Hello All.

I'm back. This is my rewrite for Becoming the Dragon of True Domination. There will be an A/N at the bottom that will explain a few things. I really hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: I own nothing

Rating Game VIP Viewing Room

June

For the Rating Game between Rias Gremory and Riser Phenex, it was agreed upon to view the spectacle, if you could call the soon to be ensuing slaughter a spectacle, from a country house within Gremory territory. Drinks had been passed around as a formality, and even the normally sober Venelana Gremory had a few drinks, if only to less the emotional blow of watching her daughter struggle fruitlessly. She sat next to Rosalia Phenex, or Lady Phenex to most, and the two had started making wedding plans for the two kings the moment they had met earlier that night. Of course, ALL of the sigils on everything would involve a beautiful red rose with flaming golden Phoenix wings to celebrate the union. The two women had started the night giggling, but the giggling turned less friendly and more nervous on both sides the longer the game went on.

They weren't the only ones whose attitude got more nervous as the night went on.

Two men stood in front of a large viewing screen off to the side, each drinking a glass of the Underworld's finest wine. One was quite tall, and fairly imposing. His thick crimson hair and crimson goatee coupled with the festive pseudo battle suit he wore, that seemed to struggle to contain his broad shoulders, gave him quite the imposing appearance. The only thing that would keep children running in fright was the incredibly friendly smile that almost always seemed to be plastered onto his quite handsome face. Though this instance is one of the few times that Zeoticus Gremory's smile was replaced by another emotion. Complete confusion.

His counterpart however was quite the opposite of him. Though they both wore similar style pseudo armor suits expected of those of their standing on the Devil Council their statures are quite different. This man is clean shaven with neatly combed long, blonde hair and was about a head shorter and of a much slimmer build. Rolland Phenex has a multitude of emotions showing on his face, the cycle playing on repeat.

Confusion, Disappointment, and a small dash of hope.

He's very confused as to how in the 9 Hells Riser is being decimated like he this.

His disappointment with Riser's performance shows clear as day. For someone who claims he wants to succeed and move high up the ranks in the Rating Games like his elder brother, the boy never trains and merely relies on his regeneration to bail him out. This fault is showing heavily as of this moment.

And lastly, there was a small dash of hope that welled up in his chest. In part with the hope that his son will pull through, but also for Rias. He himself couldn't show it, but if his son lost then maybe it would be the wakeup call the boy needs.

But as a father he has no choice but to root for his son's victory of course, especially when such an important arrangement is hanging in the balance between the families.

The last three people of note in the room are two men around the same height and build as Lord Phenex, one rivalling Zeoticus in terms of height with the same hair color but with a slighter build, and a petite raven-haired girl with pig tails wearing a Mahou Shoujo outfit (that she refused to not wear when not in a council meeting).

The latter of the two couldn't contain her excitement as she jumped up and down at an announcement.

"Rias Gremory Pawn has retired 1 Rook, 1 Knight, and 1 Bishop of Riser Phenex."

A collective groan spread throughout the room from most of the occupants. Though it was over shadowed by one extremely excited Mau.

"SEGOUI!" Serafall shrieked with stars in her eyes, "Onii-chan is so awesome!"

There was a small groan throughout the room as Serafall once again was waaay too informal with someone she didn't know.

Both Rosalia and Venelana had to turn away from the brutality that Rias's new pawn had displayed in order to retire three of Riser's pieces at once. New devil or not, the boy was a vicious fighter who gave no quarter.

The Leviathan turned to Sirzechs who watched the match with an unblinking concentration. "Hey Zechs-chan you should smile! Or do you not think that Onii-chan and Ria-tan can beat the Yakitori-sama?!" she asked enthusiastically, taking up the new Pawn's nickname for Riser, much to the Lady Phenex's irritation, who let her irritation be known through a scowl and a small "Ahem". All to remind the Leviathan that it was her son she was speaking of.

Serafall, for her part, at least had the decency to flush slightly and smacked her fist to her forehead and stuck her tongue out to the side in embarrassment. Lady Phenex just rolled her eyes with a slight smile gracing her lips before scowling again at the announcement that Rias's queen and knight retired, but so did the remaining 4 pieces of Riser's peerage bar his Queen, himself, and his Bishop Ravel.

"I don't know Sera. My sister's Pawn has proven to be far more formidable than I had imagined, and Ria-tan has become far more cunning than I gave her credit for. But the odds still aren't looking good for them." The Older Devils in the room frowned at the Mau Lucifer. He wasn't supposed to be taking sides, even if it was his little sister. Not to mention how important they all viewed the joining of the two houses is.

It has come down to a final showdown of the two houses. Rias had just her nigh on brand new Pawn, who was apparently supposed to be a very unremarkable teen while still human and armed only with a mere twice critical, while Riser still had his Queen and his sister Ravel, his bishop.

Venelana let out a small sigh. "It seems this battle will be drawing to an end soon. Rias will be devastated, but it can't be helped." She and Lady Venelana both shared a look and she seemed to be in agreeance with her prediction. Serafall and Sirzechs both frowned at the two women but said nothing and turned to their friend, Mau Ajuka Beelzebub. They saw how he remained glaring unblinkingly at his screen, which he had manipulated to zooming in on only the young white haired devil. They both tried to get his attention but he waved them offer, not moving his eyes from the newly reincarnated devil.

Serafall and Sirzechs glanced at each other and shrugged his actions off. Ajuka tended to get tunnel vision when he found something interesting. And the moment they turned their attention back to the Rating Game is when all hell broke loose, so to speak.

"Lady Gremory, you are too injured to continue fighting."

"W-what?! Are you asking me to give up?!"

"No. I'm asking you to let me do my duty as your Pawn."

"W-What…?"

"Riser!" The white haired Pawn called out to his opponent. "I would like to make a deal with you."

Riser looked surprised, then narrowed his eyes at the boy as Rias blustered beside him at his audacity.

"Oh? And what kind of deal do you think Riser would make with you?"

"I would like to fight for my King's honor in her stead. In other words, I would like to ask for you to view her as a non-combatant like I have viewed your sister. I would like the terms for a Gremory defeat to rest solely on my retirement from the game"

"So, what? You wish for Riser to fight you man to man? Please. Why would Riser risk his marriage with Rias for a low born reincarnated trash's attempt at grandeur?"

"eheh"

"Huh?"

"Heh… heh HAHAHAHA!" the teen began laughing out loud.

And within the booth everyone's veins ran cold. Of all the things they had expected to happen, this hadn't even crossed their minds. Never would they have expected for Rias's new servant to be driven to insanity. This thought only cemented by the next words out of the boy's mouth.

"Oh no Riser, who said anything about man to man? I would not expect you to throw away your most powerful piece in a fight as important as this. I merely want to be able to fight you two without worrying about trying to guard my King the whole time, no offence Lady Gremory. For as long as she is in play, I cannot release my full power to fight you. I will accept both of you as my opponents in return for Lady Gremory to be taken out of harm's way with Ravel Phenex."

A few moments of silence past as the two men stared each other down. Everyone present, and even those viewing the match looked rapidly between the two, trying to determine who would relent first.

"You know. Riser knows you're playing him. And believe Riser, he KNOWS. But Riser is going to take this opportunity to put you back in your place, he agrees to your terms." The Phenex smirked and looked up into the direction of where the magic circles that acted as cameras were. "On his honor as a member of the prestigious house of Phenex, Riser pledges to recognize Lady Rias as a non-combatant, as shall Riser's peerage."

He then turned back to Issei who was talking quietly to a VERY PISSED OFF Rias, before ushering her towards where Ravel had been watching the fight. "Are you ready boy? Riser will not hold back, for once Riser destroys you he shall take Rias as his wife. Immediately."

He gave only a nod and slipped into a stance and motioned with his fingers for the two to "Come and get him".

What followed was one of the most brutal and intense fights witnessed in the recent years of the rating games, let alone in an unofficial match. And the result would surprise most.

The VIP room, though full of people, was so silent you could hear a pin drop. All members waited with baited breath as the climax of the Rias Gremory vs. Riser Phenex Rating Game came close to a mind shattering end. The third Son of Phenex was expected to win in a landslide, but that is NOT what ended up happening.

From the beginning the completely inexperienced Gremory team began to decimate the far more experienced Phenex team with a surgical precision that should not have been possible. With a mere 5 pieces, Rias shattered the enemy and lost only four of them in exchange for nearly the entirety of Riser's. Each loss of Rias's pieces only spurred the remaining to fight harder and harder. To those who had watched it had become difficult to ascertain who they should cheer for.

The final bout of Pawn Vs King and Queen was the most shocking. Despite the battle being two against one, the moment Rias was removed the teen became a completely different fighter. Displaying technique and strength that had been absent from his earlier fighting proved that he really had been holding back.

But even this apparently wasn't enough as he began to take more and more hits the longer the fight wore on. All seemed lost until the boy had caught the two of them in a barrier field. By trapping them inside the very tight barrier, the two could barely move around inside of it. He had begun sweating profusely and had sunk to one knee to maintain the strength of the barrier. Then, with difficulty, held his left hand out and demonic energy began to take the form of a staff before bending in on itself to form a bow formed of his energy. His gear flashed a blinding red and green and shouted out [TRANSFER]. The gear vanished from his arm, but the bow began glowing brightly as the white haired teen struggled to pull back on the bowstring.

To say Ajuka and the other devils in the room were confused would be an understatement. The Pawn was the bearer of a mere twice critical. Never before had they heard of one having the ability to transfer power. Was it a subspecies? Each of them looked on with a deep scowl on their faces.

Lord Phenex shook his head with a sad smile. "As much as I've begun to respect the boy, he really should give up. Attempting to fight further is just a fruitless battle at this point. Continuing like this will give some a poor impression of the boy. He's not quite experienced enough, nor quite strong enough to overcome Riser's Regeneration. Give the boy a few years or less of training and he actually may surpass him though"

"He's done well enough honestly. For a boy who's been a devil for what? A month? And trained even less than that? To bring two powerful opponents like my son and his queen to this point is quite the feat in itself." Lady Phenex chimed in, expressing how impressed she was with the boy herself.

Ajuka began muttering to himself as his eyes scanned the scene faster and harder than he had before. He began to use his [Kankara Formula] to investigate and understand what the teen was actually doing. None of it was adding up to him. Though his muttering fell on deaf ears as Serafall joined the conversation with the older devils with her grown up attitude. That alone was enough to make all other conversation cease and their eyes turn towards her.

"Actually he has been training hard for at least the past 5 years that I've known him. He is very intelligent. I wouldn't count Ise-dono out just yet." Serafall said seriously, her voice level and without a hint of her normal playfulness.

"Mau-sama what do you know that we don't?"

"How do you know my daughter's Pawn in the first place?"

"What the hell is he trying to do then?"

Serafall opened her mouth to respond but had difficulty forming answers to the rapid fired questions the noble families were asking.

"W-well I once tried to reincarnate him as my knight… but the two knight pieces wouldn't take…" she trailed off sheepishly with a flushed face. The silence that reined in the viewing room was deafening. Even Sirzechs and Ajuka ripped their attention away from the screen at her revelation. The shock on everyone's faces made Serafall's cheeks burn brighter in embarrassment.

"I know I'm a failure as a Mau," she said guiltily, obviously misreading the room, "To think that I couldn't reincarnate him but Rias could… it's almost like he was meant to be with her…" she finished with a sad pout.

It took Ajuka a few moments to process the ridiculous claim the shorter Mau was making about his pride and joy before an irate expression crossed his normally calm features.

"Are you implying that my Evil Piece System is broken?!" he all but shouted, causing everyone in the room to jump at his very out of character reaction.

"Because you would be incorrect Serafall Leviathan. The Evil Pieces do not reject a person because of some ridiculous notion such as destiny or fate. The Evil Pieces will resurrect anyone as a devil as long as 2 conditions are met!" Ajuka had stood to his feet at this point and was pacing back and forth and ranting… though it seemed to be more to himself than most of the room... almost like he was trying to convince himself more than them.

"The Evil Pieces require 2 things. Firstly the pieces judge a person based off their current strength and/or their future potential. Even if someone is strong, if they have no potential then they could require less pieces than weaker person with great potential." He was on a role now as continued in a frenzied manner.

"The second thing required is that the Devil attempting to reincarnate someone into their servant must have the sufficient power to initiate and maintain the process for long enough for the reincarnation to complete itself. A weak master cannot reincarnate an ultimate class being simply by giving them say 2 Rooks, which is equivalent to 10 pawns. Even if they have mutated pieces it shouldn't be possible."

His rant came to an abrupt end in front of the short Mau and he grabbed her shoulders and glared down at her, though seemingly more calm than before.

"The only explanation is that you were not strong enough to resurrect him with 6 pieces." Serafall's eyes widened in surprise. She wasn't strong enough? Even with 6 pieces? What was that even supposed to mean?

She looked up into his eyes with confusion, and as if reading her mind he gave a small smile. "Even with 8 Pieces, the Gremory Heiress should, by all intents and purposes, not have been able to reincarnate him if you, who are several hundred times stronger than her, could not with 6."

"So how is it that your System recognizes Him as my sister's pawn then? You say that she could not have reincarnated him, but yet she did. So then how do you explain it?" Sirzechs asked with narrowed eyes at his fellow leaders, but most specifically with his eyes on Serafall"

Her savior came from an unexpected source. The shout of Rias's mother.

"W-what is that?!"

The Mau turned back to the screen and stared in shock at the screen. A small black magic circle had appeared in front of the bowstring. A vile miasmic aura began to seep from the circle and single black barbed arrow was forming on the string and was aimed at Riser Phenex. Panic raged through the two devils on the field and from those observing. Everything about that arrow screamed WRONG.

Ajuka quickly activated his most precious ability, which gave him the ability to identify and understand all forms of phenomena, but the results left him more questions than answers.

The moment the arrow was released Ajuka let out a cry of pain and he cupped his right eye, a small trickle of blood dripping beneath his hand.

Serafall rushed to Ajuka's side as the man sat frozen in shock from the sudden injury.

The Phenex's didn't even notice the Mau's injury as they stared in horror as the reincarnated devil stood over the screaming form of Riser, still trapped in the barrier. The bow shattered in his hand and was slowly disappearing in motes of crimson light. Riser writhed in agony as a hole the size of a fist refused to shut. In fact, it seemed to be growing larger and larger the more Riser tried to regenerate.

The more the Phenex tried to regenerate the hotter and larger the flames grew until his queen dropped to her knees from the heat. Air was running thin within the barrier and her breath came in ragged gasps as her own master's flames were proving too hot for her to bare.

Lady and Lord Phenex could only look away in horror but couldn't escape the blood curdling screams of their son. Seconds past into minutes as the white haired demon stared their son down with an unfeeling glare, simply waiting for him to surrender. Yubelluna had passed out at this point and her clothes had started smoking as if they too soon would catch fire. The Phenex's silently begged their son to surrender as the screams grew beyond unbearable. Ravel had flown to the boy and was banging against the barrier sobbing and screaming for the Pawn to release whatever magic afflicted her elder brother. Finally, after a few more agonizing seconds Riser Phenex lost consciousness and with a single snap of the boy's fingers the black magic circle disappeared. Almost Instantly Riser's injury healed itself. Right afterwards, the teen could be seen collapsing to the ground from the exertion as particles of light began to envelop him. But not before the audience saw his condition. The charred remains of his right arm was completely black from halfway between his elbow and shoulder down to his fingertips. The entirety of his visible body was marked with crisscrossing black lines. Almost as if something had burned out all the veins in his body.

House Gremory had won the Unofficial Rating Game

And Rias had won her Freedom.

But it was clear, above all else, that the boy had used a power well beyond what he should have and is in critical condition for the efforts he went through for his King.

The room was too shocked to speak. Rias was not meant to win this match.

Ajuka turned towards Sirzechs, still cupping his injured eye. "Sirzechs, that boy is an anomaly that needs to be handled with care. He is dangerous and needs to be-"

The Mau stopped abruptly and whipped his head around towards the back of the room at the same time Sirzechs and Serafall did the same thing. They lifted their hands as one and magic circles began to form in each of their hands.

"Who's there?!" Sirzechs demanded as the three of them blasted energy towards the subject of their inquiry.

April 23rd

Greece

A blonde woman with long flowing blonde hair jerked her head up with a cry of surprise and began breathing heavily as sweat poured down her face. The Kimono clad woman fell backward onto her bottom and barely managed to catch herself from slamming into the ground completely. As she began trying to catch her breath her eyes darted around the room trying to get her bearings again. She was no longer in that VIP viewing room. She was safe and in a… cave?

Surrounding her on all sides were tall rough walls with stalagmites hanging from the ceiling, with contrasted with the vibrant colors adorning the floor and walls? Rugs and expensive golden fixtures adorned the room in a confusing manner. The cave is almost completely circular in shape and seemed to be roughly a hundred meters across in every direction.

As sound began to filter back to her, coming in fuzzy at first, but now as clear as it should. The sound of rushing water became clear. A waterfall?

Her eyes circle the room until she smells smoke right in front of her. Turning her eyes forward she nearly jumps at the site of a beautiful, dark haired woman sitting cross-legged on a cushion in front of her.

The source of the smoke seemed to be the long pipe she had to her lips and two incense burners to the left and right of the strange woman. The woman merely smiled at Yasaka and began to speak.

"Ahh, so you've finally returned Lady Yasaka. Don't worry, the effects will wear off soon. The trip is always rough the first time some someone experiences it."

Yasaka's eyes widen as she remember d why she's here. "Delphi, they saw me somehow. They attacked me and it pulled me out of the vision. How is that possible?"

The woman named Delphi slowly puffed her pipe before letting out a long stream of smoke to the side. "It was not you who they attacked. Even presences such as the Mau would not be able to detect you. That was merely a vision of a future, not an astral projection into said future."

Yasaka slowly sat up and regained her composure. She narrowed her eyes at the famous Oracle and asked quietly, "Are you sure that that is his future? To become a devil?"

Another puff of smoke, longer this time.

Delphi's eyes hardened as she stared into Yasaka's eyes. "Yes and no. The future is not set in stone. It is ever changing. And every time one views the future and attempts to changing it, it impacts that future and the future of others in a major way. Whether the outcome of the change is for the better or worse it is unknown until the events come to pass. Hyoudou IsseiYr Un Heb adenydd is one of the very few beings whose strings have been removed from the hands of the Fates as all beings like him have. His actions will mar and tear that fabric every decision he makes just like any others of his kind. However, he and those like him are the exception, not the rule. Most couldn't change their fates even with in-depth knowledge of the future."

"In other words. Your ward's future is entirely in his hands, as are all of those who come in contact with him."

She paused to draw another puff as Yasaka struggled to maintain her composure after Delphi used the despicable moniker for her Ward. Even his other title would have been preferable to that degrading name.

"But unlike the rest of his kind… he does not have the strength to resist the powers of the world. He will not make it to his 18th birthday in most futures, and not to his 20th in the rest. Save 3."

Yasaka froze. Such overwhelming odds against him? Why? Why was the world so cruel to this boy? His past be damned, why did the world seem to reject him at every turn?

The Youkai leader sighed, resigned to continue this path. She would do whatever it took to keep him as safe as possible. To give him the best life possible.

She looked up at Delphi with tears threatening to fall in her determined eyes. "What are his choices?"

A sick grin formed on Delphi's face. Oh the Irony of it all. Moments like these were what she loved most about being the Oracle.

"The three chances that grant him the highest chance are survival are returning to heaven-"

"NO!" Yasaka all but jumped to her feet. Her aura blazed around her and its weight would've rendered any being with a power equal to a high class devil unconscious. Her nine tails burst forth and seemed to blaze with fire at the same time her Fox ears appeared. The whole world seemed to tremble around her as her anger rolled off of her in waves. "NEVER WILL I ALLOW HEAVEN TO TOUCH THAT BOY AGAIN!" her voice was inlaid with so much power that it seemed as if thousands of voices cried out the exclamation, each trying to overpower the others.

Delphi for her part seemed unperturbed by this display and just took another puff of her pipe. "Hmm such power. It is no wonder that you were chosen as the vessel of Amaterasu. But calm down Fox, you're getting dust all over my carpets. Besides, you asked and I provided your answer."

The Fox Youkai slowly sat back down as her aura slipped away, the air becoming breathable again, but the hostility in her voice did not disappear.

"You mentioned three options. What were the others?"

"The only other 2 options he has for a future… is with the Devils. As you already saw. Isn't it ironic?" Delphi finished with a cackle and a tear slipped from her eye from laughing so hard. "For one to fall so far? For damnation to be his salvation?" she clutched her sides and her pipe clattered to the floor. "From the Heavens to Hell…" she breathed out as she struggled to stop her laughter.

Yasaka glared at her in disgust before standing to her feet struggling to maintain at least a semblance of civility. "I thank you for your guidance Oracle. You will have your payment within the week." She grit out and whirled around to head for the entrance to the Oracles home. Yasaka lost herself in thought for a few moments remembering what Serafall Leviathan had said. How she had tried to reincarnate him and failed. If she couldn't do so then she needed to find this Rias girl.

"Fox." The Raven haired woman called out softly, all traces of mirth gone from her voice. Yasaka stopped in her tracks and tilted her head back slightly.

"In Kuoh there are two young devils will have the means to reincarnate him, you know the ones. Either one gives him the same chance of survival. Both will treat him well and he will have the opportunity to flourish into the man he needs to become for what is to yet to come." She began puffing her pipe again as Yasaka turned around and looked at her with narrowed eyes, confusion evident on her face.

Delphi reached into the front of her toga, pulling out a pendant and gripped it tightly before gently stroking the runes that were engraved over its surface. She gazed longingly into it and as it dawned on Yasaka, her features softened in understanding. "You knew him didn't you? He gave you that pendant. Way back before…" her voice trembled and she choked a bit on her words before clearing her throat. "Before he was changed."

Delphi closed her eyes slowly and sighed. "He was always a good boy. He was sweet and gentle and tried to fix everything for anyone he felt needed help. Atlas may be holding the world up, but it was he who bore the weight of it on his shoulders. *Sigh* It was his vile mother that caused all of it you know… She was the one who poisoned him with her ideals and scheming. She indoctrinated him, and he followed her like a lost lamb. Always doing everything she asked of him without question through blind love. She was even the one who cast him out, removing what she thought he cherished most…" Delphi trailed off, sadness had creeped into her voice with every word spoken of his tragic fate.

"How did you even find out who he used to be? It's not exactly something that even he remembers now."

Yasaka smiled sadly as she recalled the night. She walked back to the vulnerable looking woman and sat back down. She waved her hand and a tray with Saki appeared. She poured them both a cup and handed one to Delphi before taking the other for herself.

She smiled softly, "In western cultures, it is common to toast to those you are speaking of. Especially loved ones, or so I'm told." She held her cup forward towards Delphi who smiled softly back.

The oracle slowly brought her cup forwarded and giggled out, "It's not exactly a Greek thing, but sure." She clinked her cup against Yasaka's softly.

CLINK

"To Issei."

"T-to N-n…" Delphi tried to say his real name, but choked out an incoherent mumble.

The both downed their cups and Yasaka scrunched her nose up slightly as she swallowed the liquid. She poured them both another glass and sighed. As she began remembering the night that brought Issei into her home and heart.

"It was Ophis who told me you know. Right after she appeared to me well after midnight in my bedroom and put the 7 year old into the bed beside Kunou. She told me of his past and the trials he faced. The betrayals he suffered through with a smile on his face. She told me of those who tortured and destroyed him over and over again. She even told me that his true name was N-"

1 week later

May 1st

Kuoh Academy Park

To say that Issei Hyoudou had been dreading this day would be the understatement of the decade. The young teen trudged through a large park on the winding path that led to the front gate of his new high school. The park was beautiful he had to admit. Cherry blossoms lined the walk way a little off and the autumn season had changed most of the leaves of the rest of the park into a soft golden orange. The gate wasn't too far away from his new home either. It was a just a short walk away, something that the very anti-morning teen was very happy about. Once he walked into the park all he had to do was pass the fountain marking the center and then the crossroads from the other entrances to the park. Then it was a very short walk to the gates of the prestigious school.

Though even the beauty of the grounds were not enough to lift Issei's sour mood. A high school with the reputation of Kuoh Academy at one time should have been like a dream come true for the white-haired teen. First of all, the school was very well known to be a top school in not just the country, but in most of the world of pre-university academics. Then there's the fact that the school boasted some of the best sports and clubs for furthering one's career. And to top it all off the school boasted a 10:1 female to male ratio, so why would any self-respecting guy not be drooling over the chance to go?

Well, for Issei it was quite simple. He had already learned pretty much all there was to learn of high school education from his parental guardians. His current mother figure had drilled into him the necessity of "Scholarly Development" as she phrased it. Really it just involved him being shouted at by 3 or more tutors over random subject at the same time for 6 hours every day except Sundays. As it was, he reckoned he had surpassed a high school education, even one with an academic program as advanced as Kuoh Academy, around 2 years ago. And here he was going to school to be a mere 2nd year student.

Sigh.

Then if the boredom wasn't enough, he would be attending halfway through the spring term. How that sly woman had managed to get him into an academy like this in just a week was beyond him, though he supposed she did know a lot of important people with her occupation and all.

Sigh.

Then to add insult to injury, the worst part is that he suspects that he won't really make too many friends very quickly, if at all. 'This sort of thing is kind of expected when someone looks like me.' Issei thought dejectedly as he walked next to the large fountain sitting in the middle of the walkway leading to the main gate. He slowed to a stop and turned to slowly face the fountain, a nostalgic thought crossing into his mind. Reaching into his pocket he pulled out a strange coin, one foreign to this side of the world. He approached the fountain and allowed himself a moment to stare at his own reflection in the crystal clear water.

Issei would stand out among even the most diverse of crowds. His hair was half unruly and spiked upwards haphazardly in a style that no amount of product in the world could fix, with a few bangs that spiked downward over his face. The long tresses that normally fall down his back haphazardly were drawn together in a tail held together with an inscribed black metal ringlet at the nape of his neck. The most noticeable part was that his hair had the same shade as snow. As bright white as one could imagine. At a single glance it would appear dyed which only cemented the predisposed judgement most people made about him. He missed the time when his hair was closer akin to a dark flaxen color. To this day he still doesn't know, or remember why his hair color changed so rapidly. It just seemed to happen over the course of a week. But that's all he remembers.

To most he looked like a delinquent, even his guardians had thought so when they had first met him. The scar running diagonally over his left eye didn't help the image, nor the heterochromatic eyes that he had been cursed with. He couldn't even remember how he got that scar over his eye, nor the rest of the various scars that adorned his body. A sudden chill spread up the teen's spine and he tugged his long sleeves down some more uncomfortably. As for his eyes, he hated them the most. His right eye is an electric blue that most would find mesmerizing. His left however is emerald green and slightly deformed with the pupil being more elongated than circular. While his vision was perfect, most would assume that the slight distortion of his left eye's iris and pupil were caused by whatever gave him the scar. Deep down, he really despised this eye, as the imperfection was just another thing that people judged him for.

He gripped the coin tightly and closed his eyes.

'I just want to not be judge harshly and maybe make some friends while I'm here. At least until I finish my mission'

With that wish he tossed the coin into the fountain. He opened his eyes just as the water make contact with the surface, the waves it caused displacing his reflection. Issei's eyes widened as very quickly the water began to settle and an image appeared in the water other than his own reflection. He quickly grit his teeth and his eyes hardened as he glared at the image in disdain.

A face with bright violet irises surrounded by a liquid gold ring smirked back at him.

With an angry snarl he swiped his hand against the surface splashing water everywhere and onto himself, dispelling the vile image before it returned to his own reflection once again.

He stood still for a few moments attempting to calm himself down as he felt his rage getting the best of him. It had been a long time since his anger raged out of control like this. He tried desperately to calm down, but his heart rate just continued to climb. His fists clenched to the point where it began to cause him pain.

'What is wrong with me today?' he thought darkly.

He willed his legs to move and forced himself to keep walking towards the gate even though every bit of him desired to be rid of the place. To be anywhere but here. Only his duty to his mission he was assigned kept his will from breaking.

'That's right. I'm doing this for her sake. I must keep going.'

One foot in front of the other he kept himself moving forward like he always does. But even still his anger blinded him to his surroundings. If it weren't for the pendant Yasaka gave him, he was sure his aura would be raging around him.

It was the moment he began crossing the cross-way that his instincts began screaming at him. He pushed his rage to the side and turned to his right just in time as a white and blue blur slammed into him with the force of a freight train. He managed to turn just in time that the blurs slammed into his chest rather than his side so he barely budged.

The blurs however seemed to bounce off of him, and reacting on instinct reached an arm out around each blur and yanked them back to him to keep them from falling to the ground. He blinked very quickly on impact and let out a small grunt while the two blurs let out surprised squeaks as the sound of something cracking made him wince. The taste of strawberry flooded his senses which left him dumbfounded. Why was he tasting strawberry? He slowly opened his eyes and looked down his nose to see the corner of a brown and red square in his mouth.

'Is… Is that toast?'

He slowly looked to the other side of the square piece of bread to see a pair of lips wrapped around the opposite corner. His body trembled as he looked up into brilliant sapphire eyes that stared back at him in shock with her cheeks flushed in embarrassment.

'Fuck… here we go.'

As he backed away, taking his bite of the toast with him, he really got a look at her. With a height that rivaled his, she was fairly tall for a girl. Under his hands, which were still around her waist, he could feel taught muscles through her uniform blouse that contrasted with the delicate contours of her heart shaped face. Her shoulder length blue hair framed her face perfectly and helped accent the brilliance of her sapphire eyes. And the flush of her cheeks only further contributed to how he viewed her.

She's… beautiful…

A sudden gasp coming from the blunette combined with her face turning an even darker shade of red confirmed Issei's worst fears.

"I said that out loud, didn't I?"

A slow nod from the blunette confirmed his fear. He groaned internally. 'It's OK, I can salvage this. Come on Issei, just play it cool, smile, and say something suave.' He smiled at the girl and with as much charm as he could muster. 'Alright just apologize and introduce yourself ok? You've got th-'

"You make good toast." The blunette turned an even darker shade of red and steam seemed to be coming out of her ears.

'WHY THE FUCK DID YOU SAY THAT?' Issei screamed internally at himself. 'Ok, just get out of here. You haven't been murdered yet. ABORT ABORT!'

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on the outlook Issei was saved from another embarrassing response by the smaller of the two girls finally speaking up.

"…Hey perv…"

The sudden introduction of a new voice caused Issei to forcibly tear his eyes from the beauty in front of him and focus on the owner of the new voice.

The girl is short, barely making it to his chest in height. White hair that rivaled his own adorned her head and a few bangs hung down on either side of her face. The two bangs were held in place by black twin kitten clips to keep them from falling into her way. Hazel eyes glared up at him and caused him to visibly shiver under the intense pressure emitting from the gaze. Her cheeks were also lightly dusted with a pink tinge that he couldn't place. She also wore the same outfit the blunette wore, so he figured they both attended the Kuoh campus… but he would've assumed that the middle school uniform would be different than the high school one. Any following thoughts were cut off by the shorter girl speaking again.

"… Are you going to let us go…? Or is this gonna have to get physical?" she deadpanned at him with the same glare.

*Shivers*

Issei hopped back a few steps and started laughing nervously while scratching the back of his neck.

"Sorry about that I just didn't want either of you two to get hurt from falling." He smiled at them and continued as he stuck out his hand.

"I'm Hyoudou Issei a second year and I'm new to the area, it's a pleasure to meet you." The blunette seemed to gather herself a bit, but was still heavily blushing as she stepped forward and shook his hand.

"Tsubasa Yura, and I'm the Treasurer of the Student Council and a Second Year as well."

The moment their hands touched Tsubasa had to suppress a gasp. His hand is firm and calloused like a fighters, but held hers delicately. But that wasn't the issue, she looked up at him with wide eyes as his form became overwhelmed by the color Red. It swallowed her vision until all she could see was Hyoudou Issei and a massive sea of red. She had never felt so small in her life. It felt like a monster was looking down on her waiting to devour her whole.

He broke the contact and she swore she saw his eyes cloud slightly and his smile became sad for a moment before returning to normal. But his eyes remained hollow.

He turned away from her and towards the white haired girl and offered his hand to her as well. The shorter girl just glared at it then moved her eyes back to his, not even making the attempt to shake his outstretched hand.

"…Toujou Koneko" she said stoically.

Issei sighed and stepped forward again shocking both of the girls. Before Koneko could react he patted her head gently towards the right side of her head. To Koneko it felt like a bolt of lightning flashed through her body and unconsciously tilted her head into the gentle petting. By the time she had realized what he had done he had already turned away and was walking up the stairs to the building. Her cheeks flamed up in embarrassment as her mind struggled to process how he knew just where to pet her to get her guard down. Her trance was broken a moment later after his parting words.

"See you around Tsubasa! And Koneko! You have a good day in middle school ok?!" he called back as he entered the school.

Now Koneko's face was pure red… for a VERY different reason. She launched forward towards the subject of her rage only to be caught and restrained by Tsubasa who was trying desperately not to laugh.

"Koneko calm down, I'm sure he didn't realize you weren't a middle schooler." That only seemed to escalate the issue until the blunette managed to produce a chocolate bar and wave it in front of the furious girl's nose. The struggling stopped immediately as the girl snatched the candy bar away from her and began to nibble on it.

"…Fine… But if I see him again he's dead meat."

Tsubasa sighed in relief. She really didn't want to have to deal with the fallout that would ensue from the short Devil's warpath. She did NOT take short jokes lightly.

With the moment past glanced down for a moment and her eyes widened in surprise. She turned towards Koneko and asked quietly, "Koneko, were you using any of your true strength during our race?"

Koneko froze for a moment as if just realizing the answer herself. "… Not all of it but enough so that the Perv shouldn't have been able to stop me…" she trailed off as she looked down at what Tsubasa began pointing at, her eyes widening in shock.

"I was running pretty hard myself… But yet he stopped both of us in our tracks and… well that," Tsubasa said referencing the two shoe prints that cratered the sidewalk with spider web cracks surrounding it for a few feet. "I didn't even sense him while we were running, let alone any power from him." She stopped and looked down at her right hand, clenching and unclenching her fist a few times. "When I shook his hand it felt like I was drowning in his presence. Everything disappeared to the point where it felt like he was all that existed in the world."

Koneko frowned at the girl. "… Maybe he has a sacred gear. But I don't think it's a coincidence that he knew exactly where to… where t-"she trailed off, her face flushing again and her hidden Cat-ears twitched under the concealment illusion at the memory of one Issei Hyoudou petting her head.

Tsubasa frowned and looked towards the direction the mysterious snow haired boy had disappeared in. "Do you think he knows about the supernatural?" she asked the Devil in a hushed whisper.

"… There's no other explanation." Came the stoic reply.

The blunette sighed. "I need to inform Kaichou. I just hope he doesn't turn out to be an enemy."

Koneko nodded. "…I will inform Buchou as well. If you're going straight to Kaichou does that mean you've accepted her offer?"

Tsubasa shook her head and sighed, walking away towards the direction of the Student Council building. Koneko shook her head and began walking towards the Old School House where the Occult Research Club room resided.

One thought remained on both of their minds.

'Who are you Hyoudou Issei?'

A/N: Well I wrapped that up Just shy of 8k words, the longest chapter I've ever written. I know it's been a long time since I've updated, but I plan to change that. I've had a lot of serious issues that I've had to deal with in life recently. Combine that with a severe lack of motivation for life in general let alone a story I've become really disappointed in and I haven't gotten around to writing anything. But I'm back and I will try to stay back and update regularly. Somehow I've still been getting followers and favorites on this story even a year after the last chapter and it really inspired me to come back and begin writing something that I believe is worthy of all of you. So I decided to rewrite the story from scratch and fix everything I hated with my first attempt.

There were a few jumps in the beginning, but I tried to write it in a way that wouldn't be confusing. As you probably noticed, this story starts off very AU. There will be a lot of things different in this story than in Canon, but there will be Canon things in here as well. After all this is a Fanfiction, not Canon-fiction.