Chapter 18: A Time For Cooperation
"I haven't heard back from the higher-ups about this so-called 'Vayne'." Rias enters the bedroom.
"Maybe they never heard of him," I assumed.
"It's so damning how all your ancestors warred with the same man, and now he is back." I turned to see Rias stripping off her clothes.
"I really find it hard to believe that a man can immortally roam the earth since the Great War, and no one but my ancestors has ever heard of him." I turned to face my desk, where my homework was waiting for me.
As silence engulfed the room, I turned back to Rias, only to find her staring at me with her hands on her hips, her bust and bare skin exposed.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" I smiled at her.
"I'm standing directly in front of my mate, with one piece of cloth away from being fully naked." Rias puts on her playful face and shows me a very suggestive pose.
"Does my mate want some attention?" I teased.
"Yes!" She was like a child wanting a lollipop, which was very cute.
When I saw Rias's bare physique, my blood immediately began to flow into my groin. My shorts were already tight, and I could feel my love rod bulging to come out and play. Wait, that's right. I took off my shorts in the middle of changing, but homework distracted me. So, now I'm in my boxers and a black sleeveless shirt.
Rias got on her hands and knees and seductively crawled towards me, like a lion staring at a piece of steak. As she crawled towards me, the way she regarded me and swayed her hips were both extremely alluring. She bit her bottom lip as she was looking at me with hungry eyes. It was really exciting to watch her do this.
She inserted herself between my legs, looked down at my boxers, and laid eyes on a specific part of my body that was twitching and throbbing underneath my underwear.
She gripped my boxers and yanked them off as if they were a birthday present. She then fixed her gaze on my fully formed love bone.
She began to play with my love rod, just like a cat might play with a mouse before consuming it. As she began to stroke my full shaft, her eyes remained fixed on it. Her application of moisture to my love bone induced me to moan in delight as she licked it with her tongue. The manner in which she uses her tongue to trace my bones stirs my masculinity to desire more of her. Although I am on the verge of placing her on her back and mounting her senselessly, I do not consider myself to be that much of an animal. However, she was starting to make me into one here in about a minute.
After licking my manhood, she attached her red lips to the tip. I can feel her tongue swirling around the head of my love rod in a circular motion. Rias's tongue strained my bone so much that veins appeared on the shaft, fueling my desire for more.
"Are we eager already?" Rias teases me, which increases my desire.
Rias then swallows my entire rod and puts it in her mouth. I felt her lips and inner cheeks suctioning around the shaft, as if she were sucking on a lollipop to get to the center. Her throat is beginning to gag slightly as she inserts my love bone deeper into her mouth. Her throat begins to gag slightly.
As she was doing this, she began to caress herself uncontrollably, as if I had cast a spell on her. I, on the other hand, was not doing well. I'm making an effort to maintain composure and resist the temptation to not pick her up and throw her on my bed to have my way with her.
"You know you can do whatever you want to me." After hearing her say that, my body took control of itself. My hands picked her up by the sides, which made her squeem a bit. I positioned her on her back on my bed and ascended onto her.
"Oh, yeah, do you want me?" She lured me in even more.
"I want you." I yielded to her.
"How much do you yearn for me?" She presses me on.
"I fucking want to take you." I whispered.
I felt my love bone rubbing up against the outer part of her vulva. I was yearning to plow her garden once more, and my passion for her was growing at a high rate.
Rias snakes her hand down to grip my rod, then manually inserts my love stick into her garden. I felt the tip squeezing past her entrance, and it throbbed even more. As my love rod fully enters her garden, Rias widens her eyes and lets out a very delightful moan. She pulls me into her neck, raises her lips to my ear, and whispers, "Then take me."
I was already pushing my pelvis forward between her legs, so I didn't need her to tell me twice. As I insert my love rod into her vulva, she murmurs softly in my ear, as if it were music. As she nibbles my neck, her crimson hair tickles my face, and she still moans in my ear.
Rias pulls me in for another kiss and assaults my mouth with her tongue. My tongue responds to her invasive tongue by clashing our tongues together, like a battle for each other's mouths.
Rias clutches her legs around me, pushing me further into her. Her breasts press against my chest as I continue to thrust my hips in between her legs. She released our kiss, and I rested my forehead on hers. She laboriously breathes out my name and digs her nails into my back.
I sensed myself getting close to climax, so I began to pick up speed by repeatedly thrusting into her. As her hips throb, she begins to moan loudly and starts hyperventilating. As I exerted myself on her, her vulva encircled my love bone, and her eyes rolled back in delight.
"Oh, Issei." Rias moans as her vulva erupts from her amorous fluids and encircles my rod, an indication that she has arrived at her pinnacle.
After several thrusts, my rod begins to erupt with white love fluids that would make an egg fertilize.
I collapsed beside her and began to pant, resembling a wolf returning from a large hunt.
"How was that?" Rias got on top of me and kissed my forehead.
"Sweet mercy." I breathe.
We got under the covers of my bed and took a little nap. We cuddle in each other's arms as the oxytocin kicks in. Ever since Rias found out the whole mate's mark thing and learned that she is my mate for life, she has been so persistent, daring, and attentive lately. After Asia became one of my lifemates, Rias tried to rival her when it came to being a mate. I don't understand why, because it's not a contest.
"Do you want to go on a date tonight?" I asked Rias out.
"I can't; I have an urgent matter to attend to with my brother in the underworld." Rias replied.
"Okay, then how about tomorrow?" I suggested.
"What do you have in mind?" Rias smiles and nods.
"I was thinking of a movie, dinner, and a nice walk around town." I listed.
"Okay, I wear something nice." Rias gives me a kiss on the forehead.
"You don't have to look nice, just as long as you are there with me." I said.
"You always say very kind words like that." Rias kisses me on the lips and gives me a hug.
"Has Kiba been checking in?"
"So far, he's been checking in since the day you both had that little tussle." Rias drops her smile.
"I know that you are concerned about him, but I promise you that when we find Valper and Excalibur, then everything will go back to normal." I comforted her.
"A couple of weeks after I took him into my care, he has never mentioned anything about Valper or Excalibur; all it took was an innocent photo with a holy sword in the background." She sighed.
"Kiba will come back to us, I promise." I grabbed her hands and kissed them.
After Rias left to go to the underworld, I took this opportunity to get back on track to assist Kiba with the search for Valper and the seven pieces of Excalibur. Not only that, but according to Xenovia and Irina, it looks like Kokabiel is behind this and calling the shots. So for that, I'm going to pay a visit to an acquaintance who would know a thing or two about this.
"Are you sure that it is a good idea to talk to him about Kokabiel?" Mgelika's voice comes from my head.
"If there is anyone who knows Kokabiel better than anyone else, Azazel would be it." I walked up to the door of a house that belonged to a certain fallen angel that I met when I was covering one of Kiba's contracts.
"Azazel is a Grigori, just like Kokabiel; Grigoris are a group of powerful fallen angel leaders, so be very careful when confronting one." Mgelika warned me as I knocked on the door.
"I don't think that Azazel is the type of guy who shoots and asks questions later, even if he is Grigori." I explained.
The door opens, and I see a peaceful Grigori standing in front of me. He smiles at me and says, "Issei, I don't recall requesting a contract today, but it's good to have some company."
"I have something urgent that I need to discuss with you." I got straight to the point.
"I'm not sure that I'm the right man when it comes to your devil's business." He tries to play dumb.
"Cut the shit; I know who you are, Azazel." I didn't have time to play his games. He dropped his smile and looked at me for a bit.
"Come on in." Azazel invited me to his house.
The place was different from the last time I checked. He moved his stuff around for rearrangements. I took a spot on the couch as Azazel was in the kitchen to get some drinks.
"How did you know who I was?" The fallen angel asked.
"Mgelika told me who you were." I answered.
"Who's Mgelika?" He arrives, sits across from me, and places two glasses of sparkling water.
"My artifact contains the Heavenly Wolf, Mgelika." I accepted the glass.
"So, he knows who I am, but I don't know him." He scratches his chin.
"Oh, you probably knew him when he was a dragon." I forgot that Mgelika used to be the Red Dragon Emperor.
"A dragon?" Azazel took a sip from his glass.
"Mgelika used to be the Red Dragon Emperor." I put my glass down on the coffee table.
Azazel stopped what he was doing, looked at me for a brief moment and said, "Y Ddraig Goch, I couldn't believe what I'm hearing."
"He has quite the reputation." I commented.
"I have heard about him and the other dragons for eons, since we prosecuted and sealed them." He took another sip.
"Before he was sealed, he turned himself into the spirit of a wolf and remained dormant for eons."
Azazel grabbed our empty glasses and put them in the sink. He came back to the living room, sat back onto the couch and asked, "So, what else are you here for?"
I finally got straight to the point by telling him about the Holy Sword Project, Valper, Kiba's revenge, Excalibur's seven pieces, and Kokabiel. When I mentioned Kokabiel, he was very uneasy about the name.
"I thought Kokabiel would have something to do with this." Azazel commented.
"Do you know what he is planning?" I inquired
"I no longer know what lies in my brother's mind." Azazel looks out his window.
"When was the last time you saw or heard from him?" I asked another question.
"Since we signed the armistice and parted ways, I haven't heard from my brother." He explained.
"Kokabiel stole three of Excalibur's swords from the church and now two exorcists are in pursuit." I told him.
"Kokabiel always viewed fallen angels as superior beings and strived to prove it." Azazel looks back at me. "When the war reached an exhausting point and both sides began to retreat, he saw this as an advantage to continue fighting, as both sides were vulnerable."
"Is there a way that you can try to talk him out of it?" I suggested.
"Issei, I've tried a dozen times, but Kokabiel doesn't want to sit down and talk things out." Azazel sighs and adds, "Ever since I signed that agreement, he has resented and grown a strong hatred towards me, believing that I defiled the fallen angels' culture and reputation."
"If Kokabiel is planning to start a war between all three sides, then we have to do something about it." I stood up.
"Yes, we do; our numbers are still short, and a war like this will most likely be the end for all of us."
"So, what can we do?" I asked the leader of the fallen angels.
"First, we need to find Kokabiel." Azazel replied.
"And what about Valper? Kiba has been making a beeline for him ever since."
"No one has seen Valper since his banishment, but he will most likely be with Kokabiel."
"Those two exorcists didn't want devils to get involved, and although I told Kiba to keep his head down, I don't think that he'll follow through." I sighed.
"It's probably for the best; with the church already involved, we don't want to add more tension by getting devils involved." Azazel explained.
"Thankfully, I'm not a devil, so I should be able to intervene somehow." I pointed it out.
"But Kiba is there, and if he goes off the rails, it will be trouble for all of us." Azazel shrugged.
"So what can we do then?" I asked.
"Your best first step is to find neutral ground in the existing tension between you and the two exorcists and see if they may be able to cooperate."
"How so?"
"Well, you both are going after the same thing, and the church would rather have the three pieces destroyed than have them fall into Kokabiel's hands."
"Kiba also wished for their destruction." I pondered the situation.
"Then that will be your neutral ground."
"Okay, this could work." I agreed with the developing plan.
"If you could find a way to cooperate with the church in the search for Excalibur, then it could relieve a good amount of tension between the devils and the church." Azazel added.
"Okay, that sounds like a start, but I'm going to need a few helping hands." I said.
"Kiba might help you." Azazel suggested.
"Yes, but it will require more than just the two exorcists, me and Kiba." I continued to think.
"I'll try to locate Kokabiel and let you know if I find any clues."
After I left Azazel's house, I immediately jumped onto the plan. I really don't want to have to ask Rias or the others about this. If they discover that I'm collaborating with Azazel, it could be a problem, since he is the leader of the fallen angels. I don't know what Rias would do if she found out. She remains unaware that Azazel has been residing in her territory for some time now. She may be my lifemate, but she still has a temper. I hate to keep secrets like this from her. I know that she'll never approve of this, but I have got to do something.
"Hey, Issei, what's up?" I thought it would be best if I could convince Sona's pawn, Saji, to help me. Although I didn't exactly tell him about the whole Excalibur thing, I did ask him if he could meet me at a local cafe.
"Hey, Saji." The Sitri pawn sat across from me.
"I got your message and it sounded pretty urgent." He said.
"It's actually very urgent, and I can't do it alone." I scratched the back of my head.
"Well, what is it?" He shrugged.
After settling into the cafe for a bit, I discussed what me and Azazel planned out, but I didn't mention Azazel's name. Saji became agitated and yelled at me, "Issei, this is completely insane! Absolutely not!"
"I know that I'm asking a lot, but I can't do this by myself!" I countered.
"If Sona discovers my involvement with the holy swords, it will be a serious problem for her." Saji argues.
"Saji, they won't know." I tried to calm him down.
"Sona is not like Rias; she is strict and cruel when it comes to punishments!" Saji was darting his eyes around.
"Saji please." I pleaded.
"No way, man, I do not want to get a thousand spankings." Saji gets up and tries to walk away, but a certain cat-loving friend stops him in his tracks.
"Surprisingly, I knew you were going to try to walk away." Koneko was sitting behind us and got a hold of Saji as he was trying to walk out.
"Koneko?" I glanced at my feline friend.
"Meow." I still find that so adorable.
"Please just let me go." Saji begins to cry after Koneko drags him to a chair next to her.
"So, you want to cooperate with those two church members from the other day?" Koneko looked at me as she was eating her sundae.
"Kiba wants to destroy Excalibur, and Xenovia and Irina would rather have them destroyed than have the fallen angels possess them, so it would make sense," I explained. "The goals may be different but the results are still the same, so both sides just need to cooperate."
"I'm not sure that they will be as eager as you are." Koneko was still eating her ice cream.
"Well, we have to do something if it means for Kiba to come back to us." I said it with determination.
"I don't like keeping secrets from Rias and Akeno, but you're right, we have to do something." Koneko agrees.
"First, we got to find Xenovia and Irina." I said.
"Are you certain that you require my assistance even after you have a rook on board?" Saji tries to find a way out.
"We need you, because the stronger we are, the better." I said.
"Easy for you to say; you're human, so no one needs to rule you out with a roll of red tape." Saji still complains.
"Just think of it as helping a friend out."
After leaving the cafe 20 minutes ago, we started roaming the city to find Xenovia and Irina. But finding Xenovia and Irina is a challenging task. They could be anywhere in the city. I have been in Kuoh for a while now, but I'm only beginning to grasp the familiarity of it.
"They could be anywhere in the city." Koneko examines the area.
"It's not going to be easy finding two churchgoers in white robes on Main Street." I also looked around.
"Can we just call it a day and go home?" Saji groaned.
"Come on, Saji, we have to do this." I said.
"Who knows if they are still here; they could have been long gone by now." He groans again.
"Somehow, I don't think that's the case." Koneko spoke, gesturing to two specific individuals dressed in white ropes who had a charity pan in front of them and a sign that said, 'Help the hand of love!'
"It looks like we found them." I commented.
"Oh, bless the wandering sheep." Xenovia preaches.
"We are pitiful compared to you, O Lord. Please have mercy on us." Irina preaches, too.
"Out in the open, too," I added.
"Irina, Xenovia!" I approach the girls.
"Issei!" Irina waves at me. She's been really excited to see me ever since we reunited.
"Are you guys hungry?" I pulled out my credit card.
"YES! We haven't gotten anything to eat for days!" Irina gets all excited.
"We are God's children, and we don't need any help from devils." Xenovia said.
"For the last time, I'm not a devil!" I was getting really annoyed.
"You hang around with devils so you might as well be one." Xenovia crossed her arms.
I rolled my eyes, turned to Irina, and offered, "Irina, would you like something to eat?"
"Yes, I'm so hungry!" Irina scattered to the nearest restaurant, which made me laugh.
"Irina, have you lost your faith to this devil?!" Xenovia shouted.
"He's not a devil, and he is offering us food." Irina puts her hand on her growling stomach.
"Hmph! If you think I'll give in to your charms like you did to Irina, then you will be disappointed." Xenovia remains persistent.
"Is that so?" I smirked as the scent of food wafted from the restaurant Irina had entered, catching on to Xenovia's sense of smell and making it difficult for her to resist this temptation, as she would have called it.
Moments later, it did not take long for Xenovia to finally give in and accept my offer. Once we took a seat at a booth, they started placing large food orders. They order at least twenty-five percent of the menu. When all the food got to our table, we were experiencing firsthand what it would be like to watch two saints devour plates and bowls of food as if they hadn't eaten in years.
"I never knew food like this was so good!" Xenovia said she didn't care if she got food on her face.
"I have missed having meals like this for so long now." As she inhaled another bowl of rice, Irina spoke.
"Heh, hungry much?" I chuckled.
"To be honest, I find it quite amazing to watch them eat like this, intensively." Saji commented.
As they were garnishing their meals, a waitress came over with two more Salisbury steaks.
"To uphold our faith, we have to take the helping hands of the devil." Xenovia said she was hiding her face in her hood.
"Have we sold our souls to the devils?!" Irina said.
"I'm not a devil, and a simple thank you would be good enough." I retorted.
"Calm down, Issei," Koneko said.
"I spent a significant portion of my bank account on them, yet they are incapable of expressing even a simple thank you." I was a little irritated.
"Even if they are devils, please bless them, O Lord." Irina pray.
I looked to see Koneko and Saji clutching their heads and yelping in pain.
"Do you still experience headaches, even when someone prays for you?" I inquired.
"Well, what is it that you want?" Xenovia chugs down her drink and slightly slams her cup on the table.
"We want to help you destroy Excalibur." I answered.
"What?" Xenovia inquires while maintaining eye contact.
"Yes, even though I have him somewhat under control, Kiba is out there searching for Valper and Excalibur, and in between all that, Kokabiel is somewhere around." I explained.
"I see." Xenovia stirs her coffee with sugar.
"If Kokabiel is planning something significant that leads you two to pursue him, and Kiba is searching for Valper, then if anything happens, we'd be in a lot of trouble," I said.
"I understand the situation, so I don't mind you guys handling one Excalibur." Xenovia agrees.
"Are you sure about this?" Irina inquired about her companion.
"Kokabiel is helping on the other side, and he is too dangerous for us to handle with only the two of us."
"I understand that, but still, Xenovia." Irina said.
"Having more of us will improve our chance of completing this mission alive, Irina." Xenovia counters. "With only the two of us going up against a high-class fallen angel, it will be suicide."
"Didn't we come here to take that chance for the Lord?" Irina passively argued.
"I'm aware of the risk that we took when the higher-ups assigned us this mission, but this is Kokabiel that we are talking about, and do you really think that Kokabiel wouldn't give us the swords back without a fight?" Xenovia explained.
Irina didn't say anything after that. She put a hand on her head and pondered the idea.
"Okay, we are on board, so what's next?" Xenovia asked.
"Next is to find Kiba." I chugged my drink.
"For someone who wields an Excalibur, I find it hard to believe that they could possibly approve their destruction." Kiba said it coldly.
"Kiba, there is no reason to be this way." I said.
"So contemptuous of you, Knight of Gremory." Xenovia grips the handle of her sword. "You know that we can slay you right here, since you are now a stray."
"You first," Kiba said as they were about to fight.
"Would you guys fucking cut it out?!" I yelled at both of them. "Look, we're here to stop Kokabiel and Valper, and the only way we can do this is to work together."
"Yet, you want us to cooperate with the church?" Kiba crossed his arms.
"It's unorthodox, but we can use all the help that we can get." I said.
Kiba and Xenovia became silent and avoided eye contact.
"Kiba, we agreed to find Valper and Excalibur together in any way possible, and this is the best course of action, so we are either doing this or not at all." I looked Kiba in the eyes.
After a long pause, she looked at me and nodded. "Okay, so what's the plan?"
"Leave that to me." I give it a thumbs up.
Everyone was on board with the plan. Kiba, Saji, Koneko, Irina, and Xenovia were all working together to find Kokabiel, Vapler, and Excalibur. I'm also getting help from Azazel, who is looking into finding Kokabiel. Once I get word from Azazel about Valper and Kokabiel's whereabouts, we can proceed with the plan. I hate the fact that we all have to keep this a secret from Rias and Sona. If they get a whiff of what we're doing, then I don't know what they will do. I've seen Rias get angry, but if she finds out about this, then I don't want to see how angry she will get. Knowing what my mate, known as the Princess of Ruin, will do to me is truly unsettling.
Sorry about the long wait. My family took a week and a half long vacation trip and when I came back, I started a new job and I'm trying to get settled into my new schedule. I have no plan to abandoning this story. This story will be big and great, so everybody who are liking this so far just bear with me. Happy trails!