After a short explanation, as well as Mythos beaming the first volume into the newcomers' minds, he gave them time to see their friends and family. Mr. and Mrs. Gremory were happy to see their son again and were checking to see how he was doing. Kadoc talked with the Chaldea group to confirm if they were really doing this, to which they all nodded and told him it was fine. He let out an annoyed sigh but grabbed some snacks before joining his group. Mr. and Mrs. Gremory went and sat with Sirzechs, Grayfia, and Millicus. Once everyone was situated, Mythos addressed the group. "Alright. Is everyone ready to begin?" They all nodded, and he started playing the video.

(Gremory Territory in the Underworld)

In a castle in the underworld several beings were enjoying dinner together as their maids and butlers took care of everything. As these beings were eating and discussing current events happily eventually a certain subject was brought up.

"So, there are only a few months left before the engagement," said a red haired man at the head of the table.

"So it appears. Time seems to pass quite quickly recently," said a younger looking red-haired man.

"When was this? I don't remember something happening so soon at this point in time," asked Zeoticus.

"Right… Due to Mythos' attempt to merge timelines, some events were slightly altered as a side effect. So instead of Rias getting married after graduation, it was made to happen sooner for some reason," explained Sirzechs.

"How odd. I know we agreed to allow Rias to attend school until she graduated. I wonder what made our decision change," wondered Venalana.

"How is Rias doing? I heard that she recently had an encounter with the Fallen Angels. Is everything fine?" asked a voluptuous woman with flaxen hair.

"She is fine mother. From what she reported to me, she and her peerage along with some new acquaintances were able to deal with the rogue fallen," said the young man.

The older man seemed curious by the younger's report. "New acquaintances? Who are they?" he asked.

"I don't know much about them myself, as she hasn't described them in any detail to me other than the fact that they are humans. But…" The young man leaned forward and folded his hands in front of him. "From the way she was speaking these people might be the light at the end of the tunnel that she is looking for."

Rias had a blush on her face, seeing that her family saw right through her so easily. While she wasn't exactly hiding it, it was still embarrassing to be called out. Her family on the other hand were chuckling warmly, seeing this as more of Rias' rebellious youth than anything else, although they did reflect on how they never considered Rias' feelings.

The older pair looked at each other then back to the young man. "So, she is still insistent on not marrying Riser," the woman said, disappointment emanating in her voice.

"Perhaps I was too focused on the benefits at that time, although it was your father that wanted to marry you to Riser," said Venalana.

"Me and Lord Phenex have been friends since we were young. We promised that if we had kids that they would get married," said Zeoticus.

"Ah… One of those scenarios," said Da Vinci. "Romantic and/or dramatic for story plots, which I guess we all are a part of now that I say it out loud. But quite thoughtless and inconsiderate in execution."

"Well, I won't argue with that. Considering what the result was afterwards," he said while looking at Rias and Issei sitting next to each other.

"She was always strong willed, just like you, mother. Besides, I can't exactly blame her considering the type of person her fiancé is." The young man's expression didn't change but his voice made it clear he wasn't pleased with the situation either.

"Well, we made the agreement with a way out for her for a reason. If she is able to successfully break off the engagement then all the problems with this arrangement will be solved," said the older man while laughing haughtily.

The FGO group gave Zeoticus a look that said there was clearly a problem with that way of thinking, which caused him to scratch his head in embarrassment. "You're quite laid back, aren't you?" said Kadoc in a slightly mocking tone.

"So you say, but don't be surprised that no matter the outcome if Rias becomes resentful of you father," said the younger man.

This seemed to catch the older man's attention. "You're not saying she will be mad with me, are you?!" he asked, almost whining. "How can I make her not mad at me anymore, Sirzechs?!"

The FGO group's previously criticizing gaze had now become one of exasperation, seeing that despite his reckless decisions, he was a doting father.

Sirzechs let out a light chuckle at his father's actions. "The only way you will get in her good graces is if you cancel the engagement yourself."

"That won't happen," said Sirzechs' mother sternly. "There are too many deals entangled with this engagement for us to just cut it off. Rias' way out was the only consolation we could provide her to get out of this but none of the devils outside the family that are involved with the deal, except for maybe the current Phenex head, believe that Rias will be successful."

"What a rousing endorsement of confidence you have for your child," said Kadoc sarcastically. Venalana felt a hint of shame. While she knew she could be calculating, and did so for the sake of the family, when she was observing it from the outside, she really did seem heartless.

"Well, whoever these new allies are, seem to have lit a fire in Rias because I have a hunch that she is going to do whatever it takes to recruit them," said Sirzechs cheerfully.

His father rubbed his beard with a smile. "I can't wait to see just who these humans are to catch my daughter's interest," he said musingly.

"I'm sure we will see when the time comes dear," said Mrs. Gremory. The engagement battle seems like it is going to be full of surprises, seemed to be the consensus of the Gremory family.

The scene changed to Issei's bedroom as it showed he and Mash asleep together. This scene caused the DxD girls to be jealous while Mash's face became flush. The others showed either amused looks or were respectfully looking somewhere else.

"Wake up big brother! Otherwise, I will have to… kiss you!"

"What kind of alarm is that?" asked Da Vinci with a small chuckle.

"I got it at a convention a couple years back," said Issei, slightly embarrassed. He hadn't needed to use it in a long time since one of the girls would wake him up, usually either Rias or Ravel.

The alarm was going off in Issei's room, stirring him from his sleep. Issei lifted his arm up to turn it off and wiped his eyes afterward. He looked over to his side and saw Mash sleeping peacefully next to him. It had been a month since the Fallen Angel incident, and everyone was adjusting to their new lives. Asia had gotten used to living in Issei's house, Mash had become more comfortable in their new relationship, and the Servants had become accustomed to the town. School had been going good for everyone (besides the usual chaos) and the relationship with the devils had been steadily building. All in all, things had been relatively peaceful. Issei lay in bed for a while longer not wanting to wake Mash up but then there was a knock at the door. "Issei-san, it's time to get up. Martha-san and Jeanne-san made breakfast," said Asia through the door.

"I'm up, Asia. Give me a minute to get ready. I will be down soon," Issei responded. He heard Asia walk away from his door and felt stirring next to him.

"Dodged a bullet there," said Goredolf, breathing a sigh of relief on Issei's behalf.

"Well, it wouldn't have been as bad as you think it would have," said Mythos, amusement evident in his tone.

His voice had awakened Mash who was now rubbing her eyes. "*Yawn* Good morning Ritsuka," she said groggily.

Issei smiled at her. "Good morning Mashu. Sleep well?"

Mash smiled at Issei. "Yes, thank you. Sleeping with you feels much better than sleeping alone. It makes me feel safer," she said with a blush.

"Someone's become more comfortable showing their feelings, eh Mashu?" said Da Vinci teasingly, while Mash was covering her face with her hands to hide her embarrassment.

"I never thought I would see you like this," said Kadoc with an amazed expression.

Issei blushed as well then turned away in embarrassment. "W-we should get ready before Asia comes to get us again. We also don't want our parents teasing us all morning."

""Our" parents?" Mash mimicked. Issei realized what he said and was about to correct himself when he was stopped by Mash. "I never really had parents before. Dr. Romani was a good caretaker, but he was never really a father. But now, I have a family. It feels like a dream."

The DxD crew felt sympathy for Mash, with a few of them understanding Mash's situation a bit having their own complicated family situations. Asia felt the most kinship with Mash, understanding the feeling of being welcomed as family by Mr. and Mrs. Hyoudou.

Issei looked at her a moment before bringing her in for a hug. "No matter what happens we will always be your family. My parents already consider you their daughter, so you don't need to doubt whether this is a dream or reality," he said, a warm smile on his face.

Mash just continued to embrace him while responding "Yes Senpai," with happy tears flowing from her face.

After their moment the couple got ready and headed down to eat breakfast with the others. The Hyoudou parents started to tease them when they came down together asking them if they had another eventful night. Asia was lost as to what the pair were talking about. After a chaotic breakfast the three went out to school.

Kadoc made a gagging noise, getting a few looks from people. "This is way too mushy for my tastes," he said.

"Not much of a romantic, are you?" asked Rias, who got an annoyed look from Kadoc.

Since joining the ORC things at school had become hectic for Issei. All the other students started to freak out the first time he walked to school with the club. "No way! How did Hyoudou get into that club?!" "Rias-senpai, get away from that beast!" "He will taint them with his presence!" "If he does something to them, I'll kill him!" It was the usual drama. Issei resolutely ignored the other students as he expected this when he joined. Mash had a dark look on her face from the students' reactions while Asia couldn't understand why everyone was mean to Issei. The members of the ORC knew about Issei's reputation but being in the middle of it was a different experience than watching it from the side. They didn't show it on their faces, but they felt sorry for Issei.

"I know I had the information added to my brain earlier, but seeing it is completely different. I guess it's understandable considering the type of person he apparently was before, but still…" said Kadoc. The others nodded in agreement with his words, with some of them again feeling regretful that they didn't stand up for him back then.

His days were spent being haggled by others about how he got into the ORC and trying to get in themselves, he either ignored them or said the Rias decides who gets in or not. After a few weeks the other students more or less gave up but that didn't stop rumors and wild speculation from constantly spreading.

In the meantime, Issei, Mash, and Asia were spending time with the devils and learning more about devil society. The trio accompanied the group with fighting strays and even went on a few devil jobs with them to see how they work. It had been very informative for them and had built up trust between the group little by little. Issei had been paying close attention to Rias to try and figure out what her endgame was and noticed something slightly unexpected. As time went on, he noticed that Rias was becoming more and more stressed. He figured that the work she did kept her busy, but he noticed that even when she wasn't working she seemed to be lost in thought about something. He found it slightly amusing watching her face change while she would be thinking to herself and the variety of emotions she would go through. He also noticed that when he or the other two talked to her it was like someone breathed life back into her.

The Gremory parents now saw that their decision to wed Rias to Riser had affected Rias more than they believed. They honestly believed she was being overdramatic, but seeing her continually deteriorating state as time went on, they felt their guilt grow.

Maybe Asia was right about her having some sort of issue and that's why she wants to recruit us, Issei thought to himself as he sat in the clubroom with the others. He was trying to figure out how to ask her without seeming like he was prying into something that he shouldn't. Suddenly Rias got a call on her phone which was usually the signal for a stray devil sighting.

"Everyone, we have another stray to deal with. Let's take care of this," Rias said stoically. Everyone nodded in agreement and went out to deal with the threat.

"Some more combat should be interesting to see. What is this about a stray though?" asked Goredolf.

"Some reincarnated devils leave their masters of their own volition, whether it's for power, or a crime, or some other reason. Devils that leave their masters power become unstable and causes them to mutate and become more monstrous. They tend to become a threat to everybody, humans who don't know about the supernatural included. So it's the job of the devils in charge of the territory to either capture or kill strays to protect everyone," explained Sona.

"I see. It's like dealing with a rouge Mage," said Goredolf, who was nodding in understanding. "Well, I look forward to see how this type of job is done." The others nodded as they continued watching.

Here is this months voted for story. Since the first two chapters of this volume were short I combined them like the first volume. There also wasn't much of anything to go off of since not much happened in these two chapters so this was more of the new members getting used to the viewing. The next few chapters will be more interesting hopfully. I look forward to the comments as always. : )