Chapter 12

And then the mood turned awkward as Asia, the only person there that didn't know Japanese, reminded everyone that she was there.

Asami had the decency to look embarrassed by her slip. Turning to the girl, she swapped instantly to her heavily accented Italian. "Asia-chan, it's, er, sorry. Issei's, what's the word, shy? Shy, around people. I sometimes make fun of him, but it's to get him to relax and forget about being nervous."

"Oh." The nun looked around confused. "But, aren't all these people his friends?"

There was an awkward silence as various looks were shot around.

"We'd like to be." Rias tried to placate the girl. "He's not making it easy, but we'd like to."

Asia looked around confused. Before she could ask or say anything though, her stomach made the most un-Christian like sound that she had probably ever made in her life.

Grroooooooowwwwl.

"Eeep!"

"Ugh. Enough of this." Raynare groaned, picking up her utensils. "Let's eat already."

Everyone murmured in agreement, grabbing their own chopsticks and spoons, and ignoring the Nun who was so embarrassed her face was the same shade as Rias' hair.

"Itadakimasu." Several muttered.

"O father, praise- eh?!" Asia began to pray with her eyes closed, completely missing more than half the room flinching in pain, only to be stopped by Raynare with a quick grab on the shoulder.

"I-ta-da-ki-ma-su." The Fallen spoke slowly, pointing to all the Devils in the room. Asia may have been sheltered, but even she knew by now that the majority of the people she was with were not human.

The nervous girl shrunk under the mixed looks she was getting. "I-itatakumas."

It was clear that it was going to be a while before she got a hang of Japanese.

"Whoaaa. It's good." Saji hummed in approval after his first bite, stirring the noodles, meat, greens, onions and other toppings for extra flavor. "I haven't had pho in a while, but it's really good."

"Mmm." Gasper nodded, also happy with the taste. "It's better if the broth is freshly made, but it takes a while to do that. Senpai probably just used some store brand stock, but he picked a good one. The noodles and vegetables are good too. I didn't expect the onions to be so crisp."

"Is that so?" Rias turned to her bishop. "If it's that good freshly made, I might have us do a club activity one day to make some. It would be wonderful to have more of this."

"Indeed. The broth and noodles are much lighter than normal ramen. They go down so easily, I feel like could eat this all day and not be full." Akeno agreed with a pleased look on her face.

Asami smiled as she saw everyone enjoy their food. It was relieving, seeing people genuinely appreciate Issei's efforts for once instead of merely tolerating it.

Before she took another bite of her meal though, something next to her caught her eye. "Asia-chan?"

The small nun next to her wasn't eating. Her chopsticks were in her hand, but she didn't seem to move with her head bowed down.

"It's warm."

Rias paused as soon as she noticed Asia's condition. "Is something the matter?"

"It's warm." The girl's body began to shake. "The food. This house. It's warm."

It was warm. After being accused and isolated by the Church, her home, her world, for so long. After being abandoned by people that she trusted and being accused as a heretic. After being thrust into the outside world, forced to the other side of the world by Fallen Angels with their false smiles. After nothing but confusion and cold for so long…

It was finally warm.

Asami seemed to know what was about to happen moments before it did, and hugged the trembling girl.

Asia burst out in tears. Like a dam that had finally reached its limit, the outer shell of confusion, curiosity, and politeness gave way to the stress, insecurity, and fear that had been hidden and stored for months on end without release.

"There there. It's ok. You've been through a lot, haven't you?" Asami didn't mind at all that the front of her shirt was getting wet or that the girl she had only met a few hours ago had grabbed onto her as if hanging on for dear life.

"Saw that coming." Raynare wasn't touched by the heartwarming display at all, and instead continued to eat as if watching a Saturday afternoon soap opera.

"Oi. Read the mood." Saji hissed from her other side.

"I saw. I read. I don't care. I'm hungry." The Fallen brushed him off before taking another bite of meat. She had seen enough emotional outbursts over the course of her life that it didn't impact her much anymore. Partially due to the fact that she was responsible for most of them.

Now a good dinner. That could reduce her to tears. Especially if she didn't have to pay for it.

"That guy. He's really all over the place." Rias smiled at the scene, her voice soft enough that only her neighbors could hear her.

"He pretends to be aloof, but there's no mistaking his intentions." Sona agreed, nodding in Asia's direction. "You saw his reaction when he first came in. She was the one he looked at first. He decided on making this dish on the fly, but it was exactly what the girl needed to finally crack through her shell."

"His mother used to this as well. She's not at all uncomfortable or surprised by Asia's reaction. No, I wouldn't be surprised if Asami-san was aiming for this from the start." That was an understatement. The moment Asia had entered the building, Asami seemed to understand exactly what was going through the nervous child's mind and stuck to her side almost instantly. The woman displayed the sort of motherly care that even Rias was envious of.

It wasn't surprising. She probably had loads of experience dealing with Issei.

The girls had been somewhat skeptical about the idea of the sheltered nun staying here, in the presence of an unstable mother and son family plus a violent Fallen Angel… but, the longer they watched, the more they felt that it made more sense than at first glance.

"They're good people." Akeno summed the small family up simply. "Different, crude, and unorthodox at times, but they are kind."

"But how much longer can they keep it up?" Sona's glasses flashed, a small worried frown marred her expression. The yelling. The way mother and son seem to dance around one another when it came to certain topics. It was clear that the two were not holding together up as well as they should be.

They were trying, but sooner or later, it wasn't going to be enough.

Rias frowned as she watched the scene in front of her before coming to a decision and standing up.

"Rias?"

"I'm going to check on Issei. He should be fine if only one or two of us are there."

Seeing what she was doing, Akeno was about to join her, but was surprisingly cut off as Gasper beat her too it. "I-I'll go too. Issei-senpai is used to me."

"Ara." Akeno looked at the bishop with a mix of disappointment, surprise, and pride. "Who would have thought that little Gasper would take the priority like that."

"You can come too." Rias offered.

"No. I'd rather not push our luck. You two are more than enough for now. I'll just try some other time."

After just another moment of hesitation and looking around the room, the two Devils got up and carried their bowls to the kitchen, not noticing Asami watching them leave through the corner of her eyes.

In the next room, they saw Issei asleep, hunched over on the small kitchen table with his food in front of him.

Rias blinked owlishly before groaning in embarrassment. "I should have expected this."

"That's Issei-senpai for you." Gasper shared similar feelings with a shaky smile. "He just does what he feels like, whether you want him to or not."

"Mmm. My brother said something similar. But, it's those feelings that's been tearing him apart the entire time, right?" Rias didn't hesitate to sit across from the sleeping teen.

The young vampire hesitated for only a moment before joining her. "Y-yeah. You're right. He's like me that way. Only, he doesn't want to admit it. I don't blame him either."

"You figured out something?" Rias smiled gently, reading her adorable bishop like a book.

Gasper didn't say anything at first as he got into his seat and looked at his food. "… When I ran away from home, when I was separated from Valerie, when I died… I was saved by you Rias Sempai. You protected me. Defended me. Helped me. Made me feel safe."

"Gasper." Rias smiled gently, patting the small crossdresser affectionately. "Of course I would. You're precious to me. But Issei's not alone. He has Asami-san, and…"

"No, that's not what I mean." Gasper interrupted her, much to her surprise. It wasn't often that the small boy ever felt the need to take the initiative unless his nerves got so out of hand that he started to panic.

"I'm weak. My powers are strong, but I'm weak, and scared, and can't do anything by myself. You know it, I know it, everyone does. I was so weak that you had to lock me away because I can't control myself. And that's why I, was dead when you found me. But Issei-senpai is, strong. He's really strong. Super strong. I can feel it sometimes. Stronger than me. Stronger than you. Stronger than Asami-san. He's strong, but he still got hurt just as bad as me if not worse, and now that strength is barely enough to keep him together. After what happened to me… I had you to keep me up and make me feel safe. To make me believe that everything was going to be all right. To stop me from falling apart. But, Issei-semapi…"

"Didn't have anyone that was capable of the same." Rias realized what Gasper was getting at with a sinking feeling of horror.

Akeno. Gasper. Koneko. Kiba. She had saved all of the members of her Peerage at one point or another. She had been the one they looked up to and relied upon. She had been stronger than them. Her family, resources and brother had provided an extra layer of protection and support that they knew they could fall back on if Rias wasn't enough. It was not just a matter of emotional support that she had supplied them, but a sense of tangible security as well.

Whoever had gone after Issei in the first place, the person responsible for his condition, was still out there somewhere. A person that could influence the actions of the Three Factions. A person that may or may not still be looking for him.

The threat of the same trauma from five years ago repeating itself was a very real possibility to Issei. Either by the original culprit, or by someone else for that matter.

Considering the care and secrecy involved that everyone important seemed to use with anything related to him in the first place, she doubted that things had calmed down as well.

If his name or location got out to the wrong people, something bad was guaranteed to happen. Something that even she was not allowed to know about.

It reminded her of a dark joke she heard from a movie once.

It's not paranoia if they're really out to get you.

Gasper was right. Issei was strong. And contrary to what most would assume, it had only made the young man's situation just as, if not worse in hindsight. The few people around him were either not physically strong, like his mother, or supposedly, too emotionally unreliable to provide him comfort like Ophis.

No wonder he rarely takes anyone seriously.

"What do we do?" Gasper asked her.

"I…" Rias hesitated. "I think, the best we can do now is not leave him alone. Even if he tries to push us away."

"He really won't like that." He could already imagine just how annoyed Issei was going to get if they tried to assert themselves too much.

Even now, the young vampire could see his host shifting uncomfortably in his sleep, moving one of his arms and…

"Uh. Rias-senpai?"

"I'm going to have to do some research on this." She didn't seem to hear him as she leaned on the table with her head propped on one of her hands, already too busy thinking about how to approach this puzzle. While she wasn't professionally trained in any way, Rias did like to think that she was somewhat of a practiced hand when it came to counseling troubled youths, what with her entire peerage being a circus of emotional issues in itself.

Heck, a good portion of the books she owned were child abuse psychology texts. The irony that she was not exactly an adult was not lost on her.

"Rias-senpai. I really don't think leaning on the table like that is a good idea right now…"

Then again, where would she even begin to look? A general understanding of Issei's issues was a good step in the right direction, but she highly doubted that she'd be able to find something that matched his condition exactly. Not many troubled youths were already stronger than most high class devils and had a legitimate excuse to not trust the strength of some of the most influential people in reality.

She'd have to do this slowly and wear away the walls Issei put up around himself one at a time, lest she bring down the entire foundation on top of herself.

"N-no way. He's actually going to do it while asleep?!"

Gasper had gotten her foot in the door, but in order to go any further, she had to ease her way in. The training tomorrow would help in spades. It would get everyone to learn more about one another. Get him invested into them on a personal level, even if he pretended or wanted to believe otherwise.

She was feeling tingles all over. Just how would he train them? Weights? Running? Strategy. Maybe he'd join them and take his shirt off, showing that glistening skin and fit body that seemed so out of place for a shut in.

Her breath quickened, and her face flushed. Maybe he'd even give them private attention and…

"R-Rias-senpai!"

"Eh?" The Devil snapped out of her fantasizing, only to realize that her body was still very much tingling all over, especially her chest.

Her chest.

Her chest, more importantly, her breast that was currently being fondled by the still unconscious Issei with his arm reaching across the table. His normally cold and stern face had melted into practically putty, with a lazy yet satisfied smile donned as if enjoying a hot bath.

"Mmmm. Oppai."

o. o. o.

"I'm so sorry." Asami apologized for the hundredth time that night as Rias and the others were preparing to leave. "I completely forgot he did that. It's been so long since he's been around people in general that I thought he grew out of that habit."

On a side note, she was using one arm to hold Issei's head so far down that he was having trouble standing up. Apparently, his misdeed had been big enough that he didn't react violently to being manhandled at the moment.

"You mean he used to grope women in his sleep when he was a child?" One of Sona's eyebrow twitched.

"Damn it woman! Let go of me!"

"No! You screwed up again! Bow and repent!"

"I'm falling! I'm seriously about to fall!"

"Good idea! You're not repenting enough! Taste it! Taste the ground to show your remorse!"

Everyone watching could only laugh nervously at the display. It was impossible to deny that the two were mother and son from the way they interacted.

"R-really. There's no need. It was an accident." Rias tried to placate the mother. "He made everyone dinner, and it is somewhat my fault that he skipped school this week in the first place, so let's just call it even, ok?"

The Gremory's face was still flushed from earlier. Partially from embarrassment.

Partially because the breast that Issei had managed to latch onto was still tingling in a way that she was going to need Akeno's, "help", to resolve when she got back home.

"Says you. Push harder Asami-san! He's almost on his knees!" Raynare cheered from inside the building. It was starting to be more apparent that the Fallen didn't seem to care much about keeping up her false persona in front of the woman.

"Cougar I swear I am going to destroy you the second my sight isn't occupied with my shins!"

"Ara. I'm a bit surprised. I didn't think that Issei was this flexible." Akeno half teased. Most people would lose their center of balance after being bent over so far, but he was still firm with two feet on the ground, albeit under duress.

"He took dancing and martial arts classes when he was younger." Asami stated as if it was an offhand comment. "He could even do splits at one point, though I doubt this idiot is capable of it now."

"Write them a book why don't you!?"

"I would if I ever felt like writing a horror story."

"I like her." Akeno couldn't help but voice her approval of the woman.

"You're too kind."

"You all suck."

Asami's hand flexed, pressing down on several sensitive nerves at the base of his skull.

"Owowowowow! Careful! Those are my occipital nerves!"

"I know they are. You're the one that taught me about them."

"Abuse! This is abuse! You are using your child's generosity against him with your clammy man hands! I demand compensation for my lost misplaced trust!"

"Clammy man hands?" Clench.

"Gah!"

Just as amused as everyone else by the display, (save for Sona, who seemed to particularly revel in Issei's suffering for some reason), Rias still felt the need to stop it before things got too far. With a loud cough, she acquired everyone's attention. "Despite being sidetracked by, well, everything, I really am glad you're ok Issei. I'm sorry that you're still uncomfortable being around us, but I do hope that you'll warm up eventually. We don't have any intention of hurting you."

"Yeah well, funny thing about hurting others is that you don't need intention to pull it off. If anything, not intending it makes it worse. Odd how everyone conveniently keeps on forgetting that bit." Issei grunted in a low tone that made it hard to tell if he meant to say it out loud or not. "Of course, that still doesn't excuse intended pain, like for example having the blood and nerves on the back of my head being abused get your claw off me for fucks sake woman!"

"Ugh. Fine. You can have your head back, crybaby. Not like you actually use it." Rolling her eyes, she let go of her son.

"Any longer and I wouldn't have been able to use it at all." The teen grumbled, rubbing the back of his neck tenderly. "You can stop babysitting me and start babysitting the Ninja Puppy again. I'm fine, and we still need a room prepared for her, right?"

Asami huffed and crossed her arms. "I was half prepared for guests the second you actually agreed to going along with Azazel-san's plan. But, I guess there are a few things I can help that child out with for tonight. Poor thing is still pretty shaken up."

She turned to the group and bowed. "Thank you for taking time out of your day to check up on my idiot son. I'm sorry he can be such a handful. Please let me know if you need anything in the future."

The teens watched as she went back inside the house and began pulling the suitcase Asia had brought with her up the stairs.

"She's a good mother." Sona nodded in approval.

"And I'm a shit son." Issei sighed, his face unreadable as he was facing away from the group.

"Issei…" Rias started before he cut her off.

"I'm just stating facts. Pity doesn't get anything done, so don't bother." He turned around to face them. "Training on the other hand does. Is the school available tomorrow morning?"

Sona frowned in thought, slightly thankful for the change in topic. "Yes, and we can mask our magical signatures, but I would prefer it if we didn't do something so potentially destructive on the grounds. Some of our abilities are rather violent. Fixing it isn't an issue, but I'd rather not go through the effort if we can avoid it."

"I'll try keep that in mind." Issei rolled his eyes, as if what she had said was beyond obvious. "Just bring both your peerages over. Tomorrow's going to be an intro course so we know where we all stand. I can't train you if I don't know what the hell you can do in the first place."

"You sound confident that you can help us." Akeno was genuinely curious. "Not to sound rude, but I'm interested in how a human can help train so many Devils to be stronger quickly."

"You'd be surprised." Not really. All things considered, Devils were by far the easiest of the three main faction's species to train. The only thing that held them back was the user's limited power, perspective, and creativity. He'd be pissed off at himself if he couldn't make them at least slightly competent within the next week or two. "But not all of you are Devils. Cougar's joining too."

"Ah? Dead brat say what now?" A clearly not pleased Fallen Angel asked from the living room.

"I said that you're training too you lazy shit." Issei called back inside.

"Give me one good reason why I should do that."

"Damn it Zaz, why did you load me with this useless…" He clearly was trying hard not to lose his short temper. The stick rarely worked with this one, so he'd have to depend on the carrot he had been holding back since she got here. "Do you want to get four wing status this century or not?"

That caught nearly everyone by surprise. Fallen Angels could grow in power, and their wings did signify just how strong they were, but ways to expedite that growth were few and far in between, especially if one wasn't naturally gifted.

If getting stronger was simply a matter of simple training, nearly all Angels and Fallen would at least have three pairs of wings by now.

There was a brief pause before Raynare appeared behind him, the look on her face was unreadable. "… Are you serious? Do you actually know a way for me to get to a higher tier?"

"No." He stated flatly, for once ignoring the looks that he was getting. "I know several. But they won't work on lazy shits that do nothing but eat all day and drink all night."

"Several?" She blinked in genuine surprise before schooling herself. "Bullshit. If there were that many ways, then Azazel-sama would have been using them already."

"Unless, of course, he lacks the ability, the means, the people, or the materials required to do so."

"And you do?" Saji asked the obvious question.

Issei shrugged nonchalantly. "Who knows? There has to be a reason why the higher ups of the three Factions won't leave me alone."

"Good god you're so full of bullshit it's a wonder you're not constipated." Raynare deadpanned.

"Look, do you want power like every other stereotypical generic Fallen Angel grunt or not?"

Judging from her clenched jaw, the ebony haired beauty was at war with herself. Her greed for power clashing with her pride and hatred at the idea of admitting that she was in any way a stereotypical generic Fallen Angel Grunt. Her greed won out in the end, barely, and she turned around with a huff to go further in the building. "Tch. Fine. Yes. I want to be stronger. You happy? Just grab me when it starts or whatever."

"That went well." Saji muttered.

"You think it's a good idea to make her stronger? She's not exactly an ally of yours." Rias looked worried.

"Probably not, but she's ambitious like most Fallen. And she isn't a complete idiot. If I do keep my word and bump her up a rank, sooner or later she'll realize that I could probably make her even more powerful if she sticks around and plays nice." The lone human shrugged. "That and she knows she doesn't stand a chance in hell against me if she pushes her luck. Heck, she can have six wings and I'd still one shot her no problem."

Six wings? Rias looked at him with a curious look. It wasn't on the level of a seraph, but still, beings with that much power were no joke.

"That is another thing I have issues with. I find it somewhat vexing that she was trusted with your identity, but we aren't despite the fact that we are making more of an effort to get on your good side." Sona shifted her glasses in a way that was clear that she disproved of what was going on.

"Not my fault. Blame the Satans and Zaz for that. If you're expecting me to open up to you with my life's story, you're going to be waiting a long time." Issei didn't budge.

"Sona, it's fine." Rias chided her friend before the latter could speak. "If he doesn't want to tell us, that's his business. We've prodded enough as it is."

The Sitri looked like she had something on her tongue, but she held it after a few moments deliberation. "… Fine. However, if you do become a problem, then we will have the truth from you."

"Ha!" Surprisingly, the young man burst out in a loud and bitter laugh. "Hahahaha! Tell the truth! Now they want the truth!"

"Issei-kun?" Akeno blinked in tandem with everyone else.

"Sorry." He chuckled with a strained grin, but his eyes flashed momentarily with something that could only be considered pure rage. "It's just, what you said is just so disgustingly ironic that I have to laugh or else I really might punch something."

Sona, Rias and Akeno paused for a moment before they paled. They had just been told by Asami how Issei had been accused as a child of a crime that he had been the victim of, and how nearly everything his life had been turned against him in the following year trying to prove he was innocent.

Of course he had tried to tell people the truth, but no one would listen or help him then. The few that did listen didn't stay around to help.

For Sona to accuse him of not telling the truth now…

"I-I'm sorry." For once, the calm and collected image that Sona perpetually had up had given way to genuine remorse and uncertainty. "It was a poor choice of words and-"

"For fucks sake, shut up you idiot. That fake mature businesswoman act you're constantly putting up is more annoying than the Cougar." Issei cut her off with a glare. "Just, just leave already, before I say something that I won't be able to take back."

"F-fake?"

Saji frowned. He was confused and somewhat unnerved by Issei's anger, but he did not tolerate anyone talking to his King like that. He stepped up to his underclassman with the authority of a senior in a higher position of social standing. "Hey! It was an accident! She was just trying to apologize and you-"

"Shut up."

The high school senior in a higher position of social standing froze in place, his mouth clamping shut with a clack. What was even more terrifying was that Issei wasn't even looking at him.

"Turn around."

Saji did a 180 on the spot, his body standing at attention.

"Leave."

At a brisk, yet normal pace, the young man left the property without paying anyone else any mind, much to their shock.

"How, did you do that?" Akeno blinked, trying to figure out what just happened.

"He's a runt. He knows his place." Issei's cold answer was vague, but it was clear that he was alluding to something in particular. Regardless, he seemed more interested in treating a headache than them at the moment, given by how hard he was pinching the bridge of his nose.

Sona paused before remembering something. "Saji reacted oddly when we first walked into the house. His Sacred Gear is dragon based, and you call him a runt. It couldn't be, that you…"

"I thought I told you to leave." He rose his voice slightly, almost articulating just how annoyed he was. "For fuck's sake, I understand that you are trying to make yourself stand out of your sister's shadow, but I thought you would have at least had the sense to try and pick up her horrifying ability to read others. I'm not exactly hard to figure out."

Rias frowned in confusion. "Serafall's ability to read others?"

"Sona, what is he talking about?" Akeno turned to the School President.

Said President didn't respond. Instead she was struck still in shock.

"Sona?" Rias spoke louder.

"Y-you know, about Nee-sama?" The lithe girl was pale as if she was confronting something that she didn't want to talk about.

"She wasn't made head of Foreign Affairs just because she looks good as a Magical Girl and has good Oppai." Issei rolled his eyes. "And that position isn't one that a person can keep simply because they happen to be an Ultimate Class Devil and had decent political backup. The ceasefire between the factions would never have lasted as long as it has if it did. She really is ahead of the curve in that regard. In a way, she's scarier than the rest of the Maou."

"You've talked to her." Sona's statement seemed to carry more weight than it seemed, if the awe and horror in her voice was any indication.

"Eight years ago. She thought I was cute and funny. And then I made a comment about her having a midlife crisis. And then she flash froze me. We had pizza that night." He sighed as if being almost killed wasn't a big deal.

"I think I'm most surprised that you remember what you had for dinner eight years ago." Gasper noted.

"What? Pizza in the underworld has different toppings that you can't get here. It's kinda hard to forget when someone asks if you want kraken eyeballs on a Sicilian for the first time."

"He does have a point." Akeno mused, recalling the several times she underwent culture shock when she was taken in by Rias' family.

"Enough about the pizza!" Sona snapped. He was doing it again. Changing the topic of conversation away from himself. "How do you know about my sister?"

"I talked to her. Obviously." Issei clearly was playing games with her.

"Sona. Can you please explain to me what you are talking about?" Rias was starting to get annoyed now.

"You, when you were not even ten years old…" Her glasses slipped slightly down her nose, as if intentionally displaying just how bewildered she was. "Impossible. Nee-sama's always been careful when it came to talking to others. There's no way she'd take you seriously, even if, no, especially if you were a child then."

Issei was clearly getting tired of the conversation if his groaning was any indication. "Believe what you want. Or you can talk to her yourself. I don't care what you do. Just go away already before you say something stupid again."

"It seriously hurts me to hear that from you of all people."

"I figured."

Sona grit her teeth, and drew her breath to say something before thinking better of it and shaking her head in resignation. "This isn't over Hyoudou."

"It never is."

Rias held back a groan as her friend gave everyone a shallow bow and a quick goodbye before leaving. "Issei, I don't know what you just did, but did you really have to do it? We're not your enemies."

"I like my privacy and my personal space." His tone was firm. "They're among the few things I have left that I actually value, and both have been poked and prodded more in the past few hours than they have in the past five years. By you. By the enabler. By those idiots in Heaven. And if I'm not careful, by those potentially obliterated fools that kidnapped the Ninja Puppy. Don't push it."

"We were just…"

"Checking up on me. I know. And… I'm not holding that against you." He seemed to have trouble figuring out the right words to say. Unlike with Sona, Issei seemed less aggressive when talking to Rias. More willing to think about the words he used. "But you overestimated me. I don't do people, especially when they appear in my home without prior warning. So far, that's happened twice today in quick succession."

He was pretty sure that if any more people had been in his house that night, he would have completely snapped. He had spent most of the time in the kitchen for their sake as much as his own.

"Issei-sempai." Gasper fidgeted, clearly uncomfortable with where this was going.

The Sekiryuutei paused to look at his underclassman skeptically before sighing loudly. "Fine. I get it. I'll try and "play nice". Not that it's ever gotten me anywhere."

Rias was severely conflicted. On the one hand, Issei had more or less picked apart or obliterated nearly all of the good will he had earned over the past week. On the other, it looked like Gasper was genuinely in the troubled teen's good books and had a sliver of trust built up.

"Tonight's been, interesting." She voiced her thoughts. "A lot more happened than we anticipated. This really could have been timed better."

Issei let out a brief laugh. "Story of my damn life. I'm always in the right place at the wrong time. It'd be hilarious if I wasn't so screwed over sideways every time it happened."

"Things would probably go better for you if you didn't lose your temper every five seconds." Akeno dryly commented.

"I'm sorry. I'll try to behave despite my extreme enochlophobia and PTSD firing nonstop while being forced to spend time with a building with a bunch of idiots hyped up on magic and organic chemicals due to being in the middle of demonic puber…ty…" Issei's sarcastic ranting slowed down into an awkward stop, as he clearly realized something.

"Something the matter?" Rias was confused.

Instead of responding, he facepalmed so hard that the Devils actually felt it.

"I. Am. An idiot." There was a brief pause. "Ow."

Akeno blinked. "Because you realized that you're also…"

He cut her off, holding his hand in the universal gesture for stop. "Shshsh! No talking!"

The three watched as the hand on his face began to glow white and green with magic. It stayed in place for several awkward moments before moving to his neck, chest, stomach, and groin.

"… Well. Shit." He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose in thought. Thankfully, the hand doing so was not the one that had just been cupping his nutsack in a white light.

"So, puberty." Akeno resumed. "I don't know why you are so alarmed. It happens to everyone you know. Although I don't think that gives you an adequate excuse to feel yourself in front of others."

Issei ignored her and looked at Rias. "Weeb. You know of the spiritual osmosis effect that beast type sacred gears have?"

"Spiritual Osmosis?" Gasper echoed, never hearing of that term before.

"It's when owners develop notable physical traits of the beast souls that their Sacred Gears have…" Rias frowned before realizing what Issei was getting at. "You mean?"

"I woke up my Dragon based Sacred Gear when I was seven, and I developed it significantly since. I'm not going through puberty. As stupid as it sounds, I'm going through the fucking Dragon equivalent. The hormone and testosterone cocktail that's pumping through my body is leagues more potent than what I should be getting. Or realistically be able to handle without either going insane, or trying to hump everything in sight." He groaned. "Damn it. I can't do anything right."

Dragonic Puberty. It sounded like a childishly bad joke in hindsight, but in reality, dragons going through that cycle of development were among some of the most aggressive beasts out there. They were liable to attack anything that came across their path, regardless of their chances of winning.

Whoever thinks that is was logically and universally a smarter idea to train kids to awaken world altering powers earlier clearly needed to be shot in the face. Many times. They never contemplate the potential impact said powers could have on a person's growth and biology or what said results could be.

It was also one of the main reasons why many of the Boosted Gear and Divine Dividing owners in the past that had awakened their powers early had died. Hyper hormonal teenagers, short tempers, and raw reality bending power rarely mixed well.

Especially if the users had, say, replaced a part or two of their bodies with its dragonic equivalent. If there was any blessing, it was that the parts that Issei had altered had next to no role to play in his natural development.

Then again, he was cutting it close in regards to his thyroid gland…

Bottom line? On top of the dozen or so mental issues he currently had, Issei also had to deal with constantly being doped to the gills by his own body that made his frayed hold on his emotions now combustible as if they were soaked in petrol.

It's not like children are well known to make mistakes and poor decisions based on their emotions more than the rest of the human race. What harm could giving them potentially world shattering superpowers do?

There was a reason why magical girls, and teenagers in general, were considered an unreliable long term security resource across most reasonable universes.

"I thought you were advanced in medical training. How would you have missed something like this?" Akeno pondered.

"There's a reason why the saying "the worst patient a doctor can have is another doctor" is a running joke in the medical community."

For five years he had locked himself inside and maintained minimal contact with others.

That didn't mean he neglected his own health though. Just the opposite. He made sure that he gave himself biannual checkups, looked for abnormalities, hell, he even did blood tests. But the idea that his system had changed enough that he was going through Dragon's Puberty had not once crossed his mind until he mentioned his unnaturally short temper and puberty in the same sentence. The few times he noticed that his numbers were high, he assumed that the abnormality was just a small spike from going through an earlier episode he might have gone through that day. He never thought that said abnormalities were what he was running on every day.

"Ddraig? Anything you want to say for yourself? Like, whoops?" There was no way that the crimson dragon in his arm didn't anticipate this ahead of time.

"Honestly, by the time puberty hit, everything had long since gone to hell. You were already locked up in your room and trying to keep your head in check with or without my help. Knowing that it was going to be harder for you because of puberty wouldn't have gotten anything accomplished." The dragon waved off Issei's accusation. "After a while, I just forgot about telling you."

"You FORGOT? Oh so help me, the second I am out of everyone's sight I am going to destroy you, you sunburnt Alzheimer's suffering, lazy FUCKING-"

"Do you need any help?" Rias asked, knowing that this new revelation was something that even Issei was worried about.

"I…" For a brief moment it felt like he was going to say something out of reflex, but caught himself with a grimace, as though he really didn't want to fight the urge. "… Might. I have to think about this first. Do research. I didn't notice it before because I've always blamed my temper on my trauma, and I locked myself away after my life went to hell, but, damn, you have no idea how lucky we are in a twisted way."

"Lucky? How so?" Akeno was curious now.

"Dragonic Puberty is, for lack of a better word, extreme. Heightened testosterone. Heightened hormones. Enhanced apocrine sweat gland size and activity. Overactive hypothalamus triggering enlarged adrenal glands with the slightest poke, flooding my system with a disgustingly potent brand of cortisone for days. The works. Under most circumstances, I should be instinctively flirting, groping, humping, or physically fighting with every person that comes into sight."

Gasper gasped. "That's horrifying. No wonder Dragons are so scary. They can't help but act like thugs."

"… Oi." That actually hurt. He didn't like the way the Damphir was looking at him in pity. He was a jerk, but one with actual an educated and desirable skillset. Not some poor moron in a leather jacket that wanders the streets at night. Was that how everyone saw him these days? Stop. Please. He'll cut back on the harsh language and be more careful with his words. Just don't look at him like that anymore.

"That does sound in line with what I've heard." Rias agreed with him while simultaneously trying to remember what half of the body parts that Issei spouted off did in general. "How are you able to keep yourself in check though? No, how is it that no one noticed it until now?"

"You mean outside of the fact that I've locked myself away for the entirety of my teenage life, minimizing human contact and thus assuming my temper was a result of my extreme PTSD?" He asked her skeptically. "Easy. Porn."

It was the way he said it with a completely straight face that caught the Devils completely flatfooted. "… Eh?"

"I have been watching porn neigh religiously for almost a decade." Issei elaborated, completely serious. "I've watched so much porn, that it's gotten to the point that simply seeing the naked female body or talking about any kind of sex doesn't do jack for me. Likewise, I have heard and seen virtually every flirting technique both here and in hell, so verbally interacting with women also has nearly no effect on me. If anyone tried, the first thing I would instinctively do is grade their performance."

"Wooow." Gasper looked at Issei with glimmering eyes of adoration.

Issei held back his tears. No young Dio. Please. Do not be impressed. It is not something to be proud of. Even the greatest of evil beings should not render themselves numb to the magnificence of oppai in any way. It is a curse. Not a blessing.

"Sight and sound have no effect. That sounds rather depressing." Akeno mused, folding one arm under her breasts and the other holding her head up as if thinking and pitying him at the same time. No doubt she was testing the validity of his statement. "I suppose that explains your tendency of grading a girl's looks from last week. Ignoring taste, what about touch and smell?"

He flinched, hoping to ignore that topic. "You already know I hate being touched by people in general. I already avoid physical contact with others on principle. The smell of a woman though… could have been a big problem."

Rias paled as she realized what he was hinting at. Devils and Fallen women in particular are geared for seducing, to the point that their very smells can entice other beings with low self-control.

And if that wasn't bad enough, Kuoh's student body was vastly female.

The amount of female pheromones going around would be enough to drive someone with Issei's disposition genuinely insane.

"Could?" Akeno picked up on the key word with some skepticism.

"Like I said, we're lucky." He shook his head. He held up a finger, and soon enough there was a small funnel of dirt and air swirling around it. "My nose is sensitive. I have a habit of filtering what I can smell for one reason or another. I've been doing it for years. This includes pheromones. I've been dodging probably the worst bullet of them all by complete accident for weeks."

"That just leaves your temper." Gasper got to the last roadblock. Issei's been dealing with it for so long that by the time he was hit with the worst of the effects of puberty, he probably thought that it was just life as normal and dealt with it like he always did without knowing it.

"Is there anything that can calm you down? Other than the tea that Akeno made earlier?" Rias finally asked a question that had been plaguing her and Sona for a while. "We asked your mother, but she was too busy, well, we gave her some samples of the tea earlier and she was rather excited about it."

Issei brightened up. "You brought that tea? Why didn't you say that earlier?"

"Issei-kun. We want you relaxed when we spoke to you today. Not comatose." Akeno chided before pausing for a moment. "… Most… some… a portion of us do at least."

"Akeno." Rias hissed.

"We weren't the ones cradling the tea like a newborn."

Just put it away Issei. Bury these painful memories down deep with the rest of the unmentionables. No one will ever blame you for it. Just like the time you accidentally saw mom-no! The memories are trying to escape! Burn them! Salt the land! They must not know freedom!

Aah. Some tea now would be really nice-wait! Stop! Don't fall for the trap! It's what they want!

No one bothered to bring up the fact that he was pouting and crying like a child.

"I-Issei… san?"

The group paused, as the one that called his name didn't come from outside the home, but inside.

They turned to see Asia standing uncomfortably nearby. Her habit was off of her head, allowing her golden hair to be seen by everyone, and she was not looking at anyone in the eyes, but it was clear that she was there for Issei and-

*Boing*

SWEET MAMMARIES OF GABRIEL THE GIRL HAS AN AHOGE!

"Uh, Sempai?" Gasper wasn't the only one slightly confused by how Issei seemed to be hypnotized by the stray strand of golden blonde hair of Asia's that seemed to defy gravity.

"Uh… huh?" The Sekiryuutei barely seemed to register the outside world, his head bobbing in time with Asia's hair.

BEAUTIFUL! A WORK OF NATURE'S ART IN MOTION! SERIOUSLY HOW MANY NICHE FETISH QUALIFICATIONS DID THE NINJA PUPPY FULFIL?! HOW MANY MORE SECRETS WAS SHE HIDING?!

"Oi. Partner. Not that I'm ever going to join you during one of your moments, but the Gremory Heiress has one of those hair things too." Ddraig pointed out through their mental connection.

"Nonsense Ddraig. While the Weeb's hair is indeed luxurious and high quality, her Ahoge is feeble, coming and going like the wind. It lacks the definition and strength of the work of art in front of us."

Rias didn't know why, but she suddenly felt extremely self-conscious despite the fact that everyone was focused on Issei and Asia. The lone strand of hair that she could never brush down was also flickering about more erratically than normal for some reason.

"Honestly. You're as unreasonable as always." Despite being distracted, Issei still managed to pick up a hint of satisfaction in his partner's voice for some reason. Almost as if he was pleased about something. "You might want to stop. You're starting to scare the child."

"… Eh?" He blinked in confusion before looking a little bit down to see Asia shifting uncomfortably with a blush on her cheeks and tears in her eyes. "Oh."

Well at the very least, his eyes were on her face now.

He was genuinely confused. She couldn't speak Japanese yet, so why would she approach him? Maybe his mom needed help setting up her room?

Damn. This was going to be a bigger pain than he thought. Somehow he doubted that she knew English, so that meant that he was going to be busy learning Italian and teaching Japanese for the next few weeks on top of taking care of the Devils. He had a spare laptop stored away somewhere, and it wouldn't take long to download an Italian to Japanese learning program from the internet, but in the end, constant interaction and submerging oneself in the language were the best ways to-

"…"

He looked down confused, and saw a familiar head of golden hair pressed against his chest.

Along with the rest of her body. And her arms wrapped around him.

She was hugging him.

"… Hah?" He summed his thoughts adequately.

"Eh?" The Devils watching events unfold were of similar thoughts.

"Thank you." The former nun muttered into his chest. "I know you can't understand me, but thank you. Lord Michael told me that you're hurt. You're hurt like me, so badly you're terrified of trusting people anymore. You've been like this for years. I can't imagine what you've gone through, but even then, you still helped me. Your home. Your food. Your family. Your actions. They're all warm. You're warm, but, I can tell. You haven't felt it in a long time. You're so lonely, it hurts, and the pain makes it impossible to forget. It hurts so bad that anything that looks like it might make things worse terrifies you, even if it's the opposite."

Something told Issei that he really should be feeling touched or emotional right now. He also felt that that something was relentlessly enjoying his confusion.

"Fufufu."

Scratch that. It was just the closet yandere chick. Did the Ninja Puppy even notice that there was an audience? Wait, no, she's a Ninja Puppy. Attacking where there were witnesses would be the last place he'd expect.

He had been careless!

The Ninja Puppy had shown her true colors! She had gotten in his guard! She had struck before he could react! She was… she was…

She was… pleasantly soft.

Wait.

Wait wait wait.

Why the hell wasn't he freaking out about being touched like this in the first place? Even his mother couldn't hug him spontaneously like this without setting all his nerves on end. By all rights, right now his mind and body should be flooded with uncontrollable blinding rage, indignation, and fear against his will.

No. Rather, instead of freaking out, he was actually calming down. This wasn't normal. This shouldn't be happening. This was warm, and he could feel her body press against him through their NO! No! Do not get distracted! Something isn't right! Something is seriously not right!

He was so caught up in trying to figure out what was going on that he didn't realize that his normal annoyed expression had been replaced with a childish bewilderment. For a few moments, he actually looked like his age.

"I want to help you. Just like you helped me." Asia muttered into his chest before finally breaking contact. "It'll take some time, and you'll probably hate it, but that's how the healing process works. It's what I do. It's all I'm good for now."

Bowing politely to the devils and saying goodbye, Asia turned back into the house and up the stairs to where Asami was still setting up her room, leaving everyone else behind completely dumbstruck.

After what seemed like an eternity of awkward confusion, Issei slowly turned to them, his eyes as wide as dinner plates.

"… The fuck just happened?"

"She, she hugged you?" Gasper summarized, just as confused.

"… HOW?!"

Most young children were kept up worrying about the monster under their beds eating them.

He was worried about the Blonde Italian Ninja Puppy Nun with the perfect Ahoge surprise hugging him.

It was a long and confusing night for Issei.

o. o. o.

"Kuoh should be under watch within the hour. Not a single member of the three factions should be able to leave it by air or by teleportation without our knowing." Azazel stated his findings to the Maou and Michael. "In other news, I just verified our suspicions with Raynare. It wasn't a fluke. The bearer of Twilight Healing is able to touch Issei without setting him off. Even when he isn't prepared for it. Apparently the girl just hugged him from out of nowhere a few minutes ago without a scratch. I think Issei was more confused about his lack of reaction than anyone else."

"That can only mean one thing." Beelzebub mused.

"She's an unrecognized dragon tamer." Serafall cheered. "How lucky can we get? We've been looking for a suitable tamer that might get along with Issei for years and one literally just lands into his hands! Any of the other ones we found were either grumpy old meat heads or greedy bitches. Jasmine-chan's gonna flip when she finds out! And laugh her ass off when she finds out it's a nun of all people!"

"Luck, or convenient?" Sirzechs didn't seem as optimistic.

"As much as I hate to admit it, I believe it is actually luck this time." Michael answered the question. "The Church has always kept the bearers of Twilight Healing under heavy guard. There is no possible way that anyone would have known she was a dragon tamer before her kidnapping."

"That still doesn't excuse why she was in Kuoh in the first place." Falbium poured cold water on their excitement, making the meeting dead quiet again.

"… You think it's her." Sirzechs said what everyone was thinking.

"In one way or another. That girl rarely ever dirties her own hands unless she has to." Falbium sighed. "Just like how the Phoenixes only started to push for Rias' engagement after she was granted the right to oversee Kuoh. How long do you think she'd wait after Rias returns to the underworld before she "offers" Sona her assistance?"

"An eternity. At the earliest." Serafall's voice was sweet and sugary. Completely in contrast to the faint hint of murder that accompanied it. Clearly she had high standards as to who could spend time with her sister. Standards that would be met, one way or another.

"Put out one fire and two more pop up." Azazel groaned, leaning back in his seat. "If there's one thing you have to give that girl credit for, it's her tenacity. When she wants something, she goes for it. I guess this confirms our suspicions. She knows where Issei is."

"This plan of yours is appearing less appealing by the second Sirzechs." Falbium grumbled. "The Phoenixes are pushing to expedite the engagement harder by the week. Your sister will be in a corner within a month rather than the anticipated year we first assumed. We need more time for Issei to adjust to the world again. If he does go through with the plan, he will be found out one way or another, meaning that he'll be targeted again sooner than he's probably ready for."

"I must admit to something." Michel spoke up. "In order to maintain Issei's trust, I have alluded vaguely to the wedding and Sirzech's intent to have Issei disrupt it. The boy is aware that something is coming soon now, but none of the specifics."

Ajuka Beelzebub groaned along with half the room. "Damn it Michael. The last thing we need is to put Issei on edge this early when we're still trying to build up trust with him. Hanging something that big in front of him while holding so much back is the last thing we need."

"And springing it up on him when it does come is any better?" The archangel frowned. "The boy's barely keeping himself together as it is. And his trust in us is not doing much better. He would have no doubt interpreted things in the worst possible way if we had waited too long. I explained to him why we had to be so secretive, and thankfully he was understanding enough to not completely separate himself from us."

"I think that Michael-chan did the right thing." Serafall hummed, as if thinking of something interesting. "Issei-chan's not stupid. I wouldn't be surprised if he figures out everything if he was handed the wedding invitation right now. Even the things that Rias-chan doesn't know. He's always been scary perceptive that way. No. Depending on what Michael-chan has told him, it's possible that he might have figured it out already. Issei-chan might get mad at us, but this way, at least he won't hold us responsible. He's not like that."

"Not if we handle the aftermath of everything correctly, at least." Beelzebub pointed out firmly, getting nods of agreement from the others. What they were trying to do could easily go wrong if they weren't careful.

"Aftermath? Don't you mean fallout?" Azazel snorted, flexing his prosthetic arm. "I am attached to my new limb, but I'm not too keen on actually needing another one anytime soon. I'm sure that the rest of you share similar sentiments."

Their connection was ominously quiet. Each and every person participating had suffered the consequences for failing to keep their promises to Issei that day in one form or another, and not one of them would dare to let it happen a second time.

o. o. o.

Eight Years ago:

"You look like you need a drink."

Baraquiel looked away from Issei, who was nose deep in a book of theoretical white magic and its effects on various species, going through it as if the tome was cursed, to see Ichirou smiling with a bottle of beer in each hand.

"Am I that transparent?" The Cadre Class Fallen Angel laughed dryly, not even hesitating to take the opened drink offered to him despite experience and common sense telling him to turn it down in case the offering was poisoned.

That, and the brand offered tasted like dog piss.

"Maybe. Then again, it's not hard for one overworked husband and father to recognize another in their time of need." Ichirou shrugged, lifting his own drink in a mock toast.

"You do realize that part of my job involves dealing with your kid."

"All the more reason for a little treat every now and then." The human downed a few gulps, ignoring the look his fellow father was giving him.

Unsure of what to say, Baraquiel followed suit moments later, holding back a grimace from the poor taste of his drink.

"Wife and daughter, right?" Ichirou broke the awkward silence.

"Mmm. Shuri and Akeno. Those two…"

"Make it all worth it." The human nodded. "Don't I know it. Life wouldn't be the same without them. No matter what trials they bring."

Baraquiel somehow doubted that his drinking buddy could relate to going through thousands of years of on and off again war with your kin, only to have that numbing hell be broken by suddenly falling in love one day. But then again, not many Fallen actually got married in general either. Their instincts and drive to sin in one way or another tended to make extended relationships rather difficult. Only the most capable could reign back their unconscious impulses or channel them in non-self-destructive ways, but even that did not guarantee a successful marriage. All things considered, he was an oddity among his kind.

"I… have been staying out longer and longer as of late. My, the office, has been busier than normal. The days I can come home, it's so late that Akeno is already asleep. Sometimes Shuri too. They try to play it off, but I can tell it's getting to them."

"You know, you can always ask for a day off. Issei loves you like an uncle. If he thought that he was keeping you from your family, it would devastate him. He doesn't show it, but when it comes to people he likes, that he's close to, he gets really self-conscious. With the way he is, well, you can tell that he doesn't appeal to everyone. He really does appreciate all you're doing for us."

The bigger man chuckled into his next sip. Ichirou's description of how Issei treated him wasn't that hard to believe. His willingness to be around and teach the kid had automatically put him on a pedestal that he honestly didn't believe he deserved, or wanted.

Issei, was for lack of a better word, a sponge for information.

The child was almost nine years old. The age of a fourth grader.

But he was already reading books for people getting ready for their college exams and beyond. If the boy was believed, he would have been prepared to pass EMT tests if he wasn't too young to take them in the first place.

Whenever his parents weren't around, he used the Boosted Gear to magnify his ability to learn and retain information to terrifying degrees. Normally these effects would be temporary, but the kid had been studying and utilizing this method for so long that his mind had literally adapted to the strain and rate of growth to the point that he could memorize a huge amount of information in a single go without his Sacred Gear now.

In short, the boy had quite literally, forced himself to be a genius. To be something that he wasn't supposed to be.

For a harem.

Correction, for the harem.

The harem that he was going to make. The harem he was going to support and care for. The harem that he was going to protect.

Initially, Baraquiel assumed that Issei Hyoudou was a bit touched to be so obsessed with women and breasts. It took him over a week to convince the child that, no, he really didn't know the reason why humanoid women from his and other factions with large breasts tended to defy the laws of physics.

But, a week after that, he had made the mistake of trying to teach Issei about the flaws and risks of having a Harem, and that sometimes bad things could still happen to him and the girls under his care.

It was then that he was reminded that Issei was the Sekiryutei. The boy was kin to the Dragons, even if he was genetically a human.

No, in hindsight, the way Issei went after his desires was far more like a Dragon than a human.

And whatever a Dragon sought, it obtained, one way or another.

He decided to leave the Harem topic alone after that.

Azazel had been over the moon after his first report. Both in finding out what the kid did to himself…

… And Ghost.

Baraquiel still didn't know what the new Sacred Gear, Blind Eternity, did exactly. But then again, Issei didn't seem too interested in it in the first place. The kid was more focused on learning white magic and becoming a doctor despite his rather pitiful natural ability in magic in general when he wasn't using his Sacred Gears.

… Technically.

"Thanks for the offer, but we're made of stronger stuff than you think. One more week of this isn't going to hurt anyone. You have that vacation of yours coming up, right?"

"Mmm. Okinawa. A little sun and surf out in the open. It's nice to have a kid that takes studying so seriously, but this is a bit much. The fresh air and warm weather will do him good." Ichirou smiled, but Baraquiel could tell that it was somewhat forced.

"You're not looking forward to it?"

"I'd have to be dead to not look forward to Okinawa. It's something I used to be hyped up for when I was a kid." The human snorted before sighing deeply. "No, it's… I dunno. I feel like I'm missing out on what it means to be a dad."

A thick black eyebrow rose skeptically in confusion. "I don't follow."

Ichirou took another deep gulp from his drink, gathering his thoughts in the process. "… Asami and I, we married young. Our folks both gave us some money to start a family without too much worry. My job paid well, and Asami is the proactive type, doing small jobs around town to make a bit extra for a few luxuries. We wanted to have kids early. We did research. Made preparations. Moved to a good place with low crime and good schools. We thought we were ready for everything, but, we had complications conceiving. Something to do with the hormones in her body causing an imbalance that makes it hard for fertilized eggs to stay in her uterus. I forgot the term. We tried a few times and she even got pregnant before Issei but…"

The awkward silence spoke more than a thousand screams. Miscarriage. He didn't even want to imagine what it would have been like if Shuri had ever had to go through such an ordeal.

"So, when we found out about Issei, we were overjoyed. He was our miracle. No flaws. No complications. He just, came into the world kicking and screaming his lungs out, not caring about the odds he had defied. He was, and still is, simple and honest."

Issei. Honesty. It matched the boy perfectly in hindsight. He never held back his opinion on the topics at hand, even when he should. It was one of his most outstanding qualities, in both a good and bad sense.

"I always thought." Ichirou continued. "That as a dad, I'd be there to teach my kid everything important that he should know. School. Taxes. Girls. Be there if he needs help. Be his role model in one way or another. But, Issei's… he's…"

"A genius." Baraquiel supplied.

"Independent." Ichirou corrected. "He's smart, but, it's almost like he wants to do everything by himself, that he has to. It feels like I just blinked and my boy is already studying things that I either never learned or have long since forgotten. That or the things I can do, he's already pulling off better than I ever could. All without my help. It's almost like I wasn't even needed."

"You sound disappointed."

"Words can't describe how proud I am to have such a gifted kid, and his heart's as big as it comes. But, hell, he's done so much that I missed. I didn't even know about those bank accounts he set up earlier, let alone the fact that he can already support my family better than I can. Do you know how much of a kick to the ego it was when I heard that? My nine year old son is already making more money than I am. Before even getting his first job."

"You know that there's more to parenting than teaching your child academics and finances."

"I know. But, I was supposed to be there to help with his school projects. To get him motivated to go to school. To help him master the basics that all kids need to know. You know. Dad stuff. That's part of the reason why I wanted this break. Issei's been spending more and more time studying lately. He's making absurd progress, but at what cost? His closest friend is Ophis-chan, and it's obvious that the girl isn't all that she appears to be."

Understatement of the millennia in Baraquiel's opinion, but the point still stood.

"He's trying to be a man before he even knows or understands what being a boy is all about. I can't teach him much anymore, but I still want to do at least show him how to enjoy himself. How to enjoy being around others. How to, anything. Really, I just want him to know that I'll be there for him, and that it's ok to ask for help. But more than that though, I don't want him to get used to being alone."

He looked at Baraquiel with an unreadable expression. "He says he wants a Harem, and I believe that, but, I think it originally came from the fact that he's just really lonely. He didn't start spouting endlessly about women and oppai until after his only friend here moved halfway across the planet. The idea of constantly being around women, or people his age for that matter, that genuinely care for him and be happy for the rest of your life… what part of that doesn't sound appealing to a lonely kid?"

Baraquiel looked at Ichirou with old eyes. This man so many years his junior was putting so much effort into trying to be a good father. It was hard not to admire his heart and dedication. The mortal knew that his son was vastly superior to him in so many ways, but still wanted to be there for the child because he could.

He looked at his drink in thought.

How much effort had he put into trying to raise Akeno? He cared for her. Supported her. Protected her. And Shuri. But… was her situation any different from Issei's? Akeno spent most of her time inside the small property that they lived on. Due to Shuri's family not approving of their relationship, it was rare that Akeno was allowed outside on her own or without one of her parents' supervision, meaning she had little open contact with anyone her age.

The situation was different, but the results were eerily similar.

"Looks like I'm not the only one that's worried about home." Ichirou read him like a book.

"… If, if you can get Issei to reign in some of his habits after your trip, I might consider bringing my daughter to these sessions."

"That's a big if." The human snorted, drinking from the bottle again. "You sure that it's a good idea? You know how Issei is. They might not hit it off."

"Akeno, is a lot like her mother. She's kind and understanding, but due to circumstances, she's also a bit sheltered with few friends. If we handle this right, they might be good for each other."

"… Wait, hold on. Are we suddenly playing matchmaker or…"

"As friends."

"Ok. Ok. Just checking. No need to go overprotective on me. I'm a dad too." Ichirou held up his hands in surrender.

"Mmm." Baraquiel hummed, finishing off his drink. "If nothing else, you should be proud Ichirou. There's no one that would be able to argue that Issei is your son."

Issei had spent the following week and the entire vacation excited and nervous to meet Akeno. He had bombarded Baraquiel and his parents on advice on what Akeno liked and how he should act. So much so that the last day before he went on break, he had kept Baraquiel at his home well over an hour past the time the man was supposed to leave, double and triple guessing himself in a nervous panic.

It wasn't until two weeks after he had returned from the break that he had learned that the day he had left, the Himejima-clan had killed Shuri, and Akeno had gone missing.

Two weeks later, Issei had found out in his attempts to locate Akeno and those that attacked her, that had Baraquiel gotten home just a bit sooner, he could have protected his family.

The child rarely ate or slept.

After nearly a month of doing nothing but sinking nearly everything he had into finding Akeno, Azazel had to step in personally. With the help of Ghost and Ddraig, they had managed to get the boy to ingest some sedatives while he was distracted. Issei had mastered mixing Ddraig's power with white magic on his body to the point that he could normally burn through the effects within a few seconds, but thanks to his tenants' interference he had passed out before performing the spells and using his Sacred Gears.

Azazel needed the time to seal away Issei's knowledge of the event, and scour the boy's notes and computers of any information related to Baraquiel's wife and daughter.

He knew that Baraquiel's family had died, but that was all. He didn't know how he accidentally kept the man from saving them. He didn't know that he had been excited to meet his teacher's daughter, or that he very well had been responsible for her misfortune, or that he indirectly killed someone, or his efforts to find Akeno.

He didn't even recognize Akeno's name.

Asami and Ichirou also got similar treatments just in case.

Even so, it didn't take long for people to notice that Issei had stopped asking people for help or advice anymore. If anything, he was more withdrawn and obsessed with studying than ever.

Baraquiel, didn't come to teach him again either.

o. o. o.

Omake: Even saints have their limits:

"Come on."

"No."

"Come ooooooon."

"No. Unlike you, I have no interest in death." Issei glared at his Right hand as he was escorted through the Gates of Heaven with Michel and a small entourage of other Angels.

Not only was Ghost being more obnoxious than normal, but Issei had yet to see a single harem since getting here. Wasn't Heaven supposed to be where all the virtuous souls go to when they die? Where they get their wishes granted for good behavior? Where was all of that? If going to heaven after he died meant getting blue balled out of a well-deserved harem, then maybe there was some merit into researching youth sustaining immortality after all…

"Pleaaaaase? It'll be funny."

"That's why I'm not letting you do it."

"What is the matter?" Michael asked the young boy curiously.

"Ghost wants to try and piss you guys off by saying something a single stupid sentence."

"It works in over sixty percent of the Heaven's I've been in." The immortal was practically jumping with excitement. "Even in the ones belonging to worlds that it should make no contextual sense."

"I… why?" The Seraph, alongside his guards were caught completely flatfooted by the request.

"Because he's a jerk." Issei sulked.

"It started as a joke, but wound up as an experiment that my brother roped my family into. We're contractually obligated to test this out every time we visit a Heaven. With punishment clauses and everything."

"Your brother essentially forced you to piss off Heaven whenever you visited it?" Michael frowned in confusion.

"Yes! Well… technically, I'd do it anyway out of habit, but the contract makes me do it in a specific way."

"Your family's messed up. And I thought that the Greek Gods did crazy stuff." Issei summed up pretty much everyone's thoughts.

"The Greeks? Those idiots?" Ghost dismissed the pantheon viciously. "Those guys are less Gods and more an inbred family of perpetually drunk super powered college frat and sorority members that are constantly sticking their dicks into each other and weird places. Then they blame each other and everyone else for what they did when the hangover kicks in. The whole big book of Greek mythos should just be considered a guide of what NOT to do when you obtain Godhood. Bunch of fuckups if you ask me. The only reason why they're so famous is because their stories are like watching a mythological version of Jackass. It's horrible and retarded, but you just can't look away."

Michael shook his head, already in the process of making an effort to forget what he just heard, even if he couldn't argue against it. "And here I thought Azazel was overstating your eccentricity. Lord Ghost, if you truly are obligated to test your theory out, please do so. You are among some of the elite guard of Heaven. So long as what you say isn't truly blasphemous, I doubt that we will react as you will expect."

"Uh. Can he do it when there is more distance between me and everyone here?" Issei looked around nervously. "You know, in case I have to dodge? Or run?"

"Too late!" Ghost cut Michael off. "I believe that Kevin Smith's movie Dogma is an accurate representation of Biblical mythos!"

Shink.

Michael blinked and looked down to see that the elite Angel Guard around him had, in perfect synchronization, leveled their holy spears at Issei.

He was also curious to find that he himself had conjured a few dozen spears of his own in the air above himself, also leveled at the child. "… Huh."

"Sixty one percent!"

"I don't want to die yet! Even if I'm already in Heaven! Something tells me if I get the order backwards, I'm gonna get stuck in limbo because of paperwork issues!"

In hindsight, Michael would look back on that day and admit that it had been one of the most active days in Heaven for quite a while.