Will you die for me?

Kuoh, the Hyoudou home

Issei´s parents were having an unexpected visitor. His mother opened after she had heard it ringing at the door.

"Yes?" she asked. To her surprise she saw that it was a young girl who was standing outside.

"Ahm, hello Mrs. Hyoudou, I am going to the same class as Issei. My name is Murayama. I wanted to ask if he is here?" the girl asked her.

For a split second, Issei´s mother was staring at her with a open mouth. The Hyoudous were for the most part a quite normal family. One of the few exceptions was that their son was a hopeless pervert, what had made him into an outsider at school.

If there was one thing she would have never expected, then it was a girl standing at their door, asking for him.

"Who is it darling?" Issei´s father asked her from the living room.

"Someone who is asking for Issei," she answered.

"Is it those boys Matsuda and Motohama?" he questioned. They were normally the only ones from his class who usually visited him.

"No... it's... it's a girl," she replied.

"What?" He was similar surprised as his wife.

"I am sorry, but Issei is not here in the moment," she told Murayama.

"Oh, when will he return?"

"I´m not completely sure," she admitted. "To be honest he had not been at home much lately."

"I see," Murayama responded. "Thank you."

The truth was, ever since Issei had been suddenly invited by Rias Gremory a few days ago, she had been wondering. During their discussion then, the usually happy go lucky pervert she knew had suddenly seemed deeply serious and was even calling them out for the way they acted. She admitted that left an impression on her.

As she started to actually pay some attention to him, she realized that something actually seemed to be going on with him. The way he was looking and acting was simply different from before. All of that made her somewhat curious... and, pervert or not, Hyoudou was a fellow student. So it couldn´t be wrong to be worried.

When she asked Matsuda and Motohama, who were of course more interested in starring at her breasts than answering questions, she found out that he, despite being their best friend, spend very little time with them during these last few days.

Okay, she admitted she had followed him once or twice after school. Then she had seen him meeting with a woman she had never seen before a few times and every time he and the woman vanished a short time later. All that seemed even more strange to her.

"Shall I tell him that you were here when he returns?" Issei´s mother asked.

"This isn´t necessary. I will just talk to him another time," she answered.

If someone had told her a few days ago that she would be following around... not to say stalking... a member of the perverted trio, she wouldn´t have believed it. But she couldn´t help herself, something was happening with Hyoudou... and she felt that she just had to know what it was.

xxxxxxx

If someone had told Issei one week ago that he would be walking through the corridors of a seemingly abandoned factory building somewhere at the outskirts of the city, together with Rias Gremory of all people, he would have thought this person was lying.

If someone had told him that Rias Gremory and the members of her club were Devils and that he and them were together would capture and interrogate an insane priest and serial killer, he would have thought that person was completely out of his mind.

Well...

In this moment he was walking through said building, together with Rias Gremory and Akeno Himejima. As they had told him the place was officially abandoned. But in truth the place belonged to the Gremory family, as a storage or in this case a prison for `things´ that were too dangerous to be kept at the school, like Freed Selzen.

They were here to begin the interrogation of the very clearly insane Exorcist.

"Here it is," Rias said to him as she was leading him to a door.

He had already seen a room that was filled with various items that were probably connected to Devil culture. This one on the other hand was outfitted like a prison cell, where the Stray Exorcist was being that wasn´t even all of it. As hard as it was to top that level of craziness.

Beside all that he was also having a conversation with a Dragon... and the topic of their current talk was not exactly usual either.

`Dracula. I know there are many strange things out there. But really Ddraig... Dracula?´ Issei questioned.

[Yes, Dracula. Or Prince Vlad the III of Walachia if you prefer his official title,] Ddraig replied. [It was clearly him. The man you have seen in the Stray Exorcist´s memories however was when I remember right, Kokabiel, one of the leaders of the Fallen Angels.]

`The same one that Gaeriel had mentioned is somehow involved with Raynare´s group´ Issei commented.

[Yes.]

He and Ddraig had been talking in a bit more detail about the vision he had experienced, that showed him a battle that had happened in some alternate reality.

What had astonished Issei the most was who exactly one of the people he had seen fighting was. He remembered the man in the red trench coat, with the glowing red eyes... and the long canines. According to Ddraig, who was connected to his mind and has so seen the vision as well, this guy was nobody else than...

`Your telling me that Dracula is a member of the Guardians? You are joking, aren´t you?´ he asked. `Even if he exists, how would he even be on their side?´

[No Partner, I am not.] the Dragon assured him. [One version of him at least. But he was obviously not the one from our world. In his lifetime as a human he had been one of the most feared rulers and warlords of his race. In secret however he was dealing with far greater powers than that... and with his mortal death he became something different, a so called Nosferatu, a King of the undead, a Vampire of the highest order.

But the one from your vision, he was different... far above even that. This one had somehow evolved into a being whose power even surpasses mine.]

`You actually sound impressed.´

[I am. For a being who started out as human to actually surpass me, not only the power of one of my hosts, but me myself. That is quite impressive.]

`After all what I have seen, why does that even surprise me?´ Issei stated. Yes, his life had obviously turned crazy.

`So he is a member of the Guardians... and that means I am now part of the same group as him?´ the thought obviously unsettled him.

[Actually, by what we have seen, he seemed to be one of the higher ranked members of the organization, maybe even one of their leaders. That means if you decide to stay, he will be one of your superiors,]Ddraig told him.

`Great, just what I always wanted, the King of the Vampires as my boss,´ he thought.

xxx

Issei remembered the scenes he had seem of him in his vision. Aside from Darien and his mysterious opponent, the man in the red trench coat had been the most impressive and plainly said, most frightening of the warriors he had seen. The power of all three of them was far... far beyond anything he would have thought possible.

But ironically it was not only their supernatural powers. He remembered the details of the fight. If he had thought the two sword-fighters he had seen at the beginning of the battle, the skill and speed that Darien, the guy he had been fighting against and this `Dracula´ had shown with the blade when they had temporally used short range weapons, made them look like amateurs.

One thought however had crossed his mind. why would beings like this, whose power surpassed even gods, be this good with simple weapons like swords?

[As I told you, Vlad Dracula had started out as human,] Ddraig reminded him. [It might be the same with the other two.]

Them?... but. He remembered how absurdly powerful all three of them were. Would he himself one day also be a being like that? he asked himself. Or would he turn into a killing-machine and destroy anyone around him, like Ddraig and Raynare had suggested?

Raynare... even thinking about her had started to hurt. But if this plan worked out he might have to do much more than thinking about her.

[Don´t worry Partner. I am sure together we will get this under control. The being who had resurrected you seems quite competent and if he and the others were really born as humans, they are living proof that it is really possible to control that kind of power.]

`Thank you Ddraig.´

[Well, in Dracula´s case, his skill should not really be a surprise. He was a knight of the Order of the Dragonafter all,] he stated with obviously played pride.

`Ddraig, I didn´t know you had a sense of humor´, Issei replied. `But honestly, you could still work on it.´

xxx

Back in the real world.

"We are here," Rias said to him. They had arrived in front of the door and were meeting with Kiba, who was currently standing guard.

Issei admitted he wasn´t exactly feeling well, being here with the Devils who had tried to forcefully recruit him just a few days ago. He didn´t really trust them.

But Gaeriel had offered them a deal and Rias had, as soon as she heard the offer, very quickly agreed. So far she and her entire peerage had been completely cooperative... no tricks, no manipulations. What Gaeriel had promised was obviously quite important to her.

"Has he said anything yet?" Rias asked Kiba.

"Only if you mean throwing a lot of insults at us, then yes Buchou," Kiba replied stoically.

"I see," she answered.

They entered the small room, Akeno right behind them and Kiba still standing at the door.

Freed was shackled and tied to a chair that was chained to the walls. Ironically it was a quite similar position as his latest victim.

"You shit-headed Devils think you are so great?" he growled at them. "Had it not been for your pal over there," he was looking at Issei, "then I would have screwed your little girl until she could no longer stand and then cut off her fucking head."

Rias slapped him across the face as she heard what he just said.

"Let me make one thing clear. We have all seen what you have done to Koneko and you won´t get away with this. If I had my way you would be already rotting away, right next to the human you have killed, but our temporally... ahm allies think you might know something important. So tell me, what you know about the Fallen Angel group in this town?" she asked him angrily.

"What I know is the position you will be in when I get out of here... bend over and screaming your lungs out with something hard deep inside your ass, just like so many other whores like you."

Rias was backhanding him again and then even gave him a punch right in the face. She had gotten really angry now. She couldn´t help herself, but this guy just set her off.

"Tell me, beating a chained up man... do you get off on this? Is that the thing for you Devils?" Freed asked her.

"Well, to be honest, it is my thing," Akeno admitted, grinning brightly. She had been following their exchange with great interest and a more than a bit wicked smile on her face. She actually seemed to be a bit... aroused, Issei thought.

He wasn´t quite sure about what to think about thisside of Akeno-senpai. He admitted it made him somewhat uncomfortable.

"Normally I would be the one doing the part of the `interrogation´ which Buchou right now so eagerly performs." She grinned. "But to be honest, you are not really my type," she told him. "You are too vulgar. So I will leave it to her... this time," she stated.

Freed only laughed at this.

"Oh, I see. The lady is a perverted sadist. But she still has her `standards´. It is kind of amusing, don´t you think?" he commented.

"Let me deal with him," Issei said to them.

Like the last time he reached out with his newy developed mental powers to the Stray Exorcist´s mind. This time however he avoided to actually look into Freed´s deranged mind. He just concentrated on forcing information out of it.

The mental barriers of the Stray Exorcist were holding him back for a few moments. But then he focused his powers even more. As some kind of signal, a trigger for the full extent of his telepathic powers - it was something he just came up with - he snapped with his fingers... and Freed began to talk.

And with every word he heard Issei became more angry.

xxxxxxx

Grigori Headquarters

At the same time Raynare was still facing her leaders.

"Now Raynare, tell me, what exactly do you think we should do with you?" Azazel asked her. For a short moment he actually sounded a bit amused and a grin flashed across his face. But then he was dead serious again.

"On one side you have secured a very valuable Sacred Gear for our race. And you have extracted it and keeping the original owner alive. On the other you have acted without authorization, you killed a non-involved Sacred Gear user and you gave false information to a few of your superiors. Maybe we should reward you first and then bring you before a court martial. What do you say?"

"Court martial? How can you even consider punishing her Azazel-sama? She is a hero of our race after all," Kokabiel addressed him.

"A hero?" Baraquiel asked incredulous. "She had murdered a 16 year old human teenager and she had at least been planning to kill this girl too," he said, looking at Asia.

"A teenage boy that even Lord Azazel admitted could have become a threat," Kokabiel responded, "and an excommunicated Nun who had, according to the reports, at least considered to betray us and defect. She would be gone and her Sacred Gear with her." He sends a glare to poor Asia, who was already intimidated from being here and was now actually fighting the urge to hide behind Raynare of all people.

"How many other lives have we already sacrificed without a second thought?" Kokabiel asked them the question those answer they all already knew. Too many.

"Now Baraquiel. You know as good as me that if we locked up everyone who killed someone for one weird reason or the other, half of the Underworld would be imprisoned..." Azazel commented, "... and the other half would be standing guard."

"I know that. But that doesn´t mean I like it," he replied.

They all knew that the Fallen Angels didn´t have much choice when it came to their methods or to their allies. That was the only reason why people like Freed Selzen were even tolerated work for their organization.

And that was also the reason that the chances of Raynare and her group actually getting a serious punishment for killing an outsider and acting without orders were pretty low. Not if people like Selzen were doing things like that and worse every week... under their protection... and were getting away with it because they were needed.

No, Raynare´s latest actions were only a symptom of a far greater problem. Something that needed to be changed if there should ever be a chance for true peace.

How can their lower ranks be expected to show discipline and follow their orders or even to respect the lives of other races, when their leadership is letting mass-murderers into their ranks and in some cases allows them to run amok? And how would this lower ranks react if one of them would get punished for something human Stray Exorcists get away with all the time in their organization?

Punishing Raynare now would only made them all look like hypocrites. Especially with Kokabiel obviously trying to stir up trouble.

"You don´t like it Baraquiel? Or is it more about the fact that that boy was human?" Kokabiel suggested. "You have a weakness for human's haven´t you? You were even married to one and had a daughter with her."

"What do you think my family has to do with this?" Baraquiel asked him angrily.

"Just that you had this family until someone who hated our kind decided to kill them. So the loss of human children is probably something of a wound point for you, right? But on the second though, your daughter is still alive, isn´t she?

Oh right, she had just abandoned you and joined the Devils. She is right now with our enemies and is helping them to kill our people."

"How dare you?" Baraquiel growled.

"What? telling you the truth. Your daughter is a traitor... and you are doing nothing about it, like trying to bring her back. Instead you are sitting here, trying to take the moral high ground and place judgement on people who actually care about our race. Of course if she were here, you wouldn´t ask to have her punished, would you? Because you care more about humans and their offspring than your own kind."

Baraquiel jumped up from his seat. He looked as if he was ready to throw a lightspear at his comrade.

"You bastard," he hissed.

But Kokabiel was only sitting there, grinning.

"That is enough Kokabiel," Shemhazai cut in. "This is not a question of the species."

"Well, of course you would be saying this, given who your wife is," Kokabiel retorted, reminding them all that their Vice Governor had married a Devil. "But at least you are leaving her influence on you in the bedroom where it belongs."

"Your attitude is not helping at all Kokabiel," Penemue who was sitting at the right end of the table, pointed out.

Raynare had meanwhile been watching with shock and to be honest, even slight amusement how her `esteemed leaders´ were verbally ripping themselves apart.

What was frustrating however was that Kokabiel was the only one who actually seemed to back her up. For a short moment she asked herself why she was even trying so hard to impress these people.

"Actually Issei... I mean the boy Raynare-sama has killed, is alive again," someone spoke up a bit timidly. They realized that it was Asia Argento.

"Is he... eh?" Azazel questioned.

Somehow there was a playful undertone in his voice. But it was something that only the people who knew him would realize.

Yes, the fact that the boy had been returned to life was about the best part about this entire mess. And not by the Devils, what would have made everything probably only more complicated in the long run. Especially now that he knew who this boy was.

Raynare, he thought. Why did it had to be her of all of them who ended up pulling something like this?

Oh yes, he knew exactly why. This desperate desire to prove herself to him. Her nearly obsessive need to gain his and the other leader´s attention.

He was willing to bet every last one of his wings that it was Kokabiel who had placed this idea with the Twilight Healing into her head in the first place. But right now there was little he could do about it.

Azazel knew a part of it was his own fault. He had seen the problem with her coming months ago. He could have confronted her and talked with her about it. But he had other things on his mind and she was after all only one of many group-leaders under his command. Instead he had ignored it and send her to the mission in Kuoh.

Whatever you could say, telling a young woman with a borderline obsession to please him, that the Sacred Gear user she was meant to observe was a potential threat was clearly not one of his smartest decisions.

"It looks like this discussion is leading us nowhere," Azazel announced. "Fighting each other will help none of us," he stated, looking at Kokabiel. "If you allow me I would like to make a suggestion. If you all agree with it, I want to take care of this matter by myself. To be precise, there is a special assignment that needs to done and Raynare here is the perfect candidate for it."

This statement surprised all of them, especially Raynare herself. For a split second it crossed her mind that Azazel had maybe `something else´ in mind to let her make up for acting outside of his orders.

She wouldn´t say no, she knew. Not if it was him.

But what was said a moment later convinced her that this was clearly not the case.

"Special assignment? How come I didn´t know anything about this?" Penemue asked him. By her expression it was good possible that she had the same thought as Raynare did.

Given that lust was a common sin under the Fallen Angels and Azazel´s own reputation, it wouldn´t even be that far off.

But he proofed both of them wrong instantly.

"It is a mission that is top-secret even under the higher ranks," he answered. "And I myself have only found out about this a short time ago. Besides that, for it will be necessary to remove her from the official ranks for some time. There will be neither an official reward or punishment. She will just disappear for some time. I think that would be the best for everyone involved right now.

When she finished this mission successfully, then she will have fulfilled a great service to all of us. Her failings will be forgotten and she will be rewarded for all her achievements for our cause. That means of course if you agree to this terms Raynare," he said.

"I... Lord Azazel, I don´t know what to say. Of course I agree," she replied.

"Good, meet me in my office after this meeting. I will discuss the details with you," he told her.

All of them were looking at him in surprise. But none of them were against it. This would get the problem out of their hands and served, by what Azazel said, even a long time purpose.

"And about you Asia Argento," the leader of the Fallen Angels addressed her, "as I have heard you are intending to leave our faction?"

"Y..yes, I... I do," she answered nervously. "I have found people who are willing to take care of me. I..." she interrupted herself for a short moment. "... Raynare-sama now possesses the Twilight Healing and thanks to her most other people now think I am dead, so..."

"I see," Azazel replied. "Does anyone of you protest her decision to leave us?" he asked.

Asia was looking at the Fallen Angels in the room. To them she was now only a human girl, without any special powers, fighting skills or other uses. There was no longer a reason to hold her. None of them said anything.

"Good Asia, then you are free to go and live wherever you want to," he told her.

"Thank you Lord Azazel," she said.

Kokabiel had been following the events without another word. The plan had clearly not worked out, otherwise none of these two would even be here. The question only question was why.

There was a reason he had made a pact with that disgusting Devil in the first place, as much as he hated the thought. It was about time he contacted with his `ally´

xxxxxxx

Kuoh academy

"Rias, we need to talk," she was greeted, a short time after she and Akeno had returned to their club room, by two young women in student uniforms.

Both of them had dark hair, the first one in a short bob cut and both were wearing glasses.

For the human students this two were Sona Shitori, the President of the Student Council and her Vice President Tsubaki Shinra. Behind that however they were Sona Sitri, the King of the other Devil peerage that was controlling this area and her Queen.

"Yes Sona?" Rias asked her. "What do you want to talk about?"

"First of it is about this dangerous Stray Exorcist who you are holding prisoner," Tsubaki stated in Sona´s place.

"I assure you that he is completely secured and he won´t stay for long anyway," Rias said, looking at both of them. "Besides that, the place where he is held belongs to the Gremory family alone. So it is myresponsibility."

"I am aware of that," Sona answered. "But it is not only this. There is also this agreement you have made with a group that we have never heard of before."

"That makes it an ideal opportunity to find out more about them," Rias countered.

"Don´t try to fool me Rias. I know exactly what they have offered you," she responded. "By the way, while you were absent Grayfia had been trying to contact you."

"Grayfia, what did she want?"

"Oh, I am not quite sure. She only told me to tell you to call back, but by what she said it seems to be connected with Raiser." The thin smile on Sona´s face as she said this was barely to see.

But Rias did notice. She knew that her friend Sona was mocking her a little.

xxxxxxx

Grigori Headquarter

Raynare followed Azazel to his personal office. If she was honest, she wasn´t quite sure what to expect.

Maybe he was indeed secretly happy about what she did and wanted to tell her this in private. But after all what had been said she wasn´t so sure anymore.

She knew she had completely overstepped her competencies. She acted behind the back of her superiors and even killed people she was not supposed to kill. But she had acted in his best interest. Or at least that was what she was telling herself.

But was that truly the case? she had a moment of doubt, or were the problems her actions caused greater than the benefit?

All that however didn´t change one single fact. She had misused his trust.

As they both entered the room together, the thought once again crossed her mind that maybe he considered sex as a way to `work out´ their differences. It wasn´t that uncommon under the Grigori. But for some reason the thought now seemed to make her uncomfortable.

Of course it was clearly not his main intention. Then he would not have been talking about a secret mission and her leaving the official ranks. But that didn´t mean that he didn´t maybe considered this as well. She caught herself thinking for a moment if she wasn´t technically still Issei´s girlfriend... and whatever sins she had committed, she didn´t want unfaithfulness to be one of them. Sure she had killed him, but he came back and during their last meeting, he didn´t exactly seemed disinterested.

Less than a second later she shut down the absurd thought. She was a murderer and was worried about cheating on her `boyfriend´? It was not as if she had real feelings for Issei Hyoudou... and even if she had, she knew about his plans to have an entire harem. So it wasn´t as if he would be faithful to her.

Who was she kidding? She did have such feelings, otherwise she wouldn´t have such thoughts in the first place. When she had killed him, she had been cool like ice and completely businesslike. She didn´t actually resented him. To be honest she found him funny, even a bit cute, in a completely ridiculous kind of way. But of course so far beneath her that she would have never actually considered anything.

But since she had heard that he came back... and had met him again. The way he was acting now. That he had practically ordered her not to harm Asia... the little bitch.

That he confessed his love for her.

Developing feelings for a guy that you were not only planning to kill, but who you actually did kill. Stupid Raynare, stupid, she told herself.

And that enough to feel bad about the thought of a possibility that you would have jumped for a week ago. But she knew perfectly well that it wasn´t really likely that Lord Azazel truly wanted that from her... at least here and now.

"The only one who actually confessed his love for you, was the one you killed," she remembered Issei´s words.

But then she was brought out from her daydream by Azazel.

"So Raynare, you always wanted my full attention. Now you certainly have it," he said to her as he sat down.

"Lord Azazel, I..." she didn´t quite know what to say anymore.

"Say nothing. Let me see," he said to her, "you think that I don´t value you, that I don´t appreciate you and your efforts for our cause. You think that I don´t see your worth you like I should and don´t pay enough attention to you. Well, it seems I have truly made a lot of mistakes. Isn´t that right Raynare?"

"What?" she nearly called out. She barely managed to keep her voice down.

"Please, it is clearly to see for everyone that you feel unappreciated, lonely and neglected. It became so bad that you even felt the need to achieve this plan behind the back of me and the entire leadership. I failed to act and give you what you needed. So all what happened is obviously my fault, right?" he asked her with obvious sarcasm.

"O... of course not. How can you say something like this?" she stammered.

"Really? Is this not how you really feel Raynare? That Ihave failed you."

"No, of course not."

"You dream about becoming one of my higher officers, a member of my inner circle, maybe even more than that," he suggested, leaving it open to interpretation what he meant.

`Yes´, something inside Raynare shouted. But she didn´t say anything.

"And when I didn´t give you what you thought you deserved, you secretly blamed me for it. So you decided to do something radical to gain my attention and since I could not be trusted, after all I was the one who had not seen your worth in the first place, you decided to do it all behind my back.

Of course it was all for the best of our people. Since obviously you know so much better what is best for our people than I do. Isn´t that how you truly feel deep down Raynare?"

How... how could he say something like that? she asked herself. But she remembered there were times when she actually felt like this.

"You know," he continued, "I had always considered you one of my most loyal subordinates. By far not the strongest or experienced of course, but one of the most loyal. Sadly, it seems I was wrong."

"What? How can you say that?" she called out. "I..."

"I know inside your own mind, you did this all for my sake and the sake of our race. That is maybe the saddest part of this entire mess. But a leader cannot tolerate subordinates who are acting without orders the entire time. Otherwise he won´t stay a leader for much longer. You thought having the Twilight Healing in the hands of a Fallen would be an advantage for our race and technically you were right.

But you didn´t know the whole situation. You couldn´t have known. You have talent and potential Raynare, but in many ways you are still like a child."

She felt as if she had been slapped.

"It was like playing house with a little child," her own words to Issei went through her head.

"You really left me in a difficult situation. As you saw today, Kokabiel is trying to undermine the rest of the leadership. He wants nothing more than to start a new Great War that could destroy us all... and now he is using you as a tool to spread dissent.

If I would reward you for your actions or do nothing about it, it would encourage others to do similar things and weaken my position. Kokabiel would without a doubt take advantage of this. If I would punish you, Kokabiel would claim that I treat our own kind worse than the Stray Exorcists who are working for us, who get away with such actions all the time and use it against me as well.

And that is not even everything. Do you even know who the boy is that you have killed? I have just got information a short time ago which Sacred Gear it is that he possesses. It is the Boosted Gear. He is the Red Dragon Emperor."

Raynare was now just sitting there frozen in shock. Red Dragon Emperor?... Issei was...

"To our luck however it doesn´t seems that he is aiming for revenge against you," Azazel stated, "or against the rest of us," he added. "But that is the only good thing about this. So tell me, what shall I do with you?"

"I... I am sorry, I didn´t know. I had been told that you wanted it to happ..."

"Yes you did. You had been deceived. We all were. And that is your one and only excuse," he said sternly. "I guess a part of it is actually my fault," he admitted. "I should have made myself clearer why I wanted Issei Hyoudou observed. I should have made clear that I wanted him alive... Maybe then you wouldn´t have fallen for these false orders," he commented.

"Listen, I have been offered an opportunity... for bothof us in a way. I have recently found out about two powerful new forces that had gotten active in our areas and the one of our enemies. The first one is a dangerous terrorist organization those trail I found some time ago and that recruits their members out of all three Factions.

The other one... is even more mysterious. I have found out about their existence only a few days ago. But they don´t seem to be hostile. In fact, they came to me and offered cooperation."

"Cooperation?" she asked.

"They claim to be after this terror-organization as well and they offered to work together with us and they have even agreed to accept members of the Grigori in their group."

Raynare saw where this was going.

"So you want me to..."

"Yes, I want you to join them. I want you to be my eyes and ears in this group. I want you to help them fight the terror-organization that is a threat to all of us. But at the same time I want you to find out all about them what you can."

"But that..." Raynare stated.

"They have agreed to let you contact me regulary and give a status report and they agreed to give me all information about their organization that is not considered top-secret. But only under the condition that we work together.

I won´t sugarcoat it Raynare. This mission is extremely dangerous. We know barely anything about this people. There is no guarantee that they are truly as benevolent as they claim and even then you will fight against terrorists with people we barely know. You will fight with them, work with them, fight with them, but unofficially you will still be a member of the Grigori. You are also free to bring the other members of your team with you if you think it is the right decision.

If you refuse, I will just restore you to your old position and give you a new post. You will not be officially punished. But you will not be rewarded either... and you will stay there and won´t get any sort of promotion for the foreseeable future."

Placed at the sidelines, that was the human term, Raynare thought.

"I see. So you are sending me off because I became deadweight to you anyway," she stated bitterly.

"You know the situation Raynare. I wish it was different. Maybe in time I would give you another task to win back my trust. But as it is now, this is your chance. If you succeed, you will be promoted to the higher ranks and as promised, your mistakes will be forgotten."

"Yes... and like I already said, I accept," she answered.

"Good, because as it seems the representative of our new allies just arrived," Azazel stated a second later.

A magic circle appeared on the ground before them and the Fallen Angel Raynare knew as Gaeriel appeared in the room.

"You have arrived," he greeted her.

"Azazel, has everything worked out?" she asked him.

"It indeed did," he said. "Asia Argento is not longer part of our faction and Raynare here has agreed to temporally join your group."

"Her group? But I thought she was working for you?" Raynare questioned. "You have tricked me?" she realized, accusing Gaeriel.

"Well, that was maybe what she has told you, but in fact I have never met her until two days ago," Azazel commented.

"Yes. I have tricked you, just like you have tricked Issei," she reminded her. "But I did it with the best intentions. After all, you now have the Twilight Healing, just like you wanted and you didn´t need to kill Asia for it."

Raynare didn´t say anything.

"Raynare," Azazel addressed her, "one last thing. This entire plan to take Asia Argento´s Sacred Gear, is it possible that it has originally not been your idea? That someone else had brought it up?"

"Yes," she answered after a short hesitation.

"Was it Kokabiel?"

"... Yes," she replied once again.

"I see," Azazel stated. "Just like killing Hyoudou then," he said quietly.

xxxxxxx

A few minutes later the three of them, Raynare, Asia and Gaeriel, had teleported back to Kuoh.

For Raynare it was right the next shock as she saw who was awaiting them as the town border... Issei Hyoudou was standing there, waiting for them.

"You," she called out, looking from him to Gaeriel and back, "you two are working together?" She also remembered the shock as she found out what kind of Sacred Gear Issei possessed.

"Yes, does that really surprise you?" Gaeriel asked. "As it seems we are all on the same team now." She grinned.

Raynare barely held back a growl as she began to realize how far she had been duped. As she looked at Issei however, his eyes seemed to avoid her. `Does that really surprise you?´ she asked herself. ´You have killed him.´

Asia meanwhile was running towards him.

"Issei, it has worked. I am free now. I can live wherever I want," she told him.

"That is good." He laid his arms around her.

"Do you still want me to live with your family?" she asked.

"Of course."

Seeing the entire scene, Raynare could once again feel the burning rage coming up inside her. A part of her actually regretted not killing Asia. There was no sense to longer deny it, she actually was jealous.

xxxxxxx

A few hours later

It was at the same afternoon that Issei, Gaeriel, Raynare and Asia were meeting again with Rias peerage, who had Freed with them.

They had teleported to a small forest area, a few miles outside of the town, where they had agreed to meet with Rias and the others.

Asia was with them, but she was looking completely different from before. She had her hair dyed in a brown color and was wearing it in a ponytail, with two loose strands at both sides of her face. Which made her only look even cuter in Issei´s opinion. Her Nun outfit had she switched against regular clothes and for this day, she was wearing glasses.

Gaeriel had also used a technique to mask the fact that she actually still possessed the Twilight Healing and that Raynare´s version was a copy.

They had by now introduced Asia to Issei´s parents. Like Issei had already planned, he told them the story how he had found her in the town and asked them if she could stay with them for a while. Given how Issei knew his parents and that they sometimes talked about how it would be to have a daughter, he knew there was a good chance that `a while´ would turn into permanently very soon.

"This is Maia," he introduced Asia to the Devils under her false name. None of them would know who she truly was. This was also a test how good Asia´s disguise worked in extreme situations.

If she needed to have a normal life in Kuoh, she needed to be able to fool Devils and maybe even Exorcists, at least over a short time.

"You have brought him here?" Issei stated towards Rias.

"Yes," she replied. "We will meet with the agents of the Church very soon and hand him over."

At her sign Kiba and Akeno brought Freed closer who was still in chains.

"Oh look who we have here," the captured Stray Exorcist exclaimed, "the shitty Devils, the Sacred Gear boy, Raynare and another Fallen Angel, all together and a little girl," he was looking at Asia a bit longer than at the other. But he wasn´t saying anything... for the moment. "Are we all collaborating with the enemy now?" He asked them and grinned.

"You of all people have nerve to say that Selzen," Issei stated.

"Did you bring anything out of him?" Gaeriel asked him.

"You can say that," he replied. "So Freed, why don´t you tell them exactly what you have told me?"

For a split-second the Stray Exorcist was looking at him in visible rage.

"Now, since you have already brought me to spill the beans to you... by the way, an interesting technique, I will make sure to repay you someday bastard," he said with open malice. "Well, I guess it can't hurt to tell you all the whole story once again, right?"

xxxxxxx

Grigori Headquarters

The meeting between the leaders of the Fallen Angel faction had just come to it´s end. Ultimately nothinghad been decided. Just like Kokabiel had intended.

Azazel however seemed to have his own plans for little Raynare. It didn´t matter, he thought. She was no longer truly his concern. There were enough others who could take her place.

He created a magic circle and transported himself to a place in a safe distance from the headquarter, where he would not be overheard.

Another circle appeared close to him, a smaller one meant for communication.

"Kokabiel, I have been expecting to hear from you," a voice greeted him.

"I can imagine. Tell me, what has happened? We have you not attacked like it was our plan?" he asked the voice.

"Yes why? That is a good question," he responded. "Let us say things were not exactly like they were supposed to be. For once another Fallen Angel had arrived that you didn´t have informed me about."

"One more would hardly be a problem," Kokabiel countered. "Your forces would still outnumber them."

"And there was also that little Asia actually survived the ritual," the voice commented. "That was not what we agreed to. She was meant to die, so that I can bring her back and be her savior. This was not what we agreed to. Asia was meant to belong to me and in exchange I would leave her Sacred Gear to you. That was our deal, right? But with this new Fallen showing up, who said that I could still trust you? Maybe it was instead meant to be a trap for me."

Coward, Kokabiel thought. Of course someone like him would only act if the situation was absolutely in his favor.

"Listen Diodora," he said, "it is not possible to control a situation completely. This other Fallen was send by Azazel, I had no say in that. But it still could have worked out if you haven´t hesitated. Now both Asia and Argento and the Twilight Healing are out of our hands."

"Yes, it seems the plan has failed," the Devil replied. "It is really sad. Well I will find her again and try anew."

"Then do that by yourself," Kokabiel stated angrily. "I have other matters to deal with."

"If you say so. I wish you good luck with your plans Kokabiel," he said and ended the communication.

Idiot, the Fallen Angel thought.

Normally a Fallen Angel General like Kokabiel and Diodora Astaroth, a High Class Devil from a prestigious family, would have never come to see eye to eye with each other... if it were not for a certain organization that they were both part of, even in different arms.

But that didn´t mean that they trusted or liked each other. Sacred Gear? The truth was that Kokabiel had never any real interest in the Twilight Healing. Actually, he fully expected his `partner´ to betray him and keep both it and Asia Argento for himself. This was what a Devil would do after all.

No, he intended him and his servants to attack their base and very likely kill Raynare and the rest of her team. That was why he had placed the idea with the Twilight Healing inside her head and gave that Devil her and Asia´s location and the date when the extraction-ritual would take place.

Then he could use this attack to stir up the Grigori leadership even more to his course of war. If Diodora had decided to keep the Twilight Healing for himself, he could have even accused him of starting the entire attack just for stealing the Sacred Gear in the first place.

Raynare and her comrades? Their role had from the beginning been the one of martyrs for his cause. But as things were now, this wouldn´t work out anymore. But maybe he could still do something with the rest of her team.

xxxxxxx

Outside of Kuoh

"So you see, it had all been planned from the very beginning. Diodora, he had actually injured himself, just to get little Asia kicked out of the Church. He has this thing for Nuns you know. He just loves turning them into his playthings. You see him and Kokabiel, they are both in the same organization. So they made a deal.

My role? Well, I was send here to heat up things a little. To make sure everything goes smoothly. You know, killing people, attacking a few Devils. Good old Kokabiel wants nothing more than to start a war, you know?...

And you Raynare and your little team, I fear you were only set up to be killed off from the start." He laughed. "He just wanted you to die for him the entire time," he announced.

Raynare was just standing there, starring at him like frozen. Then she was looking at Issei and back.

She looked down and seemed to whisper something quietly. Most of them didn´t understand it. But Issei, who had moved closer to her, did.

"Will you die for me?" he heard the words she had repeated.

Raynare couldn´t take it anymore. After the words she had gotten from Azazel, after finding out about Issei´s Sacred Gear, this was just too much.

She couldn´t say anything and just turned around and walked away quickly. She could barely keep herself from running, but she didn´t want to humiliate herself even more in front of them.

"What´s with her?" Freed asked mockingly as he saw her leave. "I guess some people can't take the truth," he stated. "Oh and little Asia, her `rescuer´ would have quickly turned her into a sex-toy. Diodora really knows how to break them in. Even I am impressed here. He would for sure have much fun with her. She was such a cute little thing. Who knows, if I had asked nicely, maybe he would let me have a turn too. But too bad that won´t happen now because she is dead, right?... right?" he asked in Issei´s direction.

As he said this Asia walked forward, until she was standing right in front of him... and without saying a word, kneeled him right in the crotch.

"Agh," Freed called out in pain. "You little bitch," he howled. "I will get you for this. I know about you."

Rias and the other Devils were only smiling.

Issei however was looking with an open mouth at Asia as he saw what she had just done. He could not believe it.

He was staring at her for a few seconds, before he turned around and left.

xxx

A part of him truly questioned why he was doing this. Why... why was he going after Raynare?

He found her about a minute later. She was leaning with her back against a tree... and it looked as if she had tears in her eyes.

"Issei..." she said as she saw him, "... I am sorry. I am so sorry. I am such a bitch."

He could hardly disagree here, he thought. But he didn´t say anything.

Despite what she did to him, after hearing Freed´s story twice now, he could not help to feel somewhat sorry for her.

He saw that she was indeed crying.

"Issei... forgive me... please," she said between sobs.

"I..." he wanted to say something, but he didn´t bring a word out. He saw that his hands were shaking.

She realized it as well.

"I see. I must have really hurt you."

"Like hell you did," he replied with a sudden burst of anger.

"I am sorry. Will you at least allow me to make it up to you? Will you give me a chance? I - I know now how you must feel."

He nodded.

"Thank you," she said.

"We have to return to the others. Are you coming?" He asked in a grim tone and wanted to turn around.

"Issei, could you... could you not tell anybody that you have seen me like this?" she pleaded.

"Of course," he answered.

"Thank you."

xxxxxxx

The place where they were meeting with the Church agents was once again a few miles further away from the town.

They had arrived at the agreed place and were waiting.

After around ten minutes they saw two figures appearing and coming closer. Both of them were wearing blue robes and had hood over their heads and they could feel holy energy radiating from them... Exorcists.

As they had arrived and were standing only a few meters away, they could see that both of them were young girls.

"Issei," one of the two figures called out to everyone´s surprise as she saw them.

She lifted her hood and they could see that it was a girl with light brown-orange colored hair that she was wearing in twin-ponytails.

The girl stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around him.

"Issei, it is me, Irina," she told him.

He could feel both Asia and Raynare stare at him.