A week after the defeat of the Fallen Angels, Issei, Mash, and Asia were walking to school together. It was Asia's first day of school, and she was nervous. Issei patted her on the head and smiled at her. "Don't worry Asia, everyone at school is gonna love you. After all, no one would be upset with a pretty girl in their class," he said playfully.

Asia blushed at Issei's compliment while the others had warm smiles at the scene.

Asia blushed at the compliment and Mash chimed in as well. "It will be strange at first, but the other students mean well, even if they are a bit misguided. I'm also new to school life as well so we can learn things about school life together," she said with a smile.

Asia smiled happily at Mash, grateful to learn that she was not alone in this. "Thank you, Mash-san, Issei-san," she said as the three continued to school.

The school day was pretty hectic once Asia was introduced to the class. Everyone was happy to have another cute girl in the class and were quick to try and make friends. It also didn't go unnoticed how nice Asia was to Issei which naturally brought up questions. During the lunch break the girls in the class started to question Asia about what she likes and where she is living, in the meantime Matsuda and Motohama rushed to Issei to question him.

"Hey bro, how do you know the new transfer student?" demanded Matsuda.

"Yeah man! And how do you keep getting girls to talk to you?!" whined Motohama.

(Issei) I guess it does look weird from an outside perspective. I didn't really think about it when it was happening because I knew what was going on, I guess.

The others nodded in agreement with Issei.

Issei was looking at the pair with slight annoyance but couldn't blame them. From their perspective their buddy is getting in good with girls and leaving them behind. Before he could say anything back to them, they were interrupted by one of the girls in the class shouting in surprise.

"What! You're living with him!" One of the girls yelled. Asia had a look of surprised confusion, not understanding what the problem was. The girls huddled around Asia and began to question her. "He hasn't tried to do anything to you has he?!" asked another.

"Do things like what?" Asia asked, still confused.

"Has he asked you into his room?!" "Has he tried to peep on you in the bathroom?!" "Has he tried to touch you?!" The girls were practically interrogating her. At the side of them Mash was making an unpleasant face at the girls' behaviors while Kiryuu was making a mischievous smile.

(Goredolf) They truly have no trust in you, do they?

(Issei) No, they don't. Again, I can't blame them. I dug my own hole early on in this case.

Before the questions could continue everyone heard a loud slamming noise and looked to the source. Issei was sitting at his desk with an annoyed look while the other two of the perverted trio were on the ground twitching. Hearing that Issei was living with a beautiful foreign girl was finally too much for them and they swung at Issei. Issei nonchalantly dodged their swings and punched them both in the face, knocking them down. On the ground you could hear the pair cursing Issei. "D-damn you!" "Y-you bastard!" they muttered.

"That's what happens when you attack me, idiots," Issei said and returned to eating his lunch. Asia just looked around completely confused about everyone's reactions.

Everyone had a sweatdrop at the trio's situation. Kiryuu couldn't help but laugh though.

(Kiryuu) Hahahaha! It's to be expected from those idiots. I'm surprised you haven't tried to fight back when those two hit you, considering you could probably do the same.

(Issei) Would you believe me if I said it never occurred to me.

(Kiryuu) Yeah. You're kinda dumb like that.

Issei pouted at Kiryuu as she gave him a smug grin. The others just chuckled at the two friends' banter.

After classes had ended Issei, Mash, and Asia were preparing to head out when they were called out by someone who just entered the classroom.

"Hello again, Issei-kun, Mash-san, Asia-san. Buchou has asked me to bring you three to the clubroom as she has something to discuss with you all," said Kiba.

The trio looked between each other then looked back at Kiba. "Sure, that shouldn't be a problem," replied Issei nonchalantly. They grabbed their things and left as the class made its usual ruckus.

(Ritsuka) I wonder what it could be about?

(Mash) What do you mean Senpai?

(Ritsuka) Well, the incident with the Fallen is over now, so there's no reason to talk unless there is some business, right?

Mash seemed to understand as the other members of Chaldea nodded in agreement. Meanwhile the DxD group watched closely to see how things progress now that things have begun to change.

As the group arrived in the clubroom they were greeted by Rias. "Hello Issei-kun, Mash-kun, Asia-san," she said cheerfully.

"Uhm… You can just call me Asia, Rias-senpai," Asia said shyly.

Rias smiled at the girl and nodded. "Very well then Asia." She straightened herself out to make herself look more official. "So, the reason I called you all here was to ask if you would be interested in joining our club?"

(Sona) Saw that coming.

(Tsubaki) It is the most logical course of action.

Issei, Mash, and Asia had a surprised look on their faces. Issei seemed cautious though. "Isn't the Occult Research Club meant for people in your peerage?"

"While that is how things have worked out it is not strictly true. Seeing as how we are all going to be working together for the foreseeable future, having you in the club makes it easier for us to coordinate. On top of that I thought it would be beneficial for you to learn more about devil society and have a chance to interact with our government."

(Da Vinci) Clever. Baiting him in with helpful information in order to keep him around so she could persuade him to join her later.

(Holmes) On top of that, if she gets him the others will follow as well.

(Goredolf) It's a prize that's too tempting to pass up.

The heads of Chaldea gave their opinion on Rias' tactics, while the girl in question felt a mix of embarrassment and shame watching herself act underhandedly towards Issei.

She did make a good point, but considering all the help she was giving it was obvious she wanted something. "What's the catch?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

(Kuroka) Yeah, he's not gonna buy it that easily.

Rias remained stoic and simply smiled. "No catch. Like I said this is so that we can continue to build a better relationship for the future."

Issei stared at Rias for a bit then looked at the other two. "What do you two think?" he asked them.

"I'm fine with whatever you choose, Senpai," said Mash.

"I-I don't have an issue with joining the club. It sounds like it could be a lot of fun," said Asia happily.

Issei smiled at her then turned to Rias. "All right, we'll join the club. We have plans for tonight so we will start tomorrow if that's fine with you," he said casually.

"That's fine. I'm glad we came to an agreement, and now with three more members we will be all the more prepared for school activities and the sports festival later this year."

Issei smiled wryly. "Already looking for ways to take advantage of us huh?" he said sarcastically.

(Vali) He's completely on to her.

(Azazel) Well, it's no surprise considering what we've seen of him so far.

Rias gave a wry smile of her own. "You can't exactly blame me, can you?"

"No, I guess not. All right, we will see you all tomorrow," he said, giving them a wave. Mash and Asia bowed as they left the room.

Sometime after they left the room Koneko gave Rias a thumbs up. "Mission successful."

"Ara ara, Buchou can be so devious. Having them as a part of the club will make it easier to convince them to reincarnate," said Akeno.

Everyone watching knew that's what was going on but for Rias it felt wrong when it was said out loud. Issei saw Rias being down and brought her closer to comfort her, which she appreciated.

Rias just smiled satisfactorily while she picked up her tea to drink it. As she sat there, she thought back to a conversation she had had earlier that week with Sona.

(Earlier that week)

"He is the Red Dragon Emperor?!" Sona said, shocked at the news.

"Yes, he is, which means it is now in our best interest to make sure that we don't make an enemy of him. Even as a human he holds incredible power, not to mention who he has serving under him," said Rias.

Sona pushed up her glasses. "I'm still having a hard time believing that he has someone as powerful as Angra Mainyu serving him, but I don't have any reason to doubt you." Sona narrowed her eyes. "Still, this is all the more reason to get him on our side."

"Very true. He might be the solution that I have been waiting for to get me out of this engagement," Rias said, the determination clearly visible on her face.

Riser shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew he deserved it, but being seen as some malevolent force by someone he was now on good terms with made him feel a bit depressed.

"Be careful Rias. If you rush this you might lose your chance and that would be just as bad for you as making him an enemy," Sona warned.

Rias looked down contemplating her next move. "... I think I will have him join my club in order to get him more comfortable with devils. He mentioned before that he had had a bad experience previously. Even if he didn't elaborate, all we have to do is just overwrite his bad memories with good ones. I will also invite Mash-san and Asia-san to make things more comfortable for him."

(Sirzechs) Not a bad start, but she's going to need more than just close physical proximity.

"That's a good start but you need to make sure not to make any mistakes. You only have a few months until the deadline," Sona stated.

(Rias) A few months? Didn't I have until graduation before I had to marry Riser?

(Mythos) Huh, I didn't notice that. Seems to be one of the differences from the changed timeline. I probably didn't notice because you guys had the Rating Game ahead of time, so the change didn't seem out of place to me.

"Don't worry. I will make it work," she said confidently. Sona just sighed at her childhood friend.

(Back in the present)

Rias finished drinking her tea and spoke her thoughts out loud. "Getting Issei on our side will be our best chance to beat Riser. We have to do whatever it takes for him to join us." The other members in the clubroom nodded in agreement.

Issei, Mash, and Asia were walking home for the day after meeting with Rias when about halfway home Mash asked a question. "Are you sure this was a wise decision Senpai?"

Issei gave a glance at Mash before looking ahead again. "I'm not sure. It's obvious she wants us to join her peerage. Inviting us is just a pretext to get more interaction with us. But we still don't know what she wants us for."

(Kiba) So he knew.

(Koneko) But he still agreed anyway.

"Isn't it just to make herself and her peerage stronger?" Mash asked.

"Rias doesn't strike me as the power-hungry type. She wouldn't turn it down if it was offered to her, but she doesn't seem the type to search for power just for power's sake," Issei said.

Rias couldn't help but smile. Even under these circumstances Issei still knew her best. She felt glad someone was looking at her and not "Rias Gremory".

Asia who was listening next to them decided to give her own thoughts. "Maybe she is in trouble and needs help too?" she suggested.

(Azazel) Right on the money.

Both Rias and Asia blushed at Azazel's comment, while the others chuckled in amusement.

Both Issei and Mash looked at the nun in surprise. They hadn't considered that they needed any help until the Fallen situation happened. Issei thought about it some more. Come to think of it. When we first talked during the meeting she was desperate enough to try and use my desires against me, despite having gone to the trouble to say that she would never force anyone to join her peerage. If she is having a personal problem, it would make sense to add me to her peerage, since that would make me her property and thus involved with whatever she needed to deal with. Issei seemed more convinced the more he thought about it. He looked over to Asia and patted her head. "Thank you for the suggestion, Asia. I never would have thought of that. Of course, it is only a theory right now until we figure out what her issue is, but it is good to keep in mind for now."

Asia smiled happily with a slight blush from being patted. Mash made a small pout at the attention Asia was getting. Issei noticed this and pulled Mash in and wrapped an arm around her. Mash was surprised but leaned her head on Issei's shoulder. Asia saw this and looked down, doing her best not to show her unhappiness.

(Akeno) Ara ara, Issei-kun is playing with both their hearts.

Akeno said in mischievous tone which caused Asia and Mash to blush and the other girls to pout. Issei just laughed awkwardly at the atmosphere.

As they continued to walk home Issei thought to himself. Looks like things really begin here. My life is about to get interesting all over again. A brave smile found its way to his face.

(Mythos) Ladies and gentlemen, that is the end of Volume 1.

(Goredolf) Volume 1?

(Mythos) Ah that's right, you weren't here for that whole conversation. Well to make a long story short, your universes were born from fictional series in my universe. No, this doesn't mean you're not real, and no your destinies aren't predetermined. As to your question, as you can see this story mostly takes place in their universe, and in their universe this whole arc with Raynare and the rouge fallen was part of Volume 1 of Highschool DxD in my universe, or for the anime watchers it was the halfway point of Season 1.

(Issei) Wait, all of that was only half a season of an anime?

(Mythos) Yeah, it was about 5 episodes with two filler episodes before the stuff with Riser started.

(Da Vinci) They crammed all that into 5 episodes?

(Mythos) Well keep in mind, tv series tend to breeze through some stuff in order to get to the plot faster. Sometimes they streamline events or even move them around timeline wise so that they can keep all the information in while getting to the action sooner. Honestly it would be accurate to say that there are three true timelines, which would be the novel series, the manga series, and the anime series, since there would be slight differences among them but they all ultimately end with the same results.

(Issei) Despite how confusing it is when you explain it, I still get it. I'm just glad our series didn't end up like some other anime where the story becomes drastically different at some points that it basically becomes a different story.

Mythos made an expression that seemed like he wanted to say something but stopped himself. The others noticed this though.

(Rias) That expression… Did that happen to us?

(Mythos) Well… it almost did.

(Azazel) I'm almost afraid to ask, but what happened?

(Mythos) Well, at the halfway point of Season 3 the story took a… let's just say more original direction.

(Akeno) What happened in Season 3?

(Mythos) This was during the time where Diodora kidnapped Asia.

The expressions of the ORC darkened at the mention of Diodora, with Issei giving off a dangerous aura.

(Mythos) Before I get to that though there was a significant change in the anime that the light novel and manga didn't do.

The group leaned in curiously.

(Mythos) They made your encounter with Loki happen sooner than intended.

(Issei) Wait! We fought Loki earlier on?! How did we win?! We barely made it out when we fought him back then!

(Da Vinci) Loki, as in the Nordic God of Mischief?

(Micheal) Yes.

(Mythos) Well that battle pretty much ended the same as with you guys except for one little thing. Loki planted a curse on Issei during the battle.

The group was shocked by this. The idea of Issei being cursed by a God scared most of them.

(Rias) What kind of curse?!

(Mythos) I don't know the specifics because I never bothered looking into it, but basically what happened was it amplified the negative emotions in Issei when he was experiencing them. For a while, Issei was fine, that is until Issei thought Asia died.

Everyone from the DxD group paled as they knew where this was going. The ORC would never forget the horrifying thing Issei turned into when he lost it.

(Rias) Juggernaut Drive.

(Ritsuka) Juggernaut Drive? What's that?

(Vali) It was the previous ultimate form of our Sacred Gears. It would turn both my rival and I into miniature dragons with our powers fully unleashed. Of course, the cost of that power was high. Back then my rival was too weak to use it properly, so when he went into Juggernaut Drive it started eating away at his lifespan.

(Mash) It was draining his life?!

(Mythos) Yes it was, and while he was in his rage in Juggernaut Drive that's when Loki's curse kicked in. It tortured him with his own trauma and his supposed failure to protect Asia causing him to rampage more.

(Irina) Did that mean the song didn't work to bring him back?

(FGO group) Song?

(Mythos) Well, that's another thing that changed. You guys didn't use the song to snap him out of it.

(Rias) Then how-

(Mythos) You did it Rias, with some help from Vali weakening him. You managed to get through to him and break him free of the Juggernaut Drive.

Rias felt relieved that she was able to get through to him and Issei was thankful for the other Rias being able to reach him as well.

(Mythos) But that's not the end of it. The curse took on the power Issei had in Juggernaut Drive and managed to manifest itself. Once it did, it targeted Rias, manipulating her feelings for Issei and essentially brainwashing her.

This information shocked everyone. Issei felt anger build up in him hearing Loki tried to take advantage of Rias. Rias herself wasn't sure how to feel about this series of events.

(Mythos) Keep in mind this was before the match with Sairaorg and Issei confessed his feelings, so Rias was also in an emotionally vulnerable state. Long story short Issei had to fight Rias to snap her out of the brainwashing then he had to fight Loki's curse manifested as the Juggernaut Drive.

The group was shocked that Issei and Rias fought. It was something none of them ever wanted to imagine.

(Rossweisse) That definitely didn't happen with us.

(Mythos) Right. This is just my personal opinion, but I think the people in charge of the anime at the time weren't huge fans of the "source material" and wanted to make it more action oriented. While the situation makes a good fight scene and drama, it comes out of left field if you know the source material. Needless to say, the fans weren't happy about the changes in Season 3 so when Season 4 started they started from the Juggernaut Drive scene again and did it the way it happened originally with you guys, meaning they retconned the last few episodes of Season 3.

(Azazel) Damn, that bad huh.

(Da Vinci) It's to be expected. Fans of a show or pretty much anything want their stuff to be faithful to the source material. Making sudden changes to it tends to upset them rather than gain favor for "fixing something wrong" with the show.

(Mythos) Right, so because of that, the end of Season 3 can technically be considered its own separate universe now. Anyways we went on a whole tangent, but I wanted to ask everyone what they thought about what you all watched just now.

(Sirzechs) I found it interesting. Despite the circumstances, this Issei displayed the potential I always saw in ours. It's a bit sad that he's not as cheerful and free spirited as ours but I think for his situation it's probably for the best.

(Micheal) I feel the same. Considering he has Saints working with him I feel that his new personality is probably for the best at the moment.

(Azazel) He's definitely more clever than ours is, but he still has that same reckless streak in him. The only difference is that he has the ability and backup to, well, back it up.

(Grayfia) I think he has what it takes to become a proper lord of the Gremory house already.

(Millicus) Issei-nii-san was so cool, fighting and commanding those Servants in battle! He made it look easy!

(Serafall) He still seems like a fun guy to hang around with. To me, he's still the same Issei.

(Sona) This Issei is wiser and has his head on straight from the beginning. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious how things will progress now.

(Tsubaki) I agree. He seems to be trying to turn things around at school as well, showing his increased maturity.

(Vali) I want to fight this version of my rival. I also can't wait to see my other self in this timeline and see how he fares against him.

(Kuroka) I think he's hiding something. It's like what someone said earlier, he's wearing a mask to hide a part of himself, but I feel like it's not something bad for anyone else. That aside, this version of darling is more witty, and I find it funny when he talks trash to his enemies.

(Koneko) I agree with Nee-san. On top of that, he's more skilled in fighting which I think compensates for his lack of power he would have got from reincarnating.

(Kiba) His skill interests me the most. He compared me to someone named Emiya who apparently has a similar ability to mine, and he created swords just like I do. I'd like to compare my abilities with him.

(Xenovia) I agree. I also want to fight him. I can respect someone who pushed himself to be stronger. Even strong enough to fight supernatural beings on his own. Mash-san was also incredible, being able to work effortlessly with Issei.

(Irina) Right! Those two were completely in sync when they fought. Not only them but the other Servants too.

(Asia) I'm just glad things didn't end the same way for Issei-san and me that it did in our time.

The DxD group nodded in agreement with Asia's statement as they all were glad things seemed to be better.

(Kiryuu) I'm just glad I got to be involved from the beginning. Even if I can't do anything to help in the serious situations I like to at least help in other areas.

(Ravel) Well, seeing Issei-sama like this makes me wonder how our interaction will go when we eventually meet.

(Riser) Can't say I'm looking forward to that. That aside I don't really have an opinion personally, but I think after watching this I understand that I never really understood people's struggles to get stronger. Since I was always strong from the beginning, I looked down on people who struggled to get even close to where I am, and that became my undoing.

The DxD group nodded in agreement and showed smiles to Riser, seeing that he really had come a long way from how he used to be.

(Akeno) Well, despite this Issei not being as forward with his desires as ours is, he somehow managed to progress his relationship with Mash-san faster than with any of us, although that's more than likely due to the fact that he was never traumatized by that bitch like our Issei was.

Issei felt a bit down at Akeno's statement but knew she didn't mean any offense to him about it. It was more a complaint at Raynare than anything.

(Rias) I have mixed feelings about our dynamic. I guess looking at it from the outside, I was quite selfish with trying to use Issei to get out of the engagement. Although since I already had Issei as a servant in our time, I didn't have to go through all these methods to try and get him to do what I wanted.

(Mythos) Well, that's because your Issei is more, simple.

(Issei) Hey!

The group chuckled at Issei's expense.

(Mythos) Don't "hey" me. You know it's true. But that's not always a bad thing. Honestly, I envy you.

(Issei) You envy me?

(Mythos) Yes, despite what others think you stay true to yourself. Not many people can do that. You could say it's a skill all of its own.

Issei felt a bit embarrassed being praised by what was essentially a God.

(Mythos) Anyways, what did you think of it?

(Issei) … Honestly, I'm not sure. There were some things I liked about it, like being able to save Asia and surviving Raynare's trap, but I can't stand how the other me treats Rias. I've always admired Rias, even before we met, so I can't understand my other self being so harsh on her, even if he is suspicious of her.

(Mythos) I understand, and don't worry. Your question will be answered in the next Volume.

Issei nodded in acceptance, choosing to wait and see why this is all happening. Mythos then turned his attention to the FGO group.

(Mythos) Now then, your turn. What did all of you think about this?

(Da Vinci) Well, it was quite interesting. I always wondered what would happen if we used our resources for something other than our job. If the people of the Clock Tower actually had consciences, we could probably do some real good in the world, and this Issei proves it.

(Ritsuka) He has given me a lot to think about. I could be doing so much more and I just haven't, I guess. I've gotten comfortable having the Servants handle everything and have only been doing what is necessary of me. While I don't think I would be charging into battle like him, I could definitely contribute more if I trained.

(Mash) Personally, I think you already do too much Senpai. Your job is very important, and I think it's fine if you leave the fighting to us. I think my other self is thinking the same thing with Issei-san. Although I'm surprised that I have the ability to fight in that timeline. At this point, my powers should be extremely weakened, and it should be hard for me to even transform into my Servant form.

(Mythos) That will also be explained later, although that sorta gets spread out among the story.

(Holmes) I find this series of events interesting. I'm curious as to how things will progress on our end though. You said this takes place after Master Ritsuka defeated Goetia, right?

(Mythos) Correct.

(Holmes) Then that means Master Issei still has the rogue Demon God Pillars and the Lostbelts to go through. Not to mention what comes after that. I wonder how he will handle those events now that he has these experiences under his belt too.

(Goredolf) I'm more wondering how the Clock Tower will react after finding a world with magic for them to use. There's no way they will be able to keep it a secret forever.

(Da Vinci) True, that is a problem, as well as if they find out the truth about Issei himself as well.

Everybody nodded, having taken a few moments to absorb the information and comments. Once they all got settled, Mythos decided it was time to move on.

(Mythos) Alright. Now is time for an intermission. I'm sure you all want a chance to stretch your legs and do whatever you need to do.

Mythos snapped his fingers and a few doors appeared around the room.

(Mythos) Now, while time is frozen outside this dimension, I'm sure all of you need proper rest and relaxation. So I've created dorms for all of you. Also, there's a rec room, training room, cafeteria, indoor pool, arcade room, living room, reading room, a garden, and more. So feel free to explore to your heart's content and relax a bit before we move on to the next Volume.

Everybody nodded and began to get up to explore, but before they could go anywhere Mythos stopped them.

(Mythos) Oh right! One more thing. We'll be having a guest join us every time we have our intermissions.

The group looked at him curiously.

(Issei) Who is it?

Mythos had a mischievous smile as he opened another portal. A moment later someone fell through, landing on his feet. Once he stood up everyone was shocked by who it was.

(Issei (FotRD)) The heck? Where am I?

Alright! The votes are in and the DxD and Fate reacts story won the poll. Thankfully I was already almost done with it from working on it sporadically before. Anyways, we reached the end of Volume 1 and next chapter will be an intermission before the next react. I plan on having the characters talk as well as reflect on both this story and their own story to see how they could have done things differently. I'll also reference other fics since I've made it so that every other fanfic is it's own universe in this story. Side note, the part about why Season 3 was retconned is my own opinion and I don't actually know what went on there so don't take what was said here as fact. Back to the main topic I plan on having Issei (FotRD) join them during each intermission. It will always be the version from the end of the Volume they're watching so I'll get creative with how he interacts with his counterparts. Anyways, that's all for now. I look forward to the comments like always. : )