New Life

In the city of Kuoh, we find our main protagonist Issei walking towards his intended destination. 8 years have been since the day that tragedy struck them and had taken away Shuri and Akeno life. In that time, a lot of things have changed, the most obvious one being Issei. He has now become a 17-year-old man who's but a mere shadow of his former self. Following all his training with Tannin and his parents, he has acquired such a muscular and toned build that he has practically become chiseled. A literal Adonis is what some of the female drakes back in Tannin's territory called him and no doubt so will any female and they would not be wrong. His biceps were big, his shoulders were broad and every other muscle has developed accordingly, yet he was not as bulky as a body builder. Adding to the fact that he stands at 185 cm tall, gave him an intimidating presence that no one would want to go up against. Yet, the bright smile he wears, in contrast to his build, gave him a small air of innocence that one would not expect from a man like him. Although his physique has changed a great deal compared to the past, not much else has changed. Granted his appearance did change a bit having short spiky black hair with crimson outlines. His two reptilian eyes having red sclera with vertically slatted black pupils currently disguised through magic revealing only golden eyes. Issei didn't like hiding his features from the world since he was very proud of who he was but he understood that it would cause panic not only with the general populace who were just humans but also might raise some unwanted issues with the devils currently occupying this town and the last thing he needed right now was unwanted attention. He promised his parents to keep a low profile and avoid unnecessary attention and that is exactly what he'll do, if anything then to keep them from worrying about him. It has been over eight years since the incident and the situation in Kuoh has calmed down enough to allow issei and his parents to return to their old home. Although, many dragons, most especially the younglings who grew up alongside Issei, didn't want them to leave pleading for them to stay. However, they eventually conceded when Issei explained to them the reason he is going back. It is not because he does not consider the dragon territory his home. That is far from the truth. The amazing years he spent here alongside everyone turned this place into another home that he loves with all his heart and considers every resident a second family which touched their hearts. Yet, the reason he wishes to return to Kuoh is due to the fact that it is the place holds significant memories of his time with Akeno and Shuri. It is the only place where he is able to feel some type of connection to the woman he loved and to his aunt who took care of him. Thus, with much reluctance but understanding, everyone wished them a safe journey back.

"It has been a long time since I've been here" he said looking up at the sky reminiscing about old times. A lot of things have occurred over the past 8 years since the incident. He let out a small chuckle when he recalled uncle Tannin's reaction to the fact that not only were Ophis and Great red married but also had a son together

Flashback

After travelling to the Underworld, Issei, and his parents stealthily made their way to the dragon's territory governed by Tannin. On the way there, Issei could not help but notice the differences between Earth and the Underworld, more specifically how the sky itself is purple instead of blue. There was even an artificially created moon. Apparently, according to what his uncle stated, they created it for the sake of newly reincarnated devils which was very nice despite the fact that they are devils.

"I still prefer the sky back on earth" he thought to himself. Despite saying that, you could tell by his expression how excited he was to be able to visit albeit discreetly a brand-new place, taking in the surrounding environment spotting the differences between here and earth. Unfortunately, his excitement soon turned into sorrow when he thought about how he wished that he could share this view with Akeno, reminding himself that she is no longer here. A small tear leaked out of his eye before he wiped it off, breathing in and out to calm himself as he noticed that they are arriving at their destination. Plus, he vowed to himself and Akeno that he would be strong and move forward.

Arriving at their destination, Issei couldn't help but be at awe at what he was seeing. The dragon mountain, true to its name, was filled with tall mountains as far as the eye could see with vast forests surrounding each of them. You could practically feel the nature all around him. Issei could spot many things that were flying around in the distance. Dragons! Flying freely through the skies and he also spotted dragons who dwelled in caves based on those very mountains. He had never seen so many of his own kind before and it seems that many of those dragons turned their attention towards them. Eventually, two large dragons landed before them. They were most likely guards who patrolled the area and sure enough, one of them asked

"Halt, you are about to trespass into our territory. We have not been given any notice about any visitors coming here so I will ask you to state your business and identify yourselves." The red dragon, most likely a fire dragon, stated thus revealing himself to be indeed a guard. Great-red stepped forward to answer him.

"Please be at ease, young dragon! We only wish to talk to Tannin over a few matters. We ourselves are dragons" Great-red, Ophis and Issei all revealed their wings to prove his claim "and please believe me when I say that we do not mean any harm to you or any denizens of this place. In terms of our identity, it would be better to introduce ourselves in the presence of Tannin so if you could bring him here, I would be most grateful" stated Great-red. The fire dragon raised an eye-brow at this. Normally, he would not permit this and would tell them to leave but his instincts were screaming at him not to mess with the beings in front of him so with little choice, he went to get Tannin who would hopefully be able to deal with the situation at hand.

"Very well, but please wait here and do not cause any trouble."

After a short wait, a large purple dragon could be seen making his way towards them. Issei could instantaneously tell that this was Tannin, the Blaze meteor dragon and former dragon king his father previously talked about. The amount of power that exuded from him easily outclassed him and any dragon currently present save for his parents. He looked in awe at this majestic dragon before him and hoped one day he would be as cool as that.

After Tannin landed, he turned his attention to his visitors and introduced himself.

"Greetings, my name is Tannin, the Blaze meteor dragon and former dragon king. I am the leader of this place and I heard that you wish to speak to me. May I inquire who you are?" Tannin questioned to which Great-red let out a small giggle.

"I'm surprised you do not recognize me simply by looking at me. Not many dragons boast four wings but I guess I can give you a hint." He said letting out a mere fraction of his power but this was enough to cause several dragons to take a step back in fear understanding that this dragon was beyond their league but none was more surprised than Tannin himself, due to the fact that he had felt this aura many years ago and never in his wildest dream would he have imagined this being to come before him today.

"it… it can't be. Is… is that you Great-red" stuttered Tannin as he himself took a step back fearing the answer that he knew to be true. At this revelation, every dragon suddenly jerked backwards as their expressions turned from shock to fear. Everyone, no matter what faction, knew exactly who Great red was. The most powerful being in existence. Simply the mention of his name causes fear to spread in ones being. To stand in his very presence multiplied that fear by a huge amount as many dragons now feared for their very lives. Many mothers clutched desperately their young to protect them even if it was futile.

Seeing everyone's frightful expressions, Great-red dismissed his aura

"Please be at ease! Like I have previously stated to your guard, I have not come here to fight and I do not wish to cause any harm to your people. I have simply come here to talk with you over a few delicate matters" spoke Great-red in a calm and gentle manner trying to get his point across. Seeing that there was no hostility in Great-red caused Tannin to breath a huge sigh of relief and seeing Tannin relaxed caused the surrounding dragons to relax.

"V…Very well, I believe you. If that is the case, then may I ask what it is you wish to ask of me and may I inquire as to the identity of the people you brought with you?" he asked turning his attention to the people in question. He'll come to know that some questions are better left unanswered.

"Very well, in that case, first let me introduce you to my mate Ophis, she…" Unfortunately, he immediately got interrupted by a wide eyed Tannin who could not believe what he heard.

" did you just OPHIS! As in the Ouroboros dragon god. No one has heard from her in almost a decade and this entire time she was with y… wait wait wait wait wait, did you say she was your MATE. HOW IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE" he shifted his attention towards her "From what I heard, you cannot even stand the mere sight of him and even created a brigade to get rid of him?"

Gone was the regal and composed tannin that all of them was used to and in his place was a panic and stuttered dragon. Every dragon present had never seen Tannin act like this before but no one could really blame him considering who he was facing and the amount of information revealed.

Great-red simply shrugged it off

"Well, let's just say we both got over it. Anyways, let me introduce our son. This is Issei Hyoudou" he said bringing Issei forward.

"Oh… you have a son… I see" After hearing the news, his mind was not able to cope with the information and as a result… he fainted.

"TANNIN-SAMA" "FATHER". Everyone ran towards him worried about his state. Great-red and Issei could not help but laugh at the situation. Even Ophis couldn't help but release a small giggle. It took about a minute for Tannin to recover and then he took a moment to process everything he learned. After taking a deep breath and coughing into his fist, he began speaking

"my apologies for that earlier display. This news honestly went beyond the scope of what my mind could handle. First, I would like to formally welcome you to our territory, something I should have done in the first place and it is an honour to have both dragon gods in our presence but if I may ask as to how all this came about?" Tannin inquired to which Great-red nodded saying that he was about to get to that before somebody interrupted him causing Tannin to flinch. Anyway, Great red started explaining to tannin everything that has happened from Issei's birth to the events that led them to his territory. The most surprising thing that he revealed was the fact that it was Issei himself who was responsible for the massive power outburst that he felt previously.

"Oh ho! That is indeed very impressive" he soon turned his attention towards the boy and continued "so the youngling was responsible for the unknown power everyone is scared of. Although, considering that he is the son of not one but two dragon gods, I should not expect anything else. What is your name young drake?" Tannin asked turning his attention to Issei who stepped forward.

"H… Hello Mr. Tannin, it is a pleasure to meet you, my name is Issei Hyoudou" issei introduced himself nervously causing Tannin to giggle a bit.

"It is an honour to make your acquaintance as well Issei. To stand here in the presence of the son of both dragon gods is nothing short of a miracle. Also, you do not need to call me Mr. simply Tannin would do. You will come to learn that dragons do not really care about formalities like other factions do" His tone then shifted to a more compassionate one "Allow me to offer you my sincere condolences over the loss of your mate. For a dragon to lose one of his mates is the hardest and painful thing to experience and for you to have gone through such an ordeal at such a young age fills me with much grief and I am very sorry for your loss." He then looked at Ophis and great-red "I also extend my condolences to you both for having lost a friend in the process. Having lost so many comrades myself, I can understand the pain that you are all going through."

"Thank you very much Tannin! We appreciate it" said Ophis with a light bow. A few tears escaping her eyes at the reminder of losing Shuri and Akeno.

"Yeah Thank you! Anyways, like I previously told you, due to recent events, various factions are currently undergoing investigation in Kuoh trying to figure out what entity was responsible for the devastation caused there. As a result, we wish to lay low for a while until all of this blows over and I was hoping you would allow us to live in your territory. In addition, my son wishes to undergo training to become stronger. Unfortunately, Ophis and myself have been born powerful and have not trained a day in our lives so I cannot offer him an efficient training as I would like. We did teach him the basics however we have no idea how to go from there and I heard that you had been training the younger generation of dragons; therefore would be the best qualified for the job."

Tannin nodded signaling his understanding of their presence in his territory.

"hmm, I see! And I take it that since you wish to lay low for a while, you also do not want me to tell Mephisto Pheles or the devils about your presence here, correct?" inquired Tannin to which he received an answer via Great-reds and Ophis nod.

"Indeed we do Tannin! I understand the difficult position we are putting you in concerning the fact that you are now part of the devil's community but…" said a worried Ophis until she was interrupted by tannin raising his hand, palm upwards.

"Please, say no more Ophis. As you may or may not know, I turned this place into a safe haven for all dragon kind in order to ensure our survival as a species. For me to turn you down now would make me a hypocrite wouldn't it. I would be honoured to have you and your family living here amongst us and you have my word as a dragon king that no one will ever know of your presence here. Furthermore, as a I stated earlier your son is a miracle like none other, born in an era where our kind has been either hunted down to near extinction or sealed. Too see your son a being born of two dragon gods, brings joy in my heart that there may be some hope for our kind after all."

"Yes… He is our precious little miracle" she said so tenderly as she looked towards her son. Great-red patted Issei heads nodding illustrating his agreement while Issei could not help but blush in embarrassment at all the praise he is given.

"Issei Hyoudou."

Issei turned his attention towards Tannin who called him.

"From what your parents just told me, one of the reasons to seek me out was to aid you in your training but I would like to hear of your opinion on the matter since in the end, it is your decision that matters. For what purpose do you seek strength and how far are you willing to go to obtain it?" inquired Tannin in a serious tone. Issei took a moment to think about his question but it did not take long for him to come up with an answer. Taking a deep breath, he looked at Tannin straight in the eyes and answered

"The day that Akeno and aunty Shuri died was… the worst day of my life. I have never felt so helpless than on that very day where I was unable to do anything but watch as my friend was taken away from me. When I was trapped in despair, Akeno saved me from loneliness and yet… when she needed my help, I couldn't do anything to help her. Despite the fact that I am the son of the two most powerful dragons in existence, I was powerless TO DO ANYTHING" he shouted the last part as a few tears escaped his eyes but he still continued

"I vowed to them that I would do anything to become stronger for their sakes as well as my own. I need to get stronger so that I will never feel so helpless again and be strong enough to protect those I care about. Never again do I want to lose anyone because of my lack of strength." This time, instead of sadness, his eyes burned with an unshakable determination to become stronger. Seeing this, Tannin was very pleased.

"ho ho! Very interesting. Remember to hold on to that incredible resolve for it is what will aid you through our training." Said tannin as he gestured towards another dragon who stepped forward.

"This is my youngest son, Bova. Despite being the youngest, he is without a doubt the strongest of his siblings and he will be your sparring partner during your training. If I am not mistaken, he is about 3 years older than you so I hope you two will get along. Are you ready, young drake?" asked Tannin

"Yes I am." Said Issei with a fire burning brightly inside of him. Tannin smirked and said

"Then let us begin!"

End of Flashback

That day marked the beginning of his training and Issei was very happy that he could progress towards his goal. At first, whenever he would spar against Bova, despite giving everything he had he just could not defeat his adversary which would result in him pouting in frustration in front of his mother. Ophis could not help but find him absolutely adorable whenever she would try to encourage him whenever he gets into that state. Yet, whenever Issei and Bova sparred despite the fact that she cheered for Issei all the way, a small part of her could not help but hope for Bova to win just for the chance to be able to see that adorable pouting expression of his.

Flashback

Issei POV

Every time we finished sparring; we would head out to the main clearing where Tannin-ojisan had begun the training sessions. As it turns out, Tannin has a peerage of his own which I found kind of cool. They act as 'Captains'. Since there is too many Dragons here for Tannin to train on his own, they split into groups and are trained by each of Tannin's peerage members respectively. Many Dragons were unhappy that they couldn't join me in my group, the one trained by Tannin, but this is something they could only mull over as the groups were already set before I ever arrived here. Interestingly enough, the groups aren't split from "strongest to weakest". They're split by how well Dragons "adapt and grow" in a short amount of time. In other words, Tannin teaches the most and at the fastest pace in one day. Meanwhile, different members teach different amounts and at different, slower paces. According to Tannin, the greatest skill a Dragon has is not strength itself, but rather the ability to progress quickly.

Apparently both him and my parents agreed that this was my biggest quality. Adaptation and growth. That is the greatest piece of a Dragon... or so he says. Although I honestly did not believe it considering the amount of defeats, I accumulated with Bova.

Tannin-ojisan sighed "Listen Issei, I do not think you understand the incredible growth you are currently undergoing. You are merely a decade old and yet you have developed abilities unbefitting your age. Did you know it takes many months and even years for a dragon to master partial transformation from human to dragon and yet, from what your parents told me, you were able to accomplish this in under a month. I also remember them telling me that you were able to fend off dozens of rogue devils including an eight-winged devil, all while protecting Akeno from harm when you were but 7 years old. That is mind boggling my boy. Its true that my son has gotten the better of you in your battles but that is primarily due to the fact that he had more battle experience compared to you. However, experience can be gained through training which is exactly what you are doing everyday. Plus, you may not have noticed due to your self-depression but you are getting stronger everyday. Your parents and I could see that every battle, Bova had to exert more and more strength in order to keep up with you and ultimately win. You need to have more confidence in yourself, young drake. That is what will aid you in acquiring the strength you so desire. This rapid growth of yours far surpasses that of any dragon kings and even the heavenly dragons. You are the son of the two most powerful dragons in existence so move forward with confidence and eventually all your training will pay off." stated Tannin with absolute certainty. I was very moved by the unshakable faith my uncle had of me.

"So, are you really to continue training, Issei Hyoudou." Asked Tannin

"Hai, shishou" I answered with confidence and determination.

We learned a lot during training... Or at least I did. A lot of the Dragons were training with partners to practice the 'Dragon style' martial art. Tannin created a fighting style called the 'Dragon style' or "Ryu style". Anyway, the Ryu style is a special martial art that Tannin specifically created for Dragons. This is due to what the style relies on in order to be properly used.

Dragons were once the greatest predators in existence. Surpassing that of any other races including Gods to the point that if you looked on the list of strongest beings, you would have seen it filled primarily with dragons. Almost as if they were destined to rule the skies, seas, and lands. Their bodies are built to be strong, spirits unbreakable, minds tenacious, and much more. All in all, they are beings that are meant to win. And the main indicator is, once again, their bodies. For example, their instincts. The very reason that Ryu style is perfect for Dragons. You got to hand it to Tannin, he knows exactly what to do. Even my dad could not help but marvel at his training method stating that he would never have even thought to come up with a style like that.

The way Ryu style works is simple in nature. A reactionary style of martial arts. You see, out of any living race in existence, Dragons have the greatest natural instincts. The average Dragon has better instincts than a High-Class Devil. So Ryu style relies on such a factor by existing as a reactionary fighting style. In simplest terms, when an enemy attack, you then counter attack…. At first when I heard of it, it sounded a bit confusing. Although no one could blame me since I was just a toddler back then. This is how it works: According to Tannin, it takes advantage of your instincts to the fullest. The reason is precisely for the 'reaction' aspect. Practically, you get into your stance and prepare for a physical attack, once the enemy attacks immediately dodge or block, then counter. The counter is what matters most. During the counter, you should be attacking maliciously and relentlessly. Not allowing the enemy to counter you, because the moment they try, you would counter their counter and begin your assault from there. I know it's weird and many would think: 'why the hell would an enemy let you attack you so much?' which is exactly what I asked him. But there's the ingenuity of it, it's not about them letting you attack, it's you not letting them attack! It doesn't necessarily rely on speed. You don't need to be insanely faster than your opponent to use it, in fact, even being half as fast would be sufficient. Because your instincts kick in and warn you of their attack before it's even made it a quarter of the way towards you! That's why instinct is so important! That's why it's perfect for Dragons! That's why it can be used for enemies stronger than you! That's why it's a 'reactionary' style! That's why there's so much countering! You will know what attack they are going to use the moment their muscles tense! You can smell and even hear the fire welling up inside the bellies of another Dragon! You can hear the sound of a magic circle being conjured by the symbol! You can feel someone's aura flare from long distances or quietly seep out from someone's body! It's amazing! Instinct is truly a terrifying concept! No wonder every pantheon feared and hunted down our race.

The main part of it is learning to hone your instincts. This is what Tannin wanted me to learn above all else. Luckily, I did have previous experience requiring my instincts which shishou, again, praised me for accomplishing despite being so young. When I fought all those devils several years ago, I listened to my instincts in order to be able to handle multitudes of devils and if it weren't for them, the devil Valper might have been able to defeat me and I wouldn't be alive today.

Needless to say, after many months of training, I had finally achieved my first win against my rival Bova. I was so ecstatic that you could literally see me running around everywhere like a kid who just received his favorite toy. My parents found it adorable, well mostly my mom. My dad was to busy laughing with the other dragons. Tannin-ojisan was very thrilled and happy for me, congratulating me on my first victory saying I deserved it after so many days of constant training. Heck, even Bova came forward and put his fist forward claiming that next time he would win. I bumped his fist smiling and told him 'bring it on my friend'.

End of Flashback

Unfortunately, not everything was sunshine and rainbows. At the start, everything seemed to move along smoothly until 6 months later, Issei was given news that nearly tore his heart apart.

Barakiel's attempted suicide.

It may have succeeded were it not for the timely intervention of Great-red who happened to come by and visit his friend and held him in place. Ophis and Issei quickly stopped what they were doing and immediately headed towards Barakiel's place. They arrived to find his father trying his best to talk his uncle out of killing himself but it seemed that none of his words were taken to heart.

Issei couldn't help but notice how broken Barakiel had become these past few months which caused him great sadness knowing he can't do anything to console him.

While Great-red was restraining him, Ophis walked up to Barakiel and literally slapped him across the face with tears steaming down her face as she screamed at him, asking him how could he even think of doing such a thing and how Akeno and Shuri would have never wanted him to join them like this. As Ophis was tearing into Barakiel, he could not help but feel like shit because deep down he knew she was right. Shuri and Akeno would never want him to go down such a dark path. Yet, he lost the will to live. Without a warm family to go back to, he no longer had any motivation to move on despite the support of his friends. However, he felt even worst when he saw his own nephew Issei moving closer to him with clear sadness depicted on his face.

Barakiel simply didn't have the heart nor the strength to face him so he looked away in shame but that did not stop Issei.

Flashback

"Please… keep on living… for me, mom, dad but most specifically for Akeno and aunty Shuri…please. I've already lost so much, I…I can't bear to lose you as well uncle." He continued crying into his uncle chest praying that his words would get through to him. He got his answer when Barakiel returned his embrace as Barakiel answered him

"I'm so sorry Issei, my boy, to have caused you such pain. You are right… I have to live on… for their sakes. Thank you Issei." He said with tears strolling down his face.

Separating himself from Issei, he wiped his tears as he turned towards Great-red.

"Thank you for saving me my friend." He told his friend with a smile. Great-red responded by bringing him into a hug.

"my pleasure, my friend. I am just glad you are OK but don't you ever do something like that again you idiot. The thought of losing you is not something I can bear. You are my friend so please rely on me when you need to" Great-red said as Barakiel felt his shoulder moisten clearly indicating that Great-red was crying which made him feel really horrible to cause such pain to his friend

"I'm sorry… I'm so so sorry." Barakiel repeated again and again. Ophis then also came forward to embrace him as well.

"I am just so relieved you are fine. Just like Issei said, you need to live on for Shuri and Akeno-chan otherwise everything will have been for nothing." Said a teary Ophis.

"you are both right." Barakiel said releasing a soft chuckle. Looking at this caused helped alleviate his sadness believing that his uncle would make it through this.

End of Flashback

That day was definitely one of the worst days of his life. To have seen his uncle in such a state was something that tore at his heart. Yet, ironically, it also boosted his motivation to become stronger. In order to make sure that no one he cares about will ever shed tears of sadness. Luckily, since that day, Barakiel had slowly made progress towards recovery, thanks to the constant help of his parents as well as his friends. Even the usual laid-back and carefree Azazel, after hearing what transpired, cried his heart out and instantly came to help making sure that Barakiel had everything he needed, even offering to take care of his work despite the fact that he solemnly likes to work. As a result, bit by bit, Barakiel slowly recovered from his depression and went back to work as soon as possible. However, it was obvious that there would be no way to fill the void left behind by his family no matter what they did but they still did their best. Great-red spends much of his time hanging out with Barakiel whenever he could. Ophis would often have talks about her memories of Shuri with him which sometimes cheered him up. Issei would talk about everything that has been going on with him, from all the brutal training he is undergoing, the new abilities he created and even just how he spent his time with his friends in the dragon territory. His uncle would also talk about his activities in Grigori while also reassuring him that he is alright. Issei would also sometimes unleash his complaints in front of his uncle which would cause him to laugh. Issei really enjoyed spending these moments with him and the same can be said for Barakiel.

Throughout the years, after a lot of grueling training, Issei managed to gain several abilities that helped him get a lot stronger. The first, having a complete mastery of fire. You would think that it is nothing special since he is a dragon and dragons are known for their flames and the fact that many other supernatural beings share this ability. However, you could not be more wrong. When I say complete mastery of fire, I meant it in every way. Not only was he able to learn a variety of moves utilizing his flame but he was also able to change the characteristics of his flame into something new. Funny thing is, that he learned this by accident when he was out training. After a hard day of grueling training, he felt so drained that he desperately wanted something to cool him down. All of a sudden, his flame suddenly shifted and changed to a bluish hue. But what surprised him the most was that his flame suddenly felt cold to the touch instead of the usual heat. Having no idea what happened, he decided to test his new flame, focusing forward and firing a shot. Instead of incinerating everything to ash like his usual fire, anything caught along the trajectory of his new flame was frozen solid. Trees, rocks and even small bugs hiding underground were frozen. After seeing this unexpected result, only one thing came to mind for Issei.

"That… was so COOL" shouted an ecstatic Issei as he marvelled at his new ability. Unfortunately, with his sudden lack of concentration, his flame turned back into its original state. Wanting to recreate it, he thought back to his previous actions that helped spawned the ability as he conjured flames in the palm of his hand. Concentrating really hard, he tried to visualize the flames that could freeze even hell itself. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen but then his fire slowly began changing from orange to blue and like before his new flame was chilling, no pun intended. Now that he was able to activate his new ability, he decided that his next course of action would be to inform Tannin of this new discovery. Hopefully, Tannin will be able to help him create a training regiment in order to help him improve his ability. Making his way to the training area, where he knew Tannin was currently located, he spotted his mentor guiding other young drakes, helping them improve their skills and abilities. Issei decided to wait until he was finished since he was not in any hurry so he would wait for the lesson to end before asking for his assistance. An hour passed by until Tannin finished his lesson before looking around and spotting Issei waiting in the corner.

"Issei my boy, how are you doing?" asked Tannin making his way towards his nephew/disciple.

Issei nodded. "I'm doing great uncle. I have been training my abilities on the outskirts of our territory. While training, it seems I have stumbled upon a new ability and I was hoping to ask for your guidance."

"oh another new ability. I would be happy to offer you any advice I can. Go ahead and show me." Said Tannin as he crossed his arms waiting patiently to see Issei's new power.

Issei nodded and generated fire on the palm of his hand. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on the flame to change it to what he dubbed ice flame and moments later, jut as before, his flame changed from orange to blue and generated a freezing aura capable of freezing anything that comes into contact with it. Issei opened his eyes waiting to see what his uncle thought of his new ability only to see an unexpected reaction from him. Tannin was starring wide eyed in surprise at him causing Issei to tilt his head as if asking him 'what's wrong'

Taking a moment to recompose himself, tannin took in a deep breath before speaking

"Issei, can you tell me exactly how you came across this ability?" Issei nodded and started explaining in detail all the actions he took which led to this new discovery. After he finished, Tannin sighed

"Issei, are you aware that what you've accomplished is considered impossible?"

"Really?" asked a stunned Issei earning a small giggle from his uncle.

"Yes really! Any wizard, yokai, devils or any other experts of fire would not even be able to come close to what you have accomplished here. There are even many different gods and goddesses of fire from various pantheons that would find what you achieved to be impossible by nature. Heck, I cannot even believe that you were able to perform such a task. Just being able to have complete control over fire, being able to bend it to your will into a malleable state is a difficult task that many take entire lifetimes to accomplish. On top of that, fire is considered to be the most difficult element to master as it is very hard to control and is extremely volatile. Many talented people who tried mastering fire, ended up paying the ultimate price when they could control the power. Even the gods themselves spend much of their lifetime training to master their elements. Yet, here you are, barely two decades old having not only accomplished that which took centuries, possibly millennia, for gods but you were able to achieve what was considered impossible and actually succeeded in changing the fire's property and characteristic. In fact, now that I think about it, I have heard of one god who attempted to perform what you just did and if memory serves, he did succeed but at great cost of his life force so it became useless and was discarded as an impossible task, yet you managed to do it without any repercussions. I am both very proud and confused of your achievement." Spoke Tannin as he wondered to himself how this was possible. Issei also tried figuring it out but came up with no answer. As they were both stuck, they decided to ask Ophis and Great-red, hoping that they could possibly shed some light on this information. After explaining the situation, Great-red asked to see this ability first hand to get a better idea of the issue. Issei conjured up a flame in the palm of his hand and, remembering what he did previously, focused on the fire to change its property and surely enough, the orange hue was replaced with blue and instead of permeating heat, the flame felt cold to the touch.

His father whistled "Amazing my son, as always I am impressed your rapid growth. I honestly believed it would have taken you many more months or possibly even years to reach this level."

This caused Tannin to raise a brow "It sounds to me like you know what is going on? If so, would you mind sharing your knowledge because as far as I know, what Issei just did is practically impossible."

Great red laughed "Tannin, my friend, you just answered your own question."

"What do you mean?" asked a confused Tannin.

"Have you already forgotten which aspect I rule over?" asked Great-red.

Tannin widened his eyes as he connected the dots "You mean…"

Great-red simply smirked "It seems you figured it out. That's correct! Issei's ability is in fact technically impossible to accomplish if he were a typical person or dragon for that matter. But, Issei is my son and therefore has access to my powers. In the past, Issei was able to subconsciously draw upon my distortion ability during combat against stray devils. Unfortunately, he did not possess sufficient training or experience to call upon it once more but it is a different story right now. You can basically summarise this new ability as a more advanced version of my distortion ability that helped Issei generate these, what you call, impossible flames into existence. However, that is only part of it, the other factor being his will. Just like how in our dreams, anything is possible as long as you will it so. Think of it… kind of like a sacred gear. Sacred Gears can adapt and evolve based on their wielder's thoughts, needs, and feelings, gaining abilities or qualities as time passes. During training, Issei desperately needed to cool down and his power responded to his desire by changing his normal flames into ice thus giving him what he desired. His powers basically evolved and adapted to suit his needs. It's amazing to tell you the truth. I believed it would take you a couple more years until you discovered such a power but once again, you surpass my expectations. Just what expected of my son." Great-red coughed to calm himself before continuing

"In terms of being able to use his ability without repercussions well… you should know the reason considering his near limitless stamina courtesy of his mother. However, these abilities do take up quite a bit of energy and concentration so over using them will cause him to wear out eventually so he will need to be careful. Although this can easily be fixed through training"

"After all, Imagination is the soil that can bring dreams to life." Both Tannin and Issei were impressed by his speech and knowledge.

"Besides, this is not the first time you used such an ability" added Great red.

"What do you mean dad? I don't recall every doing something like this. As far as I remember, this is the first time I've been able to change the characteristics of my flame" said Issei as he pondered a time where he could have used his ability but with no success. Great-red just sighed

"Not that I can blame you since it was during the time you went berserk so there is no way you would be able to recall such an event. Nor would I want you too since I know how much you would blame yourself but we are getting off topic here. The point is that in that state, you did not use your normal flames but rather a crimson flame which represented the embodiment of your power. This showed me that you already possessed the potential within you to change the characteristics of your flames" explained his father.

"Wow!" said Issei. A remark that was shared by Tannin as well

"Interesting! In that case, how should we go about training him? This is uncharted territory which I am not familiar with and, regrettably, I have no idea what the most effective training method would be?" pondered Tannin rubbing his chin.

"In terms of training, leave it to me. I will help Issei to improve his new power as it is connected to my abilities." Said Great-red before turning his attention to his son "However, in the end everything will depend on your imagination son. Since like I said earlier, Imagination is the soil that can bring dreams to life. Are you ready?" Issei simply smirked

"I'm fired up! Let's do this!"

Since then, Issei had gone through a lot of training with his father in order to not only understand his new powers but figure out how to expand and improve them. With a lot of hard work and effort he managed to accumulate several new flames in his arsenal.

The first was his ice flame. Like stated previously, anything that comes into contact with it would become frozen solid. Sounds amazing, if not for the fact that this ability could be good or bad depending on the environment it was used or against specific opponents. During one training session against Bova just above a volcano, he used this ability against him only for the ice to melt as soon as it was formed meaning that his ability was pretty useless in extreme temperatures. In any other setting, his ice would have covered Bova from head to tail. He could make it work, however he would have had to focus his entire concentration and waste a lot more energy in order to make the ice more durable which, after the fact, left him vulnerable for a counter offensive which was not very efficient.

Issei also noticed that against higher level opponents, his ice is basically rendered useless. For instance, against Tannin, it would do nothing but momentarily stun him before he shattered the ice using his brute strength. Against his father, it didn't even faze him. Although, in the end after many sparring sessions, he discovered that this ability was in general weak against dragons due to the fact that a dragon's core emits much more heat than any other races since it is what generates their powerful flames and aura. The perfect example being Bova. While the ice managed to cover him entirely, after 30 seconds he was able to shatter it by condensing heat around his body. All in all, it was a very useful flame and this was only one of many flames that he discovered.

Another flame that he managed to learn very early on was his healing flames. They are colored yellow and just like its name suggest, they are able to heal wounds and injuries. He learned this ability to help alleviate his mothers worries whenever he injured himself performing his… experiments shall we say. His ability could also heal his allies as well and as an added benefit, he was even able to restore most of their stamina which was pretty cool. Unfortunately, his uncle Tannin started abusing the shit out of this ability when training the younglings, causing many of them to shudder. Regrettably, it seems that his flame could not restore his own stamina which while not exactly a big deal was a real let down.

Another noteworthy flame that Issei managed to learn was what he called purgatory flames or the flames of hell as some people would call it, with good reason. This black flame in contrast to the other flames would not go out until it reduced its target to ash or unless its user puts it out himself. Issei was even able to learn the antithesis of this flame which is holy fire. This white flame was extremely effective against evil aligned beings and according to Tannin would also be able to exercise evil spirits and the like although he was not able to test this theory due to lack of spirits. Maybe in the future, who knows!

(If you did not already guess, this flame is very similar to the Uchiha's Amaterasu ability to give you guys an idea.)

This next flame is probably the most brutal out of all his ability, bar his crimson ones. It is a green flame that, once it makes contact with an enemy or even inanimate objects, not only weakens one's magic or power but sucks away the stamina and sometimes even the lifeforce out of them making it a very deadly weapon. Everyone called it the decaying flame. He once used it accidently against his friends while sparring instantly knocking them out and almost killing them were it not for the fact that they were high level dragons and the use of Issei's healing flames. That did not stop him however from crying his heart out while healing them shouting "I'm sorry, I'm sorry" repeatedly. Thankfully, there were no deaths but tit did show how lethal this ability could be if used against weaker level opponents. Even his father seemed to feel a very tiny tick when coming into contact with the flame illustrating how powerful it really was. Although it seemed to have absolutely no effect on his mother, which made sense. She was infinite and there is no way to decay infinity. Still, he decided that he had to be very careful when using this flame. It should only be used in the direst of circumstances or against very evil opponents. Another major downside to this flame is that it uses up the most energy and stamina out of all his other abilities, even more than his crimson flames, making it very difficult to use.

His most powerful flame is by far the crimson flames that are a manifestation of his own powers. These flames were even capable of damaging his own father in battle which is a huge accomplishment by itself. His father went ahead and nicknamed this flame "apocalypse flame" due to its massive destructive properties. Any attacks or abilities making contact with this flame was immediately reduced to nothing and it seems that nothing, short of a being of extreme power, would be able to stand up to it. Even Tannin agreed that he would easily be destroyed by this power which scared Issei quite a bit at how devastating his power really was. So far, the only people he knew that were strong enough to resist his power were his parents but he had been told by Tannin that there existed powerful Gods that could also potentially deal with his flame. The prime examples he gave were the gods of the Hindu pantheon who were currently the strongest pantheon with the death of the God of the Bible. Shiva, the God of destruction being the strongest of them all. When Issei asked how he would fare against such a God, Tannin told him something that sent chills down his entire being. He said that if he faced him, he would be obliterated by his power without so much as a sound and even Issei would be taken down quite easily at his current level. Being a God who specializes in destruction, he would probably be able to even destroy his flames before they even made contact with him. Tannin even believes Shiva to be able to take on Great-red and not die thus showing how powerful he really was. However, the power of his flames could easily match against a God and thus should be very cautious when utilizing it. It should only be used as a last resort. There was also another drawback to his almighty ability. The issue being that he could only seem to use his flame when he was in his true state, meaning his dragon form. It's not that he couldn't use it in human form but when he tested it, the crimson fire seemed to damage him meaning his human form could not sustain the incredible power the flames possess and thus ended up injuring himself.

After mastering the element of fire, Issei decided to tackle a different element. Fire was his most compatible element. His second most compatible element turned out to be lightning and he could not be any happier because his uncle Barakiel became his teacher alongside a high-level thunder dragon under Tannin. They both helped him develop his lightning to the best of their ability. As soon as they started however, they discovered something extra ordinary about Issei's lightning. Not only was his lightning completely black but they discovered that it was extremely volatile and destructive compared to normal lightning. In fact, both Barakiel's holy lightning as well as the thunder dragon's lightning/thunder both instantly disintegrated when coming into contact with Issei's even when they combined both their powers together revealing how overwhelmingly powerful Issei's lightning really was. They had no idea how to proceed since they needed to be very careful so they both called in Tannin to see what they could do. Tannin decided to postpone the training for the moment until they could further understand the properties of Issei's lightning. They already knew how powerful his flame was and there wished to prevent any unfortunate accidents like before. At first, Issei performed a few tests. He even tested his black lightning against his arsenal of flames and the results were astonishing. His lightning literally ripped through each fire, even the decaying flame which is supposed to not only weakens one's magic when hit but when making contact with an enemy's magic severely weakens it. Yet the lightning simply tore through it as if it was nothing. The level of destruction really surprised not only him but his uncle/shishou Tannin who was overseeing him as they both tried to understand the properties of his lightning. Unlike Barakiel's holy lightning that is controlled and precise, Issei's black lightning is more volatile and destructive as previously seen. A long time elapsed until they finally made a breakthrough which came in the unlikely form of Ophis. While Issei was using his black lightning, Ophis came by to check up on him only to remark how his lightning had similar properties to her own power meaning that Issei's black lightning possesses the infinity of the Ouroboros dragon god. Issei and Tannin were very shocked although if you look at the facts, it would make a lot of sense. Issei is the son of both dragon gods and so far, they have only seen Great-red's manifestation appear in Issei's abilities such as his distortion ability or his mastery of different flames yet there had been no indication of Ophis influence until now. Furthermore, it would explain why Issei's decaying flame had no effect. If his lightning possessed the infinity property then no matter how much it deteriorates, infinity is still infinity therefore, rendered the effect useless. This was a major discovery. Ophis was very happy to see Issei tap into what is the manifestation of her power. This brought a smile on her face as she congratulated her son who appreciated the praise and thanks her for it.

Issei also wanted to test how powerful his lightning was compared to his strongest fire, the apocalypse flame, the embodiment of his own power so he transformed into his dragon state and concentrated his power on both hands. On his right, the crimson flame that damaged even his father in battle. On the left, black lightning fueled by the aspect of his mother, infinity. He moved both powers together and when they came together, Issei instantly realized one thing… Worst… mistake…ever. The moment both powers collided with one another, it caused a massive explosion of fire and lightning generating a shockwave which could be felt throughout the dragon territory. If it wasn't for the constant barrier maintained through great-red's power surrounding the entire territory, the entire underworld would have felt his power and would have prematurely revealed his existence to the world. Luckily, there were no casualties since Issei performed his little experiment above a lone mountain. Unluckily, for the mountain, it bore the full brunt of the impact from Issei's power being completely obliterated. That is no small feet as the mountain itself stood tall at over 120 meters illustrating the overwhelming power Issei possessed.

Everyone who heard the blast immediately headed towards the scene very worried over the devastation caused including Tannin, Ophis and Great-red who could tell from the power emitted that the one responsible for the blast was Issei so they hurried to get there as quick as possible. Eventually, everyone arrived at the scene of the blast only to notice a deep crater at least 20 feet deep and as wide as the mountain that used to exist there. At the bottom lied Issei covered in injuries caused by his own attack. Unfortunately, he took the full blast of the impact inflicting many injuries on his person; however thankfully, he was in his dragon form mitigating much of the impact. If he had been in his human form, he would not have gotten away with only small-scale injuries. Both his hands might have been vaporized from the force of the collision. Despite that, he was very much in pain that everyone could hear him say

"Ooooouuuuuccchh!"

Silence followed until one dragon suddenly chuckled followed by another and another then it turned into full blown laughter. Everyone laughed their asses off at the sight including Great red who was also shouting "That's my boy" or "Way to go Issei". Tannin simply facepalmed at his nephews… predicament. Bova, although finding the situation funny himself, immediately recomposed himself and went in the crater to help his rival and friend. Ophis was both worried for her son and angry at everyone else, safe Tannin and Bova, glaring at them causing her aura to flare out which immediately shut them all up including her husband. After treating her son's wounds, Tannin decided to ask Issei what happened to which Issei answered to the best of his abilities. Regrettably, the only thing it accomplished was irritate Tannin even more as he smacked Issei's head with his fist calling him an idiot for doing something so reckless. He then made Issei promise him that he will never attempt a stunt like this unless he gets the authorization from either him or his parents. Issei nodded his head and vowed never to try this again without permission. The conversation ended there and everyone headed back to their home except for Issei who had to sit there and listen to his mother's scolding. He turned to his father asking for a bit of help but to his dismay, his father simply turned around and fled the scene, not wanting to be on the receiving end of his wife's err.

Another addition to arsenal is the gravity magic that he picked up during his training. He primarily used gravity magic as a means of training. For instance, he used it on himself during sparring against either Tannin or Great-red making his entire body heavier which served to strengthen him in the long run. Tannin, however, convinced him that it could also be used as a means of combat. However, that single moment can determine whether or not an attack hits or against more advanced opponents, the difference between victory or defeat. This was proven when he first used it against Tannin, gaining a victory thanks to the restricted movement caused by his gravity magic. All in all, Issei had gained an arsenal of abilities making him making him not only extremely powerful but also versatile capable of adapting based on the situation at hand.

(Back to the present)

Recovering from his trip down memory lane, Issei was currently making his way to Kuoh Academy. At first, he did not really want to go school or even need to since his parents and Tannin could teach him everything he needed. However, Barakiel convinced him to go saying that it would be good for him to get a basic education and experience the life of a student. Plus, he also added that it was Shuri's wish for him to go to school as well. When he said that, all opposition against going to school was silenced. If his aunt wanted him to experience the school life then he would honour her memory by going. Unfortunately, he had no idea where his school was located so he decided to ask for some directions.

"Excuse me, can I ask you a question" he asked the lady of the flower shop.

"Yes, son. How can I help you?" She answered.

"Do you, by any chance, know the way to Kuoh Academy? I just recently transferred there and I have no idea where it." he sheepishly asked while rubbing his head in embarrassment.

This caused a small giggle out of the lady in front of him

"Of course, I know where it is. In fact, my son attends there. Luckily it is not very far from here. You just need to head down 3 streets and turn left. The gates to the school will be visible from there. If I am not mistaken, school should start in 15 minutes so if you hurry, you should be able to make it on time." She explained causing Issei to become further embarrassed that he was almost going to be late.

"Thank you very much mam" bowing in front her.

"It's no problem son. You have a good day and have fun?" she said leaving him a smile which he returned.

"Have a nice day as well" he said leaving in a hurry hoping to make it in time. Seeing him leave, the lady sighed

"What a nice young man! Matsuda could learn a thing or two about manners from him." She thought to herself. Her son would be more likable if he wasn't such a pervert but alas you can't have it all.

After 10 minutes of brisk walking, Issei finally made his way to the front entrance of the school. Taking a deep breath, he took his first step into the halls, ready to begin a new chapter of his life.