Here I present myself with a new translated chapter!

I'm not too busy now, so the chapters will come back more regularly.

I hope you had a great Christmas, and that this new year will be no exception. I wish you all the best!

Now, let's start with the chapter.

Enjoy!

Beads of sweat trickled onto the grass adorned by the usual morning dew.

Raynare stood with her feet wrapped around a tree as she did sit-ups. Her clothing consisted of a short dark-colored t-shirt that exposed her navel, and pants that fit her well-defined legs perfectly.

The woman remained with a serene face despite the sweat that was pouring over much of her body, indicating that she had begun her morning workout some time ago.

Raynare somersaulted backwards, demonstrating the great agility she had acquired in this month of training. The Fall began to stretch her limbs in complete silence as she gazed at the beautiful artificial forest around her.

"How come you're always so eager to start so early?"

Raynare's attention drifted to the source of the voice, watching as two figures of men slowly approached her.

"I guess the wold ealy stalt isn't in youl vocabulaly..." The figure with a clear foreign accent fixed his gaze on the other man as he folded his arms.

"Are you insulting me, you Chinese piece of shit?"

"I'm not Chinese, I'm a Colean."

"Are you guys seriously going to start fighting this early?" Raynare couldn't help but stare at them with a clear expression of boredom on her face. "By the way, Rick wasn't coming with you?" Her expression changed after noticing the absence of one of her companions.

"All we know is that Azazel needed him for something important. I think he talked something about a new member..." The man's words drew Raynare's interest greatly.

"Not exactly. He'll be new paltnel fo a limited time."

"The Chinese man is right. I think his name was... Shit, I can't remember! Asians have fucking weird names!" Both figures took several steps forward, revealing well-toned bodies, though nothing exaggerated, plus the really dark hair that characterized both of them.

The Korean folded his arms at Raynare's slightly impatient look.

That feeling increased to unprecedented levels when she heard the name of her new training partner.

"Hyoudou Issei."

CHAPTER 3: UNDENIABLE PROPOSAL!

After a hard early morning, classes were finally over and Issei walked with complete happiness while talking with Asia, who had become very good friends in these weeks, even though they had barely had time to talk together.

"Miss Rias-sama is very happy that you are trying so hard to improve yourself, the same is for Yuto-san, although she is already very used to seeing him try so hard. She's even very happy with me due to the fact that this last week I was able to show a great advancement in my skills." Asia commented with her typical kind smile.

"Really?! That's great!" Issei clenched his fists tightly after what he heard. "I'm sure when the Buchou completes her Peerage, we'll be unstoppable in the Rating Games!" Issei exhaled a large amount of air through his nose after those words, as he was really excited about the idea of being able to fight amicably and meet more people from the Supernatural, especially, Demons like him.

"Speaking of the Rating Games, Raiser-sama said he would help Rias-sama once his commitment is fulfilled." The young woman stated with a slight blush, causing Issei to stop on the stairs immediately.

"Has Mr. Phoenix come here more times?" Issei asked with some seriousness, something Asia didn't overlook.

"He did, in fact, he came many times." Asia commented with some confusion at the radical change in temperament his friend presented. "Does it bother you that we didn't tell you?" She tried to guess the cause of such a change, but she couldn't be further from the truth.

"Oh...yeah, I guess so..." Issei tried to cover up his little slip with a nervous laugh. "By the way, have you talked to him much?" The brown-haired man tried to continue the small talk as best he could, resuming his walk.

"As a matter of fact, I did. Raiser-sama is..." Asia couldn't help but blush to hell, something that alerted Issei a bit. "Actually, I don't think I had told you. He was so kind to me during these three weeks, and he's so considerate that I couldn't help but feel certain...things." Issei's suspicions were almost confirmed after hearing those words, but he had to be sure.

"So, did he propose to you?" Issei opened the door to the exit of the Academy, watching as Asia lowered her gaze with a very shy look.

"He proposed to me joining his marriage." Issei's eyes widened after hearing that answer. "At first I wasn't very agreeable due to the fact that we just recently started dating, but he made it clear to me that once he consummated his vows he won't be able to add any other women to his harem..."

Issei was no longer listening to her. His mind was working too fast, too fast to make rational decisions.

"No..."

Asia stopped her experience as she raised her gaze, watching her best friend with great confusion.

"Issei-san...?" Her doubts became much greater when Issei suddenly grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Don't!"

He knew that he should keep calm, but couldn't.

That bastard wanted to take away one of his few friends.

"You should take more time! I'm sure Raiser might be hiding something really weird! It's stupid to want to marry a man you've barely known for three weeks!"

Issei's hands clutched even tighter on her shoulders, to the point of starting to hurt her.

"Don't believe everything he says! Think properly before you choose him! He's...!" Issei stopped just in time not to give away the secret, realizing he had spoken too much.

Though no doubt that concern quickly passed into the background.

After all, Asia was sobbing as tears threatened to roll down her cheeks.

At that moment knew he'd screwed up.

"Asia, I..."

"PLAF!"

He didn't even have time to apologize as a loud and forceful slap threw him to the ground in full view of all the students who were leaving the academy or passing by.

"How dare you defame my betrothed like that!" Rias didn't make her anger wait as she wiped her hand with a handkerchief, as if she had just finished slapping a dog covered in dirt.

Akeno and Koneko accompanied her, and they also looked annoyed. The opposite case was Kiba, who could only look at his best friend with some sadness.

"Buchou, I can explain...!" Issei could barely sit on the ground as he cupped his reddened cheek.

"What do you want to explain?! You're ungrateful and a liar!" The redhead exclaimed with clear indignation and anger in her tone of voice.

"I...!"

"Issei-san..." Before Issei could say another word, Asia resumed speaking. "I consider you my best friend. I thought you'd be as happy as I am about this, but..." Issei could do nothing but remain silent as he watched Asia weep endlessly.

His hand reached out hopelessly as he watched the blonde run away as she sobbed nonstop.

"See what you're doing?" Rias watched Issei with clear disapproval. "That's what happens when you only look down on yourself. Belittling and slandering the other men in the world won't make women notice you. You'll only make them hate you." Rias turned away without another word.

"Disgusting." Was all Koneko said before following her mistress.

"Just fixating on myself?" Issei dropped the hand holding her cheek as a blank look graced his face. "I'm killing myself in training for you girls, I'm not doing it for anything else but you..." His lapidary thoughts made him oblivious as everyone whispered and looked at him with clear disapproval.

"Hyoudou, let me give you some advice." Akeno crouched down in front of him, her seemingly friendly smile not boding well. "If you go for Asia, for Rias, or even for me, you should always keep one very important thing in mind." Akeno held up one of her fingers. "The first point is that there is no use lying. We are too interested in Raiser for you to come along one day and start telling lies. And the second point..." Akeno held up another finger, and her smile deepened a little. "Besides being tall and handsome, Raiser possesses great power, great renown, a great reputation, and a more than enviable heritage." Akeno placed both hands on her knees, her eyes widening to reflect a wide mockery in them.

"What can Hyoudou Issei offer me?"

Issei just lowered his gaze, knowing he had none of those things.

Akeno didn't say anything else, all she did was silently pull herself together and then leave the place.

Issei still looked quite shocked by everything that happened. He brought his hand to his cheek again, that blow hurt a lot more than anyone would think.

"Issei-kun..." To his luck, Kiba was always going to be there to back him up.

"I know, I shouldn't have opened my mouth..." Issei commented remorsefully as he accepted the blond's hand to stand up. "But, you must also understand me. After Matsuda, Motohama, my parents and you, Asia is one of the few loved ones I have. I even care a lot for the other girls in the Club, but I care a lot more for Asia. I just couldn't stand it..." Issei tried to excuse himself as best he could, receiving a head shake from his friend.

"At least you knew how to control yourself from saying everything. Otherwise, you'd most likely have to subject to something much worse." The blond commented, getting Issei to look at him with slight confusion.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Raiser is here." Those words made Issei tense up immediately. "I understand that now is the worst time to see him, but we have to make sure he doesn't suspect anything, as I'm sure Rias will tell him about what you did." Kiba stated with complete seriousness.

"And what do you want me to do? Go crawling on the floor like a maggot to kiss his shoes and beg for mercy?" Issei commented with clear reluctance.

"There's no need to be so extreme." Kiba couldn't help but laugh nervously at such a surreal example. "Just apologize and be done with it."

Of course Issei could never agree with that idea, but knowing that there were no other options, and that, this whole imbroglio was due to his fault, he had no choice but to duck his head in front of everyone once he reached the club room, where Raiser himself was present, and from his expression, or rather, lack of it, it was plain to see that he was already aware of everything.

"I'm really sorry, Asia! I shouldn't have said those things! Not to the great Mr. Phoenix either!" Issei did his best not to bite his tongue, and that fact earned an air of satisfaction from everyone present.

"I recognize that you had the courage to instantly go back and acknowledge your mistakes." Raiser commented with satisfaction as he embraced Asia, pulling her closer to him.

The Phoenix and their women were seated on the couch, except for Rias, who was judging from the center desk.

"Still, it's impossible to go unnoticed that you tried to denigrate me in front of one of my women. That's a very serious thing." Raiser's smile was replaced by a serious look. "Seeing as you apologized, I would like your punishment we spoke of reduced by half, my dear Rias."

"Punishment?" Issei raised his face to face his Buchou, not understanding exactly what they were talking about.

"All right. Then it won't be twenty lashes, it will be only ten." Those words made Issei go completely pale, something they all noticed.

"That's what you get for nonchalantly insulting and belittling." Koneko stated, her always stoic expression looking slightly annoyed.

"Can't we talk this out?" Kiba tried to jump to his friend's aid. "You know, I think Issei-kun is still very confused about everything that happened to him with Raynare. He's just afraid that..."

"Are you kidding?" Rias interrupted him with a frown. "Just because of that insignificant little thing he's already absolved of any guilt?"

Those words hit Issei as if a large sledgehammer was cracking in his head.

"Little thing? Insignificant?" Issei repeated those words in his head more than once, his widened eyes letting it be understood that he was more than shocked.

"Little thing."

"Insignificant."

"That ridiculous thing took my life, and a big part of my heart as well."

"Has she forgotten already?"

"Or does she just not care?"

The ideal image he had built up of his much-cherished Buchou had been shattered in just seconds.

"I think you're being too rough, Buchou." Kiba commented with some seriousness, as he hadn't found that choice of words appropriate at all either. "It's not easy to face something such as..."

"Kiba, I'm surprised that you want to defend him." Rias interrupted him again. "You've lived through much worse and at no point did you complain about it, just like all my other slaves." In the end, Rias could only manage a sigh. "Listen, I just want to rectify him. He has to know that every bad action leads to a consequence." The redhead concluded, and her tone made it clear that she would not accept any further protest from the blond, so Kiba only deigned to look away.

"But I think it's an exaggeration!" On this occasion, and to everyone's surprise, Asia was the one who jumped to defend him.

It was at that moment that Issei finally came out of his torturous thoughts, looking at Asia with pleasant surprise.

"He recognized his mistake, and besides I'm sure he was just worried about me. I know Issei-san better than most, so I'm sure it was just a bit of shocking news to him." The blonde replied with a smile, then fixed her gaze on Issei. "Isn't it?"

"She-she's right." Issei commented when he finally abandoned the bow. "Asia is a very important friend, so I'm just afraid that she'll be hurt again. In fact, I just want to wish you the best, and if you think Raiser is the right man, then I'm not going to argue anymore." He concluded with a smile, though those words were actually hurting him.

After all, he knew Raiser was far from being the man Asia believed him to be.

But he had to keep up the facade.

He just had to keep up the facade for one more week.

"Besides, I'm sure Rias got a little carried away with the punishment because he heard how they insulted his much loved Raiser." Kiba found the perfect moment to say what he really thought all along, causing Rias to cough awkwardly as a huge blush spread across his face.

"What do you say, Raiser?" The redhead tried to deflect as quickly as possible as she called out to her future husband.

"I'll do whatever my dear Asia wants." Raiser commented as he stood up, grabbing the young woman by the waist, who couldn't help but blush deeply at such an act.

"In that case, I want you to leave Issei-san in peace."

Issei decided to leave quickly after that, claiming that he had to continue discussing the training with Kiba. Although that wasn't entirely untrue, the truth was that he wanted to get away from that place as fast as possible.

But, unlike before, he didn't want to get away from Raiser.

He wanted to get away from Rias.

Kiba just watched him silently, listening to the distinctive sound of the straw that Issei was sucking non-stop. His face looked really affected, and Kiba knew the reason.

"Forgive Rias. She's really temperamental when messing with the people she loves, plus she doesn't know who Raiser really is." Kiba tried to apologize to his mistress, getting Issei to finally lift his face from his empty drink.

"Don't worry. It's not like I can demand a woman with a golden cradle to understand my pain, or pain in general, either..." Issei whispered bitterly, but the words and intentions were more than clear.

"Yes, it was not good. Not good at all..." Regardless, Kiba had no choice but to agree with his friend.

They both remained silent for several seconds, until Issei took up the floor again.

"I think I'll take a little break today." Kiba gave him a hard look.

"Don't you want to...?" The blond paused, though the question was more than obvious.

"No, I'm going to. It's true that after all this I'm not really interested in getting their attention anymore, but as I told you before, they are very important comrades to me. Now there's also Asia, who is one of the few friends I have..." Issei commented, then gave a big sigh at the end.

"I get it, you're not going after Rias anymore." Kiba nodded slowly. "But anyway, I don't think you should rest now. I understand that those words affected you a lot, but..."

"It's not just that. It's also..." Issei interrupted him, and his gaze left Kiba in complete silence.

At this very moment, Issei looked more vulnerable than a newborn puppy that had been abandoned by its mother.

"I..." His helpless tone and great insecurity left Kiba perplexed, but said perplexity lasted no more than a second.

"Listen, we're friends. You can trust me, I'll do my best to help you." Replied the blond with a smile, something that apparently gave Issei enough confidence to continue.

"I didn't kill her..."

"You what?" it was just a simple whisper so Kiba couldn't help but look at him with great confusion.

"I didn't kill her..." Issei spoke louder as his whole face was plunged in darkness and sadness. "I couldn't kill Raynare."

Kiba couldn't help but look from side to side after hearing those words, then suddenly came closer.

"Listen to me well, don't tell anyone else about this. The consequences can be really scary." Kiba whispered with absolute seriousness, he was even sweating a little.

"Ddraig told me the same thing, I didn't tell anyone else but you. I did it because I trusted you fully, plus I was supposed to take it off..." Although Issei's words sounded somewhat abstract, Kiba understood it perfectly.

"That means she never really left, right?" A sympathetic, even sad smile crossed Kiba's lips as he watched Issei nod slowly. "You just wanted to use Rias as an excuse, as a way to forget her..."

"Not really, I seriously wanted to fall in love with her, I think...no, I was. But after what happened, I just think I should look elsewhere." Issei clarified instantly, he knew perfectly well that recent memories were a very difficult stain to erase.

Kiba decided not to answer what he really thought.

After all, it was obvious that Issei could love another woman. He held a rather unique pervert side, but behind that he was loyal and, above all, such a protective and kind person that he would catch the attention of many women.

But he also knew perfectly well that Issei's real goal would be to fill that hole in his heart until he actually fell in love with his lover, a process that could take a long time, especially if Raynare was still alive. And, obviously, even Issei wasn't aware that was really what he was looking for. If it were, he would feel extremely guilty with himself for wanting to use one woman to forget another.

That was exactly why he didn't want to say anything to him.

"It's okay." Issei looked at Kiba with great confusion after hearing that. "There are two remedies for dealing with these problems: face them directly, or forget them." Kiba smiled slightly. "For the second option you need to rest and get your mind clearer. Besides, there's no use in continuing to train if your mind is somewhere else." He concluded, earning a smile from Issei.

"Thank you, Kiba!" comical tears graced his eyes as he took him by the arms. "You always understand me!"

The blond replied with a smile.

"Friends are there to help and understand each other, Issei-kun."

Although he had a very bad time, the talk with Kiba helped him a lot and now he was feeling better. But he never expected that when he arrived home such a big surprise would be waiting for him.

His parents greeted him at the door with folded arms and a frown on their faces, something that really missed him.

"Something happened?" Issei asked with much confusion, watching as his parents glanced at each other once before nodding.

"Young man, we want to know what you're doing going out so early every day." Stated the mother with a stern tone.

"We know you go to the Academy, but then you don't come home until late at night." Added the father with complete seriousness."

"Oh, it's about that..." Issei rubbed his hair in some astonishment. "I've explained it to you before, I go out to train..."

"Every day?" Miss Hyoudou narrowed her eyes with great suspicion.

"At first we were very happy, but we think this is a very brusque change." Mr. Hyoudou clarified, crossing his arms firmly.

"And what else would I be doing?" Asked the son in a slight sweat.

His parents looked at each other for one last time, then spoke at the same time.

"Drugs."

". . ."

An extremely awkward silence arose between the three of them.

"What?!" Issei finally seemed to react, rolling his eyes. "If you don't believe me, look at this!" Issei unbuttoned his school shirt and lifted up his clothes, revealing a torso not too out of the ordinary.

But his parents always saw him come out of the bathtub in just panties, so they knew very well that their son's skinny body was now not so skinny.

"You accomplished all that in just three weeks?!" Both parents shouted at the same time as they noticed the slight but noticeable changes in their son's physique, as his once non-existent muscles had now taken on a bit of shape.

"Well, I try really hard..." Issei couldn't help but stifle a strained smile, as he was indeed trying hard like few others, but...

"If it hadn't been for the fact that I'm a Demon now, I'm sure this result would have taken me twice as long to obtain." He thought with great nervousness, hoping that his parents didn't take that into account.

To his luck, they seemed quite amazed at his effort, and the fact that he wasn't into drugs.

Yes, especially on that last point. In the end he couldn't help but smile sincerely, as his parents cared a lot about him, even when they really didn't need to.

Many would wish they had parents like that, so he would enjoy them as much as possible.

With that thought he headed to his room to change, obviating the fact that what happened was far from the surprise he had to deal with.

Issei took off the top of his school clothes and threw them on the bed, noting how on a chair his parents had already laid out his casual clothes in case he came in earlier today, which he did.

"Pants, belt..." Issei began to narrate things as he took them in, it was a mania he had since he was a kid.

"T-shirt, sweatshirt, black feathers..."

"..."

"..."

"Black feathers?"

Issei picked up the feather that had fallen on his shoulder with much uncertainty. His gaze automatically lifted.

"Hello." Azazel, who was leaning against the ceiling with his pairs of dark, majestic wings, greeted completely normally.

Obviously, Issei didn't find normalcy at all.

"WHAT THE FUCK?!"

Issei tripped over the chair and fell butt-first onto the floor, then crawled like a cockroach until he crashed hard into the door.

"Shhh." Azazel placed a finger over his lips. "Do you want to worry your parents?"

"Those wings... what-what does a Cadre want from someone like me?" Issei slowly stood up, and his gauntlet activated practically at the second.

"I see you know something about the hierarchy of the Fallen Angels, that saves unnecessary explanations." After saying those words, Azazel came down from the ceiling and folded his arms as his wings disappeared. "My name is Azazel, I am the Leader of the Fallen. And I can assure you that I'm not here to cause troubles. In fact, I want to help you." Although the man's words filled him with interest, certainly his distrust was far more powerful than his curiosity.

"Boost!"

"And how can I trust you?" Issei asked slowly, causing a rather unique smile to creep across his uninvited guest's lips.

"Because if I wanted to do something to you..."

Issei's eyes widened beyond belief as he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder. His body completely froze as he felt Azazel's icy breath on his ear.

"You wouldn't even have known." The Cadre concluded smugly, then turned away.

The moment he raised his hands and walked away, Issei felt the hostile atmosphere return to one of eloquence.

"But like I said, I'm only here to help you!" Azazel exclaimed with a half-smile as he glanced sideways at him, as I still had my back to him. "Do you want to hear the proposal of an extremely kind and selfless man like me?"

Although the evidence that he really did not wish to harm him was more than obvious, Issei continued to hesitate.

"Hear him out, partner." Both Azazel and Issei eyed the talking gauntlet closely. "What do we have to lose?"

The protagonist fell silent after listening to Ddraig, thinking carefully.

"Very well..." In Issei's tone there was still some distrust.

"I spoke with Sirzechs. He told me you were on a training mission to claim his sister, your mistress, as a wife. To do so you have to defeat one Raiser, Demon High Class." Azazel commented, impressing Issei a bit.

"Apparently, Sirzechs modified certain details to cover up the real plan. Anyway..." Issei thought, then frowned. "Why did Sirzechs tell you about the secret plan?"

"You see, ever since everything that happened almost a month ago, you caught my attention a lot. I won't deny that I was most interested in your Sacred Gear, but I also find it extremely odd that a man with such a power would not become intoxicated in it, as most of the previous bearers did." Issei looked at the gauntlet after hearing those words, unable to hide his surprise.

"It's a long story. Just think that almost all of my bearers considered themselves Gods the moment they discovered my power. There were very few who didn't become idiots." Ddraig tried to sum it up as best he could, and Issei seemed to understand.

"Still, it seems very strange to me..." Issei fixed his gaze on Azazel with extreme caution. "How come he knows I'm someone normal?"

"'normal'? You possess a Longinus, a weapon that can kill Gods, and you consider yourself someone normal? Very interesting!" Azazel couldn't help but chuckle at how he referred to himself.

The laughter didn't take long to end, and his relaxed smile changed slightly, causing Issei to tense up a bit.

"You want me to be honest with you?"

"That's what it's all about." Issei didn't hesitate to answer.

"Very well..." Azazel narrowed his eyes a bit. "How do you explain Raynare still being alive when she supposedly died under your own hands?"

At that moment, tension and coldness covered Issei's body like never before in his life.

"Don't worry, I didn't tell Sirzechs." Azazel spoke quickly, knowing that this point troubled him greatly, and rightly so. "That woman would certainly have died if it wasn't about you. No one would have forgiven her if she caused so much harm. Everyone would have even enjoyed torturing her in a very twisted way before killing her." Cadre clarified, then placed his hands on his waist. "What can you say about that?"

"That I'm an idiot?"

"Do you think you're an idiot? I don't know, I just see someone who gives second chances." Azazel stated, causing Issei's face to harden.

"I would never give a second chance to someone like her." He clarified instantly.

"Yes, I understand. Raynare hurt you badly, but we're not here to talk about that...actually, we are." Finished the Fallen Angel with keen interest, and clearly feigned allegory. "My proposal is that you can close that chapter of your life, and as a bonus point, you will enter a very special training regimen under my own mandate." Those words certainly caught Issei's interest, and though he tried to disguise it, Azazel saw through it all too easily.

"There are two remedies for dealing with these problems: face them directly, or forget them."

Issei remembered his friend's words, causing his fists to clench tightly.

"I want to face her directly." Those words made Azazel cross his arms.

"I'll take that as a yes."

A few moments later, in an unknown location in England...

Azazel and Issei were walking in a truly vast and empty meadow. The wind was whipping with complete rudeness the tall green grass that stood miles away. The protagonist had to admit that it was a rather peculiar sight, as all that could be seen was green on the ground and light blue in the sky.

It was a rather unique kind of beauty, but there was another unknown that was haunting him much more.

"Is this where we will do the training?" Issei asked with a lot of hesitation.

"It's not a bad place, but I'd rather be more cautious. Right now we're heading to Grigori, the city of the Fallen Angels." El Cadre clarified, earning a curious look from Issei.

"If that's the case, then why don't we just...?"

"Just teleport there? That answer is simple." Azazel interrupted him, already deducing his question. "Grigori has a rather unique structure that prevents direct entry into the city. It used to be a place where only warriors lived, but between the wars and the times of peace we have gone through those warriors have been greatly reduced and we now have a large number of civilians. In short, using a teleportation limiter ensures that there are no terrorist ambushes that we cannot prepare for. Or at least, that's the initial plan." Issei nodded at his words, though he still felt very confused.

"And where is the city? I see absolutely nothing." He commented with great hesitation.

"Right below you."

Issei's eyes widened as he received a hard blow from behind from the Cadre, causing him to go through the greenish grass and end up falling backwards into a rather strange sort of giant cube. He barely managed to get to his feet before a pair of spears were aimed at his neck.

"Reason for the visit?" One of the three Fallen asked in a gruff tone.

"He's coming with me." Unlike his new ward, Azazel landed with complete grace and helped him to his feet.

"Azazel-sama!" The three Fallen stood at attention after the arrival of the Leader of the Fallen. "We're descending right now!"

"Descend?" Issei wondered with utmost curiosity, then staggered slightly as he noticed how the cube began to shake.

The metal walls slowly opened, as did the protagonist's eyes. Issei walked up to the armored glass and watched with wide eyes as a gigantic city rose underground while descending at a slow pace by means of a giant elevator.

The artificial sky, the huge and tiny magic circles, the lights, the dwellings, the vegetation...

Everything, absolutely everything was so magical that it even thrilled him.

"Welcome to Grigori." Azazel placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to snap out of his stupor.

"This is amazing..." Was all he could manage to say at such a sight, a few simple words that widened the Cadre's smile a little.

They both stood in silence for a few seconds to enjoy the view, until Azazel resumed the conversation.

"Surely you must be wondering how I convinced Sirzechs to bring you here." Those words caught Issei's attention, and it showed as he fixed his gaze on him. "The truth is, it wasn't easy. I spent three weeks to convince him, it was really fucking hard. You know, he's a nice enough man, but he's still someone strict and careful, worthy of his title as Demon King."

"I see..." Was all Issei replied, turning his gaze at such a visual spectacle.

"Since you will be my ward for the week, you will live in Grigori until the internship is over. I already have a home for you, and don't worry about your parents or the Academy, we've already arranged everything." Azazel held out keys to him with a stuffed puppy that had the address inscriptions of his new temporary home.

"I guess you really take things seriously." Issei couldn't help but smile at the man's words.

After all, he had just told him that he had arranged everything so that he could train in the remaining week without any interruptions.

"Before I introduce you to your training partners, I'd like to give you a little tour of Grigori." Cadre stated when the elevator finally stopped, stepping down along with Issei.

"As you can see, people can only go up or down via that elevator. The artificial sky is also a large set of barriers that are guarded by the Cadres, who take turns administering magical energy to it." Azazel began with his explanation as he went into a path that was divided into 9 different ones. "Grigori is divided by neighborhoods, in total there are 8. Each neighborhood has its own name and the dwellings are arranged from number 1 to 300. The red road takes you straight to the heart of the city."

"And what do you do when there is overcrowding?"

"We simply create another neighborhood. We have plenty of space. Also, keep in mind that the Supernatural population isn't exactly extensive. We currently have over 2200 homes and 124 businesses or facilities of all kinds. The population reaches the modest figure of 8643 inhabitants."

"Quite a bit more modest than I thought."

"The funny thing is that a quarter of them are not Fallen Angels. Grigori is currently a city I thought for unfortunate citizens, that's why the number isn't very large. Obviously, omitting the obvious fact that my species is the most damaged by the constant wars we subjected ourselves to so many centuries ago, and having children is not a simple process."

"Not simple?"

"Being immortal, the method of reproduction is controlled at will as opposed to humans, and let's just say that people like to live off partying and living crazy lives much more than focusing on having a family. It's a respectable thing, in fact, I'm one of them."

"I have no problem with that. Everyone lives their life the way they want to."

The two continued chatting about trivia, until they finally came to a huge and rather striking structure.

"This is Lairrabahan, the largest Supernatural Prison you'll ever find." Azazel commented, noticing that Issei had become interested before the structure.

"Do they lock up the worst types here?" He asked curiously.

"Actually, no. There are only a few idiots here. The worst ones we execute immediately." The analysis behind that sentence was more than obvious, so Issei was quick to nod and continue his walk alongside the Cadre.

Along the way he saw many people shopping in stores or chatting on the road completely normally. If it wasn't for the fact that they were in the damn underground, this could be considered an ordinary village.

"This is the passage to Robunheim, we don't use it anymore." Azazel pointed towards a strange subway passageway that led to who knows where.

Noticing that the Cadre didn't go on much longer in explanation, Issei spared himself the questions and continued the final journey with his guide.

"And last but not least, this place is the Heart of Grigori. Also known as the Tower of Hope." Azazel spread his hands to emphasize the majestic marble tower that towered above them, and just behind it rose a precipice that seemed to have no end, both in depth and length. "There you will find the latest technology, the home of the Cadres, and the diplomatic meeting room, as well as other things of lesser relevance."

"I see, you could say this place is the command center..." Issei thought aloud, receiving a slight nod from Azazel.

"Good afternoon." A man of a very similar age to Issei approached, giving a slight bow with his head towards Azazel.

His hair was as dark as night, somewhat short and messy, although what was most distinguishable about his figure was the somewhat bushy beard and his light blue eyes. His clothing consisted of a completely black color, besides it was really light.

From the structure of his body you could tell a mile away that the man exercised.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, the walk took longer than I thought." Azazel commented, then placed a hand on the chestnut man. "This is Hyoudou Issei, the newest member of your group." Now Azazel's hand fell on the newcomer. "His name is Rick Graham, he will be your momentary tutor for the week."

"It's a pleasure." Issei extended his hand immediately.

"Same here." Rick shook his hand with a quiet smile, then fixed his gaze on Azazel. "By the way, do you have that? You know my Japanese isn't very good and the other two are even worse."

"That's true. Issei..." The protagonist watched silently as Azazel placed a small device over his ear. "This is an advanced magical translator. It still lacks certain tweaks, but you should have no problem with understanding and talking to others."

"That's great." Issei replied with a smile.

Now he understood that the technological advancement thing was no joke, though this city itself was clear proof of that.

"Now, I won't take any more of your time. You'll be entering a little late, so give him a light workout for today." Azazel patted Rick on the shoulder a couple of times before walking away.

"Don't worry, I will." Rick replied, watching as Azazel raised his hand as a gesture of farewell without even looking at them.

"I don't think I've ever met such an eloquent guy..." Issei thought aloud.

"You haven't seen anything yet." Rick chuckled then placed a hand on his shoulder to guide him. "We do the training in an artificial forest so as not to disturb the civilians. Counting you, there are only about 5 of us. From what Azazel told me, you already know the only female member." Those words made Issei become serious immediately.

"Well, to say I know her is something..." Issei lowered his gaze a little. "Actually, I don't think I know her at all."

"Azazel told me about your problems." Rick commented with some seriousness. "I know it's hard, but, if you want me to be honest with you, the best thing you can do is focus on your near future. The rest you'll figure out as you go along."

Although Rick's words were quite complex and perhaps meaningless, Issei could understand them perfectly.

He too knew that he had more important things to focus on.

But, the truth was that he also came here precisely to face his nightmares.

"Thanks for the advice, but I plan to do both." Issei's words caught Rick's attention, getting him to look at him with slight astonishment.

"Very well, I'll give you a little smack if I see you stumble." The man commented, sketching a slight smile at the end, a smile Issei shared.

"I'd be offended if you didn't."

Raynare was doing small hops as he hit a magical barrier repeatedly. Not far from her position were those two men she had spoken to earlier, training together. The one with Asian features was using a sickle with a chain, while the other was using a sword made purely of air.

Issei arrived next to Rick without making much noise, knocking on one of the nearby barriers and the sound caught the attention of the men who were training together.

The Asian had bright brown eyes, while the American had black eyes. Both had training clothes like the others, except they were more inclined toward white than black. Removing the Asian's hair in pigtails, what stood out most about their figures were the golden cross the American wore and the pocket watch the Asian had slung over his neck.

"We'll start with training against the barriers. It's something simple, like a boxing machine." Rick commented, perching next to him to teach him.

Issei was half lost in the explanation, as he could see the silhouette of a certain woman training behind some trees, so he couldn't help but look away.

"Understood?" Issei finally woke up from his little trance, and nodded out of pure inertia.

Rick wasn't too convinced that he'd heard him, and it showed as he reached behind the barrier to hold it up.

"Start with a couple of right hooks. I'll tell you the shape and position you should have. We'll correct from that." Issei nodded, beginning to practice.

After a few beats, his gaze betrayed him and he turned his face as he noticed a figure slipping through the trees, revealing a somewhat sweaty Raynare with her hair tied in a ponytail that gave her a rather sizzling look. The two shared a look for a short second.

It seemed neither of them knew what to do or say.

Although the one who was suffering the most from this uncomfortable moment was undoubtedly Raynare, as she felt how Issei was piercing her with his gaze.

Finally, Issei turned his face away and continued his training, as if he had not even seen her. As if she didn't even exist.

Rick noticed this, and he wasn't the only one.

"Did you notice that?" The American whispered to his friend under his breath. "I think there's a lot of sexual tension between them."

"You say so?" The Korean commented with a tone shrouded in doubt, though his expression continued unchanging. "If you ask me, I think they want to kill each othel."

"Yes...that's another option."

Tension and awkwardness reigned for the next few hours, so the training became somewhat...complicated, to say the least.

Eventually, Rick was left alone with his other two friends, watching as night reigned over the place and his other two companions had already left.

"I couldn't even introduce myself. Neither could you, Chinaman." Commented the American, receiving a slight nod from his two friends.

"Welen't you supposed to tell him whele you'le living this week? The city is new fo him." Commented the Asian, watching Rick.

"That's what I had in mind, but he said that he had other plans." Rick replied, causing a rather unique silence to come between the three of them.

"Does that mean...?"

"Yep, that's just it."

"After three weeks, I think I've gotten used to it..." Raynare waved the sword to the side forcefully as he advanced through the forest to practice his stance. "I never thought it would be so hard to learn such simple movements." She concluded her thoughts, then practiced the thrusts.

She stood like that for a couple of seconds, until her brow furrowed.

"Why the fuck did Azazel have to bring him here? He knows full well that it's impossible for us to synergize well after what I did to him." Her thrusts became considerably stronger. "Besides, that won't just affect my pace and his, it'll affect everyone else's as well..."

"Hey...PUAFGH!"

Issei suddenly appeared, and just as he appeared, he also fell to the ground. That was because Raynare gave him a blunt elbow in the teeth.

"Oh, by the gods!" Raynare half turned and covered her mouth as she noticed how Issei lay sprawled on the ground with a split lip.

"We didn't even spend a day together and you already want to kill me again?" The brown man sneered as he spat out some blood.

"Sorry, sorry!" Raynare apologized twice in an attempt to boost her credibility as she held out her hand to help him up. But she suddenly knew maybe that was a bad idea, as Issei would never be able to accept her help.

The reasons were obvious.

"Well, it was also my fault for approaching without warning..." Issei commented with a slight smile, accepting the gesture.

That simple fact made Raynare impressed to the core.

"I'll get straight to the point." Issei commented as he wiped the blood from his lips. "We're disturbing our companions, and I'm sure you noticed it too." Raynare fell completely silent after hearing those words. "It's not only that, I also feel that I couldn't perform properly today. As you may know, I didn't come here just to get stronger. I have goals, and I'm not going to let anything or anyone stand in my way, you know what I mean?"

"Not really..." Raynare answered truthfully.

She didn't know if he was proposing a death match to her right here, or there was some other option.

Either way, he would try to avoid a direct confrontation, as she knew perfectly well that she was currently stronger than Issei, and she didn't want to repeat her past mistakes again.

"What I mean is, let's be nice to each other!" Issei exclaimed with a smile, something that undoubtedly surprised Raynare a lot.

She had never expected this development of events.

"That way we won't bother ourselves or those around us! And it'll only be for a week!" He continued speaking, then calmed down a bit. "After that, I don't think we'll see each other again. We must simply try to live together without making it too difficult. Obviously the past will never be forgotten, but we must not let it get in the way of our goals." Once he finished his speech, Issei tipped his hand forward, smiling a toothy smile.

"What do you say?"

Raynare barely needed a couple of seconds to mull over the answer.

It was obvious that this was the best option, by far.

A faint smile emerged from Raynare's lips as she shook his hand with hers.

"Very well, let's be friends for this week."

END OF CHAPTER!

I hope you enjoyed it!

It was a little longer than usual, but I think it's okay after all the time you had to wait for a new chapter. But, as I said before, weekly updates will be back starting today.

Remember that you can follow me on Patre-on to be aware of all the updates and important notices. You can also become a member if you wish, as it would help me a lot, and it also enables you to request a double chapter of any story in development. Remember that you can look for me on Patre-on as "Jyanzein", or you can also check my Wattpad profile, you'll have a direct link there.

It's time to say goodbye, and this time I promise it won't be such a long goodbye.

Thank you so much for reading!