A/N: Hey there, So this chapter was slightly harder to write because I couldn't just free style it, I had to keep looking for the episode I needed and to the wiki for me to get a specific part of this chapter to work and some parts I just made my own out of impatience to get the words right. It is also one of those moments I look forward to the day people are willing to go back over my chapters and make their own edits to enhance things. Anyway enough rambling let's do this. The final chapter of the prologue.
Chapter 8: Malting.
For a day and a half Rias mostly remained within the Occult Club building. She ventured out for classes that required her presence as well as the few social events she attended to keep up appearances but when nothing required her attention she remained close at hand in case a situation arose involving Issei. She noted proudly that the rest of her Peerage did the same, coming and going to fulfil tasks that required their attention both academically or socially but otherwise made sure they were nearby in case they were needed. The only member of her peerage who hadn't made an appearance in the last day and half was Koneko which was understandable as Rias had assigned her to keep an eye on Issei but she had yet to return which was in a way a good thing. If she didn't come back it meant there was nothing to report but the longer she was gone with no word made Rias worry she was going to do something foolish, well another part of her hoped the small girl had taken it upon herself to bring Issei into the fold and the pair would enter the club together and thing could be as they were meant to be. Unfortunately that was not to be the case upon Koneko's eventual return..
It wasn't until midafternoon once all the Academy class and activities had ended that Koneko had silently entered the clubhouse. Every member of the Peerage was in attendance sitting in the twin sofas as Rias sat at her desk looking at her for her report. Koneko for her part Ignored the Peerage at large, her attention on Rias. "Issei made a connection with the Sacred gear user His familiar told us about. As it turns out she's an excommunicated Nun being used by Raynare's faction of Fallen Angels here in town. They have a plan for her and Issei plans to stop it tonight. I saw Raynare attack Issei with a spear of light and the girl healed him before they were separated as Raynare took the girl away. My best guess is that the next step he's going to assault their base in the abandoned church on the hill, although I followed him back to his home before I returned here so I believe we have some time before he makes his move ."
Rias nodded, "Thank you Koneko."
Yuuto looked around at the Peerage before settling on Rias. "So what are we gonna do to help him?"
Breathing a sigh of relief that she hadn't needed to press the issue of their interest in helping she took a moment to formulate a plan. "The church is likely to be heavily fortified within but no doubt has a select handful of powerful Fallen guarding for intruders. I suspect Issei has a way around them or he's just foolhardy, either way for us to get inside we need to create a distraction for the outer guard. Akeno, me and you shall handle that. Koneko, Yuuto, once you get the signal, infiltrate the church and assist Issei as best you can but do not interfere with him unless he requests aid. Is that understood"
Her Peerage all nodded to her, Koneko had her same flat expression. Well Yuuto looked serious and prepared for action. Akeno on the other hand smiled brightly at Rias. "This will be fun, I start locating the magic signature of the guards so we can transport right on them.
Yuuto nodded at her knowing she needed time and looked to Koneko gesturing with his head towards the door no doubt to head out and get ready not wanting to be left unprepared for when the signal came. As they left Rias shifted one leg over the other trying to get comfortable again and return to her work to give a facade of being unfazed by the coming fight, Akeno as always saw straight through her. "It's OK to be nervous. you get a part of your family back tonight."
Rias looked at Akeno and grinned. "He will reined in kicking and screaming if necessary, want to help?"
Laughing softly, Akeno nodded. "Absolutely but only if I can punish him afterwards I still owe him for getting physical with me without permission."
Rias nodded once before returning to work, a small smile on her lips well her mind caught the slight in her words, Akeno like the rest of her Peerage was unhappy with Issei and wanted more than a little payback not that they openly told Rias that.
A few hours later as the sun began to be consumed by the horizon Akeno stood. "I found them, you ready."
Rias nodded, finishing the last pieces she needed to for her current task before she rose and stood beside Akeno cycling her power. Akeno opened a circle and the pair were suddenly in a forest. A moment later a joyful voice greeted them. "Ask and you'll freaking receive. Hi there, I'm Mittelt the most awesome fallen Angel in the history of ever"
Akeno grinned joyfully at the short, blonde, blue eyed Angel that had her hair tied in long twin-tails. The excitement building within her. Rias on the other hand simply smiled looking forward to the show. "Judging by the strength of you and the other one that near by on guard you must be expecting an Attack."
"Well yeah there is this Dragon Devil dude that has Raynare slightly nervous not that she says it but he can't be too much trouble seeing how easily the prize was claimed. Right now we are on high alert as we deal with this super important ritual."
Akeno giggled. "Well someone is certainly full of themselves. Revealing all their secrets like that."
The girl stomped her foot in frustration. "You shut up, I did no such things, what you doing here anyway. I know we haven't done anything to you or your stupid house of Devils no matter how weak you lot are, Raynare specifically forbid us from bringing your attention to us."
Akeno giggled again. "It wasn't you lot that got attention it was another naughty boy who refuses to return to his master. "
Smiling Rias added fuel to Akeno fire. "I believe you called him A Dragon Devil dude."
The Angel groaned. "You're here for that loser really, Ugh."
"Nope we aren't going to help in the slightest, he's on his own." Rias responded, smirking, having just as much fun as Akeno with taunting this small firecracker of a Fallen Angel.
Before the blonde Angel could respond a flash of light appeared behind the Devil Ladies and a tall, Buxom Angel with brown eyes and long blue hair the fringe of which obscured her right eye. She spoke in a smooth husky tone. "That enough Mittelt, whatever reason they are here is of little importance. We can't allow them to disrupt the ritual. As for the boy, do not forget that he slew Dohnaseek well he still clung to his mother's skirt."
Mittelt flicked a hand. "Let's be real Kalawarna, he got lucky."
Growing bored of the Angel byplay, Rias turned her attention to Akeno, the pair having pre planned this moment, "Look like the gangs all here."
"Already on it." Akeno responded smiling brightly, raising a hand, suddenly clouds formed overhead and a single bolt of lightning flashed down on to her consuming her body, the thunderclap of which would no doubt be taken as the signal for Yuuto and Koneko. The light bolt itself stripped her body bare before a second flash followed the first and a white Haori with red Accents, a red Hakame and a pair of zōri with a white tabi appeared hugging her body snuggly. Well Mittelt threw a small tantrum about not being invited to dress up. Akeno summoned a barrier, her cheeks getting a red glow that matched the red runes that began to float around them in a dome.
Well Mittlet complained Kalawarna looked around scowling. "It's a Barrier, this was your plan wasn't it."
Once again giggling only this time lustfully Akeno answered. "Absolutely, I love trapping my Prey in a cage."
The two Angels grimace but summoned their light spears, Mittlet's being pink well Kalawarna's was golden. The pair then threw them at the Devil ladies only for Rias to summon her own Barrier around them deflecting blades of light. The angles then sprouted wings taking to the air trying to get aerial superiority but no matter how many spears they threw or how close the barrier they got they never found an opening. Grumbling to herself Mittelt took a different approach. "What does he mean to you anyways? as fair as we knew you and Dragon boy had no connections."
Rias grinned, flicking her hair back as a spear from Kalawarna rebounded off her Barrier. "He's my Pawn and I wouldn't underestimate him, he is the strongest Pawn I have ever seen."
The fallen pair burst out laughing but it was Kalawarna who responded with mirth. "That's adorable that you name your little pacts after chess pieces but Pawn's are the sacrificial pieces right."
Sending a bolt of lighting at Kalawarna, Akeno responded with derision. "Nonsense, we would never teach a part of our family like that."
"Well from what I hear you should be thanking us for giving you that loser, if Dohnaseek hadn't failed that boy would be on our outside. Don't ask me how he did it but Raynare gonna put him in his place once the ritual is done, so why don't you let us go and we'll forget this ever happened." Mittelt said with a smile as if it was the most simple decision Rias would ever make. Kalawarna chose that moment to send a light spear past Rias to strike Akeno in the shoulder, sending her flying to the edge of the barrier.
Seeing her friend in even the mildest of pain was enough to send Rias over the edge. Done with playing around she summoned her true power, as she did her hair began to blow in an unseen wind as a red aura of warning flared around her. Akeno, catching sight of Rias, began to giggle wildly. "Oh dear perhaps it wasn't wise of you to taunt her like that. Shame to be you,"
Ignoring Akeno, Rias focused her growing power into her hands which glowed red mixed with flecks of the purest black then she sent that power at the pair of floating Angels. The red Aura consumed them leaving nothing but bloody black Angel wing feathers showering over the pair of Devil's. Turning to a smiling Akeno, Rias looked ready to go to war. "Clean up this mess and meet with the rest of us at the church shortly."
Akeno nodded simply and Rias summoned a transport Circle to the next largest source of magical Energy she could detect, she arrived in a large underground cavern where a metallic cross stood empty on a stage. Sounds of fighting caught her attention and Rias saw Yuuto surrounded by countless Angelic henchmen but holding his own if anything he looked gleeful. Unfortunately for him Rias was in no mood to let Yuuto lose himself in the slaughter of fallen Angels. "Yuuto, where's Koneko and Issei."
"Upstairs, Koneko watching over the girl Issei was befriending and Issei is taking his anger out on Raynare, I'm keeping these guys busy so they don't get in his way it could get messy." Yuuto responded between sword strikes making it clear this fight wasn't much to him and with his Sacred gear in its Holy Eraser configuration the Angel's spear of light were rather ineffective.
"Very well, go join Koneko. I'll handle this. I doubt there will be anyone around but I don't want us to spread out."
Yuuto nodded, leaping over several Angels before heading out of the Cavern. Once Yuuto was out of the area Rias called her power and sent it out in a great wave around her which rumbled the cavern with its intensity. The Henchmen had a moment to blink before they were nothing but bloody feathers.
Leaving the Cavern, Rias came into the church proper where she heard the sound of relentless punching and the sobs of a woman. A moment later she saw Issei in his armour holding Raynare down on her knees with one hand as his other pounded into her face again and again each time the fist drew back a green glow washed over Raynare face healing the bloody impact. Raynare was sobbing, her mind breaking from the constant cycle of pain and relief with no escape. As she approached the display Rais was curious what caused the situation and worried if Issei was unhinged but then a deep resonating voice that didn't come from Issei as he seemed to focus rather than to waste time speaking. It took Rias a moment to realise it was coming from the armour in a similar fashion to when her Peerage Issei fought them in the warehouse. "Rias we don't have time for introduction, Issei is going to kill himself if he doesn't get out of the Scale mail I need you to order him to stop which will give me the chance to strip him of the gear."
Wasting no time Rias knowing exactly what the voice wanted her to do, which was also the one thing she wished to never to do to any of her Peerage, she commanded Issei as a King. "Issei stop and Relax."
It took a second for Issei to respond and he was able to get one final punch in before his fist just stopped. His head turned to look at it for a brief moment before his armour flash with a brilliant light and vanished. Rias saw the moment Issei slipped from consciousness and moved to catch him as he fell to the ground beside Raynare who collapsed into herself when Issei had let go of her. Settling Issei down into the floor Rias gave Raynare a once over before she carelessly flicked her hand sending out a small blast of aura at the broken Fallen Angel. The Angel erupted into feathers and suddenly a set of silver rings that glowed a soft emerald green appeared floating inches of the ground beside Issei head, enclosing them in her hand Rias carried Issei in both arms walking out of the church to greet her Peerage who stood around a cute looking blond hair girl. A girl which Rias felt a resonance with. It was soft and mostly hollow but it was there enough that it caught Rias' attention. Once again settling Issei down only this time beside the girl Rias looked at the rings in her hand feeling a connection between them and the girl. She smiled before letting them go above the girl's chest whilst calling a bishop chess piece to her hand, looking to the members of her Peerage, Rias spoke softly. "Let's return these to where they belong and welcome a new member to our family."
Rias then pressed the bottom of the bishop piece onto the rings and into the girl's chest like she was pressing a wax stamp. As the bishop pressed against the girl's chest the piece moved on its own as it slowly sunk into her chest with the rings and Rias got to her feet information filling her mind as she spoke the ritualistic words she needed to, to add one of the dead to her Peerage. "Asia Argento heed my command and rise from the lands of the dead to serve me as my Healer and Bishop."
Asia took a sudden breath as two silver rings flashed onto her middle fingers and an emerald green glow flared over her body for a few moments, the rings clearly healing their owner. Akeno looked at the unconscious pair then back at Rias. "Now what do we do?"
Looking up from reviving Asia, giving Akeno her full attention plans forming in her mind. "Take Asia back to the Club house, give her my room, when she comes to do your best to keep her relaxed and contact me so I can explain things to her. I'll take Issei back to the place he calls home, Koneko, without any idea of where it is."
Koneko made to talk when a new but familiar voice came from the darkness of the nearby forest. " Perhaps I can be of assistance to Lady Rias."
"Titus? What are you doing here? Why didn't you help Issei?" The questions flowed out of Rias as she tried to make the familiar's form out.
Stepping fully away from the shadows of the forest Titus gave Rias and her Peerage a low bow. "Issei had asked me to guard so that's what I did. He understands that I am better at striking from the shadows than I am in open confrontations. He also knows that in moments like these I can be of assistance when he is incapacitated. In this case I can help you take him home to recover."
Rias nodded, stepping away from her Peerage picking up Issei with both arms Titus stood beside her close enough that she didn't have to search for his magical essence which along with Issei's own essence allowed Rias to pinpoint where Issei frequented. She got two primary locations but quickly discounted one of them to be Kuoh Academy, focusing on the second Rias opened a transport circle and came to stand in front of a Triplex that stood at the end of a long lonely road. Titus immediately headed for the central one reaching into Issei's back pocket to retrieve a single key to open the front door and lead Rias inside. He then led her up the stairs that seemed to be in the centre of the house. A large living room was to her right and just beyond that Rias could see an odd out of place set of Stairs that seemed to lead under the main stairs, Titus pointed upwards "Issei room is the first on the left door you'll see."
Titus then moved the living once again being consumed by the shadows of the night but Rias ignored his disappearance as she carried Issei up the stairs. Reaching the top of the stairs Rias saw three doors, despite the sudden temptation to explore the upper floor of the house Rias moved to the closet door which was on the left. She opened it with ease, her burden not inconveniencing her in the slightest as she had the strength to adjust Issei for the moment it took to open the door. Entering the room Rias took a brief moment to look it over, it wasn't overly large, maybe an equal size to the living room, if the living was squashed and stretched into a rectangle the right side was longer than the left which was taken up by a large wardrobe that left enough space for the door to open fully. The only other thing in the room of note was the bed, it was large king size bed that was placed at the end of the room it seemed almost squished into place, the only window of the room was on the right side of the bed and at set of black out curtains made it so no light would leak into the room come sunrise.
Rias moved directly to the bed, she once again shifted Issei weight and pushed away the covers before placing Issei in the bed. Following that Rias made a move that would be considered risky but she honestly couldn't help herself; the many excuses she could make flashing into her mind if anyone found. Taking a breath Rias cast a unique form of the transport circle, it was a form Rias had spent a numerous number of night practising with Akeno in private, summoning it at the ends of Issei feet and having it move up and along his body, each time the circle fully passed a part of clothed body those clothes were removed and transported tidily to the floor in a neat pile. Once the circle passed over the top of Issei head it winked out leaving Issei completely naked. Breathing a sigh of relief as the spell carried the risk of potentially removing layers of skin if done incorrectly; Rias did her best not to look at Issei body too closely before she moved the cover over Issei and remove any temptation before she continued to the riskiest of her plan by removing her own clothes. The pile landed inches away from Issei's. Rias then climbed over Issei, getting under the covers herself, pressing her body against Issei. If anyone asked, including Issei, Rias would say that she was using a spell that accelerated healing but required skin to skin contact which was ultimately true but personally she was being selfish indulging a desire she had. One she had for a long time, one that had only increased since she had seen Issei strength. She wanted to hold him close to feel him next to her. She doubted she would be able to get what she truly wanted deep in her heart and if she was honest Rias feared her heart was wrong about the kind of Devil Issei was. Something that would in the grand scheme of things be a good thing but Rias had a feeling that Issei was exactly like she believed him to be and wasn't looking forward to the inevitable heartbreak of being forced away from him. So she enjoyed this small moment and would try to take as many as she could until the time came that she had to live up to her family name.
A/N and there we go. Part of me was ready to add more to this chapter but I don't want to keep going over the same parts from different POV and I also don't want to keep shifting them in chapters themselves. I also feel like between 3000 and 4000 words is a good size chapter. I very much doubt I'll ever go over 5000. Anyway let me know what you thought with a review, follow and favourite if you like
And I will see you in the next one.
