I spent a little longer than I intended to on the WDOD edit. I planned to begin changing it every weekend starting Saturday, and then writing the next chapter of this story. As of writing this sentence, it's Thursday night. So yeah, I've done quite a lot of work on my free days, but it's not finished yet, I've updated seven chapters since starting. As for the releasing of these new chapters; when all sixteen chapters are done, I'll delete all current chapters and replace them with the updated versions. EDIT: Really sorry about the long delay. Life's been a little tough recently. Since the whole college plan sort of collapsed, I've been busy applying for jobs, and it's been really stressful since I've had no luck so far. The stress has also limited my time so I've been completely unable to edit WDOD for the past few weeks. So sorry, but the Hiatus will be continuing for a short while longer.
Something I probably should've been a little clearer on was that it won't be a complete rewrite. I'm only editing the parts that I think can be improved, or even adding new parts altogether.
After a fair bit of thought and more than a few reviews, I have decided that Issei will have a harem. I am sorry to say, however, that the harem won't be getting as much "screen time" as the main pairing will. In the planning stages of this story, I planned to use fem!Yumi because of a part I thought of a lot later on in the story that wouldn't fit if Kiba was male in this fic. As for the backstory, that was inspired by multiple "Dark Past Issei" fics, and the character was from my pen name. I have used the name "ProjectShadow" for a few years, and from that you can probably guess who Issei's character design is based on. Hope you enjoy!
DragonMaster128 - Don't worry, he's going to remain neutral. Also I have already decided on the main pairing, which still hasn't been guessed correctly yet, and he will have a harem.
Karlos1234ify - They deserved everything they got!
TheLaughingStalk - Haha, glad you're enjoying it!
Minazaki - Well, you'll be glad to hear that he will have a harem, but it won't be the centre of attention in this fic.
Sasuke75249 - I... don't understand what you're saying. Either way, you'll have to wait and see.
NinjaFang1331 - I'm thinking of making Yumi the next in line after the main pairing
SatanPie - Yep. Stray Devil fight, coming right up!
Kirinthor - I have a lot more planned for his past. Mostly pertaining to the other seal.
Guest 1 - Yeah, I decided to include a harem.
Guest 2 - Harem will be present in the story. Both Fem!Yumi and Fem!Vali will also be in the harem
Devilman - Thanks for your kind words, but there will be a harem now. Anyway, I'm glad you're enjoying it.
Mugetsu98 - Already done.
Zeiges - Thank you!
Demons Anarchy of Pride - I... I don't know. Thank you for your kind words good sir!
Elveril - Thank you, I'll try and get these out as fast as I can!
7137 - Thank you. Fem!Vali is now in the story!
gta2001 - Yeah, there will be a harem with almost every girl from canon and a few others added
I own nothing but the story.
[] - Ddraig
{} - Tenma Taro
... - Kurama
(Kuoh Park)
Normal POV
Issei was returning home after his trip to the cemetery. His emotional state was bad, constantly changing from Sadness for his parents, Anger at Rizevim, Annoyed that the Devils followed him, but also happy, because he knew that they wouldn't bother him, at least not for a while. Of course, it was obvious that the Devils weren't going to be staying away for good, but he would cherish the time he had.
On his way home, he sensed a Fallen Angel following close behind, so he turned through the park, where his date with Raynare ended the night before. He sped up his walking in an attempt to shake off the Fallen, but as he was leaving the park, a man in a trenchcoat stepped out from beside a street light and started walking towards Issei, only stopping when his face was visible
'They just won't give up... whatever, I'm not in the mood to be dealing with this.'
"Well, would you look at that. The boy that Raynare was supposed to kill is still alive. I guess I'll have to take care of it myself." the man said cockily
"Piss off pedophile, I'm not in the mood for this crap." the Fallen Angel sneered at him
"PEDOPHILE!? You insolent Human. I, Dohnaseek, will be the one to end your pathetic life!" Donahseek created a blue spear of light in his hand as he said this. Issei glared at him harshly
"Last chance Fallen, either get out of my way, and crawl back to the leader of your rogue group, or I'll kill you so fast that you won't even be able to regret it." Dohnaseek looked a little surprised
"So you know what I am? No matter, you'll die all the same." Dohnaseek threw the spear, fully expecting it to skewer Issei, but that didn't happen. Issei moved faster than he could comprehend, the spear he threw was shattered, and Issei was now stood behind him with his hand held outwards in a knifehand chop. Issei lowered his arm and started walking away, leaving Donahseek confused, but when he tried to move, his head slowly fell from his shoulders, with his body falling soon afterwards. Issei took one last look at the dead Fallen and snapped his fingers, causing the body to ignite and burn to ashes that were blown away by the wind, leaving no trace of the Fallen Angel.
'Well, at least one good thing came of this.'
[What's that?]
'I know that Raynare wasn't really the leader of the Rogue group.'
{Yes... we've already established that Kokabiel is in charge of them}
'No, I mean in this town. There's no way Kokabiel would risk coming here yet, so I can only assume that he's placed another Fallen in charge of things here. I know it wasn't Dohnaseek either because he would have sent one of his grunts to do this sort of thing.'
{Ah, so you're saying that he put one of his subordinates in charge?}
'That's right. Above all else, Kokabiel values power, so there's no doubt in my mind that he placed a Fallen Angel with multiple pairs of wings in charge. It would also have to be someone who shares the same mindset as Kokabiel, so it's probably one of his personal lackeys.'
[But when you looked through the girls memories, there weren't any Fallen Angels that match that description.]
'That's right... hmm... Now that I think about it, one of her memories showed her being threatened by Dohnaseek. Raynare was probably forced to act as their leader so she could take the fall, while the real leader hid in the shadows.'
[It makes sense when you put it like that. So what's the plan?]
'For now, we play it by the ear. If I recall correctly, an exiled nun will be arriving here soon, so I want to wait until she gets here so I can draw out the real leader.'
{You're going to use her as bait?}
'No, I'm going to protect her. Raynare said that they were planning to extract her Sacred Gear. She's important to their plans, so if I take her somewhere safe then they will undoubtedly try and get her back. When the grunts fail, the stronger Fallen will be the one to fight.'
[That's... a really good plan]
'Always the tone of surprise. Anyway, when we find out who is in charge of the rogue group, we'll finally have the proof against Kokabiel.'
{You say that as if you know he'll speak. What makes you so sure that he'll reveal Kokabiel's plans?}
'If he doesn't speak, then he'll be tortured by someone in the Grigori.'
[I don't understand why Raynare's testimony wasn't enough.]
'Raynare had no real allegiance to any of the Cadre with the exception of Azazel. So anyone could easily refute her claims by simply saying she's pinning the blame on someone else to save her own hide. Of course, Azazel and I both know that Kokabiel is the rogue leader, but without irrefutable proof, he's free as a bird.'
{And capturing this Fallen Angel will prove that he's gone against Azazel's wishes, since the one in charge if the rogues is a strong supporter of Kokabiel.}
...
'Of course, Kurama. We still don't know for sure if there is in fact someone else in charge, but either way, that doesn't change the plan; I'll rescue the girl and draw the Fallen Angels out of their base along with the exorcists. Worst case scenario; we don't get any proof that Kokabiel went rogue, so it's not much of a loss.'
{We're back. Go eat some food, we'll talk more when you enter Yume-no-Ryoiki}
[I still think that name's stupid. And what about the design? If it were a necklace I wouldn't have a problem, but a pair of gold bracelets seems a little... feminine.]
'Why? The name fits it perfectly; "Realm of Dreams", and as for the design, well at least I can't choke to death in my sleep with a pair of bracelets. Besides, I quite like the design.'
[I guess you're right. Anyway, hurry up and eat so we can train some more!]
'Right!'
(Kuou Academy - Monday Afternoon)
Unlike most days, this one was particularly eventful for Issei, at least it was about to be. When he walked through the front gates earlier that morning, the looks he received were considerably different than the norm, probably because of the large hawk that was perched upon his shoulder. For some reason the other students seemed even more afraid of him, even the teachers were feeling uneasy in his presence. Of course Issei just ignored them all, only paying attention when he needed to, he spent most of his time tending to Taka, who was ecstatic to be spending more time with Issei.
Issei was now on his way to a place he had never set foot in before, a place that every student would avoid if they had the choice to; the cafeteria. There was a good reason as to why he was never seen there, and why no one wanted to be there; the food is terrible. But today was different, today, something bad was going to happen. As he walked through the large double doors, he took notice of the large crowd of students in the centre of the room, and a deep voice resonating from the middle and smirked slightly before heading off for his destination. Approaching the crowd, he was able to make out what the voice was saying "What you still got nothing to say, freak?" the insult was followed by an audible splat, like something was dropped, and a round of laughter.
Issei decided that enough was enough and pushed his way through the crowds. From the corner of his eye, he saw Sona and Tsubaki making their way towards the crowd, and sent Taka to stop them, bringing them great surprise. What shocked them even more was that the bird seemed to be shaking it's head, and when they looked in the direction she came from, they saw Issei looking at them while mimicking Taka's movements, so they stayed back.
As he reached the centre of the circle, he saw both Koneko, who was looking down at the box of food that was spilled at her feet. Opposite her was one of the most notorious bullies in the school, a tall boy, who was slim yet still muscular, with light blonde hair and grey eyes. He was wearing the Kuoh uniform but it was much different than everyone else's. His top three buttons were undone, revealing the dog tags that were hanging from his was also wearing a lime green jacket in place of the school issued one.
The surrounding students stepped back as they saw Issei approaching, though it seemed like the smirking bully still had no clue that the rumoured ex-con was stood right behind him. Koneko on the other hand, couldn't be more surprised. Though her face didn't show it, she was hurting badly. She was well aware that, even though she was seen as the school's mascot, there were more than a few people who disliked her, so it came as no surprise that nobody came to her aid when the boy started pushing her, but it still hurt. The surprise came from her saviour, or who it was.
She didn't expect anyone other than the Student Council to step in, since the other's in her club always went to the club room to eat. Even her greatest "fans" didn't have the guts to step up against Kuoh's number one bully, so the sight of an absolutely furious Issei striding up to her foe confused her. She stalked him home, followed his every move for over a week, and he even knew that she did it, yet he was stepping up to defend her.
"What do you think you're doing, Shirokawa?" Naoya Shirokawa, the second most feared boy in the school, second to Issei of course. When he heard the voice, Naoya jumped and turned slowly, but calmed down when he saw it was just Issei.
"Oh, it's just you. Stay out of it Convict, this has nothing to do with you." he said waving his hand dismissively. To the other students, it looked like he wasn't scared at all, but inside he was fearing for his life. After all, he was one of the students who saw Issei shirtless, and by extension the scars and the large muscles. As soon as he saw that, the rumours started to seem more like facts to him, and if so, he had just angered a murderer. But he did his best to not let Issei, or the other students see that side of him, especially not his entourage, which consisted of the two other feared bullies.
"I would appreciate it if you didn't call me that. Now I suggest you answer my question." Issei said in a tone that promised pain if he didn't comply. Naoya gulped, which went completely unnoticed by all except Koneko who had a full view of the man. Still keeping a brave face, he turned to Issei and growled at him
"Like I said, it's none of your business!" Issei's eyes constricted, eliciting a barely audible yelp from the blonde
"I beg to differ Shirokawa. You made it my business when you started to pick on a young girl who doesn't deserve it."
"What do you care? You're just a murderer! I bet you've done way worse things!" Koneko looked at Issei sadly when she saw the other students nodding along with the bully.
"I care because she's a kind girl who's done nothing to deserve such treatment from scum like you!"
"Scum!? Why you!" Naoya sent a swift punch at Issei, faster than any of the students could follow, any normal student that is. Issei moved his head to the right to dodge the punch, planted his left leg behind Naoya's and sent his entire forearm crashing into his chest, taking the bully down with ease and planted his knee on Naoya's chest, keeping him pinned to the ground "Who the hell do you think you are!?"
"Who me? Well I'll tell you. I'm the man that punched a guy so hard, he was shitting out teeth for a week. I'm the man that scared the living crap out of a biker gang just by looking at them. And I'm the man, if you're not careful boy, that's gonna rearrange your face that bad, you're parents are gonna be asking each other tonight. Why there's a pizza. At the letterbox. BEGGIN' TO GET IN!" Naoya was shivering in fear, even the people surrounding them were scared "Do you understand me?" he could only nod "Good. Now scram, before I tie you to a street light and tell Taka to pluck you're eyes out." Naoya did as he was told, he scrambled to his feet and ran away, taking his lackeys with him.
Issei stood and brushed himself off, only now noticing that there were still people staring at him, but they quickly dispersed when Issei growled at them. Koneko didn't know what to expect when Issei approached her. She may be a devil with incredible strength, but even she was slightly shaken by what happened. "Are you alright?" shock consumed her yet again. Not only did the last person who she would expect defend her, but said person was also concerned for her.
"...Thank you, Issei-sempai." she honestly didn't know what to feel. It was then she remembered why she went to the cafeteria and looked down at the ruined food sadly, not noticing that Issei was grabbing something from his bag. She looked back up when she saw Issei offering her a bento box and stared at him surprised "For me?"
"Yeah. I made an extra one today. Enjoy." when she took the box, Issei patted her head and left the cafeteria with Taka, leaving Koneko shocked with a heavy blush on her face. The Student Council were equally shocked, Rias had told Sona about her encounter with Issei, even telling her that he tricked her into telling him that Koneko followed him home. That was when she remembered what he said to her when he took his file back "I'm not one to let these sorts of things go" so why was he being so kind to her. Koneko was thinking the same thing, and so she followed him, hoping to get some answers, and to apologize.
By the time she left, Issei was sat at the base of a tree, happily digging in to his own bento box.
{So that's why you made the extra one.}
'Yep.'
[I must say, it was quite amusing. You never cease to amaze me, partner.]
'Why thank you Ddraig.'
...
'I know. I wasn't fully expecting her to follow me afterwards, but I didn't count out the possibility.'
"Issei-sempai." looking up, he saw Koneko holding the bento he gave her, with a heavy blush, though she looked almost ashamed of something, which was rare from the emotionless girl.
"Oh, Toujou-san. Is something wrong?"
"...I ...want to apologize. For following you home, and believing those horrible rumours."
"It's fine, Toujou-san. You only followed me under Red's orders. And it's my fault for not correcting the rumours"
"...Please, call me Koneko. ...Can I sit here?"
"Of course, Koneko-san." Issei expected her to sit on the ground next to him, and eat silently with him, but instead she decided to use him as a seat "Koneko-san... I thought you meant next to me, not on me."
"...Comfier than the floor." Issei shrugged and continued eating, which Koneko took as a sign to eat her own food, which she found surprisingly tasty. She hesitated before asking her next question, as if she were scared to hear the answer "...Why did you help? I thought you hated me?"
"What makes you think I hate you? On the contrary, you are actually one of the people I like most in this school. You were dubbed the school mascot, but you never let it go to your head or act entitled like the rest of your group does." she was about to speak in defence of her friends, but stopped when she realized that he was kind of right. Koneko hated being the centre of attention, whereas the other three seemed to relish in it.
"...I thought you hated me because I followed you." Issei looked at her sad expression and chuckled lightly
"Don't worry about it. I'm not that petty." she looked almost relieved until she realized something strange. Something that shouldn't have happened that day.
"...Issei-sempai. Why did you make an extra bento today? And if you had food, why did you go to the cafeteria?"
'She caught on quick.'
[What now?]
'I'll use it to my advantage.'
"You probably won't believe me. Then again, after all that stuff was said on Friday, you probably will. Sometimes, I have premonitions, or visions of something bad that's going to happen."
"Visions? You mean you can see the future?" Koneko was shocked beyond belief. What if this was the Sacred Gear that Rias sensed, and if so it means that he had already awakened it, exactly like Rias predicted.
"Not exactly. It's not definite, sometimes it's only a possible future; something bad that will happen if it's not stopped. I had a vision last night, and I saw what happened today, so I prepared an extra meal for you." Koneko found herself blushing yet again "You know... I had a bit of time to think about what Red said in the clubroom on Friday, and I'm actually starting to believe it. She said something about those gear things right? What if this power is one of them?"
"If you believe us, then won't you join Buchou's peerage?"
"No thanks."
"...Why not?"
"I don't want to get involved in a war. If I do join a side, then I will be put in unnecessary danger. Plus I would basically be giving away my freedom to a woman who's spoken to me once in my life."
"...I understand, and so does Buchou. ...Thanks for the food, by the way." Issei rubbed her head
"Don't mention it. Think of it as a "Thank You" for caring." Koneko tilted her head in confusion "The cemetery. I know you followed me there." Koneko looked down sadly
"...Sorry, Issei-sempai. You lost your parents when you were young, right?" Issei looked away sadly
"That's right... I was four when they died." Koneko was the first person he had ever discussed his parents deaths with, so he had no idea what her reaction would be like, needless to say, he was shocked when he felt a pair of tiny arms wrapping around his large frame.
"...Don't worry. If you want to talk about it, you can always come to the old school building."
"Thanks, but I'll be fine. You should hurry up and eat before the lunch is over."
"Yes, Issei-sempai." Koneko said before resuming her lunch, thoroughly enjoying the feeling of Issei's hand rubbing her head.
"Could you tell Red about this? Just let her know that I don't want to get involved with the supernatural." Koneko nodded, and the two remained in silence for the rest of the lunch period.
It was later on that day. Issei was on his way home late at night after testing whether or not the improvements made in his mind carried over to his real self. Fortunately, the bracelets were working fine, Issei felt faster and much stronger than he did before. It was at this time that Ddraig decided to speak up with his thoughts, as he didn't want to interrupt Issei's training.
[You know, I'm surprised that you were so nice today.]
'What? I'm emotionless, not heartless. I wasn't about to sit idly by and let her suffer. She got enough of that when she was hunted by the Devils for something she didn't do.'
{I agree with you there. They did it all under the delusion that one Nekoshou went insane from using Senjutsu, which might I add is impossible.}
'That's right. Kurama mentioned something like that.'
{Losing control is a minor possibility, but going completely insane is impossible}
'It wasn't Kuroka's fault either. She did what she had to to protect her family, anyone would've done the same were they in her place.'
[True that.]
Issei sighed, but before he could add anything, a bright blue flash obscured his vision, stopping him in his tracks, his eyes were glowing the same colour as the flash.
~Vision Start~
The vision took place in an old, run-down warehouse that looked to be abandoned. It was night-time, pitch black out. The only source of light was the full moon standing proudly in the centre of sky, it's pale light barely peeking through the holes in the ceiling. In the centre of the room, was Rias Gremory, tears flooding down her face while looking a little worse for wear. She was stood defensively in front of her servants, who were in a much worse state than she was.
Yumi was unconscious, with a large gash in her forehead, staining her blonde locks with her blood. Her left arm also appeared to be detached from her body leaving a bloody stump in it's place.
Koneko was stone-cold dead. Her head was barely attached to the rest of her body, and there was a large hole in her stomach.
Akeno was the least injured out of the three. She was missing both of her legs, which seemed to have been roughly torn off, and she was sitting in a puddle of blood, cradling Koneko's body as tears fell from her eyes.
Stood opposite the group, was the entire reason for Rias' defensive posture. A hulking figure, at least ten feet tall, with muscles the size of a freight train. A dishevelled mound of orange hair was plastered atop its head, his bottom half was covered with a pair of black pants that were close to tearing, and on his top half was a torn white shirt. The monster raised one of his large arms and brought it down on the teen Devils, completely crushing them.
~Vision End~
Issei gasped as the glow left his eyes. It was rare for him to see a vision so vivid, and so dangerous.
[Partner...]
{Another vision, right?}
'Yeah... Gremory and the others are going to die. The only problem is, I don't know when... Huh, I didn't notice there was a full moon today... FULL MOON!?' Issei's eyes widened in shock
"TAKA!" *whsttt~* Right on cue, the hawk landed swiftly on his shoulder "I need you to go and find Gremory for me. When you find her, come straight back here and report, alright?" Taka nodded, slightly surprised in the seriousness of her master's voice, but this only spurred her on, so she flew off as fast as she could in search of the red head.
*Brnnng~* *Brnnng~*
{A little late for your phone to go off isn't it?} Tenma spoke as Issei pulled out the offending item. Taking a look at the caller ID, it came as no surprise that Azazel was the one to call him.
'Maybe...' Issei clicked the answer button and held the phone to his ear "Hello?"
"Issei, we have a new job for you from Sirzechs. An extremely powerful Stray Devil is in your area, and the Maou want you to defeat it since you're the only one nearby."
"Details on the stray?"
"The Devil's name is Henry Jekyll, though apparently he prefers Edward Hyde. Former [Rook} of the house of Balam. Apparently, his master deemed him too dangerous and sealed away some of his powers, and so, Jekyll killed him and the rest of the peerage in a fit of rage. As of right now, he's ranked as an A-Class Stray Devil. The parents of Dorian Balam are taking it badly, so bad that they are willing to do anything to avenge their son."
"What do you mean 'anything'?"
"Sirzechs told me that they are offering their entire fortune, meaning their land, their funds and their possessions. All to you so you can kill the Stray."
"...No. I refuse to accept this payment"
"Issei!? You realise that you can't allow this Stray to run around and kill people, it's dangerous!"
"I said I refuse to accept the payment, not the job. Ask Sirzechs to pass on a message from Raven. "I know how hard it is, to deal with the loss of your loved ones, so I have rejected your offer. But fear not, I plan to eliminate the Stray Devil, without payment because of Dorian's early demise." that should do it. By the way, has Rias been informed of this?"
"Yes. She has been told to stay away and to make no attempt to apprehend the Stray. Sirzechs made sure of that himself."
"I'm afraid that the warning did no good."
"What do you mean?"
"I just had a vision. She and her entire peerage were all killed in battle against the Stray, and from the sounds of things, that future might not be too far away."
"Then you'd best hurry and find her before it's too late."
"It's fine, Taka's on her way back now with the location, so when I get there, I'll kill the stray and give her a good long lecture about not fucking up simple instructions."
"Hahaha, I wish I was there to enjoy it. Anyway, if It's alright with you, I want to speak with you personally after you take care of this. I wanted to discuss our little rogue problem."
"Will do Azazel. Speak to you soon." Issei hung up the phone, just in time for Taka's return. Issei donned his Raven persona and shot off for the warehouse after sending Taka home.
(Warehouse)
Rias POV
I'm an idiot. I should have listened to Onii-sama. Instead my foolish pride has gotten us all killed. The stray Devil was much stronger than any of us, we couldn't even put a dent in it. Yumi's barely conscious, Akeno can't stand, and my leg feels like it's been broken. Koneko looks the worst out of us all though, and from the looks of things, the stray is going to kill her... and we can't do a damn thing about it. Not even my magic works against it, all we can do... is lie here while Koneko is crushed, and wait for our turn.
...stupid...stupid...stupid... Here it comes, Koneko is going to die and it's all my fault. I... I can't watch this, the other two are also looking away, I guess they can't stand to see this either... That's odd, there should've been a loud bang or something.
"R-Rias. Look..." look? Look at what, Akeno? Against my better judgement, I looked to where I expected a dead body to be, but instead I saw a man in a dark blue body suit with black feathered wings blocking the giant arm with one hand! Is he a Fallen Angel? No, I can't sense any holy energy from him, and there's no way a Fallen would save a Devil.
Who is this man? Why did he save us? Most importantly, what is he? I can't feel any defining energy from him. He's not a Devil, there's no doubt there. And he isn't an Angel either. The only remaining option is Fallen, the wings fit, but again, there's no holy aura... but he could be hiding it. The others are no doubt thinking the same thing.
(A few moments earlier)
Normal POV
Raven arrived at the warehouse just in time. The girls were all injured in some way, though nothing fatal was inflicted. Opposite them, barely illuminated by the moonlight, was Jekyll with a maniacal grin plastered on his face. He stepped forward with his arm raised, and stopped in front of Koneko who was unable to move. The fist fell down towards the young Rook, who could only turn away, awaiting the blow that would end her life, the other Devils were much the same. The were all unable to reach her in time, so all they could do was avert their eyes so they wouldn't have to see their comrade crushed before them.
Raven saw this as his time to step in, and so he swiftly jumped from his spot and zipped in between Koneko and Jekyll, nonchalantly raising his own hand to block Jekyll's gargantuan fist, greatly shocking the peerage of Devils. But what surprised them even more was that the incapacitated Koneko started floating towards her master, underneath her were multiple gusts of wind, which seemed to be the reason for her movement, and they seemed to be coming from the Raven.
When he saw that the young rook had safely reached Rias, he turned to the stray and released a large blast of energy, launching the stray across the room "Henry Jekyll. Former [Rook] of Dorian Balam. You killed your master, and went on a rampage throughout the underworld and in the human world, thus the Maou sent me to take care of you. I hope you've gotten your affairs in order, because you have just incurred the wrath of the RAVEN!" as he said that, his wings spread wider than before, purple sparks could be seen flowing through the feathers.
The young Devils gasped in shock, whereas the stray reeled back in fear. The man stood before them, the one who saved Koneko's life, was THE Raven. The most feared mercenary in the supernatural world, and with good reason. Very few knew how to contact him, but they still knew who he was because of his record; over 100 A and S class Stray Devil kills, and an even larger number of lower classed strays. Those numbers earned him quite the reputation among the supernatural world, with everyone asking the same questions; just who is Raven, other than Azazel and Baraqiel, no one knew who Raven really is.
The Stray looked down at Raven fearlessly, not even flinching when he heard the name that haunts Stray Devils. This man was arrogant, he fully believed that his advantage in size guaranteed his victory against the mercenary, not to mention his considerable muscle mass thanks to the transformation, making him believe that he also surpassed Raven in strength, but he was wrong. So very wrong. "Hahaha! Bring it on bird brain! With this new body I can destroy anything, especially puny men like you! And for the record, the names Hyde. Edward Hyde. I despise the name given to me at birth, so I would appreciate it if you referred to your killer as such." Hyde, now standing tall, sent his fist towards Raven yet again, but to no avail. The hand was stopped once more, but this time, it was the claw that blocked it and pushed him back to the floor.
Raven pulled out the large Katana from the sheath on his back and pointed the blade downwards, placing his clawed hand over the top of the hilt. The stray looked confused, as did the Gremory peerage until he a booming voice called out "VIOLET THUNDER!" at Raven's call, a large flash erupted out of nowhere, and a purple stream of thunder crashed down on Hyde, earning a loud scream of pain from the Stray. He continued his onslaught, watching on as Hyde rolled on the floor, writhing and screaming in pain. Raven eventually relented on his assault, leaving Hyde a twitching mess, stuck in a daze on the floor. Raven approached him and stabbed the Katana through Hyde's chest, getting more pained screams from the Stray.
"M-Mercy... please?" the Stray was reduced to a bloody mess, all he could do was beg for his own life, the act only serving to enrage the man wielding the sword that is currently six inches deep inside Hyde's chest
"You dare beg for mercy. After all that you have done. A creature like you, one that has caused so much pain, one that killed a good man out of rage, just because he was protecting his servants from your power. Dorian's parents are in despair from the loss of their son, so much so that they were willing to give up everything they had to avenge him, and I plan to do just that." Raven stepped back from the Stray and stuck his palm in the air, calling down a powerful bolt of lightning, striking the sword that was still firmly planted in Hyde's chest, and completely decimating the monster.
With the stray taken care of, Raven made his way over to the Gremory peerage, who were still recovering from the display they had just witnessed. They all turned his way when he pointed his hands towards them, paying no mind to their confused expressions, and slowly surrounded them with the same gusts that carried Koneko to safety. They weren't sure why, but they felt like they could trust him, so they just sat calmly as the wind covered them and they were right to. Soon all of the injuries that the girls received were healed, it did nothing for their fatigue, but it helped immensely.
"Rias Gremory." the girl in question flinched at his harsh tone "What were you thinking!? Lucifer specifically told you NOT to come here, yet you did anyway, and in doing so, you nearly cost your servants their lives. Why did you ignore his orders!?" the red head looked down sadly
"I-I thought I could handle it. Plus, this is my territory, it's my duty to take care of any Strays in the area."
"This isn't your "Territory" girl. This is a human town, inhabited by humans. The Underworld has much more land than Earth does, so why don't you go down there and piss on a few trees if you wanna play territorial, and leave the Humans out of it." Rias smartly kept her mouth shut, not wanting to annoy the merc any further.
"Thank you for saving us." Yumi called out, stopping Raven from leaving the girls to their own devices
"Not a problem. Just make sure you talk the Terrier out of ignoring orders next time."
"How did you heal us?" Rias asked curiously, the others were looking equally interested, so Raven sighed and turned back to the group
"It's a spell of mine, called "Gust of Mending". The name is pretty self explanatory. Now if you don't mind, I would like to leave some time before dawn." Raven spread his wings and started to fly off, only to be stopped yet again by Rias
"WAIT!?" against his better judgement, Raven turned to face the heiress, somehow conveying an irritated expression through the mask.
"What now?" Rias smiled at him, her servants blinking in surprise at the question
"Will you join my peerage?" Rias had a confident smirk, firmly believing that no one could turn her down. After what happened with Issei, she had started to doubt her own abilities, but when Koneko told her about their interaction, she figured it was because he didn't want to be a part of the war. So when Raven replied, she was left shocked, even though it was one of the most powerful supernatural beings in the world
"No." short, and to the point. Raven then flew into the sky, ignoring the calls that followed, and disappeared in a portal that looked like a flat tornado. He reappeared in the apartment, shedding the suit that he was known for, and prepared for his meeting with Azazel.
DONE! Hope you all enjoyed this one. There are a few references in this chapter, so props to anyone who gets them. R&R! Shadow Out!