Whoa, dark angel, ridin' high, I can see through you

You learned your tricks by the river Styx, where the Devil gets his due ~

I do not own Highschool DxD. If I did, it would bear no resemblance to the current series.

Issei had been planning every detail of the date meticulously ever since Yuuma had asked him out. He didn't really know her, but she was incredibly sweet, and cute as a kitten. She didn't even care about his reputation, if she knew about it.

In hindsight, that should have been his first warning, but Issei was so over the moon that he did not see it.

The date, for its part, went off without a single hitch, happening almost exactly how Issei had planned it; Yuuma seemed to enjoy herself, and Issei managed to be on his absolute best behavior, keeping all his lecherous thoughts under tight control.

So there they stood, within the secluded courtyard, no one else in sight as the late afternoon sun laid a golden glow down on the two.

"Issei..." Yuuma said, her voice kind. "Would you mind doing something for me?"

Issei felt a burst of excitement race through him at what he thought was coming.

"Yeah, sure? What is it?" he asked, trying not to sound too eager.

She turned to face him, smiling.

"Would you die for me?"

For several seconds, Issei did not move an inch, what she had said simply not registering.

"...what? Yuuma… I don't… I don't think I heard you right..."

"Oh?" she said, tipping her head. "I asked… would you please die for me?"

Then, Issei saw the impossible.

Two black wings erupted from Yuuma's back.

Issei was completely frozen; whether it was shock or fear, he would never be able to say for sure.

"I had a lot of fun these last few days…" she said, giggling. "You're a real sucker, you know that? Made my job easier, though."

She raised her arm so that it was parallel to the ground, her palm facing down.

Within the grasp of her palm, what could only be described as solid light began to appear.

After a heartbeat, it began to change shape, taking the form of…

Is that a spear?!

Only at that moment did Issei's legs unfreeze. He tried to turn, tried to run away.

He made it no more than three steps before the impossible spear pierced him through the chest.

For a moment, Issei stayed on his feet, his chest numbing.

Then, the pain hit him. It was an indescribable agony; even years later, Issei was never able to come close to capturing the scope of the anguish that flooded him. And with that pain, Issei immediately fell to his knees. An instant later, his upper body followed, leaving him sprawled face-down on the cobbled stones. His blood poured from the gaping wound, staining the paving a deep crimson.

Ears ringing from pain, he could only just make out Yuuma's words to him.

"If you want to blame someone for this, blame God. After all, he gave you the Sacred Gear."

Yuuma's visage suddenly appeared before him, her adorable face twisted into a cruel sneer.

"Good-bye, Issei Hyoudou."

Then, she was gone.

For a moment, Issei's mind was so thoroughly lanced by the brilliant torment that he could not even begin to think. Only when his chest started to go numb did his mind begin to work correctly again.

Issei was not a religious person by any means. His belief in any god was essentially nil, and he had never bothered attending a single service for any faith.

Yet as he lay there, his mind began to give his own last apology. Just as with the pain, even years later, he could not explain why his mind had gone in that direction.

If… if anyone's listening… I'm sorry… I don't ask for… another chance. I've messed up too much in my life already… not that I wouldn't take one, but… just know that I'm sorry… I never gave my thanks for what I had… just cared about being a lech… I'm so, so sorry…

Even as the thoughts escaped his mind, Issei's vision began to fail him. Millimeter by millimeter, his eyesight began to turn completely black, willpower meaning nothing when faced with blood loss.

It was only moments before his sight was swept into oblivion that he saw the light form a few meters away from him.

As soon as the Seraph called Gabriel stepped from the cross, she got a clear view of just what had caused the halting, somewhat stammered prayer she heard ringing within her mind. The one that had seemed… louder than most.

The lone female Seraph was no stranger to bloodshed, and her stomach did not turn at all at the sight of the gutted young teen before her.

Her heart, however, was washed in pure sympathy for him.

Unflinchingly, she walked over to the poor boy's body, noting the enormous wound in his chest and storing the information in her mind.

A moment later, she knelt down next to the dying teen, laid a hand on his body, and murmured a blessing under her breath. She did not bother to try to keep her white robes dry, and they ran scarlet with the boy's shed blood.

Gabriel felt sadness course through her, both for what had happened to the boy and being unable to provide him any comfort in his last breaths.

The Seraph knew the brutality of the world better than most, but she still held deep convictions towards the suffering of innocents. And in her mind, there was nothing that the teen lying on the ground before her could possibly have done to deserve such a violent end.

After finishing the blessing, she pulled her fingers back and slowly, very slowly, and moved to rise from her kneeling position.

She was stopped, however, by the booming voice that crashed into her ears.

"Wouldn't have been my first choice or my fifth, but I suppose I can't be picky."

It was a voice she had last heard centuries ago, but the Seraph knew she would never forget it.

"What are the chances?" Gabriel murmured.

"Ah, Gabriel. I felt that aura and I thought it might be you. Let's not waste time with formalities. I want you to keep my host on the mortal coil. I know you possess the strength to do so."

"And why would you want that, Red Dragon Emperor?"

"I heard his prayer. He deserves better than to die here."

"As do many who die too young. I cannot interfere in mortal affairs beyond the church without good reason."

Do it, please... do what I think you're going to...

A snort came from the boy's body. "Fine. You want a good reason? I'll give you one. If you save this boy, then God help me, I will make him into your ally, no matter my own feelings. If you do not…"

Gabriel sighed, not surprised at the blatant threat but happy it had come nonetheless.

"Well, Gabriel? We don't have more than a minute. Make your choice and make it wisely."

The female Seraph shook her head, pretending to be reluctant despite her happiness at being allowed to save the boy. "If you wish to play that card, I suppose I have no choice but to accede. However..."

Still kneeling, she withdrew a box from her robes, opened it, and grabbed the first item her fingers touched. To mortal eyes, it would appear an impractically large playing card; to her eyes, it was perhaps one of her greatest tools.

"...I will be doing that on my terms, Ddraig."

Ddraig said nothing as she laid the card on the boy's body, the Seraph exhaling as it was absorbed into his flesh.

A few moments later, the teenager's enormous wound began to seal. Flesh and blood slid back into place against gravity, save for the blood on Gabriel's clothing.

The first of the systems had worked.

When the wound had sealed, she carefully picked her new Saint up, his weight barely registered by her immensely powerful arms. Then, she formed a cross.

A few moments later, the courtyard stood empty.

As soon as the Seraph arrived in the building in First Heaven where her Brave Saints resided, she was met by one of its only two residents. The Queen of Hearts, Griselda Quarta, had been reading one of the church's newspapers and sipping tea in the entrance hall. As soon as she heard the door open, however, she looked up. An instant later, Gabriel's Queen dropped into a formal bow.

"Greetings, Lady Gabriel."

"Rise, my dear Queen," Gabriel said.

When she did, the first thing to exit the Queen of Heart's mouth was the obvious question.

"Who is this?" She gestured to the unconscious boy in her King's arms as she said this.

"This young man is my newest Saint, my Jack," Gabriel explained.

She indicated for her Queen to take the boy. "If you would, please bring him to one of the unused rooms and lay him down, and let me know if he awakens."

Griselda nodded. "It will be done, Lady Gabriel."

As the Queen of Hearts strode down the hallway containing the bedrooms, she took in the brown-haired teen's face, running it past every single exorcist and saint she could think of. For all of her recollections, however, Griselda Quarta was completely unable to match his face to anyone she knew.

He must be from another part of the world…

Picking one of the ten empty rooms arbitrarily, she entered and laid the boy down on the bed.

Only when he was splayed out did she notice the gaping hole in his shirt, exposing his bare skin. She frowned at this.

That's odd… did he…?

The Queen of Hearts shook her head slowly, eyes shut, before turning away from the bed and walking over to the bookshelf. Withdrawing a particular volume of fiction, she took a seat at the table halfway between the bookshelf against the wall and the bed.

As she began to read, she wondered about the boy lying unconscious on the silk sheets.

"So, you've taken a new Saint," Michael said dryly. "I suppose you have an explanation as to why you broke the rules of reincarnation so blatantly?"

Gabriel faced Heaven's leader and the other two Great Seraphim, her own brothers, within Zebel. After handing her Jack over to Griselda, Gabriel had gone straight to the home of the Seraphs to change her robes and then lay out exactly what she had done.

"Yes, as a matter of fact," Gabriel replied, her tone flat. "I do indeed. That boy is the host of the Welsh Dragon, and by extension, the wielder of the Boosted Gear – though I doubt he is aware of it."

"How would you know, then?" Uriel asked, his baritone voice echoing off the halls as he narrowed his eyes. "If even he himself knows nothing of the Red Dragon Emperor's presence, then how can you be certain of him possessing the Boosted Gear?"

Gabriel shrugged. "Very simple – the Welsh Dragon himself spoke to me through him. He demanded I save the boy, else I would earn the dragon's eternal enmity towards Heaven."

"That is... half an explanation at best, Gabriel," Michael said, shaking his head. "It fails to answer why you chose to use one of your cards rather than simply bringing him here for treatment. The latter would have achieved the same result."

"Perhaps, but I felt that this might be the better way," Gabriel said. "After all, if the Red Dragon Emperor was willing to put aside his enmity towards us simply to save his host, perhaps the boy fits at least one of the two requirements for sainthood."

"So then," Uriel said, "your entire justification is based on a shaky extrapolation made based on the actions of a completely separate creature?" He raised an eyebrow. "I'm not trying to be pessimistic, Gabriel, but I think you may have taken the wrong course of action."

Gabriel's teeth clenched. "Need I also tell you that whoever attacked this boy was almost certainly not human? If his injury was any indication, it was likely done with some sort of magic. If that person attacked him again, what defense would he have? If he doesn't have the ability to manifest the Boosted Gear or any knowledge of how to use it, he's nothing more than human, and evidently whoever this was wanted him dead. What would prevent them from trying again?"

There was no answer from the other three, and Gabriel barely gave them time to give one.

"And another thing – yes, I reincarnated him because of the Red Dragon Emperor and wouldn't have done so otherwise. That does not mean I will not care for him as I do my Ace and Queen. He has much to learn, but it can be done. He can be taught our father's teachings."

"We shall see," Uriel said, his tone noncommittal.

"Yes, you shall," Gabriel replied. Her head turned to face the leader of Heaven. "Now, Michael, I have a request."

Her brother tipped his head to one side.

"I ask that you research a certain Holy Sword so that it might be employed for my Jack's benefit. You know the one that I speak of. It shouldn't be too difficult; after all, most of the work is already done for us, and we can be sure the last living wielder would be willing to help us."

"I'll consider it," Michael said after taking a long, slow breath.

Gabriel frowned, her irritation at her brother's ambiguous reply evident to all three of the other Great Seraphim. "Well then, if you'll excuse me, I have a few things I need to address in First Heaven."

She vanished into a cross.

When their sister had gone, two of the three brothers turned to look at the third.

"I notice you didn't have any complaints, Raphael," Michael said. "Do you approve of her actions?" There was no hostility in the question, but it was not entirely friendly, either.

The blonde-haired Seraph shrugged. "If she thinks it was for the best, I'll stand behind her. If taking this young man as a Saint backfires, that's ultimately on her."

The answer was not unexpected to Michael or Uriel; of all the Seraphs, Raphael had been by far the harshest critic of the standards the Brave Saint system ran by, even more so than Gabriel herself. Raphael, throughout the process of creating the system, had insisted that who was offered reincarnation should be solely determined by the individual Seraph, rather than a collective rule.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to finish some paperwork in Fifth Heaven," Raphael said, vanishing before either of his brothers could get in a word.

Soon after, Uriel also excused himself.

Left alone in Zebel, Michael was left to consider his sister's request.

If her new Jack truly is the Red Dragon Emperor…

Michael knew that the current White Dragon was a battle-crazed maniac, and quite the powerhouse, to boot. The leader of Heaven felt pity race through him for the poor young man now known as the Jack of Hearts. He hummed to himself, his sister's words leading his thoughts to a dark corner, to his own shameful misjudgment of trust and to the deaths of innocents.

But he also knew that this new Saint was going to need every single advantage he could possibly get to stand a chance against the White Dragon. Beyond that, the leader of Heaven was quite aware that twin Dragon Emperors were almost guaranteed to clash at some point. It rarely happened any other way.

It did not take long for Michael to come to a decision, and when he did, he vanished into a cross of his own.

And cut.

If you're wondering why I'm rewriting this story yet again, it's because tormenting you all is fun.

Well, that, and also because there are so many things I glazed over and got wrong in canon that it's kinda crazy.

Anyway, Gabriel's not meant to come across as heartless the way she might when dealing with Ddraig. It's more meant to communicate that without extraordinary circumstances, her hands are essentially tied.