NOTE TO ALL NEW VISITORS: These first three chapters were originally one whole one, but I decided to split it into a trilogy in order to build up a sense of suspense. But, seeing as many people went away after seeing that the firs three chapters were so short, I decided to put them into one website chapter but keep them separated as their own individual chapters. Enjoy!

Also, I had to remove the AN's for obvious reasons, but they were mostly just me thanking everyone for all the support that they have been giving for the success of this story.

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AN:

{

Hello and welcome! Here's a story I asked to continue on Kami of Anime's behalf. The original discontinued story is titled "Highschool DxD: Creator's Gift". You should check that out first as well as the writer himself he's good.

Note that this story will only be loosely based on the original, mainly just the premise but the timeline is completely different. I ported in the OC's but as Kami of Anime was the one to create them I have no right to call them my OC's.

Also this story will have lemons but not exceedingly so, I will only do so for romance and not for fan service. Sorry.

So anyways, I hope you guys enjoy!
- TR

PS: This is my first fanfic, so reviews on how I could improve are welcome.

PPS: Apologies for the error a while ago it was pasted from my doc manager.

}

Narrator
Emphasis
SPECIAL

"Talking"
'Thinking' – if Issei, he could either be thinking silently or talking to Ddraig/Zecrow

"Ddraig Talking Audibly" – Ddraig appears on Issei's left arm
'Ddraig Thinking' – either silently or talking to Issei/Zecrow mentally

"Zecrow Talking" – Zecrow appears on Issei's right arm
'Zecrow Thinking' – either silently or talking to Issei/Ddraig mentally

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I. Death

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"Issei NO!" shouted Rias, as if it would somehow save her beloved red dragon.

Fenrir hit the ground on all fours, carrying his prize in his mouth, tasting its blood. As Kiba and Xenovia came to unleash their fury on him, he tossed his mortally wounded victim aside, preparing to fight the two devils.

The victim was clad in crimson armor, with dark emerald gems and golden fangs and claws dotting it. There were also three rather large holes gushing with velvet streams of fresh blood. After a few seconds mid-air, a bright flash covered the scene, and the armor gave away to reveal a fatally wounded Issei Hyoudou.

Everyone watched as Issei hit the ground and skip across the battlefield, leaving a trail of cracked earth and warm blood as he did. He gave out grunts of helpless pain as his limp body struck the ground with every bounce.

"Issei!" Rias shouted as she knelt beside Issei, cradling him in her arms while trying not to touch his wounds.

Mjolnir hit the ground and created a deafening screech as it slid down a small hill and finally rested upright.

"Hang in there," she said, trying to comfort him. "You'll be okay! Come on!"

Issei didn't care. His thoughts were focused on one thing – protecting her. He promised her he would do his best, to protect her and his friends, to never let her down again.

Yet here he was. Helpless. Dying. And there was nothing he can do about it.

Rias looked down on him, tears starting to fill her eyes as she watched him expectantly, waiting for any semblance of strength remaining in her pawn. She was thinking frantically of how to help him, any way to stop the pain he was going through. It hurt her to see him like this. It hurt her so much it made his wounds pale in comparison. There was nothing she could do now, and she knew that. All the Phoenix Tears were spent, having used them on Kiba and Saji earlier in the fight. She would give anything for another right now.

Her tears started to drip onto Issei's bruised face. He looked up at her, his hazel eyes meeting hers. He mustered his strength, and tried to keep his eyes open as he beheld hers. "I'm s-so sorry," he began, "I almost had him. My bad." He continued to stare into her eyes, which were now blue-green waterfalls of sadness and grief. "R-Rias, I h-hope one day you'll be able to f-forgive me for letting you down like this."

Rias was taken aback for a brief moment. Was he really going to let his last moments of life be spent apologizing to someone who failed to care for him? Was he really that selfless? It almost irritated her at this point, having spent months with him and he still fails to see how much he means to her.

But she can't complain, after all, that's why she loved him.

"I-Issei please," she managed to reply between sobs. She lightly clutched one of the wounds on his abdomen, trying to stop it from bleeding, but she only managed to soak her hand in his blood. Issei lightly grunted as he continued to lose blood.

"You've gotta go," he muttered, trying not to choke on the blood that was flooding out of his mouth as he did so. "S-Save *cough* yourselves!"

"No way!" she replied, shaking her head in rebellion. Her tears dropped onto his wound on the chest, its salty sting making him wince. But they kept coming, as if her eyes were endless fountains. "I'll help you Issei, you won't be alone!" she told him.

In truth, she just wanted to spend his last moments with him. Rias was still an educated and smart devil, and she already calculated all of the outcomes – and Issei surviving was not one of them.

"I won't let you die here!" she proclaimed as she decided to let love cloud her judgment. She closed her eyes. She knew what she had to say, the hollow promise she was about to make. She closed her eyes, letting her tears flow down her cheeks, because she didn't want to see his eyes when she said this.

"You're going to be oka-"

He interrupted her with his coughs and heavy breathing as he reached out his hand and attempted to sit up.

"Issei!" was all she could say as she tried to support his back. She saw that the holes went straight through, although slightly smaller in size at the back because of the shape of Fenrir's teeth, but they somehow bled more.

"The… h-hammer," he coughed out as he gestured towards Mjolnir. "We… n-need it!" he spat as his hand twitched with agony. His pain doubled because of the uncomfortable position his body was in.

Slowly, he felt his legs give away, next his stomach, and then his upper body. He slammed to the ground with a thud as his body was now failing him. His lungs gave out one last grunt before he finally gave in, blood streaming out of his mouth and onto the ground below. His muscles relaxed and his fists unclenched. His eyelids started to slide down, a curtain signaling that the show was now over. His feet slid and his knees collapsed, his entire body now leaning horizontally onto Rias' arms and lap.

Rias gasped as she and everyone else came to the same conclusion – Issei was dead.

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'I have to do something,' she thought.

She had been watching from her room in the void. If she was in doubt that she could ever feel emotions, she had no questions now – she felt sad, as if her heart had dropped out of her chest; she felt lonely, her first and best friend was now gone, and she couldn't help him; and above all she felt angry. Very, very angry.

The whole universe felt a shiver crawl down their spine as a tear flowed down her cheek and dripped onto the floor.

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II. Burial

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'Hey, Ddraig? You there?'

'Yeah partner, I'm here.'

'You had me worried there, you haven't said anything since the bite.'

'I was wounded as well, you know. That's why your Balance Breaker disappeared.'

'Where are we?'

'I don't know. One moment my spirit is draining out of you then the next-'

'Could it be? Could we be in Heaven?'

'I doubt it, since you're a devil. But let me see… No, we can't be in Heaven.'

'How do you know that?'

'Do you see breasts anywhere?'

'Fair point.'

'And we're certainly not in Hell, so where are we?'

'I wish I knew Ddraig.'

'We should try to-'

"Hello, Issei Hyoudou," a resonating voice interrupted their thoughts. "I've been waiting."

"W-Who are you? Where am I?" Issei frantically questioned.

"Do you wish your life could be different? That you could've done better? Been stronger?"

'Ddraig, who IS this guy?' Issei mentally asked.

'I thi-' Ddraig was about to answer.

"To answer your question, I am the Creator, the Almighty, the Everlasting. You know me as God."

"How did you-"

"Hear you? I am Omniscient. I know all – past, present, and future."

"O-Okay, but how are you alive? I thought you died in the war?"

"By your terms, yes, I did die. But I am much more than a mere existence. The rules of life and death do not hold me. In fact, I created those rules."

"It's been a long time, my Lord," Ddraig suddenly spoke up.

"Ah, Ddraig. You haven't changed in the slightest, still itching to battle against your brother. But this time I think you have a candidate that can bring an end to that feud," God greeted him.

"What do you mea-"

"I'm afraid I cannot say more on the matter, I would be revealing too much of my plan," God interrupted him.

'How many times is he going to do that?' Ddraig complained in his head.

"My apologies Ddraig, but there are much more important issues a hand."

"You mean, my death?" Issei asked sheepishly.

"Issei Hyoudou, what would you do to live again?" God said, paying no attention to the boy's words.

Issei thought for a moment. Did he really want to go back?

The first thing he remembered were his parents. The Hyoudou residence. Dad sipping on morning coffee and reading the newspaper as Mom prepared some ramen for breakfast, the breeze flowing in from the windows, the smell of the garden filling the house. Yes, he missed that.

Then he remembered Matsuda and Motohama. Yes, his two perverted best friends. If it weren't for them, he wouldn't have been able to survive all the bullying and shunning through grade school, and he wouldn't have transferred to Kuoh Academy. Sure, they were perverted. But they were there when no one else was, to pat him on the back and help him get back up. They were good friends through and through. Yes, he missed them.

Then he remembered his peerage and new friends from the supernatural. Rias, Akeno, Asia, Koneko, Kiba, Xenovia, Gasper, Irina, Rossweisse, Vali, Ophis – he missed them all. Their smiles, their laughs, and even their tears, he missed all of them.

Finally he remembered her. He slightly winced at the memory.

"Would you die for me?"

But to be honest, he did miss her. A lot.

"Anything," he almost whispered, tears now forming in his eyes. "I would do anything, to see them all again. See them smile, hear them laugh. I would do anything to be with them again."

'Partner…' Ddraig muttered. He hated seeing Issei cry.

"I see. Well Hyoudou, you will be the first and quite possibly the last," God replied.

"What do you mean?"

"This place – I created this place for key people. This is a sort of pit stop between life and death, a temporary existence. You may know of this place as Limbo, or the Afterlife, or Purgatory. You might even know of this place as the Island of Patmos if you read my Gospel," God explained.

"Island of Patmos… you mean where John wrote the Revelation?" Issei queried.

"Impressive. Yes, John came here and I allowed him to witness the future. He held a Sacred Gear, like you. His allowed him to see into the future, as a prophet. You might have also heard of my apostles who healed. They also wielded Twilight Healing, performing miracles on my behalf. You have met its current wielder – Asia Argento."

"That explains it. But are you going to send me to Heaven?"

"No. You are the first to both express your desire to go back and give a selfless reason. Many of my saints wished to join their brothers and sisters in Heaven, whereas the power-hungry wielders only wanted to go back for their own gain. I will grant your wish."

Issei relaxed. "T-Thank you," he began, "erm, God?"

"You can call me however you want to, as long as you don't in vain."

"Okay, God, I get the feeling that this won't be without a price?"

"Yes. Issei, you are a great man. A strong man. The man who will bring an end to the cycle and bring peace to all hearts," God commended Issei, making him smile shyly. "But you are also weak in terms of power, and your perverted thoughts drain the strength you should be using to further your fate. You have wasted your time on perverted actions and have even ignored the women who love you," God reprimanded.

Issei winced. "I don't want to ignore them, but-"

"Yes, I am aware of your trauma. Raynare needn't go to such extremes to kill you. It was unfortunate. You have my sincerest sympathies," God comforted him.

"So what is it you are asking of us, Lord?" Ddraig butted in.

"I merely ask that you train to be stronger, master your power, and use your time wisely. Perverted thoughts are natural, but that is why I provided you with your harem!" God proclaimed, chuckling towards the end. "I worked hard on providing you with all you need, use the opportunity!"

"Haha!" Ddraig roared. "See partner? I told you."

Issei could only blush and look away from the direction the voice of God was coming from.

"Issei, do you want to be stronger?" God asked.

"Yes," came the reply.

"Then you will need your arm back from Ddraig."

"Now just wait a minu-" Ddraig began to retort.

"But in its stead, you must sacrifice something greater. What will it be, Issei Hyo-"

"My heart!" Issei almost shouted, interrupting the voice. "T-take my heart."

There was silence for a moment, then came the reply, "Very well. Ddraig, if you please."

"Partner, I don't think this is a good idea." Ddraig warned.

"Do it, Ddraig. I know what I need to do now," Issei muttered.

"No, I cannot let you throw away your humanity. There must be another way."

"Ddraig…" Issei began to beg.

"I said no!" Ddraig shouted. "Look, I can take an eye, but nothing more."

"That would be sufficient," God commented.

"F-Fine, take my right one, it's seen more boobs," Issei remarked, remembering the peep hole Matsuda discovered.

God chuckled. "Already off to a great start. And be sure to use the harem I provided."

Ddraig roared in laughter again. Once he stopped a bright green flash covered Issei's body as Issei felt his arm return to his full control once again. Then he felt his right eye heat up, and suddenly bones were broken and flesh was torn apart.

"RRRYAAAHHHHH!" Issei shouted in pain.

In a moment he felt blood stream down his cheek. He brought his hand up to inspect the aftermath. He felt warm metal surrounding his eye, and he felt three talons go about an inch down his cheek. His eye felt strange, his vision slightly blurred. He closed his left eye and realized that his right eye was sharper, and could focus through greater distances.

His Boosted Gear appeared on his left arm again. "Take a look, partner."

Issei brought up his arm so he could see his reflection. Indeed, crimson plating surrounded his eye forming an inverted teardrop, with the narrow end at the peak of his former cheekbone. Three golden talons pointed down from his eye and reached until the edge of the narrow end, the middle being longer than the two at the side. His eye was in itself a thing of beauty. It resembled the typical eye of a serpent, with an elongated and narrow pupil instead of the human round one. The usual brownish orange hue was interlaced with a deep emerald hue, and the veins were of alternating color.

"W-Will this be permanent?" he asked, slightly panicked at the thought of everyone seeing him like this.

"Haha, don't worry partner!" Ddraig reassured him. Just then the eye disappeared. "It works just like your Boosted Gear. It's the Eye of Draconis, the Dragon's Star."

"Awesome!" Issei shouted happily, like a child getting a new toy. "Eye of Draconis!" he shouted again, and the eye reappeared. He continued to do so, making it appear and disappear.

In many ways, it really was like a child getting a new toy.

"Alright, now that I've taken care of Ddraig, I will give you a present," God interrupted his playtime.

"What do you mean?" Issei asked.

"Yes, what exactly do you mean?" Ddraig added emphasis.

"Why hello, Ddraig. It's been a looong time." hissed a voice. "Did you miss me?"

Issei could feel Ddraig shudder.

"Zecrow."

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III. Resurrection

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"Zecrow."

"Aww, you DO remember me!" continued Zecrow, "How sweet of you. Ddraig you still know how to make me blush!"

Issei was taken aback by this situation. The voice was that of a woman's, but her emphasis and exclamations took a seductive tone. 'Who is this?' Issei thought, 'And how does Ddraig know her?'

"I will leave you to be acquainted with each other for now, as I have some business to attend to," God stated. "Even beyond the grave I must see to it that my plans will come to fruition."

The light from which God's voice had been coming from slowly dimmed, and now only the aurora of lights that enveloped the void shone, illuminating Issei and his Boosted Gear. In the distance, a pendant came to view. It had a large purple jewel in the center of what looked like black scales with golden talons protruding from the center. Its general appearance reminded Issei of Ddraig's armor, but with different colors.

"How did you manage to escape?" Ddraig asked, seemingly to no one, as the pendant drew closer and closer.

'Ddraig who is this?' Issei asked in his mind, reaching out to his dragon spirit who has been unusually detached from Issei's soul since this pendant came into view.

"Oh, that!" replied Zecrow. "I managed to bait one of the guards into wearing me around his neck, then I entered his soul and ripped him apart from the inside!" she said cheerfully. "Then it was a simple job of freezing time just as the others guards marched in to help their already dead friend, and I was out!" she recalled. "You know, the usual."

"Yes, unfortunately I DO know," Ddraig replied stoically. "I know enough not to trust you even if the Creator himself hands you over on a silver platter."

"Oh Ddraig, ever the cynic. I am a changed woman, you know~" she chimed. "How about you let me show you?" she finished seductively as the pendant was now in arms reach of Issei.

"Like hell I would-" Ddraig began to retort.

"Who are you?" Issei interrupted impatiently.

"Oh, where are my manners?" she chuckled. "The name's Zecrow, dear boy. The Gravity Dragon. Pleased to make your acquaintance, Issei Hyoudou."

"W-Wait, you're a dragon? And more importantly how do you know who I am?"

"I make it a point that I know each and every host my beloved red dragon emperor dwells in," she stated matter-of-factly, "That, and God has also told me about you."

"Filthy stalker," Ddraig spat.

"I do more than stalk you, Ddraig," she replied, taking on a seductive tone once more. "I fantasize about you all the time! I want to make those centuries of fantasies come to life~"

"Excuse me," Issei interrupted before things got out of hand, "But what do you want?"

"Child, it's more of what YOU want," she answered sternly, dropping the seductive tone. "Do you want to be the one to save your precious friends? Well I am the only way you can possibly be prepared for what's coming."

"So what am I supposed to do with you?" Issei asked as he took the pendant into his hands. "Wear you around my neck?"

"No," Ddraig answered, "We have to fuse her to your soul."

"Oh Ddraig, you make it sound so hot-"

"Wait, what?" Issei almost shouted. "Is that even possible? To have two Sacred Gears, let alone dragon spirits?"

"Ordinarily, no, humans couldn't possibly survive the fusion process, because it takes a lot of strength to overcome incompatibility issues," Ddraig stated. "But there won't be any compatibility issues here."

"How sweet! I'm blushing even more now…"

"Silence woman!" Ddraig shouted. "Partner, we have no choice. If the Creator says we'll need her then that's enough for me to go on."

"Wait, I don't understand why you two won't have any compatibility issues."

"Because we used to be lovers, dear boy."

"WHAT?" Issei shouted.

"Yes," Ddraig sighed, "We used to be lovers. I saw her crash onto the earth as she escaped from two other dragons. I helped her and we fell in love."

"Brings tears to my eyes every time!" Zecrow wailed, sobbing as she did.

"Ugh. Anyway, it turns out the dragons were after her because she was an assassin, and had killed their pack leader," Ddraig continued. "I didn't mind, I still loved her. Right up until the moment she tried to kill me in my sleep."

"Okay, now I'm just confused," Issei muttered.

"I only did so because Albion forced me to! And at least I pleasured you before trying to~" Zecrow grew seductive again.

"Okay, I think I get it, I don't need to hear the rest right now," Issei interrupted. "All I need to know is, will I survive?"

"Yes."

"Yes, my dear."

"Then that's all I really need. Do it."

Bright flashes consumed the surroundings as the fusion began. The lights danced with colors of green, purple, and gold as the auroras around them paled in comparison. Once the flashes stopped, Issei gasped. On his left arm was Ddraig, the Red Dragon Emperor. On his right was Zecrow, the Gravity Dragon. Both grew to his upper arm, with two green jewels on Ddraig's crimson plating and two purple jewels on Zecrow's black plating. Golden talons poked out of each gauntlet at various places, and he could feel them fuse inside with his soul.

"Ddraig stop it!" Zecrow squealed in laughter, slurring with seduction towards the end.

"You wish I were doing something to you, vile beast!" came the quick retort.

"Well this is going to be interesting…" Issei muttered.

"Indeed, it will," God's voice and light reappeared, "I am certain they will lead you on the correct path. Now then, Issei," he proclaimed as his hand reached out of the light.

His hand was, well, massive. It could not even be compared to Issei's body. Even if viewed from a distance where Issei was just a dot, the hand would still be too massive to fit into view. It looked as though God could mold a new world with that hand.

Which he did. But Issei was more concerned with how easy it would be for him to crush said world.

"You need to train. But I am afraid I can no longer hold your existence here with the combined energy of both your gears. I will have to make a quick shortcut and pour years of knowledge and experience into your mind. Your body will also mature with the same amount of time, but you will not lose your age, so don't worry," God told him. "Your body will accept Ddraig and Zecrow's strength and intelligence, and you will be tougher than you ever have before. Are you ready?"

Issei took a moment, taking it all in. "Yes, I am ready."

A twister of light burst out of God's hand and enveloped Issei. They twirled around him in high speeds, forming a tornado with Issei at its center. They finally dispersed after a few moments, and revealed Issei with a slightly buffer body, slightly longer hair, and his eyes glowed with power.

'I-I feel like I can take on the universe!' was his first thought.

"Watch it boy, don't go power-hungry on me now," God warned.

Issei snapped his attention toward his Creator, annoyance in his eyes. He almost made the huge mistake of talking back to him, before Ddraig interrupted him.

'Don't be stupid, partner.'

Issei relaxed, eased his muscles, and unclenched his fists that he had subconsciously made.

Issei smiled. "Thank you, God, for all of this."

"That's better. Now, I will give you the choice, and choose wisely now," God began, "Choose which time you want to be transported back to."

'Go for it, Partner. You and I both know what you're going to say,' Ddraig teased.

'Ddraig, dear, let the boy make his own decision!' Zecrow rebuked.

"Have you chosen?" God asked after a few moments.

"Yes. I have," came Issei's reply. "What now?"

"Think on what you were doing at that time as I begin the process," God instructed. "Try to imagine you were still there."

Issei closed his eyes as he remembered. God reached out his hand.

It was at sunset, standing at an overpass was a teenage boy muttering to himself. Cars passed under him as he continued his tirade of self-pity. "Ugh, being a teenager's the worst!"

God's hand was now cradling the space in which Issei floated upon its palm.

"At this rate, jerking off to porn is the closest I'll ever get to doing it before I go off to college which means I'll be a virgin forever and die alone!" muttered the boy to himself. He closed his eyes and let his head drop from his hands and softly leaned against the railing of the overpass.

God swiftly closed his hand and seemingly crushed Issei in his fist.

The boy heard light and soft footsteps approaching him, but he thought it was just some other random pedestrian and didn't bother looking up. 'Let them see me and feel bad for me,' he thought to himself.

God unclenched his fist, and Issei had disappeared.

"Excuse me," she began, "you're Issei Hyoudou from Kuoh Academy right? Or am I wrong?"

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End of Chapter

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And so ends the introduction trilogy! Next up will be a bittersweet story of a boy who goes on his first date, knowing it was doomed from the start.

Will he be able to resist falling in love with her again?

Peace out.
- Lord SS