Chapter 1
It was a cool evening as a train was unloading its last few individuals off said train for the night. Only a few people were on the train, but one person definitely stood out from the passengers.
That person was a tall man with short dark brown hair that had red tints at the end of it. His eyes were dark brown but seemed to be cold, as if he was telling people to leave him alone.
His attire looked similar to that of a delinquent of sorts as he wore a long, black, high-collared, and tattered cloak with shoulder plates; around his waist was a simple belt. The man also wore loose-fitting dark pants, along with some simple boots that were good for fighting.
The man was carrying a duffel bag of sorts while leaving the train station as he looked at the name of the town he was in.
"Shinto Teito. It seems nicer than my old town, that's for sure." The man said as he looked at his left arm and saw that it was covered in crimson scales.
"You'd be surprised what happened to me after the war in these past few months, Ddraig. Heh. You'd probably ask me if I knew what I was doing." The man chuckled as he recalled what his old friend would say to him until he decided to head to his new destination.
"I need a drink."
Within Shinto Teito.
"Man, that hit the spot!" Kazehana said as she wiped her mouth after drinking the bottle of sake. Kagari sighed at the Wind Sekirei.
"Why are you like this sometimes, Kazehana? You know you can't keep drinking so much, or else your liver will explode." Kagari said as Kazehana smiled with a tiny blush before speaking to him.
"Well, it's the best way to drown one's sorrows, and what better way to feel alive than drink until you collapse?" Kazehana said as Kagari sighed before the door to the bar was opened. The man walked into the bar and sat down a bit far from the woman.
Kagari and Kazehana were surprised by his appearance before Kagari went over to him and asked.
"Good evening, sir. What can I get you?"
"Water."
Kagari nodded and went to fill up the glass while Kazehana couldn't help but feel turned on by the look in his eyes before she waved at him.
"Hi there, handsome. What's a guy like you doing here alone?" Kazehana asked as she sauntered over to him and pressed her chest on his left arm. She was shocked to see no reaction from him.
"Get your tits off me, skank. I'm not in the mood for your games." The man said as Kazehana felt offended by the remark before speaking to him.
"And what makes you think I am one?"
"You act like you'd sleep with any guy if they buy you a drink and promise you a good time. Just piss off. I don't feel like sleeping with a slut." The man said as Kazehana began to clench her fists in rage. Kagari gave the man his glass of water before the man drank it in one gulp.
"I've seen your type, lady, and let me tell you, I'm not impressed." The man said as he turned to look at Kazehana, whose eyes widened as she looked at them.
As a Sekirei, their species can look into the souls of others and see their emotional pain, so when Kazehana looked into those eyes, she saw the same emotion she felt when her feelings weren't returned to her by the man she loved.
Sadness.
Kazehana unclenched her fists as she sat next to him and sighed. "I'm actually a virgin, believe it or not. I act like that because we're alike. Broken-hearted by someone we loved."
The man was shocked by this as he chuckled as he spoke to her.
"Heh. Well, if you are like me, then you must've had some therapy to deal with since I had a messed up brain because of the bullshit I had to deal with. It got worse when I was betrayed by the woman I loved, who not only cheated on me but also berated me while making out and fucking with her boyfriend."
The man clenched his left fist tightly as he looked at his naked ring finger and sighed. "Would you believe me if I told you that we were engaged to be married?"
Kazehana and Kagari were surprised by this before the man nodded. "It's true. Want to hear my story?"
Kazehana nodded and listened to how the man began to regale his tale of how he was just a normal, perverted, but honest boy who desired to have a harem to treat as the Queens of his world with love, respect, and affection. The man said his name was Issei Hyoudou and how he was killed and betrayed by the first girl who said she loved him and left a scar on his heart. Then he spoke about how he was able to heal thanks to his friends and learning to be open and love again. Still, all that resulted in Issei being betrayed by the woman he wished to propose to, his ex-girlfriend Rias Gremory. Still, sadly, the dagger stabbed his heart again when he saw that Rias was already at the restaurant with another man, whom she met at her college and seemed to be very close since Issei followed them to a love hotel where the two made love and Rias said she would dump Issei.
It hurt, but when Issei went to see his other girlfriends, he saw that each of them cheated on him and betrayed the promise they made to each other.
The twisting of the dagger was so painful that Issei nearly turned into a dragon and went on a rampage. Still, he was able to control himself as he decided that they didn't love him anymore or wanted him, so he decided to leave his old town for college and make a new life for himself.
"Which brings me to here. I'm here to restart my life from zero. Heh. So let me know what you think. Am I crazy or just some depressed fool?" Issei asked as he drank another glass of water before Kazehana reached out for his left hand and took it.
"No." Issei then looked at Kazehana as she spoke to him. "You did nothing wrong. You are telling the truth, and you are not a bad man."
Kazehana said as Issei chuckled at him. "Yeah, right. Apparently, I must've fucked up somehow because my life changed forever and went to hell, so tell me how I'm not a bad man when the people I loved betrayed me after I sacrificed my body! My soul! My heart! MY LIFE!" Issei roared as Kazehana and Kagari were shocked by his aura and strength due to the dent he placed on the counter.
Issei stopped himself as he looked at the counter, took some money out, and placed it on the counter. "I'm sorry. This amount should be enough to fix it. I'll be leaving now."
Issei said as he was about to leave until a hand caught him. "Hey, Issei. Mind escorting a girl home?"
Issei blinked at the girl before he sighed at his kind heart telling him to help her.
"Fine," Issei said as he carried Kazehana to the Izumo Inn, thanks to her directions. He was greeted by a woman at the entrance smiling at them.
"Oh, hello there. Thank you for bringing Kazehana here. My name is Miya Asama. It's nice to see you." Miya said as Issei introduced himself and placed the drunk woman on the couch. Miya offered to have Issei stay for the night.
"No, No. I don't want to trouble you at all, Asama-san."
"Nonsense. It's really cold out tonight, and it's impossible to find a room this late. Please stay the night." Miya said as Issei tried to argue back, but his stomach growled as Miya giggled at his flustered expression.
"I..suppose I can stay for the night."
"Wonderful. I believe you'll love it here." Miya said as Issei followed her to the kitchen and asked if he could help her, but Miya just directed Issei to the kitchen table. She heated some leftover soup and gave it to Issei.
Little did Issei know that tonight would be the start of a new beginning in life.
Issei then thanked Miya for the room as he sighed as he heard her leave him be. Issei then looked at a full moon and felt a sense of nostalgia form in his heart as he recalled that night that changed his fate.
"Who would've thought that the Goddess of Love would save me when I was truly at my lowest point?"
Issei said as he closed his eyes and recalled the day he nearly took his life after his heart was destroyed into pieces by their words and actions.
Flashback. A Few Months Ago.
Issei's heart broke as he refused to go on a rampage, so instead, he decided to destroy an entire mountain away from civilization to release his rage. He then roared in rage and sorrow after feeling his heartbreak from the knife twisting his heart.
'Is this how they really feel about me? They never loved me and just pretended to care about me. Xenovia and Koneko, I believe, but Irina and Asia, too? After all we've been through together?' Issei yelled in his head as he looked at his left arm and cried again as he roared once more while pondering what he did to deserve being alone and if this was his fate.
Issei stayed on that mountain for the night until a voice spoke to him from a person he wasn't expecting to see.
The Greek Goddess of Love: Aphrodite.
"Issei Hyoudou. I'm here to stop you from taking your life." Aphrodite said as she walked towards Issei. He kept his head down and spoke to her.
"What's the point? The war is over. I lost the Boosted Gear due to Ddraig and the past users sacrificing their lives for me. My mind was finally doing better, and I was feeling happy, but now." Issei said as he clenched his fists before glaring at Aphrodite. "Now, when I wanted to propose to the woman who saved my life and the one who I loved decided to betray me by cheating on me and lying to my face for months! My other girlfriends lied and cheated on me, and all for what? Replacing me after what I did for them? The time we spent together, the memories we shared, and all the dates meant nothing to them?"
Aphrodite approached Issei as he kept talking. "Was this my fate, huh? Was I destined to be alone and be another pawn in the game of power!? What is the point of living anymore when I lost my title and my partner, as well as the ones I loved?" Issei yelled as Aphrodite kept walking towards him until she took him into her arms and gently rubbed his back.
"You did nothing wrong, Issei. They are the ones who chose to betray you. You have nothing to fear, for I do not see you for the Boosted Gear. I see you as someone who's in pain from having been betrayed twice by the women he loved and cared for so much that seeing their betrayal pushed you this far." Aphrodite said as she clenched her fists while keeping Issei close to her.
"I won't let you kill yourself. If you need a reason to live, then I'll give you a reason!" Aphrodite shouted as Issei's eyes widened with tears still in his eyes before he looked up at her as Aphrodite spoke to him.
"Do not close your heart off from everyone. There are still other people who still care about you and would cry if you died. Some will appear to fill and fix your broken heart, but promise me that you won't kill yourself and let this pain keep you from being happy."
"I-I'll t-try, but how?" Issei asked. Aphrodite said nothing at first. She then kissed the top of his head before hugging him close as a mother would a child.
"Live. Live your own life Issei Hyoudou. Don't live as Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor, or Pawn of Gremory. Live as yourself and learn to love again. The ones who still love you are out there, and some will fill the hole in your heart. Trust me when I say many love you, Issei. So please keep this promise." Aphrodite said as Issei clenched his fist as he struggled to keep their words away before nodding.
"Okay. I promise I'll live."
And it was on that day that the broken man who was once a pillar of strength and inspiration was now a person who thought he had nothing left to live for, but it was the words of a Goddess who was able to save him from ending his life.
End Flashback
"I made a promise, and I'll try. I'll try to live for myself," Issei said as he relaxed his body on the futon before closing his eyes, not knowing that his life would always involve the supernatural in some way.
Tonight is the night that a game shall begin, with many birds being released into the city.
"And now it's time for the game to begin. Let's see how the Gods Will favors the Destined Ones of the Ashikabi." Minaka said as he stood on top of a clock tower as the bell rang to signal that it was now midnight and the start of a new era.
Kuoh Town.
"I'm still not sure this is a good idea, Kiba. Didn't Issei explicitly tell us not to mention anything to the others?" Gasper asked as Kiba sighed and replied as he finished writing a letter of sorts.
"Look, I know we promised Issei not to tell Sirzechs, Azazel, or any of the higher-ups, but that doesn't mean we can't inform, say certain others who still care for Issei and haven't seen him for months," Kiba said as he knew that Ravel was busy in the Underworld, helping the lower-class Devils rebuild and helping many other families who lost their loved ones in the war.
Issei helped out as well, and the Low-Class Devils were happy to have their protector and Hero help them even though they didn't ask. Ravel and Issei spent some time together before Issei went to his therapy sessions, which allowed him to be more in control of his emotions.
Kuroka had been helping out as an ambassador for the Youkai Faction. She was helping Kunou become the next leader of the faction due to Yasaka losing most of her strength after the battle with Trihexa and Rizevim. Kunou definitely hit her growth spurt once she hit sixteen and definitely grew up to be a beautiful young woman.
Rossweisse went back to the Norse Faction to make sure that there were no traces of Trihexa's return and that the last of the Khaos Brigade was destroyed. Cao Cao was even given a pardon and was giving back to the community and supernatural world by helping hunt down the remnants of the organization along with Jeanne, who was rehabilitated, thanks to Gabriel herself and thankful for chatting with Issei after his therapy sessions.
Kiba was happy that Issei was getting some help and that the war was over as the factions were healing after Trihexa's defeat. He was even in a relationship now with Tsubaki, with a little help from Gasper and Issei, who pushed him to man up and talk to her, which was just what he needed since when Kiba confessed they also had a first kiss, thanks to a small 'nudge' from his friends.
Gasper, on the other hand, was doing well and doing some more training, but Kiba had a feeling that there was more to Gasper after than met the eye, especially when he heard Gasper whispering something in his sleep that made the knight blush.
"I know the girls probably didn't say anything to their families and comrades, and who could blame them? Imagine the ramifications that would occur should their secret be revealed to the world. Please think of how the factions would be at war with each other should they learn that the Biblical faction didn't know about this. Issei was and is still the pillar of strength and support for the Biblical Faction, even if the Boosted Gear is no more. His skills, his kind heart, and his power are still within him and have made an impact in our comrade's factions." Kiba said as he knew that the Greek, Norse, and Youkai Faction would be enraged at the Biblical Faction for not knowing about this, and then the girls would be the cause of it.
All because they betrayed the one person who not only saved them multiple times but helped them become the person they are today.
"I-I know, but I care about Issei's wishes, and he didn't want anyone to know besides us. He trusts us, but won't we betray him if we do this?" Gasper said as Kiba sighed before replying.
"I know, but a part of me is telling me to do this. Not just for Issei but for the other girls as well. And I know that deep down, you want to tell them as well, even though you wish to respect his wishes." Kiba said as Gasper stuttered a bit but still nodded before Gasper left Kiba to finish his letter to the recipient.
Gasper then went to his room and clutched the shirt on him before going to the balcony and letting the moonlight shine down on him as he recalled his latest memory of Issei before he departed to his future college.
Flashback.
A Few Days Ago.
"Do you really have to go? Shinto Teito is a large place, and Tokyo University is very difficult to get into!" Gasper said, as he didn't want Issei to leave before Issei stopped his packing. As he then turned around to the Dhampir and hugged the small boy in his arms.
"Yes, I do," Issei said before looking at Gasper's eyes and saw them filling with water before Issei said his reasons. "I wanted to kill myself because of my heartache and pain when I felt that heartbreak. It felt even worse than when Raynare killed me since I thought they really did love me and care about me, but after I saw the truth, I could feel my heart being shattered into many pieces."
Gasper cried as he heard how Issei was saved by Aphrodite, who told him that others still loved him and would heal his heart and that he should live and love himself.
"So once I heard from my first college of my choice, I was so ecstatic that this might be a sign of a new chance at a new life, so that's why I want to take this chance for a clean slate and become a better person," Issei said as Gasper then cried out.
"But you are already a better person! I don't want to lose the one that I love and helped me escape my fears!" Gasper cried as Issei pulled out a handkerchief and wiped Gasper's eyes before kissing his forehead.
"Gasper. I do love you, but this is what I need to get away from all of this. For too long, I've always done what Rias and the many factions ordered me, so now that I'm a High-Class Devil, I want to be able to stand on my own two feet. I make my own mistakes. Learn from them. Fulfill a dream that I wanted to do before I wanted to be a Harem King. I know this sounds like I want to leave you, but you're mistaken. This means that I want to build a better future for myself and those who still love me and make them proud of who I am now. Not Issei Hyoudou, the Red Dragon Emperor, but as myself."
Issei said as he kissed Gasper's forehead again before hugging the crying Dhaphmir so much that Gasper slowly hugged him back and nodded in agreement with him.
"I understand, but promise me you won't forget me," Gasper said as Issei smiled back and replied.
"Of course. After all, who am I to leave a cute girl like you and forget you?" Issei said as Gasper giggled and laughed. Issei laughed with him until Gasper then placed a hand on top of Issei's own before asking him.
"Will you promise never to forget me and talk to us?"
"I promise. It'll be wrong to leave you two alone since I know Kiba is staying here with you."
"And one last thing, when I graduate from high school, will you take me on a real date? With the real me?" Gasper asked as Issei smiled and nodded.
"Of course. After all, a beautiful young woman like yourself would make any man feel lucky to be with you." Issei said as Gasper blushed and smiled. She felt her heart beat loudly until the Daphmir snuggled in Issei's arms.
"It's really thanks to you and Valerie that I am able to be my real self. Plus, you really made me feel happy when you snuggled with me and copped a feel." Gasper said as Issei stuttered with a faint blush, trying to deny the claim, but this just made Gasper smile as she was happy to be able to help Issei feel better and could see that despite Issei's changes in confidence, a part of his human self is still in there.
Thus, a promise was made that night between a man and woman for the future.
End Flashback.
"And I can't wait to hear from you again," Gasper said as she let her wings unfurl. She then took off into the night sky and flew around, enjoying the feel of the cool breeze hitting her skin while pondering how Issei was doing as well as the others.
Gasper has been working on becoming a beautiful and elegant lady who would not only wow Issei but also shower him with so much love that the pieces of his broken heart would be put back together.
Meanwhile, Kiba finished his letter and placed it in the envelope before sending it through a portal to its destination.
"I'm sorry, Gasper. I'm sorry, Issei, but I can't just keep this a secret and let them think they can get away with hurting my friend." Kiba said as he then headed to his room to rest for the evening.
Meanwhile, in the great palace of Olympus, Aphrodite was watching over Issei and smiled as she gasped at one of the women who were unknown to her and was reacting to Issei.
"Hm. This aura is a strange one since I've never felt a creature with this kind of power before." Aphrodite is the Goddess of Love who can see powerful connections between 'soulmates' and help couples with their relationship issues, should there be any. That is why she was curious about why the six girls decided to cheat on Issei even though they'd had such strong love.
Aphrodite went to the file she had on the girls and looked at each of them carefully. They could see that their feelings for Issei started to change after the war when they were separated from each other due to their new lives and how they were being accustomed to the changes that came with them.
Aphrodite could understand this since life does throw many curveballs into the mix, but as she looked at Akeno and Rias's file, she could see that the boy the two were dating had apparently been in their classes and the girls were 'helping' him get used to his Sacred Gear.
"So it started as helping a boy get used to his new power, but now they decided to get in the sack with him?" Aphrodite asked herself as she couldn't understand their relationship before seeing how Xenovia was happy due to her boyfriend not minding to get down and dirty in the sack for babies. Irina and Asia shocked her the most since she could tell that the two of them had honest-to-kind feelings for Issei. Still, it would seem that Asia had found someone to love and always be with her to keep her safe and protected, while Irina was looking for someone who was like Issei when they were children before he became a pervert.
Koneko was a tougher nut out of the six since Aphrodite couldn't quite understand why she fell for Issei in the first place. The Goddess honestly thought Koneko wasn't interested in anything besides sweets and food.
"Such a strange feeling. Love is truly a strange and complicated feeling." Aphrodite sighed as she looked at Issei's heart in her hands and could see that Ravel, Kuroka, Kunou, Rossweiss, and Gasper truly cared about Issei and confessed their feelings to him to which Issei returned and stayed in touch with them as well.
"These five still have strong bonds with Issei. I truly do hope that they can help him rebuild his confidence and love him back as he loves them." Aphrodite said as she gasped as she saw a couple more hearts form around Issei's own and connect to him.
"Huh? Interesting. These have that strange aura I felt earlier." Aphrodite said as she was observing the hearts that formed around Issei and couldn't see their whole person, but the aura was resonating with Issei's own.
"Hm. Interesting. I'll only interfere when I need to, just in case, to protect the one who sacrificed everything. I'll make sure he's never hurt by such heartbreak again." Aphrodite said as she made a promise to herself to protect the heart of the man who was about to enter a fight that he wouldn't imagine.
Scene!
Yes, I will put down reasons why the six broke up with Issei in chapters and go back and forth between the factions and Issei to showcase their issues and the people within the factions after the war.
The ones in the harem are already listed, and before anyone asks, yes, Gasper is a woman in this one. Nothing will change my mind.
Now, as for the Sekirei, it won't be just any random Sekirei. Each one will be able to help Issei in a way that helps him grow, such as Kazehana, who understands heartbreak and can see his pain.
Let me know what you all think. To clear things up, Issei is still a Diablo Dragon but without the Boosted Gear. He's still powerful, but less powerful than he was with the Boosted Gear.
Favorite, Follow, and Leave a Review. Ta-Ta!~
