One-Punch DxD: NEO
Chapter 33: Preparations

Surprise! Another update!

Now, we are fully entering the NEO version of 'Vampire of The Suspended Classroom'!

Per usual, the next chapter is now available on you-know-where site. ;)

Enjoy!

Issei's eyes fluttered open, slowly waking up as the faint scent of husk and sweat from his bed tickled his nose.

The first thing he registered was the first morning light piercing through the glass window, slowly illuminating the bedroom he was in. Blinking to adjust his eyes to the brightness, Issei's eyes registered that someone was standing before the window, watching the sunrise.

He woke up, and Issei felt time seemed to slow down as he watched Irina Shidou, whose bare body was only covered in a bed sheet around her shoulders, turn around to meet his gaze.

Her face did not contain any sign of despair she had previously - the sunlight that illuminated her figure made Irina look absolutely gorgeous. Perhaps this was what people called 'afterglow'? Issei could not help but feel his face rather warm as his mind remembered what happened between him and his childhood friend last night.

"...Good morning."

Issei blinked and realized that Irina just greeted him. Waking up from the bed, Issei ignored his own state of undress as he approached the young woman.

"Morning… How's your sleep?" Issei smiled as he stood right in front of Irina.

"...One of the best I've had, Issei. And you?" Irina smiled radiantly, causing Issei's own smile to widen as he caressed her face.

Having a closer look at the afterglow on Irina's face caused Issei to think that he had been the luckiest man on the planet.

"Could say the same. How are you feeling?" Issei asked as his thumb wiped a stray hair-strand off Irina's face.

Irina looked down in thought for a few seconds, before she returned to look at Issei's eyes, her tender smile remained on her face.

"I think… I think I'm going to be fine, as long as you are with me." Irina replied as she leaned her face against Issei's hand.

Issei softly sighed in relief as he continued caressing Irina's face, "...Of course."

Then, they slowly closed the distance between each other's faces. When their lips were only a hair's breadth away from making contact, a loud noise was suddenly heard from outside of the room, followed by a frantic cry - which forced Issei and Irina to break away.

Issei and Irina shared a glance before the latter nodded, allowing the former to grab his clothes and leave the room as he got himself dressed.

They immediately took their clothes from last night and bolted through the door towards the source.

oXo

"Ahh! Wait, please!"

Issei opened the door leading to Asia's room, preparing for a fight.

But his caution dried when he saw something else.

"No, please! Hahahaha!"

Kyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!

Nuzzling against Asia's face was… some kind of a serpent. It was small, blue, and serpentine, a white mane covering the neck and nape, and it was looking at Asia with the beadiest eyes Issei ever saw as Asia laughed.

[Ah, so it wasn't a western dragon…]

Ddraig noted as they watched Asia smile and laugh, holding the serpentine creature tenderly.

Issei took note of its scales. It was thick, but slender, not unlike that of a snake's. It had two pairs of four-fingered hands, small like a T-Rex's arms for the serpent's size.

Rover was still on the bed, whining a little for the lack of attention, still round as always.

"...Ah, the egg hatched." Issei realized. "That's… definitely not what I expected in mind."

"Oh, Ise! Ms. Irina! Good morning!" Asia greeted as soon as she registered their presence. "I'm so sorry if I startled you so early, but it just hatched from its egg, and it's so cute!"

When Issei and Irina walked closer to observe the hatchling - it perked its head up at the sight of the newcomers and flew out of Asia's grasp.

The three watched in marvel at the creature seemingly slithered in the air.

"...Wow." Irina could not help but be in awe, the small creature soared despite lacking wings.

"What on earth are you…?" Issei asked with fascination in his tone. "Ddraig?"

[I think I heard about this before. Mane-like tuft, serpentine grace, small horn-like protrusions on the back of its head, four fingers instead of three… It is a type of dragon called an… Imoogi. It originally hailed from native lands of Goguryeo - though I am surprised. They were rare even back then. How the old man managed to get one is beyond me.]

"...Gogu-what?"

[It's called Korea nowadays.]

"Oh… That Korea?"

[...Is there any other country named Korea on this planet?]

"Sheesh, no need to be so pissy in the morning."

The serpentine dragon - Imoogi then returned to make itself comfortable on Asia's shoulder, having enough of examining the couple.

Then, more people appeared by the door - no doubt they were attracted by the commotion.

"What's going on so early in the morning?" Haruka asked with a curious tone.

"Are you okay, Asia?!" Xenovia asked - she even had Durandal ready in hand.

Koneko and Akeno entered the room, both rubbing their eyes until they saw Asia's new little friend.

"Mhm! I have a new friend!" Asia smiled brightly as Rover whined at Asia.

The little serpent cooed a heart-melting sound before it turned to Rover. It slithered through the air and then curled around the ball-dog, nuzzling against it.

[Oh, it doesn't have the dragonic tendency to spite the same gender. That is even rarer.] Ddraig commented.

"My, how adorable!" Haruka lightly gushed as she knelt down to have a better look, staring at the little creature giving her the googly eyes before it cooed.

Kyuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu

Soon, everyone was looking at the Imoogi playing with Rover. The ball-dog whined a little before it eventually started panting in response to his new friend, warming up to it.

"...Can I hold it?" Koneko asked. Her eyes were sparkling despite her stoic features.

The creature, as if hearing Koneko, slithered towards her and nuzzled against her cheek. Akeno cupped her at the sheer adorableness of the scene.

"Hm, it seems he'll fit into this house just fine." Issei nodded, before he turned to address Asia. "Say, Asia. You got a name for him?"

Asia blinked, "...Eh?"

[It hatched and registered you as his parent, so suffice to say that the Imoogi will see you as its mother.]

"Ooh…" Everyone looked at Asia expectantly.

"E-eehh?! M-me, a mother?" Asia blushed a storm at the idea.

The Imoogi then returned towards Asia and nuzzled its snout against her cheek. At the serpent's affectionate gesture, Asia could not help but relent.

"Um, err… Then, Rassei!"

Issei and everyone blinked, "...Rassei?"

"It's… a mix between Ise's name, and my favorite mascot from an advertisement on television…" Asia sheepishly explained.

Haruka giggled, followed by everyone's amused smile at Asia's reasoning.

"Ohh… well, color me blushed." Issei rubbed his hair.

"...Does it need to eat after hatching?" Xenovia asked, leaning forward with her hands on her hips. She poked the little flying snake.

Kiiii!

Rassei wiggled as if it was ticklish.

[It is safer to prepare something for it. Maybe take something from Rover's stash since the mongrel is still fat with dragon meat.]

Ddraig suggested. Rover barked as if agreeing, panting at his new friend.

"In that case, let's bring Rassei-chan along for breakfast, shall we?" Haruka then proposed, eliciting agreements from the others.

"Let's go, Rassei." Asia beckoned the small dragon, who cooed in affirmative, liking its new name. Asia walked to the bed and picked up Rover, hugging him to her chest. Rassei nuzzled against the dog, garnering 'awes' from the girls.

"By the way, where's Ravel?" Issei asked.

"Ravel returned to the Underworld, remember? She wanted to spend time with her family after what happened. She will join you in school, soon." Haruka replied. However, her eyes caught something on his son's skin.

"...Actually, hold still for a sec, Ise."

"...Hm?"

Haruka then pulled the hem on Issei's T-shirt down, and her eyes widened at several familiar-looking marks on Issei's skin.

"Eep!"

Irina then yelped when Haruka suddenly moved on to her, inspecting her neck and the skin under her gown.

"Err, mom? What are you doing?" Issei asked as his mother looked between those two.

Then, Haruka's lips then stretched into a grin from ear to ear, with her eyes sparkling in excitement.

"Oh, I am so proud of you two! When is the wedding? When can I expect my grandchildren?!"

Issei and Irina blushed up a storm in unison.

"Mom! Really?!" Issei scolded in indignation, while Irina opted to hide behind Issei's back. "Not the best time!"

"Should I call your father? Oh, I want to see his reaction when he finds out! I should get a camera." She smiled with a drop of sinister intent in her tone.

"No, no, no, no, no! Can we talk about this later?! Everyone's-!"

Issei paused and slowly turned his head - much to his horror, not only the other girls were staring, his uncle also happened to arrive on scene.

"...I just arrived to see the cause of the commotion this morning." Genos explained with his usual expression, "Is what Haruka implying true, Ise?"

Issei looked between his giddy-looking mother, Irina who was still hiding behind him, and the other girls - some of them were catching on what's happening, while Asia and Xenovia were still fairly confused.

Taking a deep breath, Issei wrapped his arm around Irina into a hug and met everyone's gaze, "Yeah, we did it last night."

"What the fuck!?"

Everyone sans Genos jumped at Black Sperm seemingly out of nowhere, regarding Issei with an incredulous look at first, before the dwarf creature broke into laughter.

"AHAHAHAHAHAHA! Oh, wow! You absolute lucky bastard! How the fuck did I miss it?! Damn, I should've bought a camera to record it!"

"Please spare us." Issei begged.

"Hah! I refuse. This is too juicy. I may be asexual but seriously, WOW! You're way luckier than I was when I was human! I gotta take my cut somehow, you know?"

"Alright, alright. We can torture Ise and Irina later. Let's finish our breakfast first, okay?" Haruka asked.

"We will have a talk about premarital sexual intercourse, Ise." Genos simply said as he walked away, much to Issei's dismay and embarrassment.

Koneko left after throwing a pouty glare at Issei and Irina, while Akeno sent them a knowing wink.

The three girls of Issei's faux peerage were silently giving him celebratory gestures - smiles, thumbs-up and silent well-wishes.

Asia and Xenovia were still confused, with Haruka ushered them to follow along for the time being, promising them she would explain later.

However, when Issei and Irina followed, the former paused when he was met with Tsubasa standing in their way. Her arms were crossed on her chest and she was wearing an unreadable smile on her face.

"...So." Tsubasa began, her lips twitched upward, "You two had gone at it, eh?"

Issei and Irina exchanged glances, before they two simply nodded while meeting Tsubasa's gaze. The Sitri Rook noticed that the two old friends were still holding hands.

Eventually, Tsubasa sighed as her shoulders relaxed, "Let's just… go down and eat first. Then us three will have a talk. Capisce?"

Issei and Irina looked relieved, understandably, as they walked after Tsubasa. However, when Issei took the first two steps, Irina pinched the sleeve of his T-shirt.

"Irina? What's up-"

Issei's words were silenced when Irina pressed her lips against his. It was only a second contact, but the look on her face that she showed after she stepped back made Issei smile in return. Hand in hand, they then walked downstairs.

However, the surprise for Issei did not end there.

When they finally reached downstairs, they saw Haruka was receiving a familiar-looking guest; a middle-aged man with hair colour similar to Irina's, clad in clerical clothing.

When Irina's eyes met with the guest's, the former froze while the latter broke into a smile.

"...Daddy?"

"Oh, Irina…!" The guest - Irina's father then marched towards the girl and engulfed her in a bear-hug. "My baby girl… I've missed you so much!"

"D-Daddy...!" Irina nearly suffocated but smiled, hugging her father back.

Issei watched the proceedings, then his eyes somehow made their way towards Black downstairs. The creature had an impish look in his eyes, and his mouth silently worded out the first thing that came across Issei's mind first when he saw Touji Shidou coming over.

Oh, shit.

The breakfast was awkward, especially for Issei and Irina.

"I have… oh, dear Lord, I am so sorry. Sister Griselda informed me of what you went through… oh, Lord.." Touji said with a somber tone, mostly ignoring the breakfast that was prepared for him, omelette, rice, and kakiage.

"I… I have failed you as a father. I should've…" Touji lowered his head down in shame. "I should've paid more attention to you. I shouldn't have looked away from the signs… I…"

"It's… It's alright, dad." Irina replied with a small smile, "It's all in the past now. I'm… I will be alright. I have friends… and family here for me." Irina said, as her hand moved to rest on top of Issei's who was sitting next to her. The boy glanced at her, before he gently squeezed her hand.

Seeing his daughter and Issei smiling at each other, Touji's expression brightened slightly.

"That is… Ise…" The man addressed the boy, "I don't need to hear your great pains to help my daughter. Thank you… I am in your great debt."

Issei blinked and looked flustered, as well as feeling awkward all over again - after all, he had slept with the daughter of the man bowing before him not even ten hours ago.

The rest on the table had various expressions at the sight.

Haruka was smiling knowingly. Genos was stoic as ever as he sip from his steaming mug.

Koneko was still pouting, while Akeno was looking as if she was having a great time.

Asia blushed whenever her eyes met either Issei's or Irina's, with Rassei occasionally distracting her by nuzzling her cheek for food. Xenovia on the other hand, was looking as if she had made a new discovery.

The three girls of Issei's peerage were looking composed - years serving Diodora had perhaps trained them to keep up appearances in front of guests.

Tsubasa was watching as if she was watching a show. For the record, she understood what Irina was going through, and had an inkling of what actually happened between her boyfriend and the childhood friend of his. She was not upset about her boyfriend technically cheating on her, at least not that upset; but damn, was she not going to milk every worth of watching her boyfriend squirming under the man across from him.

"I-It's nothing. She would've done the same for me if I was in a similar crisis." Issei replied.

"I am sure she would," Touji nodded with a hint of pride in his tone, before he glanced at one particular figure, "And… Forgive me for the delay, since I was preoccupied with my daughter's well-being, but….. What is that?"

Every eyes turned towards Black, who was munching on his toast while watching the talk with amused eyes.

"...I am a dog." Black replied with a straight face.

Issei nearly stifled a laugh at Black messing with Irina's father.

"...A dog?" Touji blinked at the not-dog.

"Yep. See the antenna? New mutant breed." Black emphasized by pointing at the appendage on top of his head.

Everyone else at the table stifled a giggle at Black's trolling stunt.

"I… uh…"

"He's a dog." Issei added with an impish smile.

"Yep!" Tsubasa joined in.

"Ummmm… yes?" Asia tilted her head, unsure whether to play along or not.

Kyuuuu!

Rassei chirped as if pitching in.

"But… he is talking…" Touji wanted to argue.

"Nope. Just accept it. It is easier that way." Haruka giggled.

"Um… Very well." Touji cleared his throat, "Then, returning to the previous topic…. How is my daughter faring now?"

Irina's smile dimmed slightly, as Issei spoke while maintaining his hold on Irina's hand, "Well…. Her condition is stable for now, but… whatever Valper implanted inside her is still there, so I'm planning to bring her with me to England... And the Vatican itself if necessary. Those places are the best source of leads we have to cure Irina's ailment."

Everyone looked startled, especially Irina, but nobody voiced any objection.

"That is an astute idea. Very well, I will do my best to help. Have you planned anything further?" Touji asked with a calm smile.

Issei sheepishly scratched the back of his head, "Well… That's all I have for now. I mean, I just came up with that idea yesterday. I just need a place to start looking, to be honest."

Touji stared at the boy before his lips broke into a smile, "Fair enough. Though, firstly…" He then turned to address his daughter, "Irina, are you alright with this arrangement?"

Irina smiled - She leaned her head on Issei's shoulder, not saying a word.

Touji blinked at his daughter's attitude, but he did not think much of it, "I… guess I will take that as a 'yes'. Then, secondly, in terms of 'when'... May I suggest during Summer Vacation?"

Issei blinked, "Um… Why not sooner? The sooner I deal with this, the better, right?"

Touji nodded, "You are not wrong. However, I need to return to England and make some preparations." His eyes then grew sharper, "First, I need to ensure that whatever happened to my daughter will not happen to anyone else ever again. That involves scouting and screening trustworthy therapists and doctors. I… also need to check on my wife. She keeps blaming herself for what happened."

Irina felt as if her blood went cold, "Is - is mom…?"

Touji sighed, "Your mother is fine, but… She went into shock when she learned about you. She's… probably still devastated as we speak for not coming here to see you." He then shook his head, "But let's return to the present - the reason why you should wait until summer vacation."

Touji's eyes then returned to their soft ones as his lips grew into a knowing smile. "...Not only I don't want to make you skip school, it's almost parent-day, isn't it?

Haruka's eyes widened as she clapped her hands, "That's right! I actually nearly forgot about it. Genos, we need to prepare some suits and clothes for that day."

"Of course, ma'am." Genos nodded, "I shall prepare my personal video camera."

"Ahhhhgh, I forgot…... Wait, what about dad?" Issei asked.

"Ah, yes. Your father is out on a mission in Greece to investigate a disturbance. He should have everything under control." Genos replied

oXo

Meanwhile, far, far away on another continent, a man in a yellow suit with red rubber gloves and boots and a white cape stood staring at what looked like a natural disaster, the baldest man in the world with a head so shiny that sunlight was stronger when it bounced off his dome.

He was staring at Mount Olympus…

"...Huh."

Or what was left of it - It looked like someone flipped the mountain upside down.

Literally.

The land around the broken mountain in the distance was cracked, plates of earth sunk or elevated in a mismatched chaotic pattern, spreading out for miles and miles with dust still lingering in the air.

"This looks strangely familiar." Saitama mused, before he asked his companion - who was sitting on his shoulder. "Did you see something like this, Ophis?"

The little girl with black hair, garbed in gothic lolita attire shifted on his shoulder.

"...No. First time. Strange sight." She calmly answered.

"Huh. Well, then." Saitama walked towards the disaster zone.

Squinting into the distance, Saitama could see that there were… people scattered around. He could not properly describe their shapes, but half of them were wearing white togas and stuff.

He recognized them a little… he thinks. Oh, wait, now he remembered.

Scattered around the wrecked landscape were the men and women of the Greek pantheon. If he remembered… that one was Ares.

He was bleeding, his own magic sword lodged into his gut, his form stuck under a rock. If he remembered, he was a God… of fight or something. He was injured quite badly, bruised, his face black and blue, so much that he couldn't lift himself off the rock.

"What the hell happened here?" Saitama muttered, scratching his bald head.

Among them, however, was a familiar face - the owner of that face just lifted a boulder ten times his size to reveal a cavity where many more people were trapped within.

"Hey. Umm, Deuce, right?" Saitama guessed.

The Chief-God of Olympus - Zeus, turned to Saitama.

Zeus was not in great shape as well. His left arm was dangling, limp and broken.

"...If it isn't Saitama… ugh." Zeus groaned a little.

"...What happened to you?" Saitama asked.

"Hahaha, I wish I had the time to tell you, and Olympus so we can welcome you properly, but since you're here, I could use your assistance. We are a bit… low on magic and manpower at the moment. Could you lend us your strength to aid my comrades?"

Saitama stared at the defeated deity for a second before he shrugged, "Sure, I got time."

oXo

"...Okay, so you and uncle and mom are coming… alright, didn't expect that."

They were too occupied with the events to remember. A life-threatening battle would remove any unnecessary distractions, even something like this.

"There is more. I would like Irina and Xenovia to… extend their vacation in Japan. Though, by vacation, I meant them enrolling at Kuoh Academy as transfer students." Touji added.

Irina and Xenovia exchanged glances before the former regarded her father.

"...That way, you can also stay close to Ise, right?" Touji said with a teasing smile.

"D-dad~!" Irina chided bashfully.

In return - Asia, Koneko, Tsubasa and Akeno were looking at Issei with a hint of jealousy in their eyes. Issei himself could only awkwardly avoid the looks thrown to him.

"So… when is she going to enroll? Next week?" Issei asked.

"Hahahaha. No, no. Irina is going to enter your school tomorrow." He smiled.

"...EH?!"

Everyone around the table was surprised.

"B-But d-dad…" Irina hung her head, her eyes hiding behind her chestnut forelocks. "...You didn't give me the time to prepare."

"I know, sweetie. But I would be a terrible father if I didn't make up for my failings. What else can a father do than have my daughter be with her childhood crush?"

Irina buried her head into Issei's neck, hiding her blushing face from the eyes of the girls. Everyone gave Irina a warm smile as Irina whimpered. Issei smiled and patted her head to comfort her.

"Will you be staying for breakfast? There is still enough for one more." Haruka suggested.

"...I thank you for your offer, Haruka." Touji smiled as he rose from his seat. "As much as I wish to stay, I have to leave for personal matters. You and Xenovia will receive a package containing Kuoh's uniform and forms later today. You just need to come to school tomorrow. Now… I have to take care of matters in England to prepare for Issei's arrival. Oh, and give my regards to your cherished husband for me. We will have a lot to talk about regarding our childrens' future together."

"Daaad!" Irina shouted from Issei's neck.

The girls giggled as Touji headed towards the door.

"I'll see you again, Uncle Touji!" Issei waved at the father.

Touji smiled as he nodded, leaving the house.

Silence returned to the breakfast table, the only sound was Rassei making cute chirping noises as Asia fed him strips of Rover's steak stash. Black was busy munching on his toast before he broke the silence.

"So, what are you guys and gals doing today? It's your last day off before school, right?" Black asked.

Issei and the others exchanged glances.

"...Mostly unfinished business." Issei sighed.

It was time to return to hell.

And by hell, Issei meant returning to school and aiding Sona and Rias in their hell.

After they finished breakfast, Issei and the others meet up with the rest of Rias' peerage and Sona's peerage. Black also joined them with Rover in tow as they went to Kuoh academy, deciding to take it upon themselves to help Rias and Sona to finish the remaining paperwork in the light of Kokabiel's rebellion.

An hour had passed and Issei already felt like he was back in paper hell. He decided to distract himself from his torment with small talk.

"...Parent's Day… huh… Rias, what about you? Are your folks going to visit?" Issei asked as he sorted, signed, and organized his work into different folders.

Then one of the Black clones dropped another stack on his table.

Issei glared at his imp friend as Black dropped another stack on his table with an evil smile.

The only good aspect was that the tedious labor could serve as a productive distraction and physical therapy for Irina.

The only ones not sharing their paper hell was Asia and the three girls of Issei's peerage. They were assisting Black in transporting the seemingly endless stacks of paper to their tables to their chagrin.

Rias exhaled as she just finished another batch, massaging her sore fingers, "...I'm afraid my family won't be coming."

"As will mine." Sona nodded, stretching her arms out, allowing a Black clone to drop another stack of papers on her desk.

"...Why not?"

"Our families are very busy people, Ise." Sona explained as she already began working again, "I am sure they are busy dealing with the aftermath of Kokabiel's rampage as we speak. We can't bother them with something trivial like parent-day, can we?"

For some reason, Sona had a knowing smile tinged with mischief when she spoke. What's more, Rias had a similar expression too.

"Ah, I think I know what's going on." Issei understood immediately. Maybe they were hoping that their relatives did not come to embarrass them… he could relate to the feeling. The reaction of Motohama and Matsuda along with the infamous Kendo Duo at the sight of his father's shiny head… it would be an awkward kind of hell.

"Hn, we shall make sure that we do not neglect our studies." Sona nodded, along with Rias.

"Yes, we will enjoy our school life to the fullest, for their sake."

Turning away from the possibly-scheming heiresses, Issei then turned to his childhood friend. "How are you doing there, Iri?"

"I'm good." Irina said with a quick smile at the boy, "This kind of task is not so different from the ones I did back in the Vatican. In fact, I find it refreshing to do this with so many around me."

They continued finishing their mountains of paperwork for two hours more. The paper hell was finally starting to dry out judging by the sight of the increasing number of Black clones taking their food breaks, eating stolen food in front of them.

"Yo, good news. Your paper hell is over. That's the last stack." Black notified as another Black dropped it onto Issei's desk.

"Uuuughhhh…" Issei took a deep breath and immediately started his final round with energy. He finished at half the time before he dropped, his cheek smacking against the desk.

The others were leaning back in their chairs, some stretching their arms.

"Can we go home now?" Saji complained as he flicked his sore hands left and right.

"Not yet, scrawny."

Then, the door to the office was opened, revealing several more Black clones, along with Asia and the other girls who went with him.

They were holding a bottle of bleach and cleaning tools.

"You still have the skinny dip left."

Issei remembered.

They were to clean the pool next after this.

oXo

Thirty minutes later, they were at the pool.

For thirty more minutes, they cleaned the pool of the filth and replaced the chlorine and filters before they refilled the pool with purified water.

The girls decided to relax by using the pool as they changed into their respective swimsuits before splashing into the water.

Issei changed into his trunks, holding a bottle of water as he relaxed, watching over the pool.

Akeno was giving Asia and Koneko swimming lessons.

Everyone was enjoying themselves in their swimsuits; either sunbathing, resting, or playing in the water.

As for Saji and Yuuto, Black gave them a familiar kind of hell as the black demon sat atop of the Ball Rover.

"Move those arms and legs, you losers! No wonder Malkuth got your asses handed on the silver platter!" Black barked at Saji who was trying to swim desperately.

Yuuto, on the other hand, was simply floating with his face down under the water - the small bubbles on the water surface before his head was the only indication of his still clinging on to life.

Smiling at the spectacle, Issei then proceeded to make his way towards the locker rooms. Irina and Xenovia were seemingly taking their time to get into their swimsuits.

"Irina? Xenovia?" Issei called out, "Are you two doing okay there?"

Then, Xenovia's voice was heard in return, "...Err, sorry can you come in for a sec?"

Issei was not sure about entering the women's changing room.

"...Alright."

But Xenovia sounded serious. Looking around, he then stepped inside the room.

Inside the room, Issei found Irina sitting down with Xenovia kneeling next to her - they both were clad in their respective swimsuits.

"...Irina?" Issei then approached the girls with a concerned look on his face.

"I-Ise." Irina gave a shaky smile, "I… I'm sorry. I… think I still can't bring myself to expose my skin around other people."

Even though it was in front of other girls? Issei sighed, rubbing his hair.

"It's okay, Iri." Issei knelt and placed his hand on her shoulder. "We can go back home early, if you want."

Irina gave a nod, and Issei slowly brought their foreheads together - allowing them to bask in each other's warmth.

"Um…" Xenovia then interrupted, "Do you… maybe want to… What's that people call… A quickie? I can be on the look-out."

Irina immediately blushed at the notion, while Issei sighed in exasperation, "No, Xenovia. We're not doing it here. Just… Just help pack Irina's things."

Issei walked home with one of Black's clones accompanying him and Irina.

Issei held Irina's hand, though he could not take his eyes off of one thing…

"...How long does it take for a dog to digest dragon meat?"

It was Rover. He was still round as a ball. What was funny was how Black was rolling Rover like one, the dog burping randomly.

"Beats me. This is my first time seeing Rover this fat." Black replied while rolling the dog over. "What about you, dragon man? You're more expert in this kind of thing." Black asked Ddraig.

[Don't talk to me as if I'm privy to that thing's biology. He can spit fireballs of death, he can finish digesting in around a day. Or a minute for all I care.]

"Hah!" Black laughed. "Anyways, why not try to have Rover grow bigger? Maybe transforming can help him digest his stuffings."

"Maybe, but not here. Let's have him do that at home." Issei replied.

Then, when they arrived in front of their home, they were greeted with the sight of someone standing in front of the gate.

Even in her weakened state, Irina tensed, extremely cautious of this suspicious man.

"Yo." The man waved at him.

"Ah. The Boss Crowman." Black responded, while Rover barked at him.

"Azazel. Why are you in town? Are you done with Kokabiel already?" Issei quirked a brow.

"You can say that." Azazel shrugged, "And I'm here for business, not pleasure…. Well, mostly business with some pleasure if I have the time." He finished with a grin.

"Having fun with the ladies and getting dumped by them? Speaking of women, you do know that my mom is ready to skewer your ass the moment you walk in that house for a lot of reasons, right?" Issei smirked.

"Hahaha… why do you think I'm out here waiting?" Azazel's smile dropped. "I'm here to talk to you, actually."

"Oh? What is it this time? Don't tell me someone's about to start another Armageddon or something?" Issei replied with a joking smile

"No, no, more of an update. This is supposed to be highly classified, but the Leaders of the Three Great Powers are planning to hold a peace conference here, at Kuoh Academy."

Issei's smile completely fell, Irina even covered her mouth to conceal her surprised gasp.

"...You have a minute to explain before I drag you into the house to let my mother roast you over a fire." Issei warned.

"It's only a matter of time, kid. Think about it - angels, fallen angels and devils are in situations where they cannot afford to lose anymore lives, especially to a war. The ceasefire might have been holding up the fragile peace for a while, but what if more people like Kokabiel decide to break the stick bridge between us? We might as well settle our matters before anyone else can get an opportunity to restart the flames of war."

"But why here?" Issei pointed out. "There are a million other places out there! Why not Tokyo, or Paris, New York - Why this town? Kokabiel already left a mess here solo, and we just spent hours cleaning up that same mess!"

"It's exactly because of Kokabiel's actions that we believe this town is the best place for the occasion." Azazel explained, "Think about it - we already have two high-class devils from two prominent Noble families overseeing this town. A family of monsters with ridiculous power levels taking residence where both hosts of The Two Heavenly Dragons will oversee the appointment. Kokabiel's coup, along with his evolution are the final nails on the coffin. In short, this place is the most ideal location to house three major powers."

"Are you shitting me?" Issei stared at Azazel as if he just spoke a bad joke - archangels and devil kings meeting in the same room, assuming they would bring their armies with them for a peace conference after over two thousand years of war and bloodshed.

"...You do know my dad will definitely kill you if he hears about this? No, I am going to get Rover to chew on your balls if you fuck this up. Hell, there are so many things I want to say I can't even find the right words for them!"

Azazel chuckled awkwardly at Issei's frantic threats.

"Y-Yes, yes. Don't worry, we are prepared for any worst case scenario." The Fallen assured.

"Hearing that from you really puts me at ease." Issei cynically remarked.

"No, really. As a matter of fact, your dad will be joining us." Azazel promised.

Issei blinked at the information, "...Is he now?"

"Yep, along with Genos working with the security detail, and the Big Bads acting as the main bouncers. Your father will serve as a mediator in case the conference becomes too hairy.

"...He's no ambassador…" Issei skewed his lips. "But he can stop a fight faster than anyone can blink… Alright, fine. But just in case… are you hiding anything else from me?" Issei leered at Azazel.

The fallen angel governor hummed for a second before replying, "...Well, there's news about Valper's death."

"Already heard about that. Anything else that I should know? Like a certain prototype you tinkered to affect only Black?" Issei quirked a brow.

"That prototype is still a work in progress, so let's keep it under wraps before someone else can use it on one of our best assets. And going back to Valper - my men got something on his autopsy."

Issei raised his eyebrows, while Irina grimaced at the mention of Valper's name.

"Aside from the wound on his gut that was in the middle of healing by the time of discovery, there are no physical injuries or signs of violence whatsoever. It was as if the man just dropped dead. Officials just chalked it up as a case of heart attack." Azazel elaborated.

"I… honestly don't buy the heart-attack part." Issei retorted.

"Neither do I." Azazel replied with a serious expression. "But there's nothing else we can do to find out more, so let's just settle with that. Speaking of which…." He then turned his sight on the girl behind Issei.

"You are Irina Shidou - one of the exorcists deployed to retrieve the Excaliburs, right? My name's Azazel, nice to meet ya." Azazel introduced himself with his signature smile.

In response, Irina simply regarded the Scapegoat warily while she remained hiding behind Issei.

Azazel's expression softened slightly at the sight of her, and he decided to return to Issei, "I caught wind of what happened to her. How is her condition?"

Issei simply glanced back, giving Irina a reassuring nod before he replied to Azazel, "...She will manage. I'll make sure of that."

"I believe you will." Azazel nodded before he snapped his fingers, "Oh, that's right. I also caught wind of your ordeal with that Monkey's Paw and Binbougami, and guess what? That old god actually made contact with us."

Issei and Irina blinked, exchanged glances and returned to Azazel, "...Really? That's… Great, I guess. What did you guys talk about?"

"I brought up your deal with him, and he said that you've partially fulfilled your end of the deal. And in regards to that Monkey's Paw…. He proposes an alternative - our Sacred Gear research papers."

"Okay… And? What's your response?" Issei asked.

Azazel's expression soured a little, "That's the tricky part - not only my research notes are also one of highly classified files, Binbougami also will not take just any notes - The data we're about to give him needs to have some worth to him."

"And… I take it that's a bad thing?"

"I had my research stolen before it could have been finalized years ago… it led to many lives in jeopardy." Azazel hung his head. "...This time, I will make sure that my research won't be abused by another. I will haggle the old god's life if I have to."

There was a somber tune in the air that Issei could not describe. Issei watched Azazel turn around on his heels, "Well, I guess I'm done here. I'll be in this town for a while, Ise. Feel free to drop by whenever you are free."

"...I did say that my mom will probably skewer your ass when you go inside, but I think she won't mind having you join us for dinner." Issei offered.

"Nah, I'm good. Appreciate the offer, though. I might not look the part, but I'm actually a busy man." Azazel then saluted. "Send my regards to your family."

"Ah, wait, one more thing! Where's Vali? Is he staying in the town too?" Issei called out.

Azazel replied as he kept walking without looking back. "Yeah, he is! Don't worry about him, I think he's gonna approach you again soon!"

With that, Azazel vanished as soon as he was far enough, leaving only a few flocks of black feathers.

That evening, when Issei welcomed the others returning from school, he was not surprised to see Ravel among the group. However, he certainly did not expect to see a pair of additional guests to tag along as well.

He recognized one of them - Grayfia Lucifuge; the other one, however, caught him off-guard by his appearance that seemingly, as if Rias had an older, gender-bent twin.

"Um… Hi there."

Grayfia was regarding Issei's reaction with bemusement, while the man simply smiled at him, "Good evening. It is an honor to finally meet you in person, Red Dragon Emperor, Son of The Strongest Man. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Sirzechs Lucifer, Rias' older brother. Thank you for looking out for my sister in my absence."

Lucifer… ooohhhh. - Issei recognized the inherited surname of the Devil king.

He immediately bowed ninety degrees with comical panic.

"T-The pleasure is mine, sir - your holi - I mean, your unholiness. I'm Issei Hyoudou." He introduced himself while shooting Rias a quick look of indignation.

The heiress only looked sheepish and worn out as she held out a hand while mouthing, "Sorry."

In return, Sirzechs only chuckled in amusement, "At ease, Hyoudou. Actually, may I call you Ise, instead?"

The man had the deceptive face and mannerism of a gentleman, though Issei could not tell whether he was testing him or not.

"Yyyeeeaaahhh…if I may be blunt, you seriously caught me off guard."

"I admit that the fault is with me. I am planning to stay in this town for several days and your… little friend referred me to this location. I hope you won't mind my temporary stay?" He gestured to Black hanging around the door.

Issei shot a glare at Black.

"What? Don't look at me. He was insistent."

Something dropped behind Black. Issei stared at the golden glimmer between Black's legs before it got picked up by an extra arm growing from his back. Black shamelessly played innocent despite being obviously bribed with gold.

Issei returned to address the Crimson Satan.

"...I don't mind. We have spare rooms, anyways." He then moved aside to give way to Sirzechs, "In fact… would you like to join us for dinner? The food is just done."

"Ah, most appreciated. I shall take up your offer, then." Sirzechs smiled pleasantly before he made his way inside with his Queen in tow.

When Sirzechs had walked further inside, Issei then turned to Rias and others, "Seriously, Rias - what the fuck?!" He whispered harshly.

"I'm sorry!" Rias clapped her hands together. "He just appeared in the clubroom when we just finished swimming, I can't just stop him and tell him to go home!"

Issei sighed, "...Hah. Just go wash, dinner is ready soon."

When Issei returned to the dining room, Sirzechs was shaking hands with Genos while Irina and Haruka were watching - the girl was rigid like a deer caught in headlights while the matriarch was smiling casually.

"It is a pleasure to finally meet Saitama's closest friend." Sirzechs commented.

"The pleasure is mine, Sirzechs Lucifer. Saitama told me a lot about you when he visited your realm."

"Ah, I can guess what he told you. Please keep our encounter a secret."

"Of course." Genos nodded.

The devil then turned towards the exorcist, "Irina Shidou, correct? I hope my being here doesn't frighten you."

"N-n-not at all, sir - your - your unholiness! It's an honour to speak with a devil king." Irina stuttered.

Then, Sirzechs' smile softened, "I have heard of your tragedy. You have my sympathy. I sincerely pray that you will recover."

He turned to Haruka.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet Saitama's wife - Haruka Hyoudou," Sirzechs smiled charmingly, "Your husband told me stories about you."

"Oh, dear. I haven't heard from him for a while, and he made new friends without telling me." Haruka places a hand on her cheek.

"Um…." Issei decided to interject, "You know my father, Lord Sirzechs?"

"We met once in the past. As a matter of fact…" Sirzechs fished out his cell-phone and saw a group chat. "He's a part of my group chat with the other Satans."

Issei stared at the nickname, Caped Baldy next to the icon of an egg.

"He gives his contact info to a stranger but he won't get in touch with his own family?" Issei uttered, ranting mostly to himself.

"Well, your father actually stays in touch with me and your uncle." Haruka defended.

"...How come I never heard of this?" Issei asked.

"You never asked." Genos said as if it was a matter of fact. "...And Saitama believes that you are mature enough not to depend on him all the time."

For some reason, Issei felt that it was a compliment, as he looked away, "Well, if he believes that… And since he's still keeping in touch with mom, I guess that'll do."

"Did you just go tsundere?" Black accused.

"Shut it before I confiscate your bribe money." Issei threatened.

"Hahahahaha..." Sirzechs laughed warmly. "Ah, forgive me. Your family's individual personalities are more interesting than I thought. And…"

Sirzechs gestured to something on the floor.

Issei looked, seeing Rassei, the flying Imoogi, rolling Ball Rover towards the dinner table.

"It has been two centuries since the last time I saw an Imoogi. Whose familiar does it belong to?" Sirzechs asked with curiosity in his tone as he watched Rassei finish rolling Rover next to his dinner bowl. Rassei squeaked as it flew towards and took a piece of beef from the dinner table and placed it on Rover's bowl.

"Um… It would be me, sire." Asia let herself known as she and the others had returned from changing their clothes.

When Rover had trouble trying to place his mouth into the bowl, Rassei squeaked and helped feed Rover, nipping on the meat and giving it to Rover directly.

Honestly, seeing Rassei making quick friends with Rover was very heartwarming.

"I see, you are Asia Argento, are you not? I'd like to thank you as well for taking care of my sister." Sirzechs replied.

"Um, no, please, big-sister Rias is the one who has been looking after me! You don't need to thank me!" Asia bashfully replied, causing Sirzechs to smile knowingly at his blushing sister.

Haruka then clapped her hands to gather everyone's attention.

"Alright, let's continue our talk over dinner, shall we? Mr. Sirzechs and Ms. Grayfia are probably famished by now. Let's dig in! Genos brought over some high-quality beef!"

"...Irina, what are you doing?"

The girl did not say anything and simply hugged Issei's arm for a dear life.

After dinner, everyone prepared to retire for the night when Sirzechs requested to sleep over in Issei's room, saying about having some talk about recent developments.

Speaking of developments - Sirzechs had notified Rias that the Peace Conference would be held up soon at Kuoh Academy, which was confirmed by Issei thanks to Azazel.

However, much to Rias' chagrin, Sirzechs was also aware about the Parent-day, thanks to Grayfia grabbing a hold of the notice letter from the school that Rias attempted to discard - keyword: attempted.

Back to present - Issei and the others could only share concerned and troubled looks at Irina's reaction at the prospect of being separated from Issei that night.

"Irina." Issei gently called her out again, slowly prying her off his arm so he could rest his hands on her shoulder. He then pressed his forehead against hers and looked into her eyes, "Are you okay?"

Seemingly snapped out of her daze, Irina's expression turned more embarrassed than scared. "I-I'm sorry… It's just…"

"Shh… Look, I can stay with you tonight if you want to. I can talk with Lord Sirzechs tomorrow morning."

"N-No!" Irina shouted in response. "I-It's okay, you don't need to worry. I… I can do this…" Irina took a deep breath.

"Are you sure?" Issei asked. He understood that there was another factor he did not take into account.

That Irina might be too dependent on him in the process of her rehabilitation.

Irina stalwartly nodded, though he could see the subtle trembling of her legs. S~ᴇaʀᴄh the Nʘvᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

"...Asia. Can you bring Rover to your room? Irina might need someone to sleep with for now."

Making her sleep alone would be too much for Irina currently. Better to have her learn to rely on her friends, her fellow nun and exorcist.

Asia simply nodded and picked the Ball Rover up from the floor, before she scooted over towards Irina.

"Ms. Irina, let's go to bed, shall we?" The blonde asked kindly, which Irina replied with a nod and a shaky smile. Rassei, wrapped around Asia's neck, looked up at Irina and squeaked with encouragement.

"Can I…" Xenovia spoke up, "Mind if I join?"

Issei, Asia and Irina exchanged glances, before they broke into smiles, especially the middle. "Yes, of course!"

The church trio then walked off, with Irina sending Issei the best reassuring smile she could muster, before she went inside the room with the other two.

"You know, I don't mind at all to postpone our talk for another day. I wouldn't want to impose if Ms. Shidou needs you."

"It's alright, Lord Sirzechs. She needs this more than she lets on." Issei shook his head.

"Now… what is it we need to discuss?" Issei asked as they went into his room, closing the door behind them.

"How much did Azazel tell you about us?" Issei asked, preparing the bed as the devil changed into his pyjamas.

"Enough to know about your family's…. Eccentricities." Sirzechs replied. "I also heard stories from my father and mother's point of view as well. I heard you are the one who trained Rias and her peerage for the Rating Game against Riser Phenex."

"It is a challenge. Your sister needs to be more strict as a leader. Taking the role of a parent or elder sister can only take her so far in a game where strength and guile matters most above all."

"Wise words." Sirzechs nodded on his pillow.

"Did Azazel tell you about Kokabiel's stunts? Is there anything I should know from your side?" Issei asked.

For a moment, Sirzechs contemplated as he stared to the ceiling.

"...If possible, I'd like to keep this talk until the end of the Peace Conference. Is it alright with you?"

Issei glanced at the older man before relenting, "Fair enough."

"Thank you, and regarding Ms. Shidou… I heard of what happened, but only the diluted outline. How bad is it?"

Issei sighed, "'Bad' probably doesn't even start to describe how messed up Valper was controlling her. As soon as Irina was released from his mind-control, the memories slowly came back - everything that Irina did under that pig's machinations…. And turns out, she's probably been involved in more bloody stuff, other than… y'know, the night stuff."

Sirzechs exhaled - and for a second, Issei stiffened as he felt a sudden surge of demonic power leaked out from the devil. The Devil ceased the moment he realized his action.

"Ah… Sorry, I hope you understand how… easy to feel enraged after hearing such appalling transgressions." Sirzechs smiled sheepishly.

"...Huh. Okay." Issei sighed in relief - damn.

[Yeah, damn. Even from that small burst alone, I can understand that he has earned his position with absolute authority.]

Ddraig commented from inside Issei's left arm.

"Oh, is that the Welsh Dragon?" Sirzechs asked with another curious tone.

[Yes. Your ancestors helped in butchering mine and Albion's bodies for God to seal us in this sorry state… hah. Well, it could've been worse. Your kind has moved far since the dawn of times, especially you.]

"Thank you, it means a lot to hear it from a Heavenly Dragon."

[I am still bitter about that time, but a loss is still a loss…]

"I would like to hear stories about my kind from ancient times if you have the time… apparently, there is more to them than I would like to believe." Sirzechs smiled a little.

"Speaking of which… Let me ask you something personal… Do you have any males in your peerage?" Issei asked.

"I do. As a matter of fact, Grayfia is the only woman in my peerage. Why would you ask?" Sirzechs replied.

"Oookay, I guess there's at least one woman in your peerage." Issei said. Issei was wondering if the Satan is gay… or at least bisexual. "Sorry, I firmly believe that peerages in your society are… glorified personal harems. No offense."

Sirzechs snorted with amusement, "It's fine, although… It reminds me of something that happened a few hundred years ago - when I first recruited my Bishop, McGregor Matthers. He actually managed to trick me, Grayfia and other men in my peerage to perform a wild tantric ritual. Man, things got quite Bohemian back there. Grayfia was so angry that I ended up in the doghouse for weeks, and my men were unable to look at each other's faces for months."

"Oh, fuck, now I don't think I'll be able to sleep with that image in my mind." Issei rolled his eyes in exasperation.

The night was long for both guys.

Yeah... Sorry, kind of shorter than usual.

But yes, instead of Sprite Dragon, Rassei here is an Imoogi from Korean folklore, courtesy of my co-writer, i4md347h. Fun fact: a B monster movie called D-Wars featured a pair of Imoogi as their icons. Look it up. ;)

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