The Fallen's plan

The small group of Fallen Angels was still standing at the edge of the roof of the abandoned church building. To say that these three, Raynare, the beaten up Kalawarner and the new arrival Gaeriel were in a complicated situation would be an understatement.

For one there was the state Kalawarner was in and even more who she said was responsible for it, Issei Hyoudou... a boy who should be dead.

`He can't be alive´, Raynare thought. It was impossible. The wound she caused him was deadly, she was sure of it and she already sensed his life-force fleeing his body when she left him.

But now not only one but two people told her that there was a Sacred Gear user here, calling himself by that name. Was this really Issei? she asked herself. Or someone or something else. A trick maybe, a ruse? But why?

Her first thought would have been of course that the Devils had somehow gotten a hold of him and reincarnated him. That was the original reason why she had gone through such lengths to get close to him, to lure him to a remote place where they would be alone... far away from them.

But both Kalawarner and the newcomer had confirmed that this was definitely not the case. And two Fallen Angels would of course recognize a Devil when they saw one. So how was he brought back? If it was really him of course.

The picture of a young boy came to her mind, the same boy who she went on a date with... with the purpose to kill him. One who in his clumsy way tried to give her a good time... appreciated her... cared for her... tried to make her happy. She pushed the thought down instantly. What the hell was she thinking about? Damn it.

She didn´t need affection from some human brat... and least of all one who spend a good part of his time starring at her breasts and wish nothing more than to grab and fondle them. To her shame Raynare realized that for a short moment her body as feeling hot at the thought. But... somehow...she just couldn't help it.

She of course knew perfectly well about Issei´s perverted nature and she admitted, a small part of her was actually impressed that he had kept it in check so well around her.

Not that it mattered at all. Why did it all have to come back to this? she asked herself.

Issei Hyoudou was a potential dangerous threat to them, even Lord Azazel believed so. That was why he had send her to observe him. And as long as she had to spend her time watching over him, she could not concentrate on her scheme involving Asia. Issei had been in her way and a danger to them. His feelings... or even her own... on the matter were not important. She did what she had to do.

Raynare had thought she let this matter behind her once and for all. She felt anger rising up in her. In opposite to what one could think, it didn't anger her that he might still be alive. Or even that he was interfering with her plan.

No, it angered her that she had done all that in vain. That she went that far, to seduce and murder him... that she had pushed herself to do that... and then it was all for nothing. It was like a slap in the face.

xxx

Right in this moment however they had other things to deal with. One of them was standing directly in front of them. Namely the Fallen Angel who was not part of their group who was standing right in front of her right now... and that could mean problems.

"You are working for Azazel-sama you said?" Raynare addressed her.

"Yes... I do," Gaeriel replied. "And it seems you have some problems here," she commented, looking at Kalawarner.

Gaeriel knew this part of her story could cause trouble, if this Raynare or `Yuuma´ should come to the idea to contact the Fallen Angel leaders and ask for confirmation.

She already had a telepathic conversation with the boss about this part of their plan... and he had promised her to contact the Azazel of this world to give her some back up for the deception.

"Like you are one to talk," Kalawarner called out. "Raynare, she had just left Asia Argento behind... with that boy. She had not even tried to get her back with us."

"Don´t blame me for your failures," Gaeriel retorted. "You were already beaten when I stepped in. I only interfered to save you. And by the way, as I recall that girl was completely willing to come with you peacefully, until you had to make senseless threats to the boy and start a fight. Who was that girl anyway and why are you so interested in her?" she asked.

"Asia Argento, isn´t this the name of a Sacred Gear user I have heard of?" she questioned. "But last I heard she wasn´t supposed to be anywhere in this country, wasn´t she?" Gaeriel had a knowing smile on her face as she looked at the other two.

When there had ever been a moment when Raynare wanted to strangle her old friend, it was now. Why in the world could Kalawarner not simply have kept her mouth shut? But no, she just had to blat out Asia´s name in front of someone who was not supposed to know she was here.

"No, until a short time ago she wasn´t," Raynare admitted. "She had been send to us recently."

"Interesting. I admit I haven´t known about this," Gaeriel stated. "Who exactly had authorized to bring her here, if you allow me to ask?"

"Kokabiel-sama did," Raynare answered this part without hesitation. "Since you are working directly for Lord Azazel, you have possibly not heard about it," she suggested.

"So Kokabiel you say?" she questioned. The same smile was still on her face. "Raynare..." she said to her in a friendly but demeaning manner, "...cut the crap. You don´t need to tell me what you are doing here. I have already a good idea. Do you think I have not heard the talk under the troops about the ideas to take Sacred Gears from their users? And I also know how precious especially the Twilight Healing would be for our kind."

"What exactly are you suggesting here?" Raynare asked her, playing dumb.

"It is quite simply," she stated. "About your plan... I want in."

This statement clearly surprised the other Fallen Angels.

"What?"

"I thought you are working for Azazel?" Kalawarner questioned.

"Azazel-sama knows the worth of the Twilight Healing for our race just as well as any of us," Gaeriel responded with a stern look. "But he is caught in the politics with the other Factions and as our leader he has to hold up, well `certain moral standards´, even if the rest of us do not. That is why he can't openly approve. But we all know he will thank us later if we secure the Twilight Healing for our kind."

"You mean if there is an us?" Raynare countered. "But I guess we have not much choice here," she commented.

"If you don´t want me to tell Azazel what you are doing... not much, no," Gaeriel pointed out.

"Okay," Raynare gave in. "Come with me. I will introduce you to the others." She invited her inside with a gesture. But then she stopped her in the movement. "But let me make one thing clear," she stated. "The one who carries the Twilight Healing will be me." Something about her expression was different from a moment before. It was stern and deadly serious. For some reason this matter seemed really important for her.

"I have no problem with that," Gaeriel replied. "There are other Sacred Gears. Many of them might suit me better. My real interests are actually somewhere else," she said.

The other one called Kalawarner had already gone inside, good. Some things are better being said under four eyes.

"What I truly want... " Gaeriel told her, "... is to actually watch the extraction-ceremony of the Sacred Gear itself."

This actually seemed to surprise Raynare.

"And why?" she responded.

"You should know that my... group... has for some time been experimenting on the principles of the workings and use Sacred Gears. And we have also been researching more effective and safer ways to remove them if the need should ever come up."

"Really?" she stated drily, but now sounding somewhat interested.

"Of course since Sacred Gear users are rare, we have only seldom the chance to study on the living subject. To actually see and watch over the extraction procedure is a chance I wouldn´t miss. To be honest, I would like to assist you."

"Oh, it seems we have gotten ourselves an experthere," Raynare responded. She did not even try to hide the sarcasm in her voice.

"Be honest Raynare," Gaeriel countered. "Tell me, have you ever removed a Sacred Gear before?" she asked. "Do you know the risk of it going wrong and losing both the user and the object?"

The other Fallen didn´t respond. But the short, barely recognizable, flinch on her face was telling enough to Gaeriel.

"As I thought. Seriously, I would have been surprised if you had... " she stated,"... and slightly worried. After all such a Sacred Gear extraction is not something you would do every day, right? I know more about the process than you will probably ever do. I have actually participated in it before. You can use my help."

Raynare now looked as if she at least seriously considered her words.

"We can talk about it later," Gaeriel offered. "First introduce me to the rest of `our´ team."

xxxxxxx

At the same time Asia, who was still beside Issei, was now at the other side of the town. They had tried to get as much distance between the park and them as possible.

Now Issei faced another problem and that was one simple question... where to go with her now? She had still no place to stay. That and people were after her.

Their last conversation with Gaeriel was now over an hour ago. She had told him that this would be probably their best chance to do it and gave him some last instructions. That included one last telepathic transfer of knowledge.

It... in this case meant her idea to infiltrate Yuuma´s group. Sadly, they didn't have much time to talk and couldn´t make a concrete plan where to hide Asia. Still the chance was too good to pass up and so she said that she would leave this to him.

To him he thought. Great decision Gaeriel, he thought sarcastically. As if he had any idea what to do.

The easiest idea would be to bring her home, tell his parents about her situation - the part about having no place to sleep for this night of course, not the one about the Fallen Angels chasing her - and ask them if she can stay at their house for the night. But the problem here was that Yuuma knew where he lived. If they were searching for her, it would obviously be one of the first places they would look.

Think Issei think, he told himself. But nothing came to his mind. He knew he wasn´t the brightest sometimes, but right now he cursed his lack of imagination. Where could he bring her?

Asking Rias Gremory for help was completely out of question. As a high ranked Devil she would never simply give shelter to a member of the other factions. Even Issei knew that. And with their latest confrontation, the chances were even worse. If he could offer something in exchange, then maybe. But what?

Who else? Matsude or Motohama? No, they would probably try to molest poor Asia as soon as they saw her. But they still seemed to be the safest bet. Maybe if he would stay as well, he could keep them under control. Yes, maybe.

But then another thought came to him. Yuuma... no, Raynare... had, as he had been told, been observing him for some time. Who said that she didn´t knew where they lived as well. If she had been watching him, this was actually more than likely.

What should he do?

Gaeriel had also informed Asia about what the Guardians believed the Fallen Angel group had planned for her. Taking her Sacred Gear... that would cause her death. They would be killing her.

Asia herself accepted her words with a sad expression and to Issei´s shock, something that seemed to be... resignation. It was nearly as if she was not even surprised about the revelation that the people who took her in after her excommunication from the Church were planning to kill her.

But she had also eagerly accepted their offer to stay with them for the time being... or better said to stay with Issei, who was her first and only friend... the person who meant most to her.

xxx

A part of Issei was burning in rage that Yuuma would actually consider doing something like that to Asia. Of course she had already killed him before. So he should have a good idea what she is capable of. But Asia... someone so innocent.

But he also remembered the other things Gaeriel had told him. That it was dangerous to let your feelings... especially your anger... overcome you and affect your judgement. You are getting a tunnel vision and can only see the evil that is right in front of you, as she had explained to him.

This was not their way. If he decided that he wanted to remain with the Guardians he would have to overcome that impulse.

Yes, Asia was his friend. Yes, she was a kindhearted and probably the most innocent person he knew. But he couldn´t expect the Fallen Angels to know her personally and value her like he did. Just because hecared about her didn´t make the Fallen Angels planning to kill her automatically worse as if they did it to any other innocent person. He needed to get over himself here. That was at least how she said it to him.

But Gaeriel had also told him that she would do something to keep Asia save, that she would try to keep Raynare from doing it. Would that... could that... really work? he asked himself. Or was it too much asked for?

xxx

Issei had by now made up his mind. He had decided to bring Asia to his home after all.

What other choice did he have? They would ask his parents if she could stay for the night. And when Asia told them her story how he had found her walking through the town without any idea where to go to, they would hardly say no.

At least his home was warded. That and at least some protection from anyone just teleporting inside.

If any of the Fallen Angels showed up, he would just have to defend her and do everything that his parents wouldn´t get in the crossfire. He hated to get them involved into this.

But now that both the Devils and the Fallen knew that he was still alive, this would probably happen anyway.

Suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his head.

"Issei, are you alright?" Asia asked him worried.

"It... it is okay," he said. He knew that he wasn´t sounding too convincing.

["Partner,"] Ddraig spoke to him, ["it seems you are not feeling well."]

`You can say that. This headache...´ he spoke mentally.

["That is probably the result of having too much knowledge placed into your mind in a short time,"]the Dragon replied.

`You mean this is because of what Gaeriel did?´ Issei questioned.

["This is maybe part of it, "] Ddraig stated. ["But to be honest, without it you would probably feeling even worse right now.

The real problem is still that you have two different sources of power that don´t interact well with each other. The information this Angel had placed into your mind is actually the only thing that allows you to control them so far."]

`I thought that problem was solved.´

["It was stabilized for the moment. But the powers you are developing are just too strong and they are growing uncontrollable. I will tell it to you plainly. Something strange is going on."]

`What do you mean by that?´ Issei asked a bit confused.

["To put it simply, your powers are not working like they are meant to. You remember the incident during your `talk´ with those Devils, as your Sacred Gear suddenly activated?"]

`Of course I remember,´ he replied, not really wanting to talk about this topic.

["It wasn´t supposed to work like this. It gave you multiple power boosts at the same time. `My´ Boosted Gear isn´t supposed to work like that, unless you have reached the level called Balance Breaker."]

`Isn´t that a good thing?´ Issei asked sheepishly.

He could literally hear the Dragon growling as he shouted the answer into his head.

["It would be, if that was the end of it. But beside that there are also other things. For example, that we are even talking with each other, despite that you shouldn´t have that ability yet. Or that you were able to understand a new language within a few seconds, despite having no Devil or Fallen Angel magic."]

`Or the fact that I have beaten a Devil and a Fallen Angel after less than two days of training,´ Issei stated with more than just some measure of pride.

["Don´t let this get to your head Partner. They were caught off guard and underestimated you. The next time will be harder. Not that they know what you are capable of,"] Ddraig pointed out. ["But that isn´t what I am talking about. It seems that your two powers are mixing together, influencing each other, with unpredictable results. And not only that, they are developing in an incredible rate. As far as I can tell it you are growing stronger every day, maybe even every hour."]

`And how again is that not a good thing?´ Issei asked him.

["I have two theories how this might turn out in the end,"] the Dragon explained to him. ["The first is... you will turn into a being of incredible power and abilities, a God if you want."]

`Really? Cool... and the other?´ he wanted to know

["You will sooner or later loose control and destroy yourself..."] Ddraig stated, ["...and probably everyone around you,"] he added.

"What?" Issei called out. He spoke this loud, so that Asia, who was still standing close by looked at him worried.

"Issei...?" she asked concerned.

"I am okay," he answered. No he was not, he thought silently.

["Calm down Partner. That is exactly what we are working on now, to prevent that from happening. To make that clear, your training is not simply about getting stronger. It is about `controlling´ the powers you are developing and prevent that from happening."]

The headaches came back, in fact they were getting worse and Issei was holding his head. But this time it was not only them. He suddenly felt confused and disoriented. Issei stumbled forward.

He heard Asia calling out to him one last time. Then he could no longer see her... Issei saw that he was no longer with her.

xxxxxxx

The abandoned Church

At the inside, the others were waiting for them.

Besides Kalawarner, there were two more Fallen Angels that she had not seen before. One of them was a man in a trenchcoat, the other a very young looking blonde haired girl in a gothic lolita outfit.

"These are Dohnaseek," Raynare introduced them, pointing at the man, "and Mittelt." She gestured to the girl.

"And who is this?" the man called Dohnaseek asked, looking at the new Fallen they didn´t know.

"This is Gaeriel. She was send here by Lord Azazel," Raynare said, hoping that the others would get the hint. "She has decided to join our operation."

"So one more, eh?" he commented drily. "That´s okay with me. As long as we get the job done."

"Hey," Mittelt greeted her and gave her a friendly wink with her hand along with a bright smile. She actually sounded a bit like a little girl. Somehow the gesture felt in Gaeriel´s opinion just as much creepy as it was cute.

There was however another person present at the other side of the room, leaning with his back against the wall. This one wasn´t a Fallen Angel. No, he was human, a young man with light blonde, nearly white hair, dressed in clothes of cleric origins. He was wearing a long dark blue coat with gold colored sleeves over plain looking light grey shirt and trousers. Around his neck was the typical collar of a Priest.

But his appearance was not the actually unusual thing about him.

The corrupted form of power that was radiating from him and the few psychic impressions she was able to get from his well shielded mind, were more sinister than of any of the Fallen Angels here. This man was clearly an exorcist. But a very twisted and insane version of one.

"This is Freed Selzen, formally of the Catholic Church," Raynare introduced him. "I guess you have heard the name before?"

She indeed did. One of the most infamous Stray Exorcists in this world. As he was still part of the Church, he was said to be a genius, one of the most talented exorcists of his generation. He had been efficient and brutal. More brutal than efficient actually.

Stray Exorcists were former Priests who had been excommunicated. In Freed Selzen´s case because of his cruel methods and because it became more and more clear that his motives were pure sadism and the wish to kill than faith in God.

He was not the only one. On their way here she had introduced a few others, obviously also Stray Exorcists. There had to be an entire group of them here.

"Nice to meet you," Freed Selzen said to her.

"Likewise," she responded. She did not even try to sound convincing. It was obvious to her on the first look that the other Fallen Angels around didn´t like this guy any more than she did.

The Girl-Angel named Mittelt was looking at him with discomfort. Raynare on the other hand did it with nearly open rage.

"So you have decided to join the team, right?" Freed remarked. "Have you made sure that she can be trusted Raynare?"

"You are hardly one to talk here Selzen. It was your job to bring the girl here. Instead you let her travel alone and now we have lost her," she accused him.

"It was told to me that I was her bodyguard, not a babysitter," he retorted, not sounding concerned at all, as if all of this was not truly his business. "It is not my fault that the little bitch was too stupid to find her way here. Being around her the entire time would have only drawn attention and I had other things to do."

"These `other things´," Raynare remarked, "did not happen to involve some random killing or torturing, did it?"

"Well, now that you mention it?" he said with a grin. "Oh calm down. We will just all go out and find her. How difficult can that be?"

"She is not alone," Kalawarner pointed out. "Someone, a Sacred Gear user is helping her."

"Even better," Freed replied. The sadistic smile on his face only deepened. "So we can kill this guy. Finally, the chance for some real fun."

For a split second, Raynare had the irrational urge to stop him, but only for a moment.

"Kalawarner will tell you now everything she had seen and then we will search the entire town and find her," she announced.

xxxxxxx

Outside, a few minutes later

Most of the Fallen Angels and also Freed Selzen were already gone. The rest of the Exorcists would stay behind as guards.

Only two Fallen Angels were still present... at least for the moment. They too would join the search in a few minutes. But before that they still had something to discuss.

"Raynare," Gaeriel said. The woman she had just addressed turned around to her.

"Oh yes, you offered to assist me in the procedure. But you have to admit... You suddenly show up here out of nowhere and offer me help that would improve my chances to success. You understand that this sounds a little bit unlikely. Do you really just want to watch the process? Is this your only motivation?"

This reaction didn´t surprise her. It matched perfectly with her impression of this woman, paranoid and distrustful, but also very passionate and determined to the cause of the Fallen Angels... and also to her own goals. But it was the sort of determination that could drive someone to kill. This plan here proofed that all too well.

She claimed loyalty to the Fallen Angel leaders, especially Azazel who she seemed to admire. But she was willing to do this here behind his back. Lying behind all that seemed to be a very deep rooted and overwhelming craving for attention and especially affection.

The leather outfit Raynare was wearing certainly matched with that idea. If this girl wasn´t crying for attention, she didn´t know what it was.

In some sense she was a living contradiction. Gaeriel could only hope that the positive aspects of her personality would win out this time. That would make everything much easier.

"I admit there is something else," she said. "I of course want a Sacred Gear for myself, a powerful one. But it doesn´t have to be Twilight Healing. If you allow me the question, why do you even want this one Gear so much?"

"I have my own reasons," she stated.

"Of course," Gaeriel replied casually. "Raynare... tell me one thing. If I would tell you that there was a way to remove the Sacred Gear, but let the girl live, what would you say?"

For a few moments, Raynare didn´t say anything. But her surprise was obvious, even if she did her best to hide it.

"I guess you are talking about one of this new `more effective´ methods you have been talking about?" she questioned then. "Why should I trust you on this?"

"The method works, "Gaeriel responded. "We already had removed one Sacred Gear, successfully. At the wish of the owner himself who wanted to get rid of it. But that was already some time ago."

"Oh yes? which Sacred Gear was that?" Raynare asked distrustful.

"Noah´s Gate," she answered. "You have heard of it?"

She indeed had. It was a well-known Sacred Gear. One that the last user had disappeared several years ago and that then suddenly showed up again, in the hands of a new owner, only a short time later... one who had already been a young man. What should be impossible, since Sacred Gears were only reincarnated into newborns, unless...

"You shouldn´t think that I am sentimental," Gaeriel continued speaking. "You know none of us are. But if you had the option to either kill this girl to get the Sacred Gear or not to kill her with the same result. What would you do?"

For some reason for a short moment, Issei´s face was flashing in Raynare´s mind.

Gaeriel on the other side, was silently cheering in triumph at the inside. A small telepathic suggestion, when Raynare´s mental defenses were already weakened... and she knew she had her.

xxxxxxx

Somewhere else

As Issei was able to see again, he nearly fell into panic. Wherever he was, he was clearly not in the place he had been a moment before.

In fact, he was clearly not even in Kuoh anymore. No, this was a much larger town. He could make out skyscrapers and other large buildings that were extending till the horizon.

How in the world did he get here? Was this what Ddraig had been worried about? Had his powers suddenly activated and send him here? Wherever this `here´ was?

Asia... he realized that she was no longer with him. But then, as he really took in his surroundings, he saw that this was probably for the best. He was standing in the middle of a battlefield.

The town, he recognized some of his surroundings, he remembered seeing some of the buildings in the distance on TV. It was Tokyo. How in the world did he suddenly come from Kuoh to the Japanise Capital?

But it was not simply any battle that was going on around here. What he was seeing was just... unbelievable. This was a fight between Supernatural Beings, two groups that were clashing with each other. And there was something else, he actually understood everything that was going on around him, when it was clear to him that he shouldn´t understand anything at all.

At one side he saw two men fighting each other with swords. Both of them were making movements faster than any normal person could see. But that was the least unusual thing here.

And not everyone of them was human. He saw one bizarre being with large claws and a face that only consisted of white eyes and sharp teeth, like a cross between a reptile and a fish. There was a woman with the ears and the tail of a cat. She was a Nekomata. But Issei wasn´t even aware how he knew this detail.

He noticed a figure standing under them he knew all too well... the same man who had resurrected him, the man calling himself Darien. Instead of the unremarkable grey suit he had seen him in the last time, he was now wearing a futuristic looking sort of armor.

Issei realized who this people had to be. A group of members of the Guardians... and the other one were their mysterious enemies. He tried to call out to them, but they didn´t seemed to hear him. They didn´t even react.

Next to Darien was standing a tall man in a red coat with shoulder long dark hair. At a closer look Issei saw that his eyes were glowing bright red and his canines were long and sharp. Spreading from his body was a black `substance´ or maybe it was a form of energy that he controlled, that was flowing from him like a living shadow and reforming itself into different shapes, like spears, blades or tentacles, that were attacking his enemies for him.

As he move one hand, a wave of fire appeared out of nowhere and burned a couple of warriors who were standing against him to ash. But this, Issei knew, was only the slightest fraction of this man´s power. If he wanted he could have devastated this planet with one move. He was one of the strongest under the Guardians. But Issei didn´t knew how he knew this.

In opposite to Darien, fighting him, stood a tall young man with black hair. He was wearing a similar sort of armor, only his was colored black instead of light grey like his opponent. Like Darien he was looking like a regular human. But he was a being of cosmic powers, rivalling the strongest beings Issei´s universe knew of.

As the powers of this two beings clashed, the space around them itself was bending to their will. They were sending fire, ice, pure energy and other elements at each other, they were moving large objects with the help of telekinesis and threw them at each other. At one point of the fight they were multiplying their bodies into nearly a dozen copies, each fighting in a different way.

At another Darien´s opponent created a black hole that could have ripped the planet apart. But Darien dissolved it before it caused any damage.

And both of them were doing other things that Issei was not even able to describe.

Issei knew at some level that this entities, there was no other way to call them, were actually using a part of their power to keep the planet from breaking apart under the energy they unleashed. Still the outfall was terrible.

The earth was shaking. Entire lines of houses were crumbling around them.

In some distance Issei saw how a man was being thrown into a building. To his surprise however he didn´t broke through the walls, he just passed through them without actually touching them, like a ghost. It reminded him of something that happened during his training with Gaeriel. He managed to land a hit, but his sword just passed through her body without actually touching it.

Phasing, she had called this technique. Simply put she was transfering the mass of her body out of this dimension for a short moment. She had however admitted that she could do it only for a second. This guy here was clearly much better in it than her.

The whole battle was a single show of madness. Both sides were using supernatural attack at each other. Fighters were teleporting from one end of the town to the other.

The entire district of the town was standing in flames... Was this the war Darien and Gaeriel had told him about?

... and then suddenly everything was over.

xxxxxxx

A second later Issei found himself back where he had been before.

"Issei," he heard Asia´s voice. "Issei." He realized that was again standing right next to him.

"Asia," he said.

"Yes. Issei you can hear me? What is with you?" the Nun asked him. "And don´t tell me you are okay. You are clearly not."

"Asia... I was suddenly gone."

"Yes you were. You were just standing there, not moving or saying anything for nearly a minute," she told him.

"What? I was not longer here. I was..." He realized the full implications of what she way saying. "You say I was actually standing here the entire time?"

"Yes."

["You were indeed Partner,"] Ddraig told him. ["You have not moved one meter, except in your mind."]

"What happened?" Issei asked him.

["I believe what you have just experienced was a memory that had manifested itself in your brain, a vision if you want to call it that."]

"You mean, nothing what I have just seen was real?"

["Oh, it certainly happened. To that Fallen Angel Gaeriel or maybe to someone who had once passed this memory to her like she did to you. I guess this is simply another side-effect of the continued telepathic transfers."]

"But the last time Gaeriel did that was already a few hours ago," Issei countered.

["Your brain probably just needed some time to process all that information. Then that happened, the memory was replaying itself inside your mind."]

`A memory, when did this happen?´ Issei asked himself. If Tokyo had been devastated like that at one point everyone would know it. But nobody here did, because this hadn´t been their Tokyo, he realized. That battle happened in another universe.

"I see," he replied.

"Issei," he heard someone calling to him. As he turned around he saw Gaeriel who was flying above them and was just gliding down to land next to them.

"You are back," he said.

"Yes and I had success," she stated.

"You mean?"

"Yes, your `girlfriend´ has agreed to my offer. Asia, you can come with me now." She was looking at the Nun.

"Moment," Issei called out, "you mean you actually want to go back there with her?"

"Of course, that was the plan. What have you thought? Did you seriously think we two alone could hide her somewhere in the town without causing even more problems? And where would that be?"

"I... I was just bringing Asia home," he answered.

"To your house? That is the first place they would look."

"At least it is warded and..." Issei tried to argue.

"And that would barely hold them back... and your parents would be put in danger as well. That is exactly what we have been talking about. We don´t endanger two or three people to protect one. You are not thinking rationally here."

"You know what? You are right, I am not thinking rationally when it comes to Asia. I am worried like hell for her."

"She won´t be in any greater danger there as she would be anywhere we could hide her in Kuoh," Gaeriel responded. "Raynare has already agreed to my offer to spare her. That means she isn´t a direct threat to Asia right now. She will actually make sure that nothing happens to her until I give her that Sacred Gear. She might actually be safer at the church with me watching her and Raynare not trying to hurt her, than she would be being hunted by the entire group and all those nutjobs with them... and endangering others in the process."

Issei said nothing and was just looking downwards.

"Issei, I will go with her," Asia said to him. "She is right... and I don´t want to put anyone else in danger."

"I will protect her, I promise..." Gaeriel told him, "... and as it looks Raynare might actually helping me doing it," she said smiling.

xxxxxxx

Issei was now continuing his way home by himself. A part of him could not believe that he had actually agreed to this.

He was still a few kilometers away from his house, when he started to hear it... a long obviously painful howling. Not very loud at first, not more when a whisper. But as he moved it was growing louder and louder.

Before Issei even fully realized it, he was walking in the direction the noise came from.

He arrived in front of a house. The whisper had by now become a loud screaming. Then it suddenly ended. But Issei was sure that it came from inside.

He saw then that the door had been broken open. As he stepped inside, he already knew that this was probably not a good idea. But he couldn´t help the feeling that someone here needed help.

When he entered the living room, he saw that he had been more than right. The walls were splattered with blood.

He saw the mutilated dead body of a man, bound to a chair. To his horror Issei realized that the man was still alive... but unconscious. Issei realized now what had led him here. The pain of this man that he had sensed telepathically.

"Oh, look who is here," a voice greeted him. It was a man who was dressed somewhat like a Priest, but looked like a maniac, with a gun in one hand and a bloodied sword in the other. This had to be one of this Stray Exorcists that Gaeriel had mentioned.

It was Freed Selzen. But there was another person in the room... Koneko.

The school uniform of the small Devil, that she was still wearing, had been cut apart at several places and Issei could see her bra and her panties through the shredded clothes. Normally this would have excited him, if it weren´t for the fact that she was also bleeding from several wounds.

"You must be this `Issei´... the Sacred Gear user," the Exorcist said. "It seems my guess was right that you are somehow connected to the Devils," he mused, glancing at Koneko... and he started to laugh.

"I will first deal with your little Devil friend here and then you will lead me to Asia Argento."

"Forget it... whoever you are," Issei shouted, instantly activated his Boosted Gear.