Issei was currently sitting at his desk, spacing out as the class was deciding on who would participate in what events for the school's sports festival. His mind was wandering again as he thought about his current situation and what had happened in the bath the night before. Between the talks about Diodora's true motives and his explanation of SERAPH to the others there was a lot going through his mind. In particular, after he retold the events of SERAPH and how he ended up facing another Beast of Humanity, Rias and the other girls of the ORC had serious expressions on their faces. In particular, Rias said she wanted to speak to Da Vinci about some things, to which Issei had a good idea what she was referring to. While he appreciated the sentiment, he didn't want Rias and the others getting involved with his work when they already had a lot on their plates. Not to mention how quickly they could lose their lives if they're not careful. Issei's expression had become serious as he thought, which was noticed by others. Mash, Asia, and Irina were looking at Issei concerned. Murayama and Katase were looking at Issei with slight confusion. Some students who noticed the atmosphere around Issei seemed nervous, not sure if something was about to happen with him. Fou, who happened to be relaxing on a nearby windowsill seemed to sense Issei's mood and jumped to his desk, using his fluffiness to distract Issei. "Fou? What are you–" Issei tried to speak but found himself smothered by Fou's softness.

"Fou, fou," responded Fou as he jumped onto Issei's shoulder. He got comfortable on his shoulders and decided it was a good place for a nap.

Issei knew what Fou was trying to do and appreciated it. "Hey, Issei. You have a tear under your sleeve," addressed Kiryuu suddenly. Issei, caught off-guard, lifted his arm to check and saw nothing. He was confused until he heard Kiryuu's voice again. "And Hyoudou volunteers for the three-legged race," she said in a playful and victorious tone.

Issei gave a blank stare for a moment as Kiryuu wrote his name on the board. Once he realized what happened he gave her an annoyed look. "Kiryuu…" he said in a low tone that made some of the other students shiver. Kiryuu just looked away innocently like she didn't do anything.

Trying to change the subject, Kiryuu went back to her duties. "Alright! We need another volunteer to be Issei's partner for the three-legged race," she said looking around the room.

Issei was surprised when a few people put their hands up, especially since most of them were girls. He thought they were keeping their distance from him because they were still wary of him, but when he looked around, he could see some of them blushing slightly despite still being nervous. Could it be that some of the girls are actually seeing me in a different light now? Issei thought. He didn't want to get his hopes up too high, but he felt a bit happy that his reputation seemed to be getting better with the others, even if he's not sure why.

Kiryuu looked around at the volunteers and when she saw someone in particular, she showed a knowing smile. "Asia, you want to be Issei's partner?"

Issei turned and saw that Asia was raising her hand but had a nervous look. "Y-yes. I would like to partner with Issei-san," she said.

"Alright then!" said Kiryuu as she wrote Asia's name next to Issei's. "Issei and Asia will take part in the three-legged race." Some of the girls who raised their hands made looks that were a mix of relief and disappointment.

Were they actually, disappointed? Issei asked himself. He was still wrapping his head around other people outside his group of friends actually wanting to spend time with him. He looked at the people who raised their hands earlier and saw that they quickly looked away when his gaze fell on them. Issei could still see the small blushes on their faces as they turned away.

He couldn't help but smile. The other girls were observing Issei with complicated expressions. Mash kept her usual neutral look as she stared at Issei. Irina seemed a bit jealous and envious that other girls could express themselves freely, since her becoming an angel requires her to be more in control of her emotions to prevent her from falling. Xenovia felt like more rivals of love had appeared and was thinking of ways to quickly become one of Issei's women officially. Asia seemed to be in deep thought after seeing Issei's reaction to the other girls. On one hand she was relieved that the other students seemed to be less wary of Issei now. On the other, she felt a pang in her heart when she saw the way the other girls looked at Issei. Her own anxiety began to grow as she felt like her place by his side might be in danger, no matter how much he reassured her. "Issei-san…" she muttered.

Later on the school track field, Issei was helping Asia stretch as they prepared to train for the three-legged race. Asia had a slight blush from the closeness but couldn't hide her downcast expression. Issei noticed this and looked at her with concern. "Asia, what's bothering you?" he asked in a gentle tone.

Asia' face became a bit guilty. "I… I was a bit jealous of how the other girls were looking at you," she admitted.

Issei couldn't help the small laugh that escaped him. "You're jealous? I thought you were kinder than that?" he teased.

Asia made a slight pout at his teasing but couldn't hide the guilt in her expression. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't get in the way of what you're trying to do."

"Asia, I'm not trying anything. I'm just teasing you. If anything, I'm happy. It means you truly love me. It shows that you really care about being with me and our relationship. It puts me at ease," he said while bringing her hand to his cheek.

"Issei-san…" she responded, her eyes filled with emotion.

"You don't have to worry about us. Like I said before, I will take care of you. I promise," he vowed, resolutely.

Asia felt happy but still felt unsure internally. She feared that causing him too much trouble would cause him to abandon her, even if she knew he never would. She thought for a moment before meeting Issei's gaze. "Would it be better if I was stronger?"

The question caught Issei off guard, not sure where this was coming from. "Asia, what are you saying? This has nothing to do with whether you're strong or not."

"But, all I can do is heal others. While I would never trade this gift, I feel like I'm not doing enough. That I'm just a burden to you, Rias-buchou, and everyone else."

"... I'll admit, while your ability to heal is second to none, having some way to protect yourself would help a lot." Asia's head lowered with an ashamed look. "But that's what your training is for. That's why I have Jeanne, Martha, and the others helping you all get better. Although I did initially want to make you all into more of a jack-of-all-trades type group, after training for the match against Sona I saw that that doesn't necessarily work for everyone." Issei put a comforting hand on Asia's shoulder. "Asia, you would never wish harm on someone, even if they deserve it. You have a kindness that is matched by no one. Making you into a fighter is like going against your nature, and I love you just the way you are."

Asia couldn't hold it in anymore and kissed him. Issei didn't resist and kissed her back. Some nearby students saw them and had various reactions from looking at them jealously or some with blushes on their faces. A couple girls had looks of envy directed at Asia. After a few moments the pair finally separated. "Sorry. I don't know what came over me," she said while looking down, trying to hide her blush.

Issei just smiled and rubbed her head. "Don't be sorry. I'll never say no to a kiss from you." His line caused her to blush more as she hid her face in his chest. Issei patted her shoulder to get her attention. "We should start practicing. At this rate, we might be scolded by others for so boldly showing our affection in front of everyone." Asia made an embarrassed expression and nodded.

As the pair began to practice for the school festival, Asia made a vow to herself. "I won't hold Issei-san back. I will continue to support Issei-san, by his side." Issei wasn't sure if this was about the race or if she was talking about their relationship, but he was happy all the same.

At Chaldea Industries, Rias and the ORC (minus Asia and Issei) were looking for Da Vinci. Having put some thought into it, Rias realized that she couldn't just stand by while Issei fought end of the world threats on his own anymore. Issei had assured her that things had calmed down since his return, and even when he told them that the Demon God Pillars were after him, he brushed it off as no big deal. But after learning about what happened in SERAPH, even the parts he tried to brush over like how he had apparently died one time and the only reason he survived was due to time manipulation, she realized that she had to catch up to him quickly if she was going to be of any help. She knew the others would also be the same as well and would want to repay Issei's kindness in any way they could. They made their way to the command center as they passed by a few employees and Servants. Once they entered, they were surprised to see both Mash and Azazel already there, talking to Da Vinci. "Azazel? What are you doing here?" asked Rias.

"Rias. I wasn't expecting to see you here. We were just discussing an ongoing joint project related to Mash here," said Azazel in his usual carefree tone.

"What kind of project?" asked Akeno.

Mash looked a bit embarrassed as Da Vinci explained. "Azazel and I have been working on a special collaborative project in order to improve Mashu's combat capabilities."

"Her own Artificial Sacred Gear," said Azazel.

This took the group by surprise. "You want your own Sacred Gear?!" asked Rias, surprised.

"I've mentioned this to you before, but my current battle capabilities are weaker than before. While it's passable for recent events, it's made things difficult for me when it comes to Singularities. Since those situations are much more dangerous, having unpredictable powers would be a danger, not only to myself but to Senpai, I asked Azazel if there was something he could do," Mash explained.

"After seeing my Artificial Sacred Gear, she figured I could do something for her. So I agreed to help her and after talking to Da Vinci-chan we agreed to do a collaborative work to help her," explained Azazel.

The group nodded in understanding as Rias turned to face Da Vinci. "Since you're already doing collaborative works there's something I wish to discuss with you." This got the three's interest as they looked intently at Rias and the group. "We want to start testing for the capability to Rayshift," she said seriously, surprising Mash and Da Vinci, while Azazel looked at them with amused interest.

"Why the sudden need to test for Rayshift compatibility?" asked Da Vinci.

"Does this have to do with what Senpai talked about in the last Singularity?" asked Mash.

"That's part of it, but it was something that we've all wanted to do since we became close with Ise. I thought there would be more time to ease into it since Ise would always say that they were only minor jobs. But after hearing what happened last night, I knew we couldn't wait around anymore. Even if we can't become Masters like Ise, we are more than capable of defending ourselves. Anything we don't know of we can learn here or in the field," said Rias.

"It's not as simple as that," said Da Vinci. "Issei had extenuating circumstances to him becoming a Master, and even then, by all rights he was unqualified to be one. He didn't even become a proper fighter until after he left us. This isn't some battle like you all have been used to fighting. Your life could be taken in an instant without you even getting the chance to know what's going on. That's not to mention that the chances you will encounter enemy Servants is almost guaranteed. If you think the ones working for Chaldea are strong, then you would stand no chance out there."

"Then we have no choice but to keep getting stronger. I refuse to let Ise go through this alone anymore. You're even training Kiryuu and Murayama, so there shouldn't be a reason for us not to train ourselves."

Da Vinci made a difficult face at her words, knowing she wasn't going to take no for an answer. "You're trying to turn us away for Issei-kun's sake, right?" questioned Kiba.

Da Vinci sighed. "It's not that we don't want you to fight. It's just not something that we should rush into. Most Mages spend their entire lives training for the ability to do anything related to Magecraft, having to specialize in different fields just for a possible chance at attaining greatness. We've given you all more leeway than others in our world out of gratitude for helping us, but even we can't just go with whatever you wish. It is simply too reckless, even for all of you."

The others looked a bit saddened, but Rias kept her determined look. Azazel looked at them then turned to Da Vinci. "Why not try it?" His question earned looks of surprise from everyone. "Some things are best learned through experience. These kids are learning to fight and getting stronger. From the information you gave me about the beings of your world, I think they will be able to handle themselves. As far as Servants go, it's not like you plan to send them on missions without Issei in them anyways. Being able to test their compatibility for Rayshifting and being a Master shouldn't be a big deal. After that, we can put them through the new simulator we finished building to test their ability. You can judge for yourself if they're ready or not then."

Da Vinci looked a bit reluctant, mostly because she wasn't sure how Issei would react to this, but eventually relented. "Fine, I give up. We'll see if you all are able to Rayshift. After that, we'll see." The others nodded gratefully to both Da Vinci and Azazel.

Rias looked down with a determined smile. "Wait for me, Ise."

The next day, Issei was waiting for Asia so they could continue practicing for the Sports Festival, and during that time he was watching the various other teams also preparing. He found himself falling into the old habit of watching the girls, specifically their breasts as they moved too and fro. He noticed that his old habits began to resurface more and more, probably a result of his Origin awakening more. He hadn't really paid attention to it since they discovered it initially, but now that he thought about it, he felt his desires become stronger as time went on. Most likely from all his "interactions" with his women. He should really follow up with Da Vinci about that. As he was lost in thought, he was suddenly addressed by someone behind him. "Oh, Hyoudou."

Issei turned to see Saji there. "Oh, hey Saji. What's up?"

"I'm helping the Student Council with setting up for the festival. What about you?"

"I'm waiting for Asia so we can practice for the three-legged race."

"Lucky. You get to partner with a cute girl. I got the bread-eating race," he said with a slight look of jealousy.

"I mean, that sounds nice too, but I'll definitely be enjoying my run with Asia," Issei said with a wry smile. He then noticed that Saji's arm was bandaged. "What happened to you?"

Saji looked at where he was looking and made a complicated face. "It's related to my Sacred Gear training with Azazel." He unwrapped the bandages and showed a black snake-like mark going up his arm from his hand. There was even a jewel in his arm that reminded him of his and Vali's armor. "He's been trying to help me unlock more of my Sacred Gear's power, but it feels more like I'm his guinea pig for his experiments. This appeared after he injected me with some of your blood."

"I'm sorry, he did what?!" asked Issei in surprise. If this was happening to Saji because of him, even if indirectly he felt like he would have to take responsibility for him.

"Yeah. Apparently, he was given a few samples of your blood from your organization to help with his study of Sacred Gears, or something like that. He figured the power of your blood could be used to stir Vritra's power within me."

"Well, it seems to have done something like that," said Issei, concern evident in his voice. He was gonna have to talk to Azazel about recklessly using his blood for things. Maybe talk to Da Vinci too about it.

Saji showed a grateful expression at Issei's concern. "I appreciate the concern, Hyoudou. I'll be honest, it's been rough for me this past month."

"Join the club," said Issei in a tired tone.

Saji gave him a confused look. "What happened with you? I mean, I know you had that incident earlier this month with the seniors, but it looks like it's been handled now."

"That was only one of many problems that's been going on. Has Sona-Kaichou mention what's happening between Diodora and us?"

"Ah, I think I remember hearing her and Rias-senpai talking about it once. Something about him being annoyingly persistent."

"He wants to take Asia away from us," Issei said in almost a growl.

Saji made a look of surprise. "What?! Why?!"

"He "apparently" is in love with her and wants to marry her." Saji made a perplexed expression. "Yeah, I'm not buying it either. Not that she isn't pretty or anything, but he's also connected to the reason Asia was kicked from the church in the first place."

"Ok, that can't be a coincidence," said Saji suspiciously.

"Right?! That's what I've been saying. All that aside, it's irrelevant, because Asia is already mine, so there's no way I'm letting him lay a hand on her."

"Yeah. Even if he is a devil noble, they should all realize after the gathering that challenging you is a death wish at this point. That guy you brought with you last time could probably take everyone there, except for maybe the Maou."

"Don't let him hear you say that, otherwise he would try, and probably succeed, then kill you for doubting his power." Saji audibly gulped at that, understanding that that guy had a short temper and isn't one to be messed with. "While we're on the subject. How has the training with my Servants been going?"

"I can only really speak for myself, but I think we're all making great progress. Better than if we were to train alone. Although, I don't think we've done anything that would give us a significant edge."

Issei thought about that. He couldn't really think of anyone in particular to send to help Sona since he didn't know her group that well. Even from the match he was only able to get an idea of their skills, but perhaps he should join them during one of their training sessions to help them optimize their abilities. Although one idea did cross his mind. "I might have an idea to help "you" specifically get an edge, but…"

Saji felt nervous at his hesitation. "But what?"

"I have Vritra as a Servant," he revealed, causing Saji's eyes to widen in surprise. "She might be able to help you train your Sacred Gear. The problem is, she isn't exactly the cooperative type."

"What do you mean?"

"She likes to test people. Give them nearly impossible challenges and have them overcome them and become stronger for it. While on the surface that sounds like a good thing, her real goal is simply watching people struggle. She takes an almost perverse joy in people having a hard time, regardless of whether they succeed or fail. I honestly feel like if I put her in charge of training you, your life might seriously be in danger."

Saji's face became pale at the thought, but then he seemed to go into contemplation about it for a while. He nodded to himself then looked at Issei with a determined gaze. "Hyoudou, please allow her to train me."

Issei was a bit surprised, but his expression turned into a wry smile, seeing the determination on Saji's face. "Alright. But don't say I didn't warn you later."

Saji nodded thankfully. As the two finished their talk a pair of girls wearing glasses approached them. "Saji, what are you doing? We're supposed to be checking the setting of each tent, so follow us," said Sona.

"The Student Council lacks manpower, so we need you to work," said Tsubaki.

"Y-yes Kaichou! Fukukaichou!" exclaimed Saji nervously as he went to their side immediately.

"Looks like he's on a pretty short leash. He has a ways to go if he wants to get Sona's attention," Issei said to himself with a wry smile as he went back to watching the girls practice.

(Underworld)

In the Astaroth domain, a certain green haired devil was in his home communicating with someone through a magic circle. "Is everything prepared for our attack?" asked the voice from the other side of the magic circle.

"Relax, everything is under control. Nobody is the wiser and it will be the perfect opportunity to take care of the Maou, as well as one his family members," said Diodora in a carefree tone.

"Hmph. That's what Katarea said, and you saw how far that got her," said the voice in an unimpressed tone.

"Katarea aimed too high with trying to take on two Maou, two Archangels, and Governor General of the Fallen all at the same time. This should be easier to handle, as long as the help you're sending isn't incompetent."

"There won't be anything wrong with our forces, especially since Ophis herself plans to enter the battlefield. Not to mention our newest ally's supply of new creatures to use at our discretion."

"Then there shouldn't be a problem. You all can destroy the Maou and his allies, while you leave Rias' group to me. With the power given to me by Ophis, nothing will stand in my way from getting what I desire," said Diodora with an evil grin.

"Don't let your desires distract you from the mission. The Maou's younger sister is getting help from that troublesome group who has the Sekiryuutei at the lead," warned the voice.

"Oh him? He's nothing. A Human who believes himself more important than he really is. All his power is due to his Servants and the organization behind him. Even being the Sekiryuutei, he is just a weak human. No amount of skill or using his ability will close the gap between us now." Diodora gave a full sinister smile. "I can't wait to take Asia away, right in front of him. Maybe I'll hold off on killing him until after he sees me break her right in front of him."

The voice on the other side of the magic circle audibly sighed, clearly not caring about Diodora's interests. "Well, just make sure nothing interferes," he said as he ended the call.

Diodora managed to calm down and looked out the window into the sky. "Soon you will be mine. I can't wait to have my way with you Asia…"

Here's this months chapter. It was a bit more set up for the match plus set up for the characters to go to Agartha. The back end of this volume will mostly be set up for the FGO part of this story. I also have been dropping another hint at an extra player helping the Khaos Brigade. As for who it is, I don't plan on revealing them just yet, but they will slowly become more prominent as the plot goes on. I'll let you all guess who it could be. Also I don't have any plans to have the random girls from school join the harem, but that could change if I get an interesting idea. Other than that more filler. Next time, prepare for the rage. I look forward to the comments as always. : )