Peerage or Not

Next morning, Issei awoke feeling refreshed and relaxed for the first time in a long time due to the simple fact that Akeno was alive and well. He could barely contain his excitement, although it grinded to a halt when he recalled his conversation with Akeno the previous day about how she did not wish to meet Barakiel yet due to the fact that she did not possess the courage or fortitude to face him. However, it did give him a bit of solace that she was trying her best to move forward with her life and is attempting her best to forgive her father. That is why he decided to adhere to her wishes and give her all the time she needed, although it did not stop him from hoping that it would occur sooner rather than later. Only time will tell.

Speaking of time, looking at his clock, Issei decided that it was time to get ready for school. He put on his uniform and made his way down to get breakfast. In the kitchen, he spotted his mother cooking what seemed to smell like eggs and bacon while his father was comfortably sitting on the sofa watching TV.

"Good morning, son!" Great red said without so much as turning around, having already sensed his son coming down, in contrast to Ophis who turned around to greet him with a warm smile.

"Morning Issei! Breakfast will be ready shortly so you can take a seat or join your father until it is ready." Issei decided to take his mother's advice and went to sit with his dad until breakfast was done. His father scooted over a bit from his seat to give Issei some space to sit which he did shortly after.

"How are you doing today?" Great-red started the conversation but he could already tell by his son's brightened expression what the answer to his question was.

"I'm feeling great dad. Better than I have in ages." Issei responded which earned him a heartened laugh from his father.

"hahaha, geez I wonder why that could be?" he joked since the reason was crystal clear. If anything, all of them were in high spirits due to the pleasant surprise that is Akeno. It felt as though a massive void within themselves had finally been filled and although they were heartbroken to learn that Shuri did not manage to survive, they were at least extremely grateful to have finally been reunited with who they considered family but none moreso than issei himself who was reunited with his mate.

"Breakfast is ready so you can continue your conversation in the kitchen!" Ophis interjected letting them know that breakfast was ready. They both stood up and made their way to the kitchen, each taking a seat opposite to one another so they could continue talking face to face.

"Thanks for the food." They both said as Ophis took her seat next to Great-red and they all started eating. They all starting talking and eventually their conversation moved towards Akeno.

"I have to say, Akeno grew up to be a fine woman, wouldn't you agree?" Great-red stated.

"Yes, she has. In fact, she is starting to look a lot like Shuri" Ophis gave out a smile at the thought of her friend and it was true that Akeno looks almost identical to her mother with the exception of their eyes to tell them apart. Issei also nodded his head, agreeing with his mother although he was a bit embarrassed to admit that there was also something else, he noticed that differentiated them apart. Her umm chest was quite bigger than her mothers not that he would ever admit it out loud to his parents. The perks of being part fallen angel he theorizes. Unfortunately, it seems his father had different intentions.

"Indeed, although there are some parts of Akeno-chan that surpassed even her mothers, wouldn't you agree Issei?" Great-red smirk was all Issei needed to understand what he was talking about causing a small blush to rise to the surface although he attempted to hide it.

"huh… w what are you talking about?" unfortunately, he could not do anything but stutter at his father which caused his smirk to widen even further.

"hahaha, you know exactly what I'm talking about. Don't think I did not see you ogle from time to time Akeno's chest yesterday." Great-red laughed at his son's expense who sported an even bigger blush than before.

"Daaaaaad" Issei screamed in embarrassment.

"ahh… I don't see what the problem is sport. You are a boy and there is no shame in desiring the opposite sex. That is something every race share in common with one another so you should not feel embarrassed about it. Furthermore, you are a dragon and lusting for your mate is completely naturel." He explained hoping to calm him down rationally; unfortunately, it had the opposite effect. He simply his face behind his hands in shame of looking at Akeno like that, believing she deserved more than that. Ophis decided to add her own two cents.

"In this occasion, your father is right, Issei. You should feel ashamed for having such thoughts. If anything, it only proves how much you love her and all your attention is directed towards her, so cheer up." In contrast to his father, Ophis seemed to have succeeded in calming him down. Mothers always know what to say and do, especially when it involves their children.

"I guess… you are right." Seeing Issei calming down, they all resumed eating before Great-red had something to add.

"So, I told Barakiel about Akeno" Great-red suddenly dropped a bombshell causing them to recoil in surprise. Ophis was the first to question him.

"When did you go to see him?" Issei also nodded wanting to know the answer to that question.

"Yesterday night, after Akeno-chan left our house. I left for Grigori to let him know about her survival and at the same time, deliver Akeno's letter to him." He answered.

"Why didn't you bring me with you? I could have joined you to see him" his mate asked, curious why he didn't ask her. Great-red scooped up his last piece of ham as he answered her

"Well, it was getting late and I wanted to deliver the good news to him as soon as possible so I left immediately after Akeno-chan left. Sorry."

Ophis simply shook her head "No, it's alright. I understand!". After his mom answered, Issei decided to but in.

"How was he… after you told him?" Issei asked wondering about the state of his uncle after he learned about his daughter. Great-red simply shrugged before answering

"Well, he reacted just about how I expected. At first, he felt relief at the fact that his daughter was alive. I have to say that it was the most emotion I had ever seen come out of him in recent times. Unfortunately, he shifted into anger when I told him that he could not, or rather should not, see her. I can't really blame him since I would have reacted the same way if it were me but I was able to calm him down after I was able to explain the situation to him. He was sad that Akeno resented him but at the same time could not blame her since he too felt responsible for the death of his wife. I reassured him, many times, that no one blames him for what occurred and that even Shuri would never blame him for this. He seemed to have calmed down after I stated that Akeno simply needed time in order to come to terms with her emotions and that even she admitted that she wanted to forgive him. I then passed him Akeno's letter directly and wished him a good night. I'm pretty sure he must have read it by now so I'm pretty sure he is beyond himself with the thought that his daughter has not forsaken him yet."

After his father finished talking, Issei relaxed back into his chair, breathing a small sigh of relief at the potential recovery of his uncle. Looking at the time, he decided it was time for him to head for school, less he be late. So, he got up from his seat and prepared to leave but not before telling his parents.

"Alright then, I'm off to school. I'm probably going to be late if I don't leave now. Thanks for the meal mom. It was delicious, as always. See you two later." He waved them goodbye as he made his way to the entrance.

"Alright son. See you soon… although it seems that a certain somebody has come to pick you up" he smirked, having been able to sense a certain someone making her way their house. He had to appreciate her taking the time to come and see them. Issei pondered what his father meant until he also sensed a very familiar presence just outside his residence causing a surge of happiness to appear on his face as he opened his front door only to be greeted with a smile by that very same person.

"Good morning, Akeno" Issei beamed at her brightly, making her blush.

"Good morning, Issei." Akeno returned the smile as she made her way towards him and embraced him in a hug.

Seeing Akeno at their doorstep, Ophis and Great-red made their way to greet her as well.

"Morning Akeno!" "Good morning Akeno-chan" they both said. Akeno smiled and greeted them back.

"Good Morning Ophis Oba-san and Great red Oji-san. How are you two doing today?"

"We are doing fine. Thank you for asking." Ophis was the first to answer Akeno's question as she returned her smile.

"Indeed. It is good to see you this morning." Great-red followed after her with a greetings of his own.

"Did you come to pick up our little boy here." He added ruffling his son's hair while smirking.

"Dad!" shouted a flustered Issei who pushed his dad's hand away. This earned a laugh from Akeno who then proceeded to answer.

"Yes, I have. I was on my way to school and wanted to see if Issei would accompany me" she said earning a blush from Issei.

"Oh, thank you but you did not need to trouble yourself coming all the way here. I'm sure Issei could have joined up with you." Said Ophis.

"It's alright. I wanted to do this so it is no trouble." She answered.

"How very thoughtful of you. Look at that Issei, she came to escort you to school. How lucky of you." Great-red joked with his son which annoyed Issei.

"Dad, you don't need to say it like that." Great-red laughed.

"hahaha, why not. It's not like you don't appreciate her gesture. In fact, during breakfast we discussed how you ogg… OW" Great-red bent over in pain as he was interrupted by Ophis who elbowed his ribs, stopping him from saying unneeded things.

"ufufu, I see that uncle is still the same as ever." Seeing her uncle behave the way she remembered caused her to laugh remarking that some things never change and, in a way, she was very happy to see that. On the other hand, someone who was not happy about that was Ophis.

"I'm very sorry about that. This Baka-red has clearly never matured over the years and is still causing me headaches." Ophis covered her face with her hand while sighing at her husband's antics.

"Anyways you two better hurry otherwise you are going to be late for school." Ophis added. Both Issei and Akeno nodded their heads and bid farewell to both of them.

"See… you… later. Ow that hurt Ophis" wheezed out Great-red as he was massaging his ribs trying to sooth the pain.

As they were making their way to school, Akeno decided to wrap her arm against Issei's trying to initiate as much contact as possible with him. Feeling her very gifted chest pressing against his arm made him pause in thought.

'Holy crap! They're so huge and soft!" he thought mentally. He could not help but notice how much Akeno really grew up. His arm is ripped and yet her breasts seem to be able to envelop most if not almost all of his arm. That, in itself, surprised him greatly but at the same time he could not help but let out a small grin that luckily Akeno did not notice, less she decides to tease him all the way to school. What he did not know was that Akeno was also examining all the changes Issei has gone through over the years.

In the past, both she and Issei were approximately the same size; yet now, after several years of constant training, Issei grew leaps and bounds from what she remembered. He had definitely transformed into a man. Even though he was dressed up, she could practically see and feel how much his body has become stronger over the years. His muscles and biceps were big, his shoulders were broad and every other muscle has developed accordingly, yet he was not as bulky as a body builder. He was ripped. Another key difference that she immediately saw was their height difference. Before they were of even height but now there was almost half a head difference between them so now she had to look up to him, not that she minded since this was her Issei.

Realizing their idiotic expressions, both of them snapped themselves out of their mental rumbling.

"Issei, I didn't get to ask this before but… are you a third year?" Akeno looked at him with a hopeful expression.

"Unfortunately, not. I'm a second year." Issei responded, shaking his head negatively. Akeno looked saddened by the news.

"Oh!" she looked down gloomily. Issei instantly felt bad understanding that she was hoping to spend more time together. Issei exhaled thinking of something to say in order to cheer her up since he never liked seeing her depressed.

"Well, for what's its worth, at least we both found each other again after so long and now we can spend more time together, like the old days" Issei softly comforted her. Akeno's expression did lighten a little but she was still sad that they were not in the same class.

"I guess you are right and I also got to see where you live." Akeno found some solace in that thought but it prompted Issei to ask her.

"By the way, I forgot to ask you. Where do you currently live? Did Rias Gremory give you a place to stay or are you currently residing within the underworld and coming and going as you want?" Issei was very curious to know where she resided.

"Yes, Rias-buchou has given me an apartment to stay at. It is very comfortable and is located near our school so it is a short commute to and from home. Perhaps, you can come and visit." Akeno smiled seductively as she traced her finger across Issei hardened chest causing him to blush and look away from her.

'When did she become so sexy and seductive' he thought to himself. It was actually quite the irony for Issei since Akeno kept mentioning how she hates all fallen angels and yet, she keeps acting like one, not that he would ever mention it nor can he deny that he did not enjoy it. Curse his perverted mind. Shaking his head to snap himself out of his absent mindedness, Issei returned his attention towards Akeno.

"You know, you can always move back to the shrine whenever you want to. My family and I have been keeping it safe and clean but it is and always has been your home." Issei attempted to veer the conversation elsewhere which seemed to work as Akeno started pondering his statement.

"It's not that I don't want to… it's just…" She honestly did not mind going back to live at the shrine. If anything, she missed the place since that was the place that held so many fond memories of the times spent with her mother, family and Issei but at the same time it was the place where she lost everything in a single moment and add to the fact that her father might be living there as well is another cause for concern for her.

Seeing the saddened expression on her face, Issei grabbed her hand and intertwined his fingers with his own trying to sooth her as much as possible.

"Don't worry. Uncle Barakiel has been living in Grigori since the incident. My parents did offer him to move back into the shrine but he rejected, saying there were to many painful memories there and that there was no one to come home to anymore. Now he only went there to visit your graves and kept asking for your forgiveness for not being there when you needed it. It was… very heart-breaking not only for him but for all of us" he explained and she could tell that the last bit was said with more sorrow. She tenderly rubbed his hand wanting nothing more than to sooth him.

"I see. I guess I will think about it" she answered. Issei smiled as they continued their trip to school.

As they continued their approach to school, they started encountering several students who were surprised at seeing them together. The male students were glaring at issei with jealousy as they had noticed that he was walking hand in hand with one of the "Two Great Onee-samas" of the school as well as the fact that his arm was practically enveloped in her gifted busom which further increased their jealousy. The girls seemed to begin whispering amongst themselves but many of them were also jealous that Akeno was accompanying the new hot transfer student as they begun trying to bicker among themselves what their relationship was.

Seeing all the jealous stares being directed at her boyfriend as well as all the stares she received from the female gender caused her to chuckled, her inner sadism having kicked in. At the same time, she further pressed Issei arm into her chest as if she were making a claim that Issei was hers, something that many female students noticed.

Issei, however, did not really react much to all this. Let them all think what they want. If they got a problem with it, then they could take it up with him. Not that anyone would actually try given how powerful he was. What he didn't appreciate were the many male stares who were looking lustfully at Akeno causing him to growl internally. He unconsciously wrapped his hand around Akeno's shoulder and pulled her closer to his chest to paint a very clear picture. She's mine. Akeno, noticing this gesture seemed pleased by the very bright smile on her face. She found his possessiveness absolutely adorable and pleasing as well.

After entering the school, they had to part ways as they were in different classes. They separated from one another and Issei did not fail to notice Akeno's reluctance to do so as shown by how she very slowly separated from him.

"Don't worry, we can meet up after class if you want." He said trying to cheer her up. It seemed to work as her mood quickly shifted to one of happiness. It was time for her to go to class. No doubt Rias and the others would have a bunch of questions for her after she stormed out of the clubroom like that. She then thought about asking Issei to join her later.

"Issei, how about coming by the clubroom later?" she asked as she looked at him with puppy eyes hoping he would agree. Of course, after seeing those eyes, there was no way for him to decline.

'Dammit, why does is she doing that?! She knows I can't say no to her' Issei complained. After sighing, he answered

"Sure, I'll join you after school." He had no choice but to oblige her. God dammit, she had him in the palm of her hands and she knows it. He then felt Akeno's hand press against his face as she quickly gave him a kiss on the lips, then twirled around heading towards her class but not before looking back and waving

"I'll see you soon, Issei-kun" he heard her say as she disappeared from his sight. His face still blushing from her action but he thought to himself 'WORTH IT!'.

Unfortunately, his problems had only started as he made his way into his classroom, he was bombarded by questions by the other students.

"What is your relationship with Akeno-sama?"

"Are you both dating?"

"Lucky bastard!"

"I didn't know he and Akeno-Onee-sama knew each other?"

"Seems like they are dating. Did you see how Akeno-sama held him?"

The majority of the female students were mostly curious about their relationship while the male students were jealous of him. Some were also pissed off, but none of them dared to say something because they were scared to get beat up by him. Matsuda was actually one of the students that was both scared and jealous of Issei. He was scared because he was one of the only people who knew that Issei was in fact a member of the strongest species known to exist, a dragon and if what Ddraig had told them yesterday was true then he was more powerful then all of them combined which shook the core of everyone in the clubroom. So, when Akeno stormed off from the clubroom to go after Issei, everyone was extremely fearful for her safety and even though Rias did not mention it, everyone could tell from her worried state that she was praying to the Maous for her queen's safety and hoping Akeno would not do anything reckless. All that worry seemed useless when Akeno came hand in hand together with said dragon with the brightest expression they had ever seen on her before. No doubt Rias will try to probe her for answers and maybe invite Issei once more to their clubroom. This brings us to his jealous side. If the two are in fact dating, then of course he would be extremely jealous of Issei for dating one of the two Great One-samas of the school. Heck, everyone was jealous of Issei at the moment. Akeno is no doubt one of the hottest woman he had ever laid eyes on with a body that rivals that of Rias and if Motohama's reading was accurate, which it probably is, has a breast size that even exceeds Rias and is the only female in campus that possess a bust with triple digits. In fact, she was one of the women he was desperately hoping to have in his harem if possible. However, if she was indeed dating Issei, then that option was definitely off the table. Despite the fact that he is a massive pervert, he would never go after someone who was already taken not after what happened with his parents.

Case in point, he was still very jealous of his new classmate, but none more so than his friend Motohama who was practically screaming with rage in front of his face.

"DIE YOU."

Matsuda could tell that Issei was starting to get annoyed and was honestly a bit fearful for his friends' life. He tried to separate his friend from issei but to no avail.

"Hey man, I think you should calm down." Motohama was clearly not pleased and continued spouting insult after insult against Issei.

"Huh, no way! He has to answer us. How the hell did he seduce and ensnare of the two Great-Onee-samas of this school and on his first day no less. ITS NOT FAIR." Motohama shouted with comical tears flushing down his face. Issei, however, was starting to get a bit annoyed at his antics. He could understand the questions being directed at him, but this guy was taking things a bit too far.

"This guy is really starting to annoy me. What the heck is his problem?" Issei thought as he felt multiple veins popping on his forehead.

"Could you please get out of the way? Class is about to start." He said as politely as he could but from his tone, everyone could feel that he was starting to get pissed off.

Coming to the rescue were his female classmates who started shouting

"Hey, you two. Quit bothering Issei-kun with your shenanigans" one said pointing at both Motohama and Matsuda.

"That's right" Several others spoke at the same time.

"HUH, me too? I didn't do anything" shouted a surprised Matsuda since it was true. Sure, he was super jealous of Issei but he only tried to hold back his friend. No good deed goes unpunished and it seemed he just learned the meaning of it.

"IT'S NOT FAIR" Motohama was still screaming, still being held back by his friend. It took a while but soon, Motohama finally calmed down after Matsuda promised to lend him a very special magazine, he's been saving up causing the others to look at him in disgust knowing exactly what type of magazine it was.

With a look of gratitude towards everyone, including Matsuda, he finally took a seat.

Off to the side, he noticed the blond devil boy, his name was… Kiba Yuuto if he recalled correctly, who nodded with a small bow of the head as if to both greet him as well as apologize for their classmate's antics. Issei simply smiled and returned his greeting with a nod of his own. He understood that teenagers would be teenagers. With a sigh, he got ready for lessons as they teacher entered class.

After the lessons ended, Issei made his way out of the classroom. Just as he exited, he noticed Akeno who was waiting near the entrance of his class with what seemed to be a package in her hands.

"Akeno? How come you are here? Is everything alright" he asked. She nodded.

"Yes, everything is fine Issei-kun. I just stopped by to ask if you wanted to have lunch together?" she said looking him in the eyes. He looked at the clock and sure enough it was indeed lunchtime.

"Oh it's lunchtime already." Issei could not believe how fast the time went by.

"Were you so busy daydreaming that you forgot what time lunch started?" Akeno giggled with what seemed to be a mock-scolding look.

"haha, it would seem so sempai." Issei decided to go along with her but then noticed her pouting.

"It's Akeno, you don't need to add sempai." She said as she bent over, giving Issei a clear view of her gifted breasts as they bounced.

"Oh my god, I can't believe they bounce!" he shouted happily in his mind.

"Okay, Akeno-chan" He called her the way he is used too. He really only called her sempai since they were in school and apparently that's how everyone treats those of higher grade.

For Akeno, it's not that she hated him calling her sempai but hearing him call her by her first name without any sort of honorific always made her happy because it showed how close they were to one another. Although… as a sempai, she could ask him to do… several things. Those thoughts made her blush as she grabbed Issei's wrist and decided to lead him to the roof to have their lunch.

"Let's go have lunch." When several people saw her behaving this way, they questioned the change in her characteristics. Normally, Akeno was graceful and calm, but at that moment, she was acting like an excited young lady who was… well… going out on a date and they had never seen her act like this before.

After sitting down, they both began to converse with one another as they ate. Most of the conversation was about everyone's reaction to them being together. Akeno found it funny while Issei was bothered by the constant questions. Seriously, why did everyone have to take interest in his personal or romantic life.

"By the way, are your friends alright with you being with me? I don't think I made a very good first impression when they introduced themselves to me and I could feel they perceived me more of a threat than anything, so I don't know how they reacted to you coming to school with me." Issei asked worriedly. He did not believe that Rias and her peerage had a very nice image of him especially after finding out he was a dragon. Despite doing their best to hide it, he could feel their fear rise when he told them his race. Dragons have always been feared for their strength and power and being faced with one of unknown origins is always scary so he couldn't really blame them for thinking like that.

Akeno interrupted his train of thought

"At first, they were worried. I did explain that you were a very nice person and that I knew you since childhood but it was when I told them that I would trust you with my life that they decided to relax a bit. Although, I'm pretty sure Rias is going to want to talk to you some more when you come by the clubroom." She said, taking another bite of her fried chicken.

Issei was taken by surprise when Akeno stated that she would trust him with her life. It was certainly unexpected but soon his surprise turned into inner joy because it showed how much Akeno faith and trust she placed on him.

"I see." He smiled before continuing "Did you tell them who my parents are, by any chance?" he asked the question on his mind. He wouldn't blame her even if she did tell them understanding that since she is part of a peerage, she would have to tell the truth. Even his parents wouldn't blame her. He knew that for a fact but he just wanted to ask her to see if she did. The response he got, however was different than what he thought.

"No!" she answered in a serious tone.

"I only told them that we were childhood friends and that our families used to spend a lot of time together. Rias accepted what I said and did not question me about your parent's identity. And even if she did… I would never reveal it without their permission. They trusted my family with their secret and I will never betray that trust" He could feel that she was speaking with absolute resolution. She would never reveal their identities even if Hell froze over.

He smiled at this. "I see" he said before slowly enveloping his hand with hers, their finger intertwining causing a blush to spur from Akeno

"Thank you, Akeno-chan. Like I said before, we do not really mind if you need to tell them about. I don't want to cause an unnecessary rift between you and your friends." He continued with what seemed to Akeno a tinge of worry. Akeno returned a smile

"You don't need to worry about that Issei-kun. Despite her curiosity, Rias is a very understandable person and would respect my decision for keeping what I know a secret. She is unlike most devils who would command their servants to obey. She treats us as a family and we treat her the same way. The others are also very trustworthy. They understand that everyone has a secret or two they wish to keep for themselves and they respect my privacy. It is why I treasure each and everyone of them." She explained to Issei. This seemed to calm his worry down a notch which was what she intended in the first place.

"Very well. If you trust them that much, then it is only fair that I give them the same courtesy. From what you told me, she saved your life when you were on the run, something that should have been our responsibility to begin with. I could never thank her and your friends enough from providing you with a home during all these years so, at the very least I would like to offer my gratitude to them when next we meet" he said.

"ufufu, Thank you Issei-kun". She reached out, extending one hand as she cupped his cheek, using said hand to bring him ever so closer. Both of their faces inching ever closer until their lips overlapped as they shared another kiss between them.

After separating, they both noticed that lunchtime was running out so they started packing their stuff. Akeno was the first to get up.

"I'll see you after school at the clubroom." she said leaving the premises as the end bell for lunch came.

Eventually, school ended and Issei made his way towards the old school building until he found himself outside the ORC clubroom.

"Well, here we go" he thought to himself taking a small breath, mentally preparing himself before he finally knocked on the door.

"Come in." He heard the voice of the Crimson Haired princess. Opening the door, Issei saw all of the ORC members waiting for him. Rias was seated in her office while Kiba was right behind her acting as her bodyguard. Kiba smiled and nodded to greet Issei, something he returned himself. He then spotted the mascot of Kuoh, Koneko Toujou sitting on the sofa eating her candies. Right across from her was Matsuda who was sprayed out on the sofa, tired from another day of school. Now that he got a good look at him, Issei could feel a very familiar energy coming from Matsuda. It resembled that of a dragon but was very faint.

'A sacred gear, perhaps?' he remembered Tannin's lessons about Sacred gears and recalled that some of them had beings sealed within them which allowed the user to use said beings power as their own. Although, those types of Sacred gears were the rarest and would most likely be a Longinus.

Before he could think of anything else, he felt his hand being pulled, wrenching him from his thoughts. He did not need to guess who it was as he saw a very familiar black haired yamato nadeshiko appearing before him.

"Welcome to our clubroom, Issei." Akeno smiled, as she led him inside. Everybody present, except Issei, were surprised when they saw how bubbly Akeno became. Akeno led Issei to be seated on the sofa next to Koneko.

"Please take a seat. I'll be right back ufufu" she winked at him as she entered the kitchen to prepare tea and snacks.

Watching their interaction caused everyone to relax. Although, they understood that he was an acquaintance of Akeno's, they could not help but feel a but scared considering his identity and the fact that he was very powerful. Rias smiled in relief when she noticed Akeno's cheery mood, if she could call it that. When she had run off from the clubroom to follow Issei, even though she told everyone not to worry, she could not help but be fearful that something was going to happen to Akeno so it was a major relief to see her back again. Not only that, she was acting as though she had the time of her life.

Rias looked at Issei as he sat quietly near her rook waiting patiently.

'Akeno trusts this man with her life… so whoever he is, he cannot possibly be a bad guy' she thought to herself.

"Good evening, Hyoudou Issei. Although my queen already welcomed you, it is only proper that I do so myself as the president of Occult Research Club. Therefore, I would like to welcome you to our humble abode." She welcomed him with a smile.

Issei turned his attention towards her in order to answer.

"Thank you very much Rias Gremory. I know that our last meeting did not go very well but you are all Akeno's friends and she trusts you all very much and that is enough for me to know that you are nice people. I look forward to getting to know you better and getting along with you all." He said bowing his head.

"Indeed. We also hope to get along with you Hyoudou Issei." She said politely.

"Since we are going to be friends, you don't need to call me by my full name. You can call me however you'd like since I do not mind." He suggested to her as well as her peerage and she decided to take him up on his offer.

"Very well, Issei-san."

Akeno soon brought out a few beverages and snacks. She immediately sat next to her crush, surprising everyone yet again.

"Now then Issei-san, before we begin, I would like to ask you if you would be interested in joining our club?" Rias offered him an invitation to her club. Issei was taken a back by her offer.

"Is something the matter?" she asked after seeing his surprised look.

"oh.. sorry, nothing's wrong. It's just… I did not expect you to invite so soon after meeting?" Issei expected her to first get to know him to see if he was trust worthy before even asking him to join.

"ufu, there's no need to be so shocked. It's true that under normal circumstances, I would take my time to find out if the person I'm inviting is trustworthy enough as well not a danger to me, my peerage and this city before allowing them to join. However, Akeno has already informed us that you were her childhood friend and that is enough for me to know that you are trustworthy. In addition, if all the rumors I hear going around the school are true, then the two of you are more than friends so I'm pretty sure, Akeno would love to have you here." She explained looking at her queen who blushed when she inferred their relationship. Rias could not help but giggle at her queens reactions, never having seen her like this.

Issei, for his part, understood her reasoning and to be truthful, he wanted to join the club in order to spend more time with Akeno. He had missed her terribly ever since he thought she died during the incident so he thought of this as a chance. In addition, he did not need to look to his side to know that Akeno was hoping for the very same thing. After of moment of thinking, he finally answered

"Very well, I will join. Please take care of me." Rias was very pleased with his response. Although she did not show it, she considered him a peerage candidate. Dragons were beings of immeasurable strength. They possessed overwhelming might. Their scales provided an impenetrable defense and they were largely resistant to many forms of magic. The fact that it took all 3 factions to suppress the 2 heavenly dragons illustrates the overwhelming might dragons can possess. Its no wonder that even the mightiest of Gods feared these creatures. It was this strength that she desperately wanted in her peerage for the future. On the other hand, Akeno was overwhelmed with joy as she embraced his arm. Issei simply smiled at her. Rias got up from her seat and made her way in front of him, lifting her hand for a handshake.

"In that case, once again, I welcome you issei Hyoudou to our club. It is a pleasure to have you on board." Issei also got up from his seat and returned the handshake. After they separated, Rias decided to reintroduce her members to Issei.

"Now that we got that out of the way, allow me re introduce all our members. Up first is my knight who attend your class so I'm pretty sure you are well acquainted already" she gestured towards her knight who approached Issei with his usual smile.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Issei-kun. Let's get along." He said offering a handshake which Issei gladly returned.

"Likewise, Kiba-san."

"Next is the rook of my peerage, Koneko Toujou." She gestured towards the school's mascot, sitting on the sofa. She was, as usual, busy munching on her sweet. Hearing Rias introduce her, she turned her focus to Issei.

"Hello" That was all she said before returning to eating her sweets.

"Not much of a talker, is she?" Issei remarked causing Kiba to giggle.

"Not really but the fact that you were able to get a single word out of her is an accomplishment in and of itself."

"At least, you got a hello… Koneko-chan keeps calling me pervert or disgusting" complained Matsuda.

"Is it because you are of the 'Perverted Duo' I Keep hearing about?" Issei questioned.

"Hey, everyone is entitled to their own interests. I happen to worship the woman body and I absolutely love breasts." Shouted Matsuda in excitement.

"pervert" replied Koneko.

"You see what I mean?" exclaimed an erratic Matsuda pointing at Koneko.

"Issei, this young man here is my pawn Matsuda Suzuki." Rias re-introduced her pawn. Issei nodded and like Kiba offered a handshake.

"Pleasure to meet you. Just so you know, I do not judge a person solely based on their interests." He offered a sincere smile. Matsuda returned his handshake but internally he was thinking 'Oh great, another Kiba'. Matsuda then noticed that Issei seemed to examine him which confused the poor lad.

"Is something the matter? Do I have something on my face?" Matsuda asked.

"Oh sorry, I did not mean to stare. Its just that I'm sensing a draconic presence coming from you and I've been trying to figure out why that is?" he explained. An understanding expression came from Matsuda.

"I see. There is a very simple reason for that." He said then looking at Rias as if to ask permission if it was OK to tell him. Rias, understanding what he wanted to ask stepped forward.

"The presence you are feeling is due to the fact that Matsuda here is the current Sekiryuutei, wielder of the Longinus Boosted gear that hosts the soul of the Red Dragon Emperor, Ddraig" she explained with a huge amount of pride. She was extremely proud of the fact that she had the current red dragon emperor in her peerage.

"Seriously!" Now that was very shocking news for Issei. He knew that Matsuda might have carried a sacred gear related to a dragon but he never expected it to be one of the two Heavenly dragons.

All of a sudden, a red gauntlet materialized on Matsuda's left arm and a powerful voice could be heard coming from it.

["Greetings, young dragon. As you heard, I'm Ddraig, the red dragon emperor. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance Issei Hyoudou"] Ddraig introduced himself. It has been a while since he's seen one of his kin.

"It is an honour to meet the fabled Ddraig Y Gosh in person. I've heard lots of stories about the two heavenly dragons from my mentors." Issei bowed a bit towards the gauntlet as a sign of respect.

["Well now. Despite being so young, you are definitely well mannered. Haven't seen that trait in a dragon in a long time. What have you heard about us?"] Ddraig was impressed with his manners and asked him what the other dragons told him about them.

"Well, a lot of dragons I met idolize the two of you for your power and status. My mentors talked about all your accomplishments and praised your abilities, although…" Issei stopped wondering if he should tell him what his mother said about them.

Ddraig noticing his pause urged him to continue.

["hmm, go on. Do not be scared to tell. I did ask for it after all"]

Issei sighed and continued

"Well… my mother described you as two idiots who got into a pointless fight and got sealed in the progress" Issei revealed. Silence ensued in the room. That was basically an insult towards their rivalry that has been going on since ancient times and is still being fought through their hosts so no one had any idea how Ddraig would react to that.

…

His response was not expected.

["HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA"] Ddraig was laughing. Everyone was staring at the boosted gear in shock until Ddraig started to calm down.

["haha huh. My apologies for that display. It's just that it has been so long since I've heard anyone have the guts to not only insult me but the white one as well. Your mother is quite the courageous dragon although I can't say I hate that in a woman."] he said.

'You wouldn't say that if you knew who my mother was' was what Issei was thinking when Ddraig said that.

"Thanks for the compliment and even though she said that, she does admit that you both are in fact extremely powerful dragons". 'after her and Great-red' he left out that part, less he reveals who his parents were.

["In any case, it is a pleasure to meet a powerful dragon such as you, despite being so young. Oyy, partner, you would do well to learn a thing or two from him."] Ddraig complained to Matsuda who flinched.

"What is that supposed to mean"

["Exactly what I said partner. If you wish to become stronger, it would be a great idea to get him to train you. Like I told you before, the only way to train a dragon is with another dragon and you will never be able to reach your full potential unless you do that. Anyways, Hyoudou Issei, I look forward to seeing your potential as well."]

"Thank you Ddraig and I hope not to disappoint" Issei and Ddraig smirked before Ddraig cancelled the connection and the boosted gear disappeared. With that out of the way, Rias got to her last member.

"And last but certainly not least is my Queen who there is no need to introduce since you are well acquainted already. Being my queen, Akeno is also my second in command as well as the Vice President of the Occult Research Club." She gestured towards Akeno who winked at him.

"So everyone is this clubroom is a member of your peerage?"

"Indeed they are. How much do you know of the devil's reincarnation system?" she asked.

"Not much really, only the fact that devils can reincarnate people as servants" he said scratching the back of his head for his lack of knowledge. At the time he was only interested in getting stronger so other lessons took a back seat. This earned him a small chuckle from Rias.

"ufu, I see. Would you like you learn about it?" she asked.

Issei thought about it for a moment and he decided 'why not'. It did not hurt to learn it and he was a bit curious how it worked. So he nodded his head.

"Sure" He took her offer.

"Very well then, Akeno!" Rias called Akeno who brought a chessboard from Behind Rias's desk. Rias then conjured up a bag, taking out a few red chess pieces and placing them on the board. Issei could tell right away that these were not ordinary pieces. Each of them seemed to radiate some type of power. While pondering on the subject, Rias finished placing all her pieces on the chessboard even though some were missing. She then begun to explain how to the devil's system worked to Issei.

"Now, before I can talk about the system, I need to go through a brief history of the current state of the underworld that led to the creation of our system. Do you mind?" She asked him before proceeding.

"Sure, please go ahead." Issei nodded

Hearing Issei's answer, Rias continued on.

"Thank you. Now as I'm sure you know or are at least aware of, there occurred a 'Great War' between the three powers consisting of us Devils who were led by the four original Great Maou, the fallen angels led by Azazel and his fellow Leaders of Grigori and finally the Angels led by the God of the Bible. We, the Devils, have been at war with the Fallen-Angels since ancient times. We have been fighting over the possession of the Underworld. The Underworld is split into two areas, one for Devils and one for Fallen-Angels. The Devils form pacts with humans in order to increase their strength while the Fallen-Angels, on the other hand, controlled humans to eliminate Devils. At some point during this conflict, the Angels under God's order, entered the fray in order to eliminate us, which creates the three forces. This has been going on since long ago. Essentially, this war was a long and dreadful one. Extreme losses were suffered by every side of the 'Three powers'. Angels, Fallen-Angels, and Devils all suffered devastating casualties. To the point in which we Devils lost all four of the original great Maou leading us and almost went extinct. As a result of these losses, an armistice between the three sides was struck, in order to avoid the outcome of destroying each other completely. However, the losses suffered by the Devils were much too substantial. A great majority of the Pure-blood Devils were extinguished, and around half of the 72 pillars went extinct. Our race was in jeopardy. This is what leads us to the creation of the Evil Piece system." Rias then picked up one of the chess pieces.

"The Evil Piece system was created by the current Maou Ajuka Beelzebub-sama. this Devil reincarnation system allows us Devils to reincarnate humans, and other beings, into becoming Devils, thereby expanding the population of our race. By placing these pieces and infusing our powers into the body of a person, it is possible to then reincarnate that being into a Devil. That then makes the Devil who reincarnated them their 'master', and the newly reincarnated Devil becomes the Devil's 'servant'. These chess pieces are the Evil pieces that the system is based off of. Every High-Class Devil is rewarded with these Evil pieces as a means of starting their own 'peerage'. This is the system which allowed us to avoid extinction."

"Ohh… amazing. Are there any restrictions to the system or can you reincarnate anyone?" he asked, his curiosity getting the better of him, although Rias did not mind much and was very pleased to see him interested in Devil matters.

"Indeed there are. The first thing is that Evil pieces are not able to reincarnate Gods or buddhas. I can only speculate it is due to the fact that they are way to powerful for the system to work on them. However, it is possible to reincarnate Demi-Gods as long as they are compatible with the evil piece used. This brings another point which is the fact that the strengths, talents, and skills of the being to be reincarnated plays a large role in determining how many pieces will be used for reincarnation. A good example is my very own pawn, Matsuda. Due to the fact that he is host to the Red dragon emperor, it took all eight of my pawns to reincarnate him. Other example of case's like this can be seen in my brother's peerage. Most of his members took multiple pieces in order to be reincarnated illustrating ow powerful they really were. It is also important to note that Evil Pieces cannot be used together so there is no way to reincarnate someone with let's say a rook and a bishop." Issei nodded illustrating that he was following everything she was saying.

"There are also special pieces known as Mutation pieces. Using a mutation piece allows you to reincarnate a person that would otherwise require several pieces. However, they are extremely rare and only 1 out of 10 devils possess a piece. I myself was fortunate enough to receive a mutated bishop when I acquired my evil pieces. That is about everything that I know of the Evil piece system. Ajuka-sama has stated that there are many hidden features installed within the pieces but it is up to us to discover them." Rias finished explaining, taking a sip of her tea.

"That's pretty cool, although is there a reason why Ajuka Beelzebub chose to model his system after chess? Why not model it after something that can give you more servants?"

Rias pondered a bit Issei's question before replying

"I believe he modeled it after chess due to his fascination with the game. In addition, the crystal from which the pieces are made take a very long time to process so it limited the amount of servants each devil could possess. At least, that is my take on it. Any more questions?" Issei shook his head negatively as Rias question

"Nope, you answered everything I wanted to know." He was looking around when he asked another shocking question.

"Does this mean that all the members currently here are your peerage because I could have sworn that I felt another presence in the floor below us." Issei asked catching everyone except Matsuda who sported a look of confusion, especially Rias by surprise. She never thought he could sense Gasper, despite him being sealed.

Should she tell him? Rias was debating with herself whether or not to reveal her last peerage member. She looked towards Akeno who nodded, letting her know that it was alright to tell him.

"Really, we have another member. I didn't know? Is it another Bishōjo" Matsuda asked excitingly letting his imagination run wild! Matsuda was the only one out of the peerage who did not know about Gasper's existence due to the fact that he was reincarnated very recently and not made aware of it.

With a sigh, she decided to reveal the truth. "huh… I'm surprised you were able to sense him from here despite the room being sealed. You are correct in your assumption Issei-san. The presence you are feeling is in fact my bishop. His name is Gasper Vladi and he is a half-vampire. Unfortunately, the circumstances revolving around him were quite complicated. Before you ask, the reason he is sealed below is due to the fact that he possesses great power that he is, unfortunately, not able to control which made him a danger to himself as well as other. Therefore, under my brother's orders, I was told to seal him until such a time came that I became strong enough to be able to handle his power." She explained. Having heard that the aforementioned bishop is a guy made Matsuda lose interest but he still payed attention to the details.

"Do you remember what I told you about Mutation pieces?" she asked to see if he recalled what she mentioned.

"Yes, I remember" Issei nodded remembering what she told him. He also recalled that she possessed a mutated bishop but he only saw one on the chessb… then it dawned on him.

"I see you caught on. Indeed, I had to use my mutated bishop on Gasper due to the power within him being to great for me to reincarnate with an ordinary bishop."

"But… doesn't that interfere with his duties as a member of your peerage if he is sealed all the time?" inquired a perplexed Issei

"Normally, it would. However, you would be surprised to know that Gasper has the most success out of all of us when it comes to making contracts by using his computer therefore his performance is not affected by the fact that he is sealed." She told him. Her tone exuding a bit of pride at her bishop's accomplishment.

"I see, although I don't think it is very healthy for him to be stuck in a room everyday?" he said with concern. If it was him, he would probably get so angsty to the point that he would rampage until he got out. A dragon values his freedom and being locked in a room for years on end is not an option.

"I know. Even I say he is sealed, I did give him the option to leave during the night to have some fresh air but due to the circumstances of his past, he had developed severe agoraphobia and thus he chooses to remain sealed permanently. My peerage and I constantly try to get him to come out but he refuses and I do not want to force him since that would not accomplish anything." Rias pinched the bridge of her nose as she recalled all the times, she tried to get him out of the room only for him to stop time and escape in his inner sanctuary he calls a box.

"I look forward to meeting him then."

"I'm sure you will, in the future. Now, with all that said, I wanted to ask you… Would you be interested in becoming a part of my peerage and family?" This was the question she desperately wanted to ask and everyone could see she wearing a very hopeful expression for a favorable answer. There could be no doubt that she was proud of each of her peerage and they were all very strong. They are the people that she could trust with her life. But she felt that, at the moment, the peerage lacked firepower. In the future, with tons of training, she knew that Matsuda would become a force of nature being the red dragon emperor but at the present moment, he needed a lot of training. Having a dragon would definitely provide an enormous boost in power that she desperately needed, especially regarding a certain arrangement she wanted to get out off.

Regrettably, the answer she got received was not a favorable one as she saw Issei giving her a bitter smile as he shakes his head side to side.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your offer Rias-sempai. I was born and raised as a dragon and I cannot see myself as anything other than that. In addition, I hope you will forgive me for being blunt and I mean no offense when I say this but… based on what you told me, I doubt you would even be able to reincarnate me" he said this as politely and respectable as possible. If what she told him previously was true then she could only reincarnate people above a certain level. It took her a mutated piece to reincarnate the vampire he felt earlier and his power was leagues behind his so he sincerely doubted that, even with a mutated piece, she would be able to turn him into a devil.

Rias understood that he meant no offense but his statement still hurt her pride a bit as a small tick appeared on her forehead

"oh, really… Is that a challenge?" she said crossing her arms underneath her chest. Issei found her reaction kind off cute and he decided to humor her a bit.

"Not really but how about this? You can go ahead and attempt to re-incarnate me and if you are able too then I will gladly follow you and there will be no ill-will between us." Issei's statement gave Rias a bit of hope where otherwise there was none.

"Is that so? In that case, get ready to eat your words." Rias took her remaining pieces from the chessboard as she strolled confidently towards Issei.

"Don't regret this!" she said stopping in front of him. Issei looked down since she was a bit smaller than him and smirked.

"I won't. Please go ahead."

"Don't mind if I do." She said bringing forth her pieces. She started with the bishop bringing it towards his chest.

She waited but nothing happened. Her first attempt failed so she brought forth her knight piece. Once more she waited but no sign appeared that piece was compatible with Issei. This got her frustrated as she looked at Issei who simply shrugged as if telling her I told you so.

"It's not over yet" she mumbled as she still had her rook piece left. Compared to the other pieces, this was the most powerful one remaining she had left and dragons beings entities of pure power would surely be compatible with a rook piece.

And so, she brought her last ray of hope forward near Issei's chest

And waited

…

And waited

She started to sweat a bit

And waited

…

Nothing happened.

Her head collapsed in defeat as a mini Rias was crying internally for having failed to re-incarnate him.

"DAMN IT. My peerage would have been invincible if I had you." She shouted in defeat. In the background everyone was amused at their king's reaction.

Kiba and Akeno both chuckled.

Matsuda could not contain his laughter at his king's expense and if you'd look at Koneko, you would have seen a small smile appear in her otherwise expressionless face before she went back to eating her sweets.

Issei was simply scratching the back of his head, wondering what he could say.

Hilariously, it was not Issei who bore a smug face at her failed attempt but rather Akeno who seemed proud of the fact that her boyfriend was too strong to be re-incarnated by her best friend.

"Ara ara, it seems you failed Buchou" she teased Rias who did not seem very happy about it but could not say anything to refute it. Rias simply stared at her queen with an irritated expression but that did nothing to affect Akeno's smug look.

"Sorry about that. I hope there are no hard feelings." Issei interjected. Rias looked away and sighed before redirecting her attention to Issei.

"There are none. While I would have loved to have in my peerage, the fact remains that you are right and I am, lamentably, to weak to do so. On the bright side, you are now a full fledge member of our club and a new friend so overall, it was not a bad day. Although, should you ever change your mind, the offer will always remain." She said.

"Thank you. Also, I forgot to ask but… what exactly does your club do?" he asked.

"Oh. It's true that I forgot to mention it. Our club mostly deals with anything involving the occult. it includes the study and research of Youkai and other supernatural creatures in the area. Around once a week, we deliver a report or article on the supernatural which is literally our forte. It's not really much. We mainly used this club as a front for our devil activities. You can think of this building as our headquarters whenever we need to get together in case of an emergency or activity." She explained to issei who nodded in understanding.

"Alright, I understand. In that case, I'll take my leave but before I do there is something I need to get out of my chest."

There was one thing he needed to do before he left and he didn't care how it made him look. He moved in front of Rias and to the surprise of everyone in the room, bowed in extreme gratitude towards Rias. Even Koneko was so shocked that she dropped her chocolate she was about to eat. His forehead, literally kissing the floor, it rendered everyone speechless but did not stop Issei from expressing his thanks.

"There are no words to describe how deeply grateful I am to you Rias and your peerage for all that you have done for Akeno. You all saved her from a path filled with sorrow, even offered her a home, a place to belong and took care of her for all these years. You all did what should have been my family's responsibility and I cannot express how grateful I am for everything. Thank you… Thank you so very much… for all that you have done for Akeno-chan" he said to them. The last bit they could hear him sobbing which only served to further express his sincerity. Everyone was beyond shocked at what they were witnessing and none more so that Rias herself.

For as long as she could remember, she had been educated in many different fields. Some she found absolutely amazing while others… not so much. During her study, she learned about various races and their culture. Dragons, she was taught, were beings who valued their pride above all else similar to that of high-class devils. Yet, here was one dragon that completely threw everything she thought she knew out of the window. Issei, a full-blooded dragon, was bowing maybe even groveling, in front her, to someone who is many times weaker than him, expressing his gratitude over Akeno. For a dragon, doing something like this is outright disgraceful and would be scorned upon yet, Issei completely disregarded any pride he had all for the sake of Akeno. She could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy towards her queen for having someone who would go to such lengths for her.

"Please, you don't need to bow your head to me. It was the right thing to do." She was finally able to let a few words out. Everyone also nodded agreeing with their king. Issei looked from his position and nodded as he got up while wiping off the few tears that managed to escape from his eyes.

"I still thank you for everything" he said with a smile. Akeno, on her end, also had a few tears coming down her face from happiness at seeing how much Issei cared for her to the point of bowing his head towards Rias.

"If there is anything, I can do to repay the favor, please let me know… aside from becoming part of your peerage of course" The last bit caused the mood to become cheery as every chuckled at his little remark.

"Of course, we are friends."

"Yes, we are. Have a good evening everyone." He said before finally taking his leave.

Rias made her way back to her desk until a thought came to mind.

"Oh, I forgot to ask him about his parents. I was curious to know who they were" she said before looking towards Akeno. Since Akeno had spent the better part of her life with Issei and his family, it meant that she most likely knew of his origins so she could not help but ask

"Do you know the identity of his parents, Akeno?" she looked towards her queen who nodded to her question

"Yes I do, Rias."

"Then, would you mind sharing it with us." Rias leaned a bit to move herself closer to Akeno. Akeno placed a finger on her chin staring upwards as if contemplating what to do before she turned her attention back to her king.

"ufufu, that is a se~cret" she stuck her tongue out playfully but then switched to a more serious tone "I promised that I would never reveal their identity to anyone. They have been part of my family since I was a child and they entrusted us with their secret when they did not need to. My parents and I promised to never reveal who they were and they kept their promise. I'm sure that to this day, even my father did not reveal anything to his friends despite how close he is to them; so, I do not want to break their trust, even for you Rias." If Issei were still in the room, he would have been overjoyed at the fact that Akeno had, at the very least, defended her father's honor despite still resenting him.

Seeing that Akeno had no intention to answer her query, she decided to let it go. She didn't want to pressure her friend into doing something she felt uncomfortable with.

"Fair enough but it was worth a shot." She sighed before continuing "How are everyone's contracts going along". Taking a list, she gradually went through each and everyone of them. Her peerage went straight back to business as they discussed their contracts.