A/N: Hello, hello, everyone! I'm back!
I hope you all are doing well, because I am doing swimmingly! I have to apologize for just abruptly leaving you guys for a month with no chapters, but I have to explain why I did so.
Firstly, it was my Final Exams for the year from about October 24th to about last week November 23rd. It's just been a full month of constant tests, practical exams and studying the entire time and that is also why I couldn't write anything as these are the most important exams of my year. However, you all will be pleased to know that I aced them!
Off to my third year of Uni!
Now secondly(and this is more of a personal reason), I've been away on vacation with my family ever since I came back home Saturday and I've actually only been on my PC since two or three days ago, I think. Around that much.
And the last reason is also the most important reason for me
. As you all have noticed, the chapters have dropped drastically in quality( for me) and I was feeling burned out. It was supposed to be only a week of me relaxing and then I go back to writing, but then the exams came which made me even more stressed out and I've only actually relaxed ever since I came back from that very much needed vacation.
Now, I'm fully back and this time, I promise that I will make the chapters better in quality than they were before! However, I will also like to make a happy announcement that TWO new stories will be joining the DxD ones.
When? Hopefully before December is over and if not, next year January. One is a Naruto SI story(I know. Overused as shit, but it's been bothering me and so, I wanted to write it) and the other…will be a Fairy Tail SI.
The character for the Naruto one is something I'm still debating between a few characters, but the Fairy Tail character is already decided. Here's a hint: It's just a year before the x791 Grand Magic Games and he's in Fairy Tail.
Another thing to say is that this character will have Dragon Slayer magic, but (a) It won't be his primary magic; just there to boost his overall power and (b) it will be a canon Dragon Slayer Magic & not a fanmade one.
Who he is, you all will have to find and see. Now, that's all from me and once again, I do apologize, but I'm finally here and now, I'm ready to write.
So, without further adieu…let…the chapter… BEGIN!
At the same time:
Streets of Kuoh:
3rd Person POV:
"I swear, the next time I have to bail you out of doing stupid shit, I'm going to ask for 50% of your paycheck." Saji grumbled as he carried a bruised Issei along with him, who just grinned at him.
"You may hate me now, Gen, but when you bear witness the bounciness that is tits and asses, you shall truly understand the wonders of the universe." Issei declared with a grin, to which Saji just sighed before he turned his head as he felt a presence nearing them.
"Something's wrong." Saji said to Issei only to roll his eyes as Issei was already looking around before he frowned as he stared to the right.
"Oi, you. You're not hiding as good as you think you are." Issei shouted, both he and Saji frowning as a demented giggle came from the shadows before a handsome white-haired priest with crimson eyes and a psychotic grin walked out towards them.
"You feel the aura, right?" Issei asked Saji, who nodded as they both felt a staggering amount of Holy Aura coming from the blade in the priest's grasp.
"Would you look at that? Two little devils walking around like lambs walking to a slaughter. Let it be known, Devils, that Freed Sellzen was the one who sent you on your mary way to meet our Lord and Saviour!" Freed exclaimed as he waved the Holy Sword in his grasp around before bolting towards the two boys at blistering speeds, surprised when pale blue whips ripped out of the ground and barely managed to smack him back.
[BOOST!] Ddraig's voice boomed throughout the empty street as the Boosted Gear appeared on Issei's wrist, the Pawn bolting towards Freed with Saji hot on his tracks. Both of them quickly stopped in their tracks as another person appeared from thin air next to Freed like a mirage, the priest in question looking disgruntled as he relaxed his stance.
"You are not allowed out yet, human. You should know better than to defy Lord Kokabiel's orders." The woman said, eight black wings spread out behind her as Freed rolled his eyes. She was dressed in a light violet dress with a wide brimmed black hat and her eyes were glowing a bright crimson as she stared at Freed.
"How else do you all expect me to get used to the blade if I can't use it in battle?" Freed asked her, to which she just narrowed her eyes before glancing towards the wary Pawns, not missing the crimson gauntlet on Issei's left hand nor the vines sprouting from Saji's hands.
"The Boosted Gear and the Vritra Gears. You must be the pieces of Isaiah Azathoth."
"And what if we are?" Issei asked with a frown, the Fallen Angel just smirking as another boost announcement came from his gear.
"Do not worry. We won't be staying long."
"I think you might enjoy staying a bit longer." Saji said with a grin as a barrier of violet flames encircled all four of them only for his eyes to widen as purple vine-like tattoos spread across his body and sent waves of pain ripping through him.
"What?!" Issei's eyes widened at seeing Saji fall to his knees while the flames disappeared, the woman smirking as a wooden staff with an amethyst orb was in her grasp.
"I don't think we will. Now, let's go, Freed."
"Fine." Freed grumbled before he grinned as he waved cheekily at Issei, who was now standing in between Saji and the two enemies as the woman just smiled before both she and Freed disappeared in a flash of gold. Issei's attention was drawn back to Saji as he heard him gasp, letting out a silent sigh of relief as the purple tattoos were gone and Saji was now just trying to catch his breath.
"You okay?"
"Y-Yeah…Just, my body hurts all over. A lot." He muttered and Issei frowned before he transferred the boosts to his demonic power, picking up Saji before creating an Azathoth crest under them.
"Let's head back and give the boss this new info."
"How much do you want to bet he's going to mad at us for nearly dying?" Saji asked with a tired grin, chuckling as Issei just gave him a deadpan stare.
"We both know that's a stupid question." Issei grumbled and Saji chuckled before they disappeared, the street silent once more.
A Few Minutes Later:
Meeting Room, Azathoth Manor:
"So, you were attacked by a priest and an eight-winged Fallen Angel while coming back from school?" Isaiah asked his two pawns, who nodded as they and the rest of Isaiah's peerage were sitting in the meeting room of the manor.
"Yeah. The priest had a Holy Sword and the woman had some sort of ability that sealed away my connection to Blaze Black Flare." Saji said, to which Isaiah frowned as he nodded.
"The staff sounds like a variant of Trick Vanish and since those two exorcists are here searching for Excalibur Fragments, the sword the priest was using was probably an Excalibur Fragment." Isaiah explained to the two Pawns, who nodded as the King looked deep in thought before he nodded.
"Okay, Issei, Saji. I have a new mission for you two. Try to find a way to befriend the two exorcists and help them find the Excalibur pieces."
"You sure Rias won't be mad at you for doing this?" Kuroka asked with a frown, to which Isaiah chuckled and nodded.
"Oh, she will, but thankfully for me, Lady Gremory ordered me to protect Rias from all threats to her life, which includes ones she's not aware of." He said with a smile, to which she giggled as he turned to the pawns.
"You two understand the mission I'm given you two, right? No one apart from us in this room is allowed to know about your mission." Isaiah said and the two pawns gave a serious nod, making him smile as he nodded.
"Good, then go and rest off the battle stress because you two have a lot of work tomorrow."
"Sure thing, boss." Issei said with a salute, Saji shaking his head as the two of them left the room.
"Bardou, protect them from the shadows and make sure that they don't go overboard." Isaiah said as soon as they left, the hound nodding as he disappeared in a blue flare.
'Kokabiel didn't have a second-in-command n the canon apart from perhaps Valper, so who is this new woman? I suppose since I changed the canon timeline, I should have expected other characters not in the original light novel to appear here.' Isaiah thought to himself with a frown.
"So, what are we going to do?" Samson asked with a frown.
"For now, wait for Bardou, Issei and Saji to return. Without enough intel, we can't go around trying to find Kokabiel and whoever is with him." He said with a frown before he sighed and stood up.
"Meeting adjourned." He said and his peerage all nodded before they stood up, Kuroka frowning as she walked towards him.
"Who knew making plans was this hard, huh?" He muttered and Kuroka just smiled.
"You're more of the 'hit-first, ask question later' kind of guy." Isaiah chuckled at that before he smiled.
"You know? I never did take you on that date I promised you girls. What do you say about a picnic?"
"In this weather?" Kuroka asked with a raised eyebrow as she pointed at the cloudy sky.
"Nothing that a few runes can't fix." Isaiah said with a shrug, to which Kuroka just stared at him before she smirked.
"If there is no wine, I'm not going with." And with that said, she turned and went to get ready, Isaiah chuckling as he walked to the kitchen to get the picnic ready.
A Day Later:
Kuoh Burgers:
3rd Person POV:
"I still can't believe you're an exorcist."
"And I can't believe you became a Devil. Oh, Lord. Please forgive-!" Irina tried to pray before she was cut off by thin pale blue vines wrapping around her mouth.
"You be quiet. The last thing I need right now is another headache." Saji grumbled as he retracted his vines, Irina giving a cute pout as Issei sighed.
"Listen, we treated you girls to a meal because we want to help you. If we didn't, we would have left you hungry and thirsty on the pavement instead of helping." Issei said, to which Irina and Xenovia just glanced at each other before Xenovia sighed.
" 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend' as the saying goes. I suppose we might need the extra help to deal with Kokabiel's servants while we take care of the Cadre." Xenovia muttered with a sigh, Isse and Saji grinning as they high-fived.
"Cool! So, have you found anything on Kokabiel's location?" Saji asked them.
"He's in Kuoh Town."
"Yes, but have you found out exactly where? Have you asked people if they've seen anything weird or different in specific places?" The unsure glances the two girls gave each other made Saji sigh as Issei chuckled.
"Yeah, we're going to have to go with them."
"Fine. Xenovia, right? You're coming with me and we're searching the northern half of the city. Issei, you're with Irina and you two will be searching the southern half."
"I'd rather go with Irina than spent a single second alone with a fiend. She's also a former resident of this town, is she not?" Xenovia said with a frown, to which Saji just raised an eyebrow.
"Do you know the streets of Kuoh? Better yet, do you know where Kuoh Central Bank is?"
"Yeah, they're on Hijimiya Street, right?" Irina said with a smile as Saji just shook his head.
"No, they moved to Lisamija Street a decade ago due to faulty construction work done in their foundation. Do you even have an up-to-date map of Kuoh Town?" Irina just gave him a sheepish grin, making Saji shake his head as Issei gave the disgruntled Xenovia a victorious grin.
"Great, glad we could sort this out. Now, we all have our objectives, so let's go."
"We'll help too." All of them nearly jumped as they heard Gasper's voice right besides the table, turning their heads to see a smiling Gasper and a stoic Koneko staring at them.
"Uh, I don't think you guys should." Issei said with a nervous frown as he glanced at Saji, who gave a helpless shrug.
"Then we'll just tell Isa you're helping the exorcists." Koneko said in a monotone, Saji and Issei glancing at each other before Issei shrugged and Saji rolled his eyes.
'I know we're supposed to act as if we're doing this out of our own will, but if we don't let them come, they'll inform Isa and the mission will be declared a failure. Hah, I guess we got no choice.'
"Fine, I suppose two extra will help. Gasper, you're with Issei. Koneko, with me. Now, let's actually go before someone else finds out." Saji grumbled as they all stood up and walked out of the restaurant, Xenovia, Saji and Koneko heading to the northern section of the city while Issei, Gasper and Irina headed to the southern section.
"And how goes surveillance?"Valerie asked Bardou through a communication sigil, Bardou sighing as he sat on a rooftop.
"Tell the Master I'll need help. Saji and Issei are splitting up into two different teams with Xenovia and Irina respectively. Also Gasper and Koneko are with them. Not sure why." Bardou heard Valerie release a soft sigh before she spoke.
"With who is Gasper going?"
"Issei."
"I'll come and help keep track of Issei's team, so you go and track Saji's."
"Sure thing." Bardou responded before he cut off the communication sigil, the air around him warping as he leapt from rooftop to rooftop after his target.
A few hours later:
Abandoned Farmlands:
"Hours of searching and we got one clue. Are we certain you know how to ask for information?" Irina asked Issei, who rolled his eyes as Gasper gave a small smirk.
"Why would they answer us when you keep threatening everyone we try to speak to with bodily harm?"
"If they do not wish to answer our questions, then they must be in cahoots with the enemy. Therefore, that makes them an enemy of us."
"…Are we sure she's not just stupid?" Gasper asked Issei, who shrugged as Irina glared cutely at them. "
Well, hello there~" A familiar voice quickly drew their attention as all three of their heads snapped upwards, the trio's eyes widening as a grinning Freed looked down at them.
"Who doesn't know how to interrogate people now?" Issei asked Irina with a smug grin, making her pout as Gasper shook his head.
"In case you two lovebirds haven't noticed, there is a deadly rogue priest standing in front of us."
""We're not lovebirds!"" The exorcist and Devil exclaimed, both blushing as Gasper raised an eyebrow and Freed giggled.
"Ooh~Does the crazy Freed detect a hint of forbidden love in the air?"
"You shut the hell up!" Issei exclaimed as he pointed at the priest, who giggled before he grinned and disappeared just in time as Xenovia appeared from thin air and smashed a shining greatsword into the ground where he previously was.
As he landed on another rooftop, he grinned as vines sprouted from the ground and surrounded him, Saji landing next to a grinning Issei as the Boosted Gear appeared on his left hand.
"What took you so long?!" Issei exclaimed with a grin as he tapped Saji on the shoulder, Ddraig's voice booming as he transferred a boost over to him.
"Miss Greatsword over there got us lost in a street five blocks from here because she wanted to interrogate more people." Saji grumbled, making Issei chuckle before they turned back to the battle as Freed was dodging attacks from Xenovia and Irina with ease.
"So, what do we do?" Gasper whispered to Koneko as they watched Freed flip over a double slash from the exorcists before barely blocking a kick from Issei that sent him flying over a vine attack from Saji.
"Keep out and blame everything on them." Koneko whispered back, making Gasper nod before their attention were drawn to the skies, their eyes widening at the sight of a dozen four-winged Fallen Angels dive-bombing towards them.
"I guess we're not staying out of this." Gasper mumbled as he rolled his neck, Koneko grumbling as she took out her signature pair of cat-paw gloves and put them on. With a blink, Gasper's eyes turned a bright orange, everyone looking up as the sky above them turned a bright purple before cracking, the Fallen Angels frozen in time. With a soft grunt, Koneko unfurled her wings and launched skywards, her hands coated in blue flames before she launched a barrage of punches.
"That was easy." Gasper said with a chuckle as he blinked, time resuming once more before the Fallen Angels' eyes widened and fell to the ground, blue flames covering their bodies as Koneko landed softly on the ground.
"Huh, maybe bringing them with us wasn't such a bad idea, after all." Issei said with a hum, Saji chuckling before they turned as Freed smirked and disappeared, reappearing in front of the two youngest devils as he swung his Holy Sword at them.
He gave a silent scream as a lightning bolt ripped through the air and shocked him, not giving a chance to recover as a barrage of fireballs smashed into his chest and sent him crashing through a wall.
"Oh…he's dead." Issei said with a nervous grin as Valerie landed softly next to the surprised Gasper and Koneko, a dead look in her eyes as she stared at where she sent Freed
"So, what is going on here?" Valerie asked as a cold smile appeared on her face, both Issei and Saji giving each other nervous glances before Koneko spoke up.
"They kidnapped us to help them."
"What?! You two wanted to come with!" Issei exclaimed with a shocked look, the two first year Devils just shrugging as Valerie turned to stare at the two nervous Devil boys before glancing back at Freed, who had torn himself out of the rubble and glared at her with a grin.
"Another Devil and a girly one this time? Oh, I wond-!" He was cut off by a gasp, a boulder smashing into his gut and knocking all the air out of his lungs as he sunk to his knees. Valerie was not done as she waved her hand, Freed's eyes widening before his Holy Sword glowed and he ran away, a barrage of elemental attacks hot on his heels as he barely dodged them.
"What do we do now?" Issei whispered to Saji, who gave him a bewildered stare before pointing at the glaring Valerie as she fired off spell after spell at the terrified Freed.
"Right. Stupid question." He muttered, making Saji facepalm with a sigh.
"Come back here, heretic, and face the Lord's punishment like a man!" Their eyes widened as they heard Xenovia's shout, looking to see her rushing after Freed while Irina ran after her.
"Oh shit! Come o-!" Issei was cut off by a blue Sitri crest and a crimson Gremory crest appearing on the ground, a frowning Rias and a glaring Sona along with their respective Queens appearing from the crests.
"You five have some explaining to do." Rias said as she frowned at Saji, Issei, Koneko, Gasper and Valerie before their attention was drawn away as an Azathoth crest appeared next to them, Isaiah and Kuroka walking out. Isaiah just looked around, catching sight of the Kings before turning to his peerage Devils, Gasper and Koneko.
"Did you do as I asked?" Was all he asked, Issei and Saji nodding before he turned to Valerie.
"And why are you here?"
"Bardou needed backup."
"Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?!" Rias exclaimed, making everyone turn to her before Isaiah spoke.
"I gave Issei and Saji a mission to help the exorcists in finding the location of Kokabiel as well as figure out how many men is under his command. Also, I put Bardou on tracking Saji and Issei just in case they got in way over their heads, which reminds me." As if on cue, Bardou appeared from an Azathoth crest, an unconscious Xenovia and Irina on his back with their blades placed on top of them.
"I assume they didn't want to go quietly?" Isaiah asked with a grin, Bardou glaring at him as he tossed the duo onto the ground with their blades miraculously landing next to them.
"She swung as soon as I appeared in front of her. She can be glad I didn't rip her head off." He grumbled, making Isaiah chuckle before Rias spoke up.
"So, you went behind the back of your King and decided to just do whatever you wish?" She asked with a frown, to which Isaiah just nodded.
"Yes, because as your mother said, 'Protect my daughter from any and all threats to her life.' That does include threats that you don't realise are there." Isaiah said, Rias just glaring at him before Kuroka spoke up.
"I don't want to interrupt this little heart-to-heart, but Isaiah, you have a call from Meri." She said as she held up her hand, the communication crest shining on the back of her hand. "What's up, Meri?" Isaiah asked only to frown as he heard a nervous giggle from Meredith.
"H-Hey, Isa. You're not busy right now, right?"
"No. Why?"
"W-Well…let's just say a certain Cadre along with what appears to be an entire army of four-winged and six-winged Fallen Angels have surrounded the manor and I'm currently shitting bricks." Everyone's eyes widened at that before Isaiah nodded.
"I'll be there." Was all he said before the call was cut off, the Azathoth crest appearing under him and Kuroka as Valerie, Issei and Saji swiftly walked to stand besides him.
"Isa, maybe we all should go with." Rias said, to which Isaiah just frowned for a while before he sighed.
"If you're coming with, you're keeping out of sight. Kokabiel might make you his target just to mess with your brother, understand?" Rias frowned but nodded, making Isaiah nod as he expanded the crest to cover everyone before they disappeared in a bright flash of blue.
A/N: And there we go! Another chapter done!
Next up, Isaiah and Kokabiel talking to each other and then the Battle of Kuoh!
Also, I'm just making that one female Fallen OC and his army for anyone wondering.
As always, read, enjoy, review and until the next one…
Ba-Bye~!