Uday Sra: Thank you!
ARSLOTHES: They do make a cute couple, especially knowing each other as teens. I hope to never disappoint.
Rebell 01: Hahaha, the best kind of yoga ;)
FateBurn: Thanks!
Rusetheimmortal: An interesting theory, in canon all they said was it was found at the end of the world...I hope you like my plans for it :D
reality deviant: I am glad you liked it, and that was my interpretation. In canon, as of the most recent they never actually explained why he turned down Kuroka. It felt odd to me considering they revealed later he wants a family more than anything so I merged those pieces of information into one...he only declined her because at the time she just wanted a one-night fling to get pregnant, which is not what he wants.
Gan315: Good morning man :D As always I sent a full reply to your review as a PM. I am glad you liked the touch of Dorian's time immunity (which will of course play into my plans later). I worried it may be too OP, but thankfully not many use time abilities in canon. Well, Gabriel is almost literally a choir girl LOL, but as you said...that doesn't mean she is wholly unaware ;) Not too much longer to wait for the Sairaorg vs Rias match, I hope you enjoy it :)
xXWolfsterXx644: I hope the wait isn't too long, it means a lot you like it so much :D
Okaze: Ooooo, an interesting guess indeed ;)
TheLycan2026: Thank you so much! I agree, if there was one aspect of DxD I felt got worse later on it was definitely how the focus on Issei detracted from everyone else, Vali and his team included. That is tricky indeed, Vali seeing Kuroka's maturity against what she had before while she is aiming at Dorian for all the help he's given her in recent months...tricky indeed...
fanficcyberman: XD XD Poor Vali and Albion, forced to suffer that name because of Issei and their honesty lol. And yes ,Kassaegtha is the Old God who Dorian finally met back in the Diodora fight, more for her to come of course. I am always touched by your kind words and review :) I have been doing well, thankfully and I hope the same is true for you too! Have a wonderful week too and see you in the next chapter ;)
Dragonx411: I sent a full reply to your review via PM :D It means a lot how you enjoyed the various scenes of the chapter, Iggy's food coma was probably my favorite, something so wholesome over her trying real food for the first time. But also the image of Bennia just mass-spawning her teleport traps EVERYWHERE XD
And with that...ONTO THE SHOW!
"We don't know how our matches will be decided or even if it'll be individual or teams," Rias concluded with a final sip of her drink courtesy of Akeno's talents. "But this should do at least for now. Are the others ready?"
"They've been training non-stop," her Queen assured her with a reassuring smile. "I dare to say we could all pass the devil exam for middle-class if given a chance."
"A plan for afterward," Rias beamed with pride. With Catherine's inclusion, her peerage was complete. While each of them other than herself were considered low-class devils, she knew full well that was in title only. The very fact Issei, Kiba and Catherine had survived Kyoto and the others their quarrel with Moloch was proof of that. Once they had time to breathe, she'd ensure they got the chance to prove that to the rest of the world. "We can call it for the evening, I am sure Zepar will want to see you when they get back."
"Ohoho," Akeno giggled at Rias' sly expression. "You always look out for us, but have you been doing the same for yourself? Maybe you should visit the sauna and think."
Rias' smirk lessened only a touch, able to read her friend well. She had hoped she was stealthy enough when visiting Issei, but clearly, she had been spotted. If anyone could have known, Akeno was perhaps the one she minded the least.
"You know?"
"Not everything, I saw you go in, stay a while, then leave right after Issei. You were not as…glowing as I thought you would be and have said not a word to him since. Even when he was getting better sparring with Kiba, you just watched."
"We both want different things it seems," she finally let her guard down with a sigh. "I care about Issei…"
"And he cares about you," she quickly added. "There must be a middle ground."
"Maybe, am I worried about what his answer would be when pushed?" Rias asked with a distant expression as if still considering the previous question.
"You'll never know until he gives it. Zepar knew more about me than most due to his work with father, but he didn't know everything."
"And he accepted your…personal interests?" Rias tried to be as subtle as possible referring to Akeno's sadomasochistic tendencies when it came to what she enjoyed in private.
"As expected, he didn't directly share all of my…personal interests," she repeated her King's phrasing. "But we got past it with a few compromises we can both live with. Apparently, he's quite good with pain and open to new things." She giggled in a slightly more sinister tone than expected.
"You'll have to tell me about that sometime."
"Ara ara, so curious," she giggled with her hand over her mouth. "You've always been so calculating to everything, why would Issei be any different?"
Calculate what I want with him verses everything else. Could it be that easy? After this Rating Game perhaps I…
"Dorian? Zepar? My word I didn't hear you come in," the voice of Mrs. Hyoudou from the kitchen a few rooms over diverted her thoughts. "Are you two hungry? I can make something."
"Thank you, Mrs. Hyoudou. Only if it's no trouble."
"Dorian, how many times must I insist you call me Miki?"
"Speak of the devil," Akeno winked to Rias. "Just think about it, you talked to him once, do it again."
"He is hiding something," Rias rubbed her temple. "Every time we grow close it feels like there is a divide. He has shared so much with me, more than anyone else, but there is something more I just can't reach."
It's often hardest to share with those you care most about, Akeno mused as she left to meet with her own beloved. If he won't open up to you, maybe we can do something about it. You gave me my life when I thought it was over; it's only fitting to help mend yours.
Sitri Hospital…
"Don't you worry!" Serafall Leviathan assured her childhood friend as they entered the hospital within her family's territory. "I'll make sure you get the best treatment!"
"I told you, I'm not in labor yet!" Katerea Leviathan huffed from her wheelchair. "Braxton Hicks Contractions most likely, I would know if it was time! It's 2 in the morning!"
The Leviathan Ruler had been present when the Old Satan Faction Leader staggered, dropping her cup of coffee. As was normal for her, she completely overreacted and opened a portal to the hospital unable to stop talking about how happy she was. It was all Katerea could do to stop herself from trying to kill her…again. In the end, she acquiesced and remained in the wheelchair. She had to admit, Serafall had been true to her word, treating her as a prisoner but one with far more freedom than was the norm considering her crimes. The most inhumane treatment she'd been subjected to was the anime that her captor could not stop watching, even having a movie made in the coming weeks. She knew Serafall would never admit it, but she considered the Oppai Dragon and High King shows as staunch competitors to her own. It made her think for just a moment that maybe things could turn out better for her child than initially feared. Her constant talks of her younger sister, Sona, notwithstanding.
"She's been talking more about that Saji boy," Serafall pouted a bit. "I don't approve! No one can date my little Sona unless they pass my groom challenges AND defeat Sirzechs in single combat. If he makes any sort of move…where is everyone?"
The pair of Leviathans glanced around the main lobby, the front desk seemingly abandoned with not a nurse or doctor to be seen. The squeak of the wheelchair became all the more prevalent as they slowed, trying to find sign of anybody.
"Clearly your staff aren't as punctual as you were led to believe." Katerea groaned from the discomfort as the child kicked again. "Look, if we are here can you at least leave me in the cafeteria while you find one of these bumbling fools? I am famished!"
"S-sure, I'll get someone," Serafall wheeled her into the sizable cafeteria also noticeably absent of anyone and left her near the buffet. "You have whatever you like." She didn't even notice Katerea's scrunched nose of disdain for most of the food available.
Once she was clear, the dark-haired woman's expression soured. She knew the staff at the hospital, many personally. They'd never allow a totally empty lobby regardless of time of day. Slipping back behind the main desk, her fears were realized.
"Cassy?" She tapped the face of the devil receptionist lying face down where she couldn't be seen until going around. To her relief, she was alive but unresponsive to her attempts to wake her. With a quick inhalation she confirmed her guess. "Sleep magic."
Powerful magic, why would anyone attack here? It's a hospital we don't…no!
With a quick seal of teleportation, the Satan emerged within the wing above specifically built to treat those afflicted by the sleep disease. She had heard about the Crossroad Leader's strange ability to disrupt its symptoms. The idea that someone may be after the data ran through her mind. If nothing else, they had several potential VIP members sleeping within as well. If there were any reasons to attack the hospital, it would be one of those. It did not take long to realize that, as usual, she was right.
"Where is it," a dark-cloaked man asked with a gravelly voice. "We know you've been making great progress, lying is pointless."
"You'll have to kill me," the devil physician who had spoken with Dorian the week previous spat blood from a bleeding mouth. "You honestly think my life is more important than the results of this research?"
"We have all the time to search," one of the assailant's allies pointed out. "We could…WE HAVE COMPANY!"
Serafall's teleportation symbol was fast but still gave away her entrance as she materialized only a few feet away. There was a half dozen men and women, all clearly powerful Ultimate-Class devils scattered around the ward. Machinery and instruments were destroyed, overturned and all nurses or doctors other than the one being interrogated were similarly afflicted with the sleep magic. Serafall knew their plan at once. The internal sensors within the hospital were designed to detect death to allow quick response of emergency crews. Had they killed even a single person, it would have alerted everyone to the assault. With sleep, they were able to move while avoiding detection.
"Kill her n…" the nearest didn't have time to finish before he exploded from the inside out leaving a mound of jagged ice behind. Serafall merely raised her hand, the normally bubbly smile now absent. The alarm instantly sounded upon his death; their cover now blown.
The remainder all leapt to action, spells and weapons drawn solely focused upon Serafall. It was clear on their faces that they knew it was for naught. As powerful as they were, for as much skill and experience as was sensed between them, none hoped to stand a chance against one of the Four Satans who ruled over Hell and the strongest woman devil ever born. It was over in a blink, naught but ice dust remaining of those who had attacked her family's home.
"Th-thank you Lady Leviathan," the doctor checked his own body to ensure the torture had been minimal. "Your arrival was most timely."
"What were they doing here?" She demanded. "Were they Old Satan Faction?"
"I do not believe so. Their physiology was more in line with modern devils; however, they might have been loyal to them. They did not regale me with the tale of their affiliation between the torments but were very intent on locating our first trial of the antidote."
"You have it?" Serafall inched closer, the doctor nodding with a glance to a nearby collection of innocuous vials.
"They never guessed; I did my best to make it look mundane. It's not finished, but with just another few days…"
A shape dashed past them; an assailant who had not been present that they missed. The instant the cure had been pointed out; he made a run for it with hands outstretched. If he got ahold of it, he'd be able to use it as a hostage. Serafall didn't even sense his presence until he was nearly upon them.
"Graah!" He gurgled as he was reduced to ash. From the original teleportation seal Serafall had created emerged Katerea with a hand extended and look of pure anger on her face. For a moment, they thought she may turn on them until she shouted.
"Your selection is horrific! I demand real food!"
"Kat-chan," the current Satan smiled in return. "That was incredible, how did you know he was one of the attackers?"
"Attackers?" Katerea's look of confusion left Serafall just staring, uncertain if she was serious or not. After a moment she decided it was better not to know.
Her powers are growing the more along her pregnancy progresses. Will they remain after giving birth? It will be interesting to see.
"You said it is nearly completed doctor?" Serafall turned back to the former hostage as security forces flooded the room alerted by the alarm and spreading out to search for other possible stragglers. "A few days?"
"Y-yes," he finally fully composed himself and stood tall as was proper speaking to one of the Four Satans. "It is quite fascinating; his cell's presence causes a…"
"Expedite your efforts," Serafall interrupted, believing every moment was important and medicine had never been her forte. "I'll instruct my peerage to remain and protect you under one condition…you help out dear Kat-chan!"
The doctor sweat dropped alongside the former Leviathan at her sudden change in demeanor as he carefully started attending to her. As Katerea had insisted, they were false contractions, determining her water had not broken nor was she overly dilated. Only once he assured her many times over did Serafall finally relax, letting Katerea get up to walk on her own feet.
"I'll start the final process," he promised. "With the time slowing aspects of the disease stunted by Mr. Held's cells, we can attack the actual symptoms themselves causing the coma. I surmise that…"
"WHAT IS THIS?" Katerea shouted, drawing the doctor and Serafall to her side once more. She had wandered over into another room of the ward and was currently looming over the sleeping form of a young woman with purple hair. Her charts listed her as a low-born devil from the countryside, however Katerea knew better. "This girl is a Leviathan; don't try to deny it. Tell me now, TRUTHFULLY, how did she come to be here?"
Occult Research Clubhouse…
"What am I going to do?" Issei muttered angrily to himself as he straightened the shrine. Deciding to keep busy, he'd continued preparing for the school festival. The devil Pawn found himself alone as Kiba and Gasper had left to buy some supplies, he didn't know where the others were.
Part of the haunted house being set up included a room for faux purifications. Unlike other class setups, it had to be fake as a real ritual would risk actually purifying one of the devils there. As it stood, the talismans were mockups, the rest being little more than decoration but it looked the part. The set was nearly identical to the shrine Akeno tended to after school, she'd be the one in charge with Koneko using her Sage Arts to make anyone who meditates there feel better.
"The President likes me," he muttered to himself aloud. No matter how much he focused on the work, it wouldn't get the thoughts out of his head. "That can't be right. She says it, Goldie says it, but I just can't believe it. Why can't I accept that, what is wrong with me?"
Gasper and Kiba said she treats them differently, she doesn't kiss them, heal them naked or sleep in their bed. She does treat me differently. She pushed so far in the sauna, if I had told her I'd give up my harem…was she testing me? Testing my resolve, she has teased me before about it. But that look in her eyes…
"I mean, she is obsessed with love, that's why she didn't want to marry Riser. After that, she started teasing me more. No, she started caring for me?" Issei gripped his head in frustration, the thoughts causing physical pain. "She, she'd not act that way unless they were genuine. And I keep looking at other women, for my eventual harem."
Issei groaned, throwing away the towel, there was no way he'd get any work done like that.
"I'm her Pawn, she's my master, would that even be allowed with devils? I've known her six months and seen every side of her there is. She's been magnificent, angry, gentle, noble, confident. She has the best breasts, but also smooth skin, able to act both her age and older depending on what was needed. I WANT to go further with her, more so if she really does like me. But if she wants me only and no other women in a harem, my dream is in jeopardy."
But President could be worth more than this dream. But what about Asia? She confessed to me already.
"Even thinking that could be the case, I love her more than anything and I want to confess to her, tell her that. But what if I am wrong? What if she is just teasing me and testing my devotion to her or my dream? If she truly didn't love me, that it would be like…"
Her.
"Like Raynare?" Issei spun at the name to see Dorian at the door as it had been left open. "Sorry, with the door open sound carried and you looked like you could use an ear."
I thought I closed that.
"Not yours," he turned to retrieve the cloth acting like he was still working, the additional sweat collecting on his brow at the uttering of her name noticeable even to Dorian. "This is personal, I just need to be alone."
"So you can tear your hair out with worry? Call me nosy but I want to help Issei," he entered the room, slipping his shoes off before plopping down before the man he had butted heads with many times since arriving in Kuoh. "I heard every word, seems like being alone is the last thing you want."
Issei groaned, discarding the towel for the last time before succumbing to the offer with a sigh of acceptance.
"Why do you care? Both in Kyoto and here, we can't stand each other!"
"Well," Dorian tried to find a diplomatic way to reply to the not-wholly inaccurate statement. "We don't see eye to eye and disagree on MANY things…" his eye twitched recalling the Dress Break of Rossweisse but swallowed the frustration for the moment. "…but you are looking more like you did in the Juggernaut Drive or during our fight in Kyoto. As much as we can't stand each other in certain fields, I don't want to see you look like that."
Issei looked up, his trepidation slowly eroding as he recalled their relatively peaceful talk after that fight, Dorian continuing his explanation.
"That and you showed me," he paused to make sure he gave nothing away. "That admiring the physical to a certain degree isn't something to be ashamed of. In moderation," he quickly added. "You trusted me then to tell me everything, you can do so now if it helps. I am telling you, Rias…"
"I know she cares about me! At least, I hope so," he blurted out, telling him all about the encounter in the baths.
"Well, isn't that it then?" Dorian added as he concluded. "She came to you, she asked you…"
"…if I would give up my harem dream," Issei finished with a snap. "But why would she focus on that so much? Sure, she's mentioned it a few times, but never like this. You made it look so easy with Rossweisse." He turned with a worried look as Dorian laughed a bit at that statement.
"It was hardly easy," he opened up to Issei as the Red Dragon had done for him. "I had no idea she cared about me in that way at first, how can anyone know? But we took time, we stayed with each other and, well, I asked her out. You've done so much with Rias and…"
"It's not that simple!" Issei cut him off. "Rossweisse was your first real crush, right?" Dorian nodded, omitting crushing on a few girls he'd met during his younger years traveling, though nothing came of it. "You don't know what it's like what Raynare did to me. How she made me feel."
Would I be like this if Rossweisse had turned out to have never cared for me and used those feelings to kill me? Kara and Despoina taught me a bit of that type of betrayal, but not to the extent it seems Raynare did to Issei. What can I even say to that?
"You said those women didn't deserve to have Diodora messing with them from after death. So why should you suffer because of Raynare?"
"Because I really cared about her! I thought I was sure how she felt and look what happened. What if the President doesn't think how I believe?"
"Then it will hurt," Dorian heard himself saying the words coming from a sense of understanding within as he tried to walk in Issei's shoes. "Probably like a knife in your chest, but it wouldn't be the end. But if you never try, then you can't advance. You'll be stuck as you are afraid to move one way or another."
You have all this evidence to her having feelings for you, Asia too but you are rejecting them as if by compulsion. Keep talking Issei, push past Raynare, you are stronger than her.
"I told you that Rias cares about you. If there is some disagreement over your harem dream, I am sure you two can work past it. I'd stake my life on it." Issei only shook his head again.
"Damn it, the heart of a maiden is just too complicated."
"It certainly can be," the soft voice of Akeno graced the room, Dorian having forgotten to close the door as well. She was not alone. "Especially from a boy's perspective."
"A-Akeno? Catherine, Asia, you were all listening?"
"Ravel and Irina too," Akeno revealed as the two stepped out from around the door. "They just didn't have the courage to step forward. We heard everything."
"All of it?" Issei and Dorian's expressions reddened. Up until that point only Asia had known the shaky truce the two had formed. "I can't get the President's words out of my head. Have I not thought about her feelings enough?"
"M-maybe you've been thinking of them too much," Asia stepped forward, the one in the room who openly loved Issei with all her heart. "You didn't with me until that night we spent together in Kyoto."
That night felt different. I always think about them naked and their breasts, but that night there was something more. For a bit, I didn't care about that as much compared to making that moment last. I need to think like that more, for the girls. Was that the first time I really tried to understand their hearts?
"I never tried to understand you deeper either," Catherine stepped forward next. "I heard of Raynare's attack before I joined, but not how deep it cut you. I don't think any did," Asia shook her head to agree. She had been there, died at Raynare's hands only to be saved by Issei and Rias. "You and I, unfortunately, are not too different, but you have shown me that you are of more substance and character than I gave you credit for. So, we are here for you."
"Issei, let us heal you," Asia snuggled closer, embracing him as if to prevent escape. Her breasts pressed against him, causing him to shiver at the warm sensation compounded as a green glow followed. She had activated Twilight Healing.
"My childhood friend, I was so unaware of the cross you bear!" Irina dabbed tears from her eyes. "You need not live in such turmoil of the soul, no matter how sinful and terrible it has bec…" she stopped as Ravel nudged her in the gut.
"As your manager," The blonde devil stepped forward. "Your mental well-being is of the utmost importance. If only you'd told me about this."
I would have done anything to make you feel better.
"We disagree on a lot," Dorian sat up to join the rest. "But I think we are friends, let's fight this as if it were any other opponent."
"You and Rias are important to us, your happiness as well," Akeno took the reigns as she stepped forward, her sisterly aura shining brighter than ever. "So, we are here to help you Issei."
"H-help me?" He fought back tears at the insistence of so many to help. "How?"
"You look at us with such frightened eyes sometimes," she began. "Even when Asia and Rias share all they are with you, you act scared. I didn't know why before, did any of us? Raynare still resides in your heart, haunting and darkening it from those who care for you most."
Dorian glanced between them, the look on Issei's face confirming her suspicions beyond all doubt.
Will you die for me?
How dare a low-class devil even speak to me?
I don't want a filthy brat like you to even speak my name!
To Issei's horror, Raynare's words mixed with Rias' voice, the fear of her ever saying anything close and what it would do to him swirling in his imagination warped by the memories. That was the fear that gripped at him so closely.
"And she killed me without a second thought. President killed her but it didn't help, she even kept my gift at the end, I don't know why." He would never forget the red scrunchie he'd gotten her on a whim during their date. She still had it even as she played the role of the victim pleading for her life. It took all he had to turn around and let Rias do what needed to be done.
"Haunting you because she died so quickly." Akeno knelt before him as the group of friends and loved ones gathered around. Even Catherine and Ravel dared to wrap an arm around him as Irina and Dorian placed a gentle hand on his shoulders. "You never got to talk with her, find that closure. I want to give that to you."
"How do you plan to do tha…?" Issei gasped, losing breath as Akeno pulled the bow from her hair and letting it fall free. He would never think ill of Akeno, not for even a moment. But as her raven-locks fell like a black waterfall, not even Issei could deny one simple truth.
With her hair down, Akeno looked unsettlingly similar to Raynare.
"Akeno, you are nothing like her."
"You'd never think so, you're too kind for that," the fallen angel smiled serenely. "But that doesn't mean I don't remind you of her like this even deep down. I saw that look in your eyes when you went into the Juggernaut Drive. When all reason is gone, your instincts see her. So, I want you to use that side of your mind with me. Pretend I am her, say to me all those things you couldn't say before."
Pretend that Akeno is Raynare?
"I can't do that!" He shuffled back a bit but realized he couldn't move without disturbing Asia which he was unwilling to do.
"Please," Akeno begged, forcing his hand. "Try."
"You…" Issei was sweating bullets, Dorian stepped back to give them room along with the rest. "Did our date truly mean anything to you?"
"Did you think it did?" She replied, warping her voice eerily close to that of the former enemy, Issei hearing something else as the past returned to him once more.
A royal date! So grand I've never been more bored in my life!
"I…I worked so hard planning that date for you, Yuuma!" The intensity in Issei's eyes grew, causing those around to grow more anxious as he uttered the name Raynare had chosen as a human. "I planned for that day, even the future; Valentine's Day…Christmas and New Year! You confessed to me, my first confession. I was happier than…than…"
"Should we let this go on?" Ravel whispered to Dorian; the concern clear as day on her face for all to see. "Lord Issei is going through so much pain!"
"We can step in if it goes too far, but I think this will help," the Einherjar whispered back. "All we can do right now is be there for him when it comes."
"We went out that day," Akeno's voice remained calm as she continued even taking on some of Raynare's inflections. Her memory was impeccable recalling their brief interactions. "I killed you, then Asia."
"Don't say her name!" Issei lashed out. "You don't want us saying your name, so you don't get to say hers!" Akeno eased back slightly in reaction to the intensity of his words, his emotions more honest than even she thought they could be.
I don't want a brat like you calling me by my actual name. Issei's mind merged the memories with what he saw Raynare as saying to his face. Akeno was before him, but all he could see now as his subconscious worked its way to the forefront was that sneering grin that stood over him as he bled out by the fountain.
What if the President says that to me? She gave me permission to say her name like Asia, but how can I be sure? I couldn't take that; I couldn't bear to hear that from her most of all.
"You played me, tormented me, killed me." He continued as silence filled the room to leave only his voice. "Then you begged for help when we had you beaten. President killed you…the woman I love killed the first girl I ever wanted to care for."
Damn, Dorian could barely tell he had stopped breathing as Issei continued, the tension in the room thicker than ever. He was hiding this all this time since we met? He refuses to believe they love him out of the fear history will repeat itself? Did she place a curse on him or is it his own trauma? I suppose it doesn't matter anymore.
"It was right that she killed you, you deserved it for what you did. Killing me, killing Asia." Tears were now flowing freely from his eyes. "Those eyes you looked at me with, those cold uncaring ones I can never forget. You were acting the whole time, I hit you, hit a girl for the first time and then let President kill you."
Her black feathers were scattered around the church, my first girlfriend and there was nothing left of her after the power of Destruction touched her. I can't forget that scene. I want to, but how can I?
Tell them how you feel. The voice of Iggy echoed in his mind channeled through his connection with Ddraig. She knew something of letting fear cling to you she wanted to impart. Let the fear from your heart, please. Letting it fester will only hurt you in the long run. I have learned that better than before in recent days.
"Asia, everyone, I'm scared," he finally admitted. "Scared that you are bored when we shop together, when we study together, when I do anything with you. I am scared that you are kind to me for now, but if I try to get closer that it will happen again. You'll reject me and laugh, I KNOW you aren't like that, my brain knows, but deep down that feeling stays there and hurts the more I try to fight it!"
Issei buried his face in his hands, ashamed by what he had just said. He'd unveiled his feelings to everyone and was fully expecting the rejection to follow. How could they think highly of him after that?
"I might as well give up my dream here and now. How can I be a Harem King if I don't have the courage to grow closer to girls?"
"You will do NO such thing!" The commanding tone of Ravel shattered his self-loathing, snapping him towards her. "What kind of woman do you take me for? Would I have become the manager for anyone I thought was pathetic or whom I would laugh at?"
Issei looked up, the words starting to reach him. All they needed was some help.
"I love you Issei," Asia gripped his hand tightly. "I told you that after we beat Diodora, and I say it now. "I want to stay with you forever, no matter how long that truly is. I respect you; you've always been there to save me and help me grow stronger. I could never talk badly about you or laugh in any way but with you to smile more than ever! To build a future with you."
Asia's smile reached his heart, granting a path for all the next words spoken to follow.
"Rias could never think that way," Catherine knelt, leaning towards him as Asia and Ravel now did. "She is someone of honor and above all unrivaled kindness. You fight for her as mightily as any of us, even more so. Have courage Issei; if you talk to her, things will most certainly be okay."
"You can't let me pull ahead, can you?" Dorian's fervor to help spiked, calling upon the competitive side he knew resided within his fellow student. "Break through this and move forward. I told you many times that she cares about you, didn't I?"
Break past this wall Issei, just as you helped me break past mine.
"Goldie, you too?" He sniffled as his resolve started to show itself once more. "I won't lose to you, you hear me!"
"Then get past her, don't forget what happened, but move past the burn she left and let it heal."
"I haven't seen you in many years," Irina was beside herself at the friendship and comradery around her. "But you are my cherished friend I grew up with. I want you to find happiness, true happiness!"
"You are more than you let on," Catherine nodded to Asia who agreed with every word. "Think how much brighter you will be without her shadow. Kiba showed me this new life and you are part of it with everyone else."
"All of us are you moron," Issei looked to the door, tears falling anew as he saw Koneko standing there, Kiba and Gasper too with Honda framing them. His family since joining the devils. Everyone was there.
And they always will be, he finally realized as the pain stabbing at his heart started to slowly melt away. I feel warm and it's not just from Twilight Healing.
The first steps taken, the curse of Raynare upon Issei Hyoudou started to lift.
"Thank you, Asia, everyone," he finally returned her embrace, squeezing tight with only minor perverted notions. "I thought I was protecting you, but you were all watching over me too. How can I call myself unlucky when a girl as great as you promises to stay with me forever? We will be just that, you, and I…and the President too. Ten thousand years as a start!"
He wiped his tears away as smiles spread throughout the group, Akeno replacing the bow to recreate her ponytail. Her imitation of Raynare was no longer required. She wouldn't say it, but she'd nearly given in when Issei truly started seeing her as the woman he despised and loved. Had he continued much longer, she may have broken down.
"Yes Issei, together always." Asia was crying now as much as he.
"Don't think that applies to just them," Ravel found her voice once more. "You can be so hopeless; I'll be here all that time to make sure you aren't ever taken advantage of again!" She embraced him from Asia's other side, the young man not sure how to react.
Ravel too? Issei resisted the urge to ask why she was drawing so close to him, the seeds of understanding still growing in his mind. There is so much of girls I don't understand, not yet. I can move past this, they saved me. Little by little, I can move past Raynare to something new, even if never completely.
"Perhaps we should give them some privacy," Dorian offered to a nodding Akeno.
"Indeed, let's leave those who prefer it time alone," she giggled. Like a mother hen, she ushered the other members of the peerage to the exit only noticing as she nearly departed that Asia and Ravel were not the only ones staying. "Cat?"
"He was there for me and my sisters," she insisted as she remained kneeling beside Ravel, wrapping her arms around him causing Issei to shiver. "I would like to be here for him, h-however I can." She could barely look at Akeno, the Queen's mischievous grin boring through her.
"Of course, spend as much time as you need."
"Thank you Akeno," Dorian whispered only once they were back outside with the door finally closed. "I don't think he could have gone so far without you."
"You softened him a bit," she laid a hand gently on his shoulder. "If you two have this effect on one another, I hope your rivalry lasts for many more years."
"Until one of us kills the other," he tried to laugh a little as he left, deciding a long soak in the tower or rest would be nice. A soft smile spread on his lips as he wondered where Rossweisse and Thrud were in that moment.
Within the room, Issei sat there surrounded by Asia, Catherine, and Ravel, the three embracing him powerfully as if their touch would expedite his healing. The tears had stopped, instead smiles of joy as their presence strengthened one another, Issei having made his decision.
I have the courage now, no matter how this turns out I can move forward with my feelings. I have an answer for President, it may not be what she wants, but it's how I feel. After we defeat Sairaorg, when she has won and is on her way to being the champion she deserves to be, that is when I will confess everything…
Sitri Territory Hospital…
"Remarkable," the doctor muttered with a sip of coffee barely realizing that only a few drops remained and were long since cold. He had been staring at the microscope trying to explain exactly what he saw but failed each time. "And these tests are certain?"
"Ran them three times," the blonde nurse nodded. Her hair was frayed and messy, none there willing to take a rest until they got further in their experiments. They no longer feared a renewed attack, several members of Serafall's own Peerage guarding the hospital in secret. All the same, they were so close they could feel it, the latest realization only heightening their fascination.
"Even a single cell has a slight variance so minor we'd never have thought to look without being told of his immunity to temporal magic." He muttered to himself as the centrifuge nearby spun, the final stages before his machinations of the last few days would finally be realized.
A variance never before seen that makes his cells shifted ever so slightly from everything I've seen in the last hundred years. Temporal-based magic just, for lack of a better term, stops in their presence. One cell comes into contact and the symptoms of the disease become mundane. With the right combination of treatments…
"You may go home Sela," he insisted to the nurse as he slapped himself a few times for a surge of adrenaline. "You have worked hard enough."
"I asked for a third shift," she insisted resolutely. She'd worked with him since her time as a resident and not once had ever seen him so utterly bewildered yet fascinated by what they now worked on. "I want to see this through."
"You'll barely be able to stay on your feet."
"But I'll still be twice as useful as most around here," she huffed with an upturned nose at her mentor. "As if I would give up a chance to work on this. Magic infused into a disease we have dealt with for millennia, a young man from foreign shores with the one component needed to develop a cure from! It's like…"
"Like those insufferable novels you so enjoy," he finished with a sideways grin. Already he was feeling livelier, Sela had that effect on him.
But she's right, with that underlying magic disrupted, the symptoms become much more manageable. In under two weeks we already almost have a first sample. It's almost too good to be true. I know why she's so interested beyond her heart of gold.
"I am sure your brother will appreciate your efforts?" His question was so simple, so calm yet hit such a chord with the nurse she stopped.
"I hope so, there's been no change in years," she muttered.
"No surprise there. Well," he groaned, massaging his sore legs. "We can't do anything else for two hours until this finishes. Care to share a meal with me? My treat."
"The food is free to all staff."
"Must you kill all attempts at chivalry?" The near smile on her lips was worth looking foolish. "By the time we come back, it'll be time to start the final mixing."
"Well, just a few minutes," she acquiesced. "But I get another shift after."
"Deal," the two walked side by side to the elevator. He breathed a little easier spotting a shifting shadow, the power of Serafall's Bishop. They were protected at all times even if they couldn't see their guards.
One more day, maybe two. That is all the time we need to try something. We'll have to prepare Lady Misla's room. I promised we'd try it on her first. No allergic reactions, immune system is as strong as it can be and there is nothing we've found to infer that it would only work on her. One more day, maybe two…then we see if we can reunite countless families separated for many long centuries. If this works, all our names will be remembered forever. None more so than this strange lad Mr. Dorian Held.
Agares Isle…
"This is…incredible!" Dorian smiled uncontrollably as they stood upon the overlook tower.
"That's my line!" Bennia nudged him aside to get a closer look. "Think I could catch someone if I spit over the side?"
"I'll take that bet!" Ratatoskr jumped to her shoulder, her being clearly the more fun between the two that day. Iggy could only facepalm, the spirit having taken physical form to take in the sights with the rest.
The Crossroad Team had been given special approval to reach the Agares floating island through the Roads rather than monitored teleportation, airship or the slower gondola connected to the surface of their territory. Days had passed since their discussion with Issei, and Rias' team seemed more prepared than ever to fight. They arrived on the outskirts of Agreas, the city built upon the island once the secret within was discovered by Seekvaira's family long ago.
"The power to float this island was crafted during the time of the first Satans," Seekvaira educated them as she gave the grand tour. "Only Lord Ajuka knows all the details, we granted him a laboratory in the center to maintain the core in case of any emergencies."
"Maybe they borrowed some Vanaheim magic," Rossweisse theorized aloud while watching the waterfalls scattered across the surface reminding her of the peaceful realm they had just come from. "There were rare skirmishes with the Nine Realms back then, the weather is so temperate here too."
"That weather control has made this a popular vacation spot. My family was given dominion over it when we discovered the secret within. Don't worry, it's been common knowledge for centuries," she assured upon seeing their trepidation. Hecuba especially looked on edge as if worried being told would put a target on her back. "The minerals buried deep within have unique properties not found anywhere else. They are the substance from which all Evil Pieces are made from."
"And is used in the construction of Brave Saints Cards and eventually your very own Senet set," Ajuka Beelzebub added as he appeared from a teleportation circle before them.
With what the pieces are capable of, Dorian thought to himself. That would produce colossal levels of power having so much of it in one place.
"How spectacular-nya," Kuroka purred at the mention of her future peerage set, licking her lips in anticipation. "And we get to see this match upon such legendary ground?"
"Officially we're here as added security," Dorian informed, the older nekoshou noting how comfortable he was becoming in a leadership role to the point he could shift in and out of it. "There is always the chance the Hero Faction will try to make a move during such a time that two powerful peerage teams are engaged with one another. And not just them."
Sairaorg isn't considered the Bael heir by all. He's gathered a great many nobles to his side out of fear or admiration for his strength, but there is always a chance those more traditional sides will work against him. All of this ran through Dorian's mind, but he held back sharing unless necessary, it would not help the Crossroad's reputation if such suspicions were made public.
"We are hoping they stay clear for the duration," Ajuka clarified. "You are not our only contingency. Vali is also nearby, though remaining out of the island's defensive measures. Even Cao Cao would realize he'd need to level the entire area if he had to face both peerages, the Crossroads AND Vali's team to say nothing of the powerful spectators."
"And Vali will wish keep an eye on Issei's fight against Sairaorg no doubt," Hecuba seemed to deduce the reason for his oddly charitable presence. "The White to oversee the growth of the Red."
"You are catching on quickly," Ajuka bowed to her insight. "I will need to depart for my laboratory, I trust you will be on guard as are our allies in case they tried to attack elsewhere. And Ms. Kuroka, I will need another for the final stages."
"Okay, but not too many more, can't be going bald yet," she winked while pulling several strands of fur from her tail and placing them inside a vial the powerful Satan had handed her. "Don't keep a lady waiting much longer."
"You know," Ratatoskr turned to Iggy when they were a bit further from the others. "You're a hot tree girl normally right?" She nodded shyly. "So, can you just change your appearance on the fly like this?" He motioned up and down referring to her impressive figure and appearance.
"Well, yes," she smiled proudly. "I can change my outward traits at will; hair color, eyes, even skin tone and body shape. I never thought to do more than that."
"And out of every choice out there, you chose to be a green haired, green-silver eyed buxom hottie. Now why is that I wonder?" His coy smirk was so pronounced it unnerved the young woman.
"Y-yes, is there a problem with that?"
"Nah, not at all," the squirrel remarked before turning towards Dorian and screaming at the top of his lungs. "HEY! Boss man, what is your favorite color?"
"GREEN," Dorian shouted back immediately seeing no harm in it. "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, no reason," Ratatoskr turned to Iggy, her face having gone even paler than usual looking as if she wanted to retreat back into Dorian more than anything. Instead all she did was look back at Ratatoskr in horror, all words failing her.
"Do you think…" Dorian leaned over towards the Agares heir only a bit confused why Ratatoskr couldn't stop laughing at Iggy's reddening face. He couldn't be certain, but Seekvaira almost looked like she was pouting behind her stoic expression at her tour being interrupted. "…that you could show us around more? Rias' gondola won't arrive for another hour, and I would love to hear more of this place."
"I…would be delighted," she answered with restrained satisfaction and pride. "We can't visit the core, but if you look this way, I can show you a few highlights…"
Agares Hotel Upper Floor…
"As much as I admire that Issei lad and his fetching master, Sairaorg holds the advantage," Odin repeated as he and Freyja settled into the temporary accommodations before the match. "I wouldn't be surprised if he could take on every member of their team at once."
"I wouldn't be so sure," Freyja countered. "These children seem to have a knack for overcoming the odds. They did manage to fight quite well against Loki and have only grown stronger since. I will wager on the Gremory victory."
"A pity Thor and Baldur couldn't make it. This is going to be one…oh, the guests arrived."
On the windowsill sat a pair of ravens shifting through every color imaginable, Huginn and Muninn with a document in each beak. With absolute obedience, they dropped them into Odin's palms, the deity handing off to his wife as he retrieved much deserved treats to reward them.
"Hmmm," he scanned it over, Freyja way ahead of him. "I was never much good at these. It is good news I pray?"
"More than good," she smiled knowingly. "His heart rate is stabilized; his body is much younger. Why, even his bones are reinforcing again. But…"
"But he won't heal fully on his own? Is that it?" Freyja shook her head solemnly.
"No, but he is more than healthy enough now that there is no longer a danger from consumption. Do you have it?"
"Picked it myself," the Chief deity of the Nine Realms patted a small box produced from their travel bags. "Regardless of who wins tonight, it will be done. We have delayed long enough."
"Too long," she agreed leaning back in her chair. "He has done so much even if he does not realize it, not the least of which being saving Baldur from Helheim. After the match tonight, we shall give him the much-deserved gift."
"But until then," Odin put a hand on his wife's thigh as a cheeky grin stretched across his face. "How about we set a few bets for the fight?"
"The last time I agreed to such a thing," her eyes narrowed towards him. "A pair of my panties went missing that only recently were recovered." She could not help but adore the slowly growing sense of worry on Odin's face. "Then again, I am so sure that I am right that I may be able to agree to a few…wagers."
Agares Isle Docks…
"Finally," Ravel thumped her foot as Issei, and the others stepped out of the gondola onto the surface of the floating island. The group had been amazed at the sheer scope of that place to the point they'd foregone easier methods of transport just for the fun of riding the car up. "You kept everyone waiting. We are already behind schedule but can make up for lost time."
Per her words, the crowd awaiting them was enormous. Not only for their popularity in the Oppai Dragon Show, but as one of the two heirs that would be facing together in only a few hours. Sairaorg's team had received such a welcome when they arrived. Limousines were waiting to ferry the peerage to their hotel across from the stadium. Issei spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd he'd seen at the Oppai Dragon live performance, the most welcome being Lirenkus sitting on the shoulders of a man in a business suit, his mother whom he'd met beside him. He made sure to throw a cheerful grin and wave their way.
"Of course Ravel, lead the way." Rias spoke on Issei's behalf as was expected as King of the peerage. She and her Pawn had not spoken personally since the encounter in the sauna, but she was feeling better having pushed all personal uncertainties to the side until after the match.
"I wonder why they decided to have the fight here," Issei thought out loud as the crowd of fans and onlookers parted to allow them to begin the journey to the stadium. "Are you related to the Agares family too?"
"I am not," Rias answered while looking out the window. "There was quite a discussion over holding this match within Gremory or Bael territory between my brother and Lord Bael. From what I hear, it nearly came to blows."
"So they came to a compromise thanks to a little intervention from Seekvaira's father," Akeno continued. "Thus, Agares territory was selected. There is quite a lot going on behind the scenes, we should be cautious." Her words were serious, but she uttered them as if telling a playful joke. Issei wasn't quite sure what to make of it.
"Even better than Kyoto, isn't it?" Dorian called out as their limousine finally pulled into the hotel. "We heard you needed some extra escort; looking good."
"Better than before," Issei put a hand on his hip trying to act more confident in front of the multitudes of cameras still following them. "What have you been up to?"
"Just what it looks like," he showed them through the spacious grand lobby Seekvaira had gone to great lengths only hours before describing how it was made. "Every group is coming to see this, we just helped Lady Gabriel to her room, Azazel is around here somewhere, even…"
"Hoho, we meet again Mr. Held. How long has it been?"
The Crossroads members with him; Rossweisse, Thrud, Bennia and Hecuba turned at the voice that only Dorian truly recognized. A group approached from the other side emitting an aura that caused every bellboy and attendant to steer clear. Each wore dark hoods blacker than any night preventing a single feature of their heads from being seen. Only the one in the center was visible, his face that of a skeleton, skinless with eyes glowing blue. He wore a robe normally reserved for priests, the triple skull-topped staff in his hand pulsing with hidden power within.
"Dorian, that's…" Rossweisse whispered, but the Einherjar stepped forward between the peerage and God of the Underworld maintaining his composure despite the sense of malice in the air.
"Issei Hyoudou, Rias Gremory, this is Lord Hades of the Olympian Pantheon. And it has been quite some time. I haven't seen you since Elysium. You look…different." He recalled the faux skin the God had worn to try and appease to him for a more human appearance. "I did not expect you to come for this event."
"How could I decline upon hearing the vaunted Crossroads were present and none other than my favorite escaped collectible. A surprise as well to find the two deserters to be sharing your company." The group stood utterly still, despite merely speaking to them there was an ambiance of utter despair about the skeletal god. It was as if his hands were already wrapped around their souls and could sever them with a single motion. "Bats, birds, crows, and little girls in armor, a whole collection of useless beings in one place."
"Hey…" Hecuba and Bennia dared a step forward to protest. They did not need to, however as the man who considered himself their leader and friend spoke in their defense.
"I hardly see how they could ever be seen as deserters," he focused to hide the dread the God of the Underworld emanated. "The Crossroads are servants to every member group of our alliance. Only one who actively works against all could call them such." Both sides were silent after the half-accusatory statement, though the tensing of the reaper bodyguards was evident if only barely.
"You look old Einherjar," Hades looked him up and down seeing through all attempts at illusion. "A pity, how sore those limbs of yours must feel years ahead of their time. You'd feel much better in Elysium with the vibrancy in your body restored. Perhaps you could satisfy your friend Despoina. Even if she doesn't know it, she awaits your presence there. How does it feel to be desired by a useless traitor?"
"Last I heard, she has her happiness there already," Dorian held his ground before one of the top ten strongest beings in the world. "I am finding my own, there is no easy way there."
"Except death," his eyes lit up brighter than ever.
He's trying to get a rise out of you, Despoina warned him. He knows he has been denied claiming you until your death, even then I doubt anyone knows what afterlife you would be meant for at this point. Hela would fight for you tooth and nail no doubt at the very least.
"What is this?" Hades stepped forward the moment the former goddess started to speak. Seizing Dorian by the chin, he gazed deep into his eyes as if gazing through his soul and very being. "Hoho, what a fascinating turn of events…and how long have you been in there?"
"Get your hands off…"
"…him!" Rossweisse shouted almost in unison, a seal appearing between them and wrenching Dorian free of the god's grip. The teams, both Crossroads and Rias' Peerage, moved forward to back him up. Even with all together, their power was nothing compared to the being before them.
"Such devotion," he brushed his hand as if disgusted by even touching her barrier. "Your affections are child's play before true love between the void of eternity. All that mortals are capable of is wasting it and crushing the desires of others. Your bat friend knows a thing or two about that."
The team turned to where he was referring, squarely at Issei Hyoudou.
Ddraig, you know him? Issei asked the presence within his mind overheard by Dorian and Iggy.
[We had an encounter long ago. the conflict between Albion and I shook both Heaven and the Underworld. I recall his forces being among those we clashed with. That was the only time I ever heard his roar of fury shake the halls before God stepped in.]
This guy roared like that? Just what happened for him to look at us with such ire?
"Oh, if it isn't Lord Hades, how is old age treating you?" The jubilant voice of Odin broke the tension threatening to boil over. "My you have such an entourage and yet not a cute girl among them. Did you lose your poster child when Bennia left, or have you always had trouble recruiting the beauties of the Underworld?"
Bennia looked like she was beaming with pride, waving her hand as if to say she wasn't as much a beauty as Odin stated.
"Odin, brother," he spoke to Zeus walking alongside him without using their titles, the two clearly have been together out on the town. "Are you quite done dragging your names through the mud?"
"What you call dragging through mud, we call living our lives, you should try it." Zeus let out a resounding belly laugh. "Azazel knew so many good outings in Agreas, their tourist district is superb! Leave Mr. Held be and come clubbing with us."
"I have better places to be," he growled with a step back, his gaze falling to Rossweisse and Thrud still standing at Dorian's side. "Perhaps this match shall give me a modicum of entertainment. I will find none here."
Hades glided past them with his entourage following keeping locked eyes with Dorian until the last moment. The fight wouldn't be until nightfall, but it seemed as if they were getting set up early. Bennia stuck her tongue out, acting proud as she noticed Hecuba risk a quick one before anyone else could notice. Only once he had left the building did the younger generation release a pent-up sigh of relief.
"You know that boney bastard?" Issei asked. "Seems like he's not fond of anyone. He felt like a monster, just how strong is he?"
"Stronger than everyone here, Sirzechs included," Azazel appeared at last having been avoiding Hades' movements around the corner. "If there is anyone you don't want as an enemy it's him, yet it seems like he has eyes on both of you." Issei paled at the information, having seen Sirzechs as the pinnacle of strength around him up to that point.
"So, he's an evil god then?"
"Not truly Issei," Dorian answered him this time. "He just, shall we say, doesn't see much value in others."
"Especially those of outside mythologies," Zeus shook his head with Azazel agreeing. "He is necessary for the land of the dead, without him I can't imagine how many powerful beings would start a breakout. Hasn't been the same since the Heavenly Dragons shook his territory. He and his wife Persephone have become recluses, but come come, now is not the time for such things. Odin, I hear good things of you and your beloved, but what of you Azazel? For all your talk of harems and skill in the art of wooing I have yet to see a beauty on either of your arms."
"You two don't need to worry about such things," Azazel tried to divert their concern especially in front of so many he considered his students.
"Wow," Issei whispered to Kiba and Dorian. "I've never seen teach pushed back before."
"Nonsense," Odin wrapped an arm around Azazel. "My beloved's realm is home to the truest beauties in creation. I could introduce you to a dozen forthwith. That is," he started, analyzing Azazel's sideways glance to avoid eye contact. "Unless there was already a foxy woman who has caught your eye? Come now, spill. Who is the lucky lady?"
"Now is hardly the time," Rossweisse muttered out of habit, barely realizing that a red-haired Valkyrie had followed behind them and uttered the exact phrase at the same time. The two locked eyes before half-giggling.
"Running you ragged too Hildr?" Rossweisse recognized the junior Valkyrie from among the latest graduates prior to Dorian's arrival. "How long have you been on?"
"Two weeks, after the last one quit," she admitted. "And you did this for years? How!?"
"I'll have to share some tips when we have time. I believe your charge is getting away." In her brief distraction, the young woman had nearly missed Odin slipping out the front door with Zeus and Azazel in tow."
"GET BACK HERE!" She went shouting frantically chasing them. Rossweisse could only shake her head as a wave of nostalgia flooded past her.
"You can practice in the exercise courts nearby," Ravel tried to wrest control back as the lively welcome to the hotel started to subside. "A good warm up for tonight to be in top form."
"Excellent idea," Rias nodded with approval. "This will be our last chance. Mr. Held, if you would escort Akeno and I to our rooms, the rest can be shown to these courts and work the kinks out after so long being idle."
"Not too idle I hope."
"Riser?"
"Brother?" Ravel looked shocked, not having expected his early arrival. "What are you doing here?"
"Does a big brother need a reason to check on his little sis? He leaned against a nearby railing with a confident smirk. "I hope Issei is fully aware how fortunate he is to have you keeping him on task."
He certainly looks better since the Dragon Mountains.
Much, back to his old self from what I hear, Dorian could sense the confidence pouring off the Phenex son. Surely, he was there for more reason than a family reunion since Ravel had become Issei's manager.
"I am impressed, the media circus around your match is on par with a pro one at the highest level," he spelled out the situation. "The seats are full, and you'll be fighting under their eyes and scrutiny. You'll want to fight all out of course, but there will also be that level of entertainment to take into account. Play to win, but also make sure the audience loves you, that is how you'll assure a grand entrance into the Rating Game circuit when you win this."
He would know that I suppose, Issei considered, remembering he had been undefeated prior to their one-on-one match.
"Play to the crowd you say?" Rias flipped her hair, standing before Riser as an equal. "Seems like that sort of thing can lead to an easy defeat. I may not be as tactically gifted as Sona and cannot hope to match Sairaorg's power, but we've worked hard for this and planned. That and my servants are the best in the world."
"Ah yes, working hard, something I despise," Riser's statement was honest, but no longer felt condescending as it would have before his loss to Issei. "That coupled with your incredible ability to attract talent makes you a dangerous opponent. Especially that Issei," he glanced to the young man with an air of respect. "They are all treasures, just like mine, just as I am sure Sairaorg feels about his own. Maybe having found such close servants is your special strength surpassing all others?"
Issei's eyes bulged out of his sockets, the rest of Rias' peerage following suit at the out of place praise heaped on them by the former enemy. He must have realized how it looked, the Phenex son scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
"Be sure to win, I'll be rooting for you."
This guy, he came all the way to encourage us, I guess he isn't so bad after all. Kings have to carry a lot on their shoulders, I'll have to keep that in mind if I want to become one.
"Of course, I don't think I've ever seen you so thoughtful."
"Well, you aren't the only one who found a treasure that made you consider new possibilities."
"What do you mean?"
Catherine gasped as she glanced past to the women of the Phenex Peerage approaching. In the back row, the blue hair was unmistakable as Migdalia walked among the others. Seeing her former sister, she smiled serenely, releasing a gentle wave. It was not enough, having heard how happy Rosalina and the others were in Vanaheim, Cat pushed past the crowds to her side, embracing her powerfully within the lobby.
"I had a tryout for my final Bishop slot," he announced proudly. "There may have been others that were stronger, more beautiful…"
"Ones that fit your missing festishes more?" his Queen Yubelluna pointed out, glancing away playfully as he turned to glare at her.
"…but," he continued. "There as a quality to her I could not deny. She will find a peaceful home with us; of that I swear. Not too dissimilar to how you found your Pawn I imagine," he pointed squarely at Issei. "Issei Hyoudou, Red Dragon Emperor! Join me up here at the top so I can fight you again, I want to face your punch, and this time I will not falter! I will show you what it means to face a real professional Ratings Game competitor in all his glory!"
"Count on it!" Issei balled his fist and answered Riser's summon. "Next time I'll beat you in an official capacity. Just you wait!"
"Not too long and do be sure to not be too draining on my sister," he grinned slyly to Ravel who had hoped he would forget she was there. "She may be a mistress of managing the hopeless, but even she has limits. Make her cry and I'll burn you to ash."
"That is NONE of your concern!" Ravel with flushed cheeks threw a nearby ash tray at his head, bouncing off it with seemingly no effect though everyone on his peerage flinched. With a far more strained laugh than he was trying to let on, the older Phenex brother departed, the girls of his team checking to ensure he was okay, even Migdalia looking concerned.
Thanks man, Issei bid him farewell in his thoughts. That will surely give Rias some peace, help us move forward to this fight with even greater fighting spirit! And Cat looks happier than ever, good for her sister. That's all of them, thank goodness.
"Now then Mr. Held," Rias turned to the Crossroads awkwardly watching unable to depart without them accompanying as per their security duties. "I believe it's high time you escort us to our rooms and training yard. You will most certainly not want to miss tonight."
Issei sheds the shadows of the past thanks to the aid of those he considers friends and family just in time for the final round of the Rating Game. Under the protection of the Crossroads, Rias Gremory stands ready to prove to the world her worth and face against the Bael heir Sairaorg who seeks to change Devil Society with his victory.
Wow, 3 years and running with this story and it has grown beyond anything I ever imagined. I sincerely from the bottom of my heart want to thank everyone reading and enjoying it all this time. I hope to never disappoint as I continue onwards. The Rating Game matches begin next time, until then I hope everyone Reads and Reviews…but most of all Enjoys! :D
