PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING FOR A NEW SONIC CROSSOVER ANNOUNCEMENT:

Finally back with your favorite story, Sonic DxD! This was delayed for multiple reasons, one of them being because I was updating my YouTube Channel with Little Nightmares 2 content. I LOVE this freaking game! Can I also request you guys watch my playthrough? I have a full playlist on it. I even put plenty of Sonic jokes in there since they were so easy to make. There is also another crossover in the works, also involving Sonic, but only him and Tails as main characters from their respective side. I'm not gonna say what it is, but when it DOES come out, I'm sure you'll all love it. In fact, it hasn't been done before in this website, so that will be an adventure in itself.

I find it funny every time I tell people on Discord, they get the wrong series. Something about an adult harem porno manga... I assure you, that's NOT what Sonic and Tails are gonna get themselves into. But anyway, the Raynare Arc is almost complete and then... the hunt begins, so let's shout reviews out and continue on the journey:

Guest:

Oh i just can't wait...
But seriously, did you really have to Nerf Sonic in his fight with Freed?

Bakuganman: I wouldn't say I nerfed him. I see your point, don't think I don't, but you do remember that device Freed used on him, right? Go back and read that section again, there's a reason for it.

xavex:

Let see if its too late, then I would cast my vote for Mephiles due to how he actually killed sonic. However I am satisfy with whatever choice you make out of this.

Bakuganman: It is. Polls closed and I'm not taking anymore votes. I'll have to work around it cause I didn't expect a tie, but I'll make the most of it somehow.

Gemini-Spark:

Infinite Sucks why is he above Black Doom why do people like Infinite

Bakuganman: I'm as confused as you are, but the crowd has spoken. I do find this ironic, considering this xover was a Forces rewrite beforehand. Destiny maybe? Who knows?

Barrubo:

Honestly Rias needs to realise that she doesn't own Sonic and that Sonic is his own man, or hedgehog. He isn't from any faction so he is above the treaty set up by the three races. Rias only got herself to blame since she is the one that interfered with the Fallen Angel's. If she really wanted to stick by the rules then she should've left Sonic behind since him saving Asia wouldn't have effected Rias in any way. Him being their 'mascot' doesn't mean anything since that is just a title Rias selfishly placed on him with no bigger meaning.

and so no matter what Sonic does no rule, law or treaty is going to stop him. And it is time for Rias to realise that.

Bakuganman: "No Copyright Law in the Universe is going to stop me!"... Had to reference that. Jokes aside, an excellent observation my friend... but I think your missing the point. There's a deeper meaning there than just simple rules. Also, idk where you got the idea that Rias selfishly gave him the title of mascot. She was being sarcastic at the time when this was first coined when Akeno was joking around with Sonic. Go back to chapter 18 and check again; you probably misinterpreted it.

Chaos Drago:

Heyo! it's me! I'm back lol. Anyways moving from that, nice job with the chapters of Sonic rescuing Asia, and for the chase scene in the new chapter. Now if there's one thing that I loved on what you did, is was when you had Sonic got into a debate with Rias about what he should and shouldn't do. Sonic really is a guy who doesn't play with anyone's rules, heck this happened with plenty when sonic fought against being who tried to enforce that on others in the comics.

Another thing that Rias should have known, is that judging by the way sonic walk and talk, is proof enough that he's play by his own rules, AND the fact that he really isn't APART THE DEVIL FACTION. Seriously Sonic is a neutral force, a neutral force that does his own thing while still being on the side of good and have morals of his own. So of course he'll save Asia, because literally Sonic ALREADY WENT THROUGH A WAR A EVIL MASTERMIND THAT TURNED HIS UNCLE INTO A ROBOT. And that's only one of the bad things that happened to him, like seriously she doesn't know how many bad things happened to Sonic and then she went and said for to go home, when he doesn't have a home to go to at the moment, I honestly don't blame for getting mad lol.

Last thing I have to say and it's about the polls. I honestly didn't see that lol. I probably fell asleep when I was listening to Ch.18 XD. But if I would have known, I would have choose Mephiles, since he's practically is the villain who was actually to get the job done by killing sonic XD.

But anyways, I'm with the little rant and my thoughts on the chapter, which is a good chapter, and I hope you're still safe out there, and I can't wait for the next chapter. CYA!

Bakuganman: Hey, Chaos Drago. Always good to hear from you again. I'm glad you like the little debate session Sonic and Rias had, its been a planned plot point all along. Nothing against writers that make them friendly at first but, consider this: Rias is a Devil from a High Ranking family and surrounded by politics, Sonic is a fee spirit that goes where life takes him. To me... THAT is a definite clash of upbringings. Of course this'll cause them to get into a few arguments.

Chronos0305:

Hey there, so I was thinking about something. Eggman's eyes, they are a lesser seen detail about them. But they are both cool and a bit freaky looking. Maybe I don't know a quick scene where those eyes surprise the devils

Bakuganman: If I can squeeze this in, then ok. Don't expect it though.

Omnisaurus:

Well, this was a satisfying chapter. I can't really put it into words easily, but it was really satisfying to see the fallen try and fail at their attempts to retrieve Asia. The fight between Rias & Sonic was also really interesting to read, although I found myself agreeing with Sonic more than Rias.

Bakuganman: I've gotten a few reactions like this on Discord as well, some saying the chase was well executed, and many agreeing Sonic's argument with Rias sounds like something he would do. As I told Barrubo above, there IS a point to it, though I'm kinda laughing to myself that no one picked up on it yet.

That guy:

I have really been enjoying this fic so much. Also this Chapter really highlights that both Rias and Sonic are far more similar but Rias is the order to Sonic's chaos

I mean with how much pure power these two teens have there are few who could actually stop them.

Also both are surprisingly similar or is that just me

Also if it's not too late I'll vote Mammoth Mogul
Because I want niche villians

Bakuganman: They are similar. Maybe not exactly, but pretty close. The poll is also closed but even if I did add your vote, the difference is too large between them. Mogul has gotten a mention in the series, so his actions were canon.

Guest:

Can Sonic and Rias ever get along in the next chapter we'll soon find out.

Guest (AN: Who I know for a fact is the exact same person):

What will happen to Sonic in the next chapter after getting into an argument with Rias, we'll find out soon.

Guest (AN: Still same person):

Will Sonic and Rias ever put aside their differences and work together we'll find out in the new chapter of Sonic DxD.

Guest (AN: Do I even have to say it?):

When will we get to see Sonic and Rias work together after they forgive each other for what happened we'll find out in the next chapter.

Bakuganman: The only reason I'm responding to these reviews is... sorry, not sorry; but that's not going to happen. Like I said 2 chapters ago, the Asia rescue has set the relationship status with them. Sonic and Rias are NOT getting along, and won't for quite some time. I feel it's an insult to their characters to magically have them be friendly with one another. Nothing against stories that do, but its not part of my vision. If you know Sonic and/or Rias as well as I do, I think you guys will understand the reasoning.

Chapter 16: Revenge of a Fallen (Part 1)

POV - Sonic:

Sonic ran out of Kuoh Town and through the thick woods, toward this worlds version of Mt. Fuji. He flashed back to various moments with his argument with Rias, but none could compare to him "going home"...

Sonic: GRRRRRRRRR!

BOOM!

In a sonic boom, the Hedgehog blasted up the hill, also smashing down tress in his way, and the friction of his running melted some of the frost. As he was heading upward, he felt a surge of pain in his side. It was his wound, still not fully healed yet. This caused the supersonic Hedgehog to trip on himself and skip on one leg for 2 seconds before losing his balance, and began rolling down the mountain, snow all over his body... he also hit a few trees on his way down before finally landing flat on his face, his nose and all buried in the snow. He was motionless for a bit before slowly raising a fist and punching the frosty sheet in frustration, then groaned. He then began to recover, lightsaber cut be damned, and stood on his feet, overlooking this dimension. He also took deep breathes to try and calm himself down, but it wasn't working too well.

That damn Devil! Who does she think she is? His mom? He's had like 4 of them! ... But that's not the only reason he turned tail and ran. The going home thing was still ringing in his head, echoing over and over... what if he can't get home? Before this current mess he found himself in, there was always a way back to his own world. Be it through rings, emeralds, magic portals and carpets; Sonic always found a way to return.

But this?... He wasn't even sure if the Emeralds were here at all! HELL! He STILL hasn't felt their energy whatsoever! He's been through pretty much every corner of this city and still. Nothing. You'd also think by this point, someone would've accidently found one of them, be it from their beauty or power; and Sonic would be alerted to their presence, starting the scavenger hunt all over again. He's lost count how many times that happened, but that's what made him feel even worse... what if they weren't here after all? What if he really was stuck here, forever?

Worse still: the beings of this dimension had no idea who he was, nor ANY idea how to get him home or had means too! As said before, he didn't mind where he ended up, but what about the innocent lives he always fought to protect? His buddy Tails, Amy, Knuckles... even Shadow to a degree... what were they gonna do without him? What if Eggman crosses yet ANOTHER line, and awakens something else from a eon-old slumber? What if he makes a robot so powerful, it would require the Blue Blurs assistance?

There was also that weird dream Sonic had that felt real; about them being turned into robots, but by a different doctor with a crazy haircut. What if THAT happens?

It was just too much for Sonic to keep his brave face on like he usually does. Behind his confident smile, he fights some demons like Rias... but they weren't physical. After everything he's been through, he's had to repress most of his feelings and worst-case scenarios playing in his head on repeat to be strong for those he was trying to save, even if the situation looked bleak and unwinnable. He'll never admit to anyone nowadays, but a LOT of times, even he wasn't sure if he could pull off most of the feats he did. Honestly, most if not all of it could be classified as being incredibly lucky:

That fight with Metal Sonic in his Neo forms? His chances were VERY slim from the get-go, and he could have very easily been blown away like a speck of dust as the robotic doppelgänger claimed if Tails and Knuckles hadn't joined him.

Amy held at gunpoint and his pod about to explode? He wasn't gonna lie, that was one of the few times he's been afraid of how far Eggman was willing to go, nor was he even sure that false emerald would work the way it did.

Flying after Eggman above Mobius when he stole the Master Emerald? That was only his 3rd or 4th time using a Super State, and he still had barely any idea on how to use it properly. Should he have lost power, it would have been over for him.

The time he was thrown in a labyrinth and rendered his trademark speed pretty much useless? Geez, so many Spin Dashes made his head spin, and it wasn't easy controlling which direction he was going either.

Eggman tearing the planet apart with Chaos Control, as well as making a copy of a certain Gizoid? Without Eggman's help at the last second, he never would have won that fight, even though the doc went right back to his old ways soon after...

Fighting a titan of pure darkness and passing out afterwards? He still didn't know what exactly happened or how long he was out. He just woke up in the same spot that adventure began.

Each and every one of those times, as well as the many countless other ones; Sonic was challenged and pushed to his limits, more often than not having to force himself to go even beyond those limits. And a few of those times, he really did feel like it was pointless as he fought to the point of exhaustion; but persisted and figured if he was gonna go down, at least he'd go down swinging. It worked thankfully, but there was always that constant fear that if he did royally screw up or did give in... it would all be over.

Call it PTSD if you want, that was probably the most accurate description of it.

Sonic, holding his side, leaned himself against a tree, looking up at the night sky. A full moon was out... heh. It was just like the one in his world. He wondered if there was ever a big battle there, maybe had a blown up side too. The pain slowly going away, Sonic stood back up slowly, still looking at the moon. He wondered how everyone was doing back home...

XXX

POV - Normal:

Back at the ORC after Sonic bolted it, Issei just stared out the window, processing what had just occurred. It happened so fast...

Sonic rescued Asia.

Rias brought them back.

Sonic thanked Rias.

SLAP!

Yelling back and forth.

Go home!

Sonic goes boom.

"Great. Ya pissed him off," said Issei, looking back at Rias, who still looked upset from the argument. "That hedgehog is sensitive!" He continued as she walked back towards her desk. "Literally; 100 thousand horsepower just ran off."

"Good riddance. One less thing I have to deal with" Rias huffed. She had allot more important things to worry about than some homesick alien.

"Wait... your serious? Your not gonna send a search party after him?" Issei asked, concerned for the well-being of his blue friend. That's not even mentioning the fact he still had to find a way home.

"With his speed?" Rias asked as she sat at her desk, implying that it was pointless. Considering how fast Sonic was, she wasn't exactly wrong. "Even if I did, he's probably halfway towards the western states by now. No point" she continued.

"So your gonna let him go? What about sending him home?!" Issei asked, going over to Rias' desk.

Really? This mortal was gonna try and play that card with her? Don't get her wrong, he was a sweet kid... if a bit naïve. She looked up a him. "Forgive me, but I missed the part where your pet became my problem." She said, pointing to Issei upon saying 'your', then herself when she said 'my'.

Issei couldn't believe what he was hearing. All this over Sonic not listening to her? It felt wrong. "We had a deal!" He brought up.

Rias remained as calm as possible, not letting herself burst like she did what Sonic. It was unprofessional and she hated to admit it, but she let her emotions get the best of her. She wasn't gonna let that happen a second time. "The deal was for your protection. Not his." She clarified which again, wasn't wrong. "Besides, he's a big boy. He can take care of himself."

The other Devils that were watching Rias deny Issei felt that, while Rias wasn't wrong contract-wise, it still felt morally wrong. This was completely out of Rias' character, and it couldn't have been just from Sonic taking matters into his own hands. But what could they say? It was a Devil matter, and getting a human involved despite being on this side of the deal was out of the question. Even if they did slip something to Issei, the higher-ups were probably still keeping close eyes on Rias' activities, and she could get into so much trouble if they found out.

"So your throwing a hissy fit because you didn't get your way? Is that really it?" Asked Issei, thinking that what Sonic said might in fact hold some truth. In response to this, Rias immediately glared up at him, her eyes taking a slight crimson glow. Issei was getting a little scared. Very scared. For a second, a transparent image of a crazy-eyed Yuma was over Rias when she flared her power... but then he thought of Sonic, and stood his ground, shaking hands be damned.

Rias had to give him some credit. She wasn't giving off even a fraction of her power, and that alone would still scare fellow Devils. To think this kid was frozen in fear of someone inferior to her like Raynare, but yet stood up to herself. Either he was a total idiot, or maybe some of that Hedgehog's sass rubbed off on him.

The reminder of the group watched in anticipation, wondering who was gonna give in. Surprisingly, it was Rias, dispelling her energy first. While Issei stood brave, you could tell his heart skipped a beat at Rias giving up. He wasn't sure a human like him with nowhere near the same level of power could pull that off. He could already imagine Sonic praising him, saying how 'way past cool' that was.

"... no..." the redhead reluctantly admitted, sounding upset still, but now in a different way, giving Issei pause. Now he wasn't the smartest guy in the world, but he wasn't a total moron either. Was it just him... or was something else bothering Rias? He was about to ask what was wrong, maybe have her apologize to Sonic so he could help too, but she continued just as his mouth opened to speak. "Don't." She said, already predicting what he was about to say. "It's Devil business... you can't help... no one can..." she said in a soft tone. "Our agreement still stands. Your still under our protection." She finished.

That line about "Devil Business" pretty much confirmed to the ORC what Rias was really upset about, but didn't say anything. It wasn't their place, nor was she incorrect. It was an affair that no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't get rid of it. It was also a family matter, so they had no say in the matter either. It didn't exactly justify her actions, of course, but it was a very stressful time for her.

Issei took note of how Rias acted just then. As powerful as she was, she sounded hopeless for a second, as if there was something she couldn't handle. What was the matter with her? Was there nothing he could do? Issei could bring up Sonic again, but Rias just calmed down, and bringing him back up might cause a relapse.

"What about Asia?" Asked Issei, concerned about the nuns safety too, which got a reaction from said person. He was already pushing his luck with Rias sure, but he had to make sure Asia was gonna be ok. If the Fallen came looking for her, he wouldn't last 5 seconds against them. He was still learning how to use his Gear, and lacked legit combat experience.

Rias didn't answer, but gave Asia a glance which caused the nun to cower behind Issei. She didn't know these Devils from a hole in the ground, whose to say she wasn't a target to them? After seeing Asia's reaction, Rias glanced back to Issei with a look that said: "Really?" Did this human not understand what he was asking of her? Looking out for him? Fine. She could make an excuse. But the nun? That was a blatant conflict of interest! A Devil looking after one of the people that hunted her own kind? In what universe did that make sense?! What could she possibly say to the higher-ups that could justify that?!

"I'm serious!" Issei adamantly said with a sudden surge of courage, which did catch Rias slightly off guard. "You keep going on and on how this is your territory and how protective you are of it, well why not put your yen where your mouth is and actually protect somebody!" He said, using a similar argument Sonic used, but with different words. It almost sounded like a challenge the way it was worded. Sonic has been doing the protecting and fighting when it came to Issei, while Rias took a more strategic approach, the Stray Devil and town chase being prime examples. If Sonic didn't barge in with the Stray, it never would have been distracted by a tasty-looking snack and gave the Devils time to come up with a new plan for its robotic arms, not to mention he was the one that pushed Issei out of harms way. And if the Hedgehog didn't take Asia when he did, she would have been left for the wolves, or in this case, the Fallen.

Asia was genuinely touched at Issei's actions. He was fighting, maybe not physically like Sonic did, but verbally. Will the Devil give in though? Cause she was adamant to leave her behind earlier, despite claiming she didn't like abusive people like Freed. She might be a Devil, but there was a good person in there. Asia could tell. But it was a matter of IF that side of her was gonna surface again.

Rias was quiet, debating with herself if this was really a good idea. Both the Hedgehog and human were turning her own words against her so if she refused, it'll make her look like a hypocrite... then again, there was always the option of just burning the mortal alive for disrespecting her in her own office. Why should she waste her time helping some random nun anyway? Powerless to stop those after her...

Crap. That last thought was kinda like her own situation...

...

...

...

"... 12 hours... not a minute more," she said in a soft tone while closing her eyes, giving in. "That's all I can give you..." she added somewhat regretfully. She DOES want to help, but at the same time, she had to protect herself from the powers that be. She couldn't just torch them either, that's not how she operated. If it was any other Devil family, then maybe, but not her. Looks like the ORC will have to spend the night here, not like that was an issue. This building was a dorm at one point before she settled in, and its not like they haven't spent long nights here before. Besides, if Asia stayed here with them for the night, then it was a VERY slim chance the higher-ups would find out. And even if they asked why she didn't return to the Underworld, she could just say she was doing extra work or was backed up again.

Issei sighed in relief, the tension now leaving his body. Thank the lord. "Thank you..." he said. It may not have been full protection like he's been getting, but at least it was something.

"Don't mention it... please..." said Rias, not wanting this mentioned again. If ANYONE else in the Underworld found out, Rias was gonna have her head hung over a fireplace. As long as Asia's name or what she was didn't come up, they were all safe. "You should go home and get some rest. I can have Akeno open a..." Rias then offered Issei a teleportation ride home, but he respectfully declined.

"Nah. I'm good," he said. He had enough teleportation for one day. For starters, it felt like he swallowed his own head the moment they made the jump, not to mention the added stress if Sonic and Asia were ok. He also needed a few minutes alone, away from all this craziness. "I'll walk it."

He turned to leave and was at the door when he heard footsteps. He turned back around...

HUG.

Asia had run up to him to give Issei a "thank you" in the form of physical contact. She hugged him tight too, making sure to press her head under his neck with her eyes closed. It was a sweet sight admittedly, though Issei's hands were in suspended elevation, caught by surprise by Asia's actions. Not knowing what else he could do, he slowed put them both on Asia's back, patting it a few times with one hand... this felt super awkward. She did eventually let go, looking into Issei's eyes, silently thanking him some more.

Issei then finally left the clubhouse, and began walking home.

XXX

POV - Sonic:

Standing up in a tree and looking out over the view was Sonic, his wound having relaxed so he could jump from branch to branch so he could end up on this tree overlooking civilization further down. It's been a good 10 minutes since he left the ORC building and now that he had some time to himself, he was able to calm down, allowing him to think over what had transpired. Thinking back to the argument he had with Rias, maybe Fire Princess had a point. Does that mean he now thought saving Asia was a bad play? No. Absolutely not. And nothing will make him think otherwise.

However, he hadn't looked at it from Rias' perspective. Should she had done something herself? That's the thing. She said she couldn't open a portal for Asia for it would've taken too long, but then ended up helping at the last stretch of the chase regardless. Rias mentioned a treaty as well, so she was bound by that apparently.

Ugh... politics... that was NEVER Sonic's strong suit. Even when he was set to marry a certain chipmunk, even before that when they were younger, there were times they didn't exactly see eye-to-eye. Plus there was that one time he completely ignored her dad, the Kings commands, and did something wrong in order to do what Sonic considered right. Heck, the King point-blank forbade Sonic from taking action, yet the Hedgehog STILL stomped outta that throne room with a dark angry cloud over his head to do it anyway.

Granted, his family was involved and that made Sonic a bit more emotional, but the point still stands. And after all was said and done, he did see it from the other sides point-of-view. So maybe the same thing applied here. Maybe she was right, and he didn't understand the specifics of what was going on before he dropped in unannounced.

Besides, seeing as he was gonna be here awhile, he might as well try to get a better idea of how this world works, and not just by being the residential postman for the supernatural.

TWITCH.

"Hmm?" Sonic snapped his head back behind him as his ears twitched, picking up a noise. Nothing was there, nor on the forest floor from his vantage point. He jumped down, from branch to branch to avoid aggravating his wound if he went straight down, and looked around himself. It was a bit dark, but the moon provided plenty of light, yet nothing appeared out of the ordinary. Maybe it was another raccoon again...

Sonic dashed off, leaving the area and headed back to town. If he would have looked up however, he might have noticed a pair of black wings and a set of Violet-colored eyes watching him as the body they belonged to sat on another branch. The owner of these things then stood up, its weight having no effect on the branch, and took off after the dashing Hedgehog.

XXX

POV - Issei:

It wasn't too long of a walk, but it was still pretty late by the time Issei got home. Right when he walked in the door and into the living room, his mother and father acted accordingly like concerned parents.

"Issei? Where have you been?" His mother asked him after getting up from the couch and walking over to him, wondering why he was out so late. Unless he was checking out porno with his only 2 friends, she couldn't think of a reason why. Wasn't the first time that happened either...

Issei already thought up a believable lie, having prepared for such a reaction. "Oh, I was with Rias and her club. We got a new member and had some extra stuff to do, ya know?"

His mother folded her arms. "So you weren't sneaking into a girls locker room again?"

"NO!" Issei said, since the school has of course called his parents about those incidents when a large group of girls would invade the main office and overwhelmed the staff. "We were welcoming her, getting to know her and we lost track of time. I. Swear" he insisted, sort of wishing Rias came with him and used that freaky magic of her's again. Would make things a hell of allot easier.

Thankfully, his parents seemed to believe him. "Alright. But be sure to call next time" said Miki.

"Yes ma'am." Issei promised. He was about to head upstairs to finally relax when Gorou called out to them.

"Honey? You see this?" He asked, which got them to walk into the living room to see him watching TV. The news specifically, which is what he and his wife were doing before Issei walked in. It was a Breaking News segment.

"And now we join Aiko at the scene of what appears to be a large craft of some kind. Aiko, what is going on down there?" Asked the news anchor, talking in a friendly tone to the reporter at the scene. Behind the female reporter was a large object in the woods on the outskirts of town. After a delay due to technical audio, she responded.

"... Sōta, I cannot tell you how shocked am I. As you can see behind me, we have officials and even volunteers trying to find a way into this aircraft," said the reporter, gesturing with a hand behind her. Sure enough, at least a hundred people were around this shuttle, either just examining it or just in awe if its massive size. It was huge! Even the thick forest it crashed in was unable to cover it. What was that thing? And where did it come from? Was it American-Made?

"We have gotten a short interview with one of the officials, but even he was astonished, having been in service for over 40 years and has never seen anything quite like this. They are still trying to determine who built it, how it got here and where it came from, but one thing he did say was... this ISN'T its full size" the reporter continued.

"I'm sorry, Aiko. For the sake of our viewers, are you saying this rocket ship is only a piece of the whole thing?" The anchor asked, genuinely curious and not just playing a role.

"That's exactly what I'm saying," she confirmed. "The officials determined that what we see behind me, is only a wing of whatever this thing was. There may be even more pieces nearby but as of right now, nothing else has been recovered."

"... Alright, thank you, Aiko," the anchor responded after a delay. "Basically one step closer to waking up with aliens bursting out of our chests," he continued, making a small joke with a smile about an American sci-fi franchise, which got the reporter to smile as well and also laugh.

"Maybe Sōta, maybe" she said.

"We thank you again, Aiko. In other news, Kuoh Town has reported sudden unexplainable building damage, though mostly windows..." the news anchor said, continuing onto the next topic.

"HA! Can you believe this? Aliens?" Asked Gorou. While that huge wing from some kind of vessel was impressive, he was skeptical about the whole aliens thing.

"Honestly, I worry for this generation. Media still making up stories just for ratings" added Miki, also skeptical. Issei on the other hand, could TASTE the irony in the room, considering one has been on top and under this very roof for about a week... then he frowned and glanced away upon thinking about him. He hoped he was ok, wherever he ran off too. His mother happened to notice this. "Issei? What's wrong?" She asked.

Once again, Issei thought quickly. "Uh... n-nothing mom, just, kinda tired. I'm gonna call it a night" he said, then began to walk away.

"Right now? Don't you want dinner?" She asked him as he continued upstairs.

"No, I'm good. Had something at the club," Issei said, white-lying again. What he really needed was a moment to himself right now, with so much going on in his life and half if it he didn't fully understand. He took a rather long shower, just standing underneath the running water as it flowed down his body. He couldn't stop thinking about Sonic's and Rias' fight. Should he have said something? If he did, what COULD he have said? Rescuing Asia wasn't wrong, that much was undeniable, he just really hoped this wouldn't lead to disastrous consequences.

And then there was that news coverage. What was that ship anyway? Was it Sonic's? He DID in fact fall out of the sky, so was this emerald stuff all a cover story?... He shook his head. That didn't sound like Sonic at all, but what else was he supposed to think? Maybe the ship broke apart in the atmosphere or something, and his jewelry set was lost somewhere on earth? But he specifically said he wasn't a techy type of guy, he only used rockets, but never flew them. None of this made any sense.

So many questions, not enough answers. What a great way to start the weekend...

After finishing his evening bathing; he put a pair of boxers and a white shirt on, set his waifu alarm for tomorrow (while there was no school, he still wanted to get up at a decent time), and went straight to bed. Exhaustion overtook him, and the poor mortal human fell right to sleep.

XXX

POV - Rias:

Everyone had taken a room to spend the night in the clubhouse, though Rias remained in the main office at her desk while holding her head, still in her uniform. So much was going through her head as images: how she was gonna talk her way out of this mess in case the higher-ups found out, what defenses should she set up in case the Fallen Angels try going after Asia again in the agreed timeframe, how she disrespected Sonic, what can...

She stopped, then shook her head at that last part. Why did she even care? He wasn't her problem. Plus, there was that ship the human news found out about, which she heard about via a magic circle, so it must have been all a lie about magical rocks of infinite power. So why she still thinking about it? Why was the entire conversation they had before he left playing on repeat in her head?

The door began to open, so Rias composed herself quickly. It was shown to be Akeno, having used magic to change into nightwear. Her hair was no longer in a ponytail either, just hanging down. "Still here?" She asked Rias.

"... just checking for any last minute requests. We can do them tomorrow" said Rias, pretending to go back to work, but Akeno saw right through it. They were best friends for the longest time, and they can read each other like open books. She might have been able to fool the others, but not her.

"You can cut the act, Rias. I know how you feel" said Akeno, which got Rias to stop moving.

"... do you?" She asked in a low tone, looking back up slowly after finishing her question. "I broke rules, Akeno. Big rules. If they find out, I'm screwed."

"Wouldn't be the first time you did," Akeno said. "If you didn't bend a few, none of us would be here." Rias couldn't deny what Akeno said, it was 100% true. She has bent the rules a few times, granted a few of them were due to her families influence, that same influence is what helped her get away with it.

"This is different." Rias said, now standing up at her desk. "I just put a nun under my protection. A nun! Unless she denounces God, there's no reason I should've gone after them. Does she LOOK like that type of girl?" She continued. Of all people to place under her wing, it was a nun! A NUN! FOR A HUMAN! She never thought she'd see the day she'd do that. That boy and Hedgehog were really flipping her world upside down.

Akeno didn't want to argue, but knew that somewhere inside, the Rias she knew was buried in there... the Rias that took a chance on her... and saved her life. "It shouldn't matter," she said. "What you and Sonic did wasn't wrong. You know that."

"Tell that to the Satans..." said Rias, agreeing with her but the powers that be probably would not. "I'm gonna lose everything... everything I worked so hard for. And then of course, there's him, who wouldn't stop hounding me!" Akeno looked like she was about to say something, but the redhead continued to rant. "Then that stupid Hedgehog comes out of nowhere and acts like HE has all the answers! Everyone has a choice, he says... if only it were that simple! He has no idea what I had to go through! All he does is run around without a care in the world, probably flies from planet-to-planet in that rust bucket of a ship and crashed here by mistake..." Rias continued.

Akeno narrowed her eyes... so that's what this was about...

"I never should have gotten involved. Should've just punished him for entering my territory like any other Devil, and labeled him an enemy, but no! I just HAD to be the curious one, now he just goes around causing..." Rias went on and on until Akeno spoke up.

"Rias." Akeno said, which got Rias' attention. "That doesn't make him your enemy..." she said, making Rias cock an eyebrow. What was Akeno talking about? "It makes you both the same."

That last statement made Rias blink a single time in a WTF fashion. What nonsense was Akeno saying now? Him and her? The same?! What logic possibly lead her to THAT conclusion? He's an alien, she's a Devil! He has speed, she has power! He can run circles around a continent in mere seconds, she can (or at least had the potential) to destroy them with one blast! Their NOTHING alike! But before she could backtalk, the Queen continued. "You fought against the higher-ups how many times? For Kiba? For Koneko?... For me?... Sonic just did the same thing! For someone he didn't even know!"

Again; Rias could not deny that. Sonic had assisted Asia despite not knowing her very long, only meeting her shortly after Issei and the rest of them. He even ended up helping with the Stray Devil without any hesitation, though reluctantly followed her orders before doing his own thing. It was somewhat similar to how Rias met the current members of her club, how she had no idea who they were before helping them out anyway.

"...Ok. Fine. You got me there," Rias admitted. Fair play. Akeno got her. "But he doesn't THINK. You know how this is gonna look if the higher-ups find out! If HE finds out! That's just another reason for my family to go along with his families stupid proposal!" She argued.

Akeno felt really awkward about this, arguing with her best friend, though its not the first time they've done this. "What about Kiba? Isn't that technically the same?" She asked, which was true Kiba had a similar origins to Asia, yet Rias was never penalized in any way.

"That's completely different! He was on the verge of death after that project was deemed a failure!" Rias said, which was also true in her defense. It was another loophole one could exploit.

"What about Koneko? What her sister did to their master?" Akeno questioned.

"Well obviously, she should've have been held accountable for something she didn't do! That makes no sense!" Rias said. At the time, a large portion of Devils assumed Koneko would do the same thing her sister did without any evidence and only went off fear, but thankfully Rias and her brother put a stop to that, as unpopular of an opinion as it was.

"My point exactly." Said Akeno, and it was here Rias realized what her second-in-command just did. She called her King out, and cleverly caused her to confirm Akeno's original statement. "You didn't have to do any of it, but you wanted too... and you didn't need a reason" the Queen then quoted Sonic. Rias had no counter for anything Akeno just said. "So let me ask you: Is this really about saving a nun?... Or is there something else?" She then asked point-blank.

Rias looked unprepared for that question, but still answered it. "You know why, that asshole and his constant nagging."

"I'm not talking about him," said Akeno in a knowing tone. "What's the real reason, Rias?... Why are you really upset?"

"... It's only him. That's all." Rias insisted after a moment of delay.

"Rias..." Akeno said her name, knowing full well she was lying through her teeth.

"There's nothing else."

"Bullshit."

"I swear, there's nothing..."

"Come on, Rias! I KNOW you!"

"Akeno, there's nothing wrong!"

"DAMNIT, RIAS! TELL ME THE TRUTH!"

"THERE'S NOTHING TO TELL! I'M FINE!"

"STOP LYING AND BE HONEST WITH ME!"

"OH, LIKE YOUR HONEST ABOUT YOURSELF?!" Rias stopped herself there, mostly because of Akeno's facial reaction to what Rias was saying, wide-eyed and shocked her best friend took it that far. The King at this point realized what she just did, which was pretty fucked up on her end. She then tried to apologize. "I... I didn't mean..."

"No..." Akeno cut her off. "I overstepped... it's fine..." While she held a somewhat straight face, it was clear she was a bit offended at where Rias was about to take the conversation. Rias mentally kicked herself. What in the lowest pit of hell was wrong with her?! She knows how Akeno feels about that, so what possessed her to bring it up?! "Your stressed out... I get it..." The Queen forced herself to shove this under the rug, and pretend it never happened. "But if your not gonna be honest with me... at least be with yourself."

That's all Akeno was willing to say, not wanting to take this any further than it already got. As she began to walk out, Rias just stood in shock at herself. Was she losing it? Was she going crazy? Akeno did look back before closing the door behind her gently despite her own rising emotions. This wasn't anything like the Rias she knew. What she was doing to herself wasn't healthy. Not for them. Not for herself. But Akeno already said her peace, and ended it by walking away before either of them said something that couldn't be taken back. As she went down the hall to the room she was going to be using, a image of what appeared to be an older version of herself flashed before her eyes. She shook it off, despite the tears welling in her eyes, and called it a night.

Rias stood in the main office. Alone... then slumped into her desk chair. What had she just done?

XXX

POV - Normal:

Meanwhile...

"And cut!" Said the cameraman who was filming the reporter from the breaking news segment. The woman wiped her brow, not because it was hot out here; quite the opposite since it was a bit cool, but mainly out of relief her job was done and she could move onto the next story.

"Ugh. Finally," she said.

"You seriously think its aliens?" Asked the cameraman as he walked side-by-side with the reporter, both heading back to the van they used.

"Please. My husbands more of an alien," she admitted, revealed she didn't fully believe the story either. "Besides, don't you think they would have eaten our brains by now?"

"Haha, I guess so. There was that one time in the 60's..." said the cameraman, then added in a well-known documented UFO sighting that the entire planet knew about.

"Probably just a helicopter for a publicity stunt. You know those idiot Americans. They'll believe anything." She the reporter.

"True... wait," He agree with her, then stopped which also caused her to stop. "Isn't your husband...?" His sentence was halted by the woman's kind smile turning a murderous glaze, which got the man to raise a hand in defense since he was using the other one to hold the camera. She backed off, then continued to the van, with the cameraman following behind her.

As the officials kept wandering around the crash site, an above shot of the forest was shown. As it pans further away, we see that several hundred miles at another location, was another piece. Most likely the same large ship the wing was from. The camera zooms in on for a closer look. It appeared to be part of the main body of whatever it used to be. The hull of the ship maybe.

And on this hull, as the camera slowly zooms in... was the symbol of what appeared to be a smiling or grinning face with a moustache.

This wasn't supposed to be a two-parter originally, but I figured I'd save the next boss battle with Raynare for next chapter. Then after that, a massive chapter for the final battle against her and her group. Not many comments to make about this chapter, mainly cause it'll all come full circle soon. Hope you enjoyed this latest chapter, and I'll see ya in the next one. I'll try getting it out toward the end of April or the beginning of May, since I got other stories that need editing, as well as the new Sonic xover I mentioned.

Until then, see ya! ;)