The day was here. Issei and Ingvild both went to Kuoh as always, but today, even in class, they both felt like they were being followed. And it was not Shirone, she was not just in the same class with them, but she had a different presence. Issei's [Aura Sense] told him who it was. Akeno Himejina. She had been watching them during every break today, waiting for her chance to invite them to the Occult Research Club most likely. Well, too bad they were not going to use an invite.
Issei had a plan, and this plan involved giving Akeno the slip first. So, as classes wrapped up for the day, they split up. Ingvild went towards the old school building while Issei went to the toilet. There, he got into a stall and used his [Shadow Walk] to teleport to a shadow close to the building. It worked, yes, but nausea followed, which made him a bit dizzy. Akeno, for her part, did lose them. She had been focused on him, and since he teleported away, most likely making her wonder where his slim presence went, he met up with Ingvild in front of the old school building as he came out of the bushes.
Nodding to one another, the time was here. He opened the main doors, trying to recall the last time they were here. Luckily, it was unneeded as Shirone met them at the entrance. "This way." She said, leading them to Rias' office.
"He vanished?" Rias asked as she communicated with Akeno, who had just lost Issei's trail.
"Yes. One moment he was inside the bathroom, then he vanished. I don't even feel the slim presence we felt before anymore." Akeno replied. "I think I saw Ingvild heading towards the old building, however."
"Heading towards this place? What could she be-" Suddenly, a few knocks were heard on the door, interrupting Rias. "One second please, I am talking on the phone!" She replied, lying a bit about the phone part.
"That's alright." A male voice said from the other side of the room, making Rias focus on it as Issei threw open the doors. "Because I know who you are talking with and why! Tell her to stop searching, I'm here, and let's talk."
"Issei Hyoudou…" Rias said in mild surprise, not having expected him to be so bold and approach THEM directly.
Quest Complete!
Quite the Entrance, Indeed.
Main Objective: Make a cool entrance into the office where Rias Gremory is. - Complete.
Reward: 50K EXP, no changes to anyone RP.
Failure Penalty: -10 RP with Rias Gremory.
"That's right. But I am not just Issei, am I?" He continued, then he deployed his Sacred Gear, which confirmed it to Rias entirely. "I am the one you guys have been chasing for the last couple of months: I am the Red Dragon Emperor."
"I see." Rias replied, then her eyes traced behind Issei, seeing Koneko there. "I also see that my rook has been aiding you."
"Forgive me, Rias. Issei wanted to do things on his own terms, so I just led them to the office." Koneko replied, apologizing to her king. "I promise, I meant no ill will."
Rias sighed, then her attention went back to Issei. "Please, have a seat. I hope you won't mind if I call the rest of my peerage."
"Not at all." Issei replied, and soon after, Kiba and Akeno showed up as well while Issei and Ingvild took a seat on the couch, Ingvild sticking close to him. It didn't take long for Rias to begin talking.
"So, I hear you want to aid me with my…problem." Rias said slowly, keeping an eye on him. "Despite Koneko's deeds here, I forgive them, but I do need to ask. Why now?"
"You are asking why I chose to only reveal myself now, right?" Issei asked back, keeping eye contact. "Well, let's say I had my reasons. One of them is that I needed to do some growing before I could feel comfortable outright denying you about joining your peerage."
"That didn't stop you from threatening to use the Juggernaut Drive on Sone Sitri." Rias pointed out, actually making Issei let out a small chuckle followed by a sigh.
"Sona has…She has been quite pushy about it, and I didn't really enjoy it, to be honest with you. She tried to use Kuroka as leverage, a way to twist my arm into joining her. Yeah, right, as if I'd join any peerage anytime soon."
"So, you hid until you considered yourself powerful enough to deny Rias?" Kiba asked, still confused.
"I heard from Kuroka how some devils don't take no for an answer." He replied, and it immediately became obvious why he chose to hide. "I am the Red Dragon Emperor and your King there is in a desperate situation. And desperate situations tend to make people take desperate actions, the likes of which are often not pretty."
"That…Cannot be denied." Kiba replied slowly. "So, you were preparing to fight us if it came down to it?"
"Yes." Issei admitted. "Even if Kuroka is powerful enough to compare to an Ultimate-Class being, I didn't wish to rely on her more and worsen her already stained reputation. I need to be able to fight my own fights, not hide behind others. It just leaves a sour taste in my mouth."
"I see. It makes sense, in a way."
"Fufufu. Still, you did cause us quite a bit of trouble." Akeno pointed out. "All of those places we didn't know about, the golems within, the slaughtered strays - makes me wonder how you knew where to find those places."
"The first one I found by sheer chance, and the information inside led me to another one where I found a map with market locations." Issei replied. "The last one in Kuoh you saw. It is where I fought the one they call Puppet Master."
"Who are they?" Rias asked.
"From what I found out? They call themselves The Snake of Adam, part of the Old Satan Faction."
"The Old Satan Faction?!" Rias gasped. "This is a problem! How dare they set up shop in my town-"
"Forgive me for interrupting you, but it is you who walked into their turf." Issei pointed out. "They were here before you and Sona, and they moved out when you arrived to avoid the risk of angering Sirzechs and/or Serafall. They only had one last base active, which I took out a while ago. That is where I met Ingvild."
"Speaking of, who is she?" Akeno asked, looking at her. "The more I look at the two of you, I cannot help but find more and more differences. Even half-siblings share some resemblance."
"Because we are not siblings." Ingvild said softly and stood up, unfolding her wings. Counting them, everyone who was unaware until that point was left speechless seeing them.
"Eight wings…The mark of a higher-ranked devil." Rias muttered.
"My real name is Ingvild Leviathan." She revealed, further shocking everyone.
"Y-you are a descendant of the original Leviathan?" Rias asked, her eyes shaking as Ingvild put her wings away and stood back down. Rias leant forward, rubbing her forehead. "This is a lot to process…"
"Take your time." Issei replied, hoping that his words from before didn't sound too arrogant in the long run. He was trying to just act confident. Eventually, Rias took a deep breath, having cleared her head.
"Alright. So, she is a descendant of the original Leviathan." Rias said, confirming everything once again. "And you wish to aid us with our problem?"
"Yes." Issei confirmed. "From what I hear, this Riser guy is…Well, he is an asshole, and the kind I dislike."
"A womanizing pig." Koneko summarized.
"Around there." Issei said, trying to choose his words wisely. Technically, he was not any holier, considering he himself took pride in being a bit of a pervert. "Besides, I saw too many scenarios like this. Unhappy marriage, and a life of misery. Koneko cares deeply for you, and after hearing he might absorb the females in your peerage into his harem? Including her? Save to say Kuroka is not happy either, and whatever makes her unhappy also makes me unhappy."
"It is very selfless of you to offer your aid, but what then?" Rias asked, fixing him with a careful eye. "What would you ask for in exchange for aiding us?"
Issei took a small pause before answering, making everyone feel a bit nervous for a bit. "Nothing." He replied, catching Rias off-guard. "I want nothing. All I desire is to remain free, unbound from a peerage, together with anyone who chooses to seek shelter under my wing."
"That can be easily arranged." Rias said with a small smile on her face. "Now, we do have other questions about you, Issei. For one, we noticed how quickly you seemed to be gaining power."
"I also noted how your swordsmanship seems to improve strangely quickly." Kiba added.
"Same with your magical arsenal." Akeno added as well.
"I am afraid I will be keeping that secret." He cannot let them know about the System or Solomon. As Kuroka and Solomon once said, the System pretty much broke the laws of everything set in the world, making what was thought impossible as possible as it can get. If fanatics went as far as to find a way to extract gears, who knows what they might do if they learn of the Void System? He shuddered to think what might happen. "With that being said, my desire is simple; a magician contract."
"Magician Contract?" Rias echoed. "I see. Koneko explained that to you. True, while I could bring a magician under my contract with me into the upcoming Rating Game against Riser, I will first need to know you are a capable magician. We know you can use fire magic, and water magic as well, not to mention the sneaking suspicion you can do other miracles too, but you have a larger arsenal, right?"
Issei smirked. "Ever since the fight you saw, I also added Shadow Magic to my arsenal." He revealed, which actually took Akeno back a bit.
"Shadow Magic is not that easy to learn…" She said, "Despite being part of the basic elemental magics, it is by far one of the more complex ones. How can we be sure you are not lying?"
Issei knew this might happen, even Solomon warned him. Well, there was no need to hide anymore, so he might as well go through with it. "How about some demonstrations?" He proposed, earning Rias' attention. "I won't ask to fight all of you, I still think you have a good chance if you all work together against me, but rather, I will demonstrate my magic in order to settle your worries about my competence as a magician."
"Sounds fair enough." Rias noted. "In that case, do you wish to join the Occult Research Club? Since we will be working together, even if temporarily, we will gladly welcome you."
"Gladly. I could also use some help to further improve myself in some areas." His eyes went to Kiba. "What do you say, would you be willing to spar sometimes?"
Kiba perked up upon hearing the question. "Who am I to refuse? Exchanging blows with the Red Dragon Emperor is not a chance I am willing to pass up so easily."
"I will also join." Ingvild said softly. "I desire to stay close to Issei."
"Fufufu. Someone's popular with the ladies." Akeno remarked.
"I will complete the paperwork required." Rias said. "As for the demonstration, do you have a place to conduct it? If not, we have a place to use."
"Hmm. I do, my old home in Mei." Issei said, but Akeno was quick to answer.
"That is quite far. Teleportation?" She asked, to which Issei nodded. "I see. Kuroka's skill in that area is highly praised."
"When would it be a good time for you to conduct this demonstration?" Issei asked, to which Rias answered.
"Is later tonight fine by you?" That was earlier than he was hoping, but he could work with that.
"Fine by me. But if so, then I and Ingvild would need to leave right now in order to prepare. When you are ready, come to my home here in Kuoh. Shirone can show you the place." He told them, but Rias did catch the name he used.
"Shirone?"
"My birth name." Koneko replied. "Issei and Kuroka call me by it."
"I see. And very well. We will make sure to contact you when we are ready as well."
"In that case, we will see each other later." Issei said, leaving with Ingvild in tow. However, as soon as they were out of hearing range, Rias spoke.
"Akeno?"
"Yes?"
"You sensed that too, didn't you? He was not hiding his presence anymore, but he was not exactly flashing it either." Rias remarked, then the entire room pointed it out.
"I also felt it." Kiba said. "It was so strange."
"Koneko, what do you know about it?" Rias asked.
"Little." Koneko replied, which meant nothing. Rias sighed, then she got up from her desk, looking outside as the soon began to slowly set.
"Still, Rias, why ask for a demonstration?" Akeno asked, confused. "What we saw is proof enough already."
"I know, but I feel like he is hiding more." Rias said, voicing her worry. "As Koneko here is saying, he is still keeping secrets even to her. He also refused to tell us about the reason behind his quickened growth. A demonstration should allow us to observe him in a more controlled manner and see if we can learn more."
"Something IS strange about him." Kiba added. "But overall, I don't think he is a bad guy. A bit strange, but overall he had a pretty nice presence to him. He also gave us precious information, not to mention the fact that a member of the original Leviathans is with him. He is growing into quite the player on the board."
"That is indeed very true." Rias admitted, turning to her peerage. "If one day he becomes a powerful entity within the supernatural world, then we must secure positive relations as soon as possible."
"What about Kuroka? She is still a wanted criminal by the underworld." Akeno said, which made Koneko become nervous.
"We will ignore her." But Rias' words calmed her. "If forgiving her crimes is the only way to get closer to him, then that is what we will do."
"What of Sona?" Kiba asked. "You heard him, she went as far as to try and threaten him using Kuroka as leverage."
"And he threatened with the Juggernaut Drive." Rias replied back. "A bluff or not, it serves to remind us who we are dealing with. Ddraig and Albion, in their prime, once occupied the 5th spot on the list of strongest beings in existence."
"If he masters enough of the power within his gear…" Akeno trailed off.
"The power of a Heavenly Dragon." Kiba muttered. "I see now. Still, Sona is bound to be displeased with this development."
"You let me handle her, Kiba." Rias told him. "For now, we have other things to do. Koneko, how far is Issei's home from here?"
"Not that far." Koneko replied. "We can walk there."
"He was so close all this time…" Kiba muttered, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Considering how much we were searching before, we did overlook the residential areas a bit."
"Doesn't matter. Let's prepare for later, I am dying to see what the Red Dragon Emperor can do in regards to magic."
Issei and Ingvild were on their way back home, Issei going through some notifications he got during that entire conversation with the Gremory Peerage.
Relationship Unlocked!
Rias Gremory
3/100
She is a bit irked by your entrance, but all in all, she is also glad to know you will aid her.
Quest Received!
Demonstration!
Main Objective: Put on a nice show and become Rias' contracted magician!
Quest Time Limit: N/A
Main Objective Reward: 50K EXP, Further Progress Unlocked, +5 RP with Rias Gremory, +5 MGI.
Failure Penalty: Automatically failing the quest: Beat the Fire Chicken!
He also gained some RP with Akeno and Shirone as well, which was good. Plus, he was especially hyped about the spar with Kiba, since it gave him a perfect chance to level up his swordsmanship-related skills. He might need to go easy on Kiba regarding the use of his Sacred Gear, however, since he knows knights are usually light on the damage-receiving side.
"We're home!" Issei called out, letting Kuroka know that they were back. "And Kuroka, better be ready yourself, we will have guests!"
"Guests?" She wondered, then she remembered. "The Gremory Peerage?"
"They want a demonstration, so we will teleport to Mei for it." He said, and Kuroka knew what it meant.
"I will be ready." She said, then she went to their room to prepare. Issei and Ingvild also decided to do the same, to be on the safe side. However, while the girls washed themselves and whatnot, Issei did go inside the dungeon, namely towards the part that served as its current 'core'. He hoped to maybe one day move in here, so he needed to make it more welcoming.
For now, it only had a small hallway nexus, with three ways, one leading to the training grounds and two leading to nowhere. He accessed the menu, trying to see what options he had for rooms. He did want some security as well, but for now, that was not critical in terms of things to add. He looked over it and saw that for a new room, he'd need to pay 4000 Mana and 200K Yen. Quite expensive…Still, he decided to add spiraling stairs as well at the end of the middle hallway, deciding to create an entirely new level to the dungeon. Safe to say this bumped up the cost by 2000 Mana and 100K Yen extra, but he pressed the button and paid.
Immediately he felt himself being drained of Mana and the money being taken from his inventory, but then the dungeon shook as the rock wall blocking the middle hallway vanished, revealing the stairs. He'll check it out later, as for now, he went out of the dungeon. He didn't need all of his mana for the demonstration ahead, so there was no need to worry all that much. For now, he had to be ready to impress. Solomon's teachings were going to be put to the test.
"Issei, before you step out of the dungeon." Solomon suddenly said, which surprised Issei. He and Ddraig had been quiet for a bit of time lately. "I and Ddraig wish to speak with you about some things."
"Yes?"
"We will be blund, partner. If you do this, then the entire supernatural will hear that the Red Dragon surfaced. It will attract attention, including the unwanted kind." Ddraig warned. "I once told you how those who cannot ally themselves with my previous hosts chose to kill them. Now, that issue is coming back."
"We fear that, if your reputation grows and people become aware of you, it might attract opponents too powerful for us to face alone." Solomon continued, rubbing his beard in the process. "True, lately our training has been very fruitful, but we are still far from taking on literal deities."
"I know about the dangers, but why are you bringing them up?" Issei asked.
"Because it may be a way to bait your attempted killer out." Solomon mentioned, which got Issei to stop entirely in his tracks. That subject always remained a sore spot for him, even now. "Chances are they are unaware you have survived that fire, and if so, bringing the Red Dragon Emperor into the light and revealing that Issei Hyoudou is alive might force them to try again."
"And what is wrong with that?" Issei asked, tightening his fist a bit. "I am not an 8-year-old anymore, I can protect myself now."
"True, but we also do not know who they are." Solomon continued.
"One doesn't need to be weak to be sneaky, partner. From all we know, the person who set fire to your house that night and killed your parents could be a deity." Ddraig said with worry. "We might be growing quickly, but who knows when we will reach a level that allows us to face such a being without dying?"
They were right. Issei knew that. The Void System was allowing him to quickly catch up on years of progress, growing in power every day, but it was wishful thinking to believe he was anywhere near a Deity's level of power. He never even met one before! Who knows how powerful they are, and if he does have the power to take one on? In case his killer is still more powerful than him, believing he was dead was for the better, since it made him safe, but now he was coming out of the dark. With this, the supernatural might learn of his return, and his killer learns that he is alive.
What was funny was that Issei wanted to have his attempted killer come to him, so he could exact revenge. But when he thought about Solomon and Ddraig's words, the more his WIS stat kicked in. If his parent's killer discovered he was alive, they may prepare to come after him. It is too late, this is an almost-secure scenario by this point. Hence why he needs to be wise about it. What he does now in this demonstration and later in the Rating Game might serve as information for them.
He had to be more patient. He needed to let them come to him, but in a way that had them come underprepared. If they are weaker, then that's an easy way to get revenge, but if they are stronger, they will be facing trouble.
"I hear you, guys…" Issei said, relaxing himself. "So, what do you propose, Solomon?"
"Keep doing what you have been doing so far; grow. One day, you WILL be powerful enough to make this world kneel, but that day is not going to be tomorrow or next week." Solomon told him, wise words flowing. "Take things slowly, my student."
"I will, Solomon. I will." And with that, Issei went out of the dungeon. Once he was out, Kuroka and Ingvild were both prepared, ready to depart for Mei. Issei went to the bathroom and then to his room to also prepare, and not a moment sooner as a knock was heard on his door. Ingvild went to open it.
"Come in." She greeted the Gremory Peerage inside the house, where they came face to face with Kuroka.
"Well, the sister of the current Lucifer himself. Nya! How does it feel to finally know who your mysterious dragon is and that I got to him first?" Kuroka asked, taunting Rias a bit. To her credit, however, Rias didn't let herself be baited.
"It doesn't matter. He offered his aid to us, and that was his call." Rias said, shrugging off Kuroka's little attempt to maybe get her angry for her amusement. "We are here to simply make sure he is not tricking us."
"Trickery?" The black cat echoed slightly, then giggled. "Issei is many things, but he is not a trickster."
"You'd know, wouldn't you? You have known him for quite some time." Akeno remarked.
"Long enough to also know how he is in bed." Kuroka's reply caused Ingvild to blush a bit, but also made some of the other people in the room to recoil a bit, especially Koneko.
"We didn't need to know that, Kuroka…" Koneko said in her deadpan tone. "Where is he?"
"Getting ready, he should be here any moment." Ingvild replied, and just as she did, Issei came down the stairs, having thrown on his jacket. He saw the Gremory Peerage, and Kuroka knew her turn was up, so she got off the sofa.
"I see you all made it." Issei said.
"Well, we were invited, so we may as well." Kiba replied, staying close to Rias. "So, are we going?"
"Right away, nya!" Kuroka said as she summoned her magical circle below them all. "Stay close to me, everyone!" Everyone did as told, and then, in the next second, they vanished from the house, leaving nothing behind.
When they appeared again, they did so in front of Issei and Kuroka's Mei house, looking around. "Huh. Cozy." Koneko remarked.
"This place is quite high up compared to other houses. I don't even hear other people." Kiba pointed out, looking around. "It is a big property."
"Originally, this place belonged to an abandoned shrine, but the land was up for sale." Issei explained. "We bought it out and built our house here."
"Where did you have the funds for it?" Kiba asked. "I don't imagine it was cheap to both buy the land and construct a house on it."
"It wasn't, but I and Kuroka had our ways. Or rather said, we still have." Issei replied, making sure to be somewhat cryptic. "Anyway, shall we proceed with the demonstration? Although I'd like to stay here, as this is where I grew up, I don't think we need to make this take any longer than it has to."
"That is true." Rias replied. "If that is the case, I wish to see what kind of offensive magic you have, as well as any other possible ace we can bring into the Rating Game. Aside from your Longinus." Issei nodded and went towards the larger part of the yard, where his dummy still remained. Sure enough, a notification popped, letting him know that this demonstration won't yield full skill EXP and only half. Just like a training session.
"Well, you already saw my fire and water magic…So let's begin with this." Issei said, noticing the shadow at his feet, then he used his Shadow Magic, namely, his [Shadow Tendril] which came out from his shadow. He summoned two of them, and sent them at the dummy, catching and using them to tear it in half. Of course, the dummy then appeared right back.
"How come the dummy appeared back?" Kiba asked.
"Special magic?" Issei said, trying to lie since he knew this was the System's doing.
"Oh, alright…I guess." It worked. Thank the [Lie] skill it worked!
"I see you were not lying when you said you can use Shadow Magic…" Akeno said slowly, but then she smiled at him, which strangely sent a shiver down his spine. "What else do you have with this particular type?" Issei nodded, then he used his [Shadow Tendril: Spear] on the dummy, piercing it. Seeing this, the Gremory Peerage was clearly taken aback by the spell. "Oh my…That was…"
"Brutal." Rias said, finishing Akeno's words. "That spell can be used to kill someone easily by summoning it from their own shadow. How vicious."
"Hmm. Say, how did you escape Akeno before?" Kiba asked, and Issei smirked at him as he took a simple step toward one of the shadows produced by the trees around the property. The sun was setting, so there were shadows everywhere. Before Kiba had a chance to process what he was doing, Issei vanished and appeared again before them.
"Shadow Walk. A type of teleportation using shadows."
Skill Level-up! Your [Shadow Walk] is now level 4!
That was nice.
"Quite a useful ability." Kiba said. "And you said you learned all of this magic…After that one place where we saw you fight a golem that could use various types of magic?"
"Yup!" Issei said proudly, not afraid to boast a bit. "I guess I am what you call a quick learner!"
"Smooth"
Akeno giggled. "Quite the quick learner then." her eyes went to him, then she glanced over at Rias. "I think we saw-"
"Balance Breaker." Rias said suddenly, catching them by surprise. "I want you to use your Balance Breaker and strike that dummy with your most powerful attack."
"That would be my Dragon Shot." Issei said, summoning his gear. "Very well, but it might attract some attention. Kuroka, if you may."
"Nya!" Kuroka put up her hands, summoning forth a barrier around them, turning the entire location into a separate space. "All good to go!"
"What is this?" Rias asked.
"Relax, it is merely a barrier to ensure we are not disturbed." Issei said, then he inhaled a bit. "Alright. Balance Breaker!"
[Scale Mail!]
Issei's Balance Breaker manifested around him, then he wasted no time using [Boost] to its maximum capability for now. Namely, using it 11 times. Then, he pointed his arm at the dummy, summoning forth a [Dragon Shot]. He had to admit, at first, when they saw the small sphere of power, none of them were surprised. But then he launched it at the dummy, and when it got close enough, it exploded, unleashing a powerful torrent of raw draconic power that saw the dummy actually torn to bits. It did appear again, courtesy of the System, and the barrier fell. Thanks to it, they didn't damage the surrounding area. However, the entire Gremory Peerage was left pretty impressed seeing the attack.
"That…Is the strongest attack in your arsenal?" Rias asked, taking a step back.
"It is." Issei replied. "My Dragon Shot mostly scales depending on the amount of power gathered with my gear, then focusing it, and releasing it in one devastating strike. Underwhelming in looks, I admit, but the results speak for themselves."
"With such a powerful user of the Boosted Gear…" Akeno muttered, looking at Rias who put on a small smile on her face.
"Well, Issei Hyoudou, you impressed me. Your arsenal is versatile, and your raw power is even more fearsome. I am curious about what other tricks you may be hiding, but for now, I am more than satisfied with what I have seen so far." The red-haired heiress stated. "As such, I think we can complete that Magician Contract."
Dismissing his Balance Breaker, Issei replied. "Great. So, how do we do this? Do I just sign a piece of paper?"
"More or less." Rias extended her hand, summoning the magical circle of her family. "Simply overlap your magical circle with mine, and the contract will be formed." Issei nodded his head, and summoned his own magical circle, pushing it towards Rias who did the same with her own magical circle. However, Issei immediately noticed something from Rias, namely how she seemed to recoil.
"Is everything alright?"
"D-do you, by chance, also practice Holy Magic?" She asked, the circle still synching.
"No." Issei answered truthfully, which only confused Rias. But he had a feeling he knew what the issue was. Solomon's magic. His magical circle, although they may not notice, contains his seal. Solomon's magical teachings were inherited by him, so his magic might be given the presence of the wise king which is shriveling their skin. Luckily, it didn't take long for the contract to finish, which also finalized his quest.
Quest Complete!
Demonstration!
Main Objective: Put on a nice show and become Rias' contracted magician! -Complete
Quest Time Limit: N/A
Main Objective Reward: 50K EXP, Further Progress Unlocked, +5 RP with Rias Gremory, +5 MGI. -Unclaimed
Failure Penalty: Automatically failing the quest: Beat the Fire Chicken!
He faked stretching to collect the quest, not attracting attention.
"So, now that everything is done, how about we return to Kuoh to get to know one another more?" Ingvild suggested. "We can have a small party, and I am sure we have enough food for everyone."
"That sounds lovely." Akeno replied. "What do you say, Rias?"
"Sure, I don't see why we wouldn't get to know our newest allies some more." She replied, but somehow, her voice seemed to hide something. Skepticism?
"Nya! In that case, let us depart!" Kuroka announced, and soon enough, they were back in Kuoh. Celebrating, in a way. It helped increase his RP with Gremory Peerage, even unlocking Kiba's RP tab. Through the celebration they held, Kuroka got to spend more time with her sister, which was nice to see, especially now that Shirone doesn't need to hide from her peerage to meet with her sister. Ingvild was mostly shy, keeping close to him, even as Rias tried to talk with her.
The red-haired devil was curious about the place Ingvild grew up in, and Ingvild took her time to answer Rias, but she was patient, noticing that Ingvild was somewhat shy and not really that outgoing. The fact he was there helped her be bold, but she did keep the secret of her Sacred Gear being some kind of newly formed Longinus gear. That was his right front, as his left front was captured by Akeno who, if he didn't know any better, was trying to tease him.
Granted, it was somewhat difficult, seeing as he was not a virgin any longer thanks to Kuroka. Some may argue he had a thing for older women, but Kuroka looked barely older than them. Still, Akeno did ask some interesting questions, namely how Kuroka liked to be 'pet'.
Luckily, Kiba helped him, pointing out that a gentleman never tells. He will use that saying, he knows it. All in all, the entire celebration was pretty tame all things considered, with nothing too crazy going down. It was peaceful, and fun even. Even Ddraig talked and interacted with everyone around there, making sure to keep Solomon a secret. Not that he wished to talk, Solomon was not keen on the heavy devil's presence.
Which reminded Issei of something…Rias didn't inquire that much about him extracting evil pieces, a process that'd normally kill strays, without actually harming them. Heck, she likely was unaware that Kuroka was no longer a devil as well, but he was not about to be completely truthful with her. Despite Shirone's claim and words, Solomon had strongly warned Issei before about the devils and/or demons, saying that they might be acting friendly until one's purpose is fulfilled, at which point they discard you like thrash.
Ingvild was part of the original House of Leviathan, so she saw use for her, but Issei? Since he was to remain a contracted magician, chances are she settled on that note that he will never fully become her peerage member. He also needs to make sure she doesn't try anything with Ingvild, but he knew Ingvild would never trade her Bishop position in his peerage.
Bonus? Now he has another man he can interact with! Not that he had an issue with his all-female company, but there are some things only another man can understand. They kept going well into the evening, things turning into a small party even! This was a peaceful way to end his need to hide from the devils, and he loved it.
Too bad good things barely last.
In another location within Kuoh, within a small church, a group was discussing among themselves. There were multiple individuals there, but mainly, four stood out. Three females and one male, all sporting black, feathered wings. The first, the male, looked middle-aged, with black hair and dark-blue eyes, dressed in a pale gray trench coat over a white dress shirt with a matching ascot, black pants and shoes, a pair of black gloves, and a black fedora,
The next one, one of the females he was talking with, was more…provocative in her clothing. She was a tall and buxom woman with brown eyes and long, navy blue hair that obscured her right eye, with an attire consisting of a maroon, trench coat-like top with a wide collar, a matching miniskirt, and black heeled shoes. The trenchcoat top was open at her chest, giving a view of her breasts and cleavage, and a gold necklace around her neck.
And next, the one who looked the youngest out of the females, a girl with blonde hair styled into twin tails and blue eyes, wearing a Gothic Lolita attire, which consisted of a black Lolita dress with white frills, a large black bow on the front, and a green jewel embedded on the collar, white thigh-high socks, and black shoes, and a large black bow on top of her hair.
And alas, the one who seemed to be the leader; an attractive young woman with violet eyes, a slender body with long silky black hair down to her hips, and an attire even more provocative than that of her colleague: consisting of black, strap-like objects that resemble leather used in BDSM suits around and under her breasts, a thong-like piece held around her hips by three thin straps, gloves that ran right up her arms with small lengths of chains hanging from them, shoulder guard-like objects on her shoulders with three large spikes sprouting from her right shoulder, and black thigh-high heel boots.
The group seemed to be discussing something, the last one described taking the charge "So, I understand you discovered someone with a Sacred Gear?" She asked, looking at the blonde girl in the group who nodded.
"Indeed! I used the device designed by Lord Azazel, and it pointed me towards a home in the residential district." The young-looking Fallen Angel said. "It seems to belong to a boy living with two women, likely some kind of relatives. I scouted them out last week, and noticed nothing out of the usual."
"Did you make sure to mask your presence well?" The man asked, making the young-looking one sneer at him.
"I did, so stop asking deadbeat questions, Dohnaseek."
"They are not deadbeat if they bring risk, Mittlet." The man replied aggressively. "We cannot be discovered!"
"He has a point, Mit." The leader of the group said. "Were you careful?"
"I made sure to use this." She brought out an amulet.
"I see. Well done." The leader said, pleased. "Camouflage amulets, developed to better hide troops during the war from enemy detection. Not even Youkai can sense you through them."
"So, is this kiddo dangerous?" The blue-haired woman in the group asked.
"Hardly!" Mittlet said. "The only thing dangerous about the boy, Kalawarna, is his hormonal teen brain!"
"Did you find out what Gear he had?" the leader asked.
"I doubt he even knows he has one!" She continued. "I saw nothing worth the interest at his place, other than being able to pinpoint he was the one with a Gear, so I booked it! Then, I waited for you to gather up. What do you say? Before our nun friend arrives, shall we get ourselves something extra on the side?"
"Hmm. The boy could have something useful." The male said, thinking about it. "What do you say, Raynare?"
"You lot are really planning to extract his gear? Please, from what we know it might as well be something like a Twice Critical!" Raynare said, dismissing the idea. "I say we kill him! Kuoh is under the sisters of the Satans, and I know how much Devils love Sacred Gear users, so this might as well be a way for us to trample on their toes a bit."
"Have it your way." Kalawarna said. "I couldn't care less about some human kid. Just make it quick."
"Oh, I intend to." Raynare said, then she looked at Mittlet again. "Tell me…He doesn't have a girlfriend, does he?"
Deep within his prison, with chains tightly connected to his shackles, the demon Danbooru and Leon talked with remained almost motionless, in wait. His guests had left long ago, and now, he was simply waiting. It didn't take long for the doors to his room to open, allowing one of the guards to walk up to his cell. But something happened when they reached it.
Almost immediately, they placed their balled fist against their heart. "Reporting, General!" That is right…The General was one step ahead of Ajuka Beelzebub, and the Satans didn't even know it. Within the very prison built mostly for him, his soldiers snuck their way in, replacing the original guards and working their way up the chain of command of the place. Now, roughly 90% of the guards belonged to him.
"Report." The General said, waiting for the report.
"Sir, our operations in Eastern Europe have yielded very positive results, and our enemies do not suspect a thing. We have managed to locate Objective Stake-Out, as well as the location of Objective Crimson."
"Good. Anything else?"
The soldier nodded. "Despite our success, our troops have reported sightings of a large wolf-like being."
"A werewolf?"
"Not likely, Sir, the reports state it was somewhat ethereal in nature." The General hummed. "It has attacked and devoured various people from both our and the enemy's ranks, and so far all efforts to capture it have been fruitless. Even the capabilities of The White King have proved to be coming somewhat short in terms of capturing this beast. What are your orders regarding this situation, Sir?"
"Hmm. The creature seems to be distracting our enemies and slowing them down in some way. Try to send fewer men from our ranks, let the enemy's casualties stack up, and make sure their efforts to capture this beast continue to fail." The soldier nodded their head. "Now, what about Project Steel Blitz?"
The soldier gulped upon hearing that. "The progress has been…considerably slow."
"Let me guess: The weather is creating difficulties?" The General said, making the soldier shrink as the heat increased ever so slightly. "Who is in charge of it now?"
"M-Major Marbas, Sir."
"I see…The one who can shapeshift himself and others, correct? Go back and tell them to allocate more resources towards excavating that ship from the bottom of the ocean." The General said.
"Yes, Sir." The soldier nodded their head. "I also come with news regarding the current Emperors."
"Tell me."
"The White Emperor, currently, is still under the care of the Grigori, so our spies were unable to gather a lot of information. What we do know is that he seems to be preparing for his confrontation with the Red Dragon Emperor, but that is unlikely considering that neither side knows the location, identity, and abilities of the other." The soldier began. "Ongoing theories are that they are preparing for another fight."
"And the Red one?"
"Their growth and progress are as unnatural as always." The soldier explained. "We are keeping a close eye on them from afar, keeping out of his Youkai consort's range of detection, but recently, as the latest report stated, he has allied himself with the Gremory Peerage."
"The Gremory? Was he reincarnated?"
"Unknown." The soldier said. "However, considering the other two with him, Kuroka Toujou and Ingvild Leviathan, the odds for that are low. Currently, it is to be believed that he is merely Rias Gremory's contracted magician."
"Strange. Why would he pursue such an alliance with the Gremory Peerage?" The General wondered. "Maintain surveillance over them both and keep discreet. Additionally, how are things going with Operation Fury?"
"We have managed to locate the rogue's hideout, but unfortunately, they found out about our attempts to bring them in and ran away before we had the chance to capture them. Luckily, in their rush to evacuate, they left behind several documents, most of which are unrelated documents regarding their next targets. What we found is a bank transfer from several accounts in the human world."
"They used human money? Now that explains how they managed to avoid us for so many years." The General noted. "What did you find?"
"Well, we managed to confirm the identity of our rogue assassin, but we are still working to discover the ones who hired them 10 years ago." The soldier said. "They have managed to hide their tracks well, so it takes time."
"As far as things are concerned, Operation Fury has one of the lowest priorities in terms of urgency, but it is still a very important piece of the puzzle. Make sure the efforts are increased." The General ordered. "Now, in regards to unrelated orders from your report…I want to make sure things are ready for my release from this place, so my orders are simple: In the upcoming Rating Game between Riser Phenex and Rias Gremory, make sure Sirzechs Lucifer is watching."
"Sir?" The soldier asked, confused.
"Spread a rumor that one of the sides is using illegal items." The General continued. "Something to get Sirzechs, and preferably, Ajuka Beelzebub distracted for an hour or so."
"I will make sure to pass on the orders, Sir." The soldier replied.
"Good. Dismissed." The soldier once again saluted his superior, then he departed, leaving the General in his cell to grin, then, slowly, to laugh, his voice echoing throughout the room. "Soon, Snake of Adam…Soon, I will give you the promised war you desire."
