"How strong was he, Grayfia?"

"I would estimate around a Super-Class human magician. The problem lies in that barrier he cast. I do not believe that anything short of multiple God-Class suicide techniques could even crack it."

"I estimated around the same. Issei Hyoudou is interesting, especially with all this mystery. He has a defined existence, as his killing intent showed us. But he also evaded any scans and reconnaissance we performed before transferring ownership of Kuoh. I also don't believe even Michael could cast a barrier that strong. Gabriel and Raphael may be capable of such, as the main supporting angels of Heaven, but it is unprecedented. Even as Heaven was under assault, no such barrier was recorded by our forces. "

"Would you like me to have him under surveillance?"

"At his level, he could deceive any tail we place on him. It would be pointless, even if you did so yourself. I will contact Azazel about any holy barriers he knows of, and we will rely on Rias and Sona to keep an eye on things."

"Very well, Sirzechs."

Issei had some time to think on the way home. Plans to concoct, his path forward, how to develop his relationships with the devils into friendship. He had lots to do, and now he had the time to do it.

At current, his body was reinforced to the durability and strength of a Middle-Class supernatural entity. He had 6 days until he could use his Balance Breaker, the epitome of the Boosted Gear's strength.

His magical capabilities were still limited to the atmosphere around him, but was at the destructive level of Ddraig in his prime. The amount of humans, devils, and demigods he had to carve through to get to any amount of mirages were far too much.

Issei's first order of business after obtaining Balance Breaker would be to attune to his Eternal Flame, the gift he had received from Lady Amaterasu of the Shinto Faction before her passing. He could then use it as a catalyst for his flame magics, and would not have to worry about his reserves or draining the atmosphere empty.

He had a lot of gifts he had to attune properly to. Some, he did not have the chance to manifest in his past life. Others, he simply could not. Limited by only his will, the Gift of God would surely help, alongside Ddraig and Elsha.

He should be able to communicate with her and Belzard in 6 days, so he can arrange his disgusting power properly. It would be necessary.

Oh. He had been stood outside his front door for an hour, strategising and thinking about mundane matters too.

He opened said door, greeted his loving parents, exchanged a few words about his lack of perversity and left to his room. Specifically because he had a fool to make of himself at this time.

"Will you prove worthy?"

".."

"Damn."

Damn indeed. He would need a specially crafted weapon to handle the mirages. Ascalon, strong as it was and how well it had served him, was not enough. He may need an audience with the Vulcan, the blacksmith of Olympus. Hephaestus.

If he could receive ten, twenty or fifty legendary weapons and fuse them all together in a balance, he could create a tool strong enough to withstand Belzard's power. It would be needed, alongside the loyal demonic sword he had just tried to summon, granted by Falbium Asmodeus and Ajuka Beelzebub. It kept trying to corrupt his mind and it stung like nothing else, but by Satan was it sharp and efficient.

Losing himself to his plans and recording everything in a notebook, he dulled his mind of thought.

Elsewhere, Rias Gremory awoke with a splitting headache and a note pinned to her forehead with minor magic. It simply read:

"I knocked you out on accident, I'll apologise in person tomorrow. I hope we can get along well, Rias.

- Issei Hyoudou
P.S: Your brother is nice, let him come and visit sometime soon."

Issei Hyoudou?

Oh, the Archangel-Class entity. If Sirzechs didn't kill him or try to, he shouldn't be a major threat. Not to her or Kuoh at least.

Seeing him tomorrow sounded daunting though. She's only a High-Class devil after all. Meeting a higher tier being. A doll dancing in the hand of an Outer God. She would have to work on her politeness and hide her obvious fear.

Her peerage seemed to awaken around the same time as her, and after showing all of her fellows present the note, it was decided that they would all be there to greet him. If nothing else, to die fighting.

Tomorrow could not come later.

It seemed like she was thinking that too much nowadays. She only had a year to prepare to marry the descendant of House Phenex, if her parents weren't jesting. She would have to try and gather peerage members as soon as possible, and raise her own strength to control her Bishop.

Maybe if the meeting went well enough, she could convince Issei to train her. Wishful thinking, maybe, but such training would almost guarantee her victory.

Said Issei was sleeping at his desk, dreaming of fire, blood and ash. A reminder of his duties.

Tomorrow came, and he was ready. When he walked into school, Sona Sitri was at the gates greeting students. Glancing at him, she just nodded. Moving on to his classroom with Aika harassing him in the hallway, he sat down to be stared at again.

After waiting for the teacher to come and acknowledge his presence, he had left mid lecture. Issei had a destination, and English class was not it. When no one was looking, he had jumped out of one of the windows and began moving towards the old school building. Some students gawked from their place at adjacent windows, but he paid no mind.

Now, facing the old door of the ORC once more, he opened it and walked through. He had a facade to maintain and he had to dull these swelling emotions. Ddraig reminding him of his duties helped. When faced with a tidied lounge, barren to all life with exception to a petite white haired girl in a meeting with Morpheus on one of the sofas, he had a passing thought that maybe he was too early.

It was never specified that he would arrive after school however, so they must have anticipated this. Hopefully. Else, it may be a long few hours, longer if the girl awoke. The girl being Koneko, or Shirone, one of his late wives in his previous time. Younger than he remembered seeing her, but he was a year early. Taking a seat at her feet, he tipped his head back and stared at the ceiling.

Issei stared a bit more. Lost in thought before he realised he could use this time usefully. Koneko could not bring Rias to him right now, so he would have to wait. Deciding to commune with his partner once more, he hoped that he would not interrupt her rest. Falling into the depths of his Sacred Gear, he was face to face with said partner, the crimson behemoth he was. Awake this time, unfortunately. Issei was looking forward to waking him up again.

With small discussions about finer details of the future he could not express with his technique to share memories, he practiced his magical attunement alongside the conversation. Ddraig's company was almost unmatched to him, having spent long gruelling nights relying on the dragon's focus to not be assassinated in the little sleep he was afforded. Conversation was all there was to have in his exhaustion, so they conversed. About the past, about the machines, about power.

While magic was not his place, rather Elsha's, the same horrible power he used alongside Belzard was used with her. Less aggressive in nature, yet nonetheless taxing. It would be better to have a stronger foundation for her to work with. He had imagined machines and let fly some pent up rage at them. He imagined potential ways to use his magics, and tried to grasp his Eternal Flame. After failing, he kept trying. Trying and trying until his environment was trembling. Time passed, and he didn't cause the shaking this time. Someone was interfering with his real body, in some non-violent form.

Experienced in the vicious transfer between soul and body, he ignored the slight double vision and nausea that arose. Feeling another tap on his arm, he looked to see Shirone kicking his body in her rest.

He smiled. She had a habit of moving a fair bit, and shifting all around him while he slept stilled. As a stranger, she would not do the same with him. Not yet.

Shaking her ankle lightly to awake her, he didn't realise that this was the situation he was trying to avoid. At least, not until it was too late. She shot up, looked at him and froze. Eyes refused to meet his, trembling hands clutching herself. He scared her.

And that hurt him. Of course he understood, but this was someone he loved. And still loves. He just sat there, hands shifted to his lap, unmoving. She didn't speak, and neither did he. Issei just smiled at her, and continued doing so when she finally met his eyes.

"I'm just waiting for Rias, you're welcome to go back to sleep."

"..."

He had whispered and looked away, trying to seem as least of a threat as he could, but could also not tell if it had worked. Not until she moved to sit up, assuming his own position. She still trembled, but was testing the waters she had woken up in.

Issei, of course, knew her. And he knew that if anything around her did happen, he kept a secret technique, undeniably fatal in execution and unknown to most, tucked within his pocket. It was habit while she was his lover and had been his habit even after her passing, lying untouched in the trousers of his wheezing carcass upon his own passing.

Reaching into his pocket and watching her flinch, he pulled out a sweet. A small chocolate covered fudge piece, maintained with a very minor chilling spell. Placing it atop her lap, he looked away from her and rested his arms atop the back and side of the sofa. Tipping his head back once more, he heard her fiddling with the small plastic wrapping. Likely checking scent-wise to see if it was poisoned. A small while later, once his counting of cracks in the ceiling had reached 110 or thereabouts, he heard her chewing it. A smaller smile reached his lips. Trust is built atop small actions after all.

After the chewing had stopped and the wrapper was rested atop the same coffee table his feet laid on, a small while passed before he heard her whisper softly.

"...do you have any more?"

It was cute enough to melt his heart, and he reached into his pocket to find one more after chuckling. Placing it onto an unstretched palm resting on her lap, he retreated back to his previous position.

"That's the last one unfortunately. I have more at home, I'll bring you some tomorrow. Okay?"

"...okay."

Good. While Koneko was still very obviously wary of him, she was less concerned about his sudden appearance and accompanying threat of death.

After finishing that one and placing the wrapper away, she was still opposite him and didn't dare to move, but her arms moved to her side as opposed to her lap. He could not see, of course, but he had his ways of knowing.

A glance at the clock behind him by tipping his head further revealed that it was 10:34.

?

Oh, he was upside down. It was 4:04. Rias would be here likely any second. He could already hear the gentle entrance and wary creeping of Akeno Himejima, her Queen. He did not acknowledge her because of her discreetness, and that it may further startle Koneko. Kiba was approaching the external door and the stairs following, and Rias had not left school yet.

At least, that's according to his hearing. The thrum of students chatting as they left threw his calculations off slightly, so it's likely that Rias could be on her way. While Akeno and Rias were in the same class, she had likely gone to the Student Council room to borrow Sona. At their known pace, they'd be here at 4:09.

"Kiba will be here in a few seconds Koneko, Akeno. Rias will be 5 minutes or so."

Koneko was clearly shocked that Akeno was present, just as the latter was surprised she was noticed. Neither acknowledged what he said verbally, but Kiba opening the clubroom door proved him correct. Gesturing to the sofa opposite him, Issei gave a gentle smile.

Kiba gave him a false smile, shaking his hand with a slightly sweaty palm before setting himself down opposite Koneko, leaving the free space for Rias or Sona, or both.

"You guys don't have to be so wary, I'm here to discuss cooperative measures with Rias and Sona. Kiba, you can stop channeling magic with that hand behind your back. Akeno, I can hear you making tea, but I don't think lightning is necessary in that process."

Kiba just looked at him before sighing and placing his hand respectfully at his side. The ever-so-gentle crackling of lighting dulled with Akeno's shock at being discovered once more. Koneko just stared at him, muted.

"Would you not be wary if someone who was a large enough threat to require a Maou to communicate with was within your home?"

Kiba had a good point, but he had gone through that situation far too many times before. He perhaps had too much experience.

"You're welcome to be wary, but you have to learn how to hide such feelings. If you show your emotions, they're likely strong enough to use them against you. Take for example, magical chanting before such a situation. All they would register is a slight magical signature and if you're skilled enough, you can disguise that signature within or around your reserves. It allows you to fire off any Higher-Class spell in an instant."

Issei's inner teacher had shown itself, and he may have gone too in-depth, judging by the blank or deadpan faces the peerage members had looking at him.

"You can't maintain a magical chant without finishing it, everyone knows that. Even devils that don't use magic know it."

"I'll teach you guys a bit more later, with a demonstration of what I mean. For now, Rias and Sona are coming up the stairs."

Upon their opening of the door, Issei was proven correct yet again. A glance back at the clock showed he was a minute quick on his prediction, though. Boring.

"It's lovely to meet you properly Rias Gremory, Sona Sitri. I'm sure Sirzechs has informed you both of his discoveries?"

They moved to sit opposite him as he spoke, leaving poor Koneko to sit next to this monster.

"That is true, Issei Hyoudou. We've been told that you are a human magician who is the host to the Red Heavenly Dragon. Specialising in barrier formations at the level of a Seraphim or Maou, we've also been told that you've expressed desire to cooperate under us. Is that correct?"

Sona was mistaken. She was the only one besides Kiba who was not a part of his harem. She was a good friend to him, and Kiba was akin to a brother.

"Close, but you missed two parts. Firstly, I do not specialise in barrier circles. I don't have any particular specialisation, more like a jack-of-most-trades. Secondly, I'm not cooperating under you."

"You're a bit young to be that good at most magical branches. Boosted Gear or not, you're better than most supernatural beings alive. If you aren't cooperating with us though, is it safe to say you plan to resist our ownership of Kuoh?"

"I don't plan to do that either. I said I would cooperate, not work under you like a slave. I am stronger than you, and you would be foolish to think you could control the Dragon of Domination. I suggest you rephrase."

"My apologies, Red Dragon Emperor. We have full intention to work cooperatively with you at an equal level, however that will work both ways. If there are any lower level threats, we will handle them. Should anything larger arise, we may require your assistance."

"That's fine with me. I'll give you all my phone number once we've decided on the order of operations. Have you considered my request to join the ORC?"

"We have, and as a member of the supernatural, it's only right that you either join the Student Council or the Occult Research Club. As such, you're now a member of my club."

Rias had spoken up for the first time in this conversation, seemingly leaving the tense details to her more articulate friend. He smiled.

"Good, thank you. Now then, I understand that many of the devils here are wary of my intentions due to my actions. I apologise for knocking you guys out with my aura, however the holy barrier I cast will not be removed. I can attune you all to the barrier so you won't find any discomfort in its presence, but the protection of my family comes first and I would sooner die than render them unsafe."

His reasoning seemed to resonate with all of them, understandably. They all care deeply about family, they always have.

"How long will it take to attune all of us? There are 7 other devils present in Kuoh at current."

"Not long per person, I just need to cast one of the barrier's points onto each of you. As there's holy energy involved, it may burn slightly, but I can do my best to shield you with attributeless magic."

"We will have you do that later, tomorrow if possible. For now, I'd like to ask how strong you really are."

"At current you can consider me to be at Super-Class. A Maou Candidate or a Seraphim, for example. If I had wings, I would likely possess five or six pairs."

"Can you show us what you were talking about before?"

Ah, Akeno. She wanted to see the pre-chanting in action. Understandable, as it's a technique only usable thanks to his chant-reduction engravings. All thanks to Castor Ambrosius, before his passing.

"Very well then. I will go through the full chant of a small yet powerful barrier technique, since I would like to avoid damaging anything in such a demonstration."

Issei stood up from the sofa and walked to the side so as to be visible to everyone. He wouldn't even need a chant for this barrier, but it was a demonstration and not live combat.

"Phase, Twilight, Nightmare. Lower yourself to the mortal realm."

All devils present felt the magical buildup, followed by a natural feeling of shock once the developed spell did not change nature after a few seconds of exposure. Issei waited for the cries of questions to stop pouring in from the magically attuned present, and just silenced them after a few minutes.

"Ricochet."

A translucent red barrier manifested around him, barely 2 metres in diameter and spherical in nature. It was a simple barrier, only rated up to the upper echelons of High-Class beings, but it still astounded them.

When someone gathers the magical energy to use a spell, they fill their body with that energy and use it to create a circle, where they pour all the remaining magic in and complete the casting. If the circle was not created, was made poorly or they did not appropriately construct the rest of the spell within the foundation, the magic would change nature and become unusable.

It was like having to place code within the system of a computer that would change itself and prevent the program from working as intended if you were not quick enough. This act completely defied a key point they were taught about magic.

Issei had to answer a few questions about how it worked and how he controlled the naturally chaotic nature of magic. Namely from Akeno, Rias and especially Sona. Afterwards, he just said a few goodbyes and told them to await for tomorrow, where he would mark them and allow them entry into his home's barrier.

The days following were more than boring. More skipped classes spent in the Occult Research Club's room with Koneko, more slight teachings about the intricacies of magic not disclosed to High-Class devils. He eventually unlocked his Balance Breaker and began training properly. Close quarters combat was once again an option, and he could meet Belzard, Elsha and the broken souls once more. Issei was only excited to meet the former two, and since they were connected to Ddraig more than him, they also had no recollection of the future awaiting.

A few uses of his memory-sharing technique showed them what he went through, how they helped him and how he used the malformed souls that lured him into the Juggernaut Drive.

They seemed excited to see the outside world after only having contact with each other and Ddraig for a few hundred years regardless. All the while, Issei got to work reshaping his Balance Breaker to accommodate his three extra forms. He had put them to good use in his past experience, but he had much more space for preparation this time.

It would take a lot of experimentation and patience to find what powers he had to redevelop in his fresh body and what he had access to, eventually compiling them mentally. Issei would have to pay a few abroad visits to certain mythical factions and convince a few certain individuals to help him.

Or he could wait. His options would come anyway. His biggest advantage came with his foresight, and he put it to good use.

He managed to develop a weird, mushy level of trust with his cooperators too. Through teaching them a bit, and many small actions, they were no longer uncomfortable around him. Kiba and Rias no longer felt the need to drown him in politeness either.

Koneko was probably the biggest change in character. After only a week or so, she felt comfortable sitting and sleeping around him, and even took to asking first for the sweets he had.

Issei was enjoying this chance.

All the while, an eye from the Abyss of the universe stared down, entertained.