A few days passed after Issei came home. His body healed quickly, and he no longer needed a sling to support his arm. Once Issei had a talk with his parents, he went through the process of putting barriers around his house using runes. They go unnoticed by normal people and only activate if the requirements are met, making it hard for magical beings to notice without specifically searching for it. Issei had shown his parents what he was capable of during his time back and felt more reassured, but they still clearly were worried. Issei tried to summon a Servant, but it was to no avail. He still felt a connection, but he wasn't strong enough to summon one, especially without a leyline. Once Issei was feeling better, he went out for a walk around town. The nervousness on his mom's face was evident but he reassured her that he wouldn't disappear this time. Not much had changed in Issei's time gone, since it was only two months here, but for him over a year passed so this town was nostalgic for him. He went out to eat then stopped by the stores he used to go to. There was a strange look on one of the clerks' faces when he saw Issei come in and not immediately go look at one of the dirty magazines he used to come there for. Issei didn't even look in the direction of those products which made the clerk doubt his eyes. After he left Issei went to the park just to stroll. He was out there for a while then noticed that it was getting dark and decided to head home before he worried his mom. He was starting to make his way out of the park when he heard something in the distance. "Hey! Stop! Leave me alone! Get away from me you monster!" said a feminine voice.

Issei immediately went to investigate what it was and put his ninjutsu training to use. He went from tree to tree quickly in the direction of the noise until he stumbled upon the scene. There he saw some monster he wasn't familiar with cornering a girl. When Issei focused on the girl, he realized who it was. Kiryuu?! She's in trouble! Issei thought. The monster crept closer getting ready to pounce on her. Issei wanted to move but then stopped himself. If I go save her then I will expose myself. I don't know what's going on or who's watching. I can't reveal myself, he thought. The monster let out a low growl and Kiryuu screamed. Just before the monster lunged at her an explosion occurred on the monster's back causing it to roar in pain. It turned angrily to see who attacked it. Kiryuu also tried to look past the monster to see what was happening. What she saw shocked her.

"I-Issei?!" she yelled.

"Not now, Kiryuu! Run, while I got him distracted!" Issei ordered as he projected a spear in his hand. Kiryuu hesitated but eventually did as Issei said. I can't let her die here. Doesn't matter if I get exposed. If I lose what's important to me then it was all pointless! Issei thought as the monster charged him. Issei did the same as the two closed the distance. The monster swiped at him, and he countered with the spear. The two continued to clash like this for a while. Issei was having a hard time since he wasn't using his Gear. He was trying to hold back by only using reinforcement magecraft on himself and his projections, but it only allowed him to match this creature. He didn't even have the leeway to use any runes after that first blast. Eventually the monster knocked Issei back into a tree. He tried to gather himself but was a bit disoriented.

He suddenly found himself being helped up. "C'mon Issei! I can't lose you again!" said Kiryuu.

Issei finally got his bearings and looked at Kiryuu with a mix of surprise and annoyance. "Kiryuu?! Why are you still here?! You need to get out of here!" he yelled. Before she could though, the monster lunged at them. Kiryuu closed her eyes tightly waiting for the attack, but it never came. She opened her eyes to see Issei holding the monster in place with his hand, now covered by a red gauntlet. "Don't think I'll let you do as you please!"

"Boost!"

Issei pushed the monster back, causing it to lose balance. Then Issei created multiple runes, preparing to launch fireballs empowered by his Gear. "Eat this!" yelled Issei as he launched the attack. The fireballs spread out then curved, as if homing in on the monster, before hitting and exploding all at once. The monster staggered back, heavily damaged. Issei prepared to finish it by projecting a sword into his hand and dashed forward. He boosted more power into the sword and with one swift motion bisected the monster.

Issei was breathing heavily. This was the first time he fought without the support of his Servants and on top of that he wasn't fully recovered yet. But he still managed to win, which brought a small smile to his face. He didn't have time to enjoy the moment though as Kiryuu walked up to him, clearly with a lot of questions. "Soooo, do I have to ask, or am I not supposed to know, or what?"

Issei sighed, a bit exasperated. "Look, just, come with me. I'll explain everything at my house." Kiryuu nodded and silently followed him. Normally she would have made a joke about going to a boy's house at night, but she was still a bit shaken up from what had just happened. Eventually they made it to Issei's house where Issei's mom rushed to him.

"Are you ok?! It was getting late and you didn't call," she fretted over him. She eventually noticed Kiryuu behind him and now was wondering what was going on.

"I'll explain in a second, so could you get me and Kiryuu some tea please?"

Issei's mom nodded and went to the kitchen, while Issei led Kiryuu to the living room, sitting across from her. "How are you feeling?" asked Issei.

"I'm, just processing still. You disappeared for months and the first time I see you since you come back is fighting a monster."

There was a loud clanging noise as both Issei and Kiryuu jumped and looked in the direction of the noise. There they saw Issei's mom, shaking, and a fallen tray of now spilled tea. "Y-you were fighting a monster?" she asked, her voice filled with worry.

Issei got up and guided his mom to a seat next to Kiryuu. He figured something like this would happen, but he was hoping things would be relaxed for a bit before he really got into fights. Once his mom had calmed down a bit, he began explaining to her what had happened earlier and how he had saved Kiryuu from being killed. "I didn't plan to start so soon, especially since I haven't fully recovered, but I couldn't let Kiryuu die."

Kiryuu blushed slightly. She didn't think Issei cared that much about her, but was it because they were friends? Or was it… "I-I see… I guess it can't be helped, but please be careful Issei. I don't want to lose you again," said Issei's Mom.

"I will do my best mom but it's hard to be safe while getting into a fight," said Issei trying to lighten the mood, but clearly failing as his mom gave him a strained smile. Issei then turned to Kiryuu. "So, I know I have a lot to explain, but I can't tell you everything because we both don't have time and the less you know the better. But you do deserve an explanation." Kiryuu nodded and focused on Issei as he gave an abridged telling of what happened to him when he disappeared and how he got his powers. After giving Kiryuu the broad strokes of the situation, she seemed to be stunned.

After a few more moments she finally spoke. "Are you the protagonist of some anime or something?"

Issei let out a small laugh. "It feels like it, doesn't it? It's all so crazy that when I woke up in the hospital a part of me thought I dreamt it all. Thankfully Ddraig cleared my worries almost instantly."

"Right, your magic gauntlet that you used to protect me. It was really cool looking. And you got the power of a dragon too. You're on your way to saving the world from the demon king," Kiryuu said jokingly.

"Please don't jinx it. I would rather face an evil god than another demon king," he said as his mind went back to how troublesome Nobunaga was. He liked them as a person, but man were they a whirlwind of chaos.

Kiryuu gave Issei a wry smile. "Hit a little too close to home?" she asked playfully.

"You have no idea."

"So, what now? What do you do next?" asked Kiryuu.

"I need to get stronger and figure things out more. Actually, this might have been a blessing in disguise." Issei looked directly at Kiryuu. "Kiryuu, can you help me with the other two at school?"

"You mean Matsuda and Motohama? What about them?"

"Things have changed for me, in more ways than one. I won't have time to do all the stuff I usually do with those guys, and you know how they can be."

Kiryuu looked a bit stunned, catching onto what Issei was saying. "Wait. Are you saying that you won't do perverted stuff anymore?" Issei had an awkward look as he rubbed the back of his neck and looked away. Not only Kiryuu but Issei's mom had stunned looks on their faces. "Who are you and what have you done with Issei?"

"Har har, very funny. Look, I've been through a lot, and losing my memory then gaining it back gave me a chance to, reflect, on my past behavior. My desire hasn't changed, but I'm at least self-aware enough to know that I could have done things better."

The look on his face showed he was serious, which really hit home to both girls that what happened to Issei really affected him. "All right, so what do you want me to do?"

"I just need you to help me out at school in case something comes up and I need to take care of it. A whole new side of the world has opened up to me and I not only need to get stronger but do more research if I'm going to stand a chance."

"So, you just need me to run interference."

"Yep."

"Easy enough. It's almost like you're a superhero and I'm trying to help keep your secret identity."

"Funny, but I don't think I would be cut out for something like that. I'll just keep trying to do the right thing."

"By the way, you should expect a lot of questions when you start school, since everyone knew you went missing from day one."

"They did? How?"

"S-sorry, that may have been our fault," said Issei's Mom. "We went around and asked the parents of people from your school in case they might have known where you went."

Issei felt a bit embarrassed knowing that and now knew that everyone knew he was missing since it happened. "I don't blame you Kaa-san. You did the right thing. I'm just going to have to keep a low profile for a while until things blow over."

"Well, you can just leave things to me. I can at least try and direct the flow of rumors at school so that they won't be as bad," said Kiryuu. Issei nodded gratefully. After that they discussed some more about how things will be moving forward until Kiryuu had to leave.

Issei went up to his room to rest for a bit and thought about his battle earlier with the monster. I'm thankful that the others trained me when I asked them. If it was just me with the Boosted Gear, I don't think I would have won that. I still have a long way to go. Issei lifted his left hand and stared at it. Wait for me, Mashu, everyone. I will show you all that I have what it takes to stand with you, not just behind you! As Issei had these thoughts he drifted to sleep.

A few days had gone by since Issei had saved Kiryuu and school had begun again. Issei was fully recovered and was able to attend. After Kiryuu met up with Issei that day she went to talk to Matsuda and Motohama to tell them Issei was ok. After hearing the good news they showed up the next day and the three caught up about the time they spent apart. The two noticed Issei was evasive with anything having to do with his disappearance, so they took that as their que to not talk about it. The two were just happy to have their friend back. As Issei got closer to school, he noticed that the other students were talking about him as they saw him. "Hey, isn't that Issei?" "It is. So, the news was right, he came back." "Even if he's a pervert he didn't deserve to be kidnapped." "We should be on the lookout too. We don't want to get taken suddenly." "So scary." Issei was honestly surprised that people felt bad for him. He knew he was more or less hated in school as being a member of the infamous perverted trio, so the fact that people felt sympathy for him honestly made him feel a bit better. As he was listening, he thought about what the people around him thought about him and his reputation in school. He never really cared about it before because he wanted to be true to himself, but after meeting the Servants and learning that reputation can hold more power than what he thought before, he realized that his own bad reputation could come back to bite him in more ways than one. So, he decided that even though he was sure that his reputation was already unsalvageable he would work on improving it moving forward. Which meant he would stop doing all the things he did with Matsuda and Motohama before. He would still be their friend, because he wouldn't just abandon them for the sake of his reputation. He wasn't that shallow, but moving forward he was going to distance himself from those activities.

As Issei made his way to the school gates, he felt a great amount of nostalgia. He had been having that feeling a lot since he came back. He was honestly looking forward to having a normal life again, even if it was for brief periods. Issei didn't have much time to enjoy it though as someone was making their way towards him. Issei's eyes widened slightly at the sight of Rias Gremory walking towards him. She was still as beautiful as he remembered her and out of habit his eyes immediately went to her breasts. He snapped out of it though as she got closer and looked at her face. He felt something odd though. Huh. I normally would be more nervous looking at her. Is it because I've been exposed to many beautiful women in Chaldea? Or maybe it's because of how I feel about Mashu? Issei realized that his reaction to this situation was abnormal for him, but he wasn't sure why since he could tell he still felt the same about Rias.

He didn't have time to ponder as Rias had finally reached him, gathering the attention of all the nearby students. "Hello Issei-kun. I'm glad to see you've returned safely," she said with a smile.

Issei returned the smile. "Thank you for the concern Gremory-senpai. Is there something I can help you with?" he asked politely.

Everyone stared at Issei confused, including Rias. It was well known around school that Issei had a huge crush on Rias and under normal circumstances he would be extremely nervous around her, if not drooling all over her. But here he was, making eye contact and speaking respectfully like a normal person. It made some onlookers doubt their eyes. How strange. He is acting completely different from how he did the last time at school. Did his disappearance change him? Rias thought to herself. "I was just interested in hearing about what happened to you if it's not too much trouble. Since I'm the president of the Occult Research Club and your disappearance is a mystery, I was hoping you would be able to enlighten me."

Right. Rias-senpai is in charge of the ORC so of course she would have an interest in my situation, Issei thought to himself. "I'm sorry Gremory-senpai, but I don't really recall what happened. Whenever I try to remember I end up getting a headache. The doctor said that my brain might be suppressing the memory in order to keep myself sane and honestly, I don't want to think about it."

Rias showed a hint of disappointment, but nodded in understanding. "I see. Well that's a shame. I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable Issei-kun, but if you by some chance do remember what happened, don't hesitate to come see me," she said in as friendly a tone as possible.

Issei nodded in confirmation at her but before he could speak, he was interrupted. "Partner, be careful."

"What is it Ddraig?"

"It took me a bit to sense it, but I can tell now. The girl in front of you is a devil."

A devil?! Issei thought as he continued to look at Rias. He tried to feel for magical energy and after a bit he could faintly sense it. After that revelation he suddenly became alert. "Of course she's a devil. Why didn't I see it before? Her last name is Gremory for Christ's sake. It's the same as one of the Demon God Pillars." A terrible thought crossed his mind. "Oh no, is she my world's Demon God?! This is bad! I can't handle this on my own!"

"Relax partner. Remember, this world and that one are different. The devil families have ties to the original devils but are descendants. They aren't like those towers of flesh, but they're no pushovers either."

"R-right, sorry. I guess I'm still reliant on the others since I was so scared about the possibility of this being a bad situation."

"It's fine to be cautious partner but don't let it cloud your judgment. I wouldn't let your guard down either. If one of the pillar members are here, there are bound to be others."

Issei made a mental note of Ddraig's words and was now trying to get out of this situation. Rias, who had been observing him noticed a sudden change in his personality. She already thought he was acting strange but something about his body language told her he wanted to get away. Before she could say anything, Issei spoke first. "I'm thankful for your concern Gremory-senpai but I should be heading to class," he said slightly abruptly and moved past her.

Rias was surprised by how quickly and concisely he moved past her, almost as if he was used to avoiding awkward situations. As he was walking away, she noticed something within him. It was weak but she could definitely feel it. He had magic potential. Whether or not it was a Sacred Gear she wasn't sure, but she knew now that she wanted him in her peerage. It seems there is more going on than you let on Issei-kun. Don't worry, I'll make sure to take good care of you as my new family, she thought to herself as a slightly devious smile appeared on her face.

As Issei made his way towards the school, he was trying to figure out what to do next. Problems keep popping up one after the other. I guess Ddraig wasn't kidding about being sucked into the supernatural after being exposed to it. He was processing the new information and eventually made it to class. Aside from being hounded by various students, including Matsuda and Motohama, for talking to one of the Two Great Onee-samas of the school, things went normally. During lunch though he was approached by two people.

"Hello Hyoudou-kun, how are you doing?" asked Sona.

"Shitori-kaichou? I'm doing fine. Why?" asked Issei back.

"Considering that you were involved in a terrible incident, it is our duty as the student council to be vigilant," said Tsubaki behind Sona.

"Naturally we are also concerned about your condition as well, so we're just making sure everything is fine," said Sona.

"Well, I'm thankful for your concer-" Issei was interrupted mid-sentence again by Ddraig.

"Partner-"

"Don't tell me," Issei complained mentally.

"They are devils too. Their powers are slightly different from the girl earlier, which means they could be here separate from her."

"This just gets better and better," he thought sarcastically.

"Is something wrong Issei-kun?" asked Sona, hearing him stop mid-sentence.

"Ah, yeah! Sorry about that. I just zoned out for a moment. Maybe I'm not completely better yet," he lied.

"If it gets worse don't be afraid to go to the nurse's office," said Tsubaki.

"Yeah, I'll make sure I do that." The two nodded and left him to enjoy his lunch.

As the two left, they discussed their interaction a moment ago. "It was just like Rias said. He has power within him," said Sona.

"Do you think that's why he suddenly acted strangely in the middle of the conversation?" asked Tsubaki.

"Possibly. We won't know for sure without some further investigation."

"Do you plan to recruit him?"

"Maybe. Rias seemed pretty keen on adding him to her peerage and I don't blame her given her situation," Sona said with a small frown. "With that said, don't forget who he is. He is one of the infamous perverted trio who always cause problems and have us end up getting complaints from the girls of this school. He might be calm now since he is probably recovering from whatever happened to him, but that troublesome personality could come back and that would be a headache to deal with. So, for now we watch." Tsubaki nodded in agreement with her King and the two moved to continue their work.

Here's another one for all of you. I'm glad I've started this cause now I can get my writing urges out without having to be so worried about being tied to the plot. For the record, I have next months chapter done but I wanted a bit of a break before the next chapter but still wanted to write so now that the side stories are up I can basically write and upload whenever I feel like and not feel like I'm rushing through the main story. Also I'm not gonna be as strict with myself for the side stories as I am for the main story when it comes to length so don't be surprised if I do a couple of quick short chapters from time to time. Now, the final thing I'm going to do for the side stories is ask the readers questions, just like I did for the last few chapters of the last volume. So this chapters question is: What is people's fascination with writing Issei gets betrayed stories? There are a ton of these kinds of stories to the point where I feel like people should be watching/reading another story if you hate the guy so much. What is the fascination with having Issei be betrayed? Is there something I'm missing? Anyways, I look forward to the comments as always. : )