(AN: From this point forward I will be writing this story the way I do most of the others since I've got multiple comments about the writing style and I myself am finding it hard to write what I want properly. I won't be changing the previous chapters unless I suddenly feel the urge to fix things for some reason, but from this point on I will write this story normally. : ))
Everyone was surprised at the new guest that appeared, with Issei and Ritsuka being the most stunned. Issei(FotRD) looked around at the unfamiliar place until he noticed people he recognized. He saw the ORC, Mash, and… himself? He was really confused and silently contemplated what was happening. Last thing he remembered was sleeping with Mashu, and now he was here in his normal outfit. "Did I enter another Singularity through my sleep again?" asked Issei(FotRD).
"No Senpai, you haven't entered REM REM again," said Mash.
Issei(FotRD) looked up at Mash and smiled. "I see. Thanks Mashu… Are you, my Mashu?"
"No, sorry. I'm from a different timeline. You and I haven't met."
Issei(FotRD) looked a bit sad. "I see. Then can someone explain what's going on… and why there's two of me?"
"I can do that?" said Mythos from behind him.
Issei(FotRD) turned to see the man whose expression could be seen as proud and excited. He explained where he was and who the others in the room were. After a bit of time, Issei(FotRD) nodded his head in understanding. "I see. So these guys are how things were supposed to be."
"That's right. The two universes that you've been interacting with were originally separated. Your universe was created in my attempt to save your specific timelines."
"I see. Then thanks, I guess. I owe you a lot."
"Don't mention it. To be honest, I did it because I was bored."
"You should be bored more often," said Issei(FotRD) with a smirk, and the pair shared a laugh. He turned to the group and walked over to them. "Well then, this might be a little strange, but I think it's only appropriate to introduce myself. I'm Hyoudou Issei, or Fujimaru Ritsuka, whichever you're comfortable with."
"How kind of you, but yeah, it's nice to meet you. I'm sure you don't need us to introduce ourselves," said Rias.
"Well, there are some of you I don't recognize," said Issei(FotRD) as he looked at the group, his attention stopping at Irina. "Do… do I know you from somewhere?"
The group had surprised expressions before remembering that Issei in the past thought Irina was a boy. Irina herself blushed in embarrassment. "Issei-kun, it's me, Irina Shidou."
Issei(FotRD)'s expression went blank for a minute before his brain finally seemed to catch up. "Eh? Eh? Ehhhhhhhhhhh?! You're Irina?! But I thought–"
"Yeah yeah, we've already done this. We thought she was a boy when we were younger, but we were wrong," said Issei, a bit embarrassed.
"Ah, right. Sorry. It was just so–"
"Surprising?"
"Yeah…" Issei answered awkwardly. He then looked towards Irina. "I'm sorry Irina. I feel like an idiot for not noticing."
"It's ok. I was a bit of a tomboy back then, so it's not completely your fault," said Irina shyly.
Issei(FotRD) smiled then looked over at the unfamiliar faces. "So, who are you guys?"
"I'm Xenovia. Irina and I were partners with the church as exorcists when we first met you. I later became Rias' knight."
Issei(FotRD)'s eyes narrowed. "The church huh…" The others could guess what he was thinking after seeing his reaction to Asia's story before.
"It's not as bad as you think. I know you don't have all the information, but the church isn't bad," said Irina defensively.
He looked at her and then nodded. "I'll take your word for it I guess." He turned to the next girl. "Who are you?"
"I'm Rossweisse, a former valkyrie and Rias' rook."
"Oh, a valkyrie. So I guess I'll be meeting you eventually as well. I wonder how the other Valkyries will react when they meet you."
"Other Valkyries?" asked Rossweisse.
"He's probably talking about the Valkyries that are Servants of Chaldea," said Ritsuka.
"I see," said Rossweisse. Issei(FotRD) eyed Ritsuka, feeling something of a familiarity with him.
He put that thought away for now and looked at the little girl? He felt like he was having deja vu. "You're a boy, aren't you?"
"Y-yes Issei-senpai. I'm Gasper, Rias-nee's bishop," said Gasper.
"More members of Rias' peerage. At least you all seem reliable. I look forward to meeting you back in my world." The others nodded with smiles. He then turned to the others who seemed like they were different from the ORC. He turned to the tall cat girl standing near them and felt like he had seen her somewhere too. "Do I know you too and I'm just forgetting?"
"Nyahahaha, no, you haven't met me yet. I'm Shirone's older sister Kuroka," said Kuroka while leaning over and clearly showing off her assets.
Issei kept his cool and looked at her confused. "Shirone?"
"Ah, right you only know her as Koneko at this point."
Issei was a bit surprised that Koneko had a sister, but when he looked closely, he saw the similarities, which is why she looked familiar. "I see. Well, it's nice to meet you. I hope we get along well." The others made nervous chuckles while Kuroka laughed cheerfully. Issei looked to the others. "So, who are you guys?"
Azazel stepped forward with an amused smile. "Well since you asked so nicely, I'm Azazel, leader of the Fallen Angels. Nice to meet you, Red Dragon Emperor of another world."
Issei recognized his name and his eyes narrowed immediately. "Azazel huh. So this is what you look like. You have a lot to answer for. Well, the one from my world does at least."
"I'll speak on behalf of my counterpart since a similar incident happened with us, the fallen you encountered went against my orders and acted excessively on their own. It's still my responsibility but I want you to know that I had no intention of harming you or Asia Argento."
Issei(FotRD) eyed him skeptically, but nodded. "Well, we'll see when I encounter him."
Michael stepped forward next. "Hello Issei-kun. I'm Michael, leader of the Angels and the church."
Issei(FotRD)'s scowl was even deeper than with Azazel. "So, you're the leader of the church."
Michael made a placating gesture. "Now now, I know what you want to say, but there is more going on with Asia's situation than you realize."
"Like what?" he asked, still not buying it.
Michael looked at Mythos for help. "It's fine to tell him. He won't retain any memories of being here when he's sent back," said Mythos.
Michael nodded and explained the situation to Issei(FotRD). When he was done, Issei's look was less aggressive but still unhappy. "I understand to a degree, but your execution was sloppy."
"We could have handled it better," Michael admitted.
"Well, you seem like a decent enough guy, so I'll reevaluate my opinion of your group later."
Next was the red-haired man that bore a resemblance to Rias. "Hello Issei-kun. I am Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias' older brother and a Maou. This is my wife Grayfia and my son Millicus."
"Hello, Issei-sama," greeted Grayfia with a bow.
"Hello other Issei-nii-san," greeted Millicus excitedly.
Issei(FotRD) was digesting the information before showing a friendly smile. "It's nice to meet you all. I didn't think I would meet Rias' family so soon, or in this way."
"True. Fate can be a funny thing," said Sirzechs.
"You have no idea," said Issei(FotRD) while shaking his head. He then felt a tug on his hand and saw Millicus trying to get his attention.
"Does this mean I have two brothers now?"
"Uh… I mean, yes?" responded Issei(FotRD), not sure what to say but not willing to make the kid sad.
Millicus smiled widely and brought him to the other Issei so he could hold both their hands. The two Isseis looked at each other before looking down at the happy Millicus and making a similar doting face. The others found it amusing and eventually Grayfia took Millicus back with her so that the greetings could continue. Next up was Serafall. "Hiya, Issei-kun! I'm Serafall Leviathan, Sona's big sister and also a Maou. But you can call me Levi-tan!" she said while making a pose, causing Sona to facepalm.
Issei(FotRD) was surprised by Serafall's personality but smiled at her. "Sure thing Levi-tan."
Serafall was happy that he immediately accepted her nickname. Finally the last of the DxD crew walked up to Issei(FotRD). Issei(FotRD) looked at Vali warily, sensing something from him. Surprisingly, the first one to speak wasn't either of them. [So it's you, White One] said Ddraig(FotRD).
[How nostalgic. It's been a long time since you've addressed me that way, Ddraig] answered Albion.
[So, we're on a first name basis now? What changed?]
[Our hosts are simply strange. Especially yours. Your host started evolving in a weird direction and it somehow started affecting everyone around him. Even my host has changed from how he was before he met yours]
[I see. In that case, the future should be very interesting]
As the two talked, Vali and Issei(FotRD) were watching each other, as if to size each other up. Finally, Vali smiled and spoke. "I am Vali, the White Dragon Emperor. Nice to meet you, my rival from another universe."
"Vali, is it… So, you're my rival. I don't know whether to curse my luck or praise it."
"What do you mean?"
"All my instincts tell me that you're trouble, and that I don't stand a chance against you right now. But, that just makes me want to get stronger even more so," said Issei(FotRD) with a wild smile.
The others were shocked, not expecting him to be a battle maniac. This made Vali happy though as he showed his own wild smile. "Heh, you're sharp. And I can feel your fighting spirit clearly. Seems you got yours far earlier than my rival did."
"Hey, I only fight when it's necessary. I like a good battle every now and then but I have other priorities," said Issei defensively.
Vali ignored him and kept his focus in front of him. "I want to see how well you fight, but unfortunately the gap between us is too wide. Having had a year to analyze and battle you while you have no experience fighting me, would only end in a one-sided beating. So I look forward to watching you battle with my counterpart in your universe."
"I'll try not to disappoint," said Issei(FotRD) with a confident smile.
"Well, that's it for the DxD side. Now why don't you go meet your friends' counterparts from the Nasuverse," said Mythos.
Issei(FotRD) nodded and walked over to the Chaldea group. "The only people I recognize here are Mashu and Holmes. Wait a minute. Da Vinci? Did you become a Lily?"
"Hello Issei-kun. I did become a Lily, although how it happened is a bit complicated," said Da Vinci.
"When is it not?" he said jokingly. He looked over to the large man and frowned slightly. He had a feeling he knew where this man was from. "Did you come from the Mages Association?"
"You seem to be quite keen, young man. I am Goredolf, the new commander of Chaldea."
"So, you're our new boss…" he said, feeling like things might become problematic in the future. "Well, I guess that's better than Chaldea being torn apart and sold in pieces by the Mages Association."
"Yes, well, it was quite expensive to buy all of Chaldea, but I had grand plans for the organization."
Da Vinci rolled her eyes and Issei(FotRD) saw it and could guess what kind of guy Goredolf was. "I see. Well, I guess I'll look forward to meeting you in the future," he said while showing a cool smile. Goredolf nodded approvingly.
Issei(FotRD) was about to speak to Ritsuka but was interrupted by Mythos. "Before you talk to him, I think it would be productive for you two to talk along with the other Issei. After all, you three have the closest connection."
"If you say so."
"Now then, we've been doing introductions for a while but you all should explore the complex. There are many facilities as well as rooms for you all to explore and relax in. Not to mention my helpers will be around if you need help."
"Helpers?" asked Rias.
"Oh right. As we were watching his universe, I was developing the void as well as recruiting people from multiple universes to help me run this place."
"When did you do that?" asked Issei incredulously.
"As a Creator, I exist in all quantum points. Or in layman's terms I exist in the past, present, and future all at the same time. It gets difficult remembering when I am and what has happened and what hasn't happened yet."
"So then you know the future?" asked Azazel.
"Not exactly. It's not like I'll know what will happen for certain. The future is ever changing, based on decisions and interacting with timelines of various universes also confuses it a bit. But I can see specific important events and what may come of them. And when I interact with these timelines, I can affect others and make them similar to me. My helpers are such people. They are people who I have yet to meet at this point in time but will eventually and bring them back here to work with me."
"So, they're from the future?" asked Sirzechs.
Mythos shook his hand in front of him in a so-so gesture. "Future is relative when it comes to the multiverse. It's better not to think about it." The others made unsure expressions but decided to go with it. "Anyways, let's go see the complex!" said Mythos excitedly and began walking towards the door. The others looked between each other and shrugged before following him.
The group entered a large hallway that had many doors along the sides. There were plaques above each door, with most of them blank and the ones that weren't had what room they led too. As they walked down the hall they saw someone who looked like a bandit moving something heavy down the hall. "Hey Steve," said Mythos.
"Heyoooooo!" said Steve as he tried to wave but ended up losing his grip on the heavy object and dropped it while falling over.
The other winced at the fall with some trying not to laugh. Mythos smiled and gestured to the fallen bandit. "This is Steve the Bandit. If you need something done or someone killed, he's your guy."
"Heyooooo!" said Steve while a hand appeared behind the fallen object and waved at them.
The others looked at the hand then at Mythos. "Yes, that's all he says. I don't know if it's a choice or if he has brain damage. The universe he comes from is rather chaotic. But he's a good handyman and is loyal to his friends, so he's cool." The others nodded in understanding.
"Need a hand there Steve," said a new voice.
The other looked over and saw a purple skinned man with white hair, pointy ears, and glasses with a sword on the back of his waist. Mythos waved at him. "Hey Fu. We have guests."
Fu looked over to the group with his usual casual smile. "Well well well, if it isn't the DxD and Fate universe cast. I guess it was only a matter of time. I'm Fu, an artificial demon. A pleasure to meet you," he said while bowing.
They greeted him but were clearly intrigued by him being an "artificial" demon. Mythos began explaining why he recruited Fu. "Fu and I have similar interests. Fu likes to experiment with timelines to see what happens in them and gain power from it. He experimented a lot, although his methods were a lot more reckless than mine."
"Aww, c'mon, it wasn't that bad," said Fu trying to play it off.
"You ended up erasing multiple timelines due to your experiments," said Mythos deadpanned, shocking the others.
"Eh, acceptable losses. Can't make an omelet without erasing a few timelines," he said casually, causing the others to shirk away from him a bit.
"That's seriously messed up you know," said a new voice. Everyone turned to see someone that looked like a young girl in her late teens, with silver-blue hair and in a black coat. She carried a sword on her side and had a calm expression.
"You came to greet them too, Rimuru?" asked Mythos.
"Sure, might as well see where this all began. I still have a hard time figuring out this time dilation and shifting quantum states thing, but it's not a big deal I guess."
"This is Rimuru Tempest, ruler of the Tempest Federation and basically a God in his universe," explained Mythos.
"Ah, c'mon. Calling me a God is a bit of an exaggeration."
"You can literally destroy and remake the universe as you see fit."
"Eh, hehehe…" Rimuru laughed shyly.
"I'm sorry, did you say he?" asked Issei.
"Yeah. Technically he's genderless since he's a slime, but he was a man before he got reincarnated."
"Wait! So he's a guy who reincarnated as a slime?!"
Mythos and Rimuru looked at each other and burst out laughing, confusing the others. Once Mythos calmed down, he answered. "Sorry. You don't know how funny your question just now was. But yes, that's the jist of it."
The others were confused and curious about what was so funny, when suddenly a girl in a pink suit appeared from behind Mythos with an umbrella. The others were shocked by the sudden appearance of the girl from seemingly nowhere. "When did she–" asked Ritsuka.
"Neo. What are you doing here? Where's Roman?" asked Mythos.
Neo pulled a sign from behind her that had words on it. "Dum Dum's counting his loot from the last job," it said. She then spun the sign really fast and when she stopped it there were new words. "I was bored so I came to find you."
"Well, I don't mind you hanging out. Oh, by the way, we have guests." He gestured to the group, and she looked to see them. "This is Neopolitan. She's a thief, and a damn good one too. She's mute so I gave her a sign that self-writes what she wants to say on it."
Neo puffed out her chest with pride as she looked at the group. The others were interested in her abilities if she was getting such praise from Mythos. "If I may, what makes her such an effective thief?" asked Holmes. Neo smiled and then her body shimmered in a pink glow. Once it went away Neo suddenly had the appearance of Rias, which surprised everyone. They saw that her eyes were monochromatic like originally until she blinked, and they were the same blue as Rias'. Holmes immediately understood how she was so good. "Fascinating. If she could appear as anyone, then it would obviously make infiltration a simple matter, provided nobody tries to talk to her."
Neo held up her sign again. "I'm no rookie. I know who to turn into to avoid being talked to or at least keep interactions to a minimum," she said while turning back to normal.
As Holmes nodded, two more guests arrived. "Oi oi, it's turning into a party over here, and you didn't bother to invite us? I'm hurt."
Everyone turned to see two armored people. One was in red and gold armor with a green visor while the other was in armor that looked like a grasshopper with neon yellow, red and metallic armor parts. "Evolt, Zero-Three. I thought you guys were out," said Mythos.
"We were. We just got back now," said Evolt casually.
"We have finished gathering data with minimal issues," said Zero-Three.
"Are they Kamen Riders?!" asked Sirzechs excitedly. Both Issei's were also stunned but looked a bit excited to see them too.
"Ah, right. You're a Super Sentai fan, so of course you would know of Kamen Rider as well. Yes, they are Kamen Riders. He is Kamen Rider Evolt, and they are Kamen Rider Zero-Three," introduced Mythos.
"Ciao," said Evolt while waving a hand. Zero-Three simply nodded in greeting.
"Did you say "they"?" asked Ritsuka.
"We are two A.I. combined into one body to achieve Singularity. We were once, Satellite Ark, and Satellite Zea. Two A.I. with opposite perspectives on humanity. Eventually it became necessary to become one entity to defeat an enemy who simply wished to wipe the slate clean in an attempt to eliminate all evil," explained Zero-Three.
"I can already tell where this is going," said Da Vinci.
"The new A.I., Zein, wished to eliminate not only existing evil, but all potential evil."
"Meaning the elimination of choice and freedom," said Michael.
"Correct. Satellite Ark, which represented the evil of humanity, wished to continue existing. Satellite Zea, which represented humanities potential, wished for humans to still be free. Neither could defeat Zein alone, so they combined their powers to create me, Kamen Rider Zero-Three."
The others were awed by Zero-Three's origin and now looked to Evolt. Evolt saw their looks and shook his head while laughing. "Don't expect some grand tale of my origin. I'm what most people refer to as an Evil Rider. I came to earth to destroy it but during my time there I got attached a bit to it. I found it more entertaining to toy with the beings of earth rather than just kill them all. So many interesting things happen on this world. And, it's not restricted to this timeline," he said ominously.
Everyone felt uneasy and some of them looked ready to fight if it became necessary. Evolt chuckled in amusement at the little chaos he started. Mythos came in to end it though. "Alright, that's enough Evolt. Leave the teasing to the guys we wanna mess with."
"Relax, I'm just messing with them a little. I'm not gonna do anything."
Mythos looked cautiously at him but looked back to the group. "Ok, we've ended up getting distracted, but we should get back to what we were doing. From here you'll have access to the rest of the complex. I should really think of a better name for this place. You can go into most of the rooms that have labels above them but the ones that don't are locked because there is nothing behind them yet. Feel free to explore to your heart's content and then get some rest for tomorrow. Aside from these guys there are mechs that help maintain and operate the facilities. I'll be around too so if you have a question or just wanna hang out, feel free to see me. Oh, right! There are still others you haven't met yet so be aware there's more people here too." The others nodded and they split up into different groups to explore. Mythos' friends also dispersed to continue doing their own things.
(Cafeteria)
In the cafeteria The ORC (minus Issei) were sitting together with meals they ordered from the serving mech. They were awed by how well maintained a simple cafeteria was as the place looked brand new. After eating and settling down the group started discussing what they had watched previously. They felt nostalgic watching the past, even if it wasn't exactly the same, but in some ways that was a good thing. Then they got to the part where Issei was defended by Mash at school, and they all had melancholic looks. "Why didn't we do anything?" asked Asia, a bit tearful.
"I think we all already know why. It's because Issei was used to it and didn't show any outward discomfort," said Kiba.
"That's right. But isn't that the same problem that caused us to misunderstand him when we tried to make him confess to Rias?" asked Akeno.
"And about what Mythos said before. Are we really treating Issei so poorly?" asked Irina sadly.
They all didn't answer. They couldn't remember what they could have done to hurt Issei aside from the previously mentioned incident and some punishments done early on when he joined the peerage. As if to give them a hint, someone came to join them. "Isn't the problem your lack of consideration?" said Mythos.
The group looked over at him and saw he had a tray of his own food. His expression was unreadable as he looked at them. Rias made an incredulous look. "What do you mean, "lack of consideration"? Haven't we all been doing whatever we could to spoil him?"
Mythos slid into an open spot at their table and put his food down. "Haven't you done that on your own?" They all gave him confused looks and Mythos rolled his eyes. "It's one thing to try and take the initiative to be kind to others, but just doing favorable acts doesn't mean you're being considerate. Think about it. You all know Issei's preferences, but as you were trying to pamper him, have you ever asked what exactly he wanted? Or have you been doing what you assumed he wanted?" They all sat quietly as they processed Mythos' words, and soon looks of realization appeared on all of their faces. Mythos took this opportunity to drive the point home. "Let me ask you. When was the last time you asked Issei what he wanted? And I mean really asked him, not tease him in a suggestive way." They were all silent. They've never asked him because they assumed they knew. They all began to see how they didn't treat him poorly because they were cruel, but because they almost never gave him a choice. Mythos threw them a bone so that they wouldn't fall into despair. "Now, thankfully for you guys, your Issei is simple, so he's not that hard to please, but like any person, small grievances will eventually build up over time if they're not dealt with. All it takes is the right catalyst for all of it to fall apart." Mythos waved his hand and tablets appeared in the group's hands.
"What's this?" asked Rias.
"These tablets hold the stories from other universes that other Creators have made about you guys. I've mentioned them before during the viewing, how some people made stories about how poorly you've treated him and how things didn't work out. Those stories are in there along with some others where things are simply different. I encourage you guys to read these stories, just to give you some perspective." The group looked at their respective tablets with difficult expressions before they turned them on and began to read on their own. Mythos smiled and began eating his food while watching them be engrossed in the stories. Hopefully they can improve their relationships a bit from this. They weren't in a bad place mind you but why stop at good enough? he thought to himself with a wry smirk.
(Arcade)
The Isseis and Ritsuka were in the arcade along with Mash and Da Vinci, with the latter playing games but taking glances at the main character trio as they talked around an air hockey table. The two Isseis were at each end of the table while Ritsuka was standing behind the scoreboard. "So, let me get this straight…" started Issei(FotRD). "You're both me."
"It's more complicated than that. You're another version of him and you took my place in the alternate timeline of Chaldea you went to," explained Ritsuka.
"Took your place?"
"Apparently, I was never born in that timeline, and because of that there was no one to stop Goetia." Issie(FotRD) had a grim look at thinking what would have happened if Goetia won. "When Mythos merged the timelines, you were taken to replace me. You even got my name."
"So, your Fujimaru Ritsuka," asked Issei(FotRD), getting a nod from Ritsuka. "I see. I thought I felt a familiarity with you."
"I felt the same, but I think it's more of a case of camaraderie for those who have suffered the same hardships."
"Yeah, I think you're right."
The two seemed to be getting along well and it made Issei feel a bit left out. "Well, it's nice that you two are getting along but I have some things I wanna say to you," he said seriously.
"What about, other me?"
"Your treatment of Rias," he said seriously.
Issei(FotRD) had a confused look, but then remembered that his original version never went to Chaldea, so he was how he was originally supposed to be. "Before we get to that, I should ask you… what is your relationship with Rias?"
"We're engaged," said Issei proudly.
Issei(FotRD) was bewildered for a second but after a bit his brain processed the information. "Makes sense. I was completely infatuated with Rias in the past."
This set off alarms for Issei. "What do you mean, "in the past"?! Do you not like her anymore!"
"Well, I don't like her less. It's just I love Mashu more," said Issei(FotRD). In the background, Mashu was blushing profusely while Da Vinci was poking her teasingly.
Both Issei and Ritsuka made complicated expressions for different reasons. "What about your dream for a harem? Are you still planning to do that?" asked Issei, a bit worried about what his counterpart was thinking.
Issei(FotRD) looked up thoughtfully. "Well, if Mashu is fine with it then I'll pursue it, but if she's uncomfortable then I don't mind only dating her."
This sentence caused Issei's jaw to drop. "You would give up our dream?! The desire we've wanted for so long!"
"I'm sure it is a shock for you, but I lost my memory of this desire long enough to develop a new desire. Rather, my priorities have simply changed from a peaceful life surrounded by women to protecting the people who are already close to me. I would still like that, but it's less important to me now," said Issei(FotRD). Issei's soul was escaping his body from shock and Issei(FotRD) managed to get a point since Issei wasn't paying attention.
As the three were getting into it Mythos appeared on the open side of the table. "Hey guys. How's the game goin'?"
"It's going fine, especially after I seemed to have blown original me's mind," said Issei(FotRD).
Mythos smirked. "I can imagine. Speaking of mind-blowing perspectives. This is for you." Mythos handed Issei a tablet. "I gave these to your club group earlier. This contains the stories I was talking about before during the viewing as well as some others. With this you will see how other Creators see you guys and the situations you have been through. I just want to emphasize to you, to not get discouraged or overthink things after reading these stories. While these realities exist in other timelines this is not your reality. They are "what if's", just like he is," said Mythos while pointing at the other Issei.
Issei looked hesitantly at the tablet in his hands, feeling like there was an unforeseen weight attached to it. "I see… Thanks, I guess. You said you gave this to the others as well?"
"Yeah, I did. This will give them a lot to think about but it's not all doom and gloom stories." Mythos leaned in close to whisper into Issei's ear. "In fact, there are a couple of erotic stories in there too. Y'know, to help give you and the girls some ideas for when you finally grow a pair and do it," said Mythos mockingly.
"Hey!" said Issei with a blush. He hadn't watched or read porn in a while and he had mixed feelings about erotica based on him and the girls, but he was tempted to read it nonetheless.
As the two of them secretly chatted Ritsuka wanted to ask Issei(FotRD) something. "Uhm, hey can I ask you something?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"Do you think you could give me advice on how to confess to Mashu?"
Issei(FotRD) had a blank expression for a moment as his brain tried to register the question. When it finally did, he was conflicted on how to feel, until he remembered he was talking about his own Mashu and not the one he was dating. "If we went through the same things then you should already know what to say and do. You honestly just need to take the step forward. Mashu has no experience, so it's up to us to take the lead, right?"
"But I have no experience either."
"Neither did I, but we at least have some common sense and a vague awareness of how things are supposed to be. Mashu doesn't even have that. So it's on you to make the first move. Just make sure the timing is appropriate."
"A-alright. I'll give it a shot," said Ritsuka nervously. Things seemed to be moving along nicely during people's downtime.
(Library)
Holmes, Sona, Tsubaki, and Saji went to the library, wanting to see what kind of knowledge could be housed in a place outside of known existence. The library seemed to stretch on forever as they entered. At the front desk of the library was a man who seemed to be engrossed in writing something. "Excuse me good sir, but would you happen to be the librarian?" asked Holmes.
The man looked up from his writing a bit startled, clearly not knowing someone was there. Once he saw people in front of him, he calmed down and smiled. "Yes, that's right, although it's more of an honorary position. I like being here and learning about the various worlds. I'm a novelist myself so the stories stored here inspire me."
"I see. It makes the most logical sense. A novelist would be most at home in a library," said Sona.
"Oh right! I'm Kamiyama Touma, but you can just call me Touma," introduced Touma.
"Since you're here and not a robot, I assume you have some cool ability, right?" asked Saji.
Touma made an embarrassed expression while rubbing the back of his head. "Ah, I guess that is true. You must have met the others. I do have a power of sorts. I'm Kamen Rider Saber."
"Another Kamen Rider…," said Tsubaki.
"Yeah, Mythos is a fan of us Riders. He says that the various Riders he's watched have aligned with his own personal ideals as well as satisfy his childlike need for awesome, if a bit corny, action."
"At least he's honest about his desires," said Holmes.
"I'm honored that he selected me to come here. It's truly been an amazing experience. So many different worlds, different stories, different histories, and different people, all walking different paths in life. The inspiration is endless!" said Touma excitedly.
The others showed stiff smiles at his enthusiasm. Sona decided to get to why they were here. "So, are we allowed to read the books stored here?"
"Yes, these books are free to everyone. The only thing is that you can't take the books out of the library. If you attempt to do so, the book while be teleported back to its place on the shelf."
"I see. It's a good security measure for what could potentially be dangerous knowledge," said Holmes.
"I agree, Mr. Holmes," said Saji.
This caught Touma's attention. "Holmes? You wouldn't happen to be Sherlock Holmes, would you?"
"Indeed I am. I shouldn't be surprised that a novelist like yourself knows my stories."
Touma got up from his desk excitedly and walked over to him, extending a hand. "It's an honor to meet you in person Mr. Sherlock."
Homes shook his hand. "Just Homes is fine. It's always a pleasure to meet a fan."
"Please, the pleasure is all mine. Please have a look around," said Touma, gesturing to the books. The others nodded and went to see what the omniverse had to offer.
(Training Simulator)
Vali and Riser were in the training sim, learning about how the simulator worked. As they figured out how to set up different combat scenarios Vali aske Riser something that had been bugging him. "Why did you come to the training simulator? I figured that you would have gone with your sister or to the bar."
"Well, I needed to blow off some steam. Even though I've moved on from the past, I would be lying if I said I didn't feel some type of way about rewatching it. And I can only imagine how things will be leading up to the Rating Game with Rias this time."
"Didn't you win last time?"
"Yes, but I was kinda a huge ass during the match, so even if I win this time, I don't expect to be shown in the best light. But I don't think I'll win this time."
"Oh? What makes you say that?"
"Just a hunch. That, and this Issei is definitely much stronger than ours when I first fought him. I doubt he'll make it easy for me, even if I do win."
"True. It makes me excited for when our first battle finally happens, but that's not going to be until after the incident with Kokabiel."
Riser remembered what Mythos had said when they got here, about what happened to the timeline originally. How he caused the collapse of everything because of his selfishness. The incident with Kokabiel costed the life of the Sitri heiress, and drove the Factions to War again, not to mention the conflicts after that. "All because I killed her pawn," he muttered to himself.
"Yes, my rival in that timeline was truly unlucky. But what can be done? Life isn't a fairy tale where everyone gets a happy ending. There's no way you could have known your actions would cause all this. Hindsight is only useful for creating regret. It only looks bad because we can look back and see where the mistakes were made. But in this case, it doesn't matter anymore. The timeline has been corrected by Mythos, so it could be considered settled."
"Perhaps, but how many other timelines have been screwed up by me? How many more times have I been a horrible excuse for a living being?"
"Dunno. I don't know you that well personally, and I'm not exactly here to help throw you a pity party. If you want to vent, then you should do it on these enemies," said Vali as he fiddled with the settings for the sim. The area changed and two enemies appeared. The enemies were copies of Vali and Riser. "If you have any regrets or resentment for yourself, this should be a good way to let it all out." Vali showed a wild smile, looking forward to facing himself.
Riser also looked at his copy, who was standing there smirking at him with his hands in his pockets. It reminded him too much of his old self. He got into a fighting stance and showed a viscous smile. "I'm going to enjoy wiping that smirk off your face.
(Bar)
In the bar, Sirzechs, Serafall, Azazel, Micheal, Grayfia, and Millicus sat at the bar. Grayfia was against bringing Millicus in there at first, but the bartender (Steve) pointed at the menu and showed there were also non-alcoholic drinks she reluctantly went in with them. After they all got their drinks, they started chatting like old times. They talked about what they watched and all the interesting differences that have occurred. "This whole experience is just too interesting," said Azazel cheerfully.
"It's definitely interesting to see how things would change, just by adding a few elements the destinies of people have changed drastically," said Michael.
"It seems so amazing, but I'm worried for Ria-tan~. Like So-tan said, Rias doesn't have Issei-kun or Asia-san now. What will happen when she fights Riser?"
"I'm sure Issei-kun will help her out. Even if he's hesitant around her, he's still the same kind person we all know. I'm sure he'll think of something," said Sirzechs.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious how my first interaction with Issei-sama will be this time," said Grayfia.
"I'm sure it'll be fine, Mother. Issei-nii-san is a hero who saves everyone in need!" said Millicus happily, as he drank his juice.
He was about to run out when another was given to him by Steve. "Heyooooo," he said with a nod.
"Heyoooo!" said Millicus back, getting a thumbs-up from Steve.
Grayfia glared at Steve and the bandit/bartender flinched. The others gave small laughs as some new people entered the bar. "Oh? Is this a private party or can anyone join?" asked the man in a red outfit.
"Free bar my friend. Who might you be?" asked Azazel.
"Me? Oh, nobody important. I'm just your run of the mill vampire that hunts down other vampires for fun. The names Alucard. Oh, and behind me is the Police Girl."
"Master, my name is Seras Victoria."
"Police Girl," Alucard repeated, as if to emphasize it.
Seras sighed. "Yes Master."
"Anywho, what's the juicy gossip tonight ladies?"
"Just talking about the universe we were all watching thanks to Mythos. It's interesting to see how things change by changing one or a few things," said Sirzechs.
"Oh right. You guys are from the DxD universe. I recently had a job in another one of your timelines. Had to kidnap that Issei and throw him into another world. Good times," Alucard casually said as Steve gave him his usual.
The others were stunned by this admission and looked at Alucard with warryness. "What do you mean you kidnapped Issei-kun?" asked Sirzechs, a bit of his aura emanating off him.
"Oh it was fun, let me tell you-" Alucard said uncaringly and explained the job Mythos had given him.
After he was done the leaders had various expressions on their faces. "Well, I'm sure Mythos had his reasons, but was all that really necessary?" asked Michael.
"Hmmm, don't know don't care. All I care about is getting my new weapon at the end of it."
"You're definitely an interesting guy. You got any interesting stories to share?" asked Azazel.
"Oh boy, you don't know what you're getting into," said Alucard with a shit-eating smirk and began talking about some past jobs. Grayfia had to cover Millicus' ears from how graphic Alucard's stories were, but the group enjoyed their time drinking and talking.
(The Next Day: Outside the Dorms)
Mythos was walking down the hall, preparing to gather everyone to join him back in the theater. As he was walking, he saw the girls of the ORC plus Kuroka all grouped together and talking. They seemed to be down, and Mythos could guess why. "Hey girls. Sleep well?" They all gave him various looks that suggested they did not. Asia looked like she had tear stains under her eyes. "I'll take that as a no. What happened?"
"Reading the stories you gave us yesterday… it just made us realize how close we were to screwing everything up. Not just for ourselves but especially for Issei. All the hurt and pain we caused because of our selfishness…" said Rias crestfallen.
"Remember, that it wasn't you."
"But it could have been us!" said Akeno, sounding more heartbroken than she appeared. "We've been so careless with Issei-kun all this time. We could have ruined him. We may still have done it later on if you didn't show us all this."
"Why did we always realize the truth too late…?" said Asia, seeming on the verge of crying again.
"Seeing what our counterparts did, I just want to go to those timelines and beat the crap out of them for their arrogance," said Xenovia.
"Now now, calm down. I know this is all a bit much, but remember that this was to show you the dangers of callously acting on your own selfish desires. Although I think there is something that most of these people forget when writing these stories," said Mythos.
"And what's that?" asked Koneko.
"That you're just kids. You all are barely on the cusp of adulthood but you're all still hormonal teenagers. We shouldn't expect you to act logically all the time. Accidents and people being hurt are just part of the process. Unfortunately, you all have the added issues of actual threats to your life plus political pressure that normal people don't have. But despite how everyone wants to act like you guys should be just as responsible as the adults, the fact of the matter is that you're not. So I don't think the blame is solely left at your feet." The others seemed to have calmed down, understanding what Mythos was saying. "Of course, there is a limit to that. I don't need to tell you what that is right?" They nodded in understanding.
"I see. You're right. Thank you, for everything," said Rias.
"No problem. But tell me, how did you react to the non-miserable stories? I'm sure you were all enjoying some of the more erotic stories people made about you guys," said Mythos with a smile.
The girls blushed, remembering some of the stories and scenarios they read. "I'm not sure how I feel about people writing erotic novels about me," said Rias.
"I think it's kinda hot. Especially since it's about me and Issei," said Kuroka.
"Ara ara, I didn't mind either. It's actually given me some ideas for my time with Ise, ufufufufufu," said Akeno.
"Well, I'm glad you're all getting ideas for your personal time with your beloved Issei, but I think it's about time to head back to the Theater." The girls nodded and started heading towards the theater.
Mythos stopped Rias from going and whispered to her. "Did you like the stories where you met Issei before everything happened? I gave those stories only to you and Issei."
Rias blushed but showed a happy smile. "Yes. It made me wish that it happened to me here too. Issei might be the only one who truly understands me, and I wish I could have known his kindness earlier."
"Better late than never. Now just make sure not to lose it," said Mythos. Rias nodded resolutely and the pair joined the others.
Before they got there though they saw a group near one of the other rooms. Fu was with the rest and when he saw Mythos his face lit up. "Hey boss! You gotta come see this. Something interesting has started happening regarding something related to these guys," he said while pointing to the door marked Observatory.
"Oh?" responded Mythos with a wry smirk on his face. The others looked at him in curiosity. "Why don't you all come in? I'm sure you'll be surprised by what you see in here."
(Observatory)
The group entered the room and noticed it was different from all the other rooms. The room was basically pitch black, only lit up by the many containers in the room. Everyone looked into the containers and saw miniature galaxies inside them. Below were plaques naming each one. One said Pokemon the Lost Dragon, another said Twilight Fates. Another said Yu-Gi-Oh! Arc Extra: DxD, and another said Dragon Ball FighterZ DxD. Lastly, they passed by one that said Remnant's Sekiryuutei of Blazing Truth. Eventually they all stopped at the one Mythos and Fu were standing at. The plaque below said Fate of the Red Dragon. "What's this?" asked Issei(FotRD).
Mythos smiled. "This, is your universe." Everyone was stunned, especially Issei(FotRD). "This place, the Observatory, is where we view the various universes in real time, unlike the Theater that lets us view the past." Mythos waved his hand, and a holographic console appeared next to the container. He pressed a few buttons and the view changed to show Rias and Sona fighting. "This is what is going on currently in your universe. Seems to be the finale of the Rating Game between Rias and Sona."
Everyone watched as Rias and Sona traded shots, watching the two perfectly counter each other. It was nostalgic for most of the DxD group while the Fate group looked at the fight with interest. They were shocked however as the match came to a close and Rias punched Sona in the gut hard enough for her to start coughing up blood. They then saw her standing above Sona, her body glowing with markings they've never seen before. "What is that?! Since when can I do that?!" asked Rias, surprised.
"It looks like reinforcement Magecraft, but it looks a bit different," said Ritsuka.
"Good eye. That's correct. As you saw before, Issei(FotRD) uses that Magecraft to fight and he and some of the Servants taught her how to use it too."
"He taught me Magecraft?" asked Rias, surprised and a bit relieved that Issei was helping her that far along so far.
"Yeah, no offense Rias, but your repertoire for combat is, well, you're kinda a one-trick-pony. If it wasn't for Issei and Gasper all you would have is your destruction magic. While powerful, it's very predictable. You should really consider picking up a martial art or train using weapons, for some variety," said Mythos.
"I agree with him. Most mages learn some form of hand-to-hand combat for when their magecraft doesn't work, so that they're not completely useless in a no magic situation," said Issei(FotRD). Rias had an embarrassed look as she avoided everyone's eyes.
"Anyways, we've gotten off track. What did you want to show me Fu?" asked Mythos.
"This," said Fu as he fiddled with the console. The view changed from the images of the match to something resembling a tree made of light.
Da Vinci recognized it almost immediately. "This is a depiction of the Root, right?"
"That's right. This is the Root in this new timeline. It looks like a young tree with only a few small branches for the important timelines necessary to keep its history together. But here–" Fu pointed to a point on the tree with a seemingly new branch growing. "Is an entirely new timeline that was just created, and by the looks of it, it has been growing for a little while."
"So we have a new universe now," said Mythos, a hint of excitement in his voice.
"That's a bingo!" said Fu as he typed some more on the console. Soon an empty case lit up and a new galaxy appeared inside it. Everyone moved to the new case and Mythos fiddled with the console again to view its contents. A moment later the view changed to show Issei, Mash, Ritsuka(F), Saber Lily, Ophis, Olga, and a small dragon walking through a burning city.
The DxD group were startled by the hellish scenery around them while the Fate group recognized what this was immediately. "It's Fuyuki," said Mash.
"The first Singularity of our mission," said Ritsuka, with Issei(FotRD) nodding in affirmation.
"But Issei is there in Balance Breaker, and he had Ophis and a small dragon with him. What's happening here?" asked Azazel.
"Lemme check…" said Mythos as he fiddled with the console some more. A screen appeared with some text that he read and after a bit he nodded in understanding. "Interesting. It seems this timeline is a reverse from Issei(FotRD)'s. Instead of being sent to Chaldea before meeting you guys, he ended up there after getting his new body from Ophis and Great Red. Apparently, a hole opened in the Dimensional Gap and dragged the three of them in while they were making their way back to you guys."
"Who's the girl with orange hair? I don't think I've seen her before," said Ritsuka.
Mythos smirked as he looked at him. "I think I mentioned this before but in case I didn't I'll say it now, your universe is a gacha game in mine and it has a male or female options for the protagonist. You are the male option, and she is the female option. Basically, that's you as a girl."
Ritsuka was stunned, looking at his gender-bent version. The rest of the Fate cast were interested in female Ritsuka, with Mash seemingly having a complicated look. The DxD group was simply amused, some being no stranger to genderbending. Issei thought the girl Ritsuka looked cute but was distracted by the small dragon on Ophis' shoulder. "Who's the little dragon with Ophis?"
"That's Great Red. Apparently, when he was sucked in his body was forcibly shrunk down. He still has all his power, but now he's like a familiar now," explained Mythos.
The others looked in shock. "That's Great Red?!" said Issei, surprised.
"Yeah, it's kinda funny to see a formerly huge dragon shrink down to the size of a house cat." Some of the others chuckled as well.
They watched this new universe as it progressed. Suddenly a group of skeletons appeared and attacked the group, startling some of the DxD cast. They saw as Mash moved to defend Ritsuka while Issie and Saber Lily stood side by side. The pair charged forward and made short work of the skeletons with Mash providing support. They all checked to make sure that everyone was fine before moving on. The viewers were glad nothing went wrong as Da Vinci decided to speak. "By the looks of things, Mash is with Ritsuka and Saber Lily is with Issei. Having two Masters along with one who can fight with true magic… It seems like things might turn out better than it did for us."
"That's the hope, anyways," said Ritsuka.
"So then Boss… what do we name this timeline?" asked Fu cheerfully.
Mythos thought for a moment, until he seemed to nod. "Since it's a branch from Fate of the Red Dragon, it should share the name, but reflect this situation. So how about, Displacement?"
"Displacement huh… It's fitting considering that Issei is now currently displaced from the path of his timeline. He should be rushing back to help fend off the terrorists in the Underworld now, but now he's stuck here, in a place he shouldn't be. Although we should abbreviate it so it's not so darn long," said Fu.
"Right." Mythos agreed and the blank plaque under the container changed to have FotRD: Displacement on it. "Maybe at some point in the future I'll bring them here too, but I should let it develop some more before we get to that."
"Eager, aren't we?" said Fu playfully. Mythos couldn't hide his smile.
"Well, anyways, we should get back on track and head to the Theater, and I should send you back," said Mythos, pointing to Issei(FotRD).
"Ok. It was nice meeting everyone. It was strange to see and hear how things turned out from you guys, but it was interesting nonetheless."
"Don't get sentimental now. You'll be back for the next intermission."
"Can you bring Mashu next time?"
"Sure. Just to remind you, you won't remember your time here when you go back, and when I bring you back all your memories will return."
"Got it." Mythos nodded and opened a portal next to Issei(FotRD). He waved goodbye and walked through, the portal closing behind him.
"Alright. Let's get going."
(Multiversal Theater)
Everyone got comfortable in their seats as they prepared for the next viewing. "Before we begin, I'm going to bring some more guests to watch with us," said Mythos.
The others were curious about who would be joining them when two portals opened next to each group. Out of one fell Mr. and Mrs. Gremory, while Kadoc fell out of the other. Rias was immediately shocked by seeing her parents there. "Mother?! Father?!"
"Rias? What's going on?" asked Zeoticus, amused but confused.
All Done! This intermission took longer than I planned but I think it turned out ok. This chapter was more to set up how future intermissions will go along with some explainations for things. For example, since I don't write my stories in order, but I want to create a timeline I gave myself an excuse for future things being added in past events. If that seems like bs to you, well too bad it's my story. As for the various interactions here, I'm curious about what you all think of who was talking to who about what. While I named some extra characters for Mythos' group, I wonder how many of you recognize these characters. Speaking of which, while I gave a brief summary for some of their backgrounds, don't take what I say as gospel for their origins, it's possible I'm getting some details wrong. As for the reaction, we'll be going to Volume 2 next chapter, so look forward to that. Also for the people who keep commenting to update this story, the story that gets worked on each month is voted for, so if you want this story updated then you have to vote for it on my Pay-tree-on. Anyways, I look forward to the comments as always. : )