AN: I'm guessing the DxD and Yu Yu Hakusho crossover fandom isn't the most thriving, but that won't stop me. We must push forward!
Chapter 2
Issei and Botan floated through the sky. While he agreed to this ordeal he really wasn't sure what he should do, or how the egg determined what his soul was like. Originally Botan suggested they do something to stop his cremation but upon further inspection some random person had his body moved to a private room in the hospital stating it was in a coma. Botan couldn't elaborate further as the person wished to remain unknown.
"How the heck am I supposed to pass this ordeal if I have no idea what to do?!" Issei scratched his head in frustration.
"Well, what would you normally be doing during the day?" Botan asked.
"I'd be in school. But how's that supposed to help?" He looked at her and she shrugged in response.
"Who knows maybe you'll find something to do there?" She offered.
"Better than floating around aimlessly I guess." Issei started towards Kuoh Academy while keeping an eye on the city. As he passed over the edge of the school a cold breeze went up his back. "Ahhh! What the heck was that?" he felt his body, spirit, spirit body? For anything missing, but everything was still there.
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Koneko sat on a bench savoring some cookies she got the other day for a contract when her phone went off. It was a message from Rias, 'Koneko something tripped the barrier can you go check it out?' She sighed and looked at her remaining cookies and covered them up and put them in her bag before replying. 'Alright.' After getting the location of the breach she made her way to the scene.
Botan was keeping her distance to not spook the devils in the school and followed Issei. His first location was his classroom where he found flowers on his desk. He really didn't know how to feel about that, It was nice knowing people cared but with him returning he felt like he was conning them. He had to remind himself there was a chance for failure and he could very much stay dead.
"I don't know it feels like he's still here Yuki." Katase spoke in a subdued tone.
"He'll always be here with us Aya. As long as we don't forget him he'll never really be gone." Murayama tried to comfort her, but Katase shook her head.
"No it's not like that, it's hard to explain it's like he's in this room watching us." Katase refuted.
"Like a ghost?" Murayama asked.
"Something like that." Issei felt bad he was watching them they just couldn't see him, On instinct, he tried to place a comforting hand on their shoulders only for him to pass right on through. The two girls shook as if a clod breeze went through them and started to look around. He felt bad and went out of the room to just come face to face with the unofficial school mascot Koneko Toujou. Her eyes bore straight into him, it was as if she saw him. He froze and slowly waved. Her eyes drifted to his hand, he then moved to the right and she followed him, finally he shot up towards the ceiling and she followed him till he passed the ceiling.
"Well, that was unsettling." Issei floated above the roof staring down at the school. "So people can see ghosts."
"Indeed there are a select few who can see spirits due to their heightened spiritual awareness," Botan explained as she landed beside him.
"Is there… Is there any way for normal people to see me?" Issei hesitantly asked.
"I suppose you could visit them while they sleep." Botan thought aloud.
"Hey I might have perverted thoughts now and then but I'd never creep up on girls as they slept!" he angrily yelled.
"Not like that! Humans are far more susceptible to the supernatural while they sleep that's why you hear stories of loved ones getting visits from recently deceased relatives in their dreams." She explained.
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Rias sat in the occult club room later that day drinking some tea while waiting for Koneko's report when a teleportation sigil appeared. And standing there once the light dimmed was her brother. She quickly stood and waited for him to speak. She hadn't expected him to personally come with what he learned.
"Hello, sir." Rias bowed. Sirzech lifted her head up and drew her into a hug.
"Now baby sister is that any way to speak to your older brother? I miss the days you would jump into my arms you were so happy to see me." Sirzechs said with sorrow.
"I stopped doing that when I was ten!" Rias grumbled.
"So I guess you don't want to know what I learned?" Sirzech held up a folder with Issei's name on it. She tried to grab at it but he held it far above her head. "Uh uh. You know the magic word."
"Please."
"Please what?"
"Please big brother."
"Well, now that you asked nicely here you go." Sirzech lowered the folder and held it out for her. She took it quickly and opened it reading the contents.
"Wait really?!" She had no idea he held such a sacred gear.
"Yeah who knew he'd be the next welder of it?" Sirzechs agreed.
"So he's not dead, just taking some kind of test?" Rias read on, "Why would they do this it isn't like Spirit World?"
"Not quite, they've done it a few times over the centuries." Sirzech countered. "If I was a betting man I'd say they had plans for him."
"Will that prevent me from recruiting him?" Rias looked up.
"I don't think so you'll just have to convince him if I'm right." Sirzech rubbed his chin.
"If you're right about what?" Rias was getting curious.
"It happens every so often, usually in odd cases like this. Spirit World decides to make them into agents or as they like to call them…" Rias was starting to hear what he said. "Spirit Detectives."
"What's that?" She asked.
"Mainly they fight demons and track down criminals wanted for some crime in Spirit World." Sirzechs shrugged. "Not entirely sure what happened to the last one, they say he went missing and is presumed dead." He didn't want to speak of his theories on what happened to Sensui, he didn't want to scare his sister. As their meeting ended her Rook Koneko Toujou reported that a breach in the barrier was just Issei Hyoudou's spirit.
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"Should I do this?" Issei hovered outside of Murayama's window debating if he should go through with this. It felt wrong to go into a girls' room without permission.
"If you don't want to do this come on I have a few people I need to ferry and I can't leave you alone," Botan complained.
"Just give me a second." Issei took a breath and went in. He looked around and noticed her room wasn't very different than the last time he saw it, maybe a few more posters but that's it. In bed, both Murayama and Katase slept, he could make our the tear stains on their faces and felt bad, They must have been thinking about him because of the whole shoulder incident. "So all I do is get close and speak?"
"That's about it," Botan confirmed. He moved closer and could hear Murayama whispering his name. He reached out and cupped their faces.
"Hey, you two." He started.
"Issei you jerk," Katase mumbled.
"Yeah, I guess I am a jerk, I just couldn't let that kid get hurt you know?" He continued. "But don't worry, You see I'm taking this test and if I pass I'll be able to return to my body, and when I do you can hit me as much as you want how does that sound?"
"No hitting, only hugs," Murayama mumbled.
"That sounds good." Katase agreed.
"I have to go now but remember I will return." Issei removed his hands.
"You really care about them don't you?" Botan asked with a smile.
"Of course I do, they're my friends." Issei shrugged.
"Boys," Botan mumbled.
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Over the next few weeks, Issei helped with the mundane job of a grim reaper during the day and during the night he spoke to his friends and his mother in their dreams. If he had to be honest there wasn't anything to write home about. He had no clue how long this was to go on for but deep within himself, he prayed it wouldn't be much longer. Today was a slow day for spirits so Issei and Botan just watched Kuoh Academy.
"Those two are at it again." Botan sighed.
"You think after daily beatings they would stop, but no I doubt they get off on being beaten." Issei's face twisted in disgust. They didn't appreciate the female body, they just wanted to get off.
"You have to admit your friends have amazing senses when it comes to peeking." Botan nodded.
"I know that. They also aren't easy on you if they catch you, even if you are their friend." Issei shivered. He noticed Koneko again looking right at him and he waved, and she waved back. "Don't look now she's back."
"Well, it's not like she's trying to get rid of us. See she's gone back to eating." Botan defended her.
"It's just weird, I didn't know there were people who could see ghosts, I thought all those psychics were con artists," Issei explained.
"There's far more to this world than you know Issei," Botan said in a cryptic tone.
"Well if you know so much then do you know how long till this egg hatches?" Issei held his spirit beast egg.
"You can't rush these things but I'd say it will be soon with all the help you've given me. I'm ahead of schedule now!" Botan boasted while lying on her oar.
"Are you still getting those dreams about Issei?" Murayama asked as she washed off the day's sweat. Dealing with those two pervs and training always made the day harder.
"Yeah, and he keeps saying he'll be back and explains what he's been up to. It's great to hear he stopped a suicide the other day." Katase nodded.
"I still like the one where the raccoon chased him. It would explain all the trash on Third Street the next day." Murayama giggled at the thought of a ghost Issei getting trash thrown at him.
"Hey, girls the student council wants to remind you to be careful there's been a lot of fires lately." The captain told them.
"Thank you." They replied turning off the showers and wrapping themselves in towels.
"Are you coming over for movie night?" Murayama asked as she dressed.
"Of course. I just have to stop at the store for snacks and I'll be over." Katase replied putting her blouse on.
"Great I'll see you later then." Murayama left with a bounce in her step.
Issei watched her leave through the front gate and as he was about to leave with Botan he noticed a student with a match and something else. The next thing he knew the old Dojo was up in flames. "Oh shit! Katase!" He dove into the building without thinking, She had gotten to the center of the building before a beam had stopped her progress. He had tried to grab her but he kept phasing through her. "Son of a bitch!" Students started gathering around the dojo trying to do something they used hoses and buckets but the flames were too hot.
"Alright, everyone the fire department has been called so please move away." Souna Shitori the student council president ordered.
"Katase!" Murayama came running. "Where's Katase?!" She started looking around until she and the others heard her calling out for help. Without thinking, Murayama took a bucket and drenched herself, and ran into the dojo against Souna's orders. The smoke was awful but she kept pushing forward until she found Katase and tried wrapping her hand to lift the beam enough for her friend to get through but it wasn't working.
Issei's had drifted to his egg. "Hey, Botan this egg has got a lot of power saved up right?"
"It does. What are you doing?" Botan asked nervously.
"HEY KOENMA IF YOU CAN HEAR ME LISTEN UP! I DON'T CARE IF I PASS OR FAIL BUT I WILL NOT ALLOW SOMEONE TO DIE FOR ME SO LET THIS WORK!" He chucked the egg with all his force into the center of the room and in a large flash and a deep roar a blue dragon tore the beam apart and opened a path for the girls. Students were shocked and Sauna took a step back as they stumbled from the dojo. Botan shook herself from her stunned state and looked around. Issei was nowhere to be seen.
"He went towards the roof," Koneko told her looking directly at her.
"Uhhh, thank you?" Botan started her way up there.
"What happens now?" Koneko asked.
"I… I don't know." Botan answered and went up there.
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Issei was just staring at the burnt rubble of the Dojo as he waited. He was certain Botan would have taken him back to Spirit world but all she was doing was lazily flying around with a worried look. Eventually, Botan hovered in front of him and looked at him with sad eyes. "I guess I failed Huh." Issei looked at his friends and smiled. "As long as they're ok I can live with that." Botan was about to speak but stopped.
"Issei Hyoudou, do not act so down." The image of Koenma appeared behind him. "I have been keeping a close eye on you and you have shown a willingness to help others, to listen to superiors, and most importantly when other lives were in danger you didn't think twice to sacrifice your only ticket back." He holds up the egg, "With all of that I've decided to give you one more chance not to mention your experience with death might make you a useful ally."
"What does that mean?" Issei asks and gets no response.
"So does that mean he gets his life back?" Botan asked hesitantly.
"Mmhmm." Koenma simply nods.
"Issei you did it!" Botan tackles or at least flies into him with a full-body hug.
"I shall contact you when it's time." Koenma disappears.
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Later that evening Issei was visiting Murayama and Katase again to deliver them the good news. "I'm so glad you two are alright, if that fire had taken you I don't know what I would have done." Issei took a deep breath and continued. "I've got some great news, I passed my test so I'll be back soon. Just wait a bit longer." He hugged both of them before feeling odd and leaving the room and meeting up with Botan.
"Are you ready, Koenma should be here soon." She informed him.
"As ready as I'll ever be." Issei fidgeted in place. "So how does this all work?"
"I don't know I've never had a case like this before." Botan truthfully said.
"All shall be explained." Koenma appeared beside them. "Are you ready we have a small timeframe,"
"I guess, what do you mean by small?" Issei asked.
"You have 24 hours or else you'll have to wait 48 years for the next one."
AN: Do you want the kiss from Yu Yu Hakusho or the devil reincarnation of DxD to bring Issei back?