Previously: Angels, Fallen, and Devils alike fear the return of War as the angel of death blunders through Creation. Old Pacts are broken, questions abound and battle lines are drawn. Can Ddraig fix things before "Chaos" descends? Or will Issei singlehandedly destroy the fragile peace?

Dawn is close, but there is more trouble to come...

The ground pulsed with a miasma more potent than nuclear fallout. The devastation carved its way through miles of rock. A thick haze settled into the ground, bathing everything in a sickly yellow glow.

Sirzechs Lucifer, latest of that illustrious name, was the first to behold it, the first to assess it, and also the first to realize the enormity of the efforts that would be needed to put everything back together.

On the other side of the field, near where one "Lord Kokabiel" had set up his command, the Fallen Azazel, Shemhazai and Baraqiel emerged from a warp prism. They saw what Sirzechs did, and came to the same conclusion. They located the Devil's location and flew towards it. The prism crumbled to purple dust behind them.

Miles farther still, the Seraph Gabriel lay in a sooty heap. That the soul erasing, evil banishing rays of holy light could only reduce the angel to such a point only seen in cartoons indicated its relative strength. Upon closer inspection, the soot was actually the miasma soaking the angel's skin. Upon an even closer inspection, the angel's finger twitched.

The other three quarters of the Four Great Satans arrived via magic circle: first Falbian, then Ajuka right as the Fallen Angels arrived. The last, Serafall, arrived just in time for the introductions.

Both sides held themselves in great tension, knowing they were there for mutual cause but also aware of the sharp divide between them.

Azazel made a point of looking around, before remarking, "Do we not have a representative from Heaven?"

"Heaven is on lockdown," said Mastema, who arrived on the scene in an unknown, its wings as golden pure as any angel. "I could not get past the Gates." The other beings regarded the new arrival coolly, all of them knowing the reputation of the Feckless One.

"Well that sucks," said Serafall. "We sure can't solve this problem without them."

"No indeed," agreed Shemhazai. "Their opinion is not insignificant."

"Speaking of which, why didn't you guys stop that subordinate of yours?" asked Ajuka, his eyes glittering with a hint of an accusation. "It would've saved us all a bunch of trouble if those strays hadn't been brought here. The fallout from their mass slaying would've been mitigated if they weren't here."

"Kokabiel acted on his own," Shemhazai said stiffly. "And, may I point out, the fact that there were stray Devils ready to heed him also points to ill discipline on your side. Indeed they should not have been there, as would have happened if you Devils would have been more rigorous in persecuting your wayward subjects."

"Oh, so you admit to dissension in the ranks," said Serafall, scoffing. Baraqiel hissed, his hand raising as if to strike.

"Stop, stop," said Azazel, raising his hands, trying to hold off a bristling Baraqiel with words alone. "We didn't come here to brawl like schoolyard children."

"Indeed," ventured Sirzechs. "We can sort out issues of blame later, when we've agreed on a plan of action. We all have stakes here in this affair, and as a reminder we are still operating under the concept of truce. For now, we must be united in ensuring stability all around." The official bearer of the Lucifer name was an able diplomat, when it was needed.

After a long silence, Shemhazai made a type of snort that made it clear what he thought of the situation.

Then, before either Sirzechs or Azazel could elaborate on the plan, Serafall went up to punch the Fallen in the face.

In the stunned silence that ensued, Shemhazai appeared completely flabbergasted, eyes wide as goggles. Then he shoved Serafall.

She punched him in the gut.

Quick as lightning, Baraqiel kneed her back.

Then Ajuka barreled into them, fists swinging.

Falbion stood back, scratching his chin.

He, Azazel and Sirzechs could only stare blankly as the combatants cried and grunted and shoved, blows raining everywhere, claws scratching and drawing blood, fingers stuck into orifices, hairs ripped, and their bodies getting more and more entangled as the brawl progressed.

"Let go, you damnable girl!" cried Shemhazai. Someone's fingers were burrowing up his nose.

"Who the heck is chewing on my leg?" Serafall shouted.

To the side, Mastema yawned audibly.

Azazel and Sirzechs shared a look. Both expressed silent apologies, exasperation, then commiseration at the mutual embarrassment to the other.

Just as they moved to intervene, prepared to chide them all for behavior unbecoming a bunch of the best Devils and Fallen in existence, Mastema made a surprised grunt when a golden blur shot him into the pile of struggling Fallen and Devils.

The momentum carried the pile towards them like a ball bowling towards hapless pins, and both Azazel and Sirzechs joined the ball of frothing murder.

Azazel vaguely recognized the new voice that came next: "Found you, you shitty angel! Die!"

Falbian, who'd stood a bit to the side and was spared, watched the inexplicably formed ball of shouting and cursing explode into the frenzied chaos of a full-fledged magical battle. He hung his head and sighed.

()()()

At Japan, Issei was annoyed to find living humans scurrying about his worksites. It was difficult to make conversation with prospective angel-elects while the living were present.

He looked from scene to scene, eyeing the firetrucks, police cars, ambulances and helicopters swarming through the place. Birds—the kind he figured to be rude, disgusting carrion—flew about in cackling groups.

He contemplated his options. He could scare off the humans with an appropriate Heavenly sign, but that was blatantly unauthorized. He didn't want his vacation cut short by an official summons, followed by another session of eternity with the dull Metatron.

He could conduct interviews covertly, but that involved a lot of flying around. It'd take a lot more time, and he definitely had to go home to "rest" for school.

Ah. He could always exterminate all the hum—no, he didn't have authority, again. There hadn't been any sanctioned annihilations since the Black Death.

He recalled crafting that efficient epidemic before, back when he'd forgotten his sword and couldn't just rain cleansing fire on the humans. Now, he could make a weaker version, designed with nonlethal effects—except that the Black Death had been made in a century, and he certainly couldn't wait that long.

All this he related to a small black bird who'd stood the closest to him, while it idly pecked through its wings, obviously oblivious to his words. It was pathetic, talking to one not gifted in tongues, especially an accursed avian; but Ddraig had been mysteriously absent since he'd gotten to the scene and there was no one else to talk to.

"This sucks," he said.

"Indeed," said a voice next to him.

Issei turned his head, expecting to find a human, but instead only saw the bird.

He looked at it for several, long moments. The bird didn't do anything else but twist its head and scratch its wing.

Had he been hearing things?

"Cat got your tongue?" the bird said, beak moving unmistakably in sync with the words.

He frowned suspiciously. "How are you talking? I did not give you permission to speak."

"Yep, I really don't need permission to talk, angel sir. I'm gifted naturally, I am, one of a few birdbrains with the gift of speech, and I'd rather not surrender it, if you don't mind." The black bird bowed low to the ground.

"No, please go on," said Issei, feeling magnanimous. Just a bit earlier in the night and he'd have taken his flaming sword to roast the creature, but now he wasn't feeling like it.

The bird looked up. "Seems to me, angel, that you're just swallowing more'n you need. I once knew somebirdy who never stopped finding pebbles to keepn' his gullet. One day he never woke up 'cause his guts just up an' exploded." The bird cocked its head, its wings twitching. "From what I can tell, you're just taking on more'n you can handle."

"But what can I do? Dawn's approaching, and I need to be back home," said Issei.

"If you want my advice, sir, a lot of birds get things done more'n a birdy alone. Even a group of dumb pigeons can swarm over a crowd of humans to peck at a hotdog or snag some ice cream. Heck, the lot of 'em gets more things done than a bunch of savvy hunters working alone."

"I thought you just told me not to do more than I could handle."

"I meant it in more of a time-keepin' sense. You do a lot of stuff now, then just leave it alone 'til you can get back to it later. Like when I build a nest for m'clutch mate. I can't build it all in one go, so I just gather up the materials one night, then I finish it up in the morning. It's really simple."

When Issei still looked doubtful, the bird continued, "Like, what if you get the crowd of deadfolk up, then send them all into little groups, have'm stay in their place, then you can come back later to process the lot of them. Sound simple enough?"

"Raise the whole lot?" he said, peering down at the wreckage. "I don't... I don't think that's wise."

"They're already taking the people down to the morgues. I'd say it's your best option, y'know, before you have to wing it around the city just having to look for'em."

A mass Calling was certainly feasible, and if he commanded them right, they'd stay put here, ignoring the humans, until he could come back tomorrow and begin processing them as usual.

This was a huge decision. He'd have to think really hard.

()()()

As the angel's gears began to turn creakily in its mind, the bird flew away, unnoticed, to another rooftop. Two other birds met it: one a horned owl, the other a large carrion bird.

"Did he buy it?" asked the owl.

"Perfectly," said the black bird.

"This should be interesting," said the carrion bird. "Meet up in the aftermath?"

"Or course."

The birds flew off in different directions, their combined squawks almost sounding like "Sucker!" in cackling voices.

()()()

"At least it can't get any worse," said Akeno. The other two ex-members of the Peerage had tucked into their sleeping bags, leaving the former Queen and Rias Gremory alone to talk through the dark morning.

Rias' mind still couldn't dislodge itself from the sudden angel-ing, while Akeno was doing her best to accommodate her boss and friend, tolerating her outbursts, her rants, her wild oaths.

"—How on earth could it get any worse than this, Akeno?" whispered Rias, gesturing to Koneko's angel wings, which couldn't fit into the bag.

"I don't know. Maybe that Issei's going to do something that'll change up a lot more things than just our wings."

Rias rolled her eyes. "Like what?"

()()()

Issei stared at the giant Scroll before him. Unrolled to full, it was easily as wide as a jumbo jet's wingspan. It was one of the largest he had available, and was classified "For use in Eschatos" for some reason. He was sure there was a bigger function to this, but he couldn't remember off-hand. It surely wasn't that important.

"I'm going to need a bigger one," Issei muttered to himself. The bigger the Scroll, the bigger the gavel needed. Fortunately, gavel was always tied to Scroll, and in the next moment, Issei held it high above his head, its mallet easily larger than a truck.

He glanced at the Scroll. "Here goes nothing," he said, and took a deep breath. He spread his wings wide, to ready himself for the massive Order he was about to enact.

He raised the gavel and stamped hard.

"So shall it be!" he said.

Blazing, golden light exploded from the Scroll.

()()()

Michael jerked upward, surprised. The lights in Heaven had not dimmed, had not faded, they were simply gone. It heard the lamentations of other angels from outside the room.

A moment later, the lights returned. More than a trifle unsettled, Michael set about to investigate using the terminal. Such things did not happen, unless the Lord was involved, and he was quite sure He was not.

()()()

"—Just so we're clear," he said, his voice amplifying so as to reach the thousands of angel-elects below. "Stay here, and stay out of trouble. If you get caught violating this, your elect privilege is henceforth suspended, and... And you go nowhere. No exceptions, no appeals. Are we clear?"

A chorus of moans answered. Issei smiled. "Good." He flew off.

Below, the mass of newly risen dead began to talk. "Wha'd he say?" said a partially liquefied fellow.

"Said to stay put while he gets some brains," replied another, practically just a torso with attached head.

"I do love me some brains," said the first one.

"Hear hear," said the some of the others who'd overheard.

One looked at a bunch of policemen, who were screaming and shooting at them. He pointed. "Ei, why don't we ask them for some brains? Maybe they don't need 'em."

"Good idea" was the general, gurgling murmur.

"Hey, you got any brains?" shouted an excitable girl, a steel railing stuck through her head. Her shout was echoed by a few, then a lot of others, who each shouted "Brains?" in varying timbres and urgency.

The mass of stinking dead, having entirely forgotten the flying one's words, began to surge forward, following a policeman here, or screaming EMT there. As one, their cries began to meld together into a guttural shout, repeated again and again: "Brains!"

()()()

"Heya angel," came the dragon's voice.

"Dragon. Where were you?"

"Oh, just putting the final touches to the Issei body. It's finally done."

"Oh good," said Issei. "I'm almost home. Did you keep the wings, like I requested...?"

"It ain't feasible angel. Sorry. And if I could manage it, it'd be totally impractical. Imagine lugging those around in school."

Issei sighed. "I guess it was just too much to hope for."

"So... anything happen while I was out? Did you finish your duties?"

"Nah. I'm gonna finish up tomorrow. Need to sleep first. Then school later."

"It's good you're keeping your priorities," Ddraig observed.

"Maybe I can get Rias up for one of those dates," said Issei.

They snuck in through the window, and Issei was relieved to see everything in the room was as it had been when he'd left last night. Which meant that mother or father hadn't come in to look.

"Ready when you are."

The Incarnation process was less painful than the last time. By the end of it, Issei Hyoudou was just Issei Hyoudou.

"Now to sleep," said Issei.

"Won't say no to that. I can tell we're both dead on our feet. Seeya later."

The dragon's presence faded. He changed his clothes, then slid under the covers.

He closed his eyes. The long night was finally over.

()()()

"Most troubling," said Michael. The screen in front displayed the list of systems. Entries that had once been "Green" were now "Red". Inactive.

Its forehead creased. What was happening to Heaven?

()()()

At last, the long night ends, and Dawn is upon them. The angel's exhausted, the world pauses to take a breath, and long-laid plans begin to unravel.

What awaits them all tomorrow? Will "Chaos" rule the day?

AN: Drafted by Shurpuff, edited by Honore

Shurpuff says: I write new chapters based on number of hits, add in the writing process itself and that's why this is a bit late.

However, I've struck on a new story idea that I'll probably be working on this week, so this'll probably be the last chapter in a while. I figured this'll be a good stopping point. (I'll come back to this sooner if reception's better, but no promises)

Keep watch for another story from yours truly, coming in at least a day.

Thanks for reading