Chapter 5: Home.

'Welcome home' Two simple words that seemed to bounce around in Issei's mind. Details began to flare in his mind as he began to feel like he had taken a step into the past. Ignoring the man who was sitting smiling at him, Issei took in every detail of the room around him spinning in place slowly to take it all in, he noticed how he stood between an oak coffee table and sectional sofa, the coffee table taking centre between the sofa and 2 opposing recliners all of which were a soft dark grey. Titus slithering quickly into the shadows under the coffee table away from Issei's side avoiding the stranger. As Issei turned to his right he saw an unfamiliar tv that was currently on with a weather channel, the smart looking woman on the screen telling her views about the amount of sun and high temperatures that were due after weeks of rain. His attention then moved on to the simple things like the familiar cloud grey carpet that the coffee sat on, seeming like it had been brought yesterday, or that the oak flooring that surrounded the carpet and spread out the rest of the lower floor of the house looked like it had been recently varnished. The walls around him were white, again looking freshly painted. Everything looked so familiar yet so new. Returning his focus onto the man who was still smiling, if anything he was smiling widely now. "Noticed, did you?"

Issei nodded his head absently, "You said welcome home, I assume you mean my home before my stay with Sirzechs."'

The man nodded. "Quite so, although Sirzechs had his people come in and tidy the place up a bit, the previous tenants didn't do a good job at maintaining the place."

"Previous tenants?

The man laughed. "Of course others lived here. It's a perfectly good house that just happened to have a set of parents murdered in it and a child disappear. There aren't enough homes to just leave one empty for seven years and I doubt Sirzechs planned to let you loose from his care so early. I think returning your home to you is his way of apologising."

Issei's head was spinning. Things just weren't making sense, so he decided to focus on things he could make sense of. "What's your name? I'm guessing you're my new instructor?"

"That I am. The name is Azazel. Now do you want the tour or should we just skip to the good stuff?"

Issei nodded at him, focusing on the path forward, not the past behind him. "I can look around later."

"Alright then, follow me, Sirzechs kept most of the place the same but he added some bits due to your change of lifestyle. Which is why we have this." Azazel then led Issei behind the stairs where a new set of stairs that twisted into one corner of the house Issei knew this set of stairs weren't there before nor was anything that came into view, descending the stairs the pair entered a space that was the same size as the rest of the floors of the house. It was a large open that might be like Yuno gymnasium except most of the space in the centre was lowered slightly and matted. The stairs the pair came down took one of the corners whereas the rest all housed something different. The first in the furthest corner housed a small collection of book shelves that only seemed to be filled with a few books and had a table that could fit six chairs round it comfortably. In the corner right of that had odd equipment Issei hadn't seen before so he mostly ignored it. In the final corner, the one opposite the stairs was the only divided room. It had thick walls of glass separating it from the rest of the space. Having two doors, one that faced the stairs and another that faced what Issei was gonna call the library. Azezel led Issei to it and then led them inside, where Issei saw a desk and some cabinets. "This is what I would call your office. Once we have gone over some of the basics things I need to cover I suggest you use this quiet space to sort through and organise your plans, you can also use it to study if the library over there is too noisy, say if you have people around who are training."

Issei wasn't sure if he would ever have anyone around but he also noticed that Azazel seemed to think that he wouldn't be leaving this house for some time. Issei however wasn't so sure. He had believed he would be staying in his room until Sirzechs had found a use for him. So rather than replying to Azazel, Issei remained quiet and watched as Azazel picked out three items. A clock, a calendar and a simple piece of paper. "From what I understand you have covered a wide range of subjects, probably reaching levels of education that kids your age haven't even touched yet. However you lack in one key area that the Devils can forget about as they live their lives in the underworld and that area is timekeeping. I doubt you even know how old you are right now."

Freezing Issei realised he was right. So he did the maths. "I was five when Sirzechs took me in and you said it's been seven years so that would make me twelve."

Smiling Azazel nodded but he had the same look in his eye that Nathius had when Issei answered a question that led into a trap that resulted in a large amount of studying. "Yes but I bet you can't tell me what year it is. The month or the day. You won't be able to look at this clock and instinctively tell me the time. If you can, then fill out this sheet."

Looking at the Issei saw a list of questions. The first was his name, the second was his age, thirdly it asked for the time displayed on six clocks, after which there were eight questions about the days of the month and three more about events during the year. The last three he could answer because the events started at a point in history with Nathius covered. Knowing Azazel was right about Issei's lack of knowledge he did the same thing he did every single time there was something to learn. He waited for his teacher to teach.

Which is exactly what Azazel did, he walked Issei through everything he needed to know, teaching in clear easy to understand methods of telling time, he taught Issei to use the lessons he learned with maths to memorise what each number on the face described. Such as one equaled 5 minutes or that 6 described thirty or half an hour. The hardest part about the calendar was tracking the days but once Issei knew when he was, finding out the date was easy. Within a week Issei was able to fill out Azazel's test sheet with ease but that wasn't Azazel was there to teach. After the first day of learning and understanding clocks and dates Azazel had taken Issei back up stairs through the living room into the kitchen at the back of the house, where he showed Issei the basics of cooking, firstly showing him to correctly handle a knife before guiding through a simple meal. He did this three times a day over the same week he taught about time keeping. Once all the lessons were done he gave Issei a cookbook so Issei could learn more on his own.

Once the week was done Azazel began to teach issei what he was truly there to teach. He didn't explain the lesson or what the goal of the lesson was, he simply told Issei to sit and focus inwardly then as Issei became relaxed and meditative Azazel would smack him with staff from the training weapon rack that had been discovered in the corner with the strange equipment. When Issei protested the first smack Azazel just smiled before slowly walking around Issei watching him, the second strike came and anger began to fill within. The following third smack had Issei growling, it was the fourth when something snapped and Issei shot to his feet taking the staff from an unresisting Azazel and snapped it. He hadn't heard the call in his mind, the frustration deafening him to it, he also hadn't noticed the flash of light that had appeared on his left hand. Although after a couple breaths he saw what remained. A metallic red gauntlet that left his fingers exposed, it had a small emerald gem in the top of his palm and two golden spikes stretched up from his wrist where the gauntlet ended. Azazel was smiling happily whereas Issei was still annoyed but also slightly curious, looking to the teacher for answers.

"That is your sacred gear, I imagine there have been moments when you suddenly feel stronger and can do more, that is a result of your gear. Sirzechs had hoped you would awaken it during your previous training but he lacked the knowledge I have."

Issei looked at him perplexed. "And what knowledge would that be?"

Azazel smiled. "You my boy have awakened this once before although at that time and it nearly killed you, it came when you were at risk and under stress. I figured if I put you in a position where all you could do was react instinctively rather than how you were trained, we could then train to use those feelings that come naturally and have them become a true part of you."

Nodding watched as the sacred gear faded away then he looked at Azazel feeling lethargic. "How do we do that because I don't feel like I can do much right now?"

"That's because you aren't truly attuned to it. That wasn't even its true form; it was just in a weakened state itself at the moment. Tell me, how did you feel when you called it forth?"

Scratching his face with one finger, Issei thought about it. "Angry i guess, maybe a little frustrated and trapped."

Azazel nodded understandingly. "Makes sense but what about that moment it happened?"

"Powerful. I was still annoyed but the feeling of being trapped changed to power. It's why I broke the staff I needed to let it loose."

Azazel laughed joyfully. "That's not surprising, OK lets work with that. Sit down again and focus on that feeling of power, try and call it forth but focus on your left hand imagine the power coming from there. I promise I won't smack you with anything I will merely observe."

Sitting back down, Issei held his left hand out in front of him doing exactly what Azazel had suggested and with surprising ease the gauntlet returned making Azazel laugh once again. "Excellent. Now come on, let's see how far we can push."

Leading Issei, who was staring at his gauntleted hand, towards the equipment, he had Issei get on something called a treadmill making Issei run and he did ,he ran faster and apparently longer than he ever had. The sacred gear giving him near limitless stamina. At least until it faded away, then Issei tripped, faced planted and was thrown off the treadmill in a groaning slump, it was then that Azazel called it a day carrying Issei to his bed and Issei slept like the dead.

Everyday after that the pair pushed the gear to its limits using all the equipment, the treadmill to start before moving on to an exercise bike to a rowing machine and finishing with a series of different weight exercises that Azazel guided Issei through. After many months of training his body and the limits of the sacred gear to the point that issei passed out, something finally happened. The only part Azazel witnessed was the inhuman roar that exploded out of Issei's throat before he passed out and he began to dream.

Issei floated in nothingness until a great red light filled his eyes as a great beast appeared flying rapidly from the all consuming darkness towards him and it roared before it looked down at him gliding in place, almost inspecting him. Issei did the same, his mind quickly concluding that he was looking at a dragon which was very big and red, its eyes were the same emerald green as the gem that appeared on his gear. Its voice was deep, so deep it shocked issei insides and it resonated with power. "My name is Ddraig, I am the great dragon emperor and you are my host."

Mildly terrified, which was a surprise for Issei because he would have expected to be far more terrified at the sight of a beast such as the one before him, Issei spoke evenly and surprisingly confidently. "What does that mean?"

"It means we are connected, your strength is my strength. Your death means stillness for me until another host awakens me."

Issei smiled. "Then it's a pleasure to meet you Ddraig but where are we?"

"We are within the sacred gear the vessel I have been sealed within and thus we are within your subconsciousness. Now that we have met I will be able to speak with you when you are awake. Which you should do now." Suddenly Ddraig roared and issei bolted upright in bed wide awake. Looking at the clock beside him he saw it was about six in the morning, deciding it was too late to roll over to sleep. Issei got up and started his day just like always looking at the picture he had found in the living room before bringing it up to his room away from prying eyes. It was a simple photograph taken of himself smiling with his two parents who were standing behind him smiling just as much as their young boy. Issei had to wonder if they would still be smiling if they knew who he was becoming.

The course of the next few years once again became a blur of training as Issei learned the true strength of his connection with Ddraig, Issei eventually took to calling it a partnership because that was exactly what it was. Ddraig gave Issei strength and power whilst Issei gave Ddraig life. Issei had learned with his talks with Ddraig that the time between hosts was spent in a still restless sleep where he no had an outlet for his wants as a dragon, most of which were discovering new things which was a regular occurrence when you lived life through someone else. As such not long after meeting Ddraig Issei took to walking round town first remaining on his street which consisted of three house all joined together, Issei's home fell in the middle there was then a long road that led to the three homes that was connected to main road, a thick line of tree seeming to isolate the homes from the other homes that did in fact surround them if one was to walk through the mini forest, which was something Issei did a lot at first. Soon after that Issei took adventures into town mostly to shop for things he needed. On the first trip Azazel accompanied him to teach him how to buy what he needed which had followed with a lesson on budgeting. Following that Azazel dug Titus from one his many hiding spots around the home and demanded Issei train him, a exercise Ddraig often found amusing because the thick skinned serpent was resistant to instruction and it wasn't until Ddraig himself had offered some advice on how to guide the familiar did Titus begin to listen to Issei fully. All he had to do was treat the Basilisk as a friend, not a beast of burden like Azazel suggested.

Issei and Titus started with talking, which was a difficult task at first as the Basilisk only gave Issei intentions or images that reminded him of the things he was trying to communicate but they made it work. Once they were at least somewhat able to communicate, did Issei take Titus with him to the forest letting the predator get a lay of the land and eventually Issei simply let Titus roam. It was then that many changes came to Issei life. The first was when Issei's small gauntlet evolved, growing to take up his whole arm up to the elbow. It resembled a dragon's claw with a great green emerald on the top of the palm almost twice the size as it had been originally and the two spikes that had sprouted at his wrist now sprouted at his elbow, also much larger and sharper. The evolution in a similar fashion as unlocking the gear in the first place knocked Issei out, when he awoke Azazel told him that he had one last thing to train him in. The lessons were strenuous and complex but Issei quickly understood their importance as they mostly involved everything he had learned thus far. Once the lessons were over Azazel informed Issei he was leaving whilst giving Issei a collection of files and congratulated him for surviving sixteen years, wishing him luck with surviving sixteen more especially when he was to start highschool life at Kuoh academy. He also informed Issei the files had minimal information on the other members of Rias peerage which had been recruited during the years Issei had spent training with Azazal. The final bombshell was the fact that Rias was already attending the school but he was to not approach her at Sirzechs orders.

He was forbidden to approach his king for a whole year so instead he remained hidden using the many skills he had learned over the course of his life along with a few skills he had learned on his own. Issei, Ddraig and Titus all spent time improving and growing their abilities and livelihood until it all just became routine. Life in school was a weird thing; he found it easy to blend in but found classes to be dull and boring. Most of what was taught Issei already knew so he often found himself skipping only going when he knew a teacher would miss him or he had a exam to pass, it was during those times where he roamed the school catching glimpse of Rias and her peerage but he took careful measures that they never spotted or sense him although he was sure he caught moment where Rias was seeking him out it was at these time he also went to class mostly because none of the Peerage were in any of his own classes. It was also at this time a new girl caught his eye as he roamed around the town, she was dressed as Nun which sent an unsettling feeling through Issei that made him keep his distance but he asked Titus to keep an eye on her along with his regular duties which wouldn't be a difficult task.

Overall the year had been difficult and true test of patience but he succeeded and a couple of months through his second year did Issei receive a note from Sirzechs telling of a rogue devil and that he was to meet Rias and her Peerage there the method of greeting was for him to choose. So that night Issei arrived at the warehouse the Rogue used as a lair. A figure stood beside him, staying in the shadows. Issei continued to examine the lair as he spoke to the figure. "Keep watch, alert me when they arrive."

Silently the figure left, leaving Issei alone as he entered the lair. His power radiating from his being in a sudden burst alerting the Rogue to his presence, She in turn began to try and woo him in her own insane manner. Ignoring her completely Issei simply flicked his hand sending a bolt of red energy towards the Rogue which hit the centre of her chest between hands that fondled a set of overly large breasts, the devil then erupted into dust leaving the warehouse still and silent. Leaping up, Issei sat on one of the stacks of boxes leaving his aura exposed but dimming it to the level he felt from the Rogue, he then turned his focus inwardly. "Ready Ddraig."

"Of course but remember you only have ten minutes so don't drag things out."

"I know thanks, partner." Then Issei smiled as an image of Rias and her Peerage approaching the warehouse in a fast clip appeared in his mind. It was time to reunite with his king.