FanFiction…. your sites on the fritz again. About half the users aren't getting ANY notifications now… for ANYTHING. Seriously, this is why some people, including myself to a degree, freaked out. And, did anyone else know this: only two or three people troubleshoot these problems… TWO OR THREE!… BRAH! I did some digging and found the domain is registered until 2028, so it seems we have time until they renew it or something (not sure exactly how it works)… or once this Cash Cow filled with ads begins to stumble, it will get slaughtered.

Ok. Rant over. Just stressful hearing this site might die someday. I have so many memories here, as I'm sure you all do.

Welcome back! Did my American viewers have a good 4th of July? (AN: This post was supposed to come out a day later, but I got sidetracked. If you wanna know the details aside from the above rant, just ask.) Sorry for the scare on the last small update. So as an apology, I put this one on the Dash Panel to get it out as soon as possible. In order to do that however, I had to spilt this into a 2-parter. The true final chapter of this Arc, the semi-season finale, will have to be posted at a later date.

Think of it this way: the rescue mission is this chapter, but the final battle against the Fallen and the door to the Chaos Emerald Saga will be opened next chapter. Saving a best for last!

By the way, any Yu-Gi-Oh fans out there? I started a new story known as Yu-Gi-Oh: The Curse of the Rosario. Yes, its a crossover between the King of Games' series and Rosario+Vampire. Seems like an odd combo, but I noticed for a long time that archive seems to lack originality. Only an intro has been posted at this time but if your interested, why not give it a quick read? Its only a little over 1500 words, so it'll only be a minute or so of your time.

Now back to reviews and the actual fic you came to read. If you guys can also manually share this chapter update with friends who are interested in what a Sonic/High School DxD crossover SHOULD be, I'd greatly appreciate it as notifications are down again… if we have to wait another year for this to be resolved, I swear…

From Ssj4:

Dude why is sonic weak as fuck in this fic he would easily beat the asses of fallen angels he has taken on enemies like metal sonic,emerl and eggmans machines in his base form this is utter bullshit you have lowballed sonic way too much

Bakuganman: Been awhile since I've heard from you. You do know Sonic had beaten the Fallen before, right? For this chapter, all I have to say is: context matters. If you can't see it, I'll be more than happy to point it out.

From gabedanebasham:

If Sonic went Dark Super Sonic then he might have been able to beat Raynare, it was there but he didn't use it. I don't know if it because of his lack of emeralds or something else. Kinda disappointed in Sonic right now because Issei was able to take out Raynare with only a few boosts while Sonic can go faster than the speed of sound.

Bakuganman: You kinda answered your own question in this review, XD. Not sure why you brought up Issei beating Raynare, since that happened in official canon but not here and even then, not till AFTER becoming a Devil. If your still reading, Sonic will have the opportunity to get his revenge next chapter. That's all I'm gonna spoil.

From Chaos Drago:

Awesome chapter you made there, loved to fight between Sonic and Raynare. also I love you added the special homing attack from Sonic 06 since that homing attack is very unique and imo cool, it's adds on the Sonic's personality and style too. I also caught to that little hint and reference to Sonic Heroes, with the note he can use light-speed dash and Blue Tornado. I can't wait for more of Sonic's movest like Sonic Wind to make it's appearances. If there's one thing I'm still waiting for is for Sonic's to fight hand to hand one day, since it's known that Sonic does indeed knows hand to hand combat.

Well that's all I have to say about this chapter, I don't have new to say, just keep up the good work, let no one tell you that this story isn't good (which it is IMO), hope you're having fun this summer, congrats on the 160 follows and favs, and I hope your have a great night/evening/afternoon/morning from where you're at, and I can't wait for the next update!

From Infinity Prime:

Not bad ... I like it. Keep it up.

Bakuganman: Thank you both for the praise for Boss Battle. Had to give Raynare more of a taste of Sonic's powers. She still has one more but like I told gabedanebasham, I'm not gonna spoil it.

Chapter 19: Break Out! Devilish-Hedgehog Style!

"What do you mean she's gone?!" Asked Rias, almost yelling as she spoke, not believing Asia was missing. Ugh, this was the worst week of her life! First the man practically hunting her down is getting more adamant, then she admits to herself she's jealous of an alien, next she learns of Fallen in her territory and now the nun they were after is on the run! Before she could give a command or a game plan however, there was a sudden barge into the main office, the door slamming into the opposite wall.

It was Issei, his Gear out for some reason, panting and holding said door against said wall with his left hand. It also appeared it was using it to hold himself up as well, given how tired he looked, looking like he swam a hundred meter dash twice. The reason "swam" was being used was cause his clothes were visibly damp, either from water or his own sweat. Breathing in and out, his chest rose and fell, indicating how tired he was. The look in his eyes also told the Devils' something was wrong. Very wrong.

"Issei?!" Rias asked, unsure if what she was seeing was actually across from her. It was indeed Issei, and he looked mortally exhausted. Why did he look like that? Why was he wet? Why did he have his Gear out? With Issei struggling to stand, his stance wavering, Rias dropped whatever she was doing and she and Kiba (who was closest to the human at the time) supported his using their own bodies. "Issei! What happened? Why's your Gear out?" She asked in panic, worried about the young boys safety. This was another problem of her's to add to the list. She was also failing their agreement, to act as his bodyguards.

Issei muttered something, but it wasn't very audible even with her Devil hearing which was mainly because her main focus was on Issei's condition. "What?" She asked, wanting him to repeat it.

"S-Sonic... Asia... ambush..." Was all Issei managed to get out before he stumbled forward, unable to support his own weight, and his Gear disappeared back into his body from him going unconscious. Now extremely concerned, Rias ordered her peerage to get Issei on the couch pronto, Akeno already having her healing magic up and ready for use. While all this was going on, Issei's eyes did try to open a couple of times, but they were so heavy. He was able to see very faintly some faces and his surroundings before they closed and everything went silent.

POV - Sonic:

Back at the Fallen Angel's lair, Sonic was still struggling in the magic forcefield keeping him in place. It's already been past an hour, so the Fallen Angels were getting some 'ritual' ready from what he heard. As for what it was about, he had no idea, but Asia was definitely the centerpiece of it all. He had to keep trying. He had to get out of this stupid trap he stupidly fell for. But no matter what he tried, he wasn't moving anywhere. After Raynare had her nap from 'feeling under the feather', she had Sonic moved to a different room. Believe it or not, it was actually the room Asia made tea for him and Issei, making Sonic feel horrible.

He underestimated Raynare, even after seeing what supernatural beings of this dimension were capable of; and it cost him and Asia their freedom, along with Issei probably feeling like shit right now. Maybe he should have Boosted through her barriers BEFORE she flung him off, or maybe he should have used stronger Special Moves. Either way; it didn't change the fact he was here right now, being guarded by one reluctant Fallen... mainly because Sonic was annoying him.

Sonic: I mean, she was a great gal, if a bit wet behind the ears, but I'm not really into birds either. So what about you, big guy? What's your name? How about your favorite color? Ya like long, romantic walks on the beach? What's the source of your guys power; like, is the light energy inside you, or ya gotta gather it up first? Can use the bathroom real quick?

The male Fallen Angel guarding him frowned more and more with every question Sonic asked. It came to a point where he was covering his own ears to try and drown him out. This stupid Hedgehog has been going on nonstop for nearly a half hour! How did that human and those Devils put up with him?! "LOOK! I'll let you out AFTER ritual, alright? Just stop, ok?! JUST STOP!" The Angel begged, quickly snapping his body and head around to face the rodent.

The door then opened up and another male Fallen, having heard the commotion as he happened to pass by, walked in. "What's going on? The hell are you yelling about?" He asked, having not paid full attention to the conversation and merely heard the desperate yelling part of it.

"It's the blue cat. Part of Lady Raynare's spell wore off, now I can't get him to shut up!" Said the guard Fallen.

"Just recast it, you Baka!" Snapped the second Fallen.

"I can't."

"Why not?"

"…. I don't know the spell." The guard admitted with an anime-style ashamed face.

"Put a spear through him, then. That'll shut him up" suggested the second Fallen.

"You heard Lady Raynare," said the guard, then used the same type of voice mimicry to perfectly copy Raynare's voice, also mimicking her mannerisms for dramatic effect: "Get preparations ready for the ritual. We start in an hour. One hour!..." He then started copying Raynare's movements, including overdramatic hip-swaying as he walked to a side of the room to imitate Raynare further. To Sonic, it didn't seem the Fallen (or at least a small minority of them) were totally on board with her plans, whatever they were, seeing as this Fallen was basically mocking her. "And don't pull one quill off his head... until AFTER the ceremony. Obviously, she wants a taste of that Hedgehog dick before she kills him." He finished, breaking character once he did.

"Then why not find someone who knows the spell!" The second Fallen suggested.

"Ok. You mind?" Asked the guard.

...

...

...

The second Fallen gave the same ashamed face the guard did moments ago.

"Ouch." Sonic said, then continued to talk. "So you don't have the exact same move pool, but different types of magic?... Actually, that explains allot. Fire Princess' good with fire, Lightning Queen's good with lightning; is that why some light spears are different colors? Is it like, different levels of potency, or it is up to personal preference? I'd rather mine be blue, ya know? Cool and blue as me!" Sonic went on and on, knowing this did annoy them somewhat. If was gonna be a prisoner, he might as well have some fun with it, right?

The guard Fallen snapped. "OK! THAT'S IT! I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE! I'M OUT!" He stated, quickly walking past the second Fallen. They bumped shoulders as a result.

"Hey, hey, hey! Where ya going? You need to keep an eye on the rat!" The second Fallen called out to his ally as he followed behind him, the Guard already in the doorway at this point, wanting to get as far from the alien rodent as possible.

"Look at him," the Guard pointed to the Hedgehog with an open hand. "Like a mouse caught in a trap. He ain't getting out unless someone lets him out." With that, the two Fallen left the room, leaving Sonic alone. He tried struggling a bit more, but it was pointless. While Asia was most likely being 'prepared', Sonic couldn't help but wonder if Issei was ok.

POV - Normal:

Issei felt his eyes begin to open… when did he close them? How long was he out? As he opened his eyes, he found his vision was sideways looking at a sofa across from him. He recognized it as one of the ORC's… oh yeah. He went across town on foot after Raynare tricked Sonic and forced Asia to choose between going with her or having Sonic and him killed. So he must be on the other couch. Funny thing is… he didn't remember it being this soft…

"Issei? You awake?" Asked someone.

"Ugh. Y-Yeah, I must've..." Issei began to say as his eyes fully opened now and he happened to look upwards... all he saw was two huge spheres and red hair above him. "GAAAAAAH!" He jumped up with a fright and yelped about it, going to the other side of the sofa and away from a smiling yet concerned-looking Rias, not expecting to find himself in that position. His head was literally near where the magic happens.

"What's wrong?" Asked Rias, though it wasn't clear if she understood why Issei had such a reaction, or was being purposefully oblivious to it.

"Eh, n-nothing," Issei recovered, then looked around the room, noticing it was only him and Rias. "Where's everyone else?" He asked.

"I asked them to let you rest. They're still in the clubhouse," Rias said. Issei couldn't help but wonder why Rias told her servants to do that. Was it out of concern in case the human was overwhelmed, or so she could have him all to herself? "Speaking of which, what the hell happened to you? Your Gear was out, your clothes were all wet, and you were barely breathing" she then asked, concerned for the human after the way he showed up.

That's when it all came rushing back to Issei like a river. He suddenly grabbed Rias by her shoulders, his sudden maneuver catching her by surprise, and looked directly at her with a serious look in his eyes. "Rias! I need your help!"

POV - Sonic:

Sonic was still by himself for many minutes after the two Fallen left, alone in that room. He was taking a short break from his struggling, but he'll most likely start up again in a minute or two. Here's to hoping if the volume magic wore off, the same thing would occur with the trap?… A Hedgehog can dream, can't he?

A small creak from the door caught his attention, those two lackeys coming back? Sonic looked up to see it wasn't two beings, but a single one. Female. Slender and busty.

"Had a nice nap?" Raynare asked, walking into the room.

"Funny. You read my mind. How was yours?" Sonic returned fire, which did get Raynare's mood to sour a bit, but she didn't let it bother her. She could also care less the magic to keep his mouth shut wore off. She didn't have to worry about him or his comments for much longer, nor needed to waste anymore power on him.

"It was good… a little longer than I anticipated," she said, then put on an innocent face and forced herself to blush. "And its all your fault. You were just so rough." Sonic would have rolled his eyes at that one. Do these people ever stop?

The Fallen stepped closer and cupped Sonic's chin with a hand. "To be honest, I really like you, Hedgehog. I don't know where you came from, but its been a pleasure to meet you all the same. Genuinely, I wish things could have been different," She continued, then removed her hand quickly. "But… its saddens me to have to say goodbye. The ritual is ready to begin, and me and Asia would like some girl time. You understand, don't you?" She added, flicking his nose in a playful fashion, making it bounce a few times, then turned around and began to walk out.

"HEY! If you harm one hair on her head…!" Sonic warned, his temper beginning to flare up. His voice did get Raynare to stop walking and stand with her back facing him so she could listen. She then smirked and turned back around to speak to the rodent again.

"Harm her? On the contrary, we're going to take away the source of all the poor girls pain." Was Raynare's response. Sonic didn't like this. The source of all her pain? What was that supposed to mean? The way Raynare said it didn't help either. "I could explain it; but I wouldn't expect your tiny, mortal brain to comprehend such information. All you need to know is once the ritual is complete… Asia will be free." Raynare continued and without another word, she left the room this time.

A chill ran down Sonic's spine as 'Asia will be free' left the Fallen's lips. After a few seconds, he started struggling again, pulling himself harder this time.

POV - Normal:

"Ok… let get this straight: Asia ended finding you in town, your pet came back after running away from home, you 3 spent the day together and Raynare had been following you the whole time?" Rias questioned the boy as they both sat together, making sure she got the story right. It certainly explained why Asia wasn't in the room prepared for her, and also answered the question as to why Issei had his Gear out on the way back. So the Hedgehog returned and took Raynare on a date (Sonic's words, not theirs), had an 'argument' with each other and while Sonic won that debate, Raynare tricked him into going after her again only to trap him. Once that was done, she did the same thing to Asia and took both of them as her prize.

And what ritual was she… oh no. It couldn't be… not that one! But why, though? Asia was just a regular nun, right? Why would a Fallen Angel need to go THAT far, and with THAT type of magic? Assuming if Rias' hunch was correct, it didn't make any sense.

Issei nodded, then looked down at his feet. "I tried… I tried to help before and after the fight… wasn't strong enough…" He said then began to frown, feeling frustrated at his own weakness. Rias honestly felt bad for Issei. It sounded like he did everything in his limited power as a human to try and protect those two. He then looked back up towards Rias before adding something in. "You probably already know what I'm about to ask, but just hear me out."

Rias did not say a word nor deny Issei's request. She just let him speak.

"I have to save them. Both Sonic and Asia. They both risked their lives for me, and I can't just sit here and do nothing. I get your not exactly Sonic's biggest fan, and yes; he can be hard to deal with," Issei continued, then suddenly raised his voice while snapping his head back to Rias. "But he doesn't belong here! Sure I have my doubts sometimes, but he saved my life! So I believe him! Every word he said! He needs to find a way back home, but he can't do that if he gets himself killed!" Issei began to get a bit more emotional right now. "And Asia… she's innocent! She didn't ask for any of this!" Issei got closer to Rias again, almost right in her face. He didn't know where this sudden courage came from to get THIS close to a hot chick, but he couldn't let things end this way! It didn't feel right! "I know I'm asking allot… but please! If there's anything you can do… anything!… Please tell me!"

Rias had to admit, the humans dedication to all this was admirable, and she could feel the compassion in his voice as he made his case. He seemed like an ok guy, and she did want to assist him if she could… but she couldn't risk getting caught. Hell, Issei shouldn't be alive at this point. She revived him because he was dying, yes; but he didn't actually say he wanted to be. She could still make the argument to those in charge that there was no other reason why a human like Issei [indirectly] summoned her upon being "killed", but he wasn't a Devil at this point, so there wasn't much of a reason to be around him other than business. In fact, there were rumors that one Devil of great influence had contact with a human female, and had a child together as well, but the details were fuzzy. The poor woman's memory was wiped afterward, which eventually lead to the current society of Devils having human contacts be strictly for business only.

There were some exceptions to the rule of course, but none that Rias could think to exploit right now. Speaking of which, Issei knew about their existence at this point, and had saved her life from that Stray they fought awhile back… perhaps he should know the full context of her situation. With how much he's learned already, it wouldn't make much of a difference even if she was dragged to the courthouse.

"The truth is, Issei; I shouldn't even BE here right now," Rias admitted. As she looked up at the ceiling, Issei listened carefully to everything she said next. "Honestly, I SHOULD be in the Underworld, making contracts there. However, through a deal struck with the higher-ups, I was able to set up here at Kuoh Academy. If I wish to remain here, I have to follow the rules… that includes the peace treaty." She then looked down, looking saddened. "If I'm caught, there's a huge possibly I'll be dragged right back, and they'll probably wipe all the memories of me from all humans I've come into contact with after a thorough investigation." She continued, then smiled before looking forward and continuing again.

"I've always been fascinated about the human world, Japan especially. Now that I'm finally here, I've enjoyed every second of it. This world doesn't see me as the Crimson Ruin Princess. For the first time… it sees me. I don't want to lose that… not ever." Rias went on, then looked back at Issei. "I'm sorry, Issei. I really do want to help you, but I can't. Unless those Fallen attacked me or my family first, then there's nothing I can do…" She finished in a saddened tone.

Rias was in a tough spot, Issei gathered. She DID want to help, but couldn't for political reasons. If she didn't follow through, not only will he not remember any of this due a mass brainwashing spell, but she'll also get into serious trouble herself. It was nice she was being transparent with him at least. As he took in what Rias said, he noticed a table out of the corner of his eye before focusing on it.

It was a chess table.

'Her or her family, huh?' Issei thought to himse… hold on. Didn't Rias say something about her family being like that game? He began to see images of his head, flashbacks from the battle with the Stray Devil. First was Kiba, rushing forward with his speed and sword drawn; next was Koneko, her tiny hand easily blocking the Stray's spear attack before shoving her away; and finally Akeno, enjoying herself while zapping the monster continuously with her lightning strikes.

That was it… THAT'S how he was gonna solve this problem. Issei stood up from his seat, then walked away. "Where are you going?" Asked Rias, cocking her head a bit.

"Going after them." Issei said, not looking back at her.

"WHAT?!" Rias asked, then disappeared quickly into a glyph rising from below her before reappearing in front of Issei in a similar glyph just as quickly. He was just about to grab the doorknob too. "Are you crazy?! You can't fight an entire army of Fallen by yourself!" She exclaimed, her kind nature starting to come out. Even if she couldn't help him, that didn't stop the redhead from worrying about him.

"Well, I don't exactly have much of a choice right now," said Issei. He felt kinda bad getting Rias riled up like this, but this was the only way he could think of to get his plan to work. "Besides," he added, holding up his left arm. While nothing was there at the moment, it was clear what he was referring too. "I'm not going in unarmed."

Well, he wasn't wrong there, Rias had to admit; but he still wouldn't stand a chance even with his Sacred weapon. "It doesn't matter! Even with a hundred Twice Critical's, you won't last 10 seconds in there! Your either the most courageous human I'd ever met, or the stupidest Baka on the face of the planet!" She exclaimed again, then after a sigh to calm herself, she forced herself to speak in a calm voice. "Issei… your very brave, and I commend you for that," she said, and she was being genuine. He stood up to her when she was flaring her power once before, and protected her from what could have been a deadly strike from the cybernetic arm of the Stray. But the reality was: "But your still a human, y-"

It was then Issei cut Rias off. "Your wrong… I'm not…" he said. After everything that's happened to him in just a week, what he's experienced, what he's seen, and what he's learned… he couldn't even consider himself a normal, everyday human. Not anymore. His life was forever changed, and there was no returning to it at this point. "I'm just missing a Piece."

Rias blinked at Issei's last sentence, unsure what to make of it. "Missing a Piece?… Issei, what are you talking ab-…?" She stopped herself, the wheels in her head turning as she processed what came out of his mouth. Was he…? No way. That couldn't be. She noticed him glance away before, but didn't think too much of it. So she turned her head in the direction of… her chess board?

It was getting harder to deny what she thought he was saying. Was this human… actually asking for it? This was a first for her, as it very well could be for most of her kind. Usually it was the other way around!

Looking back at Issei, there was no mistaking the intent in his eyes. Neither of them said a word, but Rias used her magic to bring out her final Pawn Piece, the only one not currently residing inside of Issei. As she held it in her fingers, she looked up from it at the human in front of her, then back down at the Piece using just her eyes. This repeated a few times before Rias spoke up again.

"… Issei… if you do this… there's no going back…" She began. "You will become a creature of the night; one that can live at least 10 thousand years… you will outlive all of your family and friends, along with their's… everyone you've ever known or will know… If this works; you will never be the same, your body will be forever be changed… and you can never return to your former life again… is this really what you want?" She explained further, then asked him directly in case Issei was having second thoughts.

She has turned a few humans on her side before, and has met plenty of her other families servants over the course of her life who have been turned. While they didn't regret becoming Devils, there was a percentage of them that expressed missing their lost humanity on occasion. They all had varying backstories; some choosing this life, making a deal out of it, or having no choice depending on certain circumstances like death or an incurable illness.

However; reincarnation via the Evil Piece System, or any reincarnation from any of the 3 factions, was permanent. Once its been done, it CANNOT be reversed. Still… some wished they had another chance or even a day being human again… just one last time. All of this was why Rias was explaining it to him. He seemed like a decent guy, if a bit eccentric, and he had a strong resolve; but she didn't want to take his humanity away if its not what he truly wanted.

There was also a chance this might NOT even work at all, as even with 7 Pawns (which was a decent portion of her power), he remained human. But if it does, and Issei was serious about this… he better be willing to accept everything that goes with it. There was no Extra Life after this either… this will BE his life.

Issei didn't say a word, at least not yet. He just looked down at the final Piece in Rias' fingers, perhaps debating with himself some more. When he finally looked back up, eyes still holding that resolve… he made his decision…

XXX

Sonic was still trapped as before, not moving anymore. He's been struggling in the glyph for what felt like hours despite it being not even half of one, and was once again needing to take a breather. He couldn't give up, he had to keep trying. As he was stopping, he swore he heard something…

BAM!

The door slammed open, and in the doorway was…

"Issei?!" Sonic questioned, not believing what he was seeing at first… Issei Hyoudou, Twice Critical and all… here!… Was he THAT exhausted from all his struggling in this trap, that now Sonic was hallucinating? What was the kid doing here? How did he find him?

"Miss me?" Issei made a small joke, walking quickly up to Sonic's trap.

Sonic was, obviously; but still caught by surprise. "W-What are ya doing here? How'd you find me?" He asked, repeating his internal dialog directly to Issei. Also, Sonic didn't know why, but something about Issei seemed… different.

"A really hot bat, told me," said Issei, his Gear's orb glowing and saying 'Boost' indicating its power had gone off, then he punched the trap field holding Sonic with that same hand. The glyph appeared to also have an invisible field in front of it, which is what the pervert was hitting, and it made a clacking-like sound when it was struck. "Figured I'd… *clack!* save your… *clack!* blue behind this time. *clack!*" He continued as he continued to punch the trap, his intent to break Sonic out with brute force.

XXX

Meanwhile, around the same time…

In a tree, Mittlet was sitting on one of its many branches, swinging her feet in boredom.

"*sigh*… This is so boring. I love Raynare, but I think she's getting waaaay to paranoid," the Fallen Angel complained. Don't her wrong, she understood they were breaking rules here, but wouldn't they have gotten caught by now if the Fallen Angel leaders knew anything? While numbers of Devils were small, the Fallen were WAY smaller, so it's not like the higher-ups could exactly afford starting up another war. "And really? Why did I have to stand guard? I would rather be watching the 'guest of honor'… have a few things to say to that blue raccoon," she continued on. Speaking of which, they already got said mammal out of the equation, so what more was there to actually worry about? Not like he was going anywhere anytime soon…

That's when she noticed a flash of read light down below. It was a glyph and rising from it were 2 Devils. It was none other than Akeno, who had a friendly smile on her face; and Rias, who had her arms folded under her chest… she still couldn't believe that Issei and herself had talked her into this; but like she told Issei, there was no turning back now. Once again, Rias Gremory had found herself bending the rules. Hopefully, they could get this done without attracting too much attention from either sides representatives.

"On second thought, nevermind. Hey there! I'm Mittlet, and I'm the most awesome Fallen Angel in the history of the world!" Mittlet said, greeting the guests that arrived.

"Ara ara; this ones cute, isn't she?" Akeno said after Mittlet did her antics.

"Yes, nice to meet you. If your standing guard, I guess your people are worried about a possible attack," said Rias, being sarcastic with her first response, then cut to the point on her second.

"Worried? As if! We're just in the middle of a super-duper, top secret ritual and don't want Devils like you interfering." Said Mittlet.

"You mean the secret ritual that's forbidden because it can take another persons power?" Akeno said in a cheerful voice, which got Mittlet to flinch at since she pretty much told them anyway.

"Me and big mouth!" She said.

"Oh… and sorry to burst your bubble even more, but the other half of our team is already inside." Akeno continued, keeping the same tone.

"They're what?!" Mittlet asked in an bratty tone, surprised at this bit of information.

"Well, they weren't exactly discrete about it… They're probably getting Sonic and Asia out of there as we speak" Akeno answered. In fact, Issei and the others boldly broke through the front gate.

"God Damnit! Are you freaking kidding me?! What kind of idiots would risk breaking in from the front where all the guards are?!" Mittlet complained as she stomped her foot around in aggravation, eventually turning her back to the two Devils.

Rias could already imagine at least 10 things Sonic would say in response to that, one of them being: The same idiot that thought we'd only break in from the back?. "Your right. You probably would've been better off guarding the raccoon." The Crimson Devil quipped, having overheard the last bit of Mittlet's conversation with herself.

"Ugh, doesn't matter. Lady Raynare put the ritual on rush, and ordered some extra defensive measures from that old man, so its not like they'll get to either of them in time." Mittlet recovered. "Anyway, why are you both out here then? Providing backup in case things go sour, or maybe send the blue pipsqueak home before Raynare kills him?"

Her last statement caught Rias' and Akeno's attention. So the Fallen were aware of Sonic's secret, that he wasn't from their world? "Oh, you didn't know? Gotta admit, he certainly LOOKS like a Youkai; but after what Raynare witnessed in his memories, you gotta wonder… where exactly is he from?" Mittlet's ego was rising, as the expressions on the 2 Devils' faces told her she caught them off guard. Rias looked more interested yet also concerned at that last bit of information, her eyes narrowing slightly to visual this. Raynare tried Memory Altercation on Sonic? Considering he still knew who and what she was, her attempt obviously failed.

But the real question is… what exactly did Raynare see?

"And the power his world supposedly has, even the old man…" Mittlet continued to mouth off, and she probably would have revealed more if a new voice didn't stop her.

"That's enough, Mittlet." Said a female Fallen appearing behind the Devil Duo from a void of purple energy, being joined by a male one at the same time. "Can't have you spoiling everything now, can we?" Said Kalawarner, she and Dohnaseek being the ones who've appeared. Hearing them talk about a supposed power also caught Rias' attention. What exact power were they talking about? That's the second time she's heard something like that, instead it was from people of her own dimension this time.

"Nice to see you again, Lady Gremory," Dohnaseek greeted, recognizing one of the Devils he fought previously, if only briefly. "So what are your reasons this time? Saving your class pet after sticking his nose where it doesn't belong, or have your servants finally snapped the leash?" He taunted Rias.

"Actually, neither." Was Rias' response. This confused the Fallen.

"… Wha-?" Mittlet asked, just as confused as her allies.

"They're here on their own free will, and we don't have any intention on stopping or saving them… they're on their own." Rias continued her statement.

"So… you came all this way, just to stand back and watch?" Mittlet asked, still confused. Even when she used to be a Pure Angel before Falling, she never understood why Devils operated the way they did. Why waste the time coming here where their servants are, only to not assist them in any way?

XXX

Back with Issei, he was still pounding the magic barrier keeping his Mobian friend hostage. It didn't appear anything was happening, but Issei refused to quit. After hitting it 3 more times, the boys noticed a small dent in front of Sonic. They were stunned by it for a second at first, but then upon realizing what this meant, they both recovered and this gave Issei more drive to continue, and slightly faster.

'Come on, pal,' Sonic mentally cheered Issei on. With each thrust of his fist, the magical trap cracked even more little-by-little. This continued for the next couple of hits, then upon pulling his fist back again, time seemed to slow down…

[BOOST!]

POW! SHATTER!

With his Gear flashing its orbs light a second time, and with one final impact, Issei finally managed to break Sonic's prison. With the magical power gone, Sonic felt the pull of gravity return and he fell down, landing on his feet. As if just to be sure, he looked down and tested out his feet by tapping the front of his shoes on the floor behind him. Sure enough, he had feeling back in his legs!

Issei did it! He was free! He gave Issei a smile, but didn't have time to verbally thank him because for some reason, Issei flinched and stopped moving, and looked really nervous as he whipped his head to the door that closed by itself when Issei rushed in. "Issei? What's wrong?" Sonic asked.

"He went this way!" Hearing this got Sonic to look in the direction of the door as well…

BLAST!

Or what USED to be the door. A blast of magical energy completely destroyed it. What came in were 3 male Fallen Angel soldiers, all armed with varying colors of light spears, and 2 of them being the ones Sonic had a "conversation" with earlier.

"Heh. Wrong room, Devil." Said one Fallen.

"You should have gone with door number two." Said the second Fallen.

"Maybe stay with your master next…" the third, the one guarding Sonic originally, began to say, but then noticed where Issei was standing… and who was missing. "Hang on…" he added, then at a louder volume he asked: "Where's the rat?" The other Fallen noticed this too once it was brought, but by that time…

"He's up, over, and strea-king!" Said Sonic, who somehow ended up out the door behind them with folded arms and his signature grin (the camera panning to the side to show this); jumped up, did a backflip in midair then upon hitting the ground, his feet began circling themselves as if running in place, where he then took off in a burst of speed.

In a matter of seconds, a blue blur was encircling the trio making afterimages of himself, then those images seemed to fuse together to make a blue circle surround them as it continued to move faster. Issei had to look away from the scene, as just watching it threatened to make him dizzy, but he did hear a few grunts and crashing sounds.

When he finally looked back, Sonic was standing in the middle of the room with a few hundred feathers slowly descending and settling to the floor, one Fallen on the floor face-up, another had been knocked into a wall… wait, where's the third…?

SPLAT!

Nevermind. Gravity was kind enough to pull him out of the ceiling, landing face-down with a groan next to Sonic, who didn't even flinch. "… Feel better?" Asked Issei in a slightly joking tone.

"Very." Was Sonic's answer with a smile. Issei smiled back and walked past Sonic, getting to the doorway.

"Come on. Let's get outta here." Issei managed to say before…

"Wait a second, pal." Sonic added, making Issei turn around to face the alien. His back was turned to Issei, but the turned around himself to face him and showed a hint of confusion. "How'd you know… they were coming in?" The Hedgehog asked his human friend. At first, he thought it must have been because maybe Issei ran past them; but it appeared Issei somehow knew they'd barge in BEFORE they called him out. Even if that wasn't the case, a human couldn't outrun a Fallen, let alone three of them.

Issei's mood changed a bit, then Sonic added: "And why'd they… call you a Devil?" Sonic scratched the side of his head with a finger, still very confused. Issei glanced down at the floor. "I mean, sure your under Fire Princess' watch, but…" Sonic continued.

FLAP!

"WHOA!" Sonic backed off from Issei upon… what the? Sonic could only stare, unsure if he was seeing this correctly. No way… when did this happen?

Bat-like wings… behind Issei's back… the same kind as the ORC's…

"I… Issei?" Sonic asked. He was stunned beyond belief, but it didn't make any sense. Didn't Rias say he somehow remained human? If that was true, then WHY did his human friend sprout wings like that out of nowhere?

"It was the only way." Issei responded in a low tone.

"Only way?" Sonic repeated, not understanding what was going on here. He had so many questions. Only way to what? Why was Issei a Devil now? Why did he do this to himself?

"I'll explain everything later," Issei said, recalling his new wings, then held up his Geared fist. "Right now, we got a friend to save!"

While Sonic was still taking in the fact Issei was a Devil now, his friend had a point. Giving Issei a nod after a few seconds, Sonic silently agreed to hold off on the questions for now. Besides, this was no time to sit around! They had to get moving, and FAST! As both boys exited the room, they knew there was only one thing left to do, which can be summed up like this:

One Hedgehog down… one Nun to go…

Not much to say except once again, sorry for the scare. Hopefully this makes up for it along with the upcoming final battle against Raynare's group. Thanks for reading, and I'll see ya in the next one at Sonic Speed!