Hyoudou-san? Helloooo, Hyoudou-san? Hm, strange. Where is he? He's usually here when doing the opening bit.

...sick at home?

Hm, maybe. There is that terrible flu going around the world right now. I really wouldn't want to catch it myself eit-wait, can Hyoudou-san even get sick with this Heaven's Feel thing?

Dunno.

...might be worth asking next time we see him. Well, at any rate, instead of having you all listen to a brief recap of what has been happening or give you all the abridged version, let's start the chapter.

Good luck, Hentai-senpai.

High School DxD x Fate/stay night Crossover:

Fate/stay night:
The Dragon of the Seventh Heaven

Night 9: A Dragon in Kyoto

Were it not for the fact that the Kiryu family had an entire hotsprings inn all to themselves, reasons being that the inn was in a lesser-known part of town and just happened to be part of a certain someone's territory in that particular part of town, the other guests would have cried out in shock as the hallways became shredded paper and splinters and the rooms demolished. It was also by astronomical luck that the Kiryu family themselves were nowhere near the center of that carnage and were instead sleeping blissfully away in another part of the inn, dead to the world and clocked out six ways from sunday. Not even the sound of a demented monster rampaging inside the inn woke them up.

As for a panicking Issei Hyoudou and a stark naked Aika Kiryu, they were fearing for their lives.

"Ohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshitohshit!"

"Run! Just keep running!"

"Come back here, ya little shits!"

Issei wondered if he pissed off a god or deity in his past life for this to happen to him. It was bad enough that a bunch of Fallen Angels wanted to kill him for some asinine reason or another, worse yet when he actually did die and come back to life, but what were the odds that he did something to piss off the youkai in Kyoto? Actually, what the hell did he do? He racked his brain for an answer, and yet somehow, it came up blank. The only thing he could think of was that it had something to do with what that Tengu said and Tamamo, but he couldn't be sure.

Every ounce of his being was determined to get out of this mess alive, along with Aika.

"Why is that thing chasing us?!" Aika demanded hysterically. "Is this your fault, Hyoudou?!"

"How should I know?!" he snapped. "And shut up and run, woman! Unless you want to-HOLY SHIT!"

An iron club nearly came down upon him, barely missing by a hair's width. He felt the wind generated by the swing against his back, and the shockwave that followed after the swing. Both Issei and Aika found themselves being thrown into the air. They had just reached the bend in the hallway and would have made a turn to avoid the oni chasing them, but now they were thrown out into the streets, smashing through a paper window. The brown-haired boy's face paled when he was greeted with a four-story drop below him, concrete waiting down below.

"Son of a biiiiiiIIIIIIIIITCH!"

Aika screamed as they fell, flailing about like a fish. Issei's mind raced for an escape route - any escape route that could save them. Assuming what happened to him when Freed shot him was not a one-time thing, he could come back. Aika couldn't. And he still had no idea how he was even supposed to use this damned Heaven's Feel! As they drew closer, he saw something slowly making its way toward their landing destination and praised whatever god was giving him a break. He snatched Aika's hand, the girl still, flailing, and pulled her into his arms.

Seconds later, the two crashed atop a wooden cart that happened to be right underneath them as they fail. Its contents, green leafy balls, managed to soften their landing. In the process, however, they were crushed and utterly obliterated in the process. The cart also snapped in two from the sudden collision, sitting in halves and housing the ruined vegetables and the two teens, currently groaning and dazed from the fall.

Issei swore he heard somebody cry out "My cabbages!" in despair, but he ignored that. Instead, he focused on what was important. He and Aika were alive.

"H-hey, Aika. Are you-"

His mouth went dry as he looked down and was promptly reminded that Aika was completely and utterly nude. More than that, her body was pressed against his and still wet from the hotspring. He could feel the fresh drops of water soak into his clothes, making him painfully aware of the soft, fleshy orbs being squished against his chest and her knee against a very specific part of his lower body. Her hair was still wet, clinging to her skin and somehow making her look more attractive than she had any right to be. He also became aware of how utterly sexy she looked without her glasses.

'...her breasts are bigger than they look.' a quiet part of his mind said in perversion. His lower half agreed.

Were it not for the fact that they were out in public, and in the middle of danger, Issei was sure he would feel aroused like nothing before.

He was thankful that Tamamo wasn't here to see this, otherwise he was certain he'd either be dead for daring to cheat on her with AIKA KIRYU of all people or he would never have any children. Or maybe she'd just make it clear that she was the only woman for him and make aggressive love. He sorely hoped for that last one, even though they had actually yet to do the do.

"My everything hurts..." Aika moaned in pain. "What happened? Did we-" Her words caught her in throat as she soon realized their compromising position. Her cheeks began to turn a whole new shade of red, especially when she noticed how close they were. She was pleasantly surprised how long his eyelashes were. "...um, okay. I know we're both perverts of the highest order, but ah...i-isn't this kind, of you know?"

"...yeah?"

Was it his imagination, or did her lips look so kissable right about now? They looked so inviting, so perfect and-

'No! Wait! Stop! Hold it! Time out! Begone, evil thoughts!' Issei's sanity roared with a vengeance. 'We are NOT thinking about kissing Aika! That is in violation of Issei Hyoudou's Standards and Moral Codes, Section 127, Article 9, Paragraph 3! FOCUS LIBIDO!'

Thankfully, or unfortunately depending on how you looked at it, the atmosphere was short lived and the two were reminded they were still being chased. They heard the sound of wood being obliterated as a shadow fell over them. They looked above and screamed, scrambling out of the cart and running as fast as possible. Not a second later did the oni come crashing down to street level, obliterating the cart and its contents further. Issei dared to look behind him and saw the oni rise up to full height, searching the crowd of shocked pedestrians before zeroing in on its prey.

"You ain't getting away, asshole!" the oni bellowed.

'What the hell is wrong with him?!' Issei wanted to scream. 'I thought anything and everything were supposed to keep themselves a secret from ordinary people, yet this guy is running up at us in broad daylight in a crowded street!'

It didn't make any sense. He thought the supernatural world was kept secret from the normal one! Yet the Oni was willing to move actively at a time and place like this?! Either he knew less about the supernatural world than he thought, or the Oni was an idiot. He had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter.

The oni's questionable intelligence aside, now was hardly the time to be idle. He pulled Aika with him as they ran, ducking into an alley. Behind him, he heard the sound of the oni's furious roars and the ground quaking with each step as it gave chase. He had no idea where the alleyway would bring him or if it was leading him to a dead-end, the panic filling his mind fueling his own adrenaline. His body was still burning in pain from the collision with the cart and the cabbages, even if the items in question broke their fall. He needed to stop and take a rest before he burned himself out.

"Ow! Shit!"

Issei looked over his shoulder. "You alright?!"

"I-I sliced my foot on something!" Aika winced. Bloody footprints followed behind her with each step.

That didn't surprise Issei, The alley hardly looked sanitary in the least. While it wasn't grimy and filled with muck and dirt, shards of broken glass were scattered about alongside pieces of discarded garbage, ruined articles of clothing, and things that were better off not being described. Hopefully once they lost the oni, he could give Aika proper medical attention, though this brought about a new problem - if Aika was running around with a bloody foot, the oni could follow them.

'Oh, this is going to suck, isn't it?' he mentally groaned.

A bend came into view. Issei and Aika dashed further into the alley. Using this brief moment, Issei picked Aika up and threw her onto his back. "E-eh? Whoa, wait, hang on, Hyoudou, what're you-?!"

"Just shut up and trust me!" Issei snapped at his fellow pervert before he took off in a full-powered sprint. As slender and thin as Aika was, what little weight she had began to settle in his body. His body ached in protest, demanding he put her down and rest.

The oni had other ideas. It quickly caught up with them, smashing into the wall as it skidded to a stop. "There you are!" With a gleeful cackle, it began to charge at them, wildly swinging its club around in anticipation of smashing them into blood paste on the ground. Each swing struck the walls of the alley, either creating small craters or indentures, or just outright smashing a hole through the walls in the process. "Come here, you phony bastard! I'll grind your bones into dust!"

"What the hell did I ever do to you?!" Issei shouted in dismay. The oni gave no response. "Ugh, this sucks! This totally freaking sucks!" How come he was always the one to get into these sorts of messes?! Was he going to be one of those wimpy protagonists in anime that had to be rescued all the time by hot babes?! As much as he appreciated the female body, he still had his pride dammit!

Open street laid in open view of the alley's mouth. He was rapidly approaching the exit, but the oni was proving to be even faster. By the time he did get out of the alley, the oni will have caught up to him and brought its club down on them both.

'It's one thing if I die, but it's a whole other thing if Kiryu dies too!' Issei's mind scrambled for answers. Something, anything to save the girl on his back. But there was nothing around him that looked as though it could slow the oni down. And even if there was anything, would he even have the time to grab it and throw it, hoping it'd smash into his eye before it could reduce him to a broken mess?

Something came into view. A small figure stood at the mouth of the alley. He couldn't see them clearly from where he was, but Issei could tell it was a child. His blood ran cold. "H-hey! You need to get out of here! This thing will-!"

The child moved its arm. Something shot past his face, so fast he couldn't see it. A moment later, he heard an explosion directly behind him, drowning out the oni's screams. Stunned, he momentarily stopped and turned, staring at the oni in shock as it clutched its now bleeding black face, flailing about like a child throwing a tantrum.

Aika gaped. "W-what in the-"

"Hey!" the child called out. "This way! Hurry!"

Issei was not about to question who the child was or why they saved them. Instead, he took off in a run and quickly followed after them as they fled the mouth of the alley and left the screaming oni behind. Once more, the perverse teen was back out into a crowded street and chasing after a small child, cutting through the crowds of people and towards an unknown destination. Some people stopped and gaped at him, no doubt because he was carrying a naked woman on his back, but they weren't his concern.

That said, he did hope he wouldn't see any videos being posted online about some kid carrying a naked girl on his back, running through the streets of Kyoto.

"Haa... Haa... Haa..."

Issei finally allowed his body to rest. His chest rose and fell rapidly while he sucked in huge gulps of air, sitting on the ground with his back pressed up against the wall behind him. He, Aika and the child who saved them were in another alley, albeit smaller and with a dead-end in the form of a brick wall towards his right. If anything, the alley was little more than a back entrance to the building he was leaning up against.

"We...finally got away..." Issei panted, swallowing the lump in his throat before he looked at Aika. The poor girl was shivering, seeing as how the only article of clothing she now had on was his jacket. "How's...how's your foot...?"

"Stinging like a bitch," Aika hissed. She tried touching the bleeding cut on her heel, but immediately pulled back when it flared in pain as if in protest. "I don't think it's too deep, though. A-anyways, what the hell was that back there? Why was a honest-to-god oni chasing after us?!" Her eyes narrowed at him. "Is this because of you, Hyoudou?"

"Wha-why're you blaming me?!"

"Oh, I dunno. How about the fact that it was asking us if one of us just so happened to have revived Tamamo-no-fucking-Mae?!"

He cringed. Okay, when she put it like that...

At any rate, though, it seemed like they were in the clear. Issei shook his in relief before he turned to the child responsible for saving them. "So, um... Thanks for saving-"

He stopped and stared. Aika promptly did the same before she started to gush.

If Issei were describe the child in a word, it would be "adorable."

It was a young girl, seeming to be in her early trans, if not not approaching them. Her hair was as golden as the gleaming sunlight and tied up. She wore an ornate white kimono that one would expect nobility would wear. But the most prominent features of all were the fox-like ears on her head and the swishing golden tail her.

If it weren't for the hair color, he would've mistaken her for a child Tamamo.

It took everything in Issei's power to not rush up to the girl and envelop her in a bone-crushing hug. Aika was visibly trembling and desperately holding off the urge herself.

"Whew..." the fox girl breathed a sigh as she dusted off her clothes. "Kunou is very sorry about that. Kunou didn't think she'd have to go up and find you herself!" She puffed her cheeks and put her hands on her hips. She looked annoyed, but to Issei and Aika, she only became a thousand times more adorable and sweet. "Why are you humans so much trouble?!"

'Oh my god, she speaks in third person. I am going to die of sugar and spice!' Issei gushed in his head.

Aika was the first to snap out of her stupor. "Um, sorry, but who are you?"

"Kunou," the fox girl introduced herself politely. "She is here to greet Hyoudou, Issei-sama to Kyoto to meet with Okaa-sama and Amaterasu-sama."

Issei blinked. "Okaa-sama?" His first thought went to this Yasaka woman that was mentioned by the Tengu that carted him off in the first place. When that train of thought crossed his mind, he couldn't help but feel indignant and angry. Would it kill these people to just send a messenger to his front door and instead of kidnapping him out in the middle of a grocery run, and in broad daylight no less? How hard was it to act so civil? He was about to voice his protest, telling her that if this Yasaka woman wanted to meet him and Tamamo so badly, she could come down to meet with him herself instead of kidnapping him and bringing him over to her.

The only thing that stopped him from making such rude remarks was what Kunou said at the end. One that gave him plenty of reason to pause, as had Aika who looked gobsmacked.

"...I'm sorry. Did you just say Amaterasu wants to meet with me?" he asked. Kunou nodded. "As in, the Amaterasu-sama? Amaterasu-no-Ookami-sama? Goddess of the Sun and all that?"

Kunou nodded again. "Yes, that is correct. She wishes to speak with you, in regards to the supposed revival of Tamamo-no-Mae-sama." The fox girl stared at Issei curiously. "If Kunou might ask...is it true you revived Tamamo-no-Mae-sama? She means no offense, but you don't look like much."

Issei didn't hear her jab. He was too busy dying on the inside.

Was it too late to return to a normal life...?

"LET GO OF ME THIS INSTANT! UNHAND ME!"

"T-Tamamo-san, please calm down!"

Rias ducked underneath a flying object that would have taken her head off. Impressively, said object became lodged in the wall behind her. She glanced at the object warily, wondering if it would smack into her, before she turned back to the rather impressive sight of the tiny white monstrosity that could kill them all single-handedly holding back a very angry and very panicked Tamamo-no-Mae with little more than ordinary robe. She would have found the sight otherwise cute and adorable, were she not aware of what that thing actually was. Even now, she still felt her instincts screaming at her to escape and flee from this place at once and put as much distance between her and that thing as possible.

"Calm down, Tamamo." Jeanne advised calmly. "Simply rushing out blindly and going on a rampage in Kyoto isn't going to help us. Also, where would we even look?"

"WHO CARES?!" Tamamo screeched. "MY HUBBY IS IN DANGER! NOW LET ME GO DAMMIT! I HAVE TENGUS TO ROAST AND A CITY TO BURN!"

"That's precisely why we can't let you run about." Jeanne sighed deeply while rubbing her temples. Rias felt sorry for the poor holy woman. She imagined trying to restrain someone like Tamamo-no-Mae was a task in of itself. "Lady Rias, can you think of any reason why the Youkai Faction would abduct Issei so brazenly, and in broad daylight no less?"

Rias pursed her lips. "To be truthful, Sona and I thought this might happen eventually. I just didn't think it would occur this quickly, all things considered." Tamamo actually ceased her struggles, if only just to listen to Rias' explanation. "Surely, you must have known this would happen, Tamamo-sama. Whether you realize it or not, you are one of the most important figures in the Youkai Faction, politically and historically speaking. Chosen by Amaterasu-sama herself, no less."

"Chosen, she says..." Tamamo muttered beneath her breath. She would have laughed at the irony of such a statement were it not for the current situation.

Not hearing the Heroic Spirit, Rias continued. "News about your revival would have reached many ears sooner or later. Sona and I were fully expecting to hear from them or receive a guest." The red-head frowned. "We weren't expecting them to outright kidnap Ise, though. That is unusually bold, even for them. Not to mention outlandish, considering the current state of things. Yasaka Tamamo would not risk an incident with Devil kind, not when the Youkai Faction agreed to a partnership with House Gremory and Sitri."

"So, either something has changed or there is another faction in Kyoto at work..." Jeanne folded her arms. "But who could it be?"

"Of that, I have no idea. For now, we-"

Rias' words of caution, little good they were to Tamamo when she resumed her struggles upon hearing Jeanne's possibility of her beloved being kidnapped by another person, were abruptly cut-off by the sound of a phone ringing. More specifically, the house phone located near the entrance. "I-I'll get it," Asia said meekly, desperate to get away from any impending violence that Tamamo might inflict upon her release. She strode over to the phone and picked it up. "H-hello, Hyoudou Residence... Aah, Ise-san!"

"What?!" Rias yelped when she found herself being rudely shoved aside, nearly falling to the ground. Tamamo somehow managed to free herself from her bindings and raced over to the phone, snatching it away from Asia's hands and pressing the phone up against her ear. "Darling, are you alright?! You're not harmed, are you?! Sit still, I'm come get you and burn all of Kyoto to the ground!"

"Um, please don't..." Issei quietly begged her on the other end of the phone. "I'm fine, really. I'm with Aika and Yasaka-san's daughter in a sushi shop."

"Sushi shop?" Tamamo blinked. "Come again?"

Issei sighed as he ran a hand through his brown locks. "It's kind of a long story."

He glanced behind him, seeing a now fully-clothed Aika and a cheery Kunou sitting at a counter table while eating a plate of sushi. The scene would have looked normal, were it not for the fact that a literal horse-man was serving them. Not a centaur, whose lower half was that of a horse, but an actual horse-man; head that of a horse and feet bearing hooves instead of a flat piece of flesh with toes. He even had a swishing thin tail with a small sprout of hair at the end.

"To make a long story short, Yasaka wanted to see me about whether or not you were really here, but I guess things got really problematic." Issei started. "According to Kunou, Yasaka did send a messenger to Kuoh...except the day after they sent him, they found his corpse."

"What?!"

"From what Kunou told me, it seems like there's a bunch of youkai in Kyoto who don't really think I brought you back to life. They seem to think I'm trying to curry favor with the Shinto Faction." Which was ironic, considering he wasn't. All he wanted was a simple life, not get involved in whatever supernatural politics that were trying to drag him into it! "The ringleader of this whole thing is some woman called Jorogumo. Does that name ring any bells to you, Tama-chan?"

"Jorogumo?! That spider hussy?!" Tamamo screeched angrily.

"So you do know her," Issei spoke quietly, ensuring not to risk setting her off even more. "Can you please tell me who she is? The name sounds kinda familiar, but not much else."

Tamamo was quiet for a moment, or as quiet as she could get when growling angrily. While she was seething, he heard a familiar voice in the form of Rias Gremory speak in her stead. "Jorogumo is a spider youkai, and a rather influential one at that."

"Gremory-senpai? What are you doing at my house?"

"Currently running damage control. Your wife threatened to go on a rampage and tear through Kyoto trying to look for you, but luckily Jeanne and your...pet...stopped her before she could try anything," Rias explained. Issei sweatdropped and made a note to apologize to Rias personally when they met again for any trouble Tamamo might have caused her in his absence. "Anyway, back to what we were discussing. Jorogumo was originally Yasaka's second-in-command until a schism occurred in the Youkai Faction. I'm afraid the details behind the schism are unknown to me, but from what little I've heard of it from by brother, it had something to do with the birth of her daughter."

Issei frowned. "Kunou? What doe she have to do with this?"

"Assuming the rumors are true, she is a half-breed." Issei choked at this information and cast another glance at Kunou, the latter chatting animatedly with Aika. "Supposedly Yasaka slept with a human, but those are merely rumors. But as you know the saying, where there's smoke there is fire. I assume that, if the rumor is true, Yasaka's infatuation with a human was the cause behind the schism. And unfortunately, Jorogumo does not have a high opinion of humans. I've also heard she was quite vocal about her disapproval of Yasaka being named the head of the Youkai Faction, much less Amaterasu-sama's avatar."

"So it's because she doesn't like Yasaka's ties to humans?" Issei whispered through the phone to ensure that Kunou didn't catch wind of it.

"That's merely one reason. You must understand that not all Youkai are favorable to humans. While there are many that adapted to human society and are on relatively amiable terms, there are others who are more...set in the old ways. They view humans as inferior, weak, and as prey. Jorogumo is one of those Youkai."

"Geez, this sounds pretty political and complicated..." He sighed, mourning the end of his peaceful life. "So what happens now? If Jorogumo really is responsible, should we even be in Kyoto anymore?"

"Even if you aren't, she'll likely send more of her subordinates to retrieve you. It's best to discuss this with Yasaka herself as she may know how to handle this."

"I figured..." Issei muttered. It seemed like everything wasn't going to let him take the easy way out. "So, what are the odds of Jorogumo attacking us while we're in Yasaka-san's home? I mean, isn't her place like the HQ of the Youkai Faction or something?"

Rias hummed thoughtfully. "Given she was willing to try and kill you while you were being transported, I'd say it's likely she would attack Yasaka's home, risky though it may be. The odds are rather low, however. Even she wouldn't risk causing a civil war between Youkai, despite her quarrel with the Youkai Faction's leader."

"But there's still the possibility she'd attack us while we're there," Issei frowned. "Even when Amaterasu-sama's there as well?"

"Yes, but..." Rias stopped. He could hear her owlish blinking over the phone. "...I'm sorry, Hyoudou-kun, could you repeat that for me?"

Issei rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Oh, sorry. I forgot to mention this, but I guess Amaterasu-sama also wants to meet with me?" ...Gremory-senpai?" It was deathly quiet on the other end of the phone. "Hello? Gremory-senpai, are you still there?" He waited a few more seconds before the call was abruptly ended, making him stare at the receiver in his hand owlishly. "...the heck? Why did they hang up? Did something happen?"

"Oi, gaki!" the horse youkai called from the counter. "Are you done with your phone call or what?! Your soba noodles are growing cold!"

Fou sighed deeply to itself as it stared at the large, gaping hole sitting where the front entrance of the Hyoudou Residence used to be. The Devil heiress and Asia were sitting among the wreckage, one unconscious from the blast and the other slowly stirring, albeit groaning in pain. Beside it, Jeanne was crying comically. "Issei's family is going to be so angry when they see this."

Well, she was not wrong. If they returned home and saw this, Fou imagined they'd likely faint from shock, though whether they'd be angry at their one and only son for allowing this to happen or panic and think that the Root's Link was caught in the blast and injured or possibly dead. As for what caused the hole in the first place, well, that was partially its fault. When the Root's Link mentioned that the Mythological World's iteration of Amaterasu-no-Mikoto wished to speak with him, Tamamo-no-Mae had become fright with panic. In an instant, she unleashed everything in a single moment all to escape her bindings and make a mad dash to Kyoto. Though the Mythological World's Amaterasu-no-Mikoto was different from the Moonlit World's own Amaterasu, Tamamo knew little to nothing about this realm. For all she knew, this realm's Amaterasu was just as dangerous as their own.

In a way, Fou could understand where Tamamo was coming from. Even so, wasn't this a little overkill?

"We should go after her before she sets all of Kyoto ablaze," Jeanne said finally. Her normal attire was dismissed and wore her combat garbs, signature flag and sword in hand. "I'm also worried about Issei. If Jorogumo is as dangerous as Lady Gremory made her out to be, we cannot afford to wait any longer."

Fou bobbed its head, leaping up to her shoulder. It was also worried about the Root's Link.

After all, protecting that kid was its job.

After a delightful, if not bizarre meal with the horse youkai, Kunou proceeded to lead Issei and Aika through a series of winding paths in the depths of Kyoto. It was not the sewer system as he feared when they were told about it, but rather an underground labyrinth of sorts. It was surprisingly well-lit, torches and lambs keeping the path illuminated rather than leaving them in the dark. That said, the underground paths felt rather eerie, what with the fires in the lamps and torches being dark blue rather than reddish-orange.

"This place gives me the creeps..." Aika shuddered. Even though she was now wearing warm clothing, she couldn't help but feel a little chilly. Something about this place just felt wrong to her. "H-hey, Kunou-chan, how much farther?"

"We're close!" Kunou chirped. "Please wait a little while longer, Kiryu-san!"

"Man, this place is huge..." Issei marveled at the underground structure. "How long do you think it took them to build this place?"

"I don't know, and I don't care." Aika replied. "All I care about is getting back to my family. When they see me gone, they're going to lose their minds if they already haven't."

"That reminds me, why are you in Kyoto? Well, besides it being Golden Week and all?"

Aika bit her lower lip, unsure whether she should tell him. In truth, she really didn't want to come to Kyoto. She thought they were just dreams or signs of stress from studying, or maybe just watching too many dirty videos in her free time. But the frequency of the dreams, as well as the insufferable burning pain in her hand, worried her parents. Being the superstitious folks they were, they started looking up spiritual mediums that wanted to crack open their wallets and scam them of all their money and found a good one in Kyoto. In spite of Aika's protests, they went to Kyoto anyway. The only good thing about the trip was that they were staying at a hotel with a hot spring.

Had she known the craziness in her fellow pervert Issei Hyoudou's life would end up following her here, she would have just ran away from home and take her chances out on the streets rather than deal with her parents wasting away more money on people who only wanted to scam them out of their money.

"Kiryu?"

Aika sighed and caved in. "You know how supersitious my folks are, right? Like how they set up wards and charms all over the house or waste their money on stupid, weird, spiritual bullshit crap?" Issei nodded. He heard more than a few stories regarding the eccentric nature of the Kiryu family, which was something of a sore spot for Aika given how many times she blew up at anyone who mentioned it to her face or if somebody asked her if she had similar "hobbies." "Well, I've been getting these weird dreams lately. I keep seeing this sea of fire everywhere, and there's this, this thing that just stares back at me. I can't make it out or remember at all what it looks like, except it has these big, green eyes. And lately, my hand's been hurting like crazy. Like I got carpal tunnel times ten."

"Wait, your hand's been hurting?" Issei stared at her flatly. "...by any chance, that wouldn't happen to be your 'happy hand' would it?"

"For your information, no, it isn't." Aika deadpanned. "Anyway, it's been happening for a while now. Ever since that time when we ran into those murderous crows after Asia, actually. My parents found out and decided we should go see some spiritualist in Kyoto. And that's pretty much that." The girl sighed deeply. "If I knew you'd be here and trouble right behind you, I would have skipped town already."

"Hey, you think I planned on getting kidnapped?! I'm not too happy about this either, especially now that I know that some human-hating Youkai wants me dead because she thinks I'm a liar!"

Before an argument between the two could break out, Kunou called out ahead of them. "We're here!"

The three stood in front of a set of double doors dyed crimson with a gold engraving of a fox branded on the doors. Kunou pushed the doors open and ushered the two forward. They were greeted with cool winds washing over their faces and stared at the incredible sight in front of them. The sky had darkened to where it appeared to have been nighttime. The buildings within the area were old fashioned, yet they were alight with lanterns casting a golden glow. What had stood out most, however, were the various Youkai wandering the streets. Some were easily recognizable, others looked so foreign and alien to Issei that he thought they must have come from another world.

"Whoa..." Issei breathed, taken in by the incredible sight in front of him. "This is amazing."

Aika numbly nodded in agreement. "Where is this place?" she asked Kunou, who was smiling smugly at their reaction. "Is-is this whole place underground?"

"Nope! This is Nurarihyon-sama's territory," Kunou explained to them. "It's separated from the human realm, so the Youkai Faction has some privacy to themselves whenever they discuss important meetings with the other factions."

"Nurarihyon?" Issei stared. "Who's that? Is he the boss of this place?"

Kunou bobbed her head in affirmation. "Nurarihyon is the leader of the Night Parade, Okaa-sama's personal guard."

"Kunou-sama!"

Another youkai had disembarked from the crowd and approached the three in a hurry. It was a Tengu like the one who brought him to Kyoto in the first place, even wearing the same blue robes, albeit with bandages wrapped around his bare chest. Now that the panicked youkai was close enough to them, fretting over a confused Kunou, Issei saw that it wasn't just a member of the same race.

"Hey, you're that Tengu from before!" Issei exclaimed in shock. "I thought you got killed!"

The Tengu blinked in surprise upon seeing Issei. "Oh, you are Hyoudou-kun," he said, genuinely surprised to see the young man. "I had thought we had lost you after that attack earlier today. But, yes, I still live, thankfully. Had that spear struck me any closer to my heart, and I would surely be dead. I do apologize for the rough treatment. We were short on time, and Yasaka-sama wished to speak with you with the utmost urgency, and I..."

"No, no. It's fine," he assured the messenger. "Gremory-senpai kind of gave me the rundown about your guys' trouble with this Jorogumo lady. I take it she's the one who attacked you?"

"Yes. More specifically, one of her subordinates." The Tengu's face twisted slightly in anger. "When Yasaka-sama said she wished to meet the one responsible for supposedly resurrecting Tamamo-no-Mae-sama, Jorogumo was livid as were most of those who sided with her."

The Tengu then turned his attention to Kunou, the latter flinching beneath his gaze. "As for you, young lady... You nearly scared us all half to death when you suddenly vanished! Yasaka-sama was about to send the whole Night Parade to look for you. While we are glad to see you have returned with Hyoudou-kun, must I remind you that you simply cannot run off without an escort?"

"K-Kunou knows that!" the girl replied as she turned her head and pouted. Issei nearly fainted from how adorable she looked doing so. "She just wanted to be useful to Okaa-sama and Amaterasu-sama..."

The Tengu still looked pretty peeved with her, but eventually sighed and shook his head. "In any case, we are happy you have returned unscathed." He bowed politely to Issei and Aika. "Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Gozu, vassal and messenger of Yasaka Tamamo. Welcome to the Kuro-tengoku Estate."

"N-nice to meet you..." Issei bowed back, slightly nervous. There was no chance of him turning back now, he supposed. It was either take his chances trying to convince Yasaka and Amaterasu he really did bring back Tamamo, or try and get out of Kyoto alive while being hunted by Jorogumo's lackeys. "I'm Issei Hyoudou. This is my acquaintence, Aika Kiryu."

His fellow pervert nodded, still stunned by the formal greeting. "H-hello..."

"Greetings to you, Kiryu." Gozu smiled crookedly. He turned around and gestured the two to follow him. "Come. Yasaka-sama and Amaterasu-sama are waiting for you in the estate."

As Issei and Aika prepared to meet some of the most important individuals in the whole Shinto Faction, there were other meetings being held.

In a golden temple located not far away from civilization, the Kinkakuji Temple, several youkai gathered before their master and leader. Their face was framed in shadows, making their features indistinguishable save for their glowing red eyes. They were obviously a woman, evident by their hourglass physique, though her lower half was not human. Rather, her lower body was that of a spider's; a ivory-white bulbous center with eight thin appendages pierced into the floorboards. The human half of her body would have belonged to a supermodel were it not for the pulsating black veins on her flesh or the ugly scar on the front of her chest.

The atmosphere was utterly dreadful and the air smelled foul. None of the youkai gathered before their mistress dared to move for they were fearful of their wrath. Thankfully for them, her anger was only directed at the two that failed in their task.

A youkai sat in front of their mistress. They were a yurei, evident by their transparent form with a shroud of darkness outlining their form. It was impossible to determine whether or not they were male or female, though that hardly mattered. After all, they would soon be killed for their failure. The other was the oni that chased Issei and Aika through the crowded streets of Kyoto, bounded on the spot with stakes jammed through his ankles and wrists.

"...tell me," Jorogumo seethed. Each word that spilled from her lips was full of hate and venom. "How is it that you failed in your task? Did I not send you to kill a worthless, insignificant human?"

"M-My apologies Lady Jorogumo!" The yurei stammered. "W-We lost sight of them in the crowd! We know not where they-!"

"Silence!" She snapped, her tone sharp and curt like a whip. The youkai stopped and obeyed. "I care not for your excuses. I question how it is possible for a youkai to lose track of and fail to kill a single human. I suppose the quality of youkai had degraded over the past generations of they are incapable of fulfilling such a simple task." Her red eyes, glowing like hellfire in the shadows of the temple, glared at the two incompetent fools before her with such disgust she must have thought they were trash. "By now, that fool Yasaka has already presented that false onmyouji to Amaterasu."

Jorogumo refused to believe that it was possible to resurrect someone as powerful and as divine as Tamamo-no-Mae, nor would it be possible for someone as insignificant and as weak as a human to perform such a task. Even before the Great War that drastically weakened their powers and shattered their power bases so awfully, humans were so terribly weak they may as well have been fodder. She could not understand why the Three Great Factions, the Devils, Angels and their Fallen brethren, held such a keen interest in their kind. At best, all humans were just tools to be used, as it was only humans that could wield the power of a Sacred Gear.

Over time, the prominence of humanity had inexplicably rose. She supposed it was because everyone was vying for more power - more tools to use in the event another war erupted. But to her dismay, even the Shinto Gods began taking an interest in humans. Worse, their chosen representative and avatar, had laid in bed with one of their kind. Perhaps once upon a time Jorogumo held respect for Yasaka, if only because she was a nine-tailed fox - the strongest of her kind. Perhaps because of that reason, because she was of similar strength to Tamamo-no-Mae, she was chosen by Amaterasu and made the leader of the Youkai Faction. Yet when news came of Kunou's birth, and the fact that Yasaka had previously taken a fancy with a human man - not even a Sacred Gear bearer - Jorogumo knew the Shinto made the wrong choice.

It was the first sign of the Youkai's decline. The others who still believed in Yasaka may have been blinded by their loyalty and faith, but she knew better. Their kind was dying out and rotting, falling to the new ways of the world. She refused to accept it. That they would be made to play peace with others who slaughtered their kind, rely on those pitiful humans and rely on the help of those weaker than them.

When the news reached their ears - of the revival of Tamamo-no-Mae at the hands of a meager human in Devil territory, the entirety of the Youkai Faction was ablaze. They were scrambling to discover more information and confirm if this was truth. The reports were varied and scattered, but the only things that coincided was that the human was in the shared territory of House Gremory and House Sitri. A human who earned the interest of the Grand Master of the Mage's Association - a group of pathetic mages whose only worthwhile talent was their knowledge in the arcane arts.

A human by the name of Issei Hyoudou.

This could not be allowed to stand. To hear that someone dared claim to have resurrected the pinnacle of power, let alone a human making such a claim, was not only an insult to Tamamo-no-Mae's memory and legacy of power, but also to all Yokai. Many shared in her sentiments, yet Yasaka and the Shinto wished to meet with this con?!

No. She would not allow it.

For the future of their kind, this interloper had to die for his arrogance.

She gave one last glare at the two failures before her. She thought they were the most skilled in their tasks, but clearly she was wrong. The integrity and power of yokai had faded considerably with time; yet another thing that must change for her to prove the Shinto Gods wrong.

Without allowing them to plead and bargain for their lives, unwilling to allow such trash the chance of being offered a second chance, Jorogumo raised two of her legs and brought them down upon them. They pierced their skulls instantly. They did not even realize this, not even in their dying states. She pulled her legs back and watched their corpses slump to the ground. In the case of the yurei, it began to quickly fade from existence as trash should.

She looked back to her vassals and soldiers.

"I care not if we shall be punished," Jorogumo said as green fluids dripped from her mouth and spilled down onto the floorboards. Upon contact, the boards began to sizzle and hiss, the liquid eating away at the floor. "I do not care if the Shinto disagree. For the sake of all Yokai, the false onmyouji must die."

If being burned alive was the price of their actions, so be it. Jorogumo would gladly forfeit all of Kyoto to complete her goal of reformation.

Even if she must die, she would kill Issei Hyoudou before he had the chance of convincing the gods. And, perhaps, she would finally prove Yasaka once and for all who was better suited to lead the Yokai Faction...

Issei and Aika were led through the crowd of Yokai and towards the estate - a grandoise building that looked more like the Osaka Castle than it did an estate. In fact, it looked twice as big as the Osaka Castle, dyed in gold and black colors with several yokai-shaped ornaments, all of which resembling crows, foxes, and dragons.

Issei could feel the tension in the air. The atmosphere was thick with it, so much so he felt he could cut it with a knife. His body felt heavy, mouth dry like the Sahara desert. He had no idea what he could expect from this meeting, but he knew his life would be on the line here. One wrong move, and his life would be forfeit, ability to revive in a new body or no. In fact, it was not even his own life he was worried about. Aika had no reason to be here, other than it was safe. The only reason Gozu and Kunou brought her along with them was because they knew she was a victim of Jorogumo's attack.

If this meeting went sour, and the yokai became hostile, what would happen to her? Would they rescind their protection and turn against her? There were many things unknown to him, too many possibilities. He tried to think up of a plan, but each one only made his brain hurt.

'This is the worst. I'm no master strategist or schemer. I'm a perverted seventeen-year-old high school student for Kami's sake!' he ranted in his head. 'And here I am, about to meet with a goddess and the leader of all friggin' Yokai! No matter how you look at it, I'm screwed!'

"We have arrived." Gozu announced. Issei froze for a moment before realizing that the messenger and Kunou stopped outside a sliding door. Faintly, the teen could make out silhouettes inside the room. No doubt Yasaka Tamamo and Amaterasu-no-Ookami.

Issei gulped down a large pile of saliva. This was it, the moment of truth. Even if he was not smart or talented, he had no choice but to wise up at this moment, here and now. He glanced behind him at Aika, who looked equally as nervous.

Gozu knelt down at the door and spoke to the room's occupants. "Yasaka-sama, Amaterasu-sama... Hyoudou, Issei-san and his companion have arrived."

"Send them in," a woman's voice gently ordered.

Gozu nodded and turned to Issei and Aika. "Milady will see you now. Please, be on your best behavior, Hyoudou-kun." Issei nodded stiffly.

For what encouragement it was worth, though, Kunou gave him a smile and two thumbs up, which he greatly appreciated. Inside he was screaming at himself to run and live another day, but escape was impossible. He had willingly walked up to the gallows and was ready to put his neck on the guillotine.

Doing his best to present himself as respectably and as dignantly as possible, not wanting to make a bad first impression on the two powerful women waiting for him inside, Issei took a deep breath and pulled the door open.

A second passed. One, two, three. Four, five seconds.

Finally, his brain caught up with him. Behind Issei, Aika gasped and began to pant, cheeks flushed.

As he had guessed, there were two women waiting for him inside the room. The first was a bombshell, to put it bluntly. A heart-shaped face with blonde hair and matching golden eyes, long hair tied back into a ponytail and garbed in a very revealing yukata. It was partially open and revealed an amble amount of her bosom. Not helping matters was the fact that her figure was on par with that of Tamamo's. No, dare he say it, her form was even sexier than Tamamo's. Over her yellow yukata was a black kimono with pale yellow ginko leaves printed on its fabric. Behind her were nine, large, bushy golden tails. It took all of his willpower to not walk up to her and bury his face in her fluffy tails. They looked so soft...

Quickly regaining his focus before he made a bad impresion, he focused on the second woman, only to later realize it was a girl. She looked like she was barely older than Kunou and in middle school at the very least, her long hair coming down to her ankles and the color of snow. Her eyes, on the other hand, were bright golden amber. Rather than a yukata or kimobo, she instead wore a white t-shirt that was several sizes too big for her and had a knight with his arms spread outward, forming into a Y-pose. Below the picture of the knight were the words, "Praise the sun!" She looked utterly adorable, moreso than Kunou herself, especially with the abnormally large ahoge atop her head.

Two radically different styles, clashing to the point where his eyes were hurting. One was a drop-dead sexy woman whose looks rivaled even Tamamo and the Three Great Ladies of Kuoh Academy, while the other was a child. He could not discern who was Yasaka or who was Amaterasu. Actually, was it possible the girl was not Amaterasu or Yasaka, but someone else entirely? Perhaps a stand-in as a means to test him?

He couldn't be sure.

Quickly composing himself, Issei bowed as deeply as he could. "H-hello! It's a pleasure to meet you. I am Issei Hyoudou, s-second year at Kuoh Academy!"

"A-Aika Kiryu, also a second year at Kuoh!" Aika quickly followed his lead and bowed. "N-nice to meet you both!"

The buxom woman giggled in her hand. "Ara ara, so polite~" she said before she bowed her head, breasts bouncing. Issei nearly salivated at the thought of her yukata loosening for even a moment before the terrifying image of Tamamo crushing his balls came to his mind and immediately calmed his libido. "No need to feel so tense. Please, take a seat." She gestured to the pillows situated in front of them. Issei and Aika quickly took a seat and knelt down on their knees. "I am Yasaka Tamamo, leader of the Yokai Faction."

The middle schooler next to her followed with her own introduction, raising her arm over her head and forming a "V" sign and grinning, revealing sharp canines at the corner of her lips. What she said threw Aika and Issei for a loop.

"And I'm Amaterasu! Call me Ama-chan! Nice to meet'cha!"

Issei was expecting a lot of things.

He sure as hell didn't expect Amaterasu-no-Ookami to look like a middle-schooler, much less speak like a country girl from Osaka.

TO BE CONTINUED!

Okay, dipshits. You wanted an update? Well, here's an update for ya! I hope you all are...are...

Sweet merciful crap, over 800 reviews? And over 2k faves and follows?!

WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?!

Kidding aside, wow. At this rate, this will be more popular than R-eset. Speaking of which, I probably should get back to that story as soon as possible, especially since its so closed to be finished. Maybe when I'm done with my current update plans and all that. Anyway, I decided to split this chapter into two parts. When the second part will be published, I really can't say. All I know is that, if I did try to publish the whole plan, I'd end up with a rotten mess similar to Chapter 6, and you all know how that went!

Not a whole lot of development, to be honest, though. I mean, sure, Issei's getting some pretty special allies in the form of the Yokai Faction, but that's about it. It's going to be next chapter and the chapter afterwards that will really have some development for our characters. I've gotten some flak for having Issei be the stereotypical weak-ass protagonist that needs to be helped out, but that's kind of the whole point for this arc. To help him realize he can't need anymore saving. That's also why he ends up summoning Musashi - so he can get stronger and fight back and not be so weak. Also helps for some great character development.

Not that I initially planned on Issei being weak. I mean, having a weak protag that needs saving all the time gets old real fast, don't you think so?

Regarding whether or not Issei does get a harem or if he will remain single, though... I think I covered this in a previous AN, but I decided to go for a harem route.

Yes, I'm fully aware that a lot of people aren't going to be happy that this will be a harem story, but come on. It's DxD! Harem is in its lifeblood! The only difference here is that Issei literally has to WORK for a harem, considering Tamamo's stance on the matter. I won't say who is in the harem, but I think this chapter kind of gives away who is going to join it.

...huh. Now that I think about it, I don't think I've read a story where Aika does join Issei's harem. Either that or I've yet to find it.

One more thing. As much as it saddens me to say it, I have ultimately decided to discontinue Fate/stay night: Dragon of Dragons. It is now up for adoption. If anyone is interested in picking the story up, please shoot me a message via PM. As for why I have chosen to discontinue it, it is partially due to having lost the passion to continue writing it, and because it was an utter convuluded mess of one too many ideas. Not helping matters was that there were only certain plot ideas that me and Daemon of Wrath had for the story. A good chunk of it was me pulling shit out of my ass, chief among those being Devils and other supernatural beings also becoming Masters.

That is all I have for now.

Quick reminder that this story now has a TV Tropes page! Feel free to check it out and maybe add to it?

See You~