New story because I felt like writing one.

To put this into your dxd knowledge perspective, canon Issei got insanely OP in just a year. A single fuckin year. Imagine him after 5 years.

Enjoy, folks

Rending Ruins

Prologue

||The Grieving Dragon||

'I told you so.'

That damned phrase had kept pestering his mind the moment he found her. He could see that arrogant smirk as if what happened was all according to his prediction. As if there was some kind of invisible force devoted to prevent him from ever going back to live a normal life, a life he was forced to abandon five years ago.

He was weak, that time. So very weak that he found it hard to believe that he was once that powerless. But even then, without all these powers, without these so-called 'gifts' from a dead God, without having to know that there were hidden worlds in his world, Issei Hyoudou didn't really mind all that weak normalcy. He was just a stupid perverted boy who loved breasts more than anything in the world, but he really didn't mind that kind of life, now that he kept on missing those lost days.

'Will you die for me?'

He could never forget those words from that day. That day when he became a devil, when his humanity gradually shifted into one befitting the creature of Hell. When he had to train day and night, fighting allies and foes left and right, fighting the devils, for the devils' entertainment.

And for what? Recognition? Issei never cared about recognition. Sure it felt nice, but that wasn't the reason he fought for so long, beaten down only to rise back up.

A harem? That was just an old dream. A dream not much different to the dream of a child wanting to become a superhero, who then grew up and accepted the harsh reality that not all dreams are catchable. Issei could have gotten his harem long ago, but he decided against it. As he grew up, he came to learn that his unhealthy desire for breasts was just a mask. A mask to hide his debilitating fear of being rejected.

It was easier to accept being rejected because you are a pervert. Harder to accept being rejected because you are you.

As he matured to a young adult not just in age, he realized what he truly wanted most.

Call him a hopeless romantic but all he ever wished for was some love.

The breasts were a definite bonus, however.

'I love you.'

Three simple words that froze him in place. Widened his eyes, cast butterflies in his stomach, rushing blood to his head, and halted all reality as those three words echoed beautifully in his head. They said 'action speaks louder than words', but sometimes, hearing could lead to believing. Sometimes, hearing those words was all an idiot as dense like him needed to understand that he truly was loved. That he had found what he wanted.

Sometimes, those three words and a sincere smile were all he needed to get through the hardest of times.

But this time, it didn't work.

"I love you…"

Never had a kiss felt so sweet and yet left a bitter aftertaste.

Those words escaped her lips like a final sigh.

Denial poisoned his mind as choking sobs punched his chest.

"No... no, no, no- don't do this to me... don't you do this to me. You can't do this to me." A sob punched through his throat. "Please... Don't do this to me..."

Desperately, distraughtly, he lightly tapped her head and wiped the liquid dark red off her paling lips. She was so beautiful that she couldn't possibly be gone. Someone this beautiful couldn't be gone already.

But she was.

The only woman in his life he swore to protect, no matter what cost even if it was his own life, was dead. His tears fell onto her cheek, but he couldn't feel them. He had failed. The Dragon had failed. He had failed the one person that mattered to him.

He had failed his wife.

Issei finally took away a hand that was pressing the gaping wound on her heart, and cradled her lifeless body. Heat splashed behind his back as their house he had built himself, burned. Cinders and smokes danced in the wind as the red flames licked the night sky, unperturbed by the falling snow as its red flame consumed the rest of his physical memories, leaving nothing but debris of still burning wood and some useless junk.

She died, but he felt a part of him had just died along her. As if a huge chunk of his soul had just been snuffed away. He felt like a puzzle with a permanently missing piece, never to be found, never to be recovered.

That night, Issei Hyoudou grieved alone.

Break

Picture a snowy valley.

A gray sky.

A frozen lake.

A grave.

Surrounded by trees, hidden from sight, away from civilization, the Dragon buried his wife nearby an oak tree where she used to sing him a quiet lullaby. He could still hear her soft voice, whispering, bewitching him to the earlier days when the only thing he had to worry about was staying awake so he could listen to her.

Her reverie was cut short as another spoke to him. "…We're… sorry. Ise." A male's voice. The charismatic type that would never stutter. "I… I don't know what else I can say."

"Then zip it." Issei said. He even surprised himself at his own curtness, but in truth, he wanted to be left alone. If being rude could chase him away sooner, he'd be rude as needed.

If only he could do that; be an unapologetic asshole to anyone because he felt like shit. Issei truly wished he could be that asshole.

"…I'm sorry." Issei's tune softened, filled with regret. "I… Just leave me alone, alright? I'm… I'm not on the right kind of mood right now. Hey, I don't think a pair of bouncy breasts can cheer me up right now. Crazy right?"

He stiffened as he felt a hand on his shoulder. That simple gesture of reassurance gave the Dragon a fright. What a joke.

"It's alright to mourn her. Don't force yourself to not to. Be sad if you're sad, Ise. No one's watching you." The Crimson Satan quietly said as he withdrew his hand. "I'll do whatever I can to find whoever's responsible for this."

That earned the Dragon's attention.

"When you do…" Issei muttered. Rage brewing amidst the sorrow. "IF you do, Sirzechs. I'm the one who they'll first face. Not you. Not the Satans. Not whatever councils you have. Not even the Great King. But me."

"You've served me well through those years – of course I will. I'd say that goes without saying. Until then, take care, Ise. Be well." With a solemn nod, Sirzechs Lucifer disappeared in a flash of crimson light, leaving the Dragon alone with his thoughts.

Finally alone, Issei sat beside her, resting his back against the hard bark of the lone tree.

Someone murdered his wife. That wasn't a bullet that pierced through her heart. A bullet would leave a tinge of lead. A bullet wouldn't have burned her skin. But a magic bullet would.

That someone knew who he was, because that fucking someone didn't stand around waiting for him. That fucking coward killed her, burned their home, and took everything he had. Leaving behind not even a picture to remember her by. Not even their marriage photo. Not even a locket with her face inside, because Issei just had to leave it in his dresser that day when he went out for his usual routine; drinking at a nearby village at the bottom of the hill with his new normal friends.

All he had was their gold rings, now kept close to him, never to be let go. His one his left ring finger, and hers on his silver necklace. A memento to serve as a reminder, that whoever that bastard was, be it a group or an entire organization, Issei would find them.

He would find them. They didn't need to pay for what they had done, Issei would destroy them nonetheless.

But first, he had to find them. And once he had set his sight, a Dragon never lost their prey. Be it a grieving dragon or not.

{Don't worry partner.} The Crimson Dragon Emperor, his one true companion, finally roused his gravelly voice after a year of silence when his help was unneeded. Just like his host, he was filled with unbridled rage. {We'll kill them.}

Those words had since then became his words to live by, as Issei swore to rend ruins from his enemies. Be they an enemy from the past, present or future, there wouldn't be any difference in his treatment.

He'll kill them.

{We'll kill them all}

To be continued

Issei is 5 years older than canon, yes. But the story is AU. What happened in those 5 years may not be faithful to canon. So screw you, canon. This is my story and canons can sod right off

I'm guessing you're curious who's Issei's wife – well, ex-wife - Then keep this story alive by following it and favoriting it. Yes, I am making the continuation of my story as a hostage

So, the last few protags of my stories has been pretty chill all around. Lucifer's jovial, Issei's pretty much still Issei (both in Everyday Life with Supernatural Girls and Death's Chosen). I've been wanting to try out a revenge-ish fic where Issei is just one bad mofo, but keep him pretty grounded in terms of edginess. Because dudes, I don't want to create a sasuke 2.0 DxD version

I get that angst is pretty hard to write without making it edgy since people like to label something remotely edgy as edgy. But I want to write one without making you cut your eyes just by reading - if that makes sense. Ye, I want to avoid that.

BUT. If you ever happen to think 'aight fam, this is pretty edge.' Let me know. If not, let me now too because I love reviews. All writers do. Except reviews that are just 'nice'. Thanks but fuck-a-you

SO.

Remember, favorite and follow this story if you want to see more. I'm someone who's easily motivated and easily demotivated. Think of me as your clingy internet girlfriend - nohomotho