I don't own anything. All characters and all rights belong to Ichiei Ishibumi*
M for mature topics. No children allowed. *
The Broken Boosted Gear
By Try Another Time
Empty and without any sign of his previous home. That was what he found once he, Sirzechs, and Tiamat arrived at his former home. Issei looked around the area and found nothing except for the selling sign.
"My home…" Issei held the tears back as he came to terms with the disappearance of his childhood home.
The fire had consumed everything and left nothing behind. As expected, after such a tragedy, nobody could claim the pieces left behind, no one to rebuild the house, nor was it easy to sell the site to a new customer looking to build a home.
"As I said, if you want it, I will make arrangements to buy the land and even make a house for you. Is the least I can do since I don't possess the power to bring back the dead." Sirzechs said.
Issei couldn't reply. His mind wasn't in the right place to even respond.
"Do it, but I'll pay for everything. This place was once your home and can still become our home." Tiamat approaches Issei and pats his head. "Do you want that?"
But Issei was unable to answer. Instead, his mind was trapped within the memories of what he had lost. His body moved by itself as he tried to imagine the house.
Tiamat and Sirzechs saw this. Neither dared to stop him because they could only imagine his pain.
"Issei, come here. Dinner is ready."
"Issei wanna go outside and play in the park with your old man?"
"Happy birthday Issei."
"Good job, son. You passed the test with such a good grade."
"Issei, Irina is here! Come down to play with her."
Their voices, the memories he had with them; his mind replayed them like a recorded movie in front of him. He tried his hardest not to cry, but the feelings and emotions of a dragon were too strong. "I..."
Tiamat approaches him from behind and embraces him. "Is ok. Let it all out. Cry if you want to cry. Don't hold them back. Embrace them and accept what cannot be brought back to life. I'll be right next to you. We are dragons, and extreme emotions are part of our natures."
Issei let go of all restraints. The tears began to flow, but no sound came from his mouth. He silently cried while being held within the arms of his mate.
One thing was losing his family to an accident, and the other was losing it due to the actions of someone who wanted you dead. His guilt was far from endurable, and Tiamat was the only thing keeping him together in those moments.
Sirzechs stood in silence. "Putting a barrier around the area was the best option. I doubt that humans wouldn't have found us if I didn't set it up as soon as we came here. This whole situation is a tragedy, there is no doubt about that, but thanks to it, a bright path has begun to take shape before you, young Welsh Dragon. You're no longer the Red Dragon Emperor; you're The Two-Headed Red Dragon of Chaos. I hope that our association continues to grow strong over the ages." Sirzechs feared his power but also saw hope in the child Tiamat called a mate.
His display of power against Grigori, the mercy he showed towards Azazel, and the fact that he completely ignored his former rival Albion were all signs that further increased his desire to form a strong alliance with such a being.
"The time for war is gone, but having an ally like you is a plus that anyone would want. I'll never betray you, so let us support each other from now on, Welsh Dragon." Sirzechs thought.
Not too far from there, Ophis.
She had felt his power and had seen what had taken place in the underworld with Azazel. Now she had seen the emotional moment between him and Tiamat.
"Great Red knows how to play matchmaker, but that is of no interest to me. You have met my initial expectations, Ddraig, but I know you can grow even more. So, our reunion is going to get delayed a bit more. My eyes are on you at all times. Keep growing stronger until we meet." Ophis said before leaving the area without being seen or felt by nobody.
Sometime later, the cemetery.
Words didn't need to be said. They had reached the family's tomb, and the atmosphere surrounding them sucked all the joy they could ever have.
"Here lies Miki, Gorou and Issei Hyoudou. A wonderful family that got taken away far too early."
Issei read the inscription before he put his hand on the tomb.
Around the tomb, there were many flowers and gifts. Letters from his childhood friends and even some toys left for him. Issei remembered all the names on them, but one specific one caught his attention among all the letters.
The dragon quickly picks it up and starts reading it.
"Issei, I know you aren't dead. You could never die and leave me alone in this world. Know that I will find you. I don't know what happened that night, but you can't be dead. I don't care how long I need to search for you or how far I need to go, but I will find you even if it takes me the rest of my life. If you ever read this letter, please meet me at the tree in the park on this date and time. I promise to come and wait the whole day so please come to that place in the park. Remember that I love you with all my heart." -Irina.
At the end of the letter, there was a date and time. It was at least nine years from now. Irina didn't write her current location or any clues that could tell him where to look for her.
"Irina," Issei said after reading the letter.
Tiamat approaches him from the back after hearing the name. "Is that a friend of yours?"
Issei gave her the letter.
Tiamat started to read. After a few moments, she smiles. "She cares about you if she's the only one who believes you are alive. Remember what I said about the harem? Dear, this is what I meant. It is not weird for a male dragon to end up with many mates. Call it fate or just some weird coincidence, but more than once, a male dragon ends up surrounded by many females. Great Red is the only exception for obvious reasons, but you're not in the same position. You are no longer a prisoner inside the boosted gear, and it's already starting to happen. First me, then you got a fallen angel maid (in the works), and now your childhood friend confessed her love for you. She loves you, although I don't know how she will react once she discovers that you're no longer human or the whole unification of souls." Her tone is a cheerful one.
"Why are you so ok with this? Shouldn't you be afraid of other females trying to take me away from you?" Issei asks as he turns to see her.
Then he freezes after seeing her face, tears running down her cheeks.
"I'm not fine, but I knew it was bound to happen. I have been chasing you for centuries and always feared that someone else would take the first step before me. You're one of the strongest males, and females will get drawn to you. I have been preparing myself because I know I can't stop this. Ddraig, Issei, you can and will develop feelings for others, but I want you to always keep me as the first mate in your heart. I will accept and adapt to having more females around you, but please don't start to ignore me or let our connection disappear." She holds his hand as she awaits her mate's answer.
Issei and Ddraig are shocked by her words. They didn't expect her to be so scared of other females getting close to him. "She just keeps surprising us." The boy sights before he closes the distance between them. A simple kiss on her forehead. "I appreciate your sincerity. I told you once that I'm inexperienced with all things related to romance, but I promise you that you will always be the first. The first wife, the first time, the first mother, and always the one that is the closest to me. If you ever feel I'm failing as your mate, let me know, and I will do what is necessary to make you happy." He smiles before he hugs her.
Tiamat blushes after hearing his words. As a dragon, her emotions were more potent than others, which led to her inability to hold back tears. "Dear." She embraces him with all of her strength.
Sirzechs watch the scene feeling joyful and a little jealous. "Grayfia, why can't I say things like that when you're working? I want to demonstrate my love for you without any reservations!"
The hopeless satan thought while faking a smile.
Meanwhile, Grayfia, Gremory residence basement.
Grayfia felt a disturbance in the maid force, but she quickly shut it down after refocusing on her task. She held a rolled newspaper in each hand while Raynare backed away. Fear was the only thing in Raynare's eyes.
"You can't do this to me. I'm Raynare, one of the strongest fallen angels following Azazel-sama. I don't care what that asshole said. I am not a maid or a servant!" Raynare said, although she was shaking in fear. Raynare knew who Grayfia was.
The legends of Grayfia had reached Grigori. Raynare remembers how Azazel sent an undercover team to confirm rumors about the devils and kept talking about a maid with no comparison after returning to Grigori.
"The Ice Queen and the strongest queen in all of the Underworld, Grayfia Lucifuge, who's also known as the head maid of the Gremory household."
"Shit, shit, shit! How can't I escape this situation?" Raynare thought as she looked around. She got forced to change into a black French maid uniform by Grayfia, but she wasn't going to give in and follow the sick plans that the Welsh Dragon and Azazel had for her.
"Raynare, you can't escape from me. I asked the Welsh Dragon for one week to make you a perfect maid, and I will succeed. He will not leave the Underworld with a careless fallen angel incapable of caring for his needs." Grayfia said.
"Are you insane? Do you think I will give in?" Raynare replied.
"I will succeed with your training. Tiamat is busy with her job and cannot follow him now, but you will take care of him in her absence. I will make sure you do." Grayfia said before she cut the distance between them. "Your training begins now."
Smack!
Raynare started screaming, and these same screams echoed around the household's basement, but nobody had the guts to help the poor fallen angel. Everyone feared Grayfia, and she was unstoppable when it came to her tasks as a head maid.
Like that, the days within the Gremory house peacefully continued until a particular event took place that led to the meeting of two nekomatas, Rias and the Welsh Dragon.
Three days later, after breakfast.
Issei was dragged around the house's gardens by Rias, who was so interested in him that she took any chance to make him play with her.
"Come on, Issei. I wanna see who is faster at flying." Rias said before making her wings appear. Her black wings were smaller than those of adults.
Issei just sights before offering her a smile. "You realize that I'm the Welsh Dragon. I have more experience flying than you." Issei summons his four wings. A pair of red-feathered wings and another pair of draconic red wings. The wings also had a few pieces of armor that served to protect them.
"I know, but I wanna give it a try regardless of that. So, chase me down." Rias starts to fly into the sky.
Issei laughs at himself for allowing a girl like Rias to get him involved in her plans. "She might be nine, but I'm still the Welsh Dragon." Issei flaps his wings a few times before shooting into the sky.
Rias sees him approaching her and starts to fly away. "Your eyes have regained some life. I don't know what happened, but I'm happy that you're better now than three days ago." She increases her speed and tries to lose the dragon chasing after her.
Issei is fast and knows it, but she still tries her best. She turns, drops down, and even tries to lose him in the clouds, but Issei doesn't let go.
"You can try, but we know the result," Issei says before he disappears from her sight.
Rias looks around, but she doesn't see him. Instead, she tries to sense his power, but that doesn't work either.
"You are still young." Rias hears his voice behind her, but he's not there when she turns.
"You have the right mindset. Never fear any opponent, even if that opponent is stronger than you." Rias turns again, but the result is the same.
"But you also should always remember your limits." Rias heard the mixed voice of Issei and Ddraig right next to her right ear before she felt a pat on her head. "You lose but also remember that limits can be broken. Keep training."
Rias looks at him, and his draconic eyes make her heart beat even faster. "Your voice, are you going to fuse into one being?"
"That's the goal. We are sharing a body, and our minds are almost one."
"Aren't you afraid to stop being yourself? What if the Issei I know disappears? What if Ddraig is the one that ends up biting the dust?" Rias didn't fully understand the need for unification or the events that led to all of this, but she had begun to fear the possibility of one soul erasing the other.
The boy smiles. "That won't happen. We already shared memories, feelings, and ideas. The voice changes will stop one day, but regardless of which voice you hear after that, we are still going to be the same. Ddraig, Issei, the name and the voice won't matter. What matters is that we are still going to the same Welsh Dragon that you met. So, don't stress yourself out." His eyes turn lighter and less draconic. "Because I'm still the same."
He pats her head once more, sees a smile forming on her face, and notices a slight blush.
"So even ten years from now, you will still be my friend and ally?" Rias asks.
"If you never betray me and continue to consider me your friend, I will always help and support you," Issei says.
"Then become part of my peerage." Rias summons a pawn from her evil pieces. "I want you to stay with me. Not just because you're strong or the Welsh Dragon but because I believe I can entrust my life to you. Will you take this piece and become the first member of my peerage?"
Issei looks at the piece for a moment before he says something. "I can't do that. You know what I am. Just one piece won't be enough, and I have plans. I can't be with you forever."
Rias lowers her head, and her face saddens. "But I don't know if I will find someone I can trust as I do with you."
"You will. Many humans, creatures, and others who can join your peerage are out there. You just have to go out and look for them. Let's do this." Issei grabs the pawn piece in his hand. "If you ever found yourself in trouble and even your whole peerage is not enough, this piece will serve as a way to let me know that you're in trouble. No matter the place or the time, I will keep it with me at all times just to ensure that I'm always connected to you. Although not officially, I'm the first member of your peerage, so smile for me, my king."
Rias's eyes shine even brighter after hearing those words. Her body moves on her own, and she begins to hug him. "Thank you, Issei! Thank you so much!" She even kissed him on the cheek.
Issei looks at the piece once more before he puts it away in his pocket dimension. He had read about the evil pieces and the system Ajuka had implemented. He also knew that Tiamat works as a referee for ranking games.
"Don't join any peerage. You got blessed with the powers of Great Red and Ophis. You're also a heavenly dragon. Ajuka has told me how dangerous it would be if someone used an evil piece on you. Absorbing an evil piece can lead to all the other pieces in the set being affected in ways we can't even imagine. It could also lead to the death of the owner of the set and the other peerage members, so please don't do something stupid." Tiamat said just before she left the day before.
Ajuka was the creator of the evil pieces; if he advised against it, there had to be a reason. He didn't intend to mess with the evil pieces, but because Rias was so sincere and approachable, he was willing to entertain her desire.
Then, the appearance of one butler shot down their small private moment. "Mr. Welsh, Sirzechs-sama is asking for your presence." The butler says as he bows.
Rias separates from Issei. "Nii-sama needs you. Let's go."
"My lady, he only- "But the butler was shot down by Rias.
"I want to know why Nii-sama needs Issei. He is not a devil and is a guest of our family." Rias says. She wanted to show Issei that she wasn't just the princess of the family but also a devil capable of making her own decisions.
Issei laughs. "Let's go then. Let's see what your brother has to say."
Moments later, Sirzechs office.
"Rias. I love you, but this is a private affair." Sirzechs says.
"You promise you wouldn't ask him anything," Rias replies.
"This is a troublesome case, and all of the agents I have sent have been unable to resolve the issue." Sirzechs continues. "Ddraig, I know you owe me nothing, but I want to prevent more lost lives. I need you because I trust your abilities."
The boy was sitting down on one of the chairs. He had been hearing the whole discussion between siblings for at least 10 minutes, and he was still unsure what this was all about. "First, tell me everything we know."
"Rias." Sirzechs tries but.
"No. I will not leave." Rias says.
Sirzechs sights in desperation before giving up. "Is a stray devil case, a nekomata to be precise. She killed her master and ran away. Our teams chased her for at least a week, and the last team returned severely injured. She has become quite a troublesome target. She has a sister, but she has given us no information. We only know that she killed her master and ran away. We have tracked her down to a specific area, but she is getting close to leaving the underworld. I need you to capture her to figure out what happened."
"So, no killing her?" Ddraig asks.
"No. I have learned that there is more than just simple killing. That nekomata has a sister and doing something like killing her master without reason is not something I can believe. If she escapes, the blame will fall on her sister. The other devils will consider her as guilty as her. She will be marked, and nobody will possibly take her into their family. I need answers so that I can figure out what happened." Sirzechs explains.
"Where is the younger sister?" Ddraig stands up after making a choice. "I need to see her myself."
"Are you going to do it?" Rias asks.
"Maybe. I just want to talk to the younger one before I do anything. Also, tell me the sisters' names." Ddraig says.
"The younger sister is called Shirone. She is the one in the cells below the city. The older one is called Kuroka, and her location is- "
"I don't need her location. The younger sister is enough. If I'm doing this, I want full freedom to act and expect me to ask for payment. None of this was a part of our agreement, so don't expect me to do it for the sake of goodwill." Ddraig looks at the red-headed satan.
"I understand. Just bring Kuroka alive, and we can figure out the payment afterward. Thank you for your collaboration." Sirzechs nods.
"I'm also taking Rias with me." Ddraig looks at the princess of the Gremory family. "You want a peerage, but you also need to understand what makes a follower turn against their leader. Follow my orders at all moments."
Rias looks at him, completely surprised. She didn't expect that he would bring her along without asking. "Let's do this."
Sirzechs doesn't say anything against him. Instead, he found the suggestion very thoughtful. "This will certainly be a helpful experience for her."
Sometime later.
While the city's surface looked enjoyable and decent, the area below differed. The place was dark, full of cells with hundreds of prisoners. Some were stray devils awaiting a trial, others were prisoners from the previous war, and some were enemies of the devils that had lost the fight but, instead of getting killed, had been brought down here as a punishment.
Ddraig and Rias walked through the halls while following one of the guards.
Rias had never seen this place, and the inmates' screams pushed her to turn around and never look back.
"Here she is." The guard says as he stops in front of one of the cells.
"Open it. We're taking the girl out." Ddraig says.
The guard nods. As a guard under the strict order of Sirzechs, he got explicit orders to let him do whatever he wanted, so he was willing to follow them to the t.
The guard opens the door, and Ddraig walks inside. There is no light, but he can see a young cat girl sitting in one corner while hugging her legs. Her white hair, tail, and ears were beautiful, although the dirt of the cell had tainted their purity. Her blue lolita dress was in shreds for some reason he didn't know. A cat-shaped hair clip adorned her hair.
"Shirone." Knowing that his voice would not be the best for the situation, Ddraig switches places with Issei.
The nekomata doesn't react to her name.
Issei approaches the girl and tries to hold one of her hands before she scratches him, but he doesn't feel a single drop of pain. "I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to take you to your sister so we can figure out why she did what she did. I know you have many questions and don't know me, but I assure you that I'm not yours or her enemy."
Shirone lifts her head and looks into his eyes, and her heart stops for a second after realizing what he is. "A dragon?"
"Yes. I'm the Welsh Dragon. My name is Issei, but you can call me Ddraig if that is your desire. So please come with me before it is too late. Your sister is about to leave the underworld, and once she does that, there is no coming back. I will not hurt her or you, so please cooperate with me." Issei says. "Can you tell me what happened?"
Shirone stays silent for a few moments before she talks.
"She killed him. There was so much blood." Shirone shivers after remembering what she saw.
"But what else do you remember? Was she the one who did this to your dress?" Issei asks.
"No… I can't remember. There was a green liquid on the floor and weird equipment around the room." Shirone says in a low voice. She was confused and scared.
"Are you afraid of her?"
"I don't know. I can only remember Kuroka on top of her master's body. She didn't say anything and just ran away." Shirone admits. She grabs her head, and her eyes twitch uncontrollably after remembering that scene.
Issei pats her head. "Is ok. We can figure this out by asking her. Take my hand, and I promise to help both of you."
Shirone sees his smile and the sincerity behind those eyes. His aura was so strong, but she didn't feel scared of him. His eyes showed her something that the rest of the devils that had approached her lacked, genuine pain; The pain of losing something dear to them. Shirone felt he would help her figure out what had happened, so she grabbed his hand.
"Good," Issei says as he leads her out of the cell.
Rias sees the state of Shirone and covers her mouth. "How? Who did this to her?" She looks at the guard. "Who was it?"
"Nobody, my lady. When our teams investigated, they found her like this at the crime scene. She didn't talk much or give us any information. She also scratched a few of the agents that brought her here. Sirzechs-sama wasn't the one who gave the order to bring her here either." The guard admits.
"Then who?" Issei asks.
"You didn't hear it from me, but it was the old heads of the other families. They are angry that a reincarnated devil killed a pure devil. They ask for the older sister to get executed on the spot, but Sirzechs-sama denies the order. He wants her alive for questioning. There are even some rumors surrounding the family of the former master of these sisters." The guard explains.
"What rumors?" Rias asks.
"Experiments and many of them. The Nebiros house dislikes the Four Great Satans, especially those that are called super devils. They fear the power that Sirzechs-sama and Ajuka-sama hold. Super-devils is the term they had been given after the war. One of my sisters used to work for the Nebiros house as a maid, and she told me many stories. Disappearances, deaths, and cruel experiments in which the maids had to clean the remains afterward; They are just rumors, thus why I can't just tell the higher-ups about them." The guard explains.
"You should. Go to Sirzechs and tell him I send you. Tell him everything about these rumors. We may have more problems than just a simple stray devil case. Shirone, she is Rias, and she will follow us to where your sister is at." Issei says after dismissing the guard.
Shirone looks at the redhead and bows to her.
"You don't have to do that. I'm not your master, nor do I care about my status that much. Just call me by my name, and it will be enough." Rias says before smiling at her.
Shirone shakes a little bit due to the cold temperature of the area.
Issei grabs a cape from his pocket dimension and puts it around Shirone. "Now, let's go and meet your sister."
"How are we going to find her?" Rias asks.
Issei signals his nose. "They are nekomata sisters, so their smells must be similar, and I can still detect a little foreign smell on her clothes as well. How do you think dragons find most of our treasures? We find a smell that can attract our attention and look for it until we find it."
Rias seems surprised by the revelation. She didn't know much about dragons, and although Tannin was an ally of the Four Great Satans, he wasn't an open book. Dragons were still a mystery to most devils, fallen angels, and even angels.
Shirone looks at the pair with hope in her eyes. Hope to figure out what had happened and why she couldn't remember everything.
Much later, in a different location.
The trio descended towards some ruins with Issei carrying Shirone in his arms.
On the path to this location, the trio met a small group of agents who confirmed the sights of Kuroka within the area.
The rest was up to them.
"So, what do we do now?" Rias asks.
"Leave it to me," Issei says before roaring with all his strength.
Shirone and Rias get forced to cover their ears due to the high frequency of the roar.
"Why did you do that?" Rias asks after Issei finishes.
"I can smell her, and I can even detect her power. She can feel my power, and that roar was a way of telling her that there is nowhere to run." He turns to Shirone. "No, I'm not going to attack her."
Shirone nods.
Not even a second later, a girl appears on top of a broken column. Her black cat ears and two tails were enough to confirm her identity. She was wearing a black kimono that got drenched with blood. She was tall, but even then, she was only eleven years old.
"Sister…" Shirone says, but her eyes twitch in fear after she sees her kimono. The blood, the memories; all of this leads to her scream.
"Shirone!" Kuroka jumps, ready to attack Issei, but he releases more of his power, forcing Kuroka to stop in her tracks and drop to the floor. Her eyes open like an animal about to be hit by a moving car.
"Kuroka, I'm not here to fight. Your sister needs you, so hide the claws and focus on her." Issei says.
"Why should I believe you? How can I trust any devil after what I've endured? After what he tried to do to her?" She watches him angrily, and although Issei is far more capable than her, she isn't ready to give up that easily.
"First, I'm no devil; second, you still have her. You still have a sister that needs you. A sister who is confused and scared about everything happening; Shirone needs answers, and if you escape now, you might not be able to repair the damage you might cause her. I will help you because I promised to help both of you to her. So, stop attacking and think about her." Issei lowers his power and prevents Shirone from falling to the floor.
Kuroka looks at her sister. The pain on her face, the tears running down her eyes. She's angry that the boy is right. Kuroka hides her claws and goes to hug Shirone. "It's ok, Shirone. I'm here now. I'm sorry for leaving you behind."
"Nee-san, why does it hurt so much? What happened that day? Why did you kill him? Why did you run away?" Shirone asks as the tears increase.
Kuroka is hurt even more after seeing her sister's state. "You need to focus. You need to remember, and I will give them back to you." Kuroka touches Shirone's forehead, and a small light appears before she falls unconscious.
"What did you do?" Rias asks.
"A lot happened that day, and one of the things I did was seal most of her memories of what happened for her sake. But it seems that it's causing her more pain than good. I just release those memories, and now she will relive them from scratch." Kuroka puts Shirone down on the floor and then looks at the pair. "I will tell you all that happened to us so that you may understand."
Issei and Rias look at each other before taking a seat.
"Our mom fell in love with the worst possible man she could ever find. He was a researcher for the Nebiros family. He never acknowledged us as his daughters, but our mom was obsessed with him. They died during his research experiments and left Shirone and me alone. No home, no place to return; we were left with no options until a certain man approached us. He was my old master and offered me a chance to give Shirone a better life. In exchange for joining his peerage, I was able to give Shirone a better life, but it also cost me a hefty price. My old master and his family are obsessed with creating a super devil, and for that goal, he was willing to force his peerage to endure insane experiments." Kuroka said.
Issei and Rias felt their stomachs take a turn for the worst after hearing from a first-hand source that the experiments were actual.
"As you might expect, I was forced to participate in those experiments, just like the rest of the peerage. Everyone else died, but I survived. I experienced an insane amount of pain for the sake of that bastard's ambition, and in the end, he got what he wanted. I became the first subject to reach a higher level of strength successfully, which meant I was closer to the final product he wanted. The process was horrendous, I cried, screamed, and even wished for the sweet release of death, but I still survived. The bastard was happy and very excited about it, but I asked him one simple thing."
"Not to do the same to her," Issei said after connecting the dots.
Kuroka nods. "Yes. He promised me that Shirone would be left alone, but he lied to me. That day I found him in the lab, already forcing her through the same hell I had endured. He had forced her into one of the test tanks and forced her to do that insane procedure. After I saw that, I just lost control. I killed him in cold blood and rescued Shirone from the tank. She had experienced just the initial part of the procedure, but I could tell she had experienced insane amounts of pain. I didn't know what else to do, so I acted in the heat of the moment. I sealed those memories, but when she opened her eyes and saw me, she was shocked. She asked me questions and saw me in a whole different way. I was a monster in her eyes, and I couldn't take it, so I ran. I knew that everyone would come for me after they found the body, so I was ready to leave the underworld behind."
"What were you going to do after that?" Issei asks. He was curious about what sort of plan someone like her would have after escaping the underworld.
"I don't know. I just needed to survive before I could choose how to proceed. I'm eleven and not a super genius. I have been making many choices in the heat of the moment without thinking in the aftermath." Kuroka admits.
Rias was left speechless while Issei was thinking.
The story of Kuroka was something he couldn't easily ignore, nor could he remove himself from the equation after hearing all of this. These two sisters were trying to survive after losing all support, and he couldn't ignore their need for help. "Kuroka, you might not know me, but I can help you escape this insane situation. Even if I bring you back and you tell Sirzechs everything you know, the other families associated with the Nebiros will still try their hardest to get your head. I also imagined that you couldn't trust devils easily after all this, but I ask that you trust me. I'm the Welsh Dragon and the Two-Headed Red Dragon of Chaos; if you entrust me your life and that of your sister, I assure you everything will be fine."
Kuroka looks at him with doubt, but her attention gets quickly drawn back to Shirone.
She opens her eyes and begins to sit up.
"Shirone, are you ok? Do you remember everything now?" Kuroka asks.
Shirone starts to cry uncontrollably. Her mind was full of pain and the memories of that event. She wanted to talk, but her body was shivering in fear after remembering everything that had happened.
Kuroka can only hug her. She couldn't protect her sister from that bastard, and now she was almost in pieces. Then things take a turn for the worst.
Shirone started to cough blood.
"Shirone?" Kuroka saw the blood and her mind started to fear the worst. "What is this?"
The coughing increased, she started to lose consciousness, and her breathing became more erratic.
"Shirone? Shirone? Please don't close your eyes." Kuroka said.
"Issei, what is happening?" Rias asked.
"Kuroka, you said that she had experienced the initial part of the procedure," Issei said as he looked at the white-haired girl.
Kuroka goes silent as she connects the dots. "No, not her! Not my sister!"
Issei hears how her heartbeat starts to decrease. "That fucking bastard! He knew the process was likely meant to be use on a reincarnated devil, and he still forced a nekomata to endure this insane process. Although it was only the initial part, its effects must have been slowly developing since that day." Issei thinks about what to do for a few seconds, and then he makes a choice he doesn't want to make after hearing the story of the sisters. "Rias, the evil pieces. Now!"
Rias looks at him, and then she understands his plan.
Kuroka sees what Rias is doing, and she connects the dots. She wasn't happy about this, but she didn't know any other way out. "Do it. Please save her."
Rias nods and takes out a rook piece. "I hope this works!"
Times seem to slow down for everyone as Rias forces the piece into Shirone's chest. Everyone stops breathing as the rebirth process starts to take place.
A few moments go by when nobody says or does anything until Shirone starts breathing normally.
Issei sighs and watches how Kuroka breaks into tears while holding Shirone, Rias drops next to him and rests her head on his arm, and they have overcome a catastrophe. Nonetheless, the result would be completely different if he had not brought Rias and Shirone.
Sometime later, Sirzechs office.
Kuroka had told him everything, and Sirzechs was now deep in thought. This whole thing had him burning with rage, but he needed to stay calm, at least for now. He had the nekomata sisters, Issei and Rias, in front of him, but he didn't know how to proceed.
"So, let me just go over this. You used one of your pieces on Shirone to save her life." Sirzechs looks at the group.
"Yes. Issei was the one that had the initial idea." Rias explained.
"And you are ok with your sister being part of my sister's peerage?" Sirzechs looks at Kuroka.
"I had no other way to save her at the moment. I'm not a fan, but I still appreciate the actions of both Rias and Issei." Kuroka says.
"What about you? Are you feeling ok? You were close to dying." Sirzechs turns to Shirone.
Shirone nods and doesn't say a word. She was feeling shy in front of Sirzechs. She knew who he was and didn't know how the others were talking to him so casually.
Sirzechs felt hurt because the girl still didn't want to talk to him. "I appreciate the information, and you can rest assured that I will take care of the Nebiros house personally. The guard you sent told me the rumors, and now that Kuroka confirms it, I will take care of the rest. On another note, as you might expect, the other families will ask for some kind of punishment for Kuroka. A reincarnated devil killing a pure devil is a crime that many families condemn with execution, and even if I set you free, they will send someone to do it for them instead."
"I have a way to solve that," Issei says. "I asked for payment for this job, so with that in mind, I will take Kuroka as payment."
"What?" Everyone asks as they look at him.
"I'm the Welsh Dragon, and I doubt any assassin will have the guts to come for you if you're with me. Shirone will stay with Rias, and you can come with me. So Kuroka, I ask you this: Will you follow me as a member of my group?" Issei looks at her.
She was in complete shock. She couldn't understand this boy and didn't know what to say, but she found her voice. "Why are you doing all of this for me? I don't know you."
The Welsh Dragon smiles. "I sympathize with you two. You have been trying to survive for so long, and life has been hard for you two. You lost everything and were forced into situations you didn't want to be involved in. I was once human and lost all that was precious to me. I know how painful it is. I can understand you more than anyone else. I don't claim to be a messiah, but I know that I can help you. So please entrust your life to me. I'll ensure you never have to fear for your or your sister's life. I'll make sure that you enjoy an actual life. No secret plans that might put your life at risk. No painful procedures. I will not betray your trust, and as long as you're with me, I'll ensure you're safe."
Kuroka was incapable of looking away. Her eyes were fixed on him, and she couldn't believe she believed every single one of his words. Her heart was beating so fast that she didn't know how to make it stop. "I…I... I..." The words wouldn't come out of her mouth. She was blushing more and more until her body gave in. She grabs his head and kisses him. It was a short and straightforward kiss, but the effects were massive. "You better take care of me like you claim you do."
Rias and Shirone were blushing even worse than Kuroka while Sirzechs applauded.
"That makes two. I'm sure Tiamat will have a blast with all this when she learns about it." The red-headed devil said.
Issei didn't say anything. His mind had shut down after receiving the kiss. "That wasn't my intention! What the hell is all this? I ask her to follow me, not to kiss me. Why did she kiss me? Tiamat, help me!"
Fate had a fun way when it came to male dragons and love.
Meanwhile, Grigori
Vali couldn't stop hearing his voice.
"Why did he say that?"
"Did our rivalry mean nothing to him?"
"How long was he thinking like that?"
"Is he going to stop facing me?"
"I'm no longer his equal?"
"Where did it all go wrong?"
Albion wasn't having a great time after hearing Ddraig's message. The rivalry had become too important for Albion. Albion enjoyed every fight with Ddraig since the first. Now that he had said that everything was over, his world had come crashing down.
A void had begun to form deep within Albion, and Vali didn't know what to do.
The continuous thoughts of Albion became unbearable, and Vali wasn't enjoying any of it. So, she asked the only person she trusted to ask for help.
"Azazel?"
"Yes, my dear child?" Azazel turned his sight towards her.
"I need to meet him."
"Who, my child?" The fallen angel seemed confused.
"I need to meet the Welsh Dragon in person. He might be the only one who can help me with Albion." Vali had chosen for the sake of her mental health.