out of place

The town `Kuoh´ in `Japan´, Kuoh Academy

The black clothed figure was standing in the middle of the club-room belonging to the Occult Research Club. He was able to get in completely unnoticed... taking everybody by surprise... and would have been able to leave in the same way... if he wanted.

His method of teleportation was completely different from anything the supernaturals here knew. He could just appear right inside the building and only be seen when it was already too late. Like this time.

The group of Devils was caught completely off-guard when he was suddenly standing inside their rooms. Yet they were still trying to put up a fight as they saw his intentions and were of course failing.

He saw the Devil he was holding onto by her throat was struggling to break free.

Another one, the dark haired Fallen Angel hybrid, he had literally nailed at the door with multiple spears made out of ice that he had conjured and that were now rammed through her chest and stomach. He could just see the last bit of life leaving her eyes.

The smaller white haired girl was already lying lifeless to his feet.

One of the last who was still left, the blonde Knight, was raising his sword wordlessly and moved to attack him. He barely reacted to the insignificant threat. The man just made a small gesture and Yuuto Kiba´s body was ripped apart from the inside out.

He turned his attention back to the Devil he was holding. She had tried to use an attack against him, but he stopped it before she even began. He had made sure to let her watch how he had easily destroyed her peerage without even trying. Before he broke her neck and let her dead body fall to the ground.

He was looking down at her, Rias Gremory, her Queen, her Knight, her Rook, all eliminated.

Then he turned to the last two people who were left in the room. The small blonde girl Asia Argento. She wasn´t a fighter, so he decided to make her end quick. He conjured his own sword into his hand and separated her head from her body.

And to the last one, who had been screaming desperately the entire time, when he had seen what the stranger had been doing. The last remaining member of the peerage, Issei Hyoudou, who was being pressed against the wall by the powers of the attacker´s Sacred Gear.

He could have easily finished off this one like the others, but his masters had told him that they had still interest in him. This here was one of the universes where Rias Gremory had succeeded in turning Issei Hyoudou into her servant.

"You bastard," the boy yelled, trying in vain to hold back his tears. "Why... why did you do this?"

He was trying to break free, but the blood in his veins was being controlled by his enemy´s power and holding him back. Hyoudou was draining power from his own Boosted Gear, but his body was far from able to reach a high enough strength to overcome the invisible grip.

"Why?" the man repeated his question. "Does there really need to be a reason to finish off a group of Devils?" he asked casually. But then a grin formed on his face.

"You," Issei growled in a nearly blind rage.

The stranger was only looking at him, but then another thought was coming to the man´s mind.

"Actually Issei Hyoudou," he said, "you should thank me."

"Thank you?" he shouted. "You killed my friends. You..."

"Friends?" the man asked curiously. "You are the Red Dragon Emperor, as I have been told. You should stand on your own and not be enslaved to an arrogant and spoiled Devil. Or bound to people who would only slow you down," he said with a glance at Asia´s body.

"I will kill you. I swear I will kill you, no matter what I have to do," Issei screamed.

The being who had just wiped out the entire Gremory peerage was just returning his gaze with slight amusement.

"Issei have you ever asked yourself one question..." he stated. "How was Rias Gremory able to place a Summoning Flyer on you during the date where you were killed, unless she knew what was going to happen the entire time?"

Issei froze. The boy understood where this was going. He was clearly not as stupid as you got the impression.

"She had someone in place to take photos of you. Just to show them to you later. How come she did nothing to warn you or keep you from getting killed?" the stranger questioned. "Unless of course she actuallyintended for you to die."

"No... that isn´t true. Buchou wouldn´t do something like that," Issei exclaimed.

"Even now you deny the truth, even if it is thrown in your face. It is kind of pathetic actually," the man responded. "I truly don´t know why my associates asked me to spare a fool like you. Your so called friends have been lying to you every day. The only true innocent under them was Asia, but of course she happened to be in my way."

As he heard this words the rage returned to Issei´s face. But before anything more was said, the door was being slammed open.

Just like he had expected, the other Devil peerage of this town had arrived, after they had realized that something was wrong. It had taken them only a few minutes to come here.

But a few minutes were all the entire fight and his `conversation´ with Hyoudou had cost him.

Sona Sitri and her Queen were standing in the door, with the entire rest of her peerage right behind them.

"Rias," she called out as she saw the body of her friend on the ground and her massacred servants lying around her.

"Who are you?" she shouted at the intruder. "Who has send you?" Her fury rivalled that Issei had shown a few moments ago. For Sona, who was normally always calm and composed, nearly emotionless at the outside, this was very unusual. But given the situation nobody was surprised.

"Who has send me? That is a good question," he replied. "I am told to give you my greetings from Azazel," the man said. "Or was it Michael? I am not sure anymore." He grinned.

"You." Her rage became even more visible since the attacker who had just murdered her friend and her servants was obviously toying with her. "Don´t think that you can play with us. Who had send you?" she yelled.

But the man only laughed.

"Oh and Hyoudou... I am afraid you won´t kill me. In fact, you will never see me again after this day. Even if you travelled to the end of your world you won´t find me," he stated.

He was telling the truth. His counterpart in this world, he knew had been dead for many years and the current owner of the Sacred Gear he was using, was a nine year old child in this reality. He would leave this universe and had no intention to return. There was no way they would find anything about him.

"Tsubaki, Megumi, Bennia... go," Sona ordered for her Queen and her two Knights to move. But it was already too late.

He vanished right in front of them. There had been no magic circle to see. It was a form of transportation spell they had never seen before.

The man left Sona Sitri´s peerage and the mentally broken Issei Hyoudou behind.

xxxxxxx

Moments later he reappeared... somewhere at the other side of Japan.

He let his eyes and also his mental senses wander around, taking in the landscape, he was alone. Just like he had expected there was no other person around in miles.

Another mission. All too easy, he thought.

Just a few minutes later he could feel the telepathic call reaching him.

"Yes," he answered.

`As I see in your thoughts that you have finished the mission, ´the voice who had been calling him stated. `It was went as planned I presume?´

"Of course, this young Devils were no opponents for me. I even added a little bonus with this Issei Hyoudou you have mentioned," he replied. "It was actually somewhat boring," he commented.

In this world here Azazel, the leader of the Fallen Angels, had found evidence about the plot that Kokabiel had planned against him and had him arrested before he could actually start it.

This was secretly a great progress for Azazel´s plans to end the conflict between the three Factions. Since Kokabiel had been the greatest hindrance under the Grigori leaders for peace.

But this went against the interests of his masters. They wanted the conflict to continue for longer.

Now, with the sister of one of the Maou killed and the other two Factions automatically under suspicion, Azazel´s plans for peace won´t have a real chance to succeed for the visible future.

Beside that Rias Gremory was also supposed to marry another high ranked High Class Devil from the Phenex family in a few weeks from now on in an arranged political marriage. Of course this will now never come to pass. This little fact might cause additional unrest under the pureblood Devil families. It wouldn´t be much, but maybe worth considering.

He had purposely dropped hints that either one of the other Faction Leaders could be responsible for the hit... Or maybe some splinter group that only wanted to discriminate them.

But in truth it was none of all these. No, the true mastermind behind this attack was a force that these foolish creatures could not even imagine. And while for them the death of the sister of one of the devil-kings might be a great thing, for him it was not more than a low-grade mission. Barely more than a waste of his time.

`It seems Agent Crocel that you don´t think that your talents are properly challenged,´ the voice addressed him again. `I have another mission for you that you might find more interesting.´

It was the voice of a woman. He had actually never physically met her, but he of course knew her by reputation. She was one of the `Lords´, the heads of their organization... personally responsible for the destruction of entire worlds... and more.

"What kind of mission will that be?" he wanted to know.

`One that will bring you back to your home-universe. Your time of `outside missions´ is now over and we want you to take care of things in your world from now on," she told him.

Outside mission, this meant in his case someone who was given different tasks in different parallel universes that were not his own. Like he had done it for the last few years.

"I see, so this is a promotion," he mentioned.

`Yes, you are from now on personally responsible for our plans on your home-dimensions versions of Earth and their Heaven and Underworld.´

"I see," he replied. "But certainly you also have a specific task in mind with that I should begin."

`Indeed I have. Your first target is ironically the counterpart of the same person you have just been dealing with, Issei Hyoudou."

"And here I thought I finally had a challenge," he remarked.

`Don´t be so hasty. This version of Issei Hyoudou has a short time ago been recruited by the enemy.´

"So he is a member of the Guardians," he stated.

`Yes... and that is not everything. The one who is his partner at the moment, the one who is instructing him, is nobody else than the Angel who once fell for your sake.´

"Her," he said.

`By our information it also seems that these two are beginning to recruit others and maybe build up a team around them.´

"You are right," he replied, "this is interesting."

He would very soon return to his world. This was what he had been waiting for, he thought. It wouldn´t take long and he would come to realize his own plans.

xxxxxxx

A few miles from Kuoh, back in the `regular´ world

Issei was in a pretty awkward situation. He tried to remember when he had ever met a girl named Irina.

"Issei, you know her?" Asia questioned.

If he was honest, she seemed somewhat familiar to him... very familiar actually on a closer look. But he couldn´t quite place it.

Still, if he had ever known a girl like that, he would certainly remember her, right? Especially one who was willing to throw her arm around him like this on sight.

"Irina, how do you know this person?" her fellow Exorcist asked as well. She too had lowered her hood and they saw that it was a young girl with short blueish hair and a bright yellow strand in it.

"Yes Issei, who is this?" he heard Raynare asking him as well. "Don´t you want to introduce us?"

Her tone was sounding sweet, at the outside. She was using the same voice as in her alter-ego as Yuuma, the same one like on their date. But he could hear a certain kind of malice swinging with it.

Suddenly it hit him.

"Irina... you... you mean Irina Shidou?" he asked. "That... that is you?"

"Yes, of course it is me," she said. "Didn´t you recognize me? We have known each other since we were children after all."

"Yes, but you... you are a girl?" he stammered. "I didn´t... I never realized that you were a girl."

If he thought the situation had been awkward before, with this statement he had made it ten times worse. The dumbfounded expression everyone around was looking at him for a moment, could have been out of some comedy TV show.

Then, after a second as they fully registered what they had just heard, Raynare, Rias and even Gaeriel near instantly broke out into laughter. Akeno was a bit quieter, but still laughing. Kiba looked as if he could barely hold himself back. Even Asia was giggling a little.

"Issei that... that was just great. You actually believed she was a boy? I thought something like that doesn´t happen in real life," Raynare said, still chuckling, while she was still trying to get a hold on herself. " And I thought you of all people would know the difference between boys and girls."

"I see you are already back to laughing about me," Issei commented drily.

The Fallen Angel froze. She suddenly looked uncomfortable, even hurt... and somehow afraid.

He remembered he had not said that he had forgiven her... at least yet. But why should she even care that much about this?

"I... I am sorry Issei. I didn´t mean it like this," she exclaimed quickly.

It was clear that all what had happened over the day, especially the revelation about one of her leader´s betrayal from a few minutes ago, had really gotten to her.

He was looking at her for a few moments.

"Don´t worry. It is okay," he told her. "I admit it wasfunny." He smiled... he was actually smiling at her, he thought.

What was he thinking? She was his killer and now he was standing here, placating her, actually worrying about her feelings and even trying to calm her down.

Still it was as if the impact of what had happened had turned the cynical and arrogant Fallen Angel that he had got to know into an overly sensitive, fragile and very easy to hurt girl... well, at least temporary... and a part of him couldn´t help hating seeing her like this.

Another small part of him however, he admitted, was glad seeing her so vulnerable. She could surely not be able to hurt him when she was like that. Yet another part of him felt ashamed for even thinking in that way.

Anyway... not matter how he felt... he had literally seen her turn into a crying mess a few minutes ago and he knew the last thing they needed was her breaking down again right in the middle of the meeting.

He noticed that Raynare had indeed calmed down and was even returning his smile.

As he turned back around to the two Exorcists, he realized that Irina and her partner were staring at them. It somehow came to him what kind of display he and Raynare must have just made... and that right in front of them.

"Issei, why are you here with a group of Devils and Fallen Angels? What do you have to do with these people?" she asked him. "And what in the world has happened to you?" she yelled suddenly after taking a closer look at him.

Issei realized that he hadn´t thought about hiding his powers anymore after this surprise. Both of the Exorcists now easily noticed the large power he was radiating.

Damn it, Issei and Gaeriel though nearly at the same time. They had hoped that whoever the Church would send would not pay much attention to him next to the Devils and Fallen Angels with them. To them he would have been just another human who cooperated with the other Factions for one reason or the other.

How in the world were they supposed to know that his childhood friend of all people would be one of them? They must've have had the worst kind of bad luck here.

Well, maybe not completely. After all, Issei now looked clearly happy to see `her´ again, now that he knew who she was and even finally figured out her gender. Gaeriel admitted even she could barely hold herself back from laughing once again when she thought about it. She actually grinned a bit for a moment.

If she was honest, she had hoped to keep Issei´s involvement in all this a secret, at least for now.

The truth was, the Vatican and the heads of the Protestant and Orthodox Churches knew about the existence of the Guardians and had at least some ties with them. But she would have preferred if the fact that they were cooperating with the Grigori and especially the agreement she had made with Rias Gremory, would be kept quiet about. She wasn´t quite sure how the Church would react to these things.

"Issei, don´t tell me you have joined them?" Irina exclaimed.

So much for that, Gaeriel thought.

"Irina, why else would he be here with them?" her partner stated. "Your friend has obviously joined one of the other Factions and since they are enemies of God, we will have to consider him one too."

"You can not mean that Xenovia. Issei is my oldest friend. There has to be a reason for this," Irina insisted.

For a short moment Gaeriel was tempted to reveal who they really were. But that would make everything even more complicated right now. Especially with the Devils around.

"If we are enemies of the Church, why are we handing over one of the most wanted Stray Exorcists to you?" she commented instead.

"That doesn´t mean much. You will have your own reasons for it," the girl replied. "Oh, I am Xenovia Quarta by the way."

"My name is Gaeriel," she returned the introduction, "you already know of my partner Issei Hyoudou and this is Raynare."

"I am Rias Gremory, this is my Queen Akeno Himejima, my Knight Yuuto Kiba and my Rook Koneko Toujou," Rias stated on behalf of her own group.

"I see," the Exorcist named Xenovia replied.

"Issei - tell me, what is with you and that Fallen Angel?" Irina demanded.

He felt Raynare stepping forward from right behind him and laying one of her arms around his shoulder.

"What is with us? That is quite simply," she said, "I am his girlfriend."

The dumbfounded expression the two Exorcists had now was truly priceless. Issei himself was also not sure how he felt about this declaration.

"So that is the explanation," Irina called out. "This Fallen Angel has seduced you." She was now literally starring daggers at Raynare and both Issei and Gaeriel saw that her hand was uncomfortably close to her sword.

Just what they needed, a young girl starting a battle out of jealousy.

"No, it is truly not what you think," Issei told her.

But they all were suddenly interrupted.

It was Freed, who was still being guarded by Kiba and Akeno and had followed their entire exchange so far in slight amusement. Now he started to laugh loudly.

"Girlfriend. Ha, that´s just great. Do you know why your `friend´ suddenly has this kind of power? Why his Sacred Gear had been activated?" the shackled Stray Exorcist yelled. "His girlfriend here has killed him with her own hands just a few days ago. I don´t know howthey have brought him back, but that pretty much, well..." he grinned.

Irina´s expression had now turned downright murderous and her hand was now truly on her weapon.

"What?" she said in a dangerous low tone.

"Oh, but that is not even all," Freed continued. "This girl there. Do you know who that is?" he yelled. "This is Asia Argento. Yes, the same Nun who was excommunicated because she had healed a Devil. And now she is here with them. What do you think, maybe you should better kill her now, before the Devils or Fallen Angels manage to corrupt her completely." he asked them grinning.

The gaze of the two Exorcists had now turned to Asia, who they had not actually paid attention to so far. But now that had instantly changed.

Issei and Gaeriel both clenched their teeth. Freed hadrecognized her. This was what they had feared. And Asia kneeling him in the balls earlier had certainly not helped his `motivation´ to keep his mouth shut.

The main reason why they had come up with the disguise and the false name in the first place was to keep her identity from the Devils. But now he had blurted it out, not only in front of them but also the two Exorcists.

This could be bad. Not that they didn´t trust themselves to defend Asia if these two really decided to attack her. But with blowing her secret right in front of Rias peerage and the Church Agents, their entire deception to fake her death would essentially become meaningless.

"You won´t actually listen to this lunatic, right Irina?" Issei asked her, moving himself between them and the disguised Ex-Nun. "This is my foster sister Maia. She isn´t this Asia Argento or whatever person.

And Raynare, she - she wouldn´t hurt me. She..." he said weakly. He really wished he sounded more convincing. But he just couldn´t bring the words out. He admitted he hated lying to her like this... and actually claiming that Raynare had never hurt him? It felt like throwing salt into an open wound.

But they couldn´t let this escalate right now.

Irina was still standing before him with her hand on her sword, struggling with herself.

"You have to admit, she has a certain resemblance to Asia Argento," Xenovia stated. "Except the hair and the glasses it could easily be her. And if someone like Asia Argento was threatening to join the other Factions, it would be better if we take her out."

Irina now turned back to her partner, looking a bit uncomfortable about the suggestion. But she didn´t say something against it either.

"Well, that might be," Raynare of all people spoke up, "but this girl here is not Asia Argento."

"Why should we believe you Fallen Angel?" Xenovia asked.

"Tell me, why is this Asia even a topic to beginn with? Because of her Sacred Gear, Twilight Healing, right?"

"Yes," Xenovia replied. "A power that can heal anyone, even Devils and Fallen Angels. That is why we should do anything to keep it out of their hands."

"It seems you are a bit too late then." Raynare smirked. "May I?" she reached out to the blade of Irina´s sword. "I just want to show you something."

She let her hand glide lightly over the sharp edge of the weapon, leaving a small but visible cut... and then instantly healed it, radiating a greenish light.

The two Exorcists looked shocked at the display.

"You should know that my former team had found Asia Argento some time ago," Raynare said. "As you surely know, no Sacred Gear user is capable of surviving the removal of their Gear. She can"t be Asia, because she is dead. I - we - killed her," she lied.

"You damned bitch," Freed growled at her at Raynare, "I don´t know how you have done this. But you can´t fool me like those idiots here."

"Oh shut up Selzen," she replied. "And by the way Freed, are you really in a position to call anyone a bitch?... I mean all chained up like you are," she said with a grin.

The Stray Exorcist was just glaring at her murderously. But he was not the only one.

"You, you killed her to get her Sacred Gear," Irina yelled, "and you Issei... you - you are with her, even if you know that she is a murderer? She even killed you if what that Stray Exorcist said is true. How could you?"

"Have you not just considered to kill this girl yourself a minute ago?" Gaeriel commented.

"That, that - that is something completely different," Irina replied.

"Of course, it always is," she remarked drily.

"But this is not the matter right now. You are here to bring this guy..." she pointed at Freed, "...in... and not to let him play us against each other. His obviously only trying to distract us all."

"As much as I hate to say it, but the Fallen Angel is right," Rias told them sternly. "We are here to hand over Freed Selzen to you. Here he is. If you are not interested and rather fight about other matters, then we can always take him back and you can explain this to your superiors."

"Okay okay," Xenovia said. "We have a transport vehicle at the other side of this forest, about one mile from here."

"I will come with you to assist you," Gaeriel stated, hoping for a chance to be alone with the two Agents of the Church. "You can return to the town then," she said to Issei and the others. "I will meet you later like we have agreed to," she added with a side-glance to Rias.

"It seems being an arrogant Devil actually has its advantages, right?" she said quietly to her.

"Just remember our agreement Fallen Angel," she replied, visible annoyed by the comment.

Neither Irina or Xenovia resisted Gaeriel´s offer to accompany them. They knew all too well how dangerous Selzen was and that they could need the help.

As they were leaving together the others were about to return to the town. Both groups on their own.

"Raynare," Iseei whispered to her as they stepped closer together for the transport-circle, remembering how she had covered for Asia, "thank you." He said the words that he had never thought he would.

xxxxxxx

The abandoned church

For the last day, not much had happened for the remaining Fallen Angels. Raynare had left for the headquarter last night, after she had told them that she had disposed of the Nun´s body. As their `new member´ Gaeriel had told them, she had died despite her efforts to improve the ritual to keep her alive.

Well, it was sad. It would have certainly been a good thing if they could have removed Sacred Gears with the users surviving. A few might have actually volunteered to get rid of them. Still it was nothing to shed tears over. They had gotten what they intended to after all.

Just a few hours later in the same night Gaeriel herself had left as well without saying much. As Kalawarner had asked her, she had just stated that she had gotten another mission and won´t return. Since she had not really been a member of their team in the first place, it was also no real loss.

Another one who had not returned was Freed Selzen. Someone else they would clearly not miss. He had just not come back from the search for Asia Argento. Maybe he had run into Issei Hyoudou and was actually defeated by him, as unlikely as it sounded that a boy who had just activated his Sacred Gear would beat an experienced Exorcist. But going by Kalawarner´s state after her fight with him, he wasn´t exactly a weakling anymore. Or maybe Selzen had picked a fight with the Devils and was killed by them. As they knew him that was also good possible.

A number of the other Stray Exorcists had left as well this morning. They had only been here for the single purpose to assist and guard the ritual and were now going back to other tasks.

The ones who remained in the church were Dohnaseek, Kalawarner, Mittelt and the rest that was left of their hired group of Stray Exorcists.

The Devils had been quiet and they had not actually seen much of them.

For the greatest part of the day, not much had happened... until about half an hour ago. Two messages had arrived only a short time apart.

The first was a official announcement from the headquarter. It was telling them that Raynare had been assigned to a special mission on direct orders of Lord Azazel himself... and that Dohnaseek was promoted to team-leader.

Well, good for both of them, he thought. It seemed that Raynare had finally succeeded with her wish to raise Azazel´s attention.

Furthermore it only said that their team should stand back and wait for further orders. So it was just sitting around and doing nothing. None of them particular like that.

This was until the second message arrived. This one was a direct order from Lord Kokabiel.

A smile formed on Dohnaseek´s face while he was reading it. Finally some action.

"Kalawarner, Mittelt," he called out. "Come, we have something to do."

xxxxxxx

Kuoh Academy, the same evening

Rias and her peerage had returned less than a hour ago. Like she had already expected, Grayfia contacted her again only a short time later. And also the reason for her call was no surprise, given what Sona had told her.

She had to admit, she was happier than ever before that she had accepted the deal that the Fallen Angel with Issei had offered her.

A short time later Grayfia appeared in person. But as she told them, she would not be the only one. Raiser Phenex as it turned out, has for some reason started to press for the engagement between them.

She had instantly send a message to her new... well, she guessed she should call them allies. It was not that she truly trusted that Fallen Angel Issei was working with. But this might be her best and quite possible only chance if things continued like this.

"Tell me everything about this Raiser that you can," Gaeriel had asked her. "Only facts, don´t say something only because you don´t like him. The better my picture of the man is, the better for you."

That was what she had told her. Now the time had come and Rias could only hope that everything would work out.

She and her peerage members were now sitting together in their club-room, waiting. Only Grayfia was still standing, acting her part as a maid of the Gremory House.

"Grayfia," Rias addressed her, "there is one last thing. Two more `friends´ of us will arrive her soon. I wanted them to be present for this meeting."

"Two friends Rias-sama?" she questioned.

"This meeting should have actually only been the business of you, Raiser-sama and your servants and houses."

"I know, but it is important for me to have them here. Grayfia, I have one request."

"Yes?" the maid asked.

"Whatever you hear when they are talking with Raiser, don´t say anything and even more, don´t attack them."

"Why should I attack your friends Rias-sama?"

"They... they are not members of our Faction," she told her vaguely. "Nor are they regular humans."

"Rias what are you planning?" Grayfia asked now. Concern was to hear in her voice.

"Just promise me," she repeated.

"Okay, if that is your wish," she stated, still not sounding exactly happy.

"Thank you."

A minute later another magic-circle showed up on the ground before them, this one in the style of the House of Phenex and a blonde haired young man appeared.

"Rias my love, how wonderful to see you again," Raiser greeted her, his voice sounding more than smug.