Co-Written with Otaku-Nation666, a good friend of mine and Demons Anarchy of Pride and the author of many great works like Tokyo Mirage Sesions: Apocalypse, RWBY Riders: Spirit of Legend, High School DxD: Destiny's Play, RWBY: Within Enlightened Heart, RWBY –Apocrypha-, Fabulae Parcae, Fate: Rebellion, and many others.

I highly recommend you guys check them out.

Hey everyone. It's been a while…but here is the reboot of A Devil's Saga: Reach for the Skies. I've actually been planning on rewriting this story for a while…but never got around to it. So…here it is.

Thanks for helping me with this Otaku, really appreciate it.

The idea for the Knight position in the Checkmate Four, or rather Checkmate Five, was inspired from the Kamen Rider Kiva story, Knight by SeaSpectre160.

XXXXXXXXX

Chapter 1: Beginnings

Issei Hyoudou, age 17, did not understand what in the world Oppai was.

He had heard the word a couple of times before, the first being when he was a young boy and a perverted old man was yelling the word in the park.

It was bizarre, to say the least. Being so young, he didn't exactly comprehend it. He did show some interest, but he didn't approach, mainly due to the rather scathing and dark glares the adults were giving him. He wasn't sure why the old man seemed so adamant about preaching about it, but somehow, the looks of the adults told him everything he needed to know. The children who listened to him seemed to be interested, though. Some of them even had stars in their eyes.

He thought briefly about wanting to listen to the lecture. It couldn't hurt to learn what this "oppai" thing was about, right? Before he could actually even find himself an answer to this mental dilemma, men wearing blue caps with holsters had arrived, faces stern and cold. Issei then knew what was about to happen. He sighed. Well, there went his chance to learn something new. Then again, maybe it was for the best. After all, if the police came around and gave the old man such a look, then what he was preaching must have been illegal.

"Alright, old man..." one of the officers said in a low, venomous tone. "Enough jibber-jabber. Close yer mouth, and put your hands behind your head."

"B-But why...?!" The man cried.

"You are under arrest for public indecency!"

"Bah, you idiots just don't understand anything!" the old man shouted angrily. "Can't you understand?! Oppai is the dream of any hot-blooded male, just like having a harem! It's the most wonderful thing this world has to offer! Surely, as a fellow hot-blooded man, you should understand!"

In response, the officer grabbed his arm, and slapped handcuffs around his wrist. "Shut it!" he shouted with a red face. "There are children here, you old coot!"

"Unhand me this instant, you-!"

Suddenly, the old man fell silent as a pair of green fangs appeared out of nowhere, and pierced into his neck.

"Gah...guh...Graaaaaaaghhhh...!" The old man cried as the fangs seem to siphon something from his body. In a matter of moments, his body became as clear as glass.

The officer, along with the surrounding children and adults, suddenly cried out in panic. The officer backpedaled away, though something lunged out and grabbed him by the neck, throwing him aside like trash. Its stance was humanoid, but its appearance was more like a frog's. Its body color was mostly green save for the multicolored stained glass patterns decorating its body. A pair of wide, large, red eyes sat on its face, frequently changing direction in sight. Its hands were large and webbed. A large pouch that was a lighter shade of green from the rest of the body rested directly below its mouth.

"Blagh, disgusting..." the creature said in utter disgust. "An old human's life energy tastes foul." Its gaze fell upon the mass of children, the adults, and the officers. Soon a grin formed on its mouth. "Buuut...I have a large buffet right in front of me!"

This elicited another scream of terror from the civilians as they rushed away from the monster.

However, none could actually escape. Issei himself could do nothing. His body was frozen in place, shaking like a leaf with large, terrified eyes. He could do nothing, but watch as children and adult were stabbed and drained of color, crumpling to the ground with their see-through skin. The monster was laughing as he seemingly killed them, one by one. It didn't matter who they were. Adult, child, woman, man...it was as if it truly had no conscience.

Eventually, it set its sights on a particular brown haired boy who was rooted in fear. Him.

"Kukukuku..." the creature cackled madly. "You smell wonderful...I can tell, you're gonna be a fulfilling meal!" The fangs reappeared beside it. Issei was too terrified to move. Too terrified to scream. Too terrified to even try and fight back. "FEEDING TIME!"

The fangs shot forward, heading straight for the boy. However, two people blocked their trajectory, striking their necks instead. The creature clucked his tongue in annoyance, but felt relish when he began to drain them of life energy. Issei, however, felt his heart stop.

"M-mom...D-dad...?"

Both aforementioned parents looked over their shoulders. As their colors faded, their faces broke out into soft smiles. The proud expressions of parents protecting their young.

"MOM! DAD!"

Issei found his feet moving, heart thumping in his chest. His hand reached out to touch them...

...only to be shattered like glass, as the creature smashed them to bits.

The young boy stood frozen, as if his entire world had shattered apart along with his parents remains. He did not move. He did not speak. He couldn't even think.

"Fucking pissants," the creature growled in annoyance. "Gettin' in the way of my meal." The creature then turned it's attention back to Issei, who fell to his knees, tears running down his face. Hiccups erupted haphazardly from his throat, snot running down his nose as well. His body continued to shake, and his heart, now beating painfully against his ribcage. "Now then...where were we?!" Just as the creature lunged for Issei, who didn't even scream or fight back, a blast of hot wind shot forward, almost out of nowhere, striking the creature straight in the jaw. The action seemed to have an affect on Issei, his eyes widened as he saw the monster that killed his parents be sent flying through the air, crashing back down to the earth and tumbling back before skidding to a stop. "Dammit!" it roared. "Who did that?!"

"...what you have done, Fangire..." a voice called out, followed by heavy, strong footsteps. "...is beyond forgiveness."

Issei turned. Walking toward the creature the voice called a Fangire was a man. His black hair was messy, with his bangs parted off to the left. His dark eyes were cold and intense, like the sharp blade of a knife. He was dressed in a white dress shirt with a black jacket draped over his slender build and a pair of worn jeans. A black tie was wrapped around his neck. As he advanced, his black combat boots made echoes, almost booming in a way. In his hand was a black knuckle duster with golden highlights.

The Fangire hissed. "Who the fuck are you, human?!"

"Fangire!" the man roared, pulling out a belt from his jacket and swung it around his waist, wrapping it around him with a soft click. "Return the lives you've taken to God!" He then slammed the duster into his open palm.

[R-E-A-D-Y!]

He whipped the knuckleduster out to his side. "Henshin!" He then slammed the duster into the buckle around his waist.

[F-I-S-T O-N!]

From the buckle, a gold cross piece appeared and spun rapidly around the red jewel before flying off a short distance away from the man. The cross stopped mid air as it generated a suit of armor with the cross as the faceplate. When the equipment was complete, it rushed back to its user and covered his body before turning solid.

The black haired man was now donned in a black body suit covered in rounded armor plating. The white plating covered the outer and inner sides of his legs from the knee down, hips, outer part of his arms, and part of his upper torso; all having a blue outline up to the portion of plating around his chest. He had a silver chest plate with a red circle surrounded by curved lines to symbolize the sun.

The upper portion of his shoulder guards was white while the bottom outer layer was golden. His hands had pieces of black armor that protruded out a bit as a form of knuckle dusters, while his thumbs had white armor. His face was covered with a white helmet that had a silver mouth plate. The gold cross faceplate had a slit in the center in order to see, as well as a small diamond shaped that was colored blue resting on his forehead.

The Fangire's eyes went wide, and if it were possible, Issei could have sworn he saw a human face reflected in the stained-glass like armor on its body. "Y-you...?! You're IXA?!"

"I...XA...?"

The boy repeated. He still despaired from the loss of his only family...but this person...did he come to save him...?

The Fangire roared, and charged at the white-clad warrior. IXA took out its weapon which was a cross between a sword and a gun. It was mostly black, with a golden set of wings on either side of the hammer. And one those set of wings was a red circular jewel. The grip of the gun seemed to be a bit long as it extended a bit over a foot past his hand. But it changed as the long handle shorted and the blade extended from the top of the hammer. IXA slashed at his opponent the moment he was within range. He continued the attack with a spin hook kick and punching the monster in the face.

The Fangire roared in anger and swung its claws overhead. But IXA parried the strike aside before swinging diagonally, cutting the Fangire across the chest.

He threw a couple more punches to the Fangire's face before kicking it away. He followed up by changing the IXA-Calibur to its gun form and started shooting.

But the Tree Frog Fangire just weaved around the bullets, closing in on the white armored man. However, before it could even touch him, IXA's cross visor split into four segmented pieces before moving away from the eyes, leaving two red eyes where the parts once were. Upon doing so, a burst of heat energy erupted from the armor, pushing the Fangire away while damaging it in the process.

Issei's eyes widened, seeing this and watching in complete and utter awe of the man. IXA then rushed at the staggering monster and slashed it twice after returning his weapon back into its sword mode. He then roundhouse kicked it in the face.

He took out one of the whistle devices on the right side of his belt and inserted it into a slot on the buckle.

I-X-A K-N-U-C-K-L-E: R-I-S-E U-P!

IXA removed the duster from the belt. He jumped high and dived down to punch the monster. "Broken Fang!"

The Fangire didn't even have any time to defend itself. The strike came down swift and fast, plowing right into it's chest. It was thrown straight into the ground, causing the earth beneath them to crack apart. The Fangire's body cracked apart.

Then, it shattered apart, as if it were glass.

The shards rained down onto the pavement like rain.

Seeing the threat eliminated, the boy's savior dismissed his transformation.

He observed the surrounding area to be covered by clear husks, signifying the many victims of the monster. But his sight was drawn towards the brown haired boy, who reappeared on the scene, kneeling next to a pile of fragmented glass. He was crying. Once the adrenaline from fear had died, Issei's expression turned sorrowful as he remembered the fate of his parents.

Silently, the man approaching the sobbing boy. He knelt down and looked the child in the eye.

"Are you alright?" He asked Issei. But the youth couldn't answer as he gazed sadly at the broken glass pile that was once his parents.

"Mom…Dad…" he sobbed quietly as he held some of the pieces in his hands, not minding their sharp edges.

The man had understood what plagued the boy and his expression became one of sympathy. There are many people, who lose their life forces to Fangires, but it is rare that one of the victims survive as some of the monsters are gluttonous; eating lives to their heart's content. However, Issei had just witnessed the monster devouring the lives of his parents while he remained alive. He put a hand on the boy's shoulder in an attempt to comfort him. But Issei paid no mind to the gesture.

The man really wished he could help the boy. But he didn't know how to.

'What would Megumi or Wataru do in a situation like this...?' he thought. Then an idea came to mind. Slowly, and gently, he wrapped his arms around the boy in a tender, yet awkward manner. In truth, he wasn't sure if he was doing this right. He felt the boy stiffen, but he didn't resist. Instead, his sobbing grew, and turned to towards him, his face pressed against his chest. Small hands grabbed unto the fabric of his shirt.

The boy released the torrent of tears from within him. The man gently and awkwardly patted the boy on the back, telling him it was alright. He still wasn't sure if he was doing this correctly.

Regardless, he couldn't leave the boy alone...he had just loss his parents, but what should he do? He didn't want him to send him to an orphanage. Not like this, but...what could he do?

Then, like before, an idea came to him.

XxXxX A Devil's Saga XxXxX

"...Nago-kun?" Megumi Aso called out. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

"One second, Megumi." the black-haired man, Keisuke Nago, responded before he turned back to the boy he had taken home with him. "Pardon me for a moment, Issei-kun." The boy nodded dumbly, staring down at his own feet. The man then turned on his heel, walking over to the hallway connecting to the kitchen. "Sorry about the short notice, Megumi."

The woman shook her head. She was a beautiful woman around the same age as Keisuke, dressed in a pair of jeans and a white blouse. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail. Her dark eyes shimmered with life, yet were narrowed in slight annoyance. "It's fine. But I wish you've given me a better head's up about the situation..."

Despite that, she still felt her heart ache for the poor boy. It had come to her shock when she found Nago arriving home with a child on his back. The boy looked so defeated and lifeless, as if he was a corpse. Her husband then informed her of what had happened. During his business trip in Kuoh, a Fangire had drained the life of many people, children included. Among them were the boy's parents. He would have been killed too, were it not for Nago intervening.

"So the Fangires are still attacking humans..." Megumi frowned. "But I thought Wataru's brother was trying to find a way to find another source of them to survive."

Nago sighed as he leaned against the counter. "Many Fangires who were loyal to his father weren't happy when Taiga decided to try and coexist with humanity, so it's natural that they would refuse to listen," he said with a tone of distaste. "It's barely been a decade, and yet things haven't changed at all."

Indeed. Despite the changes that the current King of the Fangires and his brother were implementing, those who were set in the ideals of the former King refuse to accept such things.

Of course, they couldn't simply leave them be. Despite technically listed as 'retired' to the Wonderful Aozora Organization, Nago was still a user of IXA, as was Wataru continuing his role as Kiva. Taiga helped as well, along with his own band of enforcers to make sure things did not get out of hand. It also helped thanks to the aid of the remaining members of the Franken, Merman, and Wolfen races, who had just begun to repopulate. Fangire activity had been significantly reduced, but some opposition remained, even to this.

It merely showed that some were just unwilling to accept peace.

"...what about the boy?" Megumi asked as she looked at Issei, who still sat at the dinner table. "I mean, I do feel sorry for him, but..."

Nago sighed. "In truth, I... I don't know. He just witnessed his parents being killed right in front of him. That sort of thing, it's...it's just not easy for a child to forget and move on after witnessing something like that."

The boy had just been scarred for life. If he left him alone at an orphanage, then he would refuse to open up to the other kids. Some may even bully him for being the outcast. That sort of environment could potentially warp his psyche to become cold-hearted and anti-social. Nago refused to let that happen.

So that begged the question for him...what should he do?

As he pondered this, he failed to notice that someone was approaching Issei. "A-ano..." The boy looked to his side. Next to him was a girl with short hair and round eyes, wearing a rather large night gown for her size while holding a teddy bear in her arms. "A-are you okay?"

She looked to have been Issei's age. Her eyes looked at him in concern. Issei looked down. He didn't know how to respond. But based on his aching heart...he didn't feel okay.

How in the hell could he even BE okay? He just saw his parents get killed by some kind of monster!

He...he would never see them again...all because of...because of...that bastard...!

"O-Oh..."

The girl looked down sheepishly.

She wasn't sure what had happened to the boy. She didn't even know his name. In fact, she wasn't even sure why he was here. She had seen her father bring him in, carrying him piggy-back like he does. It made her jealous, but then she saw how...lifeless he looked. It was like he had lost something important.

"U-um..." she spoke shyly, taking a seat next to him. "W-what's...your name?"

"...I-Issei."

"My name is Yuri..." The girl bowed lightly. "I-It's nice to meet you..."

"Your dad..." Issei muttered as he looked over at Nago, who was speaking with Megumi. "I-is he, like...some kind of superhero or something?"

At the mention of her father, Yuri's face lit up. "Mm!" she nodded strongly. "Tou-san's the best! He's a hero of justice!"

'Ne ne, Ise-kun! One day, let's become heroes of justice!'

The boy's eyes widened, remembering the promise he and Irina had made the day he had left for England. "Hero...of Justice...?"

"Uh-huh!" The girl nodded. "Daddy saves people from monsters! He is the Hero of the Wonderful Blue Sky Organization where he and mommy works."

"Wonderful...blue sky...?"

"That's right," Nago called out. Issei turned as he found the person who saved him entering the room, his hands in his pockets. "It's properly called Aozora. It was created for the purpose of defeating the Fangires." Nago took a seat opposing the child in front of him. Issei realized that not once had Nago ever looked him not anywhere else but the eyes. He was always staring back at him, as if to not look away. From what, he didn't know. "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier to you. My name is Keisuke Nago. You've already met my daughter, Yuri." The aforementioned girl giggled as her cheeks blushed. "And the wonderful woman in the kitchen is my wife, Megumi." Said woman smiled as she waved at Issei, who blushed. He had to admit, the woman was indeed beautiful. "I assume you have a lot of questions to ask."

Issei nodded. "T-that monster..." he said slowly. "T-the thing that killed my p-parents... W-what...what was it?"

Nago's face adopted a tense expression. "That monster from earlier...it was known as a Fangire."

"Fan...gire...?"

Nago nodded. "Have you ever heard about Vampires before, Issei?" The boy nodded timidly. "Well, I suppose you could say that the Fangires are the modern world's own blood-suckers. The only difference between them and the real vampires is that instead of drinking blood, they absorb a person's life energy. That's what happened to all of those people." Issei's eyes widened at this. All of those people...the adults and the children, that old man, the officers...even his parents? They were drained of life? "Conventional weapons have no affect on them. Only special weapons are designed to fight against them."

"Y-you mean..." The memory of that beautiful, powerful white armor came to mind. The image of a stalwart white knight defeating the demon. "IXA?"

"Yes." Nago nodded. "The Intercept X Attacker system, or IXA for short. It was first created by the Aozora organization several years ago to combat and defeat this threat."

Issei nodded slowly, taking in the information, "T-then...IXA's the only thing that can defeat those monsters?"

"No," Nago shook his head. "There is something else." A sigh escaped him as he leaned back. "But before that, I would have to explain the Fangire's history." Issei nodded, a gesture meaning that he could continue. "Many years ago, the Fangires were ruled by a powerful hierarchy; the Checkmate Four. Like the name implies, their members composed of chess pieces, each with a specific task. Rook was an enforcer; if rules were established, he would make sure they were followed. Bishop observed the Fangire race as a whole, keeping a watchful eye for any that would be deemed a traitor. The Queen's task was to eliminate the traitors. And lastly, there was the King; the absolute ruler of the Fangire Race. He was also known by another name. An epitaph known by many."

Issei gulped. "W-what was he called?"

"...Kiva." Nago answered, albeit slightly hesitant. "The King, as Kiva, was powerful beyond comprehension. He ruled with an iron fist, and he abided by the previous King's rules."

"P-previous King?"

"It was a long established rule that if a Fangire had ever fallen in love with a human, they were labeled a traitor to their own race, and executed."

"E-Executed...?!" The boy gasped.

Nago nodded. "The Queen's task is to hunt down and kill such individuals." He paused briefly, closing his eyes, as if reliving an old memory. "However...there came a time when even she fell in love with a human."

"Sh-she did?"

"Hai. It was with my predecessor...Kurenai, Otoya. At first, it was simple curiosity. Why did Fangires fall in love with humans? She believed that answer lied with Kurenai, and began to follow him. Eventually, she learned the reason...because she had fallen in love for him." Pain flashed across Nago's face shortly afterwards, though it was so quick that the child barely noticed. "However, the King was furious. Enough so that he held his and the Queen's child hostage if she ever wanted to be near Kurenai ever again."

Issei's face paled. "He...held his own son hostage...? How could he...?!"

"The King was a cruel, cruel man..." Then, a smile went across Nago's face. "Fortunately, he didn't count on Kurenai being so damned stubborn. He went and faced the King by himself. At the time, however, IXA was nowhere near powerful enough to defeat the King. As a result, he was defeated...but Kurenai had been granted an advantage. The King's power was sentient, you see. Kiva wasn't just simply a title; it is a position given to anyone deemed worthy of it, or rather those who can handle it. The thing responsible for granting the King power had chosen to side with Kurenai, and as a result, he had defeated the King. Unfortunately, it had cost him his own life." A long sigh escaped him. "After that, the position of King had long since been vacant. The Fangires were left in utter disarray, but Bishop kept them in line. It wouldn't be until 22 years later that history would repeat itself."

Issei tilted his head. "Why?"

"Before the King learned of Queen's betrayal, she was carrying a child; Kurenai's child. A child born both human and Fangire. That child's name was Wataru Kurenai. After the death of the King, Wataru had been chosen to become the successor to Kiva. In contrast, however, the King and Queen's child, Taiga, had begun to follow down the same path as his own father. He despised humans, and wanted nothing more to destroy it. Neither of the two boys was even aware that they shared the same mother."

"Then...they are brothers...but they never knew...?"

Nago nodded. "They wouldn't learn about this until 22 years after Kurenai's death. By then, Wataru, as the new Kiva, had become an ally to humanity, unlike his predecessor, who was the enemy of humanity. Taiga, however, was still consumed by his hatred of humans. Thankfully, however, Wataru managed to snap him out of it. It's been years since then, and now both Wataru and Taiga have been doing everything they can to help the Fangires find an alternate food source." Another sigh escaped him. "Unfortunately, many Fangires don't agree with the new rules. They still insist on consuming human lives. The creature you saw was one of the rogues."

The man's eyes hardened. For a moment, Issei thought he was donning his white armor, like before. "But I will not allow that. So long as I breathe, I will not allow any Fangire to destroy the peace my student and his brother are trying to create."

The brown haired boy was silent, let gazed upon the wielder of IXA with admiration in his eyes. Yuri was right...he really was a Hero. But wait...he said student...does that mean...

"N-Nago-san...are you saying...you were Kurenai-san's mentor...?"

Nago nodded. "Hai," he confirmed. "Though, we were enemies at first. Back then, I believed that he was no different than the King. Eventually, though, I learned better."

"That's right." Megumi piped in as she lightly bopped her husband on the head. "Keisuke here was a pretty big baka back then..."

Nago winced a bit, rubbing the back of his head as he glared at his wife. Yuri, however, simply giggled. Issei felt envious. He wished he could do this with his parents again...but it was impossible now. "Alright, Megumi, you have a point..." he muttered. "But that's no reason to hit me." Megumi merely grinned back, causing him to sigh. He then turned his attention back to the brunette, only to find him once again sulking. His eyes softened, losing their previous intensity. He had momentarily forgotten about the boy's circumstances.

Again, he found himself wondering what he should do. If he sent him to the orphanage, chances were that the boy would reject others around him, and become lonely. Nago couldn't afford such a sad existence for a child, and neither could he allow the boy to be living out on the streets. So, it begged the question that had been plauging him all day...

What should he do?

Then, like previously...a thought came to him. It was a bizarre one, and ridiculous at that...yet at the same time, it felt logical. "Issei," Nago called out. The boy looked up, and felt his heart race. Nago was smiling. "This...may sound like an odd question, especially coming from a man you've only just met, but...would you like to live here with us?"

All eyes were trained on him. Did he just say what they thought he said? His statement brought varying reactions.

Megumi's eyes widened in disbelief, gawking at her husband as if he had just said something foreign. Yuri's face lit up like a Christmas Tree, as if enlightened and happy at the prospect of having a child her age around the house, almost like they were a sibling.

As for Issei...

He was a flurry of emotions. Confusion. Joy. Excitement. Shock. Anger. Awe. He didn't know how to react.

Confusion because he couldn't understand why someone like Nago, a hero of justice, would want to take him in. Joy because there was someone who was willing to take care of him after the tragedy that befell his life. Excitement because Nago was the person who saved him, an actual hero of justice, like the person he and Irina strived to become. Shock because of the statement itself, and the sheer magnitude of such a statement. Anger because Nago was basically asking if he could replace his parents. Awe because the man who was offering to look after him.

"Can he really, tou-san?!" Yuri asked excitedly. "Can Issei-nii-chan really stay here?!"

'Wait, nii-chan?' the boy thought in confusion, snapping out of his stupor. When had the girl thought of him to be like a brother figure? They had literally only just met!

"A-are you sure about this, Nago-kun?" Megumi asked, her voice shaky. She wasn't sure how to feel about all of this. On one hand, she felt sorry for what happened to the poor child, losing his parents right in front of him like that. On the other hand, she thought about their daughter being around a total stranger that she knew nothing about. "I-I mean, you're asking him to stay with us, right out of the blue!"

Nago, however, seemed resolute on his decision. "I'm not going to force you, Issei," he stated firmly. "I have no sway over your decision. What you do with your life is up to you. You can wait an an orphanage, and wait for someone to adopt you, or you could try and survive out on the streets, even though it's far from the ideal life...or you could stay here with us. The choice is all yours."

The choice was his, huh...Issei looked down at his hands. The hands that were so close to reaching his parents. The parents who were killed by the monster Keisuke Nago defeated. He thought about the options...and realized it was a no-brainer.

"...i-if you're sure about having me, t-then..."

"YAAY~!" Faster than he could properly recognize what had happened, Yuri was glomping him, pure bliss written across his face as she rubbed her cheek against his. "I have a nii-chan~ I have a nii-chan~!"

Issei's mind was still trying to process what just happened.

Nago chuckled. "I believe that answers the question of whether or not Yuri-chan approves," he said with a smile, turning to his wife. "How about you, Megumi?"

"Well, it's not that I disapprove...But are you sure about this, Keisuke?"

"I am, Megumi," Nago nodded. "In fact...I've never been so sure in all of my life."

His wife looked in his eyes. Eventually, she relented and accepted his decision. "...Alright then." She then turned to face Issei with a kind smile. "Well Issei-kun, welcome to the family."

The boy felt something wet stream down his cheeks. It took him a second to realize he was crying. A shaky smile formed across his lips.

"H-hai...k-kaa-chan..."

XXXXXXXXXX

(10 Years Later)

"...Are we...really sure we should be doing this?"

"Ah, come on, Masao-kun! Where's your sense of adventure? Nothing ventured, nothing gained, as I always say!"

"That might be true, Motohama, but...i-isn't this kind of, you know? Asking to get whipped? I remember what happened to you guys the last time this happened."

"Don't sweat the small details, my man! This is gonna be your first real look at paradise!"

"...if paradise means getting thwacked all to hell and back by a bunch of terrifying girls with kendo sticks, Matsuda, then I don't want to know what paradise looks like."

The third boy in the group deadpanned. Seriously. Why was he with them again?

The young man in question, Masao Kurenai, had black hair tied in dreadlocks that fell on his shoulders. He wore a red Hawaiian shirt over a white t-shirt and baggy jeans, though in spite of this, much to his own dismay, he was still ordered to wear the black blazer with white trims. The fellow males beside him wore matching uniforms, except in completion; white dress shirts, black pants, and black ties with formal shoes. The one on the left had no hair, leaving only stubble atop his dome, while the other had a lanky build with square glasses sitting on his face.

They were Motohama and Matsuda...the infamous Perverted Duo of Kuoh Academy. Motohama was despised for his apparent talent to accurately tell a womans three sizes, whereas the track star, Matsuda, was a lolicon of epic proportions.

Masao was the odd one out. In fact, he wasn't even entirely sure how exactly he was even hanging out with them, much less even considering them to be his friends. He had somehow just started to fall in with them, as they had constantly come up to him pestering him with several questions. They were embarrassing ones too, like what kind of woman did he prefer or if he was a butt man or a boob man. It was also bad enough that the girls gave him dirty looks every now and then. He briefly wondered if his father got this sort of flak back when he was his age.

"...alright, fine," the young teen sighed in resignation. "But if we get into trouble, I'm leaving you guys to hang!"

Matsuda grinned as he patted him on the back. "Heeey, don't worry! Just trust me on this, Masao-kun! You're gonna see heaven in pure form!"

As the three began to slink away to behind the school, the two people watching them sighed together. They were both second years, each dressed in opposing manners. One had brown hair that was slightly puffy at the front, yet also unruly at the back, wearing his blazer open with a black v-neck underneath the dress shirt, as the first few buttons were undone. The tie was also forgone completely. The sleeves were also rolled up to the forearms, complete with black gloves that came only to the knuckles. The other didn't wear the uniform at all like Masao, but he didn't have the blazer either. Instead, he opted for blue jeans and a simple white coat over a black t-shirt. A black glove was worn over his left hand. His hair was neatly combed, coming down to his chin, further accented by his silver eyes.

"At this rate," Ryuga Nobori said in exasperation. "Masao is going to get slaughtered."

Issei Hyoudou, age 17, nodded in agreement. "Should we go save him before he ends up kendo girl chow?" he asked, receiving a nod from his friend.

With that, both teens moved in to pull their friend out of the would-be execution ground.

XXXXXXXXXX

(A Few Minutes Later...)

"COME BACK HERE YOU PERVERTS!"

"RUN MOTOHAMA! RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!"

"I'M RUNNING AS FAST AS I CAN, MATSUDA...!" The bald teen yelled back as he and his perverted companion ran like Hell was on their heels. Which wasn't far from the truth given the amount of angry, armed Kendo girls chasing them.

Masao, however, was absent from the presently fleeing teens, as he was hidden among the nearby bushes. He sighed in relief, giving a grateful look to the two teens behind him. "Thanks, you guys..." he said as he stood up, dusting off his pants. "Jesus, those girls are terrifying. No wonder those guys are scared of them."

"Just be glad we were there," Ryuga scolded him. "Honestly, you're supposed to be Kiva for God's sake. What would Uncle Wataru say if he saw you doing something like this?"

Masao blushed heavily. "H-hey, I didn't know they were talking about peeking at the girls!" he said, clearly embarrassed. "B-besides, how was I supposed to know?!"

The deadpan they gave him was rather painful. "...you do realize that this is Motohama and Matsuda we're talking about here, right?" Issei asked him. "The Perverted Duo?"

The dreadlocked teen looked up in thought and then came to the realization. In hindsight...he probably should've seen that one coming. "...Oh yeah..."

"I swear," Ryuga sighed. "You are a handful."

"Well, that's just part of my charm I guess..." He shrugged.

Issei rolled his eyes. "Only you would think so..." he said jokingly before he turned serious. "Anyway, I just got a call from Tou-san. Looks like we're going hunting tonight."

His two friends soon adopted similar expressions. "So...what is going to be our hunting ground tonight?" Masao asked.

"The old warehouse near the outskirts of town," Ryuga answered. "Unfortunately, it's also home to a Stray Devil, which means we might run into our dear landlord somewhere along the way."

"Seriously? Man...and we worked so hard to keep ourselves under the radar from Senpai..."

Issei merely shrugged. "Better Rias-senpai than Sona-kaichou."

"Hah," Masao grinned. "You're just saying that because you have a crush on her." This elictied a fierce blush from Issei as he glared at his friend, quickly turning away. "Heehee, look at that blush~ If only I had a camera with me!"

XXXXXXXXXX

10 years...has it really been that long? Since Nago-san...since Tou-san took me in?

Time seemed to fly by so quickly. It didn't seem too long ago that I...I lost my parents...

That day still haunts me. Every time I close my eyes, I can still see it. The sigh of the Fangire draining their life away, then shattering their bodies. I try to reach out to them, to save them, but I could do nothing. No matter what I do, they always die.

...I've grown used to the nightmares already. I've already steeled my heart. I swore that no matter what, I would protect everyone I cherished. Tou-san, kaa-chan, even Yuri-chan.

To be honest, though...it's amazing how much time passed for me ever since tou-san took me into his home. Even when I was still young, I had begged the leader and founder of the Aozora Organization, Mamoru Shima, to allow me to join. He was hesitant, but he allowed it, so long as I stayed with tou-san. I was happy, and ecstatic for that fact. I would be able to finally get my revenge on those Fangires for what they've done...

...that didn't mean I hated all Fangires. I still remembered what tou-san told me, about his student Wataru and his brother Taiga, the rulers of the Fangire Race who wanted to coexist with humans. I met them during those ten years, and they weren't at all what I was expecting.

I originally expected them to be strong, strict, and callous as leaders of the Fangires...but while they may be strong...they weren't as cold-hearted as I imagined.

They did not act like rulers. They acted like true leaders. They were strong, kind, charismatic, and were devoted to their desire for change for their species. To move away from devouring humans and adopting a new feeding policy.

I especially got that feeling from Wataru-san. At first glance, you wouldn't think he was the leader-type. He seemed somewhat skittish, but his face was anything but the stoic expression of a ruler. Despite that, I knew how strong he was. I had the pleasure of seeing him in action when a Rogue Fangire tried to kill him during mine and tou-san's visit to see him.

I still remember seeing it...that golden armor, and the power he displayed, destroying the Fangire like it was child's play. I knew then and there that Wataru-san was not someone I wanted to piss off.

Taiga-san, in contrast, looked like he was groomed for the part. He seemed perfect in almost everyway, a total opposite to Wataru-san. I didn't seem him fight, but somehow, I knew that he could have defeated that Fangire with ease, much like Wataru-san.

I also got to know their kids too. Ryuga was kind of a brat at first, but he was a pretty cool guy to be with. Masao was...eccentric, for a lack of better words.

Speaking of Wataru, I learned back then that he was known as the Knight of the Fangire Race. At first, I didn't know what that was, considering that Otou-san only told me about the Checkmate Four: Rook, Bishop, Queen, and King. But apparently, the Knight was a member of the Checkmate Members several hundred years ago. However, in the past, the previous Knight was against the previous King's Regime and was banished, his position left vacant ever since. The position of Knight held great meaning...which had been forgotten over time, until recently rediscovered by Taiga-san.

Unlike the King's hereditary position, and the positions of Rook, Bishop, and Queen being chosen by the powers themselves, the Knight is appointed by the King. From what I was told, the Knight was the King's personal bodyguard, protecting him and his heir. According to ancient law, any attack on the Knight is an attack on the King. From what I've heard, Masao would be the successor to that role, once Wataru-san decides to retire. It was the same thing for Ryuga and his father. He would be the next King should Taiga-san step down.

It wasn't until the 8th Grade when Mamoru Shima decided that I was ready to take to the field...and wield IXA.

It was the greatest day of my life. I was finally able to fight against the Rogues. However, I had to step up my training in order to handle the strain the system puts on the human body. Ever since Otou-san saved me, the Aozora Organization made modifications and enhancements to the IXA system to improve its combat capability.

Unlike it's version 10 predecessor, the new version had a cloak draped around its neck. And being made of a durable material, it served great purpose as a basic defense against certain formless attacks.

The armor itself also had slight differences with its predecessor. The chest plate now had a golden cross as the background to the red circle. The gold cross face plate also seemed to be sharper on the sides. Overall the armor seemed to be slimmer, lacking some of the bulk the previous model had, especially around the upper torso. However, the armor was by no means weaker. On contrary, it was more durable and stronger than before, using a new alloy and mechanics the Aozora organization developed.

The system's weapons also gained an upgrade. Its new close range weapon was a long, double edged sword with a white blade that had a blue cross at the base. It still contained the red jewel enclosed in a gold cross-hair-like ring on its guard, whose appearance was a blue cross-guard with with blue crosses with silver edging on either side. The pommel was a long and thin diamond-like spike that was colored white with a blue cross covering it as well.

For mid to long range combat. IXA gained a new firearm. It resembled a NCM assault rifle that carried rechargeable ammo at the top, as well as heavier artillery attached to the underside of the barrel. The entire body was colored white with a blue cross branded on the side of the gun's barrel. Near the hammer of the weapon was the word: IXA in blue print.

However, it kept the old IXA Calibur for multi purpose needs. While the first two weapons were more powerful, they lacked maneuverability and option.

All in all, I nearly fainted from being told I would be inheriting this system for myself.

Otou-san seemed pretty happy for me too, especially when he told me that the upgraded IXA was built specifically for me. I didn't know if that meant if only I could use it, but either way, I was happy.

...unfortunately, the training otou-san put me through was nothing short of hell.

He may be a kind father, but he is also a strict instructor. About a hundred pushups, situps, squats, jumping jacks, burpees, pull ups, a two mile run, and two hundred punches...and that was only the warm up.

Needless to say, my body was in hell for a long long while. And that was almost three years ago now.

Although...there was something that had been bothering me. Ever since the day my parents died, I've been having this strange dream. It's always the same. I'm in a sea of flames, and there's no end in sight. It feels like I'm being engulfed in it.

And at the center of it all...was a giant red dragon with emerald eyes.

The dragon always opened its maw, as if trying to speak. But no words came out. The only sounds I heard were the crackling of flames.

No, it wasn't that there weren't any words...it was that I had always woken up before I even had the chance to hear it.

I haven't told anyone about it, mainly because at first I thought it was just a stage that kids go through after having a traumatic experience...but even today, I'm still having that dream. It's so bizarre...

It wouldn't be until I started my second year at Kuoh Academy that I understood just what that dream meant...

XXXXXXXXXX

In a warehouse four teenagers in similar uniforms were looking around. There were three girls that were wearing a white long sleeved button down shirt which had a black ribbon around the collar, a black corset, a magenta skirt, and brown dress shoes. One girl was in her late teens that had blue-green eyes and had long crimson red hair that reached to her thighs; she also had a black shoulder cape and wore white crew-length socks. She turned to the other teenagers, "Are you sure this is the place where you sensed the Stray Devil Akeno?"

The girl who was also in her late teens, had extremely long black hair that reached to her legs which was also tied in a ponytail, and she wore black knee-high socks just waved her hands. She made a huge smile, "Yes Rias this is the place."

Then the fourth teen spoke, "However I can't seem to detect its presence any more."

Akeno turned to the blond hair boy who was wearing a white long sleeve dress shirt, a black blazer, a black ribbon around the collar, brown dress shoes, and matching black pants, "Just because you can't sense it doesn't mean it isn't here, Yuuto-kun."

"I understand Akeno-san." He then turned to the third girl who looked tense, "What is the matter Koneko-chan?"

Koneko was a short girl who had white hair and hazel eyes. She was wearing exactly same outfit as the other two girls, but without the cape. Also she had black socks on and a pair of black cat-shaped hair clips on the sides of her hair. Her eyes looked at one direction to another rapidly before saying, "I smell something." They were then overshadowed by a giant figure.

Rias stepped forward."Stray Devil, we have come in the name of the Arch Duke to eliminate you." She declared quite proudly. However, she was met with silence. She waited a few moments more, but was still met with silence.

"Um...guys? Is it just me, or is out target too quiet?" The girl asked.

Her friends only agreed that it was too quiet. But her question was answered as the giant figure fell face first to the ground, briefly showing its colorless, translucent body, before shattering into pieces of glass.

Rias was now nervous, the Stray Devil she and her peerage were sent to deal with was killed moments prior to their arrival. Also, she was unsure what method was used to kill it. But was evident that the assailant was still present. Koneko became on edge when she felt killing intent all around them. "Everyone, there is still something here."

"I sense...Devil life forces." the newcomer's voice stated.

"Nice. What a delicacy." another voice agreed.

"After that huge meal, I could still eat." The last one said.

All three figure stepped out of the shadows, to reveal that they were human.

"Humans? What are you humans doing here?" Rias questioned with narrowed eyes.

The newcomers paused. But then erupted into laughter, irking the Gremory Heir and her peerage.

"Ahahahaha! Humans? What do you foolish Devils think we are?" The man on the left asked.

"I agree. You are a bunch of idiots if you are unable to sense our true forms." The man in the center mocked.

"That doesn't answer my question! Who are you!?' Rias demanded, now annoyed, evident with the tick mark on her forehead.

"...Che...I'm going to enjoy devouring that life force of yours if it finally shuts you up!" The man on the right said.

Stained glass tribal markings crawled up the trio's faces around the bottom half as their eyes glowed in various bright colors. Allowing their bodies to be encased in quicksilver as their form changed. Immediately, their silver wrapping broke apart, revealing their new forms, much to the shock of the Gremory group.

The first man's body, who was formerly on the left, increased in size as he grew two feet taller and widened with bulk. His eyes had become blood red as its feet became hooves. Curved horns sprouted from the top of his cranium and a wicked-looking axe appeared in its right hand. Its body color changed to brown, but retained patterns on its body that resembled stained glass. This man was the Bull Fangire.

The second man's new form resembled that of a Chameleon. Its body color was mostly green save for the multicolored stained glass patterns decorating its body. A pair of wide, large eyes sat on its face, looking rather pointed and slightly curved. Long talons rested on each of its hands, and a curled tail sat at the base of its spine. His true identity was the Chameleon Fangire.

The third person's body turned black and white. Light blue and white stained glass patterns were present on its body, with claw-like protrusions extended upward on its shoulders. Its head had no eyes, but had the light blue and white patterns covering most of its face, acting as a visor. Fangs extended from that casing and split in opposite directions near the mouth, which was a fanged muzzle. In its hand was a single edged broadsword with vine-like patterns on the flat of the blade, resembling a wing. His stained glass patterned body and form was evident he was the Polar bear Fangire.

"What are you?" Rias questioned. While she failed to recognize the species of monsters before her, they seemed vaguely familiar.

"Our names won't do any good to prey about to be devoured." The Bull Fangire spoke, his human face appearing on the patterns of his body as he spoke.

"I don't think so!" Yuuto locked swords with the Polar Bear Fangire. He backed up and flashed away at high speed in an attempt to attack from behind. But to his shock, the Polar Bear Fangire matched his velocity and spewed needles from its mouth. Fortunately, Yuuto blocked every projectile with the flat of his blade.

But before he could back up and attack again, the Fangire gripped his wrist and snapped it under the weight of his grasp. The blonde teen cried in pain. But it wasn't over until it parried his blade aside and stabbed his leg, hampering his mobility. The White monster finished this small fight by throwing the blonde Devil at the adjacent wall, creating a sickening crack that echoed throughout the room, signifying his bones breaking.

He slumped onto the floor fully conscious, but unable to move.

Koneko went to help her friend, but the Bull Fangire stood in her way and dropped his ax upon her. She managed to stop it with both hands, but the sheer force of the strike drove her to the ground only slightly. While she was preoccupied on stopping the ax, the Bull Fangire continued by kicking her into the air. In mid air, she flipped over and landed on her feet. But as she was about to turn around, the Bull Fangire smacked her with the side of its ax and drove her into the wall next to Yuuto.

"Yuuto! Koneko!" Rias cried as her Knight and Rook had fallen. But her face scrunched up in rage as she faced the Chameleon Fangire. She charged up a mass of red and black energy in her hand. And when the store of power was built up enough, she hurled it at the enemy, only for it to dodge at the last moment. The blast just kept going and struck the far wall, completely annihilating it.

Just as she was about to charge up another shot, a long tongue extended from the Fangire's mouth and strangled the red haired girl. The sudden deprivation of oxygen broke her concentration. Thus, the mass of destructive magic subsided.

"Rias!" Akeno cried. She channeled lightning magic into her hands, but was interrupted when the tail of the Fangire stretched out and bound her arms together. The tip of its tail was pressed against her neck, the bladed tip nearly drawing blood. It constricted its tail, slowly crushing the girl. Despite it's slim structure, the tail was stronger than an anaconda and python put together.

"Guh..." Both females struggled to free themselves from the bonds. But to no avail as the hold was simply too great.

"Finally. Now we can eat!" The Polar Bear Fangire cheered. His comrades agreed as their materialized their astral, stained-glass fangs, and slowly pressed them into the necks of their prey. They started to suck out their life energy, making them writhe in pain. And due to the extended life spans Devils possess, the Fangires were going to suck them completely dry in about an hour.

Just as they were about to be overwhelmed and defeated, the sound of motorcycle engines caught their attention. Everyone turned toward the entrance to see three motorcycle of various models approach at high speeds. The surprise caused the Fangire's grip on Rias and Akeno to slacken, just enough so that they could pry themselves free.

Yuuto and Koneko also looked up to see the newcomers once they were away from the predator's fangs.

One of the riders whipped out what seemed to be a knuckle duster. He raised it forward and shout out a compressed blast of heat at each of the Fangires. Once the foes were incapacitated, they slowed their motorcycles to a stop before getting off. Once they did, they each removed their helmets, revealing the faces of Masao, Ryuga, and Issei.

"Well," Ryuga remarked dryly. "Looks like we made it just in time."

"I'll say..." Masao agreed. "Any longer, and they could've lost a good chunk off their lifespan."

The Fangires recovered as they growled and stood back up, leaving the Devils stupefied. "You worthless fools dare oppose us Fangires!?" The Bull Fangire demanded. But Ryuga just responded with a cold judgmental tone.

"Funny, all I see are rogues who are endangering the safety of their race by feeding on humans, a devil, and even the heiress of the Gremory clan and her peerage. How do you plea?"

"Endangering!? I was just having a meal! It's the Checkmate Four's fault for starving us!" It growled.

"Nevertheless, the law decreed by the King is final. He made it clear that you cannot feed on humans with a few exceptions. You have overstepped the boundary of Devils' territory and willingly put the Fangire race as a whole in endangerment for the possibility of involving them in a war with Devils by feeding off them." Ryuga spoke calmly.

"The whole lot of them are fools! There isn't even a Queen left, meaning the current King is worthless! Those human loving fools!"

The last uproar caused something within Ryuga to snap, as it was an insult to his father, family, and friends. The teen only uttered one word in response, "Sagark!"

A silver object flew and smashed into the rogue Fangires to push them back.

"Fuwdgorgj Ajkgalg! Ryuga!" It cried, hovering in front of Ryuga's face, allowing the Devils to get a better look at the silver creature. The strange creature could only be described as a silver UFO with red eyes and fangs. The creature had a blue spinning plate on the top of its head.

"Right partner." The creature then flew towards Ryuga and planted itself on his waist; black straps extending from its sides to fasten around him like a belt. The plate on the creature's head spun and it was facing upwards. "Henshin." Ryuga pulled out a strange white handle that looked like a key/flute and inserted it into the slot on the side of Sagark's head. He swiftly pulled it out. Stained glass markings also crept up his face.

"HENSHIN!" Sagark spoke as the plate on its head spun rapidly.

The creature then resonated blue visible sound waves around it, Ryuga then became encased in quicksilver and the layer shattered to reveal him in black and silver armor. He wore a full black bodysuit with silver bracelets around his ankles and wrists stretching over his forearms. His shoulders had guards that looked like zig-zag lines that jutted upwards. On his chest was a blue and yellow stained-glass flower pattern. His helmet had blue eyes with a snake's head between them and a crown on top. The white flute, known as the Jacorder, had a thin red blade extending from it now, giving the appearance of a rapier.

The Fangire reocgnized his form, and paled. "Y-you...?!"

"The Prince has passed judgement," Ryuga Nobori, Kamen Rider Saga, said coldly. "The sentence...is death."

The other Fangires paled, seeing that their opponent was none other than the son of the King himself, but they had not forgotten about the other two. Masao chuckled. "Taking a line out of uncle's book, are ya?" he said as he stepped forward, cracking his neck. "Okay then, let's get this party started! Kivat!"

he called on his partner. Said creature flew up so everyone could see it. He was a small orange and black bat-like creature with white eyes and a green gemstone on its forehead.

"Yay! Let's party!" Kivat said before flying into Masao's hand.

"Gabuu!" Kivat IV bit into Masao's hand, causing stained glass marking to creep up his arm and onto his face. Ghostly chains magically appeared around his waist and wrapped around it before melting and becoming a blood red belt. The belt had slots holding ornate whistles on the sides, 6 in total.

"Henshin!" He shouted.

Masao perched his partner onto his belt as visible sound waves began to resonate from Kivat IV. Quicksilver encased Masao's body, before breaking apart to reveal his new armor.

Masao's new form was clad in a full black bodysuit. The torso armor looked like a silver vest with a high collar and a blood red chest plate that mimicked muscles. His shoulder armor resembled folded bat wings that were held to the armor by thin chains. He wore red armored gloves and his wrists sported silver bracelets. His right leg was covered with a silver iron boot that reached his knee and was wrapped tightly with chains, as if to hold something back. The left leg was unarmored save for a silver bracelet around the ankle. His head was covered with a black helmet with the visor shaped like a pair of yellow bat wings edged in red. In-between the top points of the wings was a red ornament resembling a bat's head. The mouth guard was silver and framed by black fangs.

Unlike Saga, the Fangires growled in utter hatred, recognizing the form as well. "Kiva...!"

"The one and only," Kamen Rider Kiva chuckled. "Oi, Issei. You joining in, or what?"

"...Do you even need to ask?" Issei asked rhetorically as he glared sharply at the Fangires. He raised his knuckle duster and pressed it into his palm.

[R-E-A-D-Y!]

[PLAY: Individual System - Tetra Fang]

Issei's eyes narrowed into a vicious glare. "I'll make you repent for your sins, Fangire!" From the inside of his blazer, Issei took out a black belt with a mechanism in the center that was colored black and gold with a red stone in the center. On the sides were two black and gold cases that held small whistle-like objects. The left case had one colored blue, green, and purple, while the right case held silver, black, and gold ones. He swung the belt around his waist and it wrapped around him, allowing it to give off an activation tone. He then extended his arm to the side. "Henshin!"

He brought his arm back over his chest and slid it onto the buckle from the top.

[F-I-S-T O-N!]

From the buckle, a gold cross piece appeared and spun rapidly around the red jewel before flying off a short distance away from Issei. The cross stopped mid air as it generated a suit of armor with the cross as the faceplate. When the equipment was complete, it rushed back to Issei and covered his body before turning solid.

The brown haired teen was now donned in a black body suit covered in a similar armor to what Nago used as IXA, but now had a cloak wrapped around his shoulders. The article of cloth was tattered, but was pristine white on the outside while being crimson red on the inside.

Now, standing before them...

"It-it can't be! You people-?!"

...was Kamen Rider IXA.

"Now," IXA rumbled, ramming both fists together, creating red sparks from the impact. "Let's practice a different sin..."

Next Time: Awakening x Dragon's Roar