Author's Note - SORRY GUYS! I know I'm very, very, very late but I hope to write some more over the break. So, I hope you guys like this chapter. I also want some feedback on the spin off idea with Genji and Serafall. It'll had some crossovers to this story but set in probably Kyoto or Hanamura. It will have characters from this story as well as DxD in general so let me know what you guys think. I hope you guys like this chapter and I AM SORRY FOR BEING LATE. Thanks everyone ((((:

14

Shockingly, Ryusei got a lot of sleep that night. The second he got home, after explaining to his mother and father why he was gone for so long, he went straight to bed, ignoring the calls for dinner or to even shower. He escaped to his dreams, until Asia came into his room the next day to wake him up.

He got dressed for school, before heading downstairs to eat breakfast. As much as he wanted to forget what happened, it happened. Kuoh experienced a terrorist attack for the first time ever, there was no coming back from that. Things are going to change, and he knew that. He knew that he'd changed. Somehow, this experience gave Ryusei clarity. He realized what he had to do. This crusade, he had originally sought to do it to commemorate Kaito, to honor him. To honor the fallen angel, who guided him and mentored him, but he realized it was more than that. He truly wanted to save this city, more than anything.

"Ryu," Issei said, finishing his food at the table. Asia and his mother were in the kitchen, doing the dishes. At the table were Ryusei, Iseei, and their father, who was quietly reading the newspaper. "are you sure you're okay?"

"Yes, I'm fine brother." Ryusei smiled. "Dad, class visitation day is coming up pretty soon. Will you and mom be coming?"

"Of course we are!" His father slammed the paper onto the table. "You think I'm going to miss an opportunity to embarrass you two in front of the whole school? You're out of your minds."

Suddenly, Issei broke into laughter, and it infected Ryusei and their father. Calming down, Ryusei and Issei placed their dishes on the counter for their mother, before grabbing their bags. "We're heading out. See you after school!" Issei said.

"Have a safe trip," their mother said. "Be careful you three. Watch out for poor Asia."

"Yes mother," Ryusei smiled, before walking out.

The three of them walked to school in peaceful quietness. It was still pretty early. Around this time was when the clubs held early morning practice, so the three decided to pay Rias and the O.R.C a visit. Slowly, Ryusei could see the bond between Issei and Rias being reforged. The trust was coming back, and he couldn't be happier for them.

However, along the way to school, Ryusei saw a familiar face. "Hey," He said to his brother and Asia. "Why don't you two go on without me. I'll see you guys at school."

"You sure?" Issei asked. "What's up?'

Ryusei smirked. "Just gonna chat with someone I haven't seen in awhile. Go, I'll see you both later."

"All right," They parted ways, and Ryusei walked down to the commercial area down the road.

"What are you doing here?" Ryusei asked a figure standing in front of him.

It was a girl dressed in a pink dress, with a purple cloak covering her body and a large matching hat and sunglasses. She had long blonde hair tied into drills and carried a basket of food: apples, meat, pineapples, etc. She froze when she heard Ryusei's voice. "Y-You're…Hyoudou Ryusei."

Ravel Phoenix. She was wearing a disguise, but it was definitely her. She cleared her throat. "What brings you here?" She asked.

"I live here," Ryusei smirked. "What's your excuse?"

She fumbled and flushed. "I-I was just buying some stuff for my brother later. He's been really down since he lost to you."

"Ehhh," Ryusei laughed. "Is he really upset? I didn't think he really cared."

"His pride is worth more than you'd know." Ravel smiled sadly.

Ryusei laughed. "Tell your brother I'm always free for a challenge, if he wants to prove himself again."

Ravel grabbed some more ingredients, this time some olive oil and some more apples. She sighed before facing Ryusei. "I'm afraid I must go. Brother is expecting me soon and I can't upset him."

"Riser?" Ryusei asked.

Ravel smirked. "No, not Riser." Was all she said before she vanished in a puff of flames, leaving behind a feather of white and red. Ryusei picked up the feather, before taking off for school.

He jumped over the gate just as it closed, quietly strolling towards the O.R.C clubroom. It was strange how quiet and clean the room was. A dark and dimly lit space with a set of couches facing each other, with a large coffee table slapped right in the middle. However, strangely, this time was different. Sitting to one side of the couches were Rias and her entire peerage, including Issei and Asia. They were stern and serious, facing a pair of quiet and ominous individuals. They both wore matching white robes, with a crucifix on their chests and hoods covering their faces. However, basing from the large cross shaped object beside one of them, Ryusei figured they weren't friendly.

"Uh…did I interrupt something?" He asked, awkwardly closing the double doors behind him. He felt a strange wind, as if a fight was about to ensue. Exorcists. A voice said in his head. Be careful kid.

Ryusei recognized the voice, it was Akiva. Ever since the Dragon showed Ryusei those visions, the twins have been speaking to him often in his dreams. Telling him of the past or about their past owners, whatever it was, Ryusei was intrigued.

He faced the pair with his guard fully up. Exorcists. Ryusei knew of their kind well. The Old Man Valper had dozens of exorcists at his disposal, fighting them was no joke. Skilled in virtually every weapon, they were hard to fight let alone kill. Ryusei feared the moment he had to fight exorcists once again.

"Ryusei," Rias said. "I'm glad you could make it. Allow me to introduce exorcists from the Holy Church."

One of them stood up and faced Ryusei. It was a girl, he could see through the darkness of her hood. A girl of teenage years with short, bright blue hair with few strands of green. Her eyes were deadly serious, as if she could kill him with a look. She extended her hand. "I am Xenovia, it's a pleasure to meet you, Hyoudou Ryusei, angel of Heaven."

Ryusei raised an eyebrow, shaking her hand. "Y-You know I'm an Angel? Rias…"

"I didn't tell them," Rias shrugged.

Ryusei was even further guarded. That confirmed his theory. The Holy Church's information network was greater than he remembered. He has only been an Angel for about three weeks, and yet the Church already has knowledge of him. It made him wonder what else they, and how much they know.

Suddenly, shaken from his thoughts, Ryusei watched as the second Exorcist stood from their seat and run past him. The wind blew off their hood, revealing the face of a beautiful girl. She had long chestnut hair tied into two tails, and dark violet hair. Ryusei felt tears hit his face as she ran past him. He didn't know who she was at first…but it slowly came to him.

"I-Irina?"

…

Satoshi sat on the couch of his home, watching television as his wife, Kairi, was out in the backyard doing the laundry. Usually Asia-Chan would help her, but since she was still at school, Kairi does it by herself. Satoshi offered to help, but he always got a resounding "NO".

He flipped through the channels before arriving on the news. He turned the volume up and listened. "Late last night, reports came in that there was screaming coming from Chrome Tower. Police arrived to find the Treasurer and Chief of Security dead, with arrows in their hearts. Investigators suspect that the so called "Arrow" is responsible. However followers of the vigilante argue that the Arrow only hunts corrupted politicians and businessmen. The evidence says other wise. We will keep you updated with everything. Stay tuned."

Satoshi turned off the television. He crossed his legs and leaned back, pondering on the idea. Could it really be true? Has the vigilante really gone rogue? Better question. Has Ryusei stooped to killing innocent people? Chrome Industries manufactured weapons to the police forces all over the world. Perhaps they did go corrupt, or maybe some things were beginning to happen.

"It's not him," A voice said. Suddenly, a gust of wind manifested Ashikage Genji. The boy was dressed for combat, wearing dark clothes and even a hood covering his face, which he pulled down. His hair was tied back into a tail, but his smile was contagious. "You know that it's not the Arrow, don't you?"

"What proof have you that it isn't him?" Satoshi asked.

Genji dropped an arrow onto the table. It was a black, rusted metal arrow with a double edged arrowhead. It was an assassin's arrow, Satoshi could tell. It was laced a magic poison, a deadly one that cannot be cured. This wasn't Ryusei's arrow, it couldn't be.

"The copycat aimed right for their hearts, going for a kill shot before the poor saps knew what hit 'em." Genji sighed. "Whoever did this, this copycat, is a cold and calculating bastard who doesn't care who he kills as long as his target is dead."

"And you managed to retrieve this arrow, how?" Satoshi asked, picking it up for further examination. "It's rusted, pretty old. But the blade is still sharp. Weighted perfectly, this was definitely custom made."

"That's what I thought too," Genji said.

"Do you think the League is behind this? This does seem like a weapon they would use." Satoshi asked.

"The League of Shadows," Genji sighed. "I do not think this is their doing. The Demon's Head is not one to target people of non-importance. Besides, it is yet to be clear what it is this copycat stole from the Tower."

"He stole something?" Satoshi asked.

"You don't infiltrate one of the heads of technology in the country only to kill the treasurer and chief of security. He stole something, I'll find out what." Genji stood up and stretched his arms. "Y'know, Satoshi, you should really tell your kids what you've been doing. Lying to them is never good, especially about Lian-Yu."

"Good-bye, Genji." Satoshi set his glass down on the table, and the boy vanished into thin air. "Lian-Yu…I hope you can forgive me, Ryusei."

…

"Rias, am I needed here?" Ryusei asked.

The scarlet haired devil shook her head. "Go."

Ryusei nodded and took off to find Irina. Was it really her? It all happened so fast. He had completely forgotten about Irina since coming back. He never considered her reaction, how she would feel about him coming back from the dead. She must have been hurting just as much as Issei or his parents did. He's such an idiot, to never have told her.

After canvasing the entire school, he found Irina on the roof of the school. She was facing the railing, looking out into the city. The roof was always his favorite place in school. Rather then being enclosed in classrooms, he preferred the freedom of being in open spaces. Plus, up here, he could see the city as a whole. And now, after going through a devastating event like the one from last night, the city he loved was rebuilding. One thing was for sure, he wasn't going to let this happen again.

"H..How long have you been back?" Irina asked, without turning around to face him.

Ryusei began to walk towards her. "About a month. I'm still getting used to things. Did you know they have iPhones now?"

A smile almost tugged at her lips when he stood next to her, but it was quickly washed away by tears. "I thought you were dead. I thought you died on that ship. I knew I shouldn't have left. I begged father to let me stay, but…"

"You had to become an exorcist." Ryusei said. "I know. Besides, what you're doing now, it's a lot commendable then my crusade. Ever since I came back, I've had this sense of justice and duty, and yet I've neglected the things that really matter to me. Family, friends, loved ones, I haven't once thought about them the way I used to. In my mind, it is either survive no matter what, or die."

Irina looked at him with a dazed look. "Five years. Five years on an island. I cannot begin to imagine what it was like."

Ryusei took in a deep breath. "It was hard, and cold. The first few nights, I thought was I going to die. But, I realized that I wanted to come back. To see my family, to see my friends, to see you. But…things happened. I'm not the same kid you remember, Irina. I'm not the boy who was scared of the world. Now I am someone who the world should be scared of. A lot has changed me on the island, I cannot expect you to understand."

Irina wiped away her tears. "It's okay. I'm just happy you are home."

"Hey!" They both turned to see Issei, out of breath and panting. "I found you. Are you guys okay?"

"Why wouldn't we be?" Irina asked. She pulled Issei towards the two of them and gave them a bear hug. "Oh man I missed this. The three of us, back together again. United we stand fellas." Irina laughed.

Issei and Ryusei laughed with her. Indeed Ryusei felt at peace. Growing up, Irina was his bestfriend, besides his brother of course. She was always there for him, consoling him when he was confused or just playing with him when he was alone.

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Issei said. "Ryu, did you hear what happened last night? At Chrome Tower?"

"N-No, what happened?"

…

Lian-Yu, Five Years Ago

Ryusei was on his last leg. He's calculated every possible escape route in his head, over and over again, but none of them were working. He was beginning to lose hope. "give up kid. I don't wanna kill you, it goes against my honor."

"I…I can do this all day." Ryusei smirked.

The man sat across from Ryusei in a stool. He was still clad in armor and weapons, but now it was just a tight black shirt and several knives on his thigh. He tossed a combat knife up and caught it every few seconds. "I admire you kid. Your heart and determination are very rare in this world. Hell, if none of this happened, you might have had a bright future ahead of you."

He got up and traced a circle around Ryusei's heart. "Tell me where he is, and I will end it quickly. You will not feel a thing. You will leave this world, without feeling pain."

It sounded tempting. It sounded so tempting. It hurt. Everything hurt so bad that Ryusei just wanted it all to end already.

"H…His name…." Ryusei licked his lips. "His name is…"

The sound of an arrow stopped him from saying anything. Before Ryusei could comprehend what happened, an arrow was lodged in the man's hands. "This arrow…" The man did not even flinch. It was like pain did not even faze him. "Raziel. My old friend."

The tent's flaps flew open. Coming through was Kaito. His shirt was torn and he was injured, yet he stood tall with pride. Ryusei was more than happy to see him, but in his heart he knew that there was nothing Kaito could do. He was a fallen angel with no wings, he as good as human.

"Ezekiel," Kaito said, with pity in his eyes. "Brother…do no do this."

"We were once brothers," Ezekiel said, pulling out the arrow. "The centuries we spent protecting these humans. The countless days we spent in the Garrison. It was you, who convinced me to join Lucifer in his ridiculous crusade. Now…Father is dead, Micheal is in charge, and those of us who made a mistake cannot even set foot in our home. You are no brother of mine."

"Please…" Raziel said. "Let the boy go. He has nothing to do this, none of them do. Protecting them was our mission, and it still is. Let them go, brother. I know you are still in there. We lived together, we played together, we fought together. Do you remember none of that!"

"I'm sorry, Raziel," Ezekiel stabbed the knife into Ryusei's stomach. He winced and prepared for the incision, but it never came. Ryusei opened his eyes to see the knife just inches away from his stomach. "Raziel!"

Kaito was holding his hand forward, stopping Ezekiel from doing anything. With a flick of his hand, the man was flung across the tent and outside. Ryusei could see chaos outside. Jin. He must be outside causing a distraction for Kaito.

Ryusei's restraints blew open and he fell to his knees. "Ryu!" Kaito dropped to his knees and helped the boy up. "Hold on, I'll heal you."

"Y-Your wings. I thought…" Kaito pressed two fingers onto Ryusei's forehead, and his injuries immediately healed. Everything from the bruises to the cuts to the broken ribs were all healed.

"Don't worry, it's worth it." Raziel pulled out a metallic silver blade about the size of Ryusei's forearm. "Take it. It's an Angel Blade."

Kaito helped Ryusei to his feet. The two made their way outside. Ryusei was in awe of the chaos outside. Multiple tents were on fire. There were soldiers running about confused and dazed. At the far end of the camp, there was a massive gate. "That's the portal to Purgatory. If he opens it, it'll be Hell on Earth." Kaito explained.

"Where is Jin?" Ryusei asked.

"The three of them are causing mass panic here." Kaito smirked. "C'mon, we have to go."

…

While Rias, Akeno, Sona, and Tsubaki had to return to the Underworld to convene with the other Devil Kings, everyone else remained in the Occult Research Clubroom. Ryusei, Issei, Irina, Xenovia, Asia, Saji, Kiba, and Koneko remained in silence. "A copycat? You're kidding me." Saji said. "He's been back for a month and there's a copy cat?"

"We have way too much on our hands right now to worry about this copy cat." Xenovia said. "With the pieces of Excalibur out in the open, not to mention a full blown terrorist out for Hyoudou Ryusei, I think this copy cat can wait."

"I agree," Ryusei said. He was leaning by the window of the club room. He stood up and walked for the door. "For now, let's just all go home and get our heads straight. I'll go out tonight and see what I can dig up on the streets. Xenovia, Irina, keep us posted on the Excalibur pieces. I'm sure Rias and Sona are discussing about this with the Devil Kings. Dulio and Griselda are talking with Lord Micheal and Lady Gabriel. Let's just all go home. It's been one hell of a day."

And so it has. Ryusei needed to keep in mind that nothing will ever be the same. He, Issei, Asia, and Irina all walked home together. "Why are you coming with us?" Issei asked. "Don't have a place to stay?"

"Of course we do!" Irina pouted. "We rented a very nice hotel room downtown. I just wanted to see the old house. It's been a long time."

"Plus I could use some help moving some stuff around." Ryusei said.

"You're moving out?" Issei asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, just moving anything supernatural into a different location. Can't have a secret base out of my bedroom, can I?" Ryusei laughed. "Speaking of which," He pulled out a slip of paper and gave it to Irina. "Can you go to this location and set up a few Talismen? It'll be a lot quicker to move from space to space."

"Space Magic?" Irina asked. "Where did you learn this?"

"I had a teacher on Lian-Yu. He taught me a few things." Ryusei said, ruffling Irina's head. "I promise, you'll get to see my parents later, but this first okay?"

Irina sighed. "All right. I'll see you guys later then."

They waved good-bye as she jumped and raced to the warehouse district. Issei bumped his elbow. "What's your plan tonight?"

Asia looked to him. "We can't forget about Jack. The Ripper will definitely be causing more havoc and chaos again."

"I know Asia." Ryusei with a serious determination. "I know."