[Satanification Stage 1 has been activated!]

[Stats have been increased by 10x]

[Demon Eyes Stage 2 has been activated]

[Stats have been increased by 50%]

The moment Issei transformed into his white-haired form, all the orcs present were obliterated. None remained, not even a speck of blood from the orcs.

[Challenge Complete]

Issei stood there, dumbfounded, his eyes widening in shock and confusion. "Wha- what?" he stammers, speechless from the ordeal.

His head was still trying to process the entire scenario, other than it already had; he was struggling to accept it.

"Um, System? Could you perhaps give me something more challenging?" he asks, a bit uncertain.

[Request acknowledged]

[Preparing next challenge]

In an instant, a colossal golem materialised before him. Towering over Issei, the Golem exuded an aura of formidable power, its massive form bristling with rugged stone and ancient runes.

"Alright then, let's see what you've got," Issei smirks.

Instantly, he dashed at breakneck speeds towards the Golem. The Golem, made of some rock, tried to swat Issei away. As soon as the Golem's rocky hand made contact with Issei, it exploded, revealing that Issei had smacked the hand casually.

The Golem, stunned at the attack, regenerates his hand, but before the Golem can retaliate, Issei is driven face-first into the Golem's chest and reappears from the other side, holding the core of the Golem. The Golem crumbles into dust and is carried away by the wind.

Issei looks at the core in his hand and huffs, "System, make it more difficult", he commands

Issei proceeds to run the gauntlet against various creatures, such as Dark Elves, Lizardmen, Goblins, Orges, Giants, and many more. All while learning more about his Satanification power up.

Issei levitates a horde of colossal sandworms from out of the ground into the air with his Vector magic before using his Entropy magic to rapidly decay and kill them.

"My Vector Magic... it's similar to Telekinesis; it's just more refined and simplified," he notes, observing his magic.

Issei takes a look at his hands and then at his new Stats.

Health: 16254

Stamina: 12609

Ether: 12438

Mana: 13408

Something he noticed about these Stats is that when in his Satanification form, neither his health nor stamina gauge gets depleted; this is because the regeneration he gets in the form is so immense that it keeps him in peak physical condition. In a sense, one could say he has infinite or near-infinite levels of vitality; he doesn't feel drowsiness, hunger, or thirst, as the regeneration makes up for the lack of supplementation his body could regularly need.

Ether and Mana, on the other hand, are the ones who are being used to fuel this new form of his. Both are experiencing a slow decline in depletion. If Issei's estimation is correct, he can stay in Satanification for over a year before he completely gets drained of both Ether and Mana if he sits still and does absolutely nothing.

He also noticed the drain on both his Ether and Mana reserves; his Mana reserves depleted faster than his Ether reserves. This is because he only recently unlocked his Mana; therefore, he doesn't have the mastery of control over it compared to Ether.

As for his Ether, every time he used it, he compared it to trying to empty the entire ocean with a bucket, in the fact that it is overwhelmingly vast, but also his control on it is so precise that Issei uses the minimal amount of Ether to perform an ability, he wishes to train his Mana to his level.

Using the same metaphor when he described Ether, the drain on his Mana, it felt like trying to empty an Olympic swimming pool with a bucket. It's not impossible, but it's doable; that's how it felt when he used his magic abilities.

[Final Boss of Gauntlet has appeared]

The system announced as the scenery changed from a sandy desert to a medieval castle-looking area. Issei takes a look at his surroundings, nodding in appreciation and respect for the aesthetic of the area.

"Now, where's that boss?" he asked no one in particular.

As if responding to his question, a screech can be heard in the sky; Issei looks up and sees a winged behemoth being ridden by someone with a spiky helmet and dressed in all black.

Seeing his target, Issei leapt from the ground with tremendous force, causing the ground beneath him to crack along with the nearby infrastructure. He flew at blinding speeds towards the fell beast and his Rider, ready to end it in one blow.

But to his shock, the Rider raised his hand towards Issei and stopped his motion with a telekinetic barrier; Issei had no time to analyse the situation as he was flung back with 10 times the force, smashing through the different buildings of the castle.

Issei gripped the side of the walls as he pulled himself out of the crater he made, his hands gripping the wall with so much strength it cracked the entire wall. He looked up at his target while spitting out a tooth, which instantly regenerated, forming another tooth to replace the lost one.

"I didn't feel any pain from the attack, but still..." he mutters to himself as he glared at the Rider on his fell beast, "... to land an attack on me, with enough force to send me flying backwards, something which Hades wasn't able to accomplish when I was in this state..."

His mouth then turns into a cruel and sadistic smile, "... that means the person in front of me is significantly stronger than Hades..." he says with a malicious tone.

Issei's blood-red magic circle formed in his left hand, the pentagram and characters rotating, the eye in the centre locked its gaze onto the Rider. Issei then proceeds to use his vector magic to lift up the entire castle, along with the ground it was on.

The fell beast roared as it saw the castle being lifted, and in the next instance, the entire castle was flung at high speeds towards the Rider and his beast. The Rider tried to move out of the way of the castle, but Issei teleported next to them and punched the beast towards the incoming castle.

[Ability Used: Energy Manipulation: Energy Generation]

Issei created a ball of black and red energy in his hand; sparks and electricity flew off the ball as he compressed it to the size of a ping-pong ball and shot it towards the Rider and his beast. The energy ball hit the beast and caused a massive explosion, which engulfed the entire castle, making it look like an ant compared to a house cat.

When the explosion died down, the winged beast of the Rider was dead. However, the Rider himself wasn't there in his stead. Issei felt a presence behind and instinctively blocked a mace strike to his head; the bones in his arm broke from the hit but instantly healed.

Seeing the Rider, Issei smirked, "You wanna go!?" he asked with a sadistic tone.

The two then proceeded to exchange attacks with one another, almost fighting on equal footing. The Rider gathered a ball of energy and blasted towards Issei.

[Ability Used: Energy Manipulation: Energy Negation]

Issei held out his hand and blocked the blast and dissipated it; in that same instance, he blitzed towards the Rider and used the dissipated energy to return the attack at point-blank range. The Rider got blown away but quickly recovered as he slammed his mace into the ground, causing an earthquake and making the entire ground split and crack apart.

Issei flew up to avoid the shaking and used his Entropy magic to decay the entire ground into dust; the Rider, who was on the ground, fell as the earth beneath him decayed and collapsed. Issei used this moment to end the fight; he sped towards the Rider and chased him as he fell.

[Ability Used: Elemental Manipulation: Elemental Creation: Fire and Air]

Using the air, he intensified the flames, causing the entire chasm to erupt and explode, completely eradicating the Rider.

[Gauntlet Complete]

X

Issei now sat on the roof of his castle; next to him was a pack of water bottles encased in an ice crystal so that they'd be cold when he drank them. He was back in his normal form and deactivated Satanification after he finished the Gauntlet.

He grabbed a bottle of water and took off the lid, chugging the water; his eyes then stared at the loot he got from the other, various items he received from finishing the Gauntlet and those obtained by his Item Extraction ability. With his other hand, he picked up the helmet of the Rider, who was the final boss of the Gauntlet, turning it over to analyse it.

--

Witch King's Helmet

Rarity: Epic

Classification: Head Wear

Stats: 155 Intelligence, 147 Luck

Ability: 50% to all magic attributes, magic damage, magic absorption, magic negation, and magic regeneration. -50% to cast time, magic consumption. 50% to all Dark Magic attacks

--

Looking at the helmet, Issei sighed, "I've never really used the wearable items I get; it looks quite goofy, if I'm being honest," he said to himself as he placed the helmet back in the pile of other items that he got from this session.

Ddraig, manifesting in his left arm, said, "You should; maybe it'll teach you some humility", he said sternly.

Feigning ignorance, Issei responded, "Hm? You say something?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

Ddraig, in response, grumbled, "Brat..." he muttered in annoyance.

Issei chuckled at Ddraig's annoyance before looking towards the horizon of his dimension, or rather lack of it. Since the dimension was a flat piece of land, it didn't house anything besides Issei's castle.

"I should do some remodelling, make it more planet-like..." Issei muttered to himself.

Suddenly, a notification popped up.

[New Task: World Building]

[Criteria: Create a habitable planet in your dimension to live in. Create resource-gathering and farming sections.]

[Bonus Criteria: Make it bigger than Earth for bonus rewards]

Seeing the new tasks, Issei raised an eyebrow, "Create a planet bigger than Earth? How interesting. Can I even do such a thing?" he said to himself.

He opened the system menu and saw the new system. Before, there was only a Stat and Ability tab, but now there is a Crafting, Store, Fusion and Assimilation tab; however, the latter four have locks on them.

"I'm guessing those will be unlocked when I finish the World Building task," Issei says as he switches to the Stats menu to take a look at his stats and stat points.

--

Name: Issei Hyoudou

Race: True Devil/ Dragon/ Unknown

Affiliation: None

Rank: None

Type: Hybrid (Battlemage)

Stats:-

Vitality: 420

Strength: 378

Agility: 354

Intelligence: 447

Senses: 366

Dexterity: 378

Luck: 312

Overall Power Level: 379

Abilities: System and its Abilities, Magic (Dark Arts)

Gear: Mutated Boosted Gear

--

Looking at his race, he still sees the 'Unknown' part, "Undoubtedly, it's his doing, keeping secrets from me, damned bastard", Issei says with annoyance as he thinks of Dark-sei.

"I have 70 Stat points to spend; how am I going to spend them," he wonders as he looks at his individual stats. "My Luck and Agility are lacking; if I continue to allow this, I might end up bottlenecking."

He proceeds to add 30 to Agility, 20 to Dexterity and 20 to Luck.

[Stats Increased!]

[Agility: 384]

[Dexterity: 398]

[Luck: 332]

Issei sighs, "I need more Stat points..." he says as he finishes drinking from the water bottle.

He jumps to the ground from his castle's roof and lands at the front entrance. He looked at his castle with a critical eye, analysing it and its infrastructure.

"This castle could also be bigger", he says as he opens the large doors and walks inside.

As he walks into the entrance corridor, out of the corner of his eye, he sees movement in the lounge area; his eyes and head turn to see what it is. It was Shalba, looking like a lost puppy. Issei wouldn't admit it, but Shalba startled him a bit as he was not used to anyone else being in his dimension.

"Right, I did leave him here when I went to the Underworld to destroy the Anti Monsters on Saturday", he says to himself, "Clearly, he's still a shell of what he once was", he finishes as he ignores Shalba as he knows he is no longer a threat.

He then walks up the grand stairs to his room; once he arrives and opens the door, he is hit with a strong smell, strong enough for him to cover his nose.

"What's that smell?! It smells like feminine perfume!" he says in annoyance, not knowing that when Rias and Akeno were in his castle, they were up to some mischief in his room.

Taking a moment to analyse the smell, he can recognise whose perfume it was, Rias and Akeno, "Why did I think it was a good idea to let them into my dimension?! Never again!" he said, annoyance.

He quickly opened the windows and changed the bedding to rid himself of the strong smell; when he went into the bathroom to drop off his used clothes in the dirty clothes basket, he noticed some clothes were missing, specifically his training clothes, which were sweaty and his smell all over it.

"Those- those- degenerates!" he shouts angrily, kicking the basket over, breathing heavily, fist clenched by his side. "Why did those two do all this?! For what reason other than annoy me did they do this?!" he asks with grit teeth.

Calming down, he shook his head in acceptance, knowing nothing could change his decision to let them into his dimension. He proceeds to shower, muttering all sorts of curses under his breath; Ddraig, who was witnessing his host's outburst, was enjoying seeing Issei in such a manner.

"I must thank the Gremory Girl and her Queen for making partner riled up like this; it's not every day when I get to see him in such a state", Ddraig chuckles to himself.

Issei steps out of the shower and dries himself off; he then leaves the bathroom to his bedroom and flops onto his bed. Hopefully, sleep can get rid of his current annoyed mood.

X

A few hours later, Azazel and Sirzechs teleported into Issei's dimension using the device that Issei gave Azazel last week.

Sirzechs, being this his first time in Issei's dimension, looks at the place in awe, "So this is the place Issei spent two years in, quite gloomy, don't you think?" he asks Azazel as he looks at the blood red skies, the black sun and the constant lightning, thunder and heavy rain.

Azazel chuckled, "I've told him that multiple times..." he replied, "He says the sounds help him sleep and relax."

Sirzechs looks towards the castle, "I assume that's where Issei resides?" he asks.

Azazel nodded, "Yeah, it is", he replied

Analysing the castle, Sirzechs quirked an eyebrow, "Quite a small castle for someone of Issei's calibre; perhaps he'd allow for my family to renovate and expand it as we did to the Hyoudou residence", he suggested

Azazel shrugged his shoulder, "Not sure; he's easily annoyed when others touch his stuff without asking", he responded.

The two then make their way to the entrance of the Castle and walk through the giant doors. When they walk in, like Issei, the two notice movement in the corner of their eye; they turn their heads to see Shalba.

Sirzechs's eyes narrow, "Shalba Beelzeebub!" he says sternly.

Shalba looks into Sirzechs's eyes, and they widen in recognition before returning to their usual broken look.

"Huh, so he's been here this whole time", Azazel states.

Sirzechs then remembers Ajuka saying that Issei had broken Shalba to the point where he wasn't the same person anymore; at least, that's what Rias and the others reported.

"So, he's a shell of what he once was, I presume?" Sirzechs asks.

"Yeah, whatever Issei did, it scrambled his head', Azazel replied, "Come on, Issei's room is up here", he said, pointing towards the staircase.

The two then walk up the stair to Issei's room which is at the very top; the two finally at the top and then fall on their asses, breathing heavily while massaging their legs.

"How does- how does he walk these stairs every day?" Sirzechs asks, panting in exhaustion.

Azazel, breathing heavily, "Beats me- his physicality is something else entirely..." he mutters weakly.

The two, finally catching their breath, made their way into Issei's room, where they found him sleeping peacefully, although his eyebrows were scrunched, and he had a frown on his face.

Seeing Issei's face, Azazel decided to stay back a bit; Sirzechs, on the other hand, proceeded to walk forward to Issei to wake him up.

"Uh- I wouldn't do that if I were you", Azazel mutters, trying to warn Sirzechs, but it is too late.

As soon as Sirzechs touched Issei's shoulder, Issei's eyes opened like a snake; he instinctively wrapped his leg around Sirzechs's neck and slammed his head onto the bed before wrapping his other leg around his neck, locking him in place.

Out from under Issei's pillow, he pulls out an obsidian-coloured dagger and lunges it at Sirzechs's face. However, a split second before the dagger made entry, Issei came to his senses and stopped the dagger.

The dagger hung a few millimetres away from Sirzechs's eye; all this happened within a second. Sirzechs, caught off guard by Issei's lightning-fast reflexes, froze in place, his eyes wide with shock and surprise. He could feel the sharp edge of the dagger mere millimetres from his eye, the cold metal sending shivers down his spine. For the first time in his life, Sirzechs felt fear.

--

Name: Sirzechs Lucifer (Gremory)

Race: Devil

Affiliation: Underworld

Rank: Leader Class

Relationship: Ex-Brother-in-law

Type: Caster (Sorcerer)

Stats:

Vitality: 150

Strength: 150

Agility: 130

Intelligence: 140

Senses: 130

Dexterity: 140

Luck: 120

Overall Power Level: 137

Abilities: Power of Destruction, Magic (Defensive, Transformation, Teleportation)

Gear: None

--

Issei sighed and retracted the dagger while unwrapping his legs from around Sirzechs's neck. "Has anyone ever told you not to try and wake up a sleeping dragon?" he asks nonchalantly as he puts the dagger on his bedside table.

Sirzechs, still processing what just happened, managed to regain his composure enough to speak. "I... apologise, Issei," he said, his voice slightly shaky. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Azazel, who had watched the entire scene unfold, couldn't help but chuckle nervously. "You really are something else, Issei," he remarked, trying to lighten the mood.

Issei sat up on his bed, running a hand through his hair as he sighed. "It's fine," he said, his tone more relaxed now. "Just... wasn't expecting to be woken up like that."

Sirzechs rubbed his neck gingerly, giving Issei a sheepish smile. "Well, consider it a lesson learned," he replied, trying to brush off the incident.

Azazel, clearing his throat. "Anyway, we came here for a reason," he said, shifting the focus away from the tense moment. "There's something important we need to discuss with you."

Issei clicked the joints in his neck, "It's about the Trial, isn't it? I can assume the higher-ups aren't happy that I didn't show up?" he asked.

Sirzechs and Azazel exchanged a knowing glance before Sirzechs nodded in confirmation. "Yes, you're correct," he said, his tone serious. "Your absence has caused quite a stir, and the devil higher-ups are demanding answers."

Issei sighed, "I was busy saving the world; there were some shenanigans happening in Romania involving vampires; they were drinking from humans. I went and stopped it", he answered.

The two then remembered that Issei's system told of threats worldwide, and he would be tasked with preventing them. But what shocked the two was due to the situation in Romainia of the Vampire Civil War.

"That's a complete lie, well, not entirely. I sent my soul-bound beings to take care of the problem while I was here testing out my new powers," Issei thought to himself.

"Oh, I see," Sirzechs nods in understanding.

Azazel wanted to put light on the issue, "Yeah, the vampires are having a civil war. From what I gathered, it's something about purebloods and non-pure bloods", he explained.

Issei nodded in understanding, "Interesting..." he replies

Sirzechs then notices the white patch in Issei's hair, "Did you dye your hair, Issei?" he asked, pointing towards the patch.

Running his hand through the patch, Issei replied, "No, it became like this", he answered.

Azazel raised an eyebrow at the statement, "Became like this? You okay?" he asked, a bit concerned.

"Yeah, yeah, peachy", Issei replied.

Sirzechs stood up from the bed, "We should get to Kuoh Academy; I've asked both Rias and Sona's peerages, along with the other Satans, to meet us in the ORC clubhouse." he explained.

Issei looks towards the duo, a pit in his stomach formed, "What time is it, Kuoh time?" he asked, his eyes narrowed with suspicion.

Azazel was the one to answer, "It's almost 12 pm; you skipped almost half a day of school", he chuckled.

Issei's eyes rolled, "Shit! I forgot to dilate the dimension's time..." he thinks to himself as he forgot to activate the time dilation. "I wished for more time to test out Satanification more, like pairing it with my Boosted Gear".

Issei takes a breath, "Sure, first let me change into my school uniform", he says as he gets up from his bed, walks into his walk-in closet and closes the door behind him.

Sirzechs looks around the room and takes in all the objects; what really surprised me was Issei's giant bed.

"Quite a spacious room, right?" Sirzechs asks Azazel.

Azazel chuckles, "When you have your own full-sized dimension, you can do whatever you want", he replied

Issei walked out a moment earlier in his school uniform; the only change was that he wasn't wearing his long-sleeved and high-collared compression shirt to hide that dragon mark on his arm and neck.

Looking at Issei's decision not to hide the mark, Azazel asked, "You're not hiding the mark anymore?" gesturing to Issei's neck and arm.

Issei flexed his eyebrows in agreement, "Yeah, the others already saw it when I fought against the Hero Faction; no need to hide it now", he replies.

[Ability Used: Rift]

Issei opens up a rift in his room, which leads to Kuoh Academy, specifically to the ORC clubhouse lounge. The trio walked into the rift.

X

The trio left the rift, which closed behind them, standing in the main office of the ORC clubhouse, surrounded by other Devils. Issei takes a look around and sees the other 2 Satans, Rias and her peerage, Sona and her peerage, Ravel, Irina and Grayfia.

Aside from Sona, her peerage, Grayfia and Serafall, all the girls looked at Issei with blushes on their faces due to his new hairstyle and the patch of white hair on the right side of his face.

However, the reaction Issei wanted to see was Rossweisse's since she was the one advocating for Issei to do this hairstyle. He glances towards Rossweisse, who is also blushing; a smile appears on her face as she sees the hairstyle that she tried on Issei earlier, only to fail due to Issei's hair not being cut for that specific hairstyle.

Issei saw her reaction and smirked at her, which caused her face to redden even more, but then Rossweisse remembered Issei didn't listen to her and didn't come to the Trial, which she turned her head away in a huff.

"I guess I'll have to make it up to her", Issei thinks to himself as he knows why Rossweisse is upset with him.

Issei's sharp senses pick something up; there's a new person in the building. "I smell dog..." he thinks as his eyes trace the origin of the smell behind him near the entrance.

He sees a boy who looks to be in his late teens with a physique similar to his. He had grey hair with long bangs, which seemed to cover his yellow eyes.

--

Name: Loup Garou

Race: Reincarnated Devil/ Werewolf

Affiliation: Underworld (Sitri Peerage)

Rank: Low-Class Devil

Relationship: None

Type: Caster (Mage)

Stats:

Stats:

Vitality: 54

Strength: 47

Agility: 42

Intelligence: 55

Senses: 45

Dexterity: 38

Luck: 26

Overall Power Level: 43

Abilities: Lycanthropy, Magic (Fire, Enhancement)

Gear: None

--

Examining Loup's stats, Issei thought, "Werewolf, huh? Haven't seen one of those since I was in the UK. He's also a part of Sona's Peerage; looks like she finally got herself a heavy hitter", he internalises as he takes a seat on the nearby couch, Azazel joining him by sitting next to him.

Seeing Azazel sit next to him, Issei slid over a bit to put more room between them; he was now closer to Koneko, who was eating her sweets.

Issei takes a breath. "So, how did the Trial go?" he asks Sirzechs.

Sirzechs was about to respond, but Rias cut him off.

Rias stood up from her chair and glared at Issei. "Horrible! You've given the higher-ups even more reason to hate you now! Where were you, Issei?!" she demanded.

Rolling his eyes, Issei responded, "Calm down; I had things to do in Romania", he answered in a bored tone.

Getting upset with Issei's uncaring attitude, Rias demanded, "Things to do?! Like what?! Meeting this Rose girl?!" she shouted.

Issei had stifled laughter; Rose, or rather Rossweisse, was in the room; he could only imagine her reaction. He glanced at Rossweisse, who was red with embarrassment; her face was on the verge of a breakout, similar to a child caught with her hands in the cookie jar. Issei wanted nothing more to do than laugh, but then Rossweisse would have a breakout and his secret relationship could come to light.

Curious about this Rose person, Sona asked, "Rose?"

Akeno was the first to speak up, "Yes, Rose, Issei muttered her name while he slept; I think Issei has a secret girlfriend", she says in a playful tone.

The room fell silent, aside from the ORC girls who knew of Issei's supposed secret girlfriend, Azazel, who knew who exactly Rose was, and Rossweisse, whose blush got more intense when she heard Issei mutter her name while he slept and Issei himself, everyone was dumbfounded.

Asia ran up to Issei, getting close, "Issei, please tell me this Rose person is just a friend", she asked in a pledging yet demanding tone.

Irina, who was standing behind him, wrapped her arms around his neck, "Issei... what kind of person is she?" she asked desperately.

Even Kiba, who was standing near the door, was surprised; he assumed that Issei wasn't currently interested in being in a relationship, considering how dismissive he was towards the girls of the ORC.

Xenovia also came close, placing her hands on Issei's thigh as support, "Issei, are you practising making babies with this Rose person?" she asked bluntly.

Hearing Xenovia's question, Rossweisse's face got even more red; girls were shouting and demanding answers from Issei. All in all, it was raining cats and dogs.

Rossweisse tried to hide her face from the others, and Issei took a quick glance at her, "Rossweisse is bad with these kinds of things; I'll have to change the subject to save face for her." he thought.

Issei released a deep breath, "Enough, all of you", he said sternly, and instantly, the entire room went silent. "I highly doubt I was disturbed to talk about who I spend my time with or what I do with them, so could we just get on with it?" he asked in the same tone.

The girls demanding answers from Issei backed off, and Sirzechs and the other Satans stood before Issei.

Sirzechs was the first to speak, "On behalf of the Underworld and as the leaders of the Underworld, we would like to thank you for your efforts against the invasion on Saturday", he states.

"Thank you for putting that skeleton geezer in his place," Serafall says, referring to Hades.

--

Name: Serafall Leviathan (Sitri)

Race: Devil

Affiliation: Underworld

Rank: Leader Class

Relationship: None

Type: Caster (Mage)

Stats:

Vitality: 130

Strength: 120

Agility: 120

Intelligence: 140

Senses: 110

Dexterity: 130

Luck: 110

Overall Power Level: 122

Abilities: Ice, Magic (Fire Magic, Teleportation)

Gear: None

--

"Your efforts to thwart the destruction of the Underworld have been recognised and appreciated", Ajuka continues.

--

Name: Ajuka Beelzebub (Astaroth)

Race: Devil

Affiliation: Underworld

Rank: Leader Class

Relationship: None

Type: Caster (Sorcerer)

Stats:

Vitality: 150

Strength: 130

Agility: 120

Intelligence: 170

Senses: 140

Dexterity: 120

Luck: 120

Overall Power Level: 135

Abilities: Kankara Formula, Magic (Teleportation)

Gear: Various Inventions

--

Despite all the thanks he got from the Underworld, Issei had his own thoughts, "Based on this reaction, I can only assume that the Underworld has come to a collective agreement to have me as an ally rather than antagonise me. Then again, I wouldn't want to fight me" he says with an internal smirk.

"Well, you're welcome," Issei replies nonchalantly, "Just one question, wasn't there four of you?" he asked the 3 Satans in front of him.

The 3 Satan's exchange bewildered glances, and they already know where the 4th Satan is.

"Yes, Falbium Asmodeus" Sirzechs answers. "He's well- busy..." he continues, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"Wait, Falbium, the bald one? The lazy bastard? That man is a Satan?" Issei asked bluntly.

Rias and Sona shot up from their seats, "Issei!" they both shouted.

"That man is a Satan! Show some respect!" Rias scolds him.

Issei glanced towards Rias through the corner of his eye, "She usually wouldn't act like this. Is it because he's here?" he contemplated as he looked at Sirzechs.

Sirzechs chuckled nervously, "Uh, to answer your question, yes, he is a Satan" he answered.

Serafall, standing next to him, nodded in disappointment, "Yes, we asked him to come, but he can be very lazy at times", she added.

Ajuka sighed, "Anyways, we, as the leaders of the Underworld, would like to extend an Olive Branch to you, Issei Hyoudou", he stated.

Issei's eyebrow rose, "An Olive Branch?" he asked.

"Well, you came to Underworld's aid, even if you were exiled", Sirzechs answered.

"But we see you as a benefactor rather than as a part of our faction, as per the agreement with the other higher-ups", Ajuka explains.

Issei nods in understanding. "I see, so you see me as an independent faction?" he asks for clarification.

"Yes, that would be phrasing it correctly. If that is to your liking," Ajuka asks for assurance.

Issei thought for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, that works for me," he replied. "I've always been more of a lone wolf anyway."

Sirzechs then spoke, "There's also another matter I came here to speak about"

Issei turned his gaze towards Sirzechs, "Which is?" he asked nonchalantly.

Sirzechs took a moment to find the wording before speaking, "Well, the Greeks want to speak with you", he replied in a concerned tone.

Instantly, the atmosphere in the room dropped due to the concern from that statement; everyone in the room, aside from a few, was worried for Issei, some for his safety, others for what he might end up doing if things went south.

Issei clenched his molars for a split second before replying, "Is that so? Do they have a time and date?" he asked.

Sirzechs nodded gravely. "Yes, they've requested a meeting as soon as possible. They didn't specify a time, but they're eager to speak with you," he explained.

Issei leaned back, crossing his arms over his chest as he contemplated the situation. "I see," he murmured thoughtfully. "Well, I suppose I can't avoid it forever. Let them know I'll meet with them this coming Friday."

Rias concern in her voice, "Issei, are you sure about this? The Greeks have always been... unpredictable," she cautioned.

"It's fine, Rias, I'll do what I must," Issei replied sternly, thinking of a situation where he has to burn down an entire pantheon.

Next to him, Azazel placed his hand on Issei's shoulder, "If all of Olympus will deny me my vengeance.. then all of Olympus will die, " he said in the most Kratos voice he could muster up.

Issei chuckled at Azazel's behaviour; Sirzechs, however, was unamused.

"Not helping", Sirzechs scolds Azazel with a disapproving frown.

"Oh, Issei, I almost forgot, there's your compensation of the Underworld, a little thank you gift for helping against the invasion", Ajuka said as he opened a pocket dimension and pulled out a box; he placed the box in front of Issei and set out for him.

Looking at the contents inside the box, Issei said, "You're giving me my own Evil Pieces? Don't I need to be a High-Class Devil for that?" he asked.

Sirzechs nodded, "Yes, usually you'd have to take some tests like Akeno and Kiba did become Mid-Class, and then another test which involves strategies and tactics to become High-Class, but even then, there is one more step." he explained before pausing.

"The final step is a Ceremony where the Mid-Class Devil is given a certificate by a Satan, and their Master has to give them a crown on their head, only then they are considered High-Class", he continues.

Rias suddenly got a dreamy look in her eyes, "Placing a crown on my Issei..." she says to herself as she daydreams about Issei.

"Huh, how interesting", Issei says, "But I don't have a master since I'm a free piece now", he continues.

Sirzechs suddenly got a thoughtful look on his face, "I guess your former master would still have to be the one then", he said as both he and Issei looked at Rias, who looked like she was in Lala Land.

Seeing Rias's current state, Issei rolled his eyes while Sirzechs chuckled.

"And I'm just skipping these steps?" Issei asked, a bit confused

Sirzechs sighed, "Truth be told, the Higher-Ups don't want to give you the rank of High-Class, so we'll have to make an exception." he replied solemnly.

"I see; what rank would I have gotten, hypothetically," Issei asked.

Sirzechs put his hand on this chin in thought and contemplation, "Well, based on your power and influence, most likely Ultimate-Class", he replied

Curious about their own rank, Issei asked, "But you and Ajuka here are given Super Devil Class; what would it take for me to be in that class?"

Sirzechs glanced towards Ajuka before replying, "Well, there's a third Super Devil, but we don't really talk about him", he replied while the Satans gave him a knowing look.

"But I guess the criteria would be born irregular, so much so that people doubt whether you can be considered Devil or not. Perhaps the Kings Faction also have to warrant the right for you to call yourself a Super Devil," he continues.

Within Issei's mind, Dark-sei smirked, "Yeah, born irregular, believe what you want", he said to himself.

Hearing Sirzechs's statement, Issei scoffs, "You would allow those weaker than yourself to brand you with the right to call yourself something superior. It's your power, not theirs; why do they get a say in what you call yourself?" he replied.

Sirzechs nodded solemnly, "It's not about being weaker or stronger; it's about the political landscape of the Underworld. The King's Faction holds significant sway in determining who gets classified as what in the hierarchy. It's a delicate balance of power and influence," he explained.

Issei frowned, not entirely satisfied with the answer but understanding the complexities involved. "I see... politics as usual," he muttered under his breath.

Ajuka, who had finally set up all the pieces on the board, looks at Issei, "Here, Issei, just pour in your power, and you'll get your own evil pieces. This is one of my new inventions; usually, you need to interact with a certain stone to get the pieces, but I've modified them to be used as a gift", he says, pointing towards the chess board filled with chess pieces on the coffee table.

Issei nodded, understanding what Ajuka meant. He leaned forward, placing his hand over the chessboard.

Within Issei's mind, Dark-sei watched the soon-to-be event with a sinister smile.

"Just this once, I'll take my foot off the brake a bit and release the power I've been holding back. I want to see the look on Astaroth's face when he sees those pieces," Dark-sei sneers as he increases Issei's power output ever so slightly.

As Issei released his power onto the board, the entire room felt the energy radiating from Issei. The Super Devils in the room stumbled back; the others, weaker than they, felt as if their life had suddenly been forfeited. This felt wrong, as if the person before them, Issei, was something that should never exist, whether in this existence or the next; something like this couldn't be imagined; the idea of it existing was forbidden.

A power so ominous and malicious, something so corrupted and unholy that seems incomprehensible, a strength different from Gods and Super Devils, overwhelming evil. Everyone in the room held their breath and stood still; the thought of even moving a muscle felt forbidden, for if they did, they'd die a gruesome death, despite their instincts screaming at them to either run and hide or lower their head and bow.

The room was filled with a tense silence as Issei poured his power onto the chessboard. The atmosphere seemed to darken as the energy surged, and a heavy pressure weighed down on everyone present. Even the air seemed to thicken with the sheer intensity of Issei's aura.

The Super Devils, who were accustomed to powerful energies, were taken aback by the magnitude of Issei's power. It was as if he was tapping into something primal, something beyond the realm of conventional Devil abilities or something supernatural to begin with.

Finally, after an eternity, Issei lifted his hand from the chessboard, and the energy subsided, returning the room to its normal state. But the lingering feeling of dread remained, like a shadow lurking in the corners of their minds.

Suddenly, a crack could be heard; everyone looked towards the source and saw the chess pieces crack in half vertically.

Ajuka, the mastermind behind the creation of the Evil Pieces, gasped in disbelief. He rushed forward to inspect the damage, his fingers trembling as he reached out to touch one of the broken pieces.

"What... what happened?" he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Confused, Issei asked, "Is that supposed to happen?"

"This... this shouldn't be possible," Sirzechs muttered, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "The Evil Pieces are imbued with powerful magic, designed to withstand even the most intense energies."

Azazel, who had been observing from a distance, frowned deeply. "Could it be a side effect of Issei's power?" he speculated, his mind racing to find an explanation.

Ajuka shook his head, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "It's possible," he admitted reluctantly. "But it would require a level of power far beyond anything we've encountered before."

Issei then remembered something, "Speaking off evil pieces," he starts as he glares at Rias, "hand them over", he demands.

Rias blinked in surprise at Issei's sudden demand, taken aback by his serious tone. "Issei, what do you mean?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion.

Issei's gaze hardened as he met Rias's eyes. "I mean exactly what I said," he replied, his voice firm. "Hand over my former pawn pieces"

Rias clenched her fist in frustration, "No! Issei! They're mine!" she rebuts.

Clenching his jaw, Issei responded, "They have my special power coursing through them; it's unusable. You saw what it did to Kiba, didn't you?" he asked.

Kiba remembers when he took power from Issei's former pawn pieces and flinches; the memory of that dark power coursing through him still puts a pit in his stomach.

Remembering the sight of Kiba convulsing made Rias cringe. Still, she was adamant about keeping the pawn pieces, which was the only reminder of Issei she had. She'd often sleep next to the pieces since she felt Issei's presence within them.

"Not- not unless you tell who this Rose girl is!" Rias states haughtily.

Rossweisse, who was standing in the background, eyes widened in horror, hoping that Issei wouldn't reveal their secret affair.

Issei, hearing the question, remains nonchalant, "What exactly would you have to gain from me telling you?" he asked.

Rias, practically snarling, shouts, "Issei! You are basically cheating on me!"

Hearing Rias's outrageous statement, Issei scoffs, "Am I? I don't remember making anything official with you," he replies dismissively.

Feeling backed into the corner, Rias looks for help, that help being Sirzechs, "Brother, please, tell him that we are still legally together!" she pledges to Sirzechs.

Sirzechs, not wanting to be caught between their arguments, blinks in confusion, his mind trying to find the right answer to please both sides. But before he could say anything, Issei looked at him intently.

"Is this true?" Issei asked with narrowed eyes.

Sirzechs, stuttering for a bit, finally replies, "Well, you see, our parents were forced to nullify the arrangement between you two by the higher-ups when you got excommunicated. But Rias was adamant about otherwise, so they backed off" he says, a bit concerned about how Issei would react to the news.

Hearing the new information, Issei leaned back and contemplated the implications before he nodded in understanding. "I see," was all he said.

Rias's argument continued, her frustration evident in every word she spoke. "Issei, you can't just brush this aside! We had something special, something real! And now you're off gallivanting with some mystery girl named Rose?!"

Issei remained unmoved by Rias's outburst, his expression stoic. "So what if I'm with another woman?" he replied calmly.

Rias felt a pang of jealousy and insecurity gnawing at her heart. Who was this 'Rose' girl, and what did she have that Rias didn't? It was a question that haunted her, driving her to the brink of madness.

Rias's voice rose with each word, her frustration and hurt boiling. "How can you be so nonchalant about this, Issei?! After everything we've been through together, after all the battles we've fought side by side, you just throw it all away for some girl I've never even heard of?!"

Issei finally looked at Rias with a glare, "You never appreciated anything I did for you. Instead, you just nitpicked at the fact that I didn't call you by your name", he starts, "Is it not natural for me to find someone who actually appreciates what I do for them?" he finished coldly.

Rias recoiled as if she had been struck. Issei's words cut deep, slicing through the facade of her anger and revealing the raw hurt and insecurity beneath. She was momentarily speechless, grappling with the weight of his accusation.

The other members of the ORC have shameful looks on their faces, as they also contributed to the rift between Rias and Issei, along with between themselves and Issei. The Student Council watched with amusement and concern; they knew of the rift between Issei and the members of the ORC, but they didn't think it was, to this degree, where Issei would be passive-aggressive.

Sona, watching her best friend being gnawed at by the man she loves, couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness for Rias but anger towards Issei, who clearly does not want to work out the problem with Rias.

Sirzechs, sensing the tension in the room, stepped up his expression grave. "Rias, Issei," he interjected, his voice calm yet firm. "This isn't the time or place for this argument. We have more pressing matters to attend to."

As Ajuka meddled with the Evil Pieces, trying to understand what went wrong, they suddenly began to shake and vibrate violently, emitting an eerie glow. The other Devils in the room stepped back, eyeing the pieces warily as if they might explode at any moment.

The Evil pieces shook so much that the office floor continued to shake, causing everyone to grab onto something for support. The pieces started to roam the chess board almost in a formation, then began to morph and twist into shape.

Suddenly, all the shaking stopped, and what was on the board shocked everyone who saw it; instead of 16 pieces, there were 31. 16 pawn pieces, 4 rook pieces, 4 knight pieces, 4 bishop pieces, 2 queen pieces and 1 king piece.

Another irregular thing was the formation of the pieces; the king was in the front, behind him on either side were the queens, on the right-hand side were the 16 pawns and on the left side were the other 12 pieces.

Ajuka, entirely bewildered by the sudden transformation of the Evil Pieces, approached the chessboard cautiously. His eyes scanned the pieces, trying to make sense of the new formation.

"This... this shouldn't be possible," he murmured, his voice filled with uncertainty. "The Evil Pieces are designed to be a set of 16, one for each class of Devil."

Sirzechs stepped forward, his expression grave. "Ajuka, what do you make of this?" he asked, his tone laced with concern.

Ajuka shook his head, his mind racing to find an explanation. "I'm not entirely sure," he admitted reluctantly. "But it seems that Issei's power has caused some sort of anomaly, altering the very nature of the Evil Pieces themselves."

Sirzechs then put this hand onto his chin in remembrance, "This isn't the first time Issei had changed the nature of Evil Pieces; I do remember the changes which were made to his former pawn pieces from when he activated Juggernaut Drive for the first time", he replied.

Ajuka then picked up one of the pieces, "Yes, I do recall that phenomenon", he replied, looking at the piece, "It looks like all of them have become a mutated piece", he continued gravely.

Aside from Issei, everyone's eyes in the room were wide in shock.

Sirzechs, the first one to snap out of the shock, "Are you saying this all 31 pieces are a mutated piece?!" he asked in disbelief.

Ajuka nodded grimly, his expression troubled. "It appears so," he confirmed, his voice tinged with concern. "But I've never seen anything like this before. It's as if Issei's power has fundamentally altered the nature of the Evil Pieces, creating something entirely new."

Serafall, who had been observing the scene with wide eyes, couldn't help but gasp in astonishment. A sense of awe replaced her usual cheerful demeanour, and she wondered as she took in sight before her.

"Wow, I've never seen anything like this!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement. "Issei, you really are something else!"

Issei, still carefree and not really phased like the others, replied, "Yeah, I've been told," he admitted.

Ajuka took an even closer look at the pieces; something about these pieces looked and felt familiar. Suddenly, his blood ran cold, a pit forming in his stomach.

"This- this can't be!" Ajuka screamed internally, although his thoughts were to himself; the slight shift in his expression, the sweat forming on his brow, and his heartbeat accelerating were enough for Issei to know that Ajuka was afraid as if his biggest secret had been revealed.

Dark-sei laughed manically within Issei's mind, "How's that Astaroth?! The secret you tried to hide laid bare in front of you!" he laughed.

Ajuka, collecting the pieces into a box, quickly stood up suddenly, "Sorry, Issei, I can't give you these pieces", he said urgently.

Issei raised an eyebrow, perplexed by Ajuka's sudden change in demeanour. "What do you mean you can't give them to me?" he asked, his tone tinged with suspicion.

Ajuka's expression was grave, his eyes reflecting a mix of fear and determination. "These pieces... they're too dangerous," he explained, his voice tinged with urgency. "I can't allow them to fall into the wrong hands."

Ajuka suddenly paused, realising that he had said too much; he looked back nervously and saw Issei's questioning gaze on him. Issei's steel silver eyes stared into Ajuka's eyes; Ajuka felt his soul being dissected by Issei's eyes.

Issei's gaze was piercing, his eyes like two shards of ice, cutting through Ajuka's facade and laying bare the truth beneath. Ajuka shifted uncomfortably under the intensity of Issei's scrutiny, feeling as though every secret he harboured was being laid bare before the young Devil.

Ajuka quickly composed himself, trying to mask his apprehension with a forced smile. "I mean, they're still in development, and I need to conduct further tests to ensure their stability," he improvised, his tone unconvincing even to his own ears.

He then looks over towards Sirzechs, looking for a way to divert attention from himself, "Perhaps you could compensate Issei in another way?" he asked in a hurry as if he needed to be somewhere.

Before Sirzechs could respond, Ajuka used a teleportation circle and left the ORC building, most likely to his Research Facility in the Underworld.

Sirzechs shoulders drop a bit before looking at Issei, "Sorry, Issei, it seems like we won't be able to give you your own Evil Pieces." he apologises solemnly, "But I can compensate you in another way; I hear you like collecting weapons" he suggests referring to Issei's extensive collection of weapons.

Issei takes on a thinking pose, weighing out his options, "More weapons do sound nice, but I highly doubt they have anything that can catch my interest." he thinks to himself; he then glances towards Rossweisse, Sona, Rias and Azazel, "But there is something which could make my school life more fun."

Issei then creates a portal to his dimension and pulls out a pen and paper; in an instance, he writes up a proposal so fast that not even Azazel, sitting next to him, couldn't see what he wrote. He then folds the paper and hands it over to Sirzechs.

"Here, this is my request; don't show the others", Issei says while handing the paper to Sirzechs.

Sirzechs takes the paper into his hand and unfolds it, reading the contents. His eyes narrow while reading before widening before the end.

Sirzechs nods in acknowledgement, "I see; I'm sure I can fulfil the first request, but the latter.. might take some convincing", he replies, a bit hesitant.

Knowing he may have pushed the borders with the second request, Issei sighs, "It's fine if you can't fulfil it; I'll be content with the first request, however", he says. "But I must warn you, I left my new phone number on that sheet of paper. I urge you not to give out my number to anyone else," he urges

Sirzechs nods understandingly, acknowledging Issei's request. "Your privacy will be respected," he assures, folding the paper and tucking it away securely. "I'll see what I can do about your requests." he finishes.

Sona was analysing Issei; she noticed he wasn't wearing his usual long-sleeved and higher-collared compression shirt, revealing the dragon mark that snakes up his left arm and towards the left side of his neck. Thinking that it was a tattoo and knowing the rules of Kuoh Academy, she spoke up.

"Issei, you know that tattoos are prohibited as per the academy rules", Sona says authoritatively.

This question catches everyone's attention.

"Issei, it's against the rule of God to get tattoos!" Irina scolds playfully

"I didn't think you were the type to get tattoos, Issei." Koenko comments.

"I think it makes Issei looker even more delicious", Akeno says in a sultry tone.

Hearing the misconceptions being thrown around about the dragon mark on his body, Issei decides to clarify, "It's not a tattoo," he starts, "It's a mark that appeared when I changed; from what Michael told me, it's supposed to a representation of my deeper connections with Ddraig. Supposedly, I'm the final user of the Boosted Gear" he articulates.

Issei's explanation drew varying reactions from those present in the room. Some looked intrigued, others surprised, and a few remained sceptical.

Sirzechs raised an eyebrow about the last bit of Issei's explanation, "Final user of the Boosted Gear?" he asked for more context.

Issei nodded, "Yes, it means either Ddraig and the boosted gear will perish with me when I finally die, or I will reincarnate into the next host.", he answers.

Sirzechs absorbed this information, and his expression was thoughtful. "I see," he said, nodding slowly. "How does Ddraig feel about this?" he asks, a bit concerned about Ddraig's opinion on the matter.

"Well, he said he prefers to be with this version of me rather than the old person on me when it comes to spending an eternity together; the only thing Ddraig asked was to keep life interesting and entertaining for him," he replies

Sirzechs nodded thoughtfully, understanding the dynamic between Issei and Ddraig a bit better now. "I see. Well, as long as you and Ddraig are in agreement, that's what matters most," he replied, offering a reassuring smile.

Curious about another topic, Issei asked, "How is the... Oppai Dragon..." he muttered out like a bitter pill to swallow.

Hearing the question, Sirzechs cringes a bit before answering, "Well, when you got excommunicated, the stocks crashed, and a lot of Devils lost money. The entire franchise and merchandise are discontinued, and most of the children who enjoyed it were deeply saddened," he explained gravely.

Issei let out a small chuckle, "Good riddance, a step in the right direction for devil kind", he replied

Before anyone could rebut Issei's statement, Ddraig materialises on Issei's left arm, "Yeah, like myself, my partner has an immense disdain for that moniker along with everything that comes with it. He had a mental breakdown in those two years of training, saying something about 'turning young children into gooners'," he explains with a mocking laugh.

Issei, hearing Ddraig's laughter, lets out a groan before glaring at Sirzechs, "And you," he says, catching everyone's attention, "You're what? At least 600 in age, yet you allowed me to make a fool of myself and corrupt the younglings of the Underworld?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

Sirzechs, taken aback by Issei's sudden accusation, shifted uncomfortably under his gaze. "Issei, I understand your frustration, but you must understand that the Oppai Dragon was meant to be a lighthearted symbol, a way to bring joy and laughter to the people of the Underworld," he explained, his tone sincere.

"I won't shift the blame; it's primarily my fault, but you are the adult. You should've known better," Issei rebuts, "Now my legacy is tainted; I'll forever be known for being a breast-obsessed porn addict at the beginning of my journey", he scoffs.

Sirzechs sighed, understanding Issei's frustration and regret. "You're right, Issei. I should have been more mindful of the impact it would have on your reputation," he admitted, a hint of remorse in his voice. "But rest assured, we'll work together to ensure that your true legacy shines through."

Azazel chuckled, "Come on, Issei, what should have we done? Asked you not to be a pervert?" he joked.

Not seeing this as a joke, Issei replied bluntly, "You all should've tied me down and beat and tortured me until I wasn't a pervert."

Azazel raised an eyebrow at Issei's unexpected response, taken aback by his seriousness. "That's... one way to handle it, I suppose," he replied, unsure how to react.

Issei sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. "I'm serious," he insisted. "If someone had just slapped some sense into me back then, maybe I wouldn't have made such a fool of myself."

Sensing the weight of Issei's words, Rias stepped forward, her expression softened. "Issei, you were never a fool," she said gently. "You were just... young and foolish, like we all were at some point."

Issei glances towards Rias for a second, "And you still are, apparently", he muttered under his breath.

Rias's temper flared at Issei's muttered comment. "What did you just say?" she demanded, her voice rising.

Issei turned to face Rias with a fierce glare, "Don't think I don't know what you and your Queen did when you were in my dimension, in my castle, in my room", he growled out. "Filling up my room with your strong perfume and taking my dirty clothes. Seriously, I let you in my dimension once and go do all that?" he asks sarcastically.

The room fell into a tense silence as Rias and Issei's confrontation escalated.

Rias's face flushed with embarrassment and anger, her eyes narrowing as she clenched her fists. "I just wanted this Rose girl to think you were cheating on her so you could come back to me!" she snapped. "And I wasn't the one who took your dirty clothes; it was Akeno!" she exposed.

Akeno, who had been quietly observing the exchange, blushed furiously at Rias's accusation, her usual composure slipping. "Rias! You didn't have to tell him that!" she exclaimed, her voice a mix of embarrassment and irritation.

Issei's glare intensified as he turned his attention to Akeno, who stood off to the side with a coy smile, unperturbed by Rias's accusation.

Akeno shrugged lightly, her usual playful demeanour barely masking the tension in the room. "What can I say? I missed your scent," she said with a sultry undertone, but her eyes revealed a more complex mixture of emotions: longing, guilt, and defiance.

"Akeno, I'll deal with you personally," Issei starts. "I better get those clothes back, hopefully, this time; it doesn't have your nether region fluids all over it", he says sternly, narrowing his silver eyes onto Akeno, reminding her that she did, in fact, drench the Grimoire he loaned to her in her bodily fluids.

Akeno's eyes widened, a flicker of excitement passing through them as Issei's stern words registered. Her usual composed demeanour cracked, revealing her masochistic side. "Oh, Issei, I'm looking forward to it," she purred, a shiver of anticipation running down her spine. "But you better be prepared for what's to come."

Rias's jealousy flared at Akeno's suggestive comment, "Akeno, stop it! This isn't the time or place for your games!" she snapped, her voice trembling with anger and hurt.

Akeno smirked, unfazed by Rias's outburst. "Jealous, Rias?" she taunted lightly, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "You always did hate it when someone else got Issei's attention."

"Akeno, you know this isn't about jealousy!" Rias retorted, her voice trembling with anger and desperation. "It's about respect! You can't just do whatever you want and expect there to be no consequences!"

Akeno chuckled softly, her eyes glinting with amusement. "Respect? From the girl who sneaked into Issei's room and tried to sabotage his relationship?" she countered, her tone dripping with sarcasm. "Please, Rias. Let's not pretend you're innocent in all of this."

Issei sighed, annoyed by the two bickering, "You see what I have to deal with on a regular basis?" he said, looking towards Sirzechs, "At least this time the rest aren't getting involved", he continued, gesturing to Asia; Koneko, Irina and Xenovia.

Sirzechs chuckled softly, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Ah, the joys of interpersonal relationships," he remarked, shaking his head in amusement. "But I suppose it wouldn't be the same without a little drama, would it?"

Issei rolled his eyes, his frustration evident. "I could do without the drama, thank you very much," he muttered.

X

After the meeting, each party returned to their usual activities; the Satans returned to the Underworld, the teachers like Rossweisse and Azazel moved back to their teaching class, and the students returned to their normal classes. After the class was over, it was Lunch Break, and Ravel and Issei were once again on the school building rooftops.

Ravel looked over to Issei, her expression a bit bratty, "You know, we could really benefit from hanging out in a more private area instead of always going on the rooftop where the sun is always out!" she demanded haughtily.

Issei looked towards Ravel with a raised eyebrow, "You? Complaining about the sun? Seems paradoxical", he said quizzically.

Ravel huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Very funny," she retorted, rolling her eyes playfully. "But I'm being serious, Issei. We should really get a place of our own."

Issei had a thoughtful expression on his face, "You're right, but as usual, I've already had everything planned out", he replied cryptically with a smirk.

Before Ravel can respond to Issei's cryptic statement, Kiba walks up to the rooftops and meets with Issei. Sensing a new arrival, Issei's eyes travel to the newcomer, seeing it's Kiba.

"Hey, Issei! It's been a while," Kiba greets with his usual warmness.

Issei turned his body to face Kiba, "Has it? Last time we saw each other, I was staring at the world through your eyes", he replied bluntly, referring to when Issei took possession of Kiba's body to fight Siegfried.

Watching the interaction, Ravel huffed in annoyance, "Like I said, this place has no privacy whatsoever!" she thinks.

Hearing Issei's referral when he wasn't controlling his body, Kiba winced. When he woke up in the hospital, the memories of what Issei did and accomplished in his own body rushed at him instantly. Uniquely using Sword Birth, creating new types of swords, unlocked a new form called 'LIMIT BREAKER' and killing Siegfried.

"I have the memories of that moment when you took control of my body," Kiba says after a while.

Having his interest peaked, Issei responded, "Really? Did you learn anything?" he asked.

Kiba nodded in understanding, "Yes, I did, although this new side of sacred gear known as 'LIMIT BREAKER', something which I don't understand, I was hoping you would shed some light on it", he asked, remembering what feats Issei pulled off.

Issei's expression becomes thoughtful, "Unfortunately, I don't know, this was the first time I'd seen such a phenomenon. Have you asked Azazel? he asked.

Kiba then frowned, "I did, but even he had no clue; he said something about you being an anomaly, which couldn't be understood", he replied.

Issei let out a dry chuckle at the words of Azazel, "Based on that, it must mean he believes that it has something to do with me", he added as he raised his hand and generated a bit of Ether energy in his hand, "It must've been due to my special power. But as you have seen and felt, no one but me can wield this special power" referring to when Kiba almost died when Issei possessed his body.

"This must be why Kiba almost died; Ether can only be used by me. My body must've been enhanced and attuned to wield such power during my two-year training session. Everyone else, on the other hand..." Issei thinks, dissipating the energy in his hand.

Kiba's expression turned serious as he recalled the intense sensation of Issei's power coursing through him. "Yes, it was... overwhelming," he admitted, his voice tinged with unease.

Kiba then remembers he has something to give Issei; he opens up a pocket dimension through a magic circle. Like Xenovia, who keeps Durandal in a separate dimension, Kiba uses the same technique to store the swords, which Sword Birth doesn't create. Kiba proceeds to pull out five swords. Issei recognises them; they are the ones Siegfried used before Issei killed him.

"I wasn't able to use Observe while in Kiba's body; it'll be wise to do it now", Issei thinks.

[Ability Used: Observe]

--

Gram

Rarity: Epic

Classification: Sword

Stats: 191 Strength, 130 Intelligence, 125 Dexterity

Ability: A demonic sword capable of exuding destructive power with dragon-slaying properties. If not used correctly, the sword will trim away the user's lifespan, ultimately killing them.

--

--

Balmung

Rarity: Rare

Classification: Sword

Stats: 111 Strength, 80 Intelligence, 99 Dexterity

Ability: A demonic sword capable of producing whirlwinds

--

--

Dáinsleif

Rarity: Rare

Classification: Sword

Stats: 115 Strength, 76 Intelligence

Ability: A demonic sword capable of producing Ice

--

--

Nothung

Rarity: Epic

Classification: Sword

Stats: 172 Strength, 132 Intelligence, 121 Dexterity

Ability: A demonic sword so sharp it can cut through anything, including space itself

--

--

Tyrfing

Rarity: Epic

Classification: Sword

Stats: 158 Strength, 167 Intelligence, 145 Dexterity

Ability: A demonic sword that is capable of unleashing pure, destructive power

--

"Seems like Kiba has quite the collection now", Issei thinks, borderline impressed.

However, Kiba's following words ruin Issei's mood, "Please take these as a thank-you gift. I didn't defeat Siegfried; you did, even if it was using my body. As a knight, it would be shameful for me to take someone else's trophy," he says in a humble tone holding out the swords for Issei to take.

Issei's face contorts with a mixture of disbelief and annoyance, "I- I don't want them,' he replies, taken aback momentarily.

Kiba looked surprised by Issei's refusal, his expression earnest. "But Issei, I insist. These swords belonged to Siegfried, and you were the one who defeated him. It's only right that you have them," he insisted, extending the swords once again.

Issei's expression turned into annoyance, "Kiba, I insist; I have plenty of other weapons; if I take those, they'll only collect dust. It's better off if you keep them", he replied, trying to hold back his frustration.

Kiba persisted, "Issei, I appreciate your sentiment, but I cannot accept that. These swords rightfully belong to you," he asserted, pressing the swords into Issei's hands again.

Issei, finally having enough of Kiba's persistence, smiled, a smile which wasn't warm or friendly but one promising malice. "Alright, Kiba, I'll take those swords", he replies, which causes Kiba to smile a bit before Issei says the following sentence.

"Then I'll take all five swords and shove them into your ass. Is that what you want?" Issei continues, his tone now frustrated and threatening.

Kiba flinches, a pit in his stomach forming from the image; "No, I don't..." he muttered before Issei cut him off.

"Then stop pestering me, and keep the damn swords", Issei replied in a stern tone.

"I... I'm sorry, Issei," Kiba stammered, his voice tinged with regret. "I didn't mean to push you." he nervously chuckled.

Issei, who was now glancing towards the horizon, responded, "It's fine", he replied in his usual gruff tone.

Trying to change the subject, Kiba notices the white patch of hair on the right side of Issei's head, remembering the ORC was curious about why Issei dyed his hair.

"So... Issei, why did you dye your hair? It reminds me of Xenovia's hair, with her green patch of hair among her blue hair," Kiba asks as he glances at the white patch in Issei's hair.

Ravel, who was also curious, spoke up, "Yeah, Issei, why did you dye your hair? Don't get me wrong, it looks good on you, along with your new haircut and all..."

Issei then turned and faced the two, "I didn't dye it; it became like that overnight. I think it has to do with the power I recently unlocked", he replied.

Both of their eyes widen in shock and awe. Knowing that the others told him that Issei had unlocked new powers after his fight with Hades, Kiba nodded in understanding.

Kiba then sighed; his intention for meeting up with Issei was to give him the swords, but since he rejected the offer, he didn't need to stay any longer.

"Well, I'll see the both of you around," Kiba says as he turns around to walk away. But as he was walking away, he learnt a tidbit of information.

"Hey Issei, I forgot to tell you, my parents want to meet you," Ravel says in a shy yet cheerful tone."

This caused Kiba to pause behind the door, wanting to know about this.

"Is that so? How does Wednesday afternoon sound for them?" Issei asks.

Ravel nodded eagerly, a hint of excitement in her voice. "Wednesday afternoon works perfectly! They're really looking forward to meeting you, Issei," she replied, her cheeks tinged with a slight blush.

Kiba, who had been listening intently while concealing his presence, "Should I tell President about this?" contemplating about telling the news to Rias, either be a loyal knight and on Issei's bad side or throwaway his conviction and not have Issei's wraith fall upon him.

Kiba lets out a breath, knowing it may do more damage than good if he tells Rias, recently she's become very unstable. With the news that Issei having a secret girlfriend, and now the Phenex family wants to meet him. Kiba is afraid Rias might do something drastic to earn Issei's ire. With that, he walks away, awaiting the bell for class time.

X

After school had finished, Issei wandered around the town of Kuoh. Unbeknownst to him, he had a few stalkers on the rooftop of a nearby building. A group of individuals observed Issei, waiting for the right moment to interact with him.

"When did he get a tattoo?" Arthur asked the others, observing the mark on Issei's left arm and neck.

Kuroka was the one to respond, "We saw a glimpse of it, but I only thought it was on his neck, nyaa", she replied

Bikou chuckled, "He's quite an interesting character, isn't he?" he replied.

Vali was observing Issei silently, thinking of a way to get to the level of his rival. With what he saw on Saturday, he has been trying to find a way to get stronger.

Issei then turns a corner, forcing the group to jump to a nearby building to keep him in sight. But to their shock, he wasn't there anymore.

"Where- where did he go?" Le Fay muttered out, confused.

The others looked frantically for Issei, trying to figure out where he went.

Suddenly, both Arthur and Bikou felt a hand around her shoulder and weight on their back, as if someone were leaning on them, "So, did you find him?" the voice asked from behind the group.

The group then spun around to see the person who snuck on them, some of them getting into a defensive position. Arthur and Bikou leapt away, Arthur in front of Le Fay while Bikou stood next to Vali.

But to their shock, it was Issei who managed to evade their gaze and senses and sneak up on them.

Le Fay, even more bewildered, "How- how did you..." she muttered

Issei smirked as he looked at the startled group before him. "Surprised?" he asked.

Vali, composing himself from being startled, smirked, "It hasn't been a week, and it seems like you've gotten some new tricks. You never cease to amaze me, my rival", he stated with admiration.

Issei chuckled, "You know me, can't help but continually grow stronger", he replied

Kuroka, who was observing Issei quietly from the side, noticed the difference between this Issei and the Issei she saw on Saturday. She remembered Issei's invisible aura, which only she could see, the blood-red aura that shrouded his body; this aura appeared like a demon with enormous bat-like wings and horns that protruded forward. However, it wasn't there today, and she couldn't sense Issei despite him standing right before her.

"His aura, it's gone; there's no trace of it like last time. Was he able to control it and suppress it?" Kuroka thinks to herself. "But, why can't I sense him with my senjustsu? Even if someone tries to suppress themselves, there's always a faint trace. Even a dead person would have a trace, yet I'm getting nothing from him."

While Kuroka was in her thoughts, Arthur stepped towards Issei, "Issei, I want to thank you for keeping not only my team member but also my sister safe in the artificial dimension" he thanked Issei in an appreciative tone.

Issei nodded in acknowledgment, "You're welcome," he replied

Arthur then draws out a sword, "As a thank-you gift, I would like for you to keep this", he says as he places Excalibur Ruler in front of Issei.

--

Excalibur: Ruler

Rarity: Epic

Classification: Sword

Stats: 189 Strength, 156 Intelligence, 132 Dexterity, 125 Luck

Ability: One of Seven Fragments of the Original Holy Sword Excalibur. The user can manipulate anything living or organic.

--

Once again today, Issei cringed, "What's with today and Blonde Twinks trying to give me their swords!?" he thought in frustration.

Issei quickly composed himself before replying to Arthur, "Thank you for the gift, but what makes you think I can wield a Holy Sword? Yeah, I have Ascalon, but that was modified for my use", he asks a bit curious about Arthur's thought process.

Arthur smirked, pushing his glasses up, "Well, you seem to be a man with many mysteries and surprises. Is it not far-fetched for me to assume that you can somehow wield a Holy Sword despite not being a natural or artificial Holy Sword Wielder?" he asked in a challenging tone.

Issei lets out a dry chuckle as he takes Excalibur into his hand, and as Arthur predicted, Issei can hold it and wield it.

Arthur watched with keen interest as Issei effortlessly wielded the holy sword. "Impressive," he remarked, a hint of admiration in his voice.

"Looks like you were right," Issei conceded, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "Guess I can add 'Holy Sword Wielder' to my list of titles."

Suddenly, a notification popped up.

[New Task: Reforge Ex-Durandal]

[Criteria: Gather the other six pieces of Excalibur and Durandal from Xenovia Quarta. Use either the Crafting Menu or Fusion in the System to recreate Ex-Durandal for Xenovia Quarta]

[Guaranteed Rewards: Permanent Unlock to Shop Menu, Crafting Menu, Fusion Menu and Assimilation Menu]

Issei takes in the information, "Re-forge Ex-Durandal so I can unlock more functions of the system? Seems like a win-win for both me and the thick-headed swordswoman", he thought.

Issei then looks towards Arthur, "Thank you, Arthur, but I feel someone else would benefit from this sword", he says

Curious, Arthur raised an eyebrow, "Really? Who might this person, if I might ask?" he asked.

"Xenovia Quarta", Issei answered.

Arthur hummed in response, "Ah yes, the wielder of Durandal. I learnt that Cao Cao broke her Ex-Durandal." he replied

Issei nodded in confirmation, "Yes, that is true; I plan on re-forging it for her", he stated.

Arthur then chuckled lightly, "Re-forging Ex-Durandal? I heard that the Church did that, although I have my doubts. I am positive that you will accomplish it with what you have been achieving recently", he stated

Arthur then ponders his statement, and an idea popped into his head. He draws his other sword, holding it out to Issei.

"Try and lift this," Arthur says as he holds out Caliburn in front of Issei, wanting to test a theory.

--

Caliburn

Rarity: Epic

Classification: Sword

Stats: 195 Strength, 174 Intelligence, 169 Dexterity, 146 Luck

Ability: The most Powerful Holy Sword in this existence. Users can cut through space itself, creating portals or bypassing barriers.

--

Issei looked at Caliburn, "This is the sword from the stone, right?" he asked for confirmation.

Arthur nodded to confirm Issei's guess. Issi continued to stare at the sword before attempting to lift it up.

Issei reached out and gripped Caliburn's handle; everyone around him watched in anticipation. Issei then attempted to lift the sword; however, to his amusement, it didn't want to come off the ground.

Seeing the outcome, Issei smirked, "How amusing, but I got challenged; I won't give up this easily!" he thought as his prideful nature took hold as he put more force into his pull.

As Issei pulled harder, the ground underneath him began to crack; due to them being on a rooftop, the members of Vali's Team were concerned if Issei would bring the entire building down with them, considering the destruction he casually caused in the Underworld.

Issei pulls harder and finally lifts Caliburn into the air, shocking everyone present. Arthur and the others watched in awe as Issei managed to lift Caliburn, the legendary sword that was said to have been pulled from the stone by King Arthur himself.

"Well, I'll be damned," Arthur muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Le Fay, who was watching with her jaw hanging, says, " How can he lift it?" she says in shock.

Feeling the misconceptions form, Issei explains, "I'm not lifting it, not in a conventional way, at least".

Still in shock, Vali speaks up, "What do you mean?" he asks.

Issei starts swinging Caliburn around, "I'm not lifting it as Arthur does or King Arthur did; I'm just using my brute strength to force it up. It feels like I'm swinging the weight equivalent of an adult blue whale", he explains.

Arthur, impressed by Issei's honesty and ingenuity, nodded in understanding. "I see. So you're using your own strength to overcome the sword's resistance," he remarked, his tone filled with admiration.

Still shocked at Issei lifting Caliburn, Le Fay asked for clarification, "Wait, you can lift the mass of an adult blue whale with a single hand?! How physically strong are you?!"

Issei hears the question and chuckles, "Well, I can lift the weight equivalent to a dozen skyscrapers", he answers.

Le Fay's eyes widened even further, her disbelief evident. "A dozen skyscrapers?!" she exclaimed, her voice tinged with awe. "This is in your Balance Breaker, right?" she asks for clarification.

Issei doesn't respond but instead smirks, his facial expressions already hinting at the answer as he hands Caliburn back to Arthur.

Le Fay, who understood Issei's silent answer, replied, "In your Balance Breaker, right?" she asked with a bit of trepidation but already knowing the answer.

Bikou, who was also shocked and in awe, "Just what kind of opponents are you fighting to require such strength?" he asked in disbelief.

Issei, in response, shrugs his shoulder, "Not sure, but recently, my plate has been filled with Gods and whatnot", he replied nonchalantly.

Kuroka, who wanted to ask a few things, stepped forward, "I noticed you have a large bath at your home, nyaa," she said.

Curious, Issei asked, "Which one?" to clarify if she was talking about the Hyoudou Residence or his castle in his dimension.

"The one that Shirone and her friends live at, nyaa", Kuroka answered, "I was wondering if Le Fay and I can use it occasionally?" she requested.

Issei stood there with a contemplative look, "I doubt that Rias and the others would like for former members of the terrorist group to be in the same space as them. Then again, it is my house, even if I don't live in it anymore. I should really start forcing Rias and the rest for rent money." he thought.

Issei sighs, "Yeah, sure, but the problem is Rias and the rest; how are you going to convince them?" he asks.

A mischievous grin appeared on Kuroka's face, "We'll just say you allowed us, nyaa", she replied playfully.

"Huh," Issei replied with a bit of confusion, "How do you plan on getting into the house without knocking on the door?" he asked.

"When we were there on Saturday, I drew a magic circle in the house so I could slip in and out", Kuroka replied cheekily.

Issei nodded in understanding; Kuroka then spoke once, another request for Issei.

"There's another request I would like to ask of you," Kuroka asked her tone now solemn.

Issei noticed the shift in Kuroka's tone and asked, "What is it?"

Kuroka started to fiddle her fingers a bit nervously, "Well, I tried to rebuild my relationship with Shirone, but she still believes that I went crazy and killed our former master", she said with sadness in her tone.

The other members of Vali's Team exchanged worried glances, knowing the true reason why Kuroka killed her former master.

Issei knew about the details when Koneko told him about her elder sister, who killed their former master after she went crazy from using Senjutsu. At the time, Issei accepted it as fact; however, with his new attuned senses, he could feel there was a piece missing in the story. He knew whatever piece was there was only with Kuroka.

"I'm guessing you want me to help you rebuild the relationship with Koneko?" he assumed.

Koneko nodded, "Yeah, she doesn't trust me enough to go anywhere with me. I need her to go back to the home of my old master in the Underworld. Since she trusts you and your laid-back attitude with the authorities of the Underworld, I was hoping you could help?" she asked almost desperately.

Issei took a moment to reply, "I'm going to Underworld on Wednesday afternoon to see the Phenex Family; I might as well kill two birds with one cat", he contemplates.

"Yeah, sure, I'll help; how does Wednesday afternoon work for you?" Issei asked.

Kuroka's eyes widened in surprise and relief at Issei's willingness to help. "Wednesday afternoon works perfectly for me," she replied, a hint of gratitude in her voice.

Issei nodded in confirmation. "Alright then, it's settled. I'll bring Koneko to your old master's home in the Underworld," he said, his tone resolute.

Before Issei could react, Kuroka jumped onto Issei, her arms wrapping his neck and her legs clinging around his waist, hugging him intently. Issei, caught off by the gesture, stood stiff as a board, unsure of how to react, her smaller and softer body pressed against his larger and firmer body.

"Oh, thank you! Oh, thank you! Issei, nyaa!" Kuroka screamed in happiness as she nuzzled her face into his chest.

The others were watching with a bit of amusement, chuckling to themselves.

Annoyed by Kuroka latching onto him, Issei growled, "Get off me!"

Kuroka stopped nuzzling her face in Issei's chest and looked at him in a curious tone, "I thought you would get a nosebleed from this, nyaa?" she asked as she started pressing her sizable breasts further against Issei's body.

"Woah, your body is so firm, nyaa! I guess it is the body of someone who can lift the weight of a dozen skyscrapers," she exclaims with awe as she continues to press herself against Issei.

"Can you get off me?" Issei asked in an annoyed tone.

Kuroka, oblivious to Issei's discomfort, continued to nuzzle against him, her playful demeanour showing no signs of stopping. "You're so warm, Issei. I could stay like this forever, nyaa!" she exclaimed, her voice muffled against his chest.

The others watched with varying degrees of amusement and disbelief, unsure of how to intervene in the awkward situation unfolding before them.

Vali, unable to contain his laughter, chuckled from the sidelines. "Looks like Kuroka's taken a liking to you, Issei," he remarked.

Issei, finally having enough, pried Kuroka off him, although she put in a valiant effort with the way her legs were wrapped around his waist. He places Kuroka on the ground; the Nekoushou looked slightly disappointed by being pried off the Dragon.

"Aw, come on, Issei," Kuroka purred, her voice dripping with mischief. "Don't be such a killjoy. You're so warm and strong; it's hard to resist."

Issei looked at Kuroka with an irritated expression, "This woman, she's just like her!" he thought as he saw the resemblance between Akeno and Kuroka.

X

10pm, Hyoudou Residence

Ravel walked out of the front door of the Hyoudou Residence without anyone noticing. She then walked out of the front gates and towards Kuoh Academy.

When she arrived, she looked around for someone.

"Took you long enough," a familiar voice said from the top of the school gates.

A bit startled by the sudden voice, Ravel looks to see the person she was supposed to meet.

After seeing the person, she pouts, "You could've come to pick me up with that portal ability you have! I would've gotten here faster!" she shouts at Issei, who is sitting at the school gate casually.

Issei chuckles, "Then Rias and the others would know I came and picked you up," he says as he leaps off the gate and lands in front of Ravel, "And besides, there's already a girl named Rose on their hit list, I don't want them to add yours as well."

Ravel, who had an idea of who Rose was, spoke up, "By Rose, you mean Rossweisse, right?" she asked for confirmation since she did know that Issei and Rossweisse were doing 'things' when they went to Norway.

Issei ruffled Ravel's hair, "Yeah, her grandma calls her that, so I thought it would be nice to call her that as well." he replied, taking his hands off Ravel's head.

Ravel rolled her eyes playfully at Issei's explanation. "You always have your reasons, don't you?" she remarked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

Issei grinned, "Of course, I'm full of surprises," he replied teasingly.

Ravel shook her head in mock exasperation, but a smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "That you are, Issei," she conceded, unable to hide her amusement.

As they walked together through the schoolyard, Ravel couldn't help but feel a sense of comfort and familiarity in Issei's presence. Despite the chaos and danger that seemed to follow him wherever he went, there was something about him that made her feel safe.

"So, why did you ask me to come to campus?" Ravel asked, her curiosity piqued.

"Well, you did say you were sick of always hanging out on the rooftops and wanted a place more private," Issei replied

The statement took Ravel aback; she had only said that less than 12 hours ago.

"Has Issei found a solution to our problem already?" she thought with a mixture of shock and surprise.

Issei chuckled at Ravel's surprised expression. "I may have had a solution in mind," he admitted, his tone casual.

Ravel's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Already?" she exclaimed, impressed by Issei's quick work.

Issei chuckled, enjoying the moment of catching Ravel off guard. "I'm full of surprises, remember?" he teased, flashing her a playful grin.

Ravel couldn't help but laugh at Issei's playful demeanour, shaking her head in amusement. "I should have known better than to underestimate you," she admitted, a fond smile on her lips.

As they walked, Issei led Ravel to a secluded area of the campus, away from prying eyes and wandering students. It was a peaceful spot, surrounded by trees and bathed in the soft glow of the moonlight filtering through the branches.

"Here we are," Issei said, gesturing to their surroundings. "A little slice of privacy, just for us."

Ravel looked down and saw excavation markings spray painted onto the ground, outlining a decently large area; it looked like the first stage of a structure being built.

Ravel's eyes widened in surprise as she took in the sight of the marked-out area. "Is this... for us?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Issei, who had already started walking towards the mass covered by a tarp, replied, "Yup." lifting the tarpaulin to see what was underneath.

He examined the materials: wood, metal, bricks, cement, electrical components, and plumbing components, among other things.

"Looks like Sirzechs took the liberty and gave me some things to work with. I didn't ask for any of these, but I won't let them go to waste," he thought, looking at the materials available.

Ravel, who walked next to Issei, saw all the building materials; she wanted to ask how they would accomplish all this in one night. But then she remembered who she was standing next to.

Issei then faced the land mass, which was meant to be his new building; he pointed his open palm towards it and generated his blood-red magic circle. Instantly, he uses his vector magic to levitate the ground marked inside the markings into the air; the ground shook and trembled as a piece of it was ripped out.

Ravel watched in awe as Issei effortlessly manipulated the earth with his magic, lifting it into the air as if it weighed nothing at all. She had seen him perform incredible feats before, but each time never failed to leave her amazed.

Issei then uses his entropy magic to decay the earth and wither it into nothing, leaving behind a large ditch. Before Ravel could speak about what Issei had just done, Issei's eyes started to glow red; instantly, he started moving at speeds that she couldn't even comprehend; all that was seen was a red blur with a few afterimages that looked like they were moving in reverse.

"Amazing! He's moving even faster than he did when he fought Cao Cao in the artificial dimension!" Ravel thought to herself.

A whirlwind spun around the ditch; as Issei moved, he grabbed items of the material section under the tarp, and in a few seconds, the entire first floor of the building was complete. Ravel watched in astonishment as a building was created faster than it could be destroyed because Issei was moving at high speeds around the building.

Soon enough, the second floor was built, and then the third floor was built. Issei continued to move around the building at high speeds until, finally, the roof was complete. Issei then stopped suddenly next to Ravel, and his eyes stopped glowing red and returned to their silver hue.

"It would've taken longer if they didn't include blueprints", Issei says casually, as if he hadn't accomplished a months-long project in a few seconds.

Ravel stood there, utterly speechless, gazing at the completed building before her. It was nothing short of miraculous—Issei had managed to construct an entire structure in what seemed like the blink of an eye.

"Issei, that was incredible," she finally managed to say, her voice filled with awe and admiration.

Issei flashed her a grin, looking pleased with himself. "Glad you think so. I figured it would save us some time," he replied casually.

"So, what do you think?" Issei asked, gesturing towards the building with a proud expression.

Ravel turned to him, a wide smile spreading across her face. "It's perfect," she exclaimed, her eyes excitedly shining.