It was night at the Hyoudou's home and everyone was sleeping peacefully. But that soon changed as Issei was jolted awake by his spell alerting him that someone attempted to infiltrate the barrier. Who's trying to break into my house in the middle of the night? he thought groggily. He was currently pinned by the girls, still asleep on top of him. He used a technique he learned from Fumma to create a clone of himself to take his place on the bed as he escaped without disturbing the girls. Once he successfully did that he got dressed and rushed out the front door. He was met with his Servants holding a group of people hostage. As Issei walked up the Servants made way for him. The intruders looked relieved to see him until they saw that he was clearly not happy. "You got five minutes to tell me why you're trying to break into my house."
The person in front hurriedly spoke up. "We weren't trying to break in! Lord Sirzechs sent us here to remodel the house as requested by Miss Gremory!"
"In the middle of the night?" asked Issei, very skeptical of the claim.
"It's the best time to avoid prying eyes! We specialize in magical construction, and we are capable of building such buildings in a single night without disturbing the residents!" said the devil.
Issei held his head in annoyance. "Call Sirzechs, right now. We need to have a little talk," Issei ordered the devil.
The devil nodded his head quickly and called Sirzechs. After a few moments Sirzechs had picked up. "Hello, is there a problem with construction?"
"How about the fact that you didn't inform me about when the construction was happening for one," responded Issei in annoyance.
"Ahh, Issei-kun. My apologies. I figured it would be fine to go ahead with construction as soon as possible since Rias requested it."
"I was fine with reconstructing my house. It makes sense after all, considering how many people live here, but to do it when I have security that didn't know you were coming under the cloak of night, as well as not confirming with me about the specifications of said construction, and just expecting all of my family not to freak out that they're suddenly in a new, unfamiliar building, is a bit much, don't you think?"
"... W-well, when you say it like that it sounds ridiculous," said Sirzechs sheepishly.
"That's because it is ridiculous!" said Issei, almost shouting but trying to keep his voice down so as to not wake anyone up.
"My apologies Issei-kun. I guess I just assumed it was fine since this is how we usually do things."
"Well, this isn't your house, it's mine. I let it slide that you decided the others were going to live here, but I believe I made my position very clear about how I feel about others deciding things for other people. Rias living here doesn't give you a pass to do as you please." Sirzechs just had an apologetic look on his face as Issei stared at the projection. After breathing a long sigh Issei continued. "Well, since they're here already I'm not gonna send them home but now I have to take down my barriers and re-set them up after the construction is done, as well as other things that require my presence."
"Very well. Sorry for the inconvenience Issei-kun."
"It's fine, just don't let it happen again, otherwise I might have to rethink our agreement," said Issei, cranky because he was tired and knew he probably wasn't getting any more sleep tonight.
Sirzechs bowed and the communication cut off. After that Issei worked with the construction crew as did his Servants to remodel the house, not only for the ORC but also for Issei's Servants as well. While the house turned into a six-story building with twice the plot area it had before, the real trick was what was underneath. Many basement floors were added to the house with Issei adding even more for the sake of Chaldea having some functions in his home, as well as creating some more comfortable spaces for his Servants that needed "special" accommodations. After all that was done, Issei put the finishing touches on the house, being that he re-set up the barriers around the house, although they had to be made bigger, so he had some assistance from his Caster class Servants in setting it up. With their work done, the devils cleaned up and prepared to leave. "Well, our work here is done. Sorry for the inconvenience, Sekiryuutei-sama," said the devil in charge.
"It's fine, it wasn't completely your fault. Your employer just got ahead of himself, that's all. Sorry for almost taking you hostage," said Issei respectfully.
"It's fine. Have a good night," said the devil and they all left. Issei laughed to himself as he could see the sun coming up just over the horizon.
He made his way to his new room and saw the girls sleeping peacefully with his double on their new bed. It was now more than large enough for all of them plus others to sleep comfortably together. Issei was thankful to Sirzechs for paying for everything, but he really wished he had talked to him about it first. With that thought in mind he sneakily swapped places with the clone and the clone disappeared. Issei decided to try and get some sleep with what little time he had.
It was morning and everyone was getting ready to head to school. Well, some were having a better time of it than others, as Issei was doing all he could to hold on to consciousness. Naturally the girls were wondering why he was so tired, and he told them about what had happened last night. Rias apologized for her brother's rash actions. "I should have known he would do that. I didn't think it would be a big deal, but I forgot about the barrier around your house since you made it so that we could get in without being repelled."
"It'z fine Rias, jus mag sure to talg… to me… firs… zzzzz…" Issei was slowly falling asleep as he talked, which the girls found adorable but showed signs of sympathy over his lack of sleep.
"I'll carry him to school," said Xenovia with a straight face.
"I don't think Senpai would like that. It would invite too many misunderstandings," said Mash.
"But we can't just leave Issei-san here, right?" asked Asia.
As they were debating on what to do with Issei, Salter walked up to the sleeping Issei and dumped a bowl of ice water on him. "AHHHHHHH!" yelled Issei as he jumped up from his seat because of the sudden cold and fell on the floor. After he gathered himself, he stared at Salter in confusion. "Why?!"
"You're going to be late for school, Master. You can rest another time," she said coolly.
Issei just grumbled as he got up and was comforted by the girls. They all eventually started walking to school meeting up with Kiba and Gasper along the way, who noticed that something was up with Issei. The girls explained and he got sympathetic gazes from the guys. As they were walking Rias came up with an idea. "Issei, why don't you go to the clubroom and sleep there today?"
"Wha? Wha you talkin' about? You wan' me ta ditch class?" he asked groggily.
"It's fine. We're about to go on summer break and these last few classes won't affect our grade too much. I think it's fine to take a break today since you were working hard for us last night."
Issei felt like he was taking advantage of her kindness, but he was too tired to argue. Mash came in and backed her up. "Don't worry Senpai, if anything comes up in class, I'll make sure to grab it for you." Issei just nodded in agreement. Mash asked everyone to huddle around Issei so that no one could see him. "Katou, could you take Senpai to the clubroom?"
Katou appeared after Mash called out to her. "It shall be done," she said, grabbing hold of Issei and quickly vanishing with him. Katou brought him to the clubroom and laid him down on the couch. It didn't take long for Issei to be out like a light and Katou retrieved a blanket and put it over him before disappearing.
When Mash, Asia, and Xenovia arrived at class without Issei it left everyone curious as to his whereabouts. Mash just told everyone that he wasn't feeling well and stayed home today. With that the day went on as normal up until lunch. Once lunchtime came however, both Kiryuu and Murayama asked them what the real reason Issei wasn't here was. "Alright, spill. Why isn't Issei here?" asked Kiryuu.
"Senpai had a long night and barely got any sleep. As a result, he wasn't even able to stay conscious this morning, so Rias had him go to the clubroom to sleep," said Mash.
"So he's here, he's just in the clubroom sleeping," said Murayama. Mash and the others nodded. "What was he doing all night that made him lose sleep?"
"I have a few ideas of what it could be," said Kiryuu with a mischievous smile, getting Mash and Asia to blush.
Murayama didn't get it at first, but once she saw Mash and Asia's faces it clicked with her and she began to blush profusely. Xenovia was the one to clarify. "Issei's house was remodeled last night by special underworld contractors, but it set off Issei's magic security and woke him up in the middle of the night. After getting things cleared up Issei had to help in the reconstruction and set up security again. By the time they were done it was dawn, so Issei had next to no sleep."
The girls understood the situation now but something about it felt weird. "They did construction in the middle of the night? How did they not wake anybody up?" asked Murayama.
"Magic is good at keeping things inconspicuous. If you have the right specialization, you can do just about anything. Issei told us even he was amazed at how the workers managed to not disturb anyone, even when they replaced the beds and rebuilt the rooms with everyone in them," said Mash. Both girls looked amazed that such a thing was possible and wanted to know more.
As they were talking Kiryuu noticed something different with Asia. She seemed a lot happier than normal and when she tried to think of a reason only one thing came to mind. With another mischievous smile she spoke. "Should I say congratulations to you, Asia?"
The group was confused why Kiryuu suddenly said that. "Congratulations about what?" asked Asia.
"You finally getting together with Issei," she said casually. This took Murayama by surprise as well as the others that Kiryuu figured it out without them saying anything.
"Wait! Really?! You too Asia?!" asked Murayama in disbelief. Asia blushed but with a happy smile nodded her head slowly. "So now Issei has three girlfriends."
"Well, he has more than that," said Mash under her breath but Murayama still heard her.
"He has more!"
"You should really talk to him yourself about it," said Mash. Murayama didn't want to let it go and off to the side the perverted duo started listening in when Murayama freaked out earlier and were now crying jealous tears for their bro. With that the group chatted until lunch ended.
When lunch started Rias went straight to the clubroom to check on Issei. She knew he just needed rest, but she felt bad since it was partly her fault that he lost sleep. She eventually made it to the clubroom and saw Issei resting peacefully on the couch. Seeing his sleeping face brought a smile to hers, as she quietly made her way to him. She gently lifted his head and sat down, laying his head on her lap. Once his head was in her lap, he adjusted himself to get more comfortable as she gently brushed his hair with her hand. She felt happy to have someone she loves so close to her, and her mind began to wander, eventually coming back to a depressing topic. Mash had told them days ago that Issei's life was greatly reduced due to him absorbing Vali's power. So now Issei had less than two decades to live which almost broke their hearts. Rias tried to convince him to reincarnate into a devil again in order to extend his life, but he still refused. Before she could argue though, Ddraig interrupted them saying that even if he did reincarnate, he would only at most gain a normal human lifespan back, meaning that even if he became a devil, he would only live about 100 years. Rias felt devastated but Azazel, who was listening to the whole thing, said that it should be possible to restore his lost life as there are various techniques amongst various factions. He would have to research methods and suggested that Rias do the same. Rias came out of her thoughts and looked at the sleeping Issei. I'll do whatever it takes to heal you. I won't let the White Dragon Emperor take you away, whether directly or indirectly. I promise, Rias vowed to herself.
Issei shifted a bit and mumbled something that Rias barely heard. "Rias…" Rias couldn't help but smile seeing that Issei was apparently dreaming about her. She planted a kiss on his forehead and gently placed his head back on the couch as she left to go back to class.
At the end of the school day everyone was heading to the clubroom along with Kiryuu and Murayama who didn't have club since summer vacation was close by. When the group entered the clubroom, they saw a very groggy Issei who clearly just woke up drinking some tea his nearby Servant provided. "Good afternoon, Issei. Did you get enough sleep?" asked Rias.
"Yeah, thanks. Sorry you had to go out of your way for me this morning," he said.
"It's no problem Issei, remember it's my fault for not properly telling Onii-sama to check in with you."
With the greetings out of the way everyone filed in with Kiryuu and Murayama sitting across from Issei and everyone else going to their usual spots. Not long after Azazel and Skadi came in to discuss future plans. "Alright everyone, since summer vacation is coming up soon, we need to-" Azazel stopped mid-sentence when he saw Kiryuu and Murayama. "Who are these two?"
"They are Kiryuu and Murayama, two of our classmates. They know about the supernatural and are training in the use of magic. I plan on having them possibly join as new Masters for Chaldea," said Issei.
This caught Azazel's interest. "New members of Chaldea huh. Sounds interesting. Well, it's nice to meet you. I'm Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels," introduced Azazel.
"Wait, you're the leader of the group that's been causing Issei trouble for the past few months?!" said Kiryuu.
The others tried to hold in their laughter as Azazel just shrugged nonchalantly. "Seems you know about what happened. Unfortunately, those all happened because I didn't keep my troops in line. Well, it's all water under the bridge now."
"Most of it, is water under the bridge," corrected Issei. Azazel gave him a confused look, but Issei just gave him an annoyed look back. "You still have my murderous ex running around."
Azazel showed a defeated smile as he shrugged again. "Can't let that go huh."
"No," was most of the ORC's response.
As that bit of comedy was happening Murayama had a biting question for Issei. "So, is it true? Have you started going out with Asia?"
Issei was taken a bit off guard by the question but nodded. "Yeah, it's true. What about it?" he said casually.
"So now you have Asia along with Mash and Rias-senpai," said Murayama, as if she was coming to terms with it.
"Well, I have more than that," said Issei slyly, getting surprised looks from Murayama and Kiryuu. "A few of my Servants have also become my women seperate from their contracts with me."
Murayama looked like she finally gave up on thinking about it while Kiryuu clearly wanted to hear more, but Azazel cut in. "Alright, that's enough of that. We have some business to discuss."
After everyone refocused on Azazel he went over the plans for the ORC, with the only people not included being Issei, Mash, Murayama, and Kiryuu. Once everything was sorted out Issei spoke to the pair again. "So, now that things have calmed down, I think it's a good time to have you two begin your integration into Chaldea."
Not only the duo, but the others were surprised by this. "D-do you think we're ready?" asked Murayama.
"You're not ready to be Masters yet, but I think now is a good time to have you start taking lessons in magecraft and other things you'll need to be knowledgeable about. Don't you agree, Da Vinci?"
A hologram of Da Vinci appeared behind Issei, surprising the two. "I don't see why not, especially now that we have a more established base of operations thanks to your house being remodeled. We currently have people organizing the floor you've given us, and it should be functional for now until we get our own building."
"That could happen very soon once a location is picked out if last night is anything to go by," said Issei with a hint of irritation from remembering why he lost sleep.
As the two were talking, Kiryuu interrupted them. "So, you're the Da Vinci I've heard so much about. I have to say, for an old guy who turned into a chick you don't look half bad," said Kiryuu playfully.
Da Vinci just smiled with a bit of pride at the compliment. "Glad my beauty is appreciated by someone with good taste. You're Kiryuu, right? Fujimaru-kun has told me a bit about you. So, you want to be a Master for us?"
"Yes, I do. I want to know what Issei went through and help him out. Plus, going on adventures with hot chicks is a nice plus," said Kiryuu with a wry smile.
Da Vinci couldn't hide her own smile. "I have a feeling we're going to get along swimmingly." She then turned her attention to Murayama who was sitting next to Kiryuu, seemingly sitting up straighter than usual. "There's no need to be so nervous, Murayama-san. I've heard about you as well."
Da Vinci's words didn't make her less nervous. "What did you hear?"
"The whole story, and how you're trying to make amends. I think it's fine that you're motivated but this job isn't something to be taken lightly."
Should you be saying that after the conversation you just had with Kiryuu? thought Issei.
"I know, but I won't back down now. If anything, I would feel worse just sitting on my hands doing nothing," said Murayama with conviction.
"I see. In that case, we'll have to see if the two of you have what it takes to become Masters," said Da Vinci with a smile. Both girls nodded with a smile in return, glad they were accepted into Chaldea.
"Seems like things are progressing smoothly for you all. I look forward to when our official collaborative building is built. All of our knowledge and technology together will help everyone make great strides in our research and innovation," said Azazel.
"I couldn't agree more, Azazel-san. Once things get going, we'll be able to make strides that the Mages Association could only dream of," said Da Vinci.
"Of course, we have to be careful they don't catch on too soon," warned Issei, which Da Vinci nodded in agreement. He then looked at Kiryuu and Murayama and continued. "It'll be reassuring to have some new Masters in case something happens," he said, causing the atmosphere to become dower. Once he saw that he quickly tried to recover the situation. "Sorry, that was tactless of me."
Kiryuu and Murayama were confused. "What are you talking about? What's wrong?" asked Murayama. The group realized they never told them about Issei's situation, so Mash explained it to them. Once she was done, they were shocked. "He only has 14 years left to live?!" said Murayama in distress.
"Issei! What the hell made you think that was a good idea?!" asked Kiryuu.
"Well, it was either that or get murdered, so I think I made the better choice," Issei tried to defend.
"Or…you could have had one of your Servants help you!" Kiryuu shot back, causing Issei to sink in his seat a little.
"Don't be too hard on him. The point of the battle was for him to be able to stand on his own. If we had helped, then it would be like saying all his hard work amounts to nothing. A warrior's path is not one that is defined by logic but by will and skill, and Master has proven to be a true warrior," said Skadi.
"But still! We just got you back, you can't just throw away your life!" said Murayama. It was clear to those who knew, that she still felt guilty thinking she was the reason Issei disappeared.
"It's not like we're doing nothing," said Da Vinci, gathering everyones' attention. "We have some methods to extend people's lives, granted they're not perfect."
Everyone besides Issei, Mash, and Skadi perked up at that with Azazel looking particularly interested. "What kind of methods?" asked Rias seriously.
"It would be possible to move Issei's soul into a homunculus body, but as I said the method isn't perfect and it's common for pieces of someone's soul to be lost during the transfer," explained Da Vinci.
The thought of Issei losing his soul made the others pale. "Well, that's not an option then," said Rias with the others nodding in agreement.
"We shouldn't rule it out," said Azazel. "The Fallen Angels as well as other supernatural factions have techniques that deal with souls. So it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to improve the transfer method. We would have to go over it in more detail." Da Vinci smiled and nodded, and the others felt there was a bit of hope.
Issei didn't feel as enthusiastic about it. "I would prefer to keep my normal body, if possible," he muttered to himself.
Although he was trying to be quiet the devils all heard him with their enhanced hearing. "Issei, you shouldn't complain about saving your life," said Rias with a troubled look. Issei just looked away with an unreadable expression.
Rias was confused as to why Issei wasn't happy he could be saved but didn't have time to think about it as Issei spoke up. "Are there any other options that don't involve ripping my soul from my body?"
When he said it like that the process didn't sound as appealing, so the others started to understand his hesitancy. After a bit of silence, the next person to speak up was surprisingly Koneko. "There is a senjutsu technique that can help restore lost life force. But it requires someone skilled in senjutsu to be able to do it."
Rias showed a surprised look at Koneko's suggestion. "Koneko, you know the technique?" she asked. Issei could tell she was asking more than just whether she knew how to do it or not.
Koneko shook her head. "I know the technique but I'm not strong enough to perform it," she said while looking away. If one looked closely, they could see a hint of a blush on her face.
"While I'd like to keep brainstorming about methods to cheat death, we have other things to do so we should shelve this topic for later. Once we have some plans moved forward, we can pursue this topic in earnest," said Azazel.
Da Vinci nodded in agreement and looked towards the two would be Masters. "I hope you two are prepared. This summer you'll be starting "Chaldea Summer School!" to see if you have what it takes to be Masters." The two girls resolved themselves and nodded with smiles.
We're not done with this volume yet! Remember I follow the 11 chapter rule for these arcs so this and the next chapter are filler before we get to the next volume. We're moving closer to Chaldea having more influence in the story. Once the base has been fully intergrated into Issei's world is when I'm gonna start putting more Fate related things into the DxD characters lives. The next chapter is already done and I plan to start writing volume 5 soon since I've had less free time due to work recently. I'll just do what I have to to keep this story updated. As always look forward to the comments. : )