And here we are with Part 2 of this double update special, the Issei chapter!

While the events are different, the story for his half is the same as Vali's, but still just as important because it will reveal a few things that will come up once the familiar time skip comes into play. I can also say this will be the last chapter that occurs in their Pre-High School years, so you won't have to wait much longer for the true action of LOHD to finally kick off again.

Now, for two things I'd like to mention before we begin?

Back in the first Chapter, I said that the entirety of LOHD's un-revised and revised versions would be fully uploaded to AO3 upon the next update, so if you are one of the many veteran readers who've been anxiously waiting to see their return? Wait no more, because they're finally back! For anyone that hasn't seen the original? It may spoil a little, but the changes I've made for this reboot should be enough to avoid this, as I hope the adaption for V1 will prove.

For the second thing? That's fairly minor, since it's just that me and kingpariah decided on a theme song for the story. Our choice was "RISE" from Rising of the Shield Hero, due to the duality theme it gives off.

So, with all of that said? Let's get this chapter started!

[Chapter 3 - Memory of the Sun]

It had only been only a few minutes since the people of Kuoh heard Issei's cries of anguish, and yet, no one managed to realize it was him who let out that saddening scream. They didn't seen see him walking out of the forest out of sheer luck on his end.

He walked home in a way almost reminiscent to someone stumbling and limping at the same time, and when he finally made it? Only one person noticed him open the door.

"Hmm?" They blinked, turning their head.

The person in question was soon revealed to be a boy who looked exactly like Issei would if he were currently 15-years old. The biggest difference that made it clear he and Issei weren't one in the same was his eyes were the same brown chocolate as his hair, rather than the latter's golden-brown ones that better fit his sun necklace.

Said lookalike was Hideki Hyoudou, his older brother and the official owner of his hairstyle.

"Oh, there you are Issei. I noticed you ran outside pretty quickly." He said, looking relieved.

"Yeah..." Issei replied, looking away slightly.

This caught the attention of his older brother.

"You alright? If something's wrong, then I don't mind lending an ear to-" He inquired.

"I need some alone time..." Issei interrupted.

His older brother froze, simply watching Issei pass him and head upstairs, completely speechless from how sudden and out of character his reply was. Despite all that, none of that had been what actually caught his attention.

It was the look in Issei's eyes... eyes that had suddenly become dull, as if something had stolen the luster they once had.

"Issei..." Hideki said under his breath.

His mind immediately went into overdrive as he began tapping his foot against the ground. While part of him wanted to respect his brother's wish to be alone? At the same time, something in his gut told him that this wasn't a good idea, and that he needed to do something before Issei got worse.

"Oh, maybe I should get mom and dad-" He realized, getting to his feet.

Just as Hideki was about to run off, he nearly tripped as he suddenly stopped and caught himself, his smile going flat as he remembered something that made him stop where he was. This was followed by some sweat before shaking his head.

"No, wait... getting mom and dad might be a bad idea..." He realized, remembering a past experience.

He sat on the couch again, rubbing his temple as he strained his brain for another idea, to no avail.

"Ugh!" He screamed.

Falling onto the couch cushions from the mental strain, Hideki laid there for a few seconds before opening his eyes and shooting back up.

"Wait, my best ideas always happen when I'm jamming!" Hideki exclaimed.

With those words, he ran out of the living room, then quickly came back with an expensive guitar in hand. Once he plugged it in and got into position, his right arm began to move like lightning as he used it to start jamming an awesome rock medley.

Hideki continued playing that medley for another minute before someone unplugged the guitar, causing him to pause in confusion.

"Seriously, did you not check how high the volume was before you began?" A feminine voice asked.

Turning around, Hideki saw the sight of a teenage girl of 14 years standing near the outlet he plugged his guitar into. She had long, flowing black hair that reached to the middle of her back that was partially tied into a single side ponytail on her left, with blue eyes that looked to be a mix of sky blue and ocean blue. Her figure was also very similar to Vali's, having slightly smaller assets in exchange for being taller.

Once his eyes saw her, Hideki let out a gasp as a metaphorical light bulb lit above his head, causing him to put his guitar on the couch cushion before he jumped at her. This surprised the new girl.

"Ai, you're the one who can help Issei!" He realized.

"Uh... I'm sorry, but what now?" She quickly asked.

The girl before him was Ai Hyoudou, his younger sister and Issei's older sister, who was also the wisest among the three siblings.

"Oh, right..." Hideki said, realizing she needed some context.

He took a moment to put his guitar back in his room, then took a deep breath as he looked at Ai.

"Earlier, I saw Issei walk into the house, and... something was wrong with him." He explained.

That surprised Ai a little.

"What seemed wrong?" She asked, now feeling concerned for her younger brother.

"He went outside for a moment, then he came back in looking all... well, I'm not sure what the word for it is, but it looked like he had all the life sucked out of him." Hideki revealed, showing a worried look.

Ai then gave a look of concern, seeing the same red flag that Hideki did, who scratched his head before continuing.

"I had a feeling that it wouldn't be a good idea to leave him alone, so at first, I thought about getting mom and dad-"

"Hideki, did you forget what happened last time you started with that?" Ai warned.

Hideki immediately froze, feeling Ai's gaze burn into him as he let out a forced laugh. Between the two of them, Ai was the more responsible sibling, with many past instances being evidence of her better judgment. The last time in question being one such instance where he had been wrong.

"No, I did remember, and decided against it!" He reassured her.

"Ah, so that means the reason you were playing the guitar was..." Ai realized, knowing how her brother thought of his better ideas.

"Was to think of something else, which I now know is you." Hideki confirmed.

Now that she was aware of everything, Ai moved a hand to her chin to think of how she could help Issei.

"We should at least give him time. I'll wait until Dinner's ready, and use that as an excuse to hopefully talk to him if he'll let me. Think you can try to keep mom and dad from learning about what's going on in the meantime?" She decided.

"If there's one thing I can do as well as play the guitar? It's keeping everyone's attention on me." Hideki replied, giving two thumbs up.

Ai smiled after hearing that.

The scene opens to somewhere not on Earth, evident by the presence of not a blue, but a greenish-colored sky. It was a place that was mostly land, with the only bodies of water in sight being large lakes scattered across long distances from one another.

Zooming onto a mansion among an of area comprised cities that looked like a series of red hexagons from above, a man was seen talking through a magic circle.

Said man looked like an older version of Rias if she had been born a boy and had shorter hair. As for his attire, it was something like a European noble's suit that was mostly white, having a black vest-like extension and gold stripes around the shoulders.

"I see, so... Cleria Belial and Masaomi Yaegaki have been executed for overstepping the boundaries we allowed for their relationship." He said sadly, closing his eyes.

After hearing who he was speaking to continue, he nodded his head.

"Yes, I understand. A member of my peerage will take the temporary role as Head of Kuoh until an official replacement is chosen. Now, if you'll excuse me? I have some work to catch up on, and I can't keep it waiting any longer." He answered.

Disconnecting the call, he let out an exhausted sigh before he slumped into his chair, feeling the headache he had been holding back finally smash through his mental barrier and hammer him with pain and stress.

"Something about this feels wrong, and yet... I can't do anything else. Why are things in the 21st century so complicated?" He questioned, closing his eyes as he did.

Luckily, at that moment, his stress was countered by a pair of hands massaging his shoulders.

This made him open his eyes to see the owner of these magical fingers was a young woman with a voluptuous figure, one with red eyes similar to the crimson that was his and Rias' hair color, long silver hair that flowed all the way to her back, featuring a long braid on each side with small pink bows tied at the ends, while the rest was tied in a ponytail that used another braid to hold it.

She wore a black shirt with golden-caramel accents at the edges of the shirt and spread horizontally near the bottom, with two light golden trims going down the shirt, and the shirt splitting slightly above her stomach to expose her midriff, and blue jeans with a white outline at the top. Topping it all off was a was a long, cyan scarf made from light material that reached to her hips, which wrapped around her neck and shoulders. However, there was one other addition that stood out the most.

It was the ring on her finger, one this man also possessed.

"From what I heard you say, it sounds like not only is work getting tougher, but something about what you were told doesn't feel right to you." His wife mentioned.

"Right on both ends. Aside from the growing situations, I can't shake this feeling that something about Cleria and Masaomi's deaths doesn't add up." He confirmed.

"Then perhaps what you've been told isn't the truth." She realized.

Taking a moment to sit up, he snapped his fingers, causing a magic circle to appear and let what looked like a Samurai appear from it.

"Lord Sirzechs and Lady Grayfia, what do request of me?" He asked.

"I have a suspicion about recent events that have been occurring in Kuoh Town, and would like you to find me answers from the shadows. Don't let anyone see you or trust anyone that can't give you a reason to." The man now known as Sirzechs requested.

"Specifically, try to get information on what happened to Cleria Belial and Masaomi Yaegaki if you can." Grayfia added.

"At once." The Samurai replied.

He vanished in another magic circle, right as Sirzechs created another three, immediately getting into contact with his most trusted friends.

Ones he hoped that, together, might be able to help them get more answers about everything.

It took an hour before Dinner was ready for the Hyoudou Family, though a saddened Issei didn't pay attention to that as laid on his stomach across his bed, with his head lying on its side.

"Vali..." He quietly sniffled, causing a few tears to run down his face.

Around this time, Ai finally walked up to his doorway, knocking on his door three times. Issei's eyes just barely moved to look in the direction of the door, right as his older sister chose to speak.

"Issei, come on down. It's time for Dinner." Ai stated, trying to see if he would willingly come out on his own.

"Go away, I'm not hungry..." Issei replied, looking away from the door.

Hearing those words leave Issei's mouth caused Ai to let out an expected sigh.

"Hideki told me about how you went outside for some reason and them came back inside without your usual spark, so I know why you're telling me that." She answered back.

Issei stopped crying for a moment.

"Please, let me come inside and talk with you. Shutting us all out won't help you at all. If you do, then I'll make a cover story to keep mom and dad from bothering you about this." She begged.

Following those words, Ai waited for some kind of answer, and a minute later...

"Just pick the lock and come inside..." Issei replied.

Letting out a sigh of relief, Ai reached for said lock pick and opened the door, soon walking in to see Issei lying on the bed with tear stains.

'Oh no, crying... I'm already hating the direction this is pointing to.' She thought, rubbing her arm in response.

Ai sat herself on the bed and rubbed Issei's back, who didn't react or look at her in response, and then she began.

"So, do you feel like sharing what's wrong? If not, then can you at least tell me what you feel like right now? I want to respect your feelings, but at the same time..." She inquired.

Issei just sniffled a bit, which was the closest thing Ai could take as an answer.

"Based on those tears, something made you really sad, didn't it..." Ai realized.

He said nothing in response.

"Hey, come here." Ai replied.

Realizing she was trying to give him a hug, Issei resisted, knowing he couldn't let Ai see the necklace he was wearing. The moment he began resisting, Ai realized something was wrong and simply strengthened her pull.

"Issei, stop this! You have no right to be a brat and not let me give you a hug!" Ai shouted.

"No, let me go! I can't let you!" He screamed, still resisting.

This continued for another minute or two as Issei tried all he could to avoid letting his sister succeed in pulling him up, but in the end, being three years older and in a better position let her win the struggle... which is when she saw the necklace.

"Hold up, isn't that one of the necklaces you made for your friendship with Vali? But I thought you weren't supposed to give that to her... until..." She asked.

Her eyes widened as she answered her own question, covering her mouth and gasping as she managed to realize why Issei had been crying, which he only verified when he moved his head away.

"Issei... is-" She asked.

"Fine, Vali just told me she's moving away! You happy now!?" Issei admitted, screaming his lungs out.

After he did, Ai watched him cover his eyes with his hands as his quiet cries evolved into loud sobbing.

"Oh, Issei, that's... I'm so sorry." Ai replied, hugging him close.

Issei just continued to cry, not resisting his sister's hug now that she knew the truth, which allowed her to start rubbing his back in a vain attempt to comfort him.

"This isn't fair! She says her father's job is the reason, and despite all they did to stay, there was nothing they could do to stop it!" He questioned, shaking slightly.

"Fair or not doesn't matter when it comes to a job, and where that job is." Ai answered.

She shushed him a bit as he began to cry latter, eventually getting his cries to devolve into average volume sniffling, then began patting his back a few times as he began to relax.

Issei said nothing as he wiped his eyes.

"We made a pinkie promise that we'd see each other one day, and... and yet... part of me is still scared that we'll never see each other again!" He admitted.

Ai continued to pat his back as he said this, taking a deep breath before answering him.

"Believe me Issei, if there's anyone who knows how this feels like the worst thing in the world, and/or that means goodbye forever... it's me." Ai reassured him.

"Really?" Issei asked as he sniffled again.

"Yeah, not in the same way, but the pain from it was definitely the same. I was dating someone two years ago and we seemed like the perfect couple, but... we had different interests and goals we wanted to follow. Over time, it became clear to us that our relationship wasn't going to work out... so, we broke up." She answered, explaining how she knew.

This story, which confused Issei, made him blink.

"Hold on... how does this story help me?" He asked.

"It helps you, as I'm about to tell you now, because before we decided to break up? My ex told me that just because we'd be breaking up, doesn't mean we would stay broken up forever. There could be a day when our lives change enough that we might be able to have the relationship we couldn't at the time. If I have a second chance, even if it's a small one, to date him again? You and Vali can meet each other again. In fact, with how you said her parents tried to stop it, it's just as likely they're working hard to find a way back." Ai answered, rubbing his head.

While he was still sad? After hearing that, Issei felt a little better.

"You really think I'll see her again?" He asked, sounding hopeful.

"Can't say for sure, but it isn't impossible." She responded, doing her best to give him a hopeful answer without putting his hopes too high.

He took a deep breath in response.

"I... I guess that's as good of an answer as I can get." Issei replied.

"So, do you feel like you can come down for Dinner?" Ai inquired.

Signing a bit, Issei shook his head.

"No, I... I don't feel like I can do it, and I don't feel like telling Hideki or our parents yet. Promise to keep this a secret until I feel ready to tell them?" He begged.

"Of course. Also, since you recently started going through puberty, I'll just tell them you're feeling a little moody right now." Ai promised, thinking of his cover story.

Issei raised an eye at that.

"It doesn't happen for everyone, but that is an actual symptom of puberty for either gender. Just trust me on it." She replied, holding her hands up.

He stared at her for a minute before shrugging his arms.

"OK then, I'll go bring your food up and tell them your cover story now." Ai stated.

As she went downstairs, Issei fell on his back and stared at the ceiling as he sighed.

While he felt better? Ai's words didn't restore his smile.

On the night before the day where everything would change, Shuri Himejima was seen walking out of Vali's house with Akeno, with both of their faces covered in a few ash marks on their cheeks from the cleaning they had finished.

At least... that's what Shuri had told Akeno it was, since Cleria's story made her pretty certain that it was something else.

"Mama, are we finally done?" Akeno asked, wiping some of it off.

"With the work we finished today, we are indeed done. Now all mama has to do is keep an eye out for someone who wants to buy this-" Shuri answered, taking out her phone as she officially labeled the house for sale on the market.

Right as she said that, her cellphone began to ring, seeing it was a number tied to the website she posted the house on.

"Hold that thought for a moment." She requested.

She then answered the call, all while Akeno watched.

"Hello?" Shuri answered.

"Hi there, I'd like to call about the house that's for sale at..." A male voice answered.

Shuri nodded at that.

"So, would you like to schedule an open house, or-" Shuri inquired.

"Oh no, me and my family just transferred from England, so I'd just like to know if you're willing to negotiate about the price and if it's good for a family of three. One of said three being a child in their pre-teen years." The man answered.

"I might be willing to lower the price a little if you need me to, and the last people who lived here had a single daughter around that age, so this house should be a perfect fit for you." Shuri replied.

They continued talking for a bit, leaving Akeno to watch in confusion, having no idea how what her mom was doing worked.

"Alright, then it's a deal. When can I expect you to move in?" Shuri asked.

"Tomorrow actually. My family's been renting a room in a nearby inn, and I saw this result pop up just a moment ago, noticing it was close to where we're staying." The man answered.

"Alright then, and welcome to our neighborhood in advance." Shuri smiled.

She closed her phone as the call ended, with Akeno tilting her head slightly.

"Mama, what were you saying?" She asked.

"I was just talking with someone who wants to buy the house, and just officially bought it, so we're going to have three new neighbors by tomorrow." Shuri answered.

"Three? Does that mean it's a family with a kid?" Akeno asked, suddenly excited.

"There's a kid alright." Shuri confirmed, smiling.

The two of them laughed as they walked back home.

Painful.

That was what everyone who had been watching Issei for the last few days was thinking about the way he had suddenly started acting.

Everyone would find out the truth today, though it wouldn't be for a while.

"Something is clearly off, don't you think?" Matsuda inquired.

The camera soon zoomed towards the classroom of the Elementary School he attended, where it was currently the lunch period.

Four of the students were currently eating together, which were all bento boxes. Said four were none other than Matsuda, Motohama, Katase, and Murayama, who he and Vali had befriended during their time at Summer Camp.

"He definitely seems to be lacking that spark he usually has, that much I can agree on." Motohama answered.

"Normally, Mury and I would ask Vali about this, but we haven't been able to talk to her as much since she moved up to Middle School." Katase replied.

Murayama sighed after hearing that.

"Why did she have to be a year older than us and leave this mess in our hands?" She questioned, having no idea how much worse the situation really was.

As they were talking, a female student ended up walking behind them.

"Ooh, what's this I see? Did you somehow manage to get these two to have a perverted conversation with you?" She asked.

Katase and Murayama blushed at those words, while Matsuda and Motohama both glared at the voice's owner.

It was a girl with brunette hair that was slightly messy and tied into a pair of braided twin tails that framed the side of her face, and hazel eyes that required the aid of glasses with a pink frame for her to see.

"Step off Kiryuu!" Matsuda shouted.

"Ooh, did I strike a nerve there? Then I must be right." Kiryuu teased, her right hand covering the small smile her mouth was making.

"Shut up! This is a serious topic we're discussing, so don't treat it like a joke unless you actually like insulting people behind their backs!" Motohama angrily shouted.

Kiryuu's smile faded after hearing that.

"Alright, alright. I'll stop." She promised.

Everyone let out a sigh of relief, with Kiryuu pulling a chair over as she invaded the conversation.

"So, what's up?" Kiryuu asked.

"Issei." Everyone answered.

"Ah, now I see why Motohama yelled at me like that." She realized, just as aware of how differently he had been acting.

The quartet nodded their heads.

"By any chance, have you noticed anything that might explain how he's acting?" Motohama asked, crossing his fingers.

"You're asking me? I only know about him through all of you, so only his lack of a smile in the last few days has been noteworthy to me, and that's not exactly something I can claim is a red flag specific to him." Kiryuu said with a shrug.

That caused them to sigh, feeling like they had gone back to Square One.

"Oh, here's an idea! Did any of you consider asking Issei himself?" Kiryuu suggested, looking at all of them with half-lidded eyes.

The sound of a pin dropping could be heard as their eyes went wide, causing Kiryuu to nod her head as their reactions said it all.

"Knew it." She replied.

"Yeah, I guess we focused too much on trying to get answers without bothering him, but..." Matsuda realized, chuckling in embarrassment.

"I guess it never occurred to us that we could just ask." Katase admitted.

"Although, it's probably best that we don't all ask him together, so we need to decide who should be the one to do so." Murayama suggested.

"Thank you for offering then." Katase smiled, patting her back.

Murayama's widened as she realized how she walked into that.

"Oh, alright. I'll be the one that talks to him..." She sighed, giving in without a fight.

Kiryuu turned her head and gave a silent snicker while no one could see her face.

"If you're wondering where Issei is right now? I recall seeing him going outside to each Lunch, so finding him shouldn't be too hard." She mentioned.

Murayama sighed in response.

"Alright, then let's all hope this goes well." She said.

"Wait, did you just say we?" Katase questioned.

"Besides giving me moral support, actually seeing his answer would probably make him feel better after he tells me, don't you think?" Murayama replied.

Katase and the others, except for Kiryuu who just shrugged again, took a moment to think about that.

"Good point." Matsuda agreed.

All of them stood up, taking their lunches with them as they headed to where Issei was having his own.

The sound of a moving truck coming to a stop was heard as it drove near what used to be Vali's house.

Once it was parked, the sight of three people could be seen, revealing themselves to be the family of the man who bought it from Shuri the night before. The parents then began helping the workers take all of the boxes out of the truck.

"Wow, so this is really our new home?" Their child asked.

Said child was revealed to be a 11-year old girl with light brown with an orange tint she had tied into a pair of long twin tails by a pair of blue scrunches, which contrasted beautifully with her violet eyes.

While not as gifted as Vali's, she too had quite the figure for her age, something that was made clear by how she kept bouncing on her feet.

"Irina, think you can stop bouncing over our new home long enough to help us get everything to set up and decorate it?" Her father jokingly asked, lifting up a box and walking towards the door.

Her father was shown to be a young man who she got her eyes and hair color from, and had a similar radiance.

"Dear, I thought she was supposed to be starting her first day of class?" His wife asked, speaking in a joking/teasing tone.

Said wife had long black hair (which was untied and flowing freely across her back) and green eyes, with an appearance that was an exact replica of her daughter's, showing who Irina got her good looks from.

Hearing that made Irina's eyes widen as she looked at her parents with a big smile on her face.

"I can start today? Really!?" Irina asked.

"You can, though I'm pretty sure that this is when the lunch period is happening, so I'd just grab a quick snack." Her mother answered.

As she said this, Irina's father reaches into his pocket and handed his daughter her school registration papers.

"Just make sure you give this to them at the front desk, since I've already taken care of everything, and I'm sure that things should be similar enough to your old school." Her father stated.

"Alright then, I'll see both of you after school." Irina stated.

Without a second to waste? Irina ran towards her new school at top speed, ready to start her first day as a student in Japan.

Issei sat by himself as he ate his lunch on a ledge outside, his face barely any different since his last talk with Ai.

People who weren't familiar with him didn't think much of it beyond how he wasn't smiling, but those who were saw how it lacked its usual luster that had Vali always been comparing to the sun.

"Hey there, Issei."

Looking up for a moment, he turned around to see Murayama standing next to him.

"Oh, hey there Murayama..." He replied, almost sounding emotionless.

"I was wondering if you and I could eat lunch together." She offered, lifting her bento box.

Issei didn't respond at first. This made the others, who were watching nearby from behind a large tree, feel a little nervous.

"Will the fire ignite, or extinguish before it even starts-" Kiryuu wondered aloud.

Katase slapped her hand over Kiryuu's mouth before giving her a silent shushing motion. The perverted girl nodded her head before Katase pulled it off.

"Sure, go ahead." He allowed, thinking she already knew the truth.

Murayama let out a sigh of relief and sat by him, with the others doing the same as she re-opened her bento box.

'Glad that worked.' She thought.

'Guess she must be here to try talking about how sudden it was for Vali to just say goodbye to her and Katase.' He thought.

After all, while he may have been Vali's best friend? She and Katase were also important friends of hers for whenever she needed to do something with other girls, like how he hung out with Motohama and Matsuda whenever he needed to do something with other guys.

There's no way she didn't tell them, at least... that's what Issei had been thinking since they said their own goodbyes.

"Any reason you wanted to eat with me?" Issei inquired, glancing at her.

"I just wanted to talk, that's all. Although, what I'd like to talk with you about is... well, you might not want to, but-" Murayama replied.

"Murayama?" Issei said, a confused look on his face.

"Ever since last week, you haven't been yourself! What happened to make you act this way!?" She begged, grabbing Issei's shoulders.

The others all face palmed from a distance, since the way she asked him may have just cost them answers, while Kiryuu struggled not to laugh at how blunt she had been. However, the moment he heard those words?

Issei's face widened as he dropped his chopsticks, which is when Kiryuu's laughter died.

"Uh, guys? Is it just me, or does Issei look... surprised at that question?" She mentioned.

Katase and the guys looked closer, seeing his reaction.

"Yeah, but that doesn't make any sense. Shouldn't he be panicking or scared?" Matsuda remarked.

"I agree, there's no way he should be surprised." Motohama nodded.

However, that's when his glasses slid down a bit to show his eyes widening as a certain though came into his head.

"That is... unless-" He realized.

However, he didn't have time to finish speaking, as that was when Issei chose to answer Murayama's question.

"You mean... she didn't tell you, or Katase?" He asked, staring in disbelief.

Murayama looked confused, as did Katase, who felt a lump in her throat. Motohama felt sweat drip down his face as he realized how close his guess would be to reality.

The question now is what did Issei believe the girls should already know?

"Know what? Issei, what are you trying to say?" Murayama asked with a fearful tone.

At that moment, Issei lowered his head...

*"DRIP!"*

Right as Murayama saw tears fall onto the ground, causing her to notice Issei was crying before he lifted his head up.

Despite how reluctant he was to tell Ai about what happened? Murayama was one of Vali's friends, so she deserved to know, regardless of why she didn't tell her.

"By any chance is Katase nearby? I... don't want to have to say this more than once if I can." He said, feeling his voice crack.

Murayama slowly turned her head, looking at the others.

"Come on out." She sighed.

Issei soon saw Katase walk out, with Matsuda, Motohama, and Kiryuu all following her.

"The idea was... if you talked, we might be able to help comfort you better with a larger presence of friends." Murayama explained.

"Oh, so I'm finally considered one of your friends?" Kiryuu smirked.

"Don't push it." Katase replied.

She shrugged with a big smile.

"Alright then, h-here's the big news, so... be ready to..." Issei began.

Right at that moment, he began crying loud enough that everyone heard it and looked their way.

"Emotional cry! Not a we hurt him cry!" Murayama announced, waving her hands.

"She... she's gone..." Issei cried, putting his hands over his eyes.

This made his friends look at him in confusion.

"Look here." He sniffles, reaching under his shirt collar for a certain something underneath it.

The sight of his necklace came into view, causing all of them, sans Kiryuu, to feel their eyes widen as they recognized one of the necklaces they helped give Issei the idea to make.

"Wait, if you're wearing that before Christmas, and saying that she's gone, then..." Katase realized.

"I am... Vali and her family moved out of Kuoh Town last week!" He confirmed, which caused him to break down in tears again.

Katase just stared as her bento box fell out of her hands, right as Kiryuu's eyes widened.

"Oh, my god... you were the mystery screamer from last week!" She realized.

Motohama lightly slapped the back of his hand on her shoulder, making her clear her throat.

"She moved away... and didn't tell us!" Murayama screamed, putting her hands on her head.

Issei sniffled and hiccupped a little.

"I thought she told you like all of me, but... she did seem like she was in a hurry. Maybe she only found out right before she told me, and I was the only one she could give a proper goodbye." He mentioned.

Hearing that, she and Katase nodded their heads.

"Yeah, that makes sense." Katase agreed.

"Still wish I had gotten to say goodbye, though no wonder you've lost your usual-" Murayama added.

"No sun comparisons right now, please..." Issei begged, wiping his tears with his arm.

Matsuda sat to the left of him.

"Sorry we didn't talk to you sooner, if would have probably helped if we had." He apologized, putting an arm over Issei's shoulder.

"Yeah, especially since I'm predicting a certain reaction to happen in 3... 2... 1..." Motohama agreed, looking towards the kendo duo.

The two hugged each other as Vali's absence from Kuoh Town finally hit them.

"Wow, that was impressive." Kiryuu praises, mildly impressed.

"Huh, never thought I'd hear the day you gave me a compliment." Motohama remarked.

After a bit, Issei felt himself use up all of his tears.

"Think you'll be alright?" He asked.

"No idea. My sister said that there's always a chance I'll see her again, but... there's no way to be sure of that." Issei replied.

He soon got up, taking his bento box with him.

"I need to be alone..." He stated.

Matsuda, Motohama, and Kiryuu all saw him walk off and then looked at each other as the kendo duo kept crying in the background.

"Will he be OK? This sounds really bed." Matsuda asked.

"My mom is a therapist, and I'm fairly sure that this is a coping mechanism to deal with the loss. He's not going to feel better until something fills in the void of Vali leaving." Kiryuu replied.

The boys' eyes widened.

"Exactly, that's a big void to fill. The only other option is the long way of... waiting until the pain goes away." She continued.

She and Motohama sat down with Matsuda, letting out a sigh.

At the school's main office, a staff member gave a big, yet silent yawn... right as Irina opened the door and ran inside.

The staff member jumped up as any drowsiness they had disappeared, right as they saw Irina's panting form.

"Wow, never seen such a healthy-looking student be so late for class. You have a late note from the health police? Maybe the non-sickness society?" They joked in cynical tone.

Hearing that, Irina let out a laugh. That made the staff member stare at them with a weirded-out expression.

"Good joke there! But no, I'm a new student. My family and I just arrived at the house we bought. Just because it's late, doesn't meant I'm gonna skip my first day here." Irina clarified.

The staff keeper's eyes widened before they took a deep breath.

"Oh, my god... that kind of student has finally became a living nightmare." They whispered under their breath.

Irina tilted her head as they took her paper, reading it over as they pressed a button.

"Hey, we got that new student who signed up a few days ago. Mind getting someone here who can lead them to her teacher's room? Preferably now?" They asked.

As they said this, they saw the girl praying as she held her cross in her hands.

"Dear lord, please make my first day of school be a great one." Irina prayed.

"He hasn't given me a better job..." They muttered.

Irina turned as she heard that, forcing them to give a big grin so she wouldn't suspect anything.

The lunch period soon came to an end. However, the one difference in the classroom was everyone now knew the reason behind why Issei was acting like he was.

As their teacher walked into the room, she cleared her throat.

"Everyone, before we resume class? I have some surprising and exciting news to share, which is..." She greeted.

She hit her desk to mimic a drumroll.

"We have a new student!" She revealed.

That caught everyone's attention, with even Issei showing some interest.

"And here she is!" She continued.

Motioning to the door, Issei and his classmates all saw Irina walk into view. Once she got to the board, she wrote down her name in both kanji and British English.

"Hello everyone, my name is Irina Shidou, it's a pleasure!" She greeted with a smile.

A lot of the boys felt their cheeks go red at that, with Issei simply staring at the English spelling and noticing he could somehow understand it.

'Weird, how is it that I can read that?' He wondered.

"So, does anyone have questions for miss Shidou?" Their teacher asked.

Everyone began to raise their hands.

"Uh, Miss? I'm from England, so would it be too much trouble for you call me by my first name?" Irina requested.

Katase lowered her hand, as Irina had just answered her question.

"Oh! My apologies. I'm not exactly used to it, and might take a while before it sinks in, but I can definitely give it a try." The teacher apologized, rubbing the back of her head.

"Thank you." Irina smiled.

She then looked at the class, pointing towards Matsuda.

"What made you transfer here?" He asked.

"My dad worked at the Vatican, but offered to work in a less staffed church, so we moved to Japan because that's where he met my mom." She answered.

Irina then pointed at Murayama.

"Is your last name English or Japanese?" She asked.

"My dad took my mom's surname, so it's actually Japanese, but you could mistake it as an English one due to how British English works." Irina answered.

That left some of the students confused.

"America drops the U in words that use OU, and replaces the SE of other words with ZE with their form of spelling." She explained.

Everyone nodded their head in understanding.

Just as Irina was about to answer another question.

"That will be all the questions for now. To those who still have any, feel free to ask them after class is finished." The teacher intervened.

Most of the students groaned in disappointment.

"Irina, you can have the empty seat next to Issei." She said, pointing to him.

Irina shifted her focus to locate him, showing some surprise as she saw his face.

'Hmm?' She blinked.

Whatever her thoughts were, she quickly pushed them away as she sat herself at the desk next to Issei's, then offered him her hand.

"Hi!" Irina smiled.

Issei said nothing and then looked at their teacher, making Irina blink in response.

She did the same before giving him another glance.

Back at the Himejima Shrine, the sight of Shuri could be seen as she looked over a torii gate within the shrine, rather than its entrance.

"Looks like the gate is functioning like it usually does." She stated.

As she turned to look over another part of her shrine, the space within the torii gate suddenly glowed, making her eyes widen as she saw someone walk through it without any warning. It didn't take long before whoever was using it walk through, and Shuri's eyes widened as she recognized the Samurai who served Sirzechs.

He was a man who looked to be in his late twenties that wore a traditional Shisengumi uniform, which consisted of a light blue haori that had sleeves trimmed (with light mountain stripes as its owner called them) and hakama over a kimono, with a white cord called a tasuki crossed over the chest and tied in the back.

"That appearance, you're..." Shuri stuttered, pointing at him.

He looked at the Shrine Maiden and gave a slight bow in response.

"A pleasure to meet you madam. I hope you can disregard my unauthorized visit, but my master asked me to arrive here discreetly for a certain mission." The famed samurai apologized.

Shuri felt her eyes widen slightly at those words, and right as the Samurai was about to disappear and begin his mission...

"I think I may know what you're talking about... if you're willing to hear me out." She offered.

The Samurai turned his head towards her, raising an eye at that.

"Well, at least I assume that two certain deaths might be related to it." Shuri mentioned.

Hearing that, the Samurai fully turned around, realizing he found someone who had information and wouldn't lie to him. It was pure luck on his end, but even he knew that Shuri was someone he could trust.

"Alright, I'm listening." He responded.

"How about we come inside and talk? It would be rude for me to not offer a guest some tea." Shuri suggested.

The Samurai nodded his head, catching the double meaning of her words as they went inside for tea and talking.

Hours passed until the school day finally ended, with the scene opening to everyone in Issei's class asking Irina the questions their teacher cut off to start her next lesson.

"Does England really have a bunch of tea?" A male student asked.

"Somewhat, though everyone liking it is a stereotype." Irina answered.

"How about the way you speak? Did you practice before moving, or is it because of your heritage?" A female student asked.

Irina let out an awkward laugh in response.

"Uh... not sure how to answer that one." She admitted.

As this continued, Issei just stared at their interactions.

"Say, where do you live?" The same boy asked.

"If I remember my new address right, I live at..." Irina answered, revealing the area.

Her answer caused a few people to show surprise, with Issei feeling his eyes widen.

"Did she just say..." Matsuda realized.

"She totally did." Katase confirmed.

With those words, Issei got out of his seat and silently began walking home, leaving Irina confused.

"Is he OK?" Irina asked.

No one tried to answer, though Kiryuu felt an idea hit her and walked up to her.

"Yeah, he's just a little nervous to hear you're the new neighbor he's been expecting. Maybe you should walk home with him and break the ice?" She suggested.

Everyone let out silent gasps as Irina nodded her head in understanding.

"Ah, that makes sense. I'll go do that right now." She decided as she smiled.

She began running after him, with everyone turning to look at Kiryuu as if she was crazy, though Murayama took it a step further and grabbed her by the shoulders.

"What were you thinking!?" Murayama questioned.

"That maybe she might push hard enough that it will bring Issei out of his funk. As much as waiting might help, this could last for so long that it's just as bad to do nothing." Kiryuu answered.

"And what if this backfires?" Motohama inquired.

"If that happens, then you can blame me, since I suggested the idea in the first place." She replied.

Murayama let her go, sitting down as she tried to take a deep breath to calm her nerves.

This was around the same time that Irina caught up to Issei, seeing him from a distance before she began a sprint and waved towards him.

"Hey, hey Issei!" Irina shouted.

Hearing her voice, he turned around to see her, and immediately began running.

"Wait, I'm almost there!" She called.

"Leave me alone!" Issei screamed.

Before anyone knew it, they were playing a town-sized game of chase, with the screams of Issei helping many to realize who last week's mysterious screamer was.

Though for right now? The sight of this chase was what everyone was focusing on.

Meanwhile, in Shuri and Akeno's home, the Samurai was seen sitting at the table with them as Shuri poured him some tea. Once she took her seat to his left, Akeno looked at her mother.

"Mama, who is this?" Akeno asked, not recognize the famous Samurai.

"Forgive my rudeness young one. My name is Souji Okita, and I'm what's known as a Samurai." He answered, revealing his identity.

Akeno didn't know about this legendary man and just tilted her head in response.

"My apologies. She's still a bit too young to know about that part of Japanese history, so I don't think she'll recognize you." Shuri explained.

Souji nodded as Akeno just blinked in confusion.

"So, you claim that you have actual information on what really happened to Masaomi and Cleria?" Souji asked.

"More than that. I can confirm that Masaomi was indeed killed, but... not by execution. At least, I'm sure that's not what you call it when someone dies to save someone else from an assassin who had already killed their parents." Shuri revealed.

Hearing that made Souji's eyes widen, shocked at what he heard.

"As for Cleria... she's still alive right now as far as I'm aware, but she and her peerage had to flee with the daughter Masaomi gave his life to let her rescue. I can't say much more than that because of things Cleria couldn't tell me and what's occurred since they went there. All I know is that there are people who want both the girl she's protecting, and herself, to be completely erased from this world." She continued.

Hearing all of this, Souji managed to piece some things together... and he didn't like the things he had connected.

'Now it all makes sense. At least, it will if what she said implies what I think it does.' Souji thought, sighing a little.

"I hope the information I shared helps you." Shuri stated.

"Oh, it definitely helped me. In fact, this is something I need to share with my master right now, so I must be returning before I risk any sketchy characters learning of what you told me." He replied, getting back to his feet.

He gave them a bow.

"Until we meet again, gatekeeper of Kuoh." He said with gratitude.

Souji left the house as Akeno looked at him with noticeable confusion.

"Mama, what was he talking about?" She asked.

"Something you aren't ready to know about." Shuri answered, looking a little scared.

Luckily, she managed to hide it from her curious daughter.

The chase between Irina and Issei continued on for a while, causing the sky to turn orange as the duo kept running without any signs of getting tired. Both of their families noticed them run by at one point, making both show confusion at the sight.

At a certain point in the chase, Issei managed to catch his breath and take a break as he managed to find himself in Kuoh's forest area.

"Finally, there's no way she'll find me in here without getting lost." He thought aloud, knowing she wouldn't be familiar with its layout.

Feeling the fatigue finally hit him, Issei felt his legs wobble, letting out a tired groan as he used the trees to support himself and walk ahead as a precaution. Due to how tired he was, his body only got as far as finding the spot he and Vali had first met.

Upon arriving at this area? He only then realized nightfall had arrived, and saw a similar starry sky to the one he and Vali met at... he even saw Venus among the stars.

"It almost feels like fate is mocking me right now..." Issei sighed as he sat himself down.

"Ah, there you are!" Irina exclaimed.

Issei's eyes widened as he saw Irina run towards him, holding his hands out in disbelief as the tired church girl finally stopped before him and caught her breath.

"Never thought... that I'd meet someone my age in Japan... who could move like you do." She praised between breaths.

Lowering his head, Issei began to shake as he felt a second emotion join the sadness he had been enduring in the last week.

"Hmm? Hey, are you OK-" She asked.

"LEAVE ME ALONE ALREADY!" He screamed.

Irina nearly fell over from that, surprised by his screams and his face, which he had lifted to show was now full of anger.

[Sword Art Online: In Your Past]

Anger that froze her in place.

"Why are you so insistent on following me?! You don't even know me, and yet you just try to waltz right in without any consent from me or probably anyone else! If that wasn't bad enough... you moved into her house, rubbing it in even more as if you want to replace her!" He continued screaming.

'Her house?' Irina thought.

At that moment, Irina finally noticed his sun necklace, causing her eyes to widen as she started to understand the meaning of his words.

"Well, guess what? You can't! In fact, you won't ever replace her no matter what you do! Now, just leave me alone already!" He demanded.

Irina didn't say anything for about half a minute, and then...

"My home used to belong to someone who was your best friend, didn't it? I understand how you feel-" She replied.

"You don't! There's no way you could understand how it feels to see your best friend go away! Never!" He shouted.

He began to breath heavily as tears flowed from his eyes.

"Actually, I do understand how it feels, because... I had to leave my best friend too." Irina admitted, tears starting to form in her eyes.

Those words caused Issei's anger to fade, making her stare at Irina in surprise.

"My father chose to relocate us, despite his job didn't require him to... and yet, he still did. I was really upset to hear that I'd be leaving my best friend behind. It hurt really bad since we had always lived in England, and I had no say or influence in stopping it." She continued.

Hearing this, Issei slumped on his stump.

"I'm a real jerk, aren't I..." He realized.

Irina walked up to him, sitting on the stump besides him as she pet his head.

"Hey, it's alright. I didn't even know any of that. Although, maybe that girl with the glasses must have saw this coming when she told me to follow you." Irina reassured him.

Hearing that made Issei lift his head up, feeling a flat expression form on his face.

"Damn it, Kiryuu!" He loudly groaned.

After saying that, he began to sniffle as the dam of his emotions broke once more, and he felt himself unable to hold back the words.

"We... we first met in this spot six years ago, both of us could even see Venus in the sky like right now." He revealed, pointing to the orange dot.

Irina looked, but decided not to say she couldn't find it.

However, she did recognize the symbol on his necklace.

"That explains the astrological sun symbol charm you have. Does she have her own?" Irina asked.

Issei sniffled before nodding his head.

"She has an astrological moon symbol... I made both as her Christmas present, but gave it to her early when she moved away last week. Now, I feel like it's an impossible dream to see her again." he answered.

Once she heard that, Irina tapped Issei's shoulder to get his attention. He turned to look at her...

[Insert Song End]

Then screamed as she gave his forehead a strong flick, making him hold the sore spot on his noggin.

"Ow! Why did you-" He questioned.

"It will be if you keep thinking like that!" Irina shouted, suddenly making a stern face as she frowned at him.

Seeing her frown was such a surprise? Issei couldn't say a word.

"When I had to say goodbye to Xenovia, the one thing we promised each other before I left was no matter what it took? We would definitely meet each other again. It doesn't matter how impossible it seems to us that we may never meet again, because to me? The moment we give up is the moment that becomes a reality. No, it's thinking exactly that way that will keep us from reuniting!" Irina shouted with strong passion.

The moment he heard those words, Issei felt his eyes widen as he briefly saw a young Vali through her, reminding him of a time she (and rightfully so) had scolded him over sliding down a hill using a metal tray.

[Fairy Tail: Seigi no Chikara]

Without him even realizing it, the cold feeling that had been forming around his heart began to shake as if it were starting to crack. He then continued listening to Irina, almost as if something was subconsciously making him listen to her words.

"Both of you were separated from one another, and yes, that hurts more than anything. However, that doesn't mean you can't do anything! If you truly fight for it, and try to find a way to reconnect even when your worlds apart from one another, then one day? The two of you will see each other again, because you never gave up on trying to find each other." She continued, smiling as a tear left her eye.

"Promise me that, one day, we'll see each other again?" Issei's voice echoed.

Issei gasped as he remembered what he said last week, and then...

"No matter how far apart we are or where we end up? The two of us will always be friends, because we share the same sky." Issei's voice echoed.

He then held up his sun charm with his right hand, which then gleamed as if to answer him.

"All this time I've just been standing here and doing nothing except cry, just accepting what happened as if it was an absolute result." He realized.

Issei wiped his eyes and showed a determined look.

"No more, it's time that I stop crying!" Issei exclaimed, standing on his feet.

Looking at his expression, Irina showed some surprise before smiling at him.

"There you go." She smiled.

[Insert Song End]

"Thank for it." He replied.

Out of nowhere, he gave her a hug, surprising Irina before she smiled and returned it.

It didn't take long for Issei to lead Irina home, as she did end up getting lost after finding him.

"Thanks for helping me find my way back." She smiled.

"After what you did for me, it was the least that I could do, but before I head home myself..." He replied.

He held out his hand towards Irina as a fist.

"To make sure I never lose myself again? I think someone like you needs to keep reminding me to never stop shining like the sun, so... will you be my friend?" Issei asked.

Hearing that, Irina's eyes widened as she heard that.

"Yeah, I'd love to!" Irina answered, crying happy tears.

"Thank you." Issei replied.

Irina held out her own hand as a fist and bumped it against his, then went inside her house... where a big lecture awaited her. One that Issei knew he'd be getting as well.

'Still, now I feel confident about the future, and...' He thought.

Feeling the wind blow his hair a bit, he looked towards the sky as he finally felt something return to his face.

"That you and I will see each other again like we promised, so wait for me, Vali." Issei said with a big smile.

He soon ran back home.

'Because I'm never giving up!' He thought, lifted his necklace towards the sky.

At he held his necklace up, Vali did the same.

~ December 25th, 2017: Unknown Location

Back in the office area of Sirzechs, he was seen yawning over the apparently slow day, just barely managing to notice Grayfia walking in with some tea.

"Here, this should help wake you up a little." Grayfia stated.

"I don't think we've had a workday this quite since the Season 4 finale of Serafall's show grabbed everyone's attention." Sirzechs replied before sipping it.

As he did, a magic circle appeared, dropping Rias' letter in front of them.

"What the?" He noticed.

Seeing their daughter had addressed it to them, Sirzechs teared it open and they began to read it.

Hmm... I wonder what Rias put in that letter? Guess we'll have to wait and see.

Anyways, looks like Irina's moved to Kuoh Town and helped Issei out of his funk, though he has no idea where his path to reunite with her is going to lead him since he's still out of the loop for now and the next few years. For now at least? He's got his other friends, and a new friend in Irina to keep him steady.

Now, for a small story on Hideki and Ai?

They were actually added in to honor a new relative in my family who had been born a week before this story. It honestly scared me to know they would be born during the Covid-19 pandemic, but everything turned out fine and they're living at home as healthy as they could be, to my great relief. After it was all over and realized how I felt would be similar to some plans I had for our main duo, I decided that I'd make characters out of Issei's unborn siblings, since I felt like he and Vali should have role models for their non-supernatural lives.

Finally, we have the big surprise that the Rias of this story isn't the younger sister of Sirzechs, but his daughter! I hadn't been able to find any fanfics using this idea and wanted to try it. Plus, besides how she's already like Millicas' big sister in canon? I feel this helps explain how she gets more involved.

Until next time everyone, and stay awesome! ^^