite being locked up for months..." Declared the old man belatedly, managing to get a small smile out of his son.

"I'm not pedantic, I'm just speaking with the truth." Clarified the God, positioning his face at the height of the board to better look at the chess pieces. "The problem is that no one likes to hear the truth these days."

"You..." Odin frowned after what he heard, but could do nothing but sigh as he could not find a way to refute Loki's words. "...I guess you're right."

"Sorry to interrupt, but it's really important..." Rosswell came to once again disturb the Gods, getting Odin to look at him rather strangely.

"I told you I couldn't read the letter, Rosswell. I understand that might be important, but the reality is that I'm going to be very busy today and the things are really compli..."

"Hold on a minute, old man." Loki interrupted his father, earning the interest of the two present.

The God got up from his seat and approached them, something that caught Odin's attention quite a bit, as it was quite clear that Loki was very interested in the conversation, something really rare in him.

"That problem you mention..." Loki put a hand to his chin, remembering a certain event. "Could it have been that incredible power unleashed a few days ago?" Odin's eyes slowly widened at what he heard.

"Yes, we have not eliminated him. We are just keeping a distant watch, and we believe he has already reached the gate to cross into this Circle." Rosswell clarified, getting Odin's eyes to widen even more.

"How many days ago did it happen?" Odin's question caught both of their attention, as they noticed the rather offhand tone he used.

The King of Asgard seemed to be quite stunned for some strange reason.

"It won't have been more than 5 days. You know, time here is a bit relative due to the fact that there is no..." Rosswell stopped his explanation, as he watched in amazement as Odin's hands fell without resistance.

"It can't be..." The God said in a faint whisper, his eyes trembling from the shock he had just received.

"Father?" Loki looked at him in slight confusion, then fixed his gaze on Rosswell. "In any case, I am no longer a prisoner. If my father doesn't want to meddle in this matter, tell me where..."

"BRING HIM TO ME, IMMEDIATELY!" Even Loki himself was a little startled at the outburst of his father, who grabbed Rosswell by the shoulders.

"As you wish." Roswell replied after snapping out of that little daze, then disappearing through a seal on his hand.

"Can you tell me what the hell is going on?" Loki questioned him as he crossed his arms.

"Issei's death was announced just as that strange event began..." Odin fixed his gaze on his son, watching as he looked somewhat surprised.

Loki's surprise was replaced by a sideways smile, and he finally mentioned the following words:

"I see. I don't believe in coincidences either..."

Issei gave a big sneeze, causing him to almost fall out of the magic circle he was standing in to be level with the huge double door that lay in front of him.

"Man, I think someone is talking about me..." Issei declared with a goofy grin on his face as he rubbed his nose.

"Cut your bullshit and let's get the hell out of here. I'm sick of seeing red sand all the time." Ddraig snorted with some annoyance, getting a small chuckle from Issei.

"You're always so blunt in these situations..." Issei commented, then looking at the door rather curiously.

Issei walked around the entire door, looking at it with extreme confusion. After all, he didn't know which part was the exit or the entrance.

Why?

Well, that was simple enough to explain: it was a giant fucking double door that was floating in nothingness after the massive destruction he himself caused.

Issei paused to think that was a curious thing, due to the fact that he had hit the door numerous times with his attacks, but it had suffered no damage whatsoever.

"Do you know how this works?" Issei finally stopped, looking at the huge door with many doubts.

"That's how far my knowledge of this place goes, brat." The dragon clarified, implying that he had the same information as Issei.

"Hum, okay..." Issei said it not so convinced, then tried to open the doors with one of his hands.

His expression changed radically when he noticed that he wasn't moving an inch. The young man did not give up and used both his hands, to then activate his Balance Breaker in his last evolution, and it still did not move an inch.

Repeated images of Issei hitting and attacking the door with different highly destructive attacks was witnessed for a few short seconds.

"What the fuck is this door?! I already wish pentagons were that fucking hard!" Issei shouted in restrained rage as he tried to regulate his breathing.

"Calm down, dude." Ddraig supported him calmly. "We can still use that power of yours if we have to. I don't think I can withstand such a powerful shock." Clarified the dragon with a smile.

"I know, but it was the last one I wanted to do. You told me that I shouldn't exhaust myself unnecessarily..." Issei became really serious for the first time at what was transpiring.

"Do you think this is unnecessary?" Ddraig's question made his bearer pause to think for a second.

"I guess you're right..." Was Issei's reply, who raised his gaze to focus on the huge door.

His Balance Breaker disappeared, and just as he was about to use his strange power, he could hear someone call to him.

"Hey!" Issei raised his gaze, watching in slight amazement as a man stood several meters high as he posed on top of a magic circle.

"You're the guy from last time..." Issei recognized him instantly, getting Rosswell to cross his arms.

"I'm sorry our first meeting was so conflicted. But now is not the time to talk about that." The mysterious man opened his eyes again, focusing a completely serious gaze on Issei.

"Lord Odin wants to talk with you as soon as possible."

After hearing those words, Issei knew this was his lucky day.

"So what are we waiting for?"

Meanwhile, in another place in Hell...

"As expected, they all vanished like rats..." Declared Tannin, who was flying over one of the Hell Districts along with a Tiamat who looked more serious than usual.

"If only they had told us from the beginning..." The dragoness grumbled somewhat warily as she surveyed the completely empty site.

"I'm angry too, but I can partly understand why they did it." Tannin clarified, then shifted into his dragon form. "In any case, I would like to destroy absolutely everything related to them." Added the dragon with a cold stare. "Would you like to join?" Tannin averted his gaze to his last dragon friend, who remained completely silent.

Finally, the answer came when Tiamat's serious look transformed into a rather depressed expression.

"Sorry, but I was only interested in killing them. But if they ran away, I'm only left to..." Tiamat lowered her gaze even more, making Tannin somewhat saddened by what his friend was suffering.

"I just want to be alone, let me know if you find any clues to their location."

Those were the dragoness' last words before she fell silent. Tannin was looking at her for a couple of seconds, noticing how the dragoness was doing her best to hide her shattered heart.

It was really frustrating to see her like this, and he wished couldn't understand it. It's what he wished for, but unfortunately he always knew that Issei was that light and the hope she loved the most in her life.

Now that he was gone, that light and hope had almost completely vanished...

"Don't worry, I understand." Tannin looked straight ahead again, unable to face his friend's sad face any longer. "I'll let you know if I find anything of utility. But try to rest these days, Issei's death is still very fresh."

"Not even a million years could make me feel better..." Tiamat whispered under her breath with great melancholy.

She obviously didn't intend for Tannin to hear her, but he did. Anyway, the dragon said nothing about it.

A few hours later...

"The old man almost died of fright." Said Issei with slight grace, who was wearing a large coat because of the extremely cold weather there.

"I'm surprised you've become so friendly with my father in so few months." Loki stated matter-of-factly.

Both of them were playing chess in that enclosure that previously imprisoned the God. This time this place served as a waiting room until Odin returned to pick them up.

"How much longer do you think it will take to summon them?" Issei asked him curiously, earning a nod from his new playmate.

"Because of all the commotion in your absence, let's just say things got pretty complicated. They may take a little longer than expected." Replied the God, wagging a horse under Issei's watchful gaze.

"It seems completely crazy to me what the Demons did..." Issei commented under the attentive gaze of Loki, who was rather curious about the brown-haired man's attitude, as he didn't show any kind of hatred when talking about them, something that was completely illogical to him.

They were both silent for a few seconds until Issei made his next move.

"Still, I don't think it's really a crazy. I mean, you know...Demons are evil, but not crazy." Issei culminated his idea, getting Loki to give him a sidelong glance.

"I guess you're not as much of an idiot as before if you thought so too." Loki stated with a half smile, getting Issei to smile nervously after remembering the somewhat complicated past the two of them had.

"I guess I should have paid more attention to your words, sorry about that..." Issei clarified with a somewhat wan smile, earning a wave of the hand from Loki.

"I really don't care about the past. Besides, you were just a simple brat who had no idea about anything." Issei tried to refute his words, but the reality was that nothing came out of his mouth as he couldn't find a correct answer. "Maybe you're still a brat, but you're someone smart now. In fact, I can't blame you at all..." Loki paused just before grabbing a pawn.

"After all, I was a pawn in this whole game too..." Those last words of the god caught Issei's attention a lot.

"What do you mean?" Issei asked rather interestedly as he watched Loki move his queen.

"Ophis was the one who gave me all the information." After hearing those words, Issei's eyes widened beyond belief. "At first I thought she told me because it was necessary for you not to be on the Demon side, but now I realize that I was wrong all along. She told me just to put me as another target. As another step you had to go through to keep growing into what you are today." Loki lifted his gaze, sketching a smile at Issei's stunned look. "And she sure did all this under the orders of that dead god. It's amazing how someone who already passed away a thousand years ago can influence the fate in such an impressive way, and all that by creating a simple plan..."

"Now I can understand when Penemue said that the mind is the sharpest weapon a person can have..." Issei commented, recognizing that all of Loki's words were quite true.

"Don't you find it quite paradigmatic to see how the kindest entity in the world is capable of creating such a Machiavellian and devious plan for the sole purpose of manipulating the future? To be honest with you, I have never respected anyone. I've only ever respected my wife, but I have to admit that old man certainly deserved it." He concluded, waiting for Issei's next move.

"I agree with you, but there are still many unfinished questions about this Prophecy. After all, it's not a lie, but it's far from being a truth. Let's say it's a half-lie, and there's still much to be discovered." Issei took his queen, and positioned it in a critical place.

"Checkmate."

Loki looked at the board rather uncertainly.

"Impressive, I haven't managed to beat you even once so far..." Declared the God with genuine surprise.

"Let's just say I had a good teacher..." Declared Issei, who was rubbing his hair with a goofy grin on his face.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Lord Odin is calling you." Rosswell made his presence known, causing them both to rise from their seats.

"Prepare to return to Asgard."

In another place completely distant...

"Well, what was that important thing you were talking about, old man?" Azazel asked with a somewhat bored tone, as if he had no time to be there.

The older man rubbed his huge beard as he gave a small smile and looked at his three guests.

"You'll see right now, Azazel."

"I don't understand why I was called, if this is a meeting of three faction leaders, could you explain it to me, Odin?" stated Vali with clear impatience as he remained folding his arms.

"I consider this to be something that concerns you as well, brat." Said the old man.

A man who appeared to be about 25 years old appeared behind Odin as he gave a small bow.

"They're coming, sir."

"Good job, Rosswell." Odin nodded towards the now identified Rosswell, giving him a satisfied smile.

Just then, a magic circle appeared between the guests and the locals, two men emerging from it.

The guests were surprised to see the first man.

"What is the meaning of this, Odin? Michael stated with a mixture of confusion and seriousness in his eyes.

"Calm down, Michael. I do not come with the same intentions as I did a few months ago." Loki stated with a smirk that reflected his typical pedantic attitude.

"I wasn't referring to my son, but to..." Odin didn't finish speaking, as everyone noticed how the young white-haired man's eyes were wide open, something that made them quite strange, except for Odin who gave a small smile.

"Is something wrong, Vali?" Azazel asked, opting for a rather serious look.

"That energy... I know very well." Vali said as he pointed to the man standing behind Loki, wearing a hood that didn't let his face show.

At Vali's response, the guests looked at the hooded man strangely.

The brown-robed man's eyes glowed a violet color, and then proceeded to slowly remove his hood.

At this, Azazel, Vali and Michael changed their expression to one of complete shock at seeing who the guy was.

"It's been a while, friends." Issei said, finishing removing his hood completely.

"I-Issei...?" Azazel was the first to act as he took several steps forward.

The supposedly dead young man observed the one who had been like his adoptive father with a small compressive smile.

"You know well that I'm not easy to kill, Sensei." The brown-haired man declared, then hugged Azazel, who reciprocated the embrace instantly.

For the first time, everyone could see how the most carefree and apathetic Cadre in the world shed a few tears in silence as he gave him a few hard slaps on the back as a re-encounter greeting.

"You damned brat! Do you even know everything we had to go through because of you?!" Azazel brushed away those treacherous tears to break away from Issei and give him a big toothy grin.

"I don't even want to imagine it, but you must know that it really wasn't my fault." Issei stated earnestly.

"I'd like to ask you exactly how you're still alive, but the reality is that doesn't matter right now. There are a lot of people who are suffering from your loss, even Tiamat collapsed for several days." Vali stated, stepping forward.

It was obvious that the albino wanted to appear serious after saying such words, but it was impossible for that smile to escape from his face when he saw that his friend and rival was alive.

"I knew something like that could happen after everything I learned about dragons." Issei walked over to Vali, giving him a look of complete concern. "Is she all right?"

"She's better now, but I really don't know whether to say she's okay." Vali clarified earnestly, and this time he could indeed hide his smile. "Issei, you meant a lot to her. I'm afraid she's suffering more than ever right now." He concluded, earning a somewhat dejected smile from Issei.

"I understand, I guess I was an idiot before..."

"You had to come back from the dead to understand." Azazel stated, slapping him hard on the back to make the sad mood disappear.

After all, there was no reason to be sad.

"I'm really glad you're alive, Hyoudou." Michael was the one who spoke on this occasion, who was posing with his usual smile, although he looked more graceful this time. "All the Angels were heartbroken when they heard about your death. You know, you were a great example to them, especially in that battle against the Hero Faction."

"Thank you for your words, but I think it's best to keep this a secret." Issei clarified with a slight nod of his head, earning a confused look from the vast majority in attendance.

"Apparently, the Sekiryuutei is much smarter than almost all of the Faction Leaders. I must say, you teach him very well, Azazel." Loki finally spoke, causing everyone to look at him with special attention. "The Sekiryuutei is supposed to be dead. We don't know what exactly they're planning with the Trihexa, but it's obvious that we'll have a huge advantage if we arrive with a force they obviously don't expect." Clarified the God, getting everyone to understand the meaning of those words.

"That is why it is necessary that only the most influential subjects know about this. I have been discussing it with my son, and it's true that there is no way that the Demons could have tried to free the Trihexa by a simple act of madness." Odin commented earnestly, earning a nod from the vast majority in the office.

"I wouldn't mind signing up for a meeting with everyone in a few days, but right now I really need some time." Issei commented as he pulled his hood back on, earning everyone's attention. "You know, there are a lot of people who are suffering because of me."

"I'm sorry Hyoudou, but we can't delay it any longer..."

"It can be 9 days."

Everyone turned around in great astonishment as a large magic circle appeared on their backs. The voice hinted that it was a certain Goddess.

"Ophis?" Vali looked at the magic circle with much confusion.

"It will be 9 days to the meeting. No more, no less. All the Faction Leaders and the most powerful entities will be there to concretize the final plan and reveal the true Prophecy." The magic circle disappeared just as it appeared, leaving everyone frozen.

"But what...?" Was all Odin could say, trying to digest everything that just happened.

"Actually, Ophis most likely knows everything that's going on. She has confirmed it to me repeatedly when she was with me." Clarified Issei, who looked somewhat surprised at the sudden intrusion of the Goddess.

"Then that lets you off the hook for a couple of days!" Azazel exclaimed, resting a hand on Issei's head, who watched him with some confusion. "Do you know what that means, brat?" The mischievous grin on his mentor's face made the brown-haired man blush a little.

"I understand, but first I'd like to do something else..." Issei clarified, earning a slap on the back from Azazel.

"Then let me join you." Yes, he was definitely enjoying one of the best days of his life.

"If you're already leaving, let me tell you something." Vali took several steps forward, coming face to face with Issei.

They both looked at each other seriously for several seconds, until the albino finally smiled.

"You don't know how happy I am to see you're still alive, friend." Vali raised his fist, managing to get Issei to deliver a very similar smile.

"I wasn't planning on dying without having our fight first." The brown-haired man bumped his fist with his friend and rival, who only widened his smile at such words.

"Then we'd better settle accounts once and for all when this is over." Vali declared, earning a quick nod from Issei.

"Don't worry, it will be." Those were Issei's last words before he disappeared through a magic circle.

"I guess we should also let Yasaka know..." Odin stated belatedly, earning a nod from everyone.

From everyone but Vali, and that was something that no one went unnoticed.

"Did you notice, Vali?" Albion's wings made an appearance.

"It's impossible not to notice." Vali stated, then cupped his chin. "Not only were Issei and Ddraig's aura more fused than they should be, but also his aura was much stronger than before, and I'm sure he was trying to hide it." The albino concluded, managing to make everyone shocked at such a revelation.

"I see, I think this Sekiryuutei of Prophecy is much more interesting than we could have imagined..." Loki thought with a smile.

In an obscure place in Kuoh...

The silent cemetery loomed terrifyingly in the night, so no soul was present there.

Or so it was initially thought.

"Are you sure about this, Issei?" The fact that Azazel had used his name without any nickname implied that this was much more serious than it sounded.

"I don't care if this breaks the rules." Issei clenched his fists tightly as he watched two figures enter the graveyard.

"They need to know the truth more than anyone else."

The two figures landed on a grave and placed a pair of flowers next to others that were identical, indicating that they came to this place quite often.

They both crouched down in front of the grave and looked at it in silence. In the darkness of the night, they could read that small engraving indicating whose grave it was.

"Hyoudou Issei."

Matsuda and Motohama clasped their hands together and began a silent prayer. That prayer lasted for several seconds, until they finally opened their eyes.

"We are very sorry, Issei..." Motohama stated in a hoarse voice.

"We were your best friends, but we never realized that you were suffering from a terminal illness, even after witnessing all those obvious clues..." Matsuda gritted his teeth hard, remembering all those days Issei missed the Academy or came back badly hurt.

"That was the lie they made up?" both of them instantly turned around after recognizing that voice, and practically froze instantly as they saw that in front of them lay a smiling and fully alive Issei.

Being Matsuda and Motohama, their first reaction was very easy to intuit.

"A GHOST!" they both screamed in complete horror and threw the flowers at his head, causing Issei to groan.

"I'm not a ghost! It's me, it's me dammit!" Issei shouted with his eyes rolling, then touching his chest. "See, see, see! My hands don't go through my body!"

The two friends stopped crying and throwing dirt at him when they realized it was true.

They both reached over with some uncertainty and began to touch his chest in the same way.

It didn't take many seconds for the two to scream his name and pounce on him like crying girls.

"There's nothing better than true friendship." Azazel thought with a half smile after watching that whole act from the top of a nearby tree.

After several minutes of reassuring his best friends, Issei was finally able to explain to them how the hell he was still alive. He was also forced to tell them all about the supernatural, which by now they didn't even doubt him after everything that was going on. In part they felt very angry to learn all that Issei had suffered because of the Demons, but they quickly calmed down when he told them that he had many more good memories than bad ones since he reincarnated as a Demon. They also understood that the chances of reuniting with Issei would be even lower than before, and that the world was somewhat complicated at the moment.

They obviously forced him to explain all his adventures when he told them that he possessed a very powerful Sacred Gear inside him, so they were talking for about two hours.

Finally, Issei was forced to say goodbye and promised them that he would come to visit them when things calmed down a bit.

Matsuda and Motohama understood practically instantly, and wished the best of luck to their friend who was now a sort of secret world superhero under their eyes.

"Don't you think it was a bit cruel of you not to have told them that the world might end in a little less than 2 months?" Asked Azazel, who was walking alongside a hooded Issei on a seemingly aimless walk.

"The world will not end. Besides, they don't have the need to carry that weight." Was Issei's simple reply, earning a nod of agreement from Azazel.

It was probably due to the fact that he was deep in the conversation, but only now was he able to figure out where they were going.

"Brat wait a..." Cadre tried to speak, but stopped when he saw Issei abruptly stop walking.

Azazel followed Issei's gaze, and he realized that Issei was looking at a residence. He was looking at a window, to be more precise. A window that revealed a very happy family playing with their little 4-year-old girl.

It was completely normal, but the bad part starts when you realize that those smiling and happy parents who were playing with the little girl were Issei's parents.

Azazel didn't say anything, all he did was watch the scene in silence as the rain started to fall.

"Let's go, Issei..." The Cadre rested a hand on Issei's shoulder, who just stood silently watching that scene for a moment longer, until he finally nodded.

The silence continued even when they left that place, the only thing that accompanied them was that umbrella that Azazel materialized so they wouldn't get wet. They both continued in that manner, until they finally reached the final destination.

Azazel watched silently as Issei walked away from him, landing in front of the much recognized fountain that brought him so many nightmares.

"This was where it all began..." Issei watched the fountain carefully, remembering all the things he had been through so far.

His heartbreaking moments, his depressing moments, his sad moments, his moments covered in joy, his moments where true love reigned, his moments of true friendship.

It was a mixture of emotions, but without a doubt only one reigned above them all.

That was the realization.

The realization of feeling truly happy.

When Issei turned to look at Azazel, the rain stopped as his smile shone brightly, something that amazed the Cadre greatly.

"This is where it all began, and no matter how much I think about it. Whenever I look back on it, I just think of all I had to suffer through to meet each of you." Issei folded his arms, making his toothy grin shine brighter. "There are probably many who wonder if this was really worth it." Issei paused for a second, looking up at the night sky.

"And you know what my answer is?" Issei focused his gaze on the moon for a few seconds, then looked at Azazel again.

That huge grin on his face only made the Cadre even more amazed than he already was.

"Every month, every day, every hour, every minute..."

"And every damn second I've been with all of you was worth a thousand times more than all that suffering."

Azazel's eyes shone in that night, feeling every word of the man who was like his son.

Finally, the Cadre returned to his usual attitude and began to laugh, something Issei obviously expected and responded to it by widening his smile even more.

"Do you want to make me cry again, brat?" Azazel scoffed, then drew a calm smile. "That was good to hear. But right now you have to pay for that moment of ease you were given by certain women, you know what I mean?" A mischievous look appeared on Azazel's face at last.

"I understand. In fact, I think I've done all I need to do here." Issei stated, returning to his usual expression.

"As far I know, your next stop is the Family Realm. Tiamat said she would be staying there and didn't want anyone to disturb her for a few days." Azazel stated, getting Issei to become a bit serious.

"Thank you for telling me her location, though I figured as much." Issei's face changed dramatically as a small blush was drawn on his face. "You know, I'll really try to control myself, but I think the things might get a little out of control..."

"Don't worry, I don't plan on ruining your night." Azazel interrupted him, making it quite clear with his words that he understood perfectly what Issei meant.

"Thank you for joining me!" Issei gave a small bow, earning a weary salute from Azazel.

The Cadre watched silently as Issei disappeared, an act that forced him to raise his face, and finally took his leave of the place with a few last words.

"Good luck, brat."

In the Family Realm...

Issei came out of the cave that belonged to a certain female dragon. His gaze was somewhat confused to see that she was not in that place. The brown closed his eyes and concentrated to find her aura.

"She's in the hot springs." Issei opened his eyes, fixing his gaze on the night sky that was completely overshadowed by a big storm that was about to hit. "I guess she wanted to warm up a bit because of these freezing temperatures..."

Just as he was about to start his walk to that place, something or someone practically ran him over completely intentionally, causing him to fall to the ground.

The little dragongirl cried in happiness and was giving him several blows on his chest, making Issei laugh a little at her familiar friend's performance.

"I understand, I understand. I missed you too." Issei gave her a couple of pats on her head, getting the little dragoness to calm down a bit. "You've grown so much since we first met." Issei commented with some astonishment at seeing that this little one was now almost as big as he was.

That observation made the dragoness expel air through her nose in a somewhat curious manner, indicating that she was proud of herself. That made Issei chuckle a little as he continued to pat her on the head.

"It's good to see you again, but I need to go with Tiamat right now." Issei stated as he stood up from the ground, under the dragoness's watchful gaze. "But if you want, we can make a little run until we get to that place." That proposal seemed to please her greatly, as she began to fly off at full speed without even delivering an answer to Issei, causing the young man to roll his eyes.

"Hey! You didn't even give me time to get ready!" He exclaimed with a faint smile as he began to run, darting into the forest in a jiffy.

Oblivious to all this was Tiamat, who was sitting at the edge of the natural hot springs. Her bare feet brushed against the water constantly as she held a completely subdued gaze. It was impossible to know what she was thinking right now, but perhaps it was better not to know.

Those thoughts dissipated when a small snowflake landed on her nose. She picked it up rather gently, only to watch as the snowstorm began to fall into the forest in a very peaceful manner, delivering a very beautiful sight.

Tiamat spread her hands together and watched silently as all those snowflakes fell on her.

"Before the snow was the ashes of my nightmares..." Thought the dragoness aloud, remembering all her past. "But when I met Issei, those ashes were transformed into a beautiful memory of the first time I felt so happy after so long." Tiamat's eyes reflected as snowflakes slowly fell.

"Now that he's gone..." A small smile appeared on the dragoness' face.

It was a smile covered in melancholy and sadness.

But there was happiness in it too.

"Even though he's gone now, those memories will always remain. That's why snow will never be a torturous memory ever again. Because I will always remember all those moments we had together..." Tiamat closed her eyes as her voice died away.

It was normal for her to do so, as she had been holding back tears ever since Issei died. The promise she had made to herself to never cry again was haunting her more than ever.

But that didn't matter to her.

She would continue to stand firm.

She would do it for herself.

She would do it for Issei.

She would do it so as not to tarnish all those precious memories that would never be erased from her memory.

No matter that her heart was breaking with agony.

She would continue to stand firm until the end.

And obviously, she never expected that those sturdy, impenetrable walls that she herself had meticulously built around her heart would be destroyed by a simple scream.

"SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!"

The scream was followed by an explosion that was picked up by Tiamat, who quickly opened her eyes and brought her gaze back, watching as something or someone flew off until it crashed into a tree.

The dust didn't let her see exactly who it was, but that didn't stop her from freezing completely.

After all, it was impossible for her not to recognize that voice.

The dust began to dissipate as the coughing of that person who was clearly a man could be heard.

Tiamat's eyes widened like saucers as she slowly stood up.

"Using magic attacks is cheating! We never said anything about that!" Issei slowly emerged from the dust, delivering an bad glare to the dragon familiar flying over the trees.

She simply scoffed with a snort, but she was quick to back away from him. After all, she knew perfectly well that the two of them needed privacy.

"That little..." Issei grumbled as he brushed off the dirt, oblivious to the woman staring at him in complete shock.

When he heard a footstep, just then he realized that he was not alone.

Issei turned his face, seeing how his so cute and loving dragoness was looking at him with wide eyes. Her trembling hand was covering her mouth at the sight of what she would categorize as a miracle.

But Issei being Issei, he responded in the way everyone would have expected.

"Long time no see!" Issei exclaimed with a toothy grin as he raised his hand in a gesture of greeting.

That goofy grin slowly changed as he watched the dragoness take the first step forward.

But it wasn't because she had taken that step. That reaction was only due to those silent tears that began to roll down the cheeks of such a beautiful woman.

After a thousand years, after so long, Tiamat finally cried again.

But it was not a cry of sadness or hatred.

She could not hold back her tears because she never felt so happy in her whole life.

She continued to slowly approach Issei, who just stood there, understanding perfectly how the woman he loved so much felt.

She slowly raised her trembling hand until she was finally close enough to touch Issei's chest. Tiamat moved even closer and rested her whole body on his and then slowly embraced him while her tears kept falling.

Issei just stood there, smiling at her in the best possible way to try to comfort her.

She just looked at him without saying a word. The silence was unbelievable even though her tears wouldn't stop falling.

Finally, she came even closer.

It was probably out of pure emotion. But the reality was that Tiamat could not control herself. She couldn't control all those feelings of complete shock and happiness swirling throughout her body that were clouding her mind.

She couldn't control herself, and she didn't want to either.

That's exactly why her shy lips ended up connecting with his.

END OF CHAPTER!

I hope you enjoyed it!

And yes, a really strong time is coming.

The next chapter will be made up of lemon, there will only be a few scenes in the beginning of the chapter that won't be of this. I always put warnings for all those who don't want to read sexual content, so you can read the chapter without any fear. Still, I always try to have a more loving than sexual approach, so the content shouldn't be unpleasant for anyone, unless you just don't like to read this stuff, and that's completely understandable.

Anyway, the important thing is that the intimate moment between Tiamat and Issei is coming, and no one is going to steal it from them.

Thank you very much for reading!