Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works. All other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. If you recognize something it isn't mine.
DxD: Spawn of the Dragon
Chapter 15: Back to school…
-Emrys-
After telling the two to get ready Emrys hopped in the shower and enjoyed the warm waters, steam curling around him as he let the water run over his recovering muscles that felt stronger after his fight. Speaking of fights his mind wandered to the battles ahead that he knew were brewing in the dark because the Khaos Brigade wasn't something he could defeat right now, so he needed to prepare and one way was to forge alliances with people and pantheons he could trust, all he needed to do was show his power and bring them to his side.
After rinsing off, he stepped out, drying himself with a quick application of magic before putting on his black dragon scale outfit once again, as he was putting on his shirt, he glanced over to Rias and Asia, who were talking about something involving him if the way they blushed was any indication.
"Do either of you want to come with me to visit the Phenex family?" he asked casually, adjusting his shirt so it didn't have wrinkles and despite his expectation for the two of them to jump at the opportunity to be with him Rias shook her head.
"I need to return to Kuoh. I have to talk to Sona about enrolling Asia and I need to check up with the rest of my peerage since I didn't tell them I was staying the night with you." She explained and while surprised at her rejection Emrys simply accepted it and looked at his blonde pocket healer.
"I'll also be going with Rias to get settled into Kuoh. She just told me about all the stuff I need to prepare for my first day of school tomorrow." Asia nodded in agreement and while he would have liked to bring his little dragon tamer along he wasn't going to object, so he leaned down and gave both a kiss making sure Asia knew he wouldn't favor Rias just because he slept with the devil.
"Stay safe and don't cause too much trouble." He said with a smile rubbing the blonde head as Rias finally got out of bed and put on clothes she summoned and after enjoying the show his crimson haired girlfriend put on he bid the two goodbye as he teleported Asia away to Kuoh along with Rias since devil teleportation didn't work on non-devils.
After they left Emrys expanded his magic sense to check where Tiamat was, but sensed nothing and knowing she likely left him alone, he shrugged it off and with a confident step, he moved toward the infirmary window, opened it, and jumped out.
As he prepared to transform he realized that Tiamat had forcefully transformed him back into his human form most likely to heal him, but she nevertheless fucked him over because beyond his horns and tongue changing everything else didn't and as he fell to the ground he gritted his teeth in annoyance knowing this was likely her form of payback for fucking Rias, but he wasn't going to take this laying down so he boosted multiple times and forcefully broke the seal.
His body expanded mid-air and within moments he took his dragon form. He let out a thunderous roar that echoed across the skies, hopefully reaching Tiamat who he guessed was back in familiar forest, letting her know that he was going to get his payback and boosted his speed, becoming a blur streaking across the sky as he flew toward the Phenex domain not having the access to teleport without permission.
Thanks to his boosted speed despite the Underworld being multiple times larger than Earth he still arrived at the Phenex estate within minutes. Below him the Phenex manor stood as a testament to their wealth among noble families, the sheer opulence of the place was staggering. There were golden spires with equally gold statues of the Legendary Bird of Rebirth, grand courtyards that stretched into the horizon despite the rather arid area that the manor was located in, and multiple buildings that seemed large enough to house an entire city. If he didn't know any better he would have assumed that it was a large colony instead of the estate for one family.
Emrys circled once before descending into the main courtyard, the only place he could sense that wasn't littered with wards, because while he was proud he wasn't stupid and he wouldn't willingly walk into a trap. The large area was obviously enough to accommodate his draconic frame and as his massive wings kicked up a gust, he landed with a heavy thud cracking the stone with his weight, his talons gouging into the ground.
Within moments, all six members of the Phenex family emerged. Lord and Lady Phenex, their three sons, while he didn't know anything about the second son beyond him being a media manager or something alike, after seeing he was around Riser's level of power Emrys disregarded him and focused mainly on Ruval, who stood before him.
With a thought Emrys shifted back into his human form, dusting himself off as he looked over the gathered family. He noted the subtle tension in their stance, but he didn't care, because this was his territory now.
"From now on you're under my command. I don't need much from you—just don't be stupid and provide me with money. Oh, and consider yourselves Phoenix Tear factories." He declared without hesitation not seeing a point to be subtle.
Lord Phenex's face twisted in anger as he practically snarled at Emrys, but he didn't bother acknowledging him since the man was only slightly stronger than Riser, hell he was weaker than his own son and it seemed that was the right choice because despite being the Lord of the house, Ruval stepped forward instead, his expression unreadable. Seeing this, Emrys instinctively prepared himself for another fight, but to his surprise and disappointment, Ruval bowed at the waist, a perfect ninety-degrees.
"I apologize for cheating." Ruval said solemnly and this wasn't what he expected so Emrys froze, momentarily thrown off, his eyes narrowed.
"Cheating?" Emrys asked because he hadn't suspected anything underhanded in their battle. A heavy silence fell over the courtyard and despite his question the other Phenex family members exchanged confused glances before Ravel hesitantly stepped forward.
"No one told you?" she asked, and Emrys shook his head in the negative since beyond giving Tiamat some kisses and finally claiming Rias he wasn't told much about the match, but he knew he won.
"No one told you why Ruval was disqualified when he was about to win?" She asked and here Emrys stared at her like she had spent too long playing with flames and cooked her brain.
"I distinctly remember hitting Ruval with soul destroying flames that should have potentially crippling him, so in what scenario would he have been considered the winner?" He asked confused as after that Emrys himself succumbed to exhaustion and fell unconscious.
"Well Ruval got up after and right when he was about to touch you Ajuka called the match." Ravel explained and hearing that he would have lost if not for the intervention of Ajuka, Emrys clenched his fists in rage as his aura began coming out unconsciously.
"I lost…" He muttered to himself and sensing his anger Ruval subtly moved in front of Ravel, as if shielding her, before answering, "You didn't lose. I used a King Piece and was rightfully disqualified. I don't know why no one else told you."
Hearing that Emrys paused as he processed the revelation. In the anime the King Pieces would artificially boost the power of a devil anywhere from ten to a hundred times. During the fight he had thought that Ruval had used some secret family technique, but nope… It had been the power of the king piece.
Sure he won because Ruval used a King Piece, but it was just a technicality… His victory now felt fake as if it was diluted, because he had enjoyed the fight, pushed himself to his limits, and nearly died in the process against someone he thought was fighting for his family just as fiercely. But now, knowing that Ruval had relied on a King Piece soured the experience especially since he lost despite what anyone else would say about the devil cheating. But he wasn't going to give up his victory to someone who had no pride in themselves and he knew Tiamat was either too lazy to deal with this herself or had left it to him as a test, so he needed answers.
"How were you exposed?" Emrys asked as he walked closer and stood before Ruval, his expression unreadable and the devils knew he wasn't going to take any bullshit. Ruval hesitated, shifting uneasily under Emrys' gaze before he finally spoke.
"Ajuka himself intervened. He forcefully removed the King Piece before disqualifying me." Ruval said and Emrys nodded, absorbing the information, angry at himself for missing the act of his opponent.
"And where did you get the King Piece?" he asked, already suspecting the answer. Ruval remained silent, his expression uneasy. Irritated by his cowardice, Emrys continued, "I know you didn't get it from Ajuka himself, he wouldn't be stupid enough to interfere in such an obvious way. So that leaves the Old Satan Faction or the Great King Faction. I need to know, because whichever faction gave it to you will be coming for you sooner or later. They'll expect you to have sung like a little songbird. It's a miracle none of the four Satans have interrogated you yet."
Ruval who was holding eye contact with Emrys lowered his head in shame, clenching his fists, "Serafall did pay us a visit when I was recovering and the only reason the four satans haven't is because the Phenex family is now under Tiamat." He admitted.
"Well that's a bit of a fib since like Tiamat herself, you all will be under my command, so answer the question the easy way because the hard way involves flames that I won't give you a chance to heal from."
"Can you promise to keep my family safe?" Ruval asked and Emrys nodded confidently because while he didn't like the Phenex family, they were now his property, so he naturally wouldn't allow anyone to take what was his, so he casted a silence spell around them to prevent eavesdroppers and glared at Ruval expecting an answer.
"It was Zekram Bael who gave me the King Piece." Ruval admitted after getting looks from the other devils and Emrys nodded, his suspicions confirmed. While the thought of fighting Rizevim, the son of the original Lucifer, was tempting Emrys knew he couldn't win now despite his abilities, but he would ensure that Zekram Bael would get an ass whooping when he inevitably messed with the Phenex family.
And he also knew that multiple devils with the Great King faction who were in the top ten of the Rating Games also used King Pieces. A devious thought popped into Emrys mind since the Phenex family alone was a massive boon to his growing faction, this could potentially lead to him bringing the entire Great King Faction under his control with the right amount of blackmail and ass whooping. He could even cuck the current Lord Bael, son of Zekram, by waking up his comatose wife and banging her.
'Hmmm, would that make me Sairaorg's dad and Rias' uncle?' He thought in amusement before shaking those thoughts away since he first needed the Great King faction to act because on the off chance they didn't Emrys wouldn't bother with them.
"From now on, act suspiciously whenever you go out, like always looking over your shoulder, but under no circumstance is anyone here to allowed to share this information including the current satans, if they ask I'll handle it and since the Phenex family is under my control, you are under my protection." He explained and they all nodded, turning to Ruval Emrys continued, "But understand this, I despise cowards, so you shouldn't hold your head so high after such a disgraceful act."
Ruval hesitated before reluctantly kneeling unable to look at his family or Emrys himself, his humiliation evident. The other Phenex family members visibly bristled at Emrys' continued disrespect of Ruval, but he didn't care and ignored them.
Taking the final step forward he arrived before the kneeling Ruval glaring down at the devil who shook with an emotion Emrys couldn't place, but he suddenly lifted his leg and slammed it down on the back of Ruval's head, slamming his face into the ground with ground shaking force, making Ruval lay prone on the ground.
With his foot firmly pressed against the back of Ruval's skull, Emrys declared, "You gave me the greatest fight of my life, but your cowardice invalidated it, so from now on you're nothing but a worm to me." he spat in disgust and silence hung in the air as Ruval endured the humiliation, but it was quickly shattered when Riser, in a burst of anger, lunged at Emrys tackling him.
"You bastard!" The previous fiance of Rias roared, ignoring the desperate shouts of Ravel and Rayna telling him to stop.
But Emrys didn't budge and looked down at Riser in disgust, he reached down, grabbed Riser by the arms and pulled, ruthlessly and effortlessly tearing both limbs off before tossing him aside. Riser screamed in agony, but his regeneration quickly restored his arms. Glaring at Emrys with fury, he attacked again, shouting about how he wouldn't allow Emrys to humiliate his brother.
For the first time, Emrys felt a sliver of respect for Riser. The devil attacked Emrys despite knowing he was hopelessly outmatched to stand up for his family, which was massively different from how he acted just days ago in the ORC. But that respect was minuscule compared to the disgust he felt for Riser's overall and without hesitation, Emrys took his foot off Ruval's head and blitzed forward, dropkicking Riser into the courtyard wall.
Riser's lower half was obliterated upon impact, leaving him crawling out of the dust as he regenerated and as Emrys approached the recovering Riser, Ravel ran in front of him, her eyes pleading.
"Please, stop! Spare my idiot brother!" she begged, but the words of a woman despite her beauty wouldn't make Emrys back down, so without a word, Emrys picked Ravel up by the back of her dress and placed her to the side before continuing toward Riser.
Ravel had bought him some time, but the devil had barely regained his full form before Emrys was upon him and wanting to make sure it got through the disappointment's thick skull, Emrys swept Riser's legs making him collapse to the floor on his back and then placed his foot on Riser's chest. Looking at the struggling devil brought a smile to his face and he couldn't help but insult the man, "Truly a waste of space. Looking at you now I'm willing to bet my tail that your mom must be the funniest comedian in the world, considering she spent nine months making an absolute joke, not once but twice." He said with a grin.
Riser froze before erupting in fury, launching fireball after fireball at Emrys, but the dragon didn't flinch, completely immune to flames of such a level and with a single stomp, he drove his foot through Riser's body watching as the devils chest caved in and erupted out through the back. Riser was unable to heal considering Emrys' foot was in the way and he was left helpless, seeing Riser in such a pathetic state Emrys felt disgust and spat on the devil before wrenching his foot free and walking away.
As Emrys turned back to Ruval, who remained on the ground despite Emrys abusing Riser, he debated whether to feel further disgust at his continued cowardice or satisfaction that he had the strongest member of the Phenex family in line. But before he could decide, Riser, who recovered enough to speak, shouted, "You ruined everything! Rias should have been Riser's!" He and and hearing that Emrys burst into laughter.
"She was never yours to begin with, you waste of air and I'm not one to kiss and tell, but I'll let you in on a little secret as soon as I woke up, Rias was bouncing on my dick like a kangaroo because unlike you, I don't need to overcompensate for having a little dick with a shitty attitude." Emrys said with a mocking smile and Riser regenerated enough to sit up, his face red with rage.
"Riser don't have a little dick!" He shouted livid and Emrys chuckled at his retort.
"I'm surprised you didn't deny the Rias part." He then pinched his fingers together and gestured toward Riser mockingly, "But everyone here knows that with the way you act your dick is so small that when you have sex, the girl's immune system attacks it and on the off chance that isn't the case the only other option would be that instead of not being fully developed physically you're not fully developed mentally. After all, you still refer to yourself in third person." Emrys said and that seemed to shut Riser up as he sputtered, but couldn't retort, and unexpectedly a low chuckle broke the tension.
Looking over, Emrys saw that despite trying to hold it in Ravel, couldn't help but laugh softly. He saw the amused look in her eyes, even as the rest of her family glared at her quickly making her shut up, but know that there was another way to anger the man who claimed Rias as his own Emrys smirked, "And now that I'm in charge, my first command is that you won't be able to use any wealth either the phenex families or your own to pay women to sleep with you. That way you can't procreate because no woman would willingly sleep with such a disappointment."
After saying that Emrys looked at Ravel and walked over to her, grabbing her by the ass and pulling her firmly against his body. Turning to Riser, he smiled sadistically, "Just talking to you makes me feel like I'm losing brain cells and that just shows that I need to fix this shitshow that is the Phenex family, and I'll start with the next generation, so congratulations, Riser, you're going to be an uncle in the future." He said squeezing making Ravel moan as she gripped Emrys shirt tightly, but didn't make any attempt to remove herself, he then turned and gave Rayna a lustful look, "and you might even get a younger sibling if I feel like it."
That made Riser erupt in a fury as he yelled, but unlike last time he didn't attack, because he knew it was futile and Emrys, despite lying, knowing his pride would never allow him to force a woman to have sex with him, found the sheer rage on Riser's face to be worth the threat.
However, as he enjoyed the look of anger on Riser's face he felt his hand that was tightly gripping Ravel's ass get slightly wet making him look down to see the devil firmly pressing her own body against him with a look of unmistakable lust in her eyes. That was something he didn't expect and he was slightly disturbed by it despite knowing that she was Issei's fangirl after he beat Riser in canon, so he let go and dried his hand off, gently pushed her away and walked back toward where he had initially landed, contemplating his next steps.
He couldn't ignore the devils now, not with Zekram most likely on the horizon, so he turned to address the assembled Phenex family.
"Now that we've established who's in charge, I need a way to communicate with all of you consistently. I'll also need someone competent in devil politics to manage things while I focus on building up my faction, not Riser." Emrys said brushing past all the events that just happened and he expected them to nominate Yubelluna or someone similar since queens were well adept in managing things.
But unexpectedly after a moment of silence, Rayna stepped forward, offering herself as his political stand-in when he wasn't present and almost immediately after, Ravel volunteered to be his personal liaison with the Phenex family saying that since she knew he didn't like either Ruval and Riser she was the best candidate as it would allow her mother to operate in the Underworld while she was constantly with him and goes on saying that this would also ensure their family wouldn't betray him since she could be used as leverage against them.
Emrys admitted that those were all logical reasons, but he knew that they were just coverups so Ravel could be close to him, but he knew from canon that Ravel was highly competent, having managed Issei's career. And while he didn't feel a pull to her she was still very attractive and as long as she proved useful he wouldn't deny her attraction and he'd claim her too, so after a moment he nodded.
"Fine. Ravel since I find you the least annoying at the best to look at, be in Kuoh as soon as possible. Rayna, summarize the important documents over the past twenty years and send it with Ravel. I don't want to waste time reading useless information." He said and after having Lord Phenex remove himself as the primary on the wards and linking himself, Emrys set a teleportation circle in the courtyard and teleported away, because despite being able to he had no intention of flying tens of thousands of miles. He reappeared in the Familiar Forest, hoping to find Tiamat.
-Ravel Phenex-
She stood still, her mind swirling with a mixture of emotions after Emrys agreed to have her as his liaison for the Phenex family and her mother as his advisor on devil politics she was ecstatic, despite knowing that her father was the most adept in the political field she also knew he was too proud and would likely lead their family to their death with his attitude so she was thankful her mother took that position. Emrys even stated outright that he found her the least annoying of their family, and while that wasn't the most flattering endorsement, she still understood that he viewed her the best out of everyone present.
She knew it was an important role, one that required competence to build rapport and eventually trust, but she was confident in being able to meet the requirements even if it also meant accepting that her family was now essentially the vassal of a dragon.
A dragon who had, so far, not acted anything like what she had expected, because hours earlier, Tiamat had stopped by, making it abundantly clear that, while she was seen as the leader, Emrys was the one making the decisions of their faction.
The way the Tiamat had spoken about her son carried no arrogance, no superiority, only pride as she made the fact known that he was the one in charge, and she was merely the muscle enforcing his will. That alone made Ravel reevaluate her thoughts on him. And when he arrived she had assumed that he would be a cruel tyrant, exacting his anger on them for the mistakes of Riser, but despite some insults, the terms he had given her family had been better than she expected. They still had the ability to work autonomously and he hadn't abused his newfound authority
The more she thought about him, the more conflicted she became, because when he was humiliating Ruval she was angry, but she knew she was also helpless, but when Riser had attacked and insulted Emrys once again, she had expected her brother to be reduced to ashes by his terrifying crimson flames that could erase souls.
Instead, Emrys had simply ridiculed and beat Riser, tossing insults and empty threats about impregnating both her and their mother that she knew were all talk based on the look he gave both her and her mother. She knew it was merely a way to get under Riser's skin, yet the words and actions of Emrys had stirred something deep within her.
The idea of being bred by the dragon should have disgusted her, should have sent her mind reeling in anger, but instead, she felt something entirely different.
Desire.
Her devil instincts flared to life at the thought, her stomach tingling with an unfamiliar but not unwelcome warmth. She never felt this way before, but she shook her head to clear her thoughts because now wasn't the time to imagine being pinned underneath the Adonis of a man that was Emrys. She had a duty to focus on, a role to fulfill. Emrys had entrusted her with being his liaison, and she needed to prove her worth. That was more important than any foolish, primal thoughts trying to worm their way into her mind.
Turning on her heel, she marched toward her mother's study, determination setting her features. If she was going to be Emrys' liaison, she would start by helping compile a thorough and efficient report of everything he needed to know about the Phenex family as a whole. She would earn her place in his growing faction through sheer competency and skill and if along the way she ended up in his bed she wouldn't complain because like Emrys said he would fix the next generation of Phenex.
-Ruval Phenex-
Ruval remained kneeling even minutes after Emrys had vanished despite both of his brothers attempts to make him stand because his body was still trembling from the trauma of facing the dragon, the memory of those devastating crimson flames let alone the purple ones made his very soul shudder.
He had required over a hundred Phoenix Tears just to recover from the damage, and even now, he swore he could still feel the searing pain deep in his bones.
After taking one more deep breath his shaking stopped and lifting his gaze, he saw Riser standing a few feet away, enduring their mother's scolding while scowling in frustration. Ruval sighed in relief, his younger brother had no idea how fortunate he was, because if Emrys had truly been enraged, Riser would have suffered a fate far worse than some removed limbs and insults. The fact that Riser was alive was enough for Ruval.
Shifting his attention he noticed Ravel looking at where Emrys had disappeared with a dazed look in her eyes, her face tinged pink. Seeing that his expression darkened as he recognized that look immediately. Ravel was maturing, her instincts as a devil overriding logic and like the rest of their family, it appeared she had inherited the same masochistic streak they all possessed.
It was a trait that had developed naturally within their bloodline. Their regenerative abilities meant that while they could heal from nearly anything, they still experienced pain. Over generations their family had learned to… cope with it in peculiar ways. So Ravel showing such an expression despite being treated like an object by Emrys didn't sit well with Ruval, but he knew there was nothing he could do.
Because beyond the embarrassment of knowing his younger sister was sexually attracted to Emrys, he also understood the cold truth, she would would be safe and potentially thrive under Emrys, as long as she remained loyal, since she was conventionally attractive and had some good genes
While his sister had a path forward in Emrys' growing faction, he had no such luxury. He was extremely handsome, but he wasn't a woman, and he knew he'd only get killed if he offered his body to Emrys. The only thing he had left was his status as a devil among the top ten in the Rating Games, because despite his disqualification his battle with Emrys hadn't been official, so his position remained intact.
If he wanted to prove his worth, if he wanted to ensure that Emrys saw him as something more than a failure, he had to do it with his own strength because even without the King Piece he was still firmly in Ultimate class and knew he needed to perform well when he got the chance.
-Xenovia Quarta-
As the grand spires of the Vatican loomed overhead, Xenovia strode through the silent halls along with her best friend and partner Irina Shido, their boots echoing against the marble floors. They entered the restricted area that just like the one open to the public smelled of incense, and despite it being the middle of the night, faint murmurs of prayer still resonated from the cathedral chambers. It had been years since Xenovia was in the headquarters of the church, but like any other day it was for a mission.
Walking into the briefing room Xenovia saw someone she didn't expect waiting for them, Griselda Quarta, her guardian and someone Xenovia saw as a mother. She was also one of the most powerful and respected exorcists in the Church who like Xenovia herself was almost always out busy on missions and despite wanting to go over and give Griselda a hug Xenovia held back as her mother figure stood with arms crossed, her expression irritated.
"You're finally here," Griselda said, her voice laced with frustration as she motioned for them to sit down which the two did, "I won't waste time. As much as I protested against this, the two of you, along with one other, are being sent to Kuoh, Japan."
Xenovia nodded, already expecting an assignment still not understanding why she was so against Irina and herself going and speaking of Irina tilted her head in curiosity, "One more person? Who else are we going with?" She asked and Xenovia also nodded wanting to know who she was going into devil territory with, Griselda sighed, before running a hand across her face with a tired look.
"Know that this mission won't start for a week, so this information is classified, so you cannot speak of it to anyone else." Griselda said with a glare that sent a shiver down Xenovia's spine. Both exorcists nodded in understanding, and seeing their discipline, Griselda continued, "As you know recently there have been multiple burglaries across the world where it was assumed that fallen angels were stealing Excalibur fragments, so your mission is to travel to Kuoh in a week and retrieve the stolen Excalibur fragments. They are assumed to currently be in the possession of the Cadre, Kokabiel."
Xenovia's grip on her sheathed sword tightened. A Cadre-class Fallen Angel. That explained why Griselda looked so irritated since neither she nor Irina were anywhere close to the power of a ten-winged fallen angel, and while she wasn't confident in succeeding she would try her best, even if it meant death, but Griselda's next words caused her eyes to widen.
"The one accompanying you will be Dulio Gesualdo." She said with a smile and for the first time, Xenovia felt a rush of excitement, because the Trump Card of Heaven, the strongest exorcist to ever exist, and the man who had replaced Vasco Strada as the strongest human was going to be accompanying them on their mission. She clenched her fists, exhilarated at the thought of fighting alongside such a legend.
Irina, however, furrowed her brow, "If Dulio is coming, wouldn't he be enough to deal with anything Kokabiel throws at him? Why are me and Irina going?" She asked and Xenovia had to keep herself from curing Irina out for potentially ruining her chance to travel with a living legend among the church.
Griselda hesitated for a moment, an uncharacteristic grimace forming on her face before she answered. "Because it isn't just Kokabiel in Kuoh. The Son of Tiamat and the successor of Ddraig also resides there." She explained and both girls stiffened at that.
"Emrys Welsh," Griselda continued. "An Ultimate-Class dragon that the Church believes may seek the Excalibur fragments for his hoard if he were to discover them in Kuoh and to prevent this the pope after looking at Xenovia's profile decided that she would be sent as back up to… distract him."
Hearing that Xenovia's face remained neutral as she understood the implication. The Church needed someone to keep Emrys occupied and instead of dispatching another Ultimate class warrior they had selected her. If that meant offering herself to ensure the mission's success, she would not hesitate.
"Understood." She said, trying to think of a way to distract the dragon.
However, Irina scowled. "What?! Isn't that basically leaving Xenovia to the mercy of that dragon?!" The chestnut-haired teen shouted in anger and Xenovia was shocked by her partner's anger.
"Yes, which was why I didn't want to send her, but I'm helpless in this situation." Griselda said through gritted teeth, but Irina wouldn't take that answer and continued wanting to argue, "Then why am I being sent? If that's Xenovia's mission, what am I going to be doing, running for condoms so she doesn't accidentally end up pregnant?" Irina asked mockingly though Xenovia knew it wasn't directed at her mentor, so neither herself or Griselda took offense.
"I was getting there because after extensive research into Emrys Welsh's background, it was discovered that he is in a relationship with Rias Gremory, the heiress of the Gremory family." Griselda exhaled through her nose, rubbing the bridge of it in irritation and hearing that Xenovia grimaced at the mention of a devil but said nothing.
"And," Griselda added, "Rias Gremory's pawn is the current Red Dragon Emperor… Issei Hyoudou."
Both girls' eyes widened, but for different reasons.
"Issei? My childhood friend Issei?" Irina gasped to which Griselda nodded. Xenovia however remained silent, piecing together the whole picture since she was rather slow when it came to thinking.
'So in Kuoh, there's going to be Kokabiel, The son of Tiamat with the abilities of Ddraig who is an Ultimate-Class Dragon, and on top of all that the wielder of the boosted gear who was a pawn of the little sister of Sirzechs Lucifer.' Xenovia thought and sucked in a deep breath and coming to the realization that this mission was turning into something far more dangerous than a simple retrieval operation, but she still accepted it knowing that she couldn't betray the church.
Irina, though initially shocked like Xenovia soon beamed with excitement, "I can't believe it! I get to see Issei again-" Irina exclaimed before suddenly deflating as a sigh escaped her lips confusing Xenovia.
"What's with the sudden change?" Griselda asked with raised an eyebrow with Irina's expression darkening as the normally bubbly and cheerful girl seemed depressed.
"I was excited to meet him again… but the fact that he was reincarnated into a devil is disappointing." She admitted and hearing that Xenovia agreed.
"Disgusting, even." The blue haired girl added her tone laced with disdain. After a final debriefing on what to expect, Griselda pulled Xenovia into a brief hug and dismissed them, but not before telling Xenovia to meet her at the training grounds at dawn, which the blue haired teen shuddered to think about. The two girls exited the chamber, walking through the Vatican corridors in silence until Irina hesitantly spoke.
"Xenovia… is it wrong that I'm scared to go to Kuoh?" She asked and Xenovia glanced at her understanding her plight.
"Scared of dying?" She asked knowing that many others would be the same, but Irina shook her head.
"No. I'm scared that Issei won't remember me. Or worse… that he's already been corrupted by the devils." She said and Xenovia scoffed.
"Assume the worst as of now and throw any hope of Issei being salvaged out of your head. The foulness of devils cannot be overstated and you must not be deceived by Issei. Devils exist to tempt us away from the Lord's path." She said and Irina sighed, rubbing her arm.
"Then… what do I do?" She asked and Xenovia wrapped her arm around Irina's shoulders, her eyes burning with determination.
"We focus on Emrys Welsh. While he may be involved with Rias Gremory, he is a dragon and not beyond saving. If we can convince him to aid in our quest it will be even better and we would even turn him to the church." Xenoiva explained, hopefully already imagining Griselda praising her for convincing Emrys to join the church.
Irina seemed unconvinced but nodded, "I'm heading to bed." She said and Xenovia inclined her head.
"Rest well. We have two weeks to prepare. I'll be training with Griselda at dawn." she added hoping she wouldn't be the only one to suffer at the hands of the blonde.
-Issei Hyoudou-
The sound of his alarm blaring jolted Issei awake as he groggily smacked the stop button before rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Another day of school, another day of training he thought as he got ready.
After getting dressed in his Kuoh Academy uniform, he grabbed his school bag and headed downstairs, scarfing down breakfast before bolting out the door. The morning air was crisp, and the walk to school was uneventful, until he reached the front gate. The moment he stepped onto campus, an excited chorus of female voices filled the air. High-pitched squeals and hushed giggles echoed from a group of girls gathered near the entrance.
Curious, Issei slowed his pace and discreetly listened in.
"I can't believe Emrys finally came back to school after missing for a month!" one girl gushed excitedly.
"I know! I thought he transferred or something, but it turns out he was just away on family business. Can you believe it? He's like one of those mysterious men from the manga!" another added.
A third girl fidgeted nervously, "Do I look okay? I want to make sure I look good in case I run into him." She asked.
"Same! If I'm lucky, maybe he'll finally notice me." Another added and hearing that Issei scowled, his brow twitching in annoyance.
'Even after a month of not showing up, Emrys is more popular than me.' He thought in frustration because the guy had been absent for an entire month, yet the moment he showed up, he was all that the girls talked about.
As he grumbled to himself, a familiar deep voice rumbled within his mind.
'Why are you wasting your energy on jealousy?' Ddraig's tone was calm but firm, "Those humans will just be a distraction, for right now you need to focus on your training, because the stronger you become, the quicker you'll have women as beautiful as Rias begging for your attention."
Hearing that Issei's annoyance faded, replaced by a grin. "You're right, Ddraig. I just need to get stronger. Screw those regular girls, my future harem will be filled by only the best! They'll be so beautiful that even Emrys will be jealous of me!" He shouted excitedly.
'That's the spirit,' Ddraig said approvingly, 'The quickest way to grow in strength is through combat like you saw yourself during the Rating Game, a real fight is worth more than any amount of practice.'
Issei nodded in agreement. Sparring in real combat was the fastest way to improve. But then Ddraig continued, 'And if you want the best possible results, you should train with Emrys. He shares the abilities of the Red Dragon Emperor. Fighting basically a stronger version of yourself will allow you to see where you can improve and would push you to your limits.'
Immediately, Issei frowned. "I dunno…" he muttered because despite knowing that training with Emrys would make him stronger faster than with anyone else, the thought of asking him for help didn't sit right because a part of him was still jealous that not only was Emrys born ridiculously strong, but the bastard was also with Rias, and even the other girls in the peerage seemed to be interested in Emrys.
It was frustrating.
'I'll leave the decision to you, but you need to keep growing stronger. I can feel it, something big is coming soon and if you don't keep growing, you'll be nothing but a burden who remains a virgin.' Ddraig sighed and Issei's expression hardened because while he didn't want to be left behind, for now he still refused to get help from him.
"But if not Emrys, then I'll find someone else." He muttered as his mind immediately went to Kiba. The pretty boy was annoyingly handsome, but he was really nice and more importantly he was strong. With that decision made, Issei straightened his shoulders and marched toward the school building.
-Emrys-
After not finding Tiamat despite waiting the entire night he teleported back to Kuoh and even went to school. He stepped out of the Occult Research Club room, adjusting his uniform as he ran a hand through his slightly tousled hair. The lingering scent of Rias clung to him and his clothes, a smirk tugged at his lips at the reminder of how they had spent their lunch break, Emrys could still hear the way she had moaned his name.
He strolled through the hallways, his presence commanding attention despite finding it bothersome. Students whispered as he passed, but he didn't bother acknowledging them, his mind already disengaged and by the time he entered the classroom and settled into his seat, he had tuned out the chatter entirely.
Picking up his pen, he absently filled out the worksheet in front of him, but his mind drifted elsewhere.
'Why am I even here?' He thought as he answered the questions, the thought had crossed his mind before, but today, it felt more pressing than ever because the lessons were useless. He had inherited the memories of the other Emrys, giving him the basic knowledge he needed in school and sitting in a human classroom felt like a waste of time.
'I'm a dragon. A dragon who no longer has to be concerned with that damned seal. Why should I bother with this facade any longer?' Emrys contemplated and the thought cemented itself in his mind. He exhaled through his nose and crumpled the half-finished paper in his hand.
Standing up he was already out the door before the teacher had any time to react. His footsteps echoed through the empty hallway as he made his way back to the ORC. And as he walked, his phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and glanced at the caller ID.
[Tiamat]
"Where—" He spoke as he answered, but was cut off.
"I set up a visit to the Norse Pantheon. We're going tomorrow." She said, confusing him.
"What?" He muttered before remembering his words to her the previous day about potential allies and while he expected Tiamat to have taken longer he wasn't going to complain.
"Nevermind, I remem-" Was all he got out before the line went dead. Seeing this Emrys stopped mid-step, scowling at his phone.
"Of course, she hangs up." Grumbling in annoyance, he shoved the device back into his pocket and resumed his walk to the ORC. Seeing her act this way, Emrys knew Tiamat was upset with him, but he'd make it up to her and he also wanted to let Rias know he'd be gone for a while.
AN: Allllllllllright, well this is the chapter and what will lead to the norse arc and the ways thins are playing out canon while similar is still fucked so hopefully I don't mess it all up…
Also It's hard as fuck to type and edit with one eye because a blood vessel popped in my right eye and trying to type while one eye constantly goes blurry is really fucking annoying.
Also also, I'm going to be putting up a poll for Xenovia and Irina and if they'll both join Emrys' growing harem.
Like always I hope you enjoy.
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