The Time of Isolation Hath Come

XII

Romani hummed as he sorted through the drawers, pausing briefly before he smiled.

With a triumphant look, he swerved his chair around and extended the prize to the person sitting on the bed opposite him.

With an amused raise of the brow, their sapphire eyes first regarded the small packet of chocolate digestive biscuits, then glanced towards him before giving a short roll of the eyes and reaching across, plucking a single biscuit from the package and bringing it to their lips, a quick quite and dusting down their face of crumbs.

"I figured after yesterday, you could probably do with a little bit of an easy time of things."

Romani began, waving a hand about the room and leaning back, offering a tiny and hopefully empathetic smile.

"I consider myself pretty good at slacking off when things get too tough."

Rias momentarily paused, then swallowed the bite before letting out a soft chuckle. "Is that why you went out of your way to invite me here so swiftly? I was a touch intrigued when Koneko passed along the message to me…"

The nurse shrugged. "It's not like I could just call out to you in class or the halls, could I? That would have been a little weird."

With a brief pause, he considered his words before giving a short wave of the hand. "And what would I even say to begin with? 'Hey, Rias? Do you wanna come to the nurses office and slack off? I have some biscuits and chocolates for you!' because that would fly over very well with just about anyone with common sense."

Despite the implications, he found himself oddly at ease with the redhead, she seemed similarly amused at the words.

With a small quirk of her lips, she inclined her head towards him. "I suppose that would certainly raise a few eyebrows, that much would be certain…But I feel compelled to point out that I would have accepted all the same. Just in case you felt as though I were giving off the wrong impression."

Raising her hand, the Devil gestured to their surroundings.

"This is, after all, your dwelling within the school and inviting me to your own territory is a mark of great trust. It would have been insulting for anyone to reject such an earnest proposal."

For a brief moment, Romani was sure that she was mocking him.

Yet her expression showed not even an ounce of teasing or anything negative. It gave him a short pause before he leaned forwards, brows pinched in curiosity. "Is that some sort of cultural thing? Because I don't think that the nurses office really counts as my…uhm…territory? I'm not exactly a cat."

Rias chuckled once more, looking at him in much the same way that someone would look at a small child who said something rather silly.

"Not quite like that, Roman-sensei." She replied, putting her free hand on her chin and giving a low and thoughtful hum, visibly pondering an answer before her eyes glimmered with conclusion. "This is the place that you have been put in charge of. As a figure of authority, people come to you out of necessity…but if you invite them here, it is a sign that you trust them or enjoy their company even outside of those compulsory meetings."

With a bright smile, the teenager crossed her legs over and leaned forwards, pulling the finger off her chin and pointing towards him.

"It means, Roman-sensei, that you trust me as a person…which I consider to be a very valuable thing."

Romani blinked twice, then leaned back. "Did I give the impression that I never trusted you before?"

He felt a little uneasy that he had been giving that sort of impression.

After a few moments, Rias shook her head. "Not at all, just consider this a formality of that. But having it spoken aloud does warm my heart, in much the same way that I am certain it would make Sona quite pleased. She does very much find it gratifying when people place their trust in her judgement."

That would probably make anyone feel a bit good about themselves.

But it didn't come without risks.

And when he thought about Sona and the other members of the student council.

"Oh dear, you're worrying about them again."

He twitched ever so slightly, feeling a wry smile tug at his lips, glancing towards Rias and quickly looking away, his right hand resting on his nape and scratching at it nervously. "Was I really that see through?"

"It's just the sort of person you are, Roman-sensei. Nothing to be ashamed about." Rias assured him with a wave of the hand, taking another bite out of the biscuit and allowing a brief intermission to fall into place between the two of them.

It didn't last all that long, but it was long enough.

The teenager smacked her lips and then smiled a bit wider. "Oh, I was meaning to thank you as well for helping out yesterday. I was told that you briefly stopped by with Leona to give Gasper a helping hand…I do appreciate that. Truly."

"Heh." Romani flushed a little at the earnest nature of her words. "I just did what anyone in my position would have done…and I suppose I do have a bit of empathy for Gasper. You know…being stuck with abilities you don't quite understand and feeling a bit lost with the world."

Rias hummed and nodded her head. "Whatever the reason might be - and I will not pry further into the nature of your soul at this moment - I am thankful you and your wife are there for him. He needs people he can rely on, not just for controlling his Sacred Gear but also…"

She trailed off, the smile now wore a much more mournful note to it.

Romani recalled the context of their previous conversations and straightened himself.

"Now who's worrying too much, that's my job."

The Devil chuckled. "Come now, Roman-sensei. You cannot say that I am wholly innocent for the rate that Gasper's condition has gone on…It might have been my brothers idea, but I should have taken the initiative and-"

"You're young." He cut her short before she could finish, waving a hand towards her. "There's no getting around that. You're young and you've got a lot of responsibility on your plate. More than anyone your age should ever have. You've done…you've done a good job, Rias. You really have. Issei, Asia and the others…they all care about you. You've definitely seen how much they care about you."

Rias exhaled, then looked up and met his eyes. "I can see clearly but…even then, sometimes I wonder what I've done to earn that love. I can shower them with affection but there are times…I just feel as though I have overlooked something. Gasper was so terrified of his power and he took so easily to the room that…"

Romani winced. "Alright, letting him turn into a little bit of a hermit wouldn't have been my call, but I'm honestly not sure what else you could have done. Especially with…time stopping powers."

Even saying that felt ridiculous.

"Maybe there was more you could have done." He admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "But life is full of moments where you look back and say 'maybe I could have done more?' and most of the time, you're right. But hindsight is twenty-twenty. That just makes you like everyone else."

There was a short silence from Rias, her eyes glanced down to the floor.

"Like everyone else…" She muttered in a voice barely above a whisper.

Romani watched her, then cleared his throat, her eyes flicked back towards him and she paused, only briefly, before smiling.

"I apologise, I appear to have steered the conversation-"

"I invited you here so that you could have somewhere to vent." Romani interjected softly, leaning back into his chair and meeting her gaze. "Or to get away from everything, both of them. I gathered enough to know that you were under a lot of pressure and…well…I don't like dealing with that and I imagined you weren't a big fan of it either."

For long moments, Rias met his gaze in silence.

During those moments, he felt more than a little uneasy that he might have overreached with his actions.

Then his shoulders slumped with relief at the faint smile Rias offered him.

"It was…a touch more pressuring than I could have anticipated. I assumed that with two of the Satans present, neither myself and Sona would have been called up upon for anything that might have been regarded as important."

Romani could already guess where this was going.

Rias looked at his expression and he must have been wearing his thoughts on his face, because she started to laugh and nod her head, inclining it towards him as she moved to take the final bite of the biscuit.

"Yes, as you might imagine, I was suddenly face to face with some of the most powerful figures in the three factions and they are asking me and Sona if we have any pressing matters that we wanted to have dealt with or put to rest before the conference began in earnest."

That must have been rather unfortunate for the two of them, he would have probably passed out if that happened to him.

Then he stopped and furrowed his brows.

Except it technically had…because he met not just one Satan, but two of them.

And he met Satan's dad as well.

Which was just weird to even think about.

And he worked in the same school as Satan's little sister and the other satan's little sister.

"Sounds like a regular day at school for me." He mumbled, then caught himself with a wince and hoped that he hadn't been loud enough for her to hear.

Unfortunately for him, Rias turned and glanced at him with a bemused expression before understanding crossed her face and she rolled her eyes, smile dancing on her lips as she finished the last of the biscuit, wiping her face with her fingers and brushing herself down.

"Yes." She cleared her throat. "I believe I might have found a new appreciation for the position you often find yourself in…especially considering you never truly grew up around them. He was never…They were never really the Satan's to me. They were just my big brother and my friend's big sister."

Romani could understand that much.

"Sirzechs and Serafall don't strike me as the work before family types." He remarked with a wry smile.

Rias let out a small huff and folded her arms. "Quite. No matter how much grief Grafiya might give him for it."

Grafiya?

He…vaguely recalled the name?

"Ah, I do not believe you have met her yet, have you?" Rias seemingly realised as she turned to him, then beamed. "She's my brothers wife. My sister in law."

"Right." Romani nodded, then blinked. "Your brother is married?"

Rias blinked owlishly at him. "Is that truly a surprise to you?"

He would have liked to say yes, but that sounded quite rude.

Romani searched for the right words, then found himself internally floundering when nothing came to mind. Instead he just continued to stare at Rias in what must have been an incredibly awkward mounting silence for the pair of them. Or he assumed it was awkward for the pair of them.

It was certainly getting very awkward for him.

"...No." He answered slowly after a few more moments. "Not at all."

The fact his voice sounded wooden in his own ears brought terrible implications of what it must have sounded like to anyone else.

Rias continued to stare at him, face set in a rather puzzled frown but with a small edge of mirth in her features.

Romani coughed and glanced away, eager to change the topic. "So! W-what did you and Sona decide upon?"

If Rias at all noticed the effort to direct the flow of the conversation, and it would have been hard not to notice, she didn't seem to care in the least and humored his efforts. Though it was with a more noticeable hesitation, her eyes flickered away from him and towards the far end of the room, the window which peered out onto the school itself.

He glanced back at her and frowned, now moderately concerned that he might have asked her something that was top secret.

"It is…an unwritten rule that Devils offer compensation for the families within their territories for those who have been slain by Stray Devils."

Romani straightened, feeling the weight of the conversation topic settle on his shoulders like lead, the sombre aura blanketed the room not long after that. Rias took a short moment to compose herself, shifting her posture and bringing herself back up, puffing out her chest and schooling her features.

"Not all do this, I am certain there are some who avoid it altogether but…but myself and Sona have always, always, tried to do right by the victims' families. After we avenge their deaths we make efforts to ensure they are well compensated for their loss. Often in the forms of additional payments through insurance or…or some other method…being in the right place at the right time to offer them a 'lottery' ticket."

"That's…" He struggled to try and comprehend the magnitude of what she was saying. He certainly understood it, but at the same time there was a grim nature to it all. Especially because, once again, he was reminded about just how young Rias and Sona were.

And they were already at the point where they had to deal with the families of dead people?

It was something he never wished to experience, but had done so before.

It wasn't easy for him then and he truly never wanted it to get easier.

Rias offered a small smile and a shake of the head. "You need not say anything more. A grim task but it is one I have felt…compelled to do. I have some sway and contacts to track down the families of those beyond Kuoh and I ensure they receive something to make their lives easier. It doesn't take away the pain of loss but-"

"You don't need to talk it down." Romani found himself saying, pulling his chair forwards and looking the girl right in the eye. "It's…I can't imagine doing that once and so many times is…"

He let out a breath and lowered his head down, eyes closed and jaw rolling from side to side.

"Helping them in any capacity because you want to is not something you need to make excuses for…It's a good thing."

Looking back up, he furrowed his brows. "...How often do you do this?"

Rias did not reply for a few moments, then sighed. "More often than I would have ever cared to, in truth. It is all a mark of failure against me. How I let them down and how it was my responsibility to keep them safe."

Clearing her throat, she straightened.

"But recently there was a problem with the…effort. Many of the victims of the fallen hotel were tourists from abroad."

Romani immediately cringed and ducked his head to the side.

How could anyone forget?

It still dominated the news.

"Suffice to say that it made compensating the victims a challenge, given their families were outside of my jurisdiction so I…requested that they look into it."

That was nice of her.

…It was such a simple way of putting it, but he had to look at Rias in a new light after that little sentence. It also wasn't fair that she felt solely responsible for this sort of thing, which should really have been done without her prompt, but he wasn't going to look for the clouds in the blue sky.

And he supposed this was a mixture of Rias and Sona's idea.

Wetting his lips, he shuffled again. "Did they say yes?"

Rias nodded her head, her own relief visible. "They did agree to it rather quickly, Lord Michael seemed very taken with the idea, especially for those families who reside in the domain of the Angels…it was a weight less upon my shoulders, at least…though it doesn't change what happened."

"No…" Romani agreed with a nod of the head, "But you've done your best."

"...My best wasn't good enough to keep them safe."

He grimaced at the tone of voice she used. "It wasn't your fault and there wasn't anything you could have done to stop it either. Blaming yourself for things you can't control isn't healthy."

And it was precisely why he wasn't comfortable with them living like this.

Far too much pressure for teenagers to deal with on a regular basis.

Rias sighed louder than before, a drawn out and weary sound as she closed her eyes, raising her hand and using it to duck her features behind. She kept that pose for a few seconds, but they stretched out for quite a while in the silence. He maintained his distance, even if he wanted to pat her on the shoulder and say she did the best he could.

Romani knew that no amount of his words would change her mind.

She needed to believe it herself for it to have any impact.

And this was where she could expose all these worries without having to fear how she would be looked at.

As if anyone would believe anything he said about them in the first place.

"...How's Gasper doing?"

He got no reply, and for a moment he feared he never would.

Then, with a sharp inhalation, Rias lowered her arm and pulled her head back, her lips rolled over and she faced him with a faint smile. Smaller than the ones before, but a touch more genuine otherwise. She really did enjoy speaking about her club at the end of the day.

"I spoke with him this morning, he's committed to getting better but…well, Issei has offered to step in and really help him. Asia has been a dear and offered the same, but I'm sure you know that well enough."

He chuckled. "Yeah. She was talking about it all last night, asking me about all these team building ideas so that she could practice them…I just suggested the sort of things that would be enjoyable to do with friends, really…board games and puzzles. Though I was told that Gasper liked videogames as well."

It was a small addendum, but it was one of the things that Leo had actually made sure to tell him.

Rias hummed and nodded. "That certainly sounds like a pleasant way for him to bond with his fellow devils and you would be right, Gasper does enjoy making use of his computer and console…But I'm not sure if it would be forwards or too assuming of me to say that Asia does not strike me as a gamer."

"...She isn't." He readily admitted. "But she's just in it for the fun so she doesn't mind much."

"Ah, now that is the answer I was expecting." For some reason, Rias puffed out her chest and looked rather proud about that, then paused and glanced at him. "Speaking of Asia, how have you been getting on with Rassei?"

Romani felt his smile slide off his face.

Rias looked at him and snorted rather loudly, sharply turning her head and muffling a chuckle behind her hand.

"Asia loves him." Romani replied in a tone that was positively full of enthusiasm and life.

And was definitely not wooden.

He would argue against that…half heartedly, at least.

Maybe he was being too unfair. "They bully me for my food."

"Oh, so something you have experience with."

His shoulders dropped immediately and he stared back at the unapologetic red head with a blank look on his face. Both shocked and similarly unsurprised that she had actually said that in the first place. It might well have been true, but saying it out loud just made him feel rather embarrassed about the whole thing.

"...As long as Asia loves him." Romani found himself saying again, then squinted at Rias and tried for a strained smile. "But you could have taken her to get a kitten or a puppy…I would have been fine with those. Puppies are nice and cute…or a little bird like Kiba. I think the little bird Kiba has is very cute. It makes little tweety noises. And doesn't spit tasers at me."

Rias rolled her eyes. "The whole point of the familiar is to cover the weakness of the master. In this instance, Asia can hardly defend herself so she has found one that can do that for her…are you not more comforted by the idea that Asia will always be accompanied by an ally who can defend her at a moment's notice?"

He opened his mouth to reply, then stopped.

Slowly, his jaw shut itself with a faint but still audible click, he found himself staring at the raised brow of Rias with a sudden sense of clarity.

Maybe it wasn't the worst idea in the world for Asia to be accompanied by a lighting breathing dragon.

"...Alright, fair enough."

Rias beamed. "I am pleased you could see things my way…and I'm sure that with time, little Rassei will come to treat you as a member of their family…almost like a pet."

"...I can't tell if you're being serious or not and to be honest, I'm not sure that I really want to know what the answer to that question is."

"If you're sure~" Rias all but sang with a chuckle laced through her words, smiling all the while. "But I'm still rather disappointed Issei never took my advice to go and find the Hydra."

Romani raised a brow. "Didn't we say that it was a bad idea to go and chase down that thing?"

"Well…" Rias shrugged her shoulders and looked close to throwing up her arms. "I'm sure that Issei would have convinced it."

"...Maybe when you're older." He said, keeping his tone devoid of any sort of tremor.

Rias seemed oddly determined on this point and he didn't feel the urge to argue further on it.

"So what about you?"

"Me?" Romani pointed to himself in surprise, blinking at the sudden alteration in topics. "What about me?"

Folding her arms, Rias inclined her head towards him. "Have you given any thought to what sort of Familiar you would get? It is rather common for a mage to have some manner of animal in their employ, or some other such creation. But there are some exceptions to that rule, I will admit."

Mages were supposed to have something like that?

"Leo doesn't have a magic pet though?"

"I'm sure if she slapped a collar on you, then she would."

"..."

"I'm teasing." Rias replied with a tight smile and a glimmer of mirth in her eyes, but he found himself unconvinced by her words. There was definitely a reason that Rias and Akeno were friends and he was beginning to see what it might have been. "But like I said. Exceptions to every rule…I'm sure you could make some small contract with an animal or some sort. Perhaps even summon a small little thing for you to bond with."

Summon?

For some reason, the only thing that came to mind were the weird little things someone could do in a role playing game.

"You mean like Pokemon or something?"

Rias gave a slow blink, then brought her brows up and nodded her head. "That…would not be far off, admittedly. I am rather pleased that someone else can see the resemblance."

Romani snorted. "If Rassei had been yellow, I'd have asked to be called pikachu."

It felt good to get some small measure of humour of the situation.

But it was mostly because Rias had some light in her eyes once again, the previous problems seemingly pushed to the back of her mind.

"So how is everyone else getting on at the moment?"

Rias hummed and cupped her chin, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Well, I suppose it is acceptable to tell you this, but Issei was invited away for a preliminary meeting with a rather important figure…"

He inclined his head and raised a brow.

That sounded interesting, but rather ominous as well.

"Is it really alright for me to be skipping class like this?"

Issei supposed that he should have not really cared - he got to spend time with Akeno-senpai and also got to see her in a shrine outfit again, which was a complete win in his books - but he also thought about how Sona-Kaichou could be when it came to school stuff.

Akeno chuckled, a rather low sound which sounded almost like a pur.

It made him very nearly shiver, but it was like a jolt of lighting went up his back at the noise.

Turning, the dark haired girl shot him an amused look with half-lidded eyes. "My, my, Issei-kun. Don't tell me that you're worried about your grades? Don't worry, I'm sure that I could tutor you if you fear slipping."

He very nearly said yes right then and there.

And it was definitely because he was envisioning Akeno in a blazer with a short pencil skirt and tights. She would also have a pair of glasses on in her mind's eye, telling him about how she would be ready to teach him a personal lesson.

The image lingered in his mind for quite a while.

He jolted at the soft sound of giggling, then found himself returned to the disappointing reality of the situation, staring at Akeno with the feeling of something wet dripping down his chin. Very quickly he swung his hand up and wiped down his face, feeling a bit of heat flush up his face.

Akeno didn't look bothered, but the fact she was still staring at him made him fidget.

"M-maybe? I'm more worried about Kaichou…you did get her permission, yeah?"

"Oh, yes." Akeno responded with a polite nod. "We're working on behalf of the club, after all. We've received the go ahead, so you needn't worry."

That was a relief.

He continued up the steps and glanced at Akeno as they walked, keeping his eye on the back of her head and looking back up. He was aware of the shrine which was here, but as far as he knew, it wasn't in use. "So wait…are you actually a shrine maiden?"

Akeno stopped walking.

She turned and looked down at him, raising her brows and looking at him in disbelief.

Issei felt his cheeks heating up, he sharply turned his head, raising a hand and rubbing the back of his neck and rolling his lips. "W-well, I mean that…uh…I mean, I didn't know that you were and you dressed the part and…yeah…"

Now he felt a bit like an idiot.

With a soft chuckle, the girl shook her head and turned back around, resuming the walk up the stairs. "I am a shrine maiden, though it would be more accurate to say that I was always one in training…I suppose I was never made official, but I know enough of the ceremonies to play the part."

"Huh. Neat." A short silence. "Where are we going?"

"A shrine."

And now he was feeling like an idiot again.

"I mean-"

"Fufufu~" Another mirthful sound, Akeno looked over her shoulder and down at him. "I know what you meant. We're going to visit someone who wants to speak with you. He approached us yesterday for a meeting and decided that this was a good enough place for it. Especially on neutral ground, so to speak."

Issei…wasn't quite sure how he was supposed to feel about that.

It was clearly quite secret, given that he was only just finding out about it now, but there was also the fact that this wasn't a outing with Akeno and they were just going to visit someone else and then meet with them. He hoped they were a mature type woman or perhaps a cute girl, but he wasn't holding out hope over that.

His luck with people meeting him in secret was rather low.

Terribly low.

It was actually terrible, he needed to stop meeting with people in secret.

"Oh".

He tried to mask his disappointment, but he could hear in his voice that he had failed utterly.

Akeno hummed. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to invite you out if you're so desperate to spend time with me."

Issei flushed, she was teasing him again, wasn't she?

"I-It's fine." He hurried with his words, very nearly tripping up over them. Both literally and figuratively, raising his hands and waving them from side to side to stop her. "You don't need to force yourself or something like that."

Akeno glanced over her shoulder and looked at him, he couldn't quite place what the look was, but it seemed to be searching for something. A bit more probing than the last ones she sent and this one lingered for a bit longer than they did. Whether she found what she was looking for, he couldn't tell, but she turned back around and gave a low hum of affirmation.

"The offer stands." Was all she said, in a tone that sounded…distant.

Issei frowned at her words, but not at her. There was something about it that made it sound like he had said the wrong thing, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what it was.

Weird, maybe Roman-sensei would have some advice for that sort of thing?

Glancing up, he gazed a the summit of the steps and the small gate which arched over the top of them. Taking a deep breath, he quickened his steps but still kept behind Akeno, letting her step through first and cresting the edge just after she did.

He wasn't sure what he was expecting.

But the empty courtyard of a rather rundown looking temple wasn't quite what he thought he was going to see.

Then again, maybe he should have expected this, given that he had never really heard of much going on with the shrine in the first place and the fact that Akeno-senpai being a shrine maiden wasn't really advertised. Something like this would have been hot gossip around the school and there definitely would have been photo's.

"...Nice place."

He cringed immediately at how that sounded.

"I mean-"

Akeno cut him short with a look and a soft smile. "You don't need to soften your words, Issei-kun. I know how it appears, it hasn't really had much in the way of visitors, but I clean up where I can. It used to look much worse."

It used to look worse than this?

Issei eyed up some of the peeling wood and the temple roof that was missing probably half a dozen tiles.

Then to the paths which looked cracked up.

"...I'm going to assume there is a reason you don't use magic?"

"Cultural sensitivity." Akeno replied quickly, but not unkindly. As if she had been asked this question before and understood it. "It is always expected of a shrine maiden to take care of her assigned temple with her own two hands."

"Ah, okay." He nodded, then clapped his hands together and looked around. "...So…when do they get here?"

For some reason, Akeno started to chuckle.

It was a rather ominous sound.

"Ah, they're already here."

Issei blinked and looked back at the dark haired teenager, then swiveled his neck to look at his surroundings. "Uhh…are they hiding behind one of the pillars or-"

His eyes snapped shut and he brought up his hands to cover his face, it was a reflex action at best and he didn't realise what he was doing until three seconds into the action. It came with years of his mother opening the blinds of his room to get him up. Very nearly hissing at the sudden intensity of light which seemed determined to blind him.

Taking a step back, he cringed and turned his head, yet even through clamped eyelids and raised hands, the light which came from somewhere seemed determined to invade his vision, flooding through the gaps in his fingers and pushing into his face, as if it was a physical force trying to peel open his eyelids.

"What the-?"

"Hyoudou Issei."

It was a voice, soft spoken and yet it felt as though it was coming from all around him. The very air felt like it was trembling, like standing right under a thunderstorm without the rumble, the tremor in the space made him stop speaking on instinct.

His jaw clamped shut with an audible click.

"I have been waiting to meet you for quite some time."

It was impossible to tell where the voice was coming from and at what distance, either right behind him or far away. His senses were whirling as they tried to make sense of everything. He tried to open up his eyes, but the moment he did so he was greeted by the flood of light once again.

At least for a few seconds.

In the moments before he shut them, the light started to dim, not completely but enough that he could see something in the centre of the rays of light, shining down from above, there was a vague shadow right in the middle.

Just above them, perhaps a few metres away, and it hovered there, suspended really.

"And I am pleased to finally make your acquaintance'...ah, excuse me for a moment."

The light just ceased existing, like someone switched off a flash light.

He blinked the spots out of his eyes, lowering his hand and staring at the figure who was floating in the air above him.

But what his eyes were immediately drawn towards were the twelve wings which sprung out from behind the floating man. So unlike the dark wings of Azazel or the other Fallen he had met, these ones were unblemished gold. Rather, they were so gleaming that they didn't look real to him.

He felt his lips part, his hand slowly lowered and he stared for several long seconds.

He didn't even react when the man floated down to the earth, making not even a single noise as he touched the floor. Long platinum blonde hair with a somewhat gaunt nature about him, or rather a bit of a thin neck.

Thick golden plates of armour stretched from shoulder to shoulder, an entire collar support, beneath it were crimson robes, stripes of pale white fabric hung down from beneath the armour.

Striding forwards, the blonde man with a gentle smile approached until he was stood right in front of Issei and it was only when he was there, directly in front of him, that Issei realised quite how tall the man actually was. His eyes trailed up until he was staring down at the man who somehow failed to cast a shadow over Issei.

"Uhh…"

"Please forgive me for the nature of the meeting, but I believed that a somewhat less formal meeting would have been better between the two of us. Please be assured that, excluding my nei-your companion, it is just the two of us here at the moment."

Issei didn't even notice the near slip.

"...Who…what….uhh…?"

The platinum blonde leaned back, raising a hand gesturing to himself. "I shall introduce myself to you. I am Michael, a pleasure to make your acquaintance as I said before."

Michael.

The name bounced around inside of his head,

Michael.

Issei slowly looked at the golden wings, then back to the face of the man. Putting everything together before he stepped back and put a short distance between them. His brows climbed up his forehead, blinking rapidly as if imagining the man would just vanish if he turned his head or averted his eyes.

The man - the Angel - was still there.

"You mean like the angel?"

"Yes." Came the swift reply, all while holding a gentle smile and patient tone. "I understand that you have never met one of our kind so far, but I hope to set a good first impression for us."

Issei made a small noise and nodded his head. "R-right, yeah…hello…Hyoudou Issei."

He felt a bit like an idiot, glancing towards Akeno and seeing her stepping back and out of range of the two of them. She looked remarkably comfortable as she stayed at the sidelines, looking between himself and Michael and then sending him a small but clearly reassuring smile.

Turning back on Michael he cleared his throat. "So…h-how can I help you?"

Michael didn't seem bothered by his hesitant tone or unsure nature, rather the man looked utterly unphased by it. Just standing there and waiting for him to finish speaking. "I came here to speak with you regarding the upcoming conference…though that would be the official reason I will give to Heaven."

Turning his head, the angel glanced away and off into the distance. "The truth of it is that I am just here to speak with you as a person. I believe it would be understandable if I just wanted to get to know who you are. The reports and accounts of Irina put you under a rather glowing commendation for your help."

A brief pause, his eyes flicked down.

"Both yourself and the resident nurse of your academy."

Issei tensed, that sounded much more ominous now.

Almost threatening.

Michael slowly raised his hands, showing the flat of them and shaking his head. "I did not mean to imply something, merely that I was eager to meet you. Especially with the chance of peace upon us, it felt needed to put my best foot forward, so to speak."

"Right…" He replied slowly, cautiously and maintained his distance, but allowed himself a brief moment to relax. It was weird seeing this guy here, more than that he was understanding just how important this guy was. "Yeah me and Irina were…friends a while ago."

"Were?" Michael seemed to grasp onto that single word, rolling his lips as if tasting it and then frowning, as though he found it unpalatable. "I should hope that you have not had a permanent falling out. Stepping towards peace gives you the perfect chance to rekindle that old friendship, does it not? It was my understanding that Xenovia had found a place with your peerage as of late."

"...How do you know about that?"

"Sirzechs told me." Michael simply replied, then paused for a moment before adding on. "And Azazel made sure to give a passing comment, but you may inform Xenovia that her choices are her own and I will not hold her actions against her…merely that I am saddened she could not place her faith in me as she could in another."

That sounded generous.

Weirdly generous.

And this was from the guy who helped lead the people who exiled Asia for healing a Devil?

Issei tried to suppress the twitch of anger that flared up in his gut over that, staring at the innocent smile on the face of the angel who looked as if he had said nothing wrong. He didn't want to make an idiot of himself or say something that would ultimately get Buchou and the others in trouble.

He nearly messed up with that burying exorcist or whatever.

He wasn't going to do that again.

"I'll let her know." He replied, fighting to keep his tone even.

If Michael noticed, the angel didn't comment on it, he simply turned in the direction of Akeno and inclined his head towards her. "Might we move on inside of the temple? I would hate for us to be stood out in the open for so long. With your permission, of course."

"Yes." Akeno replied with a small bow before she turned and strode towards the shrine. "Please follow me."

Michael didn't immediately move, instead he glanced down at Issei. It took him a second to realise that the angel was letting him walk on in first. He offered a thin smile as he strode past the angel, it was somewhat thankful as the second he passed him, the smile slipped off his face and his brows pinched together.

Anxious and irritated, he followed after Akeno and allowed his thoughts to whirl through his mind.

[Your thoughts are loud when you're angry. Heh.]

And pounding through his temples like a freight train, there was the voice of Ddraig, sounding deeply amused about something. Issei felt his eye twitch for a moment, it sounded as if he was being mocked by the dragon.

Still.

He 'thought' back at the dragon.

'I'm nervous, alright? And I'm mad. This guy basically let Asia get banished and-'

[I know why you're angry, partner. Just try not to make too big of a fuss at the moment. You're still far from fighting the Sword of Heaven and even coming close to scratching him.]

'The what?'

[Don't worry about it. Just a nickname the guy had during the war. Just keep yourself calm. Michael wouldn't come here for nothing and I'm a little curious as to what he's playing at…seems a bit thinner than I remember too.]

'Oh, so I wasn't just seeing things then? Wait…is he not supposed to look like that? Do angels even need to eat?'

[They don't. He's straining himself. I can feel it…Guess filling in the shoes of the big guy is something that Michael can't do without a cost. Yikes…I'm feeling my age now, partner. Everyone's getting weaker.]

Issei couldn't find himself to be as put off as Ddraig about that.

But it was concerning all the same.

Because it had still been up in the air whether…the guy in Heaven was actually dead or not. But for Ddraig to be saying all of this in complete confidence.

Issei winced as he thought of how Asia would react to the news. Xenovia would have kept silent about it if she knew, but there was a reason she was in their peerage. Maybe Asia did know but she wasn't saying anything…

He really hoped that wasn't the case, because he knew how badly she would hurt.

Well, maybe he didn't really know.

But he knew it would hurt her.

Akeno was staring at him, he straightened and blinked, then glanced around the room and realised that there was actually a room in the first place. He nearly cringed as he realised that he was being stared at. Probably having been silent for a little while as he got distracted by Ddraig.

"Sorry." He hastily got out an apology, raising his left hand and pointing towards it. "He was speaking to me about something."

Michael didn't look offended, at least. "That is quite alright. I am assuming his comments relate to how I currently appear?"

[You know me so well, don't you?]

Ddraig's voice pulsed through the green light flashing on Issei's wrist, the dragon let out a huff.

"I know where your interests lie, Ddraig. I believe there to be a small difference." Michael corrected with a shake of the head. "Neither you nor Albion ever made it a secret where you were directing your attention."

A brief pause, then another huff from the green light. [Hmph. Watch out for this one, partner. He's more than just brute force…But he does that very well.]

That earned a small reaction from the angel.

For the briefest of moments, Michael twitched yet the expression remained there. Still smiling as if nothing was wrong, yet the smile looked dimmer than before. As if he was sad about something. Yet it reverted back just as quickly that Issei wasn't sure if he had imagined it or not.

"...I suppose it would be asking too much for you to set aside that expectation of me, would it?"

[Well, the Sword of Heaven is down here trying to make peace with the devils and crows. I'm wondering if I've gone crazy and am experiencing a fever dream.]

Michael stopped smiling. "The world has changed quite a bit…holding onto the old ways of doing things is easier when you don't have as much to lose. Now though? It could cost us so much…"

[Meh. Politics don't interest me that much. As long as me and Albion can give each other a good punch up, then whatever.]

Issei looked down at his arm and raised a brow. "Oi. Don't I get a say in that?"

[Probably not. You saw what Albion was like last time, didn't you? Or were you knocked out…I'm struggling to remember. Well, he's got his Scale Mail all figured out and is pretty far above you. Stop slacking. You're making me look lazy here.]

There was a small noise from Michael, Issei looked up and saw the angel giving him a slightly pitying look. "Try not to take it personally. As far as I know, he has been like this with all of his hosts…and he was much the same when he still had a body. That's simply what the pair of them are like. The host of Albion likely experiences similar comments."

"That doesn't make it feel better…" Issei muttered in a low tone, then shook his head and straightened. "So…what now?"

"Ah, yes." Michael was smiling again. "It would be best if we returned to the reason that I invited you out here in the first place, wouldn't it?"

Issei imagined that something was going to happen after those words were spoken, it sounded like a prompt to move into a conversation.

And yet he stood there in the room without anything happening for what must have been three seconds of rather awkward nothingness.

His lips went thin and he tried to keep the situation from getting to him, looking in any direction that wasn't the angel stood right in front of him.

"...So-"

His words caught in his throat as a sudden sensation washed over him, immediately his muscles tensed and he straightened. Eyes widened and he glanced left and right. It was like pinpricks across his skin, his hairs stood on end and it was everything he could do to not start shuddering.

What the hell was that?

Light pulsed directly in front of Michael.

Issei whirled and took a half step backwards, it was a golden sheen that lasted mere seconds before it faded away.

The Angel reached out and held his hand up, fingers curled ever so slightly, hovering just above his palm was a blade of some sorts.

Well, it was a sword.

But looking at the sword made him feel like he was exposed.

It was uncanny.

More than that, the sword was unlike what he would have assumed any blade to actually look like. The tip of the blade was slanted, a clean cut edge of a darkened metal, glossed silver along the edges where it had been sharpened. Trailing down to a bronzed pommel and black handle.

Straight down the middle of the sword was a bronze line, stretched from tip to hilt and stopping, directly beneath that lay a pattern of some sort. Ge squinted at the intricate design and could have sworn it appeared to be some sort of bird? He believed at least, but he could have been mistaken.

He had no idea what the pattern was or what the sword was.

Nor why it was making him feel like he'd rather turn and run.

"Dragon Slayer."

Michael began, his soft voice carried firm enough that it pulled him from wherever his mind had been.

"A title of not just those who fought and defeated dragons, but also of the weapons that they carried. Those whose purpose in forging was for battling a specific type of foe…or have gained that ability through slaying one of their kind while wielded by a great figure of renown."

Issei wasn't so stupid that he couldn't put two and two together.

Eyeing the sword, he wet his lips and nodded his head towards it. "Then, that is-"

"Indeed." Michael confirmed rather casually. "This is a Dragon Slaying sword…One wielded by a rather famous figure who I believe you might have heard. Its name is Ascalon…and it was wielded by Saint Georgios."

…Did they mean Saint George? Because yeah, Issei had heard of that guy.

…Mostly from visual novels that pulled this stuff from somewhere.

Michael, sword still floating above his outstretched palm, took a single step forwards and extended his hand out further, carrying the sword with it and looking down at Issei with an intent he couldn't quite place.

"And I, on behalf of Heaven, wish to bestow this sword upon you."

Issei blinked.

Then he blinked again.

"...You what?"

"I can understand the surprise." Nodding his head, the angel paused for a moment as he searched for the right words. "You likely have many questions regarding it, but the main reason behind this is that you are doubtless the weakest Red Dragon Emperor host there has been."

Issei felt his features drop. "I mean…yeah…but that hurts to be said, you know?"

Michael made a pained face. "Ah, yes. That might have been a touch callous of me. What I meant to say was that at present, you are below where your peers were, but they had awakened their Sacred Gears at different points or their circumstances were less…"

There was another pause, this one felt far darker than before.

"...Suffice to say that the circumstances of their rise as Red Dragon Emperors were different from your own. This blade has been tirelessly worked upon so that it can be absorbed into your Sacred Gear, drastically increasing your own abilities as a result."

His brows furrowed. "So it's a power up?"

"...Yes." Michael replied with a quirked smile. "That is indeed what it is."

"...That's not gonna…do anything to me, is it?" He tried not to sound suspicious, but giving a dragon killing thing to Issei, who had a dragon in his arm, almost felt like trying to poison him or something.

The Angel hummed. "Your concern is understandable, but the very best of Heaven have examined it tirelessly. More than that, you have my work and for an Angel to break a vow they make would be…insulting. More so coming from me."

He wasn't sure how, but it felt like the guy meant those words.

He glanced down at the sword, then back to Michael. "Okay but…why? I-it's not just because I'm weak, is it?"

There was a longer pause this time around, the face of the blonde started to even out until it was blank.

"...No. It is not." He exhaled, the minute the breath escaped, there was a short moment where he just looked exhausted. As if he was going to keel over. Yet it was barely a second before Michael was back up and puffed out. "The truth is…we can no longer afford to be enemies with one another. Though the three factions have been in a state of a ceasefire, there are…skirmishes that occur from time to time."

Issei rolled his lips. "Like that guy who stole the swords?"

"Like Kokabiel, yes." Michael nodded, his face grim. "And it leads to another point. The more time we spend fighting amongst ourselves, the greater the chance that another faction will exploit our weakened position and destroy us all…The actions of Fabro Rowan were proof that there are some threats only our combined strength can deal with."

"Another faction?"

"Mmmmh." A slower nod of the head this time. "...It was not the first time the factions united. It happened twice before."

That was news to him. "So there were these other guys you all beat up then?"

Michael grimaced. "...The Heavenly Dragons, Albion and Ddraig were the reason for one such alliance. We banded our forces together and defeated them after a prolonged battle at great cost."

[Yeah. I remember you putting out my eye.]

"I remember being very nearly cut in half." Came the swift reply from the angel, smiling rather thinly as he spoke. "I believe that we are even in regard to dealing wounds to one another."

[Oh yeah? Where's your prison?]

Michael was silent.

But the silence was…odd.

Like there was an answer to give, but Michael wouldn't give it.

"And one other time." He continued, ending the silence and clearly ignoring the question. "Yet that was…It was a battle none will forget. Those who remember it, at least. The rampage of the Crimson Moon…No, that is a story for another time. My point remains the same."

Michael turned and looked down at Issei, his eyes glinted with determination. "If we do not band together and face the future together, then we shall all be left behind. We are not the strength we once were, any of us. Angels, Devils and Grigori. The more time we spend fighting amongst ourselves, the further we walk down the path of self-annihilation."

Issei…didn't really get most of that beyond, fighting was bad.

"But the sword?"

"The sword is proof of our trust." Michael explained. "A physical token of our willingness to let the past remain buried. To put aside old rivalries."

So it was a peace offering then.

He glanced at the sword once again with furrowed brows.

"The choice is yours to accept the sword or not."

"...Isn't this…like…really important to the church though?"

"...It is." Came the slow agreement. "And I will not deny that it was a seamless process, but it was understood for the necessity of it. What is needed now is trust between our groups. I hand this over, freely, and ask only that you wield it for a just cause."

Issei watched and rolled his jaw, then glanced towards Akeno.

The dark haired girl only nodded her head slightly as a form of encouragement to him.

If she didn't have any problems with it, and if it had been cleared with Buchou, then all was fine.

"...How would I even do this?"

Michael twisted the sword around until the handle was pointed towards him. "A Sacred Gear is dependent on the will of the user. Ddraig will confirm my words."

[Yeah, he's right.] Was the supporting words from the dragon as the gauntlet flashed into existence, scarlet metal coating his forearm and hand. [It's all down to the will. So long as you have the strength for it, you can absorb the sword and make it a part of you. Though none of my hosts did this before. So I'm intrigued. I'd say go for it.]

His hand came up and he reached forwards, his fingers curled around the hilt of the blade and then clenched. He grit his teeth as he immediately felt the thrum of it through his body. Not like a painful jolt, but a vibration that was decidedly uncomfortable.

As long as he had the will.

…He didn't know about that.

He didn't know much about anything.

All he really wanted was to just do his best for Buchou and the others and if this sword was what he needed, then that was all he wished to know.

Just as long as he could keep his friends safe.

That was enough.

His eyes shut as the sword pulsed brighter, a blinding light spread over the room and he very nearly recoiled, yet his arm was rooted in the spot. The weight under his fingers vanished, the fist closed entirely.

When his eyes opened up, the sword was no longer…well…a sword.

Jutting from between the crimson plates of metal, just under the green gem at the knuckles, was the blade, presumably fused under the armour.

Issei blinked and pulled his hand back, staring at it in surprise.

He hadn't expected that in the least.

"...Was it supposed to do that?"

Michael merely chuckled. "This has never been done before, so I am afraid I could not tell you…but I fear I must take my leave. There is still much to discuss before the peace conference, but I hope we shall have the opportunity to speak with one another again soon."

Stepping forwards, the angel offered a short bow of the head. "Red Dragon Emperor."

"Uhh…y-yeah, man. See you later?"

With a smile, Michael strode past him, the flutter of wings and then silence.

Issei glanced over his shoulder and stared at the empty space, the door wasn't even showing a sign it had been opened.

"...So that went well?"

He hoped, at least.

Akeno looked at him with a raised brow, then nodded her head. "I believe that did go remarkably well, Issei-kun…How do you feel?"

"...Uh…" He looked over his sword arm and raised a brow. "A bit confused, really, but I just-whoa!"

The sword snapped back into the gauntlet, retreating under the metal, he jerked his arm backwards at it.

"...Damn…that's kinda cool…"

Akeno merely giggled. "I am glad you are enjoying yourself so much…You will need to get some lessons from Kiba, won't you?"

…Oh damn.

He would, wouldn't he?

He recalled the exercise sheet, and that had been the basics for Kiba.

Issei felt a sudden sense of dread in him.