Here I am with a new translated chapter!

Honestly there's not much to add, so let's get straight to the chapter.

Enjoy!

"So you're training..." Issei commented, circling around her while making a couple of gestures with his arms, as if he was boxing. "Did you already manage to get that power you were longing for, Yuuma-chan?"

Raynare just snorted somewhat amused as she watched Issei make those gestures in the middle of the road. They had already reached the city, walking along the somewhat empty roads because it was so late.

"I need to try a lot harder if I want to reach my goal." Raynare commented, still somewhat amused at Issei's boxing gestures, who wouldn't stop. "And stop calling me Yuuma-chan, now you know what my real name is." She concluded, causing Issei's smile to widen in a rather peculiar way.

"As you say, Yuuma-chan." Raynare had no choice but to shake her head at Issei's attempts to tease her.

"Do you want to have dinner? I know a really good restaurant that's near my house." Commented the woman to change the subject, catching Issei's full interest.

"Will it be open at this hour?" The brown-haired man asked, resuming his normal walk.

"We still have time." She stated, pointing to the large clock in the night sky which read 1:07. "The restaurant is no longer accepting orders after 2 a.m." Clarified the woman, receiving a smile from Issei.

"The truth is, I always wondered how England's gastronomy would work." He commented, placing his hands in his pockets.

"Sure, every day you wake up and think about how England's food will taste, right?" Raynare teased him, causing a nervous smile to creep across his lips.

After a short walk and small talk about the city, Raynare and Issei finally arrived at the place.

"Welcome, Raynare!" The two long-haired blonde women in dark waitress clothes who appeared to be twins greeted the Fallen at the same time, receiving a quick greeting from the aforementioned.

"How are you girls? Give me two cards." Raynare sat down in front of the bar along with Issei, causing the two women to look at him with some intensity.

"Who is it?" One of them asked.

"Yes! Who's the new guy?" The other asked.

"This is Hyoudou Issei. Issei, this is Chloé and Babette Viebeauté, the owners of the restaurant." Raynare pointed first to the light blue-eyed twin, then pointed to the green-eyed one.

"Uh, I'll try to remember them, but no promises." Issei commented a bit ruefully, as the women's names and especially their last name was very confusing for a Japanese like him.

"Don't worry!" Chloé exclaimed with a smile.

"It took us five years to learn how to pronounce the names properly!" Babette closed down her sister's idea, receiving an awkward nod from Issei, who didn't know who one should look at.

"What do you want to ask?" Raynare asked, causing Issei to focus on the letter.

He suddenly realized why she was asking him, as the translator was useless with the text. It was all written in English and French.

"Do they have anything like a full salad?" The protagonist asked, catching Raynare's attention.

"Just a salad? Well..." She bowed her shoulders at last. "You heard him."

"We have the Parisienne, the Savoyarde, the Lyonnaise...!" Babette commented.

"The Nicoise, the Landaise and the Chevre Chaud!" Chloé exclaimed, perfectly complemented by her sister.

"Any one with lots of lettuce and eggs." Commented Issei very overwhelmed at not being able to understand anything.

"A Parisienne?" They both asked at the same time, leaning forward a bit.

"Uh, yeah. That's nice..." Issei commented with a hesitant smile.

"The usual for Miss?" Chloé asked, receiving a nod from Raynare.

"A Parisienne and a Coq Au Vin coming out!" Babette exclaimed as she snapped her fingers, causing plates of food to fall right in front of them.

"Would you like something to drink?" Chloé asked, summoning a notebook.

"We'll order before we leave." Raynare commented, using her fork to play with the tender meat of the rooster. "Are you sure you don't want something else?" The Fallen asked hesitantly, watching as Issei stared at the salad, still unable to process that much surprise due to her order being placed practically in a second.

"Huh? No thanks. Now since I'm training, I have to watch myself with my eating." Issei commented proudly, a pride that turned to embarrassment as he saw how Raynare was trying to hold in her laughter. "What's so funny?" He asked with a frown.

"Do you even know you need a lot of protein to keep up such a strenuous pace?" She asked smugly.

"Of course I do!" Issei exclaimed, causing Raynare to shake her head.

"Here and stop embarrassing yourself." Raynare placed a large piece of meat on top of his salad, impressing Issei a little.

Meanwhile, the twins watched the whole interaction with giggles as they whispered to each other.

"Hum, in that case..." Issei placed some of his salad on her plate, causing Raynare to giggle.

The two shared a short look covered in complicity as they ate from each other's plate in silence.

"How long have you two been dating?" Both twins asked without warning, causing Issei and Raynare to look at each other with a raised eyebrow.

"He/She and I? Dating?" They asked at the same time.

"I think there's a bit of a misunderstanding." Issei stated.

"I agree. He'll most likely kill me when this week of internship is over, won't he?" Raynare teased, causing Issei to rub his hair.

"Don't overdo it so much either..."

The twins watched the interaction in silence, until they both looked at each other.

It was obvious that they were very surprised and confused by what they heard.

Once they left the premises, where Raynare decided to pay for dinner for both of them just this once, they continued on their way in complete silence, observing the rather unique beauty that the night of a place like this provided.

"It's already very late. I think it's time for me to go home." Issei commented, slowing to a stop. "Can you lead me in this direction, or give me directions?" The protagonist asked, tossing the key that Raynare caught with no trouble.

"Cute." Thought the Fall involuntarily as she saw the puppy that functioned as a keychain.

Though that small smile vanished practically immediately as she noticed the address inscribed on that cute keychain.

Raynare looked at Issei with that expression, earning a confused look from Issei.

"Is something wrong?" He asked her, causing Raynare to pat her face.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me..."

_ CHAPTER 4: LAST PREPARATION! _

"Well..." Thought Issei aloud, who was lying on the lower bed of a bunk bed. "I knew people were supposed to live together in this city, but I didn't think Azazel would assign me just this house." He commented to no one in particular, watching as certain clothes were laid out on the top bunk bed.

"What can I say? So is Azazel." Raynare commented, tucking in the blankets as much as possible. "He likes to play these kinds of pranks, even if no one else finds the fun in them." She concluded with slight annoyance.

"Well, I guess at least we agree on something..." Issei bowed his shoulders, watching as Raynare's long, silky hair fell from the top bed until it was inches from his face. "Luckily it'll only be a week." He concluded, trying to find the good point to this whole imbroglio.

Those words caused them both to fall into a somewhat uncomfortable silence for several seconds, you could even say it was minutes.

"Are you awake?" Issei was the one who broke the silence.

"I still will be if you keep making noise." Raynare commented, placing her hands under the pillow.

"I'm sorry, I just wanted to know one thing..." Issei commented, Raynare's silence giving him permission to continue. "How did you end up here? From our encounter, I thought you weren't affiliated with Grigori."

"All Fallen are affiliated with Gregori, though I can understand the question." Raynare replied, looking at the ceiling more closely. "You left me alive, but the reality is that I was really fucked up. I failed my mission and lost much of the Kokabiel army. I never had a relationship with Grigori. I simply had no choice but to infiltrate this place." Raynare commented, remembering how Azazel trapped her.

"A desperate measure." Issei stated, watching as the woman's hair swayed in front of his eyes.

"Yes, that's the right way to describe it." Raynare commented with a slight smile. "After that, Azazel got me and I made a deal with him. He would offer me his protection as long as I helped with one thing and gave him information about our leader, Kokabiel."

"Who is Kokabiel?"

"Don't interrupt." Raynare reprimanded him. "At the time no one knew that a Cadre was behind all those killings. The lack of evidence led us to a court, where they found Kokabiel not guilty. That same night, Kokabiel disappeared without giving any reports. Days passed, there was no news of him and finally Kokabiel was recognized as a criminal for deserting amidst suspicion. That made me expunged of my crimes, as long as I do not disappear again from Gregori without authorization. I owe my life in large part to Azazel, who always spoke on my behalf." The Fall concluded, much to Issei's astonishment.

"I guess it hasn't been easy." Was all he could think to say at the time, bringing out a small, but visible smile on Raynare's face.

"The first week was a pain in the ass. But the people in this town are so warm and welcoming that they make you a part of them before you know it." Raynare replied.

"Yeah, I could see that." Issei couldn't help but smile. "Even Azazel seems like a nice person, despite those habits of showing up at other people's houses unannounced."

"He showed up at your house?"

"In my bedroom, to be more precise."

"Did you get scared?"

"Just scare me? The guy showed up lying on my bedroom ceiling! I almost scared the shit out of myself!"

Raynare laughed after what she heard. Issei was a little surprised after hearing her laugh.

It wasn't the fake laugh Yuuma-chan used to use.

Or that bloodthirsty, crazy laugh that was so characteristic of her.

Now it was a normal laugh.

A strangely pleasant and contagious laugh.

Issei began to laugh along with her, though it didn't take long for them to stop.

"So..." A somewhat conflicted smile graced Raynare's face. "In a week's time you'll fight that guy for Rias Gremory's hand?" Issei's face became a bit serious after hearing that question.

"I always get the hard way..." Issei commented to no one in particular, and Raynare had no choice but to agree with him.

"That means bygones are bygones." Raynare's sentence was somewhat abstract, but Issei understood it perfectly.

In this case, the brown-haired man did not respond. He left everything to Raynare's imagination. The silence made it evident that he would hardly forget what happened between them.

It was for that very reason that she peeked her upturned face from under the mattress, receiving a confused look from Issei.

"I know it's useless to say it, but..." Raynare averted her conflicted gaze for a short second, gathering enough courage to say the next words:

"I'm sorry."

Issei looked at her with wide eyes. Honestly, he hadn't expected her to apologize, and it didn't even take a day for her to do so.

"Good night." Raynare knew that waiting for a response was kind of pointless, so she settled back on top of the bunk.

Issei just stayed silent, thinking about those words.

But they were not just words.

When she apologized, he could feel it.

He could feel that it was not a meaningless apology, devoid of meaning, devoid of emotion.

She really seemed to be affected by what she had done.

Issei thought about it for several seconds, until he closed his eyes.

"Good night, Raynare." He said in his thoughts, giving himself over to the absolute darkness of dreams.

_LINE JUMP_

Grigori Forests

The next day...

"Come on! Come on! Hit harder!" Raynare encouraged him with a wide competitive grin, stopping all of Issei's punches with her hands. "What are those punches?! Are you a girl?!"

"You're a girl!" Issei shouted angrily, punching as hard as he could.

Finally, Raynare caught his fists and pulled him closer to her in a way that could have been described as provocative by many, as their faces were only inches apart.

"That's right. A girl is kicking your ass." She commented, then shoved him. "You don't know how to hit, that's the problem." She commented, crossing her arms.

"And aren't you supposed to be here to tea...!" Issei couldn't finish his rant, as Raynare moved to his side and grabbed him by the waist without mediating words.

"Let's correct your stance." Issei's anger turned into something else entirely as the woman plastered her body over his back.

They were both sweaty and wearing extremely light clothes, so the rose of damp skin was felt more than anyone would think.

"You have to move this way..." Raynare commented, starting to move the limbs of his body.

"Hey..." Commented the Korean to his American friend, looking at the situation. "I guess it was sexual tension aftel all."

The other man just nodded, while Rick watched them from another end with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Apparently I was worried for nothing..."

The hours of training passed quickly, where Issei was always by Raynare's side, who had no problem teaching and helping him in any way she could. In fact, they both looked happy.

The first break finally came in the form of lunch and everyone gathered for some sandwiches, and Issei had the chance to meet his other two teammates with whom he hadn't had the chance to talk.

"My name is Alan Sanchez. I'm Argentinian." Commented the American, finally revealing his identity. "Rick is from the United States, and the Chinese guy's name is Yung Len Son."

"I'm not Chinese, I'm a Colean." Yung Len commented without much interest, as if he was already used to this kind of conversation.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry for my bad temper the day before." Issei rubbed his hair nervously, thinking that perhaps he had made a bad first impression on the men.

"Don't worry, Rick told us you two had a somewhat complicated past." Alan commented, downplaying the fact.

"Besides, evelyone hele is impolite, except for Yankee." The Korean added, receiving a grunt from Alan.

"Do you want to make me look bad, you Chinese asshole? If you're that bad, stand on your hands right now." He cleared his throat, getting Yung Len to spit to the side.

"You lack balls, plovincian." He commented, causing them both to share a death stare.

"Is it always like this?" Issei whispered to Rick, watching as Raynare shook her head as the two men seemed to be having a staring contest.

"They seem to get along badly, but in reality they're like brothers. It's thanks to Yung Len that Alan was able to adapt so well to the city when he arrived." Replied the American to him in a whisper.

"Come to think of it, how did you all end up here?" Issei's question made everyone look at him, even Alan and Yung Len abandoned their little squabble.

The grim and serious look they all glimpsed made it clear to Issei that these were not pleasant stories.

"You don't need to tell me if you don't want to!" The chestnut exclaimed, waving his hands in defense.

"As Azazel must have told you, this is a city for unfortunate citizens." The one who initiated the conversation was Rick. "As far as I know, all of us gathered here had a tragic past, being the fault of our actions, bad luck, or both. In part, it's the curse of being someone 'different'. Even you know the meaning behind that word quite well." Rick commented with some nostalgia and even sadness.

The others also lowered their gazes, remembering their respective pasts as something far away, but strangely present.

As if a constant scar was over their hearts.

Knowing it was a touchy subject, Issei decided to bring the conversation to a close, leaving everyone in a somewhat awkward silence.

"Have you told your training partners yet that you're staying here for this week?" Raynare found a way to change the subject.

"I told them when I got up this morning. You should have heard their reactions. They were very impressed that Azazel himself in person sought me out." Issei commented with a chuckle, only to realize something very important. "By the way, you guys told me your names, but I haven't introduced myself yet!" Issei stood up to give a deep bow. "My name is Hyoudou Issei, I hope we get along well during this week!"

The two men watched him with a smile. Even Rick and Raynare did too.

They all thought it would be good to be in the company of such a pure and innocent soul as Issei appeared to be.

_LINE JUMP_

Grigori Woods

4 days later...

In that course of time, Issei was able to understand one very important thing: the Sacred Gears were much more relevant than he thought.

Each of his companions had different weapons. Alan could create a wind sword, Yung Len could summon a chain sickle that he still couldn't quite understand its special workings, while Rick used a Twice Critical, and Raynare used a fantastically designed sword that would spew out a large amount of flames if she wanted it to.

He also learned that the twins in that restaurant used Sacred Gears to brew their drinks and meals, each with their respective power and apparently they had it from birth. That made her understand that all Sacred Gear didn't work to attack. That meant that if they could feed you, if they could heal you, there must also be some that could defend you. One way or another, he knew the possibilities were endless.

Now he could understand Azazel's reason for being very interested in those kinds of gadgets. He also had the possibilities to talk to Ddraig, who was reluctant to speak in public, because he hated the woman who killed his bearer. Anyway, one of the many talks they had made Issei understand something very important.

The dragon had affirmed to her that the Sacred Gears of those Fallen Angels were normal, albeit strange. Meanwhile, Rick was a human with a very ordinary Sacred Gear, but he was well trained. What really caught his attention was Raynare's sword.

Ddraig didn't know exactly why, but it told him that it wasn't a normal Sacred Gear. It was even far from normal. He felt a strange and familiar power emanating from it, dragon power.

Issei wanted to ask Raynare about it, but she replied that she had no idea where the sword came from, and that Azazel had given it to her without saying much more.

In all that time, Issei barely crossed paths with Azazel a few times, and none of them were when he was training. The man came by twice a night to find out if he was comfortable and if anyone was causing him trouble. He never asked a question about the training or if his warriors were training him properly. It was at this point that Issei began to question whether the man was really as eloquent as he was hardworking.

Talking about it, Issei was able to learn a little more about them. He immediately understood that they were becoming strong to protect the place they call home, besides having all the criminals following Kokabiel, including this one himself. There was also another reason, but everyone said that was classified, so Issei had no choice but to remain in doubt.

The usual chats and training sessions were fun, so Issei couldn't help but feel a bond of friendship with his new teammates, no matter that they had barely shared a couple of days together.

Rick always came across as the calmest and most analytical of the group. Raynare seemed friendly and level-headed until the training started, as she loved to tease or get on other people's nerves. Alan...well, there was no way to describe him, you never knew if he was joking, was relaxed or if he was angry. Meanwhile, Yung Len came across as the most serious person in the group, until he started talking to Alan.

All in all, Rick seemed like the big brother who should be guarding and making sure his little brothers didn't fight with each other. At least, that's how Azazel liked to see it, who often watched them from one of the many cameras that are monitoring Grigori (it is obvious that Azazel only used them for gossip, never for work or for the safety of the city).

Although the link that undoubtedly helped him the most was Raynare. It was true that Issei would never forgive her, and would never forget what happened between them. But the fact that he had her close, and mainly, that she had apologized, helped a lot to keep his head one hundred percent focused on rescuing his fellow Demons, especially Asia, who was his best friend.

This helped him a lot, as he felt that once this was over, Issei would leave his stay with Grigori and then he could say goodbye to Raynare once and for all. It wasn't a bad plan, as really now his heart felt at peace.

Or well, his heart almost was.

But it wasn't because of Raynare.

Issei watched the night sky with a gaze covered in conflict. In his hand was the ticket confirming him as a guest at Raiser's wedding, which would kick off tomorrow night.

Issei sighed again for the eleventh time as he leaned back on the tree branch, observing the artificial moon and the stars that surrounded that beautiful sky.

"Are you all right, partner?" Ddraig's gauntlet materialized, but Issei's gaze never dropped.

"It's nothing, Ddraig. I'm just thinking." The brown-haired man replied, letting the breeze sway his hair.

"If you say so..." Ddraig commented, his tone showing he wasn't very convinced. "Remember, you can talk to me if something bothers you." Those words brought a smile out of Issei.

"Thanks for your concern, but I'll be fine." Issei cut off communication with his tenant, turning his gaze back to the invitation ticket.

His gaze finally lowered after hearing a sound, his eyes widening slightly as he saw who it was.

"Raynare? Why are you here?" He asked without hiding his astonishment, standing up.

"Do you have any idea what time it is? Are you planning to stay here all night?" Raynare took a couple more steps, and at that moment Issei could realize something.

"Why are you carrying two bottles of sake?" He asked with much surprise, a surprise that only increased when one of them hit his chest hard.

"I obviously didn't bring those just to show you." He commented with some amusement, watching as Issei looked at the bottle rather awkwardly. "That marriage is bothering you, isn't it? Alcohol is really good for relieving sorrows and tension. Drink with me."

"But I'm underage. I'm only 17..." Issei commented, reluctant at the thought of breaking the rules.

"So what? You already drank alcohol when I shared the rooster with you that time, so you're not a minor anymore." Raynare bowed her shoulders as if that detail was nothing.

"That doesn't make any kind of sense!" Issei exclaimed with a roll of his eyes.

"Uh, I see..." A smirk crossed the Fallen's face. "I didn't think you were such a coward."

If there was one thing Raynare knew how to do, it was get on Issei's nerves. It was really simple for her.

The result of her provocation was instantly reflected as Issei's eyes twitched.

"I'm not a coward!" He shouted through gritted teeth.

All Raynare did was open the sake bottle, taking a big gulp. After that, her gaze coated with mischief fixed on him.

"Prove it."

As if someone had flicked a switch inside his mind, Issei opened the bottle and took a big gulp without complaint. His idea of taunting the woman and proving to her that he wasn't a coward was completely overshadowed when he leaned back on his knees and began to cough hurriedly, in a poor attempt to relieve the extreme burning in his throat.

"You fool. If it's your first time, don't drink half a bottle in one gulp." Commented Raynare, who was doing her best to hold in her laughter.

"Don't talk garbage! I'm perfectly fine!" He exclaimed confidently, placing his hands on his waist.

His triumphant expression changed dramatically as a faint blush appeared on his cheeks. His body wobbled for a short second, and that led him to look down at his hands in amazement.

"It does take effect quickly. I feel much lighter already." He commented, not being able to hide his amazement.

"Unbelievable, I think you're already a little drunk." Raynare had to cover her lips with one of her hands to contain her laughter. "But that's not all alcohol can do." She commented, taking Issei's hand without warning.

The brown-haired man looked completely surprised as Raynare dragged him into the depths of the forest.

"Where are we going?" Issei asked awkwardly.

"It's my secret place. I always came here in the first few weeks to feel better." The protagonist's curiosity rose considerably after hearing her words.

"Why should she feel better?"

Finally, the interior of the forest began to transform, and the sight of different animals began to sprout in all directions. Issei tried to pet the cute little birds that wandered around them as Raynare led him along a large log that split in two to a large pond covered in shimmering goldfish.

Their journey culminated when they crossed the log. Issei was completely fascinated by the bushes that bore shiny fruits, and the beautiful pond at their feet. He looked up only to see how the leaves of the trees formed a perfect circle in which the moon could be seen.

"It's beautiful." He whispered under his breath, completely in awe at the visual spectacle.

Issei turned his gaze back to Raynare as he felt her tug on his hand slightly. It was very hard to deny that she looked beautiful in the moonlight and all the gorgeous decorations surrounding her.

But, what shone the brightest about her was undoubtedly that beautiful smile.

It was not a fake smile.

It was not an evil smile.

It was a true smile that reflected many feelings.

Now Raynare didn't look like someone empty and evil.

Now she looked like a girl covered with feelings and sympathy that made her look even more gorgeous and cool than he remembered.

Issei shook his head hard as he noticed he was thinking stupid thoughts.

"Why did you bring me here?" He asked, ignoring those feelings. He chalked it up to his half-drunkenness.

"For you to distract yourself. For your mind to rest." She commented, sitting down on the edge of the pond, and Issei was forced to do so as she didn't let go of his hand. "I can see that you care a lot about that girl, and that you really want her." She was obviously very wrong, but she didn't have to know that. "I could tell you were really worried, so I wanted to help you out a little."

"Are you saying you're worried about me?" Issei decided to tease her a little to try to change the subject.

But surprisingly, a serious expression graced the woman.

"Of course I care about you." The woman stated, leaving Issei a bit shocked. "I can understand that my concern is the last thing you want, but..." Raynare lowered her gaze, giving a small sigh covered in annoyance. "Listen, I'm sorry..." The Fall felt that was the only thing she could say.

Again, Issei had to be surprised.

It was the second time the woman was apologizing, and again she looked very stricken.

Issei wordlessly removed his footwear to dip his feet into the pond, then leaned his chin on his hand.

"So, did you come here to feel better?" Issei started a new topic of conversation, without even responding to the Fall's apology.

Something Raynare expected, so she didn't come across as sad or upset.

"Did you ever do a lot of bad things and tell yourself it was okay to mentally cover up for yourself? You know, those typical kid shenanigans?" She commented, placing her bare feet in the pond as Issei did.

"Yes, several times." Issei smiled at the memories. "My parents scolded me a lot for those things." They both laughed, without first taking another drink of sake.

"Well, I did a lot of those pranks. I knew they were wrong, too, but..."

"They weren't childish pranks." Issei shut down her idea, receiving a nod from Raynare.

"I convinced myself, I killed my own soul thinking that was the right thing to do, that was the only way..." Raynare took a large gulp of sake as she paused. "But, in the end, there will always be someone to scold you and make you see how wrong you were."

"I guess Azazel does do his job from time to time." Issei teased, earning a chuckle from Raynare, a chuckle that he went along with.

They stood laughing for several seconds, until their laughter slowly began to die down. Silence once again reigned between them, but this time it lasted only a short second.

"This is a good place to drown your sorrows, worries, and shit. It's probably the only thing we'll agree on." Issei commented, raising his bottle of sake.

"Amen to that!" Raynare exclaimed sympathetically as she clinked her bottle with his, causing the two to share a long drink.

Raynare's cheeks tinged a little red, while Issei's blush intensified. They both let out a long, drawn out sigh of pleasure as their lips parted from the bottles, only to share a shy chuckle.

Both Issei and Raynare looked up at the night sky, or more specifically, the beautiful moon hovering above them.

"You know, all this week I've been meaning to ask you..." Raynare commented, neither of them taking their eyes off the moon. "Do you think it's right what you're doing? I mean, if she doesn't love you and if she loves that guy, then you'd be hurting her..."

"I understand where you're going." Issei interrupted her. "It's funny that you were the first one to ask me something like this."

"I guess everyone else thinks you have a solid motive, and that's why they didn't want to ask you."

"And why do you do it?"

"Just out of curiosity."

"You're lying. It's out of concern."

"I thought you didn't like me worrying about you."

"I like being lied to even less."

"I see, you're a very complicated guy..."

"You think so?"

"No, you're just an idiot."

"Thanks."

"Has the alcohol already gone to your brain?"

"I'm not having a brain stroke that I know of."

"Stop talking shit."

They both began to laugh, neither of them had stopped staring at the moon for even a second.

After several seconds, the laughter ended and Issei's gaze became serious after taking a swig from the bottle.

"Tell me the truth. You don't care about Rias, you care about the battle." Issei commented, and Raynare lowered her gaze to face him, curling her knees under her chin.

"Can I be honest with you?" She asked, resting her cheek on her knees.

"Of course." Issei commented without even looking at her.

"You're far from rivaling against any High Class Demon. That's what worries me." She affirmed, placing the bottle to her lips.

"I know. But I'm hopeful that will change tomorrow." He replied, focusing his gaze on Raynare for the first time in a while.

"And what makes you think it will make a difference one day?" She asked with much curiosity. If it hadn't been for the deep talk, Issei would have been unable to stand how tender and sweet she looked in that pose, obviating that the bottle pressed against her lips was one containing alcohol.

"Because I will learn a very destructive new technique." He commented, unable to help but hide his smile.

"Oh, yeah? That sounds impressive." She commented, sticking out her tongue to take the last few drops that came out of the bottle. "Do you think that and the help of your little blond friend will be enough to stop an High Class Demon? I'd believe in you, but the thing is, that's not just any Demon." She concluded, shaking her bottle to draw more sake to no avail. "In fact, I even doubt that the 5 of us together can beat him." He concluded, something Issei didn't overlook.

"Is he that strong?" He asked seriously.

"The problem isn't his power, it's his immortality. Don't feel bad, but I think you'll be torn to pieces." She concluded without measuring her words so much, as she was a bit drunk, plus all her attention was focused on scraping up the last drops of sake.

"I see..." Issei commented under his breath. "Still, I can't give up."

"What?" Raynare looked sideways at him with her tongue hanging out, being unable to hear the last part since he had whispered it so low.

Issei just rolled his eyes at the look on the woman's face, then placed his bottle in her mouth without warning.

"Keep it, I think it will make me very sick if I keep drinking."

_ END OF CHAPTER! _

I hope you enjoyed it!

Now that I finished introducing all the characters I wanted, it's time to continue with the plot. I thought about making the dialogues a bit longer, but in the end I think this more dynamic way is better for everyone.

In the next chapter I will start to close this arc slowly, and all the problems are going to appear non-stop. You could say that even this chapter was an introduction to the story, now the really serious stuff is coming.

I'll probably focus on the battle with Raiser and a couple of other little things, but in the end it might not be such a long chapter.

And yes, I'm practicing with these new types of scene separators. I got a lot of complaints, that's why I decided to change it. Now I think they are much better distinguishable. You can still tell me if you like it or not. If people disapprove, then I will think of a better method.

Remember to follow me on patre-on to be aware of all updates and important announcements. Look for me as "Jyanzein". If you become a member you can also request a double chapter of any story that is in development, in case you are interested.

I hope to see you soon for the continuation.

I wish you all the best in this beginning of the year!