The circle expanded before it shattered in a bright light. Out of the flash stepped out Rias along with her peerage. Before he could even stand up a flash of crimson came speeding towards hims.
"Issei!" Rias cried out. She ran toward him at inhumane speed before she collided her chest with his head holding it there. "Are you alright? I came as fast as I could!" Her voiced muffled by his hair.
Issei's faced turned red to match her hair, "R-Rias!? W-What are you doing!?" He tried his best to pull his head away but her grip was determined to keep him there.
Akeno looked over with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Ara~ I apologize Issei, it's not common for Buchou to be so worried about a boy like this." Her obvious lack of sincerity couldn't be contained with the way her hand covered her grin.
Kiba held an apologetic smile towards him. "Sorry Issei, we didn't mean to intrude in your home but we had to come as quick as possible when we saw that large barrier appeared." He had the same uniform when he last saw him, but he also held a large black sword with a golden handle. Behind him stood Koneko who seemed to be sucking on a lollipop, unbothered by the whole situation.
"A-Ah it's quite alright," he proceeded to rub Rias's back to soothe her, before she quickly got off him with slight blush on her cheeks.
"I-I'm sorry Issei, I was just really worried about you, I wanted to come check on you as quick as I could once I saw what was happening"
Trying to regain his composure from suddenly being absorbed into her soft chest he gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry Rias I'm alright."
"Liar."
She looked at him with sharpened eyes, unwilling to break her stare. "You didn't think I noticed that gauze under you shirt?"
"Just some old wounds reopening," he covered them with his shirt. Her stare didn't seem to break off as he stood there uncomfortably.
She gave a sigh and looked at him again. "If you hadn't noticed there was a barrier set up a fallen angel, which we are currently pursuing."
"First of all I had noticed. Second of all don't even bother looking because I sent them on their way"
"YOU WHAT!?"
"Tsk," he winced, "Yell louder would you."
He let out a deep breath, he had honestly had it with the today's turn of events. The last thing he wanted to do was explain the whole situation to Rias, and he definitely didn't want to explain the physical confrontation as well.
"Issei didn't I just tell you how dangerous Fallen Angels are?!"
"Yes Rias." He rolled his eyes, "And we had minor, I can't stress this enough, minor misunderstanding, but afterwards everything was alright and I sent her on her way." He tried his best to make it sound nonchalant, he didn't want her to get any more riled up than she already was.
Everyone in the room just stared at him with puzzled looks. Any confrontation with a fallen angel resulted in almost one party dying to the other. A meeting with one was never as easy going as he was making it sound.
Rias took a step closer to Issei, her eyes narrowing further. "You expect me to believe that a Fallen Angel just walked away after a 'minor misunderstanding'? Who was it? What did they want?"
Issei sighed again, rubbing the back of his neck. "It was a girl named Raynare. She was looking for something, but it turns out she had the wrong guy. Once we cleared that up, she left. No big deal."
"No big deal?" Rias repeated incredulously. "Issei, Fallen Angels don't just leave without a reason. What aren't you telling me?"
Issei could feel the tension in the room rising. The other members of the Occult Research Club, who had been silently observing, exchanged uneasy glances. Koneko, in particular, seemed to be scrutinizing him with her piercing gaze.
"Look, Rias, I handled it. Trust me, alright? There's no need to worry," he said, trying to keep his voice calm and steady.
Rias didn't seem convinced, but before she could press further, Akeno stepped forward. "Issei, if what you say is true, we need to be more vigilant. Fallen Angels rarely act alone. We need to be prepared for anything."
Issei nodded, grateful for the shift in the conversation. "I understand. I'll keep my eyes open."
Rias finally relented, though the concern in her eyes didn't fade. "Alright, but you need to be more careful. We can't afford any mistakes."
Issei nodded again, feeling the weight of their stares. "Got it. I'll be careful." Without a moments rest Akeno came walking up to him, her eyes locked on his unmoving. Before he could understand what was happening her body how made itself onto him closely, almost inappropriately. Her finger lift his chin slightly making sure he was looking right at her with an almost mischievous smirk.
"A-Akeno what are you doing!" Rias cried out because of her expected and unexpected behavior.
Akeno's smirk widened as she maintained her gaze on Issei. "Just making sure our little dragon here understands the gravity of the situation," she said, trying to feign innocence.
Issei's face flushed a deep red, and he swallowed hard. "A-Akeno, this isn't the time for jokes," he stammered, trying to pull away, but her grip on his chin was firm.
"Who said I was joking?" Akeno replied, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Issei, if you're hiding something, it could put all of us in danger. We need to trust each other completely."
Issei felt the intensity of her words and the closeness of her body, making it hard to think straight. "I... I know. I promise I'm not hiding anything that would hurt any of you," he said earnestly, trying to convey his sincerity through his eyes.
Akeno studied him for a moment longer before finally releasing him, her smirk softening into a more genuine smile. "Alright, Issei. Just remember, we're a team. You don't have to carry everything on your own."
Rias, who had been watching the interaction with a mix of concern and annoyance, stepped forward. "Akeno, that's enough."
Akeno nodded, then turned to Rias. "Rias, we still have to do our daily patrol. Why don't we take Issei with us? It'll be a good opportunity for him to learn more about our responsibilities and see firsthand what we deal with."
Rias considered this for a moment before nodding. "That's a good idea. Issei, you're coming with us."
Issei blinked, a bit taken aback. "Patrol? Now?"
"Yes, now," Rias confirmed. "We need to make sure our territory is safe, especially with Fallen Angels recently lurking around."
Issei groaned, his shoulders slumping. "Do I have to? I really don't feel like going out right now."
Rias crossed her arms, her expression stern. "Yes, you have to. You lied to me earlier, and you need to make up for it by helping us on patrol."
Issei sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll go," he said in an annoyed tone.
The group readied themselves and headed out the door, following the lead of Rias as she continued down the streets with Akeno beside her.
That left Kiba behind them by himself as he walked with a certain grace and dignity, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
That only left him and Koneko walking beside each other, and she looked like she couldn't ever bother with him being near her. Her eyes stayed looking forward and she continued to idly chew on the piece of candy in her mouth.
Should he try talking to her? He wasn't sure, he wasn't really one to make idle chatter, he actually preferred the quiet. Though he should probably make an effort to know them better as this likely wouldn't be the last time they were meeting.
He looked over at her again, her small frame and stoic demeanor did make it seem like she was a bit unapproachable, but he knew from many past instances, that visuals weren't tell all.
He internally groaned and gave himself up to the situation, he hated starting conversations.
"S-So Koneko, do you always take it from the back?" He immediately facepalmed internally as the words left his mouth. Konekos head almost flew off from how quick she turned it, the cracking of knuckles sent an uninviting warning as to what was about to happen.
"I-I mean for patrol, for patrol!" He quietly yelped. Her fixed gaze studied him for a second before she left him go, continuing her walk. The silence started to grow, and he thought he had probably ruined it.
"Yes."
"Uh, why is that, I'm not really familiar with how formations are supposed to go"
She tried to ignore him but unfortunately for her, his heart was set on conversing with her. Best she could do was hopefully make it quick.
"It's because of my piece, it's best that I stay in the back so I can tank any surprises"
"Your piece?"
She quietly sighed, knowing this conversation wouldn't die down soon. "We are reincarnated to devils by the Evil Piece system. It's based off the game of chess, and I'm Rias's rook. It grants me exceptional strength and defense so I stay back in case anything unexpected happens."
Issei quietly nodded along as she explained.
"What about the rest of the group?"
Koneko looked at the back of Rias, "Rias holds the king piece, it automatically increases her power of destruction by 10 fold."
Issei raised a brow at the name, there was no way the name was so literal, surely it was a moniker or a symbolic name for what it actually is. Koneko looked back at him with a blank stare for a second. "It's exactly as the name suggests."
He sighed, "What about the rest of the group?"
She looked over to the boy resting his hand on his sword, "Kiba has the knight piece, it gives him exceptional speed." She paused for a moment, "We don't have a bishop piece, however it excels in giving the user increased magic reserves." Her eyes made its way to to laughing woman next to Rias, who seemed to be engrossed in their own conversation. "Akeno holds the queen piece, granting her abilities of all the pieces."
"What about the pawn piece, or does it not have any abilities?" She shook her head.
"We have none, however the pawn has the ability to to promote to any piece given Rias's permission."
He rubbed his chin in thought, the system didn't sound too bad, however their own group only help four pieces out of the 16 the group should have. If anything they were at a major disadvantage should another group with a full set cross their paths.
"Thanks for explaining Koneko," he tried giving her a smile, hoping to convey his appreciation. She looked at him before facing forward giving him a small nod.
They walked together in silence for a few minutes down the many quiet and seemingly abandoned streets. The hum of the occasional car seemed to serve as background noise with Issei still in his thoughts.
They had made it around half way through their planned route, the atmosphere of the group unchanging as nothing extraordinary seemed to appear. The king and queen continued in their light hearted banter, the knight walked with stride and quietness, and the two of them in the back continued to walk in a comfortable silence.
All broken when when he felt a sudden tug on his sleeve. He looked down to see Koneko still facing forward not letting go. "Uh Ko-"
"Why did you lie to Rias," she cut him off. Her voice stayed neutral and her eyes still held straight forward not looking at him.
He struggled to find the words for a way to avoid answering about the implied lying. "Wh-"
"Fallen angels don't leave over a simple misunderstanding," she cut him off again.
All he could do was sigh in response. "I don't want to trouble her for no reason," he hand lightly grazed the afflicted wound on his shoulder. "She already saved my ass once, I don't want it to be a regular thing."
They both continued walking, her iron grip on his sleeve wasn't softening.
"Look, it's not about trust," he continued, his tone defensive but trying to be as calm as possible. "I just think she has enough responsibilities taking care of you all." He took a deep breath, the weight of his words evident in his voice. "I have my own things to deal with. Wasting her time on me would just be a waste of resources. I can and have always dealt with whatever I needed to on myself, and it's never failed me."
Koneko's eyes stayed focused on the road ahead, but there was a flicker of skepticism in her gaze. "...mostly," he added, his voice trailing off.
"Because you want to or you were forced to?" It was like she had a question for every answer he gave.
"Does it matter?" He mused, "In the end that's just how it is." There was no other way around it, it was how he operated, and it worked, well mostly as its been pointed out.
"Relying on others isn't weak."
"It leaves you comfortable," he shot back almost instinctively. The image of a girl came and left his memory just as quickly.
"It leaves you with purpose."
Purpose.
He scoffed at that word. He had thought on it when he finally made his way back home. What was his purpose, his direction, the meaning behind the past three years. The constant ache in stomach told him that it wasn't just a come and go part of his life. He can't just be happy, or content, acting as if nothing bad was going to happen now. No there's always something that'll come up, something that'll screw with the relative newfound peace he had. Clearly apparent from the situation with the fallen that just dealt with hours ago.
Though he didn't know it yet, he was constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the next crisis, the next problem.
"It's why I dedicate everything, for Rias-sama's sake," she broke the silence.
"And if you fail?" Not relenting on the topic
"I wont."
"But what if?"
He raised an eyebrow waiting for her to respond, though she walked silently.
"That's why I do it for her sake."
She let go of his shirt before turning to meet his gaze, "Who's sake do you do it for?"
The question left him dumbfounded for a second as his pace slowed down, Koneko's unchanged. Eventually he followed behind her, his eyes tracing the constellations in the sky as he mused over their discussion.
The room was dimly lit, with flickering candles casting elongated shadows across the walls. The eclectic assortment of artifacts and relics strewn about spoke volumes about the occupant's diverse interests and eccentricities. At the center of this unusual collection sat Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels. His attire was equally distinctive, reflecting his nonchalant yet authoritative demeanor. He wore a tailored black suit with a subtle sheen, its sleek lines contrasting sharply with the chaotic array of objects around him. His shirt, a deep midnight blue, peeked out from beneath the suit jacket, and a neatly tied black tie completed the look. His dark hair with yellow bangs was impeccably styled giving him a playboy look, and his eyes, sharp and discerning, glinted with a blend of casual amusement and keen intellect.
As Raynare and Kalawarner entered his office, Azazel's relaxed posture remained unchanged. He leaned back in his chair, the easy grace of someone who was both in control and untroubled by the day's events. His feet were propped up on the desk, a position that spoke to his laid-back approach but also hinted at his underlying authority. Azazel's demeanor was far from frivolous; he was a master of balancing his playful nature with the serious responsibilities of his position.
"Ah Ray-Ray and Kala, glad to see your both in good shape," his voice was smooth laced with a trace of casualness and familiarity. "Though from the looks I can't say that about your spirits." He made his way off the chair and around the desk, before casually leaning back on the front of it, his eyes studying his subordinates.
"The mission, I hope there is an update?" His tone a bit more serious now.
"F-Forgive me Azazel-sama, but we were unable to recruit the human." Raynare tried to keep her tone neutral, though she was nervous meeting the leader of the Fallen Angels, even though they were quite familiar with him. Her previous shenanigans from past missions had made him intimately familiar with her, and her… strong personality. She was one of his hardest working subordinates, and her thirst to prove herself was definitely admirable. But like many things in life he learned to take the good with the bad. Along with that was her pride, and her tendency to make rash decisions. Which had resulted in many failures in many missions. This mission was a chance to prove herself to him again, hopefully with some of her negative traits being improved.
He sighed, "Well that was to be expected…" Raynare flinched at the apparent harsh implication he was giving, "Ah, not because of you Ray-Ray, I was pretty sure he was going to refuse in the first place, this is just really confirming my intel."
He looked at them for moment in silence before speaking to them again.
"I trust you both ran the mission in the given parameters?"
"You know Raynare Azazel-sama, never a dull moment," Kalawarner scoffed. Azazel could only smirk, "Is that so, sounds exciting, do explain Raynare?"
"I-I, We just came across some stray devils, but they were no issue. I-If anything if Kalawarner hadn't sat on her ass all day the mission could've concluded even earlier."
"You bitch! From where I was sitting it looked like you were overcompensating for past screw-ups!"
Raynare could only shoot her a venomous look before biting her lip, not wanting to antagonize the person who could literally ruin her.
Azazel chuckled at the minor banter they were having, almost seemingly forgetting that he existed, "Hmm… well no matter, all's well ends well, that's what the humans say right?" They both nodded in response.
"Any who, more importantly, is there anything remarkable about him? I already have my intel, so I'm really just asking if I'm missing anything."
Kalawarner decided to speak now, "Other than, on the road, by foot might I add, nothing that interesting. He encountered quite a bit of stray devils, and was actually near death many times. He also holds the Twice Critical sacred gear, and has an exceptionally high amount of draconic energy."
"Hoh, So you both were able to notice it as well, quite the reserve he has, and that's likely not even a fraction that he possesses." Azazel had been alive since the eternity of Humanity, and never had he seen such potent energy like that except from the Two Heavenly Dragons. It was more interesting because his sacred gear was only a Twice Critical, perhaps one of the weakest ones in the system.
"A-A fraction?! B-But that much for just a Twice Critical user?" Raynare was flabbergasted, at least when she had observed him during his many battles, it looked like he was pushing himself to his limit, hell he seemed to barely survive his encounter with herself, as annoying as it was. "Is this why he is of interest of you, Azazel-sama?"
"Well… that's definitely part of the reason," he scratched his goatee appearing to be deep in thought. "But more importantly is who he's been around with." His tone took on a more annoyed one, "This certain individual has been on my radar for quite a while, and Issei is one of the only people to have come across this person and have lived. Whether by fight or flight I personally don't know, however that makes him a goldmine of information on the individual."
"How far has he traveled to, has he settled down anywhere permanently?" He continued on.
Raynare chimed in, "Kuoh, his home town Azazel-Sama."
Azazel furrowed his brows, "Kuoh, already? That was quite quick." From what he remembers Sirzechs threw his little sister in the town as overseer along with Sitri, both even having a formidable peerage at such a young age.
Last he remembered Gremory was still vehemently opposing the union between her and Riser Phenex. She'd probably jump at the chance of potentially reincarnating the boy if she came across him.
"And what of the current towns overseer, Rias Gremory, I'm sure you knew of her presence in that town?" He stood up straight not leaning on the desk anymore, and instead sharpened his gaze on both of his subordinates.
Both Raynare and Kalawarner took a step back uncomfortably as any trace of casualness left his tone.
"Az-"
"The mission was supposed to be completed before the kid got into Kuoh, and surely you know that Rias Gremory, younger sister of the current four Devil Kings presides over the town." Both of them stood still as he began to question them, "And yet you both still went into the town, knowing the current state of this very uneasy peace."
Both of them were barely able to mumble out an apology due to the overwhelming authority to began to exude over them. He stared at them for a few seconds before he let out an uneasy sigh, "No matter," his casual tone returning. "The fact that you two are here means that you didn't provoke the wrong people. All's well that ends well right?" He returned to leaning back on his desk. He hated having to do that, intimidate, or just plain overwhelm those under him, but these two can be so clueless sometimes he had no choice.
"Well at least tell me if anything transpired during the time you two almost caused another international incident."
Raynare spoke up, "W-Well, the human has made contact with the devil princess, however she hasn't recruited him to her peerage yet." She was barely able to get the words out of her mouth, her chest was pounding from the pressure she was just feeling.
"I see, I would've thought she'd jump at the chance. No matter it works in our favor… anything interesting occur in the town?"
"Yes Azazel-sama, the human fought another stray devil in an abandoned warehouse, where he was near death, and rescued by-by that brat," she spat out.
Azazel couldn't help but bellow out in laughter, "The damn kid never catches a break huh." From what he was being told the kid was fighting almost on the daily, it's a surprise he even made it this far. "Well, I assume that's everything you both have to report?" They both nodded at him.
"Then you both are excused for now." They both bowed their heads and turned away to walk back to their respective stations.
"However be ready soon, I'll be assigning you to a new location, both of you." Kalawarner turned around, "If I may ask, where are we going Azazel-sama?" Raynare turned stopped also listening intently hoping for a response.
He gave her a mischievous grin, "All four of us are gonna have a nice little chat."
"And remember Issei-"
"Yeah yeah," he groaned in annoyance, "If anything happens I'll call for you." He tried his best to reassure Rias, but she seemed to be unrelenting in drilling the point in his head. Understandable as he seemed to deal with an almost catastrophic political fallout by himself.
"Once again, if anything, I mean anything, you use this summoning circle, my peerage and I will be there in an instant."
"Understood Boss!" He gave a mock salute to the group, Rias giving him a pout before she wished him well. The group slowly dispersed one by one until it was just Koneko and Issei.
She looked at him with yer yellow eyes, seemingly studying something on his face, before she gave him a small nod and left along with her group.
He gave a deep sigh, and pulled out his keys to enter his humble abode. One that needed some cleaning after the debacle with that woman. He hadn't gotten a full day of peace ever since he set foot in the damn town. The supernatural factor was 10 times more potent considering the fact that he had interacted with two of the three main factions in the span of 16 hours. At least now he could finally relax like how he wanted to.
Pushing open the door, he was met with the usual interior stay for the damaged furniture from earlier this morning. His living room looked the same, the TV still in the same spot, the blankets and pillows scattered around like how he left them, Raynare, that blue haired woman that was with her, and this older man in a red trench coat, and open buttoned shirt.
"Yo." He gave a wave with a friendly smile.
Issei's face contorted to that in annoyance and sadness as he observed the spectacle in his room. The three strangers looked like they practically made themselves at home, especially the man who had his feet on the table reading some tableside book. There really was no time for him to relax and wind down from the day.
The summoning circle he held in his hand crumpled under his fist as he discarded it to the ground.
Extending his left hand outward he summoned his sacred gear, if it was going to be a 3v1 he wasn't going down without a fight, and he would bring as much collateral damage upon them as he could.
[BOOST]
The two woman immediately stood up ready to go on the offensive in the presence of their leader.
"Hahahaha, relax relax. We're not here to cause any trouble to you Issei, I assure you." His casual demeanor caught the agitated boy off guard as he gave a perplexed look towards him. Though it did suit his looks as the only way Issei could categorize him was as some sort of sleazy salesman.
His fighting stance didn't change despite the mans words. "How do you know my name? Are you like some kind of pervert or something?"
The two woman looked at Issei with gobsmacked and perplexed faces while the man proceeded to snicker at the question. "No, not today at least."
"I assure you Issei we pose no threat to you, I actually came here personally to discuss something with you."
[RESET]
Issei thought back to the last time he met these women, telling the blue haired woman that she could tell her boss that excuse he gave as long as they don't come back to bother him. Could this be him?
"You their superior or something?"
"Haha, well yes, something like that." He stood up from the couch and straightened out his attire before facing him. He took a slight bow which he believed was the customs for this country, "Nice to meet you Issei, my name's Azazel, leader of the Fallen Angels faction."
The leader!? He thought that they would've brought just their boss, like upper management, not the damn leader of an entire faction. Issei quickly returned the bow quickly but still seemed a bit cautious, given how he relaxed his fighting stance, but his sacred gear had yet to dissipate.
"I'm sure you've met my cute little underlings, here on the right is Raynare," she shot Issei an annoyed look before turning her head to the side, "… and this here is Kalawarner." She gave him a plain expression with a peace sign held up.
"Yo."
"Look I already told these two I wasn't interested in being a part of… whatever this is."
"And that's not what I am here for I assure you, though I wont lie to you it is a bit disheartening about your disinterest in our group," Issei was about to interject, but Azazel cut right through him, "I'm actually here on another matter."
He raised his brow, signaling him to continue.
"I have a… whadyacallit, an offer on the table for you." His smile seemed genuine to Issei, his casual going style seemed to portray him as someone what an honest person. At least that's what he was getting from this limited interaction with him.
"An upcoming…" he seemed to think for a second, "… event involving the three major factions will be happening in the coming months. I need two things for you, and in return I can assure you I'll make it worth your while."
"Pass," he said flatly. "Why bother taking this offer. All I want is some damn peace and quiet, and I'm 600% fucking sure I'm not getting it involving myself with either of y'all."
"You may have a point, but you, a human, have already involved yourself with the supernatural world far more than you think you have." He signaled Issei to have a seat, "Your… relationship with the redhead is actually far more significant than you think."
He could only raise an eyebrow to that. He knew she was the overseer of the town, but he didn't think it was that big of a deal. The only other outstanding thing he could think about her was her relationship to her brother, who somehow owned all of East fucking Asia, through God knows what means.
"Is it her older brother?"
Azazel gave a light chuckle, "You're definitely a bit more perceptive than I gave you credit for. But yes that is correct, her current brother is currently one of the four Devil Kings-"
He deadpanned, "You're joking."
"-he also is arguably the strongest ones as well." He continued without stopping.
"Why are you telling me this anyways?"
Azazel leaned back on the sofa taking a pause, "Well… you're existence has already captured the interest of two of the three factions, myself, and if not already, very soon, one of the four Devil Kings."
"I can understand the interest from Rias's brother, but why from you, and why'd you send these two idiots to try and get me to join you."
Raynare clenched her teeth, "Y-You li-"
Without a moments notice Azazel cut her off, "My interest in you has been for quite a while, not particularly because I want to get some use out of you, more that you have some information that I'm looking for."
Information? Him? What information could he possibly be of interest have to the leader of the Fallen Angel Faction didn't? The only significant, and 'out of the ordinary' thing that he could think of was what happened those three years ago.
He unknowingly started to grip the sides of his chair a bit hard, not going unnoticed by the man.
"And as a show of my goodwill, I won't satiate my curiosity on it until much later down the line, and even then it'll be you up to you if you'd like. All I ask is that you take my offer."
Issei looked at the man for a second before glancing over at the two other fallen women in his room. One was, unsurprisingly, giving him a nasty look, and the other didn't seem to care what was happening during the moment.
"So what's the offer?"
The mans eyes lit up immediately, with a large smile joyful smile appearing on his face. "Perfect, however I think starting off with compensation often yields me a greater success rate."
"Fine whatever, what are you offering if I were to accept this mystery deal?"
A sly grin came upon his face, "You'll have my guaranteed protection, and alongside that my faction. However you wont need to align yourselves with us or our side, I offer this as a gesture of goodwill. Along with that, I try not to brag that much, but I'm a very avid researcher and enthusiastic about all things sacred gears. One of the best in the field, you can go ahead and ask anyone you wish, I'm sure they'll backup my claims."
Issei scoffed, "So?"
"Sooo, I know you don't plan to stay at the current level you are at now, so if you need any information on your sacred gear, and ways to train, any sort of upgrades, I can supply you with that." He nodded to himself in self approval.
Issei rubbed his temples in annoyance. He really wasn't getting himself less involved than he had previously hoped. On top of that he couldn't deny the lucrative offer that he was offering, full protection guaranteed by the leader of the Fallen Angel faction, potentially game changing information on his sacred gear, and he didn't have to ally themselves with their or any faction for that matter. Though he started to wonder what he would have to do to in order to gain those benefits.
"…and in return?"
The joyful smile of his returned, "In return I ask of you two things…" He held up his hand and extended his first finger upward.
"One, you must become a facilitator and neutral party for the major upcoming event that I previously spoke of. Long story short, we haven't been able to obtain a facilitator or neutral party without the approval of the other parties. A sacred gear human user like yourself would be perfect, and the previously mentioned Devil King will likely be considering you for that position as well, I wouldn't be surprised if you were to get a visit from the leading Angel in Heaven as well."
"And do you care to specify what major event it is?"
Azazel seemed to think for a second before responding, "Nah. Anyways you'll find out later down the line."
Issei groaned at the mans response, "… and the second thing?"
The joyful smile slowly turned into a shit-eating grin, "Second, Raynare and Kalawarner will be on an indefinite mission in which they will be overseeing and reporting to me, updates, and progress on all things relating to you. They will also live here with you, and as a token of gratitude I'll cover all additional expenses."
"WHAT!?" Both the women screamed in unison.
"You're screwing with me aren't you?" What an incredulous notion, he wanted him to live with the woman to tried to assassinate him not even 12 hours prior.
Azazel burst out laughing at the reaction of the three people in the room, "Unfortunately I'm not…" he wiped a tear from his eye. "These two can be your personal bodyguards and trainers, as I'm usually dealing with other issues, mostly internal."
"B-But Azazel-sama, to live with this h-human," Raynare seemed like she was about to collapse from shock.
"What about it? You both did fail your mission to recruit him, so this only seems fair."
"B-But you said th-"
Azazel cut her off, "No buts Raynare, this is the mission."
Raynare tried to look at Kalawarner for some backup, but she was in the middle of rubbing her temples, "Hey kid, am I allowed to sleep in here or nah?"
Issei gave her a confused look, what kind of question was that. "U-Uh yeah, you can take my bed if you want."
Her eyes seemed to widen just a bit before she turned around to Azazel, "Mission accepted," she gave a mock salute. Raynare could only give her an enraged look as Azazel nodded in approval.
"Well that's all there is to it," he turned to look the young man in the room extending his hand out, "Do we have a deal?"
Issei thought over it for a moment, there was no returning back once he accepted it, and the guaranteed protection would nice.
He made up his mind.
He grabbed the mans hand and shook it, "We have a deal."
Azazel gave him a hearty laugh, "Perfect! Well then I should be on my way, I'd rather not get involved in whats happening next."
"Wait what do you mean-"
"See ya!" He gave another smile before disappearing in a flash of yellow. Not soon after a crumpled piece of paper on the ground began to glow in an uncontrolled bright crimson red.
Issei's eyes widened at the red crackling appearing around the fallen angel, and it didn't seem the result of it was going to be gentle.
"Fuck Fuck not again!," he took off as fast as he could towards the two woman who seemed to be catching on to the current situation, "Move!"
Just as he was about to shove the women out of the way, the paper burned up in violent fire, the minor shock wave knocking everyone over.
Stepping out from the smoke was Rias and her peerage. Her hands crackled with a dark energy in her hand, her queen right beside her as lightning seemed to twirl in her fingers. Her knight, Kiba had two swords drawn, and Koneko, had her fists ball up in a fighting stance. All in all they were ready for a fight to break out.
Not soon after the two fallen women's wings unfurled and in their hands held light spears ready to attack at a moments notice.
"Oh sh- Wait wait wait!"
Rias turned a quick glance to Issei with concerned eyes, "Issei are you alright? As soon as I left my older brother called me and explained the situation."
"So then why are you in my living room with weapons drawn!" He said exasperated.
Rias seemingly ignored the statement, "Issei didn't I tell you to contact me if anything happened," she said accusingly.
"I literally was about to call you before you came blasting through my damn living room."
Akeno looked over at Raynare and Kalawarner, still holding their light spears in hand ready to fire at a moments notice. "My my, it seems the two crows here don't have any respect for any authority~" her lightning began to crackle more violently in her hands, "may I play with a bit?"
Rias held her hand up stopping Akeno, "Issei what's going on here?"
"Wh- Didn't you just say you knew the situation?"
"All I've been told by my older brother is that you along with the two fallen angels that go by the name, Raryanre and Kalawarner are of special interest to the three factions."
She let, what Issei assumed was her power of destruction, dissipate into nothing. "Why are you of special interest to the factions Issei?"
"Tch… can you devils ever mind your own damn business," Kalawarner decided to speak up. She slowly walked up to Rias who was only chest high compared to her.
The ball of black and crimson energy began to slowly manifest in her hands once again as her peerage began to raise their weapons.
"Anything that happens in this territory is my business," she said sharply.
"But a little girl like you in charge of something so important like this?" She put a finger up to her lip thinking. "You possibly cant manage something like this."
"Enough with your arrogance, crow," Akeno interjected, her voice laced with venom. "You're in our territory, and you should show some respect."
Raynare smirked before stepping forward as well, "Respect? For devils who think they can control everything? Don't make me laugh."
Kiba stepped forward, his swords gleaming in the dim light. "Watch your tongue, fallen. You're outnumbered and outmatched."
Raynare raised her light spear ready in her hand. "Outnumbered, maybe. Outmatched? I doubt it. We're not afraid of a bunch of devils who think they're better than everyone else."
Koneko, her fists still clenched, glared at Raynare. "Big talk for someone with no bite."
Kalawarner sneered. "Says the little kitty who thinks she's so tough. Why don't you come over here and show us what you've got?"
Issei felt like he would peel his face right off the bone with how much he was rubbing over it in frustration.
"SHUT UP, ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!"
Everyone quickly turned their heads to Issei, who unknowingly began to radiate a large presence in the room.
Raynare was all too familiar with it as her breath hitched, reminded of their previous encounter just a bit ago.
Rias and her peerage on the other hand were definitely caught off guard. The presence he seemed to radiate wasn't by all means overwhelming, but it was off the charts of what a normal person with a Twice Critical should have. The amount he was displaying was almost on par with a medium class devil.
Everyone in the room started to pull back their intentions before returning back to a somewhat stable manner, one that he would do his best to control.
"Now as I was about to tell you Rias, I-Ah…" He wasn't sure how much he should reveal, stating the obvious her own brother, one of the Devil Kings hadn't told her the full situation. But what could he even say, he didn't think he was capable of lying to her at this very moment. "He wants me to be involved in a meeting."
"A meeting, between who? Issei who told you this?"
"His name was Azazel-"
"WHAT!" All of the devils screamed in unison.
"Azazel, as in the leader of the Fallen Angel faction, was here!? In this room!?"
"The one and only brat," Raynare spat out, "So if you know what's best for you leave."
Rias bit her tongue and did her best to ignore her. Luckily Issei gave her a sharp glare in which Raynare snarled at.
Rias turned her attention back to Issei. "Issei, why would Azazel be interested in you?"
Issei sighed, feeling the weight of the situation bearing down on him. "Apparently, my sacred gear and the fact that I'm a human have caught his attention. He thinks I can be useful somehow."
"Useful how?" Akeno interjected, her eyes narrowing with suspicion.
"I don't know all the details," Issei admitted. "He was pretty vague about it."
Rias was about to ask another question when she remembered something turning to Raynare and Kalawarner. "And what about that purple barrier in the sky a few hours ago? What was that?"
Raynare's eyes flickered with surprise, but she quickly masked it with feigned ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Don't play dumb with me," Rias snapped. "I've had multiple sources confirm it was you that cast that barrier." She did her best to convey a half truth, doing her best to not expose Issei as her source.
Kalawarner snorted, her eyes narrowing. "And who exactly are these 'sources'? Your pet devils?"
Akeno stepped forward, her eyes glinting with malice. "Careful, crow. We can sense your energy signature all over that barrier. Denying it is pointless."
Raynare crossed her arms, her lips curling into a smirk. "Oh, really? And what exactly did this barrier do, if you're so knowledgeable?"
"It was a powerful containment field," Kiba said, his tone calm but edged with steel. "Meant to trap and possibly kill anything within its radius."
Koneko glared at Raynare and Kalawarner, her fists tightening. "It wasn't subtle."
Raynare sighed dramatically, rolling her eyes. "Fine, yes. I cast the barrier. It was a precaution. We had reasons to believe there were threats in the area."
"Threats?" Rias scoffed. "In my territory? You had no right to take such drastic measures without informing me."
Kalawarner's expression turned cold. "We don't answer to you, little girl. We have our own orders and priorities."
Rias clenched her fists, struggling to keep her composure. "This is my territory. You're guests here, and you will follow my rules."
Raynare shrugged. "We're here on orders, just like you. If you have a problem, take it up with my superiors, see how that goes."
A tense silence filled the room as both sides glared at each other, the air thick with animosity.
Rias took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. "Fine. But if these two are going to stay in my town, there will be conditions."
Raynare scoffed. "And what makes you think we'll agree to any of your conditions?"
Rias flicked her finger and out of nowhere a dark orb came into existence. Putting her hand in she pulled out two female uniforms for. "If you're staying here, you'll attend the local highschool. This way, I can keep an eye on you."
Kalawarner laughed, a harsh sound. "You must be joking. Attend school with a bunch of humans?"
"I'm not joking," Rias replied, her tone icy. "It's non-negotiable."
Raynare and Kalawarner exchanged glances, clearly unhappy with the idea. "And if we refuse?" Raynare challenged.
"Then I'll make sure you're not welcome here," Rias said firmly. "And trust me, you don't want that."
The two fallen angels glared at her but eventually relented. "Fine," Raynare said through gritted teeth. "We'll attend your stupid school."
Rias nodded, satisfied. "Good. Now, Issei, you'll keep an eye on them as well. If they step out of line, you report to me immediately."
Issei sighed, feeling like he had just been handed an impossible task. "Great. Babysitting duty."
As the tension in the room slowly began to dissipate, Rias turned to leave. "Remember, I'll be watching. Don't give me a reason to regret this."
With that, she and her peerage exited the room, leaving Issei with the two disgruntled fallen angels.
"Well, that went well," Issei muttered sarcastically.
Raynare shot him a look. "Just stay out of our way, human."
"O-Out of YOUR way?" He couldn't believe the words that were coming out of this woman's mouth. "All you've done has been in my way, with your stupid assassination plot!"
"I-It wasn't a stupid idea! I-It was necessary!"
Kalawarner laughed at the exchange, her dark chuckle echoing in the room. "Oh, this is rich. Raynare trying to justify her screw-up. Tell me, Raynare, how's that working out for you?"
"Shut up, Kalawarner," Raynare snapped, her wings twitching with irritation.
Issei crossed his arms, his expression unimpressed. "Necessary, huh? You weren't even following orders, were you? You went and did your own thing."
Raynare's eyes flickered with a mix of anger and embarrassment. "I had my reasons. I wasn't supposed to kill you, but you're more dangerous than you look."
Kalawarner smirked, enjoying Raynare's discomfort. "Oh, do tell. What were those grand reasons of yours?"
Raynare glared at her. "It's none of your business."
Issei sighed, feeling the headache coming on. "Look, I don't care about your reasons. Just stop making my life more complicated."
Kalawarner's laughter rang out again. "You really think she's capable of that? Raynare's specialty is screwing things up."
Raynare clenched her fists. "I said, shut up, Kalawarner!"
Kalawarner's smirk widened. "Touchy, touchy. Maybe if you didn't act on your own all the time, we wouldn't be in this mess."
He started to head towards his bedroom, hoping for a few hours of peace. Just before he exited the area, Kalawarner called out to him again.
"Hey, kid, are you sure you don't need some company tonight?" Her voice was teasing, but there was a genuine note of concern beneath it.
Issei turned to look at her, his cheeks flushing slightly. "I'm fine, really. Thanks, though."
Kalawarner shrugged, a playful glint in her eye. "Suit yourself. But if you change your mind, my arms always open."
Issei shook his head, trying to ignore the heat rising to his face. Where were these two going to sleep? He wouldn't feel good about himself if he let them sleep on the couch. He cleared his throat and tried to sound nonchalant before stopping at his door. "You know, you two can take my room. I'll sleep on the couch."
Kalawarner raised an eyebrow, her smirk returning. "Oh, how chivalrous of you. Offering your bed to two ladies."
Raynare scoffed. "Like I'd share a room with her."
"Don't worry, Raynare," Kalawarner teased. "I'm sure he wouldn't mind sharing with you instead."
Issei's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "That's not what I meant!"
Kalawarner's laughter echoed through the room. "Relax, kid. We'll manage."
Issei sighed, feeling a mixture of embarrassment and frustration. "Just... whatever good night."
With that, he retreated to the storage room, grabbing a blanket and a pillow from the closet. As he settled onto the couch, he could still hear Kalawarner's soft laughter from the other room. He pulled the blanket over his head, trying to drown out the sound.
Hey sorry for the long wait on this chapter I've been working so I barely had time, there is probably a bunch of grammar and spelling issues here because I really just want to get this chapter out of the way so I apologize if it seems lazy. Also there is a discord server if you want to join because this is my first time writing a story like this, and honestly I'm really bad at it. Fighting, dialogue, description everything so please bare with me. If you join the discord leave your thoughts or idea and stuff in there, it's just there so you guys can give me feedback. Also I know this is asking a lot but if there is anyone willing to beta read for me just let me know in the discord much appreciated.
disc- 9j3vTT7byD