Chapter 13

Dealing with the Asia situation had been an easy but uncomfortable thing for Issei. Just hiding her in his room all the time was...well, it wasn't impossible but Issei thought it would be a bit on the cruel side to keep her in a glorified cage in the shape of his bedroom.

However, despite her initial shock and existential crisis, Asia had been very understanding and compliant with everything; which led to the current conversation.

"Do you want to go to school with Issei?" Aza asked curious, sitting on the bed in Asia's room.

"School, Lady Aza?" Asia said in surprise, eating a bowl of rice at the desk.

"Yeah. That's normal for humans at your stage, right?" Aza asked, tilting her head.

"Well, yes. And I would love to, but is that really okay?" Asia asked demurely. "I don't want to be a bother."

Aza waved her hand dismissively. "Oh, it's not. We'll have the paperwork warped into existence by tomorrow."

Asia smiled, relaxing more as she ate. "Thank you, Lady Aza. I'm grateful, to you and Lord Issei, but it will be nice to go outside."

"I understand, staying to such limited dimensions makes me feel cramped as well," Aza mused before blinking. "Oh, right. Didn't Issei say he wanted you to drop calling us Lord and Lady?"

"W-well, yes, but I didn't want to offend you, A-aza," Asia answered with a nervous edge to her voice.

"See, that wasn't so hard," Aza said with a smile. "I'm really not that into formal titles. We mainly use them and nicknames so we don't accidentally invoke each other."

"Invoke?" Asia repeated. "Do you mean how calling the name of the Eldritch will grab their attention?"

"If someone said your name randomly, you'd look toward them as well," Aza pointed out with a giggle. "But yes. We can say each other's name without invoking each other, but it's an easy slip of the tongue. Kind of like calling someone by accident on those radiophones."

Asia soaked that knowledge in politely. "What about Issei? Should I call him...something else?"

"No, no, that shouldn't be an issue for a while," Aza assured. "Though, getting back on the subject. Do you want to live here, or with Issei?"

Asia blinked, twice. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"Oh no. If you live with Issei, officially, we have to tell his family and you can use the rest of the house," Aza explained. "But we can also just make it so that this room has another door leading outside. You'll have your own address and everything."

Asia made a noise in understanding. "You mean officially, as in for my papers."

Aza nodded eagerly. "My papers just keep making anyone who reads them not worry about the address. Though, Issei says I could look into getting something called a PO box?"

Asia nodded absently. "I mean, I don't want to be a bother, but won't it be a problem if his parents run into me?"

"Probably not, they still don't know about Aza," Issei's voice came through the door. "Can I come in?"

"Of course, Issei," Asia called back, Aza's face lightening up, as it always did whenever Issei entered the area. "Were you listening in?"

"Just the last bit," Issei answered as he entered the room, holding out a book. "Here, Asia, I got this for you."

The nun took the offered item, gasping as she looked it over. "A bible. Wait, this is my bible!? Where did you...?"

Aza sniffed, her entire skin moving unnaturally on her body, as it shuddered independently of the muscles beneath. "It smells of the feathered pests," Aza remarked in distaste. "Beloved, where were you?"

"Well, Asia said she was in the care of the fallen angels that attacked us, and she was supposed to go to the abandoned Church. So I went to check out their hideout," Issei confessed.

"Do not fret, Queen of the Eldritch. There was no issue," Ddraig informed. "The church is long abandoned."

Asia gasped, staring at the green light on Issei's hand. "Issei! Your hand just talked!"

Issei scratched his cheek apologetically. "Yeah, sorry, been meaning to introduce you two. Ddraig, you know Asia. Asia, this is Ddraig, my Sacred Gear."

"Your sacred gear can talk?" Asia said in surprise.

"Of course. I am no mere trinket, for I am Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor," Ddraig said proudly.

Asia looked suitably awed, Aza casually chiming in. "He's also helping Issei protect himself until the Eldritchification really gets going."

"Anyway," Issei cut in quickly. "Aza, I actually need to ask you something. You didn't...send anyone after the Fallen Angels, did you?"

"Huh? No, why?" Aza asked curiously.

"Well, the place was pretty abandoned. As in, it looked like the Fallen left there in a rush," Issei mused. "But if wasn't you, well, it still might have been because of you."

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I'm following?" Asia asked cautiously.

"Oh, apparently a lot of the supernaturals decided to head back to their home realms while I'm on my extended mortal-themed honeymoon with my dear Issei," Aza said with a smile. "So, even though I didn't go after them, they probably ran off anyway."

"Which brings us to the other issue," Issei murmured, looking at Asia apologetically. "Asia, would you mind putting off enrolling in the academy for another week?"

Asia tilted her head at that. "I suppose not, but may I ask why?"

"There are a lot of devils there. Like, a lot, a lot," Issei explained awkwardly. "And they're all running back to Hell within the next day or two."

"I'm not seeing the problem," Aza said innocently.

"Which may indeed be part of the problem," Ddraig remarked quietly.

"I just don't want to stir things up even more until they leave. I don't think Rias's club would try anything, but I don't know about the student council. Especially since Asia has a sacred gear," Issei explained

"Oh. Ohh," Aza said in understanding. "Yeah, the devils might try to steal Asia, and we just got her."

"I don't mind waiting," Asia assured with an endearing smile before looking suitably embarrassed. "Umm, may I ask a favor though?"

"Shoot," Issei ranted casually.

"I don't know much of magic, but is it possible to...soundproof your room?" Asia asked awkwardly, blushing scarlet.

Issei stiffened, blushing as well while looking to Aza, who blinked. "Oh, right," she said idly. "Knew I forgot something when I was setting up this double-room."

"So, you've been hearing us...?" Issei inquired vaguely to Asia, who nodded without looking up. "We are so sorry."

"I-it's quite alright, really! I just, um, don't want to eavesdrop on your...intimate moments," Asia said shyly.

"Right, humans need to sleep every night for...is it six hours or nine?" Aza asked curiously to Issei.

Issei just cupped his face, trying not to smile too much.

"Also..." Asia started again. "I think I'd...like to live here, with your family, Issei. I-if that's alright."

"H-huh? Oh, yeah, right! Not sure how we're going to figure that all out," Issei mused, glancing at his eldritch girlfriend. "Unless-"

"Yog will probably have already done it months ago next week," Aza confirmed with a smile.

At Asia's confused look, Issei sighed. "Time god," he answered as an explanation.

"Oh," Asia said softly, pausing in consideration. "My mind still hurts thinking about it."

"Yeah, you'll get used to it. I think," Issei reassured half-heartedly.

Meanwhile

"Thank you again for giving us a ride on the Gremory's train, Rias," Sona said with a sigh.

"Think nothing of it. We're both in the same boat right now, having to fly home like this," Rias remarked, glancing out the window. "Did everything go smoothly?"

"As smoothly as it could," Sona said, rubbing the bridge between her eyes. "Which is to say, not at all. I'm sure everyone will wonder where the student council and some of the most popular students in school suddenly vanished too. I would have done this more carefully in a less extreme situation, a member of my peerage leaving school every month or two."

Rias nodded in understanding. "At least the students will have some explanation. All the humans we make contracts with will just be wondering why we no longer answer their summons."

"Amazing how meaningless that all feels with what's going on," Sona remarked with a frown. "How is Koneko?"

"Better. A lot better now," Rias confirmed with a smile. "Leaving her ears and tail out helps a lot."

"Was that on the advice of Issei Hyoudou?" Sona asked knowingly, silence being her answer. "I don't spy on you, Rias, but when keeping an eye out for things, it's hard not to notice him entering your clubhouse."

Rias sighed. "We requested help with Koneko's condition. No strings, no conditions."

"And almost no sense," Sona said with narrowed eyes. "You know very well that meeting with him was dangerous, just by...whatever his relationship with the Eldritch Queen is."

"Are you going to tell my brother? My parents?" Rias asked pointedly, giving her friend a hard stare.

Sona raised a brow. "Are you going to keep it a secret?"

Rias held her gaze for a moment before looking forward again. "I don't know, honestly."

Sona studied her, curious and concerned. "What's your read on him, and his company?"

Rias glanced up. "He was kind."

Sona stared for a moment. "Issei, the pervert, and all you have to say about him is "kind?""

Rias shrugged. "There isn't much else to say. Yes, he's a pervert, and I'm sure he gladly would have taken a feel of us if we offered," she mused. "But...Sona, he knew he had something over us. That he could ask me for almost anything to help Koneko. And yet, he did it for free. He actually said he felt...responsible, in a way."

Sona blinked. "That...is honestly the best news you could have given me," Sona remarked curiously, getting a questioning look. "I'm not sure how much sway he has over the Daemon Sultana, but if he cares that much, perhaps he'll be able to keep her from doing anything horrible to the world."

"Maybe," Rias mused with a small smile.

Sona watched that smile closely but was robbed of the chance of inquiring about it, as the train suddenly came to a stop, causing them both to jerk in their seats.

"Woooow!" Rias exclaimed, holding herself steady against the seat.

"Was that the emergency break?" Sona asked, fixing her glasses back into position as she glanced outside at the purple void. "We're still not in the underworld yet."

"That might have been Gasper, actually," Rias said in concern. "If he got too scared, he might have frozen the train."

Both noble Devils made their way to the neighboring train cart, opening the door to find...

Nothing.

Rias's and Sona's eyes both dilated as they looked at a solid wall of pure, empty blackness. They backed away, their magics flaring on instinct as they sensed something approaching.

From the Nothing came dark hands in the shape of two massive wings, the feathers an oily, sickly black. Into the train cart, they came, revealing a body of a woman. Hair like a shadow, feathers forming makeshift clothes to cover her like a skirt and top. But they were not clothes, for each tip of every feather was stabbed into the body, gentle trails of blood cascading down her form, the rivers moving unnaturally to accent her voluptuous form. Her feet were like a bird's, every talon cracked or broken, and the pupils of her eyes so wide no color could be seen. And around her neck, a heavy collar of ominous metal.

"Sisters of the Satans," she spoke, her voice as if a lonely, sad breeze. "My Mistress, the Great She, bestows upon you a gift for your return home."

Sona narrowed her eyes. "I don't suppose we might respectfully refuse?"

"No, you may not," the Harpy said, raising her wings high. "But you may resist. It will please the Great She if you do."

Rias forced a smirk. "That much, we can oblige," she said, sending forth a blast of her ruinous powers.

Meanwhile

"Gact, be real with me, are you going easy on me?" Issei asked curiously as he climbed up the tree.

Gactha tilted her head. "I am attempting to conceal myself as well as this form would allow, Master."

"Which says so much and so little," Issei noted with a sigh. He made an effort to train some a little every day, even if it was something as minor as the Eldritch version of Hide and Seek; which was the same as regular hide and seek, except it involved trying to find someone cloaked by reality-warping magic.

It said a lot about his state of mind with how minor of a difference that felt.

"Should I hide again, Master?" Gactha offered idly.

Issei nodded absently. "Yeah, I-"

'Issei.'

Issei blinked, hand reaching to his head without any conscious effort on his part.

"Master?" Gactha inquired, the sliver of concern in her voice almost as good be a full exclamation from someone else.

Issei remained silent, a frown forming on his face. "I just got the feeling that someone asked me for help."

Gactha blinked, something she didn't do often. "I believe you are hearing a prayer, Master. Strange. Mistress doesn't believe you'd be able to for many more years."

"Guess I'm an early bloomer," Issei mused with a smile while looking at her. "Any advice on how to...respond?"

"I am not a god, Master, I do not have the slightest clue," Gactha admitted.

"Fair, I guess," Issei decided.

'Issei, please!'

"Why does that sound familiar?" Issei muttered to himself.

He nearly fell out of a tree as a port suddenly sliced open next to him, Yog sticking her head out. "Issei! Good to see you as always," Yog greeted casually. "Small emergency. Do you mind coming with me? It's about the new voice in your head."

"I...okay?" Issei answered uncertainly. "What's going on?"

"Hop in and we'll explain everything," Yog requested, sinking back into her portal.

"..." Issei turned to Gactha. "Is it just me, or did her smile seem a bit forced?"

The eldritch servant nodded. "The emergency might not be so small, Master."

"And given that this is Yog, that can't be good," Issei muttered as Gactha took her place at his side. Rolling his neck, he hefted himself to his feet before jumping into the portal, Gactha following after. "Okay, Yog, what's the- hey, I know this place."

Indeed, Issei recognized the room as one in the Occult Research Club. In it, he found not only Yog and Aza waiting for him, but a blindfolded Aika talking with a curious Asia.

"Aika? Were you the one praying to me?" Issei asked in confusion.

Aika turned to him and tilted her blindfolded head at him. "What, right now, Lord Issei? Cause I did a couple of nights ago, but nothing today," she answered in confusion.

"You don't know what's going on either, eh?" Issei asked idly.

"Lord Issei, with respect, I don't ask when my gods summon me," Aika answered with a small smirk.

"Sorry, no," Asia answered with an apologetic smile.

"Right, so are we waiting on someone else?" Issei inquired, glancing at Aza and Yog.

"Not anymore."

Issei hummed, turning to see a short woman in medieval attire, complete with a sword. "And you would be...?"

"Issei, this is Yad-Thaddag," Yog introduced with a smile. "She's my... let's say she's my Elder God counterpart."

"Elder? So, what, a weaker Time God?" Issei guessed, Yad's face shifting minutely at that. "No offense?"

"I do not take offense with facts, My Liege," Yad said with a nod. "My status, however, allows me to better handle more minute situations than my...than Yog."

"So, she's the butcher and you're the surgeon?" Issei quipped, offering a half-hearted grin.

Yad almost smiled. "I appreciate the attempt at levity, but we have a matter to deal with," she said, turning to face the Outer Gods.

"Beloved, an Eldritch attacked the devils on their trip home," Aza explained with a frown.

Issei inhaled, his mind flashing to his peers he had seen just days ago. "What? Why!? What happened?"

"Happening," Yog corrected, holding up her sword in a reverse grip, the handle pointed towards the roof. A glow formed on the edge, projecting a magic orb above it, showing...

"Is that a flying train?" Issei asked curiously.

"The supernaturals are fond of many modern technologies," Yog answered with a shrug. "This dimensional train belongs to Rias Gremory's family and was being used to take the devils to the Underworld."

The image shifted to show two black orbs had formed around the train, stopping it in its tracks.

Aza spoke up again, eyes on Issei rather than the viewing orb. "While they are all still on the train, they are very obviously under attack."

"Okay, so what now?" Issei asked, a bit alarmed. "Can't you just call them off, Aza?"

"That's the problem," Yad said as she stepped forward. "These orbs temporarily make the spaces within their own separate realities. Breaking it would be child's play for an Outer God, let alone our Queen."

"The problem is that if we do...we'll probably kill everyone inside in the process," Yog explained sheepishly.

"Yeah, but...you're you, Yog! Can't you just...rewind time, or slow it down for them while you work?" Issei suggested in bewilderment.

Yog glanced away now. "Not this time, no. The Eldritch God powering this isn't just resistant, she's immune to my powers."

Issei blinked at that, glancing at the black orbs again with an intense look. With a frown, he turned his look to Aza. "It's her, isn't it?"

"Nyarlathotep , yes," Aza answered with a sigh, causing Aika to shiver at the mention of that name. "She's not in there, but she is definitely behind this."

"So, what now?" Issei asked, completely at a loss. "Why did you want me here, exactly?"

"An Eldritch servant would be able to worm into those realities without bursting them. Gactha should be able to deal with whatever is in there," Yog supplied, waving to Azathoth's priestess.

"...And you didn't want me alone, right?" Issei asked with a frown at Aza.

Aza blinked at Issei's displeasure. "No, Issei, I would have simply come to you for that. I just...thought you wanted to be informed since you tried to help them before."

"Oh," Issei said, his minor annoyance evaporating. "I appreciate that, I do. But...why are Asia and Aika here as well?"

"That, we don't know," Yog admitted, looking at Yad. "She brought them here. I assumed that Asia's healing might be needed."

Yad glanced between Yog and Issei for a moment before answering. "While the Crawling Chaos obscures Yog's farsighted gaze, it doesn't block my nearsighted as much, to a point."

"Meaning?" Aza asked with a head tilt.

"I know what the King is planning," Yad answered, glancing at the lover of Azathoth.

Issei saw where this was going and took a breath. "Aza, Yog, could I slip in there as well?"

"...WHAT?!" Aza asked in alarm, the force of her yell inverting the colors of the room.

"Oh, you little..." Yog muttered, reversing the effect and casting an even glare at Yad before addressing Issei's question. "Okay, yes, you could. But you shouldn't, you're-"

"Not ready!" Aza cut in swiftly. "You're far from ready! You've gotten stronger, and Ddraig might be able to make you even stronger, but you're still not strong enough to just jump into a fight with Eldritch that might actually try to kill you!"

It was a testament that Aza's rant was entirely alarmed and worried, not at all mad or condescending.

However, it was very concerning that the nearby table seemed to be twisting in actual pain. Asia watched it uneasily, Aika more curious as the furniture grew rough scales, an eye above each of the legs. It garbled, it shifted, but it didn't move away from its current position.

Issei paid it only enough attention to make sure that it wasn't going to attack the two humans in the room. "Aza, I love you and I appreciate how worried you are. But even if I'm going to get my ass kicked, I am going to try to protect them."

Aza opened her mouth before stopping, a strange look of nostalgia coming over her eyes before sighing in resignation. "I see. I suppose you wouldn't be able to forgive me if I tried to teleport you to some other planet to keep you safe, would you?" Aza asked half-heartedly.

"Not easily, no," Issei said with a small smile. "Aza, please. Like you said, the worst that happens is I die, and I have to wait around for a new body."

And everything faded to dust while everyone he ever knew died as eons stretch on. He tried not to think about that, it'd just distract him.

Aza took a deep breath and nodded. "Fine, fine. And I understand why Yad brought them here."

"Well, Asia is for healing, obviously," Issei reasoned. "What is Aika here for?"

The cultist leaned forward in intense curiosity.

"We need her to pray to you while you're in there," Aza answered honestly. "Because they are separate realities, it's possible that you might reappear somewhere else after they pop. Like in outer space, in another galaxy."

Issei inhaled at that.

"Don't worry, you're immune to...well, the various reasons a human would die in space," Yog assured idly. "But Aika's prayers should form something of a guiding line home for you to sense. You know, so you can bring the devils back safely."

Issei sighed, mentally preparing himself for this. "Right, yeah. Kind of the whole point of this. So, what now?"

In response, Yad turned her European sword, slicing a rectangular shape into the air. A dark corridor-shaped portal formed, looking as if to draw in and drain all color around it. "You'll impact with the barrier through here. You may struggle some, but getting through should ultimately not be an issue," she explained, looking to Issei for a moment. "I already halved the passage of time in this room, you may take some time to ready yourself, My Liege."

Aza took a deep breath before marching over to Gactha, placing both hands on her servant's shoulders. "Gacthaurshaaftxtt, if anything horrible happens to my beloved, I will tear you apart," she warned, her tone more urgent than warning, teeth forming along her fingers.

"My Mistress, I would sooner dismember myself and offer up the limbs to you than allow My Master to come to harm," Gactha vowed solemnly.

Issei sweat-dropped at the exchange, not sure what to even say to that as he glanced at Yog. "Any advice?" he asked curiously.

"Against Nyarly? No, even she doesn't always know what she's going to do," Yog informed with a shrug. "Whatever is in there isn't too powerful. Certainly not a god. Some pet Nyarly sicced on them for fun no doubt. Kill it, or them, and the barrier should break."

"Got it," Issei said, trying to fight off the nervous feeling in his gut.

"Issei," Asia spoke up, looking at him with a searching gaze. "I...Perhaps I shouldn't pry, but I just wanted to ask. Why do you want to help them? Are they your friends?"

Issei shook his head at that. "No, I barely know them really. But I'd feel like an ass if all I did was stand back and not do anything if I could. Besides, I'm apparently the King of the Eldritch. So, it kind of feels like I'm supposed to help clean up this mess."

Asia smiled, her gaze touched and understanding. "Please be safe, Issei. I don't think Lady Aza will take it well if you're too hurt."

"No, I will not," Aza said as she walked up to them.

"Aza, I-" Issei started, only to be interrupted by her pulling him into a deep kiss, both of them closing their eyes at the rather passionate moment. The other Eldritch didn't react to the display, while Asia blushed and glanced away and Aika made a brief praying motion toward the divine pair.

"You don't need to explain yourself to me, Issei. If this is your will, so be it," Aza assured, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Just come back so you can take me to bed and forget that I was ever worried about you."

Issei grinned, hugging her tightly. "Deal."

End of Chapter

Well, here we are again. Issei's about to get a taste of battle, now that Nyarly decided to mess with Rias and Sona. What, did you think the exacuation would go smoothly? XP

Anyway, I know a lot of you(maybe most ofy ou) are mainly here for the Eldritch Fluff. Well, don't worry, it still mostly is. Issei just has to deal with epic issues among the Eldritch sometimes. This little incident will be dealt with next chapter, and will be a vehicle to more fluff while Issei tests his powers.

Early viewing of chapters 14-15 avaliable on my pat-reon:

p a treon . com (slash) akumakami64