Issei stirred from his sleep as he looked at the unfamiliar ceiling. He was confused for a moment before remembering that he was in his new dorm at Beacon. Ozpin was generous enough to give them a special dorm that was large enough for the group with multiple rooms in it, like a small apartment. While not enough for each individual to get their own it was fine if they shared. Little did he think that they would share in a completely different way. Issei looked down and saw Ingvild, Ravel, Kuroka, Xenovia, Asia, and Rossweisse sleeping with him. Bennia, Ruruko, and Bova were in their own rooms. Roygun, as a teacher, got her own staff room with the other professors. Issei looked at the time and saw it was 7:30 a.m. and that classes would be in an hour and a half. As much as he didn't want to, he got up from bed, which stirred the others awake. "Morning everyone. We need to get up for classes," he said groggily.

The others groaned in tired voices but got up to get ready as well. They also got Bennia and Ruruko up as well as they all showered and donned their new uniforms for school. Ravel looked at the uniforms and looked conflicted. "These uniforms look almost a bit too formal. Issei-sama looks nice in it but, it feels a bit too…, I don't know." Ravel couldn't find the words to describe it. She was no stranger to uniforms or formal wear, but this school's felt a bit stiff.

They all made their way to their first class and as they neared it they heard the sound of running behind them. The group looked back and saw Team RWBY and Team JNPR rushing to make it to class on time. Seeing them made Issei smile, as he remembered his new friends' reactions to their talk the previous day.

(After the assignment of teams)

Team RWBY and Team JNPR met up with Issei's group as they met in a secluded area. "So, you guys are from Mistral?" asked Ruby.

Issei smirked as he shook his head. "No, that was just a cover story Ozpin made for us," he said without hiding anything.

This stunned the group as a few of them didn't even know what to say. Weiss decided to speak up. "Okay, who are you all, really?"

The group all looked between each other before Issei nodded. "It's a bit complicated and unbelievable to explain, but we can at least prove some things," said Issei. The group looked at Issei with interest. "We are from another world."

There was a moment of silence before Jaune spoke. "Another world? Like from space?"

"More like another dimension. But regardless you could say it's similar principles," said Rossweisse.

"You can't be serious?" said Weiss, not believing it.

"It's true. We're newcomers to this world, although it wasn't on purpose," said Ravel.

"Not on purpose? You mean the kidnapping you were talking about before?" asked Ruby.

"Yeah. I left out some details about that because I wasn't sure if you would believe me, but at this point it seems like we're gonna be here a while, so I wanted to tell you the whole story. And since you guys are gonna be a team, I think it's only fair you all know too," said Issei. They then explained in full about who they were and what happened for them to end up here. Issei then explained how during the exam he summoned the others here to see if he had some way to connect back home but it only ended up trapping them here as well. He then explained that he and Ozpin made a deal about them staying here and that was why he made a cover story for them.

Once he was done explaining he could see there were many questions in their expressions. The first to speak was Weiss again. "You expect me to believe magic exists?" she asked skeptically.

Issei raised an eyebrow as he summoned the Boosted Gear right in front of them, while the others showed some of their own abilities. "You live in a world where monsters roam freely, people can harness the power of the elements through rocks, and everybody has the capability to have their own forcefield, and magic is so hard to believe?" Weiss attempted to retort but when he said it like that it did seem rather silly to question the existence of magic.

Yang went next. "So that thing I saw before–!" she tried to say but was interrupted.

[I'm not a thing] Ddraig growled.

Most of the students were caught off guard. The only ones who weren't were Jaune and Ruby. "She didn't mean it like that Ddraig," said Ruby, surprising her team.

"Yeah, I'm sure she was just startled," said Jaune, surprising his own team.

"Wait, you two already knew about this?!" asked Weiss accusingly.

Ruby shied away. "We didn't know everything. Issei introduced Ddraig to us before orientation."

"So, what I saw before when I was unlocking your Aura…," Yang started.

[It was me. Sacred Gears are connected to the bearer's soul. When you attempted to awaken partner's Aura you connected your soul to his, and by extension to the Boosted Gear. I was surprised by this as something like this had never happened before, and I wanted you to keep it a secret so that we wouldn't be exposed] explained Ddraig.

Hearing the dragon's explanation Yang seemed to understand. Blake was next to speak. "Is this what you meant when you said you understood the feeling of having two souls before?"

"Yeah. It was weird at first when I awakened Ddraig for the first time, but we've become good friends, and he supports me a lot. He's saved my life more than once," said Issei.

[It's because you're so reckless, partner. Of course, I don't hate that about you] Ddraig said in an amused tone. Issei showed a wry smile as well.

Pyrrha decided to ask her question. "So, what do you all plan to do?"

"For the time being, we're still looking for a way back home. Whoever brought Issei-sama here has done something to block us from going back on our own. Our best bet is to wait for our friends and comrades to find us on their own. Either that or…," Roygun spoke.

Xenovia finished her statement. "We find the ones who brought us here and make them send us back," she said while having a serious look.

"You think they might be here?" asked Ren.

"It's a possibility. Why else would they bring Issei-sama here if there wasn't something here that they wanted? Maybe they need Issei-sama here because his power will help them in some way, but that wouldn't make sense with them leaving him on his own," said Ravel, trying to decipher what the enemy's plan was.

The others had looks of worry for various reasons. They were concerned for their new friends but were also concerned about the new criminals that seem to be running around in the background, planning who knows what. "We can't let them do what they want!" said Yang while punching her palm in front of her.

"Yeah! We should totally go out and break their legs!" said Nora.

Issei and the others were amused by their friends' enthusiasm. "We're grateful for you guys wanting to help, but this situation is beyond what you guys can handle. We've fought beings stronger than any Grimm you've ever seen. The fact that they could get the upper hand on us is already a sign of how dangerous they can be. You guys should focus on taking care of yourselves," said Roygun.

"But you need help," said Ruby.

"There is more than one way to help. You don't have to fight with us to help us. As it is right now, helping us get our bearings in this world is more than enough," said Rossweisse.

The students looked dissatisfied with that, but they didn't have an argument against it since everything was still unclear. Only Weiss and Pyrrha seemed to nod in acceptance to Rossweisse's words. Issei saw their low moods and decided to change the subject. "Well anyways, I'm sure you guys have some more questions so why don't you ask?"

Nora perked up immediately and raised her hand. "How can you use magic?"

Issei and the others looked at each other before looking at the group a bit unsure. "Well, there are various ways to use magic in our world, but most of us are able to use magic because of what we are," said Issei.

"What you are?" parroted Blake, interested in the phrasing. "You guys are Faunus, right? Or at least your world's version anyways." Blake assumed.

"No, we aren't Faunus," said Kuroka, getting a surprised look from Blake. "We're devils."

The admission that they were devils stunned the group. While many of them weren't exactly religious, they were at least aware of what a devil was. Ruby found it hard to believe. "Devils? Like the dark, evil monsters from hell that are supposed to tempt people to do evil things?"

A couple of Issei's group gave small chuckles. "Well, that's how we're always portrayed, but we're honestly not that different from humans. Sure, we lean more into the sinful aspects of life but, at least in our world, we're not inherently evil," explained Roygun.

"What do you mean by leaning into the sinful aspects?" questioned Weiss warily.

"Well, being devils we naturally gain more power from some of the negative aspects of life. Our powers can be formed based on our desires and the stronger the desire the more powerful we can become. Some of our powers are just inherited but even those can be trained and improved."

"But even with all that, we still have our own sense of morals and right and wrong. Especially with more and more devils being reincarnated devils as of late."

This caught the students' attention. "Reincarnated devils? What are those?" asked Ruby.

"Well, long story short there was a war a long time ago between devils, angels, and fallen angels and it decimated the populations of all three factions. As a result, when the war ended the devils had to find a way to increase their numbers quickly since it's difficult for devils to give birth naturally," said Ravel.

"One of our leaders, the Maou Beelzebub created a system called the Evil Piece System that could reincarnate other beings into devils. This in turn would help with the decreased population," explained Roygun.

The students were stunned by this. Some of them were wrapping their minds around a culture that managed to, for all intents and purposes, artificially create more of themselves. Weiss was trying to wrap her mind around the technological advancement of this otherworldly society while the others were still shocked about a three-way war in another world. Yang seemed to have something else on her mind though. "So does that mean you could turn us into devils?"

The students looked at her in shock, but Nora seemed to have sparkles in her eyes as she looked at the group. Issei made an awkward expression. "Well, I don't see why not, but there's a lot of stuff that goes into it than just turning you into a devil."

"Like what?" asked Blake.

"First, those who are reincarnated become servants of the devil who reincarnated them," said Rossweisse. This made some of them have uncomfortable looks.

"Second, becoming a devil comes with both benefits and detriments. You'll become stronger based on the piece you're given, and your lifespan will be extended to 10,000 years, but in exchange you'll gain a weakness to holy magic, and you will no longer be able to pray without hurting yourself," said Ravel. The groups' eyes widened at the benefits. The idea of getting stronger and getting to live for 10,000 years seemed to interest them greatly. They did have some worry about a newly gained weakness, but they didn't have to worry about holy magic in their world…, right?

"Finally, while you are reincarnated you will have to remain by your Master's side for some time. Being tied to a master is necessary to help regulate your new power. If you stray and go off on your own for too long, you run the risk of your powers becoming unstable, which usually ends up with the individual becoming monstrous in both actions and appearance," said Roygun. This one made the group shudder. Basically, if they reincarnated, they were giving up their freedom, and if they tried to run then they would lose control of themselves. None of them wanted that.

"So basically, it's a trade of power for freedom," said Blake in a displeased tone.

"Yes. It was made with the purpose of boosting the devils' numbers while giving those devils powerful servants. It is ultimately a selfish system but how such relationships are handled are dependent upon the master."

"Wait, so what's all of your relationship?" asked Jaune.

"Issei-sama is the master while the rest of us are his servants," said Ravel. "Well, that's not completely true. Xenovia is Issei-sama's knight, but she is a master too and Kuroka and Ruruko are her servants. Also, Roygun and Bova aren't his servants but pledged their servitude to Issei."

"Bova? Who's Bova?" asked Ruby.

"That would be me," said the small black dragon that had been sitting on Asia's shoulder the whole time.

It took a moment for the students to process what they heard before they all yelled in shock. Blake recognized the small creature that fought the Nevermore with them. "You're from back then."

"Yes, hello again. You were quite skilled when facing that bird head on like you did. You have my respect," offered Bova. Blake was caught off guard but felt a bit honored that a small dragon was impressed with her skills.

"This is so cool! I never met a talking dragon before!" said Ruby who excitedly rushed over to Asia and Bova.

Weiss pulled her back. "Personal space Ruby."

Pyrrha tried to get back on topic. "So then, they're all your servants?"

"Well, we call them peerages. Those who are part of a peerage are considered part of that devil's family, or at least that's how we and some others treat it. But yeah, everyone except for Kuroka and Ruruko are my servants," said Issei.

"We serve Xenovia, so it's sorta like we are his servants by extension," said Kuroka.

"Wait, so you can be both a master and a servant?" asked Nora.

"Yeah, I mean I am as well," said Issei.

"You are?" asked Pyrrha.

"Yeah. Remember my fiancée I told you about before? She was the one who reincarnated me into a devil and saved my life."

"Saved your life?!" she asked in worry.

Issei nodded and explained how he became a devil. How he was tricked onto a date by a fallen angel who killed him at the end. Then how Rias reincarnated him to save his life and how that started him down his path in the supernatural world. Once he was done, he saw that the group was giving him sympathetic looks. Ruby looked like she was on the verge of tears. "I'm so sorry you went through that! It must have been awful!" she said.

Issei gave a soft chuckle. "Thanks, but I'm ok now. As you can see, I'm doing a lot better now," he said, gesturing to the girls around him.

Yang showed a knowing smirk. "I'll say. Seems becoming a devil made you a playboy."

That got some laughs from some of the girls which confused Yang. "Issei is anything but that. He's a bit too pure to just go up and hit on girls. He just has a natural charm that draws people in, and we just couldn't help but fall for him," said Kuroka.

Pyrrha, Weiss, Nora, Ren, Jaune, and Ruby understood the implication in her words. Blake and Yang already had an idea of their relationship situation and that just basically confirmed it. "Are…, are you all in a relationship together?" asked Pyrrha.

"Most of us are. Except for Bennia, Roygun, Bova, and Ruruko, the rest of us are Issei's fiancées along with some others who are still back home," explained Ravel.

"M-m-multiple fiancées?!" said Ruby in disbelief.

"And you're all fine with this?!" questioned Weiss.

"Of course we are. We wouldn't be here if we weren't. What's wrong with that anyways? It wasn't abnormal for powerful men in the past to have harems of women. Women are naturally attracted to the strong and powerful," said Kuroka without any shame.

"But doesn't that seem…, I don't know how to phrase it right… Immoral?" asked Pyrrha.

"What's immoral about people deciding to love each other? No one is being forced into this relationship. We all got into this knowing we were going to share him, and we're fine with that," said Xenovia.

"Besides, you're trying to argue morality with devils. Even if we're not evil, that's still a losing battle," said Roygun in an amused tone.

The group made faces of realization for both seeing they were fine with it and the thought of arguing morality with a devil. Some of them gave embarrassed chuckles when they realized what they were doing. "Sorry, it just seems strange, is all. I feel like that kind of arrangement would simply lead to problems," said Pyrrha.

"Yeah. I can barely handle having seven sisters. I couldn't imagine trying to handle multiple lovers," said Jaune. Everyone gave him surprised looks. "What?"

"You have seven sisters?" asked Issei.

"Y-yeah, why? What's wrong?"

"No, it's nothing. I guess your parents were just "enthusiastic" about having a big family," said Issei jokingly, getting some laughs from the others and causing Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ruby to blush.

"Anyways, back to what we were talking about before. So Issei and Xenovia can turn anyone into devils?" asked Ren curiously.

"Technically yes, but my Evil Pieces are reserved for special cases. I wanted to help people who are outcasts or have special circumstances, so my Evil Pieces are modified to accept those kinds of people," said Xenovia.

"What kind of special circumstances?" asked Weiss.

"Well normally, the types of beings that can be reincarnated are only limited to beings of approximate strength or lower to the one doing the reincarnation. Xenovia's have been specially modified to accept those who are stronger," explained Ravel.

"Isn't that a good thing? Why doesn't everyone do that?" asked Nora.

"The system was set up that way to avoid power struggles in the Underworld. Xenovia is an exception because of her intentions but as a result she is also excluded from certain events that require peerages."

"That's understandable. I've seen more than my fair share of dealings with the upper-class and if any of them could get an upper hand on the others they wouldn't hesitate to abuse their power," said Weiss with a hint of disdain.

Ravel gave her an understanding look, feeling a sense of kinship with Weiss. "So with that said, Issei-sama is the only one who can reincarnate people here."

"I can do a max of nine people with what I have left," said Issei.

"Why nine?" asked Blake.

Issei lifted his hand, and a magic circle appeared in it. Then a box emerged from the circle, which amazed the students and finally made Weiss fully accept that magic was real. Issei opened the box, and it showed eight pawn pieces and a rook. "Chess pieces?" said Ren, confused.

"Yes, the Evil Piece System is based off of chess. The master has the position of the king, and the rest of the peerage takes up positions of the other pieces. Which piece is used will determine what kind of boost you will get. Rooks increase physical strength and endurance. Knights increase speed. Bishops increase magic. Queens increase all three but not as much as an individual piece would for their respective aspect. And finally, pawns are like queens except the increase is much lower, however like in chess, a pawn has the ability to promote to one of the other pieces temporarily and gain its benefits, making them the most versatile piece," explained Ravel.

They all looked at the pieces and felt a bit entranced. They didn't know what it was, but they felt something from them. Was it magic? They could definitely feel power from it. Yang smirked. "I'd totally be the rook," she said.

Both Weiss and Blake rolled their eyes at this, though from the short time they had been together they felt like that was accurate. Nora looked excited. "This is cool! There's enough for all of us plus an extra!"

"Whoa! Slow down Nora. Who said we were gonna get reincarnated?" said Jaune, trying to reel his new teammate in.

Issei gave an amused chuckle. "That aside, I already decided who would get these pieces." This caught the group's attention. "Only those who will be part of my harem will be my servants," he said seriously.

This caused all the girls to blush although Yang kept a small smirk. "At least take me out to dinner first," she joked.

"Yang!" said Ruby embarrassed at her sister's joke.

"I'm not saying you all have to; I'm just saying that this was what I decided before I even became a master. Like what was said before, I consider my peerage my family, so it only makes sense that the people I care about become a part of it."

The students calmed down and nodded in understanding at Issei's reasoning. "That sounds great," said Ruby.

Issei nodded and put away the box back in his pocket space. "Now, I think that's everything. Nobody else got anything to ask?"

They all looked at each other before Weiss spoke. "While I think there's still more to ask, we should probably take some time to process all this new information before we dive deeper into it. That aside, except for the possibility of a group out there causing trouble, none of this really applies to us."

"A sensible response," said Roygun, earning an appreciative nod from Weiss.

"Then I guess we're done for now. Please remember to keep this a secret from everyone. Only you guys, Ozpin and Glynda know. We're trusting you with this," said Issei. Everyone nodded and returned to find their new dorms.

(Back in the present)

Issei snapped out of his reminiscing of yesterday's talk and saw that Professor Port was still rambling on about one of the stories of his youth. He was half paying attention when the class started but was losing interest when he started his story. Issei looked around the classroom to see what his friends were doing. He saw Pyrrha, Ren, Ravel, Xenovia, Asia, and Rossweisse paying attention. Bennia, Ingvild, and Blake tried to pay attention but seemed to be struggling to keep their interest. Jaune, Yang, and Ruruko were completely bored out of their minds. Nora was fast asleep. Finally, Ruby was doing something completely different, clearly not paying attention either, and Weiss next to her was getting irritated by Ruby's distracting behavior. Issei saw the signs that Weiss was about to explode, when their professor addressed the class. "Would anyone like to test their might against one of these fearsome creatures?" Weiss' hand shot up immediately. "Ahhh, Miss Schnee. Wonderful! Please go change into your combat attire and get your weapon while I prepare the specimen."

After a bit, Weiss was standing in an open area between the podium and the students. Opposite her was a cage with a Boarbatusk, struggling to get out as it banged against the cage. Weiss took a stance, ready to fight, while her team was cheering her on. "Go Weiss!" cheered Yang.

"Fight well!" cheered Blake who was waving a small red flag that said RWBY on it.

"Yeah, represent Team RWBY!" cheered Ruby.

"Ruby! I'm trying to focus!" Weiss exclaimed at her leader.

"Oh, sorry," said Ruby, deflating.

Issei saw this interaction and felt like Weiss was being unnecessarily mean to Ruby. He wasn't the only one as Ravel also gave a concerned look to Weiss. "Alright, let the match begin!" said Port as he used his weapon, Blowhard, to break the lock on the cage and release the Boarbatusk. The Boarbatusk charged at Weiss, but she dodged to the side and thrusted for its ribs. Surprisingly it bounced off and did no damage. "Haha, wasn't expecting that, were you?" said the professor jovially.

"Hang in there Weiss!" cheered Ruby supportively again. Weiss charged at the Grimm, attempting to stab one of its eyes to get an advantage, but to her and many students' surprise, the Boarbatusk angled one of its tusks to catch her weapon. It tried to toss her, but Weiss managed to keep her grip and moved and flipped with the Grimm in order to keep her weapon. As the two were struggling Ruby cheered for her again. "Come on Weiss, show it who's boss!"

Weiss turned to Ruby with an annoyed look. Because of this the Boarbatusk managed to catch her off guard and tossed her away, separating her from her weapon. Seeing this, Issei and his companions became worried, and they shifted their positions a bit, ready to jump in and help if it became necessary. "Hoho, now what will you do without your weapon?" asked the professor.

The Boarbatusk charged Weiss who rolled out of the way and ran for her weapon. She managed to grab it and tried to reassess the situation. Ruby decided to call out to her again. "Weiss, go for its belly! It doesn't have any armor there!"

Issei nodded in understanding, filing that information in his brain away for later. Weiss wasn't feeling so understanding. "Stop telling me what to do!" she yelled, causing Ruby to wilt in place again. Issei frowned at this. The Boarbatusk began to spin in place and build up speed before rocketing off towards Weiss. Weiss created a glyph barrier and blocked the attack, causing the Grimm to fall on its back. Capitalizing on this, Weiss created another glyph behind her and jumped on it to propel herself towards the Grimm. She stabbed it in the stomach and the Grimm let out a pained cry before going limp and beginning to dissolve.

"Bravo! Bravo! Well done. It seems we are in the presence of a true Huntress in-the-making," said Professor Port. The bell rang and Port nodded. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Be sure to cover the assigned readings and stay vigilant! Class dismissed."

Everyone started filing out of the classroom and Teams, JNPR, POLI, and QRRT, along with Asia were looking at Ruby and Weiss with concern. "Sheesh, what's with her?" asked Jaune, referring to Weiss.

"While I understand not everyone likes being told what to do, it was a bit excessive of her to yell at her like that," said Rossweisse.

Issei and Ravel were looking at the pair with different expressions. They saw that the two had begun to argue. Well, it was more like Weiss was chastising Ruby while the girl looked confused and hurt. They then saw Weiss walk off. Ravel went after her. "I'll be back," she said.

"What's she doing?" asked Jaune confused.

"She's going to talk to Weiss. Which isn't a bad idea. I'll be right back," said Issei as he walked towards Ruby instead.

"Him too?"

"Issei-san was always the type to help others," said Asia.

"Of course he has a hard time ignoring a girl in distress," said Kuroka teasingly.

Ravel was trying to catch up with Weiss and eventually found her speaking with Professor Port. She decided to hang back and wait for her to finish, while listening to their conversation. "I enjoyed your lecture," Weiss said slightly awkwardly.

"Of course you did, child! You have the blood of a Huntress in you," said Port.

"You really think so?"

"Surely!" Port saw something was bothering Weiss. "Hmm, something troubling you?"

"Yes sir."

"Dear girl, confess to me your strife."

"Well… I think I should have been the leader of Team RWBY."

Ravel felt a pang in her chest. She saw a similar arrogance in Weiss that her brother Riser had. While not to the same degree, she felt an uncomfortable amount of self-pride in Weiss, although it didn't surprise her. She and Weiss were similar in some ways, with both of them clearly coming from upper-class families. Ravel felt like if she never met Issei, she would have probably ended up the same as Weiss is. She wanted to help her avoid that kind of life. This made her want to talk to her more. Before she could think of a plan, her thoughts were interrupted by the professor's words. "That's preposterous," he said seriously.

"Excuse me?!" responded Weiss in shock, not expecting such a harsh response.

"I have believed in Ozpin for many years, and not once has he led me astray."

"So you would just blindly accept his decision even after seeing how exceptional I am?"

"With all due respect, your exceptional skill is only matched by your poor attitude." Ravel had to hold back a laugh at that. She wished someone had said that to her brother a long time ago. His past self needed to hear that.

"How dare you!"

"My point exactly," Port said in a lecturing tone. "I see a girl before me who has spent her life getting exactly what she wanted."

"That's not even remotely true!" she said with some indignation. Port raised an eyebrow at her, and it made her reconsider her words. "Well, not entirely true," she said with less certainty.

"So the outcome did not fall in your favor. Do you really believe behaving in such a manner will get those in charge to reconsider their decision?" Weiss looked down in quiet contemplation. "Instead of fretting about what you don't have, savor what you do. Hone your skills, perfect every technique, and be not the best leader, but the best person you can be." A moment passed and a small smile made it to Weiss' face.

Professor Port nodded, seeing his words had the intended effect, and left. Weiss turned around to return to her dorm when she saw Ravel there, clearly waiting for her. "Miss Ravel? What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you, but I was waiting for your conversation with the teacher to end," she said, causing Weiss to blush in embarrassment from having someone see her act in such a way.

The pair walked to somewhere more private. "Is there something you wanted to discuss?" asked Weiss.

"Initially, I wanted to know why you seemed so irritable at first, but I got a better understanding after your talk with Professor Port." Weiss' expression became embarrassed again. "Miss Schnee, I believe we are similar in many ways. I've studied a bit about the SDC when we came here, and I can see that we come from similar statuses."

"Similar statuses?" Weiss questioned. She didn't know Ravel's background aside from what they were told on initiation day, but she always felt something familiar about her. From the way she carried herself, Weiss could tell she came from a noble family like her. Because of this, she found herself instinctively calling her Miss like she was talking to some other wealthy family heir.

"Yes. Back home, I'm from one of the noble pillar families in the Underworld, the Phenex Clan."

"Wait, so you're not a reincarnated devil?"

"No, I'm a pure-blooded devil."

"How did you become Issei's servant? I thought the point of your system was to make the reincarnated devils into the servants of true devils."

"It was in the beginning. Centuries have passed since then and the purpose has changed and evolved since then. I was originally a servant of my mother's then later traded to my brother, so that I may gain some experience. It was during my time with my brother that I met Issei-sama for the first time." She made a look of fond recollection and slight shame. "I was a lot like you back then. I had pride in my family and its abilities and didn't think much of anyone at the time. I thought Issei-sama was a fool who simply didn't understand anything. He so desperately fought to protect Rias from her engagement with my brother, even at the cost of himself."

"Hold on. Back up. Did you say he fought your brother in order to break off an engagement?" Weiss questioned in disbelief.

Ravel gave a small chuckle. "Yes. My family and Rias' family had made an agreement long before any of us were born since my father and her father were childhood friends; to marry their children so they could be family. Unfortunately, my brother Riser had a, less than savory personality."

"Let me guess. Stuck up, brash, feels like he owns the world?" said Weiss, all too familiar with those types.

Ravel nodded. "All that and a bit more. He viewed Rias more as his property than as a person." Those words made Weiss shudder, her mind immediately returning to her father. "Rias tried desperately to break off the engagement and the only way she could was through a Rating Game."

"What's a Rating Game?"

"A match where two masters and their peerages battle each other until one team wins. There are various forms of Rating Games, but the most common is simply a battle to eliminate the other team, which is what theirs was."

"So, since she's no longer engaged to your brother, then I assume she won?"

"No, she lost against my brother," said Ravel, surprising Weiss.

"Wait, then, how?" she was completely confused.

"It was Issei-sama. He took a severe beating from my brother during the match. So much so that he was unconscious for a few days. He woke up the day they were going to get married and crashed the wedding, challenging my brother to a one-on-one match for Rias." Weiss' eyes widened in shock. Crashing a wedding, and a wedding with wealthy nobles attending no less. She could only imagine such a thing happening in fairy tales. "My brother accepted, planning to make an example of him, but unknown to all of us Issei-sama had done something drastic to give him a chance at victory." Weiss leaned in in anticipation. "He gave up his left arm to his Sacred Gear."

"Gave it up?" asked Weiss confused.

"You've seen how Issei-sama can summon and dismiss his Gear when he wishes. By giving up his arm the Gear completely takes over it, turning him into a part dragon hybrid. His arm was no longer his."

Weiss made a shocked expression. He, gave up his arm…, to save Rias. Why was he so determined to save her? Was it simply love? "Why did he do all of that?"

Ravel gave a helpless smile. "Both because he loved her and because of a sense of obligation. He told you about how she saved his life, but even before all of that he had a crush on her. He loved her in a way that was different from the rest of us. She always had a special place in his heart. When he saw how desperately she didn't want to marry my brother he put his all to make sure it didn't happen," she said with a small hint of envy. Weiss didn't know what to say. She couldn't tell if he was brave or a fool. Probably both. "Not only did Issei-sama win against my brother and freed Rias, but he humbled him, changing him from his formerly arrogant self."

"Just like that? He beat him and he changed for the better?" Weiss asked in disbelief.

"Well, no. At first my brother had actually developed a trauma of dragons from losing to Issei-sama. But when he learned about my brother's condition Issei-sama came to try and help him. Some time had passed since their fight and Issei had let go of any grudges he might have had at the time. After he helped my brother from the trauma he caused my brother became more humble. He still had his pride, but he was no longer as arrogant as he used to be. The two can even be considered friends now," Ravel said with a smile.

Weiss was confused by this story. All her time being raised in Atlas and she never could once imagine someone from a noble family being able to reform from their selfish ways. It seemed too good to be true. Everyone she encountered always had some agenda behind their actions. Their kindness, always a front for some kind of benefit. Weiss hated it, which was part of the reason she came to Beacon. She never expected to meet someone like Ravel who could relate to her on a level she felt was impossible. "I don't have the words," she said.

"Back to the point though, it was after the defeat of my brother and watching his determination to save Rias that my opinion of him changed. I saw someone who didn't care for class or position, and simply fought for what he believed in and to protect the people closest to him. I was…, drawn to him, and before I knew it, I had fallen for him. When he finally was promoted to a High-Class Devil and got his peerage, my mother traded me to him for one of his unused Bishop pieces, becoming his servant."

"That is…, quite the story. I could never imagine something like that happening."

Ravel nodded, seeing her confusion. "I'm sure you have your own troubles, Miss Schnee."

"Please, just Weiss is fine."

"Then please call me Ravel," she responded with a smile. "Weiss, you are like me in a lot of ways. I used to have the same stubborn pride you had about my family until I met Issei-sama. Watching how he knocked my brother off his high horse put my own behavior into perspective. I will always be proud of being a member of the Phenex Clan, but I can't let that overshadow the efforts of others who may not be as privileged as myself. I think you should give Ruby a chance. She's young and only wishes to help. I can understand that she might have been, overly enthusiastic earlier, but I think your response was rather unwarranted."

Weiss gave an ashamed look. "You're right. I was out of line. I was just so sure of myself becoming leader that I was annoyed that it was given to someone else. I was wrong to take it out on her. I will apologize when I see her again."

"That's good. Take it from me, things will be much easier if you get along with your teammates rather than if you compete with them. Everyone has a role to play and all we can do is play them to the best of our ability. I may not be the best fighter on my team, but I make up for it in organization and management of our group's time and scheduling. I am actually Issei-sama's manager, and I handle most of his political duties that don't need his direct involvement."

"A manager? Well, you do seem like the punctual and well put together type. Maybe you could share some tips with me. I always strive to improve my own efficiency." Ravel smiled and the pair started chatting together happily.

Issei walked over to Ruby and saw that Ozpin was already talking to her. She looked up at him with a slightly saddened expression. "Was she right? Did you make a mistake?" she asked.

"That remains to be seen," Ozpin said, which didn't encourage her any.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, it's only been one day. Ruby, I've made more mistakes than any man, woman or child on this planet." This caught Issei's attention and fueled some of his suspicion. "But at this moment, I wouldn't consider your appointment as leader to be one of them. Do you?" he asked while leaning closer to Ruby. Ruby seemed to go into thought. "Being a team leader isn't just a title you carry into battle, but a badge you wear constantly. If you are not performing at your absolute best, then what reason do you give others to follow you? You've been burdened by a daunting responsibility Ruby, I advise you take some time to think how you'll uphold it." With that advice Ozpin walks away.

Ruby looked down in thought and Issei decided to approach her now. He put a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. "Got a minute to talk?" he asked supportively.

The pair walked somewhere private, and Ruby looked a bit embarrassed. "Did you hear all that?"

"Yeah. While I agree with Ozpin a bit, I think it's more than just a responsibility. Being a leader isn't just about your team; it's about yourself as well. You have to become someone you can be proud of, and in doing so, gather those who will stay with you. Of course you have to be aware of what your team needs, but they have to work with you as well. I can tell you from personal experience, I'm not always right, and plenty of times my friends have had better ideas than me, but in the end they all look to me to make the final call."

"You sound like you know what you're talking about," said Ruby, a little envious.

Issei let out a chuckle. "If it seems like that then I must be doing a better job of hiding my amateurness than I thought." Those words caught Ruby's attention as she gave Issei her full attention. "I'll be the first to say that I'm not the smartest person. All my skills and tactics are things I've learned through my experiences. I worked hard and struggled to learn everything I would need to, but for all the effort I put in I know there are those who are better at it than me. When I figured this out, I found myself doubting if I would be a good leader. But despite my doubts, people seem to come to me. They put their trust in me and follow my lead. A lot of responsibility has been given to me, so I decided not to be the best leader there ever was, but to be a leader I can be proud of, one who protects the people he cares about, and can help those in need."

Ruby looked awed by Issei but then looked downcast. "But, I don't even know what it really means to be a leader. How do I know what kind of leader I want to be?"

"I can't answer that. That's something only you can decide. But what I've learned is that answers like those come with time, because we are all different. What is it that you want to do?"

"I want to be a Huntress."

"Why? It's nice to help people, but there's usually something more to it right? I remember what you said when we first met Ozpin but there's usually more to it than that. So why a Huntress specifically?"

"I…," her voice trailed off. She seemed to go into thought again but couldn't come up with an answer.

"If you don't know then don't try to force an answer now. Like I said, those answers come with time. For now, you should focus on what you can answer and that's the dynamics with your team."

"I don't think Weiss will be willing to listen."

"And you're just going to give up?" Ruby looked at Issei and after a moment shook her head in denial. "Nothing that is truly worth anything comes easy. Weiss definitely has some issues to work out, but you have to be accommodating as well. In her defense, although you were trying to be helpful, you did come off as a bit annoying." Ruby deflated at that. "There's nothing wrong with being enthusiastic, but not everyone shares that enthusiasm. You have to learn to accommodate your team's different needs and personalities. You're the youngest person in the school, so I can understand wanting to try and prove yourself, but trying too hard will usually end up with you falling on your face, sometimes literally."

Ruby made an embarrassed face with a slight blush. "Do you think she'll really want to work with me?"

"I'm sure she'll come around. You're not the only one who has to be accommodating. She has to learn to work with you and the others as well. Although she is the princess type, so it may take a bit more work than normal."

"Princess type? What's that?" asked Ruby, confused.

"Ah, it's a term I use to describe certain types of girls. I'm sure you've watched shows where certain characters have certain personality traits. The princess type is for girls who usually come from a well-off background. They're usually formal and have a sense of superiority over others. How much can vary but they usually act all high and mighty while also acting delicate and refined. Sometimes they are bossy and act like they own the place, and have a habit of talking down to others, whether it's malicious or simply banter."

"Yeah, that sounds like Weiss," said Ruby with a small laugh.

"Yeah, although thankfully, her princess-like personality seems to be minor compared to others I've seen. She's definitely more welcoming than others I've seen, excluding Rias and Ravel of course."

"Ravel's a princess?" asked Ruby.

"Something like that. She is from a noble house in the Underworld. You could say her position is similar to Weiss'."

"So cool," said Ruby with some awe.

Issei smiled. "Glad to see your mood has improved." Ruby rubbed the back of her head in embarrassment while smiling. "Look Ruby, just take things one step at a time. Don't worry about "what ifs" and just focus on the now." Ruby nodded in understanding but Issei scratched his head in embarrassment. "Sorry, I tried to sound like I knew what I was talking about but I'm honestly still trying to figure things out myself. We're both learning to be leaders so let's do our best together."

"Yeah let's do our best," Ruby pumped her fist.

Issei nodded, then asked Ruby about something he had been thinking about for a while. "Hey Ruby, you know a lot about weapons, right?"

Ruby's eyes immediately sparkled at the mention of weapons. "Of course I do! What do you want to know?!"

Issei was taken aback by her enthusiasm but continued. "I was thinking about having a weapon made and I wanted your help."

"You want to make a weapon? Even when you already have your magic gauntlet?"

"I was thinking of getting a second one made so that it wasn't so uneven. I don't know the first thing about making weapons but after seeing you guys fight in the Emerald Forest I thought of an idea for something. That's why I wanted to ask you, Yang, and Weiss for help making it."

Ruby looked surprised. "I get me and Yang, but why Weiss?"

"As our resident Dust expert, I figured she would know best about how to use it more efficiently. And since Yang has gauntlets I figured she would also know about some construction and tricks."

"Well, I helped with making Yang's weapons. I guess she would know more about ways to use it though."

"Heh, I guess that makes sense. Well, what do you say? Can you help me?"

"Of course I'll help! I'm sure Yang will too. As for Weiss…," Ruby petered off at the end.

"No rush on making it. Solve your situation with Weiss first. Take your time to understand each other." Ruby nodded and left to return to her dorm. I hope that helps her out. I hope Ravel was able to talk properly with Weiss as well, Issei thought to himself as he went to return to the others.

New chapter to this story! I've had some time to work and have been churning out chapters for various stories. This one has been much anticipated so here's a new chapter. From this point forward, these chapters will be from Issei's groups perspective. So the episodes these chapters are based on are more for reference of when this happens rather than being about what the original episodes are. As for this chapter this was more about Issei's team establishing a relationship with the other two teams, especially Ravel and Weiss. I plan to do more of these things later on. I look forward to the comments as always. : )