Change

('Ddraig speaking telepathically')

("Ddraig talking out loud")

['Albion speaking telepathically']

["Albion talking out loud"]

{'Bahamut speaking telepathically'}

'A character's thoughts'

Chapter 9: Change

Titan

"That was beyond pathetic, Indra." Satan snarled at the now healed and recovering Hindu god, who quivered in fear. "Why were you stupid enough to challenge a well-trained Heavenly Dragon to a battle?"

Indra, who was currently kneeling, was about to protest. "In a fight to the death-"

"YOU WOULD HAVE DIED!" Satan screamed, his demonic voice terrifying all present except for Thanos, who also looked angry but with a much larger control over his emotions than his partner.

Thanos sighed. "Reality... is often disappointing."

"Again, I must ask, why did you challenge the Red Dragon Emperor?" Satan growled.

Indra looked away with a scowl. "I hate Dragons. A long time ago, I had evil plans set forth that I thought were perfect, plans to defeat Shiva in a coup once and for all. However, they were foiled by a female user of the Boosted Gear. The worst part is that such results weren't even the intention of this woman, even though she was my enemy, but she barely tried. I led an army of Hindu gods, my brethren, marching them across major cities from south-western China to northern Tibet on my way to Mount Kailash, and we massacred so many innocent people to try to lure Shiva out. Unfortunately, Shiva never came, and the Sekiryuutei at the time showed up, claiming that it was her duty to protect the innocent and that she would punish us for our crimes. We never stood a chance against her."

Satan's eyes widened a little. The Sekiryuutei, no matter which generation, is far more powerful than he initially thought. "Then perhaps our best course of action, should we attack anyone, is to steer clear of the Heavenly Dragons. Do you know what this woman's name was? What happened to her?"

Flashback Hundreds of Years Ago

A million men marched down hills and into towns, raping, murdering, and pillaging entire towns. The line of soldiers, led by thousands of their gods, went for miles beyond the horizon to the naked eye. In the middle, Indra sat in a carriage being carried by his slaves as he sipped tea.

The strategy was perfect. A rumor that Shiva would be away putting down a rebellion against the current dynasty in China was confirmed to be true. The only powerful deity currently in Mount Kailash is Vishnu.

This is the 5th town they've attacked, all the previous ones being burnt to the ground. The horsemen went ahead of everyone else, attacking anyone on the streets while the archers covered them. One soldier beheaded an elderly man, who used his body to shield a child. Buildings were set ablaze, cooking dozens of people alive.

"Come here, little lady!" A group of knights grabbed a beautiful Muslim woman, forcing her to the ground, causing her hijab to fall off her head. The soldiers removed pieces of their armor as their commanding officer, a man with a large mustache wearing a turban, spoke. "We need to satiate our primal lust, and what better way but to do it in battle? We're far from civilized society, meaning no one can punish us for our deeds here. So this technically isn't a crime if no one knows or cares to help, right? HAHAHAHA!"

The woman's eyes shimmered with fear, and she did the only thing any would-be sexual assault victim could do in this situation: scream for help.

"SOMEBODY HELP! I'M BEING ATTACKED!"

The commanding officers eyebrows twitched in annoyance. "Why you little bitch! I'm going to-"

He never finished his sentence as he was enveloped in blue flames, startling the soldiers as they too suffered the same fate, screaming in agony before they all turned to dust. The flames receded into the palms of a beautiful blonde woman.

The Sekiryuutei sighed as she knelt before the scared woman, giving her a reassuring smile as she offered a hand. "Are you alright, miss? I don't have much time to talk since I am here to defend these people. You need to head south towards India, and do not stop running until you feel safe."

The woman nodded as she reluctantly took the hand offered to her, which helped her to her feet.

In an instant, the Sekiryuutei was already gone. She transformed into a massive Dragon unlike anything these soldiers saw, and she was too fast for them to react as she flew at insane, dare devil speeds, spewing flames at every armored man she saw, cooking them alive. The gods were shocked as they had no time to react, and although Indra tried to fight at first, he quickly retreated after tasting the scorching hot flames of his new nemesis.

He didn't see her transform back to her Human form, but he sensed her and found out who she was quite easily.

Flashback End

Indra turned towards the Devil. "Her name was Elsha, and no, I do not know what happened to her."

Mount Olympus, Greece

"You called me, sire?" Hermes, the Greek messenger god, spoke.

"Indeed," Replied Zeus. "I need you to summon the major gods from each pantheon, the ones that we know we can trust. We have a situation on our hands that needs immediate attention, one that affects the world. Start with the Hindu, then visit the Shinto and the Norse. I will gather the other Greeks."

Hermes stared at the bearded leader of Greece in confusion. "What of the Romans, my lord?"

"They cannot be trusted."

"And the Egyptians?"

"They never talk and will stay out of this, too."

Timeskip Several Hours

In a massive circular room, a meeting was taking place. Hermes was speaking to everyone.

"Greetings everyone! Thank you all so much for coming here on such a short notice. Let me start by announcing this meeting's participants. From the Hindu faction, Lords Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva have joined us." He gestured to an open booth where three gods sat.

Brahma is the leader of the Hindu faction. However, he is the weakest of the three gods. He's an older man with white hair and a beard.

Vishnu wore golden robes that covered most of his body except his upper chest. He has black, shoulder-length hair and brown eyes.

Shiva is the most powerful and the most handsome of the three. He has white hair tied into a ponytail that reaches just past his neck along with bangs that partially covered one of his green eyes.

A/N: I imagine Shiva looks like Hayama from Food Wars, at least in this fanfic lol.

"The Norse pantheon is being represented by Lords Odin, Thor, Kratos, and Atreus."

"Stand up, boy." Kratos ordered his 12 year old son, who followed his father's lead as they stood to acknowledge their introduction for several seconds before sitting down.

"Next is the Greeks, who are being represented by myself, Lords Zeus, Poseidon, Hera, Ares, Athena, Apollo, Artemis, Aphrodite, Hestia, Hephaestus, Dionysus, and Demeter."

"Lastly, we have the Japanese Shinto deities in Lords Amaterasu, Tsukuyomi, and Izanagi. I will now allow my master, Lord Zeus, to speak." Hermes took Zeus' seat as the Greek leader stood up, now the only one in the room standing.

"Thank you, Hermes." He cleared his throat. "I have called this meeting because something big has happened in the Human world. I assume Shiva knows what I am referring to?"

Shiva nodded. "I do."

Odin looked confused for a moment before he understood. "Are you talking about the current Sekiryuutei's actions?"

Zeus grinned. "I am. It seems that he, Issei Hyoudou, has saved the world from Humans and their weapon." His smile disappeared, replaced by a serious look. "However, I have reason to believe that a group of radical elements of the three biblical factions is responsible for this, specifically something called Khaos Brigade. They want to start a war."

Murmurs broke out amongst all the gods, who were silenced after Zeus raised his hand.

Amaterasu spoke. "This generation's Sekiryuutei is Japanese, then? He falls under our jurisdiction." She placed a hand on her sizable chest, gesturing to herself, her father, and her brother. "What would be your preferred course of action, Lord Zeus?"

"I want you three Shinto deities to keep an eye on the boy and keep him safe where he isn't able to defend himself, although don't interfere too much as I am sure that he would rather solve his own problems than rely on us. He could be a very powerful ally, and we all know that it would be wise to stay on the good side of the Dragons rather than suffer their wrath like we did last time during the Great War." He received nods from the Japanese trio.

Thor furrowed his brows as he scratched his blond hair. "Hang on! How can we trust him so easily?!"

Odin looked at his son. "Rossweisse, one of my former servants, has willingly joined his peerage. I only kept her until she found a potential love interest, that girl." He chuckled to himself. "She told me that he is a very kind, hard-working lad."

Thor looked surprised by his father's judgement, but he relented. "I see. Whatever decision you make, I trust you, father."

Tsukuyomi changed the topic. "Anyway, what do we do about this Khaos Brigade? What do we know about them?"

Odin narrowed his eyes. "Not much. We don't know how many of them there are, who their allies are, and who their leader is. All we know is that they have members of all two of the three biblical factions in their ranks, with the only exception being the Angels. We also now know what they are capable of: terrorism on a massive scale. If they are capable of almost bringing the world to an end through the means of political manipulation, they can do just about anything. I wanted to at least warn you of these two things before anything else happens: the Sekiryuutei must be protected, and watch out for the Khaos Brigade."

Ares glared at Zeus, feeling impatient. "Father, I understand the importance of this meaning, but other than the Shinto, what will you have the rest of us do?"

His mother, Hera, eased Ares. "Behave yourself, Ares. You need to trust your father."

Ares flinched. "S-Sorry. I just haven't had a good fight in a while."

Poseidon spoke to Zeus. "Brother, shouldn't we investigate this Chaotic Brigade?"

"I agree," Said Vishnu. "We need to know what we are up against."

Zeus ran his hand through his long beard. "It's Khaos Brigade. For now, I recommend we have meetings with as many of the leaders of certain factions, even the Dragons, to negotiate an alliance between our pantheons. Soon, I think one of the leaders among us will need to train the Sekiryuutei and his friends."

Athena sighed as she tossed her silver ponytail behind her and crossed her legs. "Ehhhh? I understand the Sekiryuutei could use training, especially his friends, but is protecting him really all that necessary? To me, it sounds like he is more than capable of protecting himself and his allies."

"It's absolutely necessary," Kratos interjected. "The boy is the key to everything."

"You just wanted to use that opportunity to say boy, didn't you?" Atreus deadpanned, receiving a grunt in response. Odin laughed.

"Don't hesitate to give any of us a call if you have information or find yourselves under attack," Said Zeus. "This meeting is adjourned."

Akihabara

Akihabara is an otaku's wet dream. One could only hope to someday visit such a place if they like anime, manga, novels, and video games, and on this fine late Friday afternoon, Issei found himself in this exact location, waiting in front of a maid cafe for his date with the newest student of Kuoh Academy. At first, he was confused on why Akihabara was her choice, but he had no complaints. His thoughts shifted to the girl.

Arisu Yamauchi. Silent as the night, beautiful as the stars, and lonely as the moon. An athletic, intelligent, and perfect in almost every single way type of girl except for her personality, an ice queen. A tsundere. Some people would find such a thing to be hard to deal with, sympathizing the poor, virgin, usually oblivious anime protagonists for finding themselves in such a situation where one of their potential love interests is a tsundere, constantly kicking his ass into next week for not noticing her feelings for him.

Issei isn't one of those people. Most sensible people, such as Issei, wouldn't blame the girl but rather blame the protagonist for being such an oblivious prick who usually ends up not choosing to be with any of the love interests, breaking everyone's hearts because said protagonist is a playboy dickhead.

Such thoughts reminded Issei that he is building a harem, but in his case, he actually cares about the feelings of the girls involved and wants them all to be like he has been, an open, honest person who is comfortable with their relationships. In this situation, Issei loves the idea of thawing the ice cold heart of a tsundere; it excited him, like taming a stray, feral kitten; they can be hissy, fussy, and even physically harm their Human at first by scratching them out of fear, but once they're tamed, they melt and purr in the Human's arms adorably.

('In short, you like tsunderes because you're a masochist, partner.')

'Oh, shut up. At least tsunderes will always be better than yanderes, so go ahead and try to change my mind, Ddraig. Name one good thing about yanderes.'

('...')

'That's what I thought.'

"H-Hyoudou..."

Issei turned to the voice, and at the sight of his date, he once again questioned whether he was a boobs-man or ass-man, or rather in this case, a leg-man. Physically speaking, he loves every body part of his girls and potential love interests, but if he had to choose a preference, Issei would fail.

Arisu is dressed in a pair of short black shorts and a short white blouse that revealed much of her stomach and a very slight amount of her breasts from the side.

"Y-Ya don't have to worry about other people starin' at me. I have cast an illusion spell on myself, so they cannot see me."

('I didn't know she is such a naughty girl, but at least she is careful.')

Issei ignored Ddraig's comment, who was obviously trying to get underneath the skin of his host, and smiled at his companion. "You know, the first time I went out on a date was with my current Queen and 1st girlfriend, I flirted with her, but right now, I am just speechless. You look very beautiful."

She blushed and pouted up at him. "D-Don't push yer luck, idiot."

He grinned and playfully poked her ribs. "Like this? Push! Push!" Issei laughed at her adorable embarrassed expression before he turned serious. "In all seriousness, will you be my girlfriend and join my harem?"

Arisu lowered her head and shyly nodded. "Y-Yes. I would like that very much."

Issei really wanted to ask her if she would join his peerage too, but he decided that could wait and to not drop so much on her at once.

"Lead the way, my lady~" He teased.

She blushed, but she smiled and nodded.

Issei felt his heart skip when he saw her smile. 'What is this?! She has suddenly been tamed, as if she were waiting for me to be this sweet to her!'

('It's only because you saved her from becoming Indra's property, dumbass. There's no way the damsel in distress would want anything to do with you in any other universe')

'Lucky me.'

Firstly, they went shopping. Issei learned that Arisu loves to read, even buying some of the same books as him such as Another, Gyo, Uzumaki, and a few others. They both love the horror genre, at least in the form of novels and manga.

Secondly, they went to the arcade and played a racing game, which Issei sucks at, getting destroyed by Arisu many times, but he didn't take it that hard. He is happy to see her having fun.

Lastly, Issei learned that she has a sweet tooth for ice cream as they both brought some. He brought a vanilla cone while she got strawberry, which they both ate as they walked side-by-side.

"Shall I walk you home, my lady?"

Her eyes widened and she turned her face away. "Yeah, sure thang... Issei, you can call me by my first name."

"Oh? In that case, I'll be more than happy to oblige, Arisu. By the way, aren't you cold eating ice cream while dressed like that?"

Arisu shook her head. "Nope. I can warm myself with magic. Besides, I'm a Dragon, not a little girl who needs a babysitter."

Issei smirked. "You're still a Princess, though."

When they arrived at her house, Issei was shocked. "This can't be right. I thought your house would be massive for someone who is literally royalty, so why live in a town home?"

Arisu shrugged as she took out her keys, unlocking and opening the door. "I live alone. I don't need anythin' extravagant if the house has only one resident. Come in."

He nodded. Looking around as he entered, he noticed that the home had two bathrooms, one bedroom, and a hallway that leads to the kitchen.

"Mew!" It was a little kitten. The cat happily crawled up Arisu's leg and into her arms.

Issei stood slack jawed. "J-Just when I thought you couldn't get any cuter..."

Arisu giggled. "Enough of me already! This handsome fella here is a 2 month old Tuxedo breed by the name of Louise. Louise is the clingy one who needs to be cradled to sleep like a baby. There are two more cats in here."

A/N: Louise is pronounced like Louise from Zero no Tsukaima.

Louise's blue eyes looked warily at Issei. He hissed a little when Issei tried to pet him, but he relaxed and even purred a little when the Dragon gently scratched his little head.

Issei took a seat on a couch next to his newest girlfriend.

Two other cats were playing together, both kittens, but one of them being clearly on the verge of adulthood.

"That black kitten is 3 months old and is Louise's brother. His name is Kuro. He loves to cuddle with the other cats and me." The little black kitten's yellow eyes looked up in wonder as he playfully swatted at the other cat's tail.

"The last cat is a 5 month old Calico that I named Kaze. She is a very purry kitty." Kaze is purring as she licked herself to clean her fur.

Arisu continued explaining. "All three cats were strays when I found 'em one rainy late afternoon. They were in a box, lookin' scared and very cold, so I couldn't leave 'em."

"Do you have someone to take care of them when you're not around?" Issei asked, feeling concerned.

She nodded. "Of course. A sweet old lady next door was kind enough to take care of them every time I go to school, and you know the thing about old women? Most of 'em love cats."

Issei was deep in thought. "Arisu... I'm actually thinking of moving into a new house nearby, one that I will build with my magic. I should be done with it within two days. When that happens, do you want to move in with me and the other girls?"

She blushed. "Eh?"

He scratched his head. "It's just that... It seems very lonely around here, and I don't want you to have to worry about your cats while you're out. I am sure the other girls would be willing to care for them. Well, at least Ravel, Raynare, and Murayama would. I'm not sure if the others like cats, but those three would love to have you. What do you say?"

Arisu gulped and lowered her head. For some reason, she felt like crying since she has never had friends before due to her shyness, and now she was being given the opportunity to make friends with Issei's other girlfriends. "I... I would love that!"

Issei chuckled and pat her head as they spent the next several minutes in comfortable silence save for the purring of the cats.

"Hey Issei..."

"Hm?" He grunted as he played with Louise, holding a feather that the kitten swipes and occasionally bites.

"Harems are common in the supernatural world, especially among us Dragons, but... I wanted to ask you something. What are your reasons for wanting a harem?"

He gave her a bittersweet smile and lowered his head, causing her to panic and almost apologize for asking, but he spoke, "I have multiple reasons. It's kind of pathetic to be honest, but one huge reason is to satiate my loneliness. I hate being alone, not having people who care about me and who I care about. When I'm alone, my pockets are void of happiness (20). I hate that feeling, plus I feel like I would go insane without the company of people who genuinely care about me."

Arisu's eyebrows arched up in sadness. "I see... Is there anythin' I can do to get rid of some of your anxiety about this?"

Issei scoffed and closed his eyes before he jokingly said, "You could join my peerage."

"I'll do it."

Issei's eyes opened and he looked at her in surprise. "What?! I was just joking, you know..."

Her head lowered. "Oh..."

He felt panic sweep through him. "But I would love to have you, of course! What kind of boyfriend would I be to deny one of my girls?" He pulled out his remaining six Pawns and looked into her eyes for approval. "May I?"

She smiled brightly and nodded.

The first piece mutated by turning blue, hovering on her chest, not disappearing...

And so did the second.

And the third.

And the fourth.

And the fifth and sixth before they all disappeared inside her.

Issei was shocked. "All six of my remaining pawns I used on you mutated!"

She giggled. "Well, I am the daughter of the most powerful Dragon ever, after all."

. . . . . . .

Issei is now walking home. He knows he can teleport, but the weather is nice out at a pleasant 52 degrees Fahrenheit.

'I had so much fun today.'

"Issei Hyoudou!" A voice called out to him.

It was a man dressed in a samurai's battle armor. Most of it is white save for a few patches of gold and red here and there, such as on his shoulders and left thigh. He is holding a gorgeous teal-colored katana. He has very long black hair that reaches the center of his spinal cord and golden eyes.

"Who are you?" Issei asked. He was calm, but at the same time, he was ready to battle.

"My name is Susanoo! I am one of the Shinto gods! Indra may have been wounded, but prepare yourself, because I am a much more worthy warrior than that weakling! Hayaaah!"

Susanoo lunged at Issei and swung his sword in the blink of an eye. Issei waited till the last second and barely dodged as he bent his back, the sword whooshed just past where his head was. Susanoo's eyes widened like saucers.

Seeing the deity's shock, Issei smirked, back still bent. "Is that all you got? You really shouldn't have gone for the head."

Susanoo jumped back warily as Issei stood upright, casually cracking his neck.

The Sekiryuutei sighed. "I'm not exactly sure what the point is in being so powerful when none of my opponents offer a challenge."

Susanoo grit his teeth at the insult, sneering at the Red Dragon Emperor, ready to strike again.

"SUSANOO!"

Issei turned towards the voice and saw a very beautiful woman dressed as a shrine maiden due to her white kimono and red skirt.

Susanoo grit his teeth. "Goddammit. If my disgrace of an older sister is here, then that also means-"

"TRAITOR!"

He turned his head just in time to bring his sword up and block a powerful burst of cosmic wind, stronger than anything produced by the storms of Earth. The shockwave caused bushes and trees within a mile to ripple violently as well as a few nearby windows to shatter.

"Tsukuyomi..." Susanoo growled.

Seeing this, The God of Storms teleported away, not wanting to fight both of his siblings at the same time.

Issei, who was holding a lamp post to not lose his balance from the wind, let go and turned towards the two deities who were now floating down towards him gracefully, landing in front of him. "Thanks for the save, I suppose. That Susanoo person seems to already know who I am, so I assume you do too? Who are you?"

The woman smiled at him and suddenly... She hugged him. "Kawaii! This Sekiryuutei is so cute!"

"Wha?! Hey! This is serious!" Tsukuyomi yelled, pulling his sister off the embarrassed Dragon. He grinned sheepishly at Issei. "My apologies, Issei Hyoudou. You are correct since we already know who you are. My name is Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto, and this goofball is my older sister Amaterasu-no-Okami. We are also Shinto gods."

"Why must you stop my hug?! I am only trying to show him my motherly love," Amaterasu whined, pouting cutely, causing Issei to sweatdrop.

'What in the fuck?'

"You're being immature, sis." Tsukuyomi sighed.

"So... What can I do for you?" Issei inquired.

Amaterasu shook her head and smiled at the boy. "Nothing! Nothing at all! We were just passing by. Nothingtoseehere, byeeeeee!" She yelled quickly, teleporting away with Tsukuyomi.

('Partner, those two Shinto gods are probably watching you to make sure you're safe. It seems you have the blessings of some higher power.')

Issei felt uneasy at being watched 24/7, but he was glad to know that what Ddraig said is likely true.

'Is it because of the way Amaterasu spoke there at the end? She's probably not a good liar.'

('Yeah, but that is usually a good thing.')

Issei chuckled as he continued to walk home. He was hoping he would make it without any interruptions, but no such luck existed.

"Nya!"

A woman fell out of a tree and landed on the Sekiryuutei. Issei winced as he found his hands squeezing something soft... and round... Bouncy...

"Unya~?"

"GAH! I'm sorry! Please don't report me for sexual harrassment!" Issei said as he shot up and looked at the woman.

Upon closer inspection, she is actually just a girl around his age.

Issei was confused. "Um... Who are you? Why did you fall on me?"

"My name is Kuroka Toujou, nya. I went to Sirzechs for help as well as Rias Gremory, and they both said to find you, Sekiryuutei, nya."

"Wait, Toujou?"

She nodded. "Humu. Call me Kuroka-nya, and yes, I am Shirone's older sister nya. Well, you know her as Koneko, but that's not the problem nya! I need your help!"

Issei grew nervous, not sure if he wanted anything to do with someone related to a girl he doesn't get along with. "Help with what?"

"My little sister has been kidnapped, nya."

"... Oh, hahahahaha! Good one. Wait, how can you say that so calmly?!"

To Be Continued

References:

(20) Rewrite. I absolutely love both the anime and Visual Novel.

Issei's Harem (same as peerage members, most to least powerful, will not change):

Issei Hyoudou (Mutated King)

Arisu Yamauchi (OC, Six Mutated Pawn Pieces)

Raynare (Main Girl, Queen)

Akeno Himejima (Knight)

Kuroka Toujou (Bishop)

Irina Shidou (Rook)

Tsubasa Yura (Knight)

Rossweisse (Rook)

Ravel Phenex (Bishop)

Natsuki Murayama (Pawn)