"…It's done!"

Issei's gauntlet emitted a bright light that shined like a beacon, the Sacred Gear having reached its limit.

"Issei!"

"Yes!"

Issei started to transfer the power at Rias' call, from their clasped hands, a green aura passed from the Pawn to the King. The aura once it left Issei, changed color, becoming red as it covered Rias' body, increasing drastically in size.

"Fuhahaha! Good! That flow of Demonic power! The Demonic power I can feel right now is that of an Ultimate-Class Devil. A little bit more and you could reach that of a Maou, Rias Gremory! Looks like you have a talent equal to that of your brother's!" The Fallen Angel leader laughed as if he was genuinely enjoying it all, his expression was colored in ecstasy, showing the pleasure he felt in fighting.

"In that case, be gone!" From Rias' hand, a large amount of Demonic energy was shot out, covered in the Power of Destruction.

It made a shockwave that shook the ground as the powerful shot headed towards Kokabiel, with both his hands put in front of him, he tried to deflect it. "Interesting! Interesting, you're indeed a Maou's sister!"

Kokabiel began to gather the power of light into his hands, as he took the blast head on. Rias' shot started to get pushed back, beginning to lose its shape. Even with the power from Issei's [Boosted Gear], Rias' magic had not done much damage to Kokabiel, only tattering his black robe and cutting his palms. And because of the attack she just performed, Rias' breathing became ragged, glaring at the man with nothing but pure hatred.

It wasn't enough! Rias thought.

"Now ring out, Lightning!" Akeno sent the lightning towards Kokabiel who was still facing Rias, but her lightning was dissipated with a single movement of Kokabiel's wing.

Kokabiel smirked as he turned to Akeno, "Will you stand in my way!? You who inherited her power from Baraqiel!?"

Akeno's eyes widened, becoming enraged, "Don't speak his name! I am nothing like that creature!" She continued to use lightning, but they were all deflected by Kokabiel's wings.

Baraqiel? Isn't that a Fallen Angel? Natsuki thought as she stared at Akeno's back. How is he related to Akeno?

"What's a Baraqiel?" Issei asked aloud.

"One of the Fallen Angel leaders." Xenovia answered, "He can use lighting and thunder, so basically Akeno's power."

Kokabiel laughed loudly after nullifying Akeno's attack completely. "For you to become a Devil! How hilarious, how far have you sunk!" He then looked back at Rias, "You have such interesting servants, Rias Gremory! Sekiryuutei! Kogane Ryū Kōgō! The leftovers of the Holy Sword Project who reached Balance Breaker! And the daughter of Baraqiel! You have weird tastes, just like your brother!"

"No, it can't be!" Xenovia exclaimed in shock.

"What?! For real, Akeno? You're the daughter of a Fallen Angel?" Issei yelled.

Akeno grits her teeth, staring at the ground in shame and anger, she could not find the strength to turn and look at the others, afraid of seeing the disgust and anger on their faces.

Issei, Asia, Xenovia... Natsuki, they all must hate me now. Akeno thought disparaging.

Kokabiel snickered, "How terribly amusing. A propensity for inferior products must run in the-"

The Fallen Angel was cut off by a large black mass of energy flying at him and hitting him directly in the face and knocking him back a step.

Everyone turned and saw Natsuki who was scowling at the man viciously, her hand still raised up, facing Kokabiel. "Did anyone teach you not to talk so much, you fucking bastard? That wasn't your secret to tell, it was Akeno's. And where do you get off calling her or any of us inferior products? An overinflated piece of shit like you has no room to judge anyone."

Natsuki did not know the relationship between Akeno and her father, but it was clear based on Akeno's reaction that it was not a good one. Akeno obviously did not want the newer members of the Peerage to know, that she was not ready to tell them, so seeing Akeno angry and ashamed of Kokabiel revealing her parentage, and his amusement with everything, made Natsuki's blood boil with rage.

Akeno stared at the other girl in awe, surprised that Natsuki was not mad at her, but for her. "Natsuki..."

The smoke cleared from Kokabiel's head, revealing that Natsuki's attack had caused the skin to burn away from half of his face, showing the muscles and bone underneath. But the Fallen still had that damnable smirk on what was left of his lips, "Oho! It seems I've awoken the dragon. Will you be the one who gives me a somewhat passable challenge?"

Rias drew his attention away from the Pawn, "Your comments about my brother will not be tolerated! But more than that, for insulting my servants, you will pay the ultimate price!"

Kokabiel flew to the ground, landing with a resounding slam that kicked up some dirt. He smiled provokingly at Rias, "By all means, go ahead and try to destroy me! A Maou's sister! Possessor of Welsh and Evolving Dragons! The Crimson-Haired Ruin Princess! Please tell me you realize whom you are up against? You are confronting the archenemy of Devils! See this as a chance you may never get again."

Kiba gritted his teeth, he did not know if his new Holy Demonic Sword could go against the Fallen Angel, but he knew he had to try, that if they were going to defeat Kokabiel, then he could not stand around not doing anything.

As he gripped his sword, Xenovia took a step forward, slowly walking past Kiba, "We will attack at the same time."

After hearing that, Kiba also moved ahead, putting his strength into his sword, and went on slashing at Kokabiel with Xenovia. Xenovia reached the Fallen first, attempting to bring her sword down on his head, but Kokabiel created a sword of light with his hand and blocked her.

"Hmph! Durandal, huh!? Unlike the Excalibur that was already broken once, its light is the real thing! But..." The air shook, and there was a buzzing that rang throughout the field, Kokabiel emitted an air wave from his other hand and made Xenovia's body float, using this to kick Xenovia in the stomach.

"Gaa!" Xenovia flew back with an anguished cry.

"It depends on the wielder, girl! You still can't control Durandal! The previous wielder was someone who had unrivaled strength!"

As this was happening, Kiba finally reached Kokabiel, engaging the Fallen with a flurry of sword strikes, which Kokabiel countered with ease. Xenovia adjusted her stance in the air and landed on the ground, she then went on slashing towards him once again, Kiba continued attacking him at the same time.

"Kokabiel! I will eliminate you with my Holy Demonic Sword! I'm not allowed to lose anyone anymore!" Kiba roared.

Kokabiel grinned, "Ho! Attacks at the same time from a Holy Sword and a Holy Demonic Sword! Interesting! Good indeed! Come! You can't defeat me unless you do that much!"

Kokabiel created another sword of light with his other hand and clashed with their swords, Kiba's Holy Demonic Sword and Xenovia's Durandal. He was taking on both of their attacks as if it was nothing, showing that even in terms of swordsmanship, Kokabiel was above them.

Kokabiel rolled his eyes when he felt a presence trying to sneak up on him from behind, Koneko jumped towards him, thrusting her fist out with the intent to punch him.

"How naïve." Suddenly, his black wings turned into sharp blades and cut up Koneko's body, her body fell to the ground as blood oozed out of her open wounds.

"Koneko-chan!" Kiba screamed in horror.

"Hey, looking away while fighting will easily get you killed!"

Kiba had let his guard down because of the damage Koneko took, allowing Kokabiel's sword of light come straight at him. Luckily, his fast reflexes gained from being a Knight kicked in, allowing him to block the blow with his sword on instinct. The sound of cracking soon permeated the atmosphere, causing Kiba to look down at his sword when he realized where the noise was coming from.

A crack appeared on his Holy Demonic Sword, the strength of it solidness depended on his thinking, so if he lost concentration for a moment, then for that period, the hardness of his blade would go down as well.

Another shock wave emanated from Kokabiel's body, sending Xenovia and Kiba flying, both were to fix their stances midair and land on their feet but were each breathing heavily.

Issei covered Asia as they ran to Koneko's side, the former nun activating her Sacred Gear and beginning to heal Koneko's wounds.

"Issei, just focus on boosting. We'll create an opening for you." Natsuki said to her fellow Pawn.

Issei nodded his head, "On it."

[Boost!]

"Good." Natsuki said before running at Kokabiel, his fist raised as she punched him.

Kokabiel was able to catch Natsuki's fist, but the Devil used her momentum to bring her left foot up and kicked him across the face.

"Is that all-" Natsuki did not let the Fallen finish his sentence, bringing up her free hand and blasting him in the face with another Black Bolt.

Before she knew it, Natsuki felt a horribly painful sensation coming from her stomach, looking down she saw that Kokabiel's fist was there. The Fallen's face was even more burned than before, but he smiled as he used his other hand to slap Natsuki away. The Pawn was sent hurdling into the sky before landing on the ground with a loud bang, cracking the ground beneath her.

"Natsuki!" Akeno and Rias cried out.

"C'mon, that can't be all you have?" Kokabiel asked playfully, the skin on his face slowly beginning to regenerate.

Kiba growled, "Kokabiel! It's not over yet!" He put as much strength as he could into his Holy Demonic Sword, the crack on the blade disappearing as he ran forward, rushing Kokabiel.

Kokabiel laughed, "Hahaha! You still want to come at me? All right! Come!"

"[Sword Birth]!" Kiba surrounded the Fallen Angel by making swords covered with Holy and Demonic aura, trapping Kokabiel in a prison of swords.

"You think you've captured me with this?" The ten wings of Kokabiel started to sharpen again and began breaking the swords around him with ease.

It didn't work! Kiba moved to strike him from the front, but the Fallen Angel didn't flinch at all, stopping Kiba's Holy Demonic Sword with just two fingers.

Kokabiel sighed in disappointment, "Is this it?"

Kiba's Holy Demonic Sword had been stopped and he could not move it at all. He then created another Holy Demonic sword, but that was also stopped with Kokabiel's other hand, the Fallen again using two fingers to stop the second blade.

It's not over yet! Kiba opened his mouth wide and imagined creating a Holy Demonic Sword around his mouth. This third sword, he gripped with his teeth and moved his neck roughly to the side. Kokabiel did not think of a third strike, causing him to let go of Kiba's swords and stepped back. As Kiba looked at the Fallen Angel, he saw that there was but a small scratch on his cheek, a bit of blood coming out of it.

The Knight looked at him despairingly, even with that attack, Kiba could only give him that much damage.

So, this was the power of one of the top echelons of Fallen Angels.

Everyone else was making similar expressions of despair and breathed violently. Only Kokabiel who had the advantage, was smirking.

"You cut me." Kokabiel said before throwing a sphere of Holy Light at Kiba.

Xenovia jumped in front of the Devil, using her own sword to block the attack, the attack pushed her back a bit, but Xenovia was able to cut through the sphere and dispel it.

Natsuki sat up with a groan, rubbing the side of her face, "That fucking hurt."

"Are you okay?" Rias asked as she and Akeno helped pull Natsuki to her feet.

"Other than the fact that I just got bitch slapped, I'm peachy." Natsuki drawled.

Rias rolled her eyes, "Well, you're being sarcastic so you must be fine."

[Boost!] Issei's [Boosted Gear] cried out.

Issei looked at his fallen and tired friends, gritting his teeth with how he had to sideline himself. "A little bit more, I'm almost there."

Kokabiel began to laugh when he saw that they were regaining their resolve. "Why fight so hard even after losing the master you serve?"

"Mind clarifying that?" Rias asked with doubt.

Kokabiel began to laugh even harder, "That's right, I totally forgot. The truth wasn't revealed to you lowly grunts! We'll there's no point in hiding it any longer, I am trying to start a war; in the pervious three-way war, God was killed alongside the Yondai-Maou!"

Everyone stood shocked, no one could believe the words that had just come out of his mouth. God, the supreme being, the creator of everything, had been dead for centuries.

----------------------------------------

"He's what? God has been dead since the war? How is that possible?" Rias opened and closed her mouth, trying to find the words, before shaking her head and staring at the Fallen Angel. "You're lying; I've never heard anything about that!"

"It's normal for you all to not know about it. Who can just come out and say that God has died? Humans are an incomplete bunch, without God, they cannot control their hearts and obey the rules, you know? Even us, the Fallen Angels, and Devils couldn't tell this secret to those below us. You won't know where the information about God will be leaked from. Even among the three-powers, only the people at the top and certain people know about it. Though it seems Valper noticed it earlier." Kokabiel playfully shrugged his shoulders.

He then leaned back, raising his head to look down on them. "Back then, the Devils lost all their Kings and the majority of their High-Class Devils. The Angels and Fallen Angels lost almost everyone except for their leaders. Pure Angels could not increase their numbers, and purebred Devils are just as rare, aren't they? All sides have been ruined to the point where they must rely on humans to survive; Angels, Fallen Angels, Devils. The leaders of the three factions had to seal this information away, that way the God-fearing humans would keep on fearing."

"No way. God is dead?" Xenovia whispered to herself, her eyes wide and her face pale. "Lies, they're lies, it's not true, it can't be true."

She then fell to her knees, a panicked and fearful expression overtaking her face. She was an active believer, God's servant, a person who lived their life to serve God, viewing it as a holy mission. With the existence of God being called into question, Xenovia was losing the will to fight, the will to live.

Asia was in a similar position as she stumbled backwards as if the truth had hit her like a physical blow.

Kokabiel continued to rant, but this time his expression grew into one of disgust and hatred. "I don't care about any of that. What drives me crazy the most is the fact that after God and the Maous died, it was decided to stop the war! Why would they do something like that in the middle of winning?! How dare they try to keep me from squashing my enemies just when it was getting fun?! We would have won! Even that bastard Azazel declared there would never be another war! And now, Fallen Angels are stuck relying on inviting humans who possess Sacred Gears to join our ranks."

All expect Asia were taken aback by the manic and demented look on Kokabiel's face as she shakily rose to her feet. "God doesn't exist anymore? Then where is the love that has been given to us coming from?"

"Heh! Michael has been holding his own so far, he's the one who has been keeping the humans and Angels together in God's stead."

"The Archangel Michael is acting as God's agent?" Xenovia asked aloud as her head fell, "What does that mean for our prayers?"

Kokabiel continued to talk, "As long as the system works, prayer and exorcisms will endure to a certain extent. I'm sure someone has been listening."

After hearing this Asia fainted, as she was falling, Koneko jumped up to catch her before she could hit the ground.

"Asia!" Issei exclaimed as the girl fell into Koneko's arms, watching as the Rook placed her unconscious body against a nearby tree.

Xenovia looked back at them with pity, "It's a natural reaction to have. I'm surprised that I can even think right now."

Kokabiel smiled, "Well, I suppose knowing that compared to when God was still alive, the number of believers has drastically decreased, doesn't help, does it? But without anyone to manage the balance between good and evil, it's no wonder something contradictory like the Holy Demonic Sword would appear. Which means the war must continue! And I'll keep it going by taking your heads if I must!"

Akeno looked at Rias, watching the redhead's body beginning to shake. "Rias?"

Rias lowered her head, causing her bangs to fall over her eyes, her body still shaking and her voice starting to crack. "Again, I've let my pride get in the way. It's my fault."

"Fuck off, asshole! Natsuki was right, you really don't know when to shut up!" Issei screamed, jumping to his feet.

"Issei..." Rias said softly, staring at him in awe.

"I'm not going to let you destroy this town or my friends, and I don't care what bullshit reasons you have! Besides, I don't think you understand; I'm going to be the Harem King! And some cliché, wing flapping Fallen Angel is not getting in the way of my glory!" Issei shouted, cocking his fist back.

Kokabiel looked at him stunned, before starting to cackle. "Harem King? You mean, that's all the infamous Red Dragon Emperor wants?" He then smirked enticingly, "Then join me, you'll be Harem King in no time. Beautiful girls falling at your feet wherever you go. You just point at the ones you like and take them."

Issei froze on the spot, his lips quivering and his eyes glossing over, "I... I wo-won't fall f-for y-your sweet, awesome words. Even though that sounds amazing."

"Seriously, Issei? You're considering betraying us just like that?" Natsuki said, staring at him with both disapproval and annoyance.

Rias became angry, "Issei! Wipe that drool from your mouth! Why are you like this even in this kind of situation?!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Issei exclaimed, wiping his mouth, and standing as straight as a rod. "So-sorry, you know how I get with the word Harem."

Rias sighed, "If you really like girls that much, listen up. After we get back home, I will let you do whatever you want to me."

That sentence echoed in Issei's mind, repeating over and over. His cheeks turned red as he looked back at Rias from the corner of his eye, "Really? So, uh, not just groping, but like, even sucking on your boobs?"

Rias looked a bit uncomfortable, but pushed forward, "You can. If that's what it takes, it's a small price to pay."

As images of Rias' breasts flashed through his mind, the jewel on Issei's Sacred Gear let out a large burst if glowing green light.

"No way!" Rias exclaimed as she and the others watched the display.

"I know that light, I swear I've seen this before!" Kiba shouted.

A closed eyed smile appeared on Akeno's face, "It's a Sacred Gear releasing power after being perfectly aligned with its master's wishes."

Issei closed his eyes, raising his fist into the air as he smirked, "Yes, bring it on, Kokabiel. You're going down, and I'm going to suck on a pair of world class tits!" He then opened his eyes and pointed his finger at Kokabiel, "Right now, I feel like I can kick God's ass. Lucky for him, he's already dead."

[Explosion!] The [Boosted Gear] exclaimed, taking on a new appearance as a second green jewel formed and the gauntlet took up more space on Issei's arm.

"It's like when Natsuki uses her gear." Kiba said, noting that more of Issei's arm was covered, like how more of Natsuki's body was covered by her [Ethereal Domination].

An enormous amount of power flowed out of Issei, the boy grinning wildly, "Hell yeah! I'm going to beat you into the ground and suck on Buchou's nipples, Kokabiel!"

Kokabiel growled and threw a spear of Holy Light at him. Issei took off running, punching through the spear with a single blow, jumping into the air and slamming his gauntlet covered fist into the side of the Fallen Angel's face. Kokabiel took a few steps back and held his now bruised cheek, glaring at the Devil, "All the Red Dragon Emperor had to do release this much power was think about sucking on some breasts? Unbelievable. What in the world are you?"

Issei gave him a smirk, moving his body and making what he thought was a cool pose. "Remember me, Kokabiel! My name is Hyoudou Issei, I possess a [Boosted Gear] powered on sex and passion. I am also Rias Gremory's Pawn!"

A rueful smile appeared on Kiba's face, "This is embarrassing. I bet he thinks that sounds cool."

Koneko stared at the Pawn blankly, "Being a twisted pervert will never be cool."

Natsuki stared at Issei, not knowing what to feel about Issei's newfound strength. With a reason like that!? The Sacred Gear increased its power by answering Issei's lecherous thoughts! He... he did what I couldn't. Natsuki thought, clenching her fists tightly.

"Well, I suppose that's Issei for you, right?" Akeno said, amused.

Rias cleared her throat, trying to will down the blush that had formed on her cheeks from how blatant Issei's desire for her was. "He's right; what's important now is that we haven't lost yet, you can only lose when you give up. Let's take Issei's lead guys!"

"You got it, Rias!" Akeno, Kiba, and Koneko said in union, all three being emboldened by Issei's actions and Rias' words.

Natsuki remained silent, still clenching her fists. For the first time since she had known Issei, she had found herself staring at his back, a feeling of dread building inside at the thought of Issei surpassing her and leaving her in the dust.

"Do not tell me you are going to sit back while your allies fight?" Lux said in Natsuki's head.

"I... I wasn't. I just... Issei has gotten stronger." Natsuki stammered.

"Is that not what you wanted?" Lux asked.

Natsuki looked at the ground, "I did, but, this strength, Issei got it from thinking about breasts! He has synchronized with his [Boosted Gear, I wasn't able to do that. Last time, you had to take over my body to use Balance Breaker, my strength then and now aren't-"

"Did I end up in the possession of a coward?!" Lux growled, causing Natsuki to wince as it felt like her head was splitting open. "It does not matter if you are weak now, you swore to get stronger, to become the strongest, and you will not become that by being jealous of other's growth. Where is the girl that put her life on the line to keep her friends from ending up as Riser's playthings? Where is the girl that begged at the feet of a Devil to save the life of a friend that she believed she failed to protect? The odds have always been against you, and you have never wavered, so do not do so now!"

Natsuki took a breath, "You're right, Lux. I'm sorry you had to see me like that."

The Pawn then took a step forward, "Minus all the boob stuff, Issei is right. Who gives a shit if this idiot is Fallen Angel leader or that God is dead, it doesn't change the fact that we're going to kick his ass."

Kokabiel scoffed, but he was still grinning, "I admit I found myself surprised when not one, but two low ranking Devils managed to land blows on me. But I guess I should have expected such from two Dragon Emperors, this is interesting, I find it remarkably interesting!"

Natsuki's frown turned into a scowl as a shiver ripped through her. An unknown fear and nervousness encapsulated her whole body, she could feel an overwhelming power above them, her head snapped up to look at the barrier above them. "Guys! Something's above us! Something incredibly powerful!"

Just as she said this, something fell from the sky, crashing through the barrier and destroying it while overwhelming everyone with its presence and the power difference, making Natsuki despair.

Whatever it is, it's far stronger than Kokabiel! Natsuki thought, horrified.

"They have finally arrived..." Lux said, clear surprise bleeding through her tone.

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"Wait, seriously, Lux?! Then are they here for Issei?" Natsuki asked aloud, drawing the Peerage's attention.

"Do you know who that is, Natsuki?" Rias asked but Natsuki did not respond, still staring at the figure in shock.

Despite not understanding what was going on, Issei could feel his entire body beginning to shake, his heart racing and his left arm burned as he looked at the mysterious newcomer.

What's going on? And who is that?!

The person descended while cutting the abyss of the sky by sending out a white light. They were glowing a bright white light, not leaving a shadow in the dark night. They floated an inch off the ground, covered in white plated armor with jewels across it in various locations. The armor also had a mask, covering the face of the person wearing it.

Eight armored wings emerged from the person's back, giving out a divine glow. While it had a different shape and color, it was nearly identical to the [Boosted Gear] and [Ethereal Domination] Scale-Mails.

"…The Vanishing Dragon." Natsuki muttered, but the tense silence that had overtook the field allowed everyone to hear her.

The other half of the Two Heavenly Dragons, the rival of the Welsh Dragon, and one of the nineteen Longinus. But what shocked everyone was the fact that the wielder of [Divine Dividing], was in their complete Balance Breaker state.

Kokabiel sneered as he looked up, "So the Vanishing Dragon must be captivated by the Red as well-"

Before Kokabiel could finish his sentence, the White Dragon Emperor appeared behind him in the blink of an eye, two of Kokabiel's black wings now within their hands, causing the Fallen Angel to cry out in agony.

"What is he doing to him?" Issei asked aloud.

"He... he moved too fast to even see." Kiba said, surprised that he was only able to see the aftermath of the White Dragon Emperor's action.

"Your wings remind me of a filthy crow, Azazel's wings are deeper, like everlasting darkness." The Vanishing Dragon said, their voice carrying across the field.

Kokabiel gritted his teeth, glaring at his new opponent as he clutched the top of his back. "My... my wings! What the fuck do you think you're doing, you bastard?!"

"Someone who's fallen lower than the ground hardly needs wings, don't you agree?" The White Dragon Emperor said sarcastically, a hint of amusement bleeding into his voice.

Kokabiel flew up into the air, creating countless Holy Light Spears in the sky, but the White Dragon Emperor was hardly intimidated by the display.

[Divide!] Cried from [Divine Dividing] and the aura surrounding Kokabiel disappeared along with half of the light spears.

"The name of the dragon within me is Albion. One of the powers of my Sacred Gear is [Divine Dividing]. It halves the power of those I touch every ten seconds, your power will become my power. You don't have time, if you don't defeat me quickly, you will become so weak that you can't even beat a human." They said to the Fallen tauntingly.

"Cuts power in half?" Issei exclaimed.

"The Red Dragon Emperor multiples its owner's power and transfers it to something, while the White Dragon Emperor halves the enemy's power, using that for its owner." Rias stated, scoffing at the situation they were now in, "So the legends were right."

Issei gulped, turning from Rias to Natsuki, "If that's true, isn't their power just like yours, Natsuki?"

"No, it's not." Natsuki growled, her eyes not straying from the White Dragon's form.

It's better, it's far better than my own. Natsuki thought, her fingernails digging into her palm with how tightly she was clenching her fists.

From what she could see, [Divine Dividing] allowed the White Dragon Emperor to absorb another's power just by being near them, including magical attacks. Natsuki could do no such thing, she could not take power just by being near, she had to be touching them or physically touching magic in some way to absorb it. So, in her mind, even with the ten second caveat, [Divine Dividing] was superior to [Ethereal Domination], at least with how she was currently capable of using her Sacred Gear.

With his remaining wings, Kokabiel tried to fly towards the Vanishing Dragon, but he could not catch him because he was not able to keep up with the Sacred Gear user's movements, looking as if they were moving at the speed of light. It was shocking to those on the ground that one of the echelons of the Fallen Angels who was overwhelming them minutes prior, was being played around with.

[Divide!]

A small chuckle escaped the White Dragon, "Still bored? Here, let me make this a little more fun for you."

[Divide!]

Kokabiel tried to attack with another spear of light and a sword of light, but Hakuryuukou swung his arm to the side and vaporized them. While Kokabiel was having a tough time fighting, his powers were being halved and after a few moments, Kokabiel's power had fallen so low that any of the Devils below could take him on with ease.

"Already the power of a middle-level Fallen Angel, huh? Boring. I thought I could have a bit more fun…" They then flew at Kokabiel at breakneck speed, slamming their fist deep into Kokabiel's stomach, causing the Fallen to cough up blood.

"…I…Impossible… me…" Kokabiel muttered, unable to believe how badly he was being beaten.

"What? You said a common phrase of a worthless grunt. 'Impossible? Me?' What's after that? 'This can't be?' Is it?" The Emperor laughed as if they found it truly amusing. "I was told you were getting out of hand, so Azazel asked me to bring you back, by any means necessary."

"So that's how it is! Azazel… Azazeeeeel! I…I…!" Kokabiel growled, howling with rage.

The figure then punched Kokabiel in the face, causing the Fallen to crumple and fall to the ground. Once the Fallen was unconscious, the mystery person hoisted Kokabiel onto his shoulder.

Natsuki shook with a silent rage, this had been the hardest battle they had ever fought and yet, the White Dragon Emperor defeated Kokabiel with ease.

He's also a dragon holder, Issei's eternal rival, and he's better than us, so much fucking better!

"Looks like I must carry that stray exorcist as well, there are some things I need to ask that fool." The White Dragon Emperor said to himself as he walked towards the unconscious Freed, grabbing the human by his collar, and dragging him along.

As they were about to leave, Ddraig spoke out loud, the gems on the [Boosted Gear] glowing. "Are you going to ignore me, White One?"

The White Dragon Emperor turned around, their wings glowing as Albion started to speak, "You're still alive, Red One?"

Ddraig scoffed, "I've been wondering when we would finally meet again."

"As have I, we are still fated to fight. It is inevitable."

"You two are always ready to fight, even when there are other things of more importance." Lux called out, causing the gem on Natsuki's necklace to glow gold.

Albion sounded surprised and jovial, "Lux? It has been even longer since we have spoken to each other, sister."

"You'd be even more surprised to learn that our dear sister wishes to join us in battle. She's feeling left out." Ddraig said cheekily.

"Is that true?" Albion asked, his voice intensifying.

Lux sighed, "Only this time around. My champion here desires to be the strongest, getting past you two is a step in what we must do to accomplish this goal."

"Then it appears that our battle will be even more exciting." Albion stated.

"A fight between the Two Heavenly Dragons is already hard to imagine, but adding the Evolving Dragon to it, it's unbelievable." Rias said incredulously.

"That's how it is. Then let meet again, Ddraig, Lux." Albion said.

"Yes, let's, Albion." Ddraig said.

"Farewell, brother." Lux said.

The White Dragon Emperor was preparing to leave once more, but Issei was not having it.

"Hey, wait!" Issei exclaimed, scowling at the figure in white. "What the hell is going on?! I don't even know who you are!" The Pawn then clenched his fists, "More importantly, you just ruined everything! I was going to win, now I can't suck on Rias-Buchou's boobs and it's all your fault!"

Seriously? Almost everyone else thought, still amazed at where Issei's priorities lay.

The White Dragon Emperor spoke as if they did not hear Issei's reason for being angry at them. "Before you can understand, you'll need more power." They then looked at Natsuki, "Both of you will. So become stronger, my rivals, we will fight someday."

They then turned into a white light and flew up, leaving everyone speechless at the outcome of the fight, and the magic circle of destruction that Kokabiel created had disappeared as the White Dragon Emperor carried him away from the school.

"Rias." A voice called out.

"Sona!" Rias quickly turned around, seeing her oldest friend and her Peerage standing a few feet behind her.

"I wonder what caused the White Dragon Emperor to show up out of the blue like that." Sona said, staring up in the sky.

Rias let out a deprecating laugh, "I wonder if he even knows that he saved our town?"

"Oh, I certainly doubt it." Sona said nonchalantly before turning to her Queen, "Now, Tsubaki, it's time to repair the damage done to our school."

Tsubaki looked at the damaged field, "We should be able to finish before classes start, Kaichou."

"We can help." Rias offered, feeling bad as most of the damage done was due to herself and her Peerage.

Sona shook her head, "No, taking care of the school is the job of the student council."

As this was going on, Kiba looked down at his Holy Demonic Sword. Is it over? No. There were still people who took over Valper's research. When I confront those people, what I will do with this Holy Demonic Sword, I still don't know. But now, yes, just for now-

Kiba felt someone wrap their arm around his shoulders. "Hey, you did it, pretty boy."

"Oh, thank you, Issei." Kiba said softly, snapping out of his thoughts.

Issei then looked at Kiba's sword with interest, "So that's a Holy Demonic Sword? It looks beautiful with the whole white and black thing all mixed together. Super badass."

Kiba looked away from Issei, "Look, Issei, I wanted to say something-"

Issei waved this off casually, "No, don't say another word, okay? It's over now, isn't that enough, for the Holy Swords and your friends?"

Kiba stared at Issei surprised, not expecting to be let off so easily for everything he had said to the other boy.

Issei then folded his arms behind his head, "Besides, with all the new drama we now have, whatever you were going to say is too much for my brain right now."

The image of the White Dragon Emperor flashed through his mind, momentarily stopping the joyful and happy aura Issei was trying to exude.

"Um, we can still do club activities, right, Kiba-san?" The pair turned and saw that Asia was now awake, walking towards them with Koneko by her side.

Kiba felt bad as Asia was worried about him, even though she should be having a tough time after the learning that God no longer existed.

You really are a kind girl, Asia. Kiba thought.

Just when he was going to reassure Asia, someone else called out to him.

"Yuuto." Rias said, giving him a warm smile.

"Rias…" Kiba replied, not knowing what to say.

"Yuuto-kun, I'm glad you decided to come back to us. And for you to be a Balance Breaker, as your master, I can't tell how proud of you that makes me."

In response, Kiba dropped to one knee, bowing his head to her. "Still… I betrayed the club. And most importantly, I betrayed you, the person who saved my life and gave me purpose. I can't make up for what I've done, nor can I find the words to express my apology."

Rias' expression became softer, still smiling at her Knight. "But you came back, that's enough for me, that's enough for all of us. Next time, don't let everyone's feelings go to waste."

Kiba looked up, seeing the smiles on the rest of the ORC's face before dropping his head again, trying not to cry shamefully. "Buchou… I'll make my vow to you once more. I, Kiba Yuuto, promise to protect you and your companions as a Knight of the House of Gremory for the rest of my life."

Rias walked towards Kiba, kneeling in front of him and gently cradling his face, pulling the surprised boy's face into her chest as she held him. "Thank you, and welcome home."

Issei jumped forward, staring at the pair jealously, "Hey get your face off there, that's my spot!"

"Calm down." Kiba said placating.

"Instead of being a stupid Pawn, I wish I could have protected everyone as a Knight like you did!" Issei's jealous look soon turned into a happy and accepting one, "But I guess you're it. You're the only guy I know who's good enough to be Rias-Buchou's Knight, so no more flaking on your responsibilities."

Kiba smiled gratefully, happy to know that he was still accepted by the group.

"Now then, Kiba." Rias began, a glowing red aura covering her hand, giving him a closed eyed smile. "It's time to accept your punishment. One thousand spankings."

"What?!" Kiba exclaimed, his face becoming pale with fear.

Issei started laughing at the Knight's plight, "This is awesome! Good luck with your punishment, pretty boy!"

"Shut up, Issei!" Kiba yelled, cautiously taking a few steps back as he stared at Rias' glowing hand nervously.

The Knight considered using his speed to run, but after taking a few more steps, he bumped into something behind him. When Kiba turned to look, he saw Natsuki standing behind him, a cruel and vindictive smirk gracing her lips.

Natsuki stared at Kiba sharply, her smirk growing more with it, "You know, Kiba. Issei, Saji, and I got spanked harshly by our masters for going out of our way to help you. Honestly, it was one of the worst pains I've ever experienced, and it was embarrassing as fucking hell. Don't you think as the person who caused all of this by running away and acting like a damn brat, that you should take yours like man, instead of trying to run away?"

"I-But I didn't a-ask you to d-do that!" Kiba stammered.

Natsuki then reached forward and grabbed both of Kiba's arms, holding them in a painfully tight grip. "Are you trying to say that we shouldn't have been good friends and came to your rescue? Maybe I should ask Rias to give you another thousand spankings, just for being so inconsiderate to us, Casanova?"

"Natsuki, if you would be so kind?" Rias said, continuing to walk closer to them, her glowing hand raised.

Natsuki wordlessly kicked Kiba's feet from under him, pushing him onto the ground and pressing one foot onto Kiba's back, the boy's backside now raised up into the air.

Issei began to cheer, "Yeah, Natsuki, hold him down!"

Rias maintained a warm smile that contrasted greatly with her magic enhanced hand as she now stood behind Kiba.

Oh, no. Kiba thought fearfully.

----------------------------------------

A Few Days Later

Issei and Asia were talking to each other as they entered the club room, only for their conversation to cease when they saw they saw a familiar blue-haired foreign girl sitting on one of the couches, now wearing a Kuoh Academy uniform.

"Hey, Red Dragon Emperor." Xenovia said casually.

"Why are you here?!" Issei exclaimed, pointing his finger at her.

Rias smiled from where she was sitting at her desk, "She is the newly made Knight of the House of Gremory. Welcome home, Xenovia."

"Now remember, Issei, it's important that you get along with her." Akeno added, watching Issei and Asia's expressions with amusement.

"Wait, she's your new Knight? This has to be a joke!" Issei said in disbelief, still eyeing the girl with suspicion.

Xenovia then drew out her two black bat wings, causing Issei to cry out in shock.

"You've been transformed into a Devil?" Asia asked, shaking with fear.

"Well, that's a rather unexpected development to say the least." Kiba said, taking a sip of tea.

"After I found out that God had died, I was desperate, so I begged her to take me in." Xenovia explained.

Issei looked between Xenovia and Rias in shock, "Wait, you begged for this? Seriously?"

In his mind it did not make sense that someone like Xenovia, who hated Devils with extreme prejudice, would suddenly turn around and beg to become one.

Rias chuckled, "It'll be nice to have the Durandal user added to our ranks. With this, you and Kiba will be the swordfighters, covering our right and left flanks."

"So, you're going to add someone who's beliefs are so flippant to our Peerage just for some firepower, Buchou?" Everyone turned and saw Natsuki standing in the doorway of the club room, her eyes firmly on Xenovia.

"Natsuki, I take it you heard all of that?" Rias asked, looking her Pawn cautiously.

She knew of Natsuki's dislike of Xenovia, which stemmed not only from Xenovia's treatment of Asia, but also from her being a member of the Church and worried that the taller girl would act on these negative feelings.

"I did, and why should we trust her? She hated Devils before and now she suddenly wants to be one?" Natsuki asked, walking into the room, and standing less than a few centimeters away from Xenovia.

Xenovia met Natsuki's glare head on, "The reason I didn't return with Irina and why I became a Devil is because without God I have no meaning, there was nothing for me-"

Natsuki scoffed, smirking cruelly at Xenovia, "You have no meaning without God? You religious types always spout nonsense about your unshakable beliefs and now look at you; all afraid and nothing but a hypocrite. Kokabiel said that the Angels have been keeping Christianity together, so why not turn to them for salvation? Why not take your cowardice and your desire for meaning in your life to fucking Michael?"

Xenovia glared at Natsuki, insulted by her talking down to her and calling her a coward. "Was Asia not someone who was also faithful? You do not treat her-"

"Because Asia has shown how determined and strong she is! Even when you bastards threw her away like she was garbage, she stayed faithful, believing that God had a plan for her, that he was looking out for her. She didn't run, looking for someone to absolve her, she didn't turn her back on everything she knew even when she had every right to!" Natsuki yelled, her eyes glowing with a golden yellow hue.

How dare she compare herself to Asia?! Asia had no choice but to rely on the Fallen, and even when they were clearly using her, she didn't beg for us to save her, she wanted us to be safe and not endanger ourselves for her sake. How dare this foolish girl even think that they are in the league, that their experiences are the same?! Natsuki thought angrily.

Rias stood up and she and Akeno moved away from her desk, preparing to stop Natsuki physically if she made a move towards their newest member. The rest of the Peerage were similarly tense as they had never seen Natsuki become this riled up and so quick towards anyone before.

But Xenovia stepped closer to Natsuki, not fearing the Dragon's rage that she had brought to the surface, standing her ground. "You are right; it is foolish to try and compare myself to Asia. And I do not know if becoming my old enemy was a good thing, but the sister of the Maou treated me with nothing but kindness and compassion. So, I will do everything in my power to pay this back, even if it means giving my life to her."

While it may not have seemed significant to Natsuki, to Xenovia, Rias was her savior, pulling her out of the depths of despair when she had no one else. She could not talk to Irina about this, not wanting to cause her dear friend to also lose faith and become a hallow shell like she was, so Rias finding her after the battle with Kokabiel, was a blessing to her.

Natsuki continued to scowl at the other girl and when she was going to speak, she felt someone grab her hand, holding it within their own. When she looked down, Natsuki saw that Asia was holding her hand, looking up at her firmly, "Natsuki-san, it's alright."

Natsuki felt her anger diminish, realizing how she had allowed her rage to get the better of her and made her look childish. She calmed down but was still staring at Xenovia menacingly.

Issei let out an awkward chuckle, looking between the three girls anxiously, "So you mentioned Irina before. What happened to her?"

Thankfully, Xenovia allowed the topic of the conversation to change, turning her head to stare out the window, watching the sun setting. "She returned to our headquarters in Vatican City along with Valper Galilei's corpse, the four cores of the destroyed Excaliburs, and my former Excalibur, Excalibur Destruction."

"So, you didn't tell her the truth?" Issei asked.

"Irina's faith is deeper than mine, I didn't tell her the truth because I don't know if she could handle the truth. And unlike me she was lucky, she wasn't at the battle because of her wounds, so she didn't learn the truth about God like the rest of us."

"And you just gave them your Excalibur? And the Church just let you leave so easily as after betraying them?" Natsuki asked, narrowing her eyes at Xenovia.

Xenovia sighed, "I had to give them the Excalibur, while both of my swords are Church property, unlike Durandal, Excalibur Destruction could more easily get inexperienced users who could wield it. As for me, I'm now a dangerous person who found out the truth about something I shouldn't have, so the Church has declared me a heretic."

Asia's expression became solemn, "They kicked you out, that's why you became a Devil."

"Yes, and Asia, I owe you an apology. If there is no God, then there is no hope of salvation or love, so I am deeply sorry." Xenovia then bowed her head to Asia, "The things I said to you were wrong and hurtful, you may hit me if will make you feel better."

Asia flinched, "Um, no-no thank you!"

"For a Holy Sword user who should be respected to be cast out for knowing the truth, it's changed the way I look at everything. I can't get the treatment of the higher ups out of my head; I must have made you feel the same way."

"Xenovia-san," Asia said, smiling softly, "Don't feel bad, in case you couldn't tell, I'm incredibly happy here. Even though I'm a Devil now, I've never felt more blessed. I've met so many people who mean so much to me, I've never been this happy before in my whole life."

Xenovia stared at the blonde shocked by her kindness before smiling back, "I see. Then may I ask if you could show me around school sometime? Now that I will be a student here."

"I'd loved to." Asia grinned.

Xenovia then looked forward, meeting Kiba's eye, "Also, if it isn't too big of deal, I think it would be fun to try out my Holy Sword Durandal against your Holy Demonic Sword."

"I was thinking the same thing." Kiba said, already thinking of a rematch between the two of them.

Asia tugged on Natsuki's hand, drawing her attention back to her, "Is this enough for you to trust her, Natsuki-san?"

Natsuki looked down at Asia, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on her. Knowing that continuing to argue was pointless, Natsuki rolled her eyes with a sigh, "You people really need to be less trusting."

Rias moaned, staring at Natsuki in exasperation, "I think you're just too paranoid and skeptical, Natsuki."

"Someone has to be." Natsuki said before looking at Xenovia sharply, "You're a part of the Peerage now, that means you have everyone here relying on you, putting their faith in you, so don't screw it up, otherwise I'll make you regret it."

"I won't. And I'll work hard so that you can see me as a peer." Xenovia said, smiling tentatively.

Natsuki felt someone pressing their finger into her cheek, playfully twisting it against her flesh. Akeno then rested her head on Natsuki's shoulder, "Aw, you're like the Peerage's very own guard dog, Natsuki-chan. Acting all tough and scary to protect us."

Natsuki looked forward with a blank and chill inducing expression, "I will rip your finger off and shove it down your throat."

"Is that a promise?" Akeno asked suggestively, rubbing her chin against the taller girl's neck.

Issei looked at his friend jealously, "Damn it, Natsuki! It's bad enough you're holding Asia's hand so perversely, but doing so while rubbing up on Akeno-senpai, is going too far!"

Natsuki turned to Issei, "You're the last person who should be calling anything anyone does perverse, you dumbass! And I'm not even doing anything, your shitty pervert eyes are turning what is obviously normal into something dirty!"

"I would agree with you about Asia-senpai, but Akeno-senpai doesn't have good intentions." Koneko spoke for the first time since Xenovia's arrival.

"Aw, Koneko-chan, I'm being perfectly innocent." Akeno said, still rubbing her head against Natsuki's neck, even going so far as to wrap her arms around Natsuki's waist.

"Goddamn it, Akeno-senpai! Get off me!" Natsuki yelled, realizing that Koneko was right.

Rias smiled at the chaos but eventually cleared her throat, knowing that she had to explain the recent goings on to her servants. "The truth of this whole incident with the Excaliburs has been given both to the Angels and the Devils by the Governor General, Azazel. The theft of the Excaliburs was an action taken by Kokabiel and Kokabiel alone, the other leaders didn't know about it. He planned to break the tension between the three sides, and because he tried to start another war, he was put in the Cocytus for eternity in a frozen state. And though it ended with the intervention of the Vanishing Dragon, they stopped the rampage done by one of them by sending someone from their organization."

So, the White Dragon Emperor is with the Fallen Angels. Only humans can get Sacred Gears, so are they just like Issei, Asia and I, some fool who was just unlucky enough to get killed and was revived, or are they like Xenovia, someone who chose to be reborn? Or have they not been even reborn at all and are still human but choose to align themselves with Fallen Angels? Natsuki thought.

Natsuki could not stop thinking about the White Dragon Emperor, thinking about just how strong they were, how far above thery were over she and Issei in terms of power. As she thought about the White Dragon's perfect Balance Breaker, Natsuki could not help but feel inadequate, knowing that she was nowhere close to being able to do the same thing.

She had technically achieved her Balance Breaker, but it was only because Lux took over her body and forced the transformation, at the moment, Natsuki was not capable of doing so on her own.

"There will also be a meeting between the representatives of the Angels, Devils, and Azazel. Apparently, there is something Azazel wants to talk about, I heard that maybe Azazel would be apologizing about Kokabiel. Though it's suspicious if Azazel would actually apologize." Rias said with disgust while shrugging her shoulders, thinking about what she knew of the Fallen Angel and his ego. "We have also been invited to the meeting; we have to make a report about the incident since we were involved."

"Are you serious?!" Issei asked out loud.

Everyone had shocked expressions on their faces, surprised that they would be in the same room as the most important people of the three factions.

As everyone thought about what could result from such a meeting, Issei asked Xenovia something that had been bothering him. "Xenovia, the White Dragon is a part of the Fallen Angels, right?"

Xenovia nodded, "That's right, Azazel is gathering Sacred Gear possessors who have a Longinus, I don't know what he is thinking, but it's not good. The Vanishing Dragon is the top fighter among them, I heard that he is the fourth or fifth strongest out of strongest of the group, including the leaders of Grigori. At this point, he is far stronger than you, who is his rival."

"Fourth strongest?!" Issei shrieked, looking at Xenovia wide eyed.

That's why they were able to defeat Kokabiel, who we couldn't even stand up against. Issei thought, thinking about what would happen they would inevitably meet again.

Natsuki's jaw clenched, resolving herself to get stronger by the time this meeting between the three factions took place. If The White Dragon Emperor was so strong then it would be a given that he would be there. She was not their eternal rival, Issei was, but if she wanted to be the strongest being around then Lux was right; beating the White Dragon Emperor was a necessary step she needed to take to reach that goal.

I know that I won't have enough time to become stronger than him in such a small amount of time, but I want to be strong enough so that the White Dragon Emperor has to acknowledge me. I won't let them get away with writing me off like last time.

Natsuki's gaze drifted Issei, ignoring the speech about the Occult Research Club back in business now that the everything with the Holy Swords was done with.

I'm glad that Issei is getting stronger, I know that's what he's wanted since we became Devils, but I don't want to be left behind either, he's improving while I'm stagnating. There are going to be threats far stronger than Kokabiel, and maybe even the White Dragon too.

I have to get stronger, not just for myself, but for them... for my friends.

----------------------------------------

The Next Day

The Gremory Peerage sans Rias, Akeno, and Xenovia were sitting in a karaoke room after school along with Motohama, Matsuda, and Kiryuu.

Issei was on the stage singing the Dragon Ball theme song, while his performance was energetic, his singing was completely off key. Today was the club's day off, so Issei decided to invite his club mates and friends bowling and karaoke.

Xenovia had declined, wanting to finish unpacking all her belongings and getting ready for her first day of school. Rias and Akeno had also declined as they wanted to spend the day shopping together.

When Issei had invited Saji, his fellow Pawn declined with tears in his eyes, telling Issei that Sona forbids him being so close to the opposite sex. Issei felt for Saji, knowing that Saji wanted to come, but was cursed by being the servant of such a strict master.

Asia was the only person enjoying Issei's singing, her joy causing Motohama and Matsuda to boo Issei, calling him an idiot and mocking his singing. Koneko was not participating, eating a slice of pizza, Natsuki was covering her ears with her hands, staring at Issei annoyed and seemingly offended by Issei's inability to carry a tune, and Kiryuu was flipping through the song book, still choosing which song she wanted to sing.

Once he was done, Issei gave the microphone in his hand to an impatient Matsuda, dropping down on the couch next to Asia with a breath.

As he took a sip of his juice, Issei heard his phone ringing and when he picked up his phone, he saw that he had gotten a message from Rias. It was a photo with the words 'Picking a swimsuit. I'll choose one that I know you'll like' with a heart emoji. The photo was of Rias' face, the girl standing in a changing room with a sultry smirk on her face. Getting this text along with the idea of Rias showing him her swimsuit, made blood burst out from Issei's nose on the spot.

What Issei did not see while he was distracted was that Natsuki had gotten a similar text message from Akeno at the same time.

Akeno had sent a picture of the swimsuit she had chosen, still on the hanger as she smiled at the camera, the words, 'This is for you' with a purple devil emoji at the end were sent along with it. Natsuki rolled her eyes, but a small smile appeared on her face as she put her phone down.

Koneko noticed Issei's reaction, staring at him with a bored and knowing look, "Pull yourself together, Issei-senpai, your nose is bleeding. You were thinking of something lewd, weren't you?"

Kiryuu laughed, reaching up and fixing her glasses, "Is there something abnormal going on between your legs?"

"Hey, my eyes are up here, you perv!" Issei yelled, placing his hands over his crotch so Kiryuu could not look at it with her secret ability.

Natsuki heard her phone ringing, and when she checked she saw that a familiar client was calling her. As Issei and Kiryuu were arguing, Natsuki took the opportunity to leave the room and answer the call.

Natsuki leaned against a wall as she spoke to the man on the other end. "Hello? Yeah, we can make it, Issei would be pissed if I decided to cancel for the both of us, we'll leave now. No, it's not a problem. See you soon."

Issei soon appeared, his phone in hand, "Did you get a text too?"

Natsuki shook her head, "Nah, he called me. I already told him that we're going to head out now."

Kiba, who had been sitting in to hallway nursing his drink for the last few minutes, looked up at the pair, "Got a client?"

Issei sighed, walking towards the drink machine that was next to the Knight, refilling his glass. "Yeah, it's that same old rich dude who always calls us."

"Calling on a day off too. That sucks." Kiba said.

"We could always decline and say we're not available." Natsuki said, sitting down next to Kiba.

"No way!" Issei exclaimed, "Unlike you, he's the only regular I have, and he won't see me if you decide to bail!"

"I know, and I decide not to do so out of the goodness of my heart." Natsuki drawled.

"Goodness of my heart, my ass." Issei mumbled but knew that Natsuki did not fully trust the old man and was only continuing to keep him on as a client because Issei desperately needed the contract and the old man would only remain a client if both of them came. It also did not hurt that their client paid them exceedingly well, and Natsuki was not the type of person to turn down a large amount of money.

Kiba looked at the pair seriously, "Issei, Natsuki, I wanted to thank you both, but I haven't gotten the chance to yet. So, thank you."

Issei took a sip of his drink before responding, "It's no big deal. And don't worry; all of us, including Rias, we've already forgiven you. Besides, you don't need to thank us."

Natsuki bumped shoulders with Kiba, "We all understand why you did it, and moved on. Just make sure you learn from this and rely on us in the future, alright, Casanova?" Natsuki then stood, "Now come on. We got to sit through another one of Issei's terrible sets before we leave."

"Eh?! Who's set are you calling terrible? Last I checked, you haven't even sung yet!" Issei yelled.

"Because I don't want to embarrass you with my amazing voice. I've got to let you win at somethings otherwise you'll become demoralized." Natsuki said, smirking as she walked back into the karaoke room.

"Oh, fuck you!" Issei screamed, quickly rushing after the girl.

Kiba shook his head, laughing mirthfully as he followed the other two Devils back into the room, happy to have friends like them.

----------------------------------------

A Few Hours Later

"Aw, man! I lost again!" Issei cried out, once again seeing his character bring killed by his client in the fighting game they were playing.

Once Natsuki and Issei had reached their client's apartment, he quickly let them in, stating his desire to play his favorite video games against them. Natsuki was sitting on the couch behind them, slumped as she stared at the television screen with pout, she had decided to verse their client first but lost each time. Issei was not surprised that Natsuki refused to give up as despite her general 'I don't care' demeanor, Natsuki was a sore loser at heart.

After an hour, their client had to take the controller from Natsuki's hands and give it to Issei so they could play, and the girl had been sulking ever since.

The older man chuckled, "I've had a lot of time in order to play against you guys. After all it has been a while since you've come by to visit."

Issei scratched his head and laughed awkwardly, "Sorry about that, we've been kind of busy lately." He then looked around the room, his eyes landing on all the new things there, "Meanwhile, you've been busy buying a ton of new stuff!"

"Yeah, I got kind of obsessed with games after you two took me to that arcade."

"Really? That's awesome, but how many video game systems do you have? All of them?"

Their client smirked, his eyes gleaming, "What can I say? I can't stop once I've started collecting something. I've often been told that I get completely immersed whenever I'm collecting."

"Collecting?" Natsuki asked aloud, trying to think of why that stuck out to her.

Their client turned his head and smirked at her, causing Natsuki's to tense up and glare at him, but the man only grinned before turning around.

Issei was thinking the same, that he had heard something about someone who was obsessed with collecting things. His distraction caused Issei to not realize that the man had killed his character for over the dozenth time until it was too late.

With this the man stood up, stretching his arms. "Well, you want another match, Devil boy? Or should I say Red Dragon Emperor?"

Natsuki immediately jumped to her feet when she heard this, stepping between Issei and the man, standing defensively as she scowled at the man.

How did he know that?! He shouldn't know that! Natsuki thought.

A pair of pitch-black raven wings sprouted from his back as she smiled at the pair of Devils. "I am Azazel, otherwise known as the head, the Governor Angel of the Fallen Angels."

"Azazel?!" Issei exclaimed, "But… why- why us?!"

Natsuki closed her eyes and groaned, not for the first time wishing that she never decided to try and save Issei's life from Raynare, nostalgic for her previous, non-supernatural life.