Chapter 3: First steps

Well, time to continue this fanfiction!

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Issei was quite happy, at least the girls had stopped chasing them and now they could eat their lunch in peace.

"This is so strange" Matsuda muttered, "I mean, it's nice that they don't chase us and all, but..." the boy really missed those pranks.

"If you want to see naked girls, that's what you have porn for" Issei commented taking a bite of his sandwich, "Or else, get a girlfriend"

"Oh, with a girlfriend I could do perverted things..." Matsuda muttered thoughtfully as a drop of sweat fell down Issei's head.

"This of course as long as she wants it, if not, you'll be in trouble" Issei looked at his friend, who nodded understanding what he meant.

"Hmpf, if in three months I don't see the changes you mentioned, I think I'll go back to old habits" Motohama commented seriously.

"Three months is too long, my friend," Issei joked with a smile, "But you keep changing and you'll see more positive things."

Matsuda and Motohama nodded doubtfully, but the confidence with which Issei said it was too convincing and tempting to ignore.

Meanwhile, in the occult research club room, Sona had arrived accompanied by her vicepresident Tsubaki.

"Sona, what a surprise to see you here," Rias commented with a smile as she took a sip of her cup of tea. Sona sat down.

"I wanted to know one thing, why didn't you reincarnate Issei Hyodou?" asked Sona.

Rias put the teacup down on the table, "I was going to do that, but when we showed up at the place where he was killed, his body was gone."

"I thought he wasn't attacked by the fallen angels, but my familiar saw him leaving the hospital this morning," the red-haired girl commented.

"So he was healed somehow. But by who?" Sona brought her hand to her chin, "This is just too strange honestly."

"It is, it would have been easier for me to reincarnate him once he was dead than to try to convince him to join my peerage." Rias sighed tiredly.

"Will you?" Sona asked.

"I have no choice, the fallen angels will keep going after him and they might not leave a trace of his body." Rias added and Sona nodded.

"The sooner you act, the better it will go" Sona stood up from her seat, "And if you don't do anything, well, I still have a place in my peerage"

"Oh, I guess you won't" Rias smiled lightly taking her cup of tea and taking another sip.

"Don't challenge me" that was the last thing Sona said before leaving the room. For now, she wouldn't move her pieces from the chess board. She would just watch.

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Issei was running, he needed to strengthen his body to be able to use the Boosted Gear and increase all his physical stats.

But he felt that at this rate he wouldn't get anywhere, it would take years to catch up with his counterpart from the original series, and all for one simple reason.

He was human. He got tired, he was hungry, he was sleepy, everything was limiting. He had to break those limits, but how could he do it?

"Becoming a demon" Issei stopped, thinking about that alternative, "There's not much time to choose either, damn it"

The fallen were already moving. If he went at this rate he would only serve as a punching bag, "For the time being, I can use other efficient things"

Issei ran to the nearest church, as it was night, he didn't expect anyone to be there. And indeed, there was no one in that church.

Then, the boy turned on the flashlight on his cell phone and went down to the crypt, where the priests had their things well kept.

Holy water, this would be quite useful against demons, not to kill them of course but to weaken them, "Why didn't they use it more in the series?" the boy wondered, curiously.

Issei continued searching and finally found holy oil. He saw this idea in a series, setting fire to a circle of holy oil would trap any angel in it, "Is it going to work?"

He didn't know. He also picked up some crucifixes. For Issei, these were methods of defense.

Suddenly, Issei heard some noises. He peeked into the crypt, and through the dim light he could see some wings as black as night.

'Reynare!' Issei exclaimed in his mind as he recognized the fallen angel who had killed him, what the hell was she doing in this place?

'It doesn't matter, this is the perfect opportunity' Issei made some noise so he could attract Reynare's attention to the crypt. And so it was.

Reynare created a spear of light and carefully lowered herself into the crypt, "Who the hell is there?" she asked.

Then, a fire surrounded her forming a circle. Reynare tried to get out but couldn't, "This is... holy oil?" she asked surprised.

"That's right, and I'm glad it worked." Issei appeared from the shadows with a smile, "Hello, Reynare." His voice sounded very relaxed.

Once Issei saw that the sacred oil had worked, his nerves disappeared. It was time to have a good talk with Reynare.

"Why the hell did you catch me, Issei? Let me go!" Reynare looked at Issei annoyed, "Fool, is this how you thank me?"

"Oh wait, thanks for killing me" Issei replied with obvious sarcasm at those words but this seemed a little strange to him.

Reynare didn't seem surprised to see him alive, nor did she radiate an aura against him, she just seemed annoyed by the fact that Issei caught her.

Reynare looked at him with an arched eyebrow. "You are definitely a huge fool, I was the one who saved you from dying" Reynare crossed her arms leaving Issei speechless at this.

"What?" Issei was in a catatonic state, but then, memories of his previous self hit his mind again at that instant.