Prologue

The Less Than Triumphant Return

Even in a world where almost every myth and legend were true, none could tamper with the past. No, that is not entirely correct. Time was certainly movable forward, could, with some effort, stopped using sacred gear 'Forbidden Balor View' and with a much greater effort be turned back through various rituals and by deities related to time such as the Greek Titan Kronos. But in that case why did not everybody return in time in order to correct their mistakes? The answer was simple, nobody could. There are many examples both recorded and otherwise where desperate beings swam upstream through the flow of time in order to correct their mistakes. However, none of their 'corrections' survived until the arrival of the expected result. The most believed reason for this phenomenon is that 'the Greater Existence' interfered with the outcome, taking things back to the 'way it should be'. This theory has caused many beings to come to the conclusion that everything would happen in a specific order of events, thereby not making any effort in order to achieve any accomplishment.

This, however, is disapproved by the diary of Marius Astaroth which was written by the Devil I the name of Marius Astaroth during the late 14th century. It records the said devil's actions while he was trying to save his lover from a gruesome death after being captured by a rival family in a territory dispute. However when he prevented her capture, his lover died due to a stray arrow during hunting, and so on and so on the cycle continued until the cause of death was a heart failure which was unheard among devils. The consequences of travelling through time multiple times are unknown, however, though the book was found in a classified location within the underworld, there is no record of Marius Astaroth ever existing even though every other person named in the diary including the said lover who died in an heart failure does or did exist.

This brings us back to 'the Greater Existence'. No one knows what, where or how it exists. Only that it does and that its power was like a sea if Great red was a metaphorical drop of water. None dared to search for it and if they did, then they did not exist. That is not to say that none searched for it but that they literary ceased to exist, their existence fading into a distant daydream. This caused all pantheons to destroy the records all time-related rituals and experiments, their records erased and all practitioners hunted down till they were extinct or powerless to do anything related to the Greater existence, in fear of the whole race ceasing to exist.

However, even this never stopped or discouraged any that tried to defy their designated fate through the mean of time travel for there was someone desperate enough to attempt the forbidden.

Which brings us to the pair in a structure that could only be called a hovel by a river in the to be the Sitri territory or to be correct what used to be the Sitri territory. They again were a pair whose loss was great enough their experiences terrible enough to attempt the forbidden.

The man of brown hair and mismatched eyes stood vigil as the woman prepared the ritual circle using the mixture of lead-based paint blood and other miscellaneous materials for he had neither experience nor expertise on the subject. Therefore he resigned himself to the fate of watching a master at work. He might have felt inadequate had not the said master been on all fours her shapely behind wiggling as she tried to reach a section of the circle without messing the parts already imprinted on the wooden floor. He absently noted how she managed to look elegant even at such a position. She truly deserved the titles of Heiress of Sitri and the Princess of the crystal water.

This all began with a single human.

A human who was wronged too many times, powerless against foes that wielded powers that was very much out of the reach for any human. However, the one thing that was s greatest weakness he made into his greatest strength.

His humanity.

In a world where dragons that conceptualized dreams and infinity dwelled, where angels and demons rampaged and gods looked upon how did humans, such a weak creature exist, much less thrive? It was due to the weakness of a human that they thrived. Knowing their bodies were inferior they used their minds to bridge the gap. And even though their power as a whole could not even begin to compare to one even God started taking notice.

For there was nothing as powerful as humanity.

Everyone had forgotten its true power.

He reminded them.

His name was Catalyst.

Rias was the first loss among them.

The crimson-haired heiress was dead before the war truly even began. She visited her great-grandfather, Zakram Bael together with her older brother and never returned. Neither did Sirzechs. It was the event that marked the end of the beginning and the beginning of the end.

They did not know who to trust and neither did any devil, however when they discovered what was truly happening, neither Kiba nor Rossweisse were breathing.

The great king, Zakram Bael had switched sides and now the old Satan faction has gained most of the pure-blooded devils.

Then in a series of events they were hunted down one by one until all that was left were Asia and himself. They were at their lowest when they were found by Gryfia, the now widowed strongest queen. She kept them safe for three years before they found Sona, devoid of her family or peerage but still living and breathing. It was then that the man allowed himself to hope that their group might survive. He shouldn't have tempted the fates. For within a month both Asia and Gryfia were lost to them. Maybe it was their desperation, maybe their anger but it was then that they started striking back. And after the death of Sairaorg Bael, they were the top on the wanted list.

It was their mistake to assume the things would stay in between the devils. And none of them realized this before a spear of light impaled Millicas through his heart. Months of depression later they both started to live with it, or at least survive with it. Their hope returned when they accidentally came across an ancient Egyptian tomb containing forbidden knowledge which included the secrets of travelling through time.

The ritual was not too hard as long as an abundance of power could be amassed to a point. This was why they started to search for how it all began.

The catalyst was a martyr. A true martyr considering that he was dead when his plans bore fruits and his death started the plans. Like cancer spreading through the bloodstream, his plans infected each and every faction, igniting a battle royale against and within each and every pantheon. Not many gained anything out of this, not many but the catalyst, a man dead for a century that aimed for the destruction of each and every supernatural entity.

He cleverly planned a method to shatter the already fragile peace into smallest pieces possible and stomp on them but dust and destruction remained. And he truly succeeded or would have had he not done a single miscalculation. Where were they to fight?

The world was a barren wasteland. The heaven nonexistent and underworld an eternal battleground, this must not have been what Catalyst, the unknown human male who panned this hoped for, but had destruction and not the freedom of humanity what he hoped for, he couldn't have planned better.

It must have been a few hours before she woke him, and the first thing he noticed was his ability to move, or to be specific, the lack of it. He was tied up and the spirit of Ddraig that dwelled within him after the destruction of the Boosted gear was suppressed to such a degree that he barely felt it.

"Sona! What…" The man was silenced by the dark-haired devil with a kiss.

"I'm sorry Ise." She finally said looking at the puzzled face of the former red dragon emperor. Not giving him a chance to respond she continued. "I lied. When I said that your power can send us back, I lied."

The man was silent and she took it as her cue to continue. "The only way to do this is a sacrifice."

"Why Did you tie me up then Sona I'll gladly…" the man stopped as with a tug the former heiress removed her robe, showing that she was wearing nothing underneath, nothing but the scars recently carved into her body which even him could identify as runes.

"Sona…. You…" The man growled, the spirit of a dragon rising despite its suppressed state and turning his left iris red again as he struggled against both the physical and magical restraints as if his or in this case, her life depended upon it.

"I'm sorry Issei but this is the only way. Sometimes you need to sacrifice a bishop to checkmate." The woman said raising a silver dagger above her head.

"Sona! Stop this!" The man struggles never ceased. Not even when the blade plunged down. Not when her blood sprayed onto his face and not when she whispered: "I love you."

He was still struggling against his bonds when the runes lit up, blinding him and then Issei Hyoudou was no more.

It was dark. Like going into a cave from under the midday sun, while I could see there was something inside it was too hard to distinguish what lied before me, which was highly unusual considering that all devils could see in the dark.

I think I could still feel blood, 'her blood' my mind echoed, running down my face. The blood itself was of no consequence. A blood splatted face was of no consequence, it was nothing strange or unfamiliar for me, yet it was the fact that the blood belonged to her that made me nauseous.

It was her blood, the blood of the only person I had left to protect, the person I promised to protect as my brother in all but blood lied in a puddle of his own bold with a spear of light running through his chest, she was the last person who I could have possibly fallen in love with.

And she was dead.

Dead, because of me.

Why did sh…

My internal conflict was cut short as I felt ITs presence. I couldn't see it with my eyes, hear IT with my ears or smell it. But I could feel IT. The closest comparison I could give would be the presence I felt when Gryfia unleashed the full extent of her power, yet much much more potent. In fact, comparing THIS to Gryfia would be akin to comparing an ant to the great red. It was while logically possible, yet the practicality was another reason.

I was shaking like a leaf in the wind, and I am pretty sure that I had pissed myself. And the scariest part was that I could feel IT actively trying to hold back ITs presence.

I struggled to scream, run, hide, or roll into a stuttering mess and cry myself silly, yet all I could do was to stay as still as a stone statue as IT reached out to me.

"Wh…What the hell are you?" I finally stuttered out, my bravery, in this case, amounted less to do with confidence and more with the realization that there was nothing to lose if I die right this second.

Suddenly my mind was assaulted by visions… no memories. Memories of my past.

"IT's called the greater existence." The dark hared angel, or in this case the devil perched atop his lap announced as she went through another tome in a speed that far surpassed mine unless doujin were involved. "Nobody knows anything ab…."

The memory faded only to be replaced by another.

"There is a good chance that we might encounter the greater existence if we go through with this." The words were whispered as they lied next to each other by the campfire, trying not to think about the cold that constantly assaulted their bodies. "What are…"

And another.

"Nothing useful here." The former heiress uncharacteristically threw the book with her whole strength, which caused it to impact the wall at such a velocity it's pages detached and slowly glided down onto the dusty floor of the abandoned library belonging to her late sister. "Not a single book about the greater existence. Why…"

Before another memory could torment me, I decided to speak up. "Are you what we call 'the greater existence'?" I winced as IT flooded into my mind positive emotions. Assuming it was a 'yes' I then asked the question that he had as soon as he felt ITs power. "Are you here to kill me?"

Negative emotions crashed into my mind, causing me to grunt in pain at the sharp headache it came with. I assumed it was a denial, seeing that I still existed. "Then why…" I started my question but was unable to finish it, owing to the fact that my mind started to remember past events again.

"Hey Kiba, did you bring that you borrowed last month? You've been forgetting to bring it for some time now." I demanded. My precious doujin better not have been lost by this damn pretty boy. "Ahaha. Sorry, Issei My mistake. I'll really bring it back tomorrow. I promi…"

And again

"Issei-sama, did you and Millicas avoid the morning exercises again?" The maid from hell, in this case, both literary and figuratively, asked with a friendly smile that promised swift and painful retribution, which caused both of the addressed males to hold onto each other in fear. "N… No Gryfia we did it earlier than usual today." The answer caused the 'friendly smile' to vanish from her face along with the malicious intent that haunted anyone exposed to the said smile. "Ah, forgive me. I must have mistaken. Please contin…"

"All right I get it" I interrupted. "I'm not an idiot. I get that you made a mistake.", only to start remembering a different set of memories.

"… we use Iron as a catalyst when producing ammonia at an industrial scale." The vice president of the ORC finished reading the textbook, only to realize her cute little kouhai was sound asleep. "Ufufufu… Issei-kun this calls for some… punishment."

And then,

"The Catalyst." The former president of the student council reported to him. "That's all I could get. Not even a real na…"

"So the catalyst was a mistake you made is it?"I demanded, all rationality gone as everyone's deaths that never failed to haunt me resurfaced all at once, only to stop breathing at the amount of malicious intent that was directed at me. If I hadn't pissed myself before I surely had now.

"What do you want? Why are you tormenting me like this?" I choked out barely able to speak. And this time I welcomed the memories. I'd have, at that moment, done anything; even swear off all oppai to get away from THAT.

"Issei-san, can you tell me the correct answer for this?" The former nun asked the holder of the boosted gear as she held out her mathematics textbook.

And came the next memory,

The crimson-haired ruin princess leaned down on the red dragon emperor as he knelt down in disappointment as he failed to activate a basic teleportation circle again. "Don't worry Ise. You'll do this correctly if it's the last thing you do." In her face appeared a smile that she must have gained from her sister in law. I absently lamented on why all the women that were in my life, except for the sweet and kind Asia, had to be violent.' "And I really mean that. There's no way to get out of here without a teleportation circle. So you might want to…"

Then came the next.

I was too lost on the memories to realize that I was no longer before IT. In fact, I couldn't feel IT anywhere at all.

All I could feel was cold.

All I could see was a field of white.

"Hey! You there! Miss, are you okay?" I heard feminine a voice from above me.

It was then that I realized that I was lying face down on a snowy field.

And I was naked if the melting snow running down from below my body, robbing it of heat, was any indication.

Wait what did that damn woman mean by 'miss'.

I am a guy. My name is …

My name is…

I am…

I…

Who…?

Who am I…?

"Hey! Are you okay?" The voice sounded much nearer yet not as clear as before.

"Wh…" I tried to ask but no voice came up. I was too tired to speak, too confused to form any words.

I'm just so damn tired.

Maybe a little sleep… yes, sleep sounds nice.

"Hey wa…up! Don …eep on m…."

My mind couldn't comprehend anything anymore. But I knew there was something important I should remember.

Maybe after a little nap?

"Hel… mebody….lp!"

Yeah. Sleep sounds nice.

Sleep… sounds… nice.

AN

Hello, guys, I'm back after grueling 6 months of exam study. And let me tell you life is hard for a repeat student.

Anyway, I plan to update this fic and publish or to be correct re-publish the other fic that some might have noticed the disappearance of within a short amount of time but do forgive me for not making it a priority. after a day of classes and a night of part-time jobs, I am very busy cranky and not in the mood for writing much.

Not into anything interesting yet. A little series of flashbacks to define the bond between Issei and others.

I have a question does small chapters like this seem okay to you or should I write for upto about 10K before posting? (It will obviously take more time)

Please do review and make sure to offer me suggestions or point out my mistakes I plan to correct and re-upload this chapter if it is not up to the standards.