Chapter 26: Information War *
While the youngsters were enjoying themselves at home, the adults were discussing the day's events and their ramifications. There was quite a lot to talk about. The trials themselves were barely a footnote, though their results were definitely a topic that would cause waves. More pressing were the details of the battle that had unfolded in the middle of the proceedings. The consequences were even more important, and they would be discussed as well. One thing was clear: It would be a busy night for the leaders of the factions involved in the mess.
"Let's start so we can get this over with," said Azazel.
Although his faction was technically not involved in the trials, the Fallen were still invested in the fight against the Khaos Brigade. That was why he was the only VIP visitor to be invited to this talk. Odin was somewhat upset but also very understanding that he was not taking part. The man had been escorted to a hotel. Azazel would later inform him of the non-classified details.
"Agreed. We got a lot of stuff to cover," said Naruto.
"Let us begin with the attack," said Sirzechs. "It ended up being bigger than we had anticipated."
Gabriel nodded and added: "We did not expect Astaroth household guards to join the fray. I had my hands full defending Diodora's former Peerage from him and his cronies."
"A problem exacerbated by the mercenaries," said Ajuka neutrally. "Zekram Bael is growing into an annoyance that we can no longer just ignore."
"To be fair, we provoked a reaction from his side. Besides, it's not like we can prove his involvement," mentioned Serafall.
Sirzechs commented on that: "It is this deniability that will serve us. Zekram will not gear up for war so long as we do not accuse him. He will believe that he will have gotten away with a failed attempt at silencing a group who have 'damaged' the image of Devils internationally."
"A good thing too," said Falbium. "War is a lot of work, and I really don't want to deal with that."
"Quite," replied Sirzechs with a nod. "Not that he is interested in a war either. He supported our side in the Civil War precisely because he knew that we could not afford to continue the Great War."
"And with the war against the Khaos Brigade heating up, it would be madness to start another civil war," finished Naruto.
"But that is another source of trouble," interjected Gabriel. "The Khaos Brigade may well inflame tensions and cause severe unrest in the Underworld."
"You're right," said Serafall. She then pouted. "Why must it be you who makes such a good point?"
"Indulge in your rivalry later, Serafall," chided Ajuka. "As for the matter itself, it is unavoidable. Our priority must be to defuse as many potential sources of conflict as possible."
"I may be of assistance in that regard," said Remiel.
He had come along as a member of Gabriel's attaché, much like Hinata was there as Naruto's. Remiel also had information to relay directly from Heaven.
"I believe you have already been informed that Cleria Belial's soul has gained entry into Third Heaven, correct?" asked the male Seraph.
Azazel nodded and responded: "Yes. We kept mum about it, for obvious reasons. So did everyone else who heard it. I'm kind of surprised it didn't get out already."
"Be happy that it did not," said Remiel, "although I have my suspicions that the Satans know why."
"Yes," said Sirzechs. "None of us are pleased that we have to keep the reason for her death a secret."
"That is no longer necessary. The reason is known to Heaven. You may have been forced into silence thanks to Zekram Bael's influence, but we are under no such restriction. If a clandestine, coincidental meeting could be arranged, an Angel could leak the information," suggested Remiel.
"Just so we are all on the same page, who is Cleria Belial and what was the reason for her death?" asked Hinata.
Ajuka hummed and answered: "She was the overseer of Kuoh before Rias and Sona took over. She fell in love with a local clergyman named Masaomi Yaegaki. They were in a relationship. Neither the upper echelons of the Church nor certain members of the Devil government wanted this situation to continue. They had them killed. While that was all for the Church's motivation in the incident, the Devil side was more complicated. The only reason why the Church was even notified because Devils did so at the behest of Zekram Bael. He wanted Cleria dead because she knew something he did not want anyone to know."
"And that piece of information is…?" asked Naruto.
Serafall looked at the others and sighed before answering: "The King Piece."
Ajuka explained: "When I created the Evil Pieces, I conceived a set of 16 pieces. The King Piece never made it into circulation, however; all [Kings] must register at the Monument of Kings instead. Only nine prototypes of the King Piece were ever made. They boost the power of their owner by a factor of 10 to 100."
"That's a lot… There has to be a drawback," said Azazel.
"There is," said Sirzechs. "A Devil above a certain level of power cannot use the King Piece. Doing so causes them to die."
"Nevertheless," continued Ajuka, "the King Pieces are too powerful to be distributed to masses of unvetted people. Enemies of the government could have easily amassed an army of Ultimate Class Devils with them. That is why they were discontinued."
"Of course, Zekram was a big meanie and the Great King Faction took six of the King Pieces," said Serafall. "They use them to cheat in the Rating Games. Since success in the Rating Games leads to monetary gain and political power, they gained a lot from it and bar more talented Devils from the higher ranks."
"That did nothing to stop the rise of Rudiger Rosenkreuz and Diehauser Belial into the ranks of the Top 10 Rating Game players," commented Sirzechs. "Diehauser even managed to become the number one, titled the 'Emperor' of the Rating Games."
"Cleria was his cousin, and the two of them were very close," said Serafall. "And therein lies the problem. Cleria found out about the King Pieces; Zekram had her killed; and if Diehauser ever finds out, we are the ones who look like we're responsible for it."
"Right. So, we leave that in Remiel's hands?" asked Naruto.
"Yes. We will give him access to a summoning circle keyed to Diehauser. Everything after that is up to him, provided Masaomi Yaegaki's… executioners have been handled," said Sirzechs.
"Oh, they have. Uriel made his displeasure known," commented Remiel.
"That is one problem handled, then," declared Hinata.
Ajuka continued from there: "On to the next one. Lord Uzumaki, where were you during the battle?"
"Oh, that," began Naruto, "that wizard guy from the Khaos Brigade kidnapped me. It wasn't the first time I heard about him, not even the first time I saw him. I dug a bit into him after that time. The reports I got mentioned he's part of the Khaos Brigade's Hero Faction. Georg, he called himself. Uses something called Dimension Lost if the reports are right. Decent guy at offense, really bad at defence, at least against me, believe it!"
"He must have been better than decent if he occupied you for that long," pointed out Azazel. "Longinus Class Sacred Gears like Dimension Lost are not to be underestimated."
"That's the thing; it wasn't just him. He got a couple hundred goons along with him. All of them were just regular humans, so I had to hold back a lot. I managed to capture about half of them for my efforts, though. The rest were speed-teleported out by Georg. It got pretty annoying, so I tried to snag him. I eventually caught up, but I gripped his leg too tightly. Stupid thing came right off – no resilience at all – and Georg beat a retreat. That's when I left the artificial dimension he'd tried to trap me in."
"Captured, eh?" asked Azazel. "Any interesting people among that crowd?"
"There were plenty of Sacred Gears," said Naruto. "I was planning on studying the things. You're free to join in."
"Now that's the sweet sound of research calling for me. I'm in," said the Fallen Angel.
"Let's get back to topic," said Serafall. "Did you immediately go for Shalba once you rejoined the battle?"
"Is that the name of the fancy-looking loser I blasted? Then yes," answered Naruto. "It was a shame that he got away too, but I was prepared."
"Oh?" asked Sirzechs. "Enlighten us."
Naruto smirked and said: "I tagged him with a tracking seal when I kicked him. It doesn't work past the Dimensional Gap, but as long as we're in the same spatial realm and closer than 20'000 kilometres, I know where he is."
"… Fascinating," said Ajuka. "Can you sense that tracking seal at this moment?"
Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Seems like he's underground. Really far underground, actually; at least 200 kilometres."
"… The Netherworld," muttered Sirzechs.
"Hades' realm. Then we must assume that he is part of the Khaos Brigade or at the very least a sympathiser," concluded Ajuka.
"I could investigate that for you," said Naruto. "My family's contract with our Death God gives me certain privileges. It even lent me a hand at the trials."
"That was an awful pun," groaned out Serafall.
"Your humour needs getting used to at times," said Gabriel in a mildly amused tone.
Hinata laughed. "You do get used to it pretty fast."
"Be that as it may," said Sirzechs, "it is an option."
Ajuka nodded. "It would be prudent to investigate the ongoings in the Netherworld in any case. Our usual backdoor channels have gone quiet."
"Well, I guess I know where I'm headed when I got a free minute. I'm gonna see what's going on down there, believe it," declared Naruto.
Azazel stretched and stood up. "Well, that's that covered. If that is everything, we can adjourn-"
"Not quite," interrupted Naruto.
"Do you have something to share?" asked Gabriel.
Naruto nodded and answered: "It's a pretty big thing. I originally planned on only telling Ajuka for now, but Hinata convinced me to inform all of you when we were on the way here. Still, I gotta ask: how secure is this room? It'd be a catastrophe if this knowledge gets out before it's time to act on it."
The others glanced at each other. Falbium, who had almost dozed on the side so far, was alert now. He answered: "It's as secure as we could make it. Add your own thing to it if it makes you feel safer."
Naruto nodded. He put his hand on a wall. Seals spread out from it, covering the entire room in intricate designs. They glowed blue for a second before staying fixed. Naruto smiled.
"You did excellent work. I didn't know you could be so thorough with just barriers," he praised.
Falbium snorted. "Thanks for the endorsement. Now talk. I want to get back to napping."
A short laugh escaped Naruto. "Sure, you lazy bum. I'll get to it. In short: I'm not from this world."
"That… is to be expected. There are no native humans in the Underworld," pointed out Serafall.
Naruto shook his head and said: "It's more complicated than that. I'm not from this world, as in, not from this Earth or any of its attached realms. I'm from way beyond the Dimensional Gap, and I'm not the only one…"
"Hinata as well?" asked Serafall.
Hinata nodded. "Yes, and all our Shinobi."
"I do not find that easy to believe," said Sirzechs.
"I do, actually," said Ajuka. "It's the only explanation that fits the anomalies. Abilities such as those displayed by the Uzumaki and their Shinobi would have been discovered ages ago otherwise. There is literally nowhere they could have hidden for so long with that kind of powerset."
"… I have to agree, as outlandish as it sounds," said Azazel.
"Lying about such an easily verifiable thing would not be wise, so I believe what Naruto is saying," said Gabriel.
Naruto had insisted he call her by his given name. It was nice to hear her use it, even in public. Hinata seemed to agree if her smile was anything to judge things by.
"Yeah, Michael can check that easily," said Naruto. "I've had spiritual contact with Heaven's System. That thing has plenty of data on extradimensional phenomena too, I bet, including me."
"That is also one of the reasons for my presence in this world specifically," said Hinata suddenly.
"… I'm almost afraid to ask, but why?" asked Sirzechs.
"The Death God we Uzumaki are contracted to is our world's defence against extradimensional aggressions. Ophis and Great Red fulfil that same function for your world. The difference is that the Shinigami does this intentionally and that has encountered a lot of that aggression," explained Hinata.
"I helped it out for a long time," said Naruto. "There were a lot of jackasses trying to invade our homeworld. It took ages to deal with them all, literally."
"The Shinobi Alliance, the main military power of our world, was eventually informed by my husband," continued Hinata. "They created a special branch of the army called the Expeditionary Force in response."
"Wasn't fast enough to join in though," said Naruto. "But these invasions highlighted the need to go and explore that vast reaches of the cosmos and beyond. I've been scouting different worlds for thousands of years by now. The Expeditionary Force joined in on that. We've got quite the catalogue of worlds these days."
Hinata took over from there: "And that is where trouble is brewing. Recent scouting missions have encountered worlds that were scoured of life. We found the detritus of warfare on a… dangerous scale; shattered moons, broken planets, forcefully dispersed stars. And all these worlds share one common point: They all have remnants of the same dimensional signature."
"… Are you saying that several worlds have been destroyed by the denizens of one specific world?" asked Falbium.
"We don't have proof yet, but that is what we believe. The Shinigami has asked us to keep an eye on the dimensional signatures we suspect to belong to the perpetrators," said Hinata. "These same dimensional signatures have appeared in worlds that are still populated… close in metaphysical distance to this world."
"We even found a tiny remnant of this dimensional signature in Kuoh," said Naruto.
It had been a shocking discovery, to say the least. There was no reason to panic yet, however. This could still be investigated, especially if the necessary time and resources were allocated. There was also another factor at play.
"Fortunately, while the dimensional signature is identical to those of our suspected aggressors, the energy signature differs," said Hinata. "The only things we could find out about it are that the dimensional breach occurred several years ago and that the energy in Kuoh was divine in type."
"It is worrying nonetheless, especially with our troubles with the Khaos Brigade," said Sirzechs.
"It brings another risk with itself as well," said Hinata. "Keeping the war against the Khaos Brigade hidden from the mundane public will be difficult, but if you add the potential for an extradimensional invasion on top…"
"It becomes impossible," finished Ajuka.
Naruto nodded and said: "Exactly. With human tech advancing as it's doing now, that secret was never gonna stay one past the next few decades. The problem is the chaos a sudden and violent reveal would cause."
"… I must devise an action plan as soon as possible," muttered Ajuka.
"And we gotta start with controlled experiments," said Naruto. "That's why I informed Pervy Kid's parents about the supernatural and that he's stuck in that new life. The details are his to tell. We can gauge the Hyoudous' reaction and proceed from there."
As he took in the others' mixed reactions to his initiative, he thought: Don't disappoint me, Pervy Kid.
The next morning was a tense one for Issei. Sure, the last evening had been very pleasant, but now he faced the kind of inquisition any teenager feared: a parental one. He had no idea how they would take the news about… everything that had happened to him since April. It was not unreasonable to fear that things would change between them, so he braced himself for the worst.
On the upside, he had moral support. Not only were the girls – his girls – here, but Rias had also called Gasper and Kiba over. The full Peerage was there to stand by him.
And to answer any questions Mom and Dad are going to have, he added mentally.
"Now that we've all had breakfast, maybe it's time you started explaining, son," said Miki Hyoudou, the boy's mother.
Issei felt awkward. He scratched the back of his head; his usual nervous reaction. He had to face the music, though.
"I don't really know where to start. What has Naruto told you?" he asked.
His father answered: "Mister Uzumaki said he only covered the basics. He gave us a small booklet, something called a primer on the supernatural world, and that you are a part of it together with Rias, Asia and her friends."
"To be honest," added Miki, "he also informed us that the Shidous were already part of it. You would have gotten involved in the supernatural world regardless of our or your wishes according to him. Our contact with them would have been enough to ensure this together with a special something he said you should explain to us."
"… He told you nothing about what has happened around here?" asked Issei.
Gorou, his father, shook his head. "No, only that there is some unpleasant business going on and that you've been through a lot. Mister Uzumaki suggested that we shouldn't be too harsh on you."
Issei took a deep breath.
This is harder than I thought, he thought with a sigh.
He felt a hand slip into his, making him look to the side. Rias had grabbed his hand and now gave it a comforting squeeze. She smiled gently at him. He smiled back.
Now feeling ready, he addressed his parents: "I guess I should start at the beginning for me. It all started when this girl called Yuuma walked up to me out of the blue and asked me out…"
As he regaled them with the tale of his exploits, Issei observed his parents. He may not have been very smart, and he was kind of oblivious in many regards, but he was not stupid enough to miss their clear signs of anxiety. His mother looked like she was halfway between passing out and ripping the table in half with her grip, and his father's hand was clamped around her wrist for reassurance while he himself stared hard into the wall behind Issei. The teen had did not need to be a genius to know that they were not taking the news too well.
"We nearly lost you so many times," said Miki, her voice wavering, "… and we didn't even know it."
She was having a hard time not breaking out in tears. A pit opened in his stomach. He felt bad about making her feel sad.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to cause trouble for you."
"You think that is what we're upset about?" asked his father with incredulity.
"Dad, I know I'm not the best son there is. There's a load of trouble I've caused you over the years with the way I am, and this is just the latest news of it" said Issei bluntly.
"You worry us, but that's because we love you, my boy," said Miki.
She nearly pulled him across the table and gave him a hug that honestly surprised him.
"Mom?"
"We love you, Ise," she said. "It seems we don't tell you that nearly enough if you think that you dying would cause trouble for us like it's just an inconvenience."
Issei did not know how to feel about that. There was no missing the fact that he disappointed his parents quite often, almost on a regular basis. They did not hesitate to say as much, usually at least. That was not to say that he believed they were indifferent to him or that they disliked him. He simply thought that he had already wasted whatever love they had once held for him with his behaviour. Now that he knew that he had been wrong in that assessment, he was left without a clear course of action.
"Mom-"
"Hush," she interrupted him. "You're a pervert, and you cause us no small amount of grief, but we love you more than life itself. If we were to lose you, that would devastate us. I wouldn't be able to bear that loss; not after…."
"Honey?" asked Gorou.
Miki seemed to deflate. She sighed and said: "I think it's time to talk about this."
Now Issei was thoroughly confused. He asked: "Talk about what?"
His mother clammed up and nudged his father instead.
Gorou gathered himself and said: "Your mother and I married young. We tried for a child early on and… well, let's just say that you didn't get your erotic mindset from nowhere. It did not take long for Miki to become pregnant. And then…"
"… I lost the child," finished Miki. "We tried again later. The result was the same."
It was old grief that gnawed at her, and even Issei could see that it had never healed properly.
"The doctors said that Miki would likely never be able to carry a baby to term. So, we reluctantly abandoned the idea. But then, several years after our marriage she fell pregnant again. We did everything we could to ensure that you would see the light of day, Ise. Even when the doctors told us to give up, we refused to do so," explained Gorou.
Miki gave a small laugh and elaborated: "We really did everything. Diet changes, tailor-made exercise routines, carefully planned rest periods… Your father gave it his all too. He practically spent that winter at a shrine and performed Hyakudomairi barefoot in the snow."
"I prayed that you would be born as a healthy baby," said Gorou. "I offered up what I could, even prayed that I would gladly give up half of my remaining life just to see you come into the world."
Miki took over again: "Some god must have heard our prayers. That spring you were born, my dear child. You had a strong pair of lungs even back then."
"I had no idea…," said Issei.
It warmed his heart that his parents had gone to such lengths just for him. The realisation that he had two elder siblings who had died before they had even been born stung him, however. The tale of his parents' love for him sadly also made him feel guilty.
"I'm sorry that I'm such a disappointment. You spent so much time end effort on me just for me to turn out perverted like this," he said.
"Son, stop blaming yourself for everything. We're not upset that you're a pervert," said Gorou bluntly.
Issei looked at him like he had grown a second head. "… You're not?!"
Gorou sighed. "No. It's pretty much a Hyoudou family trait. Both your grandfather and I had once the same dream of a harem. Your grandmother was… active enough to keep him mostly to herself, though. As for me, well, Miki proved that she's all I need."
The woman in question smirked salaciously. "That I did."
Issei understood the message, much to his consternation: Gah! Not in front of me!
"Ahem. Be that is may," said Gorou, "What we are disappointed with is not that you're a pervert or that you're honest about it, but that you're scaring all the girls off with your antics. We want grandkids."
"Hey, I've dialled those back!" protested Issei.
"We've noticed," said Miki, "and we're happy about that. It's just a little late for it; that's all."
That was fair, Issei realised. He knew that most girls – the human ones at least – did not appreciate his ways. And looking back, he had not done himself any favours with his peeking habits. His moment of enlightenment when he had begun to focus his attentions on girls his dragon aura deemed compatible further put things into perspective. He cringed a little.
Better late than never, he thought.
Miki went on: "But enough about that. There were a few things in your tale that I want to know more about, especially where it concerns the Gremory family. They're big names from what you have told us. Big names usually lead to big trouble if you're not prepared for that life."
"Uhm, Lord Zeoticus and Lady Venelana are helping me getting caught up on that," said Issei. "They've been teaching me manners and things like that."
"I see…," muttered Miki. "Tell us more."
Issei got the feeling that he was going to have a lot of explaining to do. He was once more glad for Rias and the others being here. It was now their time to shine.
"Perhaps I can explain this in more detail," said Rias.
Rias to the rescue, thought Issei with relief, damn, I love you.
"I thought I was used to uncomfortable questions from parents, but this was exhausting," said Rias with a tired sigh.
Koneko could only agree there. Contrary to Rias, she was entirely unused to parental attention. The scrutiny the Hyoudous had put on everyone thus had come as a surprise to most, and she had been ill prepared for it. Not even Gasper had escaped unscathed. The poor boy had pretty much used up his emotional batteries for the day, though he had gotten a hug out of it. Koneko had too, weirdly enough.
"You'll be our daughter in law eventually," had been all Miki Hyoudou had said about it.
That was an oddly liberating thought. The relationship she shared with Issei, Rias, Asia, and Akeno was already a thing of rumours, but it was nice to no longer feel any pressure to hide it from certain people. Koneko felt rather happy about it.
All in all, the conversation had gone a lot better than she had expected. There had been no shouting and no excessive blaming, though the elder Hyoudous had made sure to extract promises that they would look out for each other. Those had been easy enough to agree to.
There had been some side tracking too. Considering the way supernatural beings operated, Koneko had made sure to check on Gorou to determine if a god had actually taken any life energy from him to allow Issei's birth to happen. Shockingly, she had found some damage to the middle-aged man's life force, though it had been minor enough to heal on its own over time. By the time he was sixty, he would have completely recovered. Fortunately, that was the only big issue.
Unfortunately, however, other points had been raised.
"Ufufufu, poor you. Now you'll have to find out how to invite your parents over to discuss your marital situation," teased Akeno.
Rias groaned. "How could I have known that they wanted to make this an official betrothal so soon? We haven't even had time to go on a proper date yet!"
"We can go on one soon! I've still got to work out the details, but I'm working on it," interjected Issei.
Koneko looked at him in askance. "What is there to work out?"
"A schedule and an itinerary, for one. I'm taking this harem seriously, you know? I can't just go on dates with only one of you, can I? I'm trying to come up with plans for everyone so no one feels excluded. That's not an easy process," her boyfriend pointed out.
"… I can't actually refute that," said Koneko.
Asia commented: "I think it's sweet."
Yuuto laughed at the display. "Well, Ise, this is what you will have to deal with from now on."
"It's a small price to pay," replied Issei instantly.
"I couldn't do that. Going out and into crowds is scary," said Gasper.
Issei rebuked him with all the mannerisms of an ancient master of wisdom: "You will once you find the right girl… or girls."
The contrast between the way he carried himself and his words almost made Koneko snort. "Let him off, oh wise one," she said with amusement.
That amusement went in an interesting direction as Gasper's emotions went haywire for a bit. It raised questions Koneko would have to ask later. She was rather curious about it.
She thought: What are you hiding, Gasper?
"If we're talking about dates," spoke up Xenovia, "I'd like to have one as well."
Issei looked conflicted, and he felt like it too. Koneko sensed the minor turmoil in him.
"Only if the others are okay with it," he said.
Xenovia nodded and replied: "That's fine. I want to join the harem anyway. It's best not to antagonise anyone in it."
"… Fine with me," said Koneko.
To be honest, she wanted to bond more with the blue-haired girl as well. While there was a minor sting of irritation at having to share Issei with one more person, she was okay with it. Issei had chakra; he would eventually learn how to use Shadow Clones. Additionally, Xenovia was attractive, and Koneko was certainly not opposed to getting her hands on the other girl's body.
The others gave their consent as well. Rias did so with some reluctance, likely also thinking of the time management issue, but there was no regret. Plus, the small burst of jealousy accompanied by an equally small bit of arousal told Koneko everything she needed to know.
I think Rias has a fetish, said Koneko. Though considering my thing with pulling other girls' hair, I'm not going to throw stones inside the glass house.
"Very well," said Rias eventually.
"Cool," said Xenovia. She turned to Issei and said: "You don't have to plan anything. I'm going to give you a sword fighting lesson."
It was unconventional for a date, but nobody could fault Xenovia for going along with a suggestion others had raised for her. Besides, it would get the ball rolling.
"This is oddly amusing," muttered Yuuto.
"It sort of is," said Koneko. "But that doesn't make it any less serious."
"I guess it does not," agreed Yuuto.
Rias coughed into her hand then, and said: "Leaving that aside, I think we're finished for today. We'll meet at school again tomorrow. The competition is coming up, and I want all of you rested and ready."
"You do know that only Ise and Asia are in that stupid three-legged race, right?" asked Koneko.
"I'm aware," said Rias in a flat tone. "But the competitive spirit is important for all of us."
"Right," said the Nekoshou.
She did not quite believe Rias. It was more likely that the pureblood Devil wanted to sneak off with Issei and have some fun with him while the others were off "resting." The redhead had been kind of insatiable ever since their first foray into carnal activities, and Rias was sort of horny right now, oddly enough. The others caught on quickly too.
Yuuto positively radiated his amusement as he commented: "Don't pull a muscle when you stoke that competitive spirit. I'll see myself out. Come on, Gasper."
"R-right!" replied the shy dhampir.
Even Xenovia spotted the signs, though she was far less circumspect about it. "Have fun," she said. "Just don't leave me out of it next time."
Rias' face went as red as her hair. "Oh, shut up!"
"Ufufufu. You've been found out."
"You're not helping, Akeno!"
Koneko could not suppress the snort that left her, earning her a mild glare from Rias.
"Just send him Asia's way once you're done," said Koneko, ignoring the glare. "They might have something to discuss about tomorrow."
The blonde girl, having realised Rias' intentions, was radiating a sense of disappointment. It seemed like she had wanted to spend some alone time with their mutual boyfriend. Koneko could not fault her for it, considering the day she'd had. Being the target of kidnapping and murder attempts was harrowing. Asia deserved a bit special attention, so Koneko was happy to facilitate it this time.
Rias sighed. "Fine. Just stop grilling me."
Asia felt a decent amount of anticipation. It had little to do with the three-legged race the next day. That absolutely paled in comparison to her plan for the evening. "Plan" was perhaps a bit of an overexaggeration; the idea had only come to her on the way home from the Underworld. Still, she had thought of something to reward Issei with.
He had protected her during the battle with a ferocity that caused her grief and excitement in equal measure. He had not been the only one to defend her so fiercely, of course, and she would show her gratitude to the others for risking their lives on her behalf as well, but the thought of rewarding her boyfriend would not leave her mind. So, he took priority over the others.
The wait was difficult to endure. Rias liked hogging Issei, even if she rarely succeeded, so it would take some time for him to arrive. Additionally, the image Asia had of the two of them taking pleasure in each other made her all hot and bothered as well. That only worsened the problem.
By the time her boyfriend arrived, she was a bit of a mess. So, when he opened the door, she was on him in record time.
"Hey Asia, you wanted to-" was as far as he got.
Asia smashed her lips onto his and gave him a deep, tongue-intensive kiss. The taste was a bit different from usual, but that did not deter her in the least.
"I've been waiting for you, Ise," she said.
"I can see that," answered the object of her affections.
There was a hint of tiredness in his voice, which made Asia frown slightly.
She asked: "Did Rias tire you out?"
Asia was treated to the sight of Issei blushing. He awkwardly said: "Uh… not quite, but my jaw is a bit sore."
Why would…? Oh, thought Asia. That explains the strange taste on his lips.
Her cheeks now flushed as well. She should have expected this. After that first time Koneko had gone down on Issei, the others had taken turns, and he had returned the favour. Rias had become… very vocal in her approval. The sounds Rias made when she had his head between her legs were stimulating, to say the least.
He was able to handle us all without problem the first time… Rias, how long did you make him do this? Sometimes, you're just a bit too greedy, thought the former nun with an internal sigh.
"I see," she said.
She reached up with one of her hand and stroked one side of his jaw while she kissed the other.
"Did she at least do her part too?" she asked.
Issei seemed shocked by her question. It was a bit out of character for her, to be fair. She was horny, though, and her sense of fairness poked at her. His answer did not reassure her.
"Uhm…"
Asia sighed. "She forgot, didn't she? She shouldn't leave you pent up like that."
"I got to grope her boobs," he said in her defence.
The [Bishop] shook her head. "That's not enough. Come on."
She took his hand and pulled him towards her bed. He followed her without putting up a fight. She gently pushed him towards the bed. He did not sit down, however, as she stopped him just short of it. What she had planned for him did not really involve the bed, but it felt somehow more appropriate to do it right next to it.
As that minor relocation was taking place, Issei asked her: "What do you mean?"
She responded: "Let me ask you a question. Do I have to do something for you to let me touch you?"
"Of course not!" he answered. "You can touch me all you want."
Asia shot back: "Then why should you have to do anything to be allowed to touch her? From what Aika told me, touching and groping is just a normal part of being in a relationship. I'm sure Rias thinks of it the same way. She's just a bit selfish sometimes and forgets that she shouldn't be."
"I mean-," he began.
Instead of allowing him to argue the point, she undid the corset of her Kuoh Academy uniform. The shirt was practically ripped out of her skirt. She tossed it aside and quickly divested herself of her bra as well. She then took his hands by the wrist and placed them on her breasts.
"You are allowed to be a bit selfish too, you know? Especially with me. I like it, Ise," she told him.
He squeezed her breasts almost on instinct as if to assess the truth of her words. And true they were; Asia felt a jolt of pleasure shoot through her. She moaned softly at his touch.
"Is it really okay for me to just do this?" he asked uncertainly.
She smiled in exasperation and replied: "It feels great for me too. You can play with my breasts as much as you want. I hope you like them, even if they're not that big."
"They're yours; that's enough reason for me to like them," retorted Issei, sounding affronted. He gave them another squeeze and continued: "Besides, they're growing. They're already bigger than they were a short while ago. You're not allowed to feel bad about them, you hear me?"
Asia could not help herself. Despite being incredibly aroused, she giggled at his words. Only he could be so sweet while being so perverted. It was a special sort of charm; one she would never have thought would work on her a few months ago. But now, all she could feel for it was fondness.
"I understand," she said. "I do hope they get bigger, though. Having them touched by you feels too good to not want more."
"That's… weirdly adorable," said Issei.
She giggled again. "I thought the same about what you said before."
"We're both weird then, huh?" he replied.
The renewed pressure on her breasts made Asia moan again. "I wouldn't want it any other way."
She gathered herself after a second and went on: "You make me feel loved, Ise. I love you so much for the way you make my heart jump in joy when I'm with you. That's why I've thought of something to show my appreciation for you."
He smiled softly at her. "You don't have to," he said. "I love you too."
"But I want to," replied Asia. "You always come to my rescue. That deserves to be rewarded."
Having said her piece, she knelt down in front of him and grabbed his belt. It yielded to her efforts without fanfare, and she was free to proceed. So, she pulled down her boyfriend's trousers and his underwear.
"Asia, I don't need a reward to help you out or protect you," he told her.
The blonde smiled and responded with: "But I want to give you one. Let me make you feel good."
Orcus felt the opposite of good in this moment. A terrible misfortune had come over the Netherworld, and he was in the middle of it. Not only that, but he felt it in his bones that Lord Hades was responsible for it.
The dour God of the Dead had been a different man once. Hades had been just, virtuous, and even kind when in a good mood. He had kept to his oaths, delivered justice swiftly and wisely, and had been a fair ruler. He had been a man worthy of loyalty.
That had all changed with Lady Persephone's death. Hades had turned from a chiselled, athletic man into a skeletal horror. His once kind demeanour had changed into that of a hateful creature, and his hatred had a target. To be honest, nobody could fault him for hating Devils; it had been their foolish trespass that had led to Lady Persephone's passing. It was why so few of the Grim Reapers felt the need to challenge Hades in any matter.
Orcus was different in that regard. The reason lay in his name. Orcus, or Horkos to the Greeks, meant oath. He was the son of Eris, the Goddess of Strife, and held dominion over the punishment of oath breakers. The Fields of Punishment were his realm within the Netherworld, and they practically screamed for Hades' head. The man rarely kept to his oaths now, and Orcus felt that he had recently broken a very important one.
Evidence for this was not hard to come by. Uncountable hordes of evil spirits and the souls of the damned were flooding the Netherworld. The Grim Reapers, though a race of minor gods, were barely enough to keep them from overrunning Hades' palace. The meadows of Asphodel had already been lost, and Elysium was not far away from falling either. The souls of heroes past were outmatched by the evils that were attacking them. Only the Fields of Punishment were spared from the wrath of whatever had subjugated these twisted souls.
Orcus suspected that his nature was the cause. His very being rebelled at the notion of supporting Hades in this crisis. To him it felt that the invasion of evils was a just punishment for a broken oath.
The clue as to whom that oath had been sworn to was difficult to gather, however. The spirits and souls assaulting the Netherworld were all Greek in origin. As such, Tartarus might have been a suspect, but the Lord of the Pit would never have attacked in the name of justice. No, someone else was the offended party. A closer investigation was necessary.
This was why Orcus was now on the edge of his demesne. He peered into the wild horde of evils in a bid to find out who or what led them. He had been doing this for quite some time already, and this was not his first attempt, but he felt that it was supremely important.
"Lord Orcus?" asked one of his bodyguards.
"What is it?" asked the elder Grim Reaper.
The bodyguard gave the evil spirits a nervous glance as he said: "I feel a danger coming near, my Lord. I… I do not feel safe here."
That gave Orcus pause. He had selected his bodyguards carefully, making sure that he had with him people who could sense different types of harmful energies. The Grim Reaper who had spoken was a son of Thanatos. If he sensed something amiss, then it was wise to vacate the area soon.
Just as Orcus was about to give the command to leave, he felt it. It was an abhorrent presence; so sickening it felt that his body nearly seized up completely. He turned his head in the direction from which he felt the ominous chill, and there he saw a being he had no wish to ever cross.
He spotted a towering figure astride a beast that was typically not seen outside of Cocytus. The rider was clad in black armour and wore a blood red cloak over it. Great wings extended from his back and cast their shadow over the army of dead horrors. His eyes burned with a terrifying green light that bored their way into any onlooker. He had seen Orcus.
With a wavering voice, the Grim Reaper recited a passage from a book he knew all too well despite its alignment with another faith: "And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed him."
A deafening roar came from the horde. Golden brands appeared on every evil spirit's head, and golden collars manifested around the necks of the damned souls. Their screams drove a fear unlike any other into Orcus.
A smile full of razor sharp teeth came upon the rider's face. The laugh he released was rumbling despite not being all that deep.
"Well met, Orcus, punisher of oath breakers. I see there is still someone with a shred of integrity left in this realm," he said. "Do keep it up, please. I despise doing unnecessary work."
The man turned his horse around and left, the evils following in his wake. Orcus stayed rooted in the spot until he could no longer see him. Only then did he feel safe enough to proceed.
"We retreat to the estate immediately. Get me Bennia as soon as possible. I have a mission for her," he ordered.
Things were clearer now. Death, the Horseman of the Apocalypse, had come to the Netherworld. Only one being had ever been capable of commanding that monster, and Hades had managed to break an oath made to him of all beings. Now all that needed to be done before he could act on this knowledge was to find out the nature of the offence.
His daughter Bennia would be put on that task. She was only half-Grim Reaper. As a demigod she was not strictly bound to the Netherworld by the treaties that governed them. It made her the ideal choice for the position of emissary to Heaven.
Orcus only hoped that whatever Hades had done was a problem that could be fixed. The consequences if that were not the case…
He shuddered at the thought of those twelve white, bat-like wings.
AN: Hello there, my dear readers! Welcome back to this newest chapter.
The aftermath of the battle at the courthouse has now been handled, mostly. The plans for the future that will follow it are getting rolling, though. Plus, Naruto finally spilled the beans. Any bets on how long this stays secret? And what about this dimensional intrusion in Kuoh?
Correct guesses will net you a virtual imaginary cookie.
Issei spilled the beans too. I set this up so he and his parents could have a moment together much earlier than they did in canon. This conversation also covered the important points of Issei's "origin story" for those of my readers who have not read the Light Novel, as I believe that the anime has not reached that point yet.
Also, mad props to Gorou Hyoudou. In canon, the man straight up told a Super Devil to square the fuck up and fight. Balls of weapons grade titanium.
Asia and Issei have a moment. Since the last few chapters covered the (altered) events of volume 6, Asia's volume, I decided that she would get a closing scene for the arc. I tried to make the first part wholesome, and then in the second part the nun got a big naughty.
And finally, we see what sort of mess has been transpiring in Hades' realm. Who knew that triggering a failsafe by the Biggest of Gs has negative consequences? I hope you liked that little surprise at the end there.
I also felt like expanding Grim Reaper lore. Canon never really specified why Hades and the Grim Reapers hate Devils. So, since Persephone is entirely absent from the DxD continuity, I decided to make her death the impetus behind the hatred. After all, Lucifer and Lilith knew of a certain backdoor that Hades' realm hides. It would not be too outrageous to believe that they once attempted a military operation in that direction.
On a side note, Orcus was a god worshipped by the Etruscans and Romans. They often conflated him with Pluto. The Greeks knew him as Horkos, son of Eris (some sources say fathered by Zeus), a primordial deity of oaths. In the DxD continuity, Orcus, Hades, and Pluto are all separate people belonging to the same race. Grim Reapers are fully fledged gods, even if most don't have God Class power levels.